[{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2014.09.008","name":"Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) applied to terrestrial and extraterrestrial analogue geomaterials with emphasis to minerals and rocks","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2014.09.008","authors":["Giorgio S. Senesi","N. Senesi"],"tags":["Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy","Extraterrestrial life","Meteorite","Weathering","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-10-03","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1016/j.earscirev.2014.09.008","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"oa:W1996398369","name":"Extraterrestrial magnetic minerals","source":"openalex","abstract":"Thermomagnetic and microprobe analyses are carried out and a set of magnetic characteristics are measured for 25 meteorites and 3 tektites from the collections of the Vernadsky Geological Museum of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Museum of Natural History of the North-East Interdisciplinary Science Research Institute, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It is found that, notwithstanding their type, all the meteorites contain the same magnetic minerals and only differ by concentrations of these minerals. Kamacite with less than 10% nickel is the main magnetic mineral in the studied samples. Pure iron, taenite, and schreibersite are less frequent; nickel, various iron spinels, Fe-Al alloys, etc., are very rare. These minerals are normally absent in the crusts of the Earth and other planets. The studied meteorites are more likely parts of the cores and lower mantles of the meteoritic parent bodies (the planets). Uniformity in the magnetic properties of the meteorites and the types of their thermomagnetic (MT) curves is violated by secondary alterations of the meteorites in the terrestrial environment. The sediments demonstrate the same monotony as the meteorites: kamacite is likely the only extraterrestrial magnetic mineral, which is abundant in sediments and associated with cosmic dust. The compositional similarity of kamacite in iron meteorites and in cosmic dust is due to their common source; the degree of fragmentation of the material of the parent body is the only difference.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1134/s1069351312070051","authors":["D. M. Pechersky","G. P. Markov","V. A. Tselmovich","Z. V. Sharonova","V. A. Tsel’movich"],"tags":["Kamacite","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-07-01","addedAt":"2026-08-04T10:39:21.393Z","doi":"10.1134/s1069351312070051","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"oa:W1862527112","name":"EXTRATERRESTRIAL MINERALS AND FUTURE FRONTIERS IN MINERAL EXPLORATION","source":"openalex","abstract":"Due to the high rates of consumption of minerals and the high human population growth, mineral resources on planet Earth are in the process of exhaustion, this shortage creates the need to fi nd new alternatives to supply the growing needs. An additional alternative to the traditional search for new deposits on Earth, is the search for deposits beyond our planet, these new resources can be found in the vicinity of our planet. The mining of bodies of our solar system like the Moon, Mars and the asteroid belt can provide abundant energy resources such as helium 3 and minerals such as potassium, rare earth elements, iron and platinum group minerals. Now some companies are planning this exploration and for geologists and mining professionals in general, it has considerable potential for scientifi c research, technological innovation and professional development in new fi elds.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1862527112","authors":["Wilmer Giraldo","Jorge Iván Tobón"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Mineral exploration","Economic shortage","Planet","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-01","addedAt":"2026-08-04T10:39:21.393Z"},{"id":"oa:W2991156725","name":"Extraterrestrial ribose and other sugars in primitive meteorites","source":"europepmc","abstract":") of the detected sugars show that the sugars are of extraterrestrial origin. We also conducted a laboratory simulation experiment of a potential sugar formation reaction in space. The compositions of pentoses in meteorites and the composition of the products of the laboratory simulation suggest that meteoritic sugars were formed by formose-like processes. The mineral compositions of these meteorites further suggest the formation of these sugars both before and after the accretion of their parent asteroids. Meteorites were carriers of prebiotic organic molecules to the early Earth; thus, the detection of extraterrestrial sugars in meteorites establishes the existence of natural geological routes to make and preserve them as well as raising the possibility that extraterrestrial sugars contributed to forming functional biopolymers like RNA on the early Earth or other primitive worlds.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1907169116","authors":["Yoshihiro Furukawa","Yoshito Chikaraishi","Naohiko Ohkouchi","Nanako O. Ogawa","D. P. Glavin","Jason P. Dworkin","Chiaki Abe","Tomoki Nakamura"],"tags":["Ribose","Meteorite","Deoxyribose","Nucleic acid","Abiogenesis"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","addedAt":"2026-08-04T10:39:21.393Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.1907169116","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"oa:W1492694232","name":"Comprehensive examination of large mineral and rock fragments in Stardust tracks: Mineralogy, analogous extraterrestrial materials, and source regions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– Transmission electron microscopy examination of 87 large fragments from 16 carrot‐shaped and bulbous Stardust (SD) tracks was performed to study the range and diversity of materials present in comet Wild 2. Olivines and low‐Ca pyroxenes represent the largest proportions of fragments observed; however, a wide range of minerals and rocks were found including probable ferromagnesian, Al‐rich and Si‐rich chondrule fragments, a refractory inclusion, possible matrix mineral/lithic clasts, and probable condensate minerals. These materials, combined with fine‐grained components in the tracks, are analogous to components in unequilibrated chondrite meteorites and cluster interplanetary dust particles (IDPs). Two unusual lithologies in the bulbous tracks are only observed in chondritic porous IDPs and may have direct links to IDPs. The absence of phyllosilicates indicates that comet Wild 2 may be a “dry” comet that did not accrete or form significant amounts of hydrated phases. Some large mineral fragments in the SD tracks are analogous to large mineral IDPs. The large variations of the coarse‐grained components within and between all 16 tracks show that comet Wild 2 is mineralogically diverse and unequilibrated on nearly all scales and must have accreted materials from diverse source regions that were widely dispersed throughout the solar nebula.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2012.01337.x","authors":["D. J. Joswiak","D. E. Brownlee","G. Matrajt","A. J. Westphal","C. J. Snead","Z. Gainsforth"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Interplanetary dust cloud","Mineral","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-04-01","addedAt":"2026-08-04T10:39:21.393Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.2012.01337.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2601541773","name":"Mineral Surface Rearrangement at High Temperatures: Implications for Extraterrestrial Mineral Grain Reactivity","source":"openalex","abstract":"High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Mineral surfaces play a critical role in the solar nebula as a catalytic surface for chemical reactions and potentially acted as a source of water during Earth’s accretion by the adsorption of water molecules to the surface of interplanetary dust particles. However, nothing is known about how mineral surfaces respond to short-lived thermal fluctuations that are below the melting temperature of the mineral. Here we show that mineral surfaces react and rearrange within minutes to changes in their local environment despite being far below their melting temperature. Polished surfaces of the rock and planetary dust-forming silicate mineral olivine ((Mg,Fe) 2 SiO 4 ) show significant surface reorganization textures upon rapid heating resulting in surface features up to 40 nm in height observed after annealing at 1200 °C. Thus, high-temperature fluctuations should provide new and highly reactive sites for chemical reactions on nebula mineral particles. Our results also may help to explain discrepancies between short and long diffusion profiles in experiments where diffusion length scales are of the order of 100 nm or less.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.6b00016","authors":["Helen E. King","Oliver Plümper","Christine V. Putnis","Hugh O’Neill","Stephan Klemme","Andrew Putnis"],"tags":["Mineral","Silicate","Olivine","Astrobiology","Interplanetary dust cloud"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-03-31","addedAt":"2026-08-04T10:39:21.393Z","doi":"10.1021/acsearthspacechem.6b00016","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2806163205","name":"Relationships between unit-cell parameters and composition for rock-forming minerals on Earth, Mars, and other extraterrestrial bodies","source":"openalex","abstract":"Mathematical relationships between unit-cell parameters and chemical composition were developed for selected mineral phases observed with the CheMin X-ray diffractometer onboard the Curiosity rover in Gale crater. This study presents algorithms for estimating the chemical composition of phases based solely on X-ray diffraction data. The mineral systems include plagioclase, alkali feldspar, Mg-Fe-Ca C 2/ c clinopyroxene, Mg-Fe-Ca P 2 1 / c clinopyroxene, Mg-Fe-Ca orthopyroxene, Mg-Fe olivine, magnetite, and other selected spinel oxides, and alunite-jarosite. These methods assume compositions of Na-Ca for plagioclase, K-Na for alkali feldspar, Mg-Fe-Ca for pyroxene, and Mg-Fe for olivine; however, some other minor elements may occur and their impact on measured unit-cell parameters is discussed. These crystal-chemical algorithms can be applied to material of any origin, whether that origin is Earth, Mars, an extraterrestrial body, or a laboratory.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2018-6123","authors":["Shaunna M. Morrison","Robert T. Downs","D. F. Blake","Anirudh Prabhu","Ahmed Eleish","D. T. Vaniman","D. W. Ming","E. B. Rampe","Robert M. Hazen","C. N. Achilles","A. H. Treiman","A. S. Yen"],"tags":["Plagioclase","Pyroxene","Olivine","Chemical composition","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-11-22","addedAt":"2026-08-04T10:39:21.393Z","doi":"10.2138/am-2018-6123","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.070Z"},{"id":"oa:W2125450772","name":"Vegetation's Red Edge: A Possible Spectroscopic Biosignature of Extraterrestrial Plants","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Earth's deciduous plants have a sharp order-of-magnitude increase in leaf reflectance between approximately 700 and 750 nm wavelength. This strong reflectance of Earth's vegetation suggests that surface biosignatures with sharp spectral features might be detectable in the spectrum of scattered light from a spatially unresolved extrasolar terrestrial planet. We assess the potential of Earth's step-function-like spectroscopic feature, referred to as the \"red edge,\" as a tool for astrobiology. We review the basic characteristics and physical origin of the red edge and summarize its use in astronomy: early spectroscopic efforts to search for vegetation on Mars and recent reports of detection of the red edge in the spectrum of Earthshine (i.e., the spatially integrated scattered light spectrum of Earth). We present Earthshine observations from Apache Point Observatory (New Mexico) to emphasize that time variability is key to detecting weak surface biosignatures such as the vegetation red edge. We briefly discuss the evolutionary advantages of vegetation's red edge reflectance, and speculate that while extraterrestrial \"light-harvesting organisms\" have no compelling reason to display the exact same red edge feature as terrestrial vegetation, they might have similar spectroscopic features at different wavelengths than terrestrial vegetation. This implies that future terrestrial-planet-characterizing space missions should obtain data that allow time-varying, sharp spectral features at unknown wavelengths to be identified. We caution that some mineral reflectance edges are similar in slope and strength to vegetation's red edge (albeit at different wavelengths); if an extrasolar planet reflectance edge is detected care must be taken with its interpretation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2005.5.372","authors":["S. Seager","Edwin L. Turner","J. Schafer","Eric B. Ford","Seager S","Turner EL","Schafer J","Ford EB"],"tags":["Red edge","Astrobiology","Vegetation (pathology)","Planet","Exoplanet"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005 Jun","addedAt":"2026-08-04T10:39:21.393Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2005.5.372","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.070Z"},{"id":"oa:W1871734886","name":"The 176Lu decay constant determined by Lu–Hf and U–Pb isotope systematics of Precambrian mafic intrusions","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0012-821x(04)00012-3","authors":["Ulf Söderlund","P. Jonathan Patchett","Jeffrey D. Vervoort","C. E. Isachsen"],"tags":["Mafic","Pyroxene","Geology","Geochemistry","Baddeleyite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-02-12","addedAt":"2026-08-04T10:39:21.393Z","doi":"10.1016/s0012-821x(04","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W1987347445","name":"Electron and optical microscopy studies of extraterrestrial minerals in NWA4047 meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Analytical electron microscopy and optical microscopy were used to determine the elemental and mineral composition of NWA4047 meteorite. The meteorite was found in 2005 in Morocco, and in 2006 was preliminary classified as H4‐5 ordinary chondrite. The main crystalline meteorite minerals: olivines, pyroxenes, kamacite and taenite, feldspars, as well as troilite identified in our sample represent extraterrestrial minerals typical of the ordinary chondrite of high iron content. Low‐Ca orthopyroxene called bronzite has been revealed. Single enstatite and clinopyroxene crystals have also been identified. Olivines in the meteorite contain 18 mol% of fayalite. The meteorite is a monomict breccia, in which fragments of petrographic types 4, 5, and 6 are present, with the groundmass being type 4. Some of clasts contain large grains of feldspars and high content of feldspars, which is typical of petrologic type 6. Chemical and mineral composition, petrologic types of chondrules, their abundance and sizes, the presence of troilite‐kamacite veins, and nonoxidised iron phases prove that the chondrite belong to H group, i.e. to the olivine‐bronzite group. Our results show that the NWA4047 meteorite is H4‐6 ordinary chondrite. The weathering grade of the meteorite W0/1 is the same as previously established, but the shock grade S3 seems to be higher in comparison with the previous classification. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &amp; Co. KGaA, Weinheim)","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/crat.200711131","authors":["M. Szurgot","Krzysztof Polański","Marcin Krystek","K. Polański","M. Krystek"],"tags":["Troilite","Meteorite","Kamacite","Ordinary chondrite","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-04-18","addedAt":"2026-08-04T10:39:21.393Z","doi":"10.1002/crat.200711131","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"oa:W3161930689","name":"Investigating extraterrestrial bodies as a source of critical minerals for renewable energy technology","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2021.05.021","authors":["J.A. Dallas","Simit Raval","Serkan Saydam","Andrew G. Dempster","S. Raval","S. Saydam","A.G. Dempster"],"tags":["Renewable energy","Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology","Environmental science","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-05-13","addedAt":"2026-08-04T10:39:21.393Z","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2021.05.021","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"oa:W2026699540","name":"Microorganisms pumping iron: anaerobic microbial iron oxidation and reduction","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Iron (Fe) has long been a recognized physiological requirement for life, yet for many microorganisms that persist in water, soils and sediments, its role extends well beyond that of a nutritional necessity. Fe(II) can function as an electron source for iron-oxidizing microorganisms under both oxic and anoxic conditions and Fe(III) can function as a terminal electron acceptor under anoxic conditions for iron-reducing microorganisms. Given that iron is the fourth most abundant element in the Earth's crust, iron redox reactions have the potential to support substantial microbial populations in soil and sedimentary environments. As such, biological iron apportionment has been described as one of the most ancient forms of microbial metabolism on Earth, and as a conceivable extraterrestrial metabolism on other iron-mineral-rich planets such as Mars. Furthermore, the metabolic versatility of the microorganisms involved in these reactions has resulted in the development of biotechnological applications to remediate contaminated environments and harvest energy.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro1490","authors":["Karrie A. Weber","Laurie A. Achenbach","John D. Coates","Weber KA","Achenbach LA","Coates JD"],"tags":["Microorganism","Anoxic waters","Iron bacteria","Ferrous","Environmental chemistry"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006 Oct","addedAt":"2026-08-04T10:39:21.393Z","doi":"10.1038/nrmicro1490","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.070Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-77440-9_7","name":"Extraterrestrial Anorthosites","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-77440-9_7","authors":["Lewis D. Ashwal"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-12-06T08:38:57Z","addedAt":"2026-08-04T10:39:21.393Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-77440-9_7","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/epsc2024-1122","name":"Abiotic organo-minerals, a threat for identification of bio-minerals in hydrothermal systems and extraterrestrial environments","source":"crossref","abstract":"Introduction: The search for organic compounds of biological origin in extraterrestrial environments is one of the major objectives of space missions. However, the interpretations of the origins (biological or otherwise) of organic matter in extraterrestrial environments is a highly complex process. The same concern is encountered when probing for the oldest traces of life on Earth. The search for by-products of potential biological activity such as bio-minerals can be an interesting alternative to decipher biological from non-biological organic compounds. Many minerals of biological origin have been identified on present-day Earth, trapping organic compounds of biological origin, used as template for mineralisation&#160;[1], [2]. Therefore, it can be assumed that traces of biological activity could have been preserved more efficiently in the form of inorganic phases such as bio-minerals and potentially able to protect and preserve in their crystallographic structure, biological organic compounds.Nevertheless, numerous studies also demonstrate the possibility of forming abiotic minerals by organo-mineralization (precipitated solely in the presence of organic molecules without any living organisms) [3], [4], [5]. On Earth, carbonate minerals have been widely produced by bio-, organo-mineralization as well as by inorganic mineralization processes throughout geological history. However, both bio- and organo-mineralization processes use organic compounds as nucleation sites for carbonation&#160;leading in both cases to organic-rich carbonates with occasionally similar characteristics [6]. Few studies have shown that the nature of organic compounds, including their physico-chemical properties but also their structural form (chirality) lead to the formation of organo-carbonates with various characteristics (e.g., mineralogies, morphologies) [4], [5], [7]. The presence of one or more COO-&#160;functional groups on molecules, which can form a weak bond with Ca2+&#160;ions and thus induce carbonation, could have an influence on the properties of organo-carbonates produced.The aim here is to investigate the formation of organo-carbonates in various environmental conditions and with various chemical compounds to assess the physico-chemical properties of a wide diversity of organo-carbonates. This could give us an insight into the carbonation mechanisms linked to the intrinsic properties of organic compounds, and enable us to study the impact of these organic compounds on the properties of the organo-carbonates. Data acquired on the organo-carbonates produced in this study are also compared with a dataset acquired on numerous abiotic carbonates and bio-carbonates, both natural and laboratory-synthesized [6], [8], with the aim of identifying relevant criteria for distinguishing carbonates according to their mineralization process&#160;and identify possible false positives&#160;biosignatures.&#160;Methods: Organo-carbonate precipitation was carried out using the ammonium diffusion method, where carbon dioxide and ammonium, derived from the spontaneous decomposition of ammonium carbonate, are gradually dissolved in an aqueous solution containing CaCl2&#160;and amino acids. Experiments took place at room temperature for 20 days, in desiccators filled with silica gel, ammonium carbonate and petri dishes each containing 30 ml of aqueous solution. The organo-carbonates obtained were studied using a wide range of analytical techniques to investigate their physico-chemical properties. Morphologies were assessed by scanning electron microscopy, mineralogies and structural properties by X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy, and thermal stability and organic content by differential thermal analysis and Rock-eval analysis.Results: Experiments carried out with amino acids (various concentrations, with enantiomeric forms, inert or oxygenated atmospheres) produced organo-carbonates with different physico-che","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2024-1122","authors":["Alexandra Perron","Vassilissa Vinogradoff","Fabien Stalport","François Baudin","Bénédicte Ménez"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-03T12:38:20Z","addedAt":"2026-08-04T10:39:21.393Z","doi":"10.5194/epsc2024-1122","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-009-1133-8_23","name":"Extraterrestrial Material in Marine Sediments","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1133-8_23","authors":["R. G. Rothwell"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-09-15T12:16:21Z","addedAt":"2026-08-04T10:39:21.393Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-009-1133-8_23","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9781139051637.026","name":"Ceramic structures III: terrestrial and extraterrestrial minerals","source":"openalex","abstract":"This highly readable, popular textbook for upper undergraduates and graduates comprehensively covers the fundamentals of crystallography and symmetry, applying these concepts to a large range of materials. New to this edition are more streamlined coverage of crystallography, additional coverage of magnetic point group symmetry and updated material on extraterrestrial minerals and rocks. New exercises at the end of chapters, plus over 500 additional exercises available online, allow students to check their understanding of key concepts and put into practice what they have learnt. Over 400 illustrations within the text help students visualise crystal structures and more abstract mathematical objects, supporting more difficult topics like point group symmetries. Historical and biographical sections add colour and interest by giving an insight into those who have contributed significantly to the field. Supplementary online material includes password-protected solutions, over 100 crystal structure data files, and Powerpoints of figures from the book.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781139051637.026","authors":["Marc De Graef","Michael E. McHenry"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Point (geometry)","Password","Computer science","Theoretical physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-10-08","addedAt":"2026-08-04T10:39:21.393Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9781139051637.026","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1180/emu-notes.14.2","name":"Energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis by TEM applied to extraterrestrial materials","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/emu-notes.14.2","authors":["Hugues Leroux"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-05-22T08:40:58Z","addedAt":"2026-08-04T10:39:21.393Z","doi":"10.1180/emu-notes.14.2","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-3170502/v1","name":"Extraterrestrial mining – A novel method for extracting minerals and metals from asteroids","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract Extra-terrestrial mining is vital for access to strategic metals for space exploration and to feed an increasing terrestrial need for metals in sustainable energy generation and storage. This study demonstrates for the first time the catalytic dissolution of metals from meteorite proxies of metal-rich asteroids using a deep eutectic solvent (DES). DESs are of particular interest for extra-terrestrial mining as they can be designed to have relatively low vapour pressures and could potentially be made from waste products created in extra-terrestrial settlements. Three types of meteorites were investigated: 2 chondrites (H3, H5) and one iron (IAB-MG) meteorite. Chondrites samples were composed of silicates (olivine, pyroxene) with metallic phases occurring as native metal alloys and sulphides. Metallic Fe-Ni and troilite (FeS) are the most abundant metal-bearing phases in all three samples, particularly in the iron-rich meteorite. The samples were subjected to chemical micro-etching experiments with iodine and iron(III) chloride as oxidising agents in a DES formed from the mixture of choline chloride (ChCl) and ethylene glycol (EG). Micro-etching experiments demonstrated that Fe-Ni phases are effectively leached out in this system, while other mineral phases remain unreactive.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3170502/v1","authors":["Rodolfo Marin Rivera","Philip Bird","Gawen Jenkin","Andrew P. Abbott"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-04T10:39:21.393Z","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-3170502/v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7185/gold2025.30831","name":"Role of Layered Minerals in the Emergence and Preservation of Proto-Proteins and Detection of Extraterrestrial Biosignatures","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7185/gold2025.30831","authors":["Valentina Erastova","Hannah Pollak","Sarah Stewart"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-24T12:31:10Z","addedAt":"2026-08-04T10:39:21.393Z","doi":"10.7185/gold2025.30831","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.46770/as.2022.016","name":"In Situ Micro-XRD Methods For Identifying Glass And Minerals In Extraterrestrial Samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"Glass or amorphous state materials are vital components of lunar regolith and have attracted considerable attention. The analytical data on the texture and structure of glassy and crystallized materials can be used to reconstruct the geological history of the Moon. However, it is often challenging to distinguish glass from crystals based on morphology and elemental composition, especially in complex extraterrestrial samples that have been subjected to significant impact and metamorphism. In this study, micro-X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques were used to identify crystalline minerals and glassy phases in lunar breccia samples extracted in the Chang'e-5 mission. The samples were processed using different operating methods to identify a technique that would minimize damage to their original appearance and structure and yield optimal results. The diffraction results, which possessed two-dimensional patterns were classified into dominant dispersion halos, concentric diffraction rings, independent diffraction spots, and coexisting rings and spots. The results correspond to four types of sample states, namely, the amorphous material, polycrystal, single crystal, and a mixture of polycrystals and single crystals. By identifying the crystallization state and phases of various samples in a non-destructive and intuitive manner, XRD can facilitate in situ analysis of special samples generated during important geological events, thereby promoting the understanding of complex origins and evolution of extraterrestrial bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.46770/as.2022.016","authors":["Lingya Ma"],"tags":["Chemistry","In situ","Extraterrestrial life","Mineralogy","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-02-14","addedAt":"2026-08-04T10:39:21.393Z","doi":"10.46770/as.2022.016","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"pmid:42454534","name":"Biological Validation and Agnostic Experiments for Extant and Extinct Microbial Life within the Martian Subsurface.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Over the last several decades, investigations of Earth's subsurface and other extremely low-biomass systems have refined our understanding of the environmental limits of life, driven by methodological advances that permit agnostic life detection of biology and their respective physical biosignatures and chemical biomarkers. These advances enable mission concepts centered on microbiological processes that facilitate identification of both active life and preserved biosignatures through measurements of metabolism and associated biochemical markers that, on Mars, are more likely to be retained below the surface. Terrestrially, although biological processes can exert a significant influence on Earth's crust, the presence of habitable conditions does not necessarily imply the existence of cellular life. The Viking missions constituted the first direct life-detection experiments on Mars but produced equivocal outcomes, prompting subsequent exploration strategies to emphasize surface habitability rather than direct biological testing. Leveraging progress in subsurface microbiology and planetary exploration, we contend that Mars missions are now poised to shift toward direct tests for extant microbial activity in the subsurface, with metabolic processes serving as a broadly applicable indicator of life.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42454534/","authors":["Perl SM","Cockell CS","Fischer WW","Sharma S","Lloyd KG","Wilhelm MB","Corsetti FA","Treude T","Leadbetter J","Giovannelli D","Foreman CM","Freedman K","Lynch K","Homann M","Som SM","Wilson L","Karunatillake S","Drake H","Bywaters K","Mikucki J","Celestian AJ","Chen P","Guan L","Ibarra Y","Boland J","Hosseini S","Tosi PL","Nisson DM","Murphy A","Garner M","Thei F","Biondi M","Propster P"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul","addedAt":"2026-08-04T10:39:21.393Z"},{"id":"pmid:42453286","name":"Mineral biosignature identification from Raman spectroscopy using machine learning.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Biosignature detection remains a key challenge in astrobiology, yet robust mineral biosignatures remain limited. Raman spectroscopy is increasingly applied in planetary exploration, but its high-dimensional spectral information has not yet been fully exploited for biosignature discrimination using data-driven approaches. Here, we integrate Raman spectroscopy with interpretable machine learning to distinguish biotic from abiotic apatite, a ubiquitous phosphate mineral in terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments. We compile 331 apatite Raman spectra from abiotic and biotic sources and extract 21 band-resolved spectral features. Principal component analysis reveals systematic separation between abiotic and biotic endmembers. A random forest classifier achieves 96.8% accuracy on an independent test set. Robustness is confirmed by multiple validation schemes, including leave-one-source-out cross-validation across 60 independent data sources, indicating that model performance generalizes beyond source- or instrument-specific artifacts. Feature importance identifies two dominant controls: phosphate-band broadening as a structural indicator of disorder and the carbonate-band intensity as a chemical signature of substitution. Density-functional calculations reproduce these features in simulated spectra and indicate that carbonate substitution doubles phosphate-tetrahedral distortion and increases formation energies by two orders of magnitude. Mechanically, higher carbonate contents during biomineral apatite formation reduce crystallinity and broaden Raman bands. We propose that the trained machine-learning model and a two-feature decision map enable the rapid probabilistic discrimination of unknown apatite samples. Our Raman-based machine-learning framework establishes a broadly applicable and mission-relevant strategy for deep-time archives and future planetary missions.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42453286/","authors":["Li Y","Prabhu A","Hou B","Wong ML","Lu A","Xing J","Ngo D","Xu B","Hazen RM"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul","addedAt":"2026-08-04T10:39:21.393Z"},{"id":"pmid:42382141","name":"Archaea-driven bioremediation of polyolefins and polyesters in extreme environments.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42382141/","authors":["Chigwada AD","Tekere M"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Sep","addedAt":"2026-08-04T10:39:21.393Z"},{"id":"pmid:42378096","name":"The Viking's 50 Year Landing Anniversary Astrobiology Special Collection: Reexamining the Revolutionary Impact of Viking on Mars Exploration.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The NASA Viking Program laid the framework for Mars science, technology, and exploration. While the barren view of the Red Planet revealed by Viking was antithetical to the expectations of the planetary science community at the time, Viking was remarkable because it achieved numerous novel technical feats that continue to shape planetary robotic exploration today, integrating technical elements from disparate scientific fields, culminating in the scientific, engineering, and management achievements of over 2000 people. Over the last five decades, the results of the Viking science payload have led to vigorous debate within the astrobiology community on the burden of proof necessary to determine the detection of life, a necessary discussion that continues today. The future of missions designed to search for extant life will build upon the foundation laid by Viking, with a scientifically integrated, matured search-for-life strategy, one invigorated by technologists, engineers, and science communicators. As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of this groundbreaking mission, it is imperative that the scientific community reflects the Viking program's foundational impact on planetary science and exploration. Looking to the future, we must consider the perspectives and lessons learned from Viking while working towards a long-term vision for continued astrobiological exploration of Mars and other planetary bodies.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42378096/","authors":["Wilhelm MB","Perl SM"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul","addedAt":"2026-08-04T10:39:21.393Z"},{"id":"pmid:42372244","name":"Dual-Functional Metallized Basalt Fiber with Exceptional Electromagnetic Interference Shielding and Joule Heating Capabilities under Simulated Lunar Temperature Conditions.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42372244/","authors":["Zhou C","Zhao L","Hui L","Yang Z","Fu T","Huang J","Chen D"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 22","addedAt":"2026-08-04T10:39:21.393Z"},{"id":"pmid:42334373","name":"Experimental Evidence for a Microbial Origin of Reduction Spots in Red Beds on Earth-and Mars?","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The Perseverance rover recently discovered sedimentary rocks reddened by ferric oxides and peppered with bleached spots lacking these oxides. Some of these spots are associated with phosphate, iron sulfide minerals, and organic matter and are regarded as \"potential biosignatures,\" suggestive of microbial iron- and sulfate-reduction and organic matter oxidation. Similar millimeter-centimeter-scale \"reduction spots\" occur in many ancient red beds on Earth. Although terrestrial reduction spots are widely considered biogenic, the available evidence is not decisive, and the proposed microbial mechanism of spot formation has not been tested experimentally. Here, we report a successful laboratory demonstration of bleached spot formation in ferruginous sediment. Millimeter-centimeter-scale rounded bleached spots appeared within weeks on the underside of anaerobic sand-ferrihydrite slurries inoculated with microbial communities from the reducing zones of Winogradsky columns, originally seeded with soil and pondwater. The spatial and temporal distribution of observed bleaching events, which did not occur in sterile controls, is best explained by a microbially induced process, and DNA sequencing confirms that bacteria of iron-reducing genera (e.g., Paradesulfitobacterium ) are abundant in the bleached areas. These results strongly support the longstanding hypothesis that microbial colonies can indeed generate visibly bleached reduction spots in ferruginous sediments and rocks. Further experiments are needed to establish whether and how nonbiological processes can mimic these features and to search for features that disambiguate biogenic and abiogenic reduction spots.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42334373/","authors":["Zielinska S","Felton N","Vixseboxse PB","McMahon S"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jun","addedAt":"2026-08-04T10:39:21.393Z"},{"id":"pmid:42306909","name":"High Spatial Resolution In Situ Fe Isotope Analysis by Laser Ablation Collision/Reaction Cell MC-ICP-MS: Application to Chang'e-6 Lunar Samples.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42306909/","authors":["Zeng X","Cao J","He Q","Wang Z","Li Y","Zheng J","Feng L","Hu Z","Hu Z","Luo T","Liu Z","Zhang W"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jun 30","addedAt":"2026-08-04T10:39:21.393Z"},{"id":"pmid:42284086","name":"Nanophase Goethite as a Promising Target in the Search for Past Life on Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The ubiquitous iron oxides and oxyhydroxides on Mars represent intriguing targets in the search for evidence of past microbial life on the Red Planet. So far, no studies have systematically investigated microbial fossils in fluviolacustrine ferricrete composed entirely of nanophase goethite; thus, our understanding of biosignatures in such deposits is limited. Here, we report exceptionally well-preserved microfossils in laminated nanophase goethite from the Miocene McGraths Flat Lagerst&#xe4;tte, New South Wales, Australia. Using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy, we identified a diverse range of fossil morphotypes, including bacteria and fungi. Syngenetic forms embedded in the sedimentary matrix and post-depositional endolithic colonizers were recognized. Our findings establish nanophase goethite as an excellent preservation medium for microfossils, capable of preserving subcellular details across multiple generations of microbial communities, and highlight nanophase goethite as a promising target for future Mars exploration missions.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42284086/","authors":["Djokic T","Smith PM","O'Keefe J","Korasidis VA","Frese M","Havig JR","Cantrill DJ","Rasheed R","McCurry MR"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jun","addedAt":"2026-08-04T10:39:21.393Z"},{"id":"oa:W2011771363","name":"Pallasite meteorites—mineralogy, petrology and geochemistry","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(77)90044-8","authors":["Peter R. Buseck"],"tags":["Olivine","Meteorite","Pyroxene","Geology","Chromite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1977-06-01","addedAt":"2026-08-04T10:39:21.393Z","doi":"10.1016/0016-7037(77","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2027296098","name":"Mineralogy of meteorite groups","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Approximately 275 mineral species have been identified in meteorites, reflecting diverse redox environments, and, in some cases, unusual nebular formation conditions. Anhydrous ordinary, carbonaceous and R chondrites contain major olivine, pyroxene and plagioclase; major opaque phases include metallic Fe‐Ni, troilite and chromite. Primitive achondrites are mineralogically similar. The highly reduced enstatite chondrites and achondrites contain major enstatite, plagioclase, free silica and kamacite as well as nitrides, a silicide and Ca‐, Mg‐, Mn‐, Na‐, Cr‐, K‐ and Ti‐rich sulfides. Aqueously altered carbonaceous chondrites contain major amounts of hydrous phyllosilicates, complex organic compounds, magnetite, various sulfates and sulfides, and carbonates. In addition to kamacite and taenite, iron meteorites contain carbides, elemental C, nitrides, phosphates, phosphides, chromite and sulfides. Silicate inclusions in IAB/IIICD and IIE iron meteorites consist of mafic silicates, plagioclase and various sulfides, oxides and phosphates. Eucrites, howardites and diogenites have basaltic to orthopyroxenitic compositions and consist of major pyroxene and calcic plagioclase and several accessory oxides. Ureilites are made up mainly of calcic, chromian olivine and low‐Ca clinopyroxene embedded in a carbonaceous matrix; accessory phases include the C polymorphs graphite, diamond, lonsdaleite and chaoite as well as metallic Fe‐Ni, troilite and halides. Angrites are achondrites rich in fassaitic pyroxene ( i.e. , Al‐Ti diopside); minor olivine with included magnesian kirschsteinite is also present. Martian meteorites comprise basalts, lherzolites, a dunite and an orthopyroxenite. Major phases include various pyroxenes and olivine; minor to accessory phases include various sulfides, magnetite, chromite and Ca‐phosphates. Lunar meteorites comprise mare basalts with major augite and calcic plagioclase and anorthositic breccias with major calcic plagioclase. Several meteoritic phases were formed by shock metamorphism. Martensite (α 2 ‐Fe,Ni) has a distorted body‐centered‐cubic structure and formed by a shear transformation from taenite during shock reheating and rapid cooling. The C polymorphs diamond, lonsdaleite and chaoite formed by shock from graphite. Suessite formed in the North Haig ureilite by reduction of Fe and Si (possibly from olivine) via reaction with carbonaceous matrix material. Ringwoodite, the spinel form of (Mg,Fe) 2 SiO 4 , and majorite, a polymorph of (Mg,Fe)SiO 3 with the garnet structure, formed inside shock veins in highly shocked ordinary chondrites. Secondary minerals in meteorite finds that formed during terrestrial weathering include oxides and hydroxides formed directly from metallic Fe‐Ni by oxidation, phosphates formed by the alteration of schreibersite, and sulfates formed by alteration of troilite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1997.tb01262.x","authors":["Alan E. Rubin","Alan E. RUBIN"],"tags":["Troilite","Achondrite","Geology","Olivine","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997-03-01","addedAt":"2026-08-04T10:39:21.393Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.1997.tb01262.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.58799/nmms-2006.310","name":"Extraterrestrial mineralogy- An update on Martian Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"Different landing vehicles have explored five locations on the Martian surface in situ in addition to five surface mapping missions via satellite.Unlike mineralogical studies on Earth, determinative mineralogy on Mars has been limited to only a few analytical methods that were mounted on the probes.The most detailed studies of Martian mineralogy have been accomplished by studying Martian meteorites that were collected on Earth.This abstract reports on the proceedings of the \"Workshop on Martian Sulfates as Recorders of Atmospheric-Fluid-Rock Interactions\" held in Houston, Texas, on October 22-24, 2006, and will provide a comprehensive review of Martian mineralogy.","url":"https://doi.org/10.58799/nmms-2006.310","authors":["Virgil W. Lueth"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-08-18T20:14:21Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.58799/nmms-2006.310","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"oa:W1966726400","name":"Structures of Extraterrestrial Minerals Revealed by EBSD","source":"openalex","abstract":"Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2010 in Portland, Oregon, USA, August 1 – August 5, 2010.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1431927610056060","authors":["M. E. Zolensky","T. Mikouchi","M Zolensky","T Mikouchi"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Electron backscatter diffraction","Geology","Astrobiology","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-07-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1017/s1431927610056060","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min11020206","name":"Secondary Sulfates from the Monte Arsiccio Mine (Apuan Alps, Tuscany, Italy): Trace-Element Budget and Role in the Formation of Acid Mine Drainage","source":"crossref","abstract":"A suite of sulfate minerals from the Monte Arsiccio mine (Apuan Alps, Northern Tuscany, Italy), previously identified by using both X-ray diffraction and micro-Raman spectroscopy, was studied through inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), in order to determine their trace-element content. Several elements (Tl, Rb, As, Sb, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Cr) were found above the detection limits. Among them, some are important from an environmental perspective and may reach relatively high concentrations (e.g., Tl = 1370–2988 μg/g; As = 505–1680 μg/g). Thus, these sulfates may act as transient sinks for some of these potentially toxic elements, as well as for sulfate ions and acidity. Indeed, dissolution experiments revealed the ability of these secondary minerals to produce a significant pH decrease of the solutions, as well as the release of Fe, Al, and K as major ions. This work discusses the relation between the budget of trace elements and the crystal chemistry of sulfate minerals and provides new insights about the environmental role played by the sulfate dissolution in controlling the quality of water in acid mine drainage systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min11020206","authors":["Massimo D’Orazio","Daniela Mauro","Marta Valerio","Cristian Biagioni"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-02-15T22:58:01Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.3390/min11020206","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-13-3639-3_3","name":"Chemical Interactions Among Organics, Water, and Minerals in the Early Solar System","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3639-3_3","authors":["Hikaru Yabuta"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-27T22:07:43Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-13-3639-3_3","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"oa:W1621788157","name":"SHERGOTTY METEORITE: MINERALOGY, PETROGRAPHY AND MINOR ELEMENTS","source":"openalex","abstract":"The unusual achondrite Shergotty resembles terrestrial diabases, and textural and chemical evidence indicates pre‐settling and post‐settling crystallization of zoned augite (En 48 Fs 19 Wo 33 ‐En 25 Fs 47 Wo 28 ) and pigeonite (En 61 Fs 26 Wo 13 ‐En 21 Fs 61 Wo 18 ) coupled with late crystallization of plagioclase (Ab 43 An 56 /Or 1 ‐Ab 56 An 41 Or 3 : now shocked to maskelynite), titanomagnetite‐ilmenite composite grains, mesostasis (normative Qz 34 Ab 21 An 5 Or 38 Fs 2 , assuming Fe as ferrous), whitlockite, pyrrhotite (Fe 0.94 S), fayalite (Fo 10 ), baddeleyite and chlorapatite. The oxide compositions (Usp 62 Mt 38 , Al 2 O 3 2.4, Cr 2 O 3 0.8 wt %; Ilm 95 Hm 5 ) indicate ∼ 850 °C and log oxygen fugacity − 14, while the occurrence of fayalite rims on mesostasis next to ilmenite indicates 890 °C. Bearing in mind experimental uncertainties, these data are consistent with late‐stage crystallization under relatively high oxygen fugacity, as indicated by coexistence of fayalite, Ti‐magnetite and a silica glass. The high alkali content of the maskelynite and mesostasis, coupled with the redox state, indicates that the Shergotty meteorite resembles terrestrial basalts more than any other meteorites. Nevertheless the absence of H 2 O, as shown by the occurrence of phosphorus in whitlockite rather than in hydroxylapatite, distinguish the Shergotty achondrite from typical terrestrial diabases. Whereas the FeO/MnO ratios of pyroxenes from the Moon, Earth and several differentiated meteorites are independent of FeO, the ratio for Shergotty pyroxenes changes from 30 to 40 with increasing FeO, and the linear trend extrapolates to 0.2 MnO for zero iron. Hence caution is needed in using FeO/MnO as a planetary indicator. For pyroxenes, Na is almost independent of Fe/Mg while Ti increases and Cr decreases with increasing Fe/Mg. Maskelynite contains 0.5–0.25 wt % K 2 O, 0.6 wt % FeO, 0.04 TiO 2 , 0.04–0.07 MgO, ∼ 0.01 BaO and 0.02–0.03 P 2 O 5 . A bulk analysis calculated from the mode and compositions of the minerals matches quite well with two bulk chemical analyses but not with a third.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1979.tb00486.x","authors":["J. V. Smith","R. L. Hervig","J.V. Smith","R.L. Hervig"],"tags":["Pigeonite","Whitlockite","Fayalite","Geology","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1979-03-01","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.1979.tb00486.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2038541543","name":"The Kaidun meteorite: Mineralogy of an unusual CM1 lithology","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Kaidun is a breccia of disparate enstatite and carbonaceous chondrite clasts that continues to provide real surprises. Many Kaidun clasts have been intensely altered by aqueous fluids, as evidenced by the widespread occurrence of ferromagnesian phyllosilicates and by the presence of carbonate‐ and phyllo‐silicate‐filled veins. In this report, we describe an unusual CM lithology containing many mineralogical features not previously reported from any meteorite, including pyrrhotite, with exclusive needlelike morphologies and thick mantles of phyllosilicate, and complex aggregates of phyllosilicate, melanite garnet, crosscut by pentlandite veins. The latter features appear to be due in large part to extensive hydrothermal alteration at temperatures on the order of 450 °C, which is significantly higher than that attained during secondary processing from other known CM material.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1996.tb02090.x","authors":["M. E. Zolensky","А. В. Иванов","S. Vincent Yang","David W. Mittlefehldt","K. Ohsumi","Michael E. ZOLENSKY","Andrei V. IVANOV","S. Vincent YANG","David W. MITTLEFEHLDT","Kazumasa OHSUMI"],"tags":["Meteorite","Breccia","Geology","Enstatite","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1996-07-01","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.1996.tb02090.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/9781108613767","name":"Meteorite Mineralogy","source":"openalex","abstract":"Meteorites are fascinating cosmic visitors. Using accessible language, this book documents the history of mineralogy and meteorite research, summarizes the mineralogical characteristics of the myriad varieties of meteorites, and explains the mineralogical characteristics of Solar System bodies visited by spacecraft. Some of these bodies contain minerals that do not occur naturally on Earth or in meteorites. The book explains how to recognize different phases under the microscope and in back-scattered electron images. It summarizes the major ways in which meteoritic minerals form – from condensation in the expanding atmospheres of dying stars to crystallization in deep-seated magmas, from flash-melting in the solar nebula to weathering in the terrestrial environment. Containing spectacular back-scattered electron images, colour photographs of meteorite minerals, and with an accompanying online list of meteorite minerals, this book provides a useful resource for meteorite researchers, terrestrial mineralogists, cosmochemists and planetary scientists, as well as graduate students in these fields","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108613767","authors":["Alan Rubin","Chi Ma","Alan E. Rubin"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Formation and evolution of the Solar System","Geology","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-05","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1017/9781108613767","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2054780676","name":"Mineralogy, Mineral-Chemistry, and Composition of the Murchison (C2) Meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00810274.10.1","authors":["Louis H. Fuchs","Edward Olsen","K. J. Jensen","Kenneth J. Jensen"],"tags":["Murchison meteorite","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Mineral","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1973-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.5479/si.00810274.10.1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2162076758","name":"The LaPaz Icefield 04840 meteorite: Mineralogy, metamorphism, and origin of an amphibole- and biotite-bearing R chondrite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2008.07.034","authors":["M. C. McCanta","A. H. Treiman","M. D. Dyar","C. M. O'd. Alexander","D. Rumble","Eric J. Essene","M.C. McCanta","A.H. Treiman","M.D. Dyar","C.M.O’D. Alexander","E.J. Essene"],"tags":["Phlogopite","Geology","Chondrite","Amphibole","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-09-12","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1016/j.gca.2008.07.034","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"oa:W2058490020","name":"Silicate mineralogy of martian meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2009.09.008","authors":["J. J. Papike","J. M. Karner","C. K. Shearer","P. V. Burger"],"tags":["Plagioclase","Meteorite","Geology","Olivine","Pyroxene"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-09-18","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1016/j.gca.2009.09.008","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.129Z"},{"id":"oa:W1671766914","name":"Meteorites and the Early Solar System II","source":"openalex","abstract":"They range in size from microscopic particles to masses of many tons. The geologic diversity of asteroids and other rocky bodies of the solar system are displayed in the enormous variety of textures and mineralogies observed in meteorites. The composition, chemistry, and mineralogy of primitive meteorites collectively provide evidence for a wide variety of chemical and physical processes. This book synthesizes our current understanding of the early solar system, summarizing information about processes that occurred before its formation. It will be valuable as a textbook for graduate education in planetary science and as a reference for meteoriticists and researchers in allied fields worldwide.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1v7zdmm","authors":["R. M. Walker","Alastair Cameron"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","History","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-07-01","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.2307/j.ctv1v7zdmm","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.129Z"},{"id":"oa:W2082646847","name":"Crystal chemistry of merrillite from Martian meteorites: Mineralogical recorders of magmatic processes and planetary differentiation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Merrillite is a ubiquitous accessory phase in a variety of Martian meteorite lithologies. The Martian merrillites exhibit a positive correlation between Mg# and Na and a negative correlation between Mg# and both Mn and vacancies in the octahedral Na‐site. Their REE patterns are varied and range from LREE ‐depleted to LREE ‐enriched. The dominant cation substitutions in the Martian merrillites are Fe 2+ VI Mg‐site ⇔Mg 2+ VI Mg‐site and Ca 2+ VI Na‐site + □ VI Na‐site ⇔2Na + VI Na‐site . The REE substitution into the 8‐fold coordinated Ca‐site is accommodated by the coupled substitution Ca VIII Ca‐site + (Na) VI Na‐site ⇔(Y 3+ + REE 3+ ) VIII Ca‐site + □ VI Na‐site . The REE substitution is significantly more prevalent in lunar merrillite and can be used as a “fingerprint” to distinguish lunar from Martian meteorites. The substitution of OH − (whitlockite) and/or F − (bobdownsite) for O 2− on one of the phosphate tetrahedrons appears to be rather insignificant. The correlations among Na, Mg#, Mn, and Na‐site vacancies are linked to the premerrillite crystallization history of the melt and the crystal chemical behavior of the Mg‐ and Na‐sites. The former reflects the sequence and extent of plagioclase and pyroxene crystallization. The differences in REE pattern shapes among the merrillites reflect source regions for the Martian basalts and the shapes are not greatly perturbed by the crystallization history. The occurrence of merrillite does not imply low‐volatile component in the Martian magmas. However, the low whitlockite and bobdownsite contents suggest that these samples were not altered by hydrothermal fluids and therefore not reset owing to aqueous fluid interactions. Consequently, the young ages of the shergottites are probably true igneous crystallization ages.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12355","authors":["C. K. Shearer","P. V. Burger","J. J. Papike","F. M. McCubbin","A. S. Bell"],"tags":["Whitlockite","Martian","Meteorite","Plagioclase","Crystallization"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-11-18","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1111/maps.12355","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2013962528","name":"The Zakłodzie enstatite meteorite: Mineralogy, petrology, origin, and classification","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The Zakłodzie meteorite was found in September 1998, about 40 km west of Zamość, in southeast Poland. Macroscopic and microscopic observations (in transmitted and reflected light), microprobe analyses, cathodoluminescence images, and X-ray diffraction data show that the meteorite is composed of clino- and orthoenstatite, two generations of feldspars, relict olivine (forsterite), a polymorph of SiO2 (apparently cristobalite), and opaque minerals: Fe-Ni alloy (kamacite and taenite), troilite, schreibersite, graphite, and sulfide (Mg, Mn, Fe)S, which is probably keilite. The texture is fine- to inequigranular of cumulate type, locally intergranular. The MgS-FeS thermometer indicates that the sulfides crystallized at ˜580–600 °:C. Thus, the Zaklodzie meteorite formed by the nearly complete melting of an enstatite chondrite protolith, probably at ˜4.4 Ga; the process was likely caused by the decay of the 26Al nuclide in the planetesimal interior. The second stage of its evolution, which could have happened at ˜2.1 Ga, involved partial re-melting of most fusible components, probably due to collision with another body. The structure, composition, and origin of the meteorite and its relation to the parent rock indicate that Zaklodzie may represent a primitive enstatite achondrite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00424.x","authors":["Tadeusz A. Przylibski","Paweł P. Zagożdżon","Ryszard Kryza","Andrzej S. Pilski","Tadeusz A. PRZYLIBSKI","Pawel P. ZAGOŻDŻON","Ryszard KRYZA","Andrzej S. PILSKI"],"tags":["Achondrite","Troilite","Meteorite","Geology","Enstatite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-08-01","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00424.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2065001350","name":"The mineralogy of iron meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The status of research on the mineralogy of meteorites about 1876 is compared with that of 1976. The ratio of iron meteorites to other meteorites in collections was then, and is now, about 1:2. However, total accumulated mass of iron meteorites exceeds that of stones by a factor 15. Forty-one well-established minerals in iron meteorites are discussed utilizing twelve tables, presenting the elements, carbides, nitrides, phosphides, sulphides, oxides, phosphates and silicates. The detailed compositions of kamacite, taenite and troilite are discussed, and the ranges in composition of several other minerals are given. Unequilibrated phases, such as a α2-iron, and shock-transformation products, such as diamond, are briefly mentioned. Finally, the products of terrestrial weathering are discussed, and it is shown that lawrencite in iron meteorites is a dubious phenomenon and not a cosmic mineral.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.1977.0127","authors":["Vagn F. Buchwald"],"tags":["Meteorite","Kamacite","Troilite","Iron meteorite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1977-09-12","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1098/rsta.1977.0127","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.129Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/9781108613767.007","name":"Meteorite Classification and Taxonomy","source":"crossref","abstract":"The first significant step in meteorite classification was taken in 1802 by British chemist Edward Howard who showed that the meteoritic stones and irons he analyzed all contained Ni. This criterion was used to distinguish meteorites from terrestrial rocks, but the reliability of this distinction was soon undermined by two essentially metal-free falls: the Stannern eucrite in the Czech region of the Austrian Empire in 1808 and the Luotolax howardite in Finland in 1813. It became apparent to researchers that, although most stony meteorites contained metallic Fe-Ni, a few did not. This realization somewhat hampered subsequent classification efforts because a few large collections included a handful of metal-free terrestrial rocks posing as meteorites. Some of these “meteorwrongs” were covered with dark crusts, probably desert varnish or weathering rinds.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108613767.007","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-11T00:05:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1017/9781108613767.007","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/9781108613767.009","name":"Petrologic and Mineralogical Characteristics of Meteorite Groups","source":"crossref","abstract":"In this book, minerals in chondrites are considered primary if they formed in the solar nebula (even if they formed by reaction of a different precursor phase with nebular gas) and secondary if they formed on their parent body. Minerals in differentiated meteorites are considered primary if they formed by igneous processes or upon initial cooling, and secondary if they formed during subsequent alteration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108613767.009","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-11T00:05:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1017/9781108613767.009","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/9781108613767.017","name":"References","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108613767.017","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-11T00:05:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1017/9781108613767.017","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/9781108613767.010","name":"Cosmomineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mercury is the smallest and innermost major planet (Figure 9.1); from the perspective of Earth-bound observers, it never appears more than 28° from the Sun. It is locked in a state of spin-orbit coupling: its rotation period (58.646 Earth days) is exactly two-thirds of its year (87.969 Earth days). Mercury is named after the Greco-Roman messenger to the gods, perhaps because of its rapid apparent day-to-day movement with respect to the Sun. Compared to the other major planets, Mercury has the most eccentric orbit ( e = 0.2056), the highest inclination relative to the ecliptic (7.007°), and the smallest axial tilt (0.01°). It has a weak magnetic field (~1.1 percent as strong as Earth’s) and no natural satellites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108613767.010","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-11T00:05:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1017/9781108613767.010","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/9781108613767.008","name":"Mineralogy of Major Physical Components of Chondrites","source":"crossref","abstract":"Chondrules are among the most abundant components of chondrites, constituting, for example, 55 vol% of CR carbonaceous chondrites and 65–75 vol% of type-3 OC (Table 7.1). Their average apparent diameters range from ~150 µm in CO3 chondrites to ~900 µm in CV3 chondrites; the overall range in diameter is 0.25 µm to ~5 cm. The most common chondrules in all chondrite groups are ferromagnesian objects, rich in olivine and/or low-Ca pyroxene. There are five common textural types of ferromagnesian chondrules.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108613767.008","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-11T00:05:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1017/9781108613767.008","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/9781108613767.018","name":"Index","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108613767.018","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-11T00:05:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1017/9781108613767.018","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/9781108613767.016","name":"Epilogue","source":"crossref","abstract":"More than half a century ago, Buzz Aldrin surveyed the lunar landscape, noted its starkness and ash-colored hues, and declared it a site of “magnificent desolation.” Extraterrestrial mineralogy is the study of minerals from our parental molecular cloud as well as from the Moon, Mars, asteroids, and similarly desolate places. The information gathered from detailed analyses of these phases has provided a deeper understanding of the myriad processes that can produce minerals in the Solar System and its erstwhile stellar neighborhood.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108613767.016","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-11T00:05:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1017/9781108613767.016","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-48479-1_8","name":"P-T History of the Suizhou Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-48479-1_8","authors":["Xiande Xie","Ming Chen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-09-29T22:07:40Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-48479-1_8","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/9781108613767.001","name":"Preface","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108613767.001","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-11T00:05:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1017/9781108613767.001","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-48479-1_1","name":"General Introduction of the Suizhou Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-48479-1_1","authors":["Xiande Xie","Ming Chen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-09-30T02:07:40Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-48479-1_1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-48479-1_7","name":"Evaluation of Shock Stage for Suizhou Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-48479-1_7","authors":["Xiande Xie","Ming Chen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-09-29T22:07:40Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-48479-1_7","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/9781108613767.003","name":"Definitions and Explications","source":"crossref","abstract":"Every academic field has its share of confusing technical terms. Their redeeming feature is that they lend precision to scholarly discussion, but in some cases, a word may have different meanings in different contexts. For example, the word abduction has specific definitions in the legal realm (a kidnapping); formal logic (a syllogism with a major premise that is certain and a minor premise that is merely probable); and anatomy (the action of moving a part of the body away from the midline). Technical terms also bedevil meteoritics; some terms don’t have exactly the same meaning as in common parlance. In some cases, the following definitions differ from those approved by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), but the set presented here is precise and self-consistent. We recommend its adoption by astronomers, geologists, cosmochemists, and planetary scientists. Terms are arranged topically, not alphabetically.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108613767.003","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-11T00:05:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1017/9781108613767.003","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W3205652547","name":"The Lunar Regolith","source":"openalex","abstract":"Regolith is a terrestrial term, also used for the Moon. It has been defined as “a general term for the layer or mantle of fragmental and unconsolidated rock material, whether residual or transported and of highly varied character, that nearly everywhere forms the surface of the land and overlies or covers bedrock. It includes rock debris of all kinds, [including] volcanic ash... ” (Bates and Jackson, 1980). All the lunar landings and all photographic investigations show, that the entire lunar surface consists of a regolith layer that completely covers the underlying bedrock, except perhaps on some very steep-sided crater walls and lava channels, where there may be exposed bedrock. The regoliths developed on the Earth are produced","url":"https://openalex.org/W3205652547","authors":["D. S. McKay","G. Heiken","A. Basu","G. E. Blanford","S. B. Simon","R. C. Reedy","Bevan M. French","J. J. Papike"],"tags":["Regolith","Astrobiology","Geology","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1991-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z"},{"id":"oa:W1987323235","name":"Discovery of Vapor Deposits in the Lunar Regolith","source":"openalex","abstract":"Lunar soils contain micrometer-sized mineral grains surrounded by thin amorphous rims. Similar features have been produced by exposure of pristine grains to a simulated solar wind, leading to the widespread belief that the amorphous rims result from radiation damage. Electron microscopy studies show, however, that the amorphous rims are compositionally distinct from their hosts and consist largely of vapor-deposited material generated by micrometeorite impacts into the lunar regolith. Vapor deposits slow the lunar erosion rate by solar wind sputtering, influence the optical properties of the lunar regolith, and may account for the presence of sodium and potassium in the lunar atmosphere.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.261.5126.1305","authors":["L. P. Keller","D. S. McKay"],"tags":["Regolith","Astrobiology","Amorphous solid","Lunar soil","Lunar mare"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1993-09-03","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1126/science.261.5126.1305","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2013943991","name":"The lunar regolith: Chemistry, mineralogy, and petrology","source":"openalex","abstract":"The lunar regolith, a several meter thick layer of unconsolidated debris, forms the interface between the moon and its space environment. The regolith forms from lithic sources by the destructional processes of comminution and the constructional processes of agglutinate formation. In this manner a steady state soil can develop and will remain in a type of dynamic equilibrium until the system is disturbed by burial or mixing with new soil. Mixing takes place mainly on a local scale (vertically through meters and horizontally over several kilometers). Lateral transport is a relatively inefficient process, and therefore most of the lunar soil components were derived locally. There is no evidence for preferential transport of the finer soil fractions relative to the coarser fractions. The truly ‘exotic’ (derived at distances of tens of kilometers) component is generally in low abundance (≪1%). Therefore remotely sensed data should provide a reasonably accurate picture of bedrock geology. The chemical composition of the regolith varies with grain size. The &lt;10 µm fraction is chemically fractionated from the bulk soil. In most cases the &lt;10 µm fraction is enriched in Al 2 O 3 , CaO, Na 2 O, K 2 O, light rare earth elements, and Th and depleted in MgO, FeO, MnO, and Sc. These systematics are largely a result of simple comminution, with feldspar and friable mesostasis from local source rocks concentrating in the finest fraction. There is evidence that agglutinate glass forms preferentially by fusion of the finest soil fractions. Therefore agglutinate glass, like the &lt;10 µm soil fraction, appears to be fractionated from bulk soil compositions. Highland soils are distinct from mare soils both chemically and petrologically. Soil samples collected near mare‐highland contacts are mixtures of the two lithologies. Mineral chemical systematics of monomineralic fragments in the lunar soil provide important clues to soil provenance. They can, in some cases, sort out the highland/mare contributions and, in special cases, can even further pinpoint a lithic source. In theory, lunar regolith cores can serve as solar probes, recording the sun's activity over billions of years. In practice, this has generally not been the case. The formation and evolution of most cores is still poorly understood. For most, we have not established how they formed, for example, how many depositional and erosional events were involved, what the time span involved in the accretion of the sampled soil column was, and how long that soil column has remained in situ. Without this information it is difficult, if not impossible, to read the sun's record. More interdisciplinary studies on cores must be carried out before they can be used as solar probes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/rg020i004p00761","authors":["J. J. Papike","S. B. Simon","J. C. Laul"],"tags":["Regolith","Geology","Comminution","Bedrock","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1982-11-01","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1029/rg020i004p00761","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2894235935","name":"Solar 3D printing of lunar regolith","source":"openalex","abstract":"The authors demonstrated the feasibility of sintering lunar regolith layer-by-layer solely using concentrated sunlight. First trials using actual concentrated sunlight led to an inhomogeneous sintering of individual layers of lunar regolith simulant, due to the significant flux density variations caused by atmospheric fluctuations. Tests focusing Xenon light demonstrated however the concept with the manufacturing of the first solar 3D printed brick made of lunar regolith simulant. The use of artificial light enabled steady illumination conditions over several hours as required to sinter lunar regolith layer-by-layer. Actual compressive strength of the sintered bricks, below 5 MPa, might be currently too low for a direct lunar application. High porosity levels and weak layer-to-layer bonding were observed on the micro-scale, but ways of improving the technology were found by reducing the thermal gradient and the cooling time between consecutive layers, thus showing the potential of the process. Adaptation of the technology on the Moon is presented to illustrate the suitability of solar additive manufacturing on the lunar surface, as a possible technique for shielding habitats and building roads prior to arrival of the astronauts.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2018.06.063","authors":["A. Meurisse","Advenit Makaya","Christian Willsch","Matthias Sperl"],"tags":["Regolith","Sintering","Astrobiology","Porosity","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-09-28","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2018.06.063","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2344931141","name":"Evaluations of lunar regolith simulants","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2016.04.005","authors":["L. A. Taylor","C. M. Pieters","D. T. Britt"],"tags":["Regolith","Apollo","Astrobiology","Lunar soil","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-04-29","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1016/j.pss.2016.04.005","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2096681795","name":"Constraints on the depth and variability of the lunar regolith","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Knowledge of regolith depth structure is important for a variety of studies of the Moon and other bodies such as Mercury and asteroids. Lunar regolith depths have been estimated using morphological techniques (i.e., Quaide and Oberbeck 1968; Shoemaker and Morris 1969), crater counting techniques (Shoemaker et al. 1969), and seismic studies (i.e., Watkins and Kovach 1973; Cooper et al. 1974). These diverse methods provide good first order estimates of regolith depths across large distances (tens to hundreds of kilometers), but may not clearly elucidate the variability of regolith depth locally (100 m to km scale). In order to better constrain the regional average depth and local variability of the regolith, we investigate several techniques. First, we find that the apparent equilibrium diameter of a crater population increases with an increasing solar incidence angle, and this affects the inferred regolith depth by increasing the range of predicted depths (from ∼7–15 m depth at 100 m equilibrium diameter to ∼8–40 m at 300 m equilibrium diameter). Second, we examine the frequency and distribution of blocky craters in selected lunar mare areas and find a range of regolith depths (8–31 m) that compares favorably with results from the equilibrium diameter method (8–33 m) for areas of similar age (∼2.5 billion years). Finally, we examine the utility of using Clementine optical maturity parameter images (Lucey et al. 2000) to determine regolith depth. The resolution of Clementine images (100 m/pixel) prohibits determination of absolute depths, but this method has the potential to give relative depths, and if higher resolution spectral data were available could yield absolute depths.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00974.x","authors":["B. B. Wilcox","M. S. Robinson","P. C. Thomas","B. R. Hawke"],"tags":["Regolith","Impact crater","Geology","Asteroid","Population"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-05-01","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00974.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W1968919655","name":"First demonstration on direct laser fabrication of lunar regolith parts","source":"openalex","abstract":"Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the feasibility of direct fabrication of lunar/Martian regolith simulant parts, in a freeform environment, using Laser Engineering Net Shaping (LENS™) – an additive manufacturing technology. Design/methodology/approach Bulk lunar regolith simulant structures were fabricated using a LENS™‐750. Dense parts without any macroscopic defects were produced at a laser power of 50W, a scan speed of 20 mm/s, and a powder feed rate of 12.36 g/min. The laser processed parts were characterized using X‐ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscope and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy to evaluate the influence of laser processing on the microstructure, constituent phases and chemistry of lunar regolith simulant. Findings A combination of laser parameters resulting in a 2.12 J/mm 2 laser energy appeared to be ideal for generating a melt pool necessary for lunar regolith powder deposition without excessive liquid pool spreading and cracking of solidified parts. The results show that LENS™ based laser processing transformed crystalline regolith into nanocrystalline and/or amorphous regolith structures as a result of complete melting followed by resolidification. Laser processing also resulted in marginal changes in the composition of the regolith. Originality/value Establishment of a lunar/Martian outpost necessitates the development of methods to utilize in situ mineral resources for various construction and resource extraction applications. Fabrication technologies are critical for habitat structure development, as well as repair and replacement of tools and parts at the outpost. Current experimental results presented in the paper clearly demonstrate that net shape regolith simulant parts can be fabricated using LENS™ by exploiting its capabilities.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1108/13552541211271992","authors":["Vamsi Krishna Balla","Luke Roberson","Gregory W. O'Connor","Steven Trigwell","Susmita Bose","Amit Bandyopadhyay"],"tags":["Regolith","Materials science","Fabrication","Selective laser sintering","Laser"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-09-20","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1108/13552541211271992","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W2034388547","name":"Submillimeter-Scale Topography of the Lunar Regolith","source":"openalex","abstract":"We have applied computer stereophotogrammetry to Apollo Lunar Surface Closeup Camera (ALSCC) pictures of the lunar surface to construct the first-ever digital topographic relief maps of undisturbed lunar soil over spatial scales from 85 μm to 8.5 cm. Using elevation histograms, fractal analysis, and Hapke's photometric roughness model we show that Apollo 14 (Fra Mauro) Imbrium ejecta is rougher than average Apollo 11 (Mare Tranquilitatis) and Apollo 12 (Oceanus Procellarum) mare surfaces at submillimeter to decimeter size-scales. We confirm the early result of K. Lumme et al. (1985, Earth Moon Planets33, 19–29) that the cumulative distribution of elevations for lunar soil is typically well described by Gaussian statistics. However, cumulative distributions are insensitive to asymmetries in the shapes of elevation histograms: Of 11 discrete elevation histograms we measured, about half exhibit significant deviations from Gaussian behavior. We also confirm Lumme et al.'s finding that the roughnesses of all lunar surfaces increase with decreasing size-scale. We further show that the scale dependence of roughness is well represented by fractal statistics. The rates of change of roughness with size scale, represented by fractal dimension D, are remarkably similar among terrians. After correcting for the contribution of large-scale roughness, our average value of D=2.31±0.06 falls within the range 2.0≤D≤2.4 reported from lunar radar studies. The amplitude of roughness, which we characterize with the rms slope angle at 1-mm scale, varies significantly among terrains. For lunar mare, the average rms slope angle is 16°±4°3 and that for Fra Mauro regolith is 25°±1°. By comparison to radar data, we suggest that the roughness of Fra Mauro (Imbrium ejecta) regolith is similar to that of lunar highland terrains. We find that the Gaussian slope distribution assumed in B. W. Hapke's model (1984, Icarus59, 41–59) adequately describes typical lunar regolith surfaces. A revised form of Hapke's equation that models realistic particle phase functions and the coherent backscatter opposition effect was fitted to disk-resolved lunar photometric observations and yields estimates of θ=27±1° for highland and θ=24±1° for mare regolith. These values of θ as well as the implied relative highland:mare photometric roughness ratio are best matched in our elevation data by the cummulative contributions of surface topography covering all scales greater than 0.1 mm. Less than 5% of the photometrically detected roughness of lunar regolith is contributed by surface relief at scales larger than 8 cm. This conclusion implies that values of θ derived from whole-disk and disk-resolved photometry, respectively, may be taken to represent the same physical quantity. In addition, particulate samples used in goniophotometric measurements should not be assumed to be photometrically smooth (i.e., θ=0°), as is often done in laboratory applications of Hapke's photometric model. The predicted photometric roughness at size scales of 0.1 mm and less significantly exceed photometric estimates and suggests that there exists a measurable size scale below which topographic relief either is not photometrically detectable or is not represented in the Hapke model as macroscopic roughness.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1006/icar.1999.6160","authors":["P. Helfenstein","Michael K. Shepard"],"tags":["Regolith","Lunar mare","Lunar soil","Geology","Geology of the Moon"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-09-01","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1006/icar.1999.6160","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2990371552","name":"Mixing of the lunar regolith","source":"openalex","abstract":"A probabilistic model for mixing and turnover rates for the lunar regolith due to meteoritic impact is presented and evaluated using results from laboratory impact experiments and estimated meteoritic fluxes. The upper millimeter of the lunar surface is shown to be the primary mixing zone in the regolith and an important source for impact melts and vapors. Below this 'mixing layer' the rate of mixing and turnover decreases very rapidly with increasing depth, consistent with well-preserved stratigraphy and resident times deduced from deep drill core tube samples.","url":"https://openalex.org/W2990371552","authors":["D. E. Gault","F. Hoerz","D. E. Brownlee","J. B. Hartung"],"tags":["Regolith","Lunar soil","Mixing (physics)","Geology","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1974-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z"},{"id":"oa:W2107956947","name":"Direct measurement of hydroxyl in the lunar regolith and the origin of lunar surface water","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1601","authors":["Yang Liu","Yunbin Guan","Youxue Zhang","George R. Rossman","John M. Eiler","L. A. Taylor"],"tags":["Regolith","Astrobiology","Solar wind","Solar System","Lunar soil"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-10-12","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1038/ngeo1601","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2053030350","name":"Effects of vapor-phase deposition processes on the optical, chemical, and magnetic properties OE the lunar regolith","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00567525","authors":["Bruce Hapke","William A. Cassidy","E. Wells"],"tags":["Regolith","Vaporization","Sputtering","Lunar soil","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1975-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1007/bf00567525","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2066635938","name":"The production of oxygen and metal from lunar regolith","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2012.06.011","authors":["Carsten Schwandt","James A. Hamilton","Derek J. Fray","Ian Crawford"],"tags":["Regolith","Astrobiology","Molten salt","Work (physics)","Oxygen"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-07-07","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1016/j.pss.2012.06.011","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.37099/mtu.dc.etdr/1972","name":"TRIBOELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF LUNAR REGOLITH","source":"crossref","abstract":"Lunar regolith as a source of raw materials for a long-term human presence on the moon would need to be separated into single mineral fractions. To do this, triboelectric properties can be utilized to separate minerals without needing to add a working fluid, such as air and water, or expensive, consumable chemicals. A lightweight machine can be created to do this, one that also requires minimal electricity. A series of three prototypes for this machine were created and tested to determine if this concept would work, and what properties the machine would need. A mixture of magnetite and silica were used in the testing since those can be separated easily with a magnetic separator to calculate the grade and recovery of the products created. It was determined that while the concept works, the prototype needs more refinement before testing with lunar regolith would be beneficial.","url":"https://doi.org/10.37099/mtu.dc.etdr/1972","authors":["Hannah Peterson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-17T13:05:19Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.37099/mtu.dc.etdr/1972","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1201/9781003365303-3","name":"Lunar Regolith and Exploration","source":"crossref","abstract":"This chapter offers an overview of the history of lunar exploration while examining the growing involvement of private companies in space ventures. The participation of private entities introduces a new landscape brimming with both opportunities and challenges. One significant advantage is the expected substantial cost reduction in transportation to and from the Moon, driven by increased efficiency and innovation within the private sector. However, this new era of space exploration also carries potential geopolitical risks that must be carefully assessed to prevent conflicts over lunar resources and territories. Central to establishing a sustained human presence on the Moon is the concept of in-situ resource utilization (ISRU). This approach involves harnessing lunar resources to support long-term missions, reducing dependency on Earth-supplied materials. Key to ISRU is the exploration and extraction of valuable resources such as water-ice and Helium-3, both of which are briefly discussed in the chapter. Water-ice is crucial for life support and fuel production, while Helium-3 holds the promise for advanced nuclear fusion research. As the future of lunar exploration unfolds, the collaboration between international entities and corporations will be vital in ensuring a cooperative, peaceful, and mutually beneficial approach to exploring and utilizing the Moon’s resources.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003365303-3","authors":["Masami Nakagawa"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-14T08:25:53Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1201/9781003365303-3","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1088/1758-5090/ae1e32/data1","name":"Supplementary Regolith Bioinks","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1758-5090/ae1e32/data1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-21T10:00:07Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1088/1758-5090/ae1e32/data1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-319-05546-6_3-1","name":"Lunar Regolith Simulants","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05546-6_3-1","authors":["Jennifer E. Edmunson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-02-05T05:03:27Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-319-05546-6_3-1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1201/9781420083330-30","name":"Indoor-Air Quality Implications of 222RN from Lunar Regolith","source":"crossref","abstract":"François Lévy, M. Arch, MSE born in Paris, France and raised in the United States, Lévy received his bachelor of arts in liberal arts (philosophy, mathematics, and classics) from St. John’s College in Santa Fe, New Mexico and received his Master of Architecture degree from the School of Architecture at The University of Texas at Austin. He has subsequently been an adjunct lecturer at the School of Architecture. He was also a board member of American Youthworks (a service learning organization serving at-risk youth) for five years, where he was involved in affordable housing programs. In architectural practice, he has worked on a variety of projects, including single-family residences, a new subway line for the Paris Métro, and an industrial plant in the U.K. In 2006 he enrolled at UT’s College of Engineering, where he is pursuing an MS in architectural engineering, with an emphasis on sustainability and (informally) design for extreme environments. He has a lifelong passion for space exploration, and is honored to be able to contribute to the field, however modestly.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1201/9781420083330-30","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-12-23T00:14:42Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1201/9781420083330-30","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-319-14541-9_82","name":"Lunar Regolith: Materials","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14541-9_82","authors":["Nicolle E. B. Zellner"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-05-13T10:02:24Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-319-14541-9_82","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.4876758","name":"A Hypoplastic Model for Lunar Regolith Based on Chang’E-5 Lunar Sample","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4876758","authors":["Siyuan Wang","Mingjing Jiang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-25T22:17:43Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.4876758","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1201/9781003365303-5","name":"Utilization of Regolith","source":"crossref","abstract":"This chapter explores the utilization of lunar regolith to establish in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) as a cornerstone for sustaining human presence on the Moon. Lunar regolith, abundant on the lunar surface, holds potential as a primary resource for extracting water and breathable air. As we advance ISRU technologies, understanding the thermal characteristics of lunar regolith becomes crucial, particularly for its application as thermal insulation in lunar habitats. However, existing experimental data on these thermal properties is limited. To address this gap, we employ numerical modeling using the discrete element model (DEM) to simulate and analyze the regolith’s thermal behavior. This approach aids in predicting how regolith can be effectively utilized in habitat construction and other sustainable living systems on the Moon. Continued research in this area is essential for developing reliable, efficient systems critical to the success of long-term lunar exploration and habitation efforts.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003365303-5","authors":["Zoheir Khademian"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-14T08:25:53Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1201/9781003365303-5","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acs.jpcc.4c06637.s001","name":"Microstructure of Icy Lunar Regolith Simulants","source":"crossref","abstract":"In order to develop technologies to use lunar ice as a resource, it is important to be able to produce representative analogs, or simulants, of icy lunar regolith. Unfortunately, previous work in this area has not been relevant to the lunar environment due to the practice of mixing liquid water with a regolith simulant before freezing. The lunar near subsurface cannot support liquid water due to very low temperatures and pressures, so water ice modification processes are limited to sublimation deposition. In this work, we investigate the microstructure of various icy lunar regolith simulants via micro-CT scans, including pressure sintered (PSS), thermally sintered (TSS), wet mixed, and unsintered. We show that the PSS and TSS samples are microstructurally most similar to each other and exhibit stark differences to the wet mix samples. We found that the presence of liquid water in the sample preparation process drastically altered the microstructure of the samples and identified key features differentiating the lunar-relevant sintering processes from the wet-mixed samples, including differences in total porosity, pore size, ice particle size, and degree of ice-regolith interconnection. These microstructural dissimilarities are caused in large part by the wetting and lubricating behaviors of liquid water. We conclude that because liquid water cannot exist in the lunar near subsurface and has been shown to behave fundamentally differently from sintered samples at the microstructural level, dry-mixed and sintered analogs should be used for lunar technology development, rather than wet-mixed analogs.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.4c06637.s001","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-20T07:00:18Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1021/acs.jpcc.4c06637.s001","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2042727034","name":"Defining a successful commercial asteroid mining program","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2014.10.034","authors":["Dana Andrews","Karen Bonner","Anthony Butterworth","H.R. Calvert","B.R.H. Dagang","K.J. Dimond","L.G. Eckenroth","Jennifer Erickson","B.A. Gilbertson","N.R. Gompertz","Osazonamen J. Igbinosun","T.J. Ip","Behran Khan","S.L. Marquez","N.M. Neilson","Chris Parker","Elizabeth Ransom","Bradley Reeve","Trevor Lee Robinson","Michelle Rogers","P.M. Schuh","C.J. Tom","S.E. Wall","Norimichi Watanabe","Chul Yoo"],"tags":["Propellant","Asteroid","Investment (military)","Architecture","Work (physics)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-12-12","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2014.10.034","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.2013-5304","name":"Asteroid Mining","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2013-5304","authors":["Kris Zacny","Marc M. Cohen","Warren W. James","Brent Hilscher"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-09-11T07:37:04Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.2514/6.2013-5304","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W1965663634","name":"Planetary Resources—The Asteroid Mining Company","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Planetary Resources, Inc. was founded in 2009 by Eric C. Anderson and Dr. Peter H. Diamandis. Our vision is to establish a new paradigm for resource utilization that will bring the Solar System within humanity's economic sphere of influence. The company will conduct ultra low-cost robotic space exploration beginning with the Arkyd 100 Series of space telescope missions that will identify the most commercially attractive near-Earth asteroids. These initial missions will assist the company in enabling the retrieval of raw materials, ranging from water to precious metals, from these select asteroids. Planetary Resources is financed by industry-launching visionaries, three of whom include Google's CEO Larry Page and Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt and Ross Perot, Jr., Chairman of Hillwood and The Perot Group. Each are committed to expanding the world's resource base so that humanity can continue to grow and prosper. Some of the company's partners and advisors include the Bechtel Corporation; film maker and explorer James Cameron; former Chief of Staff, United States Air Force General T. Michael Moseley (Ret.); and Sara Seager, Ph.D., Professor of Planetary Science and Physics at MIT. Members of the technical staff have worked on every Mars lander since Pathfinder and include other key nonaerospace and safety-critical disciplines to pursue our vision of mining near-Earth asteroids through the rapid development of innovative and cost-effective exploration technologies. For more information, please visit www.planetaryresources.com .","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/space.2013.0013","authors":["Chris Lewicki","P Diamandis","Eric Anderson","Chris Voorhees","Frank Mycroft"],"tags":["Corporation","Asteroid","Resource (disambiguation)","NASA Deep Space Network","Mars Exploration Program"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-06-01","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1089/space.2013.0013","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2029104948","name":"The technical and economic feasibility of mining the near-earth asteroids","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0094-5765(98)00087-3","authors":["M. J. Sonter"],"tags":["Asteroid","Near-Earth object","Regolith","Space exploration","Net present value"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997-08-01","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1016/s0094-5765(98","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2140742295","name":"Extrasolar asteroid mining as forensic evidence for extraterrestrial intelligence","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The development of civilizations such as ours into spacefaring, multi-planet entities requires significant raw materials to construct vehicles and habitats. Interplanetary debris, including asteroids and comets, may provide such a source of raw materials. In this article, we present the hypothesis that extraterrestrial intelligences (ETIs) engaged in asteroid mining may be detectable from Earth. Considering the detected disc of debris around Vega as a template, we explore the observational signatures of targeted asteroid mining (TAM), such as unexplained deficits in chemical species, changes in the size distribution of debris and other thermal signatures that may be detectable in the spectral energy distribution (SED) of a debris disc. We find that individual observational signatures of asteroid mining can be explained by natural phenomena, and as such they cannot provide conclusive detections of ETIs. But, it may be the case that several signatures appearing in the same system will prove harder to model without extraterrestrial involvement. Therefore, signatures of TAM are not detections of ETI in their own right, but as part of ‘piggy-back’ studies carried out in tandem with conventional debris disc research, they could provide a means of identifying unusual candidate systems for further study using other search for extra terrestrial intelligence (SETI) techniques.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550411000127","authors":["Duncan H. Forgan","Martin Elvis"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Asteroid","Search for extraterrestrial intelligence","Extraterrestrial life","Debris"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-05-09","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1017/s1473550411000127","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W3024304020","name":"Designing reliable detumbling mission for asteroid mining","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2020.05.025","authors":["Mahdi Jafari Nadoushan","Mahdi Ghobadi","Maziar Shafaee"],"tags":["CubeSat","Asteroid","Redundancy (engineering)","Aerospace engineering","Spacecraft"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-05-12","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2020.05.025","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W1609169777","name":"Mining the sky: untold riches from the asteroids, comets, and planets","source":"openalex","abstract":"* Introduction: The End is Near? * Humanity Awakening to Space * A Pocket Guide to the Moon * Castles Build of Moondust * Asteroids and Comets in Our Backyard * The Best Things Come in Small Packages * Catching a Ride in Space * Power from the Sun, the Moon, and Asteroids * Mars in Imagination and Reality * Homesteading Mars * Phobos and Deimos * The Asteroid Belt: Treasure Beyond Count * The Outer Planets: Power Beyond Measure * Environmental Solutions for Earth * Civilization in Space * Afterword","url":"https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.34-5062","authors":[],"tags":["Asteroid","Astrobiology","Planet","Sky","Astronomy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997-05-01","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.5860/choice.34-5062","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2899964986","name":"Asteroid Mining 101: Wealth for the New Space Economy","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W2899964986","authors":["John S. Lewis"],"tags":["Space (punctuation)","Asteroid","Astrobiology","Business","Economy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-12-12","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z"},{"id":"oa:W2896405110","name":"Exploring Potential Environmental Benefits of Asteroid Mining","source":"openalex","abstract":"Asteroid mining has been proposed as an approach to complement Earth-based supplies of rare earth metals and supplying resources in space, such as water. Existing research on asteroid mining has mainly looked into its economic viability, technological feasibility, cartography of asteroids, and legal aspects. More recently, potential environmental benefits for asteroid mining have been considered. However, no quantitative estimate of these benefits has been given. This paper attempts to determine if and under which conditions asteroid mining would have environmental benefits, compared to either Earth-based mining or launching equipment and resources into space. We focus on two cases: Water supply to cis-lunar orbit and platinum mining. First, we conduct a state-of-the-art of current environmental life cycle assessment for the space domain and platinum mining. Second, a first order environmental life cycle assessment is conducted, including goal and scope definition, inventory analysis, and impact assessment. We compare water supply to cis-lunar orbit with and without asteroid mining and go on to compare terrestrial with space-based platinum mining. The results indicate that asteroid water mining would have environmental benefits, as soon as the amount of water supplied via mining is larger than the mass of the spacecraft used for mining. For platinum mining, we find that by comparing the operations phase of terrestrial and space mining, space mining would have a lower environmental impact, if the spacecraft is able to return between 0.3 to 7% of its mass in platinum to Earth, assuming 100% primary platinum or 100% secondary platinum, respectively. For future work, we propose a more detailed analysis, based on a more precise inventory and a larger system boundary, including the production of the launcher and spacecraft.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.1810.04749","authors":["Andreas M. Hein","Michael Saidani","Hortense Tollu"],"tags":["Asteroid","Spacecraft","Environmental impact assessment","Scope (computer science)","Low earth orbit"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-10-10","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.48550/arxiv.1810.04749","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W4297121088","name":"The global cooperation in asteroid mining based on AHP, entropy and TOPSIS","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amc.2022.127535","authors":["Ruilin Fan","Hanlu Zhang","Yi Qin Gao"],"tags":["TOPSIS","Analytic hierarchy process","Equity (law)","Entropy (arrow of time)","Ideal solution"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-09-26","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1016/j.amc.2022.127535","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4324/9781315572857-15","name":"Asteroid Mining, Integrity and Containment","source":"crossref","abstract":"Exploring the Heavens and the Heritage of Mankind - 1","url":"https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315572857-15","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-07-10T07:48:36Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.4324/9781315572857-15","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2896795400","name":"A techno-economic analysis of asteroid mining","source":"openalex","abstract":"Asteroid mining has been proposed as an approach to complement Earth-based supplies of rare earth metals and supplying resources in space, such as water. However, existing studies on the economic viability of asteroid mining have remained rather simplistic and do not provide much guidance on which technological improvements would be needed for increasing its economic viability. This paper develops a techno-economic analysis of asteroid mining with the objective of providing recommendations for future technology development and performance improvements. Both, in-space resource provision such as water and return of platinum to Earth are considered. Starting from first principles of techno-economic analysis, gradually additional economic and technological factors are added to the analysis model. Applied to mining missions involving spacecraft reuse, learning curve effect, and multiple spacecraft, their economic viability is assessed. A sensitivity analysis with respect to throughput rate, spacecraft mass, and resource price is performed. Furthermore, a sample asteroid volatile mining architecture based on small CubeSat-class spacecraft is presented. It is concluded that key technological drivers for asteroid mining missions are throughput rate, number of spacecraft per mission, and the rate in which successive missions are conducted.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2019.05.009","authors":["Andreas M. Hein","Robert Matheson","Dan Fries"],"tags":["Spacecraft","Asteroid","Resource (disambiguation)","Reuse","Space exploration","physics.space-ph","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-05-10","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2019.05.009","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.14264/9b05b99","name":"A Proposal for a Generalised Asteroid Mining Mission","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.14264/9b05b99","authors":["Peter Bonner"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-06-09T06:38:41Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.14264/9b05b99","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.31590/ejosat.999536","name":"Space and Asteroid Mining","source":"crossref","abstract":"Space mining is the name of complicated studies that involve the search for minerals, elements and water from asteroids and minor planets that are close to our world. In particular, the policy of commercializing and financing some products used in space technology, which began in the 1980s, led to the start of extensive development projects in America, Japan and Europe. For this reason, space technology has turned into a way in which we work together, directly or indirectly, with its structure that also enters our lives, its financial structure financed by the whole world, and the scientific cycle of technologies obtained from the working area. Every work done for life in space, settlement, movement, mining, every development will create a serious change in our life on earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.31590/ejosat.999536","authors":["Levent ÖZMEN"],"tags":["Space (punctuation)","Planet","Asteroid","Work (physics)","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-02-08T09:54:14Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.31590/ejosat.999536","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21275/sr24917001326","name":"Exploring the Scope of Solar Power for Asteroid Mining and Resource Collection Missions","source":"crossref","abstract":"Asteroid mining offers the potential to alleviate Earth's resource scarcity by extracting valuable materials from near-Earth objects (NEOs). A critical enabler of this emerging industry is solar power, which provides a sustainable and efficient energy source for space operations. This paper examines the role of solar power in asteroid mining, highlighting advancements in photovoltaic technology and progression in solar sail power systems. It also explores the economic feasibility, environmental considerations, and future challenges of solar-powered mining operations. As space exploration progresses, solar power is poised to play a central role in the development of a space-based economy through asteroid mining.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21275/sr24917001326","authors":["Aryan Bardeja"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-19T11:43:15Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.21275/sr24917001326","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.64628/aa.h7fnvxax6","name":"Asteroid mining will happen … but Australia will miss the boom","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.64628/aa.h7fnvxax6","authors":["Duncan Steel"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-26T13:03:39Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.64628/aa.h7fnvxax6","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1109/giet65294.2025.11234871","name":"Asteroid Mining: Mine the Right Asteroid","source":"crossref","abstract":"One of the promising frontiers of space exploration is asteroid mining. Asteroid mining can be the sustainable solution of resource scarcity on Earth and can be potential for vast reserves of valuable resources. Nevertheless, the success of asteroid mining venture depends on an important decision of selecting the right asteroid for extraction. This paper explores all the considerations involved in the process of identifying suitable asteroids for mining. The criteria for asteroid selection span a range of factors, including their proximity to Earth, composition, size and accessibility. Taking from recent advancements in space technology and scientific research, we examine the challenges and prospects that await in the quest of mining the right asteroid. This paper highlights the importance of tactical asteroid selection as an essential step for unlocking the vast potential of asteroid mining. In the end, the selection of the right asteroid carries the potential to revolutionize the course of space exploration and the way we harness extraterrestrial resources.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/giet65294.2025.11234871","authors":["Gauri Bhagwat","Amit Mishra","Basant Tiwari","Abhijeet Kokare"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-17T18:39:00Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1109/giet65294.2025.11234871","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W4256474823","name":"Three Ethical Perspectives on Asteroid Mining","source":"openalex","abstract":"Terraforming, Vandalism and Virtue Ethics - 1","url":"https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315572857-16","authors":["Robert Sparrow"],"tags":["Asteroid","Astrobiology","Epistemology","Engineering ethics","Psychology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-03-09","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.4324/9781315572857-16","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.2024-4892","name":"Modified Bucket Wheel Design and Mining Techniques for Asteroid Mining","source":"crossref","abstract":"Space mining is the future, being essential to meet the demands of supplying critical rare materials—abundant on the Moon, Asteroids, and other celestial bodies—required to produce electrical and electronic components for daily life in the coming decades. Asteroids are of particular interest due to their high resource highness and energy accessibility. Both of these properties of asteroids are owed in large part to their low gravity, which poses a challenge to mining them. Asteroid mining ventures must contend with an environment with little gravity bounding machinery to the surface and little cohesion to push against. For low cohesion environments, research shows that the bucket wheel design is the best candidate among other excavators for mining the regolith and can be well suited to the lunar mining context. Adopting the bucket wheel to function in milligravity will provide a way to build off preexisting space excavation technologies to solve a novel problem. Using bucket wheels to mine asteroids and being conscientious of reaction force generation provides scalability in a realm where many leading designs involve the capture of the entire asteroid, limiting viable targets to below the mid-sized (<1 km) range. The majority of well-characterized asteroids like Bennu (~500 m) are within this range. Thus, there is a need for alternative technologies to mine the mid-size asteroid like Bennu. In this paper, we consider the deployment of spacecraft with modified bucket wheel systems used for regolith manipulation on the asteroid surface. The modified bucket wheel system must also contend with uneven terrain and electrostatically charged, coarse grains while minimizing environmental impact. Bucket wheels will be iteratively modified using digital modeling and rapidly prototyped with 3D printing, with the intended final design incorporating a rotating array of extensible claws that will execute a biting motion to scoop regolith. Testing the bucket wheel necessitates the development of a simulant that is mechanically analogous to asteroid surface conditions. Candidate simulants must be able to mimic the low shear strength present on asteroids without the use of buoyant suspension, as that would produce inaccurate force data. The particle size accuracy and affordability of the simulants are other leading criteria for selection. The test bed for each asteroid-mining bucket wheel will read the horizontal cutting force, vertical resistive force, excavation rate, electric power consumption, and the filling efficiency of the mechanism. The resolved force on the bucket wheel will be low enough such that the bucket wheel can remain attached to the surface of a representative asteroid such as Bennu only through the gravitational force. To kickstart the design of the modified asteroid-mining bucket wheel, engineering factors that have the greatest impact on cutting force were identified to be cutting velocity and the volume of the buckets. By examining a simplified bucket wheel design of constrained size bucket shape, hypothetical asteroid-mining excavators were compared to the most developed Lunar excavators to determine the bounds on their bucket volume and cutting velocity in asteroid environments of varying gravity, density, and resource richness. These bounds represent the intersection of an upper limit—the force curve—which determines whether the bucket wheel remains gravitationally attached to the asteroid surface while mining, and a lower limit—the productivity curve—which determines whether the bucket wheel can excavate rare metals faster than a Lunar excavator. Density was found to be the most impactful asteroid parameter on both cutting velocity and bucket volume. Increased gravity had no discernible impact on bucket volume but had a beneficial effect on maximum allowable velocity. Resource richness had little impact on constraining bucket wheel design. High-mass excavators appear to be favored in this model.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2024-4892","authors":["Korbin Hansen","Sivaperuman Muniysamy","Jekan Thangavelautham"],"tags":["Asteroid","Computer science","Mining engineering","Geology","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-20T08:30:37Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.2514/6.2024-4892","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.64628/ab.f359prurm","name":"Who owns space? US asteroid-mining act is dangerous and potentially illegal","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.64628/ab.f359prurm","authors":["Gbenga Oduntan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-26T09:12:19Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.64628/ab.f359prurm","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1061/9780784485736.095","name":"Trials and Tribulations of Asteroid Mining","source":"crossref","abstract":"Lunar industrialisation will require access to in situ material resources. The lunar surface itself provides a wide range of resources that may be extracted and utilised in different ways. Our demandite concept defines a minimal material set required to perform different functions that are required of a generic spacecraft and, most crucially, the mechatronic components required for robotic machines of production. This demandite set requires access to materials that are scarce on the Moon but abundant in asteroids. We examine the different assemblages of asteroids from the near-Earth object population. By installing a suite of coilguns onto a C-type or M-type asteroid with their supporting solar power systems, we can manoeuvre it into a low lunar orbit at 100 km altitude and then manoeuvre it to land on the lunar surface. To ensure the integrity of the asteroid as an orebody, it must be delivered through a soft-landing otherwise the orebody would mix diffusely with lunar ejecta material.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784485736.095","authors":["Alex Ellery"],"tags":["Asteroid","Astrobiology","Computer science","Geology","Mining engineering"],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-10T14:00:32Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1061/9780784485736.095","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-319-90303-3_6","name":"Asteroid Mining Concepts","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90303-3_6","authors":["Tom James"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-08-08T02:33:32Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.574Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-319-90303-3_6","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1108/oxan-db235459","name":"Asteroid mining becomes a serious proposition","source":"crossref","abstract":"Subject Asteroid mining. Significance The US firm Planetary Resources in April completed successful tests in orbit of technology it plans to use to prospect for natural resources on asteroids from 2020. Separately, the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology late last year announced long-term plans for large-scale asteroid mining. Meanwhile, US legislators have begun laying the legal foundations for a space mining industry. Significant technological challenges remain, but key technologies have already been demonstrated, making the industry a serious prospect. Impacts An investment bubble could follow dramatic early successes or technological breakthroughs. There may be international tension over ownership or priority of access unless new international legal frameworks are agreed in advance. Asteroid mining will not be a viable solution to terrestrial resource depletion for the foreseeable future.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1108/oxan-db235459","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-12-17T09:20:36Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1108/oxan-db235459","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W1546118712","name":"Space Resources and Space Settlements","source":"openalex","abstract":"The technical papers from the five tasks groups that took part in the 1977 Ames Summer Study on Space Settlements and Industrialization Using Nonterrestrial Materials are presented. The papers are presented under the following general topics: (1) research needs for regenerative life-support systems; (2) habitat design; (3) dynamics and design of electromagnetic mass drivers; (4) asteroids as resources for space manufacturing; and (5) processing of nonterrestrial materials.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1546118712","authors":["J. Billingham","W. P. Gilbreath","Brendan O’Leary","B. Gosset"],"tags":["Human settlement","Space (punctuation)","Industrialisation","Life support system","Space technology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1979-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z"},{"id":"oa:W2559548094","name":"Evaluation of urban underground space resources using digitalization technologies","source":"openalex","abstract":"Exploitation and utilization of urban underground space resources is gaining increasing attention in cities’ sustainable development. Due to the attributes of fragility and irreversibility, urban underground space resources can be extremely vulnerable to damage and it is often difficult in restoring their original state once damaged. Therefore, scientific and reasonable evaluation of urban underground space resources is of vital importance in urban planning and development. This paper first describes the content and methods for the evaluation of urban underground space resources, and introduces the digitalization technologies to handle the problems of strong subjectivity, low efficiency and rough precision encountered when using traditional evaluation tools. Then, the related concepts and main technologies for digitalization were demonstrated and an intelligent GIS-based engineering geology system was built. Based on the drilling information in Changzhou City, stratum standardization and 3D modeling of strata, underground structures and pipelines were conducted in the built intelligent system. Finally, with the help of spatial overlay analysis in the GIS-based platform and a combination of other digitalization technologies, the urban underground space resources of Changzhou City were evaluated. Maps of geological suitability were produced, which provide scientific guidance and reference for the exploitation and planning of urban underground space resources in Changzhou City. In addition, site selection for key projects was conducted based on the evaluation results using this platform.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.undsp.2016.08.002","authors":["Hehua Zhu","Xianbin Huang","Xiaojun Li","Lianyang Zhang","Xuezeng Liu"],"tags":["Civil engineering","Construction engineering","Space (punctuation)","Urban planning","Key (lock)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-11-28","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1016/j.undsp.2016.08.002","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2166186402","name":"Global Hydrological Cycles and World Water Resources","source":"openalex","abstract":"Water is a naturally circulating resource that is constantly recharged. Therefore, even though the stocks of water in natural and artificial reservoirs are helpful to increase the available water resources for human society, the flow of water should be the main focus in water resources assessments. The climate system puts an upper limit on the circulation rate of available renewable freshwater resources (RFWR). Although current global withdrawals are well below the upper limit, more than two billion people live in highly water-stressed areas because of the uneven distribution of RFWR in time and space. Climate change is expected to accelerate water cycles and thereby increase the available RFWR. This would slow down the increase of people living under water stress; however, changes in seasonal patterns and increasing probability of extreme events may offset this effect. Reducing current vulnerability will be the first step to prepare for such anticipated changes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1128845","authors":["Taikan Oki","Shinjiro Kanae"],"tags":["Water resources","Environmental science","Climate change","Water circulation","Water resource management"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-08-24","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1126/science.1128845","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2793143846","name":"A GIS-based evaluation method of underground space resources for urban spatial planning: Part 1 methodology","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2018.01.002","authors":["Jian Peng","Fang‐Le Peng"],"tags":["Space (punctuation)","Computer science","Geography","Engineering","Civil engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-02-06","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1016/j.tust.2018.01.002","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2032596762","name":"Partitioning of food and space resources by chaetodontid fishes on coral reefs","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-0981(86)90130-9","authors":["Yolande Bouchon‐Navaro"],"tags":["Reef","Biology","Coral reef","Coral reef fish","Fishery"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1986-12-01","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1016/0022-0981(86","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2164284962","name":"Exploration and Exploitation in Organizational Learning","source":"openalex","abstract":"This paper considers the relation between the exploration of new possibilities and the exploitation of old certainties in organizational learning. It examines some complications in allocating resources between the two, particularly those introduced by the distribution of costs and benefits across time and space, and the effects of ecological interaction. Two general situations involving the development and use of knowledge in organizations are modeled. The first is the case of mutual learning between members of an organization and an organizational code. The second is the case of learning and competitive advantage in competition for primacy. The paper develops an argument that adaptive processes, by refining exploitation more rapidly than exploration, are likely to become effective in the short run but self-destructive in the long run. The possibility that certain common organizational practices ameliorate that tendency is assessed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2.1.71","authors":["James G. March"],"tags":["Organizational learning","Argument (complex analysis)","Competition (biology)","Competitive advantage","Knowledge management"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1991-02-01","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1287/orsc.2.1.71","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W242617231","name":"Resources of near-earth space","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0160-9327(94)90072-8","authors":["F.W Taylor"],"tags":["Earth (classical element)","Space (punctuation)","Astrobiology","Environmental science","Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1994-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1016/0160-9327(94","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W1534416612","name":"Optimization by Vector Space Methods","source":"openalex","abstract":"From the Publisher:\r\nEngineers must make decisions regarding the distribution of expensive resources in a manner that will be economically beneficial. This problem can be realistically formulated and logically analyzed with optimization theory. This book shows engineers how to use optimization theory to solve complex problems. Unifies the large field of optimization with a few geometric principles. Covers functional analysis with a minimum of mathematics. Contains problems that relate to the applications in the book.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1049/sqj.1970.0088","authors":[],"tags":["Space (punctuation)","Field (mathematics)","Computer science","Mathematical optimization","Optimization problem"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1970-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1049/sqj.1970.0088","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W4367291896","name":"Handbook of Space Resources","source":"openalex","abstract":"This handbook gives an interdisciplinary overview and offers through individual self-contained chapters detailed understanding of specific fields.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97913-3","authors":["Viorel Bădescu","K. Zacny","Yoseph Bar‐Cohen"],"tags":["Space (punctuation)","Computer science","Operating system"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-030-97913-3","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W2133643210","name":"Space Resources Roundtable 2","source":"openalex","abstract":"Contents include following: Developing Technologies for Space Resource Utilization - Concept for a Planetary Engineering Research Institute. Results of a Conceptual Systems Analysis of Systems for 200 m Deep Sampling of the Martian Subsurface. The Role of Near-Earth Asteroids in Long-Term Platinum Supply. Core Drilling for Extra-Terrestrial Mining. Recommendations by the \"LSP and Manufacturing\" Group to the NSF-NASA Workshop on Autonomous Construction and Manufacturing for Space Electrical Power Systems. Plasma Processing of Lunar and Planetary Materials. Percussive Force Magnitude in Permafrost. Summary of the Issues Regarding the Martian Subsurface Explorer. A Costing Strategy for Manufacturing in Orbit Using Extraterrestrial Resources. Mine Planning for Asteroid Orebodies. Organic-based Dissolution of Silicates: A New Approach to Element Extraction from LunarRegohth. Historic Frontier Processes Active in Future Space-based Mineral Extraction. The Near-Earth Space Surveillance (NIESS) Mission: Discovery, Tracking, and Characterization of Asteroids, Comets, and Artificial Satellites with a microsatellite. Privatized Space Resource Property Ownership. The Fabrication of Silicon Solar Cells on the Moon Using In-Situ Resources. A New Strategy for Exploration Technology Development: The Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) Exploratiori/Commercialization Technology Initiative. Space Resources for Space Tourism. Recovery of Volatiles from the Moon and Associated Issues. Preliminary Analysis of a Small Robot for Martian Regolith Excavation. The Registration of Space-based Property. Continuous Processing with Mars Gases. Drilling and Logging in Space; An Oil-Well Perspective. LORPEX for Power Surges: Drilling, Rock Crushing. An End-To-End Near-Earth Asteroid Resource Exploitation Plan. An Engineering and Cost Model for Human Space Settlement Architectures: Focus on Space Hotels and Moon/Mars Exploration. The Development and Realization of a Silicon-60-based Economy in CisLunar Space. Our Lunar Destiny: Creating a Lunar Economy. Cost-Effective Approaches to Lunar Passenger Transportation. Lunar Mineral Resources: Extraction and Application. Space Resources Development - The Link Between Human Exploration and the Long-term Commercialization of Space. Toward a More Comprehensive Evaluation of Space Information. Development of Metal Casting Molds by Sol-Gel Technology Using Planetary Resources. A New Concept in Planetary Exploration: ISRU with Power Bursts. Bold Space Ventures Require Fervent Public Support. Hot-pressed Iron from Lunar Soil. The Lunar Dust Problem: A Possible Remedy. Considerations on Use of Lunar Regolith in Lunar Constructions. Experimental Study on Water Production by Hydrogen Reduction of Lunar Soil Simulant in a Fixed Bed Reactor.","url":"https://openalex.org/W2133643210","authors":["A. Ignatiev"],"tags":["Martian","Space exploration","Mars Exploration Program","Space research","Systems engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z"},{"id":"oa:W4200548071","name":"Review of space resources processing for Mars missions: Martian simulants, regolith bonding concepts and additive manufacturing","source":"openalex","abstract":"Scientific exploration of extraterrestrial planets has gripped human imagination since the advent of space travel. Human missions to Mars could produce insight into the essential questions of how, when and where life began on Earth. Such missions would only be feasible using local space resources materials, a concept called in situ resource utilization (ISRU). In the absence of organic materials from plants, the globally available oxidic surface minerals (regolith) are the only viable resource for large-scale construction efforts such as habitats, greenhouses, landing pads and equipment building. This review provides the first comprehensive literature review of ISRU materials research employing Martian simulants. It gives a detailed overview of all Mars simulants, their history, properties, and challenges, introducing a generational concept for simulants development. The available Mars simulant processing literature (including selected work on lunar simulants) is categorized into seven regolith bonding concepts. The state-of-the-art on additive manufacturing (AM) in ISRU research is discussed. Detailed feasibility assessments for all processing approaches are given, including overview graphs comparing the mechanical performance of each fusion concept with feedstock availability on the surface of Mars. Finally, major open questions and future challenges of materials processing for early Mars missions is examined.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oceram.2021.100216","authors":["David Karl","K. M. Cannon","Aleksander Gurlo"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Regolith","Martian","Astrobiology","Martian surface"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-12-30","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1016/j.oceram.2021.100216","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2899114483","name":"GIS-based urban underground space resources evaluation toward three-dimensional land planning: A case study in Nantong, China","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2018.10.017","authors":["Dankun Zhou","Xiaozhao Li","Qi Wang","Rui Wang","Tianding Wang","Qian Gu","Yunxiao Xin"],"tags":["China","Space (punctuation)","Environmental planning","Urban planning","Analytic hierarchy process"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-11-03","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1016/j.tust.2018.10.017","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/080558","name":"Space Resources Utilisation and Space Economy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/080558","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-03T21:46:51Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.52202/080558","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-030-97913-3_34","name":"Legal Considerations for Space Resources","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97913-3_34","authors":["Austin C. Murnane"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-04-27T10:03:02Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-030-97913-3_34","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1163/9789004725034_141","name":"Resources (Space Resources)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004725034_141","authors":["Lucien Rapp"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-05T01:22:53Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1163/9789004725034_141","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.4825418","name":"The Space Resources Fund: A Solution to the Space Resources Benefit Sharing Dilemma?","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4825418","authors":["Ben McKeown","Andrew G. Dempster","Serkan Saydam","Jeffrey J. Coulton"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-12T01:18:31Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.4825418","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-030-30881-0_4","name":"Processing of Space Resources","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30881-0_4","authors":["Davide Sivolella"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-12-05T12:02:57Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-030-30881-0_4","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-030-97913-3_4","name":"Space Elevator for Space-Resource Mining","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97913-3_4","authors":["Yoji Ishikawa"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-04-27T10:02:50Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-030-97913-3_4","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s44461-025-00001-8","name":"Mineral resources of Mars based on decades of sample analysis","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Previous studies of martian resources focused nearly exclusively on using CO 2 from the atmosphere and H 2 O from near-surface ice or hydrated minerals to create life support consumables, and propellant for ascent vehicles. Where non-volatile mineral resources have been discussed, they have been treated speculatively with little support from the sample collection. Here, I draw on decades’ worth of data from in-situ exploration by rovers and from martian meteorites to assess the potential mineral resources of Mars. This comes at an inflection point between what could be some of the last large robotic missions to Mars, and the beginning of commercialization and crewed missions. I compile the highest concentrations of 83 naturally occurring elements and compare them to typical ore grades on Earth to assess which may be practical to extract and which will need to be supplied from Earth for the foreseeable future. Sample-based studies support probable ore deposits in Gale crater and Jezero crater including Ni-Cu-PGE sulfide deposits, porphyry copper-like deposits, and heavy mineral sands deposits. Possible indicators for these deposit types are compiled and mapped globally using past orbital measurements and compared to locations where water ice resources are known or suspected. Other more speculative deposit types may be found in still-unexplored geologic environments like long-lived hydrothermal systems and highly evolved igneous terrains.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s44461-025-00001-8","authors":["Kevin M. Cannon"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-02T09:26:40Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1007/s44461-025-00001-8","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-030-97913-3_31","name":"The Economics of Space Resources: Future Markets and Value Chains","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97913-3_31","authors":["Mathias Link","Gary Martin","Joseph Mousel"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-04-27T10:03:02Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-030-97913-3_31","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/space.2013.1504","name":"Resources in Space","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/space.2013.1504","authors":["Scott Hubbard"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-07-23T17:01:36Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1089/space.2013.1504","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4324/9780429329036-1","name":"Ecotechnology, Carrying Capacity, and Time-Space Resources","source":"crossref","abstract":"This chapter presents the ‘problematique’ and define its general objectives. It looks at issues that concern several disciplines, in particular human geography and social anthropology but also ecology, economics and sociology, the total composition of the material is likely to make the reader feel that important insights from his particular discipline have been left out or given very cursory treatment. The term ecotechnology employed in the present study pays tribute to the fact that technology is an intermediary factor between ecology, on the one hand, and economy, on the other. Ideas of carrying capacity have a long lineage, stemming from practical notions of how many people and animals can live off a given piece of land and what land can produce. Major inputs into these production processes are natural resources, land as space for given periods of time, facilities and equipment, and human time.","url":"https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429329036-1","authors":["Tommy Carlstein"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-09-26T09:25:51Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.4324/9780429329036-1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1071/978064309411603.1.18.2006.3","name":"Chapter 1 Water Resources in Time and Space","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1071/978064309411603.1.18.2006.3","authors":["John J. Pigram"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-08T19:11:08Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1071/978064309411603.1.18.2006.3","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1029/jb084ib10p05659","name":"Ice in the lunar polar regions","source":"crossref","abstract":"The idea that ice and other trapped volatiles exist in permanently shadowed regions near the lunar poles was proposed by Watson, Murray, and Brown [1961]. It is reexamined in the present paper, in the light of the vast increase of our lunar knowledge. The stability of the traps and the trapping mechanism are verified. Four potential sources of lunar H 2 O, (1) solar wind reduction of Fe in the regolith, (2) H 2 O‐containing meteoroids, (3) cometary impact, and (4) (the least certain) degassing of the interior, can supply amounts of trapped H 2 O estimated in the range of 10 16 –10 17 g. Two important destructive mechanisms have been identified: photodissociation of H 2 O molecules adsorbed on the sunlit surface and sputtering or decomposition of trapped H 2 O by solar wind particles. The effect of impact gardening is mainly protective. The question of the presence of H 2 O in the traps remains open; it can be settled by experiment.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/jb084ib10p05659","authors":["James R. Arnold"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-02-06T19:39:14Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1029/jb084ib10p05659","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W1976348759","name":"Fluxes of Fast and Epithermal Neutrons from Lunar Prospector: Evidence for Water Ice at the Lunar Poles","source":"openalex","abstract":"Maps of epithermal- and fast-neutron fluxes measured by Lunar Prospector were used to search for deposits enriched in hydrogen at both lunar poles. Depressions in epithermal fluxes were observed close to permanently shaded areas at both poles. The peak depression at the North Pole is 4.6 percent below the average epithermal flux intensity at lower latitudes, and that at the South Pole is 3.0 percent below the low-latitude average. No measurable depression in fast neutrons is seen at either pole. These data are consistent with deposits of hydrogen in the form of water ice that are covered by as much as 40 centimeters of desiccated regolith within permanently shaded craters near both poles.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.281.5382.1496","authors":["W. C. Feldman","S. Maurice","A. B. Binder","B. L. Barraclough","R. C. Elphic","D. J. Lawrence"],"tags":["Regolith","Impact crater","Geology","Latitude","Flux (metallurgy)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-09-04","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1126/science.281.5382.1496","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2888388222","name":"Direct evidence of surface exposed water ice in the lunar polar regions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Significance We found direct and definitive evidence for surface-exposed water ice in the lunar polar regions. The abundance and distribution of ice on the Moon are distinct from those on other airless bodies in the inner solar system such as Mercury and Ceres, which may be associated with the unique formation and evolution process of our Moon. These ice deposits might be utilized as an in situ resource in future exploration of the Moon.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1802345115","authors":["Shuai Li","P. G. Lucey","R. E. Milliken","P. O. Hayne","Elizabeth A. Fisher","J. P. Williams","D. M. Hurley","R. C. Elphic"],"tags":["Regolith","Polar","Geology","Altimeter","Surface water"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-08-20","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.1802345115","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1029/2010je003652","name":"Effects of orbital evolution on lunar ice stability","source":"crossref","abstract":"[1] Many regions near the lunar poles are currently cold enough that surface water ice would be stable against sublimation losses for billions of years. However, most of these environments are currently too cold to efficiently drive ice downward by thermal diffusion, leaving impact burial as the primary means of protection from surface loss processes. In this respect, most of the present near-surface thermal environments on the Moon may actually be quite poor traps for water ice. This was not always the case. Long-term orbital changes have dramatically altered the lunar polar thermal environment. We develop a simple model of the evolution of the lunar orbit and spin axis to examine the thermal environments available for volatile deposition and retention in the past. Our calculations show that some early lunar polar environments were in the right temperature regime to have collected subsurface ice if a supply were available. However, a high-obliquity period, which occurred when the Moon was at about half its present distance from the Earth, would either have driven this ice out into space or deep into the lunar subsurface. Since that time, as the lunar obliquity has slowly decreased to its present value, environments have undergone their own thermal evolution, and each of the current cold traps experienced a period when they were most efficient at thermally burying ice. We examine the thermal history of a lunar polar crater to provide a framework for examining other processes effecting volatiles in the Moon's near-surface cold traps.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2010je003652","authors":["Matthew A. Siegler","Bruce G. Bills","David A. Paige"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-03-30T20:01:42Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1029/2010je003652","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W3013415855","name":"A geologic model for lunar ice deposits at mining scales","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2020.113778","authors":["Kevin M. Cannon","D. T. Britt"],"tags":["Prospecting","Geology","Tonnage","Resource (disambiguation)","Metre"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-28","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1016/j.icarus.2020.113778","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2149955620","name":"Evidence for water ice near the lunar poles","source":"openalex","abstract":"Improved versions of Lunar Prospector thermal and epithermal neutron data were studied to help discriminate between potential delivery and retention mechanisms for hydrogen on the Moon. Improved spatial resolution at both poles shows that the largest concentrations of hydrogen overlay regions in permanent shade. In the north these regions consist of a heavily cratered terrain containing many small (less than ∼10‐km diameter), isolated craters. These border circular areas of hydrogen abundance ([H]) that is only modestly enhanced above the average equatorial value but that falls within large, flat‐bottomed, and sunlit polar craters. Near the south pole, [H] is enhanced within several 30‐km‐scale craters that are in permanent shade but is only modestly enhanced within their sunlit neighbors. We show that delivery by the solar wind cannot account for these observations because the diffusivity of hydrogen at the temperatures within both sunlit and permanently shaded craters near both poles is sufficiently low that a solar wind origin cannot explain their differences. We conclude that a significant portion of the enhanced hydrogen near both poles is most likely in the form of water molecules.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2000je001444","authors":["W. C. Feldman","S. Maurice","D. J. Lawrence","Robert Little","S. L. Lawson","O M Gasnault","R. C. Wiens","B. L. Barraclough","R. C. Elphic","T. H. Prettyman","J. T. Steinberg","A. B. Binder"],"tags":["Impact crater","Geology","Terrain","Astrobiology","Hydrogen"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-10-01","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1029/2000je001444","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2005901870","name":"No evidence for thick deposits of ice at the lunar south pole","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05167","authors":["D. B. Campbell","B. A. Campbell","Lynn M. Carter","Jean‐Luc Margot","Nicholas J. S. Stacy"],"tags":["Impact crater","Ejecta","Orbiter","Regolith","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-10-01","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1038/nature05167","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1006/icar.2002.6972","name":"Lunar Ice: Adsorbed Water on Subsurface Polar Dust","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1006/icar.2002.6972","authors":["F Cocks"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-12-10T15:43:20Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1006/icar.2002.6972","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2076373269","name":"Lunar initial 143Nd/144Nd: Differential evolution of the lunar crust and mantle","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-821x(78)90021-3","authors":["G. W. Lugmair","K. Marti"],"tags":["Geology","Mantle (geology)","Crust","Basalt","Lunar mare"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1978-05-01","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1016/0012-821x(78","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W3134638038","name":"The Business Case for Lunar Ice Mining","source":"openalex","abstract":"The key to human expansion into space and space development, in general, is developing space activities that deliver value in an economic sense. In other words, the key to space development is making money in space, that is, profit. However, the search for money making space activities has proven elusive. We present a business case for a commercial company to mine lunar ice and process the ice into rocket propellant. We discuss the existing and future markets for propellant and an architecture for mining and processing propellant and the associated costs. We then examine 3 scenarios, 1 commercial stand-alone and 2 involving a public/private partnership (PPP) model with NASA. We provide a comparison with other similar analyses. Business returns are positive for all 3 scenarios, although the PPP models provide increased returns and share risk with the government. Once established, lunar-sourced propellant will dramatically reduce the cost of all beyond low Earth orbit space activities and potentially enable other profitable commercial ventures to emerge.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/space.2020.0045","authors":["George F. Sowers"],"tags":["Propellant","Space (punctuation)","General partnership","Profit (economics)","Business"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-02-26","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1089/space.2020.0045","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2020245098","name":"Evidence for exposed water ice in the Moon’s south polar regions from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter ultraviolet albedo and temperature measurements","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2015.03.032","authors":["P. O. Hayne","Amanda Hendrix","E. Sefton‐Nash","M.A. Siegler","P. G. Lucey","K. D. Retherford","J. P. Williams","B. T. Greenhagen","D. A. Paige"],"tags":["Regolith","Albedo (alchemy)","Atmospheric sciences","Sublimation (psychology)","Frost (temperature)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-04-06","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1016/j.icarus.2015.03.032","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2091535610","name":"Integration of lunar polar remote‐sensing data sets: Evidence for ice at the lunar south pole","source":"openalex","abstract":"In order to investigate the feasibility of ice deposits at the lunar south pole, we have integrated all relevant lunar polar data sets. These include illumination data, Arecibo ground‐based monostatic radar data, newly processed Clementine bistatic radar data, and Lunar Prospector neutron spectrometer measurements. The possibility that the lunar poles harbor ice deposits has important implications not only as a natural resource for future human lunar activity but also as a record of inner solar system volatiles (e.g., comets and asteroids) over the past billion years or more. We find that the epithermal neutron flux anomalies, measured by Lunar Prospector, are coincident with permanently shadowed regions at the lunar south pole, particularly those associated with Shackleton crater. Furthermore, these areas also correlate with the β = 0 circular polarization ratio (CPR) enhancements revealed by new processing of Clementine bistatic radar echoes, which in turn are colocated with areas of anomalous high CPR observed by Arecibo Observatory on the lower, Sun‐shadowed wall of Shackleton crater. Estimates of the extent of high CPR from Arecibo Observatory and Clementine bistatic radar data independently suggest that ∼10 km 2 of ice may be present on the inner Earth‐facing wall of Shackleton crater. None of the experiments that obtained the data presented here were ideally suited for definitively identifying ice in lunar polar regions. By assessing the relative merits of all available data, we find that it is plausible that ice does occur in cold traps at the lunar south pole and that future missions with instruments specifically designed to investigate these anomalies are worthy.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2000je001417","authors":["S. Nozette","P. D. Spudis","M. S. Robinson","D. B. J. Bussey","Chris Lichtenberg","R. Bonner"],"tags":["Impact crater","Geology","Clementine (nuclear reactor)","Remote sensing","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-10-01","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1029/2000je001417","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/078357-0233","name":"What Does Lunar Ice Look Like? the Lunar Regolith Ice and Sublimation Experiment (LRISE)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/078357-0233","authors":["Zach Ioannou","Milan Bogosavljevic","Durga Prasad Karothu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-31T21:01:52Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.52202/078357-0233","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0094-5765(01)00184-9","name":"Lunar polar ice deposits: scientific and utilization objectives of the lunar ice discovery mission proposal","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Clementine mission has revived interest in the possibility that ice exists in shadowed craters near the lunar poles. Theoretically, the problem is complex, with several possible sources of water (meteoroid, asteroid, comet impact), several possible loss mechanisms (impact vaporization, sputtering, photoionization), and burial by meteorite impact. Opinions of modelers have ranged from no ice to several times 10(16) g of ice in the cold traps. Clementine bistatic radar data have been interpreted in favor of the presence of ice, while Arecibo radar data do not confirm its presence. The Lunar Prospector mission, planned to be flown in the fall of 1997, could gather new evidence for the existence of ice. If ice is present, both scientific and utilitarian objectives would be addressed by a lunar polar rover, such as that proposed to the NASA Discovery program, but not selected. The lunar polar rover remains the best way to understand the distribution and characteristics of lunar polar ice.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0094-5765(01)00184-9","authors":["Michael B. Duke"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-10-14T13:01:21Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1016/s0094-5765(01)00184-9","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.1995-2816","name":"LUICEE (Lunar Ice Explorer) SEP mission to detect water ice in the lunar polar regions","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.1995-2816","authors":["R Warwick","B Thill","E Odell","S Quintana","A Bruckner"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-05-07T23:13:20Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.2514/6.1995-2816","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.20944/preprints202005.0523.v1","name":"Is There Water Ice in the Lunar Polar Craters?","source":"crossref","abstract":"This literature review found that it is doubtful that there is water ice in the polar craters on the Moon. In the course of this review, the following findings were found: (1) The absorption strength of hydroxyl radicals and hydroxyl groups are all 2.9&mu;m, so it is easy to confuse hydroxyl radicals and hydroxyl groups when interpreting M3 spectra data. I do not doubt the ability of LCROSS to detect OH from water, but only suspect that LCROSS is unable to distinguish between hydroxyl radicals from water ice and hydroxyl groups from Moon's methanol due to ignore their spectral identity; (2) The water brought by comets and asteroids and the one caused by solar wind has been exhausted by reacts with the widespread methanol on the Moon in the presence of Pt/&alpha;-MoC or Pt/C catalysts. These reacts form large amount of hydrogen, thus clarifying a question NASA raised that \"Scientists have long speculated about the source of vast quantities of hydrogen that have been observed at the lunar poles\"; (3) The vast quantities of hydrogen in lunar polar craters at extremely low temperatures might be in liquid or solid state now, easy to confuse with water ice. It seems that all our previous misconceptions about water ice in the lunar polar craters might be due to the neglect of the widespread chemical role of lunar methanol. It is necessary to conduct in-depth research in this field in the future.","url":"https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202005.0523.v1","authors":["Tianxi Sun"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-06-03T02:06:30Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.20944/preprints202005.0523.v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/article.41256","name":"Accused Spy Was Hot on Trail of Lunar Ice","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/article.41256","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-10-20T22:51:21Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1126/article.41256","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/epsc-dps2025-34","name":"The History of Lunar Polar Ice Accumulation","source":"crossref","abstract":"The lunar polar regions harbor water ice detected directly and indirectly by remotely sensed data. The deposits are concentrated within perennially shadowed regions where water molecules are thermally stable. Owing to the gradual decrease in the lunar spin axis obliquity with time, these regions have grown in extent monotonically since the passage of the Moon through the Cassini State Transition ~4 Ga ago. Combining spectral observations of exposed ice with the theoretical predictions of regions of ice stability constrains the history of accumulation. Using reflected ultraviolet starlight, observations from LAMP exhibit a strong correlation between exposed ice fraction and the age of permanent shadow within which it resides. This is the first such age relationship that has been identified for the lunar ice, and it indicates ice has accumulated quasi-continuously at least over the last ~1.5 Ga. The exposed ice area ratio of ~5% in the youngest PSRs that have been in shadow over the last ~100 Ma suggests that regolith gardening effectively balances the source and loss rates such that a 1 m layer at least partly equilibrates with the surface over that relatively short timescale.Finally, we developed a simple model that simulates the sources, sinks, and mixing within the lunar regolith, and show that this model can successfully account for the observations. The model thus provides constraints on the physical parameters and characteristic timescales of the relevant processes.Figure 1: The LAMP identifications of exposed ice (red, Hayne et al., 2015) superimposed on the PSR ages (blue-white, Schörghofer & Rufu, 2023) with shaded relief in the background.Figure 2: Cartoon illustrating the simplified regolith gardening and ice accumulation processes our model assumes. At the surface, there is a time-dependent source and a proportional loss term. The domain is assumed to be mixed by a diffusive process.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc-dps2025-34","authors":["Oded Aharonson","Paul Hayne","Norbert Schorghofer"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-09T15:12:38Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.5194/epsc-dps2025-34","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0262-4079(06)60752-5","name":"Lunar ice? No dice","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0262-4079(06)60752-5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-10-21T11:11:23Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1016/s0262-4079(06)60752-5","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.34133/space.0026","name":"Research of Lunar Water-Ice and Exploration for China’s Future Lunar Water-Ice Exploration","source":"crossref","abstract":"Since the 1990s, the existence of water-ice in the permanent shadow areas of the lunar polar regions and the problem of water in the early lunar period have become the hot spot of international lunar exploration. This paper analyzes the research progress and existing problems of lunar water-ice detection in recent years. Based on the analysis of expected foreign lunar water-ice exploration missions, the major scientific problems of lunar water-ice are analyzed. From different exploration methods, this paper tentatively puts forward the scientific tasks, payload configuration, functional requirements, and possible scientific outputs of water-ice in China's future lunar exploration projects, which can provide reference for future lunar exploration missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.34133/space.0026","authors":["Yingzhuo Jia","Zhanlan Zhang","Lang Qin","Tao Ma","Bohan Lv","Zhongliang Fu","Changbin Xue","Yongliao Zou"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-03-17T11:50:17Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.34133/space.0026","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.32865/2346/94737","name":"Demonstration of Ice-Extraction and Ice-Collection System for Lunar Ice Miners","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mining water-ice in the permanent shadow region of the moon opens opportunities for In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) since it is a valuable resource for lunar exploration activities. To realize an efficient water-ice mining system, Advanced Cooling Technologies, Inc. in collaboration with Honeybee Robotics, is developing an advanced thermal management under an ongoing SBIR Phase II funded by NASA. The thermal management system consists of two-principal components: 1. Thermal corer; and 2. Volatile cold trap tank. The thermal corer is an improved drill auger developed by Honeybee Robotics incorporating minichannels to facilitate regolith heating for ice-sublimation. Volatile cold trap tank is a chamber with variable conductance heat pipes (VCHP) integrated to a radiator panel. The VCHP's aid in effectively collecting ice. A prototype thermal corer, 17.3 cm long and with 5 cm internal diameter was 3D printed with stainless steel. Ice-extraction demonstration experiments were performed to determine the performance of the thermal corer with the heat transfer fluid flowing through the thermal corer at different temperatures for certain time. During the experiments, the concentration of the ice in the regolith was 5%. Likewise, a VCHP based cold trap tank was designed and fabricated. Currently, thermal characterization of the cold trap tank is being performed to determine the performance of the ice-collection by modulating the heat transfer modes of the VCHP from fully active condenser for 100% heat rejection to diode mode.","url":"https://doi.org/10.32865/2346/94737","authors":["Kuan-Lin Lee","Sai Kiran Hota","Quang Truong","Mojtaba Edalatpour","Srujan Rokkam","Kris Zacny"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-05T21:31:51Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.32865/2346/94737","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/pt.5.020535","name":"No ice sheet on lunar south pole","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/pt.5.020535","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-31T10:58:56Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1063/pt.5.020535","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2106428341","name":"Astrobiology and habitability studies in preparation for future Mars missions: trends from investigating minerals, organics and biota","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Several robotic exploration missions will travel to Mars during this decade to investigate habitability and the possible presence of life. Field research at Mars analogue sites such as desert environments can provide important constraints for instrument calibration, landing site strategies and expected life detection targets. We have characterized the mineralogy, organic chemistry and microbiology of ten selected sample sites from the Utah desert in close vicinity to the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) during the EuroGeoMars 2009 campaign (organized by International Lunar Exploration Working Group (ILEWG), NASA Ames and ESA ESTEC). Compared with extremely arid deserts (such as the Atacama), organic and biological materials can be identified in a larger number of samples and subsequently be used to perform correlation studies. Among the important findings of this field research campaign are the diversity in the mineralogical composition of soil samples even when collected in close proximity, the low abundances of detectable polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and amino acids and the presence of biota of all three domains of life with significant heterogeneity. An extraordinary variety of putative extremophiles, mainly Bacteria and also Archaea and Eukarya was observed. The dominant factor in measurable bacterial abundance seems to be soil porosity and lower small (clay-sized) particle content. However, correlations between many measured parameters are difficult to establish. Field research conducted during the EuroGeoMars 2009 campaign shows that the geological history and depositional environment of the region, as well as the mineralogy influence the ability to detect compounds such as amino acids and DNA. Clays are known to strongly absorb and bind organic molecules often preventing extraction by even sophisticated laboratory methods. Our results indicate the need for further development and optimization of extraction procedures that release biological compounds from host matrices to enable the effective detection of biomarkers during future sampling campaigns on Earth and Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550411000140","authors":["P. Ehrenfreund","Wilfred F. M. Röling","Cora S. Thiel","R. C. Quinn","Mark A. Sephton","C. Stoker","J. Michelle Kotler","S. Direito","Zita Martins","Grazyna E. Orzechowska","Richard Kidd","C.A. van Sluis","Bernard Foing"],"tags":["Habitability","Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Life on Mars","Exploration of Mars"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-05-12","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1017/s1473550411000140","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/153110701750137413","name":"Cave Biosignature Suites: Microbes, Minerals, and Mars","source":"crossref","abstract":"Earth's subsurface offers one of the best possible sites to search for microbial life and the characteristic lithologies that life leaves behind. The subterrain may be equally valuable for astrobiology. Where surface conditions are particularly hostile, like on Mars, the subsurface may offer the only habitat for extant lifeforms and access to recognizable biosignatures. We have identified numerous unequivocally biogenic macroscopic, microscopic, and chemical/geochemical cave biosignatures. However, to be especially useful for astrobiology, we are looking for suites of characteristics. Ideally, \"biosignature suites\" should be both macroscopically and microscopically detectable, independently verifiable by nonmorphological means, and as independent as possible of specific details of life chemistries--demanding (and sometimes conflicting) criteria. Working in fragile, legally protected environments, we developed noninvasive and minimal impact techniques for life and biosignature detection/characterization analogous to Planetary Protection Protocols. Our difficult field conditions have shared limitations common to extraterrestrial robotic and human missions. Thus, the cave/subsurface astrobiology model addresses the most important goals from both scientific and operational points of view. We present details of cave biosignature suites involving manganese and iron oxides, calcite, and sulfur minerals. Suites include morphological fossils, mineral-coated filaments, living microbial mats and preserved biofabrics, 13C and 34S values consistent with microbial metabolism, genetic data, unusual elemental abundances and ratios, and crystallographic mineral forms.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/153110701750137413","authors":["P.J. Boston","M.N. Spilde","D.E. Northup","L.A. Melim","D.S. Soroka","L.G. Kleina","K.H. Lavoie","L.D. Hose","L.M. Mallory","C.N. Dahm","L.J. Crossey","R.T. Schelble"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-26T18:08:56Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/153110701750137413","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"oa:W2694046640","name":"Earth as a Tool for Astrobiology—A European Perspective","source":"openalex","abstract":"Scientists use the Earth as a tool for astrobiology by analyzing planetary field analogues (i.e. terrestrial samples and field sites that resemble planetary bodies in our Solar System). In addition, they expose the selected planetary field analogues in simulation chambers to conditions that mimic the ones of planets, moons and Low Earth Orbit (LEO) space conditions, as well as the chemistry occurring in interstellar and cometary ices. This paper reviews the ways the Earth is used by astrobiologists: (i) by conducting planetary field analogue studies to investigate extant life from extreme environments, its metabolisms, adaptation strategies and modern biosignatures; (ii) by conducting planetary field analogue studies to investigate extinct life from the oldest rocks on our planet and its biosignatures; (iii) by exposing terrestrial samples to simulated space or planetary environments and producing a sample analogue to investigate changes in minerals, biosignatures and microorganisms. The European Space Agency (ESA) created a topical team in 2011 to investigate recent activities using the Earth as a tool for astrobiology and to formulate recommendations and scientific needs to improve ground-based astrobiological research. Space is an important tool for astrobiology (see Horneck et al. in Astrobiology, 16:201–243, 2016 ; Cottin et al., 2017 ), but access to space is limited. Complementing research on Earth provides fast access, more replications and higher sample throughput. The major conclusions of the topical team and suggestions for the future include more scientifically qualified calls for field campaigns with planetary analogy, and a centralized point of contact at ESA or the EU for the organization of a survey of such expeditions. An improvement of the coordinated logistics, infrastructures and funding system supporting the combination of field work with planetary simulation investigations, as well as an optimization of the scientific return and data processing, data storage and data distribution is also needed. Finally, a coordinated EU or ESA education and outreach program would improve the participation of the public in the astrobiological activities.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-017-0369-1","authors":["Zita Martins","Hervé Cottin","J. Michelle Kotler","Nathalie Carrasco","Charles S. Cockell","Rosa de la Torre Noetzel","René Demets","Jean‐Pierre de Vera","Louis Le Sergeant d’Hendecourt","P. Ehrenfreund","Andreas Elsaesser","Bernard Foing"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Planetary science","Planet","Extraterrestrial life","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-06-20","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1007/s11214-017-0369-1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2511961948","name":"The Astrobiology Primer v2.0","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Astrobiology is the science that seeks to understand the story of life in our universe. Astrobiology includes investigation of the conditions that are necessary forlife to emerge and flourish, the origin of life, the ways that life has evolved and adaptedto the wide range of environmental conditions here on Earth, the search for life beyondEarth, the habitability of extraterrestrial environments, and consideration of the future oflife both here on Earth and elsewhere. It therefore requires knowledge of physics,chemistry and biology, and many more specialized scientific areas including astronomy,geology, planetary science, microbiology, atmospheric science and oceanography.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2015.1460","authors":["Shawn D. Domagal-Goldman","Katherine E. Wright","Katarzyna Adamala","Leigh Arina de la Rubia","Jade Bond","Lewis Dartnell","Aaron D. Goldman","Kennda Lynch","Marie-Ève Naud","Ivan G. Paulino‐Lima","Kelsi Singer","Marina Walther-António"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Primer (cosmetics)","Biology","Chemistry","Organic chemistry"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2015.1460","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"oa:W1979089934","name":"Raman spectroscopic analysis of minerals and organic molecules of relevance to astrobiology","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-009-3362-z","authors":["A. I. Alajtal","Howell G. M. Edwards","Ian J. Scowen"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Life on Mars","Raman spectroscopy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-12-17","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1007/s00216-009-3362-z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2282505348","name":"Extraterrestrial Apatite: Planetary Geochemistry to Astrobiology","source":"openalex","abstract":"The distribution and abundances of H2O and other volatiles in our Solar System are of fundamental interest because of the important roles volatiles play in geological and biological processes. Apatite, Ca5(PO4)3(F,Cl,OH), is a ubiquitous accessory mineral and provides a consistent window into volatile abundances and processes across the Solar System and throughout its history. Consequently, the chemical composition of apatite can be used as a tool for exploring such diverse topics as the compositions and roles of the Solar System’s earliest fl uids on asteroids, the volatile abundances of planetary bodies, and the habitability of past environments (e.g. on Mars) for life as we know it.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.11.3.183","authors":["F. M. McCubbin","R. H. Jones"],"tags":["Citation","Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology","Planetary science","Library science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-06-01","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.2113/gselements.11.3.183","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2140392957","name":"Mineral Surfaces, Geochemical Complexities, and the Origins of Life","source":"openalex","abstract":"Crystalline surfaces of common rock-forming minerals are likely to have played several important roles in life's geochemical origins. Transition metal sulfides and oxides promote a variety of organic reactions, including nitrogen reduction, hydroformylation, amination, and Fischer-Tropsch-type synthesis. Fine-grained clay minerals and hydroxides facilitate lipid self-organization and condensation polymerization reactions, notably of RNA monomers. Surfaces of common rock-forming oxides, silicates, and carbonates select and concentrate specific amino acids, sugars, and other molecular species, while potentially enhancing their thermal stabilities. Chiral surfaces of these minerals also have been shown to separate left- and right-handed molecules. Thus, mineral surfaces may have contributed centrally to the linked prebiotic problems of containment and organization by promoting the transition from a dilute prebiotic \"soup\" to highly ordered local domains of key biomolecules.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a002162","authors":["Robert M. Hazen","Dimitri A. Sverjensky"],"tags":["Abiogenesis","Mineral","Hydroformylation","Monomer","Polymerization"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-04-14","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1101/cshperspect.a002162","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2969652057","name":"Astrochemistry and Astrobiology: Materials Science in Wonderland?","source":"openalex","abstract":"Astrochemistry and astrobiology, the fascinating disciplines that strive to unravel the origin of life, have opened unprecedented and unpredicted vistas into exotic compounds as well as extreme or complex reaction conditions of potential relevance for a broad variety of applications. Representative, and so far little explored sources of inspiration include complex organic systems, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their derivatives; hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and formamide (HCONH2) oligomers and polymers, like aminomalononitrile (AMN)-derived species; and exotic processes, such as solid-state photoreactions on mineral surfaces, phosphorylation by minerals, cold ice irradiation and proton bombardment, and thermal transformations in fumaroles. In addition, meteorites and minerals like forsterite, which dominate dust chemistry in the interstellar medium, may open new avenues for the discovery of innovative catalytic processes and unconventional methodologies. The aim of this review was to offer concise and inspiring, rather than comprehensive, examples of astrochemistry-related materials and systems that may be of relevance in areas such as surface functionalization, nanostructures, and hybrid material design, and for innovative technological solutions. The potential of computational methods to predict new properties from spectroscopic data and to assess plausible reaction pathways on both kinetic and thermodynamic grounds has also been highlighted.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20174079","authors":["Marco d’Ischia","Paola Manini","Marco Moracci","Raffaele Saladino","Vincent Ball","Helmut Thissen","Richard A. Evans","Cristina Puzzarini","Vincenzo Barone"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Astrochemistry","Chemistry","Meteorite","Nanotechnology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-08-21","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.3390/ijms20174079","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W3085469340","name":"3D Printed Minerals as Astrobiology Analogs of Hydrothermal Vent Chimneys","source":"openalex","abstract":"Hydrothermal vents, which are highly plausible habitable environments for life and of interest for some origin-of-life scenarios, may exist on icy moons such as Europa or Enceladus in addition to Earth. Some hydrothermal vent chimney structures are extremely porous and friable, making their reconstruction in the lab challenging ( e.g., brucite or saponite in alkaline hydrothermal settings). Here, we present the results from our efforts to reconstruct a simplified chimney structure directly out of mineral powder using binder jet additive manufacturing. Olivine sand was chosen for this initial method development effort since it represents a naturally occurring seafloor material and is inexpensively available in large quantities in powder form. The crystal structure of olivine used for the print was not modified during the process, as confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). To characterize the microstructure of our 3D printed precipitates, we used computed tomography (CT) X-ray scan techniques. We also evaluated a chimney precipitate from a sample collected from the Prony Hydrothermal Field (PHF), southern New Caledonia, an alkaline system driven by serpentinization with mineralogy composed of brucite and carbonates. While not directly comparable from a mineralogical point of view, the microstructure and porosity of both precipitates was similar, suggesting that our 3D printing technique may be a valuable tool for future astrobiology research on hydrothermal vent precipitates.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2020.2260","authors":["John‐Paul Jones","Samad Firdosy","Laura M. Barge","John Bescup","Scott M. Perl","Xu Zhang","Andre Pate","R.E. Price"],"tags":["Hydrothermal circulation","Brucite","Geology","Chimney (locomotive)","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-09-14","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2020.2260","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2095957426","name":"Exopolymeric substances of sulfate‐reducing bacteria: Interactions with calcium at alkaline pH and implication for formation of carbonate minerals","source":"openalex","abstract":"ABSTRACT Sulfate‐reducing bacteria (SRB) have been recognized as key players in the precipitation of calcium carbonate in lithifying microbial communities. These bacteria increase the alkalinity by reducing sulfate ions, and consuming organic acids. SRB also produce copious amounts of exopolymeric substances (EPS). All of these processes influence the morphology and mineralogy of the carbonate minerals. Interactions of EPS with metals, calcium in particular, are believed to be the main processes through which the extracellular matrix controls the precipitation of the carbonate minerals. SRB exopolymers were purified from lithifying mat and type cultures, and their potential role in CaCO 3 precipitation was determined from acid‐base titrations and calcium‐binding experiments. Major EPS characteristics were established using infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography to characterize the chemical functional groups and the sugar monomers composition. Our results demonstrate that all of the three SRB strains tested were able to produce large amounts of EPS. This EPS exhibited three main buffering capacities, which correspond to carboxylic acids (pK a = 3.0), sulfur‐containing groups (thiols, sulfonic and sulfinic acids – pK a = 7.0–7.1) and amino groups (pK a = 8.4–9.2). The calcium‐binding capacity of these exopolymers in solution at pH 9.0 ranged from 0.12g Ca g EPS −1 –0.15 g Ca g EPS −1 . These results suggest that SRB could play a critical role in the formation of CaCO 3 in lithifying microbial mats. The unusually high sulfur content, which has not been reported for EPS before, indicates a possible strong interaction with iron. In addition to changing the saturation index through metabolic activity, our results imply that SRB affect the rock record through EPS production and its effect on the CaCO 3 precipitation. Furthermore, EPS produced by SRB may account for the incorporation of metals (e.g. Sr, Fe, Mg) associated with carbonate minerals in the rock record.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1472-4669.2007.00117.x","authors":["Olivier Braissant","Alan W. Decho","Christophe Dupraz","Christina Glunk","Kristen M. Przekop","Pieter T. Visscher"],"tags":["Chemistry","Extracellular polymeric substance","Alkalinity","Calcium carbonate","Sulfur"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-08-06","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1472-4669.2007.00117.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W1945952847","name":"Astrobiology and the Possibility of Life on Earth and Elsewhere…","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-015-0196-1","authors":["Hervé Cottin","J. Michelle Kotler","Kristin Bartik","Henderson James Cleaves","Charles S. Cockell","Jean‐Pierre de Vera","P. Ehrenfreund","Stefan Leuko","I. L. ten Kate","Zita Martins","Robert Pascal","R. C. Quinn"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Abiogenesis","Exoplanet","Liquid water","Early Earth"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-09-08","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1007/s11214-015-0196-1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4205105578","name":"Astrobiology - the quest for the conditions of life","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0045-8732(02)80102-4","authors":[],"tags":["Astrobiology","Environmental ethics","Philosophy","Biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-08-01","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1016/s0045-8732(02","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_2266","name":"Clay Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_2266","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-06-29T17:38:38Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_2266","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_300093","name":"Aqueous Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_300093","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-27T09:05:47Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_300093","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1534-4","name":"Sulfate Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1534-4","authors":["Nicholas Arndt"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-16T06:02:54Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1534-4","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1447-4","name":"Silicate Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1447-4","authors":["José Carlos Gaspar"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-06-11T08:01:37Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1447-4","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_2411","name":"Evaporitic Rocks and Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_2411","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-06-29T17:19:58Z","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_2411","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"pmid:42514156","name":"Small-Scale Mineral and Microbial Heterogeneities near a Fumarole at the Furnas Hydrothermal Zone on the Azores.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The Azores are characterized by intense volcanic activity, creating unique environments such as fumarole sites, where geothermal gases and high temperatures drive distinct chemical and biological processes. To investigate small-scale heterogeneity within such a site, six visually distinct samples were collected within a 30 cm radius at an active fumarole on S&#xe3;o Miguel Island. The samples were analyzed for elemental and mineralogical composition, bacterial lipid biomarkers (PLFAs), and microbial community structure using a novel DNA separation technique to specifically target the living microbiome. Despite mineralogical similarities across all samples-predominantly composed of alunite, alkali-feldspar, and quartz-significant microbial heterogeneity was observed. Both PLFA and bacterial iDNA analyses revealed distinct microbial communities associated with specific conditions indicated by the specific colors: red and brown samples were dominated by Proteobacteria and Actinobacteriota, yellow and green by Thermoplasmatota and Actinobacteriota, and white and gray by Crenarchaeota. Interestingly, the gray samples exhibited a broader microbial composition, sharing some taxa with all other samples. These striking color variations are likely driven by differences in both specific mineral composition and microbial pigmentation, reflecting localized biogeochemical processes. Our findings demonstrate that extreme microbial heterogeneity can occur over remarkably small spatial scales within fumarolic systems, underscoring the complex interplay between chemical and biological factors in these dynamic volcanic habitats.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42514156/","authors":["Schulze-Makuch D","Bartholomäus A","Arens FL","Mangelsdorf K","Wagner D"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jun 28","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z"},{"id":"pmid:42514001","name":"Methane Production on Mars-Relevant Clay Minerals and Simulant Regolith.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Over the course of Martian history, the presence of atmospheric carbon dioxide and potential subsurface molecular hydrogen (H 2 ), in addition to potential surface and subsurface liquid water, suggests that the Martian subsurface, at minimum, may once have been habitable, particularly to autotrophic chemosynthetic microorganisms. In addition, the widespread nature of clays and other minerals on Mars could have provided sufficient nutrients to support microbial life. Here we tested four methanogenic species ( Methanosarcina barkeri , Methanobacterium formicicum , Methanothermobacter wolfeii , and Methanococcus maripaludis ) in the presence of illite, nontronite, and Mojave Mars Simulant (MMS), in their standard growth medium. We aimed to determine whether the presence of certain Mars simulants inhibited, promoted, or had no effect on methane (CH 4 ) production by these microorganisms. The same methanogens were also tested in the presence of montmorillonite, H 2 , sodium sulfide (Na 2 S), and bicarbonate buffer to determine if this clay could support biotic CH 4 production. Three of the four methanogens tested ( M. barkeri , M. formicicum , and M. wolfeii ) were capable of CH 4 production in the presence of both clay minerals and MMS, as well as in cultures containing only 10% ( w / v ) montmorillonite, H 2 , Na 2 S, and bicarbonate buffer. Conversely, M. maripaludis , a halophile, showed the greatest sensitivity of the four methanogens tested; however, the presence of 5% ( w / v ) montmorillonite enabled greater CH 4 production under certain circumstances compared to cultures containing the organism's standard growth medium alone. Overall, these results suggest that the presence of clay minerals on Mars does not preclude the survivability and growth of methanogens in a potential subsurface habitat. In fact, these geological components may provide sufficient nutrients to support microbial growth and survivability.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42514001/","authors":["Mickol RL","Waddell WH","Wray J","Pohlkamp R","Kern C","Kral TA"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 8","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z"},{"id":"pmid:42370400","name":"The Possible Aqueous Origins of Manganese Alteration Minerals in the Máaz Formation of Jezero Crater.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Home to a lake around 4 billion years ago, Jezero Crater is a unique location to study the interplay between igneous processes and aqueous alteration on ancient Mars. The M&#xe1;az formation, rich in basaltic rock, is the highest stratigraphic unit on the crater floor and hosts a diversity of alteration phases that indicate multiple aqueous episodes affected the crater floor rocks. Using data from the Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry aboard the Perseverance rover, we investigated manganese enrichments across the crater floor. We report on multiple distinct types of Mn-rich materials. The first, in the Guillaumes abrasion low in the M&#xe1;az formation, has been tentatively identified as the rare mineral despujolsite (Ca 3 Mn 4+ (SO 4 ) 2 (OH) 6 &#xb7;3H 2 O), which forms on Earth in hydrothermal and lacustrine deposits. In the Alfalfa abrasion patch, high in the M&#xe1;az formation, we find Mn-enriched magnetite spatially associated with a Ca-dominant sulfate that may contain minor Mn, which suggests a history of serpentinization followed by exposure to oxidizing acidic fluids. These findings underscore the complexity of aqueous alteration over the course of Jezero history. Future sample return missions could refine mineralogical interpretations and provide more information to improve our understanding of aqueous conditions and habitability in the crater.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42370400/","authors":["Sinclair KP","Clark BC","Jones MWM","Catling DC","Elam WT","Liu Y"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jun 29","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z"},{"id":"pmid:42267910","name":"Regolith as a Refuge: Differential Survival of Bacteriophage Qβ in Mars Analog Environments.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Viruses are among the simplest biological entities capable of replication. Their robustness and adaptability make them relevant not only to terrestrial ecosystems but also to astrobiological exploration. As durable entities, they may persist in environments far harsher than those tolerable to cellular life and are likely candidates for forward contamination. To assess their relevance in planetary protection and as potential biomarkers, we investigated the preservation of bacteriophage Q&#x3b2;, an RNA virus, in Mars analog environments using two commercial martian regolith simulants: Mars Global Simulant (MGS)-1 and Mojave Mars Simulant (MMS)-2. MMS-2, enriched in iron oxides, exhibited higher oxidative potential than MGS-1, which is mainly composed of basaltic material. Viral survival was assessed across variables that included time, temperature, concentration, and particle size. Our results show that inactivation in MGS-1 was primarily driven by adsorption, while in MMS-2, it was dominated by chemical oxidation. MGS-1 provided a more protective matrix that mitigated freeze-induced damage and shielded desiccated viral particles from ultraviolet (UV) B and UVC radiation. These findings highlight the importance of mineral composition in modulating viral persistence and suggest that regolith may act as both a barrier and a refuge. Understanding virus-mineral interactions is essential for assessing biosignature preservation, planetary protection, and the potential roles of viruses in the evolution and survival of life beyond Earth.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42267910/","authors":["Arribas Tiemblo M","Rodríguez-Moreno A","Gómez F","Lázaro E"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jun","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z"},{"id":"pmid:42195303","name":"Diverging Mineral Chemistry of Iron and Nickel Throughout Earth's Changing Redox Conditions Reveals Foundation for Their Evolution as Protein Cofactors.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Iron (Fe) and nickel (Ni) were both foundational to early metabolism, yet their biological trajectories diverged as Earth's surface redox state changed. Here, we integrate mineral chemistry network analysis, protein metal-site coordination-sphere analysis, and curated redox comparisons to test how geochemistry and metalloprotein architecture co-evolved. Mineral network analyses show broader electronegativity variation and network diversity for Fe-bearing minerals through time relative to Ni-bearing minerals. In structural analyses of protein metal centers in a combined Fe/Ni protein structure set, it is shown that Fe- and Ni-associated environments differ in amino-acid composition, hydropathy structure, and cysteine representation. The greater chemical diversity and electronegativity variation in Fe minerals mirror the higher redox and structural versatility of Fe-binding proteins. The presence of Fe in a broader range of mineral and protein environments demonstrates the chemical adaptability of the metal, from the anoxic Archean to oxidative Earth surface conditions following the Great Oxidation Event. Iron, with its broad redox potential range in Fe-oxidoreductases, has a central role in both anaerobic and aerobic metabolisms. Nickel, by contrast, is less widespread in biology. Today, Ni is predominantly employed in deeply branching anaerobic pathways and by proteins with narrower redox potential ranges. Our results show that evolutionary processes, constrained by metal chemistry, habitually utilize Fe as a redox generalist while retaining Ni in specialized roles. The divergent paths of Ni and Fe, from rocks to proteins, demonstrate the intimate relationship between planetary geochemistry and metabolic origins on Earth and suggest that Fe/Ni geochemistry may inform habitability assessments in extraterrestrial environments when interpreted within specific planetary environmental contexts.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42195303/","authors":["Jelen BI","Peralta Y","Morrison SM","Christensen B","Moore EK"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 May 1","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z"},{"id":"pmid:42113992","name":"Anoxic photo-oxidation of Mn(II)-bearing carbonates on Mars and early Earth.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Manganese oxides, thought to form almost exclusively through reactions between Mn 2+ and O 2 , catalyze oxidative transformations among redox-sensitive metals. Thus, the occurrence of Mn oxides, either observed or inferred from sedimentary geochemical data, has formed the basis for multiple hypotheses concerning the evolution of the atmospheric redox state on the early Earth and Mars. Here, using theory and experiments, we report that the band gap of common Ca/Mg carbonate minerals (including calcite, magnesite, and aragonite) is significantly lowered by trace incorporation (0.8 wt% or lower) of Mn(II) into their bulk structure or surface, conferring photochemical reactivity under ultraviolet conditions relevant to early Earth and Mars (200 to 400 nm). Moreover, we show that surface incorporation of Mn(II) reduces the fundamental band gap much more effectively (by &gt;1 eV) than bulk incorporation. Our results suggest that photo-oxidation of Mn(II)-bearing carbonates could have occurred widely on planetary surfaces, resulting in the abiotic formation of manganese oxides without free molecular oxygen. Photochemically driven redox cycling of manganese could help sustain redox disequilibria for microbial metabolisms, but compromises the use of manganese oxides as oxygen barometers.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42113992/","authors":["Guo J","Zhu Y","Tosca NJ","Pan L","Catling DC","Liu Y","Zhang W","Chaddha AS","Ju P","Li J","Zhang Z","Huo A","Li Y","Huang F","Falkowski PG","Hao J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 May 19","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z"},{"id":"pmid:42039836","name":"Bioleaching of critical trace metals by Sphingomonas desiccabilis: substrate-driven selectivity in Earth and space analogues.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Biotechnological advances are transforming the potential for sustainable resource utilization in space exploration. Biomining, using microorganisms to extract valuable metals, has emerged as a viable strategy for in situ resource utilization (ISRU) in extraterrestrial environments. However, an increasing body of literature is showing that selecting the most efficient bioleaching approach highly depends on the interaction between the microbial species, the type of rock and environmental conditions. In the space biomining context, the heterotrophic bacterium Sphingomonas desiccabilis has demonstrated its capacity to extract valuable metals in space.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42039836/","authors":["Tonietti L","Esposito M","Leggiero M","Bunn F","Eades LJ","Cordone A","Horsfall L","Covone G","Cockell CS","Giovannelli D","Rotundi A","Santomartino R"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-05T01:45:42.575Z"},{"id":"oa:W1986544337","name":"Genetic implications of Lunar regolith thickness variations","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(68)90039-0","authors":["V. R. Oberbeck","W. L. Quaide"],"tags":["Regolith","Astrobiology","Geology of the Moon","Geology","Lunar mare"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1968-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/0019-1035(68","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2042201584","name":"Geotechnical Properties of BP-1 Lunar Regolith Simulant","source":"openalex","abstract":"Understanding the mechanical behavior of lunar regolith is of great importance for future missions to the Moon and other similar extraterrestrial environments. However, due to the scarcity of lunar regolith a number of simulants have been developed to facilitate experimental testing. This paper presents the geotechnical properties of an inexpensive lunar regolith simulant named Black Point 1 (BP-1). An experimental program including particle-size distribution, microscopy observations using scanning electron microscope (SEM) images, density measurements, compressibility, and shear strength was performed. Additionally, BP-1 was compared with regolith recovered from lunar missions and a number of its simulants. The physical properties of BP-1 were found to be similar to other existing simulants and to the natural lunar regolith.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)as.1943-5525.0000462","authors":["Eduardo Suescun-Florez","S. Roslyakov","Magued Iskander","Mohammed Baamer"],"tags":["Regolith","Lunar soil","Astrobiology","Shear strength (soil)","Geotechnical engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-09-23","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1061/(asce","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2074230993","name":"Lunar surface: Dust dynamics and regolith mechanics","source":"openalex","abstract":"The lunar surface is characterized by a collisionally evolved regolith resulting from meteoroid bombardment. This lunar soil consists of highly angular particles in a broad, approximately power law size distribution, with impact‐generated glasses. The regolith becomes densified and difficult to excavate when subjected to lunar quakes or, eventually, manned and unmanned activity on the surface. Solar radiation and the solar wind produce a plasma sheath near the lunar surface. Lunar grains acquire charge in this environment and can exhibit unusual behavior, including levitation and transport across the surface because of electric fields in the plasma sheath. The fine component of the lunar regolith contributes to the operational and health hazards posed to planned lunar expeditions. In this paper we discuss the mechanical response of the regolith to anticipated exploration activities and review the plasma environment near the lunar surface and the observations, models, and dynamics of charged lunar dust.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2005rg000184","authors":["J. E. Colwell","Susan N. Batiste","M. Horányi","Scott Robertson","Stein Sture"],"tags":["Regolith","Astrobiology","Meteoroid","Lunar soil","Solar wind"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-06-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1029/2005rg000184","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2108698047","name":"The Evolution of the Lunar Regolith","source":"openalex","abstract":"Carbonatites are igneous rocks formed in the crust by fractional crystallization of carbonate-rich parental melts that are mostly mantle derived. They dominantly consist of carbonate minerals such as calcite, dolomite, and ankerite, as well as minor ...Read More","url":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ea.05.050177.002313","authors":["Y. Langevin","J. R. Arnold"],"tags":["Carbonatite","Ankerite","Geology","Geochemistry","Dolomite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1977-05-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1146/annurev.ea.05.050177.002313","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W745723849","name":"Evaluation of lunar regolith geopolymer binder as a radioactive shielding material for space exploration applications","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2015.05.044","authors":["Carlos Montes","Kaylin Broussard","Matthew Gongre","N. Šimičević","Johanna Mercedes Mejía Arcila","Jessica Tham","Erez N. Allouche","G. L. Davis"],"tags":["Regolith","Electromagnetic shielding","Materials science","Astrobiology","Thermal insulation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-06-08","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.asr.2015.05.044","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W3007765980","name":"The beneficiation of lunar regolith for space resource utilisation: A review","source":"openalex","abstract":"Space Resource Utilisation (SRU) technology will enable further exploration and habitation of space by humankind. The production of oxygen on the Moon is one of the first objectives for SRU; this can be achieved through the thermo-chemical reduction of the lunar regolith. Several techniques, such as hydrogen reduction and molten salt electrolysis, have been proposed. All reduction techniques require a consistent feedstock from the regolith to reliably and consistently produce oxygen. The preparation of this feedstock, known as beneficiation, is a critical intermediate stage of the SRU flowsheet, however it has received little consideration relative to the preceding excavation, and the subsequent oxygen production stage. This review describes the physics of the main beneficiation methods suitable for SRU. Further, we collate and review all of the previous studies on the beneficiation of lunar regolith.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2020.104879","authors":["J.N. Rasera","J.J. Cilliers","Julien-Alexandre Lamamy","Kathryn Hadler"],"tags":["Beneficiation","Regolith","Raw material","Environmental science","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-02-18","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.pss.2020.104879","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2027246706","name":"Global survey of lunar regolith depths from LROC images","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2011.07.017","authors":["G. D. Bart","R. D. Nickerson","Matthew T Lawder","H. J. Melosh"],"tags":["Regolith","Impact crater","Geology","Orbiter","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-08-06","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.icarus.2011.07.017","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2810006556","name":"The mixing of lunar regolith: Vital updates to a canonical model","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2018.05.023","authors":["E. S. Costello","R. R. Ghent","P. G. Lucey"],"tags":["Regolith","Impact crater","Mixing (physics)","Geology","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-06-23","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.icarus.2018.05.023","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W1989213645","name":"Quantitative estimation of helium-3 spatial distribution in the lunar regolith layer","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2007.03.014","authors":["Wenzhe Fa","Ya‐Qiu Jin"],"tags":["Regolith","Solar wind","Flux (metallurgy)","Environmental science","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-04-12","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.icarus.2007.03.014","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2202435413","name":"Thermophysical property models for lunar regolith","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2015.12.035","authors":["Samuel S. Schreiner","Jesus A. Dominguez","Laurent Sibille","Jeffrey A. Hoffman"],"tags":["Regolith","Property (philosophy)","Thermal conductivity","Environmental science","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-12-29","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.asr.2015.12.035","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W3121471757","name":"Additive manufacturing of lunar regolith structures","source":"openalex","abstract":"The key to any presence in space being sustainable is the ability to manufacture the necessary structures and spares in situ and on-demand, in order to avoid the cost, volume, and up-mass constraints that would prohibit a successful launch with everything needed for long-duration and long-distance missions from Earth. In terms of meeting the demand for parts with highly complex geometries and high accuracy, ceramic stereolithography is a revolutionary manufacturing technology, with oxide ceramics being widely studied due to their low levels of light absorption and scattering. This article investigates the feasibility of producing parts from lunar regolith simulant using a vat polymerization (VP) technique called lithography-based ceramic manufacturing (LCM). The conducted analyses include determining the rheological behavior of the suspension and the thermogravimetric characterization of printed green parts, as well as examining the mechanical, structural and microstructural properties through compression tests, computed tomography and SEM of sintered regolith samples.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oceram.2021.100058","authors":["Altan Alpay Altun","Florian Ertl","Maude Marechal","Advenit Makaya","Antonella Sgambati","Martin Schwentenwein"],"tags":["Regolith","Stereolithography","Ceramic","Materials science","Aerogel"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-01-23","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.oceram.2021.100058","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-020-62312-4","name":"EAC-1A: A novel large-volume lunar regolith simulant.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The European Astronaut Centre (EAC) is currently constructing the European Lunar Exploration Laboratory (LUNA), a large training and operations facility to be located adjacent to EAC at the DLR (German Aerospace Centre) campus in Cologne, Germany. With an estimated representative lunar testbed area of approximately 660 m 2 , a large volume of lunar regolith simulant material is needed for this purpose. In this study, a basanitic sandy silt from a quarry located in the Siebengebirge Volcanic Field is evaluated as a large-volume source of material. The focus of this project has been to conduct a physical and chemical characterisation of the fine-grained material to be used in LUNA; the European Astronaut Centre lunar regolith simulant 1 (EAC-1 A). The physical characterisation tests undertaken include sphericity, density measurements, cohesion and static angle of repose, with mineralogical investigations via petrographical analysis with optical microscope and SEM, XRF, XRD and DSC measurements. The results of the EAC-1A tests are compared to published data on existing widely used lunar regolith simulants, namely JSC-1A, JSC-2A, NU-LHT-3M, DNA and FJS-1.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-62312-4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-020-62312-4","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2582170572","name":"Preparation of lunar regolith based geopolymer cement under heat and vacuum","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2017.01.024","authors":["G. L. Davis","Carlos Montes","Sven E. Eklund"],"tags":["Regolith","Geopolymer","Cementitious","Cement","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-30","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.asr.2017.01.024","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2078638817","name":"Process Parameters Development of Selective Laser Melting of Lunar Regolith for On‐Site Manufacturing Applications","source":"openalex","abstract":"Selective Laser Melting ( SLM ) is a candidate for on‐site manufacturing as its characteristics of energy source and powder‐based fabrication process are suitable for use with in situ material. The feasibility of using lunar regolith simulant to create objects with SLM process is investigated in this study. The process parameters are optimized and multiple objects are fabricated. A qualitative chemical analysis is carried out with scanning electron microscopy using energy‐dispersive X ‐ray emission. Lastly, properties such as particle size distribution, particle shape, and crystal structure of the lunar simulant powder as well as the crystallinity and hardness of the fabricated objects are investigated.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ijac.12326","authors":["Miranda Fateri","Andreas Gebhardt"],"tags":["Materials science","Selective laser melting","Regolith","Crystallinity","Scanning electron microscope"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-11-08","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1111/ijac.12326","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2974913167","name":"Proving the viability of an electrochemical process for the simultaneous extraction of oxygen and production of metal alloys from lunar regolith","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2019.104748","authors":["Bethany A. Lomax","Melchiorre Conti","Nader Khan","Nick S. Bennett","Alexey Y. Ganin","Mark D. Symes"],"tags":["Regolith","Materials science","Oxygen","Cathodic protection","Anode"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-09-19","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.pss.2019.104748","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.scib.2023.03.019","name":"Predicting residual friction angle of lunar regolith based on Chang'e-5 lunar samples.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"With the rapid development of human lunar exploration projects, the lunar base establishment and resource utilization are on the way, and hence it is urgent and significant to reasonably predict engineering properties of the lunar regolith, which remains to be unclear due to limited lunar samples currently accessible for geotechnical tests. In this contribution, we aim to address this outstanding challenge from the perspective of granular material mechanics. To this end, the 3D multi-aspect geometrical characteristics and mechanical properties of Chang'e-5 lunar samples are for the first time evaluated with a series of non-destructive microscopic tests. Based on the measured particle surface roughness and Young's modulus, the interparticle friction coefficients of lunar regolith particles are well predicted through an experimental fitting approach using previously published data on terrestrial geomaterials or engineering materials. Then the residual friction angle of the lunar regolith under low confining pressure is predicted as 53° to 56° according to the particle overall regularity and interparticle friction coefficients of Chang'e-5 lunar samples. The presented results provide a novel cross-scale method to predict engineering properties of the lunar regolith from particle scale information to serve for the future lunar surface engineering construction.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scib.2023.03.019","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1016/j.scib.2023.03.019","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2767762995","name":"Sintering of micro-trusses created by extrusion-3D-printing of lunar regolith inks","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2017.11.005","authors":["Shannon L. Taylor","Adam E. Jakus","Katie Koube","Amaka J. Ibeh","Nicholas R. Geisendorfer","Ramille N. Shah","David C. Dunand"],"tags":["Sintering","Regolith","Materials science","Fabrication","Truss"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-11-08","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2017.11.005","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2188820049","name":"The porosity of the upper lunar regolith","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2015.10.031","authors":["Bruce Hapke","Hiroyuki Sato"],"tags":["Regolith","Astrobiology","Porosity","Lunar mare","Geology of the Moon"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-12-02","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.icarus.2015.10.031","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W4321768873","name":"Geomechanical properties of lunar regolith simulants LHS-1 and LMS-1","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2023.02.034","authors":["Jared Long-Fox","Zoe A. Landsman","Parks Easter","Catherine A. Millwater","D. T. Britt"],"tags":["Regolith","Lunar soil","Geology","Geomechanics","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-02-24","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.asr.2023.02.034","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W4210493910","name":"Sintering of HUST-1 lunar regolith simulant","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.126655","authors":["Wenbin Han","Lieyun Ding","Lixiong Cai","Junjie Zhu","Hanbin Luo","Tao Tang"],"tags":["Sintering","Regolith","Materials science","Calcination","Compaction"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-02-04","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.126655","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2754067471","name":"A structural assessment of unrefined sintered lunar regolith simulant","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2017.09.018","authors":["Stephen Indyk","Haym Benaroya"],"tags":["Regolith","Lunar soil","Materials science","Astrobiology","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-09-20","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2017.09.018","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2950713775","name":"A Model for the Thermophysical Properties of Lunar Regolith at Low Temperatures","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The thermophysical properties of lunar regolith have been thoroughly investigated for temperatures higher than 100 K. For the near‐equatorial thermal measurements of the Apollo era, this temperature range was sufficient to generate appropriate models. However, recent measurements from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment have revealed polar temperatures as low as 20 K, with apparently lower thermal inertia than explainable by existing theory. In the absence of comprehensive laboratory measurements of regolith thermal properties at low temperatures (&lt;100 K), we investigate solid state theory and fits to lunar simulant materials to derive a semiempirical model of specific heat and thermal conductivity in lunar regolith in the full range 20–400 K. The primary distinctions between these previous models are (1) the temperature dependence of the solid conduction component of thermal conductivity at low temperatures, (2) the focus on regolith bulk density as the primary variable, and (3) the concept that the composition and modal petrology of grains could significantly influence thermal properties of the bulk regolith. This model predicts that at low temperatures, thermal conductivity is as much as an order of magnitude lower and specific heat is likely higher than expected from current models. The thermal conductivity at low temperature should vary depending on the constituent grain materials, their crystallinity, contributions from phonon scattering modes, bulk porosity, and density. To demonstrate the impact of our finding, we extrapolate the effects of our conductivity model on temperature variations in permanently shadowed regions on the Moon. This work motivates experimental confirmation of thermophysical properties of lunar regolith at low temperature.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2019je005955","authors":["Rachel Woods‐Robinson","M.A. Siegler","D. A. Paige"],"tags":["Regolith","Thermal conductivity","Thermal conduction","Materials science","Thermal"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-06-11","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1029/2019je005955","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2103958095","name":"Evidence of space weathering in regolith breccias I: Lunar regolith breccias","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— We have analyzed a suite of lunar regolith breccias in order to assess how well space weathering products can be preserved through the lithification process and therefore whether or not it is appropriate to search for space weathering products in asteroidal regolith breccia meteorites. It was found that space weathering products, vapor/sputter deposited nanophase‐iron‐bearing rims in particular, are easily identified in even heavily shocked/compacted lunar regolith breccias. Such rims, if created on asteroids, should thus be preserved in asteroidal regolith breccia meteorites. Two additional rim types, glass rims and vesicular rims, identified in regolith breccias, are also described. These rims are common in lunar regolith breccias but rare to absent in lunar soils, which suggests that they are created in the breccia‐forming process itself. While not “space weathering products” in the strictest sense, these additional rims give us insight into the regolith breccia formation process. The presence or absence of glass and/or vesicular rims in asteroidal regolith breccias will likewise tell us about environmental conditions on the surface of the asteroid body on which the breccia was created.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00390.x","authors":["S. K. Noble","L. P. Keller","C. M. Pieters"],"tags":["Regolith","Breccia","Space weathering","Geology","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-03-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00390.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2899846935","name":"Vacuum sintered lunar regolith simulant: Pore-forming and thermal conductivity","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2018.11.023","authors":["Lei Song","Jiao Xu","Shuqian Fan","Hong Tang","Xiongyao Li","Jianzhong Liu","Xuan‐Ming Duan"],"tags":["Regolith","Materials science","Sintering","Thermal conductivity","Porosity"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-11-06","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.ceramint.2018.11.023","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2621340589","name":"Relative depths of simple craters and the nature of the lunar regolith","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2017.05.022","authors":["J. D. Stopar","M. S. Robinson","O. S. Barnouin","A. S. McEwen","E. J. Speyerer","M. R. Henriksen","Sarah Sutton"],"tags":["Impact crater","Regolith","Orbiter","Geology","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-06-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.icarus.2017.05.022","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2036344618","name":"Compressive deformation of porous lunar regolith","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matlet.2014.11.153","authors":["Thomas Gualtieri","Amit Bandyopadhyay"],"tags":["Regolith","Materials science","Porosity","Sintering","Compressive strength"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-12-04","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.matlet.2014.11.153","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2053818598","name":"Digging and pushing lunar regolith: Classical soil mechanics and the forces needed for excavation and traction","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jterra.2006.09.001","authors":["Allen Wilkinson","Alfred DeGennaro"],"tags":["Regolith","Excavation","Traction (geology)","Geotechnical engineering","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-11-14","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.jterra.2006.09.001","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W1672308126","name":"Origins and size distribution of metallic iron particles in the lunar regolith","source":"openalex","abstract":"The metallic iron concentration has been measured in three ranges of metal particle diameters for 79 lunar soils by a combination of static magnetic and ferromagnetic resonance techniques. Based on these measurements, a model has been developed which apportions the total metallic iron content of lunar soils between three components: (1) metallic iron particles produced from the exposure-induced reduction of ferrous iron; they range from 40 to 330 A in diameter and are predominantly associated with agglutinate glass; (2) metallic iron particles derived from the metallic phases of the micrometeorites involved in the formation of agglutinate glass; these particles are mostly greater than 300 A in diameter; and (3) metallic iron particles in the source materials such as bedrock and breccias; these are usually greater than 330 A in diameter. The maximum concentration of metallic iron in lunar regolith is estimated at about 0.7 equiv. wt% in highland regions (approximately 5.0 wt% FeO) and about 1.0 equiv. wt% in mare regions (approximately 15.0 wt% FeO).","url":"https://openalex.org/W1672308126","authors":["R. V. Morris"],"tags":["Regolith","Metal","Lunar soil","Ferrous","Iron oxide"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1980-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z"},{"id":"oa:W1981318599","name":"Impact‐induced thermal effects in the lunar and Mercurian regoliths","source":"openalex","abstract":"While the Moon and Mercury are similar objects in a geomorphologic sense, they also possess important differences, particularly in the context of small‐scale impact phenomena. Not only is the surface of Mercury notably hotter than that of the Moon, but the impact flux is also more intense at Mercury due to higher impact velocities and a greater spatial density of micrometeoroids. By extrapolating the terrestrial micrometeoroid flux to the Moon and Mercury, it is found that the impact rate at Mercury is 5.5 times greater and the mean impact velocity more than 60 percent higher than at the Moon. A model of impact melting and vaporization applied to the lunar and mercurian environments indicates that almost 14 times more impact melt and over 20 times more vapor are generated per unit time in the mercurian regolith. Although the surface temperature plays a role in determining the melt and vapor volumes, the difference in impact velocity appears to be markedly more important. “Average” craters formed by identical projectiles under the two velocity distributions on the two planets should be very similar in size, because differences in the kinetic energy of the “average” impactors will be offset by the differences in gravitational acceleration. As a result, variations in regolith mixing should depend more on the actual impact rates than on disparities in excavated volumes. Each “average” impact on Mercury, however, will produce more than twice as much impact melt as its lunar counterpart, introducing more glass into the mercurian regolith. Although substantial quantities of impact vapor are produced on both planets, mixing of the regolith should occur quickly enough in each case to spread the deposited vapor over large surface areas; the resulting vapor coatings should be negligibly small for most purposes. A much larger agglutinate population should exist on Mercury, and individual agglutinates should be similar to those of the lunar highlands. Reflectance spectra and visual albedos indicate that the mercurian crust possesses relatively small quantities of Fe, perhaps similar to those of Apollo 16 light‐ and dark‐matrix breccias. Laboratory studies have demonstrated that, as the magnetic fractions (which are correlated with agglutinate abundances) of soils derived from these breccias increase, the differences in 0.565‐mm (visible light) reflectivity between the soils diminish. Should the regional variations in Fe‐content of the mercurian crust be similar to those of these Apollo 16 samples, then the intense agglutination environment could account for the lack of optical contrast across the mercurian surface. At the same time, the very large fraction of impact glass in the regolith would imply that most pyroxenes have been fused and incorporated into these glasses, seriously attenuating the Fe 2+ crystal‐field absorption near 0.9‐mm. Supporting this picture are the most recently published spectral observations of Mercury, which provide little or no evidence of such an absorption feature.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/91je02207","authors":["M. J. Cintala"],"tags":["Regolith","Micrometeoroid","Impact crater","Mercury (programming language)","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1992-01-25","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1029/91je02207","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s42003-022-03334-8","name":"Plants grown in Apollo lunar regolith present stress-associated transcriptomes that inform prospects for lunar exploration.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The extent to which plants can enhance human life support on other worlds depends on the ability of plants to thrive in extraterrestrial environments using in-situ resources. Using samples from Apollo 11, 12, and 17, we show that the terrestrial plant Arabidopsis thaliana germinates and grows in diverse lunar regoliths. However, our results show that growth is challenging; the lunar regolith plants were slow to develop and many showed severe stress morphologies. Moreover, all plants grown in lunar soils differentially expressed genes indicating ionic stresses, similar to plant reactions to salt, metal and reactive oxygen species. Therefore, although in situ lunar regoliths can be useful for plant production in lunar habitats, they are not benign substrates. The interaction between plants and lunar regolith will need to be further elucidated, and likely mitigated, to best enable efficient use of lunar regolith for life support within lunar stations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-022-03334-8","authors":["Anna‐Lisa Paul","S. M. Elardo","Robert J. Ferl"],"tags":["Regolith","Astrobiology","Lunar soil","Icy moon","Apollo"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1038/s42003-022-03334-8","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2807219478","name":"Mechanical behaviour of additively manufactured lunar regolith simulant components","source":"openalex","abstract":"Additive manufacturing and its related techniques have frequently been put forward as a promising candidate for planetary in-situ manufacturing, from building life-sustaining habitats on the Moon to fabricating various replacements parts, aiming to support future extra-terrestrial human activity. This paper investigates the mechanical behaviour of lunar regolith simulant material components, which is a potential future space engineering material, manufactured by a laser-based powder bed fusion additive manufacturing system. The influence of laser energy input during processing was associated with the evolution of component porosity, measured via optical and scanning electron microscopy in combination with gas expansion pycnometry. The compressive strength performance and Vickers micro-hardness of the components were analysed and related back to the processing history and resultant microstructure of the lunar regolith simulant build material. Fabricated structures exhibited a relative porosity of 44–49% and densities ranging from 1.76 to 2.3 g cm −3 , with a maximum compressive strength of 4.2 ± 0.1 MPa and elastic modulus of 287.3 ± 6.6 MPa, the former is comparable to a typical masonry clay brick (3.5 MPa). The additive manufacturing parts also had an average hardness value of 657 ± 14 HV 0.05/15 , better than borosilicate glass (580 HV). This study has shed significant insight into realising the potential of a laser-based powder bed fusion additive manufacturing process to deliver functional engineering assets via in-situ and abundant material sources that can be potentially used for future engineering applications in aerospace and astronautics.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1464420718777932","authors":["Athanasios Goulas","Jon Binner","Daniel S. Engstrøm","Russell A. Harris","Ross J. Friel"],"tags":["Materials science","Regolith","Porosity","Compressive strength","Selective laser sintering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-05-28","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1177/1464420718777932","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W3083467610","name":"Lunar regolith and substructure at Chang’E-4 landing site in South Pole–Aitken basin","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-020-1197-x","authors":["Jinhai Zhang","Bin Zhou","Yangting Lin","Yangting Lin","Meng‐Hua Zhu","Zehua Dong","Zehua Dong","Yunze Gao","Kaichang Di","Wei Yang","Hongyu Lin","Jianfeng Yang","Enhai Liu","Lei Wang","Chao Li","Yi Lin","Chao Li","Zongyu Yue","Zhenxing Yao","Ziyuan Ouyang"],"tags":["Impact crater","Ejecta","Regolith","Geology","Structural basin"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-09-07","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1038/s41550-020-1197-x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W766832353","name":"Lunar Regolith Simulant Materials: Recommendations for Standardization, Production, and Usage","source":"openalex","abstract":"Experience gained during the Apollo program demonstrated the need for extensive testing of surface systems in relevant environments, including regolith materials similar to those encountered on the lunar surface. As NASA embarks on a return to the Moon, it is clear that the current lunar sample inventory is not only insufficient to support lunar surface technology and system development, but its scientific value is too great to be consumed by destructive studies. Every effort must be made to utilize standard simulant materials, which will allow developers to reduce the cost, development, and operational risks to surface systems. The Lunar Regolith Simulant Materials Workshop held in Huntsville, AL, on January 24 26, 2005, identified the need for widely accepted standard reference lunar simulant materials to perform research and development of technologies required for lunar operations. The workshop also established a need for a common, traceable, and repeatable process regarding the standardization, characterization, and distribution of lunar simulants. This document presents recommendations for the standardization, production and usage of lunar regolith simulant materials.","url":"https://openalex.org/W766832353","authors":["Laurent Sibille","P. K. Carpenter","Ronald A. Schlagheck","Raymond French"],"tags":["Regolith","Standardization","Astrobiology","Environmental science","Moon landing"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-09-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z"},{"id":"oa:W2099693981","name":"A record of impacts preserved in the lunar regolith","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2009.12.016","authors":["David L. Shuster","Greg Balco","William S. Cassata","V. A. Fernandes","I. Garrick‐Bethell","B. P. Weiss"],"tags":["Regolith","Geology","Ejecta","Impact crater","Plateau (mathematics)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-01-15","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.epsl.2009.12.016","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W1969986936","name":"Demonstration of concept for fabrication of lunar physical assets utilizing lunar regolith simulant and a geothermite reaction","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2009.12.006","authors":["Eric J. Faierson","Kathryn V. Logan","Brian Stewart","Michael Hunt"],"tags":["Regolith","Lunar orbit","Crucible (geodemography)","Astrobiology","Moon landing"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-01-15","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2009.12.006","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2904897762","name":"Digital light processing of lunar regolith structures with high mechanical properties","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2018.12.049","authors":["Ming Liu","Weizhe Tang","Wenyan Duan","Shan Li","Rui Dou","Gong Wang","Bingshan Liu","Li Wang"],"tags":["Regolith","Materials science","Slurry","Compressive strength","Fabrication"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-12-08","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.ceramint.2018.12.049","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W3198337369","name":"Preparation and evaluation of geopolymer based on BH-2 lunar regolith simulant under lunar surface temperature and vacuum condition","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2021.08.039","authors":["Siqi Zhou","Zhanning Yang","Rongrong Zhang","Xingyi Zhu","Feng Li"],"tags":["Regolith","Astrobiology","Geopolymer","Materials science","Lunar soil"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-25","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2021.08.039","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W1975580945","name":"Microscopic contact model of lunar regolith for high efficiency discrete element analyses","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2013.07.006","authors":["Mingjing Jiang","Zhifu Shen","Colin Thornton"],"tags":["Regolith","Discrete element method","Materials science","Dilatant","Mechanics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-07-31","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.compgeo.2013.07.006","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2035220354","name":"Lunar Prospector measurements of secondary electron emission from lunar regolith","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2008.11.009","authors":["J. S. Halekas","G. T. Delory","R. P. Lin","T. J. Stubbs","W. M. Farrell"],"tags":["Regolith","Secondary emission","Lunar soil","Secondary electrons","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-12-07","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.pss.2008.11.009","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2789815288","name":"Thermal conductivity of lunar regolith simulant JSC-1A under vacuum","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2018.02.027","authors":["Naoya Sakatani","Kazunori Ogawa","Masahiko Arakawa","Satoshi Tanaka"],"tags":["Regolith","Thermal conductivity","Geology","Astrobiology","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-02-23","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.icarus.2018.02.027","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2042456679","name":"Lunar Regolith at Tranquillity Base","source":"openalex","abstract":"The regolith at Tranquillity Base is a layer of fragmental debris that ranges in thickness from about 3 to 6 meters. The thickness of the regolith and the exposure histories of its constituent fragments can be related, by means of a relatively simple model, to the observed crater distribution.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.167.3918.452","authors":["E. M. Shoemaker","Milan Hait","G. A. Swann","David Schleicher","D. H. Dahlem","G. G. Schaber","R. L. Sutton"],"tags":["Regolith","Tranquillity","Impact crater","Astrobiology","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1970-01-30","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1126/science.167.3918.452","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W4210273653","name":"Hyperfine Structure of Regolith Unveiled by Chang’E-5 Lunar Regolith Penetrating Radar","source":"openalex","abstract":"This work presents the results of the Lunar Regolith Penetrating Radar (LRPR), installed at the bottom of the Chang’E-5 (CE-5) lander, which is the first antenna-array radar deployed for the investigation of an extraterrestrial body. Radar imaging results unveiled a hyperfine structure for the top 2.5-m-thick lunar regolith with an unprecedented high resolution of 5 cm. The interpretation of the results permitted to state that subsurface regolith is dominated by fine grains with abundant rock fragments. The radar imaging results were also used to drive the drilling process until a fragment jammed the core inlet at about 100-cm underground. Laboratory measurements of the samples returned at Earth allow to estimate the real part of relative permittivity and the loss tangent, which are 3.04 ± 0.02 and 0.014 ± 0.002, respectively.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/tgrs.2022.3148200","authors":["Yan Su","Ruigang Wang","Xiangjin Deng","Zongyu Zhang","Jianfeng Zhou","Zhiyong Xiao","Chunyu Ding","Yuxi Li","Shun Dai","Xin Ren","Xingguo Zeng","Xingye Gao","Jianjun Liu","Dawei Liu","Bin Liu","Bin Zhou","Guangyou Fang","Chunlai Li"],"tags":["Regolith","Geology","Radar","Ground-penetrating radar","Lunar soil"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1109/tgrs.2022.3148200","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W1659146800","name":"Solar wind and micrometeorite alteration of the lunar regolith","source":"openalex","abstract":"Developments in the understanding of reduction processes which occur in the lunar regolith as a result of solar-wind bombardment and micrometeorite impacts are discussed. The mechanism is described by which water released during reduction is removed from the lunar surface, and the possible contribution of solar-wind sputtering to the reduction process is considered. It is shown that the overall reduction efficiency of incoming hydrogen ions may reach several per cent, which is sufficient to produce all the metallic iron observed in the regolith. Mossbauer spectroscopic data on the amount of metallic iron present as isolated atoms or small clusters in reduced grain surfaces are presented together with data on the metallic iron content of fines samples obtained by Mossbauer spectroscopy, ferromagnetic resonance, and scanning as well as transmission electron microscopy. A portable magnetic probe is described which has been designed for determining surface-exposure age profiles in intact lunar core and drive-tube samples.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1659146800","authors":["R. M. Housley","E. H. Cirlin","N. E. Paton","Ira B. Goldberg"],"tags":["Regolith","Solar wind","Astrobiology","Materials science","Hydrogen"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1974-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z"},{"id":"oa:W2126353612","name":"Lunar equatorial surface temperatures and regolith properties from the Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment onboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has measured solar reflectance and mid‐infrared radiance globally, over four diurnal cycles, at unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution. These data are used to infer the radiative and bulk thermophysical properties of the near‐surface regolith layer at all longitudes around the equator. Normal albedos are estimated from solar reflectance measurements. Normal spectral emissivities relative to the 8‐ μ m Christiansen Feature are computed from brightness temperatures and used along with albedos as inputs to a numerical thermal model. Model fits to daytime temperatures require that the albedo increase with solar incidence angle. Measured nighttime cooling is remarkably similar across longitude and major geologic units, consistent with the scarcity of rock exposures and with the widespread presence of a near‐surface layer whose physical structure and thermal response are determined by pulverization through micrometeoroid impacts. Nighttime temperatures are best fit using a graded regolith model, with a ∼40% increase in bulk density and an eightfold increase in thermal conductivity (adjusted for temperature) occurring within several centimeters of the surface.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2011je003987","authors":["A. R. Vasavada","J. L. Bandfield","B. T. Greenhagen","P. O. Hayne","M.A. Siegler","J. P. Williams","D. A. Paige"],"tags":["Regolith","Radiometer","Radiance","Albedo (alchemy)","Atmospheric sciences"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-02-23","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1029/2011je003987","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W4221087607","name":"Materials characterization of various lunar regolith simulants for use in geopolymer lunar concrete","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2022.03.012","authors":["Peter J. Collins","Jennifer Edmunson","Michael Fiske","Aleksandra Radlińska"],"tags":["Regolith","Geopolymer","Compressive strength","Lunar soil","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-14","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.asr.2022.03.012","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2943459740","name":"Thermal properties of processed lunar regolith simulant","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract In this paper, the thermal characterization of lunar regolith simulant, sintered using a conventional oven under ambient and vacuum conditions is presented. Additionally, thermal characterization of samples is performed for the parts manufactured using solar, laser, and microwave processing. Samples for oven sintering are prepared using regolith bulk simulant as well as simulant pressed at 255 MPa for 10 minutes. Similar experiments are performed with a mixture of Johnson Space Center (JSC)‐2A + 20 wt% of ilmenite, a common lunar mineral. Samples are characterized regarding their thermal capacity, thermal diffusivity, density, and thermal conductivity. Furthermore, sample morphology is studied using scanning electron microscopy. Lastly, processing of regolith for lunar thermal energy storage is discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ijac.13267","authors":["Miranda Fateri","Reinhard Sottong","Matthias Kolbe","Julie Gamer","Matthias Sperl","Aidan Cowley"],"tags":["Regolith","Materials science","Thermal diffusivity","Ilmenite","Lunar soil"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-04-30","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1111/ijac.13267","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W3176280739","name":"Microstructural, mechanical, and thermal properties of microwave-sintered KLS-1 lunar regolith simulant","source":"openalex","abstract":"KLS-1 Lunar regolith simulant was microwave sintered to explore its potential applicability in future lunar construction. The effects of sintering temperature on linear shrinkage, density, porosity, and microstructural, mechanical, and thermal properties were investigated. As the sintering temperature increased, linear shrinkage and density increased and porosity decreased. Structural evolution in the sintered samples was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Unconfined compressive strength testing showed that mechanical strength increased significantly with increasing sintering temperature, with 1120 °C giving the highest strength of 37.0 ± 4.8 MPa. The sintered samples exhibited a coefficient of thermal expansion of approximately 5 × 10−6 °C−1, which was well-maintained even after cyclic temperature stress between −100 and 200 °C. Therefore, this microwave processing appears promising for the fabrication of building material with sufficient mechanical strength and thermal durability for lunar construction.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2021.06.098","authors":["Young‐Jae Kim","Byung Hyun Ryu","Hyunwoo Jin","Jangguen Lee","Hyu‐Soung Shin"],"tags":["Materials science","Sintering","Regolith","Compressive strength","Porosity"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-06-17","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.ceramint.2021.06.098","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2030932540","name":"Observations of the lunar regolith and the Earth from the television camera on Surveyor 7","source":"openalex","abstract":"Surveyor 7, the last spacecraft of the Surveyor series, landed about 30 km north of the rim crest of Tycho, one of the most prominent and well-known features in the southern part of the moon. About 21,000 pictures were transmitted during two lunar days of operation. At the Surveyor 7 site, the cumulative size-frequency distribution of craters 13 cm to 3 meters in diameter follows closely the distribution of craters observed at the other Surveyor sites in the lunar maria. This distribution of small craters is believed to be a steady-state distribution.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/jb074i025p06081","authors":["E. M. Shoemaker","R. M. Batson","H. E. Holt","E. C. Morris","J. J. Rennilson","E. A. Whitaker"],"tags":["Lunar craters","Geology","Impact crater","Regolith","Surveyor"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1969-11-15","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1029/jb074i025p06081","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2170567216","name":"Direct Electrolysis of Molten Lunar Regolith for the Production of Oxygen and Metals on the Moon","source":"openalex","abstract":"The feasibility of producing oxygen by direct electrolysis of the molten lunar regolith at 1600 C was investigated and the generation of usable oxygen gas at the anode and concomitant production of iron and silicon at the cathode was successfully achieved from the tightly bound oxide mix. The current efficiency for different melt chemistries, corresponding to different degrees of electrolysis of the regolith, was measured during the course of electrolysis by on steam analysis of oxygen gas and scale-up from thin wire electrodes to plate and disc electrodes was achieved.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1149/1.3367929","authors":["Aislinn H. C. Sirk","Donald R. Sadoway","Laurent Sibille"],"tags":["Regolith","Electrolysis","Anode","Cathode","Oxygen"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-04-16","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1149/1.3367929","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W3127444735","name":"Investigation of severe lunar environmental conditions on the physical and mechanical properties of lunar regolith geopolymers","source":"openalex","abstract":"3D-printing of geopolymers produced from lunar regolith is an interesting option for space in situ habitats. In this study, the influence of the severe lunar environmental conditions such as extreme temperature variations and vacuum on the physical and mechanical properties of lunar regolith geopolymers were investigated. Additionally, the effect of different amounts of urea as a geopolymer superplasticizer was evaluated. Utilization of urea was found to reduce the water needed to reach the same workability by up to 32%. Extrudability tests showed that mixtures containing 3 wt.% urea could be continuously extruded, and built up into a five layer structure without any noticeable deformation. Addition of urea decreased the compressive strength after exposure to the temperature variations of one lunar day–and–night cycle during curing. However, urea can prevent concrete degradation after the lunar cycle by increasing the amounts of air voids. X-ray tomography showed that the porosity became higher when urea was added to the samples, and increased markedly when the samples were cured in vacuum.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmrt.2021.01.124","authors":["Shima Pilehvar","Marlies Arnhof","Andreas Erichsen","Luca Valentini","Anna‐Lena Kjøniksen"],"tags":["Regolith","Materials science","Urea","Porosity","Compressive strength"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-02-06","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.jmrt.2021.01.124","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W3208213911","name":"Preparation and characterization of a specialized lunar regolith simulant for use in lunar low gravity simulation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Lunar in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) has been put on the agenda by many countries. Due to the special material nature and low gravity environment, the lunar regolith demonstrates significantly different behavior from terrestrial geomaterials. However, the systematic understanding of its geotechnical behavior is now seriously restricted by the scarcity of lunar regolith and the difficulty in simulating lunar gravity. A new lunar regolith simulant, termed as China University of Mining and Technology Number One (CUMT-1), has been developed to recover properties of the lunar regolith and simulate the lunar gravity by adopting the recently advanced geotechnical magnetic-similitude-gravity model testing (GMMT) method. The CUMT-1 simulant was prepared by reproducing the in-situ formation and fragmentation of the lunar matrix, which plays a key role in the irregular particle morphology. The mineralogical compositions, particle morphology and gradation, specific gravity, bulk density, void ratio, shear strength, and compressibility were determined. After quantifying the magnetization and magnetic-similitude-gravity characteristics, an application of the cone penetration resistance under low gravity was further given. The obtained results are compared to the values known for lunar regolith samples and other simulants, which demonstrates promising characteristics for use in geotechnical engineering-based and scientific-based applications, especially considering the influence of lunar gravity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmst.2021.09.003","authors":["Ruilin Li","Guoqing Zhou","Kang Yan","Jun Chen","Daqing Chen","Shangyue Cai","Pin‐Qiang Mo"],"tags":["Regolith","Lunar soil","Geotechnical engineering","Shear strength (soil)","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-10-22","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.ijmst.2021.09.003","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2006360408","name":"Solar wind implantation into lunar regolith: Hydrogen retention in a surface with defects","source":"openalex","abstract":"Solar wind protons are implanted directly into the top 100 nm of the lunar near-surface region, but can either quickly diffuse out of the surface or be retained, depending upon surface temperature and the activation energy, U , associated with the implantation site. In this work, we explore the distribution of activation energies upon implantation and the associated hydrogen-retention times; this for comparison with recent observation of OH on the lunar surface. We apply a Monte Carlo approach: for simulated solar wind protons at a given local time, we assume a distribution of U values with a central peak, U c and width, U w , and derive the fraction retained for long periods in the near-surface. We find that surfaces characterized by a distribution with predominantly large values of U (>1 eV) like that expected at defect sites will retain implanted H (to likely form OH). Surfaces with the distribution predominantly at small values of U (<0.2 eV) will quickly diffuse away implanted H. However, surfaces with a large portion of activation energies between 0.3 eV < U < 0.9 eV will tend to be H-retentive in cool conditions but transform into H-emissive surfaces when warmed (as when the surface rotates into local noon). These mid-range activation energies give rise to a diurnal effect with diffusive loss of H at noontime.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2014.09.014","authors":["W. M. Farrell","D. M. Hurley","M. I. Zimmerman"],"tags":["Regolith","Noon","Hydrogen","Monte Carlo method","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-09-28","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.icarus.2014.09.014","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.1819600116","name":"Untangling the formation and liberation of water in the lunar regolith.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The source of water (H 2 O) and hydroxyl radicals (OH), identified on the lunar surface, represents a fundamental, unsolved puzzle. The interaction of solar-wind protons with silicates and oxides has been proposed as a key mechanism, but laboratory experiments yield conflicting results that suggest that proton implantation alone is insufficient to generate and liberate water. Here, we demonstrate in laboratory simulation experiments combined with imaging studies that water can be efficiently generated and released through rapid energetic heating like micrometeorite impacts into anhydrous silicates implanted with solar-wind protons. These synergistic effects of solar-wind protons and micrometeorites liberate water at mineral temperatures from 10 to 300 K via vesicles, thus providing evidence of a key mechanism to synthesize water in silicates and advancing our understanding on the origin of water as detected on the Moon and other airless bodies in our solar system such as Mercury and asteroids.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1819600116","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.1819600116","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2560304941","name":"Dielectric properties estimation of the lunar regolith at CE-3 landing site using lunar penetrating radar data","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2016.12.005","authors":["Jianqing Feng","Yan Su","Chunyu Ding","Shuguo Xing","Shun Dai","Yongliao Zou"],"tags":["Regolith","Geology","Permittivity","Radar","Dielectric"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-12-06","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.icarus.2016.12.005","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W3007065341","name":"Investigation of the sintering and melting of JSC-2A lunar regolith simulant","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2020.02.212","authors":["Andrea Zocca","Miranda Fateri","Dominik Al‐Sabbagh","Jens Günster"],"tags":["Regolith","Materials science","Sintering","Wetting","Differential thermal analysis"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-02-28","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.ceramint.2020.02.212","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2934182137","name":"Lunar regolith thickness deduced from concentric craters in the CE-5 landing area","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2019.03.032","authors":["Zongyu Yue","Kaichang Di","Zaihua Liu","Greg Michael","Mengna Jia","Xiaozhou Xin","B. Liu","M. Peng","J. Liu"],"tags":["Regolith","Impact crater","Geology","Astrobiology","Lunar craters"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-03-29","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.icarus.2019.03.032","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2560039227","name":"Lunar regolith can allow the synthesis of cement materials with near-zero water consumption","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2016.11.001","authors":["Kai-tuo Wang","Patrick N. Lemougna","Qing Tang","Wei Li","Xuemin Cui"],"tags":["Regolith","Geopolymer","Volcanic ash","Fly ash","Volcano"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-12-05","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.1016/j.gr.2016.11.001","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W4321254746","name":"3D-printed Lunar regolith simulant-based geopolymer composites with bio-inspired sandwich architectures","source":"openalex","abstract":"Over time, natural materials have evolved to be lightweight, high-strength, tough, and damage-tolerant due to their unique biological structures. Therefore, combining biological inspiration and structural design would provide traditional materials with a broader range of performance and applications. Here, the application of an ink-based three-dimensional (3D) printing strategy to the structural design of a Lunar regolith simulant-based geopolymer (HIT-LRS-1 GP) was first reported, and high-precision carbon fiber/quartz sand-reinforced biomimetic patterns inspired by the cellular sandwich structure of plant stems were fabricated. This study demonstrated how different cellular sandwich structures can balance the structure–property relationship and how to achieve unprecedented damage tolerance for a geopolymer composite. The results presented that components based on these biomimetic architectures exhibited stable non-catastrophic fracture characteristics regardless of the compression direction, and each structure possessed effective damage tolerance and anisotropy of mechanical properties. The results showed that the compressive strengths of honeycomb sandwich patterns, triangular sandwich patterns, wave sandwich patterns, and rectangular sandwich patterns in the Y -axis ( Z -axis) direction were 15.6, 17.9, 11.3, and 20.1 MPa (46.7, 26.5, 23.8, and 34.4 MPa), respectively, and the maximum fracture strain corresponding to the above four structures could reach 10.2%, 6.7%, 5.8%, and 5.9% (12.1%, 13.7%, 13.6%, and 13.9%), respectively.","url":"https://doi.org/10.26599/jac.2023.9220700","authors":["Siqi Ma","Yuqi Jiang","Shuai Fu","Peigang He","Chengyue Sun","Xiaoming Duan","Dechang Jia","Paolo Colombo","Yu Zhou"],"tags":["Materials science","Composite material","Composite number","Structural material","Damage tolerance"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-02-17","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.525Z","doi":"10.26599/jac.2023.9220700","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W1481384565","name":"The lunar regolith - Comparative chemistry of the Apollo sites","source":"openalex","abstract":"In a grain-size study of various sections of the Apollo 17 drill core conducted by Laul et al. (1978, 1979), it was found that the fine fractions were consistently more enriched in highland material than the coarse fractions. Relative to the coarse fractions, the fine fractions contained 6-20% more KREEP material. In connection with these observations, an investigation was conducted to find out whether KREEP enrichment in fines occurs in soils from other sites. The investigation is also concerned with possibilities regarding any preferential lateral transport of the finest soil fractions relative to the coarser fractions. A description is presented of the chemical study of eight soils from five landing sites, taking into account also data on soil 70009 from the Apollo 17 drill core. Relative to the coarse fractions, no mare enrichment is found in the fines of highland soils. This argues strongly against preferential transport of fine fractions relative to coarse.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1481384565","authors":["J. C. Laul","J. J. Papike"],"tags":["Regolith","Lunar soil","Soil water","Apollo","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1980-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"oa:W3037669174","name":"Synthesis and characterization of geopolymer from lunar regolith simulant based on natural volcanic scoria","source":"openalex","abstract":"In this study, a new GVS (Ground Volcanic Scoria) lunar regolith simulant was produced. The similarity between GVS and lunar soil was proved by comparison with Apollo lunar soil samples and other commercial lunar soil simulants. Then, GVS lunar regolith simulant was investigated as the source material for preparing geopolymer to produce building material for lunar colony construction. To study the possibility of preparing geopolymer from GVS lunar regolith simulant and the optimum activator formulation as well as the optimum curing conditions, alkaline activated GVS slurries with different mixing ratios based on an orthogonal test scheme were prepared. The geopolymer products based on GVS were characterized by flexural strength test, compressive strength test, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscope coupled with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), 29Si magic angle spinning-nuclear magnetic resonance (29Si MAS-NMR), and 27Al MAS-NMR. The experimental results indicate that changes in the mass ratio of sodium hydroxide and GVS and curing temperature have the most significant influence on the flexural strength and compressive strength, respectively. The GVS-based geopolymer can obtain the highest 28-day compressive strength and 28-day flexural strength up to 75.6 MPa and 6.3 MPa. Microstructural results imply that the changes of Si occurring in a variety of environments that explaining preliminarily about the reaction mechanism of GVS-based geopolymer. This study approves the feasibility of making a geopolymer derived from the GVS lunar regolith simulant and the potential utilization of geopolymer based on lunar regolith for construction of the lunar colony in future space exploration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cja.2020.06.014","authors":["Siqi Zhou","Xingyi Zhu","Chenghong Lu","Feng Li"],"tags":["Regolith","Geopolymer","Materials science","Compressive strength","Lunar soil"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-06-27","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1016/j.cja.2020.06.014","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2945339377","name":"Sintering of lunar regolith structures fabricated via digital light processing","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2019.05.276","authors":["Rui Dou","Weizhe Tang","Li Wang","Shan Li","Wen Yan Duan","Ming Liu","Yu Bei Zhang","Gong Wang"],"tags":["Regolith","Sintering","Materials science","Microstructure","Phase (matter)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-05-25","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1016/j.ceramint.2019.05.276","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2982196065","name":"Comparison of Dielectric Properties and Structure of Lunar Regolith at Chang'e‐3 and Chang'e‐4 Landing Sites Revealed by Ground‐Penetrating Radar","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract On 3 January 2019, the Chang'e‐4 (CE‐4) touched down on the Von Karman crater located inside the South Pole‐Aitken Basin, providing for the first time the opportunity for in situ measurements of the lunar regolith at the farside of the Moon. The CE‐4 ground penetrating radar reveals that fine‐grained regolith, coarse impact ejecta, and fractured bedrocks lie beneath the exploration path of the Yutu‐2 rover. The variations of regolith permittivity with depth and the radargrams indicate that the CE‐4 site has a fine‐grained regolith layer thickness of 11.1 m, which is about 1.3–3 times higher than the in situ measurement results at the Apollo and Chang'e‐3 (CE‐3) sites except for Apollo 16, possibly due to a faster weathering rate of ejecta deposits compared with coherent basalt substrates. The penetration depth of CE‐4 is about 2.85 times (in terms of round‐way delay) deeper than CE‐3, probably due to the differences in abundances of ilmenite and rocks in the regolith.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2019gl084458","authors":["Jialong Lai","Yi Xu","Xiaoping Zhang","Long Xiao","Qi Yan","Xu Meng","Bin Zhou","Zehua Dong","Di Zhao"],"tags":["Regolith","Ejecta","Geology","Impact crater","Space weathering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-10-23","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1029/2019gl084458","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2019822860","name":"Monte Carlo calculations of lunar Regolith thickness distributions","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(73)90141-3","authors":["V. R. Oberbeck","W. L. Quaide","M. Mahan","Joel A. Paulson"],"tags":["Regolith","Impact crater","Monte Carlo method","Geology","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1973-05-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1016/0019-1035(73","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2986318738","name":"The regolith properties of the Chang'e-5 landing region and the ground drilling experiments using lunar regolith simulants","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2019.113508","authors":["Yuqi Qian","Long Xiao","Shen Yin","Ming Zhang","Siyuan Zhao","Yong Pang","Jiang Wang","Guoxin Wang","J. W. Head"],"tags":["Regolith","Lunar soil","Lunar mare","Geology","Space weathering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-11-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1016/j.icarus.2019.113508","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W3119030791","name":"Regolith-based additive manufacturing for sustainable development of lunar infrastructure – An overview","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2021.01.005","authors":["Maxim Isachenkov","Svyatoslav Chugunov","Iskander Akhatov","Igor Shishkovsky"],"tags":["Regolith","3D printing","Resource (disambiguation)","Astrobiology","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-01-10","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2021.01.005","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2054404560","name":"Some compositional aspects of lunar regolith evolution","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract This paper discusses the compositional aspects of the lunar regolith in terms of regolith dynamics. Emphasis is placed on problems concerning lateral movement and mixing of soil components in response to meteoroid bombardment, and on the source of apparently exotic material in mare soils. In particular, it is shown that there are contradictory lines of evidence concerning the efficacy of impact-related lateral transportation of regolith components. Most of the compositional diversity of regolith in the lunar highlands and at the margins of mare basins can be accounted for by comminution and mixing of local rock types with relatively minor lateral transport. In contrast, the mare regolith contains substantial amounts of apparently exotic, highland-derived components in addition to the local basalts, implying efficient lateral transportation. In view of these contradictions, it is suggested that these so called exotic components may be of local derivation, excavated by meteoroid impact from beneath thin mare basalt layers. A consequence of this model is that the mare basins are filled with impact breccias and melts and covered by a thin veneer of volumetrically insignificant mare basalt.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.1977.0068","authors":["J. M. Rhodes"],"tags":["Regolith","Basalt","Geology","Meteoroid","Lunar soil"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1977-03-31","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1098/rsta.1977.0068","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W3083199392","name":"The technology of lunar regolith environment construction on Earth","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2020.08.039","authors":["Tao Zhang","Chaoyue Chao","Zhixiao Yao","Kun Xu","Wuxiang Zhang","Xilun Ding","Shuting Liu","Zen Zhao","Yinghe An","Bing Wang","Shuangfei Yu","Bin Wang","Hao Chen"],"tags":["Regolith","Astrobiology","Earth science","Lunar orbit","Lunar soil"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-09-07","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2020.08.039","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-023-42008-1","name":"Laser melting manufacturing of large elements of lunar regolith simulant for paving on the Moon.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The next steps for the expansion of the human presence in the solar system will be taken on the Moon. However, due to the low lunar gravity, the suspended dust generated when lunar rovers move across the lunar soil is a significant risk for lunar missions as it can affect the systems of the exploration vehicles. One solution to mitigate this problem is the construction of roads and landing pads on the Moon. In addition, to increase the sustainability of future lunar missions, in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) techniques must be developed. In this paper, the use of concentrated light for paving on the Moon by melting the lunar regolith is investigated. As a substitute of the concentrated sunlight, a high-power CO 2 laser is used in the experiments. With this set-up, a maximum laser spot diameter of 100 mm can be achieved, which translates in high thicknesses of the consolidated layers. Furthermore, the lunar regolith simulant EAC-1A is used as a substitute of the actual lunar soil. At the end of the study, large samples (approximately 250 × 250 mm) with interlocking capabilities were fabricated by melting the lunar simulant with the laser directly on the powder bed. Large areas of lunar soil can be covered with these samples and serve as roads and landing pads, decreasing the propagation of lunar dust. These manufactured samples were analysed regarding their mineralogical composition, internal structure and mechanical properties.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-42008-1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-023-42008-1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2901722277","name":"Manufacture of glass and mirrors from lunar regolith simulant","source":"openalex","abstract":"Future planetary surface missions to the Moon or Mars, for example, can be augmented by the use of local materials, in order to reduce launch mass and expand mission capability. Using lunar regolith simulant and heating it within a susceptor-assisted microwave oven, it was possible to manufacture a variety of basaltic glasses. Furthermore, it was possible to shape these glasses by grinding and polishing the surface flat and smooth. Glasses manufactured from different lunar regolith simulants were coated with aluminium or silver, and the reflective properties of the resulting mirrors and uncoated surfaces were measured. It was shown that with a porous and/or smooth surface finish, mirrors could be made that reflect the incident solar light (400 nm–1250 nm) in-between 30% for the worst and 85% for the best samples. The same samples with uncoated surfaces showed to reflect less than 7% of incident solar light in the same wavelength range.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-018-3101-y","authors":["Juergen Schleppi","J. J. Gibbons","Alexander Groetsch","Jim Buckman","Aidan Cowley","Nick S. Bennett"],"tags":["Regolith","Materials science","Polishing","Lunar mare","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-11-19","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1007/s10853-018-3101-y","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2998199409","name":"Determining the feasible conditions for processing lunar regolith simulant via laser powder bed fusion","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2019.101029","authors":["Leonardo Caprio","Ali Gökhan Demir","Barbara Previtali","Bianca Maria Colosimo"],"tags":["Materials science","Raw material","Regolith","Fusion","Deposition (geology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-12-31","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1016/j.addma.2019.101029","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2795796693","name":"Global Regolith Thermophysical Properties of the Moon From the Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We used infrared data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment to globally map thermophysical properties of the Moon's regolith fines layer. Thermal conductivity varies from 7.4 × 10 −4 W m −1 K −1 at the surface to 3.4 × 10 −3 W m −1 K −1 at depths of ~1 m, given density values of 1,100 kg m −3 at the surface to 1,800 kg m −3 at 1 m depth. On average, the scale height of these profiles is ~7 cm, corresponding to a thermal inertia of 55 ± 2 J m −2 K −1 s −1/2 at 273 K, relevant to the diurnally active near‐surface layer, ~4–7 cm. The temperature dependence of thermal conductivity and heat capacity leads to an ~2 times diurnal variation in thermal inertia at the equator. On global scales, the regolith fines are remarkably uniform, implying rapid homogenization by impact gardening of this layer on timescales &lt;1 Gyr. Regional‐ and local‐scale variations show prominent impact features &lt;1 Gyr old, including higher thermal inertia (&gt; 100 J m −2 K −1 s −1/2 ) in the interiors and ejecta of Copernican‐aged impact craters and lower thermal inertia (&lt; 50 J m −2 K −1 s −1/2 ) within the lunar cold spots identified by Bandfield et al. (2014). Observed trends in ejecta thermal inertia provide a potential tool for age dating craters of previously unknown age, complementary to the approach suggested by Ghent et al. (2014). Several anomalous regions are identified in the global 128 pixels per degree maps presented here, including a high‐thermal inertia deposit near the antipode of Tycho crater.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2017je005387","authors":["Paul O. Hayne","Joshua L. Bandfield","Matthew A. Siegler","Ashwin R. Vasavada","Rebecca R. Ghent","Jean‐Pierre Williams","Benjamin T. Greenhagen","Oded Aharonson","Catherine M. Elder","Paul G. Lucey","David A. Paige"],"tags":["Regolith","Thermal inertia","Impact crater","Thermal conductivity","Radiometer"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-11-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1002/2017je005387","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2003063233","name":"Lunar regolith thermal behavior revealed by Chang'E-1 microwave brightness temperature data","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2010.04.015","authors":["K. L. Chan","K. T. Tsang","Bruce Kong","Yongchun Zheng"],"tags":["Regolith","Brightness temperature","Geology","Orbiter","Brightness"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-05-11","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1016/j.epsl.2010.04.015","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2008837247","name":"Use of lunar regolith as a substrate for plant growth","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0273-1177(94)90333-6","authors":["D. W. Ming","D. L. Henninger"],"tags":["Regolith","Environmental science","Astrobiology","Nutrient","Soil water"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1994-11-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1016/0273-1177(94","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2559270784","name":"Drilling forces model for lunar regolith exploration and experimental validation","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2016.11.035","authors":["Tao Zhang","Xilun Ding"],"tags":["Regolith","Drill","Lunar soil","Drilling","Torque"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-11-29","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2016.11.035","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2521281112","name":"Parameters and structure of lunar regolith in Chang'E-3 landing area from lunar penetrating radar (LPR) data","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2016.09.010","authors":["Zehua Dong","Guangyou Fang","Yicai Ji","Yunze Gao","Chao Wu","Xiaojuan Zhang"],"tags":["Regolith","Geology","Lunar mare","Radar","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-09-22","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1016/j.icarus.2016.09.010","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W770132664","name":"Lunar Regolith Simulant User's Guide","source":"openalex","abstract":"Based on primary characteristics, currently or recently available lunar regolith simulants are discussed from the perspective of potential experimental uses. The characteristics used are inherent properties of the material rather than their responses to behavioral (geomechanical, physiochemical, etc.) tests. We define these inherent or primary properties to be particle composition, particle size distribution, particle shape distribution, and bulk density. Comparable information about lunar materials is also provided. It is strongly emphasized that anyone considering either choosing or using a simulant should contact one of the members of the simulant program listed at the end of this document.","url":"https://openalex.org/W770132664","authors":["Christian Schrader","Alabama D. L. Rickman","Carole McLemore","John Fikes"],"tags":["Regolith","Astrobiology","Particle (ecology)","Lunar soil","Perspective (graphical)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-09-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"oa:W4200606371","name":"Preparation of geopolymer based on lunar regolith simulant at in-situ lunar temperature and its durability under lunar high and cryogenic temperature","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2021.126033","authors":["Rongrong Zhang","Siqi Zhou","Feng Li"],"tags":["Regolith","Geopolymer","Materials science","Compressive strength","Flexural strength"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-12-11","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2021.126033","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W1542318054","name":"Solar wind record in the lunar regolith - Nitrogen and noble gases","source":"openalex","abstract":"The measured elemental and isotopic abundances of noble gases and nitrogen have been measured in five different samples of lunar regolith material. It was found noble gases liberated by chemical attack on grain surfaces from two of the samples were solar. The Ne-20/Ne-22 ratio in the two grain surface reservoir is 13.5-13.6, compared to the average value of 13.7 + or - 0.3 measured in the Apollo solar wind collection foils (Gochsler and Geiss, 1977). It is suggested that the noble gases in grain interiors have suffered severe mass fractionation. The surface-sited N/Ar in an ilmenite sample exceeds the predicted solar ratio by more than a factor of 10. It is concluded that the solar system abundances of Cameron (1982) describe the elemental composition of the noble gases in the solar wind very well.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1542318054","authors":["U. Frick","R. H. Becker","Robert O. Pepin"],"tags":["Regolith","Noble gas","Astrobiology","Nitrogen","Solar wind"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1988-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"oa:W3164026934","name":"Properties of Lunar Regolith on the Moon's Farside Unveiled by Chang'E‐4 Lunar Penetrating Radar","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The complex thermal history of the Moon leads to an unequal distribution of volcanic products between the lunar nearside and the farside. So far, no lunar materials have been sampled from the Moon's farside and no detailed properties of lunar regolith on the farside have been detected before. On January 3, 2019, Chang'E‐4 (CE‐4) touched down onto the Von Kármán crater on the Moon's farside. CE‐4 Lunar Penetrating Radar (LPR) onboard the Yutu‐2 rover is the first surface radar on the Moon's farside. Here we show the subsurface structure and properties of regolith materials at the landing region with LPR data during the first five lunar days. The thickness of lunar regolith is constrained as ∼12 m, much thicker than that at Chang'E‐3 (CE‐3) landing site, which is expected since CE‐3 landed on lunar maria. The relative permittivity of lunar surface (&lt;30 cm) at CE‐4 landing region is identified to be 2.35 0.20. The loss tangent and TiO 2 + FeO content of the regolith materials layer (0–∼12 m) are constrained to be and wt.%, respectively, much lower than those at CE‐3 landing site. It indicates that local surface materials possess less attenuation for radiowave, in accordance with the greater penetrating depth of CE‐4 LPR than that of CE‐3 LPR. Furthermore, the results also prove that the growth rate of lunar weathered regolith successively declines over time and the growth rate of lunar regolith on the Moon's farside may well be higher than that on the nearside due to the more frequent meteorite impacts.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2020je006564","authors":["Zehua Dong","Guangyou Fang","Bin Zhou","Di Zhao","Yunze Gao","Yicai Ji"],"tags":["Regolith","Impact crater","Geology","Astrobiology","Radar"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-05-22","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1029/2020je006564","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2033456515","name":"Lunar surface rock abundance and regolith fines temperatures derived from LRO Diviner Radiometer data","source":"openalex","abstract":"[1] Surface temperatures derived from thermal infrared measurements provide a means of understanding the physical properties of the lunar surface. The contrasting thermophysical properties between rocks and regolith fines cause multiple temperatures to be present within the field of view of nighttime multispectral data returned from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Diviner Radiometer between 60°N/S latitudes. Regolith temperatures are influenced by the presence of rocks in addition to factors such as the thermophysical properties of the regolith fines, latitude and local slopes, and radiative heating from adjacent crater walls. Preliminary comparisons of derived rock concentrations with LRO Camera images show both qualitative and quantitative agreement. Although comparisons of derived rock concentrations with circular polarization ratio radar data sets display general similarities, there are clear differences between the two data sets in the relative magnitude and areal extent of rocky signatures. Several surface units can be distinguished based on their regolith temperature and rock concentration values and distributions including maria and highlands surfaces, rocky impact craters, rilles, and wrinkle ridges, dark mantled deposits, and isolated cold surfaces. Rock concentrations are correlated with crater age and rocks are only preserved on the youngest surfaces or where steep slopes occur and mass wasting prevents mantling with fines. The presence of rocky surfaces excavated by young impacts allows for the estimation of minimum regolith thickness from the size of the impact. The derived rock concentrations confirm the presence of thicker regolith cover in the highlands and in locations of radar-dark haloes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2011je003866","authors":["J. L. Bandfield","R. R. Ghent","A. R. Vasavada","D. A. Paige","Samuel J. Lawrence","M. S. Robinson"],"tags":["Regolith","Abundance (ecology)","Geology","Radiometer","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-08-05","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1029/2011je003866","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W1974457567","name":"Long‐term compositional variation in solar corpuscular radiation: Evidence from nitrogen isotopes in the lunar regolith","source":"openalex","abstract":"Implantation of solar corpuscular radiation into the lunar surface generates a population of solar atoms in the rims of lunar regolith grains. Laboratory analysis of those atoms can yield a measure of solar composition. Nitrogen trapped in the lunar regolith consists of at least two components, putatively originating in the Sun, differing in release temperature and therefore probably in implantation energy. The higher‐energy component is depleted in 15 N relative to the lower‐energy component by amounts that range up to at least 20%. These components superficially resemble those identified previously in the solar‐derived light noble gases, though with several marked differences. Thus the higher‐energy noble gas components are depleted in the lighter isotope. Unlike the noble gas case, the 15 N/ 14 N ratios of both N components vary with antiquity in a complex fashion; the lower‐energy component echoes the variations in the higher‐energy component which dominate the isotopic evolution of the bulk samples. The magnitude of the bulk sample variation exceeds 30%; the higher‐energy component varies by at least 25%. The bulk long‐term trend in 15 N/ 14 N does not result from variations in mixing ratio of the two components. Both the compositional difference between the components and the long‐term variations within them apparently originate in the Sun, though this conclusion is inconsistent with current understanding of solar structure and evolution. The nitrogen isotopic record therefore appears to represent a major challenge to solar physics.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/93rg01953","authors":["J. F. Kerridge"],"tags":["Regolith","Noble gas","Solar energetic particles","Astrobiology","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1993-11-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1029/93rg01953","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2786108786","name":"Simulation of the Lunar Regolith and Lunar-Penetrating Radar Data Processing","source":"openalex","abstract":"Lunar-penetrating radar (LPR) was conducted by the “Yutu” rover of China's Chang-E 3 lunar mission to study the shallow subsurface of the Moon. Both regolith modeling and numerical simulation can provide a reliable reference for data processing of the Moon. In this study, a 3-D lunar regolith model that considered some key factors including terrain, rocks, randomness of medium, and permittivity change with depth is built. Based on LPR numerical simulation, v(z) f-k migration, with high accuracy for vertical velocity variations, is carried out. Compared with Stolt f-k migration, which is limited to constant velocity, v(z) f-k migration performs better. We have designed a workflow for LPR data of Chang-E 3 mission, such as v(z) f-k migration, filters, and gain. Finally, according to the LPR real data result, we estimate the thickness of the regolith, the location and physical parameters of several rocks, and randomness of medium. Besides, the present study provides a good reference for further understanding of lunar near-surface geological information.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/jstars.2017.2786476","authors":["Ling Zhang","Zhaofa Zeng","Jing Li","Jingyi Lin","Yingsa Hu","Xuegang Wang","Xiaodong Sun"],"tags":["Regolith","Terrain","Geology","Radar","Moon landing"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-01-17","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1109/jstars.2017.2786476","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W1866496623","name":"Two‐dimensional distribution of volatiles in the lunar regolith from space weathering simulations","source":"openalex","abstract":"We present simulations of space weathering effects on ice deposits in regions of permanent shadow on the Moon. These Monte Carlo simulations follow the effects of space weathering processes on the distribution of the volatiles over time. The model output constrains the coherence of volatile deposits with depth, lateral separation, and time. The results suggest that ice sheets become broken and buried with time. As impacts begin to puncture an initially coherent surficial ice sheet, small areas with a deficit of ice compared to surrounding areas are formed first. As time progresses, holes become prevalent and the anomalous regions are local enhancements of ice concentration in a volume. The 3‐D distribution is also heterogeneous because the ice is buried to varying depths in different locations. Analysis of the coherence of ice on 10 cm scales predicts that putative ice sheets in anomalous radar craters are &lt;100 Myr old. Surface frost becomes homogenized within 20 Myr. The simulations show the data from the LCROSS impact and surrounding region are consistent with the ice deposit in Cabeus being &gt;1000 Myr old. For future in situ analysis of cold trap volatiles, a horizontal range of 10 m is sufficient to acquire surface‐based measurements of heterogeneously distributed ice. These results also support previous analyses that Mercury's cold traps are young.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2012gl051105","authors":["D. M. Hurley","D. J. Lawrence","D. Benjamin J. Bussey","R. R. Vondrak","R. C. Elphic","G. R. Gladstone"],"tags":["Space weathering","Regolith","Geology","Weathering","Ice sheet"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-04-11","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1029/2012gl051105","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2099655742","name":"Multispectral polarimetry as a tool to investigate texture and chemistry of lunar regolith particles","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2006.10.012","authors":["Yuriy Shkuratov","Nikolay Opanasenko","Evgenij Zubko","Yevgen Grynko","V. V. Korokhin","C. M. Pieters","Gorden Videen","U. Mall","A. N. Opanasenko"],"tags":["Regolith","Polarization (electrochemistry)","Physics","Asteroid","Polarimetry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-12-13","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1016/j.icarus.2006.10.012","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W1672341109","name":"JSC-1: A New Lunar Regolith Simulant","source":"openalex","abstract":"Simulants of lunar rocks and soils with appropriate properties, although difficult to produce in some cases, will be essential to meeting the system requirements for lunar exploration. In order to address this need a new lunar regolith simulant, JSC-1, has been developed. JSC-1 is a glass-rich basaltic ash which approximates the bulk chemical composition and mineralogy of some lunar soils. It has been ground to produce a gain size distribution approximating that of lunar regolith samples. The simulant is available in large quantities (greater than 2000 lb; 907 kg). JSC-1 was produced specifically for large- and medium-scale engineering studies in support of future human activities on the Moon. Such studies include material handling, construction, excavation, and transportation. The simulant is also appropriate for research on dust control and spacesuit durability. JSC-1 can be used as a chemical or mineralogical analog to some lunar soils for resource studies such as oxygen or metal production, sintering, and radiation shielding.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1672341109","authors":["D. S. McKay","James L. Carter","Walter W. Boles","Carlton C. Allen","J. H. Allton"],"tags":["Regolith","Lunar soil","Basalt","Geology of the Moon","Lunar mare"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1993-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"oa:W2073884197","name":"Three dimensional shape analysis of JSC-1A simulated lunar regolith particles","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2010.10.014","authors":["Edward J. Garboczi"],"tags":["Particle (ecology)","Materials science","Particle size","Regolith","Spherical harmonics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-10-26","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1016/j.powtec.2010.10.014","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0909.1509v1","name":"Science from the Moon: The NASA/NLSI Lunar University Network for Astrophysics Research (LUNAR)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Moon is a unique platform for fundamental astrophysical measurements of gravitation, the Sun, and the Universe. Lacking a permanent ionosphere and, on the farside, shielded from terrestrial radio emissions, a radio telescope on the Moon will be an unparalleled heliospheric and astrophysical observatory. Crucial stages in particle acceleration near the Sun can be imaged and tracked. The evolution of the Universe before and during the formation of the first stars will be traced, yielding high precision cosmological constraints. Lunar Laser Ranging of the Earth-Moon distance provides extremely high precision constraints on General Relativity and alternative models of gravity, and also reveals details about the interior structure of the Moon. With the aim of providing additional perspective on the Moon as a scientific platform, this white paper describes key research projects in these areas of astrophysics from the Moon that are being undertaken by the NLSI-funded LUNAR consortium. The NASA Lunar Science Institute (NLSI) recently funded 7 mostly university-based teams to study science of, on, and from the Moon. The LUNAR consortium was selected by the NLSI for astrophysical research and education that focuses on the key, unique instruments that most effectively take scientific advantage of sites on the lunar surface - low frequency heliophysics and cosmology, and lunar laser ranging. We are submitting this white paper to the Planetary Sciences Decadal Survey to provide additional perspective on the value of Moon for conducting cutting-edge research in astrophysics and gravitational physics by describing our key projects for LUNAR. This program of astrophysics from the Moon complements as well as takes advantage of expected scientific infrastructure on the Moon during the next few decades.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0909.1509v1","authors":["Jack O. Burns","the LUNAR Consortium"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.CO","astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-09-08T15:40:04Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.23680v1","name":"Rheological Lunar Regolith Simulants","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Regolith simulants are essential for space research and technology development. Yet, their physical properties often differ from those of true planetary soil, particularly when compared to regolith properties in-situ, that experience notably reduced gravity. We focus on lunar regolith simulants and explore various techniques to modify existing simulants to replicate the mechanical/rheological behavior of Moon regolith in true lunar conditions. Our results are validated against data from in-situ tests conducted during the Luna and Apollo missions, enabling a direct comparison of physical properties of our enhanced simulants to true Lunar regolith, on the Moon. Analyzed in the Mohr-Coulomb model framework, the friction angle of most simulants is generally close to that of true regolith, but the measured cohesion is often higher on the Moon, notably due to the reduced gravity environment. We propose a method to increase the cohesion of an existing simulant and assess the mechanical behavior of our rheological regolith simulant using a standardized geotechnical, shear test. The experimental results are then directly compared to in-situ data, providing a quantitative basis for evaluating the fidelity of the enhanced simulants.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.23680v1","authors":["Léonie Gasteiner","Alyona Glazyrina","Naomi Murdoch","Olfa D'Angelo"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","cond-mat.soft"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-27T14:04:10Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1801.05754v1","name":"Experiments Indicate Regolith is Looser in the Lunar Polar Regions than at the Lunar Landing Sites","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Since the Apollo program or earlier it has been widely believed that the lunar regolith was compacted through vibrations including nearby impact events, thermal stress release in the regolith, deep moon quakes, and shallow moon quakes. Experiments have shown that vibrations both compact and re-loosen regolith as a function of depth in the lunar soil column and amplitude of the vibrational acceleration. Experiments have also identified another process that is extremely effective at compacting regolith: the expansion and contraction of individual regolith grains due to thermal cycling in the upper part of the regolith where the diurnal thermal wave exists. Remote sensing data sets from the Moon suggest that the soil is less compacted in regions where there is less thermal cycling, including infrared emissions measured by the Diviner radiometer on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). Here, we performed additional experiments in thermal cycling simulated lunar regolith and confirm that it is an effective compaction mechanism and may explain the remote sensing data. This creates a consistent picture that the soil really is looser in the upper layers in polar regions, which may be a challenge for rovers that must drive in the looser soil.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1801.05754v1","authors":["Philip T. Metzger","Seamus Anderson","Anthony Colaprete"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","cond-mat.soft"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-01-17T17:01:35Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2601.10449v1","name":"Lunar-G2R: Geometry-to-Reflectance Learning for High-Fidelity Lunar BRDF Estimation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We address the problem of estimating realistic, spatially varying reflectance for complex planetary surfaces such as the lunar regolith, which is critical for high-fidelity rendering and vision-based navigation. Existing lunar rendering pipelines rely on simplified or spatially uniform BRDF models whose parameters are difficult to estimate and fail to capture local reflectance variations, limiting photometric realism. We propose Lunar-G2R, a geometry-to-reflectance learning framework that predicts spatially varying BRDF parameters directly from a lunar digital elevation model (DEM), without requiring multi-view imagery, controlled illumination, or dedicated reflectance-capture hardware at inference time. The method leverages a U-Net trained with differentiable rendering to minimize photometric discrepancies between real orbital images and physically based renderings under known viewing and illumination geometry. Experiments on a geographically held-out region of the Tycho crater show that our approach reduces photometric error by 38 % compared to a state-of-the-art baseline, while achieving higher PSNR and SSIM and improved perceptual similarity, capturing fine-scale reflectance variations absent from spatially uniform models. To our knowledge, this is the first method to infer a spatially varying reflectance model directly from terrain geometry.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.10449v1","authors":["Clementine Grethen","Nicolas Menga","Roland Brochard","Geraldine Morin","Simone Gasparini","Jeremy Lebreton","Manuel Sanchez Gestido"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-15T14:39:25Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2602.03829v1","name":"An Open Database of Lunar Regolith and Simulants Properties","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Lunar regolith, the layer of unconsolidated material covering the Moon's surface, is central to the science and technology developed for the Moon, notably related to in-situ science investigations, resource utilization, surface infrastructure, and mobility systems. However, data on lunar soil properties remain fragmented across decades of mission reports, often in formats that are difficult to access or interpret. We present a newly compiled database of lunar regolith physical and geotechnical properties, including data collected by direct in-situ measurements from crewed missions, estimates inferred from surface interactions on the Moon and using remote sensing, as well as laboratory analyses of samples returned to Earth. The data collected include, among others, the angle of internal friction and cohesion (both Mohr-Coulomb model parameters), bulk density, and static bearing capacity, extracted from Luna and Apollo-era historical mission documentation all the way to contemporary Lunar programs. The dataset specifies the type and location of the tests from which each value was obtained. Our database also includes parameters for lunar regolith simulants, providing a direct link between mission data and laboratory studies. In addition to centralizing this information, we developed a user interface that facilitates data retrieval, filtering, and visualization. This interface enables users to generate customized plots for comparative analysis. Developed in an open-science perspective, it is designed to evolve in response to the community's needs. The database and its associated tools significantly enhance the accessibility and usability of lunar regolith and simulants data for scientific and engineering research.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.03829v1","authors":["Léonie Gasteiner","Naomi Murdoch","Olfa D'Angelo"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-03T18:44:32Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1209.2233v1","name":"Astrophysics Conducted by the Lunar University Network for Astrophysics Research (LUNAR) and the Center for Lunar Origins (CLOE)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"[Abridged] The Moon is a unique platform from and on which to conduct astrophysical measurements. The Lunar University Network for Astrophysics Research (LUNAR) and the Center for Lunar Origins and Evolution (CLOE) teams within the NASA Lunar Science Institute (NLSI) are illustrating how the Moon can be used as a platform to advance important goals in astrophysics. Of relevance to Astrophysics and aligned with NASA strategic goals, all three of the primary research themes articulated by New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy &amp; Astrophysics are being addressed by LUNAR and CLOE, namely Probing Cosmic Dawn, Understanding New Worlds, and Physics of the Universe","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1209.2233v1","authors":["Jack O. Burns","T. Joseph W. Lazio","William Bottke"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-09-11T06:17:38Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.06392v1","name":"Additive Manufacturing of Lunar Regolith for Reconfigurable Building Blocks toward Lunar Habitation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Utilizing locally available materials is a crucial step towards sustainable planetary habitation. Lunar regolith has gained tremendous interest in additive manufacturing in the past decades. However, due to the constrained manufacturing facilities and materials on the moon, many existing additive manufacturing methods are not suitable for practical on-site manufacturing. Here, we envision that light-based direct sintering of lunar regolith can be a feasible approach. Instead of directly manufacturing large structures, we hypothesize that small-scale, reconfigurable building blocks can be an alternative to form large and complex structures. To verify the feasibility, we conducted laser sintering of lunar regolith simulants as a proof of concept, following a simple theoretical calculation for direct sintering using the light available in space. Different laser processing parameters are investigated to obtain controllable lunar regolith sintering. We further designed Lego-like interlocking bricks that are reconfigurable for different structure assemblies without additional material. Mechanical performance (compressive strength) of sintered cubic blocks is evaluated, showing a peak stress of ~1.5 MPa. We hope this work will inspire other in-space manufacturing techniques and enable low-cost space habitation.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.06392v1","authors":["Cole McCallum","Youwen Liang","Nahid Tushar","Ben Xu","Bo Zhao","Hao Zeng","Wan Shou"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP","cond-mat.other"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-05T17:28:31Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2601.14719v1","name":"Physicochemical properties of lunar regolith simulant for in situ oxygen production","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Permanent lunar settlements will rely on in situ oxygen production from regolith for life support and propulsion. While oxygen is abundant in lunar materials, it is chemically bound within metal oxides whose extractability depends strongly on regolith composition and processing strategy. In this study, we validate and characterize high-fidelity lunar regolith simulants representative of the lunar highlands and south pole using scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area and pore structure analysis, and hydrogen temperature-programmed reduction. The simulants exhibit strong mineralogical and compositional fidelity to returned Apollo and Chang'e samples, with ilmenite confirmed as the most readily reducible oxygen-bearing phase. However, despite low ilmenite abundance, bulk highland simulants display favorable reduction behavior arising from distributed Fe-bearing silicate and glassy phases, as well as surface and microstructural properties that influence gas-solid interactions. Adsorption experiments with gases (H2, CH4, and CO2) and water indicate that mineralogical heterogeneity and pore accessibility influence their uptake in simulants. These results indicate that oxygen extraction behavior in realistic lunar regolith is governed by whole-regolith response rather than ilmenite content alone, supporting the option of whole-regolith processing strategies for oxygen production in lunar in situ resource utilization architectures.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.14719v1","authors":["Alyssa Ang De Guzman","Anish Mathai Varghese","Saif Alshalloudi","Lance Kosca","Kyriaki Polychronopoulou","Marko Gacesa"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-21T07:19:10Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.00894v1","name":"Additive Manufacturing of PEEK/Lunar Regolith Composites for Sustainable Lunar Manufacturing","source":"arxiv","abstract":"As humanity advances toward long-term lunar presence under NASA's Artemis program, the development of lunar-based manufacturing and construction (LBMC) capabilities has become increasingly critical. The high cost of transporting materials from Earth makes in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) essential, with lunar regolith serving as a promising local feedstock. Additive manufacturing (AM) offers a compelling platform for LBMC due to its geometric flexibility, material efficiency, and capacity for on-demand, site-specific production. This study investigates material extrusion (MEX) AM of polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK) composites containing 10 to 50 wt% lunar regolith simulant (LRS). PEEK and LMS-1D powders were melt-compounded via twin-screw extrusion, printed using a high-temperature chamber, and annealed at 300 degrees C. The samples were characterized through density measurements, thermal analysis, tensile testing, and microstructural and elemental mapping. All filaments exhibited densities above 96%, though as-printed porosity increased from less than 1% in neat PEEK to 7.5% at 50 wt% LRS due to elevated melt viscosity. Regolith incorporation enhanced crystallinity (17.4 to 20.5%) and elastic modulus (by 6-41%), while reducing delamination and warping, which improved dimensional accuracy and print success rates. Tensile strength declined gradually from 107 MPa to 90 MPa up to 40 wt% LRS, then dropped sharply to approximately 70 MPa at 50 wt%. Annealing improved density and stiffness for composites containing up to 30 wt% LRS, with marginal benefit at higher contents. Microstructural and elemental analyses confirmed a continuous PEEK matrix with uniformly dispersed regolith particles. This work establishes processing windows and trade-offs for regolith-rich PEEK composites, supporting ISRU-enabled AM of future lunar infrastructure.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.00894v1","authors":["Mohammad Azami","Pierre-Lucas Aubin-Fournier","Mehdi Hojjati","Krzysztof Skonieczny"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP","cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-27T16:54:02Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2012.12870v2","name":"Lunar neutrinos","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Cosmic rays bombard the lunar surface producing mesons, which attenuate inside the regolith. They get slower and decay weakly into mostly sub-GeV neutrinos leaving the surface. Thus the Moon shines in neutrinos. Here we calculate spectra of low energy neutrinos, which exhibit bright features potentially recognisable above isotropic neutrino background in the direction towards the Moon. Their observation, though a very challenging task for future neutrino large volume experiments, would make the Moon the nearest astrophysical source for which the concept of multimessenger astronomy works truly. Remarkably, some features of the lunar neutrino flux are sensitive to the surface mass density of the Moon.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2012.12870v2","authors":["S. Demidov","D. Gorbunov"],"tags":["hep-ph","astro-ph.HE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-12-23T18:37:05Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2205.06855v1","name":"Effect of Sintering Temperature on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Molded Martian and Lunar Regolith","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Cylindrical specimens of Martian and Lunar regolith simulants were molded using a salt water binder and sintered at various temperatures for comparing microstructure, mechanical properties and shrinkage. Material microstructure are reported using optical microscope and material testing is done using an MTS universal testing machine. The experimental protocol was executed twice, once using Mars global simulant (MGS-1), and once using Lunar mare simulant (LMS-1). The specimens were fabricated via an injection molding method, designed to replicate typical masonary units as well as the green stage of Binder Jet Technique, an important additive manufacturing (AM) technique. Results show that for both the Martian and Lunar regolith that the optimal sintering temperature was somewhere between 1100 C and 1200 C. The compressive strength for both the Martian and Lunar masonary samples, that received optimal sintering conditions, was determined to be sufficient for construction of extraterrestrial structures. The work demonstrates that both the Martian and Lunar regolith show potential to be used as extra terrestrial masonary and as parent material for extra terrestrial BJT additive manufacturing processes.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2205.06855v1","authors":["Peter Warren","Nandhini Raju","Hossein Ebrahimi","Milos Krsmanovic","Seetha Raghavan","Jayanta Kapat","Ranajay Ghosh"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-05-13T19:00:48Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0909.3832v3","name":"Lunar Outgassing, Transient Phenomena &amp; the Return to the Moon, II: Predictions and Tests for Outgassing/Regolith Interactions","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We follow Paper I with predictions of how gas leaking through the lunar surface could influence the regolith, as might be observed via optical Transient Lunar Phenomena (TLPs) and related effects. We touch on several processes, but concentrate on low and high flow rate extremes, perhaps the most likely. We model explosive outgassing for the smallest gas overpressure at the regolith base that releases the regolith plug above it. This disturbance's timescale and affected area are consistent with observed TLPs; we also discuss other effects. For slow flow, escape through the regolith is prolonged by low diffusivity. Water, found recently in deep magma samples, is unique among candidate volatiles, capable of freezing between the regolith base and surface, especially near the lunar poles. For major outgassing sites, we consider the possible accumulation of water ice. Over geological time ice accumulation can evolve downward through the regolith. Depending on gases additional to water, regolith diffusivity might be suppressed chemically, blocking seepage and forcing the ice zone to expand to larger areas, up to square km scales, again, particularly at high latitudes. We propose an empirical path forward, wherein current and forthcoming technologies provide controlled, sensitive probes of outgassing. The optical transient/outgassing connection, addressed via Earth-based remote sensing, suggests imaging and/or spectroscopy, but aspects of lunar outgassing might be more covert, as indicated above. TLPs betray some outgassing, but does outgassing necessarily produces TLPs? We also suggest more intrusive techniques from radar to in-situ probes. Many of these approaches should be practiced in a pristine lunar atmosphere, before significant confusing signals likely to be produced upon humans returning to the Moon.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0909.3832v3","authors":["Arlin P. S. Crotts","Cameron Hummels"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-09-21T18:21:53Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1008.4027v1","name":"Lunar Palaeoregolith Deposits as Recorders of the Galactic Environment of the Solar System and Implications for Astrobiology","source":"arxiv","abstract":"One of the principal scientific reasons for wanting to resume in situ exploration of the lunar surface is to gain access to the record it contains of early Solar System history. Part of this record will pertain to the galactic environment of the Solar System, including variations in the cosmic ray flux, energetic galactic events (e.g, supernovae and/or gamma-ray bursts), and passages of the Solar System through dense interstellar clouds. Much of this record is of astrobiological interest as these processes may have affected the evolution of life on Earth, and perhaps other Solar System bodies. We argue that this galactic record, as for that of more local Solar System processes also of astrobiological interest, will be best preserved in ancient, buried regolith ('palaeoregolith') deposits in the lunar near sub-surface. Locating and sampling such deposits will be an important objective of future lunar exploration activities.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1008.4027v1","authors":["Ian A. Crawford","Sarah A. Fagents","Katherine H. Joy","M. Elise Rumpf"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-08-24T12:26:21Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0706.3952v1","name":"Lunar Outgassing, Transient Phenomena and The Return to The Moon, II: Predictions for Interactions between Outgassing and Regolith","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We consider the implications from Paper I on how gas leaking through the lunar surface might interact with the regolith, and in what respects this might affect or cause the appearance of optical Transient Lunar Phenomena (TLPs). We consider briefly a range of phenomena, but concentrate at the extremes of high and low gas flow rate, which might represent the more likely behaviors. Extremely fast i.e., explosive, expulsion of gas from the surface is investigated by examining the minimal amount of gas needed to displace a plug of regolith above a site of gaseous overpressure at the regolith's base. The area and timescale of this disturbance, it is consistent with observed TLPs. Furthermore there are several ways in which such an explosion might be expected to change the lunar surface appearance in a way consistent with many TLPs, including production of obscuration, brightening and color changes. At the slow end of the volatile flow range, gas seeping from the interior is retained below the surface for extensive times due to the low diffusivity of regolith material. A special circumstance arises if the volatile flow contains water vapor, because water is uniquely capable of freezing as it passes from the base to the surface of the regolith. For a large TLP site, it is plausible to think of areas on the square-km scale accumulating significant bodies of water ice. Furthermore, as the system evolves over geological time, the ice accumulation zone will evolve downwards into the regolith. Since many reactions possible between the volatiles and regolith, depending on the additional gases besides water, can act to decrease diffusivity in the regolith, it is plausible that the volatiles produce a barrier between the seepage source and vacuum, forcing the ice zone to expand to larger areas.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0706.3952v1","authors":["Arlin P. S. Crotts","Cameron Hummels"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-06-27T03:48:47Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2203.02840v1","name":"Dielectric properties and stratigraphy of regolith in the lunar South Pole-Aitken basin: Observations from the Lunar Penetrating Radar","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We examine data obtained by the Lunar Penetrating Radar (LPR) onboard the Chang'E-4 (CE-4) mission to study the dielectric properties and stratigraphy of lunar regolith on the far side of the Moon. The data collected from January 2019 to September 2020 were processed to generate a 540 m radargram. The travel velocity of the radar signal and the permittivity of the regolith were deduced from hyperbolas in the radargram. As CE-4 LPR detected distinct planar reflectors, we evaluated the dielectric loss from the maximum penetration depth based on the radar equation. The derived dielectric properties are compared with the measurements of Apollo samples and Chang'E-2 microwave radiometer observations. The results suggest that regolith at the landing site has a permittivity of 2.64-3.85 and a loss tangent of 0.0032-0.0044, indicating that the local regolith is composed of a fine-grained, low-loss material that is much more homogeneous than that found at the Chang'E-3 landing site. The total thickness of weathered material is 40 m, with several regolith layers and a buried craternidentified in the reconstructed subsurface structure. These layers clearly record a series of impact events from the adjacent regions. We suggest that the top layer is primarily made up of the ejecta from a large crater 140 km away. In contrast, the material source of other thinner layers comes from nearby smaller craters.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2203.02840v1","authors":["Jianqing Feng","Matthew. A. Siegler","Mackenzie N. White"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-06T00:17:33Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2403.11029v1","name":"Cohesion and Shear Strength of Compacted Lunar and Martian Regolith Simulants","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Shear strength and cohesion of granular materials are important geotechnical properties that play a crucial role in the stability and behavior of lunar and Martian regolith, as well as their terrestrial analog materials. To characterize and predict shear strength and cohesion for future space missions, it is also important to understand the effects of particle size distribution and density on these fundamental geotechnical properties. Generalized equations have been established using empirical data from direct shear measurements of lunar and Martian regolith simulants to quantify the effects of particle size distribution and density on cohesion and shear strength. Preliminary results are also presented highlighting the effects of atmospheric absorbed water on shear strength and cohesion when conducting experiments in atmospheric conditions on Earth. The results of this study show that cohesion increases exponentially with bulk density, while the exponential growth constant is also dependent on particle size distribution.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.11029v1","authors":["B. Dotson","D. Sanchez Valencia","C. Millwater","P. Easter","J. Long-Fox","D. Britt","P. Metzger"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-16T22:20:03Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2607.24816v2","name":"Contribution of cosmic alphas to generation of albedo neutrons and gammas in lunar regolith: A computational study based on GEANT4 simulations","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The lunar surface is constantly and directly exposed to Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs) due to the lack of the atmosphere and the magnetic field around it. The high-energetic alpha particles subsequently contribute to the generation of the secondary neutrons through either the spallation reaction or the low-energetic $(α, n)$ process along with the cosmic protons. In this study, the contribution of the alpha particles to the production of the albedo neutrons as well as the albedo gamma rays in the lunar regolith is studied by using the Monte Carlo simulations based on the GEANT4 toolkit. The incident alpha particles are referenced from the PAMELA spectrometer over the interval between 0.14 and 52 GeV and executed as a probability-based primary particle source. The present simulations demonstrate the production of the albedo neutrons and gamma rays upon the process of cosmic alpha irradiation in the lunar regolith. The albedo neutron production is predominantly situated within the near-surface region of the lunar regolith and progressively diminishes with the increasing depth. The population of the secondary neutrons is primarily distributed over the low-energy region and reduces towards the high energies. These results imply that the cosmic alpha particles have also quantifiable contribution in the generation of the secondary radiation at the lunar surface together with the cosmic protons, and this study demonstrates a computational framework in the evaluation of the lunar albedo, the radiation transport, the surface composition, and the radiation environment for the further lunar exploration missions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.24816v2","authors":["Harshala Gaonkar","A. Ilker Topuz"],"tags":["physics.ins-det","astro-ph.HE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-15T12:25:36Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2306.03776v1","name":"Thermal Extraction of Volatiles from Lunar and Asteroid Regolith in Axisymmetric Crank-Nicholson Modeling","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A physics-based computer model has been developed to support the development of volatile extraction from regolith of the Moon and asteroids. The model is based upon empirical data sets for extraterrestrial soils and simulants, including thermal conductivity of regolith and mixed composition ice, heat capacity of soil and mixed composition ice, hydrated mineral volatile release patterns, and sublimation of ice. A new thermal conductivity relationship is derived that generalizes cases of regolith with varying temperature, soil porosity, and pore vapor pressure. Ice composition is based upon measurements of icy ejecta from the Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) impact and it is shown that thermal conductivity and heat capacity equations for water ice provide adequate accuracy at the present level of development. The heat diffusion equations are integrated with gas diffusion equations using multiple adaptive timesteps. The entire model is placed into a Crank-Nicholson framework where the finite difference formalism was extended to two dimensions in axisymmetry. The one-dimensional version of the model successfully predicts heat transfer that matches lunar and asteroid data sets. The axisymmetric model has been used to study heat dissipation around lunar drills and water extraction in asteroid coring devices.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.03776v1","authors":["Philip T. Metzger","Kris Zacny","Phillip Morrison"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.app-ph","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-06-06T15:33:02Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1209.3033v1","name":"Radio astronomy with the Lunar Lander: opening up the last unexplored frequency regime","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The active broadband (1 kHz-100 MHz) tripole antenna now envisaged to be placed on the European Lunar Lander located at the Lunar South Pole allows for sensitive measurements of the exosphere and ionosphere, and their interaction with the Earths magnetosphere, solar particles, wind and CMEs and studies of radio communication on the moon, that are essential for future lunar human and science exploration. In addition, the lunar South pole provides an excellent opportunity for radio astronomy. Placing a single radio antenna in an eternally dark crater or behind a mountain at the south (or north) pole would potentially provide perfect shielding from man-made radio interference (RFI), absence of ionospheric distortions, and high temperature and antenna gain stability that allows detection of the 21 cm wave emission from pristine hydrogen formed after the big bang and into the period where the first stars formed. A detection of the 21 cm line from the moon at these frequencies would allow for the first time a clue on the distribution and evolution on mass in the early universe between the Epoch of Recombination and Epoch of Reionization (EoR). A single lunar radio antenna would also allow for studies of the effect of solar flares and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) on the solar wind at distances close to earth (space weather) and would open up the study of low frequency radio events from planets such as Jupiter and Saturn, which are known to emit bright (kJy-MJy) radio emission below 30 MHz (Jester &amp; Falcke, 2009). Finally, a single radio antenna on the lunar lander would pave the way for a future large lunar radio interferometer; not only will it demonstrate the possibilities for lunar radio science and open up the last unexplored radio regime, but it will also allow a determination of the limitations of lunar radio science by measuring the local radio background noise.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1209.3033v1","authors":["Marc Klein Wolt","Amin Aminaei","Philippe Zarka","Jan-Rutger Schrader","Albert-Jan Boonstra","Heino Falcke"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-09-13T20:40:21Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2604.09524v1","name":"Gardening on the Moon: An Advection-Diffusion Model to Guide the Search for Supernova Debris in the Lunar Regolith","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The vertical redistribution of materials in the lunar regolith - ranging from continuously produced space-weathering products to sporadic pulses of supernova- or kilonova-derived isotopes - remains a fundamental problem in planetary science. We present a unified stochastic model of regolith gardening induced by the impact flux. Treating gardening as a competition between impact-driven advection and diffusion predicts the maturity profiles of Apollo cores over more than two orders of magnitude in time ($1.4 \\times 10^7$ to $4.5 \\times 10^8$ years). This model describes well the depth profiles of live Fe60 in Apollo regolith samples, suggesting that supernova dust capture is independent of native iron abundance, and is consistent with a uniform influx at the latitudes of the Apollo landing sites. We extend our model to predict lunar signals for live r-process species that might originate from supernovae or kilonovae: Pu244 tied to terrestrial detections, and I129, Hf182, and Cm247 based on r-process calculations. The Pu244/Fe60 depth profile can probe the origin of Pu244, motivating searches in Artemis regolith samples down to depths O(100) cm.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.09524v1","authors":["Emily S. Costello","John Ellis","Brian D. Fields","Rebecca Surman","Xilu Wang"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.HE","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-10T17:44:35Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1206.0749v1","name":"Back to the Moon: The Scientific Rationale for Resuming Lunar Surface Exploration","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The lunar geological record has much to tell us about the earliest history of the Solar System, the origin and evolution of the Earth-Moon system, the geological evolution of rocky planets, and the near-Earth cosmic environment throughout Solar System history. In addition, the lunar surface offers outstanding opportunities for research in astronomy, astrobiology, fundamental physics, life sciences and human physiology and medicine. This paper provides an interdisciplinary review of outstanding lunar science objectives in all of these different areas. It is concluded that addressing them satisfactorily will require an end to the 40-year hiatus of lunar surface exploration, and the placing of new scientific instruments on, and the return of additional samples from, the surface of the Moon. Some of these objectives can be achieved robotically (e.g. through targeted sample return, the deployment of geophysical networks, and the placing of antennas on the lunar surface to form radio telescopes). However, in the longer term, most of these scientific objectives would benefit significantly from renewed human operations on the lunar surface. For these reasons it is highly desirable that current plans for renewed robotic surface exploration of the Moon are developed in the context of a future human lunar exploration programme, such as that proposed by the recently formulated Global Exploration Roadmap.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1206.0749v1","authors":["I. A. Crawford","M. Anand","C. S. Cockell","H. Falcke","D. A. Green","R. Jaumann","M. A. Wieczorek"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-06-04T20:04:47Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2308.14331v1","name":"Synthetic space bricks from lunar and martian regolith via sintering","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The prospect of establishing extra-terrestrial habitats using in situ resource utilization (ISRU) constitutes a long-term goal of multiple space agencies around the world. In this work, we investigate sintering as a potential route for making building blocks -- termed synthetic space bricks -- using \\emph{in situ} regolith material. By systematically investigating sintering parameters using a numerical lattice model, coupled with experimental observations and post sintering characterization, we propose a process protocol for two lunar -- lunar highland simulant (LHS) and lunar mare dust simulant (LMS) -- and one martian (martian global simulant, MGS) simulants. The resulting bricks demonstrate compressive strengths of upto 45 MPa under uniaxial loading, depending on the simulant used. These strengths are much greater than those typically mandated for structural applications under reduced gravity. We infer microscale sintering mechanisms at the individual particle level indirectly, by measuring temporal evolution exponents of sample dimensions during sintering. For all three simulants, volume diffusion appears to be the primary mechanism for particle coalescence. Our results clearly make a strong case for the use of sintering as a potentially scalable method for consolidating regolith into brick-like structures for load-bearing applications in extra-terrestrial settings.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2308.14331v1","authors":["Nitin Gupta","Vineet Dawara","Aloke Kumar","Koushik Viswanathan"],"tags":["physics.app-ph","cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-08-28T06:19:06Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2604.27941v1","name":"Comparison of two laser wavelengths for LIBS bioimaging of plants grown in lunar regolith","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The colonisation of extraterrestrial planets requires sustainable food production independent of Earth-based supplies. Due to the high costs and complicated logistics of food transport, in-situ cultivation will be essential. Growing plants directly in regolith offers a practical approach to achieve sustainable long-term human habitation beyond Earth. In this study, Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) technique was employed for bioimaging of broccoli (Brassica oleracea) and salad (Lactuca sativa) plants grown in Lunar regolith simulant and control substrate. For this purpose, the potential of the 2090 nm laser wavelength for bioimaging of plant tissue was studied compared to the conventional 1064 nm. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), total emissivity ($ε_{\\mathrm{tot}}$), and Mg II / Mg I intensity ratio (ionisation degree) were all higher when using the 2090 nm laser wavelength compared to 1064 nm. These findings indicate that the 2090 nm laser produces a hotter and more efficiently ionised plasma, supporting its feasibility for bioimaging of plant tissues. Additionally, bioimaging with both laser wavelengths confirmed higher uptake of key plant nutrients such as magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) from Lunar regolith simulant. These results support the potential of LIBS as a diagnostic tool for plant growth monitoring in extraterrestrial environments.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.27941v1","authors":["T. Vozár","L. Čechová","J. Buday","M. Füleky","K. Molnárová","L. Lenža","J. Mužík","Y. Koshiba","M. Smrž","P. Pořízka","J. Kaiser"],"tags":["physics.optics","physics.app-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-30T14:41:02Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1805.05863v3","name":"A Critical Review of the Lunar Laser Ranging","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper provides an overview of the Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) experiments. The measurement principle is explained and its theory is derived. Both contributions, the direct reflected light from retroreflectors as well as the scattered light from the lunar surface are considered. The measurement results from the Sixties until 2007 are then compared between different LLR stations and with the theoretical forecast. The very first experiment was in 1962: a laser beam was directed to the Moon and the scattered light from the lunar surface was detected. The number of received photons was in line with the theory. Then from 1969 the laser beams were directed to retroreflectors placed by Apollo astronauts and Luna space crafts. Retroreflectors are on the one hand reference points for long term measurements; on the other hand they deliver a much stronger return signal compared to the scattered return. But none of the stations could measure the expected amplification of the retroreflectors. The number of received photons remained in line with measurements to the bare surface of the Moon. Therefore either all retroreflectors have degraded such that their return signals fit to the scattered return from the lunar soil or the measurements were indeed taken to the lunar surface only.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1805.05863v3","authors":["Andreas Märki"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-05-15T15:54:50Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1012.0717v1","name":"Moon's Radiation Environment and Expected Performance of Solar Cells during Future Lunar Missions","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Several lunar missions are planned ahead and there is an increasing demand for efficient photovoltaic power generation in the moon. The knowledge of solar cell operation in the lunar surface obtained during early seventies need to be updated considering current views on solar variability and emerging space solar cell technologies. In this paper some aspects of the solar cell performance expected under variable lunar radiation environment during future space missions to moon are addressed. We have calculated relative power expected from different types of solar cells under extreme solar proton irradiation conditions and high lunar daytime temperature. It is also estimated that 2-3 % of annual solar cell degradation is most probable during the future lunar missions. We have also discussed photovoltaic power generation in long term lunar bases emphasizing technological needs such as sunlight concentration, solar cell cooling and magnetic shielding of radiation for improving the efficiency of solar cells in the lunar environment.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1012.0717v1","authors":["T. E Girish","S Aranya"],"tags":["physics.gen-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-12-03T12:31:41Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1906.05892v1","name":"Was the Sun a Slow Rotator? -- Sodium and Potassium Constraints from the Lunar Regolith","source":"arxiv","abstract":"While the Earth and Moon are generally similar in composition, a notable difference between the two is the apparent depletion in moderately volatile elements in lunar samples. This is often attributed to the formation process of the Moon and demonstrates the importance of these elements as evolutionary tracers. Here we show that paleo space weather may have driven the loss of a significant portion of moderate volatiles, such as sodium and potassium from the surface of the Moon. The remaining sodium and potassium in the regolith is dependent on the primordial rotation state of the Sun. Notably, given the joint constraints shown in the observed degree of depletion of sodium and potassium in lunar samples and the evolution of activity of solar analogues over time, the Sun is highly likely to have been a slow rotator. Since the young Sun's activity was important in affecting the evolution of planetary surfaces, atmospheres, and habitability in the early Solar System, this is an important constraint on the solar activity environment at that time. Finally, since solar activity was strongest in the first billion years of the Solar System, when the Moon was most heavily bombarded by impactors, evolution of the Sun's activity may also be recorded in lunar crust and would be an important well-preserved and relatively accessible record of past Solar System processes.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1906.05892v1","authors":["Prabal Saxena","Rosemary M. Killen","Vladimir Airapetian","Noah E. Petro","Natalie M. Curran","Avi M. Mandell"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-06-13T18:56:37Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.00519v1","name":"Terrestrial atmospheric ion implantation occurred in the nearside lunar regolith during the history of Earth's dynamo","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Light volatile elements in lunar regolith are thought to be a mixture of the solar wind and Earth's atmosphere, the latter sourced in the absence of geomagnetic field. However, the extent to which both the current and primitive geodynamo influence the transport of terrestrial ions still remains unclear, and this uncertainty is further complicated by the enigmatic composition and poorly constrained location of the Eoarchean exosphere. Here we use 3-D MHD numerical simulations with present-day magnetized and Archean unmagnetized atmospheres to investigate how Earth's intrinsic magnetic field affects this transfer, aiming to constrain how and when the lunar isotopic signature provides a record of Earth's paleoatmosphere. We find that atmospheric transfer is efficient only when the Moon is within Earth's magnetotail. The non-solar contribution to the lunar soil is best explained by implantation during the long history of the geodynamo, rather than any short, putatively unmagnetized epoch of early Earth. This further suggests the history of the terrestrial atmosphere, spanning billions of years, could be preserved in buried lunar soils. Our results indicate that the elemental abundances of Apollo samples are very sensitive to Earth's exobase altitude, which, at the time of ion implantation, was never smaller than 190 km.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.00519v1","authors":["Shubhonkar Paramanick","Eric G. Blackman","John A. Tarduno","Jonathan Carroll-Nellenback"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.SR","physics.geo-ph","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-30T15:58:48Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2501.16203v1","name":"Completion of Lunar Magma Ocean Solidification at 4.43 Ga","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Crystallization of the lunar magma ocean yielded a chemically unique liquid residuum named KREEP. This component is expressed as a large patch on the near side of the Moon, and a possible smaller patch in the northwest portion of the Moon's South Pole-Aitken basin on the far side. Thermal models estimate that the crystallization of the lunar magma ocean (LMO) could have spanned from 10 and 200 Myr, while studies of radioactive decay systems have yielded inconsistent ages for the completion of LMO crystallization covering over 160 Myr. Here, we show that the Moon achieved over 99 percent crystallization at 4429+/-76 Myr, indicating a lunar formation age of 4450 Myr or possibly older. Using the 176Lu-176Hf decay system (t1/2=37 Gyr), we found that the initial 176Hf/177Hf ratios of lunar zircons with varied U-Pb ages are consistent with their crystallization from a KREEP-rich reservoir with a consistently low 176Lu/177Hf ratio of 0.0167 that emerged ~140 Myr after solar system formation. The previously proposed younger model age of 4.33 Ga for the source of mare basalts (240 Myr after solar system formation) might reflect the timing of a large impact. Our results demonstrate that lunar magma ocean crystallization took place while the Moon was still battered by planetary embryos and planetesimals leftover from the main stage of planetary accretion. Study of Lu-Hf model ages for samples brought back from the South Pole-Aitken basin will help to assess the lateral continuity of KREEP and further understand its significance in the early history of the Moon.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.16203v1","authors":["Nicolas Dauphas","Zhe J. Zhang","Xi Chen","Mélanie Barboni","Dawid Szymanowski","Blair Schoene","Ingo Leya","Kevin D. McKeegan"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-27T16:56:11Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2309.11904v1","name":"SELENA: Semi-analytical Integrator for Lunar Artificial Satellites","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The present report summarizes the main theory and implementation steps associated with SELENA (SEmi-anaLytical intEgrator for a luNar Artificial satellite), i.e. the semi-analytical propagator for lunar satellite orbits developed in the framework of the the R&amp;T R-S20/BS-0005-062 CNES research activity in collaboration between the University of Padova (UniPd), and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), both acting as contractors with CNES. A detailed account of the method, algorithms and symbolic manipulations employed in the derivation of the final theory are described in detail in this report: they invoke the use of canonical perturbation theory in the form of Lie series computed in `closed form', i.e., without expansions in the satellite's orbital eccentricity. These algorithms are provided in the form of a symbolic package accompanying the present report. The package contains symbolic algebra programs, as well as explicit data files containing the final Hamiltonian, equations of motion and transformations (i.e. the coefficients and exponents of each variable in each term) leading to the averaging of the short-periodic terms in the satellite's equations of motion.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.11904v1","authors":["Christos Efthymiopoulos","Kleomenis Tsiganis","Ioannis Gkolias","Michalis Gaitanas","Carlos Yanez"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-21T09:15:54Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2607.09005v1","name":"Benchmarking Universal Machine Learning Force Fields for Molecular Dynamics of Lunar Regolith Minerals","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Universal machine-learning interatomic potentials provide a promising route for accelerating molecular dynamics simulations of materials, but their transferability to lunar regolith-relevant silicates, oxides, and hydrogen-bearing surface species remains elucidated. Here, we benchmark six foundation models, MACE-MH, MatterSim, SevenNet-0, UPET, UMA, and NequIP-OAM-L, using NVT molecular dynamics simulations of four representative lunar minerals: forsterite, fayalite, ilmenite, and anorthite. Structural fidelity is evaluated using temperature stability, bond-distance statistics, bond-angle distributions, and partial radial distribution functions, with comparison to crystallographic reference data. The models reproduce Si--O, Mg--O, Al--O, and Ca--O local environments reasonably well, while Fe--O and Ti--O coordination environments show broader distributions and larger short-timescale fluctuations, highlighting the need for further validation and fine tuning with additional ground truth data for Fe- and Ti-bearing lunar phases. Hydroxylated surface tests show consistent O--H bond-distance distributions across models and minerals, suggesting that these foundation models may provide useful starting points for screening surface hydroxyl stability and volatile-related processes. Performance benchmarks on a single NVIDIA RTX 4090 show that SevenNet-0, MatterSim, and UPET provide the highest throughput among the six tested models, MACE-MH remains practical at intermediate cost, and UMA and NequIP-OAM-L extend the comparison to newer foundation potentials at higher runtime cost and memory demand. These results provide an initial benchmark for applying universal foundation models to lunar mineral simulations and identify key directions for future ab initio validation, model fine-tuning, and applications to lunar volatile evolution, space weathering, ISRU, and polar sample return studies.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.09005v1","authors":["Ziyu Huang","Ken-ichi Nomura"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-10T00:19:43Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2003.03468v2","name":"Characterizing the Radio Quiet Region Behind the Lunar Farside for Low Radio Frequency Experiments","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Low radio frequency experiments performed on Earth are contaminated by both ionospheric effects and radio frequency interference (RFI) from Earth-based sources. The lunar farside provides a unique environment above the ionosphere where RFI is heavily attenuated by the presence of the Moon. We present electrodynamics simulations of the propagation of radio waves around and through the Moon in order to characterize the level of attenuation on the farside. The simulations are performed for a range of frequencies up to 100 kHz, assuming a spherical lunar shape with an average, constant density. Additionally, we investigate the role of the topography and density profile of the Moon in the propagation of radio waves and find only small effects on the intensity of RFI. Due to the computational demands of performing simulations at higher frequencies, we propose a model for extrapolating the width of the quiet region above 100 kHz that also takes into account height above the lunar surface as well as the intensity threshold chosen to define the quiet region. This model, which we make publicly available through a Python package, allows the size of the radio quiet region to be easily calculated both in orbit or on the surface, making it directly applicable for lunar satellites as well as surface missions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2003.03468v2","authors":["Neil Bassett","David Rapetti","Jack O. Burns","Keith Tauscher","Robert MacDowall"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-06T23:44:04Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1012.5323v1","name":"Equilibration in the Aftermath of the Lunar-Forming Giant Impact","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Simulations of the moon-forming impact suggest that most of the lunar material derives from the impactor rather than the Earth. Measurements of lunar samples, however, reveal an oxygen isotope composition that is indistinguishable from terrestrial samples, and clearly distinct from meteorites coming from Mars and Vesta. Here we explore the possibility that the silicate Earth and impactor were compositionally distinct with respect to oxygen isotopes, and that the terrestrial magma ocean and lunar-forming material underwent turbulent mixing and equilibration in the energetic aftermath of the giant impact. This mixing may arise in the molten disk epoch between the impact and lunar accretion, lasting perhaps 10^2-10^3 yr. The implications of this idea for the geochemistry of the Moon, the origin of water on Earth, and constraints on the giant impact are discussed.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1012.5323v1","authors":["Kaveh Pahlevan","David Stevenson"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-12-24T00:02:06Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2301.02476v2","name":"Is there a semi-molten layer at the base of the lunar mantle?","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Parameterised by the Love number $k_2$ and the tidal quality factor $Q$, and inferred from lunar laser ranging (LLR), tidal dissipation in the Moon follows an unexpected frequency dependence often interpreted as evidence for a highly dissipative, melt-bearing layer encompassing the core-mantle boundary. Within this, more or less standard interpretation, the basal layer's viscosity is required to be of order $10^{15}$ to $10^{16}$ Pa s, and its outer radius is predicted to extend to the zone of deep moonquakes. While the reconciliation of those predictions with the mechanical properties of rocks might be challenging, alternative lunar interior models without the basal layer are said to be unable to fit the frequency dependence of tidal $Q$. The purpose of our paper is to illustrate under what conditions the frequency-dependence of lunar tidal $Q$ can be interpreted without the need for deep-seated partial melt. Devising a simplified lunar model, in which the mantle is described by the Sundberg-Cooper rheology, we predict the relaxation strength and characteristic timescale of elastically-accommodated grain boundary sliding in the mantle that would give rise to the desired frequency dependence. Along with developing this alternative model, we test the traditional model with a basal partial melt; and we show that the two models cannot be distinguished from each other by the available selenodetic measurements. Additional insight into the nature of lunar tidal dissipation can be gained either by measurements of higher-degree Love numbers and quality factors or by farside lunar seismology.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2301.02476v2","authors":["Michaela Walterová","Marie Běhounková","Michael Efroimsky"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-06T12:22:41Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.13583v2","name":"Physiological and Transcriptional Responses of Arabidopsis thaliana to Simulated Lunar and Martian Regolith Substrates","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The integration of plant-based bioregenerative life support systems is a central objective in NASA's Moon to Mars strategy. Arabidopsis thaliana, a model organism with extensive genomic resources, serves as a key species to investigate plant resilience in extraterrestrial environments. We assessed the physiological and gene expression responses of A. thaliana (Col-0) grown in two off-world regolith simulants: LHS-2 (lunar highlands) and MGS-1 (Martian global). Plants exposed to these substrates exhibited significant reductions in root elongation, biomass, and chlorophyll content, along with elevated anthocyanin levels and transcriptional upregulation of stress-related genes including IRT1, PCS1, SOD1, and JAZ1. Evidence of jasmonic acid pathway activation and auxin signaling suppression suggests metal-induced hormonal misregulation. Our integrated analysis of morphological traits, pigment accumulation, and transcriptomic profiles reveals distinct mineral-specific stress responses, offering critical insights into substrate engineering strategies for future space agriculture.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.13583v2","authors":["A'nya Buckner","Sarah Lang","Rafael Loureiro"],"tags":["q-bio.QM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-19T16:40:43Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2607.23685v1","name":"Variable Emissivity Modeling for Sustainable Lunar Surface Habitats","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Lunar habitats will be one of the first platforms to enable long-term human presence beyond Low Earth Orbit. These structures act as a stepping stone for exploring our solar system while simultaneously enabling lunar resource utilization, low-energy cryopreservation, and various other applications. These habitats must be designed to withstand the extreme thermal variation of the lunar surface caused by the changing orientation with respect to the Sun and Earth. White paints and multi-layered insulation are conventionally used to minimize solar heating, yet this approach is static and results in a structure that requires internal heating to survive lunar night. An adaptive approach to control absorbed and emitted radiation allows for highly efficient daytime cooling and improved nighttime heat retention. Louvers and shutters have been employed to switch between high- and low-emissivity states; however, this approach relies on ensuring moving parts are resilient to dust contamination. Alternatively, variable emissivity materials are a solid-state solution with no moving parts. The emissivity of these materials can be switched passively based on surface temperature, or actively as a result of applied voltage. Despite their potential to reduce power consumption and increase thermal stability, variable emissivity materials have yet to be explored on the lunar surface. We first present a finite element modeling approach to predict the thermal performance of simplified habitats in realistic lunar environments. We then demonstrate the benefit of variable emissivity materials for thermal stability and lunar night survival by comparing them to traditional constant emissivity coatings. By using variable emissivity materials, we envision near-constant temperature lunar habitats with significantly reduced internal heating requirements.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.23685v1","authors":["S. Keller","S. Stewart","S. Taylor","O. Ilic"],"tags":["physics.app-ph","physics.comp-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-26T14:32:34Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2606.24028v3","name":"Micron-Scale Technosignatures: How a Cubic Metre of Lunar Regolith May Begin to Constrain the Number of Past Technological Civilisations in the Galaxy","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Building on Arkhipov's proposal that technogenic artefacts may survive natural interstellar transport and accumulate on airless Solar System bodies, we examine the prospects for identifying micron-scale engineered particulate material within the lunar regolith. We analyse the transport of micron and submicron grains through the interstellar medium, including gas drag, sputtering, and ISM phase-dependent survival, and show that refractory particles with characteristic radii of order 0.3 microns may traverse kiloparsec scales over residence times of 0.1-1 Gyr. Solar radiation pressure and heliospheric filtering define a dynamically constrained slow-arrival channel in which a small fraction of grains reach the Earth-Moon system at relative velocities compatible with survival upon impact. Combining these properties with regolith-mixing constraints yields quantitative upper limits on the cumulative undirected technomaterial output of large-scale spacefaring civilisations: a null detection in a cubic metre of regolith excludes scenarios in which Solar-type stars typically disperse more than approximately 0.09 Earth mass equivalents of long-lived artificial particulate debris over Galactic history. Deliberate targeting of the inner Solar System with artificial particulate matter defines a complementary regime characterised by the visitation frequency and deposited mass of such releases, for which the probabilities of detection may be orders of magnitude higher. We outline a multi-modal detection strategy integrating machine-vision triage with laboratory forensic techniques to identify anomalous grains within a well-characterised natural background. Particulate technosignatures thus establish an experimentally accessible form of exo-archaeology, capable of placing meaningful constraints -- and, in favourable cases, yielding direct material evidence -- of the Galaxy's technological history.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.24028v3","authors":["Lewis J. Pinault","Brian C. Lacki","Ian A. Crawford","Andrew P. V. Siemion"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-23T00:07:50Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1912.10618v2","name":"Model for Asteroid Regolith to Guide Simulant Development","source":"arxiv","abstract":"When creating asteroid regolith simulant, it is necessary to have a model of asteroid regolith to guide and to evaluate the simulant. We created a model through evaluation and synthesis of the available data sets including (1) the returned sample from Itokawa by the Hayabusa spacecraft, (2) imagery from the Hayabusa and NEAR spacecraft visiting Itokawa and Eros, respectively, (3) thermal infrared observations from asteroids, (4) the texture of meteorite regolith breccias, and (5) observations and modeling of the ejecta clouds from disrupted asteroids. Comparison of the Hayabusa returned sample with other data sets suggest the surficial material in the smooth regions of asteroids is dissimilar to the bulk regolith, probably due to removal of fines by photoionization and solar wind interaction or by preferential migration of mid-sized particles into the smooth terrain. We found deep challenges interpreting and applying the thermal infrared data so we were unable to use those observations in the model. Texture of regolith breccias do not agree with other data sets, suggesting the source regolith on Vesta was coarser than typical asteroid regolith. The observations of disrupted asteroids present a coherent picture of asteroid bulk regolith in collisional equilibrium, unlike lunar regolith, HED textures, and the Itokawa returned sample. The model we adopt consists of power laws for the bulk regolith in unspecified terrain (differential power index -3.5, representing equilibrium), and the surficial regolith in smooth terrain (differential power index -2.5, representing disequilibrium). Available data do not provide adequate constraints on maximum and minimum particle sizes for these power laws, so the model treats them as user-selectable parameters for the simulant.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1912.10618v2","authors":["Philip T. Metzger","Daniel T. Britt"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM","cond-mat.stat-mech"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-12-23T04:57:22Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1203.0209v1","name":"Observing the Earth as an exoplanet with LOUPE, the Lunar Observatory for Unresolved Polarimetry of Earth","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The detections of small, rocky exoplanets have surged in recent years and will likely continue to do so. To know whether a rocky exoplanet is habitable, we have to characterise its atmosphere and surface. A promising characterisation method for rocky exoplanets is direct detection using spectropolarimetry. This method will be based on single pixel signals, because spatially resolving exoplanets is impossible with current and near-future instruments. Well-tested retrieval algorithms are essential to interpret these single pixel signals in terms of atmospheric composition, cloud and surface coverage. Observations of Earth itself provide the obvious benchmark data for testing such algorithms. The observations should provide signals that are integrated over the Earth's disk, that capture day and night variations, and all phase angles. The Moon is a unique platform from where the Earth can be observed as an exoplanet, undisturbed, all of the time. Here, we present LOUPE, the Lunar Observatory for Unresolved Polarimetry of Earth, a small and robust spectropolarimeter to observe our Earth as an exoplanet.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1203.0209v1","authors":["T. Karalidi","D. M. Stam","F. Snik","S. Bagnulo","W. B. Sparks","C. U. Keller"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-03-01T15:05:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2103.08623v1","name":"A Lunar Farside Low Radio Frequency Array for Dark Ages 21-cm Cosmology","source":"arxiv","abstract":"An array of low-frequency dipole antennas on the lunar farside surface will probe a unique, unexplored epoch in the early Universe called the Dark Ages. It begins at Recombination when neutral hydrogen atoms formed, first revealed by the cosmic microwave background. This epoch is free of stars and astrophysics, so it is ideal to investigate high energy particle processes including dark matter, early Dark Energy, neutrinos, and cosmic strings. A NASA-funded study investigated the design of the instrument and the deployment strategy from a lander of 128 pairs of antenna dipoles across a 10 kmx10 km area on the lunar surface. The antenna nodes are tethered to the lander for central data processing, power, and data transmission to a relay satellite. The array, named FARSIDE, would provide the capability to image the entire sky in 1400 channels spanning frequencies from 100 kHz to 40 MHz, extending down two orders of magnitude below bands accessible to ground-based radio astronomy. The lunar farside can simultaneously provide isolation from terrestrial radio frequency interference, the Earth's auroral kilometric radiation, and plasma noise from the solar wind. It is thus the only location within the inner solar system from which sky noise limited observations can be carried out at sub-MHz frequencies. Through precision calibration via an orbiting beacon and exquisite foreground characterization, the farside array would measure the Dark Ages global 21-cm signal at redshifts z~35-200. It will also be a pathfinder for a larger 21-cm power spectrum instrument by carefully measuring the foreground with high dynamic range.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2103.08623v1","authors":["Jack Burns","Gregg Hallinan","Tzu-Ching Chang","Marin Anderson","Judd Bowman","Richard Bradley","Steven Furlanetto","Alex Hegedus","Justin Kasper","Jonathan Kocz","Joseph Lazio","Jim Lux","Robert MacDowall","Jordan Mirocha","Issa Nesnas","Jonathan Pober","Ronald Polidan","David Rapetti","Andres Romero-Wolf","Anže Slosar","Albert Stebbins","Lawrence Teitelbaum","Martin White"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.CO","hep-ex"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-03-15T18:05:17Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1306.0350v2","name":"Lunar Imaging and Ionospheric Calibration for the Lunar Cherenkov Technique","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Lunar Cherenkov technique is a promising method for UHE neutrino and cosmic ray detection which aims to detect nanosecond radio pulses produced during particle interactions in the Lunar regolith. For low frequency experiments, such as NuMoon, the frequency dependent dispersive effect of the ionosphere is an important experimental concern as it reduces the pulse amplitude and subsequent chances of detection. We are continuing to investigate a new method to calibrate the dispersive effect of the ionosphere on lunar Cherenkov pulses via Faraday rotation measurements of the Moon's polarised emission combined with geomagnetic field models. We also extend this work to include radio imaging of the Lunar surface, which provides information on the physical and chemical properties of the lunar surface that may affect experimental strategies for the lunar Cherenkov technique.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1306.0350v2","authors":["Rebecca McFadden","Olaf Scholten","Maaijke Mevius"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.HE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-06-03T11:02:00Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1802.03664v1","name":"The role of breccia lenses in regolith generation from the formation of small, simple craters: Application to the Apollo 15 landing site","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Impact cratering is likely a primary agent of regolith generation on airless bodies. Regolith production via impact cratering has long been a key topic of study since the Apollo era. The evolution of regolith due to impact cratering, however, is not well understood. A better formulation is needed to help quantify the formation mechanism and timescale of regolith evolution. Here, we propose an analytically derived stochastic model that describes the evolution of regolith generated by small, simple craters. We account for ejecta blanketing as well as regolith infilling of the transient crater cavity. Our results show that the regolith infilling plays a key role in producing regolith. Our model demonstrates that, because of the stochastic nature of impact cratering, the regolith thickness varies laterally, which is consistent with earlier work. We apply this analytical model to the regolith evolution at the Apollo 15 site. The regolith thickness is computed considering the observed crater size-frequency distribution of small, simple lunar craters (&lt; 381 m in radius for ejecta blanketing and &lt; 100 m in radius for the regolith infilling). Allowing for some amount of regolith coming from the outside of the area, our result is consistent with an empirical result from the Apollo 15 seismic experiment. Finally, we find that the timescale of regolith growth is longer than that of crater equilibrium, implying that even if crater equilibrium is observed on a cratered surface, it is likely the regolith thickness is still evolving due to additional impact craters.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1802.03664v1","authors":["M. Hirabayashi","B. A. Howl","C. I. Fassett","J. M. Soderblom","D. A. Minton","H. J. Melosh"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-02-10T23:17:04Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1012.2972v1","name":"Extremely high reflection of solar wind protons as neutral hydrogen atoms from regolith in space","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We report on measurements of extremely high reflection rates of solar wind particles from regolith-covered lunar surfaces. Measurements by the Sub-keV Atom Reflecting Analyzer (SARA) instrument on the Indian Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft in orbit around the Moon show that up to 20% of the impinging solar wind protons are reflected from the lunar surface back to space as neutral hydrogen atoms. This finding, generally applicable to regolith-covered atmosphereless bodies, invalidates the widely accepted assumption that regolith almost completely absorbs the impinging solar wind.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1012.2972v1","authors":["Martin Wieser","Stas Barabash","Yoshifumi Futaana","Mats Holmström","Anil Bhardwaj","R Sridharan","MB Dhanya","Peter Wurz","Audrey Schaufelberger","Kazushi Asamura"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.plasm-ph","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-12-14T09:31:31Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1505.06304v1","name":"Formation of Lunar Swirls","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper we show a plausible mechanism that could lead to the formation of the Dark Lanes in Lunar Swirls, and the electromagnetic shielding of the lunar surface that results in the preservation of the white colour of the lunar regolith. We present the results of a fully self-consistent 2 and 3 dimensional particle-in-cell simulations of mini-magnetospheres that form above the lunar surface and show that they are consistent with the formation of `lunar swirls' such as the archetypal formation Reiner Gamma. The simulations show how the microphysics of the deflection/shielding of plasma operates from a kinetic-scale cavity, and show that this interaction leads to a footprint with sharp features that could be the mechanism behind the generation of `dark lanes'. The physics of mini-magnetospheres is described and shown to be controlled by space-charge fields arising due to the magnetized electrons and unmagnetized ions. A comparison between model and observation is shown for a number of key plasma parameters.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1505.06304v1","authors":["R. A. Bamford","E. P. Alves","F. Cruz","B. J. Kellett","R. A. Fonseca","L. O Silva","R. M. G. M. Trines","J. S. Halekas","G. Kramer","E. Harnett","R. A. Cairns","R. Bingham"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-05-23T10:22:15Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1912.10622v1","name":"Measuring the Fidelity of Asteroid Regolith and Cobble Simulants","source":"arxiv","abstract":"NASA has developed a \"Figure of Merit\" method to grade the fidelity of lunar simulants for scientific and engineering purposes. Here we extend the method to grade asteroid simulants, both regolith and cobble variety, and we apply the method to the newly developed asteroid regolith and cobble simulant UCF/DSI-CI-2. The reference material that is used to evaluate this simulant for most asteroid properties is the Orgueil meteorite. Those properties are the mineralogical and elemental composition, grain density, bulk density of cobbles, magnetic susceptibility, mechanical strength of cobbles, and volatile release patterns. To evaluate the regolith simulant's particle sizing we use a reference model that was based upon the sample returned from Itokawa by Hayabusa, the boulder count on Hayabusa, and four cases of disrupted asteroids that indicate particle sizing of the subsurface material. Compared to these references, the simulant has high figures of merit, indicating it is a good choice for a wide range of scientific and engineering applications. We recommend this methodology to the wider asteroid community and in the near future will apply it to additional asteroid simulants currently under development.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1912.10622v1","authors":["Philip T. Metzger","Daniel T. Britt","Stephen Covey","Cody Schultz","Kevin M. Cannon","Kevin D. Grossman","James G. Mantovani","Robert P. Mueller"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM","cond-mat.stat-mech"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-12-23T05:17:04Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1505.02923v2","name":"The stratification of regolith on celestial objects","source":"arxiv","abstract":"All atmosphere-less planetary bodies are covered with a dust layer, the so-called regolith, which determines the optical, mechanical and thermal properties of their surface. These properties depend on the regolith material, the size distribution of the particles it consists of, and the porosity to which these particles are packed. We performed experiments in parabolic flights to determine the gravity dependency of the packing density of regolith for solid-particle sizes of 60 $μ$m and 1 mm as well as for 100-250 $μ$m-sized agglomerates of 1.5 $μ$m-sized solid grains. We utilized g-levels between 0.7 m s$^{-2}$ and 18 m s$^{-2}$ and completed our measurements with experiments under normal gravity conditions. Based on previous experimental and theoretical literature and supported by our new experiments, we developed an analytical model to calculate the regolith stratification of celestial rocky and icy bodies and estimated the mechanical yields of the regolith under the weight of an astronaut and a spacecraft resting on these objects.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1505.02923v2","authors":["Rainer Schräpler","Jürgen Blum","Ingo von Borstel","Carsten Güttler"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-05-12T09:24:22Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2011.12890v3","name":"Stick-slip dynamics in penetration experiments on simulated regolith","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The surfaces of many planetary bodies, including asteroids and small moons, are covered with dust to pebble-sized regolith held weakly to the surface by gravity and contact forces. Understanding the reaction of regolith to an external perturbation will allow for instruments, including sensors and anchoring mechanisms for use on such surfaces, to implement optimized design principles. We analyze the behavior of a flexible probe inserted into loose regolith simulant as a function of probe speed and ambient gravitational acceleration to explore the relevant dynamics. The EMPANADA experiment (Ejecta-Minimizing Protocols for Applications Needing Anchoring or Digging on Asteroids) flew on several parabolic flights. It employs a classic granular physics technique, photoelasticity, to quantify the dynamics of a flexible probe during its insertion into a system of bi-disperse, cm-sized model grains. We identify the force-chain structure throughout the system during probe insertion at a variety of speeds and for four different levels of gravity: terrestrial, martian, lunar, and microgravity. We identify discrete, stick-slip failure events that increase in frequency as a function of the gravitational acceleration. In microgravity environments, stick-slip behaviors are negligible, and we find that faster probe insertion can suppress stick-slip behaviors where they are present. We conclude that the mechanical response of regolith on rubble pile asteroids is likely quite distinct from that found on larger planetary objects, and scaling terrestrial experiments to microgravity conditions may not capture the full physical dynamics.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2011.12890v3","authors":["Jack Featherstone","Robert Bullard","Tristan Emm","Anna Jackson","Riley Reid","Sean Shefferman","Adrienne Dove","Joshua Colwell","Jonathan E. Kollmer","Karen E. Daniels"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","cond-mat.soft"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-25T17:14:50Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2003.01230v1","name":"Laboratory investigations of Lunar ice imaging in permanently shadowed regions using reflected starlight","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A proof of concept for a frost detection imager using reflected starlight is presented; the limitations of this technique are explored experimentally. An ice-covered lunar surface is simulated inside a vacuum chamber, which is then illuminated with a lamp containing UV and visible output to simulate the wavelengths of the background starfield. The simulated lunar surface is imaged with a camera utilizing a UV and visible filter pairing. At Lyman-alpha wavelengths, ice has low reflectivity, and on average appears darker than the regolith in the UV image. In visible wavelengths, this behaviour is reversed, with ice appearing brighter than regolith. UV/VIS image ratioing is subsequently performed in order to discern frost from the lunar regolith simulant in order to demonstrate the capability of this technology for locating the presence of ice on the lunar surface. When the two images are ratioed, the signal to noise ratio to distinguish ice from regolith improves by 36%. In cases where the presence of shadows and specular reflection make distinguishing ice from regolith in either a single UV or visible image difficult, ratioing the images makes the distinction clear.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2003.01230v1","authors":["Paul J. Godin","Jacob L. Kloos","Alex Seguin","John E. Moores"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-02T22:33:11Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1212.3108v1","name":"A new method to determine the grain size of planetary regolith","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Airless planetary bodies are covered by a dusty layer called regolith. The grain size of the regolith determines the temperature and the mechanical strength of the surface layers. Thus, knowledge of the grain size of planetary regolith helps to prepare future landing and/or sample-return missions. In this work, we present a method to determine the grain size of planetary regolith by using remote measurements of the thermal inertia. We found that small bodies in the Solar System (diameter less than ~100 km) are covered by relatively coarse regolith grains with typical particle sizes in the millimeter to centimeter regime, whereas large objects possess very fine regolith with grain sizes between 10 and 100 micrometer.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1212.3108v1","authors":["Bastian Gundlach","Jürgen Blum"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-12-13T10:11:48Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1808.02288v1","name":"Prospects of Probing the Radio Emission of Lunar UHECRv Events","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Radio detection of Ultra High Energetic Cosmic Rays and Neutrinos (UHECRv) which hit the Moon has been investigated in recent years. In preparation for near-future lunar science missions, we discuss technical requirements for radio experiments onboard lunar orbiters or on a lunar lander. We also develop an analysis of UHECRv aperture by including UHECv events occurring in the sub-layers of lunar regolith. It is verified that even using a single antenna onboard lunar orbiters or a few meters above the Moon's surface, dozens of lunar UHECRv events are detectable for one-year of observation at energy levels of $10^{18}$ eV to $10^{23}$ eV. Furthermore, it is shown that an antenna 3 meters above the Moon's surface could detect lower energy lunar UHECR events at the level of $10^{15}$ eV to $10^{18}$ eV which might not be detectable from lunar orbiters or ground-based observations.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1808.02288v1","authors":["Amin Aminaei","Linjie Chen","Hamid R. Pourshaghaghi","Stijn Buitink","Marc Klein-Wolt","Leon V. E. Koopmans","Heino Falcke"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.HE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-08-07T10:02:49Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1406.6874v1","name":"Simulation of Ultra-Long Wavelength interferometer in the Earth orbit and on the lunar surface","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present simulations for interferometer arrays in Earth orbit and on the lunar surface to guide the design and optimization of space-based Ultra-Long Wavelength missions, such as those of China's Chang'E program. We choose parameters and present simulations using simulated data to identify inter-dependencies and constraints on science and engineering parameters. A regolith model is created for the lunar surface array simulation, the results show that the lunar regolith will have an undesirable effect on the observation. We estimate data transmission requirement, calculate sensitivities for both cases, and discuss the trade-off between brightness temperature sensitivity and angular resolution for the Earth orbit array case.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1406.6874v1","authors":["Mo Zhang","Maohai Huang","Yihua Yan"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-06-26T13:09:05Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2602.12071v1","name":"Thermal and Dielectric Properties of Juno's Regolith at One Millimeter Wavelength","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present the modeling results of the thermal lightcurve of asteroid (3) Juno at the wavelength of $λ$ = 1.3 mm measured by the Atacama Large Millimeter-submillimeter Array. A thermophysical model together with a radiative transfer model suggest a thermal inertia of 13$\\pm$10 [J m$^{-2}$ K$^{-1}$ s$^{-0.5}$], an equivalent emissivity of 0.8$\\pm$0.1, a loss tangent of 0.4$\\pm$0.3, and an index of refraction 1.8$\\pm$0.3. Based on previous laboratory measurements, the modeled index of refraction suggests a regolith porosity of about 45%. However, thermal inertia models using the material parameters of ordinary chondrite indicate a grain size of 10s $μ$m and require a high porosity of $\\sim$90% to explain the low thermal inertia. In order to explain such a contradiction, we postulate that some repulsive mechanism might be in effect to reduce the contact of grains and therefore the thermal inertia. The loss tangent of Juno's regolith corrected for the modeled thermal skin depth is in the order of 0.5, much higher than that of the lunar regolith and indicating an electrical skin depth of L = 0.1 - 1.4 mm that is within the thermal skin depth. The shape of the rotational lightcurve of Juno in the mm wavelengths is dominated by its irregular shape, but rotational variations in the thermal and/or dielectric properties cannot be ruled out. Our results demonstrate that mm-wavelength observations of asteroids provide an extra dimension of constraints to the porosity and grain size of asteroid regolith compared to the thermal infrared observations.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.12071v1","authors":["Jian-Yang Li","Timothy N. Titus","Arielle Moullet","Henry H. Hsieh"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-12T15:31:43Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2009.05080v1","name":"Water Within a Permanently Shadowed Lunar Crater: Further LCROSS Modeling and Analysis","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The 2009 Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) impact mission detected water ice absorption using spectroscopic observations of the impact-generated debris plume taken by the Shepherding Spacecraft, confirming an existing hypothesis regarding the existence of water ice in permanently shadowed regions within Cabeus crater. Ground-based observations in support of the mission were able to further constrain the mass of the debris plume and the concentration of the water ice ejected during the impact. In this work, we explore additional constraints on the initial conditions of the pre-impact lunar sediment required in order to produce a plume model that is consistent with the ground-based observations. We match the observed debris plume lightcurve using a layer of dirty ice with an ice concentration that increases with depth, a layer of pure regolith, and a layer of material at about 6 meters below the lunar surface that would otherwise have been visible in the plume but has a high enough tensile strength to resist excavation. Among a few possible materials, a mixture of regolith and ice with a sufficiently high ice concentration could plausibly produce such a behavior. The vertical albedo profiles used in the best fit model allows us to calculate a pre-impact mass of water ice within Cabeus crater of $5 \\pm 3.0 \\times 10^{11}$ kg and a mass concentration of water in the lunar sediment of $8.2 \\pm 0.001$ %wt, assuming a water ice albedo of 0.8 and a lunar regolith density of 1.5 g cm$^{-3}$, or a mass concentration of water of $4.3 \\pm 0.01$ %wt, assuming a lunar regolith density of 3.0. These models fit to ground-based observations result in derived masses of regolith and water ice within the debris plume that are consistent with \\emph{in situ} measurements, with a model debris plume ice mass of 108 kg.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2009.05080v1","authors":["Kristen M. Luchsinger","Nancy J. Chanover","Paul D. Strycker"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-09-10T18:29:17Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2010.02215v1","name":"Lunar Exploration as a Probe of Ancient Venus","source":"arxiv","abstract":"An ancient Venusian rock could constrain that planet's history, and reveal the past existence of oceans. Such samples may persist on the Moon, which lacks an atmosphere and significant geological activity. We demonstrate that if Venus' atmosphere was at any point thin and similar to Earth's, then asteroid impacts transferred potentially detectable amounts of Venusian surface material to the Lunar regolith. Venus experiences an enhanced flux relative to Earth of asteroid collisions that eject lightly-shocked ($\\lesssim 40$ GPa) surface material. Initial launch conditions plus close-encounters and resonances with Venus evolve ejecta trajectories into Earth-crossing orbits. Using analytic models for crater ejecta and \\textit{N}-body simulations, we find more than $0.07\\%$ of the ejecta lands on the Moon. The Lunar regolith will contain up to 0.2 ppm Venusian material if Venus lost its water in the last 3.5 Gyr. If water was lost more than 4 Gyr ago, 0.3 ppm of the deep megaregolith is of Venusian origin. About half of collisions between ejecta and the Moon occur at $\\lesssim6$ km s$^{-1}$, which hydrodynamical simulations have indicated is sufficient to avoid significant shock alteration. Therefore, recovery and isotopic analyses of Venusian surface samples would determine with high confidence both whether and when Venus harbored liquid oceans and/or a lower-mass atmosphere. Tests on brecciated clasts in existing Lunar samples from Apollo missions may provide an immediate resolution. Alternatively, regolith characterization by upcoming Lunar missions may provide answers to these fundamental questions surrounding Venus' evolution.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2010.02215v1","authors":["Samuel H. C. Cabot","Gregory Laughlin"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-10-05T18:00:00Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1909.11270v1","name":"Cohesive Regolith on Fast Rotating Asteroids","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The migration of cohesive regolith on the surface of an otherwise monolithic or strong asteroid is studied using theoretical and simulation models. The theory and simulations show that under an increasing spin rate (such as due to the YORP effect), the regolith covering is preferentially lost across certain regions of the body. For regolith with little or no cohesive strength, failure occurs by landsliding from the mid latitudes of the body at high enough spin rates. As the cohesive strength of the regolith increases, failure occurs by fission of grains (or coherent chunks of grains) across a greater extent of latitudes and eventually will first occur at the equator. As the spin rate is further increased, failure regions migrate from the first failure point to higher and lower latitudes. Eventually failure will encompass the equatorial region, however there always remains a region of high latitudes (around the poles) that will not undergo failure for arbitrarily high spin rates (unless disturbed by some other phenomenon). With these results a scaling law is derived that can be used to determine whether observed asteroids could retain surface regolith grains of a given size. The implications of this for the interpretation of spectral observations of small asteroids and boulder migration on large asteroids are discussed.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1909.11270v1","authors":["Paul Sánchez","Daniel J. Scheeres"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-09-25T03:30:56Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2112.12460v1","name":"Long-term Trends of Regolith Movement on the Surface of Small Bodies","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper studies the long-term migration of disturbed regolith materials on the surface of Solar System small bodies from the viewpoint of nonlinear dynamics. We propose an approximation model for secular mass movement, which combines the complex topography and irregular gravitational field. Choosing asteroid 101955 Bennu as a representative, the global change of the dynamical environment is examined, which presents a division of the creeping-sliding-shedding regions for a spun-up asteroid. In the creeping region, the dynamical equation of disturbed regolith grains is established based on the assumption of \"trigger-slide\" motion mode. The equilibrium points, local manifolds and large-scale trajectories of the system are calculated to clarify the dynamical characteristics of long-term regolith movement. Generally, we find for a low spin rate, the surface regolith grains flow toward the middle latitudes from the polar/equatorial regions, which is dominated by the gradient of the geopotential. While spun up to a high rate, regolith grains tend to migrate toward the equator, which happens in parallel with a topological shift of the local equilibria at low latitudes. From a long-term perspective, we find the equilibrium points dominate the global trends of regolith movements. Using the methodology developed in this paper, we give a prospect or retrospect to the secular motion of regolith materials during the spin-up process, and the results reveal a significant regulatory role of the equilibria. Through a detailed look at the dynamical scheme under different spin rates, we achieve a macro forecast of the global trends of regolith motion during the spin-up process, which explains the global geologic evolution driven by the long-term movements of regolith materials.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2112.12460v1","authors":["Chenyang Huang","Yang Yu","Bin Cheng","Qingyun Wang"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","nlin.PS","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-12-23T10:59:37Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1810.01459v1","name":"Regolith behavior under asteroid-level gravity conditions: low-velocity impact experiments","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The dusty regolith covering the surfaces of asteroids and planetary satellites differs in size, shape, and composition from terrestrial soil particles and is subject to very different environmental conditions. Experimental studies of the response of planetary regolith in the relevant environmental conditions are thus necessary to facilitate future Solar System exploration activities. We combined the results and provided new data analysis elements for a series of impact experiments into simulated planetary regolith in low-gravity conditions using two experimental setups: the Physics of Regolith Impacts in Microgravity Experiment (PRIME) and the COLLisions Into Dust Experiment (COLLIDE). Results of these experimental campaigns found that there is a significant change in the regolith behavior with the gravity environment. In a 10-2g environment (Lunar g levels), only embedding of the impactor was observed and ejecta production was produced for most impacts at &gt; 20 cm/s. Once at microgravity levels (&lt;10-4g), the lowest impact energies also produced impactor rebound. In these microgravity conditions, ejecta started to be produced for impacts at &gt; 10 cm/s. The measured ejecta speeds were lower than the ones measured at reduced-gravity levels, but the ejected masses were higher. The mean ejecta velocity shows a power-law dependence on the impact energy with an index of ~0.7. When projectile rebound occurred, we observed that its coefficients of restitution on the bed of regolith simulant decrease by a factor of 10 with increasing impact speeds from ~5 cm/s up to 100 cm/s. We could also observe an increased cohesion between the JSC-1 grains compared to the quartz sand targets.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1810.01459v1","authors":["Julie Brisset","Joshua E. Colwell","Adrienne Dove","Sumayya Abukhalil","Christopher Cox","Nadia Mohammed"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-10-02T19:13:58Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2606.10273v1","name":"Locomotion analysis of a quadruped interacting with the lunar granular surface","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Deploying legged robots in extra-terrestrial environments includes many challenges due to complex terrain interactions, energy, and thermal constraints. For effective mechanical design of a lunar exploration quadrupedal robot, careful consideration of motor torques, energy expenditure, and cost of transport is required. The lunar surface is composed of granular regolith, which impacts the locomotion of legged robots and their performance. Locomotion algorithms trained with rigid contact assumptions are also ineffective when applied to environments with soft contacts, such as granular surfaces, which can result in instability and poor tracking. In this report, the physical modelling of the granular lunar surface-robot foot contacts is applied to a simulation environment with locomotion trained using Reinforcement Learning. A comparison is conducted between the policy trained on rigid contact and soft contact environments, analysing the gait and locomotion performance metrics. The analysis demonstrates that soft contacts simulating regolith surfaces pose additional challenges for Reinforcement Learning based training, result in a qualitatively different gait, and increase the overall energy expenditure.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.10273v1","authors":["Yash J Vyas"],"tags":["cs.RO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-09T00:38:35Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2309.15852v1","name":"The Sun-Earth-Moon Connection: II--Solar Wind and Lunar Surface Interaction","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In the pursuit of lunar exploration and the investigation of water presence on the lunar surface, a comprehensive understanding of plasma-surface interactions is crucial since the regolith's space weathering can create H$_2$O. However, the Moon is in the Earth's magnetotail for nearly 20\\% of its orbit, which could affect this water creation on the side facing the Earth if this condition shields it from the solar wind. The objective of this study is to understand how the passage of the Moon in the Earth's magnetotail affects the plasma delivery near the lunar surface. The Particle-In-Cell Electromagnetic (EM) Relativistic Global Model, known as IAPIC, is employed to kinetically simulate the Solar Wind-Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-Moon Coupling. The Earth's magnetotail does not prevent the influx of solar wind ions and ionospheric ions into the solar environment; therefore the space weathering of the regolith is not stopped in these conditions. In addition, the charge separation of solar wind ions and electrons happens is modeled, leading to electric fields and charging of the lunar surface that can be validated by observations. The study of the Sun-Earth-Moon system provides insight into the lunar environment while in the magnetotail, which is essential to better interpret the results of future Lunar missions. It also provides insights in the Lunar charging in different conditions that could affect the human presence on the Moon.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.15852v1","authors":["Suleiman Baraka","Sona Hosseini","Guillaume Gronoff","Lotfi Ben-Jaffel","Robert Ranking"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-08-09T00:53:41Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2306.04727v1","name":"Lunar Cold Trap Contamination by Landing Vehicles","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Tools have been developed to model and simulate the effects of lunar landing vehicles on the lunar environment, mostly addressing the effects of regolith erosion by rocket plumes and the fate of the ejected lunar soil particles. The KSC Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations Lab tools have now been expanded to address volatile contamination of the lunar surface (Stern, 1999). Landing nearby such a crater will result in the migration of significant exhaust plume gas into the cold trap of the crater, and will also create an unnatural atmosphere over the volatile reservoirs that are to be studied. Our calculations address: 1) the time for the plume-induced local atmosphere above cold traps to decay to normal levels, 2) the efficiency of gas migration into a permanently shadowed crater when the landing is outside it but nearby, and 3) reduction on contamination afforded by moving the landing site further from the crater or by topographically shielding the crater from the direct flux of a lander's ground jet. We also address plume volatiles adsorbed onto and driven inside soil ejecta particles from their residence in the high pressure stagnation region of the engine exhaust plume, and how their mechanical dispersal across the lunar surface contributes to the induced atmosphere. One additional question is whether the collection of soil ejecta along the base of a topographic feature will produce a measurable plume volatile release distinct from the background. We mostly address item 2). Item 3) is obvious from our results excepting that the removal distances may be large, but changes to landing strategy can improve the situation.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.04727v1","authors":["Scott T. Shipley","John E. Lane","Philip T. Metzger"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM","physics.flu-dyn","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-06-07T18:44:40Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2301.11830v1","name":"Detection of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays and Neutrinos with Lunar Orbital Radio Telescope","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Particle cascades induced by ultra-high-energy (UHE) cosmic rays and neutrinos impacting on the lunar regolith usually radiate Cherenkov radio emissions due to the presence of excess negative charge, which is known as Askaryan effect. Several experiments have been carried out to detect the Cherenkov radio emissions in the lunar regolith. To prepare for future lunar Ultra-Long Wavelength (ULW, frequencies below 30 MHz) radio astronomy missions, we study the detection of the Cherenkov radio emissions with the ULW radio telescope that are operating at the lunar orbit. We have carried out instrument modelling and analytic calculations for the analysis of aperture, flux and event rate, and the analyses show the detectability of the Cherenkov radiation. Based on the properties of the Cherenkov radiation, we have demonstrated that the cosmic ray and neutrino events could be reconstructed with the three ULW vector antennas onboard the lunar satellites via measurements of the Askaryan radio pulse intensity, polarizations, etc. The results obtained by this study would be useful for future lunar radio explorer mission, where the detections of UHE cosmic rays and neutrinos could be successfully attempted.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2301.11830v1","authors":["Linjie Chen","Marc Klein Wolt","Amin Aminaei","Stijn Buitink","Heino Falcke"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.HE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-27T16:31:41Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2602.22194v1","name":"Electrical coupling of a horizontal dipole antenna to a dielectric half-space: applications to radio astronomy from the lunar surface","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The far side of the Moon, shielded from terrestrial radio frequency interference and beyond the influence of Earth's ionosphere, should offer a uniquely quiet environment for radio astronomy and cosmological experiments. The radio sky below 30 MHz is largely unexplored and is thought to contain spectral signatures of new physics in the early, high-redshift Universe. Achieving precision measurements in this band requires accurate understanding of antenna performance and systematics. For upcoming lunar surface radio astronomy missions, this modeling will be challenging because antennas will deploy at heights that are only a small fraction of a wavelength above the lunar regolith, where strong coupling between the antenna and the surface can significantly alter impedance, radiation patterns, and efficiency. The challenge is compounded by the layered dielectric structure of the regolith and the tendency for permittivity to increase with depth, both of which are difficult to represent faithfully in numerical simulations. In this work, we review theoretical predictions for the behavior of a simple horizontal dipole above a dielectric half-space, representing the lunar regolith, and compare them with simulation results obtained using the Ansys HFSS integral equation solver. We quantify how the antenna impedance and beam pattern couple to the sky for a representative lunar surface radio astronomy experiment. The results show that surface induced effects decrease rapidly, even for modest increases in antenna height above the regolith. Conversely, a dipole antenna placed on or very near the lunar surface will exhibit complex spectral response that renders systematics control very difficult without detailed information on regolith properties.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.22194v1","authors":["Kaja M. Rotermund","Aritoki Suzuki","Stuart D. Bale","Anže Slosar"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-25T18:43:03Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1708.08038v1","name":"Experimental study on compression property of regolith analogues","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The compression property of regolith reflects the strength and porosity of the regolith layer on small bodies and their variations in the layer that largely influence the collisional and thermal evolution of the bodies. We conducted compression experiments and investigated the relationship between the porosity and the compression using fluffy granular samples. We focused on a low-pressure and high-porosity regime. We used tens of μm-sized irregular and spherical powders as analogs of porous regolith. The initial porosity of the samples ranged from 0.80 to 0.53. The uniaxial pressure applied to the samples lays in the range from 30 to 4x10^5 Pa. The porosity of the samples remained at their initial values below a threshold pressure and then decreased when the pressure exceeded the threshold. We defined this uniaxial pressure at the threshold as \"yield strength\". The yield strength increased as the initial porosity of a sample decreased. The yield strengths of samples consisting of irregular particles did not significantly depend on their size distributions when the samples had the same initial porosity. We compared the results of our experiments with a previously proposed theoretical model. We calculated the average interparticle force acting on contact points of constituent particles under the uniaxial pressure of yield strength using the theoretical model and compared it with theoretically estimated forces required to roll or slide the particles. The calculated interparticle force was larger than the rolling friction force and smaller than the sliding friction force. The yield strength of regolith may be constrained by these forces. Our results may be useful for planetary scientists to estimate the depth above which the porosity of a regolith layer is almost equal to that of the regolith surface and to interpret the compression property of an asteroid surface obtained by a lander.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1708.08038v1","authors":["Tomomi Omura","Akiko M. Nakamura"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-08-27T02:05:06Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2306.01078v1","name":"Rocket Cratering in Simulated Lunar and Martian Environments","source":"arxiv","abstract":"With NASA's planned return to the moon and possibly with lunar outposts being formed, repeated landings at the same site will be necessary. Understanding rocket plume interaction with lunar and Martian surfaces is of paramount importance in order to safely land and protect hardware surrounding the landing site. This work will report on results of three small experiments intended to explore plume impingement onto lunar and Martian surfaces: Handheld Observation of Scour Holes (HOOSH), Handheld Angle of Repose Measurements of Lunar Simulants (HARMLuS), and Mars Architecture Team study (MATS). The first two experiments were performed during two sorties of reduced gravity flights. HOOSH was designed to investigate crater formation as a function of gravitational level (lunar and Martian gravity). HARMLuS was designed to measure the Angle of Failure (related to the angle of repose) at lunar and Martian gravity. Both experiments have complex findings indicative of the hysteretic behavior of granular materials, especially resulting from reduced gravity. The MATS experiment was designed to investigate the effects of regolith compaction on the granular mechanics of crater formation. In general, the granular mechanics is a much stronger function of compaction than gravitation acceleration. Crater formation is greatly enhanced at reduced gravity (resulting in much larger craters). The angle of failure of the lunar simulants increases with decreasing gravitational acceleration, and occasionally becomes infinite for some compactions at lunar gravity. The angle of failure also increases with increasing compaction. While compaction does play a role in the time development of crater formation, the asymptotic behavior is largely unaffected.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.01078v1","authors":["Christopher Immer","Philip Metzger"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM","physics.flu-dyn","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-06-01T18:33:48Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2605.27048v1","name":"The Physical Nature of Regolith on Icy Moons","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Estimating surface properties such as porosity and grain sizes is key for planning lander missions and landing site selection on icy moons. However, spaceborne instruments do not measure the regolith properties directly: instead, they record proxy measurements such as thermal flux, which are then interpreted through modeling to estimate thermal inertia, porosity, grain size, etc. A striking conclusion from all thermal measurements that probed the uppermost surface (first millimeters) of icy moons is they all show an exceptionally low thermal inertia, ranging from 9 to 20 J.m-2.K-1.s-0.5. This value is orders of magnitude lower than that of bulk hexagonal water ice (2000 J.m-2.K-1.s-0.5) at these temperatures. We demonstrate that a regolith thermally dominated by hexagonal water ice may only achieve such thermal inertia through a combination of extremely high porosity (&gt;80%), small grain radii (&lt;1 mm), and an unconsolidated regolith (minimal contact area between grains), consistent with previous photometry and spectroscopy studies. For the Galilean moons, deeper thermal observations (&gt;1 cm) have revealed higher thermal inertia (&gt;~50 J.m-2.K-1.s-0.5), indicating that the regolith compacts over centimeter scales. Since gravity has no effect on compaction on such scale, we propose three formation scenarios to account for vertical layering: deposition cover, degradation by impactors, and temperature gradient metamorphism. We discuss how monodisperse grains can reach such extreme porosities and provide examples of experimental analogs that could best represent the regolith. We propose that high porosity regolith are favored on icy moons due to the adhesive nature of water ice and their low-gravity environment.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.27048v1","authors":["Cyril Mergny","Thomas Cornet","Alice Le Gall","Guillaume Cruz-Mermy","Lucas Lange","Tina Rückriemen-Bez","Bastian Gundlach","Paula Heitmann","Moritz Goldmann","Paul O. Hayne","Apurva Oza"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-26T14:02:01Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2306.03164v1","name":"Modeling the Thermal Extraction of Water Ice from Regolith","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Modeling has been developed to support the development of volatile extraction technologies for the Moon, Mars, asteroids, or other bodies. This type of modeling capability is important to avoid the high cost of multiple test campaigns in simulated lunar conditions as the hardware design is iterated. The modeling uses the Crank-Nicholson algorithm applied in a two dimensional (2D) axisymmetric (extendable to 3D) finite difference formalism. It uses soil thermal parameters developed from Apollo soil measurements with adaptations for asteroid regolith. Simulations show that it successfully replicates thermal measurements on the surfaces of asteroids and the Moon and helps interpret those measurements to provide insight into the subsurface properties of those bodies. The 2D simulations have provided insight into the cooling of a lunar drill bit and provide a method to determine the original subsurface temperature despite the presence of the warm bit.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.03164v1","authors":["Philip Metzger"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-06-05T18:20:02Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2602.16567v1","name":"Scattering and sputtering on the lunar surface; Insights from negative ions observed at the surface","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Context. Airless planetary bodies are directly exposed to solar wind ions, which can scatter or become implanted upon impact with the regolith-covered surface, while also sputtering surface atoms. Aims. We construct a semi-analytical model for the scattering of ions of hundreds of eV and the sputtering of surface atoms, both resulting in the emission of negative ions from the lunar surface. Our model contains a novel description of the scattering process that is physics-based and constrained by observations. Methods. We use data from the Negative Ions at the Lunar Surface (NILS) instrument on the Chang'e-6 lander to update prior knowledge of ion scattering and sputtering from lunar regolith through Bayesian inference. Results. Our model shows good agreement with the NILS data. A precipitating solar wind proton has roughly a 22% chance of scattering from the lunar surface in any charge state, and about an 8% chance of sputtering a surface hydrogen atom. The resulting ratio of scattered to sputtered hydrogen flux is eta_sc / eta_sp = 1.5 for a proton speed of 300 km/s. We find a high probability (7-20%) that a hydrogen atom leaves the surface negatively charged. The angular emission distributions at near-grazing angles for both scattered and sputtered fluxes are controlled by surface roughness. Our model also indicates significant inelastic energy losses for hydrogen interacting with the regolith, suggesting a longer effective path length than previously assumed. Finally, we estimate a surface binding energy of 5.5 eV, consistent with the observations. Conclusions. Our model describes the scattering and sputtering of particles of any charge state from any homogeneous, multi-species surface. Using NILS data, we successfully applied the model to update our understanding of solar wind interacting with lunar regolith, and the emission of negative hydrogen ions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.16567v1","authors":["Romain Canu-Blot","Martin Wieser","Umberto Rollero","Thomas Maynadié","Stas Barabash","Gabriella Stenberg Wieser","Aibing Zhang","Wenjing Wang","Chi Wang"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","physics.atom-ph","physics.ins-det","stat.AP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-18T16:09:02Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1306.0348v1","name":"Ionospheric propagation effects for UHE neutrino detection with the lunar Cherenkov technique","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Lunar Cherenkov experiments aim to detect nanosecond pulses of Cherenkov emission produced during UHE cosmic ray or neutrino interactions in the lunar regolith. Pulses from these interactions are dispersed, and therefore reduced in amplitude, during propagation through the Earth's ionosphere. Pulse dispersion must therefore be corrected to maximise the received signal to noise ratio and subsequent chances of detection. The pulse dispersion characteristic may also provide a powerful signature to determine the lunar origin of a pulse and discriminate against pulses of terrestrial radio frequency interference (RFI). This characteristic is parameterised by the instantaneous Total Electron Content (TEC) of the ionosphere and therefore an accurate knowledge of the ionospheric TEC provides an experimental advantage for the detection and identification of lunar Cherenkov pulses. We present a new method to calibrate the dispersive effect of the ionosphere on lunar Cherenkov pulses using lunar Faraday rotation measurements combined with geomagnetic field models.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1306.0348v1","authors":["Rebecca McFadden","Ron Ekers","Justin Bray"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.HE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-06-03T10:51:59Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2605.11283v1","name":"Black Hole Binary Detection Landscape for the Laser Interferometer Lunar Antenna (LILA): Signal-to-Noise Calculations &amp; Science Cases","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Laser Interferometer Lunar Antenna (LILA) is a proposed gravitational-wave project aiming to take full advantage of the Moon's environment to access the deci-Hz band and detect intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH) binaries of mass $\\sim 10^2-10^6 \\, M_{\\odot}$ (arXiv:2508.11631). With an observational period of 4 years, LILA can extend its IMBH detection horizon to the very early Universe, directly probing the first population of massive black holes ($z \\sim 20-30$). LILA could also detect intermediate-mass-ratio inspiral systems with a total mass of $\\sim 10^4 - 10^6 \\, M_{\\odot}$ and a mass ratio of $\\sim 10^{-4} - 10^{-2}$. LILA can discover IMBH binaries months to years before merger with measurable eccentricity residuals retained from their formation, providing crucial early warning for multi-messenger and multi-band follow-up. The high SNR ($\\gtrsim 100$) events detectable with LILA would enable strong-field tests of gravity. With these capabilities, LILA will provide important insights into the formation and evolution of massive black holes, as well as the astrophysical environments and evolutionary pathways of black hole binaries. LILA will also complement current LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA detections of pair-instability mass gap events, hierarchical merger candidates, and light IMBH mergers, while expanding the upper envelope of discovered black holes with stellar origin to masses of $\\gtrsim 250 \\, M_{\\odot}$.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.11283v1","authors":["Tintin Nguyen","Anjali Yelikar","Ryan Nowicki","Karan Jani","Angelo Ricarte"],"tags":["astro-ph.HE","gr-qc"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-11T22:09:59Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2209.05831v1","name":"Primary and albedo protons detected by the Lunar Lander Neutron and Dosimetry (LND) experiment on the lunar farside","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Lunar Lander Neutron and Dosimetry (LND) Experiment aboard the Chang$'$E-4 Lander on the lunar-far side measures energetic charged and neutral particles and monitors the corresponding radiation levels. During solar quiet times, galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) are the dominating component of charged particles on the lunar surface. Moreover, the interaction of GCRs with the lunar regolith also results in upward directed albedo protons which are measured by the LND. In this work, we used calibrated LND data to study the GCR primary and albedo protons. We calculate the averaged GCR proton spectrum in the range of 9 368 MeV and the averaged albedo proton flux between 64.7 and 76.7 MeV from June 2019 (the 7th lunar day after Chang$'$E-4$'$s landing) to July 2020 (the 20th lunar day). We compare the primary proton measurements of LND with the Electron Proton Helium INstrument (EPHIN) on SOHO. The comparison shows a reasonable agreement of the GCR proton spectra among different instruments and illustrates the capability of LND. Likewise, the albedo proton measurements of LND are also comparable with measurements by the Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER) during solar minimum. Our measurements confirm predictions from the Radiation Environment and Dose at the Moon (REDMoon) model. Finally, we provide the ratio of albedo protons to primary protons for measurements in the energy range of 64.7-76.7 MeV which confirms simulations over a broader energy range.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2209.05831v1","authors":["Zigong Xu","Jingnan Guo","Robert F. Wimmer-Schweingruber","Mikhail I. Dobynde","Partick Kühl","Salman Khaksarighiri","Shenyi Zhang"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-09-13T09:09:06Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.12386v2","name":"Prospecting for lunar Helium-3 with a radio-frequency atomic magnetometer","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Mining $^3{\\rm He}$ from lunar regolith has attracted significant interest in recent years due to the scarcity of $^3{\\rm He}$ on Earth and its diverse applications, from cryogenics and medical imaging, to nuclear physics and future nuclear fusion. Given the stringent technical and economic challenges of mining lunar $^3{\\rm He}$, precise prospecting is essential. Here we propose a prospecting methodology based on a radio-frequency atomic magnetometer, which can detect the dipolar magnetic field of thermally polarized $^3{\\rm He}$ spins. With a 200 g regolith sample and an rf-magnetometer with sensitivity $1~{\\rm fT/\\sqrt{Hz}}$ we can detect $^3{\\rm He}$ with abundance 5 ppb within a measurement time of just 5 min. The associated apparatus is lightweight and significantly more cost-effective than alternative measurement techniques. The proposed prospecting method is readily deployable and could substantially improve the technical and economic feasibility of mining lunar $^3{\\rm He}$.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.12386v2","authors":["I. K. Kominis","C. Kosmas"],"tags":["physics.atom-ph","physics.app-ph","physics.ins-det","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-14T07:48:09Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2511.08503v2","name":"Lunar Dust: Formation, Microphysics, and Transport","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Lunar dust -- the sub-millimeter fraction of the regolith -- controls the optical, thermophysical, electrical, mechanical, and environmental behavior of the Moon's surface. These properties set the performance envelopes of remote-sensing retrievals, regolith geotechnics, volatile cycles, and exploration systems, while also posing operational and biomedical risks. We synthesize Apollo sample analyses and in-situ observations (Surveyor, Lunokhod, Apollo) with contemporary datasets from the LRO Diviner Lunar Radiometer, the LADEE/LDEX exospheric dust measurements, and Chang'e-4 Lunar Penetrating Radar (LPR). We also incorporate 2024-2025 results: Chandrayaan-3 ChaSTE thermophysics at the Vikram lander's site, SCALPSS plume-surface diagnostics from Intuitive Machines Mission 1 (IM-1), and Negative Ions at the Lunar Surface (NILS) detections of a dayside near-surface H$^{-}$ population on Chang'e-6. The review links (i) production and modification processes to (ii) grain-scale physical/chemical/electrical/optical/mechanical properties, then to (iii) mobilization pathways (meteoroid ejecta, electrostatic hopping, rocket-plume entrainment), and finally to (iv) region-specific design ranges across maria, highlands, pyroclastic units, magnetic swirls, and permanently shadowed regions (PSRs). We quantify temperature-illumination dependence across day/night and PSR-equator regimes through a two-channel $k(T,ρ)$ model and charge-relaxation scaling. We provide closed-form expressions for adhesion-aware lift thresholds and for near-surface (0-3~m) dust transport at apex/hover heights as functions of sheath structure. The result is a design-ready set of relations, figures, and tables that propagate microphysics and composition into engineering parameters for upcoming landed and rover operations.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.08503v2","authors":["Slava G. Turyshev"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-11T17:36:21Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1705.00893v1","name":"Numerical Simulations of Regolith Sampling Processes","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present recent improvements in the simulation of regolith sampling processes in microgravity using the numerical particle method smooth particle hydrodynamics (SPH). We use an elastic-plastic soil constitutive model for large deformation and failure flows for dynamical behaviour of regolith. In the context of projected small body (asteroid or small moons) sample return missions, we investigate the efficiency and feasibility of a particular material sampling method: Brushes sweep material from the asteroid's surface into a collecting tray. We analyze the influence of different material parameters of regolith such as cohesion and angle of internal friction on the sampling rate. Furthermore, we study the sampling process in two environments by varying the surface gravity (Earth's and Phobos') and we apply different rotation rates for the brushes. We find good agreement of our sampling simulations on Earth with experiments and provide estimations for the influence of the material properties on the collecting rate.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1705.00893v1","authors":["Christoph M. Schäfer","Samuel Scherrer","Robert Buchwald","Thomas I. Maindl","Roland Speith","Wilhelm Kley"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-05-02T10:34:39Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2311.01697v2","name":"CraterGrader: Autonomous Robotic Terrain Manipulation for Lunar Site Preparation and Earthmoving","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Establishing lunar infrastructure is paramount to long-term habitation on the Moon. To meet the demand for future lunar infrastructure development, we present CraterGrader, a novel system for autonomous robotic earthmoving tasks within lunar constraints. In contrast to the current approaches to construction autonomy, CraterGrader uses online perception for dynamic mapping of deformable terrain, devises an energy-efficient material movement plan using an optimization-based transport planner, precisely localizes without GPS, and uses integrated drive and tool control to manipulate regolith with unknown and non-constant geotechnical parameters. We demonstrate CraterGrader's ability to achieve unprecedented performance in autonomous smoothing and grading within a lunar-like environment, showing that this framework is capable, robust, and a benchmark for future planetary site preparation robotics.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.01697v2","authors":["Ryan Lee","Benjamin Younes","Alexander Pletta","John Harrington","Russell Q. Wong","William \"Red\" Whittaker"],"tags":["cs.RO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-03T04:02:02Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1503.01893v1","name":"Micro-meteoroid seismic uplift and regolith concentration on kilometric scale asteroids","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Seismic shaking is an attractive mechanism to explain the destabilisation of regolith slopes and the regolith migration found on the surfaces of asteroids (Richardson et al. 2004; Miyamoto et al. 2007). Here, we use a continuum mechanics method to simulate the seismic wave propagation in an asteroid. Assuming that asteroids can be described by a cohesive core surrounded by a thin non-cohesive regolith layer, our numerical simulations of vibrations induced by micro-meteoroids suggest that the surface peak ground accelerations induced by micro-meteoroid impacts may have been previously under-estimated. Our lower bound estimate of vertical accelerations induced by seismic waves is about 50 times larger than previous estimates. It suggests that impact events triggering seismic activity are more frequent than previously assumed for asteroids in the kilometric and sub-kilometric size range. The regolith lofting is also estimated by a first order ballistic approximation. Vertical displacements are small, but lofting times are long compared to the duration of the seismic signals. The regolith movement has a non-linear dependence on the distance to the impact source which is induced by the type of seismic wave generating the first movement. The implications of regolith concentration in lows of surface acceleration potential are also discussed. We suggest that the resulting surface thermal inertia variations of small fast rotators may induce an increased sensitivity of these objects to the Yarkovsky effect.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1503.01893v1","authors":["Raphael F. Garcia","Naomi Murdoch","David Mimoun"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-03-06T09:53:58Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1306.1622v2","name":"The Strength of Regolith and Rubble Pile Asteroids","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We explore the hypothesis that, due to small van der Waals forces between constituent grains, small rubble pile asteroids have a small but non-zero cohesive strength. The nature of this model predicts that the cohesive strength should be constant independent of asteroid size, which creates a scale dependence with relative strength increasing as size decreases. This model counters classical theory that rubble pile asteroids should behave as scale-independent cohesionless collections of rocks. We explore a simple model for asteroid strength that is based on these weak forces, validate it through granular mechanics simulations and comparisons with properties of lunar regolith, and then explore its implications and ability to explain and predict observed properties of small asteroids in the NEA and Main Belt populations, and in particular of asteroid 2008 TC3. One conclusion is that the population of rapidly rotating asteroids could consist of both distributions of smaller grains (i.e., rubble piles) and of monolithic boulders.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1306.1622v2","authors":["Paul Sanchez","Daniel J. Scheeres"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-06-07T05:46:33Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2109.02201v1","name":"Mineral Processing and Metal Extraction on the Lunar Surface -- Challenges and Opportunities","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The lunar surface is extremely harsh and current mineral processing and metal extraction technologies are not adequately equipped to address this environment. In this paper we review the metals available for extraction and conditions at the lunar surface, and analyse the challenges associated with comminution, beneficiation, and metal extraction operations. The potential beneficial effects of the natural lunar conditions are also evaluated. This investigation concludes that process plant design on the lunar surface will favour lightweight, schematically simple flow sheets that enable automation, and that utilise the local environment wherever possible. The elimination of traditional comminution and beneficiation stages and their replacement with basic classification could be economically favourable. The most promising metal reduction pathways are identified as molten regolith electrolysis, and vacuum thermal dissociation, other processes with merit are hydrogen reduction, carbothermal reduction, and solid electrolysis. Finally, it is identified that a significant research effort in all areas of astrometallurgy will be required before industrial-sized extra-terrestrial mineral processing and metal extraction operations will be viable.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2109.02201v1","authors":["Matthew G. Shaw","Matthew S. Humbert","Geoffrey A. Brooks","Akbar Rhamdhani","Alan R. Duffy","Mark I. Pownceby"],"tags":["physics.app-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-09-06T01:06:25Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2502.13679v1","name":"Logistics Analysis for Lunar Post-Mission Disposal","source":"arxiv","abstract":"As human activities on the Moon expand through initiatives like NASA's Artemis program, the need for sustainable post-mission disposal strategies becomes critical to maintaining the lunar environment. This paper analyzes the logistics and environmental implications of waste products generated by In-Situ Resource Utilization technologies employed in oxygen production on the Moon. The study examines the inputs, generation of products, and the resulting byproducts from Molten Regolith Electrolysis, Soil/Water Extraction, and Direct Water Electrolysis systems. These technologies yield varied byproducts, including slag, metals and volatiles, each presenting unique challenges for disposal and recycling. The analysis assesses the economic and ecological impacts of In-Situ Resource Utilization activities on lunar operations using a multi-commodity flow model adapted from cislunar logistics frameworks. The results inform that ISRU-enabled missions achieve a significant threefold cost reduction. However, the management of byproducts remains a critical challenge, demanding innovative solutions to address their impact and support scalable and sustainable lunar exploration.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.13679v1","authors":["Evangelia Gkaravela","Hao Chen"],"tags":["math.OC","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-19T12:45:48Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1905.03882v1","name":"Predicted Diurnal Variation of the Deuterium to Hydrogen Ratio in Water at the Surface of Mars Caused by Mass Exchange with the Regolith","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Regolith on Mars exchanges water with the atmosphere on a diurnal basis and this process causes significant variation in the abundance of water vapor at the surface. While previous studies of regolith-atmosphere exchange focus on the abundance, recent in-situ experiments and remote sensing observations measure the isotopic composition of the atmospheric water. We are therefore motivated to investigate isotopic water exchange between the atmosphere and the regolith and determine its effect on the deuterium to hydrogen ratio (D/H) of the atmosphere. We model transport of water in the regolith and regolith-atmosphere exchange by solving a transport equation including regolith adsorption, condensation, and diffusion. The model calculates equilibrium fractionation between HDO and H2O in each of these processes. The fractionation in adsorption is caused by the difference in the latent heat of adsorption, and that of condensation is caused by the difference in the vapor pressure. Together with a simple, bulk-aerodynamic boundary layer model, we simulate the diurnal variation of the D/H near the planetary surface. We find that the D/H can vary by 300 - 1400 per mil diurnally in the equatorial and mid-latitude locations, and the magnitude is greater at a colder location or season. The variability is mainly driven by adsorption and desorption of regolith particles, and its diurnal trend features a drop in the early morning, a rise to the peak value during the daytime, and a second drop in the late afternoon and evening, tracing the water vapor flow into and out from the regolith. The predicted D/H variation can be tested with in-situ measurements. As such, our calculations suggest stable isotope analysis to be a powerful tool in pinpointing regolith-atmosphere exchange of water on Mars.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1905.03882v1","authors":["Renyu Hu"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-05-09T22:42:34Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2210.03434v1","name":"Optical Polarimetry of the May 2022 Lunar Eclipse","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The sunlight reflected from the Moon during a total lunar eclipse has been transmitted through the Earth's atmosphere on the way to the Moon. The combination of multiple scattering and inhomogeneous atmospheric characteristics during that transmission can potentially polarize that light. A similar (although much smaller) effect should also be observable from the atmosphere of a transiting exoplanet. We present the results of polarization observations during the first 15 minutes of totality of the lunar eclipse of 2022 May 16. We find degrees of polarization of 2.1 +/- 0.4 per cent in B, 1.2 +/- 0.3 per cent in V, 0.5 +/- 0.2 per cent in R and 0.2 +/- 0.2 per cent in I. Our polarization values lie in the middle of the range of those reported for previous eclipses, providing further evidence that the induced polarization can change from event to event. We found no significant polarization difference (&lt;0.02 per cent) between a region of dark Mare and nearby bright uplands or between the lunar limb and regions closer to the disk centre due to the different angle of incidence. This further strengthens the interpretation of the polarization's origin being due to scattering in the Earth's atmosphere rather than by the lunar regolith.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2210.03434v1","authors":["Iain A Steele","Klaas Wiersema","Callum McCall","Andrew Newsam","Manisha Shrestha"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-07T10:04:12Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1401.6559v1","name":"Lunar eclipse induces disturbance in the lunar exosphere","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Given the renewed scientific interest in lunar exploration missions, complete understanding of lunar near surface environment and its exosphere under different conditions is of paramount importance. Lunar exosphere has been extensively studied by ground based observations [18,19,20,21,22,23] and hypothesized by different models[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13]. In present work, we have discussed overlooked possible sources behind changes in the lunar exosphere when the Moon passes through the penumbra and umbra of the Earth during a lunar eclipse. The dusty turbulent environment due to planetary shadow is not only confined to lunar studies and exploration, but it can also be extended to all terrestrial airless bodies in the universe with a dusty surface e.g. some planets, planetary satellites, asteroids etc.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1401.6559v1","authors":["Anil Raghav","Ankush Bhaskar","Virendra Yadav","Nitinkumar Bijewar","Chintamani Pai","Vaibhav Rawoot"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-01-25T17:24:04Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1204.3574v2","name":"Year 3 LUNAR Annual Report to the NASA Lunar Science Institute","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Lunar University Network for Astrophysics Research (LUNAR) is a team of researchers and students at leading universities, NASA centers, and federal research laboratories undertaking investigations aimed at using the Moon as a platform for space science. LUNAR research includes Lunar Interior Physics &amp; Gravitation using Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR), Low Frequency Cosmology and Astrophysics (LFCA), Planetary Science and the Lunar Ionosphere, Radio Heliophysics, and Exploration Science. The LUNAR team is exploring technologies that are likely to have a dual purpose, serving both exploration and science. There is a certain degree of commonality in much of LUNAR's research. Specifically, the technology development for a lunar radio telescope involves elements from LFCA, Heliophysics, Exploration Science, and Planetary Science; similarly the drilling technology developed for LLR applies broadly to both Exploration and Lunar Science.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1204.3574v2","authors":["Jack Burns","Joseph Lazio"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-03-04T07:45:28Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1612.00329v1","name":"Sensitivity of lunar particle-detection experiments","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The use of the Moon as a detector volume for ultra-high-energy neutrinos and cosmic rays, by searching for the Askaryan radio pulse produced when they interact in the lunar regolith, has been attempted by a range of projects over the past two decades. In this contribution, I discuss some of the technical considerations relevant to these experiments, and their consequent sensitivity to ultra-high-energy particles. I also discuss some possible future experiments, and highlight their potential.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1612.00329v1","authors":["Justin D. Bray"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.HE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-12-01T16:08:42Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.13982v1","name":"Diffraction and Scattering Modeling for Laser Power Beaming in Lunar Environment","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Reliable energy delivery is a critical requirement for long-term lunar missions, particularly in regions with limited solar access, such as polar craters and during extended lunar nights. Optical Power Beaming (OPB) using high-power lasers offers a promising alternative to conventional solar power, but the effects of suspended lunar dust on beam propagation remain poorly understood. This study introduces a detailed simulation model that incorporates both diffraction and height-dependent scattering by the electrostatically suspended lunar regolith. Un like prior approaches, which assumed uniform dust layers or center-to-center transmission loss, our model uses generalized diffraction theory and refractive index gradients derived from particle density to assess beam deformation and attenuation. The results show that even in ground-to-ground scenarios, lunar dust significantly degrades energy transfer efficiency, dropping from 57% to 3.7% over 50 km in dust-free vs. dusty conditions with 175 nm particles. Increasing the particle size to 250 nm limits the viable transmission range to below 30 km at 6% efficiency. The study further demonstrates that raising the laser source height can improve efficiency, achieving 91% for a distance of 5 km and 25% at 50 km when the source is positioned 12 m above ground. These findings underscore the importance of system elevation and dust modeling in lunar OPB design and reveal the mission-critical role of particle size distribution, especially in environments disturbed by human activity.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.13982v1","authors":["Yanni Jiwan-Mercier","Barış Dönmez","Güneş Karabulut-Kurt","Sébastien Loranger"],"tags":["eess.SY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-18T14:45:16Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2408.04936v2","name":"Hybrid lunar ISRU plant: a comparative analysis with carbothermal reduction and water extraction","source":"arxiv","abstract":"To establish a self-sustained human presence in space and to explore deeper into the solar system, extensive research has been conducted on In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) systems. Past studies have proposed and researched many technologies to produce oxygen from regolith, such as carbothermal reduction and water extraction from icy regolith, to utilize it for astronauts' life support and as the propellant of space systems. However, determining the most promising technology remains challenging due to uncertainties in the lunar environment and processing methods. To better understand the lunar environment and ISRU operations, it is crucial to gather more information. Motivated by this need for information gathering, this paper proposes a new ISRU plant architecture integrating carbothermal reduction of dry regolith and water extraction from icy regolith. Two different hybrid plant architectures integrating both technologies (1) in parallel and (2) in series are examined. The former involves mining and processing in both a Permanently Shadowed Region (PSR) and a peak of eternal light in parallel, while the latter solely mines in a PSR. In this series hybrid architecture, the dry regolith tailings from water extraction are further processed by carbothermal reduction. This paper conducts a comparative analysis of the landed mass and required power of each plant architecture utilizing subsystem-level models. Furthermore, based on uncertain parameters such as resource content in regolith, the potential performance range of each plant was discovered through Monte Carlo simulations. The result indicates the benefit of the series hybrid architecture in terms of regolith excavation rate, while its mass cost seems the highest among the studied architectures.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.04936v2","authors":["Kosuke Ikeya","Francisco J. Guerrero-Gonzalez","Luca Kiewiet","Michel-Alexandre Cardin","Jan Cilliers","Stanley Starr","Kathryn Hadler"],"tags":["physics.chem-ph","eess.SY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-09T08:37:22Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1508.06485v2","name":"Timescale of asteroid resurfacing by regolith convection resulting from the impact-induced global seismic shaking","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A model for the asteroid resurfacing by regolith convection is built to estimate its timescale. In the model, regolith convection is driven by the impact-induced global seismic shaking. The model consists of three steps: (i) intermittent impact of meteoroids, (ii) impact-induced global vibration (seismic shaking), and (iii) vibration-induced regolith convection. In order to assess the feasibility of the resurfacing process driven by regolith convection, we estimate the resurfacing timescale as a function of the size of a target asteroid. In the estimate, a set of parameter values is assumed on the basis of previous works. However, some of them (e.g., seismic quality factor $Q$, seismic efficiency $η$, and seismic frequency $f$) are very uncertain. Although these parameter values might depend on asteroid size, we employ the standard values to estimate the representative behavior. To clarify the parameter dependences, we develop an approximated scaling form for the resurfacing timescale. According to the estimated result, we find that the regolith-convection-based resurfacing timescale is shorter than the mean collisional lifetime in most of the parameter uncertainty ranges. These parameter ranges are within those reported by previous works for small asteroids. This means that the regolith convection can be a possible mechanism for the asteroid resurfacing process.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1508.06485v2","authors":["Tomoya M. Yamada","Kousuke Ando","Tomokatsu Morota","Hiroaki Katsuragi"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-08-26T13:25:36Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0709.0160v1","name":"The Lunar Cherenkov Technique: From Parkes Onwards","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The lunar Cherenkov technique, which aims to detect the coherent Cherenkov radiation produced when UHE particles interact in the lunar regolith, was first attempted with the Parkes radio-telescope in 1995, though the theory was not sufficiently developed at this time to calculate a limit on the UHE neutrino flux from the non-observation. Since then, the technique has evolved to include experiments utilising lower frequencies, wider bandwidths, and entire arrays of antenna. We develop a simulation to analyse the full range of experiments, and calculate the UHE neutrino flux limit from the Parkes experiment, including the directional dependence. Our results suggest a methodology for planning future observations, and demonstrate how to utilise all available information on the nature of radio pulses from the Moon for the detection of UHE particles.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0709.0160v1","authors":["C. W. James","R. D. Ekers","R. A. McFadden","R. J. Protheroe"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-09-03T08:25:15Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2311.14608v1","name":"Spectrometer to Explore Isotopologues of Lunar Volatiles on Luna-27 Lander","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The study of volatiles and the search for water are the primary objectives of the Luna-27 mission, which is planned to land on the south pole of the Moon in 2028. Here we present the tunable Diode Laser Spectrometer (DLS-L) that will be onboard the lander. The DLS-L will perform isotopic analysis of volatiles that are pyrolytically evolved from regolith. This article dives into the design of the spectrometer and the characterisation of isotopic signature retrieval. We look forward to expanding our knowledge of Lunar geochemistry by measuring D/H, 18O/17O/16O, 13C/12C ratios in situ, which could be the one-of-a-kind direct study of the lunar soil isotopy without sample contamination.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.14608v1","authors":["Viacheslav Meshcherinov","Iskander Gazizov","Viktor Kazakov","Maxim Spiridonov","Yuri Lebedev","Imant Vinogradov","Mikhail Gerasimov"],"tags":["physics.ins-det","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-24T17:03:23Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1701.01657v1","name":"Autonomous Multirobot Excavation for Lunar Applications","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, a control approach called Artificial Neural Tissue (ANT) is applied to multirobot excavation for lunar base preparation tasks including clearing landing pads and burying of habitat modules. We show for the first time, a team of autonomous robots excavating a terrain to match a given 3D blueprint. Constructing mounds around landing pads will provide physical shielding from debris during launch/landing. Burying a human habitat modules under 0.5 m of lunar regolith is expected to provide both radiation shielding and maintain temperatures of -25 $^{o}$C. This minimizes base life-support complexity and reduces launch mass. ANT is compelling for a lunar mission because it doesn't require a team of astronauts for excavation and it requires minimal supervision. The robot teams are shown to autonomously interpret blueprints, excavate and prepare sites for a lunar base. Because little pre-programmed knowledge is provided, the controllers discover creative techniques. ANT evolves techniques such as slot-dozing that would otherwise require excavation experts. This is critical in making an excavation mission feasible when it is prohibitively expensive to send astronauts. The controllers evolve elaborate negotiation behaviors to work in close quarters. These and other techniques such as concurrent evolution of the controller and team size are shown to tackle problem of antagonism, when too many robots interfere reducing the overall efficiency or worse, resulting in gridlock. While many challenges remain with this technology our work shows a compelling pathway for field testing this approach.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1701.01657v1","authors":["Jekanthan Thangavelautham","Kenneth Law","Terence Fu","Nader Abu El Samid","Alexander D. S. Smith","Gabriele M. T. D'Eleuterio"],"tags":["cs.RO","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-06T15:17:13Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.12367v1","name":"An integrated process for design and control of lunar robotics using AI and simulation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We envision an integrated process for developing lunar construction equipment, where physical design and control are explored in parallel. In this paper, we describe a technical framework that supports this process. It relies on OpenPLX, a readable/writable declarative language that links CAD-models and autonomous systems to high-fidelity, real-time 3D simulations of contacting multibody dynamics, machine regolith interaction forces, and non-ideal sensors. To demonstrate its capabilities, we present two case studies, including an autonomous lunar rover that combines a vision-language model for navigation with a reinforcement learning-based control policy for locomotion.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.12367v1","authors":["Daniel Lindmark","Jonas Andersson","Kenneth Bodin","Tora Bodin","Hugo Börjesson","Fredrik Nordfeldth","Martin Servin"],"tags":["cs.RO","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-15T19:02:30Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1206.6328v1","name":"Toxicity of lunar dust","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The formation, composition and physical properties of lunar dust are incompletely characterised with regard to human health. While the physical and chemical determinants of dust toxicity for materials such as asbestos, quartz, volcanic ashes and urban particulate matter have been the focus of substantial research efforts, lunar dust properties, and therefore lunar dust toxicity may differ substantially. In this contribution, past and ongoing work on dust toxicity is reviewed, and major knowledge gaps that prevent an accurate assessment of lunar dust toxicity are identified. Finally, a range of studies using ground-based, low-gravity, and in situ measurements is recommended to address the identified knowledge gaps. Because none of the curated lunar samples exist in a pristine state that preserves the surface reactive chemical aspects thought to be present on the lunar surface, studies using this material carry with them considerable uncertainty in terms of fidelity. As a consequence, in situ data on lunar dust properties will be required to provide ground truth for ground-based studies quantifying the toxicity of dust exposure and the associated health risks during future manned lunar missions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1206.6328v1","authors":["Dag Linnarsson","James Carpenter","Bice Fubini","Per Gerde","Lars L. Karlsson","David J. Loftus","G. Kim Prisk","Urs Staufer","Erin M. Tranfield","Wim van Westrenen"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","physics.med-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-06-27T16:26:10Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0706.3954v1","name":"Lunar Outgassing, Transient Phenomena and The Return to The Moon, III: Observational and Experimental Techniques","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In Papers II and III we show that Transient Lunar Phenomena (TLPs) are likely related to lunar outgassing, albeit in ways not fully understood. Here we propose a path forward, in which current and forthcoming technologies provide a more controlled, sensitive probe of lunar outgassing. Many of these techniques are being realized for the first time. Given the optical transient/outgassing connection, progress can be made by remote sensing, and we suggest programs of imaging, spectroscopy and combinations thereof. However, as found in Paper II, many aspects of lunar outgassing seem covert in nature. TLPs betray outgassing, but not all outgassing produces TLPs. Some outgassing may never appear at the surface, but remain trapped in the regolith. We also suggest more intrusive techniques, from radar mapping to in-situ probes. Understanding these volatiles seems promising in terms of a resource for humans on the Moon and beyond, and offers an interesting scientific goal in its own right. Hence this paper is a series of proposed techniques, some in practice, some which might be soon, and some requiring significant future investment, some of which may prove unwise pending results from predecessor investigations. These point towards enhancement of our knowledge of lunar outgassing, its relation to other lunar processes, and an increase in our understanding of how volatiles are involved in the evolution of the Moon. We emphasize certain ground-based observations in time for flights of SELENE, LRO and other robotic missions, and others before extensive human xploration. We discuss how study of the pristine lunar atmosphere pertains to understanding the role of anthropogenic volatiles, an important confusing signal","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0706.3954v1","authors":["Arlin P. S. Crotts"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-06-27T04:20:31Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2605.09884v1","name":"Lunar ejecta as the missing piece to resolve the lunar cratering asymmetry","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The leading-trailing asymmetry in lunar crater distribution provides a critical record of inner solar system dynamics, yet the long-standing discrepancy between the observed higher asymmetry and lower theoretical predictions indicates a gap in our understanding of the impactor population. This paper hypothesizes that lunar impact ejecta, which can enter Earth-like orbits and return, constitute a previously unaccounted-for component. Through numerical simulations, we find that ~25% of escaped ejecta will re-impact the Earth-Moon system within 3 Myr, with about 1.2% striking the Moon. Crucially, these lunar impacts exhibit an extreme leading-trailing asymmetry with a ratio of 5.9. Our results indicate that lunar ejecta, if comprising ~15% of total impactors, can fully explain the observed asymmetry, leading to their recognition as active agents shaping the lunar impact record. This work provides new constraints for understanding the impact environment of the Earth-Moon system, with direct relevance to the interpretation of lunar geology, the transport of lunar material to Earth, and ongoing space exploration missions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.09884v1","authors":["Hailiang Li","Xiaoping Zhang","Li-Yong Zhou"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-11T02:19:04Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.17419v2","name":"Effect of hydrogen on albedo neutrons in lunar surface: A computational investigation by means of GEANT4 simulations","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Motivated by the interaction of the cosmic ray protons with the lunar surface in the absence and presence of hydrogen, a series of GEANT4 simulations are employed in the current study to unveil the influence of hydrogen on the energy spectrum of the albedo neutrons that escape from the lunar surface. Initially, a discrete 69-bin proton energy spectrum between 0.4 and 115 GeV based on the PAMELA spectrometer is implemented into GEANT4. Subsequently, a single-volume lunar surface of 2-m thickness is constructed where it is assumed that a single layer of either 1.6 or 1.93 g/cm$^{3}$ constitutes the lunar regolith. The material composition in the present study includes 43.7 wt.$\\%$ oxygen, 0.3 wt.$\\%$ sodium, 5.6 wt.$\\%$ magnesium, 9 wt.$\\%$ aluminum, 21.1 wt.$\\%$ silicon, 8.5 wt.$\\%$ calcium, 1.5 wt.$\\%$ titanium, 0.1 wt.$\\%$ manganese, and 10.2 wt.$\\%$ iron in accordance with another study. Then, 0.1 wt.$\\%$ hydrogen is introduced by replacing oxygen in order to assess the impact of hydrogen on the secondary neutrons. In the wake of irradiating a lunar surface of 3$\\times$2$\\times$3 m$^{3}$ with a planar vertical PAMELA proton beam of 20$\\times$20 cm$^{2}$, the depth profile of the generated neutrons as well as the corresponding initial energy spectrum is primarily obtained in the absence and presence of 0.1 wt.$\\%$ hydrogen by voxelizing the entire geometry with 100 cells of 2-cm thickness. Next, a surface detector is placed at the top of the lunar surface in order to collect the albedo neutrons in both cases, and the energy spectra of the albedo neutrons are acquired in terms of thermal, epithermal, and fast neutrons. From the GEANT4 simulations in this study, it is shown that the presence of 0.1 wt.$\\%$ hydrogen is observable in each energy regime of the albedo neutrons at the lunar surface, thereby providing an indication about the elemental variation of the lunar soil.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.17419v2","authors":["Ahmet Ilker Topuz"],"tags":["physics.ins-det","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-09T07:24:36Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1508.05985v1","name":"40Ar/39Ar ages of lunar impact glasses: Relationships among Ar diffusivity, chemical composition, shape, and size","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Lunar impact glasses, quenched melts produced during cratering events on the Moon, have the potential to provide not only compositional information about both the local and regional geology of the Moon but also information about the impact flux over time. We present in this paper the results of 73 new 40Ar/39Ar analyses of well-characterized, inclusion-free lunar impact glasses and demonstrate that size, shape, chemical composition, fraction of radiogenic 40Ar retained, and cosmic ray exposure (CRE) ages are important for 40Ar/39Ar investigations of these samples. Specifically, analyses of lunar impact glasses from the Apollo 14, 16, and 17 landing sites indicate that retention of radiogenic 40Ar is a strong function of post-formation thermal history in the lunar regolith, size, and chemical composition. Based on the relationships presented in this paper, lunar impact glasses with compositions and sizes sufficient to have retained 90% of their radiogenic Ar during 750 Ma of cosmic ray exposure at time-integrated temperatures of up to 290 K have been identified and are likely to have yielded reliable 40Ar/39Ar ages of formation. Additionally, ~50% of the identified impact glass spheres have formation ages of &lt;500 Ma, while ~75% of the identified lunar impact glass shards and spheres have ages of formation &lt;2000 Ma. The observed age-frequency distribution of lunar impact glasses may reflect two processes: (i) diminished preservation due to spontaneous shattering with age; and (ii) preservation of a remnant population of impact glasses from the tail end of the terminal lunar bombardment having 40Ar/39Ar ages up to 3800 Ma. A protocol is described for selecting and analyzing lunar impact glasses.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1508.05985v1","authors":["N. E. B. Zellner","J. W. Delano"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-08-24T22:19:50Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2403.12194v1","name":"The POLAR Traverse Dataset: A Dataset of Stereo Camera Images Simulating Traverses across Lunar Polar Terrain under Extreme Lighting Conditions","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present the POLAR Traverse Dataset: a dataset of high-fidelity stereo pair images of lunar-like terrain under polar lighting conditions designed to simulate a straight-line traverse. Images from individual traverses with different camera heights and pitches were recorded at 1 m intervals by moving a suspended stereo bar across a test bed filled with regolith simulant and shaped to mimic lunar south polar terrain. Ground truth geometry and camera position information was also recorded. This dataset is intended for developing and testing software algorithms that rely on stereo or monocular camera images, such as visual odometry, for use in the lunar polar environment, as well as to provide insight into the expected lighting conditions in lunar polar regions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.12194v1","authors":["Margaret Hansen","Uland Wong","Terrence Fong"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.RO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-18T19:07:42Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.03840v1","name":"FarView: An In-Situ Manufactured Lunar Far Side Radio Array Concept for 21-cm Dark Ages Cosmology","source":"arxiv","abstract":"FarView is an early-stage concept for a large, low-frequency radio observatory, manufactured in-situ on the lunar far side using metals extracted from the lunar regolith. It consists of 100,000 dipole antennas in compact subarrays distributed over a large area but with empty space between subarrays in a core-halo structure. FarView covers a total area of ~200 km2, has a dense core within the inner ~36 km2, and a ~power-law falloff of antenna density out to ~14 km from the center. With this design, it is relatively easy to identify multiple viable build sites on the lunar far side. The science case for FarView emphasizes the unique capabilities to probe the unexplored Cosmic Dark Ages - identified by the 2020 Astrophysics Decadal Survey as the discovery area for cosmology. FarView will deliver power spectra and tomographic maps tracing the evolution of the Universe from before the birth of the first stars to the beginning of Cosmic Dawn, and potentially provide unique insights into dark matter, early dark energy, neutrino masses, and the physics of inflation. What makes FarView feasible and affordable in the timeframe of the 2030s is that it is manufactured in-situ, utilizing space industrial technologies. This in-situ manufacturing architecture utilizes Earth-built equipment that is transported to the lunar surface to extract metals from the regolith and will use those metals to manufacture most of the array components: dipole antennas, power lines, and silicon solar cell power systems. This approach also enables a long functional lifetime, by permitting servicing and repair of the observatory. The full 100,000 dipole FarView observatory will take 4 - 8 years to build, depending on the realized performance of the manufacturing elements and the lunar delivery scenario.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.03840v1","authors":["Ronald S. Polidan","Jack O. Burns","Alex Ignatiev","Alex Hegedus","Jonathan Pober","Nivedita Mahesh","Tzu-Ching Chang","Gregg Hallinan","Yuhong Ning","Judd Bowman"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.CO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-05T00:09:53Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1802.09508v1","name":"Image Reconstruction Techniques in Neutron and Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy: Improving Lunar Prospector Data","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present improved resolution maps of the Lunar Prospector Neutron Spectrometer thermal, epithermal and fast neutron data and Gamma-Ray Spectrometer Th-line fluxes via global application of pixon image reconstruction techniques. With the use of mock data sets, we show that the pixon image reconstruction method compares favorably with other methods that have been used in planetary neutron and gamma-ray spectroscopy. The improved thermal neutron maps are able to clearly distinguish variations in composition across the lunar surface, including within the lunar basins of Hertzsprung and Schrodinger. The improvement in resolution reveals a correlation between albedo and thermal neutron flux within the craters. The consequent increase in dynamic range confirms that Hertzsprung basin contains one of the most anorthositic parts of the lunar crust, including nearly pure anorthite over a region tens of km in diameter. At Orientale, the improvement in spatial resolution of the epithermal neutron data show that there is a mismatch between measures of regolith maturity that sample the surface and those that probe the near-subsurface, which suggests a complex layering scenario.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1802.09508v1","authors":["Jack T. Wilson","David J. Lawrence","Patrick N. Peplowski","Joshua T. S. Cahill","Vincent R. Eke","Richard J. Massey","Luis F. A. Teodoro"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-02-26T18:51:11Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1301.1263v1","name":"Activity in the lunar surface: Transient Lunar Phenomena","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Transient Lunar Phenomena (TLP) observed on the surface of the moon, are of high rarity, low repetition rate and very short observation times, resulting in that there is little information about this topic. This necessitates the importance of studying them in detail. They have been observed as very bright clouds of gases of past geological lunar activity. According its duration, there have been registered in different colors (yellow, orange, red). Its size can vary from a few to hundreds of kilometers. The TLP Usually occur in certain locations as in some craters (Aristarchus, Plato, Kepler, etc.) and at the edges of lunar maria (Sea of Fecundity, Alps hills area, etc.). The exposure time of a TLP can vary from a few seconds to a little more than one hour. In this paper, a literature review of the TLP is made to build a theory from the existing reports and scientific hypotheses, trying to unify and synthesize data and concepts that are scattered by different lunar research lines. The TLP need to be explained from celestial mechanics and planetary astrophysics to explain the possible causes from phenomena such as outgassing moon, moonquakes and the gravitational interaction. Extrapolating these hypothetical physical knowledge, arguments are exposed for Lunar degassing theory showing this as the most consistent. It is build also a the theory of how to observe, describe, explain and predict the TLP.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1301.1263v1","authors":["Cruz Roa AF"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-01-07T16:58:33Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1910.11293v1","name":"Early Dynamics of the Lunar Core","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Moon is known to have a small liquid core, and it is thought that in the distant past the core may have produced strong magnetic fields recorded in lunar samples. Here we implement a numerical model of lunar orbital and rotational dynamics that includes the effects of a liquid core. In agreement with previous work, we find that the lunar core is dynamically decoupled from the lunar mantle, and that this decoupling happened very early in lunar history. Our model predicts that the lunar core rotates sub-synchronously, and the difference between the core and the mantle rotational rates was significant when the Moon had a high forced obliquity during and after the Cassini State transition. We find that the presence of the lunar liquid core further destabilizes synchronous rotation of the mantle for a wide range of semimajor axes centered around the Cassini State transition. CMB torques make it even more likely that the Moon experienced large-scale inclination damping during the Cassini State transition. We present estimates for the mutual core-mantle obliquity as a function of Earth-Moon distance, and we discuss plausible absolute time-lines for this evolution. We conclude that our results are consistent with the hypothesis of a precession-driven early lunar dynamo and may explain the variability of the inferred orientation of the past lunar dynamo.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1910.11293v1","authors":["Matija Ćuk","Douglas P. Hamilton","Sarah T. Stewart"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-10-24T17:11:50Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acssuschemeng.2c03545.s001","name":"Extracting Oxygen from Change5 Lunar Regolith Simulants","source":"crossref","abstract":"Harvesting\\noxygen and metals from the local resources\\nof the Moon\\nis a key step to advancing outer space exploration. A large amount\\nof oxygen is stored in the lunar regolith in the form of oxides. Many\\nefforts have been devoted to electrochemically splitting oxides to\\noxygen and metals in molten oxides and molten salts. However, a cheap\\noxygen-evolution inert anode is still a serious challenge, especially\\nin the supercorrosive molten halides. Herein, we combine a molten\\nCaCl2 electrolyzer that can convert Chang’e-5 lunar\\nregolith simulants to metals and CO2 using a carbon anode\\nand a molten carbonate electrolyzer that can convert the generated\\nCO2 to carbon and oxygen using a cheap Ni11Fe10Cu oxygen-evolution\\nanode. Further, the electrolytic carbon is reused as the anode in\\nthe molten CaCl2 electrolyzer, thereby closing the carbon\\ncycle. Hence, the overall electrochemical reaction of the dual-electrolyzer\\nsystem is to convert lunar regolith to metals and oxygen. More broadly,\\nthis system can convert the CO2 generated by humans living\\non the Moon and Mars to oxygen and carbon materials.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.2c03545.s001","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-17T03:41:02Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1021/acssuschemeng.2c03545.s001","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.70675/3608e477z18b3z4eeaz94c6z8512e5f8badf","name":"Protective Use of Regolith for Planetary and Lunar Exploration (PURPLE)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Utilisation protectrice du régolithe pour l'exploration planétaire et lunaire Ce travail étudie des solutions intégrées pour la construction des habitacles qui protégeront les astronautes des rayons cosmiques galactiques (Galactic Cosmic Rays, GCR), des événements de particules solaires (Solar Particle Events, SPE), des émissions secondaires et des températures extrêmes en utilisant le régolithe comme principal matériau de protection sur la Lune. Il s'agit d'une approche multidisciplinaire de l'utilisation des régolithes : de la physique des particules aux sciences des matériaux, de la radiobiologie à la conception technique.Les interactions particules-matière entre le régolithe et les rayonnements GCR et SPE sont caractérisées et les émissions secondaires sont étudiées. Des matériaux multicouches sont proposés et testés numériquement à l'aide de codes déterministes et probabilistes (RayXpert® TRAD). Des solutions pour réduire la dose équivalent efficace dans l’ensemble du corps (whole-body effective dose equivalent) sont étudiées. Les prototypes de la conception proposée ont été et seront encore exposés à des rayonnements (ballons stratosphériques, protons et ions lourds dans des installations d'accélérateurs de particules) pour tester et valider les résultats numériques.Les résultats sont des recommandations quantitatives, exprimées en termes techniques, pour une stratégie et des spécifications d'utilisation des régolithes dans les habitats. Grâce à des simulations et des expériences avec des protons et des ions de basse et haute énergie, la structure de l'habitat (épaisseur de la paroi, compacité, composition) est proposée.","url":"https://doi.org/10.70675/3608e477z18b3z4eeaz94c6z8512e5f8badf","authors":["Yulia Akisheva"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-08T12:25:35Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.70675/3608e477z18b3z4eeaz94c6z8512e5f8badf","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-319-14541-9_132","name":"Lunar Surface, Interaction of the Solar Wind with Upper Regolith","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14541-9_132","authors":["Caitlin Ahrens"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-05-13T10:02:24Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-319-14541-9_132","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.37099/mtu.dc.etdr/1601","name":"DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION TOOLS FOR LUNAR SURFACE REGOLITH STRUCTURE CONSTRUCTION","source":"crossref","abstract":"To support the future of lunar missions such as those planned for NASA’s Artemis Program, the emplacement of semi-permanent lunar infrastructure is required. Structures such as roads, landing pads, foundations, shielding, and protective embankments will need to be properly designed and constructed while only utilizing in-situ resources (i.e. Lunar regolith). To inform the geotechnical design of these infrastructure elements as well as their required construction operations, this research develops a spreadsheet-based analysis tool in which the user inputs their proposed structure and construction rover fleet information, then the tool conducts the necessary analysis to provide useful project insights such as estimated duration, regolith demand, distribution of tasks, performance graphics, and construction optimizations. With these insights, users can be better informed on the development of ISRU technologies, allocation of resources, and design of mission architectures. An overview and demonstration of the tool is presented in this report.","url":"https://doi.org/10.37099/mtu.dc.etdr/1601","authors":["Joseph B. Primeau"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-07T18:21:37Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.37099/mtu.dc.etdr/1601","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_122672","name":"lunar regolith","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_122672","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-12-08T20:07:06Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_122672","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2025.116790","name":"Regolith without age? High-resolution regolith depth measurements across lunar maria","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2025.116790","authors":["Elizabeth F.M. Atang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-06T06:33:11Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1016/j.icarus.2025.116790","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.14711/thesis-b1255638","name":"Lunar regolith modeling based on Chang'E microwave brightness temperature measurements","source":"crossref","abstract":"Lunar regolith modeling based on Chang’E microwave brightness temperature measurements by Sung Fung Sum thesis 2013 xx, 140 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 30 cm In this thesis, we propose an approach of estimating lunar regolith properties by using…Read more ›","url":"https://doi.org/10.14711/thesis-b1255638","authors":["Sung Fung Sum"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-12-23T03:53:36Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.14711/thesis-b1255638","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.26226/m.632b0aa4f30377bc3bafa243","name":"Sporobolous Airoides as a Pioneer Plant for Lunar Regolith","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.26226/m.632b0aa4f30377bc3bafa243","authors":["Christopher Rickard","Robert F"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-29T15:53:55Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.26226/m.632b0aa4f30377bc3bafa243","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/essoar.10500131.1","name":"Wideband Microwave Radiometry for Remote Sensing of Lunar Regolith and Bedrock","source":"crossref","abstract":"The lunar surface consists of a regolith layer, i.e., fragmental and unconsolidated rock material of highly varied character, which covers the underlying bedrock. Understanding the structure and composition of the lunar regolith and the underlying bedrock is very important to reveal geologic features of the Moon, explore natural resources humans can exploit, and obtain valuable information regarding the history of the solar system. Electromagnetic radiations from the surface of the Moon at microwave frequencies depends on the physical, chemical, and electrical properties of the regolith layer and the bedrock. Moreover, the electromagnetic penetration depth changes with frequency which allows wideband microwave radiometers operating below 50 GHz to conveniently profile these properties versus depth to characterize the lunar regolith and bedrock with wide spatial coverage. Combining current models of depth-dependent physical and chemical properties with simple electromagnetic forward radiation models, surface emissions over the Apollo sites were simulated and compared with Chinese Chang’E-1 and Chang’E-2 multi-frequency microwave radiometer measurements. Potential sources of the differences between the simulations and measurements have been identified as the temperature dependence of the electrical properties of the regolith, bedrock type, surface and bedrock roughness, as well as density fluctuations, scattering due to inhomogeneities, and coherent interference of electromagnetic fields within the regolith. However, many of these subjects have been studied thoroughly for the remote sensing of the cryosphere; thus leveraging this experience with the rapid developments in radiometer designs, wideband microwave radiometers promise valuable scientific returns in future lunar missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/essoar.10500131.1","authors":["Mustafa Aksoy"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-11-13T04:13:40Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1002/essoar.10500131.1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-319-14541-9_61","name":"Regolith Physical Properties","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14541-9_61","authors":["Wenzhe Fa"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-05-13T10:02:24Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-319-14541-9_61","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01067.x","name":"Lunar meteorite regolith breccias: An in situ study of impact melt composition using LA-ICP-MS with implications for the composition of the lunar crust","source":"crossref","abstract":"Dar al Gani (DaG) 400, Meteorite Hills (MET) 01210, Pecora Escarpment (PCA) 02007, and MacAlpine Hills (MAC) 88104/88105 are lunar regolith breccia meteorites that provide sampling of the lunar surface from regions of the Moon that were not visited by the US Apollo or Soviet Luna sample return missions. They contain a heterogeneous clast population from a range of typical lunar lithologies. DaG 400, PCA 02007, and MAC 88104/88105 are primarily feldspathic in nature, and MET 01210 is composed of mare basalt material mixed with a lesser amount of feldspathic material. Here we present a compositional study of the impact melt and impact melt breccia clast population (i.e., clasts that were generated in impact cratering melting processes) within these meteorites using in situ electron microprobe and LA-ICP-MS techniques. Results show that all of the meteorites are dominated by impact lithologies that are relatively ferroan (Mg# 10), and have low incompatible trace element (ITE) concentrations (i.e., typically 10 ppm Sm), High Magnesium Suite (typically >70 Mg#) or High Alkali Suite (high ITEs, Sc/Sm ratios <2) target rocks. Instead the meteorite mafic melts are more ferroan, KREEP-poor and Sc-rich, and represent mixing between feldspathic lithologies and low-Ti or very low-Ti (VLT) basalts. As PCA 02007 and MAC 88104/05 were likely sourced from the Outer-Feldspathic Highlands Terrane our findings suggest that these predominantly feldspathic regions commonly contain a VLT to low-Ti basalt contribution.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01067.x","authors":["Katherine H. JOY","Ian A. CRAWFORD","Sara S. RUSSELL","Anton T. KEARSLEY"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-09-29T16:36:07Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01067.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.2025-4083","name":"Geotechnical and Scientific Characterization of Lunar Regolith for the Purposes of Lunar Construction Using Regolith Filled Bags","source":"crossref","abstract":"As part of the LUNAR BRICS (Lunar Robotically Based Regolith Incorporated Construction) pathfinder mission, consideration was given to complementary scientific and geotechnical sensors and instrumentation. While the ultimate goal of the mission is to demonstrate lunar construction using regolith filled bags, it is imperative to study the physical and thermal properties of the surface and sub-surface so as to better understand both the bag filler material, as well as the supporting foundation. Several science and geotechnical goals, and their supporting instrumentation, are presented in meeting these objectives.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2025-4083","authors":["Jekan Thangavelautham","Jessica Barnes","Andrew Ryan","Paul J. van Susante","Rudranaryan Mukherjee","Cameron Dickinson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-16T21:24:43Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.2514/6.2025-4083","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.31390/gradschool_theses.3737","name":"Discrete Element Modeling of Cone Penetration in JSC-1A Lunar Regolith Simulant","source":"crossref","abstract":"NASA plans to return back to the Moon for a long term presence and use of the Moon as a launch station for further space exploration to other planets. This scenario increases the importance of determining the geotechnical properties of the lunar surface. However, due to the limited availability of lunar regolith and its high scientific value, a simulant material which closely matches the composition and grain size distribution and other characteristics of the lunar regolith has become an indispensable need to benefit in hardware development as well as estimating lunar regolith properties. Therefore, JSC-1A lunar regolith simulant, which was produced by Orbitec Company under the guidance of NASA, was provided for researchers to investigate soil parameters. Previous studies about JSC-1A utilized from conventional laboratory experiments. This thesis aims to examine the behavior of JSC-1A and auxiliary Ottawa sand against cone penetration testing (CPT). CPT is a fast and reliable method to characterize soil properties. Experimental work is augmented with numerical simulation to take advantage of powerful capabilities of discrete element method (DEM). Experimental work is mainly composed of two sets of tests. Firstly, CPT is conducted on JSC-1A in the field using a CPT truck and soil classification and internal friction angle analyses were estimated based on the test results. However, the limited data and high boundary effects on the container made a strong case to provide reliable reference for DEM simulations. Therefore, miniature CPT experiments were conducted for JSC-1A and Ottawa sand with distinctive densities using two size cylindrical containers. Ottawa sand which is a uniform silica sand is also included in the analysis to obtain supplementary data. Finally, DEM in 3D was used to model the response of two soils to cone penetration. Microscale changes such as contact force, displacement, velocity and stress variation of individual soil particles were monitored throughout the simulation process. In conclusion, CPT results show that each soil exhibits a characteristic response to cone penetration under different conditions. Its response is affected by various parameters such as soil density, boundary conditions, homogeneity, grain size and shape. It was found that boundary condition influence the results significantly. DEM results have a good agreement with laboratory experiments except the fluctuations in simulation data. The penetration of the cone produces a considerable variation in velocity and displacement field. Contact forces and deformation pattern of the granular material are mainly governed by the relative position of particles","url":"https://doi.org/10.31390/gradschool_theses.3737","authors":["Mehmet Burak Cil"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-06-16T23:58:19Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.31390/gradschool_theses.3737","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.62717/2221-4550-2025-1-047","name":"DETERMINATION OF PARAMETERS OF THE LUNAR REGOLITH MINING SITE USING A SCREW","source":"crossref","abstract":"ВИЗНАЧЕННЯ ПАРАМЕТРІВ ДІЛЯНКИ ВИДОБУТКУ МІСЯЧНОГО РЕГОЛІТУ ЗА ДОПОМОГОЮ ШНЕКУ Анотація.Обґрунтовано перспективність використання в умовах Місяцю шнекового виду транспорту для переміщення реголіту від місця видобутку до місця переробки й відправки на Землю.","url":"https://doi.org/10.62717/2221-4550-2025-1-047","authors":["Yevgen Semenenko"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-05T09:15:38Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.62717/2221-4550-2025-1-047","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/078359-0030","name":"Laser-Welded Lunar Landing Pad Based on Sintered Lunar Regolith","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/078359-0030","authors":["Wenbin Han"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-31T21:08:26Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.52202/078359-0030","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/jacs.1c13604.s001","name":"Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis of ChangE5 Lunar Regolith Samples","source":"crossref","abstract":"The\\nChang’E-5 (CE-5) lunar samples were analyzed nondestructively\\nfor more than 40 elements by instrumental neutron activation analysis\\n(INAA) with a strict quality assurance and quality control. Based\\non the INAA results, some new observations and discoveries were made.\\nMajor, minor, and trace elements in CE-5 are very different from those\\nof the Earth and Apollo lunar samples. The rare earth element (REE)\\npattern indicated that the CE-5 lunar samples are mare basalts with\\na clear negative anomaly in Eu. Element correlations are a very interesting\\ndiscovery; for example, the ratios of Ba/La and FeO/MnO in CE-5 are\\nalmost identical to those of the Apollo lunar samples. These observations\\nand discoveries will enrich the understanding of the formation and\\nevolution of the Moon.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.1c13604.s001","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-17T15:03:31Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1021/jacs.1c13604.s001","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-9034538/v1","name":"Vibration-Assisted Granular Flow Under Simulated Lunar Conditions: Parabolic Flight Validation of Lunar Regolith Feed System","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract Reliable transport of granular materials through hoppers presents significant challenges in reduced-gravity environments due to diminished driving forces and increased susceptibility to flow blockages. This study reports results from parabolic flight experiments evaluating whether vertical vibration can maintain continuous regolith flow under simulated lunar gravity and vacuum conditions. Eight parallel feed assemblies were tested inside vacuum chambers, spanning four outlet geometries ranging in diameter from 11 to 45 mm and hopper angles from 46.5° to 90°. Vibration was applied at frequencies of between 43 and 65 Hz with displacement amplitudes from 0.2 to 0.8 mm. Across 60 reduced-gravity parabolas comprising 480 individual experiments, continuous material discharge was observed whenever vibration was active, regardless of outlet geometry. When vibration was disabled, all configurations exhibited flow termination within seconds. Reactivating vibration promptly restored flow without manual intervention. A rotary pocket feeder at each hopper outlet provided proportional flow rate control, yielding mass flow rates of 0.3 to 1.0 g/s with a lunar highlands regolith geotechnical simulant. These results demonstrate that vertical vibration effectively prevents flow blockages in reduced gravity, establishing validated design parameters for regolith handling systems intended for lunar surface operations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9034538/v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9034538/v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2024.116166","name":"Three-dimensional characterization of particle size, shape, and internal porosity for Apollo 11 and Apollo 14 lunar regolith and JSC-1A lunar regolith soil simulant","source":"crossref","abstract":"Samples of soils collected by the Apollo 11 mission (10084,2036) and the Apollo 14 mission (14163,940) were obtained from the NASA Curation and Analysis Planning Team for Extraterrestrial Materials (CAPTEM) program. The particle size, shape, and internal porosity were characterized in three dimensions (3D) using a combination of X-ray computed tomography (XCT) and mathematical analysis, with various size and shape parameters measured and calculated for each particle. High-resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to image the particles that were too small for the two XCT instruments used. Similar characterization was carried out on samples of JSC-1A lunar soil simulant, updating a previous analysis. Approximately 14,000 lunar regolith particles and 128,000 JSC1-A particles, covering a wide range of size and shape, were characterized for this paper and the results stored in a publicly accessible database. This large number of particles enabled, for the first time, statistically valid particle shape distributions to be generated. The 3D shape distributions of the two regoliths and JSC-1A were quantitatively compared and it was found that the way particle shape and porosity depends on particle size was different between regolith and simulant. The measured size distribution of particles in the lunar soils was applied to estimate the relative contributions of different sizes to the ensemble average particle single scattering albedo and phase function. By linking our particle counts to published sieve weight fractions for the lunar samples, we find that ∼80% of the total cross-section area is contributed by particles <20 μm diameter and ∼ 50% by particles <8 μm diameter. The orientation-averaged two-dimensional projected areas of the actual regolith particles were computed so that this estimate was also based on real particle shapes. Such small sizes dominating the total cross-section area suggest that calculations of the elements of the scattering matrix for individual particles may be possible with modest computing capabilities leading to the development of improved models for the quantitative interpretation of remote sensing spectrophotometry and polarimetry. This 3D characterization and database will enable other computational work to be done with real lunar regolith particle shapes, including discrete element method mechanical modeling, packing simulations, further light scattering calculations, dust contamination modeling, and modeling of lunar rover interactions with collected and packed regolith particles.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2024.116166","authors":["Jay Goguen","Andrew Sharits","Ann Chiaramonti","Thomas Lafarge","Edward Garboczi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-12T17:39:53Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1016/j.icarus.2024.116166","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acsaenm.4c00158.s001","name":"Thermal Weathering of 3D-Printed Lunar Regolith Simulant Composites","source":"crossref","abstract":"The production of lunar regolith composites is a promising venture, especially when enabled by extrusion-based additive manufacturing techniques such as direct ink write. However, both three-dimensional (3D) printing production and usage of polymer composites containing regolish on the lunar surface are challenges due to harsh environmental conditions such as severe thermal cycling. While thermal degradation in polymer composites under thermal cycling has been studied, there is limited understanding of how polymer properties impact the mechanical performance of lunar regolith composites when both printing and usage are carried out under extreme thermal conditions. Here, we aim to bridge that gap through the creation of composites containing a lunar Highlands regolith simulant suspended in an ultraviolet (UV) curable binder, which were printed at −30 °C and thermally cycled between weekly lunar day (127 °C) and weekly night (−190 °C) temperatures. We validate that thermal stresses cause both physical and chemical degradation since the regolith simulant composites become stiffer, more porous, and show yellowing after exposure to thermal cycling. Moreover, we indicate that chemical degradation mechanisms seem to compete with residual polymerization in certain formulations. We attribute this phenomenon to partial crystallization of monomer species during printing at −30 °C, resulting in low vinyl bond conversion during initial curing. The results presented here shed light on the intricate interplay between thermal stresses, uncured polymer properties, and degradation mechanisms, which can help guide future use cases of regolith composites for lunar infrastructure needs.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaenm.4c00158.s001","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-27T09:20:20Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1021/acsaenm.4c00158.s001","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/essoar.10511133.1","name":"Statistical estimates of rock-free lunar regolith thickness from Diviner","source":"crossref","abstract":"The thickness of the lunar regolith has been previously estimated using seismic, radar, and crater morphology data to be on the order of tens of meters. In this study, we use rock abundance measurements from the Diviner radiometer aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) to provide new estimates of rock-free regolith thickness in recently-formed impact craters. Diviner cold spots have been shown to last no longer than a few 100 kyr, and thereby point to fresh craters on the moon. Trends in Diviner data also show that deeper cold spot craters have rockier ejecta. We employ statistical analyses to show that cold spot craters in the lunar mare have rockier ejecta at smaller excavation depths when compared to those in the highlands. We estimate that the average rock-free regolith is 12.6 m thick in the mare and 18.5 m thick in the highlands, which is consistent with previous estimates. We expect these values will be highly variable due to differences in regolith development and overturn across the moon.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/essoar.10511133.1","authors":["Jaahnavee Venkatraman","David A. Paige"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-04-19T12:22:20Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1002/essoar.10511133.1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-319-05546-6_60-1","name":"Regolith Structure","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05546-6_60-1","authors":["Chao Zhou","Bin Liu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-11-29T06:48:13Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-319-05546-6_60-1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.13182/icrsrpsd22-39425","name":"The Lunar Neutron Environment Behind Regolith Shielding","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.13182/icrsrpsd22-39425","authors":["Lawrence Heilbronn"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-02T20:32:02Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.13182/icrsrpsd22-39425","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.6135568","name":"Complex Near-Net Shapes from Synthetic Lunar Regolith","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.6135568","authors":["Sk  S. Hossain","Jeffrey  W. Bullard"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-26T13:46:37Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.6135568","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.55632/pwvas.v98i1.1234","name":"Lunar Regolith-Integrated Geodesic Kinetic Habitat","source":"crossref","abstract":"This study introduces a dual-component kinetic habitat concept intended for sustainable and permanent human habitation within lunar lava tunnels. The objective is to design a radiation-resilient, structurally robust alternative to currently deployed inflatable habitat systems, which remain vulnerable to micrometeoroid puncture and high-velocity regolith particulates. This project proposes utilizing naturally occurring lunar lava tubes as a protective subsurface environment capable of supporting long-duration settlement and mitigating radiation exposure. This proposed system consists of a geodesic dome cap fabricated from regolith-based composite materials on-site to provide geometric load distribution, structural redundancy, and radiation attenuation. Beneath this dome cap, a compliant elastomeric membrane conforms to irregular lava tube geometries, forming a sealed and adaptable environmental interface. Current methodology includes a robust literature review of aerospace research, analysis of lunar geological data, and synthesis of architecture and engineering structural principles. Computational modeling frameworks, focused on finite element analysis, geometric optimization, and radiation attenuation estimation, are under development, and quantitative performance metrics remain under investigation. Preliminary findings suggest that integrating a regolith-derived geodesic dome with a conformal adaptive base may provide a more permanent and resilient alternative to inflatable systems in subsurface lunar environments. Definitive structural and shielding performance values are forthcoming as simulation and validation efforts progress. This research was made possible by WV Higher Education Policy Commission, STaR Division.","url":"https://doi.org/10.55632/pwvas.v98i1.1234","authors":["Matthew Mawhinney","Joel Dugan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-09T14:57:40Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.55632/pwvas.v98i1.1234","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2172/2426281","name":"Biomanufacturing and bioprocessing of lunar regolith","source":"crossref","abstract":"Microbial biomanufacturing is important to accelerate lunar construction because it can leverage lunar material and waste streams as feedstocks to create a circular production system. In-space bio-mining and biomanufacturing using moon and asteroidal source material will enable the creation of infrastructure, produce industrial fuels and lubricants, and enable recovery of actinides and rare-earth elements (REEs) present in trace concentrations. Moreover, biomanufacturing in closed-loop systems (recycling and reuse of resources toward the establishment of a circular economy) will enable long-term lunar activities by recycling waste (CO2, gray water) and producing oxygen and biomaterials. Our response focuses on the use of lunar regolith and waste streams as feedstocks for protein and microbial-enabled biomining and bioprocessing to extract actinides and REEs, and to create biocomposites for lunar infrastructure. We envision an enclosed process that initiates with (1a) extracting actinides and REEs from lunar regolith using immobilized proteins, followed by (1b) creating biocomposites from the post-extracted lunar regolith for infrastructure, and (1c) cultivating diatoms and other microalgae on waste streams to harvest silica shells for incorporating into biocomposites and to generate O2 for human respiration and/or producing refinable feedstocks. LLNL has significant expertise in all three processes and provides facilities, personnel, and expertise at the intersection of metal (lanthanide, actinide, transition) separations, purifications, biohydrometallurgy, radiobiochemistry, synthetic and systems biology, and materials science and engineering. Importantly, all three processes are relatively well-studied for Earth-based workflows and can be derisked for demonstration on the lunar surface by 2029.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2172/2426281","authors":["Tiffany Halvorsen","N. Merino","P. Diep","A. Wat"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-14T02:14:45Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.2172/2426281","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/1.1541407","name":"Investigation into Uses for Lunar Regolith","source":"crossref","abstract":"Any sustained effort on the Moon will require use of in‐situ resources as much as possible to reduce costs. Power generation is a primary concern and solar cells would be a convenient source of power for any lunar activity. Lunar regolith is an easily accessible in‐situ resource. The lunar regolith consists primarily of silicon dioxide (about half) with aluminum oxide, iron oxide, calcium oxide and magnesium oxide comprising the majority of the residual. The regolith can be refined to extract silicon, aluminum and other potentially useful metals while also producing oxygen. Silicon and aluminum can be used in the fabrication of lunar based solar cells. In addition, lunar regolith can be melted to form a glassy substrate upon which the silicon solar cells are deposited. The glassy regolith melt is electrically insulating providing good isolation for solar cells. In addition, films of the lunar regolith are transparent at thicknesses less than a half micron. Measurements of the index of refraction indicate a value suitable for optical coatings. The regolith film could be used in antireflection coatings, transparent protective coatings and possibly even in electronic devices as insulating films. We will present results of our investigation into lunar regolith material properties and some alternative uses for the lunar regolith.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1541407","authors":["Charles Horton"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-02-26T19:30:35Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1063/1.1541407","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.31223/x5g438","name":"A Systems-Level Approach to Extracting Oxygen from Lunar Regolith via Molten Regolith Electrolysis","source":"crossref","abstract":"We present a top-level architecture for extracting up to 10 metric tonnes per year of oxygen from lunar regolith by means of Molten Regolith Electrolysis (MRE) using less than 30 kW from vertical solar arrays and a regolith excavator. This System Integration Study identifies specific technology which could be engineered together in the near term into a single system and lander provided focused funding.","url":"https://doi.org/10.31223/x5g438","authors":["Kirby Runyon","Jodi Berdis","Bob Summers","Brenda Clyde","Karl Hibbitts","Michael Nord","Wes Fuhrman"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-12T07:53:40Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.31223/x5g438","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3311/ccc2018-021","name":"Dry-mix autoclaved lunar concrete from lower-Ti basalt lunar regolith simulant","source":"crossref","abstract":"To build a permanently inhabited base on the Moon is a vitally important step to developing deep space exploration and lunar colonization. Therefore, indigenous materials become a significant requirement for lunar construction as transporting the construction materials from Earth is extremely expensive. Fortunately, construction materials can be fabricated by utilizing in-situ materials on the Moon. Dry mix autoclaving is a feasible process for lunar construction material manufacture. In this study, the influence of calcareous material ratio, LRS fineness and briquetting pressure on mechanical property was discussed to estimating the most appropriate technological parameter. The strength forming mechanism was expounded by the investigation of hydration products. The result shows that introducing appropriate amount of high-activity calcium materials can improve the strength and promote the generation of target hydration products. Meanwhile, the increasing of LRS fineness resulted in weakening of compressive strength which may ascribe to the decreasing compactness caused by the trapped gas during forming process with finer particles. The increment of briquetting pressure enhanced compressive strength in a certain range. However, it should be implemented after comprehensive consideration of the enhancing effect. This research provides support for preparation of autoclaved lunar construction materials in the near future.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3311/ccc2018-021","authors":["Lixiong Cai","Lieyun Ding","Hanbin Luo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-12-06T03:14:38Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.3311/ccc2018-021","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-8290162/v1","name":"Architecture of Sintered-Regolith Lunar Polar Microhabitats for Biofilm Research","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract This paper presents a parametric design framework for sintered-regolith microhabitats at the lunar poles and couples it to a low-order model of biofilm attachment, growth, and radiative damage on internal liner materials. The approach integrates three classes of open datasets: (i) polar illumination geometry derived from LOLA digital elevation models and horizon-based solar-track analysis; (ii) regolith thermophysical properties from Diviner radiometry and in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) studies of solar and microwave sintering; and (iii) International Space Station (ISS) microbiology data, including environmental metagenomes, spaceflight biofilm experiments, and the OSD-554 Space Biofilms study on Pseudomonas aeruginosa.On the physical side, the framework parameterizes spherical-cap shells in terms of radius, rise, and thickness, estimates fractional illumination and UV dose from site-specific horizons, and solves one-dimensional multilayer conduction problems under polar boundary conditions to evaluate internal temperature ranges and sintering energy requirements. On the biological side, it employs a surface-attachment Monod model with a UV damage term, uses ISS-derived data as priors for effective kinetic parameters, and defines a scalar biofilm controllability index that interpolates between stainless-steel and liquid-infused-surface (LIS) inner liners.The combined pipeline produces multi-objective trade-offs between illumination and available solar power, sintering energy and shell geometry, internal thermal margins, and steady-state biofilm suppression for candidate liner materials. Although the results are not intended as quantitative habitat predictions, they show that existing open planetary and microbiological datasets can be integrated into a transparent, reproducible workflow for early-stage design of lunar polar microhabitats that must coexist with, and partially control, microbial life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8290162/v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.527Z","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8290162/v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.31224/6410","name":"Compaction trial on lunar regolith simulant","source":"crossref","abstract":"NASA’s Artemis program involves inhabiting the Moon’s south pole, which consists of lunar highlands regolith. For successful long-term habitation on the Moon, resilient infrastructure built on lunar regolith will be required. Therefore, it will be essential that the geotechnical characteristics of lunar regolith are quantified and improved, where required, using surface compaction techniques. This study investigates whether lunar highlands simulant could be compacted using a 1:13 scale model impact roller. Surface settlement and density measurements were undertaken to quantify improvement with increasing compactive effort. The results of laboratory testing conducted on lunar highlands simulants are also presented in this paper. The results from this compaction trial indicate that this surface compaction technique can improve the density of lunar highlands simulant, despite it having no moisture.","url":"https://doi.org/10.31224/6410","authors":["Brendan Scott","Yien Lik Kuo","Mark Jaksa","Akshay Kumar Agarwal"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-02T18:02:27Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.31224/6410","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.22541/essoar.173282183.30831648/v2","name":"Thermophysical properties of lunar regolith revealed by thermal-infrared observations of Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Diviner radiometer","source":"crossref","abstract":"The thermophysical properties of lunar regolith are crucial for the scientific and engineering issues in future lunar missions. In this work, we evaluate the thermophysical properties of lunar regolith between 75 • N and 75 • S from the bolometric temperature dataset of Diviner radiometer by treating the radius of lunar regolith grains as a proxy. By the ground-truth median/average grain radius and Diviner data at Apollo, Luna and Chang'E landing sites, we re-calibrate the reference rolling force for a grain radius of 47.5 m as 0.8 ± 0.1 × 10 −7 N. On the global scale, the estimated grain radius values are fairly uniform, focus mostly between 40 and 60 m and show an average value of ∼ 52.7 m. Some regions of Oceanus Procellarum, Mare Imbrium and Mare Frigoris show abnormally large grain radius 80-100 m, which are associated with the late high-Ti volcanism during 2.3-1.2 Ga within Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT). Mare Humorum is dated to be as old as 3.9 Ga, but still shows large grain radius values of ∼ 100 m that are far greater than those in other contemporaneous mares. Such an anomaly may indicate a distinguished evolution for the local lunar regolith. For the surficial lunar regolith on the global scale, the contact component of thermal conductivity varies mostly within 0.0008-0.0010 W/(m•K), whereas the radiative component normalized to 250 K varies mostly within 0.002-0.004 W/(m•K). The thickness of topmost loosely packed layer is estimated as 0.02-0.04 m. Besides, the thickening of loosely packed layer is more likely to be a natural consequence of the change of packing style associated with the decrease of grain radius during the space weathering.","url":"https://doi.org/10.22541/essoar.173282183.30831648/v2","authors":["Shuoran Yu","Minjun Yu","Xiao Xiao","Jun Huang","Long Xiao"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-21T14:44:00Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.22541/essoar.173282183.30831648/v2","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.22215/etd/2024-16041","name":"A Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectrometer for the Detection of Volatile Compounds in Lunar Regolith","source":"crossref","abstract":"A bench-top proof-of-concept tunable diode laser absorption spectrometer (TDLAS) has been developed for the sake of travel volatile compound detection. The objective was to quantify volatile compounds in the mid-infrared (IR) region. The mid-IR region was selected for its habitation of many volatile compound's strong absorption banks. Work done was limited to the detection of H2O(v) at standard conditions in a flushed test chamber. Budgetary and timeline constraints did not allow for the procurement of quality reference cells. The TDLAS targets H2O(v)'s absorption line located at 2701.3844 nm, which has an associated line strength of 4.5408x10^-20. The design employs a second harmonic-based spectral analysis detection method. The instrument was developed in-house, with an FPGA-based MyRIO-1900 microcontroller. The circuitry includes thermal control circuitry and diode/photodiode circuitry. The associated control software is developed in NI LabVIEW. After simulation and experimentation, it was proven that the instrument can detect and quantify H2O(v).","url":"https://doi.org/10.22215/etd/2024-16041","authors":["Alexander Gregory Gmerek"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-16T20:12:17Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.22215/etd/2024-16041","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/epsc-dps2025-1605","name":"Microchemical and mineralogical characterization of lunar meteorites aimed at the production and testing of lunar regolith simulants","source":"crossref","abstract":"Introduction: Lunar soil simulants have been produced since 1971, as the upcoming space missions needed astronauts to be trained in conducting scientific field works on the Moon’s surface. [1] However, the first lunar soil simulants were not satisfactory in terms of chemical composition and mineralogy, as they were focused on having the proper engineering properties [2].Due to the scarcity and limited accessibility of real lunar soils and rocks samples, and as the interest in lunar colonization with In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) is growing, the production of lunar soil simulants has increased over the years [2].The objective of our work is to develop a new lunar regolith simulant providing a reliable analog in terms of both mineralogy and bulk chemical composition that could be used for experiments on element extraction and for sintering experiments aimed at the production of building materials.Anorthositic rocks are major constituents of the highland regions of the Moon [3], so we aim at reproducing the composition of a regolith whose major component is anorthositic. As lunar meteorites give access to unsampled areas of the Moon’s surface [4], we analyzed microchemically and mineralogically feldspathic lunar breccias and use their chemical composition and modal mineralogy as a reference.Samples and Methods: We performed microchemical and mineralogical characterization of some lunar feldspathic breccias, specifically of samples of the meteorites NWA 7948 [5], NWA 11273 [6], Bechar 007 [7] and Gadamis 004 [8], four feldspathic lunar breccias with low weathering grade [5-8]. The samples were analyzed through FE-SEM at the University of Camerino and the University of Perugia and FE-EMPA analyses are planned at the University of Firenze. Operation conditions were working distance of 8.5 mm and accelerating voltage of 15 and 20 kV.We started with synthesizing anorthite plagioclase and fluorapatite. We plan to synthetize glass whose composition resembles that of impact glass, vescicular glass of the agglutinates, and volcanic spherules found on lunar rocks and lunar meteorites. The next step will be to find natural terrestrial pyroxenes and olivines of suitable chemical composition and to add them in adequate amounts.Results: Petrographic and microchemical investigations on the cited meteorites revealed the dominance of anorthitic plagioclase with average composition An96.1Ab3.7Or0.2 and therefore we focused on the synthesis of anorthite microcrystalline powders with this chemical composition using a muffle furnace in air. Synthesis of fluorapatite is currently ongoing, as is the analysis of terrestrial pyroxenes and olivines.Acknowledgments: This study was carried out within the Space It Up project funded by the Italian Space Agency, ASI, and the Ministry of University and Research, MUR, under contract n. 2024-5-E.0 - CUP n. I53D24000060005.References: [1] Slabic A. et al. (2024), NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) [2] Taylor L. A., et al. (2016) Planetary and Space Science, 126, 1–7 [3] Jaumann R. et al. (2012) Planetary and Space Science, 74, 15-41 [4] Korotev R. L. (2005) Chemie der Erde, 65, 297-346 [5] Zeng, X. et al. (2018), Meteoritic Planetary Science, 53: 1030-1050. Doi: 10.1111/maps.13049 [6] Huidobro J. et al. (2021), ACS Earth Space Chem, 5: 1333-1342. Doi:10.1021/acsearthspacechem.0c00032. [7] Gattacceca J., et al. (2019), Meteorit Planet Sci, 54: 469-471 doi:10.1111/maps.13215 [8] Gattacceca J. et al. (2023), Meteorit Planet Sci, 58: 901-904 doi:10.1111/maps.13995","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc-dps2025-1605","authors":["Valeria De Santis","Giovanni Pratesi","Annarita Franza","Gabriele Giuli"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-09T15:45:11Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.5194/epsc-dps2025-1605","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/epsc2026-754","name":"Long-Term Environmental Influences on Lunar Regolith Simulant EAC-","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Lunar Regolith Simulant EAC-1 [1] is manufactured to imitate with high fidelity the composition and granularity of the Moon's surface. It is designed to be used in large amounts of several cubic meters, and already is in some locations.Influence of the environment on the regolith is still possible, such as temperature and humidity variations of the diurnal or annual cycles. These variations, and the potential accumulation of residual humidity, i.e., humidity that infiltrates but cannot ever be removed, will over time change the electromagnetic properties of the regolith simulant. In order to ensure reproducible radar propagation measurements in a testing environment filled with regolith simulant, it is very useful to track the variation of the changes of the electromagnetic properties, based on easier available measurements of temperature and humidity. Also, the change of material's electromagnetic properties when an ice fraction is added to the mixture, is currently an open question.Preliminary lab measurements show a dependency of the material's electromagnetic properties with respect to an applied mechanical compressive force. This observation is in line with measurements presented by other groups [2].We will present permittivity measurements with systematically varied volume fractions of relative humidity and material density, in order to try to extract a numerical model for the material's behavior. [1] V. S. Engelschiøn, et al., “EAC-1A: A novel large-volume lunar regolith simulant,” Sci Rep, vol. 10, no. 1, Art. no. 1, Mar. 2020, doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-62312-4.[2] D. Ramos Somolinos et al., “Electromagnetic Characterization of EAC-1A and JSC-2A Lunar Regolith Simulants,” Materials, vol. 17, no. 15, p. 3633, July 2024, doi: 10.3390/ma17153633.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-754","authors":["Sebastian Hegler","Wolf-Stefan Benedix","Dirk Plettemeier"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-02T16:32:44Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.5194/epsc2026-754","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/science.293.5537.1949o","name":"Isotopic Variability of Nitrogen in Lunar Regolith","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.293.5537.1949o","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-27T09:52:08Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1126/science.293.5537.1949o","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/078357-0192","name":"Magnetic Cleaning and Beneficiation of Lunar Regolith","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/078357-0192","authors":["Masato Adachi","Ryo Goda"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-31T21:01:52Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.52202/078357-0192","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-319-05546-6_23-1","name":"Regolith Production by Thermal Stress Weathering","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05546-6_23-1","authors":["Tristram Warren"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-09-07T20:02:42Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-319-05546-6_23-1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/epsc2026-1122","name":"Laboratory measurement of the charge and adhesion forces of lunar regolith simulants","source":"crossref","abstract":"During the Apollo missions, it has been well understood that the abrasive and adhesive nature of the lunar regolith was an impediment to the success of future robotic and manned missions. In recent years, many studies focus on understanding dust behaviour under a representative environment. VUV is used to mimic the side of the Moon that is illuminated by the sun, whereas electron irradiation is used to mimic the dark side of the Moon. One major topic that is currently addressed is the assessment of the electrical charge of the lunar regolith under VUV and electron irradiation. The main objective is to study its electrical properties and estimate its adhesion forces. On Earth, different simulants are used and compared to each other. Therefore, the adhesion forces are not only charge and environmental (topography, irradiation conditions, etc) dependent, but also simulant dependent. Studying a large range of dust simulants thus helps us to refine our understanding of the behaviour of the lunar regolith. This will help define and design mitigation techniques that will protect scientific instrument and, more generally, ensure the safety of future lunar missions.For future lunar missions, it is important characterize the charge and size of dust particles to assess their adhesion forces. Measuring the particles’ charge and size allows us to derive whether the charge of dust particles depends on its size or if it is merely a consequence of the environment and local topography. These measurements will also allow us to compare the significance between the lunar regolith and the different dust simulants (JSC-1A, LHS-1, LMS-1, etc), making it easier to extrapolate the behaviour of the lunar regolith. Additionnally, refining our understanding of the electrical properties of the lunar regolith through experimental analysis will contribute to the improvement of simulating tools, such as SPIS ([1]), and allow us to anticipate future critical cases on the Moon.Previous studies that have been led at ONERA with BIRA-IASB have shown that lunar dust simulant JSC-1A is charged negatively and positively under VUV irradiation [2]. This behaviour shows that emitted photoelectrons tend to differentially charge neighbouring grains. According to the patch charge model, deeper layers are charged negatively whereas layers at the surface are predominantly charged positively. In this study, it was shown that 50% of particles have a charge lower than +/- 10 fC. This is valuable information for the design of future mitigation techniques, as it gives a good overview of the electrostatic force that could be applied to extract dust particles from their substrate, or simply prevent them from adhering. Other simulants have also been tested but displayed quite different behaviour. LHS-1 has been tested under VUV and electron irradiation, but few dust grains were detected. This indicates that LHS-1 and JSC-1A have quite different electrical properties, that lead to very distinct behaviours under irradiation. [1] P. Oudayer et al., « Multiscale Modeling of Dust Charging in Simulated Lunar Environment Conditions », IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci., vol. 47, no 8, p. 3710‑3716, août 2019, doi: 10.1109/TPS.2019.2919932.[2] R. Pacaud, J.-C. Matéo-Vélez, S. Hess, et S. Ranvier, « Measurement of bipolar charge distribution of lunar dust simulant under VUV irradiation », Planetary and Space Science, vol. 263, p. 106120, sept. 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.pss.2025.106120.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-1122","authors":["Rémi Pacaud","Sylvain Ranvier"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-02T17:04:57Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.5194/epsc2026-1122","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.2009-6510","name":"Lunar Analog Creation: Preparation and Operation of a Lunar Regolith Simulant Testbed","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2009-6510","authors":["Matt Everingham","Nick Pelster"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-12-19T00:18:21Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.2514/6.2009-6510","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/epsc2024-1222","name":"U-Pb Age Record of Zircons from Ancient Lunar Regolith Breccias and the Early Lunar Bombardment","source":"crossref","abstract":"Introduction: The Moon's impact basins and their deposits retain information about the timing, flux and composition of late accretion in the inner solar system. However, isotopic ages of particular basins have been difficult to determine reliably because reheating by later impacts have affected chronometers to variable extent and gardening of impact ejecta has led to additional complexity. Recently, in situ U-Pb geochronology of zirconium minerals and calcium phosphates coupled with petrographic, geological and geochemical studies have provided more evidence for the most likely ages of at least some lunar basins [1-8]. These data can be compared with advanced models of ejecta distribution and the contributions of impact melt from specific basins to the lunar landing sites [9] and with absolute model ages obtained by improved crater counting data (e.g. [10, 11]). It is important to expand the still limited database of reliable lunar impactite ages to better define basin ages. Because of the robustness of zircons, in situ U-Pb ages of these minerals in lunar impactites have the potential to provide clues for the early lunar bombardment history as they are more resistant to resetting than for instance K-Ar ages. The present study is focusing on Apollo 16 and 17 ancient regolith breccias, which contain a mixture of mineral and lithic clasts from different highland and other lithologies. The goal of the study was to test if they contain zircons that can be dated and if ages match those found in other lithologies at these landing sites. Ancient regolith breccias: Four thin sections were screened with SEM for zirconium phases (67035,13; 67115,29; 74115,18; 76565,8). The Apollo 16 samples were collected at the North Ray Crater rim. 67115,29 contains impact melt and some glass coated fragments. 67035,13 contains highly feldspatic matrix, pristine highland material, melt breccias and granulitic clasts. Most of the bigger clasts are anorthosites. 74115,18 is a compacted soil breccia, collected in the &amp;#8216;light mantle&amp;#8217; area and contains fragments of orange glass spheres and shards, granulites and high-Ti mare basalts. 76565,8 is a dimict breccia rake sample from the North massif with a similar clast inventory. Zircon grains occur as individual mineral clasts in the matrix of the breccias, within larger lithic clasts or as coronas onilmenites.U-Pb age record in zircons: The new data show little to no common Pb in zircons and ancient 207Pb206Pb ages ranging from 3.92 to 4.37 Ga with uncertainties ranging from 9 to 29 Ma (2s). Breccia 67035,13 yields ages of 4.25 to 4.37 Ga, whereas 67115,29 shows an age of 4.21 Ga. Breccia 74115,18 shows age clusters at 3.92-3.93, 4.11-4.17 (most analyses) and 4.34 Ga, 76565,8 at 4.16-4.33 Ga. The oldest age of 4.33 Ga in 76565,8 belongs to a zircon grain attached to clinopyroxene in a evolved lithology. The oldest measured zircon (4.34 Ga) in 74115,18 is an individual grain in a clinopyroxene rich clast, the youngest ages at ~3.9 Ga belong to grains attached to ilmenite or noritic compositions. The 4.11-4.17 Ga cluster occurs in anorthositic clasts with granulitic texture and may reflect 2 or more discrete events or discordance from reheating of older zircon by the 3.92 Ga event. The youngest age of breccia 67035,13 (4.25 Ga) was found for an individual zircon grain associated with olivine and anorthite clasts in the matrix. 67115,29 yields an age of 4.21 Ga, obtained from two individual zircons, one being attached to a feldspar-spinel clast and the other associated with noritic composition. Fe-Ni metal inclusions were found in many of the host clasts or surrounding matrix of the analyzed zircons. Thus, a majority of the zircons in all thin sections can be associated with impact events.&amp;#160;Discussion: The results agree with some of the ages and age clusters in lunar breccias obtained previously by in situ U-Pb analyses of zircon, baddeleyite and calcium phosphates [1-8]. In some of t","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2024-1222","authors":["Anne Lindner","Jasper Engelmann","Harry Becker","Frederic Couffignal","Maria Rosa Scicchitano"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-03T12:38:20Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.5194/epsc2024-1222","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/083076-0103","name":"A Review of Sintering Techniques for Lunar Regolith Simulant","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/083076-0103","authors":["Wenbin Han"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-16T14:18:06Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.52202/083076-0103","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/1.2169291","name":"A Vibrofluidized Reactor for Resource Extraction from Lunar Regolith","source":"crossref","abstract":"The extraction of oxygen and water from the lunar regolith for use as propulsion and life support consumables is an essential feature of any extended‐duration missions on the Moon and in preparations for Mars. Most methods for extracting these resources involve heating lunar regolith to significant temperatures under the constraint of a limited power supply. This paper will discuss an innovative method for uniformly heating regolith using a vibrofluidized reactor. Various flow regimes encountered during vibrofluidization and preliminary heat transfer results using a standard Lunar regolith simulant, JSC‐1, are presented for a range of acceleration levels and vibration frequencies. The results show that regolith compaction, segregation, or convective mixing can be accomplished depending on the acceleration levels chosen. Granular convection is shown to produce uniform temperature within the heated vibrofluidized reactor. Scaling laws that link performance in normal Earth gravity and Lunar gravity is also discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2169291","authors":["Vedha Nayagam"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-02-02T17:25:30Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1063/1.2169291","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.54598/007230","name":"Experimental and DEM model of abrasion of rotary shaft/seal contact with lunar regolith simulants","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.54598/007230","authors":["Shegawu Abebaw Hailemariam"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-30T11:28:24Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.54598/007230","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/epsc-dps2025-1168","name":"Planetary Surface Texture Laboratory: Polarimetric Investigation of Lunar Regolith Simulants","source":"crossref","abstract":"Photometry measures the intensity of light from a source, most commonly used in optics and remote sensing, in order to analyze planetary surfaces and measure brightness, also known as reflectance. Reflectance is particularly important in lunar surface analysis because it offers valuable insights into surface composition and properties. The Planetary Surface Texture Laboratory (PSTL) is a facility at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory that houses a goniometer system designed to improve the understanding of the polarization and photometric characterizations of planetary surface analog materials. This large arc system, (~1.5 meter radius), includes a sample stage and 2 caddies; one holds the polarimetric camera while the other holds the semi-collimated, unpolarized light. The phase angles range between 20° (at i = 40°) to 120° (at i = -60°) for this study; the camera (viewing angle) remains constant as the light source moves throughout the data collection. The reflectance of a material varies with the photometric conditions and is a function of properties such as particle size, porosity, roughness, and internal particle scattering behavior. The overall albedo and color of a surface may vary with the phase geometry (angles between the light source and the detecting optics). This is of particular importance because of the extreme viewing geometries encountered at the lunar south pole.Lunar Simulant Evaluation The availability and use of lunar regolith simulants is crucial for future lunar missions and understanding how to support a sustainable presence on the surface. When using lunar simulants, we have to keep in mind that the simulants are approximations and do not possess all the same characteristics of lunar regolith. However, understanding how lunar simulants differ spectrally from lunar regolith by observing the optical properties is important for providing crucial information about the composition, application, and formation history of the Moon. We assessed 12 different lunar regolith simulants from 5 different simulant provider companies; Colorado School of Mines (CSM), Off Planet Research, Space Resource Technologies (previously Exolith), NASA/United States Geological Survey (USGS) and Deltion, (4 based in the United States, 1 based in Canada, respectively). These simulants included representation for dust, mare, nearside and farside highland regolith. Our preliminary analysis shows that the composition of these simulants has an effect on the reflectance behavior. All of the highland simulants have a higher overall reflectance than the mare simulants. This is because the majority of minerals that make up the lunar highland simulants is largely plagioclase, which absorb little light, causing a higher reflectance. While the majority of minerals that make up the lunar mare simulants is largely olivine and pyroxene, which absorbs more light, causing a lower reflectance. Any variation in reflectance as a function of phase angle can be attributed to several factors such as albedo, composition, and physical properties including the scattering behavior of the individual particles, and porosity. We also collected measurements of samples that were prepped differently in order to show similarities to actual lunar terrains (as viewed from an Earth-based telescope or from orbit). Typically, to understand the full reflectance range of the material, our samples are prepped with a smooth surface. We also prepared a textured sample that was randomly chopped until it had the same depth as the sample holder. As expected, the contrasting degree of shadowing between a smooth and a rough surface can be seen. The textured sample has a rougher surface, therefore, has more micro-shadowing, causing the textured surface to be darker than the smooth surface. The effect is most pronounced in forward scattering conditions (i.e., large phase angles, &gt;90°). Overall, our initial findings produced expected results, although a more detailed study i","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc-dps2025-1168","authors":["Anna Martin","Lizeth Magana","Dave Blewett"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-09T15:45:11Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.5194/epsc-dps2025-1168","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202659897","name":"A microphysical thermal model for the lunar regolith: Determining the lunar regolith properties using a combination of LRO/Diviner and Chang’E-2/MRM data","source":"crossref","abstract":"Context . The surface of the Moon is covered by regolith and its microphysical structure is not only linked to surface processes and regolith evolution, but is also important for in situ resource utilization and mission planning. Aims . We aim to uniquely constrain lunar regolith grain size and density stratification for the highlands and to further investigate the latitudinal dependence of regolith properties using remote sensing data. Methods . We matched simulated surface and microwave brightness temperatures with Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter/Diviner and Chang’E-2/Microwave Radiometer measurements. The physical temperatures of the regolith were modeled by applying a microphysical thermal model that more directly simulates physical properties of the regolith, such as grain size and volume filling factor. Results . First, we find that the regolith-density stratification and grain size can only be unambiguously constrained by using both Diviner and Microwave Radiometer measurements due to their complementary wavelength ranges. The global regolith grain radius for equatorial highlands was determined to be 45 −4 +6 µm and the bulk density in the deeper regolith layers was found to be 1800 -90 70 kg m −3 . Second, the combined analysis of the latitudinal dependence up to ±80° latitude suggests a decrease in bulk density with increasing latitude. We also show that the previously proposed variation in the solar-incidence-angle-dependent albedo is not compatible with microwave brightness temperatures at higher latitudes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202659897","authors":["Johanna Bürger","Jianqing Feng","Matthew A. Siegler","Jürgen Blum"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-22T18:44:24Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1051/0004-6361/202659897","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1109/lgrs.2018.2829159","name":"The Imaging Method and Verification Experiment of Chang’E-5 Lunar Regolith Penetrating Array Radar","source":"crossref","abstract":"As a main payload of the lander of Chang’E-5, lunar regolith penetrating array radar (LRPR) is a multi-input and multioutput ground penetrating array radar system. The following are the main characteristics of LRPR: it works at a fixed location, the layout of the antennas is irregular, and the amount of data for imaging is very rare. A prestack depth migration imaging method based on Kirchhoff integral is presented, which overcomes the problems of irregular antenna layout and the layered medium. The issue of sparse matrix imaging for LRPR is solved successfully by the method. The laboratory experiment demonstrates that the proposed method is very suitable for LRPR imaging, in which the targets are clearly distinguished and their depths are also consistent with the reality.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/lgrs.2018.2829159","authors":["Yuxi Li","Wei Lu","Guangyou Fang","Shaoxiang Shen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-05-11T19:15:34Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1109/lgrs.2018.2829159","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/epsc2026-662","name":"Particle-Resolved Kinetic Modeling of Solar-Wind Hydrogen Release from Lunar Regolith","source":"crossref","abstract":"Solar-wind protons implanted into the upper nanometers of lunar regolith are an important source of hydrogen-bearing species on the Moon. These particles may diffuse through mineral grains, bind to oxygen sites, form OH, recombine to H₂, or contribute to H₂O production and release. Which pathway dominates depends on temperature, binding energies, surface coverage, and the availability of reactive sites (Jones et al., 2021, 2024). These microscopic processes control how much implanted hydrogen is retained in the regolith and how much is released into the surface-bounded exosphere. However, global lunar exosphere models usually cannot directly resolve this subsurface chemistry. We address this scale gap with a particle-resolved time-stepping Monte Carlo model that links solar-wind proton implantation, regolith chemistry, and volatile release.The model tracks individual H-bearing particles diffusing in a one-dimensional depth grid representing the near-surface (400nm) region of a regolith grain (Nagai et al., 2020; Hansen et al., 2013). Solar-wind proton implantation is implemented using a SRIM/TRIM-informed Gaussian depth distribution centered at 20–25 nm (Farrell et al., 2015). Diffusion and release are controlled by temperature- and coverage-dependent activation energies. Previous versions of the activation energy model assumed infinite diffusion efficiency (Schörghofer, 2023, 2025), leading particles to always choose the deepest available binding site. We extended the model by adding a finite-diffusion efficiency term that allows implanted particles to sample binding sites across a broader local activation-energy distribution, rather than imposing a sharp transition between filled and empty sites.Using this framework, we are performing a parameter study of the activation energies. We vary the OH binding-energy distribution, recombinative desorption barriers, the probability of H2 formation, and additional physical parameters. Preliminary results show that the parameters of the OH energy distribution have the strongest influence on the partitioning between retained OH, released H2, and recombined H2O. They show distinct dayside desorption patterns controlled by the imposed diurnal temperature and solar-wind flux profiles. These results indicate that the hydrogen release ratios are sensitive to the assumed activation-energy distribution and must be constrained before they can be used as robust source terms in global exosphere simulations.An example output of the release rates is shown in the Figure, displaying how much of the implanted solar wind protons (SWP) is released at each surface location over one lunation. These rates represent only outgassing from previously implanted protons; they do not include deposition or re-implantation of particles returning from the exosphere. The resulting pattern shows a strong temperature dependence in the outgassing, with enhanced release in warmer regions near the subsolar point.To couple the micro-scale model with global-scale investigations, the H₂ release is used as a source term in a lunar exosphere simulation and tested against reported densities from LAMP and CHACE measurements (Stern et al., 2013; Cook et al., 2013; Hurley et al., 2017; Thampi et al., 2015). Preliminary comparisons indicate that 40–60% of the implanted solar-wind proton flux must be released as H2 to reproduce the observed exospheric densities. This constraint provides an initial benchmark for the activation-energy parameter study: parameter combinations that retain too much hydrogen as OH, or release too little H2, are unlikely to reproduce the observed lunar H₂ exosphere.The model results will be constrained by ongoing laboratory work at the Jozef Stefan Institute (Simčič et al., 2025), where Nuclear Reaction Analysis (NRA) is used to measure implanted-particle depth profiles and retention behavior. These experiments will provide independent constraints on diffusion and desorption parameters. Together, the partic","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-662","authors":["Alexander Peschel","Jurij Simčič","Philipp Reiss"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-02T16:32:44Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.5194/epsc2026-662","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/epsc2026-529","name":"Centralizing Lunar Regolith Properties: An Open-Source Database for Geomechanical Data","source":"crossref","abstract":"Lunar regolith is a complex material that has repeatedly challenged surface operations during lunar missions [1,2]. As humanity prepares to return to the Moon, understanding the mechanical properties of its surface is crucial for the validation of exploration technologies [3,4]. In-situ measurements from crewed and robotic missions, remote sensing, and laboratory analyses of returned samples have provided a wealth of information about lunar regolith. However, these data are often spread across various sources, can be difficult to access and are not always digitized. To address this lack of accessibility, we have developed the Lunar Regolith Database [5] (https://lunar-regolith-database.streamlit.app): an open-source repository centralizing data on the physical and geomechanical properties of lunar soil, and some common regolith simulants. This dataset was manually extracted from a wide range of sources, including original mission reports, subsequent data interpretations, and recent mission publications. The database compiles key geotechnical parameters, such as the angle of internal friction, cohesion, bulk density, and bearing capacity, along with the specific test methods and locations for each measured value. Additionally, the tool features dedicated sections cataloging returned samples, their particle size distributions, and the broader context of the missions that collected them. In an effort towards greater reproducibility, it also incorporates complementary contextual information when available, including depth profiles, local gravitational acceleration, and the range of normal stresses applied in Mohr-Coulomb analyses. Finally, a dedicated user interface enables data retrieval, filtering, and comparative plotting. Users can dynamically tailor the displayed data to their specific research needs through a multi-parameter filter panel and export customized tables directly for further analysis. We illustrate practical applications of the tool through representative use cases, including a comparison of regolith mechanical properties measured in-situ and on Earth (Fig. 1), where we observe that in-situ lunar data exhibits higher internal friction angles and often lower cohesion compared to measurements performed on returned samples. Such comparative analyses reveal critical discrepancies between terrestrial testing environments and actual lunar surface conditions, highlighting the need for a centralized dataset to serve as a reliable and accessible reference. Beyond facilitating fundamental studies in planetary science, this database has direct relevance for rover mobility analysis, lander design, ISRU system planning, and lunar construction activities. Developed in an agile mindset, the Lunar Regolith Database is intended to be used and improved by the planetary science and planetary exploration communities. Figure 1: Comparison of the bulk cohesion and internal friction angle of lunar regolith measured in-situ, on Earth and using remote sensing techniques. Figure 2: Representation of the different missions on the Moon as seen in the Lunar Regolith Database This work is supported by the European Research Council GRAVITE project (grant N° 1087060), the French National Centre for Space Studies (CNES) in the context of the HERA space mission, and by the CNES fellowship 24-357 and APR N° 10678 (2025). This publication is part of the project Influence of gravity on granular flows with fileN° 21898 of the research programme VENI which is (partly) financed by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) under the grant 10.61686/DBYVT15219. [1]G. Heiken, D. Vaniman, B. M. French, Lunar sourcebook: a user’s guide to the moon. Cambridge New York Port Chester: Cambridge university press, 1991.[2]. Gromov, Physical and Mechanical Properties of Lunar and Planetary Soils, Earth, Moon, and Planets, vol. 80, pp. 51–72, 1998.[3]Y. Lin, W. Yang, H. Zhang, et al. Return to the Moon: New perspectives on lunar exploration, Science Bulletin, vol. 69, pp. 21","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-529","authors":["Léonie Gasteiner","Naomi Murdoch","Olfa D'Angelo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-02T16:32:44Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.5194/epsc2026-529","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2023.11.013","name":"Fiber-reinforced lunar geopolymers synthesized using lunar regolith simulants","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2023.11.013","authors":["Solomon Debbarma","Xijun Shi","Anthony Torres","Mehrab Nodehi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-11T11:30:19Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2023.11.013","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.4970599","name":"Investigating the Microscopic, Mechanical, and Thermal Properties of Vacuum-Sintered Bh-1 Lunar Regolith Simulant for Lunar In-Situ Construction","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4970599","authors":["Yu Jiang","Feng Li","Siqi Zhou","Li Liu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-28T18:47:37Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.4970599","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.20944/preprints202508.2082.v1","name":"Resource-Constrained 3D Volume Estimation of Lunar Regolith Particles from 2D Imagery for In-Situ Dust Characterization in a Lunar Payload","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Future lunar exploration efforts rely on an improved understanding of regolith behavior, as evidenced by the adhesion problems encountered during the Apollo missions. The Lunaris Payload, a compact lunar instrument developed in Poland, aims to assess the adhesion of lunar regoliths to various materials using an optical method chosen to meet strict mass constraints. We introduce and validate a resource-constrained optical method to estimate three-dimensional volumes of lunar regolith particles from two-dimensional imagery, using high-resolution micro-CT as ground truth. The approach supports in-situ surface characterization and dust-related risk assessment under the mass and power constraints typical of small payloads. Micro-CT scans were used to establish accurate reference volumes, and multiple geometric approximation methods were applied, including spherical, ellipsoidal, and cylindrical models, to derive volume estimates from a 2D representation. Comparative analyses demonstrate that ellipsoid-based models, particularly those that incorporate a fixed aspect ratio, provide the most accurate volume estimations. These findings offer a practical in situ methodology for analysing the volumes of regolith particles, thus advancing the capacity of the Lunaris mission to characterise lunar adhesion of regolith particles and supporting broader efforts in lunar resource utilisation and habitat construction. To our knowledge, this is the first benchmarking of six 2D-to-3D volume models against micro-CT for lunar regolith adhesion applications. Our findings demonstrate that ellipsoid-based methods achieve the best results, offering a validated, efficient technique for in-situ dust characterization critical for future lunar missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202508.2082.v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.20944/preprints202508.2082.v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.06.056","name":"Proposal of a new category of lunar regolith simulants: Reduced particle-density simulants that exhibit equivalent self-weight in Earth gravity to native regolith in lunar gravity","source":"crossref","abstract":"Current “normal density” lunar regolith simulants used in Earth gravity can be viewed as a poor replication of bulk material handling behaviour of lunar regolith in lunar gravity. The six-times greater self-weight of such normal simulants on Earth compared to the Moon can be the viewed as the underlying cause. The use of such normal simulants in Earth gravity as part of technology development for lunar use may fail to adequately predict lunar behaviour and result in sub-optimal outcomes. This paper proposes a new class of reduced self-weight lunar regolith simulants to minimise this issue. The current work elaborates the case for this new class of lunar regolith simulants with reduced particle density of one-sixth native lunar regolith resulting in reduced self-weight. To justify further this approach a series of studies are reported to highlight the expected differences between the current and proposed simulant uses. First, analytical arguments are used based around Jenike theory and the concept of Bond Number to highlight expected differences. Second, Discrete Element Method simulation is used show the expected difference in behaviour between the two simulants classes. Third, a laboratory breadboarded discharge hopper is used to demonstrate behaviour differences between normal and reduced self-weight stimulants. Additionally, a list of requirements for such reduced self-weight simulants is proposed. The work concludes that the proposed new class of reduced particle density lunar simulants appears to have value and should be further pursued by the relevant communities.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.06.056","authors":["Marko Pratnekar","Vivek Garg","Baldeep Kaur","Michael S.A. Bradley","David C. Cullen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-25T19:07:21Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.06.056","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.22541/essoar.177316805.58226133/v1","name":"Insights on Water Ice-Induced Cohesion in the Lunar Regolith from Laboratory Experiments","source":"crossref","abstract":"It remains unknown whether water ice at cold trap temperatures induces mechanical failure of slopes in lunar permanently shadowed regions (PSRs), or if it acts as a cementing agent to enhance slope stability. An incomplete understanding of the mechanical properties of the lunar polar regolith poses a critical risk for safe trafficability and extended mobility in PSRs. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of water ice in the cohesion of the lunar regolith via laboratory experiments conducted at cold trap (~ 90K) and warmer PSR temperatures (~220K). We measured the static angle of repose (SAoR), dynamic angle of repose (DAoR), failure modes, and aspect ratio of mixtures of water ice and lunar highland regolith simulant as proxies for lunar regolith cohesion. Experiments at ~90K show that the SAoR increases only when water ice abundances are &gt; 30 wt.%, while the DAoR and mode of failure do not deviate from the dry regolith. In lunar cold traps where water ice detections are likely in the few wt.% range, the effects of ice-induced cohesion are negligible. If a cold trap contains &gt;30wt.% ice, enhanced slope stability from ice-induced cohesion is possible. In experiments with &gt;30wt.% water ice abundance at &gt; ~220K, ice-induced cohesion increases SAoR and DAoR, and shifts failure from deep rotational slides (indicative of a cohesionless material) to small, superficial flows that suggest a stabilized bulk heap. Such conditions (e.g. in Tooting Crater, Mars), likely permit steeper, more stable slopes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.22541/essoar.177316805.58226133/v1","authors":["Nina de Castro","Shuai Li"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-10T18:41:05Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.22541/essoar.177316805.58226133/v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/1.1867249","name":"Carbon Reduction of Lunar Regolith for Oxygen Production","source":"crossref","abstract":"The utilization of extraterrestrial resources will become a key element in the exploration of the Moon and Mars. The ability to locally make propellants, life support consumables, and fuel cell reagents will significantly reduce mission cost by reducing launch mass, and reduce risk through reduced dependence on Earth‐supplied materials. The presence of water/hydrogen on the Moon will significantly impact the design of space exploration hardware and systems, but the form and concentration of these resources are unknown. The goal of the first robotic lunar lander mission in 2009/2010 will likely be to determine what is in the permanently shadowed craters of the lunar poles. To meet this goal, the NASA/JSC‐led RESOLVE project will develop and integrate an experiment package that can perform the following objectives: (1) obtain “ground truth” data for resources at lunar pole; (2) obtain bulk and fine‐grained regolith characteristic and environment data; (3) extract and collect volatiles from regolith; (4) produce oxygen from regolith; and (5) perform a hydrogen/water resource processing demonstration after it has been evolved and collected. ORBITEC, an industry partner in the RESOLVE project, is developing a small chemical reactor that will produce oxygen from the lunar regolith using the carbothermal reduction process. The carbothermal reduction process uses a carbonaceous source (such as methane gas) at high temperatures (∼1625 °C) to reduce ilmenite and silicates present in the lunar regolith.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1867249","authors":["Robert J. Gustafson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-03-16T23:42:15Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1063/1.1867249","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.33774/coe-2024-9vm2f","name":"Petrography, Geochemistry and classification of BIR OUNANE 005, Lunar Soil (Regolith Breccia).","source":"crossref","abstract":"In September 2022, I came across a rock sample found on Mali, Bir Ounane region. The fragment was a brown rock, with lack of fusion crust. Everything seemed to indicate that it was an unusual type of lunar rock, so the process of analysis and the official classification began. The petrographic and geochemical data obtained both in our laboratory and in the Cascadia Meteorites Laboratory, University of Portland (USA) concluded with the official classification of the meteorite BIR OUNANE 005, a lunar breccia originating from the lunar soil that contains up to 13 different types of lithic and minerals clasts, and also were observed orange and white spherules.","url":"https://doi.org/10.33774/coe-2024-9vm2f","authors":["Jose Garcia"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-01T12:37:17Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.33774/coe-2024-9vm2f","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.34759/tpt-2020-12-6-242-251","name":"Lunar regolith sintering research","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.34759/tpt-2020-12-6-242-251","authors":["Kirill Kochnev","Alexey Nenarokomov"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-12-16T09:29:15Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.34759/tpt-2020-12-6-242-251","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2025.116542","name":"Measurement of the three-dimensional shape and size distribution of 17 lunar regolith simulants: Simulant shape and size inter-comparison and simulant shape comparison with Apollo 11 and Apollo 14 lunar regolith","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2025.116542","authors":["O.L. Kafka","N.H. Moser","A.N. Chiaramonti","E.J. Garboczi","R.P. Wilkerson","D.L. Rickman"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-05T16:50:42Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1016/j.icarus.2025.116542","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2023.115885","name":"Pressure Sintered icy lunar regolith Simulant (PSS): A novel icy regolith simulant production method","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2023.115885","authors":["Daniel K.M. Johnson","Christopher B. Dreyer","Kevin M. Cannon","George Sowers"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-22T03:18:55Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1016/j.icarus.2023.115885","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/epsc2024-717","name":"Understanding lunar regolith formation through the evolution of boulders","source":"crossref","abstract":"We report on the outcomes of several years of study focused on the understanding of the nature and evolution of regolith on airless surfaces, particularly on the Moon, with the unique approach of using lunar rocks as probe of surface processes. Orbital and in situ imaging of the Moon reveal rocks and boulders scattered across the surface. These rocks preserve the chemistry, mineralogy and petrology of the lunar crust and its evolution. Upon exposure to the surface, they are affected by surface processes and thus inform on regolith formation and evolution [e.g., H&amp;#246;rz et al., 2020]. Furthermore, boulders influence processes such as dust lofting and migration, and surface thermal emission. Here we present an overview of our results. We summarize our findings follow the chronological sequence of events during the residence period of rocks on the surface.We focused our studies on the most frequent context of lunar rocks: the ejecta of impact craters. We studied the photometry of boulder fields around impact craters with modeling and observations and found differences likely associated to the down and up range of the crater impact angle [Marshal et al., 2023]. Variation in petrology has a minor effect on surface microscale roughness and thus on photometry [Marshal et al., 2024], suggesting that the observed difference of boulder fields at lunar craters might be due to the impact-related effect during rock fracturing and excavation. A second unexpected photometric anomaly was found on single instances of ejecta lunar rocks and likely related a soil mantling on top of rocks of peculiar properties [R&amp;#252;sch et al., 2024a]. These results suggest that the outer surface of lunar rocks is subject to a still unclear set of processes. We found evidence for one of such processes during our laboratory experiment on thermal vacuum cycling on meteorite samples [Patzek et al., 2024]. Upon temperature excursions similar to those experienced on the Moon, we observed formation and detachment of micro-flakes on a lunar meteorite, implying that diurnal temperature variation affect superficially lunar rocks. This could in turn influence the rock photometric response. This phenomenon is likely related to rocks of glass and plagioclase-rich petrologies, such as lunar and impact (melt) breccias [Patzek and R&amp;#252;sch, 2022]. The newly found micro-flaking, together with micrometeorite abrasion and dust deposition [R&amp;#252;sch and W&amp;#246;hler, 2024] occur until rock catastrophic shattering. This shattering event take place once the rock has accumulated sufficient internal damage by repeated meteoroid bombardment. We calculated this lifetime, as a function of the rock size, using meteoroid size-frequency distributions and size-dependent specific shattering functions [R&amp;#252;sch et al., 2022]. These new lifetime estimates quantitatively describe i) the change in shape of a rock size-frequency distribution with time and ii) the decrease in rock abundance (aerial fraction covered by rocks) around craters with time (Figure 1). The outcomes of rock impact shattering and the produced fragments are clearly visible in orbital imagery around the lunar globe [R&amp;#252;sch and Bickel, 2023]. We modeled the fate of these fragments produced by impact shattering in order to account for multiple generation of rock fragmentation. This allowed to estimate rock abundances down to the centimeter scale and to estimate the specific shattering energy of lunar boulders. Rock abundances and size-frequency distributions around craters of known radiometric age can be entirely described by modeling shattering by meteoroid bombardment, implying that even if thermal stresses likely modify boulder interior properties, the resulting effect on boulder lifetime is negligible relative to the role of meteoroids bombardment. The current work is threefold: it consists in i) applying the understanding of these processes to an analysis at the quasi-global scale of ","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2024-717","authors":["Ottaviano Rüsch","Rachael M. Marshal","Markus Patzek","Ben Aussel"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-03T11:09:04Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.5194/epsc2024-717","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-27969-0_2","name":"Helium Isotopes in the Lunar Regolith – Measuring Helium Isotope Diffusivity in Lunar Analogs","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27969-0_2","authors":["Kimberly R. Kuhlman","Gerald L. Kulcinski"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-03-22T18:54:34Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-27969-0_2","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-030-97913-3_15","name":"Penetration Investigations in Lunar Regolith and Simulants","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97913-3_15","authors":["Jared Atkinson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-04-27T10:03:02Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-030-97913-3_15","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/083093-0025","name":"Design of a Lunar Regolith Based Additive Manufacturing Printer for Lunar Habitation","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/083093-0025","authors":["Eman Rashid","Joel Eldo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-16T14:20:35Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.52202/083093-0025","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.26226/m.632b0aa4f30377bc3bafa23b","name":"Using a Pattern Recognition Algorithm to Characterize Cryogenic Lunar Regolith","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.26226/m.632b0aa4f30377bc3bafa23b","authors":["Deep Joshi","A W","J Rostami","Christopher B."],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-29T15:53:13Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.26226/m.632b0aa4f30377bc3bafa23b","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.15199/33.2025.06.15","name":"Geotechnical properties of lunar regolith","source":"crossref","abstract":"Wydawnictwo SIGMA-NOT wydaje czasopisma fachowe informujące swoich czytelników o najnowszych osiągnięciach naukowych i nowoczesnych rozwiązaniach technicznych w Polsce i na świecie, popularyzuje problemy techniczne oraz poszerza wiedzę i kulturę techniczną.","url":"https://doi.org/10.15199/33.2025.06.15","authors":["Marcin Kaczmarzyk"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-25T11:08:13Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.15199/33.2025.06.15","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.25148/mmeurs.010565","name":"3D printing of lunar regolith based ceramics via the DLP method","source":"crossref","abstract":"Ceramic parts generally have poor machinability due to their high hardness and high brittleness. Researchers and industries have overcome the difficulty of machining ceramics and have manufactured parts with intricate geometry by using pre-ceramic polymers in stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing and using slurries based on ceramic powder and photopolymer resin in digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing, among other methods. This presentation will discuss the processes involved in the 3D printing of ceramic and ceramic composite parts via the DLP technique. A vital step in ceramic 3D printing is to optimize the printing parameters for a specific slurry formulation in hand. A systematic methodology to accomplish that step has been developed and can be adopted to 3D print any ceramic slurry. During the printing process in a DLP printer, the slurry solidifies into a 3D part layer-by-layer using UV light to cause photopolymerization in the resin, which hardens the resin and makes it function as glue holding ceramic particles in place. After printing and additional curing, parts are heat treated to remove the polymer present within them and to fuse the ceramic particles together. The key results include the printing of cubes with side length of 10 mm having complex features using a lunar regolith simulant named greenland anorthosite with and without graphene nanoplatelets as a reinforcement and the printing of one mold for dog bone samples using just greenland anorthosite having a length of 80 mm, width of 23 mm, and thickness of about 8 mm. In conclusion, complex ceramic parts and ceramic composites have been 3D printed applying the slurry optimization technique. The positive implication of this work is that more ceramic materials can be made available for applications demanding intricate shapes. A challenge for the future is to study the deformation experienced by 3D printed ceramics during sintering and to determine how to take that deformation into account in the part’s geometry so those parts can have desired dimensions after sintering.","url":"https://doi.org/10.25148/mmeurs.010565","authors":["Ricardo Vasquez"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-03-31T15:25:57Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.25148/mmeurs.010565","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.2006-7482","name":"Hydrogen Reduction of Ilmenite from Lunar Regolith","source":"crossref","abstract":"Each ascent vehicle returning from the lunar surface with a crew vehicle will require several tons of fuel. Most architecture studies of lunar exploration vehicles use liquid oxygen for fuel, either for LOX/LH2 or LOX/methane. Utilization of oxygen generated on the lunar surface saves mass launched from Earth, with a multiplication factor on the order of 4-5, e.g. production and utilization of 4 tons of lunar oxygen for the ascent vehicle saves 16-20 tons of initial mass in low Earth orbit (IMLEO). The paper discusses ongoing MSFC activity on oxygen production by hydrogen reduction of Ilmenite. Specifically the important project milestone is to develop the Technology Readiness Level for the generation of lunar oxygen for propellant production from 3 to 5. The paper will provide an overview of the processes for Oxygen Generation, Complete Systems Architecture for a pilot lunar plant, experimental apparatus development and initial experimental results, and future directions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2006-7482","authors":["Narayanan Ramachandran","Harvey Willenberg","Martin Volz"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-12-18T19:14:12Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.2514/6.2006-7482","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.1991-3420","name":"Regolith thermal energy storage for lunar nighttime power","source":"crossref","abstract":"A scheme for providing nighttime electric power to a lunar base is described. This scheme stores thermal energy in a pile of regolith. Any such scheme must somehow improve on the poor thermal conductivity of lunar regolith in vacuum. Two previous schemes accomplish this by casting or melting the regolith. The scheme described here wraps the regolith in a gas-tight bag and introduces a light gas to enhance thermal conductivity. This allows the system to be assembled with less energy and equipment than schemes which require melting of regolith. A point design based on the new scheme is presented. Its mass from Earth compares favorably with the mass of a regenerative fuel cell of equal capacity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.1991-3420","authors":["BRIAN TILLOTSON"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-10-08T18:00:36Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.2514/6.1991-3420","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1061/40177(207)87","name":"Lunar Regolith","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Lunar regolith has two potential uses; the first as a building material in its native state and the second as feedstock for industrial processes, including that of the creation of manufactured building materials. For the purposes of this effort it is assumed that the early uses of lunar regolith will be used in the first sense, in its native state. Used in this manner it can provide shielding for personnel and equipment spaces, shielding from meteorites, thermal extremes, radiation, both natural and man-made, and the blast effects of rocket landings and takeoffs. The regolith is also the most probable foundation for structures. (The moon is mostly covered with regolith; there comparatively little exposed rock.) This paper is, therefore, devoted to an examination of regolith used in its natural state. However, the issues of handling the regolith are also valid for regolith used as feedstock. Uninhabited structures such as antennae, solar power arrays, nuclear power sources, and scientific apparatus can be made to sit upon and/or be anchored to the regolith. As the size and sophistication of lunar structures increase so will the knowledge of the lunar environment that will engender their design and construction. Enough is known about the general mechanics of the regolith to use it as a building material. However the issues of excavatablity and material handling are yet to be resolved. Much of the information required for a particular installation will be site-specific. Therefore the level of knowledge required may be quite limited but the ingenuity to obtain reliable and usable information at this level may well prove to be quite complicated. As each of the issues is discussed \"data needs\" are identified.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1061/40177(207)87","authors":["John V. Gies"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-01-19T19:37:02Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1061/40177(207)87","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.31224/6408","name":"Density, strength and compressibility characteristics of lunar regolith simulant","source":"crossref","abstract":"Humankind will soon be returning to the Moon, as part of NASA’s Artemis program, where the objective is long-term habitation to facilitate extra-terrestrial exploration and in situ resource utilisation. The Artemis program is focused on inhabiting the Moon’s South pole, which consists of lunar highlands regolith. The Lunar Construction Group, which is part of the University of Adelaide’s Andy Thomas Centre for Space Resources (ATCSR), is actively undertaking research to design and construct infrastructure on the Moon. Due to the lack of availability of lunar regolith samples, lunar simulants have been developed which are intended to provide authentic surrogates of lunar regolith. It is essential, for the development of sustainable and resilient lunar infrastructure, that the geotechnical characteristics of the regolith are quantified and understood. This paper begins by first summarising the known ground conditions on the Moon and then presents the results of laboratory testing on three lunar simulants LHS-1 (lunar highland simulant), MAB-1 (a modified lunar highland simulant, which is a mixture of anorthosite and basalt), and LMS-1 (lunar mare simulant), in order to quantify their strength and compressibility characteristics.","url":"https://doi.org/10.31224/6408","authors":["Akshay Kumar Agarwal","Yien Lik Kuo","Mark Jaksa","Brendan Scott"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-02T17:49:29Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.31224/6408","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.14357/19922264200207","name":"APPROXIMATION OF PARTICLE SIZE DISTRIBUTIONS OF LUNAR REGOLITH BASED ON THE RESAMPLING","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.14357/19922264200207","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-07-06T12:13:53Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.14357/19922264200207","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/1.1541408","name":"Surface Mine Design and Planning for Lunar Regolith Production","source":"crossref","abstract":"Terrestrial surface mine design and planning techniques are applied to the production of lunar regolith for manufacturing makeup gases for the life‐support system of a lunar base. Two scenarios are examined, due to the uncertainty of whether bound hydrogen sensed near the lunar poles is from cometary ice deposited in cold traps (♯1), or to hydrogen implanted within regolith grains by the solar wind (♯2). Scenario ♯1, with a total production requirement of 44 tonne/day of regolith, could be handled with four groups of four 6‐m3 capacity slushers (drag scrapers), each group extending 100 m around a single processing module. Scenario ♯2 (4.382 tonne/day) could be accomplished with three powered bowl‐type scrapers (capacity 24 m3) gathering the regolith into long windrows feeding a large processor. The present orebody model is extremely thin (1 m), although broad in extent: this prevents usage of high production‐rate systems such as large draglines.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1541408","authors":["Leslie Sour Gertsch"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-02-26T19:30:35Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1063/1.1541408","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-319-14541-9_42","name":"Regolith Thickness","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14541-9_42","authors":["Vijayan S."],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-05-13T10:02:24Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-319-14541-9_42","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/1.2169290","name":"Effect of Water Ice Content on Excavatability of Lunar Regolith","source":"crossref","abstract":"The amount of water ice contained within prepared samples of JSC‐1 lunar regolith simulant strongly affects the excavatability of the material. As part of a NASA Phase I SBIR project, load‐penetration testing of JSC‐1 lunar regolith simulant was performed at water ice concentrations ranging from zero to 11% by mass (approximately saturated), after compaction and cooling to simulate probable lunar conditions. After mixing dry JSC‐1 simulant with the appropriate amount of water, the samples were individually compressed into containment rings under 48 MPa of pressure. Thermocouples embedded in the samples monitored internal temperature while they were cooled in a bath of liquid nitrogen. At temperatures corresponding to the lunar polar cold traps, a 19mm‐diameter hemispherical indenter was forced into the center of each sample while the required force and the resulting penetration were recorded. The results show strong sensitivity to water content. Regolith containing up to 0.3% water ice is very easy to excavate and behaves like weak coal. Regolith with 0.6 to 1.5% ice is readily excavatable and acts like weak shale or mudstone. Regolith with ∼8.4% ice would be excavated with mechanical excavators, much like moderate‐strength limestones, sandstones, and shales. The highest strength mix (∼10.6% ice) behaves like strong limestone or sandstone, which require massive excavators. These results show that realistically compacted ice‐regolith mixtures may be harder to excavate than previously believed, and that mixture variability must be well‐understood to design effective excavators.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2169290","authors":["Leslie Gertsch"],"tags":["Regolith","Geology","Compaction","Astrobiology","Geotechnical engineering"],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-02-02T17:25:30Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1063/1.2169290","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.22215/etd/2023-15477","name":"A Method for the Extraction of Alumina and Silica from Lunar Regolith Using Hydrochloric Acid","source":"crossref","abstract":"50 years after the last Apollo mission, humanity is finally returning to The Moon.Thanks to advances in rocketry, additive manufacturing techniques, and material sciences, we are in a position where we can not only go to the Moon, but also establish permanent colonies once there.The aim of this research has been to confirm a proposed method for extraction of silica and alumina from lunar regolith using hydrochloric acid leaching.This process has the potential of being the starting point for a sustainable industrial basis for lunar resource extraction.This research built a workbench prototype for later payload development which will be used to decompose lunar anorthite (CaAl2Si2O8) using acid weathering.The intent of this experiment was to extract alumina (Al2O3) and silica (SiO2) from anorthite.Given that anorthite is abundant in the lunar highlands and practically free of sodium, it is a particularly attractive source of base materials.The intent was to confirm a sustainable means of producing smelter grade alumina for the purpose of in-situ manufacturing as well as silica extraction as part of a near closed-cycle environment.The silica produced is intended for the manufacturing of fused silica glass, thermal insulation fibers, and optical fiber cables.The alumina on the other hand can be used for the production of neutral refractory ceramics which can withstand temperatures of approximately 2000⁰C.Both the silica and alumina can also act as sources of metals (pure Si and Al) through electrochemical reduction which also produces oxygen (O2) as a useful biproduct.Lunar soil samples not being readily available, commercially sourced lunar simulant was used in its stead for our demonstration.To generate alumina and silica, the simulant was treated with hydrochloric acid (HCl) to dissolve the anorthosite.Silica remained as a precipitate, while the calcium and aluminium dissolved into solution.After further sparging, aluminium chlorite hexahydrate (AlCl3•6H2O) precipitated out of solution and upon completion of a double calcination, alumina was produced.The result obtained in the thesis demonstrates that resource extraction could be accomplished on the Moon using minimal Earth-sourced reagents; however, to achieve desirable levels of purity an effective beneficiation step will have to be put in place to generate high quality feedstock.Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAAE) department, for his valuable insight, support, and advice throughout my research.He has given the latitude to explore and trust to achieve the goal that we had set out.I also which to gratefully acknowledge Beth MacLarty-Halfkenny and Dr. Brian Cousens from the Carleton Earth Sciences Department, without their support and insight this thesis would not have been possible.Further, I would like to thank Xavier Walls who has been at my side throughout this endeavour and has coached me in the mystic arts of chemistry.His insight throughout the conduct of this experiment has helped me greatly.I wish him all the best in carrying on with the follow-on research that will unfurl from this","url":"https://doi.org/10.22215/etd/2023-15477","authors":["Bertrand Jean Marc Robert Thibodeau"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-18T19:29:08Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.22215/etd/2023-15477","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acsomega.4c02702.s001","name":"Self-Sufficient Production of Lunar Regolith Gravels on the Moon by Ultrarapid Microwave Sintering","source":"crossref","abstract":"A sintered lunar regolith is expected to be used to construct buildings, roads, and landing pads for spacecrafts on the Moon. Here, we demonstrate that focused microwave heating is effective for the rapid solidification of the lunar regolith simulant to obtain regolith gravel without any microwave susceptor. The conventional multimode microwave oven cannot heat lunar regolith simulants and requires microwave susceptors such as silicon carbide (SiC) and thermal insulators because of its low dielectric loss. We achieved rapid microwave heating of a lunar regolith simulant without using a susceptor or thermal insulator by forming an intense microwave electric field using a cavity resonator and a semiconductor microwave oscillator. Focused microwaves at 2.45 GHz produced the gravel-shaped and solidified lunar regolith at 300 °C lower temperature than a conventional electrical furnace, where more than 1050 °C temperature was required to sinter the lunar regolith simulant. In addition, we produced larger gravel of the lunar regolith simulant using 915 MHz. The intense electric field generated by the single-mode resonator promoted the solidification of the lunar regolith simulant without any additional substances. This process enables the local production of structured lunar regoliths on the Moon without the transport of any materials from the Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.4c02702.s001","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-07T13:20:11Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1021/acsomega.4c02702.s001","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/083076-0140","name":"Regolith Flowability in Lunar Gravity and Vacuum","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/083076-0140","authors":["Anastasia Stepanova","Christopher Dreyer","Ryan Garvey"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-16T14:18:06Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.52202/083076-0140","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1061/9780784485736.081","name":"Lunar Landing and Launch Pad Construction Using Concentrated Solar Energy to Fuse Lunar Regolith Feedstock","source":"crossref","abstract":"Outward Technologies conducted a series of physical experiments which showed the feasibility of constructing lunar launch and landing pads from lunar regolith feedstocks via selective solar melting (SSM) using concentrated solar energy (CSE) as the heat source to fully melt and fuse lunar regolith into a consolidated structure. Solar energy was concentrated using a Fresnel lens with a 1,000 by 1,200 mm aperture to produce cylindrical specimens with a diameter of 75 mm and measured thickness ranging from 7.5 to 17.5 mm out of lunar highlands regolith simulant CSM-LHT-1. Single- and multi-layer specimens were produced using Outward’s solar additive manufacturing technology where CSE is used to directly heat and selectively melt regolith simulant in a powder bed fusion printing process. The solidified material was comprised of primarily crystallized phases with some amorphous regions. Load bearing tests were performed to simulate loading by a lunar lander footpad in order to evaluate specimen performance. For these load bearing tests, specimens were placed on a prepared bed of regolith simulant and loaded at their center via a loading ram until failure. Next, two sets of analytical plate loading calculations were conducted using the measured mechanical properties and load at failure. The first set of equations identified the peak tensile stress experienced during the load bearing tests. Results showed the specimens had a tensile strength of 9 ± 2 MPa, higher than that expected for M25 grade concrete. The second set of plate loading equations determined the required landing and launch pad (LLP) thicknesses for various possible lunar lander masses and foot pad sizes based on the calculated peak tensile strength of the load bearing specimens and an assumed level of soil compaction as defined by a modulus of subgrade reaction. For a modulus of subgrade reaction of 500 kPa/m, representing an unaltered/non-compacted lunar surface, a 20 mm thick regolith LLP would be able to support a 3,000 kg lunar lander on a single 0.3 m diameter footpad. Supporting the entire mass of a lander on a single footpad represents the worst-case scenario where the lander descends at an angle causing one footpad to touch down before the others. For a much higher subgrade reaction of 1,00,000 kPa/m, representing a pre-conditioned/compacted lunar surface, a 30 mm thick regolith LLP would be able to support a 1,00,000 kg lander on a single footpad 0.4 m in diameter. These results demonstrate the feasibility of a print-in-place SSM construction method to produce both single- and multi-layer horizontal structures suitable for LLPs from a regolith feedstock without the need for binders or additives from Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784485736.081","authors":["Alan Carter","Andrew Brewer","Ryan Garvey"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-10T14:00:32Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1061/9780784485736.081","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/rs14143378","name":"Shallow Regolith Structure and Obstructions Detected by Lunar Regolith Penetrating Radar at Chang’E-5 Drilling Site","source":"crossref","abstract":"This work analyzes the observations from the Lunar Regolith Penetrating Radar (LRPR) onboard Chang’E-5 to reconstruct the subsurface structure of the regolith under the lander at the drilling site. This is the first stationary Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) array to operate on the Moon. Imaging results of pre-drilling and post-drilling measurements show that the thickness of local regolith is larger than 2 m. Within the LRPR’s detection range, we do not find any continuous layer. Instead, irregular, high-density zones are identified in the regolith. Two of these zones are on the drilling trajectory at ~30 cm and ~70 cm, consistent with the recorded drilling process. We speculate a rock fragment from the deeper, high-density zone obstructed the drill, which led to an early termination of the drilling. Based on our interpretation of subsurface structure, we modeled the LRPR echoes using a finite-difference time-domain method. The same imaging algorithm was also applied to the simulation data. The modeled data verify our inference of the regolith structure under the lander.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14143378","authors":["Jianqing Feng","Matthew A. Siegler","Mackenzie N. White"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-14T00:12:40Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.3390/rs14143378","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1088/1361-6498/ae7d37","name":"A review of lunar regolith radiation shielding usingin situresource utilisation.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Sustained human operations on the lunar surface require robust radiation protection, as the Moon lacks both a substantial atmosphere and a global magnetosphere, leaving crews exposed to galactic cosmic rays and solar energetic particle (SEP) events. The surface radiation field is also influenced by albedo secondaries, particularly neutrons and gamma rays produced when primary particles interact with lunar regolith. These secondaries can contribute substantially to biological dose. This review synthesises lunar and orbital measurements, radiation transport modelling, and experimental beam and neutron transmission studies to evaluate lunar regolith as anin situresource utilisation shielding material for surface habitats. Across published simulations, the first few tens of grams per square centimetre of regolith often reduce dose equivalent by fragmenting high linear energy transfer ions and lowering the average quality factor. At greater thicknesses, additional shielding can yield diminishing returns as secondary neutron production increases. Hybrid shielding strategies that place a hydrogen-rich material as an interior liner generally outperform shielding strategies with only regolith. Experimental results broadly support these trends and show that benchmarked Monte Carlo configurations can reproduce measured effects.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6498/ae7d37","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1088/1361-6498/ae7d37","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1539/sangyoeisei.2026-001-a","name":"[Biological effects of lunar regolith dust].","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Objective It is important to understand the biological effects of lunar dust (regolith) if human activities, prolonged stays, and eventual habitation are to take place on the Moon. Methods This study explains the biological effects of regolith and is based on an assessment of findings from studies that used regolith and regolith simulants and knowledge derived from the physicochemical properties of terrestrial dust. Results In vitro cell culture studies using regolith simulants showed that the cytotoxicity and biological activity of lunar dust were generally lower than those observed for crystalline silica. Similarly, animal exposure studies that investigated the effects of regolith and regolith simulants showed limited inflammation and fibrosis, suggesting that their pulmonary toxicity is intermediate between that of titanium dioxide and crystalline silica. Although no allergy-enhancing effects, such as those seen in bronchial asthma, were observed, allergy effects have been reported for Asian dust, which has similar constituent components. This suggests that regolith could potentially enhance allergic responses. Furthermore, the results obtained using terrestrial regolith simulants may underestimate the biological effects of regolith because the simulants do not include certain materials, such as agglutinates, that are only generated in the lunar environment. Conclusions Although the available experimental evidence does not suggest potentially severe cytotoxic, inflammatory, or fibrotic effects, careful evaluation of the chronic inhalation effects of lunar dust on future long-term lunar residents is required and this assessment should take into account its unique microstructure and surface chemical reactivity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1539/sangyoeisei.2026-001-a","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1539/sangyoeisei.2026-001-a","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/ma19143037","name":"Study on Basalt Fiber-Reinforced Lunar Regolith Simulant Geopolymer: Experiment and Constitutive Model.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Lunar regolith simulant (LRS) geopolymers are promising construction materials for lunar in situ resource utilization, but their brittle behavior and limited crack resistance restrict their structural applications. This study investigated the effect of basalt fiber length on the mechanical properties, failure modes, stress-strain behavior, constitutive relationship, and microstructure of CQU-1 LRS geopolymers. Basalt fiber-reinforced LRS geopolymers were prepared under weak alkali activation and high-temperature curing at 80 °C. The basalt fiber content was fixed at 0.1%, and six fiber lengths of 0, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 mm were considered. Compressive and flexural tests were conducted after curing for 1 d and 7 d, and the normalized stress-strain curves were fitted using the Saenz L.P., Carreira D.J., and Zhenhai Guo models. The results showed that basalt fiber length significantly affected the mechanical performance of LRS geopolymers. An appropriate fiber length improved strength, stiffness, ductility, and post-peak load-bearing capacity, whereas excessively short or long fibers weakened the reinforcing effect. The 15 mm fiber group exhibited the best overall performance. After curing for 1 d, its compressive strength reached 2.23 MPa, 49.7% higher than that of the control group, and its elastic modulus increased approximately 2.5-fold. After curing for 7 d, its compressive strength reached 13.44 MPa, 32.0% higher than that of the control group. The Zhenhai Guo model provided the best fit for the stress-strain curves. SEM-EDS analysis showed that basalt fibers improved interfacial bonding and promoted gel enrichment near the fiber-matrix interface. Overall, 15 mm was recommended as the optimal basalt fiber length for CQU-1 LRS geopolymers under the conditions used in this study.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19143037","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.3390/ma19143037","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/ma19143120","name":"Metal Recovery from Lunar Regolith via Deep Eutectic Solvent Electrolysis for In Situ Resource Utilization.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Sustaining human presence on the Moon depends on access to strategic metals, which can be achieved by directly utilizing extraterrestrial resources through in situ resource utilization (ISRU). This study presents novel insights and preliminary results into a previously unexplored strategy for metals extraction from the lunar regolith simulant Lunar Mare Soil (LMS-1) using deep eutectic solvents (DESs). Based on inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) measurements, the solubility of major oxide components of the regolith, SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , Cr 2 O 3 , MgO and FeO T, was investigated in ethaline (choline chloride:ethylene glycol, ChCl:EG) as well as reline (ChCl:Urea). Although both DESs enabled oxide dissolution, reline exhibited significantly higher dissolution efficiency, due to the additional hydrogen-bond donor sites, NH and CO groups from urea, as well as high chloride activity in the reline. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV) revealed that dissolved metal species in the reline-regolith system undergo complex multivalent redox transitions. The equilibrium potentials of the metals were determined and correlated with the order in which the metals should be electrodeposited on the cathode from an electrolyte containing dissolved lunar regolith. Based on the data from electrochemical measurements, parameters for electrolysis were selected. At less negative overpotentials, the deposit consisted mainly of Si, while Al, Cr, and Fe, along with Si, were electrodeposited at more negative potentials. The results highlight the importance of considering the selective electrochemical extraction of metals from DESs using lunar regolith as the source.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19143120","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.3390/ma19143120","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.64898/2026.02.23.707481","name":"Growth and molecular responses of potato to lunar regolith simulants","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Background On-site food production will be required to achieve NASA’s goal of a sustainable Lunar habitat. Toward this end, the use of fine, soil-like material on the Lunar surface, known as regolith, has been proposed as a plant growth substrate. However, how this substrate may affect plant growth is not well understood. Lunar regolith is devoid of the organic materials that make soils on earth fertile for plant growth, and has been weathered by solar winds, cosmic rays, and micrometeorite impacts. Additionally, regolith at certain lunar sites may contain heavy metals. These metal ions may leech, thus posing challenges with accumulation in plant material. To address and verify the efficacy of regolith-based crop production, we used lunar regolith simulants (LRS). We investigated the effects of LRS on potato ( Solanum tuberosum cv ‘Modoc’) plant and tuber development, gene expression, and nutrition profiles. Results Growth in LRS negatively impacted the potato plant size and tuber yield. While the degree of impact differed between simulants, all plants grown in LRS were statistically significantly shorter in height than plants grown in control soil. Further experiments with the lunar mare simulant 1E (LMS-1E) show that these effects can be ameliorated through the addition of vermicompost, an organic component, with a 70:30 v/v ratio of LMS-1E to compost being virtually indistinguishable from controls. Changes in gene expression profiles also differed between simulants, with genes related to photosynthesis, biotic and abiotic stress responses, signaling, and terpenes and flavonoids metabolism being commonly altered. Despite these observed differences in transcription, broad changes in metabolite profiles were not observed. Conclusions LRS are clearly stressful on plants. However, amendment of the substrate with composted materials appears to be a viable strategy to alleviate stress. Given these observations, regolith-based agriculture may not be viable for very early food production when organic matter content is low. However, this would improve over time with continual incorporation of organic matter to regolith. As such, we believe regolith-based agriculture is a viable long-term strategy.","url":"https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.02.23.707481","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.64898/2026.02.23.707481","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-9421896/v1","name":"Trafficability and excavatability of icy lunar regolith simulants quantified using cone penetration","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract This article outlines the experimental equipment and techniques used to quan- tify how ice content and microstructure influences the geotechnical behavior of icy lunar regolith simulants, using cone penetration tests. It addresses two pri- mary research questions: (1) What is the relationship between ice microstructure and geotechnical behavior for icy lunar regolith simulants: and (2) How can this knowledge improve excavation and traffcability on the Moon. Unsintered, pressure sintered, ice-cemented, and vapor deposited icy regolith simulants were systematically studied at ice contents from 0.1 to 30 wt.% and bulk densities between 1.5 and 1.8 g cm−3 . Sample and probe temperatures were maintained at −180 ± 5◦ C and −160◦ C to −140◦ C, respectively. Traffcability was estimated using the cone index gradient (G, kPa mm −1 ). After correcting for lunar grav- ity ( G Lunar ) and experiemntal penetration depths to 30 mm, a vapor deposited sample with 6.68 wt.% ice was found to be 3.92 times stronger than a pressure sintered sample containing 8 wt.% ice, and 1.23 times stronger than the upper bound of in-situ G values measured in the Descartes Highlands during Apollo 16. The excavatability of pressure sintered samples, defined as the energy expended per unit mass of excavated water ( η exc , J/g), became more effcient with increas- ing ice content, falling from 0.35 J/g at 1 wt.% to 0.11 J/g at 30 wt.% (3.2 fold decrease), compared to an increase from 2.74 J/g at 1 wt.% to 143.03 J/g at 12 wt.% (52 fold increase) for ice-cemented samples. This work provides the first quantitative geotechnical measurements of vapor deposited icy simulants and demonstrates that ice-cemented simulants can exhibit strength several orders of magnitude higher than other morphologies under identical conditions. If icy lunar regolith occurs as loose granular, pressure sintered or as vapor deposited morphologies these results suggest that icy lunar regolith may be easier to exca- vate and traverse than previously thought, given widespread use of ice-cemented simulants, rocks and concrete analogues - questioning their continued use. Con- sequently, excavation of water-ice within PSRs may be more economically viable, whilst also offering improved traffcability compared to dry regolith.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9421896/v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9421896/v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.aed4951","name":"Impact-processed nitrogen-bearing organics in Chang'e-5 and Chang'e-6 lunar regolith.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Moon has preserved a unique record of organic matter delivered and reworked by asteroid and comet impacts. Here, we report diverse organic phases (particle-like, adhering-like, and inclusion-like) on the surfaces of lunar regolith grains returned by the Chang’e-5 and Chang’e-6 missions. They are predominantly amorphous carbon–like, containing N- and O-bearing functionalities and amide (─CONH─) linkages. The lunar organics show δD, δ 13 C, and δ 15 N values more negative than those of insoluble organic matter reported in carbonaceous chondrites and asteroids, consistent with impact-induced evaporation-condensation and surface reworking. The presence of solar wind implantation signatures in the organics supports long-term exposure on the lunar surface. Together, these findings suggest that the impacts both delivered and chemically processed organic matter on the lunar surface, generating N- and O-bearing functionalities.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aed4951","authors":["Mingtan Dong","Jialong Hao","H. G. Changela","Hengci Tian","Shengxuan Huang","Yuyang He","X.C. Liu","Xiaoguang Li","Sen Hu","Wenbo Yang","Yangting Lin"],"tags":["Regolith","Astrobiology","Comet","Organic matter","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.aed4951","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41526-026-00562-8","name":"Influence of low gravity on the penetration resistance of lunar regolith.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Lunar surface operations conducted by the United States and the Soviet Union confirmed that penetration resistance is a key indicator for evaluating the engineering properties of lunar regolith. To quantitatively assess the influence of reduced gravity on penetration resistance, this study employed a newly developed Geotechnical Magnetic-gravity Modeling Test (GMMT) system to perform cone penetration tests under controlled gravitational acceleration levels of 1/6 g, 1 g, and 2 g. The results indicated that the normalized penetration resistance increased as gravity decreased, and this effect was amplified at higher relative densities. To investigate the underlying mechanisms, discrete element method (DEM) simulations were conducted. The findings revealed that, in addition to gravity, in situ factors such as high relative density and irregular particle morphology also significantly enhanced penetration resistance by strengthening interparticle contact and friction. These non-gravitational effects partially offset the expected reduction in resistance under lower gravity, leading to a smaller-than-anticipated decline. This study provides new insights into the gravity-dependent penetration behavior of lunar regolith.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-026-00562-8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1038/s41526-026-00562-8","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/mam/ozag013","name":"Statistical Analysis and Modeling of the 3D Morphology and Texture of Lunar Regolith Simulants.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Understanding the mechanical behavior of lunar regolith under low-g conditions is essential for processing regolith in the lunar environment. While well understood for many granular materials on Earth, these properties have yet to be studied for lunar regolith. For ground-based experimental investigation of regolith properties, simulants are used, which mimic certain physical or chemical aspects of lunar regolith. However, rheology is significantly influenced by particle size and shape, which has not yet been thoroughly characterized for lunar regolith particles. Moreover, it remains unclear how well common simulants approximate the morphology of lunar regolith particles. In this paper, we quantify the multivariate distributions of size and shape descriptors of actual lunar regolith particles and seven commonly used mare and highlands regolith simulants, using 3D tomographic image data obtained via micro computed tomography. Quantitative analysis confirms that there are large differences in morphology within regolith simulants and between simulants and lunar regolith. This highlights the need to develop regolith simulants with accurate morphologies for experimental investigations of mechanical properties. Alternatively, statistically representative digital models of lunar regolith can be used as input for numerical simulations, enabling simulation studies of morphology-driven mechanical behavior under lunar conditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/mam/ozag013","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1093/mam/ozag013","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-026-68824-3","name":"Saturation of space weathering in shaping lunar regolith particle morphology.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The lunar mare regolith preserves tripartite records of volcanism, impacting, and space weathering. However, previous studies based on limited soil particle numbers were hindered by issues of sample representativeness. Here we conduct micro-CT scans of bulk soil samples from Chang'e-5 (nearside) and Chang'e-6 (farside), and develop machine learning-based image segmentation and classification methods to identify a vast number of basalt, agglutinate, breccia, and monomineralic particles. The Chang'e-5 basalt exhibits higher plagioclase content than Chang'e-6, while agglutinates from Chang'e-6 have lower void ratios, respectively indicating different lava origins and more intense micrometeorite bombardment for farside Chang'e-6. Despite their contrasting volcanic and impacting histories, the soil particles for these youngest nearside/farside samples exhibit similar morphometric distributions, suggesting that space weathering reached saturation in shaping surficial soil particle morphology in ~ 2.2 million years or less. These findings may extend to other mare regions and help establish space weathering models for other airless bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-68824-3","authors":["Ao Luo","Yifei Cui","Wang Guo-dong","Jiayan Nie","Chuansheng Xu","Zihan Zhang","Jun Zhang","Yang Li","Qi Zhao","HuaiYu HE"],"tags":["Regolith","Weathering","Space weathering","Plagioclase","Saturation (graph theory)"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-026-68824-3","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/polym18080998","name":"Analytical Evaluation of Stress-Strain Behavior and Reaction Mechanism of Lunar Regolith Simulant (CQU-1) Geopolymer.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Utilizing lunar regolith as a raw material for structural components offers significant potential for future lunar exploration. Direct manufacturing from unprocessed regolith reduces the need for specialized refining equipment compared to element extraction methods. At present, the mechanical properties of long-term alkali-activated CQU-1 lunar regolith simulant geopolymer (LRSG) columns have not been studied. To address this, forty-eight CQU-1 LRSG cylindrical specimens were prepared and tested under axial compression in this study. The effects of the curing temperature (60 °C and 80 °C), curing time (3 d, 7 d, 14 d and 28 d), and water-binder ratio (0.325 and 0.455) on the failure modes and stress-strain behavior were investigated. The alkali-activated CQU-1 LRSG achieved a maximum compressive strength of 33.89 MPa under optimal conditions. Elevated curing temperatures and extended curing times enhanced peak stress and elastic modulus while reducing peak and ultimate strains, indicating greater stiffness and brittleness. Conversely, increased water-binder ratios flattened stress-strain curves, diminishing slope and peak stress while elevating peak and ultimate strains. Based on these test results, the stress-strain model, elastic modulus model and peak strain model of alkali-activated CQU-1 LRSG were proposed. The proposed models can accurately predict the stress-strain relationship, compressive strength and ultimate strain of alkali-activated CQU-1 LRSG. The influence of curing temperature, curing time, and water-binder ratio on the performance of alkali-activated CQU-1 LRSG is also discussed in detail. This work confirms the viability of the alkali-activated CQU-1 LRSG and lunar regolith-based geopolymers for future extraterrestrial construction.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18080998","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.3390/polym18080998","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/ma19091907","name":"Microwave-Sintered Lunar Regolith Bricks for Lunar Infrastructure: Fracture Behavior, Tribological Performance, and Electromagnetic Wave Transmission.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Microwave-sintered lunar regolith bricks are promising candidates for in situ construction of lunar infrastructure, where structural load-bearing capacity and multifunctional performance are simultaneously required. Currently, there remains a research gap concerning the service performance of microwave-sintered lunar soil bricks under predictable load-bearing, wave-transparent, and friction working conditions. In this study, lunar bricks were fabricated at different microwave sintering temperatures, and the effects of temperature on their microstructure and engineering properties were systematically investigated. The sample sintered at 1000 °C achieved a density of 2.96 g/cm 3 and a compressive strength of 260 MPa. Combined experimental observations and numerical simulations revealed a typical brittle fracture behavior, primarily governed by residual porosity within the material. Tribological tests showed a low wear rate of 6.51 × 10 -5 mm 3 /(N·m), indicating good wear resistance and potential applicability for lunar road paving. Dielectric measurements in the X-band (8.2-12.4 GHz) demonstrated a high electromagnetic wave transmittance ranging from 49.8% to 94.6%, suggesting suitability for communication-related or protective wall structures. These results demonstrate that microwave sintering effectively enhances the densification of lunar regolith while enabling the coordinated optimization of mechanical, tribological, and electromagnetic properties, providing practical guidance for the design of multifunctional materials for lunar infrastructure construction.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19091907","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.3390/ma19091907","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s42003-026-10421-7","name":"Author Correction: Phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria improve the growth of Nicotiana benthamiana on lunar regolith simulant by dissociating insoluble inorganic phosphorus.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"In the version of this article initially published, there were labeling errors in Fig. 1a, where the sizes of simulants on the plates, now reading top-down as “0.3–0.5 mm; 0.5–0.9 mm; >5 mm” appeared originally as “>5 mm; 0.5–0.9 mm; 0.3–0.5 mm.” The figure and associated legend text have been amended in the HTML and PDF versions of the article.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-026-10421-7","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1038/s42003-026-10421-7","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-026-35759-0","name":"Bioremediation of lunar regolith simulant through mycorrhizal fungi and plant symbioses enables chickpea to seed.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Food sustainability is a significant challenge for long-term space travel. Plants can provide fresh nutrition, reducing reliance on packaged foods. Using Lunar regolith simulant (LRS), we tested a methodology to create a productive growth medium for horticultural crops on the Moon. We leveraged chickpea (Cicer arietinum), Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF), and Vermicompost (VC) to enhance plant stress tolerance, sequester contaminants, and improve substrate structure. Chickpeas were cultivated in LRS/VC mixtures, with or without AMF, under climate-controlled conditions. Plants seeded successfully in mixtures containing up to 75% LRS when inoculated with AMF. While the number of seeds declined with increasing LRS concentration, seed size remained stable. Higher LRS concentrations induced stress; however, plants grown in 100% LRS inoculated with AMF demonstrated an average extension of two weeks in survival compared to non-inoculated plants. AMF colonized roots across all mixtures, including 100% LRS, demonstrating the ability to establish symbioses under extreme conditions. We also observed improvement in the structural properties of LRS by forming aggregates capable of withstanding extreme conditions, potentially mitigating particle-related hazards. These results provide a baseline for chickpea establishment and yield in amended LRS while demonstrating biological improvements in regolith properties.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-35759-0","authors":["Jessica Atkin","Elizabeth A. Pierson","Terry J. Gentry","Sara Oliveira Santos"],"tags":["Bioremediation","Symbiosis","Regolith","Mycorrhizal fungi","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-026-35759-0","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/ma19071439","name":"Mesoscale Mechanisms Governing the Shear Strength of Lunar Regolith: Effects of Low Confining Stress and Irregular Particle Morphology.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Understanding the mechanical behavior of lunar regolith is critical for the success of future lunar excavation and construction missions. Irregular particle morphology and low geostatic stress are recognized as key factors contributing to the high internal friction angle of this unique extraterrestrial geomaterial. However, the underlying mechanisms by which low geostatic stress enhances shear strength remain unclear, and the multiscale effects of particle morphology on shear strength evolution are not yet fully elucidated. In this study, consolidated drained triaxial compression tests were performed on CUMT-1 lunar regolith simulant and Fujian standard sand to investigate their macroscopic mechanical behavior. Complementary discrete element simulations of biaxial compression were conducted to analyze mesoscopic mechanical responses of granular materials under the influence of multiscale particle morphology and confining stress. A robust macroscopic-mesoscopic strength correlation model was established, incorporating normalized mean interparticle contact force and mean coordination number to predict the normalized deviatoric stress of granular assemblies. Based on this model, the mesoscopic mechanisms through which irregular particle morphology and low geostatic stress enhance the internal friction angle were quantitatively investigated. The findings offer new insights into the shear strength characteristics of in situ lunar regolith and provide theoretical support for lunar surface construction and excavation operations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19071439","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.3390/ma19071439","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2531796123","name":"Constraints on the impactor flux to the Earth-Moon system from oxygen isotopes of the lunar regolith.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The impactor flux record to Earth has largely been erased by active tectonics, weathering, and continual reworking of the crust. Instead, a record of highly siderophile elements (HSE: Re, Os, Ir, Ru, Rh, Pt, Pd, and Au) in lunar impactites has been used as a proxy for the type of impactor material added to the Earth-Moon system. Quantifying impactor mass and flux with the HSE can potentially be complicated by numerous secondary processes, however, including silicate-metal segregation and multiple impact heritage. In contrast, because oxygen has an invariant geochemical affinity, triple oxygen isotope compositions have the potential to offer a robust long-term record of impactor fluxes in complex mixtures such as regolith. Here, we use high-precision triple oxygen isotopes to deconvolve the influences of meteorite addition and silicate vaporization and identify a ubiquitous impactor contaminant comprised of partially evaporated CM or ureilite-like material representing at least 1 wt% of the lunar regolith. Water delivered to Earth by meteorite material over 4 billion years therefore is only a fraction of an ocean's worth of water but is a significant contributor to the ice reservoir of the lunar cold traps.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2531796123","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2531796123","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/polym18101169","name":"Effects of Freeze-Thaw Cycles and Basalt Fiber Reinforcement on the Mechanical Properties and Constitutive Model of Lunar Regolith Simulant Geopolymer Under In Situ Construction Environments.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This study investigated the effects of freeze-thaw cycles on unreinforced and basalt fiber-reinforced lunar regolith simulant (LRS) geopolymer. Specimens were subjected to 0, 3, 6, and 10 freeze-thaw cycles. Compressive strength, flexural strength, elastic modulus, peak strain, and failure mode were measured. Damage degree and gain ratio were used to evaluate fiber reinforcement. Results showed that the unreinforced LRS geopolymer exhibited considerable fluctuation in compressive strength during freeze-thaw cycles. Its compressive strength first increased, then decreased; its flexural strength continuously declined; and its elastic modulus and peak strain showed opposite trends, with typical brittle failure. In contrast, basalt fiber-reinforced LRS geopolymer demonstrated superior frost resistance. Its compressive strength increased continuously with freeze-thaw cycles, reaching 23.5% after 10 cycles. Its flexural strength decreased but stabilized, with a damage level of only 16.0% after 10 cycles, significantly lower than that of the unreinforced group (26.1%). Its elastic modulus increased continuously while peak strain decreased gradually, with failure exhibiting some ductile characteristics. Gain ratio analysis showed compressive and flexural strength gain ratios of 1.92 and 1.69, respectively, after 10 cycles, indicating significant reinforcement. Among three classical constitutive models (Guo Zhenhai, Saenz L.P., and Carreira D.J.), the Guo Zhenhai model provided the best fit for stress-strain curves of both geopolymer types under all freeze-thaw conditions, making it the recommended constitutive model. This study provides theoretical support for LRS geopolymer applications in extreme environments such as the lunar surface.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18101169","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.3390/polym18101169","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41526-025-00501-z","name":"Behaviors of lunar regolith simulants under varying gravitational conditions.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Understanding the behavior of regolith in varying gravity conditions, is critical for space exploration and future missions. In this work, the gravity-driven hopper flow of lunar regolith simulant in different gravitational accelerations (terrestrial, lunar) is first observed experimentally. Numerical simulations (DEM) are then developed to understand the role which cohesive interparticle forces play in such gravity-driven flow, using the theoretical framework of granular Bond number. Qualitative comparison between a terrestrial experiment and numerical simulation validated this framework. Following that, we numerically studied the dynamic behavior under varying gravitational conditions (from terrestrial to lunar to asteroid gravitational accelerations). We find that this behavior is extremely sensitive to the interplay of the gravity conditions and the attractive/cohesive forces among particles. The numerical and experimental results show that the complex interaction of these forces can drastically change the dynamics of the material producing effects relevant for variable gravity applications.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-025-00501-z","authors":["Ian P. Madden","Sathyashri Muruganandam","Amine Missaoui","Oliver Gries","Jonathan E. Kollmer","Olfa D’Angelo","Suman Sinha‐Ray"],"tags":["Regolith","Gravitation","Gravitational acceleration","Gravitational force","Physics"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1038/s41526-025-00501-z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s43247-025-02960-4","name":"Terrestrial atmospheric ion implantation occurred in the nearside lunar regolith during the history of Earth's dynamo.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Light volatile elements in the lunar regolith are thought to be a mixture of the solar wind and Earth's atmosphere, the latter sourced in the absence of geomagnetic field. However, the extent to which both the current and primitive geodynamo influence the transport of terrestrial ions still remains unclear, and this uncertainty is further complicated by the enigmatic composition and poorly constrained location of the Eoarchean exosphere. Here we use three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic numerical simulations with contemporary magnetized and Archean unmagnetized atmospheres to investigate how Earth's intrinsic magnetic field affects this transfer, aiming to constrain how and when the lunar isotopic signature provides a record of Earth's paleoatmosphere. We find that atmospheric transfer is efficient only when the Moon is within Earth's magnetotail. The non-solar contribution to the lunar soil is best explained by implantation during the long history of the geodynamo under present-day solar wind conditions, rather than by any brief, putatively unmagnetized epoch of the early Archean Earth. This further suggests the history of the terrestrial atmosphere, spanning billions of years, could be preserved in buried lunar soils. Our results indicate that the elemental abundances of Apollo samples are highly sensitive to Earth's hydrodynamic escape boundary, which, at the time of ion implantation, was never smaller than 190 km.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02960-4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1038/s43247-025-02960-4","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.34133/research.1064","name":"Particle Morphology Controls the Bulk Mechanical Behavior of Far-Side Lunar Regolith from Chang'e-6 Samples and Deep Learning.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Lunar far-side samples returned by the Chang'e-6 mission offer unprecedented insights into regolith properties within the South Pole-Aitken basin, essential for advancing lunar exploration and in situ resource utilization. This paper presents an integrated characterization framework combining high-resolution x-ray micro-computed tomography with semisupervised machine learning to reconstruct and analyze 349,740 individual particles at high throughput. Morphological analysis demonstrates that far-side regolith exhibits greater irregularity than previously characterized near-side samples, with a median particle diameter of 60.51 μm and a mean 3-dimensional sphericity of 0.74-values distinct from those reported for Apollo and Chang'e-5 materials. Discrete element method simulations incorporating these high-fidelity morphologies under representative lunar surface confining pressures (5 to 15 kPa) reveal a high internal friction angle of 47.96° and a cohesion of 1.08 kPa. These parameters exceed Surveyor mission estimates and align with the upper range of Apollo program values, indicating enhanced mechanical strength and cohesion in far-side regolith. The superior mechanical properties arise primarily from pronounced particle irregularity promoting strong mechanical interlocking, potentially augmented by cementation from abundant glassy agglutinate phases. These findings establish critical geotechnical benchmarks for lunar far-side materials, providing essential design parameters for future robotic and crewed missions, landing site selection, and infrastructure development.","url":"https://doi.org/10.34133/research.1064","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.34133/research.1064","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1186/s40694-025-00201-z","name":"Biomining of lunar regolith simulant EAC-1 A with the fungus Penicillium simplicissimum.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Background On a future lunar habitat, acquiring needed resources in situ will inevitably come from the Lunar regolith. Biomining, i.e. the use of microorganisms to extract metals from the regolith, is sustainable and energy-efficient, making it highly promising for space exploration applications. Given the extensive use of filamentous fungi in industrial biotechnology, we investigated the ability of the fungus Penicillium simplicissimum to extract metals from the European Astronaut Centre lunar regolith simulant 1 (EAC-1 A), which will be used as the analogue soil at the European Lunar Exploration Laboratory (LUNA) facility at the European Space Agency (ESA) and German Aerospace Centre (DLR) site. Results Biocompatibility tests demonstrated P. simplicissimum tolerance to high concentrations of EAC-1 A lunar regolith simulant (up to 60%), both on Earth gravity and Lunar simulated gravity via clinorotation. We reveal that a fungal bioleaching setup using low nutrient medium (20% PDB) enables P. simplicissimum to extract metals from EAC-1 A regolith over the course of 2 weeks at room temperature. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis of the leachate revealed the extraction of magnesium (up to 159 mg/L), calcium (151 mg/L), iron (68 mg/L), aluminium (32 mg/L), manganese (3 mg/L) as well as traces of titanium (0.02 mg/L). The recovered metal oxide powder from the leachate, obtained via centrifugation (14,500 g, 4,000 rpm), followed by filtration (0.22 μm) and drying at 60 °C overnight, achieved a promising average of 10 ± 3 g/L. Further analysis via SEM/EDS and XRD confirmed the presence of aluminium [as boehmite (AlO(OH))], magnesium, and iron [possibly as haematite (Fe 2 O 3 )] and magnetite [possibly as (Fe 3 O 4 )]. Conclusion Our study demonstrates successful fungal biomining of lunar regolith simulant EAC-1 A and emphasizes the utilization of fungal-based approaches as promising ISRU technologies in future space exploration missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40694-025-00201-z","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1186/s40694-025-00201-z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-025-87761-7","name":"The viscosity and processing of molten lunar regolith.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Establishing a permanent, self-sufficient habitat for humans on planetary bodies is critical for successful space exploration. In-situ resource utilisation (ISRU) of locally available resources offers the possibility of an energy-efficient and cost-effective approach. This paper considers the high-temperature processing of molten lunar regolith under conditions which represent the lunar environment, namely low gravity, low temperature, and negligible atmospheric pressure. The rheological properties of the low-titanium lunar mare regolith simulant JSC-1A are measured using concentric cylinder rheometry and these results are used to explore the influence of viscosity on processing operations involving the flow of molten regolith for fabricating construction components on the Moon surface. These include the delivery of molten regolith within an extrusion-based 3D printing technique and the ingress of molten regolith into porous structures. The energy and power required to establish and maintain sufficiently high temperatures for the regolith to remain in the liquid state are also considered and discussed in the context of lunar construction.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-87761-7","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-025-87761-7","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/ma18102390","name":"Lunar Regolith Improvement by Inducing Interparticle Adhesion with Capillary Forces.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This paper concerns the assessment of the lunar regolith ability to consolidate in the presence of liquid water and develop and sustain cohesion after drying. This type of cohesion originates from interparticle adhesion and can be potentially improved through grading modification. The research was conducted using the lunar regolith simulant (EAC-1A) reproducing the PSD of real lunar soil delivered from the Moon. LRS was subjected to water and elevated temperature (equal to the highest temperature on the Moon) to produce specimens of consolidated material, CCR (Capillary-Consolidated Regolith) and to test flexural strength. In order to adapt to potentially small stresses, tests were performed according to the modified EN 196-1 procedure intended for Portland cement testing: specimens scaled to 20 mm × 20 mm × 80 mm (new molds with Polytetrafluoroethylene/Teflon ® coatings reducing adhesion were created), supports spacing in the three-point flexural test reduced to 50 mm and apparatus adjusted to precisely apply small loads. CCR developed flexural strength exceeding 0.025 MPa. Then, analogous tests were performed using LRS subjected to grinding in a disc mill prior to consolidation. It was shown that simple mechanical grinding enabled the improvement of interparticle adhesion with capillary forces, resulting in improved flexural strength of the consolidated material (0.123 MPa).","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18102390","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.3390/ma18102390","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.34133/research.0638","name":"Transport of Volatiles in Agglutinates from Lunar Regolith of Chang'e-5 Mission.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Agglutinate particles, an important component resulting from micrometeoroids impacts, account for about 13.4% to 84.7% of the volume of lunar regolith depending on its maturity. They are crucial in the soil's evolution and the migration of volatile substances. Here, we examined a representative agglutinate particle from Chang'e-5 samples and modeled how volatiles move through its porous framework. Our analysis revealed that the agglutinate's surface features a patchy distribution of smooth, open pores, as shown by both surface and 3-dimensional structural assessments. By integrating elemental distribution data, we propose that the formation of these smooth, open pores is primarily due to the flow of gaseous volatiles, byproducts of intricate physiochemical reactions occurring in the lunar surface layer during impacts by micrometeoroids. Numerical models of volatile transport in the porous agglutinate have been developed for different flow regimes. These models demonstrate that under the intense conditions of impacts, the transport of volatiles occurs at a remarkably high velocity. Consequently, it is improbable that water would accumulate within the porous structure of lunar soil agglutinates. Nevertheless, understanding this process is valuable for gaining a deeper understanding of the lunar regolith's development and for potential future endeavors in extracting water from the lunar surface.","url":"https://doi.org/10.34133/research.0638","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.34133/research.0638","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s43247-025-02546-0","name":"Solar wind erosion of lunar regolith is suppressed by surface morphology and regolith properties.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Important aspects concerning the origin and formation of the Moon's exosphere, its tenuous gas envelope, remain puzzling with uncertainties regarding the importance of different effects. Two competing processes - micrometeoroid impact vaporization and solar wind ion sputtering - are considered key contributors to the ejection of particles into the exosphere. Here we present direct, high-precision yield measurements of solar wind ion sputtering using real lunar samples (Apollo 16 sample 68501), combined with advanced 3D simulations of regolith erosion. We find solar wind sputter yields up to an order of magnitude lower than previously used in exosphere models. The difference is primarily due to the suppressive effects of surface morphology, in particular the roughness and high porosity of the lunar regolith. Our results provide critical, experimentally validated sputter yield estimates and address long-standing modeling uncertainties. These results are particularly timely in light of upcoming and ongoing missions, such as the Artemis program at the Moon or BepiColombo at Mercury, contributing essentially to our understanding of how the surfaces of rocky bodies in the solar system are altered.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02546-0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1038/s43247-025-02546-0","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.34133/research.0800","name":"Massive Water Production from Cryogenic Icy Lunar Regolith by a Microwave Heating Method.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Water extraction from lunar regolith is one of the critical techniques for in situ resource utilization on the Moon. Traditional conductive heating methods show low efficiencies for massive water production from lunar regolith due to the low heat conductivity of lunar regolith and the inherent harsh lunar environment. To enhance the effectiveness of massive water production and reduce energy cost, microwave heating method is used in this study to extract water from icy lunar regolith at an initial cryogenic temperature of -80 °C. Hydrated lunar regolith simulant (LRS) is prepared with the water content from 1.96% to 13.79%. The particles are compacted into large cylinder sample with a size of 70 mm (diameter) × 70 mm (height). An integrated microwave heating system is built by which the icy lunar regolith is heated by microwaves at 2.45 GHz. Water vapor is transmitted in a closed flow path, and liquid water is collected in a cold trap after condensation. Both a high-power heating pattern (800 W) and a low-power heating pattern (400 W) are studied. The results show that microwave heats the sample uniformly, and water content escapes from center to outside. At the high power of 800 W, the samples are dried almost completely at an energy cost of 1.9 to 10.0 W·h/g with the decrease of water content. The rate of water collection is up to 1.57 g/min. Reducing heating power to 400 W prolongs the initial heat input period. Once the liquid water begins to collect, the water collection rate is comparable to that at the high-power heating pattern. The results prove the effectiveness of microwave heating for massive water production from icy lunar regolith, and the technique can be used for future engineering applications.","url":"https://doi.org/10.34133/research.0800","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.34133/research.0800","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/ma18194442","name":"Effect of Basalt Fiber Content on Mechanical Properties of Lunar Regolith Simulant Geopolymer Under Static Loading.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"In-situ lunar construction technology is critical for future lunar base development, and the production of geopolymers from lunar regolith-a novel cementitious material with concrete-like properties-has become a vital approach for achieving in-situ resource utilization. This study systematically investigated the influence of basalt fiber content (0-0.4%) on the mechanical properties of lunar regolith simulant geopolymers by controlling key parameters including curing temperature (20 °C and 80 °C), duration (1 d and 7 d), and alkali activator type (strong alkaline solution: a mixture of sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate, and weak alkaline solution: sodium silicate solution). Through testing of 144 specimens, the results revealed that strong alkali-activated specimens with 0.3% fibers cured at 20 °C for 7 d showed optimal ductility with compressive strength of 2.85 MPa and flexural strength of 0.53 MPa, exhibiting characteristic flat stress-strain curves. Specimens with 0.2% fibers under high-temperature curing at 80 °C for 1 d achieved maximum compressive strength of 44.76 MPa and flexural strength of 1.60 MPa but demonstrated brittle failure behavior. Weak alkali-activated specimens containing 0.1% fibers cured at 80 °C for 7 d attained superior comprehensive performance with peak flexural strength reaching 3.88 MPa, showing excellent fiber-matrix synergy. These findings provide important theoretical foundations for optimizing lunar construction materials through customized fiber reinforcement and curing strategies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18194442","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.3390/ma18194442","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41526-025-00479-8","name":"Raman spectroscopy as a tool for assessing plant growth in space and on lunar regolith simulants.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Colonization of the Moon and other planets is an aspiration of NASA and may yield important benefits for our civilization. The feasibility of such endeavors depends on both innovative engineering concepts and the successful adaptation of life forms that exist on Earth to inhospitable environments. In this study, we investigate the potential of Raman spectroscopy (RS) in a non-invasive and non-destructive assessment of changes in the biochemistry of plants exposed to zero gravity on the International Space Station and during growth on lunar regolith simulants on Earth. We report that RS can sense changes in plant carotenoids, pectin, cellulose, and phenolics, which in turn, could be used to gauge the degree of plant stress in new environments. Our findings also demonstrate that RS can monitor the efficiency of soil supplements that can be used to mitigate nutrient-free regolith media. We conclude that RS can serve as a highly efficient approach for monitoring plant health in exotic environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-025-00479-8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1038/s41526-025-00479-8","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/smll.202502220","name":"Balancing Strength and Extreme Thermal Resilience in Lunar Regolith Composites: The Role of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Artemis program stands at the forefront of commercial space initiatives, aiming to establish sustainable lunar habitats, demanding resilient construction materials with minimal reliance on Earth-based resources. In response to these demands, this study explores the feasibility of reinforcing lunar regolith with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) while relying on minimal water and additives for composite fabrication as a potential solution for building semi-permanent Moon bases. Composites incorporating 0.00, 0.25, 0.50, and 1.00 wt.% MWCNTs are subjected to freeze-thaw cycles, vacuum pressures, ambient environments, and oven-curing methods to emulate the Moon's harsh environment. Results show that ambient-cured composites containing MWCNTs achieve compressive strengths exceeding 35 MPa, resulting in a 44.44% increase compared to the sample without MWCNTs, highlighting the reinforcing potential of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for extraterrestrial applications. However, thermal cycling reveals performance limitations due to mismatched coefficients of thermal expansion between MWCNTs and the regolith matrix, causing microcracking. In contrast, vacuum-cured MWCNT-free samples surpass 45 MPa, indicating that curing protocols can significantly influence densification and mechanical properties. These findings underscore the trade-offs between material composition, curing approaches, and thermal stability, offering key insights into designing robust, resource-efficient lunar construction.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202502220","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1002/smll.202502220","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/s25030751","name":"Detection of Lunar Regolith Acquired by Excavator Using Radiofrequency (RF) Sensors.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This paper presents the concept of a radiofrequency (RF) sensor designed to estimate the mass of the regolith acquired by a sampling device or excavator in planetary environments. The sensor utilizes a microstrip line with an open end as the sensing element, with the mass estimation based on measurements of the phase of the reflection coefficient (S11 of the scattering matrix) for the line immersed in the regolith. The Rotary Clamshell Excavator (RCE) was employed for the experimental evaluation of the sensor's performance. The RCE successfully passed an environmental test campaign, demonstrating its suitability for future lunar missions. The test results indicate that the RF sensor can estimate the mass of the acquired regolith with reasonable accuracy, approximately 15%, making it a viable solution for rough mass estimation in sampling devices and excavators.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/s25030751","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.3390/s25030751","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/ma17235866","name":"The Formation Mechanisms of np-Fe in Lunar Regolith: A Review.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Nanophase iron (np-Fe) is widely distributed on the surface of lunar soil particles, forming as a result of space weathering. These np-Fe particles contribute to the reddening and darkening of the visible to near-infrared spectra of weathered lunar material and serve as critical indicators for assessing the maturity of lunar soil. (1) This article reviews the proposed formation mechanisms of np-Fe particles from studies of Apollo and Luna soils, including the thermal reduction of iron melts, vapor deposition caused by micrometeorite impacts, and hydrogen reduction due to solar wind exposure. (2) Additionally, recent findings from the analysis of Chang'E-5 lunar soil are highlighted, revealing new mechanisms such as sub-solidus decomposition of olivine, impact-driven disproportionation, and FeO eutectic reactions. (3) Experimental studies simulating space weathering through laser and ion irradiation are also discussed and compared. Despite extensive research, a definitive understanding of np-Fe particle formation remains elusive. Previous lunar soil samples have been collected from the near side of the Moon. This year, the Chang'E-6 mission has successfully returned the first-ever lunar soil samples from the far side. These samples are expected to exhibit unique space weathering characteristics, providing new insights into the formation mechanisms of np-Fe in lunar soil.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17235866","authors":["Mingchao Xiong","Yanxue Wu","Wenqing Yao","Zilei Chen","Yingying Yu","Xia Li","Pan Yan","Xiongyao Li","Xiaojia Zeng"],"tags":["Space weathering","Lunar soil","Regolith","Astrobiology","Weathering"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.3390/ma17235866","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-5419033/v1","name":"Rheology of Lunar Regolith Simulant Under Varying Gravitational Conditions","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract Understanding structure-property-process relationship aka rheology of regolith in varying gravity conditions is critical for exploration and future missions. In this work, a framework for studying rheology of lunar regolith simulant in varying gravity conditions (Terrestrial, Lunar and Martian) is described theoretically/numerically, where the driving force of flow of simulants was gravitational acceleration. In the analysis particle-particle interaction forces were included. It was found that the dynamic behavior of granular material is extremely sensitive to external conditions by virtue of the myriad of forces present between particle grains. The results obtained were validated against results obtained in earth and Lunar gravity conditions. The theoretical/numerical and experimental results showed that the complex interaction of these forces can drastically change the dynamics of the material, which is not captured by standard design rules, generally used in industry, for variable gravity applications.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5419033/v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5419033/v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1590/0001-3765202420240532","name":"Antarctic nematodes survival in Martian and Lunar regolith simulants under terrestrial conditions.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The exploration of extraterrestrial environments has become a focal point of scientific inquiry, driven by advancements in technology and a growing interest in the potential for life beyond Earth. This study investigates the adaptability of Antarctic nematodes, known for thriving in extreme cold and isolation, to simulated Martian (MGS-1) and Lunar (LMS-1) soils. The experiment revealed differential responses in nematode survivability to the two simulants, with Lunar soil demonstrating better adaptability compared to Martian soil. Our study provides valuable insights into the potential survivability of Antarctic nematodes on real Martian and Lunar substrates with the use of the MGS-1 and the LMS-1 under terrestrial conditions. The observed results suggest differential survival responses to Lunar (6.92 ± 0.74) and Martian (5.58 ± 1.91) regolith simulants and highlight the complexity of factors influencing organismal survival. Considering their crucial role in soil food webs, and their relation with nutrient cycling and carbon dioxide emissions, the observed capacity of nematodes to thrive in Martian and Lunar regoliths positions them as potential candidates to sustain human habitats, helping on the development of in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) systems, and forming the basis for a biological life-support system to facilitate human survival in extraterrestrial environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1590/0001-3765202420240532","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1590/0001-3765202420240532","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.34133/research.0486","name":"Melting and Rapid Solidification of Lunar Regolith Particles Returned by Chang'E-5 Mission.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Melting and solidification of lunar regolith are pivotal for comprehending the evolutionary dynamics of lunar volcanism, geology, and impact history. Additionally, insights gained from these processes can contribute to the advancement of in situ resource utilization technologies, for instance additive manufacturing and resource extraction systems. Herein, we conduct the direct observation of the melting and rapid solidification of lunar particles returned by the Chang'E 5 mission. The melting temperature and melting sequence were obtained. Bubble generation, growth, and release were clearly observed, with a maximum bubble diameter of 5 µm, which is supposed to be according to the release of volatiles that embedded in the particles. During the solidification process, evident crystallization occurred with incremental crystal growth rate approximately of 27 nm/s. Scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy results verified that the Fe-rich mineral crystalizes first. These results would improve the understanding of the evolution of lunar volcanism, geology, and impact history.","url":"https://doi.org/10.34133/research.0486","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.34133/research.0486","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-025-91866-4","name":"Thermal conductivity of high latitude lunar regolith measured by Chandra's Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) onboard Chandrayaan 3 lander.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The thermal conductivity of the lunar regolith is an essential parameter in studying the thermal behavior of the Moon and in planning future lunar exploration. The Chandra's Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) aboard Vikram lander of the Indian Moon mission Chandrayaan 3 made the first in situ measurement of thermal conductivity of lunar regolith at southern high latitude using a thermal probe with ten temperature sensors at uneven intervals within 10 cm and a foil-type heater wound around the probe close to the nose tip. The ChaSTE thermal probe was inserted into the lunar regolith by a controlled motorized penetration in 29 hours. Through the two active heating experiments at a depth of 80 mm, the thermal conductivity of the lunar regolith at the Vikram landing site is estimated to be 0.0115 ± 0.0008 and 0.0124 ± 0.0009 W m[Formula: see text] K[Formula: see text], respectively. The average packing density of the lunar regolith derived using the penetration motor current is 1940 ± 10 kg m[Formula: see text]. An empirical model incorporating the temperature and the packing density value yielded thermal conductivity consistent with the in situ measurement. The value of the thermal conductivity measured by ChaSTE is also corroborated by a numerical model.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-91866-4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-025-91866-4","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.adn2301","name":"Submicroscopic magnetite may be ubiquitous in the lunar regolith of the high-Ti region.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Magnetite is rare on the Moon. The ubiquitous presence of magnetite in lunar soil has been hypothesized in previous Apollo Mössbauer spectroscopy and electron spin resonance studies, but there is currently no mineralogical evidence to prove it. Here, we report a large number of submicroscopic magnetite particles embedded within iron-sulfide on the surface of Chang'e-5 glass, with a close positive correlation between magnetite content and the TiO 2 content of the surrounding glass. The morphology and mineralogy of the iron-sulfide grains suggest that these magnetite particles formed via an impact process between iron-sulfide droplets and silicate glass melt, and ilmenite is necessary for magnetite formation. Magnetite in lunar glass is a potential candidate for the \"magnetite-like\" phase detected in the Apollo era and suggests that impact-induced submicroscopic magnetite may be ubiquitous in high-Ti regions of the Moon. Moreover, these impact-induced magnetite particles may be crucial for understanding the lunar magnetic anomalies and mineral components of the deep Moon.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adn2301","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.adn2301","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/ma17153633","name":"Electromagnetic Characterization of EAC-1A and JSC-2A Lunar Regolith Simulants.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The development of devices for the in situ resource utilization (ISRU) of lunar surface powder (regolith) by means of microwaves needs regolith simulants with electromagnetic properties similar to the lunar regolith. This document deals with the measurement of complex permittivity and dielectric loss tangent of the aforementioned simulants at ambient temperature from 400 MHz to 20 GHz, performing measurements using two lunar dust simulants, EAC-1A and JSC-2A, resulting, on the one hand, in permittivity values of ε'=-0.0432f+4.0397 for the EAC-1A lunar dust simulant and ε'=-0.0432f+4.0397 for the JSC-2A simulant, and on the other hand, in loss tangent values of tanδe=-0.0015f+0.0659 for the EAC-1A powder and tanδe=-0.0039f+0.1429 for the JSC-2A powder. In addition, further studies are carried out taking into account the humidity of the samples and their densities at room temperature. The obtained results are applicable for comparing the measured values of EAC-1A and JSC-2A between them and with other previously measured simulants and real samples. The measurements are carried out by applying two different nonresonant techniques: Open-Ended Coaxial Probe (OECP) and transmission line. For this purpose, the DAK and EpsiMu commercial kits are used, respectively.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17153633","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.3390/ma17153633","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/polym16111582","name":"Lunar Regolith Geopolymer Concrete for In-Situ Construction of Lunar Bases: A Review.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The construction of lunar bases represents a fundamental challenge for deep space exploration, lunar research, and the exploitation of lunar resources. In-situ resource utilization (ISRU) technology constitutes a pivotal tool for constructing lunar bases. Using lunar regolith to create geopolymers as construction materials offers multiple advantages as an ISRU technique. This paper discusses the principle of geopolymer for lunar regolith, focusing on the reaction principle of geopolymer. It also analyzes the applicability of geopolymer under the effects of the lunar surface environment and the differences between the highland and mare lunar regolith. This paper summarizes the characteristics of existing lunar regolith simulants and the research on the mechanical properties of lunar regolith geopolymers using lunar regolith simulants. Highland lunar regolith samples contain approximately 36% amorphous substances, the content of silicon is approximately 28%, and the ratios of Si/Al and Si/Ca are approximately 1.5 and 2.6, respectively. They are more suitable as precursor materials for geopolymers than mare samples. The compressive strength of lunar regolith geopolymer is mainly in the range of 18~30 MPa. Sodium silicate is the most commonly utilized activator for lunar regolith geopolymers; alkalinity in the range of 7% to 10% and modulus in the range of 0.8 to 2.0 are suitable. A vacuum environment and multiple temperature cycles reduce the mechanical properties of geopolymers by 8% to 70%. Future research should be concentrated on the precision control of the lunar regolith's chemical properties and the alkali activation efficacy of geopolymers in the lunar environment.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16111582","authors":["Xiaowei Zheng","Cong Zhao","Xiaoyan Sun","Weiwei Dong"],"tags":["Regolith","Geopolymer","Astrobiology","Materials science","Lunar soil"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.3390/polym16111582","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fpls.2024.1351613","name":"Telomere dynamics and oxidative stress in Arabidopsis grown in lunar regolith simulant.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"NASA envisions a future where humans establish a thriving colony on the Moon by 2050. Plants will be essential for this endeavor, but little is known about their adaptation to extraterrestrial bodies. The capacity to grow plants in lunar regolith would represent a major step towards this goal by minimizing the reliance on resources transported from Earth. Recent studies reveal that Arabidopsis thaliana can germinate and grow on genuine lunar regolith as well as on lunar regolith simulant. However, plants arrest in vegetative development and activate a variety of stress response pathways, most notably the oxidative stress response. Telomeres are hotspots for oxidative damage in the genome and a marker of fitness in many organisms. Here we examine A. thaliana growth on a lunar regolith simulant and the impact of this resource on plant physiology and on telomere dynamics, telomerase enzyme activity and genome oxidation. We report that plants successfully set seed and generate a viable second plant generation if the lunar regolith simulant is pre-washed with an antioxidant cocktail. However, plants sustain a higher degree of genome oxidation and decreased biomass relative to conventional Earth soil cultivation. Moreover, telomerase activity substantially declines and telomeres shorten in plants grown in lunar regolith simulant, implying that genome integrity may not be sustainable over the long-term. Overcoming these challenges will be an important goal in ensuring success on the lunar frontier.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2024.1351613","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.3389/fpls.2024.1351613","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-023-50391-y","name":"Material aspects of sintering of EAC-1A lunar regolith simulant.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Future lunar exploration will be based on in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) techniques. The most abundant raw material on the Moon is lunar regolith, which, however, is very scarce on Earth, making the study of simulants a necessity. The objective of this study is to characterize and investigate the sintering behavior of EAC-1A lunar regolith simulant. The characterization of the simulant included the determination of the phase assemblage, characteristic temperatures determination and water content analysis. The results are discussed in the context of sintering experiments of EAC-1A simulant, which showed that the material can be sintered to a relative density close to 90%, but only within a very narrow range of temperatures (20-30 °C). Sintering experiments were performed for sieved and unsieved, as well as for dried and non-dried specimens of EAC-1A. In addition, an analysis of the densification and mechanical properties of the sintered specimens was done. The sintering experiments at different temperatures showed that the finest fraction of sieved simulant can reach a higher maximum sintering temperature, and consequently a higher densification and biaxial strength. The non-dried powder exhibited higher densification and biaxial strength after sintering compared to the dried specimen. This difference was explained with a higher green density of the non-dried powder during pressing, rather than due to an actual influence on the sintering mechanism. Nevertheless, drying the powder prior to sintering is important to avoid the overestimation of the strength of specimens to be fabricated on the Moon.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-50391-y","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-023-50391-y","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/ma17194789","name":"Calibration of Discrete Element Method Parameters for a High-Fidelity Lunar Regolith Simulant Considering the Effects of Realistic Particle Shape.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Discrete Element Method (DEM) is an important tool for investigating the geotechnical properties of lunar regolith. The accuracy of DEM simulations largely depends on precise particle modeling and the appropriate selection of mesoscopic parameters. To enhance the reliability and accuracy of the DEM in lunar regolith studies, this paper utilized the high-fidelity IRSM-1 lunar regolith simulant to construct a DEM model with realistic particle shapes and conducted an angle of repose (AoR) simulation test. The optimal DEM parameters were calibrated using a combination of the Plackett-Burman test, steepest ascent test, and Box-Behnken design. The results indicate that the sliding friction coefficient, rolling friction coefficient, and surface energy significantly influence the simulation AoR. By optimizing against the measured AoR using a second-order regression model, the optimal parameter values were determined to be 0.633, 0.401, and 0.2, respectively. Under these optimal parameters, the error between the simulation and experimental AoR was 2.1%. Finally, the calibrated mesoscopic parameters were validated through a lifting cylinder test, showing an error of 6.3% between the simulation and experimental results. The high similarity in the shape of the AoR further confirms the accuracy and reliability of the parameter calibration method. This study provides a valuable reference for future DEM-based research on the mechanical and engineering properties of lunar regolith.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17194789","authors":["Ningxi Zhou","Jian Chen","Ning Tian","Kaiwei Tian","Juehao Huang","Peng Wu"],"tags":["Regolith","Discrete element method","Particle (ecology)","Calibration","Fidelity"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.3390/ma17194789","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.scib.2024.05.031","name":"Higher water content observed in smaller size fraction of Chang'e-5 lunar regolith samples.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Water has been detected in lunar regolith, with multiple sources identified through the analysis of individual grains. However, the primary origin of water in the bulk lunar regolith remains uncertain. This study presents spectroscopic analyses of water content in sealed Chang'e-5 samples. These samples were sieved into various size fractions (bulk, <45 μm, and 45-355 μm) inside a glovebox filled with high-purity nitrogen. Results indicate a higher water content in the fine fractions (∼87 ± 11.9 ppm) than in bulk soil (∼37 ± 4.8 ppm) and coarse fractions (∼11 ± 1.5 ppm). This suggests that water is predominantly concentrated in the outermost rims of the regolith grains, and thus exhibits dependence on the surface volume ratio (also known as surface correlation), indicating solar wind is a primary source of lunar surface water. Laboratory, in-situ, and orbital results bridge sample analysis and remote sensing, offering a cohesive understanding of lunar surface water characteristics as represented by Chang'e-5. The discovery provides statistical evidence for the origin of water in lunar soil and can be considered representative of the lunar surface conditions. The water enrichment of the finest fraction suggests the feasibility of employing size sorting of lunar soils as a potential technological approach for water resource extraction in future lunar research stations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scib.2024.05.031","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1016/j.scib.2024.05.031","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/nsr/nwad079","name":"Diverse glasses revealed from Chang'E-5 lunar regolith.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Lunar glasses with different origins act as snapshots of their formation processes, providing a rich archive of the Moon's formation and evolution. Here, we reveal diverse glasses from Chang'E-5 (CE-5) lunar regolith, and clarify their physical origins of liquid quenching, vapor deposition and irradiation damage respectively. The series of quenched glasses, including rotation-featured particles, vesicular agglutinates and adhered melts, record multiple-scale impact events. Abundant micro-impact products, like micron- to nano-scale glass droplets or craters, highlight that the regolith is heavily reworked by frequent micrometeorite bombardment. Distinct from Apollo samples, the indigenous ultra-elongated glass fibers drawn from viscous melts and the widespread ultra-thin deposited amorphous rims without nanophase iron particles both indicate a relatively gentle impact environment at the CE-5 landing site. The clarification of multitype CE-5 glasses also provides a catalogue of diverse lunar glasses, meaning that more of the Moon's mysteries, recorded in glasses, could be deciphered in future.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwad079","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1093/nsr/nwad079","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/ma16175797","name":"Characterization of Composite Freeze-Dried Aerogels with Simulant Lunar Regolith for Space Applications.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Recently, the goal of space exploration has shifted from the incognito of the solar system to the Moon. Concepts like human permanence on the Moon and thermal protective structures made with ISRU (in situ resource utilization) of raw materials have started to be implemented. By limiting the need to launch supplies from the Earth, the paradigm of spaceflight is changed, privileging the vanguard of the utilisation of resources in situ. Still, the main challenges of surviving the radiation dose and the cryogenic temperatures of the lunar night remain. Recent studies have demonstrated how innovative composite materials can help reduce the temperature stress on exploration vehicles. This research presents the material properties of aerogel insulating materials combined with LHS (lunar highlands simulant) regolith obtained by freeze frying. Organic-based aerogels with different percentages of LHS have been analysed in terms of material, morphology, and thermal properties.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16175797","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.3390/ma16175797","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s42003-023-05391-z","name":"Phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria improve the growth of Nicotiana benthamiana on lunar regolith simulant by dissociating insoluble inorganic phosphorus.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"In-situ utilization of lunar soil resources will effectively improve the self-sufficiency of bioregenerative life support systems for future lunar bases. Therefore, we have explored the microbiological method to transform lunar soil into a substrate for plant cultivation. In this study, five species of phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria are used as test strains, and a 21-day bio-improving experiment with another 24-day Nicotiana benthamiana cultivation experiment are carried out on lunar regolith simulant. We have observed that the phosphorus-solublizing bacteria Bacillus mucilaginosus, Bacillus megaterium, and Pseudomonas fluorescens can tolerate the lunar regolith simulant conditions and dissociate the insoluble phosphorus from the regolith simulant. The phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria treatment improves the available phosphorus content of the regolith simulant, promoting the growth of Nicotiana benthamiana. Here we demonstrate that the phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria can effectively improve the fertility of lunar regolith simulant, making it a good cultivation substrate for higher plants. The results can lay a technical foundation for plant cultivation based on lunar regolith resources in future lunar bases.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-023-05391-z","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1038/s42003-023-05391-z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.isci.2023.106382","name":"Matrix transformation of lunar regolith and its use as a feedstock for additive manufacturing.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Building a sustainable human habitat on the Moon requires advances in excavation, paving, and additive manufacturing to construct landing pads, surface transportation arteries, resilient shelters, and scientific outposts. Construction of infrastructure elements on the lunar surface necessitates exploration of the interfacial reactivity of locally sourced regolith and the adaptation of Earth-based construction techniques. Various crosslinking frameworks and sintering methods have been proposed as a means of consolidating lunar regolith into load-bearing structures but each have challenges related to incomplete understanding of reaction chemistry, excessive thermal budgets, and lack of universal applicability to different mineral components of regolith. We describe here a versatile experimental and computational study of the consolidation of a regolith simulant through formation of siloxane networks enmeshing mineral particles by surface dissolution-precipitation and polycondensation reactions. Furthermore, by tailoring the rheological properties of the formulation an additive manufacturing feedstock can be developed for the construction of lunar infrastructure.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2023.106382","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1016/j.isci.2023.106382","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14683","name":"Turning earthworms into moonworms: Earthworms colonization of lunar regolith as a bioengineering approach supporting future crop growth in space.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The earthworms beneficial effects on soils may be promising to improve lunar soil fertility, enabling the use of local substrates for space farming. Herein, we investigated the effects of the lunar regolith simulant (LHS-1) at different concentrations in cow manure mixtures on the survival and fitness of Eisenia fetida . During 14 and 60-day experiments, although E. fetida showed an increased mortality with LHS-1 alone, most of the population survived. More numerous tunnels were observed when exposed to the higher concentrations of LHS-1 (poor in nutrients for earthworms). This may be related to an increased mobility for food search. The cocoons production was not affected by different substrate treatments, except for the highest concentration of LHS-1. No effects of different LHS-1 concentrations on the amount of ingested substrate were recorded. This study shows that E. fetida can potentially colonize lunar regolith representing a future valuable biological tool for supporting crops growth on the Moon.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14683","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14683","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-2495604/v1","name":"Study of lunar regolith harnessed during Apollo and Luna space programs based on Principal Component Analysis","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract A modern principal component analysis of the chemical properties of lunar soils was conducted. This multivariate statistics approach is currently easily available for scientists due to computing power unimaginable in 1970. Both American and Soviet results acquired during the Apollo and Luna missions were analysed and compared. The results were visualised in two and three-dimensional spaces. The key similarities and differences between the properties of the lunar soils were determined. The sources of possible differences in the properties of particular lunar soils were conceptualised. The directions of possible new research were defined.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2495604/v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-2495604/v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/ma15238561","name":"Geotechnical and Shear Behavior of Novel Lunar Regolith Simulants TUBS-M, TUBS-T, and TUBS-I.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The return to the Moon is an important short-term goal of NASA and other international space agencies. To minimize mission risks, technologies, such as rovers or regolith processing systems, must be developed and tested on Earth using lunar regolith simulants that closely resemble the properties of real lunar soil. So far, no singular lunar simulant can cover the multitude of use cases that lunar regolith involves, and most available materials are poorly characterized. To overcome this major gap, a unique modular system for flexible adaptable novel lunar regolith simulants was developed and chemically characterized in earlier works. To supplement this, the present study provides comprehensive investigations regarding geotechnical properties of the three base regolith simulant systems: TUBS-M, TUBS-T, and TUBS-I. To evaluate the engineering and flow properties of these heterogeneous materials under various conditions, shear tests, particle size analyses, scanning electron microscope observations, and density investigations were conducted. It was shown that small grains <25 µm (lunar dust) are highly compressive and cohesive even at low external stress. They are particularly important as a large amount of fine dust is present in lunar regolith and simulants (x50 = 76.7 to 96.0 µm). Further, ring shear and densification tests revealed correlations with damage mechanisms caused by local stress peaks for grains in the mm range. In addition, an explanation for the occurrence of considerable differences in the literature-based data for particle sizes was established by comparing various measurement procedures. The present study shows detailed geotechnical investigations of novel lunar regolith simulants, which can be used for the development of equipment for future lunar exploration missions and in situ resource utilization under realistic conditions. The results also provide evidence about possible correlations and causes of known soil-induced mission risks that so far have mostly been described phenomenologically.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15238561","authors":["Lisa Windisch","Stefan Linke","Magnus Jütte","Julian Baasch","Arno Kwade","Enrico Stoll","Carsten Schilde"],"tags":["Regolith","Geotechnical engineering","Geology","Astrobiology","Physics"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.3390/ma15238561","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-1962765/v1","name":"Three-dimensional shape distribution of lunar regolith particles collected by the Apollo and Luna programs.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The shapes of regolith particles on airless bodies, such as the Moon and asteroids, are important to understand their formation and evolution on surfaces. Limited studies have shown that the three-dimensional (3D) shapes of lunar regolith particles are, on average, more equant (spherical) than those of asteroid Itokawa or fragments by impact experiments. Therefore, more studies are required to determine whether such a feature is common. Accordingly, we performed X-ray microtomography imaging of lunar regolith particles collected by the Apollo program by NASA and the Luna program by the Soviet Union to obtain their 3D shapes. The ten samples (65 to 1108 particles/sample) examined had varieties of sampling sites (maria and highlands), reflecting the difference in materials (basalts and anorthosites, respectively, in general), regolith maturities, particle size ranges (< 74 to 450 mm), and petrographic textures (monomineralic, polymineralic, and agglutinate). The 3D particle shape distributions regarding three-axial length ratios ( L I S , where L , I and S are the longest, intermediate, and shortest lengths, respectively) showed that the average three-axial ratios were almost similar among the samples, irrespective of the sampling sites, maturities, and the size ranges [ S / I = 0.769(8), I / L = 0.755(10), and S / L = 0.579(11) for whole samples]. The 3D shapes of lunar particles were more equant (spherical) than those of the particles collected from asteroid Itokawa and fragments by hypervelocity impact experiments which had the average ratios similar to the 2D silver ratio ( S / I = I / L = 0.707 and S / L = 0.500). These findings showed that the balance between impact fragmentation and mechanical abrasion controls the 3D shapes of lunar particles because impact and particle motion on the Moon’s surface occur for a longer duration; however, impact fragmentation on this small asteroid surface primarily controls those of Itokawa particles.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-1962765/v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-1962765/v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/3dp.2020.0323","name":"Two-Dimensional Laser Melting of Lunar Regolith Simulant Using the MOONRISE Payload on a Mobile Manipulator.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Laser melting experiments were carried out with the MOONRISE payload, installed on the mobile manipulator, MIRA3D. The MOONRISE payload was developed to demonstrate the feasibility of additive processing of lunar regolith with the help of lasers on the Moon within a lunar surface mission in the next years. The development of hardware for the flight to the moon is well advanced and, if successful, would pave the way for the use of laser melting for production of components from regolith. The aim of the experiments described in this article was to test the planned scenario on the Moon, especially the interaction between laser payload, manipulator, and soil surface, and to identify suitable process parameters for production of two-dimensional (2D) objects. The ability to produce 2D objects is an important intermediate step on the way to produce large three-dimensional structures such as habitats, walls, or foundations. During the experiments, specimens with a size of ∼20 × 20 × 4 mm were repeatedly produced. As analog material, two synthetic lunar soils produced with the modular regolith simulant systems from Technische Universität Braunschweig (TUBS) were used. The experiments were conducted under Earth gravity and atmospheric conditions. This article describes the hardware used, procedure for carrying out the experiments, and properties of the produced samples.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/3dp.2020.0323","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1089/3dp.2020.0323","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0266415","name":"Microbial induced calcite precipitation can consolidate martian and lunar regolith simulants.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"We demonstrate that Microbial Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP) can be utilized for creation of consolidates of Martian Simulant Soil (MSS) and Lunar Simulant Soil (LSS) in the form of a 'brick'. A urease producer bacterium, Sporosarcina pasteurii, was used to induce the MICP process for the both simulant soils. An admixture of guar gum as an organic polymer and NiCl2, as bio- catalyst to enhance urease activity, was introduced to increase the compressive strength of the biologically grown bricks. A casting method was utilized for a slurry consisting of the appropriate simulant soil and microbe; the slurry over a few days consolidated in the form of a 'brick' of the desired shape. In case of MSS, maximum strength of 3.3 MPa was obtained with 10mM NiCl2 and 1% guar gum supplementation whereas in case of LSS maximum strength of 5.65 Mpa was obtained with 1% guar gum supplementation and 10mM NiCl2. MICP mediated consolidation of the simulant soil was confirmed with field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetry (TG). Our work demonstrates a biological approach with an explicit casting method towards manufacturing of consolidated structures using extra-terrestrial regolith simulant; this is a promising route for in situ development of structural elements on the extra-terrestrial habitats.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0266415","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1371/journal.pone.0266415","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-912528/v1","name":"Lunar regolith and substructure at Chang’E-5 landing site in the northern Oceanus Procellarum","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Lunar Regolith Penetrating Radar (LRPR) on the Chang’E-5 (CE-5) lander was deployed to investigate structures of the regolith. The migration and ridge detection methods were used to process the radar data, and the results indicate a 4.5 m regolith thickness that contains four units at the landing site, which is characterized by different internal reflections that point to their various compositions, mainly comprise protolith and admixed ejecta from the Harpalus, Copernicus, and Aristarchus. High-resolution processing for the LRPR data indicates a few rocks or slates with depth from ~ 0.2 m to over 1 m in the subsurface at the landing site, which was validated by the force analysis during the drilling of the regolith into ~ 1 m depth. The processing procedure proposed in this study is capable of producing reliable and precise images of the lunar regolith substructure, which provides important geological context on the returned drilling samples.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-912528/v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-912528/v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/microorganisms9122416","name":"Potential of <i>Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans</i> to Grow on and Bioleach Metals from Mars and Lunar Regolith Simulants under Simulated Microgravity Conditions.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The biomining microbes which extract metals from ores that have been applied in mining processes worldwide hold potential for harnessing space resources. Their cell growth and ability to extract metals from extraterrestrial minerals under microgravity environments, however, remains largely unknown. The present study used the model biomining bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans to extract metals from lunar and Martian regolith simulants cultivated in a rotating clinostat with matched controls grown under the influence of terrestrial gravity. Analyses included assessments of final cell count, size, morphology, and soluble metal concentrations. Under Earth gravity, with the addition of Fe3+ and H2/CO2, A. ferrooxidans grew in the presence of regolith simulants to a final cell density comparable to controls without regoliths. The simulated microgravity appeared to enable cells to grow to a higher cell density in the presence of lunar regolith simulants. Clinostat cultures of A. ferrooxidans solubilised higher amounts of Si, Mn and Mg from lunar and Martian regolith simulants than abiotic controls. Electron microscopy observations revealed that microgravity stimulated the biosynthesis of intracellular nanoparticles (most likely magnetite) in anaerobically grown A. ferrooxidans cells. These results suggested that A. ferrooxidans has the potential for metal bioleaching and the production of useful nanoparticles in space.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9122416","authors":["Anna H. Kaksonen","Xiao Deng","Christina Morris","Himel Nahreen Khaleque","Luis Zea","Yosephine Gumulya"],"tags":["Clinostat","Regolith","Martian","Exopolymer","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.3390/microorganisms9122416","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-021-81317-1","name":"Controlling soil disturbance of a lunar regolith simulant bed during depressurization in a vacuum chamber.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"A dusty thermal vacuum chamber (DTVC) containing a regolith simulant bed is essential for testing equipment and techniques related to lunar surface exploration. Space agencies have been reluctant to operate a DTVC because of the challenge of controlling soil disturbance of the lunar regolith simulant bed during pumping down or depressurization, which may contaminate or even damage the chamber and vacuum equipment. There appears to be no previously available solution to this problem, or how to avoid it. We investigated the mechanism of soil disturbance during depressurization and established a criterion for evaluating its occurrence. The proposed criterion was validated by extensive experiments and numerical modelling to simulate air evacuation from soil voids. There is a critical pressure difference (CPD) between the top and bottom of the lunar regolith simulant bed that causes soil disturbance during depressurization. We found a simple equation estimating the CPD and further provided guideline on the optimum depressurization rate to avoid soil disturbance before the target vacuum level is achieved under varying soil conditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-81317-1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-021-81317-1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/polym12081724","name":"3D Printing and Solvent Dissolution Recycling of Polylactide-Lunar Regolith Composites by Material Extrusion Approach.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The in situ resource utilization of lunar regolith is of great significance for the development of planetary materials science and space manufacturing. The material extrusion deposition approach provides an advanced method for fabricating polylactide/lunar regolith simulant (PLA/CLRS-1) components. This work aims to fabricate 3D printed PLA-lunar regolith simulant (5 and 10 wt.%) components using the material extrusion 3D printing approach, and realize their solvent dissolution recycling process. The influence of the lunar regolith simulant on the mechanical and thermal properties of the 3D printed PLA/CLRS-1 composites is systematically studied. The microstructure of 3D printed PLA/CLRS-1 parts was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray computed tomography (XCT) analysis. The results showed that the lunar regolith simulant can be fabricated and combined with a PLA matrix utilizing a 3D printing process, only slightly influencing the mechanical performance of printed specimens. Moreover, the crystallization process of PLA is obviously accelerated by the addition of CLRS-1 because of heterogeneous nucleation. Additionally, by using gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) characterization, it is found that the 3D printing and recycling processes have a negligible influence on the chemical structure and molecular weight of the PLA/CLRS-1 composites. As a breakthrough, we successfully utilize the lunar regolith simulant to print components with satisfactory mechanical properties and confirm the feasibility of recycling and reusing 3D printed PLA/CLRS-1 components via the solvent dissolution recycling approach.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12081724","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.3390/polym12081724","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/ma13184128","name":"Ceramic Material Processing Towards Future Space Habitat: Electric Current-Assisted Sintering of Lunar Regolith Simulant.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"In situ utilization of available resources in space is necessary for future space habitation. However, direct sintering of the lunar regolith on the Moon as structural and functional components is considered to be challenging due to the sintering conditions. To address this issue, we demonstrate the use of electric current-assisted sintering (ECAS) as a single-step method of compacting and densifying lunar regolith simulant JSC-1A. The sintering temperature and pressure required to achieve a relative density of 97% and microhardness of 6 GPa are 700 °C and 50 MPa, which are significantly lower than for the conventional sintering technique. The sintered samples also demonstrated ferroelectric and ferromagnetic behavior at room temperature. This study presents the feasibility of using ECAS to sinter lunar regolith for future space resource utilization and habitation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13184128","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.3390/ma13184128","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.adz7220","name":"The seismic signature of lunar ice.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Identifying water ice deposits on the Moon is critical for enabling long-term scientific investigations and supporting future lunar infrastructure. Although multiple lines of evidence suggest that substantial quantities of poleward water exist within the lunar near-surface, the precise location, abundance, and distribution of these ice resources remain largely unconstrained. The presence of ice in the regolith alters geophysical properties that can be quantitatively characterized using geophysical techniques analogous to those employed in terrestrial subsurface resource exploration. In this study, we integrate experimental measurements of icy regolith simulants obtained through synchrotron x-ray microtomography with advanced rock physics modeling and a thermal model of the lunar near-surface. This multi-pronged approach enables us to construct realistic seismic models for theoretical ice deposits at the lunar south pole. Our methodology allows us to link variations in seismic properties to the presence and distribution of ice, providing a framework for using seismic methods to infer both the location and the abundance of subsurface ice deposits. Our results underscore that seismic exploration techniques are a robust tool for characterizing lunar water resources. The insights gained from these models not only enhance our understanding of the physical state of the lunar regolith but also pave the way for optimizing geophysical survey strategies in upcoming lunar missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adz7220","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.adz7220","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s44453-026-00045-w","name":"Mitigating plume surface interactions using lunar craters.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Launching and landing spacecraft on the lunar surface mobilizes regolith at high velocities which will likely cause damage to nearby objects and infrastructure, a phenomenon known as plume surface interactions (PSIs) that must be mitigated for sustainable lunar surface exploration. While some mitigation strategies prescribe the construction of walls and landing pads using locally sourced regolith and additive manufacturing techniques, cheaper and more immediately available approaches may be required. We introduce a novel concept that uses small lunar craters (<1.5 km) as unprepared landing sites to mitigate the hazards posed by PSIs. We simulated the ballistic trajectories of regolith grains ejected by PSIs from the centers of 238 lunar craters and find that many could completely shield nearby areas from ejected regolith, with some of these protected \"umbrella zones\" being large enough to host either a 16 m-tall Blue Moon Mk. 2 lander or a lunar outpost. These examined craters are also conducive to safe landings as they retain sufficiently large and flat crater floors, as well as crater walls that are traversable by the Artemis program's proposed Lunar Terrain Vehicle. However, much work remains for this approach to be fully relied upon as a mitigation strategy.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s44453-026-00045-w","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.526Z","doi":"10.1038/s44453-026-00045-w","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/ma19102066","name":"Influence of Particle Size and Mineralogical Composition on the Mechanical and Tribological Properties of Resin-Regolith-Composites for Non-Structural Applications.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The development of resin-regolith composites represents a promising In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) strategy for future lunar missions. While unsuitable for primary habitat construction due to the payload cost of transporting polymers from Earth, these composites offer a highly efficient solution for manufacturing non-structural, everyday items (e.g., containers, tools, and plant cultivation pots) directly on the Moon via mold-casting. This approach significantly reduces the volume and mass of pre-formed plastic payloads. In this work, the influence of the particle size distribution of a lunar highland simulant (LHS-1E) on the mechanical properties of epoxy-based composites was systematically investigated for such applications. First, the regolith-to-resin ratio was optimized for castability, establishing a maximum regolith content of 60 wt.%. Then, four different size fractions of the simulant were prepared by sieving (>200 µm, 200-100 µm, 100-50 µm, and 200 µm) increased composite porosity, whereas smaller fractions promoted more compact structures. Three-point bending tests showed that intermediate particle sizes (200-100 µm and 100-50 µm) led to enhanced flexural strength, while the smallest particles ( 200 µm) exhibited superior wear resistance, whereas particle size had negligible effects on the coefficient of friction. Overall, the results demonstrate that both particle size and mineralogical composition significantly influence the performance of regolith-epoxy composites, providing essential guidelines for the in situ manufacturing of functional, non-structural objects for lunar outposts.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19102066","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.527Z","doi":"10.3390/ma19102066","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-9589252/v1","name":"Enhancing Extraterrestrial Regolith Based Agriculture using Microbial Symbioses and In Situ Nutrient Sources","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract Long-term human presence on the Moon and Mars requires sustainable, resource-efficient food production systems. Regolith-based agriculture (RBA) utilizes planetary regolith (mineral, inorganic soils) as a growth substrate capable of providing nutrients for extraterrestrial agriculture. Previous experiments indicate plants grown in Apollo-returned and simulated lunar and martian regolith suffer stress from nutrient limitation and metal toxicity. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form symbioses with most crops and have the ability to significantly reduce these stresses by delivering nutrients and water previously unavailable to a plant, as well as aiding in phytoremediation of contaminants and toxins. Legumes form symbioses with both nodule-forming nitrogen (N) fixing bacteria and AMF. Since lunar and martian simulated regolith lack bioavailable N, its supplementation, through bacterial symbiosis, for legumes, or fertilizer for other crops, is essential for plant survival and biomass production. Our experiments test the influence of AMF on five crops grown in simulated lunar and martian regolith, measuring survival and biomass production for all crops, and comparing yield between urea-derived N and biosolid (derived from human wastewater) fertilizer in maize. All crops successfully grew in both regoliths. Mycorrhizal inoculation produced crop-specific improvements in performance metrics; some crops showed enhanced biomass production while others exhibited improved nodulation or leaf health. Biosolid fertilization consistently surpassed urea N in maize, exhibiting increased biomass, yield of produce, leaf chlorophyll content, and some tissue nutrients in lunar regolith. AM fungi and bioregenerative fertilizers enhance regolith-based crop vitality, offering a potential pathway toward agricultural self-sufficiency on the Moon and Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9589252/v1","authors":["Laura M. Lee","Alexis Bass","Sedona Marie Spann","Xanthe Walker","Christopher S. Edwards","Nancy Collins Johnson"],"tags":["Environmental science","Nutrient","Regolith","Biomass (ecology)","Agronomy"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.527Z","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9589252/v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"doi:10.20944/preprints202606.1562.v1","name":"Finite-Element Modeling of Additively Manufactured Regolith-Filled Polyether–Ether–Ketone (PEEK)","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Additive manufacturing of PEEK/regolith composites offers a promising route for lunar in-space manufacturing by reducing dependence on Earth-supplied materials. However, the processability of these composites and the elastic response of printed components are strongly influenced by regolith loading and manufacturing-induced defects. This study develops a hierarchical finite element framework to quantify the stiffness of additively manufactured PEEK containing 10-50 wt% LMS-1D lunar regolith simulant and to distinguish intrinsic composition effects from defect-driven stiffness losses. The approach combines composition-based estimation of regolith properties with microstructure-informed simulations of PEEK/regolith composites. Under defect-free assumptions, the predicted modulus increases monotonically from 1.27 GPa at 10 wt% to 1.97 GPa at 50 wt%, showing good agreement with experimental trends up to 40 wt%, where deviations remain within 3.5-10.1%. At 50 wt%, however, the experimental modulus decreases to 1.27 GPa, while the defect-free model predicts 1.97 GPa. Microscopy-informed single-layer analyses indicate that tall crack-like interfacial voids, polymer-starved welds, and interconnected weak seams significantly reduce load transfer and shift the mechanical response toward an interface-controlled regime. These results show that regolith additions can enhance stiffness only until defect connectivity becomes dominant. The findings provide insight into the process-structure-property relationships governing ceramic particle-reinforced high-performance thermoplastics in additive manufacturing.","url":"https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202606.1562.v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.527Z","doi":"10.20944/preprints202606.1562.v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/s18092907","name":"Parameter Estimation of Lunar Regolith from Lunar Penetrating Radar Data.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Parameter estimation of the lunar regolith not only provides important information about the composition but is also critical to quantifying potential resources for lunar exploration and engineering for human outposts. The Lunar Penetrating Radar (LPR) onboard China's Chang'E-3 (CE-3) provides a unique opportunity for mapping the near-surface stratigraphic structure and estimating the parameters of the regolith. In this paper, the electrical parameters and the iron-titanium content of regolith are estimated based on the two sets of LPR data. Firstly, it is theoretically verified that the relative dielectric constant can be estimated according to the difference of the reflected time of two receivers from a same target. Secondly, in order to verify the method, a parameter estimation flow is designed. Subsequently, a simple model and a complex model of regolith are carried out for the method verification. Finally, on the basis of the two sets of LPR data, the electrical parameters and the iron-titanium content of regolith are estimated. The relative dielectric constant of regolith at CE-3 landing site is 3.0537 and the content of TiO₂ and FeO is 14.0127%. This helps us predict the reserves of resources at the CE-3 landing site and even in the entire Mare Imbrium.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/s18092907","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.527Z","doi":"10.3390/s18092907","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/ma12030487","name":"Manufacturing Dense Thick Films of Lunar Regolith Simulant EAC-1 at Room Temperature.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Aerosol Deposition (AD, also known as gas kinetic spraying or vacuum deposition) method is a rather novel coating process to produce dense thick films directly from dry ceramic (or metal) powders on a variety of substrates without any heat treatment. Because of the similarity of the up to now used powders and lunar regolith, it is imaginable to use AD systems for future in situ resource utilization missions on the Moon planned by several space agencies. To test the feasibility of such an endeavor, the processability of lunar mare simulant EAC-1 by the AD method has been examined in this study. Three regolith films with an area of 25 × 10 mm², and thicknesses between 2.50 µm and 5.36 µm have been deposited on steel substrates using a standard AD setup. Deposited films have been investigated by Laser Scanning Microscopy (LSM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Moreover, the roughness and Vickers hardness of the deposited films and the underlying substrates have been measured. It has been shown that dense consolidated films of regolith simulant can be produced within minutes by AD. The deposited films show a higher roughness and, on average, a higher hardness than the steel substrates. Since on the Moon, naturally available regolith powders are abundant and very dry, and since the required process vacuum is available, AD appears to be a very promising method for producing dense coatings in future Moon exploration and utilization missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ma12030487","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.527Z","doi":"10.3390/ma12030487","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-9672389/v1","name":"Towards in situ de-risking of lunar granular materials handling: Design, manufacture, and initial testing and initial validation of a rotating drum breadboard suitable for vacuum conditions and eventual lunar gravity parabolic flight","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract As lunar exploration and prospects for commercial exploitation accelerate, understanding regolith behaviour under low gravitational and vacuum conditions is vital for engineering robust In-Situ Resource Utilisation (ISRU) systems. Accurate characterisation of dynamic granular flow properties, such as flow regimes and the dynamic angle of repose of naturally occurring lunar materials within lunar environments, is essential for optimising lunar surface material handling procedures and hardware. Consequently, there is a requirement for dedicated lunar payloads capable of generating relevant in situ datasets. In previous work, the MULE concept was proposed as a multi-subsystem payload to examine these phenomena directly on the lunar surface. This paper details the initial design and testing of one of the selected technologies—a rotating drum system with integrated video analysis—intended for technology de-risking and comparison against commercial bulk materials testing systems. The current breadboard iteration (Version A) prioritises rapid FDM 3D-printed components alongside commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware. To ensure data comparability, a study was conducted to evaluate the breadboard's performance against an industry-standard laboratory rotating drum tester (GranuDrum). This work represents a first developmental step toward an experimental platform capable of operating in lunar gravity parabolic flight campaigns and, ultimately, as a lunar payload. Further developments (Version B) will focus on automated sample management via a dosing carousel to enable high-throughput autonomous operation. Key findings demonstrate reliable hardware function across operational envelopes extending to free molecular flow vacuum pressures. Results indicate comparability with the commercial rotating drum tester across a range of nine regolith simulant materials. Further operational tests revealed expected distinctions in material behaviour when samples were subjected to thermal pre-treatment or handled under varying atmospheric conditions, confirming the system's sensitivity to environmentally induced rheological changes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9672389/v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.527Z","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9672389/v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.tibtech.2026.04.011","name":"A bioartificial 3D bronchial epithelial airway model to study lunar hay fever on Earth.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"A significant challenge for sustained human presence on the Moon revolves around lunar regolith dust. In the past, Apollo astronauts experienced adverse reactions to lunar dust, reporting allergy-like symptoms after tracking the dust into the lunar module. A 3D human airway model, with properties of a native bronchial epithelium, was generated using a natural scaffold colonized with primary bronchial epithelial cells and donor-matched bronchial fibroblasts. In a laboratory setup, a comparison between lunar regolith simulant [Johnson Space Center-1 (JSC-1)] and terrestrial reference dust [particulate matter 10 μm (PM 10 )] highlighted the early responsiveness of the airway model to JSC-1. Moreover, JSC-1 induced a specific pathophysiological response and differently affected mucociliary clearance efficiency, barrier integrity, airway differentiation, and remodeling of the bronchial airway. The initial results underscore the importance of biomedical research on lunar dust but also make it clear that research on regolith cannot be substituted with findings from terrestrial PM 10 studies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibtech.2026.04.011","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.527Z","doi":"10.1016/j.tibtech.2026.04.011","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fmicb.2026.1837116","name":"Integrating resource utilization and bioregenerative life support systems for sustainable space exploration.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The long-term presence of humans in space depends on reducing reliance on Earth's resupply of materials and resources. In situ resource utilization (ISRU) represents a sustainable approach to support human activities in space by converting local materials into consumables, propellants, and structural feedstocks. In parallel, bioregenerative life support systems (BLSS) primarily sustain internal loop closure (LC) by regenerating air, H 2 O, nutrients, and food from habitat-contained streams. Traditional ISRU concepts have primarily focused on abiotic technologies that process rocks, regolith, and atmospheric components to extract O 2 , H 2 O, and metals, although biotic approaches are also under investigation. Biological and bio-hybrid approaches, guided by microorganisms and other living systems, could complement these technologies by supporting both external resource conversion and internal LC in future space exploration. In this review, we adopt a resource-centric framework to compare abiotic, biotic, and coupled resources acquisition pathways across the main functional domains relevant to both ISRU and BLSS, treated as operationally distinct but architecturally coupled subsystems within a broader resource-management framework. We discuss the main functional domains required for human settlement, spanning external resource conversion (O 2 , CO 2 , H 2 , CH 4 , H 2 O, materials, manufacturing, energy) and internal regenerative functions (food production, air and H 2 O revitalization, and waste recycling). For each domain, we describe representative abiotic (e.g., MOXIE, ROXY, molten-regolith electrolysis, fission surface power, and advanced solar arrays) and biotic systems, for both ISRU-relevant bioprocesses (e.g., biomining, biopolymer production) and BLSS components (e.g., plant-growth and microbial recycling loops). The most realistic path toward sustainable human settlements beyond Earth orbit lies in coupled ISRU-BLSS architectures in which external resource acquisition and internal regenerative loops are coordinated across shared material and energy flows.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1837116","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.527Z","doi":"10.3389/fmicb.2026.1837116","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3357/amhp.6895.2026","name":"Feasibility of Real-Time Astronaut Eye-Tracking During Analog Extravehicular Activities.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Introduction As lunar missions increase in frequency and duration, astronauts will conduct more extravehicular activities (EVAs) under demanding conditions that elevate workload, reduce situational awareness, and heighten the risk of operational errors. Despite extensive use in other high-risk fields, eye-tracking technology has not yet been applied to assess gaze behavior during EVAs. We evaluated the feasibility of using mobile eye-tracking within analog EVA suits, focusing on implementation, data quality, livestreaming capability, and the ability to compare gaze behavior across tasks and suits. Methods A trained subject performed locomotion, tool-cart navigation, and regolith sampling tasks under lunar-analog conditions while wearing different EVA training suits and a mobile eye-tracker fitted prior to donning the helmet. Data quality was evaluated in terms of robustness, reliability, and accuracy, while data quantity reflected the availability of sufficient data for analysis of fixations, saccades, and head movement. Results In total, 4.5 h of stable and accurate eye-tracking data were recorded, with no data loss and successful livestreaming between the subject and mission control. Post hoc descriptive analysis indicated task-dependent gaze behavior, with mean fixation durations across suits ranging from 231-367 ms during locomotion, 316-380 ms during tool-cart navigation, and 417-2260 ms during regolith sampling. Discussion Conducted in a representative EVA environment, this study demonstrates the feasibility of mobile eye-tracking within spacesuit helmets and its potential as an objective measure of cognitive workload and as a live monitoring tool between astronauts and mission control, enabling new possibilities for astronaut training and EVA operations. Maltese F, Steinberg J, Schultz J, Hodkinson P, Runswick OR. Feasibility of real-time astronaut eye-tracking during analog extravehicular activities. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2026; 97(7):543-549.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3357/amhp.6895.2026","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.527Z","doi":"10.3357/amhp.6895.2026","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.btre.2026.e00949","name":"Exploring differential gene correlations in &lt;i&gt;Arabidopsis thaliana&lt;/i&gt; for sustainable space farming.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The plans for sustained human presence on the Moon have increased interest in understanding the effects of lunar conditions on terrestrial biology. Plants play a vital role in space exploration, as they not only generate oxygen and remove carbon dioxide but also provide fresh food that can be rich in nutraceutical compounds important for astronaut survival in long-duration missions. Understanding how to leverage in-situ resources, such as lunar regolith, is crucial for sustainable space exploration. However, using regolith as substrate for plant growth is challenging due to its composition and lack of organic matter. While previous research has primarily examined the gene expression of Arabidopsis thaliana under lunar conditions, it has mainly focused on individual gene activity, neglecting the interactions between genes within networks. This study goes beyond traditional approaches by employing differential gene correlation analysis to explore how gene pairs interact across different regolith environments. This strategy provides a deeper understanding of plant adaptation mechanisms, offering valuable insights for optimizing plant growth in extraterrestrial environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.btre.2026.e00949","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.527Z","doi":"10.1016/j.btre.2026.e00949","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.aec8211","name":"Searching for surficial water ice in lunar permanently shaded regions (PSRs) with ShadowCam.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Airless bodies such as the Moon, Mercury, and Ceres have permanently shaded regions (PSRs) that can cold trap water ice. Mercury and Ceres have substantial ice deposits in their PSRs, but lunar water ice distribution remains uncertain because of sparse detections and limited data. Here, we assessed surficial water ice in lunar PSRs using high-resolution observations from ShadowCam onboard the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter. We used the high-reflectance and forward-scattering optical properties to search for water ice in lunar PSRs. We found no evidence of widespread water ice in PSRs at abundances above the detection limit of 20 to 30 wt % but could not rule out widespread low-content water ice. A few small locations with both high reflectance and forward-scattering behavior were observed, which could be consistent with >10 wt % ice. Future missions with low detection limits (<1 wt %) of water ice can test our findings.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aec8211","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.527Z","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.aec8211","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acsearthspacechem.5c00267","name":"Lunar and Martian Regolith Simulants Desorb and Weather after Exposure to Bioregenerative Life Support System Effluent.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The extraction of plant essential nutrients from extraterrestrial regolith will be necessary to ensure the sustainability of lunar and martian agriculture. An essential instrument of these outposts will be bioregenerative life support systems (BLiSS) that attempt to fully recycle nutrients from organic wastes. While BLiSS may not be fully efficient and lead to a reduction in the quantity of some elements, it is necessary to explore if regolith can be used to fortify the composition of BLiSS effluent. Lunar (JSC-1A) and martian simulants (MGS-1) were reacted with a high-fidelity BLiSS effluent from NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in a 24 h batch experiment and compared to reactions with an inorganic nutrient solution and water. Net sorption and dissolution of elements were determined by quantification of reacting solutions using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), with P demonstrating Langmuir and Zn and K demonstrating Freundlich sorption isotherms. The lunar simulant desorbed sizeable quantities of S, followed by Ca and Mg, while the martian simulant desorbed S, followed by Mg, Ca, and Na. Elemental bonding of C, N, P, and Ca was observed on the simulant solid phase with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) after reaction with BLiSS solution. Minerals after experimentation were observed using scanning electron microscope-electron dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), revealing pitting in JSC-1A and covering of nanoparticles in MGS-1. There were marked differences between the reactions of the inorganic nutrient solution compared to BLiSS effluent, indicating the necessity to study high-fidelity solutions over single-element model systems. Overall, lunar and martian regoliths contain highly soluble components that may fortify BLiSS effluents with valuable metals and plant essential nutrients.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.5c00267","authors":["Harrison R. Coker","Daniella Saetta","Misle M. Tessema","Jackson L. Smith","Charles A. Richardson-Gongora","Jason A. Fischer","Hannah I. Roberts","Luke Roberson","Julie A. Howe"],"tags":["Regolith","Martian","Life support system","Sorption","Martian soil"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.527Z","doi":"10.1021/acsearthspacechem.5c00267","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-025-67402-3","name":"Increased small impactor flux on the Moon as inferred from regolith thickness at the Chang'E-5 Region.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Knowledge of the small impactor flux on the Moon can provide critical insights into lunar geological evolution and the dynamics of the inner solar system. However, it cannot be directly deciphered from the observed populations of small craters due to their rapid degradation. Impact-generated lunar regolith records the contribution from historical impacts of various sizes and is particularly sensitive to sub-hectometer craters, providing a unique means to estimate the small impactor flux. Here we estimate the distribution of regolith thickness in the Chang'E-5 landing region (the youngest radiometric-dated homogeneous mare unit) through both statistics of fresh crater morphology and regolith evolution simulations using different impact flux hypotheses. The large median regolith thickness of 3.6±0.3 m derived from crater morphology can be attributed solely to a higher production rate of small lunar craters at sub-hectometer scales, which is 1.2-1.6 times higher than previously estimated. Such an increased small impactor flux may occur at ∼600 Ma and indicate recent asteroid breakup events, or could have persisted over the past 2 Ga, as a result of the preferential delivery of small impactors through the Yarkovsky and YORP effects.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-67402-3","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.527Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-025-67402-3","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/frobt.2026.1819714","name":"Zero-shot semantic landmark-based visual odometry using foundation models for unstructured planetary exploration.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Precise autonomous navigation on unstructured planetary surfaces is a critical prerequisite for future exploration missions, particularly in GNSS-denied environments such as the Lunar South Pole or Martian deserts. Traditional Visual Odometry (VO) methods, which rely on tracking low-level geometric features (e.g., corners), often fail under the extreme illumination contrast of the Moon or the textural monotony of the Martian regolith. In this work, we present a zero-shot semantic landmark-based visual odometry approach that leverages the generalization capabilities of modern Foundation Models. Our approach uses the Segment Anything Model (SAM) to extract geological landmarks (rocks) and DINOv2 to generate view-invariant semantic descriptors that are matched across frames. We evaluate our pipeline across two distinct domains: a high-fidelity synthetic lunar environment (LuSNAR dataset) to test robustness against extreme lighting, and a real-world Martian analog dataset (Katwijk Beach) to assess sim-to-real transfer. Experimental results show that the proposed approach achieves a decimeter-level trajectory accuracy ( RMSE≈ 0.14 m) on the Martian analog and an RMSE = 1.93 m on the most stable lunar traverse, without any domain-specific fine-tuning. Our results suggest that Foundation-Model-based semantic landmarks are a promising alternative to low-level features for zero-shot VO in planetary-like environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frobt.2026.1819714","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.527Z","doi":"10.3389/frobt.2026.1819714","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/2017gh000125","name":"Assessing Toxicity and Nuclear and Mitochondrial DNA Damage Caused by Exposure of Mammalian Cells to Lunar Regolith Simulants.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Previous missions to the lunar surface implicated potential dangers of lunar soil. In future explorations, astronauts may spend weeks or months on the Moon, increasing the risk of inhaling lunar dust. In an effort to understand the biological impact of lunar regolith, cell cultures derived from lung or neuronal cells were challenged with lunar soil simulants to assess cell survival and genotoxicity. Lunar soil simulants were capable of causing cell death and DNA damage in neuronal and lung cell lines, and freshly crushed lunar soil simulants were more effective at causing cell death and DNA damage than were simulants as received from the supplier. The ability of the simulants to generate reactive oxygen species in aqueous suspensions was not correlated with their cytotoxic or genotoxic affects. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity was not correlated with the accumulation of detectable DNA lesions. These results determine that lunar soil simulants are, with variable activity, cytotoxic and genotoxic to both neuronal and lung-derived cells in culture.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2017gh000125","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.527Z","doi":"10.1002/2017gh000125","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acs.energyfuels.5c04047","name":"Moon Regolith Simulant-Based All-3D-Printed Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Effective Mechanical Energy Conversion.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Sustained human activity on the Moon will require energy systems that can be manufactured directly from lunar materials, avoiding the mass and cost constraints of transporting devices from the Earth. Here, we demonstrate a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) fabricated using a lunar regolith (LR) simulant as an active triboelectric component through a scalable 3D-printing strategy. LR incorporation significantly enhances charge generation in LR/PLA (poly-(lactic acid)) composite electrodes by modifying surface properties and increasing effective contact electrification. Multiple electrode architectures were evaluated to optimize performance, with the best design delivering an open-circuit voltage of ∼17.4 (±0.4) V and a short-circuit current of ∼0.96 (±0.2) μA at 10 Hz for a 20 × 30 mm device. The prototype is capable of real-scale power demonstrations, validating its practical utility. This work introduces a viable route for in situ resource utilization and 3D printing to establish LR-based triboelectric devices as a promising approach for energy autonomy in future lunar habitats.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.5c04047","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.527Z","doi":"10.1021/acs.energyfuels.5c04047","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.rpth.2025.103342","name":"Extraterrestrial regolith is hemostatic and potentially suitable for hemorrhage control in space.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Background Long-duration space missions beyond low Earth orbit pose increased risks of injuries to astronauts. Traumatic hemorrhage will be a cause of preventable death. Due to payload constraints, in situ production of medical materials is essential. Regolith from the Moon, Mars and asteroids is rich in silicates which may serve as a hemostatic agent. Objectives Here, we aim to evaluate whether extraterrestrial regolith simulants (ETRS), their mineral components, and meteorites can activate coagulation through coagulation factor XII (FXII), and control bleeding. Methods The procoagulant potential of Lunar and Martian regolith simulants, their component silicate minerals, and meteorite samples were assessed in vitro. Plasma clotting turbidity, thrombin generation and FXIIa chromogenic assays were performed using either normal or FXII-inhibited/immunodepleted human plasma. Zeta potential and silicon dioxide content were also plotted against the time to fibrin clot formation. In vivo efficacy of CSM-LHT-1 (Lunar), CSM-MGS-1C (Martian), and NWA-869 chondritic meteorite were assessed in a pilot study using a porcine model of penetrating hemorrhage. Results All ETRS samples accelerated clotting, thrombin generation and FXII activation in normal plasma with reduced effects in either FXII-immunodepleted or -inhibited plasma. Phyllosilicates showed greater procoagulant activity than framework silicates. In vivo, wounds treated with regolith remained clotted longer and lost less blood compared to gauze alone, with NWA-869 chondrite meteorite significantly improving clotting and blood loss. Conclusions Extraterrestrial regolith activated coagulation in a FXII-dependent manner and reduced blood loss in a trauma model of penetrating hemorrhage. This suggests extraterrestrial regolith may be used as a hemostatic agent during space missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rpth.2025.103342","authors":["Nabil Ali-Mohamad","Ting-Hsuan Wang","Lih Jiin Juang","Nuoya Peng","Massimo F. Cau","Kevin Cannon","Christian J. Kastrup"],"tags":["Regolith","Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology","Space (punctuation)","Coagulation"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.527Z","doi":"10.1016/j.rpth.2025.103342","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41526-026-00602-3","name":"Plasma nitrogen fixation for future lunar agriculture.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Here, we introduce the potential of plasma technology for future lunar agriculture. The use of discharge plasma to convert nitrogen, oxygen, and water into reactive species for nitrogen fixation is discussed. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of dinitrogen pentoxide as a nitrogen fertilizer for rice cultivation in lunar regolith simulants. This technology also shows promise in regulating plant growth and enhancing plant immunity, addressing the challenges of lunar agriculture.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-026-00602-3","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.527Z","doi":"10.1038/s41526-026-00602-3","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-026-75169-4","name":"A universal scaling framework for granular asteroid strength and its application to the surface of asteroid Bennu.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Granular asteroids exhibit surprising structural stability despite low gravity and high spin rates. Understanding the mechanisms behind their strength is essential for predicting their evolution and informing deflection strategies. Using 3D particle-dynamics simulations, we develop a scaling framework for the tensile strength of cohesive, self-gravitating regolith, examining how particle size and shape jointly control macroscopic behavior. We show that tensile strength can be scaled using either an equivalent particle diameter or particle shape, the latter through sphericity and its reference to an equivalent spherical packing. We apply this model to asteroid Bennu using data from samples returned by the OSIRIS-REx mission and derive a cohesive surface strength consistent with estimates below 1 Pa from remote sensing and sampling-event reconstructions. Our results indicate that Bennu's extremely low strength arises from a scarcity of fine dust in its regolith. This study demonstrates how particle-level properties govern large-scale stability and heterogeneity in granular asteroids.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-75169-4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.527Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-026-75169-4","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1088/1758-5090/ae1e32","name":"Regolith-supported biofabrication: 3D bioprinting of living, photosynthetically active structures using Lunar and Martian regolith simulants.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Bioprinting, a technology with the potential to support long-term space missions, offers medical solutions for human settlements on the Moon and Mars. Moreover, 'green bioprinting' presents a promising approach to address terrestrial environmental challenges. Effective and cost-efficient implementation of this technology beyond the Earth requires leveraging in situ resources on celestial bodies. Consequently, this study examines the integration of Lunar and Martian regolith into bioprintable hydrogels as mechanically stabilizing and protective components as well as nutrient sources. Hydrogel blends composed of alginate and methylcellulose were supplemented with regolith simulants. Rheological characterization revealed maintenance of shear thinning and shear recovery properties, ensuring optimal printability. In regards to cultivation of microalgae, the ion release/uptake of the regolith simulants in culture medium was investigated, indicating that regolith has potential to serve as nutrient source. The microalga Chlorella vulgaris and bacteria Buttiauxella sp . MASE-IM-9 and Salinisphaera shabanensis were bioprinted in regolith-based inks. Results demonstrate that the microalgae maintained their photosynthetic efficiency in regolith-containing bioinks during cultivation, exhibiting high viability and growth. The bacteria exhibited an enhanced resistance to desiccation as well as temperature and radiation stress when regolith simulants were present in the hydrogels. This study confirms the feasibility of employing Lunar and Martian regolith simulants in bioinks for green bioprinting and bacterial bioprinting. Such an approach could minimize the volume of stored printing materials and culture media, optimizing rocket transport capacity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1758-5090/ae1e32","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.527Z","doi":"10.1088/1758-5090/ae1e32","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.fmre.2025.12.020","name":"KREEP materials recorded in impact glasses of Chang'e-6 regolith returned from the South Pole-Aitken Basin.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Chang'e-6 mission achieved the first-ever sample return from the lunar farside. The landing site is located within the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin, which is the largest and oldest impact structure on the Moon. In this study, approximately 2360 glass beads were separated from 5 g of lunar soil. Among them, 640 homogeneous impact-generated glass beads were selected to investigate the compositional characteristics of the sampling site and surrounding unsampled regions. The average major element composition of these glass beads deviates significantly from that of local basalt, and the TiO 2 content displays a bimodal distribution (∼3.1 wt% and ∼0.6 wt%), indicating substantial input from low-Ti exotic components. Based on their major element characteristics, 116 glass beads were selected for trace element analysis. Four chemically distinct types of glass beads were identified: regolith-like ( n = 37), basalt-like ( n = 2), feldspathic-like ( n = 18) and KREEP-like ( n = 27). The first two types originate from local regolith and basalt, respectively. The feldspathic-like glasses are characterized by high Al, low Ti, high Mg#, and significantly positive Eu anomalies, indicating that their source materials most likely originated from noritic lithologies formed through differentiation of impact melt within the SPA basin. The KREEP-like glasses are enriched in incompatible trace elements, exhibit high 87 Rb/ 86 Sr ratios, and show distinctly negative Eu anomalies, which point to the incorporation of KREEP components in their source materials. Based on the compositional characteristics of the sampling region, along with La, Cr concentrations and Mg# of the KREEP-like glass beads, we infer the potential existence of KREEP-rich high-Al basalts, Mg-suite, and alkali-suite distributions in the areas surrounding the landing site. This study provides direct sample-based evidence for the presence of KREEP components within the SPA basin, offering constraints on the mechanisms through which KREEP asymmetry accounts for the Moon's dichotomy.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fmre.2025.12.020","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.527Z","doi":"10.1016/j.fmre.2025.12.020","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s40820-025-01979-8","name":"Emerging Chemical and Biological Materials Technologies in the Extraplanetary Environment.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Space exploration and manufacturing are of critical importance for scientific advancement, technological innovation, national security, and the acquisition of extraterrestrial resources. In view of this, chemical and biological nano-/micro-/meso-scale manufacturing provide complementary approaches to overcome key space exploration challenges by enabling the in-situ production of essential life-support materials, propellants, and other resources. This review examines the origin and historical evolution of space manufacturing and the latest advances across different environments-from orbital space stations and the lunar surface to Mars and asteroids. It is structured to present the current state of research, outline key manufacturing strategies and technologies, assess the technical and environmental challenges, and discuss emerging trends and future directions. Besides, the potential applications of emerging technologies such as synthetic biology and artificial intelligence in overcoming the limitations of microgravity, limited resources, and extreme conditions are discussed. Ultimately, this integrative review could serve to guide future development, from advancing space science and disruptive manufacturing to enabling interdisciplinary and application-level innovations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-025-01979-8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:50:25.527Z","doi":"10.1007/s40820-025-01979-8","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"oa:W2253439997","name":"Close encounters with creative chemical thinking: An outreach presentation using movie clips about the elemental composition of aliens and extraterrestrial minerals","source":"openalex","abstract":"To introduce more chemistry into a middle and high school bioengineering camp experience, we developed an educational and entertaining presentation that examines the chemistry in movies about aliens and minerals from outer space. Our goal was to help the campers to think creatively about the bioengineering projects they are doing and about its chemistry. After watching each movie clip, we explain whether the chemistry in the clip is real or fake, and then describe the real chemistry that inspired it. The chemical touchstone for the presentation is the periodic table. First, the campers learn that aliens in five movies are composed of the same elements as those found on Earth, although some do not have the same biochemistry. The second half of the talk is about the utility of extraterrestrial minerals of known composition. The campers learn that moviemakers speculate that people of the future might visit other celestial bodies to collect scarce minerals with known properties. The topics of alien biochemistry and extraterrestrial minerals are not often taught in the classroom. The pairing works well, however, for chemical outreach because it shows students how to bring divergent thoughts together to solve problems and, therefore, encourages creative chemical thinking.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eq.2015.11.004","authors":["Mark A. Griep","Marjorie L. Mikasen"],"tags":["Presentation (obstetrics)","Extraterrestrial life","Outreach","Chemistry","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-12-24","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1016/j.eq.2015.11.004","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"oa:W2019136501","name":"The nature of fossil bacteria: A guide to the search for extraterrestrial life","source":"openalex","abstract":"In an attempt to establish reliable criteria for the identification of potential fossil life in extraterrestrial materials, the fossilizable characteristics of bacteria, namely, size, shape, cell wall texture, association, and colony formation, are described, and an overview is given of the ways in which fossil bacteria are preserved (as compressions in fine‐grained sediments; preservation in amber; permineralized by silica; replacement by minerals such as silica, pyrite, Fe/Mn oxides, calcite, phosphate, and siderite; or as molds in minerals). The problem of confounding minerally replaced bacteria with non biological structures having a bacterial morphology is addressed. Examples of fossilized bacteria from the Early Archaean through to the Recent are used to illustrate the various modes of preservation and the morphology of fossil bacteria.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/1998je900051","authors":["Francès Westall"],"tags":["Bacteria","Pyrite","Extraterrestrial life","Siderite","Calcite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-07-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1029/1998je900051","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2070751667","name":"High molecular diversity of extraterrestrial organic matter in Murchison meteorite revealed 40 years after its fall","source":"openalex","abstract":"Numerous descriptions of organic molecules present in the Murchison meteorite have improved our understanding of the early interstellar chemistry that operated at or just before the birth of our solar system. However, all molecular analyses were so far targeted toward selected classes of compounds with a particular emphasis on biologically active components in the context of prebiotic chemistry. Here we demonstrate that a nontargeted ultrahigh-resolution molecular analysis of the solvent-accessible organic fraction of Murchison extracted under mild conditions allows one to extend its indigenous chemical diversity to tens of thousands of different molecular compositions and likely millions of diverse structures. This molecular complexity, which provides hints on heteroatoms chronological assembly, suggests that the extraterrestrial chemodiversity is high compared to terrestrial relevant biological- and biogeochemical-driven chemical space.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0912157107","authors":["Philippe Schmitt‐Kopplin","Z. Gabélica","Régis D. Gougeon","Ágnes Fekete","Basem Kanawati","Mourad Harir","Istvan Gebefuegi","Gerhard Eckel","Norbert Hertkorn"],"tags":["Murchison meteorite","Astrobiology","Meteorite","Context (archaeology)","Extraterrestrial life"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-02-16","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.0912157107","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W3016874227","name":"Subaerial hot springs and near-surface hydrothermal mineral systems past and present, and possible extraterrestrial analogues","source":"openalex","abstract":"The principal features, geotectonic settings and association with near-surface hydrothermal mineral systems of ancient and present subaerial hot springs, fumaroles and geysers are herein reviewed. Fumaroles and geysers usually occur in volcanic craters and are in most cases, part and parcel of hot spring environments. Subaerial hot springs are characterised by siliceous- and carbonate-rich chemical sediments, such as sinters and travertines, respectively. Sinters are commonly enriched in various metalliferous elements. Hot springs surface discharges are also characterised by pools, which exhibit bright colours due to the presence of microorganisms. Present-day examples discussed in this paper, include the fumaroles and hot springs of the White Island volcano (New Zealand), the world-renowned Yellowstone caldera (USA) and the Afar region of the East African Rift System. The Afar triangle, in the northern part of East African Rift System, provides a good example of hot springs associated with evaporative deposits. The Tuli-Sabi-Lebombo triple junction rifts were formed during the ~ 180 ​Ma Karoo igneous event in southern Africa, of which the Tuli arm is the failed rift (aulacogen), as is the Afar region. The Tuli rift is effectively an unusual, if not unique, tectono-thermal setting, because it comprises Karoo-age hot springs systems and associated vein stockworks and breccias, which includes the Messina Cu deposit as well as currently active hot springs with sinter deposits probably due to post-Karoo uplift. Fumarolic pipes in ignimbrites of the Erongo Volcano-Plutonic Complex in Namibia are discussed. This is followed by an example of banded chert rocks in the Killara Formation of the Palaeoproterozoic Capricorn Orogen (Western Australia), interpreted as hot spring chemical sediments, which also show evidence of “fossil” microbial filaments. The paper ends with a brief overview of possible analogues of hot springs on planet Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsf.2020.04.001","authors":["Franco Pirajno"],"tags":["Subaerial","Geology","Fumarole","Volcano","Hot spring"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-04-13","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1016/j.gsf.2020.04.001","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2145154988","name":"Microbial lithification in marine stromatolites and hypersaline mats","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Lithification in microbial ecosystems occurs when precipitation of minerals outweighs dissolution. Although the formation of various minerals can result from microbial metabolism, carbonate precipitation is possibly the most important process that impacts global carbon cycling. Recent investigations have produced models for stromatolite formation in open marine environments and lithification in shallow hypersaline lakes, which could be highly relevant for interpreting the rock record and searching for extraterrestrial life. Two factors that are controlled by microbial processes and physicochemical characteristics determine precipitation: exopolymeric substances and the saturation index, the latter being determined by the pH, {Ca(2+)} and {CO(3)(2-)}. Here, we evaluate community metabolism in microbial mats and hypothesize why these organosedimentary biofilms sometimes lithify and sometimes do not.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2005.07.008","authors":["Christophe Dupraz","Pieter T. Visscher","Dupraz C","Visscher PT"],"tags":["Lithification","Stromatolite","Microbial mat","Extremophile","Carbonate"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005 Sep","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1016/j.tim.2005.07.008","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W1976109197","name":"Relation of the spectroscopic reflectance of olivine to mineral chemistry and some remote sensing implications","source":"openalex","abstract":"Using high‐resolution visible and near‐infrared diffuse spectral reflectance, we have systematically investigated apparent wavelength shifts as a function of mineral chemistry in the Fe/Mg olivine series from Fo 11 to Fo 91 . The study also shows that trace amounts of nickel can be spectrally detected in the olivine structure. We show that significant compositional information can only be extracted at relatively high resolution, because the overall spectral characteristics of the olivines change only subtly as a function of the Fe/Mg ratio. Significant spectral variation as a function of grain size is also demonstrated, adding a further complication to the interpretation of remotely sensed data from olivine‐rich surfaces. This laboratory study is expected to aid in the interpretation of remotely sensed data from both terrestrial and extraterrestrial bodies. Terrestrial applications may include the recognition of ultramafic, ultrabasic, and basaltic terrains which in themselves may have mineral potential. Among extraterrestrial applications, the asteroids are obvious candidates for further examination if instrumentation can provide the necessary wavelength coverage, resolution, and signal‐to‐noise ratio so that spectra can be compared to those laboratory data discussed here. Some permutations of Fe‐Mg‐Ni relations in olivines are discussed as they apply to the interpretation of asteroid surfaces and other extraterrestrial bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/jb092ib11p11457","authors":["Trude V.V. King","W. I. Ridley"],"tags":["Olivine","Ultramafic rock","Mineral","Mineralogy","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1987-10-10","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1029/jb092ib11p11457","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W41280085","name":"Metasomatism and the Chemical Transformation of Rock: Rock-Mineral-Fluid Interaction in Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Environments","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28394-9_1","authors":["Daniel E. Harlov","Håkon Austrheim"],"tags":["Metasomatism","Metamorphism","Metamorphic rock","Geology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-04-06","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-28394-9_1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2206201548","name":"Astrophysics with Extraterrestrial Materials","source":"openalex","abstract":"Extraterrestrial materials, including meteorites, interplanetary dust, and spacecraft-returned asteroidal and cometary samples, provide a record of the starting materials and early evolution of the Solar System. We review how laboratory analyses of these materials provide unique information, complementary to astronomical observations, about a wide variety of stellar, interstellar and protoplanetary processes. Presolar stardust grains retain the isotopic compositions of their stellar sources, mainly asymptotic giant branch stars and Type II supernovae. They serve as direct probes of nucleosynthetic and dust formation processes in stars, galactic chemical evolution, and interstellar dust processing. Extinct radioactivities suggest that the Sun's birth environment was decoupled from average galactic nucleosynthesis for some tens to hundreds of Myr but was enriched in short-lived isotopes from massive stellar winds or explosions shortly before or during formation of the Solar System. Radiometric dating of meteorite components tells us about the timing and duration over which solar nebula solids were assembled into the building blocks of the planets. Components of the most primitive meteoritical materials provide further detailed constraints on the formation, processing, and transport of material and associated timescales in the Sun's protoplanetary disk as well as in other forming planetary systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-astro-082214-122505","authors":["L. R. Nittler","F. J. Ciesla","Larry R. Nittler","Fred Ciesla"],"tags":["Physics","Formation and evolution of the Solar System","Presolar grains","Meteorite","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-06-30","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1146/annurev-astro-082214-122505","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"oa:W2404188474","name":"Magmatic Apatite: A Powerful, Yet Deceptive, Mineral","source":"openalex","abstract":"Research Article| June 01, 2015 Magmatic Apatite: A Powerful, Yet Deceptive, Mineral James D. Webster; James D. Webster 1Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, American Museum of Natural HistoryNew York, NY 10024-5192, USAE-mail: jdw@amnh.org Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Philip M. Piccoli Philip M. Piccoli 2Department of Geology, University of MarylandCollege Park, MD 20742-4211, USAE-mail: piccoli@umd.edu Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Elements (2015) 11 (3): 177–182. https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.11.3.177 Article history first online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation James D. Webster, Philip M. Piccoli; Magmatic Apatite: A Powerful, Yet Deceptive, Mineral. Elements 2015;; 11 (3): 177–182. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.11.3.177 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyElements Search Advanced Search Abstract Apatite may be a minor constituent in magmatic rocks but it is a powerful research tool because it is ubiquitous and it incorporates magmatic water, halogens, S, C, and trace elements including Sr, U, Th, and the rare earth elements. Recent advances in experimental and analytical methodologies allow geologists to analyze apatite textures and compositions in great detail. This information improves understanding of the behavior of volatiles and trace elements both in terrestrial igneous melts and their related fluids and in extraterrestrial bodies, such as the Moon and Mars. With more research, the petrological power of apatite can only increase with respect to understanding eruptive, pluton-building, and mineralizing magmatic systems. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.11.3.177","authors":["James D. Webster","Philip M. Piccoli"],"tags":["Apatite","Citation","Icon","Computer science","World Wide Web"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-06-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.2113/gselements.11.3.177","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W1989953424","name":"Extraterrestrial Flux of Potentially Prebiotic C, N, and P to the Early Earth","source":"pubmed","abstract":"With growing evidence for a heavy bombardment period ending 4-3.8 billion years ago, meteorites and comets may have been an important source of prebiotic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus on the early Earth. Life may have originated shortly after the late-heavy bombardment, when concentrations of organic compounds and reactive phosphorus were enough to \"kick life into gear\". This work quantifies the sources of potentially prebiotic, extraterrestrial C, N, and P and correlates these fluxes with a comparison to total Ir fluxes, and estimates the effect of atmosphere on the survival of material. We find (1) that carbonaceous chondrites were not a good source of organic compounds, but interplanetary dust particles provided a constant, steady flux of organic compounds to the surface of the Earth, (2) extraterrestrial metallic material was much more abundant on the early Earth, and delivered reactive P in the form of phosphide minerals to the Earth's surface, and (3) large impacts provided substantial local enrichments of potentially prebiotic reagents. These results help elucidate the potential role of extraterrestrial matter in the origin of life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11084-007-9110-5","authors":["Matthew A. Pasek","D. S. Lauretta","Pasek M","Lauretta D"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Chondrite","Meteorite","Extraterrestrial life","Earth (classical element)"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-09-10","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1007/s11084-007-9110-5","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.070Z"},{"id":"oa:W2984784665","name":"Structure of Materials: An Introduction to Crystallography, Diffraction and Symmetry","source":"openalex","abstract":"This highly readable, popular textbook for upper undergraduates and graduates comprehensively covers the fundamentals of crystallography and symmetry, applying these concepts to a large range of materials. New to this edition are more streamlined coverage of crystallography, additional coverage of magnetic point group symmetry and updated material on extraterrestrial minerals and rocks. New exercises at the end of chapters, plus over 500 additional exercises available online, allow students to check their understanding of key concepts and put into practice what they have learnt. Over 400 illustrations within the text help students visualise crystal structures and more abstract mathematical objects, supporting more difficult topics like point group symmetries. Historical and biographical sections add colour and interest by giving an insight into those who have contributed significantly to the field. Supplementary online material includes password-protected solutions, over 100 crystal structure data files, and Powerpoints of figures from the book.","url":"https://openalex.org/W2984784665","authors":["Marc De Graef","Michael E. McHenry"],"tags":["Point (geometry)","Symmetry (geometry)","Point group","Computer science","Group (periodic table)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-03-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"oa:W2124819462","name":"Magnetite morphology and life on Mars","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Nanocrystals of magnetite (Fe(3)O(4)) in a meteorite from Mars provide the strongest, albeit controversial, evidence for the former presence of extraterrestrial life. The morphological and size resemblance of the crystals from meteorite ALH84001 to crystals formed by certain terrestrial bacteria has been used in support of the biological origin of the extraterrestrial minerals. By using tomographic and holographic methods in a transmission electron microscope, we show that the three-dimensional shapes of such nanocrystals can be defined, that the detailed morphologies of individual crystals from three bacterial strains differ, and that none uniquely match those reported from the Martian meteorite. In contrast to previous accounts, we argue that the existing crystallographic and morphological evidence is inadequate to support the inference of former life on Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.241387898","authors":["Peter R. Buseck","Rafal E. Dunin‐Borkowski","Bertrand Devouard","Richard B. Frankel","Martha R. McCartney","Paul A. Midgley","Mihály Pósfai","Matthew Weyland"],"tags":["Meteorite","Martian","Extraterrestrial life","Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.241387898","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"oa:W2056128227","name":"Fundamental and applied research on clay minerals: From climate and environment to nanotechnology","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2013.02.013","authors":["Chun Hui Zhou","John Keeling"],"tags":["Clay minerals","Context (archaeology)","Multidisciplinary approach","Earth science","Biogeosciences"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-04-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1016/j.clay.2013.02.013","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W1969805892","name":"Oxygen Isotopes in Refractory Stratospheric Dust Particles: Proof of Extraterrestrial Origin","source":"openalex","abstract":"The oxygen and magnesium isotopic compositions of five individual particles that were collected from the stratosphere and that bear refractory minerals were measured by secondary ion mass spectrometry. Four of the particles exhibit excesses of oxygen-16 similar to those observed in anhydrous mineral phases of carbonaceous chondrites and thus are extraterrestrial. The oxygen and magnesium isotopic abundances of one corundum-rich particle are consistent with a terrestrial origin. Magnesium in the four extraterrestrial particles is isotopically normal. It is unlikely that these particles are derived from carbonaceous chondrites and thus such particles probably represent a new type of collected extraterrestrial material.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.237.4821.1468","authors":["K. D. McKeegan"],"tags":["Chondrite","Astrobiology","Presolar grains","Isotopes of oxygen","Isotopes of magnesium"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1987-09-18","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1126/science.237.4821.1468","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W1534916150","name":"Who Owns the Moon?: Extraterrestrial Aspects of Land and Mineral Resources Ownership","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9135-3","authors":["Virgiliu Pop"],"tags":["Frontier","Commons","Appropriation","Space law","Political science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-12-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1007/978-1-4020-9135-3","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2078284311","name":"An independent evaluation of the Younger Dryas extraterrestrial impact hypothesis","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Based on elevated concentrations of a set of \"impact markers\" at the onset of the Younger Dryas stadial from sedimentary contexts across North America, Firestone, Kennett, West, and others have argued that 12.9 ka the Earth experienced an impact by an extraterrestrial body, an event that had devastating ecological consequences for humans, plants, and animals in the New World [Firestone RB, et al. (2007) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 104:16016-16021]. Herein, we report the results of an independent analysis of magnetic minerals and microspherules from seven sites of similar age, including two examined by Firestone et al. We were unable to reproduce any results of the Firestone et al. study and find no support for Younger Dryas extraterrestrial impact.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0907857106","authors":["Todd A. Surovell","Vance T. Holliday","Joseph A. M. Gingerich","Caroline Ketron","C. Vance Haynes","Ilene Hilman","Daniel Wagner","Eileen Johnson","Philippe Claeys","Surovell TA","Holliday VT","Gingerich JA"],"tags":["Younger Dryas","Extraterrestrial life","Stadial","Allerød oscillation","Geology"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009 Oct 27","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.0907857106","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W171193343","name":"Metasomatism and the Chemical Transformation of Rock : The Role of Fluids in Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Processes","source":"openalex","abstract":"1. Metasomatism and the chemical transformation of rock: Rock-mineral-fluid interaction in terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments. -2. The Chemical Composition of Metasomatic Fluids in the Crust.- 3. Thermodynamic modeling and thermobarometry of metasomatized rocks.- 4. Structural controls of metasomatism on a regional scale.- 5. Mechanisms of metasomatism and metamorphism on the local mineral scale: The role of dissolution-reprecipitation during mineral re-equilibration. - 6. Geochronology of metasomatic events.-7. Effects of metasomatism on mineral systems and their host rocks: alkali metasomatism, skarns, greisens, tourmalinites, rodingites, black-wall alteration and listevenites.- 8. Metasomatism within the ocean crust.- 9. Metasomatism in subduction zones of subducted oceanic slabs, mantle wedges, and the slab-mantle interface.- 10. Metasomatism during High-Pressure Metamorphism: Eclogites and Blueschist-Facies Rocks.- 11. Prograde, peak and retrograde metamorphic fluids and associated metasomatism in upper amphibolite to granulite facies transition zones.- 12. Mantle Metasomatism.- 13. Mapping the distribution of fluids in the crust and lithospheric mantle utilizing geophysical methods.- 14. A Hydromechanical Model for Lower Crustal Fluid Flow.- 15. Metasomatism in the early solar sysem: The record fron Chondritic meteorites.Mapping the distribution of fluids in the crust and lithospheric mantle utilizing geophysical methods.- 14. A Hydromechanical Model for Lower Crustal Fluid Flow.- 15. Metasomatism in the early solar sysem: The record fron Chondritic meteorites.","url":"https://openalex.org/W171193343","authors":["Håkon Austrheim"],"tags":["Metasomatism","Geology","Geochemistry","Metamorphism","Blueschist"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-08-15","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"oa:W2083711313","name":"Polymeric substances and biofilms as biomarkers in terrestrial materials: Implications for extraterrestrial samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"Organic polymeric substances are a fundamental component of microbial biofilms. Microorganisms, especially bacteria, secrete extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) to form slime layers in which they reproduce. In the sedimentary environment, biofilms commonly contain the products of degraded bacteria as well as allochthonous and autochthonous mineral components. They are complex structures which serve as protection for the colonies of microorganisms living in them and also act as nutrient traps. Biofilms are almost ubiquitous wherever there is an interface and moisture (liquid/liquid, liquid/solid, liquid/gas, solid/gas). In sedimentary rocks they are commonly recognized as stromatolites. We also discuss the distinction between bacterial biofilms and prebiotic films. The EPS and cell components of the microbial biofilms contain many cation chelation sites which are implicated in the mineralization of the films. EPS, biofilms, and their related components thus have strong preservation potential in the rock record. Fossilized microbial polymeric substances (FPS) and biofilms appear to retain the same morphological characteristics as the unfossilized material and have been recognized in rock formations dating back to the Early Archaean (3.5 b.y.). We describe FPS and biofilms from hot spring, deep‐sea, volcanic lake, and shallow marine/littoral environments ranging up to 3.5 b.y. in age. FPS and biofilms are more commonly observed than fossil bacteria themselves, especially in the older part of the terrestrial record. The widespread distribution of microbial biofilms and their great survival potential makes their fossilized remains a useful biomarker as a proxy for life with obvious application to the search for life in extraterrestrial materials.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2000je001250","authors":["Francès Westall","A. Steele","J. Toporski","Maud Walsh","Carlton Allen","S. A. Guidry","D. S. McKay","E. K. Gibson","Henry S. Chafetz"],"tags":["Biofilm","Extracellular polymeric substance","Microorganism","Microbial mat","Diagenesis"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-10-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1029/2000je001250","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W1983455574","name":"Who Owns the Moon? Extraterrestrial Aspects of Land and Mineral Resources Ownership","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spacepol.2009.09.003","authors":["Gérardine Meishan Goh"],"tags":["Mineral resource classification","Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Mining engineering","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-10-09","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1016/j.spacepol.2009.09.003","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2255251063","name":"Structure of Materials","source":"openalex","abstract":"This highly readable, popular textbook for upper undergraduates and graduates comprehensively covers the fundamentals of crystallography and symmetry, applying these concepts to a large range of materials. New to this edition are more streamlined coverage of crystallography, additional coverage of magnetic point group symmetry and updated material on extraterrestrial minerals and rocks. New exercises at the end of chapters, plus over 500 additional exercises available online, allow students to check their understanding of key concepts and put into practice what they have learnt. Over 400 illustrations within the text help students visualise crystal structures and more abstract mathematical objects, supporting more difficult topics like point group symmetries. Historical and biographical sections add colour and interest by giving an insight into those who have contributed significantly to the field. Supplementary online material includes password-protected solutions, over 100 crystal structure data files, and Powerpoints of figures from the book.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781139051637","authors":["Marc De Graef","Michael E. McHenry"],"tags":["Point (geometry)","Password","Symmetry (geometry)","Computer science","Group (periodic table)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-10-08","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9781139051637","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W1997425918","name":"Evidence for the extraterrestrial origin of a natural quasicrystal","source":"pubmed","abstract":"We present evidence that a rock sample found in the Koryak Mountains in Russia and containing icosahedrite, an icosahedral quasicrystalline phase with composition Al(63)Cu(24)Fe(13), is part of a meteorite, likely formed in the early solar system about 4.5 Gya. The quasicrystal grains are intergrown with diopside, forsterite, stishovite, and additional metallic phases [khatyrkite (CuAl(2)), cupalite (CuAl), and &#x3b2;-phase (AlCuFe)]. This assemblage, in turn, is enclosed in a white rind consisting of diopside, hedenbergite, spinel (MgAl(2)O(4)), nepheline, and forsterite. Particularly notable is a grain of stishovite (from the interior), a tetragonal polymorph of silica that only occurs at ultrahigh pressures (&#x2265; 10 Gpa), that contains an inclusion of quasicrystal. An extraterrestrial origin is inferred from secondary ion mass spectrometry (18)O/(16)O and (17)O/(16)O measurements of the pyroxene and olivine intergrown with the metal that show them to have isotopic compositions unlike any terrestrial minerals and instead overlap those of anhydrous phases in carbonaceous chondrite meteorites. The spinel from the white rind has an isotopic composition suggesting that it was part of a calcium-aluminum-rich inclusion similar to those found in CV3 chondrites. The mechanism that produced this exotic assemblage is not yet understood. The assemblage (metallic copper-aluminum alloy) is extremely reduced, and the close association of aluminum (high temperature refractory lithophile) with copper (low temperature chalcophile) is unexpected. Nevertheless, our evidence indicates that quasicrystals can form naturally under astrophysical conditions and remain stable over cosmic timescales, giving unique insights on their existence in nature and stability.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1111115109","authors":["Luca Bindi","John M. Eiler","Yunbin Guan","L. S. Hollister","G. J. MacPherson","Paul J. Steinhardt","Nan Yao","Bindi L","Eiler JM","Guan Y","Hollister LS","MacPherson G"],"tags":["Chondrite","Pyroxene","Meteorite","Geology","Allende meteorite"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012 Jan 31","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.1111115109","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.radmeas.2007.01.038","name":"Developing luminescence dating for extraterrestrial applications: Characterization of martian simulants and minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radmeas.2007.01.038","authors":["M.W. Blair","R. Kalchgruber","S.W.S. McKeever"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-02-27T15:51:32Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1016/j.radmeas.2007.01.038","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"oa:W2601370990","name":"A new family of extraterrestrial amino acids in the Murchison meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The occurrence of extraterrestrial organic compounds is a key for understanding prebiotic organic synthesis in the universe. In particular, amino acids have been studied in carbonaceous meteorites for almost 50 years. Here we report ten new amino acids identified in the Murchison meteorite, including a new family of nine hydroxy amino acids. The discovery of mostly C 3 and C 4 structural isomers of hydroxy amino acids provides insight into the mechanisms of extraterrestrial synthesis of organic compounds. A complementary experiment suggests that these compounds could be produced from aldehydes and ammonia on the meteorite parent body. This study indicates that the meteoritic amino acids could be synthesized by mechanisms in addition to the Strecker reaction, which has been proposed to be the main synthetic pathway to produce amino acids.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-00693-9","authors":["Toshiki Koga","Hiroshi Naraoka"],"tags":["Murchison meteorite","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Abiogenesis"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-03-29","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-017-00693-9","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2163787954","name":"Nanoscale infrared spectroscopy as a non-destructive probe of extraterrestrial samples","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Advances in the spatial resolution of modern analytical techniques have tremendously augmented the scientific insight gained from the analysis of natural samples. Yet, while techniques for the elemental and structural characterization of samples have achieved sub-nanometre spatial resolution, infrared spectral mapping of geochemical samples at vibrational 'fingerprint' wavelengths has remained restricted to spatial scales &gt;10&#x2009;&#x3bc;m. Nevertheless, infrared spectroscopy remains an invaluable contactless probe of chemical structure, details of which offer clues to the formation history of minerals. Here we report on the successful implementation of infrared near-field imaging, spectroscopy and analysis techniques capable of sub-micron scale mineral identification within natural samples, including a chondrule from the Murchison meteorite and a cometary dust grain (Iris) from NASA's Stardust mission. Complementary to scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy probes, this work evidences a similarity between chondritic and cometary materials, and inaugurates a new era of infrared nano-spectroscopy applied to small and invaluable extraterrestrial samples.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms6445","authors":["G. Domínguez","Alexander McLeod","Z. Gainsforth","P. Kelly","Hans A. Bechtel","F. Keilmann","A. J. Westphal","M. H. Thiemens","D. N. Basov","Dominguez G","Mcleod AS","Gainsforth Z"],"tags":["Murchison meteorite","Spectroscopy","Extraterrestrial life","Meteorite","Infrared spectroscopy"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014 Dec 9","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1038/ncomms6445","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"oa:W2946279666","name":"Interactions between microorganisms and clay minerals: New insights and broader applications","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2019.04.025","authors":["Gui Li Li","Chun Hui Zhou","Saverio Fiore","Wei Yu"],"tags":["Clay minerals","Microorganism","Illite","Environmental chemistry","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-05-17","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1016/j.clay.2019.04.025","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.070Z"},{"id":"oa:W1488916213","name":"Multiplication of microbes below 0.690 water activity: implications for terrestrial and extraterrestrial life","source":"openalex","abstract":"Since a key requirement of known life forms is available water (water activity; aw ), recent searches for signatures of past life in terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments have targeted places known to have contained significant quantities of biologically available water. However, early life on Earth inhabited high-salt environments, suggesting an ability to withstand low water-activity. The lower limit of water activity that enables cell division appears to be ∼ 0.605 which, until now, was only known to be exhibited by a single eukaryote, the sugar-tolerant, fungal xerophile Xeromyces bisporus. The first forms of life on Earth were, though, prokaryotic. Recent evidence now indicates that some halophilic Archaea and Bacteria have water-activity limits more or less equal to those of X. bisporus. We discuss water activity in relation to the limits of Earth's present-day biosphere; the possibility of microbial multiplication by utilizing water from thin, aqueous films or non-liquid sources; whether prokaryotes were the first organisms able to multiply close to the 0.605-aw limit; and whether extraterrestrial aqueous milieux of ≥ 0.605 aw can resemble fertile microbial habitats found on Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.12598","authors":["Andrew Stevenson","Jürgen Burkhardt","Charles S. Cockell","Jonathan A. Cray","Jan Dijksterhuis","Mark Fox‐Powell","Terence P. Kee","Gerhard Kminek","Terry J. McGenity","Kenneth N. Timmis","David J. Timson","Mary A. Voytek"],"tags":["Biology","Extraterrestrial life","Biosphere","Astrobiology","Water activity"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-08-20","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1111/1462-2920.12598","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.070Z"},{"id":"oa:W31974525","name":"NUCLEAR INTERACTION TRACKS IN MINERALS AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL MATERIALS.","source":"openalex","abstract":"Geometrical characteristics and thermal stability of nuclear interaction tracks produced by protons and alpha particles in mica","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-019-0451-y","authors":["G. Crozaz","M. Hair","M. Maurette","R. Walker"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Earth (classical element)","Geology","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1969-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1038/s41589-019-0451-y","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2022878441","name":"Extraterrestrial spinels and the astronomical perspective on Earth's geological record and evolution of life","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemer.2013.04.002","authors":["Birger Schmitz"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Geology","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-05-20","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1016/j.chemer.2013.04.002","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2100444942","name":"Ore Microscopy and Ore Petrography","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Ore Microscope. The Preparation of Samples for Ore Microscopy. Mineral IdentificationQualitative Methods. Reflected Light Optics. Quantitative MethodsReflectance Measurement. Quantitative MethodsMicroindentation Hardness. Ore Mineral Textures. Paragenesis, Formation Conditions, and Fluid Inclusion Geothermometry of Ores. Ore Mineral Assemblages Occurring in Igneous Rocks and Vein Deposits. Ore Mineral Assemblages Occurring in Sedimentary, Volcanic, Metamorphic, and Extraterrestrial Environments. Applications of Ore Microscopy in Mineral Technology. Appendices. Indexes.","url":"https://openalex.org/W2100444942","authors":["David J. Vaughan","James R. Craig"],"tags":["Petrography","Mineral","Geology","Paragenesis","Metamorphic rock"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1981-06-04","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"oa:W2002367769","name":"Clay mineral‐organic matter relationships in the early solar system","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— As the solar system formed, it inherited and perpetuated a rich organic chemistry, the molecular products of which are preserved in ancient extraterrestrial objects such as carbonaceous chondrites. These organic‐rich meteorites provide a valuable and tangible record of the chemical steps taken towards the origin of life in the early solar system. Chondritic organic matter is present in the inorganic meteorite matrix which, in the CM and CI chondrites, contains evidence of alteration by liquid water on the parent asteroid. An unanswered and fundamental question is to what extent did the organic matter and inorganic products of aqueous alteration interact or display interdependence? We have used an organic labelling technique to reveal that the meteoritic organic matter is strongly associated with clay minerals. This association suggests that clay minerals may have had an important trapping and possibly catalytic role in chemical evolution in the early solar system prior to the origin of life on the early Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2002.tb01166.x","authors":["V. K. Pearson","Mark A. Sephton","A. T. Kearsley","P. A. Bland","I. A. Franchi","I. Gilmour"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Astrobiology","Organic matter","Parent body"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-12-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.2002.tb01166.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W1981144837","name":"Determinations of Zr isotopic composition and U–Pb ages for terrestrial and extraterrestrial Zr-bearing minerals using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry: implications for Nb–Zr isotopic systematics","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0009-2541(00)00370-3","authors":["Takafumi Hirata"],"tags":["Zircon","Analytical Chemistry (journal)","Radiogenic nuclide","Laser ablation","Baddeleyite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-07-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1016/s0009-2541(00","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2005909193","name":"Lava Cave Microbial Communities Within Mats and Secondary Mineral Deposits: Implications for Life Detection on Other Planets","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Lava caves contain a wealth of yellow, white, pink, tan, and gold-colored microbial mats; but in addition to these clearly biological mats, there are many secondary mineral deposits that are nonbiological in appearance. Secondary mineral deposits examined include an amorphous copper-silicate deposit (Hawai'i) that is blue-green in color and contains reticulated and fuzzy filament morphologies. In the Azores, lava tubes contain iron-oxide formations, a soft ooze-like coating, and pink hexagons on basaltic glass, while gold-colored deposits are found in lava caves in New Mexico and Hawai'i. A combination of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and molecular techniques was used to analyze these communities. Molecular analyses of the microbial mats and secondary mineral deposits revealed a community that contains 14 phyla of bacteria across three locations: the Azores, New Mexico, and Hawai'i. Similarities exist between bacterial phyla found in microbial mats and secondary minerals, but marked differences also occur, such as the lack of Actinobacteria in two-thirds of the secondary mineral deposits. The discovery that such deposits contain abundant life can help guide our detection of life on extraterrestrial bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2010.0562","authors":["Diana E. Northup","Leslie A. Melim","M. Spilde","Jennifer Hathaway","Matthew G. Garcia","Martelli Moya","Fred Stone","Penelope J. Boston","Maria de Lurdes Enes Dapkevicius","C. Riquelme","Northup DE","Melim LA"],"tags":["Cave","Lava","Microbial mat","Mineral","Geology"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011 Sep","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2010.0562","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"oa:W1570043210","name":"The collection and analysis of extraterrestrial dust particles","source":"openalex","abstract":"Techniques used for the collection of interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) from the earth's surface, upper atmosphere, and space and for the particles' curation and examination are discussed together with the properties of the collected IDPs and the information available on the interplanetary and interstellar dust from astronomical observations. Consideration is given to the physical and spectral properties of chondritic IDPs as well as of nonchondritic Al- and Ca-rich particles of extraterrestrial origin. Special attention is given to the determination of the sources of the extraterrestrial particles by spectral comparisons with meteorites, asteroids, and comets and by examination of the solar flare track densities within mineral grains in the IDPs. A spectral comparison with interstellar spectra revealed common features supporting the belief that some of the collected IDPs contain 'primitive' components that date back to the origin of the solar system and perhaps beyond.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1570043210","authors":["Scott A. Sandford"],"tags":["Interplanetary dust cloud","Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Meteorite","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1987-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"oa:W2019782670","name":"Mineral Mössbauer spectroscopy: Correlations between chemical shift and quadrupole splitting parameters","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02064600","authors":["Roger G. Burns"],"tags":["Quadrupole splitting","Valence (chemistry)","Ferrous","Mössbauer spectroscopy","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1994-12-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1007/bf02064600","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2038487387","name":"Mineralogic Evidence for an Impact Event at the Cretaceous-Tertiary Boundary","source":"openalex","abstract":"A thin claystone layer found in nonmarine rocks at the palynological Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary in eastern Montana contains an anomalously high value of iridium. The nonclay fraction is mostly quartz with minor feldspar, and some of these grains display planar features. These planar features are related to specific crystallographic directions in the quartz lattice. The shocked quartz grains also exhibit asterism and have lowered refractive indices. All these mineralogical features are characteristic of shock metamorphism and are compelling evidence that the shocked grains are the product of a high velocity impact between a large extraterrestrial body and the earth. The shocked minerals represent silicic target material injected into the stratosphere by the impact of the projectile.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.224.4651.867","authors":["B. F. Bohor","Eugene E. Foord","Peter J. Modreski","Don M. Triplehorn"],"tags":["Geology","Shock metamorphism","Quartz","Feldspar","Cretaceous"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1984-05-25","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1126/science.224.4651.867","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2747666699","name":"Sources of Extraterrestrial Rare Earth Elements: To the Moon and Beyond","source":"openalex","abstract":"The resource budget of Earth is limited. Rare-earth elements (REEs) are used across the world by society on a daily basis yet several of these elements have &lt;2500 years of reserves left, based on current demand, mining operations, and technologies. With an increasing population, exploration of potential extraterrestrial REE resources is inevitable, with the Earth’s Moon being a logical first target. Following lunar differentiation at ~4.50–4.45 Ga, a late-stage (after ~99% solidification) residual liquid enriched in Potassium (K), Rare-earth elements (REE), and Phosphorus (P), (or “KREEP”) formed. Today, the KREEP-rich region underlies the Oceanus Procellarum and Imbrium Basin region on the lunar near-side (the Procellarum KREEP Terrain, PKT) and has been tentatively estimated at preserving 2.2 × 108 km3 of KREEP-rich lithologies. The majority of lunar samples (Apollo, Luna, or meteoritic samples) contain REE-bearing minerals as trace phases, e.g., apatite and/or merrillite, with merrillite potentially contributing up to 3% of the PKT. Other lunar REE-bearing lunar phases include monazite, yittrobetafite (up to 94,500 ppm yttrium), and tranquillityite (up to 4.6 wt % yttrium, up to 0.25 wt % neodymium), however, lunar sample REE abundances are low compared to terrestrial ores. At present, there is no geological, mineralogical, or chemical evidence to support REEs being present on the Moon in concentrations that would permit their classification as ores. However, the PKT region has not yet been mapped at high resolution, and certainly has the potential to yield higher REE concentrations at local scales (&lt;10s of kms). Future lunar exploration and mapping efforts may therefore reveal new REE deposits. Beyond the Moon, Mars and other extraterrestrial materials are host to REEs in apatite, chevkinite-perrierite, merrillite, whitlockite, and xenotime. These phases are relatively minor components of the meteorites studied to date, constituting &lt;0.6% of the total sample. Nonetheless, they dominate a samples REE budget with their abundances typically 1–2 orders of magnitude enriched relative to their host rock. As with the Moon, though phases which host REEs have been identified, no extraterrestrial REE resource, or ore, has been identified yet. At present extraterrestrial materials are therefore not suitable REE-mining targets. However, they are host to other resources that will likely be fundamental to the future of space exploration and support the development of in situ resource utilization, for example: metals (Fe, Al, Mg, PGEs) and water.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/resources6030040","authors":["Claire McLeod","Mark P.S. Krekeler"],"tags":["Geology","Astrobiology","Geochemistry","Earth science","Lunar mare"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-08-23","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.3390/resources6030040","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2053762916","name":"Extraterrestrial chromite in Middle Ordovician marine limestone at Kinnekulle, southern Sweden—Traces of a major asteroid breakup event","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The distribution of sediment‐dispersed extraterrestrial chromite grains and other Cr‐rich spinels (&gt;63 μm) has been studied in Middle Ordovician Orthoceratite Limestone from two quarries at Kinnekulle, southern Sweden. In the Thorsberg quarry, an ˜3.2 m thick sequence of beds previously shown to be rich in fossil meteorites is also rich in sediment‐dispersed extraterrestrial chromite grains. Typically, 1–3 grains are found per kilogram of limestone. In the nearby Hällekis quarry, the same beds show similarly high concentrations of extraterrestrial chromite grains, but in samples representing the 9 m downward continuation of the section exposed at this site, only 5 such grains were found in a total of 379 kg of limestone. The extraterrestrial (equilibrated ordinary chondritic) chromite grains can be readily distinguished by a homogeneous and characteristic major element chemistry, including 2.0–3.5 wt% TiO 2 and stable V 2 O 3 concentrations close to 0.7 wt%. Terrestrial Cr‐rich spinels have a wide compositional range and co‐exist with extraterrestrial chromite in some beds. These grains may be derived, for example, from mafic dykes exposed and weathered at the sea floor. Considering lithologic and stratigraphic aspects variations in sedimentation rate cannot explain the dramatic increase in extraterrestrial chromite seen in the upper part of the composite section studied. Instead, the difference may be primarily related to an increase in the ancient flux of extraterrestrial matter to Earth in connection with the disruption of the L chondrite parent body in the asteroid belt at about this time. The coexistence in some beds of high concentrations of chondritic chromite and terrestrial Cr‐rich spinels, however, indicates that redistribution of heavy minerals on the sea floor, related to changes in sea level and sea‐floor erosion and currents, must also be considered.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2006.tb00473.x","authors":["Birger Schmitz","Therese Häggström"],"tags":["Chromite","Extraterrestrial life","Geology","Meteorite","Ordovician"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-03-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.2006.tb00473.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2331124201","name":"Shock Metamorphism of Minerals","source":"openalex","abstract":"Research Article| February 01, 2012 Shock Metamorphism of Minerals Falko Langenhorst; Falko Langenhorst 1Institut für Geowissenschaften, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität JenaCarl-Zeiss-Promenade 10, D-07745 Jena, GermanyE-mail: falko.langenhorst@uni-jena.de Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Alex Deutsch Alex Deutsch 2Institut für Planetologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität MünsterWilhelm-Klemm-Straße 10, D-48149 Münster, GermanyE-mail: deutsca@uni-muenster.de Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Falko Langenhorst 1Institut für Geowissenschaften, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität JenaCarl-Zeiss-Promenade 10, D-07745 Jena, GermanyE-mail: falko.langenhorst@uni-jena.de Alex Deutsch 2Institut für Planetologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität MünsterWilhelm-Klemm-Straße 10, D-48149 Münster, GermanyE-mail: deutsca@uni-muenster.de Publisher: Mineralogical Society of America First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1811-5217 Print ISSN: 1811-5209 © 2012 by the Mineralogical Society of America Elements (2012) 8 (1): 31–36. https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.8.1.31 Article history First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Falko Langenhorst, Alex Deutsch; Shock Metamorphism of Minerals. Elements 2012;; 8 (1): 31–36. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.8.1.31 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyElements Search Advanced Search Abstract The hypervelocity impact of extraterrestrial objects causes unequivocal changes in the target due to extreme deformation rates, pressures up to hundreds of gigapascals, and postshock temperatures that may even vaporize silicates. This article introduces the basic principles of shock compression, as required to understand the formation and geological significance of shock-metamorphic effects in minerals. Special emphasis is placed on the formation of high-pressure phases such as stishovite and diamond as well as on the decomposition of carbonates. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.8.1.31","authors":["F. Langenhorst","A. Deutsch"],"tags":["Citation","Metamorphism","Library science","History","World Wide Web"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-02-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.2113/gselements.8.1.31","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W3205736202","name":"Natural and experimental high-pressure, shock-produced terrestrial and extraterrestrial materials","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Hypervelocity impacts are among the fundamental phenomena occurring during the evolution of the solar system and are characterized by instantaneous ultrahigh pressure and temperature. Varied physicochemical changes have occurred in the building blocks of celestial bodies under such extreme conditions. The constituent material has transformed into a denser form, a high-pressure polymorph. The high-pressure polymorph is also thought to be the constituent of the deep Earth’s interior. Hence, experiments using a high-pressure and temperature generating apparatus have been conducted to clarify its crystal structure, pressure–temperature stability range, and transformation mechanisms. A natural high-pressure polymorph (mineral) is found from terrestrial and extraterrestrial rocks that experienced a hypervelocity impact. Mineralogists and planetary scientists have investigated high-pressure minerals in meteorites and rocks near terrestrial craters over a half-century. Here, we report brief reviews about the experiments producing high-pressure polymorphs and then summarize the research histories of high-pressure minerals occurring in shocked meteorites and rocks near terrestrial craters. Finally, some implications of high-pressure minerals found in impact-induced shocked rocks are also mentioned. Graphic abstract","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40645-021-00451-6","authors":["Masaaki Miyahara","Naotaka Tomioka","Luca Bindi"],"tags":["Meteorite","Hypervelocity","Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Impact crater"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-10-18","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1186/s40645-021-00451-6","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.070Z"},{"id":"oa:W2164903159","name":"Understanding Nucleic Acids Using Synthetic Chemistry","source":"openalex","abstract":"This Account describes work done in these laboratories that has used synthetic, physical organic, and biological chemistry to understand the roles played by the nucleobases, sugars, and phosphates of DNA in the molecular recognition processes central to genetics. The number of nucleobases has been increased from 4 to 12, generating an artificially expanded genetic information system. This system is used today in the clinic to monitor the levels of HIV and hepatitis C viruses in patients, helping to manage patient care. Work with uncharged phosphate replacements suggests that a repeating charge is a universal feature of genetic molecules operating in water and will be found in extraterrestrial life (if it is ever encountered). The use of ribose may reflect prebiotic processes in the presence of borate-containing minerals, which stabilize ribose formed from simple organic precursors. A new field, synthetic biology, is emerging on the basis of these experiments, where chemistry mimics biological processes as complicated as Darwinian evolution.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/ar040004z","authors":["Steven A. Benner"],"tags":["Nucleobase","Abiogenesis","Nucleic acid","Chemistry","Synthetic biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-08-31","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1021/ar040004z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2074662102","name":"Calibrating the ChemCam laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy instrument for carbonate minerals on Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"The ChemCam instrument suite onboard the NASA Mars Science Laboratory rover includes the first laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument for extraterrestrial applications. Here we examine carbonate minerals in a simulated martian environment to better understand the LIBS signature of these materials on Mars. Both chemical composition and rock type are determined using multivariate analysis techniques. Composition is confirmed using scanning electron microscopy. Our results show that ChemCam can recognize and differentiate between different types of carbonate materials on Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1364/ao.49.00c211","authors":["N. Lanza","R. C. Wiens","S. M. Clegg","A. Ollila","S. D. Humphries","H. E. Newsom","J. E. Barefield"],"tags":["Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy","Mars Exploration Program","Carbonate","Martian","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-04-21","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1364/ao.49.00c211","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W4327811742","name":"Insights into the formation and evolution of extraterrestrial amino acids from the asteroid Ryugu","source":"europepmc","abstract":"All life on Earth contains amino acids and carbonaceous chondrite meteorites have been suggested as their source at the origin of life on Earth. While many meteoritic amino acids are considered indigenous, deciphering the extent of terrestrial contamination remains an issue. The Ryugu asteroid fragments (JAXA Hayabusa2 mission), represent the most uncontaminated primitive extraterrestrial material available. Here, the concentrations of amino acids from two particles from different touchdown sites (TD1 and TD2) are reported. The concentrations show that N,N-dimethylglycine (DMG) is the most abundant amino acid in the TD1 particle, but below detection limit in the other. The TD1 particle mineral components indicate it experienced more aqueous alteration. Furthermore, the relationships between the amino acids and the geochemistry suggest that DMG formed on the Ryugu progenitor body during aqueous alteration. The findings highlight the importance of aqueous chemistry for defining the ultimate concentrations of amino acids in primitive extraterrestrial samples.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-37107-6","authors":["Christian Potiszil","Tsutomu Ota","Masahiro Yamanaka","Chie Sakaguchi","K. Kobayashi","Ryoji Tanaka","T. Kunihiro","Hiroshi Kitagawa","Masanao Abe","Akiko Miyazaki","Aiko Nakato","Satoru Nakazawa"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Asteroid","Amino acid","Abiogenesis"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-023-37107-6","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"oa:W2044873859","name":"Stable Isotope Variations in Extraterrestrial Materials","source":"openalex","abstract":"The materials of the planets and the small bodies of the solar system contain a rich record of stable isotope variations in the light elements. As in terrestrial isotope geochemistry, this record reflects physical and chemical processes involving isotopic mixing among different reservoirs as well as fractionations arising in chemical reactions. The processes that influence the isotopic records of extraterrestrial materials range widely in environmental conditions from very high-energy events such as formation of refractory inclusions and chondrules by evaporation, condensation and melting in the solar nebula to lower temperature fluid-rock interactions in asteroids and planets. In addition, however, stable isotope cosmochemistry must consider issues that are beyond the scope of isotope geochemistry. For example, in the terrestrial sphere one may assume the existence of an isotopic reservoir that was originally homogenized during planet formation and the actual isotope compositions of the bulk earth do not need to be known in order to study the differences in stable isotope compositions that have been generated subsequently by various geochemical processes. &#13;\\n&#13;\\nThis assumption of homogenization cannot be made for extraterrestrial samples, and in fact stable isotopes in meteorites preserve some of the most dramatic evidence for the incomplete nature of the mixing of distinct presolar materials during formation of the solar system. Such ‘isotopic anomalies’ are present in the isotopic distributions of H, C, N, and O on all spatial scales—from microscopic zoning in certain meteoritic minerals to the bulk compositions of asteroids and planets. Thus, some of the isotopic heterogeneities of ‘primitive’ solar system materials represent vestiges of primordial differences that could not be fully erased during the processing of presolar materials. In other cases, isotopic heterogeneities reflect the preservation of unique clues to processes occurring during formation of the solar system and planetary accretion, including early ‘geologic activity’ on planetesimals and even pre-biotic organic chemistry. Deciphering whether an isotopic signature is primordial or has been modified or even generated by solar system processes is often possible (e.g. by comparison to astronomical observations), but is sometimes fraught with ambiguity. &#13;\\n&#13;\\nThe most extreme example of isotopic anomalies is provided by the laboratory analyses of individual preserved presolar dust grains extracted from primitive meteorites (Anders and Zinner 1993). These micron-size or smaller grains of SiC, graphite, and (less commonly analyzed) refractory oxides formed in the outflows of evolved stars and their isotopic compositions of C, N, O and other major and even trace elements quantitatively reflect the unique nucleosynthetic environment of that particular star, which may differ from average solar system compositions by one or more orders of magnitude. That such materials could have survived the journey from star, through the interstellar medium, the solar accretion disk and residence in the asteroidal parent bodies of meteorites, and finally to terrestrial laboratories is one of the most remarkable discoveries in all of twentieth century astronomy. The isotopic compositions of these particles have great importance for constraining models of stellar evolution and nuclear astrophysics, but because these materials are so rare and are distinctive by virtue of their lack of interaction with average solar materials, their study gives little indication of the nature of the most important processes that transformed primordial materials into the stuff that built the planets. Hence the subject of isotopic variations in presolar grains is beyond the scope of this chapter, and the reader is directed to Zinner (1998), Ott (1998), and Hoppe and Zinner (2000) for excellent reviews of this rapidly evolving subject.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gsrmg.43.1.279","authors":["K. D. McKeegan","L. A. Leshin"],"tags":["Citation","Extraterrestrial life","Library science","Download","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.2138/gsrmg.43.1.279","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.070Z"},{"id":"oa:W2093788042","name":"Extraterrestrial demise of banded iron formations 1.85 billion years ago","source":"openalex","abstract":"In the Lake Superior region of North America, deposition of most banded iron formations (BIFs) ended abruptly 1.85 Ga ago, coincident with the oceanic impact of the giant Sudbury extraterrestrial bolide. We propose a new model in which this impact produced global mixing of shallow oxic and deep anoxic waters of the Paleoproterozoic ocean, creating a suboxic redox state for deep seawater. This suboxic state, characterized by only small concentrations of dissolved O 2 (~1 μ M ), prevented transport of hydrothermally derived Fe(II) from the deep ocean to continental-margin settings, ending an ~1.1 billion-year-long period of episodic BIF mineralization. The model is supported by the nature of Precambrian deep-water exhalative chemical sediments, which changed from predominantly sulfide facies prior to ca. 1.85 Ga to mainly oxide facies thereafter.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/g30259a.1","authors":["John F. Slack","William F. Cannon"],"tags":["Demise","Geology","Geochemistry","Extraterrestrial life","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-10-27","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1130/g30259a.1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W1972989857","name":"Chemical Separation and Mass Spectrometry of Cr, Fe, Ni, Zn, and Cu in Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Materials Using Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry","source":"pubmed","abstract":"A sequential chemical separation technique for Cr, Fe, Ni, Zn, and Cu in terrestrial and extraterrestrial silicate rocks was developed for precise and accurate determination of elemental concentration by the isotope dilution method (ID). The technique uses a combination of cation-anion exchange chromatography and Eichrom nickel specific resin. The method was tested using a variety of matrixes including bulk meteorite (Allende), terrestrial peridotite (JP-1), and basalt (JB-1b). Concentrations of each element was determined by thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) using W filaments and a Si-B-Al type activator for Cr, Fe, Ni, and Zn and a Re filament and silicic acid-H3PO4 activator for Cu. The method can be used to precisely determine the concentrations of these elements in very small silicate samples, including meteorites, geochemical reference samples, and mineral standards for microprobe analysis. Furthermore, the Cr mass spectrometry procedure developed in this study can be extended to determine the isotopic ratios of 53Cr/52Cr and 54Cr/52Cr with precision of approximately 0.05epsilon and approximately 0.10epsilon (1epsilon = 0.01%), respectively, enabling cosmochemical applications such as high precision Mn-Cr chronology and investigation of nucleosynthetic isotopic anomalies in meteorites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/ac901762a","authors":["Akane Yamakawa","Katsuyuki Yamashita","Akio Makishima","Eizo Nakamura","Yamakawa A","Yamashita K","Makishima A","Nakamura E"],"tags":["Chemistry","Thermal ionization mass spectrometry","Mass spectrometry","Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry","Chemical ionization"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009 Dec 1","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1021/ac901762a","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W1990407174","name":"Extraterrestrial water in micrometeorites and cosmic spherules from Antarctica: An ion microprobe study","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The D/H ratios and water contents were measured by ion microprobe analysis in 52 individual Antarctic micrometeorites (AMMs) and 10 Antarctic cosmic spherules (ACSs) containing nuggets of iron hydroxide (COPS phase). In AMMs, δD values vary from −366 to +249%‰ and water contents lie between 0.4‐3.7 wt%. The COPS nuggets in cosmic spherules have high water contents (2 to 8 wt%) and exhibit δD values from −144 to +167%‰, which is indicative of an extraterrestrial origin of their constituent water. The silicate portion of ACSs also contain extraterrestrial H equivalent to ∼0.l to 1.2 wt% water. Deuterium‐exchange experiments were performed with isotopically spiked water. These experiments demonstrate that water in mineral phases of AMMs and ACSs is indigenous and does not result from contamination during residence in Antarctic ice. The frequency distribution of D/H ratios in AMMs allows us to further narrow the relationship between AMMs and carbonaceous chondrites to CM and CI chondrites but contrasts with that of stratospheric interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) of similar sizes (from −10 to 50 μm). The relatively narrow range of D/H ratios measured in AMMs as well as in ACSs (which are more resistant and thus less susceptible to collection biases) suggests that D‐rich IDP‐like particles are very rare in our AMMs collections. This indicates that these D‐rich grains might constitute a minor fraction of the micrometeorite flux in the interplanetary medium and that possible collection biases in Antarctica would not be responsible for their strong depletion in the AMMs collections.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1999.tb01390.x","authors":["C. Engrand","Étienne Deloule","F. Robert","M. Maurette","G. Kurat"],"tags":["Interplanetary dust cloud","Chondrite","Astrobiology","Microprobe","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-09-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.1999.tb01390.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2110082026","name":"Shock Events in the Solar System: The Message from Minerals in Terrestrial Planets and Asteroids","source":"openalex","abstract":"Impacts are central to the origin and evolution of planets of the Solar System. The shapes of craters, which can reach up to 1,000 km in diameter on the Moon, provide critical information on the large-scale dynamics of the impact and related shock. Minerals formed at high pressure and temperature found in shocked terrestrial rocks and meteorites give additional and complementary insights on the shock process at a smaller scale, typically from a few micrometers to a few millimeters. Local flaws in rocks, such as voids and mineral interfaces, are the preferential sites for the formation of high-pressure melts and minerals. Calculations based on the physics of shocks and the thermodynamics and kinetics of mineral transformations provide orders of magnitude for the duration, transient pressure, and prevailing temperature conditions of shock events. Case studies on shocked terrestrial and extraterrestrial materials illustrate the links between these parameters and impact duration. Many of the high-pressure mineral phases of olivine, pyroxenes, feldspars, silica, phosphates, titanium oxide, and carbon have been discovered in these heavily shocked rocks and provide unique opportunities to study the high-pressure minerals that exist in the deep Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-earth-042711-105538","authors":["Philippe Gillet","A. El Goresy"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Meteorite","Asteroid","Solar System","Impact crater"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-03-08","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1146/annurev-earth-042711-105538","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2578132777","name":"Assessing extraterrestrial regolith material simulants for in-situ resource utilisation based 3D printing","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmt.2016.11.004","authors":["Athanasios Goulas","Jon Binner","Russell A. Harris","Ross J. Friel"],"tags":["Regolith","Materials science","Martian","Ceramic","Selective laser sintering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-11","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1016/j.apmt.2016.11.004","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.070Z"},{"id":"oa:W1586684539","name":"Moon","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27969-0","authors":["Viorel Bădescu","SpringerLink (Online service)"],"tags":["Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-27969-0","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2017027304","name":"Identification and significance of accessory minerals from a bituminous coal","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-2361(78)90135-7","authors":["Robert B. Finkelman","R.W. Stanton"],"tags":["Authigenic","Geology","Mineralogy","Mineral","Coal"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1978-12-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1016/0016-2361(78","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2655489703","name":"Organic matter in extraterrestrial water-bearing salt crystals","source":"openalex","abstract":"N, such as ammonia and amino acids. The amino acid content of the Zag halite deviates from the meteorite matrix, supporting an exogenic origin of the halite, and therefore, the Zag meteorite contains organics synthesized on two distinct parent bodies. Our study suggests that the asteroidal parent body where the halite precipitated, potentially asteroid 1 Ceres, shows evidence for a complex combination of biologically and prebiologically relevant molecules.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aao3521","authors":["Q. H. S. Chan","M. E. Zolensky","Yoko Kebukawa","M. Fries","Motoo Ito","A. Steele","Z. Rahman","Aiko Nakato","A. L. D. Kilcoyne","Hiroki Suga","Yoshio Takahashi","Yasuo Takeichi"],"tags":["Halite","Brine","Organic matter","Salt (chemistry)","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-01-05","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.aao3521","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.070Z"},{"id":"oa:W2181992615","name":"Expanding Mineral Resources: Technical Considerations for Extraterrestrial Mining","source":"openalex","abstract":"It is well-understood that natural resources are scarce and that the world’s population is predicted to climb exponentially. As the global population continues to grow, demand for consumer goods including food, hygiene, and technology will increase accordingly. Part of this problem is that mineral resources are becoming increasingly difficult to find and extract profitably. The necessity to consider the feasibility of resource extraction in new locations is paramount to our continued prosperity. Although mining in outer space is not considered a conventional solution to the growing mineral shortage, extraterrestrial environments are becoming particularly attractive due to increasing rates of mineral depletion, government regulations, and capital costs here on earth. Successful mine designs in space must address a wide array of challenges including mineral exploration, determining economic recovery rates, safety practices, equipment maintenance, materials handling and transportation, and mineral processing. There is not a cut and dry approach to mine design because a variety of methods exist for specific conditions. The product of this research study will lend to the future development of a reasonable, economic and safe platform on which extraterrestrial mining can be considered. The physical environmental conditions in extraterrestrial mining are in many ways similar to those on earth, however, there are significant differences. On earth, gravitational force assists the excavation and materials handling processes. In space, the lack of gravity impedes both these tasks. Moreover, moons, asteroids, and small planets can be buffeted by micro-asteroid storms, requiring a unique layer of protection not necessary on Earth. The unfiltered radiation and electromagnetic interference from the sun can pose hazards to human health and to electrical systems in the space. As with any new mining environment, extraterrestrial locations present distinct challenges. By consolidating and expanding upon current knowledge pertaining to extraterrestrial mining, this study focuses and directs efforts towards solving resource scarcity through the successful exploitation of natural resources in outer space.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784479179.039","authors":["Ellen McCullough","P. R. Jewell","Purushotham Tukkaraja"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Population","Prosperity","Resource (disambiguation)","Variety (cybernetics)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-06-10","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1061/9780784479179.039","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2598024137","name":"Magnetizations in Rocks and Minerals","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-444-53802-4.00102-0","authors":["David J. Dunlop","Özden Özdemir"],"tags":["Geology","Geochemistry","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-444-53802-4.00102-0","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.070Z"},{"id":"oa:W2003199473","name":"Geochemistry and petrology of Witwatersrand and Dwyka diamictites from South Africa: search for an extraterrestrial component","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0016-7037(01)00569-5","authors":["Heinz Huber","Christian Koeberl","Iain McDonald","W. U. Reimold"],"tags":["Breccia","Geology","Diamictite","Petrography","Shock metamorphism"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-06-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1016/s0016-7037(01","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W1490895427","name":"The Exploitation of Natural Resources of the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies","source":"openalex","abstract":"The exploitation of natural resources of the moon and other celestial bodies represents one of the most fascinating developments in the fields of space law and space related activities. The mining and use of extraterrestrial mineral resources may not only contribute to the betterment of conditions of people on earth but may also enable the realization of projects such as those envisaging a permanent human presence on the surface of the moon and other celestial bodies. The exploitation of lunar and other celestial bodies' resources, however, requires an appropriate legal framework for it to develop in an orderly and peaceful manner, taking into consideration also such broader public concerns as regards security, safety and the environment. The current legal regime regulating activities in outer space lacks the required specific rules to govern the extraction and use of natural resources of the moon and other celestial bodies once being removed from their original location. This book tries to fill this gap by proposing a legal regime aimed at regulating the mining and exploitation of extraterrestrial natural resources for commercial purposes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1163/ej.9789004175358.i-382","authors":["Fabio Tronchetti"],"tags":["Natural (archaeology)","Extraterrestrial life","Natural resource","Space (punctuation)","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-10-23","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1163/ej.9789004175358.i-382","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2082333459","name":"Neon measurements of individual Greenland sediment particles: proof of an extraterrestrial origin and comparison with EDX and morphological analyses","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-821x(90)90177-y","authors":["C. T. Olinger","M. Maurette","R. M. Walker","C. M. Hohenberg"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Meteorite","Geology","Astrobiology","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1990-10-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1016/0012-821x(90","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2031891762","name":"A discussion of isotopic systematics and mineral zoning in the shergottites: Evidence for a 180 m.y. igneous crystallization age","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(86)90377-7","authors":["J. H. Jones"],"tags":["Igneous rock","Meteorite","Geology","Geochemistry","Isochron dating"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1986-06-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1016/0016-7037(86","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2327651356","name":"Characterization of a high-pressure phase of silica from the Martian meteorite Shergotty","source":"openalex","abstract":"Recently, there has been substantial interest in post-stishovite high-pressure polymorphs of SiO 2 , discovered as extraterrestrial minerals, or synthesized in the laboratory. Previous investigators reported the presence of “α-PbO 2 -like” and “baddeleyite-like” SiO 2 in the Martian meteorite Shergotty, and also the synthesis of an a-PbO 2 -like phase at pressures of 60-80 GPa in a laser-heated diamond anvil cell. To provide definitive information about the nature of the natural “a-PbO 2 phase,” we recovered a small sample from the Shergotty meteorite, obtained powder X-ray diffraction patterns, and performed a Rietveld refinement of the structure. The resulting cell parameters and space group are a = 4.097(1) Å, b = 5.0462(9) Å, c = 4.4946(8) Å, and Pbcn. The structure refinement confirms that this sample does have the α-PbO 2 structure","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2002-0728","authors":["Przemysław Dera","Charles T. Prewitt","N. Z. Boctor","Russell J. Hemley"],"tags":["Meteorite","Martian","Geology","Diamond anvil cell","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.2138/am-2002-0728","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2163237692","name":"Lithology, mineral assemblages and microbial fingerprints of the evaporite-carbonate sediments of the coastal sabkha of Abu Dhabi and their extraterrestrial implications","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Deep-core and surface samples collected from the coastal sabkha of Abu Dhabi were subjected to a multi-proxy study, including petrographic, geochemical and spectroscopic analyses. The sediments studied are composed of biochemical carbonate-evaporite mineral suites, such as calcite, dolomite, aragonite and gypsum, as well as clastic minerals, such as quartz, feldspar and serpentine. These sediments were also strongly influenced by microbial activities as reflected by the presence of cyanobacterial mats, boring, gas bubble structures, pustular and other macro and micro textures. A combination of marine, fluvial, aeolian, and groundwater processes shaped the geomorphology of the area and led to the formation of such mineral suites, as well as their microbial contents. Data collected from Mars indicate that its surface regolith contains sandstone composed of siliciclastic basaltic debris, as well as carbonate (e.g. magnesite) and evaporite (e.g. jarosite and relics of gypsum) mineral assemblages. Additional data suggest the presence of geomorphic features, characteristic of an arid climate, such as sand dunes and desert varnish. The hydrological model for the Late Noachian-Hesperian period of the plant proposed the existence of a surficial layer containing endolithic and stromatolitic cyanobacterial lamina. The combination of the coastal sabkha of Abu Dhabi with its carbonate-evaporite mineral suites, the neighbouring sand dune fields of the Empty Quarter Desert and the basaltic sediments resulted from weathering the ophiolitic Northern Oman Mountains to form a candidate terrestrial geologic province that may explain the mineral association of Mars and its potential biosignatures. The lithological features and the mineral association of the sabkha can be recognized by the present day detection equipment used on Mars, and even if their biosignatures are degraded, their existence may be inferred from these features.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550410000078","authors":["Fadhil Sadooni","Fares M. Howari","Howell G. M. Edwards","A. K. El-Saiy"],"tags":["Sabkha","Geology","Evaporite","Geochemistry","Carbonate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-03-29","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1017/s1473550410000078","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1109/tmag.2012.2237388","name":"Data Base of Extraterrestrial Magnetic Minerals, Test and Magnetic Simulation","source":"crossref","abstract":"The description of the planetary magnetic anomalies is a difficult task that combines either aeromagnetic or in-situ magnetic field measurements, and further laboratory characterization of the local rocks. In the case of extraterrestrial planets this is a very difficult and costly task. With the objective to develop predictive algorithms prior to in-situ measurements, two complimentary lines of work have been undertaken: 1) characterization of magnetic minerals which occur in great abundance in extraterrestrial crusts; and 2) development of finite element method models (FEM) using the properties of these minerals to model possible scenarios and the variation of their magnetic behavior with temperature and temperature gradient swings on the superficial layers of the planets. The ultimate objective is the future comparison between the measurements developed by instruments on board Martian landers and rovers and the developed models.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/tmag.2012.2237388","authors":["A. B. Fernandez","M. E. McHenry","M. Diaz-Michelena","C. Aroca","M. Maicas"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-07-25T20:35:22Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1109/tmag.2012.2237388","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"oa:W2810496597","name":"Low Energy Subsurface Environments as Extraterrestrial Analogs","source":"openalex","abstract":"Earth's subsurface is often isolated from phototrophic energy sources and characterized by chemotrophic modes of life. These environments are often oligotrophic and limited in electron donors or electron acceptors, and include continental crust, subseafloor oceanic crust, and marine sediment as well as subglacial lakes and the subsurface of polar desert soils. These low energy subsurface environments are therefore uniquely positioned for examining minimum energetic requirements and adaptations for chemotrophic life. Current targets for astrobiology investigations of extant life are planetary bodies with largely inhospitable surfaces, such as Mars, Europa, and Enceladus. Subsurface environments on Earth thus serve as analogs to explore possibilities of subsurface life on extraterrestrial bodies. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of subsurface environments as potential analogs, and the features of microbial communities existing in these low energy environments, with particular emphasis on how they inform the study of energetic limits required for life. The thermodynamic energetic calculations presented here suggest that free energy yields of reactions and energy density of some metabolic redox reactions on Mars, Europa, Enceladus, and Titan could be comparable to analog environments in Earth's low energy subsurface habitats.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2018.01605","authors":["Rose M. Jones","Jacqueline Goordial","Beth N. Orcutt"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology","Environmental science","Earth science","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-07-18","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.3389/fmicb.2018.01605","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.070Z"},{"id":"oa:W3029679263","name":"A review towards the design of extraterrestrial structures: From regolith to human outposts","source":"openalex","abstract":"The design of a permanent human habitat on a planetary body other than the Earth is an idea introduced many decades ago, which became even more significant after the landing of the first humans on the Moon with the Apollo missions. Today's rampant technological advances combined with ambitious missions, such as the Insight mission on Mars and the Artemis program for the Moon, render the vision of space colonization more realistic than ever, as it constantly gains momentum. There is a considerable number of publications across several disciplines pertaining to the exploration of Lunar and Martian environments, to those planets' soil properties, and to the design of the first habitable modules. The scope of this paper is to present a meticulous selection of the most significant publications within the scientific areas related to: (a) geotechnical engineering aspects, including the mechanical properties and chemical composition of Lunar and Martian regolith samples and simulants, along with elements of anchoring and rigid pads as potential forms of foundation; (b) ground motions generated by different types of Moonquakes and meteoroid impacts; (c) the different concepts and types of extraterrestrial (ET) structures (generic, inflatable, deployable, 3D-printed), as well as overall views of proposed ET habitats. Apart from the details given in the main text of this paper, a targeted effort was made to summarize and compile most of this information in representative tables and present it in chronological order, so as to showcase the evolution of human thinking as regards ET structures.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2020.05.038","authors":["Nicos A. Kalapodis","Georgios Kampas","Olga‐Joan Ktenidou"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Regolith","Extraterrestrial life","Martian","Mars Exploration Program"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-05-26","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2020.05.038","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.070Z"},{"id":"oa:W1772786931","name":"Vanadium: Global (bio)geochemistry","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2015.09.019","authors":["Jen‐How Huang","Fang Huang","L. J. Evans","Susan Glasauer"],"tags":["Biogeochemical cycle","Earth science","Geology","Weathering","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-09-30","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1016/j.chemgeo.2015.09.019","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2001807382","name":"Raman spectroscopy as a tool for the non-destructive identification of organic minerals in the geological record","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orggeochem.2008.01.005","authors":["Jan Jehlička","Howell G. M. Edwards"],"tags":["Sedimentary rock","Mineral","Geology","Environmental chemistry","Organic matter"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-01-28","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1016/j.orggeochem.2008.01.005","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2048941742","name":"The carbonaceous chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00212446","authors":["Brian Mason"],"tags":["Chondrite","Astrobiology","Planetary science","Chondrule","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1963-05-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1007/bf00212446","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2055425634","name":"Cenozoic variations in the flux of interplanetary dust recorded by3He in a deep-sea sediment","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/376153a0","authors":["Kenneth A. Farley"],"tags":["Interplanetary dust cloud","Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Radiogenic nuclide","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1995-07-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1038/376153a0","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2128329973","name":"Phosphorus in prebiotic chemistry","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The prebiotic synthesis of phosphorus-containing compounds-such as nucleotides and polynucleotides-would require both a geologically plausible source of the element and pathways for its incorporation into chemical systems on the primitive Earth. The mineral apatite, which is the only significant source of phosphate on Earth, has long been thought to be problematical in this respect due to its low solubility and reactivity. However, in the last decade or so, at least two pathways have been demonstrated which would circumvent these perceived problems. In addition, recent results would seem to suggest an additional, extraterrestrial source of reactive phosphorus. It appears that the 'phosphorus problem' is no longer the stumbling block which it was once thought to be.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2006.1901","authors":["Alan W. Schwartz","Schwartz AW"],"tags":["Phosphorus","Prebiotic","Chemistry","Apatite","Reactivity (psychology)"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006 Oct 29","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1098/rstb.2006.1901","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W3110033273","name":"Critical review of chirality indicators of extraterrestrial life","source":"openalex","abstract":"The major revolution in modern astronomy recognizing the universe as teeming with exoplanets, the discovery of liquid water in solar moons, and the continuing focus on Mars exploration, all accelerate the re-evaluation of potential biomarkers for extraterrestrial life. Based on life on planet Earth which relies heavily on chiral molecules and especially on homochiral families, the detection of molecules with these structural properties appears in all road-maps as prime indicators of extraterrestrial life. This review analyzes the strengths, bounds and potential weaknesses of relying on chirality and on homochirality as biomarkers, along with recommendations of how to practically use it. Some of the main issues presented, discussed and answered include: what is the extent to which chirality can be expected to be a universal feature of life; is detection of chirality enough or do we need also to detect homochirality; how justified is it to view life on Earth as purely homochiral; what are the weaknesses of the need to invent an arbitrary label of handedness (needed to define homochirality) and what are the pitfalls that emerge from these weaknesses; what stands behind a detected specific value of enantiomeric excess and what affects its values as we consider old, extinct life, just emerging embryonic life, or extant but rare life; how can one quantify the degree of homochirality; and, what are relevant experimental approached for detecting chirality on-ground and from distance? Finally, a summary with a concise list of recommendations is provided, along with a brief outlook.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.newar.2020.101596","authors":["David Avnir"],"tags":["Homochirality","Extraterrestrial life","Chirality (physics)","Astrobiology","Extant taxon"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-25","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1016/j.newar.2020.101596","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"oa:W2035382030","name":"Evaluation of the 87Rb decay constant by age comparison against the U–Pb system","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Rb–Sr decay system is one of the most widely used geochronometers for obtaining ages and cooling rates of terrestrial magmatic, metamorphic, and hydrothermal events. It has also been extensively applied to date extraterrestrial, early solar system events. The accuracy of Rb–Sr ages, however, strongly depends on the accuracy of the 87Rb decay constant (λ87Rb). We determined λ87Rb relative to the decay constants of 235U and 238U by comparing Rb–Sr ages of minerals with U–Pb ages obtained from the same intrusion. Comparison of U–Pb emplacement ages with high-precision Rb–Sr mineral ages from three rapidly cooled igneous rocks covering an age range of ca. 2.5 Ga yields an unweighted mean λ87Rb of 1.393 ± 0.004 × 10−11 yr−1 (i.e., ± 0.3%), corresponding to a half-life of 49.76 × 109 years. Because this decay constant is 2% lower than the presently recommended one, many previously published ages are 2% too young and the resulting geologic interpretations may need revision.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2010.11.004","authors":["Oliver Nebel","Erik E. Scherer","Klaus Mezger"],"tags":["Igneous rock","Geology","Intrusion","Metamorphic rock","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-11-30","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1016/j.epsl.2010.11.004","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2141868602","name":"Progressive metamorphism and classification of shocked and brecciated crystalline rocks at impact craters","source":"openalex","abstract":"The principle of progressive shock metamorphism in nonporous silicate rocks is discussed on the basis of petrographic observations and experimental data. The p-T conditions and the nature of the basic types of shock effects observed in rock-forming minerals are considered as far as they are indicative of the degree of shock metamorphism of the source rock. Particular shock effects that are related to the main regimes of the Hugoniot curves of quartz and feldspar, as well as the shock-melting and vaporization behavior of the whole rock, characterize and define six stages or zones of increasing shock metamorphism. Each stage or zone represents a certain range of peak pressure and temperature. Rocks of stage O are shocked to shock states below the Hugoniot elastic limit of quartz and feldspar that are irregularly fractured. Shock stage I is characterized by diaplectic quartz and feldspar that are released from shock states in the ‘two-phase regime’ of the Hugoniot. Diaplectic glass of quartz and/or feldspar composition occurs within stage II, which is related to the lowest part of the ‘high-pressure-phase regime’ of the Hugoniot. Stage III is characterized by selective melting of feldspar minerals at sufficiently high postshock temperature. Postshock temperatures exceeding the liquidus of the whole rock produce rock glasses on pressure and temperature release (stage IV). Stage V is represented by condensation products of shockvaporized rock material. On the basis of experimental data of several authors, the proposed stages of metamorphism are tentatively correlated with a pressure-temperature scale. It is concluded that the proposed classification is generally valid for shock processes in nonporous rocks and can well be applied to the recognition and distinction of the different kinds of impact breccias of terrestrial or extraterrestrial origin.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/jb076i023p05541","authors":["D. Stöffler"],"tags":["Shock metamorphism","Geology","Feldspar","Metamorphism","Quartz"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1971-08-10","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1029/jb076i023p05541","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2016991987","name":"Demagnetization of terrestrial and extraterrestrial rocks under hydrostatic pressure up to 1.2GPa","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pepi.2010.01.004","authors":["N. S. Bezaeva","J. Gattacceca","P. Rochette","Р. А. Садыков","V. I. Trukhin"],"tags":["Geology","Pyrrhotite","Remanence","Magnetite","Natural remanent magnetization"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-01-15","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1016/j.pepi.2010.01.004","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2020553650","name":"Laboratory infrared transmission spectra of individual interplanetary dust particles from 2.5 to 25 microns","source":"openalex","abstract":"Dust particles collected in the stratosphere that have chondritic elemental abundances provide a new form of extraterrestrial matter for laboratory study. Spectral transmission measurements from 2.5 to 25 μm of 26 such particles show that almost all have a dominant 10 μm silicate absorption feature. Twenty-two of the particles can be grouped into one of three spectral classes referred to as olivines, layer-lattice silicates, and pyroxenes after the minerals that provide the best match to the dust spectra. Measurements of large D/H enrichments and solar flare nuclear tracks confirm that at least some particles are interplanetary dust particles. The layer-lattice silicates have additional bands at 3.0, 6.0, 6.8, and 11.4 μm. A comparison of these spectral features with the infrared spectra of comets and interstellar grains is presented.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1086/163120","authors":["S. A. Sandford","R. M. Walker"],"tags":["Interplanetary dust cloud","Physics","Cosmic dust","Chondrite","Spectral line"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1985-04-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1086/163120","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2991621316","name":"Exploring the microbial biotransformation of extraterrestrial material on nanometer scale","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract Exploration of microbial-meteorite redox interactions highlights the possibility of bioprocessing of extraterrestrial metal resources and reveals specific microbial fingerprints left on extraterrestrial material. In the present study, we provide our observations on a microbial-meteorite nanoscale interface of the metal respiring thermoacidophile Metallosphaera sedula . M. sedula colonizes the stony meteorite Northwest Africa 1172 (NWA 1172; an H5 ordinary chondrite) and releases free soluble metals, with Ni ions as the most solubilized. We show the redox route of Ni ions, originating from the metallic Ni° of the meteorite grains and leading to released soluble Ni 2+ . Nanoscale resolution ultrastructural studies of meteorite grown M. sedula coupled to electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) points to the redox processing of Fe-bearing meteorite material. Our investigations validate the ability of M. sedula to perform the biotransformation of meteorite minerals, unravel microbial fingerprints left on meteorite material, and provide the next step towards an understanding of meteorite biogeochemistry. Our findings will serve in defining mineralogical and morphological criteria for the identification of metal-containing microfossils.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-54482-7","authors":["Tetyana Milojević","Denise Kölbl","L. Ferrière","Mihaela Albu","Adrienne Kish","R. L. Flemming","Christian Koeberl","Amir Blazevic","Žiga Zebec","Simon K.‐M. R. Rittmann","Christa Schleper","Marc Pignitter"],"tags":["Meteorite","Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology","Iron meteorite","Redox"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-019-54482-7","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"oa:W4324330371","name":"Degassing of early-formed planetesimals restricted water delivery to Earth","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The timing of delivery and the types of body that contributed volatiles to the terrestrial planets remain highly debated1,2. For example, it is unknown if differentiated bodies, such as that responsible for the Moon-forming giant impact, could have delivered substantial volatiles3,4 or if smaller, undifferentiated objects were more probable vehicles of water delivery5–7. Here we show that the water contents of minerals in achondrite meteorites (mantles or crusts of differentiated planetesimals) from both the inner and outer portions of the early Solar System are ≤2 μg g−1 H2O. These are among the lowest values ever reported for extraterrestrial minerals. Our results demonstrate that differentiated planetesimals efficiently degassed before or during melting. This finding implies that substantial amounts of water could only have been delivered to Earth by means of unmelted material. The very low water contents of minerals in achondrite meteorites from the early Solar System show that substantial amounts of water could only have been delivered to Earth by means of unmelted material.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-05721-5","authors":["Megan Newcombe","Sune G. Nielsen","Liam D. Peterson","Jianhua Wang","C. M. O'd. Alexander","Adam Sarafian","Kei Shimizu","L. R. Nittler","A. J. Irving"],"tags":["Planetesimal","Achondrite","Astrobiology","Meteorite","Solar System"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1038/s41586-023-05721-5","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.647Z"},{"id":"oa:W2356583693","name":"Determination of halogen abundances in terrestrial and extraterrestrial samples by the analysis of noble gases produced by neutron irradiation","source":"openalex","abstract":"The lack of a reliable database for heavy halogens (bromine and iodine) in terrestrial and extraterrestrial samples is mainly due to the analytical challenges of determining their very low abundances (< 1 ppm) in the materials of interest. The neutron irradiation noble gas mass spectrometric (NI-NGMS) technique initially developed in the 1960s is the only viable technique currently capable of determining concentrations below 1 ppb of iodine for small (< 10 mg) sample sizes. We describe in detail the analytical protocols and provide a comprehensive and transparent overview of the data reduction procedures in order to fully explore the uncertainties of the technique. We demonstrate how the capabilities of modern mass spectrometers used for Ar-Ar dating, can be readily extended to incorporate halogen measurements. A new and critical assessment of the use of standards is presented based on results from multiple irradiations, including a meteorite (Shallowater aubrite), scapolite minerals introduced by Kendrick (2012) and a novel internal calibration method based on using barium.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2016.05.003","authors":["L. Ruzié","P. L. Clay","R. Burgess","Bastian Joachim","C. J. Ballentine","G. Turner"],"tags":["Halogen","Bromine","Noble gas","Meteorite","Radiochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-05-11","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1016/j.chemgeo.2016.05.003","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2002528639","name":"Investigation of LIBS feasibility for in situ planetary exploration: An analysis on Martian rock analogues","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2003.08.012","authors":["F. Colao","R. Fantoni","V. Lazic","A. Paolini","F. Fabbri","G. G. Ori","L. Marinangeli","A. Baliva"],"tags":["Martian","Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy","Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-11-24","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1016/j.pss.2003.08.012","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2078132212","name":"Extraterrestrial Ni-rich spinel in upper Eocene sediments from Massignano, Italy","source":"openalex","abstract":"Research Article| April 01, 1998 Extraterrestrial Ni-rich spinel in upper Eocene sediments from Massignano, Italy Olivier Pierrard; Olivier Pierrard 1Centre des Faibles Radioactivités, Laboratoire mixte C.E.A./C.N.R.S., 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Eric Robin; Eric Robin 1Centre des Faibles Radioactivités, Laboratoire mixte C.E.A./C.N.R.S., 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Robert Rocchia; Robert Rocchia 1Centre des Faibles Radioactivités, Laboratoire mixte C.E.A./C.N.R.S., 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Alessandro Montanari Alessandro Montanari 2Osservatorio Geologico di Coldigioco, 62020 Frontale di Apiro, Italy, and Ecole des Mines de Paris, France Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Olivier Pierrard 1Centre des Faibles Radioactivités, Laboratoire mixte C.E.A./C.N.R.S., 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France Eric Robin 1Centre des Faibles Radioactivités, Laboratoire mixte C.E.A./C.N.R.S., 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France Robert Rocchia 1Centre des Faibles Radioactivités, Laboratoire mixte C.E.A./C.N.R.S., 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France Alessandro Montanari 2Osservatorio Geologico di Coldigioco, 62020 Frontale di Apiro, Italy, and Ecole des Mines de Paris, France Publisher: Geological Society of America First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (1998) 26 (4): 307–310. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1998)026<0307:ENRSIU>2.3.CO;2 Article history First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Olivier Pierrard, Eric Robin, Robert Rocchia, Alessandro Montanari; Extraterrestrial Ni-rich spinel in upper Eocene sediments from Massignano, Italy. Geology 1998;; 26 (4): 307–310. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1998)026<0307:ENRSIU>2.3.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Evidence of a major cosmic event at the end of the Eocene is given by the finding of at least one, possibly two or more, impact horizons containing microtektites, microkrystites, shocked quartz, and unusually high iridium concentrations. We report here the discovery, in the global stratotype of the Eocene-Oligocene boundary at Massignano in Italy, of Ni-rich spinel, a mineral that forms by the interaction of meteoritic bodies with the Earth's atmosphere. A maximum concentration of ≈800 crystals mg−1, corresponding to a flux of 2 × 107 crystals cm−2, is observed in a well-dated layer (35.7 ± 0.4 Ma) that also contains shocked quartz and iridium. The crystals are found clustered in flattened spheroids, the probable relic of their host bodies. The chemical and physical characteristics of the spinel crystals indicate that the spheroids formed by interaction of dust particles in the upper part of the atmosphere rather than by ablation of large objects, as proposed for the spinel-bearing spheroids found at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary. The most likely explanation is that the dust particles were generated by a large cometary impact. Whether this impact is the one that produced microtektites and/or microkrystites, or another one that may have occurred shortly after or before, is still questionable. Additional searching for Ni-rich spinel at other upper Eocene sections may help to answer this question. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1998)026<0307:enrsiu>2.3.co;2","authors":["O. Pierrard","Éric Robin","R. Rocchia","Alessandro Montanari"],"tags":["Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1130/0091-7613(1998","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2287638034","name":"Human utilization of subsurface extraterrestrial environments.","source":"openalex","abstract":"Caves have been used in the ancient past as shelter or habitat by many organisms (including humans). Since antiquity, humans have explored caves for the minerals they contain and sometimes for ceremonial purposes. Over the past century, caves have become the target of increasing exploration, scientific research, and recreation. The use of caves on extraterrestrial bodies for human habitation has been suggested by several investigators. Lunar lava tube bases received early attention because lava tubes were clearly visible in lunar images from the Apollo Era. More recently, Mars Observer Camera data has shown us clear evidence of large tubes visible in a number of volcanic regions on Mars. The budding field of cave geomicrobiology has direct application to questions about subsurface life on other planets. Caves contain many unusual organisms making their living from unlikely materials like manganese, iron, and sulfur. This makes caves and other subsurface habitats prime targets for astrobiological missions to Mars and possibly other bodies. We present the results of a completed Phase I and on-going Phase II NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) study that intensively examines the possibilities of using extraterrestrial caves as both a resource for human explorers and as a highly promising scientific target for both robotic and future human missions to Mars and beyond.","url":"https://openalex.org/W2287638034","authors":["Penelope J. Boston","R. D. Frederick","S. M. Welch","Jim C. Werker","Thomas R. Meyer","B Sprungman","Val Hildreth-Werker","Starley L. Thompson","D L Murphy"],"tags":["Cave","Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology","Mars Exploration Program","Lava"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-06-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"oa:W2127417978","name":"Biomimetic Properties of Minerals and the Search for Life in the Martian Meteorite ALH84001","source":"openalex","abstract":"The existence of extraterrestrial life was heralded by controversial claims made in 1996 that the Martian meteorite ALH84001 harbored relics of ancient microorganisms. We review here the accumulated evidence for and against past extraterrestrial life in this Martian meteorite. The main pro-life arguments—the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, magnetite crystals, carbonate globules, and structures resembling terrestrial life-forms known as nanobacteria—can be deemed ambiguous at best. Although these criteria are compatible with living processes, each one of them can be explained by nonliving chemical processes. By undergoing amorphous-to-crystalline transformations and binding to multiple substrates, including other ions and simple organic compounds, minerals—especially those containing carbonate—have been shown to display biomimetic properties, producing forms that resemble bacteria. This simple and down-to-earth explanation can account fully for the existence of mineral entities resembling putative nano- and microorganisms that have been described not only in the ALH84001 meteorite but also in the human body.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-earth-042711-105401","authors":["Jan Martel","David Young","Hsin‐Hsin Peng","Cheng-Yeu Wu","John Ding‐E Young"],"tags":["Meteorite","Martian","Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Mars Exploration Program"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-05-02","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1146/annurev-earth-042711-105401","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.070Z"},{"id":"oa:W2080597758","name":"Mineralogy of meteorite groups: An update","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Twenty minerals that were not included in the most recent list of meteoritic minerals have been reported as occurring in meteorites. Extraterrestrial anhydrous Ca phosphate should be called merrillite, not whitlockite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1997.tb01558.x","authors":["Alan E. Rubin","ALAN E. RUBIN"],"tags":["Whitlockite","Meteorite","Geology","Geochemistry","Mineral"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997-09-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.1997.tb01558.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2974667303","name":"An extraterrestrial trigger for the mid-Ordovician ice age: Dust from the breakup of the L-chondrite parent body","source":"europepmc","abstract":"He data for Ordovician sediments show that the breakup took place just at the onset of a major, eustatic sea level fall previously attributed to an Ordovician ice age. Shortly after the breakup, the flux to Earth of the most fine-grained, extraterrestrial material increased by three to four orders of magnitude. In the present stratosphere, extraterrestrial dust represents 1% of all the dust and has no climatic significance. Extraordinary amounts of dust in the entire inner solar system during >2 Ma following the L-chondrite breakup cooled Earth and triggered Ordovician icehouse conditions, sea level fall, and major faunal turnovers related to the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aax4184","authors":["Birger Schmitz","Kenneth A. Farley","Steven Goderis","P. R. Heck","Stig M. Bergström","Samuele Boschi","Philippe Claeys","Vinciane Debaille","A. V. Dronov","Matthias Van Ginneken","David A. T. Harper","Faisal Iqbal"],"tags":["Asteroid","Ordovician","Breakup","Parent body","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.aax4184","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"oa:W4313279817","name":"Oxygen isotopes of anhydrous primary minerals show kinship between asteroid Ryugu and comet 81P/Wild2","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The extraterrestrial materials returned from asteroid (162173) Ryugu consist predominantly of low-temperature aqueously formed secondary minerals and are chemically and mineralogically similar to CI (Ivuna-type) carbonaceous chondrites. Here, we show that high-temperature anhydrous primary minerals in Ryugu and CI chondrites exhibit a bimodal distribution of oxygen isotopic compositions: 16 O-rich (associated with refractory inclusions) and 16 O-poor (associated with chondrules). Both the 16 O-rich and 16 O-poor minerals probably formed in the inner solar protoplanetary disk and were subsequently transported outward. The abundance ratios of the 16 O-rich to 16 O-poor minerals in Ryugu and CI chondrites are higher than in other carbonaceous chondrite groups but are similar to that of comet 81P/Wild2, suggesting that Ryugu and CI chondrites accreted in the outer Solar System closer to the accretion region of comets.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ade2067","authors":["Noriyuki Kawasaki","K. Nagashima","Naoya Sakamoto","Toru Matsumoto","Ken‐ichi Bajo","Sohei Wada","Yohei Igami","Akira Miyake","T. Noguchi","Daiki Yamamoto","S. S. Russell","Yoshinari Abe"],"tags":["Chondrite","Comet","Meteorite","Carbonaceous chondrite","Chondrule"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.ade2067","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"oa:W2169282908","name":"Synchrotron infrared microscopy of micron-sized extraterrestrial grains","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0032-0633(00)00113-6","authors":["P. I. Raynal","É. Quirico","J. Borg","D. Deboffle","P. Dumas","L. d' Hendecourt","J. P. Bibring","Y. Langevin"],"tags":["Microanalysis","Synchrotron","Mars Exploration Program","Beamline","Infrared"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-10-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1016/s0032-0633(00","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.844Z"},{"id":"oa:W2070771767","name":"A new X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy for extraterrestrial materials using a muon beam","source":"openalex","abstract":"The recent development of the intense pulsed muon source at J-PARC MUSE, Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex/MUon Science Establishment (10(6) s(-1) for a momentum of 60 MeV/c), enabled us to pioneer a new frontier in analytical sciences. Here, we report a non-destructive elemental analysis using µ(-) capture. Controlling muon momentum from 32.5 to 57.5 MeV/c, we successfully demonstrate a depth-profile analysis of light elements (B, C, N, and O) from several mm-thick layered materials and non-destructive bulk analyses of meteorites containing organic materials. Muon beam analysis, enabling a bulk analysis of light to heavy elements without severe radioactivation, is a unique analytical method complementary to other non-destructive analyses. Furthermore, this technology can be used as a powerful tool to identify the content and distribution of organic components in future asteroidal return samples.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/srep05072","authors":["Kentaro Terada","Kazuhiko Ninomiya","Takahito Osawa","Shogo Tachibana","Yasuhiro Miyake","M. K. Kubo","N. Kawamura","Wataru Higemoto","A. Tsuchiyama","M. Ebihara","Masayuki Uesugi"],"tags":["Muon","Nuclear physics","Meteorite","Beam (structure)","Proton"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-05-27","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","doi":"10.1038/srep05072","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1704.01324v3","name":"Spin-Frustrated Pyrochlore Chains in the Volcanic Mineral Kamchatkite (KCu3OCl(SO4)2)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Search of new frustrated magnetic systems is of a significant importance for physics studying the condensed matter. The platform for geometric frustration of magnetic systems can be provided by copper oxocentric tetrahedra (OCu4) forming the base of crystalline structures of copper minerals from Tolbachik volcanos in Kamchatka. The present work was devoted to a new frustrated antiferromagnetic - kamchatkite (KCu3OCl(SO4)2). The calculation of the sign and strength of magnetic couplings in KCu3OCl(SO4)2 has been performed on the basis of structural data by the phenomenological crystal chemistry method with taking into account corrections on the Jahn-Teller orbital degeneracy of Cu2. It has been established that kamchatkite (KCu3OCl(SO4)2) contains AFM spin-frustrated chains of the pyrochlore type composed of cone-sharing Cu4 tetrahedra. Strong AFM intrachain and interchain couplings compete with each other. Frustration of magnetic couplings in tetrahedral chains is combined with the presence of electric polarization.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1704.01324v3","authors":["L. M. Volkova","D. V. Marinin"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-04-05T09:28:16Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2111.11260v1","name":"MiNet: A Convolutional Neural Network for Identifying and Categorising Minerals","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Identification of minerals in the field is a task that is wrought with many challenges. Traditional approaches are prone to errors where there is no enough experience and expertise. Several existing techniques mainly make use of features of the minerals under a microscope and tend to favour a manual feature extraction pipeline. Deep learning methods can help overcome some of these hurdles and provide simple and effective ways to identify minerals. In this paper, we present an algorithm for identifying minerals from hand specimen images. Using a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), we develop a single-label image classification model to identify and categorise seven classes of minerals. Experiments conducted using real-world datasets show that the model achieves an accuracy of 90.75%.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2111.11260v1","authors":["Emmanuel Asiedu Brempong","Millicent Agangiba","Daniel Aikins"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-11-22T15:00:28Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2209.05679v1","name":"The Puzzle of Meteoritic Minerals Heideite and Brezinaite; Are they Iron-based Superconductors? Are they Technosignatures?","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Transition metal sulfides (Fe, V)3S4 and (Fe, Ti)3S4, with the monoclinic Cr3S4 type structure have been studied for a long time, itinerant magnetism in form of Spin density waves (SDW) have been found in these systems with different features as evidenced by 57Fe Mossbauer Spectroscopy, there is an intricate relationship between the proportion of Fe, V and Ti atoms, the degree of commensurability of the SDW and the magnetic transition temperature. These sulfides have no natural occurrence on Earth and some of these phases were detected as minerals in meteorites; the mineral Heideite in the Bustee and Kaidun meteorites, with minor proportion of Cr atoms leading to the general formula (Fe, Cr)1+x (Ti, Fe)2S4, and the mineral Brezinaite in the Tucson meteorite, with minor proportion of Fe atoms and traces of V, Ti and Mn atoms, leading to the formula (Cr2.65Fe0.20V0.09Ti0.06Mn0.04)3.04S4. In this critical review of the experimental literature, we discuss the issues that these meteoritic minerals are structurally sensitive to the method of synthesis, and so is their magnetic behavior, especially in the presence of minor and trace elements. This discussion could shed light on our knowledge in Solid State Physics and Planetary Science; these meteoritic minerals are promising candidates for iron-based superconductors because of three clues: they are layered structures, they undergo a transition to SDW with variable degree of commensurability and the minor and trace elements could act as dopants and hence suppress the SDW giving rise to superconductivity. On the other side, the genesis of these meteoritic minerals could require controlled and sophisticated process not easily found in nature. So, it is important to be open-minded and even provocative to consider the following question: Are these meteoritic minerals samples of Extraterrestrial Technosignatures?","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2209.05679v1","authors":["B. P. Embaid"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-09-13T01:16:39Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1806.10967v3","name":"Quantum Magnetism in Minerals","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The discovery of magnetism by the ancient Greeks was enabled by the natural occurrence of lodestone -- a magnetized version of the mineral magnetite. Nowadays, natural minerals continue to inspire the search for novel magnetic materials with quantum-critical behavior or exotic ground states such as spin liquids. The recent surge of interest in magnetic frustration and quantum magnetism was largely encouraged by crystalline structures of natural minerals realizing pyrochlore, kagome, or triangular arrangements of magnetic ions. As a result, names like azurite, jarosite, volborthite, and others, which were barely known beyond the mineralogical community a few decades ago, found their way into cutting-edge research in solid-state physics. In some cases, the structures of natural minerals are too complex to be synthesized artificially in a chemistry lab, especially in single-crystalline form, and there is a growing number of examples demonstrating the potential of natural specimens for experimental investigations in the field of quantum magnetism. On many other occasions, minerals may guide chemists in the synthesis of novel compounds with unusual magnetic properties. The present review attempts to embrace this quickly emerging interdisciplinary field that bridges mineralogy with low-temperature condensed-matter physics and quantum chemistry.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1806.10967v3","authors":["D. S. Inosov"],"tags":["cond-mat.str-el","cond-mat.mtrl-sci","physics.geo-ph","quant-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-06-28T13:44:38Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2107.09794v1","name":"Limits of Detecting Extraterrestrial Civilizations","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) is a scientific endeavor which struggles with unique issues -- a strong indeterminacy in what data to look for and when to do so. This has led to attempts at finding both fundamental limits of the communication between extraterrestrial intelligence and human civilizations, as well as benchmarks so as to predict what kinds of signals we might most expect. Previous work has been formulated in terms of the information-theoretic task of communication, but we instead argue it should be viewed as a detection problem, specifically one-shot (asymmetric) hypothesis testing. With this new interpretation, we develop fundamental limits as well as provide simple examples of how to use this framework to analyze and benchmark different possible signals from extraterrestrial civilizations. We show that electromagnetic signaling for detection requires much less power than for communication, that detection as a function of power can be non-linear, and that much of the analysis in this framework may be addressed using computationally efficient optimization problems, thereby demonstrating tools for further inquiry.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2107.09794v1","authors":["Ian George","Xinan Chen","Lav R. Varshney"],"tags":["cs.IT","astro-ph.IM","physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-07-20T22:53:00Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1101.4968v2","name":"A Protocol for Messaging to Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Messaging to extraterrestrial intelligence (METI) is a branch of study concerned with constructing and broadcasting a message toward habitable planets. Since the Arecibo message of 1974, the handful of METI broadcasts have increased in content and complexity, but the lack of an established protocol has produced unorganized or cryptic messages that could be difficult to interpret. Here we outline the development of a self-consistent protocol for messaging to extraterrestrial intelligence that provides constraints and guidelines for the construction of a message in order to maximize the probability that the message effectively communicates. A METI protocol considers several factors including signal encoding, message length, information content, anthropocentrism, transmission method, and transmission periodicity. Once developed, the protocol will be released for testing on different human groups worldwide and across cultural boundaries. An effective message to extraterrestrials should at least be understandable by humans, and releasing the protocol for testing will allow us to improve the protocol and develop potential messages. Through an interactive website, users across the world will be able to create and exchange messages that follow the protocol in order to discover the types of messages better suited for cross-cultural communication. The development of a METI protocol will serve to improve the quality of messages to extraterrestrials, foster international collaboration, and extend astrobiology outreach to the public.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1101.4968v2","authors":["Dimitra Atri","Julia DeMarines","Jacob Haqq-Misra"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph","astro-ph.IM","physics.ed-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-01-25T22:30:08Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1304.1280v1","name":"Three Packets of Minerals of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements and Chemical Compounds","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The concepts of alpha- and beta-packets of the periodic table of chemical elements and chemical compounds are defined. The first of the 47 minerals alpha-packets is composed. In it all minerals are arranged in increasing Iav index of proportionality of atomic weights of composing chemical elements, the same way as chemical elements are located in increasing atomic weights in the Periodic table. The packet includes 93 known minerals and two compounds - N2O5 and CO2 - being actually minerals. Beta-packet of oxides and hydroxides minerals includes 88 known minerals and five chemical compounds - N2O5, CO2, CO, SO3 and SO2. Two minerals of the packet have not been determined yet. Besides, beta-packet of minerals with sulfur, selenium or arsenic is composed, with one mineral not defined yet. The results of the calculations can be used for further development of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements and Chemical Compounds and their properties investigation.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1304.1280v1","authors":["Mikhail M. Labushev"],"tags":["physics.gen-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-03-20T17:02:54Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2511.09722v1","name":"Masked Mineral Modeling: Continent-Scale Mineral Prospecting via Geospatial Infilling","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Minerals play a critical role in the advanced energy technologies necessary for decarbonization, but characterizing mineral deposits hidden underground remains costly and challenging. Inspired by recent progress in generative modeling, we develop a learning method which infers the locations of minerals by masking and infilling geospatial maps of resource availability. We demonstrate this technique using mineral data for the conterminous United States, and train performant models, with the best achieving Dice coefficients of $0.31 \\pm 0.01$ and recalls of $0.22 \\pm 0.02$ on test data at 1$\\times$1 mi$^2$ spatial resolution. One major advantage of our approach is that it can easily incorporate auxiliary data sources for prediction which may be more abundant than mineral data. We highlight the capabilities of our model by adding input layers derived from geophysical sources, along with a nation-wide ground survey of soils originally intended for agronomic purposes. We find that employing such auxiliary features can improve inference performance, while also enabling model evaluation in regions with no recorded minerals.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.09722v1","authors":["Sujay Nair","Evan Coleman","Sherrie Wang","Elsa Olivetti"],"tags":["stat.ML","cs.LG","stat.AP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-12T20:28:40Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.17790v1","name":"From Extraterrestrial Microbes to Alien Intelligence: Rebalancing Astronomical Research Priorities","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We examine the funding disparity in astronomical research priorities: the Habitable Worlds Observatory is planned to receive over $10 billion over the next two decades whereas extraterrestrial intelligence research receives nearly zero federal funding. This imbalance is in contrast to both scientific value and public interest, as 65% of Americans and 58.2% of surveyed astrobiologists believe extraterrestrial intelligence exists. Empirical psychological research demonstrates that humanity possesses greater resilience toward extraterrestrial contact than historically recognized. Contemporary studies reveal adaptive responses rather than mass panic, conflicting with the rationale for excluding extraterrestrial intelligence research from federal funding since 1993. The response to the recent interstellar object 3I/ATLAS exemplifies consequences of this underinvestment: despite discovery forecasts of a new interstellar object every few months for the coming decade, no funded missions exist to intercept or closely study these visitors from outside the Solar System. We propose establishing a comprehensive research program to explore both biosignatures and technosignatures on interstellar objects. This program would address profound public interest while advancing detection capabilities and enabling potentially transformative discoveries in the search for extraterrestrial life. The systematic exclusion of extraterrestrial intelligence research represents institutional bias rather than scientific limitation, requiring immediate reconsideration of funding priorities.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.17790v1","authors":["Omer Eldadi","Gershon Tenenbaum","Abraham Loeb"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","physics.soc-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-23T10:04:56Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1803.04919v1","name":"Implications of Neutron Star Mergers for Extraterrestrial Civilizations","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The economy and fate of extraterrestrial civilizations should depend on the abundance of gold and uranium, made in neutron star mergers.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1803.04919v1","authors":["Abraham Loeb"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph","astro-ph.GA"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-03-13T16:25:18Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1704.04028v1","name":"Signal coverage approach to the detection probability of hypothetical extraterrestrial emitters in the Milky Way","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The lack of evidence for the existence of extraterrestrial life, even the simplest forms of animal life, makes it is difficult to decide whether the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) is more a high-risk, high-payoff endeavor than a futile attempt. Here we insist that even if extraterrestrial civilizations do exist and communicate, the likelihood of detecting their signals crucially depends on whether the Earth lies within a region of the galaxy covered by such signals. By considering possible populations of independent emitters in the galaxy, we build a statistical model of the domain covered by hypothetical extraterrestrial signals to derive the detection probability that the Earth is within such a domain. We show that for general distributions of the signal longevity and directionality, the mean number of detectable emitters is less than one even for detection probabilities as large as 50\\%, regardless of the number of emitters in the galaxy.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1704.04028v1","authors":["Claudio Grimaldi"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-04-13T08:22:09Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2207.02537v1","name":"Exploring refractory organics in extraterrestrial particles","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The origin of organic compounds detected in meteorites and comets, some of which could serve as precursors of life on Earth, still remains an open question. The aim of the present study is to make one more step in revealing the nature and composition of organic materials of extraterrestrial particles by comparing infrared spectra of laboratory-made refractory organic residues to the spectra of cometary particles returned by the Stardust mission, interplanetary dust particles, and meteorites. Our results reinforce the idea of a pathway for the formation of refractory organics through energetic and thermal processing of molecular ices in the solar nebula. There is also the possibility that some of the organic material formed already in the parental molecular cloud before it entered the solar nebula. The majority of the IR \"organic\" bands of the studied extraterrestrial particles can be reproduced in the spectra of the laboratory organic residues. We confirm the detection of water, nitriles, hydrocarbons, and carbonates in extraterrestrial particles and link it to the formation location of the particles in the outer regions of the solar nebula. To clarify the genesis of the species, high-sensitivity observations in combination with laboratory measurements like those presented in this paper are needed. Thus, this study presents one more piece of the puzzle of the origin of water and organic compounds on Earth and motivation for future collaborative laboratory and observational projects.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2207.02537v1","authors":["Alexey Potapov","Maria Elisabetta Palumbo","Zelia Dionnet","Andrea Longobardo","Cornelia Jäger","Giuseppe Baratta","Alessandra Rotundi","Thomas Henning"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.GA"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-06T09:35:12Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2205.11618v1","name":"Estimating the prevalence of malicious extraterrestrial civilizations","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper attempts to provide an estimation of the prevalence of hostile extraterrestrial civilizations through an extrapolation of the probability that we, as the human civilization, would attack or invade an inhabited exoplanet once we become a Type-1 civilization in the Kardashev Scale capable of nearby interstellar travel. The estimation is based on the world's history of invasions in the last century, the military capabilities of the countries involved, and the global growth rate of energy consumption. Upper limits of standard deviations are used in order to obtain the estimated probability of extraterrestrial invasion by a civilization whose planet we send a message to. Results show that such probability is two orders of magnitude lower than the impact probability of a planet-killer asteroid. These findings could serve as a starting point for an international debate about sending the first serious interstellar radio messages to nearby potentially habitable planets.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2205.11618v1","authors":["Alberto Caballero"],"tags":["physics.soc-ph","physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-05-23T20:32:57Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2212.04468v1","name":"Investigation of Minerals Using Hyperspectral Satellite Imagery in Bangladesh","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Mineral identification using remote sensing technologies is becoming more dominant in this field since it saves time by demonstrating a more effective way for land resources survey. In such remote sensing technologies, hyperspectral remote sensing (HSRS) technology has increased gradually for its efficient manner. This technology is usually used from an airborne platform, i.e., satellite. Hence, satellite imagery remote sensing technology is now more capable of providing accuracy in mineral identification, and mapping. Hyperspectral satellite imagery can identify minerals more accurately compared to traditional technologies in remote sensing by constructing a complete reflectance of the spectrum from each pixel with its advanced imaging sensor. Bangladesh is a developing country with an area of 1,50,000 square kilometers located in Southeast Asia. Though it is a small country, it is enriched with several mineral resources through rivers, forests, hills, and the Bay of Bengal. In this study, hyperspectral imaging technology is employed on some major identical areas (Maheshkhali, Netrokona, Panchagarh, and Patuakhali) of Bangladesh to identify minerals there. As there are no studies done in Bangladesh using hyperspectral imaging yet, it is a good opportunity to explore the potentiality of HS imagery in this field. In this study, the FLAASH (Fast Line-of-sight Atmospheric Analysis) module with necessary parameter settings is used to filter the data, and finally, mineral identification is done by the spectral matched filtering method. Our investigation resulted in finding some potential minerals in those areas including Stariolite, Diasphore, Zircon, Alunite, Quartz, and so on. This indicates that there still is enormous potential for further exploration of minerals in Bangladesh by Hyperspectral Satellite Imagery.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2212.04468v1","authors":["Nazmul Hasan","Kazi Mahmudul Hasan","Md. Tahsinul Islam","Shahnewaz Siddique"],"tags":["eess.IV","eess.SY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-12-08T18:41:02Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0501180v1","name":"The optical spectroscopy of extraterrestrial molecules","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The ongoing quest to identify molecules in the interstellar medium by their electronic spectra in the visible region is reviewed. Identification of molecular absorption is described in the context of the elucidation of the carriers of the unidentified diffuse interstellar bands while molecular emission is discussed with reference to the unidentified Red Rectangle bands. The experimental techniques employed in undertaking studies on the optical spectroscopy of extraterrestrial molecules are described and critiqued in the context of their application.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0501180v1","authors":["T. W. Schmidt","R. G. Sharp"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-01-11T05:47:21Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1609.05931v1","name":"The Log Log Prior for the Frequency of Extraterrestrial Intelligences","source":"arxiv","abstract":"It is unclear how frequently life and intelligence arise on planets. I consider a Bayesian prior for the probability P(ETI) that intelligence evolves at a suitable site, with weight distributed evenly over ln(1 - ln P(ETI)). This log log prior can handle a very wide range of P(ETI) values, from 1 to 10^(-10^122), while remaining responsive to evidence about extraterrestrial societies. It is motivated by our uncertainty in the number of conditions that must be fulfilled for intelligence to arise, and it is related to considerations of information, entropy, and state space dimensionality. After setting a lower limit to P(ETI) from the number of possible genome sequences, I calculate a Bayesian confidence of 18% that aliens exist within the observable Universe. With different assumptions about the minimum P(ETI) and the number of times intelligence can appear on a planet, this value falls between 1.4% and 47%. Overall, the prior leans towards our being isolated from extraterrestrial intelligences, but indicates that we should not be confident of this conclusion. I discuss the implications of the prior for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, concluding that searches for interstellar probes from nearby societies seem relatively effective. I also discuss the possibility of very small probabilities allowed by the prior for the origin of life and the Fermi Paradox, and note that similar priors might be constructed for interesting complex phenomena in general.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1609.05931v1","authors":["Brian C. Lacki"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM","physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-09-19T20:41:35Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2308.13125v1","name":"Exploring the Use of Generative AI in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) is a field that has long been within the domain of traditional signal processing techniques. However, with the advent of powerful generative AI models, such as GPT-3, we are now able to explore new ways of analyzing SETI data and potentially uncover previously hidden signals. In this work, we present a novel approach for using generative AI to analyze SETI data, with focus on data processing and machine learning techniques. Our proposed method uses a combination of deep learning and generative models to analyze radio telescope data, with the goal of identifying potential signals from extraterrestrial civilizations. We also discuss the challenges and limitations of using generative AI in SETI, as well as potential future directions for this research. Our findings suggest that generative AI has the potential to significantly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, and we encourage further exploration of this approach in the SETI community. (Disclosure: For the purpose of demonstration, the abstract and title were generated by ChatGPT and slightly modified by the lead author.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2308.13125v1","authors":["John Hoang","Zihe Zheng","Aiden Zelakiewicz","Peter Xiangyuan Ma","Bryan Brzycki"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-08-25T00:36:37Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2102.00094v1","name":"Extraterrestrial Photochemistry: Principles and Applications","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Energetic processing of interstellar ice mantles and planetary atmospheres via photochemistry is a critical mechanism in the extraterrestrial synthesis of prebiotic molecules. Photochemistry is defined as chemical processes initiated by photon-induced electronic excitation, not involving ionization. In contrast, photons with energies above the ionization threshold initiate radiation chemistry (radiolysis). Vacuum-ultraviolet (6.2-12.4 eV) light may initiate photochemistry and radiation chemistry because the threshold for producing secondary electrons is lower in the condensed phase than in the gas phase. Approximately half of cosmic-ray induced photons incident on interstellar ices in star-forming regions initiate photochemistry while the rest initiate radiation chemistry. While experimental techniques such as velocity map imaging may be used to extract exquisite details about gas-phase photochemistry, such detailed information cannot be obtained for condensed-phase photochemistry, which involves greater complexity, including the production of excitons, excimers, and exciplexes. Because a primary objective of chemistry is to provide molecular-level mechanistic explanations for macroscopic phenomena, our ultimate goal in this book chapter is to critically evaluate our current understanding of the photochemistry that likely leads to the synthesis of extraterrestrial prebiotic molecules.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2102.00094v1","authors":["Christopher R. Arumainayagam","Eric Herbst","A. N. Heays","Ella Mullikin","Megan Farrah","Michael G. Mavros"],"tags":["astro-ph.GA"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-01-29T22:31:19Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2102.03744v1","name":"Characterization and identification of Au pathfinder minerals from an artisanal mine site using X-ray diffraction","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Gold-associated pathfinder minerals have been investigated by identifying host minerals of Au for samples collected from an artisanal mining site near a potential gold mine (Kubi Gold Project) in Dunkwa-On-Offin in the central region of Ghana. We find that for each composition of Au powder (impure) and the residual black hematite/magnetite sand that remains after gold panning, there is a unique set of associated diverse indicator minerals. These indicator minerals are identified as SiO2 (quartz), Fe3O4 (magnetite), and Fe2O3 (hematite), while contributions from pyrite, arsenopyrites, iridosmine, scheelite, tetradymite, garnet, gypsum, and other sulfate materials are insignificant. This constitutes a confirmative identification of Au pathfinding minerals in this particular mineralogical area. The findings suggest that X-ray diffraction could also be applied in other mineralogical sites to aid in identifying indicator minerals of Au and the location of ore bodies at reduced environmental and exploration costs.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2102.03744v1","authors":["Gabriel Nzulu","Per Eklund","Martin Magnuson"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-02-07T08:49:40Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1105.6259v1","name":"Photophoretic transport of hot minerals in the solar nebula","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Hot temperature minerals have been detected in a large number of comets and were also identified in the samples of Comet Wild 2 that were returned by the Stardust mission. Meanwhile, observations of the distribution of hot minerals in young stellar systems suggest that these materials were produced in the inner part of the primordial nebula and have been transported outward in the formation zone of comets. We investigate the possibility that photophoresis provides a viable mechanism to transport high-temperature materials from the inner solar system to the regions in which the comets were forming. We use a grid of time-dependent disk models of the solar nebula to quantify the distance range at which hot minerals can be transported from the inner part of the disk toward its outer regions as a function of their size and density. The particles considered here are in the form of aggregates that presumably were assembled from hot mineral individual grains ranging down to submicron sizes and formed by condensation within the hottest portion of the solar nebula. Our particle-transport model includes the photophoresis, radiation pressure, and gas drag. Depending on the postulated disk parameters and the density of particles, 10-2 to 10-1 m aggregates can reach heliocentric distances up to 35 AU in the primordial nebula over very short timescales (no more than a few hundred thousand years). 10-3 m particles follow the same trajectory as the larger ones but their maximum migration distance does not exceed 26 AU and is reached at later epochs in the disks. On the other hand, 10-5 to 10-4 m aggregates are continuously pushed outward during the evolution of the solar nebula. Our simulations suggest that irrespective of the employed solar nebula model, photophoresis is a mechanism that can explain the presence of hot temperature minerals in the formation region of comets.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1105.6259v1","authors":["A. Moudens","O. Mousis","J. -M. Petit","G. Wurm","D. Cordier","S. Charnoz"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-05-31T12:54:38Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2005.14324v1","name":"Machine Learning for recognition of minerals from multispectral data","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Machine Learning (ML) has found several applications in spectroscopy, including being used to recognise minerals and estimate elemental composition. In this work, we present novel methods for automatic mineral identification based on combining data from different spectroscopic methods. We evaluate combining data from three spectroscopic methods: vibrational Raman scattering, reflective Visible-Near Infrared (VNIR), and Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). These methods were paired into Raman + VNIR, Raman + LIBS and VNIR + LIBS, and different methods of data fusion applied to each pair to classify minerals. The methods presented here are shown to outperform the use of a single data source by a significant margin. Additionally, we present a Deep Learning algorithm for mineral classification from Raman spectra that outperforms previous state-of-the-art methods. Our approach was tested on various open access experimental Raman (RRUFF) and VNIR (USGS, Relab, ECOSTRESS), as well as synthetic LIBS NIST spectral libraries. Our cross-validation tests show that multi-method spectroscopy paired with ML paves the way towards rapid and accurate characterization of rocks and minerals.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2005.14324v1","authors":["Pavel Jahoda","Igor Drozdovskiy","Francesco Sauro","Leonardo Turchi","Samuel Payler","Loredana Bessone"],"tags":["cs.LG","eess.IV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-05-28T22:25:15Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2101.04497v1","name":"A continuum theory for mineral solid solutions undergoing chemo-mechanical processes","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Recent studies on metamorphic petrology as well as microstructural observations suggest the influence of mechanical effects upon chemically active metamorphic minerals. Thus, the understanding of such a coupling is crucial to describe the dynamics of geomaterials. In this effort, we derive a thermodynamically-consistent framework to characterize the evolution of chemically active minerals. We model the metamorphic mineral assemblages as a solid-species solution where the species mass transport and chemical reaction drive the stress generation process. The theoretical foundations of the framework rely on modern continuum mechanics, thermodynamics far from equilibrium, and the phase-field model. We treat the mineral solid solution as a continuum body, and following the Larché and Cahn network model, we define displacement and strain fields. Consequently, we obtain a set of coupled chemo-mechanical equations. We use the aforementioned framework to study single minerals as solid solutions during metamorphism. Furthermore, we emphasise the use of the phase-field framework as a promising tool to model complex multi-physics processes in geoscience. Without loss of generality, we use common physical and chemical parameters found in the geoscience literature to portrait a comprehensive view of the underlying physics. Thereby, we carry out 2D and 3D numerical simulations using material parameters for metamorphic minerals to showcase and verify the chemo-mechanical interactions of mineral solid solutions that undergo spinodal decomposition, chemical reactions, and deformation.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2101.04497v1","authors":["Santiago P. Clavijo","Luis Espath","Adel Sarmiento","Victor M. Calo"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-01-07T15:53:15Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0411729v2","name":"Periodicity of mass extinctions without an extraterrestrial cause","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We study a lattice model of a multi-species prey-predator system. Numerical results show that for a small mutation rate the model develops irregular long-period oscillatory behavior with sizeable changes in a number of species. The periodicity of extinctions on Earth was suggested by Raup and Sepkoski but so far is lacking a satisfactory explanation. Our model indicates that this is a natural consequence of the ecosystem dynamics, not the result of any extraterrestrial cause.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0411729v2","authors":["Adam Lipowski"],"tags":["cond-mat.other","cond-mat.stat-mech","q-bio.PE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-11-29T14:55:04Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1909.06647v2","name":"Interfacial flows in sessile evaporating droplets of mineral water","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Liquid flow in sessile evaporating droplets of ultrapure water typically results from two main contributions: a capillary flow pushing the liquid towards the contact line from the bulk and a thermal Marangoni flow pulling the drop free surface towards the summit. Current analytical and numerical models are in good qualitative agreement with experimental observations however they overestimate the interfacial velocity values by 2-3 orders of magnitude. This discrepancy is generally ascribed to contamination of the water samples with non-soluble surfactants, however an experimental confirmation of this assumption has not yet been provided. In this work, we show that a small \"ionic contamination\" can cause a significant effect in the flow pattern inside the droplet. To provide the proof, we compare the flow in evaporating droplets of ultrapure water with commercially available bottled water of different mineralization levels. Mineral waters are bottled at natural springs, are micro-biologically pure, and contain only traces of minerals (as well as traces of other possible contaminants), therefore one would expect a slower interfacial flow as the amount of \"contaminants\" increase. Surprisingly, our results show that the magnitude of the interfacial flow is practically the same for mineral waters with low content of minerals as that of ultrapure water. However, for waters with larger content of minerals, the interfacial flow tends to slow down due to the presence of ionic concentration gradients. Our results show a much more complex scenario than it has been typically suspected, and therefore a deeper and more comprehensive analysis of the huge differences between numerical models and experiments is necessary.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1909.06647v2","authors":["Massimiliano Rossi","Alvaro Marin","Christian Kaehler"],"tags":["physics.flu-dyn","cond-mat.soft"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-09-14T18:07:28Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1605.07691v2","name":"The Use of Extraterrestrial Resources to Facilitate Space Science and Exploration","source":"arxiv","abstract":"To-date, all human economic activity has depended on the resources of a single planet, and it has long been recognized that developments in space exploration could in principle open our closed planetary economy to external resources of energy and raw materials. Recently, there has been renewed interest in these possibilities, with several private companies established with the stated aim of exploiting extraterrestrial resources. Space science and exploration are among the potential beneficiaries of space resources because their use may permit the construction and operation of scientific facilities in space that will be unaffordable if all the required material and energy resources have to be lifted out of Earth's gravity. Examples may include the next generation of large space telescopes, sample return missions to the outer Solar System, and human research stations on the Moon and Mars. These potential scientific benefits of extraterrestrial resource utilisation were the topic of a Royal Astronomical Society specialist discussion meeting held on 8 April 2016 and summarised here.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1605.07691v2","authors":["Ian A. Crawford","Martin Elvis","James Carpenter"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-05-25T00:30:32Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.00364v1","name":"Surveys on the Existence of Extraterrestrial Intelligent Life and Effects of Revealing Expert Consensus","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Vickers et al. (2025) established that 58.20% of astrobiology experts believe intelligent extraterrestrial life likely exists, providing the first empirical baseline for public comparison. We surveyed 6,114 highly educated and scientifically engaged individuals (77.60% bachelor's degree+; 67.99% high-to-very-high scientific engagement) to assess their beliefs about extraterrestrial intelligent life existence: (1) personal beliefs, (2) perceived social circle beliefs, (3) perceived expert beliefs, and (4) responses to expert consensus revelation. Results showed 95.01% believed extraterrestrial intelligent life exists, with 62.59% holding definitive rather than probable convictions. Participants exhibited massive pluralistic ignorance, a 'cosmic closet', underestimating social circle beliefs by 46.07 percentage points despite near-universal personal conviction. Participants also exhibited a novel 'conviction intensity gap': while overestimating expert belief prevalence (67.63% vs. 58.20% actual), they underestimated expert conviction strength, perceiving only 21.10% as holding definitive beliefs. Experimental revelation of actual consensus (N = 5,106; 83.51% passed manipulation check) produced negligible personal belief change (d = -0.11) and small social belief change (d = 0.14). These findings demonstrate that consensus misperception operates along two dimensions, prevalence and intensity, and that even scientifically engaged audiences resist belief revision via expert consensus information.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.00364v1","authors":["Omer Eldadi","Gershon Tenenbaum","Abraham Loeb"],"tags":["physics.soc-ph","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-29T07:24:20Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2605.10646v1","name":"Mineral False Positives in the Search for Exoplanet Surface Biosignatures","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In the search for life in the cosmos, biopigments on exoplanet surfaces are a critical target. Such pigments have been detected in Earth's spectrum (by the Galileo spacecraft and in Earthshine) via the \"vegetation\" or \"photosynthesis red edge\" (VRE or PRE), a sharp, step-like increase in reflectance with increasing wavelength at ~700 nm. Future space telescopes like the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) are designed to obtain disk-integrated spectra of Earth-like exoplanets in the visible-to-near-infrared to identify such features. However, there has been no systematic analysis of the occurrence of similar reflectance edges among minerals of non-biological origin. Here, we use existing databases of mineral reflectance spectra to explore the risk that minerals may present false positives in the search for biopigments on exoplanets. We find that several sulfide and tectosilicate minerals, as well as the prebiotically important cyanide salt, potassium ferrocyanide, have PRE-like features. We characterize these features in order to assess how they may be distinguished from biopigments. We conclude that the future evaluation of the biogenicity of PRE-like features in exoplanet reflectance spectra can be informed by the atmospheric context, but may require an assessment of the prior probability of non-biological and biological hypotheses about the surface materials of exoplanets.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.10646v1","authors":["Mia Belle Parkinson","Lisa Kaltenegger","Beth Biller","Grant Lach","Sean McMahon"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-11T14:33:28Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2403.11725v1","name":"Irradiation induced mineral changes of NWA10580 meteorite determined by infrared analysis","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Context. Identifying minerals on asteroid surfaces is difficult as space weathering modifies the minerals infrared spectra. This shouldbe better understood for proper interpretation. Aims. We simulated the space weathering effects on a meteorite and recorded the alterations of the crystalline structure, such as the change in peak positions and full width at half maximum values. Methods. We used proton irradiation to simulate the effects of solar wind on a sample of NWA 10580 CO3 chondrite meteorites. After irradiation in three gradually increased steps with 1 keV ion energy, we used infrared microscopic reflectance and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) to identify and understand the consequences of irradiation. Results. We find negative peak shifts after the first and second irradiations at pyroxene and feldspar minerals, similarly to the literature, and this shift was attributed to Mg loss. However, after the third irradiation a positive change in values in wavenumber emerged for silicates, which could come from the distortion of SiO4 tetrahedra, resembling shock deformation. The full width at half maximum values of major bands show a positive (increasing) trend after irradiations in the case of feldspars, using IR reflection measurements. Comparing DRIFTS and reflection infrared data, the peak positions of major mineral bands were at similar wavenumbers, but differences can be observed in minor bands. Conclusions. We measured the spectral changes of meteorite minerals after high doses of proton irradiation for several minerals. We show the first of these measurements for feldspars; previous works only presented pyroxene, olivine, and phyllosilicates.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.11725v1","authors":["I. Gyollai","S. Biri","Z. Juhász","Cs. Király","B. D. Pál","R. Rácz","D. Rezes","B. Sulik","M. Szabó","Z. Szalai","P. Szávai","T. Szklenár"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-18T12:33:45Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2601.17352v1","name":"HyDeMiC: A Deep Learning-based Mineral Classifier using Hyperspectral Data","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) has emerged as a powerful remote sensing tool for mineral exploration, capitalizing on unique spectral signatures of minerals. However, traditional classification methods such as discriminant analysis, logistic regression, and support vector machines often struggle with environmental noise in data, sensor limitations, and the computational complexity of analyzing high-dimensional HSI data. This study presents HyDeMiC (Hyperspectral Deep Learning-based Mineral Classifier), a convolutional neural network (CNN) model designed for robust mineral classification under noisy data. To train HyDeMiC, laboratory-measured hyperspectral data for 115 minerals spanning various mineral groups were used from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) library. The training dataset was generated by convolving reference mineral spectra with an HSI sensor response function. These datasets contained three copper-bearing minerals, Cuprite, Malachite, and Chalcopyrite, used as case studies for performance demonstration. The trained CNN model was evaluated on several synthetic 2D hyperspectral datasets with noise levels of 1%, 2%, 5%, and 10%. Our noisy data analysis aims to replicate realistic field conditions. The HyDeMiC's performance was assessed using the Matthews Correlation Coefficient (MCC), providing a comprehensive measure across different noise regimes. Results demonstrate that HyDeMiC achieved near-perfect classification accuracy (MCC = 1.00) on clean and low-noise datasets and maintained strong performance under moderate noise conditions. These findings emphasize HyDeMiC's robustness in the presence of moderate noise, highlighting its potential for real-world applications in hyperspectral imaging, where noise is often a significant challenge.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.17352v1","authors":["M. L. Mamud","Piyoosh Jaysaval","Frederick D Day-Lewis","M. K. Mudunuru"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-24T07:57:01Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1103.5369v1","name":"Extrasolar Asteroid Mining as Forensic Evidence for Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The development of civilisations like ours into spacefaring, multi-planet entities requires significant raw materials to construct vehicles and habitats. Interplanetary debris, including asteroids and comets, may provide such a source of raw materials. In this article we present the hypothesis that extraterrestrial intelligences (ETIs) engaged in asteroid mining may be detectable from Earth. Considering the detected disc of debris around Vega as a template, we explore the observational signatures of targeted asteroid mining (TAM), such as unexplained deficits in chemical species, changes in the size distribution of debris and other thermal signatures which may be detectable in the spectral energy distribution (SED) of a debris disc. We find that individual observational signatures of asteroid mining can be explained by natural phenomena, and as such they cannot provide conclusive detections of ETIs. But, it may be the case that several signatures appearing in the same system will prove harder to model without extraterrestrial involvement. Therefore signatures of TAM are not detections of ETI in their own right, but as part of \"piggy-back\" studies carried out in tandem with conventional debris disc research, they could provide a means of identifying unusual candidate systems for further study using other SETI techniques.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1103.5369v1","authors":["Duncan Forgan","Martin Elvis"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-03-28T14:26:13Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2302.06446v1","name":"The Search for Extraterrestrial Civilizations: A Scientific, Technical, Political, Social, and Cultural Adventure","source":"arxiv","abstract":"I review the scientific and technical history of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), discuss the impact of the political involvement, and speculate on the nature of a successful detection and its potential social and cultural impact. Emphasis is on the development of SETI in the United States and the complementary progress in the Former Soviet Union.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2302.06446v1","authors":["K. I. Kellermann"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-02-13T15:25:03Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2209.14244v2","name":"Lotka-Volterra Models for Extraterrestrial Self-Replicating Probes","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A sufficiently advanced extraterrestrial civilization can send out a swarm of self-replicating probes for space exploration. Given the fast-growing number of such a probe, even if there is only one extraterrestrial civilization sending out such probes in the Milky Way galaxy, we should still expect to see them. The fact that we do not consists part of the Fermi paradox. The suggestion that self-replicating probes will eventually mutate to consume their progenitors and therefore significantly reduce the number of total probes has been investigated and dismissed in the literature. In this work, we re-visit this question with a more realistic Lotka-Volterra model, and show that mutated probes would drive the progenitor probes into \"extinction\", thereby replacing them to spread throughout the galaxy. Thus, the efficiency of mutated probes in reducing the total number of self-replicating probes is even less than previously thought. As part of the analysis, we also suggest that, somewhat counter-intuitively, in designing self-replicating probes, one should not program them to stop replicating when sufficient mutation causes the probes to fail to recognize the progenitor probes as \"self\".","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2209.14244v2","authors":["Yifan Chen","Jiayi Ni","Yen Chin Ong"],"tags":["math.DS","physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-09-08T06:38:44Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2308.05647v1","name":"Sublimation of refractory minerals in the gas envelopes of accreting rocky planets","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Protoplanets growing within the protoplanetary disk by pebble accretion acquire hydrostatic gas envelopes. Due to accretion heating, the temperature in these envelopes can become high enough to sublimate refractory minerals which are the major components of the accreted pebbles. Here we study the sublimation of different mineral species and determine whether sublimation plays a role during the growth by pebble accretion. For each snapshot in the growth process, we calculate the envelope structure and sublimation temperature of a set of mineral species representing different levels of volatility. Sublimation lines are determined using and equilibrium scheme for the chemical reactions responsible for destruction and formation of the relevant minerals. We find that the envelope of the growing planet reaches temperatures high enough to sublimate all considered mineral species when the mass is larger than 0.4 Earth masses. The sublimation lines are located within the gravitionally bound envelope of the planet. We make a detailed analysis of the sublimation of FeS at around 720 K, beyond which the mineral is attacked by H2 to form gaseous H2S and solid Fe. We calculate the sulfur concentration in the planet under the assumption that all sulfur released as H2S is lost from the planet by diffusion back to the protoplanetary disk. Our calculated values are in good agreement with the slightly depleted sulfur abundance of Mars, while the model overpredicts the extensive sulfur depletion of Earth by a factor of approximately 2. We show that a collision with a sulfur-rich body akin to Mars in the moon-forming impact lifts the Earth's sulfur abundance to approximately 10% of the solar value for all impactor masses above 0.05 Earth masses.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2308.05647v1","authors":["Marie-Luise Steinmeyer","Peter Woitke","Anders Johansen"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-08-10T15:44:53Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1410.2262v1","name":"Pore-scale study of dissolution-induced changes in hydrologic properties of rocks with binary minerals","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A pore-scale numerical model for reactive transport processes based on the Lattice Boltzmann method is used to study the dissolution-induced changes in hydrologic properties of a fractured medium and a porous medium. The solid phase of both media consists of two minerals, and a structure reconstruction method called quartet structure generation set is employed to generate the distributions of both minerals. Emphasis is put on the effects of undissolved minerals on the changes of permeability and porosity under different Peclet and Damkohler numbers. The simulation results show porous layers formed by the undissolved mineral remain behind the dissolution reaction front. Due to the large flow resistance in these porous layers, the permeability increases very slowly or even remains at a small value although the porosity increases by a large amount. Besides, due to the heterogeneous characteristic of the dissolution, the chemical, mechanical and hydraulic apertures are very different from each other. Further, simulations in complex porous structures demonstrate that the existence of the porous layers of the nonreactive mineral suppresses the wormholing phenomena observed in the dissolution of mono-mineralic rocks.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1410.2262v1","authors":["Li Chen","Qinjun Kang","Hari S. Viswanathan","Wenquan Tao"],"tags":["physics.flu-dyn","physics.comp-ph","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-10-08T20:10:16Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1311.2467v2","name":"Funding the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence with a Lottery Bond","source":"arxiv","abstract":"I propose the establishment of a SETI Lottery Bond to provide a continued source of funding for the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). The SETI Lottery Bond is a fixed rate perpetual bond with a lottery at maturity, where maturity occurs only upon discovery and confirmation of extraterrestrial intelligent life. Investors in the SETI Lottery Bond purchase shares that yield a fixed rate of interest that continues indefinitely until SETI succeeds---at which point a random subset of shares will be awarded a prize from a lottery pool. SETI Lottery Bond shares also are transferable, so that investors can benefact their shares to kin or trade them in secondary markets. The total capital raised this way will provide a fund to be managed by a financial institution, with annual payments from this fund to support SETI research, pay investor interest, and contribute to the lottery fund. Such a plan could generate several to tens of millions of dollars for SETI research each year, which would help to revitalize and expand facilities such as the Allen Telescope Array. The SETI Lottery Bond is a savings product that only can be offered by a financial institution with authorization to engage in banking and gaming activities. I therefore suggest that one or more banks offer a lottery-linked savings product in support of SETI research, with the added benefit of promoting personal savings and intergenerational wealth building among individuals.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1311.2467v2","authors":["Jacob Haqq-Misra"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph","astro-ph.EP","physics.soc-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-11T15:40:35Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0303218v1","name":"Limits on diffuse fluxes of high energy extraterrestrial neutrinos with the AMANDA-B10 detector","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Data from the AMANDA-B10 detector taken during the austral winter of 1997 have been searched for a diffuse flux of high energy extraterrestrial muon-neutrinos, as predicted from, e.g., the sum of all active galaxies in the universe. This search yielded no excess events above those expected from the background atmospheric neutrinos, leading to upper limits on the extraterrestrial neutrino flux. For an assumed E^-2 spectrum, a 90% classical confidence level upper limit has been placed at a level E^2 Phi(E) = 8.4 x 10^-7 GeV cm^-2 s^-1 sr^-1 (for a predominant neutrino energy range 6-1000 TeV) which is the most restrictive bound placed by any neutrino detector. When specific predicted spectral forms are considered, it is found that some are excluded.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0303218v1","authors":["J. Ahrens et al."],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-03-11T00:19:43Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1706.02572v1","name":"Ab initio studies of carbon dioxide affinity to carbon compounds and minerals","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We have performed quantum chemical computational studies to determine carbon dioxide affinity to carbon compounds and minerals, which could be present in shales. These studies shed light on the microscopic mechanisms of the possible carbon oxide sequestration processes. Our studies reveal that the carbon oxide can be adsorbed to various forms of carbon structures and also minerals such as periclase or illite. We find out that the strongest affinity of carbon oxide towards carbon structures occurs when the carbon structures exhibit $sp^3$ bonds.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1706.02572v1","authors":["Mateusz Wlazło","Alexandra Siklitskaya","Jacek A. Majewski"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-06-08T13:23:23Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1909.04128v1","name":"Model of the Search For Extraterrestrial Intelligence with Coronagraphic Imaging","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present modeled detection limits of the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) and the Wide-Field Infrared Space Telescope (WFIRST) to an optical and infrared laser which could be used by an extraterrestrial civilization to signal their presence. GPI and WFIRST could utilize a coronagraph to search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) in the present and future. We use archival data for GPI stars and simulated WFIRST observations to find the detectable flux ratio of a laser signal to residual scattered starlight around the target star. This flux ratio is then converted to detectable power as a function of distance from the parent star. For GPI, we assume a monochromatic laser wavelength of 1.55 $μ$m, and a wavelength of 575 nm for WFIRST. We assume the lasers are projected through a 10-m aperture, and that the intensity of the laser beam follows a Gaussian profile. Our analysis is performed on 6 stars with spectral types later than F within 20 pc (with an emphasis on solar analogs at different distances). The most notable result is the detection limit for $τ$ Ceti, a G5V star with four known exoplanets, two of those within the habitable zone (HZ). The result shows that a 24 kW laser is detectable from $τ$ Ceti from outside of the HZ with GPI and a 7.3 W laser is detectable from within $τ$ Ceti's HZ by WFIRST.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1909.04128v1","authors":["Christina L. Vides","Bruce Macintosh","Breanna A. Binder","Robert J. De Rosa","Jean-Baptiste Ruffio","Dmitry Savransky"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-09-09T20:00:15Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1210.5986v1","name":"Searching for extraterrestrial intelligence signals in astronomical spectra, including existing data","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The main purpose of this article is to make Astronomers aware that Searches for Extraterrestrial Intelligence can be carried out by analyzing standard astronomical spectra, including those they already have taken. Simplicity is the outstanding advantage of a search in spectra. The spectra can be analyzed by simple eye inspection or a few lines of code that uses Fourier transform software. Theory, confirmed by published experiments, shows that periodic signals in spectra can be easily generated by sending light pulses separated by constant time intervals. While part of this article, like all articles on searches for ETI, is highly speculative the basic physics is sound. In particular, technology now available on Earth could be used to send signals having the required energy to be detected at a target located 1000 light years away. Extraterrestrial Intelligence (ETI) could use these signals to make us aware of their existence. For an ETI, the technique would also have the advantage that the signals could be detected both in spectra and searches for intensity pulses like those currently carried out on Earth.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1210.5986v1","authors":["Ermanno F. Borra"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-10-22T18:02:28Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1704.03316v2","name":"Pulsar Positioning System: A quest for evidence of extraterrestrial engineering","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Pulsars have at least two impressive applications. First, they can be used as highly accurate clocks, comparable in stability to atomic clocks; secondly, a small subset of pulsars, millisecond X-ray pulsars, provide all the necessary ingredients for a passive galactic positioning system. This is known in astronautics as X-ray pulsar-based navigation (XNAV). XNAV is comparable to GPS, except that it operates on a galactic scale. I propose a SETI-XNAV research program to test the hypothesis that this pulsar positioning system might be an instance of galactic-scale engineering by extraterrestrial beings (section 4). The paper starts by exposing the basics of pulsar navigation (section 2), continues with a critique of the rejection of the extraterrestrial hypothesis when pulsars were first discovered (section 3). The core section 4 proposes lines of inquiry for SETI-XNAV, related to: the pulsar distribution and power in the galaxy; their population; their evolution; possible pulse synchronizations; pulsar usability when navigating near the speed of light; decoding galactic coordinates; directed panspermia; and information content in pulses. Even if pulsars are natural, they are likely to be used as standards by ETIs in the galaxy (section 5). I discuss possible objections and potential benefits for humanity, whether the research program succeeds or not (section 6).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1704.03316v2","authors":["Clement Vidal"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-04-05T13:33:17Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2307.15536v1","name":"On the importance and challenges of modelling extraterrestrial photopigments via density-functional theory","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The emergence of oxygenic photosynthesis was a major event in Earth's evolutionary history and was facilitated by chlorophylls (a major category of photopigments). The accurate modelling of photopigments is important to understand the characteristics of putative extraterrestrial life and its spectral signatures (detectable by future telescopes). In this paper, we perform a detailed assessment of various time-dependent density-functional theory (TD-DFT) methods for predicting the absorption spectra of chlorophyll a, with particular emphasis on modern low-cost approximations. We also investigate a potential extraterrestrial photopigment called phot0 and demonstrate that the electronegativity of the metal ion may exert a direct influence on the locations of the absorption peaks, with higher electronegativity inducing blue-shifting and vice-versa. Based on these calculations, we established that global-hybrid approximations with a moderate percentage of exact exchange -- such as M06 and PW6B95 -- are the most appropriate compromise between cost and accuracy for the computational characterization of photopigments of astrobiological interest. We conclude with a brief assessment of the implications and avenues for future research.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2307.15536v1","authors":["Dorothea Illner","Manasvi Lingam","Roberto Peverati"],"tags":["physics.chem-ph","astro-ph.EP","physics.bio-ph","q-bio.BM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-28T12:59:56Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2403.12724v2","name":"Intricacies of CO2-Basalt Interactions, Reactive Flow and Carbon Mineralization: Bridging Numerical Forecasts to Empirical Realities","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Subsurface fluid flow and solute transport are pivotal in addressing pressing energy, environmental, and societal challenges, such as geological CO2 storage. Basaltic rocks have gained prominence as suitable geological substrates for injecting substantial CO2 volumes and carbon mineralization, driven by their widespread occurrence, high concentrations of cation-rich silicate minerals, reported fast mineralization rate, and favorable characteristics such as porosity, permeability, and injectivity. The mineralization process within basaltic rocks is intricately linked, involving the dissolution of silicate minerals and the subsequent precipitation of carbonate minerals. Columnar flow and batch surface growth experiments revealed the spontaneous formation of a limited number of large crystals at various locations, rationalized by the overarching influence of probabilistic mineral nucleation. Experiments with CO2-acidified brine versus freshwater prove to be more challenging regarding the sweet spots for heavy carbon mineralization due to clay formation on the surface, particularly smectites. Despite numerical predictions suggesting the formation of MgFeCa-carbonates in CO2-basalt interactions at higher temperatures, our laboratory findings primarily indicated the growth of calcium carbonates. The experimental and numerical outcomes highlight the necessity of a probabilistic approach for accurately modeling reaction kinetics, crystal growth distribution, and the dynamic interplay between reactive flow, geochemical reactions, mineral carbonation, and geometry alteration.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.12724v2","authors":["Mohammad Nooraiepour","Mohammad Masoudi","Beyene Girma Haile","Helge Hellevang"],"tags":["physics.flu-dyn"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-19T13:41:42Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1505.02274v1","name":"Structure of global buyer-supplier networks and its implications for conflict minerals regulations","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We investigate the structure of global inter-firm linkages using a dataset that contains information on business partners for about 400,000 firms worldwide, including all the firms listed on the major stock exchanges. Among the firms, we examine three networks, which are based on customer-supplier, licensee-licensor, and strategic alliance relationships. First, we show that these networks all have scale-free topology and that the degree distribution for each follows a power law with an exponent of 1.5. The shortest path length is around six for all three networks. Second, we show through community structure analysis that the firms comprise a community with those firms that belong to the same industry but different home countries, indicating the globalization of firms' production activities. Finally, we discuss what such production globalization implies for the proliferation of conflict minerals (i.e., minerals extracted from conflict zones and sold to firms in other countries to perpetuate fighting) through global buyer-supplier linkages. We show that a limited number of firms belonging to some specific industries and countries plays an important role in the global proliferation of conflict minerals. Our numerical simulation shows that regulations on the purchases of conflict minerals by those firms would substantially reduce their worldwide use.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1505.02274v1","authors":["Takayuki Mizuno","Takaaki Ohnishi","Tsutomu Watanabe"],"tags":["physics.soc-ph","q-fin.GN"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-05-09T13:58:27Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2312.11646v2","name":"Hunting for Hydrated Minerals on Trans-Neptunian Objects","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present new optical reflectance spectra of three potentially silicate-rich trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs). These spectra were obtained with the aim of confirming past hints and detections of 0.7 micron absorption features associated with the presence of iron-bearing phyllosilicates. Our new spectrum of 120216 (2004 EW95) presents clearly detected absorption features that are similar in shape to hydrated mineral absorption bands present in the spectra of aqueously altered outer main belt asteroids. Four new reflectance spectra of 208996 (2003 AZ84) obtained at separate epochs all appear featureless, but vary significantly in spectral gradient (between approximately 3.5 %/0.1 micron and 8.5 %/0.1 micron) on a timescale consistent with this object's nominal rotational period. We report the first four optical reflectance spectra of 90568 (2004 GV9), finding them all to be featureless but consistent with colors previously reported for this object. We speculate that impacts are the only mechanism capable of delivering, excavating, or forming hydrated minerals at the surfaces of TNOs in detectable concentrations; as a result, any deposits of hydrated minerals on TNOs are predicted to be localized and associated with impact sites. Globally altered TNOs (as observationally suggested for 2004 EW95) plausibly formed more easily at smaller heliocentric distances (&lt; 15 au) before being transplanted into the current trans-Neptunian population.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.11646v2","authors":["Tom Seccull","Wesley C. Fraser","Dominik A. Kiersz","Thomas H. Puzia"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-18T19:01:21Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0203516v1","name":"Megachannel Extraterrestrial Assay Candidates: No Transmissions from Intrinsically Steady Sources","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper reports new, more sensitive observations of nine of the eleven extrastatistical signals in the Megachannel Extraterrestrial Assay (META). These extrastatistical signals had all of the expected characteristics of a transmission from an extraterrestrial transmitter, except that they did not repeat. Cordes, Lazio, &amp; Sagan showed that this lack of repeatability could be explained by the high detection thresholds used in the reobservations of these candidates combined with interstellar scintillation of intrinsically steady sources. We use the Cordes, Lazio, &amp; Sagan methodology, correcting an error in the original presentation, and our new observations to rule out this scintillation hypothesis at a confidence level of at least 97.8% (for the case of an intrinsically weak source) to a level in excess of 99% (if the source strengths are comparable to that favored by Cordes, Lazio, &amp; Sagan. We also demonstrate that gravitational microlensing cannot account for the initial detection of these candidate signals nor is gravitational lensing likely to play a role in future SETI programs. We conclude that the META candidates do not reflect a large population of powerful, strong beacons.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0203516v1","authors":["T. Joseph W. Lazio","Jill Tarter","Peter R. Backus"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-03-29T02:50:23Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1204.1499v1","name":"Crystallographic Study of U-Th bearing minerals in Tranomaro, Anosy Region- Madagascar","source":"arxiv","abstract":"As an alternative to conventional fossil fuel, there is a renewed interest in the nuclear fuel to support increasing energy demand. New studies are then undertaken to characterize Madagascar U-Th bearing minerals. This is the case for the urano-thorianite bearing pyroxenites in the south East of Madagascar. In this region, several quarries were abandoned, after being mined by the French Atomic Energy Commission (C.E.A) in the fifties and sixties and are now explored by new mining companies. For this purpose, seven U-Th bearing mineral samples from old abandoned uranium quarries in Tranomaro, Amboasary Sud, Madagascar (46° 28' 0\"E, 24° 36' 0\"S), have been collected. To determine the mineral microstructure, they were investigated for qualitative and quantitative identification of crystalline compounds using X-ray powder diffraction analytical method (XRD). Results showed that the U and Th compounds, as minor elements, are present in various crystalline structures. This is important to understand their environmental behaviours, in terms of crystallographic dispersion of U-Th minerals and their impacts on human health.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1204.1499v1","authors":["F. E. Sahoa","N. Rabesiranana","Raoelina Andriambololona","H. Geckeis","C. Marquardt","N. Finck"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-04-05T13:56:59Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2511.20231v1","name":"Simulating the Stellar Bycatch: Constraining the Prevalence of Extraterrestrial Transmitters within Radio SETI Surveys","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Searches for radio technosignatures place constraints on the prevalence of extraterrestrial transmitters in our Galaxy and beyond. It is important to account for the complete stellar population captured within a radio telescope's field of view, or stellar 'bycatch'. In recent years, catalogues from ESA's Gaia mission have enabled SETI surveys to place tighter limits on extraterrestrial transmitter statistics. However, Gaia remains restricted by magnitude limits, astrometric uncertainty at large distances, and confusion in crowded regions. To address these limitations, we investigate the use of the Besançon Galactic Model to simulate the statistical underlying stellar population to derive more realistic constraints on the occurrence of extraterrestrial transmitters. We apply this method to Breakthrough Listen's Enriquez/Price survey, modelling 6,182,364 stellar objects within 1229 individual pointings and extending the search out to distances $\\leq 25$kpc. We place limits on the prevalence of high duty cycle transmitters within 2.5kpc, suggesting $\\leq (0.000995 \\pm 0.000002)\\%$ of stellar systems contain such a transmitter (for near-zero drift rates and EIRP$_{\\mathrm{min}} \\gtrsim 5 \\times 10^{16}$W). In support of broader adoption, we provide a simple calculator tool that enables other researchers to incorporate this approach into their own SETI analyses. Our results enable a more complete statistical estimation of the number and stellar type of systems probed, thereby strengthening constraints on technosignature prevalence and guiding the analysis of future SETI efforts. We also conclude that SETI surveys are, in fact, much less biased by anthropocentric assumptions than is often suggested.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.20231v1","authors":["Louisa A. Mason","Michael A. Garrett","Andrew P. V. Siemion"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.GA"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-25T12:03:59Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2301.07118v2","name":"Mineral Detection of Neutrinos and Dark Matter. A Whitepaper","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Minerals are solid state nuclear track detectors - nuclear recoils in a mineral leave latent damage to the crystal structure. Depending on the mineral and its temperature, the damage features are retained in the material from minutes (in low-melting point materials such as salts at a few hundred degrees C) to timescales much larger than the 4.5 Gyr-age of the Solar System (in refractory materials at room temperature). The damage features from the $O(50)$ MeV fission fragments left by spontaneous fission of $^{238}$U and other heavy unstable isotopes have long been used for fission track dating of geological samples. Laboratory studies have demonstrated the readout of defects caused by nuclear recoils with energies as small as $O(1)$ keV. This whitepaper discusses a wide range of possible applications of minerals as detectors for $E_R \\gtrsim O(1)$ keV nuclear recoils: Using natural minerals, one could use the damage features accumulated over $O(10)$ Myr$-O(1)$ Gyr to measure astrophysical neutrino fluxes (from the Sun, supernovae, or cosmic rays interacting with the atmosphere) as well as search for Dark Matter. Using signals accumulated over months to few-years timescales in laboratory-manufactured minerals, one could measure reactor neutrinos or use them as Dark Matter detectors, potentially with directional sensitivity. Research groups in Europe, Asia, and America have started developing microscopy techniques to read out the $O(1) - O(100)$ nm damage features in crystals left by $O(0.1) - O(100)$ keV nuclear recoils. We report on the status and plans of these programs. The research program towards the realization of such detectors is highly interdisciplinary, combining geoscience, material science, applied and fundamental physics with techniques from quantum information and Artificial Intelligence.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2301.07118v2","authors":["Sebastian Baum","Patrick Stengel","Natsue Abe","Javier F. Acevedo","Gabriela R. Araujo","Yoshihiro Asahara","Frank Avignone","Levente Balogh","Laura Baudis","Yilda Boukhtouchen","Joseph Bramante","Pieter Alexander Breur","Lorenzo Caccianiga","Francesco Capozzi","Juan I. Collar","Reza Ebadi","Thomas Edwards","Klaus Eitel","Alexey Elykov","Rodney C. Ewing","Katherine Freese","Audrey Fung","Claudio Galelli","Ulrich A. Glasmacher","Arianna Gleason","Noriko Hasebe","Shigenobu Hirose","Shunsaku Horiuchi","Yasushi Hoshino","Patrick Huber","Yuki Ido","Yohei Igami","Norito Ishikawa","Yoshitaka Itow","Takashi Kamiyama","Takenori Kato","Bradley J. Kavanagh","Yoji Kawamura","Shingo Kazama","Christopher J. Kenney","Ben Kilminster","Yui Kouketsu","Yukiko Kozaka","Noah A. Kurinsky","Matthew Leybourne","Thalles Lucas","William F. McDonough","Mason C. Marshall","Jose Maria Mateos","Anubhav Mathur","Katsuyoshi Michibayashi","Sharlotte Mkhonto","Kohta Murase","Tatsuhiro Naka","Kenji Oguni","Surjeet Rajendran","Hitoshi Sakane","Paola Sala","Kate Scholberg","Ingrida Semenec","Takuya Shiraishi","Joshua Spitz","Kai Sun","Katsuhiko Suzuki","Erwin H. Tanin","Aaron Vincent","Nikita Vladimirov","Ronald L. Walsworth","Hiroko Watanabe"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.CO","astro-ph.HE","hep-ex","hep-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-17T19:00:02Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.03186v1","name":"Insights into Lunar Mineralogy: An Unsupervised Approach for Clustering of the Moon Mineral Mapper (M3) spectral data","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents a novel method for mapping spectral features of the Moon using machine learning-based clustering of hyperspectral data from the Moon Mineral Mapper (M3) imaging spectrometer. The method uses a convolutional variational autoencoder to reduce the dimensionality of the spectral data and extract features of the spectra. Then, a k-means algorithm is applied to cluster the latent variables into five distinct groups, corresponding to dominant spectral features, which are related to the mineral composition of the Moon's surface. The resulting global spectral cluster map shows the distribution of the five clusters on the Moon, which consist of a mixture of, among others, plagioclase, pyroxene, olivine, and Fe-bearing minerals across the Moon's surface. The clusters are compared to the mineral maps from the Kaguya mission, which showed that the locations of the clusters overlap with the locations of high wt% of minerals such as plagioclase, clinopyroxene, and olivine. The paper demonstrates the usefulness of unbiased unsupervised learning for lunar mineral exploration and provides a comprehensive analysis of lunar mineralogy.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.03186v1","authors":["Freja Thoresen","Igor Drozdovskiy","Aidan Cowley","Magdelena Laban","Sebastien Besse","Sylvain Blunier"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-05T15:31:16Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1703.06239v1","name":"Widening Perspectives: The Intellectual and Social Benefits of Astrobiology (Regardless of Whether Extraterrestrial Life is Discovered or Not)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Astrobiology is usually defined as the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. As such it is inherently interdisciplinary and cannot help but engender a worldview infused by cosmic and evolutionary perspectives. Both these attributes of the study of astrobiology are, and will increasingly prove to be, beneficial to society regardless of whether extraterrestrial life is discovered or not.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1703.06239v1","authors":["Ian A. Crawford"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph","astro-ph.EP","physics.soc-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-03-18T03:23:42Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0810.2222v1","name":"A Numerical Testbed for Hypotheses of Extraterrestrial Life and Intelligence","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) has been heavily influenced by solutions to the Drake Equation, which returns an integer value for the number of communicating civilisations resident in the Milky Way, and by the Fermi Paradox, glibly stated as: \"If they are there, where are they?\". Both rely on using average values of key parameters, such as the mean signal lifetime of a communicating civilisation. A more accurate answer must take into account the distribution of stellar, planetary and biological attributes in the galaxy, as well as the stochastic nature of evolution itself. This paper outlines a method of Monte Carlo realisation which does this, and hence allows an estimation of the distribution of key parameters in SETI, as well as allowing a quantification of their errors (and the level of ignorance therein). Furthermore, it provides a means for competing theories of life and intelligence to be compared quantitatively.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0810.2222v1","authors":["Duncan Forgan"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-10-13T12:33:50Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.01626v1","name":"Mineral Detection of Neutrinos and Dark Matter 2024. Proceedings","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The second \"Mineral Detection of Neutrinos and Dark Matter\" (MDvDM'24) meeting was held January 8-11, 2024 in Arlington, VA, USA, hosted by Virginia Tech's Center for Neutrino Physics. This document collects contributions from this workshop, providing an overview of activities in the field. MDvDM'24 was the second topical workshop dedicated to the emerging field of mineral detection of neutrinos and dark matter, following a meeting hosted by IFPU in Trieste, Italy in October 2022. Mineral detectors have been proposed for a wide variety of applications, including searching for dark matter, measuring various fluxes of astrophysical neutrinos over gigayear timescales, monitoring nuclear reactors, and nuclear disarmament protocols; both as paleo-detectors using natural minerals that could have recorded the traces of nuclear recoils for timescales as long as a billion years and as detectors recording nuclear recoil events on laboratory timescales using natural or artificial minerals. Contributions to this proceedings discuss the vast physics potential, the progress in experimental studies, and the numerous challenges lying ahead on the path towards mineral detection. These include a better understanding of the formation and annealing of recoil defects in crystals; identifying the best classes of minerals and, for paleo-detectors, understanding their geology; modeling and control of the relevant backgrounds; developing, combining, and scaling up imaging and data analysis techniques; and many others. During the last years, MDvDM has grown rapidly and gained attention. Small-scale experimental efforts focused on establishing various microscopic readout techniques are underway at institutions in North America, Europe and Asia. We are looking ahead to an exciting future full of challenges to overcome, surprises to be encountered, and discoveries lying ahead of us.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.01626v1","authors":["Sebastian Baum","Patrick Huber","Patrick Stengel","Natsue Abe","Daniel G. Ang","Lorenzo Apollonio","Gabriela R. Araujo","Levente Balogh","Pranshu Bhaumik Yilda Boukhtouchen","Joseph Bramante","Lorenzo Caccianiga","Andrew Calabrese-Day"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO","astro-ph.IM","hep-ex","hep-ph","physics.ins-det"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-02T18:00:00Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2110.00406v2","name":"Can China's FAST telescope detect extraterrestrial von-Neumann probes?","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In the present paper we consider the Type-2.x and Type-3.x extraterrestrial von-Neumann probes and study the problem of their detectability by the world's largest radio telescope: the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST). For this purpose we estimate the radio spectral parameters and analyse the obtained results in the context of technical characteristics of FAST. As a result, it is shown that FAST can detect as galactic as well as extragalactic self-replicating probes with high precision.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2110.00406v2","authors":["Zaza Osmanov"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-10-01T13:48:40Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2311.17405v2","name":"Learning and Autonomy for Extraterrestrial Terrain Sampling: An Experience Report from OWLAT Deployment","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Extraterrestrial autonomous lander missions increasingly demand adaptive capabilities to handle the unpredictable and diverse nature of the terrain. This paper discusses the deployment of a Deep Meta-Learning with Controlled Deployment Gaps (CoDeGa) trained model for terrain scooping tasks in Ocean Worlds Lander Autonomy Testbed (OWLAT) at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The CoDeGa-powered scooping strategy is designed to adapt to novel terrains, selecting scooping actions based on the available RGB-D image data and limited experience. The paper presents our experiences with transferring the scooping framework with CoDeGa-trained model from a low-fidelity testbed to the high-fidelity OWLAT testbed. Additionally, it validates the method's performance in novel, realistic environments, and shares the lessons learned from deploying learning-based autonomy algorithms for space exploration. Experimental results from OWLAT substantiate the efficacy of CoDeGa in rapidly adapting to unfamiliar terrains and effectively making autonomous decisions under considerable domain shifts, thereby endorsing its potential utility in future extraterrestrial missions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.17405v2","authors":["Pranay Thangeda","Ashish Goel","Erica Tevere","Yifan Zhu","Erik Kramer","Adriana Daca","Hari Nayar","Kris Hauser","Melkior Ornik"],"tags":["cs.RO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-29T07:16:34Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:9808237v1","name":"How Rare Are Extraterrestrial Civilizations and When Did They Emerge?","source":"arxiv","abstract":"It is shown that, contrary to an existing claim, the near equality between the lifetime of the sun and the timescale of biological evolution on earth does not necessarily imply that extraterrestrial civilizations are exceedingly rare. Furthermore, on the basis of simple assumptions it is demonstrated that a near equality between these two timescales may be the most probable relation. A calculation of the cosmic history of carbon production which is based on the recently determined history of the star formation rate suggests that the most likely time for intelligent civilizations to emerge in the universe, was when the universe was already older then about 10 billion years (for an assumed current age of about 13 billion years).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/9808237v1","authors":["Mario Livio"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-08-21T19:43:00Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2212.11428v1","name":"Organic-mineral interactions under natural conditions -- a computational study of flavone adsorption on smectite clay","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Interactions between organic species and natural minerals are fundamental to the processes around us. With the aid of molecular dynamics simulations, we identify key adsorption mechanisms of apigenin on smectite clay minerals. The mechanism is highly sensitive to the pH -- changing from co-crystallisation in acidic-to-neutral solutions to the ion-bridging in mild-alkaline. The ionic species play a significant role in alkaline environments: the deprotonated apigenin species chelate metals, which, in turn, leads to the formation of a stable organic-metal-mineral complex and stronger adsorption in the presence of divalent cations.Smectite clays buffer the solution to mildly alkaline; hence, the type of exchangeable cations in the clay will be critical in determining the adsorption mechanism and organic retention capacity. Overall, our study showcases a computational strategy that can be transferred to a wide variety of organic-mineral systems in the natural environment.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2212.11428v1","authors":["Omar Nuruzade","Elshan Abdullayev","Valentina Erastova"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-12-22T00:35:28Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2408.05924v2","name":"Space-LLaVA: a Vision-Language Model Adapted to Extraterrestrial Applications","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Foundation Models (FMs), e.g., large language models, possess attributes of intelligence which offer promise to endow a robot with the contextual understanding necessary to navigate complex, unstructured tasks in the wild. We see three core challenges in the future of space robotics that motivate building an FM for the space robotics community: 1) Scalability of ground-in-the-loop operations; 2) Generalizing prior knowledge to novel environments; and 3) Multi-modality in tasks and sensor data. As a first-step towards a space foundation model, we programmatically augment three extraterrestrial databases with fine-grained language annotations inspired by the sensory reasoning necessary to e.g., identify a site of scientific interest on Mars, building a synthetic dataset of visual-question-answer and visual instruction-following tuples. We fine-tune a pre-trained LLaVA 13B checkpoint on our augmented dataset to adapt a Vision-Language Model (VLM) to the visual semantic features in an extraterrestrial environment, demonstrating FMs as a tool for specialization and enhancing a VLM's zero-shot performance on unseen task types in comparison to state-of-the-art VLMs. Ablation studies show that fine-tuning the language backbone and vision-language adapter in concert is key to facilitate adaption while a small percentage, e.g., 20%, of the pre-training data can be used to safeguard against catastrophic forgetting.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.05924v2","authors":["Matthew Foutter","Daniele Gammelli","Justin Kruger","Ethan Foss","Praneet Bhoj","Tommaso Guffanti","Simone D'Amico","Marco Pavone"],"tags":["cs.RO","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-12T05:07:24Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2403.11753v1","name":"Mineral and cross-linking in collagen fibrils: The mechanical behavior of bone tissue at the nano-scale","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The mineralized collagen fibril is the main building block of hard tissues and it directly affects the macroscopic mechanics of biological tissues such as bone. The mechanical behavior of the fibril itself is determined by its structure: the content of collagen molecules, minerals, and cross-links, and the mechanical interactions and properties of these components. Advanced-Glycation-Endproducts (AGEs) cross-linking between tropocollagen molecules within the collagen fibril is one important factor that is believed to have a major influence on the tissue. For instance, it has been shown that brittleness in bone correlates with increased AGEs densities. However, the underlying nano-scale mechanisms within the mineralized collagen fibril remain unknown. Here, we study the effect of mineral and AGEs cross-linking on fibril deformation and fracture behavior by performing destructive tensile tests using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. Our results demonstrate that after exceeding a critical content of mineral, it induces stiffening of the collagen fibril at high strain levels. We show that mineral morphology and location affect collagen fibril mechanics: The mineral content at which this stiffening occurs depends on the mineral's location and morphology. Further, both, increasing AGEs density and mineral content lead to stiffening and increased peak stresses. At low mineral contents, the mechanical response of the fibril is dominated by the AGEs, while at high mineral contents, the mineral itself determines fibril mechanics.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.11753v1","authors":["Julia Kamml","Claire Acevedo","David Kammer"],"tags":["q-bio.TO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-18T13:02:36Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.01977v2","name":"AI-Driven Optimization under Uncertainty for Mineral Processing Operations","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The global capacity for mineral processing must expand rapidly to meet the demand for critical minerals, which are essential for building the clean energy technologies necessary to mitigate climate change. However, the efficiency of mineral processing is severely limited by uncertainty, which arises from both the variability of feedstock and the complexity of process dynamics. To optimize mineral processing circuits under uncertainty, we introduce an AI-driven approach that formulates mineral processing as a Partially Observable Markov Decision Process (POMDP). We demonstrate the capabilities of this approach in handling both feedstock uncertainty and process model uncertainty to optimize the operation of a simulated, simplified flotation cell as an example. We show that by integrating the process of information gathering (i.e., uncertainty reduction) and process optimization, this approach has the potential to consistently perform better than traditional approaches at maximizing an overall objective, such as net present value (NPV). Our methodological demonstration of this optimization-under-uncertainty approach for a synthetic case provides a mathematical and computational framework for later real-world application, with the potential to improve both the laboratory-scale design of experiments and industrial-scale operation of mineral processing circuits without any additional hardware.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.01977v2","authors":["William Xu","Amir Eskanlou","Mansur Arief","David Zhen Yin","Jef K. Caers"],"tags":["eess.SY","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-01T18:35:54Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1212.2628v1","name":"Relative Dating and Classification of Minerals and Rocks Based on Statistical Calculations Related to Their Potential Energy Index","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Index of proportionality of atomic weights of chemical elements is proposed for determining the relative age of minerals and rocks. Their chemical analysis results serve to be initial data for calculations. For rocks of different composition the index is considered to be classification value as well. Crystal lattice energy change in minerals and their associations can be measured by the index value change, thus contributing to the solution of important practical problems. There was determined the effect of more rapid increase of potential energy of limestone with relatively low lattice energy as compared with the others.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1212.2628v1","authors":["Mikhail M. Labushev","Alexander N. Khokhlov"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-12-12T04:22:50Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2503.08763v1","name":"Dissolution kinetics of iron sulfide minerals in alkaline solutions","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Deleterious aggregate reactions induced by iron sulfide minerals, especially pyrrhotite and pyrite, have devastated concrete structures across many global regions. While these minerals have been extensively studied under acidic conditions, their behavior in alkaline environments, such as concrete, remains poorly understood. This study investigates the kinetics and mechanisms of iron sulfide dissolution at high pH (13$\\unicode{x2013}$14). Results revealed that pyrrhotite dissolves orders of magnitude more rapidly than pyrite, with dissolution rates increasing with both pH and temperature. The type of alkali (potassium or sodium) in the solution was not found to affect the dissolution behavior. Kinetic modeling and experimental characterization indicated that the dissolution kinetics of pyrrhotite is controlled by a combination of chemical reactions (oxidation of iron and sulfur species) and diffusion (through an Fe(III)-(oxy)hydroxide layer). These findings provide practical insights into controlling dissolution and mitigating iron sulfide-induced damage in concrete.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.08763v1","authors":["Zhanzhao Li","Christopher A. Gorski","Aaron Thompson","Jeffrey R. Shallenberger","Gopakumar Kaladharan","Aleksandra Radlińska"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-11T17:03:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.02671v2","name":"In Search of Extraterrestrial Artificial Intelligence Through Dyson Sphere-like structures around Primordial Black Holes","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Are we alone? It is a compelling question that human beings have confronted for centuries. The search for extraterrestrial life is a broad range of quests for finding simple forms of life up to intelligent beings in the Universe. The plausible assumption is that there is a chance that intelligent life will be followed by advanced civilization equipped or even dominated by artificial intelligence (AI). In this work, we categorize advanced civilizations (on an equal footing, an AI-dominated civilization) on the Kardashev scale. We propose a new scale known as the space exploration distance to measure civilization advancement. We propose a relation between this length and the Kardashev scale. Then, we suggest the idea that advanced civilizations will use primordial black holes (PBHs) as sources of harvesting energy. We calculate the energy harvested by calculating the space exploration distance. Finally, we propose an observational method to detect the possibility of extraterrestrial AI using Dyson sphere-like structures around PBHs in the Milky Way and other galaxies.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.02671v2","authors":["Shant Baghram"],"tags":["astro-ph.GA","astro-ph.IM","physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-03T18:45:18Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1810.10389v1","name":"Wanted Dead or Alive Extraterrestrial Life Forms (Thermodynamic criterion for life is a growing open system that performs self-assembly processes)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"For more than 100 years, humanity (both specialists and enthusiastic laics) has been searching for extraterrestrial life hoping we are not alone. The first step in the quest for extraterrestrial life is to define what and where exactly to look for. Thus, the basic definition of living matter is a conditio sine qua non for the quest. The diversity of species on Earth is so large that our quest for extraterrestrial life cannot be limited to forms and shapes present and known to us from our environment. However, there are two formal conditions that must be fulfilled in order for something to be assumed as living matter. First, it should represent a growing open thermodynamic system (in biological terms - a cell), and thus be a system out of equilibrium. Second, it must perform synthesis, self-assembly and accumulation processes (in biological terms to grow, maintain homeostasis, respond to environment, reproduce, exchange matter and energy, evolve). Populated planets are consisted of two components: biosphere and its environment (geosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere). Living matter and its environment are out of equilibrium. Thus, the candidate planets are dynamic inhomogeneous systems for two reasons. First, a planet receives energy from its star, which leads to disequilibrium for external reasons. Animate matter contributes to disequilibrium for internal reasons: accumulation of matter and self-assembly. In practice, for a screening, an astrobiologist should search for increase in inhomogeneity on a candidate planet.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1810.10389v1","authors":["Marko Popovic"],"tags":["q-bio.OT","physics.bio-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-10-23T14:37:58Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1003.4347v3","name":"Extraterrestrial Solar Neutrino Physics","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We advocate the extraterrestrial solar neutrino physics (etSNP) as a means of investigating solar neutrino physics (SNP). As we already know, the dominant and subdominant (vacuum) oscillation lengths would be approximately one kilometer and one hundred kilometers. On the other hand, we know so far that the matter-enhanced oscillations take place only in the core of the Sun. Thus, the etSNP, i.e. solar neutrino physics that could be extracted outside the Earth, would assume a special unique role. The etSNP experiments include (1) a satellite (detector) around the Earth or around the Jupiter or others (to provide the shadow, for the matter-enhanced neutrino oscillations), (2) during the Sun-Venus-Earth eclipse or similar, and (3) the chemical compositions of the geology type (as in the Jupiter or in the Venus, to study the origins of these planets). To be specific, we note that the reactions induced by the ^8B solar neutrinos, in view of the sole high energy nature (E_ν^{max}=14.03 MeV), would be most interesting in the solar environment. Moreover, the experiments such as the chemical compositions of the geology type (on the Venus or Jupiter) and the matter-enhanced oscillations when the Sun-Venus-Earth eclipse, or the Sun-Mercury-Earth eclipse, may also be interesting.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1003.4347v3","authors":["W-Y. Pauchy Hwang","Jen-Chieh Peng"],"tags":["hep-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-03-23T07:13:38Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1909.06075v1","name":"The Influence of Mineral Texture on Fracture Geometry in Layered Geo-Architected Rock","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Rock is a complicated material because of the inherent heterogeneity in mineral phases and composition, even when extracted from the same rock mass. The spatial variability in compositional and structural features prevent reproducible measurements of deformation, fracture formation and other physical and chemical properties. Here, we use geo-architected 3D printed synthetic gypsum rock to show that mineral texture orientation governs the isotropy or anisotropy in fracture surface roughness and volumetric flow rate through tensile fractures. Failure load is governed by the orientation of depositional layering relative to loading direction but this effect can be hidden when an orientated mineral texture is present within the layers. We find that samples with certain mineral orientations are twice as strong as the weakest samples and that high values of sample strength correlate with rougher fracture surfaces. Mineral texture oriented parallel to the failure plane gives rise to anisotropic surface roughness and in turn to anisotropic flow rates. The uniqueness of induced fracture roughness and the degree of anisotropy is a potential method for assessment of the orientation and relative bonding strengths of minerals in a rock. With this information, we will be able to predict isotropic or anisotropic flow rates through fractures which is vital to induced fracturing, geothermal energy production and CO2 sequestration.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1909.06075v1","authors":["Liyang Jiang","Hongkyu Yoon","Antonio Bobet","Laura J. Pyrak-Nolte"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-09-13T08:07:45Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1302.3251v1","name":"Finding extraterrestrial life using ground-based high-resolution spectroscopy","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Exoplanet observations promise one day to unveil the presence of extraterrestrial life. Atmospheric compounds in strong chemical disequilibrium would point to large-scale biological activity just as oxygen and methane do in the Earth's atmosphere. The cancellation of both the Terrestrial Planet Finder and Darwin missions means that it is unlikely that a dedicated space telescope to search for biomarker gases in exoplanet atmospheres will be launched within the next 25 years. Here we show that ground-based telescopes provide a strong alternative for finding biomarkers in exoplanet atmospheres through transit observations. Recent results on hot Jupiters show the enormous potential of high-dispersion spectroscopy to separate the extraterrestrial and telluric signals making use of the Doppler shift of the planet. The transmission signal of oxygen from an Earth-twin orbiting a small red dwarf star is only a factor 3 smaller than that of carbon monoxide recently detected in the hot Jupiter tau Bootis b, albeit such a star will be orders of magnitude fainter. We show that if Earth-like planets are common, the planned extremely large telescopes can detect oxygen within a few dozen transits. Ultimately, large arrays of dedicated flux collector telescopes equipped with high-dispersion spectrographs can provide the large collecting area needed to perform a statistical study of life-bearing planets in the solar neighborhood.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1302.3251v1","authors":["Ignas Snellen","Remco de Kok","Rudolf Le Poole","Matteo Brogi","Jayne Birkby"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-02-13T21:44:59Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1706.06093v1","name":"Extraterrestrial sedimentary rocks on Earth","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This concept article discusses the possibilities for identifying sedimentary-origin meteorites. The paper concerns (i) the macroscopic candidate for sedimentary meteorite in the epicenter of the 1908 Tunguska catastrophe; (ii) potential parent bodies for sedimentary meteorites; (iii) isotopic heterogeneity of unmixed silicate reservoirs on Mars; (iv) possible terrestrial loss or contamination in the noble gas signatures in new type meteorites that spent time in extreme weather conditions; (v) cosmogenic isotopes and shielding; and (vi) pseudo meteorites. We conclude that the list of candidate parent bodies for sedimentary meteorites includes, but is not limited by the Earth, Mars, Enceladus, Ganymede, Europa, and hypothetical planets that could exist between orbits of Mars and Jupiter in the past. A parent body for extraterrestrial sedimentary rocks on the Earth should be identified based on the entire body of evidence which is not limited solely by tests of oxygen and noble gas isotopes whose signatures may undergo terrestrial contamination and may exhibit significant heterogeneity within the parent bodies. Observed fall of cosmic body, evidence of hypervelocity impact complying with the criteria of impact structures, and the presence of fusion crust on the fragments should be considered as priority signs of meteoritic origin.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1706.06093v1","authors":["Yana Anfinogenova","John Anfinogenov","Larisa Budaeva","Dmitry Kuznetsov"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-06-18T09:47:35Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.07924v1","name":"Microlensing Signatures of Dyson Sphere-like Structures around Primordial Black Holes as Technosignatures of Extraterrestrial Advanced Civilizations","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We investigate the microlensing detectability of extraterrestrial technosignatures originating from Dyson sphere \\textendash like structures, such as Dyson Swarms surrounding primordial black holes (PBHs). These hypothetical swarms consist of stochastically varying, partially opaque structures that could modulate standard microlensing light curves through time-dependent transmission effects. We introduce a probabilistic framework that includes a stochastic transmission model governed by variable optical depth and random gap distributions. We perform a parameter scan and generate heatmaps of the optical transit duration. We study the infrared excess radiation and peak emission wavelength as complementary observational signatures. Additionally, we define and analyze the effective optical depth and the anomalous microlensing event rate for these stochastic structures. Our findings provide a new avenue for searching for extraterrestrial advanced civilizations by extending microlensing studies to include artificial, dynamic modulation signatures.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.07924v1","authors":["Shant Baghram"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.CO","astro-ph.EP","physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-08T18:50:48Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2103.07678v2","name":"A review of machine learning in processing remote sensing data for mineral exploration","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The decline of the number of newly discovered mineral deposits and increase in demand for different minerals in recent years has led exploration geologists to look for more efficient and innovative methods for processing different data types at each stage of mineral exploration. As a primary step, various features, such as lithological units, alteration types, structures, and indicator minerals, are mapped to aid decision-making in targeting ore deposits. Different types of remote sensing datasets, such as satellite and airborne data, make it possible to overcome common problems associated with mapping geological features. The rapid increase in the volume of remote sensing data obtained from different platforms has encouraged scientists to develop advanced, innovative, and robust data processing methodologies. Machine learning methods can help process a wide range of remote sensing datasets and determine the relationship between components such as the reflectance continuum and features of interest. These methods are robust in processing spectral and ground truth measurements against noise and uncertainties. In recent years, many studies have been carried out by supplementing geological surveys with remote sensing datasets, which is now prominent in geoscience research. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the implementation and adaptation of some popular and recently established machine learning methods for processing different types of remote sensing data and investigates their applications for detecting various ore deposit types. We demonstrate the high capability of combining remote sensing data and machine learning methods for mapping different geological features that are critical for providing potential maps. Moreover, we find there is scope for advanced methods to process the new generation of remote sensing data for creating improved mineral prospectivity maps.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2103.07678v2","authors":["Hojat Shirmard","Ehsan Farahbakhsh","R. Dietmar Muller","Rohitash Chandra"],"tags":["cs.LG","cs.CV","stat.AP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-03-13T10:36:25Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1112.0222v2","name":"Philosophy and problems of the definition of Extraterrestrial Life","source":"arxiv","abstract":"When we try to search for extraterrestrial life and intelligence, we have to follow some guidelines. The first step is to clarify what is to be meant by \"Life\" and \"intelligence\", i.e. an attempt to define these words. The word \"definition\" refers to two different situations. First, it means an arbitrary convention. On the other hand it also often designates an attempt to clarify the content of a pre-existing word for which we have some spontaneous preconceptions, whatever their grounds, and to catch an (illusory) \"essence\" of what is defined. It is then made use of pre-existing plain language words which carry an a priori pre-scientific content likely to introduce some confusion in the reader's mind. The complexity of the problem will be analyzed and we will show that some philosophical prejudice is unavoidable. There are two types of philosophy: \"Natural Philosophy\", seeking for some essence of things, and \"Critical (or analytical) Philosophy\", devoted to the analysis of the procedures by which we claim to construct a reality. An extension of Critical Philosophy, Epistemo-Analysis (i.e. the Psycho-Analysis of concepts) is presented and applied to the defintion of Life and to Astrobiology.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1112.0222v2","authors":["Jean Schneider"],"tags":["physics.hist-ph","astro-ph.EP","physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-12-01T16:06:13Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1606.01051v1","name":"Measures of Basicity in Silicate Minerals Revealed by Alkali Exchange Energetics","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The energies of the alkali exchange reactions are computed from density functional calculations for a series of alkali silicate minerals. First-principles calculations are compared against (1) experiment; (2) thermodynamic models; (3) calculations using empirical interatomic potentials (with both polarizable shell model potentials and pairwise potentials with partial charges); and (4) empirical correlations based on optical basicity and Pauling bond strength. The first-principles calculations correlate well with experimental values. The shell model potentials appear to account for Si-O-Si versus Si-O oxygen basicity, but don't recover the differences in basicity between Al-O-Si and Si-O-Si donors. The pair potentials don't even qualitatively reproduce the reactivity trends established in the first-principles calculations. Empirical correlations based on optical basicity and Pauling bond strength successfully rank-order the exchange energies, but fail to describe the large difference in basicity between Si-O-Si and Si-O oxygen atoms. Knowing which models are capable of predicting ion exchange energies in silicate minerals improves understanding of the physics of bonding in ion-exchanged glasses.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1606.01051v1","authors":["James R. Rustad"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-06-03T11:49:58Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.05122v1","name":"Knowledge Gaps and Research Needs for Modeling CO2 Mineralization in the Basalt-CO2-Water System: A Review of Laboratory Experiments","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Carbon capture and storage in basalt is being actively investigated as a scalable climate change mitigation option. Accurate geochemical modeling prediction of the extent and rate of CO2 mineralization is a critical component in assessing the local and global feasibility and efficacy of this strategy. In this study, we review basalt-CO2-water interaction experimental studies conducted during the last two decades to determine whether they provide useable information for geochemical modeling. Most of the cited experiments generate data on the temporal evolution of water composition, and a few provide identification of secondary precipitates and their compositions, offering empirical and semi-quantitative information about the reactivity of basalts and the likelihood of secondary carbonate mineralization at various temperatures, pHs, and pCO2 conditions. However, most experiments provide insufficient information on the properties and quantity of secondary minerals formed, prohibiting accurate mass balance calculations and hence more quantitative geochemical modeling studies. Primary Ca, Mg, and Fe-bearing minerals in basalt control the availability of major ions released into aqueous solution for carbonate precipitation, and many secondary minerals, i.e., smectites, Ca-Mg-Fe carbonates, and zeolites, provide sinks for the same major ions, some of which are difficult to quantify experimentally. Thus, we have a multi-source and multi-sink inverse mass balance problem with insufficient constraints on the bulk system in which the temporal evolution of major ions does not provide sufficient information on which mineral(s) dissolve or the sequence of dissolution and precipitation reactions. Going forward, we propose that future experimental work should focus on trace elements and multiple isotopic tracers and better characterize the solid reaction products with modern analytical instruments.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.05122v1","authors":["Peng Lu","John Apps","Guanru Zhang","Alexander Gysi Chen Zhu"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-08T15:19:50Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1811.06844v2","name":"Paleo-detectors: Searching for Dark Matter with Ancient Minerals","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We explore paleo-detectors as an approach to the direct detection of Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) dark matter radically different from conventional detectors. Instead of instrumenting a (large) target mass in a laboratory in order to observe WIMP-induced nuclear recoils in real time, the approach is to examine ancient minerals for traces of WIMP-nucleus interactions recorded over timescales as large as 1 Gyr. Here, we discuss the paleo-detector proposal in detail, including background sources and possible target materials. In order to suppress backgrounds induced by radioactive contaminants such as uranium, we propose to use minerals found in marine evaporites or in ultra-basic rocks. We estimate the sensitivity of paleo-detectors to spin-independent and spin-dependent WIMP-nucleus interactions. The sensitivity to low-mass WIMPs with masses $m_χ\\lesssim 10$ GeV extends to WIMP-nucleon cross sections many orders of magnitude smaller than current upper limits. For heavier WIMPs with masses $m_χ\\gtrsim 30$ GeV cross sections a factor of a few to $\\sim 100$ smaller than current upper limits can be probed by paleo-detectors.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1811.06844v2","authors":["Andrzej K. Drukier","Sebastian Baum","Katherine Freese","Maciej Górski","Patrick Stengel"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO","astro-ph.IM","hep-ph","physics.ins-det"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-11-16T15:12:20Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2603.07333v3","name":"Broadband Searches for Extraterrestrial Technological Intelligence: a New Strategy To Find Nearby Alien Civilizations","source":"arxiv","abstract":"One of the most interesting questions that astronomy can hope to answer is: are we alone in our Milky Way galaxy? A detection of an electromagnetic (EM) signal generated by an extraterrestrial technological intelligence, or the presence in our solar system of an alien probe, would answer this question in the negative. Purposeful interstellar communication is a 2-way street - the transmitting and receiving technological intelligences (TIs) both need to do their parts. As the receiving TI, our EM search programs should incorporate a model of what a transmitting TI is likely to be doing. Published searches for extraterrestrial technological intelligence (SETI) have generally not done so and thus have often been suboptimally designed. We propose an improved search technique that more closely corresponds to astronomical surveys that have been undertaken for reasons that have nothing to do with SETI. Published non-SETI radio and optical surveys are sufficiently extensive that they already supply meaningful constraints on the prevalence of nearby purposely communicative alien civilizations. Purposeful communication can also include the sending of spaceships (probes). The absence of evidence for alien probes in the solar system suggests that no alien civilization has passed within ~100 lt-yr of Earth during the past few billion years.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.07333v3","authors":["B. Zuckerman"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-07T20:41:04Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1807.08879v3","name":"Relative Likelihood of Success in the Searches for Primitive versus Intelligent Extraterrestrial Life","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We estimate the relative likelihood of success in the searches for primitive versus intelligent life on other planets. Taking into account the larger search volume for detectable artificial electromagnetic signals, we conclude that both searches should be performed concurrently, albeit with significantly more funding dedicated to primitive life. Based on the current federal funding allocated to the search for biosignatures, our analysis suggests that the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) may merit a federal funding level of at least $\\$10$ million per year, assuming that the average lifetime of technological species exceeds a millennium.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1807.08879v3","authors":["Manasvi Lingam","Abraham Loeb"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-07-24T01:57:12Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1604.07518v2","name":"Frustrated antiferromagnetic spin chains of edge-sharing tetrahedra in volcanic minerals K3Cu3(Fe0.82Al0.18)O2(SO4)4 and K4Cu4O2(SO4)4MeCl","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The calculation of the sign and strength of magnetic interactions in two noncentrosymmetric minerals (klyuchevskite, K3Cu3(Fe0.82Al0.18)O2(SO4)4 and piipite, K4Cu4O2(SO4)4Cu0.5Cl) has been performed based on the structural data. As seen from the calculation results, both minerals comprise quasi-one-dimensional frustrated antiferromagnets. They contain frustrated spin chains from edge-sharing Cu4 tetrahedra with strong antiferromagnetic couplings within chains and very weak ones between chains. Strong frustration of magnetic interactions is combined with the presence of the electric polarization in tetrahedra chains in piipite. The uniqueness of magnetic structures of these minerals caused by peculiarities of their crystal structures has been discussed. Keywords: Frustrated quasi-one-dimensional antiferromagnets, tetrahedral spin chains, klyuchevskite K3Cu3(Fe0.82Al0.18)O2(SO4)4, piypite K4Cu4O2(SO4)4MeCl","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1604.07518v2","authors":["L. M. Volkova","D. V. Marinin"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci","cond-mat.str-el"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-04-26T04:57:17Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1612.09396v1","name":"Simulated Space Weathering of Fe- and Mg-rich Aqueously Altered Minerals Using Pulsed Laser Irradiation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The aim of this work is to investigate contrasting spectral trends observed in carbonaceous chondrites by simulating space weathering effects on a subset of minerals found in these meteorites. We use pulsed laser irradiation to simulate micrometeorite impacts on aqueously altered minerals and observe their spectral and physical evolution as a function of irradiation time. Irradiation of the mineral lizardite, a Mg-phyllosilicate, produces little reddening and darkening, but a pronounced reduction in band depths. Irradiation of an Fe-rich aqueously altered mineral assemblage composed of cronstedtite, pyrite and siderite, produces significant darkening and band depth suppression. The spectral slopes of the Fe-rich assemblage initially redden then become bluer with increasing irradiation time. Analyses of the Fe-rich assemblage using scanning and transmission electron microscopy reveal the presence of micron sized carbon-rich particles that contain notable fractions of nitrogen and oxygen. Radiative transfer modeling of the Fe-rich assemblage suggests that npFe0 particles result in the initial spectral reddening of the samples, but the increasing production of micron sized carbon particles results in the subsequent spectral bluing. The presence of npFe0 and possibly cronstedtite likely promotes the synthesis of these organic-like compounds. These experiments indicate that space weathering processes may enable organic synthesis reactions on the surfaces of volatile-rich asteroids. Furthermore, Mg- and Fe-rich aqueously altered minerals are dominant at different phases of the alteration process. Thus, the contrasting spectral slope evolution between the Fe- and Mg-rich samples in these experiments may indicate that space weathering trends of volatile-rich asteroids have a compositional dependency that could be used to determine the aqueous histories of asteroid parent bodies.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1612.09396v1","authors":["H. M. Kaluna","H. A. Ishii","J. P. Bradley","J. J. Gillis-Davis","P. G. Lucey"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-12-30T06:00:15Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0608285v1","name":"A new empirical approach in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence: Astrobiological nonlocality at the cosmological level","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Over a period of several decades a concerted effort has been made to determine whether intelligent life exists outside of our solar system, known as the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence or SETI. This has been based primarily upon attempting to intercept possible radio transmissions at different frequencies with arrays of radio telescopes. In addition, astrophysical observations have also been undertaken to see if other worlds or solar systems exist with similar conditions such as ours, which might be conducive to life. And, numerous papers have been written exploring different possibilities for the existence of life or why we have not observed it as of yet, since none of these approaches have been successful. It may now be possible to explore this issue from another standpoint. Recent theoretical and experimental results in the field of biophysics appear to indicate the possibility of quantum entanglement and nonlocality at the biological level, between spatially separated pairs of human subjects and also between basins containing neurons derived from human neural stem cells. If this research continues to be upheld in a more replicable fashion, this could have very important implications in the area of controllable superluminal communication. Experiments are proposed in an attempt to address the issue of whether controllable superluminal communication is possible and, if it is, to utilize it in an attempt to determine if extraterrestrial intelligence really exists, within the framework of astrobiological nonlocality.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0608285v1","authors":["Fred H. Thaheld"],"tags":["physics.gen-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-08-29T15:07:41Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1908.05994v2","name":"The Next 700 Policy Miners: A Universal Method for Building Policy Miners","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A myriad of access control policy languages have been and continue to be proposed. The design of policy miners for each such language is a challenging task that has required specialized machine learning and combinatorial algorithms. We present an alternative method, universal access control policy mining (Unicorn). We show how this method streamlines the design of policy miners for a wide variety of policy languages including ABAC, RBAC, RBAC with user-attribute constraints, RBAC with spatio-temporal constraints, and an expressive fragment of XACML. For the latter two, there were no known policy miners until now. To design a policy miner using Unicorn, one needs a policy language and a metric quantifying how well a policy fits an assignment of permissions to users. From these, one builds the policy miner as a search algorithm that computes a policy that best fits the given permission assignment. We experimentally evaluate the policy miners built with Unicorn on logs from Amazon and access control matrices from other companies. Despite the genericity of our method, our policy miners are competitive with and sometimes even better than specialized state-of-the-art policy miners. The true positive rates of policies we mined differ by only 5% from the policies mined by the state of the art and the false positive rates are always below 5%. In the case of ABAC, it even outperforms the state of the art.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1908.05994v2","authors":["Carlos Cotrini","Luca Corinzia","Thilo Weghorn","David Basin"],"tags":["cs.CR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-08-16T14:49:38Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.00465v1","name":"A Promising New Dark Matter Candidate, and Implications for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present a speculative exploration of the properties of a proposed new Dark Matter (DM) candidate in a heretofore under-explored region of parameter space. Our proposed ultra-cold candidatae has been a matter of speculation for some time,and has recently been tentatively identified via direct-detection. While unconventional, demonstrated existence of this DM candidate would have wide-ranging implications for a range of fields, from particle cosmology to exobiology and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life (SETI).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.00465v1","authors":["A. Prillfool","A. A. Stoffers","I. Juodžbalis","M. S. Bothwell","A. J. Wojcik"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO","gr-qc"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-30T20:18:44Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1301.1698v2","name":"Mineral Processing by Short Circuits in Protoplanetary Disks","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Meteoritic chondrules were formed in the early solar system by brief heating of silicate dust to melting temperatures. Some highly refractory grains (Type B calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions, CAIs) also show signs of transient heating. A similar process may occur in other protoplanetary disks, as evidenced by observations of spectra characteristic of crystalline silicates. One possible environment for this process is the turbulent magnetohydrodynamic flow thought to drive accretion in these disks. Such flows generally form thin current sheets, which are sites of magnetic reconnection, and dissipate the magnetic fields amplified by a disk dynamo. We suggest that it is possible to heat precursor grains for chondrules and other high-temperature minerals in current sheets that have been concentrated by our recently described short-circuit instability. We extend our work on this process by including the effects of radiative cooling, taking into account the temperature dependence of the opacity; and by examining current sheet geometry in three-dimensional, global models of magnetorotational instability. We find that temperatures above 1600 K can be reached for favorable parameters that match the ideal global models. This mechanism could provide an efficient means of tapping the gravitational potential energy of the protoplanetary disk to heat grains strongly enough to form high-temperature minerals. The volume-filling nature of turbulent magnetic reconnection is compatible with constraints from chondrule-matrix complementarity, chondrule-chondrule complementarity, the occurrence of igneous rims, and compound chondrules. The same short-circuit mechanism may perform other high-temperature mineral processing in protoplanetary disks such as the production of crystalline silicates and CAIs.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1301.1698v2","authors":["Colin P. McNally","Alexander Hubbard","Mordecai-Mark Mac Low","Denton S. Ebel","Paola D'Alessio"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-01-08T21:19:14Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1810.03704v1","name":"3D Imaging of Gems and Minerals by Multiphoton Microscopy","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Many optical approaches have been used to examine the composition and structure of gemstones, both recently and throughout history. The nonlinear optical behavior of different gemstones has not been investigated, and the higher order terms to the refractive index represent an unused tool for qualifying and examining a stone. We have used a multiphoton microscope to examine the nonlinear optical properties of 36 different gemstones and demonstrate that it is a useful tool for imaging them three-dimensionally up to the millimeter scale below the sample surface. The polarization dependence of second harmonic generation signals was used to examine the crystal orientations inside the minerals.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1810.03704v1","authors":["Benjamin Cromey","Ryan J. Knox","Khanh Kieu"],"tags":["physics.optics"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-10-08T21:19:26Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.15425v1","name":"Detecting Extraterrestrial Civilizations That Employ an Earth-level Deep Space Network","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A major aspect of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) involves searching for electromagnetic transmissions from extraterrestrial sources, often using our own transmissions as a guide. Previous studies have suggested that humanity's most consistently detectable technosignatures were transmissions from our deep-space networks and interplanetary radar. In this study, we analyze NASA Deep Space Network logs to explore what strategies for selecting SETI targets and scheduling observations would enhance the chances of detecting such networks. Analyzing Deep Space Network uplink transmission logs over the last 20 yr, we find that these emissions were predominantly directed along the ecliptic plane, towards or directly away from the Sun, and towards other planets. The average duty cycle within the Earth Transit Zone is 20 times higher than that across all ecliptic latitudes. In the case of Mars, we find a species that is able to observe the Solar System for radio emission during an Earth-Mars conjunction in the past 20 yr would have had a 77% chance of observing during one of our transmissions, a $4\\times10^5$-fold increase over intercepting our Deep Space Network transmission versus a random observer at a random time. These findings quantify how SETI searches might benefit from prioritizing edge-on exoplanet systems and aligning observation windows with exoplanetary conjunctions or planet-planet occultations because they significantly improve the likelihood of intercepting transmissions from any civilizations employing deep-space networks similar to our own.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.15425v1","authors":["Pinchen Fan","Jason T. Wright","T. Joseph W. Lazio"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP","physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-21T10:26:19Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1803.00524v1","name":"A search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) toward the Galactic Anticenter with the Murchison Widefield Array","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Following from the results of the first systematic modern low frequency Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) using the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA), which was directed toward a Galactic Center field, we report a second survey toward a Galactic Anticenter field. Using the MWA in the frequency range of 99 to 122 MHz over a three hour period, a 625 sq. deg. field centered on Orion KL (in the general direction of the Galactic Anticenter) was observed with a frequency resolution of 10 kHz. Within this field, 22 exoplanets are known. At the positions of these exoplanets, we searched for narrow band signals consistent with radio transmissions from intelligent civilisations. No such signals were found with a 5-sigma detection threshold. Our sample is significantly different to the 45 exoplanets previously studied with the MWA toward the Galactic Center Tingay et al.(2016), since the Galactic Center sample is dominated by exoplanets detected using microlensing, hence at much larger distances compared to the exoplants toward the Anticenter, found via radial velocity and transit detection methods. Our average effective sensitivity to extraterrestrial transmiter power is therefore much improved for the Anticenter sample. Added to this, our data processing techniques have improved, reducing our observational errors, leading to our best detection limit being reduced by approximately a factor of four compared to our previously published results.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1803.00524v1","authors":["S. J. Tingay","C. D. Tremblay","S. Croft"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-02-26T12:52:03Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2309.08732v1","name":"The path to detecting extraterrestrial life with astrophotonics","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Astrophysical research into exoplanets has delivered thousands of confirmed planets orbiting distant stars. These planets span a wide ranges of size and composition, with diversity also being the hallmark of system configurations, the great majority of which do not resemble our own solar system. Unfortunately, only a handful of the known planets have been characterized spectroscopically thus far, leaving a gaping void in our understanding of planetary formation processes and planetary types. To make progress, astronomers studying exoplanets will need new and innovative technical solutions. Astrophotonics -- an emerging field focused on the application of photonic technologies to observational astronomy -- provides one promising avenue forward. In this paper we discuss various astrophotonic technologies that could aid in the detection and subsequent characterization of planets and in particular themes leading towards the detection of extraterrestrial life.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.08732v1","authors":["Nemanja Jovanovic","Yinzi Xin","Michael P. Fitzgerald","Olivier Guyon","Peter Tuthill","Barnaby Norris","Pradip Gatkine","Greg Sercel","Svarun Soda","Yoo Jung Kim","Jonathan Lin","Sergio Leon-Saval","Rodrigo Amezcua-Correa","Stephanos Yerolatsitis","Julien Lozi","Sebastien Vievard","Chris Betters","Steph Sallum","Daniel Levinstein","Dimitri Mawet","Jeffrey Jewell","J. Kent Wallace","Nick Cvetojevic"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP","physics.ins-det"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-15T19:46:02Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1105.3516v2","name":"Search for extraterrestrial antineutrino sources with the KamLAND detector","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present the results of a search for extraterrestrial electron antineutrinos ($\\barν_{e}$'s) in the energy range $8.3 MeV &lt; E_{\\barν_{e}} &lt; 31.8 MeV$ using the KamLAND detector. In an exposure of 4.53 kton-year, we identify 25 candidate events. All of the candidate events can be attributed to background, most importantly neutral current atmospheric neutrino interactions, setting an upper limit on the probability of $^{8}$B solar $ν_{e}$'s converting into $\\barν_{e}$'s at $5.3 \\times 10^{-5}$ (90% C.L.), if we assume an undistorted $\\barν_{e}$ shape. This limit corresponds to a solar $\\barν_{e}$ flux of $93 cm^{-2} s^{-1}$ or an event rate of $1.6 events (kton-year)^{-1}$ above the energy threshold $(E_{\\barν_{e}} &gt; 8.3 MeV)$. The present data also allows us to set more stringent limits on the diffuse supernova neutrino flux and on the annihilation rates for light dark matter particles.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1105.3516v2","authors":[" The KamLAND Collaboration"],"tags":["astro-ph.HE","hep-ex","nucl-ex"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-05-18T02:35:15Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1907.05259v2","name":"Searching for Extraterrestrial Intelligence by Locating Potential ET Communication Networks in Space","source":"arxiv","abstract":"There have been periodic efforts in recent decades to search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), especially by trying to find an extraterrestrial (ET) radio signal or other technosignature in space. Yet, no such technosignatures have been found. Considering the vastness of space, finding such technosignatures has been described as trying to find a needle in a cosmic haystack. To help resolve this, two hypotheses are proposed to aid SETI researchers in narrowing the search for ET technosignatures, based on a network analysis approach to locate where in space potential ET communication networks would most likely be. A potential ET communication network can use exoplanets as communication access points (e.g., placing a communication satellite into planetary orbit, or an antenna on a planetary surface). The approach uses a topology where exoplanets are represented as nodes, and the lines of average distance (generalized communication paths) between adjacent exoplanets are represented as edges; the nodes and edges form local and wide planetary networks. Using the approach and data visualization on exoplanet databases can highlight locations of potential ET communication networks in space. The first hypothesis posits that an ET technosignature would more likely appear in a potentially habitable solar system containing a high concentration of planets, wherein the planets function as communication access points to facilitate a potential ET communication network. The second hypothesis posits that an ET technosignature would more likely appear in a highly concentrated cluster of potentially habitable solar systems. Contributions to the SETI field can be increased accuracy in finding ET technosignatures, increased accuracy in reaching a Schelling point (a mutual realization of how we and an ET intelligence can find each other), and promoting interdisciplinary SETI research.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1907.05259v2","authors":["Ross Davis"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-07-10T01:48:02Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1907.05427v1","name":"Searching the Moon for Extrasolar Material and the Building Blocks of Extraterrestrial Life","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Due to its absence of an atmosphere and relative geological inertness, the Moon's surface records past impacts of objects from the Solar system and beyond. We examine the prospects for discovering extrasolar material near the lunar surface and predict that its abundance is $\\mathcal{O}(10)$ parts-per-million (ppm). The abundances of extrasolar organic carbon and biomolecular building blocks (e.g., amino acids) are estimated to be on the order of $0.1$ ppm and $&lt; 0.1$ parts-per-billion (ppb), respectively. We describe strategies for identifying extrasolar material and potentially detecting extrasolar biomolecular building blocks as well as molecular biosignatures of extinct extraterrestrial life. Thus, viewed collectively, we argue that \\emph{in situ} lunar exploration can provide vital new clues for astrobiology.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1907.05427v1","authors":["Manasvi Lingam","Abraham Loeb"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-07-11T18:00:03Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2606.27565v1","name":"Searching for Extraterrestrial Intelligence with the SKA","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The search for technosignatures (also known as the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence or SETI) depends critically on our ability to distinguish artificial signals from the rich complexity of natural astrophysical phenomena and radio frequency interference from anthropogenic emissions. As the search for technosignatures increasingly aligns with mainstream astrophysics, complementing the search for biosignatures, it demands not only sophisticated statistical and computational approaches, but also deep domain knowledge across the electromagnetic spectrum. The SKA will play a pivotal role in the next-generation of technosignature searches, providing an unprecedented combination of sensitivity, field of view, and spatial resolution over its wavelength range. Integrating wide-field, high-resolution observations with machine learning and multi-wavelength diagnostics will represent key steps forward. The SKA's singular capabilities will render it an indispensable instrument for the rapid identification and follow-up characterisation of promising technosignature candidates. In this chapter, we discuss the request for high temporal and spectral resolution data products with a main focus on frequency-domain SETI. Nevertheless, multiple SKA observing modes have the potential to substantially advance technosignature research.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.27565v1","authors":["Chenoa D. Tremblay","Alex Andersson","Joe Bright","Bárbara Cabrales","David DeBoer","Vishal Gajjar","Michael A. Garrett","Evan F. Keane","Dong-Jin Kim","Steve Prabu","Danny C. Price","Andrew P. V. Siemion","Sofia Z. Sheikh","Cyril Tasse","Philippe Zarka","Nathalie Cabrol","Joseph R. Callingham","Steve Croft","William Diamond","Jamie Drew","Kyran Grattan","S. Peter Worden"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-25T21:49:02Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2402.03960v1","name":"Mechanical Properties of Minerals in Lunar and HED Meteorites from Nanoindentation Testing: Implications for Space Mining","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This study analyzes the mechanical and elemental properties of lunar meteorites DHOFAR 1084, JAH 838, NWA 11444, and HED meteorite NWA 6013. Utilizing microscale rock mechanics experiments, i.e., nanoindentation testing, this research reveals significant heterogeneity in both mechanical and elemental attributes across the minerals of the samples. Olivines, pyroxen, feldspar, and spinel demonstrate similar compositional and mechanical characteristics. Conversely, other silicate and oxide minerals display variations in their mechanical properties. Terrestrial olivines subjected to nanoindentation tests exhibit increased hardness and a higher Young's modulus compared to their lunar counterparts. A linear correlation is observed between the H/Er ratio and both plastic and elastic energies. Additionally, the alignment of mineral phases along a constant H/Er ratio suggests variations in local porosity. This study also highlights the need for further research focusing on porosity, phase insertions within the matrix, and structural orientations to refine our understanding of these mechanical characteristics. The findings have direct implications for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) strategies and future state-of-the-art impact models. This comprehensive characterization serves as a foundational resource for future research efforts in space science and mining.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.03960v1","authors":["Eloy Peña-Asensio","Josep M. Trigo. Rodríguez","Jordi Sort","Jordi Ibáñez-Insa","Albert Rimola"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-06T12:40:29Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2305.16356v2","name":"A Search for Extraterrestrial Technosignatures in Archival FAST Survey Data Using a New Procedure","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The \"search for extraterrestrial intelligence\" (SETI) commensal surveys aim to scan the sky to find possible technosignatures from the extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI). The mitigation of radio frequency interference (RFI) is an important step, especially for the most sensitive Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST), which can detect more weak RFI. In this paper, we propose several new techniques for RFI mitigation, and use our procedure to search for ETI signals from the archival data of FAST's first SETI commensal survey. We detect the persistent narrowband RFI by setting a threshold of the signals' sky separation, and detect the drifting RFI (and potentially other types of RFI) using the Hough transform. We also use the clustering algorithms to remove more RFI and select candidates. The results of our procedure are compared to the earlier work on the same FAST data. We find that our methods, though relatively simpler in computation, remove more RFI (99.9912% compared to 99.9063% in the earlier work), but preserve the simulated ETI signals except those (5.1%) severely affected by the RFI. We also report more interesting candidate signals, about a dozen of which are new candidates that are not previously reported. In addition, we find that the proposed Hough transform method, with suitable parameters, also has the potential to remove the broadband RFI. We conclude that our methods can effectively remove the vast majority of the RFI while preserving and finding the candidate signals that we are interested in.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2305.16356v2","authors":["Yu-Chen Wang","Zhen-Zhao Tao","Zhi-Song Zhang","Cheqiu Lyu","Tingting Zhang","Tong-Jie Zhang","Dan Werthimer"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-05-25T05:32:17Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2402.02818v1","name":"Investigating the influence of particle size and shape on froth flotation based benefication of lithium-rich minerals in slags","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The demand for lithium, as well as other critical resources, needed for electrochemical energy storage is expected to grow significantly in the future. Slags obtained from pyrometallurgical recycling represent a promising resource of valuable materials, among them lithium and rare earth elements found in artificial minerals particulate phases. This study investigates the flotation separation of engineered artificial minerals (EnAMs) in slags, such as lithium aluminate and gehlenite as valuable and gangue phases, respectively. Flotation experiments are carried out in a Partridge-Smith cell using oleic acid (OA) as a benchmark surfactant. Particle characterization is performed using SEM-based Mineral Liberation Analysis (MLA), which provides particle discrete information. From this information, bivariate Tromp functions based on non-parametric kernel density estimation are computed to characterize the separation behavior with respect to particle descriptors. This approach enables investigating the influence of particle size and shape on separation behavior of EnAMs. Furthermore, these results allow for the optimization of flotation experiments for enriching Li-bearing EnAMs.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.02818v1","authors":["Franziska Strube","Thomas Wilhelm","Johanna Sygusch","Bradley M. Guy","Orkun Furat","Volker Schmidt","Martin Rudolph"],"tags":["cond-mat.soft"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-05T09:01:31Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1603.00776v2","name":"The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence in Earth's Solar Transit Zone","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Over the past few years, astronomers have detected thousands of planets and candidate planets by observing their periodic transits in front of their host stars. Related methods might soon allow studies of the chemical imprints of life in extrasolar planetary atmospheres. Here, we address the reciprocal question, namely, from where is Earth detectable by extrasolar observers using similar methods. We explore Earth's transit zone (ETZ), the projection of a band around Earth's ecliptic onto the celestial plane, where observers can detect Earth transits across the Sun. The ETZ is between $0.520^\\circ$ and $0.537^\\circ$ wide due to the non-circular Earth orbit. The restricted ETZ (rETZ), where Earth transits the Sun less than 0.5 solar radii from its center, is ~$0.262^\\circ$ wide. We first compile a target list of 45 K and 37 G dwarf stars inside the rETZ and within 1 kiloparsec (3260 lightyears) using the Hipparcos catalog. We then greatly enlarge the number of potential targets by constructing an analytic galactic disk model and find that ~$10^5$ K and G dwarf stars should reside within the rETZ. The ongoing GAIA space mission can potentially discover all G dwarfs among them (several $10^4$) within the next five years. Many more potentially habitable planets orbit dim, unknown M stars in the ETZ and other stars that traversed the ETZ long time ago. If any of these planets host intelligent observers, they could have identified Earth as a habitable, or even as a living, world, and we could be receiving their broadcasts today. The K2 mission, the Allen Telescope Array, the upcoming Square Kilometer Array, or the Green Bank Telescope might detect such deliberate extraterrestrial messages. Ultimately, the ETZ would be an ideal region to monitor by the Breakthrough Listen Initiatives, an upcoming survey that will constitute the most comprehensive search for extraterrestrial intelligence so far.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1603.00776v2","authors":["René Heller","Ralph E. Pudritz"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-02-29T21:34:59Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1510.08684v2","name":"Fermi's paradox, extraterrestrial life and the future of humanity: a Bayesian analysis","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Great Filter interpretation of Fermi's great silence asserts that $Npq$ is not a very large number, where $N$ is the number of potentially life-supporting planets in the observable universe, $p$ is the probability that a randomly chosen such planet develops intelligent life to the level of present-day human civilization, and $q$ is the conditional probability that it then goes on to develop a technological supercivilization visible all over the observable universe. Evidence suggests that $N$ is huge, which implies that $pq$ is very small. Hanson (1998) and Bostrom (2008) have argued that the discovery of extraterrestrial life would point towards $p$ not being small and therefore a very small $q$, which can be seen as bad news for humanity's prospects of colonizing the universe. Here we investigate whether a Bayesian analysis supports their argument, and the answer turns out to depend critically on the choice of prior distribution.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1510.08684v2","authors":["Vilhelm Verendel","Olle Häggström"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-10-29T13:41:54Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1509.01728v1","name":"Direct Experimental Evidence for Differing Reactivity Alterations of Minerals following Irradiation: The Case of Calcite and Quartz","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Concrete, a mixture formed by mixing cement, water, and fine and coarse mineral aggregates is used in the construction of nuclear power plants (NPPs), e.g., to construct the reactor cavity concrete that encases the reactor pressure vessel, etc. In such environments, concrete may be exposed to radiation (e.g., neutrons) emanating from the reactor core. Until recently, concrete has been assumed relatively immune to radiation exposure. Direct evidence acquired on Ar$^+$-ion irradiated calcite and quartz indicates, on the contrary, that, such minerals, which constitute aggregates in concrete, may be significantly altered by irradiation. Specifically, while quartz undergoes disordering of its atomic structure resulting in a near complete lack of periodicity, i.e., similar to glassy silica, calcite only experiences random rotations, and distortions of its carbonate groups. As a result, irradiated quartz shows a reduction in density of around 15%, and an increase in chemical reactivity, described by its dissolution rate, similar to a glassy silica; i.e., an increase of around 3 orders of magnitude. Calcite however, shows little change in dissolution rates - although its density noted to reduce by around 9%. These differences are correlated with the nature of bonds in these minerals, i.e., being dominantly ionic or covalent, and the rigidity of the mineral's atomic network that is characterized by the number of topological constraints (n$_c$) that are imposed on the atoms in the network. The outcomes are discussed within the context of the durability of concrete structural elements formed with calcitic/quartzitic aggregates in nuclear power plants.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1509.01728v1","authors":["Isabella Pignatelli","Aditya Kumar","Kevin G. Field","Bu Wang","Yingtian Yu","Yann Le Pape","Mathieu Bauchy","Gaurav Sant"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci","cond-mat.dis-nn"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-09-05T19:03:29Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.421Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.00896v2","name":"A Novel Algorithm for Digital Lithological Mapping-Case Studies in Sri Lanka's Mineral Exploration","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Conventional manual lithological mapping (MLM) through field surveys are resource-extensive and time-consuming. Digital lithological mapping (DLM), harnessing remotely sensed spectral imaging techniques, provides an effective strategy to streamline target locations for MLM or an efficient alternative to MLM. DLM relies on laboratory-generated generic end-member signatures of minerals for spectral analysis. Thus, the accuracy of DLM may be limited due to the presence of site-specific impurities. A strategy, based on a hybrid machine-learning and signal-processing algorithm, is proposed in this paper to tackle this problem of site-specific impurities. In addition, a soil pixel alignment strategy is proposed here to visualize the relative purity of the target minerals. The proposed methodologies are validated via case studies for mapping of Limestone deposits in Jaffna, Ilmenite deposits in Pulmoddai and Mannar, and Montmorillonite deposits in Murunkan, Sri Lanka. The results of satellite-based spectral imaging analysis were corroborated with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Magnetic Separation (MS) analysis of soil samples collected from those sites via field surveys. There exists a good correspondence between the relative availability of the minerals with the XRD and MS results. In particular, correlation coefficients of 0.8115 and 0.9853 were found for the sites in Pulmoddai and Jaffna respectively.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.00896v2","authors":["R. M. L. S. Ramanayake","D. C. Dammage","I. Z. M. Zumri","K. A. R. S. Rodrigo","A. A. P. Perera","D. Fernando","G. M. R. I. Godaliyadda","H. M. V. R. Herath","M. P. B. Ekanayake","A. Senaratne","Fadi Kizel"],"tags":["eess.IV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-01T03:47:20Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2606.19798v1","name":"MinSurf: resolving the atomic-scale stability landscape of mineral surfaces","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Mineral surfaces govern interfacial reactivity in carbon mineralization, geo-energy storage, contaminant immobilization, heterogeneous catalysis and electrochemical interface engineering. Yet atomistic simulations often rely on commonly used facets or facet-level stability criteria, while distinct atomic terminations of the same crystallographic orientation are rarely resolved systematically because experimental characterization and density functional theory (DFT) calculations remain costly across large surface spaces. Here we present MinSurf, a high-throughput framework that resolves mineral surface selection as a surface-energy and morphology problem. MinSurf integrates surface enumeration, DFT labelling, machine-learning interatomic potentials and Wulff construction to predict stable terminations, surface-energy landscapes and equilibrium crystal morphologies. Applied to ten representative minerals, MinSurfSet comprises 764 surface slabs, with 90 corresponding oriented unit cells constructed as bulk references for surface-energy evaluation. The resulting MinNEP model predicts DFT surface energies with a mean absolute error of 0.0119 eV per Angstrom squared and achieves an overall acceleration of 1.14 x 10^4 relative to DFT. MinNEP preserves the DFT-derived morphology-determining surface-energy hierarchy and reproduces the dominant Wulff-exposed facets, while X-ray diffraction provides an independent crystallographic consistency check for alpha-quartz benchmark. By linking atomic terminations, surface energies and equilibrium morphologies, MinSurf provides reproducible and physically representative surface models for high-throughput simulations of mineral interfaces across energy, environmental and advanced inorganic materials.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.19798v1","authors":["Fengzijun Pan","Zhoulin Liu","Pingyang Zhang","Jiaqiu Xu","Zepeng Fan","Dawei Wang","Jianzhong Pei"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-18T05:00:43Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1906.04502v1","name":"Competing (Semi)-Selfish Miners in Bitcoin","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Bitcoin protocol prescribes certain behavior by the miners who are responsible for maintaining and extending the underlying blockchain; in particular, miners who successfully solve a puzzle, and hence can extend the chain by a block, are supposed to release that block immediately. Eyal and Sirer showed, however, that a selfish miner is incentivized to deviate from the protocol and withhold its blocks under certain conditions. The analysis by Eyal and Sirer, as well as in followup work, considers a \\emph{single} deviating miner (who may control a large fraction of the hashing power in the network) interacting with a remaining pool of honest miners. Here, we extend this analysis to the case where there are \\emph{multiple} (non-colluding) selfish miners. We find that with multiple strategic miners, specific deviations from honest mining by multiple strategic agents can outperform honest mining, even if individually miners would not be incentivised to be dishonest. This previous point effectively renders the Bitcoin protocol to be less secure than previously thought.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1906.04502v1","authors":["Francisco J. Marmolejo-Cossío","Eric Brigham","Benjamin Sela","Jonathan Katz"],"tags":["cs.GT","cs.CR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-06-11T11:38:53Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0508675v1","name":"Search for a Diffuse Flux of High-Energy Extraterrestrial Neutrinos with the NT200 Neutrino Telescope","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present the results of a search for high energy extraterrestrial neutrinos with the Baikal underwater Cherenkov detector NT200, based on data taken in 1998 - 2002. Upper limits on the diffuse fluxes of $ν_e+ν_μ+ν_τ$, predicted by several models of AGN-like neutrino sources, are derived. For an $E^{-2}$ behavior of the neutrino spectrum, our limit is $E^2 Φ_ν(E)&lt;8.1 10^{-7} cm^{-2} s^{-1} sr^{-1} GeV$ over an neutrino energy range $2 10^4 - 5 10^7 GeV$. The upper limit on the resonant $\\barν_e$ diffuse flux is $Φ_{\\barν_e}&lt; 3.3 10^{-20} cm^{-2} s^{-1} sr^{-1} GeV^{-1}$.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0508675v1","authors":["V. Aynutdinov"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-08-31T11:31:28Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0503302v1","name":"Vegetation's Red Edge: A Possible Spectroscopic Biosignature of Extraterrestrial Plants","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Earth's deciduous plants have a sharp order-of-magnitude increase in leaf reflectance between approximately 700 and 750 nm wavelength. This strong reflectance of Earth's vegetation suggests that surface biosignatures with sharp spectral features might be detectable in the spectrum of scattered light from a spatially unresolved extrasolar terrestrial planet. We assess the potential of Earth's step-function-like spectroscopic feature, referred to as the \"red edge\", as a tool for astrobiology. We review the basic characteristics and physical origin of the red edge and summarize its use in astronomy: early spectroscopic efforts to search for vegetation on Mars and recent reports of detection of the red edge in the spectrum of Earthshine (i.e., the spatially integrated scattered light spectrum of Earth). We present Earthshine observations from Apache Point Observatory to emphasize that time variability is key to detecting weak surface biosignatures such as the vegetation red edge. We briefly discuss the evolutionary advantages of vegetation's red edge reflectance, and speculate that while extraterrestrial \"light harvesting organisms\" have no compelling reason to display the exact same red edge feature as terrestrial vegetation, they might have similar spectroscopic features at different wavelengths than terrestrial vegetation. This implies that future terrestrial-planet-characterizing space missions should obtain data that allow time-varying, sharp spectral features at unknown wavelengths to be identified. We caution that some mineral reflectance edges are similar in slope and strength to vegetation's red edge (albeit at different wavelengths); if an extrasolar planet reflectance edge is detected care must be taken with its interpretation.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0503302v1","authors":["Sara Seager","Edwin L. Turner","Justin Schafer","Eric B. Ford"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-03-14T21:22:22Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-13-3639-3_15","name":"Biogenic and Abiogenic Graphite in Minerals and Rocks of the Early Earth","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3639-3_15","authors":["Takeshi Kakegawa"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-27T22:07:43Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-13-3639-3_15","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-319-61667-4_3","name":"Halogen-Rich Minerals: Crystal Chemistry and Geological Significances","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61667-4_3","authors":["Jin-Xiao Mi","Yuanming Pan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-01-30T12:34:37Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-319-61667-4_3","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/oso/9780198824589.003.0016","name":"Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"An overheard (fictional) conversation between a terrestrial speaker and a representative alien from some other planet orbiting some other star. The conversation touches on moral and spiritual issues. The main aim is to make the attempt not to be parochial.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198824589.003.0016","authors":["Andrew Steane"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-07-19T22:17:47Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780198824589.003.0016","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.aay7893","name":"Evidence for the charge disproportionation of iron in extraterrestrial bridgmanite","source":"europepmc","abstract":"We find that the charge disproportionation reaction of ferrous iron occurs in a natural high-pressure environment.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aay7893","authors":["Luca Bindi","Sang-Heon Shim","Thomas G. Sharp","Xiande Xie"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.aay7893","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/9781119164654.ch1","name":"Extraterrestrial Remote Sensing","source":"crossref","abstract":"Extraterrestrial remote sensing is a fast developing and emerging science to understand not only climate change but the origin and survival of life in only one place of the universe, that is, the Earth. In the solar system, there is a planetary system but life exists only on the Earth. The evolution of different natural cycles inside and outside the Earth was governed by the intricacies of Sun–Earth–Cosmic connection. Reduction in greenhouse gases by anthropogenic activities coupled with the low electron flux from the Sun has been responsible for reduction in ultraviolet rays from the Sun. The impact of the solar maximum can release more protons from the Sun during coronal mass ejection and continuous solar flares. Extraterrestrial remote sensing not only has the potential to infer the materialistic information of natural hazards and natural resources of the Earth and planetary system but can unveil the mystical universe.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119164654.ch1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-12-23T22:11:16Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1002/9781119164654.ch1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/springerreference_221732","name":"Phyllosilicates (Extraterrestrial)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/springerreference_221732","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-02-08T06:25:52Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1007/springerreference_221732","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1036/1097-8542.249350","name":"Extraterrestrial intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"AccessScience is an authoritative and dynamic online resource that contains incisively written, high-quality educational material covering all major scientific disciplines. An acclaimed gateway to scientific knowledge, AccessScience is continually expanding the ways it can demonstrate and explain core, trustworthy scientific information that inspires and guides users to deeper knowledge.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.249350","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-07-10T15:46:54Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1036/1097-8542.249350","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.6407877.9","name":"Extraterrestrial ‘Anthropology,’ Xenobiology, Morphology, and Theological Systems","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.6407877.9","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-01T20:21:45Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.6407877.9","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4324/9781003352174-14","name":"The Design Features of Extraterrestrial Language","source":"crossref","abstract":"We can understand what language entails only if we first define language, something which has no clear consensus. It is not difficult to consider known language-design features, posit what we consider to be language universals, and relate that to the topic of our hypothesized extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) language. However, as one’s perspective on language is often determined by one’s preferred theory of language, this forces a review of the assumptions regarding the abilities of an ETI. The approach we adopt here is that language is part of our cognitive apparatus, and hence viewed from a domain-general perspective. Therefore, this chapter aims to accomplish three things: discuss the key features that make up a language, apply this to the language of an ETI, and discuss cognitive factors as they relate to ETI language design. The last factor is perhaps the most significant, as how ETI have developed cognitively greatly influences the language architecture. Specifically, the two ETI language scenarios we consider here are: 1) the base assumption that we are dealing with a natural ETI language, and 2) the ETI language has been engineered. The approach to language as an adaptation of the brain (and culture) provides a more nuanced understanding of the shape a non-human language might take.","url":"https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003352174-14","authors":["Darcy Sperlich"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-07T15:19:34Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.4324/9781003352174-14","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1180/0009855023730054","name":"Review of the mineralogy of the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary clay: evidence supporting a major extraterrestrial catastrophic event","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The proposed impact event at the end of the Cretaceous resulted in mass extinctions and subsequently significant variations in the geochemical and mineralogical composition of the sediments marking the K/T boundary. The impact-generated material derived from target rocks produced the ejecta layer deposits around Chicxulub crater, which were subsequently diagenetically altered to mainly smectite in marine sections and to kaolinite in continental sections. The fireball layer represents the cosmic dust dispersed and deposited globally and contains smectite derived from the alteration of microkrystites and the finest fraction. The lowermost Danian clay layer, recognized in marine sections, resulted from the sudden decrease in ocean productivity and represents a reduced sedimentation deposit. Its clay mineral associations depend on local environmental conditions and diagenetic processes. Overall, the diagenetic alteration of the boundary materials resulted in a significant modification of original signatures. The composition of the clay mineral phases can, however, still be evidence of the nature of the precursor materials providing evidence for an extraterrestrial impact event.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/0009855023730054","authors":["M. Ortega-Huertas","F. Martí Nez-Ruiz","I . Palomo","H. Chamley","M. Ortega‐Huertas","I. Palomo","Hervé Chamley"],"tags":["Geology","Diagenesis","Ejecta","Clay minerals","Kaolinite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-09-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1180/0009855023730054","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/springerreference_77752","name":"Paleomagnetism, Extraterrestrial","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/springerreference_77752","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-01-20T08:27:22Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1007/springerreference_77752","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/cryst14010096","name":"Toledoite, TiFeSi, a New Mineral from Inclusions in Corundum Xenocrysts from Mount Carmel, Israel","source":"openalex","abstract":"During our nanomineralogical investigation of melt inclusions in corundum xenocrysts from the Mount Carmel area, Israel, seven new oxide and alloy minerals have been discovered since 2021. Herein, we report toledoite (TiFeSi; IMA 2022-036), a new alloy mineral. Toledoite occurs as irregular crystals 2–16 μm in size, with gupeiite (Fe3Si), jingsuiite (TiB2), ziroite (ZrO2), osbornite (TiN), xifengite (Fe5Si3), and naquite (FeSi) in corundum Grain WG1124E-1. Toledoite has an empirical formula (Ti0.83Cr0.07Mn0.06V0.02)(Fe0.96Mn0.04)(Si0.99P0.04) and an orthorhombic Ima2 TiFeSi-type structure with the following cell parameters: a = 7.00(1) Å, b = 10.83(1) Å, c = 6.29(1) Å, V = 477(1) Å3, Z = 12. Toledoite is a high-temperature alloy phase, formed under extremely reduced conditions in melt pockets in corundum xenocrysts derived from the upper mantle beneath Mount Carmel in Israel. The name was given in honor of Vered Toledo, of Shefa Gems Ltd. for her support and for providing corundum xenocrysts from the Mount Carmel region for this investigation of new minerals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst14010096","authors":["Chi Ma","Fernando Cámara","Luca Bindi","William L. Griffin"],"tags":["Corundum","Mineral","Mount","Geochemistry","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-21","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.3390/cryst14010096","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/9781119164654.ch14","name":"Future of Extraterrestrial Remote Sensing","source":"crossref","abstract":"Environmental perturbations and sudden episodic events can be addressed by the understanding of extraterrestrial changes. These changes are monitored by terrestrial as well as extraterrestrial satellites. Terrestrial satellites need to be strengthened in accordance with extraterrestrial findings between the Sun and the Earth. It will be mandatory to infer the terrestrial and extraterrestrial resources by very high-resolution satellite data. A Van Allen radiation belt is a zone of energetic charged particles, most of which originate from the solar wind, that are captured by and held around a planet by that planet's magnetosphere. Ukraine National Space Programme has developed Ionosat-Micro satellite and France has developed DEMETER ionosphere measuring satellite to monitor seismic and volcanic precursor. To understand the impact of extraterrestrial changes on the planets, specifically the pole shift of the Earth needed to compare with the Moon of the Earth. Damage from solar energetic particles and cosmic rays can slowly degrade performance of an instrument.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119164654.ch14","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-12-23T22:11:16Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1002/9781119164654.ch14","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50007-x","name":"Strategy for the search for extraterrestrial intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50007-x","authors":["N.S. KARDASHEV"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-18T12:35:49Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50007-x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.6407877.8","name":"Historical Literature on the Theology of Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.6407877.8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-01T20:21:45Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.6407877.8","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-8694-8_8","name":"Extraterrestrial Material and Stratospheric Aerosols","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8694-8_8","authors":["Daniel M. Murphy"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-05-20T04:56:39Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1007/978-1-4419-8694-8_8","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.3385990.7","name":"THE SEARCH FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE-FROM RELIGION TO SCIENCE","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.3385990.7","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-19T14:13:10Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.3385990.7","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/oso/9780192897985.003.0004","name":"Art, institutions, and liberty in extraterrestrial communities","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract On Earth our institutions of art generate borders that shape societal and cultural norms by attempting to define what art is. As they frame and impose meaning upon our bodies, and our objects and cultures, they perform a democratic role, changing the way we view art and ourselves. As art and its institutions are active sites for understanding liberty, it is critical we address a speculative, institutional model for art before we leave our planet to live somewhere else. This chapter begins an exploration of what kind of art institutions are needed in young, developing, healthy societies on Mars. It overviews recent changes in the role of our art institutions and suggests that the art archive and the art school are appropriate as starting points for thinking about art and community and cultural growth off-Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780192897985.003.0004","authors":["Annalea Beattie"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-19T03:01:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780192897985.003.0004","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/9781119164654.ch11","name":"Extraterrestrial Remote Sensing of Planets","source":"crossref","abstract":"Terrestrial satellites create new datasets and make the life of the Earth dwellers comfortable every day. However, resources are limited and the rising population is forcing scientists to think and plan for the extraterrestrial remote sensing of planets. To investigate the planetary systems of the Sun and the moon of the planets, it is imperative to collect the information of their relative rotation and oscillation. The atmosphere of the planets or precisely the gaseous envelope also rotates although its speed is much faster than the rotation of the specific planet. Magnetic field highlights from Planetary Mission shows the variation of magnetic fields in different planetary bodies. Pleiades is a constellation of stars in proximity to the Milky Way. Solar storms and thier effect on the planets are well established; however, magnetic field change has maximum impact among the variables of heliophysical parameters.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119164654.ch11","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-12-23T22:11:16Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1002/9781119164654.ch11","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50012-3","name":"Search for radio emissions from extraterrestrial civilizations","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50012-3","authors":["V.S. TROITSKII","A.M. STARODUBTSEV","L.N. BONDAR"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-18T07:35:58Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50012-3","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50006-8","name":"The search for extraterrestrial intelligence–SETI","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50006-8","authors":["PHILIP MORRISON","JOHN BILLINGHAM","JOHN WOLFE"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-18T12:35:41Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50006-8","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/springerreference_222838","name":"Extraterrestrial Delivery (Organic Compounds)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/springerreference_222838","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-02-08T06:25:52Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1007/springerreference_222838","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.18254198.6","name":"Exoplanets, Extremophiles, and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.18254198.6","authors":["Jill C. Tarter"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-07T20:46:30Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.18254198.6","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/9781119164654.ch4","name":"Extraterrestrial Satellite Data Collection and Interpretation","source":"crossref","abstract":"An observational and theoretical information system strengthens by plotting extraterrestrial satellite data and its correlation by overlaying the information for different terrestrial solutions. Solar variables are recorded in different planetary systems including Earth. Experiments were developed at NASA missions such as Skylab, Spacelab ATS, STS, and ATLAS satellite-based data collection and interpretation system. These satellites are orbiting in their specific orbits and most of them are using solar panels as substitutes for hydrocarbon or other gaseous fuel. Besides solar variability studies, the planetary system variability also depends on the solar changes. The influence of the Sun is often observed in other planets of the system also. The sunspot activity influences temporarily the magnetic field of the Earth, which is recorded by SOHO satellite. Throughout the solar cycle, the latitude of sunspot regions varies with an interesting pattern. Solar flare and CME may have a role in total electron content in different planetary upper layers.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119164654.ch4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-12-23T22:11:16Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1002/9781119164654.ch4","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/9781119164654.ch5","name":"Terrestrial Satellite Data Correlation with Extraterrestrial Satellite Data","source":"crossref","abstract":"Different physical processes of the Earth, Moon, and Mars appear to be the same when its tectonic activities, volcanic activities, and structure of meteorite impacts are studied. Huygens basin of Mars was examined, which penetrates the ejecta blanket of Hellas basin, thereby exposing pre-Hellas crust, which is the oldest crust in the study area. There are various types of geological information available on Earth and its spectral library, which are correlated with lunar mineralogy and morphological characteristics. It is important to compare the terrestrial information with extraterrestrial findings to infer the evolution of planetary system in space and time. Correlation of terrestrial analogue with extraterrestrial satellite data has been attempted to establish the origin of different living and nonliving cyclic processes of the Earth and possibly an extraterrestrial code of this unsolved puzzle. Terrain roughness index measures the terrain heterogeneities, which is based on the measurement of undulations and variations of the slope.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119164654.ch5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-12-23T22:11:16Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1002/9781119164654.ch5","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/9781119164654.ch3","name":"Extraterrestrial Remote Sensing Satellites","source":"crossref","abstract":"Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) is a prestigious science project of international cooperation between the European Space Agency and NASA to study the Sun, from its deep core to the outer corona, and the solar wind. Extraterrestrial Satellite SOHO and its sensors, which record the changes of the solar wind and interplanetary conditions due to the solar activity, has been widely investigated, showing how the dynamics of the coupled solar wind–magnetosphere–ionosphere system resembles that of a complex system, showing scale-invariant features, turbulence, and a near-criticality behavior. Solar prominence is a sudden outburst from the surface of the Sun, which has powerful magnetic loops and which influences Sun–Earth environment. Three types of workstations are envisioned at the Experiment Operations Facility: the workstations of resident, and in some cases nonresident, Principal Investigator teams, the Project Scientists' workstation, and the Science Operations Coordinator's workstation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119164654.ch3","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-12-23T22:11:16Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1002/9781119164654.ch3","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1117/12.278792","name":"&lt;title&gt;Ability of bacteria to promote the formation of fine-grained minerals on their surfaces&lt;/title&gt;","source":"crossref","abstract":"The surfaces of bacteria are highly interactive with their environment. Whether the bacterium is gram-negative or gram- positive, most surfaces are charged at neutral pH because of the ionization of the reactive chemical groups which stud them. Since prokaryotes have a high surface area-to-volume ratio, this can have surprising ramifications. For example, many bacteria can concentrate dilute environmental metals and silicates on their surfaces and initiate the development of fine-grained minerals. In natural environments, it is not unusual to find such bacteria closely associated with the minerals which they have helped develop. Since bacteria usually prefer to grow as biofilms on macroscopic surfaces in most natural ecosystems (supposedly to take advances of the nutrient concentrative effect of the interface), they can form films micrometers -to-mm-thick. Using a gram-negative bacterial model, we have found that lipopolysaccharide (a surface component) is important in the initial attachment of the bacterium to the substratum. This macromolecule is also important for the entrapment of metals and the instigation of mineral development. Eventually, biofilms become so mineralized that the shape and form of the constituent bacteria are preserved and embedded in the rock as it forms. These mineralized bacteria are called `microfossils' and it is possible that the same set of circumstances could have preserved small lifeforms on Mars given similar environmental conditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1117/12.278792","authors":["Terry J. Beveridge"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-03-28T18:01:09Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1117/12.278792","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/springerreference_76446","name":"Extraterrestrial Material in Sediments","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/springerreference_76446","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-01-20T13:22:25Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1007/springerreference_76446","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.3385990.17","name":"APPENDIX B.","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.3385990.17","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-19T14:13:10Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.3385990.17","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.18254198.25","name":"Pragmatism, Cosmocentrism, and Proportional Consultation for Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.18254198.25","authors":["Mark L. Lupisella"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-07T20:46:30Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.18254198.25","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9783110959444.1031","name":"EXTRATERRESTRIAL MAPPING","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110959444.1031","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-03-24T02:11:52Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1515/9783110959444.1031","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_62","name":"Extraterrestrial Intelligence: Where is Everybody?","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_62","authors":["John A. Ball"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-04T00:10:35Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_62","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/oso/9780195128529.003.0008","name":"SETI","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract By the year 2000?” Frank Drake laughs. “When I started saying that, the year 2000 seemed a long way off! I’m starting to weasel out of that now—but there’s still a chance.”","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195128529.003.0008","authors":["David Koerner","Simon LeVay"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-05T07:53:11Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780195128529.003.0008","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/bg-2020-283-sc1","name":"Extraterrestrial dust as a source of bioavailable Fe for the ocean productivity","source":"crossref","abstract":"Nice article with a unique insight into the importance of cosmic dust on the biosphere.Certainly appropriate for the journal.I post below some comments to consider, which I hope you find helpful: Line 135 onwards: \"The abundance of Fe within cometary porous particles is lower than in chondrites since it is diluted by abundant carbonaceous matter (>30%).The increase in average Fe owing to large OC particles is, therefore, offset by its lower content in small cometary grains.The parent body abundances amongst Indian Ocean cosmic spherules, therefore, give a good estimate for the average Fe abundance of the ET flux prior to atmospheric entry\" -The authors argue that the Indian ocean MM","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2020-283-sc1","authors":["Martin Suttle"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-09-23T08:47:02Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.5194/bg-2020-283-sc1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-37750-1_13","name":"Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Altruism","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37750-1_13","authors":["Holmes Rolston"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-09-14T11:46:29Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-37750-1_13","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9781400838486.184","name":"9. The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400838486.184","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-12-01T19:09:48Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1515/9781400838486.184","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/1-4020-3606-x_16","name":"Extraterrestrial Travertine","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-3606-x_16","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-11-13T23:16:42Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1007/1-4020-3606-x_16","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/oso/9780192897985.003.0005","name":"Space for opportunity","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Space settlers will require air, water, and essential nutrients for survival. Power will be needed for their manufacture and supply with maintenance of associated equipment. The property rights, ownership, and maintenance of this equipment can therefore determine the economic, political, and social structures of the settlement. Current terrestrial law places restrictions on these property rights under the jurisdiction of the founding nation under the Outer Space Treaty of 1967. An alternative transcultural jurisprudence responsive to the new and extreme environments of space is proposed to avoid the loss of liberty in such situations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780192897985.003.0005","authors":["Mukesh Chiman Bhatt"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-19T03:01:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780192897985.003.0005","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-13-3639-3_30","name":"SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3639-3_30","authors":["Hisashi Hirabayashi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-27T22:07:43Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-13-3639-3_30","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1887/0750306815/b184c5","name":"Ecology ? Extraterrestrial life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1887/0750306815/b184c5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-11-26T05:13:53Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1887/0750306815/b184c5","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/oso/9780190696771.003.0006","name":"Antarctica and Siegfried Kracauer’s Extraterrestrial Film Theory","source":"crossref","abstract":"`Siegfried Kracauer’s film and photographic theory along with cinematic records of early Antarctic exploration explain how this utterly inhospitable continent (Antarctica) and this media theory advance an alternative and denaturalized history of the present. Cinema has the capacity to reveal an earth outside of human feeling and utility without sacrificing the particularity that gets lost in scientific abstraction. And Antarctica, for so long outside of human history altogether, simply numbs feeling and refuses to yield to human purpose. It is also a continent on which celluloid encounters its signifying limits. Kracauer, this chapter argues, helps us to imagine an estranged and selfless relationship to an inhospitable or even posthospitable earth that may not accommodate us.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190696771.003.0006","authors":["Jennifer Fay"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-03-22T08:32:06Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780190696771.003.0006","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1887/0750308680/b1115c5","name":"Eclipse ? Extraterrestrial life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1887/0750308680/b1115c5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-11-26T04:55:06Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1887/0750308680/b1115c5","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_3","name":"Twenty-Five Years of the Search for Extraterrestrial Communications","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_3","authors":["P. Morrison"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-04T04:10:35Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_3","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9798216431916.0006","name":"Epilogue","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9798216431916.0006","authors":["Lewis S. Ford"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-21T13:18:47Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.5040/9798216431916.0006","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-8694-8_10","name":"Iridium and Osmium as Tracers of Extraterrestrial Matter in Marine Sediments","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8694-8_10","authors":["Bernhard Peucker-Ehrenbrink"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-05-20T04:56:39Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1007/978-1-4419-8694-8_10","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_2","name":"A Historical Introduction to the Search for Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_2","authors":["Michael D. Papagiannis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-04T04:10:35Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_2","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.18254198.19","name":"Cost Analysis of Space Exploration for an Extraterrestrial Civilization","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.18254198.19","authors":["Yvan Dutil","Stéphane Dumas"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-07T20:46:30Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.18254198.19","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/083077-0013","name":"Sustainability Puzzles and the Extraterrestrial Turn","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/083077-0013","authors":["Chelsea Haramia"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-16T14:18:27Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.52202/083077-0013","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1117/12.278794","name":"&lt;title&gt;Changes in the stable isotope composition of gases and minerals as a result of microbial activity&lt;/title&gt;","source":"crossref","abstract":"The effect of biological fractionation of carbon and sulfur isotopes is described now for many microbial processes. Stable isotope composition of carbon and sulfur gases and minerals, produced by microorganisms depends on isotope composition of initial substrates, part of substrate consumed by microorganisms and rate of microbial metabolism.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1117/12.278794","authors":["Michael V. Ivanov","Alla Y. Lein"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-03-28T18:01:09Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1117/12.278794","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/078358-0025","name":"The Relational Legacy of Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/078358-0025","authors":["Gabriela Radulescu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-31T21:08:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.52202/078358-0025","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.21995749.21","name":"APPENDIX","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.21995749.21","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-20T21:00:32Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.21995749.21","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1029/2022ea002641","name":"Thermal‐Infrared Emission Spectroscopy of Graybody Minerals (Sulfide): Implications for Extraterrestrial Exploration for Magmatic Ore Deposits","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Graybody materials exhibit systematically low emissivity across their spectrum. This characteristic violates the key assumption of unit emissivity at some wavenumber in the spectrum used to calibrate thermal‐infrared emission data. This assumption makes graybody materials “appear colder” than their actual physical temperature and imparts a slope in emission spectra that is non‐physical in nature, both of which affect interpretations of planetary surfaces. Pyrrhotite derived from the Stillwater Complex's J‐M Reef in Montana, USA exhibits systemic graybody behavior across its mid‐infrared spectrum and thus has a steep negative spectral slope from high to low wavenumbers when calibrated using conventional methods. A new measurement technique is introduced for deriving the absolute emissivity of graybody materials using reference samples with known Christiansen Frequencies during calibration. The reference temperature method significantly reduces the spectral slope of and provides a more accurate estimation of the absolute emissivity of graybody materials. After correcting the temperature of pyrrhotite using results from a series of reference experiments, we conclude that the emission spectrum of pyrrhotite is spectrally featureless and has a maximum emissivity of ∼0.7. If sulfide mineral deposits are exposed on Mars, they will not be identified using spectral features found in the mid‐infrared (5–40 μm). However, they could be located by identifying basaltic terrain that appears colder than their surroundings and with apparent emissivity spectra that exhibit negative spectral slopes from high to low wavenumbers and are spectrally neutral.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2022ea002641","authors":["Kevin M. Hubbard","Christopher W. Haberle","Linda T. Elkins‐Tanton","Philip R. Christensen","Steven Semken"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-02-24T12:22:08Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1029/2022ea002641","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/c2013-0-03239-2","name":"Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/c2013-0-03239-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-08-03T06:15:59Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1016/c2013-0-03239-2","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/oed/4179309208","name":"extraterrestrial, adj. &amp; n.","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oed/4179309208","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-29T15:25:33Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1093/oed/4179309208","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/1294496","name":"Extraterrestrial Life The Search for Extraterrestrial Life, Vol. 22 J. S. Hanrahan","source":"crossref","abstract":"Extraterrestrial Life Get access The Search for Extraterrestrial Life, Vol. 22, edited by Hanrahan J. S., Advances in the Astronautical Sciences, An American Astronautical Society Publication, Scholarly Publications, Inc.. Sun Valley, Calif. 1968, 377 p., illus. Elie Shneour Elie Shneour University of Utah, Salt Lake City Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar BioScience, Volume 19, Issue 5, May 1969, Pages 478–479, https://doi.org/10.2307/1294496 Published: 01 May 1969","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/1294496","authors":["Elie Shneour"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-04-25T19:45:59Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.2307/1294496","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780857452122-004","name":"Chapter 1. Are We Alone? Estimating the Prevalence of Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780857452122-004","authors":["Seth Shostak"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-11T10:57:11Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1515/9780857452122-004","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-13196-7_21","name":"METI: Messaging to ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-13196-7_21","authors":["Alexander L. Zaitsev"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-02-14T09:55:06Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-13196-7_21","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.32388/c8je9f","name":"Extraterrestrial Extrapolations of Earthly Organismality","source":"crossref","abstract":"It has long been known that the microbial component of terrestrial ecosystems provides the capacity for nutrient and elemental cycling and other key ecosystem services. Advances in DNA sequencing technology and analytical capacity continue to reveal novel insights into the structure and dynamics of these microbial ecosystems. These insights have led to an increasing appreciation of the importance of the microbial species that associate with multicellular organisms, including plants. The relationship between the multicellular host and its microbiota is sufficiently interdependent that the plant has come to be understood as a “holobiont” that encompasses a multitude of prokaryotic and eukaryotic species. This expands the traditional view of what constitutes an independent organism to include a collectivity of species that coexist for mutual benefit. The concept of organismality presented by Queller and Strassman goes even further than that, arguing that organisms can be defined as collectivities of cells or species that share a common purpose, regardless of genetic identity. As applied to plants, the ideas elaborated by Simard and others that plant communities and their associated mycorrhizal networks form an interconnected collectivity with cognitive functions also fits into this theme. Stephen Jay Gould discussed ideas of what constitutes an organism in the 1990s. But the ideas themselves are even older than that, dating all the way back to Charles Darwin himself. Incredibly, the connections among these philosophical concepts were anticipated in a science fiction story written by Isaac Asimov over 70 years ago.","url":"https://doi.org/10.32388/c8je9f","authors":["Tim Dumonceaux"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-20T20:20:08Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.32388/c8je9f","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0001","name":"Acknowledgments","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0001","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-17T17:56:20Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0001","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7551/mitpress/11229.001.0001","name":"Extraterrestrial Languages","source":"crossref","abstract":"If we send a message into space, will extraterrestrial beings receive it? Will they understand? The endlessly fascinating question of whether we are alone in the universe has always been accompanied by another, more complicated one: if there is extraterrestrial life, how would we communicate with it? In this book, Daniel Oberhaus leads readers on a quest for extraterrestrial communication. Exploring Earthlings' various attempts to reach out to non-Earthlings over the centuries, he poses some not entirely answerable questions: If we send a message into space, will extraterrestrial beings receive it? Will they understand? What languages will they (and we) speak? Is there not only a universal grammar (as Noam Chomsky has posited), but also a grammar of the universe? Oberhaus describes, among other things, a late-nineteenth-century idea to communicate with Martians via Morse code and mirrors; the emergence in the twentieth century of SETI (the search for extraterrestrial intelligence), CETI (communication with extraterrestrial intelligence), and finally METI (messaging extraterrestrial intelligence); the one-way space voyage of Ella, an artificial intelligence agent that can play cards, tell fortunes, and recite poetry; and the launching of a theremin concert for aliens. He considers media used in attempts at extraterrestrial communication, from microwave systems to plaques on spacecrafts to formal logic, and discusses attempts to formulate a language for our message, including the Astraglossa and two generations of Lincos (lingua cosmica). The chosen medium for interstellar communication reveals much about the technological sophistication of the civilization that sends it, Oberhaus observes, but even more interesting is the information embedded in the message itself. In Extraterrestrial Languages, he considers how philosophy, linguistics, mathematics, science, and art have informed the design or limited the effectiveness of our interstellar messaging.","url":"https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/11229.001.0001","authors":["Daniel Oberhaus"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-11-27T18:02:52Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.7551/mitpress/11229.001.0001","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/oso/9780192897985.003.0025","name":"Extraterrestrial governance","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract If and when humans explore, settle, and establish a community on Mars, and eventually on other planets, moons, and extrasolar systems, determining what sort of political and economic systems should be set up there are explored in this chapter. Given that these explorers and colonists will be human, they will have similar biological natures as our Paleolithic ancestors who migrated out of Africa and settled down in nearly every habitable place on earth. As such, it would be prudent to start thinking about how best to govern an extraterrestrial civilization, starting with what we have learned already from the scientific study of governance on our planet. Those lessons are considered here.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780192897985.003.0025","authors":["Michael Shermer"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-19T03:01:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780192897985.003.0025","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-37750-1_2","name":"Extraterrestrial Intelligence: Friends, Foes, or Just Curious?","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37750-1_2","authors":["George Michael"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-09-14T11:46:29Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-37750-1_2","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9798216431916.ch-15","name":"A Darker Forest?","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9798216431916.ch-15","authors":["Roland Faber"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-21T13:18:47Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.5040/9798216431916.ch-15","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9798216431916.ch-i","name":"Introduction","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9798216431916.ch-i","authors":["Andrew M. Davis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-21T13:18:47Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.5040/9798216431916.ch-i","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0017","name":"[ Front Matter ]","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0017","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-29T15:26:40Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0017","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-37750-1_18","name":"Patterns of Extraterrestrial Culture","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37750-1_18","authors":["William Sims Bainbridge"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-09-14T11:46:29Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-37750-1_18","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9780755650910.0011","name":"Extraterrestrial intelligent life and Islamic beliefs","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9780755650910.0011","authors":["Shoaib Ahmed Malik"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-24T16:12:11Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.5040/9780755650910.0011","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.26686/wgtn.17148386","name":"S.E.ARCH: Science Fiction and Extraterrestrial Architecture","source":"crossref","abstract":"&lt;p&gt;Until this point in time, space architecture has relied heavily on engineering - resulting in little room for artistic practice. The resulting habitats are ill-equipped to sustain the quality of life required for long-term or interplanetary missions. However, rapid technological growth is beginning to enable the realisation of outer space for commercial enterprise, scientific gain, and personal exploration. Together, a budding space industry and the profession of space architecture are set to lead each other, hand-in-hand, into a new age of space exploration - and to destinations never before reached. For almost as long as human culture has remembered we have been fascinated by the stars. A potent result of this fascination is science fiction and stories concerning space travel. A strong and tangible assemblage has formed between science fiction, social narrative, and outer space. Science fiction can make concepts of the future understandable. It can make communities focused on the future. This thesis proposes that the discipline of architecture, with the help of popular science fiction, can re-imagine space architecture. It seeks to create empathy with the future inhabitants of outer space by envisaging the space industry of the future, and through the creation of a passenger ship it develops a hope for a future that unfolds differently to what we are planning for now. This research seeks to investigate these connections in order to create safer and more fulfilling homes for spacefarers of the future. It does so by arguing against the typology we maintain. Through iterative designs which coincide with research on the use of science fiction and habitability in space, it concludes with a new ship typology.&lt;/p&gt;","url":"https://doi.org/10.26686/wgtn.17148386","authors":["KaiMei Shum"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-12-08T18:16:35Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.26686/wgtn.17148386","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1353/book1904","name":"Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence (CETI)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1353/book1904","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-06-15T14:09:49Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1353/book1904","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/078358-0012","name":"Possible Extraterrestrial Focal SETI and Its Implications for Terrestrial SETI","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/078358-0012","authors":["Nicolò Antonietti","Paolo Musso"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-31T21:08:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.52202/078358-0012","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fenvc.2025.1581103","name":"Nanoscale investigations of complex microbial interactions with terrestrial and extraterrestrial minerals using STEM based approach: implications for life on Earth and beyond","source":"openalex","abstract":"Our recent investigations using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) based approach address tungsten-microbial interactions as a microbial strategy to withstand harsh environments, microbial metal extraction capacities for bioleaching/biomining operations, astrobiological implication of microbial-mineral interactions, and Mars-relevant biosignatures as traces of life that can be detected in the physicochemical conditions beyond Earth. By means of STEM based nanoscale resolution ultrastructural studies coupled to energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), we have investigated remarkable metal redox events and unique ultrastructural features of the mineral-microbial interfaces with regard to the mechanisms of mineral biotransformation mediated by various chemolithoautotrophs; the subcellular localization of metal incorporation and binding sites; the chemical nature of the metal complexes formed at the microbe-mineral interfaces; and biomineral patterns formed during the biotransformation of terrestrial minerals and astromaterials. Our results indicate that microbial cells form a robust, metal-bearing cell crust that may help microorganisms withstand harsh environments and serve as potential biosignature for the search of life. During the biomineralization of the microbial cell surface with tungsten, a tungsten-encrusted layer with a thickness of 37 ± 7 nm and a W content of 76.3% (Wt) was formed around the Metallosphaera sedula cells. When cultivated on the genuine Noachian Martian breccia Northwest Africa (NWA) 7,034, M. sedula cells were encrusted in a mineral layer of 28 ± 2 nm thickness and a P, Fe, Mn, and Al content of 9.62% (Wt), 11.65% (Wt), 4.29% (Wt), and 2.82% (Wt), respectively. During these investigations, we have developed an efficient combined approach of microbiology, wet chemistry and STEM based spectroscopy nanoanalysis. This work highlights the biologically-mediated processing of (extra)terrestrial materials, provides implications for natural samples and biotechnological processes, and represents a special interest for space exploration missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvc.2025.1581103","authors":["Tetyana Milojevic","Mihaela Albu","Ilse Letofsky-Papst","Artem Mashchenko","Tetyana Milojević","Ilse Letofsky‐Papst","А. Г. Мащенко"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Earth (classical element)","Astrobiology","Earth science","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-12","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.3389/fenvc.2025.1581103","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.26226/m.632358ebf30377bc3baf6a4d","name":"Extraterrestrial Drilling: Past, Present, Future","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.26226/m.632358ebf30377bc3baf6a4d","authors":["Kris A."],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-28T14:41:48Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.26226/m.632358ebf30377bc3baf6a4d","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50015-9","name":"An observational program to search for radio signals from extraterrestrial intelligence through the use of existing facilities","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50015-9","authors":["R.E. EDELSON"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-18T07:35:41Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50015-9","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3726/978-1-4539-1345-1/17","name":"Extraterrestrial Beauty: Science of the Sun","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.3726/978-1-4539-1345-1/17","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-10-13T02:53:34Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.3726/978-1-4539-1345-1/17","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0004","name":"Aliens on Earth","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0004","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-17T17:56:20Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0004","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0013","name":"Appendix C: Lincos","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0013","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-17T17:56:20Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0013","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1177/15311074261434670","name":"From Space Dust to Protocells: Micrometeorites in Early Cellular Evolution.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Solid surfaces have long been considered catalysts in prebiotic chemistry, yet their physical energy has rarely been explored as a driver of protocell assembly. This opinion article highlights recent experimental advances demonstrating that oxide minerals, Hadean Earth analogs, and martian meteorite specimens autonomously promote the assembly and transformation of lipid protocells without chemical catalysis. Surface-adhered compartments form mechanically resilient protocell colonies, nanotube-connected protocell networks enabling direct molecular transport, and flat protocells with spontaneous fusion and compositional diversification-capabilities absent in cell-sized free-floating vesicles. Extending these findings to extraterrestrial materials, new results indicate that micrometeorites, with their freshly generated, rough, and porous surfaces produced during atmospheric entry, efficiently nucleate protocell assembly. Given the continuous global influx of micrometeorites and growing astrobiological evidence of organics in cosmic dust, I propose that micrometeorites represent previously underappreciated initiators of protocell development, linking early Earth environments with contemporary planetary science and the search for life elsewhere.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15311074261434670","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1177/15311074261434670","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1177/15311074261459837","name":"Nanophase Goethite as a Promising Target in the Search for Past Life on Mars.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The ubiquitous iron oxides and oxyhydroxides on Mars represent intriguing targets in the search for evidence of past microbial life on the Red Planet. So far, no studies have systematically investigated microbial fossils in fluviolacustrine ferricrete composed entirely of nanophase goethite; thus, our understanding of biosignatures in such deposits is limited. Here, we report exceptionally well-preserved microfossils in laminated nanophase goethite from the Miocene McGraths Flat Lagerstätte, New South Wales, Australia. Using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy, we identified a diverse range of fossil morphotypes, including bacteria and fungi. Syngenetic forms embedded in the sedimentary matrix and post-depositional endolithic colonizers were recognized. Our findings establish nanophase goethite as an excellent preservation medium for microfossils, capable of preserving subcellular details across multiple generations of microbial communities, and highlight nanophase goethite as a promising target for future Mars exploration missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15311074261459837","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1177/15311074261459837","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.saa.2026.128067","name":"Development of micro-Raman spectroscopy for determination of &lt;sup&gt;18&lt;/sup&gt;O/&lt;sup&gt;16&lt;/sup&gt;O ratio of forsterite (Mg&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;SiO&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt;).","source":"europepmc","abstract":"We propose here the applicability of micro-Raman spectroscopic analysis of oxygen isotope ratios of minerals to the identification of extraterrestrial materials, including presolar grains. The presolar grains provide crucial information for exploring the materials formed our solar system. Presolar silicates, an extremely abundant type among them, are typically characterized as olivine with anomalous oxygen isotope ratios when compared with those of the solar-system materials, but their tiny size makes it difficult to detect them and determine their spatial distribution. We have investigated micro-Raman spectroscopy for measuring the 18 O/ 16 O ratio of forsterite (Mg 2 SiO 4 ) and thereby provided an experimental basis for future detection of presolar olivine with high spatial resolution. Theoretical calculations of Raman spectra of forsterite revealed that several Raman peak positions correlated with 18 O/ 16 O ratios, suggesting the possibility of measuring oxygen isotope ratios in forsterite using micro-Raman spectroscopy. We measured the Raman spectra of synthetic crystalline forsterite with various 18 O/ 16 O ratios. Some of their prominent peak positions shifted to a lower wavenumber with increasing 18 O/ 16 O ratios, as expected from theoretical calculations. Focusing on the relative wavenumber shift of two independent peaks yields a linear relation between the wavenumber difference of those peaks and the 18 O/ 16 O ratios of forsterite. Based on the prediction interval obtained from this relation, the present method would have the potential to identify forsterite with a 18 O/ 16 O ratio higher than 0.022 as being of presolar origin. Further improvement in the precision of the method will broaden the application of micro-Raman spectroscopy to the discovery of extraterrestrial materials.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.saa.2026.128067","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1016/j.saa.2026.128067","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1177/15311074261464015","name":"Experimental Evidence for a Microbial Origin of Reduction Spots in Red Beds on Earth-and Mars?","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Perseverance rover recently discovered sedimentary rocks reddened by ferric oxides and peppered with bleached spots lacking these oxides. Some of these spots are associated with phosphate, iron sulfide minerals, and organic matter and are regarded as \"potential biosignatures,\" suggestive of microbial iron- and sulfate-reduction and organic matter oxidation. Similar millimeter-centimeter-scale \"reduction spots\" occur in many ancient red beds on Earth. Although terrestrial reduction spots are widely considered biogenic, the available evidence is not decisive, and the proposed microbial mechanism of spot formation has not been tested experimentally. Here, we report a successful laboratory demonstration of bleached spot formation in ferruginous sediment. Millimeter-centimeter-scale rounded bleached spots appeared within weeks on the underside of anaerobic sand-ferrihydrite slurries inoculated with microbial communities from the reducing zones of Winogradsky columns, originally seeded with soil and pondwater. The spatial and temporal distribution of observed bleaching events, which did not occur in sterile controls, is best explained by a microbially induced process, and DNA sequencing confirms that bacteria of iron-reducing genera (e.g., Paradesulfitobacterium ) are abundant in the bleached areas. These results strongly support the longstanding hypothesis that microbial colonies can indeed generate visibly bleached reduction spots in ferruginous sediments and rocks. Further experiments are needed to establish whether and how nonbiological processes can mimic these features and to search for features that disambiguate biogenic and abiogenic reduction spots.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15311074261464015","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1177/15311074261464015","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fmicb.2026.1741305","name":"Bioleaching of critical trace metals by &lt;i&gt;Sphingomonas desiccabilis&lt;/i&gt;: substrate-driven selectivity in Earth and space analogues.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Background Biotechnological advances are transforming the potential for sustainable resource utilization in space exploration. Biomining, using microorganisms to extract valuable metals, has emerged as a viable strategy for in situ resource utilization (ISRU) in extraterrestrial environments. However, an increasing body of literature is showing that selecting the most efficient bioleaching approach highly depends on the interaction between the microbial species, the type of rock and environmental conditions. In the space biomining context, the heterotrophic bacterium Sphingomonas desiccabilis has demonstrated its capacity to extract valuable metals in space. Methods This study harnessed a comparative bioleaching analysis to investigate the organism's ability to extract industrially relevant metals from seven terrestrial and extraterrestrial rock types, including a meteorite, a basaltic rock, and samples from the Sudbury Basin, an impact structure formed ~1.85 Ga ago. Results We demonstrated that, depending on the substrate mineralogy, S. desicca bilis selectively mobilized Ce (up to 10.6%), Th (up to 1.5%), and other metals such as Pd, Pt, Mo, and W, at circum-neutral pH conditions. However, the extraction was not equal across all substrates, indicating the importance of mineralogy in bioleaching. Discussion While extraction rates were lower compared to industrial biomining standards, these results underscore the organism's potential in low-grade rocks bioleaching, particularly relevant for sustainable terrestrial biomining and long-duration space missions. More broadly, this work demonstrates that bioleaching efficiency is shaped not only by the microbial species employed, but also by the specific characteristics of the substrate, emphasizing the need to tailor bioleaching strategies to distinct mineral contexts.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1741305","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.3389/fmicb.2026.1741305","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s42004-026-01966-z","name":"Distribution of extraterrestrial nucleobases, other N-heterocycles, and their precursors in a sample from asteroid Bennu.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The recent discovery of all five canonical nucleobases in samples from Bennu provides compelling evidence that some of life's ingredients were synthesized abiotically in the parent body of this asteroid and/or its precedent components. However, due to the sample availability and the limited method for the analysis, the detailed distribution of nucleobases in the samples remains elusive. Here we report the concentrations of a diverse suite of nitrogen (N)-heterocycles including nucleobases extracted by 2% and 20% hydrochloric acid from a homogenized Bennu sample. The detection of both canonical and non-canonical nucleobase pairs confirms that these biologically important compounds are extraterrestrial. Pyrimidines are more abundant than purines-like the Orgueil meteorite, but unlike the Murchison meteorite and asteroid Ryugu samples-suggesting preferential synthesis in ammonia-rich ices from the outer Solar System. The distribution of other N-heterocycles is consistent with extensive aqueous alteration on the parent body. High concentrations of urea underscore its role in N-heterocycle synthesis. Our findings offer important information on the prebiotic inventory of N-heterocycles in the Solar System.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-026-01966-z","authors":["Yasuhiro Oba","Toshiki Koga","Yoshinori Takano","Hiroshi Naraoka","Yuta Hirakawa","S. SUNAMI","Yoshihiro Furukawa","Tomoya Yamazaki","Takuto Tomaru","Jason P. Dworkin","Daniel P. Glavin","Harold C. Connolly"],"tags":["Asteroid","Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Sample (material)","Distribution (mathematics)"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1038/s42004-026-01966-z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.copbio.2026.103491","name":"Microbial and synthetic biology solutions for waste management and biomanufacturing off Earth.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Waste management aboard the International Space Station is a critical challenge due to limited space, microgravity, and continuous waste generation. This manuscript explores biotechnological strategies that convert waste into valuable resources, supporting sustainability and reducing reliance on Earth. Biowaste decomposition transforms organic waste into nutrients and biogas, while regenerative life support systems recycle carbon, water, and minerals. Biomining enables microbes to extract rare elements and upcycle electronic waste into mission-critical metals. Engineered extremophiles demonstrate resilience and productivity in space, supporting their potential role in regenerative life support systems. Biomanufacturing platforms that use alternative and in situ feedstocks demonstrated the capability of producing vitamins and pharmaceuticals from waste-derived feedstocks. These innovations enhance crew health, reduce launch mass, and offer scalable models for sustainable resource recovery, marking a shift toward self-sufficient extraterrestrial habitats while simultaneously establishing the foundations for materially closed-loop bioregenerative life-support systems essential for Mars missions and long-term off-Earth settlements.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copbio.2026.103491","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1016/j.copbio.2026.103491","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acsami.6c07813","name":"Dual-Functional Metallized Basalt Fiber with Exceptional Electromagnetic Interference Shielding and Joule Heating Capabilities under Simulated Lunar Temperature Conditions.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The lunar mare region is rich in basaltic minerals, and in situ resource utilization (ISRU) is a fundamental strategy for sustainable extraterrestrial construction. However, combining electroless plating with basalt fibers for such construction leads to a significant mismatch of coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) between the fiber substrate and metal coating. Under extreme temperature alternations, this mismatch induces interfacial thermal stress concentration, causing coating peeling and performance failure. To address this issue, this study, using commercial terrestrial basalt fiber as an analogue for lunar basaltic materials, proposes an ISRU-inspired metallized fiber composite suitable for wide-temperature-range applications. By sequential electroless nickel plating and copper electroplating on basalt fibers, a nickel-copper-coated basalt fiber fabric (BF@Ni@Cu) was successfully fabricated, exhibiting high electrical conductivity, excellent electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (62.59 dB), and significant joule heating performance. The Ni interlayer forms a CTE gradient transition between the basalt substrate and the outer Cu layer, mitigating interfacial thermal stress. After annealing and PDMS encapsulation, the surface reflection characteristics are effectively regulated. To verify reliability under lunar diurnal temperature variations, cold-thermal shock cycle tests simulating the lunar range (from -196 to 130 °C) are conducted. After 30 cycles, the material maintained structural integrity without cracking or peeling, successfully overcoming interfacial thermal stress concentration. Consequently, the EMI shielding and joule heating performance showed only slight degradation, demonstrating excellent temperature shock resistance. This study not only provides a fiber metallization strategy that retains high performance under extreme temperature alternations but also offers a potential technical pathway inspired by ISRU for multifunctional protection and thermal management materials in future lunar base construction, through the design concept of thermal stress alleviation and failure-mode control via a gradient interlayer.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.6c07813","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1021/acsami.6c07813","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1177/15311074261417883","name":"Biosignature Detection and Preservation in Lake Salda Microbialites Under Simulated Martian Conditions.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The alteration of martian deposits under extreme surface conditions remains a key challenge for their mineral-organic interpretation and paleoenvironmental reconstruction. This study investigates the spectral detection and alteration of mineral-organic signatures in Lake Salda hydromagnesite microbialites under martian sublimation and radiation (UV) conditions. Samples were analyzed using visible near-infrared and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, then sublimated via lyophilization and exposed to UV radiation in the Planetary Atmospheres and Surfaces Simulation Chamber. Sublimation reduced the intensity of water and carbonate vibrations and enhanced CH 2 ν 3 and PO 2 - ν 3 organic features; this demonstrated that interstitial water sublimation may reduce O-H spectral noise, improve organic visibility, and reveal volatile sublimation patterns for future Mars rovers, such as Rosalind Franklin. In a three-sol (74 h) simulation of martian UV radiation (200-400 nm) under 7 mbar of CO 2 , FTIR spectral intensity was reduced, and organic CH 2 ν 3 and PO 2 - features were significantly degraded. These findings reveal spectral alterations under martian surface conditions and highlight organic biosignature vulnerability at equatorial latitudes, informing preservation protocols for future missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15311074261417883","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1177/15311074261417883","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1177/15311074251413234","name":"Biotic and Abiotic Signatures in Sulfate- and Carbonate-Rich Hypersaline Lakes as Analogs for Mars.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Lacustrine sulfate- and carbonate-rich deposits have been detected at Jezero and Gale craters on Mars. The preservation of potential biosignatures in these sites may depend on the nature of precipitated salts and the early diagenetic history of in situ minerals. In this study, we explore a collection of Mars analog hypersaline depositional environments in British Columbia. Magnesium salts and other sulfate and carbonate salts precipitate from the variable water chemistry of Atlin Playa and a suite of lakes on the Cariboo Plateau. Authigenic and detrital grains were distinguished on the basis of their microscale morphology revealed by scanning electron microscopy. Authigenic minerals display distinct textures such as globular or prismatic clumps or delicately preserved cement that envelops angular, detrital grains. However, microscale authigenic textures become rare below the sediment-water interface due to early diagenetic dissolution and reprecipitation of salts during wet-dry cycles in the lakes. Such early diagenetic overprinting of salts could pose problems for identifying primary environments and any potential biosignatures they might have preserved in 3-4 billion-year-old rocks on Mars. The δ 13 C of organic matter and δ 34 S of sulfate salts are reflective of source materials instead of diagenesis. Total organic carbon content is a function of the abundance of salt minerals, with a well-defined maximum in organic carbon content at an optimum salt content. Our findings demonstrate hypersaline lakes as key preservers of organic carbon and salts as a high-priority mineral target for finding organic carbon on Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15311074251413234","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1177/15311074251413234","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41526-026-00568-2","name":"Anabaena-a promising chassis for space exploration.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Anabaena, a nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium from the Nostocaceae family, is a promising chassis for sustained space exploration. Using NEKO, this study surveys 2000 publications on Anabaena and summarizes the research, including systems biology, modeling, and potential space applications. Future research should examine its metabolism in space environments, such as microgravity and radiation, and develop bioreactor designs and genetic tools for reliable, self-regulating biomanufacturing systems in these environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-026-00568-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1038/s41526-026-00568-2","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fmicb.2025.1645014","name":"From Earth to Mars: a perspective on exploiting biomineralization for Martian construction.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"resource utilization (ISRU) technologies is imperative. This perspective article explores the potential of biomineralization as a low-energy, sustainable alternative to conventional construction methods, such as Portland cement and thermal sintering approaches proposed for lunar applications, which are often energy-intensive and constrained by material specificity. Following an assessment of the chemical composition of Martian regolith, its suitability as a substrate for various biomineralization pathways, particularly those aligned with ISRU constraints, is evaluated. Special emphasis is placed on identifying biological pathways that are not only metabolically compatible with Martian geochemistry but can also function as a co-culture, mutually supporting each other's survival and activity under Martian environmental stresses. The most promising microbial consortia for biocementation are proposed for future extraterrestrial construction applications. The integration of robotics and automation in biocementation-based additive manufacturing using Martian regolith as a construction feedstock is discussed. Advanced robotic systems equipped with multi-axis extrusion nozzles, sensor suites, and real-time flow control are proposed for the construction of structurally resilient geometries on Mars. As a flexible, scalable, and ISRU-compatible technology, biocementation holds promise not only for infrastructure construction but also for integrated resource cycles, producing oxygen and ammonia as byproducts. Biocementation-based ISRU construction represents a synergistic pathway toward sustainable human presence on Mars, enabling robotic fabrication of critical infrastructure from locally available materials.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1645014","authors":["Shiva Khoshtinat","Jared Long-Fox","Seyed Mohammad Javad Hosseini"],"tags":["Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Biomineralization","Astrobiology","Engineering"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.3389/fmicb.2025.1645014","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acs.nanolett.5c04827","name":"Transcrystalline Fracture of Minerals on the Moon.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to identify the mechanical mode from an atomic-level experimental observation and theoretical analysis of microfracture of minerals on the Moon. This vivid case comes from the focused anorthite in the Chang'e-5 lunar soil samples, where microstructural evidence reveals transcrystalline fracture patterns and localized amorphous domains that may correlate with high-velocity impacts. Such findings are crucial for revealing the extreme occurrence of the early Moon via the paradigm of materials science, i.e., coincidence with the collision and impact on the Moon. Thus, it may enrich our understanding of the Moon's evolution and thereby inspire future studies of relevant extraterrestrial bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.5c04827","authors":["Qing Liang","Zhou Jiang","Xiujuan Li","Xinyang Li","Meiqi Liu","Zhen Chen","Zhenzhen Zhao","Rui Zhang","Meng Zou","Qiang Zhou","Wei Zhang"],"tags":["Fracture (geology)","Anorthite","Geology","Amorphous solid","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1021/acs.nanolett.5c04827","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/gbi.70045","name":"Tricks of Nature From the Ancient Earth and Early Mars: Chemical Gardens Generate Biomorphs With High Preservation Potential.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Observations of morphology are commonly used to evaluate the biogenicity of terrestrial microfossils and could constitute a crucial line of evidence for extraterrestrial life-detection missions in the future. However, evaluating the origin of morphological features in the rock record can be problematic because naturally occurring abiotic structures can resemble biological morphologies, which may lead to false-positive detections of fossilised life. Iron-mineralised chemical gardens have been highlighted as potentially confounding abiotic structures because of their morphological and chemical resemblance to biomineralised filaments. Despite this, the potential for chemical garden structures to be preserved in the fossil record has not been thoroughly investigated. Here, we subjected abiotic iron-mineralised chemical garden structures to artificial maturation using hydrous pyrolysis, in order to evaluate their preservation potential. We found that these abiotic filaments were relatively resistant to degradation caused by maturation when compared with analogous biological material. Additionally, the transformation of ferrihydrite to crystalline iron oxides was found to be relatively inhibited, likely because of the influence of silica. These findings highlight the need for fossilised filamentous material to be distinguished from chemical garden structures before a biological origin can be confidently attributed, particularly when observed in significantly altered rocks.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/gbi.70045","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1111/gbi.70045","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2183/pjab.102.012","name":"Extraterrestrial &lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;He flux variability during the Triassic recorded in pelagic bedded cherts of Japan.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Interplanetary dust particles are highly enriched with 3He implanted by the solar wind, enabling the reconstruction of extraterrestrial dust fluxes to Earth from sedimentary 3He records. However, the fluxes of extraterrestrial dust during periods predating the Cretaceous remain poorly constrained. In this study, we present the first comprehensive reconstruction of extraterrestrial 3He fluxes for much of the Triassic period (approximately 246–212 Ma) based on pelagic-bedded cherts preserved in Jurassic accretionary complexes in Japan. We reconstructed extraterrestrial 3He fluxes after correcting for dilution by radiolarian-derived biogenic silica. The records reveal long-term flux enhancements during the Ladinian and late Carnian (Tuvalian) intervals, reaching amplitudes approximately 2–3 times the background level and persisting for ∼3–4 Myr. These features are inconsistent with short-lived influx events, such as comet showers or asteroid breakups, and are instead comparable to long-term background variations in the Cretaceous and Cenozoic records. A sharp 3He flux peak at ∼215–216 Ma is accompanied by elevated 3He/4He ratios, indicating a sudden influx of fine-grained extraterrestrial material. The timing of this excursion closely coincides with the Manicouagan impact event (215.4 Ma), suggesting a link between asteroid disruption and enhanced dust production during the Triassic.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2183/pjab.102.012","authors":["Tetsuji Onoue","Kohei Setoyama","Honami Sato","Takuma SHIOHARA","Naoto TAKAHATA"],"tags":["Geology","Extraterrestrial life","Pelagic zone","Pelagic sediment","Paleontology"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.2183/pjab.102.012","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acsearthspacechem.5c00124","name":"Photothermal Polarimetric Nanoscopy: An Emerging Technique for Fingerprinting Minerals of Extraterrestrial Origin.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Nanospectroscopic investigations of the mineralogical composition of materials returned via sample-return missions are crucial for our understanding of the origin and evolution of planetary objects in our Solar System. Here, we show that the emerging technique of photothermal polarimetric nanoscopy, a variant of atomic force microscopy-based infrared spectroscopy, enables one to derive infrared fingerprint spectra of minerals noninvasively on the nanoscale. Besides the spatially resolved identification of specific minerals and mineral phases, the evaluation of the polarization dependence of the photoinduced nanomechanical response, in combination with optical reference data, may allow the deduction of valuable structural information on individual nanocrystallites or grains embedded in solid matrices.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.5c00124","authors":["T. Shay","K. Hinrichs","S.G. Pavlov","N. Stojanovic","I. Weber","A. Morlok","M. Gensch","Karsten Hinrichs","S. G. Pavlov","Nikolina Stojanović","Michael Gensch"],"tags":["Photothermal therapy","Polarimetry","Remote sensing","Astrobiology","Infrared"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1021/acsearthspacechem.5c00124","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s00792-026-01426-5","name":"Extreme Arabian environments and their microbiomes: new frontiers for astrobiology and biosignature discovery.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Astrobiology assesses the habitability of planetary bodies and the potential for extraterrestrial life. Analog environments on Earth serve as sites for studying extreme environments that resemble extraterrestrial conditions, aiding in validating life-detection methods, mission instrumentation, and biosignature preservation. These environments function as a source of model microorganisms and communities that define the habitability and biochemistry of such extraterrestrial environments. Well-known analog environments include the Atacama Desert (Chile) for space mission validation, the McMurdo Dry Valleys (Antarctica) for Mars analog studies, and Rio Tinto (Spain) for extreme acidic environments. Although significant research has been conducted on these sites, various alternative environments may also offer valuable opportunities for astrobiological studies. Saudi Arabia encompasses a variety of pristine (or with minimal anthropic influence) extreme environments with conditions analogous to extraterrestrial settings (e.g., deserts and salt flats as analogs to Mars, and terrestrial and marine volcanic fields as analogs to icy moons), yet their potential remains largely unexplored. Recent studies have identified a volcanic crater with sodium phosphates and chlorates that mimics Enceladus’s ocean chemistry, and researchers have cultured Halalkalibacterium halodurans strains with adaptations to survive these conditions, offering valuable biological models. Additionally, complex metabolic landscapes with implications for icy moon habitability have been observed in Red Sea systems, which could be employed as valuable natural laboratories in astrobiological research. Furthermore, these findings underscore the potential of the Saudi Arabian extremophilic microbiome for space-related research. This review explores the microbial diversity of extreme environments in Saudi Arabia, emphasizing their potential as new terrestrial analogs to Mars and icy moons and the role of their microbiomes as terrestrial proxies for extraterrestrial life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00792-026-01426-5","authors":["Júnia Schultz","Paula García-Martínez","Sharifah Altalhi","Nicholas Kontis","Alef dos Santos","Alexandre Soares Rosado"],"tags":["Habitability","Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Extreme environment","Mars Exploration Program"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1007/s00792-026-01426-5","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1177/15311074251392173","name":"Evaporitic Preservation of Modern Carotenoid Biomarkers and Halophilic Microorganisms in Mars Analog Hypersaline Environments.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Our investigation in Mars-relevant terrestrial environments where biological material is entombed within rapidly precipitated evaporite crystals has given us the ability to evaluate the preservation potential of a hypersaline brine system in advance of interrogating similar environments on Mars. These evaporite minerals, halite (NaCl) and gypsum (CaSO 4 ), have been found to host authigenic fluid inclusions over geologic time, with cellular life and carotenoid pigments that are understudied in the planetary context. Great Salt Lake provides an excellent site to test the ability to detect organic matter in Mars-relevant evaporite crystals. DNA was extracted to determine which microbial clades were present and assess the attenuation of DNA preservation from the host fluid of the lake to the mineral. Raman spectroscopy was used to investigate the presence of pigments that have longer preservation potential than DNA. Compared with the water column, evaporite minerals preserve higher volumes of DNA and associated biochemistry, whereas entombed fluid inclusions preserve even higher magnitudes of both biomarkers. This indicates organic addition and continued preservation as the crystals precipitate from the fluid, which was later confirmed as micrometer-scale environments continued to maintain the ecology within closed-system fluid inclusions. Raman analyses of halite revealed the presence of β-carotene and bacterioruberin, consistent with the presence of carotenoid-generating bacteria and archaea in this hypersaline environment, which are characterized by pink coloration. The continued preservation of these chemical biomarkers over time has led to the formation of physical biosignatures within the evaporite record. Given that these same minerals are present in ancient fluvial sites across Mars, halite and gypsum are ideal candidates for future in situ observation and should be considered high priority for sample return missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15311074251392173","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1177/15311074251392173","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/life16030497","name":"Chemical Routes to Primitive Membranes: Prebiotic Lipid Formation at the Origin of Life.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The origin of life is, to the best of our knowledge, impossible to imagine without the formation of complex prebiotic biomolecules such as RNA, DNA, proteins and lipids. Lipids play a crucial role in the spontaneous formation of cell membranes, which are responsible for cell integrity, compartmentalization, selective permeability, and providing a microenvironment for biochemical reactions. The goal of the current work is to summarize the current state of the art regarding the abiotic formation of membrane building blocks, such as glycerol, fatty acids, and their phosphorylated version as phospholipid precursors. We describe the necessity of a systems chemistry approach for the complexification and expansion of the prebiotic network, enabling the formation of several membranogenic precursors. We also discuss prebiotic pathways for phosphorylation and acylation that could lead to phospholipid availability in hydrothermal environments and on the early Earth surface. We conclude with the possible spontaneous vesiculation of these molecules as a primitive version of the cell membrane. Thus, we present a comprehensive perspective on prebiotic vesicle formation, starting from simple molecules and developing until the self-assembly of vesicles.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life16030497","authors":["Anastasiia Shvetsova","M. Fiore"],"tags":["Abiogenesis","Prebiotic","Biomolecule","Chemistry","Biochemistry"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.3390/life16030497","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-026-69575-x","name":"Space ionizing radiation triggers the formation of peptides and organophosphates on olivine surfaces.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract Bioorganic molecules, such as amino acids, nucleobases, and sugars, are widely distributed in space. Here, we utilized the Chinese Space Station to carry out an investigation on the solid-state condensation reactions of these “prebiotic organic molecules” under the combined effects of ionizing radiation and forsterite. Cumulative low-dose ionizing radiation can trigger dipeptide formations and phosphorylation of riboses. Dipeptide yields increased 41-fold due to the synergistic effect of forsterite plus sodium trimetaphosphate (P 3 m). P 3 m is activated upon irradiation to phosphorylate nucleosides into nucleotides. Under ionizing radiation, forsterite can promote hydroxyapatite to serve as an accessible phosphorus source for activating amino acids to form peptides. These findings indicate that complex biomolecules can be formed abiotically in space through ionizing radiation activation with the assistance of forsterite in certain radiation - resistant environments distant from planetary surfaces. It implies that apart from transporting prebiotic organic molecules to Earth, space can also provide opportunities for the in-situ assembly of ordered biomolecules from these disordered materials.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-69575-x","authors":["Ruiwen Ding","Shiwen Qiu","Xiaofan Guo","Mengya Zhang","Yan Liu","Zhiyun Zou","Jianxi Ying","Binquan Zhang","Yufen Zhao"],"tags":["Forsterite","Biomolecule","Ionizing radiation","Dipeptide","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-026-69575-x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41526-026-00576-2","name":"Yeast-driven biomanufacturing in space: synergizing cellular agriculture for sustainable extraterrestrial habitats.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Human expansion into deep space necessitates sustainable life support. Current prepackaged food systems face nutritional, logistical, and psychological limits on long missions. Cell agriculture, particularly yeast-based biomanufacturing, emerges as a pivotal solution. Yeast's genetic flexibility, metabolic resilience, and tolerance to extreme conditions make it an ideal chassis for in-situ food and nutrient production. This review systematically explores yeast's application in creating closed-loop space food systems, analyzing its progress, challenges, and future potential for enabling sustained extraterrestrial presence.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-026-00576-2","authors":["Yishu Yin","Heqi Gao","Dan Xiao","Ting Ju","Jiayu Wang","Yuanbing Zhu","Lishui Chen","Weihong Lu"],"tags":["Sustainable agriculture","Agriculture","Environmental resource management","Engineering","Biomanufacturing"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1038/s41526-026-00576-2","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s42004-026-01969-w","name":"Redox chemistry of early Earth and the origin of life.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Multiple controversial scenarios have been proposed explaining the emergence of life, both from environmental and chemical perspectives. These scenarios discuss environmental settings including deep-ocean hydrothermal vents, volcanic lakes, hot springs, and geysers, which could have served as the cradle for life. Environmental conditions varied by energy, chemical elements, minerals, transition metals, dynamic light-dark, hot-cold, and wet-dry cycles for the first organic synthesis. Other controversies concern the type of organisms that could have appeared first: either heterotrophic or autotrophic. The heterotrophic theory suggests that the first organic compounds were abiotically synthesized from simple inorganic molecules accumulating in the oceans and concentrating in coacervates, which functioned as early pre-cellular structures. The chemoautotrophic theory argues that life originated from inorganic compounds, rather than from organic matter establishing proto-metabolic pathways in primary producers. All of the above-mentioned theories rely on redox reactions that created necessary conditions and molecules for the origin of life. This review explores evidences that reconcile the dominant theories, including that: (i) the Hadean atmosphere was weakly oxidizing, but transiently reducing, (ii) hydrothermal systems provided energy for organic synthesis supporting both heterotrophs and chemoautotrophs, (iii) organic compounds were transported between different environments, and (iv) life emerged in multiple local environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-026-01969-w","authors":["Nurbubu T. Moldogazieva","Alexander A. Terentiev","Innokenty M. Mokhosoev","Dmitry V. Astakhov"],"tags":["Chemistry","Redox","Earth (classical element)","Early Earth","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1038/s42004-026-01969-w","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1177/15311074251392901","name":"Geochemical Mobility of Elements in Antarctic Environments Affected by CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;-Rich Hydrothermal Fluids: Astrobiological Implications.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Hydrothermal systems are widespread in our solar system. Identification of alteration mineral assemblages on Mars and potentially in ocean worlds such as Enceladus suggests the existence of extensive hydrothermal fluid-igneous rock interactions of astrobiological interest in different planetary bodies. Here, we studied the terrestrial analog Cerro Caliente, a band of geothermal alterations located in the glaciovolcanic environment of Deception Island (Antarctica), with the aim of determining the mobility of major chemical elements (e.g., alkalis, phosphorus) and its implications in the habitability potential of such environments. We verified that the rock texture, particularly rich in volcanic glass, plays a major role in geochemical mobility, with permafrost delimiting the impact of hydrothermal activity by reducing the permeability of the lapilli tuff deposit. We studied the mineralogy and geochemistry of the alteration band by comparing borehole samples in different locations that represent different thermal regimes along the hydrothermal alteration band. The alteration products are characteristic of palagonitization processes, which favor the release of elements useful for life, such as phosphorus, although the basic alkalinity of the medium caused its precipitation in the form of tricalcium phosphate. In addition, lipid biomarker analyses were performed to assess the existence of possible potential ecological niches associated with these environments. On Mars, the circulation of low-temperature CO 2 -rich hydrothermal fluids through glass-bearing volcanic rocks results in a loss of silica content and a secondary mineral assemblage composed of palagonite, phyllosilicates, and zeolites, which establishes Cerro Caliente as a valid Mars analog for understanding such environments. In addition, our results support the hypothesis of a hydrothermal origin of phosphorous for the formation of Enceladus' phosphates recently detected in the plumes. We also determined that a fraction of the calcium in Cerro Caliente was sequestered as carbonates of biogenic origin, which produced a distinctive Raman signal that, together with the lipid content, would make it a relevant potential biosignature if similar findings were made in the search for life in such low-temperature hydrothermal environments. Key Words: Hydrothermal systems-Palagonitization-Phosphates-Lipid biomarkers-Mars-Ocean worlds. Astrobiology 25, 777-792.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15311074251392901","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1177/15311074251392901","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-026-72265-3","name":"Asteroid sample return missions are critical for understanding our Solar System.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Analysis of pristine asteroid material in Earth-based laboratories is critical to address many outstanding questions in planetary science. Asteroid sample return missions are therefore crucial for the next generation of discoveries.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-72265-3","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-026-72265-3","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/life16050747","name":"Diverging Mineral Chemistry of Iron and Nickel Throughout Earth's Changing Redox Conditions Reveals Foundation for Their Evolution as Protein Cofactors.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Iron (Fe) and nickel (Ni) were both foundational to early metabolism, yet their biological trajectories diverged as Earth's surface redox state changed. Here, we integrate mineral chemistry network analysis, protein metal-site coordination-sphere analysis, and curated redox comparisons to test how geochemistry and metalloprotein architecture co-evolved. Mineral network analyses show broader electronegativity variation and network diversity for Fe-bearing minerals through time relative to Ni-bearing minerals. In structural analyses of protein metal centers in a combined Fe/Ni protein structure set, it is shown that Fe- and Ni-associated environments differ in amino-acid composition, hydropathy structure, and cysteine representation. The greater chemical diversity and electronegativity variation in Fe minerals mirror the higher redox and structural versatility of Fe-binding proteins. The presence of Fe in a broader range of mineral and protein environments demonstrates the chemical adaptability of the metal, from the anoxic Archean to oxidative Earth surface conditions following the Great Oxidation Event. Iron, with its broad redox potential range in Fe-oxidoreductases, has a central role in both anaerobic and aerobic metabolisms. Nickel, by contrast, is less widespread in biology. Today, Ni is predominantly employed in deeply branching anaerobic pathways and by proteins with narrower redox potential ranges. Our results show that evolutionary processes, constrained by metal chemistry, habitually utilize Fe as a redox generalist while retaining Ni in specialized roles. The divergent paths of Ni and Fe, from rocks to proteins, demonstrate the intimate relationship between planetary geochemistry and metabolic origins on Earth and suggest that Fe/Ni geochemistry may inform habitability assessments in extraterrestrial environments when interpreted within specific planetary environmental contexts.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life16050747","authors":["Benjamin I. Jelen","Yarissa Peralta","Shaunna M. Morrison","Beth Christensen","Eli K. Moore"],"tags":["Redox","Chemistry","Early Earth","Ferrous","Metalloprotein"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.3390/life16050747","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/mlf2.70032","name":"Current understanding of electroautotrophy and its relevance in astrobiology-related research.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Electroautotrophy-the use of extracellular electrons as the primary energy source for autotrophic metabolism-remains understudied compared to photoautotrophy and chemoautotrophy. Its occurrence in deep-earth and deep-sea environments suggests profound implications for astrobiology, yet electroautotrophic microorganisms remain poorly explored. This review synthesizes the discovery of electroautotrophs and current knowledge from laboratory and field studies, including insights from the deep biosphere. We evaluate their ecological roles on Earth and discuss their potential significance in possible life-supporting ecosystems elsewhere and in life-detection strategies. Finally, we propose six key research priorities to advance the study of electroautotrophy in astrobiological contexts.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/mlf2.70032","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1002/mlf2.70032","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1177/15311074261416868","name":"Cold-Water CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; Geysers as Ocean World Plume Analogs: Investigation of Habitability Indicators in Crystal and Champagne Geysers Pre- and Posteruption.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Ocean world plumes at Enceladus, Triton, and possibly Europa are astrobiologically significant. These active processes may transport fresh material from potentially habitable subsurface environments to the surface and atmosphere/exosphere, where they can be accessed by spacecraft and telescopic observations. However, it is currently unclear if chemical fractionation or other modification processes might occur during subsurface transport and eruption and potentially lead to changes in concentrations of habitability indicators relative to the source reservoir. To explore this phenomenon in a natural setting, we investigated the cold CO 2 geysers in Green River, Utah, which have eruptions driven by volatile exsolution. We collected samples from two geysers with different vent diameters and discharge volumes and compared the chemical composition of the erupted effluent and mineralogy of evaporite deposits with their respective pre-erupted waters; we also performed geochemical modeling to reconstruct the original chemical speciation of the source waters. Observed increases in electrical conductivity for both the erupted effluents may be due to an influx of warm fluids enriched in CO 2 -charged brine entering the aquifer and initiating eruption via CO 2 exsolution and buoyant acceleration. Modeling results indicate source waters extremely rich in dissolved CO 2 with pH values significantly lower than those of erupted waters. The outgassing of CO 2 and significant levels of sulfate, Na/K ratio, and acidic pH suggest that the effluent from this geysering system may serve as a natural analog for putative plume deposits on Europa. The larger geyser (Crystal) had evaporites that were carbonate-rich, while the smaller geyser (Champagne) produced evaporites dominated by sulfate minerals. Furthermore, in a sample of erupted Champagne waters cooled rapidly in vacuum to replicate a frozen plume deposit, vitreous MgSO 4 was the primary constituent; this was not the main component in solution or identified in the evaporite or surrounding tufa. Overall, our observations suggest that geyser discharge volume, eruptive energy, and/or proximity to the host reservoir may all play a role in the composition of plume ejecta and surface deposits, and care should be taken in integrating both in situ and remote sensing observations to fully characterize plume deposits and make robust inferences of ocean composition. Key Words: Enceladus-Europa-Reflectance spectroscopy-Raman spectroscopy-Habitability indicator-Plume. Astrobiology 26, 79-98.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15311074261416868","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1177/15311074261416868","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s44453-025-00018-5","name":"Phase-specific nanoscale mechanics of anhydrous astromaterials and implications for larger-scale strength.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The mechanical behavior of heterogeneous astromaterials is strongly influenced by their dominant mineral phases. Quantifying their mechanical properties is essential for modeling asteroid deflection, designing sample return systems, and planning in-situ resource utilization. Yet, data for the major mineral phases that comprise a large fraction of near-Earth objects (NEOs) remains scarce. Here, depth-sensing nanoindentation is used to measure nanoscale hardness ( H ), modulus ( M ), and ductility ( M / H ) for the primary phases in a representative stony meteorite. Targeted phases include anhydrous silicates, oxides, sulfides, and Fe-Ni metals. The Ashby plot of M versus H shows that metals and silicates are widely separated in property space. A rule-of-mixtures approach is applied to estimate upper bounds on bulk modulus, linking mineral-scale measurements to bulk mechanical behavior. These results provide new insights into the nanoscale mechanics of complex extraterrestrial materials and establish a foundation for connecting properties across scales.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s44453-025-00018-5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1038/s44453-025-00018-5","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/rcm.10038","name":"Evaluation of Matrix Effects in SIMS Using Gaussian Process Regression: The Case of Olivine Mg Isotope Microanalysis.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Rationale Matrix effects by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) are empirically corrected by calibration using matrix-matched reference materials. However, conventional parametric regression cannot estimate the prediction uncertainty to account for the difference in compositions of new data and reference materials. Applying Gaussian process regression (GPR), a nonparametric probabilistic method, enables the correction for matrix effect while providing quantitative prediction uncertainty. Methods We developed GPR models for estimating instrumental mass fractionation (IMF). Magnesium isotope dataset of 17 olivine reference materials was used as training data, and the developed model was applied to another data set of extraterrestrial olivines. Results The GPR model using FeO/MgO, CaO/MgO, Cr 2 O 3 /MgO, and MnO/MgO achieved the higher prediction accuracy of IMF (R 2 = 0.98) than a previous study. We found that minor elements in olivine, such as Ca, Cr, and Mn, independently affected the matrix effect. We also demonstrated the effectiveness of this method for extraterrestrial materials. Conclusions We concluded that GPR is a powerful approach for correcting the SIMS matrix effect, especially when minor elements impact the matrix effect. This approach can be applied to other trace element and isotope analyses of solid-solution minerals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.10038","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1002/rcm.10038","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-026-71130-7","name":"Abiotic CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; reduction promoted by carbonate and phyllosilicate minerals on the primitive seafloor.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Adsorption of trace transition-metal cations endows common Ca/Mg-carbonates and phyllosilicates with catalytic activity for electrochemical CO2 reduction under planetary conditions, potentially promoting prebiotic chemistry and the origin of life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-71130-7","authors":["Yuan Zhong","Ning Zhang","Daoming Huan","Jingxiang Low","I. M. Daniel","Henderson James Cleaves","Chao Zhang","Yamei Li","Yawen Jiang","Xinyu Wang","Christopher R. Glein","Jiawei Li"],"tags":["Chemistry","Catalysis","Carbonate","Adsorption","Carbonate minerals"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-026-71130-7","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.aec9030","name":"Volcanic forcing of global climate cooling at the Younger Dryas onset preserved in North American sediments.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Younger Dryas (YD; ~12.9 to 11.7 thousand years) marks an abrupt return to near-glacial conditions during the last deglaciation, yet its cause remains debated. One possible scenario, the YD impact hypothesis, proposes an extraterrestrial trigger. However, growing geochemical and stratigraphic evidence points toward a volcanic origin. This study presents the 187 Os/ 188 Os isotope and highly siderophile element (HSE) data from the Page-Ladson (PL) site (8JE591) in Florida, a well-dated, continuous sedimentary record spanning the YD onset. The onset in the PL profile is marked by unradiogenic osmium coincident with elevated Os and Re concentrations and a Cl-chondrite-normalized HSE pattern with a compositional range and signature closely matching volcanic aerosol patterns. When integrated with comparable records from Hall's Cave and the Debra L. Friedkin site in Texas, the unradiogenic 187 Os/ 188 Os ratios align across multiple depositional environments and correlate with a cluster of major bipolar volcanic eruptions (~12.98 to 12.87 thousand years) documented in Greenland and Antarctic ice cores whose cumulative radiative forcing exceeds the most volcanically active intervals of the Common Era. The magnitude and hemispheric asymmetry of this volcanic activity imply forcing of sufficient magnitude capable of disrupting the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation and triggering rapid Northern Hemisphere cooling. These findings provide multiproxy, regionally consistent evidence for a volcanically driven perturbation at the onset of the YD, offering a robust alternative to impact-based explanations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aec9030","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.aec9030","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1128/aem.00241-25","name":"Planetary microbiology: microbes, planets, and the search for life.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Life on Earth has been shaped by transformative microbial innovations and singularities that redefined planetary systems, from oxygenic photosynthesis to biological nitrogen fixation. These unique events, occurring only once in life's tractable history, laid the foundation for the complex ecosystems and global biogeochemical cycles around us today. The Planetary Microbiology collection in Applied and Environmental Microbiology explores how modern microbiological tools reveal the origins, early evolution, and planetary impacts of these microbial breakthroughs. Spanning deep-time studies, extreme environments, and astrobiology, contributions in this issue link biosignatures and ancient microbes to the search for extraterrestrial life. By bridging molecular, ecological, and planetary scales, planetary microbiology illuminates life's past while critically informing strategies for the environmental and exploration challenges of our future.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.00241-25","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1128/aem.00241-25","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/1751-7915.70286","name":"Subsurface Life on Earth as a Key to Unlock Extraterrestrial Mysteries.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The first forms of life on Earth were microbial, preceding the evolution of multicellular life by more than two billion years. Based on our current understanding of the origin of life, it is likely that the first life forms on any extraterrestrial world would also be microbial. Due to the extreme temperatures, radiation or aridity on most planetary surfaces, such extraterrestrial microbes would most likely dwell in subsurface environments. Earth's subsurface features a wide range of environments, including deep marine sediments, crustal aquifers, rock fracture fluids, hydrocarbon reservoirs, caves and permafrost soils. These environments are known to host an immense diversity of life forms, predominantly microbes that survive or even thrive under extreme conditions and energy scarcity. Life's ability to endure and possibly evolve in Earth's subsurface lends credence to the possible existence of life beyond our planet and provides a blueprint for the extraterrestrial life forms and biosignatures we might expect. The exploration of space via extraterrestrial samples analysed on Earth, in situ extraterrestrial analyses, and remote sensing continue to advance our search for and understanding of potential biosignatures on other planetary bodies. But by investigating Earth's deep, dark and isolated ecosystems, we not only broaden our understanding of life's adaptability but also refine our strategies and technologies for detecting life on other planets and moons. Subsurface exploration is not just a frontier of Earth science-it is a cornerstone of astrobiology and in the pursuit of understanding the multitude of processes that could create and sustain life anywhere. In this opinion article, we discuss the latest highlights in subsurface research and technology, how Earth's subsurface environments serve as models for potential environments on other planetary bodies, why insights into subsurface microbiomes inform the search for life elsewhere, and which technologies and developments will advance the field in the future.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1751-7915.70286","authors":["Emeline Vidal","Melody R. Lindsay","James A. Bradley","Magdalena R. Osburn","S. Emil Ruff"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology","Search for extraterrestrial intelligence","Earth science","Biosphere"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1111/1751-7915.70286","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/nsr/nwaf200","name":"High- and ultrahigh-spatial-resolution geochronology.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Qiu-Li Li, Hao Wang; High- and ultrahigh-spatial-resolution geochronology, National Science Review, , nwaf200, https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwaf200","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwaf200","authors":["Qiuli Li","Hao Wang"],"tags":["Geochronology","Geology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1093/nsr/nwaf200","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1177/15311074251360767","name":"Crystal Habits as Potential Biosignatures.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Our understanding of crystalline structures within terrestrial planetary analog environments can shed light on how these features can be interpreted on rocky planets and icy moons in our solar system. The ability to distinguish biogenic and abiotic components within the mineral, crystal, and structural features allows us to inform future life detection missions, science payloads, and instrument measurement resolutions. Moreover, having these terrestrial reference measurements in a review format allows the measurement rationale to be understood in the context of mission concepts and geomicrobiological assessment of life in extreme environments. From 2020 to 2022, this team contributed to NASA's Center for Life Detection, Life Detection Knowledge Base, where structural features in crystalline and crystal-centric sample analyses were reviewed and assessed for biogenic preservation potential. This article highlights the scientific rationale and astrobiological sample assessment of evaluation for crystal habits as a possible biosignature. This is to illustrate true and false positives of the standards of evidence for minerals and their associated crystal habits. Moreover, we illustrate how these efforts contribute to the overall assessment of this type of morphological evidence in extant and extinct life detection campaigns.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15311074251360767","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1177/15311074251360767","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2024.0096","name":"Simplified Meteorite Parent Body Alteration of Amino Acids by Hydrothermal Processes.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Amino acids have been identified in extraterrestrial materials such as meteorites and returned samples from asteroids and comets. Some of these amino acids or their precursors may have formed on icy interstellar dust grains or at a later phase when these grains became incorporated into larger parent bodies. In this work, we simulated parent body aqueous alteration of the residues from irradiated interstellar ice analogs in the presence of relevant minerals (pulverized serpentinite and Allende meteorite). We tracked the change in amino acid abundances as a function of hydrothermal processing time and examined how these differed based on the presence of minerals. We find that the presence of minerals and their mineralogy can have a significant impact on the formation and destruction of amino acids during simulated aqueous alteration experiments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2024.0096","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2024.0096","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/plants15050697","name":"Primary Stress Factors and Adaptive Mechanisms of Microalgae in Space Environments and Their Applications in Space Life Support Systems.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Cyanobacteria and eukaryotic microalgae (collectively referred to here as 'microalgae') represent early-evolving oxygenic phototrophs and are widely considered ideal candidates for bioregenerative life support systems (BLSS) due to their high metabolic efficiency and ecological robustness. Photosynthetic systems centered on microalgae show strong promise for life support in future deep-space exploration. However, the space environment imposes a range of harsh stressors, including intense radiation, extreme temperature fluctuations, vacuum conditions, and microgravity, all of which critically challenge biological survival. The capacity to resist extreme environments, maintain viability, and reproduce is of great significance. This review systematically summarizes the responses and adaptive mechanisms of microalgae in extraterrestrial settings, including the regulation of radiation defense, photosynthetic metabolic reprogramming, structural protection, and dormancy strategies. Furthermore, the practical applications of microalgae in BLSS encompass atmospheric regulation, food supplementation, and wastewater recycling. By highlighting both achievements and current limitations, this review provides insights into the potential of microalgae as a cornerstone for future long-duration space missions and planetary base construction, while identifying key directions for future research on strain improvement, photobioreactor optimization, and system integration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15050697","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.3390/plants15050697","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.xinn.2026.101420","name":"Dynamic controls on subsurface water chemistry and habitability on icy moons.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Icy moons are natural satellites whose surfaces contain a substantial fraction of frozen materials, most notably water ice. They lie beyond the snow line and orbit gas or ice giant planets, such as Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Recent observations and theoretical studies have indicated that several icy moons host regional or global subsurface liquid water oceans that likely persist for 107–109 years.1 Moreover, various organic matter and bioessential nutrients have been detected on icy shells or within plumes from several icy moons,2 implying potentially habitable ocean chemistry.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xinn.2026.101420","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1016/j.xinn.2026.101420","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/nsr/nwaf281","name":"Recent progress and future prospects of the early solar system chronology.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"We review the developments in isotope chronology of the oldest extraterrestrial materials achieved in the last 10-15 years, with emphasis on high precision U-Pb and extinct radionuclide dating, and on application of these methods to the materials that formed in the first 7 million years after formation of proto-Sun, the time during which the gas and dust in the protoplanetary disc accreted or dissipated, and planetesimals and protoplanets formed. The analytical precision of isotopic dates now allows resolving events that occurred within 100 000-300 000 years of each other. The main challenges currently faced by isotope cosmochronology are matching the achieved precision with a similar level of accuracy, adapting to the growing evidence of complex isotope heterogeneity of the protoplanetary disc, extracting ages of individual events from complex rocks, and responding to growing quantity, quality and diversity of recently discovered meteorites and samples returned by space missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwaf281","authors":["Yuri Amelin","Qing‐Zhu Yin"],"tags":["Chronology","History","Climatology","Geography","Archaeology"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1093/nsr/nwaf281","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-026-50840-4","name":"Maize (Zea mays L.) survival on Mars depends on regolith's chemical composition rather than reduced gravity or lack of magnetic field.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The long-term success of human missions to Mars requires the ability of plants, like maize (Zea mays L.), to thrive under Martian conditions. We assessed the combined effects of the planet’s unique biophysical environment by simulating Martian gravity (sMG, 0.38 g) and Mars hypomagnetic field (hMF, ~ 40 nT) and the chemical toxicity of Mars Global Simulant (MGS-1) regolith. We conducted comprehensive mineralogical characterization of MGS-1 using PXRD, SEM-EDXS, and S/TEM-EDXS. Maize was cultivated in a 30% MGS-1 substrate under sMG and hMF conditions. Analyses included morphological assessments, biochemical measurements, and gene expression. MGS-1 characterization revealed mineral phases (e.g., quartz, mica), enhancing its chemical complexity. Applied alone, hMF and sMG triggered specific compensatory responses in auxin transport and metabolism (e.g., sMG increased leaf area; hMF modulated protein content). In dual-stress scenarios, MGS-1 emerged as the dominant stressor, overriding biophysical cues. The hMF + MGS-1 combination enabled metabolic retention (elevated protein and root PIN plasticity), indicating manageable stress. Conversely, sMG + MGS-1 posed the greatest threat, inducing systemic metabolic depletion (decreased protein and proline) and disrupting root development signals (PIN downregulation). Ultimately, maize survival on Mars is primarily constrained by regolith chemical imbalance and toxicity, rather than reduced gravity or hypomagnetism alone.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-50840-4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-026-50840-4","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acs.analchem.5c04185","name":"A Low-Background, High-Flatness Mounting Method for In Situ SIMS Isotopic Analysis for Fine-Grained Samples.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Accurate in situ determination of water content and hydrogen isotopes in minerals is essential for understanding magmatic processes on Earth and other planetary bodies. However, such measurements are technically challenging due to low hydrogen concentrations and contamination from atmospheric water vapor. Common mounting methods─such as alloy mounts, indium mounts, and thin sections─are often unsuitable for fine, loose-grained samples. Here, we present a simple and effective mount preparation technique using quartz glass substrates with minimal epoxy resin. This method is optimized for NanoSIMS analysis, achieving ultralow hydrogen background (∼8 ppm) and high-vacuum conditions (∼1.4 × 10 –10 mbar) with the aid of a custom-designed liquid nitrogen cold trap, while maintaining excellent sample surface flatness. The mounts also proved compatible with high-precision oxygen isotope analysis by large-geometry secondary ion mass spectrometry (LG-SIMS), yielding δ 18 O reproducibility better than 0.30‰ (2SD). This preparation approach enables reliable, high-precision isotopic analysis of fine-grained and extraterrestrial materials and is broadly applicable in microanalytical research.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.5c04185","authors":["Yubing Gao","Jialong Hao","Zhan Zhou","Huicun He","Guoqiang Tang","Sen Hu","Wei Yang","Yangting Lin"],"tags":["Chemistry","Secondary ion mass spectrometry","Hydrogen","Analytical Chemistry (journal)","Isotope analysis"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1021/acs.analchem.5c04185","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acs.analchem.4c05804","name":"Cross-Scale Multimodal Imaging for Organic Matter in Extraterrestrial Samples.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The analysis of extraterrestrial organic matter in samples returned by space missions provides a unique opportunity to study prebiotic chemistry. A comprehensive understanding of the occurrence and composition of organic matter is fundamental to unraveling its origin and evolutionary history. However, the scarcity and complexity of these materials pose considerable analytical challenges. Here, we developed a cross-scale multimodal imaging workflow that integrated mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) and vibrational spectroscopy imaging, including desorption electrospray ionization coupled quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (DESI-Q-TOF/MS), time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS), focal plane array-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FPA-FTIR), and optical photothermal infrared spectroscopy (O-PTIR). This workflow was applied to the Murchison meteorite, with the objective of establishing spatial associations between mineral phases, molecular composition, functional groups, and isotopic composition on a scale from the millimeter to the submicron. The spatial resolution of DESI has been improved from 100 to 200 to 20 μm, enabling spatial correlation with other imaging techniques. For the first time, the enrichment of organic matter─including CHN, CHO, and CHNO compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)─in fine-grained rims (FGRs) surrounding silicate chondrules has been observed. Furthermore, the cross-scale multimodal imaging also reveals differences in organic matter composition between Ca-carbonate and phyllosilicates, as well as spatial heterogeneity within the latter. This workflow provides a new paradigm for studying the complex occurrence and composition of organic matter in various research fields, enhancing our understanding of prebiotic materials in the solar system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.4c05804","authors":["Mingtan Dong","Wei Yang","Jialong Hao","Xiaofei Jia","Yang Ou","Michael Lo","Bobo Cao","Sen Hu","Yangting Lin"],"tags":["Chemistry","Extraterrestrial life","Scale (ratio)","Organic matter","Environmental chemistry"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1021/acs.analchem.4c05804","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2517723123","name":"Multiple formation pathways for amino acids in the early Solar System based on carbon and nitrogen isotopes in asteroid Bennu samples.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Samples collected from the carbonaceous near-Earth asteroid Bennu and delivered to Earth by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission contain organic molecules relevant to prebiotic chemistry. Stable isotopic measurements of extraterrestrial soluble organic matter provide critical insights into the formation pathways and alteration histories of such molecules, which hold significance for understanding the origins of life. We leverage state-of-the-art techniques for picomolar-scale isotopic analyses of amino acids in samples of Bennu and, for comparison, the carbonaceous meteorite Murchison. We report intramolecular δ 13 C values for glycine, which have not previously been measured in extraterrestrial materials; molecular-averaged δ 13 C values for amino acids, aldehydes, and ketones; and δ 15 N values for glycine, β-alanine, and D/L-glutamic acid. Intramolecular carbon isotope patterns of glycine in Bennu contrast with those in Murchison, suggesting distinct formation pathways. We explore several formation mechanisms and hypothesize that the observed glycine in Murchison formed dominantly by a Strecker-like synthesis under aqueous conditions, whereas the glycine currently found in Bennu may have formed mainly by modified radical–radical reactions in primordial ices at the cold, outer reaches of the early Solar System and retained its isotopic values throughout accretion and multiple episodes of aqueous alteration. This hypothesis is supported by the highly 15 N-enriched δ 15 N values in Bennu amino acids (+170 to 277‰). Differences in the δ 15 N values of D- and L-glutamic acid (Δ = 87‰) in Bennu affirm published reports of enantiomeric differences in meteoritic amino acids and challenge the assumption of isotopic uniformity between amino acid chiral pairs.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2517723123","authors":["Allison A. Baczynski","Ophélie McIntosh","Danielle N. Simkus","Hannah L. McLain","Jason P. Dworkin","Daniel P. Glavin","Jamie E. Elsila","Mila Matney","Christopher H. House","Katherine H. Freeman","H. C. Connolly","D. S. Lauretta"],"tags":["Murchison meteorite","Chemistry","Meteorite","Amino acid","Carbonaceous chondrite"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2517723123","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/s25247689","name":"Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Analysis of Lithium: A Comprehensive Review.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Lithium has emerged as a pivotal material for the global energy transition, yet its supply security is challenged by limited geographical availability and growing demand. These constraints highlight the need for analytical methods that are not only accurate but also sustainable and deployable across the entire lithium value chain. In this context, Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) offers distinctive advantages, including minimal sample preparation, real-time and in situ analysis and the potential for portable and automated implementation. Such features make LIBS a valuable tool for monitoring and optimizing lithium extraction, refining and recycling processes. This review critically examines the recent progress in the use of LIBS for lithium detection and quantification in geological, industrial, biological and extraterrestrial matrices. It also discusses emerging applications in closed-loop recycling and highlights future prospects related to the integration of LIBS with artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhance analytical accuracy and material classification.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/s25247689","authors":["Stefano Legnaioli","Giulia Lorenzetti","Francesco Poggialini","Beatrice Campanella","Vincenzo Palleschi","Silvana De Iuliis","Laura E. Depero","Laura Borgese","Elza Bontempi","Simona Raneri"],"tags":["Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy","Lithium (medication)","Nanotechnology","Computer science","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.3390/s25247689","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.crmicr.2026.100580","name":"Proteomics of long-term acclimation of the desert cyanobacterium &lt;i&gt;Chroococcidiopsis&lt;/i&gt; sp. CCMEE 029 in perchlorate-rich medium and its implications for &lt;i&gt;in situ&lt;/i&gt; resource utilization on Mars.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"• Proteome analysis supports Chroococcidiopsis sp. 029 for ISRU on Mars. • Perchlorates induce enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants responses. • Perchlorates activate secondary metabolism and polyhydroxybutyrate biosynthesis. • Chroococcidiopsis sp. 029 harbors methylotrophic potential for life support systems. Space exploration demands sustainable technologies to minimize reliance on Earth-based resources. The extreme-tolerant cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis sp. CCMEE 029 exhibits remarkable resistance to perchlorate salts ubiquitously found on Martian soil, holding promise for in situ resource utilization. Exploring the proteomic responses to this chaotropic agent is fundamental for understanding the mechanisms of salt-stress response in cyanobacteria and to develop biotechnologies based on local resources to support human outposts. Hence, using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, we analyzed the protein expression after 21 days of cultivation in the presence of increasing perchlorate concentrations with triplicates per experimental condition (|log 2 FC| ≥ 0.5; FDR ≤ 0.05). This study shows that this cyanobacterium displays a broad suite of enzymatic and non-enzymatic mechanisms for mitigating reactive oxygen species, as well as formaldehyde assimilation capacity from the RuMP pathway. The upregulation of polyhydroxybutyrate and siderophore biosynthesis further supports its suitability for putative bioplastic production, nutrient mobilization, and plant protection in extraterrestrial environments. Overall, Chroococcidiopsis sp. CCMEE 029 modulates its metabolism to maintain energy balance, support growth, and synthesize biotechnologically relevant compounds. This versatility underscores its suitability as a candidate for Martian bioprocessing, where robustness, low resource requirements and multifunctionality are paramount. By providing molecular insights into cyanobacterial stress responses, this research advances our understanding of microbial adaptation to environmental constraints occurring on Mars and lays the groundwork for optimizing microbial biotechnologies to support astronauts in long-term missions on the red planet.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crmicr.2026.100580","authors":["Gabriele Rigano","Joerg Doellinger","Peter Lasch","Giorgia Di Stefano","Beatriz Gallego Fernandez","Loredana Santo","D. Billi"],"tags":["Polyhydroxybutyrate","Mars Exploration Program","Cyanobacteria","Biostimulation","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1016/j.crmicr.2026.100580","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s11214-026-01265-y","name":"Exo-Geoscience Perspectives Beyond Habitability.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This article reviews the emerging field of exo-geoscience, focusing on the geological and geophysical processes thought to influence the evolution and (eu)habitability of rocky exoplanets. We examine the possible roles of planetary interiors, tectonic regimes, continental coverage, volatile cycling, magnetic fields, and atmospheric composition and evolution in shaping long-term climate stability and biospheric potential. Comparisons with Earth and other planets in the Solar System highlight the diversity of planetary conditions and the rarity of conditions relevant to life. We also discuss contingency and convergence in planetary and biological evolution as they relate to the spread of life in the universe. The observational limits of current and planned missions are assessed, emphasizing the need for models that connect internal dynamics to detectable atmospheric and surface signatures as well as the need for laboratory measurements of planetary properties under a wide range of conditions. The large number of exoplanets promises opportunities for empirical and statistical studies of processes that may have occurred earlier in Earth's history, as well as for the other pathways rocky planets and biospheres may take. Thus, exo-geoscience provides a framework for interpreting exoplanet diversity and refining strategies for detecting life beyond the Solar System.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-026-01265-y","authors":["Tilman Spohn","Aki Roberge","M. J. Way","João C. Duarte","Francesca Miozzi","Philipp Baumeister","P. K. Byrne","Charles H. Lineweaver"],"tags":["Habitability","Exoplanet","Astrobiology","Planet","Planetary science"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1007/s11214-026-01265-y","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s43247-026-03359-5","name":"Ichnofossils in volcanic glass from palaeoproterozoic hydrothermal vents were burrowed by microorganisms probably seeking phosphate.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Ichnofossils in basaltic glass are putative microscopic trace fossils occurring on modern seafloor and throughout Earth history. While their biological origin remains debated, it is unknown why microorganisms thrive in volcanic glass. Here we show ichnofossils associated with biosignatures from sedimentary interbeds of pillow basalt in the ~ 1870 million years old Flaherty Formation, Belcher Group, Canada. These rocks are associated with metre-size, pinnacle-shaped structures of silicified basalt, pahoehoe basalt with paleo-caliche, and isolated pods of gossan indicating shallow marine hydrothermal venting. Trails of spheroidal ichnofossils composed of titanite and organic matter surround abundant nanoscopic-size apatite and lepidocrocite, suggesting they caused rock dissolution to obtain phosphate. Stable isotopes provide complementary biosignatures for possible chemolithotrophy. While there is evidence for abiotic carbon-based reactions, the biological origin of spheroidal ichnofossils is supported by 13 C-depleted organic matter and calcite, suggesting they were burrowed by microorganisms likely seeking phosphate in volcanic glass near hydrothermal vents.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03359-5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1038/s43247-026-03359-5","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/ma19030624","name":"Raman Spectroscopy and X-Ray Diffraction Investigations of Phase Composition of Tiglit Meteorite.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Tiglit is an aubrite meteorite which fell in 2021 in Morocco. Fragments of the Tiglit meteorite, recovered shortly after its fall, were analyzed for phase and chemical composition using scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. These studies confirmed the presence of pyroxene (enstatite), olivine, plagioclase, sulfides, carbon phases (seldom reported in aubrites), and iron oxides. Unexpectedly, calcite and polymorphic SiO 2 phases were also detected. The formation of calcite is related to the terrestrial alteration of oldhamite-a sulfide present in aubrites-after the fall.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19030624","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.3390/ma19030624","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/biomimetics10110742","name":"The Design of a Bioinspired Integrated Total Habitability Instrument for Planetary Exploration: A Review of Potential Sensing Technologies.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"One key objective of astrobiology is to investigate and discover if other planetary bodies are habitable. The determination of whether an environment is habitable to known life requires measuring liquid water, CHNOPS elements, other nutrients, and energy supplies. Here we investigate the potential for a single instrument capable of sampling these key indicators: a 'Total Habitability Instrument'. The proposed instrument would be capable of deployment in diverse environments and provide an integrated set of measurements that together allow for the assessment of the habitability of an environment of interest, such as those of the Moon or Mars. We explore existing and potential technological developments that would enable the construction of such an instrument, with a focus on soft systems, which are inspired by nature in their design, and microfluidics. This paper considers a multidisciplinary approach to the design and sensing requirements of a Total Habitability Instrument that would be capable of gathering and processing samples and be deployable by both robotic and human explorers on all planetary bodies, allowing for the mapping of habitability over large areas of our Solar System and beyond.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics10110742","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.3390/biomimetics10110742","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1128/aem.01778-24","name":"An astrobiological perspective on microbial biofilms: their importance for habitability and production of detectable and lasting biosignatures.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The search for life elsewhere in the universe has remained one of the main goals of astrobiological exploration. In this quest, extreme environments on Earth have served as analogs to study the potential habitability of Mars and icy moons, which include but are not limited to hydrothermal vent systems, acid lakes, deserts, and polar ice, among others. Within the various forms that life manifests, biofilms constitute one of the most widespread phenotypes and are ubiquitous in extreme environments. Biofilms are structured communities of microorganisms enclosed in a matrix of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) that protect against unfavorable and dynamic conditions. These concentrated structures and their associated chemistry may serve as unique and persistent signatures of life processes that may aid in their detection. Here we propose biofilms as a model system to understand the habitability of extraterrestrial systems and as sources of recognizable and persistent biosignatures for life detection. By testing these ideas in extreme analog environments on Earth, this approach could be used to guide and focus future exploration of samples encompassing the geologic record of early Earth as well as other planets and moons of our solar system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.01778-24","authors":["Sarah Gonzalez-Henao","Matthew O. Schrenk"],"tags":["Habitability","Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Extreme environment","Solar System"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1128/aem.01778-24","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/nsr/nwaf277","name":"Argon-based geochronology: advances, limitations and perspectives.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"ABSTRACT Given that K constitutes about 3 wt.% of Earth's crust and is present in most rock-forming minerals, and that Ar diffusion in minerals is temperature-dependent, Ar-based geochronology (40Ar/39Ar and K–Ar dating) can date most rocks and also reveal their thermal history. This paper reviews recent advances and longstanding limitations in 40Ar/39Ar and K–Ar geochronology, and provides perspectives into future research on Ar-based geochronometers. Over the past two decades, multi-collector noble gas mass spectrometry has witnessed remarkable advancements in both sensitivity and resolution. Successive upgrades of mass spectrometer generations have significantly enhanced the precision of Ar isotope measurements, enabling a comprehensive revision and optimization of 40Ar/39Ar dating standard minerals. To achieve high-precision 40Ar/39Ar dating and minimize inter-laboratory discrepancies, researchers are focusing on refining the potassium decay constant, developing standardized mineral separation techniques, and harmonizing irradiation and data processing protocols. These efforts are pivotal for improving the analytical precision of low-K and young samples, thereby expanding the application frontiers of 40Ar/39Ar geochronology. For in situ planetary dating, the K/Ar method currently remains the only feasible radiometric technique among radioactive isotope systems. Addressing challenges in simultaneous K and Ar measurements will facilitate streamlined acquisition of reliable datasets. Moreover, research is advancing toward a deeper understanding of Ar diffusion behavior in minerals—beyond temperature-dependent volume diffusion—to clarify its impact on 40Ar/39Ar data interpretation and geological significance. To further advance argon-based geochronology, the scientific community is committed to continuous exploration and resolution of methodological limitations inherent in these dating approaches.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwaf277","authors":["Su‐Chin Chang","Wenbei Shi","Yinzhi Wang","Fei Wang"],"tags":["Geochronology","Argon","Physics","Biology","Paleontology"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1093/nsr/nwaf277","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2404256121","name":"Organic matter and biomarkers: Why are samples required?","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The search for evidence of past prebiotic or biotic activity on Mars will be enhanced by the return of samples to Earth laboratories. While impressive analytical feats have been accomplished by in situ missions on the red planet, accessing the capabilities of Earth's global laboratories will present a step change in data acquisition. Highly diagnostic markers of past life are biomarkers, organic molecules whose architecture can be attributed to once living organisms. Similar organic molecular structures can also be used to identify the prebiotic steps that preceded any emergence of life. The style of modification or degradation of such organic structures indicates their agents of change, including oxidants, radiation, heating, water, and pressure. For biomarker analysis, sample return provides enhanced opportunities for sample preparation and analyte isolation. The augmentation of biomarker data with spatial information provides the opportunity for confirmatory data but is a multistep and multitechnique process best achieved here on Earth. Efficient use of returned samples will benefit from lessons learned on Earth's ancient records and meteorites from Mars. The next decade is a time when analytical capabilities can be improved as we prepare for the delivery of carefully selected and collected extraterrestrial samples containing potential evidence of the development or even emergence of past life on Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2404256121","authors":["Mark A. Sephton","A. Steele","Frances Westall","Florence Schubotz"],"tags":["Organic matter","Chromatography","Chemistry","Organic chemistry"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2404256121","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2505126122","name":"Life's homochirality: Across a prebiotic network.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"For centuries, scientists have been puzzled by the mystery of life's biomolecular homochirality-the single-handedness of biological compounds. Sugars and nucleic acids are right-handed, while amino acids are left-handed in biological systems. Likewise, certain metabolites are homochiral, though their handedness varies. However, efforts to address the homochirality problem have often focused on a single compound, a single molecular class, or invoke an extraterrestrial origin. Here, we emphasize the importance of achieving homochirality across an entire prebiotic chemical network and explore a terrestrial pathway for its emergence. This pathway is supported by recent experimental results from several independent studies, as well as analyses of pristine asteroid materials. Our analysis identifies the genome as a key site for achieving network-scale homochirality on early Earth and addresses the opposite handedness of D -nucleic acids and L -peptides in biology through nonenzymatic, stereoselective coded peptide synthesis.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2505126122","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2505126122","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-025-61201-6","name":"Sulfide minerals bear witness to impacts across the solar system.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Sulfide minerals are ubiquitous in extraterrestrial sample collections and serve as a unique record of the microstructural and chemical characteristics resulting from exposure to interplanetary space on airless planetary surfaces. Among these features are Fe-rich whiskers, identified in samples returned from asteroids and the Moon. While whisker production has previously been attributed to solar wind irradiation, the origin of these enigmatic features is poorly constrained. Here we perform in situ heating experiments to simulate micrometeoroid bombardment of sulfide minerals in the transmission electron microscope. Our results demonstrate that whiskers can form through impact events on airless surfaces and show that sulfides are recording evidence for micrometeoroid bombardment across the solar system. This work contributes to a better understanding of sulfur-depletion previously detected on asteroid surfaces and could be particularly important for the interpretation of data from upcoming missions to sulfide or metal-rich worlds, including asteroid Psyche.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61201-6","authors":["M. S. Thompson","J. Davidson","D. L. Schrader","T. J. Zega"],"tags":["Witness","Sulfide","Sulfide minerals","Environmental science","Computer science"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-025-61201-6","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-6916147/v1","name":"Abiotic sugars in (162173) Ryugu and the primitive CI carbonaceous chondrite Orgueil","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract The unequal distribution of prebiotic organic compounds in meteorites—where amino acids and nucleobases are commonly detected but sugars remain scarce and poorly characterized—poses a major challenge in our understanding of extraterrestrial organic chemistry. This disparity is particularly surprising given the robust formation of sugars in laboratory simulations of interstellar ice chemistry, suggesting their plausible synthesis under space conditions. Here we present a novel analytical workflow combining ultrasonic-assisted extraction with enantioselective comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography, enabling simultaneous analysis of sugars and amino acids in samples from the asteroid (162173) Ryugu and the Orgueil meteorite. We report the detection of multiple aldoses—including ribose, arabinose, lyxose, and the formose reaction intermediate ribulose—some of which exhibited racemic distributions consistent with an abiotic, extraterrestrial origin. Meteorite recovery experiments revealed that native sugar abundances, including ribose, are drastically underestimated, with recoveries often below 5%. Despite this, pentose abundances were comparable to those of C₄–C₅ amino acid enantiomers, suggesting that actual sugar concentrations are likely higher. These findings provide compelling evidence for efficient abiotic sugar synthesis in space and support the idea that meteorites may have delivered a broader suite of prebiotically relevant sugars to early Earth than previously recognized strengthening the potential link between extraterrestrial chemistry and the origins of life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6916147/v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6916147/v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1128/aem.02461-25","name":"Mars sample return campaign: biological risk and a proposed sample safety assessment protocol.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Returning surface samples from Mars to Earth has been a major planetary science objective, with the potential for the detection of microbiological life and the possibility of improving our understanding of the origins of life. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the European Space Agency assembled a team to assess the level of risk that returned samples could contain potential biohazards. The team was chartered with optimizing previous sample safety assessment strategies, defining what constitutes a biological hazard, developing a protocol to test for biohazards, and establishing a statistical framework to determine if samples may be safe for release from a high-containment facility. This report presents the biological context for a proposed three-step protocol for testing returned samples, including how to determine if microorganisms are present, and if they could be (or were recently) alive.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.02461-25","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1128/aem.02461-25","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41526-026-00567-3","name":"Microbial biomining from asteroidal material onboard the international space station.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Expanding human space exploration necessitates technologies for sustainable local resource acquisition, to overcome unviable resupply missions. Asteroids, some of which rich in metals like platinum group elements, are promising targets. The BioAsteroid experiment aboard the International Space Station tested the use of microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) to extract 44 elements from L-chondrite asteroidal material under microgravity. Penicillium simplicissimum enhanced the release of palladium, platinum and other elements in microgravity, compared to non-biological leaching. For many elements, non-biological leaching was more effective in microgravity than on Earth, while bioleaching remained stable. Metabolomic analysis revealed distinct changes in microbial metabolism in space, particularly for P. simplicissimum, with increased production of carboxylic acids, and molecules of potential biomining or pharmaceutical interest in microgravity. These results demonstrate the impact of microgravity on bioleaching, highlighting the need for optimal combination of microorganisms, rock substrate, and conditions for successful biomining, in space and Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-026-00567-3","authors":["Rosa Santomartino","Giovanny Rodriguez Blanco","Alfred Gudgeon","Jason H. Hafner","Alessandro Stirpe","Martin Waterfall","Nicola Cayzer","Laetitia Pichevin","Gus Calder","Kira R. Birkenfeld","Annemiek C. Waajen","Scott McLaughlin"],"tags":["Bioleaching","International Space Station","Environmental science","Astrobiology","Leaching (pedology)"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1038/s41526-026-00567-3","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fmicb.2025.1739143","name":"Extreme thermal environments: reservoirs of industrially important thermozymes.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Extreme thermal environments, both natural (e.g., hot springs, fumaroles, geysers, mud pots, deep-sea hydrothermal vents) and man-made (e.g., compost heaps, sawdust, coal refuse piles), are rich sources of thermophilic microorganisms, including Bacteria and Archaea. These organisms possess unique adaptations that allow survival and metabolic activity at elevated temperatures, making them valuable sources of thermostable and thermoactive enzymes. This review synthesizes current knowledge on thermophiles, including their phylogeny, adaptation mechanisms, and cultivation strategies. We discuss the industrial applications of thermozymes, such as DNA polymerases and other thermostable enzymes, and highlight the role of genomics, systems biology, and bioinformatics in accelerating enzyme discovery. The review also addresses the astrobiological relevance of thermophiles as models for life in extreme extraterrestrial environments and emphasizes the importance of conservation and sustainable use of natural thermal habitats. Collectively, this overview provides a comprehensive perspective on the ecological, biotechnological, and fundamental research significance of thermophiles and their enzymes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1739143","authors":["Anita Pandey","Kusum Dhakar"],"tags":["Thermophile","Extremophile","Extreme environment","Natural (archaeology)","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.3389/fmicb.2025.1739143","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-025-60054-3","name":"Active redox cycling of phosphorus on the early Earth.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Phosphorus is a critical bio-limiting nutrient in Earth’s ecosystems. A new study published in Nature Communications reports high availability of phosphite for possibly biological uptake in the late Archean ocean, suggesting an active redox cycling of phosphorus on the early Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60054-3","authors":["Jihua Hao","Xing Li","Pengcheng Ju","Matthew A. Pasek"],"tags":["Cycling","Phosphorus","Redox","Chemistry","Environmental chemistry"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-025-60054-3","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/anie.202508098","name":"Gypsum Gardens: Self-Assembled Tubular Structures of Calcium Sulfate with Relevance for the Detection of Extraterrestrial Life.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract Form is a common and intuitive criterion to distinguish between the realm of living species and the inanimate nature. However, there are in fact no strict boundaries in terms of morphology, as exemplified by so‐called chemical gardens, which form by self‐assembly in purely inorganic systems and yet closely mimic the appearance of trees and other plants. While such structures have been reported for a broad range of compositions–most notably silicates of various types of metal cations as well as prominent (bio)minerals like calcium carbonate or phosphate–one important material has been missing in the comprehensive list of these chemobrionic systems: calcium sulfate. In the present work, we succeeded in preparing well‐developed CaSO 4 ‐based chemical gardens by addition of a concentrated solution of sodium sulfate to solid crystals of calcium chloride. The formed structures were characterized in detail with respect to their growth behavior, mineralogy, and texture. We find hollow tubular architectures consisting of oriented gypsum crystals and delineating smooth curvatures with multiple branching sites. Beyond the sheer beauty of these self‐assembled mineral structures, the results of our study bear deep implications for the detection and interpretation of potential past life on Mars, where abundant deposits of calcium sulfate exist. In addition, the current picture of geochemical environments on the early red planet is fully consistent with the experimental conditions used in the present work, rendering the formation and presence of chemical gardens on Mars plausible.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202508098","authors":["Selina Reigl","Elisabeth Wagner","Carlos Pimentel","Werner Kunz","Alexander E. S. Van Driessche","Matthias Kellermeier"],"tags":["Gypsum","Calcium carbonate","Sulfate","Mineralogy","Martian"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1002/anie.202508098","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/life15030434","name":"Extremophiles Breakthrough: Hot Topics and Current Issues in Their Isolation, Identification, and Biotechnological Applications.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Extremophiles-organisms adapted to survive and thrive under extreme conditions-have fascinated scientists for decades, providing valuable insights into life's resilience and offering untapped potential for technological innovation [...].","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life15030434","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.3390/life15030434","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fchem.2026.1774797","name":"Shock-induced nucleation of nanophase Fe-Ni alloy and its implications for interstellar iron reservoirs.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Shock waves are ubiquitous in star-forming regions, protoplanetary disks, and cometary environments, yet their role in processing refractory metals remains poorly understood. Here, we show that laboratory shock-tube experiments produce nanophase Fe–Ni alloy from Fe and Ni powders under conditions resembling low-velocity (1–2 km/s) dust-heating shocks in the interstellar medium and cometary comae. The reflected-shock temperature exceeds 6000 K, and pressures reach around 14.5 bar, persisting for about 2–3 ms and completely vapourising the metal powders into an atomic vapour. Subsequent rarefaction drives a catastrophic thermal quench at ∼10 6 K/s, inducing direct vapour-phase condensation of bcc kamacite (α-Fe‐Ni) without an intervening taenite phase. X-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinement confirm a homogeneous kamacite solid solution, while FESEM reveals octagonal to sub-spherical particles consistent with condensation from transient vapour/melt droplets. HRTEM, SAED, and FFT analyses reveal well-ordered bcc lattices and high densities of dislocations and deformation twins, suggesting rapid quench crystallisation under extreme non-equilibrium conditions. HAADF–STEM and EDS mapping show atomic-scale compositional uniformity, with Fe:Ni ratios closely matching the initial composition. The microstructures, compositions, and sizes of these shock-synthesised nanophase Fe-Ni alloy particles closely resemble nanophase metals observed in GEMS-bearing IDPs and Wild 2 samples, aligning with Ni-enriched metal vapour inferred from Fe I and Ni I detections in cometary comae. Our results demonstrate that transient, low-velocity shocks can produce nanophase Fe–Ni metal with meteoritic and cometary characteristics, establishing a strong mechanistic link between metal vapour chemistry, dust reprocessing, and the formation of nanoscale kamacite in primitive solar system and interstellar materials.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2026.1774797","authors":["P Selvaraj","Vijayanand Chandrasekaran"],"tags":["Kamacite","Materials science","Alloy","Nucleation","Metal"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.3389/fchem.2026.1774797","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/life15050716","name":"Exploring Life Detection on Mars: Understanding Challenges in DNA Amplification in Martian Regolith Analogue After Fe Ion Irradiation.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The search for life beyond Earth currently hinges on the detection of biosignatures that are indicative of current or past life, with terrestrial life being the sole known example. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which acts as the long-term storage of genetic information in all known organisms, is considered a biosignature of life. Techniques like the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) are particularly useful as they allow for the amplification of DNA fragments, allowing the detection of even trace amounts of genetic material. This study aimed to detect DNA extracted from colonies of an Antarctic black fungus both when (i) alone and (ii) mixed with a Sulfatic Mars Regolith Simulant (S-MRS), after exposure to increasing doses of Fe ions (up to 1 kGy). PCR-based amplification methods were used for detection. The findings of this study revealed no DNA amplification in samples mixed with Sulfatic Mars Regolith Simulant, providing important insights into the potential application of these techniques for in situ DNA detection during future space exploration missions or for their application on the Mars sample return program; it also gives input in the planetary protection discussions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life15050716","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.3390/life15050716","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/adma.202412211","name":"Nanozymes and Their Potential Roles in the Origin of Life.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The origin of life has long been a central scientific challenge, with various hypotheses proposed. The chemical evolution, which supposes that inorganic molecules can transform into organic molecules and subsequent primitive cells, laid the foundation for modern theories. Inorganic minerals are believed to play crucial catalytic roles in the process. However, the harsh reaction conditions of inorganic minerals hinder the accumulation of organic molecules, preventing the efficient transition from inorganic molecules to biomacromolecules. Given the inherent physicochemical properties and enzyme-like activities, this study proposes that nanozymes, nanomaterials with enzyme-like activities, act as efficient prebiotic catalysts in the origin of life. This hypothesis is based on the following: First, unlike traditional minerals, nanominerals can catalyze organic synthesis under milder conditions. Second, nanominerals can not only protect biomolecules from radiation damage but also catalyze polymerization reactions to form functional biomacromolecules and further lipid vesicles. More importantly, nanominerals are abundant in terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments. This perspective will systematically discuss the potential roles of nanozymes in the emergence of life based on the functions of minerals and the characteristics of nanozymes. We hope the research on nanozymes and the origin of life will bridge the gap between inorganic precursors and biomolecules under primitive environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202412211","authors":["Long Ma","Zimo Liang","Yinyin Hou","Ruofei Zhang","Kelong Fan","Xiyun Yan"],"tags":["Abiogenesis","Biomolecule","Nanotechnology","Organic molecules","Catalysis"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-26","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1002/adma.202412211","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/advs.202504447","name":"Critical Electrochemistry Technologies Applicable in Space Exploration.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Electrochemistry is versatile, less subject to external influences, and has great potential for the exploration of the unpredictable space environment. This work analyzes the available resources in space and discusses the application scenarios and challenges of electrochemical methods in four areas: metallurgical processing of mineral resources, water resources utilization, the carbon cycle in daily extraterrestrial life, and electrical energy storage. By examining these pivotal areas, this work elucidates the unique advantages and limitations of electrochemical technologies in space exploration. Furthermore, the paper explores the innovative application scenarios of electrochemistry in space, presenting fresh insights into how these technologies can be adapted and optimized for extraterrestrial environments. This comprehensive analysis not only provides a strategic direction for the breakthrough and advancement of electrochemical applications in space but also serves as an invaluable reference for the development of human extraterrestrial exploration and resource harvesting programs, guiding future research endeavors and technological innovations in this fascinating frontier.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202504447","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1002/advs.202504447","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s42004-024-01200-8","name":"Open questions on carbonaceous matter in meteorites.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Extraterrestrial carbon gives insights into the origin of life and processes that took place billions of years ago in our solar system. Here, the authors provide an overview of what is known and of unanswered questions with a meteoritical focus.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-024-01200-8","authors":["Oliver Christ","Fabrizio Nestola","Matteo Alvaro"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Chemistry","Physics"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1038/s42004-024-01200-8","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fbioe.2025.1712157","name":"Bioleaching as a biotechnological tool for metal recovery: from sewage to space mining.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Heavy metals are essential for technological and economic growth but can cause serious environmental and health problems due to their toxicity and persistence. Traditional methods for metal recovery often have high costs and can create secondary pollution. Bioleaching offers a sustainable, low-energy, and eco-friendly alternative, effectively recovering metals from low-grade ores and various waste materials. Recovering metals from secondary sources such as industrial and electronic waste reduces the need for new mining, thus conserving natural resources and supporting circular economic goals. Recently, biomining has expanded beyond Earth, showing promising results in space environments. This review discusses the current understanding of bioleaching processes, their potential for sustainable metal recovery on Earth and in space, their challenges, and future perspectives. Overcoming technical challenges, such as raw material composition, slow reaction kinetics, optimization of process parameters, and addressing safety concerns is crucial. A further increase in research focus aiming at scaling up bioleaching technology is essential, alongside addressing ethical and economic concerns related to space mining.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2025.1712157","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.3389/fbioe.2025.1712157","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.isci.2025.113327","name":"Biochar improves lettuce seedling growth by influencing the nutrient content of simulated lunar soil.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The utilization of native lunar soil and recycled organic waste as primary resources will reduce the reliance on terrestrial inputs and improve the self-sufficiency of bioregenerative life support systems (BLSSs) in future lunar bases. A major question to address is the suitability of lunar soil for plant growth and how soil agronomic performance is affected by biochar. Biochar treatments increased the organic matter content and promoted greater availability of N, P, and K in the simulated lunar soil. It also reduced the bulk density and facilitated the optimal distribution of plant roots. Redundancy analysis indicated that the physical and chemical properties of soil pH, alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen (AN), and total nitrogen (TN) content might be critical factors influencing lettuce growth. The aforementioned analysis suggested that the optimum rate of biochar addition to improve simulated lunar soil is 3%. The results showed that the utilization of pyrolysis for treating solid waste in BLSSs has significant potential, with biochar enhancing the properties of the simulated lunar soil.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2025.113327","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1016/j.isci.2025.113327","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2024.0068","name":"Biomarker Preservation in Antarctic Sandstones after Prolonged Space Exposure Outside the International Space Station During the ESA EXPOSE-E Lichens and Fungi Experiment.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"A primary aim of current and future space exploration missions is the detection and identification of chemical and biological indicators of life, namely biomarkers, on Mars. The Mars Sample Return NASA-ESA program will bring to Earth samples of martian soil, acquired from up to 7 cm depth. The ESA Rosalind Franklin rover will search for signs of life in the subsurface (down to a depth of 2 meters), given the highly radioactive conditions on Mars' surface, which are not ideal for life as we know it and for the preservation of its traces. In the frame of the Lichens and Fungi Experiment, small fragments of Antarctic sandstones colonized by cryptoendolithic microbial communities were exposed to space and simulated martian conditions in low Earth orbit for 18 months, aboard the EXPOSE-E payload. Through the use of Raman and infrared spectroscopies, as well as a metabolomic approach, we aimed to detect organic compounds in a quartz mineral matrix. The results show that pigments, such as melanin, carotenoids, and chlorophyll, lipids, and amino acids, maintained their stability within minerals under simulated martian conditions in space, which makes them ideal biomarkers for the exploration of putative life on Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2024.0068","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2024.0068","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0328347","name":"RETRACTED: A 12,800-year-old layer with cometary dust, microspherules, and platinum anomaly recorded in multiple cores from Baffin Bay.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis (YDIH) posits that ~12,800 years ago Earth encountered the debris stream of a disintegrating comet, triggering hemisphere-wide airbursts, atmospheric dust loading, and the deposition of a distinctive suite of extraterrestrial (ET) impact proxies at the Younger Dryas Boundary (YDB). Until now, evidence supporting this hypothesis has come only from terrestrial sediment and ice-core records. Here we report the first discovery of similar impact-related proxies in ocean sediments from four marine cores in Baffin Bay that span the YDB layer at water depths of 0.5-2.4 km, minimizing the potential for modern contamination. Using scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and laser ablation ICP-MS, we detect synchronous abundance peaks of metallic debris geochemically consistent with cometary dust, co-occurring with iron- and silica-rich microspherules (4-163 μm) that are predominantly of terrestrial origin with minor (<2 wt%) ET contributions. These microspherules were likely formed by low-altitude touchdown airbursts and surface impacts of comet fragments and were widely dispersed. In addition, single-particle ICP-TOF-MS analysis reveals nanoparticles (<1 μm) enriched in platinum, iridium, nickel, and cobalt. Similar platinum-group element anomalies at the YDB have been documented at dozens of sites worldwide, strongly suggesting an ET source. Collectively, these findings provide robust support for the YDIH. The impact event likely triggered massive meltwater flooding, iceberg calving, and a temporary shutdown of thermohaline circulation, contributing to abrupt Younger Dryas cooling. Our identification of a YDB impact layer in deep marine sediments underscores the potential of oceanic records to broaden our understanding of this catastrophic event and its climatological impacts.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0328347","authors":["Christopher R. Moore","V. A. Tselmovich","Malcolm A. LeCompte","Allen West","Stephen J. Culver","David J. Mallinson","Mohammed Baalousha","James P. Kennett","W. M. Napier","Michael Bizimis","Víctor Adedeji","Seth R. Sutton"],"tags":["Younger Dryas","Geology","Oceanography","Bay","Holocene"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1371/journal.pone.0328347","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00312","name":"Aeroponic Technology for Accelerated Weathering of Extraterrestrial Regolith to Extract Plant Essential Nutrients and Generate Arable Soils.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Advancements in off-world food and fiber production should seek to utilize regolith as a source of nutrients and prepare it for use as a solid plant growth substrate. Towards this goal, aeroponic biowaste streams containing both inorganic nutrients and root system efflux from plants provide an opportunity for accelerated weathering and enhancement of extraterrestrial soils. To test this hypothesis, an aeroponic system was built that contained Martian simulant (Mars Mojave Simulant-2; MMS-2), inert sand, and a no-filter control to evaluate the in-line filters for simultaneous mineral weathering and recycling of biowastes from wheat. The growth performance of wheat in aeroponics was highly productive across all treatments. After inundation with biowastes from the aeroponic system growing wheat for 40 days, MMS-2 sorbed P and K and released Al, B, Ca, Fe, Mn, Na, and S into the nutrient solution. Generated plant biowaste was mixed into MMS-2 and sand treatments, which increased the extractable Fe, K, Mg, P, and S in MMS-2. Substrate chemical properties were quantified (e.g., total C and N, total and extractable elements, pH, EC, particle size, and P species). Augmentation of MMS-2 with aeroponic biowastes followed by amendment with plant residue greatly improved wheat growth compared with the unmodified MMS-2, which resulted in plant death. This technology expands lunar/Martian base agriculture by offering a means to acquire nutrients from weathered regolith while simultaneously improving the fertility of extraterrestrial soils.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00312","authors":["Harrison R. Coker","Aenghus C. Denvir","Isaiah J. Robertson","Caleb E. B. Shackelford","W. Li","Chia-Wei Lin","Rachel M. Watters","Donald L. Sparks","A. Peyton Smith","Julie A. Howe"],"tags":["Regolith","Weathering","Arable land","Extraterrestrial life","Soil water"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00312","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acs.accounts.4c00173","name":"Understanding the Role of Layered Minerals in the Emergence and Preservation of Proto-Proteins and Detection of Traces of Early Life.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The origin of life remains one of the most profound mysteries in science. Over millennia, theories have evolved, yet the question persists: How did life emerge from inanimate matter? At its core, the study of life's origin offers insights into our place in the universe and the nature of life itself. By delving into the chemical and geological processes that led to life's emergence, scientists gain a deeper understanding of the fundamental principles that govern living systems. This knowledge not only expands our scientific understanding but also has profound implications for fields ranging from astrobiology to synthetic biology. This research employs a multidisciplinary approach, combining a diverse array of techniques, from space missions to wet laboratory experiments to theoretical modeling. Investigations into the formation of the first proto-biomolecules are tailored to explore both the complex molecular processes that underpin life and the geological contexts in which these processes may have occurred. While laboratory experiments are aimed at mimicking the processes of early planets, not every process and sample is attainable. To this end, we demonstrate the use of molecular modeling techniques to complement experimental efforts and extraterrestrial missions. The simulations enable researchers to test hypotheses and explore scenarios that are difficult or impossible to replicate in the laboratory, bridging gaps in our understanding of prebiotic processes across vast time and space scales. Minerals, particularly layered structures like clays and hydrotalcites, play diverse and pivotal roles in the origin of life. They concentrate organic species, catalyze polymerization reactions (such as peptide formation), and provide protective environments for the molecules. Minerals have also been suggested to have acted as primitive genetic materials. Nevertheless, they may lack the ability for long-term information replication. Instead, we suggest that minerals may act as transcribers of information encoded in environmental cyclic phenomena, such as tidal or seasonal changes. We argue that extensive protection of the produced polymer will immobilize it, making it inactive for any further function. Therefore, in order to generate a functional polymer, it is essential that it remains mobile and chemically active. Furthermore, we suggest a route to the identification of pseudobiosignatures, a polymer that was polymerized on the same mineral surface and consequently retained through overprotection. This Account presents a comprehensive evaluation of the current understanding of the role of layered mineral surfaces on life's origin and biosignature preservation. It highlights the complexity of mineral-organic interactions and proposes pathways for proto-biomolecule emergence and methods for identifying and interpreting potential biosignatures. Ultimately, the quest to uncover the origin of life continues to drive scientific exploration and innovation, offering profound insights into the fundamental nature of existence and our place in the universe.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.accounts.4c00173","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1021/acs.accounts.4c00173","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.31661/jbpe.v0i0.2306-1625","name":"Stephen Hawking's Warning on Contacting Aliens: A Physics Perspective on the Intelligence Trap.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The search for extraterrestrial intelligence is a fascinating and important endeavor, but it raises significant ethical and safety concerns. In the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, scientists use knowledge of physics to identify potential communication methods and signals that may be used by extraterrestrial civilizations. One of the most notable scientists to highlight these concerns was the late physicist Stephen Hawking, who cautioned that actively attempting to communicate with extraterrestrial civilizations could harm humanity. While it is true that we cannot predict the intentions of any potential extraterrestrial civilizations, some scientists argue that the potential advantages of seeking contact outweigh the potential risks. Deciding to initiate contact with extraterrestrial civilizations is a complex issue that requires balancing scientific curiosity with concerns for our own safety. The \"Intelligence Trap\" is a concept in psychology that suggests that highly intelligent people are more susceptible to cognitive biases and flawed thinking than less intelligent people. It can be argued that Hawking's warnings may be an example of the so-called intelligence trap, as some evidence from the field of physics suggests. Nonetheless, Hawking emphasized that it is crucial for scientists and policymakers to carefully weigh the potential risks and benefits of such efforts and proceed with caution.","url":"https://doi.org/10.31661/jbpe.v0i0.2306-1625","authors":["Seyed Mohammad Javad Mortazavi","Joseph John Bevelacqua","Mortazavi, Seyed Alireza","Payman Rafiepour","James S. Welsh"],"tags":["Hawking","Trap (plumbing)","Perspective (graphical)","Physics","Theoretical physics"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.31661/jbpe.v0i0.2306-1625","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acsomega.5c03351","name":"Artificial Seawater Models Affect Sorption of Adenine and Related Molecules Sorption onto Montmorillonite: Implications for Early Mars and Earth Oceans.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The adsorption of biomolecules onto mineral surfaces plays a crucial role in the context of prebiotic chemistry, as originally proposed by John Desmond Bernal. According to Bernal's hypothesis, clay minerals could have facilitated the concentration and stabilization of organic molecules, creating favorable microenvironments for prebiotic reactions and polymerization processes. In this study, we evaluate the adsorption behavior of adenine, adenosine, and adenosine monophosphate (AMP) onto montmorillonite under different artificial seawater conditions, simulating early Earth and early Mars aqueous environments. The adsorption efficiency varied depending on the ionic composition of the solution, with AMP exhibiting the highest adsorption, likely due to its phosphate group interacting with divalent cations in solution and clay surfaces. These findings suggest that montmorillonite could have played a significant role in the retention of organic molecules under prebiotic conditions. In particular, these results reinforce the idea that early oceans, lakes, or hydrothermal systems with high mineral content might have acted as selective reservoirs for prebiotic compounds. These insights contribute to our understanding of how prebiotic chemistry could have evolved in different planetary scenarios, with implications for the origin of life on Earth and potentially on Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.5c03351","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1021/acsomega.5c03351","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-026-72866-y","name":"Ammonium-bearing phyllosilicate grains detected in Ryugu and Bennu samples via infrared spectroscopy.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Understanding the nature of nitrogen reservoirs in primitive small bodies is fundamental for tracing the evolution of volatiles in the early Solar System and their contribution to prebiotic chemistry. Here we report the identification, via infrared spectroscopy, of ammonium (NH4+)-bearing phyllosilicates inclusions in samples returned from carbonaceous asteroids Ryugu and Bennu. Typically hundreds of micrometers in size, they exhibit highly similar near-infrared spectral profiles in both collections, pointing to a generic formation process across this class of primitive objects. This process implies a chemical path that likely starts with highly soluble ammonium salts trapped in ices and mixed with anhydrous silicates, as detected on comet 67 P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, and ends with ammoniated phyllosilicates, and a few less soluble ammonium salts such as the Hydrated Ammonium Magnesium Phosphorus-rich grains found in Ryugu and Bennu. These second-generation ammonium-bearing species were thus able to contribute efficiently to the delivery of nitrogen to terrestrial planets. Ammonium-bearing phyllosilicates are identified in Ryugu and Bennu asteroid samples. These stable phases may have transported essential volatiles across the solar system, offering a key mechanism for delivering life-essential elements to early Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-72866-y","authors":["T Jiang","D. Baklouti","C. Pilorget","D. Loizeau","K. Hatakeda","M. Mahlke","L. Nardelli","T. Le Pivert-Jolivet","J.-P. Bibring","R. Sheppard","A. Aleon-Toppani","R. Brunetto"],"tags":["Asteroid","Ammonium","Astrobiology","Infrared spectroscopy","Nitrogen"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-026-72866-y","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"oa:W4417340114","name":"Fungal–Mineral Interaction: Astrobiology Insights from Iron-Rich Mineral Alteration by an Extremophile Black Fungus","source":"europepmc","abstract":"High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Iron-rich minerals, such as hematite (α-Fe 2 O 3 ), are prominent constituents of the Martian surface; they are considered to be potential indicators of past aqueous activity and habitability. This study investigated the interaction between the extremophilic black fungus Rhinocladiella similis LaBioMMi 1217 and hematite under simulated laboratory conditions on Mars, focusing on redox-mediated dissolution processes, metabolic adaptations, and biosignature formation. The fungus was cultivated with powdered and polished hematite substrates, and mineral alteration was monitored through physicochemical measurements and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Genome mining was performed to identify and map genes involved in iron metabolism. The metabolic profile of the fungus under hematite treatment was assessed via untargeted metabolomics. Over 15 days, the cultures exhibited marked acidification (pH decreased from 7.0 to 4.7) and a 10-fold increase in the dissolved Fe 2+ ion concentration (26–270 mg/L), indicating metabolically driven iron reduction. SEM revealed surface etching and localized roughening consistent with microbially induced weathering, whereas these changes were absent in the abiotic controls. Genes linked to siderophore biosynthesis ( sidA, sidC, sidD, sidF, sidH, sidI, and sidL ) and reductive iron assimilation ( FET3, FTR1, and FRE1 ) were identified. Untargeted metabolomics confirmed the secretion of organic acids, iron-chelating siderophores (e.g., ferrichrome C), and redox-active aromatic compounds in the presence of hematite, supporting a multifaceted strategy that combines acidification, chelation, and redox mediation. Collectively, these results show that the fungus actively promotes hematite dissolution through organic molecule-mediated mechanisms. Such interactions hold astrobiological relevance, as fungal modification of hematite might lead to the production of diagnostic chemical and mineralogical biosignatures, informing future life-detection strategies on Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/jacsau.5c01365","authors":["Alef dos Santos","Fluvio Molodon","Júnia Schultz","Mauricio Augusto Pinto Moreno da Silva Alves","Alexandre Soares Rosado","Kurt O. Konhauser","Edson Rodrigues‐Filho","Merve Yeşilbaş"],"tags":["Hematite","Extremophile","Chemistry","Fungus","Dissolution"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-15","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1021/jacsau.5c01365","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.ultsonch.2025.107416","name":"New ultrasound-assisted microreactor for extracting extraterrestrial biomolecules.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Searching for organics in extraterrestrial environments, especially biomolecules, continues to be a notable challenge for in situ missions. To address this challenge, this paper introduces an ultrasound (US)-assisted reactor for extraction of amino acids, which complies with space constraints.. The optimal duration for in situ extraction was set at 10 min, using a mixture of water and methanol (1:1, v/v). Compared to 24 h hot water extraction, a 10-min US extraction at 2.4 MHz or 20 kHz enable 80 % of the amino acid recovery from the Mukundpura meteorite and 100 % recovery was achieved when US-assisted extraction was performed three times. Subsequently, the 10-min US extraction at 2.4 MHz was performed in the presence of methyl chloroformate, a derivatisation agent necessary for the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of amino acids. This simultaneous extraction-derivatisation method, lasting 10 min, enabled the recovery of 80 % of the amino acid content relative to that attainable using the extraction followed by derivatisation method. This simple, rapid, and efficient method enables for the first time the the extraction and detection of amino acids from rock samples. Detection of such biomolecules on planetary or comets surfaces will be a major advance in the understanding of the origins of the first building blocks.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultsonch.2025.107416","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1016/j.ultsonch.2025.107416","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/maps.14180","name":"Non-destructive quantitative analysis of melt inclusions in extraterrestrial samples: Case study of chassignite via nanoscale X-ray computed tomography.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Estimation of the composition of planetary rocks and minerals is crucial for understanding their formation processes. In this study, we present the application of X-ray nano-computed tomography (nano-XCT) for non-destructive 3D phase analysis and estimation of phase abundances in rare martian meteorite samples, specifically chassignite Northwest Africa (NWA) 2737. We determined the most suitable laser power for minimizing artifacts and maximizing phase contrast. By utilizing nano-XCT, we successfully identified and segmented primary phases in the bulk meteorite sample. Additionally, we were able to locate and segment crystallized silicate melt inclusions within the meteorite. The phase abundances in bulk NWA 2737 and within melt inclusions calculated using nano-XCT were in good agreement with previous studies that used thin section calculations, demonstrating the reliability of nano-XCT as a non-destructive alternative for estimating bulk phase abundances in rare samples. This study develops a benchmarking protocol and demonstrates the efficacy of nano-XCT as a non-destructive technique for generating an overview of phase distribution and assemblages of melt inclusions within rare samples. Future research can benefit from combining non-destructive 3D phase assemblage estimations with non-destructive 3D chemical analysis techniques to achieve a fully non-destructive parental magma composition estimation of rare cumulate samples.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14180","authors":["Peiyu Wu","Kyle Dayton","Esteban Gazel","Teresa J. Porri"],"tags":["Meteorite","Phase (matter)","Materials science","Mars Exploration Program","Nano-"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1111/maps.14180","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/s25206368","name":"Sensing While Drilling and Intelligent Monitoring Technology: Research Progress and Application Prospects.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Obtaining accurate information on stratigraphic conditions and drilling status is necessary to ensure the safety of the drilling process and to guarantee the production of oil and gas. Sensing while drilling and intelligent monitoring technology, which employ multiple sensors and involve the use of intelligent algorithms, can be used to collect downhole information in situ to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient drilling and mining operations. These approaches are characterized by effective sensing and comprehensive utilization of drilling information through the integration of multi-sensor signals and intelligent algorithms, a core component of machine learning. The article summarizes the current research status of domestic and international sensing while drilling and intelligent monitoring technology using systematically collected relevant information. Specifically, first, the drilling-sensing methods used for in situ acquisition of downhole information, including fiber-optic sensing, electronic-nose sensing, drilling engineering-parameter sensing, drilling mud-parameter sensing, drilling acoustic logging, drilling electromagnetic wave logging, and drilling seismic logging, are described. Next, the basic composition and development direction of each sensing technology are analyzed. Subsequently, the application of intelligent monitoring technology based on machine learning in various aspects of drilling- and mining-status identification, including bit wear monitoring, stuck drill real-time monitoring, well surge real-time monitoring, and real-time monitoring of oil and gas output, is introduced. Finally, the potential applications of sensing while drilling and intelligent monitoring technology in deep-earth, deep-sea, and deep-space contexts are discussed, and the challenges, constraints, and development trends are summarized.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/s25206368","authors":["Xiaoyu Li","Zongwei Yao","Tao Zhang","Zhiyong Chang"],"tags":["Measurement while drilling","Drilling","Process (computing)","Drill","Engineering"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.3390/s25206368","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2421996121","name":"Finding water on the Moon and Mars: Humanity's extraterrestrial future.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2421996121","authors":["M. H. Thiemens","Andreas Pack","Z. D. Sharp"],"tags":["Happiness","Anger","Psychology","Salient","Humanity"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2421996121","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/biomimetics11050340","name":"Mechatronics Design of a Clinostat Agriculture Space System for Biomimetic Phyto-Growth in Microgravity (Phyto-G) and 3D-Motion Computer Simulation on Hydroponic Environment.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"So far, space exploration has attracted increasing scientific interest due to the growth of missions promoted by private investment, such as SpaceX, Boeing, Blue Origin, and the recent attention generated by astronomical phenomena such as 3I/ATLAS. However, access to space experimentation remains limited and expensive. For this reason, new approaches to simulate space conditions on Earth are being developed to broaden research opportunities bio-inspired by plant responses to phototropism and geotropism. In this context, Betta Aerospace has continued the development of a microgravity simulation system consisting of a 3-axis clinostat powered by a single motor, continuous external electrical supply, and, in this project, a continuous external liquid supply. The proposed pioneer system was designed as a flexible platform manufactured through reinforced 3D printing, with an approximate size of 30 cm, an estimated payload of 30 kg, and a 24 V supply. Its main goal is to study the effects of simulated microgravity on aquatic organisms while enabling longer observation times in a controlled freshwater environment. Candidate biological samples include Ulva lactuca , Pyropia , Spirulina / Arthrospira , and Chlorella . Preliminary motion tests confirmed continuous operation at 10 rpm. In addition, a simplified static finite element analysis under a 294 N load yielded a maximum von Mises stress of 5.45 × 10 7 Pa and a maximum displacement of 1.73 mm.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics11050340","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.3390/biomimetics11050340","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/femsec/fiag022","name":"Carbon monoxide dehydrogenase-encoding microorganisms in volcanic astrobiological analogues: an enzyme system to investigate the evolution of life.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Volcanic environments provide analogues for studying the origin of life and its persistence under extreme conditions on early Earth and other planetary bodies. Pioneering microbes that oxidise inorganic gases, such as carbon monoxide (CO), provide energy for survival and initiate primary succession. Similar geological and atmospheric conditions shaped by volcanism, meteoritic impacts, and tidal heating have existed, or still exist, on Mars, Venus, and icy moons, where CO may serve as a metabolic substrate. This review explores the evolutionary significance of CO dehydrogenase (CODH), an enzyme responsible for the oxidation of CO to carbon dioxide, thereby linking geochemical energy fluxes to the emergence of biological carbon. Genomic evidence from eight globally distributed volcanic sites confirms the presence of genes encoding CODH. Genes encoding aerobic CO oxidation (coxL) were consistently abundant and conserved, whereas genes encoding anaerobic oxidation (cdh- and coo-related genes) showed site-specific dominance and variability, reflecting differences in microbial community composition and environmental conditions. At Poás Volcano, several taxa, particularly members of Desulfobacterota, exhibited genetic versatility across nine gene clusters, highlighting their adaptive capacity. These findings demonstrate how trace gas metabolism can support microbial survival in volcanic soils, providing insight into potential habitability on other planetary bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiag022","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1093/femsec/fiag022","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acsomega.5c02748","name":"A High Spatial and Depth Resolution Deep-UV 266 nm Wavelength Laser-Based Integrated LIBS, Fluorescence, and Raman System for Probing Lunar and Planetary Simulants and Geological Materials.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide A high spatial and depth resolution deep-ultraviolet (UV) 266 nm wavelength laser-based integrated laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), fluorescence, and Raman (LFR) system was developed for qualitatively probing lunar and planetary simulants and geological materials. The LFR system involves the use of a simple, low-weight, and compact LFR optical head (6 cm × 3 cm × 5 cm) consisting of common optics (filters, lens, and optical fibers) while being supported by an external single deep-UV pulsed laser source at 266 nm wavelength and a shared spectrometer for multifunctional Raman, fluorescence, and LIBS spectroscopy. A spatial resolution of about 15 μm was achieved and can be further decreased to under a μm. The submicron depth resolution was achieved by the 266 nm wavelength laser ablation process and can be further improved to tens of nanometers. The performance of the integrated LFR system was evaluated by probing both standard materials (organic and inorganic) as well as previously characterized simulants and geological materials, which predominantly consisted of mixtures of silicates and oxides of various metals. The obtained LIBS spectra agreed well with the literature, and no significant spatial and depth variation in composition was noted. The optical head was correctly able to obtain good Raman signatures from a range of materials, including organic (alcohol, alkanes, amino acids, and polymer) and inorganic species (sulfates, carbonates), such as water, selenite, and calcite. Analysis of the LIBS spectra correctly revealed the presence of major elements, such as Mg, Si, Fe, Al, Ca, Mn, and Ti, in the basalt, gneiss, meteorite, and simulants. This work establishes a foundation for developing single laser-spectrometer-based compact multifunctional deep-UV spectroscopic systems performing both Raman and LIBS alongside fluorescence, paving the way for further advancements toward miniaturization.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.5c02748","authors":["Anil Aryal","Pawan K. Kanaujia","Atchutananda Surampudi","D. M. Bower","T. Hewagama","Narasimha S. Prasad","W. B. Moore","Mool C. Gupta"],"tags":["Raman spectroscopy","Fluorescence","Materials science","Laser","Wavelength"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1021/acsomega.5c02748","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.11817/j.issn.1672-7347.2025.250381","name":"Deep space environment empowering drug design and development.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The unique characteristics of the deep space environment, microgravity, cosmic radiation, and extreme temperature fluctuations, are emerging as major driving forces for pharmaceutical innovation. These factors provide new avenues for optimizing drug formulations, improving crystal structure quality, and accelerating the discovery of therapeutic targets. Advances in deep space research not only help overcome critical bottlenecks in terrestrial drug development but also promote progress in structure-based drug design and deepen understanding of cellular stress-response mechanisms. Current progress in space-based pharmaceutical research primarily includes the study of disease mechanisms under microgravity, protein crystallization in microgravity, and drug development utilizing deep space radiation and resources. However, the operational complexity, high costs, and limited data reproducibility of space experiments remain key challenges hindering widespread application. Looking ahead, with the integration of automation, artificial intelligence analysis, and on-orbit manufacturing, deep space drug development is expected to achieve greater scalability and precision, opening a new frontier in biopharmaceutical science.","url":"https://doi.org/10.11817/j.issn.1672-7347.2025.250381","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.11817/j.issn.1672-7347.2025.250381","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2321069121","name":"Triple oxygen isotopes of lunar water unveil indigenous and cometary heritage.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The origin of water in the Earth-Moon system is a pivotal question in planetary science, particularly with the need for water resources in the race to establish lunar bases. The candidate origins of lunar water are an indigenous lunar component, solar wind water production, and the delivery of meteoritic and cometary material. Characterizing the oxygen isotopic composition of water provides information on lunar oxygen sources. The scarcity of lunar water required the development of a high-precision analytical technique for small samples. This method employs stepwise heating, fluorination, and oxygen isotopic measurements using a dual inlet isotope ratio mass spectrometer. The three heating steps were selected based on other extraterrestrial material studies to release loosely bound water that may have been terrestrially contaminated (50 °C), loosely bound water (150 °C), and tightly bound water (as OH) (1,000 °C). This method was applied to a suite of 9 Apollo samples (basalts, breccias, and a regolith), along with terrestrial and meteoritic controls. We present here measurements of the triple oxygen isotopic composition of this water. Our data predominantly show high Δ′ 17 O values (≥ 0‰) for lunar water. These values are consistent with enstatite, ordinary, and CI chondrite-like signatures, although coupling Δ′ 17 O with δ 18 O forms mixing trends that dominantly overlap enstatite signatures. The other end of the mixing line is in the positive Δ′ 17 O space with cometary δ 18 O values, providing constraints for cometary Δ′ 17 O between 0.75 to 1.75‰.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2321069121","authors":["Maxwell Thiemens","Maxwell M. Thiemens","M. H. Martinez","M. H. Thiemens"],"tags":["Enstatite","Regolith","Astrobiology","Isotopes of oxygen","Volatiles"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2321069121","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/life15010117","name":"Resilience of <i>Chlorella vulgaris</i> to Simulated Atmospheric Gas Compositions of Mars, Jupiter, and Titan.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This study investigates the resilience of the unicellular green microalga Chlorella vulgaris to extreme atmospheric conditions simulating those of Mars, Jupiter, and Titan. Using Earth as a control, experiments were conducted under autotrophic and mixotrophic conditions to evaluate the organism’s photosynthetic efficiency, oxygen production, and biomass growth over 2, 5, and 12 days. Photosynthetic performance was analyzed through chlorophyll a fluorescence induction (JIP-test), metabolic activity via gas chromatography, and biomass accumulation measurements. Despite the extreme atmospheric compositions—ranging from the CO2-rich, low-pressure Martian atmosphere to the anoxic atmospheres of Jupiter and Titan—C. vulgaris demonstrated resilience and a functional photosynthetic apparatus, maintaining growth and oxygen production. Notably, the Martian atmosphere enhanced photosynthetic performance, with fluorescence curves and Fv/Fm ratios surpassing Earth-like conditions, likely due to elevated CO2 and low pressure. Under mixotrophic conditions, the addition of glucose further enhanced metabolic activity and biomass growth across all atmospheres. These findings highlight the potential of C. vulgaris for bioregenerative life support systems, enabling oxygen production, CO2 sequestration, and resource cultivation in extraterrestrial habitats. The study showcases the organism’s adaptability to extreme environments, with implications for astrobiology, space exploration, and sustainable extraterrestrial ecosystems. These findings expand habitability criteria and explore extremophiles’ potential to support life beyond Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life15010117","authors":["Ariela Likai","Aikaterini Papazi","Kiriakos Kotzabasis"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Titan (rocket family)","Mars Exploration Program","Chlorella vulgaris","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.3390/life15010117","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-024-64246-7","name":"Siderite and vivianite as energy sources for the extreme acidophilic bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans in the context of mars habitability.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract Past and present habitability of Mars have been intensely studied in the context of the search for signals of life. Despite the harsh conditions observed today on the planet, some ancient Mars environments could have harbored specific characteristics able to mitigate several challenges for the development of microbial life. In such environments, Fe 2+ minerals like siderite (already identified on Mars), and vivianite (proposed, but not confirmed) could sustain a chemolithoautotrophic community. In this study, we investigate the ability of the acidophilic iron-oxidizing chemolithoautotrophic bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans to use these minerals as its sole energy source. A. ferrooxidans was grown in media containing siderite or vivianite under different conditions and compared to abiotic controls. Our experiments demonstrated that this microorganism was able to grow, obtaining its energy from the oxidation of Fe 2+ that came from the solubilization of these minerals under low pH. Additionally, in sealed flasks without CO 2 , A. ferrooxidans was able to fix carbon directly from the carbonate ion released from siderite for biomass production, indicating that it could be able to colonize subsurface environments with little or no contact with an atmosphere. These previously unexplored abilities broaden our knowledge on the variety of minerals able to sustain life. In the context of astrobiology, this expands the list of geomicrobiological processes that should be taken into account when considering the habitability of environments beyond Earth, and opens for investigation the possible biological traces left on these substrates as biosignatures.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-64246-7","authors":["Gabriel Gonçalves Silva","Roberta Almeida Vincenzi","Gabriel Guarany de Araujo","Sara Jéssica Soja Venceslau","Fábio Rodrigues"],"tags":["Habitability","Astrobiology","Siderite","Context (archaeology)","Mars Exploration Program"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-024-64246-7","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.fmre.2025.12.007","name":"Microscopic magnetic-field imaging of a single lunar dust grain.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The origin of lunar magnetic anomalies-whether remnants of an ancient core dynamo or impact-induced magnetizations-remains debated due to a critical observational gap linking microscopic magnetic carriers to macroscopic orbital measurements. Conventional measurements lack sufficient spatial resolution or vector information at the sub-particle scales, obscuring the detailed micromagnetic signatures of formative geological events. Here, we report the first microscopic magnetic imaging (MMI) of individual lunar dust grain returned by the Chang'e-5 mission using a custom-designed quantum-sensing-based high-resolution microscopy, which simultaneously satisfies optimized sensitivity at 2.09-3.39 µT·Hz -1/2 , spatial resolution of 2.2 µm and field of view at 1 × 1 mm 2 . Leveraging this, we precisely resolve magnetic field distributions with individual carriers, revealing magnetization processes linked to potential geological events at the sub-particle level. Preliminary quantitative magnetic analyses across these heterogeneous rock types further elucidate the possible historical events occurring at the task sampling site. Our approach enables imaging-based analysis of the magnetism of a single lunar dust grain and offers direct magnetism insights into the historical events from a microscopic perspective.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fmre.2025.12.007","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1016/j.fmre.2025.12.007","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/femsmc/xtag015","name":"Ammonia as a parameter shaping habitability on icy moons.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The search for life now extends beyond the traditional habitable zone to include the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn. These moons feature ice-covered surfaces overlying substantial oceans formed primarily of liquid water and other potential constituents, such as ammonia. On Earth, ammonia supports biochemistry at low concentrations by providing nitrogen but becomes disruptive at higher concentrations. Ammonia could therefore influence the habitability of extraterrestrial oceans, yet this topic has received limited attention in the literature. This review synthesises current research on ammonia in Saturn's icy moons, Enceladus and Titan, and its effects on terrestrial life. We summarize the celestial incorporation, speciation, and phase behaviour of ammonia and review data on its occurrence and concentration in icy moon oceans. We examine the role of ammonia in prebiotic chemistry, biochemistry, and toxicity. Focusing on bacteria, we compare known survival limits in ammonia to estimated ammonia concentrations on Enceladus and Titan. We find that bacterial survival limits exceed concentrations estimated on Enceladus, but are below those estimated on Titan, and propose that ammonia measurements are crucial for assessing extraterrestrial habitability. Finally, we highlight outstanding knowledge gaps and challenges that influence our understanding of how ammonia shapes the potential for life beyond Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/femsmc/xtag015","authors":["Cassie M. Hopton","Charles S Cockell"],"tags":["Enceladus","Astrobiology","Habitability","Icy moon","Extraterrestrial life"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1093/femsmc/xtag015","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2022.0075","name":"Traces of Ancient Life in Oceanic Basalt Preserved as Iron-Mineralized Ultrastructures: Implications for Detecting Extraterrestrial Biosignatures.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Benefiting from their adaptability to extreme environments, subsurface microorganisms have been discovered in sedimentary and igneous rock environments on Earth and have been advocated as candidates in the search for extraterrestrial life. In this article, we study iron-mineralized microstructures in calcite-filled veins within basaltic pillows of the late Ladinian Fernazza group (Middle Triassic, 239 Ma) in Italy. These microstructures represent diverse morphologies, including filaments, globules, nodules, and micro-digitate stromatolites, which are similar to extant iron-oxidizing bacterial communities. In situ analyses including Raman spectroscopy have been used to investigate the morphological, elemental, mineralogical, and bond-vibrational modes of the microstructures. According to the Raman spectral parameters, iron minerals preserve heterogeneous ultrastructures and crystallinities, coinciding with the morphologies and precursor microbial activities. The degree of crystallinity usually represents a microscale gradient decreasing toward previously existing microbial cells, revealing a decline of mineralization due to microbial activities. This study provides an analog of possible rock-dwelling subsurface life on Mars or icy moons and advocates Raman spectroscopy as an efficient tool for in situ analyses. We put forward the concept that ultrastructural characteristics of minerals described by Raman spectral parameters corresponding to microscale morphologies could be employed as carbon-lean biosignatures in future space missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2022.0075","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:51:41.422Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2022.0075","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.647Z"},{"id":"oa:W1979965540","name":"Mineralogy and petrology of silicate inclusions in iron meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00399290","authors":["T. E. Bunch","Klaus Keil","Edward Olsen"],"tags":["Kamacite","Geology","Olivine","Meteorite","Chondrule"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1970-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1007/bf00399290","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.129Z"},{"id":"oa:W2068744716","name":"The Farmington meteorite. Mineralogy and chemistry","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(66)90087-1","authors":["Peter E Buseck","Brian Mason","H. B. Wiik","H.B Wiik"],"tags":["Troilite","Kamacite","Meteorite","Chondrite","Pigeonite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1966-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(66)90087-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.129Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2004018625","name":"Soil mineralogy and chemistry on Mars: Possible clues from salts and clays in SNC meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(92)90168-7","authors":["J. L. Gooding"],"tags":["Meteorite","Illite","Geology","Clay minerals","Carbonate minerals"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1992-09-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1016/0019-1035(92","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.845Z"},{"id":"oa:W2475944651","name":"Suizhou Meteorite: Mineralogy and Shock Metamorphism","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-48479-1","authors":["Xiande Xie","Ming Chen"],"tags":["Shock metamorphism","Meteorite","Pyroxene","Olivine","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-09-29","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-48479-1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2028581564","name":"Classification of hydrous meteorites (CR, CM and C2 ungrouped) by phyllosilicate fraction: PSD-XRD modal mineralogy and planetesimal environments","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2014.10.025","authors":["K. T. Howard","C. M. O'd. Alexander","D. L. Schrader","K. A. Dyl"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Murchison meteorite","Carbonaceous chondrite","Anhydrous"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-11-04","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1016/j.gca.2014.10.025","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.129Z"},{"id":"oa:W2101757077","name":"Mineralogy of a Martian meteorite as determined by Raman spectroscopy","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Using the Raman point‐count procedure that we anticipate using in planetary surface exploration, we have identified and characterized the major, minor and trace mineral phases in rock chips of a Martian meteorite, EETA 79001. Raman spectra are shown for pyroxene, olivine, maskelynite (shocked, isotropized feldspar), chromite, magnetite, ilmenite, ulvöspinel, pyroxferroite, merrillite, apatite, anatase, an Fe sulfide, calcite and hematite. Raman spectra provide information on compositional variations of pyroxene, olivine and FeTiCr oxides and modal proportions of the rock. The maskelynite‐free mineral mode obtained on rough rock surfaces is consistent with modes obtained by optical microscopy on a thin section of lithology A of this meteorite. Compositions and variations in compositions of major silicate minerals (pyroxene and olivine) on the basis of Raman peak positions are consistent with those obtained in previous studies by electron probe microanalysis. The variations in composition of the silicate minerals represent different stages of crystallization during the formation of this rock near the Martian surface. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.1175","authors":["Alian Wang","K. E. Kuebler","Bradley L. Jolliff","L. A. Haskin","Karla Kuebler","Bradley Jolliff","Larry A. Haskin"],"tags":["Pyroxene","Geology","Pigeonite","Ilmenite","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-06-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1002/jrs.1175","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"oa:W2049812515","name":"Mineralogy, composition, and alteration of Mars Pathfinder rocks and soils: Evidence from multispectral, elemental, and magnetic data on terrestrial analogue, SNC meteorite, and Pathfinder samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"Major element, multispectral, and magnetic properties data were obtained at Ares Vallis during the Mars Pathfinder mission. To understand the compositional, mineralogical, and process implications of these data, we obtained major element, mineralogical, and magnetic data for well‐crystalline and nanophase ferric minerals, terrestrial analogue samples with known geologic context, and SNC meteorites. Analogue samples include unaltered, palagonitic, and sulfatetic tephra from Mauna Kea Volcano (hydrolytic and acid‐sulfate alteration), steam vent material from Kilauea Volcano (hydrolytic alteration), and impactites from Meteor Crater (relithification). Salient results for Mars Pathfinder include: (1) Band depths BD530b and BD600 and the reflectivity ratio R800/R750 are consistent with the dominant ferric mineral being nanophase ferric oxide associated with an unknown amount of H 2 O and occurring in composite particles along with subordinate amounts of other ferric minerals. Hematite and hematite plus nanophase goethite are most consistent with the data, but maghemite, akaganeite, schwertmannite, and nanophase lepidocrocite are also possible interpretations. Ferric oxides that are consistently not favored by the data as sole alteration products are jarosites and well‐crystalline goethite and lepidocrocite. (2) The strength of the ferric adsorption edge (R750/R445) implies the Fe 3+ /Fe 2+ values for Pathfinder rock and soil are within the ranges 0.7–3 and 3–20, respectively. (3) Ferrous silicates are indicated for subsets of Pathfinder rocks and soils. One subset has a band minimum near 930 nm that can attributed to low‐Ca pyroxene. Alternatively, the band could be a second manifestation of certain ferric oxides, including nanophase goethite, maghemite, akaganeite, and schwertmannite. Another subset has a negative spectral slope from ∼800 to 1005 nm which could result from the high‐energy wing of a high‐Ca pyroxene and/or olivine band, a mixture of bright and dark materials, and, for rocks, thin coatings of bright dust on dark rocks. (4) Chemical data on Pathfinder rocks and soils are consistent with two‐component mixtures between an “andesitic” rock with low MgO and SO 3 concentrations (soil‐free rock) and a global, basaltic soil with high MgO and SO 3 concentrations (rock‐free soil). Pathfinder rock‐free soil can be modeled as a chemical mixture of SNC meteorites and the Pathfinder soil‐free rock. (5) Pathfinder soil cannot be obtained by chemical alteration of Pathfinder rocks by any of the hydrolytic and acid‐sulfate alteration processes we studied. Presumably, global mixing has obscured and possibly erased the elemental signatures of chemical alteration. (6) The strongly magnetic phase in palagonitic and sulfatetic tephra is titanomagnetite and possibly its oxidation product titanomaghemite (Fe‐Ti spinels). The saturation magnetization of the tephra samples (0.5–2.0 Am 2 /kg) is at or below the low end of the range inferred for Martian dust (4±2 Am 2 /kg), implying that lithogenic Fe‐Ti spinels are a possible candidate for the Martian strongly magnetic phase. (7) The predominantly palagonitic spectral signature and magnetic nature of Martian soil and dust are consistent with glassy precursors with imbedded Fe‐Ti spinel particles. Comparison with lunar glass production rates suggests that production of sufficient quantities of glassy materials on Mars by volcanic and impact processes is sufficient to account for these observations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/1999je001059","authors":["R. V. Morris","D. C. Golden","J. F. Bell","T. D. Shelfer","Andreas C. Scheinost","Nancy W. Hinman","G. Furniss","Stanley A. Mertzman","J. L. Bishop","D. W. Ming","Carlton C. Allen","D. T. Britt"],"tags":["Geology","Noachian","Goethite","Meteorite","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1029/1999je001059","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.129Z"},{"id":"oa:W2014372723","name":"Low-Temperature Carbonate Concretions in the Martian Meteorite ALH84001: Evidence from Stable Isotopes and Mineralogy","source":"openalex","abstract":"The martian meteorite ALH84001 contains small, disk-shaped concretions of carbonate with concentric chemical and mineralogical zonation. Oxygen isotope compositions of these concretions, measured by ion microprobe, range from delta18O = +9.5 to +20.5 per thousand. Most of the core of one concretion is homogeneous (16.7 +/- 1.2 per thousand) and over 5 per thousand higher in delta18O than a second concretion. Orthopyroxene that hosts the secondary carbonates is isotopically homogeneous (delta18O = 4.6 +/- 1.2 per thousand). Secondary SiO2 has delta18O = 20.4 per thousand. Carbon isotope ratios measured from the core of one concretion average delta13C = 46 +/- 8 per thousand, consistent with formation on Mars. The isotopic variations and mineral compositions offer no evidence for high temperature (>650 degrees C) carbonate precipitation and suggest non-equilibrium processes at low temperatures (< approximately 300 degrees C).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.275.5306.1633","authors":["John W. Valley","John M. Eiler","Colin M. Graham","E. K. Gibson","Christopher S. Romanek","Edward M. Stolper","Everett K. Gibson"],"tags":["Concretion","Carbonate","Meteorite","Isotopes of oxygen","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997-03-14","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1126/science.275.5306.1633","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"oa:W2111626371","name":"Meteorites and the Early Solar System","source":"openalex","abstract":"Chondrite classification, primordial matter composition and early solar system chemical processes, discussing cosmic gas condensation and refractory element fractionation","url":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.aa.09.090171.000245","authors":["Edward Anders"],"tags":["Physics","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Astronomy","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1971-09-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1146/annurev.aa.09.090171.000245","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.129Z"},{"id":"oa:W2004022238","name":"The mineralogy and petrology of chondritic meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-8252(69)90076-2","authors":["W. R. Van Schmus"],"tags":["Chondrite","Chondrule","Troilite","Meteorite","Pyroxene"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1969-09-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1016/0012-8252(69","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.845Z"},{"id":"oa:W2170016232","name":"Mineralogy and chemistry of Rumuruti: The first meteorite fall of the new R chondrite group","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The Rumuruti meteorite shower fell in Rumuruti, Kenya, on 1934 January 28 at 10:43 p.m. Rumuruti is an olivine‐rich chondritic breccia with light‐dark structure. Based on the coexistence of highly recrystallized fragments and unequilibrated components, Rumuruti is classified as a type 3–6 chondrite breccia. The most abundant phase of Rumuruti is olivine (mostly Fa ∼39 ) with about 70 vol%. Feldspar (∼14 vol%; mainly plagioclase), Ca‐pyroxene (5 vol%), pyrrhotite (4.4 vol%), and pentlandite (3.6 vol%) are major constituents. All other phases have abundances below 1 vol%, including low‐Ca pyroxene, chrome spinels, phosphates (chlorapatite and whitlockite), chalcopyrite, ilmenite, tridymite, Ni‐rich and Ge‐containing metals, kamacite, and various particles enriched in noble metals like Pt, Ir, arid Au. The chemical composition of Rumuruti is chondritic. The depletion in refractory elements (Sc, REE, etc .) and the comparatively high Mn, Na, and K contents are characteristic of ordinary chondrites and distinguish Rumuruti from carbonaceous chondrites. However, S, Se, and Zn contents in Rumuruti are significantly above the level expected for ordinary chondrites. The oxygen isotope composition of Rumuruti is high in δ 17 O (5.52 ‰) and δ 18 O (5.07 ‰). Previously, a small number of chondritic meteorites with strong similarities to Rumuruti were described. They were called Carlisle Lakes‐type chondrites and they comprise: Carlisle Lakes, ALH85151, Y‐75302, Y‐793575, Y‐82002, Acfer 217, PCA91002, and PCA91241, as well as clasts in the Weatherford chondrite. All these meteorites are finds from hot and cold deserts having experienced various degrees of weathering. With Rumuruti, the first meteorite fall has been recognized that preserves the primary mineralogical and chemical characteristics of a new group of meteorites. Comparing all chondrites, the characteristic features can be summarized as follows: (a) basically chondritic chemistry with ordinary chondrite element patterns of refractory and moderately volatile lithophiles but higher abundances of S, Se, and Zn; (b) high degree of oxidation (37–41 mol% Fa in olivine, only traces of Fe, Ni‐metals, occurrence of chalcopyrite); (c) exceptionally high Δ 17 O values of about 2.7 for bulk samples; (d) high modal abundance of olivine (∼70 vol%); (e) Ti‐Fe 3+ −rich chromite (∼5.5 wt% TiO 2 ); (f) occurrence of various noble metal‐rich particles; (g) abundant chondritic breccias consisting of equilibrated clasts and unequilibrated lithologies. With Rumuruti, nine meteorite samples exist that are chemically and mineralogically very similar. These meteorites are attributed to at least eight different fall events. It is proposed in this paper to call this group R chondrites (rumurutiites) after the first and only fall among these meteorites. These meteorites have a close relationship to ordinary chondrites. However, they are more oxidized than any of the existing groups of ordinary chondrites. Small, but significant differences in chemical composition and in oxygen isotopes between R chondrites and ordinary chondrites exclude formation of R chondrites from ordinary chondrites by oxidation. This implies a separate, independent R chondrite parent body.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1994.tb00681.x","authors":["H. Schulze","A. Bischoff","H. Palme","B. Spettel","G. Dreibus","J. Otto"],"tags":["Chondrite","Chondrule","Meteorite","Geology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1994-03-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.1994.tb00681.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"oa:W2075655707","name":"Mineralogy, petrology, and trace element geochemistry of the Johnstown meteorite: a brecciated orthopyroxenite with siderophile and REE-rich components","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(81)90092-2","authors":["R. J. Floran","M. Prinz","Paul F. Hlava","Klaus Keil","B. Spettel","H. Wänke","R.J. Floran","Martin Prinz","P.F. Hlava"],"tags":["Geology","Geochemistry","Meteorite","Olivine","Plagioclase"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1981-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(81)90092-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"oa:W1563021990","name":"The Phosphate Mineralogy of Meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_56","authors":["Louis H. Fuchs"],"tags":["Whitlockite","Meteorite","Chondrite","Apatite","Phosphate minerals"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1969-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_56","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2064875755","name":"The Isheyevo meteorite: Mineralogy, petrology, bulk chemistry, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon isotopic compositions, and <sup>40</sup>Ar‐<sup>39</sup>Ar ages","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Isheyevo is a metal‐rich carbonaceous chondrite that contains several lithologies with different abundances of Fe,Ni metal (7–90 vol%). The metal‐rich lithologies with 50–60 vol% of Fe,Ni metal are dominant. The metal‐rich and metal‐poor lithologies are most similar to the CB b and CH carbonaceous chondrites, respectively, providing a potential link between these chondrite groups. All lithologies experienced shock metamorphism of shock stage S4. All consist of similar components—Fe,Ni metal, chondrules, refractory inclusions (Ca, Al‐rich inclusions [CAIs] and amoeboid olivine aggregates [AOAs]), and heavily hydrated lithic clasts—but show differences in their modal abundances, chondrule sizes, and proportions of porphyritic versus non‐porphyritic chondrules. Bulk chemical and oxygen isotopic compositions are in the range of CH and CB chondrites. Bulk nitrogen isotopic composition is highly enriched in 15 N (δ 15 N = 1122‰). The magnetic fraction is very similar to the bulk sample in terms of both nitrogen release pattern and isotopic profile; the non‐magnetic fraction contains significantly less heavy N. Carbon released at high temperatures shows a relatively heavy isotope signature. Similarly to CB b chondrites, ∼20% of Fe,Ni‐metal grains in Isheyevo are chemically zoned. Similarly to CH chondrites, some metal grains are Ni‐rich (&gt;20 wt% Ni). In contrast to CB b and CH chondrites, most metal grains are thermally decomposed into Ni‐rich and Ni‐poor phases. Similar to CH chondrites, chondrules have porphyritic and non‐porphyritic textures and ferromagnesian (type I and II), silica‐rich, and aluminum‐rich bulk compositions. Some of the layered ferromagnesian chondrules are surrounded by ferrous olivine or phyllosilicate rims. Phyllosilicates in chondrule rims are compositionally distinct from those in the hydrated lithic clasts. Similarly to CH chondrites, CAIs are dominated by the hibonite‐, grossite‐, and melilite‐rich types; AOAs are very rare. We infer that Isheyevo is a complex mixture of materials formed by different processes and under different physico‐chemical conditions. Chondrules and refractory inclusions of two populations, metal grains, and heavily hydrated clasts accreted together into the Isheyevo parent asteroid in a region of the protoplanetary disk depleted in fine‐grained dust. Such a scenario is consistent with the presence of solar wind—implanted noble gases in Isheyevo and with its comparatively old K‐Ar age. We cannot exclude that the K‐Ar system was affected by a later collisional event. The cosmic‐ray exposure (CRE) age of Isheyevo determined by cosmogenic 38 Ar is ∼34 Ma, similar to that of the Bencubbin (CB a ) meteorite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2008.tb01090.x","authors":["M. A. Ivanova","Н. Н. Кононкова","Alexander N. Krot","R. C. Greenwood","I. A. Franchi","A. B. Verchovsky","M. Trieloff","E. V. Korochantseva","F. Brandstätter","Marina A. IVANOVA","Natalia N. KONONKOVA","Alexander N. KROT"],"tags":["Porphyritic","Chondrite","Chondrule","Geology","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-05-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.2008.tb01090.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W1640948183","name":"Systematics and Evaluation of Meteorite Classification","source":"openalex","abstract":"Classification of meteorites is largely based on their mineralogical and petrographic characteristics and their whole-rock chemical and O-isotopic compositions. According to the currently used classification scheme, meteorites are divided into chondrites, primitive achondrites, and achondrites. There are 15 chondrite groups, including 8 carbonaceous (CI, CM, CO, CV, CK, CR, CH, CB), 3 ordinary (H, L, LL), 2 enstatite (EH, EL), and R and K chondrites. Several chondrites cannot be assigned to the existing groups and may represent the first members of new groups. Some groups are subdivided into subgroups, which may have resulted from asteroidal processing of a single group of meteorites. Each chondrite group is considered to have sampled a separate parent body. Some chondrite groups and ungrouped chondrites show chemical and mineralogical similarities and are grouped together into clans. The significance of this higher order of classification remains poorly understood. The primitive achondrites include ureilites, acapulcoites, lodranites, winonaites, and silicate inclusions in IAB and IIICD irons and probably represent recrystallization or residues from a low-degree partial melting of chondritic materials. The genetic relationship between primitive achondrites and the existing groups of chondritic meteorites remains controversial. Achondrites resulted from a high degree of melting of chondrites and include asteroidal (angrites, aubrites, howardites-diogenites-eucrites, mesosiderites, 3 groups of pallasites, 15 groups of irons plus many ungrouped irons) and planetary (martian, lunar) meteorites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1v7zdmm.8","authors":["M. K. Weisberg","T. J. McCoy","Alexander N. Krot"],"tags":["Meteorite","Systematics","Computer science","Astrobiology","Biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-07-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.2307/j.ctv1v7zdmm.8","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.129Z"},{"id":"oa:W1979984857","name":"Determination of Martian meteorite lithologies and mineralogies using vibrational spectroscopy","source":"openalex","abstract":"We have acquired thermal infrared emission spectra of four Martian meteorite samples, ALH77005, Nakhla, Zagami, and EET79001, representing three major lithologies (Iherzolite, clinopyroxenite, and basalt). The spectra of these meteorites are significantly different from each other, and we can distinguish the three lithologies easily on the basis of their spectral morphologies. Using a linear deconvolution model, the modal mineralogies of ALH77005, Nakhla, and Zagami were derived from their spectra to within 2–19% of the modes derived by optical methods. For Zagami and EET79001, the correct mineral types were identified as present using the linear method, although an exact spectral match using available end‐member spectra was not obtained, probably due to the lack of a pigeonite end‐member spectrum or shock effects in the meteorites. The meteorite spectra we have acquired will be used for comparison with data to be returned by the thermal emission spectrometer (TES) on the Mars Global Surveyor orbiter and would also be useful for comparing to future rover‐ or lander‐based thermal IR spectra. Based on our results, comparisons of mineral end‐member and meteorite spectra with TES spectra of coarse regolith and rocky regions should aid identification and mapping of Martian surface lithologies and unit mineralogy.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/97je01874","authors":["V. E. Hamilton","P. R. Christensen","H. Y. McSween"],"tags":["Meteorite","Martian","Martian surface","Geology","Pigeonite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997-11-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1029/97je01874","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.129Z"},{"id":"oa:W2480861375","name":"Highlights in Mineralogical Crystallography","source":"openalex","abstract":"\"Highlights in Mineralogical Crystallography\" presents a collection of review articles with the common topic: structural properties of minerals and synthetic analogues. It is a valuable resource for mineralogists, materials scientists, crystallographers, and earth scientists. This book includes: An introduction to the RRUFF database for structural, spectroscopic, and chemical mineral identification. A systematic evaluation of structural complexity of minerals. ab initio computer modelling of mineral surfaces. Natural quasicrystals of meteoritic origin. The potential role of terrestrial ringwoodite on the water content of the Earth's mantle. Structural characterization of nanocrystalline bio-related minerals by electron-diffraction tomography. The uniqueness of mayenite-type compounds as minerals and high-tech ceramics.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110417104","authors":["Armbruster, Thomas","Danisi, Rosa Micaela"],"tags":["Geology","Crystallography","Materials science","Geochemistry","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-11-10","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1515/9783110417104","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.129Z"},{"id":"oa:W1980358840","name":"The Twannberg (Switzerland) IIG iron meteorites: Mineralogy, chemistry, and CRE ages","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The original mass (15915 g) of the Twannberg IIG (low Ni‐, high P) iron was found in 1984. Five additional masses (12 to 2488 g) were recovered between 2000 and 2007 in the area. The different masses show identical mineralogy consisting of kamacite single crystals with inclusions of three types of schreibersite crystals: cm‐sized skeletal (10.5% Ni), lamellar (17.2% Ni), and 1–3 × 10 μm‐sized microprismatic (23.9% Ni). Masses I and II were compared in detail and have virtually identical microstructure, hardness, chemical composition, cosmic‐ray exposure (CRE) ages, and 10 Be and 26 Al activities. Bulk concentrations of 5.2% Ni and 2.0% P were calculated. The preatmospheric mass is estimated to have been at least 11,000 kg. The average CRE age for the different Twannberg samples is 230 ± 50 Ma. Detrital terrestrial mineral grains in the oxide rinds of the three larger masses indicate that they oxidized while they were incorporated in a glacial till deposited by the Rhône glacier during the last glaciation (Würm). The find location of mass I is located at the limit of glaciation where the meteorite may have deposited after transport by the glacier over considerable distance. All evidence indicates pairing of the six masses, which may be part of a larger shower as is indicated by the large inferred pre‐atmospheric mass.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb00727.x","authors":["Beda A. Hofmann","Silvio Lorenzetti","O. Eugster","U. Krähenbühl","G. F. Herzog","F. Serefiddin","Edwin Gnos","Manuel Eggimann","J. T. Wasson"],"tags":["Iron meteorite","Kamacite","Meteorite","Geology","Glacial period"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-02-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb00727.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.129Z"},{"id":"oa:W2884383923","name":"Mineralogy of volatile‐rich clasts in brecciated meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Meteoritic breccias are valuable samples as they can contain rare materials from the early solar system as clasts. Volatile‐rich, CI‐ and CM‐like clasts may represent parent body lithologies, which cannot be found as individual meteorites in today's meteorite collections. In order to reveal a better knowledge about the presence and chemical characteristics and variability of volatile (water‐bearing) materials in the early solar system these clasts play an important role. Such materials may have been available as the volatile component during the accretion of terrestrial planets. To understand the distribution of volatile‐rich materials in the solar system, we studied CI‐ and CM‐like clasts in brecciated meteorites including polymict ureilites, HEDs, CR, CB, CH, and ordinary chondrites. CI‐like clasts occur throughout all of the mentioned meteorite groups, whereas the CM‐like clasts have only been identified in HEDs and ordinary chondrites. The abundance of volatile‐rich clasts in general decreases in the order CH &gt; CR &gt; ureilites &gt; HEDs &gt; CB &gt; OC &gt; R. The mineralogy of CI‐like clasts is similar to CI chondrites, but their compositions of phyllosilicates differ. The mineralogy of CM‐like clasts clearly links them to CM chondrites. They must have been delivered to the HED parent body by low‐velocity impacts after differentiation and volcanism, as there is no evidence for high shock and heating processes. Additionally, we propose that CI‐like clasts in the CR, CB, and CH chondrites are a primary component of the appropriate parent bodies (accretionary breccias). Conversely, the CI‐like clasts in polymict ureilites and HEDs represent an infall as (micro)meteorites or as low‐velocity impactors, which happened after the accretion and differentiation of the appropriate parent bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13175","authors":["Markus Patzek","A. Bischoff","R. Visser","Timm John"],"tags":["Meteorite","Breccia","Parent body","Clastic rock","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-07-18","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1111/maps.13175","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2068348337","name":"The Siena meteorite: Mineralogy and Chemistry","source":"openalex","abstract":"Summary The principal data are collected about the fall and the distribution of the fragments of the Siena, Italy, meteorite (11·6°E., 43·1°N.). A complete individual, weighing 110·55 g, is described in some detail. Crust morphology, mineralogical composition, and structure were studied. Optical data were established by microscopical analysis and both thin and polished sections were observed. Compared with available electron-probe analysis they are found in good agreement. The chemical analysis is Fe 12·93, Ni 1·39, Co 0·09, FeS 5·46, SiO 2 37·10, TiO 2 0·14, Al 2 O 3 , 3·91 FeO 11·46, MnO 0·35, MgO 23·81, CaO 1·63, Na 2 O 0·90, K 2 O 0·16, P 2 O 5 0·44, H 2 O + 0·10, H 2 O − 0·00, Cr 2 O 3 0·56, total 100·43. Siena is an ordinary chondrite, with relatively ambiguous characteristics and evident features of recrystallization and metamorphism.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/minmag.1969.037.285.04","authors":["B. Baldanza","G. R. Levi‐Donati","H. B. Wiik","G. R. Levi-Donati"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Mineralogy","Chemical composition","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1969-03-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1180/minmag.1969.037.285.04","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2035685743","name":"THE VALDINIZZA METEORITE: MINERALOGY, CHEMISTRY AND MICROTEXTURES","source":"openalex","abstract":"The principal data are collected about the fall and the distribution of the fragments of the Valdinizza, Italy, meteorite. A complete individual, weighing 872 g, preserved in the United States National Museum, Washington, D. C., is described in some detail. The mineralogical composition is olivine, Fa 25 ; hypersthene, Fs 23 ; plagioclase, An 10 ; maskelynite; nickel‐iron; troilite; chromite; ilmenite and possibly a phosphate mineral. Valdinizza is a fairly typical hypersthene chondrite, belonging to the type 6 chondrites of Van Schmus and Wood (1967); its structure shows evidence of a period of high‐temperature recrystallization; interesting features of shock‐metamorphism are notable, the microtexture deformations suggesting a high level of stress","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1971.tb00400.x","authors":["G. R. Levi‐Donati","E. Jarosewich","Eugene Jarosewich"],"tags":["Troilite","Meteorite","Chondrite","Ilmenite","Plagioclase"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1971-03-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.1971.tb00400.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2132738826","name":"What we have learned about Mars from SNC meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The SNC meteorites are thought to be igneous martian rocks, based on their young crystallization ages and a close match between the composition of gases implanted in them during shock and the atmosphere of Mars. A related meteorite, ALH84001, may be older and thus may represent ancient martian crust. These petrologically diverse basalts and ultramafic rocks are mostly cumulates, but their parent magmas share geochemical and radiogenic isotopic characteristics that suggest they may have formed by remelting the same mantle source region at different times. Information and inferences about martian geology drawn from these samples include the following: Planetary differentiation occurred early at ∼4.5 Ga, probably concurrently with accretion. The martian mantle contains different abundances of moderately volatile and siderophile elements and is more Fe‐rich than that of the Earth, which has implications for its mineralogy, density, and origin. The estimated core composition has a S abundance near the threshold value for inner core solidification. The former presence of a core dynamo may be suggested by remanent magnetization in SNC meteorites, although these rocks may have been magnetized during shock. The mineralogy of martian surface units, inferred from reflectance spectra, matches that of basaltic shergottites, but SNC lithologies thought to have crystallized in the subsurface are not presently recognized. The rheological properties of martian magmas are more accurately derived from these meteorites than from observations of martian flow morphology, although the sampled range of magma compositions is limited. Estimates of planetary water abundance and the amount of outgassed water based on these meteorites are contradictory but overlap estimates based on geological observations and atmospheric measurements. Stable isotope measurements indicate that the martian hydrosphere experienced only limited exchange with the lithosphere, but it is in isotopic equilibrium with the atmosphere and has been since 1.3 Ga. The isotopically heavy atmosphere/hydrosphere composition deduced from these rocks reflects a loss process more severe than current atmospheric evolution models, and the occurrence of carbonates in SNC meteorites suggests that they, rather than scapolite or hydrous carbonates, are the major crustal sink for CO 2 . Weathering products in SNC meteorites support the idea of limited alteration of the lithosphere by small volumes of saline, CO 2 ‐bearing water. Atmospheric composition and evolution are further constrained by noble gases in these meteorites, although Xe and Kr isotopes suggest different origins for the atmosphere. Planetary ejection of these rocks has promoted an advance in the understanding of impact physics, which has been accomplished by a model involving spallation during large cratering events. Ejection of all the SNC meteorites (except ALH84001) in one or two events may provide a plausible solution to most constraints imposed by chronology, geochemistry, and cosmic ray exposure, although problems remain with this scenario; ALH84001 may represent older martian crust sampled during a separate impact.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1994.tb01092.x","authors":["H. Y. McSween"],"tags":["Meteorite","Martian","Geology","Basalt","Planetary differentiation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1994-11-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.1994.tb01092.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.129Z"},{"id":"oa:W2020442775","name":"The Blue Angel: I. The mineralogy and petrogenesis of a hibonite inclusion from the Murchison meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(82)90160-0","authors":["J. T. Armstrong","Gregory P. Meeker","J. C. Huneke","G. J. Wasserburg","John T Armstrong","G.P Meeker","J.C Huneke","G.J Wasserburg"],"tags":["Murchison meteorite","Allende meteorite","Geology","Meteorite","Calcite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1982-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(82)90160-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.129Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"oa:W1626129648","name":"Organic Matter in Meteorites: Molecular and Isotopic Analyses of the Murchison Meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1936-8_9","authors":["John R. Cronin","Sherwood Chang"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Murchison meteorite","Parent body","Carbonaceous chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1993-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-011-1936-8_9","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.129Z"},{"id":"oa:W2101223042","name":"Weathering of meteorites from Oman: Correlation of chemical and mineralogical weathering proxies with<sup>14</sup>C terrestrial ages and the influence of soil chemistry","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Fifty-four fragments of ordinary chondrites from 50 finds representing all searched areas in central Oman and all weathering stages were selected to compare the physical, chemical, and mineralogical effect of terrestrial weathering with 14C terrestrial ages. 14C ages range from 2.0 to >49 kyr with a median value of 17.9 kyr. The peak of the age range, which is between 10–20 kyr, falls in an arid climate period. A comparison of the chemical composition of Omani chondrites with literature data for unweathered H and L chondrites demonstrates a strong enrichment in Sr and Ba, and depletion in S during weathering. Water contents in H chondrites increase with terrestrial age, whereas L chondrites show a rapid initial increase followed by nearly constant water content. Correlating Sr, Ba, and H2O with age indicates two absorption trends: i) an initial alteration within the first 20 kyr dominated by H2O uptake, mainly reflecting Fe-Ni metal alteration, and ii) a second Ba-and Sr-dominated stage correlated with slower and less systematic weathering of troilite that starts after H2O reaches −2 wt%. Sulfur released from troilite partly combines with Ba and Sr to form sulfate minerals. Other parameters correlated with 14C age are degree of weathering, color of powdered meteorites, and the Ni/Fe ratio. Chemical analyses of 145 soils show a high degree of homogeneity over the entire interior Oman Desert, indicating large-scale mixing by wind. Soil samples collected from beneath meteorite finds typically are enriched in Ni and Co, confirming mobilization from the meteorites. High Cr and Ni concentrations in reference soil samples, which decrease from NE to SW, are due to detrital material from ultramafic rocks of the Oman Mountains.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00185.x","authors":["A. Al‐Kathiri","Beda A. Hofmann","A. J. T. Jull","Edwin Gnos"],"tags":["Weathering","Chondrite","Troilite","Meteorite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-08-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00185.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.129Z"},{"id":"oa:W1560562822","name":"The Use of Selected-Area Electron Diffraction in Meteorite Mineralogy","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_41","authors":["J. F. Kerridge"],"tags":["Meteorite","Pyroxene","Silicate","Electron diffraction","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1969-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_41","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2089839481","name":"Composition and mineralogy of refractory-metal-rich assemblages from a Ca,Al-rich inclusion in the Allende meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(87)90153-0","authors":["A. Bischoff","H. Palme"],"tags":["Allende meteorite","Chondrite","Magnetite","Metal","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1987-10-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1016/0016-7037(87","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.845Z"},{"id":"oa:W2147655907","name":"Mineralogy, petrology, chronology, and exposure history of the Chelyabinsk meteorite and parent body","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Three masses of the Chelyabinsk meteorite have been studied with a wide range of analytical techniques to understand the mineralogical variation and thermal history of the Chelyabinsk parent body. The samples exhibit little to no postentry oxidation via Mössbauer and Raman spectroscopy indicating their fresh character, but despite the rapid collection and care of handling some low levels of terrestrial contamination did nonetheless result. Detailed studies show three distinct lithologies, indicative of a genomict breccia. A light‐colored lithology is LL 5 material that has experienced thermal metamorphism and subsequent shock at levels near S4. The second lithology is a shock‐darkened LL 5 material in which the darkening is caused by melt and metal‐troilite veins along grain boundaries. The third lithology is an impact melt breccia that formed at high temperatures (~1600 °C), and it experienced rapid cooling and degassing of S 2 gas. Portions of light and dark lithologies from Chel‐101, and the impact melt breccias (Chel‐102 and Chel‐103) were prepared and analyzed for Rb‐Sr, Sm‐Nd, and Ar‐Ar dating. When combined with results from other studies and chronometers, at least eight impact events (e.g., ~4.53 Ga, ~4.45 Ga, ~3.73 Ga, ~2.81 Ga, ~1.46 Ga, ~852 Ma, ~312 Ma, and ~27 Ma) are clearly identified for Chelyabinsk, indicating a complex history of impacts and heating events. Finally, noble gases yield young cosmic ray exposure ages, near 1 Ma. These young ages, together with the absence of measurable cosmogenic derived Sm and Cr, indicate that Chelyabinsk may have been derived from a recent breakup event on an NEO of LL chondrite composition.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12511","authors":["K. Righter","Paul I. Abell","D. G. Agresti","E. L. Berger","Aaron S. Burton","J. S. Delaney","M. Fries","E. K. Gibson","Makiko K. Haba","R. Harrington","G. F. Herzog","L. P. Keller"],"tags":["Meteorite","Breccia","Geology","Parent body","Lithology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-09-28","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1111/maps.12511","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2323328034","name":"Natural CaTi2O4-structured FeCr2O4 polymorph in the Suizhou meteorite and its significance in mantle mineralogy","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0016-7037(03)00175-3","authors":["Ming Chen","Jinfu Shu","Xiande Xie","Ho‐kwang Mao","Ho-kwang Mao"],"tags":["Chromite","Orthorhombic crystal system","Meteorite","Raman spectroscopy","Phase (matter)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0016-7037(03)00175-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"oa:W2026006784","name":"Mineralogy, petrography, geochemistry, and classification of the Košice meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Košice meteorite was observed to fall on 28 February 2010 at 23:25 UT near the city of Košice in eastern Slovakia and its mineralogy, petrology, and geochemistry are described. The characteristic features of the meteorite fragments are fan‐like, mosaic, lamellar, and granular chondrules, which were up to 1.2 mm in diameter. The fusion crust has a black‐gray color with a thickness up to 0.6 mm. The matrix of the meteorite is formed mainly by forsterite (Fo 80.6 ); diopside; enstatite (Fs 16.7 ); albite; troilite; Fe‐Ni metals such as iron and taenite; and some augite, chlorapatite, merrillite, chromite, and tetrataenite. Plagioclase‐like glass was also identified. Relative uniform chemical composition of basic silicates, partially brecciated textures, as well as skeletal taenite crystals into troilite veinlets suggest monomict breccia formed at conditions of rapid cooling. The Košice meteorite is classified as ordinary chondrite of the H5 type which has been slightly weathered, and only short veinlets of Fe hydroxides are present. The textural relationships indicate an S3 degree of shock metamorphism and W0 weathering grade. Some fragments of the meteorite Košice are formed by monomict breccia of the petrological type H5. On the basis of REE content, we suggest the Košice chondrite is probably from the same parent body as H5 chondrite Morávka from Czech Republic. Electron‐microprobe analysis ( EMPA ) with focused and defocused electron beam, whole‐rock analysis ( WRA ), inductively coupled plasma mass and optical emission spectroscopy ( ICP MS , ICP OES ), and calibration‐free laser induced breakdown spectroscopy ( CF ‐ LIBS ) were used to characterize the Košice fragments. The results provide further evidence that whole‐rock analysis gives the most accurate analyses, but this method is completely destructive. Two other proposed methods are partially destructive ( EMPA ) or nondestructive ( CF ‐ LIBS ), but only major and minor elements can be evaluated due to the significantly lower sample consumption.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12405","authors":["Daniel Ozdín","J. Plavčan","M. Horňáčková","Pavel Uher","V. Porubčan","P. Veis","Jozef Rakovský","Juraj Tóth","Patrík Konečný","J. Svoreň"],"tags":["Troilite","Geology","Meteorite","Augite","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-03-27","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1111/maps.12405","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2134314988","name":"THE MINERALOGY OF METEORITES","source":"openalex","abstract":"During the past decade the number of minerals recognized in meteorites has doubled, from about 40 in 1962 to over 80 in 1972. The great expansion in our knowledge can be largely ascribed to the introduction of the electron‐beam microprobe as a research tool, enabling the quantitative analysis of microscopic grains in polished sections. While most of these discoveries are of minerals present in minute amounts, their identification has elucidated many aspects of meteorite formation. Of particular interest are five phosphate minerals, three of them unknown in terrestrial rocks; a chromium nitride and a silicon oxynitride; lonsdaleite and chaoite, new polymorphs of carbon; ringwoodite and majorite, the spinel and garnet analogs of olivine and pyroxene respectively; a number of calcium‐ and aluminum‐rich silicates in the Allende meteorite, a Type III carbonaceous chondrite which fell in 1969; and several alkali‐rich silicates found as inclusions in iron meteorites. Knowledge of the compositional range of the common minerals olivine, pyroxene, and plagioclase has also been greatly increased by recent researches","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1972.tb00445.x","authors":["Brian Mason"],"tags":["Meteorite","Allende meteorite","Olivine","Chondrite","Pyroxene"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1972-09-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.1972.tb00445.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W1976242093","name":"Lafayette meteorite: petrology and opaque mineralogy","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-821x(76)90186-2","authors":["N. Z. Boctor","Henry O. A. Meyer","G. Kullerud"],"tags":["Geology","Ilmenite","Troilite","Magnetite","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1976-09-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1016/0012-821x(76","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.845Z"},{"id":"oa:W3094071166","name":"Mineralogy of meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3094071166","authors":["I. A. Iudin","V. D. Kolomenskii"],"tags":["Meteorite","Achondrite","Mineralogy","Geology","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1987-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2013086764","name":"SNC meteorites: Clues to Martian petrologic evolution?","source":"openalex","abstract":"The shergottites, nakhlites, and Chassigny (SNC meteorites) are apparently cumulate mafic and ultramafic rocks that crystallized at shallow levels in the crust of their parent body. The mineralogy and chemistry of these meteorites are remarkably like equivalent terrestrial rocks, although their ratios of Fe/(Fe + Mg) and certain incompatible elements and their oxygen isotopic compositions are distinctive. All have crystallization ages of 1.3 b.y. or younger and formed from magmas produced by partial melting of previously fractionated source regions. Isotope systematics suggest that the SNC parent body had a complex and protracted thermal history spanning most of geologic time. Some meteorites have been severely shock metamorphosed, and all were ejected from their parent body at relatively recent times, possibly in several impact events. Late crystallization ages, complex petrogenesis, and possible evidence for a large gravitational field suggest that these meteorites are derived from a large planet. Trapped gases in shergottite shock melts have compositions similar to the composition measured in the Martian atmosphere. Ejection of Martian meteorites may have been accomplished by acceleration of near‐surface spalls or other mechanisms not fully understood. If SNC meteorites are of Martian origin, they provide important information on planetary composition and evolution. The bulk composition and redox state of the Martian mantle, as constrained by shergottite phase equilibria, must be more earthlike than most current models. Planetary thermal models should benefit from data on the abundances of radioactive heat sources, the melting behavior of the mantle, and the timing of planetary differentiation. Calculated depletion of chalcophile elements in source regions indicates a core dominated by sulfides, and paleomagnetic measurements suggest the presence of a weak magnetic field within the last several hundred thousand years. Concentrations of volatile elements indicate that the SNC parent body was not volatile depleted, and trapped atmospheric components measured in shock melts may be useful in understanding planetary degassing. By providing comparisons for spectral reflectance data and Viking soil analyses, these meteorites may also constrain surface mineralogy and weathering mechanisms.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/rg023i004p00391","authors":["H. Y. McSween"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Martian","Astrobiology","Mantle (geology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1985-11-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1029/rg023i004p00391","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2020527383","name":"Mineralogy of phyllosilicate-rich micrometeorites and comparison with Tagish Lake and Sayama meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0012-821x(02)00777-x","authors":["T. Noguchi","Tomoki Nakamura","Wataru Nozaki"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Geochemistry","Chondrite","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-09-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1016/s0012-821x(02","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.845Z"},{"id":"oa:W2153610117","name":"Classification and properties of iron meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Most (86%) iron meteorites can be assigned to one of 12 genetic groups on the basis of systematic variations in their chemical, mineralogical, and structural properties; the remaining 14% are termed anomalous. The groups are best resolved on Ga‐Ni or Ge‐Ni plots, but they may also be defined using other elements, the distribution and morphology of characteristic minerals, and very often kamacite bandwidths. The power of this classification to reveal correlations of numerous and diverse properties within these groups and systematic variations between groups emphasizes its validity. Its use is essential for understanding the formation of iron meteorites. A comparison of the 12 groups suggests that there are two types with very different histories: (1) the major groups IIAB, IIIAB, and IVA (11, 32, and 8% of all irons, respectively), probably IIC, IID, and IVB, and possibly also IC, IIIE, and IIIF; within these groups, most properties are correlated and chemical and mineralogical trends closely similar and (2) the large group IAB (19% of all irons), IIICD, and probably IIE, in which correlations between properties are generally much weaker and the observed trends distinctly different from those in groups of the former type. Each group very probably formed in its own parent body. Groups of the second type seem to have diverse formational histories, but we believe that, unlike the first type, they were not once part of molten cores. This study is based on results from nearly 500 different iron meteorites, which are listed with their classification together with 70 other paired irons. We present a comparative study of the properties of the 12 groups without attempting to fit these data to detailed models for their formation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/rg013i004p00527","authors":["E. R. D. Scott","J. T. Wasson"],"tags":["Kamacite","Meteorite","Parent body","Iron meteorite","Group (periodic table)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1975-08-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1029/rg013i004p00527","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W1486311691","name":"Mineralogy and petrology of Yamato 000593: Comparison with other Martian nakhlite meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Yamato (Y) 000593 is a new nakhlite recovered from Antarctica and is composed of roughly 80% augite, 10% olivine and 10% mesostasis. Augite is chemically homogeneous except for Fe-rich rims adjacent to the mesostasis. Olivine has more extensive chemical zoning, but the most Fe-rich part is also near the mesostasis. These observations suggest that chemical zoning of both augite and olivine was produced by interaction with the mesostasis. The crystallization history of Y000593 as deduced from this study is as follows. (1) Crystallization of cumulus augite and olivine and formation of symplectites in olivine. (2) Accumulation of augite and olivine. (3) Mesostasis crystallization and interaction of the augite and olivine rims with the intercumulus melt. (4) Aqueous alteration. The petrography and mineralogy of Y000593 is generally similar to other nakhlites, but minor mineralogical differences are observed. These differences resulted from different thermal histories due to different locations (burial depths) in the same cooling cumulate pile. Y000593 is most similar to Nakhla and both samples experienced similar formation histories. However, later mesostasis crystallization of Y000593 was more rapid than Nakhla due to its faster cooling rate. The burial depth of Y000593 would be shallower than 3 m from the surface, and is intermediate between NWA817 and Nakhla. The abundance and mineralogy of the mesostasis as well as augite and olivine rim compositions are related to the burial depths of nakhlites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.15094/00006025","authors":["T. Mikouchi","Eisuke Koizumi","A. Monkawa","Yuji Ueda","M. Miyamoto"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Martian","Petrology","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-03-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.15094/00006025","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2102920959","name":"Mineralogy of the Martian Surface","source":"openalex","abstract":"The past fifteen years of orbital infrared spectroscopy and in situ exploration have led to a new understanding of the composition and history of Mars. Globally, Mars has a basaltic upper crust with regionally variable quantities of plagioclase, pyroxene, and olivine associated with distinctive terrains. Enrichments in olivine (&gt;20%) are found around the largest basins and within late Noachian–early Hesperian lavas. Alkali volcanics are also locally present, pointing to regional differences in igneous processes. Many materials from ancient Mars bear the mineralogic fingerprints of interaction with water. Clay minerals, found in exposures of Noachian crust across the globe, preserve widespread evidence for early weathering, hydrothermal, and diagenetic aqueous environments. Noachian and Hesperian sediments include paleolake deposits with clays, carbonates, sulfates, and chlorides that are more localized in extent. The late Hesperian to Amazonian mineralogic record of water is sparser, though sulfates and silica in some locations indicate local availability of ground and surface waters even in the most recent geologic epoch.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-earth-060313-055024","authors":["B. L. Ehlmann","Christopher S. Edwards"],"tags":["Noachian","Hesperian","Geology","Geochemistry","Amazonian"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-03-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1146/annurev-earth-060313-055024","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2067089387","name":"Mineralogical Variations within the S-Type Asteroid Class","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1006/icar.1993.1194","authors":["M. J. Gaffey","J. F. Bell","R. H. Brown","T. H. Burbine","J. L. Piatek","K. L. Reed","Damon A. Chaky"],"tags":["Pyroxene","Meteorite","Chondrite","Parent body","Asteroid"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1993-12-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1006/icar.1993.1194","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2029122143","name":"An integrated view of the chemistry and mineralogy of martian soils","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The mineralogical and elemental compositions of the martian soil are indicators of chemical and physical weathering processes. Using data from the Mars Exploration Rovers, we show that bright dust deposits on opposite sides of the planet are part of a global unit and not dominated by the composition of local rocks. Dark soil deposits at both sites have similar basaltic mineralogies, and could reflect either a global component or the general similarity in the compositions of the rocks from which they were derived. Increased levels of bromine are consistent with mobilization of soluble salts by thin films of liquid water, but the presence of olivine in analysed soil samples indicates that the extent of aqueous alteration of soils has been limited. Nickel abundances are enhanced at the immediate surface and indicate that the upper few millimetres of soil could contain up to one per cent meteoritic material.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/nature03637","authors":["A. S. Yen","R. Gellert","Christian Schröder","R. V. Morris","J. F. Bell","A. T. Knudson","B. C. Clark","D. W. Ming","J. A. Crisp","R. E. Arvidson","D. L. Blaney","J. Brückner"],"tags":["Weathering","Martian soil","Soil water","Martian","Basalt"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005 Jul 7","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1038/nature03637","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2093975688","name":"Chemical and mineralogical size segregation in the impact disruption of inhomogeneous, anhydrous meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2004.07.010","authors":["G. J. Flynn","D. D. Durda"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Ordinary chondrite","Allende meteorite","Carbonaceous chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-09-21","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1016/j.pss.2004.07.010","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2090496488","name":"Testing variations within the Tagish Lake meteorite—I: Mineralogy and petrology of pristine samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Four samples ( TL 5b, TL 11h, TL 11i, and TL 11v) from the pristine collection of the Tagish Lake meteorite, an ungrouped C2 chondrite, were studied to characterize and understand its alteration history using EPMA , XRD , and TEM . We determined that samples TL 11h and TL 11i have a relatively smaller proportion of amorphous silicate material than sample TL 5b, which experienced low‐temperature hydrous parent‐body alteration conditions to preserve this indigenous material. The data suggest that lithic fragments of TL 11i experienced higher degrees of aqueous alteration than the rest of the matrix, based on its low porosity and high abundance of coarse‐ and fine‐grained sheet silicates, suggesting that TL 11i was present in an area of the parent body where alteration and brecciation were more extensive. We identified a coronal, “flower”‐like, microstructure consisting of a fine‐grained serpentine core and coarse‐grained saponite‐serpentine radial arrays, suggesting varied fluid chemistry and crystallization time scales. We also observed pentlandite with different morphologies: an exsolved morphology formed under nebular conditions; a nonexsolved pentlandite along grain boundaries; a “bulls‐eye” sulfide morphology and rims around highly altered chondrules that probably formed by multiple precipitation episodes during low‐temperature aqueous alteration (≥100 °C) on the parent body. On the basis of petrologic and mineralogic observations, we conclude that the Tagish Lake parent body initially contained a heterogeneous mixture of anhydrous precursor minerals of nebular and presolar origin. These materials were subjected to secondary, nonpervasive parent‐body alteration, and the samples studied herein represent different stages of that hydrous alteration, i.e., TL 5b (the least altered) &lt; TL 11h &lt; TL 11i (the most altered). Sample TL 11v encompasses the petrologic characteristics of the other three specimens.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12271","authors":["A. Blinova","T. J. Zega","C. D. K. Herd","R. M. Stroud","Alexandra I. Blinova","Thomas J. Zega","Christopher D. K. Herd","Rhonda M. Stroud"],"tags":["Geology","Parent body","Meteorite","Chondrule","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-02-24","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1111/maps.12271","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"oa:W1968626576","name":"New mineralogical phases identified by Mössbauer measurements in Morasko meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10751-008-9849-8","authors":["A. Wojnarowska","Tomasz Dziel","J. Gała̧zka‐Friedman","Łukasz Karwowski"],"tags":["Troilite","Kamacite","Meteorite","Iron meteorite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-09-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1007/s10751-008-9849-8","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2078492425","name":"Mineralogy and petrology of the LaPaz Icefield lunar mare basaltic meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Five basaltic meteorites from the LaPaz ice field are paired on the basis of their mineralogy and texture, and represent a unique basalt type distinct from those in the Apollo or Luna sample collections. LaPaz Icefield (LAP) 02205, LAP 02224, LAP 02226, LAP 02436 and LAP 03632 all contain plagioclase, pyroxene, ilmenite, spinel, olivine, and minor troilite, metal, phosphate, baddeleyite and silica (cristobalite). Brown glassy melt veins are ubiquitous and cross the primary igneous texture. Plagioclase, the major mineral and occurring as laths in a subophitic texture, is of narrow compositional range, from An85–89. Pyroxene, also a major mineral, is strongly zoned, from augite and pigeonite cores to very iron-rich rims. Ilmenite laths comprise approximately 3–5% of the basalts. Spinels show a large compositional range, comparable to that documented in Apollo 15 basalts, indicating an early chromite-rich stage followed by an intermediate to late stage with Cr-rich ulvöspinel. Relatively large, subhedral to skeletal olivine crystals (Fo46–62) are sparse, and are too Forich to be in equilibrium with the bulk rock, indicating that these are xenocrysts rather than phenocrysts. The presence of melt veins with a similar composition to the bulk rock, maskelynitized plagioclase feldspar, and metastable cristobalite indicate that these rocks underwent significant shock, between 30 and 50 GPa. Calculated oxygen fugacity, using spinel-ilmenite-iron metal equilibria, is within the range defined by previous studies of lunar materials. The bulk composition (low MgO) and low calculated temperatures, together with modelling calculations, indicate an origin by fractional crystallization of a more primitive low TiO2 parent liquid similar to Apollo 12 olivine basalt.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00139.x","authors":["K. Righter","Stephen Collins","A. D. Brandon"],"tags":["Pigeonite","Pyroxene","Geology","Plagioclase","Ilmenite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-11-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00139.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2038845141","name":"Ejection of Martian meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— We investigated the transfer of meteorites from Mars to Earth with a combined mineralogical and numerical approach. We used quantitative shock pressure barometry and thermodynamic calculations of post‐shock temperatures to constrain the pressure/temperature conditions for the ejection of Martian meteorites. The results show that shock pressures allowing the ejection of Martian meteorites range from 5 to 55 GPa, with corresponding post‐shock temperature elevations of 10 to about 1000 °C. With respect to shock pressures and post‐shock temperatures, an ejection of potentially viable organisms in Martian surface rocks seems possible. A calculation of the cooling time in space for the most highly shocked Martian meteorite Allan Hills (ALH) 77005 was performed and yielded a best‐fit for a post‐shock temperature of 1000 °C and a meteoroid size of 0.4 to 0.6 m. The final burial depths of the sub‐volcanic to volcanic Martian rocks as indicated by textures and mineral compositions of meteorites are in good agreement with the postulated size of the potential source region for Martian meteorites during the impact of a small projectile (200 m), as defined by numerical modeling (Artemieva and Ivanov 2004). A comparison of shock pressures and ejection and terrestrial ages indicates that, on average, highly shocked fragments reach Earth‐crossing orbits faster than weakly shocked fragments. If climatic changes on Mars have a significant influence on the atmospheric pressure, they could account for the increase of recorded ejection events of Martian meteorites in the last 5 Ma.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00409.x","authors":["Jörg Fritz","N. A. Artemieva","A. Greshake"],"tags":["Martian","Meteorite","Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Meteoroid"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-10-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00409.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1644811106","name":"Shock Effects in Meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Shock waves have played an important role in the history of virtually all meteorites. All models of the early solar system invoke condensation of mineral grains, aggregation of grains to form small bodies, and aggregation of most of the small bodies to form planets. The remaining small bodies, the asteroids, are accepted as the source of most meteorites. Throughout the history of the solar system, these small bodies have repeatedly collided with one another and with the planets. Since collisions produce shock waves in the colliding bodies, an understanding of shock wave effects is important to unraveling the impact history of the solar system as it is revealed in meteorites. This chapter was originally intended as an update of the chapter by Stoffler et al. (1988). Rather than update that chapter, which relies heavily on laboratory shock-recovery experiments in the interpretation of shock effects in meteorites, we have decided to take a different approach. Here we emphasize the use of static high-pressure data on phase equilibria together with shock wave and thermal physics calculations to interpret observed microstructures of shocked meteorites. A number of papers published during the past ten years have shown that this approach can yield new insights on the impact history of meteorites (Chen et al., 1996, 2004b; Sharp et al., 1997; Langenhorst and Poirier, 2000a; Xie and Sharp, 2000, 2004; Xie et al., 2002, 2005; DeCarli et al., 2004; Beck et al., 2004, 2005; Ohtani et al., 2004). One requirement for use of this approach is that some knowledge of shock wave physics is required. Most general articles on shock wave physics do not present the information in a way that is useful to a reader who has been primarily trained in geology or mineralogy. One of the objectives of this chapter is to present a useful tutorial on shock waves and shock wave calculations, including shock temperature and postshock temperature calculations. Our emphasis is on simple techniques and useful approximations rather than mathematical rigor. We will even attempt to present simple explanations of complicated phenomena, such as the quasichaotic nature of shock propagation in heterogeneous and/or porous materials. We also present examples to illustrate how the principles of shock wave and thermal physics may be used to interpret the history of naturally shocked materials and how the occurrences and formation mechanisms of high-pressure minerals in meteorites can be used to constrain shock pressures. 2. BACKGROUND","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1v7zdmm.37","authors":["T. G. Sharp","Paul S. DeCarli"],"tags":["Meteorite","Shock (circulatory)","Astrobiology","Physics","Medicine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-07-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.2307/j.ctv1v7zdmm.37","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W1488559308","name":"Mineralogical and chemical relationships of interplanetary dust particles, micrometeorites, and meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Interplanetary dust, micrometeorites, and meteorites should share some common physical and chemical properties if the small dust particles as well as the larger extraterrestrial samples originate in the asteroid belt. Indeed, interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) and micrometeorites were found showing clear relationships to existing meteorite classes and to specific components of carbonaceous chondrites. Primitive anhydrous IDPs, though mineralogically unlike known meteorites, contain forsterite with a unique chemical signature which are also present in primitive chondrites, and therefore establish a link between IDPs and meteorites. These primitive anhydrous IDPs are most likely derived from objects in the asteroid belt which do not deliver meteorites to Earth. A number of IDPs appear to be samples of strongly heated or melted parent bodies and could establish links to Acapulcoites and the even more reduced silicates in type IAB iron meteorites. Refractory IDPs with isotopic and chemical properties of Calcium‐Aluminum‐Rich Inclusions (CAIs) are present among stratospheric dust particles. They suggest a relationship of some IDPs with carbonaceous chondrites, although a small number of CAIs are also reported from ordinary chondrites. However, IDPs mineralogically identical to equilibrated ordinary chondrites have not so far been identified. It is therefore most likely that refractory IDPs are samples from similar to carbonaceous chondrite parent bodies.Among Antarctic micrometeorites is a sizable population of unmelted particles. These unmelted micrometeorites are most likely the products of thermally altered hydrous phases. This population of micrometeorites, originating from aqueously altered parent objects in the asteroid belt, is comparable in abundance to the hydrated class of IDPs among stratospheric dust particles. The majority of hydrated IDPs are however not identical to the known aqueously altered meteorites. One micrometeorite from Antarctica, having its phyllosilicates preserved, establishes a link between unmelted micrometeorites and smectite‐type IDPs. A number of aqueously altered parent objects in the asteroid belt could account for the existence of abundant hydrated particles among IDPs and micrometeorites. These hydrous asteroids are however not sampled by the known meteorites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/1.46523","authors":["W. Klöck","F. J. Stadermann"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Astrobiology","Interplanetary dust cloud","Ordinary chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1994-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1063/1.46523","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2989655364","name":"The Chaunskij Meteorite: Mineralogical, Chemical and Isotope Data, Classification and Proposed Origin","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W2989655364","authors":["M. I. Petaev","N. I. Zaslavskaya","Roy S. Clarke","Edward J. Olsen","E. Jarosewich","Н. Н. Кононкова","B. B. Holmberg","A. M. Davis","V. I. Ustinov","John A. Wood"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Geochemistry","Isotope","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1992-07-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2130089406","name":"Petrology and mineralogy of the Y-793605 martian meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Yamato-793605 is a lherzolitic shergottite and very similar in texture and mineralogy to other two lherzolitic shergottites, ALHA77005 and LEW88516,but is not a pair with the latter two. It consists mainly of olivine, pyroxene, maskelynite, chromite, ilmenite, and pyrrhotite. Small silicate inclusions occur in olivine and pyroxene. Olivine has a wide compositional range from Fo_&lt;25&gt; to Fo_&lt;36&gt;, that included in pyroxene is more magnesian, and that in contact with maskelynite is more ferroan. Chromite shows remarkable compositional zoning, and the ranges change according to the occurrence of chromite; chromite included in olivine is Cr-Ti-poor, that in pyroxene is Cr-rich and Ti-poor, and that in contact with maskelynite is Ti-rich. There is a compositional gap between chromites in olivine and pyroxene. Silicate inclusions in olivine consist mainly of aluminous pyroxene, fine-grained intergrowth of plagioclase and silica, and rhyolitic glass. Plagioclase of the intergrowth is more calcic with An_&lt;63-83&gt; than maskelynite of the host lithology (An_&lt;30-58&gt;). The rhyolitic glass saturates with silica components and is peraluminous, whereas the host lithology does not include any silica mineral and is not peraluminous. These differences between the silicate inclusions and the host lithology, as well as the compositional gap between chromites in olivine and pyroxene, suggest that magma mixing took place in the Y-793605 magma reservoir between olivine and pyroxene crystallization stages. Y-793605 experienced secondary alteration of olivine, nonrhyolitic glass, chromite, ilmenite, pyrrhotite, and phosphate by introduction of Si and K, and loss of Ti, Cr, Mg, Ca, and Na probably at Antarctica.","url":"https://doi.org/10.15094/00005886","authors":["Yukio Ikeda"],"tags":["Martian","Geology","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.15094/00005886","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2066399693","name":"Mineralogy and petrography of C asteroid regolith: The Sutter's Mill <scp>CM</scp> meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Based upon our characterization of three separate stones by electron and X‐ray beam analyses, computed X‐ray microtomography, Raman microspectrometry, and visible‐ IR spectrometry, Sutter's Mill is a unique regolith breccia consisting mainly of various CM lithologies. Most samples resemble existing available CM 2 chondrites, consisting of chondrules and calcium‐aluminum‐rich inclusion (CAI) set within phyllosilicate‐dominated matrix (mainly serpentine), pyrrhotite, pentlandite, tochilinite, and variable amounts of Ca‐Mg‐Fe carbonates. Some lithologies have witnessed sufficient thermal metamorphism to transform phyllosilicates into fine‐grained olivine, tochilinite into troilite, and destroy carbonates. One finely comminuted lithology contains xenolithic materials (enstatite, Fe‐Cr phosphides) suggesting impact of a reduced asteroid (E or M class) onto the main Sutter's Mill parent asteroid, which was probably a C class asteroid. One can use Sutter's Mill to help predict what will be found on the surfaces of C class asteroids such as Ceres and the target asteroids of the OSIRIS ‐ RE x and Hayabusa 2 sample return missions (which will visit predominantly primitive asteroids). C class asteroid regolith may well contain a mixture of hydrated and thermally dehydrated indigenous materials as well as a significant admixture of exogenous material would be essential to the successful interpretation of mineralogical and bulk compositional data.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12386","authors":["M. E. Zolensky","T. Mikouchi","M. Fries","Robert J. Bodnar","Peter Jenniskens","Qing‐Zhu Yin","Kenji Hagiya","K. Ohsumi","M. Komatsu","Matthew W. Colbert","R. D. Hanna","Jessie Maisano"],"tags":["Asteroid","Chondrite","Regolith","Geology","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-11-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1111/maps.12386","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W4281709976","name":"Samples returned from the asteroid Ryugu are similar to Ivuna-type carbonaceous meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Carbonaceous meteorites are thought to be fragments of C-type (carbonaceous) asteroids. Samples of the C-type asteroid (162173) Ryugu were retrieved by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft. We measured the mineralogy and bulk chemical and isotopic compositions of Ryugu samples. The samples are mainly composed of materials similar to those of carbonaceous chondrite meteorites, particularly the CI (Ivuna-type) group. The samples consist predominantly of minerals formed in aqueous fluid on a parent planetesimal. The primary minerals were altered by fluids at a temperature of 37° ± 10°C, about [Formula: see text] million (statistical) or [Formula: see text] million (systematic) years after the formation of the first solids in the Solar System. After aqueous alteration, the Ryugu samples were likely never heated above ~100°C. The samples have a chemical composition that more closely resembles that of the Sun's photosphere than other natural samples do.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abn7850","authors":["Tetsuya Yokoyama","K. Nagashima","Izumi Nakai","Edward Young","Yoshinari Abe","J. Aléon","C. M. O'd. Alexander","S. Amari","Yuri Amelin","Ken‐ichi Bajo","Martin Bizzarro","Audrey Bouvier"],"tags":["Meteorite","Asteroid","Chondrite","Carbonaceous chondrite","Planetesimal"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-06-09","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1126/science.abn7850","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W1995830834","name":"Chemistry and mineralogy of the silicates and metal of the Kodaikanal meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(69)90170-7","authors":["A. E. Bence","D. S. Burnett","A.E. Bence","D.S. Burnett"],"tags":["Feldspar","Alkali feldspar","Pyroxene","Meteorite","Silicate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1969-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(69)90170-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2104787166","name":"The Fall, Recovery, Orbit, and Composition of the Tagish Lake Meteorite: A New Type of Carbonaceous Chondrite","source":"openalex","abstract":"The preatmospheric mass of the Tagish Lake meteoroid was about 200,000 kilograms. Its calculated orbit indicates affinity to the Apollo asteroids with a semimajor axis in the middle of the asteroid belt, consistent with a linkage to low-albedo C, D, and P type asteroids. The mineralogy, oxygen isotope, and bulk chemical composition of recovered samples of the Tagish Lake meteorite are intermediate between CM and CI meteorites. These data suggest that the Tagish Lake meteorite may be one of the most primitive solar system materials yet studied.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.290.5490.320","authors":["Peter Brown","A. R. Hildebrand","M. E. Zolensky","M. M. Grady","Robert N. Clayton","T. K. Mayeda","E. Tagliaferri","R. E. Spalding","N. D. MacRae","E. Hoffman","David W. Mittlefehldt","J. F. Wacker"],"tags":["Meteorite","Asteroid","Meteoroid","Astrobiology","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-10-13","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1126/science.290.5490.320","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2183091942","name":"Classification of Meteorites and Their Genetic Relationships","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-095975-7.00102-9","authors":["Alexander N. Krot","K. Keil","E. R. D. Scott","C. A. Goodrich","M. K. Weisberg"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Geochemistry","Geology","Shock metamorphism"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-07","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-08-095975-7.00102-9","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2013761444","name":"Petrology and origin of the shergottite meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(79)90142-x","authors":["Edward M. Stolper","H. Y. McSween"],"tags":["Achondrite","Pigeonite","Meteorite","Geology","Basalt"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1979-09-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1016/0016-7037(79","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W3174447420","name":"Cavezzo—The double face of a meteorite: Mineralogy, petrography, and geochemistry of a very unusual chondrite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Cavezzo meteorite, which fell on January 1, 2020, is the first meteorite detected and recovered by the Italian PRISMA Fireball Network. Two specimens, weighing 3.12 g (specimen 1) and 52.19 g (specimen 2), were collected 3 days after the bolide was observed, thanks to an effective media campaign that encouraged the involvement of local people. The two specimens of this meteorite have not only completely different lithological characteristics but also a different geochemistry and oxygen isotopic composition as well. Specimen 1 is anomalous both for the textural–structural features, varying seamlessly from chondritic to “achondritic,” and a very unusual modal mineralogy—such as the relatively high amount of olivine (63.1 vol%), plagioclase (18.2 vol%), high‐Ca pyroxene (10.3 vol%), and chlorapatite (2.1 vol%); and the unusually low content of low‐Ca pyroxene (5.8 vol%), metal (0.1 vol%), and troilite (much lesser than 0.1 vol%)—although the compositional values for olivine (Fa 24.24 mol%) and low‐Ca pyroxene (Fs 20.41 mol%) appear to be similar to those of the L chondrite group. Conversely, in specimen 2, not only the texture and the crystal chemistry but also the modal mineralogy (low‐Ca pyroxene much more abundant than high‐Ca pyroxene and occurrence of metal and sulfides) look like those of an ordinary L chondrite. The differences between the two specimens are also confirmed by geochemistry. The oxygen isotope composition of specimen 1 plots at the boundary between the H and L groups (δ 17 O‰ 3.250; δ 18 O‰ 4.736; Δ 17 O‰ 0.788) whereas specimen 2 plots at the boundary of the L and LL fields (δ 17 O‰ 3.737; δ 18 O‰ 4.957; Δ 17 O‰ 1.159). The bulk chemistry shows a different content of many minor and trace elements (including rare earth elements), such as a strong depletion of siderophile and chalcophile elements in specimen 1. The two specimens then do not contain fragments of each other, thus preventing us from classifying this “double face” meteorite as an ordinary chondrite breccia. In detail, specimen 1 can be considered a “xenolith” in which chondritic structure and igneous texture coexist without discontinuity, and therefore, it represents a previously unsampled portion of the L parent body. In summary, these findings support the classification of Cavezzo as an L5 anomalous chondrite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13695","authors":["Giovanni Pratesi","Vanni Moggi Cecchi","R. C. Greenwood","I. A. Franchi","Samantha J. Hammond","M. Di Martino","D. Barghini","Carla Taricco","A. Carbognani","D. Gardiol","Richard C. Greenwood","Ian A. Franchi"],"tags":["Pyroxene","Troilite","Geology","Meteorite","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-06-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1111/maps.13695","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"oa:W1634014935","name":"Meteorites, classification and properties","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-8252(74)90153-6","authors":[],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1974-12-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1016/0012-8252(74","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W971160846","name":"Chondritic meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Introduction to chondritic meteorites: compositions and taxonomy The most primitive meteorites are aggregates consisting of a fine-grained heterogeneous matrix, in which are embedded small (generally from 0.2 to 1.0 mm) droplet-like silicate particles termed chondrules, which have given the name to this meteorite class, chondrites. The chondrules and the matrix comprise distinct and different assemblies of chemical elements, e.g. volatile-depleted chondrules coexist with a volatile-enriched matrix. Some chondrites also contain metal grains. The third component of chondrites, Ca–Al-rich inclusions, was discussed in Chapter 10. Chondrites preserve a unique record of processes and conditions in the early nebula. Although never molten after their agglomeration, chondrites have variably undergone metamorphism that has in some cases altered their mineralogy and composition. The relative abundances of involatile major and trace elements in bulk chondrites are generally similar to the solar abundances (see Section 3.4). However, in sharp contrast with the solar composition, only four elements, oxygen, silicon, magnesium and iron, are the major chondritic components, contributing almost 90% by mass, and these same four are also the major constituents of the terrestrial planets (Tables 11.1 and 17.1). There are clear reasons for the high contributions of these elements to the meteoritic and planetary compositions. First of all, the most abundant isotopes of O, Mg and Si are the so-called α- or primary isotopes ( 16 O, 24 Mg and 28 Si), characterized by a high binding energy per nucleon (Chapter 1).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511535604.013","authors":["I. N. Tolstikhin","J. H. Kramers"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Chondrite","Geology","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-06-12","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9780511535604.013","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2152305357","name":"Cape York: The extraordinary mineralogy of an ordinary iron meteorite and its implication for the genesis of III AB irons.","source":"openalex","abstract":"A study of accessory minerals in the Cape York iron meteorite has been carried out with the electron microprobe. Phases analyzed include chromite, sphalerite, two closely related potassium-bearing sulfides, silica, and native copper. In addition, four phosphate minerals were found: One chemically similar to buchwaldite, but rather rich in iron, one corresponding to terrestrial maricite, and two more, which seem to be new minerals on the basis of microprobe analysis. Evidence from the composition of accessory minerals as well as texture elucidates some details of the fractional crystallization of the group III AB parent melt. A modification of the fractional crystallization model is therefore proposed. We suggest that sulfide nodules have originated as droplets of an immiscible sulfur-rich liquid that continuously segregated from the parent melt during crystallization of the metal. The modified model also explains the Ni/Cr anticorrelation and the high abundance of sulfur in group III AB irons which could not be satisfactorily explained by previous models.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2343/geochemj.11.207","authors":["A. Kracher","G. Kurat","Vagn F. Buchwald","V. F. Buchwald"],"tags":["Meteorite","Iron meteorite","Electron microprobe","Chromite","Crystallization"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1977-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.2343/geochemj.11.207","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2019454371","name":"Mineralogy and petrology of the Dar al Gani 476 martian meteorite: Implications for its cooling history and relationship to other shergottites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Dar al Gani 476, the 13th martian meteorite, was recovered from the Sahara in 1998. It is a basaltic shergottitic rock composed of olivine megacrysts reaching 5 mm (24 vol%) set in a finegrained groundmass of pyroxene (59 vol%) and maskelynitized plagioclase (12 vol%) with minor amounts of accessory phases (spinel, merrillite, ilmenite). Dar al Gani 476 is similar to lithology A of Elephant Moraine A79001 (EETA79001) in petrography and mineralogy, but is distinct in several aspects. Low‐Ca pyroxenes in the Dar al Gani 476 groundmass are more magnesian (En 76 Fs 21 Wo 3 ∼En 58 Fs 30 Wo 12 ) than those in lithology A of EETA79001 (En 73 Fs 22 Wo 5 ∼En 45 Fs 43 Wo 12 ), rather similar to pyroxenes in lherzolitic martian meteorites (En 76 Fs 21 Wo 3 ∼En 63 Fs 22 Wo 15 ). Dar al Gani 476 olivine is less magnesian and shows a narrower compositional range (Fo 76‐58 ) than EETA79001 olivine (Fo 81‐53 ), and is also similar to olivines in lherzolitic martian meteorites (Fo 74‐65 ). The orthopyroxene‐olivine‐chromite xenolith typical in the lithology A of EETA79001 is absent in Dar al Gani 476. It seems that Dar al Gani 476 crystallized from a slightly more primitive mafic magma than lithology A of EETA79001 and several phases (olivine, pyroxene, chromite, and ilmenite) in Dar al Gani 476 may have petrogenetic similarities to those of lherzolitic martian meteorites. Olivine megacrysts in Dar al Gani 476 are in disequilibrium with the bulk composition. The presence of fractured olivine grains in which the most Mg‐rich parts are in contact with the groundmass suggests that little diffusive modification of original olivine compositions occurred during cooling. This observation enabled us to estimate the cooling rates of Dar al Gani 476 and EETA79001 olivines, giving similar cooling rates of 0.03‐3 °C/h for Dar al Gani 476 and 0.05‐5 °C/h for EETA79001. This suggests that they were cooled near the surface (burial depth shallower than about 3 m at most), probably in lava flows during crystallization of groundmass. As is proposed for lithology A of EETA79001, it may be possible to consider that Dar al Gani 476 has an impact melt origin, a mixture of martian lherzolite and other martian rock (Queen Alexandra Range 94201, nakhlites?).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2001.tb01895.x","authors":["T. Mikouchi","M. Miyamoto","G. A. McKay","Takashi MIKOUCHI","Masamichi MIYAMOTO","Gordon A. McKAY"],"tags":["Mafic","Olivine","Geology","Meteorite","Pyroxene"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-04-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.2001.tb01895.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"oa:W3011063589","name":"Yanzhuang Meteorite: Mineralogy and Shock Metamorphism","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9","authors":["Xiande Xie","Ming Chen"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Shock metamorphism","Ordinary chondrite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"oa:W2051176315","name":"A petrological, mineralogical, and chemical analysis of the lunar mare basalt meteorite LaPaz Icefield 02205, 02224, and 02226","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— LaPaz Icefield (LAP) 02205, 02226, and 02224 are paired stones of a crystalline basaltic lunar meteorite with a low‐Ti (3.21–3.43% TiO 2 ) low‐Al (9.93–10.45% Al 2 O 3 ), and low‐K (0.11–0.12% K 2 O) composition. They consist mainly of zoned pyroxene and plagioclase grains, with minor ilmenite, spinel, and mesostasis regions. Large, possibly xenocrystic, forsteritic olivine grains (&lt;3% by mode) contain small trapped multiphase melt inclusions. Accessory mineral and mesostasis composition shows that the samples have experienced residual melt crystallization with silica oversaturation and late‐stage liquid immiscibility. Our section of LAP 02224 has a vesicular fusion crust, implying that it was at one time located sufficiently close to the lunar surface environment to have accumulated solar‐wind‐implanted gases. The stones have a comparable major element composition and petrography to low‐Ti, low‐Al basalts collected at the Apollos 12 and 15 landing sites. However, the LAP stones also have an enriched REE bulk composition and are more ferroan (Mg numbers in the range of 31 to 35) than similar Apollo samples, suggesting that they represent members of a previously unsampled fractionated mare basalt suite that crystallized from a relatively evolved lunar melt.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2006.tb00500.x","authors":["K. H. Joy","Ian Crawford","Hilary Downes","S. S. Russell","A. T. Kearsley"],"tags":["Geology","Basalt","Meteorite","Geochemistry","Plagioclase"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-07-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.2006.tb00500.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2039048311","name":"THE BORGO SAN DONINO METEORITE: MINERALOGY AND CHEMISTRY","source":"openalex","abstract":"The principal data are collected about the fall, April 19, 1808, and the distribution of the fragments of the Borgo San Donino, Italy, meteorite (long. 44° 52′ N.; lat. 11° 03′ E.). An Almost complete individual, weighing 447 g is described in some detail. Crust morphology, mineralogical composition, chemical composition and petrology were studied. Optical data were established by microscopic analysis of both thin and polished sections. The Borgo San Donino is an ordinary LL‐group chondrite, with a fundamentally hypochondritic texture and evident features of recrystallization and metamorphism. The presence of some anomalous chondrules is discussed","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1970.tb00099.x","authors":["B. Baldanza","G. R. Levi‐Donati","C. F. Lewis"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrule","Geology","Chondrite","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1970-09-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.1970.tb00099.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W196763771","name":"Weathering of Chondritic Meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Meteorites are frequently not the pristine record of early solar system processes that we would like them to be. Many unique meteorites, samples that can further our understanding of the environment of the early solar system, are finds, so a knowledge of terrestrial weathering becomes a requirement to accurately interpret their preterrestrial history. This chapter outlines the weathering process in chondrites, the mineralogical changes that occur in response to weathering, the variations in weathering in different environments, the effect of weathering on O isotopes and chemistry, and how weathering varies between different chondrite groups. As the most abundant meteorite group, most studies of meteorite weathering have concentrated on ordinary chondrites, although weathering affects all classes of meteorites. In many cases, these data are relevant to other chondrite groups, as well as irons and achondrites, but there are a number of specific issues related to carbonaceous chondrites (degradation of organic C, mobilization of S, reordering of phyllosilicates) that require a separate discussion. In particular, carbonaceous chondrites appear to be uniquely susceptible to terrestrial weathering, and recent studies have shown a number of alteration effects, even in falls curated in museum collections. The terrestrial alteration of carbonaceous chondrites concludes our chapter.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1v7zdmm.45","authors":["P. A. Bland","M. E. Zolensky","G. K. Benedix","Mark A. Sephton"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Meteorite","Weathering","Chondrite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-07-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.2307/j.ctv1v7zdmm.45","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2014150513","name":"Discovery of bridgmanite, the most abundant mineral in Earth, in a shocked meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Meteorites exposed to high pressures and temperatures during impact-induced shock often contain minerals whose occurrence and stability normally confine them to the deeper portions of Earth's mantle. One exception has been MgSiO3 in the perovskite structure, which is the most abundant solid phase in Earth. Here we report the discovery of this important phase as a mineral in the Tenham L6 chondrite and approved by the International Mineralogical Association (specimen IMA 2014-017). MgSiO3-perovskite is now called bridgmanite. The associated phase assemblage constrains peak shock conditions to ~ 24 gigapascals and 2300 kelvin. The discovery concludes a half century of efforts to find, identify, and characterize a natural specimen of this important mineral.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1259369","authors":["Oliver Tschauner","Chi Ma","J. R. Beckett","Clemens Prescher","Vitali B. Prakapenka","George R. Rossman"],"tags":["Meteorite","Silicate perovskite","Mineral","Geology","Earth (classical element)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-11-28","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1126/science.1259369","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W1618428253","name":"Meteoritic parent bodies: Their number and identification","source":"openalex","abstract":"Extensive collection efforts in Antarctica and the Sahara in the past 10 years have greatly increased the number of known meteorites. Groupings of meteorites according to petrologic, mineralogical, bulkchemical, and isotopic properties suggest the existence of 100–150 distinct parent bodies. Dynamical studies imply that most meteorites have their source bodies in the main belt and not among the near-Earth asteroids. Spectral observations of asteroids are currently the primary way of determining asteroid mineralogies. Linkages between ordinary chondrites and S asteroids, CM chondrites and C-type asteroids, the HEDs and 4 Vesta, and iron meteorites, enstatite chondrites, and M asteroids are discussed. However, it is difficult to conclusively link most asteroids with particular meteorite groups due to the number of asteroids with similar spectral properties and the uncertainties in the optical, chemical, and physical properties of the asteroid regolith.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1618428253","authors":["T. H. Burbine","T. J. McCoy","Anders Meibom","Brett Gladman","Klaus Keil"],"tags":["Asteroid","Meteorite","Chondrite","Astrobiology","Regolith"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-03-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2065686858","name":"Pyroxene-Garnet Transformation in Coorara Meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Majorite is a new garnet in a veinlet of the Coorara meteorite. Its chemical composition is compatible with derivation mostly from original pyroxene, not from olivine as originally reported. Silicon is partly in sixfold coordination. Ringwoodite, a spinel of olivine composition, occurs as purple grains set in a matrix of fine-grained garnet. The similar mineralogy and texture of the Coorara and Tenham meteorites suggest a common parent body.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.168.3933.832","authors":["J. V. Smith","Brian Mason"],"tags":["Pyroxene","Meteorite","Olivine","Ringwoodite","Chromite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1970-05-15","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1126/science.168.3933.832","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W1981028812","name":"X-ray Diffraction Results from Mars Science Laboratory: Mineralogy of Rocknest at Gale Crater","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity scooped samples of soil from the Rocknest aeolian bedform in Gale crater. Analysis of the soil with the Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) x-ray diffraction (XRD) instrument revealed plagioclase (~An57), forsteritic olivine (~Fo62), augite, and pigeonite, with minor K-feldspar, magnetite, quartz, anhydrite, hematite, and ilmenite. The minor phases are present at, or near, detection limits. The soil also contains 27 ± 14 weight percent x-ray amorphous material, likely containing multiple Fe(3+)- and volatile-bearing phases, including possibly a substance resembling hisingerite. The crystalline component is similar to the normative mineralogy of certain basaltic rocks from Gusev crater on Mars and of martian basaltic meteorites. The amorphous component is similar to that found on Earth in places such as soils on the Mauna Kea volcano, Hawaii.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1238932","authors":["D. L. Bish","D. F. Blake","D. T. Vaniman","S. J. Chipera","R. V. Morris","D. W. Ming","A. H. Treiman","P. Sarrazin","S. M. Morrison","R. T. Downs","C. N. Achilles","A.S. Yen"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Impact crater","Geology","Astrobiology","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-09-26","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1126/science.1238932","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W3003914069","name":"Elemental composition, mineralogy and orbital parameters of the Porangaba meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2020.113670","authors":["Martin Ferus","Lukáš Petera","Jakub Koukal","Libor Lenža","Barbora Drtinová","J. Haloda","Dalibor Matýsek","Adam Pastorek","Vojtěch Laitl","Renato Cassio Poltronieri","Marcelo Wagner Domingues","Gabriel Gonçalves"],"tags":["Meteorite","Ordinary chondrite","Spectroscopy","Elemental analysis","Analytical Chemistry (journal)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-28","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1016/j.icarus.2020.113670","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2587055982","name":"Pyroxene mineralogy of the Moon and meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W2587055982","authors":["James J. Papike"],"tags":["Pyroxene","Meteorite","Geology","Geochemistry","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1980-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2065423263","name":"Origin and Evolution of Prebiotic Organic Matter As Inferred from the Tagish Lake Meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"The complex suite of organic materials in carbonaceous chondrite meteorites probably originally formed in the interstellar medium and/or the solar protoplanetary disk, but was subsequently modified in the meteorites' asteroidal parent bodies. The mechanisms of formation and modification are still very poorly understood. We carried out a systematic study of variations in the mineralogy, petrology, and soluble and insoluble organic matter in distinct fragments of the Tagish Lake meteorite. The variations correlate with indicators of parent body aqueous alteration. At least some molecules of prebiotic importance formed during the alteration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1203290","authors":["C. D. K. Herd","A. Blinova","Danielle N. Simkus","Yongsong Huang","Rafael Tarozo","C. M. O'd. Alexander","F. Gyngard","L. R. Nittler","George D. Cody","Marilyn L. Fogel","Yoko Kebukawa","A. L. D. Kilcoyne"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Chondrite","Organic matter","Parent body"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-06-10","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1126/science.1203290","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2077469088","name":"Traces of catastrophe: a handbook of shock-metamorphic effects in terrestrial meteorite impact structures","source":"openalex","abstract":"Emphasizes terrestrial impact structures, field geology, and particularly the recognition and petrographic study of shock-metamorphic effects in terrestrial rocks.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.36-5704","authors":["Bevan M. French"],"tags":["Meteorite","Metamorphic rock","Astrobiology","Shock (circulatory)","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-06-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.5860/choice.36-5704","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W2066837504","name":"Composition, mineralogy and origin of group IC iron meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-821x(77)90173-x","authors":["E. R. D. Scott"],"tags":["Kamacite","Meteorite","Group (periodic table)","Chromite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1977-12-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1016/0012-821x(77","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W2061048258","name":"Mineralogical Evolution of Meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Research Article| February 01, 2010 Mineralogical Evolution of Meteorites Timothy J. McCoy Timothy J. McCoy *Department of Mineral Sciences, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560-0119, USA E-mail: mccoyt@si.edu Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Timothy J. McCoy *Department of Mineral Sciences, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560-0119, USA E-mail: mccoyt@si.edu Publisher: Mineralogical Society of America First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1811-5217 Print ISSN: 1811-5209 © 2010 by the Mineralogical Society of America Elements (2010) 6 (1): 19–23. https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.6.1.19 Article history First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Timothy J. McCoy; Mineralogical Evolution of Meteorites. Elements 2010;; 6 (1): 19–23. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.6.1.19 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyElements Search Advanced Search Abstract The approximately 250 mineral species found in meteorites record the earliest stages of the birth of our solar system. Refractory minerals that formed during the violent deaths of other stars and during condensation of our own solar nebula mixed with a wide range of silicates, sulfides, and metals to form the most primitive chondritic meteorites. Subsequent aqueous alteration, thermal metamorphism, and shock metamorphism further diversified the minerals found in meteorites. Asteroidal melting at first increased and then dramatically decreased mineralogical diversity, before a new phase of igneous differentiation that presaged the processes that would occur in terrestrial planets. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.6.1.19","authors":["T. J. McCoy"],"tags":["Citation","Meteorite","Library science","Computer science","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-02-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.2113/gselements.6.1.19","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W1980202511","name":"Quantified mineralogical evidence for a common origin of 1929 Kollaa with 4 Vesta and the HED meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0019-1035(03)00149-0","authors":["Michael S. P. Kelley","F. Vilas","M. J. Gaffey","Paul Abell"],"tags":["Meteorite","Asteroid","Astrobiology","Geology","Basalt"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-07-07","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1016/s0019-1035(03","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W1534949822","name":"Petrology and mineralogy of the Coolidge meteorite (CV4)","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Coolidge meteorite is important because it is the only equilibrated carbonaceous chondrite which does not belong to the CK group. The petrology and mineralogy of the Coolidge meteorite were investigated by SEM and EPMA. Coolidge has some similarities to the \"reduced group\" of CV3 chondrites. First, abundant Fe-Ni metal and sulfide are kamacite, taenite, and troilite. Second, AOIs, CAIs, and chondrules are depleted in Na and K. Third, the main constituent the mineral of matrix is olivine. In addition to these similarities, Coolidge also has some unique properties. First of all, matrix as well as AOIs, CAIs, and chondrules is depleted in Na. This corresponds to the depletions of Na abundances in bulk compositions of Coolidge relative to CV3 chondrites. The depletion was probably established before agglomeration of this meteorite. Second, there are some plagioclase pyroxene chondrules in this meteorite. Different from type IV chondrules, they include various amounts of silica mineral. Third, bulk compositions of CAIs are rich in FeO and Cr_2O_3. Fourth, compositional variations of spinel in Coolidge are very wide. The Cr/(Cr+Al) ratio varies from 0.01 to 0.7,and the Mg/(Mg+Fe) ratio varies from 0.45 to 0.77. Fifth, correlations between some elements in spinel and those in pyroxenes in Coolidge are not similar to the \"reduced group\" of CV3 chondrites but similar to EOCs. The last three differences were probably established during thermal metamorphism. Olivine-spinel geothermometry suggests that Coolidge was heated to temperatures as high as &amp;acd;900℃. The duration of thermal metamorphism was short enough to preserve many petrographic features such as Fe-Mg compositional zoning in low-Ca pyroxene. Distribution of Co between kamacite and taenite suggest fast colling around &amp;acd;500℃.","url":"https://doi.org/10.15094/00004636","authors":["T. Noguchi"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Geochemistry","Astrobiology","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1994-03-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.15094/00004636","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2182528033","name":"Mineralogy of Morasko meteorite and the structure of the craters","source":"openalex","abstract":"This paper presents the results of geomorphological investigations of bowl-shaped hollows in \"Rezerwat Meteoryt Morasko\" -Morasko Meteorite Nature Reserve -of Poland and of mineralogical studies of recently found meteorites and micrometeorites. The meteorite shower fell between 5000 and 3500 BP, forming craters in the Morasko area. The age interval for this event was estimated by earlier palynological and 14 C studies. The Morasko meteorite is an iron type octahedrite (IAB group) which shows strong reheating effects. The investigated area is unique, because the material from space and the geomorphological effects of its fall can be identified there.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3176/geol.2002.4.03","authors":["Wojciech Stankowski","Andrzej Muszyński","Kevin Klimm","Manfred Schliestedt"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Impact crater","Astrobiology","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-10-24","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.3176/geol.2002.4.03","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"oa:W2019956633","name":"Cosmic-Ray-Produced Noble Gases in Meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Research Article| January 01, 2002 Cosmic-Ray-Produced Noble Gases in Meteorites Rainer Wieler Rainer Wieler Isotope Geology, ETH-Zürich, Sonneggstrasse 5, CH-8092 Zürich, Switzerland, wieler@2erdw.ethz.ch Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Rainer Wieler Isotope Geology, ETH-Zürich, Sonneggstrasse 5, CH-8092 Zürich, Switzerland, wieler@2erdw.ethz.ch Publisher: Mineralogical Society of America First Online: 13 Jul 2017 © The Mineralogical Society Of America Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry (2002) 47 (1): 125–170. https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2002.47.5 Article history First Online: 13 Jul 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Rainer Wieler; Cosmic-Ray-Produced Noble Gases in Meteorites. Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry 2002;; 47 (1): 125–170. doi: https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2002.47.5 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyReviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry Search Advanced Search Energetic particles of the galactic cosmic radiation (GCR) have a mean penetration depth in rock of about 50 cm, comparable to the typical size of a meteorite. GCR-induced effects therefore provide a means to study the history of meteorites as small objects in space or in the top few meters of their parent body. These effects include cosmic ray tracks, i.e., the radiation damage trails in a crystal lattice produced by heavy ions in the GCR (Fleischer et al. 1975), and thermoluminescence, i.e., the light emitted by a heated sample which had been irradiated by energetic particles (... You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2002.47.5","authors":["R. Wieler"],"tags":["Meteorite","Citation","Cosmic ray","Geology","Noble gas"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.2138/rmg.2002.47.5","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2112541476","name":"Lunar geochemistry as told by lunar meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemer.2005.07.001","authors":["R. L. Korotev"],"tags":["Anorthosite","Geochemistry","Geology","Basalt","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-08-20","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.637Z","doi":"10.1016/j.chemer.2005.07.001","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W1980733024","name":"Mineralogy of Tagish Lake: An ungrouped type 2 carbonaceous chondrite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— In this paper we describe the recovery, handling and preliminary mineralogical investigation of the Tagish Lake meteorite. Tagish Lake is a type 2 carbonaceous chondrite which bears similarities to CI1 and CM chondrite groups, but is distinct from both. Abundant phyllosilicates as well as chondrules (however sparse) and common olivine grains in the matrix preclude any other classification. The bulk density of Tagish Lake (1.67 g/cc) is far lower than CI or CM chondrites (2.2‐2.3 and 2.6‐2.9 g/cc, respectively), or any other meteorite for that matter. We have identified two lithologies: a dominant carbonate‐poor lithology and a less‐abundant carbonate‐rich lithology. The meteorite is a breccia at all scales. We have noted similarities between Tagish Lake and some clasts within the enigmatic meteorite Kaidun; possibly there are genetic relationships here worth exploring. In the paper we describe a clast of CM1 material within Tagish Lake which is very similar to a major lithology in Kaidun.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2002.tb00852.x","authors":["M. E. Zolensky","Keiko Nakamura","M. Gounelle","T. Mikouchi","Takeshi Kasama","O. Tachikawa","E. Tonui"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Chondrite","Chondrule","Breccia"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-05-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.2002.tb00852.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2084362466","name":"Mineralogy and diagenesis of 3.24Ga meteorite impact spherules","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.precamres.2011.12.001","authors":["Alexandra E. Krull-Davatzes","Donald R. Lowe","Gary R. Byerly"],"tags":["Geology","Greenschist","Metamorphism","Diagenesis","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-12-11","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1016/j.precamres.2011.12.001","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2152380615","name":"Estimating the modal mineralogy of eucrite and diogenite meteorites using visible–near infrared reflectance spectroscopy","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Reliable quantitative mapping of minerals exposed on Vesta's surface is crucial for understanding the crustal composition, petrologic evolution, and surface modification of the howardite, eucrite, and diogenite ( HED ) parent body. However, mineral abundance estimates derived from visible–near infrared ( VIS – NIR ) reflectance spectra are complicated by multiple scattering, particle size, and nonlinear mixing effects. Radiative transfer models can be employed to accommodate these issues, and here we assess the utility of such models to accurately and efficiently determine modal mineralogy for a suite of eucrite and olivine‐bearing (harzburgitic) diogenite meteorites. Hapke and Shkuratov radiative transfer models were implemented to simultaneously estimate mineral abundances and particle size from VIS – NIR reflectance spectra of these samples. The models were tested and compared for laboratory‐made binary (pyroxene–plagioclase) and ternary mixtures (pyroxene–olivine–plagioclase) as well as eucrite and diogenite meteorite samples. Results for both models show that the derived mineral abundances are commonly within 5–10% of modal values and the estimated particle sizes are within the expected ranges. Results for the Hapke model suggest a lower detection limit for olivine in HED s when compared with the Shkuratov model (5% versus 15%). Our current implementation yields lower uncertainties in mineral abundance (commonly &lt;5%) for the Hapke model, though both models have an advantage over typically used parameters such as band depth, position, and shape in that they provide quantitative information on mineral abundance and particle size. These results indicate that both the Hapke and Shkuratov models may be applied to Dawn VIR data in a computationally efficient manner to quantify the spatial distribution of pyroxene, plagioclase, and olivine on the surface of Vesta.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12513","authors":["Shuai Li","R. E. Milliken"],"tags":["Meteorite","Pyroxene","Plagioclase","Olivine","Parent body"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-10-13","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1111/maps.12513","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2103780298","name":"Matrices of Carbonaceous Chondrite Meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"The morphology, classification, and chemistry of the matrices of carbonaceous chondrite (CC) meteorites is reviewed based on recent research results. The various kinds of CCs are examined in terms of their matrix mineralogy. Alteration processes in CCs are discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ea.21.050193.001351","authors":["Peter R. Buseck","Xia Hua"],"tags":["Meteorite","Carbonaceous chondrite","Chondrite","Astrobiology","Ordinary chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1993-05-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1146/annurev.ea.21.050193.001351","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2003626323","name":"THE MINERALOGY OF A RHÖNITE‐BEARING CALCIUM ALUMINUM RICH INCLUSION IN THE ALLENDE METEORITE","source":"openalex","abstract":"The meteoritic occurrence of rhönite‐bearing calcium and aluminum rich inclusions (CAIs) appears to be restricted to the Allende meteorite. These inclusions, however, are very scarce as only four are known to the author. This report is primarily concerned with the descriptive mineralogy of one of these rare CAIs. The inclusion contains, in decreasing order of abundance, melilite (Ak 15 ‐ Ak 55 ), spinel, fassaite, rhönite, perovskite, grossular, Ni‐Fe metal, hibonite, troilite, a vanadium‐iron oxide (20–27 wt % V 2 O 3 ), molybdenite, geikielo‐ilmenite and magnetite. Although this mineral assemblage formed under nonequilibrium conditions from a molten drop, the coarse grained texture does not indicate rapid crystallization. Local chemistries evidently played a significant role in the formation of metastable phase relationships and symplectites, thereby confounding the construction of a plausible thermal history for this CAI .","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1978.tb00799.x","authors":["Louis H. Fuchs"],"tags":["Melilite","Allende meteorite","Troilite","Geology","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1978-03-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.1978.tb00799.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W1989276421","name":"The Bur‐Gheluai Meteorite (Mineralogy, Structure and Metamorphism)","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The principal data about the fall and the distribution of the fragments of the Bur‐Gheluai, Bur Acaba, Somalia (CN = EO436,024) meteorite are collected. A complete individual, weighing 744.2 g, preserved in the Geological Institute, Agricultural Dept., University of Perugia, Italy, is described in some detail. Crust morphology, mineralogical composition and structure are studied. Optical data are established by microscopical analysis of eight thin sections and two polished surfaces. Compared with electron‐probe analysis, they are found in good agreement. Bur‐Gheluai is an holocrystalline, olivine‐bronzite chondrite, with evident features of recrystal‐lization and metamorphism.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1968.tb00372.x","authors":["G. R. Levi‐Donati","G. R. LEVI‐DONATI"],"tags":["Metamorphism","Geology","Meteorite","Geochemistry","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1968-02-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.1968.tb00372.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.15426v1","name":"Exoplanet Mineralogy","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This chapter begins with some basic concepts regarding the structure and mineralogy of rocky planets, how to read and construct ternary diagrams, and why partial melting occurs when plate tectonics is operative. Partial melting is a key concept in that it governs crust and core formation, which in turn control mineralogy. These sections are for astronomers, or geologists new to the study of igneous petrology. From there, computational approaches for estimating planetary mineral assemblages will be introduced. These quantitative methods are simple, consonant with the level of information currently available on exoplanet compositions, and while largely intended for mineralogists, should be accessible to non-specialists as well. Such methods are followed by a study of error when plotting mineral abundances in ternary diagrams, for mineralogists and petrologists who construct such diagrams. The chapter concludes with caveats, and the ways in which exoplanets might surprise us.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.15426v1","authors":["Keith D. Putirka"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.SR","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-23T18:19:03Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1303.2398v1","name":"Fossil diatoms in a new carbonaceous meteorite","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We report the discovery for the first time of diatom frustules in a carbonaceous meteorite that fell in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka on 29 December 2012. Contamination is excluded by the circumstance that the elemental abundances within the structures match closely with those of the surrounding matrix. There is also evidence of structures morphologically similar to red rain cells that may have contributed to the episode of red rain that followed within days of the meteorite fall. The new data on fossil diatoms provide strong evidence to support the theory of cometary panspermia.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1303.2398v1","authors":["N. C. Wickramasinghe","J. Wallis","D. H. Wallis","Anil Samaranayake"],"tags":["q-bio.OT"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-03-06T21:14:38Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1805.03315v1","name":"Basalt or not? Near-infrared spectra, surface mineralogical estimates, and meteorite analogs for 33 Vp-type asteroids","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Investigations of the main asteroid belt and efforts to constrain that population's physical characteristics involve the daunting task of studying hundreds of thousands of small bodies. Taxonomic systems are routinely employed to study the large scale nature of the asteroid belt because they utilize common observational parameters, but asteroid taxonomies only define broadly observable properties and are not compositionally diagnostic (Tholen, 1984; Carvano et al., 2010, Hasselmann et al., 2012). This work builds upon the results of Hardersen et al. (2014, 2015), which has the goal of constraining the abundance and distribution of basaltic asteroids throughout the main asteroid belt. We report on the near infrared (NIR: 0.7 to 2.5 microns) reflectance spectra, surface mineralogical characterizations, spectral band parameter analysis, and meteorite analogs for 33 Vp asteroids. NIR reflectance spectroscopy is an effective remote sensing technique to detect most pyroxene group minerals, which are spectrally distinct with two very broad spectral absorptions at 0.9 and 1.9 microns (Cloutis et al., 1986; Gaffey et al., 2002; Burbine et al., 2009). Combined with the results from Hardersen et al. (2014, 2015), we identify basaltic asteroids for 95 percent (39 of 41) of our inner-belt Vp sample, but only 25 percent (2 of 8) of the outer-belt Vp sample. Inner belt basaltic asteroids are most likely associated with 4 Vesta and represent impact fragments ejected from previous collisions. Outer belt Vp asteroids exhibit disparate spectral, mineralogic, and meteorite analog characteristics and likely originate from diverse parent bodies. The discovery of two additional likely basaltic asteroids provides additional evidence for an outer-belt basaltic asteroid population.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1805.03315v1","authors":["Paul S. Hardersen","Vishnu Reddy","Edward Cloutis","Matt Nowinski","Margaret Dievendorf","Russell M. Genet","Savan Becker","Rachel Roberts"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-05-08T23:08:24Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1502.05008v1","name":"Mineralogy and Surface Composition of Asteroids","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Methods to constrain the surface mineralogy of asteroids have seen considerable development during the last decade with advancement in laboratory spectral calibrations and validation of our interpretive methodologies by spacecraft rendezvous missions. This has enabled the accurate identification of several meteorite parent bodies in the main asteroid belt and helped constrain the mineral chemistries and abundances in ordinary chondrites and basaltic achondrites. With better quantification of spectral effects due to temperature, phase angle, and grain size, systematic discrepancies due to non-compositional factors can now be virtually eliminated for mafic silicate-bearing asteroids. Interpretation of spectrally featureless asteroids remains a challenge. This paper presents a review of all mineralogical interpretive tools currently in use and outlines procedures for their application.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1502.05008v1","authors":["Vishnu Reddy","Tasha L. Dunn","Cristina A. Thomas","Nicholas A. Moskovitz","Thomas H. Burbine"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-02-17T19:15:14Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.15424v1","name":"Meteorites and Planet Formation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Meteorites are a remarkable resource. They capture the imagination of people worldwide with their spectacular entry through Earth's atmosphere as fireballs, and their exotic character of being pieces of other worlds. Scientifically, they are critical to interpreting the early stages of formation of the Solar System, as well as the geological evolution of asteroids, the Moon, and Mars, and they are vital to understanding planetary formation processes. With the burgeoning exploration of extrasolar planetary systems, knowledge of the fundamental process of planetary growth from protoplanetary disks has taken on a new significance. Meteorites provide essential and detailed insight into the formation of planetary systems, although we must bear in mind that they only represent one reference point (our own Solar System) in what is clearly a wide spectrum of possible chemical and physical parameters governing the diverse realm of extrasolar planets. This chapter summarises the nature of our meteorite collections, and the ways in which meteorites contribute to our understanding of the formation and evolution of our own Solar System, with broader implications for planetary systems in general.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.15424v1","authors":["Rhian H. Jones"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.SR","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-23T18:18:48Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1409.0359v1","name":"Composition, Mineralogy, and Porosity of Multiple Asteroid Systems from Visible and Near-infrared Spectral Data","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We provide a taxonomic and compositional characterization of Multiple Asteroid Systems (MASs) located in the main belt (MB) using visible and near-infrared (0.45-2.5 um) spectral data of 42 MB MASs. The mineralogical analysis is applied to determine meteorite analogs for the MASs, which, in turn, are applied to the MAS density measurements of Marchis et al. (2012) to estimate the system porosity. The macroporosities are used to evaluate the primary MAS formation hypotheses. The visible observing campaign includes 25 MASs obtained using the SOAR telescope with the Goodman High Throughput Spectrometer. The infrared observing campaign includes 34 MASs obtained using the NASA IRTF with the SpeX spectragraph. The MASs are classified using the Bus-DeMeo taxonomic system. We perform a NIR spectral band parameter analysis using a new analysis routine, the Spectral Analysis Routine for Asteroids (SARA). The SARA routine determines band centers, areas, and depths by utilizing the diagnostic absorption features near 1- and 2-um. The band parameter analysis provides the Gaffey subtype for the S-type MASs; the relative abundance olivine-to-pyroxene ratio; and olivine and pyroxene modal abundances for S-complex and V-type MASs. This mineralogical information is applied to determine meteorite analogs. We determine the H, L, and LL meteorite analogs for 15 MASs with ordinary chondrite-like (OC) mineralogies. We observe an excess (10/15) of LL-like mineralogies. Of the MASs with LL-like mineralogies, seven are consistent with Flora family membership, supporting the hypothesis that the Flora family is a source of LL-like NEAs and LL chondrites on Earth. Using the measured densities of the meteorite analog and the MAS densities from Marchis et al. (2012), we estimate the macroporosity for 13 MASs and find that all estimated macroporosities are in agreement with formation hypotheses.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1409.0359v1","authors":["Sean S. Lindsay","Franck Marchis","Joshua P. Emery","J. Emilio Enriquez","Marcelo Assafin"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-09-01T10:53:28Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1404.6666v1","name":"Chelyabinsk meteorite explains unusual spectral properties of Baptistina Asteroid Family","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We investigated the spectral and compositional properties of Chelyabinsk meteorite to identify its possible parent body in the main asteroid belt. Our analysis shows that the meteorite contains two spectrally distinct but compositionally indistinguishable components of LL5 chondrite and shock blackened/impact melt material. Our X-ray diffraction analysis confirms that the two lithologies of the Chelyabinsk meteorite are extremely similar in modal mineralogy. The meteorite is compositionally similar to LL chondrite and its most probable parent asteroid in the main belt is a member of the Flora family. Intimate mixture of LL5 chondrite and shock blackened/impact melt material from Chelyabinsk provides a spectral match with (8) Flora, the largest asteroid in the Flora family. The Baptistina family and Flora family overlap each other in dynamical space. Mineralogical analysis of (298) Baptistina and 9 small family members shows that their surface compositions are similar to LL chondrites, although their absorption bands are subdued and albedos lower when compared to typical S-type asteroids. A range of intimate mixtures of LL5 chondrite and shock blackened/impact melt material from Chelyabinsk provides spectral matches for all these BAF members. We suggest that the presence of a significant shock/impact melt component in the surface regolith of BAF members could be the cause of lower albedo and subdued absorption bands. The parent asteroid of BAF was either a member of the Flora family or had the same basic composition as the Floras (LL Chondrite). The shock pressures produced during the impact event generated enough impact melt or shock blackening to alter the spectral properties of BAF, but keep the BAF composition largely unchanged.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1404.6666v1","authors":["Vishnu Reddy","Juan Sanchez","William Bottke","Ed Cloutis","Matt Izawa","Dave O'Brien","Paul Mann","Matt Cuddy","Lucille Le Corre","Michael Gaffey","Gary Fujihara"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","astro-ph.EP","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-04-26T17:59:52Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2105.01900v1","name":"Visible-Infrared spectroscopy of ungrouped and rare meteorites brings further constraints on meteorite-asteroid connections","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Although spectral surveys and spacecraft missions provide information on small bodies, many important analyses can only be performed in terrestrial laboratories. For now, the total number of parent bodies represented in our meteorites collection is estimated to about 150 parent bodies, of which 50 parent bodies represented by the poorly studied ungrouped chondrites. Linking ungrouped meteorites to their parent bodies is thus crucial to significantly increase our knowledge of asteroids. To this end, the petrography of 25 ungrouped chondrites and rare meteorite groups was studied, allowing grouping into 6 petrographic groups based on texture, mineralogy, and aqueous and thermal parent body processing. Then, we acquired visible-near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy data, in order to compare them to ground-based telescopic observations of asteroids. The reflectance spectra of meteorites were obtained on powdered samples, raw samples and polished sections. Our results showed that sample preparation influences the shape of the spectra, and thus asteroid spectral matching, especially for carbonaceous chondrites. Overall, the petrographic groups defined initially coincide with reflectance spectral groups. We define links between some of the studied ungrouped chondrites and asteroid types that had no meteorite connection proposed before, such as some very primitive type 3.00 ungrouped chondrites to B-type or Cg-type asteroids. We also matched metamorphosed ungrouped carbonaceous chondrites to S-complex asteroids, suggesting that this complex is not only composed of ordinary chondrites or primitive achondrites, as previously established, but may also host carbonaceous chondrites. Conversely, some ungrouped chondrites could not be matched to any known asteroid type, showing that those are potential samples from yet unidentified asteroid types.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2105.01900v1","authors":["Lisa Kramër Ruggiu","Pierre Beck","Jérôme Gattacceca","Jolantha Eschrig"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-05-05T07:24:11Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.03572v1","name":"On the spatiotemporal coincidence of meteorites in recent fall search campaigns","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The meteoritical community widely assumes that the probability of finding two meteorites from different falls laying in close proximity is negligible. However, recent studies have suggested that spatiotemporal coincidences may be critical when associating a meteorite with a witnessed fall. In this work, we estimate the number of accumulated meteorites--those resulting from past falls--that are present in landing regions of new falls, while accounting for the effects of terrestrial weathering. We present a simple, fast-computing model to estimate such probability, validated with a Monte Carlo approach based on dark flight computations from real meteorite-dropping fireball data. Considering meteorite masses higher than 10 g, our results indicate that in regions with minimal weathering, like Antarctica, the probability of encountering a previous meteorite within a new fall strewn field may be as high as 75%. In environments with higher weathering rates, like countryside or urban regions, this probability decreases to &lt;1%. When considering the 30 g Lake Frome 006 meteorite coincidence case, the probability of recovering a non-related meteorite with an age of 3.2 kyr from a 0.7 km^2 search area is 6.9%. In the case of the 1 kg Ischgl meteorite, the probability of coincidence with another fresh meteorite of similar mass is 0.06% assuming a large strewn field of 210 km^2. Applied to the Almahata Sitta case, our model predicts a 11.3% of coincidence with a previous meteorite fall. Our results strongly suggest that isotopic dating is essential before associating any meteorite with a witnessed fall.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.03572v1","authors":["P. Grèbol-Tomàs","E. Peña-Asensio","J. M. Trigo-Rodríguez","J. Ibáñez-Insa"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-05T15:40:38Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1104.3574v1","name":"On the Evolution of Dust Mineralogy, From Protoplanetary Disks to Planetary Systems","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Mineralogical studies of silicate features emitted by dust grains in protoplanetary disks and Solar System bodies can shed light on the progress of planet formation. The significant fraction of crystalline material in comets, chondritic meteorites and interplanetary dust particles indicates a modification of the almost completely amorphous ISM dust from which they formed. The production of crystalline silicates thus must happen in protoplanetary disks, where dust evolves to build planets and planetesimals. Different scenarios have been proposed, but it is still unclear how and when this happens. This paper presents dust grain mineralogy of a complete sample of protoplanetary disks in the young Serpens cluster. These results are compared to those in the young Taurus region and to sources that have retained their protoplanetary disks in the older Upper Scorpius and Eta Chamaeleontis stellar clusters, using the same analysis technique for all samples. This comparison allows an investigation of the grain mineralogy evolution with time for a total sample of 139 disks. The mean cluster age and disk fraction are used as indicators of the evolutionary stage of the different populations. Our results show that the disks in the different regions have similar distributions of mean grain sizes and crystallinity fractions (~10-20%) despite the spread in mean ages. Furthermore, there is no evidence of preferential grain sizes for any given disk geometry, nor for the mean cluster crystallinity fraction to increase with mean age in the 1-8 Myr range. The main implication is that a modest level of crystallinity is established in the disk surface early on (&lt; 1 Myr), reaching a equilibrium that is independent of what may be happening in the disk midplane. These results are discussed in the context of planet formation, in comparison with mineralogical results from small bodies in our Solar System. [Abridged]","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1104.3574v1","authors":["Isa Oliveira","Johan Olofsson","Klaus M. Pontoppidan","Ewine F. van Dishoeck","Jean-Charles Augereau","Bruno Merin"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-04-18T20:00:00Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1206.3042v1","name":"On the origin of the Almahata-Sitta meteorite and 2008TC3 asteroid","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Asteroid 2008TC3 was a Near Earth Asteroid that impacted the Earth on 2008 October 7. Meteorites were produced by the break-up of 2008TC3 in the high atmosphere and at present, about 600 meteorites - called Almahata Sitta - coming from 2008TC3 have been recovered. A mineralogical study of Almahata Sitta fragments shows that the asteroid 2008TC3 was made of meteorites of different types (ureilites, H, L, and E chondrites). Understanding the origin of this body and how it was put together remain a challenge. Here we perform a detailed spectroscopical and dynamical investigation to show that the most likely source region of 2008TC3 is in the inner Main Belt at low inclination (i&lt;8 degrees). We show that asteroids with spectroscopic classes that can be associated with the different meteorite types of Almahata Sitta are present in the region of the Main Belt that includes the Nysa-Polana family and objects of the Background at low inclination. Searching for a possible scenario of formation for 2008TC3, we show that there is little chance that 2008TC3 was formed by low velocity collisions between asteroids of different mineralogies, in the current asteroid belt. It seems more likely that the heterogeneous composition of 2008TC3 was a inherited from a time when the asteroid belt was in a different dynamical state, most likely in the very early Solar System. Because ureilites are fragments of a large, thermally metamorphosed asteroid, this suggests that the phases of collisional erosion (the break-up of the ureilite parent-body) and collisional accretion (the formation of the parent body of 2008TC3) overlapped for some time in the primordial asteroid belt.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1206.3042v1","authors":["Julie Gayon-Markt","Marco Delbo","Alessandro Morbidelli","Simone Marchi"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-06-14T09:13:41Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1308.6178v3","name":"Russian meteorite Bronze Age (rock record)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the results of a study of petroglyphs found in the quartzite grotto near the Skelnovsky small village in the Northern Black Sea in the South of Russia. The aim of the study was the analysis and interpretation of the Early Bronze Age petroglyphs using archaeoastronomical methods. The article presents a comparative analysis of Skelnovsky grotto ancient images and contemporary eyewitness accounts of the Sikhote-Alin meteorite fall and meteorite shower. Some petroglyphs were interpreted by us using ethnographic and folklore material. In this study, the magnetic declination for the geographical coordinates Skelnovsky farm was calculated, and the projection of the whole picture Skelnovskih petroglyphs on the topographical map of the area was built. The proposed location of the meteorite fall was determined with this projection. It is confirmed by satellite pictures, on which are the distinguishable terrain features, typical for the meteorite fall, are visible including the possible impact crater, and the corresponding symbols on a topographical map. The studies in the article conclude the astronomical character of the main content of the Skelnovsky petroglyphs picture which depicts the fall of a large meteoroid (bolide), similar to the Sikhote-Alin meteorite, accompanied by a meteorite shower. After a comparative analysis of the images in Sklenovsky Grotto it was discovered that the petroglyph is a copy of the figure depicted on the famous Mesopotamic clay tablet YBC 7289. We speculate that this figure is a prototype of an important building used either for ritual or farm purposes, typical for the Bronze Age and distributed as in Mesopotamia, as also on the coast of the Northern Black Sea. archaeoastronomy, petroglyphs, rock art, meteoroid, meteorite shower, impact crater, Babylonian clay tablet YBC 7289","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1308.6178v3","authors":["Larisa Vodolazhskaya","Mikhail Nevsky"],"tags":["physics.hist-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-08-27T07:16:48Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1905.11779v1","name":"Evaluation of mineralogy per geological layers by Approximate Bayesian Computation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We propose a new methodology to perform mineralogic inversion from wellbore logs based on a Bayesian linear regression model. Our method essentially relies on three steps. The first step makes use of Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) and selects from the Bayesian generator a set of candidates-volumes corresponding closely to the wellbore data responses. The second step gathers these candidates through a density-based clustering algorithm. A mineral scenario is assigned to each cluster through direct mineralogical inversion, and we provide a confidence estimate for each lithological hypothesis. The advantage of this approach is to explore all possible mineralogy hypotheses that match the wellbore data. This pipeline is tested on both synthetic and real datasets.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1905.11779v1","authors":["Vianney Bruned","Alice Cleynen","André Mas","Sylvain Wlodarczyck"],"tags":["stat.AP","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-05-28T12:48:51Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2108.04397v1","name":"Darkflight estimates of meteorite fall positions: issues and a case study using the Murrili meteorite fall","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Fireball networks are used to recover meteorites, with the context of orbits. Observations from these networks cover the bright flight, where the meteoroid is luminescent, but to recover a fallen meteorite, these observations must often be predicted forward in time to the ground to estimate an impact position. This darkflight modelling is deceptively simple, but there is hidden complexity covering the precise interactions between the meteorite and the (usually active) atmosphere. We describe the method and approach used by the Desert Fireball Network, detailing the issues we have addressed, and the impact that factors such as shape, mass and density have on the predicted fall position. We illustrate this with a case study of Murrili meteorite fall that occurred into Lake Eyre-Kati Thanda in 2015. The fall was very well observed from multiple viewpoints, and the trajectory was steep, with a low altitude endpoint, such that the darkflight was relatively short. Murrili is 1.68 kg with a typical ordinary chondrite density, but with a somewhat flattened shape compared to a sphere, such that there are discrepancies between sphere-based predictions and the actual recovery location. It is notable that even in this relatively idealised darkflight scenario, modelling using spherical shaped projectiles resulted in a significant distance between predicted fall position and recovered meteorite.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2108.04397v1","authors":["M. C. Towner","T. Jansen-Sturgeon","M. Cupak","E. K. Sansom","H. A. R. Devillepoix","P. A. Bland","R. M Howie","J. P. Paxman","G. K. Benedix","B. A. D. Hartig"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-10T01:39:23Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1810.00338v1","name":"Mineralogy of northern nearside mare basalts","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The mineralogy of mare basalts reflects the chemical composition of the magma source, as well as the physical and chemical environment of the rock's formation. It is significant for understanding the thermal evolution of the Moon. In this study, the spatial distribution of the mineralogy of the lunar northern nearside basalts was mapped using the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) data. The study area, which is an elongated mare, Mare Frigoris and northern Mare Imbrium, was mapped and characterized into 27 units based on multi-source data, including spectrum, terrain, and element abundance. We extracted 177 M3 spectra from fresh craters. Spectral parameters such as absorption center and band area ratio (BAR) were obtained through data processing. The variation of mafic mineral of this region was acquired by analyzing these parameters. The basaltic units in eastern Mare Frigoris, which are older, have been found to be dominated by clinopyroxene with lower CaO compared to the returned lunar samples; this is similar to older basaltic units in Mare Imbrium. The basaltic units of western Mare Frigoris and Sinus Roris which are younger have been found to be rich in olivine. The late-stage basalts in Oceanus Procellarum and Mare Imbrium show the same feature. These wide-spread olivine-rich basalts suggest the uniqueness in the evolution of the Moon. Geographically speaking, Mare Frigoris is an individual mare, but the magma source region have connections with surrounding maria in consideration of mineral differences between western and eastern Frigoris, as well as mineral similarities with maria at the same location.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1810.00338v1","authors":["Zhenchao Wang","Yunzhao Wu","Xiaomeng Zhang","Yu Lu"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-09-30T08:13:25Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1712.00603v1","name":"A Hibonite-Pyroxene Spherule in Allan Hills 77307 (CO3.03): Petrography and Mineralogy","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Hibonite-pyroxene spherules are an extremely rare kind of refractory inclusion that show a wide range of exotic isotopic properties despite their defining similarity and simplicity in morphology and mineralogy. One such, relatively large (about 120 micron diameter), inclusion has been found in one of the most pristine meteorites, Allan Hills 77307 (a carbonaceous chondrite of the Ornans group; Petrologic type 3.03). The inclusion consists of two central hibonite laths of about 30x15 micron surrounded by Al, Ca-rich pyroxene. The hibonite laths have uniform composition. The composition of pyroxene surrounding the hibonite is radially homogenously Al,-Ca rich up to about 50-60 microns which transitions to Mg, -Ti rich at the outer boundary. Hibonite-pyroxene spherule found in ALHA 77307 shares many similarities with the other previously found hibonite-pyroxene spherules. A distinguishing feature of the inclusion in ALHA77307 is the presence of two slivers/ wedges at the opposite outer edge of the hibonite- pyroxene spherule that consist of rapidly, poorly crystalized, sub-micron minerals with pristine textures. The pristine petrography and mineralogy of this inclusion allow discernment of the expected general trend of formation and alteration amongst hibonite-pyroxene spherules.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1712.00603v1","authors":["Ritesh Kumar Mishra"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-12-02T12:56:13Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1503.03442v1","name":"Magnetic susceptibility, magnetization, magnetic moment and characterization of Carancas meteorite","source":"arxiv","abstract":"On September, 15th, 2007, in the community of Carancas (Puno, Peru) a stony meteorite formed a crater explosive type with a mean diameter of 13.5 m. some samples meteorite fragments were collected. The petrologic analysis performed corresponds to a meteorite ordinary chondrite H 4-5. In this paper we have analyzed the magnetic properties of a meteorite fragment with a proton magnetometer. Also in order to have a complete characterization of the Carancas meteorite and its crater, from several papers, articles and reports, we have made a compilation of the most important characteristics and properties of this meteorite.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1503.03442v1","authors":["Domingo Rosales","Erick Vidal"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-28T18:19:36Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.16777v1","name":"Silicate mineralogy and bulk composition of exoplanetary material in polluted white dwarfs","source":"arxiv","abstract":"White dwarf planetary systems uniquely link the bulk elemental composition of exoplanetary material to the mineralogy as photospheric abundances can be compared to circumstellar dust mineralogy. This study re-examines Spitzer/IRS spectra of eight white dwarfs with both circumstellar dust and photospheric metals. All systems show 10$μ$m silicate emission features consistent with a mixture of olivine and pyroxene silicates, with varying dominance. New Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet spectroscopic observations of two of these systems, GD56 and WD1150-153, reveal that both are accreting dry, rocky material. WD1150-153 is accreting material consistent with Bulk Earth, while GD56 is accreting core-rich material with an inferred core mass fraction of 0.59$^{+0.08}_{-0.09}$ (0.37$^{+0.08}_{-0.08}$ by mole). A comparison between the bulk elemental composition of the accreted planetary material and the dust mineralogy of the eight systems reveals a tentative correlation between the dominant silicate mineralogy and the Mg/Si ratio, indicating that the circumstellar and photospheric material are compositionally similar. This suggests that rapid and well-mixed accretion is occurring with minimal compositional alteration. Furthermore, new GGCHEM equilibrium chemistry models confirm that Mg-rich planetary material preferentially forms olivine-rich dust, highlighting the importance of equilibrium in planetary chemistry and that a host star or rock's Mg/Si can be used to predict whether its silicate mineralogy is olivine- or pyroxene-dominated, influencing its capacity to structurally store water, recycle key nutrients, and possibly habitability.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.16777v1","authors":["Laura K. Rogers","Amy Bonsor","Érika Le Bourdais","Siyi Xu","Kate Y. L. Su","Benjamin Richards","Andrew Buchan","Nicholas P. Ballering","Marc Brouwers","Patrick Dufour","Markus Kissler-Patig","Carl Melis","Ben Zuckerman"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-22T17:23:36Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2203.10051v1","name":"Martian meteorites reflectance and implications for rover missions","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In the next decade, two rovers will characterize in situ the mineralogy of rocks on Mars, using for the first time near-infrared reflectance spectrometers: SuperCam onboard the Mars 2020 rover and MicrOmega onboard the ExoMars rover, although this technique is predominantly used in orbit for mineralogical investigations. Until successful completion of sample-return missions from Mars, Martian meteorites are currently the only samples of the red planet available for study in terrestrial laboratories and comparison with in situ data. However, the current spectral database available for these samples does not represent their diversity and consists primarily of spectra acquired on finely crushed samples, albeit grain size is known to greatly affect spectral features. We measured the reflected light of a broad Martian meteorite suite as a means to catalogue and characterize their spectra between 0.4 and 3 microns. These measurements are achieved using a point spectrometer acquiring data comparable to SuperCam, and an imaging spectrometer producing hyperspectral cubes similarly to MicrOmega. Our results indicate that point spectrometry is sufficient to discriminate the different Martian meteorites families, to identify their primary petrology based on band parameters, and to detect their low content in alteration minerals. However, significant spectral mixing occurs in the point measurements, even at spot sizes down to a few millimeters, and imaging spectroscopy is needed to correctly identify the various mineral phases in the meteorites. Bidirectional spectral measurements confirm their non-Lambertian behavior, with backward and suspected forward scattering peaks. With changing observation geometry, the main absorption strengths show variations up to 10-15 percents. All the spectra presented are provided in the supplementary data for further comparison with in situ and orbital measurements.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2203.10051v1","authors":["Lucia Mandon","Pierre Beck","Cathy Quantin-Nataf","Erwin Dehouck","Antoine Pommerol","Zurine Yoldi","Romain Cerubini","Lu Pan","Melissa Martinot","Violaine Sautter"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-18T16:52:47Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1802.04699v2","name":"Probing the use of spectroscopy to determine the meteoritic analogues of meteors","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Determining the source regions of meteorites is one of the major goals of current research in planetary science. Whereas asteroid observations are currently unable to pinpoint the source regions of most meteorite classes, observations of meteors with camera networks and the subsequent recovery of the meteorite may help make progress on this question. The main caveat of such an approach, however, is that the recovery rate of meteorite falls is low, implying that the meteoritic analogues of at least 80% of the observed falls remain unknown. Aims: Spectroscopic observations of bolides may have the potential to mitigate this problem by classifying the incoming material. Methods: To probe the use of spectroscopy to determine the meteoritic analogues of bolides, we collected emission spectra in the visible range (320-880nm) of five meteorite types (H,L,LL,CM,eucrite) acquired in atmospheric entry-like conditions in a plasma wind tunnel at the University of Stuttgart (Germany). A detailed spectral analysis including line identification and mass ratio determinations (Mg/Fe,Na/Fe) was subsequently performed on all spectra. Results: Spectroscopy, via a simple line identification, allows us to distinguish the main meteorite classes (chondrites, achondrites and irons) but does not have the potential to distinguish for example an H from a CM chondrite. Conclusions: The source location within the main belt of the different meteorite classes (H, L, LL, CM, etc.) should continue to be investigated via fireball observation networks. Spectroscopy of incoming bolides only marginally helps precisely classify the incoming material (iron meteorites only). To reach a statistically significant sample of recovered meteorites along with accurate orbits (&gt;100) within a reasonable time frame (10-20 years), the optimal solution may be the spatial extension of existing fireball observation networks.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1802.04699v2","authors":["A. Drouard","P. Vernazza","S. Loehle","J. Gattacceca","J. Vaubaillon","B. Zanda","M. Birlan","S. Bouley","F. Colas","M. Eberhart","T. Hermann","L. Jorda","C. Marmo","A. Meindl","R. Oefele","F. Zamkotsian","F. Zander"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-02-13T16:12:18Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2402.14150v1","name":"New evidence on the lost giant Chinguetti meteorite","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The giant Chinguetti meteorite that Gaston Ripert reported seeing in 1916 has never been found. A radionuclide analysis by Welten et al (2001) of the 4.5kg mesosiderite that Ripert recovered, supposedly sitting on the larger object, has convinced many that Ripert was mistaken, and interest in the giant meteorite has subsequently faded. Aspects of Ripert's account of the giant meteorite are nevertheless compelling, particularly his description of ductile metal needles in one area of the surface explored. Several visual searches for the giant meteorite, beginning in 1924, might have failed because the object was already by then covered in sand. Using DEM data we have measured dune heights and established their drift speed. This has allowed us to create a map of locations where the meteorite could lie. The 2004 PRISM-I aeromagnetics surveys, acquired by Fugro for the Mauritanian Government for Mining Sector capacity building purposes, have the necessary area coverage, spatial resolution, and sensitivity to establish if the meteorite exists. In Jan 2023 we requested the PRISM data from the Ministry of Petroleum Energy and Mines, explaining, under Confidentiality, the scientific purpose of the request. To date the data have not been made available to us.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.14150v1","authors":["Robert Warren","Stephen Warren","Ekaterini Protopapa"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-21T22:16:03Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2009.13852v1","name":"Machine Learning for Semi-Automated Meteorite Recovery","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present a novel methodology for recovering meteorite falls observed and constrained by fireball networks, using drones and machine learning algorithms. This approach uses images of the local terrain for a given fall site to train an artificial neural network, designed to detect meteorite candidates. We have field tested our methodology to show a meteorite detection rate between 75-97%, while also providing an efficient mechanism to eliminate false-positives. Our tests at a number of locations within Western Australia also showcase the ability for this training scheme to generalize a model to learn localized terrain features. Our model-training approach was also able to correctly identify 3 meteorites in their native fall sites, that were found using traditional searching techniques. Our methodology will be used to recover meteorite falls in a wide range of locations within globe-spanning fireball networks.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2009.13852v1","authors":["Seamus Anderson","Martin Towner","Phil Bland","Christopher Haikings","William Volante","Eleanor Sansom","Hadrien Devillepoix","Patrick Shober","Benjamin Hartig","Martin Cupak","Trent Jansen-Sturgeon","Robert Howie","Gretchen Benedix","Geoff Deacon"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","cs.CV","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-09-29T08:27:41Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1904.12644v1","name":"The meteorite flux of the last 2 Myr recorded in the Atacama desert","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The evolution of the meteorite flux to the Earth can be studied by determining the terrestrial ages of meteorite collected in hot deserts. We have measured the terrestrial ages of 54 stony meteorites from the El Médano area, in the Atacama Desert, using the cosmogenic nuclide chlorine 36. With an average age of 710 ka, this collection is the oldest collection of non fossil meteorites at the Earth's surface. This allows both determining the average meteorite flux intensity over the last 2 Myr (222 meteorites larger than 10 g per km2 per Myr) and discussing its possible compositional variability over the Quaternary period. A change in the flux composition, with more abundant H chondrites, occurred between 0.5 and 1 Ma, possibly due to the direct delivery to Earth of a meteoroid swarm from the asteroid belt.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1904.12644v1","authors":["A. Drouard","J. Gattacceca","A. Hutzler","P. Rochette","R. Braucher","D. Bourlès","ASTER Team","M. Gounelle","A. Morbidelli","V. Debaille","M. Van Ginneken","M. Valenzuela","Y. Quesnel","R. Martinez"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-04-29T12:37:02Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1403.7109v1","name":"A comprehensive study of distribution laws for the fragments of Košice meteorite","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this study, we conduct a detailed analysis of the Košice meteorite fall (February 28, 2010), in order to derive a reliable law describing the mass distribution among the recovered fragments. In total, 218 fragments of the Košice meteorite, with a total mass of 11.285 kg, were analyzed. Bimodal Weibull, bimodal Grady and bimodal lognormal distributions are found to be the most appropriate for describing the Košice fragmentation process. Based on the assumption of bimodal lognormal, bimodal Grady, bimodal sequential and bimodal Weibull fragmentation distributions, we suggest that, prior to further extensive fragmentation in the lower atmosphere, the Košice meteoroid was initially represented by two independent pieces with cumulative residual masses of approximately 2 kg and 9 kg respectively. The smaller piece produced about 2 kg of multiple lightweight meteorite fragments with the mean around 12 g. The larger one resulted in 9 kg of meteorite fragments, recovered on the ground, including the two heaviest pieces of 2.374 kg and 2.167 kg with the mean around 140 g. Based on our investigations, we conclude that two to three larger fragments of 500-1000g each should exist, but were either not recovered or not reported by illegal meteorite hunters.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1403.7109v1","authors":["Maria Gritsevich","Vladimir Vinnikov","Tomáš Kohout","Juraj Tóth","Jouni Peltoniemi","Leonid Turchak","Jenni Virtanen"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-03-27T16:07:48Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2408.12276v1","name":"Spectral properties of ablating meteorite samples for improved meteoroid composition diagnostics","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Emission spectra and diagnostic spectral features of a diverse range of ablated meteorite samples with a known composition are presented. We aim to provide a reference spectral dataset to improve our abilities to classify meteoroid composition types from meteor spectra observations. The data were obtained by ablating meteorite samples in high-enthalpy plasma wind tunnel facilities recreating conditions characteristic of low-speed meteors. Near-UV to visible-range (320 - 800 nm) emission spectra of 22 diverse meteorites captured by a high-resolution Echelle spectrometer were analyzed to identify the characteristic spectral features of individual meteorite groups. The same dataset captured by a lower-resolution meteor spectrograph was applied to compare the meteorite data with meteor spectra observations. Spectral modeling revealed that the emitting meteorite plasma was characterized by temperatures of 3700 - 4800 K, similar to the main temperature component of meteors. The studied line intensity variations were found to trace the differences in the original meteorite composition and thus can be used to constrain the individual meteorite classes. We demonstrate that meteorite composition types, including ordinary chondrites, carbonaceous chondrites, various achondrites, stony-iron and iron meteorites, can be spectrally distinguished by measuring relative line intensities of Mg I, Fe I, Na I, Cr I, Mn I, Si I, H I, CN, Ni I, and Li I. Additionally, we confirm the effect of the incomplete evaporation of refractory elements Al, Ti, and Ca, and the presence of minor species Co I, Cu I, and V I.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.12276v1","authors":["Pavol Matlovič","Adriana Pisarčíková","Veronika Pazderová","Stefan Loehle","Juraj Tóth","Ludovic Ferrière","Peter Čermák","David Leiser","Jérémie Vaubaillon","Ranjith Ravichandran"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-22T10:21:19Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1602.00915v3","name":"A gamma-ray spectroscopy survey of Omani meteorites","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The gamma-ray activities of 33 meteorite samples (30 ordinary chondrites, 1 Mars meteorite, 1 iron, 1 howardite) collected during Omani-Swiss meteorite search campaigns 2001-2008 were nondestructively measured using an ultra-low background gamma-ray detector. The results provide several types of information: Potassium and thorium concentrations were found to range within typical values for the meteorite types. Similar mean 26Al activities in groups of ordinary chondrites with a) weathering degrees W0-1 and low 14C terrestrial age and b) weathering degree W3-4 and high 14C terrestrial age are mostly consistent with activities observed in recent falls. The older group shows no significant depletion in 26Al. Among the least weathered samples one meteorite (SaU 424) was found to contain detectable 22Na identifying it as recent fall close to the year 2000. Based on an estimate of the surface area searched, the corresponding fall rate is ~120 events/106 km2*a, consistent with other estimations. Twelve samples from the large JaH 091 strewn field (total mass ~4.5 t) show significant variations of 26Al activities, including the highest values measured, consistent with a meteoroid radius of ~115 cm. Activities of 238U daughter elements demonstrate terrestrial contamination with 226Ra and possible loss of 222Rn. Recent contamination with small amounts of 137Cs is ubiquitous. We conclude that gamma-ray spectroscopy of a selection of meteorites with low degrees of weathering is particularly useful to detect recent falls among meteorites collected in hot deserts.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1602.00915v3","authors":["Patrick Weber","Beda Hofmann","Tamer Tolba","Jean-Luc Vuilleumier"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-02-02T13:23:39Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2106.06523v1","name":"Recovery of Meteorites Using an Autonomous Drone and Machine Learning","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The recovery of freshly fallen meteorites from tracked and triangulated meteors is critical to determining their source asteroid families. However, locating meteorite fragments in strewn fields remains a challenge with very few meteorites being recovered from the meteors triangulated in past and ongoing meteor camera networks. We examined if locating meteorites can be automated using machine learning and an autonomous drone. Drones can be programmed to fly a grid search pattern and take systematic pictures of the ground over a large survey area. Those images can be analyzed using a machine learning classifier to identify meteorites in the field among many other features. Here, we describe a proof-of-concept meteorite classifier that deploys off-line a combination of different convolution neural networks to recognize meteorites from images taken by drones in the field. The system was implemented in a conceptual drone setup and tested in the suspected strewn field of a recent meteorite fall near Walker Lake, Nevada.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2106.06523v1","authors":["Robert I. Citron","Peter Jenniskens","Christopher Watkins","Sravanthi Sinha","Amar Shah","Chedy Raissi","Hadrien Devillepoix","Jim Albers"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","cs.CV","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-06-11T17:36:33Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1309.6081v6","name":"Mineralogy, reflectance spectra, and physical properties of the Chelyabinsk LL5 chondrite, insight into shock induced changes in asteroid regoliths","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The mineralogy and physical properties of Chelyabinsk meteorites (fall, February 15, 2013) are presented. Three types of meteorite material are present, described as the light-colored, dark-colored, and impact-melt lithologies. All are of LL5 composition with the impact-melt lithology being close to whole-rock melt and the dark-colored lithology being shock-darkened due to partial melting of iron metal and sulfides. This enables us to study the effect of increasing shock on material with identical composition and origin. Based on the magnetic susceptibility, the Chelyabinsk meteorites are richer in metallic iron as compared to other LL chondrites. The measured bulk and grain densities and the porosity closely resemble other LL chondrites. Shock darkening does not have a significant effect on the material physical properties, but causes a decrease of reflectance and decrease in silicate absorption bands in the reflectance spectra. This is similar to the space weathering effects observed on asteroids. However, compared to space weathered materials, there is a negligible to minor slope change observed in impact-melt and shock-darkened meteorite spectra. Thus, it is possible that some dark asteroids with invisible silicate absorption bands may be composed of relatively fresh shock-darkened chondritic material.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1309.6081v6","authors":["Tomas Kohout","Maria Gritsevich","Victor I. Grokhovsky","Grigoriy A. Yakovlev","Jakub Haloda","Patricie Halodova","Radoslaw M. Michallik","Antti Penttilä","Karri Muinonen"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-09-24T08:39:01Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2209.07377v1","name":"Meteorite petrology versus genetics: Toward a unified binominal classification","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The current meteorite taxonomy, a result of two centuries of meteorite research and tradition, entangles textural and genetic terms in a less than consistent fashion, with some taxa (like shergottites) representing varied lithologies from a single putative parent body while others (like pallasites) subsume texturally similar objects of multifarious solar system origins. The familiar concept of group as representative of one primary parent body is also difficult to define empirically. It is proposed that the classification becomes explicitly binominal throughout the meteorite spectrum, with classes referring to petrographically defined primary rock types, whereas groups retain a genetic meaning, but no longer tied to any assumption on the number of represented parent bodies. The classification of a meteorite would thus involve both a class and a group, in a two-dimensional fashion analogous to the way Van Schmus and Wood decoupled primary and secondary properties in chondrites. Since groups would not substantially differ, at first, from those in current use de facto, the taxonomic treatment of normal meteorites, whose class would bring no new information, would hardly change. Yet classes combined with high- or low-level groups would provide a standardized grid to characterize petrographically and/or isotopically unusual or anomalous meteorites (which make up the majority of represented meteorite parent bodies) for example, in relation to the carbonaceous/noncarbonaceous dichotomy. In the longer term, the mergers of genetically related groups, a more systematic treatment of lithology mixtures, and the chondrite/achondrite transition can further simplify the nomenclature.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2209.07377v1","authors":["Emmanuel Jacquet"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-09-15T15:44:09Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1409.1563v1","name":"Comet and Meteorite Traditions of Aboriginal Australians","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Of the hundreds of distinct Aboriginal cultures of Australia, many have oral traditions rich in descriptions and explanations of comets, meteors, meteorites, airbursts, impact events, and impact craters. These views generally attribute these phenomena to spirits, death, and bad omens. There are also many traditions that describe the formation of meteorite craters as well as impact events that are not known to Western science.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1409.1563v1","authors":["Duane W. Hamacher"],"tags":["physics.hist-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-09-03T01:11:48Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2202.13797v1","name":"Connecting Asteroids and Meteorites with visible and near-infrared spectroscopy","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We identify spectral similarities between asteroids and meteorites. We identify spectral matches between 500 asteroid spectra and over 1,000 samples of RELAB meteorite spectra over 0.45-2.5 microns. We reproduce many major and previously known meteorite-asteroid connections and find possible new, more rare or less-established connections. Well-established connections include: ordinary chondrites (OC) with S-complex asteroids; pristine CM carbonaceous chondrites with Ch-type asteroids and heated CMs with C-type asteroids; HED meteorites with V-types; enstatite chondrites with Xc-type asteroids; CV meteorites with K-type asteroids; Brachinites, Pallasites and R chondrites with olivine-dominated A-type asteroids. We find a trend from Q, Sq, S, Sr to Sv correlates with LL to H, with Q-types matching predominately to L and LL ordinary chondrites, and Sr and Sv matching predominantly with L and H ordinary chondrites. Ordinary chondrite samples that match to the X-complex, all measurements of slabs and many labeled as dark or black (shocked) OCs. We find carbonaceous chondrite samples having spectral slopes large enough to match D-type asteroid spectra. In many cases the asteroid type to meteorite type links are not unique. While there are well established matches between an asteroid class and meteorite class, there are less common but still spectrally compatible matches between many asteroid types and meteorite types. This result emphasizes the diversity of asteroid and meteorite compositions and highlights the degeneracy of classification by spectral features alone. Recent and upcoming spacecraft missions will shed light on the compositions of many of the asteroid classes, particularly those without diagnostic features, (C-, B-, X-, and D-types), with measurements of Ceres, Ryugu, Bennu, Psyche, and C-, P-, and D-types as part of the Lucy mission.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2202.13797v1","authors":["Francesca E. DeMeo","Brian J. Burt","Michaël Marsset","David Polishook","Thomas H. Burbine","Benoît Carry","Richard P. Binzel","Pierre Vernazza","Vishnu Reddy","Michelle Tang","Cristina A. Thomas","Andrew S. Rivkin","Nicholas A. Moskovitz","Stephen M. Slivan","Schelte J. Bus"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-02-28T13:43:30Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2403.08552v2","name":"Young asteroid families as the primary source of meteorites","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Understanding the origin of bright shooting stars and their meteorite samples is among the most ancient astronomy-related questions that at larger scales has human consequences [1-3]. As of today, only ${\\sim}\\,6\\%$ of meteorite falls have been firmly linked to their sources (Moon, Mars, and asteroid (4) Vesta [4-6]). Here, we show that ${\\sim}\\,70\\%$ of meteorites originate from three recent breakups of $D &gt; 30\\,{\\rm km}$ asteroids that occurred 5.8, 7.5 and less than ${\\sim}\\,40$ million years ago. These breakups, including the well-known Karin family [7], took place in the prominent yet old Koronis and Massalia families and are at the origin of the dominance of H and L ordinary chondrites among meteorite falls. These young families distinguish themselves amidst all main belt asteroids by having a uniquely high abundance of small fragments. Their size-frequency distribution remains steep for a few tens of millions of years, exceeding temporarily the production of metre-sized fragments by the largest old asteroid families (e.g., Flora, Vesta). Supporting evidence includes the existence of associated dust bands [8-10], the cosmic-ray exposure ages of H-chondrite meteorites [11,12], or the distribution of pre-atmospheric orbits of meteorites [13-15].","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.08552v2","authors":["M. Brož","P. Vernazza","M. Marsset","F. E. DeMeo","R. P. Binzel","D. Vokrouhlický","D. Nesvorný"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-13T14:05:08Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.08409v2","name":"Statistical significance of meteorite-asteroid pairs using geocentric parameters","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Aims. We will test the statistical significance of meteorite-dropping fireballs and NEA clustering using the DN similarity function based on four geocentric quantities (U, theta, phi, and lambda). Methods. We calculated the cumulative similarity found between 46 meteorite falls, 535 potential meteorite-dropping fireballs, 20,516 NEAs maintained by NEODyS-2, along with 34,836 NEAs maintained by NASA/JPL HORIZONS. Statistical significance was estimated by either: (1) Kernel Density Estimation-based method to estimate the sporadic background distribution to draw random samples, or (2) applying a uniform random solar longitude (lambda). Each comparison to the synthetic sporadic population is repeated to estimate the 3-sigma region for which the cumulative similarity distribution is consistent with random association levels. Results. The observed DN cumulative similarity distribution between 46 instrumentally observed meteorite falls, 535 potential meteorite-dropping fireballs, and over 30k NEAs radiants (estimated using 6 different radiant methods) reveals no statistically significant excess of similarity between the populations consistent with streams. Conclusions. Based on nearly 600 fireball observations, there is no statistically significant clustering between meteorite falls and NEAs using geocentric impact parameters. If some meteorites arrive in streams, they make up less than ~0.1% of all falls. Recent asteroid or meteoroid physical processes could still explain features found in meteorites, but this activity is not producing distinguishable orbital streams or pairs.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.08409v2","authors":["P. M. Shober"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-11T19:01:53Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2308.01931v1","name":"Identifying parent bodies of meteorites among near-Earth asteroids","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Meteorites provide an important source of information about the formation and composition of asteroids, because the level of accuracy of studies and analyses performed in a laboratory cannot be achieved by any ground or space based observation. To better understand what asteroid types a meteorite represents, it is crucial to identify the body they originated from. In this paper, we aim to determine possible parent bodies for the known meteorite falls among the known population of near-Earth asteroids (NEAs). By using the similarity criterion $D_N$, based on geocentric quantities, we found 20 possible NEA-meteorite pairs. By performing additional numerical simulations of the backward dynamics, we found that 12 of these pairs may be associated with a possible separation event from the progenitor NEA, while the remaining 8 pairs appear to be ambiguous or random associations. The most interesting are the Pribram and Neuschwanstein meteorites, which are dynamically associated with (482488) 2012 SW20 with a common separation age dating back to about 20$-$30 kyr ago, and the Motopi Pan meteorite, that has three candidate parent bodies: (454100) 2013 BO73, 2017 MC3, and 2009 FZ4. The average time of separation between our meteorite list and the progenitor body appears to be about 10 kyr, a time consistent with what is expected from the collision frequency of small NEAs. Based on our results, we suggest that about 25 per cent of meteorites do not originate in the main belt, but mainly from little collision events happening between NEAs in the inner Solar System.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2308.01931v1","authors":["Albino Carbognani","Marco Fenucci"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-08-02T15:48:39Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1907.05506v1","name":"The Composition and Mineralogy of Rocky Exoplanets: A Survey of &gt;4,000 Stars from the Hypatia Catalog","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present a survey of &gt;4,000 star compositions from the Hypatia Catalog to examine whether rocky exoplanets (i.e., those with rocky surfaces, dominated by silicates) might be geologically similar to Earth, at least with respect to composition and mineralogy. To do so, we explore the variety of reported stellar compositions to then determine a possible range of exoplanetary mantle mineralogies. We find that exoplanetary mantles will likely be dominated by olivine and/or orthopyroxene, depending upon Fe partitioning during core formation. Some exoplanets may be magnesiowustite- or quartz-saturated, and we present a new classification scheme based on the weight $\\%$ ratio (FeO+MgO)/SiO$_{2}$, to differentiate rock types. But wholly exotic mineralogies should be rare to absent. We find that half or more of the range of exoplanet mantle mineralogy is controlled by core formation, which we model using $α_{Fe}$ = $Fe^{BSP}$/$Fe^{BP}$, where $Fe^{BSP}$ is Fe in a Bulk Silicate Planet (bulk planet, minus core), on a cation weight $\\%$ basis (elemental weight proportions, absent anions) and $Fe^{BP}$ is the cation weight $\\%$ of Fe for a Bulk Planet. In our solar system, $α_{Fe}$ varies from 0 (Mercury) to about 0.54 (Mars). Remaining variations in exoplanet mantle mineralogy result from non-trivial variations in star compositions. Our major oxide analysis also verifies earlier, isotopic studies indicating that Earth is non-solar (non-chondritic). We also find that major oxide estimates for Earth's mantle appear to preclude a hidden component in the deep mantle that would allow for a bulk solar/chondritic Earth. If it did exist, such a hidden component must comprise at least 28% of the mass of the total mantle (to avoid negative concentrations of some oxides) and would not look anything like the sources of ocean island or mid-ocean ridge basalts.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1907.05506v1","authors":["Keith D. Putirka","John C. Rarick"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-07-11T22:04:50Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.11061v1","name":"The Empirical and Radiative Transfer Hybrid (EaRTH) Disk Model: Merging Analyses of Protoplanetary Dust Disk Mineralogy and Structure","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Our understanding of how exoplanets form and evolve relies on analyses of both the mineralogy of protoplanetary disks and their detailed structures; however, these key complementary aspects of disks are usually studied separately. We present initial results from a hybrid model that combines the empirical characterization of the mineralogy of a disk, as determined from its mid-infrared spectral features, with the MCFOST radiative transfer disk model, a combination we call the EaRTH Disk Model. With the results of the mineralogy detection serving as input to the radiative transfer model, we generate mid-infrared spectral energy distributions (SEDs) that reflect both the mineralogical and structural parameters of the corresponding disk. Initial fits of the SED output by the resulting integrated model to Spitzer Space T elescope mid-infrared (IRS) spectra of the protoplanetary disk orbiting the nearby T Tauri star MP Mus demonstrate the potential advantages of this approach by revealing details like the dominance of micron-sized olivine and micron-sized forsterite in this dusty disk. The simultaneous insight into disk composition and structure provided by the EaRTH Disk methodology should be directly applicable to the interpretation of mid-infrared spectra of protoplanetary disks that will be produced by the James Webb Space Telescope.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.11061v1","authors":["William Grimble","Joel Kastner","Christophe Pinte","Beth Sargent","David A. Principe","Annie Dickson-Vandervelde","Aurora Belen Aguayo","Claudio Caceres","Matthias R. Schreiber","Keivan G. Stassun"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-17T19:28:44Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1412.5134v3","name":"Thermally Induced Chemistry of Meteoritic Complex Organic Molecules: A New Heat-Diffusion Model for the Atmospheric Entry of Meteorites","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Research over the past four decades has shown a rich variety of complex organic molecular content in some meteorites. This current study is an attempt to gain a better insight into the thermal conditions experienced by these molecules inside meteorites during atmospheric entry. In particular, we wish to understand possible chemical processes that can occur during entry and that might have had an effect on complex organic or prebiotic species that were delivered in this way to the early Earth. A simulation was written in Fortran to model heating by the shock generated during entry and the subsequent thermal diffusion inside the body of a meteorite. Experimental data was used for the thermal parameters of several types of meteorites, including iron-nickel and several classes of chondrites. A Sutton-Graves model of stagnation-point heating was used to calculate peak surface temperatures and an explicit difference formula was used to generate thermal diffusion profiles for both chondrites and iron-nickel type meteorites. Results from the simulation show pyrolytic temperature penetration to a depth of ca. 0.5 to 1 cm. Non-dissociative warming of meteorite interiors penetrates further to ca. 4 cm. These results support the findings that extraterrestrial delivery is a viable option for prebiotic molecular \"seeding\" of a planet.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1412.5134v3","authors":["Christopher N. Shingledecker"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-12-16T19:32:16Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1505.01465v1","name":"Seeding the Pregenetic Earth: Meteoritic Abundances of Nucleobases and Potential Reaction Pathways","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Carbonaceous chondrites are a class of meteorite known for having a high content of water and organics. In this study, abundances of the nucleobases, i.e., the building blocks of RNA and DNA, found in carbonaceous chondrites are collated from a variety of published data and compared across various meteorite classes. An extensive review of abiotic chemical reactions producing nucleobases is then performed. These reactions are then reduced to a list of 15 individual reaction pathways that could potentially occur within meteorite parent bodies. The nucleobases guanine, adenine and uracil are found in carbonaceous chondrites in the amounts of 1$-$500 ppb. It is currently unknown which reaction is responsible for their synthesis within the meteorite parent bodies. One class of carbonaceous meteorites dominate the abundances of both amino acids and nucleobases$-$the so-called CM2 (e.g. Murchison meteorite). CR2 meteorites (e.g. Graves Nunataks) also dominate the abundances of amino acids, but are the least abundant in nucleobases. The abundances of total nucleobases in these two classes are $330 \\pm250$ ppb and $16 \\pm13$ ppb respectively. Guanine most often has the greatest abundances in carbonaceous chondrites with respect to the other nucleobases, but is 1$-$2 orders of magnitude less abundant in CM2 meteorites than glycine (the most abundant amino acid). Our survey of the reaction mechanisms for nucleobase formation suggests that Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (i.e. CO, H$_2$ and NH$_3$ gases reacting in the presence of a catalyst such as alumina or silica) is the most likely for conditions that characterize early states of planetesimals.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1505.01465v1","authors":["Ben K. D. Pearce","Ralph E. Pudritz"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-05-06T19:12:23Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.11989v1","name":"The Fireball of November 24, 1970, as the Most Probable Source of the Ischgl Meteorite","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In June 1976, a pristine meteorite stone weighing approximately 1 kg, fully covered with a fresh black fusion crust, was collected on a mountain road in the high-altitude Alpine environment. The recovery took place while clearing the remnants of a snow avalanche, 2 km northwest of Ischgl in Austria. Subsequent to its retrieval, the specimen remained in the finder's private residence without undergoing any scientific examination or identification until 2008, when it was brought to the University of Innsbruck. The sample was classified as a well-preserved LL6 chondrite, with a W0 weathering grade, implying a relatively short time between the meteorite fall and its retrieval. To investigate the potential connection between the Ischgl meteorite and a recorded fireball event, we have reviewed all documented fireballs ever photographed by German fireball camera stations. This examination led us to identify the fireball EN241170 observed in Germany by ten different European Network stations on the night of November 23/24, 1970, as the most likely candidate. We employed state-of-the-art techniques to reconstruct the fireball's trajectory, and to reproduce both its luminous and dark flight phases in detail. We find that the determined strewn field and the generated heat map closely align with the recovery location of the Ischgl meteorite. Furthermore, the measured radionuclide data reported here indicate that the pre-atmospheric size of the Ischgl meteoroid is consistent with the mass estimate inferred from our deceleration analysis along the trajectory. Our findings strongly support the conclusion that the Ischgl meteorite originated from the EN241170 fireball, effectively establishing it as a confirmed meteorite fall. This discovery enables to determine, along with the physical properties, also the heliocentric orbit and cosmic history of the Ischgl meteorite.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.11989v1","authors":["Maria Gritsevich","Jarmo Moilanen","Jaakko Visuri","Matthias M. M. Meier","Colin Maden","Jürgen Oberst","Dieter Heinlein","Joachim Flohrer","Alberto J. Castro-Tirado","Jorge Delgado-García","Christian Koeberl","Ludovic Ferrière","Franz Brandstätter","Pavel P. Povinec","Ivan Sýkora","Florian Schweidler"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-18T08:33:49Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0806.2286v1","name":"Extraterrestrial nucleobases in the Murchison meteorite","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Carbon-rich meteorites, carbonaceous chondrites, contain many biologically relevant organic molecules and delivered prebiotic material to the young Earth. We present compound-specific carbon isotope data indicating that measured purine and pyrimidine compounds are indigenous components of the Murchison meteorite. Carbon isotope ratios for uracil and xanthine of delta13C=+44.5per mil and +37.7per mil, respectively, indicate a non-terrestrial origin for these compounds. These new results demonstrate that organic compounds, which are components of the genetic code in modern biochemistry, were already present in the early solar system and may have played a key role in life's origin.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0806.2286v1","authors":["Zita Martins","Oliver Botta","Marilyn L. Fogel","Mark A. Sephton","Daniel P. Glavin","Jonathan S. Watson","Jason P. Dworkin","Alan W. Schwartz","Pascale Ehrenfreund"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","physics.bio-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-06-13T17:06:00Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1804.07229v1","name":"Identification of meteorite source regions in the Solar System","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Over the past decade there has been a large increase in the number of automated camera networks that monitor the sky for fireballs. One of the goals of these networks is to provide the necessary information for linking meteorites to their pre-impact, heliocentric orbits and ultimately to their source regions in the solar system. We re-compute heliocentric orbits for the 25 meteorite falls published to date from original data sources. Using these orbits, we constrain their most likely escape routes from the main asteroid belt and the cometary region by utilizing a state-of-the-art orbit model of the near-Earth-object population, which includes a size-dependence in delivery efficiency. While we find that our general results for escape routes are comparable to previous work, the role of trajectory measurement uncertainty in escape-route identification is explored for the first time. Moreover, our improved size-dependent delivery model substantially changes likely escape routes for several meteorite falls, most notably Tagish Lake which seems unlikely to have originated in the outer main belt as previously suggested. We find that reducing the uncertainty of fireball velocity measurements below $\\sim0.1$ km/s does not lead to reduced uncertainties in the identification of their escape routes from the asteroid belt and, further, their ultimate source regions. This analysis suggests that camera networks should be optimized for the largest possible number of meteorite recoveries with measured speed precisions of order 0.1 km/s.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1804.07229v1","authors":["Mikael Granvik","Peter Brown"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-04-19T15:29:53Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2203.01466v1","name":"Successful Recovery of an Observed Meteorite Fall Using Drones and Machine Learning","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We report the first-time recovery of a fresh meteorite fall using a drone and a machine learning algorithm. A fireball on the 1st April 2021 was observed over Western Australia by the Desert Fireball Network, for which a fall area was calculated for the predicted surviving mass. A search team arrived on site and surveyed 5.1 km2 area over a 4-day period. A convolutional neural network, trained on previously-recovered meteorites with fusion crusts, processed the images on our field computer after each flight. meteorite candidates identified by the algorithm were sorted by team members using two user interfaces to eliminate false positives. Surviving candidates were revisited with a smaller drone, and imaged in higher resolution, before being eliminated or finally being visited in-person. The 70 g meteorite was recovered within 50 m of the calculated fall line using, demonstrating the effectiveness of this methodology which will facilitate the efficient collection of many more observed meteorite falls.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2203.01466v1","authors":["Seamus L. Anderson","Martin C. Towner","John Fairweather","Philip A. Bland","Hadrien A. R. Devillepoix","Eleanor K. Sansom","Martin Cupak","Patrick M. Shober","Gretchen K. Benedix"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","cs.LG","physics.geo-ph","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-03T00:33:55Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2007.01856v1","name":"$^{26}$Al-$^{26}$Mg isotopic, mineralogy, petrography of a Hibonite-Pyroxene Spherule in Allan Hills 77307 (CO3.03): Implications for the origin and evolution of these objects","source":"arxiv","abstract":"10 Hibonite-pyroxene/glass spherules discovered hitherto are a rare suite of refractory inclusions that show the largest range of exotic isotopic properties (anomalies in neutron rich isotopes (e.g., $^{48}$Ca, $^{50}$Ti), abundance of $^{26}$Al) despite their defining simple spherical morphology and mineralogy consisting predominantly of few hibonites nestled within/with glassy or crystallised calcium, aluminium-rich pyroxene. $^{26}$Al-$^{26}$Mg chronological studies along with petrography and mineralogy of a relatively large (~120 micron diameter), found in Allan Hills 77307 (CO3.03) has been performed. Uniquely, both hibonite and pyroxene show discordant abundance of short-lived now-extinct radionuclide $^{26}$Al that suggest disparate and distinct regions of origin of hibonite and pyroxene. The pristine petrography and mineralogy of this inclusion allow discernment of their genesis and trend of alteration in hibonite-pyroxene/glass spherules.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2007.01856v1","authors":["Ritesh Kumar Mishra"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-07-02T18:18:27Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2002.08847v2","name":"Potassium Isotopic Compositions of Enstatite Meteorites","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Enstatite chondrites and aubrites are meteorites that show the closest similarities to the Earth in many isotope systems that undergo mass-independent and mass-dependent isotope fractionations. Due to the analytical challenges to obtain high-precision K isotopic compositions in the past, potential differences in K isotopic compositions between enstatite meteorites and the Earth remained uncertain. We report the first high-precision K isotopic compositions of eight enstatite chondrites and four aubrites and find that there is a significant variation of K isotopic compositions among enstatite meteorites (from -2.34 permil to -0.18 permil). However, K isotopic compositions of nearly all enstatite meteorites scatter around the Bulk Silicate Earth (BSE) value. The average K isotopic composition of the eight enstatite chondrites (-0.47 +/- 0.57 permil) is indistinguishable from the BSE value (-0.48 +/- 0.03 permil), thus further corroborating the isotopic similarity between Earth' building blocks and enstatite meteorite precursors. We found no correlation of K isotopic compositions with the chemical groups, petrological types, shock degrees, and terrestrial weathering conditions; however, the variation of K isotopes among enstatite meteorite can be attributed to the parent body processing. Our sample of the main group aubrite MIL 13004 is exceptional and has an extremely light K isotopic composition (delta 41K= -2.34 +/- 0.12 permil). We attribute this unique K isotopic feature to the presence of abundant djerfisherite inclusions in our sample because this K-bearing sulfide mineral is predicted to be enriched in 39K during equilibrium exchange with silicates.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2002.08847v2","authors":["Chen Zhao","Katharina Lodders","Hannah Bloom","Heng Chen","Zhen Tian","Piers Koefoed","Maria K. Peto","Kun Wang"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-02-20T16:34:54Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1909.13064v1","name":"Terrestrial modification of the Ivuna meteorite and a reassessment of the chemical composition of the CI type specimen","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The rare CI carbonaceous chondrites are the most aqueously altered and chemically primitive meteorites but due to their porous nature and high abundance of volatile elements are susceptible to terrestrial weathering. The Ivuna meteorite, type specimen for the CI chondrites, is the largest twentieth-century CI fall and least affected by terrestrial alteration. The main mass of Ivuna (BM2008 M1) has been stored in a nitrogen atmosphere at least since 2008 and is the most pristine CI chondrite stone. We report the mineralogy, petrography and bulk elemental composition of BM2008 M1 and a second Ivuna stone (BM1996 M4) stored in air. Both Ivuna stones are breccias consisting of multiple rounded, phyllosilicate-rich clasts formed through aqueous alteration followed by impact processing. A polished thin section of BM2008 M1 analysed immediately after preparation was found to contain sulphate-bearing veins formed when primary sulphides reacted with oxygen and atmospheric water. A section of BM1996 M4 lacked veins but had sulphate grains on the surface recently formed (last 6 years). Differences in the extent of terrestrial alteration recorded by BM2008 M1 and BM1996 M4 probably reflect variations in the post-recovery curation history of the stones before entering the NHM collection, and indicate that where possible pristine samples of hydrated carbonaceous should be kept out of the terrestrial environment in a stable environment to avoid modification. The bulk elemental composition of the two Ivuna stones show some variability due to their heterogeneous nature but in general are similar to previous analyses of CI chondrites. We combine our elemental abundances with literature values to calculate a new average composition for the Ivuna meteorite, which is in good agreement with existing compilations of CI chondrites and the most recent solar photospheric abundances.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1909.13064v1","authors":["A. J. King","K. J. H. Phillips","S. Strekopytov","C. Vita-Finzi","S. S. Russell"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-09-28T10:27:28Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1612.07131v1","name":"Nanoindenting the Chelyabinsk meteorite to learn about impact deflection effects in asteroids","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Chelyabinsk meteorite is a highly shocked, low porosity, ordinary chondrite, probably similar to S- or Q-type asteroids. Therefore, nanoindentation experiments on this meteorite allow us to obtain key data to understand the physical properties of near-Earth asteroids. Tests at different length scales provide information about the local mechanical properties of the minerals forming this meteorite: reduced Young's modulus, hardness, elastic recovery, and fracture toughness. Those tests are also useful to understand the potential to deflect threatening asteroids using a kinetic projectile. We found that the differences in mechanical properties between regions of the meteorite, which increase or reduce the efficiency of impacts, are not a result of compositional differences. A low mean particle size, attributed to repetitive shock, can increase hardness, while low porosity promotes a higher momentum multiplication. Momentum multiplication is the ratio between the change in momentum of a target due to an impact, and the momentum of the projectile, and, therefore higher values imply more efficient impacts. In the Chelyabinsk meteorite, the properties of the light-colored lithology materials facilitate obtaining higher momentum multiplication values, compared to the other regions described for this meteorite. Also, we found a low value of fracture toughness in the shock-melt veins of Chelyabinsk, which would promote the ejection of material after an impact and, therefore, increase the momentum multiplication. These results are relevant considering the growing interest in missions to test asteroid deflection, such as the recent collaboration between the European Space Agency and NASA, known as the Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment mission.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1612.07131v1","authors":["Carles E. Moyano-Cambero","Eva Pellicer","Josep M. Trigo-Rodríguez","Iwan P. Williams","Jürgen Blum","Patrick Michel","Michael Küppers","Marina Martínez-Jiménez","Ivan Lloro","Jordi Sort"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-12-21T14:22:02Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1110.3414v1","name":"Mineralogical Characterization of Baptistina Asteroid Family: Implications for K/T Impactor Source","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Bottke et al. (2007) linked the catastrophic formation of Baptistina Asteroid Family (BAF) to the K/T impact event. This linkage was based on dynamical and compositional evidence, which suggested the impactor had a composition similar to CM2 carbonaceous chondrites. However, our recent study (Reddy et al. 2009) suggests that the composition of (298) Baptistina is similar to LL-type ordinary chondrites rather than CM2 carbonaceous chondrites. This rules out any possibility of it being related to the source of the K/T impactor, if the impactor was of CM-type composition. Mineralogical study of asteroids in the vicinity of BAF has revealed a plethora of compositional types suggesting a complex formation and evolution environment. A detailed compositional analysis of 16 asteroids suggests several distinct surface assemblages including ordinary chondrites (Gaffey SIV subtype), primitive achondrites (Gaffey SIII subtype), basaltic achondrites (Gaffey SVII subtype and V-type), and a carbonaceous chondrite. Based on our mineralogical analysis we conclude that (298) Baptistina is similar to ordinary chondrites (LL-type) based on olivine and pyroxene mineralogy and moderate albedo. S-type and V-type in and around the vicinity of BAF we characterized show mineralogical affinity to (8) Flora and (4) Vesta and could be part of their families. Smaller BAF asteroids with lower SNR spectra showing only a 'single' band are compositionally similar to (298) Baptistina and L/LL chondrites. It is unclear at this point why the silicate absorption bands in spectra of asteroids with formal family definition seem suppressed relative to background population, despite having similar mineralogy.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1110.3414v1","authors":["Vishnu Reddy","Jorge M. Carvano","Daniela Lazzaro","Tatiana A. Michtchenko","Michael J. Gaffey","Michael S. Kelley","Thais Mothé Diniz","Alvaro Alvarez Candal","Nicholas A. Moskovitz","Edward A. Cloutis","Erin L. Ryan"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-15T13:53:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2606.07144v1","name":"Freo Doctor: Atmospheric Modelling for Meteorite Falls and Spacecraft Re-Entries","source":"arxiv","abstract":"How much does the wind affect the path of meteorite falls? We finely model the lower ~30 km of the atmosphere using Weather Research and Forecasting open source tools at 1 km spatial resolution. Models initialised at different times give different results, which can be used as a proxy for uncertainty. We find that in most cases the differences on the ground positions are significant: median shift for a 1 kg meteorite is 143 m, doubling to 307 m for a 10 g rock, though these vary by over an order of magnitude between events. The differences wind model choice makes on the ground are significantly larger than the typical uncertainty on meteoroid state vector obtained from bright flight observations of the fireball (&lt;100 m), and should be taken into account when predicting meteorite free-fall path to the ground. Unsurprisingly the cases where we see the largest differences coincide with documented extreme weather events. We also find that high spatial resolution models (1 vs. 3 km) tend to perform better. We have successfully used these models to guide field teams to the location of 12 fallen meteorites after fireball observations. We release as open data 1107 models we have calculated for 302 meteorite fall events and spacecraft re-entries around the world.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.07144v1","authors":["Hadrien Devillepoix","Martin Cupák"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.ao-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-05T10:59:03Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1809.09779v1","name":"Meteoritic Abundances of Fatty Acids and Potential Reaction Pathways in Planetesimals","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The origin of fatty acids on the prebiotic Earth is important as they likely formed the encapsulating membranes of the first protocells. Carbon-rich meteorites (i.e., carbonaceous chondrites) such as Murchison and Tagish Lake are well known to contain these molecules, and their delivery to the early planet by intense early meteorite bombardments constitutes a key prebiotic source. We collect the fatty acid abundances measured in various carbonaceous chondrites from the literature and analyze them for patterns and correlations. Fatty acids in meteorites include straight-chain and branched-chain monocarboxylic and dicarboxylic acids up to 12 carbons in length---fatty acids with at least 8 carbons are required to form vesicles, and modern cell membranes employ lipids with ~12--20 carbons. To understand the origin of meteoritic fatty acids, we search the literature for abiotic fatty acid reaction pathways and create a candidate list of 11 reactions that could potentially produce these fatty acids in meteorite parent bodies. Straight-chain monocarboxylic acids (SCMA) are the dominant fatty acids in meteorites, followed by branched-chain monocarboxylic acids (BCMA). SCMA are most abundant in CM2 and Tagish Lake (ungrouped) meteorites, ranging on average from 10$^2$ ppb to 4x10$^5$ ppb, and 10$^4$ ppb to 5x10$^6$ ppb, respectively. In CM, CV, and Tagish Lake meteorites, SCMA abundances generally decrease with increasing carbon chain length. Conversely, SCMA abundances in CR meteorites peak at 5 and 6 carbons in length, and decrease on either side of this peak. This unique CR fatty acid distribution may hint at terrestrial contamination, or that certain fatty acid reactions mechanisms are active in different meteorite parent bodies (planetesimals). We identify Fischer-Tropsch-type synthesis as the most promising pathway for further analysis in the production of fatty acids in planetesimals.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1809.09779v1","authors":["James C. -Y. Lai","Ben K. D. Pearce","Ralph E. Pudritz","Drake Lee"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-09-26T02:08:50Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:9812401v1","name":"Infrared Spectra of Meteoritic SiC Grains","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present here the first infrared spectra of meteoritic SiC grains. The mid-infrared transmission spectra of meteoritic SiC grains isolated from the Murchison meteorite were measured in the wavelength range 2.5--16.5 micron, in order to make available the optical properties of presolar SiC grains. These grains are most likely stellar condensates with an origin predominately in carbon stars. Measurements were performed on two different extractions of presolar SiC from the Murchison meteorite. The two samples show very different spectral appearance due to different grain size distributions. The spectral feature of the smaller meteoritic SiC grains is a relatively broad absorption band found between the longitudinal and transverse lattice vibration modes around 11.3 micron, supporting the current interpretation about the presence of SiC grains in carbon stars. In contrast to this, the spectral feature of the large (&gt; 5 micron) grains has an extinction minimum around 10 micron. The obtained spectra are compared with commercially available SiC grains and the differences are discussed. This comparison shows that the crystal structure (e.g., beta-SiC versus alpha-SiC) of SiC grains plays a minor role on the optical signature of SiC grains compared to e.g. grain size.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/9812401v1","authors":["A. C. Andersen","C. Jager","H. Mutschke","A. Braatz","C. Clement","Th. Henning","U. G. Jorgensen","U. Ott"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-12-22T09:43:38Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2206.09953v1","name":"Nanoscale mineralogy and organic structure in Orgueil (CI) and EET 92042 (CR) carbonaceous chondrites studied with AFM-IR spectroscopy","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Meteorite matrices from primitive chondrites are an interplay of ingredients at the sub-micron scale, which requires analytical techniques with the nanometer spatial resolution to decipher the composition of individual components in their petrographic context. Infrared spectroscopy is an effective method that enables to probe of vibrations at the molecule-atomic scale of organic and inorganic compounds but is often limited to a few micrometers in spatial resolution. To efficiently distinguish spectral signatures of the different constituents, we apply here nano-IR spectroscopy (AFM-IR), based on the combination of infrared and atomic force microscopy, having a spatial resolution beyond the diffraction limits. Our study aims to characterize two chosen meteorite samples to investigate primitive material in terms of bulk chemistry (the CI chondrite Orgueil) and organic composition (the CR chondrite EET 92042). We confirm that this technique allows unmixing the IR signatures of organics and minerals to assess the variability of organic structure within these samples. We report an investigation of the impact of the widely used chemical HF/HCl (Hydrogen Fluoride/Hydrochloric) extraction on the nature of refractory organics (Insoluble Organic Matter, IOM) and provide insights on the mineralogy of meteorites matrices from these two samples by comparing to reference (extra)terrestrial materials. These findings are discussed with a perspective toward understanding the impact of post-accretional aqueous alteration and thermal metamorphism on the composition of chondrites. Last, we highlight that the heterogeneity of organic matter within meteoritic materials extends down to the nanoscale, and by comparison with IOMs, oxygenated chemical groups are not affected by acid extractions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2206.09953v1","authors":["Van T. H. Phan","Rolando Rebois","Pierre Beck","Eric Quirico","Lydie Bonal","Takaaki Noguchi"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-06-20T18:19:40Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1701.08717v1","name":"PF120916 Piecki fireball and Reszel meteorite fall","source":"arxiv","abstract":"On September 12, 2016, at 21:44:07 UT, a -9.2 +\\- 0.5 mag fireball appeared over northeastern Poland. The precise orbit and atmospheric trajectory of the event is presented, based on the data collected by six video stations of Polish Fireball Network (PFN). The PF120916 Piecki fireball entered Earth's atmosphere with the velocity of 16.7 +\\- 0.3 km/s and started to shine at height of 81.9 +\\- 0.3 km. Clear deceleration started after first three seconds of flight, and the terminal velocity of the meteor was only 5.0 +\\- 0.3 km/s at height of 26.0 +\\- 0.2 km. Such a low value of terminal velocity indicates that fragments with total mass of around 10-15 kg could survive the atmospheric passage and cause fall of the meteorites. The predicted area of possible meteorite impact is computed and it is located south of Reszel city at Warmian-Masurian region. The impact area was extensively searched by experienced groups of meteorite hunters but without any success.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1701.08717v1","authors":["A. Olech","P. Żołądek","Z. Tymiński","M. Stolarz","M. Wiśniewski","M. Bęben","T. Lewandowski","K. Polak","A. Raj","P. Zaręba"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-30T17:27:01Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1503.01540v1","name":"Finding meteorite impacts in Aboriginal oral tradition","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Aboriginal stories dating back many thousands of years talk of a fire from the sky in an area now home to the Henbury meteorite craters, in the Northern Territory","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1503.01540v1","authors":["Duane W. Hamacher"],"tags":["physics.hist-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-03-05T05:21:09Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1912.11784v1","name":"The Žďár nad Sázavou meteorite fall: Fireball trajectory, photometry, dynamics, fragmentation, orbit, and meteorite recovery","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We report a comprehensive analysis of the instrumentally observed meteorite fall Žďár nad Sázavou, which occurred in the Czech Republic on 9 December 2014 at 16:16:45-54 UT. The original meteoroid with an estimated initial mass of 150 kg entered the atmosphere with a speed of 21.89 km/s and began a luminous trajectory at an altitude of 98.06 km. At the maximum, it reached -15.26 absolute magnitude and terminated after an 9.16 s and 170.5 km long flight at an altitude of 24.71 km with a speed of 4.8 km/s. The average slope of the atmospheric trajectory to the Earth's surface was only 25.66°. Before its collision with Earth, the initial meteoroid orbited the Sun on a moderately eccentric orbit with perihelion near Venus orbit, aphelion in the outer main belt, and low inclination. During the atmospheric entry, the meteoroid severely fragmented at a very low dynamic pressure 0.016 MPa and further multiple fragmentations occurred at 1.4 - 2.5 MPa. Based on our analysis, so far three small meteorites classified as L3.9 ordinary chondrites totaling 87 g have been found almost exactly in the locations predicted for a given mass. Because of very high quality of photographic and radiometric records, taken by the dedicated instruments of the Czech part of the European Fireball Network, Žďár nad Sázavou belongs to the most reliably, accurately, and thoroughly described meteorite falls in history.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1912.11784v1","authors":["Pavel Spurný","Jiří Borovička","Lukáš Shrbený"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-12-26T06:50:11Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2602.15440v2","name":"The First Instrumentally Documented Fall of an Iron Meteorite: atmospheric trajectory and ground impact","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Iron meteorite falls are rare compared to stony meteorites, and until recently no iron meteorite had a reliably determined pre-atmospheric orbit. This changed on 2020 November 7, when a bright fireball was observed across Sweden and neighboring regions, with optical, acoustic, and seismic detections extending up to 665 km from the trajectory. After a month-long recovery effort, a 13.8 kg iron meteorite was discovered near Ådalen, representing the first instrumentally recorded and recovered fall of its type and the first iron meteorite with a derivable heliocentric orbit; the event also exhibited the lowest terminal height measured for a well-documented fireball. We combine optical, infrasound, and seismic data to reconstruct the luminous trajectory and employ a Monte Carlo model to simulate the dark flight phase and predicted strewn field, while also investigating the plausibility of a ricochet prior to final deposition. Our analysis identifies distinct aerodynamic properties of iron meteoroids compared to stony bodies, including the influence of streamlined shapes and deep regmaglypts on drag and flight stability, underscoring the need to incorporate iron-specific parameters into entry models to constrain atmospheric dynamics and improve recovery predictions for future events.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.15440v2","authors":["Jarmo Moilanen","Maria Gritsevich","Jaakko Visuri"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM","physics.geo-ph","physics.ins-det","physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-17T09:03:37Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1611.07516v1","name":"Meteorites and the RNA World: A Thermodynamic Model of Nucleobase Synthesis within Planetesimals","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The possible meteorite parent body origin of Earth's pregenetic nucleobases is substantiated by the guanine (G), adenine (A) and uracil (U) measured in various meteorites. Cytosine (C) and thymine (T) however are absent in meteorites, making the emergence of a RNA and later RNA/DNA/protein world problematic. We investigate the meteorite parent body (planetesimal) origin of all nucleobases by computationally modeling 18 reactions that potentially contribute to nucleobase formation in such environments. Out of this list, we identify the two most important reactions for each nucleobase and find that these involve small molecules such as HCN, CO, NH3, and water that ultimately arise from the protoplanetary disks in which planetesimals are built. The primary result of this study is that cytosine is unlikely to persist within meteorite parent bodies due to aqueous deamination. Thymine has a thermodynamically favourable reaction pathway from uracil, formaldehyde and formic acid, but likely did not persist within planetesimals containing H2O2 due to an oxidation reaction with this molecule. Finally, while FT synthesis is found to be the dominant source of nucleobases within our model planetesimal, NC synthesis may still be significant under certain chemical conditions (e.g. within CR2 parent bodies). We discuss several major consequences of our results for the origin of the RNA world.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1611.07516v1","authors":["Ben K. D. Pearce","Ralph E. Pudritz"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-11-22T20:59:58Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2310.17822v1","name":"The Golden Meteorite Fall: Fireball Trajectory, Orbit and Meteorite Characterization","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Golden (British Columbia, Canada) meteorite fall occurred on Oct 4, 2021 at 0534 UT with the first recovered fragment (1.3 kg) landing on an occupied bed. The meteorite is an unbrecciated, low-shock (S2) ordinary chondrite of intermediate composition, typed as an L/LL5. From noble gas measurements the cosmic ray exposure age is 25 Ma while gas retention ages are all &gt;2 Ga. Short-lived radionuclides and noble gas measurements of the pre-atmospheric size overlap with estimates from infrasound and lightcurve modelling producing a preferred pre-atmospheric mass of 70-200 kg. The orbit of Golden has a high inclination (23.5 degs) and is consistent with delivery from the inner main belt. The highest probability (60%) of an origin is from the Hungaria group. We propose that Golden may originate among the background S-type asteroids found interspersed in the Hungaria region. The current collection of 18 L and LL chondrite orbits shows a strong preference for origins in the inner main belt, suggesting multiple parent bodies may be required to explain the diversity in CRE ages and shock states.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2310.17822v1","authors":["P. G. Brown","P. J. A. McCausland","A. R Hildebrand","L. T. J. Hanton","L. M. Eckart","H. Busemann","D. Krietsch","C. Maden","K. Welten","M. W. Caffee","M. Laubenstein","D. Vida","F. Ciceri","E. Silber","C. D. K. Herd","P. Hill","H. Devillepoix","Eleanor K. Sansom","Martin Cupák","Seamus Anderson","R. L. Flemming","A. J. Nelson","M. Mazur","D. E. Moser","W. J. Cooke","D. Hladiuk","Barbara Malečić","Maja Telišman Prtenjak","R. Nowell"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-10-27T00:03:15Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2605.19179v1","name":"A Cloud-Based Tool for Meteorite Recovery Using Drones and Machine Learning","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present a cloud-based tool that uses drones and machine learning to help recover instrumentally observed meteorite falls. We showcase a collection of improvements made upon previous iterations of our system, as well as detail the successes and limitations of this technique when applied to observed meteorite falls in South and Western Australia. This tool is available to the meteoritics research community upon request at https://find.gfo.rocks.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.19179v1","authors":["Seamus L. Anderson","Hadrien A. R. Devillepoix","Lewis Lakerink","Sawitchaya Tippaya","Dale P. Giancono","Martin C. Towner","Iona Clemente","Martin Cupák","Ashley F. Rogers","John H. Fairweather","Mia Walker","Daniel Burgin","Michael A. Frazer","Sophie E. Deam","Veronika Pazderová","Eleanor K. Sansom","Benjamin A. D. Hartig","Hely C. Branco","Thomas Stevenson","Isabella Hatty","Anna Zappatini","Anthony Lagain","Tom Lovelock","Auriane Egal","Lucy Forman","David Belton","Simon Windsor","Shibli Saleheen","Asher Leslie","Gregory B. Poole","Andrew Langendam","Rachel S. Kirby","Andrew G. Tomkins"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-18T23:05:00Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1011.3715v1","name":"A meteorite crater on Mt. Ararat?","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We briefly report on a crater on the western slope of Mt.Ararat . It is located in an area closed to foreigners at an altitude around 2100m with geographic coordinates 39°47' 30\"N, 44°14' 40\"E. The diameter of the crater is around 60-70m, the depth is up to 15m. The origin of the crater, either of meteorite impact or volcanic, including the evaluation of its age, will need detailed studies.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1011.3715v1","authors":["V. G. Gurzadyan","S. Aarseth"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-11-16T14:54:17Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1408.6368v2","name":"Recorded Accounts of Meteoritic Events in the Oral Traditions of Indigenous Australians","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Descriptions of natural events, such as fireballs and meteorite impacts, are found within Indigenous Australian oral traditions. Studies of oral traditions demonstrate that they extend beyond the realm of myth and legend; they contain structured knowledge about the natural world (science) as well as historic accounts of natural events and geo-hazards. These traditions could lead to the discovery of meteorites and impact sites previously unknown to Western science. In addition to benefiting the scientific study of meteoritics, this study can help social scientists better understand the nature and longevity of oral traditions and further support the growing body of evidence that oral traditions contain historical accounts of natural events. In a previous study led by the author in 2009, no meteorite-related oral traditions were identified that led to the discovery of meteorites and/or impact craters. This paper challenges those initial findings.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1408.6368v2","authors":["Duane W. Hamacher"],"tags":["physics.hist-ph","physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-08-27T10:00:24Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0703093v1","name":"Evidence for coeval Late Triassic terrestrial impacts from the Rochechouart (France) meteorite crater","source":"arxiv","abstract":"High temperature impact melt breccias from the Rochechouart (France) meteorite crater record magnetization component with antipodal, normal and reverse polarities. The corresponding paleomagnetic pole for this component lies between the 220 Ma and 210 Ma reference poles on the Eurasian apparent polar wander path, consistent with the 214 $\\pm$ 8 Ma 40Ar/39Ar age of the crater. Late Triassic tectonic reconstructions of the Eurasian and North American plates place this pole within 95% confidence limits of the paleomagnetic pole from the Manicouagan (Canada) meteorite impact crater, which is dated at 214 $\\pm$ 1 Ma. Together, these observations reinforce the hypothesis of a Late Triassic, multiple meteorite impact event on Earth.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0703093v1","authors":["Laurent Carporzen","Stuart A. Gilder"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-03-08T10:20:31Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0310863v1","name":"Spectroscopic diagnostic for the mineralogy of large dust grains","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We examine the thermal infrared spectra of large dust grains of different chemical composition and mineralogy. Strong resonances in the optical properties result in detectable spectral structure even when the grain is much larger than the wavelength at which it radiates. We apply this to the thermal infrared spectra of compact amorphous and crystalline silicates. The weak resonances of amorphous silicates at 9.7 and 18 micron virtually disappear for grains larger than about 10 micron. In contrast, the strong resonances of crystalline silicates produce emission dips in the infrared spectra of large grains; these emission dips are shifted in wavelength compared to the emission peaks commonly seen in small crystalline silicate grains. We discuss the effect of a fluffy or compact grain structure on the infrared emission spectra of large grains, and apply our theory to the dust shell surrounding Vega.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0310863v1","authors":["M. Min","C. Dominik","L. B. F. M. Waters"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-10-30T11:56:21Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2101.11837v1","name":"Cohesion of regolith: Measurements of meteorite powders","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The cohesion of particles has a significant effect on the properties of small bodies. In this study, we measured in open air, the cohesive forces of tens of micron-sized irregularly shaped meteorite, silica sand, glass powder, and spherical glass particles, using a centrifugal method. In addition, we estimated the amount of water vapor adsorbed on the particles under the measurement conditions. The measured cohesive forces of the meteorite particles are tens of times smaller than those of an ideally spherical silica particle and correspond to the submicron-scale effective (or equivalent) curvature radius of the particle surface. Moreover, based on the estimated amount of water vapor adsorbed on the particles, we expect the cohesive forces of the particles in airless bodies to be approximately 10 times larger than those measured in open air. Based on the measurement results, we estimate that the cohesive forces of the particles on asteroids are typically in the sub-micro-Newton range, and that the particles on fast-rotating asteroids are tens of microns in size.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2101.11837v1","authors":["Yuuya Nagaashi","Takanobu Aoki","Akiko M. Nakamura"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM","cond-mat.soft"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-01-28T06:58:17Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1310.1080v2","name":"Olivine-dominated asteroids: Mineralogy and origin","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Olivine-dominated asteroids are a rare type of objects formed either in nebular processes or through magmatic differentiation. The analysis of meteorite samples suggest that at least 100 parent bodies in the main belt experienced partial or complete melting and differentiation before being disrupted. However, only a few olivine-dominated asteroids, representative of the mantle of disrupted differentiated bodies, are known to exist. Due to the paucity of these objects in the main belt their origin and evolution have been a matter of great debate over the years. In this work we present a detailed mineralogical analysis of twelve olivine-dominated asteroids. Within our sample we distinguish two classes, one that we call monomineralic-olivine asteroids and another referred to as olivine-rich asteroids. For the monomineralic-olivine asteroids the olivine chemistry was found to range from ~ Fo49 to Fo70, consistent with the values measured for brachinites and R chondrites. In the case of the olivine-rich asteroids we determined their olivine and low-Ca pyroxene abundance using a new set of spectral calibrations derived from the analysis of R chondrites spectra. We found that the olivine abundance for these asteroids varies from 0.68 to 0.93, while the fraction of low-Ca pyroxene to total pyroxene ranges from 0.6 to 0.9. A search for dynamical connections between the olivine-dominated asteroids and asteroid families found no genetic link (of the type core-mantel-crust) between these objects.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1310.1080v2","authors":["Juan A. Sanchez","Vishnu Reddy","Michael S. Kelley","Edward A. Cloutis","William F. Bottke","David Nesvorný","Michael P. Lucas","Paul S. Hardersen","Michael J. Gaffey","Paul A. Abell","Lucille Le Corre"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-10-03T20:00:01Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1801.09841v1","name":"Olivine-Carbonate Mineralogy of Jezero Crater","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A well-preserved, ancient delta deposit, in combination with ample exposures of Mg-carbonate rich materials, make Jezero Crater in Nili Fossae a compelling astrobiological site and a top candidate for future landed missions to Mars. We use CRISM observations to characterize the surface mineralogy of the crater and surrounding watershed. We have identified a three- endmember sequence of olivine-bearing lithologies that we hypothesize are distinguished by their Mg content. We find that Mg-carbonates are consistently identified in association with one of the olivine-bearing lithologies, although that lithology is not fully carbonatized. Surprisingly, this lithology contains relatively Fe-rich olivine. We address a range of formation scenarios, including the possibility that these olivine and carbonate associations are indicators of serpentinization on early Mars. These deposits provide an opportunity for deepening our understanding of early Mars by revealing the thermal history of the martian interior and potentially changes in its tectonic regime with time.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1801.09841v1","authors":["Adrian J. Brown","Christina E. Viviano","Timothy A. Goudge"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-01-30T03:33:16Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1312.5750v1","name":"SR-FTiR microscopy and FTIR imaging in the earth sciences","source":"arxiv","abstract":"During the last decades, several books have been devoted to the application of spectroscopic methods in mineralogy. Several short courses and meetings have addressed particular aspects of spectroscopy, such as the analysis of hydrous components in minerals and Earth materials. In these books, complete treatment of the infrared theory and practical aspects of instrumentation and methods, along with an exhaustive list of references, can be found. The present chapter is intended to cover those aspects of infrared spectroscopy that have been developed in the past decade and are not included in earlier reviews such as Volume 18 of Reviews in Mineralogy. These new topics involve primarily: (1) the use of synchrotron radiation (SR), which, although not a routine method, is now rather extensively applied in infrared studies, in particular those requiring ultimate spatial and time resolution and the analysis of extremely small samples (a few tens of micrometers); (2) the development of imaging techniques also for foreseen time resolved studies of geo-mineralogical processes and environmental studies.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1312.5750v1","authors":["G. Della Ventura","A. Marcelli","F. Bellatreccia"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-12-19T21:03:55Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.02721v1","name":"Clues for Solar System Formation from Meteorites and their Parent Bodies","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Understanding the origin of comets requires knowledge of how the Solar System formed from a cloud of dust and gas 4.567 Gyr ago. Here, a review is presented of how the remnants of this formation process, meteorites and to a lesser extent comets, shed light on Solar System evolution. The planets formed by a process of collisional agglomeration during the first hundred million years of Solar System history. The vast majority of the original population of planetary building blocks (~100 km-scale planetesimals) was either incorporated into the planets or removed from the system, via dynamical ejection or through a collision with the Sun. Only a small fraction of the original rocky planetesimals survive to this day in the form of asteroids (which represent a total of ~0.05% of Earth's mass) and comets. Meteorites are fragments of asteroids that have fallen to Earth, thereby providing scientists with samples of Solar System-scale processes for laboratory-based analysis. Meteorite datasets complement cometary datasets, which are predominantly obtained via remote observation as there are few cometary samples currently available for laboratory-based measurements. This chapter discusses how analysis of the mineralogical, elemental, and isotopic characteristics of meteorites provides insight into (i) the origin of matter that formed planets, (ii) the pressure, temperature, and chemical conditions that prevailed during planet formation, and (iii) a precise chronological framework of planetary accretion. Also examined is the use of stable isotope variations and nucleosynthetic isotope anomalies as constraints on the dynamics of the disk and planet formation, and how these data are integrated into new models of Solar System formation. It concludes with a discussion of Earth's accretion and its source of volatile elements, including water and organic species.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.02721v1","authors":["Bernard Marty","Katherine R. Bermingham","Larry R. Nittler","Sean N. Raymond"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-03T10:18:30Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1902.01112v1","name":"The Maribo CM2 meteorite fall - survival of weak material at high entry speed","source":"arxiv","abstract":"High entry speed (&gt; 25 km/s) and low density (&lt; 2500 kg/m3) are two factors that lower the chance of a meteoroid to drop meteorites. The 26 g carbonaceous (CM2) meteorite Maribo recovered in Denmark in 2009 was delivered by a superbolide observed by several instruments across northern and central Europe. By reanalyzing the available data, we confirmed the previously reported high entry speed of (28.3 +/- 0.3) km/s and trajectory with slope of 31 degrees to horizontal. In order to understand how such a fragile material survived, we applied three different models of meteoroid atmospheric fragmentation to the detailed bolide light curve obtained by radiometers located in Czech Republic. The Maribo meteoroid was found to be quite inhomogeneous with different parts fragmenting at different dynamic pressures. While 30 - 40% of the (2000 +/- 1000) kg entry mass was destroyed already at 0.02 MPa, another 25 - 40%, according to different models, survived without fragmentation until relatively large dynamic pressures of 3 - 5 MPa. These pressures are only slightly lower than the measured tensile strengths of hydrated carbonaceous chondrite (CC) meteorites and are comparable with usual atmospheric fragmentation pressures of ordinary chondritic (OC) meteoroids. While internal cracks weaken OC meteoroids in comparison with meteorites, this effects seems to be absent in CC, enabling meteorite delivery even at high speeds, though in the form of only small fragments.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1902.01112v1","authors":["Jiri Borovicka","Olga Popova","Pavel Spurny"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-04T10:26:35Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2603.03360v1","name":"High Resolution Microscopy and Raman Spectroscopic Studies on the Freshest Mukundpura Meteorite, Rajasthan, India: Presence of Nanodiamond","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Carbonaceous Chondrites have special significance in the stellar evolution and in particular in the evolution of life on earth. The carbonaceous meteorite that fell in Mukundpura village, Jaipur, Rajasthan on 6th June 2017 is one such rare CM2 (Carbonaceous Chondrite) carbonaceous meteorite. We carried out high resolution scanning and transmission electron microscopic (TEM) studies on typical thin sections, showing abundant grains of iridium (Ir), pentlandite (NiS), and more interestingly crystalline carbon (C). These crystallite carbon grains resemble nanodiamond like signature in the freshest Mukundpura meteorite. The high-resolution Raman spectroscopic measurements are carried out on the crystalline carbon grains, showing well resolved three distinct peaks with a vibrational mode at 1315 cm-1, with the onset of a weak vibrational mode at 1150 cm^-1, substantiating the observation of nanocrystalline diamond in Mukundpura meteorite. The broad peak centered at 1360 cm^-1 and 1575 cm^-1 (as an average), suggest the presence of graphitic carbon as well together with apparent presence of nanocrystalline diamond. The average size of nanocrystalline diamond is ~ 3-5 nm. High iridium content in this meteorite supports the meteoric impact related iridium anomaly in geological stratigraphic boundaries (e.g.Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary) that has caused mass extinction of flora and fauna.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.03360v1","authors":["D. Chandrasekharam","U. Govind","R. P. Tripathi","T. H. Amir","K. M. Sairam","D. B. E. Rafal","A. Dixit"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph","astro-ph.EP","cond-mat.mtrl-sci","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-28T10:19:02Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1402.2281v1","name":"Nature's Starships. I. Observed Abundances and Relative Frequencies of Amino Acids in Meteorites","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The class of meteorites called carbonaceous chondrites are examples of material from the solar system which have been relatively unchanged from the time of their initial formation. These meteorites have been classified according to the temperatures and physical conditions of their parent planetesimals. We collate available data on amino acid abundance in these meteorites and plot the concentrations of different amino acids for each meteorite within various meteorite subclasses. We plot average concentrations for various amino acids across meteorites separated by subclass and petrologic type. We see a predominance in the abundance and variety of amino acids in CM2 and CR2 meteorites. The range in temperature corresponding to these subclasses indicates high degrees of aqueous alteration, suggesting aqueous synthesis of amino acids. Within the CM2 and CR2 subclasses, we identify trends in relative frequencies of amino acids to investigate how common amino acids are as a function of their chemical complexity. These two trends (total abundance and relative frequencies) can be used to constrain formation parameters of amino acids within planetesimals. Our organization of the data supports an onion shell model for the temperature structure of planetesimals. The least altered meteorites (type 3) and their amino acids originated near cooler surface regions. The most active amino acid synthesis likely took place at intermediate depths (type 2). The most altered materials (type 1) originated furthest toward parent body cores. This region is likely too hot to either favor amino acid synthesis or for amino acids to be retained after synthesis.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1402.2281v1","authors":["Alyssa K. Cobb","Ralph E. Pudritz"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-02-10T21:00:21Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2603.16954v1","name":"In situ U Pb chronology and chemistry of zirconolite in the andesitic meteorite Erg Chech 002","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Precise and accurate ages for asteroidal crusts are fundamental for reconstructing the timeline of magmatic, metamorphic, and impact events in the early Solar System. Zirconolite (CaZrTi2O7) is an accessory mineral found in a wide range of crustal rocks on both the Earth and Moon, and has proven to be a potentially useful U Pb chronometer. However, this mineral is rare in asteroidal meteorites, and its use for early Solar System chronology has been limited. We present the in situ occurrence, U Pb chronology, and chemistry of zirconolite in the andesitic meteorite Erg Chech 002, which represents a sample of the oldest known asteroidal crust. The zirconolite occurs as needle- and fiber-shaped, stubby crystals, with widths of 3 micrometers and lengths of up to 30 micrometers. Electron and ion microprobe analyses yielded concordant U Pb data with a weighted mean 207Pb 206Pb age of 4557.9 4.3 Ma 2sigma, rendering it the Solar System's oldest known zirconolite. Yet, this age is distinctly younger than reported high-precision 207Pb 206Pb ages varying from 4565.6 to 4566.2 Ma, which were obtained by acid leaching of pyroxene and whole rock samples of the meteorite. From its mineralogical and REE (U+Th) (Nb+Ta) characteristics, we argue that the zirconolite age represents the timing of a shock metamorphism of the parent asteroid's crust. Our results suggest that 207Pb 206Pb dating for acid-leached samples can be affected by including even a tiny amount of metamorphic zirconolite, calling for caution in interpreting the high-precision 207Pb 206Pb age data. On the basis of thermodynamic and geochemical considerations, we infer further occurrences of zirconolite in alkali-silica-rich asteroidal rocks that rapidly cooled from high temperatures.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.16954v1","authors":["Jun Sakuma","Hisashi Asanuma","Naoto Takahata","Akira Yamaguchi","Tsuyoshi Iizuka"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-16T22:11:47Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2101.02177v1","name":"Trajectory and orbit of the unique carbonaceous meteorite Flensburg","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The C1-ungrouped carbonaceous chondrite Flensburg fell in Germany on September 12, 2019, in the daytime. We determined the atmospheric trajectory, velocity, and heliocentric orbit using one dedicated AllSky6 meteor camera and three casual video records of the bolide. It was found that the meteorite originated in the vicinity of the 5:2 resonance with Jupiter at heliocentric distance of 2.82 AU. When combined with the bolide energy reported by the U.S. Government sensors (USGS), the pre-atmospheric diameter of the meteoroid was estimated to 2 - 3 meters and the mass to 10,000 - 20,000 kg. The meteoroid fragmented heavily in the atmosphere at heights of 46 - 37 km, under dynamic pressures of 0.7 - 2 MPa. The recovery of just one meteorite suggests that only a very small part of the original mass reached the ground. The bolide velocity vector was compared with that reported by the USGS. There is good agreement in the radiant but the velocity value has been underestimated by the USGS by almost 1 km/s.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2101.02177v1","authors":["Jiří Borovička","Felix Bettonvil","Gerd Baumgarten","Jörg Strunk","Mike Hankey","Pavel Spurný","Dieter Heinlein"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-01-06T18:27:48Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2503.15102v1","name":"Comparison of the earliest NC and CC planetesimals: Evidence from ungrouped iron meteorites","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Isotope anomalies in meteorites reveal a fundamental dichotomy between non-carbonaceous- (NC) and carbonaceous-type (CC) planetary bodies. Until now, this dichotomy is established for the major meteorite groups, representing about 36 distinct parent bodies. Ungrouped meteorites represent an even larger number of additional and so far mostly unexplored parent bodies. Here, the genetics and chronology of 26 ungrouped iron meteorites are investigated. The ungrouped irons confirm the NC-CC dichotomy for Mo, where NC and CC meteorites define two distinct, subparallel s-process mixing lines. All ungrouped NC irons fall on the NC-line, which is now precisely defined for 41 distinct parent bodies. The ungrouped CC irons show scatter around the CC-line indicative of small r-process Mo heterogeneities among these samples. These r-process Mo isotope variations correlate with O isotope anomalies, most likely reflecting mixing of CI chondrite-like matrix, chondrule precursors and Ca-Al-rich inclusions. This implies that CC iron meteorite parent bodies accreted the same nebular components as the later-formed carbonaceous chondrites. The Hf-W model ages of core formation for the ungrouped irons reveal a narrow age peak at ~3.3 Ma after Ca-Al-rich inclusions for the CC irons. By contrast, the NC irons display more variable ages, including younger ages indicative of impact-induced melting events, which seem absent among the CC irons. This is attributed to the more fragile and porous nature of the CC bodies, making impact-induced melting on their surfaces difficult. The chemical characteristics of all iron meteorites together reveal slightly more oxidizing conditions during core formation for CC compared to NC irons. More strikingly, strong depletions in moderately volatile elements, typical of many iron meteorite parent bodies, predominantly occur among CC irons.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.15102v1","authors":["Fridolin Spitzer","Christoph Burkhardt","Thomas S. Kruijer","Thorsten Kleine"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-19T11:01:26Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2002.11688v1","name":"Hemolithin: a Meteoritic Protein containing Iron and Lithium","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper characterizes the first protein to be discovered in a meteorite. Amino acid polymers previously observed in Acfer 086 and Allende meteorites [1,2] have been further characterized in Acfer 086 via high precision MALDI mass spectrometry to reveal a principal unified structure of molecular weight 2320 Daltons that involves chains of glycine and hydroxy-glycine residues terminated by iron atoms, with additional oxygen and lithium atoms. Signal-to-noise ratios up to 135 have allowed the quantification of iron and lithium in the various MALDI fragments via the isotope satellites due to their respective minority isotopic masses 54Fe and 6Li. Analysis of the complete spectrum of isotopes associated with each molecular fragment shows 2H enhancements above terrestrial averaging 25,700 parts per thousand (sigma = 3,500, n=15), confirming extra-terrestrial origin and hence the existence of this molecule within the asteroid parent body of the CV3 meteorite class. The molecule is tipped by an iron-oxygen-iron grouping that in other terrestrial contexts has been proposed to be capable of absorbing photons and splitting water into hydroxyl and hydrogen moieties.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2002.11688v1","authors":["Malcolm. W. McGeoch","Sergei Dikler","Julie E. M. McGeoch"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.chem-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-02-22T00:00:59Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2102.07634v1","name":"Thermal alteration of CM carbonaceous chondrites: mineralogical changes and metamorphic temperatures","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The CM carbonaceous chondrite meteorites provide a record of low temperature aqueous reactions in the early solar system. A number of CM chondrites also experienced short-lived, post-hydration thermal metamorphism at temperatures of 200C to over 750C. The exact conditions of thermal metamorphism and the relationship between the unheated and heated CM chondrites are not well constrained but are crucial to understanding the formation and evolution of hydrous asteroids. Here we have used position-sensitive-detector X-ray diffraction (PSD-XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and transmission infrared (IR) spectroscopy to characterise the mineralogy and water contents of 14 heated CM and ungrouped carbonaceous chondrites. We show that heated CM chondrites underwent the same degree of aqueous alteration as the unheated CMs, however upon thermal metamorphism their mineralogy initially (300 to 500C) changed from hydrated phyllosilicates to a dehydrated amorphous phyllosilicate phase. At higher temperatures (over 500C) we observe recrystallisation of olivine and Fe-sulphides and the formation of metal. Thermal metamorphism also caused the water contents of heated CM chondrites to decrease from 13 wt percent to 3 wt percent and a subsequent reduction in the intensity of the 3 micron feature in IR spectra. We estimate that the heated CM chondrites have lost 15 to 65 percent of the water they contained at the end of aqueous alteration. If impacts were the main cause of metamorphism, this is consistent with shock pressures of 20 to 50 GPa. However, not all heated CM chondrites retain shock features suggesting that some were instead heated by solar radiation. Evidence from the Hayabusa2 and ORSIRS-REx missions suggest that dehydrated materials may be common on the surfaces of primitive asteroids and our results will support upcoming analysis of samples returned from asteroids Ryugu and Bennu.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2102.07634v1","authors":["Ashley J. King","Paul F. Schofield","Sara S. Russell"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-02-15T16:15:42Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1506.06740v1","name":"Nature's Starships II: Simulating the Synthesis of Amino Acids in Meteorite Parent Bodies","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Carbonaceous chondrite meteorites are known for having high water and organic material contents, including amino acids. Here we address the origin of amino acids in the warm interiors of their parent bodies (planetesimals) within a few million years of their formation, and connect this with the astrochemistry of their natal protostellar disks. We compute both the total amino acid abundance pattern as well as the relative frequencies of amino acids within the CM2 (e.g. Murchison) and CR2 chondrite subclasses based on Strecker reactions within these bodies. We match the relative frequencies to well within an order of magnitude among both CM2 and CR2 meteorites for parent body temperatures $&lt;$ 200$^{\\circ}$C. These temperatures agree with 3D models of young planetesimal interiors. We find theoretical abundances of approximately 7x10$^5$ parts-per-billion (ppb), which is in agreement with the average observed abundance in CR2 meteorites of 4$\\pm$7x10$^5$, but an order of magnitude higher than the average observed abundance in CM2 meteorites of 2$\\pm$2x10$^4$. We find that the production of hydroxy acids could be favoured over the production of amino acids within certain meteorite parent bodies (e.g. CI1, CM2) but not others (e.g. CR2). This could be due to the relatively lower NH$_3$ abundances within CI1 and CM2 meteorite parent bodies, which leads to less amino acid synthesis. We also find that the water content in planetesimals is likely to be the main cause of variance between carbonaceous chondrites of the same subclass. We propose that amino acid abundances are primarily dependent on the ammonia and water content of planetesimals that are formed in chemically distinct regions within their natal protostellar disks.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1506.06740v1","authors":["Alyssa K. Cobb","Ralph E. Pudritz","Ben K. D. Pearce"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-06-22T19:59:18Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0812.2946v1","name":"Nucleosynthetic osmium isotope anomalies in acid leachates of the Murchison meteorite","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present osmium isotopic results obtained by sequential leaching of the Murchison meteorite, which reveal the existence of very large internal anomalies of nucleosynthetic origin. The Os isotopic anomalies are correlated, and can be explained by the variable contributions of components derived from the s, r and p-processes of nucleosynthesis. Much of the s-process rich osmium is released by relatively mild leaching, suggesting the existence of an easily leachable s-process rich presolar phase, or alternatively, of a chemically resistant r-process rich phase. The s-process composition of Os released by mild leaching diverges slightly from that released by aggressive digestion techniques, perhaps suggesting that the presolar phases attacked by these differing procedures condensed in different stellar environments. The correlation between 190Os and 188Os can be used to constrain the s-process 190Os/188Os ratio to be 1.275 pm 0.043. Such a ratio can be reproduced in a nuclear reaction network for a MACS value for 190Os of ~200 pm 22 mbarn at 30 keV. We also present evidence for extensive internal variation of 184Os abundances in the Murchison meteorite. This suggests that p process rich presolar grains (e.g., supernova condensates) may be present in meteorites in sufficient quantities to influence the Os isotopic compositions of the leachates.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0812.2946v1","authors":["L. Reisberg","N. Dauphas","A. Luguet","D. G. Pearson","R. Gallino","C. Zimmermann"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-12-15T23:57:37Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1803.02557v2","name":"The Dingle Dell meteorite: a Halloween treat from the Main Belt","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We describe the fall of the Dingle Dell (L/LL 5) meteorite near Morawa in Western Australia on October 31, 2016. The fireball was observed by six observatories of the Desert Fireball Network (DFN), a continental scale facility optimised to recover meteorites and calculate their pre-entry orbits. The $30\\,\\mbox{cm}$ meteoroid entered at 15.44 $\\mbox{km s}^{-1}$, followed a moderately steep trajectory of $51^{\\circ}$ to the horizon from 81 km down to 19 km altitude, where the luminous flight ended at a speed of 3.2 $\\mbox{km s}^{-1}$. Deceleration data indicated one large fragment had made it to the ground. The four person search team recovered a 1.15 kg meteorite within 130 m of the predicted fall line, after 8 hours of searching, 6 days after the fall. Dingle Dell is the fourth meteorite recovered by the DFN in Australia, but the first before any rain had contaminated the sample. By numerical integration over 1 Ma, we show that Dingle Dell was most likely ejected from the main belt by the 3:1 mean-motion resonance with Jupiter, with only a marginal chance that it came from the $nu_6$ resonance. This makes the connection of Dingle Dell to the Flora family (currently thought to be the origin of LL chondrites) unlikely.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1803.02557v2","authors":["Hadrien A. R. Devillepoix","Eleanor K. Sansom","Philip A. Bland","Martin C. Towner","Martin Cupák","Robert M. Howie","Trent Jansen-Sturgeon","Morgan A. Cox","Benjamin A. D. Hartig","Gretchen K. Benedix","Jonathan P. Paxman"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-03-07T07:54:58Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1502.03307v1","name":"Small Near-Earth Asteroids as a Source of Meteorites","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Small asteroids intersecting Earth's orbit can deliver extraterrestrial rocks to the Earth, called meteorites. This process is accompanied by a luminous phenomena in the atmosphere, called bolides or fireballs. Observations of bolides provide pre-atmospheric orbits of meteorites, physical and chemical properties of small asteroids, and the flux (i.e. frequency of impacts) of bodies at the Earth in the centimeter to decameter size range. In this chapter we explain the processes occurring during the penetration of cosmic bodies through the atmosphere and review the methods of bolide observations. We compile available data on the fireballs associated with 22 instrumentally observed meteorite falls. Among them are the heterogeneous falls Almahata Sitta (2008 TC$_3$) and Benešov, which revolutionized our view on the structure and composition of small asteroids, the Příbram-Neuschwanstein orbital pair, carbonaceous chondrite meteorites with orbits on the asteroid-comet boundary, and the Chelyabinsk fall, which produced a damaging blast wave. While most meteoroids disrupt into fragments during atmospheric flight, the Carancas meteoroid remained nearly intact and caused a crater-forming explosion on the ground.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1502.03307v1","authors":["Jiří Borovička","Pavel Spurný","Peter Brown"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-02-11T13:50:32Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1409.5927v1","name":"Seismo-ionospheric effects associated with 'Chelyabinsk' meteorite during the first 25 minutes after its fall","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the properties of ionospheric irregularities elongated with Earth magnetic field during the first 25 minutes after the fall of the meteorite 'Chelyabinsk' experimentally observed with EKB radar of Russian segment of the SuperDARN. It is shown that 40 minutes before meteor fall the EKB radar started to observe powerful scattering from irregularities elongated with the Earth magnetic field in the F-layer. Scattering was observed for 80 minutes and stopped 40 minutes after the meteorite fall. During 9-15 minutes after the meteorite fall at ranges 400-1200 km from the explosion site a changes were observed in the spectral and amplitude characteristics of the scattered signal. This features were the sharp increase in the Doppler frequency shift of the scattered signal corresponding to the Doppler velocities about 600 m/s and the sharp increase of the scattered signal amplitude. This allows us to conclude that we detected the growth of small-scale ionospheric irregularities elongated with the Earth magnetic field at E-layer heights. Joint analysis with the seismic data and numerical modeling shows that the observed effect is connected with the passage of secondary acoustic front formed by supersonic seismic ground wave from the 'Chelyabinsk' meteorite. As a possible explanation the growth of elongated ionospheric irregularities may be caused by the passage of the high-speed acoustic wave in the ionosphere in the presence of high enough background electric field.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1409.5927v1","authors":["Oleg I. Berngardt"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-09-21T00:31:11Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2112.06038v2","name":"Ancient and recent collisions revealed by phosphate minerals in the Chelyabinsk meteorite","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The collision history of asteroids is an important archive of inner Solar System evolution. Evidence for these collisions is brought to Earth by meteorites, which can preserve impact-reset radioisotope mineral ages. However, as meteorites often preserve numerous mineral ages, their interpretation is controversial. Here, we combine analysis of phosphate U-Pb ages and mineral microtextures to construct a collision history for the highly shocked Chelyabinsk meteorite. We show that phosphate U-Pb ages in the meteorite are independent of thermal history at macro-to-microscales, correlating instead with phosphate microtexture. Isotopic data from pristine phosphate domains is largely concordant, whereas fracture-damaged domains universally display discordance. Combining both populations best constrains upper (4,473 +/- 11 Ma) and lower intercept (-9 +/- 55 Ma, i.e., within error of the present day) U-Pb ages for Chelyabinsk phosphates. We conclude that all phosphate U-Pb ages were completely reset during an ancient high energy collision. Fracture-damaged phosphate domains experienced further Pb-loss during mild collisional heating in the geologically recent past, and must be targeted to properly constrain a lower intercept age. Targeting textural sub-populations of phosphate grains can significantly improve the calculation and interpretation of U-Pb ages, permitting more robust reconstruction of both ancient and recent asteroidal collision histories.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2112.06038v2","authors":["Craig R. Walton","Oliver Shorttle","Sen Hu","Auriol S. P. Rae","Ji Jianglong","Ana Černok","Helen Williams","Yu Liu","Guoqiang Tang","Qiuli Li","Mahesh Anand"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-12-11T17:50:08Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.19745v1","name":"Century-Scale Effect of Climate Change on Meteorite Falls","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Climate change is inducing a global atmospheric contraction above the tropopause (~10 km), leading to systematic decrease in neutral air density. The impact of climate change on small meteoroids has already been observed over the last two decades, with documented shifts in their ablation altitudes in the mesosphere (~50-85 km) and lower thermosphere (~85-120 km). This study evaluates the potential effect of these changes on meteorite-dropping fireballs, which typically penetrate the stratosphere (~10-50 km). As a case study, we simulate the atmospheric entry of the fragile Winchcombe carbonaceous chondrite under projected atmospheric conditions for the year 2100 assuming a moderate future emission scenario. Using a semi-empirical fragmentation and ablation model, we compare the meteoroid's light curve and deceleration under present and future atmospheric density profiles. The results indicate a modest variation of the ablation heights, with the catastrophic fragmentation occurring 300 m lower and the luminous flight terminating 190 m higher. The absolute magnitude peak remains unchanged, but the fireball would appear 0.5 dimmer above ~120 km. The surviving meteorite mass is reduced by only 0.1 g. Our findings indicate that century-scale variations in atmospheric density caused by climate change moderately influence bright fireballs and have a minimal impact on meteorite survival.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.19745v1","authors":["Eloy Peña-Asensio","Denis Vida","Ingrid Cnossen","Esteban Ferrer"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-27T10:19:18Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2604.14187v3","name":"Correlative Microstructural Analysis of a Weathered Nantan Meteorite Fragment","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The weathering of iron-rich phases within meteorites is a process that significantly alters the microstructure and chemical composition based on the environmental conditions at the location of landing and exposure time since fall. This work investigates the resulting phases in a correlative and comparative manner using a Nantan meteorite fragment. Techniques including X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy, and X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy were used for compositional determination and X-ray Diffraction and Electron Backscatter Diffraction for phase determination and microstructural analysis. These techniques revealed the meteorite matrix to be predominantly composed of magnetite, with distinct regions of high Ni content. The grain size was found to be approximately 5 $μ$m in $\\geq$ 2.6 at$\\%$ Ni content regions with a visible boundary of 100-200 $μ$m extending into $\\leq$ 0.9 at$\\%$ Ni regions, wherein the grain size averaged 10s of $μ$m. Additionally, a brecciated cohenite phase was found with a vein-line structure, composed of NiO, magnetite, and deposits of iron and nickel carbonates. This indicates that the matrix regions formed through the weathering of discrete primary phases, with the high Ni regions forming from aqueous alteration of kamacite and the low Ni regions forming from direct dissolution and oxidation of the source Fe-Ni metal.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.14187v3","authors":["Graeme J. Francolini","Brendan V. Dyck","Paul Mack","Ben Britton"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph","astro-ph.EP","cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-31T19:54:51Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2301.04103v2","name":"Meteorite Parent Body Aqueous Alteration Simulations of Interstellar Residue Analogs","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Some families of carbonaceous chondrites are rich in prebiotic organics that may have contributed to the origin of life on Earth and elsewhere. However, the formation and chemical evolution of complex soluble organic molecules from interstellar precursors under relevant parent body conditions has not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, we approach this topic by simulating meteorite parent body aqueous alteration of interstellar residue analogs. The distributions of amines and amino acids are qualitatively and quantitatively investigated and linked to closing the gap between interstellar and meteoritic prebiotic organic abundances. We find that the abundance trend of methylamine &gt; ethylamine&gt; glycine &gt; serine &gt; alanine &gt; \\b{eta}-alanine does not change from pre- to post-aqueous alteration, suggesting that certain cloud conditions have an influential role on the distributions of interstellar-inherited meteoritic organics. However, the abundances for most of the amines and amino acids studied here varied by about 2-fold when aqueously processed for 7 days at 125 °C, and the changes in the α- to \\b{eta}-alanine ratio were consistent with those of aqueously altered carbonaceous chondrites, pointing to an influential role of meteorite parent body processing on the distributions of interstellar-inherited meteoritic organics. We detected higher abundances of α- over \\b{eta}-alanine, which is opposite to what is typically observed in aqueously altered carbonaceous chondrites; these results may be explained by at least the lack of minerals and insoluble organic matter-relevant materials in the experiments. The high abundance of volatile amines in the non-aqueously altered samples suggests that these types of interstellar volatiles can be efficiently transferred to asteroids and comets, supporting the idea of the presence of interstellar organics in solar system objects.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2301.04103v2","authors":["Danna Qasim","Hannah L. McLain","Jose C. Aponte","Daniel P. Glavin","Jason P. Dworkin","Christopher K. Materese"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.GA","astro-ph.SR","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-10T18:05:08Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.07212v1","name":"The early Solar System and its meteoritical witnesses","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Meteorites, and in particular primitive meteorites (chondrites), are irreplaceable probes of the solar protoplanetary disk. We review their essential properties and endeavour to place them in astrophysical context. The earliest solar system solids, refractory inclusions, may have formed over the innermost au of the disk and have been transported outward by its expansion or turbulent diffusion. The age spread of chondrite components may be reconciled with the tendency of drag-induced radial drift if they were captured in pressure maxima, which may account for the non-carbonaceous/carbonaceous meteorite isotopic dichotomy. The solid/gas ratio around unity witnessed by chondrules, if interpreted as nebular (non-impact) products, suggests efficient radial concentration and settling at such locations, conducive to planetesimal formation by the streaming instability. The cause of the pressure bumps, e.g. Jupiter or condensation lines, remains to be ascertained.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.07212v1","authors":["Emmanuel Jacquet","Cornelis Dullemond","Joanna Drążkowska","Steven Desch"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-11T12:09:41Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1510.06636v1","name":"Vestoids, Part II: The basaltic nature and HED meteorite analogs for eight Vp-type asteroids and their associations with (4) Vesta","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Improving constraints on the abundance of basaltic asteroids in the main asteroid belt is necessary for better understanding the thermal and collisional environment in the early solar system, for more rigorously identifying the genetic family for (4) Vesta, for determining the effectiveness of Yarkovsky/YORP in dispersing asteroid families, and for better quantifying the population of basaltic asteroids in the outer main belt (a greater than 2.5 AU) that are likely unrelated to (4) Vesta. NIR spectral observations in this work were obtained for the Vp-type asteroids (2011) Veteraniya, (5875) Kuga, (8149) Ruff, (9147) Kourakuen, (9553) Colas, (15237) 1988 RL6, (31414) Rotaryusa, and (32940) 1995 UW4 during August and September 2014 utilizing the SpeX spectrograph at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF), Mauna Kea, Hawaii. Spectral band parameter (band centers, Band Area Ratios) and mineralogical analysis (pyroxene chemistry) for each average asteroid NIR reflectance spectrum suggests a howardite-eucrite-diogenite (HED) meteorite analog for each asteroid. (5875) Kuga is most closely associated with the eucrite meteorites, (31414) Rotaryusa is most closely associated with the diogenites, and the remaining other six asteroids are most closely associated with the howardite meteorites. Along with orbital locations in the inner main belt and in the vicinity of (4) Vesta, the existing evidence suggests that these eight Vp-type asteroids are also likely Vestoids.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1510.06636v1","authors":["Paul S. Hardersen","Vishnu Reddy","Rachel Roberts"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-10-22T14:21:45Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2111.15291v1","name":"Early differentiation of magmatic iron meteorite parent bodies from Mn-Cr chronometry","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Magmatic iron meteorite groups such as IIAB, IIIAB and IVA, represent the largest sampling of extraterrestrial core material from the earliest accreted distinct planetary bodies in the solar system. Chromium isotope compositions of chromite/daubreelite from seven samples, translated into 53Cr/52Cr model ages, provide robust time information on planetary core formation. These ages range within 1.5 Ma after formation of calcium-aluminium-rich inclusions (CAIs) and define the time of metal core formation in the respective parent bodies, assuming metal-silicate separation was an instantaneous event that induced strong chemical fractionation of Mn from the more siderophile Cr. The early core formation ages support accretion and differentiation of the magmatic iron meteorite parent bodies to have occurred prior to the chondrule formation interval. The calibration of Mn-Cr ages with established Hf-W ages of samples from the same magmatic iron meteorite groups constrains the initial E53Cr of the solar system to -0.30, and thus lower than previously estimated.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2111.15291v1","authors":["Aryavart Anand","Jonas Pape","Martin Wille","Klaus Mezger","Beda Hofmann"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-11-30T11:12:32Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1306.0663v1","name":"The Discovery and History of the Dalgaranga Meteorite Crater, Western Australia","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Dalgaranga meteorite crater, 100 km northeast of Yalgoo, Western Australia, was one of the first impact structures identified in Australia, the smallest isolated crater found in Australia, and the only confirmed crater in the world associated with a mesosiderite projectile. 17 years passed before the Dalgaranga meteorites were described in the scientific literature and nearly 40 years passed before a survey of the structure was published. The reasons for the time-gap were never explained and a number of factual errors about the discovery and early history remain uncorrected in the scientific literature. Using historical and archival documents, and discussions with people involved in Dalgaranga research, the reasons for this time gap are explained by a series of minor misidentifications and coincidences. The age of the crater has yet to be determined, but using published data, we estimate the projectile mass to be 500-1000 kg.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1306.0663v1","authors":["Duane W. Hamacher","Craig O'Neill"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph","physics.hist-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-06-04T06:23:14Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1710.07687v1","name":"Annama H chondrite - mineralogy, physical properties, cosmic ray exposure, and parent body history","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The fall of the Annama meteorite occurred early morning (local time) on April 19, 2014 on the Kola Peninsula (Russia). Based on mineralogy and physical properties, Annama is a typical H chondrite. It has a high Ar-Ar age of 4.4 Ga. Its cosmic ray exposure history is atypical as it is not part of the large group of H chondrites with a prominent 7 - 8 Ma peak in the exposure age histograms. Instead, its exposure age is within uncertainty of a smaller peak at 30 \\pm 4 Ma. The results from short-lived radionuclides are compatible with an atmosperic pre-entry radius of 30 - 40 cm. However, based on noble gas and cosmogenic radionuclide data, Annama must have been part of a larger body (radius &gt;65 cm) for a large part of its cosmic ray exposure history. The 10Be concentration indicates a recent (3 - 5 Ma) breakup which may be responsible for the Annama parent body size reduction to 30 - 35 cm pre-entry radius.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1710.07687v1","authors":["Tomáš Kohout","Jakub Haloda","Patricie Halodová","Matthias M. M. Meier","Colin Maden","Henner Busemann","Matthias Laubenstein","Marc. W. Caffee","Kees C. Welten","Jens Hopp","Mario Trieloff","Ramakant R. Mahajan","Sekhar Naik","Josep M. Trigo-Rodriguez","Carles E. Moyano-Cambero","Michael I. Oshtrakh","Alevtina A. Maksimova","Andrey V. Chukin","Vladimir A. Semionkin","Maksim S. Karabanalov","Israel Felner","Evgeniya V. Petrova","Evgeniia V. Brusnitsyna","Victor I. Grokhovsky","Grigoriy A. Yakovlev","Maria Gritsevich","Esko Lyytinen","Jarmo Moilanen","Nikolai A. Kruglikov","Aleksey V. Ishchenko"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-10-20T19:42:26Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.10690v1","name":"Perihelion history and atmospheric survival as primary drivers of the Earth`s meteorite record","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Models predict that more than half of all impacting meteoroids should be carbonaceous, reflecting the abundance of carbon-rich asteroids in the main belt and near-Earth space. Yet carbonaceous chondrites represent only about 4% of meteorites recovered worldwide. Here we analyse 7,982 meteoroid impacts and 540 potential meteorite falls from 19 global observation networks and demonstrate that intense thermal stress at low perihelion distances coupled with the filtering effect of Earth`s atmosphere explains this mismatch. Meteoroids repeatedly subjected to intense thermal cycling near the Sun fracture and weaken, removing the most friable objects even before atmospheric entry. Our data also show that tidally disrupted meteoroid streams produce especially fragile fragments that rarely survive to the ground. Consequently, compact, higher-strength, thermally cycled bodies dominate the meteorite record. These findings reconcile the predicted carbonaceous flux with its scarcity in collections, underscoring how orbital evolution and atmospheric filtering shape the materials that reach Earth`s surface.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.10690v1","authors":["Patrick M. Shober","Hadrien A. R. Devillepoix","Jeremie Vaubaillon","Simon Anghel","Sophie E. Deam","Eleanor K. Sansom","Francois Colas","Brigitte Zanda","Pierre Vernazza","Phil Bland"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-14T20:25:05Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2408.16901v2","name":"Microstructural characterization to reveal evidence of shock deformation in a Campo del Cielo meteorite fragment","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The study of meteorites and their microstructures is a topic which spans multiple fields of research, such as meteoritics and materials science. For materials scientists and engineers, the extreme and unusual conditions which these microstructures form allow for insight into materials which would exist at the edge of our thermomechanical processing abilities. One such microstructure found in low-shock event iron meteorites is Neumann bands. These bands are an array of lenticular deformation twins that form throughout the Fe-Ni matrix with numerous intersections, resulting in many high stress and strain regions within the material's surface. The existence of these regions and the shocks that formed them encourage atypical strain accommodating mechanisms and structural changes of the material. However, direct investigation of the deformation twin intersections and the microstructural behaviour in and around these regions has been limited. In this work, investigation of these regions in a Campo del Cielo meteorite fragment, with electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and forescatter electron (FSE) imaging, revealed two primary findings: high-intensity pattern doubling mirrored across the {110} band at twin-twin intersection and microband formation across the sample surface, which suggest multilayer twinning and constraint of the crystal structure at points of twin-twin intersection. Microbands were found to form along the {110} plane and in regions near Neumann bands. The simultaneous existence of Neumann bands (microtwins) and microbands is presented here for a BCC material, and it is believed the Neumann band and microbands formed during different types and/or shock events. The presence of both Neumann bands and microbands within a BCC iron meteorite is previously unreported and may be valuable in furthering our understanding of shock deformation within iron-based materials.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.16901v2","authors":["Graeme J. Francolini","Thomas B. Britton"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-29T20:58:18Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0607317v1","name":"Meteoritical and dynamical constraints on the growth mechanisms and formation times of asteroids and Jupiter","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Peak temperatures inside meteorite parent bodies are closely linked to accretion times. Most iron meteorites come from bodies that accreted &lt;0.5 Myr after CAIs formed and were melted by 26Al and 60Fe, probably inside 2 AU. Chondrite groups accreted intermittently over 4 Myr starting 1 Myr after CAIs formed when planetary embryos may already have formed at ~1 AU. Meteorite evidence precludes accretion of late-forming chondrites on the surface of early-formed bodies; instead chondritic and non-chondritic meteorites probably formed in separate planetesimals. Maximum metamorphic temperatures in chondrite groups correlate inversely with mean chondrule age, as expected for 26Al heating. Dynamical models suggest that asteroids accreted before Jupiter. Therefore Jupiter probably reached its current mass &gt;3-5 Myr after CAIs formed. This precludes formation of Jupiter via a gravitational instability &lt;1 Myr after the solar nebula formed, and strongly favors core accretion. Shocks formed by gravitational instabilities in the disk, proto-Jupiter, or by planetary embryos may have produced some chondrules. The minimum lifetime for the solar nebula of 3-5 Myr inferred from CAI and chondrule ages may exceed the median 3 Myr lifetime for protoplanetary disks, but is well within the total 1-10 Myr range. Shorter formation times for extrasolar planets may help to explain why their orbits are unlike those of solar giant planets.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0607317v1","authors":["Edward R. D. Scott"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-07-13T23:11:41Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2104.08360v1","name":"Composition of Terrestrial Exoplanet Atmospheres from Meteorite Outgassing Experiments","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Terrestrial exoplanets likely form initial atmospheres through outgassing during and after accretion, although there is currently no first-principles understanding of how to connect a planet's bulk composition to its early atmospheric properties. Important insights into this connection can be gained by assaying meteorites, representative samples of planetary building blocks. We perform laboratory outgassing experiments that use a mass spectrometer to measure the abundances of volatiles released when meteorite samples are heated to 1200 $^{\\circ}$C. We find that outgassing from three carbonaceous chondrite samples consistently produce H$_2$O-rich (averaged ~66 %) atmospheres but with significant amounts of CO (~18 %) and CO$_2$ (~15 %) as well as smaller quantities of H$_2$ and H$_2$S (up to 1 %). These results provide experimental constraints on the initial chemical composition in theoretical models of terrestrial planet atmospheres, supplying abundances for principal gas species as a function of temperature.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2104.08360v1","authors":["Maggie A. Thompson","Myriam Telus","Laura Schaefer","Jonathan J. Fortney","Toyanath Joshi","David Lederman"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-04-16T20:37:28Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2309.17195v2","name":"Fossil and present-day stromatolite ooids contain a meteoritic polymer of glycine and iron","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Hemoglycin, a space polymer of glycine and iron, has been identified in the carbonaceous chondritic meteorites Allende, Acfer 086, Kaba, Sutters Mill and Orgueil. Its core form has a mass of 1494Da and is basically an antiparallel pair of polyglycine strands linked at each end by an iron atom. The polymer forms two- and three- dimensional lattices with an inter-vertex distance of 4.9nm. Here the extraction technique for meteorites is applied to a 2.1Gya fossil stromatolite to reveal the presence of hemoglycin by mass spectrometry. Intact ooids from a recent (3,000Ya) stromatolite exhibited the same visible hemoglycin fluorescence in response to x-rays as an intact crystal from the Orgueil meteorite. X-ray analysis confirmed the existence in ooids of an internal 3-dimensional lattice of 4.9nm inter-vertex spacing, matching the spacing of lattices in meteoritic crystals. FTIR measurements of acid-treated ooid and a Sutters Mill meteoritic crystal both show the presence, via the splitting of the Amide I band, of an extended anti-parallel beta sheet structure. It seems probable that the copious in-fall of carbonaceous meteoritic material, from Archaean times onward, has left traces of hemoglycin in sedimentary carbonates and potentially has influenced ooid formation.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.17195v2","authors":["Julie E M McGeoch","Anton J Frommelt","Robin L Owen","Gianfelice Cinque","Arthur McClelland","David Lageson","Malcolm W McGeoch"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph","astro-ph.EP","q-bio.BM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-29T12:44:36Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1309.6465v1","name":"The Geminid meteoroid stream as a potential meteorite dropper: a case study","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A Geminid fireball with an absolute magnitude of -13 was observed over the south of Spain on Dec. 15, 2009. This extraordinarily bright event (the brightest Geminid ever recorded by our team) was imaged from two meteor observing stations operated by the SPanish Meteor Network (SPMN). The bolide exhibited fast and quasi-periodic variations in brightness, a behaviour typically associated to the rotation of the parent meteoroid. The inferred tensile strength of this particle was found to be significantly higher that the typical values obtained for Geminid meteoroids. The fireball penetrated in the atmosphere till a final height of about 25 km above the ground level and a non-zero terminal mass was calculated at the ending point of the luminous trajectory. In this way, the observational evidence points to the existence of a population of meteoroids in the higher end of the Geminid mass distribution capable of producing meteorites. From the relative chemical abundances inferred from the emission spectrum of this bolide we conclude that the Geminid-forming materials are similar to some primitive carbonaceous chondrite groups. Then, we conclude that in meteorite collections from cold deserts, capable to preserve meteorites of few tens of grams, some rare groups of carbonaceous chondrites could be coming from the Geminid parent body: (3200) Phaeton.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1309.6465v1","authors":["J. M. Madiedo","J. M. Trigo-Rodriguez","A. J. Castro-Tirado","J. L. Ortiz","J. Cabrera-Caño"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-09-25T11:29:58Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2009.10496v1","name":"Low-phase spectral reflectance and equivalent geometric albedo of meteorites powders","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The reflectance of a particulate surface depends on the phase angle at which it is observed. This is true for laboratory measurements on powders of natural materials as well as remote observations of Solar System surfaces. Here, we measured the dependences of reflectance spectra with phase angles, of a suite of 72 meteorites in the 400-2600 nm range. The 10-30° phase angle range is investigated in order to study the contribution of Shadow Hiding Opposition Effect to the phase behavior. The behavior is then extrapolated to phase angle of 0° using a polynomial fit, in order to provide grounds for comparison across meteorite groups (enabling to remove the contribution of shadows to reflectance) as well as to provide equivalent albedo values that should be comparable to geometric albedo values derived for small bodies. We find a general behavior of increasing strength of the SHOE with lower reflectance values (whether between samples or for a given samples with absorption features). This trend provides a first order way to correct any reflectance spectra of meteorite powders measured under standard conditions (g=30) from the contribution of shadows. The g=0 degre calculated reflectance and equivalent albedos are then compared to typical values of albedos for main-belt asteroids. This reveals that among carbonaceous chondrites only Tagish Lake group, CI, and CM chondrites have equivalent albedo compatible with C- and D-type asteroids. On the other hand equivalent albedo derived with CO, CR and CK chondrites are compatible with L- and K-type asteroids. The equivalent albedo derived for ordinary chondrites is related to petrographic types, with low-grade petrographic type (type 3.6 and less) being generally darker that higher petrographic types. This works provides a framework for further understanding of the asteroids meteorite linkage when combining with colors and spectroscopy.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2009.10496v1","authors":["Pierre Beck","Bernard Schmitt","Sandra Potin","Antoine Pommerol","Olivier Brissaud"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-09-22T12:36:29Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1605.01892v4","name":"Response to the Comment by Haack et al. (2015) on the paper by Anfinogenov et al. (2014): John's stone: A possible fragment of the 1908 Tunguska meteorite","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The article provides an open discussion and a critical feedback to the comments of Haack et al. (2015) and emphasizes a significance of the first macroscopic evidence for a candidate meteorite of a new type: planetary-origin meteorite composed of silica-rich sedimentary rock. Discussion concerns the arguments for (i) candidate parental bodies including the Earth, Mars and icy moons of Saturn and Jupiter; (ii) PGE anomaly versus glassy silicate microspherules and quartz grains anomaly in the area of the 1908 Tunguska catastrophe; (iii) isotopic heterogeneity of unmixed silicate reservoirs on Mars; (iv) possible terrestrial loss or contamination in the noble gas signatures in meteorites that spent time in the extreme weather conditions; (v) cosmogenic isotopes and shielding; and (vi) pseudo meteorites. We conclude that the list of candidate parental bodies for hypothetical sedimentary-origin meteorites includes, but is not limited by the Earth, Mars, Enceladus, Ganymede, and Europa. A parental body should be identified based on the entire body of evidence which is not limited solely by tests of oxygen and noble gas isotopes whose signatures may undergo terrestrial contamination and may exhibit significant heterogeneity within the parental bodies.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1605.01892v4","authors":["Yana Anfinogenova","John Anfinogenov","Larisa Budaeva","Dmitry Kuznetsov"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-05-06T11:18:08Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0809.1735v1","name":"Meteorites and the physico-chemical conditions in the early solar nebula","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Chondritic meteorites constitute the most ancient rock record available in the laboratory to study the formation of the solar system and its planets. Detailed investigations of their mineralogy, petrography, chemistry and isotopic composition and comparison with other primitive solar system samples such as cometary dust particles have allowed through the years to decipher the conditions of formation of their individual components thought to have once been free-floating pieces of dust and rocks in the early solar nebula. When put in the context of astrophysical models of young stellar objects, chondritic meteorites and cometary dust bring essential insights on the astrophysical conditions prevailing in the very first stages of the solar system. Several exemples are shown in this chapter, which include (1) high temperature processes and the formation of chondrules and refractory inclusions, (2) oxygen isotopes and their bearing on photochemistry and large scale geochemical reservoirs in the nebula, (3) organosynthesis and cold cloud chemistry recorded by organic matter and hydrogen isotopes, (4) irradiation of solids by flares from the young Sun and finally (5) large scale transport and mixing of material evidenced in chondritic interplanetary dust particles and samples returned from comet Wild2 by the Stardust mission.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0809.1735v1","authors":["Jerome Aleon"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-09-10T09:09:58Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/9781108613767.019","name":"Plate Section (PDF Only)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108613767.019","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-11T10:30:35Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1017/9781108613767.019","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/9781108613767.015","name":"Summary","source":"crossref","abstract":"Meteorites are delivered to Earth from at least 100 different asteroids as well as from the Moon and Mars. A significant fraction of micrometeorites and interplanetary dust particles are from comets. Some of the meteorite parent bodies melted and differentiated; they developed metal cores and basaltic crusts. Other bodies never melted, preserving materials formed in the solar nebula. Some unmelted asteroids were thermally metamorphosed; many were aqueously altered. Meteorites suffered shock damage on their parent bodies, ranging from fracturing and brecciation to impact melting and devolatilization. After their formation, many samples experienced thermal metamorphism, aqueous alteration, and shock metamorphism to different extents; some were altered and/or shocked more than once.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108613767.015","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-11T00:05:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1017/9781108613767.015","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-48479-1_5","name":"Mineralogy of Suizhou Shock Veins","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-48479-1_5","authors":["Xiande Xie","Ming Chen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-09-30T02:07:40Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-48479-1_5","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/9781108613767.005","name":"Properties of Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"One broad-brush approach to systematizing minerals is to divide them into two categories: (1) native elements and their alloys (e.g., Au, Ag, Cu, C, S, Ni 3 Fe, Fe 5 C 2 ) and (2) compounds (e.g., sulfides, sulfates, oxides, halides, silicates, carbides, carbonates, phosphides, phosphates, tungstates, nitrides). Compounds are grouped together based on their monatomic or polyatomic anions. This is a natural classification system (first adopted by Jacob Berzelius) because the chemical properties of minerals within these groups tend to be similar. For example, the properties of anhydrite (CaSO 4 ) more closely resemble those of other sulfates such as barite (BaSO 4 ) and celestine (SrSO 4 ) than those of other Ca-rich minerals, e.g., calcite (CaCO 3 ), oldhamite (CaS), fluorite (CaF 2 ), antarcticite (CaCl 2 ·6(H 2 O)), lime (CaO), apatite (Ca 5 (PO 4 ) 3 (F,Cl,OH)), scheelite (CaWO 4 ), portlandite (Ca(OH) 2 ), powellite (CaMoO 4 ), and wollastonite (CaSiO 3 ).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108613767.005","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-11T00:05:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1017/9781108613767.005","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-48479-1_3","name":"Mineralogy of Suizhou Unmelted Chondritic Rock","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-48479-1_3","authors":["Xiande Xie","Ming Chen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-09-30T02:07:40Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-48479-1_3","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/9781108613767.012","name":"Formation of Meteoritic Minerals on Parent Bodies","source":"crossref","abstract":"During the earliest stages of thermal metamorphism on parent asteroids, primary feldspathic chondrule glass in primitive chondrites began to devitrify to form fine-grained clinopyroxene and crystalline feldspar (Figure 11.1). This resulted in a significant increase in the thermoluminescence (TL) sensitivity of the whole rocks. In some cases, the reaction leading to the crystallization of feldspar may have been catalyzed by water, consistent with the evidence for aqueous alteration in the most primitive ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108613767.012","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-11T00:05:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1017/9781108613767.012","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/9781108613767.004","name":"Brief Review of Crystallography and Crystal Chemistry","source":"crossref","abstract":"It is not the purpose of this chapter to present a comprehensive overview of crystallography and crystal chemistry. Excellent discussions of those topics can be found in the classic Crystallography and Crystal Chemistry: An Introduction by F. D. Bloss (1971) as well as in several more recent texts including those by Klein and Dutrow (2007) and Nesse (2012). Here we cover only the most salient points about crystallography to facilitate understanding of topics and terms presented elsewhere in this book without explanation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108613767.004","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-11T00:05:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1017/9781108613767.004","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/9781108613767.013","name":"Formation of Meteoritic Minerals in the Terrestrial Environment","source":"crossref","abstract":"A typical meteoroid enters the Earth’s atmosphere at 18–20 km s −1 . During the traverse, the surface of a chondritic meteoroid reaches temperatures of 1,180–1,410°C and melts to depths of ~0.3–1.0 mm due to friction with the surrounding air. The surface of the meteoroid ablates, exposing a new surface that also melts and ablates; this process can be repeated several times.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108613767.013","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-11T00:05:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1017/9781108613767.013","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/9781108613767.002","name":"Minerals and Meteorites","source":"crossref","abstract":"The use of minerals and rocks by primates for making primitive tools is not confined to our species. Some chimpanzees, long-tailed macaques, and wild bearded capuchin monkeys use stone tools to crack open nuts and fruits, and in the case of coastal-dwelling macaques, shuck oysters. Hominins were using stone tools to scrape flesh from ungulate carcasses 3.4 million years ago. By 1.6 million years ago, hominins had discovered that some rocks (e.g., flint, chert, rhyolite, quartzite) were more suitable than others (e.g., limestone, sandstone, shale) for making hand axes; they presumably developed crude criteria (e.g., color, heft, friability, location) for distinguishing them.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108613767.002","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-11T10:30:35Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1017/9781108613767.002","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/9781108613767.014","name":"The Strange Case of the Aluminum-Copper Alloys","source":"crossref","abstract":"As discussed in Chapter 2, quasicrystals are an unusual form of matter with orderly, but nonperiodic atomic arrangements. They can display diffraction patterns with otherwise forbidden rotational symmetry, e.g., fivefold, eightfold, and higher axes of symmetry (Levine and Steinhardt 1984; Shechtman et al. 1984). Princeton physicist Paul Steinhardt spent decades searching for natural quasicrystals, a quest documented in his book, The Second Kind of Impossible (Steinhardt 2019).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108613767.014","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-11T00:05:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1017/9781108613767.014","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/9781108613767.011","name":"Formation of Meteoritic Minerals in Gas- and Dust-Rich Environments","source":"crossref","abstract":"Bob Hazen and colleagues have pointed out that as the universe evolved and as stars, planets, and life developed, the number of diverse mineral-forming environments increased (Hazen et al. 2008; Hazen and Morrison 2020; Morrison and Hazen 2020). This resulted in more complex minerals and an ever-increasing set of mineral species. The focus of the following chapters is narrower – we largely restrict the discussion to mechanisms that formed minerals within meteorites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108613767.011","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-11T00:05:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1017/9781108613767.011","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-48479-1_2","name":"Micro-Mineralogical Investigative Techniques","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-48479-1_2","authors":["Xiande Xie","Ming Chen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-09-29T22:07:40Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-48479-1_2","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1127/ejm/2018/0030-2713","name":"Cronstedtite polytypes in the Paris meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1127/ejm/2018/0030-2713","authors":["Isabella Pignatelli","Enrico Mugnaioli","Yves Marrocchi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-08-31T04:32:01Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1127/ejm/2018/0030-2713","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-48479-1_6","name":"Shock-Induced Redistribution of Trace Elements","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-48479-1_6","authors":["Xiande Xie","Ming Chen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-09-29T22:07:40Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-48479-1_6","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s007100300000","name":"The Nakhla Martian meteorite is a cumulate igneous rock. Comment on \"Glass-bearing inclusions in Nakhla (SNC meteorite) augite: heterogeneously trapped phases\" (2001) by M. E. Varela, G. Kurat, and R. Clocchiatti","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s007100300000","authors":["A. H. Treiman"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-12-11T00:34:01Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1007/s007100300000","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-48479-1_4","name":"Distinct Morphological and Petrological Features of the Suizhou Shock Veins","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-48479-1_4","authors":["Xiande Xie","Ming Chen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-09-30T02:07:40Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-48479-1_4","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3724/j.issn.1007-2802.20250085","name":"Petrography, mineralogy and geochemistry of the lunar basaltic meteorite NWA 14526","source":"crossref","abstract":"NWA 14526是一块形成于约30亿年前的月球玄武质陨石。为研究其成因，本文系统报道了该陨石的岩相学、矿物化学及Sr-Nd同位素特征。岩相学与矿物学分析表明，该陨石属于一类相对富橄榄石的低钛玄武岩。橄榄石（Fo29-61）与辉石（En23-61Fs21-60Wo8-36）均发育明显成分环带，反映了显著的分离结晶过程。与形成时代相近的其它月球玄武质陨石及嫦娥六号玄武岩相比，NWA 14526的全岩及辉石稀土元素含量较低，指示其岩浆演化程度较低，成分更接近原始月幔。该陨石具有亏损的Sr-Nd同位素特征，初始87Sr/86Sr(i)比值为0.69953~0.70015，εNd值为+10.1~+10.7，介于嫦娥五号与六号玄武岩之间，表明其来源于一个强烈亏损的月幔源区。本研究不仅深化了对月幔物质组成与演化历史的理解，同时也进一步证明富钾、稀土和磷的克里普（KREEP）物质并非月球年轻火山活动所必需。","url":"https://doi.org/10.3724/j.issn.1007-2802.20250085","authors":["Heng-ci TIAN","Wei YANG","Yang-ting LIN"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-24T09:14:53Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.3724/j.issn.1007-2802.20250085","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/bf01164487","name":"Petrology and magnetic properties of the Chiang Khan, Thailand, meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01164487","authors":["K. Yagi","M. Kimura","Y. Kuroda","K. Momose"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-02-03T15:28:49Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1007/bf01164487","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3724/sp.j.1084.2013.00342","name":"PETROGRAPHY AND MINERALOGY OF A NEW LUNAR METEORITE MIL090036","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.3724/sp.j.1084.2013.00342","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-01-09T05:54:14Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.3724/sp.j.1084.2013.00342","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s007100170037","name":"Glass-bearing inclusions in Nakhla(SNC meteorite) augite: heterogeneouslytrapped phases","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s007100170037","authors":["M. E. Varela","G. Kurat","R. Clocchiatti"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-02-12T18:05:56Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1007/s007100170037","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s007100300001","name":"Reply to comment: \"The Nakhla Martian meteorite is a cumulate igneous rock\" by A. Treiman","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s007100300001","authors":["M. E. Varela","G. Kurat","R. Clocchiatti"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-12-11T00:34:01Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1007/s007100300001","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/am-2021-7815","name":"Mineralogy of the 2019 Aguas Zarcas (CM2) carbonaceous chondrite meteorite fall","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The 2019 Aguas Zarcas CM2 meteorite is the most significant carbonaceous chondrite CM2 fall since Murchison in 1969. Samples collected immediately following the fall and studied here provide the rare opportunity to analyze the bulk mineralogy of a CM2 largely free of terrestrial contamination. Bulk samples were analyzed by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal gravimetric (TG) analysis, evolved gas analysis (EGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with an electron-probe micro-analyzer (EPMA). Water-extracted salts were analyzed by XRD. In hand specimen, the stones are brecciated and dominated by chondrule-rich and chondrule-poor lithologies, and locally, a matrix-rich lithology. Powder XRD patterns from multiple stones are dominated by reflections from serpentine group minerals, on which are superimposed reflections for ferrotochilinite, 1:1 regularly interstratified ferrotochilinite/cronstedtite, anhydrous silicates, calcite, pentlandite, pyrrhotite, and minor phases. Reflections for magnetite are present only from a metal-rich breccia clast. The serpentine XRD reflections from the chondrule-rich and chondrule-poor lithologies match those from 1T cronstedtite, whereas those from the matrix-rich lithology match the 1M polytype. Patterns with the 1M polytype also show a distinct low-angle scattering to the serpentine basal reflection centered near 8.6 Å, the origin of which is obscure. Further matching of the known serpentines to the Aguas Zarcas data shows that cronstedtite accounts for a subordinate amount of the clays, and at least three other chemically and structurally distinct serpentines are likely present. A typical fragment of Aguas Zarcas yielded 0.6 wt% water-extractable salts. The powder XRD pattern of the dried water extract shows reflections for halite = NaCl; chlorartinite = Mg2(CO3)(OH)Cl·2H2O; thenardite = Na2SO4; and sodium chlorate = NaClO4. The TG mass losses of 11.4 to 14.7 wt% are consistent with other CM2 chondrites. The gases detected by EGA are dominated by H2O and CO2, largely derived from the dehydroxylation and decomposition of serpentine and calcite, respectively. Also detected are gases with masses matching SO2/S2 and H2S, which are primarily released below 480 °C, and a mass of 30, which matches the molecular weight of formaldehyde and ethane, shows a maximum at 376 °C. These organic gases likely derive from the pyrolysis of indigenous organic matter. Taken together, the millimeter-scale mineralogical study of Aguas Zarcas reveals a complex breccia dominated by CM2-like clasts. The detailed study of this meteorite, together with similar studies from a range of carbonaceous chondrites, provides the foundations for studying and interpreting the samples returned from the NASA OSIRIS-REx and JAXA Hayabusa2 missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2021-7815","authors":["Laurence A.J. Garvie","L. A. J. Garvie"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Electron microprobe","Carbonaceous chondrite","Chondrule"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-02-04","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.2138/am-2021-7815","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.1978.tb00815.x","name":"THE MINERALOGY AND CHEMISTRY OF THE ALTA'AMEEM METEORITE","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Alta'ameem hypersthene chondrite is a light gray brecciated and metamorphosed meteorite composed mainly of olivine (27% Fa), orthopyroxene (24.5% Fs) and plagioclase (An 10 ). Other minerals include troilite, kamacite, taenite, chromite, ilmenite, clinopyroxene, chalcopyrite, and apatite or merrillite. The mineralogical and chemical analyses suggest that the Alta'ameem meteorite belongs to the amphoterite group of chondrites. The chemical composition includes the following: Fe 3.39, Ni 1.13, Co 0.05, Cu 0.01, FeS 6.48, SiO 2 39.48, TiO 2 0.28, Al 2 O 3 2.25, FeO 16.46, MnO 0.40, MgO 25.66, CaO 1.47, Na 2 O 1.05, K 2 O 0.15, P 2 O 5 0.47, Cr 2 O 3 0.45; total 99.18.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1978.tb00815.x","authors":["Khaldoun S. Al‐Bassam"],"tags":["Troilite","Kamacite","Meteorite","Chromite","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1978-06-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.1978.tb00815.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_14","name":"Thermoluminescence Characteristics of Yanzhuang Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_14","authors":["Xiande Xie","Ming Chen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-10T18:06:33Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_14","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3724/sp.j.1084.2013.00352","name":"THE PETROLOGY AND MINERALOGY OF LUNAR METEORITE EET 96008 FROM ANTARCTICA","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.3724/sp.j.1084.2013.00352","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-01-09T05:54:14Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.3724/sp.j.1084.2013.00352","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_16","name":"Shock History of Yanzhuang Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_16","authors":["Xiande Xie","Ming Chen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-10T18:06:33Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_16","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.1995.tb01205.x","name":"Mineralogy of a refractory inclusion in the Allende (C3V) meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— A spherical, 220‐μm diameter, spinel‐hibonite‐perovskite inclusion from the Allende C3V meteorite contains a central hibonite cluster with an angular boundary. This central hibonite is enclosed within spinel that is zoned from Mg‐rich at the hibonite boundary to more Fe‐rich at the inclusion boundary. This spinel zone includes lath‐shaped hibonites usually oriented subradial to the central hibonites. Two textural types of perovskites are present as exsolution from the central hibonite and as equidimensional grains within both the central hibonite and spinel. These second perovskites have exsolution lamellae of Al 2 O 3 . Within the central hibonite and adjacent to some equidimensional perovskites, a fine porous phase interpreted as alteration has a composition of nearly pure Al 2 O 3 with minor amounts of Na and Si. This is possibly either an intergrowth of corundum and nepheline or a modified Al 2 O 3 , β‐alumina. The central hibonites and equidimensional perovskites are considered relict grains on which the spinel‐hibonite layer crystallized. The relict material had undergone slow cooling in a previous event to produce exsolution of original high‐temperature compositions. Later alteration caused breakdown of hibonite to give an Al 2 O 3 ‐rich phase. This inclusion represents a composite body which formed in a Ca‐Al‐rich environment.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1995.tb01205.x","authors":["Ian M. Steele","I. M. Steele"],"tags":["Allende meteorite","Spinel","Mineralogy","Corundum","Melilite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1995-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.1995.tb01205.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.1976.tb00320.x","name":"PIANCALDOLI METEORITE: CHEMISTRY, MINERALOGY AND PETROLOGY","source":"openalex","abstract":"The fall occurred near Piancaldoli, Florence, Italy, at 19.14 U.T. on the 10th August 1968. The fireball broke up in the atmosphere producing a cloud like a balloon. The trajectory and the terminal point were calculated, leading to the recovery of three small meteoritic fragments, found on the roof of a house. Chemical analysis gave the following results: SiO 2 40.80; TiO 2 0.15; Al 2 O 3 2. 70; Cr 2 O 3 0.47; FeO 17.20; MnO 0.07; MgO 25.18; CaO 1.95; Na 2 O 0.64; K 2 O 0.07; P 2 O 5 0.20; NiS 0.93; FeS 6.24; Fe° 2.40; Ni° 0.40; Co 0.05; sum 99.45. In the lithic portion of the meteorite the following minerals were found: both clino and orthopyroxenes (En = 76 to 98%), olivines (Fo = 66 to 98%), troilite, pyrrhotite, pentlandite, kamacite, ilmenite, apatite, merillite, schreibersite, chromite and Henderson phase. From all the mineralogical and petrological data, we conclude that the Piancaldoli meteorite is an “unequilibrated ordinary chondrite,” LL3. The microbrecciated structure of the rock and some shock features were observed, while the rock as a whole is unshocked, suggesting that these features were caused by impact events which took place during the accretion of the parent body.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1976.tb00320.x","authors":["Marcello Carapezza","P. Mario Nuccio","Mariano Valenza","P. M. Nuccio","M. Valenza"],"tags":["Troilite","Meteorite","Geology","Kamacite","Pentlandite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1976-09-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.1976.tb00320.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_39","name":"Mineralogy, Petrology, and Classification of Types 3 and 4 Carbonaceous Chondrites","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_39","authors":["W. R. Van Schmus"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-22T08:47:03Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_39","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_6","name":"Vapor-Grown Crystals in the Yanzhuang Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_6","authors":["Xiande Xie","Ming Chen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-10T18:06:33Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_6","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_2","name":"General Introduction of the Yanzhuang Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_2","authors":["Xiande Xie","Ming Chen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-10T18:06:33Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_2","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1127/0935-1221/2006/0018-0727","name":"Miller Butte 03002: a new rare iron meteorite (IID) from Antarctica","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Miller Butte (MIB) 03002 iron meteorite was found during the XIX (2003-2004) Antarctic campaign of the Italian Programma Nazionale delle Ricerche in Antartide (PNRA) in northern Victoria Land (Antarctica). MIB 03002 is classified as a medium octahedrite belonging to the rare IID chemical group, and it is the first IID iron among the 30,000 specimens so far returned from Antarctica. The bulk chemistry of this meteorite indicates that it represents an intermediate member of the differentiation series of IID irons. Polygonal kamacite, shear planes in the Widmanst5tten structure and relies of cross-hatched E-structure indicate that MIB 03002 experienced important shock metamorphism (T >= 700 degrees C and P >= 13 GPa) and post-shock annealing, after primary cooling. With a terrestrial age of similar to 610 ka, MIB 03002 is the oldest meteorite fall in northern Victoria Land so far, and the oldest Antarctic iron found on blue ice. Possible relationships between the old terrestrial age of MIB 03002 and the regional glacial dynamics of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet in northern Victoria Land are also discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1127/0935-1221/2006/0018-0727","authors":["Massimo D'Orazio","Luigi Folco","Kees C. Welten","Marc W. Caffee","Natale Perchiazzi","Pierre Rochette"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-12-18T23:26:08Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1127/0935-1221/2006/0018-0727","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s00710-022-00778-y","name":"Impact diamonds from meteorite craters and Neogene placers in Ukraine","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00710-022-00778-y","authors":["Victor M. Kvasnytsya","Richard Wirth"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-29T09:30:36Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1007/s00710-022-00778-y","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/bf00399651","name":"The petrology of chondrules in the sharps meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00399651","authors":["Robert T. Dodd"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-10-20T05:02:07Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1007/bf00399651","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/bf00372112","name":"The petrology of chondrules in the Hallingeberg meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00372112","authors":["Robert T. Dodd"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-11-03T19:20:03Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1007/bf00372112","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s00710-018-0598-3","name":"Shaw meteorite: water-poor and water-rich melt inclusions in olivine and enstatite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00710-018-0598-3","authors":["Rainer Thomas","Paul Davidson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-06-14T04:53:28Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1007/s00710-018-0598-3","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1029/jb076i017p04067","name":"Chemistry and mineralogy of the lost city meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Lost City meteorite has been classified as a type H5 chondrite on the basis of its bulk chemical composition, its mineralogy, and its petrography. Chemical analyses were done on magnetic and nonmagnetic fractions, which were separately analyzed by a combination of atomic absorption and classical gravimetric, colorimetric, and titrametric procedures. Thin sections were examined microscopically and with the electron microprobe to complete the description and classification of the meteorite as an equilibrated olivine-bronzite chondrite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/jb076i017p04067","authors":["David F. Nava","Louis S. Walter","Arthur S. Doan","D. F. Nava","L. S. Walter","A. S. Doan"],"tags":["Meteorite","Petrography","Chondrite","Electron microprobe","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1971-06-10","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1029/jb076i017p04067","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1127/0935-1221/2007/0019-1767","name":"Chukanovite, Fe2(CO3)(OH)2, a new mineral from the weathered iron meteorite Dronino","source":"crossref","abstract":"The new mineral chukanovite, Fe2(CO3)(OH)2, occurs in cavities of weathered fragments of the Dronino ataxite iron \\nmeteorite found near the Dronino village, Kasimov district, Ryazan’ Oblast, Russia. It is a product of terrestrial alteration of \\nmeteorite iron. Associated minerals are goethite, akaganéite, hematite, hibbingite, reevesite, honessite, etc. Chukanovite forms acicular to fibrous individuals (up to 0.5 mm long and up to 2–3 μm thick) combined in spherulites up to 1 mm in diameter, \\n botryoidal spherulitic clusters and parallel- or radial-columnar aggregates which form crusts up to 1 mm thick. Unaltered \\nchukanovite is transparent, pale-green or colourless. The surface of aggregates is brownish-green. Streak is white. Lustre \\nis vitreous. Cleavage is perfect, probably on {0–21}, fracture is uneven. The mineral is brittle, the Mohs’ hardness is \\n3.5–4, the calculated density is 3.60 g/cm3. It is optically biaxial (–) with α 1.673(3), β 1.770(5), γ 1.780(5), 2Vmeas. 10(5)◦. \\nAverage chemical composition (wt. %; electron probe, H2O by modified Penfield method, CO2 by selective sorption) is: \\nMgO 0.1, FeO 68.8, NiO 0.6, CO2 19.8, H2O 10.9, total 100.2. The empirical formula calculated on the basis of two metal \\natoms is (Fe2+ \\n1.97Ni0.02Mg0.01)Σ2.00(CO3)0.93(OH)2.14·0.18H2O, ideally Fe2(CO3)(OH)2. Chukanovite is monoclinic P21/a, with a = \\n12.396(1) Å, b = 9.407(1) Å, c = 3.2152(3) Å, β = 97.78◦. The strongest lines of the X-ray powder pattern [d(Å), I, (hkl)] are: \\n6.14, 40, (200); 5.15, 60, (231); 3.73, 80, (310); 2.645, 100, (230); 2.361, 40, (510); 2.171, 40, (520). The structure of chukanovite was refined on synchrotron data by the Rietveld method up to Rp = 3.43 %, wRp = 4.51 %, RBragg = 2.48 %. Chukanovite is closely related to the minerals of the malachite-rosasite group. It was named in honour of Nikita V. Chukanov (b. 1953), Russian physicist and mineralogist. The holotype specimen is deposited in the Fersman Mineralogical Museum of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1127/0935-1221/2007/0019-1767","authors":["Igor V. Pekov","Natale Perchiazzi","Stefano Merlino","Vyacheslav N. Kalachev","Marco Merlini","Aleksandr E. Zadov"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-11-13T01:30:31Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1127/0935-1221/2007/0019-1767","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0012-821x(76)90186-2","name":"Lafayette meteorite: petrology and opaque mineralogy","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-821x(76)90186-2","authors":["Nabil Z. Boctor","Henry O.A. Meyer","Gunnar Kullerud","N. Z. Boctor","Henry O. A. Meyer","G. Kullerud"],"tags":["Geology","Ilmenite","Troilite","Magnetite","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1976-09-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1016/0012-821x(76)90186-2","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.1979.tb00495.x","name":"THE CHEMISTRY AND MINERALOGY OF THE HOMEWOOD, MANITOBA, METEORITE","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Homewood meteorite is a slightly weathered find of 325 grams discovered in 1970 about 64 km southwest of Winnipeg, Manitoba. It consists of olivine (Fa 25.4 ; 43.8 normative wt. percent), orthopyroxene (Fs 23.3 ; 28.5 percent), kamacite and taenite (7.5 percent), troilite (5.6 percent), maskelynite (8.3 percent), chromite (1.0 percent), whitlockite (0.7 percent) and minor patchy Ca pyroxene. Bulk chemical analysis yielded Fe total 21.60 wt. percent, Fe/SiO 2 0.55, SiO 2 /MgO 1.53 and Fe O /Fe total 0.29. Barred olivine, radiating pyroxene and porphyritic chondrules, all with ill‐defined outlines, occur in the meteorite. Most chemical and mineralogical features characterize the Homewood meteorite as an L6 (hypersthene) chondrite. The presence of maskelynite, the undulatory extinction, extensive fracturing and pervasive mosaicism of olivine, and the poor definition of chondrule outlines suggest that the Homewood meteorite has been shocked in the range of 300–350 kbar.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1979.tb00495.x","authors":["W.K. Mysyk","R.B. Ferguson","F.C. Hawthorne","K. Ramlal"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-11-13T15:49:18Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.1979.tb00495.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_15","name":"Comparison of Shock Features in Yanzhuang with Those of Experimentally Shocked Jilin Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_15","authors":["Xiande Xie","Ming Chen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-10T18:06:33Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_15","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.gca.2012.07.004","name":"Martian subsurface fluid pathways and 3D mineralogy of the Nakhla meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2012.07.004","authors":["A.W. Needham","R.L. Abel","T. Tomkinson","M.M. Grady","A. W. Needham","Richard L. Abel","M. M. Grady"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Halite","Geochemistry","Mars Exploration Program"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-09-22","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1016/j.gca.2012.07.004","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2014.06.002","name":"Modal mineralogy of the surface of Vesta: Evidence for ubiquitous olivine and identification of meteorite analogue","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2014.06.002","authors":["F. Poulet","O. Ruesch","Y. Langevin","H. Hiesinger"],"tags":["Olivine","Pyroxene","Meteorite","Plagioclase","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-06-11","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1016/j.icarus.2014.06.002","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/9781108613767.006","name":"Identification of Meteoritic Minerals in Reflected Light, by Backscattered Electron Imaging, and by Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy, Wavelength-Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy, and Electron Backscatter Diffraction Analysis","source":"crossref","abstract":"Many meteoritic minerals can be identified microscopically in reflected light; these include both opaque and nonopaque phases. The appearance of numerous opaque minerals is discussed in detail in two comprehensive books by Paul Ramdohr (1969, 1973).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108613767.006","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-11T00:05:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1017/9781108613767.006","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.15407/mineraljournal.39.03.043","name":"STRUCTURE-MINERALOGICAL FEATURES OF THE GALKIV (H4) STONE METEORITE","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.15407/mineraljournal.39.03.043","authors":["V. Semenenko","A. Girich","N. Kychan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-09-17T08:18:25Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.15407/mineraljournal.39.03.043","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1130/abs/2016nc-274962","name":"MINERALOGY AND ORE TEXTURES OF SULFIDES AT THE DECATURVILLE METEORITE IMPACT STRUCTURE IN SOUTH-CENTRAL MISSOURI","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/abs/2016nc-274962","authors":["Richard D. Hagni"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-04-25T22:26:11Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1130/abs/2016nc-274962","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1130/abs/2016am-286402","name":"A SPECTROSCOPIC INVESTIGATION OF THE MINERALOGY OF SHOCK-GENERATED MELTS WITHIN THE NORTHWEST AFRICA 6234 MARTIAN METEORITE","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/abs/2016am-286402","authors":["Melinda Jo Rucks","T.D. Glotch"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-10-20T18:06:14Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1130/abs/2016am-286402","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.16943/ptinsa/2017/49124","name":"Spectroscopy and Mineralogy of a New Meteorite Kamargaon (L6) Chondrite","source":"openalex","abstract":"We report spectroscopic, bulk, trace element and mineralogical composition of a fresh meteorite fall at Bali-Chapori village, near Kamargaon Town, Assam, India (263756.99 N; 9346 11.51 E) on November 13 th , 2015. The whole rock analyses and the composition of olivine and pyroxene indicate that the meteorite is an ordinary chondrite belonging to the group L6. The spectroscopic (Raman, FTIR, XRD) and petrographical (HR-ICP-MS, EPMA, XRF) studies reveal that the major constituents of the meteorite is olivine [(Mg, Fe) 2 SiO 4 ], pyroxene, and metal.","url":"https://doi.org/10.16943/ptinsa/2017/49124","authors":["Bhaskar J. Saikia","G. Parthasarathy","R. R. Borah","M. Satyanarayanan","R. Borthakur","P. Chetia","Bhaskar Jyoti Saikia","Rashmi R. Borah"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Ordinary chondrite","Geology","Carbonaceous chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-08-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.16943/ptinsa/2017/49124","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/253703a0","name":"Effect of thermal metamorphic conditions on mineralogy and trace element retention in the Allende meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/253703a0","authors":["MOHAMMED IKRAMUDDIN","MICHAEL E. LIPSCHUTZ","W. R. VAN SCHMUS","Mohammed Ikramuddin","M. E. Lipschutz","W. R. Van Schmus"],"tags":["Allende meteorite","Meteorite","Chondrite","Trace element","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1975-02-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1038/253703a0","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1127/ejm/2016/0028-2557","name":"Czochralskiite, Na4Ca3Mg(PO4)4, a second new mineral from the Morasko IAB-MG iron meteorite (Poland)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Czochralskiite, Na 4 Ca 3 Mg(PO 4 ) 4 , is the second new phosphate mineral found in the Morasko IAB-MG iron meteorite. This very rare mineral occurs in phosphate inclusions (nodules) with graphite rims enclosed in the kamacite–taenite matrix of the meteorite. Almost thirty mineral species have been reported from this meteorite (most from various inclusions), including six, possibly eight phosphates (fluorapatite, buchwaldite, brianite, merrillite, moraskoite Na 2 Mg(PO 4 )F, chlorapatite? and whitlockite?), and schreibersite, chromite, enstatite (‘bronzite’), kosmochlor, kosmochlor–augite, olivine, albite, orthoclase, quartz, cohenite, nickelphosphide, altaite, troilite, pyrrhotite, sphalerite, daubreelite, djerfisherite, and native Cu. Czochralskiite forms xenomorphic, usually oval grains and amoeboid aggregates, between 0.1 and 0.5 mm in size. It is colourless and transparent, with white streak and vitreous lustre; it shows no fluorescence, it is biaxial (+): α = 1.608(2), β = 1.611(2), γ = 1.616(2); α = a , β = b , γ = c ; 2 V (meas.) = 70° (10), 2 V (calc.) = 76°; the dispersion is very weak; Mohs’ hardness is 4–5; the fracture is irregular, conchoidal, and no cleavage was observed. The mean of twelve electron-microprobe analyses is (wt%): P 2 O 5 46.28, CaO 27.59, Na 2 O 20.04, MgO 6.21, FeO 0.32, MnO 0.16, K 2 O 0.09, total 100.69, leading to the empirical formula Na 3.97 Ca 3.02 Mg 0.95 Mn 2+ 0.01 K 0.01 Fe 2+ 0.03 (P 4.00 O 16 ). The calculated density based on the empirical formula and the single-crystal structural data is 3.148 g · cm −3 . The structure of czochralskiite [ Pnma, a = 17.9230(2), b = 10.7280(2), c = 6.7794(1) A, V = 1303.53(3)A 3 , Z = 4] is of the glaserite-type and related to that of buchwaldite and brianite. The strongest diffraction lines of the calculated czochralskiite powder diffraction pattern are [ d hkl (I )]: 3.802(48), 3.728(31), 2.726(100), 2.679(63), 2.602(83), 1.901 (44). The Raman spectrum shows the following characteristic bands (cm −1 , strong bands underlined): 1119, 1167, 1053, 1039, 1022, 1011, 986, 974, 966, 606, 585, 578 and 441. The Raman data show the absence of H 2 O and CO 2 . Czochralskiite is interpreted as a primary phosphate, which crystallized together with graphite and other phosphates inside the nodules. The mineral name honours Jan Czochralski (1885–1953), Polish chemist, crystallographer and metallurgist.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1127/ejm/2016/0028-2557","authors":["Łukasz Karwowski","Ryszard Kryza","Andrzej Muszyński","Joachim Kusz","Katarzyna Helios","Piotr Drożdżewski","Evgeny V. Galuskin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-06-15T15:19:29Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1127/ejm/2016/0028-2557","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.1973.tb01248.x","name":"A NOTE ON THE MINERALOGY AND CLASSIFICATION OF THE VILNA METEORITE","source":"openalex","abstract":"Electron microprobe analyses of olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, plagioclase feldspar, chromite, whitlockite, apatite, troilite and metals indicate that the Vilna meteorite is a hypersthene chondrite belonging to the L5 or L6 subgroups.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1973.tb01248.x","authors":["D. G. W. Smith","R. E. Folinsbee","M. Hall‐Beyer","David G. Smith"],"tags":["Troilite","Whitlockite","Plagioclase","Geology","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1973-09-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.1973.tb01248.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2465/gkk.141210","name":"Introduction to Meteorite Mineralogy","source":"openalex","abstract":"Minerals in meteorites give constraints on the formation history of not only meteorites, but the solar system. Here I introduce some characteristic minerals in meteorites. Enstatite chondrites contain abundant unusual sulfide and metallic minerals that were formed under highly reducing conditions. Refractory inclusions were formed in the earliest stage of the solar system. They typically contain Ca-Al-rich minerals. A new mineral, kushiroite, is one of such minerals, and formed under rapid crystallization conditions. Ultrahigh-pressure minerals are commonly encountered both in chondrites and differentiated meteorites, indicative of pervasive impact processes in the early solar system. An eclogitic mineral assemblage encountered in a CR chondrite suggests the possibility that asteroids were primarily larger than previously estimated.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2465/gkk.141210","authors":["Makoto KIMURA","Makoto Kimura"],"tags":["Meteorite","Enstatite","Chondrite","Chondrule","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.2465/gkk.141210","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.1975.tb00017.x","name":"MINERALOGY, PETROLOGY AND CHEMISTRY OF THE ISNA (C3) METEORITE","source":"openalex","abstract":"A total chemical analysis of the Isna, Egypt, meteorite is similar to analyses for chondrites of type C3, Ornans sub‐type; however, comparison with one group of chemical data indicates that Isna is intermediate between the C3(O)'s and C3(V)'s in terms of total Fe. On the basis of atom ratios of Fe, Ca, Al, and Ti to Si, Isna can also be placed into a chemical group which includes types C1 and C2, as well as C3(O). Thin sections show a variety of small, closely‐packed chondrules, fragments, and aggregate‐like masses in a poorly translucent matrix. Olivine + clinoenstatite inclusions rich in metal and troilite, and olivine‐rich inclusions are abundant and show evidence of shock. Ca‐Al‐Ti‐ rich inclusions, of probable high‐temperature origin, contain olivine, spinel , Ca‐ rich nepheline, gehlenite, diopside, augite, enstatite, and anorthite. Kamacite and taenite from various occurrences in the meteorite have rather uniform Ni and Co contents, and Ni/Co for kamacite is close to that for several C3(O)'s.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1975.tb00017.x","authors":["Robert L. Methot","Albert F. Noonan","Eugene Jarosewich","Aurelio A. deGasparis","D.M. Al‐Far","A. F. Noonan","E. Jarosewich","A. A. Degasparis"],"tags":["Troilite","Nepheline","Kamacite","Enstatite","Augite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1975-06-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.1975.tb00017.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00348.x","name":"The Bagnone iron meteorite (Tuscany, Italy): History, mineralogy, and chemical classification","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Bagnone, the largest Italian iron meteorite (48 kg), was found as a single mass at the beginning of the 20th century while ploughing a field close to the Bagnone Castle (Massa Carrara, northern Tuscany). The morphology of the external surface suggests that Bagnone represents a complete individual. It is classified as a medium octahedrite (average bandwidth = 0.96 mm) of the IIIAB chemical group, based on inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analyses.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00348.x","authors":["M. D'Orazio","L. Folco","N. Perchiazzi","Massimo D’Orazio","Natale Perchiazzi"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Iron meteorite","Mineralogy","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-08-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00348.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.1995.tb01146.x","name":"Chemistry and mineralogy of oxidation products on the surface of the Hoba nickel‐iron meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— An oxide layer adjacent to the surface of the Hoba Ni‐Fe meteorite was analyzed chemically and mineralogically. Maghemite, magnetite, goethite and lepidocrocite were the main Fe minerals found in the oxide layer surrounding Hoba. Most of the Ni from the unweathered original meteorite was distributed among the above minerals with spinel‐type oxides (maghemite and magnetite) having the largest Ni fraction. Some Ni migrated to the limestone in which the meteorite is embedded. No evidence for zaratite or akaganeite was found in the oxide layer. Sulfate derived from the oxidation of troilite precipitated as gypsum. Phosphate accumulation in limestone in contact with the meteorite is probably due to phosphate adsorbed on Fe‐oxides. Maghemite with some magnetite was the oxidation product immediately next to the meteorite metal surface, which accommodated most of the Ni and Fe from the meteorite into its structure. Upon oxidation, some of the Ni, which was incorporated into calcite, was released. Cobalt associated with the oxides stayed within the oxide structure regardless of the oxidation state and did not migrate to the limestone. This suggests that Co may be a good tracer for oxides of meteoritic origin.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1995.tb01146.x","authors":["D. C. Golden","D. W. Ming","M. E. Zolensky"],"tags":["Maghemite","Meteorite","Lepidocrocite","Magnetite","Troilite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1995-07-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.1995.tb01146.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.12947/hecl.emdb.153","name":"Activity: Petrographic microscopy of NASA's antarctic meteorite thin section set","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.12947/hecl.emdb.153","authors":["Lindsay McHenry"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-06-03T22:09:03Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.12947/hecl.emdb.153","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/1755-6724.13290","name":"Mineralogy and Petrology of A New Lunar Meteorite M16005","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-6724.13290","authors":["Huanxin LIU","Bingkui MIAO","Lilin HUANG","Yulong WANG","Huanxin Liu","Bingkui Miao","L. Huang","Yulong Wang"],"tags":["Geology","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Petrology","Igneous petrology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-05-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1111/1755-6724.13290","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb01222.x","name":"Petrography, mineralogy, and trace element geochemistry of lunar meteorite Dhofar 1180","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Here we report the petrography, mineralogy, and trace element geochemistry of the Dhofar 1180 lunar meteorite. Dhofar 1180 is predominantly composed of fine‐grained matrix with abundant mineral fragments and a few lithic and glassy clasts. Lithic clasts show a variety of textures including cataclastic, gabbroic, granulitic, ophitic/subophitic, and microporphyritic. Both feldspathic and mafic lithic clasts are present. Most feldspathic lithic clasts have a strong affinity to ferroan anorthositic suite rocks and one to magnesian suite rocks. Mafic lithic clasts are moderately to extremely Fe‐rich. The Ti/[Ti+Cr]‐Fe/[Fe+Mg] compositional trend of pyroxenes in mafic lithic clasts is consistent with that of low‐Ti mare basalts. Glasses display a wide chemical variation from mafic to feldspathic. Some glasses are very similar to those from Apollo 16 soils. KREEP components are essentially absent in Dhofar 1180. One glassy clast is rich in K, REE and P, but its Mg/[Mg+Fe] is very low (0.25). It is probably a last‐stage differentiation product of mare basalt. Molar Fe/Mn ratios of both olivine and pyroxene are essentially consistent with a lunar origin. Dhofar 1180 has a LREE‐enriched (La 18 × CI, Sm 14 × CI) pattern with a small positive Eu anomaly (Eu 15 × CI). Th concentration is 0.7 ppm in Dhofar 1180. Petrography, mineralogy, and trace element geochemistry of Dhofar 1180 are different from those of other lunar meteorites, indicating that Dhofar 1180 represents a unique mingled lunar breccia derived from an area on the lunar nearside but far away from the center of the Imbrium Basin.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb01222.x","authors":["Aicheng Zhang","Weibiao Hsu","Ai‐Cheng Zhang"],"tags":["Geochemistry","Mafic","Geology","Basalt","Petrography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-09-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb01222.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1127/0935-1221/2004/0016-0203","name":"Melting experiments of a chondritic meteorite between 16 and 25 GPa: Implication for Na/K fractionation in a primitive chondritic Earth's mantle","source":"crossref","abstract":"Melting experiments at high-pressure and temperature were conducted at pressures from 16 to 25 GPa using chondritic starting material but with slightly enhanced Na- and K-contents while keeping the chondritic Na/K ratio constant. The experiments revealed that majorite garnet contains enhanced concentrations of Na (3.75-4.71 wt.% Na2O) and moderately enhanced concentrations of K (0.3-0.46 wt.% K2O) from 16 to 20 GPa and it is therefore the Na- and K-bearing phase at this pressure range. The Na2O/K2O ratio (8-15) in garnet is close to the initial chondritic ratio (7) of the starting material, which might indicate that at these pressures only little Na/K fractionation takes place. At pressures above 21 GPa, the high-pressure phases enriched in Na include majorite garnet (3.08-6.22 wt.% Na2O), magnesiowustite (1.83-3.3 wt.% Na2O), and (Mg,Fe)SiO3-perovskite (0.43-1.25 wt.% Na2O). These phases contain only small amounts of K ( 21 GPa should have taken place in the early accretional period in the primitive chondritic mantle of the Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1127/0935-1221/2004/0016-0203","authors":["Ming Chen","Ahmed El Goresy","Dan Frost","Philippe Gillet"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-03-30T22:35:35Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1127/0935-1221/2004/0016-0203","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.1985.tb00851.x","name":"MINERALOGY OF THE BOCAIUVA IRON METEORITE: A PRELIMINARY STUDY","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Bocaiuva iron contains 10 to 15% by volume of silicate inclusions which are surrounded by kamacite (6.5 wt % Ni). The metal shows a Widmanstätten pattern in metal areas devoid of silicates; taenite evolved in plessite fields. The silicate inclusions occur as nodules, and as irregular or chain‐like aggregates in which olivine may be rounded or faceted. The magnesian silicates (forsterite, enstatite, diopside) are similar in composition to those of the group IAB irons, whereas the interstitial plagioclase is much more calcic (An 50) than that usually found. Iron sulfide occurs as pyrrhotite and contains 1–2 wt% Cu. Chromite and euhedral magnetite are accessory phases always associated with pyrrhotite. Some patches of pyrrhotite enclose rounded chromite and small plagioclase crystals displaying compositions different from those of the ground mass of the inclusions. Schreibersite shows a compositional variability. This preliminary study underlines the unusual nature of Ms iron and raises several questions concerning the genetic relations between silicates, sulfide and metal, and the thermal history of the whole material.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1985.tb00851.x","authors":["C. Desnoyers","M. Christophe Michel‐Levy","I.S. Azevedo","R.B. Scorzelli","J. Danon","E. Galvão da Silva","M. Christophe Michel‐Lévy","I. Souza Azevedo","R. B. Scorzelli"],"tags":["Kamacite","Pyrrhotite","Chromite","Geology","Troilite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1985-03-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.1985.tb00851.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1134/s1028334x18090118","name":"The Severny Kolchim Meteorite: New Data on Mineralogy","source":"openalex","abstract":"New data on the mineral composition of the Severny Kolchim meteorite, found in Perm Region in 1965, are presented. It has been found that that the meteorite matter is composed of olivine (chrysolite), orthopyroxene (bronzite), clinopyroxene (diopside), plagioclase (oligoclase, bytownite), glass, chromite, magnetite, ilmenite, rutile, metals Fe and Ni (kamasite, taenite, tetrataenite), copper, sulfides (troilite, pentlandite, covellite), chlorapatite, and merrillite. Diopside, tetrataenite, chlorapatite, and merrillite were identified in the Severny Kolchim meteorite for the first time. The chemical compositions are given for all these minerals. The meteorite itself is a nonequilibrium ordinary chondrite stone belonging to petrological type H3.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1134/s1028334x18090118","authors":["Yu. V. Erokhin","V. A. Koroteev","V. V. Khiller","K. S. Ivanov","D. A. Kleimenov","В. В. Хиллер","К. С. Иванов","Д. А. Клейменов"],"tags":["Troilite","Meteorite","Geology","Chromite","Ilmenite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-09-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1134/s1028334x18090118","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.1996.tb02123.x","name":"Mineralogy and geochemistry of lunar meteorite Queen Alexandra Range 93069","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Queen Alexandra Range (QUE) 93069 is a glass‐rich regolith breccia derived from the lunar highlands. The high abundance of glassy fragments, the presence of agglutinates, the small size of all mineral and glass fragments, the presence of mostly melt rocks, and the low abundance of pristine lunar crustal rocks, all indicate that QUE 93069 is derived from a mature regolith. This conclusion is also supported by its high siderophile element content. The most common mafic mineral is pyroxene, with compositions that indicate derivation from ferroan ANT suite rocks. Rare gabbro differentiation products may be indicated by the presence of silica, fayalitic olivine, and one pyroxferroite grain. Lithic fragments are mostly meta‐melt rocks of ANT composition. The glass compositions are dominated by troctolitic anorthosite compositions, followed by gabbroic anorthosite and noritic anorthosite. Most glasses are ol‐normative in composition. Some rare basic glasses of noritic composition were observed. Glass fragments and matrix glasses are alkali‐poor, except for some rare alkali‐rich shards. The bulk chemical composition of QUE 93069, as well as the rare‐earth‐element (REE) abundance pattern, is very similar to that of other highlands meteorites, such as MAC 88105 and Y‐86032 and to average lunar highlands crust. One small porous clast was found to be very rich in volatile elements, as well as in most lithophile and siderophile elements. As this sample also contains abundant sulfides, the enrichments could be related to element mobilization and redistribution by volatile sulfur species.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1996.tb02123.x","authors":["Christian KOEBERL","Gero KURAT","Franz BRANDSTÄTTER","Christian Koeberl","G. Kurat","F. Brandstätter"],"tags":["Anorthosite","Geology","Geochemistry","Breccia","Mafic"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1996-11-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.1996.tb02123.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1134/s1028334x17120121","name":"The Kargapole meteorite: New data on mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"New data on the mineral composition of Kargapole meteorite, which was found in Kurgan oblast in 1961, are presented. It has been established that the meteoritic material is represented by olivine (chrysolite), orthopyroxene (bronzite), clinopyroxene (diopside), plagioclase (oligoclase), chromite, Fe and Ni metal particles (kamacite, taenite, tetrataenite), sulfides (troilite, pentlandite), chlorapatite, and merrillite. For the first time, diopside, tetrataenite, pentlandite, chlorapatite, and merrillite were identified in the Kargapole meteorite. The chemical compositions of all minerals studied are given in Table 1. In terms of petrology, the meteorite is classified a common H4 chondrite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1134/s1028334x17120121","authors":["Yu. V. Erokhin","V. A. Koroteev","V. V. Khiller","E. V. Burlakov","K. S. Ivanov","D. A. Kleimenov"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-01-02T13:52:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1134/s1028334x17120121","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.aed6340","name":"&lt;sup&gt;16&lt;/sup&gt;O poor cosmic spherules from near-Earth CY chondrite asteroids.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Approximately 10% of cosmic spherules-microscopic extraterrestrial particles that melt upon atmospheric entry and dominate the influx of astromaterials to Earth-exhibit anomalous oxygen isotopic compositions, suggesting an asteroidal source not represented in current meteorite collections. We introduce a a previously unidentified subset of micrometeorites, the sulfur-rich cumulate olivine (SCumPo) cosmic spherules, characterized by cumulate textures evidencing the settling of olivine crystals, and oxygen-16 ( 16 O)-poor bulk signatures. The systematically nickel-poor olivine phenocrysts, frequent iron-nickel-sulfur droplets, unusually sulfur-rich mesostasis, and a virtual absence of magnetite all point to unusually highly reducing conditions during atmospheric entry, which may reflect unusual precursor mineralogy. Numerical modeling of olivine settling under deceleration speeds of ~14 to 17 kilometers per second suggests high-eccentricity precursor orbits ( e > 0.2), incompatible with typical main-belt asteroid sources. These findings point to a previously unsampled, primitive, sulfide-rich CY-like near-Earth asteroid, which represents a \"missing\" meteorite parent body that contributes distinctive 16 O-poor cosmic dust to Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aed6340","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.aed6340","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.20944/preprints202603.1259.v1","name":"Connecting Meteorite Spectra to Lunar Surface Composition Using Hyperspectral Imaging and Machine Learning","source":"europepmc","abstract":"We present an innovative, cost-effective framework integrating laboratory Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI) of the BECHAR 010 lunar meteorite with ground-based lunar HSI and supervised Machine Learning (ML) to generate high-fidelity mineralogical maps. A \\SI{3}{\\milli\\metre} thin section of BECHAR 010 was imaged under a microscope with a \\SI{30}{\\milli\\metre} focal length lens at \\SI{150}{\\milli\\metre} working distance, using 6x binning to increase the signal-to-noise ratio, producing a data cube (X $\\times$ Y $\\times$ $\\lambda$ = $791 \\times 1024 \\times 224$, \\SI{0.24}{\\milli\\metre} $\\times$ \\SI{0.2}{\\milli\\metre} resolution) across \\SIrange{400}{1000}{\\nano\\metre} (224 bands, \\SI{2.7}{\\nano\\metre} spectral sampling, \\SI{5.5}{\\nano\\metre} FWHM spectral resolution) using a Specim FX10 camera. Ground-based lunar HSI was captured with a Celestron 8SE telescope (\\SI{3}{\\kilo\\metre}/pixel), yielded a data cube ($371 \\times 1024 \\times 224$). Solar calibration was performed using a Spectralon reference (\\SI{99}{\\percent} reflectance \\SI{ 2}{\\percent} error) ensured accurate reflectance spectra. A Support Vector Machine (SVM) with a radial basis function kernel, trained on expert-labeled spectra, achieved \\SI{93.7}{\\percent} classification accuracy (5-fold cross-validation) for olivine (\\SI{92}{\\percent} precision, \\SI{90}{\\percent} recall) and pyroxene (\\SI{88}{\\percent} precision, \\SI{86}{\\percent} recall) in BECHAR 010. Local Interpretable Model-agnostic Explanations (LIME) identified key wavelengths (e.g., \\SI{485}{\\nano\\metre}, \\SI{22.4}{\\percent} for M3; \\SI{715}{\\nano\\metre}, \\SI{20.6}{\\percent} for M6) across 10 pre selected regions (M1 to M10), indicating olivine-rich (Highland-like) and pyroxene-rich (Mare-like) compositions. Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) analysis revealed angles from \\SI{0.26}{\\radian} to \\SI{0.66}{\\radian}, linking M3 and M9 to Highlands and M6 and M10 to Mares. K-means clustering of lunar data identified 10 mineralogical clusters (\\SI{88}{\\percent} accuracy), validated against Chandrayaan-1 Moon mineralogy Mapper ($\\rm M^3$) data (\\SI{140}{\\metre}/pixel, \\SI{10}{\\nano\\metre} spectral resolution). A novel push-broom HSI approach with telescope, achieves 0.8 arcsec resolution for lunar spectroscopy, inspiring full-sky multi-object spectral mapping.","url":"https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202603.1259.v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.20944/preprints202603.1259.v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s11214-025-01240-z","name":"The Psyche Light Elements Investigation.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Light elements, such as C, S, Si, O, C, and H, are thought to be present in Earth's liquid-Fe outer core. These elements lower melting temperatures, thereby allowing the core to remain in liquid state at high pressure and influencing magnetic and geodynamic processes. However, the identity and abundance of the light elements in the cores of terrestrial planets and how they were delivered to these cores is not well known. The NASA Psyche mission will travel to and explore (16) Psyche, which may be the metal-rich core of a differentiated planetesimal exposed by collisional stripping. If so, the Psyche mission could provide a direct assessment of the light element content of an asteroidal core, allowing comparisons to the inferred composition of planetary cores and the parent bodies of the magmatic iron group meteorites. In particular, Earth's high-pressure core formed gradually (over ∼100 Myr), in a multistage process, under increasingly oxidizing conditions, whereas the cores of planetesimals formed quickly (within 10 Myr) at low pressure, likely in chemical equilibrium with their mantles. The trace element systematics and mineral composition of magmatic iron meteorites indicate the presence of C, P, and S in planetesimal cores prior to solidification. Such elements would have played a role in core dynamics, including dynamo generation. Their low solubility combined with the immiscibility of their mineral precipitates would have resulted in their separation from Fe upon crystallization and their eruption onto the surface of a stripped core (via ferrovolcanism). The Psyche spacecraft will detect their elemental, mineral, and magnetic signatures with the payload instruments, which include a Gamma Ray and Neutron Spectrometer, a Multispectral Imager, and a Magnetometer. Additional constraints on interior composition and processes influenced by light elements will be provided by Psyche's gravity and geomorphology investigations. We provide a brief introduction to the topic of light elements along with prospects for (16) Psyche. While we emphasize core formation processes, we also consider other possibilities for the origin and evolution of this metal-rich body.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-025-01240-z","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1007/s11214-025-01240-z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-026-70656-0","name":"Diverse organic molecules on Mars revealed by the first SAM TMAH experiment.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The search for organic matter on Mars has rapidly evolved in the past decade with simple aromatic, S-heterocycles, and aliphatic organic molecules detected in Gale crater. We report the in situ detection of >20 organic molecules from clay-bearing sandstones in the ~3.5-billion-year-old Knockfarrill Hill member of Glen Torridon, Gale crater, by the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument suite onboard the Curiosity rover. These molecules were liberated by the onboard tetramethylammonium hydroxide wet chemistry experiment. Diverse thermochemolysis products, including benzothiophene, methyl benzoate, and single and dicyclic aromatic molecules were released and detected by evolved gas analysis and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results indicate the experiment successfully released molecules preserved in ancient macromolecular or free organic matter within Martian bedrock despite ~3.5 billion years of diagenesis and radiation exposure.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-70656-0","authors":["Amy J. Williams","J. L. Eigenbrode","M. Millán","Ross H. Williams","Ophélie McIntosh","Samuel Teinturier","Janelle Roach","Charles Malespin","Amy C. McAdam","Paul Mahaffy","A. B. Bryk","A. Buch"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Organic molecules","Tetramethylammonium hydroxide","Astrobiology","Organic matter"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-026-70656-0","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.aea3420","name":"A Noachian hydrosphere component in the 4.1-Ga Martian meteorite Teghaza 001.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The recent discovery of a 4.1-billion-year-old (Ga) Martian gabbroic diorite enables an assessment of water reservoirs on early Mars. Measurements of H 2 O and D/H in igneous Ca-phosphates record mixing between D-poor magmatic water and a D-rich component that retains an imprint of the ancient Martian hydrosphere. The D/H ratio of magmatic water is similar in Martian magmas with different ages and mantle sources, indicating that early differentiation processes did not fractionate H isotopes in the primordial Martian mantle. The D-rich component was assimilated by migrating magmas that interacted with aqueously altered basaltic crust. Our minimum bound on the D/H ratio of the Martian hydrosphere at 4.1 Ga (~2× the D/H ratio of Earth seawater) supports models of rapid H loss to space from Mars' juvenile atmosphere.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aea3420","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.aea3420","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.adx0047","name":"Spatially distributed complex organic matter detected in an ancient river valley in Jezero crater, Mars.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Using a Raman spectrometer onboard the Perseverance rover, we report the heterogeneous distribution of organic carbon within mudstones located in an ancient river valley on Mars. Measurements of two mudstones show hundreds of organic detections, making this the most robust organic detection in Jezero crater thus far, and, to our knowledge, the only detection of macromolecular carbon on a natural rock surface on Mars. Spectra of the interior of one rock reveal an association of organics with secondary carbonate and sulfate minerals, whereas another rock exhibits an association of organics with primary silicate-dominated matrix. Although in situ Raman analyses cannot determine whether these organics denote abiotic or biotic sources, the organic association with both depositional and diagenetic minerals and the detection of organics on the martian surface suggests that the organics observed ubiquitously at the Bright Angel outcrop may be resistant to radiation and oxidation or have been relatively recently exposed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adx0047","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.adx0047","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1140/epjp/s13360-026-07415-z","name":"No exotic matter in asteroids.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Solar System bodies have similar abundances of non-volatile elements. Asteroids are categorized as unmelted chondritic bodies or as differentiated bodies formed by extensive to global melting of chondritic progenitors. Reflectance spectra show asteroids are compositionally similar to meteorites (which are composed of non-exotic materials-mainly silicates, metallic Fe-Ni, sulfides, oxides, and organic matter). Dense refractory siderophile elements (e.g., Re, Os, Ir, Pt) are present in iron meteorites in total concentrations -3 for a zero-porosity core fragment composed of ~ 90 wt% Fe and ~ 10 wt% Ni. Carry (Planet Space Sci 73:98-118, 2012) compiled asteroid densities and included some anomalous values (caused by uncertainties in measurement) that he characterized as unrealistic and non-physical. One such value for asteroid (33) Polyhymnia (75.3 ± 9.7 g cm -3 ) was accepted by LaForge et al. (Eur Phys J Plus 138: 812, 2023) who characterized Polyhymnia as a compact ultradense object (CUDO) perhaps composed of stable superheavy elements (SHEs) or alpha matter (alpha particles in a Bose-Einstein condensate). Kiren et al. (Eur Phys J Plus 139: 547, 2024) proposed Polyhymnia could consist of degenerate dark matter. It is exceedingly unlikely that Polyhymnia or other asteroids contain exotic matter: (1) The listed bulk density of Polyhymnia is characterized as \"unrealistic.\" (2) Meteorites (~ 98.5% are from asteroids) are composed of non-exotic materials. (3) The spectra of \"CUDO\" asteroids do not differ from other asteroids of their taxonomic class. (4) SHEs and degenerate dark matter have not yet been shown to exist. (5) Alpha matter may occur naturally only in extreme astrophysical environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-026-07415-z","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1140/epjp/s13360-026-07415-z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s11214-024-01132-8","name":"Low-Temperature Aqueous Alteration of Chondrites.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract Chondritic meteorites (chondrites) contain evidence for the interaction of liquid water with the interiors of small bodies early in Solar System history. Here we review the processes, products and timings of the low-temperature aqueous alteration reactions in CR, CM, CI and ungrouped carbonaceous chondrites, the asteroids Ryugu and Bennu, and hydrated dark clasts in different types of meteorites. We first consider the nature of chondritic lithologies and the insights that they provide into alteration conditions, subdivided by the mineralogy and petrology of hydrated chondrites, the mineralogy of hydrated dark clasts, the effects of alteration on presolar grains, and the evolution of organic matter. We then describe the properties of the aqueous fluids and how they reacted with accreted material as revealed by physicochemical modelling and hydrothermal experiments, the analysis of fluid inclusions in aqueously formed minerals, and isotope tracers. Lastly, we outline the chronology of aqueous alteration reactions as determined using the 53Mn-53Cr and 129I-129Xe systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-024-01132-8","authors":["Martin Lee","C. M. O'd. Alexander","A. Bischoff","A. J. Brearley","E. Dobrică","Wataru Fujiya","Corentin Le Guillou","A. J. King","Elishevah van Kooten","Alexander N. Krot","J. Leitner","Yves Marrocchi"],"tags":["Chondrite","Astrobiology","Planetary science","Aqueous solution","Geology"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1007/s11214-024-01132-8","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1186/s40623-024-02116-2","name":"A high-resolution in situ X-ray diffraction study of mineral transitions due to post-hydration heating in CM chondrite meteorites.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract: The effects of post-hydration heating over a broad range of temperatures are evident in many Mighei-like carbonaceous (CM) chondrites as a variety of mineral transitions. To better understand these processes and how a CM chondrite's starting composition may have affected them, we experimentally heated two meteorites with different degrees of aqueous alteration, Allan Hills 83100 and Murchison, at 25 °C temperature steps from 200 °C to 950 °C and 300 °C to 750 °C, respectively. During heating, synchrotron in situ X-ray diffraction patterns were collected. With the exception of calcite decomposition and its products, most mineral transitions were unaffected by starting composition. Key observations include: (1) partial decomposition of tochilinite at 200 °C, which indicates that tochilinite breakdown might be a two-stage process due to its intergrown layers of brucite/amakinite and mackinawite; (2) the breakdown of serpentine occurring at 300 °C with transitional phases appearing at 525 °C and 575-600 °C, while secondary olivine formed at 600 °C; (3) cronstedtite decomposing faster than lizardite, (4) the formation of secondary enstatite at 750 °C, and (5) calcite decomposition temperature differing significantly between meteorites, occurring at 725 °C and 575 °C in ALH 83100 and Murchison, respectively. The results for calcite are likely controlled by differences in its microstructure and chemical composition, related to the meteorite's impact history and degree of aqueous alteration. The difference in calcite decomposition temperature also explains the contrasts in the observed breakdown products, with clinopyroxene occurring in both meteorites, and oldhamite only in ALH 83100. Mineral transitions due to post-hydration heating have been characterized with a high resolution XRD method, enabling a better understanding of processes occurring on the parent asteroids of CM chondrites. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40623-024-02116-2.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40623-024-02116-2","authors":["Laura E. Jenkins","A. J. King","Martin Lee","Luke Daly","Stephen P. Thompson","Sarah J. Day","Lucy K. Saunders","Pierre‐Etienne Martin","Fahkri Bintang"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Murchison meteorite","Enstatite","Calcite"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1186/s40623-024-02116-2","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1029/2024je008359","name":"Automated Mineralogy Analysis of the Apollo 17 73002 Continuous Core Thin Sections Using QEMSCAN Mapping Techniques.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Apollo 17 73001/73002 double drive tube, collected at the base of the South Massif in the Taurus-Littrow Valley, was opened in 2019 as part of the Apollo Next Generation Sample Analysis program (ANGSA). A series of continuous thin sections were prepared capturing the full length of the upper portion of the double drive tube (73002). The aim of this study was to use Quantitative Evaluation of Minerals by SCANing electron microscopy (QEMSCAN), to search for clasts of non-lunar meteoritic origin and to analyze the mineralogy and textures within the core. By highlighting mineral groups associated with meteoritic origins, we identified 232 clasts of interest. The elemental composition of 33 clasts was analyzed using electron microprobe analysis that revealed that all clasts were of lunar origin, suggesting that any meteoritic component in the regolith material we studied is not present in the form of lithic clasts. In the process of searching for meteorite fragments, we also identified a number of clast types including a group with highly magnesian olivine compositions (Fo 92.2-96.5 ). We extracted raw pixel data to investigate changes in mineralogy with depth, used QEMSCAN processors to separate and group individual clasts based on mineralogy, and determined variations in particle size with depth. Our results show a decreasing abundance of glass and agglutinate clasts with depth, associated with a higher soil maturity in the upper portion of the core. The lack of stratigraphy and dominance of non-mare clasts is consistent with the landslide origin of the material from the South Massif.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024je008359","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1029/2024je008359","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s11214-025-01216-z","name":"Initial Conditions of Planet Formation: Time Constraints from Small Bodies and the Lifetime of Reservoirs in the Solar Protoplanetary Disk.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This review explores the timescales of the initial phase of planet formation, from nebular dust (CAIs and chondrules) to planetesimal accretion and differentiation, using evidence from meteorite research. Aluminium-Mg systematics of CAIs indicate either an extended period of CAI formation (∼0.3 Ma) or an initial 26 Al heterogeneity, with evidence supporting a homogeneous 26 Al abundance in the protoplanetary disk. Thermal and aqueous alteration on the parent body can disturb the U-Pb and Al-Mg chronometers in chondrules. Focusing on relatively robust isochron data from plagioclase of pristine (types ≤3.05) chondrites indicates a shift in chondrule formation locations, moving from the inner to the outer disk over time. Ages of basaltic achondrites show that silicate differentiation on small bodies was well underway within the first few million years (Ma) of our solar system. Their age record, however, reveals inconsistencies between different chronometers, partly caused by (i) secondary disturbances due to thermal metamorphism, aqueous alteration, or impacts, (ii) the presence of xenolithic minerals, and (iii) potentially variable initial 26 Al abundances due to disturbances at the mineral scale. Nucleosynthetic isotope data indicate that parent bodies of iron and stony meteorites formed in two distinct regions within the protoplanetary disk: the inner, non-carbonaceous (NC) and the outer, carbonaceous (CC) region. Based on Hf-W chronometry it has been demonstrated that NC and CC parent bodies of magmatic iron meteorites segregated their cores within ∼1-3 Ma after CAI formation, implying that parent body accretion occurred within <1 Ma in both reservoirs. Combining accretion ages with nucleosynthetic data further reveals that, at first order, NC and CC reservoirs in the solar protoplanetary disk were established within 1 Ma and existed over several Ma with limited exchange between them. In the CR chondrite accretion region of the disk, planetary bodies formed over at least 3 Ma, while in most other regions, formation spanned at least 1 Ma, with minimal changes in nucleosynthetic isotope compositions. Aerodynamical size sorting of dust likely introduced or amplified some of these variations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-025-01216-z","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1007/s11214-025-01216-z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-025-67159-9","name":"Hydrothermal alteration of Ryugu from a disruptive impact recorded in a returned sample.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Samples returned from C-type asteroid (162173) Ryugu by JAXA's Hayabusa2 spacecraft provide material free of terrestrial alteration for analysis. Previous work shows that Ryugu was aqueously altered below 100 °C under neutral to alkaline fluid conditions. Such low-temperature alteration was unexpected based on spacecraft observations which indicated that Ryugu's surface may be thermally altered. Here we show that sulfides in a single particle (A0016) returned by the Hayabusa2 mission are unlike any previously described from Ryugu. The presence and compositions of violarite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, pentlandite, and Fe-depleted pyrrhotite grains provide direct evidence for hydrothermal alteration between 230 to 400 °C under highly oxidizing and acidic fluid conditions. We hypothesize that A0016 was near to the site of a large impact that disrupted Ryugu's precursor parent body.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-67159-9","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-025-67159-9","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2404254121","name":"Fundamental constraints and questions from the study of martian meteorites and the need for returned samples.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Physical materials from planetary bodies are crucial for understanding fundamental processes that constrain the evolution of the solar system, as samples can be analyzed at high precision and accuracy in Earth-based laboratories. Mars is the only planet outside of Earth from which we possess samples in the form of meteorites. Martian meteorites (n > 350) have enabled constraints to be placed on various aspects of the red planet’s formation and evolution, notably: that Mars accreted and differentiated rapidly; that the planet has a complex volatile element evolution; and that it has always been volcanically active with a rich and diverse magmatic history. Meteorites have limitations, however, with lack of field context, restricted lithological diversity compared to the martian surface, and with no sampling of a major portion of Mars’ history between 4.1 and 2.4 billion years ago. Returned samples from Mars have the potential to fill these gaps and answer many open questions driven by the study of meteorites, as well as reveal new fundamental research questions. Key questions that Mars Sample Return is likely to answer regard the basic evolution of the martian interior and surface, its potential for habitability and the possibility of past life, and calibration of age dating of the martian surface. Samples of various lithologies and different ages collected at Jezero crater by the Perseverance rover will aid in better understanding our own planet and will answer outstanding questions regarding Mars’ future geological evolution and habitability.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2404254121","authors":["Arya Udry","Amanda Ostwald","James M.D. Day","L. J. Hallis"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Martian","Earth science","Mars Exploration Program"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2404254121","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s44211-025-00720-0","name":"Magnesium phosphates experienced high-temperature transition found on the CI-like carbonaceous chondrite Yamato 980115 by Raman microspectroscopy.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Magnesium phosphate grains, minor accessory minerals found on the primitive meteorite Yamato 980115 (Y 980115), were investigated by Raman microspectroscopy. All magnesium phosphate grains found in the present study can be assigned to farringtonite, dehydrated magnesium phosphate Mg 3 (PO 4 ) 2 -I. Since the Mg 3 (PO 4 ) 2 -I is generally formed via the irreversible thermal transition from the polymorphs of Mg 3 (PO 4 ) 2 -II and -III at above 750-800 degree Celsius, we can infer that the parent body of the Y 980115 meteorites experienced thermal alteration with such a high temperature. This result is in good accordance with the previous studies and the proposals on the alteration history of Y 980115 by the electron-beam microscope and X-ray diffraction analyses. Furthermore, the hydrated form of the magnesium phosphates of Mg 3 (PO 4 ) 2 ·4H 2 O, Mg 3 (PO 4 ) 2 ·8H 2 O, and Mg 3 (PO 4 ) 2 ·22H 2 O was not found in the present research, also suggesting that the extensive vaporization of the hydrated water molecules with magnesium phosphate occurred by such high-temperature thermal alteration. Since Y 980115 has been historically categorized to heavily aqueously altered CI (Ivuna-type) carbonaceous chondrites but has distinct characteristic to CI meteorites, the present result would provide further evidence to the complexed alteration history of the parent body of Y 980115 meteorite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s44211-025-00720-0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1007/s44211-025-00720-0","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-025-02724-2","name":"Microstructural modeling of the fragmentation of ordinary chondrites.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The fracture behavior of rocks on asteroids offers insights into the evolution and dynamics of their boulders and regolith while providing critical data for developing hazard mitigation strategies. Information about the mechanical properties of asteroidal boulders primarily comes from laboratory studies of meteorites. This study examines the fracture mechanics of an ordinary chondrite (OC) using an innovative combination of experimental and computational methods to create models for the fragmentation processes of asteroidal materials. This approach illustrates how microstructural features-such as grain spacing and micropores-affect fracture behavior. Our results highlight the importance of microstructure in controlling fracture behavior, with normal stresses surpassing shear stresses in the primary minerals. Micropores accelerate fragmentation by facilitating the formation of multiple cracks. Olivine, plagioclase, and pyroxene demonstrate greater damage than troilite and kamacite, emphasizing differences in load-carrying capacity among these minerals. The findings offer insights for planetary science and the development of planetary defense strategies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-02724-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-025-02724-2","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2404257121","name":"A tale of two planets: Disparate evolutionary models for Mars inferred from radiogenic isotope compositions of Martian meteorites.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The radiogenic isotopic compositions of basaltic Martian meteorites (shergottites) and clinopyroxene/olivine cumulate meteorites (nakhlite/chassignites) are used to define the global evolution of Mars. However, the two main groups of meteorites demonstrate that their sources underwent divergent styles of magmatic evolution. The shergottites portray a planet that differentiated ~4.52 billion years ago via solidification of a magma ocean, producing incompatible element-depleted and -enriched reservoirs that remained isolated until melt production. In contrast, the reservoir from which the nakhlite/chassignites derive may have formed earlier, produced melts that fractionated Sm/Nd and Hf/W differently, was compositionally less variable, and experienced a significantly more complex history following primordial differentiation than the shergottite sources. The disparate histories recorded by these two groups of meteorites elucidate important questions that could be addressed by acquiring additional samples. Obtaining samples that shared the isotopic systematics of the shergottites would provide confidence that extrapolating the primordial differentiation history of Mars from shergottite radiogenic isotope systematics is reasonable. Returned samples from Mars will also constrain the physical locations of the meteorite source regions, providing insights into the general structure of the Martian mantle. In addition, they will help constrain the phases present in the martian mantle during melting and the conditions under which they are stable. Finally, identifying an evolved lithology that satisfies the geochemical and isotopic constraints placed on the incompatible element-enriched endmember observed in the shergottites would define the nature of magmatic evolution on Mars and whether it is more akin to processes on the Earth or the Moon.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2404257121","authors":["L. E. Borg","T. S. Kruijer"],"tags":["Meteorite","Martian","Radiogenic nuclide","Geology","Mars Exploration Program"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2404257121","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-025-58517-8","name":"Percolative sulfide core formation in oxidized planetary bodies.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Models of planetary core formation traditionally involve the fractionation of Fe,Ni-metal melts from silicate mantles after extensive silicate melting. However, in planetary bodies that form farther from their central star, where moderately volatile elements are more abundant, high concentrations of oxygen and sulfur stabilize Fe,Ni-sulfides over metals. Here we show that percolative sulfide melt migration can occur in primitive, oxidized mineral assemblages prior to silicate melting in partial melting experiments with meteorites. Complementary experiments with partially molten synthetic sulfides show that fractionation of liquid sulfide from solid residues yields distinct noble metal (Os, Ru, Ir, Pd, and Pt) trace element proportions that match those manifested in the most oxidized meteoritic residues, the brachinites, as well as their complementary basaltic silicate melts. Our experiments provide robust evidence for percolative sulfide melt fractionation in meteorites and indicate that sulfide-dominated cores would be expected in oxidized planetary bodies, including Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58517-8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-025-58517-8","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-025-90383-8","name":"A closer look into the structure and magnetism of the recently fallen meteorite Ribbeck.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Meteorites are a unique source of geological information about our early Solar System and the difference between planets and asteroids. In this study, meteorite Ribbeck (2024 BX1, SAR 2736) from the recently fallen asteroid (21.01.2024), collected right after the fall, was investigated. This meteorite is classified as a coarse-grained brecciated aubrite. The main mineral phases are enstatite, albite, and forsterite. X-ray structural analysis and Raman Spectroscopy indicate its complex metamorphic history, starting with magmatic crystallization and following metamorphic evolution (e.g., impacting). Energy-dispersive. X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) confirms the presence of unusual minerals such as oldhamite, brezinanite (daubréelite, zolenskyite), wassonite/heideite, and alabandite, that formed under highly reductive conditions, with oxygen fugacity ΔIW (logfO 2 ) in a range of -5 to -7. Similar conditions can be found on the Mercury or the Asteroid 3103 Eger. Magnetic measurements confirm that the primary magnetic components in the meteorite are accessory minerals - sulphides and metallic nodules.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-90383-8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-025-90383-8","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2404259121","name":"What we can learn about Mars from the magnetism of returned samples.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Red Planet is a magnetic planet. The Martian crust contains strong magnetization from a core dynamo that likely was active during the Noachian period when the surface may have been habitable. The evolution of the dynamo may have played a central role in the evolution of the early atmosphere and the planet's transition to the current cold and dry state. However, the nature and history of the dynamo and crustal magnetization are poorly understood given the lack of well-preserved, oriented, ancient samples with geologic context available for laboratory study. Here, we describe how magnetic measurements of returned samples could transform our understanding of six key unknowns about Mars' planetary evolution and habitability. Such measurements could i) determine the history of the Martian dynamo field's intensity; ii) determine the history of the Martian dynamo field's direction; iii) test the hypothesis that Mars experienced plate tectonics or true polar wander; iv) constrain the thermal and aqueous alteration history of the samples; v) identify sources of Martian crustal magnetization and vi) characterize sedimentary and magmatic processes on Mars. We discuss how these goals can be achieved using future laboratory analyses of samples acquired by the Perseverance rover.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2404259121","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2404259121","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s43247-025-02417-8","name":"Meteorite-common amino acid induces clay exfoliation and abiotic compartment formation.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Clay surfaces have been invoked as crucial components in the origin of life processes due to their ability to concentrate organics and abiotically catalyse (bio)polymer production. Still, the importance of the mutual nature of organo-clay interactions and the effects of off-world organics in this interplay is a largely unexplored realm. We demonstrate a previously unrecognised phenomenon that occurs upon the transient interaction of montmorillonite clay with the meteorite-common, non-proteinogenic γ-aminobutyric acid. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction show that an irreversible structural change is induced by the off-world species. A distinct partial clay exfoliation is correlated with the formation of nanoscale cavities in the mid-layers of the original structure, observable using transmission electron microscopy. This work demonstrates that an exogenous amino acid can alter clay and introduce 3D confined nano-environments, which may facilitate compartmentalisation in prebiotic times. Our findings also highlight new sustainable nanocomposite synthesis routes applicable in environmental/materials sciences. Exposure of montmorillonite clay to γ-aminobutyric acid produces nano-scale cavities between clay interlayers which could generate the compartmentalization needed for disequilibrium in prebiotic chemistry, according to observations of experimental products","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02417-8","authors":["Orr Rose Bezaly","Annemieke Petrignani","Helen E. King"],"tags":["Meteorite","Exfoliation joint","Abiotic component","Compartment (ship)","Amino acid"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1038/s43247-025-02417-8","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-026-35624-0","name":"Data-driven classification of ordinary chondrites and asteroidal metal potential evaluation.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Ordinary chondrites (OCs) comprise ~ 87% of meteorites and are key to decoding early Solar System processes, yet H–L–LL classification is often ambiguous, especially between L and LL. We compile ~ 1100 published bulk analyses and train Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Random Forest (RF) classifiers on 13 geochemical features (including Si-normalized ratios and trace elements). Both models achieve an overall accuracy of 0.90, with precision of 0.96–0.97 (H), 0.86–0.89 (L), and 0.71–0.80 (LL), outperforming traditional single-proxy discrimination. Feature importance is dominated by Fe/Si and Ni/Si, consistent with metal–silicate fractionation trends. Principal component analysis (PCA) shows strong covariance among Fe–Ni–Co and inverse correlations with Si–Mg–Ca, separating metal-rich H from silicate-rich L–LL. To link taxonomy with resource assessment, we propose a Metal Potential Index (MPI) based on (Fe/Si + Ni/Si + Co/Si) after max-normalization; group means decrease from H (1.23) to L (0.87) to LL (0.75). Complementary statistical tests indicate that Fe–Ni (with Co admixtures) show limited dependence on petrographic type within each chemical group, supporting a near-uniform distribution of FeNi (Co) grains at the parent-body scale. Together, ML, PCA, and MPI provide a reproducible, data-driven framework for OC classification and for ranking asteroidal metal potential, identifying H-type parent bodies as the highest-priority metal targets.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-35624-0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-026-35624-0","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-025-86842-x","name":"Radon on Mars and the Moon derived from Martian and lunar meteorites.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The radioactive gas radon-222, a fluid and aerosol tracer in Earth’s lithosphere and atmosphere, can also reveal subtle rock physics processes in extraterrestrial environments, such as those involving water, but remains poorly constrained in planetary bodies due to the limited number of samples available. Here we measure the effective radium-226 concentration ( EC Ra ) of six Martian and nine lunar meteorites to derive radon source terms for Martian and lunar rocks. EC Ra values are 0.029–0.78 and 0.045–0.80 Bq kg −1 for Martian and lunar meteorites, respectively (0.041 ± 0.003 Bq kg −1 for falls and 0.28 ± 0.02 Bq kg −1 for finds), lower than most terrestrial rocks but similar to other meteorites and terrestrial primitive basalts. The effect of terrestrial alteration on EC Ra and its temperature sensitivity are also determined experimentally. Radon emanation coefficient values are 2.1–17% (mean: 8.1 ± 2.5%) for Martian meteorites and 0.43–11% (mean: 5.5 ± 1.0%) for lunar meteorites. Mean estimated surface radon fluxes for Mars and the Moon are 0.16–0.60 and 0.33–0.44 mBq m −2 s −1 (78–280 and 160–210 atoms m −2 s −1 ), respectively, much lower than on Earth (21 mBq m −2 s −1 or 10 4 atoms m −2 s −1 ). Our meteorite analyses constrain radon emanation on Mars and the Moon and provide a basis for current and future in-situ measurements.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86842-x","authors":["Frédéric Girault","L. Ferrière","Carine Sadaka","Íñigo de Loyola Chacartegui Rojo","R. Losno","Frédéric Moynier","Frédéric Perrier","Pierre‐Yves Meslin"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Martian","Meteorite","Exploration of Mars"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-025-86842-x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.adr1486","name":"A shallow mantle source for the Chang'e 5 lavas reveals how top-down heating prolonged lunar magmatism.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The 2-billion-year-old basalts collected by the Chang'e 5 mission are younger than any other sampled lunar igneous rock. These lavas provide critical insight into the evolution of the Moon at a time when magmatism was waning and represent a key data point for understanding how rocky bodies cool. Here, we present high-P-T experiments and phase equilibrium modeling performed on a Chang'e 5 basalt composition that show the parental magma formed in the shallow mantle, at ~75- to 130-kilometer depth. This shallow source and Sr-Nd isotopic evidence for the lack of the heat-producing KREEP reservoir in sources of the Chang'e 5 basalt and high-Ti basalts collected by Apollo demonstrate that KREEP was not carried into the deep mantle to generate prolonged melting. Rather, we show that a subcrustal KREEP layer conductively heating the nearside mantle from the top down is likely responsible for prolonged lunar magmatism.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adr1486","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.adr1486","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1098/rstb.2024.0288","name":"Planetary sources of bio-essential nutrients on a prebiotic world.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Multiple bio-essential elements such as nitrogen and phosphorus are found in all forms of life discovered thus far. In addition to these major elements, many transition metals have been proposed as crucial components for prebiotic and early cellular processes. These elements must, therefore, have been available during the origin of life; however, the processes that mobilized them on the prebiotic Earth likely differed from today. We provide a review and discussion on planetary processes that influenced the availability of bio-essential elements on early Earth and propose the most likely environments to host key prebiotic reactions and perhaps primitive life, based on their supply of nitrogen, phosphorus and transition metals. In particular, terrestrial acidic hot spring systems and deep-sea hydrothermal vents may have created ideal conditions through abiotic nitrogen reduction, dissolution of reactive phosphorus species and leaching of siderophilic transition metals from igneous bedrocks. This concept has implications far beyond Hadean Earth, as similar geothermal systems once existed on the surface of Noachian Mars, providing a comparable suite of elements, suggesting that crucial steps towards an independent origin of life may have unfolded on Mars and perhaps other terrestrial planets.This article is part of the theme issue 'Origins of life: the possible and the actual'.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2024.0288","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1098/rstb.2024.0288","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/rcm.9921","name":"Triple-oxygen isotopes of stony micrometeorites by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS): Olivine, basaltic glass and iron oxide matrix effects for sensitive high-mass resolution ion microprobe-stable isotope (SHRIMP-SI).","source":"europepmc","abstract":"RATIONALE: Micrometeorites are extraterrestrial particles smaller than ~2 mm in diameter, most of which melted during atmospheric entry and crystallised or quenched to form 'cosmic spherules'. Their parentage among meteorite groups can be inferred from triple-oxygen isotope compositions, for example, by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). This method uses sample efficiently, preserving spherules for other investigations. While SIMS precisions are improving steadily, application requires assumptions about instrumental mass fractionation, which is controlled by sample chemistry and mineralogy (matrix effects). METHODS: We have developed a generic SIMS method using sensitive high-mass resolution ion micro probe-stable isotope (SHRIMP-SI) that can be applied to finely crystalline igneous textures as in cosmic spherules. We correct for oxygen isotope matrix effects using the bulk chemistry of samples obtained by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and model bulk chemical compositions as three-component mixtures of olivine, basaltic glass and Fe-oxide (magnetite), finding a unique matrix correction for each target. RESULTS: O up to ~6‰. Our main peak in compositions closely coincides with so-called 'Group 1' objects identified by consumptive methods. CONCLUSIONS: The magnitude of SIMS matrix effects we find is similar to the previous intraspherule variations, which are now the limiting factor in understanding their compositions. The matrix effect for each spherule should be assessed quantitatively and individually, especially addressing Fe-oxide content. We expect micrometeorite triple-oxygen isotope compositions obtained by SIMS to converge on the main clusters (Groups 1 to 4) after correction firstly for magnetite content and secondarily for other phases (e.g., basaltic glass) in each target.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.9921","authors":["Seann McKibbin","J Avila","T. R. Ireland","Matthias Van Ginneken","Bastien Soens","Flore Van Maldeghem","Matthew S. Huber","L. Baeza","Aditya Patkar","Frank Vanhaecke","Vinciane Debaille","Philippe Claeys"],"tags":["Chemistry","Isotopes of oxygen","Secondary ion mass spectrometry","Microprobe","Analytical Chemistry (journal)"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-30","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1002/rcm.9921","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-024-83392-6","name":"Nanoscale characterization of space weathering in lunar samples.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Nanoscale Fourier transform infrared (Nano-FTIR) imaging and spectroscopy correlated with photoluminescence measurements of lunar Apollo samples with different surface radiation exposure histories reveal distinct physical and chemical differences associated with space weathering effects. Analysis of two sample fragments: an ilmenite basalt (12016) and an impact melt breccia (15445) show evidence of intrinsic or delivered Nd 3+ and an amorphous silica glass component on exterior surfaces, whereas intrinsic Cr 3+ and/or trapped electron states are limited to interior surfaces. Spatially localized 1050 cm −1 /935 cm −1 band ratios in Nano-FTIR hyperspectral maps may further reflect impact-induced shock nanostructures, while shifts in silicate band positions indicate accumulated radiation damage at the nanoscale from prolonged space weathering due to micrometeorites, solar wind, energetic x-rays and cosmic ray bombardment. Our observations demonstrate that space weathering alterations of the surface of lunar samples at the nanoscale may provide a mechanism to distinguish lunar samples of variable surface exposure age.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-83392-6","authors":["A. M. Grice","P. C. Stancil","Mahdi Ghafariasl","S. Singh","Sampath Gamage","Micah J. Schaible","Yohannes Abate","Karl S. Lang","Thomas M. Orlando"],"tags":["Weathering","Space weathering","Nanoscopic scale","Silicate","Materials science"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-024-83392-6","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41550-024-02380-y","name":"Evidence of a 4.33 billion year age for the Moon's South Pole-Aitken basin.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Moon's farside South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin is the largest and oldest visible impact basin in the inner Solar System. Determining the timing of this catastrophic event is key to understanding the onset of the lunar basin-forming epoch, with implications for understanding the impact bombardment history of the inner Solar System. Despite this, the formation age of the SPA basin remains poorly constrained. Here we show that the chemical composition of the lunar meteorite Northwest Africa 2995 is in good agreement with lithologies exposed within the southern region of the SPA basin. Radiometric dating of a range of mineral and rock components in Northwest Africa 2995 yielded consistent dates of ~4.32-4.33 billion years old. We interpret these dates as the age of SPA basin formation, inferring that this event occurred ~120 million years before the formation of the main cluster of lunar impact basins between ~4.2 Ga and 3.8 Ga. This weakens support for a narrow period of lunar late heavy impact bombardment and also implies that the earliest formed impact basins on the Moon (that is, >4.33-4.5 Ga old) were erased either by the SPA impact itself when its formation caused massive resurfacing of the lunar surface or through other geological processes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-024-02380-y","authors":["K. H. Joy","Na Wang","J. F. Snape","A. GOODWIN","J. F. Pernet‐Fisher","Martin J. Whitehouse","Yang Liu","Yangting Lin","James Darling","P. Tar","Romain Tartèse"],"tags":["Structural basin","Geology","Radiometric dating","Impact structure","Lithology"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-16","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1038/s41550-024-02380-y","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2321342121","name":"Highly enriched carbon and oxygen isotopes in carbonate-derived CO<sub>2</sub> at Gale crater, Mars.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Carbonate minerals are of particular interest in paleoenvironmental research as they are an integral part of the carbon and water cycles, both of which are relevant to habitability. Given that these cycles are less constrained on Mars than they are on Earth, the identification of carbonates has been a point of emphasis for rover missions. Here, we present carbon (δ 13 C) and oxygen (δ 18 O) isotope data from four carbonates encountered by the Curiosity rover within the Gale crater. The carbon isotope values range from 72 ± 2‰ to 110 ± 3‰ Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite while the oxygen isotope values span from 59 ± 4‰ to 91 ± 4‰ Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water (1 SE uncertainties). Notably, these values are isotopically heavy ( 13 C- and 18 O-enriched) relative to nearly every other Martian material. The extreme isotopic difference between the carbonates and other carbon- and oxygen-rich reservoirs on Mars cannot be reconciled by standard equilibrium carbonate-CO 2 fractionation, thus requiring an alternative process during or prior to carbonate formation. This paper explores two processes capable of contributing to the isotopic enrichments: 1) evaporative-driven Rayleigh distillation and 2) kinetic isotope effects related to cryogenic precipitation. In isolation, each process cannot reproduce the observed carbonate isotope values; however, a combination of these processes represents the most likely source for the extreme isotopic enrichments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2321342121","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2321342121","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.20944/preprints202403.1621.v1","name":"Meteoritic Matter and Spherules in a Presumed Impact Crater at Emmerting, Germany","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Bulk composition, mineralogy and microchemistry of various fractions of the filling of the Crater No. 4 at Emmerting were investigated. Here we present mainly the fine fractions, which, in contrast to pebbles larger than ca. 4 cm, are relatively poor in material affected by melting. A 0.1 mm long meteorite fragment without ablation features was found, and remelted fragments of the same body have been identified. The projectile was dominated by enstatite, also containing forsterite, basic plagioclase, Ni-rich pyrrhotite and troilite, kamacite, silica, and probably merrillite. The molten fragments contain porous Mg-rich glass (indicating temperature gt; 1500 °C), minor Fe oxides, and occasionally uncommon Ni-rich minerals. The bulk composition and electron microprobe show that the amount of meteoritic material is low ( lt; lt; 1 %), and it is not unequivocally manifested even in platinum-group elements abundances and osmium isotope ratios (the latter, however, were only measured in two samples). This can be explained by dilution of the filling by particles brought after the crater formation, and by probably achondritic composition of the projectile. Relatively large hollow spheroid Fe oxide particles were observed in thin sections from the magnetic fraction. A Mn oxide hollow spherule has also been found. In magnetically separated filling from the nearby Crater No. 5, bulk chemical composition points to contamination with several metals and metalloids probably due to influence of recent alluvial sediments. Therefore, the extent of meteoritic contamination in this crater may be even smaller.","url":"https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202403.1621.v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.20944/preprints202403.1621.v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1039/d5ja00068h","name":"&lt;i&gt;In situ&lt;/i&gt; analysis of titanium isotope ratios in stardust using LA-CC-MC-ICPMS/MS.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Presolar grains are nanometre-scale dust grains that exhibit large isotope excursions that illustrate the stellar isotopic input into the Solar System. Further, it is thought that they were differentially incorporated into meteorite parent bodies and thus can be used to trace planetary genetics and construction. In situ mapping of the distribution of presolar grains in the matrix of primitive meteorites therefore provides a key means to achieve this goal. However, in situ methods complicate isotopic measurements, such as those of Ti, due to their large isobaric interferences. To enable such measurements a prototype a collision cell, multicollector inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometer with a pre-cell mass filter (CC-MC-ICPMS/MS) was developed and called Proteus. In this study we show that, when coupled to a laser ablation system, Proteus has the capability to measure, in situ , large Ti isotope excursions such as those expected in presolar grains (>200‰). Within the collision cell we introduced O 2 gas and react Ti + to TiO + and perform the multi-collector isotope ratio measurement on the TiO + species. The presence of isobaric interferences from Ca + , V + , and Cr + are greatly reduced due to their lower ion reaction efficiency with O 2 gas. The measurement of TiO + using the pre-cell mass filter ensures that these ions are measured in a cleared region of the mass-spectrum where a Ni + , Cu + , and Zn + ions would otherwise be present as interferences. Using this technique, complex rock samples with high Ca/Ti and Cr/Ti, for example BIR-1G, give the same mass-independent isotopic Ti ratios as essentially pure Ti-minerals, e.g. brookite. By reducing isobaric interferences from in situ measurements we can detect the large isotopic excursions in presolar grains without the added impediment of non-solar interference corrections for isobaric interferences.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5ja00068h","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1039/d5ja00068h","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-025-98179-6","name":"Near-infrared spectral variation in Ryugu particles and implication for rapid space weathering by solar UV radiation.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The 2.7 µm absorption band, represented by OH groups, in the near-infrared reflectance spectra of primitive Solar System bodies could be an indicator of the cause and degree of space weathering. We compared the absorption bands of particles sampled from the surface (chamber A) and the excavated subsurface (chamber C) on the C-type asteroid Ryugu by the JAXA Hayabusa2 mission. We developed a fitting method using multiple Gaussians to precisely calculate the band's peak position and depth, providing more reliable information on space weathering effects. We found that the chamber A particles were divided into groups Aα with shorter peak position and deeper band depth (non or poorly space weathered) and Aβ with longer peak position and shallower band depth (rich in space weathering). Chamber C particles are partly show intermediate characteristics between Aα and Aβ, which might imply weak space weathering by solar UV radiation during three months between the excavation by impact experiment and sampling by Hayabusa2. Supplementally, our preliminary experiment of UV irradiation to Ivuna meteorite showed decrease of 2.7 µm band depth and longward shift of the peak position, and further study is needed to investigate the effect of short-term UV space weathering on carbonaceous asteroids.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-98179-6","authors":["Shuhei Furukawa","Tatsuaki Okada","Kentaro Hatakeda","Rei Kanemaru","Kasumi Yogata","Toru Yada","Masanao Abe","Tomohiro Usui","C. Pilorget","Vincent Hamm","R. Brunetto","D. Loizeau"],"tags":["Infrared","Radiation","Weathering","Variation (astronomy)","Space weathering"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-025-98179-6","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2422726122","name":"A whole-scale volatile-depleted lunar interior.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The extent of moderately volatile elements (MVE) depletion and its effects on the Moon's evolutionary history remain contentious, partly due to unintentionally biased sampling by the Apollo missions from the Procellarum KREEP Terrane. In this study, we analyzed the Zn and K isotope compositions of a series of lunar basaltic meteorites, which vary in Th content and are likely to represent a broader sampling range than previous studies, including samples from the far side of the Moon. Our findings indicate remarkably consistent Zn and K isotope compositions across all lunar basalt types, despite significant variations in Th content. This consistency suggests a relatively homogeneous isotopic composition of volatile elements within the Moon, unaffected by subsequent impact events that formed major basins. Our results suggest that the estimates of MVE abundance and isotopic compositions from the Apollo returned samples are likely representative of the bulk Moon, supporting a globally volatile-depleted lunar interior.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2422726122","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2422726122","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s42004-024-01319-8","name":"Quasicrystal synthesis by shock compression.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Quasicrystals are of interest because of their unique nonperiodic structures and physical properties. Motivated by naturally occurring icosahedral AlCuFe- and decagonal AlNiFe-phases hosted in a shocked meteorite, different laboratories have undertaken a series of shock recovery experiments to understand their formation mechanism. Shock experiments generate a complex series of processes and conditions, including a near-instantaneous excursion to high pressure and high temperature, large shear stresses, local melting, rapid decompression, fast quenching and post-shock annealing. This highly dynamic scenario offers a very useful but imperfect tool for exploring the stability of novel alloys, such as quasicrystals. So far, all the shock-synthesized quasicrystals differ considerably in composition from any thermodynamically stable or metastable quasicrystals synthesized by metallurgical techniques at low pressure, leaving plenty of questions to be answered about their formation conditions and their nucleation and growth mechanisms occurring during shock experiments. In this Perspective, we summarize the previous studies of shock-synthesized quasicrystals and discuss the advantages and difficulties caused by the experimental complexity. We also propose a few directions for future experiments to better control the shock conditions and understand the properties of quasicrystals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-024-01319-8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1038/s42004-024-01319-8","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-024-50004-w","name":"The evolution of organic material on Asteroid 162173 Ryugu and its delivery to Earth.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The recent return of samples from asteroid 162173 Ryugu provides a first insight into early Solar System prebiotic evolution from known planetary bodies. Ryugu's samples are CI chondrite-like, rich in water and organic material, and primarily composed of phyllosilicate. This phyllosilicate surrounds micron to submicron macromolecular organic particles known as insoluble organic matter. Using advanced microscopy techniques on Hayabusa-2 samples, we find that aqueous alteration on Ryugu produced organic particles richer in aromatics compared to less altered carbonaceous chondrites. This challenges the view that aromatic-rich organic matter formed pre-accretion. Additionally, widespread diffuse organic material occurs in phyllosilicate more aliphatic-, carboxylic-rich, and aromatic-poor than the discrete organic particles, likely preserving the soluble organic material. Some organic particles evolved to encapsulate phyllosilicate, indicating that aqueous alteration on Ryugu led to the containment of soluble organic matter within these particles. Earth therefore has been, and continues to be, delivered micron-sized polymeric organic objects containing biologically relevant molecules.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-50004-w","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-024-50004-w","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1039/d5ra03299g","name":"Mineralogical characterization and fluorescence properties of blue, yellow and green apatite.","source":"europepmc","abstract":". A comparative analysis of the relationship between luminescence intensity and temperature in samples of yellow and blue apatite was conducted. The findings of this analysis indicated that yellow apatite exhibits greater thermal stability in comparison to blue apatite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5ra03299g","authors":["Wenkai Liang","Wang Nai","Yingrui Gan"],"tags":["Apatite","Fluorescence","Characterization (materials science)","Mineralogy","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1039/d5ra03299g","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2511627122","name":"Oxygen isotopic evidence that Gale crater, Mars, was home to an Early Hesperian water reservoir that underwent significant evaporation.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Simultaneous measurements of HDO, H 2 18 O, and H 2 16 O in water evolved during pyrolysis of powdered rock samples acquired by the Curiosity rover within Gale crater's clay-bearing units indicate extreme and variable heavy-isotope enrichments averaging ~4.5 times the D/H ratio and ~1.03 times the 18 O/ 16 O ratio of terrestrial seawater. These enrichments are recorded in water desorbed from mineral surfaces and evolved from poorly crystalline phases, hydrated salts, jarosite, and clays. All evolved waters are deuterium-enriched relative to common terrestrial waters, reflecting hydrogen loss to space. Because oxygen in structurally bound hydroxyl groups is least likely to exchange with other sources over geologic timescales, we focus on oxygen in water evolved during dehydroxylation of smectite clays. Several samples have 18 O/ 16 O ratios commensurate with precipitation from, or near-complete equilibration with, water moderately 18 O-enriched relative to terrestrial meteoric waters-consistent with other evidence that Mars's hydrosphere is basically like Earth's in terms of oxygen isotopes. Unlike hydrogen, oxygen atmospheric escape did not lead to extreme 18 O enrichments on Mars. Locally, however, most Gale smectites' 18 O/ 16 O values require a pronounced 18 O-enrichment of their parental waters. On Earth, the most extreme 18 O enrichments in surface waters are found in closed basins having undergone significant evaporative loss into a low-humidity atmosphere, and the 18 O/ 16 O of authigenic clay minerals formed in these environs reflect those enrichments. A similar process acting on the hydrologic reservoir local to Gale at the time of clay formation and early diagenesis is a plausible explanation for the distinctive oxygen isotopic compositions of these clays.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2511627122","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2511627122","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-023-44152-0","name":"A novel method for extracting metals from asteroids using non-aqueous deep eutectic solvents.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Extra-terrestrial mining and metal processing are vital for access to strategic metals for space exploration. This study demonstrates for the first time the catalytic dissolution of metals from meteorite proxies of metal-rich asteroids using a deep eutectic solvent (DES). DESs are of particular interest for extra-terrestrial mining as they can be designed to have relatively low vapour pressures and could potentially be made from organic waste products created in extra-terrestrial settlements. Three types of meteorites were investigated: two chondrites (H3, H5) and one iron (IAB-MG) meteorite. Chondrite samples were composed of silicates (olivine, pyroxene) with metal-rich phases occurring as native metal alloys, sulphides and oxides. Metallic Fe-Ni and troilite (FeS) are the most abundant metal-bearing phases in all three samples, particularly in the iron-rich meteorite. The samples were subjected to chemical micro-etching experiments with iodine and iron(III) chloride as oxidising agents in a DES formed from the mixture of choline chloride and ethylene glycol. Micro-etching experiments demonstrated that Fe-Ni rich phases are effectively leached out in this system, while other mineral phases remain unreactive.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-44152-0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-023-44152-0","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2504674122","name":"Siderite and ferric oxyhydroxides imply interlinked carbon, iron, and halogen cycles on Mars.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Pure siderite [Fe II CO 3 ] was recently discovered in abundant quantities (4.8 to 10.5 wt.%) by the Curiosity rover at Gale crater, Mars. Diagenetic alteration of siderite likely caused the carbonate-sequestered CO 2 to be released back into the atmosphere and consequently produced ferric [Fe(III)] oxyhydr(oxide) minerals. Here, using laboratory experimentation, we demonstrate that while closed system acid diagenesis-as proposed for Gale crater-is incapable of effective siderite alteration in Mars-relevant fluids, oxyhalogen compounds (chlorate and bromate) can weather siderite not only at acidic pH but also in near-neutral Mars-relevant solutions. The ferric oxyhydroxide minerals produced as a consequence are controlled by the diagenetic fluid composition. While photooxidation is possible, the mutually exclusive products of alteration-magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ) during ultraviolet irradiation and ferric oxyhydroxide (FeOOH) by oxyhalogens-demonstrate that siderite at Gale crater underwent chemical weathering by chlorate and bromate brines owing to the complete absence of magnetite in drill samples containing siderite. We propose a top-down oxyhalogen brine percolation model to explain the iron mineralogy of the sulfate-rich unit at Gale crater. We conclude that siderite alteration by acidic fluids alone cannot explain the redox disequilibrium witnessed in Gale crater sediments as promulgated before and siderite weathering by oxyhalogen brines is the most likely explanation. It is highly likely that the halogen cycle on Mars is interlinked to the iron and the carbon cycle on early and current Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2504674122","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2504674122","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s43247-023-01042-7","name":"Microbial growth in actual martian regolith in the form of Mars meteorite EETA79001.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Studies to understand the growth of organisms on Mars are hampered by the use of simulants to duplicate martian mineralogy and chemistry. Even though such materials are improving, no terrestrial simulant can replace a real martian sample. Here we report the use of actual martian regolith, in the form of Mars meteorite EETA79001 sawdust, to demonstrate its ability to support the growth of four microorganisms, E. coli . Eucapsis sp., Chr20-20201027-1 , and P. halocryophilus , for up to 23 days under terrestrial conditions using regolith:water ratios from 4:1 to 1:10. If the EETA79001 sawdust is widely representative of regolith on the martian surface, our results imply that microbial life under appropriate conditions could have been present on Mars in the past and/or today in the subsurface, and that the regolith does not contain any bactericidal agents. The results of our study have implications not only for putative martian microbial life but also for building bio-sustainable human habitats on Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-01042-7","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1038/s43247-023-01042-7","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae248","name":"Open-ended versus bounded evolution: Mineral evolution as a case study.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"To what extent are naturally evolving systems limited in their potential diversity (i.e. \"bounded\") versus unrestricted (\"open-ended\")? Minerals provide a quantitative model evolving system, with well-documented increases in mineral diversity through multiple stages of planetary evolution over billions of years. A recent framework that unifies behaviors of both biotic and abiotic evolving systems posits that all such systems are characterized by combinatorial richness subject to selection. In the case of minerals, combinatorial richness derives from the possible combinations of chemical elements coupled with permutations of their formulas' coefficients. Observed mineral species, which are selected for persistence through deep time, represent a miniscule fraction of all possible element configurations. Furthermore, this model predicts that as planetary systems evolve, stable minerals become an ever-smaller fraction of the \"possibility space.\" A postulate is that \"functional information,\" defined as the negative log 2 of that fraction, must increase as a system evolves. We have tested this hypothesis for minerals by estimating the fraction of all possible chemical formulas observed from one stage of mineral evolution to the next, based on numbers of different essential elements and the maximum chemical formula complexity at each of nine chronological stages of mineral evolution. We find a monotonic increase in mineral functional information through these nine stages-a result consistent with the hypothesis. Furthermore, analysis of the chemical formulas of minerals demonstrates that the modern Earth may be approaching the maximum limit of functional information for natural mineral systems-a result demonstrating that mineral evolution is not open-ended.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae248","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae248","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-024-62959-3","name":"Automatic lithology identification in meteorite impact craters using machine learning algorithms.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Identifying lithologies in meteorite impact craters is an important task to unlock processes that have shaped the evolution of planetary bodies. Traditional methods for lithology identification rely on time-consuming manual analysis, which is costly and limits the efficiency of rapid decision-making. This paper utilizes different machine learning algorithms namely Random Forest, Decision Tree, K Nearest Neighbors, and Logistic Regression with Grid Search to classify rock lithologies using data from the Bosumtwi impact crater in Ghana. A repeated stratified k-fold cross-validation method is applied to Grid Search to select the best combination of hyperparameters. The findings demonstrate that the Random Forest algorithm achieves the most promising results in classifying lithologies in the meteorite impact crater with an accuracy score of 86.89%, a recall score of 84.88%, a precision score of 87.21%, and an F1 score of 85.48%. The findings also suggest that more high-quality data has the potential to further increase the accuracy scores of the machine learning algorithm. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the significant potential of machine learning techniques to revolutionize lithology identification in meteorite impact craters, thus paving the way for their influential role in future space exploration endeavors.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-62959-3","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-024-62959-3","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1029/2022ea002694","name":"Visible to Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy of Asteroid (16) Psyche: Implications for the Psyche Mission's Science Investigations.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The NASA Psyche mission will explore the structure, composition, and other properties of asteroid (16) Psyche to test hypotheses about its formation. Variations in radar reflectivity, density, thermal inertia, and visible to near-infrared (VNIR) reflectance spectra of Psyche suggest a highly metallic composition with mafic silicate minerals (e.g., pyroxene) heterogeneously distributed on the surface in low abundance (<10 vol.%). The Psyche spacecraft's Multispectral Imager is designed to map ≥80% of the surface at high spatial resolution (≤20 m/pixel) through a panchromatic filter and provide compositional information for about ≥80% of the surface using seven narrowband filters at VNIR wavelengths (∼400-1,100 nm) and at spatial scales of ≤500 m/pixel. We analyzed 359 reflectance spectra from samples consistent with current uncertainties in Psyche's composition and compared them to published reflectance spectra of the asteroid using a chi-square test for goodness of fit. The best matches for Psyche include iron meteorite powder, powders from the sulfide minerals troilite and pentlandite, and powder from the CH/CBb chondrite Isheyevo. Comparison of absorption features support the interpretation that Psyche's surface is a metal-silicate mixture, although the exact abundance and chemistry of the silicate component remains poorly constrained. We convolve our spectra to the Imager's spectral throughput to demonstrate preliminary strategies for mapping the surface composition of the asteroid using filter ratios and reconstructed band parameters. Our results provide predictions of the kinds of surface compositional information that the Psyche mission could reveal on the solar system's largest M-type asteroid.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2022ea002694","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1029/2022ea002694","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-025-63603-y","name":"Deep microbial colonization during impact-generated hydrothermal circulation at the Lappajärvi impact structure, Finland.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Deeply fractured rocks of meteorite impact structures have been hypothesized as hot spots for microbial colonization on Earth and other planetary bodies. Biosignatures of such colonization are rare, however, and most importantly, direct geochronological evidence linking the colonization to the impact-generated hydrothermal systems are completely lacking. Here we provide timing constraints to microbial colonization of the 77.85 ± 0.78 Ma old Lappajärvi impact structure, Finland, by using coupled microscale stable isotope biosignature detection and radioisotopic dating of vug- and fracture-filling assemblages in impactites. The first detected mineral precipitation at habitable temperatures for life (47.0 ± 7.1 °C) occurred at 73.6 ± 2.2 Ma and featured substantially 34 S-depleted pyrite consistent with microbial sulfate reduction. Later stages of vug-mineral precipitation occurred more than 10 Myr later, at gradually lower temperatures, and featured δ 13 C calcite values diagnostic for both anaerobic microbial consumption and production of methane. These insights confirm the capacity of medium-sized (and large) meteorite impacts to generate long-lasting hydrothermal systems, enabling microbial colonization as the crater cools to ambient conditions, an effect that may have important implications for the emergence of life on Earth and beyond.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-63603-y","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-025-63603-y","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-024-51054-w","name":"Rapid heating rates define the volatile emission and regolith composition of (3200) Phaethon.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract Asteroid (3200) Phaethon experiences extreme solar radiant heating ( ~ 750 °C) during perihelion (0.14 au), leading to comet-like activity. The regolith composition and mechanism of volatile emission are unknown but key to understanding JAXA’s DESTINY + mission data (fly-by in 2029) and the fate of near-Sun asteroids more generally. By subjecting CM chondrite fragments to fast, open system, cyclic heating (2-20 °C/min), simulating conditions on Phaethon we demonstrate that rapid heating rates combine with the low permeability, resulting in reactions between volatile gases and decomposing minerals. The retention of S-bearing gas limits the thermal decomposition of Fe-sulphides, allowing these minerals to survive repeated heating cycles. Slow escape of S-bearing gases provides a mechanism for repeated gas release from a thermally processed surface and, therefore the comet-like activity without requiring surface renewal to expose fresh material each perihelion cycle. We predict Phaethon regolith is composed of olivine, Fe-sulphides, Ca-sulphates and hematite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-51054-w","authors":["Martin D. Suttle","Lorenz F. Olbrich","Charlotte L. Bays","Liza Riches"],"tags":["Regolith","Asteroid","Astrobiology","Comet","Composition (language)"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-024-51054-w","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1039/d4ja00359d","name":"Germanium stable isotope measurements by double-spike MC-ICPMS.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Comparison of δ 74/70 Ge data obtained for different samples using (A) either an Aridus desolvator or a hydride generator, or (B) either a Neptune Plus or a Neoma MC-ICP-MS. Both introduction systems and mass spectrometers yield consistent results.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4ja00359d","authors":["Elias Wölfer","Christoph Burkhardt","T. Kleine"],"tags":["Germanium","Spike (software development)","Isotope","Isotopes of germanium","Analytical Chemistry (journal)"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1039/d4ja00359d","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41550-024-02472-9","name":"Abundant ammonia and nitrogen-rich soluble organic matter in samples from asteroid (101955) Bennu.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract Organic matter in meteorites reveals clues about early Solar System chemistry and the origin of molecules important to life, but terrestrial exposure complicates interpretation. Samples returned from the B-type asteroid Bennu by the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security–Regolith Explorer mission enabled us to study pristine carbonaceous astromaterial without uncontrolled exposure to Earth’s biosphere. Here we show that Bennu samples are volatile rich, with more carbon, nitrogen and ammonia than samples from asteroid Ryugu and most meteorites. Nitrogen-15 isotopic enrichments indicate that ammonia and other N-containing soluble molecules formed in a cold molecular cloud or the outer protoplanetary disk. We detected amino acids (including 14 of the 20 used in terrestrial biology), amines, formaldehyde, carboxylic acids, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and N-heterocycles (including all five nucleobases found in DNA and RNA), along with ~10,000 N-bearing chemical species. All chiral non-protein amino acids were racemic or nearly so, implying that terrestrial life’s left-handed chirality may not be due to bias in prebiotic molecules delivered by impacts. The relative abundances of amino acids and other soluble organics suggest formation and alteration by low-temperature reactions, possibly in NH 3 -rich fluids. Bennu’s parent asteroid developed in or accreted ices from a reservoir in the outer Solar System where ammonia ice was stable.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-024-02472-9","authors":["D. P. Glavin","Jason P. Dworkin","C. M. O'd. Alexander","José C. Aponte","Allison A. Baczynski","Jessica Barnes","H. A. Bechtel","E. L. Berger","Aaron S. Burton","P. Caselli","Angela H. Chung","S. J. Clemett"],"tags":["Asteroid","Nitrogen","Astrobiology","Organic matter","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1038/s41550-024-02472-9","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/life13122349","name":"Mineral Indicators of Geologically Recent Past Habitability on Mars.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"We provide new support for habitable microenvironments in the near-subsurface of Mars, hosted in Fe- and Mg-rich rock units, and present a list of minerals that can serve as indicators of specific water-rock reactions in recent geologic paleohabitats for follow-on study. We modeled, using a thermodynamic basis without selective phase suppression, the reactions of published Martian meteorites and Jezero Crater igneous rock compositions and reasonable planetary waters (saline, alkaline waters) using Geochemist's Workbench Ver. 12.0. Solid-phase inputs were meteorite compositions for ALH 77005, Nakhla, and Chassigny, and two rock units from the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover sites, Máaz and Séítah. Six plausible Martian groundwater types [NaClO 4 , Mg(ClO 4 ) 2 , Ca(ClO 4 ) 2 , Mg-Na 2 (ClO 4 ) 2 , Ca-Na 2 (ClO 4 ) 2 , Mg-Ca(ClO 4 ) 2 ] and a unique Mars soil-water analog solution (dilute saline solution) named \"Rosy Red\", related to the Phoenix Lander mission, were the aqueous-phase inputs. Geophysical conditions were tuned to near-subsurface Mars (100 °C or 373.15 K, associated with residual heat from a magmatic system, impact event, or a concentration of radionuclides, and 101.3 kPa, similar to 2 fugacity. Models reliant on the Rosy Red soil-water analog produced the highest sustained CH 4 fugacity (maximum values observed for reactant ALH 77005). In general, Chassigny meteorite protoliths produced the best yield regarding Gibbs Free Energy, from an astrobiological perspective. Occurrences of serpentine and saponite across models are key: these minerals have been observed using CRISM spectral data, and their formation via serpentinization would be consistent with geologically recent-past H 2 and CH 4 production and sustained energy sources for microbial life. We list index minerals to be used as diagnostic for paleo water-rock models that could have supported geologically recent-past microbial activity, and suggest their application as criteria for future astrobiology study-site selections.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life13122349","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.3390/life13122349","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2512461122","name":"Prebiotic organic compounds in samples of asteroid Bennu indicate heterogeneous aqueous alteration.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission characterized the asteroid Bennu and delivered pristine samples of its regolith to Earth. Coordinated analyses of this primitive, carbonaceous material are elucidating the abiotic formation and inventory of prebiotic organic compounds in the early Solar System. Using pyrolysis and wet-chemistry techniques, we analyzed aggregate (unsorted particulate) material and three distinct stones that appear to correspond to different boulder types observed by the spacecraft. Results from the aggregate were consistent with previous work that detected the five canonical nucleobases and 14 of the 20 α-amino acids utilized by life to synthesize proteins. However, our analytical approach tentatively uncovered trace signals of a fifteenth α-amino acid, tryptophan, which has not been detected previously in extraterrestrial materials. Further, we found that the distributions of insoluble and soluble-derived organics differ between distinct stones, suggesting heterogeneous geologic processing within Bennu's parent body. The distributions of alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons resemble those in aqueously altered carbonaceous chondrites and are consistent with an abiotic origin through aqueous reactions. Our findings expand the evidence that prebiotic organic molecules can form within primitive accreting planetary bodies and could have been delivered via impacts to the early Earth and other Solar System bodies, potentially contributing to the origins of life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2512461122","authors":["Angel Mojarro","José C. Aponte","Jason P. Dworkin","Jamie E. Elsila","D. P. Glavin","H. C. Connolly","D. S. Lauretta"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Chemistry","Chondrite","Regolith","Abiogenesis"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2512461122","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-024-61114-2","name":"High surface area and interconnected nanoporosity of clay-rich astromaterials.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract Porosity affects key astromaterial processes from disruption in our atmosphere and impact with the ground, to the comminution of boulders by thermal and impact processes and slope mechanics on asteroid surfaces, to access and utilization of in-situ resources. Whereas the bulk porosity of clay-rich meteorites is well established, the magnitude of their surface area and nano-scale porosity is poorly known. Here we use N 2 BET gas adsorption to measure the specific surface area and nanoscale pore distribution in several clay-rich meteorites. Two recent falls Tarda (C2-ung) and Aguas Zarcas (CM2) have specific surface areas of 72.5 and 16.5 m 2 /g, respectively. However, the specific surface area of Tarda ranges from 33.7 to 81.6 m 2 /g depending on outgassing conditions. The Tarda surface area is dominated by an interconnected network of ~ 3-nm-sized pores, whereas Aguas Zarcas shows a lower density of ~ 3 nm pores and broader size distribution around 40 nm. In contrast, Ivuna and Orgueil (CI1) have surface areas of ~ 15 to 18 m 2 /g: the low values compared to Tarda are likely due to the neoformation of pore-blocking minerals during atmospheric exposure. These data suggest that returned samples from asteroids Ryugu and Bennu, which are mineralogically and texturally similar to Tarda, also have interconnected nano-scale porosity with high surface area.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-61114-2","authors":["L. A. J. Garvie","László Trif","Desireé Cotto-Figueroa","Erik Asphaug","Christian G. Hoover"],"tags":["Porosity","Meteorite","Specific surface area","Mineralogy","Outgassing"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-024-61114-2","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1186/s40645-024-00660-9","name":"Regionally extensive ejecta layer of the Australasian tektite strewn field: the MIS 20/19 large meteorite impact in mainland South-East Asia.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Aspects of the Quaternary sedimentary geology of South-East Asia have proven problematic in terms of interpretation as to the origins and relationships of the surface sediment layers. The MIS 20 large meteorite impact ( c ., 788 to 785 ka) occurred within mainland South-East Asia, evident from the well-researched 'Australasian Tektite Strewn Field' which extends over at least one tenth of the surface of the Earth. Key questions include: 1) whether the sedimentary impact signature is preserved in the Quaternary sediment cover of the region and 2) whether stratigraphic indicators and dating methods can discriminate meteorite impact-related associations of sedimentary strata, despite subsequent reworking and diagenesis. The importance of the questions raised relate to the search for the impact site, which has not been located conclusively. Moreover, the sedimentary signatures of meteorite impacts are not well known and the descriptions in this study should aid the recognition of impact signatures elsewhere in the world. An hypothesis was developed: Surface Quaternary sediments across a wide area of mainland South-East Asia represent the effects of a regionally significant meteorite impact. Over one hundred sedimentary sections were logged across five countries in mainland South-East Asia. Methods used, defining the stratigraphy and sedimentology, include computed tomography and X-ray scanning, geochemistry, magnetic susceptibility, and environmental luminescence as well as conventional grain size analyses. Luminescence analyses were applied to samples from key strata to provide age constraints and indications of reworking through dose distributional analysis of quartz fractions. The results of the investigation explain the nature of the stratigraphy and relate it specifically to the meteorite impact. In this manner, the strata and sedimentary signatures of the ejecta from a large cosmic impact are defined across a broad region, rather than being described at singular and isolated sections. The novelty is the spatial scale of the investigation which nevertheless remains detailed. A summary model of impact stratigraphy is presented that applies to the regional ejecta blanket covering at least 300,000 km 2 . Tektites were co-deposited with the ejecta and not introduced by surface processes reworking the deposits. Similar models may be applicable outside of mainland South-East Asia, wherever other large impacts are suspected to have occurred. Supplementary information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40645-024-00660-9.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40645-024-00660-9","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1186/s40645-024-00660-9","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1098/rsta.2022.0344","name":"Canyon Diablo lonsdaleite is a nanocomposite containing c/h stacking disordered diamond and diaphite.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"In 1967, a diamond polymorph was reported from hard, diamond-like grains of the Canyon Diablo iron meteorite and named lonsdaleite. This mineral was defined and identified by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) features that were indexed with a hexagonal unit cell. Since 1967, several natural and synthetic diamond-like materials with XRD data matching lonsdaleite have been reported and the name lonsdaleite was used interchangeably with hexagonal diamond. Its hexagonal structure was speculated to lead to physical properties superior to cubic diamond, and as such has stimulated attempts to synthesize lonsdaleite. Despite numerous reports, several recent studies have provided alternative explanations for the XRD, transmission electron microscopy and Raman data used to identify lonsdaleite. Here, we show that lonsdaleite from the Canyon Diablo diamond-like grains are a nanocomposite material dominated by subnanometre-scale cubic/hexagonal stacking disordered diamond and diaphite domains. These nanostructured elements are intimately intergrown, giving rise to structural features erroneously associated with h diamond. Our data suggest that the diffuse scattering in XRD and the hexagonal features in transmission electron microscopy images reported from various natural and laboratory-prepared samples that were previously used for lonsdaleite identification, in fact arise from cubic/hexagonal stacking disordered diamond and diaphite domains. This article is part of the theme issue 'Exploring the length scales, timescales and chemistry of challenging materials (Part 2)'.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2022.0344","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1098/rsta.2022.0344","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-025-17984-1","name":"Origin of Umm Al Heesh lake in the Rub' Al Khali desert, Saudi Arabia.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This paper presents the first detailed hydrogeochemical study of the Umm Al Heesh lake, located in in Rub' Al Khali, Saudi Arabia, the largest continuous sand desert on Earth. Analysis of the salt precipitation, geochemical and isotope facies of the water indicates that the water source of Umm Al Heesh is the Paleocene aquifer groundwater, that naturally seeps to the surface through fractures and forms permanent spring lakes. Because of the topography of the dunes, some water from the spring lakes flows out as surface runoff, creating a large temporary puddle lake. The different groundwater flow between these lakes is reflected in their salinity as well as isotope composition (δ 18 O and δ 2 H). The present study shows that the hydrological configuration with respect to groundwater flow is the predominant factor determining the hydrochemical processes shaping lakes water quality. The continuous interaction between Paleocene aquifer groundwater and lake water is critical to the life and protection of Umm Al Heesh and is determined by a combination of geological, geomorphological, hydrogeological and climatological factors.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-17984-1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-025-17984-1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s11214-022-00872-9","name":"Deciphering Redox State for a Metal-Rich World.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Psyche mission's Oxidation-Reduction Working Group is focused on understanding, determining, and applying the redox state of (16) Psyche to understand the origin of a metal-rich world. The oxidation-reduction state of an asteroid, along with its temperature, parent body size, and composition, is a key parameter in determining the history of an asteroid. Determining the redox state from spacecraft data is most easily done by examining potential metal-oxide buffer pairs. The occurrence of Ni, Fe, C, Cr, P and Si, in that order, in the metal or sulfide phase of an asteroidal body indicates increasingly reduced conditions. Key observations by the Imager and Gamma-Ray and Neutron Spectrometer (GRNS) of Psyche can bracket the redox state using metal-oxide buffers. The presence of Fe,Ni metal can be confirmed by the ratios of Fe/O or Fe/Si and the concentration of Ni variability in metal across the asteroid can be determined by GRNS. The FeO concentration of silicates is complementary to the Ni concentration of metal and can be constrained using filters on the Imager. The presence of FeO in silicates from ground-based observations is one of the few measurements we already have of redox state, although available data permit a wide range of silicate compositions and mineralogies. The presence of C, P or Si concentrated in the metallic, Fe-rich portion of the asteroid, as measured by GRNS, or Ca-sulfide, determined by imaging, would indicate increasingly reducing conditions. Linkage to known types of meteorites, whether metal-rich chondrites, stony-irons or irons, expands the mineralogical, chemical and isotopic data not available from remote observations alone. Redox also controls both silicate and metal mineralogy, influencing differentiation, solidification, and subsolidus cooling, including the relative abundance of sulfur in the core and possible magnetic signatures. The redox state of Psyche, if a fully-differentiated metallic core, might constrain the location and timing of both the formation of Psyche and any oxidation it might have experienced.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-022-00872-9","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1007/s11214-022-00872-9","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1029/2022gl098061","name":"The History of Water in Martian Magmas From Thorium Maps.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Water inventories in Martian magmas are poorly constrained. Meteorite-based estimates range widely, from 10 2 to >10 4 ppm H 2 O, and are likely variably influenced by degassing. Orbital measurements of H primarily reflect water cycled and stored in the regolith. Like water, Th behaves incompatibly during mantle melting, but unlike water Th is not prone to degassing and is relatively immobile during aqueous alteration at low temperature. We employ Th as a proxy for original, mantle-derived H 2 O in Martian magmas. We use regional maps of Th from Mars Odyssey to assess variations in magmatic water across major volcanic provinces and through time. We infer that Hesperian and Amazonian magmas had ∼100-3,000 ppm H 2 O, in the lower range of previous estimates. The implied cumulative outgassing since the Hesperian, equivalent to a global H 2 O layer ∼1-40 m deep, agrees with Mars' present-day surface and near-surface water inventory and estimates of sequestration and loss rates.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2022gl098061","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1029/2022gl098061","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acsearthspacechem.3c00311","name":"Effect of Nitrogen on the Structure and Composition of Primordial Organic Matter Analogs.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Organic molecules are ubiquitous in primitive solar system bodies such as comets and asteroids. These primordial organic compounds may have formed in the interstellar medium and in protoplanetary disks (PPDs) before being accreted and further transformed in the parent bodies of meteorites, icy moons, and dwarf planets. The present study describes the composition of primordial organics analogs produced in a laboratory simulator of the PPD (the Nebulotron experiment at the CRPG laboratory) with nitrogen contents varying from N/C m / z 100 and 500 are characterized. The mass spectra show a Gaussian shape with maxima around m / z 250. Highly condensed polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are the most common compounds identified in the samples with lower nitrogen contents. As the amount of nitrogen increases, a dramatic increase of the chemical diversity is observed. Nitrogen-bearing compounds are also dominated by polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PANH) made of 5- and 6-membered rings containing up to four nitrogen atoms, including triazine and pyrazole rings. Such N-rich aromatic species are expected to decompose easily in the presence of water at higher temperatures. Pure carbon molecules are also observed for samples with relatively small fractions of nitrogen. MS peaks compatible with the presence of amino acids and nucleobases, or their isomers, are detected. When comparing these Nebulotron samples with the insoluble fraction of the Paris meteorite organic matter, we observe that the samples with intermediate N/C ratios bracketing that of the Paris insoluble organic matter (IOM) display relative proportions of the CH, CHO, CHN, and CHNO chemical families also bracketing those of the Paris IOM. Our results support that Nebulotron samples are relevant laboratory analogs of primitive chondritic organic matter.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.3c00311","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1021/acsearthspacechem.3c00311","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09131-7","name":"Ultra-depleted mantle source of basalts from the South Pole-Aitken basin.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Lunar mare basalts illuminate the nature of the Moon's mantle, the lunar compositional asymmetry and the early lunar magma ocean (LMO) 1-3 . However, the characteristics of the mantle beneath the vast South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin on the lunar farside remain a mystery. Here we present the petrology and geochemistry of basalt fragments from Chang'e-6 (CE6), the first returned lunar farside samples from the SPA basin 4-7 . These 2.8-billion-year-old CE6 basalts 8 share similar major element compositions with the most evolved Apollo 12 ilmenite basalts. They exhibit extreme Sr-Nd depletion, with initial 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios of 0.699237 to 0.699329 and ε Nd (t) values (a measure of the neodymium isotopic composition) of 15.80 to 16.13. These characteristics indicate an ultra-depleted mantle, resulting from LMO crystallization and/or later depletion by melt extraction. The former scenario implies that the nearside and farside may possess an isotopically analogous depleted mantle endmember. The latter is probably related to the SPA impact, indicating that post-accretion massive impacts could have potentially triggered large-scale melt extraction of the underlying mantle. Either way, originating during the LMO or later melt extraction, the ultra-depleted mantle beneath the SPA basin offers a deep observational window into early lunar crust-mantle differentiation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09131-7","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1038/s41586-025-09131-7","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-025-61705-1","name":"Magnetic signatures and origins of ferromagnetic minerals in Chang'e-6 lunar farside soils.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Ferromagnetic minerals in lunar materials record key information regarding the Moon’s ancient dynamo, impact events, and space weathering. However, interpreting the magnetic signals is complicated by their diverse origins and properties. Here, we present comprehensive magnetic and mineralogical results of farside lunar soils returned by Chang’e-6 mission from the South Pole-Aitken Basin. Compared to nearside samples, these soils exhibit higher magnetic susceptibility and saturation magnetization, and the highest saturation remanence, despite weak local crustal magnetic anomalies. Advanced electron microscopy reveals two primary mineralogical populations: nickel-poor iron particles with euhedral shapes in basalt clasts (magmatic origin) and nickel-rich metallic iron and Fe-Ni alloys in breccias, agglutinates, and glassy materials (impact origin). These findings offer insights into the formation of magnetic minerals on the lunar farside, thereby enhancing our understanding of lunar dynamo evolution and crustal magnetic anomalies. Chang’e-6 mission’s analysis of farside lunar soils reveals stronger magnetic properties than nearside samples and identifies distinct magmatic and impact-formed minerals. This offers insights into the Moon’s magnetic history and crustal anomalies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61705-1","authors":["Jinhua Li","Xing Lin","Zheng Gong","Jiawei Liu","Yan Liu","Weiwei Wu","Kelei Zhu","Yuqin Wang","Xu Tang","Lixin Gu","Yi Chen","Qiuli Li"],"tags":["Ferromagnetism","Soil water","Geology","Geochemistry","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-025-61705-1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-023-33595-0","name":"Distributions of CHN compounds in meteorites record organic syntheses in the early solar system.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Carbonaceous meteorites contain diverse soluble organic compounds. These compounds formed in the early solar system from volatiles accreted on tiny dust particles. However, the difference in the organic synthesis on respective dust particles in the early solar system remains unclear. We found micrometer-scale heterogeneous distributions of diverse CHN 1-2 and CHN 1-2 O compounds in two primitive meteorites: the Murchison and NWA 801, using a surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization system connected to a high mass resolution mass spectrometer. These compounds contained mutual relationships of ± H 2 , ± CH 2 , ± H 2 O, and ± CH 2 O and showed highly similar distributions, indicating that they are the products of series reactions. The heterogeneity was caused by the micro-scale difference in the abundance of these compounds and the extent of the series reactions, indicating that these compounds formed on respective dust particles before asteroid accretion. The results of the present study provide evidence of heterogeneous volatile compositions and the extent of organic reactions among the dust particles that formed carbonaceous asteroids. The compositions of diverse small organic compounds associated with respective dust particles in meteorites are useful to understand different histories of volatile evolution in the early solar system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-33595-0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-023-33595-0","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-023-49953-x","name":"The first identification of cronstedtite in Cu-Ni-PGE ores of the Talnakh intrusion.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"We present new mineralogical data of cronstedtite from the Southern-2 orebody, located in the South-Western branch of the Talnakh intrusion (Noril'sk area) composed of massive sulfides in which the total amount of oxides and silicates does not exceed 1-3 vol%. The petrographic and mineralogical features of these ores indicated occurrence of fine-grained, fibrous needle like clusters < 50-µm-sized grains of cronstedtite (7.09 Å along its c-axis). This mineral confirmed by a number of analytical techniques (powder X-ray diffraction of balk samples, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Raman and Infrared spectroscopy). Cronstedtite sporadically contains signals of Al, Ni, Ca and filling the cracks and cavities between sulfides of copper (chalcopyrite) and iron (pyrrhotite, pentlandite). In some cases, cronstedtite contains micron-sized PGM, and associates with magnetite. According the X-ray diffraction analysis of the bulk massive ores besides cronstendtite are established kaolinite, gypsum, calcite, quartz, and cristobalite. The findings of cronstedtite in Noril'sk area have never been mentioned publicly before. Its occurrence is the northernmost known locality in the world. Our results imply that the formation of cronstedtite in the Talnakh intrusion could be possible by the active participation low-temperatures fluids within the relatively near-surface (< 2 km of paleosurface) conditions of intrusion emplacement, in contrast to other deep-seated supergiant Cu-Ni-PGE deposits in the world. The conditions of formation in isolated cavities in fresh pyrrhotite-pentlandite-chalcopyrite massive ores of deep level of the Talnakh intrusion could be favorable for the formation of cronstendtite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-49953-x","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-023-49953-x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41561-025-01741-0","name":"Mineralogical evidence for hydrothermal alteration of Bennu samples.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Samples of asteroid (101955) Bennu delivered by the OSIRIS-REx mission offer the opportunity to study pristine planetary materials unchanged by exposure to the terrestrial environment. Here we use a combination of X-ray diffraction and various electron microscopy techniques to explore the detailed mineralogy of Bennu samples and determine the alteration history of the planetesimal protolith from which they originated. The samples consist largely of hydrated sheet-silicate minerals, namely nanoscale serpentine and saponite of varied grain size, which are decorated with micro- to nanoscale Fe-sulfides, magnetite and carbonates. We observe sheet silicates parallel and normal to sulfide surfaces and as inclusions in sulfides; sulfur-rich veins transecting the sheet-silicate matrix; zoned carbonates and phosphates and sulfide and magnetite grains exhibiting embayment. The mineralogical evidence indicates alteration of accreted minerals by a fluid that evolved with time, leading to etching, dissolution and reprecipitation. Sulfide compositions indicate alteration at ~25 °C, similar to conditions inferred for asteroid (162173) Ryugu and Ivuna-type (CI) chondrite meteorites. The fluid probably evolved from neutral to alkaline, culminating with the precipitation of highly soluble salts. We conclude that Bennu's protolith comprised mainly nanometre to micrometre silicates, with fewer chondrules and calcium-aluminium-rich inclusions than those of most chondrite groups.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-025-01741-0","authors":["T. J. Zega","T. J. McCoy","S. S. Russell","L. P. Keller","Z. Gainsforth","S. A. Singerling","Venkateswara Rao Manga","C. S. Harrison","G. Libourel","B. S. Prince","Cristina A. Thomas","A. J. King"],"tags":["Hydrothermal circulation","Geology","Geochemistry","Mineralogy","Paleontology"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1038/s41561-025-01741-0","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-024-50814-y","name":"Breunnerite grain and magnesium isotope chemistry reveal cation partitioning during aqueous alteration of asteroid Ryugu.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract Returned samples from the carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu provide pristine information on the original aqueous alteration history of the Solar System. Secondary precipitates, such as carbonates and phyllosilicates, reveal elemental partitioning of the major component ions linked to the primordial brine composition of the asteroid. Here, we report on the elemental partitioning and Mg isotopic composition (25Mg/24Mg) of breunnerite [(Mg, Fe, Mn)CO3] from the Ryugu C0002 sample and the A0106 and C0107 aggregates by sequential leaching extraction of salts, exchangeable ions, carbonates, and silicates. Breunnerite was the sample most enriched in light Mg isotopes, and the 25Mg/24Mg value of the fluid had shifted lower by ~0.38‰ than the initial value (set to 0‰) before dolomite precipitation. As a simple model, the Mg2+ first precipitated in phyllosilicates, followed by dolomite precipitation, at which time ~76−87% of Mg2+ had been removed from the primordial brine. A minor amount of phyllosilicate precipitation continued after dolomite precipitation. The element composition profiles of the latest solution that interacted with the cation exchange pool of Ryugu were predominantly Na-rich. Na+ acts as a bulk electrolyte and contributes to the stabilization of the negative surface charge of phyllosilicates and organic matter on Ryugu.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-50814-y","authors":["Toshihiro Yoshimura","Daisuke Araoka","Hiroshi Naraoka","Saburo Sakai","Nanako O. Ogawa","Hisayoshi Yurimoto","Mayu Morita","Morihiko Onose","Tetsuya Yokoyama","Martin Bizzarro","Satoru Tanaka","Naohiko Ohkouchi"],"tags":["Isotopes of magnesium","Magnesium","Aqueous solution","Isotope","Asteroid"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-024-50814-y","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-022-09465-6","name":"Unique evidence of fluid alteration in the Kakowa (L6) ordinary chondrite.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Meteorites preserve evidence of processes on their parent bodies, including alteration, metamorphism, and shock events. Here we show that the Kakowa (L6) ordinary chondrite (OC) preserves both shock-melt veins and pockets of detrital grains from a brecciated and altered object, including corundum, albite, silica, fayalite, forsterite, and margarite in a Pb- and Fe-rich matrix. Preservation of the observed mineralogy and texture requires a sequence of at least two impacts: first, a high-velocity collision formed the shock melt veins containing the high-pressure minerals ringwoodite, wadsleyite, majorite, and albitic jadeite; later, a low-velocity impact formed fractures and filled them with the detrital material. Oxygen and Pb isotope ratios suggest an OC origin for these detrital minerals. Although fluid alteration is common in carbonaceous chondrites, the discovery of margarite with an OC oxygen isotopic signature is novel. Kakowa extends both the impact and alteration history of L6 ordinary chondrites in general.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-09465-6","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-022-09465-6","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1177/00368504211019859","name":"Petrology and mineralogy of the Viñales meteorite, the latest fall in Cuba.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The new Cuban chondrite, Viñales, fell on February first, 2019 at Pinar del Rio, northwest of Cuba (22°37′10″N, 83°44′34″W). A total of about 50–100 kg of the meteorite were collected and the masses of individual samples are in a range 2–1100 g. Two polished thin sections were studied by optical microscope, Raman spectroscopy and electron microprobe analysis in this study. The meteorite mainly consists of olivine (Fa 24.6 ), low-Ca pyroxene (Fs 20.5 ), and troilite and Fe-Ni metal, with minor amounts of feldspar (Ab 82.4-84.7 ). Three poorly metamorphosed porphyritic olivine-pyroxene and barred olivine chondrules are observed. The homogeneous chemical compositions and petrographic textures indicate that Viñales is a L6 chondrite. The Viñales has fresh black fusion crust with layered structure, indicating it experienced a high temperature of ∼1650°C during atmospheric entry. Black shock melt veins with width of 100–600 μm are pervasive in the Viñales and olivine, bronzite, and metal phases are dominate minerals of the shock melt vein. The shock features of major silicate minerals suggest a shock stage S3, partly S4, and the shock pressure could be &gt;10 GPa.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00368504211019859","authors":["Feng Yin","Deqiu Dai"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Geochemistry","Astrobiology","Physics"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1177/00368504211019859","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-024-51092-4","name":"Weak magnetism of Martian impact basins may reflect cooling in a reversing dynamo.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Understanding the longevity of Mars's dynamo is key to interpreting the planet's atmospheric loss history and the properties of its deep interior. Satellite data showing magnetic lows above many large impact basins formed 4.1-3.7 billion years ago (Ga) have been interpreted as evidence that Mars's dynamo terminated before 4.1 Ga-at least 0.4 Gy before intense late Noachian/early Hesperian hydrological activity. However, evidence for a longer-lived, reversing dynamo from young volcanics and the Martian meteorite ALH 84001 supports an alternative interpretation of Mars's apparently demagnetized basins. To understand how a reversing dynamo would affect basin fields, here we model the cooling and magnetization of 200-2200 km diameter impact basins under a range of Earth-like reversal frequencies. We find that magnetic reversals efficiently reduce field strengths above large basins. In particular, if the magnetic properties of the Martian mantle are similar to most Martian meteorites and late remagnetization of the near surface is widespread, >90% of large ( > 800 km diameter) basins would appear demagnetized at spacecraft altitudes. This ultimately implies that Mars's apparently demagnetized basins do not require an early dynamo cessation. A long-lived and reversing dynamo, unlike alternative scenarios, satisfies all available constraints on Mars's magnetic history.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-51092-4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-024-51092-4","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acsearthspacechem.0c00329","name":"Geochemical Characterization of the NWA 11273 Lunar Meteorite Using Nondestructive Analytical Techniques: Original, Shocked, and Alteration Mineral Phases.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"A lunar feldspathic breccia meteorite, the Northwest Africa (NWA) 11273, was analyzed to compensate the lack of scientific data available about its mineralogy and geochemistry. In order to obtain a deeper characterization of the sample, a strategy based on the combination of nondestructive spectroscopic techniques such as X-ray fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy is used. Both techniques are being used in spatial missions by the Perseverance Rover, so their combination in the laboratory is here proposed as an optimal strategy to study the complete mineralogy of the sample. In addition to finding the minerals indicated by the Meteoritical Society (anorthite, olivine, pyroxene, kamacite, and troilite), other minor minerals were identified, such as zircon and ilmenite, which are minerals related to the Moon geology, as well as calcite and sulfate which can be considered products of terrestrial weathering. Finally, secondary minerals related to alteration processes were also found, such as hematite, quartz, and anatase. In this work, the alteration processes that gave rise to the detected secondary minerals have been proposed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.0c00329","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1021/acsearthspacechem.0c00329","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/life13071448","name":"Organic Matter in the Asteroid Ryugu: What We Know So Far.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Hayabusa2 mission was tasked with returning samples from the C-complex asteroid Ryugu (1999 JU3), in order to shed light on the formation, evolution and composition of such asteroids. One of the main science objectives was to understand whether such bodies could have supplied the organic matter required for the origin of life on Earth. Here, a review of the studies concerning the organic matter within the Ryugu samples is presented. This review will inform the reader about the Hayabusa2 mission, the nature of the organic matter analyzed and the various interpretations concerning the analytical findings including those concerning the origin and evolution of organic matter from Ryugu. Finally, the review puts the findings and individual interpretations in the context of the current theories surrounding the formation and evolution of Ryugu. Overall, the summary provided here will help to inform those operating in a wide range of interdisciplinary fields, including planetary science, astrobiology, the origin of life and astronomy, about the most recent developments concerning the organic matter in the Ryugu return samples and their relevance to understanding our solar system and beyond. The review also outlines the issues that still remain to be solved and highlights potential areas for future work.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life13071448","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.3390/life13071448","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2404248121","name":"Perspectives on Mars Sample Return: A critical resource for planetary science and exploration.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Mars Sample Return (MSR) has been the highest flagship mission priority in the last two Planetary Decadal Surveys of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (hereafter, \"the National Academies\") and was the highest priority flagship for Mars in the Decadal Survey that preceded them. This inspirational and challenging campaign, like the Apollo program's returned lunar samples, will potentially revolutionize our understanding of Mars and help inform how other planets are explored. MSR's technological advances will keep the NASA and European Space Agency at the forefront of planetary exploration, and data on returned samples will fill knowledge gaps for future human exploration. Investigations of the ancient rocks collected in and around Jezero crater, as well as samples of the regolith and atmosphere, will be fundamentally different in scope, depth, and certainty from what is achievable with spaceborne observations. Returned Mars samples can address critical science issues including the discovery and characterization of ancient extraterrestrial life, prebiotic organic chemistry, the history of habitable planetary environments, planetary geological, geochemical, and geophysical evolution, orbital dynamics of bodies in the early Solar System, and the formation and evolution of atmospheres.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2404248121","authors":["H. Y. McSween","V. E. Hamilton","Kenneth A. Farley"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Sample (material)","Resource (disambiguation)","Planetary science"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2404248121","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-025-66969-1","name":"The Mantle Fe&lt;sup&gt;3+&lt;/sup&gt;/ΣFe Ratio Has Doubled Since the Early Archean.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"How mantle redox state developed, particularly the mantle source associated with mid-ocean ridge-like settings, remains a subject of ongoing debate. Here, we employ thermodynamic-thermomechanical numerical simulations to explore the redox properties of melts formed under mid-ocean ridge-like settings in both Archean and modern conditions. By comparing these results with a global database of mid-ocean ridge-like rocks extending back to 3.8 Ga, we reconstruct the mantle's redox evolution since the early Archean. Using the whole-rock Fe³⁺/ΣFe ratio as a robust redox proxy, derived from integrated numerical modeling and thermodynamic inversion, we find that the mantle's average Fe³⁺/ΣFe ratio has approximately doubled since the early Archean. Our calculations further indicate that ultra-low-oxygen-fugacity mantle domains in modern oceanic lithosphere reflect an initially reduced origin rather than deeper or hotter melting. Our results suggest that Earth's oxygenation and tectono-magmatic evolution may have been coupled.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-66969-1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-025-66969-1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41550-020-01274-z","name":"Meteoritic Evidence for a Ceres-sized Water-rich Carbonaceous Chondrite Parent Asteroid.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Carbonaceous chondrite meteorites record the earliest stages of Solar System geo-logical activities and provide insight into their parent bodies' histories. Some carbonaceous chondrites are volumetrically dominated by hydrated minerals, providing evidence for low temperature and pressure aqueous alteration 1 . Others are dominated by anhydrous minerals and textures that indicate high temperature metamorphism in the absence of aqueous fluids 1 . Evidence of hydrous metamorphism at intermediate pressures and temperatures in carbonaceous chondrite parent bodies has been virtually absent. Here we show that an ungrouped, aqueously altered carbonaceous chondrite fragment (numbered 202) from the Almahata Sitta (AhS) meteorite contains an assemblage of minerals, including amphibole, that reflect fluid-assisted metamorphism at intermediate temperatures and pressures on the parent asteroid. Amphiboles are rare in carbonaceous chondrites, having only been identified previously as a trace component in Allende (CV3 oxA ) chondrules 2 . Formation of these minerals requires prolonged metamorphism in a large (~640-1800 km diameter), unknown asteroid. Because Allende and AhS 202 represent different asteroidal parent bodies, intermediate conditions may have been more widespread in the early Solar System than recognized from known carbonaceous chondrite meteorites, which are likely a biased sampling.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-020-01274-z","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1038/s41550-020-01274-z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0319840","name":"RETRACTED: Shocked quartz at the Younger Dryas onset (12.8 ka) supports cosmic airbursts/impacts contributing to North American megafaunal extinctions and collapse of the Clovis technocomplex.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Shocked quartz grains are an accepted indicator of crater-forming cosmic impact events, which also typically produce amorphous silica along the fractures. Furthermore, previous research has shown that shocked quartz can form when nuclear detonations, asteroids, and comets produce near-surface or \"touch-down\" airbursts. When cosmic airbursts detonate with enough energy and at sufficiently low altitude, the resultant relatively small, high-velocity fragments may strike Earth's surface with high enough pressures to generate thermal and mechanical shock that can fracture quartz grains and introduce molten silica into the fractures. Here, we report the discovery of shocked quartz grains in a layer dating to the Younger Dryas (YD) onset (12.8 ka) in three classic archaeological sequences in the Southwestern United States: Murray Springs, Arizona; Blackwater Draw, New Mexico; and Arlington Canyon, California. These sites were foundational in demonstrating that the extinction or observed population bottlenecks of many megafaunal species and the coeval collapse/reorganization of the Clovis technocomplex in North America co-occurred at or near the YD onset. Using a comprehensive suite of 10 analytical techniques, including electron microscopy (TEM, SEM, CL, and EBSD), we have identified grains with glass-filled fractures similar to shocked grains associated with nuclear explosions and 27 accepted impact craters of different ages (e.g., Meteor Crater, 50 ka; Chesapeake Bay, 35 Ma; Chicxulub, 66 Ma; Manicouagan, 214 Ma) and produced in 11 laboratory shock experiments. In addition, we used hydrocode modeling to explore the temperatures, pressures, and shockwave velocities associated with the airburst of a 100-m fragment of a comet and conclude that they are sufficient to produce shocked quartz. These shocked grains co-occur with previously reported peak concentrations in platinum, meltglass, soot, and nanodiamonds, along with microspherules, similar to those found in ~28 microspherule layers that are accepted as evidence for cosmic impact events, even in the absence of a known crater. The discovery of apparently thermally-altered shocked quartz grains at these three key archaeological sites supports a cosmic impact as a major contributing factor in the megafaunal extinctions and the collapse of the Clovis technocomplex at the YD onset.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0319840","authors":["James P. Kennett","Malcolm A. LeCompte","Christopher R. Moore","G. Kletetschka","John R. Johnson","Wendy S. Wolbach","Siddhartha Mitra","Abigail Maiorana-Boutilier","Víctor Adedeji","M. Young","Timothy Witwer","Kurt Langworthy"],"tags":["Megafauna","Younger Dryas","Geology","Population","Impact crater"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1371/journal.pone.0319840","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2515408123","name":"Isotopic evidence for volatile loss driven by South Pole-Aitken basin-forming impact.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Recent studies suggest that the lunar farside experienced a magma ocean evolution similar to that of the nearside. Thus, the nearside-farside dichotomy, such as volcanism and crustal thickness, is likely related to the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin-forming impact. Although the noritic clasts found in Chang'e-6 (CE6) samples may originate from crustal remelting induced by the SPA impact, how (and whether) the lunar mantle was modified by this event remains unclear. Here, we present the first high-precision iron (Fe) and potassium (K) isotopic measurements of CE6 low-Ti basalts, revealing higher δ 56 Fe (0.13 to 0.21‰) and δ 41 K (0 to 0.09‰) in these basalts compared to their Apollo and Chang'e-5 (CE5) counterparts (δ 56 Fe: 0 to 0.11‰; δ 41 K: -0.29 to -0.04‰). The heavy Fe and K isotopic signatures are unlikely to be derived from cosmogenic effects or the addition of impactor-derived materials. Instead, the heavy Fe isotopes can be explained by partial melting and fractional crystallization processes. For K isotopes, however, the data require that the mantle source beneath the SPA basin had a heavier K isotopic composition than that of the nearside mantle, most likely resulting from evaporation caused by the SPA-forming impact. Our results thus provide robust evidence for significant impact-induced modification of the lunar mantle and demonstrate that large-scale impacts may have played a key role in creating lunar asymmetry.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2515408123","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2515408123","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.xinn.2025.101183","name":"Lunar origin of Earth quasi-satellite Kamo'oalewa.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Asteroid Kamo'oalewa is an Earth quasi-satellite that orbits the Sun along the same path as Earth. Its visible and near-infrared reflectance (VNIR) spectrum, observed from Earth-based telescopes, is highly reddened and differs from typical spectra of main belt asteroids, but resembles that of space-weathered lunar samples, suggesting a lunar origin. However, whether Kamo'oalewa originated from the Moon remains unknown. Here, we report that Kamo'oalewa's spectrum closely matches the in situ spectra observed by Yutu-1 rover and the laboratory-measured spectra of Chang'E-5 lunar soils, which supports its lunar origin. We further find, based on the Moon Mineralogy Mapper's hyperspectral observations, a widespread presence of spectra similar to that of Kamo'oalewa on the lunar nearside, particularly in regions around Tycho, Aristarchus, Glushko, Thales, and Proclus craters. Our modeling of impact-induced fragments and their subsequent dynamical trajectories indicates that only those ejected from Tycho crater could escape the Earth-Moon system and become current Earth's co-orbitals, suggesting that Tycho is the most likely source crater of Kamo'oalewa. The lunar origin of Kamo'oalewa sheds new light on the formation of near-Earth objects and promises to advance our understanding of the Moon's youthful geological features and complex anorthositic crust through the sampling of this asteroid by the forthcoming Tianwen-2 mission.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xinn.2025.101183","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1016/j.xinn.2025.101183","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.abq3925","name":"The Winchcombe meteorite, a unique and pristine witness from the outer solar system.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Direct links between carbonaceous chondrites and their parent bodies in the solar system are rare. The Winchcombe meteorite is the most accurately recorded carbonaceous chondrite fall. Its pre-atmospheric orbit and cosmic-ray exposure age confirm that it arrived on Earth shortly after ejection from a primitive asteroid. Recovered only hours after falling, the composition of the Winchcombe meteorite is largely unmodified by the terrestrial environment. It contains abundant hydrated silicates formed during fluid-rock reactions, and carbon- and nitrogen-bearing organic matter including soluble protein amino acids. The near-pristine hydrogen isotopic composition of the Winchcombe meteorite is comparable to the terrestrial hydrosphere, providing further evidence that volatile-rich carbonaceous asteroids played an important role in the origin of Earth's water.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abq3925","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.abq3925","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2519759122","name":"High-energy impact and vapor recondensation history of the angrite parent body revealed by nickel isotopes.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The angrite parent body (APB) is the most volatile-depleted among known differentiated bodies in the Solar System, yet the mechanisms responsible remain poorly constrained. Here, we present high-precision nickel (Ni) isotope data from a suite of angrite samples to reconstruct the APB's volatile depletion history. Plutonic angrites contain unusually high proportions of metallic iron and exhibit chondritic δ 60/58 Ni values (0.202 ± 0.028‰; per mille mass-dependent 60 Ni/ 58 Ni deviation relative to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Standard Reference Material (SRM) 986). These observations are consistent with a homogeneous Ni isotope composition of the APB after core formation and the subsequent incorporation of endogenous core material in plutonic angrites. In contrast, a dunite and megacrystic olivines from volcanic angrites, derived from the mantle, display suprachondritic δ 60/58 Ni values (0.4 to 0.7‰). We argue that these values are consistent with Ni loss via evaporation during a high-energy impact that follows an initial stage of volatile loss from a magma ocean generated by 26 Al heating. Thermodynamic modeling confirms Ni to be more volatile than Mn, Fe, Si, and Mg during evaporation from silicate liquids, in agreement with the observed relative magnitude of isotopic fractionation. Volcanic angrite matrices show variable and often subchondritic δ 60/58 Ni values (down to -0.5‰), reflecting mixing with isotopically heavy megacrystic olivines and recondensation of light Ni vapor onto the crust. These findings imply that volatile elements are stratified (core-mantle-crust) in the APB and provide direct isotopic evidence for impact-driven vapor loss and recondensation on a differentiated planetary body.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2519759122","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2519759122","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5702/massspectrometry.a0115","name":"Uranium-Lead Systematics of Lunar Basaltic Meteorite Northwest Africa 2977.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Northwest Africa (NWA) 2977 is a lunar basaltic meteorite that was found in 2005 and has been classified as an olivine cumulate gabbro. This meteorite contains a shock melt vein (SMV) induced by an intense shock event. We report herein on an in-situ analysis of phosphates in the host gabbro and the shock vein for the U-Pb dating of NWA 2977 using an ion microprobe, NanoSIMS. The majority of the analyzed phosphates, in both the SMV and host-rock, lie on a linear regression in 238 U/ 206 Pb- 207 Pb/ 206 Pb- 204 Pb/ 206 Pb three-dimensional space, indicating a total Pb/U isochron age of 3.15±0.12 Ga (95% confidence level), which is consistent ages determined in previous isotopic studies of NWA 2977 (Sm-Nd age of 3.10±0.05 Ga, Rb-Sr age of 3.29±0.11 Ga, and Pb-Pb baddeleyite age of 3.12±0.01 Ga), and identical to the age of the U-Pb phosphate in a paired meteorite NWA 773, 3.09±0.20 Ga, derived from our dataset. There was no clear difference in the formation age between the phosphates found in the SMV and host-rock, although the shape and size of the grains and the Raman spectra show the evidence of intense shock metamorphism. Based on these findings, the cooling rate of the phosphate was very rapid, constrained to be larger than 140 K/s.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5702/massspectrometry.a0115","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.5702/massspectrometry.a0115","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2013186117","name":"Amino acids in the Tagish meteorite.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans the biological, physical, and social sciences.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2013186117","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2013186117","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-021-25808-9","name":"Olivine-rich achondrites from Vesta and the missing mantle problem.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Mantles of rocky planets are dominantly composed of olivine and its high-pressure polymorphs, according to seismic data of Earth's interior, the mineralogy of natural samples, and modelling results. The missing mantle problem represents the paucity of olivine-rich material among meteorite samples and remote observation of asteroids, given how common differentiated planetesimals were in the early Solar System. Here we report the discovery of new olivine-rich meteorites that have asteroidal origins and are related to V-type asteroids or vestoids. Northwest Africa 12217, 12319, and 12562 are dunites and lherzolite cumulates that have siderophile element abundances consistent with origins on highly differentiated asteroidal bodies that experienced core formation, and with trace element and oxygen and chromium isotopic compositions associated with the howardite-eucrite-diogenite meteorites. These meteorites represent a step towards the end of the shortage of olivine-rich material, allowing for full examination of differentiation processes acting on planetesimals in the earliest epoch of the Solar System.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25808-9","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-021-25808-9","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.add8472","name":"Observational constraints on the process and products of Martian serpentinization.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The alteration of olivine-rich rocks to serpentine minerals, (hydr)oxides, and aqueous hydrogen through serpentinization is long thought to have influenced the distribution of habitable environments on early Mars and the evolution of the early Martian hydrosphere and atmosphere. Nevertheless, the planetary importance of Martian serpentinization has remained a matter of debate. To constrain the process and products of Martian serpentinization, we studied serpentinized iron-rich olivines from the 1.1-billion-year Duluth Complex. These data indicate that serpentinized iron-rich olivine would have been accompanied by a fivefold increase in hydrogen production relative to serpentinized terrestrial mantle peridotites. In contrast to previous expectations, this style of serpentinization yields hisingerite as the dominant iron serpentine mineral at comparatively low temperature and pH, consistent with meteorite mineralogy and in situ rover data. The widespread occurrence of oxidized iron-bearing phyllosilicates in highly magnetized regions of the Martian crust supports the hypothesis that serpentinization was more pervasive on early Mars than currently estimated.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.add8472","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.add8472","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2215484119","name":"Electrical discharge triggers quasicrystal formation in an eolian dune.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"We report the discovery of a dodecagonal quasicrystal Mn 72.3 Si 15.6 Cr 9.7 Al 1.8 Ni 0.6 —composed of a periodic stacking of atomic planes with quasiperiodic translational order and 12-fold symmetry along the two directions perpendicular to the planes—accidentally formed by an electrical discharge event in an eolian dune in the Sand Hills near Hyannis, Nebraska, United States. The quasicrystal, coexisting with a cubic crystalline phase with composition Mn 68.9 Si 19.9 Ni 7.6 Cr 2.2 Al 1.4 , was found in a fulgurite consisting predominantly of fused and melted sand along with traces of melted conductor metal from a nearby downed power line. The fulgurite may have been created by a lightning strike that combined sand with material from downed power line or from electrical discharges from the downed power line alone. Extreme temperatures of at least 1,710 °C were reached, as indicated by the presence of SiO 2 glass in the sample. The dodecagonal quasicrystal is an example of a quasicrystal of any kind formed by electrical discharge, suggesting other places to search for quasicrystals on Earth or in space and for synthesizing them in the laboratory.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2215484119","authors":["Luca Bindi","Matthew A. Pasek","Chi Ma","J. Hu","Guangming Cheng","Nan Yao","Paul D. Asimow","Paul J. Steinhardt"],"tags":["Quasicrystal","Quasiperiodic function","Materials science","Metal","Perpendicular"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-12-27","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2215484119","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.adl2413","name":"Multiple sources of water preserved in impact glasses from Chang'e-5 lunar soil.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The existence of molecular H 2 O and evolution of solar wind–derived water on the lunar surface remain controversial. We report that large amounts of OH and molecular H 2 O related to solar wind and other multiple sources are preserved in impact glasses from Chang’e-5 (CE5) lunar soil based on reflectance infrared spectroscopy and nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry analyses. The estimated water content contributed by impact glasses to CE5 lunar soil was ~72 ppm, including molecular H 2 O of up to 15 to 25 ppm. Our studies revealed that impact glasses are the main carrier of molecular H 2 O in lunar soils. Moreover, water in CE5 impact glasses provides a record of complex formation processes and multiple water sources, including water derived from solar wind, deposited by water-bearing meteorites/micrometeorites, and inherited from lunar indigenous water. Our study provides a better understanding of the evolution of surficial water on airless bodies and identifies potential source and storage pathways for water in the terrestrial planets.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adl2413","authors":["Chuanjiao Zhou","Bing Mo","Hong Tang","Yaya Gu","Xiongyao Li","Dan Zhu","Wen Yu","Jianzhong Liu"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Meteorite","Lunar soil","Soil water","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.adl2413","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/am-2020-7447","name":"An evolutionary system of mineralogy. Part II: Interstellar and solar nebula primary condensation mineralogy (&gt;4.565 Ga).","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The evolutionary system of mineralogy relies on varied physical and chemical attributes, including trace elements, isotopes, solid and fluid inclusions, and other information-rich characteristics, to understand processes of mineral formation and to place natural condensed phases in the deep-time context of planetary evolution. Part I of this system reviewed the earliest refractory phases that condense at T > 1000 K within the turbulent expanding and cooling atmospheres of highly evolved stars. Part II considers the subsequent formation of primary crystalline and amorphous phases by condensation in three distinct mineral-forming environments, each of which increased mineralogical diversity and distribution prior to the accretion of planetesimals >4.5 billion years ago. (1) Interstellar molecular solids : Varied crystalline and amorphous molecular solids containing primarily H, C, O, and N are observed to condense in cold, dense molecular clouds in the interstellar medium (10 < T < 20 K; P < 10 –13 atm). With the possible exception of some nanoscale organic condensates preserved in carbonaceous meteorites, the existence of these phases is documented primarily by telescopic observations of absorption and emission spectra of interstellar molecules in radio, microwave, or infrared wavelengths. (2) Nebular and circumstellar ice : Evidence from infrared observations and laboratory experiments suggest that cubic H 2 O (“cubic ice”) condenses as thin crystalline mantles on oxide and silicate dust grains in cool, distant nebular and circumstellar regions where T ~100 K. (3) Primary condensed phases of the inner solar nebula : The earliest phase of nebular mineralogy saw the formation of primary refractory minerals that solidified through high-temperature condensation (1100 < T < 1800 K; 10 –6 < P < 10 –2 atm) in the solar nebula more than 4.565 billion years ago. These earliest mineral phases originating in our solar system formed prior to the accretion of planetesimals and are preserved in calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions, ultra-refractory inclusions, and amoeboid olivine aggregates.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2020-7447","authors":["Shaunna M. Morrison","Robert M. Hazen"],"tags":["Formation and evolution of the Solar System","Solar System","Planetesimal","Context (archaeology)","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.2138/am-2020-7447","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.adg1910","name":"Perovskite-bearing crystal-controlled oxide-silicate mantle xenoliths: Resolution to controversial origins?","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Classic lamellar clinopyroxene-ilmenite intergrowths (type 1) are extended to include discovery of olivine-ilmenite-perovskite-wüstite (type 2) and olivine-spinel-perovskite (type 3) xenoliths in kimberlites from Liberia. Low titanium solubilities in olivine, garnet, and pyroxene cannot account for exsolution-like relations. Because the oxides coexist with high-pressure perovskite-structured silicate minerals in diamond, a permissive conclusion is that type 1 to type 3 xenoliths are of super-deep origin. Phase equilibria and thermodynamic studies show that type 1 xenoliths are stable at P > 80 GPa, with type 2 and type 3 at 35 to 50 GPa consistent with an origin in anomalous large low shear velocity province bodies anchored at the core-mantle boundary. Dissociated precursor perovskite-structured Ca-Fe-Ti bridgmanite is proposed and is indirectly supported by the copresence of type II diamonds with a sublithospheric lower mantle origin.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adg1910","authors":["Stephen E. Haggerty"],"tags":["Xenolith","Kimberlite","Olivine","Ilmenite","Geology"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.adg1910","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"pmid:42361169","name":"(16)O poor cosmic spherules from near-Earth CY chondrite asteroids.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Approximately 10% of cosmic spherules-microscopic extraterrestrial particles that melt upon atmospheric entry and dominate the influx of astromaterials to Earth-exhibit anomalous oxygen isotopic compositions, suggesting an asteroidal source not represented in current meteorite collections. We introduce a a previously unidentified subset of micrometeorites, the sulfur-rich cumulate olivine (SCumPo) cosmic spherules, characterized by cumulate textures evidencing the settling of olivine crystals, and oxygen-16 ( 16 O)-poor bulk signatures. The systematically nickel-poor olivine phenocrysts, frequent iron-nickel-sulfur droplets, unusually sulfur-rich mesostasis, and a virtual absence of magnetite all point to unusually highly reducing conditions during atmospheric entry, which may reflect unusual precursor mineralogy. Numerical modeling of olivine settling under deceleration speeds of ~14 to 17 kilometers per second suggests high-eccentricity precursor orbits ( e &gt; 0.2), incompatible with typical main-belt asteroid sources. These findings point to a previously unsampled, primitive, sulfide-rich CY-like near-Earth asteroid, which represents a \"missing\" meteorite parent body that contributes distinctive 16 O-poor cosmic dust to Earth.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42361169/","authors":["Van Ginneken M","Goderis S","Genge MJ","Jonker G","Maeda R","Wozniakiewicz PJ","Folco L","Suttle MD","Franchi IA","Zhao X","Yamaguchi A","Decrée S"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jun 26","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:42115195","name":"Asteroid sample return missions are critical for understanding our Solar System.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Studying asteroids addresses a number of unknowns in planetary science. Investigating them makes use of asteroidal meteorites, remote observations and space-based missions. However, to fully investigate these objects, analysis of pristine asteroid material in Earth-based laboratories is necessary. This requires missions which travel to an asteroid and return samples to Earth. The Hayabusa, Hayabusa2 and OSIRIS-REx sample return missions have showcased the criticality of having asteroid material in hand. Returned samples exhibit fragile mineralogy which does not survive meteorite fall, and is too small to be identified via remote sensing. These missions paved the way for the deployment of future missions including sample return from the Martian moon Phobos, and visiting Psyche - the remanent core of a differentiated body. The study of asteroids, and particularly asteroid sample return, is necessary for the next generation of discoveries.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42115195/","authors":["Bates H"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 May 11","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:42020863","name":"Non-equilibrium condensation of the first Solar System solids.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Primitive meteorites (chondrites) consist of an out-of-equilibrium assemblage of minerals formed during the assembly of our solar nebula 1 . The conditions under which their precursors condensed remain unclear as a result of subsequent reprocessing in the protoplanetary disk or in asteroidal parent bodies. Chondrites are classified into three main classes-enstatite, ordinary and carbonaceous-and these are distinguished by different bulk composition and oxidation state 2 . Although equilibrium condensation models explain the composition of some of their refractory components 3,4 , they do not explain the emergence of three mineralogical classes. Moreover, the low pressures, steep temperature gradients and short dynamical transport timescales in forming protoplanetary discs probably hindered equilibrium. Here we test the hypothesis that chondrite precursors formed via kinetic non-equilibrium condensation. Using a new time-dependent condensation model, we show that varying the cooling rate and pressure produce only three types of mineralogies. Departure from equilibrium yields increasingly oxidized and hydrous mineralogies. When projected into a Urey-Craig diagram, the predicted mineralogical types fall close to the redox states of enstatite, ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites. These results suggest that the mineralogical diversity of chondrites may reflect, in part, local condensation kinetics, offering an alternative to large-scale variations of oxidation conditions.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42020863/","authors":["Charnoz S","Aléon J","Chaussidon M","Sossi PA","Marrocchi Y","Franco P"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Apr","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:41415970","name":"Abundant supernova dust and heterogeneous aqueous alteration revealed by stardust in two lithologies of asteroid Bennu.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The oldest constituents in chondritic samples are presolar grains that condensed in the outflows and explosions of dying stars. These grains divulge the types and concentrations of dust that seeded our Solar System. However, they are subject to destruction during planetesimal formation and alteration. We conducted a detailed study of presolar grains in fragments of asteroid Bennu to elucidate the alteration history of distinct lithologies-angular and hummocky-and the sources of stardust that were accreted by the parent asteroid. The presolar grain abundances support a history of substantial aqueous alteration. Nevertheless, we found organic-rich clasts within a hummocky particle having higher presolar silicate abundances, akin to some of the least altered chondritic meteorites, and presolar silicate, oxide and SiC grains that retain their crystallinity. These clasts illustrate that aqueous alteration was heterogeneous within the parent body and their properties may better represent the starting materials that accreted to form the protolith. In addition, the Bennu samples we analysed have a six-times greater proportion of C-rich supernova dust than other chondritic samples, injected perhaps from a nearby supernova. This observation adds to evidence that Bennu's parent body sampled a region of the protoplanetary disk having a distinct mixture of starting materials.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41415970/","authors":["Nguyen AN","Seifert LB","Shimizu K","Thomas-Keprta K","Le L","Keller LP","Clemett SJ","Rahman Z","Barnes JJ","Connolly HC Jr","Lauretta DS"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:41415966","name":"The variety and origin of materials accreted by Bennu's parent asteroid.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The first bodies to form in the Solar System acquired their materials from stars, the presolar molecular cloud and the protoplanetary disk. Asteroids that have not undergone planetary differentiation retain evidence of these primary accreted materials. However, geologic processes such as hydrothermal alteration can dramatically change their bulk mineralogy, isotopic compositions and chemistry. Here we analyse the elemental and isotopic compositions of samples from asteroid Bennu to uncover the sources and types of material accreted by its parent body. We show that some primary accreted materials escaped the extensive aqueous alteration that occurred on the parent asteroid, including presolar grains from ancient stars, organic matter from the outer Solar System or molecular cloud, refractory solids that formed close to the Sun, and dust enriched in neutron-rich Ti isotopes. We find Bennu to be richer in isotopically anomalous organic matter, anhydrous silicates, and light isotopes of K and Zn than its closest compositional counterparts, asteroid Ryugu and Ivuna-type (CI) carbonaceous chondrite meteorites. We propose that the parent bodies of Bennu, Ryugu and CI chondrites formed from a common but spatially and/or temporally heterogeneous reservoir of materials in the outer protoplanetary disk.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41415966/","authors":["Barnes JJ","Nguyen AN","Abernethy FAJ","Bajo K","Bekaert DV","Bloch E","Brennecka GA","Busemann H","Cowpe JS","Crowther SA","Ek M","Fawcett LJ","Fehr MA","Franchi IA","Füri E","Gilmour JD","Grady MM","Greenwood RC","Haenecour P","Kawasaki N","Koefoed P","Krietsch D","Le L","Liszewska KM","Maden C","Malley J","Marrocchi Y","Marty B","Meyer LAE","Peretyazhko TS","Piani L","Render J","Russell SS","Rüfenacht M","Sakamoto N","Schönbächler M","Shollenberger QR","Smith L","Thomas-Keprta K","Verchovsky AB","Villeneuve J","Wang K","Welten KC","Wimpenny J","Worsham EA","Yurimoto H","Zimmermann L","Zhao X","Alexander CMO","Amini M","Baczynski A","Bland P","Borg LE","Burgess R","Caffee MW","Chaves LC","Clay PL","Dworkin JP","Foustoukos DI","Glavin DP","Hamilton VE","Hill D","House CH","Huss GR","Ireland T","Jilly CE","Jourdan F","Keller LP","Kruijer TS","Lai V","McCoy TJ","Nagashima K","Nishiizumi K","Ogliore R","Ong IJ","Reddy SM","Rickard WDA","Sandford S","Saxey DW","Timms N","Weis D","Wilbur ZE","Zega TJ","DellaGiustina DN","Wolner CWV","Connolly HC Jr","Lauretta DS"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:40949425","name":"Mineralogical evidence for hydrothermal alteration of Bennu samples.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Samples of asteroid (101955) Bennu delivered by the OSIRIS-REx mission offer the opportunity to study pristine planetary materials unchanged by exposure to the terrestrial environment. Here we use a combination of X-ray diffraction and various electron microscopy techniques to explore the detailed mineralogy of Bennu samples and determine the alteration history of the planetesimal protolith from which they originated. The samples consist largely of hydrated sheet-silicate minerals, namely nanoscale serpentine and saponite of varied grain size, which are decorated with micro- to nanoscale Fe-sulfides, magnetite and carbonates. We observe sheet silicates parallel and normal to sulfide surfaces and as inclusions in sulfides; sulfur-rich veins transecting the sheet-silicate matrix; zoned carbonates and phosphates and sulfide and magnetite grains exhibiting embayment. The mineralogical evidence indicates alteration of accreted minerals by a fluid that evolved with time, leading to etching, dissolution and reprecipitation. Sulfide compositions indicate alteration at ~25&#x2009;&#xb0;C, similar to conditions inferred for asteroid (162173) Ryugu and Ivuna-type (CI) chondrite meteorites. The fluid probably evolved from neutral to alkaline, culminating with the precipitation of highly soluble salts. We conclude that Bennu's protolith comprised mainly nanometre to micrometre silicates, with fewer chondrules and calcium-aluminium-rich inclusions than those of most chondrite groups.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40949425/","authors":["Zega TJ","McCoy TJ","Russell SS","Keller LP","Gainsforth Z","Singerling SA","Manga VR","Harrison C","Libourel G","Prince BS","Thomas-Keprta K","King A","Portail M","Guigoz V","Tu V","Le L","Thompson M","Benner MC","Kerrison NA","Barnes JJ","Ong I","Haenecour P","Chaves L","Smith L","Kontogiannis M","Vega Santiago N","Hill D","Zeszut Z","Domanik K","Chang YJ","Corrigan CM","Ray S","Wardell LR","Gooding T","Rose TR","Bates HC","Schofield PF","Almeida NV","Salge T","Najorka J","Seifert LB","Lunning N","Righter K","Nguyen AN","Brenker FE","Eckley SA","Dworkin JP","Jones RH","Sandford SA","Marcus MA","Bechtel HA","Dominguez G","Yurimoto H","Kawasaki N","Bajo K","Sakamoto N","Zanetta PM","Tachibana S","Busemann H","Hamilton VE","Franchi IA","Grady M","Greenwood RC","Tait K","Timms N","Bland P","Jourdan F","Reddy SM","Rickard W","Saxey D","Vincze L","Connolly HC Jr","Lauretta DS"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:40486187","name":"Meteorite-common amino acid induces clay exfoliation and abiotic compartment formation.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Clay surfaces have been invoked as crucial components in the origin of life processes due to their ability to concentrate organics and abiotically catalyse (bio)polymer production. Still, the importance of the mutual nature of organo-clay interactions and the effects of off-world organics in this interplay is a largely unexplored realm. We demonstrate a previously unrecognised phenomenon that occurs upon the transient interaction of montmorillonite clay with the meteorite-common, non-proteinogenic &#x3b3; -aminobutyric acid. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction show that an irreversible structural change is induced by the off-world species. A distinct partial clay exfoliation is correlated with the formation of nanoscale cavities in the mid-layers of the original structure, observable using transmission electron microscopy. This work demonstrates that an exogenous amino acid can alter clay and introduce 3D confined nano-environments, which may facilitate compartmentalisation in prebiotic times. Our findings also highlight new sustainable nanocomposite synthesis routes applicable in environmental/materials sciences.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40486187/","authors":["Bezaly OR","Petrignani A","King HE"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:39916740","name":"Low-Temperature Aqueous Alteration of Chondrites.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Chondritic meteorites (chondrites) contain evidence for the interaction of liquid water with the interiors of small bodies early in Solar System history. Here we review the processes, products and timings of the low-temperature aqueous alteration reactions in CR, CM, CI and ungrouped carbonaceous chondrites, the asteroids Ryugu and Bennu, and hydrated dark clasts in different types of meteorites. We first consider the nature of chondritic lithologies and the insights that they provide into alteration conditions, subdivided by the mineralogy and petrology of hydrated chondrites, the mineralogy of hydrated dark clasts, the effects of alteration on presolar grains, and the evolution of organic matter. We then describe the properties of the aqueous fluids and how they reacted with accreted material as revealed by physicochemical modelling and hydrothermal experiments, the analysis of fluid inclusions in aqueously formed minerals, and isotope tracers. Lastly, we outline the chronology of aqueous alteration reactions as determined using the 53 Mn- 53 Cr and 129 I- 129 Xe systems.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39916740/","authors":["Lee MR","Alexander CMO","Bischoff A","Brearley AJ","Dobrică E","Fujiya W","Le Guillou C","King AJ","van Kooten E","Krot AN","Leitner J","Marrocchi Y","Patzek M","Petaev MI","Piani L","Pravdivtseva O","Remusat L","Telus M","Tsuchiyama A","Vacher LG"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:39866548","name":"Evidence of a 4.33 billion year age for the Moon's South Pole-Aitken basin.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The Moon's farside South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin is the largest and oldest visible impact basin in the inner Solar System. Determining the timing of this catastrophic event is key to understanding the onset of the lunar basin-forming epoch, with implications for understanding the impact bombardment history of the inner Solar System. Despite this, the formation age of the SPA basin remains poorly constrained. Here we show that the chemical composition of the lunar meteorite Northwest Africa 2995 is in good agreement with lithologies exposed within the southern region of the SPA basin. Radiometric dating of a range of mineral and rock components in Northwest Africa 2995 yielded consistent dates of ~4.32-4.33 billion years old. We interpret these dates as the age of SPA basin formation, inferring that this event occurred ~120 million years before the formation of the main cluster of lunar impact basins between ~4.2&#x2009;Ga and 3.8&#x2009;Ga. This weakens support for a narrow period of lunar late heavy impact bombardment and also implies that the earliest formed impact basins on the Moon (that is, &gt;4.33-4.5&#x2009;Ga old) were erased either by the SPA impact itself when its formation caused massive resurfacing of the lunar surface or through other geological processes.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39866548/","authors":["Joy KH","Wang N","Snape JF","Goodwin A","Pernet-Fisher JF","Whitehouse MJ","Liu Y","Lin YT","Darling JR","Tar P","Tartèse R"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:39619887","name":"Automated Mineralogy Analysis of the Apollo 17 73002 Continuous Core Thin Sections Using QEMSCAN Mapping Techniques.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The Apollo 17 73001/73002 double drive tube, collected at the base of the South Massif in the Taurus-Littrow Valley, was opened in 2019 as part of the Apollo Next Generation Sample Analysis program (ANGSA). A series of continuous thin sections were prepared capturing the full length of the upper portion of the double drive tube (73002). The aim of this study was to use Quantitative Evaluation of Minerals by SCANing electron microscopy (QEMSCAN), to search for clasts of non-lunar meteoritic origin and to analyze the mineralogy and textures within the core. By highlighting mineral groups associated with meteoritic origins, we identified 232 clasts of interest. The elemental composition of 33 clasts was analyzed using electron microprobe analysis that revealed that all clasts were of lunar origin, suggesting that any meteoritic component in the regolith material we studied is not present in the form of lithic clasts. In the process of searching for meteorite fragments, we also identified a number of clast types including a group with highly magnesian olivine compositions (Fo 92.2-96.5 ). We extracted raw pixel data to investigate changes in mineralogy with depth, used QEMSCAN processors to separate and group individual clasts based on mineralogy, and determined variations in particle size with depth. Our results show a decreasing abundance of glass and agglutinate clasts with depth, associated with a higher soil maturity in the upper portion of the core. The lack of stratigraphy and dominance of non-mare clasts is consistent with the landslide origin of the material from the South Massif.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39619887/","authors":["Bell SK","Joy KH","Nottingham M","Tartèse R","Jones RH","Kent JJ","Shearer CK","ANGSA science team"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 Dec","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:39605196","name":"Simplified Meteorite Parent Body Alteration of Amino Acids by Hydrothermal Processes.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Amino acids have been identified in extraterrestrial materials such as meteorites and returned samples from asteroids and comets. Some of these amino acids or their precursors may have formed on icy interstellar dust grains or at a later phase when these grains became incorporated into larger parent bodies. In this work, we simulated parent body aqueous alteration of the residues from irradiated interstellar ice analogs in the presence of relevant minerals (pulverized serpentinite and Allende meteorite). We tracked the change in amino acid abundances as a function of hydrothermal processing time and examined how these differed based on the presence of minerals. We find that the presence of minerals and their mineralogy can have a significant impact on the formation and destruction of amino acids during simulated aqueous alteration experiments.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39605196/","authors":["Materese CK","Aponte JC","McLain HL","Farnsworth KK","Tribbett PD","Ferguson FT","Knudson CA","McAdam AC","Thorpe MT","Dworkin JP"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 Dec","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:39573452","name":"Fluorescent emission and nondestructive 3D textural imaging in geologic materials by multiphoton microscopy.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"This work greatly expands the application of multiphoton microscopy to geological investigations by using a tightly focused femtosecond laser beam to excite fluorescent emissions among minimally prepared rock and mineral samples. This novel finding provides a tool for spatially resolving UV-visible fluorescent sources in minerals. Through a combination of harmonic generation and fluorescence, unique opportunities are made available for mineralogical investigations of terrestrial rocks and astromaterials. This report includes the first demonstrations for 3D imaging of fluid inclusions in minerals and radiation-induced luminescence imaging in meteorites. Nonlinear optical mineralogy, enabled by multiphoton microscopy, provides unique insights into mineralogic samples and holds the potential to revolutionize the analysis of geologic and astromaterials samples in the coming years.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39573452/","authors":["Crossley SD","Donner CL","Magnus J","Nguyen L","Kieu K"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 Nov 4","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:39477790","name":"Triple-oxygen isotopes of stony micrometeorites by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS): Olivine, basaltic glass and iron oxide matrix effects for sensitive high-mass resolution ion microprobe-stable isotope (SHRIMP-SI).","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Micrometeorites are extraterrestrial particles smaller than ~2&#xa0;mm in diameter, most of which melted during atmospheric entry and crystallised or quenched to form 'cosmic spherules'. Their parentage among meteorite groups can be inferred from triple-oxygen isotope compositions, for example, by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). This method uses sample efficiently, preserving spherules for other investigations. While SIMS precisions are improving steadily, application requires assumptions about instrumental mass fractionation, which is controlled by sample chemistry and mineralogy (matrix effects).","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39477790/","authors":["McKibbin SJ","Ávila JN","Ireland TR","Van Ginneken M","Soens B","Van Maldeghem F","Huber M","Baeza L","Patkar A","Vanhaecke F","Debaille V","Claeys P","Goderis S"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025 Jan 15","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:36845884","name":"A dehydrated space-weathered skin cloaking the hydrated interior of Ryugu.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Without a protective atmosphere, space-exposed surfaces of airless Solar System bodies gradually experience an alteration in composition, structure and optical properties through a collective process called space weathering. The return of samples from near-Earth asteroid (162173) Ryugu by Hayabusa2 provides the first opportunity for laboratory study of space-weathering signatures on the most abundant type of inner solar system body: a C-type asteroid, composed of materials largely unchanged since the formation of the Solar System. Weathered Ryugu grains show areas of surface amorphization and partial melting of phyllosilicates, in which reduction from Fe 3+ to Fe 2+ and dehydration developed. Space weathering probably contributed to dehydration by dehydroxylation of Ryugu surface phyllosilicates that had already lost interlayer water molecules and to weakening of the 2.7&#x2009;&#xb5;m hydroxyl (-OH) band in reflectance spectra. For C-type asteroids in general, this indicates that a weak 2.7&#x2009;&#xb5;m band can signify space-weathering-induced surface dehydration, rather than bulk volatile loss.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36845884/","authors":["Noguchi T","Matsumoto T","Miyake A","Igami Y","Haruta M","Saito H","Hata S","Seto Y","Miyahara M","Tomioka N","Ishii HA","Bradley JP","Ohtaki KK","Dobrică E","Leroux H","Le Guillou C","Jacob D","de la Peña F","Laforet S","Marinova M","Langenhorst F","Harries D","Beck P","Phan THV","Rebois R","Abreu NM","Gray J","Zega T","Zanetta PM","Thompson MS","Stroud R","Burgess K","Cymes BA","Bridges JC","Hicks L","Lee MR","Daly L","Bland PA","Zolensky ME","Frank DR","Martinez J","Tsuchiyama A","Yasutake M","Matsuno J","Okumura S","Mitsukawa I","Uesugi K","Uesugi M","Takeuchi A","Sun M","Enju S","Takigawa A","Michikami T","Nakamura T","Matsumoto M","Nakauchi Y","Abe M","Arakawa M","Fujii A","Hayakawa M","Hirata N","Hirata N","Honda R","Honda C","Hosoda S","Iijima YI","Ikeda H","Ishiguro M","Ishihara Y","Iwata T","Kawahara K","Kikuchi S","Kitazato K","Matsumoto K","Matsuoka M","Mimasu Y","Miura A","Morota T","Nakazawa S","Namiki N","Noda H","Noguchi R","Ogawa N","Ogawa K","Okada T","Okamoto C","Ono G","Ozaki M","Saiki T","Sakatani N","Sawada H","Senshu H","Shimaki Y","Shirai K","Sugita S","Takei Y","Takeuchi H","Tanaka S","Tatsumi E","Terui F","Tsukizaki R","Wada K","Yamada M","Yamada T","Yamamoto Y","Yano H","Yokota Y","Yoshihara K","Yoshikawa M","Yoshikawa K","Fukai R","Furuya S","Hatakeda K","Hayashi T","Hitomi Y","Kumagai K","Miyazaki A","Nakato A","Nishimura M","Soejima H","Suzuki AI","Usui T","Yada T","Yamamoto D","Yogata K","Yoshitake M","Connolly HC Jr","Lauretta DS","Yurimoto H","Nagashima K","Kawasaki N","Sakamoto N","Okazaki R","Yabuta H","Naraoka H","Sakamoto K","Tachibana S","Watanabe SI","Tsuda Y"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:36735795","name":"Observational constraints on the process and products of Martian serpentinization.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The alteration of olivine-rich rocks to serpentine minerals, (hydr)oxides, and aqueous hydrogen through serpentinization is long thought to have influenced the distribution of habitable environments on early Mars and the evolution of the early Martian hydrosphere and atmosphere. Nevertheless, the planetary importance of Martian serpentinization has remained a matter of debate. To constrain the process and products of Martian serpentinization, we studied serpentinized iron-rich olivines from the 1.1-billion-year Duluth Complex. These data indicate that serpentinized iron-rich olivine would have been accompanied by a fivefold increase in hydrogen production relative to serpentinized terrestrial mantle peridotites. In contrast to previous expectations, this style of serpentinization yields hisingerite as the dominant iron serpentine mineral at comparatively low temperature and pH, consistent with meteorite mineralogy and in situ rover data. The widespread occurrence of oxidized iron-bearing phyllosilicates in highly magnetized regions of the Martian crust supports the hypothesis that serpentinization was more pervasive on early Mars than currently estimated.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36735795/","authors":["Tutolo BM","Tosca NJ"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023 Feb 3","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:38665180","name":"Microbial growth in actual martian regolith in the form of Mars meteorite EETA79001.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Studies to understand the growth of organisms on Mars are hampered by the use of simulants to duplicate martian mineralogy and chemistry. Even though such materials are improving, no terrestrial simulant can replace a real martian sample. Here we report the use of actual martian regolith, in the form of Mars meteorite EETA79001 sawdust, to demonstrate its ability to support the growth of four microorganisms, E. coli .&#xa0; Eucapsis sp., Chr20-20201027-1 , and P. halocryophilus , for up to 23 days under terrestrial conditions using regolith:water ratios from 4:1 to 1:10. If the EETA79001 sawdust is widely representative of regolith on the martian surface, our results imply that microbial life under appropriate conditions could have been present on Mars in the past and/or today in the subsurface, and that the regolith does not contain any bactericidal agents. The results of our study have implications not only for putative martian microbial life but also for building bio-sustainable human habitats on Mars.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38665180/","authors":["Naz N","Harandi BF","Newmark J","Kounaves SP"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:35679354","name":"Samples returned from the asteroid Ryugu are similar to Ivuna-type carbonaceous meteorites.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Carbonaceous meteorites are thought to be fragments of C-type (carbonaceous) asteroids. Samples of the C-type asteroid (162173) Ryugu were retrieved by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft. We measured the mineralogy and bulk chemical and isotopic compositions of Ryugu samples. The samples are mainly composed of materials similar to those of carbonaceous chondrite meteorites, particularly the CI (Ivuna-type) group. The samples consist predominantly of minerals formed in aqueous fluid on a parent planetesimal. The primary minerals were altered by fluids at a temperature of 37&#xb0; &#xb1; 10&#xb0;C, about [Formula: see text] million (statistical) or [Formula: see text] million (systematic) years after the formation of the first solids in the Solar System. After aqueous alteration, the Ryugu samples were likely never heated above ~100&#xb0;C. The samples have a chemical composition that more closely resembles that of the Sun's photosphere than other natural samples do.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35679354/","authors":["Yokoyama T","Nagashima K","Nakai I","Young ED","Abe Y","Aléon J","Alexander CMO","Amari S","Amelin Y","Bajo KI","Bizzarro M","Bouvier A","Carlson RW","Chaussidon M","Choi BG","Dauphas N","Davis AM","Di Rocco T","Fujiya W","Fukai R","Gautam I","Haba MK","Hibiya Y","Hidaka H","Homma H","Hoppe P","Huss GR","Ichida K","Iizuka T","Ireland TR","Ishikawa A","Ito M","Itoh S","Kawasaki N","Kita NT","Kitajima K","Kleine T","Komatani S","Krot AN","Liu MC","Masuda Y","McKeegan KD","Morita M","Motomura K","Moynier F","Nguyen A","Nittler L","Onose M","Pack A","Park C","Piani L","Qin L","Russell SS","Sakamoto N","Schönbächler M","Tafla L","Tang H","Terada K","Terada Y","Usui T","Wada S","Wadhwa M","Walker RJ","Yamashita K","Yin QZ","Yoneda S","Yui H","Zhang AC","Connolly HC Jr","Lauretta DS","Nakamura T","Naraoka H","Noguchi T","Okazaki R","Sakamoto K","Yabuta H","Abe M","Arakawa M","Fujii A","Hayakawa M","Hirata N","Hirata N","Honda R","Honda C","Hosoda S","Iijima YI","Ikeda H","Ishiguro M","Ishihara Y","Iwata T","Kawahara K","Kikuchi S","Kitazato K","Matsumoto K","Matsuoka M","Michikami T","Mimasu Y","Miura A","Morota T","Nakazawa S","Namiki N","Noda H","Noguchi R","Ogawa N","Ogawa K","Okada T","Okamoto C","Ono G","Ozaki M","Saiki T","Sakatani N","Sawada H","Senshu H","Shimaki Y","Shirai K","Sugita S","Takei Y","Takeuchi H","Tanaka S","Tatsumi E","Terui F","Tsuda Y","Tsukizaki R","Wada K","Watanabe SI","Yamada M","Yamada T","Yamamoto Y","Yano H","Yokota Y","Yoshihara K","Yoshikawa M","Yoshikawa K","Furuya S","Hatakeda K","Hayashi T","Hitomi Y","Kumagai K","Miyazaki A","Nakato A","Nishimura M","Soejima H","Suzuki A","Yada T","Yamamoto D","Yogata K","Yoshitake M","Tachibana S","Yurimoto H"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023 Feb 24","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:35673558","name":"Geochemical Characterization of the NWA 11273 Lunar Meteorite Using Nondestructive Analytical Techniques: Original, Shocked, and Alteration Mineral Phases.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"A lunar feldspathic breccia meteorite, the Northwest Africa (NWA) 11273, was analyzed to compensate the lack of scientific data available about its mineralogy and geochemistry. In order to obtain a deeper characterization of the sample, a strategy based on the combination of nondestructive spectroscopic techniques such as X-ray fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy is used. Both techniques are being used in spatial missions by the Perseverance Rover, so their combination in the laboratory is here proposed as an optimal strategy to study the complete mineralogy of the sample. In addition to finding the minerals indicated by the Meteoritical Society (anorthite, olivine, pyroxene, kamacite, and troilite), other minor minerals were identified, such as zircon and ilmenite, which are minerals related to the Moon geology, as well as calcite and sulfate which can be considered products of terrestrial weathering. Finally, secondary minerals related to alteration processes were also found, such as hematite, quartz, and anatase. In this work, the alteration processes that gave rise to the detected secondary minerals have been proposed.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35673558/","authors":["Huidobro J","Aramendia J","Arana G","Madariaga JM"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021 Jun 17","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:35431348","name":"Distinguishing the Origin of Asteroid (16) Psyche.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The asteroid (16) Psyche may be the metal-rich remnant of a differentiated planetesimal, or it may be a highly reduced, metal-rich asteroidal material that never differentiated. The NASA Psyche mission aims to determine Psyche's provenance. Here we describe the possible solar system regions of origin for Psyche, prior to its likely implantation into the asteroid belt, the physical and chemical processes that can enrich metal in an asteroid, and possible meteoritic analogs. The spacecraft payload is designed to be able to discriminate among possible formation theories. The project will determine Psyche's origin and formation by measuring any strong remanent magnetic fields, which would imply it was the core of a differentiated body; the scale of metal to silicate mixing will be determined by both the neutron spectrometers and the filtered images; the degree of disruption between metal and rock may be determined by the correlation of gravity with composition; some mineralogy (e.g., modeled silicate/metal ratio, and inferred existence of low-calcium pyroxene or olivine, for example) will be detected using filtered images; and the nickel content of Psyche's metal phase will be measured using the GRNS.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35431348/","authors":["Elkins-Tanton LT","Asphaug E","Bell JF 3rd","Bierson CJ","Bills BG","Bottke WF","Courville SW","Dibb SD","Jun I","Lawrence DJ","Marchi S","McCoy TJ","Merayo JMG","Oran R","O'Rourke JG","Park RS","Peplowski PN","Prettyman TH","Raymond CA","Weiss BP","Wieczorek MA","Zuber MT"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:35414699","name":"Unique evidence of fluid alteration in the Kakowa (L6) ordinary chondrite.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Meteorites preserve evidence of processes on their parent bodies, including alteration, metamorphism, and shock events. Here we show that the Kakowa (L6) ordinary chondrite (OC) preserves both shock-melt veins and pockets of detrital grains from a brecciated and altered object, including corundum, albite, silica, fayalite, forsterite, and margarite in a Pb- and Fe-rich matrix. Preservation of the observed mineralogy and texture requires a sequence of at least two impacts: first, a high-velocity collision formed the shock melt veins containing the high-pressure minerals ringwoodite, wadsleyite, majorite, and albitic jadeite; later, a low-velocity impact formed fractures and filled them with the detrital material. Oxygen and Pb isotope ratios suggest an OC origin for these detrital minerals. Although fluid alteration is common in carbonaceous chondrites, the discovery of margarite with an OC oxygen isotopic signature is novel. Kakowa extends both the impact and alteration history of L6 ordinary chondrites in general.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35414699/","authors":["Baziotis IP","Ma C","Guan Y","Ferrière L","Xydous S","Hu J","Kipp MA","Tissot FLH","Asimow PD"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022 Apr 12","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:35400764","name":"Deciphering Redox State for a Metal-Rich World.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The Psyche mission's Oxidation-Reduction Working Group is focused on understanding, determining, and applying the redox state of (16) Psyche to understand the origin of a metal-rich world. The oxidation-reduction state of an asteroid, along with its temperature, parent body size, and composition, is a key parameter in determining the history of an asteroid. Determining the redox state from spacecraft data is most easily done by examining potential metal-oxide buffer pairs. The occurrence of Ni, Fe, C, Cr, P and Si, in that order, in the metal or sulfide phase of an asteroidal body indicates increasingly reduced conditions. Key observations by the Imager and Gamma-Ray and Neutron Spectrometer (GRNS) of Psyche can bracket the redox state using metal-oxide buffers. The presence of Fe,Ni metal can be confirmed by the ratios of Fe/O or Fe/Si and the concentration of Ni variability in metal across the asteroid can be determined by GRNS. The FeO concentration of silicates is complementary to the Ni concentration of metal and can be constrained using filters on the Imager. The presence of FeO in silicates from ground-based observations is one of the few measurements we already have of redox state, although available data permit a wide range of silicate compositions and mineralogies. The presence of C, P or Si concentrated in the metallic, Fe-rich portion of the asteroid, as measured by GRNS, or Ca-sulfide, determined by imaging, would indicate increasingly reducing conditions. Linkage to known types of meteorites, whether metal-rich chondrites, stony-irons or irons, expands the mineralogical, chemical and isotopic data not available from remote observations alone. Redox also controls both silicate and metal mineralogy, influencing differentiation, solidification, and subsolidus cooling, including the relative abundance of sulfur in the core and possible magnetic signatures. The redox state of Psyche, if a fully-differentiated metallic core, might constrain the location and timing of both the formation of Psyche and any oxidation it might have experienced.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35400764/","authors":["McCoy TJ","Dibb SD","Peplowski PN","Maurel C","Bercovici HL","Corrigan CM","Bell JF 3rd","Weiss BP","Lawrence DJ","Wenkert DD","Prettyman TH","Elkins-Tanton LT"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:34776735","name":"Analytical protocols for Phobos regolith samples returned by the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will launch a spacecraft in 2024 for a sample return mission from Phobos (Martian Moons eXploration: MMX). Touchdown operations are planned to be performed twice at different landing sites on the Phobos surface to collect &gt;&#x2009;10&#xa0;g of the Phobos surface materials with coring and pneumatic sampling systems on board. The Sample Analysis Working Team (SAWT) of MMX is now designing analytical protocols of the returned Phobos samples to shed light on the origin of the Martian moons as well as the evolution of the Mars-moon system. Observations of petrology and mineralogy, and measurements of bulk chemical compositions and stable isotopic ratios of, e.g., O, Cr, Ti, and Zn can provide crucial information about the origin of Phobos. If Phobos is a captured asteroid composed of primitive chondritic materials, as inferred from its reflectance spectra, geochemical data including the nature of organic matter as well as bulk H and N isotopic compositions characterize the volatile materials in the samples and constrain the type of the captured asteroid. Cosmogenic and solar wind components, most pronounced in noble gas isotopic compositions, can reveal surface processes on Phobos. Long- and short-lived radionuclide chronometry such as 53 Mn- 53 Cr and 87 Rb- 87 Sr systematics can date pivotal events like impacts, thermal metamorphism, and aqueous alteration on Phobos. It should be noted that the Phobos regolith is expected to contain a small amount of materials delivered from Mars, which may be physically and chemically different from any Martian meteorites in our collection and thus are particularly precious. The analysis plan will be designed to detect such Martian materials, if any, from the returned samples dominated by the endogenous Phobos materials in curation procedures at JAXA before they are processed for further analyses.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34776735/","authors":["Fujiya W","Furukawa Y","Sugahara H","Koike M","Bajo KI","Chabot NL","Miura YN","Moynier F","Russell SS","Tachibana S","Takano Y","Usui T","Zolensky ME"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:34521838","name":"Olivine-rich achondrites from Vesta and the missing mantle problem.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Mantles of rocky planets are dominantly composed of olivine and its high-pressure polymorphs, according to seismic data of Earth's interior, the mineralogy of natural samples, and modelling results. The missing mantle problem represents the paucity of olivine-rich material among meteorite samples and remote observation of asteroids, given how common differentiated planetesimals were in the early Solar System. Here we report the discovery of new olivine-rich meteorites that have asteroidal origins and are related to V-type asteroids or vestoids. Northwest Africa 12217, 12319, and 12562 are dunites and lherzolite cumulates that have siderophile element abundances consistent with origins on highly differentiated asteroidal bodies that experienced core formation, and with trace element and oxygen and chromium isotopic compositions associated with the howardite-eucrite-diogenite meteorites. These meteorites represent a step towards the end of the shortage of olivine-rich material, allowing for full examination of differentiation processes acting on planetesimals in the earliest epoch of the Solar System.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34521838/","authors":["Vaci Z","Day JMD","Paquet M","Ziegler K","Yin QZ","Dey S","Miller A","Agee C","Bartoschewitz R","Pack A"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021 Sep 14","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:34314603","name":"UV Time-Resolved Laser-Induced Fluorescence Spectroscopy of Amino Acids Found in Meteorites: Implications for Space Science and Exploration.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy is a useful laboratory and in situ technique for planetary exploration, with applications in biosignature detection and the search for life on Mars. However, little work has been completed on the utility of fluorescence spectroscopy techniques on asteroid relevant material. In preparation for asteroid sample return missions such as NASA's OSIRIS-REx and JAXA's Hayabusa2, we conducted UV time resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (TR-LIF) analysis of 10 amino acids, all of which have been found in the carbonaceous meteorites Murchison and Allende. We present the calculation of decay rates of each amino acid (1.55-3.56 ns) and compare with those of relevant homogeneous minerals (15-70 ns). Moreover, we demonstrate a linear relationship between calculated lifetimes and elemental abundance of nitrogen and carbon ( p &#x2009;&lt;&#x2009;0.025). The quantitative and qualitative fluorescence analyses presented in this work will lead to more reliable identification of organic material within meteorites and asteroids in a time-efficient, minimally destructive way.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34314603/","authors":["Lymer EA","Konstantinidis M","Lalla EA","Daly MG","Tait KT"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021 Nov","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:34019459","name":"Petrology and mineralogy of the Viñales meteorite, the latest fall in Cuba.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The new Cuban chondrite, Vi&#xf1;ales, fell on February first, 2019 at Pinar del Rio, northwest of Cuba (22&#xb0;37'10&#x2033;N, 83&#xb0;44'34&#x2033;W). A total of about 50-100&#x2009;kg of the meteorite were collected and the masses of individual samples are in a range 2-1100&#x2009;g. Two polished thin sections were studied by optical microscope, Raman spectroscopy and electron microprobe analysis in this study. The meteorite mainly consists of olivine (Fa 24.6 ), low-Ca pyroxene (Fs 20.5 ), and troilite and Fe-Ni metal, with minor amounts of feldspar (Ab 82.4-84.7 ). Three poorly metamorphosed porphyritic olivine-pyroxene and barred olivine chondrules are observed. The homogeneous chemical compositions and petrographic textures indicate that Vi&#xf1;ales is a L6 chondrite. The Vi&#xf1;ales has fresh black fusion crust with layered structure, indicating it experienced a high temperature of &#x223c;1650&#xb0;C during atmospheric entry. Black shock melt veins with width of 100-600&#x2009;&#x3bc;m are pervasive in the Vi&#xf1;ales and olivine, bronzite, and metal phases are dominate minerals of the shock melt vein. The shock features of major silicate minerals suggest a shock stage S3, partly S4, and the shock pressure could be &gt;10&#x2009;GPa.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34019459/","authors":["Yin F","Dai D"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021 Apr-Jun","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:33958805","name":"An evolutionary system of mineralogy. Part II: Interstellar and solar nebula primary condensation mineralogy (>4.565 Ga).","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The evolutionary system of mineralogy relies on varied physical and chemical attributes, including trace elements, isotopes, solid and fluid inclusions, and other information-rich characteristics, to understand processes of mineral formation and to place natural condensed phases in the deep-time context of planetary evolution. Part I of this system reviewed the earliest refractory phases that condense at T &gt; 1000 K within the turbulent expanding and cooling atmospheres of highly evolved stars. Part II considers the subsequent formation of primary crystalline and amorphous phases by condensation in three distinct mineral-forming environments, each of which increased mineralogical diversity and distribution prior to the accretion of planetesimals &gt;4.5 billion years ago.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33958805/","authors":["Morrison SM","Hazen RM"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020 Oct 29","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:33867542","name":"An evolutionary system of mineralogy. Part III: Primary chondrule mineralogy (4566 to 4561 Ma).","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Information-rich attributes of minerals reveal their physical, chemical, and biological modes of origin in the context of planetary evolution, and thus they provide the basis for an evolutionary system of mineralogy. Part III of this system considers the formation of 43 different primary crystalline and amorphous phases in chondrules, which are diverse igneous droplets that formed in environments with high dust/gas ratios during an interval of planetesimal accretion and differentiation between 4566 and 4561 Ma. Chondrule mineralogy is complex, with several generations of initial droplet formation via various proposed heating mechanisms, followed in many instances by multiple episodes of reheating and partial melting. Primary chondrule mineralogy thus reflects a dynamic stage of mineral evolution, when the diversity and distribution of natural condensed solids expanded significantly.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33867542/","authors":["Hazen RM","Morrison SM","Prabhu A"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021 Mar","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:33867541","name":"An evolutionary system of mineralogy. Part I: Stellar mineralogy (>13 to 4.6 Ga).","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Minerals preserve records of the physical, chemical, and biological histories of their origins and subsequent alteration, and thus provide a vivid narrative of the evolution of Earth and other worlds through billions of years of cosmic history. Mineral properties, including trace and minor elements, ratios of isotopes, solid and fluid inclusions, external morphologies, and other idiosyncratic attributes, represent information that points to specific modes of formation and subsequent environmental histories-information essential to understanding the co-evolving geosphere and biosphere. This perspective suggests an opportunity to amplify the existing system of mineral classification, by which minerals are defined solely on idealized end-member chemical compositions and crystal structures. Here we present the first in a series of contributions to explore a complementary evolutionary system of mineralogy-a classification scheme that links mineral species to their paragenetic modes. The earliest stage of mineral evolution commenced with the appearance of the first crystals in the universe at &gt;13 Ga and continues today in the expanding, cooling atmospheres of countless evolved stars, which host the high-temperature ( T &gt; 1000 K), low-pressure ( P &lt; 10 -2 atm) condensation of refractory minerals and amorphous phases. Most stardust is thought to originate in three distinct processes in carbon- and/or oxygen-rich mineral-forming stars: (1) condensation in the cooling, expanding atmospheres of asymptotic giant branch stars; (2) during the catastrophic explosions of supernovae, most commonly core collapse (Type II) supernovae; and (3) classical novae explosions, the consequence of runaway fusion reactions at the surface of a binary white dwarf star. Each stellar environment imparts distinctive isotopic and trace element signatures to the micro- and nanoscale stardust grains that are recovered from meteorites and micrometeorites collected on Earth's surface, by atmospheric sampling, and from asteroids and comets. Although our understanding of the diverse mineral-forming environments of stars is as yet incomplete, we present a preliminary catalog of 41 distinct natural kinds of stellar minerals, representing 22 official International Mineralogical Association (IMA) mineral species, as well as 2 as yet unapproved crystalline phases and 3 kinds of non-crystalline condensed phases not codified by the IMA.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33867541/","authors":["Hazen RM","Morrison SM"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020 Apr 29","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:32999586","name":"Shock metamorphism in plagioclase and selective amorphization.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Plagioclase feldspar is one of the most common rock-forming minerals on the surfaces of the Earth and other terrestrial planetary bodies, where it has been exposed to the ubiquitous process of hypervelocity impact. However, the response of plagioclase to shock metamorphism remains poorly understood. In particular, constraining the initiation and progression of shock-induced amorphization in plagioclase (i.e., conversion to diaplectic glass) would improve our knowledge of how shock progressively deforms plagioclase. In turn, this information would enable plagioclase to be used to evaluate the shock stage of meteorites and terrestrial impactites, whenever they lack traditionally used shock indicator minerals, such as olivine and quartz. Here, we report on an electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) study of shocked plagioclase grains in a metagranite shatter cone from the central uplift of the Manicouagan impact structure, Canada. Our study suggests that, in plagioclase, shock amorphization is initially localized either within pre-existing twins or along lamellae, with similar characteristics to planar deformation features (PDFs) but that resemble twins in their periodicity. These lamellae likely represent specific crystallographic planes that undergo preferential structural failure under shock conditions. The orientation of preexisting twin sets that are preferentially amorphized and that of amorphous lamellae is likely favorable with respect to scattering of the local shock wave and corresponds to the \"weakest\" orientation for a specific shock pressure value. This observation supports a universal formation mechanism for PDFs in silicate minerals.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32999586/","authors":["Pittarello L","Daly L","PickersgilL AE","Ferrière L","Lee MR"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020 May","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:32488079","name":"(Fe,Ni)(2)P allabogdanite can be an ambient pressure phase in iron meteorites.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"An orthorhombic modification of (Fe,Ni) 2 P, allabogdanite, found in iron meteorites was considered to be thermodynamically stable at pressures above 8&#x2009;GPa and temperatures of 1673 K according to the results of recent static high-pressure and high-temperature experiments. A hexagonal polymorphic modification of (Fe,Ni) 2 P, barringerite, was considered to be stable at ambient conditions. Experimental investigation through the solid-state synthesis supported by ab initio calculations was carried out to clarify the stability fields of (Fe,Ni) 2 P polymorphs. Both experimental and theoretical studies show that Fe 2 P-allabogdanite is a low-temperature phase stable at ambient conditions up to a temperature of at least 773&#x2009;K and, therefore, is not necessarily associated with high pressures. This is consistent with the textural relationships of allabogdanite in iron meteorites.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32488079/","authors":["Litasov KD","Bekker TB","Sagatov NE","Gavryushkin PN","Krinitsyn PG","Kuper KE"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020 Jun 2","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:32170093","name":"Mineralogy and Stable Isotopes of Tetradymite from the Dashuigou Tellurium Deposit, Tibet Plateau, Southwest China.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Due to the very limited quantity of associated tetradymite, both mineralogical and geochemical research on tetradymite is scarce and incomplete. By taking advantage of the discovery of the Dashuigou tellurium deposit in Tibet Plateau, the authors conducted mineralogical studies on tetradymite. The authors present new mineralogical data including reflectance, micro-pressure hardness, chemical compositions focusing on its chemical formula Bi 2.00 Te 1.89 S 0.95~1.00 , unit cell parameters (a&#x2009;=&#x2009;4.239&#x2009;&#xc5;, c&#x2009;=&#x2009;29.595&#x2009;&#xc5;) and lattice parameters (a&#x2009;=&#x2009;10.172&#x2009;&#xc5;, v&#x2009;=&#x2009;154.391&#x2009;&#xc5; 3 ), pyroelectricity (N type), and stable isotopes including sulfur and lead. The authors find that: &#x3b4; 34 S&#x2030; of tetradymite varies between -0.5~2.1 with a 15-sample average of 0.56, similar to that of meteorites and rocks from the mantle, indicating that the sulfur is from the mantle; lead isotopes of the tetradymite formed in the late metallogenic epoch is different from that of both pyrite and pyrrhotite formed in the early metallogenic epoch, further indicating that the three minerals formed in different metallogenic epochs; lead isotope compositions reveal that tellurium ore bodies emplaced in a quick process mainly in the form of ore magma; lead of the deposit is primarily from the mantle with some captured from the Earth's crust. These findings help fill in large gaps of information for the mineral tetradymite.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32170093/","authors":["Yin J","Shi H"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020 Mar 13","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:32098386","name":"The Plasma Spectroscopic Study of Dergaon Meteorite, India.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Meteorites are the recoverable portions of asteroids that reach the surface of the Earth. Meteorites are rare extraterrestrial objects studied extensively to improve our understanding of planetary evolution. In this work, we used calibration-free laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (CF-LIBS) to evaluate the quantitative elemental and molecular analyses of the Dergaon meteorite, a H 4-5 chondrite fall sample from Assam, India. Spectral signatures of H, N, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, K, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, andIrweredetected. Along with the atomic emission, this work reports the molecular emission from FeO molecules. The concentration of the measured elements obtained using CF-LIBS is in close agreement with earlier reports. The elements H, N, and O and their concentrations are estimated by using CF-LIBS for the first time. This study applies laser spectroscopy to establish the presence of Ni, Cr, Co, and Ir in meteorites. The elemental analysis forms the basis for the establishment of the potential molecular composition of the Dergaon meteorite. Moreover, the elemental analysis approach bodes well for in-situ analyses of extraterrestrial objects including applications in planetary rover missions.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32098386/","authors":["Rai AK","Pati JK","Parigger CG","Dubey S","Rai AK","Bhagabaty B","Mazumdar AC","Duorah K"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020 Feb 22","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:31950086","name":"Evidence for the charge disproportionation of iron in extraterrestrial bridgmanite.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Bridgmanite, MgSiO 3 with perovskite structure, is considered the most abundant mineral on Earth. On the lower mantle, it contains Fe and Al that strongly influence its behavior. Experimentalists have debated whether iron may exist in a mixed valence state, coexistence of Fe 2+ and Fe 3+ in bridgmanite, through charge disproportionation. Here, we report the discovery of Fe-rich aluminous bridgmanite coexisting with metallic iron in a shock vein of the Suizhou meteorite. This is the first direct evidence in nature of the Fe disproportionation reaction, which so far has only been observed in some high-pressure experiments. Furthermore, our discovery supports the idea that the disproportionation reaction would have played a key role in redox processes and the evolution of Earth.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31950086/","authors":["Bindi L","Shim SH","Sharp TG","Xie X"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020 Jan","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:31858928","name":"Reducing Supervision of Quantitative Image Analysis of Meteorite Samples.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"When selecting a method for determining modal mineralogy and elemental composition of geological samples (e.g., meteorites), a number of factors should be considered, includingthe number of objects or the area to be analyzed; the scale of expected chemical variation; instrument time restrictions; and post-processing time. This study presents a method that minimizes acquisition time while maintaining the ability to distinguish minerals based on combinations of intensities of electron probe micro-analyzer-generated X-ray element maps. While some other methods yield similar outcomes, this method's post-processing utilizes standard parameterized, X-ray intensity \"map math\" in an algorithm that is adaptable and requires minimal supervision once implemented. This study's minimized supervision in the post-processing of X-ray intensity maps decreases analysis time and its adaptability increases the number of potential applications. The method also facilitates calibration of the exact locations of analysis using laser ablation methods. While the method described here has advantages, the choice of method always depends on the question being asked.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31858928/","authors":["Crapster-Pregont EJ","Ebel DS"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020 Feb","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:31631921","name":"MINERALOGY, PETROLOGY AND OXYGEN ISOTOPIC COMPOSITION OF NORTHWEST AFRICA (NWA) 12379, A NEW METAL-RICH CHONDRITE WITH AFFINITY TO ORDINARY CHONDRITES.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31631921/","authors":["Jansen CA","Brenker FE","Krot AN","Zipfel J","Pack A","Labenne L","Bizzarro M","Schiller M"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019 Sep","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:30971619","name":"Hypervelocity collision and water-rock interaction in space preserved in the Chelyabinsk ordinary chondrite.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"A comprehensive geochemical study of the Chelyabinsk meteorite reveals further details regarding its history of impact-related fragmentation and melting, and later aqueous alteration, during its transit toward Earth. We support an &#x223c;30 Ma age obtained by Ar-Ar method (Beard et al., 2014) for the impact-related melting, based on Rb-Sr isotope analyses of a melt domain. An irregularly shaped olivine with a distinct O isotope composition in a melt domain appears to be a fragment of a silicate-rich impactor. Hydrogen and Li concentrations and isotopic compositions, textures of Fe oxyhydroxides, and the presence of organic materials located in fractures, are together consistent with aqueous alteration, and this alteration could have pre-dated interaction with the Earth's atmosphere. As one model, we suggest that hypervelocity capture of the impact-related debris by a comet nucleus could have led to shock-wave-induced supercritical aqueous fluids dissolving the silicate, metallic, and organic matter, with later ice sublimation yielding a rocky rubble pile sampled by the meteorite.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30971619/","authors":["Nakamura E","Kunihiro T","Ota T","Sakaguchi C","Tanaka R","Kitagawa H","Kobayashi K","Yamanaka M","Shimaki Y","Bebout GE","Miura H","Yamamoto T","Malkovets V","Grokhovsky V","Koroleva O","Litasov K"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:30930966","name":"Evidence for oxygen isotopic exchange in chondrules from Kaba (CV3.1) carbonaceous chondrite during aqueous fluid-rock interaction on the CV parent asteroid.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"We report on the mineralogy, petrography, and oxygen isotopic compositions of primary olivine and plagioclase/feldspathic mesostases in chondrules and of secondary magnetite and fayalite in chondrules and matrix of an oxidized Bali-like CV3.1 carbonaceous chondrite, Kaba. In this meteorite, compositionally nearly pure fayalite (Fa 98-100 ) associates with hedenbergite (Fs ~50 Wo ~50 ), magnetite, and Fe,Ni-sulfides. There are several textural occurrences of this mineral paragenesis: (i) coarse-grained intergrowths in interchondrule matrix, (ii) veins starting at the opaque nodules in the peripheries of type I chondrules and crosscutting fine-grained rims around them, and (iii) rims overgrowing olivine of type I and type II chondrule fragments. Oxygen isotopic compositions of fayalite and magnetite are in disequilibrium with chondrule olivines. On a three-isotope oxygen diagram, &#x3b4; 17 O vs. &#x3b4; 18 O, compositions of olivine plot along primitive chondrule minerals (PCM) line having a slope of ~1.0; deviations from the terrestrial fractionation line, &#x394; 17 O = &#x3b4; 17 O - 0.52 &#xd7; &#x3b4; 18 O, range from ~-8&#x2030; to ~-5&#x2030;. In contrast, fayalite and magnetite plot along mass-dependent fractionation line with a slope of ~0.5; their &#x3b4; 18 O values range from -1 to ~+9&#x2030;; &#x394; 17 O is nearly constant (average &#xb1; 2SE = -1.5&#xb1;1&#x2030;). Oxygen isotopic compositions of chondrule plagioclase and feldspathic mesostases are in disequilibrium with chondrule olivines: they deviate to the right from the PCM line by ~12&#x2030; and plot close to the mass-dependent fractionation line defined by fayalite and magnetite. Based on the mineralogy, petrography, oxygen isotopic compositions of fayalite and magnetite, and the previously published thermodynamic analysis of the fayalite-bearing assemblages in ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites, we conclude that Kaba fayalite and magnetite formed during aqueous fluid-rock interaction at low water/rock ratio (0.1-0.2) and elevated temperatures (~200-300&#xb0;C) on the CV chondrite parent asteroid. The &#x394; 17 O values of Kaba fayalite and magnetite (-1.5&#xb1;1&#x2030;) correspond to &#x394; 17 O of aqueous fluid that operated on the CV chondrite parent asteroid and resulted in its alteration. Plagioclase and feldspathic mesostases in Kaba chondrules experienced postcrystallization oxygen isotopic exchange with this 16 O-depleted fluid; olivine grains retained their original compositions acquired during chondrule melts crystallization. The inferred oxygen isotopic exchange in Kaba chondrules appear to have not affected their Al-Mg isotope systematics.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30930966/","authors":["Krot AN","Nagashima K","Fintor K","Pál-Molnár E"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019 Feb 1","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:30547073","name":"Experimentally determined trace element partition coefficients between hibonite, melilite, spinel, and silicate melts.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"This article provides new data on mineral/melt partitioning in systems relevant to the evolution of chondrites, Calcium Aluminum-Rich Inclusions (CAI) in chondrites and related meteorites. The data set includes experimentally determined mineral/melt partition coefficients between hibonite (CaAl 12 O 19 ), melilite (Ca 2 (Al,Mg) 2 SiO 7 ), spinel (MgAl 2 O 4 ) and silicate melts for a wide range of trace elements: Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Rh, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, r, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Hf, Ta, W, Pb, Th and U. The experiments were performed at high temperatures (1350&#x202f;&#xb0;C &lt; T &lt; 1550&#x202f;&#xb0;C) and ambient pressure. The experimental run products were analyzed using electron microprobe (EMPA) and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The partition coefficients for 38 trace elements were calculated from the LA-ICP-MS data.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30547073/","authors":["Loroch D","Klemme S","Berndt J","Rohrbach A"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018 Dec","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:30400661","name":"Catalytic/Protective Properties of Martian Minerals and Implications for Possible Origin of Life on Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Minerals might have played critical roles for the origin and evolution of possible life forms on Mars. The study of the interactions between the \"building blocks of life\" and minerals relevant to Mars mineralogy under conditions mimicking the harsh Martian environment may provide key insight into possible prebiotic processes. Therefore, this contribution aims at reviewing the most important investigations carried out so far about the catalytic/protective properties of Martian minerals toward molecular biosignatures under Martian-like conditions. Overall, it turns out that the fate of molecular biosignatures on Mars depends on a delicate balance between multiple preservation and degradation mechanisms, often regulated by minerals, which may take place simultaneously. Such a complexity requires more efforts in simulating realistically the Martian environment in order to better inspect plausible prebiotic pathways and shed light on the nature of the organic compounds detected both in meteorites and on the surface of Mars through in situ analysis.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30400661/","authors":["Fornaro T","Steele A","Brucato JR"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018 Nov 5","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:29732406","name":"Discovery of moganite in a lunar meteorite as a trace of H(2)O ice in the Moon's regolith.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Moganite, a monoclinic SiO 2 phase, has been discovered in a lunar meteorite. Silica micrograins occur as nanocrystalline aggregates of mostly moganite and occasionally coesite and stishovite in the KREEP (high potassium, rare-earth element, and phosphorus)-like gabbroic-basaltic breccia NWA 2727, although these grains are seemingly absent in other lunar meteorites. We interpret the origin of these grains as follows: alkaline water delivery to the Moon via carbonaceous chondrite collisions, fluid capture during impact-induced brecciation, moganite precipitation from the captured H 2 O at pH 9.5 to 10.5 and 363 to 399 K on the sunlit surface, and meteorite launch from the Moon caused by an impact at 8 to 22 GPa and &gt;673 K. On the subsurface, this captured H 2 O may still remain as ice at estimated bulk content of &gt;0.6 weight %. This indicates the possibility of the presence of abundant available water resources underneath local sites of the host bodies within the Procellarum KREEP and South Pole Aitken terranes.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29732406/","authors":["Kayama M","Tomioka N","Ohtani E","Seto Y","Nagaoka H","Götze J","Miyake A","Ozawa S","Sekine T","Miyahara M","Tomeoka K","Matsumoto M","Shoda N","Hirao N","Kobayashi T"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018 May","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:29628527","name":"High Abundances of Presolar Grains and (15)N-rich Organic Matter in CO3.0 Chondrite Dominion Range 08006.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"NanoSIMS C-, N-, and O-isotopic mapping of matrix in CO3.0 chondrite Dominion Range (DOM) 08006 revealed it to have in its matrix the highest abundance of presolar O-rich grains (257 +76/-96 ppm, 2&#x3c3;) of any meteorite. It also has a matrix abundance of presolar SiC of 35 (+25/-17, 2&#x3c3;) ppm, similar to that seen across primitive chondrite classes. This provides additional support to bulk isotopic and petrologic evidence that DOM 08006 is the most primitive known CO meteorite. Transmission electron microscopy of five presolar silicate grains revealed one to have a composite mineralogy similar to larger amoeboid olivine aggregates and consistent with equilibrium condensation, two non-stoichiometric amorphous grains and two olivine grains, though one is identified as such solely based on its composition. We also found insoluble organic matter (IOM) to be present primarily as sub-micron inclusions with ranges of C- and N-isotopic anomalies similar to those seen in primitive CR chondrites and interplanetary dust particles. In contrast to other primitive extraterrestrial materials, H isotopic imaging showed normal and homogeneous D/H. Most likely, DOM 08006 and other CO chondrites accreted a similar complement of primitive and isotopically anomalous organic matter to that found in other chondrite classes and IDPs, but the very limited amount of thermal metamorphism experienced by DOM 08006 has caused loss of D-rich organic moieties, while not substantially affecting either the molecular carriers of C and N anomalies or most inorganic phases in the meteorite. One C-rich grain that was highly depleted in 13 C and 15 N was identified; we propose it originated in the Sun's parental molecular cloud.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29628527/","authors":["Nittler LR","Alexander CMO","Davidson J","Riebe MEI","Stroud RM","Wang J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018 Apr 1","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:29600271","name":"Oxygen isotopic evidence for accretion of Earth's water before a high-energy Moon-forming giant impact.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The Earth-Moon system likely formed as a result of a collision between two large planetary objects. Debate about their relative masses, the impact energy involved, and the extent of isotopic homogenization continues. We present the results of a high-precision oxygen isotope study of an extensive suite of lunar and terrestrial samples. We demonstrate that lunar rocks and terrestrial basalts show a 3 to 4 ppm (parts per million), statistically resolvable, difference in &#x394; 17 O. Taking aubrite meteorites as a candidate impactor material, we show that the giant impact scenario involved nearly complete mixing between the target and impactor. Alternatively, the degree of similarity between the &#x394; 17 O values of the impactor and the proto-Earth must have been significantly closer than that between Earth and aubrites. If the Earth-Moon system evolved from an initially highly vaporized and isotopically homogenized state, as indicated by recent dynamical models, then the terrestrial basalt-lunar oxygen isotope difference detected by our study may be a reflection of post-giant impact additions to Earth. On the basis of this assumption, our data indicate that post-giant impact additions to Earth could have contributed between 5 and 30% of Earth's water, depending on global water estimates. Consequently, our data indicate that the bulk of Earth's water was accreted before the giant impact and not later, as often proposed.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29600271/","authors":["Greenwood RC","Barrat JA","Miller MF","Anand M","Dauphas N","Franchi IA","Sillard P","Starkey NA"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018 Mar","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:29424394","name":"Serra Pelada: the first Amazonian Meteorite fall is a Eucrite (basalt) from Asteroid 4-Vesta.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Serra Pelada is the newest Brazilian eucrite and the first recovered fall from Amazonia (State of Par&#xe1;, Brazil, June 29th 2017). In this paper, we report on its petrography, chemistry, mineralogy and its magnetic properties. Study of four thin sections reveals that the meteorite is brecciated, containing basaltic and gabbroic clasts, as well of recrystallized impact melt, embedded into a fine-medium grained matrix. Chemical analyses suggest that Serra Pelada is a monomict basaltic eucritic breccia, and that the meteorite is a normal member of the HED suite. Our results provide additional geological and compositional information on the lithological diversity of its parent body. The mineralogy of Serra Pelada consists basically of low-Ca pyroxene and high-Ca plagioclase with accessory minerals such as quartz, sulphide (troilite), chromite - ulv&#xf6;spinel and ilmenite. These data are consistent with the meteorite being an eucrite, a basaltic achondrite and a member of the howardite-eucrite-diogenite (HED) clan of meteorites which most likely are from the crust asteroid 4 Vesta.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29424394/","authors":["Zucolotto ME","Tosi AA","Villaça CVN","Moutinho ALR","Andrade DPP","Faulstich F","Gomes AMS","Rios DC","Rocha MC"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018 Jan-Mar","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:29328955","name":"Investigation of carbonates in the Sutter's Mill meteorite grains with hyperspectral infrared imaging micro-spectroscopy.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Synchrotron-based high spatial resolution hyperspectral infrared imaging technique provides thousands of infrared spectra with high resolution, thus allowing us to acquire detailed spatial maps of chemical molecular structures for many grains in short times. Utilizing this technique, thousands of infrared spectra were analyzed at once instead of inspecting each spectrum separately. Sutter's Mill meteorite is a unique carbonaceous type meteorite with highly heterogeneous chemical composition. Multiple grains from the Sutter's Mill meteorite have been studied using this technique and the presence of both hydrous and anhydrous silicate minerals have been observed. It is observed that the carbonate mineralogy varies from simple to more complex carbonates even within a few microns in the meteorite grains. These variations, the type and distribution of calcite-like vs. dolomite-like carbonates are presented by means of hyperspectral FTIR imaging spectroscopy with high resolution. Various scenarios for the formation of different carbonate compositions in the Sutter's Mill parent body are discussed.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29328955/","authors":["Yesiltas M"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018 Apr 5","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:32440083","name":"Distribution of Aliphatic Amines in CO, CV and CK Carbonaceous Chondrites and Relation to Mineralogy and Processing History.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The analysis of water-soluble organic compounds in meteorites provides valuable insights into the prebiotic synthesis of organic matter and the processes that occurred during the formation of the solar system. We investigated the concentration of aliphatic monoamines present in the hot acid-water extracts of the unaltered Antarctic carbonaceous chondrites DOM 08006 (CO3) and MIL 05013 (CO3), and the thermally altered meteorites Allende (CV3), LAP 02206 (CV3), GRA 06101 (CV3), ALH 85002 (CK4), and EET 92002 (CK5). We have also reviewed and assessed the petrologic characteristics of the meteorites studied here, to evaluate the effects of asteroidal processing on the abundance and molecular distributions of monoamines. The CO3, CV3, CK4, and CK5 meteorites studied here contain total concentrations of amines ranging from 1.2 to 4.0 nmol/g of meteorite; these amounts are one to three orders of magnitude below those observed in carbonaceous chondrites from the CI, CM and CR groups. The low amine abundances for CV and CK chondrites may be related to their extensive degree of thermal metamorphism and/or to their low original amine content. Although the CO3 meteorites DOM 08006 and MIL 05013 do not show signs of thermal and aqueous alteration, their monoamine contents are comparable to those observed in moderately/extensively thermally altered CV3, CK4, and CK5 carbonaceous chondrites. The low content of monoamines in pristine CO carbonaceous chondrites suggests that the initial amounts, and not asteroidal processes, play a dominant role in the content of monoamines in carbonaceous chondrites. The primary monoamines, methylamine, ethylamine and n -propylamine constitute the most abundant amines in the CO3, CV3, CK4, and CK5 meteorites studied here. Contrary to the predominance of n -&#x3c9;-amino acid isomers in CO3 and thermally altered meteorites, there appears to be no preference for the larger n -&#x3b1;-amines.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32440083/","authors":["Aponte JC","Abreu NM","Glavin DP","Dworkin JP","Elsila JE"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017 Dec","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:29189777","name":"Halogens in chondritic meteorites and terrestrial accretion.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Volatile element delivery and retention played a fundamental part in Earth's formation and subsequent chemical differentiation. The heavy halogens-chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br) and iodine (I)-are key tracers of accretionary processes owing to their high volatility and incompatibility, but have low abundances in most geological and planetary materials. However, noble gas proxy isotopes produced during neutron irradiation provide a high-sensitivity tool for the determination of heavy halogen abundances. Using such isotopes, here we show that Cl, Br and I abundances in carbonaceous, enstatite, Rumuruti and primitive ordinary chondrites are about 6 times, 9 times and 15-37 times lower, respectively, than previously reported and usually accepted estimates. This is independent of the oxidation state or petrological type of the chondrites. The ratios Br/Cl and I/Cl in all studied chondrites show a limited range, indistinguishable from bulk silicate Earth estimates. Our results demonstrate that the halogen depletion of bulk silicate Earth relative to primitive meteorites is consistent with the depletion of lithophile elements of similar volatility. These results for carbonaceous chondrites reveal that late accretion, constrained to a maximum of 0.5&#x2009;&#xb1;&#x2009;0.2 per cent of Earth's silicate mass, cannot solely account for present-day terrestrial halogen inventories. It is estimated that 80-90 per cent of heavy halogens are concentrated in Earth's surface reservoirs and have not undergone the extreme early loss observed in atmosphere-forming elements. Therefore, in addition to late-stage terrestrial accretion of halogens and mantle degassing, which has removed less than half of Earth's dissolved mantle gases, the efficient extraction of halogen-rich fluids from the solid Earth during the earliest stages of terrestrial differentiation is also required to explain the presence of these heavy halogens at the surface. The hydropilic nature of halogens, whereby they track with water, supports this requirement, and is consistent with volatile-rich or water-rich late-stage terrestrial accretion.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29189777/","authors":["Clay PL","Burgess R","Busemann H","Ruzié-Hamilton L","Joachim B","Day JMD","Ballentine CJ"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017 Nov 29","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:29107886","name":"Determination of rare earth elements concentration at different depth profile of Precambrian pegmatites using instrumental neutron activation analysis.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The Keffi area hosts abundant pegmatite bodies as a result of the surrounding granitic intrusions. Keffi is part of areas that are geologically classified as North Central Basement Complex. Data on the mineralogy and mineralogical zonation of the Keffi pegmatite are scanty. Hence the need to understand the geology and mineralogical zonation of Keffi pegmatites especially at different depth profiles is relevant as a study of the elemental composition of the pegmatite is essential for the estimation of its economic viability. Here, the relative standardization method of instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) has been used to investigate the vertical deviations of the elemental concentrations of rare earth elements (REEs) at different depth profile of Keffi pegmatite. This study adopted the following metrics in investigating the vertical variations of REEs concentrations. Namely, the total contents of rare earth elements (&#x2211;REE); ratio of light to heavy rare earth elements (LREE/HREE), which defines the enrichment or depletion of REEs; europium anomaly (Eu/Sm); La/Lu ratio relative to chondritic meteorites. The study showed no significant variations in the total content of rare elements between the vertical depth profiles (100-250m). However, higher total concentrations of REEs (~ 92.65ppm) were recorded at the upper depth of the pegmatite and the europium anomaly was consistently negative at all the depth profiles suggesting that the Keffi pegmatite is enriched with light REEs.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29107886/","authors":["Sadiq Aliyu A","Musa Y","Liman MS","Abba HT","Chaanda MS","Ngene NC","Garba NN"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018 Jan","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:30498327","name":"The Miller Range 090340 and 090206 Meteorites: Identification of New Brachinite-Like Achondrites with Implications for the Diversity and Petrogenesis of the Brachinite Clan.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Miller Range (MIL) 090340 and MIL 090206 are olivine-rich achondrites originally classified as ureilites. We investigate their petrography, mineral compositions, olivine Cr valences, equilibration temperatures, and (for MIL 090340) oxygen isotope compositions, and compare them with ureilites and other olivine-rich achondrites. We conclude that they are brachinite-like achondrites that provide new insights into the petrogenesis of brachinite clan meteorites. MIL 090340,6 has a granoblastic texture and consists of ~97 modal % by area olivine (Fo = molar Mg/[Mg+Fe] = 71.3&#xb1;0.6). It also contains minor to trace augite, chromite, chlorapatite, orthopyroxene, metal, troilite, and terrestrial Fe-oxides. Approximately 80% by area of MIL 090206,5 has a granoblastic texture of olivine (Fo 72.3&#xb1;0.1) plus minor augite and chromite, similar to MIL 090340 but also containing minor plagioclase. The rest of the section consists of a single crystal of orthopyroxene (~11&#xd7;3 mm), poikilitically enclosing rounded grains of olivine (Fo = 76.1&#xb1;0.6), augite, chromite, metal and sulfide. Equilibration temperatures for MIL 090340 and MIL 090206, calculated from olivine-spinel, olivine-augite, and two-pyroxene thermometry range from ~800-930&#xb0;C. In both samples, symplectic intergrowths of Ca-poor orthopyroxene + opaque phases (Fe-oxides, sulfide, metal) occur as rims on and veins/patches within olivine. Before terrestrial weathering, the opaques were probably mostly sulfide, with minor metal. All petrologic properties of MIL 090340 and MIL 090206 are consistent with those of brachinite clan meteorites, and largely distinct from those of ureilites. Oxygen isotope compositions of olivine in MIL 090340 (&#x3b4; 18 O = 5.08&#xb1;0.30&#x2030;, &#x3b4; 17 O = 2.44&#xb1;0.21&#x2030;, and &#x394; 17 O = -0.20&#xb1;0.12&#x2030;) are also within the range of brachinite clan meteorites, and well distinguished from ureilites. Olivine Cr valences in MIL 090340 and the granoblastic area of MIL 090206 are 2.57&#xb1;0.06 and 2.59&#xb1;0.07, respectively, similar to those of three brachinites also analyzed here (Brachina, Hughes 026, Nova 003). They are higher than those of olivine in ureilites, even those containing chromite. The valence systematics of MIL 090340, MIL 090206, and the three analyzed brachinites (lower Fo = more oxidized Cr) are consistent with previous evidence that brachinite-like parent bodies were inherently more oxidized than the ureilite parent body. The symplectic orthopyroxene + sulfide/metal assemblages in MIL 090340, MIL 090206, and many brachinite clan meteorites have superficial similarities to characteristic \"reduction rims\" in ureilites. However, they differ significantly in detail. They likely formed by reaction of olivine with S-rich fluids, with only minor reduction. MIL 090340 and the granoblastic area of MIL 090206 are similar in modal mineralogy and texture to most brachinites, but have higher Fo values typical of brachinite-like achondrites. The poiklitic pyroxene area of MIL 090206 is more typical of brachinite-like achondrites. The majority of their properties suggest that MIL 090340 and MIL 090206 are residues of low-degree partial melting. The poikilitic area of MIL 090206 could be a result of limited melt migration, with trapping and recrystallization of a small volume of melt in the residual matrix. These two samples are so similar in mineral compositions, Cr valence, and cosmic ray exposure ages that they could be derived from the same lithologic unit on a common parent body.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30498327/","authors":["Goodrich CA","Kita NT","Sutton SR","Wirick S","Gross J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017 May","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:30393389","name":"Petrogenesis and Provenance of Ungrouped Achondrite Northwest Africa 7325 from Petrology, Trace Elements, Oxygen, Chromium and Titanium Isotopes, and Mid-IR Spectroscopy.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Northwest Africa (NWA) 7325 is an ungrouped achondrite that has recently been recognized as a sample of ancient differentiated crust from either Mercury or a previously unknown asteroid. In this work we augment data from previous investigations on petrography and mineral compositions, mid-IR spectroscopy, and oxygen isotope compositions of NWA 7325, and add constraints from Cr and Ti isotope compositions on the provenance of its parent body. In addition, we identify and discuss notable similarities between NWA 7325 and clasts of a rare xenolithic lithology found in polymict ureilites. NWA 7325 has a medium grained, protogranular to poikilitic texture, and consists of 10-15 vol. % Mg-rich olivine (Fo 98), 25-30 vol. % diopside (Wo 45, Mg# 98), 55-60 vol. % Ca-rich plagioclase (An 90), and trace Cr-rich sulfide and Fe,Ni metal. We interpret this meteorite to be a cumulate that crystallized at &#x2265;1200 &#xb0;C and very low oxygen fugacity (similar to the most reduced ureilites) from a refractory, incompatible element-depleted melt. Modeling of trace elements in plagioclase suggests that this melt formed by fractional melting or multi-stage igneous evolution. A subsequent event (likely impact) resulted in plagioclase being substantially remelted, reacting with a small amount of pyroxene, and recrystallizing with a distinctive texture. The bulk oxygen isotope composition of NWA 7325 plots in the range of ureilites on the CCAM line, and also on a mass-dependent fractionation line extended from acapulcoites. The &#x3b5; 54 Cr and &#x3b5; 50 Ti values of NWA 7325 exhibit deficits relative to terrestrial composition, as do ordinary chondrites and most achondrites. Its &#x3b5; 54 Cr value is distinct from that of any analyzed ureilite, but is not resolved from that of acapulcoites (as represented by Acapulco). In terms of all these properties, NWA 7325 is unlike any known achondrite. However, a rare population of clasts found in polymict ureilites (\"the magnesian anorthitic lithology\") are strikingly similar to NWA 7325 in mineralogy and mineral compositions, oxygen isotope compositions, and internal textures in plagioclase. These clasts are probably xenolithic in polymict ureilites, and could be pieces of NWA 7325-like meteorites. Using constraints from chromium, titanium and oxygen isotopes, we discuss two possible models for the provenance of the NWA 7325 parent body: 1) accretion in the inner solar system from a reservoir similar to that of acapulcoites in &#x394; 17 O, &#x3b5; 54 Cr and &#x3b5; 50 Ti; or 2) early (&lt; 1 Ma after CAI formation) accretion in the outer solar system (beyond the snow line), before 54 Cr and 50 Ti anomalies were introduced to this region of the solar system. The mid-IR emission spectrum of NWA 7325 obtained in this work matches its modal mineralogy, and so can be compared with spectra of new meteorites or asteroids/planets to help identify similar materials and/or the parent body of NWA 7325.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30393389/","authors":["Goodrich CA","Kita NT","Yin QZ","Sanborn ME","Williams CD","Nakashima D","Lane MD","Boyle S"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017 Apr 15","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:28349169","name":"Multispectroscopic methodology to study Libyan desert glass and its formation conditions.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Libyan desert glass (LDG) is a melt product whose origin is still a matter of controversy. With the purpose of adding new information about this enigma, the present paper analyzes the inner part of LDG specimens and compares them with the results of LDG surfaces. An integrated analytical methodology was used combining different techniques such as Raman spectroscopy, in point-by-point and imaging modes, scanning electron microscopy with X-ray microanalysis (SEM-EDS), energy-dispersive micro X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (&#x3bc;-EDXRF), electron probe micro analyzer (EPMA), and optical cathodoluminescence (Optical-CL). According to our results, flow structures of the melt and the amorphous nature of the matrix could be discerned. Moreover, the observed displacement of Raman bands, such as in the cases of quartz and zircon, and the identification of certain compounds such as coesite (the most clarifying phase of high pressures), &#x3b1;-cristobalite, gypsum, anhydrite, corundum, rutile, amorphous calcite, aragonite, and calcite allowed us to know that LDGs could be subjected to shock pressures between 6 and more than 30&#xa0;GPa, and temperatures between 300 and 1470&#xa0;&#xb0;C. The differences of temperature and pressure would be provoked by different cooling processes during the impact. Besides, in most cases the minerals corresponding to high pressure and temperatures were located in the inner part of the LDGs, with some exceptions that could be explained because they were trapped subsequently to the impact; there was more than one impact or heterogeneous cooling.Furthermore, nitrogen and oxygen gases were identified inside bubbles, which could have been introduced from the terrestrial atmosphere during the meteorite impact.These data helped us to clarify some clues about the origin of these enigmatic samples.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28349169/","authors":["Gomez-Nubla L","Aramendia J","Fdez-Ortiz de Vallejuelo S","Alonso-Olazabal A","Castro K","Zuluaga MC","Ortega LÁ","Murelaga X","Madariaga JM"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017 May","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:28262701","name":"Shock-transformation of whitlockite to merrillite and the implications for meteoritic phosphate.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Meteorites represent the only samples available for study on Earth of a number of planetary bodies. The minerals within meteorites therefore hold the key to addressing numerous questions about our solar system. Of particular interest is the Ca-phosphate mineral merrillite, the anhydrous end-member of the merrillite-whitlockite solid solution series. For example, the anhydrous nature of merrillite in Martian meteorites has been interpreted as evidence of water-limited late-stage Martian melts. However, recent research on apatite in the same meteorites suggests higher water content in melts. One complication of using meteorites rather than direct samples is the shock compression all meteorites have experienced, which can alter meteorite mineralogy. Here we show whitlockite transformation into merrillite by shock-compression levels relevant to meteorites, including Martian meteorites. The results open the possibility that at least part of meteoritic merrillite may have originally been H + -bearing whitlockite with implications for interpreting meteorites and the need for future sample return.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28262701/","authors":["Adcock CT","Tschauner O","Hausrath EM","Udry A","Luo SN","Cai Y","Ren M","Lanzirotti A","Newville M","Kunz M","Lin C"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017 Mar 6","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:28198399","name":"Discovery of the Fe-analogue of akimotoite in the shocked Suizhou L6 chondrite.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"We report the first natural occurrence of the Fe-analogue of akimotoite, ilmenite-structured MgSiO 3 , a missing phase among the predicted high-pressure polymorphs of Fe-pyroxene, with the composition (Fe 2+ 0.48 Mg 0.37 Ca 0.04 Na 0.04 Mn 2+ 0.03 Al 0.03 Cr 3+ 0.01 ) &#x3a3;=1.00 Si 1.00 O 3 . The new mineral was approved by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA 2016-085) and named hemleyite in honour of Russell J. Hemley. It was discovered in an unmelted portion of the heavily shocked L6 Suizhou chondrite closely associated to olivine, clinoenstatite and Fe-bearing pyroxene with a composition nearly identical to that of hemleyite. We also report the first single-crystal X-ray diffraction study of a Si-bearing, ilmenite-structured phase. The fact that hemleyite formed in a meteorite exposed to high pressures (&lt;20&#x2009;GPa) and temperatures (&lt;2000&#x2009;&#xb0;C) during impact-induced shocks indicates that it could play a crucial role at the bottom of the Earth's mantle transition zone and within the uppermost lower mantle.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28198399/","authors":["Bindi L","Chen M","Xie X"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017 Feb 15","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:28011110","name":"Characterization and (10)Be content of iron carbonate concretions for genetic aspects - Weathering, desert varnish or burning: Rim effects in iron carbonate concretions.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The research investigated three iron carbonate (siderite) sedimentary concretions from Nagykov&#xe1;csi, &#xda;ri and D&#xe9;legyh&#xe1;za, Hungary. To identify possible source rocks and effects of the glaze-like exposed surface of the concretions, we carried on comparative petrological, mineralogical, geochemical and isotopic studies. The samples were microbially mediated siderite concretions with embedded metamorphous and igneous mineral clasts, and had specific rim belts characterized by semi-concentric outer Fe-oxide layers, fluffy pyrite-rich outer belts and siderite inner parts. We investigated the cross section of the Fe-carbonate concretions by independent methodologies in order to identify their rim effects. Their surficial oxide layers showed evidence of degassing of the exposed surface caused most probably by elevated temperatures. The inner rim pyrite belt in the concretions excluded the possibility of a prolonged wet surface environment. Microtextural and mineralogical features did not support desert varnish formation. 10 Be nuclide values of the Nagykov&#xe1;csi and Uri concretions were far above the level of terrestrial in-situ cosmogenic nuclides, but they were consistent with the lowest levels for meteorites. Though the data were not conclusive to confirm any kind of known origin, they are contradictary, and open possibilities for a scenario of terrestrial meteorite origin.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28011110/","authors":["Polgári M","Bérczi S","Horiuchi K","Matsuzaki H","Kovács T","Józsa S","Bendő Z","Fintor K","Fekete J","Homonnay Z","Kuzmann E","Gucsik A","Gyollai I","Kovács J","Dódony I"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017 Jul","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:27027877","name":"Enhanced procedural blank control for organic geochemical studies of critical sample material.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Organic contamination of sedimentary rocks can produce artefacts in studies of hydrocarbon composition, and this can have significant negative consequences for interpretations of the geobiological record. False positives - that is cases of non-syngenetic hydrocarbon biomarkers - are common in Precambrian studies, and significant challenges persist despite the intensive effort devoted to these studies. Efforts to standardize the 'burden of proof' for distinguishing between contamination and syngenetic material have to date failed to yield a simple or universal protocol, yet the need remains great, as both bitumen-lean rocks and bitumen-rich samples can be vulnerable to the accumulation of false-positive signals. In an effort to determine the best approach to quality control, we tested the capability of different blank materials to collect ambient contamination by assessing their capacity to adsorb hydrocarbons during storage in plastic bags and found that commonly used Quartz sand does not provide an adequate measure of storage- or laboratory-induced contamination. Brick blanks, having the advantage that they can parallel rock samples even during the sawing process, are characterized by similar poor adsorption properties. Primarily steered by mineralogy, organic carbon content and surface area, model-black shales can adsorb up to 20 times more contaminants than sand blanks and up to 200 times more contaminants than organic-free model-carbonates. This observation provides an explanation for reports and observations of seemingly systematic stratigraphic variation of contaminants, but mostly should raise awareness for the evaluation of procedural blanks, in particular of sample-to-blank ratios, when studying bitumen-lean rock samples of varying lithologies. Additionally, differences between the hydrocarbon profiles in plastic bags and the hydrocarbon signatures transferred to blank materials emphasize difficulties in the unequivocal detection of contamination sources. Artificial black shale pellets can provide enhanced contamination control in biomarker studies - particularly for exceptionally vulnerable samples such as Precambrian rocks, meteorites or extraterrestrial sample-return material.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27027877/","authors":["Leider A","Schumacher TC","Hallmann C"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016 Sep","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:26424384","name":"Natural occurrence of pure nano-polycrystalline diamond from impact crater.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Consolidated bodies of polycrystalline diamond with grain sizes less than 100 nm, nano-polycrystalline diamond (NPD), has been experimentally produced by direct conversion of graphite at high pressure and high temperature. NPD has superior hardness, toughness and wear resistance to single-crystalline diamonds because of its peculiar nano-textures, and has been successfully used for industrial and scientific applications. Such sintered nanodiamonds have, however, not been found in natural mantle diamonds. Here we identified natural pure NPD, which was produced by a large meteoritic impact about 35 Ma ago in Russia. The impact diamonds consist of well-sintered equigranular nanocrystals (5-50 nm), similar to synthetic NPD, but with distinct [111] preferred orientation. They formed through the martensitic transformation from single-crystal graphite. Stress-induced local fragmentation of the source graphite and subsequent rapid transformation to diamond in the limited time scale result in multiple diamond nucleation and suppression of the overall grain growth, producing the unique nanocrystalline texture of natural NPD. A huge amount of natural NPD is expected to be present in the Popigai crater, which is potentially important for applications as novel ultra-hard material.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26424384/","authors":["Ohfuji H","Irifune T","Litasov KD","Yamashita T","Isobe F","Afanasiev VP","Pokhilenko NP"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015 Oct 1","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:26213668","name":"Diagenesis and clay mineral formation at Gale Crater, Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity found host rocks of basaltic composition and alteration assemblages containing clay minerals at Yellowknife Bay, Gale Crater. On the basis of the observed host rock and alteration minerals, we present results of equilibrium thermochemical modeling of the Sheepbed mudstones of Yellowknife Bay in order to constrain the formation conditions of its secondary mineral assemblage. Building on conclusions from sedimentary observations by the Mars Science Laboratory team, we assume diagenetic, in situ alteration. The modeling shows that the mineral assemblage formed by the reaction of a CO 2 -poor and oxidizing, dilute aqueous solution (Gale Portage Water) in an open system with the Fe-rich basaltic-composition sedimentary rocks at 10-50&#xb0;C and water/rock ratio (mass of rock reacted with the starting fluid) of 100-1000, pH of &#x223d;7.5-12. Model alteration assemblages predominantly contain phyllosilicates (Fe-smectite, chlorite), the bulk composition of a mixture of which is close to that of saponite inferred from Chemistry and Mineralogy data and to that of saponite observed in the nakhlite Martian meteorites and terrestrial analogues. To match the observed clay mineral chemistry, inhomogeneous dissolution dominated by the amorphous phase and olivine is required. We therefore deduce a dissolving composition of approximately 70% amorphous material, with 20% olivine, and 10% whole rock component.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26213668/","authors":["Bridges JC","Schwenzer SP","Leveille R","Westall F","Wiens RC","Mangold N","Bristow T","Edwards P","Berger G"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015 Jan","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.638Z"},{"id":"pmid:25765857","name":"Natural quasicrystal with decagonal symmetry.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"We report the first occurrence of a natural quasicrystal with decagonal symmetry. The quasicrystal, with composition Al71Ni24Fe5, was discovered in the Khatyrka meteorite, a recently described CV3 carbonaceous chondrite. Icosahedrite, Al63Cu24Fe13, the first natural quasicrystal to be identified, was found in the same meteorite. The new quasicrystal was found associated with steinhardtite (Al38Ni32Fe30), Fe-poor steinhardtite (Al50Ni40Fe10), Al-bearing trevorite (NiFe2O4) and Al-bearing taenite (FeNi). Laboratory studies of decagonal Al71Ni24Fe5 have shown that it is stable over a narrow range of temperatures, 1120&#x2005;K to 1200&#x2005;K at standard pressure, providing support for our earlier conclusion that the Khatyrka meteorite reached heterogeneous high temperatures [1100 &lt; T(K) &#x2264; 1500] and then rapidly cooled after being heated during an impact-induced shock that occurred in outer space 4.5 Gya. The occurrences of metallic Al alloyed with Cu, Ni, and Fe raises new questions regarding conditions that can be achieved in the early solar nebula.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25765857/","authors":["Bindi L","Yao N","Lin C","Hollister LS","Andronicos CL","Distler VV","Eddy MP","Kostin A","Kryachko V","MacPherson GJ","Steinhardt WM","Yudovskaya M","Steinhardt PJ"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015 Mar 13","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:32355407","name":"4.6-billion-year-old aragonite and its implications for understanding the geological record of Ca-carbonate.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Owing to its diagenetic instability, aragonite is rare in the geological record and almost entirely absent from pre-carboniferous sedimentary rocks. The former presence of this mineral in older deposits has to be inferred from petrographic, chemical or isotopic proxies. Crystals of aragonite that formed around 4563 million years ago occur in carbonaceous chondrite meteorites, showing that under certain conditions, the orthorhombic polymorph of Ca-carbonate can survive essentially indefinitely. Together with other carbonate minerals, phyllosilicates and sulphides, this aragonite formed by low-temperature water-mediated alteration of anhydrous minerals and glass in the interior of the meteorite's parent asteroid(s). The survival of aragonite for such a long time can be attributed to the loss of free water by its incorporation into phyllosilicates, and to the very low permeability of the fine-grained and organic-rich rock matrix that prevented the ingress of fresh solutions via intergranular flow. By analogy with these meteorites, terrestrial aragonite is likely to survive where it has been similarly isolated from liquid water, particularly in organic-rich mudrocks, and such deposits may provide important new evidence for deducing the original mineralogy of skeletal and non-skeletal carbonates in deep-time.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32355407/","authors":["Lee MR","Lindgren P"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:25430766","name":"Mineralogy. Discovery of bridgmanite, the most abundant mineral in Earth, in a shocked meteorite.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Meteorites exposed to high pressures and temperatures during impact-induced shock often contain minerals whose occurrence and stability normally confine them to the deeper portions of Earth's mantle. One exception has been MgSiO3 in the perovskite structure, which is the most abundant solid phase in Earth. Here we report the discovery of this important phase as a mineral in the Tenham L6 chondrite and approved by the International Mineralogical Association (specimen IMA 2014-017). MgSiO3-perovskite is now called bridgmanite. The associated phase assemblage constrains peak shock conditions to ~ 24 gigapascals and 2300 kelvin. The discovery concludes a half century of efforts to find, identify, and characterize a natural specimen of this important mineral.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25430766/","authors":["Tschauner O","Ma C","Beckett JR","Prescher C","Prakapenka VB","Rossman GR"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014 Nov 28","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:25028493","name":"Discovery of coesite and stishovite in eucrite.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Howardite-eucrite-diogenite meteorites (HEDs) probably originated from the asteroid 4 Vesta. We investigated one eucrite, B&#xe9;r&#xe9;ba, to clarify a dynamic event that occurred on 4 Vesta using a shock-induced high-pressure polymorph. We discovered high-pressure polymorphs of silica, coesite, and stishovite originating from quartz and/or cristobalite in and around the shock-melt veins of B&#xe9;r&#xe9;ba. Lamellar stishovite formed in silica grains through a solid-state phase transition. A network-like rupture was formed and melting took place along the rupture in the silica grains. Nanosized granular coesite grains crystallized from the silica melt. Based on shock-induced high-pressure polymorphs, the estimated shock-pressure condition ranged from &#x223c;8 to &#x223c;13 GPa. Considering radiometric ages and shock features, the dynamic event that led to the formation of coesite and stishovite occurred ca. 4.1 Ga ago, which corresponds to the late heavy bombardment period (ca. 3.8-4.1 Ga), deduced from the lunar cataclysm. There are two giant impact basins around the south pole of 4 Vesta. Although the origin of HEDs is thought to be related to dynamic events that formed the basins ca. 1.0 Ga ago, our findings are at variance with that idea.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25028493/","authors":["Miyahara M","Ohtani E","Yamaguchi A","Ozawa S","Sakai T","Hirao N"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014 Jul 29","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:24925481","name":"Impact-induced shock and the formation of natural quasicrystals in the early solar system.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The discovery of a natural quasicrystal, icosahedrite (Al63Cu24Fe13), accompanied by khatyrkite (CuAl2) and cupalite (CuAl) in the CV3 carbonaceous chondrite Khatyrka has posed a mystery as to what extraterrestrial processes led to the formation and preservation of these metal alloys. Here we present a range of evidence, including the discovery of high-pressure phases never observed before in a CV3 chondrite, indicating that an impact shock generated a heterogeneous distribution of pressures and temperatures in which some portions reached at least 5 GPa and 1,200 &#xb0;C. The conditions were sufficient to melt Al-Cu-bearing minerals, which then rapidly solidified into icosahedrite and other Al-Cu metal phases. The meteorite also contains heretofore unobserved phases of iron-nickel and iron sulphide with substantial amounts of Al and Cu. The presence of these phases in Khatyrka provides further proof that the Al-Cu alloys are natural products of unusual processes that occurred in the early solar system.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24925481/","authors":["Hollister LS","Bindi L","Yao N","Poirier GR","Andronicos CL","MacPherson GJ","Lin C","Distler VV","Eddy MP","Kostin A","Kryachko V","Steinhardt WM","Yudovskaya M","Eiler JM","Guan Y","Clarke JJ","Steinhardt PJ"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014 Jun 13","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:24852082","name":"Jadeite in Chelyabinsk meteorite and the nature of an impact event on its parent body.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The Chelyabinsk asteroid impact is the second largest asteroid airburst in our recorded history. To prepare for a potential threat from asteroid impacts, it is important to understand the nature and formational history of Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) like Chelyabinsk asteroid. In orbital evolution of an asteroid, collision with other asteroids is a key process. Here, we show the existence of a high-pressure mineral jadeite in shock-melt veins of Chelyabinsk meteorite. Based on the mineral assemblage and calculated solidification time of the shock-melt veins, the equilibrium shock pressure and its duration were estimated to be at least 3-12&#x2005;GPa and longer than 70&#x2005;ms, respectively. This suggests that an impactor larger than 0.15-0.19&#x2005;km in diameter collided with the Chelyabinsk parent body at a speed of at least 0.4-1.5&#x2005;km/s. This impact might have separated the Chelyabinsk asteroid from its parent body and delivered it to the Earth.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24852082/","authors":["Ozawa S","Miyahara M","Ohtani E","Koroleva ON","Ito Y","Litasov KD","Pokhilenko NP"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014 May 22","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:24072925","name":"X-ray diffraction results from Mars Science Laboratory: mineralogy of Rocknest at Gale crater.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity scooped samples of soil from the Rocknest aeolian bedform in Gale crater. Analysis of the soil with the Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) x-ray diffraction (XRD) instrument revealed plagioclase (~An57), forsteritic olivine (~Fo62), augite, and pigeonite, with minor K-feldspar, magnetite, quartz, anhydrite, hematite, and ilmenite. The minor phases are present at, or near, detection limits. The soil also contains 27 &#xb1; 14 weight percent x-ray amorphous material, likely containing multiple Fe(3+)- and volatile-bearing phases, including possibly a substance resembling hisingerite. The crystalline component is similar to the normative mineralogy of certain basaltic rocks from Gusev crater on Mars and of martian basaltic meteorites. The amorphous component is similar to that found on Earth in places such as soils on the Mauna Kea volcano, Hawaii.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24072925/","authors":["Bish DL","Blake DF","Vaniman DT","Chipera SJ","Morris RV","Ming DW","Treiman AH","Sarrazin P","Morrison SM","Downs RT","Achilles CN","Yen AS","Bristow TF","Crisp JA","Morookian JM","Farmer JD","Rampe EB","Stolper EM","Spanovich N","MSL Science Team"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013 Sep 27","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:24009337","name":"Origin and provenance of spherules and magnetic grains at the Younger Dryas boundary.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"One or more bolide impacts are hypothesized to have triggered the Younger Dryas cooling at &#x223c;12.9 ka. In support of this hypothesis, varying peak abundances of magnetic grains with iridium and magnetic microspherules have been reported at the Younger Dryas boundary (YDB). We show that bulk sediment and/or magnetic grains/microspherules collected from the YDB sites in Arizona, Michigan, New Mexico, New Jersey, and Ohio have (187)Os/(188)Os ratios &#x2265;1.0, similar to average upper continental crust (= 1.3), indicating a terrestrial origin of osmium (Os) in these samples. In contrast, bulk sediments from YDB sites in Belgium and Pennsylvania exhibit (187)Os/(188)Os ratios &lt;&lt;1.0 and at face value suggest mixing with extraterrestrial Os with (187)Os/(188)Os of &#x223c;0.13. However, the Os concentration in bulk sample and magnetic grains from Belgium is 2.8 pg/g and 15 pg/g, respectively, much lower than that in average upper continental crust (=31 pg/g), indicating no meteoritic contribution. The YDB site in Pennsylvania is remarkable in yielding 2- to 5-mm diameter spherules containing minerals such as suessite (Fe-Ni silicide) that form at temperatures in excess of 2000 &#xb0;C. Gross texture, mineralogy, and age of the spherules appear consistent with their formation as ejecta from an impact 12.9 ka ago. The (187)Os/(188)Os ratios of the spherules and their leachates are often low, but Os in these objects is likely terrestrially derived. The rare earth element patterns and Sr and Nd isotopes of the spherules indicate that their source lies in 1.5-Ga Quebecia terrain in the Grenville Province of northeastern North America.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24009337/","authors":["Wu Y","Sharma M","LeCompte MA","Demitroff MN","Landis JD","Yingzhe Wu","Mukul Sharma","Malcolm A. LeCompte","Mark Demitroff","Joshua D. Landis"],"tags":["Younger Dryas","Provenance","Meteorite","Geology","Extraterrestrial life"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013 Sep 17","doi":"10.1073/pnas.1304059110","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"pmid:23612278","name":"Discovery of seifertite in a shocked lunar meteorite.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Many craters and thick regoliths of the moon imply that it has experienced heavy meteorite bombardments. Although the existence of a high-pressure polymorph is a stark evidence for a dynamic event, few high-pressure polymorphs are found in a lunar sample. &#x3b1;-PbO&#x2082;-type silica (seifertite) is an ultrahigh-pressure polymorph of silica, and is found only in a heavily shocked Martian meteorite. Here we show evidence for seifertite in a shocked lunar meteorite, Northwest Africa 4734. Cristobalite transforms to seifertite by high-pressure and -temperature condition induced by a dynamic event. Considering radio-isotopic ages determined previously, the dynamic event formed seifertite on the moon, accompanying the complete resetting of radio-isotopic ages, is ~2.7 Ga ago. Our finding allows us to infer that such intense planetary collisions occurred on the moon until at least ~2.7 Ga ago.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23612278/","authors":["Miyahara M","Kaneko S","Ohtani E","Sakai T","Nagase T","Kayama M","Nishido H","Hirao N"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:23258889","name":"Radar-enabled recovery of the Sutter's Mill meteorite, a carbonaceous chondrite regolith breccia.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Doppler weather radar imaging enabled the rapid recovery of the Sutter's Mill meteorite after a rare 4-kiloton of TNT-equivalent asteroid impact over the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in northern California. The recovered meteorites survived a record high-speed entry of 28.6 kilometers per second from an orbit close to that of Jupiter-family comets (Tisserand's parameter = 2.8 &#xb1; 0.3). Sutter's Mill is a regolith breccia composed of CM (Mighei)-type carbonaceous chondrite and highly reduced xenolithic materials. It exhibits considerable diversity of mineralogy, petrography, and isotope and organic chemistry, resulting from a complex formation history of the parent body surface. That diversity is quickly masked by alteration once in the terrestrial environment but will need to be considered when samples returned by missions to C-class asteroids are interpreted.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23258889/","authors":["Jenniskens P","Fries MD","Yin QZ","Zolensky M","Krot AN","Sandford SA","Sears D","Beauford R","Ebel DS","Friedrich JM","Nagashima K","Wimpenny J","Yamakawa A","Nishiizumi K","Hamajima Y","Caffee MW","Welten KC","Laubenstein M","Davis AM","Simon SB","Heck PR","Young ED","Kohl IE","Thiemens MH","Nunn MH","Mikouchi T","Hagiya K","Ohsumi K","Cahill TA","Lawton JA","Barnes D","Steele A","Rochette P","Verosub KL","Gattacceca J","Cooper G","Glavin DP","Burton AS","Dworkin JP","Elsila JE","Pizzarello S","Ogliore R","Schmitt-Kopplin P","Harir M","Hertkorn N","Verchovsky A","Grady M","Nagao K","Okazaki R","Takechi H","Hiroi T","Smith K","Silber EA","Brown PG","Albers J","Klotz D","Hankey M","Matson R","Fries JA","Walker RJ","Puchtel I","Lee CT","Erdman ME","Eppich GR","Roeske S","Gabelica Z","Lerche M","Nuevo M","Girten B","Worden SP","Sutter’s Mill Meteorite Consortium"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012 Dec 21","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:22582257","name":"Spectroscopic characterization of mineralogy and its diversity across Vesta.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The mineralogy of Vesta, based on data obtained by the Dawn spacecraft's visible and infrared spectrometer, is consistent with howardite-eucrite-diogenite meteorites. There are considerable regional and local variations across the asteroid: Spectrally distinct regions include the south-polar Rheasilvia basin, which displays a higher diogenitic component, and equatorial regions, which show a higher eucritic component. The lithologic distribution indicates a deeper diogenitic crust, exposed after excavation by the impact that formed Rheasilvia, and an upper eucritic crust. Evidence for mineralogical stratigraphic layering is observed on crater walls and in ejecta. This is broadly consistent with magma-ocean models, but spectral variability highlights local variations, which suggests that the crust can be a complex assemblage of eucritic basalts and pyroxene cumulates. Overall, Vesta mineralogy indicates a complex magmatic evolution that led to a differentiated crust and mantle.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22582257/","authors":["De Sanctis MC","Ammannito E","Capria MT","Tosi F","Capaccioni F","Zambon F","Carraro F","Fonte S","Frigeri A","Jaumann R","Magni G","Marchi S","McCord TB","McFadden LA","McSween HY","Mittlefehldt DW","Nathues A","Palomba E","Pieters CM","Raymond CA","Russell CT","Toplis MJ","Turrini D"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012 May 11","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:22582253","name":"Dawn at Vesta: testing the protoplanetary paradigm.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The Dawn spacecraft targeted 4 Vesta, believed to be a remnant intact protoplanet from the earliest epoch of solar system formation, based on analyses of howardite-eucrite-diogenite (HED) meteorites that indicate a differentiated parent body. Dawn observations reveal a giant basin at Vesta's south pole, whose excavation was sufficient to produce Vesta-family asteroids (Vestoids) and HED meteorites. The spatially resolved mineralogy of the surface reflects the composition of the HED meteorites, confirming the formation of Vesta's crust by melting of a chondritic parent body. Vesta's mass, volume, and gravitational field are consistent with a core having an average radius of 107 to 113 kilometers, indicating sufficient internal melting to segregate iron. Dawn's results confirm predictions that Vesta differentiated and support its identification as the parent body of the HEDs.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22582253/","authors":["Russell CT","Raymond CA","Coradini A","McSween HY","Zuber MT","Nathues A","De Sanctis MC","Jaumann R","Konopliv AS","Preusker F","Asmar SW","Park RS","Gaskell R","Keller HU","Mottola S","Roatsch T","Scully JE","Smith DE","Tricarico P","Toplis MJ","Christensen UR","Feldman WC","Lawrence DJ","McCoy TJ","Prettyman TH","Reedy RC","Sykes ME","Titus TN"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012 May 11","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:21930423","name":"Mineralogical composition of the meteorite El Pozo (Mexico): a Raman, infrared and XRD study.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The Raman (RMP), infrared (IR) and XRD analysis have been applied to the examination of mineralogical composition of El Pozo meteorite (an ordinary chondrite L5 type; village Valle of Allende, founded in State of Chihuahua, Mexico: 26&#xb0;56'N and 105&#xb0;24'W, 1998). RMP measurements in the range of 100-3500 cm(-1) revealed principal characteristic bands of the major minerals: olivine, two polymorph modifications of pyroxene (OPx and CPx) and plagioclase. Some bands of the minor minerals (hematite and goethite) were also identified. All these minerals were clearly distinguished using IR and XRD techniques. XRD technique has shown the presence of some metallic phases such as kamacite and taenite as well as troilite and chromite. These minerals do not have characteristic Raman spectra because Fe-Ni metals have no active modes for Raman spectroscopy and troilite is a weak Raman scatterer. Raman mapping microspectroscopy was a key part in the investigation of El Pozo meteorite's spatial distribution of the main minerals because these samples are structurally and chemically complex and heterogeneous. The mineral mapping by Raman spectroscopy has provided information for a certain spatial region on which a spatial distribution coexists of the three typical mineral assemblages: olivine; olivine+orthopyroxene; and orthopyroxene.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21930423/","authors":["Ostrooumov M","Hernández-Bernal Mdel S"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011 Dec","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:21868667","name":"Itokawa dust particles: a direct link between S-type asteroids and ordinary chondrites.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The Hayabusa spacecraft successfully recovered dust particles from the surface of near-Earth asteroid 25143 Itokawa. Synchrotron-radiation x-ray diffraction and transmission and scanning electron microscope analyses indicate that the mineralogy and mineral chemistry of the Itokawa dust particles are identical to those of thermally metamorphosed LL chondrites, consistent with spectroscopic observations made from Earth and by the Hayabusa spacecraft. Our results directly demonstrate that ordinary chondrites, the most abundant meteorites found on Earth, come from S-type asteroids. Mineral chemistry indicates that the majority of regolith surface particles suffered long-term thermal annealing and subsequent impact shock, suggesting that Itokawa is an asteroid made of reassembled pieces of the interior portions of a once larger asteroid.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21868667/","authors":["Nakamura T","Noguchi T","Tanaka M","Zolensky ME","Kimura M","Tsuchiyama A","Nakato A","Ogami T","Ishida H","Uesugi M","Yada T","Shirai K","Fujimura A","Okazaki R","Sandford SA","Ishibashi Y","Abe M","Okada T","Ueno M","Mukai T","Yoshikawa M","Kawaguchi J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011 Aug 26","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:21659601","name":"Origin and evolution of prebiotic organic matter as inferred from the Tagish Lake meteorite.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The complex suite of organic materials in carbonaceous chondrite meteorites probably originally formed in the interstellar medium and/or the solar protoplanetary disk, but was subsequently modified in the meteorites' asteroidal parent bodies. The mechanisms of formation and modification are still very poorly understood. We carried out a systematic study of variations in the mineralogy, petrology, and soluble and insoluble organic matter in distinct fragments of the Tagish Lake meteorite. The variations correlate with indicators of parent body aqueous alteration. At least some molecules of prebiotic importance formed during the alteration.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21659601/","authors":["Herd CD","Blinova A","Simkus DN","Huang Y","Tarozo R","Alexander CM","Gyngard F","Nittler LR","Cody GD","Fogel ML","Kebukawa Y","Kilcoyne AL","Hilts RW","Slater GF","Glavin DP","Dworkin JP","Callahan MP","Elsila JE","De Gregorio BT","Stroud RM"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011 Jun 10","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:21444781","name":"Natural dissociation of olivine to (Mg,Fe)SiO3 perovskite and magnesiowustite in a shocked Martian meteorite.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"We report evidence for the natural dissociation of olivine in a shergottite at high-pressure and high-temperature conditions induced by a dynamic event on Mars. Olivine (Fa(34-41)) adjacent to or entrained in the shock melt vein and melt pockets of Martian meteorite olivine-phyric shergottite Dar al Gani 735 dissociated into (Mg,Fe)SiO(3) perovskite (Pv)+magnesiow&#xfc;stite (Mw), whereby perovskite partially vitrified during decompression. Transmission electron microscopy observations reveal that microtexture of olivine dissociation products evolves from lamellar to equigranular with increasing temperature at the same pressure condition. This is in accord with the observations of synthetic samples recovered from high-pressure and high-temperature experiments. Equigranular (Mg,Fe)SiO(3) Pv and Mw have 50-100 nm in diameter, and lamellar (Mg,Fe)SiO(3) Pv and Mw have approximately 20 and approximately 10 nm in thickness, respectively. Partitioning coefficient, K(Pv/Mw) = [FeO/MgO]/[FeO/MgO](Mw), between (Mg,Fe)SiO(3) Pv and Mw in equigranular and lamellar textures are approximately 0.15 and approximately 0.78, respectively. The dissociation of olivine implies that the pressure and temperature conditions recorded in the shock melt vein and melt pockets during the dynamic event were approximately 25 GPa but 700&#x2009;&#xb0;C at least.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21444781/","authors":["Miyahara M","Ohtani E","Ozawa S","Kimura M","El Goresy A","Sakai T","Nagase T","Hiraga K","Hirao N","Ohishi Y"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011 Apr 12","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:19528640","name":"Pristine extraterrestrial material with unprecedented nitrogen isotopic variation.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Pristine meteoritic materials carry light element isotopic fractionations that constrain physiochemical conditions during solar system formation. Here we report the discovery of a unique xenolith in the metal-rich chondrite Isheyevo. Its fine-grained, highly pristine mineralogy has similarity with interplanetary dust particles (IDPs), but the volume of the xenolith is more than 30,000 times that of a typical IDP. Furthermore, an extreme continuum of N isotopic variation is present in this xenolith: from very light N isotopic composition (delta(15)N(AIR) = -310 +/- 20 per thousand), similar to that inferred for the solar nebula, to the heaviest ratios measured in any solar system material (delta(15)N(AIR) = 4,900 +/- 300 per thousand). At the same time, its hydrogen and carbon isotopic compositions exhibit very little variation. This object poses serious challenges for existing models for the origin of light element isotopic anomalies.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19528640/","authors":["Briani G","Gounelle M","Marrocchi Y","Mostefaoui S","Leroux H","Quirico E","Meibom A"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009 Jun 30","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:18562280","name":"Evidence for fractional crystallization of wadsleyite and ringwoodite from olivine melts in chondrules entrained in shock-melt veins.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Peace River is one of the few shocked members of the L-chondrites clan that contains both high-pressure polymorphs of olivine, ringwoodite and wadsleyite, in diverse textures and settings in fragments entrained in shock-melt veins. Among these settings are complete olivine porphyritic chondrules. We encountered few squeezed and flattened olivine porphyritic chondrules entrained in shock-melt veins of this meteorite with novel textures and composition. The former chemically unzoned (Fa(24-26)) olivine porphyritic crystals are heavily flattened and display a concentric intergrowth with Mg-rich wadsleyite of a very narrow compositional range (Fa(6)-Fa(10)) in the core. Wadsleyite core is surrounded by a Mg-poor and chemically stark zoned ringwoodite (Fa(28)-Fa(38)) belt. The wadsleyite-ringwoodite interface denotes a compositional gap of up to 32 mol % fayalite. A transmission electron microscopy study of focused ion beam slices in both regions indicates that the wadsleyite core and ringwoodite belt consist of granoblastic-like intergrowth of polygonal crystallites of both ringwoodite and wadsleyite, with wadsleyite crystallites dominating in the core and ringwoodite crystallites dominating in the belt. Texture and compositions of both high-pressure polymorphs are strongly suggestive of formation by a fractional crystallization of the olivine melt of a narrow composition (Fa(24-26)), starting with Mg-rich wadsleyite followed by the Mg-poor ringwoodite from a shock-induced melt of olivine composition (Fa(24-26)). Our findings could erase the possibility of the resulting unrealistic time scales of the high-pressure regime reported recently from other shocked L-6 chondrites.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18562280/","authors":["Miyahara M","El Goresy A","Ohtani E","Nagase T","Nishijima M","Vashaei Z","Ferroir T","Gillet P","Dubrovinsky L","Simionovici A"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008 Jun 24","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:18309047","name":"Graphite whiskers in CV3 meteorites.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Graphite whiskers (GWs), an allotrope of carbon that has been proposed to occur in space, have been discovered in three CV-type carbonaceous chondrites via Raman imaging and electron microscopy. The GWs are associated with high-temperature calcium-aluminum inclusion (CAI) rims and interiors, with the rim of a dark inclusion, and within an inclusion inside an unusual chondrule that bears mineralogy and texture indicative of high-temperature processing. Current understanding of CAI formation places their condensation, and that of associated GWs, relatively close to the Sun and early in the condensation sequence of protoplanetary disk materials. If this is the case, then it is a possibility that GWs are expelled from any young solar system early in its history, thus populating interstellar space with diffuse GWs. Graphite whiskers have been postulated to play a role in the near-infrared (near-IR) dimming of type Ia supernovae, as well as in the thermalization of both the cosmic IR and microwave background and in galactic center dimming between 3 and 9 micrometers. Our observations, along with the further possibility that GWs could be manufactured during supernovae, suggest that GWs may have substantial effects in observational astronomy.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18309047/","authors":["Fries M","Steele A"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008 Apr 4","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:17008212","name":"Searching for signatures of life on Mars: an Fe-isotope perspective.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Recent spacecraft and lander missions to Mars have reinforced previous interpretations that Mars was a wet and warm planet in the geological past. The role of liquid water in shaping many of the surface features on Mars has long been recognized. Since the presence of liquid water is essential for survival of life, conditions on early Mars might have been more favourable for the emergence and evolution of life. Until a sample return mission to Mars, one of the ways of studying the past environmental conditions on Mars is through chemical and isotopic studies of Martian meteorites. Over 35 individual meteorite samples, believed to have originated on Mars, are now available for lab-based studies. Fe is a key element that is present in both primary and secondary minerals in the Martian meteorites. Fe-isotope ratios can be fractionated by low-temperature processes which includes biological activity. Experimental investigations of Fe reduction and oxidation by bacteria have produced large fractionation in Fe-isotope ratios. Hence, it is considered likely that if there is/were any form of life present on Mars then it might be possible to detect its signature by Fe-isotope studies of Martian meteorites. In the present study, we have analysed a number of Martian meteorites for their bulk-Fe-isotope composition. In addition, a set of terrestrial analogue material has also been analysed to compare the results and draw inferences. So far, our studies have not found any measurable Fe-isotopic fractionation in bulk Martian meteorites that can be ascribed to any low-temperature process operative on Mars.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17008212/","authors":["Anand M","Russell SS","Blackhurst RL","Grady MM"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006 Oct 29","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:16358466","name":"[The mineralogical and petrographical work of the pharmacists in the Museum].","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Three famous pharmacists were working in the Mus&#xe9;um national d'histoire naturelle in Paris, in the field of earth sciences: Louis Nicolas Vauquelin (1763-1829), Andr&#xe9; Laugier (1770-1832) and Alfred Lacroix (1863-1948). Vauquelin, professor of Chemical arts, established the chemical composition of numerous minerals, which led him to the discovery of new chemical elements. He also took a hand in demonstrating the extra-terrestrial origin of meteorites. Laugier, professor of General chemistry, was an admitted expert in the analytical field of these rocks. Lacroix, who held during more than forty years the chair of Mineralogy in the Museum, carried out major scientific work. This field working naturalist who was also famous vulcanologist placed his studies of the mineral species into a petrographical context. He described numerous new minerals, took an interest in their origin and classification of the volcanic rocks, as well as in contact metamorphism. In other respects, he increased the collections in the Museum (minerals, rocks, meteorites). The works of Vauquelin, Laugier and Lacroix contributed to advance those begun by some scientists of the Jardin du Roi, as Buffon or the Rouelle brothers before the French Revolution.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16358466/","authors":["Kaspar C","Jaussaud P"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:16001059","name":"An integrated view of the chemistry and mineralogy of martian soils.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The mineralogical and elemental compositions of the martian soil are indicators of chemical and physical weathering processes. Using data from the Mars Exploration Rovers, we show that bright dust deposits on opposite sides of the planet are part of a global unit and not dominated by the composition of local rocks. Dark soil deposits at both sites have similar basaltic mineralogies, and could reflect either a global component or the general similarity in the compositions of the rocks from which they were derived. Increased levels of bromine are consistent with mobilization of soluble salts by thin films of liquid water, but the presence of olivine in analysed soil samples indicates that the extent of aqueous alteration of soils has been limited. Nickel abundances are enhanced at the immediate surface and indicate that the upper few millimetres of soil could contain up to one per cent meteoritic material.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16001059/","authors":["Yen AS","Gellert R","Schröder C","Morris RV","Bell JF 3rd","Knudson AT","Clark BC","Ming DW","Crisp JA","Arvidson RE","Blaney D","Brückner J","Christensen PR","DesMarais DJ","de Souza PA Jr","Economou TE","Ghosh A","Hahn BC","Herkenhoff KE","Haskin LA","Hurowitz JA","Joliff BL","Johnson JR","Klingelhöfer G","Madsen MB","McLennan SM","McSween HY","Richter L","Rieder R","Rodionov D","Soderblom L","Squyres SW","Tosca NJ","Wang A","Wyatt M","Zipfel J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005 Jul 7","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:15576609","name":"Mineralogy at Meridiani Planum from the Mini-TES Experiment on the Opportunity Rover.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer (Mini-TES) on Opportunity investigated the mineral abundances and compositions of outcrops, rocks, and soils at Meridiani Planum. Coarse crystalline hematite and olivine-rich basaltic sands were observed as predicted from orbital TES spectroscopy. Outcrops of aqueous origin are composed of 15 to 35% by volume magnesium and calcium sulfates [a high-silica component modeled as a combination of glass, feldspar, and sheet silicates (approximately 20 to 30%)], and hematite; only minor jarosite is identified in Mini-TES spectra. Mini-TES spectra show only a hematite signature in the millimeter-sized spherules. Basaltic materials have more plagioclase than pyroxene, contain olivine, and are similar in inferred mineral composition to basalt mapped from orbit. Bounce rock is dominated by clinopyroxene and is close in inferred mineral composition to the basaltic martian meteorites. Bright wind streak material matches global dust. Waterlain rocks covered by unaltered basaltic sands suggest a change from an aqueous environment to one dominated by physical weathering.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15576609/","authors":["Christensen PR","Wyatt MB","Glotch TD","Rogers AD","Anwar S","Arvidson RE","Bandfield JL","Blaney DL","Budney C","Calvin WM","Fallacaro A","Fergason RL","Gorelick N","Graff TG","Hamilton VE","Hayes AG","Johnson JR","Knudson AT","McSween HY Jr","Mehall GL","Mehall LK","Moersch JE","Morris RV","Smith MD","Squyres SW","Ruff SW","Wolff MJ"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004 Dec 3","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:14987487","name":"Tírez lake as a terrestrial analog of Europa.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"T&#xed;rez Lake (La Mancha, central Spain) is proposed as a terrestrial analogue of Europa's ocean. The proposal is based on the comparison of the hydrogeochemistry of T&#xed;rez Lake with the geochemical features of the alteration mineralogy of meteoritic precursors and with Galileo's Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer data on Europa's surface. To validate the astrobiological potential of T&#xed;rez Lake as an analog of Europa, different hydrogeochemical, mineral, and microbial analyses were performed. Experimental and theoretical modeling helped to understand the crystallization pathways that may occur in Europa's crust. Calculations about the oxidation state of the hypothetical Europan ocean were estimated to support the sulfate-rich neutral liquid model as the origin of Europa's observed hydrated minerals and to facilitate their comparison with T&#xed;rez's hydrogeochemistry. Hydrogeochemical and mineralogical analyses showed that T&#xed;rez waters corresponded to Mg-Na-SO(4)-Cl brines with epsomite, hexahydrite, and halite as end members. A preliminary microbial ecology characterization identified two different microbial domains: a photosynthetically sustained community represented by planktonic/benthonic forms and microbial mat communities, and a subsurficial anaerobic realm in which chemolithotrophy predominates. Fluorescence in situ hybridization has been used to characterize the prokaryotic diversity of the system. The subsurficial community seemed to be dominated by sulfate-reducing bacteria and methanogens. Frozen T&#xed;rez brines were analyzed by Fourier-transform infrared techniques providing spectra similar to those reported previously using pure components and to the Galileo spectral data. Calorimetric measurements of T&#xed;rez brines showed pathways and phase metastability for magnesium sulfate and sodium chloride crystallization that may aid in understanding the processes involved in the formation of Europa's icy crust. The use of fluorescence hybridization techniques for microbial detection and characterization in hypersaline environments makes this methodology strongly advisable for future Europa astrobiological missions.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14987487/","authors":["Prieto-Ballesteros O","Rodríguez N","Kargel JS","Kessler CG","Amils R","Remolar DF"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003 Winter","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:12721622","name":"Interplanetary dust from the explosive dispersal of hydrated asteroids by impacts.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The Earth accretes about 30,000 tons of dust particles per year, with sizes in the range of 20-400 microm (refs 1, 2). Those particles collected at the Earth's surface--termed micrometeorites--are similar in chemistry and mineralogy to hydrated, porous meteorites, but such meteorites comprise only 2.8% of recovered falls. This large difference in relative abundances has been attributed to 'filtering' by the Earth's atmosphere, that is, the porous meteorites are considered to be so friable that they do not survive the impact with the atmosphere. Here we report shock-recovery experiments on two porous meteorites, one of which is hydrated and the other is anhydrous. The application of shock to the hydrated meteorite reduces it to minute particles and explosive expansion results upon release of the pressure, through a much broader range of pressures than for the anhydrous meteorite. Our results indicate that hydrated asteroids will produce dust particles during collisions at a much higher rate than anhydrous asteroids, which explains the different relative abundances of the hydrated material in micrometeorites and meteorites: the abundances are established before contact with the Earth's atmosphere.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12721622/","authors":["Tomeoka K","Kiriyama K","Nakamura K","Yamahana Y","Sekine T"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003 May 1","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:11951042","name":"A new source of basaltic meteorites inferred from Northwest Africa 011.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Eucrites are a class of basaltic meteorites that share common mineralogical, isotopic, and chemical properties and are thought to have been derived from the same parent body, possibly asteroid 4 Vesta. The texture, mineralogy, and noble gas data of the recently recovered meteorite, Northwest Africa (NWA) 011, are similar to those of basaltic eucrites. However, the oxygen isotopic composition of NWA011 is different from that of other eucrites, indicating that NWA011 may be derived from a different parent body. The presence of basaltic meteorites with variable oxygen isotopic composition suggests the occurrence of multiple basaltic meteorite parent bodies, perhaps similar to 4 Vesta, in the early solar system.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11951042/","authors":["Yamaguchi A","Clayton RN","Mayeda TK","Ebihara M","Oura Y","Miura YN","Haramura H","Misawa K","Kojima H","Nagao K"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002 Apr 12","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:11543078","name":"A nitrogen and argon stable isotope study of Allan Hills 84001: implications for the evolution of the Martian atmosphere.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The abundances and isotopic compositions of N and Ar have been measured by stepped combustion of the Allan Hills 84001 (ALH 84001) Martian orthopyroxenite. Material described as shocked is N-poor ([N] approximately 0.34 ppm; delta 15N approximately +23%); although during stepped combustion, 15N-enriched N (delta 15N approximately +143%) is released in a narrow temperature interval between 700 degrees C and 800 degrees C (along with 13C-enriched C (delta 13C approximately +19%) and 40Ar). Cosmogenic species are found to be negligible at this temperature; thus, the isotopically heavy component is identified, in part, as Martian atmospheric gas trapped relatively recently in the history of ALH84001. The N and Ar data show that ALH84001 contains species from the Martian lithosphere, a component interpreted as ancient trapped atmosphere (in addition to the modern atmospheric species), and excess 40Ar from K decay. Deconvolution of radiogenic 40Ar from other Ar components, on the basis of end-member 36Ar/14N and 40Ar/36Ar ratios, has enabled calculation of a K-Ar age for ALH 84001 as 3.5-4.6 Ga, depending on assumed K abundance. If the component believed to be Martian palaeoatmosphere was introduced to ALH 84001 at the time the K-Ar age was set, then the composition of the atmosphere at this time is constrained to: delta 15N &gt; or = +200%, 40Ar/36Ar &lt; or = 3000 and 36Ar/14N &gt; or = 17 x 10(-5). In terms of the petrogenetic history of the meteorite, ALH 84001 crystallised soon after differentiation of the planet, may have been shocked and thermally metamorphosed in an early period of bombardment, and then subjected to a second event. This later process did not reset the K-Ar system but perhaps was responsible for introducing (recent) atmospheric gases into ALH 84001; and it might mark the time at which ALH 84001 suffered fluid alteration resulting in the formation of the plagioclase and carbonate mineral assemblages.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11543078/","authors":["Grady MM","Wright IP","Pillinger CT"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998 Jul","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:11542258","name":"Introduction to special section: early Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Ongoing studies of the evolution of the Martian cratered highlands, the nature of the planet's early climate, and the recent announcement of possible evidence of ancient life in the ALH 84001 meteorite have reinvigorated interest in the conditions that prevailed on Mars during its first billion years of geologic history. To address this interest and assess our current understanding of these issues, the Lunar and Planetary Institute hosted a 4-day Conference on Early Mars in Houston in April of 1997. The papers contained in this special section are a product of that meeting. The purpose of the conference was twofold: (1) to consider how impacts, volcanism, and the presence of abundant water affected the physical and chemical environment that existed on Mars 4 Gyr ago, particularly as it related to the nature of the global climate, the origin of the valley networks, the geologic and mineralogic evolution of the surface, the aqueous geochemistry of groundwater, and the existence of local environments that may have been conducive to the development of indigenous life and the preservation of its signature in the geologic record; and (2) to discuss what observations or experiments might he included in future spacecraft missions to test the ideas and expectations arising from purpose 1. While pertinent issues of early atmospheric and solar evolution were also addressed, the primary discussion at the conference focused on the evidence and constraints provided by the geologic records of Earth, the Moon, and Mars and analysis of the SNC meteorites. The papers contained in this special section span the full range of these topics, including the stability of the early atmosphere to erosion by the solar wind, the geologic environment from which the SNC meteorites originated, geomorphic evidence regarding the nature of the early Martian climate and hydrologic cycle, the potential impact of the past and present environment on the preserved signature of ancient life, and a discussion of the capabilities of a lander-based X ray diffraction and fluorescence instrument to assess the potential for past fossilization from the mineralogy of the current local surface environment. The issues raised at the conference, and by the papers included in this special section, will be the focus of ongoing attention as the intensity and scope of Mars exploration increases over the next decade.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11542258/","authors":["Clifford S","Treiman A","Newsom H","Farmer J","New Collective Author"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998 Dec 25","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:11030647","name":"The fall, recovery, orbit, and composition of the Tagish Lake meteorite: a new type of carbonaceous chondrite.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The preatmospheric mass of the Tagish Lake meteoroid was about 200,000 kilograms. Its calculated orbit indicates affinity to the Apollo asteroids with a semimajor axis in the middle of the asteroid belt, consistent with a linkage to low-albedo C, D, and P type asteroids. The mineralogy, oxygen isotope, and bulk chemical composition of recovered samples of the Tagish Lake meteorite are intermediate between CM and CI meteorites. These data suggest that the Tagish Lake meteorite may be one of the most primitive solar system materials yet studied.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11030647/","authors":["Brown PG","Hildebrand AR","Zolensky ME","Grady M","Clayton RN","Mayeda TK","Tagliaferri E","Spalding R","MacRae ND","Hoffman EL","Mittlefehldt DW","Wacker JF","Bird JA","Campbell MD","Carpenter R","Gingerich H","Glatiotis M","Greiner E","Mazur MJ","McCausland PJ","Plotkin H","Rubak Mazur T"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000 Oct 13","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:10846162","name":"Extinct (129)I in halite from a primitive meteorite: evidence for evaporite formation in the early solar system.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Halite crystals from the Zag H3-6 chondrite contain essentially pure (monoisotopic) xenon-129 ((129)Xe) produced in the early history of the solar system by the decay of short-lived iodine-129 ((129)I) (half-life = 15.7 million years). Correlated release of (129)Xe and (128)Xe, produced artificially from (127)I by neutron irradiation, corresponds to an initial ((129)I/(127)I) ratio of (1.35 +/- 0.05) x 10(-4), close to the most primitive early solar system value. If the (129)Xe was produced by in situ decay, then the halite formed from an aqueous fluid within 2 million years of the oldest known solar system minerals.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10846162/","authors":["Whitby J","Burgess R","Turner G","Gilmour J","Bridges J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000 Jun 9","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:9774267","name":"Oxygen reservoirs in the early solar nebula inferred from an allende CAI.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Ultraviolet laser microprobe analyses of a calcium-aluminum-rich inclusion (CAI) from the Allende meteorite suggest that a line with a slope of exactly 1.00 on a plot of delta17O against delta18O represents the primitive oxygen isotope reservoir of the early solar nebula. Most meteorites are enriched in 17O and 18O relative to this line, and their oxygen isotope ratios can be explained by mass fractionation or isotope exchange initiating from the primitive reservoir. These data establish a link between the oxygen isotopic composition of the abundant ordinary chondrites and the primitive 16O-rich component of CAIs.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9774267/","authors":["Young ED","Russell SS"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998 Oct 16","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:11541456","name":"Hydrothermal hydration of Martian crust: illustration via geochemical model calculations.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"If hydrothermal Systems existed on Mars, hydration of crustal rocks may have had the potential to affect the water budget of the planet. We have conducted geochemical model calculations to investigate the relative roles of host rock composition, temperature, water-to-rock ratio, and initial fluid oxygen fugacity on the mineralogy of hydrothermal alteration assemblages, as well as the effectiveness of alteration to store water in the crust as hydrous minerals. In order to place calculations for Mars in perspective, models of hydrothermal alteration of three genetically related Icelandic volcanics (a basalt, andesite, and rhyolite) are presented, together with results for compositions based on SNC meteorite samples (Shergotty and Chassigny). Temperatures from 150 degrees C to 250 degrees C, water-to-rock ratios from 0.1 to 1000, and two initial fluid oxygen fugacities are considered in the models. Model results for water-to-rock ratios less than 10 are emphasized because they are likely to be more applicable to Mars. In accord with studies of low-grade alteration of terrestrial rocks, we find that the major controls on hydrous mineral production are host rock composition and temperature. Over the range of conditions considered, the alteration of Shergotty shows the greatest potential for storing water as hydrous minerals, and the alteration of Icelandic rhyolite has the lowest potential.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11541456/","authors":["Griffith LL","Shock EL","New Collective Author"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997 Apr 25","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:9054355","name":"Low-temperature carbonate concretions in the Martian meteorite ALH84001: evidence from stable isotopes and mineralogy.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The martian meteorite ALH84001 contains small, disk-shaped concretions of carbonate with concentric chemical and mineralogical zonation. Oxygen isotope compositions of these concretions, measured by ion microprobe, range from delta18O = +9.5 to +20.5 per thousand. Most of the core of one concretion is homogeneous (16.7 +/- 1.2 per thousand) and over 5 per thousand higher in delta18O than a second concretion. Orthopyroxene that hosts the secondary carbonates is isotopically homogeneous (delta18O = 4.6 +/- 1.2 per thousand). Secondary SiO2 has delta18O = 20.4 per thousand. Carbon isotope ratios measured from the core of one concretion average delta13C = 46 +/- 8 per thousand, consistent with formation on Mars. The isotopic variations and mineral compositions offer no evidence for high temperature (&gt;650 degrees C) carbonate precipitation and suggest non-equilibrium processes at low temperatures (&lt; approximately 300 degrees C).","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9054355/","authors":["Valley JW","Eiler JM","Graham CM","Gibson EK","Romanek CS","Stolper EM","New Collective Author"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997 Mar 14","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:11540347","name":"[Meteoritics and mineralogy on possible ancient Martian life].","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Possible relic biogenic activity in martian meteorite ALH84001 was proposed by McKay et al. (Science, 273, 924-930, 1996). This ancient meteorite of 4.5 billion years old contains abundant carbonates as secondary minerals precipitated from a fluid on the martian surface. They showed the following lines of evidence for the ancient life; (1) unique mineral compositions and biominerals, (2) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in association with the carbonates, and (3) unique structures and morphologies typical of nanobacteria or microfossils. This review is divided into two parts; one is on the martian meteorites in general and ALH84001, which has many features unlike other martian meteorites, and the other is on mineralogical (biomineralogical) and geochemical features of the carbonates and microfossil-like structures. There is little doubt that ALH84001 is from Mars as well as eleven other SNC meteorites. However, the mineralogical and biomineralogical evidence for martian bacteria given by McKay et al. (1996) is controversial, and could be formed by non-biogenic processes. Thus, further study of ALH84001 and other martian meteorites is required. We also need to consider the future Mars mission especially sample return mission.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11540347/","authors":["Tsuchiyama A"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1996 Dec","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:8688076","name":"Spectral Properties of Near-Earth Asteroids: Evidence for Sources of Ordinary Chondrite Meteorites.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Although ordinary chondrite (OC) meteorites dominate observed falls, the identification of near-Earth and main-belt asteroid sources has remained elusive. Telescopic measurements of 35 near-Earth asteroids ( approximately3 kilometers in diameter) revealed six that have visible wavelength spectra similar to laboratory spectra of OC meteorites. Near-Earth asteroids were found to have spectral properties that span the range between the previously separated domains of OC meteorites and the most common (S class) asteroids, suggesting a link. This range of spectral properties could arise through a diversity of mineralogies and regolith particle sizes, as well as through a time-dependent surface weathering process.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8688076/","authors":["Binzel RP","Bus SJ","Burbine TH","Sunshine JM"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1996 Aug 16","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:11541230","name":"Impact process: an important geological phenomenon.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The impact process was for a long period of time, even after a wider acceptance among the geological community, considered to be a marginal phenomenon in the Earth sciences. The first decade or two have showed an importance of the process itself and consequent events only too clearly. The present paper is a review describing the history and development of the impact hypothesis, structure and origin of impact craters, influence of huge impacts on the living environment and other aspects of the impact process from the point of view of geology s.l.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11541230/","authors":["Skala R"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1996","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:11541098","name":"Origin of tektites: an alternative to terrestrial impact theory.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The Terrestrial Impact Theory (TIT) has won a complete victory over O'Keefe's lunar volcanic theory, but only because the Moon appears to be the wrong place for tektites. Indeed, the TIT ignores strong evidence of their volcanic origin--far from the Moon. The Extraterrestrial Volcanic Comet Theory proposes an alternative to both of these theories. Major arguments for an extraterrestrial tektite source are paradoxical: a great time difference between tektite formation and their arrival on Earth, and also forms, plastic deformations, ice collision marks, vacuum voids, etc. indicating specific conditions of tektite formation such as low gravitational field, lack of atmosphere, interaction of hot plastic tektites with ice, etc. Major evidence of volcanic origin includes: close analogy between shaped tektites and small volcanic bombs, and between layered tektites and lava or tuff-lava flows or huge bombs; analogy between flanged tektites and volcanic bombs ablated by gasjets: long-time, multistage formation of some tektites that corresponds to wide variations in their radiometric ages; well-ordered long compositional trends (series) typical of magmatic differentiation; different compositional tektite families (subseries) comparable to different stages (phases) of the volcanic process. Thus, different types of volcanic eruptions under extraterrestrial conditions could be reconstructed based on tektite properties. It is presumed that tektites were transported to the Earth by specific eruptive comets, i.e. in the form of ice-tektite agglomerates launched into space by volcanic explosion. Major arguments favouring comets include: ice collision marks and imprints as mentioned above; linear band-like sculpture of the Australasian strewn field as evidence of comet fragmentation and slope or skipping trajectory of separate fragments; compact coincidence of the Zhamanshin impact crater with small tektite strewn field as evidence of steep trajectory of separate comet fragments that disintegrated while entering the atmosphere. The comet-Earth collision under consideration happened 10,000 years ago and caused the global catastrophe marked by the sharp Pleistocene-Holocene boundary, i.e. by abrupt climatic changes, the end of glaciation, mass extinction, etc. This event can be compared with the \"dinosaur\" catastrophe at the K/T boundary 65 Ma, which was also accompanied by tektite fall.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11541098/","authors":["Izokh EP"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1996","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:9243021","name":"Hydrothermal systems on Mars: an assessment of present evidence.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Hydrothermal processes have been suggested to explain a number of observations for Mars, including D/H ratios of water extracted from Martian meteorites, as a means for removing CO2 from the Martian atmosphere and sequestering it in the crust as carbonates, and as a possible origin for iron oxide-rich spectral units on the floors of some rifted basins (chasmata). There are numerous examples of Martian channels formed by discharges of subsurface water near potential magmatic heat sources, and hydrothermal processes have also been proposed as a mechanism for aquifer recharge needed to sustain long term erosion of sapping channels. The following geological settings have been identified as targets for ancient hydrothermal systems on Mars: channels located along the margins of impact crater melt sheets and on the slopes of ancient volcanoes; chaotic and fretted terranes where shallow subsurface heat sources are thought to have interacted with ground ice; and the floors of calderas and rifted basins (e.g. chasmata). On Earth, such geological environments are often a locus for hydrothermal mineralization. But we presently lack the mineralogical information needed for a definitive evaluation of hypotheses. A preferred tool for identifying minerals by remote sensing methods on Earth is high spatial resolution, hyperspectral, near-infrared spectroscopy, a technique that has been extensively developed by mineral explorationists. Future efforts to explore Mars for ancient hydrothermal systems would benefit from the application of methods developed by the mining industry to look for similar deposits on Earth. But Earth-based exploration models must be adapted to account for the large differences in the climatic and geological history of Mars. For example, it is likely that the early surface environment of Mars was cool, perhaps consistently below freezing, with the shallow portions of hydrothermal systems being dominated by magma-cryosphere interactions. Given the smaller gravitational field, declining atmospheric pressure, and widespread, permeable megaregolith on Mars, volatile outgassing and magmatic cooling would have been more effective than on Earth. Thus, hydrothermal systems are likely to have had much lower average surface temperatures than comparable geological settings on Earth. The likely predominance of basaltic crust on Mars suggests that hydrothermal fluids and associated deposits should be enriched in Fe, Mg, Si and Ca, with surficial deposits being dominated by lower temperature, mixed iron oxide and carbonate mineralogies.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9243021/","authors":["Farmer JD","New Collective Author"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1996","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:7886449","name":"Seeing through the dust: martian crustal heterogeneity and links to the SNC meteorites.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Through the application of new analytical techniques to high spatial resolution imaging spectrometer data, the ferrous mineralogy of major volcanic terrains on Mars is shown to consist of significant fractions of both low- and high-calcium pyroxene. Changes in the relative abundances of these pyroxenes are observed for units of different age and morphology, even in regions with higher degrees of alteration and contamination from dust. Volcanic rocks with these characteristics are uncommon on Earth but are typical of the basaltic SNC meteorites (shergottites, nakhlites, and chassignites) thought to be from Mars. Thus, it is possible to infer, even through the veil of dust, that the SNC meteorites have mineralogic affinities to major volcanic provinces on Mars and are therefore truly representative of the heterogeneity observed on the surface of the \"red planet\".","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7886449/","authors":["Mustard JF","Sunshine JM"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1995 Mar 17","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:11539152","name":"Aqueous alteration of the Bali CV3 chondrite: evidence from mineralogy, mineral chemistry, and oxygen isotopic compositions.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"A petrographic, geochemical, and oxygen isotopic study of the Bali CV3 carbonaceous chondrite revealed that the meteorite has undergone extensive deformation and aqueous alteration on its parent body. Deformation textures are common and include flattened chondrules, a well-developed foliation, and the presence of distinctive (100) planar defects in olivine. The occurrence of alteration products associated with the planar defects indicates that the deformation features formed prior to the episode of aqueous alteration. The secondary minerals produced during the alteration event include well-crystallized Mg-rich saponite, framboidal magnetite, and Ca-phosphates. The alteration products are not homogeneously distributed throughout the meteorite, but occur in regions adjacent to relatively unaltered material, such as veins of altered material following the foliation. The alteration assemblage formed under oxidizing conditions at relatively low temperatures (&lt;100 degrees C). Altered regions in Bali have higher Na, Ca, and P contents than unaltered regions which suggests that the fluid phase carried significant dissolved solids. Oxygen isotopic compositions for unaltered regions in Bali fall within the field for other CV3 whole-rocks, however, the oxygen isotopic compositions of the heavily altered material lie in the region for the CM and CR chondrites. The heavy-isotope enrichment of the altered regions in Bali suggest alteration conditions similar to those for the petrographic type-2 carbonaceous chondrites.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11539152/","authors":["Keller LP","Thomas KL","Clayton RN","Mayeda TK","DeHart JM","McKay DS","New Collective Author"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1994 Dec","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:11539451","name":"Carbon abundance and silicate mineralogy of anhydrous interplanetary dust particles.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"We have studied nineteen anhydrous chondritic interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) using analytical electron microscopy. We have determined a method for quantitative light element EDX analysis of small particles and have applied these techniques to a group of IDPs. Our results show that some IDPs have significantly higher bulk carbon abundances than do carbonaceous chondrites. We have also identified a relationship between carbon abundance and silicate mineralogy in our set of anhydrous IDPs. In general, these particles are dominated by pyroxene, olivine, or a subequal mixture of olivine and pyroxene. The pyroxene-dominated IDPs have a higher carbon abundance than those dominated by olivines. Members of the mixed mineralogy IDPs can be grouped with either the pyroxene- or olivine-dominated particles based on their carbon abundance. The high carbon, pyroxene-dominated particles have primitive mineralogies and bulk compositions which show strong similarities to cometary dust particles. We believe that the lower carbon, olivine-dominated IDPs are probably derived from asteroids. Based on carbon abundances, the mixed-mineralogy group represents particles derived from either comets or asteroids. We believe that the high carbon, pyroxene-rich anhydrous IDPs are the best candidates for cometary dust.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11539451/","authors":["Thomas KL","Blanford GE","Keller LP","Klock W","McKay DS","New Collective Author"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1993","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"pmid:17840867","name":"An Interplanetary Dust Particle Linked Directly to Type CM Meteorites and an Asteroidal Origin.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Tochilinite, an ordered mixed-layer mineral containing Mg, Al, Fe, Ni, S, and O, has been identified in an interplanetary dust particle (IDP). This mineral is found in only one other class of meteoritic materials, type CM carbonaceous chondrites. The presence of tochilinite in an IDP provides a direct petrogenetic link between a member of the layer-silicate subset of IDPs and a specific class of meteorites and thus establishes that some IDPs collected in the stratosphere have an asteroidal origin. The scarcity of this IDP type suggests that materials with CM mineralogy are not abundant among the dust-producing asteroids.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17840867/","authors":["Bradley JP","Brownlee DE"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1991 Feb 1","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:53:28.639Z"},{"id":"oa:W1514499703","name":"Using space resources","source":"openalex","abstract":"The topics covered include the following: reducing the cost of space exploration; the high cost of shipping; lunar raw materials; some useful space products; energy from the moon; ceramic, glass, and concrete construction materials; mars atmosphere resources; relationship to the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI); an evolutionary approach to using space resources; technology development; and oxygen and metal coproduction.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1514499703","authors":["Thomas Sullivan","D. S. McKay"],"tags":["Space (punctuation)","Mars Exploration Program","Space exploration","Astrobiology","Coproduction"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1991-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"oa:W2137638311","name":"RELATING RESOURCES TO A PROBABILISTIC MEASURE OF SPACE USE: FOREST FRAGMENTS AND STELLER'S JAYS","source":"openalex","abstract":"Many analytical techniques that assess resource selection focus on individual relocation points as the sample unit and classify resources as either used or available. Commonly, the relative use of each resource is quantified as the number of observations in each resource class or the proportional occurrence of a resource within a home range. We believe that a more accurate estimate can be summarized by a utilization distribution (UD). We present an analytical approach that explicitly incorporates a probabilistic measure of use, as defined by the UD. We used animal relocation points and fixed-kernel techniques to determine a UD within a home range. We related this probabilistic measure of use to categorical and continuous resource variables using multiple regression. Regression errors accounted for spatial autocorrelation so that the significance of regression coefficients could be appraised for each animal and averaged across animals. This allowed us to quantify the individualistic nature of resource selection and test for consistency in use of resources by a population. Sample sizes in population assessments correctly reflected the individual animal as the experimental unit. We used this technique in a geographic information system setting to examine the importance of local-scale (forest cover) and landscape-scale (degree of fragmentation, proximity to edges and human use areas) attributes to breeding season habitat selection by 25 radio-tagged Steller's Jays (Cyanocitta stelleri) in western Washington State, USA. Individual jays varied significantly in habitat use, but most (20) concentrated their use in areas with many vegetation patches or in areas with extensive edge between forest and nonforested land cover. This confirmed our prediction that jays prefer fragmented habitat and forest edges and helped to explain why jays are most abundant in fragmented landscapes. However, we refined our understanding of why they used such habitats by demonstrating that landscape attributes affected use of local habitat features: high-contrast edges were used most if they were associated with small human settlements and campgrounds. Use of patchy and edgy areas within home ranges may be reinforced by natural selection because jays that inhabited areas with complex-shaped patches and concentrated their activity in such areas were most likely to fledge young. Concentration of use along forest–human land use interfaces may explain the greater risk of nest predation to other birds in such settings.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1890/03-0114","authors":["John M. Marzluff","Joshua J. Millspaugh","Philip M. Hurvitz","Mark S. Handcock"],"tags":["Geography","Measure (data warehouse)","Ecology","Space (punctuation)","Probabilistic logic"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-05-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1890/03-0114","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W1598138611","name":"Resources of near-Earth space","source":"openalex","abstract":"Out of print since 2006, this book is now available online. Click here! A base on the Moon, an expedition to Mars. . . . Some time in the near future, for scientific or cultural reasons, humanity will likely decide to pursue one of these fantastic ventures in space. How can we increase the scope and reduce the cost of these ambitious activities?The parts of the solar system that are most accessible from Earth the Moon, the near-Earth asteroids, Mars and its moons are rich in materials of great potential value to humanity. Resources of Near-Earth Space explores the possibilities both of utilizing these materials to produce propellants, structural metals, refractories, life-support fluids, and other materials on site to reduce the costs of space exploration, and of providing a source of materials and energy for our own planet that would not be environmentally destructive to Earth.This volume summarizes the present state of the art in attempts to realize these possibilities: identifying the resources, mining and processing, transportation, and economics. As a broad survey of a rapidly evolving field, it is intended as a technical introduction to the use of nonterrestrial materials for scientists, engineers, and industrial and governmental project managers who seek to make space more accessible.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1598138611","authors":["John S. Lewis","M. S. Matthews","Mary L. Guerrieri"],"tags":["Scope (computer science)","Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Planet","Space (punctuation)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1993-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"oa:W1917451237","name":"Analysing regulatory space: fragmented resources and institutional design","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W1917451237","authors":["Colin Scott"],"tags":["Space (punctuation)","Business","Political science","Computer science","Operating system"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"oa:W2752771794","name":"LEGALITY OF UNILATERAL EXPLOITATION OF SPACE RESOURCES UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract In recent years, there has been a surge of private investment in space resources and the enactment of domestic legislation aimed at protecting property rights over the resources to be extracted. This article argues that the unilateral exploitation of space resources is not prohibited by the principle of non-appropriation and is consistent with the freedom of use for common benefit and interests, with the caveat that it does not exclude others from exploitation or exacerbate inequality among States. It also argues that a laissez-faire approach would be detrimental to the orderly, sustainable and safe exploitation and use of space resources and calls for the establishment of an international regulatory regime consisting of rules concerning international coordination, benefits sharing and environmental protection.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0020589317000367","authors":["Jinyuan Su"],"tags":["Principle of legality","Appropriation","Law and economics","Business","International law"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-08-29","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1017/s0020589317000367","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W4312933868","name":"High-Resolution Image Synthesis with Latent Diffusion Models","source":"openalex","abstract":"By decomposing the image formation process into a sequential application of denoising autoencoders, diffusion models (DMs) achieve state-of-the-art synthesis results on image data and beyond. Additionally, their formulation allows for a guiding mechanism to control the image generation process without retraining. However, since these models typically operate directly in pixel space, optimization of powerful DMs often consumes hundreds of GPU days and inference is expensive due to sequential evaluations. To enable DM training on limited computational resources while retaining their quality and flexibility, we apply them in the latent space of powerful pretrained autoencoders. In contrast to previous work, training diffusion models on such a representation allows for the first time to reach a near-optimal point between complexity reduction and detail preservation, greatly boosting visual fidelity. By introducing cross-attention layers into the model architecture, we turn diffusion models into powerful and flexible generators for general conditioning inputs such as text or bounding boxes and high-resolution synthesis becomes possible in a convolutional manner. Our latent diffusion models (LDMs) achieve new state of the art scores for image inpainting and class-conditional image synthesis and highly competitive performance on various tasks, including unconditional image generation, text-to-image synthesis, and super-resolution, while significantly reducing computational requirements compared to pixel-based DMs.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/cvpr52688.2022.01042","authors":["Robin Rombach","Andreas Blattmann","Dominik Lorenz","Patrick Esser","Björn Ommer"],"tags":["Computer science","Artificial intelligence","Pixel","Inference","Inpainting"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-06-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1109/cvpr52688.2022.01042","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W2893757749","name":"Structuring the Discourse on the Exploitation of Space Resources: Between Economic and Legal Commons","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spacepol.2018.06.004","authors":["Eytan Tepper"],"tags":["Structuring","Commons","Space (punctuation)","Business","Economic system"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-09-27","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1016/j.spacepol.2018.06.004","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W2105414963","name":"Planetary Boundaries: Exploring the Safe Operating Space for Humanity","source":"openalex","abstract":"Rockström, J., W. Steffen, K. Noone, Å. Persson, F. S. Chapin, III, E. Lambin, T. M. Lenton, M. Scheffer, C. Folke, H. Schellnhuber, B. Nykvist, C. A. De Wit, T. Hughes, S. van der Leeuw, H. Rodhe, S. Sörlin, P. K. Snyder, R. Costanza, U. Svedin, M. Falkenmark, L. Karlberg, R. W. Corell, V. J. Fabry, J. Hansen, B. Walker, D. Liverman, K. Richardson, P. Crutzen, and J. Foley. 2009. Planetary boundaries:exploring the safe operating space for humanity. Ecology and Society 14(2): 32. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-03180-140232","url":"https://doi.org/10.5751/es-03180-140232","authors":["Johan Rockström","Will Steffen","Kevin J. Noone","Åsa Persson","F. Stuart Chapin","Éric F. Lambin","Timothy M. Lenton","Marten Scheffer","Carl Folke","Hans Joachim Schellnhuber","Björn Nykvist","Cynthia A. de Wit","Terry P. Hughes","Sander van der Leeuw","Henning Rodhe","Sverker Sörlin","P. K. Snyder","Robert Costanza","Uno Svedin","Malin Falkenmark","Louise Karlberg","Robert W. Corell","Victoria J. Fabry","James E. Hansen","Brian Walker","Diana Liverman","Katherine Richardson","Paul J. Crutzen","Jonathan A. Foley"],"tags":["Humanity","Planetary boundaries","Space (punctuation)","Physics","Environmental ethics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.5751/es-03180-140232","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W1599058434","name":"Hybrid Geographies: Natures Cultures Spaces","source":"openalex","abstract":"Introducing Hybrid Geographies SECTION ONE: BEWILDERING SPACES Displacing the Wild Topologies of Wildlife Embodying the Wild Tales of Becoming Elephant SECTION TWO: GOVERNING SPACES Unsettling Australia Wormholes in Territorial Governance Reinventing Possession Boundary Disputes in the Governance of Plant Genetic Resources SECTION THREE: LIVING SPACES Transgressing Objectivity The Monstrous Topicality of 'GM' Foods Geographies of/for a More than Human World Towards a Relational Ethics","url":"https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446219713","authors":["Sarah Whatmore"],"tags":["Sociology","Anthropology","Aesthetics","Geography","Art"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.4135/9781446219713","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W3001820352","name":"Space resources activities from the perspective of sustainability: legal aspects","source":"openalex","abstract":"Non-technical abstract The new forms of the use of outer space, such as space resources activities, not only will provide a vital contribution to research and industry, but could also entail a negative impact to the space environment. The present article aims at discussing from a legal perspective crucial problems such as how we shall ensure that the entities active in the area of space resources take environmental concerns into account, how we shall ensure that they utilize the best possible and least invasive technology and whether they should restore the ‘mining’ area when finishing their tasks.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/sus.2019.27","authors":["Mahulena Hofmann","Federico Bergamasco"],"tags":["Perspective (graphical)","Space (punctuation)","Sustainability","Business","Risk analysis (engineering)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1017/sus.2019.27","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W2990499982","name":"Space Resources and Space Settlements. NASA SP-428","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W2990499982","authors":["Gerard K. O'Neill","J. Billingham","W. P. Gilbreath","Brian O’Leary","Beulah Gossett"],"tags":["Space (punctuation)","Computer science","Operating system"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1979-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"oa:W1974727540","name":"Insect Migration: Tracking Resources through Space and Time.","source":"openalex","abstract":"Part I. Insect Migration in Relation to Weather and Climate: 1. Long-range insect migration in relation to climate and weather: Africa and Europe D. E. Pedgley, D. R. Reynolds and G. M. Tatchell 2. Insect migration in North America: synoptic-scale transport in a highly seasonal environment S. J. Johnson 3. Migration of the brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens and the white-backed planthopper Sogatella furcifera in East Asia: the role of weather and climate R. Kisimoto and K. Sogawa 4. Migration of the oriental armyworm Mythimna separata in East Asia in relation to weather and climate. I. Northeastern China R. -L. Chen, Y. -J Sun, S. -Y. Wang, B. -P. Zhai and X. -Y. Bao 5. Migration of the oriental armyworm Mythimna separata in East Asia in relation to weather and climate. II. Korea J. -H. Lee and K. -B. Uhm 6. Migration of the oriental armyworm Mythimna separata in East Asia in relation to weather and climate. III. Japan K. Hirai 7. Insect migration in an arid continent. I. The common armyworm Mythimna convecta in eastern Australia G. McDonald 8. Insect migration in an arid continent. II. Helicoverpa spp. in eastern Australia P. C. Gregg, G. P. Fitt, M. P. Zalucki and D. A. H. Murray 9. Insect migration in an arid continent. III. The Australian Plague Locust Chortoicetes terminifera and the native budworm Helicoverpa punctigera in Western Australia K. J. Walden Part II. Adaptions for Migration: 10. Migratory potential in insects: variation in an uncertain environment A. G. Gatehouse and X. -X. Zhang 11. Insect migration in heterogeneous environments K. Wilson 12. The regulation of migration in Helicoverpa armigera J. Colvin 13. Physiological integration of migration in Lepidoptera J. N. McNeil, M. Cusson, J. Delisle, I. Orchard and S. S. Tobe 14. Aerodynamics, energetics and reproductive constraints of migratory flight in insects R. Dudley Part III. Forecasting Migrant Pests: 15. Operational aspects of forecasting migrant insect pests R. K. Day and J. D. Knight 16. Geographic information systems and remotely sensed data for determining the seasonal distribution of habitats of migrant insect pests T. P. Robinson 17. Forecasting systems for migrant pests. I. The brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens in China B. -H. Zhou, H. -K. Wang and X. -N. Cheng 18. Forecasting systems for migrant pests. II. The rice planthoppers Nilaparvata lugens and Sogatella furcifera in Japan T. Watanabe 19. Forecasting systems for migrant pests. III. Locusts and grasshoppers in West Africa and Madagascar M. Lecoq Part IV. Overview and Synthesis: 20. Forecasting migrant insect pests J. I. Magor 21. Insect migration: a holistic conceptual model V. A. Drake, A. G. Gatehouse and R. A. Farrow Index.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/2265759","authors":["David L. Gibo","V. A. Drake","A. G. Gatehouse"],"tags":["Ecology","Tracking (education)","Geography","Spacetime","Space (punctuation)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1996-12-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.2307/2265759","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W794709853","name":"Research on the use of space resources","source":"openalex","abstract":"The second year of a multiyear research program on the processing and use of extraterrestrial resources is covered. The research tasks included: (1) silicate processing, (2) magma electrolysis, (3) vapor phase reduction, and (4) metals separation. Concomitant studies included: (1) energy systems, (2) transportation systems, (3) utilization analysis, and (4) resource exploration missions. Emphasis in fiscal year 1982 was placed on the magma electrolysis and vapor phase reduction processes (both analytical and experimental) for separation of oxygen and metals from lunar regolith. The early experimental work on magma electrolysis resulted in gram quantities of iron (mixed metals) and the identification of significant anode, cathode, and container problems. In the vapor phase reduction tasks a detailed analysis of various process concepts led to the selection of two specific processes designated as \"Vapor Separation'' and \"Selective Ionization.'' Experimental work was deferred to fiscal year 1983. In the Silicate Processing task a thermophysical model of the casting process was developed and used to study the effect of variations in material properties on the cooling behavior of lunar basalt.","url":"https://openalex.org/W794709853","authors":["William F. Carroll"],"tags":["Electrolysis","Process engineering","Nuclear engineering","Materials science","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1983-03-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"oa:W1965924991","name":"Space Resources: Breaking the Bonds of Earth","source":"openalex","abstract":"Discusses the potentials of space exploration, looks at the history of the space race, and summarizes the goals of programs in Russia, the U.S., Japan, China, and Europe.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1965924991","authors":["John S. Lewis","Ruth Lewis"],"tags":["Earth (classical element)","Astrobiology","Space (punctuation)","Bond","Business"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1987-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"oa:W2925115227","name":"International Political and Legal Aspects of the Use of Space Resources","source":"openalex","abstract":"- . () .","url":"https://doi.org/10.12737/art_2018_9_14","authors":["О. А. Волынская","Olga Volynskaya"],"tags":["Politics","Space (punctuation)","Political science","Law and economics","Sociology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-09-21","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.12737/art_2018_9_14","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W2053793078","name":"Outer Space Resources in Efficient and Equitable Use: New Frontiers for Old Principles","source":"openalex","abstract":"A regime for managing the two space resources, the physical space resources and the electromagnetic spectrum was suggested. To achieve efficiency in an international convention establishing intra- and international free trade in divisible, indefinite user rights to the complete resources should be agreed upon. A legal convention on the definition and enforcement of liability rules is also crucial for efficiency. An authority to manage space resources is needed only for those activities that interfere with a large number of other activities. The creation of an international space condominium to auction user rights to the two resources was suggested to achieve equity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1086/466972","authors":["Clas Wihlborg","Per Magnus Wijkman"],"tags":["Library science","Space (punctuation)","Outer space","Political science","Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1981-04-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1086/466972","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W2042030257","name":"Human resources for health: overcoming the crisis","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(04)17482-5","authors":["Lincoln Chen","Timothy Evans","Sudhir Anand","Jo Ivey Boufford","Hilary K. Brown","Mushtaque Chowdhury","Marcos Cueto","Lola Dare","Gilles Dussault","Gijs Elzinga","Elizabeth Fee","Demissie Habte","Piya Hanvoravongchai","Marian Jacobs","Christoph Kurowski","Sarah Michael","Ariel Pablos-Méndez","Nelson K. Sewankambo","Giorgio Solimano","Barbara Stilwell","Alex de Waal","Suwit Wibulpolprasert"],"tags":["Workforce","Work (physics)","Economic growth","Human resources","Business"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-11-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1016/s0140-6736(04","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W2102303171","name":"Defense of Space and Resources by Chacma (Papio Ursinus) Baboon Troops in an African Desert and Swamp","source":"openalex","abstract":"Baboons are not included in the growing body of documentation on primate spatial defense. Instead, most field studies of baboons suggest that troops occupy overlapping undefended home ranges. In southwestern Africa we found defense of space by two troops living in a Namib Desert canyon and by a population of troops on the Okavango Swamp flood—plain in Botswana. Two desert troops encountered one another at contiguous ends of their linear home ranges and established a defended boundary near a waterhole. One troop also dominated a third, a smaller troop at the opposite end of its home range. In the swamp, large troops, living in a more energy and plant species—rich environment, occupied small home ranges relative to troops studied elsewhere in Africa. Here space was defended along well—defined boundaries. Size and configuration of troop space and the arrangement of resources within each space influence the likelihood of intertroop encounters and the expression of spatial defense.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/1935050","authors":["W. J. Hamilton","Ruth E. Buskirk","William H. Buskirk"],"tags":["Swamp","Baboon","Desert (philosophy)","Geography","Ecology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1976-11-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.2307/1935050","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W2006325819","name":"Desert Ecosystems: Their Resources in Space and Time","source":"openalex","abstract":"The dynamics of desert ecosystems control levels of resources that are essential to the survival of desert biotas. Because precipitation is both low and relatively unpredictable in arid regions, the climates, topographies, and soils, of these areas present formidable constraints to resource availability in space and time. And for the same reason, the processes of production, consumption, decomposition, and nutrient-cycling in deserts are also highly irregular and difficult to predict with accuracy. For example, global models relating actual evapotranspiration to primary production and decomposition apply poorly in arid regions. Surprisingly great amounts of carbon are stored in desert soils, particularly in caliche deposits which represent a major ‘sink’ of carbon from the atmosphere. In Arizona desert soils, inorganic carbon exceeds organic carbon by a factor of &gt; 10. Direct use of organic carbon is made principally by organisms that break down desert litter and simultaneously cause relatively high rates of nitrogen mineralization. While nitrogen is traditionally considered deficient in arid environments, its flux is considerable because of high rates of gain by fixation and loss by denitrification and volatilization. Nitrogen accumulates in ‘islands of fertility’ beneath desert shrubs where it becomes relatively available because of (i) its high concentration in plant litter, and (ii) reduced activity of any aromatic modifiers that retard decomposition. It is misleading in deserts to relate nutrient availability to yearly averages, as nutrients may become highly available following pulses of ‘effective’ precipitation. Moreover, mineralization and subsequent availability to plants of phosphorous, the ‘master element’ in nutrient cycling, are moderately independent of nitrogen mineralization and can proceed rapidly. Clearly, the case for nutrient deficiency in deserts may be overstated. Consumption of primary production has varying effects on rates of resource availability in desert ecosystems. Generally weak regulation of primary production is predicted for consumers of green vegetation, except occasionally during early drought. Carnivores should exert variable controls over their prey, while pollinators, seed-eaters, and detritivores—most of which are strongly soil-associated—should have the greatest impacts on primary production and nutrient cycling.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0376892900020397","authors":["Clifford S. Crawford","James R. Gosz"],"tags":["Environmental science","Arid","Nutrient","Ecosystem","Nutrient cycle"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1982-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1017/s0376892900020397","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W1989436210","name":"Partitioning of space and food resources by three fish of the genus Diplodus (Sparidae) in a Mediterranean rocky infralittoral ecosystem","source":"openalex","abstract":"White sea bream Diplodus sargus, two-banded sea bream D. vulgans and sharpsnout sea bream D. puntazzo coexlst In Mediterranean infralittoral rocky habitats. Diets of the 3 species were quantitatively analysed, and the relative abundance of algae found in stomach contents was compared w ~t h the abundance of algae In the different habitats These results were compared with observational studies on distribution and feeding use of the habitats. The results suggest that there was marked resource partitioning between the 3 spc!cies of Diplodus In the rocky infralittoral. D. sargus mainly exploited the surge zone, whlle D. puntazzo and D. vulgaris preferentially exploited deeper waters. Diet analysis suggested a strong feeding niche overlap between D. sargus and D. vulgaris, although they fed in different habitats, except small individuals (total length < l 3 cm) of both species. which shared the same resources. D. vulgan's and D. puntazzo showed strong habitat overlap, although they exploited different food resources. D. sargus and D. puntazzo showed low spatial and feeding-niche overlap. Habitat partitioning appeared to be as important as food partitioning in structuring Diplodus assemblages.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3354/meps152273","authors":["Enric Sala","Enric Ballesteros"],"tags":["Diplodus","Sparidae","Habitat","Ecology","Generalist and specialist species"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.3354/meps152273","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W2606548128","name":"Space resources: breaking the bonds of earth","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/2622880","authors":["Jack Leeming"],"tags":["Space (punctuation)","Earth (classical element)","Bond","Astrobiology","Business"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1988-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.2307/2622880","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W2935257014","name":"Social Inequalities in Environmental Resources of Green and Blue Spaces: A Review of Evidence in the WHO European Region","source":"openalex","abstract":"Residential green and blue spaces and their potential health benefits have received increasing attention in the context of environmental health inequalities, because an unequal social distribution of these resources may contribute to inequalities in health outcomes. This systematic review synthesised evidence of environmental inequalities, focusing on availability and accessibility measures of green and blue spaces. Studies in the World Health Organisation (WHO) European Region published between 2010 and 2017 were considered for the review. In total, 14 studies were identified, where most of them (n = 12) analysed inequalities of green spaces. The majority had an ecological study design that mostly applied deprivation indices on the small area level, whereas cross-sectional studies on the individual level mostly applied single social measures. Ecological studies consistently showed that deprived areas had lower green space availability than more affluent areas, whereas mixed associations were found for single social dimensions in cross-sectional studies on the individual level. In order to gain more insights into how various social dimensions are linked to the distribution of environmental resources within the WHO European Region, more studies are needed that apply comparable methods and study designs for analysing social inequalities in environmental resources.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16071216","authors":["Steffen Andreas Schüle","Lisa Karla Hilz","Stefanie Dreger","Gabriele Bolte"],"tags":["Inequality","Context (archaeology)","Social inequality","Distribution (mathematics)","Geography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-04-04","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.3390/ijerph16071216","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W3033244759","name":"Space Resources and the Limits to Growth","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3033244759","authors":["Adolphe Martin"],"tags":["Space (punctuation)","Computer science","Economics","Risk analysis (engineering)","Business"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1985-06-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"oa:W2552136422","name":"The demands and resources arising from shared office spaces","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2016.11.007","authors":["Rachel Morrison","Keith Macky"],"tags":["Socioemotional selectivity theory","Distrust","Shared space","Workload","Work (physics)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-11-22","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2016.11.007","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W2099085143","name":"Second-generation PLINK: rising to the challenge of larger and richer datasets","source":"openalex","abstract":"BACKGROUND: PLINK 1 is a widely used open-source C/C++ toolset for genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and research in population genetics. However, the steady accumulation of data from imputation and whole-genome sequencing studies has exposed a strong need for faster and scalable implementations of key functions, such as logistic regression, linkage disequilibrium estimation, and genomic distance evaluation. In addition, GWAS and population-genetic data now frequently contain genotype likelihoods, phase information, and/or multiallelic variants, none of which can be represented by PLINK 1's primary data format. FINDINGS: To address these issues, we are developing a second-generation codebase for PLINK. The first major release from this codebase, PLINK 1.9, introduces extensive use of bit-level parallelism, [Formula: see text]-time/constant-space Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and Fisher's exact tests, and many other algorithmic improvements. In combination, these changes accelerate most operations by 1-4 orders of magnitude, and allow the program to handle datasets too large to fit in RAM. We have also developed an extension to the data format which adds low-overhead support for genotype likelihoods, phase, multiallelic variants, and reference vs. alternate alleles, which is the basis of our planned second release (PLINK 2.0). CONCLUSIONS: The second-generation versions of PLINK will offer dramatic improvements in performance and compatibility. For the first time, users without access to high-end computing resources can perform several essential analyses of the feature-rich and very large genetic datasets coming into use.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13742-015-0047-8","authors":["Christopher Chang","Carson C. Chow","Laurent CAM Tellier","Shashaank Vattikuti","Shaun Purcell","James J. Lee"],"tags":["Computer science","Codebase","Scalability","Genome-wide association study","Population"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-02-24","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1186/s13742-015-0047-8","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W2080439372","name":"Spatially Balanced Sampling of Natural Resources","source":"openalex","abstract":"The spatial distribution of a natural resource is an important consideration in designing an efficient survey or monitoring program for the resource. Generally, sample sites that are spatially balanced, that is, more or less evenly dispersed over the extent of the resource, are more efficient than simple random sampling. We review a unified strategy for selecting spatially balanced probability samples of natural resources. The technique is based on creating a function that maps two-dimensional space into one-dimensional space, thereby defining an ordered spatial address. We use a restricted randomization to randomly order the addresses, so that systematic sampling along the randomly ordered linear structure results in a spatially well-balanced random sample. Variable inclusion probability, proportional to an arbitrary positive ancillary variable, is easily accommodated. The basic technique selects points in a two-dimensional continuum, but is also applicable to sampling finite populations or one-dimensional continua embedded in two-dimensional space. An extension of the basic technique gives a way to order the sample points so that any set of consecutively numbered points is in itself a spatially well-balanced sample. This latter property is extremely useful in adjusting the sample for the frame imperfections common in environmental sampling.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1198/016214504000000250","authors":["Don L. Stevens","Anthony R. Olsen"],"tags":["Sampling (signal processing)","Sample (material)","Sample space","Sampling design","Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-03-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1198/016214504000000250","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W2277950859","name":"Multiple resources and their sustainable development in Urban Underground Space","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2016.02.003","authors":["Xiaozhao Li","LI Cong-cong","A. Parriaux","Wenbo Wu","Huanqing Li","Liping Sun","Chao Liu"],"tags":["Resource (disambiguation)","Urban planning","Sustainable development","Scarcity","Plan (archaeology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-02-20","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1016/j.tust.2016.02.003","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W2006690660","name":"EVOLUTION AND MEASUREMENT OF SPECIES DIVERSITY","source":"openalex","abstract":"Summary Given a resource gradient (e.g. light intensity, prey size) in a community, species evolve to use different parts of this gradient; competition between them is thereby reduced. Species relationships in the community may be conceived in terms of a multidimensional coordinate system, the axes of which are the various resource gradients (and other aspects of species relationships to space, time, and one another in the community). This coordinate system defines a hyperspace, and the range of the space that a given species occupies is its niche hypervolume, as an abstract characterization of its intra‐community position, or niche. Species evolve toward difference in niche, and consequently toward difference in location of their hypervolumes in the niche hyperspace. Through evolutionary time additional species can fit into the community in niche hypervolumes different from those of other species, and the niche hyperspace can become increasingly complex. Its complexity relates to the community's richness in species, its alpha diversity. Species differ in the proportions of the niche hyperspace they are able to occupy and the share of the community's resources they utilize. The share of resources utilized is expressed in species' productivities, and when species are ranked by relative productivity (or some other measurement) from most to least important, importance‐value or dominance‐diversity curves are formed. Three types of curves may represent manners in which resources are divided among species: (a) niche pre‐emption with strong dominance, expressed in a geometric series, (b) random boundaries between niches, expressed in the MacArthur distribution, and (c) determination of relative importance by many factors, so that species form a frequency distribution on a logarithmic base of importance values, a lognormal distribution. The forms of importance‐value curves do not permit strong inference about resource division, but are of interest for their expression of species relationships and bearing on measurement of diversity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/1218190","authors":["R. H. Whittaker"],"tags":["Hyperspace","Niche","Dominance (genetics)","Ecological niche","Biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1972-05-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.2307/1218190","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W4224290386","name":"Water Resources in Africa under Global Change: Monitoring Surface Waters from Space","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract: The African continent hosts some of the largest freshwater systems worldwide, characterized by a large distribution and variability of surface waters that play a key role in the water, energy and carbon cycles and are of major importance to the global climate and water resources. Freshwater availability in Africa has now become of major concern under the combined effect of climate change, environmental alterations and anthropogenic pressure. However, the hydrology of the African river basins remains one of the least studied worldwide and a better monitoring and understanding of the hydrological processes across the continent become fundamental. Earth Observation, that offers a cost-effective means for monitoring the terrestrial water cycle, plays a major role in supporting surface hydrology investigations. Remote sensing advances are therefore a game changer to develop comprehensive observing systems to monitor Africa's land water and manage its water resources. Here, we review the achievements of more than three decades of advances using remote sensing to study surface waters in Africa, highlighting the current benefits and difficulties. We show how the availability of a large number of sensors and observations, coupled with models, offers new possibilities to monitor a continent with scarce gauged stations. In the context of upcoming satellite missions dedicated to surface hydrology, such as the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT), we discuss future opportunities and how the use of remote sensing could benefit scientific and societal applications, such as water resource management, flood risk prevention and environment monitoring under current global change. Article Highlights: The hydrology of African surface water is of global importance, yet it remains poorly monitored and understoodComprehensive review of remote sensing and modeling advances to monitor Africa's surface water and water resourcesFuture opportunities with upcoming satellite missions and to translate scientific advances into societal applications.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10712-022-09700-9","authors":["Fabrice Papa","Jean‐François Crétaux","Manuela Grippa","Élodie Robert","Mark A. Trigg","Raphaël M. Tshimanga","Benjamin Kitambo","Adrien Paris","Andrew B. Carr","Ayan Santos Fleischmann","Mathilde de Fleury","Paul Gérard Gbetkom","Beatriz Calmettes","Stéphane Calmant"],"tags":["Environmental science","Surface water","Space (punctuation)","Water resources","Remote sensing"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-04-20","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1007/s10712-022-09700-9","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W4385500555","name":"Space Resources and the Politics of International Regime Formation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Space resources such as minerals or lunar ice deposits are of growing economic and political interest in the context of the emerging space economy and the intensifying geopolitical tensions of a new &ldquo;space race&rdquo;. Scholars and stakeholders increasingly engage with the question of how to regulate the future exploration and exploitation of space resources under international law. A potential option that has drawn broad attention in the debate is a multilateral regime that would regulate space resources as the common heritage of humanity and aim for the fair and equitable sharing of benefits that derive from their exploration and exploitation. Whereas a considerable body of literature addresses the legal and institutional characteristics of such a hypothetical regime, questions of regime formation have so far been neglected. This paper probes the feasibility and the prospects of developing a multilateral and common heritage-centric regime for space resources by a) drawing on theoretical insights from the scholarly debate on the politics of international regime formation and b) extracting insights and lessons from two historical cases of regime formation (under the Antarctic Treaty System and the Law of the Sea Convention) addressing similar challenges of regulating transnational commons in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction. The analysis indicates extraordinarily adverse background conditions that make the successful formation of a multilateral and common heritage-centric regime for space resources highly implausible despite its prima facie normative appeal. The political prospects for devising fair, equitable and effective solutions to the problem of space resources are accordingly limited and likely to remain so.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5334/ijc.1274","authors":["Florian Rabitz"],"tags":["Global commons","Politics","Geopolitics","Context (archaeology)","Space (punctuation)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.5334/ijc.1274","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W2049852912","name":"Fluctuating resources in plant communities: a general theory of invasibility","source":"openalex","abstract":"Summary 1 The invasion of habitats by non‐native plant and animal species is a global phenomenon with potentially grave consequences for ecological, economic, and social systems. Unfortunately, to date, the study of invasions has been primarily anecdotal and resistant to generalization. 2 Here, we use insights from experiments and from long‐term monitoring studies of vegetation to propose a new theory in which fluctuation in resource availability is identified as the key factor controlling invasibility, the susceptibility of an environment to invasion by non‐resident species. The theory is mechanistic and quantitative in nature leading to a variety of testable predictions. 3 We conclude that the elusive nature of the invasion process arises from the fact that it depends upon conditions of resource enrichment or release that have a variety of causes but which occur only intermittently and, to result in invasion, must coincide with availability of invading propagules.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2745.2000.00473.x","authors":["Mark A. Davis","J. Philip Grime","Ken Thompson"],"tags":["Propagule","Ecology","Resource (disambiguation)","Variety (cybernetics)","Habitat"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-06-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1046/j.1365-2745.2000.00473.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W1967932853","name":"A middleware infrastructure for active spaces","source":"openalex","abstract":"The paper discusses the Gaia metaoperating system which extends the reach of traditional operating systems to manage ubiquitous computing habitats and living spaces as integrated programmable environments. Gaia exports services to query, access, and use existing resources and context, and provides a framework to develop user-centric, resource-aware, multidevice, context-sensitive, and mobile applications.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/mprv.2002.1158281","authors":["Manuel Román","Christopher K. Hess","R. Cerqueira","A. Ranganathan","Roy H. Campbell","Klara Nahrstedt"],"tags":["Ubiquitous computing","Computer science","Middleware (distributed applications)","Context (archaeology)","Context-aware pervasive systems"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-10-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1109/mprv.2002.1158281","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W3020606269","name":"Evaluation of urban underground space resources using a negative list method: Taking Xi’an City as an example in China","source":"openalex","abstract":"Utilization of urban underground space has become a vital approach to alleviate the strain on urban land resources, and to optimize the structure and pattern of the city. It is also very important to improve the city environment, build livable city and increase the capacity of the city. Based on the analysis of existing evaluation methods and their problems, a method for evaluating underground space resources based on a negative list of adverse factors affecting underground space development is proposed, to be primarily used in urban planning stages. A list of the adverse factors is established, including limiting factors, constraining factors and influencing factors. Taking Xi’an as an example, using a geographical information system platform, a negative list of adverse factors for the underground space resources in Xi’an City are evaluated, and preventive measures are proposed. Natural resources, exploitable resources, and the potential growth of exploitable underground space resources are evaluated. Underground space assessment in the different development stages of the city, collaborative utilization and safety evaluation for multiple subsurface resources, environmental impact and assessment, as well as evaluation methods based on big data and intelligent optimization algorithms are all discussed with the aim of serving city planning and construction.","url":"https://doi.org/10.31035/cg2020006","authors":["Maosheng Zhang","Huaqi Wang","Ying Dong","Lin Li","Pingping Sun","Ge Zhang"],"tags":["Space (punctuation)","China","Urban planning","Environmental planning","Limiting"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.31035/cg2020006","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W2102934991","name":"Fading Relay Channels: Performance Limits and Space–Time Signal Design","source":"openalex","abstract":"Cooperative diversity is a transmission technique, where multiple terminals pool their resources to form a virtual antenna array that realizes spatial diversity gain in a distributed fashion. In this paper, we examine the basic building block of cooperative diversity systems, a simple fading relay channel where the source, destination, and relay terminals are each equipped with single antenna transceivers. We consider three different time-division multiple-access-based cooperative protocols that vary the degree of broadcasting and receive collision. The relay terminal operates in either the amplify-and-forward (AF) or decode-and-forward (DF) modes. For each protocol, we study the ergodic and outage capacity behavior (assuming Gaussian code books) under the AF and DF modes of relaying. We analyze the spatial diversity performance of the various protocols and find that full spatial diversity (second-order in this case) is achieved by certain protocols provided that appropriate power control is employed. Our analysis unifies previous results reported in the literature and establishes the superiority (both from a capacity, as well as a diversity point-of-view) of a new protocol proposed in this paper. The second part of the paper is devoted to (distributed) space-time code design for fading relay channels operating in the AF mode. We show that the corresponding code design criteria consist of the traditional rank and determinant criteria for the case of colocated antennas, as well as appropriate power control rules. Consequently space-time codes designed for the case of colocated multiantenna channels can be used to realize cooperative diversity provided that appropriate power control is employed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/jsac.2004.830922","authors":["R.U. Nabar","Helmut Bölcskei","F.W. Kneubuhler"],"tags":["Computer science","Fading","Cooperative diversity","Relay","Antenna diversity"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-08-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1109/jsac.2004.830922","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W2597170248","name":"Law of Space Resources and Operations on Celestial Bodies: Implications for Legislation in the United States","source":"openalex","abstract":"The U.S. assertion of a right to own resources harvested from space is consistent with the distinction in international law governing analogous res communis areas between resources harvested from a common area and the common area itself. Under the Outer Space Treaty regime, private entities do not have any more right to appropriate celestial bodies than governments do. However, U.S. law does not give private entities such a right. The U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act’s chapter on Space Resource Commercial Exploration and Utilization generally avoids taking a position on exactly how to deal with disputes in the event the activities of entities from the United States and other states interfere with each other. The U.S. law does not assert a right to declare safety zones or otherwise exercise jurisdiction outside space objects, but doing so can, under some circumstances, be consistent with international law. Many of the specifics of what rules will govern the gathering of space resources remain undetermined, yet the act’s basic premise is correct: international law and the treaty obligations of the United States allow for the U.S. government to authorize its citizens to own resources obtained from space.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14777622.2017.1288515","authors":["Ian B. Perry"],"tags":["Space law","Law","Jurisdiction","Space (punctuation)","Outer space"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-02","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1080/14777622.2017.1288515","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W4246924241","name":"Powers of Freedom","source":"openalex","abstract":"Powers of Freedom, first published in 1999, offers a compelling approach to the analysis of political power which extends Foucault's hypotheses on governmentality in challenging ways. Nikolas Rose sets out the key characteristics of this approach to political power and analyses the government of conduct. He analyses the role of expertise, the politics of numbers, technologies of economic management and the political uses of space. He illuminates the relation of this approach to contemporary theories of 'risk society' and 'the sociology of governance'. He argues that freedom is not the opposite of government but one of its key inventions and most significant resources. He also seeks some rapprochement between analyses of government and the concerns of critical sociology, cultural studies and Marxism, to establish a basis for the critique of power and its exercise. The book will be of interest to students and scholars in political theory, sociology, social policy and cultural studies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511488856","authors":["Nikolas Rose"],"tags":["Governmentality","Politics","Sociology","Government (linguistics)","Power (physics)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-05-13","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9780511488856","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-023-44657-8","name":"Comprehensive evaluation of the underground space resources in Xianyang city.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"With the rapid development of urbanization and the sharp increase in population, urban land is becoming increasingly scarce. The efficient and reasonable development of the underground space is a crucial way to solve the problem of urban diseases, and comprehensive evaluation of urban underground space resources is an important basic task to achieve reasonable planning of the underground space. Adopting Xianyang city as an example, in this paper, we comprehensively evaluated the underground space resources in the main urban area and established evaluation models for the amount of resources available for development, development difficulty, potential value, and comprehensive quality of the underground space. Evaluation indicators, including urban environmental constraints, geological conditions, socioeconomic conditions and many other factors, were determined. With the use of the method of item-by-item elimination of restrictive elements and the analytic hierarchy process for determining the weight of each evaluation index, GIS technology was used to calculate and evaluate the underground space resources (0-30 m) in the main urban area of Xianyang city that could be reasonably developed, as well as the corresponding development difficulty and potential value, and we obtained the underground space that could be reasonably developed under different types of land use in the main urban area of Xianyang city on the basis of the resource quantity and comprehensive quality evaluation results. The results showed that in terms of quantity, the amount of underground space available for development in the main urban area of Xianyang city accounts for approximately 25.11% of the total development amount, and the underground space that could be developed and utilized is approximately 82.3 km 2 . The underground space resources that could be developed within a 30 m depth interval in the main urban area reached 2.465 billion m 3 , accounting for approximately 79.5% of the total shallow underground space resources, and the potential for development and utilization is enormous. In terms of the comprehensive quality, the highest comprehensive quality level of shallow underground resources is located in the core areas along Renmin Road, Weiyang Road, and Century Avenue, with an area of 21.52 km 2 , and the highest comprehensive quality level of subshallow underground resources is located along Renmin Road and Weiyang Road, with an area of 4.37 km 2 . The evaluation results could provide high reference value for urban development planning and underground space development and utilization in Xianyang.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-44657-8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-023-44657-8","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W2172626692","name":"Pastoralists' Responses To Variation Of Rangeland Resources In Time And Space","source":"openalex","abstract":"We explore the response of pastoralists to rangeland resource variation in time and space, focusing on regions where high variation makes it unlikely that an economically viable herd can be maintained on a single management unit. In such regions, the need to move stock to find forage in at least some years has led to the evolution of nomadism and transhumance, and reciprocal grazing agreements among the holders of common-property rangeland. The role of such informal institutions in buffering resource variation is well documented in some Asian and African rangelands, but in societies with formally established private-property regimes, where we focus, such institutions have received little attention. We examine agistment networks, which play an important role in buffering resource variation in modern-day Australia. Agistment is a commercial arrangement between pastoralists who have less forage than they believe they require and pastoralists who believe they have more. Agistment facilitates the movement of livestock via a network based largely on trust. We are concerned exclusively with the link between the characteristics of biophysical variation and human aspects of agistment networks, and we developed a model to test the hypothesis that such a link could exist. Our model builds on game theory literature, which explains cooperation between strangers based on the ability of players to learn whom they can trust. Our game is played on a highly stylized landscape that allows us to control and isolate the degree of spatial variation and spatial covariation. We found that agistment networks are more effective where spatial variation in resource availability is high, and generally more effective when spatial covariation is low. Policy design that seeks to work with existing social networks in rangelands has potential, but this potential varies depending on localized characteristics of the biophysical variability.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1890/1051-0761(2006)016[0572:prtvor]2.0.co;2","authors":["Ryan R. J. McAllister","Iain J. Gordon","Marco A. Janssen","Nick Abel"],"tags":["Pastoralism","Variation (astronomy)","Rangeland","Herding","Rangeland management"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-04-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1890/1051-0761(2006","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W3007957122","name":"Legal Models for Activities on the Exploration and Utilization of Space Resources: Towards the “Space-2030” Agenda","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39319-9_73","authors":["Denis Gugunskiy","Irina Chernykh","A. M. Khairutdinov"],"tags":["Outer space","Space (punctuation)","Plan (archaeology)","Sustainable development","Space law"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-030-39319-9_73","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W2421651875","name":"A FOREST OF DISPUTES: STRUGGLES OVER SPACES, RESOURCES, AND SOCIAL IDENTITIES IN AMAZONIA","source":"openalex","abstract":"by Edviges Marta IorisTo community people in the Lower Tapajós River, for their strong history of resistance. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Notwithstanding the satisfaction of having completed this dissertation, it was not an easy task and was only possible thanks to several kind people who, in many ways, encouraged and supported me throughout this voyage. First of all, I would like to thank my parents who always have encouraged me to keep pursuing my studies. I only regret that my father was not able to see his daughter as a “doctor, ” as he passed away soon after I had finished the first draft of this dissertation. To my advisor, Dr. Marianne Schmink, I am afraid I might not have adequate words to express my immense gratitude for all the support and encouragement she provided during my Ph.D. program. Her intellectual brightness and generous attention were my main motivations that helped me carry out the studies and the research for this dissertation, as well as remain firmly focused on completing its final version. I am very thankful for her friendship and her accurate advice that shed light on my recurring doubts.","url":"https://openalex.org/W2421651875","authors":["Edviges Marta Ioris"],"tags":["Amazon rainforest","Political science","Environmental resource management","Geography","Economics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"oa:W2498720308","name":"What can space resources do for astronomy and planetary science?","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spacepol.2016.08.001","authors":["Martin Elvis"],"tags":["Spacecraft","Space (punctuation)","Space exploration","Interplanetary spaceflight","Aerospace engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-08-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1016/j.spacepol.2016.08.001","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W1964450454","name":"Steps Toward an Ecology of Infrastructure: Design and Access for Large Information Spaces","source":"openalex","abstract":"We analyze a large-scale custom software effort, the Worm Community System (WCS), a collaborative system designed for a geographically dispersed community of geneticists. There were complex challenges in creating this infrastructural tool, ranging from simple lack of resources to complex organizational and intellectual communication failures and tradeoffs. Despite high user satisfaction with the system and interface, and extensive user needs assessment, feedback, and analysis, many users experienced difficulties in signing on and use. The study was conducted during a time of unprecedented growth in the Internet and its utilities (1991–1994), and many respondents turned to the World Wide Web for their information exchange. Using Bateson's model of levels of learning, we analyze the levels of infrastructural complexity involved in system access and designer-user communication. We analyze the connection between systems development aimed at supporting specific forms of collaborative knowledge work, local organizational transformation, and large-scale infrastructural change.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.7.1.111","authors":["Susan Leigh Star","Karen Ruhleder"],"tags":["Computer science","The Internet","Scale (ratio)","Knowledge management","World Wide Web"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1996-03-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1287/isre.7.1.111","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W3007409583","name":"Partial Ownership for Outer Space Resources","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The most widely adopted agreement on space law, the Outer Space Treaty (OST) (1967), actively promotes international partnerships and peaceful uses of outer space. It also forbids any claims of sovereignty or private property on celestial bodies; however, nothing is explicitly written about the use of resources that can be found there. Other texts, like the Moon Agreement (1979), attempted to extend provisions on this regard, but only 18 nations ratified this agreement, probably because it also contains obligations that remove all incentives for the private industry to participate in the exploitation of outer space resources, such as the obligation to disclose all discoveries and share the benefits between all state parties. Today, most missions are scientific, so there is no need to compete for using space resources. If tomorrow society wants to incentivize participation, and leverage the available funds, from the private sector to explore and exploit outer space, an allocation mechanism that allows to dispute the use of resources needs to be set up. On Earth, this is achieved by the private property system and commercial competition. However, private property is not allowed by the OST, because it has a right of exclusion, and everyone shall be free to use space resources if it does not interfere with activities of other nations. An exclusivity of use for the first nation to exploit a given resource is not desired either and is precisely why the OST was established in the first place. In full compliance with the OST, this paper introduces the concept of Partial Ownership of Outer Space Resources (POOSR). This system allows to compete for the use of resources, without granting monopoly, as it always keeps the competition for ownership open. It is based on the introduction of a Harberger tax and a Partial Ownership system, that allows to expose commonly-owned resources (such as outer space asteroids, or planetary surface areas) to the efficiency of allocation provided by market dynamics, while preserving the incentives for investment to the current owners and preventing resource locking. This paper shows how such system would foster investments from private entities, as well as how it would benefit to all the international entities or nations participating to it. The synergy between such system, international regulations, and national laws, to establish a regulation for space mining and other outer space activities is also discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s42423-019-00042-0","authors":["Erwan Beauvois","Guillaume Thirion"],"tags":["Outer space","Space (punctuation)","Exploit","Law and economics","Treaty"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-02-19","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1007/s42423-019-00042-0","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W1497177130","name":"Powers of freedom: reframing political thought","source":"openalex","abstract":"Powers of Freedom, first published in 1999, offers a compelling approach to the analysis of political power which extends Foucault's hypotheses on governmentality in challenging ways. Nikolas Rose sets out the key characteristics of this approach to political power and analyses the government of conduct. He analyses the role of expertise, the politics of numbers, technologies of economic management and the political uses of space. He illuminates the relation of this approach to contemporary theories of 'risk society' and 'the sociology of governance'. He argues that freedom is not the opposite of government but one of its key inventions and most significant resources. He also seeks some rapprochement between analyses of government and the concerns of critical sociology, cultural studies and Marxism, to establish a basis for the critique of power and its exercise. The book will be of interest to students and scholars in political theory, sociology, social policy and cultural studies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.37-3035","authors":[],"tags":["Cognitive reframing","Politics","Political science","Law","Social psychology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.5860/choice.37-3035","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W4206004063","name":"Evaluation and Scale Forecast of Underground Space Resources of Historical and Cultural Cities in China","source":"openalex","abstract":"Following economic growth in the past three decades, rapid urbanization has caused many pronounced issues, such as spatial scarcity and cultural discontinuity, in Chinese historical and cultural cities. In order to better deal with the diversification of underground space resources, data and information, this study introduces a random forest algorithm and proposes a multi-layer information superposition method. According to the characteristics of different information, starting from qualitative and quantitative aspects, we explore the effective performance of the rational development of underground space resources. Taking Yangzhou City, China, as an example, this paper evaluates the suitability and calculates the development volume of urban underground space. The development capacity, potential value, and comprehensive quality of underground space resources are explored in an attempt to demonstrate the practicality and scientificity of the evaluation method for achieving the developmental goals of urban space reconstruction and historic preservation. On this basis, an underground space scale forecast is carried out to provide decision support for relevant planners, managers, and construction personnel that is conducive to the orderly development of urban space, alleviation of increasing human–land conflicts, and coordination of the protection and development of underground space resources in historical and cultural cities, ultimately promoting sustainable development of cities.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi11010031","authors":["Jizhong Shao","Guan Liu","Hong Yuan","Qize Song","Minge Yang","Dan Luo","Xiaosi Zhang","Yanran Tan","Yuxin Zhang"],"tags":["Urbanization","Space (punctuation)","China","Diversification (marketing strategy)","Industrialisation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-12-31","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.3390/ijgi11010031","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W2081399142","name":"Probabilistic Resource Space Model for Managing Resources in Cyber-Physical Society","source":"openalex","abstract":"Classification is the most basic method for organizing resources in the physical space, cyber space, socio space, and mental space. To create a unified model that can effectively manage resources in different spaces is a challenge. The Resource Space Model RSM is to manage versatile resources with a multidimensional classification space. It supports generalization and specialization on multidimensional classifications. This paper introduces the basic concepts of RSM, and proposes the Probabilistic Resource Space Model, P-RSM, to deal with uncertainty in managing various resources in different spaces of the cyber-physical society. P-RSM's normal forms, operations, and integrity constraints are developed to support effective management of the resource space. Characteristics of the P-RSM are analyzed through experiments. This model also enables various services to be described, discovered, and composed from multiple dimensions and abstraction levels with normal form and integrity guarantees. Some extensions and applications of the P-RSM are introduced.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/tsc.2011.12","authors":["Hai Zhuge","Yunpeng Xing"],"tags":["Computer science","Space (punctuation)","Generalization","Probabilistic logic","Resource (disambiguation)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-02-24","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1109/tsc.2011.12","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W2786390877","name":"Real-space refinement in <i>PHENIX</i> for cryo-EM and crystallography","source":"openalex","abstract":"This article describes the implementation of real-space refinement in the phenix.real_space_refine program from the PHENIX suite. The use of a simplified refinement target function enables very fast calculation, which in turn makes it possible to identify optimal data-restraint weights as part of routine refinements with little runtime cost. Refinement of atomic models against low-resolution data benefits from the inclusion of as much additional information as is available. In addition to standard restraints on covalent geometry, phenix.real_space_refine makes use of extra information such as secondary-structure and rotamer-specific restraints, as well as restraints or constraints on internal molecular symmetry. The re-refinement of 385 cryo-EM-derived models available in the Protein Data Bank at resolutions of 6 Å or better shows significant improvement of the models and of the fit of these models to the target maps.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1107/s2059798318006551","authors":["Pavel V. Afonine","Billy K. Poon","Randy J. Read","Oleg V. Sobolev","Thomas C. Terwilliger","Alexandre Urzhumtsev","Paul D. Adams"],"tags":["Suite","Space (punctuation)","Computer science","Resolution (logic)","Algorithm"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-05-30","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1107/s2059798318006551","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W2091818139","name":"Mechanisms of Succession in Natural Communities and Their Role in Community Stability and Organization","source":"openalex","abstract":"The sequence of species observed after a relatively large space is opened up is a consequence of the following mechanisms. \"Opportunist\" species with broad dispersal powers and rapid growth to maturity usually arrive first and occupy empty space. These species cannot invade and grow in the presence of adults of their own or other species. Several alternative mechanisms may then determine which species replace these early occupants. Three models of such mechanisms have been proposed. The first \"facilitation\" model suggests that the entry and growth of the later species is dependent upon the earlier species \"preparing the ground\"; only after this can later species colonize. Evidence in support of this model applies mainly to certain primary successions and in heterotrophic succession. A second \"tolerance\" model suggests that a predictable sequence is produced by the existence of species that have evolved different strategies for exploiting resources. Later species will be those able to tolerate lower levels of resources than earlier ones. Thus they can invade and grow to maturity in the presence of those that preceded them. At present there exists little evidence in support of this model. A third \"inhibition\" model suggests that all species resist invasions of competitors. The first occupants preempt the space and will continue to exclude or inhibit later colonists until the former die or are damaged, thus releasing resources. Only then can later colonists reach maturity. A considerable body of evidence exists in support of this model. In the majority of natural communities succession is frequently interrupted by major disturbances, such as fires, storms, insect plagues, etc., starting the process all over again. However, if not interrupted, it eventually reaches a stage in which further change is on a small scale as individuals die and are replaced. The pattern of these changes will depend upon whether individuals are more likely to be replaced by a member of their own or another species. If the former, stability will be assured. However, in terrestrial communities, conditions in the soil in the immediate vicinity of long-lived plants may become modified in such a way that offspring of the same species are much less favored than those of other species. A likely cause is the buildup of host-specific pathogenic soil organisms near a long-lived plant. In this case, the species at each local site keep changing, producing local instability. Whether the average species composition of the whole tract does not change, exhibiting global stability, or whether it keeps changing has not yet been decided for any natural community.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1086/283241","authors":["Joseph H. Connell","Ralph O. Slatyer"],"tags":["Ecological succession","Biological dispersal","Biology","Ecology","Facilitation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1977-11-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1086/283241","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W2805161269","name":"Space-Air-Ground Integrated Network: A Survey","source":"openalex","abstract":"Space-air-ground integrated network (SAGIN), as an integration of satellite systems, aerial networks, and terrestrial communications, has been becoming an emerging architecture and attracted intensive research interest during the past years. Besides bringing significant benefits for various practical services and applications, SAGIN is also facing many unprecedented challenges due to its specific characteristics, such as heterogeneity, self-organization, and time-variability. Compared to traditional ground or satellite networks, SAGIN is affected by the limited and unbalanced network resources in all three network segments, so that it is difficult to obtain the best performances for traffic delivery. Therefore, the system integration, protocol optimization, resource management, and allocation in SAGIN is of great significance. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to present the state-of-the-art of the SAGIN since existing survey papers focused on either only one single network segment in space or air, or the integration of space-ground, neglecting the integration of all the three network segments. In light of this, we present in this paper a comprehensive review of recent research works concerning SAGIN from network design and resource allocation to performance analysis and optimization. After discussing several existing network architectures, we also point out some technology challenges and future directions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/comst.2018.2841996","authors":["Jiajia Liu","Yongpeng Shi","Zubair Md. Fadlullah","Nei Kato"],"tags":["Computer science","Network architecture","Resource (disambiguation)","Resource allocation","Architecture"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1109/comst.2018.2841996","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W2295598076","name":"XGBoost","source":"openalex","abstract":"Tree boosting is a highly effective and widely used machine learning method. In this paper, we describe a scalable end-to-end tree boosting system called XGBoost, which is used widely by data scientists to achieve state-of-the-art results on many machine learning challenges. We propose a novel sparsity-aware algorithm for sparse data and weighted quantile sketch for approximate tree learning. More importantly, we provide insights on cache access patterns, data compression and sharding to build a scalable tree boosting system. By combining these insights, XGBoost scales beyond billions of examples using far fewer resources than existing systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1145/2939672.2939785","authors":["Tianqi Chen","Carlos Guestrin"],"tags":["Boosting (machine learning)","Computer science","Scalability","Machine learning","Sketch"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-08-08","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1145/2939672.2939785","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W3046039077","name":"A Hybrid Weight Assignment Model for Urban Underground Space Resources Evaluation Integrated with the Weight of Time Dimension","source":"openalex","abstract":"The utilization of urban underground space resources (UUSR) are important approaches to effectively save land resources, improve the living environment, expand the urban space, and achieve sustainable urban development. To obtain accurate UUSR evaluation results, the weight assignment of indicators plays an important role in the evaluation process and is an indispensable part of it. Reasonable weights of indicators can greatly improve the accuracy of the final UUSR evaluation results. Neither the basic characteristics of cross-section data and time series data of UUSR evaluation indicators are taken into consideration simultaneously, nor is the combination and cross application of different weighting methods in the previous weight assignment of UUSR evaluation indicators. Considering the influence of the time dimension, the weighting method of time dimension is introduced into the UUSR evaluation. Through integrating the classical entropy weight method, which is a frequently-used weighting method of indicator dimension with the weighting method of time dimension in two different approaches by time ordered weighted averaging (TOWA) operator, the hybrid weight assignment model named entropy and time weighting model (E-TW) for UUSR evaluation is proposed. The experimental calculation results show that the UUSR evaluation results using the E-TW model are significantly better than the results using the single classical entropy weight method, which means the hybrid weight assignment model is more suitable for UUSR evaluation than the single weighting method of indicator dimension.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/app10155152","authors":["Dixu Liu","Lixin Wu","Yang Yang"],"tags":["Weighting","Entropy (arrow of time)","Dimension (graph theory)","Computer science","Evaluation methods"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-07-27","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.3390/app10155152","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W1986485007","name":"Food and space: resources defended by territorial parous female Columbian ground squirrels","source":"openalex","abstract":"The importance of food and space, as resources defended by parous female Columbian ground squirrels (Spermophilus columbianus), was studied by manipulating one of these resources, that is increasing the quality of forage (through urine fertilization) on small plots within territories. Use of these fertilized plots by ground squirrels increased more than 100-fold when averaged over 2 years after manipulation. This increase, however, was not equal for each sex and age class: parous females used the fertilized plots relatively more, and nonparous females less, than either yearling or adult males. The number of parous females with territories overlapping the experimental plots also increased after fertilization, but the size of their territories declined only slightly, by less than 10%. Parous females with access to the fertilized plots, relative to those without such access, had greater body mass and larger litters that both weighed more at birth and gained body mass subsequently more rapidly. Parous females on territories with fertilized plots showed higher levels of agonism than those on territories lacking such plots. Most of the agonism was centered on the experimental plots and more of it was directed at young of other females than at their own young. Such differential treatment of kin, however, did not extend to their offspring of the previous year. We suggest that for parous females of this ground squirrel, both food and space (at least that normally needed to supply sufficient forage) are important resources to defend, and both may have played a significant role in the evolution of territoriality in females of this species.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1139/z94-259","authors":["D. A. Boag","Darwin R. Wiggett"],"tags":["Biology","Ground squirrel","Forage","Offspring","Territoriality"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1994-11-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1139/z94-259","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W2095244541","name":"Distributed FIFO allocation of identical resources using small shared space","source":"openalex","abstract":"We present a simple and efficient algorithm for the FIFO allocation of k identical resources among asynchronous processes that communicate via shared memory. The algorithm simulates a shared queue but uses exponentially fewer shared memory values, resulting in practical savings of time and space as well as program complexity. The algorithm is robust against process failure through unannounced stopping, making it attractive also for use in an environment of processes of widely differing speeds. In addition to its practical advantages, we show that for fixed k , the shared space complexity of the algorithm as a function of the number N of processes is optimal to within a constant factor.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1145/59287.59292","authors":["Michael J. Fischer","Nancy Lynch","James E. Burns","Allan Borodin"],"tags":["Computer science","FIFO (computing and electronics)","Queue","Asynchronous communication","Shared memory"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1989-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1145/59287.59292","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W1662133657","name":"From Frequency to Meaning: Vector Space Models of Semantics","source":"openalex","abstract":"Computers understand very little of the meaning of human language. This profoundly limits our ability to give instructions to computers, the ability of computers to explain their actions to us, and the ability of computers to analyse and process text. Vector space models (VSMs) of semantics are beginning to address these limits. This paper surveys the use of VSMs for semantic processing of text. We organize the literature on VSMs according to the structure of the matrix in a VSM. There are currently three broad classes of VSMs, based on term-document, word-context, and pair-pattern matrices, yielding three classes of applications. We survey a broad range of applications in these three categories and we take a detailed look at a specific open source project in each category. Our goal in this survey is to show the breadth of applications of VSMs for semantics, to provide a new perspective on VSMs for those who are already familiar with the area, and to provide pointers into the literature for those who are less familiar with the field.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1613/jair.2934","authors":["Peter D. Turney","Patrick Pantel"],"tags":["Semantics (computer science)","Meaning (existential)","Computer science","Context (archaeology)","Space (punctuation)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-02-27","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1613/jair.2934","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W3048090444","name":"NCBI Taxonomy: a comprehensive update on curation, resources and tools","source":"openalex","abstract":"The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Taxonomy includes organism names and classifications for every sequence in the nucleotide and protein sequence databases of the International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration. Since the last review of this resource in 2012, it has undergone several improvements. Most notable is the shift from a single SQL database to a series of linked databases tied to a framework of data called NameBank. This means that relations among data elements can be adjusted in more detail, resulting in expanded annotation of synonyms, the ability to flag names with specific nomenclatural properties, enhanced tracking of publications tied to names and improved annotation of scientific authorities and types. Additionally, practices utilized by NCBI Taxonomy curators specific to major taxonomic groups are described, terms peculiar to NCBI Taxonomy are explained, external resources are acknowledged and updates to tools and other resources are documented. Database URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/taxonomy.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/database/baaa062","authors":["Conrad L. Schoch","Stacy Ciufo","Michael Domrachev","Carol L. Hotton","Sivakumar Kannan","Rogneda Khovanskaya","Detlef D. Leipe","Richard McVeigh","Kathleen O’Neill","Barbara Robbertse","Shobha Sharma","Vladimir Soussov","John P. Sullivan","Lu Sun","Seán Turner","Ilene Karsch‐Mizrachi"],"tags":["Taxonomy (biology)","Data curation","Computer science","Information retrieval","World Wide Web"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1093/database/baaa062","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W2934756391","name":"Space Resources in the Evolutionary Course of Space Lawmaking","source":"openalex","abstract":"The United States’ enactment of the Space Resource Exploration and Utilization Act of 2015 marked a significant turn in the evolutionary course of space lawmaking, although not for the reasons commonly cited. The Act is noteworthy not for its substance, but as a symptom of emerging structural change in how space law is made, and by whom. Using space resources as a case study, this essay charts this evolutionary shift in space lawmaking and assesses its implications for the international regime on which a growing and increasingly diverse range of space operators depend.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/aju.2019.12","authors":["Brian Israel"],"tags":["Lawmaking","Space (punctuation)","Space law","Resource (disambiguation)","Political science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1017/aju.2019.12","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W2040539560","name":"Bacterial competition: surviving and thriving in the microbial jungle","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2259","authors":["Michael E. Hibbing","Clay Fuqua","Matthew R. Parsek","S. Brook Peterson"],"tags":["Biology","Competition (biology)","Ecology","Bacteria","Microorganism"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-11-30","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1038/nrmicro2259","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W3157719090","name":"Space Resources Engineering: Ilmenite Deposits for Oxygen Production on the Moon","source":"openalex","abstract":"This decade is an incredible stage in the history of humanity. Man will return to the Moon to stay there. To successfully fulfill this enormous challenge, scientific staff will use the in-situ resources or ISRU, and terrestrial mining industry knowledge to produce prime matters. Oxygen and hydrogen are the crucial resources to obtain water, rocket fuel, and establish commercial activities between the Earth and the Moon. One alternative to produce oxygen is using metallurgical processing of oxide minerals as ilmenite. Also, iron and titanium could be produced from ilmenite to supply a future lunar aerospace industry, making attractive the exploration of this mineral. This paper discusses the ilmenite deposit features in the equator zone's Marias, especially in Mare Tranquillitatis. The author reviews the feasibility of producing oxygen from the ilmenite in a pyrometallurgical process, reviewing the reactions proposed through thermodynamic calculation with the Software HSC Chemistry 6.0 and the regolith sample’s geological data Apollo 11 to verify ore features that can affect the metallurgical behavior. Besides, there is a summary of the challenges to processing ilmenite associated with the degree of liberation. This research aims to clarify the industrial opportunities and challenges to produce oxygen on the Moon as a framework for future process architecture and equipment design.","url":"https://doi.org/10.12691/ajmm-6-1-2","authors":["Gustavo Jamanca-Lino"],"tags":["Ilmenite","Regolith","Aerospace","Mineral processing","Metallurgy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-04-27","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.12691/ajmm-6-1-2","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W3024523842","name":"Executive Order 13914: Encouraging International Support for the Recovery and Use of Space Resources","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3024523842","authors":["Donald Trump"],"tags":["Executive order","Order (exchange)","Space (punctuation)","Business","Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-04-06","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"oa:W1593856066","name":"Parallel Query Scheduling and Optimization with Time- and Space-Shared Resources","source":"openalex","abstract":"Scheduling query execution plans is a particularly complex problem in hierarchical parallel systems, where each site consists of a collection of local time-shared (e.g., CPU(s) or disk(s)) and space-shared (e.g., memory) resources and communicates with remote sites by message-passing. We develop a general approach to the problem, capturing the full complexity of scheduling distributed multi-dimensional resource units for all kinds of parallelism within and across queries and operators. We present heuristic algorithms for various forms of the problem, some of which are provably near-optimal. Preliminary experimental results confirm the effectiveness of our approach.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1593856066","authors":["Minos Garofalakis","Yannis Ioannidis"],"tags":["Computer science","Query optimization","Scheduling (production processes)","Distributed computing","Parallel computing"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997-08-25","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"oa:W2067996763","name":"Spaces of multilingualism","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.langcom.2005.05.002","authors":["Jan Blommaert","James Collins","Stef Slembrouck"],"tags":["Multilingualism","Sociology","Sociolinguistics","Linguistics","Centrality"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-06-20","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1016/j.langcom.2005.05.002","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W2166272207","name":"Promoting Health for Transgender Women: Transgender Resources and Neighborhood Space (TRANS) Program in San Francisco","source":"openalex","abstract":"Transgender women are at high risk for HIV, substance abuse, and mental health problems. We describe a health promotion intervention program tailored to transgender women in San Francisco. The program creates a safe space for providing transgender-sensitive education about HIV risk reduction, substance abuse prevention, and general health promotion. Transgender health educators conduct workshops and make referrals to appropriate substance abuse treatment programs and other services in the community. Evaluation findings indicate that this community-tailored intervention may be an effective way to reach transgender women and reduce sexual risk behaviors, depression, and perceived barriers to substance abuse treatment.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2004.040501","authors":["Tooru Nemoto","Don Operario","JoAnne Keatley","Hongmai Nguyen","Eiko Sugano"],"tags":["Transgender","Transgender women","Mental health","Medicine","Substance abuse"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-02-22","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.2105/ajph.2004.040501","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W628927047","name":"Distinct Urban Mines: Exploiting secondary resources in unique anthropogenic spaces","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2015.05.026","authors":["F.O. Ongondo","I.D. Williams","Gillian Whitlock"],"tags":["Stockpile","Resource (disambiguation)","Scarcity","Product (mathematics)","Exploit"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-06-13","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1016/j.wasman.2015.05.026","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W2007459959","name":"Predicting local and non‐local effects of resources on animal space use using a mechanistic step selection model","source":"openalex","abstract":"Summary Predicting space use patterns of animals from their interactions with the environment is fundamental for understanding the effect of habitat changes on ecosystem functioning. Recent attempts to address this problem have sought to unify resource selection analysis, where animal space use is derived from available habitat quality, and mechanistic movement models, where detailed movement processes of an animal are used to predict its emergent utilization distribution. Such models bias the animal's movement towards patches that are easily available and resource‐rich, and the result is a predicted probability density at a given position being a function of the habitat quality at that position. However, in reality, the probability that an animal will use a patch of the terrain tends to be a function of the resource quality in both that patch and the surrounding habitat. We propose a mechanistic model where this non‐local effect of resources naturally emerges from the local movement processes, by taking into account the relative utility of both the habitat where the animal currently resides and that of where it is moving. We give statistical techniques to parametrize the model from location data and demonstrate application of these techniques to GPS location data of caribou ( R angifer tarandus ) in Newfoundland. Steady‐state animal probability distributions arising from the model have complex patterns that cannot be expressed simply as a function of the local quality of the habitat. In particular, large areas of good habitat are used more intensively than smaller patches of equal quality habitat, whereas isolated patches are used less frequently. Both of these are real aspects of animal space use missing from previous mechanistic resource selection models. Whilst we focus on habitats in this study, our modelling framework can be readily used with any environmental covariates and therefore represents a unification of mechanistic modelling and step selection approaches to understanding animal space use.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210x.12150","authors":["Jonathan R. Potts","Guillaume Bastille‐Rousseau","Dennis L. Murray","James A. Schaefer","Mark A. Lewis"],"tags":["Selection (genetic algorithm)","Resource (disambiguation)","Computer science","Habitat","Function (biology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-12-13","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1111/2041-210x.12150","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W1571603962","name":"Identity and agency in cultural worlds","source":"openalex","abstract":"Preface I. On the Shoulders of Bakhtin and Vygotsky 1. The Woman Who Climbed Up the House 2. A Practice Theory of Self and Identity II. Placing Identity and Agency 3. Figured Worlds 4. Personal Stories in Alcoholics Anonymous 5. How Figured Worlds of Romance Become Desire III. Power and Privilege 6. Positional Identities 7. The Sexual Auction Block IV. The Space of Authoring 8. Authoring Selves 9. Mental Disorder, Identity, and Professional Discourse 10. Authoring Oneself as a Woman in Nepal V. Making Worlds 11. Play Worlds, Liberatory Worlds, and Fantasy Resources 12. Making Alternate Worlds in Nepal 13. Identity in Practice Notes References Credits Index","url":"https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.36-5759","authors":[],"tags":["Agency (philosophy)","Identity (music)","Sociology","Aesthetics","Social science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-06-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.5860/choice.36-5759","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W3200526179","name":"The White House Executive Order on the Recovery and Use of Space Resources: Pushing the Boundaries of International Space Law?","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spacepol.2021.101448","authors":["Fabio Tronchetti","Hao Liu"],"tags":["Executive order","Space (punctuation)","Order (exchange)","White (mutation)","Politics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1016/j.spacepol.2021.101448","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W1996800093","name":"The Scaling of Animal Space Use","source":"openalex","abstract":"Space used by animals increases with increasing body size. Energy requirements alone can explain how population density decreases, but not the steep rate at which home range area increases. We present a general mechanistic model that predicts the frequency of interaction, spatial overlap, and loss of resources to neighbors. Extensive empirical evidence supports the model, demonstrating that spatial constraints on defense cause exclusivity of home range use to decrease with increasing body size. In large mammals, over 90% of available resources may be lost to neighbors. Our model offers a general framework to understand animal space use and sociality.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1102138","authors":["Walter Jetz","Chris Carbone","Jenny Fulford","James H. Brown"],"tags":["Sociality","Home range","Scaling","Range (aeronautics)","Space (punctuation)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-10-07","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1126/science.1102138","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W1732764776","name":"Space, resources and history: the social dimension of fisheries in the northwest Mediterranean.","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W1732764776","authors":["Joan Lluis Alegret i Tejero","David Symes"],"tags":["Dimension (graph theory)","Fishery","Mediterranean climate","Space (punctuation)","Geography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"oa:W3090825288","name":"Environmental protection in the exploitation and use of space resources","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Space resources activities are per se ultra-hazardous activities, which may be harmful to both outer space and the Earth environment. At the dawn of space mining, however, predominant in space mining missions is wealth and technology perspective. Environmental protection, has not been an important consideration. The principle of sustainable development and the new ecocentric approach could help to make a correct balance between protecting environment and promoting industrial development. But many obstacles of environmental protection do exist, such as inadequacies of the current space law, difficulties in practice, ethical dilemma in planetary protection. Thus, for promoting sustainable exploitation and use of space resources, this article suggests some solutions, including: 1) strengthening the legal regime; 2) promoting international cooperation; and 3) developing the appropriate ethic.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/565/1/012003","authors":["Fengna Xu"],"tags":["Space (punctuation)","Dilemma","Sustainable development","Outer space","Business"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-09-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1088/1755-1315/565/1/012003","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W3082498874","name":"Space Resources Roundtable VI","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3082498874","authors":["G. J. Taylor"],"tags":["Space (punctuation)","Political science","Computer science","Operating system"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-11-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"oa:W4214742866","name":"Three-dimensional high-precision assessment of mountainous urban underground space resources: A case study in Chongqing, China","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2022.104439","authors":["Yue Xi","Xiaojun Li","Hehua Zhu","Wanbin Zhang","Sicheng Zhao","Wenyun Xu"],"tags":["Weighting","Resource (disambiguation)","Computer science","Civil engineering","Credibility"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-02-28","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1016/j.tust.2022.104439","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W1910585350","name":"Space Resources: First Come First Served","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W1910585350","authors":["Jim Benson"],"tags":["Computer science","Space (punctuation)","Operating system"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"oa:W2147189708","name":"Complete set of ORF clones of Escherichia coli ASKA library (A Complete Set of E. coli K-12 ORF Archive): Unique Resources for Biological Research","source":"openalex","abstract":"Based on the genomic sequence data of Escherichia coli K-12 strain, we have constructed a complete set of cloned individual genes encoding Histidine-tagged proteins with or without GFP fused for functional genomic analysis. Each clone encodes a protein of predicted ORF attached by Histidines and seven spacer amino acids at the N-terminal end, and five spacer amino acids and GFP at the C-terminal end. SfiI restriction sites are generated at both the N- and C-terminal boundaries of ORF upon cloning, which enables easy transfer of ORF to other vector systems by cutting with SfiI. Expression of cloned ORF is under the control of an IPTG-inducible promoter, which is strictly repressed by lacI(q) repressor gene product. The set of cloned ORFs described here should provide unique resources for systematic functional genomic approaches including (i) construction of DNA microarray, (ii) production and purification of proteins, (iii) analysis of protein localization by monitoring GFP fluorescence and (iv) analysis of protein-protein interaction.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/dnares/dsi012","authors":["Masanari Kitagawa","Takeshi Ara","Md Arifuzzaman","Tomoko Ioka-Nakamichi","Eiji Inamoto","Hiromi Toyonaga","Hirotada Mori"],"tags":["Escherichia coli","Biology","Set (abstract data type)","Open reading frame","Genetics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-01-09","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1093/dnares/dsi012","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W2016717138","name":"Taking a common-pool resources approach to space sustainability: A framework and potential policies","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spacepol.2012.06.004","authors":["Brian Weeden","Tiffany Chow"],"tags":["Space (punctuation)","Context (archaeology)","Commons","Corporate governance","Sustainability"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-07-05","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1016/j.spacepol.2012.06.004","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W2335830367","name":"Automated Additive Construction (AAC) for Earth and Space Using In Situ Resources","source":"openalex","abstract":"Using automated additive construction (AAC), low-fidelity large-scale compressive structures can be produced out of a wide variety of materials found in the environment. Compression-intensive structures need not utilize materials that have tight specifications for internal force management, meaning that the production of the building materials do not require costly methods for their preparation. Where a certain degree of surface roughness can be tolerated, lower-fidelity numerical control of deposited materials can provide a low-cost means for automating building processes, which can be utilized in remote or extreme environments on Earth or in space. For space missions where every kilogram of mass must be lifted out of Earth’s gravity well, the promise of using in situ materials for the construction of outposts, facilities, and installations could prove to be enabling if significant reduction of payload mass can be achieved. In a 2015 workshop sponsored by the Keck Institute for Space Studies, on the topic of three dimensional (3D) additive construction for space using in situ resources, was conducted with additive construction experts from around the globe in attendance. The workshop explored disparate efforts, methods, and technologies and established a proposed framework for the field of additive construction using in situ resources. This paper defines the field of automated additive construction using in situ resources, describes the state-of-the-art for various methods, establishes a vision for future efforts, identifies gaps in current technologies, explores investment opportunities, and proposes potential technology demonstration missions for terrestrial, International Space Station (ISS), lunar, deep space zero-gravity, and Mars environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784479971.036","authors":["Robert P. Mueller","Scott Howe","Dennis M. Kochmann","Hesham Ali","Christian B. Andersen","Hayden Burgoyne","W. Chambers","R. G. Clinton","Xavier De Kestellier","Keye Ebelt","Shai Gerner","Douglas C. Hofmann","Kristina Hogstrom","Erika Ilves","Alex X. Jerves","Ryan M. Keenan","Jim Keravala","Behrokh Khoshnevis","Sungwoo Lim","Philip T. Metzger","Lucas Meza","Takashi Nakamura","Andrew J. Nelson","Harry Partridge","Donald R. Pettit","Rod Pyle","Eric Reiners","Andrew A. Shapiro","Russell Singer","Wei-Lin Tan","Noel Vazquez","Brian Wilcox","Alex Zelhofer"],"tags":["Computer science","Space (punctuation)","Earth (classical element)","In situ","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-01-12","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1061/9780784479971.036","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W1955008615","name":"Asteroid Redirect Mission concept: A bold approach for utilizing space resources","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2015.06.018","authors":["Daniel D. Mazanek","Raymond G. Merrill","John Brophy","Robert P. Mueller"],"tags":["NASA Deep Space Network","Space exploration","Space (punctuation)","In-space propulsion technologies","Deep space exploration"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-07-23","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2015.06.018","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W1994771258","name":"Institutions, resources, and entry strategies in emerging economies","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We investigate the impact of market‐supporting institutions on business strategies by analyzing the entry strategies of foreign investors entering emerging economies. We apply and advance the institution‐based view of strategy by integrating it with resource‐based considerations. In particular, we show how resource‐seeking strategies are pursued using different entry modes in different institutional contexts. Alternative modes of entry—greenfield, acquisition, and joint venture (JV)—allow firms to overcome different kinds of market inefficiencies related to both characteristics of the resources and to the institutional context. In a weaker institutional framework, JVs are used to access many resources, but in a stronger institutional framework, JVs become less important while acquisitions can play a more important role in accessing resources that are intangible and organizationally embedded. Combining survey and archival data from four emerging economies, India, Vietnam, South Africa, and Egypt, we provide empirical support for our hypotheses. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.720","authors":["Klaus E. Meyer","Saul Estrin","Sumon Kumar Bhaumik","Mike W. Peng"],"tags":["Emerging markets","Business","Context (archaeology)","Resource (disambiguation)","Multinational corporation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-09-19","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1002/smj.720","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W4392301599","name":"A knowledge-sharing platform for space resources","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.datak.2024.102286","authors":["Marcos Da Silveira","Louis Deladiennée","Emmanuel Scolan","Cédric Pruski"],"tags":["Space (punctuation)","Computer science","Knowledge management","Operating system"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-29","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1016/j.datak.2024.102286","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W3171166842","name":"Additive manufacturing using space resources","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-818411-0.00018-5","authors":["Athanasios Goulas","Daniel S. Engstrøm","Ross J. Friel"],"tags":["Regolith","Resource (disambiguation)","Materials science","Systems engineering","3D printing"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-12-818411-0.00018-5","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W2015930340","name":"The Nature of the Firm","source":"openalex","abstract":"Economic theory has suffered in the past from a failure to state clearly its assumptions. Economists in building up a theory have often omitted to examine the foundations on which it was erected. This examination is, however, essential not only to prevent the misunderstanding and needless controversy which arise from a lack of knowledge of the assumptions on which a theory is based, but also because of the extreme importance for economics of good judgment in choosing between rival sets of assumptions. For instance, it is suggested that the use of the word “firm” in economics may be different from the use of the term by the “plain man.”11 Joan Robinson, Economics is a Serious Subject, p. 12. Since there is apparently a trend in economic theory towards starting analysis with the individual firm and not with the industry,22 See N. Kaldor, “The Equilibrium of the Firm,”Economic Journal, March, 1934. it is all the more necessary not only that a clear definition of the word “firm” should be given but that its difference from a firm in the “real world,” if it exists, should be made clear. Mrs. Robinson has said that “the two questions to be asked of a set of assumptions in economics are : Are they tractable? and : Do they correspond with the real world?”33 Op. cit., p. 6. Though, as Mrs. Robinson points out, “more often one set will be manageable and the other realistic,” yet there may well be branches of theory where assumptions may be both manageable and realistic. It is hoped to show in the following paper that a definition of a firm may be obtained which is not only realistic in that it corresponds to what is meant by a firm in the real world, but is tractable by two of the most powerful instruments of economic analysis developed by Marshall, the idea of the margin and that of substitution, together giving the idea of substitution at the margin.11 J. M. Keynes, Essays in Biography, pp. 223–4. Our definition must, of course, “relate to formal relations which are capable of being conceived exactly.”22 L. Robbins, Nature and Significance of Economic Science, p. 63. It is convenient if, in searching for a definition of a firm, we first consider the economic system as it is normally treated by the economist. Let us consider the description of the economic system given by Sir Arthur Salter.33 This description is quoted with approval by D. H. Robertson, Control of Industry, p. 85, and by Professor Arnold Plant, “Trends in Business Administration,” Economica, February, 1932. It appears in Allied Shipping Control, pp. 16–17. “The normal economic system works itself. For its current operation it is under no central control, it needs no central survey. Over the whole range of human activity and human need, supply is adjusted to demand, and production to consumption, by a process that is automatic, elastic and responsive.” An economist thinks of the economic system as being co-ordinated by the price mechanism and society becomes not an organisation but an organism.44 See F. A. Hayek, “The Trend of Economic Thinking,” Economica, May, 1933. The economic system “works itself.” This does not mean that there is no planning by individuals. These exercise foresight and choose between alternatives. This is necessarily so if there is to be order in the system. But this theory assumes that the direction of resources is dependent directly on the price mechanism. Indeed, it is often considered to be an objection to economic planning that it merely tries to do what is already done by the price mechanism.55 See F. A. Hayek, op. cit. Sir Arthur Salter's description, however, gives a very incomplete picture of our economic system. Within a firm, the description does not fit at all. For instance, in economic theory we find that the allocation of factors of production between different uses is determined by the price mechanism. The price of factor A becomes higher in X than in Y. As a result, A moves from Y to X until the difference between the prices in X an","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0335.1937.tb00002.x","authors":["Ronald H. Coase"],"tags":["Set (abstract data type)","Economics","Theory of the firm","Positive economics","Subject (documents)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1937-11-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1468-0335.1937.tb00002.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W2019464293","name":"Body size mediated coexistence of consumers competing for resources in space","source":"openalex","abstract":"Body size is a major phenotypic trait of individuals that commonly differentiates co‐occurring species. We analyzed inter‐specific competitive interactions between a large consumer and smaller competitors, whose energetics, selection and giving‐up behaviour on identical resource patches scaled with individual body size. The aim was to investigate whether pure metabolic constraints on patch behaviour of vagile species can determine coexistence conditions consistent with existing theoretical and experimental evidence. We used an individual‐based spatially explicit simulation model at a spatial scale defined by the home range of the large consumer, which was assumed to be parthenogenic and semelparous. Under exploitative conditions, competitive coexistence occurred in a range of body size ratios between 2 and 10. Asymmetrical competition and the mechanism underlying asymmetry, determined by the scaling of energetics and patch behaviour with consumer body size, were the proximate determinant of inter‐specific coexistence. The small consumer exploited patches more efficiently, but searched for profitable patches less effectively than the larger competitor. Therefore, body‐size related constraints induced niche partitioning, allowing competitive coexistence within a set of conditions where the large consumer maintained control over the small consumer and resource dynamics. The model summarises and extends the existing evidence of species coexistence on a limiting resource, and provides a mechanistic explanation for decoding the size‐abundance distribution patterns commonly observed at guild and community levels.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0030-1299.2007.15702.x","authors":["Alberto Basset","Donald L. De Angelis"],"tags":["Guild","Competition (biology)","Competitor analysis","Ecology","Niche"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-08-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1111/j.0030-1299.2007.15702.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W2103225164","name":"Space Use According to the Distribution of Resources and Level of Competition","source":"openalex","abstract":"The manner in which an animal moves throughout and utilizes the space available to it depends on the dispersal, availability, and level of competition for resources the animal requires for its biological functioning. We tested groups of broilers (Gallus gallus domesticus) in 3 experimental group sizes of 5, 10, and 20 individuals per group under 3 resource distribution patterns. Groups were tested with access to 1 large single feeder, 2 medium-sized feeders, or 4 small feeders. In all arrangements the total amount of food available per bird remained constant. During the first phase groups had free access to all available feeders, and in the second phase access at each feeder was restricted to a single bird. Space use, measured by calculating core areas and interindividual distances between group members, increased as group size grew larger and as feeders became more widely distributed. Not all group sizes responded equally to the resource distribution patterns. Space use patterns for the smaller group sizes were more strongly affected by resource distribution patterns than the larger group sizes. When access to the feeders was restricted, consumption, aggression, and space use increased. Broilers adjusted their space use and aggressive behavior according to the level of competition, dictated not only by group size but also resource distribution and accessibility.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3382/ps.2007-00026","authors":["Erin H. Leone","Inma Estévez"],"tags":["Competition (biology)","Biological dispersal","Distribution (mathematics)","Aggression","Resource distribution"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-12-13","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.3382/ps.2007-00026","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W3034995078","name":"Space Resources Commodities Exchange","source":"openalex","abstract":"In recent years, a new opportunity has evolved with the discovery of water on the Moon and a new vibrant entrepreneurial approach to space exploration. The development of space will require significant amounts of resources to support the growth of this new economy. A space resources commodities exchange (SpRCEx) could exist to facilitate transactions of these resources. For companies wishing to compete in space, a commodities exchange offers meaningful value in the form of risk mitigation for market participants buying and selling to/from the exchange. Further, marketplace services such as resource storage and data and listings provide exchange owners a revenue stream uncorrelated to trade volume, thereby reducing operational risk. Although it is not currently feasible to establish an SpRCEx, this study focuses on the development and execution of a dedicated exchange assuming certain conditions are met. After identifying these critical assumptions, primarily the stable supply of at least one space resource, and the presence of significant market participation and trade volume, the authors conclude that a dedicated exchange offers relative value for all market participants, including buyers, sellers, speculators, and owners.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/space.2019.0039","authors":["Blake Ahadi","Nathaniel W. Gilmore","Eric C. Luken","Robert P. Mueller"],"tags":["Space (punctuation)","Business","Computer science","Operating system"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-06-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1089/space.2019.0039","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W3091054875","name":"New Elements in the Hague Space Resources Governance Working Group's Building Blocks","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spacepol.2020.101386","authors":["Fengna Xu","Jinyuan Su"],"tags":["Space (punctuation)","Corporate governance","Incentive","Resource (disambiguation)","Safeguard"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-08-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1016/j.spacepol.2020.101386","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W2103548998","name":"The effect of anthropogenic resources on the space‐use patterns of golden jackals","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We studied the influence of agricultural villages on space‐use patterns of golden jackals ( Canis aureus Linnaeus) in the Mediterranean region of Israel. Villages in our research area attract jackals due to poor sanitation conditions in and around villages. As resources in these villages are abundant and predictable, we expected that space‐use patterns of jackals near those villages, including home‐range characteristics and movement paths, would differ from those of jackals inhabiting more natural areas. Using radio‐locations from 16 individuals (8 near villages and 8 from more natural areas), we found that mean home‐range size of jackals close to villages was 6.6 ± 4.5 km 2 , smaller than mean home‐range size of jackals in more natural areas (21.2 ± 9.3 km 2 , P = 0.001). Similarly, core area size of jackals near villages was 1.2 ± 0.92 km 2 , compared to 3.5 ± 1.6 km 2 for individuals inhabiting more natural areas ( P = 0.004). The core area/home‐range ratio was greater for jackals near villages than for those occupying more natural areas (0.122 ± 0.045 vs. 0.095 ± 0.037, respectively, P = 0.004). Jackals moved little during the day, with day ranges smaller for jackals near villages than away from them (1.65 ± 0.67 vs. 7.5 ± 5.6 km 2 , respectively, P = 0.028). However, jackals near villages moved as much at night as did jackals in more natural areas, although movement was in a less directional manner. Changes in distribution and predictability of resources due to anthropogenic activity affect not only the home‐range size of jackals, but also how they utilize and move through space. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.9","authors":["Guy Rotem","Haim Berger","Roni King","Pua Bar","David Saltz"],"tags":["Geography","Range (aeronautics)","Home range","Mediterranean climate","Ecology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1002/jwmg.9","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W2024719886","name":"The U. K. Space. Resources, Environment and the Future","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/633624","authors":["Michael Chisholm","John W. House"],"tags":["Space (punctuation)","Business","Computer science","Operating system"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1983-07-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.2307/633624","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W2900030356","name":"The UNITE database for molecular identification of fungi: handling dark taxa and parallel taxonomic classifications","source":"openalex","abstract":"UNITE (https://unite.ut.ee/) is a web-based database and sequence management environment for the molecular identification of fungi. It targets the formal fungal barcode-the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region-and offers all ∼1 000 000 public fungal ITS sequences for reference. These are clustered into ∼459 000 species hypotheses and assigned digital object identifiers (DOIs) to promote unambiguous reference across studies. In-house and web-based third-party sequence curation and annotation have resulted in more than 275 000 improvements to the data over the past 15 years. UNITE serves as a data provider for a range of metabarcoding software pipelines and regularly exchanges data with all major fungal sequence databases and other community resources. Recent improvements include redesigned handling of unclassifiable species hypotheses, integration with the taxonomic backbone of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, and support for an unlimited number of parallel taxonomic classification systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gky1022","authors":["Rolf Henrik Nilsson","Karl-Henrik Larsson","Andy F. S. Taylor","Johan Bengtsson‐Palme","Thomas Stjernegaard Jeppesen","Dmitry Schigel","Peter G. Kennedy","Kathryn T. Picard","Frank Oliver Glöckner","Leho Tedersoo","Irja Saar","Urmas Kõljalg","Kessy Abarenkov"],"tags":["Biology","Identifier","Identification (biology)","Internal transcribed spacer","Barcode"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-10-12","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1093/nar/gky1022","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0804.4433v1","name":"SPACE: the SPectroscopic All-sky Cosmic Explorer","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We describe the scientific motivations, the mission concept and the instrumentation of SPACE, a class-M mission proposed for concept study at the first call of the ESA Cosmic-Vision 2015-2025 planning cycle. SPACE aims to produce the largest three-dimensional evolutionary map of the Universe over the past 10 billion years by taking near-IR spectra and measuring redshifts for more than half a billion galaxies at 0&lt;z&lt;2 down to AB~23 over 3πsr of the sky. In addition, SPACE will also target a smaller sky field, performing a deep spectroscopic survey of millions of galaxies to AB~26 and at 2&lt;z&lt;10+. These goals are unreachable with ground-based observations due to the ~500 times higher sky background. To achieve the main science objectives, SPACE will use a 1.5m diameter Ritchey-Chretien telescope equipped with a set of arrays of Digital Micro-mirror Devices (DMDs) covering a total field of view of 0.4 deg2, and will perform large-multiplexing multi-object spectroscopy (e.g. ~6000 targets per pointing) at a spectral resolution of R~400 as well as diffraction-limited imaging with continuous coverage from 0.8mum to 1.8mum.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0804.4433v1","authors":["A. Cimatti","M. Robberto","C. M. Baugh","S. V. W. Beckwith","R. Content","E. Daddi","G. De Lucia","B. Garilli","L. Guzzo","G. Kauffmann","M. Lehnert","D. Maccagni","A. Martinez-Sansigre","F. Pasian","I. N. Reid","P. Rosati","R. Salvaterra","M. Stiavelli","Y. Wang","M. Zapatero Osorio","the SPACE team"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-04-28T15:53:54Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2605.30626v1","name":"Advancing Heliophysics and Space Weather Modeling through Open Science","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present a community-wide effort to develop a strategy and action plan to advance heliophysics and space weather modeling through open science. While open science has the potential to enhance the quality and pace of scientific discovery, its application to scientific modeling requires more careful consideration regarding open data and open software guidelines, as scientific models differ significantly from data analysis software. We gathered feedback from modeling teams worldwide through a living survey and discussion sessions at the 2024 Open Science Workshop in College Park, USA, and at the 2025 COSPAR ISWAT Working Meeting in Cape Canaveral, USA. We complement these findings with lessons learned from almost 25 years of experience at the Community Coordinated Modeling Center in enabling open use of models. We identify key roadblocks in current open science practices and guidelines and offer recommendations for future progress across four overlapping themes: open use of models and simulation results, open validation, open development, and open collaboration. An essential outcome of the discussion is the need for model developers and model users to speak with a united voice and promote the role of models in future open science efforts. We introduce a new cross-domain community initiative called the Heliophysics Open Modeling Environment (HOME), which will be integrated as an overarching activity within COSPAR ISWAT. HOME will serve as a platform for modelers and model users to work together, facilitate community modeling, improve the scientific return on modeling investment, and advance understanding, modeling, and forecasting in heliophysics and space weather.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.30626v1","authors":["C. Corti","M. M. Kuznetsova","M. A. Reiss","J. Yue","J. Karpen","C. N. Arge","F. Bacchini","C. Bard","S. Bruinsma","R. M. Caplan","L. K. S. Daldorff","P. J. Deka","C. R. DeVore","S. Elvidge","N. Ganushkina","J. D. Huba","B. V. Jackson","V. Jordanova","J. A. Linker","H. Liu","J. G. Luhmann","S. Markidis","P. Mayank","V. Merkin","N. Moens","D. Odstrcil","Y. A. Omelchenko","M. Palmroth","S. Poedts","A. J. Ridley","Y. Shou","V. Tenishev","D. R. Themens","G. Toth","W. Wang","R. -P. Wilhelm","M. A. Young","B. Cecconi","M. -Y. Chou","D. De Zeeuw","G. L. Delzanno","C. Didigu","M. El Alaoui","S. Fung","J. Green","Z. Huang","L. K. Jian","L. J. Landwer","M. Lesko","P. MacNeice","A. Masson","M. L. Mays","P. M. Mehta","M. S. Miesch","E. Palmerio","M. Petrenko","E. Provornikova","L. Rastätter","L. Rusaitis","N. Sachdeva","E. Samara","D. Sur","A. Taktakishvili","J. Topper","T. Tsui","C. Verbeke","J. Wang","C. Wiegand","M. Wiltberger","Y. Zheng","M. M. Bisi","M. K. Georgoulis","T. Kodikara","T. Pulkkinen","A. Chartier","D. da Silva","A. Faturahman","K. Garcia-Sage","D. Kondrashov","V. E. Ledvina","W. Liu","C. Pandey","E. Resnick","C. Shi","R. S. Weigel","K. Whitman","I. Zakharenkova","K. Zhang"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.SR","physics.comp-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-28T22:24:02Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1910.01506v1","name":"Whistler instability stimulated by the suprathermal electrons present in space plasmas","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In the absence of efficient collisions, deviations from thermal equilibrium of plasma particle distributions are controlled by the self-generated instabilities. The whistler instability is a notorious example, usually responsible for the regulation of electron temperature anisotropy $A = T_{\\perp}/T_\\parallel&gt;$ (with $\\perp, \\parallel$ respective to the magnetic field direction) observed in space plasmas, e.g., solar wind and planetary magnetospheres. Suprathermal electrons present in these environments change the plasma dispersion and stability properties, with expected consequences on the kinetic instabilities and the resulting fluctuations, which, in turn, scatter the electrons and reduce their anisotropy. In order to capture these mutual effects we use a quasilinear kinetic approach and PIC simulations, which provide a comprehensive characterization of the whistler instability under the influence of suprathermal electrons. Analysis is performed for a large variety of plasma conditions, ranging from low-beta plasmas encountered in outer corona or planetary magnetospheres to a high-beta solar wind characteristic to large heliospheric distances. Enhanced by the suprathermal electrons, whistler fluctuations stimulate the relaxation of temperature anisotropy, and this influence of suprathermals increases with plasma beta parameter.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1910.01506v1","authors":["M. Lazar","R. A. Lopez","S. M. Shaaban","S. Poedts","H. Fichtner"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","astro-ph.SR","physics.plasm-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-10-02T14:04:38Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1804.02985v1","name":"Verification of Space Weather Forecasts issued by the Met Office Space Weather Operations Centre","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Met Office Space Weather Operations Centre was founded in 2014 and part of its remit is a daily Space Weather Technical Forecast to help the UK build resilience to space weather impacts; guidance includes four day geo-magnetic storm forecasts (GMSF) and X-ray flare forecasts (XRFF). It is crucial for forecasters, users, modelers and stakeholders to understand the strengths and weaknesses of these forecasts; therefore, it is important to verify against the most reliable truth data source available. The present study contains verification results for XRFFs using GOES-15 satellite data and GMSF using planetary K-index (Kp) values from the GFZ Helmholtz Centre. To assess the value of the verification results it is helpful to compare them against a reference forecast and the frequency of occurrence during a rolling prediction period is used for this purpose. Analysis of the rolling 12-month performance over a 19-month period suggests that both the XRFF and GMSF struggle to provide a better prediction than the reference. However, a relative operating characteristic and reliability analysis of the full 19-month period reveals that although the GMSF and XRFF possess discriminatory skill, events tend to be over-forecast.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1804.02985v1","authors":["Michael A. Sharpe","Sophie A. Murray"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","physics.ao-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-04-06T16:29:02Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1806.09861v1","name":"The importance of ensemble techniques for operational space weather forecasting","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The space weather community has begun to use frontier methods such as data assimilation, machine learning, and ensemble modeling to advance current operational forecasting efforts. This was highlighted by a multi-disciplinary session at the 2017 American Geophysical Union Meeting, 'Frontier Solar-Terrestrial Science Enabled by the Combination of Data-Driven Techniques and Physics-Based Understanding', with considerable discussion surrounding ensemble techniques. Here ensemble methods are described in detail; using a set of predictions to improve on a single-model output, for example taking a simple average of multiple models, or using more complex techniques for data assimilation. They have been used extensively in fields such as numerical weather prediction and data science, for both improving model accuracy and providing a measure of model uncertainty. Researchers in the space weather community have found them to be similarly useful, and some examples of success stories are highlighted in this commentary. Future developments are also encouraged to transition these basic research efforts to operational forecasting as well as providing prediction errors to aid end-user understanding.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1806.09861v1","authors":["Sophie A. Murray"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","astro-ph.EP","physics.ao-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-06-26T09:18:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2211.04021v1","name":"Space Weather Observations, Modeling, and Alerts in Support of Human Exploration of Mars","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Space weather observations and modeling at Mars have begun but they must be significantly increased to support the future of Human Exploration on the Red Planet. A comprehensive space weather understanding of a planet without a global magnetosphere and a thin atmosphere is very different from our situation at Earth so there is substantial fundamental research remaining. It is expected that the development of suitable models will lead to a comprehensive operational Mars space weather alert (MSWA) system that would provide rapid dissemination of information to Earth controllers, astronauts in transit, and those in the exploration zone (EZ) on the surface by producing alerts that are delivered rapidly and are actionable. To illustrate the importance of such a system, we use a magnetohydrodynamic code to model an extreme Carrington-type coronal mass ejection (CME) event at Mars. The results show a significant induced surface field of nearly 3000 nT on the dayside that could radically affect unprotected electrical systems that would dramatically impact human survival on Mars. Other associated problems include coronal mass ejection (CME) shock-driven acceleration of solar energetic particles producing large doses of ionizing radiation at the Martian surface. In summary, along with working more closely with international partners, the next Heliophysics Decadal Survey must include a new initiative to meet expected demands for space weather forecasting in support of humans living and working on the surface of Mars. It will require significant effort to coordinate NASA and the international community contributions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2211.04021v1","authors":["James L. Green","Chuanfei Dong","Michael Hesse","C. Alex Young","Vladimir Airapetian"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-11-08T05:52:38Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0710.3970v1","name":"An Overview of the SPACE Mission Proposal","source":"arxiv","abstract":"SPACE (SPectroscopic All-sky Cosmic Explorer) is a class-M mission proposed to ESA for the Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 call and recently promoted to the next assessment study phase. SPACE will produce the first all-sky spectroscopic survey of the Universe, taking spectra of more than 500 million galaxies over a wide range of redshifts. SPACE will operate in slit mode (MEMS) at R~400 between 0.8 and 1.8micron down to AB~23, providing redshifts to an accuracy of Delta z~0.001, regardless on the presence of bright emission lines, together with the most relevant physical and evolutionary properties. The catalog of spectroscopic redshift will allow to place the ultimate constraints on the Baryon Acoustic Oscillations and the nature of Dark Energy. By obtaining the first 3-D all-sky map of the Universe at z~2 and beyond, SPACE will trace the growth rate of cosmic structures, the large scale structure of luminous baryons and its cosmic evolution. Besides the all-sky survey, SPACE will carry out a deep extragalactic survey over an area of ~10 sq. deg., enabling a most powerful supernova search program, and a galactic plane survey in integral field mode. Approximately 30% of the time will be open. Due to its versatility, SPACE is a ``self-sufficient'' observatory which can attack and solve the most compelling questions on the nature of the Dark Energy without complementary data from the Earth or space. Its unique wide-field capabilities in the near-IR make SPACE the ideal complement to JWST, ALMA, and the future 25-50 m telescopes.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0710.3970v1","authors":["M. Robberto","A. Cimatti","the SPACE Science Team"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-10-22T15:16:18Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2402.13302v1","name":"Enhancing Modern Supervised Word Sense Disambiguation Models by Semantic Lexical Resources","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Supervised models for Word Sense Disambiguation (WSD) currently yield to state-of-the-art results in the most popular benchmarks. Despite the recent introduction of Word Embeddings and Recurrent Neural Networks to design powerful context-related features, the interest in improving WSD models using Semantic Lexical Resources (SLRs) is mostly restricted to knowledge-based approaches. In this paper, we enhance \"modern\" supervised WSD models exploiting two popular SLRs: WordNet and WordNet Domains. We propose an effective way to introduce semantic features into the classifiers, and we consider using the SLR structure to augment the training data. We study the effect of different types of semantic features, investigating their interaction with local contexts encoded by means of mixtures of Word Embeddings or Recurrent Neural Networks, and we extend the proposed model into a novel multi-layer architecture for WSD. A detailed experimental comparison in the recent Unified Evaluation Framework (Raganato et al., 2017) shows that the proposed approach leads to supervised models that compare favourably with the state-of-the art.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.13302v1","authors":["Stefano Melacci","Achille Globo","Leonardo Rigutini"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-20T13:47:51Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1703.06754v2","name":"Flare forecasting at the Met Office Space Weather Operations Centre","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Met Office Space Weather Operations Centre produces 24/7/365 space weather guidance, alerts, and forecasts to a wide range of government and commercial end users across the United Kingdom. Solar flare forecasts are one of its products, which are issued multiple times a day in two forms; forecasts for each active region on the solar disk over the next 24 hours, and full-disk forecasts for the next four days. Here the forecasting process is described in detail, as well as first verification of archived forecasts using methods commonly used in operational weather prediction. Real-time verification available for operational flare forecasting use is also described. The influence of human forecasters is highlighted, with human-edited forecasts outperforming original model results, and forecasting skill decreasing over longer forecast lead times.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1703.06754v2","authors":["Sophie A. Murray","Suzy Bingham","Michael Sharpe","David R. Jackson"],"tags":["astro-ph.SR","physics.data-an","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-03-20T14:09:39Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2011.04759v1","name":"International Coordination and Support for SmallSat-enabled Space Weather Activities","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Advances in space weather science and small satellite (SmallSat) technology have proceeded in parallel over the past two decades, but better communication and coordination is needed among the respective worldwide communities contributing to this rapid progress. We identify six areas where improved international coordination is especially desirable, including: (1) orbital debris mitigation; (2) spectrum management; (3) export control regulations; (4) access to timely and low-cost launch opportunities; (5) inclusive data policies; and (6) education. We argue the need for internationally coordinated policies and programs to promote the use of SmallSats for space weather research and forecasting while realizing maximum scientific and technical advances through the integration of these two increasingly important endeavors.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2011.04759v1","authors":["Teresa Nieves-Chinchilla","Bhavya Lal","Robert Robinson","Amir Caspi","David R. Jackson","Therese Moretto Jørgensen","James Spann"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.SR","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-09T21:00:34Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2312.06854v1","name":"Self-supervised Machine Learning Based Approach to Orbit Modelling Applied to Space Traffic Management","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents a novel methodology for improving the performance of machine learning based space traffic management tasks through the use of a pre-trained orbit model. Taking inspiration from BERT-like self-supervised language models in the field of natural language processing, we introduce ORBERT, and demonstrate the ability of such a model to leverage large quantities of readily available orbit data to learn meaningful representations that can be used to aid in downstream tasks. As a proof of concept of this approach we consider the task of all vs. all conjunction screening, phrased here as a machine learning time series classification task. We show that leveraging unlabelled orbit data leads to improved performance, and that the proposed approach can be particularly beneficial for tasks where the availability of labelled data is limited.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.06854v1","authors":["Emma Stevenson","Victor Rodriguez-Fernandez","Hodei Urrutxua","Vincent Morand","David Camacho"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-11T21:52:05Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2012.03343v1","name":"Addressing Gaps in Space Weather Operations and Understanding with Small Satellites","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Gaps in space weather observations that can be addressed with small satellites are identified. Potential improvements in solar inputs to space weather models, space radiation control, estimations of energy budget of the upper Earth's atmosphere, and satellite drag modeling are briefly discussed. Key observables, instruments and observation strategies by small satellites are recommended. Tracking optimization for small satellites is proposed.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2012.03343v1","authors":["Olga Verkhoglyadova","Charles Bussy-Virat","Amir Caspi","David Jackson","Vladimir Kalegaev","Jeffrey Klenzing","Jesus Nieves-Chinchilla","Angelos Vourlidas"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.SR","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-12-06T18:02:02Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.18326v1","name":"In-situ observations of resident space objects with the CHEOPS space telescope","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite (CHEOPS) is a partnership between the European Space Agency and Switzerland with important contributions by 10 additional ESA member States. It is the first S-class mission in the ESA Science Programme. CHEOPS has been flying on a Sun-synchronous low Earth orbit since December 2019, collecting millions of short-exposure images in the visible domain to study exoplanet properties. A small yet increasing fraction of CHEOPS images show linear trails caused by resident space objects crossing the instrument field of view. To characterize the population of satellites and orbital debris observed by CHEOPS, all and every science images acquired over the past 3 years have been scanned with a Hough transform algorithm to identify the characteristic linear features that these objects cause on the images. Thousands of trails have been detected. This statistically significant sample shows interesting trends and features such as an increased occurrence rate over the past years as well as the fingerprint of the Starlink constellation. The cross-matching of individual trails with catalogued objects is underway as we aim to measure their distance at the time of observation and deduce the apparent magnitude of the detected objects. As space agencies and private companies are developing new space-based surveillance and tracking activities to catalogue and characterize the distribution of small debris, the CHEOPS experience is timely and relevant. With the first CHEOPS mission extension currently running until the end of 2026, and a possible second extension until the end of 2029, the longer time coverage will make our dataset even more valuable to the community, especially for characterizing objects with recurrent crossings.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.18326v1","authors":["Nicolas Billot","Stephan Hellmich","Willy Benz","Andrea Fortier","David Ehrenreich","Christopher Broeg","Alexis Heitzmann","Anja Bekkelien","Alexis Brandeker","Yann Alibert","Roi Alonso","Tamas Bárczy","David Barrado Navascues","Susana C. C. Barros","Wolfgang Baumjohann","Federico Biondi","Luca Borsato","Andrew Collier Cameron","Carlos Corral van Damme","Alexandre C. M. Correia","Szilard Csizmadia","Patricio E. Cubillos","Melvyn B. Davies","Magali Deleuil","Adrien Deline","Olivier D. S. Demangeon","Brice-Olivier Demory","Aliz Derekas","Billy Edwards","Jo Ann Egger","Anders Erikson","Luca Fossati","Malcolm Fridlund","Davide Gandolfi","Kosmas Gazeas","Michaël Gillon","Manuel Güdel","Maximilian N. Günther","Ch. Helling","Kate G. Isaak","Laszlo L. Kiss","Judith Korth","Kristine W. F. Lam","Jacques Laskar","Alain Lecavelier des Etangs","Monika Lendl","Demetrio Magrin","Pierre F. L. Maxted","Marko Mecina","Bruno Merín","Christoph Mordasini","Valerio Nascimbeni","Göran Olofsson","Roland Ottensamer","Isabella Pagano","Enric Pallé","Gisbert Peter","Daniele Piazza","Giampaolo Piotto","Don Pollacco","Didier Queloz","Roberto Ragazzoni","Nicola Rando","Heike Rauer","Ignasi Ribas","Martin Rieder","Nuno C. Santos","Gaetano Scandariato","Damien Ségransan","Attila E. Simon","Alexis M. S. Smith","Sérgio G. Sousa","Manu Stalport","Sophia Sulis","Gyula M. Szabó","Stéphane Udry","Bernd Ulmer","Solène Ulmer-Moll","Valérie Van Grootel","Julia Venturini","Eva Villaver","Nicholas A. Walton","Thomas G. Wilson"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM","physics.data-an","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-27T13:27:52Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2210.16693v2","name":"How Do Shock Waves Define the Space-Time Structure of Gradual Solar Energetic Particle Events?","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We revisit the full variety of observed temporal and spatial distributions of energetic solar protons in \"gradual\" solar energetic-particle (SEP) events resulting from the spatial variations in the shock waves that accelerate them. Differences in the shock strength at the solar longitude of a spacecraft and at the footpoint of its connecting magnetic field line, nominally 55 degrees to the west, drive much of that variation. The shock wave itself, together with energetic particles trapped near it by self-amplified Alfven waves, forms an underlying autonomous structure that can drive across magnetic field lines intact, spreading proton intensities in a widening SEP longitude distribution. During the formation of this fundamental structure, historically called an \"energetic storm particle\" (ESP) event, many SEPs leak away early, amplifying waves as they flow along well-connected field lines and broaden the distribution outward; behind this structure between the shock and the Sun a \"reservoir\" of quasi-trapped SEPs forms. Very large SEP events are complicated by additional extensive wave growth that can spread an extended ESP-like trapping region. The multiplicity of shock-related processes contributing to the observed SEP profiles causes correlations of the events to be poorly represented by the peak intensities commonly used. In fact, the extensive spatial distributions of SEPs are sometimes interwoven with the structures of the shocks that have accelerated them and sometimes free. We should consider new questions: Which extremes of the shock contribute most to the SEPs profile of an event, (1) the shock at the longitude of a spacecraft, (2) the shock ~55 degrees to the west at the footpoint of the field, or (3) SEPs that have collected in the reservoir? How does the space-time distribution of SEPs correspond with the underlying space-time distribution of shock strength?","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2210.16693v2","authors":["Donald V. Reames"],"tags":["astro-ph.SR","physics.plasm-ph","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-29T20:57:04Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2201.07426v1","name":"Small Satellite Mission Concepts for Space Weather Research and as Pathfinders for Operations","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Recent advances in miniaturization and commercial availability of critical satellite subsystems and detector technology have made small satellites (SmallSats, including CubeSats) an attractive, low-cost potential solution for space weather research and operational needs. Motivated by the 1st International Workshop on SmallSats for Space Weather Research and Forecasting, held in Washington, DC on 1-4 August 2017, we discuss the need for advanced space weather measurement capabilities, driven by analyses from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and how SmallSats can efficiently fill these measurement gaps. We present some current, recent missions and proposed/upcoming mission concepts using SmallSats that enhance space weather research and provide prototyping pathways for future operational applications; how they relate to the WMO requirements; and what challenges remain to be overcome to meet the WMO goals and operational needs in the future. With additional investment from cognizant funding agencies worldwide, SmallSats -- including standalone missions and constellations -- could significantly enhance space weather research and, eventually, operations, by reducing costs and enabling new measurements not feasible from traditional, large, monolithic missions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2201.07426v1","authors":["Amir Caspi","M. Barthelemy","C. D. Bussy-Virat","I. J. Cohen","C. E. DeForest","D. R. Jackson","A. Vourlidas","T. Nieves-Chinchilla"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.SR","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-19T05:51:23Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2206.02968v1","name":"Achievements and Lessons Learned from Successful Small Satellite Missions for Space Weather-Oriented Research","source":"arxiv","abstract":"When the first CubeSats were launched nearly two decades ago, few people believed that the miniature satellites would likely prove to be a useful scientific tool. Skeptics abounded. However, the last decade has seen the highly successful implementation of space missions that make creative and innovative use of fast-advancing CubeSat and small satellite technology to carry out important science experiments and missions. Several projects now have used CubeSats to obtain first-of-their-kind observations and findings that have formed the basis for high-profile engineering and science publications, thereby establishing without doubt the scientific value and broad utility of CubeSats. In this paper, we describe recent achievements and lessons learned from a representative selection of successful CubeSat missions with a space weather focus. We conclude that these missions were successful in part because their limited resources promoted not only mission focus but also appropriate risk-taking for comparatively high science return. Quantitative analysis of refereed publications from these CubeSat missions and several larger missions reveals that mission outcome metrics compare favorably when publication number is normalized by mission cost or if expressed as a weighted net scientific impact of all mission publications.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2206.02968v1","authors":["Harlan E. Spence","Amir Caspi","Hasan Bahcivan","Jesus Nieves-Chinchilla","Geoff Crowley","James Cutler","Chad Fish","David Jackson","Therese Moretto Jørgensen","David Klumpar","Xinlin Li","James P. Mason","Nick Paschalidis","John Sample","Sonya Smith","Charles M. Swenson","Thomas N. Woods"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.SR","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-06-07T02:09:29Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1609.00737v3","name":"Space Development and Space Science Together, an Historic Opportunity","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The national space programs have an historic opportunity to help solve the global-scale economic and environmental problems of Earth while becoming more effective at science through the use of space resources. Space programs will be more cost-effective when they work to establish a supply chain in space, mining and manufacturing then replicating the assets of the supply chain so it grows to larger capacity. This has become achievable because of advances in robotics and artificial intelligence. It is roughly estimated that developing a lunar outpost that relies upon and also develops the supply chain will cost about 1/3 or less of the existing annual budgets of the national space programs. It will require a sustained commitment of several decades to complete, during which time science and exploration become increasingly effective. At the end, this space industry will capable of addressing global-scale challenges including limited resources, clean energy, economic development, and preservation of the environment. Other potential solutions, including nuclear fusion and terrestrial renewable energy sources, do not address the root problem of our limited globe and there are real questions whether they will be inadequate or too late. While industry in space likewise cannot provide perfect assurance, it is uniquely able to solve the root problem, and it gives us an important chance that we should grasp. What makes this such an historic opportunity is that the space-based solution is obtainable as a side-benefit of doing space science and exploration within their existing budgets. Thinking pragmatically, it may take some time for policymakers to agree that setting up a complete supply chain is an achievable goal, so this paper describes a strategy of incremental progress.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1609.00737v3","authors":["Philip Metzger"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP","physics.pop-ph","physics.soc-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-09-02T20:09:24Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0903.3183v2","name":"Physics education research: Resources for middle school science teachers","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This resource letter intends to provide middle school science teachers with a collection of resources to aid them in planning and implementing a physical science curriculum. The resources are in the form of books, websites, journals, and organizations.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0903.3183v2","authors":["Zosia A. C. Krusberg"],"tags":["physics.ed-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-03-18T15:31:12Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2009.02471v1","name":"Archaeology in a Vacuum: Obstacles to and Solutions for Developing a Real Space Archaeology","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper outlines some of the difficulties faced by archaeologists studying human activity in outer space. The International Space Station Archaeological Project has identified solutions to these problems, including the use of historic photographic archives and documentation of discard practices such as processes associated with the return of space-flown items to Earth.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2009.02471v1","authors":["International Space Station Archaeological Project"," :","Alice C. Gorman","Justin St. P. Walsh"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-09-05T06:05:33Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1811.03413v1","name":"Optical communication on CubeSats - Enabling the next era in space science","source":"arxiv","abstract":"CubeSats are excellent platforms to rapidly perform simple space experiments. Several hundreds of CubeSats have already been successfully launched in the past few years and the number of announced launches grows every year. These platforms provide an easy access to space for universities and organizations which otherwise could not afford it. However, these spacecraft still rely on RF communications, where the spectrum is already crowded and cannot support the growing demand for data transmission to the ground. Lasercom holds the promise to be the solution to this problem, with a potential improvement of several orders of magnitude in the transmission capacity, while keeping a low size, weight and power. Between 2016 and 2017, The Keck Institute for Space Studies (KISS), a joint institute of the California Institute of Technology and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, brought together a group of space scientists and lasercom engineers to address the current challenges that this technology faces, in order to enable it to compete with RF and eventually replace it when high-data rate is needed. After two one-week workshops, the working group started developing a report addressing three study cases: low Earth orbit, crosslinks and deep space. This paper presents the main points and conclusions of these KISS workshops.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1811.03413v1","authors":["Alberto Carrasco-Casado","Abhijit Biswas","Renny Fields","Brian Grefenstette","Fiona Harrison","Suzana Sburlan","Morio Toyoshima"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","physics.ins-det","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-10-26T05:03:48Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0808.3636v2","name":"Physics education research: Resources for graduate student instructors","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This resource letter intends to provide physics instructors - particularly graduate student teaching assistants - at the introductory university level with a small but representative collection of resources to acquire a familiarity with research in physics education for guidance in everyday instruction. The resources are in the form of books, articles, websites, journals, and organizations.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0808.3636v2","authors":["Zosia A. C. Krusberg"],"tags":["physics.ed-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-08-27T07:33:17Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2111.06053v1","name":"Improving Large-scale Language Models and Resources for Filipino","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, we improve on existing language resources for the low-resource Filipino language in two ways. First, we outline the construction of the TLUnified dataset, a large-scale pretraining corpus that serves as an improvement over smaller existing pretraining datasets for the language in terms of scale and topic variety. Second, we pretrain new Transformer language models following the RoBERTa pretraining technique to supplant existing models trained with small corpora. Our new RoBERTa models show significant improvements over existing Filipino models in three benchmark datasets with an average gain of 4.47% test accuracy across the three classification tasks of varying difficulty.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2111.06053v1","authors":["Jan Christian Blaise Cruz","Charibeth Cheng"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-11-11T05:00:58Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1403.5188v1","name":"The Chinese space millimeter-wavelength VLBI array - a step toward imaging the most compact astronomical objects","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Shanghai Astronomical Observatory (SHAO) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) is studying a space VLBI (Very Long Baseline Interferometer) program. The ultimate objective of the program is to image the immediate vicinity of the supermassive black holes (SMBHs) in the hearts of galaxies with a space-based VLBI array working at sub-millimeter wavelengths and to gain ultrahigh angular resolution. To achieve this ambitious goal, the mission plan is divided into three stages. The first phase of the program is called Space Millimeter-wavelength VLBI Array (SMVA) consisting of two satellites, each carrying a 10-m diameter radio telescope into elliptical orbits with an apogee height of 60000 km and a perigee height of 1200 km. The VLBI telescopes in space will work at three frequency bands, 43, 22 and 8 GHz. The 43- and 22-GHz bands will be equipped with cryogenic receivers. The space telescopes, observing together with ground-based radio telescopes, enable the highest angular resolution of 20 micro-arcsecond ($μ$as) at 43 GHz. The SMVA is expected to conduct a broad range of high-resolution observational research, e.g. imaging the shadow (dark region) of the supermassive black hole in the heart of the galaxy M87 for the first time, studying the kinematics of water megamasers surrounding the SMBHs, and exploring the power source of active galactic nuclei. Pre-research funding has been granted by the CAS in October 2012, to support scientific and technical feasibility studies. These studies also include the manufacturing of a prototype of the deployable 10-m space-based telescope and a 22-GHz receiver. Here we report on the latest progress of the SMVA project.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1403.5188v1","authors":["Xiaoyu Hong","Zhiqiang Shen","Tao An","Qinghui Liu","the Chinese Space VLBI Array team"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.GA"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-03-20T16:13:20Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2204.05042v3","name":"Resources for Turkish Natural Language Processing: A critical survey","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents a comprehensive survey of corpora and lexical resources available for Turkish. We review a broad range of resources, focusing on the ones that are publicly available. In addition to providing information about the available linguistic resources, we present a set of recommendations, and identify gaps in the data available for conducting research and building applications in Turkish Linguistics and Natural Language Processing.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2204.05042v3","authors":["Çağrı Çöltekin","A. Seza Doğruöz","Özlem Çetinoğlu"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-04-11T12:23:07Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1207.5540v2","name":"The Benefits and Harms of Transmitting Into Space","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Deliberate and unintentional radio transmissions from Earth propagate into space. These transmissions could be detected by extraterrestrial watchers over interstellar distances. Here, we analyze the harms and benefits of deliberate and unintentional transmissions relevant to Earth and humanity. Comparing the magnitude of deliberate radio broadcasts intended for messaging to extraterrestrial intelligence (METI) with the background radio spectrum of Earth, we find that METI attempts to date have much lower detectability than emissions from current radio communication technologies on Earth. METI broadcasts are usually transient and several orders of magnitude less powerful than other terrestrial sources such as astronomical and military radars, which provide the strongest detectable signals. The benefits of radio communication on Earth likely outweigh the potential harms of detection by extraterrestrial watchers; however, the uncertainty regarding the outcome of contact with extraterrestrial beings creates difficulty in assessing whether or not to engage in long-term and large-scale METI.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1207.5540v2","authors":["Jacob Haqq-Misra","Michael Busch","Sanjoy Som","Seth Baum"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph","physics.soc-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-07-23T21:22:09Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1908.05938v1","name":"Summary of the plenary sessions at European Space Weather Week 15: space weather users and service providers working together now and in the future","source":"arxiv","abstract":"During European Space Weather Week 15 two plenary sessions were held to review the status of operational space weather forecasting. The first session addressed the topic of working with space weather service providers now and in the future, the user perspective. The second session provided the service perspective, addressing experiences in forecasting development and operations. Presentations in both sessions provided an overview of international efforts on these topics, and panel discussion topics arising in the first session were used as a basis for panel discussion in the second session. Discussion topics included experiences during the September 2017 space weather events, cross domain impacts, timeliness of notifications, and provision of effective user education. Users highlighted that a 'severe' space weather event did not necessarily lead to severe impacts for each individual user across the different sectors. Service providers were generally confident that timely and reliable information could be provided during severe and extreme events, although stressed that more research and funding were required in this relatively new field of operational space weather forecasting, to ensure continuation of capabilities and further development of services, in particular improved forecasting targeting user needs. Here a summary of the sessions is provided followed by a commentary on the current state-of-the-art and potential next steps towards improvement of services.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1908.05938v1","authors":["Suzy Bingham","Sophie A. Murray","Antonio Guerrero","Alexi Glover","Peter Thorn"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-08-16T11:42:34Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1507.08730v1","name":"Socio-economic hazards and impacts of space weather: the important range between mild and extreme","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Society needs to prepare for more severe space weather than it has experienced in the modern technological era. To enable that, we must both quantify extreme-event characteristics and analyze impacts of lesser events that are frequent yet severe enough to be informative. Exploratory studies suggest that economic impacts of a century-level space hurricane and of a century of lesser space-weather \"gales\" may turn out to be of the same order of magnitude. The economic benefits of effective mitigation of the impacts of space gales may substantially exceed the required investments, even as these investments provide valuable information to prepare for the worst possible storms.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1507.08730v1","authors":["Carolus J. Schrijver"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-07-31T02:13:03Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0908.4349v1","name":"Scientific Understanding and the Risk from Extreme Space Weather","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Like all natural hazards, space weather exhibits occasional extreme events over timescales of decades to centuries. Historical events provoked much interest but had little economic impact. However, the widespread adoption of advanced technological infrastructures over the past fifty years gives these events the potential to disrupt those infrastructures - and thus create profound economic and societal impact. However, like all extreme hazards, such events are rare, so we have limited data on which to build our understanding of the events. Many other natural hazards (e.g. flash floods) are highly localised, so statistically significant datasets can be assembled by combining data from independent instances of the hazard recorded over a few decades. But we have a single instance of space weather so we would have to make observations for many centuries in order to build a statistically significant dataset. Instead we must exploit our knowledge of solar-terrestrial physics to find other ways to assess these risks. We discuss three alternative approaches: (a) use of proxy data, (b) studies of other solar systems, and (c) use of physics-based modelling. The proxy data approach is well-established as a technique for assessing the long-term risk from radiation storms, but does not yet provide any means to assess the risk from severe geomagnetic storms. This latter risk is more suited to the other approaches. We need to develop and expand techniques to monitoring key space weather features in other solar systems. To make progress in modelling severe space weather, we need to focus on the physics that controls severe geomagnetic storms, e.g. how can dayside and tail reconnection be modulated to expand the region of open flux to envelop mid-latitudes?","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0908.4349v1","authors":["Mike Hapgood"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","physics.plasm-ph","physics.soc-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-08-29T17:28:06Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2101.09887v1","name":"New cosmic ray observations at Syowa Station in the Antarctic for space weather study","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Muon detectors and neutron monitors were recently installed at Syowa Station, in the Antarctic, to observe different types of secondary particles resulting from cosmic ray interactions simultaneously from the same location. Continuing observations will give new insight into the response of muon detectors to atmospheric and geomagnetic effects. Operation began in February, 2018 and the system has been stable with a duty-cycle exceeding 94%. Muon data shows a clear seasonal variation, which is expected from the atmospheric temperature effect. We verified successful operation by showing that the muon and neutron data are consistent with those from other locations by comparing intensity variations during a space weather event. We have established a web page to make real time data available with interactive graphics (http://polaris.nipr.ac.jp/~cosmicrays/).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2101.09887v1","authors":["C. Kato","W. Kihara","Y. Ko","A. Kadokura","R. Kataoka","P. Evenson","S. Uchida","S. Kaimi","Y. Nakamura","H. A. Uchida","K. Murase","K. Munakata"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-01-25T04:19:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2009.04211v1","name":"Domain of Influence analysis: implications for Data Assimilation in space weather forecasting","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Solar activity, ranging from the background solar wind to energetic coronal mass ejections (CMEs), is the main driver of the conditions in the interplanetary space and in the terrestrial space environment, known as space weather. A better understanding of the Sun-Earth connection carries enormous potential to mitigate negative space weather effects with economic and social benefits. Effective space weather forecasting relies on data and models. In this paper, we discuss some of the most used space weather models, and propose suitable locations for data gathering with space weather purposes. We report on the application of \\textit{Representer analysis (RA)} and \\textit{Domain of Influence (DOI) analysis} to three models simulating different stages of the Sun-Earth connection: the OpenGGCM and Tsyganenko models, focusing on solar wind - magnetosphere interaction, and the PLUTO model, used to simulate CME propagation in interplanetary space. Our analysis is promising for space weather purposes for several reasons. First, we obtain quantitative information about the most useful locations of observation points, such as solar wind monitors. For example, we find that the absolute values of the DOI are extremely low in the magnetospheric plasma sheet. Since knowledge of that particular sub-system is crucial for space weather, enhanced monitoring of the region would be most beneficial. Second, we are able to better characterize the models. Although the current analysis focuses on spatial rather than temporal correlations, we find that time-independent models are less useful for Data Assimilation activities than time-dependent models. Third, we take the first steps towards the ambitious goal of identifying the most relevant heliospheric parameters for modelling CME propagation in the heliosphere, their arrival time, and their geoeffectiveness at Earth.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2009.04211v1","authors":["Dimitrios Millas","Maria Elena Innocenti","Brecht Laperre","Joachim Raeder","Stefaan Poedts","Giovanni Lapenta"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-09-09T11:13:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1203.0959v2","name":"Magnetic twist: a source and property of space weather","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present evidence for finite magnetic helicity density in the heliosphere and numerical models thereof, and relate it to the magnetic field properties of the dynamo in the solar convection zone. We use simulations and solar wind data to compute magnetic helicity either directly from the simulations, or indirectly using time series of the skew-symmetric components of the magnetic correlation tensor. We find that the solar dynamo produces negative magnetic helicity at small scales and positive at large scales. However, in the heliosphere these properties are reversed and the magnetic helicity is now positive at small scales and negative at large scales. We explain this by the fact that a negative diffusive magnetic helicity flux corresponds to a positive gradient of magnetic helicity, which leads to a change of sign from negative to positive values at some radius in the northern hemisphere.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1203.0959v2","authors":["Jörn Warnecke","Axel Brandenburg","Dhrubaditya Mitra"],"tags":["astro-ph.SR","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-03-05T16:17:01Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0606175v1","name":"The James Webb Space Telescope","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a large (6.6m), cold (50K), infrared-optimized space observatory that will be launched early in the next decade. The observatory will have four instruments: a near-infrared camera, a near-infrared multi-object spectrograph, and a tunable filter imager will cover the wavelength range, 0.6 to 5.0 microns, while the mid-infrared instrument will do both imaging and spectroscopy from 5.0 to 29 microns. The JWST science goals are divided into four themes. The End of the Dark Ages: First Light and Reionization theme seeks to identify the first luminous sources to form and to determine the ionization history of the early universe. The Assembly of Galaxies theme seeks to determine how galaxies and the dark matter, gas, stars, metals, morphological structures, and active nuclei within them evolved from the epoch of reionization to the present day. The Birth of Stars and Protoplanetary Systems theme seeks to unravel the birth and early evolution of stars, from infall on to dust-enshrouded protostars to the genesis of planetary systems. The Planetary Systems and the Origins of Life theme seeks to determine the physical and chemical properties of planetary systems including our own, and investigate the potential for the origins of life in those systems. To enable these observations, JWST consists of a telescope, an instrument package, a spacecraft and a sunshield. The telescope consists of 18 beryllium segments, some of which are deployed. The segments will be brought into optical alignment on-orbit through a process of periodic wavefront sensing and control. The JWST operations plan is based on that used for previous space observatories, and the majority of JWST observing time will be allocated to the international astronomical community through annual peer-reviewed proposal opportunities.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0606175v1","authors":["Jonathan P. Gardner","John C. Mather","Mark Clampin","Rene Doyon","Matthew A. Greenhouse","Heidi B. Hammel","John B. Hutchings","Peter Jakobsen","Simon J. Lilly","Knox S. Long","Jonathan I. Lunine","Mark J. McCaughrean","Matt Mountain","John Nella","George H. Rieke","Marcia J. Rieke","Hans-Walter Rix","Eric P. Smith","George Sonneborn","Massimo Stiavelli","H. S. Stockman","Rogier A. Windhorst","Gillian S. Wright"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-06-07T21:05:29Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1502.01846v1","name":"A Space Weather Information Service Based Upon Remote and In-Situ Measurements of Coronal Mass Ejections Heading for Earth","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Earth's magnetosphere is formed as a consequence of interaction between the planet's magnetic field and the solar wind, a continuous plasma stream from the Sun. A number of different solar wind phenomena have been studied over the past forty years with the intention of understanding and forecasting solar behavior. One of these phenomena in particular, Earth-bound interplanetary coronal mass ejections (CMEs), can significantly disturb the Earth's magnetosphere for a short time and cause geomagnetic storms. This publication presents a mission concept consisting of six spacecraft that are equally spaced in a heliocentric orbit at 0.72 AU. These spacecraft will monitor the plasma properties, the magnetic field's orientation and magnitude, and the 3D-propagation trajectory of CMEs heading for Earth. The primary objective of this mission is to increase space weather (SW) forecasting time by means of a near real-time information service, that is based upon in-situ and remote measurements of the aforementioned CME properties. The mission's secondary objective is to provide vital data to update scientific models. In-situ measurements are performed using a Solar Wind Analyzer instrumentation package and flux gate magnetometers, while coronagraphs execute remote measurements. Communication with the six identical spacecraft is realized via a deep space network consisting of six ground stations. They provide an information service that is in uninterrupted contact with the spacecraft, allowing for continuous SW monitoring. The data will be handled by a dedicated processing center before being forwarded to the SSA Space Weather Coordination Center who will manage the SW forecasting. The data processing center will additionally archive the data for the scientific community. The proposed concept mission allows for major advances in SW forecasting time and the scientific modelling of SW.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1502.01846v1","authors":["Birgit Ritter","Arjan J. H. Meskers","Oscar Miles","Michael Rußwurm","Stephen Scully","Andrés Roldán","Oliver Hartkorn","Peter Jüstel","Victor Réville","Sorina Lupu","Alexis Ruffenach"],"tags":["physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-02-06T10:20:40Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1404.4307v2","name":"Quantum Tests of the Einstein Equivalence Principle with the STE-QUEST Space Mission","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present in detail the scientific objectives in fundamental physics of the Space-Time Explorer and QUantum Equivalence Space Test (STE-QUEST) space mission. STE-QUEST was pre-selected by the European Space Agency together with four other missions for the cosmic vision M3 launch opportunity planned around 2024. It carries out tests of different aspects of the Einstein Equivalence Principle using atomic clocks, matter wave interferometry and long distance time/frequency links, providing fascinating science at the interface between quantum mechanics and gravitation that cannot be achieved, at that level of precision, in ground experiments. We especially emphasize the specific strong interest of performing equivalence principle tests in the quantum regime, i.e. using quantum atomic wave interferometry. Although STE-QUEST was finally not selected in early 2014 because of budgetary and technological reasons, its science case was very highly rated. Our aim is to expose that science to a large audience in order to allow future projects and proposals to take advantage of the STE-QUEST experience.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1404.4307v2","authors":["Brett Altschul","Quentin G. Bailey","Luc Blanchet","Kai Bongs","Philippe Bouyer","Luigi Cacciapuoti","Salvatore Capozziello","Naceur Gaaloul","Domenico Giulini","Jonas Hartwig","Luciano Iess","Philippe Jetzer","Arnaud Landragin","Ernst Rasel","Serge Reynaud","Stephan Schiller","Christian Schubert","Fiodor Sorrentino","Uwe Sterr","Jay D. Tasson","Guglielmo M. Tino","Philip Tuckey","Peter Wolf"],"tags":["gr-qc","astro-ph.CO","quant-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-04-16T16:42:31Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2105.13227v1","name":"What Sustained Multi-Disciplinary Research Can Achieve: The Space Weather Modeling Framework","source":"arxiv","abstract":"MHD-based global space weather models have mostly been developed and maintained at academic institutions. While the \"free spirit\" approach of academia enables the rapid emergence and testing of new ideas and methods, the lack of long-term stability and support makes this arrangement very challenging. This paper describes a successful example of a university-based group, the Center of Space Environment Modeling (CSEM) at the University of Michigan, that developed and maintained the Space Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF) and its core element, the BATS-R-US extended MHD code. It took a quarter of a century to develop this capability and reach its present level of maturity that makes it suitable for research use by the space physics community through the Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC) as well as operational use by the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2105.13227v1","authors":["Tamas I. Gombosi","Yuxi Chen","Alex Glocer","Zhenguang Huang","Xianzhe Jia","Michael W. Liemohn","Ward B. Manchester","Tuija Pulkkinen","Nishtha Sachdeva","Qusai Al Shidi","Igor V. Sokolov","Judit Szente","Valeriy Tenishev","Gabor Toth","Bart van der Holst","Daniel T. Welling","Lulu Zhao","Shasha Zou"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","astro-ph.EP","physics.comp-ph","physics.plasm-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-05-27T15:17:25Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1602.04051v2","name":"Effects of suprathermal electrons on the proton temperature anisotropy in space plasmas: Electromagnetic ion-cyclotron instability","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In collision-poor plasmas from space, e.g., the solar wind and planetary magnetospheres, the kinetic anisotropy of the plasma particles is expected to be regulated by the kinetic instabilities. Driven by an excess of ion (proton) temperature perpendicular to the magnetic field $(~T_\\perp &gt;T_\\parallel)$, the electromagnetic ion-cyclotron (EMIC) instability is fast enough to constrain the proton anisotropy, but the observations do not conform to the instability thresholds predicted by the standard theory for bi-Maxwellian models of the plasma particles. This paper presents an extended investigation of the EMIC instability in the presence of suprathermal electrons which are ubiquitous in these environments. The analysis is based on the kinetic (Vlasov-Maxwell) theory assuming that both species, protons and electrons, may be anisotropic, and the EMIC unstable solutions are derived numerically providing an accurate description for conditions typically encountered in space plasmas. The effects of suprathermal populations are triggered by the electron anisotropy and the temperature contrast between electrons and protons. For certain conditions the anisotropy thresholds exceed the limits of the proton anisotropy measured in the solar wind considerably restraining the unstable regimes of the EMIC modes.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1602.04051v2","authors":["S. M. Shaaban","M. Lazar","S. Poedts","A. Elhanbaly"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","astro-ph.SR","physics.plasm-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-02-12T13:34:54Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0308020v1","name":"LERIL : Collaborative Effort for Creating Lexical Resources","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The paper reports on efforts taken to create lexical resources pertaining to Indian languages, using the collaborative model. The lexical resources being developed are: (1) Transfer lexicon and grammar from English to several Indian languages. (2) Dependencey tree bank of annotated corpora for several Indian languages. The dependency trees are based on the Paninian model. (3) Bilingual dictionary of 'core meanings'.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/cs/0308020v1","authors":["Akshar Bharati","Dipti M Sharma","Vineet Chaitanya","Amba P Kulkarni","Rajeev Sangal","Durgesh D Rao"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-08-07T10:08:43Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.01114v1","name":"Verification of the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center solar flare forecast (1998-2024)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) issues the official U.S. government forecast for M-class and X-class solar flares, yet the skill of these forecasts has never been comprehensively verified. In this study, we evaluate the SWPC probabilistic flare forecasts over a 26-year period (1998-2024), comparing them to several zero-cost and statistical baselines including persistence, climatology, Naive Bayes, and logistic regression. We find that the SWPC model does not outperform these baselines across key classification and probabilistic metrics and exhibits severe calibration issues and high false alarm rates, especially in high-stakes scenarios such as detecting the first flare after extended quiet periods. These findings demonstrate the need for more accurate and reliable eruption forecasting models which we suggest should be based on modern data-driven methods. The findings also provide a standard against which any proposed eruption prediction system should be compared. We suggest that space weather forecasters regularly update and publish analyses like the one demonstrated here to provide up-to-date standards of accuracy and reliability against which to compare new methods.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.01114v1","authors":["Enrico Camporeale","Thomas E. Berger"],"tags":["physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-01T23:27:00Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1502.06123v1","name":"United Nations Human Space Technology Initiative (HSTI)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Human Space Technology Initiative was launched in 2010 within the framework of the United Nations Programme on Space Applications implemented by the Office for Outer Space Affairs of the United Nations. It aims to involve more countries in activities related to human spaceflight and space exploration and to increase the benefits from the outcome of such activities through international cooperation, to make space exploration a truly international effort. The role of the Initiative in these efforts is to provide a platform to exchange information, foster collaboration between partners from spacefaring and non-spacefaring countries, and encourage emerging and developing countries to take part in space research and benefit from space applications. The Initiative organizes expert meetings and workshops annually to raise awareness of the current status of space exploration activities as well as of the benefits of utilizing human space technology and its applications. The Initiative is also carrying out primary science activities including the Zero-Gravity Instrument Project and the Drop Tower Experiment Series aimed at promoting capacity-building activities in microgravity science and education, particularly in developing countries.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1502.06123v1","authors":["M. Ochiai","A. Niu","H. Steffens","W. Balogh","H. J. Haubold","M. Othman","T. Doi"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-02-21T18:16:04Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1503.06135v1","name":"Understanding space weather to shield society: A global road map for 2015-2025 commissioned by COSPAR and ILWS","source":"arxiv","abstract":"There is a growing appreciation that the environmental conditions that we call space weather impact the technological infrastructure that powers the coupled economies around the world. With that comes the need to better shield society against space weather by improving forecasts, environmental specifications, and infrastructure design. [...] advanced understanding of space weather requires a coordinated international approach to effectively provide awareness of the processes within the Sun-Earth system through observation-driven models. This roadmap prioritizes the scientific focus areas and research infrastructure that are needed to significantly advance our understanding of space weather of all intensities and of its implications for society. Advancement of the existing system observatory through the addition of small to moderate state-of-the-art capabilities designed to fill observational gaps will enable significant advances. Such a strategy requires urgent action: key instrumentation needs to be sustained, and action needs to be taken before core capabilities are lost in the aging ensemble. We recommend advances through priority focus (1) on observation-based modeling throughout the Sun-Earth system, (2) on forecasts more than 12 hrs ahead of the magnetic structure of incoming coronal mass ejections, (3) on understanding the geospace response to variable solar-wind stresses that lead to intense geomagnetically-induced currents and ionospheric and radiation storms, and (4) on developing a comprehensive specification of space climate, including the characterization of extreme space storms to guide resilient and robust engineering of technological infrastructures. The roadmap clusters its implementation recommendations by formulating three action pathways, and outlines needed instrumentation and research programs and infrastructure for each of these. [...]","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1503.06135v1","authors":["Carolus J. Schrijver","Kirsti Kauristie","Alan D. Aylward","Clezio M. Denardini","Sarah E. Gibson","Alexi Glover","Nat Gopalswamy","Manuel Grande","Mike Hapgood","Daniel Heynderickx","Norbert Jakowski","Vladimir V. Kalegaev","Giovanni Lapenta","Jon A. Linker","Siqing Liu","Cristina H. Mandrini","Ian R. Mann","Tsutomu Nagatsuma","Dibyendu Nandi","Takahiro Obara","T. Paul O'Brien","Terrance Onsager","Hermann J. Opgenoorth","Michael Terkildsen","Cesar E. Valladares","Nicole Vilmer"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-03-20T16:10:07Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1708.04904v2","name":"Space Climate and Space Weather over the past 400 years: 1. The Power input to the Magnetosphere","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Using information on geomagnetic activity, sunspot numbers and cosmogenic isotopes, supported by historic eclipse images and in conjunction with models, it has been possible to reconstruct annual means of solar wind speed and number density and heliospheric magnetic field (HMF) intensity since 1611, when telescopic observations of sunspots began. These models are developed and tuned using data recorded by near-Earth interplanetary spacecraft and by solar magnetograms over the past 53 years. In this paper, we use these reconstructions to quantify power input into the magnetosphere over the past 400 years. For each year, both the annual mean power input is computed and its distribution in daily means. This is possible because the distribution of daily values divided by the annual mean is shown to maintain the same lognormal form with a constant variance. This study is another important step towards the development of a physics-based, long-term climatology of space weather conditions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1708.04904v2","authors":["Mike Lockwood","Mathew J. Owens","Luke A. Barnard","Chris J. Scott","Clare E. Watt"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-08-16T14:15:41Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.23998v1","name":"Improved 3D Gaussian Splatting of Unknown Spacecraft Structure Using Space Environment Illumination Knowledge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This work presents a novel pipeline to recover the 3D structure of an unknown target spacecraft from a sequence of images captured during Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) in space. The target's geometry and appearance are represented as a 3D Gaussian Splatting (3DGS) model. However, learning 3DGS requires static scenes, an assumption in contrast to dynamic lighting conditions encountered in spaceborne imagery. The trained 3DGS model can also be used for camera pose estimation through photometric optimization. Therefore, in addition to recovering a geometrically accurate 3DGS model, the photometric accuracy of the rendered images is imperative to downstream pose estimation tasks during the RPO process. This work proposes to incorporate the prior knowledge of the Sun's position, estimated and maintained by the servicer spacecraft, into the training pipeline for improved photometric quality of 3DGS rasterization. Experimental studies demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed solution, as 3DGS models trained on a sequence of images learn to adapt to rapidly changing illumination conditions in space and reflect global shadowing and self-occlusion.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.23998v1","authors":["Tae Ha Park","Simone D'Amico"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-30T05:35:35Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2110.07084v2","name":"Online Bipartite Matching with Reusable Resources","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We study the classic online bipartite matching problem with a twist: offline vertices, called resources, are $\\textit{reusable}$. In particular, when a resource is matched to an online vertex it is unavailable for a deterministic time duration $d$ after which it becomes available again for a re-match. Thus, a resource can be matched to many different online vertices over a period of time. While recent work on the problem have resolved the asymptotic case where we have large starting inventory (i.e., many copies) of every resource, we consider the (more general) case of $\\textit{unit inventory}$ and give the first algorithms that are provably better than the naive greedy approach which has a competitive ratio of (exactly) 0.5. Our first algorithm, which achieves a competitive ratio of $0.589$, generalizes the classic RANKING algorithm for online bipartite matching of non-reusable resources (Karp et al., 1990), by $\\textit{reranking}$ resources independently over time. While reranking resources frequently has the same worst case performance as greedy, we show that reranking intermittently on a periodic schedule succeeds in addressing reusability of resources and performs significantly better than greedy in the worst case. Our second algorithm, which achieves a competitive ratio of $0.505$, is a primal-dual randomized algorithm that works by suggesting up to two resources as candidate matches for every online vertex, and then breaking the tie to make the final matching selection in a randomized correlated fashion over time. As a key component of our algorithm, we suitably adapt and extend the powerful technique of online correlated selection (Fahrbach et al., 2020) to reusable resources, in order to induce negative correlation in our tie breaking step and to beat the competitive ratio of $0.5$. Both of our results also extend to the case where offline vertices have weights.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2110.07084v2","authors":["Steven Delong","Alireza Farhadi","Rad Niazadeh","Balasubramanian Sivan","Rajan Udwani"],"tags":["cs.DS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-10-13T23:57:55Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1901.11121v2","name":"End to End Satellite Servicing and Space Debris Management","source":"arxiv","abstract":"There is growing demand for satellite swarms and constellations for global positioning, remote sensing and relay communication in higher LEO orbits. This will result in many obsolete, damaged and abandoned satellites that will remain on-orbit beyond 25 years. These abandoned satellites and space debris maybe economically valuable orbital real-estate and resources that can be reused, repaired or upgraded for future use. Space traffic management is critical to repair damaged satellites, divert satellites into warehouse orbits and effectively de-orbit satellites and space debris that are beyond repair and salvage. Current methods for on-orbit capture, servicing and repair require a large service satellite. However, by accessing abandoned satellites and space debris, there is an inherent heightened risk of damage to a servicing spacecraft. Sending multiple small-robots with each robot specialized in a specific task is a credible alternative, as the system is simple and cost-effective and where loss of one or more robots does not end the mission. In this work, we outline an end to end multirobot system to capture damaged and abandoned spacecraft for salvaging, repair and for de-orbiting. We analyze the feasibility of sending multiple, decentralized robots that can work cooperatively to perform capture of the target satellite as a first step, followed by crawling onto damage satellites to perform detailed mapping. After obtaining a detailed map of the satellite, the robots will proceed to either repair and replace or dismantle components for salvage operations. Finally, the remaining components will be packaged with a de-orbit device for accelerated de-orbit.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1901.11121v2","authors":["Aman Chandra","Himangshu Kalita","Roberto Furfaro","Jekan Thangavelautham"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","astro-ph.IM","cs.RO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-01-25T13:57:47Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2012.09431v1","name":"On the Scaling and Spacing of Extra-Solar Multi-Planet Systems","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We investigate whether certain extra-solar multi-planet systems simultaneously follow the scaling and spacing rules of the angular-momentum-deficit model. The masses and semi-major axes of exoplanets in ten multi-planet systems are considered. It is found that GJ 667C, HD 215152, HD 40307, and Kepler-79 systems are currently close to configurations of the angular-momentum-deficit model. In a gas-poor scenario, GJ 3293, HD 141399, and HD 34445 systems are those which had a configuration of the angular-momentum-deficit model in the past and get scattered away due to post gaseous effects. In addition, no matter in gas-free or gas-poor scenario, 55 Cnc, GJ 876, and WASP-47 systems do not follow the angular-momentum-deficit model. Therefore, our results reveal important formation histories of these multi-planet systems.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2012.09431v1","authors":["Li-Chin Yeh","Ing-Guey Jiang","Sridhar Gajendran"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-12-17T07:44:45Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2212.11504v1","name":"Space Weather: From Solar Origins to Risks and Hazards Evolving in Time","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Space Weather is the portion of space physics that has a direct effect on humankind. Space Weather is an old branch of space physics that originates back to 1808 with the publication of a paper by the great naturalist Alexander von Humboldt (von Humboldt, 1808). Space Weather is currently experiencing explosive growth, because its effects on human technologies have become more and more diverse. Space Weather is due to the variability of solar processes that cause interplanetary, magnetospheric, ionospheric, atmospheric and ground level effects. Space Weather can at times have strong impacts on technological systems and human health. The threats and risks are not hypothetical, and in the event of extreme Space Weather events the consequences could be quite severe for humankind. The purpose of the review is to give a brief overall view of the full chain of physical processes responsible for Space Weather risks and hazards, tracing them from solar origins to effects and impacts in interplanetary space, in the Earth's magnetosphere and ionosphere and at the ground. The paper shows that the risks associated with Space Weather have not been constant over time; they have evolved as our society becomes more and more technologically advanced. The paper begins with a brief introduction to the Carrington event. Next, the descriptions of the strongest known Space Weather processes are reviewed. The concepts of geomagnetic storms and substorms are briefly introduced. The main effects/impacts of Space Weather are also considered, including geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) which are thought to cause power outages. The effects of radiation on avionics and human health, ionospheric effects and impacts, and thermosphere effects and satellite drag will also be discussed. Finally, we will discuss the current challenges of Space Weather forecasting and examine some of the worst-case scenarios.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2212.11504v1","authors":["Natalia Buzulukova","Bruce Tsurutani"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","astro-ph.SR","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-12-22T06:31:54Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.07616v2","name":"A forecasting framework for galactic cosmic ray flux in space weather applications","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The intensity and energy spectrum of galactic cosmic rays in the heliosphere are significantly influenced by the 11-year solar cycle, a phenomenon known as solar modulation. Understanding this effect and its underlying physical mechanisms is essential for assessing radiation exposure and associated risks during space missions. Starting from a previously developed effective predictive model of solar modulation, validated using cosmic ray flux measurements from space-based detectors such as PAMELA and AMS-02, we build a generalizable forecasting strategy for the long-term evolution of cosmic ray fluxes. This strategy is based on identifying delayed cross-correlation relationships between solar proxies and the model's parameters. It integrates recent findings on time lags between cosmic ray fluxes and solar activity, and incorporates advanced time-series signal processing techniques. The framework not only performs well in reproducing observed data, but also shows strong potential for applications in space radiation monitoring and forecasting. By efficiently capturing the long-term variability of galactic cosmic rays, our approach contributes valuable insights for evaluating radiation risks, ultimately supporting safer and more effective space exploration.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.07616v2","authors":["David Pelosi","Fernando Barão","Bruna Bertucci","Francesco Faldi","Emanuele Fiandrini","Alejandro Reina Conde","Miguel Orcinha","Nicola Tomassetti"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.HE","astro-ph.SR","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-10T10:35:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1812.01623v4","name":"RadioAstron orbit determination and evaluation of its results using correlation of space-VLBI observations","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A crucial part of a space mission for very-long baseline interferometery (VLBI), which is the technique capable of providing the highest resolution images in astronomy, is orbit determination of the mission's space radio telescope(s). In order to successfully detect interference fringes that result from correlation of the signals recorded by a ground-based and a space-borne radio telescope, the propagation delays experienced in the near-Earth space by radio waves emitted by the source and the relativity effects on each telescope's clock need to be evaluated, which requires accurate knowledge of position and velocity of the space radio telescope. In this paper we describe our approach to orbit determination (OD) of the RadioAstron spacecraft of the RadioAstron space-VLBI mission. Determining RadioAstron's orbit is complicated due to several factors: strong solar radiation pressure, a highly eccentric orbit, and frequent orbit perturbations caused by the attitude control system. We show that in order to maintain the OD accuracy required for processing space-VLBI observations at cm-wavelengths it is required to take into account the additional data on thruster firings, reaction wheel rotation rates, and attitude of the spacecraft. We also investigate into using the unique orbit data available only for a space-VLBI spacecraft, i.e. the residual delays and delay rates that result from VLBI data processing, as a means to evaluate the achieved OD accuracy. We present the results of the first experience of OD accuracy evaluation of this kind, using more than 5,000 residual values obtained as a result of space-VLBI observations performed over 7 years of the RadioAstron mission operations.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1812.01623v4","authors":["M. V. Zakhvatkin","A. S. Andrianov","V. Yu. Avdeev","V. I. Kostenko","Y. Y. Kovalev","S. F. Likhachev","I. D. Litovchenko","D. A. Litvinov","A. G. Rudnitskiy","M. A. Shchurov","K. V. Sokolovsky","V. A. Stepanyants","A. G. Tuchin","P. A. Voitsik","G. S. Zaslavskiy","V. E. Zharov","V. A. Zuga"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-12-04T19:00:54Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2011.10117v2","name":"Toward a Next Generation Particle Precipitation Model: Mesoscale Prediction Through Machine Learning (a Case Study and Framework for Progress)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We advance the modeling capability of electron particle precipitation from the magnetosphere to the ionosphere through a new database and use of machine learning (ML) tools to gain utility from those data. We have compiled, curated, analyzed, and made available a new and more capable database of particle precipitation data that includes 51 satellite years of Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) observations temporally aligned with solar wind and geomagnetic activity data. The new total electron energy flux particle precipitation nowcast model, a neural network called PrecipNet, takes advantage of increased expressive power afforded by ML approaches to appropriately utilize diverse information from the solar wind and geomagnetic activity and, importantly, their time histories. With a more capable representation of the organizing parameters and the target electron energy flux observations, PrecipNet achieves a &gt;50% reduction in errors from a current state-of-the-art model oval variation, assessment, tracking, intensity, and online nowcasting (OVATION Prime), better captures the dynamic changes of the auroral flux, and provides evidence that it can capably reconstruct mesoscale phenomena. We create and apply a new framework for space weather model evaluation that culminates previous guidance from across the solar-terrestrial research community. The research approach and results are representative of the \"new frontier\" of space weather research at the intersection of traditional and data science-driven discovery and provides a foundation for future efforts.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2011.10117v2","authors":["Ryan M. McGranaghan","Jack Ziegler","Téo Bloch","Spencer Hatch","Enrico Camporeale","Kristina Lynch","Mathew Owens","Jesper Gjerloev","Binzheng Zhang","Susan Skone"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","stat.ML"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-19T21:54:36Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2208.00463v3","name":"Mismatching-Aware Unsupervised Translation Quality Estimation For Low-Resource Languages","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Translation Quality Estimation (QE) is the task of predicting the quality of machine translation (MT) output without any reference. This task has gained increasing attention as an important component in the practical applications of MT. In this paper, we first propose XLMRScore, which is a cross-lingual counterpart of BERTScore computed via the XLM-RoBERTa (XLMR) model. This metric can be used as a simple unsupervised QE method, nevertheless facing two issues: firstly, the untranslated tokens leading to unexpectedly high translation scores, and secondly, the issue of mismatching errors between source and hypothesis tokens when applying the greedy matching in XLMRScore. To mitigate these issues, we suggest replacing untranslated words with the unknown token and the cross-lingual alignment of the pre-trained model to represent aligned words closer to each other, respectively. We evaluate the proposed method on four low-resource language pairs of the WMT21 QE shared task, as well as a new English$\\rightarrow$Persian (En-Fa) test dataset introduced in this paper. Experiments show that our method could get comparable results with the supervised baseline for two zero-shot scenarios, i.e., with less than 0.01 difference in Pearson correlation, while outperforming unsupervised rivals in all the low-resource language pairs for above 8%, on average.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2208.00463v3","authors":["Fatemeh Azadi","Heshaam Faili","Mohammad Javad Dousti"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-31T16:23:23Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1304.0842v1","name":"Development of a MATLAB/STK TLE Accuracy Assessment Tool, in support of the NASA Ames Space Traffic Management Project","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In order to improve the effectiveness of conjunction analysis using publically available Two Line Elements (TLEs) a number of strategies are being investigated as part of the Space Traffic Management project at NASA Ames Research Center. To assist in evaluating the effectiveness of these approaches a tool was developed in the MATLAB programming language that interfaces with the AGI Satellite Toolkit and with Microsoft Excel. The TLEs and any available truth ephemerides are read in by the tool and propagated orbits are compared using STK to estimate the errors. This tool is employed to determine the covariance and investigate the growth of errors in propagating the orbit of the CNESStella geodetic satellite. The different sources of error are assessed and future improvements to the tool are suggested.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1304.0842v1","authors":["James Mason"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-04-03T04:42:24Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2109.06960v3","name":"OSPREI: A Coupled Approach to Modeling CME-Driven Space Weather with Automatically-Generated, User-Friendly Outputs","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) drive space weather activity at Earth and throughout the solar system. Current CME-related space weather predictions rely on information reconstructed from coronagraphs, sometimes from only a single viewpoint, to drive a simple interplanetary propagation model, which only gives the arrival time or limited additional information. We present the coupling of three established models into OSPREI (Open Solar Physics Rapid Ensemble Information), a new tool that describes Sun-to-Earth CME behavior, including the location, orientation, size, shape, speed, arrival time, and internal thermal and magnetic properties, on the timescale needed for forecasts. First, ForeCAT describes the trajectory that a CME takes through the solar corona. Second, ANTEATR simulates the propagation, including expansion and deformation, of a CME in interplanetary space and determines the evolution of internal properties via conservation laws. Finally, FIDO produces in situ profiles for a CME's interaction with a synthetic spacecraft. OSPREI includes ensemble modeling by varying each input parameter to probe any uncertainty in their values, yielding probabilities for all outputs. Standardized visualizations are automatically generated, providing easily-accessible, essential information for space weather forecasting. We show OSPREI results for CMEs observed in the corona on 2021 April 22 and 2021 May 09. We approach these CME as a forecasting proof-of-concept, using information analogous to what would be available in real time rather than fine-tuning input parameters to achieve a best fit for a detailed scientific study. The OSPREI prediction shows good agreement with the arrival time and in situ properties.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2109.06960v3","authors":["C. Kay","M. L. Mays","Y. M. Collado-Vega"],"tags":["astro-ph.SR","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-09-14T20:38:57Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2309.05856v1","name":"Multi-Point Detection of the Powerful Gamma Ray Burst GRB221009A Propagation through the Heliosphere on October 9, 2022","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present the results of processing the effects of the powerful Gamma Ray Burst GRB221009A captured by the charged particle detectors (electrostatic analyzers and solid-state detectors) onboard spacecraft at different points in the heliosphere on October 9, 2022. To follow the GRB221009A propagation through the heliosphere we used the electron and proton flux measurements from solar missions Solar Orbiter and STEREO-A; Earth magnetosphere and the solar wind missions THEMIS and Wind; meteorological satellites POES15, POES19, MetOp3; and MAVEN - a NASA mission orbiting Mars. GRB221009A had a structure of four bursts: less intense Pulse 1 - the triggering impulse - was detected by gamma-ray observatories at 131659 UT (near the Earth); the most intense Pulses 2 and 3 were detected on board all the spacecraft from the list, and Pulse 4 detected in more than 500 s after Pulse 1. Due to their different scientific objectives, the spacecraft, which data was used in this study, were separated by more than 1 AU (Solar Orbiter and MAVEN). This enabled tracking GRB221009A as it was propagating across the heliosphere. STEREO-A was the first to register Pulse 2 and 3 of the GRB, almost 100 seconds before their detection by spacecraft in the vicinity of Earth. MAVEN detected GRB221009A Pulses 2, 3, and 4 at the orbit of Mars about 237 seconds after their detection near Earth. By processing the time delays observed we show that the source location of the GRB221009A was at RA 288.5 degrees, Dec 18.5 degrees (J2000) with an error cone of 2 degrees","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.05856v1","authors":["Andrii Voshchepynets","Oleksiy Agapitov","Lynn Wilson","Vassilis Angelopoulos","Samer T. Alnussirat","Michael Balikhin","Myroslava Hlebena","Ihor Korol","Davin Larson","David Mitchell","Christopher Owen","Ali Rahmati","Department of System Analysis","Optimization Theory","Uzhhorod National University"," Uzhhorod"," Ukraine","Space Sciences Laboratory"," :","University of California Berkeley Berkeley","CA 94720"," Astronomy","Space Physics Department","National Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv"," Kyiv"," Ukraine","Goddard Space Flight Center","National Aeronautics","Space Administration"," Greenbelt"," MD","Department of Earth"," Planetary","Space Sciences","University of California Los Angeles","Los Angeles"," CA}","University of Sheffield"," Sheffield"," UK","Department of Algebra","Differential Equation","Uzhhorod National University"," Uzhhorod"," Ukraine","Department of Mathematical Analysis","The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin"," Lublin"," Poland}"],"tags":["astro-ph.HE","astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-11T22:40:01Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1201.2081v1","name":"Proposal for a United Nations Basic Space Technology Initiative","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The United Nations Programme on Space Applications, implemented by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, promotes the benefits of space-based solutions for sustainable economic and social development. The Programme assists Member States of the United Nations to establish indigenous capacities for the use of space technology and its applications. In the past the Programme has primarily been focusing on the use of space applications and on basic space science activities. However, in recent years there has been a strong interest in a growing number of space-using countries to build space technology capacities, for example, the ability to develop and operate small satellites. In reaction to this development, the United Nations in cooperation with the International Academy of Astronautics has been organizing annual workshops on small satellites in the service of developing countries. Space technology related issues have also been addressed as part of various other activities of the Programme on Space Applications. Building on these experiences, the Office for Outer Space Affairs is now considering the launch of a new initiative, preliminarily titled the United Nations Basic Space Technology Initiative (UNBSTI), to promote basic space technology development. The initiative would be implemented in the framework of the Programme on Space Applications and its aim would be to help building sustainable capacities for basic space technology education and development, thereby advancing the operational use of space technology and its applications.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1201.2081v1","authors":["W. R. Balogh","H. J. Haubold"],"tags":["physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-01-08T16:40:42Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2003.04986v1","name":"Investigating an approach for low resource language dataset creation, curation and classification: Setswana and Sepedi","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The recent advances in Natural Language Processing have been a boon for well-represented languages in terms of available curated data and research resources. One of the challenges for low-resourced languages is clear guidelines on the collection, curation and preparation of datasets for different use-cases. In this work, we take on the task of creation of two datasets that are focused on news headlines (i.e short text) for Setswana and Sepedi and creation of a news topic classification task. We document our work and also present baselines for classification. We investigate an approach on data augmentation, better suited to low resource languages, to improve the performance of the classifiers","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2003.04986v1","authors":["Vukosi Marivate","Tshephisho Sefara","Vongani Chabalala","Keamogetswe Makhaya","Tumisho Mokgonyane","Rethabile Mokoena","Abiodun Modupe"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.LG","stat.ML"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-02-18T13:58:06Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2205.15644v1","name":"A simple ionospheric correction method for radar-based space surveillance systems, with performance assessment on GRAVES data","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Ionospheric effects degrade the quality of radar data, which are critical for the precision of the satellite ephemeris produced by space surveillance systems; this degradation is especially noticeable for radars such as GRAVES that operate in the very high frequency range. This article presents a simple and effective method to correct for ionospheric effects, with an evaluation on data obtained with GRAVES, the French space surveillance radar. This method relies on GPS data, and our evaluation relies on GRAVES and DORIS data. We found that the gain in terms of evaluated radial velocity can be as high as 1.76$κ$, where $κ$ is the typical root mean square of the noise on radial velocity measurements for GRAVES (excluding ionospheric effects): the error decreases from 2.60$κ$ to 0.83$κ$ for daytime satellite overhead passes. Our conclusion is that, while this method is very simple to implement, it has proven to be a good correction for ionospheric effects in practice.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2205.15644v1","authors":["Olivier Herscovici-Schiller","Fabien Gachet","Jocelyn Couetdic","Luc Meyer","Sébastien Reynaud"],"tags":["physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-05-31T09:34:30Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2603.02878v1","name":"Emerging trends in Cislunar Space for Lunar Science Exploration and Space Robotics aiding Human Spaceflight Safety","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In recent years, the Moon has emerged as an unparalleled extraterrestrial testbed for advancing cuttingedge technological and scientific research critical to enabling sustained human presence on its surface and supporting future interplanetary exploration. This study identifies and investigates two pivotal research domains with substantial transformative potential for accelerating humanity interplanetary aspirations. First is Lunar Science Exploration with Artificial Intelligence and Space Robotics which focusses on AI and Space Robotics redefining the frontiers of space exploration. Second being Space Robotics aid in manned spaceflight to the Moon serving as critical assets for pre-deployment infrastructure development, In-Situ Resource Utilization, surface operations support, and astronaut safety assurance. By integrating autonomy, machine learning, and realtime sensor fusion, space robotics not only augment human capabilities but also serve as force multipliers in achieving sustainable lunar exploration, paving the way for future crewed missions to Mars and beyond.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.02878v1","authors":["Arsalan Muhammad","Yue Wang","Hai Huang","Hao Wang"],"tags":["cs.RO","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-03T11:32:33Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1204.1478v1","name":"Comment on \"Head-on collision of electron acoustic solitary waves in a plasma with nonextensive hot electrons\"","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In a recent paper \"Head-on collision of electron acoustic solitary waves in a plasma with nonextensive hot electrons\" [Astrophys. Space Sci. 338, 271-278 (2012)] Eslami, Mottaghizadeh and Pakzad deal with the problem of the head-on collisions between two weakly nonlinear electron-acoustic solitary waves. Unfortunately, their treatment is deficient and leads to erroneous conclusions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1204.1478v1","authors":["Frank Verheest"],"tags":["physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-04-06T14:00:15Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1409.0458v1","name":"A Space Weather Mission Concept: Observatories of the Solar Corona and Active Regions (OSCAR)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) and Corotating Interaction Regions (CIRs) are major sources of magnetic storms on Earth and are therefore considered to be the most dangerous space weather events. The Observatories of Solar Corona and Active Regions (OSCAR) mission is designed to identify the 3D structure of coronal loops and to study the trigger mechanisms of CMEs in solar Active Regions (ARs) as well as their evolution and propagation processes in the inner heliosphere. It also aims to provide monitoring and forecasting of geo-effective CMEs and CIRs. OSCAR would contribute to significant advancements in the field of solar physics, improvements of the current CME prediction models, and provide data for reliable space weather forecasting. These objectives are achieved by utilising two spacecraft with identical instrumentation, located at a heliocentric orbital distance of 1~AU from the Sun. The spacecraft will be separated by an angle of 68$^{\\circ}$ to provide optimum stereoscopic view of the solar corona. We study the feasibility of such a mission and propose a preliminary design for OSCAR.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1409.0458v1","authors":["Antoine Strugarek","Nils Janitzek","Arrow Lee","Philipp Löschl","Bernhard Seifert","Sanni Hoilijoki","Emil Kraaikamp","Alankrita Isha Mrigakshi","Thomas Philippe","Sheila Spina","Malte Bröse","Sonny Massahi","Liam O'Halloran","Victor Pereira Blanco","Christoffer Stausland","Philippe Escoubet","Günter Kargl"],"tags":["astro-ph.SR","astro-ph.IM","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-09-01T15:51:58Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1710.04653v2","name":"The detection of ultra-relativistic electrons in low Earth orbit","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Aims. To better understand the radiation environment in low Earth orbit (LEO), the analysis of in-situ observations of a variety of particles, at different atmospheric heights, and in a wide range of energies, is needed. Methods. We present an analysis of energetic particles, indirectly detected by the Large Yield RAdiometer (LYRA) instrument on board ESA's Project for On-board Autonomy 2 (PROBA2) satellite as background signal. Combining Energetic Particle Telescope (EPT) observations with LYRA data for an overlapping period of time, we identified these particles as electrons with an energy range of 2 to 8 MeV. Results. The observed events are strongly correlated to geo-magnetic activity and appear even during modest disturbances. They are also well confined geographically within the L=4-6 McIlwain zone, which makes it possible to identify their source. Conclusions. Although highly energetic particles are commonly perturbing data acquisition of space instruments, we show in this work that ultra-relativistic electrons with energies in the range of 2-8 MeV are detected only at high latitudes, while not present in the South Atlantic Anomaly region.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1710.04653v2","authors":["A. C. Katsiyannis","M. Dominique","V. Pierrard","G. Lopez Rosson","J. De Keyser","D. Berghmans","M. Kruglanski","I. E. Dammasch","E. De Donder"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-10-12T12:20:41Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1808.10636v2","name":"A cosmic microscope to probe the Universe from Present to Cosmic Dawn - dual-element low-frequency space VLBI observatory","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A space-based very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) programme, named as the Cosmic Microscope, is proposed to involve dual VLBI telescopes in the space working together with giant ground-based telescopes (e.g., Square Kilometre Array, FAST, Arecibo) to image the low radio frequency Universe with the purpose of unraveling the compact structure of cosmic constituents including supermassive black holes and binaries, pulsars, astronomical masers and the underlying source, and exoplanets amongst others. The operational frequency bands are 30, 74, 330 and 1670 MHz, supporting broad science areas. The mission plans to launch two 30-m-diameter radio telescopes into 2,000 km x 90,000 km elliptical orbits. The two telescopes can work in flexibly diverse modes: (i) space-ground VLBI. The maximum space-ground baseline length is about 100,000 km; it provides a high-dynamic-range imaging capacity with unprecedented high resolutions at low frequencies (0.4 mas at 1.67 GHz and 20 mas at 30 MHz) enabling studies of exoplanets and supermassive black hole binaries (which emit nanoHz gravitational waves); (ii) space-space single-baseline VLBI. This unique baseline enables the detection of flaring hydroxyl masers, and more precise position measurement of pulsars and radio transients at milli-arcsecond level; (iii) single dish mode, where each telescope can be used to monitor transient bursts and rapidly trigger follow-up VLBI observations. The large space telescope will also contribute in measuring and constraining the total angular power spectrum from the Epoch of Reionization. In short, the Cosmic Microscope offers astronomers the opportunity to conduct novel, frontier science.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1808.10636v2","authors":["Tao An","Sumit Jaiswal","Prashanth Mohan","Zhen Zhao","Baoqiang Lao"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-08-31T08:50:10Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.27372v2","name":"Ionospheric responses over the Antarctic region to Intense Space Weather events: Plasma Convection vs. Auroral Precipitation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The present investigation is directed at exploring southern polar ionospheric responses to intense space weather events and their correlations with plasma convection and auroral precipitation. The main phases of six geomagnetic storms occurring in the year 2023 (ascending phase of the present solar cycle) are considered for this study. The ionospheric Total Electron Content (TEC) measurements derived from GPS receivers covering the Antarctic region are used for probing the electron density perturbations during these events. Auroral precipitation maps are shown to illustrate the locations of the GPS stations relative to particle precipitation. SuperDARN maps are shown to understand the effects of plasma convection over these locations. Correlation between the enhanced TEC observations with the auroral precipitation (R $\\sim$ 0.31) and the plasma convection (R $\\sim$ 0.88) reveals that the latter is more responsible for causing significant enhancements in the diurnal maximum values of TEC over the Antarctic region in comparison to the former. Therefore, this work shows correlation studies between two physical processes and ionospheric density enhancements over the under-explored south polar region under strong levels of geomagnetic activity during 2023.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.27372v2","authors":["Sumanjit Chakraborty","Gopi K. Seemala"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.SR","physics.geo-ph","physics.plasm-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-31T11:02:49Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1305.3659v1","name":"Pulsed Laser Interactions with Space Debris: Target Shape Effects","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Among the approaches to the proposed mitigation and remediation of the space debris problem is the de-orbiting of objects in low Earth orbit through irradiation by ground-based high-intensity pulsed lasers. Laser ablation of a thin surface layer causes target recoil, resulting in the depletion of orbital angular momentum and accelerated atmospheric re-entry. However, both the magnitude and direction of the recoil are shape dependent, a feature of the laser-based remediation concept that has received little attention. Since the development of a predictive capability is desirable, we have investigated the dynamical response to ablation of objects comprising a variety of shapes. We derive and demonstrate a simple analytical technique for calculating the ablation-driven transfer of linear momentum, emphasizing cases for which the recoil is not exclusively parallel to the incident beam. For the purposes of comparison and contrast, we examine one case of momentum transfer in the low-intensity regime, where photon pressure is the dominant momentum transfer mechanism, showing that shape and orientation effects influence the target response in a similar, but not identical, manner. We address the related problem of target spin and, by way of a few simple examples, show how ablation can alter the spin state of a target, which often has a pronounced effect on the recoil dynamics.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1305.3659v1","authors":["D. A. Liedahl","A. Rubenchik","S. B. Libby","S. Nikolaev","C. R. Phipps"],"tags":["physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-05-16T00:07:13Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.15558v1","name":"Rapid multi-band space-based optical timing: revolutionizing accretion physics","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Optical timing with rapid, seconds-to-minutes cadences with high photometric precision and gap-free long baselines is necessary for an unambiguous physical picture of accretion phenomena, and is only possible from space. Exoplanet-hunting missions like Kepler and TESS have offered an outstanding new window into detailed jet and accretion physics, but have been severely hampered by incomplete calibration and systematics treatments and, most especially, a monochromatic single wide bandpass. Advances made using Kepler and TESS survey data, when considered alongside detailed, expensive multi-color experiments done from the ground, reveal the enormous potential of a space-based multi-color optical timing mission with a high energy focus.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.15558v1","authors":["Krista Lynne Smith"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.HE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-21T18:00:06Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2204.09611v3","name":"Optical Atomic Clock aboard an Earth-orbiting Space Station (OACESS): Enhancing searches for physics beyond the standard model in space","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present a concept for a high-precision optical atomic clock (OAC) operating on an Earth-orbiting space station. This pathfinder science mission will compare the space-based OAC with one or more ultra-stable terrestrial OACs to search for space-time-dependent signatures of dark scalar fields that manifest as anomalies in the relative frequencies of station-based and ground-based clocks. This opens the possibility of probing models of new physics that are inaccessible to purely ground-based OAC experiments where a dark scalar field may potentially be strongly screened near Earth's surface. This unique enhancement of sensitivity to potential dark matter candidates harnesses the potential of space-based OACs.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2204.09611v3","authors":["Vladimir Schkolnik","Dmitry Budker","Oliver Fartmann","Victor Flambaum","Leo Hollberg","Tigran Kalaydzhyan","Shimon Kolkowitz","Markus Krutzik","Andrew Ludlow","Nathan Newbury","Christoph Pyrlik","Laura Sinclair","Yevgeny Stadnik","Ingmari Tietje","Jun Ye","Jason Williams"],"tags":["physics.atom-ph","gr-qc","hep-ph","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-04-20T16:45:12Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2502.08036v2","name":"Innovations in Nanotechnology: A Comprehensive Review of Applications Beyond Space Exploration","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Nanotechnology has emerged as a transformative force across multiple industries, enhancing materials, improving instrumentation precision, and developing intelligent systems. This review explores various nanotechnology applications, including advancements in materials science, healthcare, energy storage, environmental monitoring, and robotics. Nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes and graphene, offer significant improvements in fields like energy generation and medicine, while nanosensors revolutionize environmental and industrial monitoring. Micro and nano robots provide automation solutions across industries. By expanding beyond space exploration, this review highlights the far-reaching potential of nanotechnology to reshape industries through interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.08036v2","authors":["Syed Muhammad Muslim Hussain","Batool Zehra Ladha","Muhammad Hasan Khan"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-12T00:35:08Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.00174v1","name":"Using sunRunner3D to interpret the global structure of the heliosphere from in situ measurements","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Understanding the large-scale three-dimensional structure of the inner heliosphere, while important in its own right, is crucial for space weather applications, such as forecasting the time of arrival and propagation of coronal mass ejections (CMEs). This study uses sunRunner3D (3D), a 3-D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model, to simulate solar wind (SW) streams and generate background states. SR3D employs the boundary conditions generated by CORona-HELiosphere (CORHEL) and the PLUTO code to compute the plasma properties of the SW with the MHD approximation up to 1.1 AU in the inner heliosphere. We demonstrate that SR3D reproduces global features of Corotating Interaction Regions (CIRs) observed by Earth-based spacecraft (OMNI) and the Solar TErrestial RElations Observatory (STEREO)-A for a set of Carrington rotations (CRs) that cover a period that lays in the late declining phase of solar cycle 24. Additionally, we demonstrate that the model solutions are valid in the corotating and inertial frames of references. Moreover, a comparison between SR3D simulations and in-situ measurements shows reasonable agreement with the observations, and our results are comparable to those achieved by Predictive Science Inc.'s Magnetohydrodynamic Algorithm outside a Sphere (MAS) code. We have also undertaken a comparative analysis with the Space Weather Adaptive Simulation Framework for Solar Wind (SWASTi-SW), a PLUTO physics-based model, to evaluate the precision of various initial boundary conditions. Finally, we discuss the disparities in the solutions derived from inertial and rotating frames.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.00174v1","authors":["José Juan González-Avilés","Pete Riley","Michal Ben-Nun","Prateek Mayank","Bhargav Vaidya"],"tags":["astro-ph.SR","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-30T19:49:20Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.01134v1","name":"Leveraging Procedural Generation for Learning Autonomous Peg-in-Hole Assembly in Space","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The ability to autonomously assemble structures is crucial for the development of future space infrastructure. However, the unpredictable conditions of space pose significant challenges for robotic systems, necessitating the development of advanced learning techniques to enable autonomous assembly. In this study, we present a novel approach for learning autonomous peg-in-hole assembly in the context of space robotics. Our focus is on enhancing the generalization and adaptability of autonomous systems through deep reinforcement learning. By integrating procedural generation and domain randomization, we train agents in a highly parallelized simulation environment across a spectrum of diverse scenarios with the aim of acquiring a robust policy. The proposed approach is evaluated using three distinct reinforcement learning algorithms to investigate the trade-offs among various paradigms. We demonstrate the adaptability of our agents to novel scenarios and assembly sequences while emphasizing the potential of leveraging advanced simulation techniques for robot learning in space. Our findings set the stage for future advancements in intelligent robotic systems capable of supporting ambitious space missions and infrastructure development beyond Earth.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.01134v1","authors":["Andrej Orsula","Matthieu Geist","Miguel Olivares-Mendez","Carol Martinez"],"tags":["cs.RO","cs.AI","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-02T09:50:01Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2501.12826v1","name":"Open or Closed LLM for Lesser-Resourced Languages? Lessons from Greek","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Natural Language Processing (NLP) for lesser-resourced languages faces persistent challenges, including limited datasets, inherited biases from high-resource languages, and the need for domain-specific solutions. This study addresses these gaps for Modern Greek through three key contributions. First, we evaluate the performance of open-source (Llama-70b) and closed-source (GPT-4o mini) large language models (LLMs) on seven core NLP tasks with dataset availability, revealing task-specific strengths, weaknesses, and parity in their performance. Second, we expand the scope of Greek NLP by reframing Authorship Attribution as a tool to assess potential data usage by LLMs in pre-training, with high 0-shot accuracy suggesting ethical implications for data provenance. Third, we showcase a legal NLP case study, where a Summarize, Translate, and Embed (STE) methodology outperforms the traditional TF-IDF approach for clustering \\emph{long} legal texts. Together, these contributions provide a roadmap to advance NLP in lesser-resourced languages, bridging gaps in model evaluation, task innovation, and real-world impact.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.12826v1","authors":["John Pavlopoulos","Juli Bakagianni","Kanella Pouli","Maria Gavriilidou"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-22T12:06:16Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1710.11035v2","name":"Machine Translation of Low-Resource Spoken Dialects: Strategies for Normalizing Swiss German","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The goal of this work is to design a machine translation (MT) system for a low-resource family of dialects, collectively known as Swiss German, which are widely spoken in Switzerland but seldom written. We collected a significant number of parallel written resources to start with, up to a total of about 60k words. Moreover, we identified several other promising data sources for Swiss German. Then, we designed and compared three strategies for normalizing Swiss German input in order to address the regional diversity. We found that character-based neural MT was the best solution for text normalization. In combination with phrase-based statistical MT, our solution reached 36% BLEU score when translating from the Bernese dialect. This value, however, decreases as the testing data becomes more remote from the training one, geographically and topically. These resources and normalization techniques are a first step towards full MT of Swiss German dialects.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1710.11035v2","authors":["Pierre-Edouard Honnet","Andrei Popescu-Belis","Claudiu Musat","Michael Baeriswyl"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-10-30T16:04:04Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2306.07414v1","name":"Textual Augmentation Techniques Applied to Low Resource Machine Translation: Case of Swahili","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this work we investigate the impact of applying textual data augmentation tasks to low resource machine translation. There has been recent interest in investigating approaches for training systems for languages with limited resources and one popular approach is the use of data augmentation techniques. Data augmentation aims to increase the quantity of data that is available to train the system. In machine translation, majority of the language pairs around the world are considered low resource because they have little parallel data available and the quality of neural machine translation (NMT) systems depend a lot on the availability of sizable parallel corpora. We study and apply three simple data augmentation techniques popularly used in text classification tasks; synonym replacement, random insertion and contextual data augmentation and compare their performance with baseline neural machine translation for English-Swahili (En-Sw) datasets. We also present results in BLEU, ChrF and Meteor scores. Overall, the contextual data augmentation technique shows some improvements both in the $EN \\rightarrow SW$ and $SW \\rightarrow EN$ directions. We see that there is potential to use these methods in neural machine translation when more extensive experiments are done with diverse datasets.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.07414v1","authors":["Catherine Gitau","VUkosi Marivate"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-06-12T20:43:24Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2001.02964v1","name":"Performance of NavIC for studying the ionosphere at an EIA region in India","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper emphasizes on NavIC's performance in ionospheric studies over the Indian subcontinent region. The study is performed using data of one year (2017-18) at IIT Indore, a location near the northern crest of Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA). It has been observed that even without the individual error corrections, the results are within $\\pm20\\%$ of NavIC VTEC estimates observed over the 1\\ensuremath{^{\\circ}} x 1\\ensuremath{^{\\circ}} grid of IPP surrounding the GPS VTEC estimates for most of the time. Additionally, ionospheric response during two distinct geomagnetic storms (September 08 and 28, 2017) at the same location and other IGS stations covering the Indian subcontinent using both GPS and NavIC has also been presented. This analysis revealed similar variations in TEC during the geomagnetic storms of September 2017, indicating the suitability of NavIC to study space weather events along with the ionospheric studies over the Indian subcontinent.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2001.02964v1","authors":["Deepthi Ayyagari","Sumanjit Chakraborty","Saurabh Das","Ashish Shukla","Ashik Paul","Abhirup Datta"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.SR","physics.geo-ph","physics.plasm-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-09T13:22:34Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.11166v1","name":"Overcoming Low-Resource Barriers in Tulu: Neural Models and Corpus Creation for OffensiveLanguage Identification","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Tulu, a low-resource Dravidian language predominantly spoken in southern India, has limited computational resources despite its growing digital presence. This study presents the first benchmark dataset for Offensive Language Identification (OLI) in code-mixed Tulu social media content, collected from YouTube comments across various domains. The dataset, annotated with high inter-annotator agreement (Krippendorff's alpha = 0.984), includes 3,845 comments categorized into four classes: Not Offensive, Not Tulu, Offensive Untargeted, and Offensive Targeted. We evaluate a suite of deep learning models, including GRU, LSTM, BiGRU, BiLSTM, CNN, and attention-based variants, alongside transformer architectures (mBERT, XLM-RoBERTa). The BiGRU model with self-attention achieves the best performance with 82% accuracy and a 0.81 macro F1-score. Transformer models underperform, highlighting the limitations of multilingual pretraining in code-mixed, under-resourced contexts. This work lays the foundation for further NLP research in Tulu and similar low-resource, code-mixed languages.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.11166v1","authors":["Anusha M D","Deepthi Vikram","Bharathi Raja Chakravarthi","Parameshwar R Hegde"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-15T02:34:22Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2006.06680v1","name":"Assessing the Impact of Space School UK","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Space School UK (SSUK) is a series of summer residential programmes for secondary school aged students, held at the University of Leicester over 3 weeks each year. Each programme involves space-related activities run by a team of mentors - currently including university students, graduates, teachers and young professionals associated with the space sector - all of whom attended SSUK as students themselves. It includes the 6-day Space School UK and the 8-day Senior Space School UK (collectively SSUK) which are for 13-15 and 16-18 year olds respectively. This paper seeks to evaluate and present the benefits of SSUK to individuals who participate in the programme, organisations involved in the running of SSUK, and to highlight and promote these benefits to the wider UK and global space community. We also address which facets of SSUK make for such an engaging and encouraging experience for the students, that are missing from students' traditional education. We seek to show how SSUK acts as an excellent example of how to bridge the gap between secondary and tertiary space education. Through an analysis of our alumni survey results, we show that attending SSUK has a significant impact on career choices and prepares students for Higher Education, regardless of background. Some groups, such as women, and those from non-selective schools, reported a higher impact in some of these areas than others. Metrics such as skills learned, goals achieved, alongside knowledge of careers and Higher Education possibilities are discussed for various demographics.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2006.06680v1","authors":["Daniel Robson","Henry Lau","Áine O'Brien","Lucy Williams","Ben Sutlieff","Heidi Thiemann","Louise McCaul","George Weaver","Tracey Dickens"],"tags":["physics.ed-ph","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-06-11T18:00:00Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2606.02665v1","name":"Enabling tomorrow's planetary defence and space resource economy: Autonomous fleet-based asteroid rendezvous missions","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Asteroids preserve the solar system's earliest history and pose real threats to Earth. Strengthening the UK's capabilities to detect, track, and characterise Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) is vital for national security, world-leading planetary science, and future space resource opportunities. The UK has been an influential contributor to planetary defence, from establishing the UK NEO Task Force in 2000 to active roles in the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN), the Space Mission Planning Advisory Group (SMPAG), and the development of the National Space Operations Centre (NSpOC). UK scientists contribute to major international asteroid missions including NASA's OSIRIS-REx, DART, Lucy, and Psyche; ESA's Hera and RAMSES; and JAXA's Hayabusa2 and MMX. However, the UK currently lacks dedicated funding streams to deliver asteroid missions. Ground-based observations of asteroids cannot definitively determine the physical characteristics of these objects, which are crucial for impact-risk assessment, deflection strategy, and resource evaluation. This white paper proposes UK leadership in autonomous, low-cost asteroid-rendezvous missions, leveraging technologies developed through the UKRI-funded REMORA programme. We outline four priorities: (1) strengthen NEO detection capabilities; (2) reinforce UK participation in international planetary defence missions; (3) develop autonomous rendezvous and in-situ characterisation technologies; and (4) enable the future space resource economy through targeted asteroid exploration. Together, these actions position the UK to lead rapid, affordable deep-space missions and secure a long-term strategic advantage.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.02665v1","authors":["Stefania Soldini","Paul A. Abell","Daniel J. Scheeres","Yuichi Tsuda","Xiaoyu Fu","Nicolò Stronati","Hanjoon Shim","Sui Chen","Anirudh Chhabra","Ricardo Torres","Andrew Jones"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-01T10:02:20Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2009.11313v3","name":"Framework for resource quantification in infinite-dimensional general probabilistic theories","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Resource theories provide a general framework for the characterization of properties of physical systems in quantum mechanics and beyond. Here, we introduce methods for the quantification of resources in general probabilistic theories (GPTs), focusing in particular on the technical issues associated with infinite-dimensional state spaces. We define a universal resource quantifier based on the robustness measure, and show it to admit a direct operational meaning: in any GPT, it quantifies the advantage that a given resource state enables in channel discrimination tasks over all resourceless states. We show that the robustness acts as a faithful and strongly monotonic measure in any resource theory described by a convex and closed set of free states, and can be computed through a convex conic optimization problem. Specializing to continuous-variable quantum mechanics, we obtain additional bounds and relations, allowing an efficient computation of the measure and comparison with other monotones. We demonstrate applications of the robustness to several resources of physical relevance: optical nonclassicality, entanglement, genuine non-Gaussianity, and coherence. In particular, we establish exact expressions for various classes of states, including Fock states and squeezed states in the resource theory of nonclassicality and general pure states in the resource theory of entanglement, as well as tight bounds applicable in general cases.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2009.11313v3","authors":["Ludovico Lami","Bartosz Regula","Ryuji Takagi","Giovanni Ferrari"],"tags":["quant-ph","math-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-09-23T18:00:20Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2602.13870v2","name":"ADAB: Arabic Dataset for Automated Politeness Benchmarking -- A Large-Scale Resource for Computational Sociopragmatics","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The growing importance of culturally-aware natural language processing systems has led to an increasing demand for resources that capture sociopragmatic phenomena across diverse languages. Nevertheless, Arabic-language resources for politeness detection remain under-explored, despite the rich and complex politeness expressions embedded in Arabic communication. In this paper, we introduce ADAB (Arabic Politeness Dataset), a new annotated Arabic dataset collected from four online platforms, including social media, e-commerce, and customer service domains, covering Modern Standard Arabic and multiple dialects (Gulf, Egyptian, Levantine, and Maghrebi). The dataset was annotated based on Arabic linguistic traditions and pragmatic theory, resulting in three classes: polite, impolite, and neutral. It contains 10,000 samples with linguistic feature annotations across 16 politeness categories and achieves substantial inter-annotator agreement (kappa = 0.703). We benchmark 40 model configurations, including traditional machine learning, transformer-based models, and large language models. The dataset aims to support research on politeness-aware Arabic NLP.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.13870v2","authors":["Hend Al-Khalifa","Nadia Ghezaiel","Maria Bounnit","Hend Hamed Alhazmi","Noof Abdullah Alfear","Reem Fahad Alqifari","Ameera Masoud Almasoud","Sharefah Al-Ghamdi"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-14T19:58:53Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2311.14360v1","name":"The physics of solar spectral imaging observations in dm-cm wavelengths and the application on space weather","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Recently, several new solar radio telescopes have been put into operation and provided spectral-imaging observations with much higher resolutions in decimeter (dm) and centimeter (cm) wavelengths. These telescopes include the Mingantu Spectral Radioheliograph (MUSER, at frequencies of 0.4 - 15 GHz), the Expanded Owens Valley Solar Array (EOVSA, at frequencies of 1 - 18 GHz), and the Siberian Radio Heliograph (SRH, at frequencies of 3 - 24 GHz). These observations offer unprecedented opportunities to study solar physics and space weather, especially to diagnose the coronal magnetic fields, reveal the basic nature of solar eruptions and the related non-thermal energy release, particle accelerations and propagation, and the related emission mechanisms. These results might be the important input to the space weather modeling for predicting the occurrence of disastrous powerful space weather events. In order to provide meaningful reference for other solar physicists and space weather researchers, this paper mainly focus on discussing the potential scientific problems of solar radio spectral-imaging observations in dm-cm wavelengths and its possible applications in the field of space weather. These results will provide a helpful reference for colleagues to make full use of the latest and future observation data obtained from the above solar radio telescopes.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.14360v1","authors":["Baolin Tan","Yihua Yan","Jing Huang","Yin Zhang","Chengming Tan","Xiaoshuai Zhu"],"tags":["astro-ph.SR","astro-ph.GA","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-24T09:03:11Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1803.09405v1","name":"Automatic Identification of Closely-related Indian Languages: Resources and Experiments","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, we discuss an attempt to develop an automatic language identification system for 5 closely-related Indo-Aryan languages of India, Awadhi, Bhojpuri, Braj, Hindi and Magahi. We have compiled a comparable corpora of varying length for these languages from various resources. We discuss the method of creation of these corpora in detail. Using these corpora, a language identification system was developed, which currently gives state of the art accuracy of 96.48\\%. We also used these corpora to study the similarity between the 5 languages at the lexical level, which is the first data-based study of the extent of closeness of these languages.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1803.09405v1","authors":["Ritesh Kumar","Bornini Lahiri","Deepak Alok","Atul Kr. Ojha","Mayank Jain","Abdul Basit","Yogesh Dawer"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-03-26T04:02:00Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2006.01927v1","name":"Incorporating Physical Knowledge into Machine Learning for Planetary Space Physics","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Recent improvements in data collection volume from planetary and space physics missions have allowed the application of novel data science techniques. The Cassini mission for example collected over 600 gigabytes of scientific data from 2004 to 2017. This represents a surge of data on the Saturn system. Machine learning can help scientists work with data on this larger scale. Unlike many applications of machine learning, a primary use in planetary space physics applications is to infer behavior about the system itself. This raises three concerns: first, the performance of the machine learning model, second, the need for interpretable applications to answer scientific questions, and third, how characteristics of spacecraft data change these applications. In comparison to these concerns, uses of black box or un-interpretable machine learning methods tend toward evaluations of performance only either ignoring the underlying physical process or, less often, providing misleading explanations for it. We build off a previous effort applying a semi-supervised physics-based classification of plasma instabilities in Saturn's magnetosphere. We then use this previous effort in comparison to other machine learning classifiers with varying data size access, and physical information access. We show that incorporating knowledge of these orbiting spacecraft data characteristics improves the performance and interpretability of machine learning methods, which is essential for deriving scientific meaning. Building on these findings, we present a framework on incorporating physics knowledge into machine learning problems targeting semi-supervised classification for space physics data in planetary environments. These findings present a path forward for incorporating physical knowledge into space physics and planetary mission data analyses for scientific discovery.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2006.01927v1","authors":["A. R. Azari","J. W. Lockhart","M. W. Liemohn","X. Jia"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","astro-ph.IM","stat.ML"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-06-02T20:31:29Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2107.02311v1","name":"Design of pulsed waveforms for space debris detection with ATLAS","source":"arxiv","abstract":"ATLAS is the first Portuguese radar system that aims to detect space debris. The article introduces the system and provides a brief description of its capabilities. The system is capable of synthesizing arbitrary amplitude modulated pulse shapes with a resolution of 10 ns. Given that degree of freedom we decided to test an amplitude modulated chirp signal developed by us and a nested barker code. These waveforms are explained as well as their advantages and drawbacks for space debris detection. An experimental setup was developed to test the system receiver and waveforms are processed by digital matched filtering. The experiments test the system using different waveform shapes and noise levels. Experimental results are in agreement with simulation and show that the chirp signal is more resilient to Doppler shifts, has higher range resolution and lower peak-to-sidelobe ratio in comparison with the nested barker code. Future work in order to increase detection capabilities is discussed at the end.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2107.02311v1","authors":["João Pandeirada","Miguel Bergano","Paulo Marques","Domingos Barbosa","José Freitas","Bruno Coelho","Valério Ribeiro"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","eess.SP","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-07-05T22:53:42Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1804.10686v1","name":"An Unsupervised Word Sense Disambiguation System for Under-Resourced Languages","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, we present Watasense, an unsupervised system for word sense disambiguation. Given a sentence, the system chooses the most relevant sense of each input word with respect to the semantic similarity between the given sentence and the synset constituting the sense of the target word. Watasense has two modes of operation. The sparse mode uses the traditional vector space model to estimate the most similar word sense corresponding to its context. The dense mode, instead, uses synset embeddings to cope with the sparsity problem. We describe the architecture of the present system and also conduct its evaluation on three different lexical semantic resources for Russian. We found that the dense mode substantially outperforms the sparse one on all datasets according to the adjusted Rand index.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1804.10686v1","authors":["Dmitry Ustalov","Denis Teslenko","Alexander Panchenko","Mikhail Chernoskutov","Chris Biemann","Simone Paolo Ponzetto"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-04-27T20:44:49Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1909.01814v1","name":"Cooperative Multi-spacecraft Observation of Incoming Space Threats","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Earth is constantly being bombarded with material from space. Most of the natural material end up being dust grains that litter the surface of Earth, but larger bodies are known to impact every few decades. The most recent large impact was Chelyabinsk which set off a 500-kiloton explosion which was 40 times that of the Hiroshima nuclear explosion. Apart from meteors, there is a growing threat of space assets deorbiting. With these impending space threats, it is critical to have a constellation of satellites to autonomously lookout for meteors and reentering space debris. By using multiple spacecraft, it is possible to perform multipoint observation of the event. Through multipoint observation, it is possible to triangulate the location of the observed event. The detection, tracking, and analysis of these objects all need to be performed autonomously. Our previous work focused on developing several vision algorithms including blob-detection, feature detection, and neural network-based image segment classification. For this multipoint observation to occur, it requires multiple spacecraft to coordinate their actions particularly fixating on the space observation target. Furthermore, communication and coordination are needed for bringing new satellites into observation view and removing other satellites that have lost their view. In this paper, we analyze state-of-the-art observation technology for small satellites and perform detailed design of its implementation. Through this study, we estimate the error estimates on position, velocity, and acceleration. We presume use of low to mid-tier cameras for the spacecraft.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1909.01814v1","authors":["Ravi teja Nallapu","Jekan Thangavelautham"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-09-02T06:08:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.00322v2","name":"Development of Space Qualified Signal Processing Readout Electronics for HabWorlds and Origins Space Telescope Detector and Arrays","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) -- a flagship ultraviolet/optical/infrared space telescope recommended by the National Academies' Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics -- will require detector technologies capable of supporting significantly larger pixel-count arrays than previous missions. Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors (MKIDs), naturally suited to microwave multiplexing readout, are already in use across several balloon-borne missions with FPGA based systems. To transition this capability to space, we are developing a radiation-hardened detector readout system that builds directly on the technical and environmental requirements defined by the PRIMA mission. PRIMA serves as a critical pathfinder, informing the radiation tolerance, resource constraints, and on-board processing capabilities needed for HWO. In this work, we present our current results on algorithm implementation, hardware architecture, and firmware development using the radiation-hardened AMD Kintex Ultrascale FPGA, aligning with PRIMA's stringent specifications to ensure compatibility with future space-based observatories like HWO.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.00322v2","authors":["Tracee Jamison-Hooks","Lynn Miles","Sanetra Newman-Bailey","Oketa Basha","Abarna Karthikeyan","Sarah E. Kay","Sean Bryan","Philip Mauskopf","Thomas Essinger-Hileman","Jason Glen","Sumit Dahal","Adrian Sinclair","Kathryn Chamberlain"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","physics.ins-det","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-01T05:11:53Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1701.02303v3","name":"A compactification of the moduli space of multiple-spin curves","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We construct a smooth Deligne-Mumford compactification for the moduli space of curves with an m-tuple of spin structures using line bundles on quasi-stable curves as limiting objects, as opposed to line bundles on stacky curves. For all m, we give a combinatorial description of the local structure of the corresponding coarse moduli spaces. We also classify all irreducible and connected components of the resulting moduli spaces of multiple-spin curves.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1701.02303v3","authors":["Emre Can Sertöz"],"tags":["math.AG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-07T00:13:37Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2001.02752v1","name":"Global Prompt Proton Sensor Network: Monitoring Solar Energetic Protons based on GPS Satellite Constellation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Energetic particle instruments on board GPS satellites form a powerful global prompt proton sensor network (GPPSn) that provides an unprecedented opportunity to monitor and characterize solar energetic protons targeting the Earth. The medium-Earth-orbits of the GPS constellation have the unique advantage of allowing solar energetic protons to be simultaneously measured from multiple points in both open- and closed-field line regions. Examining two example intervals of solar proton events, we showcase in this study how GPS proton data are prepared, calibrated and utilized to reveal important features of solar protons, including their source, acceleration/scattering by interplanetary shocks, the relative position of Earth when impinged by these shocks, the shape of solar particle fronts, the access of solar protons inside the dynamic geomagnetic field, as well temporally-varying proton distributions in both energy and space. By comparing to Van Allen Probes data, GPS proton observations are further demonstrated not only to be useful for qualitatively monitoring the dynamics of solar protons, but also for quantitative scientific research including determining cutoff L-shells. Our results establish that this GPPSn can join forces with other existing solar proton monitors and contribute to observing, warning, understanding and ultimately forecasting the incoming solar energetic proton events.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2001.02752v1","authors":["Yue Chen","Steven K. Morley","Matthew R. Carver"],"tags":["physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-08T21:44:43Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2105.11518v1","name":"Black hole science with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna","source":"arxiv","abstract":"I review the scientific potential of the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), a space-borne gravitational wave (GW) observatory to be launched in the early 30s'. Thanks to its sensitivity in the milli-Hz frequency range, LISA will reveal a variety of GW sources across the Universe, from our Solar neighbourhood potentially all the way back to the Big Bang, promising to be a game changer in our understanding of astrophysics, cosmology and fundamental physics. This review dives in the LISA Universe, with a specific focus on black hole science, including the formation and evolution of massive black holes in galaxy centres, the dynamics of dense nuclei and formation of extreme mass ratio inspirals, and the astrophysics of stellar-origin black hole binaries.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2105.11518v1","authors":["Alberto Sesana"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-05-24T20:12:13Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0210065v2","name":"CEM2k and LAQGSM as Event Generators for Space-Radiation-Shielding and Cosmic-Ray-Propagation Applications","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The CEM2k and LAQGSM codes have been recently developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory to simulate nuclear reactions for a number of applications. We have benchmarked our codes against most available measured data at incident particle energies from 10 MeV to 800 GeV and have compared our results with predictions of other current models used by the nuclear community. Here, we present a brief description of our codes and show illustrative results to show that CEM2k and LAQGSM can be used as reliable event generators for space-radiation-shielding, cosmic-ray-propagation, and other astrophysical applications. Finally, we show the use of our calculated cross sections together with experimental data from our LANL T-16 compilation to produce evaluated files which we use in the GALPROP model of galactic particle propagation to better constrain the size of the CR halo.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/nucl-th/0210065v2","authors":["S. G. Mashnik","K. K. Gudima","I. V. Moskalenko","R. E. Prael","A. J. Sierk"],"tags":["nucl-th","astro-ph","nucl-ex"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-10-23T16:57:58Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2403.19365v1","name":"EthioMT: Parallel Corpus for Low-resource Ethiopian Languages","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Recent research in natural language processing (NLP) has achieved impressive performance in tasks such as machine translation (MT), news classification, and question-answering in high-resource languages. However, the performance of MT leaves much to be desired for low-resource languages. This is due to the smaller size of available parallel corpora in these languages, if such corpora are available at all. NLP in Ethiopian languages suffers from the same issues due to the unavailability of publicly accessible datasets for NLP tasks, including MT. To help the research community and foster research for Ethiopian languages, we introduce EthioMT -- a new parallel corpus for 15 languages. We also create a new benchmark by collecting a dataset for better-researched languages in Ethiopia. We evaluate the newly collected corpus and the benchmark dataset for 23 Ethiopian languages using transformer and fine-tuning approaches.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.19365v1","authors":["Atnafu Lambebo Tonja","Olga Kolesnikova","Alexander Gelbukh","Jugal Kalita"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-28T12:26:45Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1002.2277v1","name":"Improved orbit predictions using two-line elements","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The density of orbital space debris constitutes an increasing environmental challenge. There are three ways to alleviate the problem: debris mitigation, debris removal and collision avoidance. This paper addresses collision avoidance, by describing a method that contributes to achieving a requisite increase in orbit prediction accuracy. Batch least-squares differential correction is applied to the publicly available two-line element (TLE) catalog of space objects. Using a high-precision numerical propagator, we fit an orbit to state vectors derived from successive TLEs. We then propagate the fitted orbit further forward in time. These predictions are compared to precision ephemeris data derived from the International Laser Ranging Service (ILRS) for several satellites, including objects in the congested sun-synchronous orbital region. The method leads to a predicted range error that increases at a typical rate of 100 meters per day, approximately a 10-fold improvement over TLE's propagated with their associated analytic propagator (SGP4). Corresponding improvements for debris trajectories could potentially provide initial conjunction analysis sufficiently accurate for an operationally viable collision avoidance system. We discuss additional optimization and the computational requirements for applying all-on-all conjunction analysis to the whole TLE catalog, present and near future. Finally, we outline a scheme for debris-debris collision avoidance that may become practicable given these developments.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1002.2277v1","authors":["Creon Levit","William Marshall"],"tags":["physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-02-11T05:31:04Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2305.04914v1","name":"Phase Coherence of Solar Wind Turbulence from the Sun to Earth","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The transport of energetic particles in response to solar wind turbulence is important for space weather. To understand charged particle transport, it is usually assumed that the phase of the turbulence is randomly distributed (the random phase approximation) in quasi-linear theory and simulations. In this paper, we calculate the coherence index, $C_φ$, of solar wind turbulence observed by the Helios 2 and Parker Solar Probe spacecraft using the surrogate data technique to check if the assumption is valid. Here, values of $C_φ=0$ and $1$ indicate that the phase coherence is random and correlated, respectively. We estimate that the coherence index at the resonant scale of energetic ions ($10$ MeV protons) is $0.1$ at $0.87$ and $0.65$ au, $0.18$ at $0.29$ au, and $0.3$ ($0.35$) at $0.09$ au for super (sub)-Alfvénic intervals, respectively. Since the random phase approximation corresponds to $C_φ=0$, this may indicate that the random phase approximation is not valid for the transport of energetic particles in the inner heliosphere, especially very close to the Sun ($\\sim0.09$ au).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2305.04914v1","authors":["Masaru Nakanotani","Lingling Zhao","Gary P. Zank"],"tags":["physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-05-08T17:49:44Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1904.10125v1","name":"Characterizing Application Scheduling on Edge, Fog and Cloud Computing Resources","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Cloud computing has grown to become a popular distributed computing service offered by commercial providers. More recently, Edge and Fog computing resources have emerged on the wide-area network as part of Internet of Things (IoT) deployments. These three resource abstraction layers are complementary, and provide distinctive benefits. Scheduling applications on clouds has been an active area of research, with workflow and dataflow models serving as a flexible abstraction to specify applications for execution. However, the application programming and scheduling models for edge and fog are still maturing, and can benefit from learnings on cloud resources. At the same time, there is also value in using these resources cohesively for application execution. In this article, we present a taxonomy of concepts essential for specifying and solving the problem of scheduling applications on edge, for and cloud computing resources. We first characterize the resource capabilities and limitations of these infrastructure, and design a taxonomy of application models, Quality of Service (QoS) constraints and goals, and scheduling techniques, based on a literature review. We also tabulate key research prototypes and papers using this taxonomy. This survey benefits developers and researchers on these distributed resources in designing and categorizing their applications, selecting the relevant computing abstraction(s), and developing or selecting the appropriate scheduling algorithm. It also highlights gaps in literature where open problems remain.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1904.10125v1","authors":["Prateeksha Varshney","Yogesh Simmhan"],"tags":["cs.DC"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-04-23T02:49:36Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2303.11875v1","name":"Recommending Low-Cost Compact Space Environment and Space Weather Effects Sensor Suites for NASA Missions","source":"arxiv","abstract":"As miniaturized spacecraft (e.g., cubesats and smallsats) and instrumentation become an increasingly indispensable part of space exploration and scientific investigations, it is important to understand their potential susceptibility to space weather impacts resulting from the sometimes volatile space environment. There are multitude of complexities involved in how space environment interacts with different space hardware/electronics. Measurements of such impacts, however, have been lacking. Therefore, we recommend developing and/or procuring low-cost, low-power consumption, and compact sensor suites (mainly for space weather and impact purposes) and flying them on all future NASA (and U.S in general) missions in order to measure and quantify space weather impacts, in addition to the main instrumentation.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.11875v1","authors":["Yihua Zheng","Michael Xapsos","Insoo Jun","T. P. O'Brien","Linda Parker","Wousik Kim","Justin Likar","Joseph Minow","Thomas Chen","Douglas Rowland"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.SR","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-03-21T14:19:01Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.17198v1","name":"Exponential Tethers for Accelerated Space Elevator Deployment","source":"arxiv","abstract":"An exponential space elevator is a space elevator with a tether cross-section that varies exponentially with altitude. With such an elevator it is possible to reel in tether material at one end of the elevator while reeling out at the other end, without changing the overall taper profile. I show how to use this property to build up or clone a space elevator much more efficiently than with standard climber-based methods.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.17198v1","authors":["Blaise Gassend"],"tags":["physics.app-ph","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-23T00:25:52Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2107.03437v1","name":"Radio astronomy and Space science in Azores: enhancing the Atlantic VLBI infrastructure cluster","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Radio astronomy and Space Infrastructures in the Azores have a great scientific and industrial interest because they benefit from a unique geographical location in the middle of the North Atlantic allowing a vast improvement in the sky coverage. This fact obviously has a very high added value for: i) the establishment of space tracking and communications networks for the emergent global small satellite fleets ii) it is invaluable to connect the radio astronomy infrastructure networks in Africa, Europe and America continents using Very Large Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) techniques, iii) it allows excellent potential for monitoring space debris and Near Earth Objects (NEOs). There is in S. Miguel island a 32-metre SATCOM antenna that could be integrated in advanced VLBI networks and be capable of additional Deep Space Network ground support. This paper explores the space science opportunities offered by the upgrade of the S. Miguel 32-metre SATCOM antenna into a world-class infrastructure for radio astronomy and space exploration: it would enable a Deep Space Network mode and would constitute a key space facility for data production, promoting local digital infrastructure investments and the testing of cutting-edge information technologies. Its Atlantic location also enables improvements in angular resolution, provides many baseline in East-West and North-South directions connecting the emergent VLBI stations in America to Europe and Africa VLBI arrays therefore contributing for greater array imaging capabilities especially for sources or well studied fields close to or below the celestial equator, where ESO facilities, ALMA, SKA and its precursors do or will operate and observe in the coming decades.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2107.03437v1","authors":["Domingos Barbosa","Bruno Coelho","Sonia Antón","Miguel Bergano","Tjarda Boekholt","Alexandre C. M. Correia","Dalmiro Maia","João Pandeirada","Valério Ribeiro","Jason Adams","João Paulo Barraca","Diogo Gomes","Bruno Morgado"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-07-07T18:50:35Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1203.5076v1","name":"Massively Increasing TIMEX3 Resources: A Transduction Approach","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Automatic annotation of temporal expressions is a research challenge of great interest in the field of information extraction. Gold standard temporally-annotated resources are limited in size, which makes research using them difficult. Standards have also evolved over the past decade, so not all temporally annotated data is in the same format. We vastly increase available human-annotated temporal expression resources by converting older format resources to TimeML/TIMEX3. This task is difficult due to differing annotation methods. We present a robust conversion tool and a new, large temporal expression resource. Using this, we evaluate our conversion process by using it as training data for an existing TimeML annotation tool, achieving a 0.87 F1 measure -- better than any system in the TempEval-2 timex recognition exercise.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1203.5076v1","authors":["Leon Derczynski","Héctor Llorens","Estela Saquete"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-03-22T18:45:07Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1710.04710v2","name":"A resource theory of quantum memories and their faithful verification with minimal assumptions","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We provide a complete set of game-theoretic conditions equivalent to the existence of a transformation from one quantum channel into another one, by means of classically correlated pre/post processing maps only. Such conditions naturally induce tests to certify that a quantum memory is capable of storing quantum information, as opposed to memories that can be simulated by measurement and state preparation (corresponding to entanglement-breaking channels). These results are formulated as a resource theory of genuine quantum memories (correlated in time), mirroring the resource theory of entanglement in quantum states (correlated spatially). As the set of conditions is complete, the corresponding tests are faithful, in the sense that any non entanglement-breaking channel can be certified. Moreover, they only require the assumption of trusted inputs, known to be unavoidable for quantum channel verification. As such, the tests we propose are intrinsically different from the usual process tomography, for which the probes of both the input and the output of the channel must be trusted. An explicit construction is provided and shown to be experimentally realizable, even in the presence of arbitrarily strong losses in the memory or detectors.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1710.04710v2","authors":["Denis Rosset","Francesco Buscemi","Yeong-Cherng Liang"],"tags":["quant-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-10-12T20:32:25Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0509033v2","name":"Use of coated silicon field emitters as neutralisers for fundamental physics missions in space","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Spacecraft neutralisers are required as part of the ion propulsion system for accurate station keeping in fundamental physics missions. This paper describes the use of thin layers of insulating materials as coatings for the gated silicon field emitter array structure used in a spacecraft neutraliser. These thin coatings are postulated to reduce power consumption and reduce overheating. The power consumption and lifetime of aluminium nitride and amorphous hydrogenated diamond-like carbon coatings have been tested by current-voltage and endurance tests. Diamond-like carbon coatings were promising, performing better in endurance tests than uncoated samples, but further work is required to characterise the coating's physical properties and its effects on field emission. The thermal conductivity of the coating material had little effect on measured sample lifetimes. Aluminium nitride had reduced power consumption compared to diamond-like carbon coated and uncoated samples. A thin (~5 nm) layer of aluminium nitride was found to be optimal, meeting European Space Agency specifications for the neutraliser engineering model.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0509033v2","authors":["K. L. Aplin","B. J. Kent","C. M. Collingwood","L. Wang","R. Stevens","S. E. Huq","A. Malik"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","physics.gen-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-09-05T10:29:10Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2607.16545v2","name":"A First Africa Wide Amateur Radio Contact Experiment with the International Space Station","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program is recognized by its great Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) impact: it brings space science to education and outreach initiatives by enabling direct contact with astronauts in orbit and other space savvy professionals. Strategic partnerships between ARISS and digital platforms for citizen science act as a powerful real-world STEM motivator and can overcome logistical barriers, demonstrating a scalable model for inclusive outreach, sparking curiosity in space exploration and STEM careers among underrepresented communities. As a case study, this article focus on the impact of an historic milestone: on April 18$^{th}$ 2025 the Pan-African Citizen Science e-Laboratory (PACS e-Lab) orchestrated the first Africa-wide ARISS contact experiment and connected 300 students, educators, and STEM enthusiasts from 38 African nations and beyond with NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers aboard the ISS Expedition 72. Within the African context, this initiative not only inspired a new generation of African scientists, but it also set a precedent for wider collaboration on space science education across the continent. Strategic partnership between ARISS and PACs e-LAB promotes capacity building through international and regional cooperation on space science and adds a new \"New Space\" narrative that emphasizes the interconnectedness of space with our daily lives and the possibility that everyone has to be a part of it.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.16545v2","authors":["Domingos Barbosa","Miracle Chibuzor Marcel","Declan Kirrane","Miguel Avillez","Amare Abebe Gidelew","Carla Sharpe Mitchell","Vidvuds Beldavs","Claudio Ariotti","Stefan Dombrowski","Peter Kofler"],"tags":["physics.ed-ph","astro-ph.IM","physics.soc-ph","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-17T22:42:30Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1401.5995v1","name":"Collisionless Magnetic Reconnection in Space Plasmas","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Magnetic reconnection requires the violation of the frozen-in condition which ties gyrating charged particles to the magnetic field inhibiting diffusion. Ongoing reconnection has been identified in near-Earth space as being responsible for the excitation of substorms, magnetic storms, generation of field aligned currents and their consequences, the wealth of auroral phenomena. Its theoretical understanding is now on the verge of being completed. Reconnection takes place in thin current sheets. Analytical concepts proceeded gradually down to the microscopic scale, the scale of the electron skin depth or inertial length, recognizing that current layers that thin do preferentially undergo spontaneous reconnection. Thick current layers start reconnecting when being forced by plasma inflow to thin. For almost half a century the physical mechanism of reconnection has remained a mystery. Spacecraft in situ observations in combination with sophisticated numerical simulations in two and three dimensions recently clarified the mist, finding that reconnection produces a specific structure of the current layer inside the electron inertial (also called electron diffusion) region around the reconnection site, the X line. Onset of reconnection is attributed to pseudo-viscous contributions of the electron pressure tensor aided by electron inertia and drag, creating a complicated structured electron current sheet, electric fields, and an electron exhaust extended along the current layer. We review the general background theory and recent developments in numerical simulation on collisionless reconnection. It is impossible to cover the entire field of reconnection in a short space-limited review. The presentation necessarily remains cursory, determined by our taste, preferences, and knowledge. Only a small amount of observations is included in order to support the few selected numerical simulations.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1401.5995v1","authors":["R. A. Treumann","W. Baumjohann"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","astro-ph.HE","astro-ph.SR","physics.plasm-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-01-23T15:08:32Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4324/9781315844305-3","name":"Environmental resources in space and time","source":"crossref","abstract":"This chapter reviews the equally important questions of how resources are distributed in space and how they have been perceived and utilized through time. It is concerned with the wheres and whens of environmental resources, and in particular with how these are inter-related. The chapter demonstrates that the spatial and historical dimensions of environmental resources are of fundamental importance in the understanding of modern resource issues, and that these two dimensions are closely inter-linked. The distribution of the human population, and of the demand for environmental resources, is also highly variable. In the later 1960s, the images provided by space missions highlighted in a new way the finitude of Planet Earth. Climatic change of a magnitude significant for crop growth may have occurred in some parts of the world during historical times. The use of environmental resources is therefore carried out within a changing framework of space and time.","url":"https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315844305-3","authors":["A.S. Mather","K. Chapman"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-12-17T07:10:48Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.4324/9781315844305-3","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/upo9781844654437.027","name":"Web resources","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/upo9781844654437.027","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-02-05T05:59:37Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1017/upo9781844654437.027","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4337/9781800374744.00019","name":"Use of outer space resources","source":"crossref","abstract":"The use of space resources is a highly relevant topic both from the perspective of the implementation and development of space law as well as for its impact on international relations. Such a relevance is demonstrated by the number of domestic and international initiatives that have been undertaken in recent years on the subject of space resources governance. The purpose of the present chapter is to analyze the legal issues related to the utilization of space resources, critically review the different approaches taken by States, and to suggest some mechanisms to facilitate progress in the international discussions on the setting up of a framework regulating space mining activities.","url":"https://doi.org/10.4337/9781800374744.00019","authors":["Fabio Tronchetti"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-12-20T08:05:18Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.4337/9781800374744.00019","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4337/9781802207361.00079","name":"Space resources","source":"crossref","abstract":"This is a definition of Space Resources in the Elgar Concise Encyclopedia of Space Law. Providing a comprehensive and timely overview of the evolving landscape of space law, this Encyclopedia emphasises the importance of international collaboration in maintaining outer space as a peaceful domain. This Encyclopedia illustrates how the demise of the bipolar world order changed the paradigm of international legal developments in outer space activities, whilst the need to guarantee the security, safety, and sustainability of space remained unchanged. The rise of the private space industry necessitates new legal approaches that balance the fast pace of technological advancements with the needs of all stakeholders, including operators. This can be seen in various licensing regimes which seek to foster innovation while at the same time preserving national interests. The Elgar Concise Encyclopedia of Space Law is an essential resource for students, academics, and practitioners of public international law and transport law, as well as for policymakers and stakeholders within international aerospace organizations and academies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.4337/9781802207361.00079","authors":["Antonino Salmeri"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-17T13:01:18Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.4337/9781802207361.00079","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9781978730243.ch-001","name":"Introducing The Concept Of Great Power Competition For Space Resources","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9781978730243.ch-001","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-23T12:23:12Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.5040/9781978730243.ch-001","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-031-53610-6_17","name":"From Earth Economy to Space Economy: Harnessing Space Resources for Sustainable Human Habitats","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-53610-6_17","authors":["Piotr Kaczmarek-Kurczak"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-13T13:02:35Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-031-53610-6_17","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/9783527830909.ch9","name":"Near‐Earth Asteroids as Promising Candidates for Space Resources","source":"crossref","abstract":"To date, more than 200 spacecraft have explored about 100 extraterrestrial bodies, including all planets and their major satellites. In situ observational data obtained through space missions have revealed the bodies' sizes, densities, orbital parameters, compositional distributions, and surface conditions. Such scientific data provide an essential background for discussing the possible acquisition and utilization of materials in space. The value of materials depends mainly on their chemical compositions, mineralogical states, and accessibilities. For an early stage of in situ resource utilization (ISRU), the availability of volatiles, including water on asteroids, comets, and the Moon, becomes a primary issue because of their utility as fuel and solvents. Volatile materials obtained from small bodies may support reusable transportation systems between solar bodies. Through such systems, materials excavated from appropriate bodies would be transferred to develop large-scale infrastructures, such as bases. Asteroids would be valuable sources of regolith for radiation shielding and metals for manufacturing. Extensive utilization of space resources on Earth is a possibility through the acquisition of small near-Earth asteroids.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9783527830909.ch9","authors":["Hideaki Miyamoto"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-01T21:37:18Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.1002/9783527830909.ch9","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5553/iisl/2018061005009","name":"What Are Space Resources? What Are Celestial Bodies?","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5553/iisl/2018061005009","authors":["Irmgard Marboe","Michael Friedl"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-14T17:53:52Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.984Z","doi":"10.5553/iisl/2018061005009","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4324/9781003342380-21","name":"A Nascent Regime for Space Resources","source":"crossref","abstract":"This chapter describes and assesses the prospects of a nascent international regime to govern the exploitation of natural resources found on celestial bodies, characterising how international public and private actors currently envision, propose, and create rules in this area. With a focus on lunar and asteroidal resources, this chapter introduces space resource governance and develops three main arguments. First, several actors have already begun articulating and codifying national and international principles and rules to govern space resources. These steps mark the start of a regime-building process that differs significantly from the processes that created the Outer Space Treaty and the Moon Treaty, the two most relevant comparators. Secondly, the diverse stakeholders involved in these rulemaking processes present distinct and sometimes clashing perspectives. The points of contention are likely to complicate the creation of a single global regime encompassing commercial and state-led resource exploitation in space. Third, given these differences, an international regime to govern space resources could develop through several distinct pathways within the next 30 or so years. These each present advantages for some actors and interests over others. Three possible pathways present distinct implications for government and industry actors and other stakeholders.","url":"https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003342380-21","authors":["Alanna Krolikowski"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-26T16:28:34Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.4324/9781003342380-21","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-1-4832-8421-7.50156-3","name":"THE LEGISLATOR'S ROLE IN DEVELOPING UNDERGROUND SPACE RESOURCES","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-1-4832-8421-7.50156-3","authors":["R. Searle"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-12-18T23:13:44Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-1-4832-8421-7.50156-3","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-031-53610-6_18","name":"What’s Next for the Regulation of Utilizing Space Resources? Terrestrial Mining Versus Space Mining","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-53610-6_18","authors":["Bartosz Malinowski","Katarzyna Malinowska"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-13T13:02:35Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-031-53610-6_18","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1177/21680256251400609","name":"Decolonizing Final Frontier Expansionism? A space Criminological Critique of ESA’s 2019 Space Resources Strategy","source":"crossref","abstract":"Ensuring energy supply security is a core interest of the modern state, which has historically entailed the colonial geographic expansion of extractive industry and political influence, if not outright control, over sites of extraction. Plans for the extraction of space resources, such as the 2019 ESA Space Resources Strategy, give insight into the increasing activity in space and the governance thereof, and how, or if, ESA diverges from or reproduces past territorially expansionist patterns of exploitation and destruction. Despite existing space law, space resource extraction is still on the frontiers of both policy-making and control. This article critically examines the Strategy through the dual lenses of critical geopolitics and emerging space criminology. It defines and applies colonialism, decolonialism, and space expansionism, showing how discourses of sustainability and innovation can conceal extractive and hegemonic practices. Drawing on both empirical examples and science fiction allegory, the article argues that ESA space-resource strategizing risks reproducing the “colonial trap.” It concludes by outlining pathways toward genuinely decolonized and sustainability-oriented governance of space resources.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/21680256251400609","authors":["Yarin Eski"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-10T23:33:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1177/21680256251400609","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9781978730243.ch-007","name":"Middle Power Strategy And Ambitions For Space Resources","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9781978730243.ch-007","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-23T12:23:12Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.5040/9781978730243.ch-007","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1071/9780643094116.ch01","name":"Water resources in time and space","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1071/9780643094116.ch01","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-22T06:30:52Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1071/9780643094116.ch01","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1061/40339(206)83","name":"Space Resources Exploitation: A European Approach","source":"crossref","abstract":"The closely interconnected domains of space exploration and resources exploitation have been of interest to the European Space Agency (ESA) over the last few years. This paper summarises our recent work and our current planning and thinking on these subjects, ranging from the planned exploration missions to the identification of potential future European contributions in an international scenario, and of European interests in the long term.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1061/40339(206)83","authors":["Mauro Novara"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-12-13T23:08:11Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1061/40339(206)83","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1057/9781137316431.0009","name":"Non-Language Resources","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137316431.0009","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-12-20T13:42:58Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1057/9781137316431.0009","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4095/331665","name":"Radarsat: Canadian space program","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4095/331665","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-04-06T17:01:58Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.4095/331665","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-030-97913-3_23","name":"Resources from Asteroids and Comets","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97913-3_23","authors":["Daniel Britt","Kevin Cannon"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-04-27T10:03:02Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-030-97913-3_23","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.spacepol.2024.101675","name":"Bold steps forward: The investment impact of enacting space resources legislation","source":"crossref","abstract":"Significant attention is now being directed toward the space resources industry in what people are calling the next frontier of mineral exploration. The basic space treaties were proposed and executed at relatively early stages in the development of space exploration and exploitation, and, as such, were drafted to be ambiguous as new technologies were developed. To that end, individual states are beginning to propose domestic legislation to regulate space property rights. To date, the United States, Luxembourg, Japan and the United Arab Emirates have succeeded in enacting such laws, with other countries currently drafting similar legislation. This paper does not attempt to discuss the suitability of or to interpret domestic law and how it fits within the framework of the basic space treaties; rather, it reflects upon the domestic space property rights legislation that has been enacted and examines the impact that those laws have had upon investment into the space sector of the country in which they were passed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spacepol.2024.101675","authors":["Adam Janikowski"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-09T12:27:38Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1016/j.spacepol.2024.101675","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.368-373.1889","name":"Ecological Integration of New Ideas for Urban Tourism Space Resources — Nanning Watertown Tourism Space Resources Integration","source":"crossref","abstract":"Nanning proposed to create \"water city with Chinese characteristics” in 2009, so how to use its unique Subtropical landscape resources, integrating Nanning tourism space for promoting tourism feature and culture, which is main task of Nanning. This article will utilize landscape ecology tourism to study Nanning city, the city tourism landscape space could be analyzed by during such process, Nanning Watertown tourism development will enter new stage, water is axis, along the tourism resources and landscape could be analyzed and systematical connected for forming Eco-tourism network, which can provide reference and guidance for Nanning tourism space resources integration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.368-373.1889","authors":["Yao Zhi Huang","Chao Jun Chen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-27T12:16:34Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.368-373.1889","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-030-59158-8_12","name":"Outer Space Resources and African Perspective: Why International Law Needs a Regulatory Framework for Outer Space Resources, What It Should Look like and What the Pope Has to Do with It","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59158-8_12","authors":["Simon David Botha"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-02-22T15:04:32Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-030-59158-8_12","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9781978730243.ch-002","name":"The Role Of Myths, History, And Strategic Culture On Space-Based 0 Resources","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9781978730243.ch-002","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-23T12:23:12Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.5040/9781978730243.ch-002","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1061/40339(206)74","name":"Use of Space Resources: Literature Survey","source":"crossref","abstract":"This paper reviews some of the literature which has been developed during the last century on the topic of space resource utilization. The sources cited in this summary include books, articles, technical publications, conference and workshop proceedings, and NASA-sponsored studies on the topics ranging from mining, processing and chemical separation of lunar and asteroidal resources to construction, human habitation and space-based industry using the in-situ resources of space.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1061/40339(206)74","authors":["Brad R. Blair"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-12-13T23:08:11Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1061/40339(206)74","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/9781394229604.contrib","name":"List of Authors","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394229604.contrib","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-08-04T21:56:31Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1002/9781394229604.contrib","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/078367-0050","name":"Space-Ground TT&amp;C Resources Integrated Scheduling for Space Station Tasks","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/078367-0050","authors":["Jianqiang Tang","Chao Qi","Zhaokai Si"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-31T21:07:36Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.52202/078367-0050","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/9781394229604","name":"Articulations between Tangible Space, Graphical Space and Geometrical Space","source":"crossref","abstract":"This book aims to present some of the latest research in the didactics of space and geometry, deepen some theoretical questions and open up new reflections for discourse. Its focus is as much on the approach of geometry itself and its link with the structuring of space as it is on the practices within the classroom, the dissemination of resources, the use of different artefacts and the training of teachers in this field. We study how spatial knowledge, graphical knowledge and geometric knowledge are taken into account and articulated in the teaching of space and geometry in compulsory schools, teaching resources (programs and textbooks) and current teacher training. We question how the semiotic dimension (language, gestures and signs) of geometric activity can be taken into account, and we identify the role of artefacts (digital or tangible) in the teaching and learning of geometry. This book brings together some fifteen contributions from Frenchspeaking researchers from different countries (France, Switzerland and Canada).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394229604","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-08-04T17:56:31Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1002/9781394229604","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/9783527830909.ch20","name":"Space Resources: Physical Constraints, Policy Choices, and Ethical Considerations","source":"crossref","abstract":"The governance of the vast resources of the Solar System will be constrained by the nature and distribution of those resources. We outline these constraints for the Moon, Mars, and the Asteroids. Governance is also historically contingent, and the “Founder Effect” means that our actions in the first few decades of harnessing space resources, mostly on the Moon and the near-Earth asteroids, will have a strong influence on the very different circumstances that will obtain later as our space-based economy grows. We review the nascent efforts to put in place principles and concepts for space resource governance. We present four sets of policy choices that will influence moderate-term, 30-year, developments: governments as anchor customers, governments supporting emerging firms, trade-offs between types of activities, and collective management of crowding and interference. We then describe some ways in which these choices are already being formed. There are two general ethical questions we pose: the “tenure and entitlement” problem, and the “near-term justice” problem. They are not unique to space, but the space examples throw them into high relief. The high cost threshold of space activities suggests that a quasi-monopoly power by a few corporations could well result, leading to evidently unfair treatment of workers within the corporations, and manifestly unjust distribution of the benefits to the wider global society outside the corporations, or an over-rapid exhaustion of those resources to at the cost of future generations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9783527830909.ch20","authors":["Martin Elvis","Alanna Krolikowski","Tony Milligan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-01T21:37:18Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1002/9783527830909.ch20","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.15688/nsr.jvolsu.2024.2.6","name":"Issues of Energy Index Modeling of Vegetation Phenology","source":"crossref","abstract":"The article is devoted to energy index modeling of vegetation phenology. Based on the dual sigmoidal model representation of the phenological cycle, an energy-index approach to phasing the stages of vegetation development and deactivation is proposed. The optimal laws for changing the amplitude of the model in the phases of development and decontamination have been determined, at which the energy released by vegetation into the environment can reach a maximum. The relationship between the LAI index and the phenological state of vegetation has been investigated. The study of the relationship of LAI with another phenological indicator of vegetation, in particular the prognostic phenological state of vegetation P. It is shown that despite the inverse logarithmic relationship between LAI and FPAR, and also due to the direct dependence of P and FPAR, averaged over all possible values of fv, the value of P increases in the presence of a direct relationship between LAI and fv.","url":"https://doi.org/10.15688/nsr.jvolsu.2024.2.6","authors":["Fakhraddin Agaev","Hikmet Asadov","Meraj Omarov"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-03T17:40:14Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.15688/nsr.jvolsu.2024.2.6","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9781978730243.0007","name":"Appendix A","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9781978730243.0007","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-23T12:23:12Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.5040/9781978730243.0007","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.26650/pb/ss46ps01.2023.004.009","name":"The Ownership Question on the Resources Derived From Space Mining","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.26650/pb/ss46ps01.2023.004.009","authors":["Merve Erdem Burger"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-10-06T10:25:25Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.26650/pb/ss46ps01.2023.004.009","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1057/9781137316431.0007","name":"Multiple Languages as Resources","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137316431.0007","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-12-20T08:42:58Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1057/9781137316431.0007","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/9781394229604.app3","name":"Appendix 3: Support Systems","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394229604.app3","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-08-04T21:56:31Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1002/9781394229604.app3","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/9781394229604.ch7","name":"Robotics and Spatial Knowledge","source":"crossref","abstract":"This chapter deals with the use of programmable floor robots used with French primary school pupils, aged 6–8 years old, in math class. It presents a categorization of spatial tasks grouped by genre, based on the definition of spatial knowledge given by Berthelot and Salin and on the classes of spatial problems elaborated by Fénichel et al. The chapter presents authors' methodology as well as the test that they have designed, based on these spatial tasks. It then analyzes the results obtained for an example of an item that underwent the test. The authors sampled six first grade classes, two of which were in REP. They offered the same test to all classes, in October 2019 and again in January 2020. Meanwhile, three classes (including one in REP) worked with programmable floor robots. The teachers were free to choose how to integrate the robots into their progress.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394229604.ch7","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-08-04T21:56:31Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1002/9781394229604.ch7","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/0471263869.sst029","name":"Space Resources, Occurrence and Uses","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Space resources consist of all of the useful materials, energy sources, and energy found in space. For practical purposes, this article focuses on those resources that may be accessible within the next 25 years, and for which large‐scale demand is plausible. Therefore, the principal focus of this review is the bodies of nearby space: Earth's Moon, the planets Mercury and Mars, the two small Martian moons, Phobos and Deimos, and the near‐Earth population of asteroids and comets. This article briefly surveys the significance and promise of space resources, including scientific and technical issues and the legal and regulatory regime surrounding their economic use. Current treaty obligations are reviewed, and some suggestions made regarding legislation and treaty language that would encourage the growth of this enormous new arena of economic activity, making vast new resources available to all.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/0471263869.sst029","authors":["John S. Lewis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-10-31T01:19:50Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1002/0471263869.sst029","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.18356/9789211067309c008","name":"Additional resources","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.18356/9789211067309c008","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-24T07:03:35Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.18356/9789211067309c008","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/083103-0076","name":"Lex Privata for Space Resources: Harmonizing Appropriation and Property Rights in Outer Space","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/083103-0076","authors":["Lucillien Denoyelle"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-16T14:22:18Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.52202/083103-0076","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/9781394229604.app1","name":"Appendix 1: Four Situations","source":"crossref","abstract":"Four SituationsSituation 1: blue and red circles Figure A1.1.Figure given at the start of situation 1.For a color version of this figure, see www.iste.co.uk/guille/tangible.zip Quick descriptionThe pupils must observe the figure, describe it and then move the small red circles inside the large red circle and the small blue circles inside the large blue circle.Then they must use the track for these movements and observe the trajectories. Types of tasks coveredTi1: Move points and objects.Ti2: Use the trace to visualize trajectories.Tg1: Describe a simple figure.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394229604.app1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-08-04T21:56:31Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1002/9781394229604.app1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5771/9781498583121-279","name":"Chapter 7 Middle Power Strategy and Ambitions for Space Resources","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5771/9781498583121-279","authors":["Namrata Goswami","Peter A. Garretson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-30T11:10:32Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.5771/9781498583121-279","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.resourpol.2026.105905","name":"Productivity spillovers. Offshore petroleum as Norway's Space Race?","source":"crossref","abstract":"Oil-rich Norway is often said to have avoided Dutch disease and realized sizable productivity spillovers because its offshore petroleum sector is knowledge-based, demands advanced technological solutions, and rests on a nationally-based supplier industry. Using investment and profitability data from Norwegian National Accounts and official corporate communication from oil and gas companies, this paper identifies features of offshore petroleum that help explain why its productivity spillovers exceed those of other Norwegian high-investment industries. Our evidence indicates that what most distinguishes Norwegian offshore petroleum is a large-scale, long-horizon investment program with substantial upside and profitability contingent on continued investment —a configuration that amplifies collaboration incentives and sustains spillovers. We argue that none of the proposed “green” industries exhibit this combination of characteristics, so that while these new green industries may become important to the Norwegian economy in many ways, expecting productivity spillovers on a par with offshore petroleum is unrealistic. The magnitude of spillovers we document is sufficiently large to invite comparison—on a relative basis—to those associated with the U.S. Cold War Space Race. • What explains the large productivity spillovers from Norwegian offshore petroleum is not simply that it is knowledge-based, demands advanced technological solutions, and rests on a nationally-based supplier industry, but that it is a large-scale, long-horizon investment program with substantial upside and profitability contingent on continued investment. None of the proposed “green” industries exhibit this combination of characteristics, so that while these new green industries may become important to the Norwegian economy in many ways, expecting productivity spillovers on a par with offshore petroleum is unrealistic. The magnitude of spillovers we document is sufficiently large to invite comparison—on a relative basis—to those associated with the U.S. Cold War Space Race.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2026.105905","authors":["Atle Blomgren"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-18T07:03:04Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2026.105905","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.2020-4214","name":"Space Mineral Resources SA (SMR) is supported by its ICO of its “Space Resources Coin”. SMR plans include mining asteroids for structural and precious metals.","source":"crossref","abstract":"We present a financial instrument, the Space Resources Token and its Initial eContract Offering, that would finance the new Space Mining Missions. Space Mineral Resources, a Switzerland based Special Purpose Vehicle, promoted by RQuanTech Sarl will support the operation with its Securitization financial structures.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2020-4214","authors":["Ignacio M. Ozcariz"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-04T16:30:53Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.2514/6.2020-4214","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/9781394229604.ch16","name":"Questions about the Graphic Space","source":"crossref","abstract":"In this chapter, the authors deal with the semiotic dimension of geometric work. The semiotic is intrinsically linked to mathematical activity and has been worked on by many researchers in mathematics didactics. The authors open up some lines of thought about graphic space, the interface between tangible space and geometric space. Using an analogy with the algebraic domain, just as algebraic expressions express something, in particular computational programs, graphical expressions express objects, actions of the real world and/or geometric objects, relations or properties of objects. According to G. Frege, the denotation of an expression corresponds to the object that is designated, while the meaning is the “mode of donation” of the object. In relation to freehand drawings, some pupils have difficulty identifying the denoted object, because they focus on what the graphic expression shows, that is, such an angle is not straight even if the coding indicates it as straight.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394229604.ch16","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-08-04T21:56:31Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1002/9781394229604.ch16","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/frspt.2024.1351850","name":"Integrating outer space as a global commons with private property rights to outer space resources","source":"crossref","abstract":"Inspired by the US government’s denial that outer space is a global commons, and the heated discussion in China regarding property rights in outer space resources, this article looks at this controversial term: “global commons”. It finds that this term was mostly adopted as a political, rather than legal, term. As a result of the over-emphasis on the implications of global commons on the property rights to outer space resources, states that plan to develop private space mining may avoid calling outer space a global commons. This article argues that this response may not be necessary. It then examines the real purpose of the global commons discourse by analogizing the tragedy of commons and thus puts forward the suggestion to adopt the non-exclusive use standard to govern the activities of space resource extraction by private parties. This solution will allow countries to continue to view outer space as a global commons while liberalizing private parties’ activities in outer space resource development and extraction. Moreover, China’s initiative of the global community of shared future possesses the potential to serve as the overarching concept to govern its future outer space activities, including space mining.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frspt.2024.1351850","authors":["Di Mei"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-21T09:57:32Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.3389/frspt.2024.1351850","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/9781394229604.app4","name":"Appendix 4: Triangles within Quadrilateral","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394229604.app4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-08-04T21:56:31Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1002/9781394229604.app4","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1163/9789004725034_177","name":"Utilization of Space Resources","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004725034_177","authors":["Lucien Rapp"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-05T01:22:53Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1163/9789004725034_177","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0265-9646(85)90025-6","name":"Remote sensing of natural resources","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0265-9646(85)90025-6","authors":["David S. Myers"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-03-15T10:04:18Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1016/0265-9646(85)90025-6","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1109/space65882.2025.11171190","name":"Managing Resources in Semantic Communications enabled Wireless Systems","source":"crossref","abstract":"In this article, a technique is proposed to address issues related to managing key resources in semantic communications enabled wireless systems (SCWS). For use by the base stations (BSs), the considered SCWS is equipped with a base of knowledge (BoK) that consists of appropriate amount of knowledge which aids in reconstruction of the semantics associated with the user equipments (UEs). To evaluate the SCWS performance, bit-rate message-rate throughput (BMT) metric is introduced which evaluates aggregate of message rates to be sent to all the UEs within a specific unit of time. Further, considering that dynamic information exists in the BoK which will change degrees of matching between the various UEs and BSs, coefficients to match knowledge are introduced and included within a random optimization problem which jointly solves the resource management problem with an aim to maximize the BMT. It is shown that proposed method efficiently provides solutions to the resource management problems in a SCWS.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/space65882.2025.11171190","authors":["Sridhar Iyer"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-25T17:52:10Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1109/space65882.2025.11171190","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9798216017134.ch-008","name":"Resources","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9798216017134.ch-008","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-11T14:31:17Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.5040/9798216017134.ch-008","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0265-9646(01)00047-9","name":"The Moon: Resources, Development and Colonization","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0265-9646(01)00047-9","authors":["Duncan Lunan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-10-15T01:51:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1016/s0265-9646(01)00047-9","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/frspt.2024.1466350","name":"Corrigendum: Integrating outer space as a global commons with private property rights to outer space resources","source":"crossref","abstract":"Inspired by the US government’s denial that outer space is a global commons, and the heated discussion in China regarding property rights in outer space resources, this article looks at this controversial term: “global commons”. It finds that this term was mostly adopted as a political, rather than legal, term. As a result of the over-emphasis on the implications of global commons on the property rights to outer space resources, states that plan to develop private space mining may avoid calling outer space a global commons. This article argues that this response may not be necessary. It then examines the real purpose of the global commons discourse by analogizing the tragedy of commons and thus puts forward the suggestion to adopt the non-exclusive use standard to govern the activities of space resource extraction by private parties. This solution will allow countries to continue to view outer space as a global commons while liberalizing private parties’ activities in outer space resource development and extraction. Moreover, China’s initiative of the global community of shared future possesses the potential to serve as the overarching concept to govern its future outer space activities, including space mining.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frspt.2024.1466350","authors":["Di Mei"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-09T06:10:41Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.3389/frspt.2024.1466350","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1061/40625(203)69","name":"Private Property in Space Resources","source":"crossref","abstract":"By treaty, space resources are categorized as the common property of humanity. The public interest appears to exclude private ownership. However, part of the space governance movement is a plan for private ownership of equitable estates in space resources. The common law model is revisited and the historical analogy is made. Real property is distinguished from personal property; space resources are distinguished from space objects; and public interests are separated from private property. Common law possessory estates with limited life are recommended.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1061/40625(203)69","authors":["Declan J. O'Donnell"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-01-09T18:29:48Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1061/40625(203)69","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4324/9780367030278-hobs9-1","name":"Space","source":"crossref","abstract":"British people’s experience of space was transformed in the nineteenth century. On the one hand, the world became a smaller place, as technology made it possible to travel, move goods, and send information further and faster than ever before. But the social differentiation of space could also make people and places appear further apart. In terms of ‘moral geography’, the distance between the rich and the poor, particularly in the rapidly expanding British cities, was something that could never be measured in miles and kilometres alone. This was even more pronounced where racial and ethnic ‘otherness’ was involved.","url":"https://doi.org/10.4324/9780367030278-hobs9-1","authors":["Philip Howell"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-06-28T06:42:06Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.4324/9780367030278-hobs9-1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5771/9781498583121-1","name":"Chapter 1 Introducing the Concept of Great Power Competition for Space Resources","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5771/9781498583121-1","authors":["Namrata Goswami","Peter A. Garretson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-30T11:10:32Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.5771/9781498583121-1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/9781394229604.ch17","name":"Towards New Questions in Geometry Didactics","source":"crossref","abstract":"In this chapter, the authors explore the continuities and ruptures between “graphical space” and “geometrical space”. They address the question on the articulation between resources for teaching and learning geometry, teaching practices and training “devices” (or modalities). Following the anthropological theory of didactics, the authors consider the mathematical activity in an institution organized in two blocks: the theoretical block (technological-theoretical, knowledge) and the praxis block (tasks and techniques). Since the Loi d'Orientation of 2013, the primary school-middle school curricula have been brought together. In France, for Cycle 3 (of middle school pupils aged 9-12 years old), there is a single document for Mathematics (effective since the start of the 2015 school year) with indications by class level. This shows an institutional project of continuity between primary school and middle school in the teaching injunctions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394229604.ch17","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-08-04T21:56:31Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1002/9781394229604.ch17","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s1290-0958(00)87121-x","name":"Accommodation and utilisation resources capabilities for European payloads","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s1290-0958(00)87121-x","authors":["European Space Agency"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-25T22:44:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1016/s1290-0958(00)87121-x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0265-9646(96)00009-4","name":"Resources of free space vs. flags and footprints on Mars","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0265-9646(96)00009-4","authors":["Gregg E. Maryniak","Richard Boudreault"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-26T00:25:03Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1016/0265-9646(96)00009-4","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9781978730243.ch-008","name":"Are We Observing The Beginning Of A Race Or Scramble For Space Resources?","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9781978730243.ch-008","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-23T12:23:12Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.5040/9781978730243.ch-008","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-211-99091-9_11","name":"Space for Resources","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-211-99091-9_11","authors":["Isabelle Sourbès-Verger"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-07-19T08:18:19Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-211-99091-9_11","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/080558-0006","name":"Neuroeconomic Optimisation of In-Situ Resource Utilisation for Sustainable Long-Duration Space Missions","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/080558-0006","authors":["Kavya Murali Parthasarathy","Shaijumon C. S"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-03T21:46:51Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.52202/080558-0006","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/9781394229604.app2","name":"Appendix 2: FOLDING AND SYMMETRY Situation","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394229604.app2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-08-04T21:56:31Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1002/9781394229604.app2","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/080558-0005","name":"Leveraging Near-Earth Asteroids and Space Tugs for the International Planetary Sunshade System","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/080558-0005","authors":["Tharshan Maheswaran","Patrick Seidelmann","Albert Vu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-03T21:46:51Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.52202/080558-0005","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-319-54364-2_16","name":"Space Mining and Use of Space Natural Resources","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54364-2_16","authors":["Ram S. Jakhu","Joseph N. Pelton"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-09-12T13:55:04Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-319-54364-2_16","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9781472564733.ch-005","name":"The Influence of Property Concepts in the Development of Sovereign Rights over Ocean Space and Resources","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9781472564733.ch-005","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-09-16T06:26:23Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.5040/9781472564733.ch-005","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197582671.013.37","name":"Space Resources and Prospects for Contested Governance","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract As natural resources found on celestial bodies, such as lunar regolith and asteroidal water, become important to upcoming space missions, states are developing contending institutions to govern their exploitation. This chapter begins with a definition and typology of space resources and discusses their prospects for exploitation. It then considers the state of existing governance structures for space resources, identifying a need for institutional development. It goes on to analyze states’ different interests in governance to explain the international community’s bifurcation into two emerging camps, each advocating a distinct approach to regime building. The first camp, led by the United States, is creating permissive and voluntary institutions to facilitate near-term commercial exploitation. The second, loosely coalescing around Russia and many other states, aims to gradually develop a more restrictive and binding regime. This cleavage portends a contested and fragmented international order governing space resource exploitation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197582671.013.37","authors":["Alanna Krolikowski","Martin Elvis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-22T23:27:54Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197582671.013.37","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1061/40479(204)26","name":"Global Economic Benefits from Space Mineral and Energy Resources","source":"crossref","abstract":"This paper examines the commercial use of space mineral and energy resources within the context of their potential to provide monetary and non-monetary benefits to the global community. Cost and revenue factors are reviewed from an economic perspective. The development of criteria reflecting primary decision variables is presented to examine the potential for global interest and expected participation in space resource utilization. Nations are classified by their current level of space activity, and the importance of specific decision criteria are predicted for each class of nation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1061/40479(204)26","authors":["Brad R. Blair"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-01-09T18:29:48Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1061/40479(204)26","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.1972-234","name":"Manned operation of earth resources surveys from space","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Earth Resources Experiment Package (EREP) which will be flown on the Skylab in 1973 is discussed. The EREP facility includes a multispectral photographic facility (2 camera system), an infrared spectrometer, a multispectral scanner, a microwave radiometer/scatterometer and altimeter, and an L-band radiometer. It also includes a control and display panel, a viewfinder tracking system, and a 28-track magnetic tape recorder. The tasks performed by the crew in the experiment are examined.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.1972-234","authors":["O. SMITH"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-10-08T15:29:31Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.2514/6.1972-234","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.32920/32288874.v1","name":"Advancing Radiation Shielding in Long-Term Space Missions and Deep Space Habitats Using In-Situ Resources and Additive Manufacturing","source":"crossref","abstract":"&lt;p dir=\"ltr\"&gt;Galactic cosmic radiation and solar particle events represent the primary unresolved health hazard for long-duration human spaceflight beyond low-Earth orbit. Conventional passive shielding materials cannot adequately mitigate this hazard within launch mass constraints, creating a critical gap for the Artemis IV (targeted early 2028) lunar mission and future deep-space habitats.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p dir=\"ltr\"&gt;This study investigates the integration of additive manufacturing using in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) as a mass-efficient pathway to shielding the radiation of the lunar habitat. Fifteen high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and regolith composite formulations were designed and evaluated, comprising three lunar simulant families: Lunar Highlands Simulant (LHS), Lunar Mare Simulant (LMS), and Black Point-1 (BP), at five regolith volume fractions spanning 10 to 50 percent. Shielding performance was evaluated using NASA OLTARIS deterministic transport simulations and GEANT4 version 11.4 Monte Carlo simulations, supported by a Python multi-objective optimization framework computing dose equivalents, attenuation coefficients, and fabrication feasibility scores across sixty unique simulation runs.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p dir=\"ltr\"&gt;GEANT4 simulations confirmed energy reductions of 4.40 to 6.75 percent at 50 cm for 1 GeV galactic cosmic ray protons, consistent with OLTARIS dose reductions of 6.88 to 10.18 percent. A compositional threshold was identified near 30 percent regolith volume fraction, below which shielding performance and fused deposition modeling printability are simultaneously optimized. The 90 percent HDPE and 10 percent LMS composite was identified as the optimal configuration, achieving a fabrication feasibility score of 9.25 out of 10 with competitive attenuation performance.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p dir=\"ltr\"&gt;These findings demonstrate that HDPE-regolith composites produced through additive manufacturing represent a viable and mass-efficient radiation shielding solution for lunar habitats, supporting sustainable human presence beyond Earth through ISRU-enabled on-site construction.&lt;/p&gt;","url":"https://doi.org/10.32920/32288874.v1","authors":["Nordeep Cheema"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-20T16:20:32Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.32920/32288874.v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/1.1302532","name":"Space station and space shuttle studies of ocean dynamics and coastal resources","source":"crossref","abstract":"Based on our experience with the space shuttle, we plan to use the U.S. Laboratory Window Observational Research Facility (WORF) of the International Space Station (ISS) to study ocean dynamics and resources using high resolution color cameras, such as the NASA modified Hasselblad 500 EL/M camera with a 250 mm lens, and spectrometers. A major advantage will be the ability of ISS astronauts to first visually identify ocean features and then study them with high resolution cameras adjusted for optimum performance and over longer time periods. Our previous investigations have demonstrated that space shuttle photography has widespread applications to oceanographic and coastal studies, i.e., space shuttle photographs can be used not only for qualitative observations but also for quantitative measurements (Table 2). With ONR and NASA support, we are also developing an ocean internal wave data base and an archive of recent space shuttle imagery.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1302532","authors":["Quanan Zheng"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-02-06T17:33:30Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1063/1.1302532","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21236/ada414191","name":"Allocation of Army Resources to the Space Mission Area","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Department of Defense's Space Policy, Joint Publication 3-14, Joint Doctrine for Space Operations, and other sources make clear the importance of space and space forces to current and future US military operations. Throughout these documents and discussions, the joint nature of space operations is made clear, to include its recent reaffirmation by the transfer of the military space portfolio and the associated components from all of the services to the new US Strategic Command. In order to fulfill its assigned responsibilities and to properly address its interests in space systems, capabilities and exploitation, the Army must train soldiers with the right skills, assign them to the right organizations and have properly constituted and vigorous organizations whose missions incorporate space-related responsibilities. This paper will examine the current and future missions and interests of the Army with respect to space capabilities. It will then examine the skill sets, personnel assignments and organizations that are and will be required to meet the Army's needs for space capabilities from the perspectives of doctrine, training and organization. It compares current organizations with those that arise from its analysis and presents recommendations for addressing those discrepancies that it identifies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21236/ada414191","authors":["Patrick H. Rayermann"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-08-17T15:14:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.21236/ada414191","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/curroncol32070382","name":"Radiation Quality-Dependent Progressive Increase in Oxidative DNA Damage and Intestinal Tumorigenesis in Apc1638N/+ Mice","source":"crossref","abstract":"Exposure to high-linear energy transfer (LET) heavy ions, such as 28Si, poses a significant cancer risk for astronauts. While previous studies have linked high-LET radiation exposure to persistent oxidative stress and dysregulated stress responses in intestinal crypt cells with an increased risk of tumorigenesis, the relationship between IR-induced oxidative DNA damage and intestinal cancer risk remains incompletely understood. Here, we investigated the time-dependent effects of 28Si-ion radiation on intestinal tumorigenesis and oxidative DNA damage in Apc1638N/+ mice, a model for human intestinal cancer predisposition. Male Apc1638N/+ mice were exposed to 10 cGy of either γ-rays (low-LET) or 28Si-ions (high-LET), and intestinal tumor burden was assessed at 60 and 150 days post-irradiation. While both radiation groups showed modest, non-significant tumor increases at 60 days, 28Si-irradiated mice exhibited an approximately 2.5-fold increase in tumor incidence by 150 days, with a higher incidence of invasive carcinomas compared to γ and sham groups. Serum 8-OxodG levels, a marker of systemic oxidative stress, were significantly elevated in the 28Si-ion group, correlating with increased intestinal 8-OxodG staining. Additionally, assessment of the proliferation marker Cyclin D1 and metaplasia marker Guanylyl Cyclase C (GUCY2C) also revealed significant crypt cell hyperproliferation accompanied by increased metaplasia in 28Si-exposed mouse intestines. Positive correlations between serum 8-OxodG and tumor-associated endpoints provide compelling evidence that exposure to 28Si-ions induces progressive intestinal tumorigenesis through sustained oxidative DNA damage, crypt cell hyperproliferation, and metaplastic transformation. This study provides evidence in support of the radiation quality-dependent progressive increase in systemic and intestinal levels of 8-OxodG during intestinal carcinogenesis. Moreover, the progressive increase in oxidative DNA damage and simultaneous increase in oncogenic events after 28Si exposure also suggest that non-targeted effects might be a significant player in space radiation-induced intestinal cancer development. The correlation between serum 8-OxodG and oncogenic endpoints supports its potential utility as a predictive biomarker of high-LET IR-induced intestinal carcinogenesis, with implications for astronaut health risk monitoring during long-duration space missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol32070382","authors":["Kamendra Kumar","Santosh Kumar","Jerry Angdisen","Kamal Datta","Albert J. Fornace","Shubhankar Suman"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-01T04:04:22Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.3390/curroncol32070382","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5814/j.issn.1674-764x.2024.02.009","name":"Evaluation of Urban Space Livability in the Urban Area of Hefei Based on Production-Living-Ecological Space","source":"crossref","abstract":"Building livable urban space is an important component of urban construction. The evaluation of urban space livability is of great significance for urban sustainable development. The study measured the level of urban spatial livability in the urban area of Hefei from the spatial perspective of production-living-ecological space (PLES), using spatial analysis methods, to provide new ideas for the construction of livable urban spatial and to promote the coordination of urban spatial elements and spatial optimization. Firstly, this study constructed the evaluation model for urban spatial livability from three perspectives: Comfortable living, convenient production and ecological health. Secondly, using the evaluation model for urban spatial livability, the global spatial autocorrelation analysis method and the coupling coordination degree model, the single factor differentiation of urban space livable potential, comprehensive livable degree and the coupling degree of PLES in the urban area of Hefei were analyzed, respectively. Finally, this study discusses the coordination of PLES elements of the urban space in Hefei urban area, and puts forward spatial optimization strategies. The results show three important aspects of this system. (1) In terms of the single-factor livability of living, production and ecology, there are significant differences in the spatial distribution characteristics of the livability of the Hefei urban area. There is a spatial clustering of living comfort areas in the center, a spreading of production convenience areas from the center to the periphery, and a scattering of ecological health areas around the perimeter. (2) The overall livability of the urban space in Hefei is high. In terms of space, it shows the characteristics of high in the middle and low around the periphery, and the high-value area of livability is mainly concentrated in the urban center. (3) The coupling coordination degree of PLES in the urban area of Hefei is high in the city center and low around the city. The coupling coordination degree of life-production is the highest, which indicates that the spatial layout of these two elements has certain rationality and achieves benign coordination.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5814/j.issn.1674-764x.2024.02.009","authors":["Zhang Quan","Nie Huijuan","Li Xiaoying"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-26T09:57:18Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.5814/j.issn.1674-764x.2024.02.009","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/9781394229604.scard","name":"Other titles from ISTE in Innovations in Learning Sciences","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394229604.scard","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-08-04T21:56:31Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1002/9781394229604.scard","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.spacepol.2019.101359","name":"Congressional Committee Resources on Space Policy During the 115th Congress (2017–2018): Providing Context and Insight Into US Government Space Policy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spacepol.2019.101359","authors":["Bert Chapman"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-12T06:59:15Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1016/j.spacepol.2019.101359","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-7091-0280-0_2","name":"Who will own outer space? governance over space resources in the age of human space exploration","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-0280-0_2","authors":["Kurt Mills"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-08-04T14:56:03Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-7091-0280-0_2","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.spacepol.2016.08.002","name":"Introduction to the Special Issue on using extraterrestrial resources to facilitate space science and exploration","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spacepol.2016.08.002","authors":["Ian A. Crawford"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-09-12T22:25:18Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1016/j.spacepol.2016.08.002","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-030-30881-0_6","name":"Building Factories in Space","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30881-0_6","authors":["Davide Sivolella"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-12-05T07:02:57Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-030-30881-0_6","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-1-4684-8664-3_5","name":"The Impact of Earth Resources Exploration from Space","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-8664-3_5","authors":["William Nordberg"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-05-03T03:03:48Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1007/978-1-4684-8664-3_5","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0886-7798(88)90062-4","name":"Geothermal resources council annual meeting","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0886-7798(88)90062-4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-11-05T11:33:43Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1016/0886-7798(88)90062-4","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s11606-014-3177-2","name":"Gender differences in experiences of K-awardees: beyond space, resources and science.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-014-3177-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1007/s11606-014-3177-2","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s00267-026-02576-0","name":"Catchment-Wetland Associations Based on Multiscale Landscape Structure and Hydro-Ecological Indicators at Bakhira Ramsar Site, India.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Wetland condition in floodplain landscapes is influenced by seasonal hydrology, catchment land-use change, and landscape fragmentation. This study assessed long-term catchment-wetland associations and hydro-ecological condition at Bakhira Ramsar Site, India, from 1990 to 2023 using Landsat-derived indices, FRAGSTATS-based landscape metrics, LULC transformation analysis, Pearson correlation, Redundancy Analysis, and a Pressure-State-Response-based Wetland Health Index. The Modified Normalized Difference Water Index, Water-Adjusted Vegetation Index, Enhanced Aquatic Vegetation Index, and Floating Algae Index were used to evaluate open-water extent, aquatic vegetation, macrophyte condition, and floating algae. Results showed a persistent decline in wetland water extent, with decreasing trends of -46.62 ha yr⁻¹ during pre-monsoon and -37.30 ha yr⁻¹ during post-monsoon. Increasing EAVI and FAI values indicated expansion of aquatic vegetation and floating algae. Catchment cropland increased from 61.62 km² in 2000 to 116.17 km² in 2022, while fallow land decreased from 138.15 to 70.10 km² and marshy wetland declined from 54.77 to 28.80 km², indicating loss of buffering areas. Correlation analysis showed strong seasonal linkages, including positive relationships between catchment waterbody LPI and wetland water LPI (r = 0.90) and PROX (r = 0.98) during pre-monsoon, and between catchment waterbody COHESION and wetland water COHESION (r = 0.77) during post-monsoon. RDA provided multivariate support for interpreting these linkages, explaining 30.70% and 49.26% of wetland-response variation in the pre- and post-monsoon seasons, respectively, and the results were interpreted as indicating associations rather than causation. The WHI classified Bakhira Wetland as Moderate in both seasons, with mean values increasing from 0.52 in pre-monsoon to 0.58 in post-monsoon. These findings provide a practical framework for Ramsar monitoring, restoration prioritization, and catchment-based wetland management.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-026-02576-0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1007/s00267-026-02576-0","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.130488","name":"A framework for constructing water ecological security patterns based on water provision service flow simulation.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Constructing a Water Ecological Security Pattern (WESP) is essential for mitigating water scarcity, yet existing methods are mostly based on static supply-demand assessments and fail to capture the spatial flow pathways of water resources between supply and demand areas. This results in WESPs lacking spatial connectivity and process integrity. To address these gaps, this study quantifies the supply and demand of water provision service and proposes a network model-based simulation approach for water provision service flows. The proposed method integrates the Least Cost Path (LCP) model with an Iterative Dynamic Allocation algorithm, enabling the joint consideration of landscape resistance and human demand in simulating the dynamic flow process of water provision service. The simulation results are used to identify key spatial elements for WESP construction in the Yellow River Delta (YRD), thereby providing a basis for establishing a WESP with dynamic connectivity. Analysis across three representative years indicates a persistent water deficit in the YRD. A growing spatial mismatch was observed, driven by declining supply in the north and surging demand in the south. The simulated flow network demonstrates a distinct \"periphery-to-center\" convergence, connecting coastal supply nodes to inland demand centers through 62 key flow pathways. Based on these dynamics, we proposed a WESP comprising \"five zones, two corridors, three belts, and three cores\". According to its structural characteristics, these spatial elements are further classified into four management zones, for which differentiated spatial regulation strategies are developed. These findings offer a novel, flow-based perspective for resolving supply-demand imbalances and enhancing regional water security.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.130488","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.130488","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/ece3.73886","name":"Multispecies Niche Overlap: Moving Beyond Pairwise Metrics to Understand Community-Wide Similarities in Resource Use.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Measures of niche overlap-particularly in terms of resource use-are important tools in a wide range of ecological and evolutionary studies. A variety of these overlap indices are used, but all are pairwise measures. Yet, most communities are more complex, suggesting the potential value of measures that can be extended to the simultaneous overlap among more than two species. Here we extend percent overlap to any number of potentially overlapping species and then partition the amount of overlap attributable to any specific subset of species. We then apply this partitioned multispecies percent overlap metric to both simulated and empirical communities. Additionally, we provide recommendations on the use and extension of this metric for a variety of research goals across topics in both ecology and evolution, illustrating how this methodology may capture interactions and structures of niche space in ways that traditional, pairwise metrics overlook. Such potential insights include identifying foraging guilds, measuring the degree of diffuse competition, and providing overall niche overlaps within and across phylogenetic clades.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.73886","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1002/ece3.73886","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.32687/0869-866x-2026-34-1-146-151","name":"[THE ALL-UNION RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF PENICILLIN (1947-1952): THE EXTRACTED PAGE OF HISTORY. REPORT III: THE STALIN AWARD \"FOR DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION INTO INDUSTRY THE METHOD OF OBTAINING MEDICAL PREPARATION\"].","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The article, on the basis of analysis of archival materials, reveals contribution of the All-Union Research Institute for Penicillin and Other Antibiotics to development of modern technology for production of penicillin. The factors that allowed the Institute to improve key stage of production process in short period of time, despite deficiency of manpower and other resources were studied. The causes of exclusion of information about the Institute and its work on penicillin from the text of the Decree on the Stalin Prize of 1950 and from the information space in general are considered.","url":"https://doi.org/10.32687/0869-866x-2026-34-1-146-151","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.32687/0869-866x-2026-34-1-146-151","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.watres.2026.126532","name":"Towards physically consistent prediction of groundwater salinization in coastal reclamation areas: A novel PMF-weighted SHAP framework.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Groundwater salinization in coastal reclamation areas severely threatens regional water security. To address the limitation that machine learning models tend to overlook hydrogeochemical processes in black-box predictions, a PMF-weighted SHAP framework was proposed, which directly embeds source-apportionment information into feature selection. Qualitative evidence first indicated that trapped seawater in reclamation sediments, rather than active modern seawater intrusion, was the primary source of salinization. The PMF-derived contributions of trapped seawater were then integrated into SHAP as sample-specific physical weights, allowing samples with stronger trapped-seawater signatures to exert greater influence on feature ranking. Finally, following model benchmarking, XGBoost was selected as the base learner to predict the Groundwater Quality Index (GQI) using 407 groundwater samples, and three feature-input strategies were compared. The results show that compared to the conventional SHAP model, the PMF-weighted framework raised the importance ranking of land use and suppressed the spuriously high importance of tidal level, thereby aligning feature selection with the trapped-seawater-dominated salinization mechanism and increasing the test-set R 2 from 0.755 to 0.887. Stratified SHAP importance was further found to be highly consistent with the physical zonation revealed by PMF: irrigation predominantly affects the shallow zone (0-200 cm) in the paddy field, whereas trapped seawater dominates the deeper layer (300-400 cm) in both dryland and paddy field. This study demonstrates that embedding physical mechanisms into feature selection is an effective approach for constructing highly reliable predictive models in hydrology.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2026.126532","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1016/j.watres.2026.126532","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.envres.2026.125170","name":"Potentially toxic elements in tailing-contaminated soils of Tongling, China: Pollution status, health risks and environmental capacity.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Comprehensive and accurate assessment regarding pollution status, health risks, and environmental capacity of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in mine tailings is crucial for environmental management. This study develops a novel integrated framework that combines site-specific pollution assessment, probabilistic health-risk analysis, and dynamic environmental-capacity prediction. Application of framework to representative polymetallic tailing site revealed that As and Cu were primary pollutants in tailing-impacted soils of Tongling. Extreme anthropogenic enrichment of these elements and high ecological risk of Cd caused severe environmental degradation. Cumulative exposure to eight PTEs, primarily through oral ingestion, raised critical human health concerns, although individual elements presented low risks. Notably, scenario-based evaluation of Cr species provided precise risk boundaries and prevented severe toxicity overestimation. Compared to adults, vulnerable children experienced severe non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks, with exceedance probabilities ranges of 64.23-91.86% and 53.88-68.04%, respectively. Intense anthropogenic inputs completely exhausted static environmental capacities, causing severe deficits reaching -772.60 kg/hm 2 for As and -692.31 kg/hm 2 for Cu. Dynamic capacity simulations predicted continuous decline of residual capacity, while long-term conservation gradually restored environmental capacity in overloaded areas. The proposed integrated model provides standardized, globally applicable tool to quantify ecological red lines and guide remediation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2026.125170","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1016/j.envres.2026.125170","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1186/s12889-026-27930-z","name":"Uneven integration of health in China's territorial spatial planning 2035.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Background Spatial planning plays a pivotal role in shaping the health and well-being of urban populations. Since 2016, most Chinese cities have incorporated health-related elements into their Territorial Spatial Planning (TSP) 2035 Schemes as part of national healthy city initiatives. It is essential to examine how health is represented in these statutory planning documents and whether the level of attention varies across cities. Methods We developed an analytical framework for healthy city planning by synthesizing international scholarly literature and governmental policy documents. Using this framework, the TSP 2035 Schemes of 36 major Chinese cities were examined through a mixed-method design combining thematic dimension analysis, keyword network analysis, and disparity measures. Results All 36 cities have placed healthy city development on their planning schemes, focusing primarily on eight dimensions: (1) green and open space, (2) climate change and disaster response, (3) physical education (PE) facilities and public services, (4) environmental pollution prevention and control, (5) medical and health services, (6) elderly dimension, (7) health equity, and (8) healthy travel. Of these dimensions, green and open space along with climate change and disaster response receive the most emphasis. Notable healthy city keywords include 'park', 'green space', 'healthcare', 'livability', 'sports', 'resilience', 'pollution control', 'disaster prevention', 'walking', and 'jogging'. Cross-city comparisons reveal substantial disparities: cities with higher administrative status generally articulated more extensive and more diverse health-related planning content, whereas many lower-tier cities pay relatively little attention to equity-sensitive dimensions. Conclusions Health has become a visible component of statutory planning discourse in China, but its integration remains selective and uneven across cities. The results suggest that China's healthy city development has reached an intermediate stage of \"health promotion and education\", and in terms of health-spatial planning integration, China has moved beyond a narrow environmental health orientation, yet important gaps remain in equity-sensitive and people-centered dimensions. Recommendations include strengthening legislation to support healthy city planning, improving the openness and transparency of TSP 2035 Schemes, and more differentiated policy support across cities.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-026-27930-z","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1186/s12889-026-27930-z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.tree.2026.06.001","name":"Is a comprehensive root economics space a chimera?","source":"europepmc","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2026.06.001","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1016/j.tree.2026.06.001","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-026-55034-6","name":"Study on the multi-source response characteristics and damage evolution mechanisms of graphene-modified concrete.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"In deep underground engineering, lining concrete structures in underground gas storage facilities are exposed to prolonged high in-situ stress and intense disturbances, which increase their susceptibility to progressive damage and sudden instability-induced failures. The mechanisms of damage evolution and the associated precursor responses prior to failure require systematic investigation. Rock mechanics experiments were conducted to comprehensively analyze the mechanical response, resistivity variation, acoustic emission parameters, strain field evolution, and underlying microscopic mechanisms of graphene-modified concrete. The results show that, under specific aggregate proportions and graphene dosages of 0.05% and 0.1% by cement mass, the compressive strength of concrete after 28 days of curing increased by 18.27-60.27%. The resistivity response exhibited a three-stage evolution (\"rapid decrease-stable variation-abrupt increase\"), with a total reduction exceeding 90%. A rebound of 20-30% occurred in the elastic-plastic transition zone, consistent with the stress-strain relationship. The b-value exhibits a continuous decreasing trend at approximately 90% of σ max , indicating the transition from stable crack propagation to unstable crack coalescence. RA/AF and DIC analyses demonstrate that graphene promotes crack evolution from tension-dominated to tension-shear coupled modes, leading to a transition in failure behavior from brittle to progressive. Microscopic analysis reveals that graphene nanosheets fill micro and nanopores and reinforce the interfacial transition zone, thereby inhibiting crack propagation and enhancing failure stability. Based on multi-source information synergy, a comprehensive method was developed to characterize load-induced damage evolution and failure precursors in graphene-modified concrete. The study demonstrates that graphene-modified concrete exhibits integrated \"load-bearing-sensing\" properties, providing theoretical and data support for identifying damage precursors and predicting instability in deep underground lining structures.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-55034-6","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-026-55034-6","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.64898/2026.07.13.738202","name":"Movement strategies reveal the success of mammals in urban areas","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Various hypotheses have been proposed to explain why some species persist or even flourish in urban areas. Yet, despite its central role in determining when and where animals encounter resources, disturbance, and risk, movement behaviour remains an overlooked mechanism of urban success. In urban areas, human activities are strongly periodic, i.e. predictable in space and time. This may favour species able to adjust their behaviour to predictable cycles of resources and risks in space and time. Here, we tested this hypothesis and tracked movement behaviour along an urbanisation gradient in three mammal species with different urban success: red fox ( Vulpes vulpes ), an urban dweller; raccoon ( Procyon lotor ), an invasive urban dweller; and wild boar ( Sus scrofa ), an urban utiliser. We analysed periodicity in movement behaviour and investigated whether increasing urbanisation is associated with periodic reorganisation of activity timing, space use, and further analysed alterations in habitat selection along the urbanisation gradient. Our results show that foxes aligned their movement behaviour with human activity, having stronger day-night contrasts and more repeatable space use than their rural counterparts. Urban raccoons showed a contrasting strategy; they were more active during the day, without changes in their movement routines under increasing urbanisation, suggesting a flexible strategy that explains their urban success. In contrast, wild boars reduced routine movement behaviours with increasing urbanisation, consistent with their occurrence in less predictable suburban environments and avoidance of city centres. In summary, our results suggest that movement behaviour may be a key mechanism enabling animals to persist in cities, revealing distinct behavioural strategies for coping with urban environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.13.738202","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.64898/2026.07.13.738202","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.31234/osf.io/e7ng8_v2","name":"Dimensions of Experiencing a Turrell Skyspace in Relation to Well-being","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Despite a growing body of research connecting many art activities to mental well-being or mental and physical health, empirical evidence regarding the actual, lived experience of artworks and how this might relate at a mechanistic level to specific outcomes, remains limited. This is especially so for contemporary art, which is often thought to not be particularly appreciated among the public, thus raising serious questions when applying public resources to its creation or installation, as well as when considering public access, or when trying to connect these artforms to specific societal benefits. The present study considers these gaps with one notable contemporary example––James Turrell's Skyspace series. Unlike many contemporary examples, these are often sought-after among the general public, specifically because of the presumed positive results they might elicit. They have thus been a recipient of many public resources and initiatives and have also been anecdotally, but not empirically, connected to both contemplative but also transformative engagements. Using a within-participants crossover design, participants (N = 143) experienced a Skyspace and completed pre- and post-experience questionnaires assessing well-being, embodied cognition, and identifying experience type via latent profile analysis. This was contrasted (with counterbalanced order for all participants) with engagement with nature (contemplation of a garden), which itself provides an emerging target for public funding and arts comparison. While descriptive trends suggested higher aesthetic ratings for the Garden, statistical models revealed no main effects of space on liking, beauty, or interest, but several time effects. In contrast, the Skyspace elicited higher mood arousal and increased reports of feeling emotions or activation in the \"head,\" consistent with more introspective, cognitive engagement. Latent profile analysis identified more Harmonious experiences in the Garden and more Transformative experiences in the Skyspace, associated with cognitive challenge and insight. Both spaces enhanced positive affect. However, the Experience Type was a stronger predictor of both aesthetic evaluation and well-being outcomes than the space itself, with Novel and Harmonious experiences associated with the most positive outcomes across both spaces. These findings convey the interplay between space, person, and context on aesthetic and affective experiences.","url":"https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/e7ng8_v2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.31234/osf.io/e7ng8_v2","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/tpg2.70259","name":"Discovering putative novel stem rust resistance loci in wheat genetic resources.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Stem rust (SR), caused by Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici (Pgt), poses a threat to wheat production in Germany. This study evaluated 200 plant genetic resources (PGR) and 50 elite lines across four field environments. Multi-environment genome-wide association mapping based on PGR accessions revealed 1942 marker-trait associations (MTAs), grouped into eight quantitative trait loci (QTLs), which explained 0.84%-28.19% of phenotypic variance. Three of these QTL, QSr1B_1.47_67.79, QSr4A_716.31_716.32, and QSr7D_171.80_174.34, harbor five haplotypes that have likely not been used in breeding. Five representative MTAs (Chr1B:25506861, Chr1B:17349639, Chr1B:67755088, Chr4A:716319007, and Chr7D:171807054) represent these five putative novel haplotypes, and together they conservatively explained 2.40%-7.03% of the phenotypic variance. Four genotypes carrying all favorable alleles of the representative MTAs were identified as potential donor lines for future breeding. Within eight QTL regions, 44 candidate genes were prioritized. These findings provide new insights into the genetic architecture of SR resistance and highlight promising targets for marker-assisted prebreeding.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/tpg2.70259","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1002/tpg2.70259","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fresc.2026.1775074","name":"Factors associated with life-space mobility in older adults with chronic respiratory disease: IMIAS study.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Introduction Life space mobility (LSM) reflects overall function, and a reduction in LSM can limit activity, participation, and quality of life in older adults with chronic respiratory diseases (CRD). Existing research has not fully addressed factors associated with LSM. This study examined demographic, clinical, financial, social, and environmental factors associated with LSM in older adults living with CRD and compared characteristics of those with restricted versus unrestricted LSM. Method Participants completed the Life-Space Assessment (LSA) as the primary outcome, along with questionnaires collecting demographic, financial, social, environmental, and clinical data. LSA scores ranged from 0-120, with a cutoff of ≤ 60 used to identify restricted LSM. LSM groups (restricted vs unrestricted) were contrasted using chi-square tests and t-tests. Factors associated with LSM were analyzed using both simple linear and multiple linear. Results Among 223 CRD participants (103 restricted LSM, 120 unrestricted), groups differed in demographics (study site, sex, and education), all financial variables ( p p p Conclusion LSM is a multifactorial factor associated with socio-demographic and functional factors in older adults with CRD.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fresc.2026.1775074","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.3389/fresc.2026.1775074","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-026-59060-2","name":"Urban public green spaces in semi-arid cities: integrating vegetation health, water sustainability, and environmental justice in Mashhad, Iran.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Urban Public Green Spaces (UPGS) play essential roles in ecological resilience, climate adaptation, and socio-environmental equity, yet their sustainability in semi-arid cities remains insufficiently understood. This study applies an integrated framework combining multi-temporal remote sensing, climatic drought assessment, and socioeconomic indicators to evaluate UPGS vegetation health, water sustainability, and spatial equity in Mashhad, Iran. Five Vegetation Indices (VIs) were analyzed against the Standardized Precipitation and Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) across multiple timescales. Correlations between VIs and drought were weak (maximum r = 0.284 for MSAVI2 at 24 months), indicating that intensive irrigation and local management practices largely mask climatic signals. Despite year-round irrigation, vegetation cover has continued to decline, reflecting dependence on diminishing groundwater resources, suboptimal irrigation efficiency, and potentially unsuitable species composition-though species-level data remain a limitation of this study. To integrate ecological and equity dimensions, we developed a Total Integrated Score (TIS) for 13 administrative districts, revealing pronounced spatial disparities (range: 52-155). District 11 exhibited the strongest combined performance, whereas District 1 showed the lowest TIS despite being adjacent to major UPGS, underscoring significant accessibility and distributional inequities. These findings highlight a growing sustainability risk: current irrigation-dependent management neither stabilizes vegetation health nor ensures equitable green space provision. The study emphasizes the need for drought-tolerant landscaping, diversified water strategies, and justice-oriented planning to strengthen resilience in semi-arid urban environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-59060-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-026-59060-2","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.phro.2026.101002","name":"Feasibility of longitudinal relaxation rate mapping with non-Cartesian sampling and compressed sensing on a 1.5 T magnetic resonance linear accelerator.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Background and purpose Quantitative T1 mapping is a major building block in several multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocols intended for adaptive radiation therapy. The implementation of these protocols is challenging in anatomical sites that experience large physiological motion. The purpose of this study was to implement and validate motion-resolved quantitative T1 mapping on a 1.5 T MRI linear accelerator (MR-Linac) combining non-Cartesian k-space sampling trajectories with compressed sensing (CS) reconstruction. Materials and methods Four 3-dimensional non-Cartesian k-space trajectories were evaluated: kooshball and stack-of-stars sampling using half- and full-spoke coverage. A variable flip angle acquisition was performed using the spoiled gradient-echo sequence. Gradient delay timing was optimized to minimize trajectory-induced artifacts. Eight CS reconstruction strategies were tested using spatial/spatiotemporal regularization operators. Reconstructions were evaluated and sorted by spatial resolution, bias, and variability. Motion-resolved T1 mapping was validated using two standard phantoms, one healthy volunteer, and one kidney cancer patient using respiratory self-gating and phase-sorted reconstruction. Results All non-Cartesian T1 maps demonstrated high repeatability and low longitudinal bias in phantom studies, with coefficients of variation below 3.3%. Spatiotemporal regularization preserved spatial resolution and quantitative accuracy at undersampling factors up to 20-fold. In human subjects, non-Cartesian T1 mapping provided improved accuracy and reduced variability in mobile abdominal tissues compared to Cartesian acquisitions. Conclusions Quantitative T1 mapping using non-Cartesian trajectories and CS reconstruction is feasible on a 1.5 T MR-Linac. The proposed approach enables accurate motion-resolved quantitative imaging within clinically practical acquisition times, establishing a foundation for multiparametric MRI in adaptive radiotherapy.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phro.2026.101002","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1016/j.phro.2026.101002","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fpubh.2026.1831733","name":"Achieving national fitness goals through school-community collaboration: a configurational analysis of multi-agent games in China.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Objective The persistent spatial inequality in the distribution of fitness resources is still the key obstacle to achieve the goal of nationwide sports activities. Although school stadiums and gymnasiums account for more than half of the national sports infrastructure, their potential has not been realized to a large extent due to the decentralized governance among community residents, institutional managers and end users. This division has created a gap in implementation and undermined the cooperation between schools and communities in health equity. Methods From the perspective of game theory, the opening of school sports venues is regarded as the result of multi-agent strategic interaction among Social fitness population, School administrators and students. Using the method of fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsqca), this paper discusses the formation mechanism of School sports resources sharing efficiency. Results There is no single necessary condition for the sharing of School sports resources; On the contrary, its implementation depends on the concurrent combination of multi-agent conditions. This study further identified three typical configuration paths: the social driving path led by Social self-organization, cultural identity and common responsibility; School led path supported by system investment, Policy compensation and school society cooperation; Student participation path based on right protection and Security awareness. The robustness check confirms the stability of these paths during calibration and adjustment. Conclusion These research results show that the opening of school venues as a complex adaptive system function, in which the stakeholder configuration determines the success. Alternative governance paths provide operational insights for situational policy design in resource constrained environments, and help integrate educational infrastructure into the community health promotion system. The multi-agent cooperation mechanism can eliminate the structural barriers of national fitness participation, so as to promote the implementation of scientific development in the field of public health.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1831733","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.3389/fpubh.2026.1831733","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1370/afm.260233","name":"Creating Connection Through Pre-Conference.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Family medicine graduate education has changed significantly over the past 5 years. From rapid, overlapping changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, evolving ACGME and ABFM requirements, and new technologies such as AI, it has felt like every one of these years has been unprecedented. Throughout all","url":"https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.260233","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1370/afm.260233","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41597-026-07736-9","name":"An On-Orbit Star Tracker Benchmark for Resident Space Object Detection and Attitude Estimation.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Space situational awareness increasingly relies on optical observations to detect and track resident space objects and to estimate spacecraft attitude. Many existing resources are synthetic or restricted, and few provide on orbit, wide field of view imagery with joint labels for space objects and stars. We present a dataset of near-infrared images acquired by the Fast Auroral Imager on the CASSIOPE spacecraft between January and August 2023. The collection comprises 1,378 frames with astrometrically calibrated stars and 4,237 manually verified resident space object instances across 160 transits, accompanied by spacecraft ephemeris, attitude, and image quality metrics. We describe the acquisition conditions, calibration and annotation pipeline, and perform technical validation of pointing stability, astrometric accuracy, annotation reliability, and background characteristics. The dataset supports tasks such as resident space object detection in dense star fields, multi-object tracking under realistic orbital motion, and attitude estimation from star tracker class imagery, and is intended as a shared resource for space situational awareness and navigation studies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-026-07736-9","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1038/s41597-026-07736-9","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.13227/j.hjkx.202505056","name":"[Trade-offs and Synergistic Relationships of Ecosystem Services in the Ganjiang River Basin: Based on the Dual Perspectives of \"Substituting Time with Space\" and \"Period Differences\"].","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Against the backdrop of sustainable development and ecological civilization construction， studying the spatiotemporal evolution of ecosystem services in river basins and their trade-offs and synergistic relationships contributes to the sustainable social-economic development and ecological environmental governance of regions. Using methods such as the InVEST model and Pearson correlation coefficient， this study analyzes the spatiotemporal evolution， trade-offs， and synergies of four types of ecosystem services in the Ganjiang River Basin from 2000 to 2020， from the perspectives of \"substituting time with space\" and \"period differences\". The results show： ① The spatiotemporal patterns of the four ecosystem services exhibited significant differences， with notable segmental disparities among the upper， middle， and lower reaches. ② From the perspective of \"substituting time with space\"， the trade-offs and synergies of various ecosystem services maintained certain stability across different spatial contexts. Water yield capacity showed significant spatial trade-offs with other ecosystem services in spatial distribution， and this relationship exhibited a weakening trend. Ecosystem services except for water yield demonstrated stable synergistic relationships with each other. ③ From the perspective of \"period differences\"， stable trade-offs and synergies of ecosystem services did not exist in the Ganjiang River Basin， and significant temporal differentiation was observed in the trade-offs and synergies of ecosystem services across the upper， middle， and lower reaches. ④ Implementing regional coordination strategies based on spatiotemporal trade-offs and adaptive measures can unleash the potential for synergistic effects of ecosystem services. It is necessary to adopt land spatial governance approaches tailored to the specific conditions of the upper， middle， and lower reaches of the Ganjiang River Basin. The research results provide a scientific reference for the synergistic development of regional ecosystem services.","url":"https://doi.org/10.13227/j.hjkx.202505056","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.13227/j.hjkx.202505056","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fmed.2026.1804081","name":"Ultrasound-guided hydrodissection of the subclavius muscle region in neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome: a case report.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Background Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is frequently underdiagnosed due to nonspecific symptoms and the absence of definitive radiographic findings. Neurogenic TOS (nTOS), the most common subtype, is typically caused by compression of the brachial plexus within anatomically constrained spaces. While muscular contributors such as the scalene and pectoralis minor muscles have been widely discussed, the role of the subclavius muscle remains underrecognized. Case presentation A 53-year-old male presented with an 18-month history of progressive right upper limb weakness and medial paresthesia refractory to prior treatments for presumed cervical spondylosis. Electrodiagnostic studies demonstrated persistent proximal motor slowing of the right ulnar nerve. Ultrasonography revealed marked atrophy of the right subclavius muscle compared with the contralateral side. Ultrasound-guided hydrodissection using 30 mL of 5% dextrose in water (D5W) was performed in the infraclavicular region with particular attention to the subclavius muscle and costoclavicular space. Immediate post-procedural assessment showed greater than 70% improvement in paresthesia, with subtle objective motor improvement on bedside examination that was not yet sufficient to change the MRC grade. Following six treatment sessions, complete resolution of symptoms and full motor strength recovery were achieved. Conclusion In a patient with unexplained proximal neuropathy, ultrasonography identified focal subclavius muscle atrophy as a potential compressive contributor within the costoclavicular space, and ultrasound-guided hydrodissection of the infraclavicular region resulted in rapid and sustained clinical improvement. While the injectate volume (30 mL) likely affected adjacent structures such as the pectoralis minor and surrounding fascial planes, this minimally invasive approach may be a feasible option for selected patients with refractory nTOS. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of ultrasound-guided hydrodissection of the infraclavicular region with attention to the subclavius muscle for neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome associated with muscle atrophy. Further studies are warranted to confirm efficacy and to refine patient selection criteria.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2026.1804081","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.3389/fmed.2026.1804081","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.cub.2026.05.041","name":"Individual movements drive community-level space and resource use across Yellowstone ungulates.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"How similar species overlap in space and resource use within communities is a long-standing question in ecology. For mobile species, how individuals move shapes their resource use and interactions with other animals. Yet links between individual movements and community resource use remain underdeveloped as resource overlap is primarily assessed across species' diets, and individual movements are generally assessed within single species. Here, we bridge movement and community ecology by evaluating how individual movements influence resource use across a community of sympatric, migratory ungulates. Using remotely sensed environmental data and GPS locations of 5 ungulates in Yellowstone National Park, US (2016-2021), we show that variation of individual movements drove differences in community resource use, supporting the classic niche variation hypothesis. Species with lower between-individual variation in their movements (bighorn sheep and pronghorn) overlapped less in their resource use with other species than species with higher between-individual variation (elk, mule deer, and bison). The extent of resource-use overlap across species was determined by the daily and seasonal movements and habitat use of individuals. Tracking of plant phenology and snow conditions by individuals drove the use of, or exposure to, differing qualities of resources in different locations across species. Despite variation across species, Yellowstone ungulates were overall highly similar in their resource use, suggesting that interspecies competition was not a prominent driver of their resource use. Our findings confirm a strong link between individual movements and community resource use, underscoring the importance of individual behaviors in shaping communities.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2026.05.041","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1016/j.cub.2026.05.041","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/adhm.71521","name":"Stability of Medicinal Nanoemulsions to Spaceflight: Insights From the StarMed Experiment.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Space missions require liquid drug formulations that remain physically stable and exhibit predictable release under launch, microgravity, and handling stresses. This study examined melatonin‑loaded nanoemulsions flown on the MAPHEUS‑15 sounding rocket, comparing an uncoated nanoemulsion (MN) with a chitosan‑coated nanoemulsion (CCN). Droplet size, polydispersity index (PDI), and zeta potential were measured at Day 0 and after spaceflight, ground vibration testing, matched ground controls, and laboratory storage. Melatonin release was quantified by dynamic dialysis and interpreted using a compartmental mass-transfer model. Melatonin‑loaded nanoemulsion (MN) showed a modest, systematic increase in droplet size under all post‑experiment conditions, with unchanged PDI and zeta potential, consistent with time‑dependent coalescence and Ostwald ripening rather than a specific microgravity effect. CCN maintained essentially unchanged droplet size, PDI, and zeta potential, indicating interfacial steric stabilization by chitosan. For MN, ageing and sounding‑rocket exposure increased the apparent fraction of melatonin available to the aqueous phase, but normalized release profiles overlapped when scaled to the fitted maximum releasable fraction, suggesting unchanged intrinsic release kinetics. In CCN, both the accessible fraction and the release profile were preserved. Overall, chitosan coating enhanced dimensional and release stability, supporting interfacial polymer coatings as a strategy for robust liquid pharmaceutical formulations for future space medicine.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/adhm.71521","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1002/adhm.71521","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/1749-4877.70152","name":"A Decadal Home-Range Dynamics and Habitat Shift in Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana).","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Understanding how animals adjust their space use in changing environments is important for conservation, especially for species restricted to fragmented mountain habitats. We studied the home range of one wild group of golden snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) in Baihe National Nature Reserve, Sichuan Province, China, using 10 years of monitoring data from 2014 to 2023. We estimated seasonal and annual home ranges, examined elevational use, reconstructed annual habitat suitability, and assessed which environmental variables were most closely associated with home-range size. The results revealed seasonal variation in home range, with the smallest ranges occurring during winter, and showed that space use was concentrated at mid-elevations, approximately 2300-2700 m. MaxEnt-predicted suitable-habitat area increased slightly over the decade, but this change mainly reflected core stability with peripheral reorganization. Predictor importance analyses suggested a temporal shift in the main determinants of habitat suitability, from topography and human disturbance toward hydrology. Machine-learning results indicated that home-range size was mainly associated with coniferous forest area, MaxEnt-derived suitable-habitat area, shaded-slope area, and other environmental predictors. Our results suggest that R. roxellana employs dynamic spatial-use strategies to adapt to the complexity of mountainous environments. These findings highlight that conservation efforts should shift from a focus on \"area-based protection\" to \"function-based conservation,\" with priority given to maintaining stable high-suitability core areas, key coniferous forest patches, and topographic heterogeneity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1749-4877.70152","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1111/1749-4877.70152","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0343736","name":"Frontline decision autonomy under decentralization: Evidence from health sector reform.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Decentralization is designed to transfer autonomy from more central to more local actors, yet studies show differences in the autonomy realized under these reforms. Drawing on the case of health sector decentralization in Honduras, we utilize the decision space approach and original data for over 600 frontline health workers in a matched sample to explain facility-level autonomy. We find that reported decision autonomy in four functional areas is slightly reduced under decentralization, reductions are most pronounced where decentralization is led by municipal governments or associations, rather than NGOs, and differences across staff types are modest. Furthermore, capacity and resources are necessary for expanded autonomy, particularly in organizing service delivery, while supportive accountability allows for increased autonomy in human resources and finances. Our research shows the importance of including frontline staff in studies of decision autonomy under decentralization and considering the distribution of autonomy across levels in hierarchical service delivery systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0343736","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1371/journal.pone.0343736","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/jfmk11030249","name":"Data-Driven Reduction of External Load Variables in Indoor Team Sports Using Local Positioning System.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Objectives: Local positioning systems (LPSs) used in indoor team sports generate a large number of external load variables, often exceeding practical monitoring capacity. The redundancy and overlap among these variables make it difficult to identify the most informative metrics for performance analysis and load management. This study aimed to reduce the dimensionality of external load variables derived from LPS data and to identify data-driven external-load observation profiles using principal component analysis and clustering techniques. Methods: A total of 188 observations from indoor team sports (basketball, handball, and futsal) were analyzed. Continuous external load variables were standardized and subjected to principal component analysis (PCA), with component retention based on a ≥90% cumulative explained variance threshold. K-means clustering was applied in both the full standardized feature space and the PCA-reduced space. The optimal number of clusters was determined using silhouette analysis and the elbow method. Agreement between clustering solutions was assessed using Adjusted Rand Index (ARI) and Normalized Mutual Information (NMI). Cluster characteristics were further examined using descriptive statistics and variable separation analysis. Results: The first two principal components explained 53.7% of the total variance, representing high-intensity external load and neuromuscular load dimensions, while 12 components were required to exceed 90% cumulative explained variance. Clustering analysis consistently identified three moderately separated clusters in both the full and PCA-reduced spaces. The PCA-based solution demonstrated improved separation (silhouette = 0.362) compared to the full-space solution (silhouette = 0.319). Agreement between clustering approaches was high (ARI = 0.981; NMI = 0.971), indicating that dimensionality reduction largely preserved the main clustering structure within the analyzed dataset. The most discriminative variables included jump load, acceleration load, metabolic power, and anaerobic activity distance. Conclusions: A large set of external load variables can be reduced into interpretable latent dimensions that support exploratory external-load profile identification. The combination of PCA and clustering provides an exploratory and structure-preserving framework for summarizing complex external-load datasets and identifying latent load dimensions. These findings may assist future monitoring strategies; however, the practical utility of the identified profiles requires prospective validation before implementation in training-load management.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk11030249","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.3390/jfmk11030249","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.phro.2026.100998","name":"Deep learning for dose-averaged linear energy transfer estimation in pencil-beam scanning and double scattering proton radiotherapy plans with uncertainty-aware external validation.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Background and purpose Accounting for the linear energy transfer (LET) in proton radiotherapy may reduce treatment-related side effects. When Monte Carlo (MC) simulations are unavailable, deep-learning (DL) surrogate models can be applied. We develop DL LET models for brain tumour patients and assess their uncertainty for an external dataset lacking LET reference. Material and methods A multi-institutional dataset of 570 patients with 605 treatment plans was used for model development and evaluation. DL models predicting dose-averaged LET (LET d ) were trained separately for pencil-beam scanning (PBS) and double scattering (DS) treatments, as well as a combined PBS+DS model. Deviations from MC reference were evaluated by median and 98th percentile voxelwise absolute errors (VAE) in organs at risk and the treatment target. Uncertainty was evaluated via deep ensemble variance and latent space distance, correlated with the median VAE, and applied to an external DS cohort without LET d reference. Results The PBS+DS model achieved average median VAEs below 0.42 keV/ μ m. Ensemble variance and latent space distance showed positive correlations with error, with the strongest association observed for ensemble variance (up to ρ = 0.88). Both uncertainty metrics indicated an estimated average median VAE below 0.54 keV/ μ m for the DS model on the external DS data. Conclusion DL models accurately approximate LET d for PBS and DS proton radiotherapy. Uncertainty estimation provides indirect evidence of model reliability and enables performance estimation in cohorts lacking LET d reference, supporting safer application in retrospective analyses and clinical research.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phro.2026.100998","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1016/j.phro.2026.100998","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fvets.2026.1826548","name":"Impact of stocking density on beef heifer productive performance and health through hematology and &lt;i&gt;longissimus dorsi&lt;/i&gt; ultrasound.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Stocking density is one factor that can stimulate stress conditions in beef cattle farming, negatively impacting animal health and performance. The aim of this study was to evaluate hematology and longissimus dorsi ultrasound in beef heifers housed at two different stocking densities. A total of 54 Charolais heifers, 27 animals in each trial for two consecutive years, were randomly divided into two groups at arrival: high stocking density group (HIGH_D, 5.54 m 2 /animal; N = 26), and low stocking density group (LOW_D, 10.3 m 2 /animal; N = 28). A longitudinal study design was applied and animals were evaluated with blood sampling and longissimus dorsi ultrasound at arrival (D0), and after 30, 60, 90 and 120 days (D30, D60, D90, and D120) until the slaughtering. Body weight was measured at D0, D60, and D120 to calculate average daily gain (ADG) for the periods D60-D0, D120-D60, and D120-D0. Finally, the carcass yield and quality were obtained at the slaughterhouse. Statistical analysis was conducted with linear mixed models. The LOW_D had a greater body weight at D120, as well as higher ADGD120_D0, ADGD120_D60, and carcass yield compared to HIGH_D. The same group had also lower neutrophils and greater lymphocytes between D60 and D120, and lower monocytes between D90 and D120. Instead, HIGH_D had an increase in neutrophils and monocytes, and a decrease in lymphocytes. Despite both groups were within physiological ranges, the HIGH_D condition could be related to a slightly stress condition. Moreover, the LOW_D showed a greater muscle thickness and ribeye area from D30, back-fat thickness from D60, and intramuscular fat from D90 until D120. In conclusion, this study confirmed that stocking density significantly affects beef heifer performance and health, with animals housed at 10.3 m 2 /animal having better growth outcomes, ultrasound fat deposition pattern, and muscle growth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2026.1826548","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.3389/fvets.2026.1826548","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1097/jac.0000000000000564","name":"Transforming Outpatient Patient Flow: A COVID-19 Driven Quality Improvement Initiative for an Outpatient Model of Care.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Objective The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly disrupted outpatient services with challenges including cancellations and delays in consultations, diagnostics, and surgeries. The Acute Hand Program at Trillium Health Partners examined the pandemic's impact as a catalyst for improving an outpatient model of care. Methods In 2020, the Acute Hand Program redesigned its care model. This multiyear, quality improvement plan included seven change initiatives ranging from physical space reconfiguration to workflow, admission and discharge criteria revisions, and leveraging community resources. Results The change initiatives revealed: (1) standardized appointment blocks increased capacity with 4.3% more treatment visits, (2) leaner admission criteria and scheduling consistently eliminated the waitlist to zero referrals per month, (3) length of stay benchmark compliance increased by 18% within 1 year of introducing the new model of care, (4) QuickDASH functional outcome scores remained high, with 94% of patients meeting the benchmark of no more than mild functional difficulty, and (5) overall patient satisfaction increased by 0.5%, with the most notable increase of 5% to 99% in the domain of quality of care. Conclusions Developing an outpatient model of care by optimizing physical resources, streamlining clinical processes, using data-driven decision-making, and leveraging community resources enables effective response to crises and ensures quality care and long-term sustainability.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1097/jac.0000000000000564","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1097/jac.0000000000000564","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41597-026-07846-4","name":"Long-term crop mapping in the three provinces of Northeast China based on multi-source sample fusion.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Northeast region serves as a vital grain production base in China, with an increasingly prominent role in national food security. This study integrated existing crop classification products and land cover data to extract samples of rice, maize, soybean, and other land cover types within Northeast China covering the period 1985-2024. An inter-annual sample migration method based on Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) was adopted to construct a comprehensive sample database, to be used as input for crop type classification, covering the entire study period. By leveraging Landsat imagery and applying the Random Forest algorithm, we generated 30-meter-resolution crop maps for rice, maize, and soybean from 1985 to 2024. The resulting maps achieved high accuracy, with crop area estimates highly consistent with municipal-level statistical data. Among the three provinces, the maximum overall accuracy and Kappa coefficient could reach 0.99. Liaoning Province achieved the best average classification accuracy, with mean overall accuracy and Kappa values of 0.87 and 0.81, respectively. These findings provide a robust data foundation for ensuring food security and informing agricultural management strategies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-026-07846-4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1038/s41597-026-07846-4","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-026-61912-w","name":"Environmental space similarity model maps dry red soil under limited samples in the Yuanmou Dry Hot Valley.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Obtaining sufficient field observations for natural resources in complex mountainous environments is often constrained by limited soil samples. Geographic environmental similarity may provide a useful basis for spatial inference under small-sample conditions. Here we infer the spatial distribution of dry-red soil in the Yuanmou Dry-Hot Valley, China. Field surveys produced a training set (n = 72) and an independent validation set (n = 46; dry-red soil/non-dry-red soil = 1:1). After screening covariates related to soil, terrain, climate, and vegetation, we quantified environmental similarity among samples and computed a composite similarity score. Using stratified repeated random splitting on the independent validation set, we calibrated the classification threshold, built an Environmental Similarity Model (ESM), and generated an uncertainty layer for interpretation and extrapolation-risk identification. Results show that (1) dry-red soil is mainly distributed in basins and valley areas; (2) the ESM showed relatively strong performance on the independent validation set within the present study area (mean AUC = 0.946, Accuracy = 0.867, Recall = 0.870, F1-score = 0.862), exceeding the benchmark machine-learning models under the current validation design (mean AUC = 0.654-0.809, Accuracy = 0.589-0.707); and (3) the uncertainty layer identifies environmentally under-represented areas with higher extrapolation risk, which may support prioritized supplementary sampling and iterative updating. Overall, these results suggest that the ESM provides an interpretable option for dry-red soil inference under the present small-sample and heterogeneous environmental setting.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-61912-w","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-026-61912-w","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.isci.2026.116040","name":"Coordinating production-living-ecological space efficiency in suburban rural areas using a DEA-triangular model.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Currently, suburban rural areas in China are experiencing low-efficiency issues in production-living-ecological spaces (PLES) amid rapid urbanization. Existing research pays insufficient attention to trade-offs among multiple spatial efficiencies and often lacks integrated analytical frameworks. This study aims to enhance PLES utilization efficiency in multi-input/output systems. Using Nanjing as a case, spatial utilization efficiency was measured through data envelopment analysis (DEA), and distribution patterns were identified via geographic information system (GIS) analysis. Gini coefficient decomposition was applied to analyze spatiotemporal disparities, while a triangular model quantified interrelationships among PLES. From 2011 to 2021, PLES utilization efficiency among townships rose by 48.14% on average, with 17 shifting from imbalance to coordination; 49% achieved primary coordination, and 9 reached high-quality coordination. The study developed a multi-criteria evaluation framework, improving the precision and coordination of rural governance and spatial management, and providing support for sustainable rural development.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.116040","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1016/j.isci.2026.116040","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-9818054/v1","name":"Subgenome-resolved reanalysis of public arabica coffee genomes identifies a chromosome 4 cultivated–introgressed differentiation hotspot","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract Background Public subgenome-resolved genomic resources have clarified the origin and diversification history of allotetraploid Coffea arabica , but the accession-level and subgenome-level structure separating cultivated and introgressed arabica backgrounds remains less operationally resolved. In particular, it remains unclear whether cultivated–introgressed differentiation is broadly distributed across the genome, concentrated in subgenome-specific regions, or organized around a smaller number of high-support intervals. Results We re-analyzed public population-genomic resources from 44 coffee accessions using subgenome-aware principal component analysis, genome-wide similarity summaries, allele-frequency contrasts, hotspot prioritization, and conservative annotation rescue. Across both arabica subgenomes, the clearest organizing feature of the panel was a cultivated–introgressed contrast. The strongest signal localized to corresponding chromosome 4 intervals, spanning 40.3 Mb in subgenome C and 33.3 Mb in subgenome E. We interpret this pattern as a shared cultivated–introgressed differentiation hotspot, rather than as evidence for equivalent alien introgression in both subgenomes. Accession-level prioritization identified Híbrido de Timor, Arabusta Pizze, Iapar 59, Oro Azteca, IPR99, and Costa Rica 95 as the strongest introgressed reference accessions, whereas a partly independent subgenome-asymmetry axis highlighted additional accessions. Projection of the primary hotspot onto reference annotation space recovered gene-rich intervals containing defense-, signaling-, and regulatory-associated candidate annotations, including resistance-protein-like, receptor-like kinase-associated, and NAC-domain-associated loci. Conclusions This study provides a reproducible subgenome-resolved reanalysis of public arabica coffee genomic resources and identifies a chromosome 4 cultivated–introgressed differentiation hotspot as the dominant organizing feature of the panel. The resulting accession rankings, candidate intervals, and annotation-supported gene space provide a hypothesis-generating resource for comparative haplotype analysis and downstream phenotype-linked validation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9818054/v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9818054/v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41526-026-00564-6","name":"A cohort intervention to boost space health grant funding success for researchers from historically minoritized groups: 2022-2023.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This paper reports research that was completed prior to FL SB 266 or TX SB 17 going into effect. Human space travel has been rapidly expanding, including new nations, private companies, and ambitious goals such as returning to the Moon and traveling to Mars. These developments bring novel challenges for human health in space, requiring innovative solutions. A diverse research community drives such innovation, yet women and minoritized individuals remain underrepresented and underfunded in the space health research field. In a partnership program with our sponsor, we established a novel equity-based cohort program for underrepresented postdoctoral fellows, faculty, and entrepreneurs to address barriers to success in applying for and receiving space health funding. The cohort-based intervention included four main elements: (1) recruitment of mentees (n = 46) and mentors (n > 50), (2) education of mentees on space health research priorities, (3) connection of mentees with the broader space health community, and (4) development of a trustworthy network of subject matter expert mentors. The program ran for 18 months and resulted in 57 submitted space biomedical research proposals by the program's end, and a total of 106 proposals within 18 months post-program. These results demonstrate that an equity-focused, cohort-based approach can effectively enhance funding success, community engagement, and long-term mentorship in space health research, providing a scalable model for other STEM disciplines.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-026-00564-6","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1038/s41526-026-00564-6","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.22541/authorea.15005516/v1","name":"Spatial behaviour of an endangered northern gull population on its African wintering grounds","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Many migratory species are declining globally, yet critical stages of their life cycle remain understudied, particularly the wintering period. Here, we provide novel insights into the spatial behaviour of a long-distance migrant, the nominate and endangered subspecies of the lesser black-backed gull (Larus fuscus fuscus; hereafter nLBBG), on its African wintering grounds. As space use can vary with the environment and have carry-over effects on subsequent stages of the annual cycle, our main focus was to compare birds wintering in two distinct environments: coastal and inland. Seventeen adult gulls were tagged with GPS-GSM trackers at breeding colonies off the coast of Ostrobothnia, Finland. We used the time-local convex hull (T-LoCoH) algorithm to estimate space use and two time-use metrics, namely revisitation rate and visit duration. Linear mixed-effects models (LMMs) were built to model space use, revisitation rate and visit duration as a function of isopleths (core area: 50%; home range: 95%), sex and wintering environment. Our study gulls wintered in six distinctive areas with a dominance of aquatic habitats. Seven gulls wintered in coastal environments (Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea and Atlantic Ocean) and 10 gulls in inland environments (Lake Victoria and Lake Turkana). Lake Victoria harboured nine gulls. Core areas and home ranges showed high individual variation. Coastal gulls had a more limited space use, higher revisitation rate (more frequent visits to the same site) and longer visit duration (more time spent at a given location) than inland gulls. Males spent more time at a given location, highlighting sex-specific differences in movement strategies. Our results demonstrate that nLBBG space use is strongly influenced by the environment, suggesting the coast concentrates key resources within a more limited area in winter. Future research should focus on migratory connectivity, linking space use during the non-breeding period to subsequent survival and breeding performance.","url":"https://doi.org/10.22541/authorea.15005516/v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.22541/authorea.15005516/v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.aec8244","name":"Architecting three-dimensional reconfigurable matter from pop-up kirigami with programmable multistability.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Mechanical pop-up systems, which reconfigure from two-dimensional (2D) into complex three-dimensional (3D) shapes, are promising for advanced manufacturing and deployable devices. Multistable pop-up kirigami systems are especially advantageous because their properties decouple the simple, 2D fabricated state from the complex, 3D operational state, which greatly simplifies manufacturing. We identify that these pop-up systems are designed by the multiloop coupling strategy, which, however, has traditionally been limited by the geometric symmetry. In this work, we extend this strategy by removing symmetry constraints to create a generalized pop-up kirigami platform that enables programmable multistability with controlled, asymmetric pop-up and twisting motions. Using this platform, we demonstrate previously inaccessible formations, including tristable units with two programmable spatial states and large-scale tessellations of interconnected units. We showcase the versatility of this platform through applications in reconfigurable metamaterials, deployable arrays, soft robotics, and flexible electronics.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aec8244","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.aec8244","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.13227/j.hjkx.202505199","name":"[Multi-scenario Simulation and Ecological Environmental Effects Analysis of \"Production-Living-Ecological Spaces\" in the Yangtze River Basin Based on the FLUS-Markov Model].","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Based on the five phases of land use data in the Yangtze River Basin in 2000， 2005， 2010， 2015， and 2020， the spatio-temporal evolution characteristics of the \"production-living-ecological spaces\" and the ecological environment quality in the Yangtze River Basin over the past 20 years were analyzed by means of the land use transfer matrix and ecological environment effect model. Taking 2020 as the benchmark， the FLUS-Markov model was used to simulate and predict the spatial distribution pattern of the \"production-living-ecological spaces\" in the Yangtze River Basin and the changes in the future ecological environment under the three scenarios of natural development， cultivated land protection， and ecological protection from 2030 to 2050. The results show that： ① From 2000 to 2020， the agricultural production space continued to shrink at an average annual rate of 0.26%， decreasing by 25 890 km2， of which 10.10%， 13.67%， 31.97%， and 26.78% were converted into green ecological space， water ecological space， urban living space， and industrial and mining production space， respectively. The ecological environment quality index decreased from 0.521 86 to 0.520 56 and then rose to 0.522 07， being at the medium to upper level. ② Under the ecological protection scenario， the cultivated land in 2050 still decreased， but the rate of decrease was reduced， and the outward expansion of living space and industrial and mining production space was effectively curbed； the ecological environment quality index of 0.523 07 was better than those of the natural development and cultivated land protection scenarios， which was conducive to giving full play to the environmental benefits of the Yangtze River Basin. ③ Under each simulation scenario， the main distribution positions of the \"production-living-ecological space\" and the distribution of ecological environment quality grades in the Yangtze River Basin from 2030 to 2050 basically remained unchanged. This study can provide theoretical and data support for the evaluation of land use changes and their ecological effects in the Yangtze River Basin and provide a scientific guide for the optimal layout and rational allocation of land space in the Yangtze River Basin and the promotion of ecological civilization construction in the Yangtze River Basin.","url":"https://doi.org/10.13227/j.hjkx.202505199","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.13227/j.hjkx.202505199","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/smll.74734","name":"Martian‑Regolith Simulant Confined Nanogenerators for Wireless Tactile Sensing for Human-Machine Interface.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Achieving a sustainable energy system for space missions remains challenging due to the continued reliance on Earth-supplied materials. This underscores the importance of in situ resource utilization (ISRU) strategies that convert planetary resources into functional electronic components. In this work, we harness the dielectric characteristics of Martian regolith (MR) simulant to create an MR/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composite film with enhanced triboelectric properties. Structural and morphological analyses of the MR reveal multiple oxide-rich phases, which improve both the dielectric properties and the surface microstructure of the MR/PDMS composite film. The resultant MR/PDMS composite film-based triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) delivers an approximately two-fold increase in open-circuit voltage compared to the pristine PDMS-based TENG. The real-world use of the MR/PDMS TENG is further demonstrated by proof-of-concept applications: a glove-mounted tactile surface sensor with wireless signal transmission and a wearable triboelectric keypad. This work not only showcases advances in MR-based TENG performance but also marks the first demonstration of triboelectric applications using MR simulants as functional triboelectric material. Additionally, we have demonstrated foundational work toward ISRU-oriented tactile interfaces incorporating MR-simulant-derived functional materials for future controlled habitats and robotic platforms relevant to future space exploration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.74734","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1002/smll.74734","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.scib.2026.04.055","name":"Magnetite in lunar impact glasses formed in the presence of water.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scib.2026.04.055","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1016/j.scib.2026.04.055","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/bjs/znag005","name":"Surgery for interplanetary space missions.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"As human spaceflight expands beyond low Earth orbit, the ability to deliver advanced surgical care in space becomes critical. Current medical provisions on board the International Space Station (ISS) are geared towards treating low-risk conditions, with a 'stabilize-and-evacuate' principle for more complex cases-an approach that is not viable for extended missions to the Moon and Mars. This review summarizes research conducted around space surgery, with a particular focus on surgical robotics. Experiments in parabolic flight and analogue environments demonstrate that, provided the operator, patient, and instruments are restrained, surgical skill is largely unaffected by reduced gravity. Robotic surgery has primarily been explored in remote undersea habitats and in limited flight studies. There are several challenges to the implementation of surgical systems in space, including size, weight, and power constraints, communication latency, and crew training. Means of fluid and debris containment, provision of anaesthesia, and postoperative recovery in altered physiology must also be considered. The key features of an ideal space surgery robotic set-up are outlined. It should be compact, multifunctional, adaptable, reliable, and optimized in technical design and material composition for use in habitable volumes. Such systems should incorporate artificial intelligence (AI)-driven decision-making support, variable autonomy, and human-in-the-loop control. Crew members must be trained and supported to deliver and recover from surgical care in space. Cloud and edge computing will mitigate latency while expanding on-board data processing capabilities. Although not yet operationally mature, robotic surgery is a critical capability for future exploratory space missions, but requires continued multidisciplinary development.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/bjs/znag005","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1093/bjs/znag005","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.20944/preprints202607.1879.v1","name":"Retrospective Circularity Through Landfill Mining","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Landfilling doesn’t eliminate waste. It is only a mechanism for temporarily storing waste, which means environmental issues continue to persist. Waste in landfills can pose serious risks to the environment and human health, including the emission of potent greenhouse gases such as methane, foul odours, leachate-contaminated groundwater, and the loss of circulating resources vital to a sustainable economy. Landfills are still being created globally, in addition to those that already exist. This alone is a valid reason for us to explore how we manage them, since their impact, both short and long term, can potentially generate a multitude of adverse consequences. Landfill mining (LFM) offers a method to reduce the risk of various contaminants entering the environment from landfills and to recover useful materials from discarded and buried waste. By shifting the view of landfills from waste storage to a source of resources, LFM can help reduce long-term environmental problems, support the circular economy, and change how society manages buried waste. The concept of Landfill Mining (LFM) has emerged as a possible solution to increasing issues in waste management, such as limited landfill space, pollution, and the need to rehabilitate sites. Early LFM projects mainly recovered small quantities of materials, such as soil and waste fuels, but encountered many obstacles, including technological constraints, high costs, and strict regulations, which made LFM less common. Recent research and technological advances suggest that LFM could achieve much more if the right conditions are met. With active enforcement of policies such as extended producer responsibility (EPR), government oversight, and improved material processing, LFM could scale to industrial levels, helping recover more resources and manage legacy waste. Clear guidelines for responsible waste management will be vital for ensuring this over the long term. LFM is not just a way to create value from waste; it also helps implement circular economy principles. This paper describes LFM as a form of ‘retrospective circular economy.’ LFM can transform old landfills into urban mines, converting buried waste into useful raw materials and helping society move towards sustainability.","url":"https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202607.1879.v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.20944/preprints202607.1879.v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-026-61333-9","name":"A regime-aware framework for runoff prediction in ungauged basins via self-supervised learning of hydrometeorological drivers.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Runoff prediction in ungauged basins remains a fundamental challenge due to the absence of discharge observations and the limited transferability of data-driven models across heterogeneous hydrological conditions. This study proposes a regime-aware framework that models hydrological processes from the perspective of shared driver-induced regimes. Instead of relying on runoff observations, a view-based contrastive self-supervised learning strategy is employed to extract transferable features from hydrometeorological drivers. Specifically, augmented temporal-window views generated through temporal masking and feature perturbation are contrasted to learn runoff-independent representations, enabling the identification of cross-basin hydrological regimes via unsupervised clustering. Regime-specific prediction models are then constructed and adaptively combined for target basins based on regime similarity. Experimental results show that the proposed method achieves a median Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency of 0.5 across ungauged test basins, demonstrating improved prediction performance under ungauged conditions. These findings highlight the effectiveness of learning shared hydrological regimes from driver space and provide a new perspective for robust runoff prediction in ungauged basins.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-61333-9","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-026-61333-9","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41538-026-00917-1","name":"Gut microbiota-associated N-Acetyl-L-leucine mediates fructose-induced hyperuricemia via the P300-URAT1 pathway.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Hyperuricemia (HUA), a metabolic disorder characterized by elevated uric acid (UA), is marked by a rising incidence and trend toward earlier onset, both strongly associated with fructose intake. However, the roles of gut microbiota and their metabolites remain unclear. This study employed a fructose-induced HUA mouse model and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) to assess the impact of fructose-altered gut microbiota on the microbial community structure and UA degradation capacity in recipient mice. Non-targeted metabolomics was then utilized to identify key metabolites, and the HUA-inducing effects and underlying mechanisms of the metabolite were further validated. The results confirmed that microbiota from fructose-induced HUA mice promoted HUA development in recipients, significantly increasing the abundance of Bacteroidota and reducing microbial UA degradation ability. Specifically, recipient mice exhibited disordered amino acid metabolism, primarily characterized by elevated N-Acetyl-L-leucine. This metabolite was subsequently shown to induce HUA by promoting UA synthesis through enhanced adenosine deaminase and xanthine oxidase activity, as well as inhibiting UA excretion via upregulation of the reabsorption transporter urate transporter 1 (URAT1) through E1A binding protein p300 (P300) regulation. These results highlight N-Acetyl-L-leucine as a pivotal gut microbiota-associated metabolite in fructose-induced HUA and offer new insights and potential targets for future interventions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-026-00917-1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1038/s41538-026-00917-1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/advs.75745","name":"A Programmable Multi‑Modal Information Encryption System Based on the Dynamic Wetting Behavior of Liquid Metal.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Information encryption and security are the cornerstones of the digital era. However, traditional optical and electronic encryption techniques remain vulnerable to decryption due to deterministic material responses and predictable algorithms. In this study, we present a programmable multi‑modal information encryption system based on the dynamic wetting behavior of liquid metal. The system integrates an inclinometer sensor that utilizes the dynamic wetting characteristics of liquid metal, a probe‑driven transmission mechanism, and a three‑dimensional motion platform. Through the coupling of mechanical regulation and fluid dynamics, the system achieves secure physical information encoding with multidimensional and reconfigurable encryption capability. Proof‑of‑concept experiments demonstrate that the system exhibits high precision and stability in the encryption and decryption of image and textual information. The proposed framework employs four independent encryption parameters, and successful decoding requires deviations smaller than 0.02%. Overall, this research establishes a controllable and highly secure materials‑driven encryption framework, providing a promising route for advanced information protection and encryption technologies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.75745","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1002/advs.75745","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2026.120156","name":"Persistence and geochemical differentiation of drilling waste in unconsolidated deep-sea sediments from the Ulleung Basin, East Sea.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This study investigated the long-term persistence of drilling waste (DW) in unconsolidated deep-sea sediments of the Ulleung Basin three years after gas hydrate drilling at Site UBGH2-6. Seafloor imagery, sediment cores, in-situ hydrographic observations, HYCOM simulations, and multi-proxy geochemical analyses ( 210 Pb ex , TOC, TN, CaCO 3 , Ba, Ca, Ti, Mn, and Fe) were integrated to evaluate DW preservation. A light-colored DW deposit remained within a ∼ 10 m radius of the borehole with an average thickness of ∼6.5 cm under persistently weak bottom-current conditions. A first-order estimate indicates a theoretical DW production of ∼14.0 m 3 , whereas the larger deposit volume (∼20.4 m 3 ) reflects limited redistribution minor contributions from adjacent boreholes. Disturbed 210 Pb ex profiles and characteristic geochemical signatures demonstrate burial of the original seafloor and distinguish carbonate-rich drill cuttings from barite-rich drilling mud. These findings provide a quantitative framework for assessing DW accumulation, dispersal, and environmental impacts associated with offshore energy exploration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2026.120156","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1016/j.marpolbul.2026.120156","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acs.inorgchem.6c00388","name":"Accelerating Discovery of Ternary Chiral Materials via Large-Scale Random Crystal Structure Prediction.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Chiral inorganic crystals, particularly semiconductors with Weyl points near the band edges or semimetals hosting Weyl points at the Fermi level, have attracted considerable interest; yet, they remain scarce in existing materials databases. This study presents a prediction pathway by combining universal machine-learning interatomic potentials (uMLIPs) for high-throughput structure optimization with the broad exploration capability of random structure search (RSS), enabling large-scale crystal structure prediction in ternary systems with variable compositions, followed by targeted screening for chiral space groups. Through uMLIP-based high-throughput optimization and stability assessment, a large number of potentially stable phases were identified from over 20 million randomly generated chiral structures. First-principles validation further confirmed more than 260 chiral inorganic crystals with potential applications in topological properties, nonlinear optics, and superconductivity. Some of these materials exhibit notable quantum phenomena, such as the nonlinear Hall effect driven by Berry curvature dipole, quantum metric, and symmetry-protected 6-fold degenerate topological points, long Fermi arcs, and large magnetoresistance. This work substantially expands the pool of candidate chiral functional materials and offers a scalable strategy for predicting ternary material systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.6c00388","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1021/acs.inorgchem.6c00388","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/bioinformatics/btag305","name":"EMERALD-UI: an interactive web application to unveil novel protein biology hidden in the alternative alignment space.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Summary Life over the past four billion years has been shaped by proteins and their capacity to assemble into three-dimensional conformations. Protein sequence alignments have been the enabling technology for exploring the evolution and functional adaptation of proteins across the tree of life. Recent advancements in scaling the prediction of three-dimensional protein structures from primary sequence alone, revealed that different modes of conservation and function operate on the sequence and structure level. This difference in protein conservation patterns and their underlying functional change that could emerge in suboptimal alignment configurations is often ignored in optimal protein alignment approaches. We introduce EMERALD-UI, an open-source interactive web application which is designed to reveal unexplored biology by visualising stable structural conformations or protein regions hidden in the alternative alignment space. Availability EMERALD-UI is available at https://algbio.github.io/emerald-ui/. The source code of the version described in this manuscript is available at https://github.com/algbio/emerald-ui and archived at Software Heritage: swh: 1: dir: 8b5a70160396d5e9a2e6d015c3b6f1426176d9a4.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/bioinformatics/btag305","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1093/bioinformatics/btag305","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fdmed.2026.1691514","name":"Evaluating the accuracy of intraoral scanners across varied depths and widths preparation for CAD/CAM post and core.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Objectives This study aimed to investigate the accuracy of two intraoral scanners at different post space preparation depths and widths for CAD/CAM fabricated post and core fabrication. Methods A total of 36 extracted anterior teeth were used in this study, which were divided into 6 groups according to the different widths and depths of post space preparations. Two operators carried out the intraoral scanning using two scanners: Planmeca Emerald and 3Shape TRIOS 4. Furthermore, the inEos X5 extraoral laboratory scanner was used as a reference. 3D point cloud processing software was used to analyze the impact of different widths and depths on the scanners' accuracy. Results After ensuring examiner blinding, it showed that there was no significant difference between the 3Shape and Planmeca scanners. Additionally, longer posts resulted in lower scanning accuracy across the board, whereas wider posts tended to produce results that were more accurate. Conclusions This study found that there was no difference in accuracy between the 3Shape and Planmeca scanners. The distribution of scanning accuracy at different post space preparation depths and widths showed that longer posts resulted in lower scanning accuracy, whereas wider posts tended to produce results that were more accurate, which provides information for the CAD/CAM post and core fabrication.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fdmed.2026.1691514","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.3389/fdmed.2026.1691514","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/jbmrpl/ziag048","name":"Evaluation of the use of segmentation-based and deconvolution-based three-dimensional joint space width analysis of the hand and wrist.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Three-dimensional morphometric analyses of joint space from CT scans can provide a quantitative and unbiased evaluation of radiographic damage from arthritis. This potentially offers greater sensitivity for disease assessment and monitoring than traditional ordinal scoring systems. Previously established methods for 3-dimensional joint space analysis from CT scans can be categorized into segmentation-based and grayscale deconvolution-based methods. However, segmentation-based methods have not been employed for joints other than metacarpophalangeal joints, nor have they been compared to deconvolution-based methods. This study compared the joint space width (JSW) distribution from various hand and wrist joints in photon-counting CT images, using both measurement approaches. From these distributions, the mean (JSW.Mean), standard deviation (JSW.SD), maximum (JSW.Max), minimum (JSW.Min), 95th percentile (JSW.95%), and fifth percentile (JSW.5%) values were calculated. For each morphometry parameter, agreement between the 2 methods was assessed by calculating the coefficient of determination (R 2 ), and the mean and SD of the individual biases. General estimating equations were used to assess the relationship between morphometry and an equivalent/modified Sharp/van der Heijde (SvdH) ordinal radiographic score. In general, agreement between the 2 methods was low: R 2 ranged between 0.42 and 0.87; biases up to 0.18 mm [Formula: see text] 0.33 mm. For both methods, an increased degree of joint space narrowing as assessed with SvdH was associated with reduced JSW.Min and increased JSW.SD; for the deconvolution method, it was also associated with decreased JSW.Mean and increased JSW.Max. Interactions between the methods showed a weaker association to SvdH score for JSW.Min and a stronger association for JSW.SD when measured with the deconvolution method, compared to the segmentation method. We conclude that both methods lead to fundamentally different measurement outcomes, and that the deconvolution method might be more sensitive to radiographic damage.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jbmrpl/ziag048","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1093/jbmrpl/ziag048","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-10240921/v1","name":"Enhancing Urban Food System Resilience through Urban Spatial Resources: A Case Study of Stockholm City","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract Urban food system resilience has become a critical concern in the face of climatic crises, supply chain disruptions, global conflicts, and rapid urbanisation. Cities must therefore explore innovative ways to leverage urban spaces to enhance local food production capacity. This study quantifies the potential of various above-ground urban spatial resources in Stockholm to boost local food production capacity. By using digital surface model (DSM), building footprints, and land use datasets, the study mapped approximately 1,102 hectares of suitable urban spaces, including rooftops (642 ha), open-air parking lots (53 ha, assuming 10% conversion), community gardens (279 ha), and arable land (127 ha). To explore the food production potential of this spatial resource, a diversified 10-vegetable crop production model was developed, allocating greenhouse space (rooftops and parking lots) to high-value crops (e.g., tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, bell peppers, basil, and kale) and open field production to other root vegetables (e.g., potatoes, carrots, beets, and leek). The production model revealed that Stockholm’s urban spaces could produce approximately 229,407 tonnes of vegetables annually, based on the 10-vegetable crop model employed. This estimated production is substantially higher than the city’s current annual vegetable demand of 85,892 tonnes. The level of self-sufficiency per vegetable varied broadly from 15% for potatoes to 1,171% for lettuce. These findings provide an evidence base for integrating urban agriculture into municipal planning and food system policy by strategically mobilising spatial resources across Stockholm’s eleven districts. More broadly, this study offers a replicable analytical framework that can support urban policymakers and planners in other cities seeking to enhance resilience by identifying, quantifying, and realising the latent food production potential embedded within of their urban landscapes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-10240921/v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-10240921/v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1186/s13561-026-00808-x","name":"Thailand's health financing resilience during COVID-19: leveraging universal health coverage to tackle the pandemic.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Background The COVID-19 pandemic constituted a public health emergency in Thailand from March 2020 to October 2022, testing the resilience of the health financing system. This study establishes an analytical framework to examine Thailand's public health financing arrangements and their subsequent impacts on public hospital financial reserves during this crisis. Methods This mixed-methods study developed an analytical framework to examine Thailand's public health financing response. The study analyzed COVID-19 public health expenditure data (Fiscal Years (FY) 2020-2022) and financial data from 866 Ministry of Public Health hospitals (FY 2015-2022) using descriptive statistics and trend analysis. These quantitative findings were integrated with a thematic analysis of 21 key informant interviews. Results Thailand enhanced health financing resilience through adaptive revenue mobilization and flexible resource allocation. Between FY 2020 and 2022, the government expanded fiscal space by mobilizing approximately US$13.78 billion via the Emergency Loan Decrees, Central Budget, and Social Security Fund. Universal Health Coverage (UHC) mechanisms expanded service coverage and expedited provider reimbursement. During delayed loan disbursements, public hospitals used internal financial reserves to bridge funding gaps and maintain service continuity. Consequently, net hospital reserves increased substantially by the pandemic's end compared to pre-pandemic baselines. Conclusions Thailand strategically leveraged its UHC system and mobilized emergency and pre-existing public funds to secure fiscal space and maintain system resilience. However, temporary funding influxes may mask localized resource strains on hospital financial reserves. To enhance future resilience, Thailand should establish a dedicated health emergency reserve fund, streamline extra-budgetary mechanisms, and adopt flexible procurement regulations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13561-026-00808-x","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1186/s13561-026-00808-x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.20944/preprints202607.1452.v1","name":"The Evolution of an Urban Community School-University Partnership Striving for Sustained School Improvement: A Project Report","source":"europepmc","abstract":"In the United States, urban schools in low-resource communities face numerous challenges that make sustained improvement difficult (e.g., frequent staff turnover and relatively inexperienced teachers). Officials charged with addressing this matter must determine which interventions merit investment, considering factors such as external pressures to deliver quick, positive results; the intervention's cost; available space to support an initiative; and its impact on existing resources, including personnel who may be tasked with new responsibilities. Given that public urban schools in the United States operate primarily under local rather than federal control, a one-size-fits-all, top-down solution is unlikely. Instead, unique local initiatives involving available, recurring resources may be the best viable options. This paper reports an initiative involving an elementary urban community school-university partnership aimed at improving the school's academic performance while simultaneously addressing interconnected challenges (e.g., increasing enrollment in teacher preparation programs) that may lead to sustained urban school improvement if appropriately resolved.","url":"https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202607.1452.v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.20944/preprints202607.1452.v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10570-z","name":"Advancing solar and wind penetration in China through energy complementarity.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The intrinsic variability of solar and wind energy, compounded by their rapid expansion, has intensified power curtailment challenges 1,2 . Although spatiotemporal complementarity between these resources is widely recognized as a pathway to enhance renewable integration and reduce balancing requirements 3-16 , existing assessments are largely based on hypothetical deployments 17-24 . Consequently, how solar-wind complementarity manifests under real-world infrastructure and shapes system-level integration outcomes remains unclear. Here we develop a unified national inventory to enable a data-driven assessment of solar-wind complementarity. The inventory covers 319,972 solar photovoltaic facilities and 91,609 wind turbines in 2022, identified from sub-metre satellite imagery using a deep-learning-based framework. Using this dataset, we show that solar-wind complementarity substantially reduces generation variability, with effectiveness increasing as the geographic scope of pairing expands. At the system level, nationwide inter-provincial coordination raises effective renewable penetration by 99.88 TWh in an 80% dispatchable-flexibility system, corresponding to 9.1% of total solar and wind generation, or approximately 120 h of national average load. These findings demonstrate that energy complementarity is a scalable, system-wide mechanism for advancing solar and wind penetration, offering broadly applicable insights into the role of inter-regional coordination in enhancing renewable integration in large power systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10570-z","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1038/s41586-026-10570-z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1109/tnnls.2026.3708426","name":"LANet: A Lightweight and Accurate Balanced Network Based on State Space Models for Real-Time Semantic Segmentation.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Real-time semantic segmentation has extensive applications in practical fields such as autonomous driving. Despite the significant progress made by deep learning in semantic segmentation, the performance of real-time methods remains suboptimal. Many existing high-accuracy networks achieve precision by utilizing complex architectures with massive parameters. Subsequently, lightweight networks have generally improved inference speed at the expense of segmentation accuracy. Balancing accuracy and speed is crucial in real-time semantic segmentation. This article proposes a novel lightweight semantic segmentation model, a lightweight and accurate balanced network (LANet), designed for real-time applications. LANet combines standard convolution and depthwise convolution, designs a multiskip concat bottleneck (MSC-B), and introduces feature enhancement based on pyramidal dual attention (FEPDA) modules and a feature fusion module based on multiscale state space models (FFMSSM). These components are designed to synergistically balance model accuracy and inference speed. Experimental results demonstrate that LANet significantly improves inference speed and reduces model parameters while maintaining high accuracy, making it ideal for devices with limited resources. Without pretraining, LANet achieves a mean intersection over union (mIoU) of 76.9% at 130.0 frames per second with 1.33M parameters on an RTX 3090 GPU.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/tnnls.2026.3708426","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1109/tnnls.2026.3708426","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-026-59269-1","name":"A water and land resources multi-objective optimal allocation model based on ecological, economic and social sustainability using NSGA-III.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Under the impacts of global warming and the frequent occurrence of extreme climate events, the adaptability issue between water resources and land resources has become increasingly severe, which has affected the sustainable development of regional territorial space. Particularly in ecologically fragile areas, this mismatch problem is further amplified, leading to reduce cropland productivity, decrease efficiency of water and land resource utilization, and weaken ecological environment carrying capacity. Consequently, this has hindered regional sustainable development and food security. Therefore, based on the objective of maximizing ecological-economic-social (EES) benefits, this study constructed a multi-objective optimal allocation model of water and land resources for the Western Jilin Province (WJP). The third-generation Non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-III) was adopted to solve the model, thereby obtaining optimal allocation schemes of water and land resources under different objectives conditions. The results indicated that: (1) Multi-objective collaborative optimization was an effective approach to achieve regional sustainable development. The scenario of synergistic optimization of EES objectives can realize the improvement of economic benefits and social benefits while minimizing the reduction of ecological benefits (0.10%), reflecting the advantage of \"synergistic enhancement\" among the objectives. (2) Under the scenario of collaborative optimization of EES objectives, the optimal results of water and land resources demonstrated the potential for coordinated development of ecological restoration and agricultural production in the WJP. (3) A comparison of the data from various districts and counties of WJP before and after optimization highlights the necessity of differentiated resource allocation schemes, and the final optimization results also showed significant ecological restoration potential.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-59269-1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-026-59269-1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-026-59852-6","name":"Data-driven and physics-inspired sound synthesis of ocean waves incorporating screened foam particles and projective space.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This paper proposes a data-driven approach to efficiently synthesize the spatial sound of ocean waves by integrating 2D projective space and screened foam particles. To reduce computational complexity, we present a framework that synthesizes ocean wave sounds by using screened foam particles to reduce the dimensionality of the computation domain. The technical contributions of this paper are as follows: (1) a method for stable clustering and continuously updating the labeling of screened foam particles in 2D projective space, (2) an anisotropic sound intensity attenuation technique that accounts for the distance and angular relationship between the audience and the sound source, (3) sound intensity control utilizing the relationships between density and temperature and between temperature and the speed of sound, (4) sound modulation based on the screened density of foam particles, and (5) a sound attenuation technique considering time-delay effects. The proposed method enables rapid sound synthesis, making it suitable for various real-time applications, such as games and metaverse environments, where computational efficiency and perceptually plausible audiovisual coherence are essential. It should be noted that the proposed framework does not aim to physically reproduce real-world three-dimensional ocean bubble acoustics, but rather to provide a foam-dynamics-driven approximation applicable to large-scale virtual ocean scenarios. Additionally, since the synthesis of ocean wave sounds relies solely on screened foam particles rather than full 3D fluid dynamics calculations, it requires relatively low memory and computational resources, making it computationally efficient for integration into real-time virtual ocean rendering and interactive simulation systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-59852-6","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-026-59852-6","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s13280-026-02373-3","name":"Implementing nature-based solutions requires distinguishing place from space.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Nature-based solutions (NbS) scholarship is overshooting its most basic purpose-the implementation of NbS projects. Investment in high-level design is outpacing the practical realities of implementation. While expert-driven approaches are useful for project prioritization at landscape scales, all NbS projects are implemented in real places, inhabited by human and non-human lives. Projects span multiple properties, impact resident livelihoods, and affect and are affected by local and regional ecological dynamics. In the excitement of novel technical top-down NbS designs, equal attention is needed for ground-up social-ecological contexts of locales. Using geographers' conceptual distinction between space and place, we outline a place-based inquiry useful for assessing site-level ecological and social feasibility to advance implementation. We identify implementation barriers, routes for top-down and bottom-up integration and call for case studies detailing implementation challenges and remedies. Integrating remote-spatial and place-based data enables contextualizing design-saving time and money and consequently increasing successful implementation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-026-02373-3","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1007/s13280-026-02373-3","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1186/s40462-026-00671-9","name":"Fluctuations in direct human presence, not predictable weekly cycles, influence avoidance behaviour in ravens.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Background Rhythms in human activity create patterns of opportunities and disturbances for wildlife, influencing their behaviour and spatial ecology. The weekend effect hypothesis posits that weekday-weekend routines in human activity can impact wildlife in creating cyclic conditions. At our study site - an outdoor wildlife park - free-flying ravens opportunistically exploit food intended for captive animals on a routine basis. While disturbances from visitor activity levels are typically low on weekdays and high on weekends, they can also vary day-to-day. Our access to data detailing visitor numbers makes our context well-suited to test whether ravens anticipate and respond to predictable weekday-weekend patterns following (1) a '5 + 2' structure, or if they respond (2) flexibly to fluctuations in direct human activity levels. By testing the weekend effect hypothesis from the perspective of a '5 + 2' pattern versus flexibly responding to fluctuations in human activity, we better understand wildlife response strategies to human activity. Methods Using long-term GPS tracking data, we investigated the weekend effect hypothesis by examining raven foraging probability and space use across two temporal scales: (1) daily patterns over five years, encompassing periods of Covid-19 pandemic-related restrictions, and (2) bihourly patterns over six weeks. We hypothesized that increased human activity levels would result in lower foraging probabilities and higher space use in ravens, varying between weekdays and weekends. Results Our findings provided limited support for the weekend effect hypothesis, considering a '5 + 2' pattern in human activity. However, ravens consistently avoided elevated human activity by decreasing in their probability of foraging at the site and increasing space use on a daily level. Conclusions Our study reveals that ravens are behaviourally flexible in their movement responses to disturbance when exploiting anthropogenically created foraging opportunities. Changes influencing anthropogenic resources and disturbances at resources should consider the potential knock-on effects to wildlife.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40462-026-00671-9","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1186/s40462-026-00671-9","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/jcc.70400","name":"Correction Scheme for Molecular Total Energies From Quantum Phase Estimation Under Limited Qubit Resources.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"We propose a practical method for accurately evaluating molecular total energies using a hybrid approach that integrates fault-tolerant quantum computers with classical computing. Our scheme consists of two complementary components: quantum dominant orbital selection (QDOS) and subspace dynamical correlation (SDC). QDOS extracts only the essential active orbitals from the complete active space (CAS) configuration interaction (CI) state on a quantum computer, yielding a compact active space suitable for classical CASCI calculations. SDC then evaluates dynamical-correlation corrections for the CASCI energy using this compact state, which remains tractable on classical machines. To demonstrate that the CAS energy obtained on a quantum computer can be post-corrected by SDC, we examine two frameworks: multireference perturbation theory and tailored coupled-cluster theory. Our scheme enables effective treatment of relatively large molecular systems by combining limited quantum and classical resources.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jcc.70400","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1002/jcc.70400","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-026-54317-2","name":"Pore-structure controls on absolute permeability of 1-mm digital sandstone subsamples under a fixed CT field of view.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Absolute permeability is a key index for evaluating the fluid transmission capacity of sandstone reservoirs. However, what determines its value is not just the pore volume itself, but also whether the effective flow-transmission space is formed, whether the dominant throats are unobstructed, and whether the pore network organization is favorable for flow connectivity. In this paper, we take 20 1 mm × 1 mm × 1 mm digital sub-samples cropped from the fixed CT field of view of 5 parent sandstone samples as the research object. Based on X-ray micro-CT, we built digital core models, finished pore space characterization, pore structure parameter extraction and single-phase seepage simulation with Avizo software, and used the geometric mean of three-directional absolute permeability, k g , to characterize the overall seepage capacity of the sub-samples. The results show that the 20 digital sub-samples present obvious differences in pore space development degree, effective flow-transmission space scale, dominant throat size and network topology organization, with k g ranging from 8.684 to 62.350 × 10 - 15 m 2 . Total porosity shows a significant positive correlation with k g overall, but under similar porosity conditions, the permeability can still differentiate further. Further redundancy elimination screening indicates that, after controlling for connected porosity, the median throat radius still retain a statistically detectable incremental explanatory effect, whereas Euler number also preserved an additional but more marginal contribution within the current dataset, with partial correlation coefficients of 0.466 ( P = 0.038) and 0.447 ( | r |, P = 0.048), respectively. Under the current sample system and unified processing conditions, the differences in absolute permeability of millimeter-scale digital sandstone sub-samples can be interpreted primarily by connected porosity, median throat radius, and Euler number, which correspond to three complementary aspects: effective flow-transmission space, dominant channel size, and network organization. However, the incremental contribution of Euler number should be understood with appropriate caution under the present sample size.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-54317-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-026-54317-2","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2026.119689","name":"LTF-MSPCNet: A synergistic approach combining attention mechanisms and local texture features for oil spill segmentation in SAR images.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Marine oil spills represent a significant environmental pollution incident that severely disrupts the balance and stability of marine ecosystems. SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) demonstrates significant potential in oil spill detection due to its all-day and all-weather monitoring capabilities. However, existing deep learning models often overlook subtle textural features during detection, leading to frequent omissions of small-scale oil spill areas in the results. To address the existing challenges, this paper proposes LTF-MSPCNet (Local Texture Features-Multiscale Parallel Convolution). The model is built upon the TransUNet framework, integrating the LBP (Local Binary Pattern) texture feature extraction method into a multi-scale large-kernel convolution module. It further incorporates learnable feature extraction and feature reconstruction mechanisms, guiding the learned texture feature distribution to better approximate the texture characteristics of real SAR images. Furthermore, the Squeeze-and-Excitation (SE) attention mechanism is integrated after the decoder's upsampling stage to suppress background noise, thereby enhancing both the robustness and segmentation performance of the model. Experiments were conducted using carefully selected and preprocessed Sentinel-1 SAR images, including 1655 training samples and 370 testing samples. The proposed model achieves 86.46% Mean Dice and 92.13% Mean IoU, surpassing the baseline by 2.35% and 1.41%, respectively. Moreover, it also demonstrates consistent performance in practical oil spill detection, with IoU and Dice scores reaching 96.83% and 98.02%. In conclusion, the proposed model achieves accurate segmentation of oil spills and offers a novel technical pathway, providing a fresh research perspective for advancements in the field of oil spill monitoring.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2026.119689","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1016/j.marpolbul.2026.119689","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1128/msystems.00596-26","name":"Single-cell Raman spectroscopy and synthetic microbiology power microbial-driven extraterrestrial domestic wastewater treatment.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The realization of long-term manned space exploration and extraterrestrial habitation hinges on microbial-based extraterrestrial domestic wastewater (EDW) treatment technology to achieve sustainedly closed-loop water recycling. This perspective recaps the challenges and potential of integrating microbial technology as a sustainable and low-energy alternative for treating EDW compared to physicochemical water recovery systems. Of note, traditional microbial technologies are not directly transferable due to EDW's unique constraints, including high ammonium, low C/N ratio, and multiple stresses. We proposed how synthetic microbiology integrated with single-cell Raman spectroscopy (SCRS) offers a promising approach to engineer stable, efficient microbiomes tailored for EDW treatment. SCRS coupled with stable isotope probing can enable precise identification and isolation of stress-tolerant functional microorganisms at the single-cell level, bypassing lengthy enrichment methods. SCRS can also serve as a real-time monitoring tool for system optimization and early warning, enabling resilient, intelligently monitored biological systems for extraterrestrial water recycling.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1128/msystems.00596-26","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1128/msystems.00596-26","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s10237-026-02097-z","name":"Parameter estimation in blood flow models from highly undersampled k-space magnetic resonance imaging data.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"4D Flow Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is the state-of-the-art technique for measuring blood flow and provides valuable data for inverse problems in the cardiovascular system. However, acquiring 4D Flow MRI data requires long scan times, placing a burden on healthcare resources and causing discomfort for patients. To mitigate this, only part of the k-space is typically acquired, requiring additional assumptions for image reconstruction, introducing inaccuracies that can degrade the results of inverse problems. Moreover, a wide range of sampling patterns is available, and it is often unclear which one is most suitable. Here, we present a parameter estimation framework that directly uses highly undersampled k-space measurements. We solve the resulting problem numerically using a Reduced-Order Unscented Kalman Filter. We show that this approach yields more accurate estimates of boundary-condition parameters in a synthetic aortic blood flow model than approaches based on compressed-sensing reconstructions of the flow images. We also compare different sampling patterns and show how estimation accuracy depends on the sampling strategy. The results demonstrate substantially higher accuracy than inverse problems based on velocity fields reconstructed via compressed sensing. Finally, we validate these findings using real MRI data from a mechanical phantom.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10237-026-02097-z","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1007/s10237-026-02097-z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/ece3.73558","name":"Habitat Loss Shapes Isotopic Niche Responses of a Didelphid Opossum to Fragmentation in Neotropical Semideciduous Dry Forests of Central Brazil.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Habitat loss and fragmentation have notable effects on species' trophic ecology, often most pronounced in landscapes with intermediate levels of remaining habitat, where patch configuration can vary significantly. We assessed how habitat fragmentation influences the carbon- and nitrogen-based isotopic niche space of the agile opossum ( Gracilinanus agilis ) across landscapes with varying habitat loss in semideciduous dry forests in central Brazil. We found that δ 13 C values did not vary with patch size or habitat loss, suggesting a consistent reliance on forest resources. The opossum exhibited a niche shift only in intermediate and more conserved landscapes, transitioning from insectivory to frugivory in small and large patches, respectively, with a stronger effect in intermediate landscapes. In the most degraded landscape, niche width expanded in smaller patches, likely due to the inclusion of less valuable dietary items in a context of limited food availability and high forager density. Conversely, there was a niche expansion towards larger patches as one moved from intermediate to more conserved landscapes. This shift was attributed to higher resource availability and diversity in areas with better habitat quality and increased forest complexity. There is clear evidence that fragmentation and habitat loss modify the trophic niche of G. agilis , potentially hampering its ecological role as a seed disperser, especially in more degraded landscapes. Although the opossum exhibits high adaptability to landscape alterations through trophic plasticity, even small patches might be crucial for their populations in highly fragmented landscapes due to their reliance on forest resources.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.73558","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1002/ece3.73558","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.130397","name":"From ecological foundations to nature-based solutions: A semantic-temporal scientometric analysis of urban expansion and green space research.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Rapid global urbanization has generated a vast interdisciplinary literature on urban expansion and green space dynamics, creating challenges for integrated knowledge synthesis and understanding of urban sustainability transitions. Traditional keyword co-occurrence-based bibliometric reviews are limited in capturing semantic structure and temporal dynamics within scientific literature. To address this challenge, we conducted a semantic-temporal scientometric analysis of 13,001 urban expansion and green space publications indexed between 2000 and 2025. Twelve transformer-based embedding models were benchmarked within a hybrid semantic clustering framework, with BGE-large-en-v1.5 demonstrating the strongest overall performance across four diagnostic metrics. The resulting keyword network reveals a polycentric knowledge structure organized around three cores: ecological foundations, urban planning, and observation and modelling. Twenty-three semantic knowledge clusters were identified and aggregated into five higher-order meta-themes. While foundational ecology remains structurally stable, the field has undergone a post-2015 dual transformation marked by rapid expansion in data-driven observation and modelling and a normative reorientation toward nature-based solutions, human well-being, and environmental justice, reflecting broader international sustainability priorities. Rather than displacing existing domains, the field evolves through semantic reweighting and the integration of established concepts, with normative agendas exhibiting substantially longer incubation periods than methodological clusters. These findings provide a lifecycle-oriented analytical framework for urban planners, environmental agencies, and research funding bodies - with targeted implications for revitalizing saturating foundational clusters, building coordinated open-data infrastructures for data-intensive domains, and structurally embedding equity metrics within nature-based solution planning from the outset, in direct support of SDGs 10, 11, and 15.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.130397","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.130397","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/bit.70300","name":"LLM-Guided Parameter Optimization for Mechanistic CHO Cell Bioreactor Models.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Mechanistic models of Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cell cultures are essential for efficient bioprocess development and control, yet parameter estimation remains a critical challenge in model calibration. As model complexity increases, the number of parameters grows and their values become highly system-specific due to biological variability across cell lines and operating conditions. Consequently, estimation requires broad search spaces, leading to inefficient exploration and increased risk of entrapment in local minima during numerical optimization. To address this, a structure-aware optimization framework is proposed that integrates large language model (LLM) reasoning into the parameter estimation loop. The LLM analyzes governing equations and trajectory discrepancies to recommend directional adjustments for parameter boundaries. These insights are combined with correlation-based scaling to adaptively refine the search space, which is explored using stochastic global search methods (Latin hypercube sampling [LHS] and Covariance matrix adaptation evolutionary strategy [CMA-ES]). Applied to fed-batch CHO cell culture data, the framework escapes local minima and resolves complex, nonlinear metabolite dynamics, including lactate and ammonium shifts. Statistical validation across multiple batches and random seeds shows consistent reduction in prediction error and improved optimization robustness. This study demonstrates the potential of integrating structure-aware LLM guidance with numerical optimization to improve the reliability and efficiency of bioprocess modeling.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bit.70300","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1002/bit.70300","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41377-026-02282-w","name":"Space-time-coding metasurfaces for high-dimensional communications with OAM-, polarization-, and frequency-division multiplexing.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Recent advances in high-dimensional multiplexing have enabled the concurrent operation of multiple independent communication channels through orbital angular momentum, polarization, and frequency division multiplexing, all implemented on a compact space-time-coding metasurface platform. These developments provide a streamlined and high-efficiency approach to optimizing multiplexing performance and enhancing channel capacity in wireless communication systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-026-02282-w","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1038/s41377-026-02282-w","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1186/s12913-026-14427-z","name":"The fiscal sustainability of Burkina Faso's free health care policy for maternal and child health: an analysis using the fiscal space diamond.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"BACKGROUND: In April 2016, Burkina Faso implemented a free maternal and child health care program. Program monitoring after the policy’s introduction showed increased stock-outs of essential drugs and supplies. The program’s outcomes could differ from those expected if financing and resources were insufficient. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the program’s fiscal sustainability by examining ways to finance its implementation effectively. METHODS: A slightly modified four-dimension definition of fiscal space was used to examine whether Burkina Faso had sufficient financial capacity to support its free health care program. Secondary data from various sources covering the years 1970–2018, 2008–2018, and 2009–2021, were used to estimate the optimal tax rate, analyze the efficiency of health care service delivery, and examine official development assistance, respectively. 2008–2018, 2009–2021, and 1970–2018 were used to estimate the optimal tax rate, analyze official development assistance, and the efficiency of the delivery of health care services, respectively. Furthermore, the fiscal burden of the free care program was evaluated through a desk review. RESULTS: Under scenario 1, the free health care program will consume 14.60% and 16.00% of the MoH budget in 2018 and 2023, respectively, equaling 0.40% and 0.50% of the overall GDP in those years. The burden of the program will be substantially lower under scenarios 2 and 3, ranging from 11.70% to 14.60% and 9.70% to 14.60% of the MoH’s budget, respectively. Furthermore, the estimated optimal tax rate for expanding the fiscal space was 24.00%, in contrast to the current tax rate of 17.30%. This indicates that a slight increase in total tax revenues would be sufficient to fund the program, as the 6.70% margin for increasing tax revenues (24.00%-17.30%) will suffice to cover the policy, whose burden was estimated at 2.50% of the total tax revenues. The findings also reported an average technical efficiency score of 0.73 from 2008 to 2018, suggesting there may be room for additional savings. CONCLUSIONS: To efficiently meet the policy’s financial requirements, it is imperative to strengthen domestic resource mobilization through taxation, reduce health care inefficiency, and improve the coordination of joint financing arrangements. These must go together with a strong commitment from the government to pursue program implementation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-026-14427-z","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1186/s12913-026-14427-z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/science.aec9773","name":"Unexpected expansion and regrowth in Earth's mangrove forests over the past four decades.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Global mangrove forests have disappeared rapidly because of deforestation but have also regrown through natural regeneration and restoration. Yet their long-term trends in extent and canopy cover remain poorly quantified. By developing a global dataset of annual mangrove extent and canopy cover, we show that losses (long-term conversion) and degradation (canopy thinning) have both reduced since the 1980s and have been largely offset by regeneration and seaward expansion in the past decade. Consequently, global mangrove extent has shifted from net loss to net gain since around 2010 and changed only marginally from the 1980s to 2023 (-0.5% ± 1.4%). Beyond changes in extent, persistent mangroves exhibited sustained canopy accumulation. Our findings reveal the underestimated resilience of a highly threatened ecosystem, demonstrate early conservation effectiveness, and highlight halting deforestation as a priority for achieving conservation targets through natural regrowth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aec9773","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1126/science.aec9773","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/cmdc.70333","name":"Integrating &lt;sup&gt;19&lt;/sup&gt;Focused Screening with Make-On-Demand Chemical Spaces for Enhanced Fragment Follow-Up.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Fragment-based screening (FBS) is a powerful method to generate hits with desirable chemical properties. Among the biophysical methods, ligand-observed 19 F nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is particularly suited for performing FBS. However, hits emerging from FBS can be challenging to follow up on, especially with sparse chemistry resources. Lowering the barrier to follow-up could help unlock the potential of these hits. In this study, we have integrated our established 19 Focused screening platform with the make-on-demand (MoD) spaces to enhance fragment selection and follow-up strategies. The massive size of these spaces provides ample opportunity for analoging. The integration of screening with MoD spaces can ensure expandability of the fragment hits without involving in-house chemistry resources. The screening was performed against Embryonic Ectoderm Development (EED) protein. Fragments were selected by using three different in silico approaches, with different tools and different rationales. Two hit chemotypes were expanded further in the Enamine REAL Space using the chemical space docking tool and free energy perturbation calculation for affinity ranking. The different computational approaches to select molecules from the MoD and the crucial steps during hit selection and follow-up will be discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cmdc.70333","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1002/cmdc.70333","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/10962247.2026.2698602","name":"Satellite-derived air quality data can effectively support health needs when use cases, Earth observing capabilities, and capacities align.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Advances in Earth observation (EO) remote sensing technologies have delivered a range of aerosol and trace gas pollution data with ever-improving spatial and temporal resolution, significantly benefitting assessments of global air quality (AQ). Furthermore, the application of data synthesis techniques incorporating satellite EO with other information sources has improved the availability of satellite-derived estimates of pollutant exposure at local to global scales. These data have been applied to address a diversity of use cases in AQ monitoring and public health, from long-term trend tracking, exposure assessment, and epidemiological analysis to short-term emissions identification and early warning. Successful application of satellite EO to address AQ and AQ-related health problems requires an alignment between (1) the technical capabilities of satellite data to provide relevant information, (2) a defined case for using this information to address a particular need, and (3) the human capacity, computational resources, operational plans, and policy and governance frameworks to implement a solution and take action, and to sustain the solution for as long as the need remains. Only when there is substantial alignment across all these factors can satellite EO information be effectively translated into public health benefits. This paper surveys applications of satellite EO to AQ assessment and AQ-related health management globally, synthesizing key commonalities into recommendations for how satellite EO can effectively support health needs. We also identify gaps in current satellite EO capabilities, use-case applications, and feasibility factors where future research and investment could reduce barriers to increased application of satellite EO to address pressing public health concerns related to AQ worldwide. Implications : This paper summarizes insights collected through the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Health Community of Practice Air Quality and Respiratory Health Work Group on the current state and gaps in the use of satellite EO to support air quality and related health decision-making globally. We synthesize these insights into general recommendations for how satellite EO capabilities, use cases, and feasibility considerations can be aligned towards effective use of satellite EO data for air quality and related health effects. We also identify barriers and gaps in current capabilities, uses, and capacities, making recommendations for how these might be addressed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10962247.2026.2698602","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1080/10962247.2026.2698602","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.20944/preprints202607.1082.v1","name":"Voltage-Current Curve-Based Line Protection for Renewable Energy Systems with Grid-Forming Inverters","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The increasing penetration of inverter-based renewable energy resources is reshaping transmission-line fault characteristics and weakening protection criteria designed for synchronous-generator-dominated grids. This paper proposes an internal-fault identi-fication scheme based on voltage-current coupling characteristic curves (UICs) con-structed from voltage and current measurements at both line terminals. Geometric de-scriptors of the UIC are used to build an ellipsoidal feature space representing normal operating conditions and external faults. Internal faults are identified from the nor-malized distance between the online feature vector and this space. A local volt-age-transient startup criterion is also introduced, and current-transformer (CT) satura-tion correction is incorporated to reduce distortion in the measured currents. PSCAD simulations under different fault locations, transition resistances, fault types, noise levels, and CT-saturation conditions show that the proposed scheme distinguishes in-ternal faults from external faults and normal operation reliably. Because the criterion depends on line-side coupling features rather than the short-circuit output of a specific power source, it is suitable for protection applications in renewable energy systems with grid-forming inverters.","url":"https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202607.1082.v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.20944/preprints202607.1082.v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1055/a-2878-1177","name":"Endoscopic intermuscular dissection combined with an absorbable string-loop suture for salvaging a residual rectal lesion with severe fibrosis after endoscopic submucosal dissection: A case description.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Residual rectal lesions after endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) pose a dilemma: radical surgery risks a permanent stoma, while repeat ESD is hindered by extensive submucosal fibrosis. Recent studies have demonstrated that endoscopic intermuscular dissection (EID) offers a viable rescue alternative with high R0 resection rates.[ 1​ ] [ 2​ ] [ ​3​ ] To the best of our knowledge, we report the first case of EID combined with an absorbable string-loop suture (ALS) for a suspected residual low rectal lesion following non-curative ESD. A 52-year-old man was referred to our center 1 month after a non-curative ESD for a 2-cm rectal laterally spreading tumor, pathologically confirmed as a well-differentiated adenocarcinoma (pT1) with a close vertical margin. Colonoscopy revealed significant scarring and residual clips ([ Fig. 1 ]). Following multidisciplinary evaluation, EID and ALS were performed ([ Video 1 ]). After circumferential incision and initial submucosal dissection, the circular muscularis propria was incised to access the intermuscular space ([ Fig. 2 ]). Due to severe fibrosis and muscle retraction, a portion of the longitudinal muscularis propria was also resected ([ Fig. 3 ]). The 4-cm defect, located 2 cm from the anal verge, presented a significant technical challenge for closure. Using the ALS technique previously described by our team, the string-loop was anchored to the midpoints of the defect edges with clips.[ 4​ ] Tightening the sliding knot reshaped the large oval defect into two smaller ones, facilitating complete closure with additional clips ([ Figs. 4 ] and [ 5 ]). Resection and closure took 48 and 16 minutes, respectively. Postoperative day 3 endoscopy confirmed stable closure. Pathology revealed no residual tumor, and the patient was discharged uneventfully on day 4. Fig. 1 Follow-up colonoscopy at 1 month reveals significant scarring and residual clips at the previous ESD site. ESD, endoscopic submucosal dissection. Video 1 Successful rescue of a post-ESD residual rectal lesion with severe fibrosis using endoscopic intermuscular dissection combined with an absorbable string-loop suture. ESD, endoscopic submucosal dissection. Download Video Fig. 2 Dissection along the intermuscular space. Notes: Green dashed lines indicate the circular muscle layer, yellow dashed lines indicate the longitudinal muscle layer, and yellow arrows show the direction of dissection. Fig. 3 The post-endoscopic intermuscular dissection defect with partial resection of the longitudinal muscularis propria. Notes: Green dashed lines indicate the circular muscle layer, yellow dashed lines indicate the longitudinal muscle layer, and red circles highlight the exposed mesorectum. Fig. 4 The sliding knot on the absorbable string-loop is tightened via a nested sheath. Fig. 5 The large oval defect is reshaped into two smaller ones. Note: Green circles indicate the extent of the defect. EID combined with ALS successfully salvaged the non-curative rectal lesion, sparing the patient from radical surgery and effectively closing the deep defect. This combined strategy offers a viable alternative for challenging rectal lesions with severe fibrosis. Further clinical validation is warranted. Endoscopy_UCTN_Code_TTT_1AQ_2AK Conflict of interest There are no potential conflicts (financial, professional, or personal) relevant to this manuscript. All authors confirmed that they have no conflict of interest regarding this work. Publication History Received: 16 April 2026 Accepted after revision: 17 May 2026 Article published online: 09 June 2026 © 2026. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Georg Thieme Verlag KG Oswald-Hesse-Straße 50, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany","url":"https://doi.org/10.1055/a-2878-1177","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1055/a-2878-1177","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/science.adq3396","name":"Interacting effects of human presence and landscape modification on birds and mammals.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Sustainable human-wildlife coexistence requires a mechanistic understanding of the many ways that humans affect animals. However, progress is hampered by the lack of accessible data measuring the dynamic presence of people. Here, we leverage mobile-device data to disentangle how human presence and landscape modification differentially influence the use of geographic and environmental space for 37 mammal and bird species across the United States. Human presence affected more than 65% of species, with substantial variation across species. For ~60% of species that responded to human activities, the effects were interdependent-animals tended to react more strongly to human presence in less modified habitats. Our results demonstrate that human presence and landscape modification have complex combined effects on wildlife, which need to be considered for effective management.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adq3396","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1126/science.adq3396","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.tree.2026.02.003","name":"Toward refining and contextualizing the root economics space.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The trait-based 'root economics space' (RES) offers a framework for understanding plant belowground strategies. It is structured along two axes: a 'fast-slow' conservation gradient and a 'do-it-yourself to outsourcing' collaboration gradient. However, growing evidence reveals divergent dominant trait combinations structuring the RES axes across plant types and environmental contexts, challenging the framework's generality. We propose an RES framework that refines and contextualizes these axes by incorporating functionally relevant root traits. It explicitly accounts for differences in symbiotic strategies among arbuscular, ectomycorrhizal, and ericoid associations, while also considering dual-mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal types, and integrating nutrient limitation patterns across ecosystems. We further define the spatial scales and organizational levels at which the RES framework is most applicable to guide its future development.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2026.02.003","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1016/j.tree.2026.02.003","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2026.181713","name":"The influence of water resources on population distribution: Driving paths and empirical evidence from China.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Despite long-standing policy efforts to align population distribution with water availability, the mechanisms linking water resources to population patterns remain poorly understood. Existing studies largely emphasize climatic shocks or assume a positive water-population relationship, leaving the structural drivers of misalignment underexplored. This study addresses this gap by developing an analytical framework that elucidates how water resources influence population distribution through ecological, economic, and environmental paths, grounded in the functional roles of water resources and push-pull theory. Using panel data from 271 prefectures between 2012 and 2021, we assess water-population coordination with Lorenz curve and Gini coefficient and identify causal mechanisms through econometric and path analyses. The results reveal a persistent and counterintuitive negative association between water resource availability and population density, with no evidence of convergence over time. This relationship is driven primarily by ecological and environmental paths, while the economic path is insignificant. Notably, these paths converge in a \"dual reduction\" mechanism whereby greater water endowment expands green space and reduces wastewater discharge, both contributing to lower population density. These findings challenge the conventional carrying-capacity logic that treats water abundance as a demographic advantage and instead highlight water's role in ecological upgrading and structural transformation. Methodologically, this study advances the literature by integrating a multi-path mechanism framework, while theoretically it reconceptualizes the water-population nexus beyond simple hydrological determinism. The results suggest the need to reassess the \"Determining Population on Water\" approach and to prioritize ecological and environmental paths, especially green space expansion and wastewater reduction, to improve water-population coordination in water-scarce regions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2026.181713","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2026.181713","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fpubh.2026.1847064","name":"Assessing human-scale green equity in the 15-minute city using street-view-based visual landscape indicators and explainable machine learning: a case study of Chengdu, China.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Introduction Against the backdrop of rapid urbanization, identifying disparities in green environmental exposure among different socioeconomic groups is of great importance. Taking the central urban area of Chengdu, China, as a case study, this study assesses street-level green environmental equity within a 15-minute walking distance using Baidu Street View images. Methods A Mask2Former semantic segmentation model was employed to extract seven street-view visual landscape indicators, including Green View Index (GVI), Tree View Index (TVI), Sky View Factor (SVF), Building View Index (BVI), Hard Paving View Index (HVI), naturalness, and wildness. Second-hand housing prices were used as a proxy for socioeconomic stratification. Getis-Ord Gi*, global Moran's I, local Moran's I, bivariate local Moran's I, random forest, Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP), and partial dependence plots (PDPs) were applied to reveal the spatial relationships between housing prices and visual landscape indicators, as well as their nonlinear effects. Results The results show that (1) housing prices in Chengdu's central urban area exhibit significant positive spatial autocorrelation, with both high-price and low-price areas showing clear clustering patterns; (2) high-price areas generally correspond to higher TVI, GVI, and SVF values, indicating significant differences in street-view landscape exposure across housing-price groups; and (3) among the seven indicators, SVF shows strong explanatory power across all housing-price groups, whereas TVI plays a more prominent role in the high-price group. Discussion This study deepens our understanding of green environmental equity from the perspective of street-view visual perception and provides a reference for the fine-scale optimization of urban green space allocation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1847064","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.3389/fpubh.2026.1847064","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0353236","name":"Experimental and numerical investigation on micro-motion characteristics of lightweight spacecraft.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Accurate prediction of micro-motion characteristics is essential to the success of space mission operations. In this paper, the lightweight spacecraft is selected as the research object. Firstly, the micro-motion characteristic test device is designed to carry out the micro-motion experiment, and the micro-motion characteristic of the test device is numerically simulated to verify the accuracy of the model compared with test data. On this basis, the angular velocity interferences of different values and different directions are simulated, and it is verified that the transversal initial interference is much larger than the spinning angular velocity interference. The cloud images of transversal angular velocity and precession angle under different transversal initial interferences are calculated. The conclusions have some guiding significance for the influence of initial disturbance on the micro-motion characteristics of lightweight spacecraft.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0353236","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1371/journal.pone.0353236","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-10294434/v1","name":"Medium and Short-Term Wind Power Forecasting Using LCNN-Mamba Model Based on Quadratic Decomposition","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract To address the challenges of strong non-stationarity, significant multiscale fluctuations, and the difficulty in jointly modeling local dynamics and long-term dependencies in wind power time series, this study proposes a short-to-medium-term wind power forecasting method based on multiscale decomposition and local-global cooperative modeling. First, Seasonal Trend Decomposition (STL) is employed to extract the trend and seasonal components from the raw time series. The residual series is then subjected to Adaptive Noise-Complemented Empirical Mode Decomposition (CEEMDAN) to reveal the underlying non-stationary characteristics. Based on the dominant frequency characteristics, the decomposed components are reconstructed into high, medium, and low-frequency series, which, together with the trend and seasonal components, form a multidimensional set of input features. Second, to accommodate the time-series characteristics of the multiscale components, we designed an LCNN-Mamba forecasting framework that integrates a Local Convolutional Neural Network (LocalCNN) with a state-space model. The LocalCNN is used to model local and multiscale dynamic features, while the multi-layer Mamba state-space module efficiently captures long-term time-series dependencies, thereby achieving a synergistic enhancement of both local sensitivity and global modeling capabilities. The proposed model was validated using actual operational data from wind farms at two different locations. Experimental results show that the proposed approach outperforms traditional forecasting methods in terms of forecasting accuracy, providing a reliable technical reference for wind power grid-connected operation, power dispatching optimization, and the large-scale and high-quality sustainable development of wind energy resources.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-10294434/v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-10294434/v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/frmbi.2026.1779816","name":"Microbial community characterization of multi-crop growouts in the XROOTS aeroponic-hydroponic system on the International Space Station.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Plant growth systems tested on the International Space Station (ISS) are small-area growth units that mostly use solid media. With NASA's plan to send astronauts on long-duration exploration missions, there is a need to produce larger amounts of fresh food with limited upmass and resources. The eXposed Root On-Orbit Test System (XROOTS) is an aeroponic-hydroponic nutrient delivery system designed for exploration missions and was tested on the ISS. Post-harvest samples were returned for microbiological analyses of the plant leaves, roots, and fruit from lettuce, mizuna mustard, wheat, radish, tomato, and pea plants grown in the XROOTS. The microbiological food safety of crops was evaluated through culture-based microbial enumeration and identification. The microbial communities were compared between different plants and plant tissues by sequencing the prokaryotic V4 variable region of the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene amplicons and fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. The microbial counts from the root module surface samples demonstrated a reduction after cleansing. The bacterial counts in the nutrient solution ranged from 65 to 3,800 CFU/ml. The bacterial counts in the distal leaf sections were lower than those in the leaf proximal, wick, and roots in all plant samples. The tomato fruit and the pea pod samples had the lowest average counts. The microbial counts from the leaves and wicks harvested from XROOTS were similar to the ranges found on previous Veggie (Vegetable Production System)-grown leafy greens. All screening tests for potential foodborne pathogenic bacteria were negative. Sequencing analyses showed that diversity was low in the leaves and higher in the roots, and the microbial community was more diversified in the XROOTS samples compared with previous Veggie experiments. Pseudomonas had the highest relative abundance in the majority of samples. Although some microbes were shared in the majority of plant tissues, unique microbes were identified for each plant type grown in XROOTS and when compared with previous Veggie demonstrations. Microbial surveys of ISS-grown plants and the associated hardware provide valuable data that can reveal potential challenges in deep-space crop production operations and ensure the quality of crops intended for crew consumption.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frmbi.2026.1779816","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.3389/frmbi.2026.1779816","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.aec5229","name":"Symmetry-locked six-state control of altermagnetism via sliding ferroelectricity.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Altermagnetic multiferroics offer a promising route to low-power spintronics by enabling spin splitting without net magnetization, extending beyond conventional spin-orbit coupling. However, achieving deterministic electric control has remained elusive. Here, a six-state platform for high-dimensional magnetoelectric coupling in altermagnets is established by exploiting the nondegenerate transition paths of sliding ferroelectrics as a symmetry-engineering knob, thereby transcending the conventional binary (up/down) paradigm of sliding ferroelectricity. First-principles calculations on bilayer manganese phosphorus trisulfide reveal a spin-polarization symmetry-locking mechanism. Polarization switching along the three nondegenerate paths not only reverses the spin splitting but also rotates its spin-splitting texture in 120° increments, yielding six nonvolatile, electrically addressable altermagnetic states. Furthermore, direct correspondence is established between the spin-splitting texture and the nonlinear Hall response, providing unique electrical fingerprints for each state. This work establishes a paradigm for electric field-driven reconstruction of momentum-space spin geometry, providing a versatile platform for controlling quantum phenomena in altermagnetic spintronics.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aec5229","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.aec5229","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.130271","name":"Road networks facilitate invasive dominance by squeezing native mesopredators into niche margins.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Transport infrastructure is expanding rapidly, creating escalating biodiversity impacts that demand management solutions beyond conventional road engineering. However, road mitigation is still commonly designed around barrier and connectivity paradigms, with limited attention to how roads may restructure biotic interactions and thereby amplify invasion impacts. Here, we quantify how road networks reshape competitive space use between invasive free-ranging cats (Felis catus) and native mesopredators across China, and translate the results into actionable mitigation priorities. Using a nationwide dataset of >12,000 verified vertebrate roadkill records, we reconstructed guild-specific \"mortality niches\" through a spatially explicit machine-learning framework that integrates prey suitability, human modification, and landscape structure. We show that roads act as selective filters rather than indiscriminate hazards. Resource-rich road corridors attract both guilds, yet space use is strongly asymmetric: free-ranging cats concentrate in the most human-modified, prey-suitable portions of the road network, whereas native mesopredators, despite tracking the same prey gradient, are under-represented in this human-modified, cat-associated core and remain instead in the less-modified margins of these corridors. Native mesopredators are therefore not excluded from prey-suitable road environments, but experience a realised-niche \"squeeze\" along the human-modification axis. These findings have direct implications for environmental management and infrastructure planning. Mitigation focused solely on structural connectivity (e.g., crossing structures) may be insufficient-and can be counterproductive-if it ignores interaction landscapes that favour synanthropic invaders. We recommend an integrated management approach that (i) reduces anthropogenic food subsidies along verges (e.g., refuse and carcasses) to lower predator attraction, (ii) prioritises targeted free-ranging cat control in high-biodiversity transport corridors, and (iii) incorporates invasion-competition risk surfaces when siting and managing crossing structures to avoid creating predator-enhanced hotspots.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.130271","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.130271","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acs.jctc.6c00521","name":"Resource-Efficient Quantum Algorithms for Selected Hamiltonian Subspace Diagonalization.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Quantum algorithms for selecting a subspace of Hamiltonians to diagonalize have emerged as a promising alternative to variational algorithms in the NISQ era. So far, such algorithms, which include the quantum selected configuration interaction (QSCI) and sample-based quantum diagonalization (SQD), have been formulated in second quantization within Fock space, which leads to inefficient usage of qubit resources. We introduce the first QSCI algorithm developed in the CI-matrix (CIM) framework, which is known to have optimal qubit scaling of exactly⌈log2(N)⌉, where N is the size of the CIM. In addition, we introduce a novel single-bit flip error mitigation which comes at the overhead of a single qubit and we combine this with a stochastic approximate Trotterization evolution adapted from qDRIFT. Simulating benchmark N2 and naphthalene molecules on quantum hardware, our results achieved similar accuracy as SQD methods but with significantly less quantum resources. However, our CIM-QSCI algorithm and SQD methods could not match the performance of classical heat-bath CI (HCI) for the same task. Hence, we introduce an augmented version of QSCI called quantum selected heat-bath CI (QSHCI). This variant replaces classical heat-bath sampling with quantum sampling from QSCI to achieve performance comparable to HCI. We note that a current drawback of our approach is the preprocessing cost of O(N2log⁡N)for constructing the CIM and performing the Pauli decomposition. This can be further improved by considering efficient CIM access models for the stochastic Trotter evolution.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jctc.6c00521","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1021/acs.jctc.6c00521","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-026-60042-7","name":"Strategic decision-making and personnel planning in the healthcare sector: an integrated AHPSort II and resource optimization approach.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The healthcare sector has faced numerous and complex challenges, including a drastic reduction of public resources. However, the public healthcare sector must ensure equity and accessibility to care. Therefore, public decision makers are required to make decisions aimed at improving efficiency despite the constraints arising from resource scarcity. These decisions are typically intrinsically focused on human behavior, influenced by cognitive constraints, political pressures, and competing objectives. This work, through the lens of a real case study, aims to provide an analysis of work organization and healthcare workforce allocation in a region of Southern Italy characterized by a high risk of exclusion from healthcare services. The paper proposes a new approach that integrates the AHPSort II sorting method and a resource optimization model that not only classifies medical-health professions based on their strategic priorities, but also identifies professions that represent optimal solutions given the availability of limited resources such as space, time, and budget. The results show that the highest-ranked professions as follows: psychologist (0.168), general practitioner (0.167), dietitian (0.165), breast specialist (0.164), and psychotherapist (0.156). In the baseline scenario, with a budget of c 300,000, the model selects 29 medical health professions, achieving an overall priority of 3.78 and 14,690 annual visits, and an estimated profit of the baseline scenario, with a budget 165,761. The application results provide policy makers and healthcare organization managers with the replicable and integrated Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) and optimization model grounded in decision sciences to support public decisions on human resources management (HRM), with the aim of systematically prioritizing healthcare workers.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-60042-7","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-026-60042-7","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2026.117317","name":"Heat shock protein 90β lactylation acts as a metabolic switch to drive cerebrovascular apoptosis under heat stress.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Lysine lactylation (Kla) is a metabolite-sensing post-translational modification that bridges cellular metabolism to protein function. Here, we discover that heat stress triggers anaerobic glycolysis and lactate accumulation in brain microvascular endothelial cells. We find that plasma lactate inversely correlates with Glasgow Coma Scale scores in heat stroke patients and predicts poor outcomes. Mechanistically, AARS1 catalyzes the transfer of lactate to HSP90β at lysine 275 (K275). Critically, the lactylation of HSP90β disrupts its interaction with apoptotic protease-activating factor 1 (APAF-1). This modification compromises the protective function of HSP90β, liberating APAF-1 to activate the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway, resulting in blood-brain barrier (BBB) injury. Functional validation reveals that decreasing lactate production or inhibiting AARS1 confers protection. These findings establish HSP90β K275 lactylation as a metabolic switch that modulates protective mechanisms during heat stress-induced cerebrovascular injury. Collectively, our study provides insights into heat stress pathogenesis and identifies potential therapeutic targets for heat-related brain damage.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2026.117317","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1016/j.celrep.2026.117317","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s11030-026-11643-x","name":"From reagents to feedstocks: reprogramming heteroatom-containing molecules in modern organic synthesis.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The boundary between reagents and feedstocks in organic synthesis has traditionally been rigid, with heteroatom containing molecules serving primarily as stoichiometric reagents that generate waste. Recent advances in transition-metal catalysis, organocatalysis, and photoredox chemistry have begun to reprogram these molecules into atom-economical feedstocks whose heteroatom content is deliberately incorporated into products. This review develops a systematic feedstock design matrix that integrates structural prerequisites, electronic roles, and thermodynamic logic to identify viable candidates, exemplified by sulfur dioxide, ammonia, carbon dioxide, and DMSO. We highlight how catalytic strategies transition metal, organocatalytic, and photoredox platforms activate heteroatom feedstocks across diverse reactivity modes including decarboxylative, atom-retentive, radical, nucleophilic, and bifunctional pathways. The survey emphasizes intersections between these modes, demonstrating how dual and cooperative catalysis expand synthetic scope and efficiency. By consolidating mechanistic insights and practical advances, this review establishes feedstock reprogramming as a unifying principle in modern synthesis, with broad implications for pharmaceuticals, materials, and sustainable chemical production.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11030-026-11643-x","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1007/s11030-026-11643-x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-026-73015-1","name":"A universal scaling law of intra-urban inequality.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Large-scale urban agglomeration yields economic benefits but often coincides with pronounced environmental and social disparities. While aggregate urban attributes follow predictable scaling laws, how intra-urban inequality scales with city size remains unclear. To bridge this gap, we analyze over 11,000 global urban centers using multi-source satellite data to quantify inequalities in thermal exposure, green space, and economic activity. Here we show that all three dimensions follow super-linear scaling laws with city population size. Specifically, a doubling of city population is associated with an approximately 8-9% higher inequality Gini coefficient. Furthermore, these scaling relationships are significantly modulated by national socioeconomic development and background climate: green space and economic inequalities exhibit steeper scaling in low-income nations, whereas thermal inequality scales most acutely in arid climates. Consequently, achieving equitable urban development requires targeted interventions rather than relying on passive scale effects.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-73015-1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-026-73015-1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/ece3.73807","name":"Early Post-Release Movement Convergence in Reintroduced Giant Pandas.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Energy budgets are a fundamental constraint on animal movement, shaping both spatial use and behavioral strategies. When energy is plentiful and risks are low, animals often benefit by investing more in movement. Yet, how movement patterns shift under extreme energetic limitations remains poorly understood. In this study, we used the giant panda ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca ), a species with pronounced energetic constraints, as a model to examine movement adaptations under the dual challenges of dietary specialization and very low energy utilization efficiency. We tracked eight reintroduced pandas with global positioning system (GPS) collars over 474 days. Principal component analysis of 10 movement parameters revealed two independent behavioral axes: an Exploration-Exploitation axis (51.48% of variance) and a Tortuosity-Consistency axis (21.25% of variance). Both axes showed significant initial repeatability ( R = 0.16-0.26) that diminished over time and stabilized near 0.2. Notably, initially exploratory individuals gradually reduced their space-use range, while exploitative individuals maintained more consistent space use, leading to decreased among-individual variation during the early acclimation period after release. This pattern aligns with the panda's bamboo diet and low energy expenditure reported in previous studies. Building on this, we propose a conceptual \"Diet-Energy Utilization Constraint\" hypothesis to guide future research into how dietary specialization and energy efficiency influence movement adaptation post-release.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.73807","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1002/ece3.73807","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4300/jgme-d-25-00728.1","name":"\"It Is Humble but Honorable Work\": A Needs Assessment of Critical Care Education in the Pediatric Residency Programs of Honduras.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Background Due to lack of human, physical, and infrastructural resources, most critically ill children in Honduras are cared for by general pediatricians outside of pediatric intensive care units, stressing the need to address the education of this critical group. Objective To understand the educational needs of pediatric trainees in Honduras related to the care of critically ill children, and the impact of the local context to inform future curriculum development. Methods We conducted a needs assessment with a sequential explanatory mixed methods design from 2023 to 2025. Participants included pediatric residents, graduates, and faculty of the 2 pediatric residency programs. Data on essential critical care knowledge and skills, educational needs, and educational strategies was collected through electronic surveys and semistructured virtual interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and qualitative data, with rapid matrix analysis. Results Forty-five of 96 (47%) residents and 47 of 91 (52%) pediatricians completed the survey; 5 graduates participated in subsequent interviews. Only 69% of graduating residents (11 of 16) and attendings (33 of 48) felt moderately to extremely confident assessing critically ill children. Both surveyed groups considered all preidentified critical care diagnoses extremely important in their education, yet frequency of treatment, confidence with management, and degree of training were variable. Perceived confidence was dependent on knowledge, skills, available resources, and ability to adapt to constraints. Experiential and self-directed learning are key strategies in their education. Conclusions Our findings revealed that teaching that builds adaptive expertise and self-directed learning skills is essential for pediatric trainees in Honduras.","url":"https://doi.org/10.4300/jgme-d-25-00728.1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.4300/jgme-d-25-00728.1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1186/s40462-026-00628-y","name":"The impacts of anthropogenic linear features on the space-use patterns of two sympatric ungulates.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"As human activity increases worldwide, many ecologists have focused on how anthropogenic linear features (ALFs) such as roads and fences impact and disrupt animal space-use behavior and how this disruption could potentially affect population viability. The properties of an animal's occurrence distribution (OD), namely its size, shape, and habitat associations, reflect the animal's balance of costs and benefits and thus can act as indirect indicators of behavioral optimality. Measuring deviations from theoretical space-use optimality can provide insight into the non-lethal effects of ALFs on wildlife in different environmental contexts. Here, we focused on the seasonal space-use patterns of two wide-ranging, highly mobile species of great cultural and economic value: mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus; n = 3105) and pronghorn (Antilocapra americana; n = 320). We calculated the average use of six environmental and three ALF attributes, weighted by their intensity of use within the OD, and contrasted those with their respective average availability within a 100-km 2 reference area centered on each animal's OD. We show that mule deer space-use is more impacted by roads, while pronghorn space-use is affected more by fences, specifically in the winter when snow depth may hinder their ability to cross fences. Our results highlight the dynamic nature of the availability domain and the importance of properly accounting for this dynamism in habitat selection analyses. This research expands on the theoretical literature of animal space use and their response to ALFs in a rapidly changing world and further provides practical strategies for wildlife managers to take when mitigating ALF impacts on their target species.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40462-026-00628-y","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1186/s40462-026-00628-y","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.adz1923","name":"A meta-analysis of carbon losses and gains from tropical moist forest degradation and regeneration.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Aboveground carbon (AGC) fluxes from deforestation and subsequent regrowth in tropical moist forest (TMF) are increasingly well characterized, but carbon losses and gains following partial disturbance are uncertain. We synthesized 146 studies quantifying postdisturbance AGC changes relative to undisturbed forests across TMF. Immediate AGC losses (mean ± 1 SD; 2.5 ± 2.3 years after disturbance) following partial anthropogenic disturbances were greatest for forest fires (49 ± 26%), selective logging (34 ± 20%), and edge effects (31 ± 19%). Higher-frequency and -intensity disturbances significantly increased carbon loss. After 20 years of regeneration, AGC stock was higher in recovering degraded forests (41 to 117%) compared to secondary regrowth forests after complete deforestation (1 to 74%), indicating greater regeneration potential when forest structure is preserved. Our compiled database and associated meta-analysis improve accuracy and completeness for carbon inventory reporting and modeling. Substantial AGC losses and gains from distinct degradation and recovery processes are now better characterized, serving as an evidence base for policies to halt degradation and foster recovery for climate mitigation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adz1923","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.adz1923","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1014473","name":"The parasitophorous vacuole membrane of Toxoplasma gondii: A custom structural framing with smart interior plumbing for resource allocation. ","source":"europepmc","abstract":"In essence, the parasitophorous vacuole (PV) of Toxoplasma is a \"Do-It-Yourself\" renovation project led by the parasite after invasion of a guest house (the host cell) to install itself surreptitiously in a private and custom-built room, reinforced by drywall (the PV membrane). The function of the PV membrane (PVM) is to keep away the host security guards (immune response, lysosomes) from the parasite while allowing necessary and controlled access to host resources. Inside the PV, Toxoplasma relies on a crew of creative interior designers (the GRA proteins or GRA) to remodel and transform the space into an efficient living and breeding suite. Some GRA set up specialized delivery systems in the PVM (pores) to siphon off groceries (nutrients) from the host cytosol. Other GRA build a complex network of tubules that attach to the PVM (intravacuolar network) to trap large grocery stores (host organelles) inside the PV, ensuring the massive supply of selective food (lipids). In a parallel circuit, specific GRA recruit host proteins at the PVM that shape this membrane and mediate scission (host ESCRT) to engulf more host resources. In addition to this interior layout, Toxoplasma establishes a plumbing system made of PVM tubules that pervade the host cell, which maximizes the surface area for nutrient uptake, and lasso host organelles (lipid droplets, ER) from the surroundings. Finally, the PV acts as a magnet to attract and keep possession of some host organelles (mitochondria, the ER) by hijacking their molecular Velcro (Membrane Contact Sites), allowing the parasite to tap into the host power grid to fuel its own metabolic needs.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1014473","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1371/journal.ppat.1014473","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.20944/preprints202606.0394.v1","name":"From Entropy and Beyond: A Comprehensive Survey of Probability-Space Unsupervised Objectives","source":"europepmc","abstract":"In an era where compute resources are rapidly advancing with better algorithms and larger clusters, the growth of labeled data, the fossil fuel of AI, has not kept pace. This disparity has spurred a growing interest in learning paradigms that rely solely on unlabeled data. A class of these paradigms employ unsupervised learning objectives that operate directly in the probability or prediction space, with Shannon entropy being one common example among many. Such objectives leverage unlabeled domain data to enable diverse tasks within the target domain. Yet, these methods remain scattered across the literature, with no systematic overview to guide their comparison or use. This work addresses that gap by providing a high-level compilation of the designs, implementations, and applications of 17 such unsupervised loss functions, focusing on their roles in common learning applications while also exploring their broader potential. By presenting their theoretical underpinnings, practical applications, and small-scale yet extensive experiments, this study aims to shape future research by addressing data scarcity, reducing dependence on labeled annotations, and enabling the unsupervised optimization of increasingly large models.","url":"https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202606.0394.v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.20944/preprints202606.0394.v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.129723","name":"Non-indigenous plant expansion reconstructing benthic food web in tidal flats of China.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Coastal wetland ecosystems rely on a delicate balance between nutrient contributions from primary producers and the adaptive feeding strategies of macrobenthic consumers. This study utilizes a dual-tracer approach, combining stable isotope analysis (δ 13 C, δ 15 N) with fatty acid biomarker profiling, to investigate the ecological and biogeochemical mechanisms driving organic matter dynamics in habitats influenced by non-indigenous vegetation. The introduction of Spartina alterniflora and Kandelia obovata not only broadens the carbon source baseline of native mudflats, creating a bipolar isotopic spectrum but also reshapes macrobenthic food web structures. S. alterniflora, a rapidly decomposing C4 plant, shifts energy pathways from grazing based to detritus-based, which promotes short-term resource utilization, shortens food chains, and intensifies interspecific competition. Conversely, K. obovata contributes to a more diverse organic matter pool through its complex root architecture and slower-degrading litter, enhancing long-term ecosystem stability. Our findings demonstrate that using both isotopic tracers and fatty acid profiles effectively delineates spatial heterogeneity, trophic interactions, and the cascading effects of plant invasions on nutrient cycling. These insights highlight the need for flexible, stage-specific management strategies-ranging from dynamic monitoring and local biological substitution to integrated mechanical removal and mangrove restoration-to mitigate potential ecological destabilization and optimize blue carbon functions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.129723","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.129723","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"pmid:42555913","name":"\"Delivering high-quality care in this setting requires a lot of resources\": HPTN 094 Implementation Lessons from Delivering Integrated HIV and MOUD Care Through Mobile Units In Local Neighborhoods.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The HIV Prevention Trials Network 094 INTEGRA study sought to fill the gap in implementation science literature by exploring the delivery of integrated prevention and care for HIV and opioid use dependence (OUD) through mobile units to people who inject drugs (PWID).","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42555913/","authors":["Tsuyuki K","El-Krab R","Shoptaw S","El-Bassel N","Lake JE","Magnus M","Kuo I","Goodman-Meza D","Denis C","Nieto O","Franks J","Villareal YR","Smith P","Bornstein S","Andrew P","Harris-Wisecarver J","Choudhury RP","Perez-Brumer A","Davidson P","Smith LR","HPTN 094 study team"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Aug 5","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42555844","name":"Adoption of App-Based Peer Support by Canadian Health Care Providers: Mixed Methods Organizational Implementation Study.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"There is an urgent and critical need to support the mental health of health care providers, given high rates of stress and burnout. Although the issues are complex, digital access to information and support can help address the needs, as technology can facilitate on-demand links to private, customized resources, including peer support. Beyond Silence (McMaster University) is an evidence-informed mobile health platform co-designed with health care workers and grounded in prior evidence that mental health literacy and peer support can reduce stigma and facilitate earlier help-seeking.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42555844/","authors":["Moll S","Parker M","Smith P","Sykes E"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Aug 5","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42555613","name":"The parasitophorous vacuole membrane of Toxoplasma gondii: A custom structural framing with smart interior plumbing for resource allocation.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"In essence, the parasitophorous vacuole (PV) of Toxoplasma is a \"Do-It-Yourself\" renovation project led by the parasite after invasion of a guest house (the host cell) to install itself surreptitiously in a private and custom-built room, reinforced by drywall (the PV membrane). The function of the PV membrane (PVM) is to keep away the host security guards (immune response, lysosomes) from the parasite while allowing necessary and controlled access to host resources. Inside the PV, Toxoplasma relies on a crew of creative interior designers (the GRA proteins or GRA) to remodel and transform the space into an efficient living and breeding suite. Some GRA set up specialized delivery systems in the PVM (pores) to siphon off groceries (nutrients) from the host cytosol. Other GRA build a complex network of tubules that attach to the PVM (intravacuolar network) to trap large grocery stores (host organelles) inside the PV, ensuring the massive supply of selective food (lipids). In a parallel circuit, specific GRA recruit host proteins at the PVM that shape this membrane and mediate scission (host ESCRT) to engulf more host resources. In addition to this interior layout, Toxoplasma establishes a plumbing system made of PVM tubules that pervade the host cell, which maximizes the surface area for nutrient uptake, and lasso host organelles (lipid droplets, ER) from the surroundings. Finally, the PV acts as a magnet to attract and keep possession of some host organelles (mitochondria, the ER) by hijacking their molecular Velcro (Membrane Contact Sites), allowing the parasite to tap into the host power grid to fuel its own metabolic needs.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42555613/","authors":["Romano JD","Khan SM","Coppens I"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Aug","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42554451","name":"Synergistic Effect of Co-VN-Supported Nitrogen-Doped Porous Carbon to Enhance the Catalytic Activity and Stability of Cathode in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Transition metal-supported nitrogen-doped carbon materials possess the advantages of high catalytic activity and large specific surface area; therefore, they are considered to be the most promising cathode catalysts for lithium-sulfur batteries. However, their practical application has been impeded by poor rate performance and cycling stability due to sluggish reaction kinetics and the polysulfide shuttling effect. Herein, bimetallic cobalt and vanadium nitride supported on porous nitrogen-doped carbon materials (Co-VN/NC) were prepared in a molten salt medium at high temperatures. The as-prepared Co-VN/NC exhibits a large specific surface area, which provides ample space for loading the metal-based compounds. Furthermore, the bimetallic compounds supported on porous N-doped carbon provide abundant active sites on the surface, which enhance the sulfur-fixing ability while accelerating the conversion of polysulfides. The discharge specific capacity of the Co-VN/NC-based Li-S battery is as high as 1170 mAh g -1 at 0.2 C, and it retains 821 mAh g -1 at 1 C. During cycling stability tests, the average decay rate per cycle is only 0.046% over 400 continuous cycles at 1 C. These electrochemical results demonstrate that the Co-VN/NC is a promising cathode material for practical application in Li-S batteries.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42554451/","authors":["Zhang X","Lv Q","Ji S","Liu H","Mo Z","Sun C","Linkov V","Wang H"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Aug","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42553298","name":"From brain drain to brain circulation: evidence from women scientists in OWSD Honduras National Chapter.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Honduras invests minimally in research and development (0.06% of GDP), contributing to highly qualified professional emigration. When individuals migrate, they may return to Honduras or become part of the scientific diaspora. The exchange of knowledge between professionals abroad and those in their country of origin constitutes \"brain circulation\", a process with significant potential to support scientific ecosystems in contexts of low research and development investment. This study examined how the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) Honduras National Chapter fosters brain circulation and supports scientific development through networks connecting local and diaspora women scientists.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42553298/","authors":["Cabrera-Medina J","Ríos I","Morales Gámez MJ","Avila-Velasquez D","Rivera A","Acosta Rodezno SV","Acosta Salgado L","Zelaya JM","Aquino Valle K","Rodríguez Vásquez F","Orellana-Reyes K","Cano E","Cruz IA","Sandoval L","Cruz Torres MM"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42553054","name":"Social media as a formative educational and cultural environment: an integrative conceptual framework for identity development among transnational youth.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Social media has become a prominent context in which transnational youth negotiate identity, belonging, and meaning across cultural, linguistic, national, and educational boundaries. In this article, I examine how social media and digital media practices shape identity development among transnational youth, with particular attention to educational and cultural perspectives. Positioned as a conceptual research contribution, I ground this study in an analytical and interpretive synthesis of peer-reviewed scholarship drawn from four major databases (Google Scholar, Scopus, ERIC, and Web of Science), covering publications from 2006 to 2025. Following a structured three-stage thematic synthesis procedure, I retained 42 core studies from an initial pool of approximately 180 sources and analyzed them to develop an integrative conceptual framework. My analysis highlights how multilingual practices, translanguaging, counter-storytelling, hybrid identity construction, and strategic self-presentation across platforms enable youth to navigate multiple audiences and maintain simultaneous local, translocal, and transnational affiliations. Across the synthesized literature, I identify a consistent pattern indicating that social media functions as a \"third space\" that can bridge formal and informal learning contexts when educational institutions recognize the multilingual, multicultural, and digital literacies developed online. At the same time, I show that digital media practices are shaped by structural conditions-including unequal access to resources, platform governance, algorithmic visibility, surveillance, and geopolitical asymmetries-which may constrain identity development. I propose a triadic integrative model theorizing digital identity development as a recursive interaction between mediating mechanisms, structural conditions, and developmental outcomes. I conclude that social media should be understood not merely as a communicative tool but as a formative educational and cultural environment that plays a significant role in transnational youths' identity development.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42553054/","authors":["Atallah FA"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42552613","name":"Long-read low-pass sequencing enhances variant detection in a peanut MAGIC population.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Accurate genotyping accelerates crop improvement, yet long-read sequencing remains underused in breeding due to cost. We present a scalable long-read low-pass (LRLP) sequencing framework for high-throughput variant discovery and trait mapping. Using PacBio HiFi reads in an allotetraploid peanut (Arachis hypogaea; AABB, 2n = 4x = 40) MAGIC population, we generated both LRLP and short-read low-pass (SRLP) data. At comparable depths, LRLP achieved substantially greater whole-genome and gene-space coverage than SRLP. Data were analyzed using both a single-reference genome and an 18-parent pangenome graph constructed with KhufuPan, a new tool for graph-based genotyping. Across analytical approaches, LRLP consistently identified more SNPs, indels (2-1,000&#x2005;bp), and structural variants (&gt;1&#x2005;kb) than SRLP, improving genotype resolution and selection accuracy, particularly for large structural variants. By reducing cost barriers and increasing variant discovery in complex genomes, LRLP provides a practical path for deploying advanced genomics in under-resourced and orphan crops critical to global food security.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42552613/","authors":["Lee K","Korani W","Pokhrel S","Wright H","Bentz PC","Ozias-Akins P","Chu Y","Harkess A","Vaughn J","Clevenger J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Aug 5","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42550349","name":"Slime Mold Algorithm: a novel approach for estimating total petroleum hydrocarbons in soil.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Estimating the pollution trend of biological resources such as soil is an important factor in environmental management. The present descriptive-applied research aimed to model and predict the amounts of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) in the soil of Ahvaz Operation Unit 1 using the Slime Mold Algorithm (SMA) in 2024. Data from the period 2012 to 2021 were analyzed by collecting 30 soil samples using a systematic grid sampling method. TPHs, including aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), were measured by gas chromatography (GC). Ten-year climate data were used to increase prediction accuracy. The steps of implementing the SMA were defined using mathematical optimization terminology, including adaptive exploration, exploitation of the search space, and convergence. The findings showed that the average of the highest amount of PAH compounds was 2980.5&#xa0;&#x3bc;g/kg, with the highest contamination reported for Chr and B.a.a (5542.5 and 3684.3&#xa0;&#x3bc;g/kg, respectively). Also, the average of total aliphatic compounds was 3649&#xa0;mg/kg. There was a statistically significant spatial difference between the concentrations among different sampling stations (p&#x2009;&lt;&#x2009;0.05). Based on the normalized dataset, the SMA model showed that the RMSE for aromatics and aliphatics were 0.135 and 0.148, indicating higher accuracy in predicting aromatic compounds. The coefficient of determination (R 2 ) and adjusted were 0.72 and 0.68 for aromatics, and 0.65 and 0.60 for aliphatics, respectively. The results indicate that the SMA shows strong potential for wider use in modeling soil contamination and offers a practical framework for environmental pollution management, although further validation across different climatic regions is recommended.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42550349/","authors":["Hosseinpourdavani M","Orak N","Cheraghi M","Nazarpour A","Egdernezhad A"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Aug 4","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42549747","name":"Stability of Medicinal Nanoemulsions to Spaceflight: Insights From the StarMed Experiment.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Space missions require liquid drug formulations that remain physically stable and exhibit predictable release under launch, microgravity, and handling stresses. This study examined melatonin&#x2011;loaded nanoemulsions flown on the MAPHEUS&#x2011;15 sounding rocket, comparing an uncoated nanoemulsion (MN) with a chitosan&#x2011;coated nanoemulsion (CCN). Droplet size, polydispersity index (PDI), and zeta potential were measured at Day 0 and after spaceflight, ground vibration testing, matched ground controls, and laboratory storage. Melatonin release was quantified by dynamic dialysis and interpreted using a compartmental mass-transfer model. Melatonin&#x2011;loaded nanoemulsion (MN) showed a modest, systematic increase in droplet size under all post&#x2011;experiment conditions, with unchanged PDI and zeta potential, consistent with time&#x2011;dependent coalescence and Ostwald ripening rather than a specific microgravity effect. CCN maintained essentially unchanged droplet size, PDI, and zeta potential, indicating interfacial steric stabilization by chitosan. For MN, ageing and sounding&#x2011;rocket exposure increased the apparent fraction of melatonin available to the aqueous phase, but normalized release profiles overlapped when scaled to the fitted maximum releasable fraction, suggesting unchanged intrinsic release kinetics. In CCN, both the accessible fraction and the release profile were preserved. Overall, chitosan coating enhanced dimensional and release stability, supporting interfacial polymer coatings as a strategy for robust liquid pharmaceutical formulations for future space medicine.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42549747/","authors":["Adebowale M","Long NVD","Williams PM","Hauslage J","Hessel V"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Aug 4","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42549150","name":"Cultural participation rights as a proposed pathway for internal migrant mental health: an institutional analysis from China.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The mental health risks of internal migrants have become increasingly prominent, yet traditional diagnosis and treatment pathways face structural barriers including the uneven distribution of medical resources, insufficient service accessibility, high time costs, and the stigma surrounding mental health that prevent them from adequately addressing the mental health problems of this population. Cultural participation, as a low-threshold, low-stigma daily practice, may provide preventive support before mental health conditions deteriorate through fostering social connection and cultivating a sense of belonging and identity. Although public cultural services are not designed exclusively for internal migrants, their universally accessible and daily-embedded institutional characteristics may offer this population an alternative pathway for mental health support that complements the barriers to formal help-seeking. The Public Cultural Service Guarantee Law of the People's Republic of China, as the foundational legislation in this field, establishes a normative framework centered on guaranteeing basic cultural rights and interests, enriching spiritual and cultural life, and advocating healthy and civilized activities. Thus it provides normative space for public cultural services to undertake health promotion functions. In practice, however, resource allocation and performance assessment remain heavily oriented toward physical indicators such as the number of venues, facility size, and event frequency, with insufficient attention paid to whether service content matches users' actual needs, whether access arrangements accommodate diverse groups, and whether participation processes are conducive to social interaction and emotional regulation. Under this logic, internal migrants are mostly regarded as service recipients rather than subjects of cultural participation, constraining the release of the mental health support potential that public cultural services inherently possess. Accordingly, the cultural participation opportunities, expression rights, and identity recognition needs of internal migrants should be incorporated into the framework of legal protection, and public cultural services should be transformed from general cultural supply into institutionalized public resources oriented toward mental health prevention.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42549150/","authors":["Zhang J","Li J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42549033","name":"Materials challenges in solid-state sensors for continuous monitoring of ions in water.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Accurate detection of ions in aqueous environments, ranging from trace to high concentrations, is essential for monitoring natural water resources, treatment facilities, and wastewater systems. Solid-state sensors have emerged as versatile platforms for this purpose due to their adaptability in geometry, compatibility with electronic integration, portability, and low energy requirements. A wide variety of active materials have been investigated, including metal oxides, graphene, carbon nanotubes, silicon nanowires, AlGaN/GaN, MXenes, transition metal dichalcogenides, and organic polymers all of which can be tailored for sensor development. Sensor selectivity and functionality can be enhanced through strategies such as defect engineering, nanoparticle doping, surface functionalization with organic molecules, or incorporation of advanced recognition elements like metal-organic frameworks, covalent organic frameworks, ion-imprinted polymers, and biomaterials. Hybrid nanocomposites and ion-selective membranes further expand the design space, enabling customized performance for specific applications. This review systematically examines the materials employed in solid-state ion sensors, their transduction mechanisms, and analyte interactions with sensing media, while critically evaluating advantages, limitations, fabrication approaches, and performance metrics. In addition, recent advances in sensor arrays are highlighted to demonstrate progress toward multiplexed detection. By consolidating these developments, this work provides a comprehensive framework to guide the rational selection of active and sensing materials for designing electrochemical and electrical devices capable of reliable, real-time ion monitoring in water.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42549033/","authors":["Darestani-Farahani M","Kruse P"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42548615","name":"Niche Conservatism Shapes Invasion Patterns of Opuntia Species Despite Interspecific Differences in Expansion Dynamics.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Opuntia cacti rank among the most widespread and ecologically damaging plant invaders globally, yet it remains unclear whether their invasion success is driven by niche conservatism or niche shifts. Here, we investigated niche dynamics between native and invaded ranges for four Opuntia species ( O. dillenii , O. ficus-indica , O. monacantha , and O. humifusa ) that differ in climatic origin and invasion history. Using biomod2 ensemble models combined with principal component analysis in environmental space (PCA-env) and multivariate environmental similarity surface (MESS) analysis, we found that all four species exhibit strong niche conservatism, with high niche stability (89.6%-98.2%) and significant niche similarity between native and invaded ranges. Model projections indicated broad climatically suitable areas (10.4-22.5 million km 2 ), with invasive occurrences largely confined to native environmental conditions. Niche expansion was limited (1.9%-10.4%) and restricted to marginal environmental conditions. Soil nutrient availability further contributed to distribution patterns in several species, highlighting the role of edaphic factors in shaping niche structure. Despite this overall conservatism, species differed markedly in niche dynamics and geographic expansion, indicating that invasion processes vary substantially among species. Overall, our results suggest that Opuntia are primarily characterized by environmental tracking rather than widespread niche shifts, while species-specific differences in adaptation and spread highlight the importance of assessing invasion risk at the species level.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42548615/","authors":["Tao S","Chen X","Qi Z","Li P","Yan X"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Aug","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42548104","name":"The impact of climatic factors on headache patterns: a 14-year time series analysis of cluster and tension-type headaches in primary care.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Weather-related influences on pain and neurological symptoms are widely discussed in biometeorology. However, the long-term impact of climatic variables on primary care headache consultations remains unclear. This study aimed to examine whether climatic variables are associated with consultations for cluster headaches, tension-type headaches (TTH), and unspecified headaches over 14 years.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42548104/","authors":["Cuenca-Zaldívar JN","Corral Del Villar C","García Torres S","Araujo Zamora R","Gragera Peña P","Gomes de Oliveira TJ","Paisana Ricardo F","Meléndez-Oliva E","González-González AM","Sánchez-Romero EA"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42547643","name":"Temporal dynamics outweigh spatial gradients in shaping water quality across a regulated Afrotropical reservoir cascade.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Water quality in regulated tropical reservoirs is shaped by the interplay of seasonal hydrology, spatial habitat heterogeneity, land use, and climate variability, yet the relative importance of these drivers remains poorly quantified in African river basins. We aimed to partition the variance in water quality among temporal, spatial, land-use, and climate drivers across the Kainji-Jebba reservoir cascade in Nigeria and to identify sentinel parameters capable of consistently and timely detecting water-quality change. Monthly water-quality surveys were conducted at six sites spanning two dams and three habitat types (riverine, ecotonal, and lacustrine) from April 2024 to March 2025 (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;72 samples). A modified National Sanitation Foundation Water Quality Index (WQI) was calculated for each sample. Variance partitioning using partial redundancy analysis (RDA), exploratory Granger causality testing, and six complementary changepoint detection methods were applied to disentangle the relative contributions of space, time, land use, and climate. Temporal variation (season and month) explained 28.3% of the variance in water quality, whereas spatial factors accounted for 1.8% and land-use effects for 0.4%. These results suggest that seasonal hydrological dynamics were the dominant structuring force within the study period, although the limited spatial extent of sampling (six sites across two reservoirs) should be considered when interpreting the comparatively weak spatial signal. After Benjamini-Hochberg false-discovery-rate correction, no climate-water-quality relationships were statistically significant across 480 stratified Granger causality tests; given the exploratory scope of the analysis and the 1-year dataset, this null result is treated as hypothesis-generating rather than conclusive. WQI, electrical conductivity (EC), and relative humidity (RH) showed the highest changepoint consensus detection rates (71.4% each) and are proposed as sentinel parameters for water-quality monitoring, although the role of RH warrants further investigation before operational adoption. These findings suggest that monitoring programmes in regulated tropical reservoir cascades may benefit from prioritising targeted seasonal windows, the wet-season runoff peak (June-July) and the black flood period (January-February), rather than expanding spatial coverage, pending validation across longer time series. The integrated analytical framework, combining WQI, variance partitioning, exploratory Granger causality, and multi-method changepoint detection, offers a transferable template for other data-poor tropical river systems where monitoring resources must be allocated efficiently.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42547643/","authors":["Ibrahim A","Sadiku SOE","Robertson-Andersson DV","Okpeku M"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Aug 3","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42546992","name":"Predictive compaction modelling of ternary direct compression formulations.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Developing directly-compressed formulations remains a resource-intensive task, requiring substantial experimental effort to characterise the compressibility and compactability of a formulation space. This study extends a global optimisation of mixture rules to a ternary formulation space (API-brittle filler-elastic filler) and investigates the potential for reducing experimental burden whilst maintaining the predictive accuracy of empirical compression and compaction models. Three grades each of paracetamol and ibuprofen, combined with a consistent placebo base, were used to evaluate the approach. The global optimisation outperformed the traditional line of best fit approach, achieving strong predictive performance for the Kawakita model (R 2 &gt;0.94; RMSE&lt;0.01) and more variable fits for the Ryshkewitch-Duckworth model (R 2 = 0.93 - 0.95 and RMSE = 0.23 - 0.39 MPa for paracetamol; R 2 = 0.70 - 0.83 and RMSE = 0.31 - 0.37 MPa for ibuprofen). The optimisations performance was found to improve when the training dataset considered only drug-loaded blends. The exploration of reducing experimental burden considered a Model-Based Design of Experiments (MBDoE) which was benchmarked against random experiment selection. Integrating MBDoE with optimised mixture rules reduced API consumption by over 30% across all formulations, with median savings of 75%-95% under Acceptable and Good performance thresholds. Savings decreased with increasing threshold stringency, with the greatest variability observed in ibuprofen formulations. The Kawakita model supported reductions across all threshold levels, whilst the Ryshkewitch-Duckworth model showed limited capacity beyond the Acceptable threshold. tThe MBDoE did not outperform the random selection of experiments, however the optimisation framework for populating empirical compression and compaction models offers a resource-efficient approach to predicting tablet porosity and tensile strength of ternary API loaded blends.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42546992/","authors":["Tait T","Salehian M","Aroniada M","Shier AP","Elkes R","Robertson J","Markl D"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Aug 3","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42546434","name":"Spectral configurations and interferences in outdoor artificial light at night (ALAN) exposure measurements and sleep quality modeling.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Outdoor artificial light at night (ALAN) may impact human health through disturbing human circadian rhythms. Laboratory experiments have shown that spectral differences in ALAN may lead to disparities in disturbing human circadian rhythms, but such spectral differences are overlooked in past urban studies due to the difficulties in measuring exposure. This study employed SDGSAT-1 data with multispectral nighttime light and the most advanced mobility-oriented research paradigm to investigate the different effects of outdoor ALAN exposures associated with different spectral bands. Based on surveys in Hong Kong, 502 participants provided their socio-demographic attributes, sleep quality, and GPS-derived trajectories. Outdoor ALAN exposures were derived at 10-m or 40-m spatial resolution using a 60-m buffer at each visited place and then spatiotemporally accumulated. The residence-based, mobility-based, and non-residential outdoor ALAN exposures were measured using red, green, blue, and panchromatic bands, respectively. Linear mixed-effects models were employed to estimate the associations between outdoor ALAN exposures in different spectral bands and the sleep quality indicators. The results indicated that panchromatic outdoor ALAN exposure measurements are the most accurate and comprehensive exposure measurements that minimize spectral configuration errors for sleep quality modeling. Along with the decreasing wavelength (from red to blue), the magnitude of estimated health associations and the confidence of estimation both decreased. This phenomenon can be well explained by Rayleigh scattering and spectral configuration errors. Consequently, this study provided essential implications for a range of studies in urban health and sustainability that need accurate outdoor ALAN exposures and improved outdoor ALAN settings.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42546434/","authors":["Liu Y","Cui Y","Kwan MP","Yu C"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Aug 3","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42546224","name":"Satellite-derived air quality data can effectively support health needs when use cases, Earth observing capabilities, and capacities align.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Advances in Earth observation (EO) remote sensing technologies have delivered a range of aerosol and trace gas pollution data with ever-improving spatial and temporal resolution, significantly benefitting assessments of global air quality (AQ). Furthermore, the application of data synthesis techniques incorporating satellite EO with other information sources has improved the availability of satellite-derived estimates of pollutant exposure at local to global scales. These data have been applied to address a diversity of use cases in AQ monitoring and public health, from long-term trend tracking, exposure assessment, and epidemiological analysis to short-term emissions identification and early warning. Successful application of satellite EO to address AQ and AQ-related health problems requires an alignment between (1) the technical capabilities of satellite data to provide relevant information, (2) a defined case for using this information to address a particular need, and (3) the human capacity, computational resources, operational plans, and policy and governance frameworks to implement a solution and take action, and to sustain the solution for as long as the need remains. Only when there is substantial alignment across all these factors can satellite EO information be effectively translated into public health benefits. This paper surveys applications of satellite EO to AQ assessment and AQ-related health management globally, synthesizing key commonalities into recommendations for how satellite EO can effectively support health needs. We also identify gaps in current satellite EO capabilities, use-case applications, and feasibility factors where future research and investment could reduce barriers to increased application of satellite EO to address pressing public health concerns related to AQ worldwide. Implications : This paper summarizes insights collected through the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Health Community of Practice Air Quality and Respiratory Health Work Group on the current state and gaps in the use of satellite EO to support air quality and related health decision-making globally. We synthesize these insights into general recommendations for how satellite EO capabilities, use cases, and feasibility considerations can be aligned towards effective use of satellite EO data for air quality and related health effects. We also identify barriers and gaps in current capabilities, uses, and capacities, making recommendations for how these might be addressed.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42546224/","authors":["Pavlovic NR","Malings CA","Huang M","He Y","Diez S","Bratburd J","Mahmoud H","Schnell J","Hang Y","Anderson L","Grodzinsky G","deSouza P","Mead MI","Rao Y","Velho R","Davignon D","Munde S","Sayeed A","Aekakkararungroj A","Joshi A","Olayinka O","Rondouba HD","Pant P"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Aug 3","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42546196","name":"Landscape context constrains climate regulation recovery in Amazonian secondary forests.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Primary (PF) and secondary forests (SF) differ in structure, composition, and biophysical functioning. However, how these differences influence climate regulation across Amazonian landscapes remains unclear. Using annual climate and land cover data and a spatial mixed-effects framework, we quantified PF-SF contrasts in precipitation, evapotranspiration (ET), and land surface temperature (LST) across fractional forest cover gradients and SF successional stages in three Amazonian regions: central (CBA), eastern (EBA), and southern (SBA). PF-SF contrasts varied markedly among climate variables, regions, successional stages, forest cover, and landscape contexts. Under standardized conditions, contrasts were generally smaller, and SF approached climatic conditions associated with PF, frequently exceeding PF in ET and exhibiting lower LST under moderate-to-high forest cover (&gt;50%). At high forest cover, SF exceeded PF in ET by up to ~100 mm and showed LST up to ~0.5 &#xb0;C lower than PF. However, under current landscape configurations, contrasts were generally larger and more heterogeneous. In the EBA, SF exhibited up to ~365 mm lower precipitation than PF, particularly in early and intermediate successional stages, whereas in the SBA, advanced SF remained up to ~1.1 &#xb0;C warmer than PF. Together, these findings indicate that climatic recovery during forest regeneration depends not only on succession and forest cover but also on the landscape contexts in which regeneration occurs. Furthermore, they suggest that SF could deliver substantially greater climatic benefits than currently observed across Amazonian landscapes when forest recovery is strategically planned and spatially targeted.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42546196/","authors":["Rosa-Oliveira L","Ferreira Pires G","Gomes Tomáz R","Pontes-Lopes A","Maria Brumatti L","Heil Costa M","Fonseca HP","Aragão LEOEC"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Aug 11","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42545835","name":"A Decadal Home-Range Dynamics and Habitat Shift in Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana).","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Understanding how animals adjust their space use in changing environments is important for conservation, especially for species restricted to fragmented mountain habitats. We studied the home range of one wild group of golden snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) in Baihe National Nature Reserve, Sichuan Province, China, using 10 years of monitoring data from 2014 to 2023. We estimated seasonal and annual home ranges, examined elevational use, reconstructed annual habitat suitability, and assessed which environmental variables were most closely associated with home-range size. The results revealed seasonal variation in home range, with the smallest ranges occurring during winter, and showed that space use was concentrated at mid-elevations, approximately 2300-2700 m. MaxEnt-predicted suitable-habitat area increased slightly over the decade, but this change mainly reflected core stability with peripheral reorganization. Predictor importance analyses suggested a temporal shift in the main determinants of habitat suitability, from topography and human disturbance toward hydrology. Machine-learning results indicated that home-range size was mainly associated with coniferous forest area, MaxEnt-derived suitable-habitat area, shaded-slope area, and other environmental predictors. Our results suggest that R. roxellana employs dynamic spatial-use strategies to adapt to the complexity of mountainous environments. These findings highlight that conservation efforts should shift from a focus on \"area-based protection\" to \"function-based conservation,\" with priority given to maintaining stable high-suitability core areas, key coniferous forest patches, and topographic heterogeneity.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42545835/","authors":["Wang X","Li Y","Li H","Liu X","Dai Y","Xia W","Zhu Y","Wang F","Yang Z","Li D"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Aug 3","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42545464","name":"Chitosan oligosaccharide lactate (COL) chosen from different derivatives protects DNA against environmental stressors.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"DNA is widely employed in biological science and materials science, driving a growing demand for its effective preservation. The conventional cryopreservation method is highly resource-intensive, requiring substantial storage space and continuous energy input. These limitations highlight the urgent need to develop cost-effective and efficient alternative strategies. In this study, we creatively extended the application of chitosan derivatives to the preservation of extracellular DNA, based on our previous work on chitosan-mediated nucleic acid enrichment and detection. Among different types of chitosan derivatives, chitosan oligosaccharide lactate (COL) was identified for its outstanding DNA-binding and re-release capabilities. Upon complexation with COL, DNA is effectively protected against major environmental stressors including enzymatic hydrolysis, oxidative damage, and ultraviolet irradiation, which were the major environmental stressors. This protective interaction significantly enhances the stability of DNA under non-cryogenic conditions, which in turn minimizes the losses in DNA concentration and integrity while preserving critical sequence information. Furthermore, the binding and release of COL with DNA could be achieved handily by pH adjustment. Moreover, COL could be readily&#xa0;available and amenable to large-scale production. Collectively, our findings provide a great potential method for realizing convenient and cost-effective DNA preservation at room temperature.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42545464/","authors":["Tian J","Yan C","Jiao Y","Li J","Chen Y","Chu Z","Wu Y","Liu Y","Zhou Z","Xing Y"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Aug 3","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42544994","name":"Nonlinear response mechanisms of microbial communities to coral reef biogeomorphy in the South China Sea.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"To resolve how planktonic microbial composition, assembly mechanisms, and interaction architectures vary across coral reef biogeomorphic states, we sought to identify process-relevant indicators of reef resilience. We analyzed size-fractionated microbiomes from 57 stations in the South China Sea using 16S/18S rRNA amplicon sequencing. A distance-decay model defined a near-coral reef influence zone within 588 m, and reefs were classified into Poor, Moderate, and Good states based on coral density metrics. Results showed that microbial composition diverged significantly between near-coral reefs and off-coral reef zones. Although alpha diversity remained relatively stable, characteristic coral reef amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) showed clear state-associated variation across reef biogeomorphic states. The assembly of coral reef characteristic ASVs was predominantly stochastic, yet deterministic processes strengthened under intermediate conditions, indicating a transitional restructuring phase. Network complexity displayed a hump-shaped pattern, peaking in moderate states, whereas networks in good-condition reefs were sparser but more stable due to cross-kingdom interactions and increased module hubs. Ultimately, embedding microbiome analyses within a biogeomorphic framework reveals nonlinear, state-dependent microbial reorganization missed by standard richness metrics. These responsive taxa and interaction architectures jointly provide mechanistic indicators for diagnosing coral reef health in rapidly changing tropical seas.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42544994/","authors":["Long S","Yang Z","Zeng C","Yang H","Cao L","Wang D","Liu Y","Lin Q","Zheng Y"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Aug 3","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42544703","name":"Martian‑Regolith Simulant Confined Nanogenerators for Wireless Tactile Sensing for Human-Machine Interface.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Achieving a sustainable energy system for space missions remains challenging due to the continued reliance on Earth-supplied materials. This underscores the importance of in situ resource utilization (ISRU) strategies that convert planetary resources into functional electronic components. In this work, we harness the dielectric characteristics of Martian regolith (MR) simulant to create an MR/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composite film with enhanced triboelectric properties. Structural and morphological analyses of the MR reveal multiple oxide-rich phases, which improve both the dielectric properties and the surface microstructure of the MR/PDMS composite film. The resultant MR/PDMS composite film-based triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) delivers an approximately two-fold increase in open-circuit voltage compared to the pristine PDMS-based TENG. The real-world use of the MR/PDMS TENG is further demonstrated by proof-of-concept applications: a glove-mounted tactile surface sensor with wireless signal transmission and a wearable triboelectric keypad. This work not only showcases advances in MR-based TENG performance but also marks the first demonstration of triboelectric applications using MR simulants as functional triboelectric material. Additionally, we have demonstrated foundational work toward ISRU-oriented tactile interfaces incorporating MR-simulant-derived functional materials for future controlled habitats and robotic platforms relevant to future space exploration.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42544703/","authors":["Mappoli S","Sonigara KK","Pumera M"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Aug 3","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42543545","name":"Insights into diet and niche separation in the context of prey availability between two sympatric whiprays in a tropical intertidal estuary.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Increasing evidence supports associations between various elasmobranch species and estuarine habitats, particularly during early life stages. However, with substantial knowledge gaps surrounding spatial habitat use and trophic ecology of estuary-associated species in Australia, we cannot reliably assess the functional importance of these areas or identify relevant drivers of resource partitioning in estuarine food webs. Here, we compared the diets and trophic niches of two sympatric dasyatid species, the Australian whipray Himantura australis and brown whipray Maculabatis toshi, in a tropical estuary in North Queensland. Stomach contents were collected from juvenile specimens in 2022-2025 using gastric lavage, muscle tissue samples were analysed for stable isotopes (&#x3b4; 13 C, &#x3b4; 15 N) and invertebrate communities were surveyed to contextualise prey availability in the intertidal zone. Dietary composition differed significantly between species, with H.&#x2009;australis showing a stronger reliance on burrowing crustaceans (e.g., Callianassidae and Mictyridae), while M.&#x2009;toshi consumed more epibenthic crustaceans (e.g., Ogyrididae, Penaeidae, Portunidae). Himantura australis occupied a larger isotopic niche space than M.&#x2009;toshi, and there was no trophic overlap of larger size classes of H.&#x2009;australis (&gt;50&#x2009;cm disc width) with M.&#x2009;toshi or with smaller conspecifics (&lt;50&#x2009;cm disc width). Prey availability was spatially variable and indicated that while both species target locally abundant crustacean taxa, resources may be partitioned across different sediment layers. These findings highlight the importance of estuaries as feeding grounds for juvenile rays and suggest that morphological and behavioural adaptations may drive dietary variability between similar species.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42543545/","authors":["Myers J","Sheaves M","Barnett A"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Aug 2","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42543319","name":"[Virtual efficacy evaluation: methodological framework linking randomized controlled trials and real-world evidence in clinical research of TCM].","source":"pubmed","abstract":"In clinical research on TCM, RCT remains the key way to obtain evidence of causal effect. However, the implementation is often constrained by factors such as resource input, syndrome heterogeneity, and long-term outcome observation, so that single trials rarely provide sufficient support for clinical decision-making and entail higher trial-and-error costs. With the rapid accumulation of RWD in China and ongoing advances in causal inference and modeling methods internationally, there is an urgent need for a systematic methodological framework for TCM and other complex interventions that can shift part of this costly trial-and-error process from conventional clinical trial paths and expand the theoretical and technical space for efficacy evaluation of TCM. The concept of VEE was proposed and defined as a methodological framework that, when RCT cannot be adequately, promptly or widely conducted, or when existing trials cannot answer all key clinical questions, based on RWD, the virtual modeling techniques such as causal inference, digital-twin, and artificial intelligence was used to reconstruct intervention processes in a model space according to clinical trial logic and to simulate the causal effects of TCM interventions and their associated uncertainties. On this basis, a four-layer framework comprising a data foundation layer, causal identification layer, virtual modeling layer, and inferential application layer was constructed. The paper systematically clarified how VEE, under a target-trial perspective, integrated multi-source data, defined estimable effects, and reconstructed virtual disease courses and treatment pathways, and how it can be embedded into key sections such as trial question formulation, design optimization, result interpretation, and individualized decision-making, thereby providing methodological support to maximally reduce trial-and-error risk in physical clinical studies and to improve the clinical research efficiency and evidence continuity of TCM.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42543319/","authors":["Kang J","Li YX","Zhang C","Liu Y"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jun","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42541576","name":"Catchment-Wetland Associations Based on Multiscale Landscape Structure and Hydro-Ecological Indicators at Bakhira Ramsar Site, India.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Wetland condition in floodplain landscapes is influenced by seasonal hydrology, catchment land-use change, and landscape fragmentation. This study assessed long-term catchment-wetland associations and hydro-ecological condition at Bakhira Ramsar Site, India, from 1990 to 2023 using Landsat-derived indices, FRAGSTATS-based landscape metrics, LULC transformation analysis, Pearson correlation, Redundancy Analysis, and a Pressure-State-Response-based Wetland Health Index. The Modified Normalized Difference Water Index, Water-Adjusted Vegetation Index, Enhanced Aquatic Vegetation Index, and Floating Algae Index were used to evaluate open-water extent, aquatic vegetation, macrophyte condition, and floating algae. Results showed a persistent decline in wetland water extent, with decreasing trends of -46.62&#x2009;ha&#x2009;yr&#x207b;&#xb9; during pre-monsoon and -37.30&#x2009;ha&#x2009;yr&#x207b;&#xb9; during post-monsoon. Increasing EAVI and FAI values indicated expansion of aquatic vegetation and floating algae. Catchment cropland increased from 61.62&#x2009;km&#xb2; in 2000 to 116.17&#x2009;km&#xb2; in 2022, while fallow land decreased from 138.15 to 70.10&#x2009;km&#xb2; and marshy wetland declined from 54.77 to 28.80&#x2009;km&#xb2;, indicating loss of buffering areas. Correlation analysis showed strong seasonal linkages, including positive relationships between catchment waterbody LPI and wetland water LPI (r&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.90) and PROX (r&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.98) during pre-monsoon, and between catchment waterbody COHESION and wetland water COHESION (r&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.77) during post-monsoon. RDA provided multivariate support for interpreting these linkages, explaining 30.70% and 49.26% of wetland-response variation in the pre- and post-monsoon seasons, respectively, and the results were interpreted as indicating associations rather than causation. The WHI classified Bakhira Wetland as Moderate in both seasons, with mean values increasing from 0.52 in pre-monsoon to 0.58 in post-monsoon. These findings provide a practical framework for Ramsar monitoring, restoration prioritization, and catchment-based wetland management.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42541576/","authors":["Rawat M","Pandey A","Yadav B","Gupta PK"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Aug 1","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42540365","name":"Evolution and Deterioration Mechanism of the Mechanical Behavior of Gas-Bearing Coal under Low-Amplitude Cyclic Impact Load.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Engineering projects related to deep underground resource development and deep space utilization are inevitably accompanied by dynamic loading, which exerts a significant impact on the stability of rocks. This paper focuses on low-amplitude cyclic impact loading, conducts static-dynamic combined loading tests on gas-containing coal in the laboratory, and employs low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) to analyze the influence of impact loading on the multi-scale structure of coal. The research findings indicate that under a high number of impact cycles, the effect of dynamic loading amplitude F on sample strength manifests as initial strengthening followed by subsequent degradation. The peak strength of the samples decreases exponentially with the increase in the number of impact cycles. As the axial static load and pore pressure increase, the peak strength changes following a quadratic function, first increasing and then decreasing. Low-amplitude impact loading has a strengthening effect on the elastic modulus of coal. Under a low number of impact cycles, the growth rate of the elastic modulus &#x3c9; increases exponentially with the increase in F ; as the number of impact cycles increases, &#x3c9; decreases exponentially. With the increase in axial static load, &#x3c9; shows a quadratic function trend of first decreasing and then increasing, while the opposite trend is observed for pore pressure. The axial irreversible deformation &#x3b5; vd of the samples shows a linear increase with the number of impact cycles, and pore pressure promotes the occurrence of irreversible deformation in coal under dynamic loading. As the axial static load increases, &#x3b5; vd rises exponentially. After the action of impact loading, the porosities of micropores, macropores, and total pores in the samples all increase significantly, while the mesopore porosity decreases.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42540365/","authors":["Hu J","Liu K","Yu Y"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 28","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42540330","name":"Local Resource Heterogeneity Drives Density-Dependent Dispersal Expression in a Phoretic Mite.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Dispersal is favoured in heterogenous and ephemeral environments, where it allows individuals to move and access alternate patches. However, whilst heterogeneity across habitats favours dispersal evolutionarily, little is known about how resource heterogeneity at the source habitat-local heterogeneity-may cue dispersal expression. Local heterogeneity is likely important, as it may drive local competition and encourage movement around the local environment. We assessed the role of local resource heterogeneity on the expression of a plastic dispersal phenotype in experimental populations of the bulb mite Rhizoglyphus robini through a multigenerational experiment. Populations were kept under either heterogenous, homogenous or intermediate food distribution treatments, and at low or high population density, via culling. Thus, we tested for the effect of local resource heterogeneity and competition on dispersal expression. Additionally, we used our findings to understand the influence of compensatory growth, induced by culling, on population demography. We found that heterogenous environments induce greater dispersal expression in high-density environments, but not in low-density ones. Culled treatments had on average larger population sizes than other treatments, but no significant differences were found in growth rates. Relative abundance of both eggs and juveniles in comparison to adults was also significantly determined by experimental treatment, particularly culling. We infer that heterogeneity exacerbates perceived local level competition. We also propose that culled populations grow at a higher rate than non-culled, at least in the short-term, due to compensatory reproduction. Overall, we find a significant impact of local heterogeneity on population size and dispersal expression, much of which may arise due to the influences of heterogeneity on competition around foraging spaces. Findings highlight the pervasive effects of heterogeneity across ecological scales, and the need to distinguish between local and regional processes when modelling dispersal.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42540330/","authors":["Edwards LHA","Smallegange IM"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Aug","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42539942","name":"Challenges and opportunities of catalytic decomposition of ozone at room temperature.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Catalytic decomposition is a key technology for the removal of ozone (O 3 ). Practical application scenarios require catalysts with superior O 3 decomposition performance at ambient temperatures, high humidity, and high space velocities. In this review, the strategies for the design of catalysts with efficient and stable O 3 decomposition performance are presented, and the three factors that limit the catalytic decomposition of O 3 at ambient temperature (insufficient active sites, competitive adsorption of H 2 O and O 3 molecules, and difficult desorption of intermediate oxygen species) are systematically summarized for the first time. Subsequently, the research progress in recent years is categorized and summarized in terms of addressing the three factors limiting O 3 decomposition, which in turn suggests the shortcomings of current research and the focus of future research.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42539942/","authors":["Li X","Wang Z","Chu B","Ma J","He H"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42539678","name":"Hyper-converged space-air-ground integrated low-altitude aerial vehicular networks: Architecture, challenges, and technologies.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"In this paper, we introduce the space-air-ground integrated low-altitude aerial vehicular networks (SAG-LAAVN) that deliver ubiquitous intelligent connectivity for three-dimensional intelligent transportation systems (ITS). Built upon an innovative hyper-converged architecture that unifies Data, Operation, Information, and Communication Technologies (DOICT), SAG-LAAVN aims to address the stringent connectivity requirements imposed by the rapid evolution of low-altitude aerial vehicles, offering seamless coverage, enhanced resilience, and improved quality of experience across diverse scenarios. Three key scientific challenges in the SAG-LAAVN are discussed. Besides, we present three potential technologies: intelligent networking approach, multi-dimensional resource management, and virtual-physical dynamic collaboration. Implemented via the fully decoupled radio access network (FD-RAN), a case study is presented to demonstrate that SAG-LAAVN can provide ubiquitous, high-quality services that meet the evolving needs of the low-altitude economy.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42539678/","authors":["Zhou H","Xue J","Yuan Y","Sun Z","Xu Y","Chen J","Shen X"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42539376","name":"Women and Herpes Zoster in the United States: Risk and Prevention Management-A Narrative Review.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Herpes zoster (HZ), also known as shingles, is caused by reactivation of the latent varicella-zoster virus. HZ commonly manifests as a painful rash but may lead to more severe complications. An estimated 1 million cases of HZ occur annually in the United States, with adults aged &#x2265;50 years, women, and individuals living with certain underlying conditions at increased risk compared with the general population. This narrative review aims to support the provision of comprehensive HZ-preventive care to female patients through consolidating evidence on risk factors for HZ and current prevention practices.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42539376/","authors":["Campos R","Caldera F","Carrico J","Cochrane C","Eltoukhy N","Huang C","Kneller S","Rutland C","Slovis J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jan-Dec","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42539175","name":"Integrating single-cell and bulk transcriptomic perturbation resources reveals complementary therapeutic spaces for drug repurposing.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Transcriptome-based drug repurposing can accelerate therapeutic discovery, but is limited by fragmented resources, inconsistent quality control, and reliance on single perturbation databases. We developed CDRPipe ( C omputational D rug R epurposing Pipe line), a unified framework that interrogates disease signatures against drug perturbation signatures generated by distinct experimental technologies. Specifically, CDRPipe harmonizes microarray perturbation profiles from the Connectivity Map (CMap; 1,968 quality-filtered experiments) with pseudo-bulk profiles derived from large-scale single-cell RNA sequencing experiments in the Tahoe-100M database (56,827 experiments). CDRPipe standardizes preprocessing, computes rank-based connectivity scores, and evaluates significance using empirical null models. We applied CDRPipe to 233 curated disease signatures from GEO and CREEDS and evaluated performance using known drug-disease associations from Open Targets. Single-cell-derived pseudo-bulk profiles recovered more annotated therapeutics than microarray profiles (median recall 50.0% vs. 6.2%; Wilcoxon p &lt; 10&#x207b;&#xb9;&#xb9;), thought these differences partly reflect differences in drug library composition and clinical annotation coverage. Importantly, the two resources were highly complementary, with only 3.5% overlap in recovered drugs, indicating that integrating predictions across independent perturbation resources expands therapeutic coverage and enables identification of high-confidence consensus candidates. Case studies in autoimmune disease and endometriosis further demonstrate that CDRPipe recovers clinically relevant therapies while revealing technology-dependent patterns of discovery. These results show that integrating heterogeneous transcriptomic perturbation resources improves the robustness and interpretability of transcriptional drug repurposing.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42539175/","authors":["Niyonkuru E","Khan U","Tang X","Almonte L","Chun E","Ametepe B","Pereda Serras C","Oskotsky B","Gaudillière B","Stevenson DK","Neely J","Giudice LC","Oskotsky T","Sirota M"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 22","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42538331","name":"LIR-Mamba: consolidating YOLO and selective SSM with global-local scanning for robust infrared small target detection under laser interference.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Detecting dim and small infrared targets under high-energy laser jamming is a critical prerequisite for modern electro-optical defense systems. However, intense glare and speckle noise severely disrupt spatial distributions, making robust detection on resource-constrained edge platforms highly challenging. Existing convolutional neural networks lack the global receptive field required to suppress large-scale jamming, while Vision Transformers incur prohibitive quadratic computational costs. Although emerging State Space Models (SSMs) offer linear complexity, their standard 1D scanning strategies inherently disrupt the 2D local spatial continuity of infrared images, causing fine-grained features of tiny targets to dissipate in strong background noise. To resolve these critical bottlenecks, we propose LIR-Mamba, a novel lightweight detection framework that synergizes the real-time efficiency of YOLO with the global modeling prowess of selective SSMs. At its core, we introduce an innovative Global-Local Selective Scanning 2D (GLSS2D) mechanism. By enforcing local scanning paths within spatial windows alongside global traversal, GLSS2D effectively bridges the gap between 1D sequence modeling and 2D spatial locality, firmly preventing the dispersion of local hot-spot features. Extensive experiments demonstrate that LIR-Mamba achieves a superior mAP@50 of 96.3% at 66 frames per second, significantly outperforming mainstream detectors such as YOLOv11 and RT-DETR in both accuracy and anti-jamming robustness. The proposed method provides competitive performance for real-time target detection in complex electro-optical countermeasure environments.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42538331/","authors":["Chen T","Hu X","Wang J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 27","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42537478","name":"Navigating arrested parenthood: Bereaved parents' and healthcare professionals' experiences of less-invasive autopsy using micro-focus computed tomography.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Little is known about the experiences of bereaved parents who agree to less-invasive autopsy (LIA) investigations following pregnancy loss. This study aimed to explore parental and professional views and experiences of LIA using a new imaging technique, micro-focus computed tomography (Micro-CT).","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42537478/","authors":["Ellard H","Kreicbergs U","Wray J","Lewis C","Arthurs OJ","Simcock IC"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 18","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42535891","name":"When Concepts Travel In-Between: Knowledge Brokering and Design Justice in the Hybrid Translation of Competency-Based Education for African Pediatric Training.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Competency-Based Education (CBE) has become the dominant paradigm for structuring medical training worldwide. Yet its foundational constructs (e.g., Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs), milestones, and competencies) were conceived within resource-rich, institutionally stable, and culturally specific contexts. Their diffusion across global landscapes has not been neutral. When such frameworks travel, they carry embedded assumptions, epistemic values, and implicit universalizing authority. This article describes how The East, Central, and Southern Africa College of Paediatrics and Child Health (ECSAPACH), in partnership with the Center for Research, Innovation, and Scholarship in Health Professions Education (CRIS) at Baylor College of Medicine, reimagined CBE for African pediatric training through a process guided by design justice and implemented using knowledge brokering . Anchored in Homi Bhabha's concept of the Third Space and Culture's In-Between , we argue that the translation of CBE into new contexts is not merely a technical or linguistic act but an ethical, dialectical, and generative one. ECSAPACH's translation process demonstrates that when frameworks encounter contextual resistance and epistemic contestation, they can be reconstituted into hybrid forms that unsettle universality while deepening both global and local understanding. The resulting hybrid framework represents not a replication or simple adaptation of imported theory but a co-created, contextually anchored model for pediatric education that emerges from ongoing negotiation under conditions of asymmetrical power. We position this work as an instance of hybrid knowledge production in Bhabha's Third Space, offering lessons for equitable global partnerships and for the future evolution of CBE as a living, revisable theory.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42535891/","authors":["Tole J","Nguyen D","Kambarami R","Ochieng P","Marima R","Owino C","Misava E","Turner T","Schutze G","Lubega J","Henley KG","Thammasitboon S"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 31","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42535464","name":"Strategies for Greater Inclusion of Indigenous Students in College Science Programs.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The substantial underrepresentation of American Indian, Alaskan Native, and Native Hawai'ian (AI/AN/NH) students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) majors at United States colleges and universities results from systemic barriers in higher education. Efforts to address inequities have thus far not led to increases in AI/AN/NH student participation in STEM at the national level. In fact, while the AI/AN/NH population in the United States is increasing, there was a 17.0% decrease in the number of bachelor's degrees awarded to Indigenous students in STEM during the period 2012-2021. This work reports on steps that can be taken in a variety of types of institutions of higher education to serve our Native students in STEM more effectively. These steps are reported as a series of rationales, followed by practical descriptions of implementations. Ideas for enhancing the Indigenous experience in the academy, together with examples of successful programs, are detailed. These include raising faculty and institutional cultural competency, addressing inequities in college preparation within the K-12 system, making college STEM courses more inclusive, improving one-on-one advising and mentoring, engaging students in research, helping students overcome isolation, and providing physical spaces to build community. Implementation of these strategies will bring vast new talent to the STEM workforce, contributing to increased technical innovation and economic growth.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42535464/","authors":["Baker JD","Bueno Watts N","Isaacs DS","Johnson MD","Kenyon DB","Killgore R","Peltier C","Peltier JL","Raymond SSC","Savitzky AH","Smeltekop HE","Sprowles AE","Tehee M","Yazzie J","Ondrechen MJ"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 31","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42535123","name":"Barriers and facilitators to delivering tobacco cessation interventions at HIV care clinics in Sub-Saharan Africa: Qualitative application of the consolidated framework for implementation research.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Tobacco use among people living with HIV (PLWH) in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is prevalent, compounding health risks. Tobacco cessation interventions (TCIs) have shown promise but are not widely tested in HIV care settings. In this study, we applied the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to examine barriers and facilitators to implementing the adapted tobacco cessation intervention Quit4life+ for PLWH in Uganda and Zambia.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42535123/","authors":["Guy K","Tsui J","Musasizi E","Kusolo R","Mukupa M","Arinaitwe J","Goma F","Atuyambe L","Guwatudde D","Phiri MM","Zyambo C","Wipfli H"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42534520","name":"Negative Online Experiences and Reporting Rates in Youth With Mental Health Conditions.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Growing engagement with digital spaces among children and adolescents increases the risk of negative online experiences (NOE). This study examined the prevalence, risk factors, and reporting barriers for NOE among youth with mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42534520/","authors":["Kass M","Alexander LM","Connell T","Hamaneh SB","Abdullah N","Freund M","Milham MP","Nikolaidis A"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Aug","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42533882","name":"Evaluating an expressive writing program in supporting military women's transition to civilian life.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Expressive writing programs provide opportunities to engage in reflective writing centred on lived experience. Research shows the benefits of expressive writing for Veterans reintegrating into civilian life; however, there is a need for programs that are specific to women, in light of their gendered experiences in the military. The goal of this study was to articulate the program theory and examine preliminary evidence of outcomes for a new peer-led expressive writing program for women who have served in the Canadian military. An outcome harvesting approach was used to collect data through surveys and interviews with participants and facilitators (N = 7). Participants spoke of experiencing the program as a safe space because of the self-directed participation of the writing and sharing process. Many women related they felt their experiences were affirmed through the program's focus on positive feedback. This was further noted in the fact that writing in the program was treated as fiction, which created a \"safe distance\" and in turn allowed for deep connection between participants. Positive changes were found for the following outcomes: connection with others, well-being, creativity, empowerment of voice, and willingness to share.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42533882/","authors":["McShane KE","Lepp S"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025 Dec 1","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42533317","name":"Rapidly progressive Ludwig's angina following self-extraction of a tooth with a nail: a Cannot-Intubate Possible-to-Ventilate scenario managed with LMA bridge to surgical tracheostomy - a case report.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Ludwig's angina is a rapidly progressive, potentially fatal polymicrobial cellulitis of the submandibular and sublingual spaces, most commonly of odontogenic origin. Airway compromise may develop within hours, and securing the airway represents the most critical initial intervention. Lemierre's syndrome, septic thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein, may complicate deep neck infections and carries significant morbidity. We present a case in which both conditions converged with an extreme difficult airway scenario, managed according to Difficult Airway Society (DAS) guidelines in resource limited setting.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42533317/","authors":["Gemeda SA","Worku TE","Haile TT","Bedada GJ","Teklemariam MB"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 30","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42533155","name":"Vegetation greenness and heat load drive the movements of a water-dependent, selective grazer.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Low-density, selective grazers with restricted habitat requirements may be particularly vulnerable to extinction under hotter, drier conditions expected across Africa's drylands with climate change. We evaluated how spatiotemporal variation in vegetation greenness and environmental heat load influenced movements of sable antelope, a water-dependent African grazer with selective resource requirements. We recorded hourly Global Positioning System (GPS) locations of 10 sable antelopes (Hippotragus niger) in Bwabwata National Park, Namibia, for up to 24 months, with concurrent hourly measurements of environmental heat load. As conditions became hotter and vegetation became browner during the dry season, home ranges increased in size and elongated towards the Kavango River. The 24-hour mean hourly displacement distance of sable antelopes increased in response to increased heat load and brown vegetation exposure, primarily due to more frequent long-distance movements to the Kavango River during the late dry season. Using Hidden Markov Models (HMMs), we identified four behavioural states of movement from GPS movement tracks: resting, foraging, local movement, and relocating. The relocating state, which was generally associated with directed movements to surface water, predominated during the late dry season. Sable antelopes increased both relocating and local movements, while decreasing foraging when exposed to high heat loads and brown vegetation. As conditions become increasingly hotter and drier, and resource availability becomes more unpredictable in space and time, species with specific resource requirements may face increased risk of extirpation, as walking farther to meet water requirements may compromise their already precarious energy balance during periods of resource limitation.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42533155/","authors":["Haylock KA","Parrini F","Strauss WM","Beytell P","Moeller CH","Hetem RS"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 30","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42531459","name":"Preventing cardiovascular disease within the built and living environment: An Expert Opinion.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Cardiovascular (CV) health is influenced not only by biological factors but also by the environments in which people live. The environment comprises interconnected built, living, and social domains that shape health behaviours, psychosocial well-being, environmental exposures, and access to resources. Within this framework, the built environment, the human-made settings that structure daily life, plays a key role in influencing physical activity, dietary behaviours, social interactions, safety, and overall well-being. Neighbourhoods are embedded within historical, legal, political, cultural, and economic contexts that shape the social determinants of health and contribute to CV health. Growing evidence indicates that characteristics of the living environment substantially influence cardiovascular disease (CVD) and related disorders, through multiple pathways. These include access to healthcare, air and noise pollution, availability of healthy foods and green spaces, physical activity, social cohesion, and chronic psychosocial stress. Potential mechanisms include inflammation, oxidative stress, neuroendocrine dysregulation, unhealthy lifestyle behaviours, and persistent stress responses that promote cardiometabolic dysfunction and vascular disease. This expert opinion examines challenges and opportunities related to nutrition, physical activity, environmental quality, community engagement, and occupational as well as social dimensions of the living environment from a public health perspective. This document highlights the importance of designing healthier communities that support CV health and reduce disease burden. Furthermore, neighbourhoods may serve as measurable units for monitoring CVD and broader health outcomes by integrating environmental characteristics with CV metrics, electronic health records, geospatial data, and neighbourhood-level social risk indicators. Addressing environmental determinants across multiple scales supports targeted public health strategies in Europe and globally.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42531459/","authors":["Chrysohoou C","Timmermans E","Akinci B","Biondi-Zoccai G","Bahls M","Daha IC","Dalakoti M","Gnatiuc L","Kavousi M","Marques-Vidal P","Peters S","Tse G","Lochen ML","Panagiotakos D","Vassiliou VS"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 30","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42530468","name":"Dividends and Disconnects: Involving Public and Stakeholder Groups in the Development of a Modelling Study Exploring Income Policy and Health.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Policy models increasingly guide policy decision-making. Incorporating public and stakeholder perspectives into modelling processes can produce evidence that is more relevant, appropriate and acceptable to the public. However, public and stakeholder involvement (PSI) in modelling studies is an emerging practice in the field of health inequalities, with little guidance available to support researchers.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42530468/","authors":["Hamilton OKL","Fergie G","Shimonovich M","McHardy F","Kopasker D","Silverman E","Craig P","Gibson M","Munford L","Brown H","Katikireddi SV","Thomson RM"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Aug","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42530454","name":"Gynaecologists' Views and Acceptability of Active Surveillance for Women Diagnosed With Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia 2: A Qualitative Study.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Persistent oncogenic HPV infection can cause cervical epithelial changes leading to premalignant lesions such as CIN2. Active surveillance, a conservative option, reduces exposure to excisional risks while allowing timely treatment when needed. However, little is known about clinicians' perspectives, acceptability, and experience of offering active surveillance in the Australian healthcare context.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42530454/","authors":["Luo D","Sharman AR","Bateson D","Smith M","Black KI","Bell K","McCaffery KJ","Dodd RH"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Aug","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42529303","name":"Dominant Role of Habitat Transformation in Driving the Divergence of Health-Risk Related Microbial Functional Genes in Karst Mountain Parks: A Metagenomic Study.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The transformation of natural forests into urban parks has had a profound impact on subterranean ecosystems. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms by which this land use change affects human health through alterations in soil microbial functional genes remain to be elucidated. Focusing on a karst mountain park in Guiyang, China, we used metagenomic sequencing to compare the abundance and composition of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), pathogen-host interaction&#xa0;genes (PHIs), and virulence factor genes (VFs) between remnant forests and artificial green spaces, and examined how plant diversity and soil chemometrics drove their variation. Habitat type emerged as the strongest driver of gene composition. PHIs and VFs were more abundant in remnant forests and positively correlated with native plant diversity, while ARGs were enriched in artificial green spaces. All three gene categories showed positive correlations with soil nitrogen content in artificial green spaces. Remnant forests harbored microbial functions linked to complex plant-microbe interactions, whereas intensive management in artificial green spaces selects for antibiotic resistance and nutrient-adaptive genes. These findings reveal distinct health risks across habitats, suggesting that differentiated park management strategies are needed to mitigate public health risks while maintaining ecological sustainability.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42529303/","authors":["Wang W","Cen C","Yang J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Aug","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42529057","name":"Drivers of spatial dynamics of a large ungulate (American Bison, Bos bison): forage productivity or site fidelity?","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Optimal foraging theory predicts that animals should reduce energy expenditure and maximize fitness by establishing home ranges in areas with abundant, high-quality forage. However, ungulates may not select optimal foraging habitat when behavior is driven by site fidelity. On Vermejo Park Ranch, New Mexico, managers translocated American Bison (hereafter, bison) to high elevations to reduce historically heavy grazing in lower elevations and to distribute the ecological effects of grazing across the broader landscape. We hypothesized that: (i) home range size is driven by forage abundance and quality; but that (ii) site fidelity can result in suboptimal selection of home ranges in areas with lower forage abundance and quality. We estimated space use and resource selection of free-roaming GPS-collared bison occupying lower elevation sites of historical use and bison translocated to higher elevations to evaluate drivers of home range size and selection. Home range size was strongly negatively influenced by forage abundance. However, without translocation, bison exhibited fidelity to areas of historical use and selected seemingly suboptimal home ranges with lower forage biomass. Conversely, bison that established home ranges following translocation to higher elevations selected home ranges with greater forage biomass. Greater forage biomass enabled bison to use smaller home ranges, increasing spatial efficiency and cohesion. Bison on Vermejo that were not translocated by managers established home ranges at lower elevations despite the availability of higher quantity and quality (nitrogen yield) of forage at higher elevations. Thus, home range selection appeared to be guided by site fidelity rather than foraging optimally across the larger landscape. For managed ungulates, translocation may facilitate access to superior resources and eventually begin to restore knowledge of migratory routes and seasonally abundant forage.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42529057/","authors":["Asmus KA","Kruse CG","Ranglack DH","Benson JF"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Aug","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42528995","name":"Growth patterns, sexual dimorphism, and seasonal body mass variation in Plains Zebra of the Serengeti Region, Tanzania.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Knowledge of growth patterns and physical properties of animals helps researchers assess population characteristics and health in the field. Information on age-specific body measurements and growth patterns is rare in ungulates because examining a large portion of a population is time-, budget-, and personnel-intensive in the wild. We collected age- and sex-specific body measurements from 442 Plains Zebra ( Equus quagga boehmi ) culled in the Serengeti region, Tanzania, between 1969 and 1971. The dataset contained 307 males and 133 females. We found that males were on average 2.8% larger than females in body measurements of heart girth, height at shoulder, neck-body length, hind foot length, and the body mass, indicating minimal sexual dimorphism in adult Plains Zebra. We used polynomial regression to explore the relationship between heart girth and body mass and applied third-degree polynomial regression models to predict body mass for 34 females and 115 males with recorded girth but missing body mass records. We applied 5 non-linear models-Gompertz, von Bertalanffy, Bertalanffy-P&#xfc;tter, logistic, and Richards-to characterize sex-specific growth trajectories for each trait. Our results showed that different traits followed different growth patterns, with size asymptotes reached by &#x223c;2 to 5&#x2009;yr depending on trait and sex. Seasonal trends in adult body mass were also evaluated using generalized linear models incorporating sex and cyclical effects of day of year. While female body mass showed little seasonal variation, adult males exhibited a 16.9% increase in mass during the wet season, followed by a sharp decline, suggesting greater seasonal plasticity and energetic investment. Our work is one of the few studies on body size and growth in wild equids, which provides new information on age- and sex-specific growth trajectories for comparison across zebra subspecies over time and space.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42528995/","authors":["Esmaeili S","Gogan PJP","Schoenecker KA","Skoog RO"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Aug","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42528819","name":"LRD-Inst: a lightweight and robust dual-branch framework for instance segmentation of mixed bagged and unbagged apples.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Amid global labor shortages, automated harvesting robots are essential for enhancing agricultural productivity, with robust instance segmentation serving as the core vision task. However, existing methods fail to balance high-fidelity boundary delineation and real-time efficiency under severe visual degradations caused by protective fruit bagging and dense canopy occlusions.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42528819/","authors":["Zhu C","Zeng X","Liu W","Song Q"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42528493","name":"Diversity in energy transition: a multi-case study on DIY solar energy in Germany.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The transition to renewable energy systems is not only a technological challenge but also a deeply social and cultural process with significant implications for intersectional equality. Citizen-led energy initiatives are often portrayed as ideal spaces for participatory engagement, yet they can reproduce exclusionary dynamics, particularly regarding gender-related injustices. With a particular focus on FLINTA*-persons this study examines how citizen-led, Do-It-Yourself (DIY) photovoltaic (PV) initiatives in Germany translate normative commitments to diversity and justice into everyday organizational practices. Using a comparative qualitative case study approach, six initiatives were analysed through document-analysis, interviews, and participant observations to explore reflexive orientations-how actors understand gender, diversity, and justice-and performative practices-how these orientations are enacted through strategies, activities, and organizational forms. Findings reveal persistent gaps between diversity aspirations and implementation, shaped by limited resources, organizational constraints, and socio-cultural barriers. Patriarchal norms continue to limit FLINTA*'s participation, even in initiatives explicitly committed to inclusivity, while masculinities within these initiatives often reproduce subtle exclusionary practices. To capture these dynamics, we introduce the concept of ecological-hegemonic masculinity, describing configurations in which men, despite valuing renewable energy, social benefits, and care-oriented narratives, continue to align with hegemonic norms of autonomy, control, and guidance. Furthermore, the study contributes a novel perspective linking reflexive and performative approaches to inclusion and highlights conditions under which diversity efforts succeed or falter. From a practical standpoint, creating protected spaces for FLINTA* and other marginalized groups, alongside sustained financial and institutional support, is essential for moving inclusion from individual motivation to structurally embedded practice. These insights advance both theoretical understanding and actionable strategies for achieving socially just energy transitions.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42528493/","authors":["Schwickert S","Jaeger-Erben M","Preis A","Tscherkaschin J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42527983","name":"Biocrusts improve the performance of crop species under simulated space conditions.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Long space travels and exoplanetary colonization will likely require innovative strategies to ensure crop survival under extreme conditions. Simultaneously, climate change threatens global agricultural productivity, increasing the need for stress-tolerant crops. Beneficial microorganisms, particularly high-stress-tolerant biocrusts, offer a promising tool for supporting plant growth in harsh environments. Here, we evaluated the effects of biocrusts from the Atacama Desert, the driest desert on Earth, on soil nutrition, plant performance, and crop nutritional quality in lettuce and spinach under simulated space conditions. Biocrusts significantly enhanced soil enzymatic activity, improving nutrient availability. Additionally, biocrust-treated plants exhibited higher germination and survival rates, greater stress tolerance, and increased nutritional quality compared to control plants. These benefits were particularly evident under space-simulated conditions, where plant growth was highly constrained. Our findings highlight the potential of Atacama Desert biocrusts as a sustainable and effective biotechnological solution for space agriculture, ensuring crop resilience and nutritional yield. Moreover, these microbial communities could help mitigate the impacts of climate change on terrestrial agriculture by improving soil fertility and plant stress tolerance. Biocrusts represent a valuable resource and a sustainable alternative for securing global food production in extreme environments, both on Earth and beyond.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42527983/","authors":["Molina-Montenegro MA","Reyes SA","Atala C"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 29","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42527954","name":"Transforming Outpatient Patient Flow: A COVID-19 Driven Quality Improvement Initiative for an Outpatient Model of Care.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly disrupted outpatient services with challenges including cancellations and delays in consultations, diagnostics, and surgeries. The Acute Hand Program at Trillium Health Partners examined the pandemic's impact as a catalyst for improving an outpatient model of care.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42527954/","authors":["Tam L"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 30","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42526482","name":"Sparsity-constrained one-dimensional convolutional autoencoder for reliable photoplethysmography template quality verification.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Photoplethysmography signal quality assessment is essential for ensuring reliable physiological analysis, particularly in real-world conditions where motion artifacts and pathological variations are common. This study proposes a lightweight one-dimensional convolutional autoencoder for automatic classification of photoplethysmography signal quality based on template-level reconstruction error. The method incorporates template-based segmentation and spline interpolation for baseline correction, enabling consistent signal representation prior to model inference. The proposed approach is evaluated on a dataset containing both normal and arrhythmic signals, providing a more realistic assessment compared to conventional studies. Experimental results demonstrate strong performance, achieving an accuracy of 96%, precision of 99%, recall of 96%, and F1-score of 98%. The model shows a high capability to preserve valid photoplethysmography signals while effectively rejecting corrupted segments, which is critical for clinical applications. In addition, the method outperforms a skewness-based signal quality index, particularly in handling arrhythmic cases. The model maintains a compact architecture with approximately 344,611 parameters (1.3 MB), making it suitable for deployment on resource-constrained edge devices.Analysis of the latent space reveals stable and structured feature representations, although partial overlap between normal and arrhythmic samples is observed due to the physiological nature of rhythm irregularities. Overall, the proposed method provides an efficient and clinically relevant solution for photoplethysmography signal quality assessment, with strong potential for real-world applications.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42526482/","authors":["Phan KD","Luu TT","Le TT","Tran-Quang DH","Huynh VT"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 29","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42526234","name":"Species-aware prediction of fish acute toxicity improves hazard screening and prioritization of environmentally detected pharmaceuticals.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Widespread contamination of surface waters by active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) leads to ubiquitous exposure in fish, critical sentinels in aquatic food webs. However, ecotoxicity assessment remains constrained by pronounced interspecies differences in sensitivity and by the scarcity of toxicity data for fish species representative of distinct ecoregions. To support hazard screening of environmentally detected APIs, we developed an ensemble model integrating Deep Neural Networks (DNN) with six other machine learning models. Trained on 10,054 acute toxicity data points (4190 groups, 1651 organic compounds, 24 freshwater fish species), the model achieved a test-set R 2 of 0.72 and an RMSE of 0.83. Ablation analysis showed that the model trained on a feature space integrating chemical, biological, and exposure-related descriptors outperformed the model based solely on chemical descriptors, indicating that biological and experimental factors provide complementary information for predicting fish acute toxicity. Feature interaction analysis revealed that Salmoniformes exhibited heightened sensitivity to lower-MW compounds, whereas under static exposure conditions, higher MW was associated with attenuated toxicity. Applied to 714 environmentally detected APIs lacking experimental fish acute toxicity data, the framework showed that applicability-domain definitions strongly influenced scenario coverage and downstream species sensitivity distribution construction. This work provides a predictive strategy that helps address the limitations of disparate and ecologically unrepresentative testing data that compromise regional relevance, thereby enabling proactive and ecologically grounded chemical prioritization in freshwater ecosystems.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42526234/","authors":["Liu W","Xin S","Li Z","Zhang L","Wang J","Yan S","Hong X","Zha J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 27","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42526110","name":"Towards physically consistent prediction of groundwater salinization in coastal reclamation areas: A novel PMF-weighted SHAP framework.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Groundwater salinization in coastal reclamation areas severely threatens regional water security. To address the limitation that machine learning models tend to overlook hydrogeochemical processes in black-box predictions, a PMF-weighted SHAP framework was proposed, which directly embeds source-apportionment information into feature selection. Qualitative evidence first indicated that trapped seawater in reclamation sediments, rather than active modern seawater intrusion, was the primary source of salinization. The PMF-derived contributions of trapped seawater were then integrated into SHAP as sample-specific physical weights, allowing samples with stronger trapped-seawater signatures to exert greater influence on feature ranking. Finally, following model benchmarking, XGBoost was selected as the base learner to predict the Groundwater Quality Index (GQI) using 407 groundwater samples, and three feature-input strategies were compared. The results show that compared to the conventional SHAP model, the PMF-weighted framework raised the importance ranking of land use and suppressed the spuriously high importance of tidal level, thereby aligning feature selection with the trapped-seawater-dominated salinization mechanism and increasing the test-set R 2 from 0.755 to 0.887. Stratified SHAP importance was further found to be highly consistent with the physical zonation revealed by PMF: irrigation predominantly affects the shallow zone (0-200 cm) in the paddy field, whereas trapped seawater dominates the deeper layer (300-400 cm) in both dryland and paddy field. This study demonstrates that embedding physical mechanisms into feature selection is an effective approach for constructing highly reliable predictive models in hydrology.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42526110/","authors":["Jia Z","Yu H","Yang H","Chen Z","Xie E","Hou L","Zhang H","Li Y","Yu X"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 25","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42525772","name":"Vulnerability to high temperature shapes global warming impacts on rice yield.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Complex and spatially varying warming impacts on rice yield hinder climate change impact assessments on food security. To address this issue, we compiled a global dataset of field-warming experiments ( n &#xa0;=&#xa0;214) and analyzed stage-specific crop responses to temperature variations. Results show that exposures to high (30&#xb0; to 35&#xb0;C) and extreme high (&gt;35&#xb0;C) temperatures are the dominant drivers of warming-induced rice yield losses, primarily through harvest index reductions. One additional exposure day above 30&#xb0;C during the reproductive stage reduces rice yields by 1.1 to 1.8%. In contrast, current global gridded crop models underestimate this sensitivity, simulating only 0.1 to 1.3% yield loss per exposure day. After adjusting the model biases, we estimate that global rice yield losses decrease by 8.1% under 1&#xb0;C of global warming, approximately twice the unadjusted estimates, with South and Southeast Asia being the most vulnerable regions. Our results highlight the critical role of high-temperature exposure in shaping warming impacts on rice yield.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42525772/","authors":["Jian Y","Wang X","Jägermeyr J","Ciais P","Müller C","Zscheischler J","Li T","Cheng K","Hou P","Huang J","Huang S","Jiang Y","Wang B","Song Z","Zhang Z","Zhu P","Zhou F"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 31","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42525360","name":"Primate-ungulate sympatry: a review of ecological interactions and research perspectives.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The co-occurrence of species within the same area raises fundamental questions about how they can persist while sharing space and resources. One of the central aims of community ecology is to understand the processes that allow species to coexist over time. The sympatry between primates and ungulates has not received much specialized attention, despite long-term acknowledgment that the two groups frequently co-occur. In this contribution, we have reviewed and summarized empirical evidence from a set of published studies to determine the nature of primate and ungulate association in space and time, the ecological contexts within which such associations occur, and the types of interactions that have been reported. We particularly examined the trends in the study taxa, the geographic distribution of research, and the functional categories of interactions. Within the literature, interspecific interactions are frequently reported in Africa, between baboons (Papio sp.) and small to medium-sized ungulates. Foraging facilitation and antipredator benefits are among the most frequently documented interaction types, typically resulting in commensalistic or asymmetrical mutualistic outcomes favouring ungulate species. Nonetheless, mutualism and antagonistic interactions are also reported, which indicates the context-dependent nature of these relationships. The frequency and form of associations appear to further depend on seasonal variation and habitat structure, although these factors were not consistently taken into account in the studies considered in this review. This synthesis helps establish a set of research priorities to promote more systematic and focused studies of primate-ungulate sympatry.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42525360/","authors":["Coelho C","Bobe R","Carvalho S"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 29","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42524872","name":"A Global Methane Observation System to Reduce Uncertainty for Anthropogenic and Natural Sources and Sinks for Detecting and Attributing Climate Feedbacks.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Atmospheric methane (CH 4 ) concentrations are accelerating global warming as net emissions increase. Observing systems that quantify sources remain too sparse and fragmented to detect trends-especially in remote regions where climate-driven natural emissions may be rising. We provide a framework for quantifying uncertainty reductions through the implementation of a global ecosystem-methane observing system designed to: (i) substantially lower uncertainty in sectoral and regional emissions, (ii) separate co-occurring anthropogenic and natural fluxes, and (iii) trend detection at regional scales to verify mitigation progress and provide early warning of natural feedbacks. Using bottom-up inventories and process-model ensembles for 2014-2023, we show that anthropogenic emissions remain uncertain by &#x223c;32% globally, while natural sources-tropical and boreal-arctic wetlands, fires, and inland waters-carry far larger uncertainties (+ 70%) and trend uncertainties reaching &#x223c;200%. Additional observations must match spatial emission structure to increase observability of emissions: high-resolution satellite constellations for point sources combined with expanded flux networks and wetland mapping for diffuse sources, and denser ground-based atmospheric column measurements to restore observability in under-sampled tropics and high latitudes. Notional analyses indicate that targeted additions of flux towers and &#x223c;20 in situ atmospheric column concentration instruments per key tropical region could reduce continental-scale uncertainties at modest cost.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42524872/","authors":["Ciais P","Peng S","Chang J","Li F","Zhu Q","Yuan K","Hugelius G","Li H","Cai Y","Chevallier F","Tibrewal K","Kort EA","Arndt K","Watts J","Buma B","Besic N","Palmer PI","Cadillo-Quiroz H","Euskirchen E","Gondwe MJ","Hoyt A","Jackson R","Malone S","Monteverde D","Natali S","Ramonet M","Rey-Sanchez C","Sagang LB","Schuur EAG","Vargas R","Varner R","Zhang Z","Poulter B"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 29","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42524727","name":"Resource-Efficient Quantum Algorithms for Selected Hamiltonian Subspace Diagonalization.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Quantum algorithms for selecting a subspace of Hamiltonians to diagonalize have emerged as a promising alternative to variational algorithms in the NISQ era. So far, such algorithms, which include the quantum selected configuration interaction (QSCI) and sample-based quantum diagonalization (SQD), have been formulated in second quantization within Fock space, which leads to inefficient usage of qubit resources. We introduce the first QSCI algorithm developed in the CI-matrix (CIM) framework, which is known to have optimal qubit scaling of exactly&#x2308;log2(N)&#x2309;, where N is the size of the CIM. In addition, we introduce a novel single-bit flip error mitigation which comes at the overhead of a single qubit and we combine this with a stochastic approximate Trotterization evolution adapted from qDRIFT. Simulating benchmark N2 and naphthalene molecules on quantum hardware, our results achieved similar accuracy as SQD methods but with significantly less quantum resources. However, our CIM-QSCI algorithm and SQD methods could not match the performance of classical heat-bath CI (HCI) for the same task. Hence, we introduce an augmented version of QSCI called quantum selected heat-bath CI (QSHCI). This variant replaces classical heat-bath sampling with quantum sampling from QSCI to achieve performance comparable to HCI. We note that a current drawback of our approach is the preprocessing cost of O(N2log&#x2061;N)for constructing the CIM and performing the Pauli decomposition. This can be further improved by considering efficient CIM access models for the stochastic Trotter evolution.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42524727/","authors":["Graves V","Hlatshwayo MQ","Kapourniotis T","Georgopoulos K"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 28","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42524564","name":"Innovative pathways for sustainable health financing for migrants and refugees in Iran: a stakeholder and social network analysis approach.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Financing health services for migrants and refugees remains challenging in settings with constrained fiscal space, fragmented governance and protracted displacement. This study aimed to identify existing, underused and potential mechanisms for financing migrant and refugee health services in Iran and to map the stakeholders involved in revenue raising, pooling, purchasing and policy-making.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42524564/","authors":["Bakhtiari A","Olyaeemanesh A","Behzadifar M","Bordbar S","Mohamadi E","Mostafavi H","Kargar S","Yaftian F","Takian A"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42524245","name":"Geographic Isolation, Compelled Mobility, and Adolescent Risk Behavior.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"We explore alternative hypotheses regarding the association between activity space racial composition and risk behavior among Black-identifying urban youth. Racial isolation perspectives argue that exposure to Black segregated neighborhoods limits access to mainstream institutions and influence, increasing participation in risk behavior (violence, delinquency, and substance/alcohol use). An alternative compelled mobility perspective argues that Black youth spend a substantial amount of time in low proportion Black, largely white neighborhoods seeking organizational resources typically less available in segregated areas. These exposures may lead to discrimination-related strain, detachment from conventional norms, and elevated physiological stress, increasing the likelihood of risk behavior compared to Black youth who spend more time in same-race dominated activity spaces. We test these competing hypotheses employing data from the Columbus, Ohio, USA-based Adolescent Health and Development in Context study on the geospatial exposures and both survey and Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA)-reported behaviors of 506 Black youth ages 11-17. Contrary to the expectations of the isolation model, we find that greater exposure to residentially low proportion Black areas is associated with an increased likelihood of risk behavior for Black males. We consider implications of findings for extant theories and data collection approaches in research examining spatial effects on adolescent risk behavior.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42524245/","authors":["Browning CR","Boettner B","Pinchak NP","Calder CA"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Mar 18","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42522973","name":"Stable Full-Color and Single-Phase White Emission in a Family of Isomeric Organic Cu(I) Iodides.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Organic Cu(I) halides feature highly designable structures, systematic tunability, and efficient emission; however, simultaneously achieving full-color tunable emission and single-phase white emission with thermal- and chemical-stimulated optical responses in organic isomeric Cu(I) halides polymorphs have never been reported. Herein, we synthesized a family of zero-dimensional organic isomeric Cu(I) iodides of &#x3b1;-/&#x3b2;-/&#x3b3;-/&#x3b4;-/&#x3b5;-(ITPP) 2 Cu 2 I 4 , all of which have the same molecular formula and crystallize in monoclinic space group P2 1 /n. However, due to the different arrangement orientation of [Cu 2 I 4 ] 2- clusters and the surrounding molecular environment, &#x3b1;-/&#x3b2;-/&#x3b3;-/&#x3b4;-/&#x3b5;-(ITPP) 2 Cu 2 I 4 exhibits blue, green, yellow, red, and white emission, with an optimal luminous efficiency of 92.4%. Interestingly, &#x3b1;-/&#x3b2;-/&#x3b3;-/&#x3b4;-/&#x3b5;-(ITPP) 2 Cu 2 I 4 shows tunable dual self-trapped excitons emission under different temperatures, making them suitable for optical thermometry with an ultrahigh relative thermal sensitivity of 13.17%&#xb7;K -1 . Moreover, external chemical stimuli can induce luminescent transformation between different hybrid Cu(I) iodides, which enables us to demonstrate their application in multiple anti-counterfeiting. Parallelly, hybrid Cu(I) iodides also exhibit efficient x-ray scintillation with a high light yield of 63500 &#xb1; 1200 photons/MeV, and a customizable large-area flexible paper-based film has been prepared in situ using an \"ancient fabric dyeing process\", demonstrating its application in x-ray imaging with an ultrahigh spatial resolution of 20.8 lp/mm.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42522973/","authors":["Peng H","Zhang H","Li Z","Shao H","Zhi P","Yang W","Ke B","Du Z","Zou B"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 29","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42522411","name":"Electrochromic Adaptive Solar Heater and Sub-Ambient Passive Daytime Radiative Cooler.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems are major contributors to global energy consumption, underscoring the urgent need for energy-efficient building envelope technologies. Synergistic solar and radiative electrochromism offers a promising solution by leveraging the sun and outer space as sustainable thermodynamic resources. In this study, we demonstrate a dual-mode electrochromic device that enables reversible, non-volatile switching between solar heating and sub-ambient radiative cooling, achieving annual energy savings of 73.7 MBtu and CO 2 emission savings of 4063 kg CO 2 in specific U.S. climate zones. The device can achieve true sub-ambient passive daytime radiative cooling by 1&#xb0;C in the cooling mode and raise it by 33&#xb0;C above ambient in the heating mode during daytime operation, controlled by electrical voltage. The device employs electrodeposited lossy amorphous Cu-Bi nanoclusters on defect-activated monolayer graphene, yielding high optical contrast between cooling (solar absorptance &#x3b1;&#xa0;=&#xa0;7.99%, thermal emittance &#x3b5;&#xa0;=&#xa0;93.58%) and heating (&#x3b1;&#xa0;=&#xa0;47.7%, &#x3b5;&#xa0;=&#xa0;20.14%) modes, with outstanding long-term durability. This work paves the way for scalable, durable, and dynamic thermal regulation, advancing sustainable building technologies.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42522411/","authors":["Sui C","Li Q","Han Y","Dou X","Yan G","Liu J","Harris B","Li J","Filatov AS","Fan Q","Fu CT","Hsu PC"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 29","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42522029","name":"Oilbirds performing non-seasonal intra-tropical migrations reduce flight effort compared to individuals that frequently return to the colony roost.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Individual behavioural variation is a driver of population dynamics and key for the adaptation and persistence of species. In colonial species, individuals share the same ecological niche and aggregate in space, but they might use different foraging strategies and incur differential costs. Using location and accelerometer data from 21 adult oilbirds (Steatornis caripensis), which are colonial frugivores, we characterized nocturnal movement patterns and measured total nightly flight time, as a proxy of movement effort, for different movement strategies during their non-breeding period. We collected location and accelerometer data using 22&#xa0;g loggers (e-obs GmbH; Munich, Germany), between August 22nd, 2008 and February 14th, 2009. The tracked oilbirds displayed three distinct movement strategies for the entire sampling period: Intra-tropical migrants (ITM), which performed roost switches that lasted between 17 and 73 continuous days, consistent with partial nomadic migrations rather than seasonal movements; venturers, which performed long-distance excursions but returned to the main cave within 3 days, and roost-faithful individuals that never performed such excursions and never switched roosts. Among the three strategies, we estimated that ITM showed a lower movement effort, based on total nightly flight time, throughout the sampling period. Despite travelling long distances, ITM birds reduced overall flight effort by day-roosting near foraging sites, minimizing the need for long commuting flights. The oilbirds showed site fidelity to multiple foraging areas, without among-individual spatial overlap. These findings give insights into how behavioural flexibility could facilitate resource partitioning and coexistence in this colonial species, as well as the consequences of inter-individual variation for adapting to habitat change. Such information is relevant to evaluate the role of oilbirds as ecosystem service providers and habitat connectivity.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42522029/","authors":["Alarcón-Nieto G","Maldonado-Chaparro AA","Bosque C","Kümmeth F","Safi K","Wikelski M"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 28","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42520904","name":"Applying in silico ecotoxicity prediction to extensive datasets to support safer and more sustainable discovery chemistry.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Amide bonds are highly present in many chemical products, including pharmaceuticals and polymers. They are constituted from amines and acids, both of which are abundant in the chemical industry. Therefore, there is a need to bring these chemicals into alignment with the recent European Commission (EC) Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework, and its practices. This study investigates the ecotoxicity potential of an extensive dataset of approximately 19,000 molecules, including amines, acids and amides, using Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship (QSAR) models, VEGA and JANUS, respectively. Most predictions showed low to moderate reliability, indicating an outside-the-applicability domain pattern of the analyzed compounds. Under these conditions, 99.9% of the dataset was classified as non-toxic, which should be interpreted as a limited-reliability screening result. This pattern was further explored by analyzing the chemical space of both marketed chemicals and the training sets of the models used. Overall, this analysis highlights the need to develop new QSAR models tailored to amines and acids, to overcome the out-of-domain challenges and support the operationalization of the SSbD framework.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42520904/","authors":["Nikiforou F","Selvestrel G","Söderberg E","Syrén PO","von Borries K","Zheng Z","Agalliadou A","Karakoltzidis A","Halling M","Benfenati E","Karakitsios S","Sarigiannis D"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 28","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42520697","name":"Effects of vegetation restoration on deep soil carbon sequestration and its controlling mechanisms on the Loess Plateau.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The Loess Plateau, the largest loess deposit region globally, plays a pivotal role in regulating regional and global carbon cycles through variations in its soil carbon pool. In recent decades, large-scale vegetation restoration programs have been widely implemented across the Loess Plateau, and numerous studies have investigated their effects on soil carbon dynamics. However, how vegetation restoration affects the accumulation of deep soil carbon remains unclear. In this study, the Caijiachuan watershed in Jixian County, Shanxi Province, was selected as the study area. Using a space-for-time substitution approach, we examined the effects of different vegetation restoration types including grassland, Pinus tabulaeformis, Platycladus orientalis, Robinia pseudoacacia, and mixed forests of Platycladus orientalis and Robinia pseudoacacia on the 0-300&#x202f;cm soil carbon pool, with cropland serving as the control. Compared with cropland, vegetation restoration increased soil organic carbon (SOC) content and stock in the shallow (0-100&#x202f;cm) and deep (100-300&#x202f;cm) soil layer, with mixed forests exhibiting the greatest SOC sequestration potential. The increase in deep SOC was associated with enhanced dissolved organic carbon (DOC), suggesting that vertical transport of DOC may have contributed to subsoil carbon accumulation. Vegetation restoration increased the content and stock of soil inorganic carbon (SIC) in deep soil layers, while the trend in shallow soils was not consistent. Among the vegetation types, grassland showed the highest potential for inorganic carbon sequestration. In addition, vegetation restoration significantly increased CO 2 concentration (P&#x202f;&lt;&#x202f;0.05) and decreased pH in shallow soils, which may have facilitated the dissolution of lithogenic carbonate. The dissolved products may have subsequently migrated downward with percolating water and reprecipitated in deeper soil layers, potentially increasing the storage of pedogenic carbonate in the 100-300&#x202f;cm profile. This study is expected to provide important theoretical support for enhancing soil carbon sequestration through vegetation restoration on the Loess Plateau, particularly for understanding the formation and transformation of deep SIC.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42520697/","authors":["Ge L","Zhan Z","Zhang J","Mei X","Feng T","Yang J","Zhao J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 28","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42519568","name":"Disease control during livestock movement among smallholder farming actors in Kisumu West Sub-County, Kenya.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Livestock movement remains a crucial socio-cultural practice for rural households in sub-Saharan Africa, yet disease-control practices during movement among sedentary smallholder farmers remain poorly understood. This study examined the relationship between livestock movement and disease-control strategies among smallholder farmers and other actors in Kisumu West Sub-County, western Kenya. Inspired by social practice theory and using a qualitative research design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 28 actors and two focus group discussions involving 16 participants, enabling data triangulation. The results reveal three distinct forms of livestock movement; intra-local, inter-local, and extra-local, each associated with specific disease-control challenges and responses. Farmers drew on locally available resources, community knowledge, and selective veterinary engagement to manage disease risks, often constrained by limited space, inadequate enforcement of health regulations, and economic pressure. Findings are context-specific and should be interpreted as qualitative insights from one sub-county rather than broadly generalisable evidence. The study offers implications for animal health governance in smallholder systems in developing countries like Kenya.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42519568/","authors":["Owili JA","Maat H","van Mierlo B"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Dec","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42519484","name":"PolCSBD: A contextual dataset of code-mixed Bengali and Banglish for political counter-speech detection.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The detection of counter-speech on social media is heavily dependent on the conversational context, particularly in low-resource and code-mixed languages. This article presents a dataset of 10,021 contextual comment pairs extracted from political discussions on Bangladeshi YouTube channels. The dataset captures native Bengali script, fully Romanized Bengali (\"Banglish\"), and hybrid code-mixed sentences. Each instance consists of a parent comment and a corresponding nested reply, annotated manually by native speakers to indicate the presence or absence of counter-speech. Replies that actively dispute, correct, or challenge the parent text with a logical counter-narrative are labeled as '1' (Counter-Speech), while replies indicating agreement, off-topic remarks, or non-argumentative insults are labeled as '0' (Non-Counter Speech). The dataset underwent rigorous preprocessing, including the removal of URLs, user tags, and emojis, alongside the normalization of English characters. This dataset provides a foundational resource for training and evaluating natural language processing (NLP) models in understanding contextual political discourse in South Asian code-mixed environments. By preserving the direct link between a baseline statement and its response, the data allows researchers to move beyond isolated sentence classification and study actual dialogic structures. It specifically targets the acute shortage of resources for analyzing informal, phonetically typed regional dialects. Consequently, machine learning practitioners and social scientists can utilize this collection to benchmark text classifiers, test large language models (LLMs) on South Asian discourse, and explore algorithmic moderation strategies in highly polarized online spaces.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42519484/","authors":["Mehedi CM","Emon AA","Mozumder MA","Akther S","Tasnim F","Uddin MB"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Aug","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42519290","name":"A SWOT Analysis of the Early Assessment and Intervention Program for Preschool Children in Iran: A Qualitative Research.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Early assessment and intervention program for preschool children (EAIPPC) is a critical undertaking in developing countries. The present study aimed to analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of EAIPPC in Iran.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42519290/","authors":["Khaleghinezhad SA","Soltaninejad N","Elhambakhsh SE"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Apr","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42518742","name":"Emergency medical team coordination management following the 2024 Vanuatu earthquake.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"On 17 December 2024, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck the Pacific Island country of Vanuatu, affecting over 80&#xa0;000 people and causing 14 deaths and 265 injuries. Facing limited specialist clinical capacity, increased patient load and strained facilities, Vanuatu's Ministry of Health requested support from emergency medical teams.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42518742/","authors":["Vile S","Obed J","Beauchemin PY","Kemuel S","Kubo T","Noste EE","Gilmore C","Guyant P","Ikeda R","Natsukawa T","Harada K","Takamura Y","Tanaka H","Sugiyama H","Casey ST"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Apr-Jun","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42518679","name":"The benefit of using dynamic rather than static heat assessment methods early in a mine water energy project.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Mine water geothermal (MWG) heating offers a low-carbon solution for space heating, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To assess the feasibility of an MWG scheme, an estimate of extractable heat is required to size the system, to determine if it meets surface demand, and evaluate economic viability. In early project stages, where data are limited, static methods, such as geothermal heat flow, mine water volume, rock volume, and flow rate, are commonly used. However, these methods do not account for mine geometry. GEMSToolbox is a streamlined dynamic model, purpose built for MWG, that operates with the same limited data as static methods but also incorporates digitised mine plans. It allows rapid modelling of scenarios such as roadway collapse and shaft treatments, and helps identify optimal injection and abstraction points. We apply GEMSToolbox to a digitised two-seam coal mine and to a simplified synthetic grid model of similar size. The resulting dynamic heat estimates are compared with those from static methods, revealing order of magnitude differences, from 4,200 MWh to 210,000 MWh over 40 years. Using dynamic modelling early in project development improves targeting of exploration wells, enables site-specific mitigation planning, and reduces uncertainty. GEMSToolbox offers a practical alternative to static methods, enhancing both technical confidence and investment readiness in MWG projects.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42518679/","authors":["Sweeney A","van Hunen J","Mouli-Castillo J","Gluyas J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42518615","name":"Applying Principles of Community-Engaged Research.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Community-engaged research (CEnR) is a participatory approach that foregrounds community priorities and applies research results to community action. CEnR embodies shared decision-making by including community partners' values, preferences, and experiences within the research process. CEnR projects can help medical student learners acquire skills in conducting needs assessments and more fully appreciate the social determinants of health and challenges faced by communities. CEnR does not prescribe specific methods for addressing research questions. Rather, it is a collaborative approach with community members that begins by codetermining the research topic, levels of engagement for all partners, and positionality. CEnR uses participatory methodologies and unique approaches to knowledge cultivation while creating space for dialogue to build relationships and trust. The purpose of this article is to provide a brief introduction to CEnR principles, identify additional resources and tools, and share ways of managing some of the challenges of conducting CEnR.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42518615/","authors":["Hirsch J","Reid MR","Smith MA","Group MSUFCEDLCW"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42518374","name":"'I dream of the airplane, but I cannot board it': Exploring end-of-life aspirations with people who have lived experiences of homelessness.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Little is known about how people experiencing homelessness discuss their end-of-life aspirations or the extent to which these align with current models of Advance Care Planning.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42518374/","authors":["Gott M","Black S","Wiles J","Williams L","Moeke-Maxwell T","Robinson J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42517400","name":"Optimization-Driven EEG-Based Seizure Detection in the Healthcare Internet of Things.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"This work proposes an automated system for the detection of epileptic seizures based on electroencephalogram (EEG) signals, integrating numerous metaheuristic optimization algorithms. This study aims to improve classification accuracy and computational efficiency by optimizing feature selection and classification in a machine learning-based detection system.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42517400/","authors":["Rana N","Jain S"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 24","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42515512","name":"Communication-Efficient Federated Class-Incremental Intrusion Detection for Edge IoT Networks.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The continuous emergence of new attack classes challenges intrusion detection in edge Internet of Things (IoT) networks. Although federated learning enables distributed devices to collaboratively train a shared detector without exchanging raw traffic data, most federated intrusion detection systems assume a fixed label space. Retraining with all historical data incurs substantial storage and computation costs, whereas updating only with newly collected samples can cause catastrophic forgetting. The detector must mitigate catastrophic forgetting of previously observed attack classes while preserving sufficient new-class plasticity to learn emerging attacks under highly non-IID device data, intermittent client availability, constrained local memory, and repeated communication over bandwidth-limited and intermittently connected links. To address these challenges, this paper proposes EdgeFedCIL, a communication-efficient federated class-incremental intrusion detection framework. EdgeFedCIL preserves historical knowledge through client-local replay and knowledge distillation while reducing repeated model transmission through adaptive low-rank compression, quantization, and error feedback. A classifier-head protection strategy further limits compression-induced degradation of class discrimination. Experiments on public intrusion-detection datasets show that EdgeFedCIL achieves competitive or superior detection and historical-knowledge retention performance, particularly under highly heterogeneous client distributions, while reducing cumulative client-to-server model transmission by up to approximately 10.54 times relative to full-precision transmission. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of EdgeFedCIL for continual and communication-efficient intrusion detection in resource-constrained edge IoT networks.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42515512/","authors":["Wu Z","He B","Si Z","Qiu C","Liao X","Su C"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 21","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42515367","name":"Sensor-Modality-Aware Human Activity Recognition with the Convolutional Tsetlin Machine: Interpretable and Resource-Efficient Neuro-Symbolic Learning.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Human activity recognition (HAR) based on smartphone and wearable sensor data is commonly addressed using statistical learning methods and deep neural networks that often provide strong predictive performance, but at the expense of limited interpretability and substantial computational and energy requirements. Such limitations reduce their suitability for deployment in practical sensing environments where model decisions must be transparent, verifiable and executable on resource-constrained devices. In this work, we investigate the Convolutional Tsetlin Machine (CTM) for multimodal HAR using only the raw inertial signals (9 &#xd7; 128) of the UCI-HAR dataset, rather than its pre-computed 561-feature representation. The Tsetlin Machine is a novel neuro-symbolic machine learning approach that offers two important advantages over many conventional machine learning methods: (i) it learns logic-based decision rules that support human inspection and provide a transparent basis for analyzing model decisions, and (ii) it operates with comparatively low computational complexity, making it well suited to efficient and low-power on-device learning. The proposed study systematically analyses the contribution of different feature modalities by decomposing the inertial signals space into semantically defined subsets according to: (i) sensor source: accelerometer and gyroscope; (ii) signal group: gyroscope angular velocity, body and total acceleration (including gravity); (iii) coordinate axis: x , y and z . A separate CTM classifier was trained for each modality and its combinations in order to determine the relative discriminative value of each modality group for activity classification. In addition to predictive performance, the study emphasizes the interpretability of the CTM model ensured by expressing each decision in the form of propositional clauses, thereby enabling visualization and direct inspection of the modality-specific patterns supporting each activity class. Owing to its symbolic structure and modest computational demands, the CTM provides a principled framework for the design of explainable, resource-efficient and deployable HAR systems. The proposed work therefore contributes toward trustworthy multimodal sensing by jointly addressing predictive performance, interpretability and suitability for embedded and mobile platforms.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42515367/","authors":["Tarasyuk O","Gorbenko A","Gordieiev O","Akulynichev A","Shafik R","Yakovlev A"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 15","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42513864","name":"Deterioration Mechanism and Health Diagnosis Methods of Deep Anchoring Structures.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"As mineral resource extraction progressively extends to greater depths, the complex deep underground environment poses severe corrosion-induced deterioration risks to anchoring structures such as rock bolts. Anchorage failure has thus become a critical safety concern constraining the stability of deep roadways. To address the failure mechanisms of anchoring systems under multi-physical field coupling effects, this study conducts numerical simulations of multi-field corrosion processes and ultrasonic nondestructive testing (NDT) based on a numerical modeling platform. The influence of temperature on corrosion rate and current density is systematically analyzed, and interface response characteristics are extracted and interpreted for defects of varying dimensions. A spatial complementary mechanism under different corrosion defect configurations is revealed, and a health diagnosis system incorporating multiple critical indicators is established. The results indicate that elevated temperature significantly accelerates bolt corrosion: the rise in temperature shifts the equilibrium potential negatively and exponentially increases the reaction rate constant, both of which synergistically promote anodic dissolution. In ultrasonic testing, monitoring points along the main axis are positioned within the transmission-focused zone, where defects induce acoustic wave diffraction and superposition such that even minor defects cause a multiplication of the dominant frequency. Lateral monitoring points lie in the reflection-interference zone, where small defects preferentially attenuate energy, while larger defects manifest as amplitude reduction and first-arrival wave lag; all characteristic indices increase monotonically with defect size. Based on the numerical simulation outcomes, a four-level grading diagnosis standard and a \"bottom-lateral\" detection scheme are proposed as simulation-based reference indicators. The model effectively reproduces both corrosion deterioration and acoustic wave propagation characteristics, thereby providing a quantitative basis for the assessment of anchoring structures in high-temperature deep underground environments.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42513864/","authors":["Lu S","Wu S","Zhu M","Skrzypkowski K","Zagórski K","Zagórska A"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 21","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42513843","name":"Identification of Strength-Development Pathways in One-Part Geopolymers Using ESI-MSI-LGP Indices and GMM Clustering.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Geopolymer research has usually focused on predicting compressive strength at specific curing ages, while the underlying strength-development behavior remains insufficiently understood. To address this gap, this study proposes a pathway-oriented framework for characterizing strength-development patterns in one-part geopolymers (OPGs). A compiled experimental database was established from published studies, and three dimensionless indices, namely the Early Strength Index (ESI), Mid-age Strength Index (MSI), and Late-stage Growth Potential (LGP), were introduced to quantify temporal strength-development behavior. Then, Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) clustering was employed in the ESI-MSI-LGP feature space to identify latent strength-development pathways. Based on the available core dataset, three representative strength-development pathways were identified: Fast-hardening, Delayed-hardening, and Balanced-hardening. The Fast-hardening pathway exhibited the highest average ESI and MSI values, indicating rapid early- and mid-age strength attainment. The Delayed-hardening pathway showed lower ESI and MSI values but the highest LGP value, reflecting stronger later-age strength-growth potential after 7 days. The Balanced-hardening pathway was characterized by relatively low ESI, high MSI, and low LGP, suggesting accelerated strength development between 3 and 7 days. Further analysis of mix-design variables indicated that pathway formation was associated with the coupled effects of aggregate-to-binder proportion, activator chemistry, water availability, precursor composition, and curing conditions, rather than being controlled by a single dominant factor. Finally, a smooth probability-based strength-development map was established in the ESI-MSI feature space, providing a practical visualization tool for approximate pathway identification and preliminary mixture-selection support. The proposed framework shifts the focus from conventional strength prediction toward strength-development behavior characterization and offers new insights into the macroscopic hardening patterns of one-part geopolymers.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42513843/","authors":["Li Y","Meng Z","Huang J","Xiao Y","Liu Z","Zhang D","Chen P"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 20","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42513109","name":"Bio-Chemical Desensitization and Viscosity Reduction System for Ultra-Sensitive Heavy Oil Reservoirs in Jinjia Oilfield.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The Jinjia oilfield in Shengli oilfield is a typical ultra-sensitive reservoir characterized by high crude oil viscosity, poor fluidity, high clay content, and weak cementation. During development, oil-sand mixtures readily plug pore throats. Various development methods including water flooding and thermal recovery have been implemented, yet severe problems persist: inability to inject, failure to displace, and lack of capacity to produce. To address these challenges, a functional microbial mineral-modified desensitization-chemical viscosity-reduction dual-effect agent, a self-growing gel dispersion profile control agent, and a low-damage deep acidizing system were developed. Laboratory experiments clarified the enhanced oil recovery mechanism of the bio-chemical desensitization and viscosity-reduction system. Results indicate that the desensitization and viscosity-reduction system can inhibit clay swelling, with the anti-swelling improvement rate of core permeability reaching 56%. Chemical viscosity reduction enabled heavy oil to \"flow effectively,\" achieving a viscosity reduction rate of 98.9% after adsorption. The profile control agent dispersed and migrated, then stably adsorbed onto particle surfaces to plug high-permeability channels, demonstrating strong anti-scouring capability and effectively suppressing channeling flow. In the composite system, bio-chemical desensitization and viscosity reduction synergistically enhanced mobility control, achieving an oil recovery factor of 56.5%, representing a 26.3% increase over post-water-flooding viscosity-reduction flooding. After two pilot well groups in the Jinjia oilfield were converted from water flooding to bio-chemical desensitization and viscosity-reduction composite flooding, single-well oil production capacity increased by 2.8-fold, water cut decreased by 12%, and both development performance and economic benefits were significantly improved-transforming the situation from \"increasing water without increasing oil\" to \"increasing both liquid and oil production.\" The research findings provide important reference value for the effective development of ultra-sensitive reservoirs.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42513109/","authors":["Zhang X","Shu N","Zheng W","Xu H","Hu J","Zhang Z","Wang S"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 10","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42512564","name":"Barriers to and Facilitators of Community Participation and Empowerment in Primary Health Care Centres in Italy: The Perspectives of Stakeholders and Practitioners.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Community participation and community empowerment are key features of people-centred primary health care systems and are crucial ways to make health services more equitable and appropriate for people's needs while improving these services. This qualitative study investigates the facilitators and barriers that practitioners and stakeholders encounter in their efforts to support community participation and community empowerment in primary health care centres. In this context, we focus on the Case della Salute/Case della Comunit&#xe0; in Emilia-Romagna, Italy.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42512564/","authors":["Luisi DR","Hämel K"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 8","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42511438","name":"SPA-QNAS: Improving Search Efficiency and Stability in Evolutionary Quantum Neural Architecture Search.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Quantum neural architecture search (QNAS) has emerged as a promising approach for automatically designing parameterized quantum circuits (PQCs) for near-term quantum machine learning tasks. However, quantum evolutionary algorithm (QEA)-based QNAS methods often suffer from slow distribution concentration and insufficient update adaptivity in high-dimensional discrete search spaces, which limits both search efficiency and final model performance. To address these issues, this paper proposes Structural Probability Adaptive Quantum Neural Architecture Search (SPA-QNAS), a search-dynamics-enhanced QNAS method built upon the EQNAS benchmark framework. SPA-QNAS introduces two complementary mechanisms into the QPV-driven evolutionary search loop: Structural Probability Enhancement (SPE) and Adaptive Evolutionary Control (AEC). SPE reinforces elite structural decisions to accelerate the concentration of the structural sampling distribution toward high-fitness regions, while AEC adaptively regulates the rotation updates of non-elite individuals according to fitness feedback, thereby improving update stability and suppressing ineffective disturbances. Under the same search space, circuit template, and quantum resource budget as EQNAS, SPA-QNAS is evaluated on the MNIST and Warship benchmark datasets. Experimental results across multiple independent runs demonstrate that SPA-QNAS achieves higher classification accuracy and more stable performance compared with EQNAS. In representative experiments, SPA-QNAS achieves classification accuracies of 99.42% on MNIST and 85.33% on Warship under the same search space and quantum resource budget as EQNAS. These results indicate that improving QPV-based evolutionary update dynamics is an effective way to enhance the stability and robustness of QNAS under fixed quantum resource constraints.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42511438/","authors":["Shang L","Cao H","Wu Y","Niu X","Chen J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 22","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42511267","name":"Interpretable Machine Learning for Predicting Enrofloxacin Residues in Fish Using a Large Literature-Derived Database.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Enrofloxacin use in aquaculture can lead to residue accumulation in fish tissues, creating challenges for food safety control and residue risk assessment. Residue prediction across published studies remains difficult because concentrations are influenced by species, tissue matrix, administration conditions, environmental factors, and between-study heterogeneity. Here, we constructed a literature-derived database to model matrix-specific enrofloxacin concentrations in fish. After duplicate removal, fish-focused filtering, source cleaning, and exclusion of records with missing critical variables, 1254 records from 39 source groups with traceable literature identifiers were retained from 2275 extracted records. Eleven predictors were used, and eight machine learning models were trained using log1p-transformed concentrations. Under a random row-level 80:20 split, the histogram gradient-boosting decision tree achieved the best row-level performance, with R 2 _log = 0.8889 and root-mean-squared error in log1p space (RMSE_log) = 0.2728. In contrast, stratified source-grouped validation showed markedly reduced performance, indicating limited cross-study generalization to unseen source groups. ExtraTrees showed the most stable grouped validation performance and was used for model-based interpretation. Species, tissue or biological matrix, dosing frequency, and sampling time point were highly ranked model-associated predictors. This study provides a transparent literature integration framework for residue pattern modeling and predictor prioritization, while highlighting the need for standardized residue depletion data and external validation.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42511267/","authors":["Song P","Rong B","Zhou L","Jiang H","Qiu L","Che W","Fang L","Meng S","Song C"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 16","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42511201","name":"Influence of Ecological Zones and Honey Bee Morphometric Traits on the Physicochemical Properties of Honey in Kazakhstan.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"This study aimed to evaluate the influence of ecological zones and honey bee morphometric characteristics on the physicochemical properties of honey produced in different regions of Kazakhstan. A total of 103 honey samples were collected and analyzed for key quality parameters, including moisture content, sugars, acidity, pH, and diastase activity. Multivariate statistical approaches, including principal component analysis (PCA), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), were applied to assess variability and underlying patterns. Geometric morphometric analysis of wing shape (MorphoJ) revealed a high degree of morphological homogeneity across all samples, with no distinct clustering in PCA space. This was further supported by canonical variate analysis (CVA) using IdentiFly, which assigned the majority of samples to the C lineage ( Apis mellifera carnica ) with high classification probability, indicating a uniform population structure. MANOVA results demonstrated that neither ecological zone nor morphometric traits exerted a significant global effect on honey physicochemical properties ( p &gt; 0.05). However, significant interaction effects were identified between ecological zone and specific morphometric variables, particularly sternite length and cubital index ( p &lt; 0.05), suggesting a context-dependent influence.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42511201/","authors":["Toishimanov M","Nuraliyeva U","Moldakhmetova G","Torekhanov M","Sheralieva Z","Khalykova G","Spatay N","Skryl A","Krupskiy T","Mustafin K"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 10","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42511009","name":"AVB81: A Fine-Grained Audiovisual Dataset and Benchmark for Bird Classification in the Wild.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Automated bird monitoring plays a crucial role in ecoinformatics and biodiversity conservation. Despite significant advancements in fine-grained visual classification, targets in complex wild environments frequently encounter interferences such as long capture distances, severe visual occlusion, and strong background noise, rendering single-modal perception highly susceptible to performance bottlenecks. To advance research in audiovisual multimodal bird classification, this paper introduces AVB81, a multimodal dataset tailored for fine-grained bird recognition. Covering 81 bird species in North America, the dataset comprises 3247 fixed-length 10 s field videos, meticulously supplemented with 5418 independent audios and 7083 high-quality static images. Based on this dataset, we systematically conduct single-modal performance evaluations and cross-paradigm audiovisual fusion experiments, establishing a comprehensive and in-depth multimodal evaluation benchmark. The experimental results demonstrate that in video classification tasks, audiovisual multimodal fusion methods significantly outperform single-modal baselines. Notably, the mid-fusion strategy based on deep semantic spaces achieves the optimal performance. Furthermore, the experiments objectively reveal the formidable challenges associated with audio recognition within videos captured in complex wild habitats. Overall, AVB81 exhibits exceptional adaptability for multimodal research, providing a highly challenging evaluation benchmark for multimodal semantic modeling in complex scenarios and laying a solid data foundation for the development and validation of next-generation intelligent ecological monitoring systems.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42511009/","authors":["Zhao X","Xie S","Xie J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 9","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42510185","name":"Multi-Agent LLMs for Occupational Profiling: Psychometric Validation on 1636 Chinese Occupations.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Occupation-level psychological profiles, such as RIASEC interests and Big Five personality, underpin career counseling, person-job matching, and workforce research, but building them at scale has been expensive and limited to a few national taxonomies. The O*NET Interest Profiler, the largest operationalization of RIASEC, took more than two decades of worker surveys, expert ratings, and iterative empirical calibration to construct, and the 2022 Chinese Occupational Classification has no comparable psychological database. Large language models (LLMs) offer a scalable alternative, but using them as raters raises issues that single-model designs do not resolve: inter-rater reliability, calibration to external benchmarks, and systematic psychometric validation. We propose a multi-agent LLM framework in which three LLMs serve as separate expert raters, in-context anchors align the rating scale, and a separate arbitrator resolves rater disagreements. We applied the framework to all 1636 occupations in the 2022 Chinese Occupational Classification, producing six RIASEC and five Big Five scores per occupation. RIASEC dimensions showed uniformly excellent reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC [2,1] = 0.87 to 0.98) and high convergent correlations with O*NET (r = 0.84 to 0.96); structural validity received weak support (Tracey's C = 0.653, ns), though the dimensions differentiated occupational categories as theory predicts, and the profile space recovered the administrative taxonomy (adjusted Rand index, ARI = 0.418). Big Five absolute agreement was uniformly high, although ICC(2,1) values for Conscientiousness and Neuroticism were attenuated by variance compression and model-level calibration offsets rather than rater disagreement. The Big Five scores are, therefore, suited to broad occupational differentiation, particularly on Openness and Extraversion, rather than to fine-grained rank ordering on Conscientiousness or Neuroticism. The framework also yields the first occupation-level RIASEC and Big Five database for the 2022 Chinese Occupational Classification, openly available for applied use.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42510185/","authors":["Han Y","Luo X","Ji F","Kong X"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jun 26","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42509800","name":"Complex Networks in Bioactive Peptide Research: A Methodological Review.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Bioactive peptides constitute a highly diverse and therapeutically relevant molecular class, yet their systematic exploration remains challenging because of the vast size, heterogeneity, and fragmented annotation of peptide chemical space. In this context, complex networks have emerged as a complementary computational framework for organizing, analyzing, and exploiting peptide diversity. This methodological review examines the main components of graph-based peptide informatics, from graph-based data integration and curated repositories to descriptor-based representations, similarity-driven network construction, and topology-informed analysis. We describe how peptide sequences can be projected into multidimensional reference spaces using molecular descriptors, aggregation operators, and unsupervised feature selection, and how these representations support the construction of Chemical Space Networks, Half-Space Proximal Networks, and Metadata Networks. Special attention is given to topological analysis, including threshold selection, community detection, and centrality-based identification of representative peptides and scaffolds. We also review the development of Multi-query Similarity Searching Models as training-independent, topology-guided alternatives to conventional supervised predictors. Finally, we highlight the implementation of these methodologies in computational resources such as StarPepDB, StarPep Toolbox, and StarPepWeb, which illustrate the transition of peptide network science from conceptual workflows to accessible, scalable, and reproducible infrastructures. Overall, complex networks are presented as a mature and interpretable paradigm for the structured exploration, analysis, and discovery of bioactive peptides.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42509800/","authors":["Castillo-Mendieta K","Agüero-Chapin G","Brazón EAM","Mora JR","Pérez-Pérez N","Cubillán N","García-Jacas CR","Marrero-Ponce Y"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 10","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42509263","name":"Cancer stem cells are hyper-responsive sensors of the tumour microenvironment and regulate metastasis dynamics through YAP/TAZ.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Cancer stem cells (CSCs) drive metastasis and therapy resistance, yet their behaviour within the complex tumour microenvironment remains poorly understood. Here we use a fluorescent reporter that marks CSCs to show that CSCs and their more differentiated progeny display strikingly different population dynamics during metastatic lung colonization in breast cancer models. CSC expansion is rapidly curtailed early in colonization, suggesting a strong negative feedback mechanism acting selectively on this subpopulation. We showed that CSCs are exceptionally sensitive to local microenvironmental cues such as cell crowding and nutrient availability. They respond earlier and more extensively than their differentiated progeny, thereby coupling tumour growth to resource and space availability. Microenvironmental signals converge on the transcriptional regulatory complex YAP/TAZ/TEAD, with CSC sensitivity arising from elevated signal reception and greater chromatin accessibility at TEAD-regulated enhancers. Targeting upstream inputs to this pathway reversed chemotherapy-induced CSC enrichment in lung metastases, suggesting a potential therapeutic strategy.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42509263/","authors":["Tang B","Minin J","Gonzalez VM","Khan ZZ","Gaines AR","Raviv Y","Yang YA","Carney CP","Millman ZG","Grun D","Pineda CM","Sharma A","Esposito D","Yan H","Huang J","Tran AD","Kruhlak M","Yang HH","Lee MP","Wakefield LM"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 27","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42508925","name":"FSIWsim: Fragment Size- and Intensity- Weighted MS(2) Similarity for rapid identification and analogue annotation of known natural products in Euphorbia helioscopia L. based on LC-MS/MS data of the extract mixture.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Identification of known natural products (NPs) in complex plant extracts is essential for plant metabolomics, natural product dereplication and discovery of bioactive components from medicinal herbs.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42508925/","authors":["Deng Y","Bai C","Zhang B","Yu X","Hu W","Hu Y","Hu K"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Oct 1","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42508749","name":"Engineering therapeutic super-competitor cells for educative cancer treatment and ecological replacement.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Conventional cancer therapy has largely been organized around maximal cytotoxic elimination, yet intense tumor killing can impose evolutionary selection pressures that promote resistance, clonal escape, and relapse. Here, we propose therapeutic super-competitor cells (TSCs) as a programmable, evolution-aware extension of educative cancer care rather than as an established clinical platform. In this framework, TSCs are engineered cells designed to home to or be locally positioned within tumor-associated niches, sense malignant ecological cues, transiently acquire bounded competitive fitness, restrict malignant access to space, metabolites, and stromal support, and then undergo monitored clearance or benign differentiation. TSCs are therefore not defined by direct target-cell cytolysis, although competitive pressure, metabolic restriction, or immune remodeling may secondarily reduce tumor viability. This Review integrates concepts from cancer ecology, tumor microenvironment biology, developmental cell competition, immunotherapy, and synthetic biology while distinguishing established principles from speculative engineering applications, evaluating feasible early disease contexts, and outlining measurable endpoints for ecological replacement, including spatial occupancy, clonal displacement, resource gradients, persistence kinetics, and responsiveness to safety triggers. We further discuss organoid and tumor-on-chip competition assays, spatial and lineage tracking, response biomarkers, therapeutic-window definition, layered containment, and ethical/regulatory safeguards. By reframing engineered cell therapy as a controllable ecological intervention rather than simply a vehicle for maximal killing, the TSC framework provides a testable but still hypothetical direction for educative cancer care and evolution-aware oncology.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42508749/","authors":["Wang Y","Wu N","Liao Y","Li J","Li C","Liang J","Zhou D","Ge L","Chen X","Zhang S"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 27","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42508717","name":"Biological cognition as viability-constrained expansion of controllable futures.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Biological cognition is often described through homeostasis, prediction, exploration, or control. However, none of these principles alone specifies how a living system should act while preserving viability and enlarging its future possibilities. We tested whether living-cognition-like policy selection can be operationalized as viability-constrained expansion of controllable futures. A minimal grid-world model was implemented in which agents evaluated finite-horizon policies under internal viability dynamics, hazards, resources, movement costs, and reachable-endpoint controllability. Seven reduced policy-selection models were compared across 1000 critical environments containing viability risk, expansion opportunity, and viability-control conflict. The viability-constrained endpoint and joint viability-expansion models produced the highest joint viable-expansion scores. At the family level, viability-constrained expansion substantially outperformed models based on homeostatic preservation, avoidance of previously unvisited states, novelty seeking, random admissible action, or unrestricted controllability. Unrestricted controllability frequently violated viability, whereas homeostasis-only and uncertainty-minimizing selection preserved viability but produced limited or zero expansion. The family-level advantage remained positive across the default configuration and 47 prespecified parameter variations. These findings support viability-constrained future expansion as a candidate minimal operational principle for living-cognition-like policy selection in state-constrained agents. Under the tested environmental and computational conditions, the framework is a computational proof-of-principle and does not establish the biological or neural mechanisms of cognition.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42508717/","authors":["Yamaki N","Churiki T"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 27","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42508389","name":"A C. elegans-to-Mouse Discovery Framework for Prioritizing Sarcopenia Interventions.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Sarcopenia is a manifestation of musculoskeletal aging, yet no approved therapy is available. A major challenge is not the lack of potential interventions, but the difficulty of efficiently identifying which candidates should advance to aged-mammal validation. Sarcopenia is driven by multiple biological processes, including mitochondrial dysfunction, impaired proteostasis, redox dysregulation, inflammaging, and altered nutrient sensing. Consequently, candidate interventions encompass not only conventional drug candidates but also natural products, dietary compounds, food-derived metabolites, and multi-component formulations. This diversity creates a candidate space that is difficult to systematically evaluate using aged-mouse models alone. Here, we propose a C. elegans-to-mouse discovery framework for sarcopenia intervention development. C. elegans enables rapid organism-level assessment of locomotor function, muscle integrity, toxicity, genetic dependency, and conserved aging mechanisms within a single in vivo system. These features allow large candidate pools, including diverse compounds, doses, and combinations, to be screened and prioritized before resource-intensive mammalian studies. Within this framework, preservation of age-related function serves as the primary selection criterion, whereas conserved biological mechanisms provide additional support for candidate advancement. Mitochondrial quality control, redox resilience, proteostasis, and gut-muscle communication are discussed as representative domains that facilitate cross-species interpretation. Examples including urolithin A, norharmane, and spermidine illustrate how worm-based functional screening can be integrated with mechanistic evidence and aged-mouse validation. Collectively, this review proposes a practical framework that integrates function-centered screening with conserved mechanistic interpretation to improve early-stage prioritization of sarcopenia interventions. This framework provides a conceptual strategy for accelerating the discovery of function-preserving therapeutics for skeletal muscle aging.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42508389/","authors":["Cho Y","Seo HD","Jung CH","Ahn J","Hahm JH"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 26","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42508241","name":"Welfare as a dynamic process: fast and slow adaptation in dairy cows following relocation to an enriched enclosure.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The positive welfare movement focuses on promoting rewarding experiences that enhance animals' quality of life beyond simply preventing negative states. Importantly, welfare is dynamic, and positive experiences can emerge on different timescales without necessarily translating into sustained improvements in overall well-being. Here, we introduce a time-aware, multidimensional approach to quantify how welfare-related measures evolve following relocation to an enriched, socially housed setting. We hypothesised that cows would show hedonic-treadmill-like habituation, in which an initial response to the new environment gradually attenuates over time, paralleling habituation patterns documented in humans. Because welfare spans multiple domains, including physiological, behavioural, and social, we expected this process to unfold across multiple timescales. Thirty-six lactating Holstein cows, housed in six independent groups, were relocated from their home pens to an enriched small group enclosure and monitored continuously for 14&#xa0;days. We integrated high-resolution real-time location tracking with physiological sampling (plasma cortisol), production metrics, and behavioural indicators of activity, space use, and resource use, yielding 86 quantitative measures across four postrelocation epochs. The findings revealed four distinct temporal motifs: transient, biphasic, monotonic, and stable. Transient measures, such as milk fat content, exploration, and time near the salt lick, showed a significant change only in the first epoch before stabilising in subsequent epochs, reflecting a brief response to the initial transition. Biphasic measures, including plasma cortisol, rumination time, and lying duration, shifted rapidly immediately after relocation, then exhibited a slower opposing shift over subsequent epochs that overshot and stabilised within the observation window. Monotonic measures, including milk yield, walking distance, and time near the feed bunk, changed gradually in a single direction across epochs. Stable measures, such as BW, time near the brush, and number of lying bouts, showed no significant change across the study period. Beyond these individual-level motifs, social measures derived from dyadic movement coordination revealed a time-dependent reorganisation of cohesion, with stronger coordination among previously co-housed pairs early after relocation and increasing similarity among age-matched pairs later in the study. Together, these results show that welfare-relevant indicators respond on distinct timescales after a combined transition that includes enrichment, novelty, and regrouping, highlighting the value of continuous monitoring for separating transient from sustained components and motivating time-aware enrichment strategies aimed at maintaining engagement over time.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42508241/","authors":["Shen L","Valnickova B","Mordechay S","Honig H","Ross M","Salzer Y","Forkosh O"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jun 29","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42507937","name":"Abrupt transition to irreversible damage in the overdrafted Sacramento Valley aquifer system.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Groundwater extraction decreases water pressure in aquifer systems, causing reversible or irreversible deformation of the water-bearing layers that manifests as recoverable or permanent displacements of the land surface, respectively. Detecting and forecasting when and where an aquifer system transitions from a reversible, poroelastic regime, to an irreversible, inelastic regime remains a crucial challenge given the complex, heterogeneous nature of aquifer systems. Here we leverage high-resolution measurements of ground deformation and groundwater levels from 2016 to 2022 to characterize both regimes at the regional scale and show that a critical transition occurred in large areas of the Sacramento Valley during California's 2020-2022 extreme drought. Our analysis reveals that, while deformation remained primarily poroelastic during the 2016-2020 interdrought period, land subsidence in areas of intense groundwater extraction accelerated abruptly in 2021, with subsidence rates exceeding the inferred poroelastic rates by several decimeters per year. Such rapid and extensive land subsidence indicates severe inelastic compaction and loss of storage capacity of the underlying aquifer system, which pose a serious threat to California's water resources and infrastructure. A comparison of present-day deformation with historical groundwater levels reveals that this abrupt transition was not predictable based on the available groundwater records alone.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42507937/","authors":["Larochelle S","Chanard K","Dalaison M","Fortin J","Jolivet R","Longuevergne L","Fleitout L","Argus DF","Gauer LM","Avouac JP"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Aug 4","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42506861","name":"Efficient Uncertainty Quantification in Medical Imaging via Mamba State Space Models.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Background/Objectives: Reliable uncertainty quantification (UQ) is a prerequisite for deploying automated systems in safety-critical medical imaging workflows, yet existing approaches either sacrifice computational efficiency or provide poorly calibrated confidence estimates. We present UQ-Mamba, a lightweight architecture that embeds uncertainty quantification natively into a Mamba state space model via linearized error propagation. Methods: UQ-Mamba yields per-prediction approximate epistemic and aleatoric uncertainty estimates in a single deterministic forward pass at only 9.5% additional inference overhead. We note that these components are heuristic approximations derived under three explicit assumptions (diagonal covariance, first-order linearization, and scalar mean-activation reduction) and have not been empirically validated as true Bayesian posteriors. By propagating learnable log-variance parameters through the SSM state transition matrix, UQ-Mamba bridges the gap between parameter efficiency and principled calibration without requiring stochastic sampling or multiple forward passes. Results: Evaluated across four medical imaging modalities-CT organ classification, colorectal histopathology, dermoscopy, and chest radiography-UQ-Mamba achieves 89.71% accuracy with ECE = 0.0217 on OrganMNIST using only 466K parameters (3.3&#xd7; lower ECE than ResNet-50 at 50&#xd7; fewer parameters; note that UQ-Mamba optimizes NLL, whereas ResNet-50 uses standard cross-entropy, which is a confounding factor in the ECE comparison), improves the Mamba baseline by 2.42 percentage points on PathMNIST (ECE = 0.1188 after temperature scaling), achieves 68.88% test accuracy with ECE = 0.0597 on HAM10000 dermoscopy (matching EfficientNet-B0 at 9&#xd7; fewer parameters), and reaches mAUC = 0.8196 on CheXpert chest radiographs. Conclusions: Ablation studies confirm that the SSM propagation mechanism is necessary for meaningful uncertainty decomposition. These results establish uncertainty-aware SSMs as a promising proof-of-concept direction for calibrated, parameter-efficient medical image classification, with potential relevance to resource-constrained deployment settings pending further clinical validation.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42506861/","authors":["Güneş A"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jun 30","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42505947","name":"Trait Emotional Intelligence Within Personality Space: Latent Profiles and Psychosocial Adjustment in Preadolescence.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Emotional intelligence and personality traits are key dimensions of individual differences contributing to developmental adjustment. This cross-sectional study investigated how trait emotional intelligence (trait EI), conceptualized as self-perceived dispositions closely embedded within personality hierarchies rather than a cognitive ability, is configured alongside the Big Five traits to influence socio-emotional functioning among preadolescents. Using a convenience sampling strategy, data were collected from 194 Greek preadolescents (aged 10-12) who completed self-report measures of trait EI, personality, and psychosocial adjustment via the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) identified three distinct individual configurations: Emotionally Resourceful (54.6%), Emotionally Vulnerable (14.9%), and Emotionally Resilient (30.4%). Distal outcome testing via the Bolck-Croon-Hagenaars (BCH) three-step approach revealed that the Emotionally Resilient profile exhibited the most favorable adjustment (higher prosocial behavior, lower emotional/behavioral difficulties), whereas the Emotionally Vulnerable group displayed the highest psychosocial risks. While the reliance on cross-sectional self-reports requires cautious interpretation regarding causality, the findings underscore that preadolescent adjustment is better understood through integrated dispositional configurations rather than isolated traits, clarifying the role of trait EI within the broader personality space.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42505947/","authors":["Kokkinos CM","Voulgaridou I","Antoniadou N"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 3","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42505741","name":"The SPACES Framework: Sustainable Oral Health Programs for Older Adults.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Background/Objectives: Traditional community oral health programs (COHPs) often remain reactive, clinic-based, and insufficiently integrated with medical, social, and aged-care systems. As a result, they may be poorly positioned to address the needs of older adults experiencing multimorbidity, mobility limitations, cognitive impairment, care dependency, and financial or geographic barriers. This paper proposes SPACES, an implementation-oriented conceptual framework for designing, delivering, and evaluating community oral health programs for older adults. Methods: SPACES was developed through a targeted interpretive synthesis of peer-reviewed literature, policy guidance, and implementation-oriented sources related to oral health, healthy aging, integrated care, access barriers, workforce development, and sustainable service delivery. Results: The framework comprises six interconnected domains: Scalable Prevention and Education, Partnerships Across Sectors, Adaptive Care Coordination, Community Access Solutions, Empowered Workforce Development, and Sustainable Service Models. It is intended primarily for adults aged 60 years and older, while allowing adaptation in jurisdictions that use 65 years and older as the eligibility threshold. The framework applies across community, home care, assisted living, and long-term care settings. SPACES organizes evidence-informed components for older-adult oral health, including routine screening, caregiver-supported daily mouth care, risk-stratified prevention, referral pathways, proximity-based service delivery, geriatric workforce competencies, task sharing, sustainable financing, governance, and quality improvement. Conclusions: SPACES is presented not as a tested intervention but as a conceptual and program-planning tool to help planners clarify responsibilities, identify equity gaps, align cross-sector resources, and select measurable implementation indicators. Future stakeholder refinement and empirical evaluation are needed through co-design, pragmatic implementation studies, and real-world assessment of feasibility, acceptability, cost, equity impact, and oral health outcomes.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42505741/","authors":["Hui JCY","Hu LL","Sun IG","Chan AKY","Chu CH"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 13","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42504911","name":"From hierarchy to collaborative authentic leadership: attributes and lessons from primary health care implementation in west bengal, india.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"This commentary argues that primary health care in marginalized settings improves when leadership shifts from hierarchical to collaborative-that is, authentic leadership. By \"collaborative authentic leadership,\" we mean a practice that combines the honesty and self-awareness of authentic leadership with the shared decision-making of collaborative leadership so that those closest to the community help shape the care it receives.Drawing on three JBI-informed projects in West Bengal-diabetes screening and diarrhea care via mobile medical units in Jalpaiguri, and antenatal care in Howrah sub-centers-this analysis shows how empowering frontline providers and using the JBI evidence implementation model bridges a baseline gap between remote service delivery and community alignment.This gap reflected a structural tension: top-down leadership silences the informal providers and accredited social health activists, who know communities best, leaving them present but powerless. Collaborative authentic leadership addresses this tension directly by distributing authority to those closest to the community, appointing diabetes ambassadors, mentoring younger mothers through experienced peers, training informal health care providers in evidence-based practice, and creating shared spaces for data review and decision-making. In each case, the shift to collaborative and authentic leadership was modest in resources but substantial in the redistribution of accountability and voice.This commentary explains a shift into practical, field-grounded, day-to-day leadership style, aligned with collaborative and authentic leadership, presenting transferable lessons for primary health care in similar low- and middle-income settings.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42504911/","authors":["Mukherjee N","Bhattacharya P","Khatoon S","Mukherjee S","Mondal B","Nandy B","Lockwood C","Bochkezanian V"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 28","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42503830","name":"Unveiling the Structural Determinants of PFAS Toxicity: A Graph Neural Network and Interpretability Analysis.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The rapid proliferation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) necessitates high-throughput tools to assess safety and prevent regrettable substitution. However, conventional toxicological testing is resource-intensive, while standard computational methods often lack the mechanistic transparency required for rational molecular design. This study presents a deep learning framework coupling graph neural networks (GNNs) with transfer learning to predict acute oral rat LD 50 toxicity in data-scarce environments. Among the architectures evaluated, GIN with stratified transfer learning (GIN-TL-Strat) achieved the highest predictive correlation (test R 2 = 0.7426). By leveraging knowledge transferred from a broad chemical space, the model demonstrates promising generalization potential to structurally diverse fluorinated compounds. GNNExplainer was integrated as an interpretability mechanism to map prediction logic back to specific atomic substructures, enabling quantitative disentanglement of the contributions of chain length, functional group composition, and structural isomerism to acute toxicity. The results demonstrate that the fluorinated carbon chain length is the primary structural determinant of toxicity in continuous-chain alkyl PFAS. Crucially, attribution magnitude does not linearly dictate toxicity impact: while fluorinated backbones and specific nitrogenous/polar functionalities drive positive toxicity shifts, heavy halogens (I, Br, and Cl) exhibit the lowest mean attribution scores and correlate with reduced predicted toxicity, highlighting a decoupling between model attention and net toxicological outcomes. Structural isomerism between straight-chain and branched PFAS was found to have no statistically meaningful effect on predicted toxicity. This work transitions computational toxicology from a passive screening tool to an active platform for the safety-by-design of next-generation fluorinated alternatives.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42503830/","authors":["Su A","Zhai Y","Zhang C","Duan H","Rajan K"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 26","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42503610","name":"Beyond Anxiety: School Refusal as a Disrupted Individuation Process in Post-COVID Adolescents.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"BackgroundThe post-COVID surge in school refusal has prompted a clinical response overwhelmingly focused on anxiety and its treatments. While this orientation is scientifically grounded, it remains partial: it fails to account for a dimension that successive lockdowns massively disrupted without the recent literature fully integrating it, namely the separation-individuation process (SIP) specific to adolescence.AimsThis article proposes a complementary and integrative reading of post-COVID school refusal, organized around three axes.ApproachFirst, lockdowns interrupted the environmental conditions necessary for the SIP to unfold, producing a developmental regression whose extent was revealed upon the return to school. Second, the hyperdigitalization that followed the lockdowns offered adolescents a substitution space enabling pseudo-separation without genuine individuation, durably impeding the process. Third, internal working models of attachment constitute the vulnerability substrate within which these impediments take hold.FindingsA clinical vignette illustrates these articulations through a composite case of an adolescent whose partial school refusal is reread as an attempt to regulate a disrupted SIP rather than as an anxiety symptom to be reduced.ConclusionsThe article argues for a non-pathologizing reading of school refusal and opens research perspectives on the relationship between autonomy, attachment, and digital practices in adolescence.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42503610/","authors":["Brandibas G"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 26","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42503517","name":"Sliding metasurface for wide-angle beam steering with sharp frequency filtering.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The advancement of electromagnetic technologies necessitates strategies to efficiently exploit spectral and spatial resources in increasingly congested and interference-prone environments. This paper demonstrates, for the first time, a fully passive sliding metasurface that unifies sharp frequency filtering and wide-angle beam steering within a single architecture, thereby establishing a two-dimensional frequency-angle selection window. The proposed metasurface replaces local phase reconfiguration with a global geometric displacement between two complementary phase profiles. This sliding strategy produces a controlled translation of the spectral centroid in reciprocal space, enabling continuous beam steering and suggesting extensibility to other frequency regimes. In the demonstrated implementation, a transmission-line-inspired design is adopted, in which stacked layers are strategically reused to form a quasi-Fabry-P&#xe9;rot cavity within the meta-atom, enabling simultaneous phase modulation and frequency-selective filtering. Experimental results validate sharp spectral selectivity, ultra-wide out-of-band suppression, and stable beam steering over a&#x2009;&#xb1;&#x2009;57&#xb0; scanning range. The proposed sliding metasurface offers a compact and broadly applicable platform for next-generation electromagnetic systems, enabling a new modality for coordinated spectral-spatial wave control.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42503517/","authors":["Shi H","Wu X","Wang X","Zhao Y","Tian J","Zhu W","Hu G"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 27","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42503145","name":"Spectrally Uniform Continuous-Variable Quantum Microcombs.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Continuous-variable (CV) quantum microcombs generated in high-Q microresonators provide compact, frequency-multiplexed sources of entangled modes for integrated quantum information processing. Although deterministic Kerr-induced two-mode squeezing has been demonstrated on chip, achieving uniform squeezing across a large number of mode pairs remains a central challenge. Here we establish the conditions required for spectrally uniform squeezing and experimentally realize a vacuum-state CV quantum microcomb by combining a microresonator with an engineered single-family mode structure and optimized pump conditions. The device generates 14 independent two-mode squeezed states over a 0.7&#xa0;THz bandwidth, each exhibiting more than 4&#xa0;dB of raw squeezing, with a maximum of 4.3&#xa0;dB. This uniform, high-performance quantum resource represents a key step toward scalable, integrated CV quantum technologies operating beyond classical limits.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42503145/","authors":["Li K","Wang Y","Wang Z","Zhou X","Li J","Cheng Y","Wu B","Gong Q","Li BB","Yang QF"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 10","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"pmid:42501009","name":"A smartphone-based semiquantitative system for chlorpyrifos detection via digital image analysis of enzymatic paper microfluidic cards: proof of concept for organophosphate screening.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The need for rapid, point-of-need screening of pesticide residues in resource-limited settings requires moving beyond subjective visual interpretation of colorimetric tests. Organophosphate pesticides pose significant public health risks, especially in low- and middle-income countries, where laboratory-based detection methods are often inaccessible.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42501009/","authors":["Senesie SJ","Serry M","Kamara MD","Palmer AF","Cham A","Sesay M"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul 25","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:02.985Z"},{"id":"oa:W4220864469","name":"Sharing the Benefits of Asteroid Mining","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Near‐Earth asteroids (NEAs) hold metal reserves that could sustain global consumption for millennia. Unresolved questions of technological and economic feasibility notwithstanding, NEA mining could ensure the accessibility and affordability of key strategic resources, contribute to sustainability transitions and displace environmentally and socially harmful terrestrial mining. Based on implicit and explicit normative commitments towards the common heritage principle in international space law, we develop the outlines of a regime for the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits resulting from NEA mining. For doing so, we analyze the linkages between institutional design and regime effectiveness for benefit‐sharing regimes in the areas of deep‐sea mining and plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. Attempting to control for differences in problem structure, we transpose this analysis to the case of NEA mining, where an effective benefit‐sharing regime would revolve around the following elements: standardized exploration and exploitation contracts, back‐end benefit‐sharing as a percentage of commercial profits, research exemptions, compliance mechanisms for preventing and reducing space pollution, as well as a reserve banking system for mining claims. For the contemporary political debate on space resources, we thus aim to provide a feasible alternative to the exclusive appropriation of space resources through private property rights.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.13035","authors":["Eglė Butkevičienė","Florian Rabitz"],"tags":["Sustainability","Business","Appropriation","Space (punctuation)","Property rights"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-25","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.1111/1758-5899.13035","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.847Z"},{"id":"oa:W4408134602","name":"Sustainable Asteroid Mining: On the design of GTOC12 problem and summary of results","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s42064-024-0199-3","authors":["Zhong Zhang","Nan Zhang","Xiang Guo","Di Wu","Xuan Xie","Jiakuan Yang","Fanghua Jiang","Hexi Baoyin"],"tags":["Asteroid","Astrobiology","Computer science","Geology","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.1007/s42064-024-0199-3","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2067950900","name":"Asteroid mining and the moons of Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0094-5765(88)90059-8","authors":["Brian O'Leary"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Mars Exploration Program","Asteroid","Mars landing","Exploration of Mars"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1988-04-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.1016/0094-5765(88","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2785707077","name":"Asteroid Mining: International and National Legal Aspects","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W2785707077","authors":["von der Dunk","G Frans"],"tags":["Asteroid","Astrobiology","International law","Political science","Law"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z"},{"id":"oa:W2886108126","name":"Asteroid mining with small spacecraft and its economic feasibility","source":"openalex","abstract":"Asteroid mining offers the possibility to revolutionize supply of resources vital for human civilization. Preliminary analysis suggests that Near-Earth Asteroids (NEA) contain enough volatile and high value minerals to make the mining process economically feasible. Considering possible applications, specifically the mining of water in space has become a major focus for near-term options. Most proposed projects for asteroid mining involve spacecraft based on traditional designs resulting in large, monolithic and expensive systems. An alternative approach is presented in this paper, basing the asteroid mining process on multiple small spacecraft. To the best knowledge of the authors, only limited analysis of the asteroid mining capability of small spacecraft has been conducted. This paper explores the possibility to perform asteroid mining operations with spacecraft that have a mass under 500 kg and deliver 100 kg of water per trip. The mining process considers water extraction through microwave heating with an efficiency of 2 Wh/g.The proposed, small spacecraft can reach NEAs within a range of $\\sim 0.03$ AU relative to earth's orbit, offering a delta V of 437 m/s per one-way trip. A high-level systems engineering and economic analysis provides a closed spacecraft design as a baseline and puts the cost of the proposed spacecraft at $ 113.6 million/unit. The results indicate that more than one hundred spacecraft and their successful operation for over five years are required to achieve a financial break-even point. Pros and cons of using small spacecraft swarms are highlighted and the uncertainties associated with cost and profit of space related business ventures are analyzed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.1808.05099","authors":["Pablo Calla","Dan Fries","Chris Welch"],"tags":["Spacecraft","Asteroid","Process (computing)","Near-Earth object","Space exploration"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-08-15","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.48550/arxiv.1808.05099","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2473357133","name":"Asteroid mining : a review of methods and aspects","source":"openalex","abstract":"According to many sources - such as television and science - the final frontier is space. And seemingly, one of the hottest related topics today are asteroids and their presumed promise of inherent wealth - or doom - depending on who reaches who first. The wealth is represented mainly by volatiles for fuel production and precious metals for technological development. The doom is represented by a possible impact from an asteroid. This review has evaluated the main techniques and technologies being developed and tested to explore, prospect and harvest near-Earth asteroids estimated to be worth billions of dollars. Further, the two major space-related companies Planetary Resources and Deep Space Industries and their respective approaches to asteroid mining have been reviewed as well. Ultimately, the aspects of financial feasibility and environmental and legal issues have been approached. It was found that a future space mission to harvest asteroids seems prosperous and even plausible in the near future of possibly a few decades if using a cost-effective mission architecture. The necessary knowledge increases quickly due to interests of profit and exploration and space is among the fastest growing businesses. Theories on how to commercialize space were scrutinized to find negative effects to humanity and environment, though only a few were found – most side effects seem beneficial to the human race and the main ones are described in the text. And naturally, as the main themes of this thesis consist of future projects and their implications, much of the information herein is stated as estimations and speculations.","url":"https://openalex.org/W2473357133","authors":["Vide Hellgren"],"tags":["Asteroid","Space (punctuation)","Planetary boundaries","Frontier","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z"},{"id":"oa:W2129658408","name":"Optimal Architecture for an Asteroid Mining Mission: Equipment Details and Integration","source":"openalex","abstract":"Near -Earth asteroids (NEAs) are of increasing interest as we learn more about their number, a ttributes, potential risks to Earth, and enormous wealth of resources. With the civilian space movement underway, driven by economic engines, it is feasible to formulate profit -making ventures in space that require little -to -no governmental funding. The profit potential and technical aspects of mining NEAs has been explored in numerous articles. This paper presents a detailed, optimal return -on -investment plan for mining NEAs, outlining the necessary engineering components and interaction between system components. The proposal emphasizes flexibility, cost -efficiencies, and fail -safes to maximize the probability of success. The on -site equipment utilizes only robotic components, with telecontrol by humans from Earth. Such a system minimizes human risk and cost. The primary targets are to maximize flexibility, redundancy and capacity for self -correction in all components of the equipment payload. Redundancy of key components is addressed, as this is critical to success and investor profit. Systems inc luding propulsion, power supply, regolith detection -acquisition -and -mining units, processing equipment for platinum -group metals (PGMs), ore and volatiles including water, and propellant manufacture and storage are all described. The necessary artificiall y-intelligent, distributed control -communication -and -navigation programs permitting component adaptability to varying surface conditions on NEAs are detailed. A sample mission to a representative NEA is outlined, to demonstrate (a) the interaction of all system components, (B) fail - safes for several potential problems that could be encountered, and (c) final configuration of payload and sample return. The system components include: a command/control/communication (CCC) unit that remains next to the NEA and communicates with Earth operators and the landers; four small lander -miner (LM) units capable of acquiring and processing regolith (two specialized for volatiles, two for PGMs and ore); a solar -powered hydrolysis unit for processing water into O2 and H 2; systems for storing LOX and LH2; storage units to return PGMs, ore and water; and a return launcher utilizing LOX and LH2 fuel that carries these storage units back to LEO. The CCC unit, LMs, solar -powered hydrolysis unit, and one set of storage contai ners for LOX and LH2, PGMs and ore remain on the NEA to allow continued processing of regolith, in preparation for their return by future launchers from LEO. The proposal assumes the NEA has already been evaluated by a scouting unit for resource mapping, and the mission delta -V and propellant requirements are estimated based upon launch of the initial mission from LEO. NEA mining for water, ore and PGMs can serve as an economical backbone for catalyzing lunar, Martian and other space exploration. An effi cient, flexible and cost -effective mission utilizing adaptable and resilient robotic components is essential to accomplishing this goal.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2006-7504","authors":["Ken Erickson"],"tags":["Architecture","Computer science","Asteroid","Astrobiology","Systems engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-09-19","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.2514/6.2006-7504","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2002229563","name":"Mining the Apollo and Amor Asteroids","source":"openalex","abstract":"Earth-approaching asteroids could provide raw materials for space manufacturing. For certain asteroids the total energy per unit mass for the transfer of asteroidal resources to a manufacturing site in high Earth orbit is comparable to that for lunar materials. For logistical reasons the cost may be many times less. Optical studies suggest that these asteroids have compositions corresponding to those of carbonaceous and ordinary chondrites, with some containing large quantities of iron and nickel; others are thought to contain carbon, nitrogen, and hydrogen, elements that appear to be lacking on the moon. The prospect that several new candidate asteroids will be discovered over the next few years increases the likelihood that a variety of asteroidal resource materials can be retrieved on low-energy missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.197.4301.363-a","authors":["Brian O'Leary"],"tags":["Asteroid","Astrobiology","Chondrite","Meteorite","Earth (classical element)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1977-07-22","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.1126/science.197.4301.363-a","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1109/tps.2017.2705175","name":"Asteroid Mining and Deflection Using Electromagnetic Launchers","source":"crossref","abstract":"This investigation shows that the electromagnetic launcher (EML) can be used for asteroid mining and deflection applications. The EMLs considered for these applications include the railgun and the reversible helical EML (R-HEML). The R-HEML has been demonstrated at the University of Missouri Center for Energy Conversion and Electromechanics and is currently being used as an industrial shock and vibration tester. The reversibility of the R-HEML along with its shuttle-armature makes it ideal for the applications proposed here. The R-HEML's shuttle-armature is fitted with a bucket and filled with asteroid material and launched from the asteroid surface at high velocity. The bucket is reloaded and the process repeated. The steady ejection of asteroid material can also be used a source of thrust to change an asteroid's Earth-crossing trajectory if needed. Estimates show that the EML “thruster” can deflect small to medium-sized asteroids with only minimal warning using 100 kW-1 MW electrical power. Larger asteroids can be deflected with similar warning times using a higher power 10-MW electrical supply. The analysis further shows that the EML thruster can be used to profitably mine the asteroid for valuable resources needed on Earth. A nuclear reactor-based supply is chosen as the primary power source for these EML-based applications because of its high power density and ruggedness. The operating parameters of the R-HEML and railgun launchers needed for a 1-MW EML thruster used as an asteroid mining and deflection system are given and discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/tps.2017.2705175","authors":["Thomas G. Engel","Mark A. Prelas"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-05-25T14:13:31Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1109/tps.2017.2705175","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2343369188","name":"Mission concept selection for an asteroid mining mission","source":"openalex","abstract":"Purpose The paper aims to introduce a trade-off method for selecting a mission concept for an asteroid mining mission. In particular, the method is applied to the KaNaRiA mission concept selection. After introducing the KaNaRiA project, the KaNaRiA mission concept selection and reference scenario are described in detail.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat-11-2014-0199","authors":["Alena Probst","G. G. Peytaví","Bernd Eissfeller","Roger Förstner"],"tags":["Asteroid","Astrobiology","Selection (genetic algorithm)","Computer science","Aeronautics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-05-03","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.1108/aeat-11-2014-0199","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2912322813","name":"Space, the Final Frontier of Enterprise: Incentivizing Asteroid Mining Under a Revised International Framework","source":"openalex","abstract":"This Note argues that the Outer Space Treaty (the “OST”) should be modified to provide explicit permission for private entities to engage in asteroid mining while maintaining the principles of international peace and cooperation that the treaty espouses as the core of the framework governing outer space. Part I explores the current state of asteroid mining with reference to the current objectives of companies conducting missions in this realm. Part II examines the OST as applied to the enterprise of asteroid mining by private companies. Part III considers the benefits and drawbacks of various regulatory schemes to govern asteroid mining. It argues for a solution based on the historical development of the whaling industry that retains the principles and international character of the OST while still incentivizing asteroid mining.","url":"https://doi.org/10.36642/mjil.40.1.space","authors":["Jack Heise"],"tags":["Asteroid","Space law","Treaty","Space (punctuation)","Frontier"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.36642/mjil.40.1.space","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2979192977","name":"Non-Appropriation, No Problem: The Outer Space Treaty Is Ready for Asteroid Mining","source":"openalex","abstract":"Has technology outrun the international law governing outer space? This dilemma presents itself as private entities become capable of space travel and new technology makes asteroid mining a reality. Although the Outer Space Treaty's \"non-appropriation\" principle prohibits nations from claiming sovereignty over space bodies, that restriction does not prevent resource extraction. The non-appropriation principle, interpreted alongside existing legal regimes, distinguishes between forbidden appropriation and permissible extraction. Consequently, the non-appropriation principle is most accurately viewed as a flexible premise from which the international community is free to fashion unique laws governing resource extraction in outer space.","url":"https://openalex.org/W2979192977","authors":["John G. Wrench"],"tags":["Appropriation","Space law","Outer space","Sovereignty","Treaty"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z"},{"id":"oa:W2977572118","name":"Economic assessment of high-thrust and solar-sail propulsion for near-earth asteroid mining","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2020.06.012","authors":["Merel Vergaaij","Colin R. McInnes","Matteo Ceriotti"],"tags":["Geostationary orbit","Aerospace engineering","Propellant","Asteroid","Trajectory"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-06-20","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.1016/j.asr.2020.06.012","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2889299449","name":"A location-routing problem for the design of an asteroid mining supply chain network","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2018.08.040","authors":["S. Dorrington","John Olsen"],"tags":["Spacecraft","Computer science","Node (physics)","Orbit (dynamics)","Aerospace engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-08-31","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2018.08.040","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-319-46179-3_5","name":"Asteroid Mining: Mineral Resources in Undifferentiated Bodies from the Chemical Composition of Carbonaceous Chondrites","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46179-3_5","authors":["Marina Martínez-Jiménez","Carles E. Moyano-Cambero","Josep M. Trigo-Rodríguez","Jacinto Alonso-Azcárate","Jordi Llorca"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-12-19T15:20:43Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-319-46179-3_5","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2986309588","name":"Profitable Asteroid Mining","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W2986309588","authors":["M. Busch"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Asteroid","Geology","Computer science","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z"},{"id":"oa:W4317611138","name":"Public-private linkages and the case of asteroid mining","source":"openalex","abstract":"This paper highlights the role of government in boosting the private space sector and proposes that public-private linkages and state support are critical for the success of private space endeavours, such as the fledgling asteroid mining one. The economics of high costs in tandem with outsized risks, and the long time-horizon for the investment to reap a return, have been big obstacles for companies that want a stake in asteroid resource extraction. Such factors necessitate the state stepping in to share the burden. Government funding, technological help, and the state's underwriting of high-level risks, along with ensuring private property rights, are critical for the viability of the asteroid mining infant industry. This paper shows that without enough government backing, the possibility of success for such an enterprise is compromised, as seen in the dismal outcomes of the asteroid mining companies that emerged in recent times.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/09537325.2022.2163887","authors":["Ritu S. Lauer"],"tags":["Asteroid","Underwriting","Government (linguistics)","Business","Private sector"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-20","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.1080/09537325.2022.2163887","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2321651070","name":"Sustainable Mining: Incentivizing Asteroid Mining in the Name of Environmentalism","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W2321651070","authors":["Kevin MacWhorter"],"tags":["Environmentalism","Asteroid","Business","Astrobiology","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z"},{"id":"oa:W4408122675","name":"Asteroid mining: ACT&amp;Friends’ results for the GTOC12 problem","source":"openalex","abstract":"In 2023, the 12th edition of Global Trajectory Competition was organised around the problem referred to as \"Sustainable Asteroid Mining\". This paper reports the developments that led to the solution proposed by ESA's Advanced Concepts Team. Beyond the fact that the proposed approach failed to rank higher than fourth in the final competition leader-board, several innovative fundamental methodologies were developed which have a broader application. In particular, new methods based on machine learning as well as on manipulating the fundamental laws of astrodynamics were developed and able to fill with remarkable accuracy the gap between full low-thrust trajectories and their representation as impulsive Lambert transfers. A novel technique was devised to formulate the challenge of optimal subset selection from a repository of pre-existing optimal mining trajectories as an integer linear programming problem. Finally, the fundamental problem of searching for single optimal mining trajectories (mining and collecting all resources), albeit ignoring the possibility of having intra-ship collaboration and thus sub-optimal in the case of the GTOC12 problem, was efficiently solved by means of a novel search based on a look-ahead score and thus making sure to select asteroids that had chances to be re-visited later on.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s42064-024-0204-x","authors":["Dario Izzo","Marcus Märtens","Laurent Beauregard","Max Bannach","Giacomo Acciarini","Emmanuel Blazquez","Alexander Hadjiivanov","Jai Grover","G. Heißel","Yuri Shimane","Chit Hong Yam"],"tags":["Asteroid","Computer science","Astrobiology","Business","Biology","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.1007/s42064-024-0204-x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2795406583","name":"Asteroids, the New Western Frontier: Applying Principles of the General Mining Law of 1872 to Incentive Asteroid Mining","source":"openalex","abstract":"T HE GRANTING OF a property right has been an effective method to incentivize individuals to take on costly, time consuming, and even dangerous ventures.These ventures, such as the extraction of coal, gas, and oil from uncharted America back in the 1800s, have led to developments that greatly benefit society.Today, technology has advanced to the point where one of the next costly, time consuming, and dangerous, yet potentially advantageous, undertakings is asteroid mining.But there is currently no law that directly addresses what rights a miner would have in resources extracted from an asteroid.While many have argued about the legalities of mining asteroids or the Moon under existing laws and treaties, few have considered the necessity of having a property right scheme in place before such missions come to fruition.Without certainty in what property rights exist in the extracted resources, the incentive to extract these resources will be greatly diminished.This situation is similar to the mining situation in the Western Frontier in the early 1800s, which is why this article proposes that a property right 2013","url":"https://doi.org/10.25172/jalc.78.1.2","authors":["Lauren E. Shaw"],"tags":["Asteroid","Frontier","Incentive","Astrobiology","Law"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.25172/jalc.78.1.2","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2990415024","name":"Cost estimation of an asteroid mining mission using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM)","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2019.07.032","authors":["Alena Probst","Christian Nitzl","F.J. Kraus","Roger Förstner"],"tags":["Structural equation modeling","Partial least squares regression","Cost estimate","Delphi method","Operations research"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-11-20","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2019.07.032","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W3124125537","name":"Target evaluation for near earth asteroid long-term mining missions","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2021.01.011","authors":["Ruida Xie","Nicholas J. Bennett","Andrew G. Dempster"],"tags":["Asteroid","Near-Earth object","Computer science","Population","Trajectory"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-01-18","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2021.01.011","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W4379780579","name":"Asteroid Mining Tax as a Tool to Keep Peace in Outer Space","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spacepol.2023.101555","authors":["Pavel Semerád"],"tags":["Space (punctuation)","Outer space","Asset (computer security)","Economics","Fiscal space"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-06-08","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.1016/j.spacepol.2023.101555","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W4245087384","name":"Resources in space and asteroid mining: where we are and which challenges should be expected","source":"openalex","abstract":"Asteroid mining is being presented by the media in an optimistic light, with claims about imminent massive investment, a legion of entrepreneurs with their eyes put on a potentially lucrative industry, and a future full of possibilities both for the technologic sector and for the development of a whole new way of doing business with natural resources. But is this a 'scramble for space' a possibility, at least in the short-term, or just another dystopian exaggeration doomed to oblivion? In this article, we try to present a sobering thought on this phenomenon by assessing three key elements of space mining: the state of technology, whether there is adequate regulation of this flourishing industry, be it at the national or the international level, and the interests which are at stake should the space mining sector finally take off, and how they may develop over time, especially in a conflictive manner.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1504/ijtm.2020.108980","authors":["José Antonio Peña‐Ramos","Fernando Ramírez de Luis"],"tags":["Flourishing","Space (punctuation)","Exaggeration","Investment (military)","Dystopia"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.1504/ijtm.2020.108980","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W4200371904","name":"Technological importance of asteroid mining","source":"openalex","abstract":"With the ever-growing demands of the population and the ever-growing world of consumption and technology, the resources of the planet Earth are limited. According to Cohen (2007), some of the Earth's major resources, such as metals and minerals needed to develop the technology and food industries, may be depleted within the next 40-50 years, based on known terrestrial reserves and increased consumption. For industrial and technological development of humanity, new discoveries are needed in future realization as well as future discoveries. Asteroids are celestial bodies of scientific importance to reveal the formation, chemical composition and evolution of the Solar System. As the name implies, \"Near Earth Asteroids\", metal have been found to be potentially close to possible because they are sufficiently close and can be found in precious metals and minerals. The reservoirs of important substances such as water, metals and semiconductors can be found in these celestial bodies. Although the Asteroids and the Earth are composed of the same elements, the Earth's relatively stronger gravity has attracted all the heavy elements to its core over time. An asteroid rain deprived of such valuable elements results in the formation of gold, cobalt, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, osmium, palladium, platinum, rhenium, radium, ruthenium and tungsten elements (from the core to the surface). Today, these metals are extracted from the Earth's crust and are required for economic and technological advancements. Therefore, the geological history of the Earth can be a very good step for the future of asteroid mining.","url":"https://doi.org/10.46239/ejbcs.793540","authors":["Senem ÇABUK","Nazım ÇABUK"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Earth science","Earth (classical element)","Asteroid","Crust"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-12-19","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.46239/ejbcs.793540","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W3009979968","name":"Exploration: Safe and clean mining on Earth and asteroids","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.120899","authors":["Longjun Dong","Daoyuan Sun","Weiwei Shu","Xibing Li"],"tags":["Asteroid","Mine safety","Open-pit mining","Underground mining (soft rock)","Mining engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-03","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.120899","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W4206088203","name":"Review of Space Industry and Technology for Asteroid Mining","source":"openalex","abstract":"Interest in the new space industry is growing in Korea due to the lifting of the US-Korea missile guidelines and the development of the Nuri launch vehicle. This paper reviews the space industry and the technology for asteroid mining. The definition and classification system of asteroids are explained, and first-generation companies in the asteroid mining industry and start-ups established after 2010 are introduced. The countries of the relevant companies are becoming more diversified, and the business areas are expanding to include not only space telescopes and space launch vehicles but also robotic mining equipment, space manufacturing and mineral processing, and the construction of space gas stations. The trends of exploration, transportation, and the energy and mining technologies necessary for asteroid mining are summarized, and issues related to international laws and economic feasibility are presented. Continuous investment and efforts are required to develop technologies and improve international laws for asteroid mining.","url":"https://doi.org/10.32390/ksmer.2021.58.6.640","authors":["Yosoon Choi"],"tags":["Asteroid","Astrobiology","Space (punctuation)","Space industry","Mining industry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-12-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.32390/ksmer.2021.58.6.640","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W1984278322","name":"Mining the Final Frontier: Keeping Earth's Asteroid Mining Ventures from Becoming the Next Gold Rush","source":"openalex","abstract":"“Space: The Final Frontier.” While that phrase has been a call to arms for generations of science fiction fans and space enthusiasts to look up at the night sky in wonder and amazement, it has increasingly become a siren call for private space pioneers. Since man first went to space, humankind has been pushing the boundaries of experimentation, research, and exploration into the cosmos. Even though Earth’s supply of certain rare and precious metals may be reaching depletion, researchers have found that asteroids are likely to contain vast quantities of these resources. Today, several companies are attempting to tap into this potential wealth of resources for use, both on Earth and in space. Before these companies can begin mining, however, stronger property laws are needed to ensure the Asteroid Belt of our solar system is not described as the next California Gold Rush. This Article argues that the international community must be united on the policies and customs surrounding property ownership in space so these mining operations can be performed in a peaceful and safe manner.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5195/tlp.2014.140","authors":["Matthew Feinman"],"tags":["Gold rush","Frontier","Wonder","Space (punctuation)","Asteroid"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-05-23","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.5195/tlp.2014.140","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W1484079842","name":"The Next Frontier: An Overview of the Legal and Environmental Implications of Near-Earth Asteroid Mining","source":"openalex","abstract":"With dwindling terrestrial resources, near-Earth asteroid (NEA) mining may soon become the next frontier in international space exploits and resource exploitation. NASA has already predicted that it will send astronauts to NEAs by 2025, and several other private-entity corporations like Planetary Resources are also taking part in the new space race. Near-Earth mining has the potential to supplement the Earth with much-needed resources, such as, freshwater, rare Earth minerals and oil. Now that mining is technologically and economically feasible, the only impediment seems to be the framework of international space law regimes, such as the Moon Agreement and the Outer Space Treaty. These treaties are archaic in the sense that they were created in a time when near-Earth mining was unfathomable. Accordingly, there are legal ambiguity and interpretation issues which must be resolved prior to commencing space exploits, in order to reduce litigation and conflict. The environmental consequences of near-Earth mining must also be explicitly ascertained, with regard to prevention and mitigation. This will ensure that private-entities who seek to exploit near-Earth asteroids thwart legal and environmental barriers. Thus, the legal uncertainty surrounding near-Earth asteroid appropriation must be clarified to permit appropriate investment, promote terrestrial conservation, prevent geopolitical conflicts and improve living standards through intra- and inter-generational equality for all individuals and nations.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1484079842","authors":["Tina Hlimi"],"tags":["Exploit","Frontier","Resource (disambiguation)","Geopolitics","Near-Earth object"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z"},{"id":"oa:W4401976810","name":"Designing a concurrent detumbling and redirection mission for asteroid mining purposes via optimization","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s42064-024-0213-9","authors":["Mohammadmehdi Seddighi","Mahdi Jafari Nadoushan"],"tags":["Asteroid","Astrobiology","Computer science","Systems engineering","Engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-20","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.1007/s42064-024-0213-9","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2107454883","name":"Rationale, Strategies, and Economics for Exploration and Mining of Asteroids","source":"openalex","abstract":"The development of off-world sources of critical minerals is creating an opportunity to transform space activity from a consumer of resources into sources of value. This article provides an overview of the rationale for and the feasibility of asteroid mining, based on current technology and information. It concludes that the mining of asteroids is a medium-term to long-term project (20 to 30 years) that requires a stepwise approach. An important step in the development of asteroid mining is the confirmation, through exploration, of the minerals’ abundance on the asteroids. A mission capturing and returning to lunar orbit a single 10-meter-diameter asteroid or a rock off the surface of a larger asteroid accomplishes this goal. This mission would also allow the testing of automated mining and processing equipment, reducing the risks of future large-scale asteroid mining operations. Suggested herein is that asteroids’ exploration be carried out through a partnership between space agencies and private space companies, whereby the two partners can achieve their strategic interests.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14777622.2015.1014244","authors":["Andrea Sommariva"],"tags":["Asteroid","Astrobiology","Economics","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-01-02","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.1080/14777622.2015.1014244","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W35719230","name":"Space Colony from a Commercial Asteroid Mining Company Town","source":"openalex","abstract":"Commercial mining towns on Earth become cities. Company towns need commerce to drive the growth and economy of early space colonies. Water is an early resource for camp consumables plus propellant export sales from asteroid mining operations at proposed burned out comets with water methane ice cores for sustainable growth over 50 years, financed from profits and capable with affordable logistics to support resource recovery. One co‐author's perspective includes remote resource recovery sites on Earth. Other co‐authors' experiences include architecture, lunar habitation, and architectural space colony concepts. This paper combines these experiences to propose commercial opportunities possible as mankind moves beyond one planet. Alaska's North Slope commercial history indicates that different multiple logistics transportation systems are required to reduce the risk to humans and families moved in before the oil flowed. Commercial enterprises have risked $20 billion and spent hundreds of billions in private money after profits were created. The lessons learned are applied to a burned out comet designated Wilson‐Harrington (1979) and explores the architecture for early living within the burned out comet disk created from ice recovery and later sealed with an expected methane ice interior. Considered is the recovery of the resources, the transport of water back to Earth orbit or L‐1, plus later the development of more comfortable space colony living. Commercial markets produce cities on Earth and the same can happen on Space Colonies. The key is an “in place” affordable commercial logistics system that can service, stimulate and sustain a 50‐year commercial propellant market.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2845060","authors":["Thomas C. Taylor","Werner Grandl","Martina Pinni","Haym Benaroya","Mohamed S. El-Genk"],"tags":["Resource (disambiguation)","Business","Architecture","Service (business)","Space (punctuation)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.1063/1.2845060","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2182691258","name":"Architecture for an Asteroid-Mining Spacecraft","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-39244-3_16","authors":["Haym Benaroya"],"tags":["Spacecraft","Asteroid","Astrobiology","Architecture","Variety (cybernetics)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-39244-3_16","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W4206229639","name":"A framework for campaign level asteroid mining pre-feasibility study","source":"openalex","abstract":"View Video Presentation: https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2022-2583.vid This paper presents a framework for campaign level asteroid mining pre-feasibility study. The framework is designed to support realistic mining campaign design through a numerical approach. It integrates various modules that cover target selection, trajectory generation, mission opportunity search, economic analyses and campaign scheduling and optimization. Each module is independent and can be exchanged for various mission scenarios and fidelity levels. A case study for mining asteroid Bennu in the timeframe of 2030 - 2070 is provided. Mining seasons are found to occur approximately every 7 years. The most profitable mining campaign period is year 2047 - 2067.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2022-2583","authors":["Ruida Xie","Serkan Saydam","Andrew G. Dempster"],"tags":["Asteroid","Fidelity","Trajectory","Computer science","Scheduling (production processes)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-03","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.2514/6.2022-2583","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W4290888851","name":"Analysis of Technology, Economic, and Legislation Readiness Levels of Asteroid Mining Industry: A Base for the Future Space Resource Utilization Missions","source":"openalex","abstract":"From their initial discovery in 1848, asteroids have been recognized as valuable resources. Although not yet economically viable, asteroid mining is becoming increasingly technologically feasible. The ongoing missions, such as Lucy, Psyche 16, Hayabusa-2, and OSIRIS-REx developed by students, scientists, space agencies, and private companies, continue to improve the technology and cost readiness levels of the space mining industry. This article contextualizes the advances and prospects for the development of asteroid mining activities by building on the success of previous space resource exploration missions and predicting the future of resource utilization in development of space habitats. More than just providing a state of the art, this article highlights the importance of sustainable investments in asteroid mining projects, the strategies in vogue, and identifies the mission feasibility factors. First, this article provides an analysis of space resource exploration missions and the type of asteroids cataloged by space agencies, the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. Second, this article presents key factors influencing legal, ethical, economic logistics, and technological advancements of asteroid mining missions. This also includes technoeconomic analysis of key technological factors such as accurate trajectory calculation and prediction, maneuvering capabilities, where simple performance improvements bring the asteroid and Moon mining projects nearer to their economic attainability. Finally, the impact of cost, technology readiness levels, and mission feasibility on recent unmanned space resource missions is presented, providing recommendations to bridge the existing gaps for mission execution and implementation levels. The growing threats of an asteroid impact, coupled with rapid depletion of natural resources on Earth, make asteroid mining an increasingly urgent subject. Since the existing state of technology does not meet appropriate standards, this work not only identifies and lists the current and past successful techniques and potential alternatives to gain maturity for asteroid mining missions but also presents the specific logistic aspects such as bridging the gaps in terms of legislation, in-orbit construction, and servicing using the mined resources based on existing literature. This article supports the IAWN, Impact Disaster Planning Advisory Group, Space Mission Planning Advisory Group, Space agencies, educational institutions, and interested stakeholders by providing a critical analysis of state of the art for optimal future development of the space mining industry.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/space.2021.0025","authors":["Smiriti Srivastava","Swaraj S. Pradhan","Bijaya Luitel","Pavithra Manghaipathy","Marco Romero"],"tags":["Resource (disambiguation)","Asteroid","Space exploration","Space (punctuation)","NASA Deep Space Network"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-08-12","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.1089/space.2021.0025","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.25236/ajee.2022.040308","name":"Analysis of the Impact of Asteroid Mining on Equality","source":"crossref","abstract":"To study the impact of asteroid mining on equality, we need to measure the global equity, so we developed the NRI (National Resources Index) model, with 18 secondary indicators and 6 primary indicators to measure the NRI for 17 sample countries. We simulated the complete process of asteroid mining and combine linear programming models and Monte Carlo methods to simulate the development and profitability of each country over the next 100 years. we built the AMP (Asteroid Mining Profit) model. Then we took into account the devaluation of minerals. By using the Fisher equation to quantify the gold price changes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.25236/ajee.2022.040308","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-09-15T01:19:02Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.25236/ajee.2022.040308","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.25236/ajets.2022.050405","name":"Study on Global Equity and Asteroid Mining","source":"crossref","abstract":"In this paper, we study the relationship between asteroid mining and global equity. Firstly, a comprehensive evaluation model of equity (CEME) is established. The entropy weight method is used to determine the weights of the seven indicators, and the tospsis algorithm is used to obtain the development indicators. In addition, the impact of changing the profit distribution conditions of asteroid mining on global fairness is discussed. Finally, in order to promote global fairness, we proposed the profit redistribution model (PRM).","url":"https://doi.org/10.25236/ajets.2022.050405","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-09-15T01:40:02Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.25236/ajets.2022.050405","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.25236/ajee.2022.040408","name":"A Measuring Stick for the World: Achieving Global Equity in Asteroid Mining","source":"crossref","abstract":"In this paper, we analyze the impact of asteroid mining on global equity. Specifically, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and entropy weight method (EWM) are used to calculate the weight, and finally the weight factors are coupled. The TOPSIS model was used to establish a global fairness measurement model, and the model was used to calculate the per relatively equality allocation of weight (PREAW) for 40 countries. To address the question of how asteroid mining affects global equity, a grey prediction model was established. Through the processing of raw data, time series data is generated, and finally differential equations are established to predict future development trends. The asteroid mining factor is introduced into the global fairness measurement model to calculate PREAW, and it is found that the resource requirement (RR) has an important impact on global fairness.","url":"https://doi.org/10.25236/ajee.2022.040408","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-09-15T01:26:48Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.25236/ajee.2022.040408","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W4408122713","name":"Sustainable Asteroid Mining: Results and methods of team BIT-CAS-DFH for GTOC12","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s42064-024-0241-5","authors":["Bo Pang","Yangyuxi Sun","Guoxu Zhang","Yining Zhang","Tianhao Zhu","Yangxin Wang","Zihan Jin","Zhaohang Li","Lin He","Meng Lu","Rui Zhou","Yongchen Yin","Yunong Shang","Shengmao He","Chao Peng","Zhengfan Zhu","Yang Zhang","Yang Gao","Changxuan Wen"],"tags":["Bit (key)","Computer science","Asteroid","Astrobiology","Computer security"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.1007/s42064-024-0241-5","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W4396592204","name":"Asteroid mining vs the carbon bubble: ethical considerations for space resource extraction","source":"openalex","abstract":"Purpose The purpose of this paper is to consider the ethical and environmental implications of allowing space resource extraction to disrupt existing fuel economies, including how companies can be held accountable for ensuring the responsible use of their space assets. It will also briefly consider how such assets should be taxed, and the cost/benefit analyses required to justify the considerable expense of supporting this emerging space industry. Design/methodology/approach This paper adopts theoretical bioethics methodologies to explore issues of normative ethics and the formulation of moral rules to govern individual, collective and institutional behaviour. Specifically, it considers social justice and social contract theory, consequentialist and deontological accounts of ethical evaluation. It also draws on sociological and organisational literature to discuss Dowling and Pfeffer’s (1975) and Suchman’s (1995) theories of pragmatic, cognitive and moral legitimacy as they may be applied to off-world mining regulations and the handling of space assets. Findings The findings of this conceptual paper indicate there is both a growing appetite for tighter resource extraction regulations to address climate change and wealth concentration globally, and an opportunity to establish and legitimise new ethical norms for commercial activity in space that can avoid some of the challenges currently facing fossil fuel divestment movements on Earth. Originality/value By adopting methodologies from theoretical bioethics, sociology and business studies, including applying a legitimacy lens to the issue of off-world mining, this paper synthesises existing knowledges from these fields and brings them to the new context of the future space resource economy.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1108/aaaj-12-2022-6186","authors":["Evie Kendal"],"tags":["Legitimacy","Sociology","Resource (disambiguation)","Context (archaeology)","Normative"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-02","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.1108/aaaj-12-2022-6186","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W3098675730","name":"EURONEAR- Data Mining of Asteroids and Near Earth Asteroids","source":"openalex","abstract":"Besides new observations, mining old photographic plates and CCD image archives represents an opportunity to recover and secure newly discovered asteroids, also to improve the orbits of Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs), Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) and Virtual Impactors (VIs). These are the main research aims of the EURONEAR network. As stated by the IAU, the vast collection of image archives stored worldwide is still insufficiently explored, and could be mined for known NEAs and other asteroids appearing occasionally in their fields. This data mining could be eased using a server to search and classify findings based on the asteroid class and the discovery date as \"precoveries\" or \"recoveries\". We built PRECOVERY, a public facility which uses the Virtual Observatory SkyBoT webservice of IMCCE to search for all known Solar System objects in a given observation. To datamine an entire archive, PRECOVERY requires the observing log in a standard format and outputs a database listing the sorted encounters of NEAs, PHAs, numbered and un-numbered asteroids classified as precoveries or recoveries based on the daily updated IAUMPC database. As a first application, we considered an archive including about 13,000 photographic plates exposed between 1930 and 2005 at the Astronomical Observatory in Bucharest, Romania. PRECOVERY can be applied to other archives, being intended as a public facility offered to the community by the EURONEAR project. This is the first of a series of papers aimed to improve orbits of PHAs and NEAs using precovered data derived from archives of images to be data mined in collaboration with students and amateurs. In the next paper we will search the CFHT Legacy Survey, while data mining of other archives is planned for the near future.","url":"https://openalex.org/W3098675730","authors":["O. Văduvescu","Lucian Curelaru","Mirel Birlan","Gheorghe Bocša","Liviu Şerbǎnescu","A. Tudorica","J. Berthier","Key Words"],"tags":["Asteroid","Virtual observatory","Observatory","Near-Earth object","Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-11-27","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z"},{"id":"oa:W4404076856","name":"Challenges of Robotic Milli-G Operations for Asteroid Mining","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-73128-0_4","authors":["Alex Ellery"],"tags":["Asteroid","Astrobiology","Computer science","Aerospace engineering","Engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-031-73128-0_4","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2062794350","name":"EURONEAR: Data mining of asteroids and Near Earth Asteroids","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Besides new observations, mining old photographic plates and CCD image archives represents an opportunity to recover and secure newly discovered asteroids, also to improve the orbits of Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs), Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) and Virtual Impactors (VIs). These are the main research aims of the EURONEAR network. As stated by the IAU, the vast collection of image archives stored worldwide is still insufficiently explored, and could be mined for known NEAs and other asteroids appearing occasionally in their fields. This data mining could be eased using a server to search and classify findings based on the asteroid class and the discovery date as “precoveries” or “recoveries”. We built PRECOVERY, a public facility which uses the Virtual Observatory SkyBoT webservice of IMCCE to search for all known Solar System objects in a given observation. To datamine an entire archive, PRECOVERY requires the observing log in a standard format and outputs a database listing the sorted encounters of NEAs, PHAs, numbered and un‐numbered asteroids classified as precoveries or recoveries based on the daily updated IAU MPC database. As a first application, we considered an archive including about 13 000 photographic plates exposed between 1930 and 2005 at the Astronomical Observatory in Bucharest, Romania. Firstly, we updated the database, homogenizing dates and pointings to a common format using the JD dating system and J2000 epoch. All the asteroids observed in planned mode were recovered, proving the accuracy of PRECOVERY. Despite the large field of the plates imaging mostly 2.27° × 2.27° fields, no NEA or PHA could be encountered occasionally in the archive due to the small aperture of the 0.38m refractor insufficiently to detect objects fainter than V ∼ 15. PRECOVERY can be applied to other archives, being intended as a public facility offered to the community by the EURONEAR project. This is the first of a series of papers aimed to improve orbits of PHAs and NEAs using precovered data derived from archives of images to be data mined in collaboration with students and amateurs. In the next paper we will search the CFHT Legacy Survey, while data mining of other archives is planned for the near future (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &amp; Co. KGaA, Weinheim)","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/asna.200811198","authors":["O. Vaduvescu","L. Curelaru","M. Birlan","G. Bocsa","L. Serbanescu","A. Tudorica","J. Berthier"],"tags":["Asteroid","Near-Earth object","Observatory","Virtual observatory","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-07-17","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.1002/asna.200811198","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2582468392","name":"Asteroid Mining Methods","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W2582468392","authors":["Brad R. Blair","Leslie Gertsch"],"tags":["Asteroid","Astrobiology","Geology","Computer science","Mining engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z"},{"id":"oa:W3003804807","name":"Influence of Launcher Cost and Payload Capacity on Asteroid Mining Profitability","source":"openalex","abstract":"A range of resources can be extracted from asteroids, for example volatiles for propellant and consumables for (crewed) spacecraft, semi-conductors and metals for in-space manufacturing or platinum group metals for terrestrial use. One of the key justifications for in-situ manufacturing/resource utilisation is the high costs incurred during launch from the Earth’s deep gravity well. However, selling asteroid-derived resources in Earth orbit at a price competitive with launching the same resources from the Earth’s surface is largely dependent on specific launch costs, especially for low value-to-mass resources such as volatiles and construction materials. This paper investigates the influence of the cost and payload capacity of launch vehicles on asteroid mining profitability. Results demonstrate that for resources delivered to GEO, if the launch cost decreases, the specific launch cost (per kg) decreases in such a way that the decrease in total cost is smaller than the decrease in revenue, resulting in a less profitable mission. Similarly, when the payload capacity increases and therefore the specific launch cost decreases, the resulting mission also generates less profit. Sensitivity analyses show that for an example mission with two round trips to the same asteroid, profits increase with the increased number of trips, if the asteroid has not been fully depleted. Similarly, a further sensitivity analysis demonstrates that by changing the destination orbit for the processed resources to the Lunar Gateway, increased profit margins can be realised.","url":"https://openalex.org/W3003804807","authors":["Merel Vergaaij","Colin R. McInnes","Matteo Ceriotti"],"tags":["Payload (computing)","Profitability index","Asteroid","Propellant","Revenue"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-11-14","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z"},{"id":"oa:W111054883","name":"Congress approves solar power satellites—and asteroid mining","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/274003a0","authors":["David Dickson"],"tags":["Asteroid","Astrobiology","Solar power","Power (physics)","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1978-07-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.1038/274003a0","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2887129790","name":"The Problems with an International Legal Framework for Asteroid Mining","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90303-3_9","authors":["Kamil Muzyka"],"tags":["Legislature","Political science","Space (punctuation)","Space law","Outer space"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.471Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-319-90303-3_9","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W1665813744","name":"Optimal Architecture for an Asteroid Mining Mission: System Components and Project Execution","source":"openalex","abstract":"Near‐Earth asteroids (NEAs) offer potential profits both in the near‐term (mining platinum group metals, or PGMs) and long‐term (harvesting water, volatiles and ore to provide the economic backbone for lunar, Martian and other space exploration). The abundance of raw materials in NEAs include: water and other volatiles for life‐support and power, nickel, iron and other metals for construction and manufacturing; carbonaceous compounds for ceramics and building materials; and PGMs for fuel cells and numerous applications on Earth. An efficient, flexible and cost‐effective mission utilizing adaptable and resilient robotic compo‐nents is essential to successfully establish NEA mining as a comer‐cial enterprise. This paper presents an optimized architecture, detailing necessary engineering components, task integration between them, and methods to address the more likely problems encountered. Candidate NEAs are suggested that could offer optimal PGM resources and that have already been evaluated by rendezvous mapping. Mission delta‐V and propellant selection are based upon launch from and return to LEO. On‐site equipment includes AI‐guided robotics, with human telecontrol from Earth to minimize risk and cost. A command‐control‐communication (CCC) unit orbits the NEA, and coordinates four small lander‐miners (LMs), each of which acquire and process regolith. Two LMs are specialized for water and volatiles, two for PGM and Ni‐Fe ore. A solar‐powered unit hydrolyzes water from the NEA into H2 and O2 for use as propellant, and a solar‐thermal propulsion unit returns additional water, PGMs and Ni‐Fe ore to LEO. The pro‐posed architecture emphasizes flexibility, redundancy of critical units, and fail‐safes to maximize probability of mission success. Potential problems addressed include: failure of components, varying surface conditions and mineralogic content, fluctuating solar exposure (due to asteroid rotation) and its impact on solar power units, extreme temperature changes, drilling in milli‐gravity conditions, handling regolith dust, and managing liquid H2. Mission‐enhancing technologies are included that could increase profitability and further accelerate asteroid mining enterprises.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2437531","authors":["Ken R. Erickson"],"tags":["Propellant","Rendezvous","Regolith","Propulsion","Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1063/1.2437531","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W3110974996","name":"Asteroid Mining: Future of Space Commercialization","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3110974996","authors":["Pradnesh Mhatre","Pranjal Mhatre"],"tags":["Commercialization","Astrobiology","Asteroid","Space (punctuation)","Business"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-04-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"oa:W2825468746","name":"Asteroid engineering: The state-of-the-art of Near-Earth Asteroids science and technology","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paerosci.2018.05.001","authors":["Niklas Anthony","M. Reza Emami"],"tags":["Asteroid","Excavation","Near-Earth object","Engineering","Futures studies"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-06-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1016/j.paerosci.2018.05.001","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W4401359259","name":"Analyzing the Potential of Space Elevator Technology for Sustainable Asteroid Mining","source":"openalex","abstract":"As humanity enters a new age of human exploration and expansion, more practical and economically feasible ideas for space travel and resource mining are topics of great interest. Space elevator technology was first depicted in the science fiction novel Dreams of Earth and Sky by Konstantin Tsiolkovsky in the late 1800s and was later reimagined by Arthur C. Clarke dubbed as an “orbital tower” using orbital space stations as its base for construction. Simply stated, a space elevator is a tapered tether that is anchored to a point on a celestial body and extends outward to a given orbital position that is determined by the mission and found using basic rotational dynamics. Attached to the tether are mechanical climbers that ascend to a given radius, based on mission parameters, to launch a payload. The benefits of using a space elevator as a launch system when compared to chemical rocket propulsion are many including longer launch windows, increased frequency of launches, reduction of cost per kilogram of a launch as well as decreased time of travel. One of a vast number of destination targets would be the near earth asteroid 1986 DA that may contain materials such as cobalt and nickel. The mining of asteroids could end human reliance on limited terrestrial resources as well as advance technology in ways yet to be imagined. In this paper, we will go into detail on how the benefits of space elevator technology can make mining operations sustainable and economically viable for future operations. We will examine potential tether arrangements and designs including the length requirements, dynamics, anchoring techniques and performance. We will also present the Earth to asteroid and asteroid to Earth orbital dynamics of such a system such as frequency of launch, time of flight, launch windows and orbital parameters. These will be compared to a chemical rocket-based system. This work is critical for any effort considering long-term, large-scale asteroid mining.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2024-85461","authors":["Joseph Bate","Noor Yousuf","Josiah Rothwell","Lynanne George"],"tags":["Elevator","Asteroid","Astrobiology","Space (punctuation)","Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.2514/6.2024-85461","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2529754668","name":"Regulating The Final Frontier: Asteroid Mining and The Need For A New Regulatory Regime","source":"openalex","abstract":"The wide breadth of human history has been written by explorers, adventurers, and dreamers, driven by a vision to push the boundaries of our collective beliefs and expand our presuppositions about corporeal limits. From Christopher Columbus to Neil Armstrong, the story of mankind is reflected through a desperate need to know the unknown. Consequently, the next step in human history will undoubtedly be written in the last frontier left unexplored, the final frontier: space. This Note's introduction highlights the past to predict the future, arguing that while there are great lessons to be learned from the past, future governments need to break with past behavior and blaze a new path that reflects the significance of exploring something as expansive and as prodigious as space. Hidden beneath the mythical retellings of Marco Polo and Christopher Columbus are the historical contexts of the eras which informed them---stories of political chaos, wild land grabs, catastrophic wars, and political feuds that changed the global landscape. Therein lies a lesson---installing regulation after wealth has been found to be problematic, if not nearly impossible; instead, action must be taken preemptively. That being said, aggressive legislation should not dominate at the expense of reason. As in the early exploration periods---where we discovered land routes to eastern empires and sea routes to new continents---the system should incentivize mankind to keep pushing forward. However, the Neil Armstrong age of exploration through modernity has been marked by agreements like the Outer Space Treaty and the Moon Treaty that leave little incentive for private parties to explore further. To ignite the Space Age, a happy medium must be found between the two lessons of the past---regulation and incentivization. A regulatory structure must be put in place not only to prevent the massive socio-political and economic changes of the past, but also to support a regime that allows, aids, and actually encourages a push towards exploration. The first step in that process starts with how we deal with asteroids and the very real future of mining the final frontier. The answer, at least the one purported by this author, is the creation of a new international regulatory regime. In talking to the average person, the term \"asteroid mining'' seems to be most commonly associated with a team of brave deep-sea oil drillers that save Earth from a rogue asteroid. To a few others it seems to invoke memories of a space battle in a galaxy far, far away. Either way, it is dismissed as something out of a science fiction fantasy. As expected, few people hear the term asteroid mining and think of water, minerals, or precious metals. Few look at asteroids as landing docks, fueling stations, or resource centers, but this is what the future holds. Scientists have analyzed asteroid fragments and done extensive research that shows that the contents of asteroids are more than just useless rock. For example, researchers have discovered a single asteroid that contains more platinum than has ever been mined in the history of the Earth. Asteroids offer an unimaginable amount of wealth, and with this wealth comes the potential for catastrophic international implications. Private companies, like Planetary Resources, have already started to invest in plans to mine an asteroid. Some governments are not far behind; the US has been slowly allocating money for an asteroid capture project. History has shown that massive capital opportunity mixed with no overarching regulation is a recipe for disaster. The silver lining is that along with the potential for havoc there comes the potential for real advancement. Now, at the dawn of this industry's development, there is a golden opportunity to use the intrinsic incentive for personal gain (that is, mining asteroids for money) to create an international organization that lays the groundwork and cradles the economic goals of a regime that is up to the ch","url":"https://openalex.org/W2529754668","authors":["Priyank D. Doshi"],"tags":["Asteroid","Frontier","Astrobiology","Computer science","Geography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"oa:W3043213341","name":"Mineral Resource Estimation for Asteroid Mining Projects","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3043213341","authors":["M. J. Sonter","S. D. Covey","John S. Lewis","A. Venkateswara Rao"],"tags":["Asteroid","Resource (disambiguation)","Mineral exploration","Estimation","Mineral resource classification"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-03-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"oa:W1670757567","name":"Next X-Prize: L1 Base with Linked Asteroid Mining as Prime Catalyst for Space Enterprise","source":"openalex","abstract":"We are at a cusp in our emergence as a space‐faring race. Development of space resources offers unparalleled economic opportunities. Entrepreneurs with fortunes from the computer and internet revolutions are heavily investing in space. Their goal: to make space accessible to civilians at affordable prices, and build their next fortunes off‐planet. The Ansari X‐Prize showed that economic incentives can augment the pace and efficiency of this venture. Lunar and Martian missions are being touted as the top priorities by the US and other nations. However, serious and profitable expansion into space is best achieved by the establishment of an L1 base, its economic lifeblood based on processing asteroidal materials to provide the staples of all human space enterprise: oxygen, water, fuel and shielding. This paper outlines the components of an “L1‐prize” modeled on the Ansari X‐prize competition that led to the first private manned flight into space by Scaled Composites. The economic costs, crucial components and profit potential of a primary L1 base with asteroid mining technology intimately tied to it are detailed. The technical and economic benefits of the L1 location are contrasted to alternatives. The likely revenue sources are estimated, including contracting nations and industries; and orbital, lunar and Martian interplanetary enterprises. These are discussed as realistically and conservatively as possible in terms of the potential future profits for the winner of the prize.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2169296","authors":["Ken R. Erickson"],"tags":["Space (punctuation)","Pace","Revenue","Space exploration","Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1063/1.2169296","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W4312252338","name":"The Impact of the Asteroid Mining Industry on Global Equity","source":"openalex","abstract":"Since asteroid resource contains rare metals and minerals which its benefits are considerable. However, there is also the issue of the global equity of asteroid mining resources along with the benefits. Focusing on promoting global peace and reduce inequality, this article contributes to define and","url":"https://doi.org/10.4108/eai.17-6-2022.2322831","authors":["Yiteng Xu","Xu Miao","Lin Jiang"],"tags":["Asteroid","Equity (law)","Resource (disambiguation)","Natural resource economics","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.4108/eai.17-6-2022.2322831","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W4385626121","name":"Preliminary Design of Asteroid Mining Tycoon Game","source":"openalex","abstract":"The aim of this paper is to develop a game using the Unity Engine game engine and Unity Engine-compatible assets, based on real asteroid data (such as asteroid value, types of minerals present on asteroids, etc.) to simulate asteroid/space mining, which is one of the most important issues and priorities of our time. Another objective of this work is to increase awareness, particularly in terms of planetary defense, through digitalization in education, by developing this game. In this context, mechatronic systems designed for asteroid mining games based on similar limited examples will be examined, and new types of mechatronic systems that can be used in possible asteroid mining missions in the future will also be proposed and developed for use in the simulation environment and the game.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/rast57548.2023.10197895","authors":["Mehmet Talha Arlier","Ozan Ünsalan"],"tags":["Asteroid","Mechatronics","Game engine","Context (archaeology)","Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-06-07","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1109/rast57548.2023.10197895","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411350520","name":"Technical Challenges and Ethical, Legal and Social Issues (ELSI) for Asteroid Mining and Planetary Defense","source":"openalex","abstract":"Advances in the field of asteroid dynamics continue to yield new knowledge regarding the behavior and characteristics of asteroids, allowing unprecedented levels of accuracy for predicting trajectories and contributing to impact avoidance strategies. Meanwhile, more detailed information regarding the physical composition of asteroids has reignited interest in asteroid mining as a potential new resource sector. This article considers some of the technical, ethical, legal and social issues facing global planetary defense efforts and off-world mining proposals. It considers issues such as claim jumping, weaponization of the space environment and ownership issues for resources extracted from space.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace12060544","authors":["Evie Kendal","Tony Milligan","M. Elvis"],"tags":["Asteroid","Astrobiology","Engineering ethics","Ethical issues","Political science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-15","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.3390/aerospace12060544","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W4410431571","name":"Optical mining of carbonaceous chondrite simulants: Testing and lessons learned in asteroid mining research","source":"openalex","abstract":"Optical Mining harnesses solar energy to extract volatiles for use in space- mainly water- from volatile-rich, car- bonaceous chondrite asteroids—particularly those in the 10-m size range. This size range is ideal for first-generation Optical Mining technology, being small enough to process with just a few years of development while large enough to likely contain sufficient water to ensure profitability. The harnessed light is concentrated and directed on the sur- face of an asteroid to induce thermal spalling, producing small fragments and releasing water from hydrated minerals (e.g. Serpentine) contained within the heated spalls. Depending on the type of mineral, other volatiles may also be produced as well (such as CO 2 from carbonates). This mining method is part of the broader APIS (Asteroid Provided In-Situ Systems) architecture to enable water production and delivery in space, which is currently under development by the Trans Astronautica Corporation (TransAstra). Achieving this is a notable step in the direction of expanding humanity’s industrial capability beyond Earth. This paper presents the results of testing a portion of this technology at the Colorado School of Mines in a relevant vacuum environment (TRL 5), using a compositional asteroid simulant called “Nectar”. The results include data from an Optical Mining testing campaign- covering irradiance distribution of the mining beam, excavation rates/ water production rates as functions of beam irradiance, and Thermogravimetric Analysis coupled with Mass Spectroscopy (TGA - MS) testing performed on mined samples. Additionally, this paper examines how mineral morphology and beam irradiance affect the spallation mechanism, as well as identifying an optimal irradiance for maximum excavation and volatile production. Finally, this paper discusses key lessons learned, including the importance of precise beam control, the impact of the brittle-to-ductile transition on the mining process, and the role of volatile release in enhancing thermal spallation of weak asteroid material.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.04.033","authors":["Timofey Broslav","Christopher B. Dreyer","Joel Sercel"],"tags":["Asteroid","Astrobiology","Chondrite","Carbonaceous chondrite","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-16","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.04.033","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W4385421381","name":"Asteroid Mining research based on the Global Equity Evaluation Model","source":"openalex","abstract":"With the aggravation of the imbalance in world development, people pay more and more attention to global equity. In general, global equity means that the fruits of development are shared by all mankind, and the development gap between countries is reasonable, so that people of all countries can enjoy stability and happiness. Based on the principle of global equity, this paper further studies the problem of asteroid mining. First, we established a global equity evaluation model (two-level) model, which calculates development indicators from economic, scientific and technological, cultural, social and other aspects, and uses analytic hierarchical process (AHP) and entropy weight method (EWM) to determine the dimensions and weight of indicators. We then describe our vision for asteroid mining. Based on the premise that asteroid mining is managed by a unified department, an asteroid mining allocation model (three-level) is established, using the ARIMA model to predict the data, using AHP and EWM to define the weights to reflect the impact of mining on global equity. In the end, we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of our models, leaving room for further studies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.54097/hset.v60i.10349","authors":["Chenyi Zi","Mingchen Cai"],"tags":["Analytic hierarchy process","Equity (law)","Premise","Computer science","Autoregressive integrated moving average"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-25","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.54097/hset.v60i.10349","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W4387655851","name":"Conceptual Design of Near-Earth Asteroid Mining and Utilization of Potential Resources","source":"openalex","abstract":"Asteroid mining represents a groundbreaking endeavor with the potential to revolutionize resource acquisition and pave the way for sustainable space exploration. This conceptual research paper explores the scientific and technological aspects of asteroid mining, focusing on its feasibility, potential benefits, and challenges. By analyzing existing missions, advancements in robotics and spacecraft technologies, and resource prospecting techniques, this paper aims to shed light on the transformative impact of asteroid mining on resource sustainability and the future of space exploration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.61359/11.2106-2304","authors":["Aksath Raja"],"tags":["Asteroid","Resource (disambiguation)","Transformative learning","Near-Earth object","Spacecraft"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-30","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.61359/11.2106-2304","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2294578138","name":"Mining asteroids","source":"openalex","abstract":"Melting trapped ice on near Earth objects (dormant comets, asteroids) could turn a profit for private companies, with metal processing not far behind. Elaborate plans have been drawn up for NEO missions. In a typical plan, a ship departs Earth for an asteroid when the two bodies' orbits are such that the lowest change in velocity, /spl Delta/V, is required. Mining operations might last many months, and meanwhile, Earth and the NEO would be moving farther and farther apart. When the two orbits coincided once again, the mined materials could be shipped back to Earth. As with most, if not all, speculative space ventures, debate has raged over whether these missions should he manned or robotic. This paper discusses the factors that need to be considered in mining NEOs for water and the market for such water. The problems associated with such missions are also discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/6.938712","authors":["M. Ingebretsen"],"tags":["Asteroid","Astrobiology","Water ice","Profit (economics)","Space exploration"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-08-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1109/6.938712","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406051583","name":"Asteroid mining: The next frontier for sustainability","source":"openalex","abstract":"This viewpoint explores space mining’s potential, driven by commercial advancements. It reviews asteroid selection and nickel extraction to address tech shortages. Three extraction methods—surface removal, vaporization, and electromagnetic—are analyzed, with a surface removal-vaporization combination identified as most effective. Rockets like SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy and NASA’s SLS are proposed for asteroid missions. The study concludes with an “ideal” mission scenario, emphasizing its economic and environmental benefits.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17975/sfj-2024-014","authors":["Saket Sarkar"],"tags":["Frontier","Sustainability","Asteroid","Astrobiology","Environmental resource management"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.17975/sfj-2024-014","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W182962610","name":"Asteroids","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-39244-3","authors":["Badescu, Viorel"],"tags":["Asteroid","Astrobiology","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-39244-3","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W4375859351","name":"The rock-forming minerals and macroscale mechanical properties of asteroid rocks","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2023.107154","authors":["Xuhai Tang","Jingjing Xu","Yiheng Zhang","Haifeng Zhao","Adriana Paluszny","Xue Wan","Zhengzhi Wang"],"tags":["Meteorite","Context (archaeology)","Geology","Asteroid","Microscale chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-05-08","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2023.107154","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2345679865","name":"The Doctrine of Appropriation and Asteroid Mining: Incentivizing the Private Exploration and Development of Outer Space","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W2345679865","authors":["Ross O. Meyers"],"tags":["Appropriation","Doctrine","Outer space","Astrobiology","Space (punctuation)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-05-03","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"oa:W2950209840","name":"Mining the ESO WFI and INT WFC archives for known Near Earth Asteroids. Mega‐Precovery software","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The ESO/MPG WFI and the INT WFC wide field archives comprising 330 000 images were mined to search for serendip‐itous encounters of known Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs) and Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs). A total of 152 as‐teroids (44 PHAs and 108 other NEAs) were identified using the PRECOVERY software, their astrometry being measured on 761 images and sent to the Minor Planet Centre. Both recoveries and precoveries were reported, including prolonged orbital arcs for 18 precovered objects and 10 recoveries. We analyze all new opposition data by comparing the orbits fitted before and after including our contributions. We conclude the paper presenting “Mega‐Precovery”, a new online service focused on data mining of many instrument archives simultaneously for one or a few given asteroids. A total of 28 instrument archives have been made available for mining using this tool, adding together about 2.5 million images forming the “Mega‐Archive”","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/asna.201211720","authors":["O. Văduvescu","Marcel Popescu","Iulia M. Comșa","Alin Rǎzvan Paraschiv","D. A. Lacatus","A. Şonka","A. Tudorica","Mirel Birlan","O. Suciu","F. Char","M. Constantinescu","T. Bădescu","M. Badea","D. Vidican","C. Opriseanu"],"tags":["Mega-","Asteroid","Minor planet","Software","Astrometry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-08-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1002/asna.201211720","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W4405587911","name":"Thermodynamic Analysis of Asteroid Mining Systems: Insights from Optical Mining Bag Materials","source":"openalex","abstract":"This study investigates the thermodynamic behaviors of materials within an optical mining system aimed at extracting water from asteroids. The spacecraft utilizes solar reflectors to concentrate sunlight onto the captured asteroid, initiating the extraction process. The focus lies on analyzing the thermodynamic properties of the asteroid mining bag, constructed with layers of Nomex (outer layer), Kevlar (supporting layer), and a PANI thin film (inner layer). Through a MATLAB Simulink model, a 10-day mining simulation is conducted, revealing the system's capability to extract water at a rate of 77 g/s. Key parameters such as temperature, pressure, heat flow rate, and gas flow rate are measured within the mining bag. Additionally, the study accounts for thermal insulation effects on the asteroid bag and heat losses to the surrounding environment. The thermodynamic equations governing heat transfer, mass conservation, and energy within the asteroid bag are analyzed, providing insights into the efficiency and effectiveness of the mining process. This research contributes to understanding the thermodynamic principles underlying asteroid mining operations and guides future developments in this field.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1149/ma2024-02674592mtgabs","authors":["Hadarou Sare","Dongmei Dong"],"tags":["Asteroid","Process (computing)","Spacecraft","Extraction (chemistry)","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-22","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1149/ma2024-02674592mtgabs","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2333714658","name":"Real-World Mining Feasibility Studies Applied to Asteroids, the Moon and Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Recent directives from national leadership in the US have proposed manned exploration and mining on asteroids. While there are dozens of locations in the solar system with potential resources for mining, not all of them are equally promising. A short introduction to the principals of mining feasibility studies can demonstrate that the financial feasibility of mining asteroids is quite questionable regardless of any technical plausibility, especially when compared to other more viable options for mining in space. Furthermore, mineral exploitation beyond Earth can become quite realistic and achievable in only a few years if approached correctly with the appropriate expertise and integration of technology. This paper compares the feasibility of potential mining projects on asteroids, the Earth’s Moon, and Mars based on each location’s dynamic nature. Key components for success, such as location, architecture, and economics are identified and quantified, since each has a significant role in mining feasibility studies that used in the industry.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2011-7115","authors":["Matt Zacharias","Leslie Gertsch","Angel Abbud-Madrid","Brad R. Blair","K. Zacny"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Mars Exploration Program","Asteroid","Geology","Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-06-14","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.2514/6.2011-7115","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W3179912666","name":"Asteroid Mining and In-situ Mineral Resource Utilization","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3179912666","authors":["A. A. Mardon","Guangli Zhou"],"tags":["Asteroid","Astrobiology","Resource (disambiguation)","Geology","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-07-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"oa:W2115575981","name":"Closed-Cycle Pneumatics for Asteroid Regolith Mining","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-39244-3_13","authors":["Leonhard E. Bernold"],"tags":["Regolith","Asteroid","Astrobiology","Geology","Atmosphere (unit)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-39244-3_13","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W4280543301","name":"Principal component analysis model of the impact of asteroid mining on global equity","source":"openalex","abstract":"With the continuous development of aerospace technology, people's obsession with outer space resources is getting deeper and deeper. At 1:30 a.m. Beijing time on April 25, a start-up company called Planetary Resources was founded and boldly announced its plan to mine planetary resources, a move that shocked many media. However, is the exploitation of space resources as good as everyone imagines, and what impact will outer space resources have on the global capital market and people's lives after they enter the global capital market? These questions have not been scientifically analyzed and studied so far. In this paper, we will take the example of mining the mineral resources of the planet Kepler 452b, through consulting relevant literature; three factors that can most affect asteroid mining are selected: economic strength, military capability, and technological level. We set the weight initialization of economic strength to 24 %, the weight initialization of science and technology level to 45 %, and the weight initialization of military capability to 31 %. The principal component analysis comprehensive evaluation model is used to analyze the impact of asteroid mining conditions on global equity. Through analysis, we find that the change of weight value will affect the scale of planetary mining, and then cause fluctuations in the global nickel, gold, platinum, and other precious metal markets, which has a negative impact on global equity to some extent. Reflected in the Gini coefficient, it is the dynamic change of the Gini coefficient value that first increases and then decreases.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2638895","authors":["Songyu Wang","Haochen Wang","Shi-Long Liu","Jian Wen"],"tags":["Equity (law)","Initialization","Space exploration","Operations research","Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-05-17","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1117/12.2638895","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W4384073792","name":"Legality of Ownership of Asteroid Mining Results in Space Based on International Law Arrangements","source":"openalex","abstract":"Asteroid mining is a proposed solution for mining elements that are commonly obtained from conventional mining as we know it today. However, until now there are no Indonesian laws and regulations, nor international agreements that directly regulate what rights miners of space resources will have. Without certainty about what property rights exist in extracted resources, the incentives to extract these resources will be greatly reduced. The research method in this journal uses a statutory approach, examining the statutory regulations concerned with the legal issues raised, and a conceptual approach, namely an approach based on legal concepts related to the legal issues at issue. Based on the facts found, it can be concluded that the concept of property rights exists and is recognized in the space law regime, even in the absence of territorial rights over celestial bodies, although its application to resource extraction remains a contentious issue.","url":"https://doi.org/10.59653/pancasila.v1i01.75","authors":["Laura Spears","John A. Martin","Betty Rotham"],"tags":["Principle of legality","Legal certainty","Statutory law","Space law","Property rights"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-05-31","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.59653/pancasila.v1i01.75","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2165979968","name":"Mining meaning from Wikipedia","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2009.05.004","authors":["Olena Medelyan","David Milne","Catherine Legg","Ian H. Witten"],"tags":["Computer science","Meaning (existential)","Ontology","Resource (disambiguation)","World Wide Web"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-05-30","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1016/j.ijhcs.2009.05.004","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.25236/ajee.2023.050102","name":"Impact of Asteroid Mining on Global Equity Based on Two-Level Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation Model","source":"crossref","abstract":"With the development of outer space exploration and development technology, people began to consider the possibility of asteroid mining. However, due to the imbalance of power among countries in the world, this will have a huge impact on global equity. To study the impact of asteroid mining on global equity, first, I built a two-level fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model, selected 14 indicators, and determined the weight of 6 first level indicators using the analytic hierarchy process. Then, I determined the weight of 8 second level indicators using the objective entropy weight method and calculated the membership of each type of country. Then we use time series analysis to predict the degree of membership of different types of countries in the next few years. So as to draw the impact of different indicators on global equity, so as to promote global equity and make asteroid mining truly benefit all mankind.","url":"https://doi.org/10.25236/ajee.2023.050102","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-03-10T06:12:31Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.25236/ajee.2023.050102","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2551376588","name":"US firm's asteroid-mining plans face challenges","source":"openalex","abstract":"Concerns have been raised over the legality of ambitious plans that were announced in late April by the private US company Planetary Resources to mine near-Earth asteroids for raw materials.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2058-7058/25/06/20","authors":["Simon Perks"],"tags":["Asteroid","Face (sociological concept)","Astrobiology","Business","Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-06-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1088/2058-7058/25/06/20","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W4285601909","name":"The ESA Hera Mission: Detailed Characterization of the DART Impact Outcome and of the Binary Asteroid (65803) Didymos","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Hera is a planetary defense mission under development in the Space Safety and Security Program of the European Space Agency for launch in 2024 October. It will rendezvous in late 2026 December with the binary asteroid (65803) Didymos and in particular its moon, Dimorphos, which will be impacted by NASA’s DART spacecraft on 2022 September 26 as the first asteroid deflection test. The main goals of Hera are the detailed characterization of the physical properties of Didymos and Dimorphos and of the crater made by the DART mission, as well as measurement of the momentum transfer efficiency resulting from DART’s impact. The data from the Hera spacecraft and its two CubeSats will also provide significant insights into asteroid science and the evolutionary history of our solar system. Hera will perform the first rendezvous with a binary asteroid and provide new measurements, such as radar sounding of an asteroid interior, which will allow models in planetary science to be tested. Hera will thus provide a crucial element in the global effort to avert future asteroid impacts at the same time as providing world-leading science.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3847/psj/ac6f52","authors":["Patrick Michel","M. Küppers","Adriano Campo Bagatín","B. Carry","S. Charnoz","J. de León","A. Fitzsimmons","Paulo Gordo","Simon Green","Alain Hèrique","Martin Juzi","Özgür Karatekin","T. Kohout","M. Lazzarin","Naomi Murdoch","Tatsuaki Okada","E. Palomba","Petr Pravec","C. Snodgrass","Paolo Tortora","K. Tsiganis","Stephan Ulamec","Jean‐Baptiste Vincent","K. Wünnemann","Yun Zhang","Sabina D. Raducan","E. Dotto","N. L. Chabot","Andy Cheng","A. S. Rivkin","O. S. Barnouin","C. M. Ernst","A. M. Stickle","D. C. Richardson","Cristina A. Thomas","Masahiko Arakawa","Hirdy Miyamoto","A. Nakamura","Seiji Sugita","Makoto Yoshikawa","Paul Abell","Erik Asphaug","Ronald‐Louis Ballouz","W. F. Bottke","D. S. Lauretta","K. J. Walsh","Paolo Di Martino","Ian Carnelli"],"tags":["Asteroid","Rendezvous","Spacecraft","HERA","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.3847/psj/ac6f52","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W1965504033","name":"Mining asteroids – security aspects","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12198-013-0110-6","authors":["Ruwantissa Abeyratne"],"tags":["Diplomacy","Subject (documents)","Space law","China","Space (punctuation)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-03-13","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1007/s12198-013-0110-6","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2808500503","name":"Asteroid Retrieval Feasibility Study","source":"openalex","abstract":"This report describes the results of a study sponsored by the Keck Institute for Space Studies (KISS) to investigate the feasibility of identifying, robotically capturing, and returning an entire Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) to the vicinity of the Earth by the middle of the next decade. The KISS study was performed by people from Ames Research Center, Glenn Research Center, Goddard Space Flight Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Johnson Space Center, Langley Research Center, the California Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon, Harvard University, the Naval Postgraduate School, University of California at Los Angeles, University of California at Santa Cruz, University of Southern California, Arkyd Astronautics, Inc., The Planetary Society, the B612 Foundation, and the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition. The feasibility of an asteroid retrieval mission hinges on finding an overlap between the smallest NEAs that could be reasonably discovered and characterized and the largest NEAs that could be captured and transported in a reasonable flight time. This overlap appears to be centered on NEAs roughly 7 m in diameter corresponding to masses in the range of 250,000 kg to 1,000,000 kg. To put this in perspective, the Apollo program returned 382 kg of Moon rocks in six missions and the OSIRIS-REx mission proposes to return at least 60 grams of surface material from a NEA by 2023. The present study indicates that it would be possible to return a ~500,000-kg NEA to high lunar orbit by around 2025. The idea of exploiting the natural resources of asteroids dates back over a hundred years, but only now has the technology become available to make this idea a reality. The feasibility is enabled by three key developments: the ability to discover and characterize an adequate number of sufficiently small near-Earth asteroids for capture and return; the ability to implement sufficiently powerful solar electric propulsion systems to enable transportation of the captured NEA; and the proposed human presence in cislunar space in the 2020s enabling exploration and exploitation of the returned NEA. Placing a 500-t asteroid in high lunar orbit would provide a unique, meaningful, and affordable destination for astronaut crews in the next decade. This disruptive capability would have a positive impact on a wide range of the nation’s human space exploration interests. It would provide a high-value target in cislunar space that would require a human presence to take full advantage of this new resource. It would offer an affordable path to providing operational experience with astronauts working around and with a NEA that could feed forward to much longer duration human missions to larger NEAs in deep space. It would provide an affordable path to meeting the nation’s goal of sending astronauts to a near-Earth object by 2025. It represents a new synergy between robotic and human missions in which robotic spacecraft retrieve significant quantities of valuable resources for exploitation by astronaut crews to enable human exploration farther out into the solar system. A key example of this is that water or other material extracted from a returned, volatile-rich NEA could be used to provide affordable shielding against galactic cosmic rays. The extracted water could also be used for propellant to transport the shielded habitat. These activities could jump-start an entire in situ resource utilization (ISRU) industry. The availability of a multi-hundred-ton asteroid in lunar orbit could also stimulate the expansion of international cooperation in space as agencies work together to determine how to sample and process this raw material. The capture, transportation, examination, and dissection of an entire NEA would provide valuable information for planetary defense activities that may someday have to deflect a much larger near-Earth object. Finally, placing a NEA in lunar orbit would provide a new capability for human exploration not seen since Apoll","url":"https://doi.org/10.26206/wn0e-vn09","authors":["John Brophy","F. E. C. Culick","Louis Friedman"],"tags":["Research center","Aeronautics","KISS (TNC)","Meteorology","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.26206/wn0e-vn09","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W3027732131","name":"Assessing the economics of asteroid-derived water for propellant","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2020.05.029","authors":["Thomas J. Colvin","Keith Crane","Bhavya Lal"],"tags":["Asteroid","Propellant","Near-Earth object","NASA Deep Space Network","Spacecraft"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-05-20","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2020.05.029","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1705.05710v1","name":"Shape models and physical properties of asteroids","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Despite the large amount of high quality data generated in recent space encounters with asteroids, the majority of our knowledge about these objects comes from ground based observations. Asteroids travelling in orbits that are potentially hazardous for the Earth form an especially interesting group to be studied. In order to predict their orbital evolution, it is necessary to investigate their physical properties. This paper briefly describes the data requirements and different techniques used to solve the lightcurve inversion problem. Although photometry is the most abundant type of observational data, models of asteroids can be obtained using various data types and techniques. We describe the potential of radar imaging and stellar occultation timings to be combined with disk-integrated photometry in order to reveal information about physical properties of asteroids.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1705.05710v1","authors":["T. Santana-Ros","G. Dudziński","P. Bartczak"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-05-16T13:57:51Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1502.06302v2","name":"Asteroid Photometry","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Asteroid photometry has three major applications: providing clues about asteroid surface physical properties and compositions, facilitating photometric corrections, and helping design and plan ground-based and spacecraft observations. The most significant advances in asteroid photometry in the past decade were driven by spacecraft observations that collected spatially resolved imaging and spectroscopy data. In the mean time, laboratory measurements and theoretical developments are revealing controversies regarding the physical interpretations of models and model parameter values. We will review the new developments in asteroid photometry that have occurred over the past decade in the three complementary areas of observations, laboratory work, and theory. Finally we will summarize and discuss the implications of recent findings.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1502.06302v2","authors":["Jian-Yang Li","Paul Helfenstein","Bonnie J. Buratti","Driss Takir","Beth Ellen Clark"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-02-23T01:54:01Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1501.06204v1","name":"The Dynamical Evolution of the Asteroid Belt","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The asteroid belt is the leftover of the original planetesimal population in the inner solar system. However, currently the asteroids have orbits with all possible values of eccentricities and inclinations compatible with long-term dynamical stability, whereas the initial planetesimal orbits should have been quasi-circular and almost co-planar. The total mass in the asteroid population is a small fraction of that existing primordially. Also, asteroids with different chemical/mineralogical properties are not ranked in an orderly manner with mean heliocentric distance as one could expect from the existence of a radial gradient of the temperature in the proto-planetary disk, but they are partially mixed. These properties show that the asteroid belt has been severely sculpted by one or a series of processes during its lifetime. This paper reviews the processes that have been proposed so far, discussing the properties that they explain and the problems that they are confronted with. Emphasis is paid to the interplay between the dynamical and the collisional evolution of the asteroid population, which allows the use of the size distribution to constrain the dynamical models. We divide the asteroid belt evolution into three phases. The first phase started during the lifetime of the gaseous proto-planetary disk, when the giant planets formed and presumably experienced large-scale migrations, and continued after the removal of the gas, during the build-up of the terrestrial planets. The second phase occurred after the removal of the gaseous proto-planetary disk and it became particularly lively for the asteroid belt when the giant planets suddenly changed their orbits, as a result of a mutual dynamical instability and the interaction with the trans-Neptunian planetesimal disk. The third phase covers the aftermath of the giant planet instability, until today.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1501.06204v1","authors":["Alessandro Morbidelli","Kevin J. Walsh","David P. O'Brien","David A. Minton","William F. Bottke"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-01-25T20:28:49Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1410.4471v2","name":"Global Asteroid Risk Analysis","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Potentially impacting asteroids were analysed for their impact risk on the Earth. To this end, the Asteroid Risk Mitigation Optimization and Research (ARMOR) tool is currently being developed. The tool's modules are described and their validation is documented. Based on the asteroid ephemeris, the tool calculates the impact location probability distribution on the surface of the Earth (in the literature, occasionally referred to as risk corridor). NASA's Near Earth Object (NEO) risk list served as the source for asteroid ephemerides. The Line of Variation (LOV) method was employed to find virtual impactors. While offering a simple and fast way of identifying virtual impactors, the method provides a low impactor identification rate. This is because the search space is tightly constricted to the LOV and thus excludes virtual impactors located elsewhere in the asteroid position uncertainty region. The method's performance was evaluated and suggestions for improvements are provided. Application of the tool showed that the asteroid threat is global in nature: impact locations were distributed widely over the Earth's surface. The global asteroid risk was estimated by combining the impact location probability distribution with Earth population data. The identification of high risk regions lead to a discussion about the dynamics of the risk associated with asteroids. The future response to an asteroid threat will depend on the risk that the asteroid poses to the population. The potential applicability of ARMOR as a decision-support tool for responding to the asteroid threat is outlined.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1410.4471v2","authors":["Clemens Rumpf"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-10-16T15:52:26Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1904.11831v1","name":"ASIME 2018 White Paper. In-Space Utilisation of Asteroids: Asteroid Composition -- Answers to Questions from the Asteroid Miners","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In keeping with the Luxembourg government's initiative to support the future use of space resources, ASIME 2018 was held in Belval, Luxembourg on April 16-17, 2018. The goal of ASIME 2018: Asteroid Intersections with Mine Engineering, was to focus on asteroid composition for advancing the asteroid in-space resource utilisation domain. What do we know about asteroid composition from remote-sensing observations? What are the potential caveats in the interpretation of Earth-based spectral observations? What are the next steps to improve our knowledge on asteroid composition by means of ground-based and space-based observations and asteroid rendez-vous and sample return missions? How can asteroid mining companies use this knowledge? ASIME 2018 was a two-day workshop of almost 70 scientists and engineers in the context of the engineering needs of space missions with in-space asteroid utilisation. The 21 Questions from the asteroid mining companies were sorted into the four asteroid science themes: 1) Potential Targets, 2) Asteroid-Meteorite Links, 3) In-Situ Measurements and 4) Laboratory Measurements. The Answers to those Questions were provided by the scientists with their conference presentations and collected by A. Graps or edited directly into an open-access collaborative Google document or inserted by A. Graps using additional reference materials. During the ASIME 2018, first day and second day Wrap-Ups, the answers to the questions were discussed further. New readers to the asteroid mining topic may find the Conversation boxes and the Mission Design discussions especially interesting.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1904.11831v1","authors":["Amara L. Graps","Angel Abbud-Madrid","Paul Abell","Antonella Barucci","Pierre Beck","Lydie Bonal","Grant Bonin","Øystein Risan Borgersen","Daniel Britt","Humberto Campins","Kevin Cannon","Ian Carnelli","Benoît Carry","Ian Crawford","Julia de Leon","Line Drube","Kerri Donaldson-Hanna","Martin Elvis","Alan Fitzsimmons","JL Galache","Simon F. Green","Jan Thimo Grundmann","Alan Herique","Daniel Hestroffer","Henry Hsieh","Akos Kereszturi","Michael Kueppers","Chris Lewicki","Yangting Lin","Amy Mainzer","Patrick Michel","Hong-Kyu Moon","Tomoki Nakamura","Antti Penttila","Sampsa Pursiainen","Carol Raymond","Vishnu Reddy","Andy Rivkin","Joel Sercel","Angela Stickle","Paolo Tanga","Mika Takala","Tom Wirtz","YunZhao Wu"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-04-25T16:01:26Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1612.00709v2","name":"ASIME 2016 White Paper: In-Space Utilisation of Asteroids: \"Answers to Questions from the Asteroid Miners\"","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The aim of the Asteroid Science Intersections with In-Space Mine Engineering (ASIME) 2016 conference on September 21-22, 2016 in Luxembourg City was to provide an environment for the detailed discussion of the specific properties of asteroids, with the engineering needs of space missions that utilize asteroids. The ASIME 2016 Conference produced a layered record of discussions from the asteroid scientists and the asteroid miners to understand each other's key concerns and to address key scientific questions from the asteroid mining companies: Planetary Resources, Deep Space Industries and TransAstra. These Questions were the focus of the two day conference, were addressed by scientists inside and outside of the ASIME Conference and are the focus of this White Paper. The Questions from the asteroid mining companies have been sorted into the three asteroid science themes: 1) survey, 2) surface and 3) subsurface and 4) Other. The answers to those Questions have been provided by the scientists with their conference presentations or edited directly into an early open-access collaborative Google document (August 2016-October 2016), or inserted by A. Graps using additional reference materials. During the ASIME 2016 last two-hours, the scientists turned the Questions from the Asteroid Miners around by presenting their own key concerns: Questions from the Asteroid Scientists . These answers in this White Paper will point to the Science Knowledge Gaps (SKGs) for advancing the asteroid in-space resource utilisation domain.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1612.00709v2","authors":["Amara L. Graps","Philippe Blondel","Grant Bonin","Daniel Britt","Simone Centuori","Marco Delbo","Line Drube","Rene Duffard","Martin Elvis","Daniel Faber","Elizabeth Frank","JL Galache"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-12-02T15:44:39Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2011.08479v1","name":"Stability and Evolution of Fallen Particles Around the Surface of Asteroid (101955) Bennu","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this work, we study the dynamics of particles around Bennu. The goal is to understand the stability, evolution, and final outcome of the simulated particles around the asteroid. According to the results, the particle sizes can be divided into two main groups depending on their behavior. Particles smaller than a centimeter are quickly removed from the system by solar radiation pressure, while the dynamics of particles larger than a few centimeters is dominated by the gravitational field of Bennu. Because of its shape and spin period, Bennu has eight equilibrium points around it. The structure of the phase space near its equatorial surface is directly connected to these equilibrium points. Therefore, we performed numerical simulations to obtain information about the orbital evolution near the equilibrium points. The results show that most of the particles larger than a few centimeters fall in the equatorial region close to the Kingfisher area or close to the region diametrically opposite to it. In contrast, almost none of these particles fall in the equatorial region close to the Osprey area. In addition, we also performed computational experiments considering a spherical cloud of particles initially orbiting Bennu. Most of the particles in prograde orbits fall on the surface within our integration period, which was limited to 1.14 years. The particles preferentially fall near high-altitude regions at low equatorial latitudes and close to the north pole. The mid-latitudes are those more depleted of falls, as in the Nightingale and Sandpiper areas.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2011.08479v1","authors":["A. Amarante","O. C. Winter","R. Sfair"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-17T07:10:51Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1901.05492v1","name":"Asteroid pairs: a complex picture","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We studied 93 asteroid pairs. We estimated times elapsed since separation of pair members that are between 7*10^3 and a few 10^6 yr. We derived the rotation periods for all the primaries and a sample of secondaries. We derived the absolute magnitude differences of the asteroid pairs that provide their mass ratios. We refined their WISE geometric albedos and estimated their taxonomic classifications. For 17 pairs, we determined their pole positions. In 2 pairs where we obtained the spin poles for both components, we saw the same sense of rotation for both components and constrained the angles between their original spin vectors at the time of their separation. We found that the primaries of 13 pairs are actually binary or triple systems, i.e., they have one or two bound secondaries (satellites). As by-product, we found 3 new young asteroid clusters (each of them consisting of three known asteroids on highly similar orbits). We compared the obtained asteroid pair data with theoretical predictions and discussed their implications. We found that 86 of the 93 studied pairs follow the trend of primary rotation period vs mass ratio that was found by Pravec et al. (2010). Of the 7 outliers, 3 appear insignificant (may be due to our uncertain or incomplete knowledge), but 4 are high mass ratio pairs that were unpredicted by the theory of asteroid pair formation by rotational fission. We discuss a (remotely) possible way that they could be created by rotational fission of flattened parent bodies followed by re-shaping of the formed components. The 13 pairs with binary primaries are particularly interesting systems that place important constraints on formation and evolution of asteroid pairs. We present two hypotheses for their formation: The pairs having both bound and unbound secondaries could be `failed asteroid clusters', or they could be formed by a cascade primary spin fission process.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1901.05492v1","authors":["P. Pravec","P. Fatka","D. Vokrouhlický","P. Scheirich","J. Ďurech","D. J. Scheeres","P. Kušnirák","K. Hornoch","A. Galád","D. P. Pray","Yu. N. Krugly","O. Burkhonov","Sh. A. Ehgamberdiev","J. Pollock","N. Moskovitz","J. L. Ortiz","N. Morales","M. Husárik","R. Ya. Inasaridze","J. Oey","D. Polishook","J. Hanuš","H. Kučáková","J. Vraštil","J. Világi","Š. Gajdoš","L. Kornoš","P. Vereš","N. M. Gaftonyuk","T. Hromakina","A. V. Sergeyev","I. G. Slyusarev","V. R. Ayvazian","W. R. Cooney","J. Gross","D. Terrell","F. Colas","F. Vachier","S. Slivan","B. Skiff","F. Marchis","K. E. Ergashev","D. -H. Kim A. Aznar","M. Serra-Ricart","R. Behrend","R. Roy","F. Manzini","I. E. Molotov"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-01-10T06:59:26Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1306.1334v1","name":"Tuple Value Based Multiplicative Data Perturbation Approach To Preserve Privacy In Data Stream Mining","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Huge volume of data from domain specific applications such as medical, financial, library, telephone, shopping records and individual are regularly generated. Sharing of these data is proved to be beneficial for data mining application. On one hand such data is an important asset to business decision making by analyzing it. On the other hand data privacy concerns may prevent data owners from sharing information for data analysis. In order to share data while preserving privacy, data owner must come up with a solution which achieves the dual goal of privacy preservation as well as an accuracy of data mining task - clustering and classification. An efficient and effective approach has been proposed that aims to protect privacy of sensitive information and obtaining data clustering with minimum information loss.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1306.1334v1","authors":["Hitesh Chhinkaniwala","Sanjay Garg"],"tags":["cs.DB"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-06-06T08:15:22Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2009.01928v2","name":"Efficient Algorithms to Mine Maximal Span-Trusses From Temporal Graphs","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Over the last decade, there has been an increasing interest in temporal graphs, pushed by a growing availability of temporally-annotated network data coming from social, biological and financial networks. Despite the importance of analyzing complex temporal networks, there is a huge gap between the set of definitions, algorithms and tools available to study large static graphs and the ones available for temporal graphs. An important task in temporal graph analysis is mining dense structures, i.e., identifying high-density subgraphs together with the span in which this high density is observed. In this paper, we introduce the concept of $(k, Δ)$-truss (span-truss) in temporal graphs, a temporal generalization of the $k$-truss, in which $k$ captures the information about the density and $Δ$ captures the time span in which this density holds. We then propose novel and efficient algorithms to identify maximal span-trusses, namely the ones not dominated by any other span-truss neither in the order $k$ nor in the interval $Δ$, and evaluate them on a number of public available datasets.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2009.01928v2","authors":["Quintino Francesco Lotito","Alberto Montresor"],"tags":["cs.DS","cs.IR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-09-03T21:14:57Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1709.04242v1","name":"The Empty Primordial Asteroid Belt","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The asteroid belt contains less than a thousandth of Earth's mass and is radially segregated, with S-types dominating the inner belt and C-types the outer belt. It is generally assumed that the belt formed with far more mass and was later strongly depleted. Here we show that the present-day asteroid belt is consistent with having formed empty, without any planetesimals between Mars and Jupiter's present-day orbits. This is consistent with models in which drifting dust is concentrated into an isolated annulus of terrestrial planetesimals. Gravitational scattering during terrestrial planet formation causes radial spreading, transporting planetesimals from inside 1-1.5 AU out to the belt. Several times the total current mass in S-types is implanted, with a preference for the inner main belt. C-types are implanted from the outside, as the giant planets' gas accretion destabilizes nearby planetesimals and injects a fraction into the asteroid belt, preferentially in the outer main belt. These implantation mechanisms are simple byproducts of terrestrial- and giant planet formation. The asteroid belt may thus represent a repository for planetary leftovers that accreted across the Solar System but not in the belt itself.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1709.04242v1","authors":["Sean N. Raymond","Andre Izidoro"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-09-13T10:47:02Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2211.02023v2","name":"Research on the impact of asteroid mining on global equity","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In the future situation, aiming to seek more resources, human beings decided to march towards the mysterious and bright starry sky, which opened the era of great interstellar exploration. According to the Outer Space Treaty, any exploration of celestial bodies should be aimed at promoting global equality and for the benefit of all nations. Firstly, we defined global equity and set a Unified Equity Index (UEI) model to measure it. We merge the factors with greater correlation, and finally, get 6 elements, and then use the entropy method (TEM) to find the dispersion of these elements in different countries. Then use principal component analysis (PCA) to reduce the dimensionality of the dispersion, and then use the scandalized index to obtain the global equity. Secondly, we simulated a future with asteroid mining and evaluated its impact on Unified Equity Index (UEI). Then, we divided the mineable asteroids into three classes with different mining difficulties and values, identified 28 mining entities including private companies, national and international organizations. We considered changes in the asteroid classes, mining capabilities and mining scales to determine the changes in the value of minerals mined between 2025 and 2085. We convert mining output value into mineral transaction value through allocation matrix. Based on grey relational analysis (GRA). Finally, we presented three possible versions of the future of asteroid mining by changing the conditions. We propose two sets of corresponding policies for changes in future trends in global fairness with asteroid mining. We test the separate and combined effects of these policies and find that they are positive, strongly supporting the effectiveness of our model.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2211.02023v2","authors":["He Sun","Junfeng Zhu","Yipeng Xu"],"tags":["physics.soc-ph","astro-ph.EP","stat.AP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-18T13:34:22Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1905.06842v4","name":"On the dynamics of non-rigid asteroid rotation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We have presented in this communication a new solving procedure for the dynamics of non-rigid asteroid rotation, considering the final spin state of rotation for a small celestial body (asteroid). The last condition means the ultimate absence of the applied external torques (including short-term effect from torques during collisions, long-term YORP effect, etc.). Fundamental law of angular momentum conservation has been used for the aforementioned solving procedure. The system of Euler equations for dynamics of non-rigid asteroid rotation has been explored with regard to the existence of an analytic way of presentation of the approximated solution. Despite of various perturbations (such as collisions, YORP effect) which destabilize the rotation of asteroid via deviating from the current spin state, the inelastic (mainly, tidal) dissipation reduces kinetic energy of asteroid. So, evolution of the spinning asteroid should be resulting by the rotation about maximal-inertia axis with the proper spin state corresponding to minimal energy with a fixed angular momentum. Basing on the aforesaid assumption (component K_1 is supposed to be fluctuating near the given appropriate constant of the fixed angular momentum), we have obtained that 2-nd component K_2 is the solution of appropriate Riccati ordinary differential equation of 1-st order, whereas component K_3 should be determined via expression for K_2.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1905.06842v4","authors":["Sergey V. Ershkov","Dmytro Leshchenko"],"tags":["physics.gen-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-05-12T21:33:16Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2403.07727v1","name":"Tidal dissipation of binaries in asteroid pairs","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Tidal dissipation in a celestial body can be used to probe its internal structure. Tides govern the orbital evolution of binary systems and therefore constraints on the interior of binary system members can be derived by knowing the age and tidal state of the binary system. For asteroids, age estimates are challenging due to a lack of direct observation of their surface. However, the age of asteroid pairs formed by rotational fission of a parent body can be derived from dynamical modeling, and as such can be used to constrain the age of binary systems existing within asteroid pairs.We study 13 binary asteroid systems existing in asteroid pairs by modeling their tidal locking and eccentricity damping timescales from tidal dissipation in the primaries and secondaries. We consider the impact of thermal torques on these timescales from the YORP and BYORP effects. The resulting constraints on the tidal dissipation ratio Q/k2 are compared to monolithic and rubble pile asteroid theories, showing that all secondaries are consistent with rubble piles with regolith layers greater than 3m and suggest that Q/k2 for rubble piles increases with radius. A particular case is the first bound secondary of asteroid (3749) Balam, whose Q/k2 is constrained to be between 2.7x10^4 and 1.4x10^6, consistent with a rubble-pile with a regolith thickness between 30m and 100m.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.07727v1","authors":["Laurent Pou","Francis Nimmo"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-12T15:06:24Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.02131v1","name":"Generating the Traces You Need: A Conditional Generative Model for Process Mining Data","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In recent years, trace generation has emerged as a significant challenge within the Process Mining community. Deep Learning (DL) models have demonstrated accuracy in reproducing the features of the selected processes. However, current DL generative models are limited in their ability to adapt the learned distributions to generate data samples based on specific conditions or attributes. This limitation is particularly significant because the ability to control the type of generated data can be beneficial in various contexts, enabling a focus on specific behaviours, exploration of infrequent patterns, or simulation of alternative 'what-if' scenarios. In this work, we address this challenge by introducing a conditional model for process data generation based on a conditional variational autoencoder (CVAE). Conditional models offer control over the generation process by tuning input conditional variables, enabling more targeted and controlled data generation. Unlike other domains, CVAE for process mining faces specific challenges due to the multiperspective nature of the data and the need to adhere to control-flow rules while ensuring data variability. Specifically, we focus on generating process executions conditioned on control flow and temporal features of the trace, allowing us to produce traces for specific, identified sub-processes. The generated traces are then evaluated using common metrics for generative model assessment, along with additional metrics to evaluate the quality of the conditional generation","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.02131v1","authors":["Riccardo Graziosi","Massimiliano Ronzani","Andrei Buliga","Chiara Di Francescomarino","Francesco Folino","Chiara Ghidini","Francesca Meneghello","Luigi Pontieri"],"tags":["cs.DB","cs.AI","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-04T14:44:20Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1112.1668v1","name":"Data Mining and Electronic Health Records: Selecting Optimal Clinical Treatments in Practice","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Electronic health records (EHR's) are only a first step in capturing and utilizing health-related data - the problem is turning that data into useful information. Models produced via data mining and predictive analysis profile inherited risks and environmental/behavioral factors associated with patient disorders, which can be utilized to generate predictions about treatment outcomes. This can form the backbone of clinical decision support systems driven by live data based on the actual population. The advantage of such an approach based on the actual population is that it is \"adaptive\". Here, we evaluate the predictive capacity of a clinical EHR of a large mental healthcare provider (~75,000 distinct clients a year) to provide decision support information in a real-world clinical setting. Initial research has achieved a 70% success rate in predicting treatment outcomes using these methods.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1112.1668v1","authors":["Casey Bennett","Thomas Doub"],"tags":["cs.DB"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-12-07T19:44:19Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2002.01415v3","name":"Plague Dot Text: Text mining and annotation of outbreak reports of the Third Plague Pandemic (1894-1952)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The design of models that govern diseases in population is commonly built on information and data gathered from past outbreaks. However, epidemic outbreaks are never captured in statistical data alone but are communicated by narratives, supported by empirical observations. Outbreak reports discuss correlations between populations, locations and the disease to infer insights into causes, vectors and potential interventions. The problem with these narratives is usually the lack of consistent structure or strong conventions, which prohibit their formal analysis in larger corpora. Our interdisciplinary research investigates more than 100 reports from the third plague pandemic (1894-1952) evaluating ways of building a corpus to extract and structure this narrative information through text mining and manual annotation. In this paper we discuss the progress of our ongoing exploratory project, how we enhance optical character recognition (OCR) methods to improve text capture, our approach to structure the narratives and identify relevant entities in the reports. The structured corpus is made available via Solr enabling search and analysis across the whole collection for future research dedicated, for example, to the identification of concepts. We show preliminary visualisations of the characteristics of causation and differences with respect to gender as a result of syntactic-category-dependent corpus statistics. Our goal is to develop structured accounts of some of the most significant concepts that were used to understand the epidemiology of the third plague pandemic around the globe. The corpus enables researchers to analyse the reports collectively allowing for deep insights into the global epidemiological consideration of plague in the early twentieth century.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2002.01415v3","authors":["Arlene Casey","Mike Bennett","Richard Tobin","Claire Grover","Iona Walker","Lukas Engelmann","Beatrice Alex"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-02-04T17:16:36Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1805.06304v2","name":"The dynamics of asteroid rotation, governed by YORP effect: the kinematic ansatz","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The main motivation of this research is the analytical exploration of the dynamics of asteroid rotation when it moves in elliptic orbit through Space. According to the results of Efroimsky, Frouard (2016), various perturbations (collisions, close encounters, YORP effect) destabilize the rotation of a small body (asteroid), deviating it from the initial-current spin state. This yields evolution of the spin towards rotation about maximal-inertia axis due to the process of nutation relaxation or to the proper spin state corresponding to minimal energy with a fixed angular momentum. We consider in our research the aforementioned spin state of asteroid but additionally under non-vanishing influence of the effects of non-gravitational nature (YORP effect), which is destabilizing the asteroid rotation during its motion far from giant planets. Meanwhile, new solutions for asteroid rotation dynamics in case of negligible (time-dependent) applied torques have been obtained in our development. New method for solving Euler equations for rigid body rotation is suggested; an elegant example for evolution of spin towards the rotation about maximal-inertia axis is calculated.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1805.06304v2","authors":["Sergey V. Ershkov","Roman V. Shamin"],"tags":["physics.gen-ph","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-05-14T21:25:23Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2110.06611v4","name":"Machine Learning applied to asteroid dynamics","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Machine Learning (ML) is the branch of computer science that studies computer algorithms that can learn from data. It is mainly divided into supervised learning, where the computer is presented with examples of entries, and the goal is to learn a general rule that maps inputs to outputs, and unsupervised learning, where no label is provided to the learning algorithm, leaving it alone to find structures. Deep learning is a branch of machine learning based on numerous layers of artificial neural networks, which are computing systems inspired by the biological neural networks that constitute animal brains. In asteroid dynamics, machine learning methods have been recently used to identify members of asteroid families, and to identify resonant arguments images of asteroids in three-body resonances, among other applications. Here, we will conduct a review of available literature in the field, and classify it in terms of metrics recently used by other authors to assess the state of the art of applications of machine learning in other astronomical subfields. For comparison, applications of machine learning to Solar System bodies, a larger area that includes imaging and spectrophotometry of small bodies, have already reached a state classified as progressing. Research communities and methodologies are more established, and the use of ML led to the discovery of new celestial objects or features. ML applied to asteroid dynamics, however, is still in the emerging phase, with smaller groups, and fewer papers producing discoveries. Large observational surveys, like those conducted at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, will produce very substantial datasets of orbital and physical properties for asteroids. Applications of ML for clustering, image identification, and anomaly detection, among others, are currently being developed and are expected of being of great help.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2110.06611v4","authors":["V. Carruba","S. Aljbaae","R. C. Domingos","M. Huaman","W. Barletta"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-10-13T10:07:56Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1811.05191v1","name":"Masses of the Main Asteroid Belt and the Kuiper Belt from the Motions of Planets and Spacecraft","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Dynamical mass estimates for the main asteroid belt and the trans-Neptunian Kuiper belt have been found from their gravitational influence on the motion of planets. Discrete rotating models consisting of moving material points have been used to model the total attraction from small or as yet undetected bodies of the belts. The masses of the model belts have been included in the set of parameters being refined and determined and have been obtained by processing more than 800 thousand modern positional observations of planets and spacecraft. We have processed the observations and determined the parameters based on the new EPM2017 version of the IAA RAS planetary ephemerides. The large observed radial extent of the belts (more than 1.2 au for the main belt and more than 8 au for the Kuiper belt) and the concentration of bodies in the Kuiper belt at a distance of about 44 au found from observations have been taken into account in the discrete models. We have also used individual mass estimates for large bodies of the belts as well as for objects that spacecraft have approached and for bodies with satellites. Our mass estimate for the main asteroid belt is $(4.008 \\pm 0.029)\\cdot 10^{-4} \\ m_{\\oplus}$ (3$σ$). The bulk of the Kuiper belt objects are in the ring zone from 39.4 to 47.8 AU. The estimate of its total mass together with the mass of the 31 largest trans-Neptunian Kuiper belt objects is $(1.97 \\pm 0.030)\\cdot 10^{-2} \\ m_{\\oplus}$ (3$σ$), which exceeds the mass of the main asteroid belt almost by a factor of 50. The mass of the 31 largest trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) is only about 40% of the total one.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1811.05191v1","authors":["E. V. Pitjeva","N. P. Pitjev"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-11-13T10:01:36Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2001.11324v1","name":"Proceedings of Symposium on Data Mining Applications 2014","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Symposium on Data Mining and Applications (SDMA 2014) is aimed to gather researchers and application developers from a wide range of data mining related areas such as statistics, computational intelligence, pattern recognition, databases, Big Data Mining and visualization. SDMA is organized by MEGDAM to advance the state of the art in data mining research field and its various real world applications. The symposium will provide opportunities for technical collaboration among data mining and machine learning researchers around the Saudi Arabia, GCC countries and Middle-East region. Acceptance will be based primarily on originality, significance and quality of contribution.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2001.11324v1","authors":["Basit Qureshi","Yasir Javed"],"tags":["cs.DB","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-29T07:30:00Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2604.18664v1","name":"Asteroid Mining to Sustain a Mars Colony: A Logistics Point of View","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Asteroid mining can become an enabling technology to establish a sustainable manned colony on Mars, which requires metallic materials more often than they are readily available in shipments from Earth. This paper describes a feasibility study of a supply chain that delivers metals extracted from metallic asteroids to Mars. The asteroids are selected to respect the $ΔV$ limits imposed by up-to-date spacecraft. The study is conducted with reference to the state of the art in space transportation technologies and in-situ resource utilization. A possibility for mining on carbonaceous asteroids to produce the propellant required for return trips is also taken into account. Different supply chains are computed through a multi-objective optimization routine that considers the mission $ΔV$, the mass of extracted metals and the mass of propellant produced on the asteroids. Schedules to visit the asteroids within reach are obtained and the total mass of the delivered material is evaluated for various mining rates. Finally, the use of the metallic material to build habitats and rovers on the Martian soil through additive manufacturing is discussed.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.18664v1","authors":["Serena Suriano","Shamil Biktimirov","Dmitry Pritykin","Anton Ivanov"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-20T12:52:11Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2203.11229v2","name":"Asteroid Taxonomy from Cluster Analysis of Spectrometry and Albedo","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The classification of the minor bodies of the Solar System based on observables has been continuously developed and iterated over the past 40 years. While prior iterations followed either the availability of large observational campaigns or new instrumental capabilities opening new observational dimensions, we see the opportunity to improve primarily upon the established methodology. We developed an iteration of the asteroid taxonomy which allows the classification of partial and complete observations (i.e. visible, near-infrared, and visible-near-infrared spectrometry) and which reintroduces the visual albedo into the classification observables. The resulting class assignments are given probabilistically, enabling the uncertainty of a classification to be quantified. We built the taxonomy based on 2983 observations of 2125 individual asteroids, representing an almost tenfold increase of sample size compared with the previous taxonomy. The asteroid classes are identified in a lower-dimensional representation of the observations using a mixture of common factor analysers model. We identify 17 classes split into the three complexes C, M, and S, including the new Z-class for extremely-red objects in the main belt. The visual albedo information resolves the spectral degeneracy of the X-complex and establishes the P-class as part of the C-complex. We present a classification tool which computes probabilistic class assignments within this taxonomic scheme from asteroid observations. The taxonomic classifications of 6038 observations of 4526 individual asteroids are published. The ability to classify partial observations and the reintroduction of the visual albedo provide a taxonomy which is well suited for the current and future datasets of asteroid observations, in particular provided by the Gaia, MITHNEOS, NEO Surveyor, and SPHEREx surveys.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2203.11229v2","authors":["Max Mahlke","Benoit Carry","Pierre-Alexandre Mattei"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-21T18:00:03Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1603.04287v1","name":"Mining Valence, Arousal, and Dominance - Possibilities for Detecting Burnout and Productivity?","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Similar to other industries, the software engineering domain is plagued by psychological diseases such as burnout, which lead developers to lose interest, exhibit lower activity and/or feel powerless. Prevention is essential for such diseases, which in turn requires early identification of symptoms. The emotional dimensions of Valence, Arousal and Dominance (VAD) are able to derive a person's interest (attraction), level of activation and perceived level of control for a particular situation from textual communication, such as emails. As an initial step towards identifying symptoms of productivity loss in software engineering, this paper explores the VAD metrics and their properties on 700,000 Jira issue reports containing over 2,000,000 comments, since issue reports keep track of a developer's progress on addressing bugs or new features. Using a general-purpose lexicon of 14,000 English words with known VAD scores, our results show that issue reports of different type (e.g., Feature Request vs. Bug) have a fair variation of Valence, while increase in issue priority (e.g., from Minor to Critical) typically increases Arousal. Furthermore, we show that as an issue's resolution time increases, so does the arousal of the individual the issue is assigned to. Finally, the resolution of an issue increases valence, especially for the issue Reporter and for quickly addressed issues. The existence of such relations between VAD and issue report activities shows promise that text mining in the future could offer an alternative way for work health assessment surveys.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1603.04287v1","authors":["Mika Mäntylä","Bram Adams","Giuseppe Destefanis","Daniel Graziotin","Marco Ortu"],"tags":["cs.SE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-03-14T14:50:39Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1505.01458v2","name":"Asteroids in GALEX: Near-ultraviolet photometry of the major taxonomic groups","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present ultraviolet photometry (NUV band, 180--280 nm) of 405 asteroids observed serendipitously by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) from 2003--2012. All asteroids in this sample were detected by GALEX at least twice. Unambiguous visible-color-based taxonomic labels (C type versus S type) exist for 315 of these asteroids; of these, thermal-infrared-based diameters are available for 245. We derive NUV-V color using two independent models to predict the visual magnitude V at each NUV-detection epoch. Both V models produce NUV-V distributions in which the S types are redder than C types with more than 8-sigma confidence. This confirms that the S types' redder spectral slopes in the visible remain redder than the C types' into the NUV, this redness being consistent with absorption by silica-containing rocks. The GALEX asteroid data confirm earlier results from the International Ultraviolet Explorer, which two decades ago produced the only other sizeable set of UV asteroid photometry. The GALEX-derived NUV-V data also agree with previously published Hubble Space Telescope (HST) UV observations of asteroids 21 Lutetia and 1 Ceres. Both the HST and GALEX data indicate that NUV band is less useful than u band for distinguishing subgroups within the greater population of visible-color-defined C types (notably, M types and G types).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1505.01458v2","authors":["Adam Waszczak","Eran O. Ofek","Shrinivas R. Kulkarni"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-05-06T19:00:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1606.06066v2","name":"Mining Local Process Models","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper we describe a method to discover frequent behavioral patterns in event logs. We express these patterns as \\emph{local process models}. Local process model mining can be positioned in-between process discovery and episode / sequential pattern mining. The technique presented in this paper is able to learn behavioral patterns involving sequential composition, concurrency, choice and loop, like in process mining. However, we do not look at start-to-end models, which distinguishes our approach from process discovery and creates a link to episode / sequential pattern mining. We propose an incremental procedure for building local process models capturing frequent patterns based on so-called process trees. We propose five quality dimensions and corresponding metrics for local process models, given an event log. We show monotonicity properties for some quality dimensions, enabling a speedup of local process model discovery through pruning. We demonstrate through a real life case study that mining local patterns allows us to get insights in processes where regular start-to-end process discovery techniques are only able to learn unstructured, flower-like, models.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1606.06066v2","authors":["Niek Tax","Natalia Sidorova","Reinder Haakma","Wil M. P. van der Aalst"],"tags":["cs.DB","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-06-20T11:28:26Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1604.01166v1","name":"An Efficient Algorithm for Mining Frequent Sequence with Constraint Programming","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The main advantage of Constraint Programming (CP) approaches for sequential pattern mining (SPM) is their modularity, which includes the ability to add new constraints (regular expressions, length restrictions, etc). The current best CP approach for SPM uses a global constraint (module) that computes the projected database and enforces the minimum frequency; it does this with a filtering algorithm similar to the PrefixSpan method. However, the resulting system is not as scalable as some of the most advanced mining systems like Zaki's cSPADE. We show how, using techniques from both data mining and CP, one can use a generic constraint solver and yet outperform existing specialized systems. This is mainly due to two improvements in the module that computes the projected frequencies: first, computing the projected database can be sped up by pre-computing the positions at which an symbol can become unsupported by a sequence, thereby avoiding to scan the full sequence each time; and second by taking inspiration from the trailing used in CP solvers to devise a backtracking-aware data structure that allows fast incremental storing and restoring of the projected database. Detailed experiments show how this approach outperforms existing CP as well as specialized systems for SPM, and that the gain in efficiency translates directly into increased efficiency for other settings such as mining with regular expressions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1604.01166v1","authors":["John O. R. Aoga","Tias Guns","Pierre Schaus"],"tags":["cs.DB","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-04-05T08:15:24Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1905.03040v1","name":"Mining Subjectively Interesting Attributed Subgraphs","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Community detection in graphs, data clustering, and local pattern mining are three mature fields of data mining and machine learning. In recent years, attributed subgraph mining is emerging as a new powerful data mining task in the intersection of these areas. Given a graph and a set of attributes for each vertex, attributed subgraph mining aims to find cohesive subgraphs for which (a subset of) the attribute values has exceptional values in some sense. While research on this task can borrow from the three abovementioned fields, the principled integration of graph and attribute data poses two challenges: the definition of a pattern language that is intuitive and lends itself to efficient search strategies, and the formalization of the interestingness of such patterns. We propose an integrated solution to both of these challenges. The proposed pattern language improves upon prior work in being both highly flexible and intuitive. We show how an effective and principled algorithm can enumerate patterns of this language. The proposed approach for quantifying interestingness of patterns of this language is rooted in information theory, and is able to account for prior knowledge on the data. Prior work typically quantifies interestingness based on the cohesion of the subgraph and for the exceptionality of its attributes separately, combining these in a parametrized trade-off. Instead, in our proposal this trade-off is implicitly handled in a principled, parameter-free manner. Extensive empirical results confirm the proposed pattern syntax is intuitive, and the interestingness measure aligns well with actual subjective interestingness.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1905.03040v1","authors":["Anes Bendimerad","Ahmad Mel","Jefrey Lijffijt","Marc Plantevit","Céline Robardet","Tijl De Bie"],"tags":["cs.SI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-04-19T20:53:50Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2011.00633v1","name":"Aspect-Based Argument Mining","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Computational Argumentation in general and Argument Mining in particular are important research fields. In previous works, many of the challenges to automatically extract and to some degree reason over natural language arguments were addressed. The tools to extract argument units are increasingly available and further open problems can be addressed. In this work, we are presenting the task of Aspect-Based Argument Mining (ABAM), with the essential subtasks of Aspect Term Extraction (ATE) and Nested Segmentation (NS). At the first instance, we create and release an annotated corpus with aspect information on the token-level. We consider aspects as the main point(s) argument units are addressing. This information is important for further downstream tasks such as argument ranking, argument summarization and generation, as well as the search for counter-arguments on the aspect-level. We present several experiments using state-of-the-art supervised architectures and demonstrate their performance for both of the subtasks. The annotated benchmark is available at https://github.com/trtm/ABAM.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2011.00633v1","authors":["Dietrich Trautmann"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-01T21:57:51Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0112011v2","name":"Interactive Constrained Association Rule Mining","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We investigate ways to support interactive mining sessions, in the setting of association rule mining. In such sessions, users specify conditions (queries) on the associations to be generated. Our approach is a combination of the integration of querying conditions inside the mining phase, and the incremental querying of already generated associations. We present several concrete algorithms and compare their performance.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/cs/0112011v2","authors":["Bart Goethals","Jan Van den Bussche"],"tags":["cs.DB","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-12-10T15:50:47Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1803.04552v1","name":"Text Data Mining from the Author's Perspective: Whose Text, Whose Mining, and to Whose Benefit?","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Given the many technical, social, and policy shifts in access to scholarly content since the early days of text data mining, it is time to expand the conversation about text data mining from concerns of the researcher wishing to mine data to include concerns of researcher-authors about how their data are mined, by whom, for what purposes, and to whose benefits.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1803.04552v1","authors":["Christine L. Borgman"],"tags":["cs.DL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-03-12T22:11:40Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1703.03740v1","name":"RapidProM: Mine Your Processes and Not Just Your Data","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The number of events recorded for operational processes is growing every year. This applies to all domains: from health care and e-government to production and maintenance. Event data are a valuable source of information for organizations that need to meet requirements related to compliance, efficiency, and customer service. Process mining helps to turn these data into real value: by discovering the real processes, by automatically identifying bottlenecks, by analyzing deviations and sources of non-compliance, by revealing the actual behavior of people, etc. Process mining is very different from conventional data mining and machine learning techniques. ProM is a powerful open-source process mining tool supporting hundreds of analysis techniques. However, ProM does not support analysis based on scientific workflows. RapidProM, an extension of RapidMiner based on ProM, combines the best of both worlds. Complex process mining workflows can be modeled and executed easily and subsequently reused for other data sets. Moreover, using RapidProM, one can benefit from combinations of process mining with other types of analysis available through the RapidMiner marketplace.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1703.03740v1","authors":["Wil M. P. van der Aalst","Alfredo Bolt","Sebastiaan J. van Zelst"],"tags":["cs.OH"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-03-10T16:10:09Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1002.1159v1","name":"Mining The Successful Binary Combinations: Methodology and A Simple Case Study","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The importance of finding the characteristics leading to either a success or a failure is one of the driving forces of data mining. The various application areas of finding success/failure factors cover vast variety of areas such as credit risk evaluation and granting loans, micro array analysis, health factors and health risk factors, and parameter combination leading to a product success. This paper presents a new approach for making inferences about dichotomous data. The objective is to determine rules that lead to a certain result. The method consists of four phases: in the first phase, the data is processed into a binary format of a truth table, in the second phase; rules are found by utilizing an algorithm that minimizes Boolean functions. In the third phase the rules are checked and filtered. In the fourth phase, simple rules that involve one to two features are revealed.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1002.1159v1","authors":["Yuval Cohen"],"tags":["cs.DB"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-02-05T09:07:54Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2606.11874v1","name":"AutoMine Solution for AV2 2026 Scenario Mining Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"With the development of autonomous driving systems, mining high-value, safety-critical, and planning-relevant scenarios from large-scale driving logs has become essential for data-driven evaluation. In this paper, we propose AutoMine, a robust self-refining scenario mining method based on LLMs and VLMs. AutoMine uses semantics-preserving prompt augmentation to reduce LLM prompt sensitivity, combines robust trajectory atomic functions with VLM-based functions to handle perception noise and open-world visual cues, and refines generated code through execution feedback from real logs. In the Argoverse 2 Scenario Mining Competition at CVPR 2026, AutoMine achieves a HOTA-Temporal score of 36.38 and a Timestamp BA score of 77.21.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.11874v1","authors":["Songliang Cao","Jiele Zhao","Yuru Wang","Hao Li","Daqi Liu","Zehan Zhang","Fangzhen Li","Yu Wang","Yue Zhang","Bing Wang","Guang Chen","Hao Lu","Hangjun Ye"],"tags":["cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-10T09:58:21Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.12435v1","name":"Approaching Metaheuristic Deep Learning Combos for Automated Data Mining","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Lack of data on which to perform experimentation is a recurring issue in many areas of research, particularly in machine learning. The inability of most automated data mining techniques to be generalized to all types of data is inherently related with their dependency on those types which deems them ineffective against anything slightly different. Meta-heuristics are algorithms which attempt to optimize some solution independently of the type of data used, whilst classifiers or neural networks focus on feature extrapolation and dimensionality reduction to fit some model onto data arranged in a particular way. These two algorithmic fields encompass a group of characteristics which when combined are seemingly capable of achieving data mining regardless of how it is arranged. To this end, this work proposes a means of combining meta-heuristic methods with conventional classifiers and neural networks in order to perform automated data mining. Experiments on the MNIST dataset for handwritten digit recognition were performed and it was empirically observed that using a ground truth labeled dataset's validation accuracy is inadequate for correcting labels of other previously unseen data instances.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.12435v1","authors":["Gustavo Assunção","Paulo Menezes"],"tags":["cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-16T10:28:22Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1502.05911v1","name":"A Data Mining framework to model Consumer Indebtedness with Psychological Factors","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Modelling Consumer Indebtedness has proven to be a problem of complex nature. In this work we utilise Data Mining techniques and methods to explore the multifaceted aspect of Consumer Indebtedness by examining the contribution of Psychological Factors, like Impulsivity to the analysis of Consumer Debt. Our results confirm the beneficial impact of Psychological Factors in modelling Consumer Indebtedness and suggest a new approach in analysing Consumer Debt, that would take into consideration more Psychological characteristics of consumers and adopt techniques and practices from Data Mining.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1502.05911v1","authors":["Alexandros Ladas","Eamonn Ferguson","Uwe Aickelin","Jon Garibaldi"],"tags":["cs.LG","cs.CE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-02-20T15:47:49Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2007.01052v1","name":"Efficient Mining Cluster Selection for Blockchain-based Cellular V2X Communications","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Cellular vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication is expected to herald the age of autonomous vehicles in the coming years. With the integration of blockchain in such networks, information of all granularity levels, from complete blocks to individual transactions, would be accessible to vehicles at any time. Specifically, the blockchain technology is expected to improve the security, immutability, and decentralization of cellular V2X communication through smart contract and distributed ledgers. Although blockchain-based cellular V2X networks hold promise, many challenges need to be addressed to enable the future interoperability and accessibility of such large-scale platforms. One such challenge is the offloading of mining tasks in cellular V2X networks. While transportation authorities may try to balance the network mining load, the vehicles may select the nearest mining clusters to offload a task. This may cause congestion and disproportionate use of vehicular network resources. To address this issue, we propose a game-theoretic approach for balancing the load at mining clusters while maintaining fairness among offloading vehicles. Keeping in mind the low-latency requirements of vehicles, we consider a finite channel blocklength transmission which is more practical compared to the use of infinite blocklength codes. The simulation results obtained with our proposed offloading framework show improved performance over the conventional nearest mining cluster selection technique.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2007.01052v1","authors":["Furqan Jameel","Muhammad Awais Javed","Sherali Zeadally","Riku Jantti"],"tags":["eess.SP","cs.IT"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-06-29T15:40:59Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.19740v1","name":"KNOWCOMP POKEMON Team at DialAM-2024: A Two-Stage Pipeline for Detecting Relations in Dialogical Argument Mining","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Dialogical Argument Mining(DialAM) is an important branch of Argument Mining(AM). DialAM-2024 is a shared task focusing on dialogical argument mining, which requires us to identify argumentative relations and illocutionary relations among proposition nodes and locution nodes. To accomplish this, we propose a two-stage pipeline, which includes the Two-Step S-Node Prediction Model in Stage 1 and the YA-Node Prediction Model in Stage 2. We also augment the training data in both stages and introduce context in Stage 2. We successfully completed the task and achieved good results. Our team Pokemon ranked 1st in the ARI Focused score and 4th in the Global Focused score.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.19740v1","authors":["Zihao Zheng","Zhaowei Wang","Qing Zong","Yangqiu Song"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-29T07:07:37Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1907.11889v1","name":"Towards Effective Rebuttal: Listening Comprehension using Corpus-Wide Claim Mining","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Engaging in a live debate requires, among other things, the ability to effectively rebut arguments claimed by your opponent. In particular, this requires identifying these arguments. Here, we suggest doing so by automatically mining claims from a corpus of news articles containing billions of sentences, and searching for them in a given speech. This raises the question of whether such claims indeed correspond to those made in spoken speeches. To this end, we collected a large dataset of $400$ speeches in English discussing $200$ controversial topics, mined claims for each topic, and asked annotators to identify the mined claims mentioned in each speech. Results show that in the vast majority of speeches debaters indeed make use of such claims. In addition, we present several baselines for the automatic detection of mined claims in speeches, forming the basis for future work. All collected data is freely available for research.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1907.11889v1","authors":["Tamar Lavee","Matan Orbach","Lili Kotlerman","Yoav Kantor","Shai Gretz","Lena Dankin","Shachar Mirkin","Michal Jacovi","Yonatan Bilu","Ranit Aharonov","Noam Slonim"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-07-27T10:19:19Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1709.00900v1","name":"Reductions for Frequency-Based Data Mining Problems","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Studying the computational complexity of problems is one of the - if not the - fundamental questions in computer science. Yet, surprisingly little is known about the computational complexity of many central problems in data mining. In this paper we study frequency-based problems and propose a new type of reduction that allows us to compare the complexities of the maximal frequent pattern mining problems in different domains (e.g. graphs or sequences). Our results extend those of Kimelfeld and Kolaitis [ACM TODS, 2014] to a broader range of data mining problems. Our results show that, by allowing constraints in the pattern space, the complexities of many maximal frequent pattern mining problems collapse. These problems include maximal frequent subgraphs in labelled graphs, maximal frequent itemsets, and maximal frequent subsequences with no repetitions. In addition to theoretical interest, our results might yield more efficient algorithms for the studied problems.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1709.00900v1","authors":["Stefan Neumann","Pauli Miettinen"],"tags":["cs.CC"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-09-04T11:12:55Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1407.0316v3","name":"Significant Subgraph Mining with Multiple Testing Correction","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The problem of finding itemsets that are statistically significantly enriched in a class of transactions is complicated by the need to correct for multiple hypothesis testing. Pruning untestable hypotheses was recently proposed as a strategy for this task of significant itemset mining. It was shown to lead to greater statistical power, the discovery of more truly significant itemsets, than the standard Bonferroni correction on real-world datasets. An open question, however, is whether this strategy of excluding untestable hypotheses also leads to greater statistical power in subgraph mining, in which the number of hypotheses is much larger than in itemset mining. Here we answer this question by an empirical investigation on eight popular graph benchmark datasets. We propose a new efficient search strategy, which always returns the same solution as the state-of-the-art approach and is approximately two orders of magnitude faster. Moreover, we exploit the dependence between subgraphs by considering the effective number of tests and thereby further increase the statistical power.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1407.0316v3","authors":["Mahito Sugiyama","Felipe Llinares López","Niklas Kasenburg","Karsten M. Borgwardt"],"tags":["stat.ME","cs.LG","stat.ML"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-07-01T16:53:51Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1602.05012v2","name":"A Subsequence Interleaving Model for Sequential Pattern Mining","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Recent sequential pattern mining methods have used the minimum description length (MDL) principle to define an encoding scheme which describes an algorithm for mining the most compressing patterns in a database. We present a novel subsequence interleaving model based on a probabilistic model of the sequence database, which allows us to search for the most compressing set of patterns without designing a specific encoding scheme. Our proposed algorithm is able to efficiently mine the most relevant sequential patterns and rank them using an associated measure of interestingness. The efficient inference in our model is a direct result of our use of a structural expectation-maximization framework, in which the expectation-step takes the form of a submodular optimization problem subject to a coverage constraint. We show on both synthetic and real world datasets that our model mines a set of sequential patterns with low spuriousness and redundancy, high interpretability and usefulness in real-world applications. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the quality of the patterns from our approach is comparable to, if not better than, existing state of the art sequential pattern mining algorithms.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1602.05012v2","authors":["Jaroslav Fowkes","Charles Sutton"],"tags":["stat.ML","cs.AI","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-02-16T13:30:10Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2310.05210v1","name":"TILFA: A Unified Framework for Text, Image, and Layout Fusion in Argument Mining","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A main goal of Argument Mining (AM) is to analyze an author's stance. Unlike previous AM datasets focusing only on text, the shared task at the 10th Workshop on Argument Mining introduces a dataset including both text and images. Importantly, these images contain both visual elements and optical characters. Our new framework, TILFA (A Unified Framework for Text, Image, and Layout Fusion in Argument Mining), is designed to handle this mixed data. It excels at not only understanding text but also detecting optical characters and recognizing layout details in images. Our model significantly outperforms existing baselines, earning our team, KnowComp, the 1st place in the leaderboard of Argumentative Stance Classification subtask in this shared task.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2310.05210v1","authors":["Qing Zong","Zhaowei Wang","Baixuan Xu","Tianshi Zheng","Haochen Shi","Weiqi Wang","Yangqiu Song","Ginny Y. Wong","Simon See"],"tags":["cs.AI","cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-10-08T15:54:37Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1108.5619v1","name":"Modification of GTD from Flat File Format to OLAP for Data Mining","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This document is part of original research work by the authors in a bid to explore new fields for applying Data Mining Techniques. The sample data is part of a large data set from University of Maryland (UMD) and outlines how more meaningful patterns can be discovered by preprocessing the data in the form of OLAP cubes.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1108.5619v1","authors":["Karanjit Singh","Shuchita Bhasin"],"tags":["cs.DB"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-08-26T07:06:03Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2011.11010v1","name":"Mining Influentials and their Bot Activities on Twitter Campaigns","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Twitter is increasingly used for political, advertising and marketing campaigns, where the main aim is to influence users to support specific causes, individuals or groups. We propose a novel methodology for mining and analyzing Twitter campaigns, which includes: (i) collecting tweets and detecting topics relating to a campaign; (ii) mining important campaign topics using scientometrics measures; (iii) modelling user interests using hashtags and topical entropy; (iv) identifying influential users using an adapted PageRank score; and (v) various metrics and visualization techniques for identifying bot-like activities. While this methodology is generalizable to multiple campaign types, we demonstrate its effectiveness on the 2017 German federal election.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2011.11010v1","authors":["Shanika Karunasekera","Kwan Hui Lim","Aaron Harwood"],"tags":["cs.SI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-22T13:19:50Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1701.07999v1","name":"Beyond the EULA: Improving consent for data mining","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Companies and academic researchers may collect, process, and distribute large quantities of personal data without the explicit knowledge or consent of the individuals to whom the data pertains. Existing forms of consent often fail to be appropriately readable and ethical oversight of data mining may not be sufficient. This raises the question of whether existing consent instruments are sufficient, logistically feasible, or even necessary, for data mining. In this chapter, we review the data collection and mining landscape, including commercial and academic activities, and the relevant data protection concerns, to determine the types of consent instruments used. Using three case studies, we use the new paradigm of human-data interaction to examine whether these existing approaches are appropriate. We then introduce an approach to consent that has been empirically demonstrated to improve on the state of the art and deliver meaningful consent. Finally, we propose some best practices for data collectors to ensure their data mining activities do not violate the expectations of the people to whom the data relate.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1701.07999v1","authors":["Luke Hutton","Tristan Henderson"],"tags":["cs.CY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-27T10:22:10Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0602076v1","name":"Exploring term-document matrices from matrix models in text mining","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We explore a matrix-space model, that is a natural extension to the vector space model for Information Retrieval. Each document can be represented by a matrix that is based on document extracts (e.g. sentences, paragraphs, sections). We focus on the performance of this model for the specific case in which documents are originally represented as term-by-sentence matrices. We use the singular value decomposition to approximate the term-by-sentence matrices and assemble these results to form the pseudo-``term-document'' matrix that forms the basis of a text mining method alternative to traditional VSM and LSI. We investigate the singular values of this matrix and provide experimental evidence suggesting that the method can be particularly effective in terms of accuracy for text collections with multi-topic documents, such as web pages with news.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/cs/0602076v1","authors":["Ioannis Antonellis","Efstratios Gallopoulos"],"tags":["cs.IR","cs.DB","cs.DL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-02-21T16:14:16Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0805.1288v1","name":"Assessment of effective parameters on dilution using approximate reasoning methods in longwall mining method, Iran coal mines","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Approximately more than 90% of all coal production in Iranian underground mines is derived directly longwall mining method. Out of seam dilution is one of the essential problems in these mines. Therefore the dilution can impose the additional cost of mining and milling. As a result, recognition of the effective parameters on the dilution has a remarkable role in industry. In this way, this paper has analyzed the influence of 13 parameters (attributed variables) versus the decision attribute (dilution value), so that using two approximate reasoning methods, namely Rough Set Theory (RST) and Self Organizing Neuro- Fuzzy Inference System (SONFIS) the best rules on our collected data sets has been extracted. The other benefit of later methods is to predict new unknown cases. So, the reduced sets (reducts) by RST have been obtained. Therefore the emerged results by utilizing mentioned methods shows that the high sensitive variables are thickness of layer, length of stope, rate of advance, number of miners, type of advancing.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0805.1288v1","authors":["H. Owladeghaffari","K. Shahriar","G. H. R. Saeedi"],"tags":["cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-05-09T07:08:57Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2011.04378v1","name":"Characterizing Transactional Databases for Frequent Itemset Mining","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents a study of the characteristics of transactional databases used in frequent itemset mining. Such characterizations have typically been used to benchmark and understand the data mining algorithms working on these databases. The aim of our study is to give a picture of how diverse and representative these benchmarking databases are, both in general but also in the context of particular empirical studies found in the literature. Our proposed list of metrics contains many of the existing metrics found in the literature, as well as new ones. Our study shows that our list of metrics is able to capture much of the datasets' inner complexity and thus provides a good basis for the characterization of transactional datasets. Finally, we provide a set of representative datasets based on our characterization that may be used as a benchmark safely.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2011.04378v1","authors":["Christian Lezcano","Marta Arias"],"tags":["cs.DB","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-09T12:26:14Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1609.06266v1","name":"Thirteen Years of Mining Software Repositories (MSR) Conference - What is the Bibliography Data Telling Us?","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Mining Software Repositories (MSR) conference is a reputed, long-running and flagship conference in the area of Software Analytics which has successfully completed more than one decade as of year 2016. We conduct a bibliometric and scientific publication mining based study to study how the conference has evolved over the recent past 13 years (from 2004 to 2007 as a workshop and then from 2008 to 2016 as a conference). Our objective is to perform an examination of the state of MSR so that the MSR community can identify strengths, areas of improvements and future directions for the conference.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1609.06266v1","authors":["Lov Kumar","Ashish Sureka"],"tags":["cs.SE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-09-20T17:44:54Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1506.03837v1","name":"Statistical Arbitrage Mining for Display Advertising","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We study and formulate arbitrage in display advertising. Real-Time Bidding (RTB) mimics stock spot exchanges and utilises computers to algorithmically buy display ads per impression via a real-time auction. Despite the new automation, the ad markets are still informationally inefficient due to the heavily fragmented marketplaces. Two display impressions with similar or identical effectiveness (e.g., measured by conversion or click-through rates for a targeted audience) may sell for quite different prices at different market segments or pricing schemes. In this paper, we propose a novel data mining paradigm called Statistical Arbitrage Mining (SAM) focusing on mining and exploiting price discrepancies between two pricing schemes. In essence, our SAMer is a meta-bidder that hedges advertisers' risk between CPA (cost per action)-based campaigns and CPM (cost per mille impressions)-based ad inventories; it statistically assesses the potential profit and cost for an incoming CPM bid request against a portfolio of CPA campaigns based on the estimated conversion rate, bid landscape and other statistics learned from historical data. In SAM, (i) functional optimisation is utilised to seek for optimal bidding to maximise the expected arbitrage net profit, and (ii) a portfolio-based risk management solution is leveraged to reallocate bid volume and budget across the set of campaigns to make a risk and return trade-off. We propose to jointly optimise both components in an EM fashion with high efficiency to help the meta-bidder successfully catch the transient statistical arbitrage opportunities in RTB. Both the offline experiments on a real-world large-scale dataset and online A/B tests on a commercial platform demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed solution in exploiting arbitrage in various model settings and market environments.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1506.03837v1","authors":["Weinan Zhang","Jun Wang"],"tags":["cs.GT","cs.DB"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-06-11T21:05:26Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1508.04554v1","name":"Mining Brain Networks using Multiple Side Views for Neurological Disorder Identification","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Mining discriminative subgraph patterns from graph data has attracted great interest in recent years. It has a wide variety of applications in disease diagnosis, neuroimaging, etc. Most research on subgraph mining focuses on the graph representation alone. However, in many real-world applications, the side information is available along with the graph data. For example, for neurological disorder identification, in addition to the brain networks derived from neuroimaging data, hundreds of clinical, immunologic, serologic and cognitive measures may also be documented for each subject. These measures compose multiple side views encoding a tremendous amount of supplemental information for diagnostic purposes, yet are often ignored. In this paper, we study the problem of discriminative subgraph selection using multiple side views and propose a novel solution to find an optimal set of subgraph features for graph classification by exploring a plurality of side views. We derive a feature evaluation criterion, named gSide, to estimate the usefulness of subgraph patterns based upon side views. Then we develop a branch-and-bound algorithm, called gMSV, to efficiently search for optimal subgraph features by integrating the subgraph mining process and the procedure of discriminative feature selection. Empirical studies on graph classification tasks for neurological disorders using brain networks demonstrate that subgraph patterns selected by the multi-side-view guided subgraph selection approach can effectively boost graph classification performances and are relevant to disease diagnosis.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1508.04554v1","authors":["Bokai Cao","Xiangnan Kong","Jingyuan Zhang","Philip S. Yu","Ann B. Ragin"],"tags":["cs.LG","cs.CV","cs.CY","stat.AP","stat.ML"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-08-19T07:51:14Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2111.03576v1","name":"Investigation of Topic Modelling Methods for Understanding the Reports of the Mining Projects in Queensland","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In the mining industry, many reports are generated in the project management process. These past documents are a great resource of knowledge for future success. However, it would be a tedious and challenging task to retrieve the necessary information if the documents are unorganized and unstructured. Document clustering is a powerful approach to cope with the problem, and many methods have been introduced in past studies. Nonetheless, there is no silver bullet that can perform the best for any types of documents. Thus, exploratory studies are required to apply the clustering methods for new datasets. In this study, we will investigate multiple topic modelling (TM) methods. The objectives are finding the appropriate approach for the mining project reports using the dataset of the Geological Survey of Queensland, Department of Resources, Queensland Government, and understanding the contents to get the idea of how to organise them. Three TM methods, Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), Nonnegative Matrix Factorization (NMF), and Nonnegative Tensor Factorization (NTF) are compared statistically and qualitatively. After the evaluation, we conclude that the LDA performs the best for the dataset; however, the possibility remains that the other methods could be adopted with some improvements.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2111.03576v1","authors":["Yasuko Okamoto","Thirunavukarasu Balasubramaniam","Richi Nayak"],"tags":["cs.IR","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-11-05T15:52:03Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1112.2137v1","name":"Compact Weighted Class Association Rule Mining using Information Gain","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Weighted association rule mining reflects semantic significance of item by considering its weight. Classification constructs the classifier and predicts the new data instance. This paper proposes compact weighted class association rule mining method, which applies weighted association rule mining in the classification and constructs an efficient weighted associative classifier. This proposed associative classification algorithm chooses one non class informative attribute from dataset and all the weighted class association rules are generated based on that attribute. The weight of the item is considered as one of the parameter in generating the weighted class association rules. This proposed algorithm calculates the weight using the HITS model. Experimental results show that the proposed system generates less number of high quality rules which improves the classification accuracy.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1112.2137v1","authors":["S. P. Syed Ibrahim","K. R. Chandran"],"tags":["cs.DB"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-12-09T16:22:00Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2209.06416v1","name":"ImageArg: A Multi-modal Tweet Dataset for Image Persuasiveness Mining","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The growing interest in developing corpora of persuasive texts has promoted applications in automated systems, e.g., debating and essay scoring systems; however, there is little prior work mining image persuasiveness from an argumentative perspective. To expand persuasiveness mining into a multi-modal realm, we present a multi-modal dataset, ImageArg, consisting of annotations of image persuasiveness in tweets. The annotations are based on a persuasion taxonomy we developed to explore image functionalities and the means of persuasion. We benchmark image persuasiveness tasks on ImageArg using widely-used multi-modal learning methods. The experimental results show that our dataset offers a useful resource for this rich and challenging topic, and there is ample room for modeling improvement.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2209.06416v1","authors":["Zhexiong Liu","Meiqi Guo","Yue Dai","Diane Litman"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.MM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-09-14T05:03:10Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1609.06957v1","name":"Early Warning System for Seismic Events in Coal Mines Using Machine Learning","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This document describes an approach to the problem of predicting dangerous seismic events in active coal mines up to 8 hours in advance. It was developed as a part of the AAIA'16 Data Mining Challenge: Predicting Dangerous Seismic Events in Active Coal Mines. The solutions presented consist of ensembles of various predictive models trained on different sets of features. The best one achieved a winning score of 0.939 AUC.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1609.06957v1","authors":["Robert Bogucki","Jan Lasek","Jan Kanty Milczek","Michal Tadeusiak"],"tags":["cs.LG","stat.ML"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-09-21T09:35:56Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0012357v1","name":"Mining the Blazar Sky","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present the results of our methods to \"mine\" the blazar sky, i.e., select blazar candidates with very high efficiency. These are based on the cross-correlation between public radio and X-ray catalogs and have resulted in two surveys, the Deep X-ray Radio Blazar Survey (DXRBS) and the \"Sedentary\" BL Lac survey. We show that data mining is vital to select sizeable, deep samples of these rare active galactic nuclei and we touch upon the identification problems which deeper surveys will face.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0012357v1","authors":["Paolo Padovani","Paolo Giommi"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-12-15T19:30:30Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1004.3565v1","name":"An Optimized Weighted Association Rule Mining On Dynamic Content","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Association rule mining aims to explore large transaction databases for association rules. Classical Association Rule Mining (ARM) model assumes that all items have the same significance without taking their weight into account. It also ignores the difference between the transactions and importance of each and every itemsets. But, the Weighted Association Rule Mining (WARM) does not work on databases with only binary attributes. It makes use of the importance of each itemset and transaction. WARM requires each item to be given weight to reflect their importance to the user. The weights may correspond to special promotions on some products, or the profitability of different items. This research work first focused on a weight assignment based on a directed graph where nodes denote items and links represent association rules. A generalized version of HITS is applied to the graph to rank the items, where all nodes and links are allowed to have weights. This research then uses enhanced HITS algorithm by developing an online eigenvector calculation method that can compute the results of mutual reinforcement voting in case of frequent updates. For Example in Share Market Shares price may go down or up. So we need to carefully watch the market and our association rule mining has to produce the items that have undergone frequent changes. These are done by estimating the upper bound of perturbation and postponing of the updates whenever possible. Next we prove that enhanced algorithm is more efficient than the original HITS under the context of dynamic data.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1004.3565v1","authors":["P. Velvadivu","K. Duraisamy"],"tags":["cs.DB"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-04-20T20:29:12Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1412.1470v3","name":"Mining Rooted Ordered Trees under Subtree Homeomorphism","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Mining frequent tree patterns has many applications in different areas such as XML data, bioinformatics and World Wide Web. The crucial step in frequent pattern mining is frequency counting, which involves a matching operator to find occurrences (instances) of a tree pattern in a given collection of trees. A widely used matching operator for tree-structured data is subtree homeomorphism, where an edge in the tree pattern is mapped onto an ancestor-descendant relationship in the given tree. Tree patterns that are frequent under subtree homeomorphism are usually called embedded patterns. In this paper, we present an efficient algorithm for subtree homeomorphism with application to frequent pattern mining. We propose a compact data-structure, called occ, which stores only information about the rightmost paths of occurrences and hence can encode and represent several occurrences of a tree pattern. We then define efficient join operations on the occ data-structure, which help us count occurrences of tree patterns according to occurrences of their proper subtrees. Based on the proposed subtree homeomorphism method, we develop an effective pattern mining algorithm, called TPMiner. We evaluate the efficiency of TPMiner on several real-world and synthetic datasets. Our extensive experiments confirm that TPMiner always outperforms well-known existing algorithms, and in several cases the improvement with respect to existing algorithms is significant.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1412.1470v3","authors":["Mostafa Haghir Chehreghani","Maurice Bruynooghe"],"tags":["cs.DB","cs.DS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-12-03T15:57:00Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2403.00769v1","name":"Text mining in education","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The explosive growth of online education environments is generating a massive volume of data, specially in text format from forums, chats, social networks, assessments, essays, among others. It produces exciting challenges on how to mine text data in order to find useful knowledge for educational stakeholders. Despite the increasing number of educational applications of text mining published recently, we have not found any paper surveying them. In this line, this work presents a systematic overview of the current status of the Educational Text Mining field. Our final goal is to answer three main research questions: Which are the text mining techniques most used in educational environments? Which are the most used educational resources? And which are the main applications or educational goals? Finally, we outline the conclusions and the more interesting future trends.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.00769v1","authors":["R. Ferreira-Mello","M. Andre","A. Pinheiro","E. Costa","C. Romero"],"tags":["cs.IR","cs.CY","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-11T11:41:25Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2208.10290v1","name":"Deterministic Graph-Walking Program Mining","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Owing to their versatility, graph structures admit representations of intricate relationships between the separate entities comprising the data. We formalise the notion of connection between two vertex sets in terms of edge and vertex features by introducing graph-walking programs. We give two algorithms for mining of deterministic graph-walking programs that yield programs in the order of increasing length. These programs characterise linear long-distance relationships between the given two vertex sets in the context of the whole graph.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2208.10290v1","authors":["Peter Belcak","Roger Wattenhofer"],"tags":["cs.LG","cs.DS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-08-22T13:16:13Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1304.3563v1","name":"Data, text and web mining for business intelligence: a survey","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Information and Communication Technologies revolution brought a digital world with huge amounts of data available. Enterprises use mining technologies to search vast amounts of data for vital insight and knowledge. Mining tools such as data mining, text mining, and web mining are used to find hidden knowledge in large databases or the Internet.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1304.3563v1","authors":["Abdul-Aziz Rashid Al-Azmi"],"tags":["cs.IR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-04-12T08:04:31Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1803.09162v1","name":"A Dynamic-Adversarial Mining Approach to the Security of Machine Learning","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Operating in a dynamic real world environment requires a forward thinking and adversarial aware design for classifiers, beyond fitting the model to the training data. In such scenarios, it is necessary to make classifiers - a) harder to evade, b) easier to detect changes in the data distribution over time, and c) be able to retrain and recover from model degradation. While most works in the security of machine learning has concentrated on the evasion resistance (a) problem, there is little work in the areas of reacting to attacks (b and c). Additionally, while streaming data research concentrates on the ability to react to changes to the data distribution, they often take an adversarial agnostic view of the security problem. This makes them vulnerable to adversarial activity, which is aimed towards evading the concept drift detection mechanism itself. In this paper, we analyze the security of machine learning, from a dynamic and adversarial aware perspective. The existing techniques of Restrictive one class classifier models, Complex learning models and Randomization based ensembles, are shown to be myopic as they approach security as a static task. These methodologies are ill suited for a dynamic environment, as they leak excessive information to an adversary, who can subsequently launch attacks which are indistinguishable from the benign data. Based on empirical vulnerability analysis against a sophisticated adversary, a novel feature importance hiding approach for classifier design, is proposed. The proposed design ensures that future attacks on classifiers can be detected and recovered from. The proposed work presents motivation, by serving as a blueprint, for future work in the area of Dynamic-Adversarial mining, which combines lessons learned from Streaming data mining, Adversarial learning and Cybersecurity.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1803.09162v1","authors":["Tegjyot Singh Sethi","Mehmed Kantardzic","Lingyu Lyua","Jiashun Chen"],"tags":["cs.LG","cs.CR","stat.ML"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-03-24T20:55:20Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.09204v2","name":"A Systematic Review on Process Mining for Curricular Analysis","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Educational Process Mining (EPM) is a data analysis technique that is used to improve educational processes. It is based on Process Mining (PM), which involves gathering records (logs) of events to discover process models and analyze the data from a process-centric perspective. One specific application of EPM is curriculum mining, which focuses on understanding the learning program students follow to achieve educational goals. This is important for institutional curriculum decision-making and quality improvement. Therefore, academic institutions can benefit from organizing the existing techniques, capabilities, and limitations. We conducted a systematic literature review to identify works on applying PM to curricular analysis and provide insights for further research. We reviewed 27 primary studies published across seven major databases. Our analysis classified these studies into five main research objectives: discovery of educational trajectories, identification of deviations in student behavior, bottleneck analysis, dropout / stopout analysis, and generation of recommendations. Key findings highlight challenges such as standardization to facilitate cross-university analysis, better integration of process and data mining techniques, and improved tools for educational stakeholders. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current landscape in curricular process mining and outlines specific research opportunities to support more robust and actionable curricular analyses in educational settings.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.09204v2","authors":["Daniel Calegari","Andrea Delgado"],"tags":["cs.DB","cs.CY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-13T21:35:11Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2502.05731v2","name":"Visual Text Mining with Progressive Taxonomy Construction for Environmental Studies","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Environmental experts have developed the DPSIR (Driver, Pressure, State, Impact, Response) framework to systematically study and communicate key relationships between society and the environment. Using this framework requires experts to construct a DPSIR taxonomy from a corpus, annotate the documents, and identify DPSIR variables and relationships, which is laborious and inflexible. Automating it with conventional text mining faces technical challenges, primarily because the taxonomy often begins with abstract definitions, which experts progressively refine and contextualize as they annotate the corpus. In response, we develop GreenMine, a system that supports interactive text mining with prompt engineering. The system implements a prompting pipeline consisting of three simple and evaluable subtasks. In each subtask, the DPSIR taxonomy can be defined in natural language and iteratively refined as experts analyze the corpus. To support users evaluate the taxonomy, we introduce an uncertainty score based on response consistency. Then, we design a radial uncertainty chart that visualizes uncertainties and corpus topics, which supports interleaved evaluation and exploration. Using the system, experts can progressively construct the DPSIR taxonomy and annotate the corpus with LLMs. Using real-world interview transcripts, we present a case study to demonstrate the capability of the system in supporting interactive mining of DPSIR relationships, and an expert review in the form of collaborative discussion to understand the potential and limitations of the system. We discuss the lessons learned from developing the system and future opportunities for supporting interactive text mining in knowledge-intensive tasks for other application scenarios.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.05731v2","authors":["Sam Yu-Te Lee","Cheng-Wei Hung","Mei-Hua Yuan","Kwan-Liu Ma"],"tags":["cs.HC"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-09T00:25:41Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1108.5592v1","name":"A Performance Study of Data Mining Techniques: Multiple Linear Regression vs. Factor Analysis","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The growing volume of data usually creates an interesting challenge for the need of data analysis tools that discover regularities in these data. Data mining has emerged as disciplines that contribute tools for data analysis, discovery of hidden knowledge, and autonomous decision making in many application domains. The purpose of this study is to compare the performance of two data mining techniques viz., factor analysis and multiple linear regression for different sample sizes on three unique sets of data. The performance of the two data mining techniques is compared on following parameters like mean square error (MSE), R-square, R-Square adjusted, condition number, root mean square error(RMSE), number of variables included in the prediction model, modified coefficient of efficiency, F-value, and test of normality. These parameters have been computed using various data mining tools like SPSS, XLstat, Stata, and MS-Excel. It is seen that for all the given dataset, factor analysis outperform multiple linear regression. But the absolute value of prediction accuracy varied between the three datasets indicating that the data distribution and data characteristics play a major role in choosing the correct prediction technique.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1108.5592v1","authors":["Abhishek Taneja","R. K. Chauhan"],"tags":["cs.DB"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-08-26T07:08:13Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1712.00865v1","name":"On Using Network Science in Mining Developers Collaboration in Software Engineering: A Systematic Literature Review","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The goal of this study is to identify, review, and analyze the published research works that used network analysis as a tool for understanding the human collaboration on different levels of software development. This study and its findings are expected to be of benefit for software engineering practitioners and researchers who are mining software repositories using tools from network science field. We conducted a systematic literature review, in which we analyzed a number of selected papers from different digital libraries based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. We identified $35$ primary studies (PSs) from 4 digital libraries, then we extracted data from each PS according to a predefined data extraction sheet. The results of our data analysis showed that not all of the constructed networks used in the PSs were valid as the edges of these networks did not reflect a real relationship between the entities of the network. Additionally, the used measures in the PSs were in many cases not suitable for the used networks. Also, the reported analysis results by the PSs were not, in most cases, validated using any statistical model. Finally, many of the PSs did not provide lessons or guidelines for software practitioners that can improve the software engineering practices. Although employing network analysis in mining developers' collaboration showed some satisfactory results in some of the PSs, the application of network analysis needs to be conducted more carefully. That is said, the constructed network should be representative and meaningful, the used measure needs to be suitable for the context, and the validation of the results should be considered. More and above, we state some research gaps, in which network science can be applied, with some pointers to recent advances that can be used to mine collaboration networks.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1712.00865v1","authors":["Mohammed Abufouda","Hadil Abukwaik"],"tags":["cs.SI","cs.SE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-12-04T00:57:16Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2103.15350v1","name":"Adversarial Specification Mining","source":"arxiv","abstract":"There have been numerous studies on mining temporal specifications from execution traces. These approaches learn finite-state automata (FSA) from execution traces when running tests. To learn accurate specifications of a software system, many tests are required. Existing approaches generalize from a limited number of traces or use simple test generation strategies. Unfortunately, these strategies may not exercise uncommon usage patterns of a software system. To address this problem, we propose a new approach, adversarial specification mining, and develop a prototype, DICE (Diversity through Counter-Examples). DICE has two components: DICE-Tester and DICE-Miner. After mining Linear Temporal Logic specifications from an input test suite, DICE-Tester adversarially guides test generation, searching for counterexamples to these specifications to invalidate spurious properties. These counterexamples represent gaps in the diversity of the input test suite. This process produces execution traces of usage patterns that were unrepresented in the input test suite. Next, we propose a new specification inference algorithm, DICE-Miner, to infer FSAs using the traces, guided by the temporal specifications. We find that the inferred specifications are of higher quality than those produced by existing state-of-the-art specification miners. Finally, we use the FSAs in a fuzzer for servers of stateful protocols, increasing its coverage.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2103.15350v1","authors":["Hong Jin Kang","David Lo"],"tags":["cs.SE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-03-29T05:56:01Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1506.00108v1","name":"Design and implementation for automated network troubleshooting using data mining","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The efficient and effective monitoring of mobile networks is vital given the number of users who rely on such networks and the importance of those networks. The purpose of this paper is to present a monitoring scheme for mobile networks based on the use of rules and decision tree data mining classifiers to upgrade fault detection and handling. The goal is to have optimisation rules that improve anomaly detection. In addition, a monitoring scheme that relies on Bayesian classifiers was also implemented for the purpose of fault isolation and localisation. The data mining techniques described in this paper are intended to allow a system to be trained to actually learn network fault rules. The results of the tests that were conducted allowed for the conclusion that the rules were highly effective to improve network troubleshooting.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1506.00108v1","authors":["Eleni Rozaki"],"tags":["cs.NI","cs.SE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-05-30T11:34:59Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1610.09263v2","name":"Flexible constrained sampling with guarantees for pattern mining","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Pattern sampling has been proposed as a potential solution to the infamous pattern explosion. Instead of enumerating all patterns that satisfy the constraints, individual patterns are sampled proportional to a given quality measure. Several sampling algorithms have been proposed, but each of them has its limitations when it comes to 1) flexibility in terms of quality measures and constraints that can be used, and/or 2) guarantees with respect to sampling accuracy. We therefore present Flexics, the first flexible pattern sampler that supports a broad class of quality measures and constraints, while providing strong guarantees regarding sampling accuracy. To achieve this, we leverage the perspective on pattern mining as a constraint satisfaction problem and build upon the latest advances in sampling solutions in SAT as well as existing pattern mining algorithms. Furthermore, the proposed algorithm is applicable to a variety of pattern languages, which allows us to introduce and tackle the novel task of sampling sets of patterns. We introduce and empirically evaluate two variants of Flexics: 1) a generic variant that addresses the well-known itemset sampling task and the novel pattern set sampling task as well as a wide range of expressive constraints within these tasks, and 2) a specialized variant that exploits existing frequent itemset techniques to achieve substantial speed-ups. Experiments show that Flexics is both accurate and efficient, making it a useful tool for pattern-based data exploration.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1610.09263v2","authors":["Vladimir Dzyuba","Matthijs van Leeuwen","Luc De Raedt"],"tags":["cs.AI","cs.DB","stat.ML"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-10-28T15:21:53Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1312.6675v2","name":"Data Mining on Social Interaction Networks","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Social media and social networks have already woven themselves into the very fabric of everyday life. This results in a dramatic increase of social data capturing various relations between the users and their associated artifacts, both in online networks and the real world using ubiquitous devices. In this work, we consider social interaction networks from a data mining perspective - also with a special focus on real-world face-to-face contact networks: We combine data mining and social network analysis techniques for examining the networks in order to improve our understanding of the data, the modeled behavior, and its underlying emergent processes. Furthermore, we adapt, extend and apply known predictive data mining algorithms on social interaction networks. Additionally, we present novel methods for descriptive data mining for uncovering and extracting relations and patterns for hypothesis generation and exploration, in order to provide characteristic information about the data and networks. The presented approaches and methods aim at extracting valuable knowledge for enhancing the understanding of the respective data, and for supporting the users of the respective systems. We consider data from several social systems, like the social bookmarking system BibSonomy, the social resource sharing system flickr, and ubiquitous social systems: Specifically, we focus on data from the social conference guidance system Conferator and the social group interaction system MyGroup. This work first gives a short introduction into social interaction networks, before we describe several analysis results in the context of online social networks and real-world face-to-face contact networks. Next, we present predictive data mining methods, i.e., for localization, recommendation and link prediction. After that, we present novel descriptive data mining methods for mining communities and patterns.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1312.6675v2","authors":["Martin Atzmueller"],"tags":["cs.SI","cs.DB","physics.soc-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-12-23T20:54:34Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1801.06271v1","name":"Mining Android App Usages for Generating Actionable GUI-based Execution Scenarios","source":"arxiv","abstract":"GUI-based models extracted from Android app execution traces, events, or source code can be extremely useful for challenging tasks such as the generation of scenarios or test cases. However, extracting effective models can be an expensive process. Moreover, existing approaches for automatically deriving GUI-based models are not able to generate scenarios that include events which were not observed in execution (nor event) traces. In this paper, we address these and other major challenges in our novel hybrid approach, coined as MonkeyLab. Our approach is based on the Record-Mine-Generate-Validate framework, which relies on recording app usages that yield execution (event) traces, mining those event traces and generating execution scenarios using statistical language modeling, static and dynamic analyses, and validating the resulting scenarios using an interactive execution of the app on a real device. The framework aims at mining models capable of generating feasible and fully replayable (i.e., actionable) scenarios reflecting either natural user behavior or uncommon usages (e.g., corner cases) for a given app. We evaluated MONKEYLAB in a case study involving several medium-to-large open-source Android apps. Our results demonstrate that MonkeyLab is able to mine GUI-based models that can be used to generate actionable execution scenarios for both natural and unnatural sequences of events on Google Nexus 7 tablets.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1801.06271v1","authors":["Mario Linares-Vasquez","Martin White","Carlos Bernal-Cardenas","Kevin Moran","Denys Poshyvanyk"],"tags":["cs.SE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-01-19T02:21:57Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1301.6902v1","name":"Mining the ESO WFI and INT WFC archives for known Near Earth Asteroids. Mega-Precovery software","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The ESO/MPG WFI and the INT WFC wide field archives comprising 330,000 images were mined to search for serendipitous encounters of known Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs) and Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs). A total of 152 asteroids (44 PHAs and 108 other NEAs) were identified using the PRECOVERY software, their astrometry being measured on 761 images and sent to the Minor Planet Centre. Both recoveries and precoveries were reported, including prolonged orbital arcs for 18 precovered objects and 10 recoveries. We analyze all new opposition data by comparing the orbits fitted before and after including our contributions. We conclude the paper presenting Mega-Precovery, a new online service focused on data mining of many instrument archives simultaneously for one or a few given asteroids. A total of 28 instrument archives have been made available for mining using this tool, adding together about 2.5 million images forming the Mega-Archive.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1301.6902v1","authors":["O. Vaduvescu","M. Popescu","I. Comsa","A. Paraschiv","D. Lacatus","A. Sonka","A. Tudorica","M. Birlan","O. Suciu","F. Char","M. Constantinescu","T. Badescu","M. Badea","D. Vidican","C. Opriseanu"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-01-29T12:06:30Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2310.12172v2","name":"Overview of ImageArg-2023: The First Shared Task in Multimodal Argument Mining","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents an overview of the ImageArg shared task, the first multimodal Argument Mining shared task co-located with the 10th Workshop on Argument Mining at EMNLP 2023. The shared task comprises two classification subtasks - (1) Subtask-A: Argument Stance Classification; (2) Subtask-B: Image Persuasiveness Classification. The former determines the stance of a tweet containing an image and a piece of text toward a controversial topic (e.g., gun control and abortion). The latter determines whether the image makes the tweet text more persuasive. The shared task received 31 submissions for Subtask-A and 21 submissions for Subtask-B from 9 different teams across 6 countries. The top submission in Subtask-A achieved an F1-score of 0.8647 while the best submission in Subtask-B achieved an F1-score of 0.5561.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2310.12172v2","authors":["Zhexiong Liu","Mohamed Elaraby","Yang Zhong","Diane Litman"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-10-15T04:52:04Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1506.05402v1","name":"Editorial for the First Workshop on Mining Scientific Papers: Computational Linguistics and Bibliometrics","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The workshop \"Mining Scientific Papers: Computational Linguistics and Bibliometrics\" (CLBib 2015), co-located with the 15th International Society of Scientometrics and Informetrics Conference (ISSI 2015), brought together researchers in Bibliometrics and Computational Linguistics in order to study the ways Bibliometrics can benefit from large-scale text analytics and sense mining of scientific papers, thus exploring the interdisciplinarity of Bibliometrics and Natural Language Processing (NLP). The goals of the workshop were to answer questions like: How can we enhance author network analysis and Bibliometrics using data obtained by text analytics? What insights can NLP provide on the structure of scientific writing, on citation networks, and on in-text citation analysis? This workshop is the first step to foster the reflection on the interdisciplinarity and the benefits that the two disciplines Bibliometrics and Natural Language Processing can drive from it.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1506.05402v1","authors":["Iana Atanassova","Marc Bertin","Philipp Mayr"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.DL","cs.IR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-06-17T18:03:25Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1601.02403v5","name":"Argumentation Mining in User-Generated Web Discourse","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The goal of argumentation mining, an evolving research field in computational linguistics, is to design methods capable of analyzing people's argumentation. In this article, we go beyond the state of the art in several ways. (i) We deal with actual Web data and take up the challenges given by the variety of registers, multiple domains, and unrestricted noisy user-generated Web discourse. (ii) We bridge the gap between normative argumentation theories and argumentation phenomena encountered in actual data by adapting an argumentation model tested in an extensive annotation study. (iii) We create a new gold standard corpus (90k tokens in 340 documents) and experiment with several machine learning methods to identify argument components. We offer the data, source codes, and annotation guidelines to the community under free licenses. Our findings show that argumentation mining in user-generated Web discourse is a feasible but challenging task.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1601.02403v5","authors":["Ivan Habernal","Iryna Gurevych"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-01-11T11:28:49Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0906.0885v1","name":"Mining Compressed Repetitive Gapped Sequential Patterns Efficiently","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Mining frequent sequential patterns from sequence databases has been a central research topic in data mining and various efficient mining sequential patterns algorithms have been proposed and studied. Recently, in many problem domains (e.g, program execution traces), a novel sequential pattern mining research, called mining repetitive gapped sequential patterns, has attracted the attention of many researchers, considering not only the repetition of sequential pattern in different sequences but also the repetition within a sequence is more meaningful than the general sequential pattern mining which only captures occurrences in different sequences. However, the number of repetitive gapped sequential patterns generated by even these closed mining algorithms may be too large to understand for users, especially when support threshold is low. In this paper, we propose and study the problem of compressing repetitive gapped sequential patterns. Inspired by the ideas of summarizing frequent itemsets, RPglobal, we develop an algorithm, CRGSgrow (Compressing Repetitive Gapped Sequential pattern grow), including an efficient pruning strategy, SyncScan, and an efficient representative pattern checking scheme, -dominate sequential pattern checking. The CRGSgrow is a two-step approach: in the first step, we obtain all closed repetitive sequential patterns as the candidate set of representative repetitive sequential patterns, and at the same time get the most of representative repetitive sequential patterns; in the second step, we only spend a little time in finding the remaining the representative patterns from the candidate set. An empirical study with both real and synthetic data sets clearly shows that the CRGSgrow has good performance.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0906.0885v1","authors":["Yongxin Tong","Li Zhao","Dan Yu","Shilong Ma","Ke Xu"],"tags":["cs.DB","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-06-04T11:17:34Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0108380v1","name":"Panchromatic Mining for Quasars: An NVO Keystone Science Application","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A data Tsunami is overwhelming Astronomy. This wave is affecting all aspects of our field, revolutionizing not just the type of scientific questions being asked, but the very nature of how the answers are uncovered. In this invited proceeding, we will address a particular scientific application - Panchromatic Mining for Quasars - of the forthcoming virtual observatories, which have arisen in an effort to control the effects of the data Tsunami. This project, in addition to serving as an important scientific driver for virtual observatory technologies, is designed to a) characterize the multi-wavelength nature of known active galaxies and quasars, especially in relation to their local environment, in order to b) quantify the clustering of these known systems in the multidimensional parameter space formed by their observables, so that new, and potentially unknown types of systems can be optimally targeted.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0108380v1","authors":["Robert J. Brunner"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-08-23T18:26:49Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2003.03741v1","name":"PUMiner: Mining Security Posts from Developer Question and Answer Websites with PU Learning","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Security is an increasing concern in software development. Developer Question and Answer (Q&amp;A) websites provide a large amount of security discussion. Existing studies have used human-defined rules to mine security discussions, but these works still miss many posts, which may lead to an incomplete analysis of the security practices reported on Q&amp;A websites. Traditional supervised Machine Learning methods can automate the mining process; however, the required negative (non-security) class is too expensive to obtain. We propose a novel learning framework, PUMiner, to automatically mine security posts from Q&amp;A websites. PUMiner builds a context-aware embedding model to extract features of the posts, and then develops a two-stage PU model to identify security content using the labelled Positive and Unlabelled posts. We evaluate PUMiner on more than 17.2 million posts on Stack Overflow and 52,611 posts on Security StackExchange. We show that PUMiner is effective with the validation performance of at least 0.85 across all model configurations. Moreover, Matthews Correlation Coefficient (MCC) of PUMiner is 0.906, 0.534 and 0.084 points higher than one-class SVM, positive-similarity filtering, and one-stage PU models on unseen testing posts, respectively. PUMiner also performs well with an MCC of 0.745 for scenarios where string matching totally fails. Even when the ratio of the labelled positive posts to the unlabelled ones is only 1:100, PUMiner still achieves a strong MCC of 0.65, which is 160% better than fully-supervised learning. Using PUMiner, we provide the largest and up-to-date security content on Q&amp;A websites for practitioners and researchers.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2003.03741v1","authors":["Triet H. M. Le","David Hin","Roland Croft","M. Ali Babar"],"tags":["cs.SE","cs.IR","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-08T08:11:10Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0911.0505v1","name":"Scientific Data Mining in Astronomy","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We describe the application of data mining algorithms to research problems in astronomy. We posit that data mining has always been fundamental to astronomical research, since data mining is the basis of evidence-based discovery, including classification, clustering, and novelty discovery. These algorithms represent a major set of computational tools for discovery in large databases, which will be increasingly essential in the era of data-intensive astronomy. Historical examples of data mining in astronomy are reviewed, followed by a discussion of one of the largest data-producing projects anticipated for the coming decade: the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST). To facilitate data-driven discoveries in astronomy, we envision a new data-oriented research paradigm for astronomy and astrophysics -- astroinformatics. Astroinformatics is described as both a research approach and an educational imperative for modern data-intensive astronomy. An important application area for large time-domain sky surveys (such as LSST) is the rapid identification, characterization, and classification of real-time sky events (including moving objects, photometrically variable objects, and the appearance of transients). We describe one possible implementation of a classification broker for such events, which incorporates several astroinformatics techniques: user annotation, semantic tagging, metadata markup, heterogeneous data integration, and distributed data mining. Examples of these types of collaborative classification and discovery approaches within other science disciplines are presented.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0911.0505v1","authors":["Kirk Borne"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","cs.DB","cs.IR","physics.data-an"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-11-03T05:34:54Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1603.03837v1","name":"Intrusion Detection A Text Mining Based Approach","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Intrusion Detection is one of major threats for organization. The approach of intrusion detection using text processing has been one of research interests which is gaining significant importance from researchers. In text mining based approach for intrusion detection, system calls serve as source for mining and predicting possibility of intrusion or attack. When an application runs, there might be several system calls which are initiated in the background. These system calls form the strong basis and the deciding factor for intrusion detection. In this paper, we mainly discuss the approach for intrusion detection by designing a distance measure which is designed by taking into consideration the conventional Gaussian function and modified to suit the need for similarity function. A Framework for intrusion detection is also discussed as part of this research.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1603.03837v1","authors":["Gunupudi RajeshKumar","N Mangathayaru","G Narsimha"],"tags":["cs.CR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-03-12T01:12:08Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0007026v1","name":"Integrating E-Commerce and Data Mining: Architecture and Challenges","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We show that the e-commerce domain can provide all the right ingredients for successful data mining and claim that it is a killer domain for data mining. We describe an integrated architecture, based on our expe-rience at Blue Martini Software, for supporting this integration. The architecture can dramatically reduce the pre-processing, cleaning, and data understanding effort often documented to take 80% of the time in knowledge discovery projects. We emphasize the need for data collection at the application server layer (not the web server) in order to support logging of data and metadata that is essential to the discovery process. We describe the data transformation bridges required from the transaction processing systems and customer event streams (e.g., clickstreams) to the data warehouse. We detail the mining workbench, which needs to provide multiple views of the data through reporting, data mining algorithms, visualization, and OLAP. We con-clude with a set of challenges.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/cs/0007026v1","authors":["Suhail Ansari","Ron Kohavi","Llew Mason","Zijian Zheng"],"tags":["cs.LG","cs.AI","cs.CV","cs.DB"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-07-14T00:33:12Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1812.10436v1","name":"Stability of a rotating asteroid housing a space station","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Today there are numerous studies on asteroid mining. They elaborate on selecting the right objects, prospecting missions, potential asteroid redirection, and the mining process itself. For economic reasons, most studies focus on mining candidates in the 100-500m size-range. Also, suggestions regarding the design and implementation of space stations or even colonies inside the caverns of mined asteroids exist. Caverns provide the advantages of confined material in near-zero gravity during mining and later the hull will shield the inside from radiation. Existing studies focus on creating the necessary artificial gravity by rotating structures that are built inside the asteroid. Here, we assume the entire mined asteroid to rotate at a sufficient rate for artificial gravity and investigate its use for housing a habitat inside. In this study we present how to estimate the necessary spin rate assuming a cylindrical space station inside a mined asteroid and discuss the implications arising from substantial material stress given the required rotation rate. We estimate the required material strength using two relatively simple analytical models and apply them to fictitious, yet realistic rocky near-Earth asteroids.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1812.10436v1","authors":["Thomas I. Maindl","Roman Miksch","Birgit Loibnegger"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-12-26T18:10:14Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1702.03775v2","name":"From LiDAR to Underground Maps via 5G - Business Models Enabling a System-of-Systems Approach to Mapping the Kankberg Mine","source":"arxiv","abstract":"With ever-increasing productivity targets in mining operations, there is a growing interest in mining automation. The PIMM project addresses the fundamental challenge of network communication by constructing a pilot 5G network in the underground mine Kankberg. In this report, we discuss how such a 5G network could constitute the essential infrastructure to organize existing systems in Kankberg into a system-of-systems (SoS). In this report, we analyze a scenario in which LiDAR equipped vehicles operating in the mine are connected to existing mine mapping and positioning solutions. The approach is motivated by the approaching era of remote controlled, or even autonomous, vehicles in mining operations. The proposed SoS could ensure continuously updated maps of Kankberg, rendered in unprecedented detail, supporting both productivity and safety in the underground mine. We present four different SoS solutions from an organizational point of view, discussing how development and operations of the constituent systems could be distributed among Boliden and external stakeholders, e.g., the vehicle suppliers, the hauling company, and the developers of the mapping software. The four scenarios are compared from both technical and business perspectives, and based on trade-off discussions and SWOT analyses. We conclude our report by recommending continued research along two future paths, namely a closer cooperation with the vehicle suppliers, and further feasibility studies regarding establishing a Kankberg software ecosystem.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1702.03775v2","authors":["Markus Borg","Thomas Olsson","John Svensson"],"tags":["cs.SE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-02-13T13:55:32Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0011583v1","name":"Mining Gamma-Ray Burst Data","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Gamma-ray bursts provide what is probably one of the messiest of all astrophysical data sets. Burst class properties are indistinct, as overlapping characteristics of individual bursts are convolved with effects of instrumental and sampling biases. Despite these complexities, data mining techniques have allowed new insights to be made about gamma-ray burst data. We demonstrate how data mining techniques have simultaneously allowed us to learn about gamma-ray burst detectors and data collection, cosmological effects in burst data, and properties of burst subclasses. We discuss the exciting future of this field, and the web-based tool we are developing (with support from the NASA AISR Program). We invite others to join us in AI-guided gamma-ray burst classification (http://grb.mnsu.edu/grb/).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0011583v1","authors":["Jon Hakkila","Richard J. Roiger","David J. Haglin","Robert S. Mallozzi","Geoffrey N. Pendleton","Charles A. Meegan"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-11-30T22:18:28Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1107.2249v1","name":"Mining the CFHT Legacy Survey for known Near Earth Asteroids","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Canada-France-Hawaii Legacy Survey (CFHTLS) comprising about 25 000 MegaCam images was data mined to search for serendipitous encounters of known Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs) and Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs). A total of 143 asteroids (109 NEAs and 34 PHAs) were found on 508 candidate images which were field corrected and measured carefully, and their astrometry was reported to Minor Planet Centre. Both recoveries and precoveries (apparitions before discovery) were reported, including data for 27 precovered asteroids (20 NEAs and 7 PHAs) and 116 recovered asteroids (89 NEAs and 27 PHAs). Our data prolonged arcs for 41 orbits at first or last opposition, refined 35 orbits by fitting data taken at one new opposition, recovered 6 NEAs at their second opposition and allowed us to ameliorate most orbits and their Minimal Orbital Intersection Distance (MOID), an important parameter to monitor for potential Earth impact hazard in the future.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1107.2249v1","authors":["O. Vaduvescu","A. Tudorica","M. Birlan","R. Toma","M. Badea","D. Dumitru","C. Opriseanu","D. Vidican"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-07-12T11:22:36Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1607.07495v1","name":"Understanding Communication Patterns in MOOCs: Combining Data Mining and qualitative methods","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) offer unprecedented opportunities to learn at scale. Within a few years, the phenomenon of crowd-based learning has gained enormous popularity with millions of learners across the globe participating in courses ranging from Popular Music to Astrophysics. They have captured the imaginations of many, attracting significant media attention - with The New York Times naming 2012 \"The Year of the MOOC.\" For those engaged in learning analytics and educational data mining, MOOCs have provided an exciting opportunity to develop innovative methodologies that harness big data in education.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1607.07495v1","authors":["Rebecca Eynon","Isis Hjorth","Taha Yasseri","Nabeel Gillani"],"tags":["cs.CY","cs.SI","physics.data-an","physics.soc-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-07-25T22:01:12Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1809.00563v1","name":"End-to-End Argument Mining for Discussion Threads Based on Parallel Constrained Pointer Architecture","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Argument Mining (AM) is a relatively recent discipline, which concentrates on extracting claims or premises from discourses, and inferring their structures. However, many existing works do not consider micro-level AM studies on discussion threads sufficiently. In this paper, we tackle AM for discussion threads. Our main contributions are follows: (1) A novel combination scheme focusing on micro-level inner- and inter- post schemes for a discussion thread. (2) Annotation of large-scale civic discussion threads with the scheme. (3) Parallel constrained pointer architecture (PCPA), a novel end-to-end technique to discriminate sentence types, inner-post relations, and inter-post interactions simultaneously. The experimental results demonstrate that our proposed model shows better accuracy in terms of relations extraction, in comparison to existing state-of-the-art models.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1809.00563v1","authors":["Gaku Morio","Katsuhide Fujita"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-09-03T11:48:28Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1910.08670v1","name":"Context-Driven Data Mining through Bias Removal and Data Incompleteness Mitigation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The results of data mining endeavors are majorly driven by data quality. Throughout these deployments, serious show-stopper problems are still unresolved, such as: data collection ambiguities, data imbalance, hidden biases in data, the lack of domain information, and data incompleteness. This paper is based on the premise that context can aid in mitigating these issues. In a traditional data science lifecycle, context is not considered. Context-driven Data Science Lifecycle (C-DSL); the main contribution of this paper, is developed to address these challenges. Two case studies (using data-sets from sports events) are developed to test C-DSL. Results from both case studies are evaluated using common data mining metrics such as: coefficient of determination (R2 value) and confusion matrices. The work presented in this paper aims to re-define the lifecycle and introduce tangible improvements to its outcomes.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1910.08670v1","authors":["Feras A. Batarseh","Ajay Kulkarni"],"tags":["cs.LG","cs.SI","stat.ML"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-10-19T00:42:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1109.1087v1","name":"A Business Intelligence Model to Predict Bankruptcy using Financial Domain Ontology with Association Rule Mining Algorithm","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Today in every organization financial analysis provides the basis for understanding and evaluating the results of business operations and delivering how well a business is doing. This means that the organizations can control the operational activities primarily related to corporate finance. One way that doing this is by analysis of bankruptcy prediction. This paper develops an ontological model from financial information of an organization by analyzing the Semantics of the financial statement of a business. One of the best bankruptcy prediction models is Altman Z-score model. Altman Z-score method uses financial rations to predict bankruptcy. From the financial ontological model the relation between financial data is discovered by using data mining algorithm. By combining financial domain ontological model with association rule mining algorithm and Zscore model a new business intelligence model is developed to predict the bankruptcy.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1109.1087v1","authors":["A. Martin","M. Manjula","Dr. V. Prasanna Venkatesan"],"tags":["cs.DB"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-09-06T07:02:35Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1504.01934v1","name":"Data Mining for Prediction of Human Performance Capability in the Software-Industry","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The recruitment of new personnel is one of the most essential business processes which affect the quality of human capital within any company. It is highly essential for the companies to ensure the recruitment of right talent to maintain a competitive edge over the others in the market. However IT companies often face a problem while recruiting new people for their ongoing projects due to lack of a proper framework that defines a criteria for the selection process. In this paper we aim to develop a framework that would allow any project manager to take the right decision for selecting new talent by correlating performance parameters with the other domain-specific attributes of the candidates. Also, another important motivation behind this project is to check the validity of the selection procedure often followed by various big companies in both public and private sectors which focus only on academic scores, GPA/grades of students from colleges and other academic backgrounds. We test if such a decision will produce optimal results in the industry or is there a need for change that offers a more holistic approach to recruitment of new talent in the software companies. The scope of this work extends beyond the IT domain and a similar procedure can be adopted to develop a recruitment framework in other fields as well. Data-mining techniques provide useful information from the historical projects depending on which the hiring-manager can make decisions for recruiting high-quality workforce. This study aims to bridge this hiatus by developing a data-mining framework based on an ensemble-learning technique to refocus on the criteria for personnel selection. The results from this research clearly demonstrated that there is a need to refocus on the selection-criteria for quality objectives.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1504.01934v1","authors":["Gaurav Singh Thakur","Anubhav Gupta","Sangita Gupta"],"tags":["cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-04-08T12:26:09Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1805.04541v2","name":"Proceedings of the Workshop on Data Mining for Geophysics and Geology","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Modern geosciences have to deal with large quantities and a wide variety of data, including 2-D, 3-D and 4-D seismic surveys, well logs generated by sensors, detailed lithological records, satellite images and meteorological records. These data serve important industries, such as the exploration of mineral deposits and the production of energy (Oil and Gas, Geothermal, Wind, Hydroelectric), are important in the study of the earth crust to reduce the impact of earthquakes, in land use planning, and have a fundamental role in sustainability. The volume of raw data being stored by different earth science archives today makes it impossible to rely on manual examination by scientists. The data volumes resultant of different sources, from terrestrial or aerial to satellite surveys, will reach a terabyte per day by the time all the planned satellites are flown. In particular, the oil industry has been using large quantities of data for quite a long time. Although there are published works in this area since the 70s, these days, the ubiquity of computing and sensor devices enables the collection of higher resolution data in real time, giving a new life to a mature industrial field. Understanding and finding value in this data has an impact on the efficiency of the operations in the oil and gas production chain. Efficiency gains are particularly important since the steep fall in oil prices in 2014, and represent an important opportunity for data mining and data science.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1805.04541v2","authors":["Youzuo Lin","Weichang Li","Alipio Jorge","Rui L. Lopes","German Larrazabal","Pablo Guillen"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-03-07T14:38:04Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1808.00811v2","name":"Digging into Browser-based Crypto Mining","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Mining is the foundation of blockchain-based cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin rewarding the miner for finding blocks for new transactions. The Monero currency enables mining with standard hardware in contrast to special hardware (ASICs) as often used in Bitcoin, paving the way for in-browser mining as a new revenue model for website operators. In this work, we study the prevalence of this new phenomenon. We identify and classify mining websites in 138M domains and present a new fingerprinting method which finds up to a factor of 5.7 more miners than publicly available block lists. Our work identifies and dissects Coinhive as the major browser-mining stakeholder. Further, we present a new method to associate mined blocks in the Monero blockchain to mining pools and uncover that Coinhive currently contributes 1.18% of mined blocks having turned over 1293 Moneros in June 2018.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1808.00811v2","authors":["Jan Rüth","Torsten Zimmermann","Konrad Wolsing","Oliver Hohlfeld"],"tags":["cs.CR","cs.NI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-08-02T13:43:58Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.5408982","name":"Modelling the Impact of Asteroid Mining on Global Equity: A Quantitative Analysis and Policy Framework","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5408982","authors":["Aayush Jalgaonkar"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-12T09:16:47Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.5408982","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.54691/bcpbm.v22i.1221","name":"How Asteroid Mining Affects Global Equity","source":"crossref","abstract":"The shortage of mineral resources on Earth is worsening. As a promising form of resource extraction, asteroid mining has technical problems and faces capital challenges. The arrival of asteroid mining is a crucial opportunity to improve global equity. The development of reasonable mining methods and policies can enable asteroid mining to reshape the global economic landscape, which will greatly promote global equity. Firstly, we give a concrete definition of global equity and explain the meaning of the different terms in the definition. Then we quantitatively assess global equity through four dimensions: resources, economy, living conditions, and degree of the rule of law. In order to quantify these four abstract concepts, we introduce a total of 14 different indicators. Then, we design a form of international cooperative mining for the asteroid mining industry in which we build a resource allocation model using national research capacity and research inputs as measures. The model follows the principle of output distribution by input, allowing international companies to extract asteroid minerals, which are then distributed in three ways: company operations, input charity, and shareholder income. Next, we clustered the indicators affecting this international mining company and finalized three conditions. We use these as indicators of changes in the conditions affecting the company. Finally, we discuss the difficulties faced in asteroid mining and the policies that should be implemented based on the results obtained.","url":"https://doi.org/10.54691/bcpbm.v22i.1221","authors":["Liwen Wang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-18T21:38:03Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.54691/bcpbm.v22i.1221","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.6719101","name":"Asteroid Mining and Capital Markets: A Long-Term Analysis of Economic Viability and Commodity Market Implications","source":"crossref","abstract":"&lt;p&gt;This paper examines the financial viability of asteroid mining from a capital markets perspective using a long-term discounted cash flow (DCF) framework. While recent advancements in launch technology and the growth of the commercial space sector have renewed interest in extraterrestrial resource extraction, the economic feasibility of such projects remains highly uncertain.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;The study integrates insights from planetary science, engineering, and commodity markets to construct a moderate-scenario financial model spanning the period 2035–2100. Key variables include declining launch costs, improvements in extraction efficiency, and projected price trends for platinum-group metals (PGMs). The model evaluates mission-level cash flows, break-even timelines, and net present value (NPV) under high-risk assumptions.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Results indicate that asteroid mining is unlikely to be financially viable in the near or medium term within traditional capital market frameworks. Although operational profitability may emerge in the latter half of the century, high upfront costs, extended time horizons, and elevated discount rates significantly reduce present value.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;The analysis also identifies a structural economic paradox: large-scale success in asteroid mining could increase the supply of PGMs, potentially depressing market prices and undermining projected revenues. This interaction between supply expansion and price dynamics presents a critical challenge for long-term investment viability.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;The findings suggest that asteroid mining may require alternative financing models, including public-private partnerships and long-horizon capital strategies, rather than conventional project finance approaches. More broadly, the paper contributes to the emerging field of space resource economics by providing a structured financial framework for evaluating extraterrestrial resource extraction.&lt;/p&gt;","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.6719101","authors":["Salman Ansari"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-05T17:29:51Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.6719101","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1061/40479(204)105","name":"Development of Asteroid Mining Concepts","source":"crossref","abstract":"Future large-scale space infrastructure such as satellite solar power stations and orbital hotels will require metal for construction, and water and other volatiles, for propellant. These can be shown to be retrievable at low energy cost from a subset of Near-Earth Asteroids. A small team of Australian researchers is developing concepts for mining these water-bearing bodies. A recipe for asteroidal matrix simulant has been developed, and the material is being tested for thermal and mechanical properties. The preliminary mining concepts and simulant testwork to date are discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1061/40479(204)105","authors":["M. Sonter","S. Kollias","W. Zealey"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-01-09T18:29:48Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1061/40479(204)105","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1201/9781003332657-16","name":"Asteroid mining predictions based on logit model","source":"crossref","abstract":"With the development of the world aerospace industry, human access to space is becoming more common, meaning that the rich mineral resources of asteroids could be exploited by humans soon. To measure the impact of asteroid mining on world equity, we first choose nine indicators to model a country s combined national power and quantify world equity by measuring a country s combined national power. we determine the future vision of asteroid mining and analyze its impact on world equity, and we propose some hypothetical conditions for future asteroid mining. The obtained trend of the asteroid mining industry is applied Logit Model. We take the stable period which is a longer existence period to quantify the asteroid mining industry specifically, and we find that the development of the asteroid mining industry can effectively reduce the global inequity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003332657-16","authors":["Yudan Guo","Meixi Lin","Maolin Cheng"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-06T11:57:59Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1201/9781003332657-16","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.2001-4578","name":"Small metal asteroid mining and fabrication concepts","source":"crossref","abstract":"Small, about 10 meter diameter iron near-Earth asteroids (NBAs), if they are in very easily accessible orbits, are attractive resources for early exploitation. Two 2 km iron NBAs (FeNEAs), one an Amor and one an Aten, are presently known. Hie possibility of finding such iron NBAs with radio telescopes and light spectra is very high. This data is not presently available except for a few of the larger easily seen NBAs which are almost all stones. Exploitation may be by capture into low-Earth Orbit (LEO), geosynchronous-Earth orbit (GEO) or highly eccentric Earth orbit (HEEO) with the aid of atmospheric braking. Capture into HEEO and orbital modification to reach LEO or GEO will depend upon the orbital vector mechanics of the Earth the NBA and the transfer orbit. Propulsion will be by solar collector electric arc production of higji velocity jets of metallic vapor with the iron propellant of the NBA as the anode.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2001-4578","authors":["David Kuck"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-09-09T17:22:13Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.2514/6.2001-4578","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1088/2058-7058/29/9/14","name":"US firm plans first asteroid mining mission","source":"crossref","abstract":"A US firm has announced plans for what it describes as \"the world's first commercial interplanetary mining mission\".","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2058-7058/29/9/14","authors":["Peter Gwynne"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-10-06T13:22:20Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1088/2058-7058/29/9/14","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s12594-016-0468-8","name":"Mining Asteroid Resources","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-016-0468-8","authors":["P. V. Sukumaran"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-07-12T06:33:24Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1007/s12594-016-0468-8","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.11.006","name":"Parametric economic modelling of asteroid mining architectures","source":"crossref","abstract":"This paper details the formulation of a parametric economic model that expresses the costs, revenues, and return masses of asteroid mining missions as functions of critical systems, mission, and specific cost parameters. These are used to produce mathematical formulations for key economic figures of merit commonly used in asteroid mining feasibility studies, such as profit, net present value, and mass payback ratio. Several alternative versions of these expressions are formulated for different logistical approaches to asteroid mining missions, with alternatives for mining/extraction method (whole asteroid return or in situ processing), trajectory design (single trip or multiple return trips), and propellant supply strategy (supplied from Earth, refuelling in orbit, or processed in situ from asteroid resources). We further develop a new figure of merit – the break-even mass ratio BEMR – describing the mass of asteroid material required to be returned to produce zero profit or net present value, expressed as a ratio of the spacecraft dry mass. We demonstrate that this break-even mass ratio provides benefits over existing figures of merit in revealing critical delta-V limits above which missions cannot produce positive economic returns, regardless of the return mass. Furthermore, this new metric is invariant to the spacecraft dry mass, allowing it to be applied to a range of spacecraft mass classes. We present a numerical study in which we use this new figure of merit to perform a break-even analysis, assessing the feasibility of the mission alternatives for both single-trip and multi-trip mining missions, over a range of specific impulses from 450 to 3000 s, and target asteroid delta-Vs up to 10 km/s. The results indicate that the typical asteroid mining scenario of a single-trip mission with propellant supplied entirely from Earth is only feasibly for delta-Vs less than 1.8 km/s for chemical propulsion, or 4.5 km/s for electric propulsion cases. We find that multi-trip missions that retrieve small shipments in each trip can be more profitable than a single-trip mission retrieving a large shipment over a long duration. The results also indicate other strategies that may be beneficial in increasing the viability of asteroid mining missions, such as processing return-trip propellant from asteroid resources, maximizing the amount of material retrieved in each return trip, and carrying reserve propellant on the initial trip to mitigate the risks of not finding the desired resources at the target asteroid. These findings may help inform the design of future asteroid mining missions. • Mathematical formulation of parametric economic model of asteroid mining missions. • Expressions for figures of merit used in asteroid mining trade studies. • Develops new figure of merit – the break-even mass ratio BEMR. • Numerical example demonstrates benefits of BEMR in assessing economic viability.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.11.006","authors":["Scott Dorrington","John Olsen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-15T15:59:12Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.11.006","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.54691/bcpbm.v25i.1712","name":"Impacts of Asteroid Mining on Global Equity","source":"crossref","abstract":"With rapid development in technology, asteroid mining may become a reality in the near future. This paper focuses on the possible impacts of asteroid mining on global equity. In order to evaluate the global equity situation, we developed a global equity assessment model with 5 superior indicators and 18 inferior indicators, in which analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and entropy weight method (EWM) are used to obtain the combined weight, and TOPSIS was used to calculate the National Strength Index (NSI). Then Global Equity Index (GEI) is obtained by measuring the dispersion degree of NSI. Hierarchical grouping. Finally, hierarchical cluster analysis is used to determine which countries are capable of asteroids mining, and the changes of NSI and then GEI are obtained through the mutual iteration of the value obtained from minerals and NSI. Our analysis of data from 30 European countries from 1995 to 2020 shows that unregulated asteroid mining increases global inequity, depending on factors such as the total value of minerals and the difficulty of mining. Our study provides theoretical support and policy recommendations for reducing potential inequities caused by asteroid mining.","url":"https://doi.org/10.54691/bcpbm.v25i.1712","authors":["Xiangyu Wang","Sitian Jiao","Baichuan Liu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-09-01T00:47:08Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.54691/bcpbm.v25i.1712","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.54097/hset.v50i.8480","name":"Asteroid Mining in a Global Equitable Environmente","source":"crossref","abstract":"With the advancement of human technology and the continuous development of society, asteroid mining has entered people’s field of vision. In order to better solve a series of problems caused by asteroid mining, firstly, we use the equitable distribution of resources and opportunities to explain what global equity is, and create a global equity model using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Secondly, we establish a linear model and demonstrate the economic feasibility of this model by introducing data. Finally, we build an elastic demand curve model and a Quantitative model of financial investment papers to vary the amount of mined and the allocation rate of mined ore in the asteroid mining sector, respectively, to analyze their impact on global equity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.54097/hset.v50i.8480","authors":["Mohan Liu","Jingwei Liu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-05-30T02:03:56Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.54097/hset.v50i.8480","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.4042382","name":"Long Live Equity! Division of Labor and Distribution in Asteroid Mining","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4042382","authors":["Nan Zhang","Beining Liu","Hangyu Lin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-29T03:10:14Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.4042382","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-319-90303-3_7","name":"Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment Mission (AIDA): Space Mining Concepts","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90303-3_7","authors":["Tom James"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-08-08T02:33:32Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-319-90303-3_7","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1109/bdicn58493.2023.00037","name":"Modeling Method of Global Equity Based On Asteroid Mining","source":"crossref","abstract":"Along with the development of technology, the possibility of asteroid mining has greatly increased. However, equity has always been an issue that accompanies technological development and the opening of new frontiers. In order to explore and address the major challenge of “global equity” in asteroid mining, we have developed an assessment model of “global equity”.First, we divide equity into two levels. The first level is objective fairness. In order to quantitatively measure global fairness, we have selected six indicators that have a great impact on “fairness” through legal literature and scientific research. We analyze the data and information mining on the impact of the six indicators on global equity, and use the entropy weighting method to assign weights to each indicator to model global equity. The second level is the subjective perception of fairness, and here we introduce the relative deprivation coefficient. By combining the two, we establish the global equity evaluation index GEEI. after validation, we derive the weights of the six indicators on global equity impact, and the results can be found in 3.2.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/bdicn58493.2023.00037","authors":["Jichu Mao"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-04-28T17:55:33Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1109/bdicn58493.2023.00037","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1109/icmi65310.2025.11141311","name":"Advanced Deep Learning Methods for Asteroid Mining Target Identification","source":"crossref","abstract":"With a rise in demand for rare earth metals, largely due to an increase in semiconductor usage, asteroid mining has emerged as an alternative to access many of these critical elements. However, large-scale operations have not yet been undertaken, largely due to challenges in accurately identifying mining targets. Currently, expensive sampling methods are needed to determine the mineral compounds in an asteroid. Therefore, the present study develops a novel Asteroid Deep Convolutional Neural Network (ADCNN) to provide a low-cost, robust method for classifying asteroid types based on their chemical compositions. Near-infrared spectroscopy data from 2000 to 2022 were acquired from the MIT-Hawaii Near-Earth Object Spectroscopic Survey (MITHNEOS) database and classified according to the Bus-DeMeo taxonomy system. For each asteroid, a graphical representation of the wavelengths was created after initial data processing. Unlike traditional models, rather than analyzing numerical data files for each asteroid, the ADCNN only requires a singular image per asteroid. The ADCNN was trained on nine different asteroid classes, mainly in the carbonaceous (C-type), siliceous (S-type), and EMP (X-type) groups. After testing, the model was able to predict unique asteroid classes with a mean accuracy of 98.2%. These results demonstrate the ability of the ADCNN model to be scaled and widely used for asteroid classification, requiring low-cost and little computational power while achieving high accuracy. Additionally, the ADCNN's high performance when trained on graphical spectra displays the broader potential of visual spectroscopy for chemical analysis. Further application and development of this model can allow us to efficiently identify asteroid targets, leading to industrial mining operations in the near future.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/icmi65310.2025.11141311","authors":["Anusha Agarwal"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-08T17:38:33Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1109/icmi65310.2025.11141311","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.25236/ajee.2022.040205","name":"Research on Asteroid Mining Based on Entropy Weight Fair Index Evaluation System","source":"crossref","abstract":"The universe is rich in mineral resources. With the rapid development of commercial space flight, people gradually begin to consider the possibility of asteroid mining. In this paper, we have developed a set of measurement models to assess the level of capacity of countries. In this paper, we first select the original data of 13 indicators from 106 countries and use entropy method to determine the weight of these 13 indicators. On this basis, a global equity index evaluation system model based on TOPSIS is established to score the fairness of these countries. In view of the future development of asteroid mining industry, we analyze the possibility of asteroid mining in the future from three aspects: capital, technical capacity and mineral trade.","url":"https://doi.org/10.25236/ajee.2022.040205","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-09-15T01:11:06Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.25236/ajee.2022.040205","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.54691/bcpssh.v17i.637","name":"The Vision for the Future of Asteroid Mining","source":"crossref","abstract":"In recent years, the contradictions between various energy problems, environmental problems and human development have become more and more intensive, and the imbalance distribution of natural resources in various countries has become severe. In order to address these problems, the concept of asteroid mining came into being, which brings people the hope of obtaining resources from outer space. In this paper, we model global equity in the context of asteroid mining, and ask how people's lives could be improved. What will happen to the fairness of the world? First, in order to build a model to measure global equity, we select some indicators according to Maslow’s Hierarchy of human needs theory, including happy-planet-index, youth employment rate, life expectancy, infant mortality rate, and the proportion of female students to male students in higher education in 2021 of eight zones to construct the EWM-TOPSIS model, results illustrate that UK is the most unfair country and Japan is the fairest country. The equity indexes is classified into three levels, and are used to achieve the clustering of the fairness degree of each country in the world. Second, we describe the current status of asteroid mining, and realize that although the asteroid mining project is developing rapidly at the technical level, there is still a lack of global unified regulation and constraints at the institutional level. On this basis, we design a mature and complete global asteroid mining system, and envision the distribution of the mined resources according to the nature endowments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.54691/bcpssh.v17i.637","authors":["Yini Song","Lingxi Li","Yuqing Tang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-06-03T11:29:25Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.54691/bcpssh.v17i.637","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1061/40830(188)50","name":"Asteroid/Comet Classification for Mining Purposes","source":"crossref","abstract":"New information about the internal structures of asteroids and comets continues to be obtained. Meanwhile, renewed emphasis on exploration of the Solar System is sharpening the focus on extra-terrestrial raw materials to facilitate the process. The overall energy cost will be reduced significantly by maximizing usage of locally available resources. This paper refines a previously proposed classification of asteroids and comets for mining purposes, based on updated information about their mechanical properties. Class 0, ice composites, appears less homogeneous than before. Class 1, friable rock, may be the largest group, at the expense of Class 0 and especially Class 2, hard rock. Class 3 remains metallic, divided according to the amount of rock present. Additional information is needed for complete classification, so asteroid/comet mining operations can be planned realistically.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1061/40830(188)50","authors":["Leslie Sour Gertsch","John L. Remo","Richard Gertsch"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-05-18T18:15:05Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1061/40830(188)50","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.25236/ajhss.2022.050417","name":"Research on Promote Global Fairness of a New Business Model - Assuming Asteroid Mining","source":"crossref","abstract":"Most wealth is now in the hands of a very small number of people, which greatly exacer-bates today's social inequality. At the same time, with the continuous consumption of earth resources, people gradually focus on the mining of asteroids. When such new resources as asteroids are devel-oped, whether a new trade model can be established to promote global equity becomes the research issue of this paper. Firstly, putting forward the concept of global equity: Obtain benefits commensu-rate with the country's overall strength, with greater emphasis on promoting the interests of its most pressing aspects--each takes what they need. Then defining an indicator to measure global equity: the relative profitability of countries. The indicator is positively correlated with country strength. Then, the influencing factors of national profit are analyzed, the correlation coefficient is obtained by the least square method, and the model equation is established. Finally, the reliability of the model is verified by the F-Validation. Secondly, establish Asteroid Mining Alliance--Antitrust trade model: countries can cooperate through technical funding platforms and sales platforms. Then, the support coefficient o that reflects the strength of cooperation between countries is defined, and the model planning is established based on Model I, and the optimal value is 0.57. The final comparison finds that after the introduction of high-level country support, the global Gini coefficient drops from 0.6943 to 0.57978. So the reduction in the gap between the rich and the poor shows the necessity of this support method. According to the model, all countries in the alliance can be guaranteed a cer-tain amount of ore. This effectively avoids the inequality caused by some countries owning the major-ity of ores. While maximizing global total income, countries with strong comprehensive national strength will maximize income from ecology and people's happiness, while countries with weak com-prehensive national strength will maximize income from industry, science, and technology.","url":"https://doi.org/10.25236/ajhss.2022.050417","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-09-14T09:01:57Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.25236/ajhss.2022.050417","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1109/iconat66879.2025.11362485","name":"A Graph-Based Framework for Autonomous Multi-Robot Asteroid Mining Operations","source":"crossref","abstract":"Asteroid mining presents a complex challenge in space resource utilization, demanding advanced autonomous systems capable of operating in extreme environments with minimal Earth-based supervision. This paper presents a novel distributed multi-robot coordination framework for asteroid surface exploration and resource extraction operations. Our approach leverages graph-based terrain modeling combined with intelligent task allocation algorithms to optimize exploration coverage while maintaining robust inter-robot communication networks. We introduce a comprehensive simulation environment that incorporates realistic asteroid surface characteristics, including elevation variations, terrain roughness, and resource distribution patterns. The proposed system demonstrates efficient coordination among heterogeneous robot teams, achieving 89.3% surface coverage with optimized battery utilization and successful resource extraction at high-value locations. Experimental results indicate that our distributed approach outperforms centralized coordination methods by 34 % in terms of exploration efficiency while maintaining system resilience against individual robot failures. The framework's scalability and adaptability make it suitable for future asteroid mining missions requiring autonomous operation over extended periods.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/iconat66879.2025.11362485","authors":["Bala Priya C"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-30T21:00:31Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1109/iconat66879.2025.11362485","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.54097/hset.v34i.5367","name":"A Model for Measuring the Effect of Asteroid Mining on Global Equity","source":"crossref","abstract":"If space exploration has been realized in the future, mankind no longer needs to worry about safety and cost. However, how to obtain resources peacefully and fairly is a problem that mankind needs to think about. To solve this problem, this paper constructs a measurement model of global equity. Then, by identifying the unknown conditions, imagine and show the possible vision of the future of asteroid mining. The impact of asteroid mining on global equity is analyzed by using the global equity model.","url":"https://doi.org/10.54097/hset.v34i.5367","authors":["Xudong Wu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-03-22T06:23:37Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.54097/hset.v34i.5367","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.2026-2787","name":"Optimal Routing and Trajectory Planning for Asteroid Mining With Partial In-Situ Resource Utilization","source":"crossref","abstract":"This paper proposes a high-level routing and trajectory optimization approach for near-Earth asteroid mining, specifically considering partial in-situ resource utilization for propellant replenishment. Unlike conventional routing problems, asteroids are dynamic, and an infinite number of possible trajectories exist between them. Furthermore, the required cost (fuel) highly depends on the departure and transfer times. Therefore, it is essential to simultaneously determine the sequence of visiting asteroids, the optimal departure time from each asteroid, the optimal transfer time between them, and refueling amounts at each refuelable asteroid. The problem is mathematically formulated as a mixed-integer nonlinear programming, and we propose a solution methodology that iteratively solves a decoupled problem by alternating between a mixed-integer linear programming and sequential nonlinear optimizations. We demonstrate the efficacy of the methodology through a case study based on data from a real-world set of promising asteroids for both mining and propellant production.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2026-2787","authors":["Euihyeon Choi","Koki Ho"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-03T08:40:23Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.2514/6.2026-2787","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.54097/hset.v9i.1867","name":"Research of asteroid mining mechanism and global fairness based on TOPSIS and AHP","source":"crossref","abstract":"With the development of human society, earth resources are increasingly exhausted, and the importance of asteroid mining for human survival is becoming more and more prominent. In this paper, we use TOPSIS, EWM, AHP, and Correlation analysis to describe the definition and model of global equity. We also integrate and divide using the multi-group fairness model's feature selection algorithm, converting the feature selection problem of asteroid resources for N into a multi-group M individual resource allocation problem. The behavior is analyzed and processed by the multi-population fairness algorithm to provide a better allocation solution (a better subset of features), which naturally merges random search and heuristic search to decrease computing effort while achieving improved allocation accuracy. Finally, we verify the practical significance of the model, which can provide policy reference suggestions for decision-makers and is of great significance for the development of mankind in the future.","url":"https://doi.org/10.54097/hset.v9i.1867","authors":["Zhengteng Sun"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-12T07:23:16Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.54097/hset.v9i.1867","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.54097/hset.v4i.848","name":"Asteroid Mining Impact Prediction Model","source":"crossref","abstract":"According to the Outer Space Treaty of the United Nations, \"Space exploration shall be the common domain of all mankind,\" and all mankind should share outer space resources. With the continuous advancement of science and technology, the gap in comprehensive strength between countries is increasing, and there is a gap in the acquisition of outer space resources between countries. In order to measure the fair distribution of this resource, we quantify the fairness and formulate relevant policies by collecting data to build a model.","url":"https://doi.org/10.54097/hset.v4i.848","authors":["Xingao Xing","Shuchang Jiao","Ding Zhu","Yongzhe Zhang","Jiejie Tang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-08-03T02:17:02Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.54097/hset.v4i.848","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.54097/hset.v4i.864","name":"Global equity analysis of asteroid mining based on RCSS","source":"crossref","abstract":"As mining and exploitation of asteroid mining becomes possible, its relationship with global equity becomes a hot topic of discussion. It is significant to establish a scientific and sustainable equitable distribution. In this paper, EWM is used to calculate the weight of secondary indicators, and RCSS model is used to reflect the overall development level of the region. By calculating the variation degree of development level between CV reaction regions. Combined with the results of RCSS model, the secondary index scores are analyzed to illustrate the different ways in which asteroid mining affects the global equity level and impact degree.","url":"https://doi.org/10.54097/hset.v4i.864","authors":["Xuanxuan Li","Yiwei Zhu","Kangyan Wang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-08-03T02:17:02Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.54097/hset.v4i.864","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2026.02.013","name":"Regulating the environmental impact of asteroid mining: Toward an independent international monitoring mechanism","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2026.02.013","authors":["Anna Marie Brennan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-12T00:23:31Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2026.02.013","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/078361-0026","name":"Asteroid Mining: Economic Feasibility and Technological Challenges","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/078361-0026","authors":["Fakhri Amanov","Ravan Akhundov"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-31T21:02:44Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.52202/078361-0026","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.2025-2834","name":"Technical Analysis of a Ceres-Bound Space Elevator for Asteroid Mining","source":"crossref","abstract":"This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the feasibility and challenges associated with applying a space elevator (SE) to the dwarf planet Ceres to facilitate sustainable asteroid mining. Building upon prior research that highlighted the effectiveness of space elevators in interplanetary missions, this study focuses on the technical, environmental, and logistical challenges of deploying such infrastructure on Ceres. It examines critical components such as the tether, climbers, and counterweight, emphasizing the importance of advancements in materials science to ensure system durability under Ceres’ unique gravitational and environmental conditions. The integration of mining and autonomous rover systems is a key focus, examining their role in activities such as excavation, resource processing, and transportation. In-situ resource utilization (ISRU) technologies are highlighted for reducing reliance on Earth-based logistics by processing materials directly on Ceres. Optimized \"porkchop plots\" for Ceres-Earth resource transfers are introduced, showing a significant efficiency improvement in transportation using space elevators compared to conventional methods. By addressing environmental considerations, fuel costs, and operational methods, this work outlines the engineering requirements for a robust and reliable system. This study serves as a foundation for advancing space elevator technology tailored to extraterrestrial mining, contributing to the sustainable utilization of space resources and paving the way for future exploration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2025-2834","authors":["Lynnane E. George","Bradley Edwards","Josiah Rothwell","Noor Yousuf"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-12T10:03:43Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.2514/6.2025-2834","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.54097/hset.v5i.734","name":"Allocation Issue of Asteroid Mining: A Symbolization of Global Equity","source":"crossref","abstract":"Nowadays with the advance of the space exploration and the large-scale utilization of mineral resources, many nations begin to put their eyes on ‘Asteroid Mining’. In fact, the United Nations’ Outer Space Treaty was signed 55 years ago. But with new problems about global equity and interest protection popping up, it’s quite essential to update the original treaty. In order to structure a solid fundamental for our analysis, we firstly build a definition model to define the ‘Global Equity’. We use great amount of indicators searched from OECD and integrate them into four main factors:‘ Resource’, ‘Society’,‘ Economy’ and ‘History’. Through ‘AHP’ and ‘TOPSIS’, we work out the weights of every factor and their sub-indicators. We successfully build the Equity Assessment Model (EI model) and the importance of each factor appears immediately. Then we calculate the EI value of each nation which shows the overall condition of the nation in the course of resources allocation. Based on the data we get, we classify the nations into three grades: ‘Top Qualified Countries’, ‘Rest Qualified Countries’, ‘Unqualified Countries’. The explanation will be given later. So how are the mineral sources allocated in the market? We think the mining countries should get rewards to cover the cost of researching and exploring. Also, the ‘Unqualified Countries’ should be aided and given some welfare and discount. The rest countries purchase their share of minerals regularly. Different countries have different shares of mineral resources they can purchase based on the Allocation Model we build. We use the Regression Analysis of input-output and Copulglas functionto help build the model. The share scheme and welfare scheme are two features of our analysis. After that, we jump to the conclusion that the economy and even the whole world will get better after the asteroid mining is implemented.","url":"https://doi.org/10.54097/hset.v5i.734","authors":["Jiajun Shen","Jiaxin Yu","Jiale Lin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-15T02:23:03Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.54097/hset.v5i.734","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.56397/jrssh.2023.04.02","name":"An Asteroid Mining Model Based on Input and Output Equity","source":"crossref","abstract":"With the progress of science and technology and the rapid consumption of earth resources, the exploitation of outer space resources such as planetary mining has become an international hot issue. The power gap between countries in today’s world is so wide that how to realize the so-called fairness has become a problem worth thinking. Firstly, we establish an Input Output Equity Model (IOEM) to measure global equity. We define global equity as the balance between the input of human and material resources in the management and construction of a country and the overall strength of the country. Ten sets of data from many countries are divided into four categories: Science and technology, Traffic, Workforce and Energy consumption. We used the Entropy Weight method (EWM) based on TOPSIS comprehensive evaluation to determine the weight of each part and index, comprehensively evaluated 12 countries covering six continents and calculated their input equity index. Then we compared the index with the GDP of each country and found that the overall trend was consistent. This shows that there is a balance between input and output, which verifies the rationality of the model. We then establish the Asteroid Mining Model (AMM) to evaluate and predict the Asteroid Mining capabilities of various countries. In combination with the whole process of asteroid mining and the analysis of main components, we choose these three indicators: Scientific Research (SR), Exploitation of Mineral (EM) and Aeronautics and Astronautics (AA) to measure. We use the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to determine the weights of the three factors and calculate Asteroid Mining Model (AMI) for each country. Then, the model is applied to two representative countries, China and Colombia, and the future is predicted by fitting. According to the results, it is concluded that the asteroid mining industry has a good development prospect. Next, we use correlation analysis to discuss the impact of the asteroid mining industry on global equity and conclude that there is a correlation between the decision index of asteroid mining and equity index, among which the correlation coefficient between aircraft and equity index reaches 0.9290. It can be concluded that the development of asteroid mining in the future will inevitably affect global equity. Furthermore, in order to explore how changes in asteroid mining will affect global equity in different ways, we carry out multiple linear regression analysis of variables from macro and micro perspectives respectively and find that the development of asteroid mining industry will indirectly affect global equity through its impact on computers and researchers. Finally, based on our findings, we propose policy recommendations for the development of asteroid mining to the United Nations from the perspective of global equity. Our advice can be summed up as “Inspire, Share and Collaborate”. We hope that while promoting scientific and technological development and exploration of outer space, all countries will enjoy friendly cooperation and common development so as to realize a fair and beautiful vision of the universe.","url":"https://doi.org/10.56397/jrssh.2023.04.02","authors":["Zimu Peng"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-04-27T05:17:04Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.56397/jrssh.2023.04.02","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0097-8493(89)90081-2","name":"SEPARATION™ in d dimensions or strip mining in asteroid fields","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0097-8493(89)90081-2","authors":["Michel P. Devine","Derick Wood"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-08-07T23:49:30Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1016/0097-8493(89)90081-2","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9780571395484-div-00000009","name":"Asteroid City","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9780571395484-div-00000009","authors":["Wes Anderson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-29T09:21:52Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.5040/9780571395484-div-00000009","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.71097/ijsat.v16.i3.8230","name":"Asteroid Mining: A Paradigm Shift in the Economics of Raw Materials","source":"crossref","abstract":"Asteroid mining, which was once a concept of science fiction, is now rapidly becoming closer to the reality due to advancements in the fields of space exploration and resource extraction technologies. This article has a motive to examine the potential economic impacts that may happen due to asteroid mining on the global raw material markets. With asteroids composed of vast quantities of valuable metals and minerals, asteroid mining could disrupt the traditional supply chains, alter the resource pricing structures, and shift the geopolitics of resource extraction industries. Asteroid mining could give rise to new sectors of economy like space logistics which will also significantly impact the industries such as electronics, energy, and construction. The increase in supply of some of the rare materials such as gold, cobalt, iron, rhodium, tungsten, platinum, nickel, and ruthenium could reduce the Earth’s reliance on the terrestrial mining, thus reducing the environmental pressures and lowering the cost of resources. However, this transition will also present some certain risks, including the monopolistic practices, market volatility, and geopolitical tensions over the mineral resource ownership. Legal, environmental, and ethical issues related to the asteroid mining will surely need some resolution to ensure a fair and sustainable extraction of the resources. The impact on manpower, mining industry and mineral markets and other resource-dependent economies on Earth could also be profound, as industries will be shifting from terrestrial mining to asteroid mining. This paper explores the economic consequences of asteroid mining, even though viable asteroid mining practices are still on the way for development, this article tries to analyse that once we successfully conduct viable asteroid mining practices, what will be the transformative impact on the raw material economy. It provides a comprehensive look at how asteroid mining could reshape raw material economics on Earth and beyond.","url":"https://doi.org/10.71097/ijsat.v16.i3.8230","authors":["Mainak Jana","Hritajit Pal","Pankaj Kumar"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-17T09:18:11Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.71097/ijsat.v16.i3.8230","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5270/esa-r1086mf","name":"ASTEROID","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-r1086mf","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-01-29T21:39:47Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.5270/esa-r1086mf","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.54097/hset.v64i.11241","name":"Asteroid Mining Evaluation Model Based on AHP and TOPSIS","source":"crossref","abstract":"It is assumed that future mining trips to asteroids will be possible and that humans will be able to bring valuable minerals back to Earth for investment at a relatively safe cost. Therefore, it is important to explore the impact of asteroid mining on global equity.First，we first used hierarchical analysis to determine the weights using five indicators: military, economic, scientific research, social, and environmental. Then the five superior indicators were subdi-vided into 20 inferior indicators, and the data from each national statistical office were used to score the strength of the eight countries using the TOPSIS method based on entropy weighting, while cluster analysis of the data was performed to verify that our model was better.","url":"https://doi.org/10.54097/hset.v64i.11241","authors":["Wenbin Feng","Qi Zhao","Ruoshan Zheng","Ruoshan Zheng"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-07T08:08:31Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.54097/hset.v64i.11241","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.3743074","name":"Shoot for the Moon, If You Miss You’ll Land Among Valuable Asteroids: An Analysis of the Legal Ramifications of Asteroid Mining","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3743074","authors":["Robert Heins"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-02-09T02:00:05Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.3743074","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1109/ickg63256.2024.00038","name":"Spectral Asteroid Classification Using Wavelet Transform and Auxillary Data to Identify Optimal Mining Targets with Convolutional Neural Networks","source":"crossref","abstract":"The mining of Earth’s finite metals has devastating environmental and humanitarian impact. Asteroid mining provides an elegant alternative to the limited resources on Earth, as well as playing a critical role in the quest for interplanetary travel. Thus, a system to reliably determine the composition of asteroids is imperative to seek out the correct targets. Currently, asteroid spectral graphs are matched using mathematical error methods with known spectra of elements to determine their composition. Unfortunately, these approaches are unidimensional and blind to other factors that influence asteroid composition, breaking down when faced with more unique asteroid spectra. In this paper, a novel approach to asteroid spectral analysis is taken by using a convolutional neural network, CNN, engineered to analyze patterns within asteroid spectral graphs supplemented by auxiliary asteroid data, diameter, absolute magnitude, and albedo, to provide insight not found in current asteroid classification methods. Data was sourced from MIT’s Small Main Belt Asteroid Spectroscopic Survey, Phase II, SMASSII, and the space rocks database. A program was created to automatically aggregate data from the two sources, filling empty values with simulated data. Data augmentation algorithms were created and employed to balance the dataset, ensuring sufficient unique data was present in each spectral class for the CNN to learn from. Reclassifying images of spectral graphs into 18 common spectral classes from the Bus DeMeo taxonomic system, the CNN predicted the correct asteroid class 98.8% of the time, over a 13% improvement from a model solely using spectral graphs. Thus, this study not only showcases the accuracy of CNNs in analyzing asteroid spectral graphs, but also underscores how auxiliary data enhances asteroid composition prediction.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/ickg63256.2024.00038","authors":["Nayan Patel"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-19T18:39:49Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1109/ickg63256.2024.00038","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/078373-0090","name":"Sustainable Transport Chains for Commercial Asteroid Mining","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/078373-0090","authors":["Samiksha Raviraja","Michael Klas","Zygimantas Vainauskas","Saumya Shekhar","Sanaa Rashid","Martina Dimoska","Joanna George"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-31T21:07:26Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.52202/078373-0090","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.37419/jpl.v2.i1.6","name":"Property Rights in Space","source":"crossref","abstract":"This Note will discuss why maintaining the status quo, while waiting for the technology to mature, will encourage development and strengthen the industry before being smothered by laws and regulations promulgated by parties who may have conflicts of interest. This Note will first explain why scientists are attempting to mine asteroids. It will then examine the rules that apply, including the two main space treaties (the Outer Space Treaty and the Moon Treaty), the modern view of the court, and the history of deep-sea mining. Finally, this Note will apply the treaties to modern plans being developed to harvest an asteroid.","url":"https://doi.org/10.37419/jpl.v2.i1.6","authors":["David Sarnacki"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-06-29T15:47:06Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.37419/jpl.v2.i1.6","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.25236/ajee.2022.040305","name":"Research on the Fairness of the Asteroid Mining Industry Based on the Comprehensive Evaluation of the Harmonization Ratio","source":"crossref","abstract":"This paper makes a modeling analysis and research on the problem of asteroid mining. Firstly, we collected 4 indicators from 9 countries in the world, and then scored according to the entropy of these indicators and the representative data of the previous year. The rank sum ratio comprehensive evaluation method (RSR) of this method is quantitatively analyzed, and the national comprehensive score index (CSI) is obtained. The ranking is analyzed by using the ideas of linear regression and cluster analysis, and compared with the actual resource consumption ranking of various countries. Through clustering thinking, all countries are divided into mining leading countries (upstream), mining aid countries (middle reaches) and mineral processing countries (downstream) according to their development level, and the impact of this benefit distribution model on global equity is analyzed. Finally, we come to the conclusion that a country with a large population, high level of development and high status like the United States does need to consume more resources, which is a fair reflection.","url":"https://doi.org/10.25236/ajee.2022.040305","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-09-15T01:19:02Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.25236/ajee.2022.040305","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.54691/bcpssh.v16i.508","name":"Research on the Impact Mechanism of Asteroid Mining on Global Equity under the Comprehensive Evaluation System","source":"crossref","abstract":"In order to scientifically measure the global equity connected with asteroid mining, we establish a comprehensive evaluation system of global equity based on five criteria layers involving economic, environmental, educational, social, and health. We also measure the Global Equity Index (GEI) based on entropy weight method and AHP. The countries are grouped into three categories according to GEI. We Use grey relational analysis to screen out the indicators of significant impact of GEI for different categories of countries, and deeply study the mechanism of asteroid mining on global equity. For the definition and analysis of Global Equity, this paper comprehensively evaluates the level of global equity from five aspects involving economy, environment, education, society, and health. This paper selects representative indicators such as GDP per capita, resident consumption per capita, carbon dioxide emissions, forest area, etc., and uses the entropy weight method and the analytic hierarchy process to quantify the level of sample country’s equity. We select the developed and developing countries of each continent respectively, multiply the scores of each sample by the corresponding number of developed or developing countries in its continent, we use weighted average to arrive at the equity score of one continent and the global equity score finally. For the future vision for asteroid mining, we will describe in detail the subjects, costs and benefits, resource division, and profit distribution of the asteroid mining. After using the entropy weight method to determine weights, we screen out indicators which produce a significant impact on global equity, and analyze the impact mechanism of asteroid mining on global equity. For the future impact of asteroid mining, we divide countries into three categories: countries with high equity level, medium equity level, and low equity level by clustering. We use grey correlation analysis to find the indicators that have a significant impact on the GEI of different countries, and analyze the impact of the three-stage changes in asteroid mining on these three types of countries.","url":"https://doi.org/10.54691/bcpssh.v16i.508","authors":["Fukun Cai","Dan Wang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-29T01:24:47Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.54691/bcpssh.v16i.508","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/engproc2025121027","name":"Legal Frameworks for Asteroid Mining: Techno-Economic Impacts and Regulatory Needs","source":"crossref","abstract":"The current space law does not clarify the asteroid mining problem enough.This paper presents a techno-economic analysis to show how legal certainty impacts the profitability and overall investment in asteroid mining projects.Our analysis reveals that clear legal frameworks reduce perceived investment risk significantly.We have introduced a financial model that demonstrates how different legal scenarios, specifically those offering clear frameworks and benefit-sharing mechanisms, lead to positive Net Present Values.We thereby encourage fair resource distribution and opportunities within a regulated system, as an environment with high legal uncertainty results in negative Net Present Values, and show significant financial risk.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/engproc2025121027","authors":["Hamideh Azimzadeh","Mahsa Azadmanesh","Radina Nikolova","Roya Asiaei"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-20T09:24:24Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.3390/engproc2025121027","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.1979-1433","name":"Low thrust alteration of asteroidal orbits&lt;149&gt;asteroid-earth trajectory optimization for spacecraft materials mining missions","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.1979-1433","authors":["D. ROSS"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-10-08T17:17:38Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.2514/6.1979-1433","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4236/ojpp.2019.91004","name":"Responsibility of Pioneers, or “Multi-Planet-Humankind”—Some Reflections about the Colonization of Mars and about Asteroid-Mining","source":"crossref","abstract":"In the past few years we have been able to witness the Renaissance of space-research. It is especially the investment and participation of the private stock that has provided a new and wider scope for research and innovation. The objectives are high-flying and ambitious: the creation of long-living human colonies on Mars and mining of the small planets and the asteroids would be the most important intentions. In our essay we would like to show a couple of dilemmas of these two main goals. First, we draw a parallel between asteroid-mining and the historical geographical exploration and colonization after this. Futhermore, we clarify the problems of durable colonization from the environmental and ontological perspective. The purpose of this critical essay is to enable us to avoid the non-desired consequences of the missions before starting, which can mean a possible turning point of human history.","url":"https://doi.org/10.4236/ojpp.2019.91004","authors":["Trembeczki István"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-18T03:06:27Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.4236/ojpp.2019.91004","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/nsr/nwaf335","name":"China's space program on the march.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Mu-ming Poo; China‘s space program on the march, National Science Review, , nwaf335, https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwaf335","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwaf335","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1093/nsr/nwaf335","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-026-71509-6","name":"A highly limited amino acid library from asteroid Bennu yields wide-ranging protein folds.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"AI protein design software is used to explore the world of ancient protein structures, and very small, primordial amino acid libraries are found to produce a wide variety of key folds. Data from asteroid analyses and protobiotic chemistry experiments are utilised to constrain several primitive amino acid libraries of varying sizes. Protein design software is then used to construct sequences of these amino acids that could emulate a broad range of key protein folds including metabolic (all enzymes of the reverse tricarboxylic acid cycle), redox, electron-transfer and ribosomal, among others. AlphaFold2 is employed to predict 3D structures from these sequences, which are compared to their native counterparts using the Template Modelling Score. A library of only 6 amino acids-those of highest measured abundance on asteroid Bennu-can reproduce all folds in the test set. Two libraries of just 7 amino acids, constrained by the Miller-Urey experiment and Murchison meteorite data, and one library with 8 amino acids constrained by another Miller-Urey experiment, are also able to produce all folds considered. It is also demonstrated that a 6 amino acid alphabet-the 5 most abundant on Bennu supplemented by cysteine that could have been supplied by atmospheric haze chemistry-can yield a ferredoxin-like protein with a plausible Fe-S binding geometry. Such broad protein folding with very limited amino acid libraries has significant implications for the origins of life, synthetic biology and medical applications.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-71509-6","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-026-71509-6","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/ma17194723","name":"Novel High-Strength and High-Temperature Resistant Composite Material for In-Space Optical Mining Applications: Modeling, Design, and Simulation at the Polymer and Atomic/Molecular Levels.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This study explores the modeling, design, simulation, and testing of a new composite material designed for high-strength and high-temperature resistance in in-space optical mining, examining its properties at both the polymer and atomic/molecular levels. At the polymer level, the investigation includes mechanical and thermal performance analyses using COMSOL Multiphysics 6.1, employing layerwise theory, equivalent single layer (ESL) theory, and a multiple-model approach for mechanical modeling, alongside virtual thermal experiments simulating laser heating. Experimentally, porous Polyaniline (PANI) films are fabricated via electrochemical polymerization, with variations in voltage and deposition time, to study their morphology, optical performance, and electrochemical behavior. At the atomic and molecular levels, this study involves modeling the composite material, composed of Nomex, Kevlar, and Spirooxazine-Doped PANI, and simulating its behavior. The significance of this work lies in developing a novel composite material for in-space optical mining, integrating it into optical mining systems, and introducing innovative thermal management solutions, which contribute to future space exploration by improving resource efficiency and sustainability, while also enhancing the understanding of PANI film properties for in-space applications.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17194723","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.3390/ma17194723","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-025-00753-5","name":"Two new Caymanostella species discovered at deep-sea wood falls in the Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"In an era where human activities increasingly impact the deep sea and, with future ventures such as deep-sea mining on the horizon, describing deep-sea biodiversity is vital for conservation, sustainable resource management, understanding global ecological processes, and informing policy decisions. Polymetallic nodule fields, in particular, have been proven to be reservoirs of previously undiscovered biodiversity. As part of ongoing efforts to unveil this dark diversity, two new species of Caymanostella -Caymanostella persephone nov. sp. and Caymanostella hades nov. sp.,- recovered on a single piece of sunken wood in the Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone, a region in the eastern Pacific Ocean targeted for mining, are described herein. Although both species were sampled on the same piece of wood, they are genetically distinct and can be differentiated from each other and their congeners morphologically by various morphological characters, including the arrangement of the central plates, the position of gonopores, and the form of their abactinal armaments. The discovery of the new species brings the total number within the Caymanostella genus to ten and expands the known geographical distribution of the genus.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-00753-5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-025-00753-5","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-025-04161-7","name":"Bio-mediated CN cycling in serpentinites and the origin of life.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Hydrogen-rich, high pH conditions associated with serpentinisation are fundamental to some theories of the origin of life on Earth and other planets. In these theories, the first life formed in hydrothermal vents from organic compounds produced by metal-catalysed reduction of carbon dioxide and nitrate by hydrogen. Competing theories suggest that life could not have arisen without hydrogen cyanide (HCN), and that HCN was provided by vaporisation of large impactors. Here, we show that carbon- and nitrogen-bearing species are associated with chalcopyrite and native copper in serpentinised peridotite from the Wadi Tayin Ophiolite, Oman. We propose a model in which serpentinisation produces hydrogen that reduces copper in chalcopyrite to form native copper, and reduces oxidised carbon and nitrogen to form reduced carbon and nitrogen. In this model, reduction of carbon and nitrogen is catalysed by copper, and previously undocumented nanolayers of silver within metallic copper may enhance catalytic properties in natural systems. Microbial involvement is consistent with microstructural observations, documented microbial activity and isotopic data within the Wadi Tayin Ophiolite. However, similar features can form abiotically. Our discovery establishes spatial links among components believed to have supported the emergence of life. Further, mineral-hosted CN-species provide a previously unconsidered reservoir of nitrogen within serpentinites, which may deliver nitrogen to the deep mantle via subduction.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04161-7","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-025-04161-7","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/ajim.23724","name":"Silicosarcoidosis: Histologic and Clinical Features of an Occupational Granulomatous Disease.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Sarcoidosis is a multisystem inflammatory disease of unknown etiology. Growing evidence indicates that occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) is associated with an increased incidence of sarcoidosis. Yet a diagnosis of sarcoidosis rarely prompts investigation to identify preventable exposures. We sought to elucidate features that identify this important clinical syndrome of silicosarcoidosis. We assembled a multinational case series of workers with sarcoidosis who also reported occupational RCS exposure. We characterized clinical and histopathologic findings using a standardized instrument. We also assessed lung specimens using a novel quantitative microscopy technique to measure birefringent dust density in silicosarcoidosis cases and compared them to control groups. We identified 35 silicosarcoidosis cases (97% male, mean age 48 years) from the United States, Israel, and Taiwan who reported 21 ± 9 years of RCS exposure. On histology scoring, 25/29 (86%) had granulomas and 17/18 (94%) with evaluable lung tissue had lymphocytic inflammation and/or lymphoid aggregates. Common lung interstitial findings included silicotic nodules (39%), mixed-dust macules/nodules (44%), and birefringent dust (50%). Quantitative birefringent dust density was significantly greater (p 2 ) but lower than in coal miners with silica-related progressive massive fibrosis (623 ± 777). We found significant differences in the frequency of histologic abnormalities in large versus small biopsy specimens, with fewer findings of RCS exposure in smaller tissue samples. The use of the term silicosarcoidosis should enhance recognition of this significant exposure-related granulomatous lung disease and will help guide clinical management that addresses exposure prevention in combination with appropriate pharmacologic treatment.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.23724","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1002/ajim.23724","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2306146122","name":"Modeling energy requirements for oxygen production on the Moon.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Spacecraft using combustion engines require substantial amounts of oxygen for their propellant. The Moon could be a source of oxygen for rocket propellant, since the material composing the lunar surface can be processed to extract oxygen. However, little is known about overall energy requirements of the processes described in the literature for oxygen extraction from lunar regolith. This knowledge gap constrains the planning of lunar missions, since the scale of energy infrastructure required for oxygen production facilities is not well characterized. This study presents an energy consumption model for oxygen production via hydrogen reduction of the mineral ilmenite (FeTiO 3 ). We consider an end-to-end production chain starting from dry regolith as the feedstock. The production includes the following process steps: excavation, transportation, beneficiation, hydrogen reduction, water electrolysis, liquefaction, and zero boil-off storage. The model predicts the energy demand per kilogram oxygen produced based on adjustable parameters for each process step. As expected, the model indicates a strong dependence on feedstock composition. For regolith composed of 10 wt% ilmenite, the model predicts that a total of 24.3 (± 5.8) kWh is needed per kg of liquid oxygen produced. This study confirms that the hydrogen reduction and electrolysis steps have the highest energy requirements in the production chain. Sensitivity analysis reveals that the enrichment factor of the beneficiation process is the most critical parameter for optimizing energy utilization. Overall, this study provides a parameterized end-to-end model of energy consumption that can serve as a foundation for various production systems on the Moon.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2306146122","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2306146122","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1177/01410768241309767","name":"Harnessing international collaboration in the space sector to innovate healthcare.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Healthcare systems are facing unprecedented and multifaceted challenges due to emerging health risks and planetary pressures, including climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss.As these challenges transcend borders and involve numerous stakeholders, international collaborations with the space sector can drive innovation in global health by harnessing its diverse expertise, resources and experiences across countries and disciplines.Collaborations and partnerships are essential in healthcare and global health, and such cooperation can lead to the development and dissemination of novel strategies, treatments and technologies.By pooling R&D efforts, countries can collectively accelerate the creation of new interventions, share best practices and utilise data to develop timely and cost-effective solutions that ultimately strengthen public health systems.Global and public health initiatives often rely on international collaborations, and are frequently hampered by inconsistent cooperation, limited resourcesharing and uneven global participation.During the COVID-19 pandemic, the unequal distribution and availability of vaccines and health information revealed significant gaps in public health equity, raising to the forefront the critical need for more robust, coordinated efforts and cross-sectoral partnerships.1","url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/01410768241309767","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1177/01410768241309767","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/biomimetics11010030","name":"Bioinspired Design for Space Robots: Enhancing Exploration Capability and Intelligence.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Space exploration is a major global focus, advancing knowledge and exploiting new resources beyond Earth. Bioinspired design-drawing principles from nature-offers systematic pathways to increase the capability and intelligence of space robots. Prior reviews have emphasized on-orbit manipulators or lunar rovers, while a comprehensive treatment across application domains has been limited. This review synthesizes bioinspired capability and intelligence for space exploration under varied environmental constraints. We highlight four domains: adhesion and grasping for on-orbit servicing; terrain-adaptive mobility on granular and rocky surfaces; exploration intelligence that couples animal-like sensing with decision strategies; and design methodologies for translating biological functions into robotic implementations. Representative applications include gecko-like dry adhesives for debris capture, beetle-inspired climbers for truss operations, sand-moving quadrupeds and mole-inspired burrowers for granular regolith access, and insect flapping-wing robots for flight under Martian conditions. By linking biological analogues to quantitative performance metrics, this review highlights how bioinspired strategies can significantly improve on-orbit inspection, planetary mobility, subsurface access, and autonomous decision-making. Framed by capability and intelligence, bioinspired approaches reveal how biological analogues translate into tangible performance gains for on-orbit inspection, servicing, and long-range planetary exploration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics11010030","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.3390/biomimetics11010030","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s00792-021-01253-w","name":"The smallest space miners: principles of space biomining.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"As we aim to expand human presence in space, we need to find viable approaches to achieve independence from terrestrial resources. Space biomining of the Moon, Mars and asteroids has been indicated as one of the promising approaches to achieve in-situ resource utilization by the main space agencies. Structural and expensive metals, essential mineral nutrients, water, oxygen and volatiles could be potentially extracted from extraterrestrial regolith and rocks using microbial-based biotechnologies. The use of bioleaching microorganisms could also be applied to space bioremediation, recycling of waste and to reinforce regenerative life support systems. However, the science around space biomining is still young. Relevant differences between terrestrial and extraterrestrial conditions exist, including the rock types and ores available for mining, and a direct application of established terrestrial biomining techniques may not be a possibility. It is, therefore, necessary to invest in terrestrial and space-based research of specific methods for space applications to learn the effects of space conditions on biomining and bioremediation, expand our knowledge on organotrophic and community-based bioleaching mechanisms, as well as on anaerobic biomining, and investigate the use of synthetic biology to overcome limitations posed by the space environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00792-021-01253-w","authors":["Rosa Santomartino","Luis Zea","Charles S. Cockell"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Bioleaching","Environmental science","Biochemical engineering","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1007/s00792-021-01253-w","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2221345120","name":"Mining in space could spur sustainable growth.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Growth models with resources and environmental externalities typically assume that planet Earth is a closed economy. However, private firms like Blue Origin and SpaceX have reduced the cost of rocket launches by a factor of 20 over the last decade. What if these costs continue to decline, making mining from asteroids or the moon feasible? What would be the implications for economic growth and the environment? This paper provides stylized facts about cost trends, geology, and the environmental impact of mining on Earth and potentially in Space. We extend a neoclassical growth model to investigate the transition from mining on Earth to Space. We find that such a transition could potentially allow for continued growth of metal use, while limiting environmental and social costs on Earth. Acknowledging the high uncertainty around the topic, our paper provides a starting point for research on how Space mining could contribute to sustainable growth on Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2221345120","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2221345120","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1155/crdm/7955710","name":"Disseminated Cutaneous, Osteoarticular, and Tubulointerstitial Sporotrichosis in an Immunosenescent and Diabetic Host: A Case Report.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Introduction Disseminated sporotrichosis is an uncommon presentation of this infectious disease, primarily observed in immunocompromised patients. Here, we present a case of disseminated sporotrichosis occurring in an immunosenescent patient. Case presentation An 81-year-old man presented to our clinic with skin ulcers in the scalp, back, right arm, and both legs, knee arthritis, and acute kidney injury. After skin biopsy and synovial fluid analysis, the diagnosis of disseminated sporotrichosis was made using fungal culture and in-house PCR. The only factor that favored immunocompromise was immunosenescence. Conclusion This case of disseminated sporotrichosis highlights its rare occurrence in a patient with controlled diabetes and immunosenescence. Advanced diagnostics confirmed Sporothrix schenckii as the causative agent, and itraconazole treatment led to significant improvement.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1155/crdm/7955710","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1155/crdm/7955710","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41586-023-05805-2","name":"Orbital period change of Dimorphos due to the DART kinetic impact.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft successfully performed the first test of a kinetic impactor for asteroid deflection by impacting Dimorphos, the secondary of near-Earth binary asteroid (65803) Didymos, and changing the orbital period of Dimorphos. A change in orbital period of approximately 7 min was expected if the incident momentum from the DART spacecraft was directly transferred to the asteroid target in a perfectly inelastic collision 1 , but studies of the probable impact conditions and asteroid properties indicated that a considerable momentum enhancement (β) was possible 2,3 . In the years before impact, we used lightcurve observations to accurately determine the pre-impact orbit parameters of Dimorphos with respect to Didymos 4-6 . Here we report the change in the orbital period of Dimorphos as a result of the DART kinetic impact to be -33.0 ± 1.0 (3σ) min. Using new Earth-based lightcurve and radar observations, two independent approaches determined identical values for the change in the orbital period. This large orbit period change suggests that ejecta contributed a substantial amount of momentum to the asteroid beyond what the DART spacecraft carried.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-05805-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1038/s41586-023-05805-2","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-023-42075-y","name":"Soluble organic matter Molecular atlas of Ryugu reveals cold hydrothermalism on C-type asteroid parent body.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The sample from the near-Earth carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu is analyzed in the context of carbonaceous meteorites soluble organic matter. The analysis of soluble molecules of samples collected by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft shines light on an extremely high molecular diversity on the C-type asteroid. Sequential solvent extracts of increasing polarity of Ryugu samples are analyzed using mass spectrometry with complementary ionization methods and structural information confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Here we show a continuum in the molecular size and polarity, and no organomagnesium molecules are detected, reflecting a low temperature and water-rich environment on the parent body approving earlier mineralogical and chemical data. High abundance of sulfidic and nitrogen rich compounds as well as high abundance of ammonium ions confirm the water processing. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are also detected in a structural continuum of carbon saturations and oxidations, implying multiple origins of the observed organic complexity, thus involving generic processes such as earlier carbonization and serpentinization with successive low temperature aqueous alteration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-42075-y","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-023-42075-y","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/biosci/biae022","name":"Ferns as facilitators of community recovery following biotic upheaval.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The competitive success of ferns has been foundational to hypotheses about terrestrial recolonization following biotic upheaval, from wildfires to the Cretaceous-Paleogene asteroid impact (66 million years ago). Rapid fern recolonization in primary successional environments has been hypothesized to be driven by ferns' high spore production and wind dispersal, with an emphasis on their competitive advantages as so-called disaster taxa. We propose that a competition-based view of ferns is outdated and in need of reexamination in light of growing research documenting the importance of positive interactions (i.e., facilitation) between ferns and other species. Here, we integrate fossil and modern perspectives on fern ecology to propose that ferns act as facilitators of community assemblage following biotic upheaval by stabilizing substrates, enhancing soil properties, and mediating competition. Our reframing of ferns as facilitators has broad implications for both community ecology and ecosystem recovery dynamics, because of ferns' global distribution and habitat diversity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biae022","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1093/biosci/biae022","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/anie.201912205","name":"Continuous-Flow Extraction of Adjacent Metals-A Disruptive Economic Window for In Situ Resource Utilization of Asteroids?","source":"europepmc","abstract":"For the in situ resource utilization (ISRU) of asteroids, the cost-mass conundrum needs to be solved, and technologies may need to be conceptualised from first principals. By using this approach, this Review seeks to illustrate how chemical process intensification can help with the development of disruptive technologies and business matters, how this might influence space-industry start-ups, and even industrial transformations on Earth. The disruptive technology considered is continuous microflow solvent extraction and, as another disruptive element therein, the use of ionic liquids. The space business considered is asteroid mining, as it is probably the most challenging resource site, and the focus is on its last step: the purification of adjacent metals (cobalt versus nickel). The key economic barrier is defined as the reduction in the amount of water used in the asteroid mining process. This Review suggests a pathway toward water savings up to the technological limit of the best Earth-based processes and their physical limits.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201912205","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1002/anie.201912205","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-022-25507-5","name":"Martian buildings: structural forms using in-place sources.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"On Mars, structural loads and the low tensile strength of in-place Martian binders make existing solutions for Martian structures uneconomical because they are based on the terrestrial sources like inflatable units. Here we address this issue by introducing and analyzing three innovative structural forms in accordance with the structural engineering point of view using symmetric optimum parabolic rotated arch shapes and in-place waterless sulfur-based concrete. These forms minimize the tensile stresses under Martian structural loads. Probable Martian structural loads, including gravity, wind, marsquakes, asteroid and meteoroid impact loads and their effects have been investigated and calculated. The proposed models were analyzed under Martian structural loads using the implicit finite element method and the results were compared to two concrete structural forms from previous studies. The proposed models could tolerate Martian structural loads with complete elastic behavior and would significantly decrease the Martian colonization cost due to using Martian resources and reduce element importing from Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-25507-5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-022-25507-5","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/s22145071","name":"SAX and Random Projection Algorithms for the Motif Discovery of Orbital Asteroid Resonance Using Big Data Platforms.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The phenomenon of big data has occurred in many fields of knowledge, one of which is astronomy. One example of a large dataset in astronomy is that of numerically integrated time series asteroid orbital elements from a time span of millions to billions of years. For example, the mean motion resonance (MMR) data of an asteroid are used to find out the duration that the asteroid was in a resonance state with a particular planet. For this reason, this research designs a computational model to obtain the mean motion resonance quickly and effectively by modifying and implementing the Symbolic Aggregate Approximation (SAX) algorithm and the motif discovery random projection algorithm on big data platforms (i.e., Apache Hadoop and Apache Spark). There are five following steps on the model: (i) saving data into the Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS); (ii) importing files to the Resilient Distributed Datasets (RDD); (iii) preprocessing the data; (iv) calculating the motif discovery by executing the User-Defined Function (UDF) program; and (v) gathering the results from the UDF to the HDFS and the .csv file. The results indicated a very significant reduction in computational time between the use of the standalone method and the use of the big data platform. The proposed computational model obtained an average accuracy of 83%, compared with the SwiftVis software.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/s22145071","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.3390/s22145071","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/1751-7915.13985","name":"Biomining of metals: new challenges for the next 15 years.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Due to the current and future scenario in which phenomena such as global warming, massive industrial waste, excessive pollution of the ecosystem, water scarcity, among other negative variables, our planet and society, faces the urgent need to advance in the generation of more sustainable and environmentally friendly mining methods. The decline in the quality of the geological resources, specifically the increase of low-grade minerals, has created a scenario under which mining companies must make great efforts to maintain their current production levels.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1751-7915.13985","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1111/1751-7915.13985","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s43247-020-00055-w","name":"Arrival and magnetization of carbonaceous chondrites in the asteroid belt before 4562 million years ago.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Meteorite magnetizations can provide rare insight into early Solar System evolution. Such data take on new importance with recognition of the isotopic dichotomy between non-carbonaceous and carbonaceous meteorites, representing distinct inner and outer disk reservoirs, and the likelihood that parent body asteroids were once separated by Jupiter and subsequently mixed. The arrival time of these parent bodies into the main asteroid belt, however, has heretofore been unknown. Herein, we show that weak CV (Vigarano type) and CM (Mighei type) carbonaceous chondrite remanent magnetizations indicate acquisition by the solar wind 4.2 to 4.8 million years after Ca-Al-rich inclusion (CAI) formation at heliocentric distances of ~2-4 AU. These data thus indicate that the CV and CM parent asteroids had arrived near, or within, the orbital range of the present-day asteroid belt from the outer disk isotopic reservoir within the first 5 million years of Solar System history.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-020-00055-w","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1038/s43247-020-00055-w","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/cns.70609","name":"Network Pharmacology-Based and Experimental Validation Elucidate the Target Mechanism of Vinorine in Ameliorating Secondary Brain Injury After Intracerebral Hemorrhage.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Background Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a severe stroke subtype associated with high mortality and long-term disability, for which no effective treatment currently exists. Vinorine (Vin), a monoterpene indole alkaloid derived from Rauvolfia reflexa, has been traditionally used for age-related neurological disorders, yet its therapeutic potential and mechanisms in ICH remain unclear. Methods An ICH mouse model was established via intracranial collagenase injection. Vin was administered intraperitoneally at varying doses, and its effects on motor function, sensory deficits, and neural regeneration were evaluated. Network pharmacology was employed to predict potential targets and pathways, followed by validation through molecular docking, in vivo experiments, and in vitro assays. Results Network pharmacology identified four core targets and 35 related pathways, with JAK2 as a central node. In vivo, Vin significantly improved motor deficits, reduced cerebral edema, preserved blood-brain barrier integrity, and promoted hematoma resolution. These effects were mediated through modulation of the CXCR2-JAK-STAT axis and suppression of JAK2 phosphorylation. In vitro, Vin inhibited JAK-STAT activation in microglia, downregulated MMP expression, and facilitated the transition from M1 to M2 phenotypic polarization. Additionally, Vin enhanced the expression of neuronal markers (NF200, PSD95, GAP43) and reduced neuronal apoptosis. Conclusion Vin attenuates neurological deficits after ICH likely by inhibiting MMP expression in microglia via regulation of the CXCR2-JAK-STAT pathway. These findings highlight the therapeutic potential of Vin and provide mechanistic support for its further development as a treatment for ICH.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cns.70609","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1111/cns.70609","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s10686-021-09800-1","name":"GAUSS - genesis of asteroids and evolution of the solar system: A sample return mission to Ceres.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The goal of Project GAUSS (Genesis of Asteroids and evolUtion of the Solar System) is to return samples from the dwarf planet Ceres. Ceres is the most accessible candidate of ocean worlds and the largest reservoir of water in the inner Solar System. It shows active volcanism and hydrothermal activities in recent history. Recent evidence for the existence of a subsurface ocean on Ceres and the complex geochemistry suggest past habitability and even the potential for ongoing habitability. GAUSS will return samples from Ceres with the aim of answering the following top-level scientific questions: What is the origin of Ceres and what does this imply for the origin of water and other volatiles in the inner Solar System?What are the physical properties and internal structure of Ceres? What do they tell us about the evolutionary and aqueous alteration history of dwarf planets?What are the astrobiological implications of Ceres? Is it still habitable today?What are the mineralogical connections between Ceres and our current collections of carbonaceous meteorites?","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10686-021-09800-1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1007/s10686-021-09800-1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0341611","name":"Unveiling hidden rocky reefs of the Mexican Atlantic coast: Topographic characterization and benthic community dynamics along the North Coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Rocky reefs are vital ecosystems hosting diverse benthic communities, including sessile organisms like algae, octocorals, and sponges, alongside associated fish and invertebrates, providing numerous ecosystem services. Despite their ecological significance, rocky reefs along the Mexican Atlantic coast remain understudied. This study presents a comprehensive topographic and ecological analysis of four rocky reef sites along the Yucatan Peninsula: Dzilam (La Poza and Small Mountain Range), Telchac, Progreso, and Chicxulub. Using bathymetric surveys, reef structures were mapped, and underwater surveys analyzed the benthic composition. Bathymetric surveys revealed distinct structural morphologies and rugosity indices, while sediment analysis identified varying grain sizes influencing benthic community composition. Macroalgae dominated the benthic cover (64%), followed by long sediment-laden algal turf-(LSAT, 21%) and sessile invertebrates (e.g., sponges). A strong negative correlation (r = -0.754, P < 0.0001) between macroalgal abundance and LSAT highlights competitive dynamics, modulated by environmental factors such as depth, sediment type, and topographic complexity. This study is the first report of the presence of rocky reefs in Yucatan and Mexican Atlantic coast, these findings underscore the ecological significance of rocky reefs as biodiversity hotspots and their sensitivity to substrate characteristics. This study highlights the need for further spatiotemporal research to understand their ecological dynamics and inform conservation strategies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0341611","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1371/journal.pone.0341611","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"epmc:MED34981699","name":"Solving problems that do not exist and not solving problems that do exist, magnetic personalities included.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34981699/","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1109/taes.2021.3074205","name":"Adaptive and Dynamically Constrained Process Noise Estimation for Orbit Determination.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This paper introduces two new algorithms to accurately estimate the process noise covariance of a discrete-time Kalman filter online for robust orbit determination in the presence of dynamics model uncertainties. Common orbit determination process noise techniques, such as state noise compensation and dynamic model compensation, require offline tuning and a priori knowledge of the dynamical environment. Alternatively, the process noise covariance can be estimated through adaptive filtering. However, many adaptive filtering techniques are not applicable to onboard orbit determination due to computational cost or the assumption of a linear time-invariant system. Furthermore, existing adaptive filtering techniques do not constrain the process noise covariance according to the underlying continuous-time dynamical model, and there has been limited work on adaptive filtering with colored process noise. To overcome these limitations, a novel approach is developed which optimally fuses state noise compensation and dynamic model compensation with covariance matching adaptive filtering. This yields two adaptive and dynamically constrained process noise covariance estimation techniques. Unlike many adaptive filtering approaches, the new techniques accurately extrapolate over measurement outages and do not rely on ad hoc methods to ensure the process noise covariance is positive semi-definite. The benefits of the proposed algorithms are demonstrated through two case studies: an illustrative linear system and the autonomous navigation of two spacecraft orbiting an asteroid.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/taes.2021.3074205","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1109/taes.2021.3074205","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-024-79705-4","name":"A comparative analysis of text-to-image generative AI models in scientific contexts: a case study on nuclear power.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"In this work, we propose and assess the potential of generative artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool for facilitating public engagement around potential clean energy sources. Such an application could increase energy literacy-an awareness of low-carbon energy sources among the public therefore leading to increased participation in decision-making about the future of energy systems. We explore the use of generative AI to communicate technical information about low-carbon energy sources to the general public, specifically in the realm of nuclear energy. We explored 20 AI-powered text-to-image generators and compared their individual performances on general and scientific nuclear-related prompts. Of these models, DALL-E, DreamStudio, and Craiyon demonstrated promising performance in generating relevant images from general-level text related to nuclear topics. However, these models fall short in three crucial ways: (1) they fail to accurately represent technical details of energy systems; (2) they reproduce existing biases surrounding gender and work in the energy sector; and (3) they fail to accurately represent indigenous landscapes-which have historically been sites of resource extraction and waste deposition for energy industries. This work is performed to motivate the development of specialized generative tools to improve energy literacy and effectively engage the public with low-carbon energy sources.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-79705-4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-024-79705-4","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-022-21409-8","name":"Event- and biostratigraphic evidence for two independent Ries and Steinheim asteroid impacts in the Middle Miocene.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"For decades, the Nördlinger Ries and Steinheim Basin in southern Germany have been regarded as a textbook example of a terrestrial impact crater doublet, although the oldest crater lake deposits in both craters suggest a biostratigraphic age difference of ~ 0.5 to 1 Myr. We previously presented stratigraphic arguments that challenged the double impact scenario and favoured a model of two temporally independent impact events in the Mid-Miocene. We here present, for the first time, four localities within a distance of ~ 50-100 km from the Ries and ~ 50-70 km from the Steinheim crater that expose two independent seismite horizons, together unique within the Upper Freshwater Molasse of the North Alpine Foreland Basin, each one featuring impressive water escape structures. The seismite horizons are separated by ~ 10 to 15 m of undisturbed Molasse deposits and, biostratigraphically, by an entire European Land Mammal Zone, thus providing evidence for two independent major seismic events within a time span of ~ 0.5-1 Myr. Both the lower and the upper seismite horizons can be correlated litho- and biostratigraphically with the basal crater lake sediments at the Ries and Steinheim craters, respectively, deposited immediately after the impacts. From a biostratigraphic point of view, the impact event that formed the Steinheim Basin probably occured around 14 Ma, some 0.8 Myr after the ~ 14.81 Ma Ries impact event.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-21409-8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-022-21409-8","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-020-15458-8","name":"Interiors of small bodies and moons.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Asteroids, comets and moons are leftovers of planet formation. Studying them and their samples, including meteorites, can help us to learn how the Earth was made and acquired the ingredients for life, to obtain practical information for deflecting near-Earth objects (NEOs), and to access resources that would enable space habitats and voyages. Answers are hidden beneath their complex and evolving exteriors.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15458-8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-020-15458-8","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/life14101330","name":"The HOMO-LUMO Gap as Discriminator of Biotic from Abiotic Chemistries.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Low-molecular-mass organic chemicals are widely discussed as potential indicators of life in extraterrestrial habitats. However, demarcation lines between biotic chemicals and abiotic chemicals have been difficult to define. Here, we have analyzed the potential utility of the quantum chemical property, HOMO-LUMO gap (HLG), as a novel proxy variable of life, since a significant trend towards incrementally smaller HLGs has been described in the genetically encoded amino acids. The HLG is a zeroth-order predictor of chemical reactivity. Comparing a set of 134 abiotic organic molecules recovered from meteorites, with 570 microbial and plant secondary metabolites thought to be exclusively biotic, we found that the average HLG of biotic molecules was significantly narrower (-10.4 ± 0.9 eV versus -12.4 ± 1.6 eV), with an effect size of g = 1.87. Limitation to hydrophilic molecules (XlogP < 2) improved the separation of biotic from abiotic compounds (g = 2.52). The \"hydrophilic reactivity\" quadrant defined by |HLG| < 11.25 eV and XlogP < 2 was populated exclusively by 183 biotic compounds and 6 abiotic compounds, 5 of which were nucleobases. We conclude that hydrophilic molecules with small HLGs represent valuable indicators of biotic activity, and we discuss the evolutionary plausibility of this inference.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life14101330","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.3390/life14101330","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s11948-022-00404-2","name":"Ecocentrism and Biosphere Life Extension.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The biosphere represents the global sum of all ecosystems. According to a prominent view in environmental ethics, ecocentrism, these ecosystems matter for their own sake, and not only because they contribute to human ends. As such, some ecocentrists are critical of the modern industrial civilization, and a few even argue that an irreversible collapse of the modern industrial civilization would be a good thing. However, taking a longer view and considering the eventual destruction of the biosphere by astronomical processes, we argue that humans, a species with considerable technological know-how and industrial capacity could intervene to extend the lifespan of Earth's biosphere, perhaps by several billion years. We argue that human civilization, despite its flaws and harmful impacts on many ecosystems, is the biosphere's best hope of avoiding premature destruction. We argue that proponents of ecocentrism, even those who wholly disregard anthropocentric values, have a strong moral reason preserve the modern industrial civilization, for as long as needed to ensure biosphere survival.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-022-00404-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1007/s11948-022-00404-2","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7717/peerj.17854","name":"Semiautomated generation of species-specific training data from large, unlabeled acoustic datasets for deep supervised birdsong isolation.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Background Bioacoustic monitoring is an effective and minimally invasive method to study wildlife ecology. However, even the state-of-the-art techniques for analyzing birdsongs decrease in accuracy in the presence of extraneous signals such as anthropogenic noise and vocalizations of non-target species. Deep supervised source separation (DSSS) algorithms have been shown to effectively separate mixtures of animal vocalizations. However, in practice, recording sites also have site-specific variations and unique background audio that need to be removed, warranting the need for site-specific data. Methods Here, we test the potential of training DSSS models on site-specific bird vocalizations and background audio. We used a semiautomated workflow using deep supervised classification and statistical cleaning to label and generate a site-specific source separation dataset by mixing birdsongs and background audio segments. Then, we trained a deep supervised source separation (DSSS) model with this generated dataset. Because most data is passively-recorded and consequently noisy, the true isolated birdsongs are unavailable which makes evaluation challenging. Therefore, in addition to using traditional source separation (SS) metrics, we also show the effectiveness of our site-specific approach using metrics commonly used in ornithological analyses such as automated feature labeling and species-specific trilateration accuracy. Results Our approach of training on site-specific data boosts the source-to-distortion, source-to-interference, and source-to-artifact ratios (SDR, SIR, and SAR) by 9.33 dB, 24.07 dB, and 3.60 dB respectively. We also find our approach allows for automated feature labeling with single-digit mean absolute percent error and birdsong trilateration accuracy with a mean simulated trilateration error of 2.58 m. Conclusion Overall, we show that site-specific DSSS is a promising upstream solution for wildlife audio analysis tools that break down in the presence of background noise. By training on site-specific data, our method is robust to unique, site-specific interference that caused previous methods to fail.","url":"https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17854","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.7717/peerj.17854","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2221342120","name":"The macroeconomic spillovers from space activity.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The resurgence in space activities we are witnessing may provide opportunities for new technologies to generate potential spillovers to the real economy. To address this view, we propose a macroeconomic model with endogenous growth and a space sector. The model describes the relationship between space investment and technological spillovers, which support persistent economic growth. Our estimates indicate that space activities provide growth spillovers that peak from the late 1960s to the early 1980s. Recent space activities have a much lower economic impact. Finally, extensive experiments quantify the economic relevance of our results.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2221342120","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2221342120","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/s19153344","name":"Pulsar Emissions, Signal Modeling and Passive ISAR Imaging.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The present work addresses pulsar Crab Nebula emissions from point of view of their modeling and applications for asteroid detection and imaging by applying inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) principles. A huge value of the plasma's effective temperature is a reason for pulsar emission coherency, a property of great practical meaning for a space objects navigation, localization and imaging. Based on measurement data obtained by Goldstone-Apple Valley and Arecibo radio telescopes, an original time frequency grid mathematical model of pulsar emissions is created. Passive ISAR scenario, a space object's geometry and a model of pulsar signals reflected from the space object's surface are also described and graphically illustrated. A new range compression approach for ISAR imaging is suggested and demonstrated. In order to reduce the level of additive white Gaussian noise in signals and enlarge the signal to noise ratio in the final image, coherent summation of multiple complex images is applied. To prove the correctness of the geometry, signal models and theoretical analysis, results of numerical experiments are provided.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/s19153344","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.3390/s19153344","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1177/0308275x211059655","name":"Frontiers of cosmopolitanism: Educational enclaves and the extractive roots of international schools.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This article situates international expatriate schools in their cultural and political economy by drawing attention to the tensions between a cosmopolitan educational ethos and processes of social, economic and legal enclavement. Based on extensive multi-sited ethnographic research in the international school sector, we show how cosmopolitan claims of openness mirror a relative closure and 'offshore-like' enclavement. To do so, we build upon the notions of modularity and extractivism, which we use as heuristics to analyse social and spatial practices of defining boundaries. Gazing beyond the main foundational myth of international schools, we first outline their concomitant extractive roots. Second, we shed light on the conditions of international teachers' circulation worldwide. Third, we examine the territorial entanglements and disentanglements that characterise international schools. Finally, we investigate the tensions induced by a cosmopolitan educational ethos whose discourse of inclusion is inevitably paired with practices of exclusion.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0308275x211059655","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1177/0308275x211059655","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1098/rspa.2018.0594","name":"Analytical mechanics of asteroid disassembly using the Orbital Siphon effect.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"A chain of tether-connected payload masses assembled from the surface material of a spherical rotating asteroid is envisaged as a means of delivering a fraction of the asteroid mass into orbit, without the need of external work to be done. Under conditions to be discussed, a net radial force is established on the chain which can be exploited to initialize an orbital siphon effect: new payloads are connected to the chain while top payloads are removed and released into orbit. Adopting simplifying assumptions, the underlying dynamics of the problem is entirely analytical and is investigated in detail. The amount of mass extractable from the asteroid is then discussed, according to a range of strategies. It is proposed that the scheme could in future provide an efficient means of extracting material resources from rotating Near Earth Asteroids.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.2018.0594","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1098/rspa.2018.0594","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/1751-7915.13927","name":"Bridging the gap between microbial limits and extremes in space: space microbial biotechnology in the next 15 years.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The establishment of a permanent human settlement in space is one of humanity's ambitions. To achieve this, microorganisms will be used to carry out many functions such as recycling, food and pharmaceutical production, mining and other processes. However, the physical and chemical extremes in all locations beyond Earth exceed known growth limits of microbial life. Making microbes more tolerant of a greater range of extraterrestrial extremes will not produce organisms that can grow in unmodified extraterrestrial environments since in many of them not even liquid water can exist. However, by narrowing the gap, the engineering demands on bioindustrial processes can be reduced and greater robustness can be incorporated into the biological component. I identify and describe these required microbial biotechnological modifications and speculate on long-term possibilities such as microbial biotechnology on Saturn's moon Titan to support a human presence in the outer Solar System and bioprocessing of asteroids. A challenge for space microbial biotechnology in the coming decades is to narrow the microbial gap by systemically identifying the genes required to do this and incorporating them into microbial systems that can be used to carry out bioindustrial processes of interest.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1751-7915.13927","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1111/1751-7915.13927","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e32897","name":"Selecting optimal celestial object for space observation in the realm of complex spherical fuzzy systems.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The sensible selection of celestial objects for observation by the James Web Space Telescope (JWST) is pivotal for the precise decision-making (DM) process, aligning with scientific priorities and instrument capabilities to maximize valuable data acquisition to address key astronomical questions within the constraints of limited observation time. Aggregation operators are valuable models for condensing and summarizing a finite set of data of imprecise nature. Utilization of these operators is critical when addressing multi-attribute decision-making (MCDM) challenges. The complex spherical fuzzy (CSF) framework effectively captures and represents the uncertainty that arises in a DM problem with more precision. This paper presents two novel aggregation operators, namely the complex spherical fuzzy Yager weighted averaging (CSFYWA) operator and the complex spherical fuzzy Yager weighted geometric (CSFYWG) operator. Many fundamental structural properties of these operators are delineated, and thereby an improved score function is suggested that addresses the limitations of the existing score function within the CSF system. The newly defined operators are applied to formulate an algorithm for MADM problems to tackle the challenges of ambiguous data in the selection process. Moreover, these strategies are effectively applied to handle the MADM problem of selecting the optimal astronomical object for space observation within the CSF context. Additionally, a comparative analysis is also performed to demonstrate the validity and superiority of the proposed techniques compared to the existing strategies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e32897","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e32897","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/nsr/nwac065","name":"China catches up in commercial space: an interview with Ji Wu.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"China continued to gather momentum in space in 2021. With a record-breaking 55 orbital launches, the country made it again to the top of the list, ahead of the USA's 51 and Russia's 25 launches. However, nearly 90% of the Chinese launches were carried out by the state-owned Long March rocket family. In contrast, only about one-third of the US launches were made by government-funded rockets. National Science Review invited Ji Wu (), an expert in space science, former director of the National Space Science Center (NSSC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and author of The Moon Summit, Lunar Hotel and Space Tourism, to talk about the internal and external driving forces behind the emerging private space sector in China, and government policies supporting its development since 2014. Wu also shared his insights into space tourism as a gateway to space for all, as well as his concerns for the orderly competition in the global market.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwac065","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1093/nsr/nwac065","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1186/s12939-025-02430-5","name":"Colonial shadows - a systematic review of the Xavante health transformation.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Background From a biocultural perspective, health is a multifaceted concept shaped not only by biomedical factors but also by social, cultural, political, and economic forces. In Indigenous contexts, health is particularly vulnerable, as it is profoundly influenced by external socioeconomic and cultural changes, often introduced or imposed by the broader society. The Xavante Indigenous community, located in the Central-Western region of Brazil, is one of the most extensively studied Indigenous groups in the country in terms of health. Despite a rich body of literature addressing various aspects of their health, there has been a notable absence of comprehensive studies that trace the historical evolution of their health status through bibliographic analysis. This article seeks to fill this gap by providing an in-depth examination of the historical transformation of the Xavante health, positioning this issue within the broader discourse of Indigenous health as a public health concern, while applying a decolonial perspective. Methods A systematic bibliographic analysis was conducted to trace the historical trajectory of health among the Xavante people from Mato Grosso, Brazil. Results A total of 109 academic publications meeting the inclusion criteria were identified. The analysis revealed sustained scholarly interest in the health of the Xavante community, particularly since their first sustained contact with the urbanized society. A comparative examination of the earliest and most recent, comprehensive studies on this topic highlighted a marked decline in the health status of the Xavante people over time. Conclusions Despite periodic shifts in the administrative frameworks governing Indigenous healthcare in Brazil, including reductions in mortality rates and increased utilization of hospital services, the overall health status of the Xavante has significantly deteriorated. This article critically analyzes this trend through a decolonial lens, highlighting the limitations and shortcomings of existing health policies and interventions. It argues that the prevailing colonial approach to healthcare, compounded by the denial of culturally appropriate services, represents a clear violation of human rights. Furthermore, the article underscores the substantial impact of social determinants-such as historical trauma, cultural disruption, and systemic inequality-on the health outcomes of this community.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-025-02430-5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1186/s12939-025-02430-5","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"epmc:MED32455401","name":"ASTEROID LIGHTCURVE ANALYSIS AT CS3-PALMER DIVIDE STATION: 2016 DECEMBER THRU 2017 MARCH.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32455401/","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2022416117","name":"Profile of Joel D. Blum.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Structures from the Stone Age can provide unique insights into Late Glacial and Mesolithic cultures around the Baltic Sea. Such structures, however, usually did not survive within the densely populated Central European subcontinent. Here, we ...The Baltic Sea basins, some of which only submerged in the mid-Holocene, preserve Stone Age structures that did not survive on land. Yet, the discovery of these features is challenging and requires cross-disciplinary approaches between archeology and ...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2022416117","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2022416117","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41526-017-0021-0","name":"A cubesat centrifuge for long duration milligravity research.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"We advocate a low-cost strategy for long-duration research into the 'milligravity' environment of asteroids, comets and small moons, where surface gravity is a vector field typically less than 1/1000 the gravity of Earth. Unlike the microgravity environment of space, there is a directionality that gives rise, over time, to strangely familiar geologic textures and landforms. In addition to advancing planetary science, and furthering technologies for hazardous asteroid mitigation and in situ resource utilization, simplified access to long-duration milligravity offers significant potential for advancing human spaceflight, biomedicine and manufacturing. We show that a commodity 3U (10 × 10 × 34 cm 3 ) cubesat containing a laboratory of loose materials can be spun to 1 r.p.m. = 2 π /60 s -1 on its long axis, creating a centrifugal force equivalent to the surface gravity of a kilometer-sized asteroid. We describe the first flight demonstration, where small meteorite fragments will pile up to create a patch of real regolith under realistic asteroid conditions, paving the way for subsequent missions where landing and mobility technology can be flight-proven in the operational environment, in low-Earth orbit. The 3U design can be adapted for use onboard the International Space Station to allow for variable gravity experiments under ambient temperature and pressure for a broader range of experiments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-017-0021-0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1038/s41526-017-0021-0","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"epmc:MED32455407","name":"ASTEROID LIGHTCURVE ANALYSIS AT CS3-PALMER DIVIDE STATION: 2017 APRIL THRU JUNE.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32455407/","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e26180","name":"Towards sustainable horizons: A comprehensive blueprint for Mars colonization.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This paper thoroughly explores the feasibility, challenges, and proposed solutions for establishing a sustainable human colony on Mars. We quantitatively and qualitatively analyze the Martian environment, highlighting key challenges such as radiation exposure, which astronauts could experience at minimum levels of 0.66 sieverts during a round trip, and the complications arising from Mars' thin atmosphere and extreme temperature variations. Technological advancements are examined, including developing Martian concrete, which utilizes sulfur as a binding agent, and innovative life support strategies like aeroponics and algae bioreactors. The human aspect of colonization is addressed, focusing on long-term space habitation's psychological and physiological impacts. We also present a cost-benefit analysis of in-situ resource utilization versus Earth-based supply missions, emphasizing economic viability with the potential reduction in launch costs through reusable rocket technology. A timeline for the colonization process is suggested, spanning preliminary unmanned missions for resource assessment, followed by short-term manned missions leading to sustainable settlements over several decades. The paper concludes with recommendations for future research, particularly in refining resource utilization techniques and advancing health and life support systems, to solidify the foundation for Mars colonization. This comprehensive assessment aims to guide researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders in planning and executing a strategic and informed approach to making Mars colonization a reality.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e26180","authors":["Florian Neukart"],"tags":["Blueprint","Mars Exploration Program","Colonization","New horizons","Sustainable development"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e26180","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/nsr/nwy132","name":"Paleontology: advancing China's international leadership.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"In recent years, Chinese scientists have achieved significant progress in paleontological discoveries and scientific studies. Series of studies published in top journals, such as Science , Nature and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America ( PNAS ), have astonished the world by presenting beautiful fossils that furnish robust evidence to enrich the understanding of organismic evolution, major extinctions and stratigraphy. It has been portrayed as the heyday in the paleontology of China. What is the status of the field? What factors have caused the avalanche of fossil discoveries in China? What implications can these new discoveries provide for our understanding of current evolution theories? How, given their significant contribution to the world's paleontology scholarship, can Chinese scientists play a due leadership role in the field? At an online forum organized by the National Science Review (NSR), its associate editor-in-chief, Zhonghe Zhou, asked four scientists in the field as well as NSR executive editor-in-chief Mu-ming Poo to join the discussion. Jin Meng Paleobiologist at American Museum of Natural History Mu-ming Poo Neurobiologist at Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Shuzhong Shen Stratigrapher at Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Shuhai Xiao Paleobiologist and geobiologist at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Zhonghe Zhou (Chair) Paleobiologist at Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP), Chinese Academy of Sciences.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwy132","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1093/nsr/nwy132","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/biomimetics9080496","name":"Bio-Inspired Strategies Are Adaptable to Sensors Manufactured on the Moon.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Bio-inspired strategies for robotic sensing are essential for in situ manufactured sensors on the Moon. Sensors are one crucial component of robots that should be manufactured from lunar resources to industrialize the Moon at low cost. We are concerned with two classes of sensor: (a) position sensors and derivatives thereof are the most elementary of measurements; and (b) light sensing arrays provide for distance measurement within the visible waveband. Terrestrial approaches to sensor design cannot be accommodated within the severe limitations imposed by the material resources and expected manufacturing competences on the Moon. Displacement and strain sensors may be constructed as potentiometers with aluminium extracted from anorthite. Anorthite is also a source of silica from which quartz may be manufactured. Thus, piezoelectric sensors may be constructed. Silicone plastic (siloxane) is an elastomer that may be derived from lunar volatiles. This offers the prospect for tactile sensing arrays. All components of photomultiplier tubes may be constructed from lunar resources. However, the spatial resolution of photomultiplier tubes is limited so only modest array sizes can be constructed. This requires us to exploit biomimetic strategies: (i) optical flow provides the visual navigation competences of insects implemented through modest circuitry, and (ii) foveated vision trades the visual resolution deficiencies with higher resolution of pan-tilt motors enabled by micro-stepping. Thus, basic sensors may be manufactured from lunar resources. They are elementary components of robotic machines that are crucial for constructing a sustainable lunar infrastructure. Constraints imposed by the Moon may be compensated for using biomimetic strategies which are adaptable to non-Earth environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics9080496","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.3390/biomimetics9080496","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-024-62459-4","name":"Research on domain ontology construction based on the content features of online rumors.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Online rumors are widespread and difficult to identify, which bring serious harm to society and individuals. To effectively detect and govern online rumors, it is necessary to conduct in-depth semantic analysis and understand the content features of rumors. This paper proposes a TFI domain ontology construction method, which aims to achieve semantic parsing and reasoning of the rumor text content. This paper starts from the term layer, the frame layer, and the instance layer, and based on the reuse of the top-level ontology, the extraction of core literature content features, and the discovery of new concepts in the real corpus, obtains the core classes (five parent classes and 88 subclasses) of the rumor domain ontology and defines their concept hierarchy. Object properties and data properties are designed to describe relationships between entities or their features, and the instance layer is created according to the real rumor datasets. OWL language is used to encode the ontology, Protégé is used to visualize it, and SWRL rules and pellet reasoner are used to mine and verify implicit knowledge of the ontology, and judge the category of rumor text. This paper constructs a rumor domain ontology with high consistency and reliability.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-62459-4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-024-62459-4","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1055/s-0043-1764406","name":"Pathology and Mineralogy of the Pneumoconioses.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Pneumoconioses represent the spectrum of lung diseases caused by inhalation of respirable particulate matter small enough (typically <5-µm diameter) to reach the terminal airways and alveoli. Pneumoconioses primarily occur in occupational settings where workers perform demanding and skilled manual labor including mining, construction, stone fabrication, farming, plumbing, electronics manufacturing, shipyards, and more. Most pneumoconioses develop after decades of exposure, though shorter latencies can occur from more intense particulate matter exposures. In this review, we summarize the industrial exposures, pathologic findings, and mineralogic features of various well-characterized pneumoconioses including silicosis, silicatosis, mixed-dust pneumoconiosis, coal workers' pneumoconiosis, asbestosis, chronic beryllium disease, aluminosis, hard metal pneumoconiosis, and some less severe pneumoconioses. We also review a general framework for the diagnostic work-up of pneumoconioses for pulmonologists including obtaining a detailed occupational and environmental exposure history. Many pneumoconioses are irreversible and develop due to excessive cumulative respirable dust inhalation. Accurate diagnosis permits interventions to minimize ongoing fibrogenic dust exposure. A consistent occupational exposure history coupled with typical chest imaging findings is usually sufficient to make a clinical diagnosis without the need for tissue sampling. Lung biopsy may be required when exposure history, imaging, and testing are inconsistent, there are unusual or new exposures, or there is a need to obtain tissue for another indication such as suspected malignancy. Close collaboration and information-sharing with the pathologist prior to biopsy is of great importance for diagnosis, as many occupational lung diseases are missed due to insufficient communication. The pathologist has a broad range of analytic techniques including bright-field microscopy, polarized light microscopy, and special histologic stains that may confirm the diagnosis. Advanced techniques for particle characterization such as scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy may be available in some centers.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0043-1764406","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1055/s-0043-1764406","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1128/msystems.00867-20","name":"Insights into the Metabolism and Evolution of the Genus <i>Acidiphilium</i>, a Typical Acidophile in Acid Mine Drainage.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Here, we report three new Acidiphilium genomes, reclassified existing Acidiphilium species, and performed the first comparative genomic analysis on Acidiphilium in an attempt to address the metabolic potential, ecological functions, and evolutionary history of the genus Acidiphilium In the genomes of Acidiphilium , we found an abundant repertoire of horizontally transferred genes (HTGs) contributing to environmental adaption and metabolic expansion, including genes conferring photosynthesis ( puf, puh ), CO 2 assimilation ( rbc ), capacity for methane metabolism ( mmo, mdh , frm ), nitrogen source utilization ( nar, cyn, hmp ), sulfur compound utilization ( sox, psr, sqr ), and multiple metal and osmotic stress resistance capacities ( czc, cop, ect ). Additionally, the predicted donors of horizontal gene transfer were present in a cooccurrence network of Acidiphilium Genome-scale positive selection analysis revealed that 15 genes contained adaptive mutations, most of which were multifunctional and played critical roles in the survival of extreme conditions. We proposed that Acidiphilium originated in mild conditions and adapted to extreme environments such as acidic mineral sites after the acquisition of many essential functions. IMPORTANCE Extremophiles, organisms that thrive in extreme environments, are key models for research on biological adaption. They can provide hints for the origin and evolution of life, as well as improve the understanding of biogeochemical cycling of elements. Extremely acidophilic bacteria such as Acidiphilium are widespread in acid mine drainage (AMD) systems, but the metabolic potential, ecological functions, and evolutionary history of this genus are still ambiguous. Here, we sequenced the genomes of three new Acidiphilium strains and performed comparative genomic analysis on this extremely acidophilic bacterial genus. We found in the genomes of Acidiphilium an abundant repertoire of horizontally transferred genes (HTGs) contributing to environmental adaption and metabolic ability expansion, as indicated by phylogenetic reconstruction and gene context comparison. This study has advanced our understanding of microbial evolution and biogeochemical cycling in extreme niches.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1128/msystems.00867-20","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.472Z","doi":"10.1128/msystems.00867-20","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/nu14030492","name":"Nutrition in Abrupt Sunlight Reduction Scenarios: Envisioning Feasible Balanced Diets on Resilient Foods.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abrupt sunlight reduction scenarios (ASRS) following catastrophic events, such as a nuclear war, a large volcanic eruption or an asteroid strike, could prompt global agricultural collapse. There are low-cost foods that could be made available in an ASRS: resilient foods. Nutritionally adequate combinations of these resilient foods are investigated for different stages of a scenario with an effective response, based on existing technology. While macro- and micronutrient requirements were overall met, some-potentially chronic-deficiencies were identified (e.g., vitamins D, E and K). Resilient sources of micronutrients for mitigating these and other potential deficiencies are presented. The results of this analysis suggest that no life-threatening micronutrient deficiencies or excesses would necessarily be present given preparation to deploy resilient foods and an effective response. Careful preparedness and planning-such as stock management and resilient food production ramp-up-is indispensable for an effective response that not only allows for fulfilling people's energy requirements, but also prevents severe malnutrition.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14030492","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.3390/nu14030492","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.crmicr.2022.100137","name":"Fungal infections: Pathogenesis, antifungals and alternate treatment approaches.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Increasing incidence of fungal infections of recent times requires immediate intervention. Fungal infections are seldom construed at initial stages that intensify the severity of infections and complicate the treatment procedures. Fungal pathogens employ various mechanisms to evade the host immune system and to progress the severity of infections. For the treatment of diverse superficial and systemic infections, antifungal drugs from the available repertoire are administered. However, well documented evidence of fungal resistance to most of the antifungal drugs hampers disease control and poses challenges in antifungal therapy. Several physiological adaptations and genetic mutations followed by their selection in presence of antifungal agents drive the resistance development in fungi. The availability of limited antifungal arsenal, emergence of resistance and biofilm-conferred resistance drives the need for development of novel drugs and alternate approaches for the better treatment outcome against mycoses. This graphical review explicitly shed light on various fungal infections and causative organisms, pathogenesis, different antifungal drugs and resistance mechanisms including host immune response and evasion strategies. Here, we have highlighted recent developments on novel antifungal agents and other alternate approaches for fighting against fungal infections.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crmicr.2022.100137","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.1016/j.crmicr.2022.100137","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/1751-7915.12792","name":"Biomining of metals: how to access and exploit natural resource sustainably.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Mining activities have been carried out for thousands of years and nowadays have an enormous worldwide use to obtain important metals of industrial use. These include copper, iron, gold and several others. Although modern mining companies have sustainable mining programs that include tailings management and external verifications, it is recognized that these industrial activities are responsible for a significant damage to the environment. Specially, technologies such as smelting and roasting generate very toxic emissions, including solid particles in the air, very large tailings and contribute to generate acid mine drainage (AMD) that affects humans health and all kinds of living plants, animals and microorganisms. Consequently, due to environmental restrictions, these methods are being replaced in many countries by less contaminating processes. On the other hand, the microbial solubilization of metals by bioleaching or biomining is successfully used in industrial operations, to extract several metals such as copper, gold and uranium.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1751-7915.12792","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.1111/1751-7915.12792","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1088/1538-3873/aac1ff","name":"Moving Object Detection Using a Parallax Shift Vector Algorithm.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"There are various algorithms currently in use to detect asteroids from ground-based observatories, but they are generally restricted to linear or mildly curved movement of the target object across the field of view. Space based sensors in high inclination, low Earth orbits can induce significant parallax in a collected sequence of images, especially for objects at the typical distances of asteroids in the inner Solar System. This results in a highly non-linear motion pattern of the asteroid across the sensor, which requires a more sophisticated search pattern for detection processing. Both the classical pattern matching used in ground based asteroid search and the more sensitive matched filtering and synthetic tracking techniques, can be adapted to account for highly complex parallax motion. A new shift vector generation methodology is discussed along with its impacts on commonly used detection algorithms, processing load, and responsiveness to asteroid track reporting. The matched filter, template generator, and pattern matcher source code for the software described herein are available via GitHub.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1538-3873/aac1ff","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.1088/1538-3873/aac1ff","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s13671-022-00358-5","name":"Sporotrichosis: a Comprehensive Review on Recent Drug-Based Therapeutics and Management.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Purpose of review Over a period of time, sporotrichosis has arisen as one of the leading fungal infections not only in animals but humans also. Several possible reasons that contribute to its emergence include change in epidemiology and distribution, evolutionary changes in taxonomy, and several outbreaks. World Health Organization has identified sporotrichosis as one of the major neglected tropical diseases (NTD) for 2021-2030 under the category of fungal NTDs. Several factors are contributing to increases in morbidity due to sporotrichosis such as delayed diagnosis and unavailability of appropriate antifungal therapy, which lead to redundant and inappropriate treatment with associate costs and adverse effects. Recent findings The potassium iodide is the first line of treatment for cutaneous forms while amphotericin B is used for the most severe cases of the disease. The limited medication arsenal, side effects, failure of therapy, and the advent of drug-resistant isolates emphasize the need for the development of new therapeutic options. Several studies are focusing on the development of the new drugs which either used alone or in combination with already available treatment. Along with this, several new antigens have been identified as possible targets for its vaccine development. Summary The early diagnosis is required for selecting the best possible treatment strategy. The researchers should focus on developing new diagnostic methods and treatment options as well as vaccine development for the better management of sporotrichosis. In the long run, patient education for preventative features to reduce risk and counselling for prolonged therapy will be beneficial.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13671-022-00358-5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.1007/s13671-022-00358-5","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"epmc:MED32455366","name":"LIGHTCURVE ANALYSIS OF NEA 2015 HM10.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32455366/","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/jof4020062","name":"Sporotrichosis: From KOH to Molecular Biology.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Sporotrichosis is a cosmopolitan, chronic granulomatous mycosis, acquired by traumatic inoculation and caused by Sporothrix schenckii complex . Several methods of diagnostic are available, from KOH to molecular biology. In this review, we describe from the simplest (clinical diagnosis) to the most advanced diagnostic techniques (molecular biology).","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/jof4020062","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.3390/jof4020062","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1098/rsbl.2023.0312","name":"<i>Gilsonicaris</i> from the Lower Devonian Hunsrück slate is a eunicidan annelid and not the oldest crown anostracan crustacean.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Lower Devonian (Lower Emsian, -400 Myr) roof slates of the Hunsrück in southeastern Germany have delivered a highly diverse and exceptionally preserved marine fauna that provides a unique snapshot into the anatomy and ecology of a wide range of Palaeozoic animals. Several of the described taxa, however, remain enigmatic in their affinity, at least until new pyritized features hidden under the surface of the slate are revealed using X-ray radiography or micro-computed tomography (µCT). Here, we redescribe such an enigmatic fossil, the putative anostracan crustacean Gilsonicaris rhenanus Van Straelen, 1943. Using µCT scanning, we unveil unprecedented details of its anatomy, including a ventral oral opening and four pairs of recalcitrant jaw elements. These jaws are morphologically consistent with the scolecodonts of eunicidan polychaetes, which along with the gross anatomy of the body and head unambiguously identifies G. rhenanus as a polychaete rather than an arthropod. While this discovery firmly discards the Early Devonian record of crown anostracans in the fossil record, it adds a new record of eunicidan soft tissues, which are surprisingly rare considering the abundant microfossil record of scolecodonts.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2023.0312","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.1098/rsbl.2023.0312","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-020-74984-z","name":"Mass distribution of magnetized quark-nugget dark matter and comparison with requirements and observations.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Quark nuggets are a candidate for dark matter consistent with the Standard Model. Previous models of quark nuggets have investigated properties arising from their being composed of strange, up, and down quarks and have not included any effects caused by their self-magnetic field. However, Tatsumi found that the core of a magnetar star may be a quark nugget in a ferromagnetic state with core magnetic field B surface = 10 12±1 T. We apply Tatsumi's result to quark-nugget dark-matter and report results on aggregation of magnetized quark nuggets (MQNs) after formation from the quark-gluon plasma until expansion of the universe freezes out the mass distribution to ~ 10 -24 kg to ~ 10 14 kg. Aggregation overcomes weak-interaction decay. Computed mass distributions show MQNs are consistent with requirements for dark matter and indicate that geologic detectors (craters in peat bogs) and space-based detectors (satellites measuring radio-frequency emissions after passage through normal matter) should be able to detect MQN dark matter. Null and positive observations narrow the range of a key parameter B o ~ B surface to 1 × 10 11 T o ≤ 3 × 10 12 T.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-74984-z","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-020-74984-z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s40203-024-00209-0","name":"Identification of bio-active secondary metabolites from Actinobacteria as potential drug targets against &lt;i&gt;Porphyromonas gingivalis&lt;/i&gt; in oral squamous cell carcinoma using molecular docking and dynamics study.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Chronic periodontitis caused by the bacteria Porphyromonas gingivalis is thought to be a risk factor for the advancement of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Virulence factors of P. gingivalis include gingipains, outer membrane surface lipoproteins, and fimbriae contribute to the activation of oncogenic pathways in OSCC by up-regulating different cytokines. Gingipains (Arg and Lys) proteases have an important role in the activation of proMMP-9, which promotes cellular invasion and metastatic ability of OSCC. Thus gingipains and MMP-9 were actively investigated as potential therapeutic targets in OSCC therapy. Various natural bioactive compounds from Actinobacteria have been explored for their anticancer potential in a variety of cancers, but very few studies have been reported in OSCC. Therefore, the current study is focused to identify potential actinobacterial compounds that can be considered as a therapeutic target against gingipains and inflammatory proteins in OSCC through high-throughput virtual screening, Molecular Docking (MD), and Molecular Dynamics Simulation (MDS) approaches. A total of 179 bioactive secondary metabolites of Actinobacteria were explored for their binding affinity against six virulence proteins of P. gingivalis . The Molecular Docking studies revealed that among 179 metabolites screened, Actinosporin G showed a highly acceptable binding affinity of -7.9 kcal/mol with RgpB (1CVR), and exhibited multi-protein targeting and drug-likeness property and passed level of toxicity. Comprehensive docking interaction of the best top-ranked Actinosporin G with OSCC-related protein targets illustrated high binding affinity towards MMP-9 and JAK-1 proteins among all targeted receptor proteins. The molecular dynamic (MD) simulation has been executed for the metabolite Actinosporin G for both bacterial gingipain (RgpB) and MMP-9 & JAK-1 showed stable intermolecular binding with both hydrogen and hydrophobic interactions. In conclusion, this work suggests that the bioactive secondary metabolite of Actinosporin G from Actinobacteria genera may serve as a promising therapy for P. gingivalis -induced OSCC. Graphical abstract Supplementary information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40203-024-00209-0.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40203-024-00209-0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.1007/s40203-024-00209-0","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/rcr2.331","name":"Sarcoid-resembling granulomatous lung disease secondary to occupational magnetite iron dust exposure.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Non-caseating granulomatous pulmonary conditions resembling sarcoidosis secondary to industrial/occupation exposure to magnetite iron ore dusts have been rarely documented in the literature. This is a case report of a 58-year-old blast crew member involved in iron ore/magnetite mining who presented with a 12-month history of chronic dry cough. High-resolution computed tomography revealed bilateral interstitial opacities. Lung biopsy demonstrated sarcoid-like granulomatous inflammation. Oral corticosteroid treatment improved the cough. Radiological features did not resolve despite treatment and yet remained stable following no subsequent exposure to iron mining dust.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/rcr2.331","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.1002/rcr2.331","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-022-22114-2","name":"3D printed laboratory equipment to measure bulk materials in extreme conditions.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Due to relatively new solutions in the field of 3D printing, there are few studies on the possibility of using printed elements in measuring devices. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of using instruments made by material extrusion 3D printing method for measurement of selected mechanical-physical properties of bulk materials. Study explores the feasibility of measuring bulk material mechanical-physical properties when there are obstacles for printing original or modified measuring instruments in common practice. To achieve the goals a series of experiments such as Schulze's ring shear tests, Freeman's FT4 shear tests, compressibility tests, and Flow Rate and Stability tests were performed with use of original aluminium or steel made instruments and 3D printed instruments from polylactic acid and acrylic styrene acrylonitrile materials, using lunar regolith simulants LHS-1 and LMS-1 produced by CLASS Exolith Lab as a sample material. The results obtained from tests with original and printed instruments were then compared. The compared values of tests showed applicability of the 3D printed measuring instruments in a 5% range of measurement deviation. The biggest advantages of the 3D printed measuring instruments were the lower weight, the ability to print on the spot, to replace a damaged part with a new 3D printed part on-demand if extremely fast results are needed or due to the logistical unavailability, customization of the standardized tests for better understanding the behaviour of the particulate materials, and cheaper manufacturing costs.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-22114-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-022-22114-2","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/microorganisms9061207","name":"Aquatic Ecosystems of the Anthropocene: Limnology and Microbial Ecology of Mine Pit Lakes.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Mine pit lakes ('pit lakes') are new aquatic ecosystems of the Anthropocene. Potentially hundreds of meters deep, these lakes are prominent in the landscape and in the public consciousness. However, the ecology of pit lakes is underrepresented in the literature. The broad goal of this research was to determine the environmental drivers of pelagic microbe assemblages in Australian coal pit lakes. The overall experimental design was four lakes sampled three times, top and bottom, in 2019. Instrument chains were installed in lakes and measurements of in situ water quality and water samples for metals, metalloids, nutrients and microbe assemblage were collected. Lakes were monomictic and the timing of mixing was influenced by high rainfall events. Water quality and microbial assemblages varied significantly across space and time, and most taxa were rare. Lakes were moderately saline and circumneutral; Archeans were not prevalent. Richness also varied by catchment. Microbial assemblages correlated to environmental variables, and no one variable was consistently significant, spatially or temporally. Study lakes were dominated by 'core' taxa exhibiting temporal turnover likely driven by geography, water quality and interspecific competition, and the presence of water chemistry associated with an artificial aquifer likely influenced microbial community composition. Pit lakes are deceptively complex aquatic ecosystems that host equally complex pelagic microbial communities. This research established links between microbial assemblages and environmental variables in pit lakes and determined core communities; the first steps towards developing a monitoring program using microbes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9061207","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.3390/microorganisms9061207","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-022-25240-z","name":"Habitat types and megabenthos composition from three sponge-dominated high-Arctic seamounts.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Seamounts are isolated underwater mountains stretching > 1000 m above the seafloor. They are identified as biodiversity hotspots of marine life, and host benthic assemblages that may vary on regional (among seamounts) and local (within seamounts) scales. Here, we collected seafloor imagery of three seamounts at the Langseth Ridge in the central Arctic Ocean to assess habitats and megabenthos community composition at the Central Mount (CM), the Karasik Seamount (KS), and the Northern Mount (NM). The majority of seafloor across these seamounts comprised bare rock, covered with a mixed layer of sponge spicule mats intermixed with detrital debris composed of polychaete tubes, and sand, gravel, and/or rocks. The megabenthos assemblages consisted of in total 15 invertebrate epibenthos taxa and 4 fish taxa, contributing to mean megabenthos densities of 55,745 ind. ha -1 at CM, 110,442 ind. ha -1 at KS, and 65,849 ind. ha -1 at NM. The faunal assemblages at all three seamounts were dominated by habitat-forming Tetractinellida sponges that contributed between 66% (KS) and 85% (CM) to all megabenthos. Interestingly, taxa richness did not differ at regional and local scale, whereas the megabenthos community composition did. Abiotic and biogenic factors shaping distinct habitat types played a major role in structuring of benthic communities in high-Arctic seamounts.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-25240-z","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-022-25240-z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s11192-021-03945-8","name":"Developing a risk-adaptive technology roadmap using a Bayesian network and topic modeling under deep uncertainty.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Firms today face rapidly changing and complex environments that managers and leaders must navigate carefully because confronting these changes is directly connected with success and failure in business. In particular, business leaders are adopting a new paradigm of planning, dynamic adaptive plans, which react adaptively to uncertainties by adjusting plans according to rapid changes in circumstances. However, these dynamic plans have been applied in larger-scale industries such as wastewater management in longer-range time frames. This paper follows the dynamic adaptive plan paradigm but transfers it to the technology management context with shorter-range action plans. Based on this new paradigm of risk management and technology planning, we propose a risk-adaptive technology roadmap (TRM) that can adapt to changing complex environments. First we identify risk by topic modeling based on futuristic data and then by sentiment analysis. Second, for the derived risks, we determine new and alternative plans by co-occurrence of risk-related keywords. Third, we convert an existing TRM to network topology with adaptive plans and construct a conditional probability table for the network. Finally, we estimate posterior probability and infer it by Bayesian network by adjusting plans depending on occurrence of risk events. Based on this posterior probability, we remap the paths in the previous TRM to new maps, and we apply our proposed approach to the field of artificial intelligence to validate its feasibility. Our research contributes to the possibility of using dynamic adaptive planning with technology as well as to increase the sustainability of technology roadmapping.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-021-03945-8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.1007/s11192-021-03945-8","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/ext.2023.13","name":"The end-Cretaceous plant extinction: Heterogeneity, ecosystem transformation, and insights for the future.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction was geologically instantaneous, causing the most drastic extinction rates in Earth's History. The rapid species losses and environmental destruction from the Chicxulub impact at 66.02 Ma made the K-Pg the most comparable past event to today's projected \"sixth\" mass extinction. The extinction famously eliminated major clades of animals and plankton. However, for land plants, losses primarily occurred among species observed in regional studies but left no global trace at the family or major-clade level, leading to questions about whether there was a significant K-Pg plant extinction. We review emerging paleobotanical data from the Americas and argue that the evidence strongly favors profound (generally >50%), geographically heterogeneous species losses and recovery consistent with mass extinction. The heterogeneity appears to reflect several factors, including distance from the impact site and marine and latitudinal buffering of the impact winter. The ensuing transformations have affected all land life, including true angiosperm dominance in the world's forests, the birth of the hyperdiverse Neotropical rainforest biome, and evolutionary radiations leading to many crown angiosperm clades. Although the worst outcomes are still preventable, the sixth mass extinction could mirror the K-Pg event by eliminating comparable numbers of plant species in a geologic instant, impoverishing and eventually transforming terrestrial ecosystems while having little effect on global plant-family diversity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/ext.2023.13","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.1017/ext.2023.13","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1186/s13024-024-00789-7","name":"Microglial CD2AP deficiency exerts protection in an Alzheimer's disease model of amyloidosis.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Background The CD2-associated protein (CD2AP) was initially identified in peripheral immune cells and regulates cytoskeleton and protein trafficking. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the CD2AP gene have been associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the functional role of CD2AP, especially its role in microglia during AD onset, remains elusive. Methods CD2AP protein levels in cultured primary cells and in 5xFAD mice was studied. Microglial CD2AP-deficient mice were crossed with 5xFAD mice and the offspring were subjected to neuropathological assessment, behavioral tests, electrophysiology, RNA-seq, Golgi staining, and biochemistry analysis. Primary microglia were also isolated for assessing their uptake and morphology changes. Results We find that CD2AP is abundantly expressed in microglia and its levels are elevated in the brain of AD patients and the 5xFAD model mice at pathological stages. We demonstrate that CD2AP haploinsufficiency in microglia significantly attenuates cognitive and synaptic deficits, weakens the response of microglia to Aβ and the formation of disease-associated microglia (DAM), and alleviates synapse loss in 5xFAD mice. We show that CD2AP-deficient microglia exhibit compromised uptake ability. In addition, we find that CD2AP expression is positively correlated with the expression of the complement C1q that is important for synapse phagocytosis and the formation of DAM in response to Aβ deposition. Moreover, we reveal that CD2AP interacts with colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) and regulates CSF1R cell surface levels, which may further affect C1q expression. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that CD2AP regulates microgliosis and identify a protective function of microglial CD2AP deficiency against Aβ deposition, suggesting the importance of detailed investigation of AD-associated genes in different brain cells for thoroughly understanding their exact contribution to AD.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13024-024-00789-7","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.1186/s13024-024-00789-7","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/ext.2023.18","name":"The economics of species extinction: An economist's viewpoint.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"There is growing evidence to suggest that there is an increase in species extinction occurring globally. In this article, we briefly review the literature on the economics of species extinction, examining what is meant by extinction before explaining how economics has conceptualised this. The initial economics literature on species extinction focuses largely on renewable resources, in particular fisheries, but has subsequently evolved to cover many aspects of biodiversity across all physical scales, employing an increasing array of methodological tools. We also consider aspects of cultural and societal extinctions (e.g. local languages, local knowledge) and how this is positively correlated with loss of biodiversity, as well as an economist's outlook on the potential to re-capture value post-extinction.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/ext.2023.18","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.1017/ext.2023.18","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/nsr/nwz120","name":"China's lunar and deep space exploration: touching the moon and exploring the universe.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Chinese lunar probe Chang'e-4 (CE-4) landed in the Von Kármán crater within the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin on the far-side of the Moon on 3 January 2019. Following this, the moon rover Yutu-2 separated from the CE-4 lander and started its travels and exploration on the far-side of the Moon. Before this landing, humans had remotely observed the far-side of the Moon with lunar satellites. However, it was the first time that a man-made spacecraft had landed there and actually left behind wheel prints belonging to humanity. Since China's Lunar Exploration Project (CLEP), or Chang'e Project, started in 2004, China has accomplished the first two steps of its three-step plan of 'Orbiting, Landing and Returning'. CE-3 and CE-4 landed successfully on the near-side and far-side of the Moon, respectively. In the near future, CE-5 will land again on the near-side of the Moon and take lunar rock and soil samples back to Earth, thus completing the three-step plan of CLEP. In April 2019, National Science Review (NSR) interviewed three key figures of CLEP: CLEP Chief Engineer Weiren Wu (), the first CLEP Chief Scientist and CLEP senior consultant Ziyuan Ouyang (), and CLEP third phase Vice-Chief Engineer, CE-4 Ground Research and Application System Director Chunlai Li (). They talked about the scientific expectations and future plans of China's lunar and deep space exploration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwz120","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.1093/nsr/nwz120","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/jof12020155","name":"Unusual Sporotrichosis: A New Concept Proposal on the Unexpected Faces of &lt;i&gt;Sporothrix&lt;/i&gt; spp. Infection.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"\"Unusual sporotrichosis\", a concept proposed in this review, refers to severe, extracutaneous, or anatomically atypical manifestations of sporotrichosis occurring in immunocompetent hosts and represents an underrecognized clinical subset associated with important diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. This systematic review aimed to characterize unusual sporotrichosis worldwide and to clarify its epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic patterns. Following a registered protocol and PRISMA guidelines, PubMed, Scopus, and BVS/LILACS were searched up to November 2025 using a PICO-based strategy. Eligible studies included peer-reviewed case reports and case series with laboratory-confirmed sporotrichosis in patients without immunosuppression, diabetes mellitus, alcoholism, or other confounding comorbidities; classical lymphocutaneous and fixed cutaneous forms were excluded. From 922 records, 39 studies were included (13 case series and 26 case reports), yielding 55 cases reported between 1957 and 2024 across five world regions, mainly from the United States of America and Brazil. Adults aged 40-59 years (41.8%) and males (74.5%) predominated. Sapronotic transmission was most frequent (69.0%), although zoonotic transmission increased over time. Sporothrix schenckii/Sporothrix schenckii sensu stricto was the predominant species (87.3%). Osteoarticular (30.9%) and systemic (27.2%) forms were the most common presentations. Although cure was achieved in most cases (58.1%), sequelae were frequent (21.8%), and the worst prognosis-including most deaths-was observed in osteoarticular sporotrichosis. Unusual sporotrichosis is globally distributed and clinically distinct; therefore, early recognition and multimodal diagnostic and therapeutic strategies are essential to improve outcome.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/jof12020155","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.3390/jof12020155","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/v14112477","name":"A National Catalogue of Viruses Associated with Indigenous Species Reveals High-Throughput Sequencing as a Driver of Indigenous Virus Discovery.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Viruses are important constituents of ecosystems, with the capacity to alter host phenotype and performance. However, virus discovery cued by disease symptoms overlooks latent or beneficial viruses, which are best detected using targeted virus detection or discovered by non-targeted methods, e.g., high-throughput sequencing (HTS). To date, in 64 publications, 701 viruses have been described associated with indigenous species of Aotearoa New Zealand. Viruses were identified in indigenous birds (189 viruses), bats (13 viruses), starfish (4 viruses), insects (280 viruses), and plants (126 viruses). HTS gave rise to a 21.9-fold increase in virus discovery rate over the targeted methods, and 72.7-fold over symptom-based methods. The average number of viruses reported per publication has also increased proportionally over time. The use of HTS has driven the described national virome recently by 549 new-to-science viruses; all are indigenous. This report represents the first catalogue of viruses associated with indigenous species of a country. We provide evidence that the application of HTS to samples of Aotearoa New Zealand's unique fauna and flora has driven indigenous virus discovery, a key step in the process to understand the role of viruses in the biological diversity and ecology of the land, sea, and air environments of a country.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/v14112477","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.3390/v14112477","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.864411","name":"Thermoacidophilic Bioleaching of Industrial Metallic Steel Waste Product.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The continuous deposition of hazardous metalliferous wastes derived from industrial steelmaking processes will lead to space shortages while valuable raw metals are being depleted. Currently, these landfilled waste products pose a rich resource for microbial thermoacidophilic bioleaching processes. Six thermoacidophilic archaea ( Sulfolobus metallicus, Sulfolobus acidocaldarius, Metallosphaera hakonensis, Metallosphaera sedula, Acidianus brierleyi , and Acidianus manzaensis ) were cultivated on metal waste product derived from a steelmaking process to assess microbial proliferation and bioleaching potential. While all six strains were capable of growth and bioleaching of different elements, A. manzaensis outperformed other strains and its bioleaching potential was further studied in detail. The ability of A. manzaensis cells to break down and solubilize the mineral matrix of the metal waste product was observed via scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Refinement of bioleaching operation parameters shows that changes in pH influence the solubilization of certain elements, which might be considered for element-specific solubilization processes. Slight temperature shifts did not influence the release of metals from the metal waste product, but an increase in dust load in the bioreactors leads to increased element solubilization. The formation of gypsum crystals in course of A. manzaensis cultivation on dust was observed and clarified using single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The results obtained from this study highlight the importance of thermoacidophilic archaea for future small-scale as well as large-scale bioleaching operations and metal recycling processes in regard to circular economies and waste management. A thorough understanding of the bioleaching performance of thermoacidophilic archaea facilitates further environmental biotechnological advancements.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.864411","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.3389/fmicb.2022.864411","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2113985119","name":"Geological activity shapes the microbiome in deep-subsurface aquifers by advection.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Subsurface environments host diverse microorganisms in fluid-filled fractures; however, little is known about how geological and hydrological processes shape the subterranean biosphere. Here, we sampled three flowing boreholes weekly for 10 mo in a 1478-m-deep fractured rock aquifer to study the role of fracture activity (defined as seismically or aseismically induced fracture aperture change) and advection on fluid-associated microbial community composition. We found that despite a largely stable deep-subsurface fluid microbiome, drastic community-level shifts occurred after events signifying physical changes in the permeable fracture network. The community-level shifts include the emergence of microbial families from undetected to over 50% relative abundance, as well as the replacement of the community in one borehole by the earlier community from a different borehole. Null-model analysis indicates that the observed spatial and temporal community turnover was primarily driven by stochastic processes (as opposed to deterministic processes). We, therefore, conclude that the observed community-level shifts resulted from the physical transport of distinct microbial communities from other fracture(s) that outpaced environmental selection. Given that geological activity is a major cause of fracture activity and that geological activity is ubiquitous across space and time on Earth, our findings suggest that advection induced by geological activity is a general mechanism shaping the microbial biogeography and diversity in deep-subsurface habitats across the globe.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2113985119","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2113985119","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-020-19276-w","name":"Space station biomining experiment demonstrates rare earth element extraction in microgravity and Mars gravity.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Microorganisms are employed to mine economically important elements from rocks, including the rare earth elements (REEs), used in electronic industries and alloy production. We carried out a mining experiment on the International Space Station to test hypotheses on the bioleaching of REEs from basaltic rock in microgravity and simulated Mars and Earth gravities using three microorganisms and a purposely designed biomining reactor. Sphingomonas desiccabilis enhanced mean leached concentrations of REEs compared to non-biological controls in all gravity conditions. No significant difference in final yields was observed between gravity conditions, showing the efficacy of the process under different gravity regimens. Bacillus subtilis exhibited a reduction in bioleaching efficacy and Cupriavidus metallidurans showed no difference compared to non-biological controls, showing the microbial specificity of the process, as on Earth. These data demonstrate the potential for space biomining and the principles of a reactor to advance human industry and mining beyond Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-19276-w","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-020-19276-w","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0240196","name":"On the connection between real-world circumstances and online player behaviour: The case of EVE Online.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Games involving virtual worlds are popular in several segments of the population and societies. The online environment facilitates that players from different countries interact in a common virtual world. Virtual worlds involving social and economic interactions are particularly useful to test social and economic theories. Using data from EVE Online, a massive online multi-player game simulating a fantasy galaxy, we analyse the relation between the real-world context in which players live and their in-game behaviour at the country level. We find that in-game aggressiveness to non-player characters is positively related to real-world levels of aggressiveness as measured by the Global Peace Index and the Global Terrorist Index at the country level. The opposite is true for in-game aggressiveness towards other players, which seems to work as a safety valve for real-world player aggressiveness. The ability to make in-game friends is also positively related to real-world levels of aggressiveness in much the same way. In-game trading behaviour is dependent on the macro-economic environment where players live. The unemployment rate and exchange rate make players trade more efficiently and cautiously in-game. Overall, we find evidence that the real-world environment affects in-game behaviour, suggesting that virtual worlds can be used to experiment and test social and economic theories, and to infer real-world behaviour at the country level.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0240196","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.1371/journal.pone.0240196","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1128/msystems.00602-21","name":"Comparative Genomics Provides Insights into the Genetic Diversity and Evolution of the DPANN Superphylum.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"DPANN is known as highly diverse, globally widespread, and mostly ectosymbiotic archaeal superphylum. However, this group of archaea was overlooked for a long time, and there were limited in-depth studies reported. In this investigation, 41 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) belonging to the DPANN superphylum were recovered (18 MAGs had average nucleotide identity [ANI] values of 50%, while 14 MAGs showed a POCP of bd ubiquinol oxidase and arginine deiminase in the genomes of \" Candidatus Micrarchaeota\" could help them better adapt to aerobic acidic mine drainage habitats. In addition, most DPANN archaea acquired enzymes for biosynthesis of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and transketolase/transaldolase for the pentose phosphate pathway from Bacteria . IMPORTANCE The domain Archaea is a key research model for gaining insights into the origin and evolution of life, as well as the relevant biogeochemical processes. The discovery of nanosized DPANN archaea has overthrown many aspects of microbiology. However, the DPANN superphylum still contains a vast genetic novelty and diversity that need to be explored. Comprehensively comparative genomic analysis on the DPANN superphylum was performed in this study, with an attempt to illuminate its metabolic potential, ecological distribution and evolutionary history. Many interphylum differences within the DPANN superphylum were found. For example, Altiarchaeota had the biggest genome among DPANN phyla, possessing many pathways missing in other phyla, such as formaldehyde assimilation and the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway. In addition, LGT acted as an important force to provide DPANN archaeal genetic flexibility that permitted the occupation of diverse niches. This study has advanced our understanding of the diversity and genome evolution of archaea.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1128/msystems.00602-21","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.1128/msystems.00602-21","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/microorganisms8111667","name":"Uncovering Unique Green Algae and Cyanobacteria Isolated from Biocrusts in Highly Saline Potash Tailing Pile Habitats, Using an Integrative Approach.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Potash tailing piles caused by fertilizer production shape their surroundings because of the associated salt impact. A previous study in these environments addressed the functional community \"biocrust\" comprising various micro- and macro-organisms inhabiting the soil surface. In that previous study, biocrust microalgae and cyanobacteria were isolated and morphologically identified amongst an ecological discussion. However, morphological species identification maybe is difficult because of phenotypic plasticity, which might lead to misidentifications. The present study revisited the earlier species list using an integrative approach, including molecular methods. Seventy-six strains were sequenced using the markers small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacer (ITS). Phylogenetic analyses confirmed some morphologically identified species. However, several other strains could only be identified at the genus level. This indicates a high proportion of possibly unknown taxa, underlined by the low congruence of the previous morphological identifications to our results. In general, the integrative approach resulted in more precise species identifications and should be considered as an extension of the previous morphological species list. The majority of taxa found were common in saline habitats, whereas some were more likely to occur in nonsaline environments. Consequently, biocrusts in saline environments of potash tailing piles contain unique microalgae and cyanobacteria that will possibly reveal several new taxa in more detailed future studies and, hence, provide new data on the biodiversity, as well as new candidates for applied research.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8111667","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.3390/microorganisms8111667","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.spc.2020.08.011","name":"Potential of microbial protein from hydrogen for preventing mass starvation in catastrophic scenarios.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Human civilization's food production system is currently unprepared for catastrophes that would reduce global food production by 10% or more, such as nuclear winter, supervolcanic eruptions or asteroid impacts. Alternative foods that do not require much or any sunlight have been proposed as a more cost-effective solution than increasing food stockpiles, given the long duration of many global catastrophic risks (GCRs) that could hamper conventional agriculture for 5 to 10 years. Microbial food from single cell protein (SCP) produced via hydrogen from both gasification and electrolysis is analyzed in this study as alternative food for the most severe food shock scenario: a sun-blocking catastrophe. Capital costs, resource requirements and ramp up rates are quantified to determine its viability. Potential bottlenecks to fast deployment of the technology are reviewed. The ramp up speed of food production for 24/7 construction of the facilities over 6 years is estimated to be lower than other alternatives (3-10% of the global protein requirements could be fulfilled at end of first year), but the nutritional quality of the microbial protein is higher than for most other alternative foods for catastrophes. Results suggest that investment in SCP ramp up should be limited to the production capacity that is needed to fulfill only the minimum recommended protein requirements of humanity during the catastrophe. Further research is needed into more uncertain concerns such as transferability of labor and equipment production. This could help reduce the negative impact of potential food-related GCRs.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2020.08.011","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2020.08.011","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.crmicr.2022.100134","name":"Perspectives on the microorganism of extreme environments and their applications.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Extremophiles are organisms that can survive and thrive in conditions termed as \"extreme\" by human beings. Conventional methods cannot be applied under extreme conditions like temperature and pH fluctuations, high salinity, etc. for a variety of reasons. Extremophiles can function and are adapted to thrive in these environments and are sustainable, cheaper, and efficient, therefore, they serve as better alternatives to the traditional methods. They adapt to these environments with biochemical and physiological changes and produce products like extremolytes, extremozymes, biosurfactants, etc., which are found to be useful in a wide range of industries like sustainable agriculture, food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. These products also play a crucial role in bioremediation, production of biofuels, biorefinery, and astrobiology. This review paper comprehensively lists out the current applications of extremophiles and their products in various industries and explores the prospects of the same. They help us understand the underlying basis of biological mechanisms exploring the boundaries of life and thus help us understand the origin and evolution of life on Earth. This helps us in the research for extra-terrestrial life and space exploration. The structure and biochemical properties of extremophiles along with any possible long-term effects of their applications need to be investigated further.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crmicr.2022.100134","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.1016/j.crmicr.2022.100134","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s00428-024-03845-1","name":"The role of pathologists in the diagnosis of occupational lung diseases: an expert opinion of the European Society of Pathology Pulmonary Pathology Working Group.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Occupational lung/thoracic diseases are a major global public health issue. They comprise a diverse spectrum of health conditions with complex pathology, most of which arise following chronic heavy workplace exposures to various mineral dusts, metal fumes, or following inhaled organic particulate reactions. Many occupational lung diseases could become irreversible; thus accurate diagnosis is mandatory to minimize dust exposure and consequently reduce damage to the respiratory system. Lung biopsy is usually required when exposure history is inconsistent with imaging, in case of unusual or new exposures, in case of unexpected malignancy, and in cases in which there are claims for personal injury and legal compensation. In this paper, we provide an overview of the most frequent occupational lung diseases with a focus on pathological diagnosis. This is a paper that summarizes the expert opinion from a group of European pathologists, together with contributions from other specialists who are crucial for the diagnosis and management of these diseases. Indeed, tight collaboration of all specialists involved in the workup is mandatory as many occupational lung diseases are misdiagnosed or go unrecognized. This document provides a guide for pathologists in practice to facilitate the accurate diagnosis of occupational lung disease. The review article reports relevant topics discussed during an educational course held by expert pathologists, active members of the Pulmonary Pathology Working Group of the European Society of Pathology. The course was endorsed by the University of Padova as a \"winter school\" (selected project in the call for \"Shaping a World-class University\" 2022).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-024-03845-1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.1007/s00428-024-03845-1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s10653-017-0008-5","name":"Human lung injury following exposure to humic substances and humic-like substances.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Among the myriad particles the human respiratory tract is exposed to, a significant number are distinctive in that they include humic substances (HS) and humic-like substances (HULIS) as organic components. HS are heterogeneous, amorphous, organic materials which are ubiquitous occurring in all terrestrial and aqueous environments. HULIS are a complex class of organic, macromolecular compounds initially extracted from atmospheric aerosol particles which share some features with HS including an aromatic, polyacidic nature. As a result of having a variety of oxygen-containing functional groups, both HS and HULIS complex metal cations, especially iron. Following particle uptake by cells resident in the lung, host iron will be sequestered by HS- and HULIS-containing particles initiating pathways of inflammation and subsequent fibrosis. It is proposed that (1) human exposures to HS and HULIS of respirable size (<10 µm diameter) are associated with inflammatory and fibrotic lung disease and (2) following retention of particles which include HS and HULIS, the mechanism of cell and tissue injury involves complexation of host iron. Human inflammatory and fibrotic lung injuries following HS and HULIS exposures may include coal workers' pneumoconiosis, sarcoidosis, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis as well as diseases associated with cigarette smoking and exposures to emission and ambient air pollution particles.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-017-0008-5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.1007/s10653-017-0008-5","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s42438-022-00338-9","name":"The Postdigital-Biodigital Revolution.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-022-00338-9","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.1007/s42438-022-00338-9","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/fsn3.70217","name":"Bioactive Ingredients, Functions, and Development Strategies of &lt;i&gt;Phascolosoma esculenta&lt;/i&gt;-An Edible Marine Organism: A Review.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Marine organisms represent a significant source for foods and medicines. Phascolosoma esculenta as an edible marine organism grows in the intertidal zone along the southern coast of China. It is high in protein and low in fat with excellent nutritional value. Various studies have shown that P. esculenta contains numerous bioactive ingredients with potential physiological functions, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, liver and cardiovascular protective, cerebrovascular protective, and immune-regulating properties. Moreover, P. esculenta possesses a range of antioxidant proteins that mitigate oxidative damage resulting from environmental stress, making it a candidate for use in environmental monitoring. Therefore, it holds significant potential across various sectors, including food, medicine, nutrition and health care, and environmental monitoring. This paper concludes by summarizing the bioactive ingredients and functions of P. esculenta as well as various research technologies related to marine functional foods, aiming to provide a foundation for developing P. esculenta into green foods or medicinal products.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.70217","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.1002/fsn3.70217","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/jpm13071176","name":"Immune Biomarkers in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Improving the Predictivity of Current Testing Methods.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) poses a significant challenge in terms of prognosis and disease recurrence. The limited treatment options and the development of resistance to chemotherapy make it particularly difficult to manage these patients. However, recent research has been shifting its focus towards biomarker-based approaches for TNBC, with a particular emphasis on the tumor immune landscape. Immune biomarkers in TNBC are now a subject of great interest due to the presence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in these tumors. This characteristic often coincides with the presence of PD-L1 expression on both neoplastic cells and immune cells within the tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, a subset of TNBC harbor mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) TNBC, which is frequently accompanied by microsatellite instability (MSI). All of these immune biomarkers hold actionable potential for guiding patient selection in immunotherapy. To fully capitalize on these opportunities, the identification of additional or complementary biomarkers and the implementation of highly customized testing strategies are of paramount importance in TNBC. In this regard, this article aims to provide an overview of the current state of the art in immune-related biomarkers for TNBC. Specifically, it focuses on the various testing methodologies available and sheds light on the immediate future perspectives for patient selection. By delving into the advancements made in understanding the immune landscape of TNBC, this study aims to contribute to the growing body of knowledge in the field. The ultimate goal is to pave the way for the development of more personalized testing strategies, ultimately improving outcomes for TNBC patients.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm13071176","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.3390/jpm13071176","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/nbt.4268","name":"The virome hunters.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.4268","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.1038/nbt.4268","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1098/rsta.2014.0474","name":"Fracturing across the multi-scales of diverse materials.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Everyone has to deal with fracturing of materials at one level or another, beginning from normal household chores and extending to the largest scale of observations reported for catastrophic events occurring on a geological level or even expanded to events in outer space. Such wide perspective is introduced in the current introduction of this theme issue. The follow-on organization of technical articles provides a flavour of the range in size scales at which fracturing occurs in a wide diversity of materials-from 'fracking' oil extraction and earth moving to laboratory testing of rock material and extending to the cracking of tooth enamel. Of important scientific interest are observations made and analysed at the smallest dimensions corresponding to the mechanisms by which fracture is either enhanced or hindered by permanent deformation or other processes. Such events are irrevocably linked to the atomic structure in all engineering materials, a sampling of which is presented, including results for crystalline and amorphous materials. Hooray for the broad subject description that is hoped to be appealing to the interested reader.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2014.0474","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.1098/rsta.2014.0474","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s10712-022-09713-4","name":"Natural and Anthropogenic Sources of Seismic, Hydroacoustic, and Infrasonic Waves: Waveforms and Spectral Characteristics (and Their Applicability for Sensor Calibration).","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The record of seismic, hydroacoustic, and infrasonic waves is essential to detect, identify, and localize sources of both natural and anthropogenic origin. To guarantee traceability and inter-station comparability, as well as an estimation of the measurement uncertainties leading to a better monitoring of natural disasters and environmental aspects, suitable measurement standards and reliable calibration procedures of sensors, especially in the low-frequency range down to 0.01 Hz, are required. Most of all with regard to the design goal of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation's International Monitoring System, which requires the stations to be operational nearly 100% of the time, the on-site calibration during operation is of special importance. The purpose of this paper is to identify suitable excitation sources and elaborate necessary requirements for on-site calibrations. We give an extensive literature review of a large variety of anthropogenic and natural sources of seismic, hydroacoustic, and infrasonic waves, describe their most prominent features regarding signal and spectral characteristics, explicitly highlight some source examples, and evaluate the reviewed sources with respect to requirements for on-site calibrations such as frequency bandwidth, signal properties as well as the applicability in terms of cost-benefit. According to our assessment, earthquakes stand out across all three waveform technologies as a good natural excitation signal meeting the majority of the requirements. Furthermore, microseisms and microbaroms allow a calibration at very low frequencies. We also find that in each waveform technique man-made controlled sources such as drop weights or air guns are in good agreement with the required properties, although limitations may arise regarding the practicability. Using these sources, procedures will be established allowing calibration without record interrupting, thereby improving data quality and the identification of treaty-related events.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10712-022-09713-4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.1007/s10712-022-09713-4","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s11625-023-01316-1","name":"Bringing the Nature Futures Framework to life: creating a set of illustrative narratives of nature futures.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"To halt further destruction of the biosphere, most people and societies around the globe need to transform their relationships with nature. The internationally agreed vision under the Convention of Biological Diversity-Living in harmony with nature-is that \"By 2050, biodiversity is valued, conserved, restored and wisely used, maintaining ecosystem services, sustaining a healthy planet and delivering benefits essential for all people\". In this context, there are a variety of debates between alternative perspectives on how to achieve this vision. Yet, scenarios and models that are able to explore these debates in the context of \"living in harmony with nature\" have not been widely developed. To address this gap, the Nature Futures Framework has been developed to catalyse the development of new scenarios and models that embrace a plurality of perspectives on desirable futures for nature and people. In this paper, members of the IPBES task force on scenarios and models provide an example of how the Nature Futures Framework can be implemented for the development of illustrative narratives representing a diversity of desirable nature futures: information that can be used to assess and develop scenarios and models whilst acknowledging the underpinning value perspectives on nature. Here, the term illustrative reflects the multiple ways in which desired nature futures can be captured by these narratives. In addition, to explore the interdependence between narratives, and therefore their potential to be translated into scenarios and models, the six narratives developed here were assessed around three areas of the transformative change debate, specifically, (1) land sparing vs. land sharing, (2) Half Earth vs. Whole Earth conservation, and (3) green growth vs. post-growth economic development. The paper concludes with an assessment of how the Nature Futures Framework could be used to assist in developing and articulating transformative pathways towards desirable nature futures. Supplementary information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11625-023-01316-1.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-023-01316-1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.1007/s11625-023-01316-1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2023.0072","name":"Bridging Place-Based Astrobiology Education with Genomics, Including Descriptions of Three Novel Bacterial Species Isolated from Mars Analog Sites of Cultural Relevance.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Democratizing genomic data science, including bioinformatics, can diversify the STEM workforce and may, in turn, bring new perspectives into the space sciences. In this respect, the development of education and research programs that bridge genome science with \"place\" and world-views specific to a given region are valuable for Indigenous students and educators. Through a multi-institutional collaboration, we developed an ongoing education program and model that includes Illumina and Oxford Nanopore sequencing, free bioinformatic platforms, and teacher training workshops to address our research and education goals through a place-based science education lens. High school students and researchers cultivated, sequenced, assembled, and annotated the genomes of 13 bacteria from Mars analog sites with cultural relevance, 10 of which were novel species. Students, teachers, and community members assisted with the discovery of new, potentially chemolithotrophic bacteria relevant to astrobiology. This joint education-research program also led to the discovery of species from Mars analog sites capable of producing N -acyl homoserine lactones, which are quorum-sensing molecules used in bacterial communication. Whole genome sequencing was completed in high school classrooms, and connected students to funded space research, increased research output, and provided culturally relevant, place-based science education, with participants naming three novel species described here. Students at St. Andrew's School (Honolulu, Hawai'i) proposed the name Bradyrhizobium prioritasuperba for the type strain, BL16A T , of the new species (DSM 112479 T = NCTC 14602 T ). The nonprofit organization Kauluakalana proposed the name Brenneria ulupoensis for the type strain, K61 T , of the new species (DSM 116657 T = LMG = 33184 T ), and Hawai'i Baptist Academy students proposed the name Paraflavitalea speifideiaquila for the type strain, BL16E T , of the new species (DSM 112478 T = NCTC 14603 T ).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2023.0072","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2023.0072","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/psp4.12383","name":"A Network Pharmacology Approach for the Identification of Common Mechanisms of Drug-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Drug-induced peripheral neuropathy is a side effect of a variety of therapeutic agents that can affect therapeutic adherence and lead to regimen modifications, impacting patient quality of life. The molecular mechanisms involved in the development of this condition have yet to be completely described in the literature. We used a computational network pharmacology approach to explore the Connectivity Map, a large collection of transcriptional profiles from drug perturbation experiments to identify common genes affected by peripheral neuropathy-inducing drugs. Consensus profiles for 98 of these drugs were used to construct a drug-gene perturbation network. We identified 27 genes significantly associated with neuropathy-inducing drugs. These genes may have a potential role in the action of neuropathy-inducing drugs. Our results suggest that molecular mechanisms, including alterations in mitochondrial function, microtubule and cytoskeleton function, ion channels, transcriptional regulation including epigenetic mechanisms, signal transduction, and wound healing, may play a critical role in drug-induced peripheral neuropathy.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/psp4.12383","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z","doi":"10.1002/psp4.12383","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"pmid:41906523","name":"Editorial Commentary: From Tendon Wars to Mars: Why the Quadriceps Might Be the Last Autograft Standing.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"In 2026, we are sending probes to Mars, mining metals from asteroids, and debating whether artificial intelligence should write our operative notes, yet we are still arguing about which tendon to use for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Amid the noise, the quadriceps tendon has quietly re-emerged as the pragmatic choice in a field long dominated by graft dogma. With its broad cross-sectional area, favorable collagen alignment, and lower donor-site morbidity, it offers an appealing balance between biomechanics and biology. Recent evidence shows comparable stability and superior patient comfort compared with bone-patellar tendon-bone and hamstring grafts, particularly in athletes and revision cases. The quadriceps graft combines strength, predictability, and humility-it performs without demanding worship. As we move toward precision surgery and personalized orthopedics, perhaps the real question is no longer which graft is superior, but whether our reasoning has evolved as fast as our technology.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41906523/","authors":["Berthold DP","Bormann M"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Feb","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z"},{"id":"pmid:41676354","name":"Extraterrestrial regolith is hemostatic and potentially suitable for hemorrhage control in space.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Long-duration space missions beyond low Earth orbit pose increased risks of injury to astronauts. Traumatic hemorrhage will be a cause of preventable death. Due to payload constraints, in situ production of medical materials is essential. Regolith from the Moon, Mars, and asteroids is rich in silicates, which may serve as a hemostatic agent.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41676354/","authors":["Ali-Mohamad N","Wang TH","Juang LJ","Peng N","Cau MF","Cannon K","Kastrup CJ"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jan","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z"},{"id":"pmid:39410294","name":"Novel High-Strength and High-Temperature Resistant Composite Material for In-Space Optical Mining Applications: Modeling, Design, and Simulation at the Polymer and Atomic/Molecular Levels.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"This study explores the modeling, design, simulation, and testing of a new composite material designed for high-strength and high-temperature resistance in in-space optical mining, examining its properties at both the polymer and atomic/molecular levels. At the polymer level, the investigation includes mechanical and thermal performance analyses using COMSOL Multiphysics 6.1, employing layerwise theory, equivalent single layer (ESL) theory, and a multiple-model approach for mechanical modeling, alongside virtual thermal experiments simulating laser heating. Experimentally, porous Polyaniline (PANI) films are fabricated via electrochemical polymerization, with variations in voltage and deposition time, to study their morphology, optical performance, and electrochemical behavior. At the atomic and molecular levels, this study involves modeling the composite material, composed of Nomex, Kevlar, and Spirooxazine-Doped PANI, and simulating its behavior. The significance of this work lies in developing a novel composite material for in-space optical mining, integrating it into optical mining systems, and introducing innovative thermal management solutions, which contribute to future space exploration by improving resource efficiency and sustainability, while also enhancing the understanding of PANI film properties for in-space applications.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39410294/","authors":["Sare H","Dong D"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 Sep 26","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z"},{"id":"pmid:39039074","name":"The evolution of organic material on Asteroid 162173 Ryugu and its delivery to Earth.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The recent return of samples from asteroid 162173 Ryugu provides a first insight into early Solar System prebiotic evolution from known planetary bodies. Ryugu's samples are CI chondrite-like, rich in water and organic material, and primarily composed of phyllosilicate. This phyllosilicate surrounds micron to submicron macromolecular organic particles known as insoluble organic matter. Using advanced microscopy techniques on Hayabusa-2 samples, we find that aqueous alteration on Ryugu produced organic particles richer in aromatics compared to less altered carbonaceous chondrites. This challenges the view that aromatic-rich organic matter formed pre-accretion. Additionally, widespread diffuse organic material occurs in phyllosilicate more aliphatic-, carboxylic-rich, and aromatic-poor than the discrete organic particles, likely preserving the soluble organic material. Some organic particles evolved to encapsulate phyllosilicate, indicating that aqueous alteration on Ryugu led to the containment of soluble organic matter within these particles. Earth therefore has been, and continues to be, delivered micron-sized polymeric organic objects containing biologically relevant molecules.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39039074/","authors":["Changela HG","Kebukawa Y","Petera L","Ferus M","Chatzitheodoridis E","Nejdl L","Nebel R","Protiva V","Krepelka P","Moravcova J","Holbova R","Hlavenkova Z","Samoril T","Bridges JC","Yamashita S","Takahashi Y","Yada T","Nakato A","Sobotkova K","Tesarova H","Zapotok D"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 Jul 22","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z"},{"id":"pmid:37844231","name":"Mining in space could spur sustainable growth.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Growth models with resources and environmental externalities typically assume that planet Earth is a closed economy. However, private firms like Blue Origin and SpaceX have reduced the cost of rocket launches by a factor of 20 over the last decade. What if these costs continue to decline, making mining from asteroids or the moon feasible? What would be the implications for economic growth and the environment? This paper provides stylized facts about cost trends, geology, and the environmental impact of mining on Earth and potentially in Space. We extend a neoclassical growth model to investigate the transition from mining on Earth to Space. We find that such a transition could potentially allow for continued growth of metal use, while limiting environmental and social costs on Earth. Acknowledging the high uncertainty around the topic, our paper provides a starting point for research on how Space mining could contribute to sustainable growth on Earth.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37844231/","authors":["Fleming M","Lange I","Shojaeinia S","Stuermer M"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023 Oct 24","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z"},{"id":"pmid:37807021","name":"A novel method for extracting metals from asteroids using non-aqueous deep eutectic solvents.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Extra-terrestrial mining and metal processing are vital for access to strategic metals for space exploration. This study demonstrates for the first time the catalytic dissolution of metals from meteorite proxies of metal-rich asteroids using a deep eutectic solvent (DES). DESs are of particular interest for extra-terrestrial mining as they can be designed to have relatively low vapour pressures and could potentially be made from organic waste products created in extra-terrestrial settlements. Three types of meteorites were investigated: two chondrites (H3, H5) and one iron (IAB-MG) meteorite. Chondrite samples were composed of silicates (olivine, pyroxene) with metal-rich phases occurring as native metal alloys, sulphides and oxides. Metallic Fe-Ni and troilite (FeS) are the most abundant metal-bearing phases in all three samples, particularly in the iron-rich meteorite. The samples were subjected to chemical micro-etching experiments with iodine and iron(III) chloride as oxidising agents in a DES formed from the mixture of choline chloride and ethylene glycol. Micro-etching experiments demonstrated that Fe-Ni rich phases are effectively leached out in this system, while other mineral phases remain unreactive.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37807021/","authors":["Rivera RM","Bird P","Jenkin GRT","Abbott AP"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023 Oct 8","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z"},{"id":"pmid:36858072","name":"Orbital period change of Dimorphos due to the DART kinetic impact.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft successfully performed the first test of a kinetic impactor for asteroid deflection by impacting Dimorphos, the secondary of near-Earth binary asteroid (65803) Didymos, and changing the orbital period of Dimorphos. A change in orbital period of approximately 7&#x2009;min was expected if the incident momentum from the DART spacecraft was directly transferred to the asteroid target in a perfectly inelastic collision 1 , but studies of the probable impact conditions and asteroid properties indicated that a considerable momentum enhancement (&#x3b2;) was possible 2,3 . In the years before impact, we used lightcurve observations to accurately determine the pre-impact orbit parameters of Dimorphos with respect to Didymos 4-6 . Here we report the change in the orbital period of Dimorphos as a result of the DART kinetic impact to be -33.0&#x2009;&#xb1;&#x2009;1.0&#x2009;(3&#x3c3;)&#x2009;min. Using new Earth-based lightcurve and radar observations, two independent approaches determined identical values for the change in the orbital period. This large orbit period change suggests that ejecta contributed a substantial amount of momentum to the asteroid beyond what the DART spacecraft carried.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36858072/","authors":["Thomas CA","Naidu SP","Scheirich P","Moskovitz NA","Pravec P","Chesley SR","Rivkin AS","Osip DJ","Lister TA","Benner LAM","Brozović M","Contreras C","Morrell N","Rożek A","Kušnirák P","Hornoch K","Mages D","Taylor PA","Seymour AD","Snodgrass C","Jørgensen UG","Dominik M","Skiff B","Polakis T","Knight MM","Farnham TL","Giorgini JD","Rush B","Bellerose J","Salas P","Armentrout WP","Watts G","Busch MW","Chatelain J","Gomez E","Greenstreet S","Phillips L","Bonavita M","Burgdorf MJ","Khalouei E","Longa-Peña P","Rabus M","Sajadian S","Chabot NL","Cheng AF","Ryan WH","Ryan EV","Holt CE","Agrusa HF"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023 Apr","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z"},{"id":"pmid:35484269","name":"Exocomets size distribution in the [Formula: see text] Pictoris planetary system.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The star [Formula: see text]&#xa0;Pictoris harbors a young planetary system of about 20 million years old, which is characterized by the presence of a gaseous and dusty debris disk, at least two massive planets and many minor bodies. For more than thirty years, exocomets transiting the star have been detected using spectroscopy, probing the gaseous part of the cometary comas and tails. The detection of the dusty component of the tails can be performed through photometric observations of the transits. Since 2018, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite has observed [Formula: see text]&#xa0;Pic for a total of 156&#xa0;days. Here we report an analysis of the TESS photometric data set with the identification of a total of 30 transits of exocomets. Our statistical analysis shows that the number of transiting exocomet events (N) as a function of the absorption depth (AD) in the light curve follows a power law in the form [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text]. This distribution of absorption depth leads to a differential comet size distribution proportional to [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text], showing a striking similarity to the size distribution of comets in the Solar system and the distribution of a collisionally relaxed population ([Formula: see text]).","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35484269/","authors":["Lecavelier des Etangs A","Cros L","Hébrard G","Martioli E","Duquesnoy M","Kenworthy MA","Kiefer F","Lacour S","Lagrange AM","Meunier N","Vidal-Madjar A"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022 Apr 28","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z"},{"id":"pmid:34993644","name":"The smallest space miners: principles of space biomining.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"As we aim to expand human presence in space, we need to find viable approaches to achieve independence from terrestrial resources. Space biomining of the Moon, Mars and asteroids has been indicated as one of the promising approaches to achieve in-situ resource utilization by the main space agencies. Structural and expensive metals, essential mineral nutrients, water, oxygen and volatiles could be potentially extracted from extraterrestrial regolith and rocks using microbial-based biotechnologies. The use of bioleaching microorganisms could also be applied to space bioremediation, recycling of waste and to reinforce regenerative life support systems. However, the science around space biomining is still young. Relevant differences between terrestrial and extraterrestrial conditions exist, including the rock types and ores available for mining, and a direct application of established terrestrial biomining techniques may not be a possibility. It is, therefore, necessary to invest in terrestrial and space-based research of specific methods for space applications to learn the effects of space conditions on biomining and bioremediation, expand our knowledge on organotrophic and community-based bioleaching mechanisms, as well as on anaerobic biomining, and investigate the use of synthetic biology to overcome limitations posed by the space environments.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34993644/","authors":["Santomartino R","Zea L","Cockell CS"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022 Jan 6","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z"},{"id":"pmid:34534397","name":"Bridging the gap between microbial limits and extremes in space: space microbial biotechnology in the next 15 years.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The establishment of a permanent human settlement in space is one of humanity's ambitions. To achieve this, microorganisms will be used to carry out many functions such as recycling, food and pharmaceutical production, mining and other processes. However, the physical and chemical extremes in all locations beyond Earth exceed known growth limits of microbial life. Making microbes more tolerant of a greater range of extraterrestrial extremes will not produce organisms that can grow in unmodified extraterrestrial environments since in many of them not even liquid water can exist. However, by narrowing the gap, the engineering demands on bioindustrial processes can be reduced and greater robustness can be incorporated into the biological component. I identify and describe these required microbial biotechnological modifications and speculate on long-term possibilities such as microbial biotechnology on Saturn's moon Titan to support a human presence in the outer Solar System and bioprocessing of asteroids. A challenge for space microbial biotechnology in the coming decades is to narrow the microbial gap by systemically identifying the genes required to do this and incorporating them into microbial systems that can be used to carry out bioindustrial processes of interest.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34534397/","authors":["Cockell CS"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022 Jan","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z"},{"id":"pmid:34404900","name":"Publisher Correction: Organic matter and water from asteroid Itokawa.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34404900/","authors":["Chan QHS","Stephant A","Franchi IA","Zhao X","Brunetto R","Kebukawa Y","Noguchi T","Johnson D","Price MC","Harriss KH","Zolensky ME","Grady MM"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021 Aug 17","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z"},{"id":"pmid:33664290","name":"Organic matter and water from asteroid Itokawa.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Understanding the true nature of extra-terrestrial water and organic matter that were present at the birth of our solar system, and their subsequent evolution, necessitates the study of pristine astromaterials. In this study, we have studied both the water and organic contents from a dust particle recovered from the surface of near-Earth asteroid 25143 Itokawa by the Hayabusa mission, which was the first mission that brought pristine asteroidal materials to Earth's astromaterial collection. The organic matter is presented as both nanocrystalline graphite and disordered polyaromatic carbon with high D/H and 15 N/ 14 N ratios (&#x3b4;D&#x2009;=&#x2009;&#x2009;+&#x2009;4868&#x2009;&#xb1;&#x2009;2288&#x2030;; &#x3b4; 15 N&#x2009;=&#x2009;&#x2009;+&#x2009;344&#x2009;&#xb1;&#x2009;20&#x2030;) signifying an explicit extra-terrestrial origin. The contrasting organic feature (graphitic and disordered) substantiates the rubble-pile asteroid model of Itokawa, and offers support for material mixing in the asteroid belt that occurred in scales from small dust infall to catastrophic impacts of large asteroidal parent bodies. Our analysis of Itokawa water indicates that the asteroid has incorporated D-poor water ice at the abundance on par with inner solar system bodies. The asteroid was metamorphosed and dehydrated on the formerly large asteroid, and was subsequently evolved via late-stage hydration, modified by D-enriched exogenous organics and water derived from a carbonaceous parent body.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33664290/","authors":["Chan QHS","Stephant A","Franchi IA","Zhao X","Brunetto R","Kebukawa Y","Noguchi T","Johnson D","Price MC","Harriss KH","Zolensky ME","Grady MM"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021 Mar 4","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z"},{"id":"pmid:33283201","name":"Arrival and magnetization of carbonaceous chondrites in the asteroid belt before 4562 million years ago.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Meteorite magnetizations can provide rare insight into early Solar System evolution. Such data take on new importance with recognition of the isotopic dichotomy between non-carbonaceous and carbonaceous meteorites, representing distinct inner and outer disk reservoirs, and the likelihood that parent body asteroids were once separated by Jupiter and subsequently mixed. The arrival time of these parent bodies into the main asteroid belt, however, has heretofore been unknown. Herein, we show that weak CV (Vigarano type) and CM (Mighei type) carbonaceous chondrite remanent magnetizations indicate acquisition by the solar wind 4.2 to 4.8 million years after Ca-Al-rich inclusion (CAI) formation at heliocentric distances of ~2-4 AU. These data thus indicate that the CV and CM parent asteroids had arrived near, or within, the orbital range of the present-day asteroid belt from the outer disk isotopic reservoir within the first 5 million years of Solar System history.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33283201/","authors":["O'Brien T","Tarduno JA","Anand A","Smirnov AV","Blackman EG","Carroll-Nellenback J","Krot AN"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z"},{"id":"pmid:33033037","name":"Asteroid (101955) Bennu's weak boulders and thermally anomalous equator.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Thermal inertia and surface roughness are proxies for the physical characteristics of planetary surfaces. Global maps of these two properties distinguish the boulder population on near-Earth asteroid (NEA) (101955) Bennu into two types that differ in strength, and both have lower thermal inertia than expected for boulders and meteorites. Neither has strongly temperature-dependent thermal properties. The weaker boulder type probably would not survive atmospheric entry and thus may not be represented in the meteorite collection. The maps also show a high-thermal inertia band at Bennu's equator, which might be explained by processes such as compaction or strength sorting during mass movement, but these explanations are not wholly consistent with other data. Our findings imply that other C-complex NEAs likely have boulders similar to those on Bennu rather than finer-particulate regoliths. A tentative correlation between albedo and thermal inertia of C-complex NEAs may be due to relative abundances of boulder types.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33033037/","authors":["Rozitis B","Ryan AJ","Emery JP","Christensen PR","Hamilton VE","Simon AA","Reuter DC","Al Asad M","Ballouz RL","Bandfield JL","Barnouin OS","Bennett CA","Bernacki M","Burke KN","Cambioni S","Clark BE","Daly MG","Delbo M","DellaGiustina DN","Elder CM","Hanna RD","Haberle CW","Howell ES","Golish DR","Jawin ER","Kaplan HH","Lim LF","Molaro JL","Munoz DP","Nolan MC","Rizk B","Siegler MA","Susorney HCM","Walsh KJ","Lauretta DS"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020 Oct","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z"},{"id":"pmid:31950574","name":"Continuous-Flow Extraction of Adjacent Metals-A Disruptive Economic Window for In Situ Resource Utilization of Asteroids?","source":"pubmed","abstract":"For the in&#x2005;situ resource utilization (ISRU) of asteroids, the cost-mass conundrum needs to be solved, and technologies may need to be conceptualised from first principals. By using this approach, this Review seeks to illustrate how chemical process intensification can help with the development of disruptive technologies and business matters, how this might influence space-industry start-ups, and even industrial transformations on Earth. The disruptive technology considered is continuous microflow solvent extraction and, as another disruptive element therein, the use of ionic liquids. The space business considered is asteroid mining, as it is probably the most challenging resource site, and the focus is on its last step: the purification of adjacent metals (cobalt versus nickel). The key economic barrier is defined as the reduction in the amount of water used in the asteroid mining process. This Review suggests a pathway toward water savings up to the technological limit of the best Earth-based processes and their physical limits.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31950574/","authors":["Hessel V","Tran NN","Orandi S","Asrami MR","Goodsite M","Nguyen H"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021 Feb 15","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z"},{"id":"pmid:31489363","name":"Hypervelocity impacts as a source of deceiving surface signatures on iron-rich asteroids.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Several arguments point to a larger proportion of metal-rich asteroids than that derived from spectral observations, as remnants of collisional disruptions of differentiated bodies. We show experimentally that this apparent deficit may result from the coating of metallic surfaces by silicate melts produced during impacts of hydrated or dry projectiles at typical asteroid impact speeds. Spectral analysis of steel and iron meteorite targets after impact shows a profoundly modified optical signature. Furthermore, hydrated projectiles leave a 3-&#x3bc;m absorption hydration feature. This feature is thus consistent with a metallic surface and does not require an unusual low-speed impact. Unless systematizing radar measurements, ground-based spectral observations can be deceptive in identifying iron-rich bodies. The NASA Psyche mission rendezvous with Psyche will offer the unique opportunity both to measure the relative abundances of regolith and glassy coated surfaces and to substantially increase our understanding of impact processes and signatures on a metal-rich asteroid.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31489363/","authors":["Libourel G","Nakamura AM","Beck P","Potin S","Ganino C","Jacomet S","Ogawa R","Hasegawa S","Michel P"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019 Aug","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z"},{"id":"pmid:30602939","name":"Analytical mechanics of asteroid disassembly using the Orbital Siphon effect.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"A chain of tether-connected payload masses assembled from the surface material of a spherical rotating asteroid is envisaged as a means of delivering a fraction of the asteroid mass into orbit, without the need of external work to be done. Under conditions to be discussed, a net radial force is established on the chain which can be exploited to initialize an orbital siphon effect: new payloads are connected to the chain while top payloads are removed and released into orbit. Adopting simplifying assumptions, the underlying dynamics of the problem is entirely analytical and is investigated in detail. The amount of mass extractable from the asteroid is then discussed, according to a range of strategies. It is proposed that the scheme could in future provide an efficient means of extracting material resources from rotating Near Earth Asteroids.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30602939/","authors":["Viale A","McInnes C","Ceriotti M"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018 Dec","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z"},{"id":"pmid:29960559","name":"A new experimental capability for the study of regolith surface physical properties to support science, space exploration, and in situ resource utilization (ISRU).","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Many surfaces found on the Moon, asteroids, Mars, moons, and other planetary bodies are covered in a fine granular material known as regolith. Increased knowledge of the physical properties of extraterrestrial regolith surfaces will help advance the scientific knowledge of these bodies as well as the development of exploration (e.g., instrument and robotic) and in situ resource utilization (ISRU) systems. The Center for Space Resources at the Colorado School of Mines as part of the Institute for Modeling Plasma, Atmospheres, and Cosmic Dust of NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute has developed a novel system, called the ISRU Experimental Probe (IEP) that can support studies of dry and icy regolith from -196 to 150 &#xb0;C and pressure from laboratory ambient pressure to 10 -7 Torr. The IEP system and proof-of-concept results are presented in this paper.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29960559/","authors":["Dreyer CB","Abbud-Madrid A","Atkinson J","Lampe A","Markley T","Williams H","McDonough K","Canney T","Haines J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018 Jun","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z"},{"id":"pmid:29674908","name":"Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic Asteroidea database.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The present dataset is a compilation of georeferenced occurrences of asteroids (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) in the Southern Ocean. Occurrence data south of 45&#xb0;S latitude were mined from various sources together with information regarding the taxonomy, the sampling source and sampling sites when available. Records from 1872 to 2016 were thoroughly checked to ensure the quality of a dataset that reaches a total of 13,840 occurrences from 4,580 unique sampling events. Information regarding the reproductive strategy (brooders vs. broadcasters) of 63 species is also made available. This dataset represents the most exhaustive occurrence database on Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic asteroids.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29674908/","authors":["Moreau C","Mah C","Agüera A","Améziane N","David Barnes","Crokaert G","Eléaume M","Griffiths H","Charlène Guillaumot","Hemery LG","Jażdżewska A","Quentin Jossart","Vladimir Laptikhovsky","Linse K","Neill K","Sands C","Thomas Saucède","Schiaparelli S","Siciński J","Vasset N","Bruno Danis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z"},{"id":"pmid:32455407","name":"ASTEROID LIGHTCURVE ANALYSIS AT CS3-PALMER DIVIDE STATION: 2017 APRIL THRU JUNE.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Lightcurves for 16 main-belt asteroids were obtained at the Center for Solar System Studies-Palmer Divide Station (CS3-PDS) from 2017 April thru June. Many of the asteroids were \"strays\" in the field of planned targets, demonstrating a good reason for data mining images. Analysis shows that the Hungaria asteroid (45878) 2000 WX29 may be binary.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32455407/","authors":["Warner BD"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017 Oct-Dec","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z"},{"id":"pmid:32455401","name":"ASTEROID LIGHTCURVE ANALYSIS AT CS3-PALMER DIVIDE STATION: 2016 DECEMBER THRU 2017 MARCH.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Lightcurves for 18 main-belt asteroids were obtained at the Center for Solar System Studies-Palmer Divide Station (CS3-PDS) from 2016 December thru 2017 March. Many of the asteroids were \"strays\" in the field of planned targets, demonstrating a good reason for data mining images. Analysis shows that the Hungaria asteroid (45878) 2000 WX29 may be binary.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32455401/","authors":["Warner BD"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017 Jul-Sep","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z"},{"id":"pmid:32455366","name":"LIGHTCURVE ANALYSIS OF NEA 2015 HM10.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Independent CCD photometry observations by the authors of the near-Earth asteroid 2015 HM10 were made in 2015 July. Analysis of both data sets found a synodic rotation period of approximately 0.376 h and amplitude of 1.47 &#xb1; 0.05 mag.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32455366/","authors":["Warner BD","Ryan WH"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016 Jan-Mar","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z"},{"id":"pmid:2927889","name":"Vitrectomy when asteroid hyalosis prevents laser photocoagulation.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Asteroid hyalosis is a relatively common disorder of the vitreous that rarely causes visual impairment. However, funduscopic examination and laser photocoagulation can be difficult because of reflections off the asteroid bodies. Although vitrectomy is rarely indicated for impaired visual acuity, we report three cases in which pars plana vitrectomy was necessary to permit required retinal laser photocoagulation. In two patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy and a third patient with subretinal neovascularization marked asteroid hyalosis precluded photocoagulation by standard techniques.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2927889/","authors":["Lambrou FH Jr","Sternberg P Jr","Meredith TA","Mines J","Fine SL"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1989 Feb","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z"},{"id":"pmid:17797965","name":"Mining the apollo and amor asteroids.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Earth-approaching asteroids could provide raw materials for space manufacturing. For certain asteroids the total energy per unit mass for the transfer of asteroidal resources to a manufacturing site in high Earth orbit is comparable to that for lunar materials. For logistical reasons the cost may be many times less. Optical studies suggest that these asteroids have compositions corresponding to those of carbonaceous and ordinary chondrites, with some containing large quantities of iron and nickel; others are thought to contain carbon, nitrogen, and hydrogen, elements that appear to be lacking on the moon. The prospect that several new candidate asteroids will be discovered over the next few years increases the likelihood that a variety of asteroidal resource materials can be retrieved on low-energy missions.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17797965/","authors":["O'leary B"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1977 Jul 22","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:03.474Z"},{"id":"oa:W1979129737","name":"Arecibo Radar Mapping of the Lunar Poles: A Search for Ice Deposits","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Arecibo 12.6-centimeter wavelength radar system was used to image the polar regions of the moon at a resolution of 125 meters in a search for ice deposits in areas of possible permanent shadow from the sun. No areas greater than 1 square kilometer were found with high radar backscatter cross sections and high circular polarization ratios, properties suggestive of the presence of ice. A number of areas smaller than 1 square kilometer were found with these properties, but optical images from spacecraft missions have shown some of these features to be in sunlight. Arecibo radar images of Sinus Iridum at latitude 47°N also showed a number of small features with similar properties. The coincidence of some of these features with the radar-facing slopes of craters and their presence in sunlit areas suggests that very rough surfaces rather than ice deposits are responsible for their unusual radar properties.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.276.5318.1527","authors":["N.J.S. Stacy","D. B. Campbell","P. G. Ford"],"tags":["Radar","Geology","Remote sensing","Impact crater","Polar"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997-06-06","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1126/science.276.5318.1527","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2601877120","name":"Evidence for surface water ice in the lunar polar regions using reflectance measurements from the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter and temperature measurements from the Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2017.03.023","authors":["Elizabeth A. Fisher","P. G. Lucey","M. Lemelin","B. T. Greenhagen","M.A. Siegler","E. Mazarico","O. Aharonson","J. P. Williams","P. O. Hayne","G. A. Neumann","D. A. Paige","David E. Smith","M. T. Zuber"],"tags":["Polar","Orbiter","Impact crater","Geology","Latitude"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-04-02","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1016/j.icarus.2017.03.023","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2014.09.037","name":"Evolution of lunar polar ice stability","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2014.09.037","authors":["Matt Siegler","David Paige","Jean-Pierre Williams","Bruce Bills"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-10-12T10:06:42Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1016/j.icarus.2014.09.037","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2005758436","name":"Possible origin of lunar ice","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0273-1177(02)00489-1","authors":["B. A. Klumov","A. A. Berezhnoĭ"],"tags":["Comet","Astrobiology","Polar","Atmosphere (unit)","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-10-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1016/s0273-1177(02","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W1995898701","name":"Lunar ice: Can its origin be determined?","source":"openalex","abstract":"The comet hypothesis of the origin of lunar ice, which was recently discovered in the polar regions of the moon by Lunar Prospector, is examined. It is shown that a comet impact produces a temporary atmosphere whose volatile component accumulates essentially completely in cold traps — the permanently shadowed regions of the Moon. The condensation of volatile compounds leads to the formation of ice with a definite chemical and isotopic composition, which contains important information about the composition of the comet. This hypothesis can be checked during the next lunar missions, and if confirmed, definite progress will have been made in understanding the nature of comets.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1134/1.567840","authors":["A. A. Berezhnoĭ","B. A. Klumov"],"tags":["Comet","Astrobiology","Polar","Condensation","Meteoroid"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-07-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1134/1.567840","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2987346675","name":"Ice Mining in Lunar Permanently Shadowed Regions","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Colorado School of Mines has developed a system architecture for a lunar permanently shadowed region (PSR) mining operation to extract and process water ice into liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen propellant. The availability of space-sourced propellants dramatically lowers the cost of space transportation beyond low Earth orbit, enabling the development of a robust commercial economy in cislunar space. A key component of the architecture is an ice extraction method called thermal mining. In thermal mining, ice is sublimated by applying heat directly to the surface and the near subsurface of the PSR, the vapor is captured under a dome-like tent, then directed toward cold traps where it refreezes for transport to a processing system. A simple business case analysis indicates thermal mining of propellants on the Moon can be a profitable commercial enterprise.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/space.2019.0002","authors":["George F. Sowers","Christopher B. Dreyer"],"tags":["Propellant","Astrobiology","Aerospace engineering","Thermal","Space (punctuation)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-11-06","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1089/space.2019.0002","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1088/0004-637x/788/2/169","name":"THE LUNAR THERMAL ICE PUMP","source":"crossref","abstract":"It has long been suggested that water ice can exist in extremely cold regions near the lunar poles, where sublimation loss is negligible. The geographic distribution of H-bearing regolith shows only a partial or ambiguous correlation with permanently shadowed areas, thus suggesting that another mechanism may contribute to locally enhancing water concentrations. We show that under suitable conditions, water molecules can be pumped down into the regolith by day–night temperature cycles, leading to an enrichment of H 2 O in excess of the surface concentration. Ideal conditions for pumping are estimated and found to occur where the mean surface temperature is below 105 K and the peak surface temperature is above 120 K. These conditions complement those of the classical cold traps that are roughly defined by peak temperatures lower than 120 K. On the present-day Moon, an estimated 0.8% of the global surface area experiences such temperature variations. Typically, pumping occurs on pole-facing slopes in small areas, but within a few degrees of each pole the equator-facing slopes are preferred. Although pumping of water molecules is expected over cumulatively large areas, the absolute yield of this pump is low; at best, a few percent of the H 2 O delivered to the surface could have accumulated in the near-surface layer in this way. The amount of ice increases with vapor diffusivity and is thus higher in the regolith with large pore spaces.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/788/2/169","authors":["Norbert Schorghofer","Oded Aharonson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-06-05T13:14:05Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1088/0004-637x/788/2/169","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W4310506587","name":"Commercial Lunar Ice Mining: Is There a Role for Royalties?","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spacepol.2022.101525","authors":["Ben McKeown","Andrew G. Dempster","Serkan Saydam","Jeff Coulton"],"tags":["Mandate","Space (punctuation)","Context (archaeology)","Business","Resource (disambiguation)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-12-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1016/j.spacepol.2022.101525","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2161264942","name":"The behavior of volatiles on the lunar surface","source":"openalex","abstract":"Volatiles, and water in particular, have been thought to be unstable on the lunar surface because of the rapid removal of constituents of the lunar atmosphere by solar radiation, solar wind, and gravitational escape. The limiting factor in removal of a volatile from the moon, however, is actually the evaporation rate of the solid phase, which will be collected at the coldest points on the lunar surface. We present a detailed theory of the behavior of volatiles on the lunar surface based on solid-vapor kinetic relationships, and show that water is far more stable there than the noble gases or other possible constituents of the lunar atmosphere. Numerical calculations indicate the amount of water lost from the moon since the present surface conditions were initiated is only a few grams per square centimeter of the lunar surface. The amount of ice eventually detected in lunar ‘cold traps’ thus will provide a sensitive indication of the degree of chemical differentiation of the moon.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/jz066i009p03033","authors":["Kenneth Watson","Bruce C. Murray","Harrison Brown"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Surface (topology)","Geology","Geophysics","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1961-09-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1029/jz066i009p03033","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2163101776","name":"Lack of Exposed Ice Inside Lunar South Pole Shackleton Crater","source":"openalex","abstract":"The inside of Shackleton Crater at the lunar south pole is permanently shadowed; it has been inferred to hold water-ice deposits. The Terrain Camera (TC), a 10-meter-resolution stereo camera onboard the Selenological and Engineering Explorer (SELENE) spacecraft, succeeded in imaging the inside of the crater, which was faintly lit by sunlight scattered from the upper inner wall near the rim. The estimated temperature of the crater floor, based on the crater shape model derived from the TC data, is less than approximately 90 kelvin, cold enough to hold water-ice. However, at the TC's spatial resolution, the derived albedo indicates that exposed relatively pure water-ice deposits are not on the crater floor. Water-ice may be disseminated and mixed with soil over a small percentage of the area or may not exist at all.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1164020","authors":["J. Haruyama","M. Ohtake","Tsuneo Matsunaga","Tomokatsu Morota","Chikatoshi Honda","Y. Yokota","C. M. Pieters","Seiichi Hara","K. Hioki","Kazuto Saiki","Hideaki Miyamoto","Akira Iwasaki","Masanao Abe","Yoshiko Ogawa","H. Takeda","Motomaro Shirao","Atsushi Yamaji","Jean‐Luc Josset"],"tags":["Impact crater","Geology","Albedo (alchemy)","Astrobiology","Water ice"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-10-24","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1126/science.1164020","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1006/icar.2000.6476","name":"The Lunar Poles: Water Ice or Chemically Trapped Hydrogen?","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1006/icar.2000.6476","authors":["L Starukhina"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-09-17T19:19:12Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1006/icar.2000.6476","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W3095599406","name":"Stratigraphy of Ice and Ejecta Deposits at the Lunar Poles","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Water ice has been delivered to the lunar poles from different sources over billions of years, but this accumulation was punctuated by large impacts that excavated dry regolith from depth and emplaced it in layers over the poles. Here, we model the resulting stratigraphies of ice and ejecta deposits in the lunar polar regions. Large polar craters were age dated, and their ejecta distributions calculated with standard scaling relations. We then created a Monte Carlo model for ice deposition and ejecta emplacement. Typical model runs showed that deposits in older cold traps (&gt;4 Ga) are divided into two zones: buried ice‐rich gigaton deposits and younger more gardened mantles. The latter are consistent with small crater morphometry measurements, but the existence of substantial ice buried at great depths is more difficult to confirm. Rare outlier model runs included Mercury‐like cases with significant deposition events in recent history (&lt;200 Ma).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2020gl088920","authors":["Kevin M. Cannon","A. N. Deutsch","J. W. Head","D. T. Britt"],"tags":["Ejecta","Geology","Regolith","Impact crater","Polar"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-10-27","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1029/2020gl088920","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W3002470485","name":"On the Cometary Origin of the Lunar Ice","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3002470485","authors":["V. V. Shevchenko"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Geology","Water ice","Asteroid","Geology of the Moon"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-09-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"oa:W2117169821","name":"Volatile content of lunar volcanic glasses and the presence of water in the Moon’s interior","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/nature07047","authors":["A. E. Saal","E. H. Hauri","Mauro Lo Cascio","James A. Van Orman","Malcolm C. Rutherford","R. F. Cooper"],"tags":["Basalt","Volcano","Volatiles","Astrobiology","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-07-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1038/nature07047","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W3009267019","name":"Lunar Ice Cube Mission: Determining Lunar Water Dynamics with a First Generation Deep Space CubeSat","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3009267019","authors":["P. E. Clark","B. Malphrus","Kenneth Brown","Dennis C. Reuter","R. J. MacDowall","D. Folta","Avi M. Mandell","T. A. Hurford","Cliff Brambora","Deepak Patel","S. Banks","W. M. Farrell","N. E. Petro","Michael Tsay","Vlad Hruby","Carl Brandon","Peter Chapin"],"tags":["Astrobiology","CubeSat","Water ice","Rotational dynamics","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-03-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"oa:W2020169086","name":"Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Overview: The Instrument Suite and Mission","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-007-9153-y","authors":["Gordon Chin","S. Brylow","M. C. Foote","J. B. Garvin","J. C. Kasper","J. W. Keller","M. L. Litvak","И. Г. Митрофанов","D. A. Paige","Keith Raney","M. S. Robinson","А. Б. Санин","David E. Smith","H. E. Spence","P. D. Spudis","S. A. Stern","M. T. Zuber"],"tags":["Orbiter","Remote sensing","Geology","Altimeter","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-05-03","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1007/s11214-007-9153-y","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W3154970828","name":"New Approaches to Lunar Ice Detection and Mapping","source":"openalex","abstract":"Whitepaper #251 submitted to the Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey 2023-2032. Topics: habitability and water; Mercury and/or the Moon; solar system formation, dynamics processes, and chronology","url":"https://doi.org/10.3847/25c2cfeb.bacb0f3b","authors":["P. O. Hayne","D. A. Paige","Andrew P. Ingersoll","O. Aharonson","Shane Byrne","B. A. Cohen","A. Colaprete","Christopher S. Edwards","E. J. Foote","B. T. Greenhagen","Amanda Hendrix","B. Hermalyn","M. Horányi","Yang Liu","P. G. Lucey","Benjamin K. Malphrus","T. B. McCord","Michael J. Poston","Gerald B. Sanders","Norbert Schörghofer","Matthew Siegler","Robert Staehle","Wayne Zimmerman"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Geology","Remote sensing","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-03-18","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.3847/25c2cfeb.bacb0f3b","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2331039326","name":"Nuclear-heated steam rocket using lunar ice","source":"openalex","abstract":"A first-order derivation and estimates of the power-permass and specific impulse yield requirements for a nuclear-heated steam rocket (NSR) to deliver payloads to lunar escape from the lunar south pole. The NSR would use lunar-derived water directly as its rocket propellant. Estimates of the ice and cryofuel processing infrastructure masses for the cryofuel alternative provide a reference for comparison. Low Performance, Baseline and High Performance NSR examples calculate payloads delivered and propellant used, given a range of specific power assumptions. Issues of nuclear fuel element temperature and power density are discussed. Results suggest that power density of order 75 megawatts per ton of rocket at a specific impulse of 195 seconds (mixed mean outlet temperature of order 1100 K) are both achievable and will provide highly competitive payloads. For example, a 2 ton, Low Performance NSR tanker making 3 trips per day would deliver of order 240 tons of payload per month to lunar escape. Compared to a cryofueled system, Baseline NSR requires between 150 and 720 times less infrastructure to deliver a given payload to lunar escape. This could imply a dramatic drop in mission cost.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.1997-3172","authors":["Anthony Zuppero","Bruce Schnitzler","Thomas K. Larson","Anthony Zuppero","Bruce Schnitzler","Thomas K. Larson"],"tags":["Payload (computing)","Rocket (weapon)","Propellant","Specific impulse","Aerospace engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997-07-06","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.2514/6.1997-3172","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1029/2000je001491","name":"Ice in the lunar polar regions revisited","source":"crossref","abstract":"The common wisdom that water ice may exist in lunar polar cold traps has become a significant factor in the selection of space research objectives. The purpose of this paper is to address two topics that are missing from the discourse on lunar water: the effect that the pristine cleanliness of the regolith has on water transport on the moon, and the limits on water exposure implied by the extremely high adsorption potentials of the surfaces of soil grains. Water transport is characterized by chemisorption on soil grains and the mixing of “wet” grains into the regolith by meteoritic gardening. Ballistic lateral flow, which is generally thought to be an efficient conduit for moving water to the poles, is actually a secondary phenomenon that is facilitated by solar wind and micrometeor erosion but not by thermal desorption, as is the case for the dominant lunar exospheric gases, He and 40 Ar. Simulation results show that even under the most optimistic conditions, less than 7% of the water accumulated in the regolith resides in the polar cold traps, where water concentrations cannot be greater than 350 ppm. More important, when realistic transport parameters are used in the simulator, the polar water concentration is reduced by almost 2 orders of magnitude. In a word, the concept of water ice at the lunar poles is insupportable.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2000je001491","authors":["R. Richard Hodges"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-10-27T18:39:25Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1029/2000je001491","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2059965159","name":"The lunar atmosphere: History, status, current problems, and context","source":"openalex","abstract":"After decades of speculation and fruitless searches by observers, the lunar atmosphere was first observed by Apollo surface and orbital instruments beginning in 1971. With the end of Apollo missions in 1972 and the termination of funding for Apollo lunar ground station observations in 1977 the field withered for many years, but it has recently enjoyed a renaissance. This renewal was initiated by the discovery of lunar atmospheric sodium and potassium by ground‐based observers and was furthered by the in situ detection of metal ions derived from the Moon in interplanetary space, the possible discoveries of H 2 O ice at the poles of the Moon and Mercury, and the detection of tenuous atmospheres around other remote sites in the solar system, including Mercury and several Galilean satellites. In this review I attempt to summarize the present state of knowledge about the lunar atmosphere, describe the important physical processes taking place within it, and compare the lunar atmosphere with other tenuous atmospheres in the solar system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/1999rg900005","authors":["S. A. Stern"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Apollo","Atmosphere (unit)","Interplanetary spaceflight","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-11-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1029/1999rg900005","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2061146217","name":"Concept of wireless sensor network for future in-situ exploration of lunar ice using wireless impedance sensor","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2012.09.006","authors":["Jayesh Pabari","Y. B. Acharya","U.B. Desai","S. N. Merchant"],"tags":["Wireless sensor network","Remote sensing","Computer science","Terrain","Wireless"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-09-16","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1016/j.asr.2012.09.006","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W1994183426","name":"Ice at the Lunar Poles","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1511/2003.26.867","authors":["R. R. Vondrak","Dana Crider"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Geology","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1511/2003.26.867","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2128387312","name":"The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment on NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter will be the first instrument to systematically map the global thermal state of the Moon and its diurnal and seasonal variability. Diviner will measure reflected solar and emitted infrared radiation in nine spectral channels with wavelengths ranging from 0.3 to 400 microns. The resulting measurements will enable characterization of the lunar thermal environment, mapping surface properties such as thermal inertia, rock abundance and silicate mineralogy, and determination of the locations and temperatures of volatile cold traps in the lunar polar regions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-009-9529-2","authors":["D. A. Paige","M. C. Foote","B. T. Greenhagen","J. T. Schofield","S. B. Calcutt","A. R. Vasavada","Daniel J. Preston","F. W. Taylor","Carlton C. Allen","Kelly Snook","B. M. Jakosky","Bruce C. Murray","L. A. Soderblom","Bruno M. Jau","S. Loring","J. Bulharowski","Neil E. Bowles","Ian Thomas","Mark Sullivan","Charles Avis","E. M. De Jong","W. Hartford","D. J. McCleese"],"tags":["Orbiter","Remote sensing","Radiometer","Astrobiology","Planetary science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-06-25","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1007/s11214-009-9529-2","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2991106538","name":"Lunar Ice Cube: Searching for Lunar Volatiles with a lunar cubesat orbiter","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W2991106538","authors":["P. E. Clark","B. Malphrus","Kevin Brown","T. A. Hurford","Cliff Brambora","R. J. MacDowall","David Folta","Michael Tsay","Carl Brandon","Lunar Ice Cube Team"],"tags":["Orbiter","Astrobiology","CubeSat","Centaur","Moon landing"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-10-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"oa:W3117684533","name":"Development of a micro-ice production apparatus and NIR spectral measurements of frosted minerals for future lunar ice exploration missions","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2020.114273","authors":["Aoi Ogishima","Kazuto Saiki"],"tags":["Regolith","Solar System","Astrobiology","Remote sensing","Water ice"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-12-20","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1016/j.icarus.2020.114273","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2148345729","name":"Testing lunar permanently shadowed regions for water ice: LEND results from LRO","source":"openalex","abstract":"We use measurements from the Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) collimated sensors during more than one year of the mapping phase of NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission to make estimates of the epithermal neutron flux within known large Permanently Shadowed Regions (PSRs). These are compared with the local neutron background measured outside PSRs in sunlit regions. Individual and collective analyses of PSR properties have been performed. Only three large PSRs, Shoemaker and Cabeus in the south and Rozhdestvensky U in the north, have been found to manifest significant neutron suppression. All other PSRs have much smaller suppression, only a few percent, if at all. Some even display an excess of neutron emission in comparison to the sunlit vicinity around them. Testing PSRs collectively, we have not found any average suppression for them. Only the group of 18 large PSRs, with area &gt;200 km 2 , show a marginal effect of small average suppression, ∼2%, with low statistical confidence. A ∼2% suppression corresponds to ∼125 ppm of hydrogen taking into account the global neutron suppression near the lunar poles and assuming a homogeneous H distribution in depth in the regolith. This means that all PSRs, except those in Shoemaker, Cabeus and Rozhdestvensky U craters, do not contain any significant amount of hydrogen in comparison with sunlit areas around them at the same latitude.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2011je003971","authors":["А. Б. Санин","И. Г. Митрофанов","M. L. Litvak","A. Malakhov","W. V. Boynton","G. Chin","G. Droege","L. G. Evans","J. B. Garvin","D. V. Golovin","K. Harshman","T. P. McClanahan","М. И. Мокроусов","E. Mazarico","G. M. Milikh","G. A. Neumann","R. Z. Sagdeev","David E. Smith","R. Starr","M. T. Zuber"],"tags":["Regolith","Orbiter","Neutron","Physics","Impact crater"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-05-03","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1029/2011je003971","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2078072995","name":"Lunar Prospector: Overview","source":"openalex","abstract":"Lunar Prospector is providing a global map of the composition of the moon and analyzing the moon's gravity and magnetic fields. It has been in a polar orbit around the moon since 16 January 1998. Neutron flux data show that there is abundant H, and hence probably abundant water ice, in the lunar polar regions. Gamma-ray and neutron data reveal the distribution of Fe, Ti, and other major and trace elements on the moon. The data delineate the global distributions of a key trace element-rich component of lunar materials called KREEP and of the major rock types. Magnetic mapping shows that the lunar magnetic fields are strong antipodal to Mare Imbrium and Mare Serenitatis and has discovered the smallest known magnetosphere, magnetosheath, and bow shock complex in the solar system. Gravity mapping has delineated seven new gravity anomalies and shown that the moon has a small Fe-rich core of about 300 km radius.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.281.5382.1475","authors":["Alan B. Binder"],"tags":["Geology","Lunar mare","Geophysics","Polar","Impact crater"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-09-04","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1126/science.281.5382.1475","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2891959896","name":"Nature of and lessons learned from Lunar Ice Cube and the first deep space cubesat 'cluster'","source":"openalex","abstract":"Cubesats operating in deep space face challenges Earth-orbiting cubesats do not. 15 deep space cubesat 'prototypes' will be launched over the next two years including the two MarCO cubesats, the 2018 demonstration of dual communication system at Mars, and the 13 diverse cubesats being deployed from the SLS EM1 mission within the next two years. Three of the EM1 cubesat missions, including the first deep space cubesat 'cluster', will be lunar orbiters with remote sensing instruments for lunar surface/regolith measurements. These include: Lunar Ice Cube, with its 1-4 micron broadband IR spectrometer, BIRCHES, to determine volatile distribution as a function of time of day; Lunar Flashlight, to confirm the presence of surface ice at the lunar poles, utilizing an active source (laser), and looking for absorption features in the returning signal; and LunaH-Map to characterize ice at or below the surface at the poles with a compact neutron spectrometer. In addition, the BIRCHES instrument on Lunar Ice Cube will provide the first demonstration of a microcryocooler (AIM/IRIS) in deep space. Although not originally required to do so, all will be delivering science data to the Planetary Data System, the first formal archiving effort for cubesats. 4 of the 20 recently NASA-sponsored (PSDS3) study groups for deep space cubesat/smallsat mission concepts were lunar mission concepts, most involving 12U cubesats. NASA SIMPLEX 2/SALMON 3 AO will create ongoing opportunities for low-cost missions as 'rides' on government space program or private sector vehicles as these become available.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2320055","authors":["P. E. Clark","R. J. MacDowall","Benjamin K. Malphrus","Cliff Brambora","D. Folta","W. M. Farrell","Allen Lunsford","Matthew D. Grubb","T. A. Hurford","Sarah Wilzcewski","Emily Bujold"],"tags":["CubeSat","NASA Deep Space Network","Remote sensing","Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-09-18","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1117/12.2320055","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2915178446","name":"Commercial lunar propellant architecture: A collaborative study of lunar propellant production","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.reach.2019.100026","authors":["David Kornuta","Angel Abbud-Madrid","Jared Atkinson","Jonathan Barr","Gary P. Barnhard","Dallas Bienhoff","Brad R. Blair","Vanessa Clark","Justin Cyrus","Blair DeWitt","Chris Dreyer","Barry W. Finger","Jonathan Goff","Koki Ho","Laura Kelsey","Jim Keravala","Bernard Kutter","Philip T. Metzger","Laura Montgomery","Phillip Morrison","C. R. Neal","Erica Otto","Gordon Roesler","Jim Schier","Brandon Seifert","George F. Sowers","P. D. Spudis","Mark J. Sundahl","K. Zacny","Guangdong Zhu"],"tags":["Propellant","Astrobiology","Architecture","Production (economics)","Aerospace engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-27","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1016/j.reach.2019.100026","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2955938653","name":"The Lunar IceCube EM-1 Mission: Prospecting the Moon for Water Ice","source":"openalex","abstract":"Lunar IceCube is a NASA nanosatellite mission designed to prospect, locate, and measure volumes and composition of water ice deposits and other volatiles on the Moon in support of future exploitation by robots and human explorers. Lunar IceCube is one of several public -private partnerships selected under NASA's Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships Broad Agency Announcement for the development of advanced exploration systems. Among the first small satellites planned to explore deep space, Lunar IceCube, along with the 12 other Exploration Mission One (EM -1) missions will help lay a foundation for future small-scale planetary missions. In addition to providing useful scientific data, Lunar IceCube will help inform NASA's strategy for sending humans farther into the solar system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/maes.2019.2909384","authors":["Benjamin K. Malphrus","Kevin Brown","José Ángel García","Charles D. Conner","Jeff Kruth","Michael Combs","Nathan Fite","Sean McNeil","Sarah Wilczweski","Kennedy Haught","Aaron Zucherman","P. E. Clark","Krisjani Angkasa","Nathaniel Richard","T. A. Hurford","D. Folta","Clifford Brambora","R. J. MacDowall","Paul Mason","Sun Hur-Diaz","Joseph L. Breeden","Robert M. Nakamura","Andrés Martínez","Michael Tsay"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Space exploration","Solar System","Prospecting","Remote sensing"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-04-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1109/maes.2019.2909384","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2027281105","name":"Space weathering of ice layers in lunar cold traps","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0273-1177(03)00530-1","authors":["D.H. Crider","R. R. Vondrak"],"tags":["Regolith","Space weathering","Sublimation (psychology)","Sea ice growth processes","Weathering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-06-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1016/s0273-1177(03","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W3083238317","name":"Thermal extraction of water ice from the lunar surface - A 3D numerical model","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2020.105082","authors":["Julie Brisset","Thomas Miletich","Philip T. Metzger"],"tags":["Regolith","Extraction (chemistry)","Volume (thermodynamics)","Materials science","Thermal"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-09-04","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1016/j.pss.2020.105082","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W3036745869","name":"Lunar Ice Cube: Determining Volatile Systematics Via Lunar Orbiting Cubesat","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3036745869","authors":["P. E. Clark","B. Malphrus","R. J. MacDowall","D. Folta","Avi M. Mandell","Clifford Brambora","Deepak Patel","S. Banks","Kurt Hohman","Vlad Hruby","Kenneth Brown","Jeff Kruth","Rachel E. Cox"],"tags":["Astrobiology","CubeSat","Geology","Far side of the Moon","Astronomy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-10-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"oa:W2995207868","name":"Searching for potential ice-rich mining sites on the Moon with the Lunar Volatiles Scout","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2019.104826","authors":["J. Biswas","S. Sheridan","Craig Pitcher","L. Richter","M. Reganaz","S. J. Barber","Philipp Reiss"],"tags":["Regolith","Extraction (chemistry)","Astrobiology","Water ice","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-12-18","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1016/j.pss.2019.104826","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W3168703599","name":"Investigation on in-situ water ice recovery considering energy efficiency at the lunar south pole","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.117136","authors":["Hongqing Song","Jie Zhang","Dongdong Ni","Yueqiang Sun","Yongchun Zheng","Jue Kou","Xianguo Zhang","Zhengyi Li"],"tags":["Sublimation (psychology)","Water vapor","Water ice","Environmental science","Vapor pressure"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-06-05","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.117136","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W1988387719","name":"A Lunar Influence on Ice Nucleus Concentrations","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/197172a0","authors":["E. K. Bigg"],"tags":["Nucleus","Astrobiology","Precipitation","Relation (database)","Phase (matter)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1963-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1038/197172a0","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2468740512","name":"Summary of the results from the lunar orbiter laser altimeter after seven years in lunar orbit","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2016.06.006","authors":["David E. Smith","M. T. Zuber","G. A. Neumann","E. Mazarico","F. G. Lemoine","J. W. Head","P. G. Lucey","O. Aharonson","M. S. Robinson","Xiaoli Sun","M. H. Torrence","M. K. Barker","Juergen Oberst","T. Duxbury","Dandan Mao","O. S. Barnouin","K. Jha","D. D. Rowlands","Sander Goossens","D. M. H. Baker","Sven Bauer","Philipp Gläser","M. Lemelin","M. A. Rosenburg","Michael M. Sori","J. L. Whitten","T. P. McClanahan"],"tags":["Orbiter","Altimeter","Lunar orbit","Astrobiology","Impact crater"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-06-26","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1016/j.icarus.2016.06.006","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2144455356","name":"Exospheric transport restrictions on water ice in lunar polar traps","source":"openalex","abstract":"There is little doubt that at least 10 17 g of water has accreted on the moon as a result of the reduction of ferric iron at the regolith surface by solar wind protons, the vaporization of chondrites, and perhaps comet impacts. Lacking an efficient escape mechanism, most of this water (or its progeny) is probably on the moon now. If the water were to have migrated to permanently shaded cold traps near the lunar poles, ice deposits with densities greater than 1000 g cm −2 would cover the traps, providing accessible resources. However, exospheric transport considerations suggest that the actual amount of water ice in the cold traps is probably too small to be of practical interest. The alternative is global assimilation of most of the water into the regolith, a process that must account for about 30 micromoles of water per gram of soil.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/91gl02533","authors":["R. R. Hodges"],"tags":["Regolith","Astrobiology","Water ice","Polar","Vaporization"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1991-11-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1029/91gl02533","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W1971611755","name":"Illumination conditions at the lunar South Pole","source":"openalex","abstract":"Recent remote sensing data strongly suggest that deposits of ice occur in permanently shadowed regions at the lunar poles. Clementine, by providing the first contiguous coverage of the Moon, has enabled the production of an illumination map of the south pole. This map shows the extent of the areas of permanent darkness during winter in this region as well as identifying places on the lunar surface that receive illumination for more than 50% of the lunar day. The permanently dark areas are prime candidates for locations of ice deposits while regions that are illuminated for anomalous periods are possible sites for lunar bases. In this paper we study in detail the illumination history during a lunar day of some of these sites. While we find no area that receives permanent illumination, we do find two areas, only 10 km apart, which collectively receive sunlight for over 98% of the time.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/1999gl900213","authors":["D. B. J. Bussey","P. D. Spudis","M. S. Robinson"],"tags":["Clementine (nuclear reactor)","Geology","Remote sensing","Astrobiology","Far side of the Moon"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-05-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1029/1999gl900213","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2037460055","name":"The Clementine Bistatic Radar Experiment","source":"openalex","abstract":"During the Clementine 1 mission, a bistatic radar experiment measured the magnitude and polarization of the radar echo versus bistatic angle, beta, for selected lunar areas. Observations of the lunar south pole yield a same-sense polarization enhancement around beta = 0. Analysis shows that the observed enhancement is localized to the permanently shadowed regions of the lunar south pole. Radar observations of periodically solar-illuminated lunar surfaces, including the north pole, yielded no such enhancement. A probable explanation for these differences is the presence of low-loss volume scatterers, such as water ice, in the permanently shadowed region at the south pole.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.274.5292.1495","authors":["S. Nozette","Christopher L. Lichtenberg","P. D. Spudis","R. Bonner","W. Ort","E. Malaret","M. S. Robinson","E. M. Shoemaker"],"tags":["Clementine (nuclear reactor)","Remote sensing","Geology","Bistatic radar","Radar"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1996-11-29","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1126/science.274.5292.1495","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W4323046968","name":"Launch parameters of a lunar ice payload traveling via electromagnetic mass accelerator","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2023.02.041","authors":["Heidi D. Beemer","I.R. McNab"],"tags":["Payload (computing)","Aerospace engineering","Lunar orbit","Halo orbit","Space exploration"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-03-04","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2023.02.041","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2359759206","name":"Quantification of Water Ice in the Hermite-A Crater of the Lunar North Pole","source":"openalex","abstract":"Knowledge of the amount of water ice on the lunar surface will play a crucial role in future lunar missions. The discovery of large quantities of water ice on the Moon will have very significant implications for human space exploration. In this letter, the methodology for quantification of water ice is developed. Quantification of water ice present in the permanently shadowed region (PSR) of Hermite-A Crater is done by comparing simulated dielectric constant values obtained using the Campbell model and laboratory-measured dielectric constant values of terrestrial analogue of lunar soil for various percentages of water ice content. From this analysis, it is observed that about 66.32% of the total PSR of Hermite-A Crater is covered with different percentages of water ice. In this letter, all the pixels of the PSR of Hermite-A Crater, with a spatial resolution of 7.4 m/pixel, have been mapped with their corresponding water ice content ranging from 0% to 9%.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/lgrs.2016.2554282","authors":["O. P. N. Calla","Shubhra Mathur","Kishan Lal Gadri"],"tags":["Impact crater","Geology","Water ice","Remote sensing","Dielectric"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-05-13","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1109/lgrs.2016.2554282","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2017380441","name":"Constraints on the volatile distribution within Shackleton crater at the lunar south pole","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11216","authors":["M. T. Zuber","J. W. Head","David E. Smith","G. A. Neumann","E. Mazarico","M. H. Torrence","O. Aharonson","Alexander Tye","C. I. Fassett","M. A. Rosenburg","H. J. Melosh"],"tags":["Impact crater","Orbiter","Geology","Astrobiology","Space weathering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-06-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1038/nature11216","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2954517238","name":"Evidence for ultra-cold traps and surface water ice in the lunar south polar crater Amundsen","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2019.06.002","authors":["E. Sefton‐Nash","J. P. Williams","B. T. Greenhagen","T. Warren","J. L. Bandfield","K. M. Aye","F. Leader","M.A. Siegler","P. O. Hayne","Neil E. Bowles","D. A. Paige"],"tags":["Impact crater","Orbiter","Albedo (alchemy)","Emissivity","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-06-07","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1016/j.icarus.2019.06.002","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2015430665","name":"Global lunar-surface mapping experiment using the Lunar Imager/Spectrometer on SELENE","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Moon is the nearest celestial body to the Earth. Understanding the Moon is the most important issue confronting geosciences and planetary sciences. Japan will launch the lunar polar orbiter SELENE (Kaguya) (Kato et al. , 2007) in 2007 as the first mission of the Japanese long-term lunar exploration program and acquire data for scientific knowledge and possible utilization of the Moon. An optical sensing instrument called the Lunar Imager/Spectrometer (LISM) is loaded on SELENE. The LISM requirements for the SELENE project are intended to provide high-resolution digital imagery and spectroscopic data for the entire lunar surface, acquiring these data for scientific knowledge and possible utilization of the Moon. Actually, LISM was designed to include three specialized sub-instruments: a terrain camera (TC), a multi-band imager (MI), and a spectral profiler (SP). The TC is a high-resolution stereo camera with 10-m spatial resolution from a SELENE nominal altitude of 100 km and a stereo angle of 30° to provide stereo pairs from which digital terrain models (DTMs) with a height resolution of 20 m or better will be produced. The MI is a multi-spectral imager with four and five color bands with 20 m and 60 m spatial resolution in visible and near-infrared ranges, which will provide data to be used to distinguish the geological units in detail. The SP is a line spectral profiler with a 400-m-wide footprint and 300 spectral bands with 6–8 nm spectral resolution in the visible to near-infrared ranges. The SP data will be sufficiently powerful to identify the lunar surface’s mineral composition. Moreover, LISM will provide data with a spatial resolution, signal-to-noise ratio, and covered spectral range superior to that of past Earth-based and spacecraft-based observations. In addition to the hardware instrumentation, we have studied operation plans for global data acquisition within the limited total data volume allotment per day. Results show that the TC and MI can achieve global observations within the restrictions by sharing the TC and MI observation periods, adopting appropriate data compression, and executing necessary SELENE orbital plane change operations to ensure global coverage by MI. Pre-launch operation planning has resulted in possible global TC high-contrast imagery, TC stereoscopic imagery, and MI 9-band imagery in one nominal mission period. The SP will also acquire spectral line profiling data for nearly the entire lunar surface. The east-west interval of the SP strip data will be 3–4 km at the equator by the end of the mission and shorter at higher latitudes. We have proposed execution of SELENE roll cant operations three times during the nominal mission period to execute calibration site observations, and have reached agreement on this matter with the SELENE project. We present LISM global surface mapping experiments for instrumentation and operation plans. The ground processing systems and the data release plan for LISM data are discussed briefly.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/bf03352788","authors":["J. Haruyama","Tsuneo Matsunaga","M. Ohtake","Tomokatsu Morota","Chikatoshi Honda","Y. Yokota","M. Torii","Yoshiko Ogawa","LISM Working Group"],"tags":["Remote sensing","Orbiter","Spectral resolution","Terrain","Stereo imaging"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-04-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1186/bf03352788","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W1966517433","name":"Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector for the NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-009-9608-4","authors":["И. Г. Митрофанов","A. Bartels","Y. I. Bobrovnitsky","W. V. Boynton","G. Chin","H. Enos","L. G. Evans","S. Floyd","J. B. Garvin","D. V. Golovin","А. С. Гребенников","K. Harshman","L. L. Kazakov","J. W. Keller","А. А. Коновалов","A. S. Kozyrev","A. R. Krylov","M. L. Litvak","A. Malakhov","T. P. McClanahan","G. M. Milikh","М. И. Мокроусов","S. N. Ponomareva","R. Z. Sagdeev","А. Б. Санин","V. V. Shevchenko","В. Н. Швецов","R. Starr","Г. Н. Тимошенко","Т. М. Томилина","V. I. Tretyakov","J. I. Trombka","V. S. Troshin","Vladimir Uvarov","A. Varennikov","A. Vostrukhin"],"tags":["Orbiter","Regolith","Astrobiology","Lunar orbit","Remote sensing"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-12-18","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1007/s11214-009-9608-4","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W3176410904","name":"RESOLVE Lunar Ice/Volatile Payload Development and Field Test Status","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3176410904","authors":["G. B. Sanders","R. S. Baird","K. N. Rogers","W. E. Larson","Jacqueline W. Quinn","Justin E. H. Smith","A. Colaprete","R. C. Elphic","M. Dane Picard"],"tags":["Payload (computing)","Astrobiology","Environmental science","Field (mathematics)","Test (biology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-10-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"oa:W3080245820","name":"Preparing for delivery of the Lunar Ice Cube compact IR spectrometer payload","source":"openalex","abstract":"Lunar Ice Cube, scheduled to be launched on ARTEMIS I in late 2021, is a deep space cubesat mission with the goals of demonstrating 1) a cubesat-scale instrument (BIRCHES) capable of addressing NASA HEOMD Strategic Knowledge Gaps related to lunar volatile distribution (abundance, location, and transportation physics of water ice), and 2) cubesat propulsion, via the Busek BIT 3 RF Ion engine. The mission will also demonstrate the AIM/IRIS microcryocooler for the first time in deep space. BIRCHES integration is nearly complete, with several changes made to the thermal design to improve detector performance. Final preflight instrument testing and calibration, our ongoing concern to be emphasized here, have been delayed due to the mandated closure rules of NASA facilities. Lunar Ice Cube, along with two other cubesats deployed from ARTEMIS I, Lunar Flashlight and LunaH-Map, will be the first deep cubesat missions to deliver science data to the Planetary Data System.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2568027","authors":["P. E. Clark","Benjamin K. Malphrus","Kevin Brown","Nathan Fite","J. Schabert","Rebecca Mikula","Sean McNeil","Cliff Brambora","T. Hewagama","Nicolas Gorius","Jerrod L. Young","Deepak Patel","T. A. Hurford","David Folta","Paul Mason"],"tags":["CubeSat","Payload (computing)","Aerospace engineering","Water ice","Remote sensing"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-08-20","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1117/12.2568027","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2986025332","name":"New Approaches to Lunar Ice Detection and Mapping: Study Overview and Results of the First Workshop","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W2986025332","authors":["P. O. Hayne","D. A. Paige","A. P. Ingersoll","Michele Judd","O. Aharonson","L. Alkali","Shane Byrne","B. L. Cohen","A. Colaprete","J. Ph. Combe","Christopher Edwards","B. L. Ehlmann","W. C. Feldman","E. J. Foote","B. T. Greenhagen","Y. Liu","P. G. Lucey","Benjamin K. Malphrus","T. P. McClanahan","D. J. McCleese","T. B. McCord","C. D. Neish","Michael J. Poston","G. B. Sanders","Norbert Schörghofer","R. Glenn Sellar","M.A. Siegler","Robert Staehle"],"tags":["Remote sensing","Astrobiology","Geology","Computer science","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-10-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"oa:W2755605049","name":"Enabling Deep Space Exploration with an In-Space Propellant Depot Supplied from Lunar Ice","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2017-5376","authors":["Sophia Casanova","Jack Henry de Frahan","Vinicius G. Goecks","Sumudu Herath","Mercedes Herreras Martinez","Nicholas P. Jamieson","Therese Jones","Sung Wha Kang","Sydney M. Katz","Gary Li","Dónal O’Sullivan","Daniel Pastor","Nathan Sharifrazi","Bryan Sinkovec","Joseph D. Sparta","Matthew T. Vernacchia"],"tags":["Propellant","Space exploration","Space (punctuation)","Depot","NASA Deep Space Network"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-09-12","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.2514/6.2017-5376","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W39349138","name":"Organic Molecules in Lunar Ice: A Window to the Early Evolution of Life on Earth","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6546-7_7","authors":["Dirk Schulze‐Makuch"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Earth (classical element)","Window (computing)","Organic molecules","Abiogenesis"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-007-6546-7_7","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2120852101","name":"The snowball Earth hypothesis: testing the limits of global change","source":"openalex","abstract":"The gradual discovery that late Neoproterozoic ice sheets extended to sea level near the equator poses a palaeoenvironmental conundrum. Was the Earth's orbital obliquity &gt; 60° (making the tropics colder than the poles) for 4.0 billion years following the lunar‐forming impact, or did climate cool globally for some reason to the point at which runaway ice‐albedo feedback created a `snowball' Earth? The high‐obliquity hypothesis does not account for major features of the Neoproterozoic glacial record such as the abrupt onsets and terminations of discrete glacial events, their close association with large (&gt; 10‰) negative δ 13 C shifts in seawater proxies, the deposition of strange carbonate layers (`cap carbonates') globally during post‐glacial sea‐level rise, and the return of large sedimentary iron formations, after a 1.1 billion year hiatus, exclusively during glacial events. A snowball event, on the other hand, should begin and end abruptly, particularly at lower latitudes. It should last for millions of years, because outgassing must amass an intense greenhouse in order to overcome the ice albedo. A largely ice‐covered ocean should become anoxic and reduced iron should be widely transported in solution and precipitated as iron formation wherever oxygenic photosynthesis occurred, or upon deglaciation. The intense greenhouse ensures a transient post‐glacial regime of enhanced carbonate and silicate weathering, which should drive a flux of alkalinity that could quantitatively account for the world‐wide occurrence of cap carbonates. The resulting high rates of carbonate sedimentation, coupled with the kinetic isotope effect of transferring the CO 2 burden to the ocean, should drive down the δ 13 C of seawater, as is observed. If cap carbonates are the `smoke' of a snowball Earth, what was the `gun'? In proposing the original Neoproterozoic snowball Earth hypothesis, Joe Kirschvink postulated that an unusual preponderance of land masses in the middle and low latitudes, consistent with palaeomagnetic evidence, set the stage for snowball events by raising the planetary albedo. Others had pointed out that silicate weathering would most likely be enhanced if many continents were in the tropics, resulting in lower atmospheric CO 2 and a colder climate. Negative δ 13 C shifts of 10–20‰ precede glaciation in many regions, giving rise to speculation that the climate was destabilized by a growing dependency on greenhouse methane, stemming ultimately from the same unusual continental distribution. Given the existing palaeomagnetic, geochemical and geological evidence for late Neoproterozoic climatic shocks without parallel in the Phanerozoic, it seems inevitable that the history of life was impacted, perhaps profoundly so.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-3121.2002.00408.x","authors":["Paul F. Hoffman","Daniel P. Schrag"],"tags":["Snowball Earth","Geology","Glacial period","Deglaciation","Ice age"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-06-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1046/j.1365-3121.2002.00408.x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2000641270","name":"Radar imaging of the lunar poles","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/426137a","authors":["B. A. Campbell","D. B. Campbell","J. F. Chandler","A. A. Hine","M. C. Nolan","Phillip J. Perillat"],"tags":["Impact crater","Geology","Astrobiology","Radar","Lunar craters"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-11-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1038/426137a","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W1976065005","name":"Limits to the lunar atmosphere","source":"openalex","abstract":"The presence of sodium and potassium on the Moon implies that other more abundant species should be present. Volatile molecules like H 2 O are significantly more abundant than sodium in any of the proposed external atmospheric sources. Source mechanisms which derive atoms from the surface should favor abundant elements in the regolith. It is therefore puzzling that the Apollo ultraviolet spectrometer experiment set limits on the density of oxygen of N O &lt; 5×10² cm −3 , and that the Apollo Lunar Atmospheric Composition Experiment data imply N O &lt; 50 cm −3 above the subsolar point. These limits are surprisingly small relative to the measured value for sodium. A simple consideration of sources and sinks predicts significantly greater densities of oxygen. It is possible but doubtful that the Apollo measurements occurred during an epoch in which source rates were small. A preferential loss process for oxygen on the darkside of the Moon is considered in which ionization by electron capture in surface collisions leads to escape through acceleration in the local electric field. Cold trapping in permanently shadowed regions as a net sink is considered and discounted, but the episodic nature of cometary insertion may allow formation of ice layers which act as a stabilized source of OH. On the basis of an assumed meteoroid impact source we predict a possible emission brightness of ∼50 R in the OH(A ‐ X)(0,0) band above the lunar bright limb. A very uncertain small comet source of H 2 O could raise this value by more than two orders of magnitude.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/90ja02127","authors":["T. H. Morgan","D. E. Shemansky"],"tags":["Regolith","Astrobiology","Ionization","Meteoroid","Atmospheric escape"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1991-02-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1029/90ja02127","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/1.2437524","name":"Drilling Results in Ice-Bound Simulated Lunar Regolith","source":"crossref","abstract":"Reaching the cold traps at the lunar poles and directly sensing the subsurface regolith is a primary goal of lunar exploration, especially as a means of prospecting for future In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) efforts. The Construction and Resource Utilization Explorer project (CRUX) addressed technology development associated with a modular, drilling‐based payload to achieve this goal. As part of the development of a lunar drill capable of reaching a depth of two meters, a preliminary drilling study was performed using custom designed drill bits and augers in simulated ice‐bound lunar regolith. Lunar regolith is known to be very abrasive, but the mechanical properties and “drillability” of the purported ice‐bound material in the lunar cold traps is unknown. Preliminary drilling experiments were performed in the frozen samples, to determine the effectiveness of the drilling hardware and to point the way towards optimized drilling strategies. Additionally, a preliminary experiment was performed to demonstrate the utility of converting drilling energy per volume (Specific Energy) to the Unconfmed Compressive Strength (UCS) of the simulated frozen regolith. The results showed that the drilling hardware was capable of penetrating into the samples and that this was most effectively done at slow rotational speeds (< 60 RPM) and with a low axial force (weight‐on‐bit). The results also indicate that the specific energy of drilling is correlated to the UCS of the material tested.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2437524","authors":["Kris Zacny","David Glaser","Paul Bartlett","Kiel Davis","Stephan Gorevan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-02-03T06:30:47Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1063/1.2437524","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2607259939","name":"Laboratory experiments to investigate sublimation rates of water ice in nighttime lunar regolith","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2017.04.017","authors":["M. Piquette","M. Horányi","S. A. Stern"],"tags":["Regolith","Sublimation (psychology)","Water ice","Astrobiology","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-04-21","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1016/j.icarus.2017.04.017","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W4375861854","name":"Overview of the Lunar In Situ Resource Utilization Techniques for Future Lunar Missions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Along with the rapid development of space technology, extraterrestrial exploration has gradually tended to further-distanced and longer-termed planet exploration. As the first step of an attempt for humans to build a perpetual planet base, building a lunar base by in situ resource utilization (ISRU) will drastically reduce the reliance of supplies from Earth. Lunar resources including mineral resources, water/ice resources, volatiles, and solar energy will contribute to the establishment of a lunar base for long-term life support and scientific exploration missions, although we must consider the challenges from high vacuum, low gravity, extreme temperature conditions, etc. This article provides a comprehensive review of the past developing processes of ISRU and the latest progress of several ISRU technologies, including in situ water access, in situ oxygen production, in situ construction and manufacture, in situ energy utilization, and in situ life support and plant cultivation on the Moon. Despite being able to provide some material and energy supplies for lunar base construction and scientific exploration, the ISRU technologies need continuous validation and upgrade to satisfy the higher requirements from further lunar exploration missions. Ultimately, a 3-step development plan for lunar ISRU technologies in the next decade is proposed, which consists of providing technological solutions, conducting technical verification on payloads, and carrying out in situ experiments, with the ultimate aim of establishing a permanent lunar station and carrying out long-term lunar surface scientific activities. The overview of ISRU techniques and our suggestions will provide potential guidance for China’s future lunar exploration missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.34133/space.0037","authors":["Peng Zhang","Wei Dai","Ran Niu","Guang Zhang","Guang‐Hui Liu","Xin Liu","Bo Zheng","Zhi Wang","Haibo Zheng","Chengbao Liu","Hanzhe Yang","Yifan Bai"],"tags":["Upgrade","Resource (disambiguation)","Astrobiology","Space exploration","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.34133/space.0037","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W4394875330","name":"Modeling and analysis for volatile characteristics of lunar water ice","source":"openalex","abstract":"Lunar water ice resources are important space assets for human survival and sustainable living on the Moon. Detection data indicates that the permanently shadowed regions at the lunar poles contain water ice resources. The efficiency of in-situ extraction of lunar water ice resources depends on its volatile characteristics. In the context of extraction and utilization of water ice resources in the permanently shadowed regions, the sublimation and diffusion processes of lunar water ice are investigated by combining the theory of pure ice sublimation with the fractal theory of porous media. On this basis, a volatilization model for lunar water ice is established to examine the effect of temperature, relative density, and water content on the volatile behaviors of lunar water ice. The findings of this study can provide technical and theoretical support for the in-situ exploration, extraction, and utilization of lunar water ice resources and offer insights into the existence and distribution of lunar water ice resources.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2024.04.028","authors":["Fulong Zhu","Weiwei Zhang","Lingxin Wang","Shengyuan Jiang","Junyue Tang","Zhenlong Wang"],"tags":["Sublimation (psychology)","Water ice","Environmental science","Sea ice growth processes","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-17","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2024.04.028","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W3021014882","name":"Assessing the Roughness Properties of Circumpolar Lunar Craters: Implications for the Timing of Water‐Ice Delivery to the Moon","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The roughness properties of impact craters are valuable indicators of crater degradation and can provide insight into crater ages. We evaluate the roughness of lunar craters from different geologic eras, confirming that young, Copernican craters are distinctly rougher than older craters. We evaluate the potential age of small (less than ~15 km) craters that are thought to host surface ice by quantifying the roughness inside these craters, as well as outside. Interior roughness may be subdued by slope processes or the presence of volatiles. The distribution of ice‐bearing craters is skewed toward roughness values higher than those of pre‐Imbrian craters, although no ice‐bearing craters are within the Copernican‐only domain in roughness space. All of the 15 rough, permanently shadowed craters that are found within the Copernican‐only domain lack water‐ice detections, suggesting that either ice has not been delivered to these young craters or that it has since been destroyed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2020gl087782","authors":["A. N. Deutsch","J. W. Head","G. A. Neumann","M. A. Kreslavsky","M. K. Barker"],"tags":["Impact crater","Geology","Astrobiology","Lunar craters","Surface finish"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-05-10","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1029/2020gl087782","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W4385987498","name":"CubeSat-Based Observations of Lunar Ice Water Using a 183 GHz Horn Antenna: Design and Optimization","source":"openalex","abstract":"Technological advancements have revolutionized the space industry, facilitating deep space exploration using CubeSats. One objective is to locate potential life-support elements, such as water, on extraterrestrial planets. Water possesses a distinct spectral signature at 183 GHz, useful in remote sensing and environmental monitoring applications. Detecting this signature provides crucial information about water and ice presence and distribution on celestial bodies, aiding future exploration and colonization efforts. Mostly in space remote sensing uses corrugated horn antennae due to high gain and radiation patterns but fabrication of corrugated antenna is very challenging or even impossible in some cases. To ease this challenge, in our research we propose ideas to transform a corrugated horn antenna into a smooth-walled design by using MATLAB Cubic smoothing Splines algorithms. We compare simulation results between smooth-walled and corrugated antennas, and we can see some improvements in insertion losses, Voltage Standing Wave ratio (VSWR), and gain. We also manufactured this 183 GHz antenna using a commercially available 3D printer by utilizing Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) material. The antenna surface was then coated with a thin layer of copper using conductive paint. In the end, we practically evaluate smooth-walled antenna functionality and compare it with the theriacal results. Validating the antenna’s functionality proposes a cost-effective and accessible production method to be used in a CubeSat engineering model or university students’ project.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/app13169364","authors":["Vahid Rastinasab","Weidong Hu","Waseem Shahzad","Syed Muzahir Abbas"],"tags":["CubeSat","Computer science","Antenna (radio)","Remote sensing","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-08-18","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.3390/app13169364","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W3002061621","name":"A Process Plant for Producing Rocket Fuel From Lunar Ice","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract One of, if not the most, valuable resources on the Moon is ice. Since the late 1990’s evidence has been accumulating that supports the presence of water ice at both the north and south lunar poles. Although consumption of water is critical to sustaining human life, water can also serve as a feedstock to produce rocket fuel. Water may be broken down into hydrogen and oxygen which, when liquified, serves as a propellant for space travel. This paper investigates the process and energy demand for producing liquid hydrogen and oxygen from lunar ice. A preliminary flow sheet and discussion of unit operations for a lunar rocket fuel plant are provided. Sources of energy on the Moon, as well as design of structures, systems and components for the facility are considered.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1115/imece2019-10270","authors":["Peter Carrato","Jack Demitz","R. P. Mueller","John Gulen","August Benz"],"tags":["Rocket propellant","Rocket (weapon)","Propellant","Environmental science","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-11-11","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1115/imece2019-10270","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W3162805995","name":"Practical and Economic Rocket Mining of Lunar Ice","source":"openalex","abstract":"Masten Space Systems (Masten) is leading a team developing a novel method to efficiently, reliably, and ultimately economically mine lunar water ice and frozen volatiles. The target volatiles occur on top of, and within regolith at the Moon's poles. The system architecture for excavation and capture of the water involves the novel use of rocket engines. Precision firing of a short-burst rocket creates deep cratering, disaggregation of the regolith, sublimation of the frozen volatiles, and capture via condensation in the collection vessel. Operations are conducted under a mobile containment dome to capture volatiles, and to allow for ease of movement to continue recovery of economic grades of frozen volatiles. Preliminary tests performed by Masten and Honeybee demonstrate project viability. The system offers low weight and low maintenance lunar mining solutions. The project includes development of exploration methodologies, volatile volumes and grade verification, and constraints on positive economic returns and markets for target sites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784483374.043","authors":["Matthew Kuhns","Roger Kuhns","Philip T. Metzger","K. Zacny","Noah Rhys"],"tags":["Regolith","Sublimation (psychology)","Excavation","Rocket (weapon)","Water ice"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-04-15","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1061/9780784483374.043","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2120858797","name":"An explanation of bright areas inside Shackleton Crater at the Lunar South Pole other than water‐ice deposits","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Whether water molecules of cometary and/or solar wind origin migrated to and accumulated in cold permanently shadowed areas at the lunar poles has long been debated from the perspective of scientific interest and expectations for future utilization. Recently, high reflectance condition was observed inside the lunar South Pole Shackleton Crater for the 1064.4 nm of the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, and the high reflectance was explained to perhaps be due to a surface frost layer in excess of 20% water‐ice. Here we investigate the crater with the Selenological Engineering Explorer Multi‐band imager that has nine bands in the visible to near‐infrared range, including a 1050 nm band (62 m/pixel resolution). Part of the illuminated inner wall of Shackleton Crater exhibits high reflectance at 1050 nm but also exhibits the diagnostic 1250 nm spectral absorption, a signature that is consistent with naturally bright purest anorthosite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/grl.50753","authors":["J. Haruyama","S. Yamamoto","Y. Yokota","M. Ohtake","Tsuneo Matsunaga"],"tags":["Impact crater","Orbiter","Geology","Astrobiology","Lunar craters"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-07-16","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1002/grl.50753","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W3207919019","name":"Analyzing Surface Ruggedness Inside and Outside of Ice Stability Zones at the Lunar Poles","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We measured surface ruggedness within 12 polar craters on the Moon, six at each pole, using a variation of the Vector Ruggedness Measure (VRM*). We compare VRM* values derived within ice stability zones, where maximum surface temperatures are ≤112 K, to VRM* values from warmer surfaces where ice is not stable. Ruggedness values inside and outside of ice stability zones are statistically not from the same continuous distribution ( α = 0.05). In nine of the 12 investigated craters, surfaces where ice is stable are smoother than neighboring warmer surfaces. These comparatively smooth surfaces are observed in both craters that host surface water-ice exposures and those that do not, suggesting that the presence of subsurface ice, rather than surface ice, may be responsible for the reduced surface ruggedness derived from a moving window of 3 × 3 cells applied to 120 m elevation models. Reduced ruggedness of ice stability zones is slightly greater in south polar craters and tends to correlate with enhanced hydrogen content as modeled from Lunar Prospector data. While ice stability zones may have a control on the distribution of softened topography at the lunar poles, the magnitude of this softening is small at the investigated baselines.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3847/psj/ac24ff","authors":["A. N. Deutsch","J. L. Heldmann","A. Colaprete","Kevin M. Cannon","R. C. Elphic"],"tags":["Impact crater","Geology","Polar","Geomorphology","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-10-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.3847/psj/ac24ff","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2027024557","name":"Mercury radar studies and lunar comparisons","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0273-1177(97)00347-5","authors":["J. K. Harmon"],"tags":["Impact crater","Geology","Radar","Mercury (programming language)","Mars Exploration Program"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1016/s0273-1177(97","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2132481327","name":"The Lunar Prospector gamma-ray and neutron spectrometers","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0168-9002(98)00934-6","authors":["W. C. Feldman","B. L. Barraclough","Kenneth R. Fuller","D. J. Lawrence","S. Maurice","M.C. Miller","T. H. Prettyman","A. B. Binder"],"tags":["Regolith","Spectrometer","Lunar orbit","Water ice","Payload (computing)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-02-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1016/s0168-9002(98","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W1836958108","name":"The formation of molecular hydrogen from water ice in the lunar regolith by energetic charged particles","source":"openalex","abstract":"On 9 October 2009, the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission impacted a spent Centaur rocket into the permanently shadowed region (PSR) within Cabeus crater and detected water vapor and ice, as well as other volatiles, in the ejecta plume. The Lyman Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP), a far ultraviolet (FUV) imaging spectrograph on board the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), observed this plume as FUV emissions from the fluorescence of sunlight by molecular hydrogen (H 2 ) and other constituents. Energetic charged particles, such as galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) and solar energetic particles (SEPs), can dissociate the molecules in water ice to form H 2 . We examine how much H 2 can be formed by these types of particle radiation interacting with water ice sequestered in the regolith within PSRs, and we assess whether it can account for the H 2 observed by LAMP. To estimate H 2 formation, we use the GCR and SEP radiation dose rates measured by the LRO Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER). The exposure time of the ice is calculated by considering meteoritic gardening and the penetration depth of the energetic particles. We find that GCRs and SEPs could convert at least 1–7% of the original water molecules into H 2 . Therefore, given the amount of water detected by LCROSS, such particle radiation‒induced dissociation of water ice could likely account for a significant percentage (10–100%) of the H 2 measured by LAMP.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jgre.20095","authors":["A. P. Jordan","T. J. Stubbs","C. J. Joyce","N. A. Schwadron","H. E. Spence","J. K. Wilson"],"tags":["Regolith","Astrobiology","Impact crater","Cosmic ray","Ejecta"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-05-20","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1002/jgre.20095","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2051785011","name":"Lunar Water: A Brief Review","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11038-010-9377-9","authors":["M. Anand"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Water ice","Spacecraft","Meteorite","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-12-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1007/s11038-010-9377-9","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W4363673630","name":"Buried Ice Deposits in Lunar Polar Cold Traps Were Disrupted by Ballistic Sedimentation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The NASA Artemis program will send humans to the lunar south polar region, in part to investigate the availability of water ice and other in situ resources. While trace amounts of ice have been detected at the surface of polar permanently shadowed regions (PSRs), recent studies suggest that large ice deposits could be stable below cold traps in the PSRs over geologic time. A recent study modeling the rate of ice delivery, ejecta deposition and ice loss from cold traps predicted that gigatons of ice could be buried below 100s of meters of crater ejecta and regolith. However, crater ejecta vigorously mix the target on impact through ballistic sedimentation, which may disrupt buried ice deposits. Here, we developed a thermal model to predict ice stability during ballistic sedimentation events. We then modeled cold trap ice and ejecta stratigraphy over geologic time using Monte Carlo methods. We found that ballistic sedimentation disrupted large ice deposits in most cases, dispersing them into smaller layers. Ice retention decreased in most cases, but varied significantly with the sequence of ejecta delivery, particularly from basin‐forming events. Over many model runs, we found that south polar craters Amundsen, Cabeus, and Cabeus B were most likely to retain large deposits of ice at depths up to 100 m, shallow enough to be detectable with ground‐penetrating radar. We discuss these findings in the context of the imminent human exploration activities at the lunar south pole.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2022je007567","authors":["C. J. Tai Udovicic","K. R. Frizzell","G. R. L. Kodikara","M. Kopp","Kristen M. Luchsinger","Andreana D. Madera","McKayla L. Meier","T.G. Paladino","R. V. Patterson","F. B. Wroblewski","D. A. Kring"],"tags":["Ejecta","Impact crater","Geology","Regolith","Polar"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-04-10","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1029/2022je007567","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W3166203595","name":"Micro Rover Mission for Measuring Lunar Polar Ice","source":"openalex","abstract":"Lunar ice, present at the poles, could be a source of water for drinking and growing crops, generating oxygen for breathing, and producing propellants for venturing beyond the moon to deep space. Viability of this grand vision depends on specifics of the accessibility, depth and concentration of the ice, which can only be determined by surface missions. This requires a campaign of diverse, repeated robotic explorations over time. This paper profiles MoonRanger, a micro-rover manifested on a 2022 NASA Commercial Lander Payload Services (CLPS) flight, which will be the first such mission, with its technologies, designs and operations for a pioneering in-situ measurement of lunar ice. The paper addresses the challenges of and solutions for micro-rover perception in darkness, navigation and mapping autonomy with limited computing, mechatronic miniaturization, mobility in polar terrain, thermal management, power generation, and others. MoonRanger's mission principles, designs, analyses and performance of the innovations, component technologies, rover, system and mission. Details covering rover design, its performance, and system elements such as stow-deploy, power, avionics, thermal, software and communication scenarios are articulated. The paper describes principles, instrument, and means for measuring ice. System considerations such as ConOps, ground control, and risk posture are addressed. The paper touches on the creative, operational, lean and resourceful development culture that is producing this. The paper concludes by discussing the “firsts”, the impacts of the technical contributions, the status of the development, and the path to mission.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/aero50100.2021.9438261","authors":["Lydia Schweitzer","Haidar Jamal","Heather Jones","David Wettergreen","William Whittaker"],"tags":["Payload (computing)","Technology readiness level","Systems engineering","Computer science","Aerospace engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-03-06","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1109/aero50100.2021.9438261","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.1998-1069","name":"Mining of Lunar polar ice","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.1998-1069","authors":["Michael Duke","Robert Gustafson","Eric Rice"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-09-30T19:15:22Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.2514/6.1998-1069","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2066758786","name":"Impacting Lunar Prospector in a cold trap to detect water ice","source":"openalex","abstract":"Lunar Prospector data support the contention that water ice reservoirs exist in the permanently shaded craters near the lunar poles. Yet the question remains whether the detected hydrogen abundance is actually water ice or is hydrogen in some other form. Present plans call for a controlled impact of Lunar Prospector into a polar crater at the end of July, 1999, in an attempt to liberate a small amount of water vapor that may be detected by ground‐ and space‐based observatories. A positive spectral detection of water vapor or its photo‐dissociated byproduct, OH , would be definite proof of the presence of water ice in the regolith. The following represents both an analysis of this method of searching for water ice as well as an announcement to the observing community of the event.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/1999gl900384","authors":["David B. Goldstein","R. S. Nerem","E. S. Barker","J. Austin","Alan B. Binder","W. C. Feldman"],"tags":["Regolith","Water ice","Impact crater","Astrobiology","Water vapor"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-06-15","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1029/1999gl900384","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W1985533519","name":"Identification of lunar rock types and search for polar ice by gamma ray spectroscopy","source":"openalex","abstract":"The ability to map the surface composition of the Moon from orbit by means of gamma ray spectroscopy has been studied with attention to the possible use of small spinstabilized spacecraft. Two types of detectors were considered, a sodium iodide scintillator and a cooled germanium solid‐state device. The latter has superior sensitivity for all determinable elements, the difference ranging from factors of 3 to 11. A design for accommodating the preferred germanium detector gamma ray spectrometer (GeGRS) on either a small or large spacecraft has been devised. Detection sensitivity has been applied to typical rock compositions to determine measurement times and the ability to discriminate among representative lunar rock types. For sets comprising nine highland and 16 mare types, the most useful elements are found to be Mg, Al, K, Ti, Fe, U, and Th. Compositional distinctions combined with the sensitivity of the GeGRS instrument should allow each major rock type to be recognized in accumulation periods of 2 hours or less. The presence of two or more rock types in comparable abundance will require longer periods. Permanently shadowed polar areas of the Moon may be repositories of water ice. The expected instrument response to the resulting gamma ray and neutron fluxes has been analyzed. A neutron mode added to the spectrometer will be more sensitive to the possible presence of ice than the gamma ray mode, although without the application of compositional corrections based on analysis of the gamma ray data, most of the neutron mode sensitivity will be lost. With a pair of selected neutron absorbers, and a model which provides that 2.5% of the area above 75° latitude is occupied by trapping sites, the most sensitive of the configurations examined will provide a one year mission detection limit of 0.056% H 2 O by weight for each polar region. Given the postulated abundance of trapping sites, a determination of whether water is present in adequate abundance for resource utilization can be made within a week. These results are applicable to alternative spacecraft by simply adjusting the duty cycle factor.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/jb095ib01p00449","authors":["Albert E. Metzger","Darrell M. Drake"],"tags":["Gamma spectroscopy","Spectrometer","Spacecraft","Scintillator","Neutron"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1990-01-10","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1029/jb095ib01p00449","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W4303198907","name":"Seasons of Ice: Water Ice Migration and Seasonal Transient Shadow at the Lunar Poles","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Lunar water ice can be broadly categorized as belonging to one of two populations: deep, ancient, stable deposits, and shallow, transient, recent deposits. However, a third state for lunar ice is also possible. Temporary sequestration occurs when ice is deposited into a transiently shadowed region at the lunar poles. These temporarily sequestered ice deposits are unstable over geologic time scales, but in the short term, are capable of a wide range of migration, sublimation, and retention patterns due to their thermally dependent sublimation and migration rates. We developed a model to characterize the range of possible migration and retention behaviors for temporarily sequestered ice deposits within locations with dynamic illumination conditions. We found that water ice migration, sublimation, and retention varies across the lunar polar environment, with neighboring locations experiencing different illumination and thermal conditions. We found that the residence times of temporarily sequestered ice deposits in some high latitude, non‐shadowed regions can be similar to or greater than the length of time spent above the long term stability temperature of ice during lunar winter months, leading to incomplete removal of surface or near surface ice during the day. We also found that shallowly buried, unstable ice deposits take longer to sublimate than surface deposits, leading to a temporal lag in escaping ice. This work suggests that temporary sequestration can lead to complex ice migration and retention patterns at high latitudes, with ice sublimation efficiency varying across the lunar polar environment due to local, small scale differences in illumination conditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2022je007336","authors":["Kristen M. Luchsinger","N. J. Chanover"],"tags":["Sublimation (psychology)","Geology","Water ice","Polar","Ice caps"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1029/2022je007336","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2918923229","name":"Analyses of Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter 1,064‐nm Albedo in Permanently Shadowed Regions of Polar Crater Flat Floors: Implications for Surface Water Ice Occurrence and Future In Situ Exploration","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Potential water ice concentrated within the permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) near lunar poles is both scientifically significant and of value for future explorations. However, after decades of observations, the existence and characteristics of PSR water ice remain controversial. The 1,064‐nm laser reflectance measurements collected by the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) onboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) provide a unique opportunity to detect and characterize PSR water ice. In this work, we focus on all major PSRs on the flat floors of lunar polar craters and analyze their detailed LOLA 1,064‐nm albedo and then compare this with the adjacent flat non‐PSRs. We find that the LOLA albedo of the majority of these PSRs is systematically higher than their adjacent non‐PSRs. Potential contributions of various factors to the observed LOLA albedo are individually quantitatively evaluated; we show that each of them is unable to account for the observed LOLA albedo anomalies and that the presence of surface water ice is the most likely explanation. Combined characterization of LOLA albedo and substrate impact cratering records (crater populations and depths) reveals that the inferred PSR water ices are in very small quantity (probably in the form of a surface frost layer or admixture with regolith) and are laterally heterogeneous in model ice concentration, ranging from negligible to ~6%. We recommend that these PSRs as priority targets for future surface in situ exploration endeavors, and a case assessment of Amundsen crater is presented.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2019ea000567","authors":["Le Qiao","Zongcheng Ling","J. W. Head","М. А. Иванов","Bin Liu"],"tags":["Impact crater","Orbiter","Albedo (alchemy)","Geology","Polar"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-03-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1029/2019ea000567","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W1988558814","name":"Topography of the Lunar Poles from Radar Interferometry: A Survey of Cold Trap Locations","source":"openalex","abstract":"Detailed topographic maps of the lunar poles have been obtained by Earth-based radar interferometry with the 3.5-centimeter wavelength Goldstone Solar System Radar. The interferometer provided maps 300 kilometers by 1000 kilometers of both polar regions at 150-meter spatial resolution and 50-meter height resolution. Using ray tracing, these digital elevation models were used to locate regions that are in permanent shadow from solar illumination and may harbor ice deposits. Estimates of the total extent of shadowed areas poleward of 87.5 degrees latitude are 1030 and 2550 square kilometers for the north and south poles, respectively.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.284.5420.1658","authors":["Jean‐Luc Margot","D. B. Campbell","R. F. Jurgens","M. A. Slade"],"tags":["Radar","Geology","Remote sensing","Interferometry","Geodesy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-06-04","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1126/science.284.5420.1658","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2800573498","name":"Discovery of moganite in a lunar meteorite as a trace of H <sub>2</sub> O ice in the Moon’s regolith","source":"openalex","abstract":"O may still remain as ice at estimated bulk content of >0.6 weight %. This indicates the possibility of the presence of abundant available water resources underneath local sites of the host bodies within the Procellarum KREEP and South Pole Aitken terranes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aar4378","authors":["Masahiro Kayama","Naotaka Tomioka","Eiji Ohtani","Yusuke Seto","Hiroshi Nagaoka","Jens Götze","Akira Miyake","Shin Ozawa","Toshimori Sekine","Masaaki Miyahara","K. Tomeoka","Megumi Matsumoto","Naoki Shoda","Naohisa Hirao","Takamichi Kobayashi"],"tags":["Meteorite","Regolith","Geology","Astrobiology","Basalt"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-05-02","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.aar4378","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2119639491","name":"Evidence for water ice on the Moon: Results for anomalous polar craters from the LRO Mini‐RF imaging radar","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Mini‐RF radar instrument on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft mapped both lunar poles in two different RF wavelengths (complete mapping at 12.6 cm S‐band and partial mapping at 4.2 cm X‐band) in two look directions, removing much of the ambiguity of previous Earth‐ and spacecraft‐based radar mapping of the Moon's polar regions. The poles are typical highland terrain, showing expected values of radar cross section (albedo) and circular polarization ratio (CPR). Most fresh craters display high values of CPR in and outside the crater rim; the pattern of these CPR distributions is consistent with high levels of wavelength‐scale surface roughness associated with the presence of block fields, impact melt flows, and fallback breccia. A different class of polar crater exhibits high CPR only in their interiors, interiors that are both permanently dark and very cold (less than 100 K). Application of scattering models developed previously suggests that these anomalously high‐CPR deposits exhibit behavior consistent with the presence of water ice. If this interpretation is correct, then both poles may contain several hundred million tons of water in the form of relatively “clean” ice, all within the upper couple of meters of the lunar surface. The existence of significant water ice deposits enables both long‐term human habitation of the Moon and the creation of a permanent cislunar space transportation system based upon the harvest and use of lunar propellant.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jgre.20156","authors":["P. D. Spudis","D. B. J. Bussey","S. M. Baloga","J. T. S. Cahill","L. S. Glaze","G. W. Patterson","R. K. Raney","T. W. Thompson","B. J. Thomson","E. A. Ustinov"],"tags":["Impact crater","Geology","Orbiter","Regolith","Polar"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-09-11","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1002/jgre.20156","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W4308594770","name":"Lunar Magnetic Anomalies and Polar Ice","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Solar wind ion sputtering is one of several non‐negligible loss mechanisms for water ice in permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) near the lunar poles. Previous estimates of the solar wind ion flux within south polar PSRs have considered only the ambient solar wind flow and effects of topography. Here, improved maps of crustal magnetic fields in the lunar polar regions are constructed, confirming that more anomalies are present near the south pole than near the north pole. These anomalies have moderate amplitudes, occur over at least two permanently shadowed craters, and correlate approximately with the exposed water ice distribution. Because of the low angle of solar wind incidence near the poles, these anomalies are likely effective in reducing the ion flux, and any resulting water ice loss rate. These anomalies may therefore explain why more water ice is found near the south pole than near the north pole.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2022gl100557","authors":["L. L. Hood","Isabella Bryant","Jacob van der Leeuw"],"tags":["Polar","Geology","Geophysics","Impact crater","Flux (metallurgy)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-11-08","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1029/2022gl100557","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.848Z"},{"id":"oa:W2049096220","name":"Lunar nodal tide and distance to the Moon during the Precambrian","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/320600a0","authors":["James C. G. Walker","Kevin Zahnle"],"tags":["Precambrian","Geology","Milankovitch cycles","Lunar orbit","myr"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1986-04-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1038/320600a0","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2971075321","name":"Lunar Ice Cube: first generation deep space CubeSat with compact broadband IR spectrometer development story","source":"openalex","abstract":"Lunar Ice Cube (LIC) is one of 13 6U cubesats that will be deployed by EM1 in cislunar space. LIC along with Lunar Flashlight and LunaH-Map, all focused on the search for volatiles but with very different payloads, will be the first deep space cubesats designed to address goals for both demonstrating new technologies and collecting scientific data. Effectively, as their developments are occurring in parallel, they are acting as prototypes for future deep space cubesats missions. One useful outcome of this ‘experiment’ is to evolve a working paradigm for the development and operation of compact, cost-capped, standardized (supporting subsystems) spacecraft to serve the needs of diverse user communities. The lunar ice cube mission was developed as the test case in a GSFC R and D study to determine whether the cubesat paradigm could be applied to deep space, science requirements driven missions, and BIRCHES was its payload. Here, we present the design and describe the ongoing development, and testing, in the context of the challenges of using the cubesat paradigm to fly a broadband IR spectrometer in a 6U platform, including a very harsh environment, minimal funding and extensive need for leveraging existing assets and relationships on development, and minimum command and telemetry bandwidth translating into simplified or canned operation and the collection of only essential data.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2529323","authors":["P. E. Clark","B. Malphrus","Kevin Brown","Nathan Fite","J. Schabert","Sean McNeil","Cliff Brambora","Jerrod L. Young","Deepak Patel","T. A. Hurford","David Folta","Paul Mason"],"tags":["CubeSat","Broadband","Cube (algebra)","Spectrometer","NASA Deep Space Network"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-08-30","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1117/12.2529323","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2502.06056v2","name":"Current Theories of Lunar Ice","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The classical theory of cold-trapped ice on the Moon and some modern theories are reviewed and compared with observational constraints. The \"standard model\" for lunar ice posits that ice has accumulated in polar cold traps after the spin axis orientation became small enough for polar craters to be permanently shadowed. Its predictions are consistent with major observational constraints. Only a few less established observational claims are unaccounted for. The text focuses on fundamental theoretical concepts and assumes some pre-existing familiarity with the topic of lunar polar volatiles.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.06056v2","authors":["Norbert Schorghofer"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-09T22:24:40Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2011.00602v2","name":"A new perspective on interiors of ice-rich planets: Ice-rock mixture instead of ice on top of rock","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Ice-rich planets are formed exterior to the water ice-line and thus are expected to contain a substantial amount of ices. The high ice content leads to unique conditions in the interior, under which the structure of a planet is affected by ice interaction with other metals. We apply experimental data of ice-rock interaction at high pressure, and calculate detailed thermal evolution for possible interior configurations of ice-rich planets, in the mass range of super-Earth to Neptunes (5-15 Earth masses). We model the effect of migration inward on the ice-rich interior by including the influences of stellar flux and envelope mass loss. We find that ice and rock are expected to remain mixed, due to miscibility at high pressure, in substantial parts of the planetary interior for billions of years. We also find that the deep interior of planetary twins that have migrated to different distances from the star are usually similar, if no mass loss occurs. Significant mass loss results in separation of the water from the rock on the surface and emergence of a volatile atmosphere of less than 1 percent of the planet's mass. The mass of the atmosphere of water/steam is limited by the ice-rock interaction. We conclude that when ice is abundant in planetary interiors the planet structure may differ significantly from the standard layered structure of a water shell on top of a rocky core. Similar structure is expected in both close-in and further-out planets.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2011.00602v2","authors":["Allona Vazan","Re'em Sari","Ronit Kessel"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-01T19:06:37Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0507004v1","name":"Life in solid ice","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Some microbes appear to be able to metabolize in glacial ice or permafrost. The rate depends on temperature, nutrient level, and bioelement availability, among other factors. I have developed a plausible argument that they do this while confined in veins filled with acidic or saline solution that provides nutrients and elements necessary for growth. Here I develop this scenario further and discuss some of its implications for ice-covered planetary bodies and for the the origin of life. An accompanying paper in the conference proceedings (Bay et al.) discusses plans to test this hypothesis using epifluorescence microscopy of pristine, unmelted ice samples and an optical biospectrologging tool to assay living and dead microbes in boreholes in glacial ice.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/q-bio/0507004v1","authors":["P. Buford Price"],"tags":["q-bio.PE","q-bio.CB"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-07-02T20:44:39Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1904.08422v1","name":"The Effect of Hole Ice on the Propagation and Detection of Light in IceCube","source":"arxiv","abstract":"IceCube is a neutrino observatory at Earth's South Pole that uses glacial ice as detector medium. Secondary particles from neutrino interactions produce Cherenkov light, which is detected by an array of photo detectors deployed within the ice. In distinction from the glacial bulk ice, hole ice is the refrozen water in the drill holes around the detector modules, and is expected to have different optical properties than the bulk ice. Aiming to improve detector precision, this study presents a new method to simulate the propagation of light through the hole ice, introducing several new calibration parameters. The validity of the method is supported by a series of statistical cross checks, and by comparison to measurement and simulation results from other calibration studies. Evaluating calibration data indicates a strongly asymmetric shielding of the detector modules. A preliminary analysis suggests that this cannot be accounted for by the shadow of cables, but can be explained by hole ice with a suitable scattering length, size, and position relative to the detector modules. The hole-ice approximation, which is used in the standard simulation chain is found to disagree with all existing direct-propagation methods and should be recalculated with a new direct-simulation run.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1904.08422v1","authors":["Sebastian Fiedlschuster"],"tags":["physics.ins-det","hep-ex"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-04-17T16:22:36Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0412575v2","name":"Modelling the atomic structure of very high-density amorphous ice","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The structure of very high-density amorphous (VHDA) ice has been modelled by positionally disordering three crystalline phases, namely ice IV, VI and XII. These phases were chosen because only they are stable or metastable in the region of the ice phase diagram where VHDA ice is formed, and their densities are comparable to that of VHDA ice. An excellent fit to the medium range of the experimentally observed pair-correlation function g(r) of VHDA ice was obtained by introducing disorder into the positions of the H2O molecules, as well as small amounts of molecular rotational disorder, disorder in the O--H bond lengths and disorder in the H--O--H bond angles. The low-k behaviour of the experimental structure factor, S(k), is also very well reproduced by this disordered-crystal model. The fraction of each phase present in the best-fit disordered model is very close to that observed in the probable crystallization products of VHDA ice. In particular, only negligible amounts of ice IV are predicted, in accordance with experimental observation.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0412575v2","authors":["J. K. Christie","M. Guthrie","C. A. Tulk","C. J. Benmore","D. D. Klug","S. N. Taraskin","S. R. Elliott"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci","cond-mat.dis-nn"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-12-21T15:17:18Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1202.6567v2","name":"Sea Ice Brightness Temperature as a Function of Ice Thickness, Part II: Computed curves for thermodynamically modelled ice profiles","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Ice thickness is an important variable for climate scientists and is still difficult to accurately determine from microwave radiometer measurements. There has been some success detecting the thickness of thin ice and with this in mind this study attempts to model the thickness-radiance relation of sea ice at frequencies employed by the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) radiometer and the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR): between 1.4 and 89 GHz. In the first part of the study, the salinity of the ice was determined by a pair of empirical relationships, while the temperature was determined by a thermodynamic model. Because the thermodynamic model can be used as a simple ice growth model, in this, second part, the salinities are determined by the growth model. Because the model uses two, constant-weather scenarios representing two extremes (\"fall freeze-up\" and \"winter cold snap\"), brine expulsion is modelled with a single correction-step founded on mass conservation. The growth model generates realistic salinity profiles, however it over-estimates the bulk salinity because gravity drainage is not accounted for. The results suggest that the formation of \"skim\" on the ice surface is important in determining the radiance signature of thin ice, especially at lower frequencies, while scattering is important mainly at higher frequencies but at all ice thicknesses.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1202.6567v2","authors":["Peter Mills"],"tags":["physics.ao-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-02-29T15:07:38Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1805.01134v4","name":"A two layer model for wave dissipation in sea ice","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Sea ice is highly complex due to the inhomogeneity of the physical properties (e.g. temperature and salinity) as well as the permeability and mixture of water and a matrix of sea ice and/or sea ice crystals. Such complexity has proven itself to be difficult to parameterize in operational wave models. Instead, we assume that there exists a self-similarity scaling law which captures the first order properties. Using dimensional analysis, an equation for the kinematic viscosity is derived which is proportional to the wave frequency and the ice thickness squared. In addition, the model allows for a two-layer structure where the oscillating pressure gradient due to wave propagation only exists in a fraction of the total ice thickness. These two assumptions lead to a spatial dissipation rate that is a function of ice thickness and wavenumber. The derived dissipation rate compares favourably with available field and laboratory observations.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1805.01134v4","authors":["Graig Sutherland","Jean Rabault","Kai H. Christensen","Atle Jensen"],"tags":["physics.ao-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-05-03T06:30:42Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2503.19902v2","name":"ICE: Intrinsic Concept Extraction from a Single Image via Diffusion Models","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The inherent ambiguity in defining visual concepts poses significant challenges for modern generative models, such as the diffusion-based Text-to-Image (T2I) models, in accurately learning concepts from a single image. Existing methods lack a systematic way to reliably extract the interpretable underlying intrinsic concepts. To address this challenge, we present ICE, short for Intrinsic Concept Extraction, a novel framework that exclusively utilises a T2I model to automatically and systematically extract intrinsic concepts from a single image. ICE consists of two pivotal stages. In the first stage, ICE devises an automatic concept localization module to pinpoint relevant text-based concepts and their corresponding masks within the image. This critical stage streamlines concept initialization and provides precise guidance for subsequent analysis. The second stage delves deeper into each identified mask, decomposing the object-level concepts into intrinsic concepts and general concepts. This decomposition allows for a more granular and interpretable breakdown of visual elements. Our framework demonstrates superior performance on intrinsic concept extraction from a single image in an unsupervised manner. Project page: https://visual-ai.github.io/ice","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.19902v2","authors":["Fernando Julio Cendra","Kai Han"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-25T17:58:29Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2003.09472v3","name":"A comparison of wave observations in the Arctic marginal ice zone with spectral models","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Increased economic activity and research interest in the Arctic raise the need for better wave forecasts in the marginal ice zone (MIZ). Mathematical and numerical models of wave propagation in sea ice would benefit from more in situ data for validation. This study presents shipborne wave measurements from the MIZ where altimeter readings are corrected for ship motion to obtain estimated single point ocean surface elevation. From the combined measurements, we obtain significant wave height and zero up-crossing period, as well as one-dimensional wave spectra. In addition, we provide spectra and integrated parameters obtained from inertial motion units (IMU) placed on ice floes inside the MIZ. The results are compared with integrated parameters from the WAM-4 spectral wave model over a period of three days in the open ocean. We also compare our measurements outside and inside the MIZ with hindcast data from the new pan-Arctic WAM-3 model and the Wave Watch III model for the European Arctic, which both model wave attenuation in sea ice. A good agreement is found with WAM-4 and WW3 in zero up-crossing period and significant wave height outside the MIZ, where deviations are less than 23%. WAM-3 is on the other hand up to 60% higher than observations. WW3 and WAM-3 are able to estimate the trends for significant wave height and zero up-crossing period inside the MIZ, although the discrepancies with respect to the observations were larger than in the open ocean. Wave damping by sea ice is investigated by looking at the spatial attenuation coefficients. Predicted attenuation coefficients are found to be 72-83% smaller for WW3 and 3-64% larger for WAM-3 compared to observations. Hence, further model tuning is necessary to better estimate wave parameters in the ice.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2003.09472v3","authors":["Trygve K. Løken","Jean Rabault","Erin E. Thomas","Malte Müller","Kai H. Christensen","Graig Sutherland","Atle Jensen"],"tags":["physics.ao-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-20T19:20:33Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2301.09140v1","name":"An Ice Age JWST inventory of dense molecular cloud ices","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Icy grain mantles are the main reservoir of the volatile elements that link chemical processes in dark, interstellar clouds with the formation of planets and composition of their atmospheres. The initial ice composition is set in the cold, dense parts of molecular clouds, prior to the onset of star formation. With the exquisite sensitivity of JWST, this critical stage of ice evolution is now accessible for detailed study. Here we show the first results of the Early Release Science program \"Ice Age\" that reveal the rich composition of these dense cloud ices. Weak ices, including, $^{13}$CO$_2$, OCN$^-$, $^{13}$CO, OCS, and COMs functional groups are now detected along two pre-stellar lines of sight. The $^{12}$CO$_2$ ice profile indicates modest growth of the icy grains. Column densities of the major and minor ice species indicate that ices contribute between 2 and 19% of the bulk budgets of the key C, O, N, and S elements. Our results suggest that the formation of simple and complex molecules could begin early in a water-ice rich environment.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2301.09140v1","authors":["M. K. McClure","W. R. M. Rocha","K. M. Pontoppidan","N. Crouzet","L. E. U. Chu","E. Dartois","T. Lamberts","J. A. Noble","Y. J. Pendleton","G. Perotti","D. Qasim","M. G. Rachid","Z. L. Smith","Fengwu Sun","Tracy L Beck","A. C. A. Boogert","W. A. Brown","P. Caselli","S. B. Charnley","Herma M. Cuppen","H. Dickinson","M. N. Drozdovskaya","E. Egami","J. Erkal","H. Fraser","R. T. Garrod","D. Harsono","S. Ioppolo","I. Jimenez-Serra","M. Jin","J. K. Jørgensen","L. E. Kristensen","D. C. Lis","M. R. S. McCoustra","Brett A. McGuire","G. J. Melnick","Karin I. Oberg","M. E. Palumbo","T. Shimonishi","J. A. Sturm","E. F. van Dishoeck","H. Linnartz"],"tags":["astro-ph.GA","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-22T15:28:37Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2607.24934v1","name":"Using Scattered Near-Infrared Light to Map Water Ice in Prestellar Cores with SPHEREx","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present the first coreshine-derived, spatially-resolved maps of the 3 $μ$m H$_2$O ice absorption feature in four prestellar cores, using SPHEREx spectra. Ices are a key component of dense cores in molecular clouds, playing a central role in the chemistry of planet formation around young stars. However, spatially resolved abundance studies remain limited, typically relying on unevenly distributed background star sightlines. Here, we take advantage of the all-sky spectrophotometric capabilities of SPHEREx to construct ice absorption maps with uniform spatial resolution using the illumination of dense cores by scattered Galactic radiation, or coreshine. To demonstrate proof of concept, we analyse the spatially varying H$_2$O ice absorption in four nearby (~140 pc) prestellar cores - L1544, CrA 151, L260 and L1512. Two cores follow the expected spatial trend of ice absorption peaking at the centre, but the two densest cores show a surprising drop in observed ice absorption in the innermost regions. To interpret the absorption maps, we construct analytical and simulated models of a Bonnor-Ebert sphere illuminated by scattering. We study the effects of different geometric configurations, ice mass fractions, and spatial differences in ice composition. None of these can explain the reduced central absorption, pointing to an unexplained physical or chemical effect operating in the densest prestellar regions. Our simulations further show that spectra derived from coreshine provide a robust tracer of spatially varying ice density and composition, establishing SPHEREx scattered-light spectroscopy as a powerful new probe of ice in dense cores.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.24934v1","authors":["Tamojeet Roychowdhury","Jennifer B. Bergner","Jens Kauffmann","Thushara G. S. Pillai","Silvia Spezzano"],"tags":["astro-ph.GA"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-27T18:00:06Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1611.00744v1","name":"Experimental Studies of Artificial Spin Ice","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Artificial spin ices were originally introduced as analogs of the pyrochlore spin ices, but have since become a much richer field . The original attraction of building nanotechnological analogs of the pyrochlores were threefold: to allow room temperature studies of geometrical frustration; to provide model statistical mechanical systems where all the relevant parameters in an experiment can be tuned by design; and to be able to examine the exact microstate of those systems using advanced magnetic microscopy methods. From this beginning the field has grown to encompass studies of the effects of quenched disorder, thermally activated dynamics, microwave frequency responses, magnetotransport properties, and the development of lattice geometries--with related emergent physics---that have no analog in naturally-occurring crystalline systems. The field also offers the prospect of contributing to novel magnetic logic devices, since the arrays of nanoislands that form artificial spin ices are similar in many respects to those that are used in the development of magnetic quantum cellular automata. In this chapter, I review the experimental aspects of this story, complementing the theoretical chapter by Gia-Wei Chern.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1611.00744v1","authors":["Christopher Marrows"],"tags":["cond-mat.dis-nn","cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-11-02T19:43:04Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1302.1492v1","name":"Why could ice ages be unpredictable?","source":"arxiv","abstract":"It is commonly accepted that the variations of Earth's orbit and obliquity control the timing of Pleistocene glacial-interglacial cycles. Evidence comes from power spectrum analysis of palaeoclimate records and from inspection of the timing of glacial and deglacial transitions. However, we do not know how tight this control is. Is it, for example, conceivable that random climatic fluctuations could cause a delay in deglaciation, bad enough to skip a full precession or obliquity cycle and subsequently modify the sequence of ice ages? To address this question, seven previously published conceptual models of ice ages are analysed by reference to the notion of generalised synchronisation. Insight is being gained by comparing the effects of the astronomical forcing with idealised forcings composed of only one or two periodic components. In general, the richness of the astronomical forcing allows for synchronisation over a wider range of parameters, compared to periodic forcing. Hence, glacial cycles may conceivably have remained paced by the astronomical forcing throughout the Pleistocene. However, all the models examined here also show a range of parameters for which the structural stability of the ice age dynamics is weak. This means that small variations in parameters or random fluctuations may cause significant shifts in the succession of ice ages if the system were effectively in that parameter range. Whether or not the system has strong structural stability depends on the amplitude of the effects associated with the astronomical forcing, which significantly differ across the different models studied here. The possibility of synchronisation on eccentricity is also discussed and it is shown that a high Rayleigh number on eccentricity, as recently found in observations, is no guarantee of reliable synchronisation.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1302.1492v1","authors":["Michel Crucifix"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph","nlin.CD","physics.ao-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-02-06T19:49:45Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1501.06981v1","name":"Regelation: why does ice melt under pressure?","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Unlike other unusual materials whose bonds contract under compression, the O:H nonbond undergoes contraction and the H-O bond elongation towards O:H and H-O length symmetry in water and ice. The energy drop of the H-O bond dictates the melting point Tm depression of ice. Once the pressure is relieved, the O:H-O bond fully recovers its initial state, resulting in Regelation.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1501.06981v1","authors":["Chang Q Sun"],"tags":["cond-mat.soft","physics.flu-dyn"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-01-28T03:34:30Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.21776v1","name":"The Turkish Ice Cream Robot: Examining Playful Deception in Social Human-Robot Interactions","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Playful deception, a common feature in human social interactions, remains underexplored in Human-Robot Interaction (HRI). Inspired by the Turkish Ice Cream (TIC) vendor routine, we investigate how bounded, culturally familiar forms of deception influence user trust, enjoyment, and engagement during robotic handovers. We design a robotic manipulator equipped with a custom end-effector and implement five TIC-inspired trick policies that deceptively delay the handover of an ice cream-shaped object. Through a mixed-design user study with 91 participants, we evaluate the effects of playful deception and interaction duration on user experience. Results reveal that TIC-inspired deception significantly enhances enjoyment and engagement, though reduces perceived safety and trust, suggesting a structured trade-off across the multi-dimensional aspects. Our findings demonstrate that playful deception can be a valuable design strategy for interactive robots in entertainment and engagement-focused contexts, while underscoring the importance of deliberate consideration of its complex trade-offs. You can find more information, including demonstration videos, on https://hyeonseong-kim98.github.io/turkish-ice-cream-robot/ .","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.21776v1","authors":["Hyeonseong Kim","Roy El-Helou","Seungbeen Lee","Sungjoon Choi","Matthew Pan"],"tags":["cs.RO","cs.HC"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-26T02:24:34Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2005.04475v2","name":"Transition in the Acid-Base Component of Surface Free Energy of Ice upon the Premelting of its Second Molecular Bilayer","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Molecular disordering of the ice surface occurs below the bulk melting temperature of 273 K, termed surface premelting. The top-most molecular layer begins gradually premelting at 200 K, and has been linked to its low coefficient of friction through an increase in molecular mobility. The second molecular bilayer premelts around 257 K, but no study has linked this transition to a change in any macroscopic phenomena. Here, we show that the thermodynamic work of adhesion between polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and ice changes abruptly at 257.0 $\\pm$ 0.1 K. Surface-sensitive sum frequency generation spectroscopy shows that there are no molecular level changes at the PDMS surface or the ice-PDMS interface near the transition in adhesion, indicating that the transition arises from changes of the ice surface. Using existing contact angle data in the literature, we show that this transition is due to a decrease in the acid-base component of the surface free energy of ice by 17 $\\pm$ 2 mJ/m$^2$ at 257.0 $\\pm$ 0.1 K. The change in surface energy provides a possible explanation for a variety of unexplained phenomena seen across the literature including ice adhesion, friction, and the morphology of snowflakes.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2005.04475v2","authors":["Nathaniel Orndorf","Saranshu Singla","Ali Dhinojwala"],"tags":["physics.chem-ph","cond-mat.soft"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-05-09T16:21:54Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2602.16213v2","name":"Graph neural network for colliding particles with an application to sea ice floe modeling","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper introduces a novel approach to sea ice modeling using Graph Neural Networks (GNNs), utilizing the natural graph structure of sea ice, where nodes represent individual ice pieces, and edges model the physical interactions, including collisions. This concept is developed within a one-dimensional framework as a foundational step. Traditional numerical methods, while effective, are computationally intensive and less scalable. By utilizing GNNs, the proposed model, termed the Collision-captured Network (CN), integrates data assimilation (DA) techniques to effectively learn and predict sea ice dynamics under various conditions. The approach was validated using synthetic data, both with and without observed data points, and it was found that the model accelerates the simulation of trajectories without compromising accuracy. This advancement offers a more efficient tool for forecasting in marginal ice zones (MIZ) and highlights the potential of combining machine learning with data assimilation for more effective and efficient modeling.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.16213v2","authors":["Ruibiao Zhu"],"tags":["cs.LG","cs.AI","cs.CV","physics.comp-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-18T06:31:04Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2008.12125v1","name":"Ice Giant System Exploration in the 2020s: An Introduction","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The international planetary science community met in London in January 2020, united in the goal of realising the first dedicated robotic mission to the distant Ice Giants, Uranus and Neptune, as the only major class of Solar System planet yet to be comprehensively explored. Ice-Giant-sized worlds appear to be a common outcome of the planet formation process, and pose unique and extreme tests of our understanding of planetary origins, exotic water-rich planetary interiors, dynamic seasonal atmospheres, complex magnetospheric configurations, geologically-rich icy satellites (both natural and captured), and delicate planetary rings. This article introduces a special issue of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A on Ice Giant System exploration at the start of the 2020s. We review the scientific potential and existing mission design concepts for an ambitious international partnership for exploring Uranus and/or Neptune in the coming decades.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2008.12125v1","authors":["L. N. Fletcher","A. A. Simon","M. D. Hofstadter","C. S. Arridge","I. Cohen","A. Masters","K. Mandt","A. Coustenis"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-08-26T12:51:08Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1711.08997v1","name":"Impact crater morphology and the structure of Europa's ice shell","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We performed numerical simulations of impact crater formation on Europa to infer the thickness and structure of its ice shell. The simulations were performed using iSALE to test both the conductive ice shell over ocean and the conductive lid over warm convective ice scenarios for a variety of conditions. The modeled crater depth-diameter is strongly dependent on thermal gradient and temperature of the warm convective ice. Our results indicate that both a fully conductive (thin) shell and a conductive-convective (thick) shell can reproduce the observed crater depth-diameter and morphologies. For the conductive ice shell over ocean, the best fit is an approximately 8 km thick conductive ice shell. Depending on the temperature (255 - 265 K) and therefore strength of warm convective ice, the thickness of the conductive ice lid is estimated at 5 - 7 km. If central features within the crater, such as pits and domes, form during crater collapse, our simulations are in better agreement with the fully conductive shell (thin shell). If central features form well after the impact, however, our simulations suggest a conductive-convective shell (thick shell) is more likely. Although our study does not provide firm conclusion regarding the thickness of Europa's ice shell, our work indicates that Valhalla-class multiring basins on Europa may provide robust constraints on the thickness of Europa's ice shell.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1711.08997v1","authors":["Elizabeth A. Silber","Brandon C. Johnson"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-11-24T14:51:03Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1103.0225v1","name":"Water ice at low to midlatitudes on Mars","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, we analyze water ice occurrences at the surface of Mars using near-infrared observations, and we study their distribution with a climate model. Latitudes between 45°S and 50°N are considered. Data from the Observatoire pour la Minéralogie, l'Eau, les Glaces et l'Actitité and the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars are used to assess the presence of surface water ice as a function of location and season. A modeling approach combining the 1-D and 3-D versions of the General Circulation Model of the Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique de Jussieu is developed and successfully compared to observations. Ice deposits 2-200 μm thick are observed during the day on pole facing slopes in local fall, winter and early spring. Ice extends down to 13° latitude in the Southern Hemisphere but is restricted to latitudes higher than 32° in the north. On a given slope, the pattern of ice observations at the surface is mainly controlled by the global variability of atmospheric water (precipitation and vapor), with local ground properties playing a lower role. Only seasonal surface ice is observed: no exposed patches of perennial ground ice have been detected. Surface seasonal ice is however sensitive to subsurface properties: the results presented in this study are consistent with the recent discovery of low latitude subsurface ice obtained through the analysis of CO2 frost.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1103.0225v1","authors":["Mathieu Vincendon","François Forget","John Mustard"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-03-01T17:08:27Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2103.08812v1","name":"1I/'Oumuamua as an N2 ice fragment of an exo-pluto surface. II. Generation of N2 ice fragments and the origin of 'Oumuamua","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The origin of the interstellar object 1I/'Oumuamua, has defied explanation. In a companion paper (Jackson &amp; Desch, 2021), we show that a body of N2 ice with axes 45 m x 44 m x 7.5 m at the time of observation would be consistent with its albedo, non-gravitational acceleration, and lack of observed CO or CO2 or dust. Here we demonstrate that impacts on the surfaces of Pluto-like Kuiper belt objects (KBOs) would have generated and ejected ~10^14 collisional fragments--roughly half of them H2O ice fragments and half of them N2 ice fragments--due to the dynamical instability that depleted the primordial Kuiper belt. We show consistency between these numbers and the frequency with which we would observe interstellar objects like 1I/'Oumuamua, and more comet-like objects like 2I/Borisov, if other stellar systems eject such objects with efficiency like that of the Sun; we infer that differentiated KBOs and dynamical instabilities that eject impact-generated fragments may be near-universal among extrasolar systems. Galactic cosmic rays would erode such fragments over 4.5 Gyr, so that fragments are a small fraction (~0.1%) of long-period Oort comets, but C/2016 R2 may be an example. We estimate 'Oumuamua was ejected about 0.4-0.5 Gyr ago, from a young (~10^8 yr) stellar system, which we speculate was in the Perseus arm. Objects like 'Oumuamua may directly probe the surface compositions of a hitherto-unobserved type of exoplanet: \"exo-plutos\". 'Oumuamua may be the first sample of an exoplanet brought to us.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2103.08812v1","authors":["Steven J. Desch","Alan P. Jackson"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-03-16T02:50:31Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2106.04593v2","name":"A Revised Description of the Cosmic Ray-Induced Desorption of Interstellar Ices","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Non-thermal desorption of ices on interstellar grains is required to explain observations of molecules that are not synthesized efficiently in the gas phase in cold dense clouds. Perhaps the most important non-thermal desorption mechanism is one induced by cosmic rays (CRs), which, when passing through a grain, heat it transiently to a high temperature - the grain cools back to its original equilibrium temperature via the (partial) sublimation of the ice. Current cosmic-ray-induced desorption (CRD) models assume a fixed grain cooling time. In this work we present a revised description of CRD in which the desorption efficiency depends dynamically on the ice content. We apply the revised desorption scheme to two-phase and three-phase chemical models in physical conditions corresponding to starless and prestellar cores, and to molecular cloud envelopes. We find that inside starless and prestellar cores, introducing dynamic CRD can decrease gas-phase abundances by up to an order of magnitude in two-phase chemical models. In three-phase chemical models our model produces very similar results to the static cooling scheme - when only one monolayer of ice is considered active. Ice abundances are generally insensitive to variations in the grain cooling time. Further improved CRD models need to take into account additional effects in the transient heating of the grains, introduced for example by the adoption of a spectrum of CR energies.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2106.04593v2","authors":["O. Sipilä","K. Silsbee","P. Caselli"],"tags":["astro-ph.GA"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-06-08T18:00:01Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1304.2553v2","name":"Detecting extra-galactic supernova neutrinos in the Antarctic ice","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Building on the technological success of the IceCube neutrino telescope, we outline a prospective low-energy extension that utilizes the clear ice of the South Pole. Aiming at a 10 Mton effective volume and a 10 MeV threshold, the detector would provide sufficient sensitivity to detect neutrino bursts from core-collapse supernovae (SNe) in nearby galaxies. The detector geometry and required density of instrumentation are discussed along with the requirements to control the various sources of background, such as solar neutrinos. In particular, the suppression of spallation events induced by atmospheric muons poses a challenge that will need to be addressed. Assuming this background can be controlled, we find that the resulting detector will be able to detect SNe from beyond 10 Mpc, delivering between 10 and 41 regular core-collapse SN detections per decade. It would further allow to study more speculative phenomena, such as optically dark (failed) SNe, where the collapse proceeds directly to a black hole, at a detection rate similar to that of regular SNe. We find that the biggest technological challenge lies in the required number of large area photo-sensors, with simultaneous strict limits on the allowed noise rates. If both can be realized, the detector concept we present will reach the required sensitivity with a comparatively small construction effort and hence offers a route to future routine observations of SNe with neutrinos.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1304.2553v2","authors":["Sebastian Böser","Marek Kowalski","Lukas Schulte","Nora Linn Strotjohann","Markus Voge"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.HE","hep-ex","physics.ins-det"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-04-09T12:33:06Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1501.04171v1","name":"Hidden force floating ice","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Because of the segmental specific-heat disparity of the hydrogen bond (O:H-O) and the Coulomb repulsion between oxygen ions, cooling elongates the O:H-O bond at freezing by stretching its containing angle and shortening the H-O bond with an association of larger O:H elongation, which makes ice less dense than water, allowing it to float.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1501.04171v1","authors":["Chang Q. Sun"],"tags":["cond-mat.soft"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-01-17T08:04:50Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1103.0379v1","name":"Near-tropical subsurface ice on Mars","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Near-surface perennial water ice on Mars has been previously inferred down to latitudes of about 45° and could result from either water vapor diffusion through the regolith under current conditions or previous ice ages precipitations. In this paper we show that at latitudes as low as 25° in the southern hemisphere buried water ice in the shallow (&lt; 1 m) subsurface is required to explain the observed surface distribution of seasonal CO2 frost on pole facing slopes. This result shows that possible remnants of the last ice age, as well as water that will be needed for the future exploration of Mars, are accessible significantly closer to the equator than previously thought, where mild conditions for both robotic and human exploration lie.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1103.0379v1","authors":["Mathieu Vincendon","John Mustard","François Forget","Mikhail Kreslavsky","Aymeric Spiga","Scott Murchie","Jean-Pierre Bibring"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-03-02T09:50:31Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1112.0257v2","name":"Generalised Longitudinal Susceptibility for Magnetic Monopoles in Spin Ice","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The generalised longitudinal susceptibility $χ({\\bf q}, ω)$ affords a sensitive measure of the spatial and temporal correlations of magnetic monopoles in spin ice. Starting with the monopole model, a mean field expression for $χ({\\bf q}, ω)$ is derived as well as expressions for the mean square longitudinal field and induction at a point. Monopole motion is shown to be strongly correlated, and both spatial and temporal correlations are controlled by the dimensionless monopole density $x$ which defines the ratio of the magnetization relaxation rate and the monopole hop rate. Thermal effects and spin lattice relaxation are also considered. The derived equations are applicable in the temperature range where the Wien effect for magnetic monopoles is negligible. They are discussed in the context of existing theories of spin ice and the following experimental techniques: dc and ac-magnetization, neutron scattering, neutron spin echo, and longitudinal and transverse field $μ$SR. The monopole theory is found to unify diverse experimental results, but several discrepancies between theory and experiment are identified. One of these, concerning the neutron scattering line shape, is explained by means of a phenomenological modification to the theory.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1112.0257v2","authors":["Steven T. Bramwell"],"tags":["cond-mat.str-el"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-12-01T18:16:35Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1208.0457v1","name":"Ice cream and orbifold Riemann-Roch","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We give an orbifold Riemann-Roch formula in closed form for the Hilbert series of a quasismooth polarized n-fold X,D, under the assumption that X is projectively Gorenstein with only isolated orbifold points. Our formula is a sum of parts each of which is integral and Gorenstein symmetric of the same canonical weight; the orbifold parts are called \"ice cream functions\". This form of the Hilbert series is particularly useful for computer algebra, and we illustrate it on examples of K3 surfaces and Calabi-Yau 3-folds. These results apply also with higher dimensional orbifold strata (see [A. Buckley and B. Szendroi, Orbifold Riemann-Roch for 3-folds with an application to Calabi-Yau geometry, J. Algebraic Geometry 14 (2005) 601--622] and [Shengtian Zhou, Orbifold Riemann-Roch and Hilbert series, University of Warwick PhD thesis, March 2011, 91+vii pp.], although the correct statements are considerably trickier. We expect to return to this in future publications.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1208.0457v1","authors":["Anita Buckley","Miles Reid","Shengtian Zhou"],"tags":["math.AG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-08-02T11:26:38Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0803.4204v2","name":"Classical-Quantum Mappings for Geometrically Frustrated Systems: Spin Ice in a [100] Field","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Certain classical statistical systems with strong local constraints are known to exhibit Coulomb phases, where long-range correlation functions have power-law forms. Continuous transitions from these into ordered phases cannot be described by a naive application of the Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson theory, since neither phase is thermally disordered. We present an alternative approach to a critical theory for such systems, based on a mapping to a quantum problem in one fewer spatial dimensions. We apply this method to spin ice, a magnetic material with geometrical frustration, which exhibits a Coulomb phase and a continuous transition to an ordered state in the presence of a magnetic field applied in the [100] direction.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0803.4204v2","authors":["Stephen Powell","J. T. Chalker"],"tags":["cond-mat.stat-mech"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-03-29T13:35:55Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2003.12640v1","name":"Meteoroid Bombardment of Lunar Poles","source":"arxiv","abstract":"While the floors of deep lunar craters are largely shielded from solar radiation and thus provide an ideal thermal environment for water ice accumulation, meteoroids on highly inclined orbits can easily access permanently shadowed regions and alter the surface properties via hyper-velocity impacts. Here we consider the detailed topography of lunar poles and a dynamical model of meteoroids to quantify the meteoroid mass fluxes, energy deposition, and impact ejecta mass production rates. Our analysis of regions within $5^\\circ$ from the two lunar poles shows that the variations of the meteoroid mass flux, energy flux and ejecta production rate are within $50\\%$ of their median values. We find that lunar poles are easily accessible by meteoroid impacts including permanently shadowed regions. We find a positive correlation between the surface slope and the meteoroid ejecta production rate, a finding that suggests a higher impact gardening rate on steep crater walls can facilitate mass wasting.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2003.12640v1","authors":["Petr Pokorny","Menelaos Sarantos","Diego Janches","Erwan Mazarico"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-27T21:22:53Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2311.01182v8","name":"Molecular dynamics simulations of ice and methane hydrate by means of the rotation coordinate TIP5P-Ewald model","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Molecular dynamics simulations are utilized to study the microwave heating of methane hydrate by the five-body rotation coordinate system with the TIP5P-Ewald model. The structure I of methane hydrate is constructed, and the ice and free methane or methane hydrate are exposed to microwave electric fields of 10 GHz. Provisional methane hydrate of the normal density and a temperature of 273 K is dynamically unstable and collapses after some periods of irradiation. The period of a collapse time is $1.7 \\times 10^{6} τ$ and the temperature increase is $ΔT \\cong 61$ deg, with the external electric field $3 \\times 10^{7} \\rm{V/cm}$ (i.e. 0.3 V/Å) and $τ= 1 \\times 10^{-14}$ s. For the ice and free methane of the temperature 193 K and the pressure 1 atm, the system is stable while it is heated under microwave irradiation. About the temperature of 273 K, high density methane hydrate becomes stable, whereas the density of 0.93 g/cm$^{3}$ is marginally stable but is heated when microwaves are present. In the microwave device of 1,000 V/cm and the pressure 1 atm, the simulation of the ice and methane points to 1 s in the 100\\% microwave efficiency.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.01182v8","authors":["Motohiko Tanaka"],"tags":["physics.chem-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-02T12:23:56Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2602.21400v1","name":"Formation of Water-rich Giant Planet Satellites at Decretion Disk Ice Lines","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The volatile budgets of giant planet satellites are critical to unraveling the origin of their building blocks within the circumplanetary disks that hosted them. The Galilean moons Ganymede and Callisto, as well as the Saturnian moon Titan, are known to be anomalously water rich on the basis of their mean densities and interior models informed by gravity data from Galileo and Cassini, characterized by ice-to-rock ratios around unity. Here, we show that the water-ice sublimation line in a decreting circumplanetary disk lends itself to the formation of a water-rich solid reservoir, serving as a natural site for the birthplace of icy satellites. Fundamentally, this reflects how interior to the ice line, water vapor is advected outward, while beyond it, water ice drifts inward as pebbles. Using a semi-analytic model for dust and vapor evolution, we simulate vapor and ice accumulation at the ice line, showing that solids just beyond it achieve steady-state ice-to-rock ratios a factor of a few higher than elsewhere in the disk. For typical disk parameters, this ice buildup occurs within a timescale of a few thousand years. We propose this as a first-order process that explains, at least to some extent, the compositions of three aforementioned satellites. We explore the impact of uncertain turbulence parameters on our results, namely the turbulent Schmidt number and Shakura-Sunyaev alpha, before discussing them in the context of icy satellite D/H ratios. We conclude by evaluating alternative scenarios for explaining water-rich satellites, based on the conversion of CO to CH4, with water as a by-product.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.21400v1","authors":["Teng Ee Yap","David J. Stevenson"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-24T22:11:29Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2203.03760v1","name":"Snow topography on undeformed Arctic sea ice captured by an idealized \"snow dune\" model","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Our ability to predict the future of Arctic sea ice is limited by ice's sensitivity to detailed surface conditions such as the distribution of snow and melt ponds. Snow on top of the ice decreases ice's thermal conductivity, increases its reflectivity (albedo), and provides a source of meltwater for melt ponds during summer that decrease the ice's albedo. In this paper, we develop a simple model of pre-melt snow topography that accurately describes snow cover of flat, undeformed Arctic sea ice on several study sites for which data was available. The model considers a surface that is a sum of randomly sized and placed \"snow dunes\" represented as Gaussian mounds. This model generalizes the \"void model\" of Popović et al. (2018) and, as such, accurately describes the statistics of melt pond geometry. We test this model against detailed LiDAR measurements of the pre-melt snow topography. We show that the model snow-depth distribution is statistically indistinguishable from the measurements on flat ice, while small disagreement exists if the ice is deformed. We then use this model to determine analytic expressions for the conductive heat flux through the ice and for melt pond coverage evolution during an early stage of pond formation. We also formulate a criterion for ice to remain pond-free throughout the summer. Results from our model could be directly included in large-scale models, thereby improving our understanding of energy balance on sea ice and allowing for more reliable predictions of Arctic sea ice in a future climate.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2203.03760v1","authors":["Predrag Popović","Justin Finkel","Mary C. Silber","Dorian S. Abbot"],"tags":["nlin.PS","physics.ao-ph","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-07T22:39:55Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1907.02901v2","name":"Ice Giant Circulation Patterns: Implications for Atmospheric Probes","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Atmospheric circulation patterns derived from multi-spectral remote sensing can serve as a guide for choosing a suitable entry site for a future in situ probe mission. Since the Voyager-2 flybys in the 1980s, three decades of observations from ground- and space-based observatories have generated a picture of Ice Giant circulation that is complex, perplexing, and altogether unlike that seen on the Gas Giants. This review seeks to reconcile the various competing circulation patterns from an observational perspective, accounting for spatially-resolved measurements of: zonal albedo contrasts and banded appearances; cloud-tracked zonal winds; temperature and para-H$_2$ measurements above the condensate clouds; and equator-to-pole contrasts in condensable volatiles (methane and hydrogen sulphide) in the deeper troposphere. These observations identify three distinct latitude domains: an equatorial domain of deep upwelling and upper-tropospheric subsidence, potentially bounded by peaks in the retrograde zonal jet and analogous to Jovian cyclonic belts; a mid-latitude transitional domain of upper-tropospheric upwelling, vigorous cloud activity, analogous to Jovian anticyclonic zones; and a polar domain of strong subsidence, volatile depletion, and small-scale (and potentially seasonally-variable) convective activity. Taken together, the multi-wavelength observations suggest a tiered structure of stacked circulation cells (at least two in the troposphere and one in the stratosphere), potentially separated in the vertical by (i) strong molecular weight gradients associated with cloud condensation, and by (ii) transitions from a thermally-direct circulation regime at depth to a wave-driven circulation regime at high altitude. The inferred circulation can be tested in the coming decade by 3D simulations and by observations from future world-class facilities. [Abridged]","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1907.02901v2","authors":["Leigh N. Fletcher","Imke de Pater","Glenn S. Orton","Mark D. Hofstadter","Patrick G. J. Irwin","Michael Roman","Daniel Toledo"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-07-05T15:47:00Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0610106v1","name":"On exact solutions and numerics for cold, shallow, and thermocoupled ice sheets","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This three section report can be regarded as an extended appendix to (Bueler, Brown, and Lingle 2006). First we give the detailed construction of an exact solution to a standard continuum model of a cold, shallow, and thermocoupled ice sheet. The construction is by calculation of compensatory accumulation and heat source functions which make a chosen pair of functions for thickness and temperature into exact solutions of the coupled system. The solution we construct here is ``TestG'' in (Bueler and others, 2006) and the steady state solution ``Test F'' is a special case. In the second section we give a reference C implementation of these exact solutions. In the last section we give an error analysis of a finite difference scheme for the temperature equation in the thermocoupled model. The error analysis gives three results, first the correct form of the Courant-Friedrichs-Lewy (CFL) condition for stability of the advection scheme, second an equation for error growth which contributes to understanding the famous ``spokes'' of (Payne and others, 2000), and third a convergence theorem under stringent fixed geometry and smoothness assumptions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0610106v1","authors":["Ed Bueler","Jed Brown"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph","physics.comp-ph","physics.flu-dyn"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-10-16T17:36:45Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2312.17107v1","name":"The Intelligence College in Europe (ICE): An Effort to Create a European Intelligence Community","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In fulfilling the European security commitment, the actors of the so-called \"Intelligence Community\" play a central role. They provide political and military decision-makers with important analyses and information. The Intelligence College in Europe (ICE) is the first entity to offer professional intelligence training as well as postgraduate level academic education in intelligence and security studies at a pan-European level. In developing its postgraduate provision, ICE has benefited from the experience of the German Master of Intelligence and Security Studies (MISS), which is a joint effort of the University of the Bundeswehr Munich and the Department of Intelligence at the Federal University of Administrative Sciences in Berlin. As a main contribution of this paper, the module Counterterrorism (adapted from the MISS) is examined in more detail as a case study of how postgraduate modules can be modified to speak to a pan-European audience of intelligence professionals.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.17107v1","authors":["Uwe M. Borghoff","Lars Berger","François Fischer"],"tags":["cs.CY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-28T16:30:48Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1108.3289v1","name":"Planetary Science by the NLSI LUNAR Team: The Lunar Core, Ionized Atmosphere, &amp; Nanodust Weathering","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Lunar University Network for Astrophysics Research (LUNAR) undertakes investigations across the full spectrum of science within the mission of the NASA Lunar Science Institute (NLSI), namely science of, on, and from the Moon. The LUNAR team's work on science of and on the Moon, which is the subject of this white paper, is conducted in the broader context of ascertaining the content, origin, and evolution of the solar system.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1108.3289v1","authors":["Jack Burns","Joseph Lazio"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-08-16T17:27:08Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1410.6865v1","name":"Lunar Resources: A Review","source":"arxiv","abstract":"There is growing interest in the possibility that the resource base of the Solar System might in future be used to supplement the economic resources of our own planet. As the Earth's closest celestial neighbour, the Moon is sure to feature prominently in these developments. In this paper I review what is currently known about economically exploitable resources on the Moon, while also stressing the need for continued lunar exploration. I find that, although it is difficult to identify any single lunar resource that will be sufficiently valuable to drive a lunar resource extraction industry on its own (notwithstanding claims sometimes made for the 3He isotope, which I find to be exaggerated), the Moon nevertheless does possess abundant raw materials that are of potential economic interest. These are relevant to a hierarchy of future applications, beginning with the use of lunar materials to facilitate human activities on the Moon itself, and progressing to the use of lunar resources to underpin a future industrial capability within the Earth-Moon system. In this way, gradually increasing access to lunar resources may help 'bootstrap' a space-based economy from which the world economy, and possibly also the world's environment, will ultimately benefit.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1410.6865v1","authors":["Ian A. Crawford"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-10-25T01:25:54Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.21597v2","name":"Lunar Reference Timescale","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Setting up a relativistic lunar reference frame is of a prime importance in the context of future exploration missions to the Moon. If the procedure for building a consistent reference frame within the framework of the general theory of relativity is well established (cf. resolutions B.3 of IAU 2000), there is still some freedom in the choice of the coordinate timescale to be adopted as reference in the lunar region. In this paper, we review the orders of magnitude of the relativistic effects resulting from (i) the gravitational redshift of a clock on the lunar surface and (ii) the time transformations between a clock on the surface of the Moon and a clock on the surface of the Earth. We then discuss possible options for a lunar reference timescale with their advantages and drawbacks, taking note that the solution which is adopted for the Moon shall then be reemployed for Mars and other planets. Finally, we propose possible realizations of the lunar reference timescale as well as its traceability to UTC.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.21597v2","authors":["Adrien Bourgoin","Pascale Defraigne","Frédéric Meynadier"],"tags":["gr-qc"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-29T08:55:16Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0907.3643v1","name":"Lunar semimonthly signal in cloud amount","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Based on NASA satellite infrared and visible range measurements, cloud amount ISCCP_D1 summer nighttime data, representing the tropospheric cloud activity at Central Russia are examined over 1994-2007, and the lunar signal in the cloud amount was extracted. The ISCCP_D1 database was used to confirm previous results of Pertsev, Dalin and Romejko (2007) on the large importance of lunar declination effect compared to the lunar phase effect. Since this database provides much more information than it was used in that previous investigation, it has become possible to separate the lunar phase effect and the lunar declination effect in cloudiness. The relative cloud amount tends to grow with a change of lunar phase from a quadrature to the New Moon or Full Moon and with increasing of the lunar declination by absolute value. The both effects are statistically significant, the second one is a little stronger.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0907.3643v1","authors":["Nikolay Pertsev","Peter Dalin"],"tags":["physics.ao-ph","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-07-21T16:18:09Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.11199v2","name":"Origin of the lunar farside highlands from Earthshine-induced global circulation in lunar magma ocean","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The lunar farside highlands, referred to as the lunar farside thicker crust compared with the nearside crust, presents a challenge to the theory of formation and evolution of the Moon. Here, we show that, after the Moon reached synchronous rotation, Earthshine could induce global circulation in lunar magma ocean due to the imposed surface temperature gradient generated by the hot, post-giant impact Earth. The global circulation, generating downwellings on the farside and a deeper return flow on the nearside, results that magmas flow from the nearside to the farside in the shallow magma ocean while the the direction of flow is opposite in the deep magma ocean. Such flow in the shallow magma ocean would transport anorthositic crystals formed in the nearside to the farside. Furthermore, since the lunar farside is cooler than the nearside, crystallization is much more efficient at the farside, resulting that farside magmas transported from the nearside produce anorthositic crystals rapidly. The theory proposed here may provide a natural way of explaining the origin of the lunar farside highlands and the lunar dichotomy.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.11199v2","authors":["Wenshuai Liu"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.HE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-14T09:55:41Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2207.13883v2","name":"Review of research on lunar dust dynamics","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Lunar dust particles are generated by hypervelocity impacts of interplanetary micron-meteoroids onto the surface of the Moon, which seriously threatens the security of explorations. Studying the lunar dust dynamics helps to understand the origin and migration mechanism of lunar dust, and to provide the theoretical guidelines for the orbital design of lunar space missions. This paper reviews previous research on the lunar dust dynamics, including the interplanetary impactor environment at the Earth-Moon system, the mass production rate, the initial mass, speed and ejecta angle distributions, the related space exploration missions, the dynamical model and spatial distribution of dust particles originating from the lunar surface in the whole Earth-Moon system.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2207.13883v2","authors":["Kun Yang","Weiming Feng","Luyuan Xu","Xiaodong Liu"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-28T05:22:24Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.11118v1","name":"MoonMetaSync: Lunar Image Registration Analysis","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper compares scale-invariant (SIFT) and scale-variant (ORB) feature detection methods, alongside our novel feature detector, IntFeat, specifically applied to lunar imagery. We evaluate these methods using low (128x128) and high-resolution (1024x1024) lunar image patches, providing insights into their performance across scales in challenging extraterrestrial environments. IntFeat combines high-level features from SIFT and low-level features from ORB into a single vector space for robust lunar image registration. We introduce SyncVision, a Python package that compares lunar images using various registration methods, including SIFT, ORB, and IntFeat. Our analysis includes upscaling low-resolution lunar images using bi-linear and bi-cubic interpolation, offering a unique perspective on registration effectiveness across scales and feature detectors in lunar landscapes. This research contributes to computer vision and planetary science by comparing feature detection methods for lunar imagery and introducing a versatile tool for lunar image registration and evaluation, with implications for multi-resolution image analysis in space exploration applications.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.11118v1","authors":["Ashutosh Kumar","Sarthak Kaushal","Shiv Vignesh Murthy"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.AI","math.AG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-14T22:05:48Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1603.06515v2","name":"Collisionless Encounters and the Origin of the Lunar Inclination","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Moon is generally thought to have formed from the debris ejected by the impact of a planet-sized object with the proto-Earth towards the end of planetary accretion. Modeling of the impact process predicts that the lunar material was disaggregated into a circumplanetary disk and that lunar accretion subsequently placed the Moon in a near equatorial orbit. Forward integration of the lunar orbit from this initial state predicts a modern inclination at least an order of magnitude smaller than the lunar value, a long-standing discrepancy known as the lunar inclination problem. Here we show that the modern lunar orbit provides a sensitive record of gravitational interactions with Earth-crossing planetesimals not yet accreted at the time of the Moon-forming event. The excited lunar orbit can naturally be reproduced via interaction with a small quantity of mass (corresponding to 0.0075-0.015 ME eventually accreted to the Earth) carried by a few bodies, consistent with constraints and models of late accretion. While the process has a stochastic element, the observed value of the lunar inclination is among the most likely outcomes for a wide range of parameters. The excitation of the lunar orbit is most readily reproduced via collisionless encounters with strong tidal dissipation on the early Earth. This mechanism obviates the necessity of previously proposed (but idealized) excitation mechanisms and can constrain the planet formation context of the Moon-forming event and the pristineness of the dynamical state of the Earth-Moon system.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1603.06515v2","authors":["Kaveh Pahlevan","Alessandro Morbidelli"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-03-21T17:49:03Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0411095v1","name":"Lunar Laser Ranging Science","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Analysis of Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) data provides science results: gravitational physics and ephemeris information from the orbit, lunar science from rotation and solid-body tides, and Earth science. Sensitive tests of gravitational physics include the Equivalence Principle, limits on the time variation of the gravitational constant G, and geodetic precession. The equivalence principle test is used for an accurate determination of the parametrized post-Newtonian (PPN) parameter β. Lunar ephemerides are a product of the LLR analysis used by current and future spacecraft missions. The analysis is sensitive to astronomical parameters such as orbit, masses and obliquity. The dissipation-caused semimajor axis rate is 37.9 mm/yr and the associated acceleration in orbital longitude is -25.7 ''/cent^2, dominated by tides on Earth with a 1% lunar contribution. Lunar rotational variation has sensitivity to interior structure, physical properties, and energy dissipation. The second-degree lunar Love numbers are detected; k_2 has an accuracy of 11%. Lunar tidal dissipation is strong and its Q has a weak dependence on tidal frequency. A fluid core of about 20% the Moon's radius is indicated by the dissipation data. Evidence for the oblateness of the lunar fluid-core/solid-mantle boundary is getting stronger. This would be independent evidence for a fluid lunar core. Moon-centered coordinates of four retroreflectors are determined. Station positions and motion, Earth rotation variations, nutation, and precession are determined from analyses. Extending the data span and improving range accuracy will yield improved and new scientific results. Adding either new retroreflectors or precise active transponders on the Moon would improve the accuracy of the science results.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0411095v1","authors":["James G. Williams","Dale H. Boggs","Slava G. Turyshev","J. Todd Ratcliff"],"tags":["gr-qc"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-11-18T22:39:28Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1603.06526v2","name":"Speciation and Dissolution of Hydrogen in the Proto-Lunar Disk","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Despite very high temperatures accompanying lunar origin, indigenous water in the form of OH has been unambiguously observed in Apollo samples in recent years. Such observations have prompted questions about the abundance and distribution of lunar hydrogen. Here, we investigate the related question of the origin of lunar H: is the hydrogen observed a remnant of a much larger initial inventory that was inherited from a wet Earth but partly depleted during the process of origin, or was hydrogen quantitatively lost from the lunar material, with water being delivered to lunar reservoirs via subsequent impacts after the origins sequence? Motivated by recent results pointing to a limited extent of hydrogen escape from the gravity field of the Earth during lunar origin, we apply a newly developed thermodynamic model of liquid-vapor silicates to the proto-lunar disk to interrogate the behavior of H as a trace element in the energetic aftermath of the giant impact. We find that: (1) pre-existing H-bearing molecules are rapidly dissociated at the temperatures considered (3,100-4,200 K) and vaporized hydrogen predominantly exists as OH(v), H(v) and MgOH(v) for nearly the full range of thermal states encountered in the proto-lunar disk, (2) despite such a diversity in the vapor speciation, which reduces the water fugacity and favors hydrogen exsolution from co-existing liquids, the equilibration of the vapor atmosphere with the disk liquid results in significant dissolution of H into proto-lunar magmas, and (3) equilibrium H isotopic fractionation in this setting is limited to &lt; 10 per mil and the terrestrial character of lunar D/H recently inferred should extend to such a precision if liquid-vapor equilibration in the proto-lunar disk is the process that gave rise to lunar hydrogen. Taken together, these results implicate dissolution as the process responsible for establishing lunar H abundances.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1603.06526v2","authors":["Kaveh Pahlevan","Shun-ichiro Karato","Bruce Fegley"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-03-21T18:21:12Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2212.01363v1","name":"Managing Activities at the Lunar Poles for Science","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The lunar poles are unique environments of both great scientific and, increasingly, commercial interest. Consequently, a tension exists between the twin objectives of (a) Exploring the lunar poles for both scientific and commercial purposes and ultimately supporting a lunar economy; and (b) Minimising the environmental impacts on the lunar polar regions so as to preserve them for future scientific investigations. We suggest that the best compromise between these equally valuable objectives would be to restrict scientific and commercial activities to the lunar South Pole, while placing a moratorium on activities at the North Pole until the full consequences of human activities at the South Pole are fully understood and mitigation protocols established. Depending on the pace at which lunar exploration proceeds, such a moratorium might last for several decades in order to properly assess the effects of exploration and commercial activities in regions surrounding the South Pole. A longer term possibility might be to consider designating the lunar North Polar region as a (possibly temporary) Planetary Park. Similar protected status might also be desirable for other unique lunar environments, and, by extension, other scientifically important localities elsewhere in the Solar System.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2212.01363v1","authors":["Ian A. Crawford","Parvathy Prem","Carle Peters","Mahesh Anand"],"tags":["physics.soc-ph","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-11-30T01:18:51Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2306.01080v1","name":"Soil Test Apparatus for Lunar Surfaces","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We have studied several field geotechnical test instruments for their applicability to lunar soil simulants and analog soils. Their performance was evaluated in a series of tests in lunar simulants JSC-1A, NU-LHT-2M, and CHENOBI each prepared in carefully controlled states of compaction through vibration on a shake table with overburden. In general, none of the instruments is adequate for a low-cohesion, frictional soil, but we find that a modified version of a shear vane tester allows us to extract several of the important soil parameters. This modified instrument may be useful for use on the lunar surface by astronauts or a robotic lander. We have also found that JSC-1A does not behave mechanically like the other lunar soil simulants, probably because its particle shapes are more rounded. Furthermore we have studied a soil material, BP-1, identified as very lunar-like at a lunar analog location. We find this material has a natural particle size distribution similar to that of lunar soil and arguably better than JSC-1A. We find that BP-1 behaves very similarly to the high fidelity lunar simulants NU-LHT-2M and CHENOBI.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.01080v1","authors":["Laila A. Rahmatian","Philip T. Metzger"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM","cond-mat.soft"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-06-01T18:34:38Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.05141v1","name":"Ice-free geomorphometry of Enderby Land, East Antarctica: 2. Coastal oases","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Geomorphometric modeling and mapping of ice-free Antarctic areas can be applied for obtaining new quantitative knowledge about the topography of these unique landscapes and for the further use of morphometric information in Antarctic research. Within the framework of a project of creating a physical geographical thematic scientific reference geomorphometric atlas of ice-free areas of Antarctica, we performed geomorphometric modeling and mapping of five key coastal oases of Enderby Land, East Antarctica. These include, from west to east, the Konovalov Oasis, Thala Hills (Molodezhny and Vecherny Oases), Fyfe Hills, and Howard Hills. As input data, we used five fragments of the Reference Elevation Model of Antarctica (REMA). For the coastal oases and adjacent ice sheet and glaciers, we derived models and maps of eleven, most scientifically important morphometric variables (i.e., slope, aspect, horizontal curvature, vertical curvature, minimal curvature, maximal curvature, catchment area, topographic wetness index, stream power index, total insolation, and wind exposition index). In total, we derived 60 maps in 1:50,000 and 1:75,000 scales. The obtained models and maps describe the coastal oases of Enderby Land in a rigorous, quantitative, and reproducible manner. New morphometric data can be useful for further geological, geomorphological, glaciological, ecological, and hydrological studies of this region.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.05141v1","authors":["I. V. Florinsky","S. O. Zharnova"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-05T14:32:58Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2602.15046v1","name":"Venting and Outgassing Simulations of Pressurized Lunar Modules: Contamination of the Lunar Environment","source":"arxiv","abstract":"One objective of Artemis science is to determine the impact human activities have on the lunar environment, which might compromise science objectives and measurements. We perform a preliminary analysis of the contamination associated with airlock venting and outgassing from a prototype lunar-module geometry intended to host astronauts on the lunar surface. The air flow generated by the depressurization of the airlock, expanding in the lunar exosphere, is studied using the Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method for two different venting configurations and the particle flux on the surface is computed as a function of the distance from the the module. Outgassing from the main body of the module -- assumed to be covered with a Multi-Layer Insulation (MLI) blanketing -- and from the solar panels is then analyzed using a view-factor method, employing outgassing rates from the literature.Our results give preliminary indications of the distance at which contamination levels fall below the values characteristic of native species in the lunar atmosphere. Scientific measurements targeting 40Ar should be carried farther than 30--100 meters from the module, while the detection of lower-abundance species such as polar-crater water might require to travel up to and beyond 3 km from the module.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.15046v1","authors":["Stefano Boccelli","William M. Farrell","Prabal Saxena","Orenthal J. Tucker"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM","eess.SY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-05T20:57:06Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0705.0873v2","name":"Modelling long-term trends in lunar exposure to the Earth's plasmasheet","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper shows how the exposure of the Moon to the Earth's plasmasheet is subject to decadal variations due to lunar precession. The latter is a key property of the Moon's apparent orbit around the Earth - the nodes of that orbit precess around the ecliptic, completing one revolution every 18.6 years. This precession is responsible for a number of astronomical phenomena, e.g. the year to year drift of solar and lunar eclipse periods. It also controls the ecliptic latitude at which the Moon crosses the magnetotail and thus the number and duration of lunar encounters with the plasmasheet. This paper presents a detailed model of those encounters and applies it to the period 1960 to 2030. This shows that the total lunar exposure to the plasmasheet will vary from 10 hours per month at a minimum of the eighteen-year cycle rising to 40 hours per month at the maximum. These variations could have a profound impact on the accumulation of charge due plasmasheet electrons impacting the lunar surface. Thus we should expect the level of lunar surface charging to vary over the eighteen-year cycle. The literature contains reports that support this: several observations made during the cycle maximum of 1994-2000 are attributed to bombardment and charging of the lunar surface by plasmasheet electrons. Thus we conclude that lunar surface charging will vary markedly over an eighteen-year cycle driven by lunar precession. It is important to interpret lunar environment measurements in the context of this cycle and to allow for the cycle when designing equipment for deployment on the lunar surface. This is particularly important in respect of developing plans for robotic exploration on the lunar surface during the next cycle maximum of 2012-19.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0705.0873v2","authors":["Mike Hapgood"],"tags":["physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-05-07T09:10:54Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2310.16965v1","name":"Origin of the Moon and Lunar Water","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Three principal concepts regarding lunar formation have been examined: the accretion hypothesis, the mega-impact theory, and the multi-impact model. The multi-impact model amalgamates the salient facets of the mega-impact theory and the accretion hypothesis. As per this model, fragments of the terrestrial crust are ejected into space during collisions with numerous planetesimals (proto-asteroids) with diameters around 10-100 kilometers. This ejecta interacts with the accretion disk, augmenting its mass. Different models of lunar formation yield varied conclusions regarding the quantity of lunar water, its subsurface distribution, and isotopic composition. Geomorphological structures in the lunar polar regions (smoothed craters, landslides, regular patterns) suggest the presence of a substantial permafrost layer with an approximate thickness of a kilometer.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2310.16965v1","authors":["Nick Gorkavyi"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.ao-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-10-25T20:06:14Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2203.04096v1","name":"Critical percolation threshold restricts late-summer Arctic sea ice melt pond coverage","source":"arxiv","abstract":"During the summer, vast regions of Arctic sea ice are covered by meltwater ponds that significantly lower the ice reflectivity and accelerate melting. Ponds develop over the melt season through an initial rapid growth stage followed by drainage through macroscopic holes. Recent analysis of melt pond photographs indicates that late-summer ponds exist near the critical percolation threshold, a special pond coverage fraction below which the ponds are largely disconnected and above which they are highly connected. Here, we show that the percolation threshold, a statistical property of ice topography, constrains pond evolution due to pond drainage through macroscopic holes. We show that it sets the approximate upper limit and scales pond coverage throughout its evolution after the beginning of drainage. Furthermore, we show that the rescaled pond coverage during drainage is a universal function of a single non-dimensional parameter, $η$, roughly interpreted as the number of drainage holes per characteristic area of the surface. This universal curve allows us to formulate an equation for pond coverage time-evolution during and after pond drainage that captures the dependence on environmental parameters and is supported by observations on undeformed first-year ice. This equation reveals that pond coverage is highly sensitive to environmental parameters, suggesting that modeling uncertainties could be reduced by more directly parameterizing the ponds' natural parameter, $η$. Our work uncovers previously unrecognized constraints on melt pond physics and places ponds within a broader context of phase transitions and critical phenomena. Therefore, it holds promise for improving ice-albedo parameterizations in large-scale models.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2203.04096v1","authors":["Predrag Popović","Mary C. Silber","Dorian S. Abbot"],"tags":["nlin.PS","nlin.AO","physics.ao-ph","physics.flu-dyn","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-08T14:04:23Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2305.12234v1","name":"The Damage to Lunar Orbiting Spacecraft Caused by the Ejecta of Lunar Landers","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This manuscript analyzes lunar lander soil erosion models and trajectory models to calculate how much damage will occur to spacecraft orbiting in the vicinity of the Moon. The soil erosion models have considerable uncertainty due to gaps in our understanding of the basic physics. The results for ~40 t landers show that the Lunar Orbital Gateway will be impacted by 1000s to 10,000s of particles per square meter but the particle sizes are very small and the impact velocity is low so the damage will be slight. However, a spacecraft in Low Lunar Orbit that happens to pass through the ejecta sheet will sustain extensive damage with hundreds of millions of impacts per square meter: although they are small, they are in the hypervelocity regime, and exposed glass on the spacecraft will sustain spallation over 4% of its surface.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2305.12234v1","authors":["Philip T. Metzger","James G. Mantovani"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM","physics.flu-dyn","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-05-20T16:58:41Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.15484v1","name":"Definition and Realization of the International Lunar Reference Frame","source":"arxiv","abstract":"All future lunar missions require a definition of the lunar reference system and a realization in the form of the lunar reference frame to ensure consistent products for positioning, navigation, cartography, and timing. This paper defines the origin, orientation, and scale of the Lunar Reference System (LRS), as well as provides numerical solutions for the first realization of the International Lunar Reference Frame (ILRF). ILRF is defined as the Principal Axis (PA) system, attached to the surface and co-rotating with the Moon, with its origin in the lunar center of mass (lunocenter). The ILRF realization is based on variance component estimation of the three lunar ephemeris solutions: INPOP21a, DE430, and EPM2021 for the series of the position of the lunar center of mass and rotation Euler angles -- precession, nutation, and proper rotation. The solution is valid starting with the period covered by Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) data in 1970 and ending with extrapolated ILRF realizations in 2052 for future lunar missions. Results. The combined ILRF is characterized by the mean error of 17.6 cm for 2010-2030, where 15.3 cm comes from the origin and 8.6 cm from the orientation realization. The error in the realization of the origin is mainly caused by a poor geometry of the retroreflector network, resulting in a high correlation between the scale and the X component of the lunocenter in PA. The LLR post-fit residuals in ILRF are at the level of 2-3 cm in terms of the standard deviations of one-way ranges for best-performing LLR stations. The mean errors of the transformation between ILRF and other reference frame realizations in PA are at the level of 3 cm, whereas the mean transformation error to the DE421 Mean Earth frame equals 5 cm.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.15484v1","authors":["Krzysztof Sośnica","Agnès Fienga","Dmitry Pavlov","Nicolas Rambaux","Radosław Zajdel"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-17T09:54:38Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2607.27762v1","name":"The International Lunar Reference System","source":"arxiv","abstract":"As the exploration of the Moon accelerates in the coming years, there is already an urgent need to standardise the Position, Navigation and Timing of spacecraft, and consequently for the definition of the lunar reference system and frame. This document gathers the most recent recommendations of the the International Association of Geodesy (IAG) / International Astronomical Union (IAU) Joint Working Group (WG) 1.1.3 \"Lunar Reference frames\" on the topic. Despite the challenges for producing a Lunar Reference System and Frame due to the limited number of control points and a single data type, the WG proposes applying an approach developed for Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). This supports an accurate and reliable reference system, consistent with International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS) standards and, based on redundant sources, ensures resilience for the lunar Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) framework. The first realization of the International Lunar Reference Frame 2026 (ILuRF2026), ILuRF2026, is delivered on the temporay website https://ilurs-6e772d.gitlab.io/ and on the future http://ilurf.gssc.esa.int together with associated software.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.27762v1","authors":["Agnès Fienga"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-30T07:01:42Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1705.09692v2","name":"Science on the Lunar Surface Facilitated by Low Latency Telerobotics from a Lunar Orbiting Platform-Gateway","source":"arxiv","abstract":"NASA and ESA are preparing a series of human exploration missions using the four-person Orion crew vehicle, launched by NASA's Space Launch System, and a Lunar Orbiting Platform-Gateway (LOP-G) that enable long duration (&gt;30 days) operations in cis-lunar space. This will provide an opportunity for science and exploration from the lunar surface facilitated by low latency surface telerobotics. We describe two precursor experiments, using the International Space Station (ISS) and a student-built teleoperated rover, which are laying the groundwork for remote operation of rovers on the Moon by astronauts aboard the LOP-G. Such missions will open the lunar far side, among other sites, for exploration and science. We describe examples of two high-priority, lunar science missions that can be conducted using low latency surface telerobotics including an astronaut-assisted far side sample return and the deployment/construction of a low frequency radio telescope array to observe the first stars and galaxies (Cosmic Dawn). The lessons learned from these lunar operations will feed-forward to future low latency telepresence missions on Mars.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1705.09692v2","authors":["Jack O. Burns","Terry Fong","David A. Kring","William D. Pratt","Timothy Cichan","Christine M. Edwards"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-05-26T19:35:12Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:9810322v1","name":"The Spectroscopic Detectability of Argon in the Lunar Atmosphere","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Direct measurements of the abundance of argon in the lunar atmosphere were made in 1973 by instruments placed on the Moon during the Apollo 17 mission, but the total daytime abundance is unknown due to instrument saturation effects; thus, until we are able to return to the Moon for improved direct measurements, we must use remote sensing to establish the daytime abundance. In this paper, we present a complete analysis of the potential for measuring argon in the lunar atmosphere via emission-line or absorption-line observations. We come to the surprising conclusion that the lower limit established by the in situ lunar argon measurements implies that any absorption-line measurement of argon in the lower, dayside lunar atmosphere requires analysis in the optically-thick regime. In light of this result, we present the results of our EUVS sounding rocket observations of the lunar occultation of Spica, which provide a new upper limit on the abundance of argon in the daytime lunar atmosphere. We also re-analyze a recently reported weak detection of lunar atmospheric Ar I 1048 in emission by the ORFEUS satellite, and show that those data are inconsistent with the emission being due to argon over a wide range of temperatures. This result is primarily due to our use of a more complete curve of growth analysis, and improved values for the argon fluorescent emission rates from radiation and solar wind interactions. We find that the detection reported by ORFEUS would imply an argon surface density significantly greater than the total surface density of the lunar atmosphere for argon accommodated to typical daytime surface temperatures (~400 K), and also is inconsistent with a high-density transient event. We conclude that the reported argon detection is untenable.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/9810322v1","authors":["Joel Wm. Parker","S. Alan Stern","G. Randall Gladstone","J. Michael Shull"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-10-20T20:49:10Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1608.07074v1","name":"The effects of surface roughness on lunar Askaryan pulses","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The effects of lunar surface roughness, on both small and large scales, on Askaryan radio pulses generated by particle cascades beneath the lunar surface has never been fully estimated. Surface roughness affects the chances of a pulse escaping the lunar surface, its coherency, and the characteristic detection geometry. It will affect the expected signal shape, the relative utility of different frequency bands, the telescope pointing positions on the lunar disk, and most fundamentally, the chances of detecting the known UHE cosmic ray and any prospective UHE neutrino flux. Near-future radio-telescopes such as FAST and the SKA promise to be able to detect the flux of cosmic rays, and it is critical that surface roughness be treated appropriately in simulations. of the lunar Askaryan technique. In this contribution, a facet model for lunar surface roughness is combined with a method to propagate coherent radio pulses through boundaries to estimate the full effects of lunar surface roughness on neutrino-detection probabilities. The method is able to produce pulses from parameterised particle cascades beneath the lunar surface as would be viewed by an observer at Earth, including all polarisation and coherency effects. Results from this calculation are presented for both characteristic cosmic ray and neutrino cascades, and estimates of the effects mentioned above - particularly signal shape, frequency-dependence, and sensitivity - are presented.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1608.07074v1","authors":["C. W. James"],"tags":["astro-ph.HE","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-08-25T10:20:00Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.05714v2","name":"Analyzing and Forecasting Success in the Men's Ice Hockey World (Junior) Championships Using a Dynamic Ranking Model","source":"arxiv","abstract":"What factors contribute to the success of national teams in the Men's Ice Hockey World Championships and the Men's Ice Hockey World Junior Championships? This study examines whether hosting the tournament provides a home advantage; the influence of past tournament performances; the impact of players' physical characteristics such as height, weight, and age; and the value of experience from the World Championships compared to the NHL and other leagues. We employ a dynamic ranking model based on the Plackett-Luce distribution with time-varying strength parameters driven by the score. The results show that experience in the IIHF tournaments outweighs experience in the NHL. Furthermore, in junior championships, there is a significant home advantage, and shorter, heavier players tend to have an edge. In senior championships, future success is linked to past achievements in both junior and senior championships, with younger teams performing better. Finally, we conduct a forecasting analysis to predict the probabilities of winning the tournament, earning a medal, and advancing to the playoff phase.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.05714v2","authors":["Vladimír Holý"],"tags":["stat.AP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-09T15:25:15Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1510.07248v1","name":"Spectrum estimates of Hill's lunar problem","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We investigate the action spectrum of Hill's lunar problem by observing inclusions between the Liouville domains enclosed by the regularized energy hypersurfaces of the rotating Kepler problem and Hill's lunar problem. In this paper, we reinterpret the spectral invariant corresponding to every nonzero homology class $α\\in H_*(ΛN)$ in the loop homology as a symplectic capacity $c_N(M, α)$ for a fiberwise star-shaped domain $M$ in a cotangent bundle with canonical symplectic structure $(T^*N, ω_{can}=d λ_{can})$. Also, we determine the action spectrum of the regularized rotating Kepler problem. As a result, we obtain estimates of the action spectrum of Hill's lunar problem. This will show that there exists a periodic orbit of Hill's lunar problem whose action is less than $π$ for any energy $-c &lt; -{3^{4 \\over 3} \\over 2}$.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1510.07248v1","authors":["Junyoung Lee"],"tags":["math.SG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-10-25T14:14:35Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2605.17125v1","name":"Principal Component Analysis for Lunar Crater Detection","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Optical navigation is a critical component for lunar orbiter and lander missions. Image-based crater identification has emerged as a promising technology for optical navigation due to the abundance of craters on the lunar surface and the availability of extensive crater catalogs. Moreover, due to the relative morphological homogeneity among lunar craters, template matching has been identified as a promising approach for identification. In this paper, we propose EigenCrater, an automated crater template generation method based on principal component analysis of crater digital elevation maps (DEMs). We demonstrate superior detection and position estimation performance relative to hand-picked templates on simulated lunar imagery.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.17125v1","authors":["Travis Driver","John A. Christian"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-16T19:06:23Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.15502v1","name":"Lunar impact ejecta flux on the Earth","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The transfer of material between planetary bodies due to impact events is important for understanding planetary evolution, meteoroid impact fluxes, the formation of near-Earth objects (NEOs), and even the provenance of volatile and organic materials at Earth. This study investigates the dynamics and fate of lunar ejecta reaching Earth. We employ the high-accuracy IAS15 integrator withing the REBOUND package to track for 100,000 years the trajectories of 6,000 test particles launched from various lunar latitudes and longitudes. Our model incorporates a realistic velocity distribution for ejecta fragments (tens of meters in size), derived form large lunar cratering events. Our results show that 22.6% of lunar ejecta collide with Earth, following a power-law $C(t) \\propto t^{0.315}$ with half of the impacts occurring within ~10,000 years. We also confirm that impact events on the Moon's trailing hemisphere serve as a dominant source of Earth-bound ejecta, consistent with previous studies. Additionally, a small fraction of ejecta remains transiently in near-Earth space, providing evidence that lunar ejecta may contribute to the NEO population. This aligns with recent discoveries of Earth co-orbitals such as Kamo'oalewa (469219, 2016 HO3) and 2024 PT5, both exhibiting spectral properties consistent with lunar material. These findings enhance our understanding of the lunar ejecta flux to Earth, providing insights into the spatial and temporal patterns of this flux and its broader influence on the near-Earth environment.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.15502v1","authors":["Jose Daniel Castro-Cisneros","Renu Malhotra","Aaron J. Rosengren"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-22T00:46:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1108.2048v2","name":"A quantitative comparison of lunar orbital neutron data","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Data from the Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) Collimated Sensors for Epithermal Neutrons (CSETN) are used in conjunction with a model based on results from the Lunar Prospector mission to quantify the extent of the background in the LEND CSETN. A simple likelihood analysis implies that at least 90% of the lunar component of the LEND CSETN flux results from high energy epithermal neutrons passing through the walls of the collimator. Thus, the effective full-width at half-maximum of the LEND CSETN is comparable with that of the omni-directional Lunar Prospector Neutron Spectrometer. The resulting map of high energy epithermal neutrons offers the opportunity to probe the hydrogen abundance at low latitudes, and provide constraints on the distribution of lunar water.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1108.2048v2","authors":["V. R. Eke","L. F. A. Teodoro","D. J. Lawrence","R. C. Elphic","W. C. Feldman"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-08-09T21:00:20Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1801.03756v1","name":"The timeline of the Lunar bombardment - revisited","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The timeline of the lunar bombardment in the first Gy of the Solar System remains unclear. Some basin-forming impacts occurred 3.9-3.7Gy ago. Many other basins formed before, but their exact ages are not precisely known. There are two possible interpretations of the data: in the cataclysm scenario there was a surge in the impact rate approximately 3.9Gy ago, while in the accretion tail scenario the lunar bombardment declined since the era of planet formation and the latest basins formed in its tail-end. Here, we revisit the work of Morbidelli et al.(2012) that examined which scenario could be compatible with both the lunar crater record in the 3-4Gy period and the abundance of highly siderophile elements (HSE) in the lunar mantle. We use updated numerical simulations of the fluxes of impactors. Under the traditional assumption that the HSEs track the total amount of material accreted by the Moon since its formation, we conclude that only the cataclysm scenario can explain the data. The cataclysm should have started ~3.95Gy ago. However we show that HSEs could have been sequestered from the lunar mantle due to iron sulfide exsolution during magma ocean crystallization, followed by mantle overturn. Based on the hypothesis that the lunar magma ocean crystallized about 100-150My after Moon formation, and therefore that HSEs accumulated in the lunar mantle only after this time, we show that the bombardment in the 3-4Gy period can be explained in the accretion tail scenario. This hypothesis would also explain why the Moon appears so depleted in HSEs relative to the Earth. We also extend our analysis of the cataclysm and accretion tail scenarios to the case of Mars. The accretion tail scenario requires a global resurfacing event on Mars ~4.4Gy ago, possibly associated with the formation of the Borealis basin, and it is consistent with the HSE budget of the planet.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1801.03756v1","authors":["A. Morbidelli","D. Nesvorny","V. Laurenz","S. Marchi","D. C. Rubie","L. Elkins-Tanton","M. Wieczorek","S. Jacobson"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-01-11T13:47:21Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.03091v1","name":"Single-Satellite Navigation on Lunar North Pole","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Moon is a primary focus of space exploration. Current navigation methods face significant limitations in providing precise location data for lunar missions. In particular, existing methods often require direct Line of Sight to Earth, have limited capacity, and suffer from long signal travel times. This paper aims to tackle these challenges through a novel single satellite navigation system at the lunar North Pole. By utilising the Doppler effect, this system facilitates 3D geolocation of a stationary receiver on the lunar surface. Key findings include choosing a Low Lunar Orbit (LLO) suitable for North Pole coverage, designing a 3-step geolocation algorithm tailored to lunar conditions, constructing a comprehensive error budget, and evaluating the system performance through Dilution of Position (DOP).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.03091v1","authors":["Tim Gong","Andrew Dempster"],"tags":["eess.SP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-04T00:01:51Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0912.1847v1","name":"Constraints on the Source of Lunar Cataclysm Impactors","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Multiple impact basins formed on the Moon about 3.8 Gyr ago in what is known as the lunar cataclysm or late heavy bombardment. Many workers currently interpret the lunar cataclysm as an impact spike primarily caused by main-belt asteroids destabilized by delayed planetary migration. We show that morphologically fresh (class 1) craters on the lunar highlands were mostly formed during the brief tail of the cataclysm, as they have absolute crater number density similar to that of the Orientale basin and ejecta blanket. The connection between class 1 craters and the cataclysm is supported by the similarity of their size-frequency distribution to that of stratigraphically-identified Imbrian craters. Majority of lunar craters younger than the Imbrium basin (including class 1 craters) thus record the size-frequency distribution of the lunar cataclysm impactors. This distribution is much steeper than that of main-belt asteroids. We argue that the projectiles bombarding the Moon at the time of the cataclysm could not have been main-belt asteroids ejected by purely gravitational means.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0912.1847v1","authors":["Matija Cuk","Brett J. Gladman","Sarah T. Stewart"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-12-10T00:35:35Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.06519v1","name":"Origin of the lunar isotopic crisis from solidification of a stratified lunar magma ocean","source":"arxiv","abstract":"According to the giant impact theory, the Moon formed through accreting the debris disk produced by a collision between Theia and the proto-Earth. The giant impact theory can explain most of the properties of the Earth-Moon system, however, simulations with respect to giant impact between a planetary embryo and the growing proto-Earth show that more than 40 percent of the materials in the circum-terrestrial debris disk produced by the giant impact originates from the impactor. Thus, the giant impact theory has difficulty explaining the Moon's Earth-like isotopic compositions, which is referred to as the lunar isotopic crisis. With the assumption that Theia may have possessed an iron-rich mantle compared with proto-Earth's mantle, here we show that, after the formation of the stratified lunar magma ocean, solidification of the stratified lunar magma ocean would result that the upper solid layer is composed of proto-Earth's mantle and the lower solid layer is made of Theia's mantle, meaning that the Moon's Earth-like isotopic composition is a natural result of the giant impact. The theory proposed here may provide a way of explaining the lunar isotopic crisis.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.06519v1","authors":["Wenshuai Liu"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-08T10:24:36Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/1.47094","name":"Lunar south pole ice as heat sink for lunar cryofuel production system","source":"crossref","abstract":"Recent Clementine bistatic radar data suggest that water ice may be present in a ‘‘forever shaded’’ depression or crater at the South Pole of the Moon. The ice is a feedstock for the electrolysis production of cryogenic oxygen and hydrogen rocket fuel for a transportation system on the moon and for leaving and descending on the moon. The ice also provides a convective heat sink critical to the practical implementation of high throughput electric power generators and refrigerators that liquefy and cool the oxyen and hydrogen into cryogenic rocket fuel. This brief analysis shows that about a hundred tonnes of hardware delivered to the lunar surface can produce tens of thousands of tonnes of rocket fuel per year, on the moon. And it makes the point that if convective cooling is used instead of radiative cooling, then power and processing systems can be used that exist and have been tested already. This shortens the time by an order of magnitude to develop lunar operations. Quick deployment of a chemical cryofuel energy source is a key factor in the economics of lunar development.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/1.47094","authors":["Anthony Zuppero","Marland Stanley","S. Michael Modro","Pat Whitman"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-05-14T16:06:49Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1063/1.47094","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-319-14541-9_216","name":"Polar Ice on the Moon","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14541-9_216","authors":["Akos Kereszturi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-05-13T10:02:24Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-319-14541-9_216","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.22541/essoar.174586298.85002167/v2","name":"Can spacecraft-borne contamination compromise our understanding of lunar ice chemistry?","source":"crossref","abstract":"Recent detections of water ice in the permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) at the lunar poles have reignited scientific and commercial interest in the exploration of Earth’s closest neighbour. The frigid temperatures in PSRs operate as cold traps for volatiles and may represent large reservoirs of materials, including water ice and prebiotic organic molecules, delivered to the Earth-Moon system through meteorite or cometary impacts over billions of years (Crawford, 2006). Nonetheless, scientific investigations on lunar poles rely on the absence of extraneous volatiles introduced during lunar missions, which may hide pristine evidence of such materials. In the present work, we develop a numerical model for the transport of spacecraft exhaust volatiles on the Moon. Using ESA’s Argonaut missions as a case study, featuring a descent at the lunar South Pole, we apply this model to assess the potential impact of organic contamination from lunar landers on scientific research of lunar ice chemistry by tracing the migration of methane (CH4) molecules to the PSRs. Our simulation results suggest that approximately half of the released CH4 molecules end up trapped in PSRs at the South or North Poles within 7 lunar days, with their distribution dictated by interactions with the lunar surface. Moreover, cross-contamination between poles proves significant, as approximately 12% of molecules become trapped in the north polar region, despite only a limited fraction of these falling within the latitude limit of 86ºN defined for Category IIb in COSPAR Planetary Protection Policy.","url":"https://doi.org/10.22541/essoar.174586298.85002167/v2","authors":["Francisca S. Paiva","Silvio Sinibaldi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-17T17:04:21Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.22541/essoar.174586298.85002167/v2","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.2022-4348","name":"Prospecting for Lunar Polar Ice from Very Low Lunar Orbit: How Low Can You Go?","source":"crossref","abstract":"View Video Presentation: https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2022-4348.vid Neutron spectroscopy observations from very low-altitude orbits over the Moon’s south pole could improve the spatial resolution maps for water ice reserves. We explore these low-altitude orbits to identify minimum achievable altitudes and evaluate stability. Additionally, we analyzed maneuver sequences to mitigate impact threat and to quantify the propulsion costs associated with placing and maintaining a spacecraft in such an orbit. Our sample observation and cruise trajectories demonstrate feasibility.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2022-4348","authors":["Jackson Shannon","Charles Hibbitts","Kirby Runyon","Michael E. Nord"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-15T21:19:55Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.2514/6.2022-4348","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.2021-4235","name":"Mining Lunar Polar Ice for LO2/LH2 Propellant","source":"crossref","abstract":"View Video Presentation: https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2021-4235.vid Water ice and other volatiles at the poles of the Moon present a vast supply of resources for lunar and cislunar activities, prime among them is the production of propellant. LO2/LH2 is the most powerful chemical propellant and is readily produced by the electrolysis of water. For these reasons, several lunar polar water ice mining concepts have been developed in recent years. The viability of mining methods are highly dependent on polar ice deposit disposition in the lunar surface, including concentration profile with depth, geotechnical property of the surface, and location in the lunar permanently shadowed regions. In this paper, the Thermal Mining lunar ice mining architecture will be reviewed and a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of this and other lunar polar ice mining concepts will be discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2021-4235","authors":["Christopher B. Dreyer"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-11-03T20:24:00Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.2514/6.2021-4235","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/pt.5.027688","name":"Simulations suggest organic molecules can form in lunar ice","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/pt.5.027688","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-31T11:52:05Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1063/pt.5.027688","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1029/2025eo250136","name":"Lunar Ice Might Be Easier to Reach Than We Thought","source":"crossref","abstract":"An instrument aboard the Vikram lander suggests that buried water ice could be found at higher latitudes, making it more abundant and easier to extract than previously believed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2025eo250136","authors":["Damond Benningfield"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-12T07:00:21Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1029/2025eo250136","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.32865/2346/98966","name":"Demonstration and Analysis of Thermal Management System (TMS) for Ice Extraction and Ice Collection for Lunar Ice Miners","source":"crossref","abstract":"Advanced Cooling Technologies, Inc. in collaboration with Honeybee Robotics is developing a Thermal Management System (TMS) to facilitate ice extraction from icy-lunar regolith and efficient ice collection in a cold trap tank. The TMS has two main technologies 1. Thermal corer; and 2. Variable Conductance Heat Pipe (VCHP) based cold trap tank, along with other connecting technologies like rotary union and pumped fluid loop. The thermal corer is essentially an auger with minichannels for ice extraction through which heat transfer fluid circulates. A prototype thermal corer of length 17.3 cm and inner diameter 5 cm was fabricated with stainless steel. Performance testing of the thermal corer showed more than 60% ice extraction efficiency. Sublimation was the primary mode of ice extraction followed by liquid-vapor phase change. On the other hand, the VCHP cold trap tank was demonstrated to show ice collection by rejecting heat from incoming vapor to the cold plate simulating deep space heat rejection. During this mode, the VCHP was operating as a heat pipe. Additionally, the de-icing mode to melt ice from the heat pipe surface was demonstrated by activating the VCHP mode by blocking heat transfer to the cold plate. Finally, a system-level sizing analysis was undertaken by developing a mass-energy balance model with the following deductions: the rover weighing about 115 kg can extract 0.48 kg of ice with a total operational time of 4 hours. To achieve an ice-mining rate of 2.78 kg/h, about 24 thermal corers are required. In addition, sensitivity analysis was performed to determine the influence of system parameters like ice extraction efficiency, mining-processing site, etc.","url":"https://doi.org/10.32865/2346/98966","authors":["Sai Kiran Hota","Quang Truong","Kuan-Lin Lee","Calin Tarau","Kris Zacny"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-05T18:56:16Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.32865/2346/98966","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1029/2020eo145509","name":"Water Ice Lurks in Young—but Not Too Young—Lunar Craters","source":"crossref","abstract":"Using topographic data, researchers have estimated the ages of water ice–containing craters near the Moon’s poles and ruled out volcanism as being a primary route for water delivery.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2020eo145509","authors":["Katherine Kornei"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-06-16T07:00:19Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1029/2020eo145509","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.22541/essoar.174112401.14575229/v1","name":"Experimental Study of UV-Vis-NIR Detection of Lunar Water Ice in Different Stratigraphies","source":"crossref","abstract":"Volatiles are critical for understanding their delivery to the Moon and as a resource for sustained lunar exploration. Water ice and potentially other volatiles exist in and proximal to permanently shadowed regions (PSRs). However, little is known of the form, distribution, abundance, and stratigraphy of ice within the regolith. Lunar Trailblazer and the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) aim to fill these knowledge gaps with observations at different scales. In this study, we replicated three different ice stratigraphies in a cryogenic, vacuum environment akin to that of PSRs, and measured the UV-Vis-NIR reflectance spectra before and after laser weathering the sample. Our findings reveal that near surface stratigraphy and weathering phenomena greatly affect detectability. Hence, results from our combined spectra and constructed regolith ice stratigraphy lays the groundwork for interpreting Lunar Trailblazer and VIPER results.","url":"https://doi.org/10.22541/essoar.174112401.14575229/v1","authors":["Abhay Vidwans","Jeffrey Gillis-Davis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-04T16:33:37Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.22541/essoar.174112401.14575229/v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1061/(asce)0893-1321(1998)11:4(124)","name":"Lunar Polar Ice: Implications for Lunar Development","source":"crossref","abstract":"The discovery of water ice at the lunar poles can spur lunar exploration and development and may be a factor in accelerating human exploration beyond the Earth-Moon system. Theoretical models predict the existence of ice in the cold traps, and the Clementine and Lunar Prospector missions have given evidence that ice is indeed present. The Lunar Prospector results suggest that the ice concentrations are low, consistent with a cometary source for ice, which is mixed into the regolith by meteorite impact. Initial concepts for extracting ice from the lunar cold traps, where extreme environmental conditions prevail, have been developed; however, more information on the precise location and physical properties of the ice deposits is required before an approach can be selected. The principal implications of lunar ice development could be: (1) cutting the cost of human exploration missions to the Moon by a factor of two, due to the availability of propellant for returning crews and materials to Earth (this could also accelerate the use of the Moon for scientific outposts and human exploration technology testbeds); and (b) creating an opportunity for export of lunar materials to space at a low cost relative to Earth-to-space transportation. The latter would require the development of a reusable, lunar-based transportation system, fueled on the Moon, and capable of delivering payloads to lunar and Earth orbits. If an export economy is initiated, it is important to consider from the outset the conservation of the lunar ice, which is a nonrenewable resource, and to develop alternatives to its use in transportation systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)0893-1321(1998)11:4(124)","authors":["Michael B. Duke"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-26T11:58:29Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1061/(asce)0893-1321(1998)11:4(124)","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/083076-0139","name":"The Nature of Lunar Competition and Security Implications for Ice Mining","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/083076-0139","authors":["Andrew Dempster"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-16T14:18:06Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.52202/083076-0139","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.2008-7822","name":"Impact of Water Ice on Lunar Propellant Production","source":"crossref","abstract":"*† The existence of water-ice on the Moon is an important resource for lunar bases. The hydrogen and oxygen can be useful for propellant production and human life support. This study assumes that a commercial market may be viable for the extraction and sale of such resources. In order to ensure commercial viability, the least expensive method is sought to extract, store and deliver resources. In this paper, four propellant production options are examined including extraction of these resources from the regolith. Resources for propellants are considered to include oxygen and hydrogen. Two variants of a LOX production plant are evaluated. Another plant is designed for the extraction of both oxygen and hydrogen from the regolith. The final plant uses Water-Ice as the resource to create oxygen and hydrogen. Plants are sized based on the reactor, harvesting equipment, processing equipment, storage equipment, and power supplies. Each plant has a differing set of equipment needed for each function. A final comparison of each approach is performed based on rough order of magnitude (ROM) costing method. In this analysis, cost factors are assumed and remain consistent for each method examined. Cost is evaluated for the manufacture, transport, storage, and maintenance of the plants established. The cost is evaluated over a period of 50 years. Some of the methods proposed generate only oxygen, so to make a fair comparison, the cost of transporting hydrogen from the Earth is factored in for those cases. Additionally, the cost of transporting both oxygen and hydrogen from the Earth is determined to show how effective each option appears relative to a pure resupply scenario. I. Introduction The main impact of water-ice processing will be the ability to attain hydrogen from the lunar surface rather than import it from Earth. Once both hydrogen and oxygen can be manufactured from ISRU processes, then these products can be used for refueling Reusable Landing and Ascent Vehicles (RLAVs) on the lunar surface. The impact of enabling this capability will have a huge impact on reducing the logistics costs required for establishing and maintaining a lunar base. This paper examines the cost effectiveness of 4 propellant production plant options. The options examined include methods to create oxygen and hydrogen from either the regolith or Water-Ice pockets. First a baseline design is presented assuming propellants created only from regolith. The design presented outlines processes and components utilized for production. Then a design is presented based on Water-Ice resources. These designs are then compared from a mass and power standpoint. The regolith design also","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2008-7822","authors":["Charles Reynerson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-12-19T00:08:30Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.2514/6.2008-7822","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/egusphere-egu26-2125","name":"In-situ Detection and Quantitative Analysis Methods for Lunar Water Ice in PSRs","source":"crossref","abstract":"Remote sensing has identified water-ice in the Moon’s polar regions; however, it cannot directly verify the existence and origin of lunar water in the permanently shadowed regions. The LUnar soil Water molecular Analyzer (LUWA) is a key payload on the mini-flying probe of China’s forthcoming Chang’E-7 mission, scheduled for launch in 2026. The mission aims to perform the first in-situ detection of water ice and volatiles of the lunar south pole. LUWA comprises a tunable laser spectrometer (TLS) for in situ analysis of H₂O and HDO, as well as a time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOF-MS) for the analysis of gas molecules with mass numbers under 200 amu, including H₂O, CO2 and CH₄. A differential absorption spectrometer (DAS) will be mounted on the leg of the probe to pre-detect the existence of water-ice and monitor its content during drilling. Ground testing demonstrates LUWA’s capability to detect water ice at concentrations as low as 0.01 wt% in evolved gas analysis mode and ≥0.5 wt% through DAS, with water content quantification achievable within the 0.1–4.5 wt% range and δD precision of ±50‰. Key challenges include correcting sublimation losses, adsorption effects, and isotopic fractionation during sample handling. LUWA will provide critical data on the abundance, origin, and distribution of lunar water, supporting future in-situ resource utilization and enhancing our comprehension of volatile dynamics on the Moon.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-2125","authors":["Xiang Li","Nailiang Cao","Ruifeng Kan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-13T19:50:41Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.5194/egusphere-egu26-2125","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.20944/preprints202405.1651.v1","name":"Origins of Lunar Water Ice: Analyzing Isotope Signatures and Evidence from Satellite Observations","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The discovery of water ice on the moon has revolutionized our understanding of lunar science and has profound implications for future space exploration and habitation. Through a comprehensive analysis of remote sensing data, isotopic studies, and neutron detection experiments, this research elucidates the presence, distribution, and origins of lunar water ice. Radar observations from missions like Clementine and Chandrayaan-1 reveal distinct polar regions with elevated circular polarization ratios, indicative of volatile ice deposits. Spectral detections by instruments such as M3 and Diviner further confirm the presence of water ice in lunar-shadowed regions, with estimates suggesting reserves of up to 300 million tons at the poles. Neutron detection experiments on lunar orbiters like LRO provide additional evidence, detecting hydrogen signals consistent with water ice below the lunar surface. Isotopic analyses offer insights into the origin and evolution of lunar water ice, with comparisons to cometary and asteroidal sources. Proposed missions, such as Artemis-3 and Artemis-4, aim to collect samples from the lunar South Pole for detailed isotopic analysis, furthering our understanding of lunar water ice's composition and history. Scientific data, including the lunar bulk water content and estimated water ice reserves, underscore the significance of lunar water ice as a critical resource for future space exploration endeavors. Calculations estimating the total water-ice area and water abundance near specific lunar features provide valuable insights into the potential utilization of lunar water ice for sustained human presence on the Moon and beyond.","url":"https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202405.1651.v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.20944/preprints202405.1651.v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/egusphere-egu26-2127","name":"In-situ detection of water ice and volatiles in lunar permanently shadowed regions","source":"crossref","abstract":"The LUnar soil Water molecular Analyzer (LUWA) is a payload aboard China's Chang'E-7 mission (to be launched in 2026), which will conduct first in-situ detection of water ice and volatiles within the permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) at the lunar south pole. As the cornerstone of the fourth phase of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program, Chang'E-7 employs a novel multi-probe architecture of an orbiter, lander, rover, and mini-flying probe to explore the rim of Shackleton crater.Mount on the mini-flying probe, LUWA will analyze volatile components in the lunar soil extracted from both the sunlit area and PSRs. Its primary objectives include: (1) verifying the presence of water molecular and determining its abundance in the lunar regolith, (2) performing elemental and isotopic analyses (e.g., D/H) to determine the origin of lunar volatiles, and (3) investigating distribution, and evolution of water ice in the PSRs.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-2127","authors":["Nailiang Cao","Xiang Li","Ruifeng Kan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-13T19:50:41Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.5194/egusphere-egu26-2127","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/198176b0","name":"Lunar Dust and Terrestrial Ice Nucleus Concentration","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/198176b0","authors":["VLADIMIR VAND"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-07-05T14:56:01Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1038/198176b0","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/1.1867151","name":"Searching for Subsurface Lunar Water Ice using a Nuclear-Powered Rover","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Vision for Space Exploration has identified the Earth’s moon as a future destination for human explorers as a stepping‐stone for further manned deep space exploration. The feasibility of building and maintaining a human presence on the moon could be directly related to whether in‐situ resources, especially water ice, can be obtained and utilized by astronauts. With the recent success of both Mars Exploration Rovers (MERs), it is clear that a lunar rover could be a desirable platform with which to search for evidence of lunar water prior to the arrival of astronauts. However, since surface water can only exist in permanently shadowed areas of the moon (i.e., deep craters near the poles), conventionally powered rovers would not be practical for exploring these areas for extended periods. Thus, a study was performed to assess the feasibility of a lunar rover mission enabled by small radioisotope power systems (RPS), i.e., systems that use single GPHSs. Small RPSs, the feasibility of which has been looked at by the Department of Energy, would be capable of providing sufficient electrical and thermal power to allow scientific measurements and operations of a small rover on the floor of dark lunar craters. A conceptual study was completed that considered the science instruments that could be accommodated on a MER‐type rover using RPS power. To investigate the subsurface characteristics of the crater floor, a pulsed gamma ray/neutron spectrometer and a ground‐penetrating radar would be used. Also, a drill would provide core samples from a depth of 1 meter. A rover architecture consistent with MER capabilities included a mast with panoramic cameras and navigation cameras as well as an instrument deployment device (IDD) that allowed direct contact between the instrument head and surface materials to be measured. Because the crater floor is eternally dark, artificial illumination must be used for both landing and roving operations. The rover design included of dual headlights that would be operated during visual imaging observations. During the landing approach, the lander would use a laser imaging technique to image the approaching surface and react to that image to avoid hazards. The baseline rover concept used four GPHS power sources for a total of about 50 We in conjunction with a 25 A hr battery to supply power during peak loads. A detailed analysis of energy usage for various operational scenarios (e.g. roving, science instrument operations, and telecommunications) was completed using an elaborate power simulation tool. The results show that very demanding activities are possible on a daily basis while maintaining the battery charging.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1867151","authors":["James E. Randolph"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-03-16T23:42:15Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1063/1.1867151","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-11285","name":"Mini-RF Observations of Lunar Polar Craters and Implications for Ice Distribution","source":"crossref","abstract":"&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The possibility that water ice could be present in lunar polar craters has long been postulated.&amp;amp;#160; More recently, measurements from instruments on a number of spacecraft have all pointed to the presence of water at the lunar poles; although whether that water exists as surficial frost or as extensive, competent ice deposits remains strongly debated. Water ice can exhibit a strong response at radar wavelengths in the form of a Coherent Backscatter Opposition Effect (CBOE) and the circular polarization ratio (CPR) of the returned data can be a useful indicator of such a response&amp;amp;#8212;i.e., measured CPRs for icy materials typically exceed unity. Mini-RF is currently operating as part of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Cornerstone Extended Mission to address driving questions related to the form/abundance of water on the Moon and its vertical distribution. Using a combination of monostatic and bistatic observations of the lunar poles, we investigate the radar response of lunar polar craters. Continued analysis of monostatic radar data suggest little evidence for extensive ice signatures; however, initial analyses of bistatic data suggest that an ice signature may be observed within the crater Cabeus. These seemingly contradictory results could be related to the nature of the depth or distribution of ice. We will explore these possibilities, and the implications for lunar ISRU. &amp;amp;#160;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-11285","authors":["Lauren Jozwiak","G. Wes Patterson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-09T18:43:21Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-11285","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1109/access.2023.3247963","name":"Design and Verification of a Novel Sampling System for Lunar Water Ice Exploration","source":"crossref","abstract":"Aiming at the problem that it is difficult to collect the subsurface lunar water ice samples quickly due to the cementation-hardening of ice and soil at extremely low temperature in the permanent shadow regions, a novel lunar water ice sampling system is proposed, which uses kinetic energy penetration to efficiently expose the subsurface lunar water ice and uses manipulator to accurately collect and transfer the lunar soil samples. Based on the analysis of the working strategy of the sampling system, an engineering prototype of penetrating modular was designed and developed, and its penetration efficiency was tested based on the principle that the mechanical characteristics are equivalent. The test results show that the penetrating modular can penetrate into the target whose uniaxial compressive strength(UCS) is about 30Mpa (equivalent to the UCS of the simulated lunar water ice) with low power consumption and high efficiency, the penetration depth can reach 234mm, and the penetration time is less than 1s.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2023.3247963","authors":["Ruqi Ma","Weiwei Zhang","Rulin Ma","Wengcheng Ni","Shuiqing Jiang","Shengyuan Jiang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-03-01T18:26:01Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1109/access.2023.3247963","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/epsc-dps2025-1244","name":"Experimental Investigation of Regolith-Ice Mixtures under Cryogenic Vacuum Conditions for Lunar and Planetary Exploration","source":"crossref","abstract":"IntroductionA good understanding of the properties of water-ice and regolith mixtures is of paramount importance to support the development of upcoming scientific missions to the Moon and for future in-situ resource utilization (ISRU). Although water was already detected on the Moon by remote sensing observations and in impact ejecta (Colaprete et al. 2010), ground truth based on in-situ measurements is still missing. Water is a valuable resource for both human and robotic space exploration as it can be used as a propellant to fuel rockets or consumable for astronauts. Here, we present the development of a dusty thermal vacuum chamber (DTVC) at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) that will be used to qualify instrumentation developed for future Moon missions and to thermal ice extraction in relevant environments ( mbar, 150K).Experiment DescriptionThe state-of-the-art facility can reach vacuum levels down to mbar. To prevent sublimation of ice particles, the regolith sample is cooled by a laboratory thermostat to a minimum temperature of 150 K. The cold plate can host a variety of sample geometries up to a size of 590 mm x 240 mm x150 mm (Figure 1). As the cooling system does not rely on consumables like liquid Nitrogen, the sample cooling can theoretically be sustained for several days.Figure 1: The cold plate of the experiment with different regolith containers.The samples can be illuminated by a calibrated halogen lamp with a light power of up to 50 W in the visible range. The position of the collimated light beam (Ø 50mm) is controlled by a movable mirror (see Figure 2). This allows for a maximum illuminated sample region with a diameter of 275 mm. The resulting temperature distribution in the sample is measured by sensors inside the sample as well as an infrared camera.Figure 2: Overview of the vacuum chamber with illumination (marked in red) and ice retrieval (marked in pink) sections. A zoomed view on the mirror assembly indicates the position control of the mirror.Planned Experimental CampaignsIn the near future, several novel experiments are planned to use this DTVC setup:Investigation of Solar Heating for Thermal Ice Extraction:As part of the EIC pathfinder project Ice2Thrust, this experiment will study the heat distribution in response to solar surface heating and the interaction of water vapor with a cold trap in close vicinity to the surface. The illumination can provide light power up to 20 solar constants, which allows an investigation of various surface power densities on the temperature distribution and water sublimation rates. A separate assembly is mounted on the side of the main chamber to retrieve the ice collected on the cold plate with a linear feed-through. It can be isolated with gate valves, allowing the pressurization and subsequent liquefaction of the collected water ice. The extracted liquid water will be fed to an electrolyser and subsequently be split into Hydrogen and Oxygen to generate thrust in a chemical thruster. This experiment will serve as the world’s first ISRU end-to-end demonstration from extraction up to utilization.Qualification of Sensors for Water Ice Detection on the Moon:TUM is developing several permittivity sensor for the detection of water on the lunar surface. These sensors measure the water content by detecting changes in the electric permittivity of the lunar surface via electrodes in direct contact with the soil (Gscheidle et al. 2024). The RPS sensor suite currently developed for ESA uses electrodes mounted on a rover wheel and will undergo development and qualification testing in the DTVC. As part of another development for ESA, an instrumented drill for volatiles and water ice prospecting will also be tested in the DTVC (Biswas et al. 2020).As the interaction of ice, rocks, and sunlight is also relevant in cometary research (Kreuzig et al. 2021, Knoop et al. 2024), the DTVC facility can also be used to study related physical phenomena relevant to other icy moons an","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc-dps2025-1244","authors":["Thilo Witzel","Rok Šeško","Philipp Reiss"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-09T15:45:11Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.5194/epsc-dps2025-1244","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/egusphere-egu26-8795","name":"The Role of Crustal Magnetic Anomalies and Topography in Shaping Lunar South Polar Water Ice","source":"crossref","abstract":"Lunar magnetic anomalies are abundant near the south pole, where several moderate-strength anomalies spatially overlap permanently shadowed regions. This environment provides a unique setting to assess how crustal magnetic fields and complex topography regulate plasma–surface interactions and, in turn, the stability and distribution of surface water ice.A global fully kinetic electromagnetic particle-in-cell numerical model is used to simulate proton and electron surface fluxes near the south pole, averaged over a full lunar rotation. The simulations incorporate a regional crustal magnetic field model based on Kaguya and Lunar Prospector magnetometer measurements, together with high-resolution surface topography from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Laser Altimeter. This approach enables a self-consistent evaluation of how terrain and crustal magnetic fields jointly influence plasma access to the surface.The simulations show that topography strongly structures the surface plasma environment, enhancing fluxes on crater walls while partially shielding crater floors. The inclusion of crustal magnetic fields further modulates plasma access, producing relatively modest proton and electron flux variations relative to simulations without magnetic anomalies.Using the modelled fluxes, plasma-driven production, sputtering, and electron-stimulated desorption rates are evaluated alongside thermally driven sublimation. While the absolute balance depends on laboratory-derived yield assumptions, the results indicate that permanently shadowed regions consistently exhibit a positive net surface water ice balance rate, which closely coincides with inferred surface water ice exposures and highlights the importance of including realistic crustal magnetic fields and topography when assessing plasma-surface interactions and volatile evolution at the lunar poles.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-8795","authors":["Jan Deca","Lon Hood","Shuai Li"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-13T23:03:52Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.5194/egusphere-egu26-8795","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.9790/1676-09331418","name":"Revisiting Lunar Water Ice Content Retrieval Using Lunar Remote Sensing Data","source":"crossref","abstract":"During a few recent lunar missions, a possibility of water ice existing in the permanently shadowed regions on the moon has come forward. The content of water ice on the moon is an open question in the current moon study. It is known that the existence of ice mixed with regolith can affect permittivity of the lunar surface material and consequently to the microwave brightness temperature of the lunar surface. In this paper, we have considered the measured permittivity of the lunar soil simulant JSC-1A and the pure ice. A few dielectric mixing models have been discussed and Odelevsky model has been used to derive the effective permittivity of the mixture. The microwave brightness temperature has been simulated using two layer lunar regolith model. The relationship between the microwave brightness temperature and the water ice content has been arrived at using the derived effective permittivity. The microwave brightness temperature of the lunar surface obtained by Chang-1 has been used. From the study, it has been found that there is a possibility of upper regolith layer with about 9cm can have the volume water ice content of about 2.943%.","url":"https://doi.org/10.9790/1676-09331418","authors":["Vaidehi Patel","Jayesh Pabari","Jignesh Patel"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-06-04T05:34:38Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.9790/1676-09331418","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/egusphere-egu25-6664","name":"Volatile Ice Presence Analysis through Mass Wasting Events Mapping in Lunar Permanently Shadowed Regions","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mass wasting events on the Moon have been documented since the Apollo era and are distributed across its surface. On Earth, the morphology and runout distance of landslides, particularly flowlike landslides such as debris and mud flows, are strongly influenced by the mobilized soil and bedrock properties, notably the water content.Despite the absence of widespread, liquid surface water on the Moon, previous surveys identified numerous lunar flow events across the Moon&amp;#8217;s equatorial regions (&amp;#177; 60&amp;#176; latitude), termed &amp;#8220;granular flows&amp;#8221; or &amp;#8220;flows&amp;#8221;, in short, excluding the polar regions due to unfavorable illumination conditions. The recent release of ShadowCam images now enables the extension of past mapping efforts to the shadowed portions of the lunar polar regions (&gt; 80&amp;#176; latitude).Here, we perform a thorough, manual search for flows in polar region craters using images from the Korean Pathfinder Lunar Obiter (KPLO) ShadowCam and the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Narrow Angle Camera (NAC). We analyzed three regions for comparison: the Equatorial Region (Eq) (&amp;#177;60&amp;#176;), the South Pole Region (Sp) (80&amp;#176;&amp;#8211;90&amp;#176; S), and the North Polar Region (Np) (80&amp;#176;&amp;#8211;90&amp;#176; N). We focused our mapping efforts on flows in craters where more than 1% of the internal area has slope angles exceeding 30&amp;#176;. We utilized 131 ShadowCam images and 84 processed NAC images to map flows. Additionally, 100 random highland events from the Eq region were manually mapped for comparison with polar events.We identified 23 Sp and 99 Np flows, distributed across 3 and 16 craters, respectively. A significant disparity emerged between the Eq and polar regions. While 38.7% of craters with slopes exceeding 30&amp;#176; in the Eq region contained flows, the percentages dropped to 33.3% in Np and 16.6% in Sp. Consequently, the likelihood of developing flows in Np and Sp with the same distribution as the Eq region is only 8.02% and 0.59%, respectively. Notably, Sp flows occur in areas with relatively lower LPNS-derived Water Equivalent Hydrogen (WEH) and outside permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) compared to Np flows. We observe no significant differences in geomorphic flow characteristics between the three regions. Flow efficiency (flow height/length, or H/L) averaged ~0.6, and the median source angle was ~32&amp;#176; across all regions.Our results suggest that flows are 1) scarce in the polar regions, yet 2) do not exhibit anomalous geomorphologic properties in comparison to equatorial (dry) flows. This suggests the presence of an inhibitory factor - or the absence of the pre-conditions required for flow formation. Ongoing work is investigating whether our observations could be explained by a cementing effect caused by (near-)surface volatiles. The accumulation of volatiles might strengthen the regolith, reducing the probability of flow initiation due to meteorite-induced seismicity or moonquakes. Our observations might also indicate that potentially large quantities of subsurface volatiles are not shallow enough to cause and/or become mobilized in flow events. It is also possible that the observed flows formed before volatiles accumulated.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-6664","authors":["Riccardo Pedrelli","Valentin Bickel","Jordan Aaron","Ariel Deutsch"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-14T19:28:01Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.5194/egusphere-egu25-6664","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.23919/ursigass51995.2021.9560422","name":"Detection of Water Ice in the Lunar Regolith via Microwave Radiometry","source":"crossref","abstract":"Recent lunar observations have concluded that significant water ice deposits may exists in the regolith, especially in the permanently shadowed regions near the lunar poles. Detection and utilization of these reserves is very important to sustain the continuous human presence on the Moon. This paper, using analytical models and numerical simulations, demonstrates that wideband microwave radiometers are promising instruments for exploring underground water ice deposits on the Moon as their brightness temperature spectra are highly sensitive to water presence in the regolith.","url":"https://doi.org/10.23919/ursigass51995.2021.9560422","authors":["Mustafa Aksoy"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-10-15T17:33:25Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.23919/ursigass51995.2021.9560422","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1109/aero63441.2025.11068566","name":"Overview and Results from NASA's Break The Ice Lunar Challenge","source":"crossref","abstract":"NASA's Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing (PCC) program portfolio is designed to connect the public to the agency's missions. The program encourages creative solutions from a diverse range of solvers which serve to advance the agency's technology development efforts. PCC includes NASA Centennial Challenges, which invites the general public to help close specific NASA technology gaps and incentivizes participation by awarding the Challenge winners large cash prizes for successful outcomes. Centennial Challenges seeks broad participation from independent inventors, companies, nonprofits, small businesses, student groups, and even international entities. NASA executed the Break The Ice Lunar Challenge as part of the Centennial Challenges Program between 2020 and 2024. This Challenge focused on advancing technologies capable of (1) excavating tough icy-regolith, or icy Lunar soil, and (2) transporting that excavated material to a different location on the Lunar surface. Phase 1 of NASA's Break The Ice Lunar Challenge required competing teams to conceptualize a highlevel system architecture capable of excavating buried icyregolith and transporting either icy-regolith or processed water several kilometers across the Lunar surface. Phase 2 of the Challenge required competing teams to design, build, and demonstrate robotic technologies capable of excavating simulated icy-regolith material and transporting it across a simulated Lunar landscape. This paper provides details about the development and execution of the Challenge, the results of each Challenge Phase, and a discussion of the significance of the technology developed under the Challenge for NASA's exploration goals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/aero63441.2025.11068566","authors":["Kurt W. Leucht","Tracie J. Prater","Naveen Vetcha"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-14T17:40:12Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1109/aero63441.2025.11068566","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.20944/preprints202408.0464.v1","name":"LUNARMINERS: Lunar Mining for Water-Ice Etraction by Implementing Nature-Inspired Behavior in Robotic Swarms","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This paper introduces LUNARMINERS framework and applies it for lunar water-ice extraction in Shackleton Crater at the lunar South Pole. The LUNARMINERS combines artificial intelligence swarm robotics with biomimetic swarm behavior. In the proposed framework, the foraging behavior of ants, the light attraction behavior of fireflies, and the migratory flight strategy of wild geese have been comprehensively analyzed and applied to robotic swarms for lunar mining. This research takes into consideration important aspects of the lunar environment, such as permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) and communication limitations in lunar craters, by simulating them in Robot Operating System (ROS). The LUNARMINERS framework has advantages over other methods in that it allows for the survey of an area of 0.025 km2 per day while achieving 100% water-ice deposition effectiveness. Studies show that by applying the LUNARMINER framework, the exploration of the entire Shackleton Crater can be completed in 3.75 Earth years via 15 robots. Simulations of the implementation of the proposed LUNARMINERS framework have demonstrated reliable high-levels of extraction efficiency, with the framework producing 12.9 metric tons of water-ice per day, which potentially can support up to 1,990 people per day based on astronaut’s daily water requirements from NASA&#039;s Human Integrated Design Handbook (HIDH) and thus, establishing a sustainable benchmark for lunar habitation. The results from this study show that the advances in the proposed LUNARMINERS framework can contribute to future lunar exploration and ISRU, setting new standards for sustainable off-Earth mining.","url":"https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.0464.v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.20944/preprints202408.0464.v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1029/2020gl091681","name":"Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Dielectric Breakdown of Lunar Regolith: Implications for Water Ice Formation on Lunar Surface","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Molecular dynamics simulations are carried out to investigate dielectric breakdown of lunar regolith induced by space weather events and its potential effects on water ice formation on lunar surface. We find that dielectric breakdown can trigger the water formation process by breaking the chemical bonds of regolith grains and exposing the oxygen atoms to react with the hydrogen implanted by solar wind. In the permanently shadowed region, the water molecules formed become attached to regolith grains in the molecular structure of ice after the event. Thus, dielectric breakdown can also enable the preservation of water molecules by changing the hydrophobicity of regolith grains.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2020gl091681","authors":["Ziyu Huang","Ken‐ichi Nomura","Aiichiro Nakano","Joseph Wang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-01-15T10:02:38Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1029/2020gl091681","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/32226","name":"Ice on the Moon boosts hopes for future lunar missions","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/32226","authors":["Tony Reichhardt"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-26T08:37:13Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1038/32226","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/egusphere-egu22-8169","name":"A more robust interpretation of water ice isotope signature from lunar polar missions: theoretical model for isotope fractionation during water ice sublimation in very low pressure systems at cryogenic temperatures.","source":"crossref","abstract":"&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Targeting the deployment of sustainable human and robotic exploration on the Moon by the end of this decade, there is a pressing need for better understanding the lunar water cycle and the availability of water for ISRU. The O-H isotope signatures in lunar water are key for determining the water origin in the Earth-Moon system and the mechanisms controlling water distribution and redistribution on the Moon. This has profound implications for understanding the Earth-Moon system&amp;amp;#8217;s history and the stability and renewability of water deposits.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;Lunar volatiles are involved in a largely unconstrained and complex system of input, transport, trapping, recycling, and loss. The water origin on the Earth-Moon system remains poorly understood. The &amp;amp;#948;D signatures from Apollo samples and meteorites suggest various contributing reservoirs of different origins for lunar water, and/or secondary processes [1], [2]. The different origins include: i) Magmatic (primordial) [3]; ii) asteroidal/cometary impacts [4], [5]; iii) solar wind H+ [1]; iv) mixed origin (solar wind H+/inclusion within meteorite impact glasses or volcanic glasses [6]).&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;The Roscosmos/ESA Luna 27 mission [7] is one of several international lunar polar missions for in-situ analyses of lunar surface, targeting pressing scientific and industrial knowledge gaps. To interpret the results derived from those polar missions it is critical to understand the extent and nature of any potential water ice loss and related isotope fractionation during the sampling chain.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;Experimental studies on isotope fractionation during ice sublimation in nonequilibrium conditions are scarce. These studies concluded on different trends: i) no relevant isotope fractionation up to 40% ice mass loss [8], ii) relevant Rayleigh-like fractionation trend [9]. There is no kinetic isotope fractionation model (theoretical or experimental) for ice sublimation in low pressure systems at cryogenic temperatures, which considers the expected physical processes. Thus, the calculation of water ice isotope signatures remains highly uncertain, hindering the assessment of potential lunar water resources and the interpretation of scientific planetary data.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;Here we present a theoretical isotope fractionation model derived from concepts developed by Criss (1999) [10] and adapted to the physical processes expected under lunar conditions, which will contribute to i) more robust interpretations of water ice behaviour in lunar environment and/or extra-terrestrial and/or extreme terrestrial environments; ii) mission operational planning, data processing, extraction/processing techniques; iii) exploration/exploitation roadmap, space mining business plan, natural resources management. [1] B. M. Jones et al., 2018. Geophys. Res. Lett., 45(20), 10,959-10,967; [2] F. M. McCubbin and J. J. Barnes, 2019. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 526; [3] A. E. Saal et al., 2013. Science, 340(6138), 1317&amp;amp;#8211;1320; [4] J. P. Greenwood et al., 2011. Nat. Geosci., 4(2), 79&amp;amp;#8211;82; [5] J. J. Barnes et al., 2016. Nat. Commun., 7(1), 11684; [6] C. I. Honniball et al., 2021. Nat. Astron., 5(2), 121&amp;amp;#8211;127; [7] D. J. Heather et al., 2021. Lunar Planet. Sci. Conf. LPI, Abstract #2111; [8] J. Mortimer et al., 2018. Planet. Space Sci., 158(Feb), 25&amp;amp;#8211;33; [9] R. H. Brown et al., 2012. Planet. Space Sci., 60(1), 166&amp;amp;#8211;180 [10] R. E. Criss, 1999. USA: Oxford University Press.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu22-8169","authors":["Veneranda López Días","Laurent Pfister","Christophe Hissler","François Barnich"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-27T23:29:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.5194/egusphere-egu22-8169","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.1999-850","name":"Lunar polar ice - Methods for mining the new resource for exploration","source":"crossref","abstract":"The presence of ice in permanently shadowed depressions near the lunar poles and determination of its properties will significantly influence both the near- and long-term prospects for lunar exploration and development. Since data from the Lunar Prospector spacecraft indicate that water ice is likely present (the instrument measures hydrogen strongly suggests the presence of water), it is important to understand how to extract it for beneficial use, as well as how to preserve it for scientific analysis. Two types of processes can be considered for the extraction of water ice from the lunar poles. In the first case, energy is transported into the shadowed regions, ice is constrain models of impacts on the lunar surface and processed in-situ, and water is transported out of the cold trap. In the second case, ice-containing regolith can be mined in the cold trap, transported outside the cold trap, and the ice extracted in a location with abundant solar energy. A series of conceptual implementations has been examined and criteria have been developed for the selection of systems and subsystems for further study.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.1999-850","authors":["Robert Gustafson","Eric Rice"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-09-30T21:30:54Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.2514/6.1999-850","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1117/12.3046861","name":"Numerical simulation of temperature rise and sublimation of water-ice during drilling in lunar polar ice-soils","source":"crossref","abstract":"The lunar polar regions are rich in resources, particularly the water resources that are urgently needed for the establishment of a lunar research station. One of the Chang'e 7 missions is utilize a drilling sampling method to collect in-situ ice-soil samples, the heat generated during drilling can cause the water-ice in the ice-soil to sublimate, seriously affecting the in-situ nature of the drilling and sampling. Therefore, this paper considers the lunar soil as a continuous ice-covered ice-soil mixture structure, provides a numerical calculation methods for water-ice sublimation and heat absorption, simulates the drilling sampling process by the discrete element method, and obtains the water-ice volatilization and the drilling temperature rise information during the sampling process, and to establish a discrete element simulation system for the ice-soil drilling. The reliability of simulation model is verified by comparing the experimental and simulation results of ice soil drilling. The drilling simulation of ice-soil particles with 5% moisture content is carried out in article, and the results of temperature rise and moisture content of ice-soil drilling under the consideration of water-ice sublimation are investigated. The results of the study indicate that, in the drilling time of 120s, the temperature rise of ice-soil samples with the consideration of water-ice sublimation is lower than that of ice-soil samples without the consideration of water-ice sublimation by 4°C, and the moisture content is reduced to 4.873%, and the rate of water loss is about 2.54%, and the moon soil drilling and mining information is more accurate and has theoretical guidance for drilling high-fidelity samples.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3046861","authors":["Sibo Liu","Fenghong Gao","Jinsheng Cui"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-27T20:41:30Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1117/12.3046861","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1117/12.3066085","name":"Beyond lunar ice cube: next generation 12U orbiting lunar water explorer","source":"crossref","abstract":"We present a concept for a robust 12U version of an orbiting cubesat explorer for lunar water as a follow on to the Lunar Ice Cube mission with an upgraded IR spectrometer, CLEW, described in earlier work (ref). CLEW has significantly enhanced spectral range and spatial resolution with a modest (25%) increase volume, mass, and power, despite a requirement for cooling to 70K that can be accomplished with the high heritage Ricor 508 cooler. Made possible by the larger volume, two, rather than one, star tracker, and three larger momentum wheels will greatly improve knowledge and control of pointing, and that, combined with the detector readout design, will create the capability for resolving features of 1 km or smaller at 100 km altitude within the 10 x 10 field of view. The detector readout design also allows us to operate within the 256 kbps bandwidth limitation if it remains in the future. The power system, including 100 W generating solar panels and double the backup battery capacity, will be more than adequate for the payload needs. One option for the propulsion system we will need for the larger spacecraft is to replace the 3U volume ion propulsion drive system used on Lunar Ice Cube with a higher specific impulse chemical propulsion system, such as the hydrazine system used by Capstone, the successful 12U lunar orbiter communication, navigation and tracking pathfinder. That would significantly reduce the duration of cruise and ability for station-keeping to stay in a desirable science orbit for a much longer period of time.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3066085","authors":["Pamela E. Clark","Nate Fite","Cliff Brambora","Tilak Hewagama","Timothy A. Livengood","Eric Kan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-17T20:14:58Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1117/12.3066085","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/epsc-dps2025-240","name":"SAR-based Investigation of Water Ice in Lunar Polar Permanently Shadowed Regions (PSRs)","source":"crossref","abstract":"THE nature and distribution of deposits in the lunar PSRs have long been subjects of scientific debate. Although the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Spacecraft (LCROSS) impact experiment provided evidence for the existence of cold-trapped volatiles, Arecibo monostatic radar and the Clementine bistatic radar experiment for ice in polar craters using radar backscatter turned up no evidence for macroscopic water ice within 1 m of the surface[1].Since 2008, orbiters equipped with synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) instruments have advanced our understanding of the PSRs in the lunar polar regions through microwave remote sensing, these include Chandrayaan-1 Mini-SAR, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Mini-RF and Chandrayaan-2 Dual Frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (DFSAR) [2]. The Mini-SAR is a S-band single-frequency, hybrid polarity imaging radar designed to collect information about the scattering properties of the permanently dark areas near the lunar poles[3]. The LRO Mini-RF combines SAR at two wavelengths (S-band and X-band) and utilizes hybrid polarization architecture to measure the Stokes parameters of the reflected signal[4]. DFSAR sensor is the first to operate at L-band and S-band in fully and hybrid polarimetric modes[5].Over the past decade, the exploration of water ice in the lunar polar regions using SAR data has been steadily advancing[6-17]. The possibility of surface ice clusters has been investigated by including CPR and PolSAR-based scattering properties in the PSRs. The important information related to roughness patterns, dielectric constant, subsurface rock abundance and composition have also been analyzed while identifying the regions containing water-ice deposits. Radar backscatter was analyzed for the effect of surface roughness, whereas polarimetric parameters were used for identifying the scattering mechanism. By decoupling the effects of surface roughness, the dielectric constant of the lunar surface is inverted.In the research, we will employ the Chandrayaan-2 L-band SAR data to establish a multi-polarimetric radar echo model for lunar surface/subsurface characterization, with surface roughness effects decoupled to retrieve subsurface dielectric constants. Model validation will be conducted using Apollo and Chang'E-5/6 sample constraints. Subsequently, the validated approach will be implemented on Chang'E-7's L-band polarimetric SAR to analyze the polarimetric signatures and dielectric properties in PSRs. Additionally, a multi-instrument synthesis (spectroscopy, neutron spectrometry, and thermophysical data) will enable comprehensive assessment of water ice presence with quantitative estimates of its abundance, composition, and distribution. References:[1]Paul O. Hayne, Amanda Hendrix, and Elliot Sefton-Nash, Evidence for exposed water ice in the Moon’s south polar regions from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter ultraviolet albedo and temperature measurements, Icarus 255 (2015) 58–69[2]Paul Spudis, Stewart Nozette, and Ben Bussey, Mini-SAR an imaging radar experiment for the Chandrayaan-1 mission to the Moon 2009SPECIAL SECTION: CHANDRAYAAN-1, CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 96, NO. 4, 25 FEBRUARY 2009[3]Stewart Nozette ,Paul Spudis, and Ben Bussey, The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Miniature Radio Frequency (Mini-RF) Technology Demonstration, Space Sci Rev (2010) 150: 285–302 DOI 10.1007/s11214-009-9607-5[4]P. D. Spudis, D. B. J. Bussey, and S. M. Baloga, Initial results for the north pole of the Moon from Mini‐SAR, Chandrayaan‐1 mission, GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 37, L06204, doi:10.1029/2009GL042259, 2010[5]Deepak Putrevu, Sanjay Trivedi, and Anup Das, L- and S-band Polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar on Chandrayaan-2 mission, CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 118, NO. 2, 25 JANUARY 2020[6] Bruce A. Campbell , High circular polarization ratios in radar scattering from geologic targets, OURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 117, E06008, doi:10.1029/2012JE004061, 2012[7] Sriram Saran n, Anup Das, and Shiv Mohan, Stud","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc-dps2025-240","authors":["Haiying Li","Zhou Qin","Bin Liu","Jianjun Liu","Chunlai Li","Xiping Xue"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-09T15:12:38Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.5194/epsc-dps2025-240","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2019.113510","name":"Lunar regolith and water ice escape due to micrometeorite bombardment","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2019.113510","authors":["J.P. Pabari","S. Nambiar","V. Shah","Anil Bhardwaj"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-11-01T01:52:50Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1016/j.icarus.2019.113510","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/epsc2026-1186","name":"Investigating the Detectability of Subsurface Lunar Water-Ice Beneath Regolith Dust Using Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy","source":"crossref","abstract":"Hydration on the lunar surface has been widely identified in orbital datasets (e.g., M³, LCROSS, LAMP), yet the physical form, abundance, and spatial distribution of lunar volatiles remain poorly constrained. Interpretation is complicated by fine-grained regolith, which modifies local thermophysical conditions, obscures underlying volatiles, and alters diagnostic spectral features through scattering and photometric effects. These uncertainties are particularly significant for permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) and high latitudes , where temperatures below ~120 K may preserve water-ice over geological timescales and where several upcoming missions (e.g., Chang’e-7, PROSPECT, CLPS payloads, LEAP) aim to investigate insitu volatiles.We present the development of the Polar Analogue of Dust Overlying Regolith–Ice (PANDOR-I), a demountable laboratory vacuum chamber designed to simulate lunar polar conditions for infrared studies of water-ice and regolith mixtures. The system is engineered to operate under high vacuum and cryogenic conditions (~10⁻⁶ mbar; ≤120 K) and supports variable illumination geometries relevant to polar environments. PANDOR-I operates in two configurations: (1) coupled to a Bruker Vertex 70v FTIR spectrometer for laboratory reflectance measurements across 1.8–20 µm, and (2) integrated with existing flight-instrument thermal-vacuum facilities to enable direct observations by flight-ready infrared instruments.As an initial experimental phase prior to full cryogenic integration, the FTIR sample compartment has been isolated using KBr windows to enable controlled low-pressure (~0.2 mbar) reflectance measurements of hydrated and anhydrous regolith analogue configurations. These preliminary experiments investigate how dust layering, grain size, regolith maturity, composition, ice abundance, and mixing state influence the spectral expression of hydration features, with emphasis on the ~3 µm O–H stretching region and the diagnostic ~6 µm H–O–H bending mode of molecular water. Laboratory spectra will additionally be compared with Mie–Hapke forward models to examine band depth suppression, spectral mixing behaviour, and detectability thresholds under dusty polar conditions.This work reviews the laboratory framework for constraining infrared water-ice detection limits under mission-relevant lunar conditions and provides initial calibration datasets relevant to upcoming orbital and surface investigations of lunar polar volatiles.1. Honniball, C.I., Lucey, P.G., Hayne, P.O., Little, R.C., Greenhagen, B.T., Malespin, C. and Orlando, T.M., 2021. Molecular water detected on the sunlit Moon by SOFIA. Nature Astronomy, 5(2), pp.121–127. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-020-01222-x2. Saal, A.E., Hauri, E.H., Cascio, M.L., Van Orman, J.A., Rutherford, M.C. and Cooper, R.F., 2008. Volatile content of lunar volcanic glasses and the presence of water in the Moon’s interior. Nature, 454(7201), pp.192–195. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature070473. Buffo, J.J., Shepherd, J.D., Xu, J., Whisner, C., Devore, E., Shay, P. and Crites, S.T., 2025. Quantifying Regolith Cover Effects on 3 and 6 µm Water Ice Bands. 56th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Abstract 2152.4. Pieters, C.M., Goswami, J.N., Clark, R.N., Annadurai, M., Boardman, J., Buratti, B., Cheek, L., Dhingra, D.K., Green, R.O., Head, J.W., Hiesinger, H., Hypki, A., Isaacson, P., Jolliff, B.L., Klima, R.L., Kramer, G., Kumar, S., Lawrence, S.J., LeCorre, L., Li, S., Malaret, E., Mustard, J.F., Petro, N.E., Robinson, M.S., Samuelson, J., Sundaram, C.N. and Taylor, L.A., 2009. Character and spatial distribution of OH/H₂O on the surface of the Moon seen by M³ on Chandrayaan-1. Science, 326(5952), pp.568–572. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.11786585. McCord, T.B., Taylor, L.A., Combe, J.P., Klima, R.L., Tighe, R., Murray, K., Hayne, P.O., Clark, R.N., Pieters, C.M., Sunshine, J.M., Mellon, M.T., Hargraves, R.B., Dyar, M.D., Bussey, D.B.J., Paige, D.A. and Orlando, T.M., 2011. Sources a","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-1186","authors":["Fiona Henderson","Neil Bowles","Katherine Shirley","Jon Temple","Henry Eshbaugh"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-02T17:04:57Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.5194/epsc2026-1186","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2022.08.071","name":"Hydrogen ice within lunar polar craters","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2022.08.071","authors":["Tianxi Sun"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-08-31T05:35:07Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1016/j.ijhydene.2022.08.071","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.2020-4196","name":"Overview of NASA’s Break the Ice Lunar Challenge","source":"crossref","abstract":"The goal of NASA’s Artemis program is to return to the Moon and put in place a sustainable infrastructure that will enable permanent presence on the Moon. In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) is critical in making the permanent presence on the Moon possible. One of the most important of these resources is water. On the Moon, water is trapped in icy regolith at the lunar poles, including inside permanently dark and cold craters. Excavating icy regolith and extracting water from it needs development of technologies that can operate reliably in the extreme lunar environmental conditions. Prize competitions are a well-known way of accelerating the development of new technologies and have been successfully used throughout the history. NASA’s Centennial Challenges Program (CCP) has been developing and executing prize competitions for past 15 years. Several of these competitions resulted in breakthrough technologies for in-space and terrestrial applications. In 2019, NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) tasked CCP to develop a challenge to address the technology gaps in the areas of Lunar Excavation, Manufacturing, and Construction. This paper provides the background, status and ongoing plans by CCP in developing “Break the Ice Lunar Challenge”. The challenge is scheduled to open for registration in late 2020. This challenge will enable the development of excavation technologies that can operate in the extreme conditions on the Moon.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2020-4196","authors":["Monsi C. Roman","Naveen Vetcha","Michael Fiske","Peter Carrato","Kurt W. Leucht"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-04T11:30:53Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.2514/6.2020-4196","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.18260/p.26442","name":"Capstone Design Project Experience: Lunar Ice Extraction Design","source":"crossref","abstract":"A group of senior undergraduate students came together as part of a non-traditional capstone design project. The assignment was to take part in the NASA RASC-AL competition and required adjustment to the class curriculum. Two examples are that a direct point of contact from the customer would not be possible as there is no specific person at NASA meant to act as the customer and the submission deadline was after the semester concluded. The students were all from the mechanical engineering department and had a fascination with space technology but came from vastly different demographic backgrounds representing multiple spheres of diversity. This diversity brought unique and unexpected approaches to the project. The project required close interaction of the group throughout and after the semester to accomplish a very difficult goal: the design of a full scale lunar ice extraction facility capable of running autonomously and producing at least 100 metric tonnes of ice per year. The operational plan is to be accompanied by a detailed budget and launch plans to begin taking effect in 2025. Having no experience working with one another prior to this project, the group was required to quickly develop a productive team ethos to address such a large challenge. The aim of this study is to assess the outcomes and reactions during a project from a diverse group of students attempting to complete an unusual capstone design. Accompanying this are pre-, intra-, and post-project surveys to assess effectiveness of the group on key project issues. The primary research questions to answer are: does the perception of the group regarding effectiveness positively correlate with the feelings of ownership of the project and feelings that the individual students' passions are being considered. Further, because the competition is staged and set to go on the full academic year, the students are interviewed regarding plans on continuing the project beyond the current semester when the majority of the team will have graduated.","url":"https://doi.org/10.18260/p.26442","authors":["Steven Zusack","Raveena Patil","Sean Lachenman","Chanel Johnson","Peter Schubert","Nathan McDaniel"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-07-07T17:02:43Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.18260/p.26442","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/essoar.10504684.1","name":"Unable to distinguish between hydroxyl radicals from water ice and hydroxyl groups from methanol using lunar spectral detection --- A problem of sufficient urgency and significance","source":"crossref","abstract":"The absorption strength of hydroxyl radicals and hydroxyl groups are all 2.9μm, so it is easy to confuse hydroxyl radicals and hydroxyl groups when interpreting M3 spectra data. I do not doubt the ability of LCROSS to detect OH from water, but only suspect that LCROSS is unable to distinguish between hydroxyl radicals from water ice and hydroxyl groups from methanol because it ignores their spectral identity. Hydroxyl radicals and hydroxyl groups are two different concepts: hydroxyl radicals belong to the ion, whereas hydroxyl groups are the type of functional groups in organic matter. We have reason to suspect hydroxyl radicals that LCROSS claimed to discover on the Moon might actually be hydroxyl groups from Moon’s methanol. It seems that all our misconceptions about water ice in lunar polar craters might be due to the neglect of the chemical role of lunar methanol. It is necessary to conduct in-depth research in this field in the future.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/essoar.10504684.1","authors":["Tianxi Sun"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-24T09:02:43Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1002/essoar.10504684.1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.2023-4761","name":"Thermal Model of Ice Growth in Vacuum for Lunar Water Production","source":"crossref","abstract":"To support NASA’s goal of sustained lunar presence, the use of in-situ resource utilization will reduce launch weight and frequency of resupply missions. With the discovery of water in the permanently shadowed regions of the moon, the prospect of harvesting water has generated particular interest. A more fundamental understanding of water storage and capture in lunar conditions is necessary for effective and efficient water capture and transport. The present study derives a thermal model for ice height, heat flux, chamber pressure, and mass flow rate in sub-atmospheric pressures below the triple point. The thermal model compares ice layer height against the results of the experiment at two pressures (300 Pa and 500 Pa) and temperatures from -18°C to -3°C. The thermal model predicts the trends seen experimentally with an overall root mean square error of 0.1135 cm and coefficient of efficiency of 0.994, indicating the model predicts the experimental results. The thermal model can be utilized to examine the impacts of varying pressure, temperature, and cold plate area to determine the most effective ice growth conditions for efficient capture of water on the lunar surface. The thermal model will provide a useful tool for NASA in the design of the lunar ice tanker and shows the promise of effective capture water on the lunar surface.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2023-4761","authors":["Timothy Krause","Beau M. Compton","Leah M. Struchen Deans"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-10-18T06:31:47Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.2514/6.2023-4761","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1511/2003.26.322","name":"Ice at the Lunar Poles","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1511/2003.26.322","authors":["Richard Vondrak","Dana Crider"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-03T20:47:22Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1511/2003.26.322","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/space.2024.0045","name":"Value of Information for Lunar Ice Exploration","source":"crossref","abstract":"Lunar ice is a strategically important resource due to its potential to enable in-situ production of propellants for in-space refueling. However, existing remote sensing data are insufficient to determine whether prospective ice deposits meet reserve criteria. This study applies value of information (VOI) theory to investigate the economic rationale for completing ground-based exploration for lunar ice reserves. By investigating a range of potential extraction and exploration scenarios, the analysis demonstrates the utility of linking VOI to cash flow models as a framework for evaluating future missions. This study finds that uncertainties in deposit composition and technology performance are primary factors undermining the business case. Lunar-sourced propellant could yield positive net present value (NPV) outcomes—even with low propellant prices and launch costs. In representative future scenarios, the VOI from ground-based exploration is likely to exceed mission costs, suggesting that such campaigns can be economically justified.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/space.2024.0045","authors":["Steven Coutts","George Sowers"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-26T02:17:20Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1089/space.2024.0045","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/epsc2024-84","name":"3D Surface Radiative Transfer Model via Raytracing for Airless Bodies with the Application to Lunar Craters and Possible Ice-Stability","source":"crossref","abstract":"IntroductionThe Moon has many permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) inside of craters at the poles, which are only illuminated by indirect (reflected) sunlight and thermal radiation because of the small solar incidence angle and obliquity. That is why the terrain of the poles strongly influences the temperature profile of the regolith. These exceptionally cold PSRs are areas that are most likely to harbor water ice (Vasavada 1999; Watson et al. 1961) and are therefore of interest to future landing missions. One example is the NASA CLPS-10, which carries ESA&amp;#8217;s PROSPECT instrument, which, using the Drill, will sample the lunar surface up to 1 m depth with the aim to detect volatiles including water ice if present (Boazman et al. 2023).The temperature of the regolith can be described as a function of depth using a one-dimensional thermal model. In craters, it is necessary that the incident radiation on each surface element is accurately considered as a boundary condition, as this depends strongly on the surrounding topography. The crater walls can block radiation, but they can also reflect it.Coupling the surface boundary condition determined in this model with a thermal model from B&amp;#252;rger et al. (2024) for the regolith layers allows conclusions to be drawn about the depth and position of water ice in such craters and surface temperatures measured remotely by instruments such as Diviner (Paige et al. 2010).MethodIn our model, the topography of the region of interest is then transformed into a mesh of triangles using Delaunay triangulation. For each facet, the conservation of energy applies, which states that the radiated heat must be equal to the direct absorbed solar radiation, plus the direct absorbed IR radiation emitted by all other facets, plus the absorbed radiation (solar and IR) reflected by all other facets, plus the heat flux from the sub-surface. Reflections in the visible and IR range are taken into account for all orders. The sun is approximated as a point source and its position is calculated using SPICE. Whether a facet is seen by the sun is determined using ray tracing. The proportion of radiation transmitted from one facet to another is proportional to the view factor, also known as the form factor, and the associated albedos and emissivities. Previous similar models, e.g. Potter et al. (2023), Vasavada (1999) or Gl&amp;#228;ser et al. (2019), usually use only angle-independent albedos. However, laboratory measurements (Foote et al. 2020), thermal models for the lunar surface (e.g. Keihm 1984; Vasavada et al. 2012; Hayne et al. 2017; B&amp;#252;rger et al. 2024) and a model that estimates the albedo from the lunar noontime surface temperatures as a function of latitude (Feng et al. 2020) show that the albedo is indeed angle-dependent, which is why this effect is also taken into account, as some other models already do (King et al. 2020).Initial ResultsAs a first step and as a verification method, we neglect the sub-surface heat flow, i.e. the thermal model, and compare the numerical raytracing model for a constant solar incidence angle (equilibrium case), constant albedo and a perfectly bowl-shaped crater (see fig. 1) with the analytical solution of Ingersoll et al. (1992). We find a good agreement between these two models.Figure 1: Equilibrium surface temperature distribution of a perfectly bowl-shaped crater for a solar incidence angle of e&amp;#8857; = 15&amp;#176; (emissivity = 0.99, albedo = 0.3).In the next step, the model was equipped with an angle-dependent albedo. As expected, the albedo models used always cause the temperature in the crater to drop, as less radiation is absorbed at higher angles of incidence. The extent to which the temperature drops depends heavily on the albedo model and can be up to 30 K.Applying the model to real craters with realistic topography produces surface temperature maps for a specific position of the sun (again in the equilibrium case, see fig. 2) or over t","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2024-84","authors":["Eric Volkhardt","Johanna Bürger","Jürgen Blum"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-03T11:09:04Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.5194/epsc2024-84","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acssensors.5c01115.s001","name":"Miniaturized Tunable Laser Spectrometer for the Simultaneous Detection of Water Ice and HydrogenOxygen Isotopes for the ChangE7 Lunar Soil Water Molecule Analyzer","source":"crossref","abstract":"Distinguishing the origin of lunar water ice requires in situ isotopic measurements with high sensitivity and robustness under extreme lunar conditions; however, challenges such as uncertain water contents and isotopic fractionation induced by regolith particles restrict isotopic analysis. Herein, we present a miniaturized tunable diode laser absorption spectrometer (TDLAS) developed as the core prototype for the Chang’E-7 Lunar Soil Water Molecule Analyzer (LSWMA). The wavelength range of the instrument is 3659.5–3662.0 cm–1, and the system integrates a Herriott cell for stable multi-isotope (H216O, H218O, H217O, and HD16O) detection and employs regolith samples of known isotopic experiments to quantify adsorption-induced fractionation. Performance evaluations demonstrated a dynamic water detection range of 0.01–2 wt % and isotope precision up to 1.3‰ for δD (30.5 s), 0.77‰ for δ18O (36 s), and 0.75‰ for δ17O (21.5 s) with extended averaging. Repeated injections of three types of standard water revealed a volume-dependent deviation (ΔδD up to −59.5‰) attributed to multilayer adsorption effects, while simulated lunar soil experiments identified additional isotopic fractionation (ΔδD up to −12.8‰) caused by particle binding. These results validate the ability of the spectrometer to resolve subtle isotopic shifts under lunar conditions, providing critical data for distinguishing water origins and advancing future resource utilization strategies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.5c01115.s001","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-10T08:30:26Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1021/acssensors.5c01115.s001","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/epsc2024-1086","name":"Depth to diameter ratio of lunar craters and its possible correlation to the water ice deposits","source":"crossref","abstract":"Introduction: The depth to diameter ratio (d/D) of a crater is an important morphological parameter that represents the extent of crater degradation. Recently several studies utilized d/D of craters at Moon and Mercury&amp;#8217;s poles as a possible indicator of water ice deposition [1, 2, 3]. The study conducted by [2] revealed a poleward decrease in d/D for both Mercury and the Moon for a diameter range of 2-15km. The gradual shallowing of craters towards the poles is particularly observed at the lunar south pole compared to the north pole which was attributed to the potential infilling by water ice. Also the craters with permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) on Moon was found to be shallower (lower d/D) as compared to the illuminated craters at lunar south pole. Interestingly, the lunar north pole does not show similar d/D trend as the south pole [2]. However, several other measurements including neutron spectrometer, radar, illumination and temperature variations [4, 5, 6] suggest ice containing north polar region albeit with a lower ice concentration compared to the south pole. This observed discrepancy is the motivation of this work where we used an existing d/D catalogue and integrated the outcomes with several other parameters like temperature, radar based circular polarisation ratio (CPR) and NIR based water detections.Methods: About 9100 simple craters spanning both the poles within a latitudinal range of 65&amp;#176; N/S to 90&amp;#176; N/S, with crater diameter range between 5-20 km were analyzed to understand if d/D can be used as a proxy to water ice filling. &amp;#160;We considered already available illumination, temperature [6], CPR [7] and NIR [5] based water ice detection maps in order to establish the correlation if any with d/D parameter.&amp;#160;Fig 1. Depth to diameter (d/D) ratio distribution for craters of north (a) and south (b) poles. Base image LROC WAC mosaic. Results: A gradual decrease in d/D ratio is observed at latitudes 80 &amp;#778;-90 &amp;#778; for south pole (Fig 2) while an opposite trend is visible for North pole with increasing mean d/D with increasing latitude towards North. In order to correlate whether the observed trend especially for south pole is corresponding to water ice deposits, locations of craters with specific temperature conditions (below 110 K) [6], those confirmed to have water- ice deposits based on M3 observations [5], and those exhibiting anomalous behaviour according to circular polarization ratio (CPR) derived from Chandrayaan-2 Dual Frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (DFSAR) [7] were incorporated to the plot (Fig 2). Fig 2. The depth-to-diameter ratio (d/D) for craters at lunar poles: (a) north (65-90 &amp;#778;N) and (b) south (65-90 &amp;#778;S), integrated with temperature, DFSAR, and M3 observations. Black markers depict mean d/D in 3 &amp;#778; bins. Dark grey markers signify non-PSR craters. The horizontal dashed line serves as a reference based on average d/D values at 65 &amp;#778;N/S.As per the results from [2] it is anticipated that craters identified as water ice-rich using radar and NIR techniques would exhibit lower d/D values. However, contrary to expectations, Fig. 2 illustrates no clear correlation between d/D values and confirmed water ice detections. These findings highlight that the lower d/D of craters towards the poles might be influenced by additional factors and should not be singularly relied upon for estimating water ice filling. Also it is expected to have a lower d/D for craters with PSRs as compared to illuminated craters of the same diameter range due to water ice infilling in PSRs. Comparing the d/D of PSRs and non PSRs (illuminated craters) at both the poles, we found that the mean d/D value of PSRs and non-PSR craters differed, with the non-PSR craters having a significantly lower d/D. In case of the North Pole, this effect is particularly noticeable.Conclusion: We found that the analysis of d/D ratio of craters is shown to have a lat","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2024-1086","authors":["Sachana Sathyan","Megha Bhatt","Sajin Kumar","Neeraj Srivastava","Anil Bharadwaj"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-03T12:38:20Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.5194/epsc2024-1086","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1006/icar.2001.6765","name":"A Search for Water Ice at the Lunar Poles with Clementine Images","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1006/icar.2001.6765","authors":["T McConnochie"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-10-06T18:13:56Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1006/icar.2001.6765","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1109/icgmrs62107.2024.10581254","name":"Detecting Lunar Water Ice Using Gradiometers: An Analysis of Accuracy Requirements","source":"crossref","abstract":"Gravity gradiometers can identify subsurface mass anomalies. To use a gravity gradiometer at a satellite altitude (50 kilometers) to detect subsurface water ice at the lunar poles, specific accuracy requirements must be met. By assuming the location and volume of the subsurface water ice, and through forward modeling of the signal, simplifying interference signals, and gravity gradient inversion, it has been found that for water ice with a volume of 2.56×108m3, the gravity gradiometer needs a precision of at least 5.8×10-13S-2to achieve inversion results with an average error of 2,000m.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/icgmrs62107.2024.10581254","authors":["Liwei Yang","Shuhong Zhao"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-09T17:31:50Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1109/icgmrs62107.2024.10581254","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/epsc-dps2025-660","name":"Predicting water ice stability depths at the lunar poles by combining a microphysical thermal model with a 3D radiative flux model","source":"crossref","abstract":"Evidence for the presence of water ice at the lunar poles has been gathered using various methods, including radar (e.g., Nozette et al., 2001; Campbell et al., 2006), far-ultraviolet (e.g., Gladstone et al., 2012; Hayne et al., 2015) and laser (Zuber et al., 2012; Lucey et al., 2014) reflectance measurements, neutron spectroscopy (e.g., Feldman et al., 2001), as well as the LCROSS impact experiment (Colaprete et al., 2010). Another more indirect approach involves identifying potential water ice stability regions by combining three-dimensional illumination models of the lunar terrain with thermal models that predict surface and subsurface temperatures. Several studies have utilized this method (e.g., Paige et al., 2010b; King et al., 2020; Formisano et al., 2024), with the main differences between models relating to the level of detail in modeling the illumination source, radiative transfer, and subsurface heat transport.In this work, we combine the one-dimensional microphysical model for the lunar regolith layer developed by Bürger et al. (2024), which more directly simulates regolith properties, such as grain size and packing-density stratification, with a three-dimensional radiative flux model including topography. This model applies the ray-tracing technique to describe the amount of incoming and reflected solar flux as well as the reflected thermal emission received for every surface element of the investigated area. The radiative transfer model is based on Potter et al. (2023), but the equations are modified to allow for an incidence angle-dependent albedo. Bolometric temperatures measured by the LRO/Diviner lunar radiometer (Paige et al., 2010a) serve as a reference for the modeled surface temperatures and it is demonstrated that the key thermal trends are accurately reproduced.During the modeling process, we identified several key factors for a correct simulation. First, at high latitudes where the Sun remains near the horizon, it is crucial to model the Sun as a disk rather than a point source to avoid inaccuracies in temperature simulations during sunrise and sunset. Second, to more accurately capture the illumination conditions for the thermal model, the area in which ray-tracing is applied should extend beyond the region where temperatures are modeled. When examining the effect of an incidence angle-dependent albedo, we found that the steep increase in albedo at high incidence angles—required by previous thermal models of global regolith properties (e.g., Hayne et al., 2017; Feng et al., 2020; Bürger et al., 2024)—does not agree with the observed Diviner bolometric temperatures near the poles. Instead, a much weaker dependency, as adopted by King et al. (2020), results in a better fit. Finally, when assessing subsurface water-ice stability, it is crucial to account for the diffusion barrier that reduces sublimation loss rates, as described by Schorghofer &amp; Williams (2020), yielding shallower stability depths. Two areas of interest are modeled in detail: First, the Shackleton crater, which is located almost exactly at the lunar south pole and therefore experiences a unique illumination pattern with the crater rim being continuously illuminated and the inner part being in permanent shadow. The second area investigated is the landing site of NASA’s CLPS CP22 mission located on the Leibnitz Plateau. Onboard this mission will be ESA’s PROSPECT instrument, which consists of a drill and a chemical laboratory designed to analyze volatiles (Trautner et al., 2024). Accurate predictions of water ice stability depths are crucial for this mission. Figure 1 illustrates the simulated surface temperatures at three different local times at the CP22 landing site.At the conference we will present surface temperature and water-ice stability maps of these two regions and discuss the key lessons learned during the modeling process.Figure 1: Simulated surface temperatures at the CP22 landing site on the Leibnitz Plateau. Illustrated ","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc-dps2025-660","authors":["Eric Volkhardt","Johanna Bürger","Jürgen Blum"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-09T15:12:38Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.5194/epsc-dps2025-660","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41550-026-02822-9","name":"Observational constraints on the history of lunar polar ice accumulation","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-026-02822-9","authors":["Oded Aharonson","Paul O. Hayne","Norbert Schörghofer"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-07T09:03:09Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1038/s41550-026-02822-9","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/biomimetics9110680","name":"Lunarminer Framework for Nature-Inspired Swarm Robotics in Lunar Water Ice Extraction.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Lunarminer framework explores the use of biomimetic swarm robotics, inspired by the division of labor in leafcutter ants and the synchronized flashing of fireflies, to enhance lunar water ice extraction. Simulations of water ice extraction within Shackleton Crater showed that the framework may improve task allocation, by reducing the extraction time by up to 40% and energy consumption by 31% in scenarios with high ore block quantities. This system, capable of producing up to 181 L of water per day from excavated regolith with a conversion efficiency of 0.8, may allow for supporting up to eighteen crew members. It has demonstrated robust fault tolerance and sustained operational efficiency, even for a 20% robot failure rate. The framework may help to address key challenges in lunar resource extraction, particularly in the permanently shadowed regions. To refine the proposed strategies, it is recommended that further studies be conducted on their large-scale applications in space mining operations at the Extraterrestrial Environmental Simulation (EXTERRES) laboratory at the University of Adelaide.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics9110680","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.3390/biomimetics9110680","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2024.12.011","name":"A thermodynamic and physicochemical framework for lunar ice mining by induced sublimation","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2024.12.011","authors":["Richard Jensen","Daniel M. Deocampo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-09T16:20:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2024.12.011","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1299/jsmemecj.2019.j19115","name":"Vertical Transport of Lunar Regolith and Ice Particles Utilizing Mechanical Vibration","source":"crossref","abstract":"It has been discovered that water (ice) exists at the polar regions of the Moon and Mars, and it is expected that water would be used to maintain life support for astronauts and to provide a raw material of hydrogen and oxygen. Because it is necessary to mine, sample, and transport water ice for in-situ water utilization, an electrostatic sampling and transport systems for lunar regolith and crushed ice has been developed. It was demonstrated that crushed ice particles mixed with lunar regolith simulant, as well as regolith particles, are transported successfully by this system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1299/jsmemecj.2019.j19115","authors":["Hiroyuki KAWAMOTO","Keita KUBO"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-24T22:18:36Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1299/jsmemecj.2019.j19115","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/epsc2022-346","name":"Four candidate landing sites at the southern lunar polar region to drill water ice using solar powered missions","source":"crossref","abstract":"&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The evaluation of candidate landing sites for a solar powered ice drilling mission for the Moon was done at the southern polar region. Selection criteria were low slope angle surface, occasionally solar illuminated location with direct Earth radio access, together with &amp;lt;125 K temperature at 1 m depth. The survey showed thee-four areas where all of these needs were satisfied at sites close to each other (see the Figuew 1 below). Considering these regions, the maximal diameter for safe and scientifically relevant landing ellipse sizes are around 0.5-1 km diameter, while containing &amp;lt;20% of unfavourable locations can be larger around 2-4 km. The best location is around -27.03 W -86.75 S, where solar illumination can have 30% of time at least and WEH values are elevated.&amp;amp;#160;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;amp;#160;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;img src=&amp;quot;&amp;quot; alt=&amp;quot;&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Figure 1. Insets of magnified versions of the four candidate areas.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2022-346","authors":["Akos Kereszturi","Sarah Boazman","David Heather","Richard Tomka","Tristam Warren"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-09-23T12:06:09Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.5194/epsc2022-346","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3847/psj/ae1baa","name":"Effect of Regolith–Ice Stratigraphy and Laser Weathering on Ultraviolet–Visible–Near-infrared Detection of Lunar Water Ice","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Investigating volatiles is critical for understanding their delivery to the Moon and for their potential as a resource for sustained lunar exploration. Water ice and potentially other volatiles are known to exist in and proximal to permanently shadowed regions (PSRs). However, their form, distribution, abundance, and regolith stratigraphy remain poorly understood. NASA’s Artemis program, along with international missions, seeks to address these knowledge gaps with observations at different scales (e.g., from orbit and surface operations). In this study, we replicated three distinct ice stratigraphies in a cryogenic, vacuum environment analogous to PSRs. We then measured the ultraviolet–visible–near-infrared (UV–vis–NIR) reflectance spectra of the volatile-rich samples before and after subjecting them to laser weathering. Our findings reveal that near-surface stratigraphy and weathering phenomena significantly affect the detectability of ice. Hence, spectra from our analog regolith–ice stratigraphies provide a foundational reference for interpreting data from future missions that aim to detect water using UV–vis–NIR reflectance techniques.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3847/psj/ae1baa","authors":["Abhay Vidwans","Jeffrey Gillis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-01T14:20:26Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.3847/psj/ae1baa","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/epsc-dps2025-432","name":"Experimental Simulation of Intimate Water Ice and Regolith Mixtures at Lyman-Alpha Wavelengths for Lunar Permanently Shadowed Region (PSR) Prospecting","source":"crossref","abstract":"Background: The Permanently Shadowed Regions (PSRs) of the Moon are thought to contain water ice [1], which is a vital resource for on-site production of breathable air, potable water and rocket fuel. While the study of PSRs on the Moon is a benefit to both space exploration and scientific knowledge, observing water ice in PSRs is difficult due to the low levels of scattered sunlight or earthshine in these locations. However, scattered sunlight from crater walls and starlight in the form of Lyman-alpha photons (121 nm) both provide a faint light source in the VUV spectrum that has previously been used for passive reflectance spectroscopy in PSRs [2, 3].Godin et al. [4] explored the feasibility of using Lyman-alpha wavelengths to detect water ice on the lunar surface. A key limitation of this study was the inability of the experimental setup to simulate intimate regolith-ice mixtures due to sublimation of water ice over time, resulting in the formation of a dust lag layer at the surface of samples no matter how little dust they contained.This lag presents significant limitations to our understanding of this technology’s application in lunar environments, since water ice is likely to exist as small ice grains mixed with regolith on the surface of PSRs, rather than as surface water frost [5, 6, 7]. This study bridges the current knowledge gap by tackling the issue of rapidly sublimating water ice in laboratory-simulated ice-regolith mixtures. Building upon the work done by Godin et al., we have developed a passive thermal shroud to limit the sublimation of water ice in intimate ice-regolith mixtures.Methodology: The shroud (fig. 1) is manufactured from copper due to the material’s high thermally conductivity and capacitance. The thermal shroud sits atop a cold plate, such that it is in contact with the liquid nitrogen exchanger. This will act as a barrier to the radiative heating from the chamber walls, thereby cooling the enclosed environment containing samples of water ice-regolith mixtures to prevent ice from sublimating in the time it takes for the lunar simulator to stabilize.The passive thermal shroud consists of several parts which fit together for easy and quick assembly inside the simulation chamber. The shroud also includes cutouts which will allow for the lamp and camera components to see the sample tray.This study follows the well-established methodology employed by Godin’s experiment, using a Vacuum Ultraviolet (VUV) Camera supplied by our industry partner, Resonance Ltd., to image intimate mixtures of lunar regolith simulant and ice in linearly increasing concentrations (i.e. starting from 10% ice, 90% regolith by weight). We expect to see linear variation in brightness detected by the VUV camera as water ice concentrations in ice-regolith samples are increased.Preliminary experiments indicate that with sufficient pre-cooling of all components (i.e. experimental chamber, sample tray and shroud tiles) water ice-regolith slurries remain intact, with no visible evidence of sublimation. Pictured in Figure 1 is a slurry with 10% by weight regolith and 90% by weight water ice after reaching 6×10-4 Torr in the cryovacuum chamber and being brought back to atmospheric conditions. Ice crystals are present throughout the sample, not just at a top layer, indicating that the water ice observed is not surface frost.Figure 1: Visual image of 10% regolith and 90% water ice slurry after cycle through cryovacuum chamber and brought back to atmospheric conditions. The sample sits atop a cold plate, within the assembled copper tiles forming the thermal shroud.We succesfully captured Lyman-alpha images of the sample pictured in Figure 1 with no evidence of a dust lag layer (fig.2). The same camera settings identified by Godin et al. were used to capture the UV images, with a gain of 29dB and exposure time of 3800ms. The sample is circled in red for visibility. Further investigations comparing Lyman-alpha images of water ice-regolith slu","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc-dps2025-432","authors":["Milena Markovich","Kevin Axelrod","John Moores","Bill Morrow"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-09T15:12:38Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.5194/epsc-dps2025-432","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/epsc2020-901","name":"CHILL-ICE: Construction of a Habitat Inside a Lunar-analogue Lava-tube: Iceland Campaign of EuroMoonMars","source":"crossref","abstract":"In May 2021, a group of students and young professionals from EuroMoonMars will construct a lunar-analogue habitat inside a lava tube in Iceland, known as CHILL-ICE.As a preparation for semi-permanent humanned missions to the lunar surface, analogue field tests on Earth will greatly improve the chance of a mission success. Looking at prospective habitat locations in or on the lunar surface, lava tubes may present an excellent opportunity in terms of safety and efficiency. These locally occurring features provide a rigid structure with a solid ground, and therefore offer protection from radiation, temperature variations, regolith, and micrometeorite impacts [1]. Furthermore, the unaltered rocks and minerals inside lunar lava tube systems will grant a unique insight into the origin of the Moon, and with that, the Earth [2].Lava TubesLava tubes on Earth are most commonly found in areas with deep-mantle volcanic activity, such as &amp;#8216;hot spots&amp;#8217;: places where mantle plumes arrive at the surface (Hawaii, Iceland, Canary Islands). Geochemically speaking, the basaltic rocks present at these locations on Earth are quite comparable to their lunar counterparts in major element compositions. As most of the larger lava tubes on Earth are located on oceanic islands, they are highly suited to explore the psychological factors of being remotely distanced from the rest of the Earth. Colder regions, such as on Iceland or at the high peaks of Mauna Loa on Hawaii, are preferred for analogue habitats due to less biochemical weathering of the environment. The high latitude of Iceland further aids the lunar-day simulation aspect of an analogue habitat, as there can be over 20 hours of sunlight in the summer, and only 4 hours of sunlight in the winter. The EuroMoonMars and future EXTAR teams are therefore planning to set up a lunar-analogue habitat inside a lava tube on Iceland.&amp;#160;Earlier campaignsIn September 2018, a reconnaissance campaign was organized to scout multiple lava fields across Iceland for their suitability to host a lunar analog habitat [3]. The most promising site found was the Surtshellir-Stefanshellir cave system in the Hallmundarhraun lava flow in the Western part of Iceland, see Figure 1. At the easternmost part of the Stefanshellir lava tube, there is a large open gallery with a relatively flat surface within the tube. This would be an optimal location for the construction of a lava tube habitat.Figure 1: Location of the Stefanshellir cave system. Top left image shows the location in Iceland, top right shows the Hallmundarhraun lava field (in light yellow). Bottom right shows an overlay of the Stefanshellir cave system as drawn by J.R. Reich jr., in 1975, over aerial footage.&amp;#160;Upcoming scout missionThis year a follow-up scout mission to the lava tube systems of Hallmundarhraun is planned for the 28th of June until the 4th of July 2020. The main goal is to investigate the lava tube and its direct surroundings into a much greater detail. Inside Stefanshellir, the aim is to make at least two 180-degree 3D movies for a virtual walkthrough tour, take precise measurements of the dimensions of the gallery, and 360 degrees pictures for a model. On the surface, the focus lies on making aerial maps to scout for visible signs of the subsurface lava tubes [4] and setting up communications and solar observational antennae.Besides investigations regarding the lunar analog mission, geological fieldwork to the lava field will be performed to create a clearer reconstruction between Stefanshellir and other lava tubes within Hallmundarhraun. Directly located to the east of Stefanshellir, lies Surtshellir, a maze-like cave that is unlikely to have formed in one event. Another lava tube is located directly to the west, called Hulduhellir, or &amp;#8220;secret cave&amp;#8221; [5], as it has no openings to the surface and is known only through ground penetrating radar and magnetometric studies. There are in total another","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2020-901","authors":["Marc Heemskerk","Charlotte Pouwels","Sabrina Kerber","Eibhlin Downes","Robert Heemskerk","Bernard Foing"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-10-08T15:46:08Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.5194/epsc2020-901","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-10440691/v1","name":"Volume scattering of radar signals is not a single diagnostic indicator of water ice within permanently shadowed regions near the lunar poles","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract Recently, Sinha et al. interpreted polarimetric radar signatures from the interiors of some doubly shadowed craters near the lunar South Pole as evidence for subsurface ice. They proposed a combined empirical threshold for radar circular polarization ratio (CPR) and the degree of polarization (DOP) as a refined diagnostic criterion for identifying subsurface ice through volume scattering. We argue instead that these variations in CPR and DOP are fully consistent with different levels of near-surface roughness within these craters, and the proposed threshold values are not a definitive indicator of volume scattering caused by subsurface ice. When observed using fully polarimetric radar data, robust evidence for thick, sheet-like water ice within the lunar poles require a combination of strong linear, circular polarization ratios, and enhanced DOP values, along with a high degree of correlation between radar-bright features and regions of permanent shadow.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-10440691/v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-10440691/v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acsomega.5c11578","name":"Fabrication and Characterization of Low-Mass and Flexible Heater for Lunar Applications.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The conducted study reports fabrication and characterization of lightweight, flexible carbon veil (CV) heaters as potential low-voltage thermal management devices for lunar applications. Flexible heaters are crucial in aerospace systems for controlling component temperatures, ensuring operational reliability, and removing moisture from instrument panels, spacecraft, and satellites operating under extreme environmental conditions. Conventional heaters, typically constructed from metals such as stainless steel, CuNi44, or Inconel 600, are limited by their high areal density and weight, restricted operating temperature ranges, and significant thermal expansion. The CV heaters proposed and tested here offer significant advantages over these conventional metal-based heaters, including low areal density (∼17 g/m 2 ), negligible linear thermal expansion (1.5 × 10 -6 K -1 ), high flexibility, and cost-effectiveness, making them ideal for extraterrestrial environments. Such properties can also address the transport challenges associated with delivering heavy metallic heaters from Earth to the Moon. The studied CV heaters were fabricated by integrating nonwoven carbon fiber CV mats with copper foil electrodes and coating the heaters with a thin film of water-repellent silicone layer, thus enabling rapid, uniform Joule heating. Thermal performance was evaluated under near lunar temperature conditions: ambient (24.5 °C), elevated (+120 °C, simulating lunar daytime), and subambient (-18 °C, partly simulating lunar night). In all cases, the CV heaters rapidly achieved surface temperatures exceeding 400 °C, while the central heating zone in contact with the ice reached 280-340 °C. Under these conditions, ice specimens melted completely within 5.45-8.50 min, depending on the environmental temperature. The CV heaters demonstrated stable and repeatable thermal performance, maintaining structural integrity and electrical functionality throughout repeated heating cycles, mechanical bending, and cryogenic exposure to liquid nitrogen (-196 °C). These results represent terrestrial proof-of-concept validation. In a true lunar environment, where convective heat transfer is negligible and oxidation is absent, heater performance is expected to further improve due to reduced heat losses. Overall, the findings establish carbon veil heaters as promising low-mass, conformable, and energy-efficient thermal devices for future lunar infrastructure, including ice melting, harvesting water, thermal regulation of habitats and equipment, and protection of electronic and mechanical systems under extreme extraterrestrial conditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.5c11578","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1021/acsomega.5c11578","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2026.112624","name":"Inverting a new hydrogen map on the moon derived from Chang'E-2 gamma-ray spectrum data.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This study addresses the challenge of extracting subtle 2 H characteristic γ ray ( 2 H@2.223 MeV) count from the Chang'e-2 Gamma-Ray Spectrometer (CE2-GRS) data for inversing lunar water. Traditional methods interfered with by radioactive nuclides, such as 214 Bi, 27 Al, 30 Si, 49 Ca, etc., cannot retrieve the 2 H@2.223 MeV count. The machine learning algorithms, which can efficiently uncover potential correlations between hydrogen and lunar geological features, have provided new insights for addressing inverse problems. Via integrating the Levenberg-Marquardt- Back Propagation (LM-BP) algorithm, three BP neural network models are trained to produce a new lunar global map of 2 H@2.223 MeV count. The South Pole-Aitken Basin (SPA) basin on the lunar farside, the Mare Imbrium, and the Oceanus Procellarum on the lunar nearside exhibit pronounced high count(above 12 per 3 s). In contrast, the highland regions exhibit relatively lower counts (below 3 per 3 s). The high abundance of hydrogen in certain lunar regions is the cumulative result of various geological activities. In permanently shadowed regions (PSRs), the presence of dry ice (CO 2 ), which absorbs more thermal neutrons, may lead to differences in hydrogen concentration derived from neutron and spectral data. Furthermore, it is proposed that there is a higher probability of water in the De Gerlache crater.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2026.112624","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1016/j.apradiso.2026.112624","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-8763157/v1","name":"Supply Chain Due Diligence in Space-based Manufacturing and Lunar Resource Extraction: Building Sustainable &amp; Resilient Cislunar Operations","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract Space is moving from episodic missions to continuous industrial activity. Space-based manufacturing in microgravity and the extraction of lunar resources through in-situ resource utilisation are now anchored in engineering roadmaps and national regulations, not only in scientific aspiration. Reviews of in-space manufacturing show a steady shift toward orbital assembly lines, additive manufacturing, and on-orbit servicing as enabling infrastructure for a growing commercial space economy. In parallel, technical literature on lunar ISRU highlights water-ice excavation, oxygen production from regolith, and additive construction as prerequisites for extended lunar presence and for cheaper in-space logistics. These developments create a cislunar supply chain that loops between Earth, orbit, lunar orbit, and the lunar surface. The chain is long, capital-intensive, highly autonomous, and legally hybrid, because private operators act under state authorisation and continuing supervision under the Outer Space Treaty. At the same time, terrestrial regulation is hardening supply chain due diligence into binding law. The EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive requires large firms to identify, prevent, mitigate and remedy human rights and environmental harms across their chain of activities, with monitoring and liability for failure. This paper is a doctrinal and conceptual study that brings these two trajectories together. It maps the cislunar supply chain, explains why due diligence has distinct features in space, benchmarks early space resource laws and soft-law standards against terrestrial due diligence regimes, and proposes a Cislunar Due Diligence Cycle with concrete benchmarking indicators for sustainability and resilience. The paper argues that due diligence can serve as a practical bridge between state responsibility, private innovation, and the long-term stewardship of orbital and lunar environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8763157/v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8763157/v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41526-026-00597-x","name":"Achilles tendon exhibits distinct transcriptomic changes with increased mitochondrial energy production under lunar gravity.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Within the musculoskeletal system, the effects of reduced gravity on muscle and bone are well characterized, whereas the role of tendons remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated adaptations of the Achilles tendon to lunar gravity using RNA-seq of mice maintained on the International Space Station for 25-26 days. Compared with quadriceps femoris muscle and brown adipose tissue, more genes were upregulated in the Achilles tendon under lunar gravity. Enrichment analyses revealed significant upregulation of mitochondrial energy production, while extracellular matrix organization and collagen fiber organization were downregulated. Histological analyses revealed unchanged tendon fiber density but reduced mature collagen fibers, accompanied by increased ATP5B protein expression in the lunar gravity group. These findings indicate a tendon-specific enhancement of mitochondrial energy production under lunar gravity, potentially linked to impaired collagen maturation. Our insights may contribute to the development of therapeutic strategies for tendon degeneration associated with aging and disuse.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-026-00597-x","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1038/s41526-026-00597-x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0348882","name":"Lunar base agent-based modeling - A benchmark for simulating crewed space missions.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Space exploration has progressed significantly since the mid-20th century, and recent technological advancements, along with the emergence of commercial space travel, have led to substantial leaps in planning for future space missions. The largest planned upcoming mission is the Artemis program, supported by NASA and the international Artemis Accords, which aims to create the first permanent human presence on the Moon and in deep space (the Moon to Mars architecture). Although human psychology and team science have been crucial for the success of past space missions, from the Apollo program and Skylab to the Space Shuttle (STS) and the International Space Station (ISS), human factors and social behavior will become even more ubiquitous and essential for space missions in the new era of commercial space. By simulating upcoming permanent space missions in an agent-based model (ABM), we can draw insights into the long-term effects of human factors and interactions in space. Drawing from the literature on proxy environments (extreme environments on Earth (i.e., Antarctica), space analogs, and past space missions), and on theories of small group complex systems and team science, we created a highly probable representation or simulation of expected social interactions between astronauts, and astronauts with the lunar environment for the Artemis program (i.e., Artemis IV (Lunar Gateway) and Artemis V (Lunar South Pole Base)). Our Lunar Base ABM explores the exogenous and endogenous factors that are more likely to lead to sustainable versus catastrophic scenarios on the Moon in the next couple of decades. The model represents astronauts using a new Agent_Astronaut framework with cognitive skills, emotional states, and personality traits to capture how social and environmental factors interact to affect mission outcomes. Monte Carlo simulations consisting of tens of thousands of iterations show trade-offs in productivity and psychological well-being. This approach demonstrates how agent-based modeling can help mission planners evaluate operational resilience, team structures, and workload dynamics in support of future lunar exploration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0348882","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1371/journal.pone.0348882","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.scib.2025.08.035","name":"Navigating the lunar frontier: one hundred landing sites at the south pole for future mission challenges.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Despite humanity's many lunar missions to the equatorial and mid-latitude regions, the south pole remains uncharted because of its exceptionally harsh conditions. The quest for water ice and the drive to establish lunar bases have positioned the south pole area above 80° latitude, characterized by permanently shaded regions and conducive to water ice preservation. However, the daunting terrain and intricate illumination in this area present significant challenges to engineering safety. Here, we introduce a Landing Feasibility Probability (LFP) model to evaluate the viability of potential landing sites. We pinpoint 120 prospective landing sites, stratified into 25 high-priority, 64 medium-priority, and 31 low-priority sites. These sites, encompassing a mere 0.6 % of the lunar south pole, have been rigorously vetted against 10 critical factors for landing feasibility. These sites show a pronounced clustering around 8 major craters and plateaus, organizing into 7 lunar site networks, with each network comprising 4 sites with a maximum dimension under 25 km, ideal for the development of lunar bases and observational networks. The LFP model's selection process is derived from a heuristic Genetic Algorithm (GA) informed by expert experience. The landing sites are strategically positioned to address the dual challenges of scientific goals and engineering safety at the lunar south pole, while also providing site selection guidance and facilitating international collaboration and communication for lunar expeditions. This method can also be adapted for site selection on other celestial bodies (e.g. Mars and asteroids) for scientific exploration and construction of extraterrestrial bases.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scib.2025.08.035","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1016/j.scib.2025.08.035","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1713354","name":"Characterizing cognitive workload during simulated surface extravehicular activity with integrated virtual reality.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Introduction High cognitive workload presents an important risk to crew safety during surface exploration extravehicular activity (EVA). However, it remains difficult to draw conclusions about the precise EVA task characteristics that are associated with increases in cognitive workload, or their relationship to performance. Methods In the present study, we examined how experimentally manipulating cognitive workload during a surface EVA task was related to subjective cognitive workload assessments, physiological responding, and EVA performance outcomes. Participants (N = 14) completed surface EVA simulations using a virtual reality and integrated treadmill setup in an extended reality exploration surface analog. Results Experimentally manipulating the difficulty of geological sample identification was associated with increased subjective cognitive workload, decreased cognitive performance, altered physiological responding, and decreased performance on key EVA tasks. Results demonstrate evidence for a relationship between the cognitive demands of a surface EVA task and the subjective and physiological correlates of cognitive workload and cognitive performance, as well as decrements in EVA task performance due to increased cognitive demand. Discussion Cognitive workload during surface exploration EVA may be an important consideration for EVA scheduling and monitoring during critical mission tasks on the Moon and Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1713354","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1713354","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2611962123","name":"Highlighting a science strategy for human exploration of Mars.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2611962123","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2611962123","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-026-69087-8","name":"Prolonged cooling and degassing of Apollo 17 volcanic glasses on the lunar surface.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Studying lunar pyroclastic volcanism provides key insights into the thermo-chemical evolution of the lunar mantle and the Moon's volatile budget. Pyroclastic deposits, although volumetrically minor compared to mare basalts, are derived from deeper, more primitive, and volatile-rich mantle sources. Here we synthesize volatile degassing recorded by Apollo 17 sample 74220, one of most studied pyroclastic deposits. By modeling the volatile degassing of olivine-hosted melt inclusions, melt embayments, and glass beads, we show that volatile depletion of these samples cannot be explained solely by degassing during free-flight, as previously proposed. Instead, the data require extended thermal histories, with beads undergoing slow cooling and prolonged degassing on the lunar surface for years, a scenario further supported by thermal modeling. Our findings suggest that pyroclastic deposits remained active volatile sources well beyond eruption, which is potentially important for sustaining a local transient lunar atmosphere and the long-term volatile cycle of the Moon.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-69087-8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-026-69087-8","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.aea1984","name":"A southward differentiated impactor forms the tapered shape of the South Pole-Aitken impact basin on the Moon.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin-forming impact was a critical event in the Moon's history. Despite being the oldest and largest acknowledged basin, critical details including the impactor's size, nature, direction, and fate of the ejecta remain uncertain. Here, we simulate SPA's formation and resultant crustal structure. We find that SPA's observed shape of an ellipse tapered toward the south is best reproduced by a 260-km-diameter differentiated impactor striking with a north-to-south trajectory. In this scenario, the impact disperses lunar mantle materials in the cross-range and the downrange directions away from the lunar farside. Much of the mantle ejecta collapses into the basin interior, consistent with the distribution inferred from gravity. These results suggest that the Artemis landing sites near the lunar south pole should contain abundant SPA ejecta including mantle materials. Samples returned from these regions should therefore reveal the age of SPA and the composition of the lunar mantle.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aea1984","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.aea1984","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.scib.2025.02.033","name":"Upper limit of ice content at the lunar south pole as revealed by the Earth-based SYISR-FAST bistatic radar system.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"An increasing amount of evidence indicates that lunar water ice exists in permanently shadowed regions at the poles and will soon become an important resource for lunar exploration. However, the water ice content and distribution are still uncertain. We report a new 70-cm-wavelength radar image of the lunar south pole obtained by an Earth-based bistatic radar system consisting of the Sanya incoherent scatter radar (SYISR) and the five-hundred-meter aperture spherical radio telescope (FAST). The upper limit of water ice content (0 wt.%-6 wt.%) and its potential distribution are determined from a radar circular polarization ratio (CPR) map by considering the coherent backscatter opposition effect (CBOE) of water ice and ignoring the contribution of roughness to the CPR. This result is advantageous for future lunar exploration missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scib.2025.02.033","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1016/j.scib.2025.02.033","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s10712-025-09896-6","name":"A Review of Electromagnetic Induction on Planetary Bodies.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Electromagnetic (EM) sounding of planetary bodies other than the Earth was first possible on the Moon, but has since been used to probe interior structure of planets and moons throughout the solar system. This emergence has been facilitated by the growing availability of mission data and associated improved understanding of planetary magnetic field environments. In this review, I outline the general principles of EM induction, with particular emphasis on planetary specific assumptions and aspects that have to be considered in non-terrestrial environments, including limited or incomplete datasets. I review magnetic field mission data from past and ongoing space missions that can support EM investigations. The availability and quality of such data determine the scope and depth of investigations, ranging from characterizing most interior layers to identifying subsurface oceans. Looking ahead, upcoming missions will facilitate a better characterization of planetary bodies, which will contribute to addressing most fundamental questions, including the possibility of oceans and potential for life within the Jovian system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10712-025-09896-6","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.065Z","doi":"10.1007/s10712-025-09896-6","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.20944/preprints202506.0021.v1","name":"Ceramics – the Forgotten but Essential Ingredients for a Circular Economy on the Moon","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Settlement of the Moon will require full exploitation of its resources if such settlements are to be permanent. Such in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU) has primarily been focused on accessing water ice at the lunar poles and the use of raw lunar regolith as a compressive building material. Some work has also been examining the extraction of metals but there has been little consideration of the many useful ceramics that can be extracted from the Moon and how they may be fabricated. We introduce a strategy for full lunar industrialisation based on a circular lunar industrial ecology and examine the contribution of ceramics. We review ceramic fabrication methods but focus primarily on 3D printing approaches. The popular direct ink writing method is less suitable for the Moon and other methods require polymers which are scarce on the Moon. This turns out to be crucial, suggesting that full industrialisation of the Moon cannot be completed until the problem of ceramic fabrication is resolved, most likely in conjunction with polymer synthesis from potential carbon sources.","url":"https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202506.0021.v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.20944/preprints202506.0021.v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2321079121","name":"A mining code for regulating lunar water ice mining activities.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Despite the increasing number of space launches, growth of the commercial space sector, signing of the Artemis Accords, maturation of space mining technologies, the emergence of a regulatory environment through domestic legislation, and a comprehensive body of international law, an intergovernmental governing authority has yet to be established to manage mining activities on the Moon. We developed a Lunar Mining Code and mapping tool to regulate and manage prospecting and exploration activities for water ice at the Moon's poles. The Lunar Mining Code is composed of a notification system to manage prospecting, a contract system for issuing exploration licenses to allotted areas on the Moon, and best mining practices and principles to promote equal access and safeguard the lunar environment.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2321079121","authors":["K. Hubbard","L. T. Elkins‐Tanton","Tanja Masson-Zwaan"],"tags":["Prospecting","Safeguard","Legislation","Water ice","Code (set theory)"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2321079121","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"doi:10.22541/au.174733500.00142503/v1","name":"Thermal Equilibrium States and Timescales of Lunar Cold Traps via Low-Temperature Thermoluminescence","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The lunar regolith exhibits strong thermoluminescence (TL), with eight glow peaks observed between room temperature and 773 K, each characterized by an activation energy (E) and frequency factor (s). Theoretical considerations and preliminary evidence suggest additional peaks exist below room temperature, possibly as low as 100 K. Because the TL signal encodes information about both temperature and time, natural TL functions as a thermochronometer and offers a potential tool for prospecting volatiles, such as water ice, on the Moon.In this study, we extend TL theory to lunar cold-trap conditions, and evaluate how kinetic parameters (E and s), signal strength (n/N), environmental dose rate (Ḋ), and characteristic dose (D 0 ) influence the equilibration temperature (T eq ) and apparent age. We find that while signal strength and environmental dose have little effect on the calculated equilibrium temperature and apparent ages, the characteristic dose does. However, this parameter can be measured experimentally via artificial irradiation in a cryogenic TL laboratory or in situ through a flight-scale TL instrument.We conclude that TL can serve as a viable thermochronometer for lunar cold traps over geologic timescales (e.g., millions to billions of years). We end our paper by outlining a prototype instrument architecture capable of conducting such measurements in situ on the Moon.","url":"https://doi.org/10.22541/au.174733500.00142503/v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.22541/au.174733500.00142503/v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-025-67151-3","name":"Little to no active faulting likely at Europa's seafloor today.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Many of the outer Solar System's icy satellites feature known or suspected subsurface oceans, at least some of which are likely situated atop rocky interiors. Water-rock interactions at and beneath these seafloors might support active chemoautotrophic habitats, with subseafloor fluid flow facilitated by active faulting and hydrothermal systems. Absent such phenomena, however, any attainment of chemical equilibrium between the seafloor and ocean might limit the availability of chemical energy for life. Here, we characterise the stress state of the seafloor of Jupiter's moon Europa, and thus the prospect for fracturing and associated sub-seafloor fluid flow there. We consider stresses from tidal forcing, global contraction, mantle convection, and serpentinisation. We find that none of these mechanisms is likely able to drive slip along even weak, pre-existing fractures in the present. Ocean water-rock reactions taking place today are therefore probably restricted to fluid flow through only the upper few hundred metres of the seafloor. Any processes able to sustain habitable conditions at the Europan seafloor today must therefore be independent of ongoing tectonic activity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-67151-3","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-025-67151-3","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2321065121","name":"Exploring the lunar water cycle.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The presence of water on the Moon has been indicated by various remote-sensing observations and analyses of returned samples. Several missions are planned to conduct new in situ research on the lunar surface to directly observe and characterize lunar water. A comprehensive characterization of the present forms of water, their abundance, spatial distribution, temporal variation, and possible origin is required to understand the lunar water cycle and the relevance of individual source and sink mechanisms and transformations between the involved volatile species. These processes extend over vastly different scales, and the governing parameters are often insufficiently constrained by experimental and observational data. Here, I present a brief overview of the current state of knowledge on the lunar water cycle, its relevance for lunar science and exploration, and some of the main challenges of modeling and future in situ analyses aiming to substantially advance the understanding of lunar water occurrences.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2321065121","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2321065121","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2321071121","name":"Exploring, sampling, and interpreting lunar volatiles in polar cold traps.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Numerous missions to the Moon have identified and documented volatile deposits associated with permanently shadowed regions. A series of science goals for the Artemis Program is to explore these volatile deposits and return samples to Earth. Volatiles in these reservoirs may consist of a variety of species whose stable isotope characteristics could elucidate both their sources and the processes instrumental in their formation. For example, the δD of potential contributors to the deposits can be used to identify a uniquely light solar wind component. Because of the exceptionally low temperatures of these volatile deposits, examining and interpreting their stable isotope systems to fulfill Artemis science goals through sampling, preserving, curating, and analyzing these samples are far more difficult than for other sample return missions. Collecting and preserving the samples at cryogenic temperatures dramatically increases science yield but is technologically demanding and poses increased risk during transport.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2321071121","authors":["C. K. Shearer","Z. D. Sharp","J. D. Stopar"],"tags":["Sampling (signal processing)","Earth science","Astrobiology","Polar","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2321071121","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.22541/au.174361133.38937110/v1","name":"Evaluating Seismic Ambient Noise Techniques for Detecting Ice-Bearing Rocks on the Moon","source":"europepmc","abstract":"One of the primary objectives of upcoming lunar missions is to locate ice-bearing rocks at the South Pole. While evidence for their presence exists, the exact distribution and quantity remain uncertain. In this study, we evaluate the potential of seismic ambient noise techniques—including seismic interferometry, H/V spectral ratios, distributed acoustic sensing (DAS), and rotational measurements—for detecting ice-bearing rocks on the Moon. To achieve this, we perform 2D numerical simulations using a digital twin model of the shallow subsurface, incorporating high-velocity heterogeneities. Hereby, the resolution limits of the different methods are evaluated. Phase velocity dispersion curves of Rayleigh waves are extracted from DAS and rotational data, while group velocity dispersion curves are derived from interferometry. The strong scattering effects of the lunar regolith, in particular, influence the seismic interferometry results for large inter-station distances. While all methods reveal clear signatures of ice-bearing rocks due to the strong velocity increase, even for small weight percentages of ice, a combination of techniques is needed to achieve accurate resolution of depth, width, and ice content.","url":"https://doi.org/10.22541/au.174361133.38937110/v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.22541/au.174361133.38937110/v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-7189094/v1","name":"Multivariable Geophysical Stressors andTectonic Feedbacks under ChangingBoundary Conditions:Comparative Analysis with Permian Events","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract This study investigates whether global lithospheric stress is partially modulated by a combination of external geophysical forcings. We integrate solar declination, lunar phase cycles, oceanic mass redistribution, atmospheric pressure anomalies, and polar ice dynamics into a unified multivariable framework to explain variations in shallow crustal stress. Leveraging global datasets from USGS, GVP, ESA-CCI, ERA5, and NASA/JPL (1973–2025), we quantify statistical correlations between these external drivers and seismic–volcanic activity. The results reveal moderate associations (e.g., r ≈ 0.48), and simulations indicate tectonic stress increases of up to Δσ ≈ 0.05 MPa under scenarios of enhanced ocean loading (+5%). We further model magmatic evolution in Iceland as a polar-analog system, projecting increased melt accumulation under conditions of polar ice loss. These simulations are compared to large igneous provinces from the deep past (e.g., Siberian Traps) to contextualize long-term volcanic behavior. Although current activity remains within natural variability, sustained unloading over millennia could amplify tectonic responses. This work proposes a physically grounded, multivariable stress model with potential relevance for early-warning systems and climate–geodynamics research. Finally, we explore how biological decline—particularly polar diatom reduction—may intensify radiative forcing and reinforce feedbacks between surface climate and lithospheric dynamics.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7189094/v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7189094/v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/s25123696","name":"Spaceborne LiDAR Systems: Evolution, Capabilities, and Challenges.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"In the realm of earth observation and space exploration, LiDAR technology offers humanity insights into the dynamics of our planet and beyond. This paper reviews spaceborne LiDAR instruments with attention to their evolution, capabilities, and achievements. We focus on the high-level LiDAR instrument design, their components, and their operational parameters in contribution to the study of Earth. Through examining selected space missions, this work illustrates the role of LiDAR technology in our understanding of environmental and atmospheric phenomena. Furthermore, the paper looks ahead, discussing the ongoing development of advanced LiDAR technologies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/s25123696","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.3390/s25123696","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1364/oe.541413","name":"Standoff ultra-compact micro-Raman (SUCR) sensor for lunar surface exploration.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Raman characterization results of lunar relevant simulants, including liquid water, ice, and organics using NASA Langley developed standoff ultra-compact micro-Raman (SUCR) sensor are presented. The SUCR sensor is designed as an instrument applicable for future lunar surface operations. The SUCR is equipped to be mounted on a lunar lander's platform or on a rover's robotic arm for close Raman inspection of mixed samples on the lunar surface, including mapping the mineralogy, determining water ice distribution, and identifying frozen volatiles. It enables a critical in-situ measurement for future sample return missions by identifying the highest-value samples for return within the vicinity of the lunar Aitken basin. The outcome of this study allows this sensor to be suitable to investigate the variety of mixed lunar samples and in the process helps understand the habitability of the lunar south pole, where there is a broader emphasis on surface chemistry, mineralogy, and geology. In this article, we report the ability of the SUCR sensor to characterize and identify samples, for example, water/ice, sulfur/naphthalene, lunar simulant sample containing pyroxene, plagioclase, and olivine minerals, and in addition to Raman scan map of mixed sulfur, glutamine, and naphthalene.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1364/oe.541413","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1364/oe.541413","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-025-27785-1","name":"Lunar and seasonal patterns of a longnose emperor spawning aggregation in Palau.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Many species of reef fishes form spawning aggregations during predictable seasons and lunar phases, which are often targeted by fishers, leading to their depletion over time. In Palau, a new fisheries management plan will protect the Longnose Emperor (Lethrinus olivaceus) at an assumed spawning aggregation site around the full moon; however, whether and/or when this species forms spawning aggregations in Palau was unclear. We investigated lunar and seasonal patterns in fish density using diver operated stereo-video surveys 5–8 days around the new moon between February 2023 and February 2024 at the aggregation site. Gonad samples were collected from the aggregation site and local fish market to assess spawning and trends in gonadosomatic index (GSI). Aggregation site new moon fish densities were over 6x greater than full moon densities and other reference sites, and densities peaked during the new moon. The peak aggregation months were February to May, September and October. Hydrated oocytes in gonad samples indicated active spawning at the aggregation site, and GSI was greatest around the new moon. Our results provide multiple lines of evidence that the Longnose Emperor forms spawning aggregations around the new moon in Palau and will be critical to inform fisheries management reforms.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-27785-1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-025-27785-1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2519269122","name":"Saturn's moon Mimas may have a vast hidden ocean.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2519269122","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2519269122","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.adu7441","name":"The Moon goddess's magnetic midlife.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Laboratory measurements of samples returned by China's Chang'e-5 mission demonstrate that the Moon generated a long-lived magnetic field.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adu7441","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.adu7441","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41597-026-07034-4","name":"Low-Frequency Data Processing and Characteristics of Tianwen-1 Mars Rover Penetrating Radar.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"In 2021, China's first Mars rover Zhurong successfully landed on the southern Utopia Planitia (109.925°E, 25.066°N) and began its exploration. The low-frequency channel (15-95 MHz) of Mars Rover Penetrating Radar (RoPeR) has capability to explore the Martian subsurface down to approximately 100 m, making it possible to investigate the past geological activities. Here, we provide a RoPeR low-frequency channel dataset that have undergone pre-processing, partial processing, and complete processing to users and can be directly applied for analysis, interpretation and inversion. The dataset also contains the information of 76 subsurface dipping reflectors that dip toward the northern lowlands at depths of 10-35 m. These reflectors show inclinations ranging from 6° to 20° with an average value of 14.5° and standard deviation of 2.9°. This dataset can promote further research on the formation and evolution of Martian ancient ocean.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-026-07034-4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1038/s41597-026-07034-4","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.isci.2025.112496","name":"Positioning, navigation, and timing on the Moon and Mars with galactic cosmic rays.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The muometric wireless navigation system (MuWNS) is a technology enabling signal reception for machine controlling and communication systems underground where a radio or GPS signal would normally be lost. The penetrative power of muons in rock allows signal transmission from the surface down to 1.5-2.0 km of depth on Earth, depending on rock density. Such a depth would not be easily reached on the Moon and Mars, but an inflatable structure containing an artificial atmosphere would allow the muon production necessary for a thorough exploration and suitability assessment of existing lava tubes or borehole excavation to host a base. The density maps obtained by muography can also show the eventual presence of valuable metals, minerals, or water ice for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU). MuWNS' broad spectrum of applications is crucial for the first deployment and then the correct functioning of an underground base on the Moon or Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2025.112496","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1016/j.isci.2025.112496","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1581336","name":"Editorial: Optimizing psychosocial work environments and experiences for people working in isolated, confined, and/or extreme conditions.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The seven articles in this Research Topic examine aspects of PWEs in Arctic, space, prisons, long-distance truck driving, fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) work and online ICE work environments. They provide new insights into PWEs in ICE work contexts by examining the psychosocial hazards -and the impacts on workers -posed by physical isolation, separation from non-work life, operation in closed work systems, loneliness, and forced proximity to colleagues who both heighten and alleviate the stressors that individuals experience. Five of the articles also advance recent work on the positive impacts of ICE environments on workers' self-efficacy, self-reliance, personal discovery (Blight & Norris, 2019) and resilience (Harrison et al., 2021) by emphasizing how workers create social support for themselves and others in such contexts. Podgorski et. al. (2023) explored how demands and resources of organisational justice, job dangerousness and job stress impacted job involvement and job satisfaction of Slovenian prison officers working in a closed system work environment. Unsworth and Seivwright (2023) examined how FIFO workers navigate the necessity of managing multiple and separate identities at home and away on work sites. Bell et. al. (2025) examined how long-term isolation, confinement and support source impacted the perceived social support (PSS) of crewmembers in five spaceflight analogue missions. They found PSS declined over time and was more impactful when provided by other crew members, highlighting the criticality of support from peers in ICE work. Marques-Quinteiro et. al. (2023) illustrated how this can occur by examining how members of a two-person lunar analogue mission adapted their behavioural and affective responses to the evolving challenges, focus and needs of their mission to support themselves and each other. Landon et. al. ( 2024) examined, and developed new measures for group living skills (GLS) as an influence on the supportiveness (or stressfulness) of PWEs experienced by 24 teams in space and space analog environments. Their findings highlight specific skills that workers need, and may need to develop, to support themselves and others in contained work environments. Martinescu and Beersma (2024) demonstrated that long-distance truck drivers in Europe use gossip to reduce demands, enhance resources and social support, and enable emotion-focused coping and problem-focused coping for themselves and other truck drivers. Zhou et al (2024) examined how online workers offset isolation and loneliness finding that the use of enterprise social media usage had a positive effect on workplace loneliness but this was moderated by ICT hassle, such as system failures.The articles in this topic offer promising directions for future research about optimizing PWEs in ICE work conditions. Increased interest in unique work environments, commercial developments in Arctic and space tourism, and increased adoption of virtual reality and AI-supported tools for social and psychological support (Anderson et al., 2023;Kim et al., 2024;Ren et al., 2025;Wiederhold, 2025) will likely provide more. For example, Commercial space travel will involve longer-term confinement and crews that include non-scientists and diverse travel motivations, necessitating expansion of past research that has primarily examined crews of astronauts traveling for scientific purposes, and/or with previous experience in isolated environments. Technological advancements will enable investigation of novel support tools, such as virtual and augmented reality, for alleviating isolation, providing social support, and enhancing mental health (Holt, 2023;Thomas, 2023), and potentially enabling explorations of PWEs without real-time real-world access to ICE work sites.Leveraging these opportunities depends, however, on researchers, reviewers and audiences understanding ICE work research also presents specific challenges and success factors evidenced in this Research Topic. These include: theorizing which accounts for the specialized contexts of ICE environments (i.e., constructivism) rather than extends generalizable theory to these settings (i.e., positivism); research and statistical methods (e.g., qualitative, experience sampling, non-frequentist approaches) which maximise the usefulness of small sample sizes (a feature of, and valuable to, this work); and the criticality of co-design with industry partners, interdisciplinary teams, insights from team science (see Kane & Emich 2024) and the pragmatic use of analog environments to accommodate the cost, rarity and operational imperatives of ICE work sites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1581336","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1581336","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/biomimetics10110752","name":"Bioinspired Drilling for Extraterrestrial Applications.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This review presents the novel synthesis of nature-inspired drilling strategies specifically tailored for extraterrestrial environments, where conventional technologies fail under the environmental conditions and power and mass constraints. Biomimetic drilling, inspired by insects, mollusks, reptiles, and other organisms, offers novel solutions for extraterrestrial subsurface exploration. Numerous organisms efficiently penetrate materials with low energy, using little force, and adapt to flexible substrates, which are essential capabilities for use off this planet. Traditional rotary and percussive drills do not function well under microgravity, at the end of the temperature spectrum, or in low energy and mass environments, such as landers which are typically under 300 kg and 200 W of power available. Nature-inspired approaches such as the reciprocating carpenter bee style have been shown to reduce overhead forces by as much as 50%; clam-like fluidization reduces drag by 90%; and sandfish-inspired methods improve mobility in granular media by 40%. These also improve the in situ resource utilization (ISRU) approaches for efficient sampling, water ice extraction, and planetary surface operations. This paper focuses on bio-drilling with other biological models, their engineering analogs, and exploration models for off-Earth use. Based on this synthesis, the paper recommends prioritizing dual-reciprocating and oscillatory mechanisms for near-term missions, while pursuing hybrid, AI-driven, and wear-resistant designs for long-term exploration. These approaches will help to improve penetration efficiency, reduce power demands, and extend the drilling system's lifespan in challenging extraterrestrial environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics10110752","authors":["Gal-Erdene Battsengel","Noune Melkoumian","David Harvey","Rini Akmeliawati"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Drilling","Engineering","Propulsion","Aerospace engineering"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.3390/biomimetics10110752","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/s25051528","name":"Development and Testing of a Novel Microstrip Photocathode ICCD for Lunar Remote Raman Detection.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The intensified charge-coupled device (ICCD), known for its exceptional low-light detection performance and time-gating capability, has been widely applied in remote Raman spectroscopy systems. However, existing ICCDs face significant challenges in meeting the comprehensive requirements of high gating speed, high sensitivity, high resolution, miniaturization, and adaptability to extreme environments for the upcoming lunar remote Raman spectroscopy missions. To address these challenges, this study developed a microstrip photocathode (MP-ICCD) specifically designed for lunar remote Raman spectroscopy. A comprehensive testing method was also proposed to evaluate critical performance parameters, including optical gating width, optimal gain voltage, and relative resolution. The MP-ICCD was integrated into a prototype remote Raman spectrometer equipped with a 40 mm aperture telescope and tested under outdoor sunlight conditions. The experimental results demonstrated that the developed MP-ICCD successfully achieved a minimum optical gating width of 6.0 ns and an optimal gain voltage of 870 V, with resolution meeting the requirements for Raman spectroscopy detection. Under outdoor solar illumination, the prototype remote Raman spectrometer utilizing the MP-ICCD accurately detected the Raman spectra of typical lunar minerals, including quartz, olivine, pyroxene, and plagioclase, at a distance of 1.5 m. This study provides essential technical support and experimental validation for the application of MP-ICCD in lunar Raman spectroscopy missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/s25051528","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.3390/s25051528","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/microorganisms14051113","name":"&lt;i&gt;Debaryomyces hansenii&lt;/i&gt; Reshapes the Fungal Community of Iberian Cured Pork Loin: An ITS1 Metabarcoding Approach.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Increasing consumer demand for natural and safe food products has led to the exploration of biocontrol alternatives to chemical preservatives, especially in the cured meat industry. The yeast Debaryomyces hansenii has emerged as a promising biocontrol candidate due to its antagonistic properties against spoilage fungi. This study assessed the impact of D. hansenii inoculation on the fungal community structure of Iberian cured pork loin using high-throughput sequencing of the ITS1 region. Ion Torrent ITS1 amplicon sequencing, QIIME2/DADA2 pipeline, and ALDEx2 differential abundance analysis were applied to this study. Pork loin samples inoculated with D. hansenii were compared to non-inoculated controls to evaluate changes in the fungal microbiome. Inoculation resulted in a marked decrease in fungal diversity and evenness, indicating strong competition by D. hansenii against native fungal populations. This effect was reflected in a significant reduction in alpha diversity in inoculated samples (Shannon, p = 0.0042; Pielou p = 0.0075; Gini-Simpson, p = 0.0081). Notably, genera associated with spoilage and mycotoxin production, particularly Aspergillus and Penicillium , were significantly reduced in inoculated samples. Simultaneously, D. hansenii became dominant, reducing other yeasts and filamentous fungi. These findings highlight the powerful competitive and biocontrol potential of D. hansenii , demonstrating its ability to improve microbial safety by potentially reducing mycotoxin-associated risks through the suppression of toxigenic genera. This is the first study to characterise the fungal community of Iberian pork loin using metabarcoding under D. hansenii inoculation. The findings confirm that the inoculation of D. hansenii can substantially reduce fungal contamination risks. Overall, the results contribute valuable insights into microbial interactions during meat curing and underscore the practical benefits of targeted starter cultures for enhancing food safety and quality.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms14051113","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.3390/microorganisms14051113","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-025-62914-4","name":"Widespread ilmenite contributions to the surface water cycle in lunar Procellarum KREEP Terrane.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The role of widespread ilmenite in lunar mare regions in the abundance and diurnal variations of surficial OH/H 2 O remains controversial. Here, we report the water content and hydrogen isotopes in the rims of lunar ilmenites from Chang'e-5 soil samples using an ion microprobe. Ilmenite rims exhibit higher water contents (~730 - 3,700 ppm) and lower δD values (-884 to -482‰) than that of the lunar mantle, indicating a predominantly endogenic origin from solar-wind (SW) implantation. Our data further reveal that although ilmenite and silicate minerals overlap in the δD vs. H 2 O diagram, almost all ilmenites fall above those of silicates with SW-like δD values. This signature is consistent with the drastic difference in vesicle abundance between ilmenite and silicate minerals. Thus, the lower water content in ilmenite rims most likely reflects a faster dynamic equilibrium between SW-hydrogen implantation and outgassing than in other silicates. These findings suggest that ilmenite may play a critical role in the surface water cycle of lunar maria within the Procellarum KREEP Terrane. This is also crucial for assessing the in-situ resource utilization potential of the region, highlighting the need to reevaluate ilmenite as a viable resource for future lunar exploration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62914-4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-025-62914-4","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/polym17192685","name":"Effect of Processing Parameters on the Mechanical Behavior of 3D-Printed Basalt Moon Dust Reinforced Polylactic Acid Composites.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Advanced composite materials and manufacturing technologies are critical to sustain human presence in space. Mechanical testing and analysis are needed to elucidate the effect of processing parameters on composites' material properties. In this study, test specimens are 3D printed via a fused-filament fabrication (FFF) approach from a basalt moon dust-polylactic acid (BMD-PLA) composite filament and from pure PLA filament. Compression and tensile testing were conducted to determine the yield strength, ultimate strength, and Young's modulus of specimens fabricated under several processing conditions. The maximum compressive yield strength for the BMD-reinforced samples is 27.68 MPa with print parameters of 100% infill, one shell, and 90° print orientation. The maximum compressive yield strength for the PLA samples is 63.05 MPa with print parameters of 100% infill, three shells, and 0° print orientation. The composite samples exhibit an increase in strength when layer lines are aligned with loading axis, whereas the PLA samples decreased in strength. This indicates a fundamental difference in how the composite behaves in comparison to the pure matrix material. In tension, test specimens have unpredictable failure modes and often broke outside the gauge length. A portion of the tension test data is included to help guide future work.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17192685","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.3390/polym17192685","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-024-50155-w","name":"Geological evidence for extensive basin ejecta as plains terrains in the Moon's South Polar Region.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract Water ice and other volatiles that accumulated in the Moon’s polar regions are among the top priority targets for lunar exploration, due to their significances in both lunar geology and extraterrestrial resource utilization. Locating suitable landing sites and determining the provenance of sampled/measured surface materials are critical for future landed missions. Here, we map over 800 sites of plains terrains in the Moon’s south polar region, with a total surface area of ~46,000 km2. Orbital measurements and analog studies show that most of these plains have apparently higher albedo and lower iron content than volcanic mare plains, suggesting an origin of ejecta-induced debris flows from distant impact craters, especially from the Schrödinger basin. Our findings suggest that the entire lunar south polar region probably have experienced contributions from distant basin materials. We recommend these plains as priority landing sites for future exploration of lunar polar volatiles and early bombardment history.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-50155-w","authors":["Le Qiao","Luyuan Xu","J. W. Head","Jian Chen","Yuzheng Zhang","Bo Li","Zongcheng Ling"],"tags":["Ejecta","Impact crater","Geology","Volcano","Structural basin"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-024-50155-w","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acs.est.5c15572","name":"Toward \"Safe\" Chemicals and Materials on Mars: Knowledge Gaps for Expanding Planetary Protection Requirements.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The United Nations Outer Space Treaty states that the exploration of celestial bodies must avoid \"harmful contamination\" which may impede scientific exploration by other parties to the treaty. To guide treaty compliance, Planetary Protection regulations promulgated by the Committee on Space Research set limits for microbial contamination of celestial bodies, particularly those that may harbor extant life (e.g., Mars). However, anthropogenically introduced chemicals and materials are not regulated but may cause \"harmful contamination\" and thus pose a potential threat to scientific exploration. On Earth, threats from anthropogenic chemicals and materials are often managed by considering both potential exposure to the substances and their hazardous properties. The lack of knowledge around hazards to possible extant life on Mars means that chemicals and materials should be designed and used so that their exposure concentrations are minimized. Here, we review possible emission, partitioning, persistence, and transport processes on Mars for anthropogenically introduced chemicals and materials and identify key knowledge gaps. We highlight difficulties and lessons learned from pollution policy development on Earth that could inform interplanetary chemical and material management. This work aims to support the expansion of the Planetary Protection guidelines to include a \"No- or Low-Exposure by Design\" approach to chemicals and materials on Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.5c15572","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1021/acs.est.5c15572","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acs.jpcb.5c02544","name":"H-O Bond Dynamics: Length, Energy, and Flexibility under Perturbation.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This study reveals the dynamic flexibility of the intramolecular H-O bond under perturbations (pressure, temperature, coordination, and electric field), challenging its conventional rigidity and proton dynamic mobiity. By integrating bond nature index ( m ) analysis, tight-binding theory, and perturbation-resolved phonon spectroscopy (PRS), we quantify perturbation-driven changes in H-O bond length, energy, vibrational stiffness, O 1s core-level energy, and O:H nonbonding distance. A spectroscopic database correlates H-O bond relaxation and energy transfer in water, ice, hydroxides, and extraterrestrial systems (e.g., lunar water), capturing anomalies such as bond elongation under compression and contraction upon heating. These results redefine classical two-body hydrogen bonding models by emphasizing cooperative O:↔:O coupling and bond adaptability. Our approach enables direct extraction of bond parameters from spectral data, advancing predictive models for phase behavior and energy dynamics in hydrogen-bonded networks across chemistry, materials science, and planetary research.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.5c02544","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1021/acs.jpcb.5c02544","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41526-025-00537-1","name":"Integrative focus on the space exposome-integrome: physiological challenges and practical limits of countermeasures beyond low Earth orbit.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Human spaceflight is advancing toward sustainable exploration through initiatives like NASA's Artemis program, aiming for a lunar outpost and eventual Mars mission. Astronauts face hazards including altered gravity, isolation, and cosmic radiation, linked to over thirty health risks. This review, reflecting ESA community expertise, outlines how understanding the space exposome-integrome interaction can improve risk stratification, guide personalized countermeasures, and address knowledge gaps essential for safe deep-space exploration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-025-00537-1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1038/s41526-025-00537-1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/biosci/biae058","name":"Safeguarding Earth's biodiversity by creating a lunar biorepository.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Earth's biodiversity is increasingly threatened and at risk. We propose a passive lunar biorepository for long-term storage of prioritized taxa of live cryopreserved samples to safeguard Earth's biodiversity and to support future space exploration and planet terraforming. Our initial focus will be on cryopreserving animal skin samples with fibroblast cells. An exemplar system has been developed using cryopreserved fish fins from the Starry Goby, Asterropteryx semipunctata . Samples will be expanded into fibroblast cells, recryopreserved, and then tested in an Earth-based laboratory for robust packaging and sensitivity to radiation. Two key factors for this biorepository are the needs to reduce damage from radiation and to maintain the samples near -196° Celsius. Certain lunar sites near the poles may meet these criteria. If possible, further testing would occur on the International Space Station prior to storage on the Moon. To secure a positive shared future, this is an open call to participate in this decades-long program.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biae058","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1093/biosci/biae058","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.ibneur.2025.11.011","name":"Neural changes in microgravity: Investigating the effects of aerospace environments.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Technological, human, and financial advances have led to an increase in space exploration and, as a result, commercial space travel. Companies such as Space X and Blue Origin are exploring ways to make space travel possible. As a result, the number of patients with space-related neurological disorders may increase. Therefore, the management of neurological disorders in high-risk patients requires a thorough understanding of spaceflight exposure. The neural system physiology is significantly impacted by aerospace environments through various mechanisms including hypoxia, decompression sickness, cardiovascular system adaptations to microgravity and acceleration forces. These effects underscore the importance of understanding and mitigating these physiological changes to ensure the safety and well-being of individuals operating in aerospace environments. Potential benefits of spaceflight on the nervous system include psychological growth and improvements in memory and learning. Future space travelers who lack the physiological reserve of current astronauts may experience neurological problems as a result of the physiological and psychological stresses of space travel. As we continue to understand more about human adaptation to microgravity and the potential medical problems that may arise, the capabilities of healthcare must continue to progress to match the ambition of multinational corporations. In conclusion, there appear to be many factors that can affect the nervous system and lead to neurological diseases in people who travel to space. As space travel becomes more accessible to the general public these nervous system effects will need to become a staple of the future neurologist's clinical practice.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibneur.2025.11.011","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1016/j.ibneur.2025.11.011","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-025-60388-y","name":"Lunar dichotomy in surface water storage of impact glass beads.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Water is the one of most precious resources for planetary utilisation. Lunar nearside impact glass beads (IGBs) have been demonstrated to contain abundant solar wind-derived water (SW-H 2 O); however, little is known about its farside counterpart. Here, we report the water abundances and hydrogen isotope compositions and their distribution in farside IGBs collected by the Chang'e-6 mission to investigate the role of IGBs in the lunar surface water cycle. Farside IGBs are found to have water abundances of ~10-1,070 μg.g -1 with hydrogen isotopes (δD) ranging from -988‰ to >2000‰ and display typical SW-H 2 O hydration profiles. The SW-H 2 O hydration depths in farside IGBs are strikingly shallower than in nearside IGBs. Moreover, the hydration profiles are only found in mare IGBs, with none observed in non-mare IGBs, indicating that SW-H 2 O hydration in IGBs is likely composition dependent. These findings indicate that SW-H 2 O storage of IGBs exhibits a dichotomy distribution in lunar soils.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60388-y","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-025-60388-y","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1140/epjqt/s40507-025-00360-3","name":"Quantum sensing for NASA science missions.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) develops a broad range of technologies to support space-based quantum sensing and communications, uses the space environment to study fundamental quantum processes to advance our knowledge of physics, and develops algorithms to attack complex science problems that might be solved using quantum computing. This paper describes quantum sensors that NASA has flown on space missions, investments that NASA is making to develop quantum sensors, and possible approaches to employ quantum sensing to study the attributes of distant stars and planets, the Sun, Earth, and fundamental properties of matter.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1140/epjqt/s40507-025-00360-3","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1140/epjqt/s40507-025-00360-3","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/nsr/nwag043","name":"Conceptualizing &lt;i&gt;in situ&lt;/i&gt; energy station for Mars exploration.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This perspective underscores Martian air as the working medium for the space nuclear system integrated with heat-to-electricity and chemical conversion, paving the way for multimodal resource transformation on Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwag043","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1093/nsr/nwag043","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41526-025-00535-3","name":"A biological and ethical assessment of whether humans could or should reproduce in space.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Contemporary plans to establish human habitation on the Earth's Moon have increased interest in the ability of humans to establish extraterrestrial pregnancies. There is a lack of data to identify if humans could safely reproduce away from the Earth, and even less guidance with regard to whether we should attempt to do so. This work was developed to stimulate investigation into the likely biological and ethical challenges facing the establishment and maintenance of a healthy human extraterrestrial pregnancy.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-025-00535-3","authors":["Victor M. Cole","Julian Savulescu","Sebastián E. Illanes","Federico Batiz","P V Benny","Zhongwei Huang","Sean Carter","Mahesh Choolani","Matthew W. Kemp"],"tags":["Engineering ethics","Extraterrestrial life","Space (punctuation)","Environmental ethics","Work (physics)"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1038/s41526-025-00535-3","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/gcb.70227","name":"Darkening of the Global Ocean.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The photic zones of the oceans-where sunlight and moonlight drive ecological interactions-are one of the most productive habitats on the planet and fundamental to the maintenance of healthy global biogeochemical cycles. Ocean darkening occurs when changes in the optical properties of the oceans reduce the depth to which sufficient light penetrates to facilitate biological processes guided by sunlight and moonlight. We analysed a 9 km resolution annual time series of MODIS Aqua's diffuse attenuation coefficient of light at 490 nm [K d (490)] to quantify whether the oceans have darkened over the last 20 years and the impact of this on the depth of photic zones around the world. K d (490) increased across 75,341,181 km 2 (21%) of the global ocean between 2003 and 2022, resulting in photic zone depths reducing by more than 50 m across 32,449,129 km 2 (9%) by area. The depth of the photic zone has reduced by more than 10% across 32,446,942 km 2 (9%) of the global ocean. Our analysis indicates that ocean darkening is not restricted to coastal regions, but affects large swathes of the open ocean. A combination of nutrient, organic material and sediment loading near the coasts and changes in global ocean circulation are probable causes of increases in primary and secondary productivity that have reduced light penetration into surface waters. The implications of ocean darkening for marine ecology and the ecosystem services provided by the surface oceans are currently unknown but likely to be severe.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.70227","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1111/gcb.70227","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.20944/preprints202402.1687.v1","name":"Lunar Surface Resources Exploration: Tracing Lithium, 7 Li and Black Ice Using Spectral Libraries and Apollo Missions’ Samples","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This is an exercise to explore the concentration of Lithium, Lithium-7 isotope and the possible presence of black dirty ice in the lunar surface using spectral data obtained from the Clementine mission. The main interest in tracing the lithium and presence of dark ice in the lunar surface are closely related to future human settlement missions in the Moon. We investigate the distribution of Lithium and 7 Li isotope on the Lunar surface, employing spectral data from the Clementine images. We utilized Visible (VIS-NIR) imagery at wavelengths of 450, 750, 900, 950, and 1000 nm, along with Near-Infrared (NIR-SWIR) at 1100, 1250, 1500, 2000, 2600, and 2780 nm, encompassing 11 bands in total. This dataset offers a comprehensive coverage of about 80% of the lunar surface, with resolutions ranging from 100 to 500 meters, spanning latitudes from 80°S to 80°N. In order to extract quantitative abundance of Lithium, ground truth sites were used to calibrate the Clementine images. Samples (12045, 15058, 15475, 15555, 62255, 70035, 74220 and 75075) returned from Apollo missions 12, 15, 16 and 17 have been correlated to the Clementine VIS-NIR bands and five spectral ratios. The 5 spectral ratios calculated synthesize the main spectral features of sample spectra that were grouped by their Lithium and 7 Li content using Principal Component Analysis. The ratios spectrally characterize substrates of anorthosite, silica-rich basalts, olivine-rich basalts and High-T mare basalts and Orange soils. Our findings reveal a strong linear correlation between the spectral parameters and the lithium content in the 8 Apollo samples. With the values of the 11 Clementine bands and the 5 spectral ratios for each of the 8 lunar soils we performed linear regression models to estimate the concentration of Lithium and 7 Li. Also, we calculated Digital Terrain Models (DTMs; Altitude, Slope, Aspect, DirectInsolation and WindExposition) from LOLA-DTM to discover relations between relief and spatial distribution of the extended models of lithium and 7 Li. The analysis was conducted in a mask polygon extracted from Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) and located around the Apollo 15 landing site. This analysis seeks to uncover potential 7 Li enrichment through spallation processes, influenced by varying exposure to solar wind. To explore the possibility of find ice mixed with regolithe (black ice) we used a spectral library (350-2500nm) form ices dirty with different concentration of volcanic particles.","url":"https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202402.1687.v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.20944/preprints202402.1687.v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2406930121","name":"The increasingly dominant role of climate change on length of day variations.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The melting of ice sheets and global glaciers results in sea-level rise, a pole-to-equator mass transport increasing Earth's oblateness and resulting in an increase in the length of day (LOD). Here, we use observations and reconstructions of mass variations at the Earth's surface since 1900 to show that the climate-induced LOD trend hovered between 0.3 and 1.0 ms/cy in the 20th century, but has accelerated to 1.33 [Formula: see text] 0.03 ms/cy since 2000. We further show that surface mass transport fully explains the accelerating trend in the Earth oblateness observed in the past three decades. We derive an independent measure of the decreasing LOD trend induced by Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) of [Formula: see text]0.80 [Formula: see text] 0.10 ms/cy, which provides a constraint for the mantle viscosity. The sum of this GIA rate and lunar tidal friction fully explains the secular LOD trend that is inferred from the eclipse record in the past three millennia prior to the onset of contemporary climate change. Projections of future climate warming under high emission scenarios suggest that the climate-induced LOD rate may reach 2.62 [Formula: see text] 0.79 ms/cy by 2100, overtaking lunar tidal friction as the single most important contributor to the long-term LOD variations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2406930121","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2406930121","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.22541/au.171900944.43892557/v1","name":"Investigating Subsurface Properties of the Shallow Lunar Crust using Seismic Interferometry on Synthetic and Recorded Data","source":"europepmc","abstract":"In the past few years, the remarkable progress of commercially operated spacecrafts, the success with reusable rocket engines, as well as the international competition to explore space, has led to a substantial acceleration of activities in the design and preparation of ambitious future lunar missions. In the search for ice and/or cavities imaging the shallow subsurface structure is of vital importance. Hereby, previous studies have shown that seismic interferometry is a promising method to investigate the subsurface properties from passive lunar data. In this study, we want to evaluate the potential of this method further by examining the required duration of seismic measurements and the influence of scattering on the Green´s function retrieval. Therefore, we applied seismic interferometry to both measured Apollo 17 data and synthetic data. Our findings indicate that, under optimal conditions, a few hours of data are sufficient when using the method of time-scaled phase-weighted stack (ts-PWS). However, this strongly depends on the inter-station distance, the orientation towards the principal noise sources, and the timing of the measurement during the lunar cycle. Additionally, we were able to reproduce the measured data using numerical simulations in 2D. The synthetic results show that scattering effects clearly influence the Green´s function extraction, especially for larger station distances.","url":"https://doi.org/10.22541/au.171900944.43892557/v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.22541/au.171900944.43892557/v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/nsr/nwad329","name":"Scientific objectives and payload configuration of the Chang'E-7 mission.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"As the cornerstone mission of the fourth phase of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program, Chang'E-7 (CE-7) was officially approved, and implementation started in 2022, including a main probe and a communication relay satellite. The main probe, consisting of an orbiter, a lander, a rover and a mini-flying probe, is scheduled to be launched in 2026. The lander will land on Shackleton crater's illuminated rim near the lunar south pole, along with the rover and mini-flying probe. The relay satellite (named Queqiao-2) will be launched in February 2024 as an independent mission to support relay communication during scientific exploration undertaken by Chang'E-4, the upcoming Chang'E-6 in 2024 and subsequent lunar missions. The CE-7 mission is mainly aimed at scientific and resource exploration of the lunar south pole. We present CE-7's scientific objectives, the scientific payloads configuration and the main functions for each scientific payload with its key technical specifications.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwad329","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1093/nsr/nwad329","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.adl4741","name":"Titan's spin state as a constraint on tidal dissipation.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Tidal dissipation in satellites affects their orbital and rotational evolution and their ability to maintain subsurface oceans. However, a satellite's dissipation rate, parameterized by k 2 /Q , is hard to measure and is only known for the Moon and Io. Here, we use Titan's measured departure from its expected rotation state to infer k 2 /Q and its boundary layer dissipation parameter K/C s . Over the likely range of ocean and ice shell thicknesses, we infer a K / C s of 6.3 × 10 -14 s -1 to 2.4 × 10 -10 s -1 , a k 2 /Q of 0.058 to 0.12, and a minimum dissipation factor Q ≈ 5 . Titan's dissipation parameters are one to two orders of magnitude larger than the Moon's and suggest an interior with a low effective viscosity. Titan's dissipation rate implies that its eccentricity and inclination are damping rapidly, consistent with an excitation within the last ~350 Myr. The forthcoming Dragonfly lander could measure Titan's tidal response, and JUICE could use our approach to determine Ganymede's k 2 /Q .","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adl4741","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.adl4741","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0296689","name":"Energy saving, load bearing and attachment mechanism on ice and frozen ground of biomimetic mechanical foot.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The frozen ground robot can be widely and prospectively applied in plentiful fields, such as military rescue and planet exploration. Based on the energy-saving, load-bearing, and attachment functions of reindeer hooves, we studied the kinematics of reindeer feet and designed a biomimetic energy-saving attachment mechanical foot (mechanical foot I) and two contrast mechanical feet (mechanical feet II and III). The energy-saving and load-bearing performances of the biomimetic mechanical foot were tested on a motion mechanics platform, which revealed this mechanical foot was adaptive to three types of ground (frozen ground, ice, and water ice lunar soil). Mechanical foot I possesses the functions of elastic energy storage and power consumption reduction, and its power range is from -2.77 to -27.85 W. Compared with mechanical foot III, the load-bearing ability of mechanical foot I was improved by the dewclaws, and the peak forces in the X, Y, and Z directions increased by about 2.54, 1.25 and 1.31 times, respectively. When mechanical foot I acted with more- smooth surface, the joint range of motion (ROM) increased, changes of the three-directional force at the foot junction decreased. The forces were the lowest on ice among the three types of ground, the X-, Y- and Z-directional changes were about 62.96, 83.7, and 319.85 N respectively, and the ROMs for the ankle joint and metatarsophalangeal joint of mechanical foot I were about 17.93° and 16.10°, respectively. This study revealed the active adaptation mechanism between the biomimetic mechanical foot and ice or frozen ground, and thus theoretically underlies research on the biomimetic mechanical foot.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0296689","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1371/journal.pone.0296689","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.20944/preprints202405.0039.v1","name":"Water Recuperation from Regolith at Martian, Lunar & Micro-gravity during Parabolic Flight","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Recent discoveries of potential ice particles and ice-cemented regolith on celestial bodies like the Moon and Mars have ushered in new opportunities for developing technologies to extract water, facilitating future space missions and activities on these celestial surfaces. This study delves into the potential for water extraction from regolith through an experiment designed to test water recuperation from regolith simulant under varying gravitational conditions. The resultant water vapor extracted from the regolith is re-condensed on a substrate surface and collected in liquid form. Three types of substrates, hydrophobic, hydrophilic, and grooved, are explored. The system’s functionality was assessed during a parabolic flight campaign simulating three distinct gravity levels: microgravity, lunar gravity, and Martian gravity. Our findings reveal that the hydrophobic surface demonstrates the highest efficiency due to drop-wise condensation, and lower gravity levels result in increased water condensation on the substrates. This experiment aims to provide insights into in-situ water recovery, which is pivotal for establishing economically-sustainable water supplies for future missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202405.0039.v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.20944/preprints202405.0039.v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7759/cureus.105103","name":"Integrating Space Sexology Into Long-Duration Mission Architecture: A Five-Pillar Operational Framework.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The imminent transition from low Earth orbit operations to sustained deep-space exploration introduces significant demands upon crew health systems that extend well beyond the physiological and psychological domains traditionally addressed in aerospace medicine. Despite growing recognition that sexuality and reproductive health represent fundamental dimensions of human well-being, these domains have remained conspicuously absent from official mission planning, crew training curricula, and habitat design specifications. This narrative review was therefore undertaken to appraise and synthesize existing evidence on the biological, psychological, ethical, and technological dimensions of human sexuality relevant to long-duration spaceflight and to identify critical knowledge gaps and operational vulnerabilities. A structured literature search was performed across multiple academic repositories, including PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, targeting English-language studies published from 1990 to 2026. The scope of the review comprised reproductive physiology within microgravity and high-radiation environments; the psychosocial and psychosexual dynamics of isolated, confined, and extreme settings; the intersection of habitat design, privacy, and ethical-regulatory frameworks; and the emergence of erotic technologies with potential aerospace applications. Eligible studies were thematically analyzed to construct a five-pillar operational framework. The narrative synthesis identified five operational pillars that require systematic integration into mission architecture. Reproductive risk assessment emerged as a foundational concern, encompassing radiation- and microgravity-induced impairment of gonadal function, gametogenesis, and embryonic development; however, the evidence base remains predominantly derived from animal models and in vitro studies. Psychosexual crew preparedness was identified as equally critical, necessitating the development of consent training, healthy intimacy education, and relationship management strategies. The review further highlighted the need for habitat design standards that incorporate spatial, acoustic, and hygiene requirements for intimate behavior in reduced-gravity environments. Regulatory and ethical governance represents an additional imperative, requiring the establishment of relationship policies, pregnancy contingency protocols, and sexual misconduct reporting mechanisms adapted to the jurisdictional complexities of extraterrestrial operations. Finally, a prioritized research agenda is proposed, targeting systematic reproductive health surveillance, analog-based psychosexual studies, stakeholder consultation, and erobotic technology evaluation. We conclude that the systematic neglect of sexuality and reproductive health in current mission planning may compromise crew well-being, interpersonal dynamics, and ultimately mission success as the duration and remoteness of human spaceflight increase. The proposed framework offers a structured conceptual roadmap for translating space sexology from academic discourse into actionable components of mission architecture but requires empirical validation through analog-based pilot studies and stakeholder engagement. This integration should be prioritized in parallel with the technological development of deep-space transportation systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.105103","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.7759/cureus.105103","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.aed8021","name":"Powering Ganymede's dynamo with protracted core formation.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Ganymede is the only known moon with an active dynamo today. Previous studies interpret Ganymede's dynamo as arising from convection in a metal core that formed billions of years ago. However, Ganymede likely accreted too cold to form with a metal core, which confounds interpretations of Ganymede's magnetic field as a constraint on the moon's broader history. Here, we reevaluate the thermal evolution of Ganymede's rock-metal interior from a cold start. Our models show that Ganymede's observed dynamo is consistent with ongoing core formation, a process not yet observed elsewhere. If Ganymede has an Fe-FeS core with a sub-eutectic composition, then gradual mantle warming may expel dense Fe melt onto the growing protocore and stir liquid metal, sustaining a dynamo for billions of years.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aed8021","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.aed8021","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s42003-024-07029-0","name":"Breath-hold capacities and circadian dive rhythmicity shape optimal foraging strategies in a polar marine mammal, the Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii).","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Air-breathing vertebrates must balance their response to diel shifts in prey accessibility with physiological thresholds and the need to surface after each dive. Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii) dive behaviors were tracked across the year under rapidly-changing light regimes in the Ross Sea, Antarctica ( ~ 75-77°S). This provides a 'natural experiment' with free-living seals experiencing 24-hrs of light (Polar Day), light/dark cycling, and continuous darkness (Polar Night). The Weddell seal's temporal niche switches from nocturnal diving in the summer to diurnality for the remainder of the year. Rhythmicity in dive efforts (depth, duration, post-dive surface recuperation, bottom time, and exceeding physiologic thresholds) is stronger and more closely circadian during times of the year with light/dark cycling compared with Polar Day or Night. With light/dark cycling, animals also make the most extreme dives (those that far exceed the calculated aerobic dive limit, cADL) significantly earlier than solar noon. Offsetting the longest dives that require longer surface recuperation times from mid-day allows animals to maximize total dive time under high-light conditions conducive for visual hunting. We identify an optimal foraging strategy to exploit a diel preyscape in a highly-seasonal environment, while balancing tradeoffs imposed by physiological thresholds in a diving mammal.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-07029-0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1038/s42003-024-07029-0","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/life16030489","name":"Biomarkers on the Icy Jovian Moons: Can Europa Also Provide Insights into Life's Origin?","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Within the payloads of JUICE and Europa Clipper, there are instruments suitable for the search of specific biosignatures that can diagnose life tracks in two ways. The payloads include mass spectrometers capable of measuring isotopic abundances for identifying life, and chromatography instruments testing whether ocean worlds harbor amphiphile mixtures, which would lead to a lipid-first origin of life. In this paper we describe how the two missions may begin to test whether there may be large detectable excursions of stable isotopes of chemical elements on the icy surfaces of the Jovian icy moons that are substantially shifted from their expected isotopic distributions. The detection of an unambiguous signal would suggest a biogenic origin, provided care is taken to exclude abiotic thermal isotopic fractionation. Our suggested tests should be confirmed independently with other techniques. Stable isotope geochemistry on the icy Jovian moons has not yet been thoroughly discussed in the literature. In addition, we enquire whether insights into life's origin could be retrieved from Europa's ocean and surface, including the question of the first steps in the evolution of life. Special emphasis has been put on an approach to seek on the surface of ocean worlds chemical phenomena that are rather primitive, such as reproducing lipid micelles as roots of protocells, but nevertheless can predict a path towards life with published models.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life16030489","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.3390/life16030489","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1098/rsta.2023.0311","name":"High-energy particle observations from the Moon.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Moon is a unique natural laboratory for the study of the deep space plasma and energetic particles environment. During more than 3/4 of its orbit around the Earth it is exposed to the solar wind. Being an unmagnetized body and lacking a substantial atmosphere, solar wind and solar energetic particles bombard the Moon's surface, interacting with the lunar regolith and the tenuous lunar exosphere. Energetic particles arriving at the Moon's surface can be absorbed, or scattered, or can remove another particle from the lunar regolith by sputtering or desorption. A similar phenomenon occurs also with the galactic cosmic rays, which have fluxes and energy spectra representative of interplanetary space. During the remaining part of its orbit the Moon crosses the tail of the terrestrial magnetosphere. It then provides the opportunity to study in-situ the terrestrial magnetotail plasma environment as well as atmospheric escape from the Earth's ionosphere, in the form of heavy ions accelerated and streaming downtail. The lunar environment is thus a unique natural laboratory for analysing the interaction of the solar wind, the cosmic rays and the Earth's magnetosphere with the surface, the immediate subsurface, and the surface-bounded exosphere of an unmagnetized planetary body. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Astronomy from the Moon: the next decades (part 2)'.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2023.0311","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1098/rsta.2023.0311","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/s25154616","name":"Advances in Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar Technology and Systems and Recent Advances in Chinese SAR Missions.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"With advancements in radar sensors, communications, and computer technologies, alongside an increasing number of ground observation tasks, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) remote sensing is transitioning from being theory and technology-driven to being application-demand-driven. Since the late 1960s, Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) theories and techniques have continued to develop. They have been applied significantly in various fields, such as in the generation of global topography maps, monitoring of ground deformation, marine observations, and disaster reduction efforts. This article classifies InSAR into repeated-pass interference and single-pass interference. Repeated-pass interference mainly includes D-InSAR, PS-InSAR and SBAS-InSAR. Single-pass interference mainly includes CT-InSAR and AT-InSAR. Recently, China has made significant progress in the field of SAR satellite development, successfully launching several satellites equipped with interferometric measurement capabilities. These advancements have driven the evolution of spaceborne InSAR systems from single-frequency to multi-frequency, from low Earth orbit to higher orbits, and from single-platform to multi-platform configurations. These advancements have supported high precision and high-temporal-resolution land observation, and promoted the broader application of InSAR technology in disaster early warning, ecological monitoring, and infrastructure safety.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/s25154616","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.3390/s25154616","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-026-36335-2","name":"Evidence for fluorescence-supported species recognition in syntopic harvestmen.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Biofluorescence is reported as a widespread phenomenon in a variety of animal species, but in most cases its biological relevance is poorly understood. Possible functions of biofluorescence as visual signals for species recognition are disputed or have not been convincingly demonstrated. Here, we report on the discovery of a strongly fluorescent structure in largely crepuscular and nocturnal harvestmen. Five syntopic species of harvestmen from the family Cosmetidae were observed and collected in a lowland rainforest of Peruvian Amazonia. Their most prominent species-specific character is a whitish structure on the dorsal scutum, called equuleus. Its shape is extremely constant intraspecifically, but strongly differs among these closely related species. The equuleus shows strong fluorescence in the blue frequency spectrum, which is enhanced by a subjacent layer of guanine crystals, acting as a reflector for the incoming light, as well as for the emitted fluorescence. We hypothesize that the equuleus most likely provides a visual signal for intra- and inter-specific species recognition in dim visible light, which is amplified by UV-induced fluorescence, excited by moonlight.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-36335-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-026-36335-2","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41577-025-01226-6","name":"Astroimmunology: the effects of spaceflight and its associated stressors on the immune system.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"As humans embark on longer and deeper missions into space, it is crucial to understand how spaceflight impacts the immune system. Decades of discoveries, bolstered by recent multiomic analyses, have identified key immune processes that are affected by the spaceflight environment. These findings form the foundations of the emerging field of 'astroimmunology'. Spaceflight stressors - such as microgravity and galactic cosmic radiation - and other mission-associated variables, including psychological stress and abnormal circadian rhythms, can disrupt or adversely affect immune cell biology. In addition, spaceflight alters host-microbiome interactions, which can increase susceptibility to opportunistic pathogens and viral reactivation. Although ground-based analogues for human spaceflight have provided insights into these stressors individually, their combined effects during spaceflight remain less understood. This Review explores our current knowledge of the effects of spaceflight stressors on the immune system and the clinical implications for human space exploration. It also highlights current and developing countermeasures, including machine-learning approaches, advanced monitoring technologies and standardized biobanking, that can facilitate research into the impact of spaceflight on the immune system. Looking ahead, progressing from low Earth orbit missions to long-term missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond will introduce new challenges, including increased radiation, variable gravity and regolith exposure. We discuss these prospective challenges and outline potential preventive and mitigative strategies for sustaining immune health to enable safe and effective space exploration and habitation of distant worlds.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41577-025-01226-6","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1038/s41577-025-01226-6","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/biomimetics9110693","name":"Animal-Morphing Bio-Inspired Mechatronic Systems: Research Framework in Robot Design to Enhance Interplanetary Exploration on the Moon.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Over the past 50 years, the space race has potentially grown due to the development of sophisticated mechatronic systems. One of the most important is the bio-inspired mobile-planetary robots, actually for which there is no reported one that currently works physically on the Moon. Nonetheless, significant progress has been made to design biomimetic systems based on animal morphology adapted to sand (granular material) to test them in analog planetary environments, such as regolith simulants. Biomimetics and bio-inspired attributes contribute significantly to advancements across various industries by incorporating features from biological organisms, including autonomy, intelligence, adaptability, energy efficiency, self-repair, robustness, lightweight construction, and digging capabilities-all crucial for space systems. This study includes a scoping review, as of July 2024, focused on the design of animal-inspired robotic hardware for planetary exploration, supported by a bibliometric analysis of 482 papers indexed in Scopus. It also involves the classification and comparison of limbed and limbless animal-inspired robotic systems adapted for movement in soil and sand (locomotion methods such as grabbing-pushing, wriggling, undulating, and rolling) where the most published robots are inspired by worms, moles, snakes, lizards, crabs, and spiders. As a result of this research, this work presents a pioneering methodology for designing bio-inspired robots, justifying the application of biological morphologies for subsurface or surface lunar exploration. By highlighting the technical features of actuators, sensors, and mechanisms, this approach demonstrates the potential for advancing space robotics, by designing biomechatronic systems that mimic animal characteristics.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics9110693","authors":["José Cornejo","Cecilia García","José Baca"],"tags":["Robot","Biomimetics","Space exploration","Computer science","Artificial intelligence"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.3390/biomimetics9110693","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7717/peerj.21247","name":"Life-history and reproductive traits of a key coral reef fishery species: the longnose emperor (&lt;i&gt;Lethrinus olivaceus&lt;/i&gt;) in Palau.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Accurate life-history information is essential for conducting data-limited stock assessments of coral reef fishes, yet this information is often lacking in small-scale fisheries. For the commercially important longnose emperor, Lethrinus olivaceus , such information is scarce in Micronesia, limiting the ability to manage this species effectively. To fill this gap, age, growth, and reproductive parameters were estimated for L. olivaceus in Palau using samples collected at fish markets, supermarkets, independent fishers, and targeted sampling in 2017-2019 and 2022-2025 (total n = 528). Information on growth, lifespan, reproduction, and mortality was obtained through analysis of sagittal otoliths and gonad samples. The sex-combined von Bertalanffy growth parameters for this species were estimated to be L ∞ = 57.2 cm, K = 0.387 year -1 , and t 0 = -0.324 years (unconstrained) and L ∞ = 56.4 cm, and K = 0.443 year -1 (constrained to t 0 = 0). The maximum observed age was 14 years. Longnose emperors were found to spawn in many months of the year including March to June, August, September, November, and December. There was also evidence of functional protogynous hermaphroditism, with several gonad samples containing both female and male reproductive tissues. Furthermore, males were larger (mean length = 53.5 cm) and older (mean age = 7.4 years) than females (mean length = 45.8 cm and mean age = 4.3 years), with no immature males observed. Females were estimated to reach maturity at 43.2 cm and 3.5 years, and sex change to males occurred at 55.1 cm and 7.1 years. Total mortality for both time periods combined was estimated to be 0.438 year -1 and mean natural mortality was estimated to be 0.358 year -1 . When compared to other locations at higher latitudes, including Australia, Japan, and French Polynesia, longnose emperors in Palau had faster growth rates, shorter lifespans, and reached smaller sizes. The high diversity of life-history traits among locations highlights the importance of collecting locally-derived information. These findings provide comprehensive life-history estimates for L. olivaceus in Palau, which can be used to improve data-poor assessments and management of this species in the future.","url":"https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.21247","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.7717/peerj.21247","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.adh4302","name":"Past extent of lunar permanently shadowed areas.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"As the Moon migrated away from Earth, it experienced a major spin axis reorientation. Permanently shadowed regions (PSRs), which are thought to have trapped ices and are a main focus of lunar exploration, appeared and grew after this (Cassini state) transition and are often younger than their host craters. Here, we calculate the lunar spin axis orientation and the extent of PSRs based on recent advances for the time evolution of the Earth-Moon distance. The solar declination reached twice its current value 2.1 billion years (Ga) ago, when the PSR area was about half as large. The PSR area becomes negligible beyond 3.4 Ga ago. The site of an artificial impact in Cabeus Crater, where various volatiles have been detected, became continuously shadowed only about 0.9 Ga ago, and hence, cold-trapping has continued into this relatively recent time period. Overall estimates for the amount of cold-trapped ices have to be revised downward.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adh4302","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.adh4302","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.ymthe.2024.11.020","name":"Lipid nanoparticle delivery of TALEN mRNA targeting LPA causes gene disruption and plasma lipoprotein(a) reduction in transgenic mice.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), is encoded by the LPA gene and is a causal genetic risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Individuals with high Lp(a) are at risk for cardiovascular morbidity and are refractory to standard lipid-lowering agents. Lp(a)-lowering therapies currently in clinical development require repetitive dosing, while a gene editing approach presents an opportunity for a single-dose treatment. In this study, mRNAs encoding transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) were designed to target human LPA for gene disruption and permanent Lp(a) reduction. TALEN mRNAs were screened in vitro and found to cause on-target gene editing and target protein reduction with minimal off-target editing. TALEN mRNAs were then encapsulated with LUNAR, a proprietary lipid nanoparticle (LNP), and administered to transgenic mice that expressed a human LPA transgene. A single dose of TALEN mRNA-LNPs reduced plasma Lp(a) levels in mice by over 80%, which was sustained for at least 5 weeks. Moreover, both standard and long-read next-generation sequencing confirmed the presence of gene-inactivating deletions at LPA transgene loci. Overall, this study serves as a proof-of-concept for using TALEN-mediated gene editing to disrupt LPA in vivo, paving the way for the development of a feasible gene editing therapy for patients with high Lp(a).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymthe.2024.11.020","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1016/j.ymthe.2024.11.020","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/nsr/nwad276","name":"Long-lived lunar volcanism sustained by precession-driven core-mantle friction.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Core-mantle friction induced by the precession of the Moon's spin axis is a strong heat source in the deep lunar mantle during the early phase of a satellite's evolution, but its influence on the long-term thermal evolution still remains poorly explored. Using a one-dimensional thermal evolution model, we show that core-mantle friction can sustain global-scale partial melting in the upper lunar mantle until ∼3.1 Ga, thus accounting for the intense volcanic activity on the Moon before ∼3.0 Ga. Besides, core-mantle friction tends to suppress the secular cooling of the lunar core and is unlikely to be an energy source for the long-lived lunar core dynamo. Our model also favours the transition of the Cassini state before the end of the lunar magma ocean phase (∼4.2 Ga), which implies a decreasing lunar obliquity over time after the solidification of the lunar magma ocean. Such a trend of lunar obliquity evolution may allow volcanically released water to be buried in the lunar regolith of the polar regions. As a consequence, local water ice could be more abundant than previously thought when considering only its accumulation caused by solar wind and comet spreading.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwad276","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1093/nsr/nwad276","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.isci.2023.107853","name":"Sverdrup-Henson crater: A candidate location for the first lunar South Pole settlement.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Robotic and manned exploration of the Moon is the next target in Solar System exploration. The availability of in situ resources such as water ice, iron oxides, helium-3, and rare earth elements, combined with permanently sunlit areas, provides the opportunity for the first settlement, either human or robotic, on the Moon. We used several selection criteria (abundance of water ice, the slope of terrain, usable energy sources, communications, and base expandability) to identify a suitable area for a future base in the southern polar crater Sverdrup-Henson. Due to the higher abundance of water ice, we found that the Sverdrup-Henson site is better suited to host a base than the nearby craters de Gerlache and Shackleton. The crater floor is partly in permanent shadow and exhibits numerous signatures of water ice. Since water ice is essential for rocket fuel production and human survival, its presence is necessary for a first settlement. Sverdrup-Henson has a flat floor ideal for building and safe traversing, is accessible from the surrounding intercrater plains, and has nearby locations suitable for communications and solar power production. Thus, the Sverdrup-Henson site holds great potential for future missions. We propose further exploration of this area through in situ measurements to better constrain available resources.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2023.107853","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1016/j.isci.2023.107853","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s40820-025-01944-5","name":"Triboelectric Nanogenerators for Future Space Missions.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Space exploration is significant for scientific innovation, resource utilization, and planetary security. Space exploration involves several systems including satellites, space suits, communication systems, and robotics, which have to function under harsh space conditions such as extreme temperatures (- 270 to 1650 °C), microgravity (10⁻⁶ g), unhealthy humidity ( 60% RH), high atmospheric pressure (~ 1450 psi), and radiation (4000-5000 mSv). Conventional energy-harvesting technologies (solar cells, fuel cells, and nuclear energy), that are normally used to power these space systems have certain limitations (e.g., sunlight dependence, weight, degradation, big size, high cost, low capacity, radioactivity, complexity, and low efficiency). The constraints in conventional energy resources have made it imperative to look for non-conventional yet efficient alternatives. A great potential for enhancing efficiency, sustainability, and mission duration in space exploration can be offered by integrating triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) with existing energy sources. Recently, the potential of TENG including energy harvesting (from vibrations/movements in satellites and spacecraft), self-powered sensing, and microgravity, for multiple applications in different space missions has been discussed. This review comprehensively covers the use of TENGs for various space applications, such as planetary exploration missions (Mars environment monitoring), manned space equipment, In-orbit robotic operations /collision monitoring, spacecraft's design and structural health monitoring, Aeronautical systems, and conventional energy harvesting (solar and nuclear). This review also discusses the use of self-powered TENG sensors for deep space object perception. At the same time, this review compares TENGs with conventional energy harvesting technologies for space systems. Lastly, this review talks about energy harvesting in satellites, TENG-based satellite communication systems, and future practical implementation challenges (with possible solutions).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-025-01944-5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1007/s40820-025-01944-5","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10260-w","name":"Satellite imagery reveals increasing volatility in human night-time activity.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Artificial light at night (ALAN) marks the global impact of humanity 1,2 . Yet, our understanding of its true ebb and flow has been limited, often based on temporally aggregated satellite data that obscure finer dynamics. Here, using daily night-time satellite imagery 3 and a continuous change detection approach 4,5 , we created global maps of high-frequency ALAN dynamics (2014-2022). Our findings challenge the prevailing perspective that changes in light radiance are largely gradual and unidirectional. Instead, the nightlights of Earth are surprisingly dynamic, characterized by frequent and coexisting brightening and dimming. On average, each location experiencing change underwent 6.6 distinct shifts over the 9 years. Driven by this volatility, the cumulative area of total ALAN change comprised 2.05 million km 2 of abrupt changes and 19.04 million km 2 of gradual changes. Brightening contributed a radiance increase equivalent to 34% of the 2014 global baseline, whereas dimming offset this by 18%. Notably, both brightening and dimming have markedly intensified over the past decade. This evidence of increasing volatility in human night-time activity provides an important dynamic dimension for understanding urban evolution, energy transitions, policy impacts and ecological consequences of rapidly changing illuminated nights.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10260-w","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1038/s41586-026-10260-w","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-025-56088-2","name":"Developing an alternative medium for in-space biomanufacturing.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"In-space biomanufacturing provides a sustainable solution to facilitate long-term, self-sufficient human habitation in extraterrestrial environments. However, its dependence on Earth-supplied feedstocks renders in-space biomanufacturing economically nonviable. Here, we develop a process termed alternative feedstock-driven in-situ biomanufacturing (AF-ISM) to alleviate dependence on Earth-based resupply of feedstocks. Specifically, we investigate three alternative feedstocks (AF)-Martian and Lunar regolith, post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate, and fecal waste-to develop an alternative medium for lycopene production using Rhodococcus jostii PET strain S6 (RPET S6). Our results show that RPET S6 could directly utilize regolith simulant particles as mineral replacements, while the addition of anaerobically pretreated fecal waste synergistically supported its cell growth. Additionally, lycopene production using AF under microgravity conditions achieved levels comparable to those on Earth. Furthermore, an economic analysis shows significant lycopene production cost reductions using AF-ISM versus conventional methods. Overall, this work highlights the viability of AF-ISM for in-space biomanufacturing.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56088-2","authors":["Hakyung Lee","Jinjin Diao","Yuxin Tian","Richa Guleria","Eunseo Lee","Alexandra Smith","M. Savage","Daniel H. Yeh","Luke Roberson","Mark Blenner","Yinjie Tang","Tae Seok Moon"],"tags":["Biomanufacturing","Space (punctuation)","Computer science","Computational biology","Biology"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:54:54.066Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-025-56088-2","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"oa:W2072887130","name":"Long term atmospheric deposition as the source of nitrate and other salts in the Atacama Desert, Chile: New evidence from mass-independent oxygen isotopic compositions","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2004.04.009","authors":["Greg Michalski","J. K. Böhlke","M. H. Thiemens"],"tags":["Nitrate","Environmental chemistry","Isotopic signature","Sulfate","Deposition (geology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-10-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1016/j.gca.2004.04.009","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W3157243489","name":"Biosignatures for Astrobiology","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-96175-0","authors":["Cavalazzi, Barbara","Francès Westall","Vago, Jorge","Barbara Cavalazzi"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Extant taxon","Physics","Biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-10-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-319-96175-0","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2915664152","name":"Kinetics of White Soft Minerals (WSMs) Decomposition under Conditions of Interest for Astrobiology: A Theoretical and Experimental Study","source":"openalex","abstract":"In this paper, the thermal decomposition kinetics of a class of minerals that we call White Soft Minerals (WSMs) is studied by means of theoretical and experimental methods, in connection to the transport of extraterrestrial organic matter to Earth and the possible use of the decomposition reaction in the characterization of these minerals in space. WSMs include, under a single denomination, carbonates and sulphates of Mg, Fe, and Ca. To improve the present knowledge of the properties of such materials, we use the following techniques: kinetic models for chemical decomposition, atmospheric entry models, spectroscopy, and gravimetric analyses. Model results show that the atmospheric entry of WSM grains is strongly affected by their thermal decomposition. The decomposition reaction, being strongly endothermic, tends to significantly lower the grain temperature during the atmospheric entry, especially at high altitudes and for grazing entries. A previously proposed infrared spectroscopic technique to evaluate the degree of advancement of the reaction is found to be in good agreement with gravimetric measurements for calcium carbonate. The numerical model developed for the atmospheric entry scenarios is used to interpret experimental results. These main findings show that an additional contribution to the reaction enthalpy is needed to reproduce the experimental results, suggesting that the present theoretical model needs improvements such as the account of gas diffusion in the materials.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences9020101","authors":["Gaia Micca Longo","M. D’Elia","S. Fonti","S. Longo","F. Mancarella","V. Orofino"],"tags":["Decomposition","Gravimetric analysis","Thermal decomposition","Chemistry","Endothermic process"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-23","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.3390/geosciences9020101","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W1987186022","name":"Ionizing Radiation and Life","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Ionizing radiation is a ubiquitous feature of the Cosmos, from exogenous cosmic rays (CR) to the intrinsic mineral radioactivity of a habitable world, and its influences on the emergence and persistence of life are wide-ranging and profound. Much attention has already been focused on the deleterious effects of ionizing radiation on organisms and the complex molecules of life, but ionizing radiation also performs many crucial functions in the generation of habitable planetary environments and the origins of life. This review surveys the role of CR and mineral radioactivity in star formation, generation of biogenic elements, and the synthesis of organic molecules and driving of prebiotic chemistry. Another major theme is the multiple layers of shielding of planetary surfaces from the flux of cosmic radiation and the various effects on a biosphere of violent but rare astrophysical events such as supernovae and gamma-ray bursts. The influences of CR can also be duplicitous, such as limiting the survival of surface life on Mars while potentially supporting a subsurface biosphere in the ocean of Europa. This review highlights the common thread that ionizing radiation forms between the disparate component disciplines of astrobiology.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2010.0528","authors":["Lewis Dartnell","Dartnell LR"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Ionizing radiation","Biosphere","Cosmic ray","Extraterrestrial life"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011 Jul-Aug","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2010.0528","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2141074377","name":"Lithotrophic iron-oxidizing bacteria produce organic stalks to control mineral growth: implications for biosignature formation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Neutrophilic Fe-oxidizing bacteria (FeOB) are often identified by their distinctive morphologies, such as the extracellular twisted ribbon-like stalks formed by Gallionella ferruginea or Mariprofundus ferrooxydans. Similar filaments preserved in silica are often identified as FeOB fossils in rocks. Although it is assumed that twisted iron stalks are indicative of FeOB, the stalk's metabolic role has not been established. To this end, we studied the marine FeOB M. ferrooxydans by light, X-ray and electron microscopy. Using time-lapse light microscopy, we observed cells excreting stalks during growth (averaging 2.2 μm h(-1)). Scanning transmission X-ray microscopy and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy show that stalks are Fe(III)-rich, whereas cells are low in Fe. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that stalks are composed of several fibrils, which contain few-nanometer-sized iron oxyhydroxide crystals. Lepidocrocite crystals that nucleated on the fibril surface are much larger (∼100 nm), suggesting that mineral growth within fibrils is retarded, relative to sites surrounding fibrils. C and N 1s NEXAFS spectroscopy and fluorescence probing show that stalks primarily contain carboxyl-rich polysaccharides. On the basis of these results, we suggest a physiological model for Fe oxidation in which cells excrete oxidized Fe bound to organic polymers. These organic molecules retard mineral growth, preventing cell encrustation. This model describes an essential role for stalk formation in FeOB growth. We suggest that stalk-like morphologies observed in modern and ancient samples may be correlated confidently with the Fe-oxidizing metabolism as a robust biosignature.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2010.173","authors":["Clara S. Chan","Sirine C. Fakra","David Emerson","Emily J. Fleming","Katrina J. Edwards"],"tags":["Transmission electron microscopy","Oxidizing agent","Biomineralization","Stalk","Extracellular polymeric substance"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-11-25","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1038/ismej.2010.173","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2141236055","name":"The Río Tinto Basin, Spain: Mineralogy, sedimentary geobiology, and implications for interpretation of outcrop rocks at Meridiani Planum, Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2005.09.043","authors":["David C. Fernández‐Remolar","R. V. Morris","J. E. Gruener","Ricardo Amils","Andrew H. Knoll"],"tags":["Geology","Jarosite","Goethite","Diagenesis","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-11-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1016/j.epsl.2005.09.043","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W1990985058","name":"Importance of a Martian Hematite Site for Astrobiology","source":"openalex","abstract":"Defining locations where conditions may have been favorable for life is a key objective for the exploration of Mars. Of prime importance are sites where conditions may have been favorable for the preservation of evidence of prebiotic or biotic processes. Areas displaying significant concentrations of the mineral hematite (alpha-Fe2O3), recently identified by thermal emission spectrometry, may have significance in the search for evidence of extraterrestrial life. Since iron oxides can form as aqueous mineral precipitates, the potential exists to preserve microscopic evidence of life in iron oxide-depositing ecosystems. Terrestrial hematite deposits proposed as possible analogs for hematite deposits on Mars include massive (banded) iron formations, iron oxide hydrothermal deposits, iron-rich laterites and ferricrete soils, and rock varnish. We report the potential for long-term preservation of microfossils by iron oxide mineralization in specimens of the approximately 2,100-Ma banded iron deposit of the Gunflint Formation, Canada. Scanning and analytical electron microscopy reveals micrometer-scale rods, spheres, and filaments consisting predominantly of iron and oxygen with minor carbon. We interpret these objects as microbial cells permineralized by an iron oxide, presumably hematite. The confirmation of ancient martian microbial life in hematite deposits will require the return of samples to terrestrial laboratories. A hematite-rich deposit composed of aqueous iron oxide precipitates may thus prove to be a prime site for future sample return.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/153110701750137495","authors":["Carlton C. Allen","Francès Westall","Rachel T. Schelble"],"tags":["Hematite","Iron oxide","Martian","Magnetite","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-03-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1089/153110701750137495","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2064727839","name":"The O/OREOS mission—Astrobiology in low Earth orbit","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2012.09.009","authors":["P. Ehrenfreund","Antonio J. Ricco","David Squires","Chris Kitts","Elwood Agasid","N. Bramall","K. L. Bryson","J. Chittenden","Catharine A. Conley","Amanda Cook","Rocco L. Mancinelli","A. L. Mattioda","Wayne L. Nicholson","R. C. Quinn","O. Santos","G. Tahu","Mary A. Voytek","C. Beasley","L. Bica","Millan Diaz-Aguado","C. Friedericks","M. Henschke","David Landis","Ed Luzzi","Diana Ly","N. Mai","Giovanni Minelli","Michael McIntyre","Michael Neumann","Macarena Parra","Matthew Piccini","Richard Rasay","Robert Ricks","Aaron Schooley","Eric Stackpole","Linda Timucin","Bruce Yost","Anthony Young"],"tags":["CubeSat","Payload (computing)","Low earth orbit","Astrobiology","Spacecraft"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-10-18","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2012.09.009","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2557059705","name":"Space as a Tool for Astrobiology: Review and Recommendations for Experimentations in Earth Orbit and Beyond","source":"openalex","abstract":"The space environment is regularly used for experiments addressing astrobiology research goals. The specific conditions prevailing in Earth orbit and beyond, notably the radiative environment (photons and energetic particles) and the possibility to conduct long-duration measurements, have been the main motivations for developing experimental concepts to expose chemical or biological samples to outer space, or to use the reentry of a spacecraft on Earth to simulate the fall of a meteorite. This paper represents an overview of past and current research in astrobiology conducted in Earth orbit and beyond, with a special focus on ESA missions such as Biopan, STONE (on Russian FOTON capsules) and EXPOSE facilities (outside the International Space Station). The future of exposure platforms is discussed, notably how they can be improved for better science return, and how to incorporate the use of small satellites such as those built in cubesat format.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-017-0365-5","authors":["Hervé Cottin","J. Michelle Kotler","Daniela Billi","Charles S. Cockell","René Demets","P. Ehrenfreund","Andreas Elsaesser","L. D'Hendecourt","Jack J. W. A. van Loon","Zita Martins","Silvano Onofri","R. C. Quinn"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Spacecraft","Earth's orbit","Low earth orbit","CubeSat"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-06-20","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1007/s11214-017-0365-5","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"oa:W2075031608","name":"Biomarkers and their Raman spectroscopic signatures: a spectral challenge for analytical astrobiology","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The remote robotic exploration of extraterrestrial scenarios for evidence of biological colonization in 'search for life' missions using Raman spectroscopy is critically dependent on two major factors: firstly, the Raman spectral recognition of characteristic biochemical spectral signatures in the presence of mineral matrix features; and secondly, the positive unambiguous identification of molecular biomaterials which are indicative of extinct or extant life. Both of these factors are considered here: the most important criterion is the clear definition of which biochemicals truly represent biomarkers, whose presence in the planetary geological record from an analytical astrobiological standpoint will unambiguously be indicative of life as recognized from its remote instrumental interrogation. Also discussed in this paper are chemical compounds which are associated with living systems, including biominerals, which may not in themselves be definitive signatures of life processes and origins but whose presence provides an indicator of potential life-bearing matrices.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2014.0193","authors":["Howell G. M. Edwards","Ian B. Hutchinson","Richard Ingley","Jan Jehlička","Edwards HG","Hutchinson IB","Ingley R","Jehlička J"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology","Extant taxon","Raman spectroscopy","Identification (biology)"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014 Dec 13","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1098/rsta.2014.0193","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"oa:W2791323160","name":"A search for minerals associated with serpentinization across Mars using CRISM spectral data","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2018.03.021","authors":["E. S. Amador","J. L. Bandfield","N. H. Thomas"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Geology","Impact crater","Astrobiology","Ejecta"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-03-20","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1016/j.icarus.2018.03.021","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2169094791","name":"Characterization of minerals and biogeochemical markers on Mars: A Raman and IR spectroscopic study of montmorillonite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Raman spectroscopy is likely to be one of a number of instruments deployed to Mars on future landed missions. The goals of these missions will include characterizing the mineralogy of the rocks and soils, in addition to determining if the planet may be or may have been habitable for life. The astrobiology questions are linked to understanding the aqueous and biogeochemical history of Mars. Clay minerals are studied here because if they are found on Mars they may provide information about the geochemistry of the primary rocks and the aqueous history of the planet. This study compares Raman and IR spectra of the SWy‐1, STx‐1 and SAz‐1 montmorillonites. These samples contain admixtures of organic material, carbonate, amorphous silica and fine‐grained quartz, which can all be detected using Raman spectroscopy. Less than 0.1 wt% C as organic material was detected in each of the samples through peaks associated with CC or CH bonds. Carbonate was detected in the Raman spectra for the sample containing 1.65 wt% CO 3 but not for 0.15 wt% CO 3 . Raman spectra exhibit unique bands near 200 and 700 cm −1 that are due to tetrahedral SiO 4 in layer silicates and vary depending on the mineral structure. Raman spectra of clay minerals also have unique metal–OH bending vibrations between 840 and 920 cm −1 that provide information about the octahedral cations present. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.1173","authors":["J. L. Bishop","E. Murad"],"tags":["Raman spectroscopy","Mars Exploration Program","Mineral","Clay minerals","Martian"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-06-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1002/jrs.1173","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2071808762","name":"Field astrobiology research in Moon–Mars analogue environments: instruments and methods","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We describe the field demonstration of astrobiology instruments and research methods conducted in and from the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah during the EuroGeoMars campaign 2009 coordinated by ILEWG, ESA/ESTEC and NASA Ames, with the contribution of academic partners. We discuss the entire experimental approach from determining the geological context using remote sensing, in situ measurements, sorties with sample collection and characterization, analysis in the field laboratory, to the post sample analysis using advanced laboratory facilities. We present the rationale for terrestrial field campaigns to strengthen astrobiology research and the link between in situ and orbital remote sensing data. These campaigns are supporting the preparation for future missions such as Mars Science Laboratory, ExoMars or Mars Sample Return. We describe the EuroGeoMars 2009 campaign conducted by MDRS crew 76 and 77, focused on the investigation of surface processes in their geological context. Special emphasis was placed on sample collection and pre-screening using in-situ portable instruments. Science investigations included geological and geochemical measurements as well as detection and diagnostic of water, oxidants, organic matter, minerals, volatiles and biota. EuroGeoMars 2009 was an example of a Moon–Mars field research campaign dedicated to the demonstration of astrobiology instruments and a specific methodology of comprehensive measurements from selected sampling sites. We discuss in sequence: the campaign objectives and trade-off based on science, technical or operational constraints. This includes remote sensing data and maps, and geological context; the monitoring of environmental parameters; the geophysical context and mineralogy studies; geology and geomorphology investigations; geochemistry characterization and subsurface studies. We describe sample handling (extraction and collection) methods, and the sample analysis of soils and rocks performed in the MDRS laboratory using close inspection, initial petrological characterization, microscopy, Visible-NIR spectrometry, Raman spectrometry, X-ray diffraction/X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, soil analysis, electrochemical and biological measurements. The results from post-mission analysis of returned samples using advanced facilities in collaborator institutes are described in companion papers in this issue. We present examples of in-situ analysis, and describe an example investigation on the exploration and analysis of endolithic microbial mats (from reconnaissance, in-situ imaging, sampling, local analysis to post-mission sample analysis).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550411000036","authors":["Bernard Foing","C. Stoker","J. Zavaleta","P. Ehrenfreund","Cora S. Thiel","P. Sarrazin","D. F. Blake","J. Page","Vladimir Pletser","Jeffrey Hendrikse","S. Direito","J. Michelle Kotler","Zita Martins","Grazyna E. Orzechowska","C. Gross","L. Wendt","Jonathan Clarke","Anouk Borst","S. Peters","Mary Beth Wilhelm","G.R. Davies","ILEWG EuroGeoMars 2009 Team"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Exploration of Mars","Context (archaeology)","Astrobiology","Remote sensing"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-03-14","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1017/s1473550411000036","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W3141519195","name":"Astrobiology of life on Earth","source":"openalex","abstract":"Astrobiology is mistakenly regarded by some as a field confined to studies of life beyond Earth. Here, we consider life on Earth through an astrobiological lens. Whereas classical studies of microbiology historically focused on various anthropocentric sub-fields (such as fermented foods or commensals and pathogens of crop plants, livestock and humans), addressing key biological questions via astrobiological approaches can further our understanding of all life on Earth. We highlight potential implications of this approach through the articles in this Environmental Microbiology special issue 'Ecophysiology of Extremophiles'. They report on the microbiology of places/processes including low-temperature environments and chemically diverse saline- and hypersaline habitats; aspects of sulphur metabolism in hypersaline lakes, dysoxic marine waters, and thermal acidic springs; biology of extremophile viruses; the survival of terrestrial extremophiles on the surface of Mars; biological soils crusts and rock-associated microbes of deserts; subsurface and deep biosphere, including a salticle formed within Triassic halite; and interactions of microbes with igneous and sedimentary rocks. These studies, some of which we highlight here, contribute to our understanding of the spatiotemporal reach of Earth'sfunctional biosphere, and the tenacity of terrestrial life. Their findings will help set the stage for future work focused on the constraints for life, and how organisms adapt and evolve to circumvent these constraints.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.15499","authors":["John E. Hallsworth","Rocco L. Mancinelli","Catharine A. Conley","Tiffany D. Dallas","Teresa Rinaldi","Alfonso F. Dávila","Kathleen C. Benison","Alexander Rapoport","Barbara Cavalazzi","Laura Selbmann","H. G. Changela","Francès Westall","Michail M. Yakimov","Ricardo Amils","Michael T. Madigan"],"tags":["Extremophile","Astrobiology","Biosphere","Biology","Martian"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-04-05","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1111/1462-2920.15499","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W3090585007","name":"Microbial Interaction with Clay Minerals and Its Environmental and Biotechnological Implications","source":"openalex","abstract":"Clay minerals are very common in nature and highly reactive minerals which are typical products of the weathering of the most abundant silicate minerals on the planet. Over recent decades there has been growing appreciation that the prime involvement of clay minerals in the geochemical cycling of elements and pedosphere genesis should take into account the biogeochemical activity of microorganisms. Microbial intimate interaction with clay minerals, that has taken place on Earth’s surface in a geological time-scale, represents a complex co-evolving system which is challenging to comprehend because of fragmented information and requires coordinated efforts from both clay scientists and microbiologists. This review covers some important aspects of the interactions of clay minerals with microorganisms at the different levels of complexity, starting from organic molecules, individual and aggregated microbial cells, fungal and bacterial symbioses with photosynthetic organisms, pedosphere, up to environmental and biotechnological implications. The review attempts to systematize our current general understanding of the processes of biogeochemical transformation of clay minerals by microorganisms. This paper also highlights some microbiological and biotechnological perspectives of the practical application of clay minerals–microbes interactions not only in microbial bioremediation and biodegradation of pollutants but also in areas related to agronomy and human and animal health.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min10100861","authors":["Marina Fomina","Iryna Skorochod"],"tags":["Biogeochemical cycle","Clay minerals","Weathering","Bioremediation","Microorganism"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-09-29","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.3390/min10100861","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W3093206383","name":"Investigating Habitability with an Integrated Rock-Climbing Robot and Astrobiology Instrument Suite","source":"openalex","abstract":"A prototype rover carrying an astrobiology payload was developed and deployed at analog field sites to mature generalized system architectures capable of searching for biosignatures in extreme terrain across the Solar System. Specifically, the four-legged Limbed Excursion Mechanical Utility Robot (LEMUR) 3 climbing robot with microspine grippers carried three instruments: a micro-X-ray fluorescence instrument based on the Mars 2020 mission's Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry provided elemental chemistry; a deep-ultraviolet fluorescence instrument based on Mars 2020's Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals mapped organics in bacterial communities on opaque substrates; and a near-infrared acousto-optic tunable filter-based point spectrometer identified minerals and organics in the 1.6-3.6 μm range. The rover also carried a light detection and ranging and a color camera for both science and navigation. Combined, this payload detects astrobiologically important classes of rock components (elements, minerals, and organics) in extreme terrain, which, as demonstrated in this work, can reveal a correlation between textural biosignatures and the organics or elements expected to preserve them in a habitable environment. Across >10 field tests, milestones were achieved in instrument operations, autonomous mobility in extreme terrain, and system integration that can inform future planetary science mission architectures. Contributions include (1) system-level demonstration of mock missions to the vertical exposures of Mars lava tube caves and Mars canyon walls, (2) demonstration of multi-instrument integration into a confocal arrangement with surface scanning capabilities, and (3) demonstration of automated focus stacking algorithms for improved signal-to-noise ratios and reduced operation time.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2019.2177","authors":["Kyle Uckert","Aaron Parness","N. J. Chanover","E. Eshelman","Neil Abcouwer","Jeremy Nash","Renaud Detry","Christine Fuller","David Voelz","Robert Hull","David Flannery","R. Bhartia","Kenneth Manatt","William Abbey","Penelope J. Boston"],"tags":["Habitability","Astrobiology","Suite","Exoplanet","Climbing"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-10-14","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2019.2177","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2067086438","name":"Nucleoside Phosphorylation by Phosphate Minerals","source":"openalex","abstract":"In the presence of formamide, crystal phosphate minerals may act as phosphate donors to nucleosides, yielding both 5'- and, to a lesser extent, 3'-phosphorylated forms. With the mineral Libethenite the formation of 5'-AMP can be as high as 6% of the adenosine input and last for at least 10(3) h. At high concentrations, soluble non-mineral phosphate donors (KH(2)PO(4) or 5'-CMP) afford 2'- and 2':3'-cyclic AMP in addition to 5'-and 3'-AMP. The phosphate minerals analyzed were Herderite Ca[BePO(4)F], Hureaulite Mn(2+)(5)(PO(3)(OH)(2)(PO(4))(2)(H(2)O)(4), Libethenite Cu(2+)(2)(PO(4))(OH), Pyromorphite Pb(5)(PO(4))(3)Cl, Turquoise Cu(2+)Al(6)(PO(4))(4)(OH)(8)(H(2)O)(4), Fluorapatite Ca(5)(PO(4))(3)F, Hydroxylapatite Ca(5)(PO(4))(3)OH, Vivianite Fe(2+)(3)(PO(4))(2)(H(2)O)(8), Cornetite Cu(2+)(3)(PO(4))(OH)(3), Pseudomalachite Cu(2+)(5)(PO(4))(2)(OH)(4), Reichenbachite Cu(2+)(5)(PO(4))(2)(OH)(4), and Ludjibaite Cu(2+)(5)(PO(4))(2)(OH)(4)). Based on their behavior in the formamide-driven nucleoside phosphorylation reaction, these minerals can be characterized as: 1) inactive, 2) low level phosphorylating agents, or 3) active phosphorylating agents. Instances were detected (Libethenite and Hydroxylapatite) in which phosphorylation occurs on the mineral surface, followed by release of the phosphorylated compounds. Libethenite and Cornetite markedly protect the beta-glycosidic bond. Thus, activated nucleic monomers can form in a liquid non-aqueous environment in conditions compatible with the thermodynamics of polymerization, providing a solution to the standard-state Gibbs free energy change (DeltaG degrees ') problem, the major obstacle for polymerizations in the liquid phase in plausible prebiotic scenarios.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.m611346200","authors":["Giovanna Costanzo","Raffaele Saladino","Claudia Crestini","Fabiana Ciciriello","Ernesto Di Mauro"],"tags":["Phosphate minerals","Hydroxylapatite","Chemistry","Phosphate","Fluorapatite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-04-06","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1074/jbc.m611346200","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2102776386","name":"Astrobiology field research in Moon/Mars analogue environments","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Extreme environments on Earth often provide similar terrain conditions to landing/operation sites on Moon and Mars. Several field campaigns (EuroGeoMars2009 and DOMMEX/ILEWG EuroMoonMars from November 2009 to March 2010) were conducted at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah. Some of the key astrobiology results are presented in this special issue on ‘Astrobiology field research in Moon/Mars analogue environments’ relevant to investigate the link between geology, minerals, organics and biota. Preliminary results from a multidisciplinary field campaign at Rio Tinto in Spain are presented.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550411000139","authors":["Bernard Foing","C. Stoker","P. Ehrenfreund"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Exploration of Mars","Terrain","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-04-28","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1017/s1473550411000139","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W1923125829","name":"The Astrobiology Primer: An Outline of General Knowledge—Version 1, 2006","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Astrobiology Primer has been created as a reference tool for those who are interested in the interdisciplinary field of astrobiology. The field incorporates many diverse research endeavors, but it is our hope that this slim volume will present the reader with all he or she needs to know to become involved and to understand, at least at a fundamental level, the state of the art. Each section includes a brief overview of a topic and a short list of readable and important literature for those interested in deeper knowledge. Because of the great diversity of material, each section was written by a different author with a different expertise. Contributors, authors, and editors are listed at the beginning, along with a list of those chapters and sections for which they were responsible. We are deeply indebted to the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI), in particular to Estelle Dodson, David Morrison, Ed Goolish, Krisstina Wilmoth, and Rose Grymes for their continued enthusiasm and support. The Primer came about in large part because of NAI support for graduate student research, collaboration, and inclusion as well as direct funding. We have entitled the Primer version 1 in hope that it will be only the first in a series, whose future volumes will be produced every 3-5 years. This way we can insure that the Primer keeps up with the current state of research. We hope that it will be a great resource for anyone trying to stay abreast of an ever-changing field.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2006.6.735","authors":["Editors: L.J. Mix, J.C. Armstrong, A.M. Mandell, A.C. Mosier, J. Raymond, S.N. Raymond, F.J. Stewart, K. von Braun, and O. Zhaxybayeva"],"tags":["Section (typography)","Enthusiasm","Astrobiology","State (computer science)","Library science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-10-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2006.6.735","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W4377138689","name":"Life on the Edge: Bioprospecting Extremophiles for Astrobiology","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Discovering exoplanets and satellites in habitable zones within and beyond our solar system has sparked intrigue in planetary setting varieties that could support life. Based on our understanding of life on Earth, we can shed light on the origin, evolution, and future of Earth-like organisms in the galaxy and predict extinct or extant extraterrestrial life. Hence, extremophiles thriving in mimic outer space environments are particularly interesting as they exhibit traits that preponderate our comprehension regarding the possibility of life elsewhere and in situ life detection. Additionally, many extremophiles have been used for astrobiological research model organisms to unveil native alien life or possible life-produced metabolites outside Earth. Laboratory-based simulation chambers mimic this outer space condition, helping researchers study life beyond Earth in near identical conditions and understand molecular mechanisms for survival. This review summarizes relevant studies with isolated microorganisms from extreme analog Earth environments, harnessing them as promising astrobiological model candidates for pursuing life potentialities in other planetary bodies. We also highlight the necessity of environmental simulation chamber approaches for mimicking extraterrestrial habitats.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s41745-023-00382-9","authors":["Júnia Schultz","Alef dos Santos","Niketan Patel","Alexandre Soares Rosado"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Life on Mars","Solar System","Extant taxon"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-05-19","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1007/s41745-023-00382-9","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2120501407","name":"Raman spectroscopic approach to analytical astrobiology: the detection of key geological and biomolecular markers in the search for life","source":"openalex","abstract":"You have accessMoreSectionsView PDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail Cite this article Edwards Howell G. M. 2010Raman spectroscopic approach to analytical astrobiology: the detection of key geological and biomolecular markers in the search for lifePhil. Trans. R. Soc. A.3683059–3065http://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2010.0100SectionYou have accessIntroductionRaman spectroscopic approach to analytical astrobiology: the detection of key geological and biomolecular markers in the search for life Howell G. M. Edwards Howell G. M. Edwards [email protected] Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for more papers by this author Howell G. M. Edwards Howell G. M. Edwards [email protected] Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for more papers by this author Published:13 July 2010https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2010.01001. PrologueThe compilation of this Theme Issue of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society on the theme of Raman spectroscopic analysis of materials from extreme environments is timely for several reasons, perhaps the most significant of these being the realization in the last decade that this technique can provide unique information about the limits of survival of biological organisms in terrestrial locations, where hitherto the prospects of finding life were thought to be minimal. The year 2009 marked the bicentenary of the birth of Charles Darwin and the sesquicentenary of the publication of his monumental work, On the Origin of Species by Natural Selection in November 1859. This book ran to six editions and it would be superfluous to comment here on the astounding debates that raged in the second half of the nineteenth century involving all aspects of arts and sciences and religion. Although today we associate Darwin’s work with evolution, it is interesting that this was only mentioned in the final and sixth edition, which also contained his first recognition of and counter argument against the claims then being made by theologians. Although Darwin himself did not have knowledge then of the extreme-tolerant, ‘extremophilic’, organisms that today we regard as ubiquitous, the analogy with the survival by natural selection of those organisms that were best suited to survive predatory attacks or environmental changes independently proposed by Alfred Russell Wallace and Darwin is quite similar in evolutionary terms to the birds, beetles and lizards that caused so much wonder from Darwin’s observations in the Galapagos Islands in the Beagle expedition of the 1830s.It is clear from the analytical data that have been obtained in recent years that the strategies being adopted by organisms in stressed environments, examples of which are tabulated in table 1, in life-threatening scenarios are critical for their survival and evolutionary behaviour. The key factors that have emerged suggest that the synthesis of particular suites of protective biochemicals that act as protectants and repair agents when damage has occurred, often in multi-functional roles, is critical for survival in these ‘limits of life’ situations. The correlation of the extreme terrestrial survival by Archaean cyanobacterial colonies that have had to adjust and evolve from a primitive and hostile Earth some 3.8 Gyr ago with the stresses of possible similar colonizations on our neighbouring planets and their satellites is now at the forefront of multidisciplinary research efforts to understand and evaluate these possibilities using unmanned planetary rovers and accompanying sensor instrumentation.Table 1.Terrestrial extremes for the survival of extremophilic organisms. Collapse temperaturePyrolobus fumarii (Volcano Island, Italy) 113°CChroococcidiopsis sp. (Mars Oasis, Antarctica) −15°Cpressure1200 barradiationDeinococcus radiodurans 5 Mrad (5000 times the fatal dose for humans)underground depth3.2 kmacidic pHpH 0.0basic pHpH 13.0longest in spaceBacillus subtilis 6 yr NASA sa","url":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2010.0100","authors":["Howell G. M. Edwards"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Key (lock)","Raman spectroscopy","Nanotechnology","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-06-07","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1098/rsta.2010.0100","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2035339467","name":"Mineral Surface Directed Membrane Assembly","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11084-006-9018-5","authors":["Martin M. Hanczyc","Sheref S. Mansy","Jack W. Szostak"],"tags":["Biopolymer","Chemistry","Amphiphile","Mineral","Montmorillonite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-08-14","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1007/s11084-006-9018-5","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2276352992","name":"Biosignatures on Mars: What, Where, and How? Implications for the Search for Martian Life","source":"openalex","abstract":"UNLABELLED: The search for traces of life is one of the principal objectives of Mars exploration. Central to this objective is the concept of habitability, the set of conditions that allows the appearance of life and successful establishment of microorganisms in any one location. While environmental conditions may have been conducive to the appearance of life early in martian history, habitable conditions were always heterogeneous on a spatial scale and in a geological time frame. This \"punctuated\" scenario of habitability would have had important consequences for the evolution of martian life, as well as for the presence and preservation of traces of life at a specific landing site. We hypothesize that, given the lack of long-term, continuous habitability, if martian life developed, it was (and may still be) chemotrophic and anaerobic. Obtaining nutrition from the same kinds of sources as early terrestrial chemotrophic life and living in the same kinds of environments, the fossilized traces of the latter serve as useful proxies for understanding the potential distribution of martian chemotrophs and their fossilized traces. Thus, comparison with analog, anaerobic, volcanic terrestrial environments (Early Archean >3.5-3.33 Ga) shows that the fossil remains of chemotrophs in such environments were common, although sparsely distributed, except in the vicinity of hydrothermal activity where nutrients were readily available. Moreover, the traces of these kinds of microorganisms can be well preserved, provided that they are rapidly mineralized and that the sediments in which they occur are rapidly cemented. We evaluate the biogenicity of these signatures by comparing them to possible abiotic features. Finally, we discuss the implications of different scenarios for life on Mars for detection by in situ exploration, ranging from its non-appearance, through preserved traces of life, to the presence of living microorganisms. KEY WORDS: Mars-Early Earth-Anaerobic chemotrophs-Biosignatures-Astrobiology missions to Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2015.1374","authors":["Francès Westall","Frédéric Foucher","N. Bost","Marylène Bertrand","D. Loizeau","Jorge L. Vago","Gerhard Kminek","F. Gaboyer","Kathleen A. Campbell","Jean‐Gabriel Bréhéret","Pascale Gautret","Charles S. Cockell"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Life on Mars","Habitability"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-11-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2015.1374","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2917196427","name":"Redox and pH gradients drive amino acid synthesis in iron oxyhydroxide mineral systems","source":"openalex","abstract":"Significance Amino acids are formed from simple organic precursors in iron oxyhydroxide mineral systems that contain geochemical gradients. Redox and pH gradients significantly impact reaction pathways: Amino acids only form when the mineral contains both oxidized and reduced iron, and when the surrounding solution is alkaline. This shows that aqueous, partially reducing iron mineral systems (which would have been common in early-Earth seafloor/vent environments) could have facilitated synthesis and concentration of prebiotic organic molecules relevant for the emergence of life. It also suggests that geochemical gradients in vent environments can drive product selectivity for prebiotic chemistry, perhaps leading to more complex organic reaction systems as these molecules continue to diffuse and react under different conditions within the gradients.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1812098116","authors":["Laura M. Barge","Erika Flores","Marc M. Baum","David G. VanderVelde","Michael J. Russell"],"tags":["Chemistry","Redox","Inorganic chemistry","Ferrous","Hydroxide"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-25","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.1812098116","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W1993799229","name":"The Chemical Reactivity of Lunar Dust: From Toxicity to Astrobiology","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11038-010-9376-x","authors":["David J. Loftus","Jon Rask","C. G. McCrossin","Erin M. Tranfield"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Reactivity (psychology)","Relevance (law)","Extraterrestrial life","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-12-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1007/s11038-010-9376-x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2791336266","name":"A Hydrothermal-Sedimentary Context for the Origin of Life","source":"openalex","abstract":"Critical to the origin of life are the ingredients of life, of course, but also the physical and chemical conditions in which prebiotic chemical reactions can take place. These factors place constraints on the types of Hadean environment in which life could have emerged. Many locations, ranging from hydrothermal vents and pumice rafts, through volcanic-hosted splash pools to continental springs and rivers, have been proposed for the emergence of life on Earth, each with respective advantages and certain disadvantages. However, there is another, hitherto unrecognized environment that, on the Hadean Earth (4.5-4.0 Ga), would have been more important than any other in terms of spatial and temporal scale: the sedimentary layer between oceanic crust and seawater. Using as an example sediments from the 3.5-3.33 Ga Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa, analogous at least on a local scale to those of the Hadean eon, we document constant permeation of the porous, carbonaceous, and reactive sedimentary layer by hydrothermal fluids emanating from the crust. This partially UV-protected, subaqueous sedimentary environment, characterized by physical and chemical gradients, represented a widespread system of miniature chemical reactors in which the production and complexification of prebiotic molecules could have led to the origin of life. Key Words: Origin of life-Hadean environment-Mineral surface reactions-Hydrothermal fluids-Archean volcanic sediments. Astrobiology 18, 259-293.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2017.1680","authors":["Francès Westall","Keyron Hickman‐Lewis","Nancy W. Hinman","Pascale Gautret","Kathleen A. Campbell","Jean‐Gabriel Bréhéret","Frédéric Foucher","Arnaud Hubert","S. Sorieul","Avinash Vicholous Dass","Terence P. Kee","Thomas Georgelin"],"tags":["Hadean","Abiogenesis","Early Earth","Archean","Sedimentary rock"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-02-28","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2017.1680","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4238517549","name":"Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2018.11.009","authors":["Raquel Quatrini","D. Barrie Johnson"],"tags":["Biology","Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans","Acidithiobacillus","Microbiology","Bioleaching"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-12-15","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1016/j.tim.2018.11.009","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2179569769","name":"Nucleoside phosphorylation by the mineral schreibersite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Phosphorylation of the nucleosides adenosine and uridine by the simple mixing and mild heating of aqueous solutions of the organic compounds with synthetic analogs of the meteoritic mineral schreibersite, (Fe,Ni)3P under slightly basic conditions (pH ~9) is reported. These results suggest a potential role for meteoritic phosphorus in the origin and development of early life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/srep17198","authors":["Maheen Gull","Mike Mojica","Facundo M. Fernández","David A. Gaul","Thomas M. Orlando","Charles L. Liotta","Matthew A. Pasek"],"tags":["Uridine","Nucleoside","Chemistry","Phosphorylation","Aqueous solution"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-11-26","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1038/srep17198","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2801106973","name":"Basaltic Terrains in Idaho and Hawai‘i as Planetary Analogs for Mars Geology and Astrobiology","source":"openalex","abstract":"Field research target regions within two basaltic geologic provinces are described as Earth analogs to Mars. Regions within the eastern Snake River Plain of Idaho and the Big Island of Hawai'i, the United States, provinces that represent analogs of present-day and early Mars, respectively, were evaluated on the basis of geologic settings, rock lithology and geochemistry, rock alteration, and climate. Each of these factors provides rationale for the selection of specific targets for field research in five analog target regions: (1) Big Craters and (2) Highway lava flows at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Idaho, and (3) Mauna Ulu low shield, (4) Kīlauea Iki lava lake, and (5) Kīlauea caldera in the Kīlauea Volcano summit region and the East Rift Zone of Hawai'i. Our evaluation of compositional and textural attributes, as well as the effects of syn- and posteruptive rock alteration, shows that basaltic terrains in Idaho and Hawai'i provide a way to characterize the geology and major geologic substrates that host biological activity of relevance to Mars exploration. This work provides the foundation to better understand the scientific questions related to the habitability of basaltic terrains, the rationale behind selecting analog field targets, and their applicability as analogs to Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2018.1847","authors":["S. S. Hughes","C. W. Haberle","S. E. Kobs Nawotniak","A. Sehlke","W. B. Garry","R. C. Elphic","Samuel J. Payler","Adam Stevens","Charles S. Cockell","Allyson L. Brady","J. L. Heldmann","D. S. S. Lim"],"tags":["Geology","Mars Exploration Program","Impact crater","Basalt","Lava"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-10-19","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2018.1847","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2081345082","name":"The Drive to Life on Wet and Icy Worlds","source":"openalex","abstract":"This paper presents a reformulation of the submarine alkaline hydrothermal theory for the emergence of life in response to recent experimental findings. The theory views life, like other self-organizing systems in the Universe, as an inevitable outcome of particular disequilibria. In this case, the disequilibria were two: (1) in redox potential, between hydrogen plus methane with the circuit-completing electron acceptors such as nitrite, nitrate, ferric iron, and carbon dioxide, and (2) in pH gradient between an acidulous external ocean and an alkaline hydrothermal fluid. Both CO2 and CH4 were equally the ultimate sources of organic carbon, and the metal sulfides and oxyhydroxides acted as protoenzymatic catalysts. The realization, now 50 years old, that membrane-spanning gradients, rather than organic intermediates, play a vital role in life's operations calls into question the idea of \"prebiotic chemistry.\" It informs our own suggestion that experimentation should look to the kind of nanoengines that must have been the precursors to molecular motors-such as pyrophosphate synthetase and the like driven by these gradients-that make life work. It is these putative free energy or disequilibria converters, presumably constructed from minerals comprising the earliest inorganic membranes, that, as obstacles to vectorial ionic flows, present themselves as the candidates for future experiments. Key Words: Methanotrophy-Origin of life. Astrobiology 14, 308-343. The fixation of inorganic carbon into organic material (autotrophy) is a prerequisite for life and sets the starting point of biological evolution. (Fuchs, 2011 ) Further significant progress with the tightly membrane-bound H(+)-PPase family should lead to an increased insight into basic requirements for the biological transport of protons through membranes and its coupling to phosphorylation. (Baltscheffsky et al., 1999 ).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2013.1110","authors":["Michael J. Russell","Laura M. Barge","R. Bhartia","Dylan Bocanegra","Paul J. Bracher","Elbert Branscomb","Richard Kidd","Shawn E. McGlynn","David H. Meier","Wolfgang Nitschke","Takazo Shibuya","S. Vance","Lauren M. White","I. Kanik"],"tags":["Abiogenesis","Chemistry","Autotroph","Hydrothermal vent","Extraterrestrial life"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-04-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2013.1110","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2165373832","name":"The Mineralosphere Concept: Mineralogical Control of the Distribution and Function of Mineral-associated Bacterial Communities","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2015.10.004","authors":["Stéphane Uroz","Laura Kelly","Marie‐Pierre Turpault","Cendrella Lepleux","Pascale Frey‐Klett"],"tags":["Weathering","Mineral","Soil water","Biology","Ecosystem"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-11-05","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1016/j.tim.2015.10.004","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W3022366071","name":"Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy as a tool in astrobiology","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2006.05.042","authors":["Christian Schröder","Brad Bailey","G. Klingelhöfer","Hubert Staudigel"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Mössbauer spectroscopy","Spectroscopy","Materials science","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-08-25","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1016/j.pss.2006.05.042","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W3153895946","name":"Technical development of characterization methods provides insights into clay mineral-water interactions: A comprehensive review","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2021.106088","authors":["Gaofeng Wang","Lingyu Ran","Jie Xu","Yuanyuan Wang","Lingya Ma","Runliang Zhu","Jingming Wei","Hongping He","Yunfei Xi","Jianxi Zhu"],"tags":["Clay minerals","Characterization (materials science)","Mineralogy","Mesoscopic physics","Small-angle X-ray scattering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-04-09","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1016/j.clay.2021.106088","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2980182901","name":"Effects of textile dyes on health and the environment and bioremediation potential of living organisms","source":"openalex","abstract":"The water is an essential resource for life on the planet and for human development. The textile industry is one of the anthropogenic activities that most consume water and pollute water bodies. Therefore, the present work aims to undertake a review on the main effects of the release of industrial dyes and the essential bioremediation mechanisms. The textile dyes significantly compromise the aesthetic quality of water bodies, increase biochemical and chemical oxygen demand (BOD and COD), impair photosynthesis, inhibit plant growth, enter the food chain, provide recalcitrance and bioaccumulation, and may promote toxicity, mutagenicity and carcinogenicity. In spite of this, the bioremediation of textile dyes, that is, the transformation or mineralization of these contaminants by the enzymatic action of plant, bacteria, extremophiles and fungi biomasses is fully possible. Another option is the adsorption. Despite some disadvantages, the bioremediation is essentially positive and can be progressively enhanced by modern biotechnological techniques that are related to the generation of more degrading and more resistant engineered organisms. This is a sustainable solution that provides a fundamental and innovative contribution to conventional physicochemical treatments. The resources of environmental biotechnology can, therefore, be used as tangible technological solutions for the treatment of textile dye effluents and are related to the ethical imperative of ensuring the minimum necessary for a quality life for the humankind.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biori.2019.09.001","authors":["Bruno Lellis","Cíntia Zani Fávaro-Polonio","João Alencar Pamphile","Júlio César Polonio"],"tags":["Bioremediation","Bioaccumulation","Environmental science","Mineralization (soil science)","Biochemical engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-07-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1016/j.biori.2019.09.001","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2114518869","name":"The origin and implications of clay minerals from Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover Curiosity has documented a section of fluvio-lacustrine strata at Yellowknife Bay (YKB), an embayment on the floor of Gale crater, approximately 500 m east of the Bradbury landing site. X-ray diffraction (XRD) data and evolved gas analysis (EGA) data from the CheMin and SAM instruments show that two powdered mudstone samples (named John Klein and Cumberland) drilled from the Sheepbed member of this succession contain up to ~20 wt% clay minerals. A trioctahedral smectite, likely a ferrian saponite, is the only clay mineral phase detected in these samples. Smectites of the two samples exhibit different 001 spacing under the low partial pressures of H 2 O inside the CheMin instrument (relative humidity <1%). Smectite interlayers in John Klein collapsed sometime between clay mineral formation and the time of analysis to a basal spacing of 10 , but largely remain open in the Cumberland sample with a basal spacing of ~13.2 . Partial intercalation of Cumberland smectites by metal-hydroxyl groups, a common process in certain pedogenic and lacustrine settings on Earth, is our favored explanation for these differences.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2015-5077ccbyncnd","authors":["T. F. Bristow","D. L. Bish","D. T. Vaniman","R. V. Morris","D. F. Blake","J. P. Grotzinger","E. B. Rampe","J. A. Crisp","C. N. Achilles","D. W. Ming","B. L. Ehlmann","P. L. King","J. C. Bridges","J. L. Eigenbrode","D. Y. Sumner","S. J. Chipera","J. M. Moorokian","A. H. Treiman","Shaunna M. Morrison","R. T. Downs","Jack D. Farmer","David L. Des Marais","P. C. Sarrazin","Melissa Floyd","M. Mischna","A. C. McAdam"],"tags":["Geology","Clay minerals","Diagenesis","Saponite","Nontronite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-04-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.2138/am-2015-5077ccbyncnd","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2885936347","name":"Disciplinary nature of astrobiology and astrobioethic’s epistemic foundations","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Astrobioethics is an emerging discipline that studies, evaluates and analyses the moral, legal and social issues of the search for life in the Universe. As a new field of study, it requires an epistemological foundation to be able to be recognized as an academic discipline. In order to achieve this, it is important to understand the disciplinary nature of astrobiology as a transdisciplinary form of research, above the multi and interdisciplinary levels, although this does not necessarily mean discarding them. In addition, the questions and topics of each subdivision of astrobioethics studies are specified and explained in this paper.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s147355041800023x","authors":["Octavio A. Chon-Torres"],"tags":["Discipline","Epistemology","Foundation (evidence)","Astrobiology","Interdisciplinarity"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-08-10","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1017/s147355041800023x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W1540426495","name":"<scp>UV</scp> ‐resistant yeasts isolated from a high‐altitude volcanic area on the Atacama Desert as eukaryotic models for astrobiology","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Sairecabur volcano (5971 m), in the Atacama Desert, is a high-altitude extreme environment with high daily temperature variations, acidic soils, intense UV radiation, and low availability of water. Four different species of yeasts were isolated from this region using oligotrophic media, identified and characterized for their tolerance to extreme conditions. rRNA sequencing revealed high identity (>98%) to Cryptococcus friedmannii, Exophiala sp., Holtermanniella watticus, and Rhodosporidium toruloides. To our knowledge, this is the first report of these yeasts in the Atacama Desert. All isolates showed high resistance to UV-C, UV-B and environmental-UV radiation, capacity to grow at moderate saline media (0.75-2.25 mol/L NaCl) and at moderate to cold temperatures, being C. friedmannii and H. watticus able to grow in temperatures down to -6.5°C. The presence of pigments, analyzed by Raman spectroscopy, correlated with UV resistance in some cases, but there is evidence that, on the natural environment, other molecular mechanisms may be as important as pigmentation, which has implications for the search of spectroscopic biosignatures on planetary surfaces. Due to the extreme tolerances of the isolated yeasts, these organisms represent interesting eukaryotic models for astrobiological purposes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/mbo3.262","authors":["André Arashiro Pulschen","Fábio Rodrigues","Rubens Tadeu Delgado Duarte","Gabriel Guarany de Araujo","Iara Furtado Santiago","Ivan G. Paulino‐Lima","Carlos A. Rosa","Massuo J. Kato","Vivian H. Pellizari","Douglas Galante"],"tags":["Volcano","Desert (philosophy)","Astrobiology","Geology","Hydrothermal vent"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-07-04","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1002/mbo3.262","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2560666141","name":"Oxidants at the Surface of Mars: A Review in Light of Recent Exploration Results","source":"openalex","abstract":"In 1976, the Viking landers carried out the most comprehensive search for organics and microbial life in the martian regolith. Their results indicate that Mars' surface is lifeless and, surprisingly, depleted in organics at part-per-billion levels. Several biology experiments on the Viking landers gave controversial results that have since been explained by the presence of oxidizing agents on the surface of Mars. These oxidants may degrade abiotic or biological organics, resulting in their nondetection in the regolith. As several exploration missions currently focus on the detection of organics on Mars (or will do so in the near future), knowledge of the oxidative state of the surface is fundamental. It will allow for determination of the capability of organics to survive on a geological timescale, the most favorable places to seek them, and the best methods to process the samples collected at the surface. With this aim, we review the main oxidants assumed to be present on Mars, their possible formation pathways, and those laboratory studies in which their reactivity with organics under Mars-like conditions has been evaluated. Among the oxidants assumed to be present on Mars, only four have been detected so far: perchlorate ions (ClO 4 − ) in salts, hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) in the atmosphere, and clays and metal oxides composing surface minerals. Clays have been suggested as catalysts for the oxidation of organics but are treated as oxidants in the following to keep the structure of this article straightforward. This work provides an insight into the oxidizing potential of the surface of Mars and an estimate of the stability of organic matter in an oxidizing environment. Key Words: Mars surface—Astrobiology—Oxidant—Chemical reactions. Astrobiology 16, 977–996.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2016.1502","authors":["Jérôme Lasne","Audrey Noblet","Cyril Szopa","R. Navarro‐González","M. Cabane","Olivier Poch","F. Stalport","P. François","S. K. Atreya","Patrice Coll"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Regolith","Martian surface","Martian"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-12-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2016.1502","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W3070110541","name":"The Astrobiology of Alien Worlds: Known and Unknown Forms of Life","source":"openalex","abstract":"Most definitions of life assume that, at a minimum, life is a physical form of matter distinct from its environment at a lower state of entropy than its surroundings, using energy from the environment for internal maintenance and activity, and capable of autonomous reproduction. These assumptions cover all of life as we know it, though more exotic entities can be envisioned, including organic forms with novel biochemistries, dynamic inorganic matter, and self-replicating machines. The probability that any particular form of life will be found on another planetary body depends on the nature and history of that alien world. So the biospheres would likely be very different on a rocky planet with an ice-covered global ocean, a barren planet devoid of surface liquid, a frigid world with abundant liquid hydrocarbons, on a rogue planet independent of a host star, on a tidally locked planet, on super-Earths, or in long-lived clouds in dense atmospheres. While life at least in microbial form is probably pervasive if rare throughout the Universe, and technologically advanced life is likely much rarer, the chance that an alternative form of life, though not intelligent life, could exist and be detected within our Solar System is a distinct possibility.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/universe6090130","authors":["Louis N. Irwin","Dirk Schulze‐Makuch"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Planet","Abiogenesis","Extraterrestrial life","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-08-20","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.3390/universe6090130","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"oa:W1982497417","name":"Genesis: Rocks, Minerals, and the Geochemical Origin of Life","source":"openalex","abstract":"Research Article| June 01, 2005 Genesis: Rocks, Minerals, and the Geochemical Origin of Life Robert M. Hazen Robert M. Hazen Guest Editor 1Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution and NASA Astrobiology Institute, 5251 Broad Branch Road NW, Washington, DC 20015, USA E-mail: r.hazen@gl.ciw.edu Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Elements (2005) 1 (3): 135–137. https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.1.3.135 Article history first online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share MailTo Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Robert M. Hazen; Genesis: Rocks, Minerals, and the Geochemical Origin of Life. Elements 2005;; 1 (3): 135–137. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.1.3.135 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyElements Search Advanced Search Abstract Life arose on the young Earth as a natural chemical process. More than half a century of experimental research has underscored the dynamic interactions of atmosphere, oceans, and rocks that fostered this ancient transition from geochemistry to biochemistry. Researchers on the origin of life now conclude that rocks and minerals must have played key roles in virtually every phase of life's emergence—they catalyzed the synthesis of key biomolecules; they selected, protected, and concentrated those molecules; they jump-started metabolism; and they may even have acted as life's first genetic system. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.1.3.135","authors":["Robert M. Hazen"],"tags":["Citation","Icon","Astrobiology","Library science","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-06-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.2113/gselements.1.3.135","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2793628869","name":"Halophilic-psychrotrophic bacteria of an Alaskan cryopeg—a model for astrobiology","source":"openalex","abstract":"Cryopegs, lenses of hypersaline unfrozen soil or water within permafrost, are a model for astrobiology, since free water can only be present on cryogenic bodies and planets in the form of brine. In this paper the diversity of aerobic halophilic-psychrotrophic microorganisms from an Alaskan cryopeg (Barrow Cape) were studied and described for the first time. This cryopeg is characterized by a constant subzero temperature (–7°C), high salinity (total mineralization is about 120 g/L) and isolation from external influences for a geologically significant period of time. Our study has revealed a large number of microorganisms capable of growth at low temperature (4°C) in a wide range of salinities from 5 to 250 g/L of NaCl, the latter being 3 times higher than the natural salt concentration of the Alaskan cryopeg. The microorganisms identified are comprised of four major phyla: Actinobacteria (genera Brevibacterium , Citricoccus , Microbacterium ), Firmicutes (genus Paenibacillus ), Bacteroidetes (genus Sphingobacterium ), and Proteobacteria (genus Ochrobactrum ).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1134/s0031030117120036","authors":["Elena Spirina","E. V. Durdenko","Nikita Demidov","Andrey Abramov","V. E. Romanovsky","Elizaveta Rivkina"],"tags":["Actinobacteria","Halophile","Firmicutes","Halomonas","Biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-12-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1134/s0031030117120036","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2802672221","name":"Mineral Surface-Templated Self-Assembling Systems: Case Studies from Nanoscience and Surface Science towards Origins of Life Research","source":"openalex","abstract":"An increasing body of evidence relates the wide range of benefits mineral surfaces offer for the development of early living systems, including adsorption of small molecules from the aqueous phase, formation of monomeric subunits and their subsequent polymerization, and supramolecular assembly of biopolymers and other biomolecules. Each of these processes was likely a necessary stage in the emergence of life on Earth. Here, we compile evidence that templating and enhancement of prebiotically-relevant self-assembling systems by mineral surfaces offers a route to increased structural, functional, and/or chemical complexity. This increase in complexity could have been achieved by early living systems before the advent of evolvable systems and would not have required the generally energetically unfavorable formation of covalent bonds such as phosphodiester or peptide bonds. In this review we will focus on various case studies of prebiotically-relevant mineral-templated self-assembling systems, including supramolecular assemblies of peptides and nucleic acids, from nanoscience and surface science. These fields contain valuable information that is not yet fully being utilized by the origins of life and astrobiology research communities. Some of the self-assemblies that we present can promote the formation of new mineral surfaces, similar to biomineralization, which can then catalyze more essential prebiotic reactions; this could have resulted in a symbiotic feedback loop by which geology and primitive pre-living systems were closely linked to one another even before life&rsquo;s origin. We hope that the ideas presented herein will seed some interesting discussions and new collaborations between nanoscience/surface science researchers and origins of life/astrobiology researchers.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life8020010","authors":["Richard J. Gillams","Tony Z. Jia"],"tags":["Nanotechnology","Mineral","Surface (topology)","Biomineralization","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-05-08","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.3390/life8020010","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2053782225","name":"Basaltic glass as a habitat for microbial life: Implications for astrobiology and planetary exploration","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2009.09.014","authors":["M. R. M. Izawa","Neil R. Banerjee","R. L. Flemming","N. J. Bridge","Cynthia E. Schultz"],"tags":["Basalt","Geology","Astrobiology","Mars Exploration Program","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-09-21","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1016/j.pss.2009.09.014","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W2732794720","name":"The Raman Laser Spectrometer for the ExoMars Rover Mission to Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Raman Laser Spectrometer (RLS) on board the ESA/Roscosmos ExoMars 2020 mission will provide precise identification of the mineral phases and the possibility to detect organics on the Red Planet. The RLS will work on the powdered samples prepared inside the Pasteur analytical suite and collected on the surface and subsurface by a drill system. Raman spectroscopy is a well-known analytical technique based on the inelastic scattering by matter of incident monochromatic light (the Raman effect) that has many applications in laboratory and industry, yet to be used in space applications. Raman spectrometers will be included in two Mars rovers scheduled to be launched in 2020. The Raman instrument for ExoMars 2020 consists of three main units: (1) a transmission spectrograph coupled to a CCD detector; (2) an electronics box, including the excitation laser that controls the instrument functions; and (3) an optical head with an autofocus mechanism illuminating and collecting the scattered light from the spot under investigation. The optical head is connected to the excitation laser and the spectrometer by optical fibers. The instrument also has two targets positioned inside the rover analytical laboratory for onboard Raman spectral calibration. The aim of this article was to present a detailed description of the RLS instrument, including its operation on Mars. To verify RLS operation before launch and to prepare science scenarios for the mission, a simulator of the sample analysis chain has been developed by the team. The results obtained are also discussed. Finally, the potential of the Raman instrument for use in field conditions is addressed. By using a ruggedized prototype, also developed by our team, a wide range of terrestrial analog sites across the world have been studied. These investigations allowed preparing a large collection of real, in situ spectra of samples from different geological processes and periods of Earth evolution. On this basis, we are working to develop models for interpreting analog processes on Mars during the mission. Key Words: Raman spectroscopy—ExoMars mission—Instruments and techniques—Planetary sciences—Mars mineralogy and geochemistry—Search for life on Mars. Astrobiology 17, 627–654.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2016.1567","authors":["F. Rull","S. Maurice","Ian Hutchinson","Andoni Moral","Carlos Pérez","Carlos Díaz","M. Colombo","Tomás Belenguer","G. López-Reyes","A. Sansano","O. Forni","Yann Parot","Nicolas Striebig","S. Woodward","C. Howe","Nicolau Tarcea","Pablo Rodríguez","Laura Seoane","Amaia Santiago","Jose A. Rodriguez-Prieto","J. Medina","P. Gallego","R. Canchal","P. Santamaría","G. Ramos","Jorge L. Vago","on behalf of the RLS Team"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Raman spectroscopy","Spectrometer","Optics","Spectrograph"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2016.1567","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2309579632","name":"The biogeochemical iron cycle and astrobiology","source":"openalex","abstract":"Biogeochemistry investigates chemical cycles which influence or are influenced by biological activity. Astrobiology studies the origin, evolution and distribution of life in the universe. The biogeochemical Fe cycle has controlled major nutrient cycles such as the C cycle throughout geological time. Iron sulfide minerals may have provided energy and surfaces for the first pioneer organisms on Earth. Banded iron formations document the evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis. To assess the potential habitability of planets other than Earth one looks for water, an energy source and a C source. On Mars, for example, Fe minerals have provided evidence for the past presence of liquid water on its surface and would provide a viable energy source. Here we present Mössbauer spectroscopy investigations of Fe and C cycle interactions in both ancient and modern environments. Experiments to simulate the diagenesis of banded iron formations indicate that the formation of ferrous minerals depends on the amount of biomass buried with ferric precursors rather than on the atmospheric composition at the time of deposition. Mössbauer spectra further reveal the mutual stabilisation of Fe-organic matter complexes against mineral transformation and decay of organic matter into CO 2 . This corresponds to observations of a ‘rusty carbon sink’ in modern sediments. The stabilisation of Fe-organic matter complexes may also aid transport of particulate Fe in the water column while having an adverse effect on the bioavailability of Fe. In the modern oxic ocean, Fe is insoluble and particulate Fe represents an important source. Collecting that particulate Fe yields small sample sizes that would pose a challenge for conventional Mössbauer experiments. We demonstrate that the unique properties of the beam used in synchrotron-based Mössbauer applications can be utilized for studying such samples effectively. Reactive Fe species often occur in amorphous or nanoparticulate form in the environment and are therefore difficult to study with standard mineralogical tools. Sequential extraction techniques are commonly used as proxies. We provide an example where Mössbauer spectroscopy can replace sequential extraction techniques where mineralogical information is sought. Where mineral separation is needed, for example in the investigation of Fe or S isotope fractionation, Mössbauer spectroscopy can help to optimize sequential extraction procedures. This can be employed in a large number of investigations of soils and sediments, potentially even for mineral separation to study Fe and S isotope fractionation in samples returned from Mars, which might reveal signatures of biological activity. When looking for the possibility of life outside Earth, Jupiter’s icy moon Europa is one of the most exciting places. It may be just in reach for a Mössbauer spectrometer deployed by a future lander to study the red streak mineral deposits on its surface to look for clues about the composition of the ocean hidden under the moon’s icy surface.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10751-016-1289-2","authors":["Christian Schröder","Inga Köhler","François L. L. Muller","A. I. Chumakov","Ilya Kupenko","R. Rüffer","Andreas Kappler"],"tags":["Biogeochemical cycle","Astrobiology","Environmental science","Chemistry","Environmental chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-03-21","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1007/s10751-016-1289-2","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W4307555342","name":"Viruses in astrobiology","source":"openalex","abstract":"Viruses are the most abundant biological entities on Earth, and yet, they have not received enough consideration in astrobiology. Viruses are also extraordinarily diverse, which is evident in the types of relationships they establish with their host, their strategies to store and replicate their genetic information and the enormous diversity of genes they contain. A viral population, especially if it corresponds to a virus with an RNA genome, can contain an array of sequence variants that greatly exceeds what is present in most cell populations. The fact that viruses always need cellular resources to multiply means that they establish very close interactions with cells. Although in the short term these relationships may appear to be negative for life, it is evident that they can be beneficial in the long term. Viruses are one of the most powerful selective pressures that exist, accelerating the evolution of defense mechanisms in the cellular world. They can also exchange genetic material with the host during the infection process, providing organisms with capacities that favor the colonization of new ecological niches or confer an advantage over competitors, just to cite a few examples. In addition, viruses have a relevant participation in the biogeochemical cycles of our planet, contributing to the recycling of the matter necessary for the maintenance of life. Therefore, although viruses have traditionally been excluded from the tree of life, the structure of this tree is largely the result of the interactions that have been established throughout the intertwined history of the cellular and the viral worlds. We do not know how other possible biospheres outside our planet could be, but it is clear that viruses play an essential role in the terrestrial one. Therefore, they must be taken into account both to improve our understanding of life that we know, and to understand other possible lives that might exist in the cosmos.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.1032918","authors":["Ignacio de la Higuera","Ester Lázaro"],"tags":["Biology","Tree of life (biology)","Viral evolution","Organism","Evolutionary biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-26","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.3389/fmicb.2022.1032918","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W4387755404","name":"The relevance of fungi in astrobiology research – Astromycology","source":"openalex","abstract":"Since the very first steps of space exploration, fungi have been recorded as contaminants, hitchhikers, or as part of missions’ crews and payloads. Because fungi can cause human disease and are highly active decomposers, their presence in a space-linked context has been a source of major concern given their possible detrimental effects on crews and space structures. However, fungi can also be beneficial and be used for many space applications. The exact effects on fungi are not always clear as they possess high adaptability and plasticity, and their phenotypes and genotypes can undergo several changes under the extreme conditions found in space, thus leading to different results than those we would have on Earth. Understanding and analysing these aspects is the subject of astromycology, a research field within astrobiology. The impending situation of a resurgent space race is expected to boost astromycology’s visibility and importance. However, researchers lack both a framework and a solid base of knowledge from which to contextualise their work. This critical review addresses this gap by conceptualising the field of astromycology, covering key research and current questions pertaining to the field, and providing a relevant research instrument for future work.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5943/mycosphere/14/1/13","authors":["MF Simões","Marta Cortesão","Armando Azúa-Bustos","F-Y Bai","Fabiana Canini","Arturo Casadevall","Alessia Cassaro","RJB Cordero","AG Fairén","Carolina González","Nina Gunde‐Cimerman","Stephanie Koch"],"tags":["Biology","Relevance (law)","Astrobiology","Political science","Law"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.5943/mycosphere/14/1/13","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W3164421158","name":"Portable Raman Spectroscopy in Field Geology and Astrobiology Applications","source":"openalex","abstract":"This chapter reviews the application of miniaturized Raman spectroscopic instrumentation for terrestrial geological field applications, which has demonstrated the feasibility of analyzing materials in situ and without the need for removal of specimens to study using laboratory fixed-base instrumentation. A particular feature of the use of Raman spectroscopic instrumentation in these environments is the capability to detect the presence of extremophilic biological and biogeological materials arising from organisms that have modified their geological niche environments. Detecting low concentrations of biomarkers in the frame of host mineral matrices for future use in search for life space missions seems to be the important challenge for instrumentation in the astrobiology area. A Raman spectral biosignature is a unique band from a compound that has been synthesized exclusively by biological organisms, henceforth known as a biomarker, and which ideally is relatively stable under niche astrogeological conditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119636489.ch39","authors":["Howell G. M. Edwards","Jan Jehlička","Adam Culka"],"tags":["Instrumentation (computer programming)","Raman spectroscopy","Astrobiology","Remote sensing","Nanotechnology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-04-27","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1002/9781119636489.ch39","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2003867237","name":"Question 2: Relation of Panspermia-Hypothesis to Astrobiology","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11084-007-9074-5","authors":["Zbigniew Paweł Zagórski"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Abiogenesis","Homochirality","Chemistry","Earth (classical element)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-06-25","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1007/s11084-007-9074-5","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W4380264474","name":"Future space experiment platforms for astrobiology and astrochemistry research","source":"openalex","abstract":"Space experiments are a technically challenging but a scientifically important part of astrobiology and astrochemistry research. The International Space Station (ISS) is an excellent example of a highly successful and long-lasting research platform for experiments in space, that has provided a wealth of scientific data over the last two decades. However, future space platforms present new opportunities to conduct experiments with the potential to address key topics in astrobiology and astrochemistry. In this perspective, the European Space Agency (ESA) Topical Team Astrobiology and Astrochemistry (with feedback from the wider scientific community) identifies a number of key topics and summarizes the 2021 \"ESA SciSpacE Science Community White Paper\" for astrobiology and astrochemistry. We highlight recommendations for the development and implementation of future experiments, discuss types of in situ measurements, experimental parameters, exposure scenarios and orbits, and identify knowledge gaps and how to advance scientific utilization of future space-exposure platforms that are either currently under development or in an advanced planning stage. In addition to the ISS, these platforms include CubeSats and SmallSats, as well as larger platforms such as the Lunar Orbital Gateway. We also provide an outlook for in situ experiments on the Moon and Mars, and welcome new possibilities to support the search for exoplanets and potential biosignatures within and beyond our solar system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-023-00292-1","authors":["Andreas Elsaesser","David J. Burr","P. Mabey","Riccardo Giovanni Urso","Daniela Billi","Charles S. Cockell","Hervé Cottin","Adrienne Kish","Natalie Leys","Jack J. W. A. van Loon","Eva Mateo‐Martí","Christine Moissl‐Eichinger","Silvano Onofri","R. C. Quinn","Elke Rabbow","Petra Rettberg","Rosa de la Torre Noetzel","Klaus Slenzka","Antonio J. Ricco","Jean‐Pierre de Vera","Francès Westall"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Astrochemistry","Space exploration","Mars Exploration Program","Space (punctuation)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-06-12","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1038/s41526-023-00292-1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2117746125","name":"Principles of demineralization: Modern strategies for the isolation of organic frameworks","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micron.2008.02.004","authors":["Hermann Ehrlich","Petros G. Koutsoukos","Konstantinos D. Demadis","Oleg S. Pokrovsky"],"tags":["Demineralization","Biomineralization","Materials science","Chemistry","Nanotechnology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-02-19","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1016/j.micron.2008.02.004","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2736976665","name":"The MicrOmega Investigation Onboard ExoMars","source":"openalex","abstract":"MicrOmega is a visible near-infrared hyperspectral microscope that is designed to characterize the texture and composition of martian samples presented to the instrument within the ExoMars rover's analytical laboratory drawer. The spectral range (0.5–3.65 μm) and the spectral sampling (20 cm−1 from 0.95 to 3.65 μm) of MicrOmega have been chosen to allow the identification of most constituent minerals, ices/frosts, and organics with astrobiological relevance within each 20 × 20 μm2 pixel over a 5 × 5 mm2 field of view. Such an unprecedented characterization will enable (1) identification of most major and minor phases, including the potential organics; (2) ascription of their mineralogical context, as a critical set of clues with which to decipher their formation process; and (3) location of specific grains or regions of interest in the samples, which will be further analyzed by Raman Laser Spectrometer and/or Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer. Key Words: Spectroscopy—Microscopy—Composition—Organics—Mineralogy. Astrobiology 17, 621–626.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2016.1642","authors":["Jean‐Pierre Bibring","Vincent Hamm","C. Pilorget","Jorge L. Vago","the MicrOmega Team"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Hyperspectral imaging","Context (archaeology)","Mars Exploration Program","Martian"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2016.1642","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2155638346","name":"A Conspicuous Clay Ovoid in Nakhla: Evidence for Subsurface Hydrothermal Alteration on Mars with Implications for Astrobiology","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract A conspicuous biomorphic ovoid structure has been discovered in the Nakhla martian meteorite, made of nanocrystalline iron-rich saponitic clay and amorphous material. The ovoid is indigenous to Nakhla and occurs within a late-formed amorphous mesostasis region of rhyolitic composition that is interstitial to two clinopyroxene grains with Al-rich rims, and contains acicular apatite crystals, olivine, sulfides, Ti-rich magnetite, and a new mineral of the rhoenite group. To infer the origin of the ovoid, a large set of analytical tools was employed, including scanning electron microscopy and backscattered electron imaging, wavelength-dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray mapping, Raman spectroscopy, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry analysis, high-resolution transmission electron microscope imaging, and atomic force microscope topographic mapping. The concentric wall of the ovoid surrounds an originally hollow volume and exhibits internal layering of contrasting nanotextures but uniform chemical composition, and likely inherited its overall shape from a preexisting vesicle in the mesostasis glass. A final fibrous layer of Fe-rich phases blankets the interior surfaces of the ovoid wall structure. There is evidence that the parent rock of Nakhla has undergone a shock event from a nearby bolide impact that melted the rims of pyroxene and the interstitial matter and initiated an igneous hydrothermal system of rapidly cooling fluids, which were progressively mixed with fluids from the melted permafrost. Sharp temperature gradients were responsible for the crystallization of Al-rich clinopyroxene rims, rhoenite, acicular apatites, and the quenching of the mesostasis glass and the vesicle. During the formation of the ovoid structure, episodic fluid infiltration events resulted in the precipitation of saponite rinds around the vesicle walls, altered pyrrhotite to marcasite, and then isolated the ovoid wall structure from the rest of the system by depositing a layer of iron oxides/hydroxides. Carbonates, halite, and sulfates were deposited last within interstitial spaces and along fractures. Among three plausible competing hypotheses here, this particular abiotic scenario is considered to be the most reasonable explanation for the formation of the ovoid structure in Nakhla, and although compelling evidence for a biotic origin is lacking, it is evident that the martian subsurface contains niche environments where life could develop.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2013.1069","authors":["Elias Chatzitheodoridis","Sarah J. Haigh","I. C. Lyon"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Chondrite","Magnetite","Acicular"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-07-21","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2013.1069","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2100921418","name":"Multi- and hyperspectral geologic remote sensing: A review","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2011.08.002","authors":["F.D. van der Meer","H.M.A. van der Werff","F.J.A. van Ruitenbeek","C.A. Hecker","W.T. Bakker","M. Noomen","M. van der Meijde","Emmanuel John M. Carranza","J.B. de Smeth","T. Woldai"],"tags":["Hyperspectral imaging","Remote sensing","Geography","Cartography","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-02","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1016/j.jag.2011.08.002","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W2297487250","name":"Mineralogy and astrobiology detection using laser remote sensing instrument","source":"openalex","abstract":"A multispectral instrument based on Raman, laser-induced fluorescence (LIF), laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), and a lidar system provides high-fidelity scientific investigations, scientific input, and science operation constraints in the context of planetary field campaigns with the Jupiter Europa Robotic Lander and Mars Sample Return mission opportunities. This instrument conducts scientific investigations analogous to investigations anticipated for missions to Mars and Jupiter's icy moons. This combined multispectral instrument is capable of performing Raman and fluorescence spectroscopy out to a >100 m target distance from the rover system and provides single-wavelength atmospheric profiling over long ranges (>20 km). In this article, we will reveal integrated remote Raman, LIF, and lidar technologies for use in robotic and lander-based planetary remote sensing applications. Discussions are focused on recently developed Raman, LIF, and lidar systems in addition to emphasizing surface water ice, surface and subsurface minerals, organics, biogenic, biomarker identification, atmospheric aerosols and clouds distributions, i.e., near-field atmospheric thin layers detection for next robotic-lander based instruments to measure all the above-mentioned parameters.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1364/ao.54.007598","authors":["M. N. Abedin","Arthur Bradley","Shiv K. Sharma","A. K. Misra","P. G. Lucey","Christopher P. McKay","Syed Ismail","Stephen P. Sandford"],"tags":["Remote sensing","Mars Exploration Program","Lidar","Multispectral image","Exploration of Mars"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-08-24","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1364/ao.54.007598","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.849Z"},{"id":"oa:W1979970612","name":"The role of microbes in the formation of modern and ancient phosphatic mineral deposits","source":"openalex","abstract":"The formation of marine phosphatic mineral deposits remains incompletely understood, despite decades of research. The involvement of bacteria in this process has long been suspected, and both modern and ancient associations between bacteria and phosphorites have been recorded. Only recently has a specific bacterial metabolic process associated with the formation of phosphorites been discovered. Recent studies demonstrate that polyphosphate utilization by sulfide-oxidizing bacteria results in the rapid precipitation of apatite - providing at least a partial mechanism to explain the close spatial correlation between accumulations of sulfide-oxidizing bacteria and modern phosphorites. Possible fossilized bacteria are known from ancient phosphatic mineral deposits. Potentially, the fossilized cells represent the remains of bacteria that induced the formation of those phosphorites. However, robust criteria for the recognition of these bacteria have yet to be identified.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2012.00241","authors":["Chris H. Crosby","Jake V. Bailey"],"tags":["Mineral","Geochemistry","Geology","Mineralogy","Biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.3389/fmicb.2012.00241","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"oa:W2745760151","name":"Experimentally Testing Hydrothermal Vent Origin of Life on Enceladus and Other Icy/Ocean Worlds","source":"openalex","abstract":"We review various laboratory strategies and methods that can be utilized to simulate prebiotic processes and origin of life in hydrothermal vent systems on icy/ocean worlds. Crucial steps that could be simulated in the laboratory include simulations of water-rock chemistry (e.g., serpentinization) to produce hydrothermal fluids, the types of mineral catalysts and energy gradients produced in vent interfaces where hydrothermal fluids interface with the surrounding seawater, and simulations of biologically relevant chemistry in flow-through gradient systems (i.e., far-from-equilibrium experiments). We describe some examples of experimental designs in detail, which are adaptable and could be used to test particular hypotheses about ocean world energetics or mineral/organic chemistry. Enceladus among the ocean worlds provides an ideal test case, since the pressure at the ocean floor is more easily simulated in the lab. Results for Enceladus could be extrapolated with further experiments and modeling to understand other ocean worlds. Key Words: Enceladus-Ocean worlds-Icy worlds-Hydrothermal vent-Iron sulfide-Gradient. Astrobiology 17, 820-833.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2016.1633","authors":["Laura M. Barge","Lauren M. White"],"tags":["Enceladus","Hydrothermal vent","Astrobiology","Abiogenesis","Icy moon"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-08-24","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2016.1633","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"oa:W2338236400","name":"Technical note: Mineralogical, chemical, morphological, and opticalinterrelationships of mineral dust re-suspensions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. This paper promotes an understanding of the mineralogical, chemical, and physical interrelationships of re-suspended mineral dusts collected as grab samples from global dust sources. Surface soils were collected from arid regions, including the southwestern USA, Mali, Chad, Morocco, Canary Islands, Cabo Verde, Djibouti, Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Serbia, China, Namibia, Botswana, Australia, and Chile. The &lt; 38 µm sieved fraction of each sample was re-suspended in a chamber, from which the airborne mineral dust could be extracted, sampled, and analyzed. Instruments integrated into the entrainment facility included two PM10 and two PM2.5 filter samplers, a beta attenuation gauge for the continuous measurement of PM10 and PM2.5 particulate mass fractions, an aerodynamic particle size analyzer, and a three-wavelength (405, 532, 781 nm) photoacoustic instrument with integrating reciprocal nephelometer for monitoring absorption and scattering coefficients during the dust re-suspension process. Filter sampling media included Teflon® membrane and quartz fiber filters for chemical analysis and Nuclepore® filters for individual particle analysis by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The &lt; 38 µm sieved fractions were also analyzed by X-ray diffraction for their mineral content while the &gt; 75, &lt; 125 µm soil fractions were mineralogically assessed by optical microscopy. Presented here are results of the optical measurements, showing the interdependency of single-scattering albedos (SSA) at three different wavelengths and mineralogical content of the entrained dust samples. To explain the elevated concentrations of iron (Fe) and Fe ∕ Al ratios in the soil re-suspensions, we propose that dust particles are to a large extent composed of nano-sized particles of micas, clays, metal oxides, and ions of potassium (K+), calcium (Ca2+), and sodium (Na+) evenly dispersed as a colloid or adsorbed in amorphous clay-like material. Also shown are differences in SSA of the kaolinite/hematite/goethite samples from Mali and those from colloidal soils elsewhere. Results from this study can be integrated into a database of mineral dust properties, for applications in climate modeling, remote sensing, visibility, health (medical geology), ocean fertilization, and impact on equipment.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-10809-2016","authors":["Johann Engelbrecht","Hans Moosmüller","Samuel Pincock","R. K.M. “Jay” Jayanty","Traci L. Lersch","Gary S. Casuccio"],"tags":["Mineral dust","Mineralogy","Dust storm","Suspension (topology)","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-08-31","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.5194/acp-16-10809-2016","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"oa:W1990802113","name":"Planetary Atmosphere and Surfaces Chamber (PASC): A Platform to Address Various Challenges in Astrobiology","source":"openalex","abstract":"The study of planetary environments of astrobiological interest has become a major challenge. Because of the obvious technical and economical limitations on in situ planetary exploration, laboratory simulations are one of the most feasible research options to make advances both in planetary science and in developing a consistent description of the origin of life. With this objective in mind, we applied vacuum technology to the design of versatile vacuum chambers devoted to the simulation of planetary atmospheres’ conditions. These vacuum chambers are able to simulate atmospheres and surface temperatures representative of the majority of planetary objects, and they are especially appropriate for studying the physical, chemical and biological changes induced in a particular sample by in situ irradiation or physical parameters in a controlled environment. Vacuum chambers are a promising potential tool in several scientific and technological fields, such as engineering, chemistry, geology and biology. They also offer the possibility of discriminating between the effects of individual physical parameters and selected combinations thereof. The implementation of our vacuum chambers in combination with analytical techniques was specifically developed to make feasible the in situ physico-chemical characterization of samples. Many wide-ranging applications in astrobiology are detailed herein to provide an understanding of the potential and flexibility of these experimental systems. Instruments and engineering technology for space applications could take advantage of our environment-simulation chambers for sensor calibration. Our systems also provide the opportunity to gain a greater understanding of the chemical reactivity of molecules on surfaces under different environments, thereby leading to a greater understanding of interface processes in prebiotic chemical reactions and facilitating studies of UV photostability and photochemistry on surfaces. Furthermore, the stability and presence of certain minerals on planetary surfaces and the potential habitability of microorganisms under various planetary environmental conditions can be studied using our apparatus. Therefore, these simulation chambers can address multiple different challenging and multidisciplinary astrobiological studies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/challe5020213","authors":["Eva Mateo‐Martí"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Flexibility (engineering)","Atmosphere (unit)","Planetary exploration","Characterization (materials science)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-08-08","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.3390/challe5020213","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"oa:W2963039262","name":"Deciphering Biosignatures in Planetary Contexts","source":"openalex","abstract":"Microbial life permeates Earth's critical zone and has likely inhabited nearly all our planet's surface and near subsurface since before the beginning of the sedimentary rock record. Given the vast time that Earth has been teeming with life, do astrobiologists truly understand what geological features untouched by biological processes would look like? In the search for extraterrestrial life in the Universe, it is critical to determine what constitutes a biosignature across multiple scales, and how this compares with “abiosignatures” formed by nonliving processes. Developing standards for abiotic and biotic characteristics would provide quantitative metrics for comparison across different data types and observational time frames. The evidence for life detection falls into three categories of biosignatures: (1) substances, such as elemental abundances, isotopes, molecules, allotropes, enantiomers, minerals, and their associated properties; (2) objects that are physical features such as mats, fossils including trace-fossils and microbialites (stromatolites), and concretions; and (3) patterns, such as physical three-dimensional or conceptual n -dimensional relationships of physical or chemical phenomena, including patterns of intermolecular abundances of organic homologues, and patterns of stable isotopic abundances between and within compounds. Five key challenges that warrant future exploration by the astrobiology community include the following: (1) examining phenomena at the “right” spatial scales because biosignatures may elude us if not examined with the appropriate instrumentation or modeling approach at that specific scale; (2) identifying the precise context across multiple spatial and temporal scales to understand how tangible biosignatures may or may not be preserved; (3) increasing capability to mine big data sets to reveal relationships, for example, how Earth's mineral diversity may have evolved in conjunction with life; (4) leveraging cyberinfrastructure for data management of biosignature types, characteristics, and classifications; and (5) using three-dimensional to n -D representations of biotic and abiotic models overlain on multiple overlapping spatial and temporal relationships to provide new insights.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2018.1903","authors":["Marjorie A. Chan","Nancy W. Hinman","Sally L. Potter‐McIntyre","Keith E. Schubert","Richard J. Gillams","Stanley M. Awramik","Penelope J. Boston","D. M. Bower","David J. Des Marais","Jack D. Farmer","Tony Z. Jia","P. L. King"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Context (archaeology)","Geologic record","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-07-23","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2018.1903","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W4384157268","name":"A comprehensive and consistent mineral dissolution rate database: Part II: Secondary silicate minerals","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2023.121632","authors":["Matylda Heřmanská","Martin Voigt","Chiara Marieni","Julien Declercq","Éric H. Oelkers"],"tags":["Dissolution","Silicate","Silicate minerals","Mineralogy","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-13","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1016/j.chemgeo.2023.121632","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"oa:W2998967490","name":"Multiple mineral horizons in layered outcrops at Mawrth Vallis, Mars, signify changing geochemical environments on early Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Refined calibrations of CRISM images are enabling identification of smaller deposits of unique aqueous materials on Mars that reveal changing environmental conditions at the region surrounding Mawrth Vallis. Through characterization of these clay-sulfate assemblages and their association with the layered, phyllosilicate units of this region, more details of the aqueous geochemical history can be gleaned. A stratigraphy including five distinct mineral horizons is mapped using compositional data from CRISM over CTX and HRSC imagery across 100s of km and from CRISM over HiRISE imagery across 100s of meters. Transitions in mineralogic units were characterized using visible/near-infrared (VNIR) spectral properties and surface morphology. We identified and characterized complex “doublet” type spectral signatures with two bands between 2.2 and 2.3 μm at one stratigraphic horizon. Based on comparisons with terrestrial sites, the spectral “doublet” unit described here may reflect the remnants of a salty, evaporative period that existed on Mars during the transition from formation of Fe-rich phyllosilicates to Al-rich phyllosilicates. Layered outcrops observed at Mawrth Vallis are thicker than in other altered regions of Mars, but may represent processes that were more widespread in wet regions of the planet during its early history. The aqueous geochemical environments supporting the outcrops observed here include: (i) the formation of Fe3+-rich smectites in a warm and wet environment, (ii) overlain by a thin ferrous-bearing clay unit that could be associated with heating or reducing conditions, (iii) followed by a transition to salty and/or acidic alteration phases and sulfates (characterized by the spectral “doublet” shape) in an evaporative setting, (iv) formation of Al-rich phyllosilicates through pedogenesis or acid leaching, and (v) finally persistence of poorly crystalline aluminosilicates marking the end of the warm climate on early Mars. The “doublet” type units described here are likely composed of clay-sulfate assemblages formed in saline, acidic evaporative environments similar to those found in Western Australia and the Atacama desert. Despite the chemically extreme and variable waters present at these terrestrial, saline lake environments, active ecosystems are present; thus, these “doublet” type units may mark exciting areas for continued exploration important to astrobiology on Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2020.113634","authors":["J. L. Bishop","C. Gross","J. M. Danielsen","M. Parente","S. L. Murchie","B. Horgan","J. J. Wray","C. E. Viviano","F. P. Seelos"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Geology","Outcrop","Mineral"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-17","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1016/j.icarus.2020.113634","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"oa:W3092337985","name":"Effects of Geochemical and Environmental Parameters on Abiotic Organic Chemistry Driven by Iron Hydroxide Minerals","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Geological conditions play a significant role in prebiotic/abiotic organic chemistry, especially when reactive minerals are present. Previous studies of the prebiotic synthesis of amino acids and other products in mineral‐containing systems have shown that a diverse array of compounds can be produced, depending on the experimental conditions. However, these previous experiments have not simulated the effects of varying geochemical conditions, in which factors such as pH, iron redox state, or chemical concentrations may vary over time and space in a natural environment. In geochemical systems that contain overlapping gradients, many permutations of individual conditions could exist and affect the outcome of an organic reaction network. We investigated reactions of pyruvate and glyoxylate, two compounds that are central to the emergence of metabolism, in simulated geological gradients of redox, pH, and ammonia concentration. Our results show that the positioning of pyruvate/glyoxylate reactions in this environmental parameter space determines the organic product distribution that results. Therefore, the distribution pattern of amino acids and alpha‐hydroxy acids produced prebiotically in a system reflects the specific reaction conditions, and would be distinct at various locations in an environment depending on local geochemistry. This is significant for origin of life chemistry in which the composition and function of oligomers could be affected by the environmentally driven distribution of monomers available. Also, for astrobiology and planetary science where organic distribution patterns are sometimes considered as a possible biosignature, it is important to consider environmentally driven abiotic organic reactions that might produce similar effects.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2020je006423","authors":["Laura M. Barge","Erika Flores","David G. VanderVelde","Jessica M. Weber","Marc M. Baum","Amalia E. Castonguay"],"tags":["Abiotic component","Chemistry","Redox","Environmental chemistry","Primary (astronomy)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-10-09","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1029/2020je006423","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W4237085393","name":"First Life","source":"openalex","abstract":"This pathbreaking book explores how life can begin, taking us from cosmic clouds of stardust, to volcanoes on Earth, to the modern chemistry laboratory. Seeking to understand life’s connection to the stars, David Deamer introduces astrobiology, a new scientific discipline that studies the origin and evolution of life on Earth and relates it to the birth and death of stars, planet formation, interfaces between minerals, water, and atmosphere, and the physics and chemistry of carbon compounds. Deamer argues that life began as systems of molecules that assembled into membrane-bound packages. These in turn provided an essential compartment in which more complex molecules assumed new functions required for the origin of life and the beginning of evolution. Deamer takes us from the vivid and unpromising chaos of the Earth four billion years ago up to the present and his own laboratory, where he contemplates the prospects for generating synthetic life. Engaging and accessible, First Life describes the scientific story of astrobiology while presenting a fascinating hypothesis to explain the origin of life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520948952","authors":["David Deamer"],"tags":["History"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-06-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1525/9780520948952","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"oa:W4327909414","name":"A mineral-based origin of Earth’s initial hydrogen peroxide and molecular oxygen","source":"openalex","abstract":"Terrestrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) may have played a central role in the formation of oxic environments and evolution of early life. The abiotic origin of ROS on the Archean Earth has been heavily studied, and ROS are conventionally thought to have originated from H 2 O/CO 2 dissociation. Here, we report experiments that lead to a mineral-based source of oxygen, rather than water alone. The mechanism involves ROS generation at abraded mineral–water interfaces in various geodynamic processes (e.g., water currents and earthquakes) which are active where free electrons are created via open-shell electrons and point defects, high pressure, water/ice interactions, and combinations of these processes. The experiments reported here show that quartz or silicate minerals may produce reactive oxygen-containing sites (≡SiO•, ≡SiOO•) that initially emerge in cleaving Si–O bonds in silicates and generate ROS during contact with water. Experimental isotope-labeling experiments show that the hydroxylation of the peroxy radical (≡SiOO•) is the predominant pathway for H 2 O 2 generation. This heterogeneous ROS production chemistry allows the transfer of oxygen atoms between water and rocks and alters their isotopic compositions. This process may be pervasive in the natural environment, and mineral-based production of H 2 O 2 and accompanying O 2 could occur on Earth and potentially on other terrestrial planets, providing initial oxidants and free oxygen, and be a component in the evolution of life and planetary habitability.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2221984120","authors":["Hongping He","Xiao Wu","Jianxi Zhu","Mang Lin","Ying Lv","Haiyang Xian","Yiping Yang","Xiaoju Lin","Shan Li","Yiliang Li","H. Henry Teng","M. H. Thiemens"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Oxygen","Chemistry","Early Earth","Abiogenesis"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-03-20","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2221984120","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W3082502254","name":"Exploring Carbon Mineral Systems: Recent Advances in C Mineral Evolution, Mineral Ecology, and Network Analysis","source":"openalex","abstract":"Large and growing data resources on the spatial and temporal diversity and distribution of the more than 400 carbon-bearing mineral species reveal patterns of mineral evolution and ecology. Recent advances in analytical and visualization techniques leverage these data and are propelling mineralogy from a largely descriptive field into one of prediction within complex, integrated, multidimensional systems. These discoveries include: (1) systematic changes in the character of carbon minerals and their networks of coexisting species through deep time; (2) improved statistical predictions of the number and types of carbon minerals that occur on Earth but are yet to be discovered and described; and (3) a range of proposed and ongoing studies related to the quantification of network structures and trends, relation of mineral “natural kinds” to their genetic environments, prediction of the location of mineral species across the globe, examination of the tectonic drivers of mineralization through deep time, quantification of preservational and sampling bias in the mineralogical record, and characterization of feedback relationships between minerals and geochemical environments with microbial populations. These aspects of Earth’s carbon mineralogy underscore the complex co-evolution of the geosphere and biosphere and highlight the possibility for scientific discovery in Earth and planetary systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2020.00208","authors":["Shaunna M. Morrison","Joy Buongiorno","Robert T. Downs","Ahmed Eleish","Peter Fox","Donato Giovannelli","Joshua J. Golden","Daniel R. Hummer","Grethe Hystad","L. H. Kellogg","Oliver Kreylos","Sergey V. Krivovichev"],"tags":["Biosphere","Earth science","Mineral","Geology","Ecology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-08-27","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.3389/feart.2020.00208","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W1648771254","name":"Astrobiology - The Case for Venus","source":"openalex","abstract":"The scientific discipline of astrobiology addresses one of the most fundamental unanswered questions of science: are we alone? Is there life elsewhere in the universe, or is life unique to Earth? The field of astrobiology includes the study of the chemical precursors for life in the solar system; it also includes the search for both presently existing life and fossil signs of previously existing life elsewhere in our own solar system, as well as the search for life outside the solar system. Two of the promising environments within the solar system being currently considered are the surface of the planet Mars, and the hypothesized oceans underneath the ice covering the moon Europa. Both of these environments differ in several key ways from the environments where life is found on Earth; the Mars environment in most places too cold and at too low pressure for liquid water to be stable, and the sub-ice environment of Europa lacking an abundance of free energy in the form of sunlight. The only place in the solar system where we know that life exists today is the Earth. To look for life elsewhere in the solar system, one promising search strategy would be to find and study the environment in the solar system with conditions that are most similar to the environmental conditions where life thrives on the Earth. Specifically, we would like to study a location in the solar system with atmospheric pressure near one bar; temperature in the range where water is liquid, 0 to 100 C; abundant solar energy; and with the primary materials required for life, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen, present. Other than the surface of the Earth, the only other place where these conditions exist is the atmosphere of Venus, at an altitude of about fifty kilometers above the surface.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1648771254","authors":["Geoffrey A. Landis"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Solar System","Mars Exploration Program","Liquid water"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-07-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"oa:W1989645038","name":"The MARTE VNIR Imaging Spectrometer Experiment: Design and Analysis","source":"openalex","abstract":"We report on the design, operation, and data analysis methods employed on the VNIR imaging spectrometer instrument that was part of the Mars Astrobiology Research and Technology Experiment (MARTE). The imaging spectrometer is a hyperspectral scanning pushbroom device sensitive to VNIR wavelengths from 400-1000 nm. During the MARTE project, the spectrometer was deployed to the Río Tinto region of Spain. We analyzed subsets of three cores from Río Tinto using a new band modeling technique. We found most of the MARTE drill cores to contain predominantly goethite, though spatially coherent areas of hematite were identified in Core 23. We also distinguished non Fe-bearing minerals that were subsequently analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and found to be primarily muscovite. We present drill core maps that include spectra of goethite, hematite, and non Fe-bearing minerals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2007.0142","authors":["Adrian J. Brown","Brad Sutter","Stephen Dunagan"],"tags":["VNIR","Hyperspectral imaging","Imaging spectrometer","Spectrometer","Remote sensing"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-10-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2007.0142","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"oa:W4385969284","name":"Renaissance for magnetotactic bacteria in astrobiology","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract Capable of forming magnetofossils similar to some magnetite nanocrystals observed in the Martian meteorite ALH84001, magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) once occupied a special position in the field of astrobiology during the 1990s and 2000s. This flourish of interest in putative Martian magnetofossils faded from all but the experts studying magnetosome formation, based on claims that abiotic processes could produce magnetosome-like magnetite crystals. Recently, the rapid growth in our knowledge of the extreme environments in which MTB thrive and their phylogenic heritage, leads us to advocate for a renaissance of MTB in astrobiology. In recent decades, magnetotactic members have been discovered alive in natural extreme environments with wide ranges of salinity (up to 90 g L−1), pH (1–10), and temperature (0–70 °C). Additionally, some MTB populations are found to be able to survive irradiated, desiccated, metal-rich, hypomagnetic, or microgravity conditions, and are capable of utilizing simple inorganic compounds such as sulfate and nitrate. Moreover, MTB likely emerged quite early in Earth’s history, coinciding with a period when the Martian surface was covered with liquid water as well as a strong magnetic field. MTB are commonly discovered in suboxic or oxic-anoxic interfaces in aquatic environments or sediments similar to ancient crater lakes on Mars, such as Gale crater and Jezero crater. Taken together, MTB can be exemplary model microorganisms in astrobiology research, and putative ancient Martian life, if it ever occurred, could plausibly have included magnetotactic microorganisms. Furthermore, we summarize multiple typical biosignatures that can be applied for the detection of ancient MTB on Earth and extraterrestrial MTB-like life. We suggest transporting MTB to space stations and simulation chambers to further investigate their tolerance potential and distinctive biosignatures to aid in understanding the evolutionary history of MTB and the potential of magnetofossils as an extraterrestrial biomarker.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41396-023-01495-w","authors":["Jianxun Shen","Greig A. Paterson","Yinzhao Wang","Joseph L. Kirschvink","Yongxin Pan","Wei Lin"],"tags":["Biology","Magnetotactic bacteria","Astrobiology","Bacteria","The Renaissance"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1038/s41396-023-01495-w","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"oa:W4224080822","name":"Structural and chemical complexity of minerals: an update","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The complexities of chemical composition and crystal structure are fundamental characteristics of minerals that have high relevance to the understanding of their stability, occurrence and evolution. This review summarises recent developments in the field of mineral complexity and outlines possible directions for its future elaboration. The database of structural and chemical complexity parameters of minerals is updated by H-correction of structures with unknown H positions and the inclusion of new data. The revised average complexity values (arithmetic means) for all minerals are 3.54(2) bits/atom and 345(10) bits/cell (based upon 4443 structure reports). The distributions of atomic information amounts, chem I G and str I G , versus the number of mineral species fit the normal modes, whereas the distributions of total complexities, chem I G,total and str I G,total , along with numbers of atoms per formula and per unit cell are log normal. The three most complex mineral species known today are ewingite, morrisonite and ilmajokite, all either discovered or structurally characterised within the last five years. The most important complexity-generating mechanisms in minerals are: (1) the presence of isolated large clusters; (2) the presence of large clusters linked together to form three-dimensional frameworks; (3) formation of complex three-dimensional modular frameworks; (4) formation of complex modular layers; (5) high hydration state in salts with complex heteropolyhedral units; and (6) formation of ordered superstructures of relatively simple structure types. The relations between symmetry and complexity are considered. The analysis of temporal dynamics of mineralogical discoveries since 1875 with the step of 25 years show the increasing chemical and structural complexities of human knowledge of the mineral kingdom in the history of mineralogy. In the Earth's history, both diversity and complexity of minerals experience dramatic increases associated with the formation of Earth's continental crust, initiation of plate tectonics and the Great Oxidation event.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/mgm.2022.23","authors":["Sergey V. Krivovichev","В. Г. Кривовичев","Robert M. Hazen","Sergey M. Aksenov","Margarita S. Avdontceva","A. M. Banaru","Liudmila A. Gorelova","Rezeda M. Ismagilova","Ilya V. Kornyakov","Ivan V. Kuporev","Shaunna M. Morrison","Taras L. Panikorovskii"],"tags":["Structural complexity","Mineral","Chemistry","Modular design","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-04-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1180/mgm.2022.23","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2161843971","name":"Using portable Raman spectrometers for the identification of organic compounds at low temperatures and high altitudes: exobiological applications","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Organic minerals, organic acids and NH-containing organic molecules represent important target molecules for astrobiology. Here, we present the results of the evaluation of a portable hand-held Raman spectrometer to detect these organic compounds outdoors under field conditions. These measurements were carried out during the February-March 2009 winter period in Austrian Alpine sites at temperatures ranging between -5 and -25 degrees C. The compounds investigated were detected under field conditions and their main Raman spectral features were observed unambiguously at their correct reference wavenumber positions. The results obtained demonstrate that a miniaturized Raman spectrometer equipped with 785 nm excitation could be applied with advantage as a key instrument for investigating the presence of organic minerals, organic acids and nitrogen-containing organic compounds outdoors under terrestrial low-temperature conditions. Within the payload designed by ESA and NASA for several missions focusing on Mars, Titan, Europa and other extraterrestrial bodies, Raman spectroscopy can be proposed as an important non-destructive analytical tool for the in situ identification of organic compounds relevant to life detection on planetary and moon surfaces or near subsurfaces.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2010.0075","authors":["Jan Jehlička","Howell G. M. Edwards","Adam Culka","Jehlicka J","Edwards HG","Culka A"],"tags":["Raman spectroscopy","Spectrometer","Titan (rocket family)","Astrobiology","Organic molecules"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010 Jul 13","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1098/rsta.2010.0075","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W2046327948","name":"Wind‐blown sandstones cemented by sulfate and clay minerals in Gale Crater, Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Gale Crater contains Mount Sharp, a ~5 km thick stratigraphic record of Mars' early environmental history. The strata comprising Mount Sharp are believed to be sedimentary in origin, but the specific depositional environments recorded by the rocks remain speculative. We present orbital evidence for the occurrence of eolian sandstones within Gale Crater and the lower reaches of Mount Sharp, including preservation of wind‐blown sand dune topography in sedimentary strata—a phenomenon that is rare on Earth and typically associated with stabilization, rapid sedimentation, transgression, and submergence of the land surface. The preserved bedforms in Gale are associated with clay minerals and elsewhere accompanied by typical dune cross stratification marked by bounding surfaces whose lateral equivalents contain sulfate salts. These observations extend the range of possible habitable environments that may be recorded within Gale Crater and provide hypotheses that can be tested in situ by the Curiosity rover payload.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2013gl059097","authors":["R. E. Milliken","R. C. Ewing","Woodward W. Fischer","J. A. Hurowitz"],"tags":["Geology","Impact crater","Aeolian processes","Sedimentary depositional environment","Sedimentary rock"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-01-31","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1002/2013gl059097","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"oa:W2110854637","name":"Near-UV Transmittance of Basalt Dust as an Analog of the Martian Regolith: Implications for Sensor Calibration and Astrobiology","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Martian regolith is exposed to solar irradiation in the near-UV (200-390 nm).Basalt is one of the main components of the dust on Mars surface. The near-UV irradiationof basalt dust on Mars is simulated experimentally in order to determine the transmittance asa function of the mass and thickness of the dust. This data can serve to quantify theabsorption of dust deposited on sensors aiming to measure the UV intensity on Marssurface. The minimum thickness of the dust that corresponds to near-zero-transmittance inthe near-UV is measured. Hypothetical Martian microorganisms living on the dusty regolithat deeper layers would be preserved from the damaging solar UV irradiation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/s6060688","authors":["G. M. Muñoz","Eva Mateo‐Martí","Jesús Martínez‐Frías"],"tags":["Regolith","Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Basalt","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-06-27","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.3390/s6060688","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"oa:W2125480708","name":"Experimental diagenesis of organo-mineral structures formed by microaerophilic Fe(II)-oxidizing bacteria","source":"openalex","abstract":"Twisted stalks are organo-mineral structures produced by some microaerophilic Fe(II)-oxidizing bacteria at O2 concentrations as low as 3 μM. The presence of these structures in rocks having experienced a diagenetic history could indicate microbial Fe(II)-oxidizing activity as well as localized abundance of oxygen at the time of sediment deposition. Here we use spectroscopy and analytical microscopy to evaluate if—and what kind of—transformations occur in twisted stalks through experimental diagenesis. Unique mineral textures appear on stalks as temperature and pressure conditions increase. Haematite and magnetite form from ferrihydrite at 170 °C–120 MPa. Yet the twisted morphology of the stalks, and the organic matrix, mainly composed of long-chain saturated aliphatic compounds, are preserved at 250 °C–140 MPa. Our results suggest that iron minerals might play a role in maintaining the structural and chemical integrity of stalks under diagenetic conditions and provide spectroscopic signatures for the search of ancient life in the rock record. Twisted iron-rich stalks provide evidence for iron-oxidizing bacteria in sedimentary deposits. Picard et al. show experimentally the persistence of such structures exposed to temperatures and pressures typical of diagenetic conditions, providing spectroscopic signatures to aid their reliable identification.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms7277","authors":["Aude Picard","Andreas Kappler","Gregor Schmid","Luca Quaroni","Martin Obst"],"tags":["Diagenesis","Microaerophile","Oxidizing agent","Mineral","Magnetite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-02-18","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1038/ncomms7277","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W4322769910","name":"Astrobiology in Space: A Comprehensive Look at the Solar System","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The field of astrobiology aims to understand the origin of life on Earth and searches for evidence of life beyond our planet. Although there is agreement on some of the requirements for life on Earth, the exact process by which life emerged from prebiotic conditions is still uncertain, leading to various theories. In order to expand our knowledge of life and our place in the universe, scientists look for signs of life through the use of biosignatures, observations that suggest the presence of past or present life. These biosignatures often require up-close investigation by orbiters and landers, which have been employed in various space missions. Mars, because of its proximity and Earth-like environment, has received the most attention and has been explored using (sub)surface sampling and analysis. Despite its inhospitable surface conditions, Venus has also been the subject of space missions due to the presence of potentially habitable conditions in its atmosphere. In addition, the discovery of habitable environments on icy moons has sparked interest in further study. This article provides an overview of the origin of life on Earth and the astrobiology studies carried out by orbiters and landers.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life13030675","authors":["Maarten De Mol"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Mars Exploration Program","Extraterrestrial life","Habitability","Solar System"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.3390/life13030675","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"oa:W1974724034","name":"The role of mobile instrumentation in novel applications of Raman spectroscopy: archaeometry, geosciences, and forensics","source":"openalex","abstract":"The applications of analytical Raman spectroscopy in the characterisation of materials associated with archaeologically excavated artefacts, forensic investigations of drugs of abuse, security and crime scenes, minerals and rocks and future astrobiological space missions are now well established; however, these applications have emphasised the need for new developments in the area of miniaturised instrumentation which extends the concept and breadth of the analytical requirement to facilitate the provision of data from 'in field' studies. In this respect, the apparently unrelated themes of art and archaeology, forensic science, geological science and astrobiology as covered by this review are unified broadly by the ability to record data nondestructively and without resorting to sampling and the subsequent transfer of samples to the analytical laboratory. In studies of works of art there has long been a requirement for on-site analysis, especially for valuable paintings held under strict museum security and for wall paintings which cannot physically be removed from their setting; similarly, the use of portable Raman spectroscopy in archaeological and geological field work as a first-pass screening device which obviates the necessity of multiple and wasteful specimen collection is high on the wish-list of practicing spectroscopists. As a first-pass screening probe for forensic crime scenes, Raman spectroscopy has proved to be of inestimable value for the early detection of dangerous and prohibited materials such as drugs of abuse, explosives and their chemical precursors, and banned contraband biomaterials such as ivories and animal products; in these applications the advantage of the Raman spectroscopic technique for the recognition of spectral signatures from mixtures of inorganic and organic compounds is paramount and not afforded by other less portable instrumental techniques. Finally, in astrobiological work, these requirements also apply but with the additional prerequisite for system operation remotely - often over distances of several hundred million kilometres - as part of instrumental suites on robotic spacecraft and planetary landers; this necessitates robust and reliable instrumentation for the observation of unique and characteristic spectral features from the planetary geological surface and subsurface which are dependent on the assignment of both biological and geological band signatures.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1039/c3cs60263j","authors":["Peter Vandenabeele","H. G. M. Edwards","Jan Jehlička"],"tags":["Archaeological science","Instrumentation (computer programming)","Drugs of abuse","Nanotechnology","Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1039/c3cs60263j","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"oa:W1497944282","name":"Origin of Life and Living Matter in Hot Mineral Water","source":"openalex","abstract":"Three factors as isotopic composition, the temperature and pH value of water were analyzed in experiments with prognosis of primary hydrosphere and possible conditions for origin of first organic forms in hot mineral water. For  this aim the authors performed experiments with hot mineral and seawater from Bulgaria, and water with varrying content of deuterium using IR-spectroscopy (NES-, and DNES-method). As model systems were used cactus juice of Echinopsis pachanoi and Mediterranean jellyfish Cotylorhiza tuberculata . There were discussed the reactions of condensation and dehydration occuring in alkaline aqueous solutions at 65–95 0 C and ?? = 9–10, resulting in synthesis from separate molecules larger organic molecules as polymers and short polipeptides, as well as were predicted the possible mechanisms of the deuterium accumulation in form of HDO in hot water. It was shown that hot alkaline mineral water with temperature from +65 0 C to +95 0 C and pH value from 9 to 11 is more suitable for the origination of life and living matter than other analyzed water samples. The pH value of seawater on contrary is limited to the range of 7.5 to 8.4 units. Two common local maximums were observed in the IR-spectra of jellyfish and seawater, which were more pronouncedly expressed in IR-spectra of jellyfish. In hot mineral waters the local maximums in the IR-spectrum are more manifested compared to the local maximums obtained in IR-spectrum of the same water at a lower temperature. The difference in the local maximums from +20 0 C to +95 0 C at each 5 0 C according to Student t-criterion – p < 0.05. These data indicate that the origination of life and living matter depends on the structure and physical chemical properties of water, as well as its temperature and pH value. Keywords : deuterium, hydrosphere, evolution, origin of life, IR-spectroscopy.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1497944282","authors":["Ignat Ignatov","О. В. Мосин"],"tags":["Seawater","Mineral water","Hydrosphere","Mineral","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"oa:W1549231891","name":"Modeling of Possible Processes for Origin of Life and Living Matter in Hot Mineral and Seawater with Deuterium","source":"openalex","abstract":"The isotopic compositions of water its temperature and pH value were analyzed in experiments with modeling of primary hydrosphere. We performed experiments for the research of hot mineral and seawater from Bulgaria with IR-spectroscopy (differential non-equilibrium energy spectrum (DNES), Brucker Vertex Fourier-IR and Thermo Nicolet Avatar 360 Fourier-transform IR). It was shown that hot alkaline mineral water with temperature from +65 0 C to +95 0 C with pH = 9 – 11 is more suitable for the origination of life and living matter than other analyzed water samples. The pH value of seawater on the contrary is limited to the range of 7.5 to 8.4. In frames of the research the conditions imitating primary hydrosphere enriched with deuterium were also studied. The prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells of various microorganisms realizing methylotrophic, chemoheterotrophic, photoorganotrophic, and photosynthetic pathways of assimilation of carbon substrata were adapted to the maximal concentration of D 2 O, all biological material of which contained deuterium instead of hydrogen. Their studying would clear up the mechanism of function of deuterated macromolecules in conditions of hot D 2 O-solutions. Keywords: deuterium, heavy water, hydrosphere, evolution, origin of life and living matter","url":"https://openalex.org/W1549231891","authors":["Ignat Ignatov","Oleg Mosin"],"tags":["Hydrosphere","Seawater","Deuterium","Chemistry","Organic matter"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"oa:W1974933098","name":"Río Tinto: A Geochemical and Mineralogical Terrestrial Analogue of Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"The geomicrobiological characterization of the water column and sediments of Río Tinto (Huelva, Southwestern Spain) have proven the importance of the iron and the sulfur cycles, not only in generating the extreme conditions of the habitat (low pH, high concentration of toxic heavy metals), but also in maintaining the high level of microbial diversity detected in the basin. It has been proven that the extreme acidic conditions of Río Tinto basin are not the product of 5000 years of mining activity in the area, but the consequence of an active underground bioreactor that obtains its energy from the massive sulfidic minerals existing in the Iberian Pyrite Belt. Two drilling projects, MARTE (Mars Astrobiology Research and Technology Experiment) (2003-2006) and IPBSL (Iberian Pyrite Belt Subsurface Life Detection) (2011-2015), were developed and carried out to provide evidence of subsurface microbial activity and the potential resources that support these activities. The reduced substrates and the oxidants that drive the system appear to come from the rock matrix. These resources need only groundwater to launch diverse microbial metabolisms. The similarities between the vast sulfate and iron oxide deposits on Mars and the main sulfide bioleaching products found in the Tinto basin have given Río Tinto the status of a geochemical and mineralogical Mars terrestrial analogue.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life4030511","authors":["Ricardo Amils","David C. Fernández‐Remolar","The Ipbsl Team"],"tags":["Geology","Mars Exploration Program","Geochemistry","Life on Mars","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-09-15","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.3390/life4030511","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"oa:W4206766071","name":"Why do microbes make minerals?","source":"openalex","abstract":"Prokaryotes have been shaping the surface of the Earth and impacting geochemical cycles for the past four billion years. Biomineralization, the capacity to form minerals, is a key process by which microbes interact with their environment. While we keep improving our understanding of the mechanisms of this process (“how?”), questions around its functions and adaptive roles (“why?”) have been less intensively investigated. Here, we discuss biomineral functions for several examples of prokaryotic biomineralization systems, and propose a roadmap for the study of microbial biomineralization through the lens of adaptation. We also discuss emerging questions around the potential roles of biomineralization in microbial cooperation and as important components of biofilm architectures. We call for a shift of focus from mechanistic to adaptive aspects of biomineralization, in order to gain a deeper comprehension of how microbial communities function in nature, and improve our understanding of life co-evolution with its mineral environment.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5802/crgeos.107","authors":["Julie Cosmidis","Karim Benzerara"],"tags":["Biomineralization","Adaptation (eye)","Process (computing)","Function (biology)","Biochemical engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-11","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.5802/crgeos.107","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"oa:W2567874510","name":"TANPOPO: Astrobiology Exposure and Micrometeoroid Capture Experiments","source":"openalex","abstract":"TANPOPO, dandelion, is the name of a grass whose seeds with floss are spread by the wind. We propose the analyses of interplanetary migration of microbes, organic compounds and meteoroids on ISS-JEM. Ultra low density aerogel will be used to capture micrometeoroid and debris. Particles captured by aerogel will be used for several analyses after the initial inspection of the gel and tracks. Careful analysis of the tracks in the aerogel will provide the size and velocity dependence of debris flux. The particles will be analyzed for mineralogical, organic and microbiological characteristics. To test the survival of microbes in space environment, microbial cells will be exposed. Organic compounds are also exposed to evaluate the possible denaturation under the conditions. Aerogels are ready for production in Japan. Aerogels and trays are space proven. All the analytical techniques are ready.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2187/bss.21.67","authors":["Akihiko Yamagishi","Hajime Yano","Kyoko Okudaira","Kensei Kobayashi","Shin‐ichi Yokobori","M. Tabata","Hideyuki Kawai"],"tags":["Micrometeoroid","Aerogel","Space debris","Astrobiology","Meteoroid"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-01-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.2187/bss.21.67","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"oa:W2130232949","name":"A synthesis of Martian aqueous mineralogy after 1 Mars year of observations from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter","source":"openalex","abstract":"Martian aqueous mineral deposits have been examined and characterized using data acquired during Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's (MRO) primary science phase, including Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars hyperspectral images covering the 0.4–3.9 μ m wavelength range, coordinated with higher–spatial resolution HiRISE and Context Imager images. MRO's new high‐resolution measurements, combined with earlier data from Thermal Emission Spectrometer; Thermal Emission Imaging System; and Observatoire pour la Minéralogie, L'Eau, les Glaces et l'Activitié on Mars Express, indicate that aqueous minerals are both diverse and widespread on the Martian surface. The aqueous minerals occur in 9–10 classes of deposits characterized by distinct mineral assemblages, morphologies, and geologic settings. Phyllosilicates occur in several settings: in compositionally layered blankets hundreds of meters thick, superposed on eroded Noachian terrains; in lower layers of intracrater depositional fans; in layers with potential chlorides in sediments on intercrater plains; and as thousands of deep exposures in craters and escarpments. Carbonate‐bearing rocks form a thin unit surrounding the Isidis basin. Hydrated silica occurs with hydrated sulfates in thin stratified deposits surrounding Valles Marineris. Hydrated sulfates also occur together with crystalline ferric minerals in thick, layered deposits in Terra Meridiani and in Valles Marineris and together with kaolinite in deposits that partially infill some highland craters. In this paper we describe each of the classes of deposits, review hypotheses for their origins, identify new questions posed by existing measurements, and consider their implications for ancient habitable environments. On the basis of current data, two to five classes of Noachian‐aged deposits containing phyllosilicates and carbonates may have formed in aqueous environments with pH and water activities suitable for life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2009je003342","authors":["S. L. Murchie","John F. Mustard","B. L. Ehlmann","R. E. Milliken","J. L. Bishop","N. K. McKeown","E. Z. Noe Dobrea","F. P. Seelos","D. L. Buczkowski","S. M. Wiseman","R. E. Arvidson","J. J. Wray","Gregg A. Swayze","R. N. Clark","David J. Des Marais","A. S. McEwen","Jean‐Pierre Bibring"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Noachian","Hesperian","Geology","Martian"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-02-01","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1029/2009je003342","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"oa:W2991203929","name":"Earth's earliest and deepest purported fossils may be iron-mineralized chemical gardens","source":"openalex","abstract":"Recognizing fossil microorganisms is essential to the study of life's origin and evolution and to the ongoing search for life on Mars. Purported fossil microbes in ancient rocks include common assemblages of iron-mineral filaments and tubes. Recently, such assemblages have been interpreted to represent Earth's oldest body fossils, Earth's oldest fossil fungi, and Earth's best analogues for fossils that might form in the basaltic Martian subsurface. Many of these putative fossils exhibit hollow circular cross-sections, lifelike (non-crystallographic, constant-thickness, and bifurcate) branching, anastomosis, nestedness within 'sheaths', and other features interpreted as strong evidence for a biological origin, since no abiotic process consistent with the composition of the filaments has been shown to produce these specific lifelike features either in nature or in the laboratory. Here, I show experimentally that abiotic chemical gardening can mimic such purported fossils in both morphology and composition. In particular, chemical gardens meet morphological criteria previously proposed to establish biogenicity, while also producing the precursors to the iron minerals most commonly constitutive of filaments in the rock record. Chemical gardening is likely to occur in nature. Such microstructures should therefore not be assumed to represent fossil microbes without independent corroborating evidence.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.2410","authors":["Sean McMahon"],"tags":["Geology","Abiogenesis","Paleontology","Earth (classical element)","Martian"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-11-27","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1098/rspb.2019.2410","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"oa:W4316507356","name":"Laser desorption mass spectrometry with an Orbitrap analyser for in situ astrobiology","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-022-01866-x","authors":["Ricardo Arévalo","Lori Willhite","Anais Bardyn","Ziqin Ni","S. Ray","Adrian Southard","Ryan M. Danell","Andrej Grubisic","Cynthia Gundersen","Niko Minasola","Anthony W. Yu","Molly Fahey","Emanuel Hernandez","Christelle Briois","L. Thirkell","Fabrice Colin","Alexander Makarov"],"tags":["Orbitrap","Astrobiology","Analyser","Mass spectrometry","Planetary science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-16","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1038/s41550-022-01866-x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"oa:W1984087100","name":"Microbial mediated formation of Fe-carbonate minerals under extreme acidic conditions","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Discovery of Fe-carbonate precipitation in Rio Tinto, a shallow river with very acidic waters, situated in Huelva, South-western Spain, adds a new dimension to our understanding of carbonate formation. Sediment samples from this low-pH system indicate that carbonates are formed in physico-chemical conditions ranging from acid to neutral pH. Evidence for microbial mediation is observed in secondary electron images (Fig. 1), which reveal rod-shaped bacteria embedded in the surface of siderite nanocrystals. The formation of carbonates in Rio Tinto is related to the microbial reduction of ferric iron coupled to the oxidation of organic compounds. Herein, we demonstrate for the first time, that Acidiphilium sp. PM, an iron-reducing bacterium isolated from Rio Tinto, mediates the precipitation of siderite (FeCO3) under acidic conditions and at a low temperature (30&#xb0;C). We describe nucleation of siderite on nanoglobules in intimate association with the bacteria cell surface. This study has major implications for understanding carbonate formation on the ancient Earth or extraterrestrial planets.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/srep04767","authors":["Mónica Sánchez‐Román","David C. Fernández‐Remolar","Ricardo Amils","Antonio Sánchez‐Navas","Thomas Schmid","Patxi San Martín‐Úriz","Núria Rodríguez","Judith A. McKenzie","Crisógono Vásconcelos","Sánchez-Román M","Fernández-Remolar D","Amils R"],"tags":["Siderite","Carbonate","Carbonate minerals","Biomineralization","Environmental chemistry"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014 Apr 23","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.1038/srep04767","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"oa:W3113091833","name":"Quantifying Mineral-Ligand Structural Similarities: Bridging the Geological World of Minerals with the Biological World of Enzymes","source":"openalex","abstract":"Metal compounds abundant on Early Earth are thought to play an important role in the origins of life. Certain iron-sulfur minerals for example, are proposed to have served as primitive metalloenzyme cofactors due to their ability to catalyze organic synthesis processes and facilitate electron transfer reactions. An inherent difficulty with studying the catalytic potential of many metal compounds is the wide range of data and parameters to consider when searching for individual minerals and ligands of interest. Detecting mineral-ligand pairs that are structurally analogous enables more relevant selections of data to study, since structural affinity is a key indicator of comparable catalytic function. However, current structure-oriented approaches tend to be subjective and localized, and do not quantify observations or compare them with other potential targets. Here, we present a mathematical approach that compares structural similarities between various minerals and ligands using molecular similarity metrics. We use an iterative substructure search in the crystal lattice, paired with benchmark structural similarity methods. This structural comparison may be considered as a first stage in a more advanced analysis tool that will include a range of chemical and physical factors when computing mineral-ligand similarity. This approach will seek relationships between the mineral and enzyme worlds, with applications to the origins of life, ecology, catalysis, and astrobiology.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life10120338","authors":["Daniel Zhao","Stuart Bartlett","Yuk L. Yung"],"tags":["Ligand (biochemistry)","Structural similarity","Structural motif","Chemistry","Similarity (geometry)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-12-10","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","doi":"10.3390/life10120338","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2004.11312v3","name":"What's in a name: The etymology of astrobiology","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Astrobiology has been gaining increasing scientific prominence and public attention as the search for life beyond Earth continues to make significant headway on multiple fronts. In view of these recent developments, the fascinating and dynamic etymology of astrobiology is elucidated, and thus shown to encompass a plethora of vivid characters drawn from different continents, religions, ideologies and centuries.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2004.11312v3","authors":["Manasvi Lingam","Abraham Loeb"],"tags":["physics.hist-ph","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-04-23T16:45:31Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0707.0808v1","name":"The Cyborg Astrobiologist: Porting from a wearable computer to the Astrobiology Phone-cam","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We have used a simple camera phone to significantly improve an `exploration system' for astrobiology and geology. This camera phone will make it much easier to develop and test computer-vision algorithms for future planetary exploration. We envision that the `Astrobiology Phone-cam' exploration system can be fruitfully used in other problem domains as well.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0707.0808v1","authors":["Alexandra Bartolo","Patrick C. McGuire","Kenneth P. Camilleri","Christopher Spiteri","Jonathan C. Borg","Philip J. Farrugia","Jens Ormo","Javier Gomez-Elvira","Jose Antonio Rodriguez-Manfredi","Enrique Diaz-Martinez","Helge Ritter","Robert Haschke","Markus Oesker","Joerg Ontrup"],"tags":["cs.CV","astro-ph","cs.AI","cs.CE","cs.HC","cs.NI","cs.RO","cs.SE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-07-05T15:19:37Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2102.05009v2","name":"Theoretical constraints imposed by gradient detection and dispersal on microbial size in astrobiological environments","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The capacity to sense gradients efficiently and acquire information about the ambient environment confers many advantages like facilitating movement toward nutrient sources or away from toxic chemicals. The amplified dispersal evinced by organisms endowed with motility is possibly beneficial in related contexts. Hence, the connections between information acquisition, motility, and microbial size are explored from an explicitly astrobiological standpoint. By using prior theoretical models, the constraints on organism size imposed by gradient detection and motility are elucidated in the form of simple heuristic scaling relations. It is argued that environments such as alkaline hydrothermal vents, which are distinguished by the presence of steep gradients, might be conducive to the existence of \"small\" microbes (with radii of $\\gtrsim 0.1$ $μ$m) in principle, when only the above two factors are considered; other biological functions (e.g., metabolism and genetic exchange) could, however, regulate the lower bound on microbial size and elevate it. The derived expressions are potentially applicable to a diverse array of settings, including those entailing solvents other than water; for example, the lakes and seas of Titan. The paper concludes with a brief exposition of how this formalism may be of practical and theoretical value to astrobiology.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2102.05009v2","authors":["Manasvi Lingam"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.bio-ph","q-bio.CB"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-02-09T18:23:36Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0511180v1","name":"Astrobiologically Interesting Stars within 10 parsecs of the Sun","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The existence of life based on carbon chemistry and water oceans relies upon planetary properties, chiefly climate stability, and stellar properties, such as mass, age, metallicity and Galactic orbits. The latter can be well constrained with present knowledge. We present a detailed, up-to-date compilation of the atmospheric parameters, chemical composition, multiplicity and degree of chromospheric activity for the astrobiologically interesting solar-type stars within 10 parsecs of the Sun. We determine their state of evolution, masses, ages and space velocities, and produce an optimized list of candidates that merit serious scientific consideration by the future space-based interferometry probes aimed at directly detecting Earth-sized extrasolar planets and seeking spectroscopic infrared biomarkers as evidence of photosynthetic life. The initially selected stars number 33 solar-type within the population of 182 stars (excluding late M-dwarfs) closer than 10 pc. A comprehensive and detailed data compilation for these objects is still essentially lacking: a considerable amount of recent data has so far gone unexplored in this context. We present 13 objects as the nearest \"biostars\", after eliminating multiple stars, young, chromospherically active, hard X-ray emitting stars, and low metallicity objects. Three of these \"biostars\", HD 1581, 109358 and 115617, closely reproduce most of the solar properties and are considered as premier targets. We show that approximately 7% of the nearby stars are optimally interesting targets for exobiology.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0511180v1","authors":["G. F. Porto de Mello","E. F. del Peloso","L. Ghezzi"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-11-07T14:49:49Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2309.01924v2","name":"Information Transmission via Molecular Communication in Astrobiological Environments","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The ubiquity of information transmission via molecular communication between cells is comprehensively documented on Earth; this phenomenon might even have played a vital role in the origin(s) and early evolution of life. Motivated by these considerations, a simple model for molecular communication entailing the diffusion of signaling molecules from transmitter to receiver is elucidated. The channel capacity $C$ (maximal rate of information transmission) and an optimistic heuristic estimate of the actual information transmission rate $\\mathcal{I}$ are derived for this communication system; the two quantities, especially the latter, are demonstrated to be broadly consistent with laboratory experiments and more sophisticated theoretical models. The channel capacity exhibits a potentially weak dependence on environmental parameters, whereas the actual information transmission rate may scale with the intercellular distance $d$ as $\\mathcal{I} \\propto d^{-4}$ and could vary substantially across settings. These two variables are roughly calculated for diverse astrobiological environments, ranging from Earth's upper oceans ($C \\sim 3.1 \\times 10^3$ bits/s; $\\mathcal{I} \\sim 4.7 \\times 10^{-2}$ bits/s) and deep sea hydrothermal vents ($C \\sim 4.2 \\times 10^3$ bits/s; $\\mathcal{I} \\sim 1.2 \\times 10^{-1}$ bits/s) to the hydrocarbon lakes and seas of Titan ($C \\sim 3.8 \\times 10^3$ bits/s; $\\mathcal{I} \\sim 2.6 \\times 10^{-1}$ bits/s).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.01924v2","authors":["Manasvi Lingam"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.bio-ph","physics.flu-dyn","q-bio.MN","q-bio.PE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-05T03:23:23Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1310.3851v1","name":"Sustainability and the Astrobiological Perspective: Framing Human Futures in a Planetary Context","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We explore how questions related to developing a sustainable human civilization can be cast in terms of astrobiology. In particular we show how ongoing astrobiological studies of the coupled relationship between life, planets and their co-evolution can inform new perspectives and direct new studies in sustainability science. Using the Drake Equation as a vehicle to explore the gamut of astrobiology, we focus on its most import factor for sustainability: the mean lifetime &lt;L&gt; of an ensemble of Species with Energy-Intensive Technology (SWEIT). We then cast the problem into the language of dynamical system theory and introduce the concept of a trajectory bundle for SWEIT evolution and discuss how astrobiological results usefully inform the creation of dynamical equations, their constraints and initial conditions. Three specific examples of how astrobiological considerations can be folded into discussions of sustainability are discussed: (1) concepts of planetary habitability, (2) mass extinctions and their possible relation to the current, so-called Anthropocene epoch, and (3) today's changes in atmospheric chemisty (and the climate change it entails) in the context of pervious epochs of biosphere-driven atmospheric and climate alteration (i.e. the Great Oxidation Event).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1310.3851v1","authors":["Adam Frank","Woodruff Sullivan"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-10-14T20:54:17Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1801.04868v1","name":"SETI is Part of Astrobiology","source":"arxiv","abstract":"\"Traditional SETI is not part of astrobiology\" declares the NASA Astrobiology Strategy 2015 document. This is incorrect. In this white paper, I argue that SETI$-$seen as the search for technosignatures characteristic of the future of life in the universe$-$is a neglected complement to the search for biosignatures in NASA's astrobiology portfolio, and may offer the more fruitful avenue to the discovery of life elsewhere in the universe, as recognized by the Astro2010 decadal survey. I rebut six erroneous perceptions that may contribute to the field's absence from NASA's astrobiology strategy, and argue that since SETI is, quite obviously, part of astrobiology, SETI practitioners should at the very least be expressly encouraged to compete on a level playing field with practitioners of other subfields for NASA astrobiology resources.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1801.04868v1","authors":["Jason T. Wright"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP","physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-01-15T16:35:50Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1801.00052v2","name":"The Astrobiology of the Anthropocene","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Human influence on the biosphere has been evident at least since the development of widespread agriculture, and some stratigraphers have suggested that the activities of modern civilization indicate a geological epoch transition. The study of the anthropocene as a geological epoch, and its implication for the future of energy-intensive civilizations, is an emerging transdisciplinary field in which astrobiology can play a leading role. Habitability research of Earth, Mars, and exoplanets examines extreme cases relevant for understanding climate change as a planetary process. Energy-intensive civilizations will also face thermodynamic limits to growth, which provides an important constraint for estimating the longevity of human civilization and guiding the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. We recommend that missions concepts such as LUVOIR, HabEx, and OST be pursued in order to make significant progress toward understanding the future evolution of life on our planet and the possible evolution of technological, energy-intensive life elsewhere in the universe.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1801.00052v2","authors":["Jacob Haqq-Misra","Sanjoy Som","Brendan Mullan","Rafael Loureiro","Edward Schwieterman","Lauren Seyler","Haritina Mogosanu","Adam Frank","Eric Wolf","Duncan Forgan","Charles Cockell","Woodruff Sullivan"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM","physics.pop-ph","physics.soc-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-12-29T22:42:18Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2606.23854v1","name":"Astrobiology in the Time of Artificial Intelligence","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Viking missions showcased multiple spaceflight technologies representing state-of-the-art capabilities: from digital line-scan imaging to the operation of complex onboard laboratories and software-controlled process autonomy. Since Viking, there have been extraordinary, and still accelerating, advancements in computing technology impacting science, society, and exploration. These developments have occurred in both hardware and software, resulting in increasingly capable devices, advanced programming tools, and algorithmic innovations. The subset of artificial intelligence known as machine learning has emerged as one of the most transformative of these developments, with major implications for space exploration and for improvements to the search for evidence of life beyond the Earth. Those improvements include the integration of data across different scales and increased sensitivity to complex features in data, as well as the generation of adaptive strategies for sampling environments. In this paper, the present and future nature of space exploration and astrobiological research is examined through the contextual lens of Viking, and through the history and possible future of artificial intelligence.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.23854v1","authors":["Caleb Scharf"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP","physics.data-an"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-22T18:44:25Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1012.2589v1","name":"A brief social history of astrobiology in Ibero-america","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The work is divided into three sections: the first one describes the historical evolution of the main arguments presented about the plurality of inhabited worlds, from the presocratics to the birth of modern science. The second section analyzes the race to define the search for life beyond Earth as a scientific activity under a specific name. Finally, the third part presents a brief description of the social history of science that allowed the early development of astrobiology in Iberoamerica.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1012.2589v1","authors":["Guillermo A. Lemarchand"],"tags":["physics.hist-ph","physics.pop-ph","physics.soc-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-12-12T21:10:14Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0610926v1","name":"The Astrobiology Primer: An Outline of General Knowledge - Version 1, 2006","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Astrobiology, the study of life as a planetary phenomenon, aims to understand the fundamental nature of life on earth and the possibility of life elsewhere. To achieve this goal, astrobiologists have initiated unprecedented communication between the disciplines of astronomy, biology, chemistry, and geology. The Astrobiology Primer has been created as a reference tool for those who are interested in the interdisciplinary field of astrobiology. The field incorporates many diverse research endeavors, but it is our hope that this slim volume will present the reader with all he or she needs to know to become involved and to understand, at least at a fundamental level, the state of the art. Because of the great diversity of material, each section was written by a different author with a different expertise. The Primer was constructed collaboratively. Ninety researchers from around the world contributed information with regard to what they expected from other astrobiologists and what they would like to know themselves but still had difficulty understanding (see Contributors). Those submissions were read and considered by the Editors who produced a list of seven general categories of knowledge, represented by the seven chapters in the Primer: 1) Stellar Formation and Evolution, 2) Planetary Formation and Evolution, 3) Astrobiogeochemistry and the Origin of Life, 4) Evolution of Life through Time, 5) Planet Detection &amp; Characterization, 6) Diversity of Life, and 7) Science in Space. No one volume, of course, can contain the vast amount of information brought to play in astrobiology, but we believe that the Primer will provide a forum and a language around which the community will have the opportunity to develop a consensus about central issues.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0610926v1","authors":["L. J. Mix","J. C. Armstrong","A. M. Mandell","A. C. Mosier","J. Raymond","S. N. Raymond","F. J. Stewart","K. von Braun","O. Zhaxybayeva","L. Billings","V. Cameron","M. Claire","G. J. Dick","S. D. Domagal-Goldman","E. J. Javaux","O. J. Johnson","C. Laws","M. S. Race","J. Rask","J. D. Rummel","R. T. Schelble","S. Vance"," ;"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-10-31T01:48:58Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2202.12892v1","name":"AbGradCon 2021: Lessons in Digital Meetings, International Collaboration, and Interdisciplinarity in Astrobiology","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Astrobiology Graduate Conference (AbGradCon) is an annual conference both organized for and by early career researchers, postdoctoral fellows, and students as a way to train the next generation of astrobiologists and develop a robust network of cohorts moving forward. AbGradCon 2021 was held virtually on September 14-17, 2021, hosted by the Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) of Tokyo Institute of Technology after postponement of the in-person event in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting consisted of presentations by 120 participants from a variety of fields, two keynote speakers, and other career building events and workshops. Here, we report on the organizational and executional aspects of AbGradCon 2021, including the meeting participant demographics, various digital aspects introduced specifically for a virtual edition of the meeting, and the abstract submission and evaluation process. The abstract evaluation process of AbGradCon 2021 is unique in that all evaluations are done by the peers of the applicants, and as astrobiology is inherently a broad discipline, the abstract evaluation process revealed a number of trends related to multidisciplinarity of the astrobiology field. We believe that meetings like AbGradCon can provide a unique opportunity for students and early career researchers in astrobiology to experience community building, inter- and multidisciplinary collaboration, and career training and would be a welcome sight in other fields as well. We hope that this report provides inspiration and a basic roadmap for organizing future conferences in any field with similar goals.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2202.12892v1","authors":["Tony Z. Jia","Kristin N. Johnson-Finn","Osama M. Alian","Irene Bonati","Kosuke Fujishima","Natalie Grefenstette","Thilina Heenatigala","Yamei Li","Natsumi Noda","Petar I. Penev","Paula Prondzinsky","Harrison B. Smith"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.GA","astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-02-24T23:52:11Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2105.05281v1","name":"Mars Astrobiological Cave and Internal habitability Explorer (MACIE): A New Frontiers Mission Concept","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Martian subsurface habitability and astrobiology can be evaluated via a lava tube cave, without drilling. MACIE addresses two key goals of the Decadal Survey (2013-2022) and three MEPAG goals. New advances in robotic architectures, autonomous navigation, target sample selection, and analysis will enable MACIE to explore the Martian subsurface.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2105.05281v1","authors":["Charity M. Phillips-Lander","Ali Agha-Mohammadi","J. J. Wynne","Timothy N. Titus","Nancy Chanover","Cansu Demirel-Floyd","Kyle Uckert","Kaj Williams","Danielle Wyrick","Jen Blank","Penelope Boston","Karl Mitchell","Akos Kereszturi","Javier Martin-Torres","Svetlana Shkolyar","Nicole Bardebelias","Saugata Datta","Kurt Retherford","Lydia Sam","Anshuman Bhardwaj","Alberto Fairen","David Flannery","Roger Weins"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-05-11T18:27:20Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.00709v1","name":"Science Autonomy using Machine Learning for Astrobiology","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In recent decades, artificial intelligence (AI) including machine learning (ML) have become vital for space missions enabling rapid data processing, advanced pattern recognition, and enhanced insight extraction. These tools are especially valuable in astrobiology applications, where models must distinguish biotic patterns from complex abiotic backgrounds. Advancing the integration of autonomy through AI and ML into space missions is a complex challenge, and we believe that by focusing on key areas, we can make significant progress and offer practical recommendations for tackling these obstacles.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.00709v1","authors":["Victoria Da Poian","Bethany Theiling","Eric Lyness","David Burtt","Abigail R. Azari","Joey Pasterski","Luoth Chou","Melissa Trainer","Ryan Danell","Desmond Kaplan","Xiang Li","Lily Clough","Brett McKinney","Lukas Mandrake","Bill Diamond","Caroline Freissinet"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP","cs.AI","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-01T12:20:18Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2401.04708v1","name":"Astrobiological Potential of Venus Atmosphere Chemical Anomalies and Other Unexplained Cloud Properties","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Long-standing unexplained Venus atmosphere observations and chemical anomalies point to unknown chemistry but also leave room for the possibility of life. The unexplained observations include several gases out of thermodynamic equilibrium (e.g. tens of ppm O2, the possible presence of PH3 and NH3, SO2 and H2O vertical abundance profiles), an unknown composition of large, lower cloud particles, and the \"unknown absorber(s)\". Here we first review relevant properties of the Venus atmosphere and then describe the atmospheric chemical anomalies and how they motivate future astrobiology missions to Venus.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.04708v1","authors":["Janusz J. Petkowski","Sara Seager","David H. Grinspoon","William Bains","Sukrit Ranjan","Paul B. Rimmer","Weston P. Buchanan","Rachana Agrawal","Rakesh Mogul","Christopher E. Carr"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-09T18:18:44Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1410.7374v1","name":"Internalizing Null Extraterrestrial \"Signals\": An Astrobiological App for a Technological Society","source":"arxiv","abstract":"One of the beneficial outcomes of searching for life in the Universe is that it grants greater awareness of our own problems here on Earth. Lack of contact with alien beings to date might actually comprise a null \"signal\" pointing humankind toward a viable future. Astrobiology has surprising practical applications to human society; within the larger cosmological context of cosmic evolution, astrobiology clarifies the energetic essence of complex systems throughout the Universe, including technological intelligence that is intimately dependent on energy and likely will be for as long as it endures. The \"message\" contained within the \"signal\" with which today's society needs to cope is reasonably this: Only solar energy can power our civilization going forward without soiling the environment with increased heat yet robustly driving the economy with increased per capita energy usage. The null \"signals\" from extraterrestrials also offer a rational solution to the Fermi paradox as a principle of cosmic selection likely limits galactic civilizations in time as well as in space: Those advanced life-forms anywhere in the Universe that wisely adopt, and quickly too, the energy of their parent star probably survive, and those that don't, don't.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1410.7374v1","authors":["Eric J. Chaisson"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-10-27T19:50:03Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2601.06386v1","name":"NASA Decadal Astrobiology Research and Exploration Strategy (NASA-DARES 2025) White Paper -- Habitable Worlds Observatory Living Worlds Science Cases: Research Gaps and Needs","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Executive Summary: The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) is the first astrophysics flagship mission with a key cross-divisional astrobiology science goal of searching for signs of life on rocky planets beyond our solar system. The Living Worlds Working Group under the Science, Technology, and Architecture Review Team (START) was charged with investigating how HWO could characterize potentially habitable exoplanets orbiting stars in the solar neighborhood, search for signs of life, and interpret potential biosignatures within a false positive and false negative framework. In particular, we focused on (1) identifying biosignatures that have spectral features in the UV-Vis-NIR wavelength range and defining their measurement requirements, (2) determining additional information needed from the planet and planet system to interpret biosignatures and assess the likelihood of false positives, and (3) assembling current knowledge of likely HWO target stars and identify which properties of host stars and systems are most critical to know in advance of HWO. The Living Worlds atmospheric biosignatures science case is considered one of the key drivers in the design of the observatory. An additional 10 astrobiology science cases were developed that collectively revealed key research gaps and needs required to fully explore the observatory parameter space and perform science return analyses. Investment in these research gaps will require coordination across the Science Mission Directorate and fall under the purview of the new Division-spanning astrobiology strategy.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.06386v1","authors":["Niki Parenteau","Giada Arney","Eleanora Alei","Ruslan Belikov"," Svetlana"," Berdyugina","Dawn Cardace","Ligia F. Coelho","Kevin Fogarty","Kenneth Gordon","Jonathan Grone","Natalie Hinkel","Nancy Kiang","Ravi Kopparapu","Joshua Krissansen-Totton","Emilie LaFleche","Jacob Lustig-Yaeger","Eric Mamajek","Avi Mandell","Taro Matsuo","Connor Metz","Mark Moussa","Stephanie Olson","Lucas Patty","Bill Philpot","Sukrit Ranjan","Edward Schwieterman","Clara Sousa-Silva","Anna Grace Ulses","Sara Walker","Daniel Whitt"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-10T02:14:07Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0901.2018v1","name":"Exoplanets - search methods, discoveries, and prospects for astrobiology","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Whereas the Solar System has Mars and Europa as the best candidates for finding fossil/extant life as we know it - based on complex carbon compounds and liquid water - the 263 (non-pulsar) planetary systems around other stars as known at 15 September 2008 could between them possess many more planets where life might exist. Moreover, the number of these exoplanetary systems is growing steadily, and with this growth there is an increase in the number of planets that could bear carbon-liquid water life. In this brief review the main methods by which exoplanets are being discovered are outlined, and then the discoveries that have so far been made are presented. Habitability is then discussed, and an outline presented of how a planet could be studied from afar to determine whether it is habitable, and whether it is indeed inhabited. This review is aimed at the astrobiology community, which spans many disciplines, few of which involve exoplanets. It is therefore at a basic level and concentrates on the major topics.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2018v1","authors":["Barrie W Jones"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-01-14T14:10:47Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0709.2309v1","name":"Evolutionary Catastrophes and the Goldilocks Problem","source":"arxiv","abstract":"One of the mainstays of the controversial \"rare Earth\" hypothesis is the \"Goldilocks problem\" regarding various parameters describing a habitable planet, partially involving the role of mass extinctions and other catastrophic processes in biological evolution. Usually, this is construed as support for the uniqueness of the Earth's biosphere and intelligent human life. Here I argue that this is a misconstrual and that, on the contrary, observation-selection effects, when applied to catastrophic processes, make it very difficult for us to discern whether the terrestrial biosphere and evolutionary processes which created it are exceptional in the Milky Way or not. In particular, an anthropic overconfidence bias related to the temporal asymmetry of evolutionary processes appears when we try to straightforwardly estimate catastrophic risks from the past records on Earth. This agnosticism, in turn, supports the validity and significance of practical astrobiological and SETI research.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0709.2309v1","authors":["Milan M. Cirkovic"],"tags":["astro-ph","physics.geo-ph","physics.soc-ph","q-bio.PE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-09-14T14:24:35Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0512140v1","name":"Astrobiological significance of minerals on Mars surface environment: UV-shielding properties of Fe (jarosite) vs. Ca (gypsum) sulphates","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The recent discovery of liquid water-related sulphates on Mars is of great astrobiological interest. UV radiation experiments, using natural Ca and Fe sulphates (gypsum, jarosite), coming from two selected areas of SE Spain (Jaroso Hydrothermal System and the Sorbas evaporitic basin), were performed using a Xe Lamp with an integrated output from 220 nm to 500 nm of 1.2 Wm-2. The results obtained demonstrate a large difference in the UV protection capabilities of both minerals and also confirm that the mineralogical composition of the Martian regolith is a crucial shielding factor. Whereas gypsum showed a much higher transmission percentage, jarosite samples, with a thickness of only 500 microns, prevented transmission. This result is extremely important for the search for life on Mars as: a) jarosite typically occurs on Earth as alteration crusts and patinas, and b) a very thin crust of jarosite on the surface of Mars would be sufficient to shield microorganisms from UV radiation.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0512140v1","authors":["Gabriel Amaral","Jesus Martinez-Frias","Luis Vazquez"],"tags":["physics.ins-det"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-12-15T12:37:04Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1309.4024v1","name":"The Cyborg Astrobiologist: Matching of Prior Textures by Image Compression for Geological Mapping and Novelty Detection","source":"arxiv","abstract":"(abridged) We describe an image-comparison technique of Heidemann and Ritter that uses image compression, and is capable of: (i) detecting novel textures in a series of images, as well as of: (ii) alerting the user to the similarity of a new image to a previously-observed texture. This image-comparison technique has been implemented and tested using our Astrobiology Phone-cam system, which employs Bluetooth communication to send images to a local laptop server in the field for the image-compression analysis. We tested the system in a field site displaying a heterogeneous suite of sandstones, limestones, mudstones and coalbeds. Some of the rocks are partly covered with lichen. The image-matching procedure of this system performed very well with data obtained through our field test, grouping all images of yellow lichens together and grouping all images of a coal bed together, and giving a 91% accuracy for similarity detection. Such similarity detection could be employed to make maps of different geological units. The novelty-detection performance of our system was also rather good (a 64% accuracy). Such novelty detection may become valuable in searching for new geological units, which could be of astrobiological interest. The image-comparison technique is an unsupervised technique that is not capable of directly classifying an image as containing a particular geological feature; labeling of such geological features is done post facto by human geologists associated with this study, for the purpose of analyzing the system's performance. By providing more advanced capabilities for similarity detection and novelty detection, this image-compression technique could be useful in giving more scientific autonomy to robotic planetary rovers, and in assisting human astronauts in their geological exploration and assessment.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1309.4024v1","authors":["P. C. McGuire","A. Bonnici","K. R. Bruner","C. Gross","J. Ormö","R. A. Smosna","S. Walter","L. Wendt"],"tags":["cs.CV","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-09-16T16:32:35Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1907.08947v1","name":"Copernicanism and the Typicality in Time","source":"arxiv","abstract":"How special (or not) is the epoch we are living in? What is the appropriate reference class for embedding the observations made at the present time? How probable -- or else -- is anything we observe in the fulness of time? Contemporary cosmology and astrobiology bring those seemingly old-fashioned philosophical issues back into focus. There are several examples of contemporary research which use the assumption of typicality in time (or temporal Copernicanism) explicitly or implicitly, while not truly elaborating upon the meaning of this assumption. The present paper brings attention to the underlying and often uncritically accepted assumptions in these cases. It also aims to defend a more radical position that typicality in time is not -- and cannot ever be -- well-defined, in contrast to the typicality in space, and the typicality in various specific parameter spaces. This, of course, does not mean that we are atypical in time; instead, the notion of typicality in time is necessarily somewhat vague and restricted. In principle, it could be strengthened by further defining the relevant context, e.g., by referring to typicality within the Solar lifetime, or some similar restricting clause.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1907.08947v1","authors":["Milan M. Ćirković","Amedeo Balbi"],"tags":["physics.hist-ph","astro-ph.CO","astro-ph.EP","physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-07-21T09:57:28Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1408.6164v1","name":"Formation, Habitability, and Detection of Extrasolar Moons","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The diversity and quantity of moons in the Solar System suggest a manifold population of natural satellites exist around extrasolar planets. Of peculiar interest from an astrobiological perspective, the number of sizable moons in the stellar habitable zones may outnumber planets in these circumstellar regions. With technological and theoretical methods now allowing for the detection of sub-Earth-sized extrasolar planets, the first detection of an extrasolar moon appears feasible. In this review, we summarize formation channels of massive exomoons that are potentially detectable with current or near-future instruments. We discuss the orbital effects that govern exomoon evolution, we present a framework to characterize an exomoon's stellar plus planetary illumination as well as its tidal heating, and we address the techniques that have been proposed to search for exomoons. Most notably, we show that natural satellites in the range of 0.1 - 0.5 Earth mass (i) are potentially habitable, (ii) can form within the circumplanetary debris and gas disk or via capture from a binary, and (iii) are detectable with current technology.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1408.6164v1","authors":["René Heller","Darren Williams","David Kipping","Mary Anne Limbach","Edwin Turner","Richard Greenberg","Takanori Sasaki","Émeline Bolmont","Olivier Grasset","Karen Lewis","Rory Barnes","Jorge I. Zuluaga"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-08-26T15:45:06Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1908.05935v1","name":"Habitability of galaxies and application of merger trees in astrobiology","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Galaxies represent the main form of organization of matter in our universe. Therefore, they are of obvious interest for the new multidisciplinary field of astrobiology. In particular, to study habitability of galaxies represents one of the main emerging challenges of theoretical and numerical astrobiology. Its theoretical underpinnings are, however, often confused and vague. Here we present a systematic attempt to list and categorize major causal factors playing a role in emergent habitability of galaxies. Furthermore, we argue that the methodology of cosmological merger trees is particularly useful in delineating what are systematic and lawful astrobiological properties of galaxies at present epoch vs. those which are product of historical contingency and, in particular, interaction with wider extragalactic environment. Employing merger trees extracted from cosmological N-body simulations as a new and promising research method for astrobiology has been pioneered by Stanway et al. (2018). We analyse the general issue of applicability of merger trees and present preliminary results on a set of trees extracted from the Illustris Project. In a sense, this approach is directly complementary to using large-scale cosmological simulations to study habitable zones of individual galaxies with high mass/spatial resolution; taken together, they usher a new era of synergy and synthesis between cosmology and astrobiology.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1908.05935v1","authors":["Neda Stojković","Branislav Vukotić","Milan M. Ćirković"],"tags":["astro-ph.GA","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-08-16T11:30:41Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0505006v1","name":"Too Early? On the Apparent Conflict of Astrobiology and Cosmology","source":"arxiv","abstract":"An interesting consequence of the modern cosmological paradigm is the spatial infinity of the universe. When coupled with naturalistic understanding of the origin of life and intelligence, which follows the basic tenets of astrobiology, and with some fairly incontroversial assumptions in the theory of observation selection effects, this infinity leads, as Ken Olum has recently shown, to a paradoxical conclusion. Olum's paradox is related, to the famous Fermi's paradox in astrobiology and SETI studies. We, hereby, present an evolutionary argument countering the apparent inconsistency, and show how, in the framework of a simplified model, deeper picture of the coupling between histories of intelligent/technological civilizations and astrophysical evolution of the Galaxy, can be achieved. This strategy has consequences of importance for both astrobiological studies and philosophy.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0505006v1","authors":["Milan M. Cirkovic"],"tags":["astro-ph","gr-qc","physics.soc-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-04-30T14:33:18Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1207.1491v1","name":"Is it the first use of the word Astrobiology ?","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The research of life in Universe is a ancient quest that has taken different forms over the centuries. It has given rise to a new science, which is normally referred as Astrobiology. It is interesting to research when this word was used for the first time and when this science developed to represent the search for life in Universe as is done today. There are records of the usage of the word \"Astrobiology\" as early as 1935, in an article published in a French popular science magazine. Moreover this article is quite remarkable because its portrayal of the concept of the subject is very similar to that considered today. The author of this paper was Ary J. Sternfeld (1905 - 1980), who was ortherwise known as a poorly respected great pioneer of astronautics. We provide a brief description of his life, which was heavily influenced by the tragic events of the 20th century history, from Poland and France to Russia. He was a prolific scientific writer who wrote a number of very successful scientific books and papers.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1207.1491v1","authors":["Danielle Briot"],"tags":["physics.hist-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-07-05T16:39:39Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.09015v1","name":"Cultivating Long-Term Planning, Collaboration, and Mission Continuity in Astrobiology Through Support of Early Career Researchers","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A white paper submitted to the 2025 NASA Decadal Astrobiology Research and Exploration Strategy (DARES) on the importance of early-career training, support, and retention. The paper identifies two goals for NASA Astrobiology regarding early career researchers (ECRs): (1) Knowledge Retention and Workforce Stability, and (2) Foster Collaboration &amp; Strengthen Community. The paper outlines the challenges of achieving these goals and offers recommendations for actions that NASA Astrobiology can take to further train, support, and retain ECRs in NASA Astrobiology.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.09015v1","authors":["Elizabeth Spiers","Jessica Weber","Katherine Dzurilla","Erin Leonard","Sierra Ferguson","Natalie Wolfenbarger","Kristian Chan","Perianne Johnson","Kirtland Robinson","Chase Chivers"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-11T23:53:53Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0910.5454v1","name":"The Cyborg Astrobiologist: Testing a Novelty-Detection Algorithm on Two Mobile Exploration Systems at Rivas Vaciamadrid in Spain and at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah","source":"arxiv","abstract":"(ABRIDGED) In previous work, two platforms have been developed for testing computer-vision algorithms for robotic planetary exploration (McGuire et al. 2004b,2005; Bartolo et al. 2007). The wearable-computer platform has been tested at geological and astrobiological field sites in Spain (Rivas Vaciamadrid and Riba de Santiuste), and the phone-camera has been tested at a geological field site in Malta. In this work, we (i) apply a Hopfield neural-network algorithm for novelty detection based upon color, (ii) integrate a field-capable digital microscope on the wearable computer platform, (iii) test this novelty detection with the digital microscope at Rivas Vaciamadrid, (iv) develop a Bluetooth communication mode for the phone-camera platform, in order to allow access to a mobile processing computer at the field sites, and (v) test the novelty detection on the Bluetooth-enabled phone-camera connected to a netbook computer at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah. This systems engineering and field testing have together allowed us to develop a real-time computer-vision system that is capable, for example, of identifying lichens as novel within a series of images acquired in semi-arid desert environments. We acquired sequences of images of geologic outcrops in Utah and Spain consisting of various rock types and colors to test this algorithm. The algorithm robustly recognized previously-observed units by their color, while requiring only a single image or a few images to learn colors as familiar, demonstrating its fast learning capability.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0910.5454v1","authors":["P. C. McGuire","C. Gross","L. Wendt","A. Bonnici","V. Souza-Egipsy","J. Ormo","E. Diaz-Martinez","B. H. Foing","R. Bose","S. Walter","M. Oesker","J. Ontrup","R. Haschke","H. Ritter"],"tags":["cs.CV","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM","cs.LG","stat.ML"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-10-28T18:26:39Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1204.5563v1","name":"Assessing Researcher Interdisciplinarity: A Case Study of the University of Hawaii NASA Astrobiology Institute","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this study, we combine bibliometric techniques with a machine learning algorithm, the sequential Information Bottleneck, to assess the interdisciplinarity of research produced by the University of Hawaii NASA Astrobiology Institute (UHNAI). In particular, we cluster abstract data to evaluate Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge subject categories as descriptive labels for astrobiology documents, assess individual researcher interdisciplinarity, and determine where collaboration opportunities might occur. We find that the majority of the UHNAI team is engaged in interdisciplinary research, and suggest that our method could be applied to additional NASA Astrobiology Institute teams in particular, or other interdisciplinary research teams more broadly, to identify and facilitate collaboration opportunities.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1204.5563v1","authors":["Michael G. Gowanlock","Rich Gazan"],"tags":["physics.soc-ph","cs.DL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-04-25T05:20:07Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1906.10635v1","name":"Widening Perspectives: The Intellectual and Social Benefits of Astrobiology, Big History, and the Exploration of Space","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Astrobiology is the field of science devoted to searching for life elsewhere in the Universe. It is inherently interdisciplinary, integrating results from multiple fields of science, and in this respect has strong synergies with 'big history'. I argue that big history and astrobiology are both acting to widen human perspectives in intellectually and socially beneficial directions, especially by enhancing public awareness of cosmic and evolutionary worldviews. I will further argue that these perspectives have important implications for the social and political organisation of humanity, including the eventual political unification of our planet. Astrobiology and big history are also concerned with the future of humanity, and I will argue that this future will be culturally and intellectually enriched if it includes the exploration of the universe around us.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1906.10635v1","authors":["Ian Crawford"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-06-15T01:06:22Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1709.06562v1","name":"The epistemological status of Astrobiology: a problematic case of integration of scientific disciplines","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Astrobiology is a scientific discipline that studies life in the Universe. We call it a discipline and not a science because some authors have cast doubts over its epistemological status by calling it 'a science without an object of study'. As with astrophysics, the scientific nature of astrobiology is related to historical-narrative sciences and nomothetic sciences. This discipline also integrates complex methodological and conceptual problems which originate from the methodological and epistemological differences that exist between physics and biology. This is why it is so important to evidence the different philosophical approaches from which its results are interpreted. After a brief historical introduction, we will consider the problem of life and we will analyse the influence that different philosophical approaches have on astrobiology. Subsequently, we will introduce ontological and epistemological questions that originate from interdisciplinarity, for example, their role in a physicalistic type of reductionism and in teleology.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1709.06562v1","authors":["Juan Campos Quemada"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","q-bio.OT"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-09-19T10:34:21Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0306185v1","name":"On the First Anthropic Argument in Astrobiology","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We consider the little-known anthropic argument of Fontenelle dealing with the nature of cometary orbits, given a year before the publication of Newton's Principia. This is particularly interesting in view of the rapid development of the recently resurgent theories of cometary catastrophism and their role in the modern astrobiological debates, for instance in the \"rare Earth\" hypothesis of Ward and Brownlee.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0306185v1","authors":["Milan M. Cirkovic"],"tags":["astro-ph","physics.bio-ph","physics.hist-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-06-10T00:00:19Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2011.02425v1","name":"Generalized Stoichiometry and Biogeochemistry for Astrobiological Applications","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A central need in the field of astrobiology is generalized perspectives on life that make it possible to differentiate abiotic and biotic chemical systems. A key component of many past and future astrobiological measurements is the elemental ratio of various samples. Classic work on Earth's oceans has shown that life displays a striking regularity in the ratio of elements as originally characterized by Redfield. The body of work since the original observations has connected this ratio with basic ecological dynamics and cell physiology, while also documenting the range of elemental ratios found in a variety of environments. Several key questions remain in considering how to best apply this knowledge to astrobiological contexts: How can the observed variation of the elemental ratios be more formally systematized using basic biological physiology and ecological or environmental dynamics? How can these elemental ratios be generalized beyond the life that we have observed on our own planet? Here we expand recently developed generalized physiological models to create a simple framework for predicting the variation of elemental ratios found in various environments. We then discuss further generalizing the physiology for astrobiological applications. Much of our theoretical treatment is designed for in situ measurements applicable to future planetary missions. We imagine scenarios where three measurements can be made - particle/cell sizes, particle/cell stoichiometry, and fluid or environmental stoichiometry - and develop our theory in connection with these often deployed measurements.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2011.02425v1","authors":["Christopher P. Kempes","Michael J. Follows","Hillary Smith","Heather Graham","Christopher H. House","Simon A. Levin"],"tags":["q-bio.QM","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-04T17:22:36Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.04122v1","name":"Responsible Discovery in Astrobiology: Lessons from Four Controversial Claims","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper examines four case studies of life-detection claims in astrobiology, covering both biosignatures and technosignatures: the 1877 \"canals\" on Mars, the 1976 Mars Viking landers experiments, the 2020 phosphine detection on Venus, and the 2020 Breakthrough Listen Candidate 1 (BLC1) signal. We analyse the process of discovery for each case, including how they were detected, the media reception, the ensuing scientific debate, the correction processes, and the time it took until an expert consensus was reached. We identify lessons learned while providing scientists, the scientific community, and science communicators with recommendations for approaching future claims of astrobiological discoveries. To avoid potential cognitive biases and mitigate premature conclusions, we stress the need for clear communication of uncertainties, as well as thorough debate and verification processes among the scientific community. These responsible approaches can strengthen the credibility of scientists, cultivate a supportive scientific community, and help astrobiology flourish as a field.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.04122v1","authors":["Daliah Raquel Bibas","Clément Vidal"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-02T14:12:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1811.05201v1","name":"A New Level 3 Biosafety and Astrobiology Laboratory in Pieve a Nievole (PT)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We report our proposal for the establishment of a biocontainment and astrobiology laboratory in a strategic area of Pieve a Nievole (PT) at 28 mt above sea level - to face the lack of biological and astrobiological research centers and all the social, economic and cultural consequences that this project implicate. The structure will be built under the Horizon 2020 work program 2018-2020 - European Research Infrastructures (including e-Infrastructures), and will enable the development of major research project.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1811.05201v1","authors":["D. Tasselli","G. Ferrara","S. Ricci","P. Bianchi"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-11-13T10:37:31Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.03813v1","name":"Community need for an Astrobiology Sample Repository and Sample Reference Suite","source":"arxiv","abstract":"As we prepare for the next planetary mission charged with finding life beyond Earth, the Astrobiology community must continue to improve its understanding of what constitutes a biosignature, through the use of planetary analog samples. The study of these collected and generated samples is expanding our knowledge of what constitutes habitable environments, what life is capable of, and importantly, how to make biosignature detections within compositionally complex samples - aiding in the development of life detection instrumentation. And yet the full potential of these samples remains untapped. While the Astrobiology community possesses an incredible inventory of planetary analog samples, some incredibly precious, these are scattered across the country in individual freezers with varying degrees of documentation, curation practices, and contamination control. We, as a community, need to change the status quo of how we approach planetary analog research. One of the biggest actions we could take over the next 10 years to change that paradigm would be the creation of a sample repository for Astrobiology relevant materials, providing a centralized, well-curated, wealth of precious samples for the community. Such a collection would create a framework for material and meta-data submission that minimizes burden on the individual PIs, satisfying open data requirements; it would facilitate biosignature research, and aid in the creation of a robust life detection framework; support the development of a standardized sample reference suite for life detection instrumentation; and finally, aid in the development of techniques to be used for future sample return endeavors.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.03813v1","authors":["A. Pontefract","C. Bradburne","K. Craft","M. Ballarotto","K. Bowden","R. Klima","S. MacKenzie","J. Núñez","E. G. Rivera-Valentín","C. E. Carr","L. Chou","A. Davila","J. L. Eigenbrode","C. R. German","H. V. Graham","S. S. Johnson","T. M. Hoehler","A. E. Murray","M. Neveu","B. L. Nunn","H. M. Sapers","S. Shkolyar","1A. Steele","M. G. Trainer"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-04T14:03:45Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2012.12079v3","name":"Cosmology, astrobiology, and the RNA world. Just add quintessential water","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Water nanoclusters ejected into interstellar space from abundant amorphous ice-coated cosmic dust offer a hypothetical scenario connecting major mysteries of our universe: dark matter, dark energy, cosmology, astrobiology, and the RNA world. Cosmic water nanoclusters also exhibit the dipole-moment anisotropy prerequisite to their birefringence property, which may explain recent CMB birefringence data possibly supporting quintessence.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2012.12079v3","authors":["Keith Johnson"],"tags":["physics.chem-ph","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-08-26T20:21:56Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0809.0261v1","name":"Nonlinear aspects of astrobiological research","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Several aspects of mathematical astrobiology are discussed. It is argued that around the time of the origin of life the handedness of biomolecules must have established itself through an instability. Possible pathways of producing a certain handedness include mechanisms involving either autocatalysis or, alternatively, epimerization as governing effects. Concepts for establishing hereditary information are discussed in terms of the theory of hypercycles. Instabilities toward parasites and possible remedies by invoking spatial extent are reviewed. Finally, some effects of early life are discussed that contributed to modifying and regulating atmosphere and climate of the Earth, and that could have contributed to the highly oxidized state of its crust.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0809.0261v1","authors":["Axel Brandenburg"],"tags":["q-bio.BM","astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-09-01T15:03:18Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.08636v1","name":"Foundation Models for Astrobiology: Paper I -- Workshop and Overview","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Advances in machine learning over the past decade have resulted in a proliferation of algorithmic applications for encoding, characterizing, and acting on complex data that may contain many high dimensional features. Recently, the emergence of deep-learning models trained across very large datasets has created a new paradigm for machine learning in the form of Foundation Models. Foundation Models are programs trained on very large and broad datasets with an extensive number of parameters. Once built, these powerful, and flexible, models can be utilized in less resource-intensive ways to build many different, downstream applications that can integrate previously disparate, multimodal data. The development of these applications can be done rapidly and with a much lower demand for machine learning expertise. And the necessary infrastructure and models themselves are already being established within agencies such as NASA and ESA. At NASA this work is across several divisions of the Science Mission Directorate including the NASA Goddard and INDUS Large Language Models and the Prithvi Geospatial Foundation Model. And ESA initiatives to bring Foundation Models to Earth observations has led to the development of TerraMind. A workshop was held by the NASA Ames Research Center and the SETI Institute, in February 2025, to investigate the potential of Foundation Models for astrobiological research and to determine what steps would be needed to build and utilize such a model or models. This paper shares the findings and recommendations of that workshop, and describes clear near-term, and future opportunities in the development of a Foundation Model (or Models) for astrobiology applications. These applications would include a biosignature, or life characterization, task, a mission development and operations task, and a natural language task for integrating and supporting astrobiology research needs.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.08636v1","authors":["Ryan Felton","Caleb Scharf","Stuart Bartlett","Nathalie A. Cabrol","Victoria Da Poian","Diana Gentry","Jian Gong","Adrienne Hoarfrost","Manil Maskey","Floyd Nichols","Conor A. Nixon","Tejas Panambur","Joseph Pasterski","Anton S. Petrov","Anirudh Prabhu","Brenda Thomson","Hamed Valizadegan","Kimberley Warren-Rhodes","David Wettergreen","Michael L. Wong","Anastasia Yanchilina"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-08T20:01:22Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1206.3467v3","name":"Astrobiological Complexity with Probabilistic Cellular Automata","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Search for extraterrestrial life and intelligence constitutes one of the major endeavors in science, but has yet been quantitatively modeled only rarely and in a cursory and superficial fashion. We argue that probabilistic cellular automata (PCA) represent the best quantitative framework for modeling astrobiological history of the Milky Way and its Galactic Habitable Zone. The relevant astrobiological parameters are to be modeled as the elements of the input probability matrix for the PCA kernel. With the underlying simplicity of the cellular automata constructs, this approach enables a quick analysis of large and ambiguous input parameters' space. We perform a simple clustering analysis of typical astrobiological histories and discuss the relevant boundary conditions of practical importance for planning and guiding actual empirical astrobiological and SETI projects. In addition to showing how the present framework is adaptable to more complex situations and updated observational databases from current and near-future space missions, we demonstrate how numerical results could offer a cautious rationale for continuation of practical SETI searches.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1206.3467v3","authors":["B. Vukotić","M. M. Ćirković"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","nlin.CG","physics.comp-ph","q-bio.PE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-06-15T13:56:51Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1210.0815v1","name":"Evolution of the problem \"search for life in the Universe\" from some examples","source":"arxiv","abstract":"On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Drake formula, it appears interesting to briefly review the history of Astrobiology from the origins up to the epoch of the Drake formula. After recalling the main steps of this history during Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance, we point out some little known or unknown studies during the Modern and Contemporary epochs. Then we review the importance of astrobiology and the search for life in the Universe in the scientific publications during the 20th century.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1210.0815v1","authors":["Danielle Briot"],"tags":["physics.hist-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-10-02T15:56:18Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0712.3260v1","name":"Astrobiology in the Environments of Main-Sequence Stars: Effects of Photospheric Radiation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We explore if carbon-based macromolecules (such as DNA) in the environments of stars other than the Sun are able to survive the effects of photospheric stellar radiation, such as UV-C. Therefore, we focus on main-sequence stars of spectral types F, G, K, and M. Emphasis is placed on investigating the radiative environment in the stellar habitable zones. Stellar habitable zones are relevant to astrobiology because they constitute circumstellar regions in which a planet of suitable size can maintain surface temperatures for water to exist in fluid form, thus increasing the likelihood of Earth-type life.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0712.3260v1","authors":["M. Cuntz","L. Gurdemir","E. F. Guinan","R. L. Kurucz"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-12-19T19:25:24Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1008.4893v1","name":"The Astronomical, Astrobiological and Planetary Science Case for Interstellar Spaceflight","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A review is presented of the scientific benefits of rapid (v &gt;= 0.1c) interstellar spaceflight. Significant benefits are identified in the fields of interstellar medium studies, stellar astrophysics, planetary science and astrobiology. In the latter three areas the benefits would be considerably enhanced if the interstellar vehicle is able to decelerate from its interstellar cruise velocity to rest relative to the target system. Although this will greatly complicate the mission architecture, and extend the overall travel time, the scientific benefits are such that this option should be considered seriously in future studies.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1008.4893v1","authors":["Ian A. Crawford"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-08-28T22:26:23Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2010.13883v1","name":"Breve historia de la astrobiología en Argentina","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Astrobiology or exobiology is a relatively new area of science that investigates the possibilities of finding life in other places in the universe. This not only includes the exploration of planets near or distant to Earth, but also the exploration of our own planet in the study of the origin and evolution of life. Given the complexity of the questions this field tries to answer, astrobiology nourishes from various areas of science, such as physics, chemistry, astronomy, geology, among others, the reason why is considered an interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary area. Some of these questions have also arisen from these areas and have converged in what is now astrobiology. Even many of these questions have also been asked in ancient times, although without the scientific and technical framework that we have today. This is the case of civilizations such as those of ancient Greece, among others, which have raised questions directly related to the possibilities of finding life on other worlds. Therefore, many of the questions today are part of astrobiology predate the development of astrobiology itself. This has been the path that has led to the development of astrobiology as a young science worldwide. Many Latin American countries, such as Argentina, have not been the exception to this.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2010.13883v1","authors":["Ximena C. Abrevaya"],"tags":["physics.hist-ph","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-10-26T20:19:31Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1401.4771v1","name":"SWIR Investigation of sites of astrobiological interest","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Rover missions to the rocky bodies of the Solar System and especially to Mars require light- weight, portable instruments that use minimal power, require no sample preparation, and provide suitably diagnostic mineralogical information to an Earth-based exploration team. Short-wave infrared (SWIR) spectroscopic instruments such as the Portable Infrared Mineral Analyser (PIMA, Integrated Spectronics Pty Ltd., Baulkham Hills, NSW, Australia) fulfill all these requirements. We describe an investigation of a possible Mars analogue site using a PIMA instrument. A survey was carried out on the Strelley Pool Chert, an outcrop of stro- matolitic, silicified Archean carbonate and clastic succession in the Pilbara Craton, interpreted as being modified by hydrothermal processes. The results of this study demonstrate the ca- pability of SWIR techniques to add significantly to the geological interpretation of such hy- drothermally altered outcrops. Minerals identified include dolomite, white micas such as il- lite-muscovite, and chlorite. In addition, the detection of pyrophyllite in a bleached and altered unit directly beneath the succession suggests acidic, sulfur-rich hydrothermal activity may have interacted with the silicified sediments of the Strelley Pool Chert.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1401.4771v1","authors":["Adrian J. Brown","Malcolm Walter","Thomas Cudahy"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-01-20T02:19:48Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1309.4729v1","name":"Astrobiology: An Astronomer's Perspective","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this review we explore aspects of the field of astrobiology from an astronomical viewpoint. We therefore focus on the origin of life in the context of planetary formation, with additional emphasis on tracing the most abundant volatile elements, C, H, O, and N that are used by life on Earth. We first explore the history of life on our planet and outline the current state of our knowledge regarding the delivery of the C, H, O, N elements to the Earth. We then discuss how astronomers track the gaseous and solid molecular carriers of these volatiles throughout the process of star and planet formation. It is now clear that the early stages of star formation fosters the creation of water and simple organic molecules with enrichments of heavy isotopes. These molecules are found as ice coatings on the solid materials that represent microscopic beginnings of terrestrial worlds. Based on the meteoritic and cometary record, the process of planet formation, and the local environment, lead to additional increases in organic complexity. The astronomical connections towards this stage are only now being directly made. Although the exact details are uncertain, it is likely that the birth process of star and planets likely leads to terrestrial worlds being born with abundant water and organics on the surface.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1309.4729v1","authors":["Edwin A. Bergin"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-09-18T18:01:52Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.19984v1","name":"Communicating astrobiology and the search for life elsewhere: speculations and promises of a developing scientific field in newspapers, press releases and papers","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This study examines the communication of astrobiology and the Search for Life Elsewhere (SLE) in academic papers, press releases, and news articles over three decades. Through a quantitative content analysis, it investigates the prevalence of speculations and promises/expectations in these sources, aiming to understand how research results are portrayed and their potential impact on public perception and future research directions. Findings reveal that speculations and promises/expectations are more frequent in news articles and press releases compared to academic papers. Speculations about conditions for life and the existence of life beyond Earth are common, particularly in news articles covering exoplanet research, while promises of life detection are rare. Press releases tend to emphasize the significance of research findings and the progress of the field. Speculations and promises/expectations in news articles often occur without attribution to scientists and in quotes of authors of the studies, and slightly less so in quotes of outside experts. The study highlights the complex dynamics of science communication in astrobiology, where speculations and promises can generate public excitement and influence research funding, but also risk misrepresenting scientific uncertainty and creating unrealistic expectations. It underscores the need for responsible communication practices that acknowledge the speculative dimension of the field while fostering public engagement and informed decision-making.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.19984v1","authors":["Danilo Albergaria","Pedro Russo","Ionica Smeets","Thilina Heenatigala","Dallyce Vetter"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","physics.soc-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-27T15:43:51Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0606102v2","name":"Macroengineering in the Galactic Context: A New Agenda for Astrobiology","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We hereby consider the problem of detectability of macro-engineering projects over interstellar distances, in the context of Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence (SETI). Freeman J. Dyson and his imaginative precursors, like Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, Olaf Stapledon or John B. S. Haldane, suggested macro-engineering projects as focal points in the context of extrapolations about the future of humanity and, by analogy, other intelligent species in the Milky Way. We emphasize that the search for signposts of extraterrestrial macro-engineering projects is not an optional pursuit within the family of ongoing and planned SETI projects; inter alia, the failure of the orthodox SETI thus far clearly indicates this. Instead, this approach (for which we suggest a name of \"Dysonian\") should be the front-line and mainstay of any cogent SETI strategy in future, being significantly more promising than searches for directed, intentional radio or microwave emissions. This is in accord with our improved astrophysical understanding of the structure and evolution of the Galactic Habitable Zone, as well as with the recent wake-up call of Steven J. Dick to investigate consequences of postbiological evolution for astrobiology in general and SETI programs in particular. The benefits this multidisciplinary approach may bear for astrobiologists, evolutionary theorists and macro-engineers are also briefly highlighted.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0606102v2","authors":["Milan M. Cirkovic"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-06-06T01:01:04Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2209.11685v1","name":"Opportunities for Technosignature Science in the Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Solar system exploration provides numerous possibilities for advancing technosignature science. The search for life in the solar system includes missions designed to search for evidence of biosignatures on other planetary bodies, but many missions could also attempt to search for and constrain the presence of technology within the solar system. Technosignatures and biosignatures represent complementary approaches toward searching for evidence of life in our solar neighborhood, and beyond. This report summarizes the potential technosignature opportunities within ongoing solar system exploration and the recommendations of the \"Origins, Worlds, and Life\" Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey. We discuss opportunities for constraining the prevalence of technosignatures within the solar system using current or future missions at negligible additional cost, and we present a preliminary assessment of gaps that may exist in the search for technosignatures within the solar system.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2209.11685v1","authors":["Jacob Haqq-Misra","Reza Ashtari","James Benford","Jonathan Carroll-Nellenback","Niklas A. Döbler","Wael Farah","Thomas J. Fauchez","Vishal Gajjar","David Grinspoon","Advait Huggahalli","Ravi K. Kopparapu","Joseph Lazio","George Profitiliotis","Evan L. Sneed","Savin Shynu Varghese","Clément Vidal"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP","physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-09-21T21:24:06Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1010.1573v1","name":"A Comment on \"The Far Future of Exoplanet Direct Characterization\" - the Case for Interstellar Space Probes","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Following on from ideas presented in a recent paper by Schneider et al. (2010) on \"The Far Future of Exoplanet Direct Characterization\", I argue that they have exaggerated the technical obstacles to performing such 'direct characterization' by means of fast (order 0.1c) interstellar space probes. A brief summary of rapid interstellar spaceflight concepts that may be found in the literature is presented. I argue that the presence of interstellar dust grains, while certainly something which will need to be allowed for in interstellar vehicle design, is unlikely to be the kind of 'show stopper' suggested by Schneider et al. Astrobiology as a discipline would be a major beneficiary of developing an interstellar spaceflight capability, albeit in the longer term, and I argue that astrobiologists should keep an open mind to the possibilities.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1010.1573v1","authors":["Ian A. Crawford"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.GA"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-10-08T00:44:33Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.12124v1","name":"Dialogues between Astrobiology and Earth Pedagogy: a proposal to the continued training of science teachers","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Introduction and Objective. Assuming the need to rethink Education and its function as an element of social transformation and generator of a profound ethical change and promoter of other ways of being on planet Earth, this study seeks to understand the possible dialogues between Earth Pedagogy and Astrobiology in the construction and proposition of continuing education processes for science teachers. Methodology. A mini-course was promoted aimed at teachers and an attempt was made to report the construction process of the training process and, using Content Analysis, to analyze the contributions pointed out by the participants to their training and teaching practice. Results and Conclusion. The dialogue between knowledge in the continuing education of teachers contributes with fundamental elements to teaching practice, covering cognitive, emotional, individual and collective aspects, as well as highlighting the role of the university in promoting initiatives that bring Education and Complexity together.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.12124v1","authors":["Vitória Cássia Gabriela de Oliveira","José Alberto Casto Nogales Vera"],"tags":["physics.ed-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-18T12:23:13Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.12982v2","name":"Simple lipids form stable higher-order structures in concentrated sulfuric acid","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Venus has become a target of astrobiological interest because it is physically accessible to direct exploration, unlike exoplanets. So far this interest has been motivated not by the explicit expectation of finding life but rather by a desire to understand the limits of biology. The venusian surface is sterilizing, but the cloud deck includes regions with temperatures and pressures conventionally considered compatible with life. However, the venusian clouds are thought to consist of concentrated sulfuric acid. To determine if any fundamental features of life as we understand them here on Earth could in principle exist in these extreme solvent conditions, we tested several simple lipids for resistance to solvolysis and their ability to form structures in concentrated sulfuric acid. We find that single-chain saturated lipids with sulfate, alcohol, trimethylamine, and phosphonate head groups are resistant to sulfuric acid degradation at room temperature. Furthermore, we find that they form stable higher-order structures typically associated with lipid membranes, micelles, and vesicles. Finally, results from molecular dynamics simulations suggest a molecular explanation for the observed robustness of the lipid structures formed in concentrated sulfuric acid. We conclude with implications for the study of Venus as a target of experimental astrobiology.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.12982v2","authors":["Daniel Duzdevich","Collin Nisler","Janusz J. Petkowski","William Bains","Caroline K. Kaminsky","Jack W. Szostak","Sara Seager"],"tags":["physics.chem-ph","astro-ph.EP","physics.bio-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-03T10:58:05Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.764Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_5601-1","name":"Mars, Hydrated Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_5601-1","authors":["Solmaz Adeli"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-17T09:04:36Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_5601-1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2008.1248","name":"Session 24. Inorganic and Organic Biosignatures in Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2008.1248","authors":["Max Coleman","Chris Romanek","Clark Johnson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-04-08T10:23:27Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2008.1248","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2020.2245","name":"The Role of Minerals in Events That Led to the Origin of Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"The role of minerals in the events that led to the origin of life is discussed with regard to (1) their catalytic role for the formation of RNA-like oligomers from their monomers and (2) their protective role for organic molecules formed in space that were delivered to planetary surfaces. Results obtained in the laboratory demonstrate that minerals do catalyze the oligomerization of ribonucleic acid (RNA) monomers to produce short RNA chains. Furthermore, and more importantly, these synthetic RNA chains formed by mineral catalysis serve as a template for the formation of complementary RNA chains, which is a significant finding that demonstrates the role of minerals in the origin of life. Simulation experiments run under Mars-like conditions have also shown that Mars analog minerals can shield the precursors of RNA and proteins against the harmful effects of UV and gamma radiation at the martian surface and 5 cm below the surface.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2020.2245","authors":["Gözen Ertem"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-02-07T21:23:40Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2020.2245","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min10020092","name":"Local-Basis-Function Equation of State for Ice VII–X to 450 GPa at 300 K","source":"crossref","abstract":"Helmholtz energy of ice VII–X is determined in a pressure regime extending to 450 GPa at 300 K using local-basis-functions in the form of b-splines. The new representation for the equation of state is embedded in a physics-based inverse theory framework of parameter estimation. Selected pressures as a function of volume from 14 prior experimental studies and two theoretical studies constrain the behavior of Helmholtz energy. Separately measured bulk moduli, not used to construct the representation, are accurately replicated below about 20 GPa and above 60 GPa. In the intermediate range of pressure, the experimentally determined moduli are larger and have greater scatter than values predicted using the Helmholtz representation. Although systematic error in the determination of elastic moduli is possible and likely, the alternative hypothesis is a slow relaxation time associated with changes in proton mobility or the ice VII to X transition. A correlation is observed between anomalies in the pressure derivative of the predicted bulk modulus and previously suggested higher-order phase transitions. Improved determinations of elastic properties at high pressure would allow refinement of the current equation of state. More generally, the current method of data assimilation is broadly applicable to other materials in high-pressure studies and for investigations of planetary interiors.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min10020092","authors":["J. Michael Brown","Baptiste Journaux"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-21T11:25:59Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.3390/min10020092","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15040378","name":"Trace Metal and Phosphorus Enrichments in Cyanobacteria Cells and Cyanobacterial Precipitated Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"The enrichment of trace metals and other life-essential elements, like phosphorus, in carbonates may be a signature of microbial life. Enrichments of such elements in microbial carbonate facies in the rock record have been attributed to life in previous studies, but the biologic origin of these enrichments is contentious. We experimentally tested the hypothesis that enrichments of life-important trace elements occur in both cells and carbonate minerals that form as a result of cellular photosynthesis for the cyanobacteria Synechococcus PCC 8806. We grew Synechococcus PCC 8806 and measured the trace element concentrations of the cells and the minerals that precipitate with the cells, and we compared the results to abiotically precipitated mineral material from the same growth medium conditions. We found that for all the tested trace elements (B, P, K, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, and Zn, chosen for their requirements in the growth medium of Synechococcus PCC 8806 and known uses in cellular machinery), nearly all the sample types were enriched relative to the medium concentrations. The dominant pattern for most elements was that cells were the most enriched, followed by biotic minerals, and then abiotic minerals. However, this pattern was complicated by varying concentrations of Mg in the mineral samples because the data were normalized to Mg (Mg was the dominant cation in the solution next to Na). Nonetheless, however the data are normalized, Fe was the most enriched element in the cells and both the biotic and abiotic minerals relative to the medium concentrations. Fe had the largest enrichment factor (E.F.) for all the sample types, with an E.F. of approximately 2800 in the biotic minerals, 1620 in the cells, and 230 in the abiotic minerals. Fe was followed by Zn (E.F. of ~329 in cells, 198 in biotic minerals, and 78 in abiotic minerals), Cu (E.F. of ~424 in cells, 171 in biotic minerals, and 50 in abiotic minerals), Mn (E.F. of ~200 in cells, 95 in biotic minerals, and 53 in abiotic minerals), and P (E.F. of ~149 in cells, 37 in biotic minerals, and 6 in abiotic minerals), suggesting that these elements can be useful as biosignatures when used in combination with other evidence.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15040378","authors":["Hanna Leapaldt","Miquela Ingalls","Georgia Soares","Christopher H. House"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-04T06:52:56Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.3390/min15040378","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2010.0490","name":"Potential of Cathodoluminescence Microscopy and Spectroscopy for the Detection of Prokaryotic Cells on Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"Detecting mineral-hosted ecosystems to assess the extent and functioning of the biosphere from the surface to deep Earth requires appropriate techniques that provide, beyond the morphological criteria, indubitable clues of the presence of prokaryotic cells. Here, we evaluate the capability of cathodoluminescence microscopy and spectroscopy, implemented on a scanning electron microscope, to identify prokaryotes on mineral surfaces. For this purpose, we used, as a first step, a simple model of either unstained or stained cultivable cells (Escherichia coli, Deinococcus radiodurans) deposited on minerals that are common in the oceanic crust (basaltic glass, amphibole, pyroxene, and magnetite). Our results demonstrate that the detection of cells is possible at the micrometric level on the investigated minerals through the intrinsic fluorescence of their constituting macromolecules (aromatic amino and nucleic acids, coenzymes). This allows us to distinguish biomorph inorganic phases from cells. This easily implemented technique permits an exploration of colonized rock samples. In addition, the range of spectrometric techniques available on a scanning electron microscope can provide additional information on the nature and chemistry of the associated mineral phases, which would lead to a simultaneous characterization of cells, their microhabitats, and a better understanding of their potential relationships.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2010.0490","authors":["Céline Rommevaux-Jestin","Bénédicte Ménez"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-12-01T04:32:31Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2010.0490","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2017.1732","name":"Enhancement and Inhibitory Activities of Minerals for Alanine Oligopeptide Elongation Under Hydrothermal Conditions","source":"crossref","abstract":"In a previous study, we have showed that the elongation of an alanine oligopeptide [L-alanyl-L-alanyl-L-alanyl-L-alanine ((Ala) 4 )] to higher oligopeptides is enhanced by calcite and dolomite at 275°C, using a mineral-mediated hydrothermal flow reactor system. However, a problem during the use of hydrothermal flow reactor system was that some of the minerals, such as clay, could not be tested due to their clogging in the reactor. In this article, we attempted to analyze the scope of enhancement for the formation of L-alanyl-L-alanyl-L-alanyl-L-alanyl-L-alanine ((Ala) 5 ) and higher oligopeptides with different minerals including clay minerals for the elongation of alanine oligopeptide at 175°C. First, carbonate minerals and some clay minerals showed an enhancement of the formation of (Ala) 5 from (Ala) 4 . On the contrary, volcanic products showed strong inhibitory activities. According to the pH dependence on the (Ala) 4 elongations, we confirmed that most enhancement and inhibitory activities are due to the pH influence on the elongation of (Ala) 4 . However, the enhancement of montmorillonite (Tsukinuno), sphalerite, apatite, tourmaline, calcite (Nitto Funka), and the inhibitory activities by volcanic ash (Shinmoedake), volcanic ash (Sakurajima), dickite, and pyrophillite are not simply due to the pH change in the presence of these minerals. The difference found between the previous and present studies suggests that the interaction kinetics of the aqueous phase with the mineral phase is also an important factor for the elongation of (Ala) 4 . These data imply that the environments with pH near neutral to weak alkaline and with minerals might have been useful for the accumulation of oligopeptides in hydrothermal conditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2017.1732","authors":["Kunio Kawamura","Noriko Konagaya","Yoshimi Maruoka"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-08-30T11:06:58Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2017.1732","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/s1473550412000067","name":"Sampling methane in hydrothermal minerals on Earth and Mars","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract The source of Martian atmospheric methane is unknown. On Earth, hydrothermal mineral deposits contain ancient methane together with a host of chemical and geological lines of evidence for the mechanism of gas production. Such deposits are therefore potentially attractive sampling sites on Mars. In order to evaluate this potential, hydrothermal calcite veins were sampled across the Caithness region of Scotland and analysed for methane by an incremental-crushing mass spectrometry technique that may be adaptable to Mars rovers. Methane was detected in all samples. Variations in the quantity of methane released were found to relate directly to the geological history of the localities. Calcite particle size was found to affect measurements in a systematic and informative way. Oxidative weathering had no discernable effect on methane recoverability. These results suggest that the technique is sensitive and informative enough to deserve consideration for missions to Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550412000067","authors":["Sean McMahon","John Parnell","Nigel J. F. Blamey"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-02-16T06:41:14Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1017/s1473550412000067","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2015.1329","name":"Raman Spectroscopic Techniques for Planetary Exploration: Detecting Microorganisms through Minerals","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Raman spectroscopy can provide highly specific chemical fingerprints of inorganic and organic materials and is therefore expected to play a significant role in interplanetary missions, especially for the search for life elsewhere in our solar system. A major challenge will be the unambiguous detection of low levels of biomarkers on a mineral background. In addition, these biomarkers may not be present at the surface but rather inside or underneath minerals. Strong scattering may prevent focusing deeper into the sample. In this paper, we report the detection of carotenoid-containing microorganisms behind mineral layers using time-resolved Raman spectroscopy (TRRS). Two extremophiles, the bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans and the cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis, were detected through translucent and transparent minerals using 440&#x2009;nm excitation under resonance conditions to selectively enhance the detection of carotenoids. Using 3&#x2009;ps laser pulses and a 250&#x2009;ps gated intensified CCD camera provided depth selectivity for the subsurface microorganisms over the mineral surface layer and in addition lowered the contribution of the fluorescent background. Raman spectra of both organisms could be detected through 5&#x2009;mm of translucent calcite or 20&#x2009;mm of transparent halite. Multilayered mineral samples were used to further test the applied method. A separate tunable laser setup for resonance Raman and a commercial confocal Raman microscope, both with continuous (non-gated) detection, were used for comparison. This study demonstrates the capabilities of TRRS for the depth-selective analysis through scattering samples, which could be used in future planetary exploration to detect microorganisms or biomarkers within or behind minerals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2015.1329","authors":["Mattheus F.C. Verkaaik","Jan-Hein Hooijschuur","Gareth R. Davies","Freek Ariese","Verkaaik MF","Hooijschuur JH","Davies GR","Ariese F"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015 Aug","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2015.1329","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2020.2276","name":"Interactions Between Iron Sulfide Minerals and Organic Carbon: Implications for Biosignature Preservation and Detection","source":"crossref","abstract":"Microbe-mineral interactions can produce unique composite materials, which can preserve biosignatures. Geological evidence suggests that iron sulfide (Fe-S) minerals are abundant in the subsurface of Mars. On Earth, the formation of Fe-S minerals is driven by sulfate-reducing microorganisms (SRM) that produce reactive sulfide. Moreover, SRM metabolites, as well as intact cells, can influence the morphology, particle size, aggregation, and composition of biogenic Fe-S minerals. In this work, we evaluated how simple and complex organic molecules—hexoses and amino acid/peptide mixtures, respectively—influence the formation of Fe-S minerals (simulated prebiotic conditions), and whether the observed patterns mimic the biological influence of SRM. To this end, organo-mineral aggregates were characterized with X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and scanning transmission X-ray microscopy coupled to near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy. Overall, Fe-S minerals were found to have a strong affinity for proteinaceous organic matter. Fe-S minerals precipitated at simulated prebiotic conditions yielded organic carbon distributions that were more homogeneous than treatments with whole SRM cells. In prebiotic experiments, spectroscopy detected potential organic transformations during Fe-S mineral formation, including conversion of hexoses to sugar acids and polymerization of amino acids/peptides into larger peptides/proteins. In addition, prebiotic mineral-carbon assemblages produced nanometer-scaled filamentous aggregated morphologies. On the contrary, in biotic treatments with cells, organic carbon in minerals displayed a more heterogeneous distribution. Notably, “hot spots” of organic carbon and oxygen-containing functional groups, with the size, shape, and composition of microbial cells, were preserved in mineral aggregates. We propose a list of characteristics that could be used to help distinguish biogenic from prebiotic/abiotic Fe-S minerals and help refine the search of extant or extinct microbial life in the martian subsurface.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2020.2276","authors":["Aude Picard","Amy Gartman","Peter R. Girguis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-03-29T19:25:54Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2020.2276","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2006.6.423","name":"Magnetism, Iron Minerals, and Life on Mars","source":"crossref","abstract":"A short critical review is provided on two questions linking magnetism and possible early life on Mars: (1) Did Mars have an Earth-like internal magnetic field, and, if so, during which period and was it a requisite for life? (2) Is there a connection between iron minerals in the martian regolith and life? We also discuss the possible astrobiological implications of magnetic measurements at the surface of Mars using two proposed instruments. A magnetic remanence device based on magnetic field measurements can be used to identify Noachian age rocks and lightning impacts. A contact magnetic susceptibility probe can be used to investigate weathering rinds on martian rocks and identify meteorites among the small regolith rocks. Both materials are considered possible specific niches for microorganisms and, thus, potential astrobiological targets. Experimental results on analogues are presented to support the suitability of such in situ measurements.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2006.6.423","authors":["P. Rochette","J. Gattacceca","V. Chevrier","P.E. Mathé","M. Menvielle"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-06-28T17:07:18Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2006.6.423","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/s1473550423000022","name":"Heat-induced changes in molecular biosignatures and the influence of Mars-relevant minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract The search for signs of life is a major objective in the exploration of Mars. Of particular interest are chemical biosignatures such as biomolecules. However, molecular biosignatures are susceptible to extreme environmental conditions such as heat, ionising radiation and strong oxidants. Therefore, a knowledge of the stability of possible biosignature molecules under present and past conditions on Mars is important, as well as the nature of possible alteration products. In the light of the long volcanically active history of Mars, we have studied the thermal behaviour of selected biological compounds, namely, haemin (an iron porphyrin closely related to the haem prosthetic group), cytochrome c (a small protein) and lecithin (a mixture of phospholipids). Samples were exposed to temperatures up to 900°C under an inert atmosphere of nitrogen, either in neat form or in mineral matrices. The matrix materials used were sodium chloride, gypsum (CaSO 4 ⋅ 2H 2 O), Ca-montmorillonite (STx-1b), the Martian regolith simulant JSC Mars-1A and some mixtures thereof. Key results are: (1) The onset of significant decomposition for haemin, cytochrome c and lecithin occurs around 240°C. At slightly higher temperatures the disappearance of all characteristic infrared spectral bands indicates complete decomposition and loss of the primary biosignatures. (2) Haemin stoichiometrically releases CO 2 and HCl during the initial thermal decomposition phase, at the end of which the iron porphyrin core is still intact. High-temperature products of haemin include graphite, α-iron and cementite (Fe 3 C). (3) Neat lecithin forms long-chain polyphosphates at 500°C, whereas lecithin‒NaCl mixtures form diphosphate (pyrophosphate). As these anions are absent and rare, respectively, in minerals, they may potentially serve as secondary biosignatures. (4) Heating a mixture of NaCl and JSC Mars-1A at 800°C in the presence of lecithin produces the aluminosilicate mineral sodalite (Na 8 [AlSiO 4 ] 6 Cl 2 ), which however appears to be of limited use as a secondary biosignature.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550423000022","authors":["Bettina Haezeleer","Stefan Fox","Henry Strasdeit"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-02-20T09:41:47Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1017/s1473550423000022","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/s1473550412000195","name":"Adsorption of amino acids and nucleic acid bases onto minerals: a few suggestions for prebiotic chemistry experiments","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Amino acids and nucleic acid bases are very important for the living organisms. Thus, their protection from decomposition, selection, pre-concentration and formation of biopolymers are important issues for understanding the origin of life on the Earth. Minerals could have played all of these roles. This paper discusses several aspects involving the adsorption of amino acids and nucleic acid bases onto minerals under conditions that could have been found on the prebiotic Earth; in particular, we recommend the use of minerals, amino acids, nucleic acid bases and seawater ions in prebiotic chemistry experiments. Several experiments involving amino acids, nucleic acid bases, minerals and seawater ions are also suggested, including: (a) using well-characterized minerals and the standardization of the mineral synthesis methods; (b) using primary chondrite minerals (olivine, pyroxene, etc.) and clays modified with metals (Cu, Fe, Ni, Mo, Zn, etc.); (c) determination of the possible products of decomposition due to interactions of amino acids and nucleic acid bases with minerals; (d) using minerals with more organophilic characteristics; (e) using seawaters with different concentrations of ions (i.e. Na + , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , SO 4 2− and Cl − ); (f) using non-protein amino acids (AIB, α-ABA, β-ABA, γ-ABA and β-Ala and g) using nucleic acid bases other than adenine, thymine, uracil and cytosine. These experiments could be useful to clarify the role played by minerals in the origin of life on the Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550412000195","authors":["Dimas A.M. Zaia"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-06-18T07:46:57Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1017/s1473550412000195","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2015.1365","name":"Protection of Nitrate-Reducing Fe(II)-Oxidizing Bacteria from UV Radiation by Biogenic Fe(III) Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"Due to the lack of an ozone layer in the Archean, ultraviolet radiation (UVR) reached early Earth's surface almost unattenuated; as a consequence, a terrestrial biosphere in the form of biological soil crusts would have been highly susceptible to lethal doses of irradiation. However, a self-produced external screen in the form of nanoparticular Fe(III) minerals could have effectively protected those early microorganisms. In this study, we use viability studies by quantifying colony-forming units (CFUs), as well as Fe(II) oxidation and nitrate reduction rates, to show that encrustation in biogenic and abiogenic Fe(III) minerals can protect a common soil bacteria such as the nitrate-reducing Fe(II)-oxidizing microorganisms Acidovorax sp. strain BoFeN1 and strain 2AN from harmful UVC radiation. Analysis of DNA damage by quantifying cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPD) confirmed the protecting effect by Fe(III) minerals. This study suggests that Fe(II)-oxidizing microorganisms, as would have grown in association with mafic and ultramafic soils/outcrops, would have been able to produce their own UV screen, enabling them to live in terrestrial habitats on early Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2015.1365","authors":["Tina Gauger","Kurt Konhauser","Andreas Kappler"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-03-30T16:10:27Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2015.1365","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min8030097","name":"The Role of ε-Fe2O3 Nano-Mineral and Domains in Enhancing Magnetic Coercivity: Implications for the Natural Remanent Magnetization","source":"crossref","abstract":"A natural ε-Fe2O3 nano-mineral (luogufengite) has been discovered in young basaltic rocks around the world. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observed euhedral or subhedral luogufengite nano-minerals with crystal sizes ranging from 10 to 120 nm in the basaltic rocks. The magnetic property of treated scoria sample (containing 75.3(5) wt % luogufengite) showed a saturation remanence of 11.3 emu g−1 with a coercive field of 0.17 tesla (T) at room temperature. Luogufengite-like nano-domains were also observed in natural permanent magnets (lodestone) and Fe-Ti oxides (ilmenite-magnetite series) with strong remanent magnetization. The structure of luogufengite-like domains (double hexagonal close-packing) is associated with the interfaces between the (111) plane of cubic magnetite and the (0001) plane of rhombohedral hematite or ilmenite. Stacking faults and twin boundaries of magnetite/maghemite can also produce the luogufengite-like domains. The nano-domains oriented along the magnetic easy axis play an essential role in enhancing the magnetic coercivity of lodestone and Fe-Ti oxide. We conclude that the luogufengite nano-minerals and nano-domains provide an explanation for coercivity and strong remanent magnetization in igneous, metamorphic rocks and even some reported Martian rocks. These nano-scaled multilayer structures extend our knowledge of magnetism and help us to understand the diverse magnetic anomalies occurring on Earth and other planetary bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min8030097","authors":["Seungyeol Lee","Huifang Xu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-03-02T11:53:40Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.3390/min8030097","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2014.1160","name":"Sulfate Minerals: A Problem for the Detection of Organic Compounds on Mars?","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The search for in situ organic matter on Mars involves encounters with minerals and requires an understanding of their influence on lander and rover experiments. Inorganic host materials can be helpful by aiding the preservation of organic compounds or unhelpful by causing the destruction of organic matter during thermal extraction steps. Perchlorates are recognized as confounding minerals for thermal degradation studies. On heating, perchlorates can decompose to produce oxygen, which then oxidizes organic matter. Other common minerals on Mars, such as sulfates, may also produce oxygen upon thermal decay, presenting an additional complication. Different sulfate species decompose within a large range of temperatures. We performed a series of experiments on a sample containing the ferric sulfate jarosite. The sulfate ions within jarosite break down from 500°C. Carbon dioxide detected during heating of the sample was attributed to oxidation of organic matter. A laboratory standard of ferric sulfate hydrate released sulfur dioxide from 550°C, and an oxygen peak was detected in the products. Calcium sulfate did not decompose below 1000°C. Oxygen released from sulfate minerals may have already affected organic compound detection during in situ thermal experiments on Mars missions. A combination of preliminary mineralogical analyses and suitably selected pyrolysis temperatures may increase future success in the search for past or present life on Mars. Key Words: Mars—Life detection—Geochemistry—Organic matter—Jarosite. Astrobiology 15, 247–258.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2014.1160","authors":["James M.T. Lewis","Jonathan S. Watson","Jens Najorka","Duy Luong","Mark A. Sephton","Lewis JM","Watson JS","Najorka J","Luong D","Sephton MA"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015 Mar","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2014.1160","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2010.0508","name":"On the Stabilization of Ribose by Silicate Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"The RNA-world theory hypothesizes that early Earth life was based on the RNA molecule. However, the notion that ribose, the sugar in RNA, is unstable still casts a serious doubt over this theory. Recently, it has been found that the silicate-mediated formose reaction facilitates the stabilization of ribose. Using accurate quantum chemical calculations, we determined the relative stability of the silicate complexes of arabinose, lyxose, ribose, and xylose with the intent to determine which would form predominantly from a formose-like reaction. Five stereoisomers were investigated for each complex. The stereoisomers of 2:1 ribose-silicate are the more stable ones, to the extent that the least stable of these is even more stable than the most stable stereoisomer of the other 2:1 sugar-silicate complexes. Thus, thermodynamically, a formose-like reaction in the presence of silicate minerals should preferentially form the silicate complex of ribose over the silicate complex of arabinose, lyxose, and xylose. Key Words: Prebiotic chemistry—Simulation—Silicate-organics interactions—Origin of life—RNA world. Astrobiology 11, 115–121.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2010.0508","authors":["Álvaro Vázquez-Mayagoitia","Scott R. Horton","Bobby G. Sumpter","Jiří Šponer","Judit E. Šponer","Miguel Fuentes-Cabrera"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-03-10T15:33:38Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2010.0508","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2020.2322","name":"Study of Ferrocyanide Adsorption onto Different Minerals as Prebiotic Chemistry Assays","source":"crossref","abstract":"Considered one of the most promising building blocks of life on primitive Earth, cyanide and its complexes are likely to have played an important role in the emergence of life on the planet. Investigation into cyanide on Earth has primarily considered high concentrations, but the cyanide concentration in the oceans of prebiotic Earth was exceptionally low. Thus, Bernal's hypothesis has allowed investigators to work around this problem. We observed, however, that cyanide does not adsorb onto several minerals; therefore, ferrocyanide could be used as a cyanide source when adsorbed onto mineral surfaces to promote the synthesis of molecules of biological significance. When adsorbed onto bentonite, a mineral that has Fe 3+ atoms in its interlayers, the formation of Prussian blue analog complexes occurs through endothermic reaction and with increased entropy. The adsorption of ferrocyanide onto kaolinite indicates an exothermic and outer-sphere interaction, which results in degeneracy breakdown for C ≡ N stretch energy into two new bands of FTIR-ATR spectrum. Magnetite, which has iron atoms in its structure, and ferrocyanide interactions have been observed by outer-sphere coordination as well as the formation of Prussian blue analogs, as confirmed by the appearance of a new doublet in the Mössbauer spectra and a broadband close to 750 nm at UV-visible spectroscopy. Magnetite and kaolinite experiments presented relevant results only when performed in seawater, which suggests the importance of seawater composition for prebiotic experiments. These obtained results prove that ferrocyanide interacts with minerals differently according to structure and composition and show that this complex, like the Prussian blue analogs, may have played a crucial role as a source of cyanide on primitive Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2020.2322","authors":["Rafael Block Samulewski","Bruno Estevam Pintor","Flávio F. Ivashita","Andrea Paesano","Dimas Augusto Morozin Zaia"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-09-17T16:04:15Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2020.2322","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2015.1291","name":"Weathering Profiles in Phosphorus-Rich Rocks at Gusev Crater, Mars, Suggest Dissolution of Phosphate Minerals into Potentially Habitable Near-Neutral Waters","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Abundant evidence indicates that significant surface and near-surface liquid water has existed on Mars in the past. Evaluating the potential for habitable environments on Mars requires an understanding of the chemical and physical conditions that prevailed in such aqueous environments. Among the geological features that may hold evidence of past environmental conditions on Mars are weathering profiles, such as those in the phosphorus-rich Wishstone-class rocks in Gusev Crater. The weathering profiles in these rocks indicate that a Ca-phosphate mineral has been lost during past aqueous interactions. The high phosphorus content of these rocks and potential release of phosphorus during aqueous interactions also make them of astrobiological interest, as phosphorus is among the elements required for all known life. In this work, we used Mars mission data, laboratory-derived kinetic and thermodynamic data, and data from terrestrial analogues, including phosphorus-rich basalts from Idaho, to model a conceptualized Wishstone-class rock using the reactive transport code CrunchFlow. Modeling results most consistent with the weathering profiles in Wishstone-class rocks suggest a combination of chemical and physical erosion and past aqueous interactions with near-neutral waters. The modeling results also indicate that multiple Ca-phosphate minerals are likely in Wishstone-class rocks, consistent with observations of martian meteorites. These findings suggest that Gusev Crater experienced a near-neutral phosphate-bearing aqueous environment that may have been conducive to life on Mars in the past. Key Words: Mars—Gusev Crater—Wishstone—Reactive transport modeling—CrunchFlow—Aqueous interactions—Neutral pH—Habitability. Astrobiology 15, 1060–1075.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2015.1291","authors":["Christopher T. Adcock","Elisabeth M. Hausrath","Adcock CT","Hausrath EM"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015 Dec","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2015.1291","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2005.5.515","name":"Aqueous Corrosion of Phosphide Minerals from Iron Meteorites: A Highly Reactive Source of Prebiotic Phosphorus on the Surface of the Early Earth","source":"crossref","abstract":"We present the results of an experimental study of aqueous corrosion of Fe-phosphide under conditions relevant to the early Earth. The results strongly suggest that iron meteorites were an important source of reactive phosphorus (P), a requirement for the formation of P-based life. We further demonstrate that iron meteorites were an abundant source of phosphide minerals early in Earth history. Phosphide corrosion was studied in five different solutions: deionized water, deionized water buffered with sodium bicarbonate, deionized water with dissolved magnesium and calcium chlorides, deionized water containing ethanol and acetic acid, and deionized water containing the chlorides, ethanol, and acetic acid. Experiments were performed in the presence of both air and pure Ar gas to evaluate the effect of atmospheric chemistry. Phosphide corrosion in deionized water results in a metastable mixture of mixed-valence, P-bearing ions including pyrophosphate and triphosphate, key components for metabolism in modern life. In a pH-buffered solution of NaHCO(3), the condensed and reduced species diphosphonate is an abundant corrosion product. Corrosion in ethanol- and acetic acid-containing solutions yields additional P-bearing organic molecules, including acetyl phosphonate and a cyclic triphosphorus molecule. Phosphonate is a major corrosion product of all experiments and is the only P-bearing molecule that persists in solutions with high concentrations of magnesium and calcium chlorides, which suggests that phosphonate may have been a primitive oceanic source of P. The stability and reactivity of phosphonate and hypophosphite in solution were investigated to elucidate reaction mechanisms and the role of mineral catalysts on P-solution chemistry. Phosphonate oxidation is rapid in the presence of Fe metal but negligible in the presence of magnetite and in the control sample. The rate of hypophosphite oxidation is independent of reaction substrate.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2005.5.515","authors":["Matthew A. Pasek","Dante S. Lauretta"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-08-03T12:59:46Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2005.5.515","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min8010017","name":"Effect of Mica and Hematite (001) Surfaces on the Precipitation of Calcite","source":"crossref","abstract":"The substrate effect of mica and hematite on the nucleation and crystallization of calcite was investigated using scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) methods. On mica, we found, in the absence of Mg2+, the substrates’ (001) surfaces with hexagonal and pseudo-hexagonal two-dimensional (2-D) structure can affect the orientation of calcite nucleation with calcite (001) ~// mica (001) and calcite (010) ~// mica (010) to be the major interfacial relationship. On hematite, we did not observe frequent twinning relationship between adjacent calcite gains, but often saw preferentially nucleation of calcite at surface steps on hematite substrate. We suggest that calcite crystals initially nucleate from the Ca2+ layers adsorbed on the surfaces. The pseudo-hexagonal symmetry on mica (001) surface also leads to the observed calcite (001) twinning. A second and less common orientation between calcite {104} and mica (001) was detected but could be due to local structure damage of the mica surface. Results in the presence of Mg2+ show that the substrate surfaces can weaken Mg toxicity to calcite nucleation and lead to a higher level of Mg incorporation into calcite lattice.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min8010017","authors":["Huifang Xu","Mo Zhou","Yihang Fang","H. Teng"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-01-15T04:01:55Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.3390/min8010017","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2009.0425","name":"Subglacial Hydrothermal Alteration Minerals in Jökulhlaup Deposits of Southern Iceland, with Implications for Detecting Past or Present Habitable Environments on Mars","source":"pubmed","abstract":"J&#xf6;kulhlaups are terrestrial catastrophic outfloods, often triggered by subglacial volcanic eruptions. Similar volcano-ice interactions were likely important on Mars where magma/lava may have interacted with the planet's cryosphere to produce catastrophic floods. As a potential analogue to sediments deposited during martian floods, the Holocene sandurs of Iceland are dominated by basaltic clasts derived from the subglacial environment and deposited during j&#xf6;kulhlaups. Palagonite tuffs and breccias, present within the deposits, represent the primary alteration lithology. The surface abundance of palagonite on the sandurs is 1-20%. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of palagonite breccias confirms a mineral assemblage of zeolites, smectites, low-quartz, and kaolinite. Oriented powder X-ray diffractograms (&lt; 2 microm fraction) for palagonite breccia clasts and coatings reveal randomly ordered smectite, mixed layer smectite/illite, zeolites, and quartz. Visible light-near infrared (VNIR) and shortwave infrared (SWIR) lab spectroscopic data of the same palagonite samples show H2O/OH(-) absorptions associated with clays and zeolites. SWIR spectra derived from Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) images of the sandurs reveal Al-OH(-) and Si-OH(-) absorption features. The identified alteration mineral assemblage is consistent with low temperature (100-140 degrees C) hydrothermal alteration of basaltic material within the subglacial environment. These results suggest that potential martian analog sites that contain a similar suite of hydrated minerals may be indicative of past hydrothermal activity and locations where past habitable environments for microbial life may be found.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2009.0425","authors":["Nicholas H. Warner","Jack D. Farmer","Warner NH","Farmer JD"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010 Jun","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2009.0425","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/s1473550416000331","name":"Shielding biomolecules from effects of radiation by Mars analogue minerals and soils","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Organic compounds have been delivered over time to Mars via meteorites, comets and interplanetary dust particles. The fate of organic material on the surface of Mars must be affected by the Martian environment, in particular by ultraviolet (UV) and other ionizing radiation. Penetration depth of UV radiation into soils is in the sub-millimetre to millimetre range and depends on the properties of the soil. The aim of this research is to study the possible protective role of Martian analogue minerals and soils for survivability of biomolecules against UV radiation and to compare their decomposition rates within a 1 mm-thick portion of the surface. Results demonstrated that minerals offer significant protection to biomolecules purine, pyrimidine and uracil against UV photolysis. In the absence of these minerals, organic compounds are completely degraded when subjected directly to UV photolysis equivalent to only 5 Martian day's exposure. However, similar UV exposure of organics dried from solution onto powdered calcium carbonate (calcite; CaCO 3 ), calcium sulphate (anhydrite; CaSO 4 ), clay-bearing Atacama dessert soil and 7 Å clay mineral kaolinite [Al 2 Si 2 O 5 (OH) 4 ] results in only 1–2% loss of organics. Mixtures of purine and uracil with calcium carbonate exposed to gamma radiation of 3 Gy (3 Gray), which corresponds to approximately 15 000 days on Mars, results in up to 10% loss of organics. By contrast, these organic compounds completely decomposed upon mixing with iron oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ) before UV irradiation. As the search for extinct or extant life on Mars has been identified as a goal of top priority in NASA's Mars Exploration Program and continues with several missions planned to the red planet by both NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) in the next few decades, our findings may play a useful role in identifying optimal target sites on the Martian surface for future missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550416000331","authors":["G. Ertem","M. C. Ertem","C. P. McKay","R. M. Hazen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-09-09T05:23:03Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1017/s1473550416000331","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1177/15311074261461401","name":"The Possible Aqueous Origins of Manganese Alteration Minerals in the Máaz Formation of Jezero Crater.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Home to a lake around 4 billion years ago, Jezero Crater is a unique location to study the interplay between igneous processes and aqueous alteration on ancient Mars. The Máaz formation, rich in basaltic rock, is the highest stratigraphic unit on the crater floor and hosts a diversity of alteration phases that indicate multiple aqueous episodes affected the crater floor rocks. Using data from the Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry aboard the Perseverance rover, we investigated manganese enrichments across the crater floor. We report on multiple distinct types of Mn-rich materials. The first, in the Guillaumes abrasion low in the Máaz formation, has been tentatively identified as the rare mineral despujolsite (Ca 3 Mn 4+ (SO 4 ) 2 (OH) 6 ·3H 2 O), which forms on Earth in hydrothermal and lacustrine deposits. In the Alfalfa abrasion patch, high in the Máaz formation, we find Mn-enriched magnetite spatially associated with a Ca-dominant sulfate that may contain minor Mn, which suggests a history of serpentinization followed by exposure to oxidizing acidic fluids. These findings underscore the complexity of aqueous alteration over the course of Jezero history. Future sample return missions could refine mineralogical interpretations and provide more information to improve our understanding of aqueous conditions and habitability in the crater.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15311074261461401","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1177/15311074261461401","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2022.0042","name":"Spectral Detection of Nanophase Iron Minerals Produced by Fe(III)-Reducing Hyperthermophilic Crenarchaea","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mineral transformations by two hyperthermophilic Fe(III)-reducing crenarchaea, Pyrodictium delaneyi and Pyrobaculum islandicum , were examined using synthetic nanophase ferrihydrite, lepidocrocite, and akaganeite separately as terminal electron acceptors and compared with abiotic mineral transformations under similar conditions. Spectral analyses using visible–near-infrared, Fourier-transform infrared attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR), Raman, and Mössbauer spectroscopies were complementary and revealed formation of various biomineral assemblages distinguishable from abiotic phases. The most extensive biogenic mineral transformation occurred with ferrihydrite, which formed primarily magnetite with spectral features similar to biomagnetite relative to a synthetic magnetite standard. The FTIR-ATR spectra of ferrihydrite bioreduced by P. delaneyi also showed possible cell-associated organics such as exopolysaccharides. Such combined detections of biomineral assemblages and organics might serve as biomarkers for hyperthermophilic Fe(III) reduction. With lepidocrocite, P. delaneyi produced primarily a ferrous carbonate phase reminiscent of siderite, and with akaganeite, magnetite and a ferrous phosphate phase similar to vivianite were formed. P. islandicum showed minor biogenic production of a ferrous phosphate similar to vivianite when grown on lepidocrocite, and a mixed valent phosphate or sulfate mineral when grown on akaganeite. These results expand the range of biogenic mineral transformations at high temperatures and identify spacecraft-relevant spectroscopies suitable for discriminating mineral biogenicity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2022.0042","authors":["Srishti Kashyap","Elizabeth C. Sklute","Peng Wang","Thomas J. Tague","M. Darby Dyar","James F. Holden"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-09-07T16:48:40Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2022.0042","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2023.0015","name":"Investigation of the Cytotoxicity of Mars-Relevant Minerals upon Abrasion.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Since the Viking Labeled Release experiments were carried out on Mars in the 1970s, it has been evident that the martian surface regolith has a strong oxidizing capacity that can convert organic compounds into CO 2 and probably water. While H 2 O 2 was suggested originally for being the oxidizing agent responsible for the outcome of the Viking experiments, recent analyses of the martian regolith by the Phoenix lander and by consecutive missions point toward radiation-mediated decomposition products of perchlorate salts as the primary oxidant. In a series of experiments, we have shown that abrasion and triboelectric charging of basalt by simulated saltation could be an additional way of activating regolith. We have also shown that abraded basalt with a chemical composition close to that of martian regolith is toxic to several bacterial species and thus may affect the habitability of the martian surface. In the present study, we investigated the effect of the quantitatively most important minerals (olivine, augite, and plagioclase) and iron oxides (hematite, magnetite, and maghemite) on the survival of bacterial cells to elucidate whether a specific mineral that constitutes basalt is responsible for our observations. We observed that suspensions of iron-containing minerals olivine and augite in phosphate-buffered saline (1 × PBS) significantly reduce the number of surviving cells of our model organism Pseudomonas putida after 24 h of incubation. In contrast, the iron-free mineral plagioclase showed no effect. We also observed that suspending abraded olivine and augite in 1 × PBS led to a dramatic increase in pH compared to the pH of 1 × PBS alone. The sudden increase in pH caused by the presence of these minerals may partly explain the observed cytotoxicity. The cytotoxic effect of augite could be relieved when a strong buffer (20 × PBS) was used. In contrast, olivine, despite the stronger buffer, maintained its cytotoxicity. Iron oxides per se have no negative effect on the survival of our test organism. Overall, our experiments confirm the cytotoxicity of basalt and show that no single constituent mineral of the basalt can account for its toxicity. We could show that abraded iron-containing minerals (olivine and augite) change the pH of water when brought into suspension and thereby could affect the habitability of martian regolith.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2023.0015","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2023.0015","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.647Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2006.0044","name":"Origin of Informational Polymers and the Search for Non-Terran Life: Protection of the Polymeric State of DNA by Phosphate Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"An in-depth analysis of the effects exerted on the DNA backbone by 25 crystal phosphate minerals is reported. Degradation of DNA oligomers was performed with two different reactions: Hydrolysis following Nucleophilic Degradation (HND), initiated by the nucleophilic addition of formamide on both purine and pyrimidine nucleobases, and Hydrolysis following Nucleophilic Substitution (HNS) carried on by water and starting with the removal of a nondegraded base. A complete panel of effects on the phosphoester bonds, from protection to enhanced instability to absence of interference, is described. These effects differ in the different degradation pathways and in different physical-chemical conditions. The relationship between the hardness of the mineral and its protective ability is discussed. In addition to its interest per se, this study was prompted by the observed catalytic abilities of soluble and mineral phosphates (Saladino et al., 2006c) on the synthetic reactions by formamide. The relevance of these observations in the search for nonterran life is discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2006.0044","authors":["Fabiana Ciciriello","Giovanna Costanzo","Claudia Crestini","Raffaele Saladino","Ernesto Di Mauro"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-08-27T16:07:09Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2006.0044","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-540-31538-4_4","name":"4 Hydrated Minerals on Mars","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-31538-4_4","authors":["Janice L. Bishop"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-07T14:14:37Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-540-31538-4_4","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min13081089","name":"The Evolution of Mineral Hardness Reveals Both Changing Parageneses and Preservational Bias in the Mineralogical Record","source":"crossref","abstract":"A survey of the average Mohs hardness of minerals throughout Earth’s history reveals a significant and systematic decrease from &gt;6 in presolar grains to ~5 for Archean lithologies to &lt;4 for Phanerozoic minerals. Two primary factors contribute to this temporal decrease in the average Mohs hardness. First, selective losses of softer minerals throughout billions of years of near-surface processing lead to preservational biases in the mineral record. Second, changes in the processes of mineral formation play a significant role because more ancient refractory stellar phases and primary igneous minerals of the Hadean/Archean Eon are intrinsically harder than more recently weathered products, especially following the Paleoproterozoic Great Oxidation Event and the production of Phanerozoic biominerals. Additionally, anthropogenic sampling biases resulting from the selective exploration and curation of the mineralogical record may be superimposed on these two factors.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min13081089","authors":["Marko Bermanec","Ahmed M. Eleish","Shaunna M. Morrison","Anirudh Prabhu","Michael L. Wong","Robert M. Hazen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-08-15T11:06:16Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.3390/min13081089","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.abe4459","name":"Martian subsurface cryosalt expansion and collapse as trigger for landslides","source":"crossref","abstract":"Martian landslides could be triggered by gradual melting of subsurface ice and collapse of salty regolith.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abe4459","authors":["J. L. Bishop","M. Yeşilbaş","N. W. Hinman","Z. F. M. Burton","P. A. J. Englert","J. D. Toner","A. S. McEwen","V. C. Gulick","E. K. Gibson","C. Koeberl"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-02-03T20:19:08Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.abe4459","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min8060252","name":"Contribution of Benthic Processes to the Growth of Ooids on a Low-Energy Shore in Cat Island, The Bahamas","source":"crossref","abstract":"Ooids are typically found in frequently reworked coastal sediments, and are thought to accrete by inorganic chemical precipitation around moving grains. The high organic content and the presence of biosignatures, however, suggest that ooids interact with benthic microbial communities. Here, we investigate the role of benthic processes on ooid growth on a leeward shore of Cat Island, The Bahamas. Polished ooids are present in the surf zone, whereas dull ooids and grapestones are present in microbially colonized sediments seaward of the surf zone. Wave hydrodynamics and sediment transport modeling suggest that microbially colonized sediments are mobilized at monthly time scales. We propose a new conceptual model for both ooids and grapestone. Ooids rest and accrete in the area covered by microbial mats, but are periodically transported to the surf zone where wave abrasion polishes them within days. Ooids are then transported back to microbially colonized areas where the accretion cycle resumes. Ooids too large to be transported become trapped outside the surf zone, exit the “conveyor belt” and become grapestones. The benthic growth mechanism predicts petrographic characteristics that match observations: successive ooid laminae do not thin outward, laminae exhibit irregularities, and some ooids include multiple nuclei.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min8060252","authors":["Giulio Mariotti","Sara B. Pruss","Roger E. Summons","Sharon A. Newman","Tanja Bosak"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-06-14T11:06:06Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.3390/min8060252","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2021.0035","name":"Testing Abiotic Reduction of NAD\n                    <sup>+</sup>\n                    Directly Mediated by Iron/Sulfur Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"Life emerged in a geochemical context, possibly in the midst of mineral substrates. However, it is not known to what extent minerals and dissolved inorganic ions could have facilitated the evolution of biochemical reactions. Herein, we have experimentally shown that iron sulfide minerals can act as electron transfer agents for the reduction of the ubiquitous biological protein cofactor nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD + ) under anaerobic prebiotic conditions, observing the NAD + /NADH redox transition by using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance. This reaction was mediated with iron sulfide minerals, which were likely abundant on early Earth in seafloor and hydrothermal settings; and the NAD + /NADH redox reaction occurred in the absence of UV light, peptide ligand(s), or dissolved mediators. To better understand this reaction, thermodynamic modeling was also performed. The ability of an iron sulfide mineral to transfer electrons to a biochemical cofactor that is found in every living cell demonstrates how geologic materials could have played a direct role in the evolution of certain cofactor-driven metabolic pathways.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2021.0035","authors":["Jessica M. Weber","Bryana L. Henderson","Douglas E. LaRowe","Aaron D. Goldman","Scott M. Perl","Keith Billings","Laura M. Barge"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-09-30T16:17:57Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2021.0035","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min12050646","name":"Mineral Paragenesis Precipitating in Salt Flat Pools of Continental Environments Replicated in Microbial Mat Microcosms without Evaporation","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mineral precipitation can be observed in natural environments, such as lagoons, rivers, springs, and soils. The primary precipitation process has long been believed to be abiotic due to evaporation, leading to phase supersaturation. However, biotic interactions of microbial metabolism, organic compounds, and dissolved ions leading to mineral precipitation has been shown in laboratory studies using single-organism culture. The increase in pH inducing calcium carbonate precipitation due to oxygenic photosynthesis by Cyanobacteria and the release of ions due to organic matter decomposition by Firmicutes-inducing magnesium carbonate precipitation are recognized examples. As microbes do not live as pure cultures in natural environments but form complex communities, such pure culture lab studies do not reflect natural conditions. In this study, we grew natural complex microbial communities in microcosm conditions using filtered brine as water column and two types of natural gypsum substrates, and we replenished incubations to avoid evaporation. We monitored microbial communities through optical microscopy and analyzed mineral paragenesis in association with and without microbes, using different analytical techniques, such X-ray diffraction, and optical and field emission scanning electron microscopies. To detect changes throughout the experiment, small amounts of water column brine were extracted for physicochemial determinations. We were able to detect mineral paragenesis, avoiding evaporation, including major phases of chemical sedimentary rocks, such as gypsum, calcium carbonate, and some silicates in association to microbes. In addition, we evidenced that the use of natural substrates positively impacts growth of microbial communities, promoting the development of more biomass. This study can be seen as the first attempt and proof of concept of differentiating biotic and abiotic participation in evaporitic deposits, as they can form mineral paragenesis without evaporation. Future studies with microcosm experiments using microbial mats will be needed to establish mineral precipitation induced by micro-organisms and their extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), specifically to replicate mineral paragenesis sedimented from natural brines.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min12050646","authors":["Óscar Cabestrero","Cinthya Tebes-Cayo","Nancy W. Hinman","Cecilia Demergasso"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-05-20T13:56:12Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.3390/min12050646","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/s147355040400179x","name":"Protective effect of clay minerals on adsorbed nucleic acid against UV radiation: possible role in the origin of life","source":"crossref","abstract":"The effect of UV radiation on solutions of free and clay-adsorbed DNA has been investigated. It turns out that clay (montmorillonite/kaolinite) adsorbed nucleic acid undergoes less radiation damage than free nucleic acid. Our laboratory experiments have an astronomical counterpart in terms of solar irradiance on the Earth. An origin of life scenario is proposed where ubiquitous clay minerals lead the surface chemistry of the molecules relevant to the biological evolution and at the same time protect them from the deadly rainfall of UV photons.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s147355040400179x","authors":["F. Scappini","F. Casadei","R. Zamboni","M. Franchi","E. Gallori","S. Monti"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-10-13T13:26:38Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1017/s147355040400179x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2020.2345","name":"Martian Magmatic Clay Minerals Forming Vesicles: Perfect Niches for Emerging Life?","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mars was habitable in its early history, but the consensus is that it is quite inhospitable today, in particular because its modern climate cannot support stable liquid water at the surface. Here, we report the presence of magmatic Fe/Mg clay minerals within the mesostasis of the martian meteorite NWA 5790, an unaltered 1.3 Ga nakhlite archetypal of the martian crust. These magmatic clay minerals exhibit a vesicular texture that forms a network of microcavities or pockets, which could serve as microreactors and allow molecular crowding, a necessary step for the emergence of life. Because their formation does not depend on climate, such niches for emerging life may have been generated on Mars at many periods throughout its history, regardless of the stability or availability of liquid water at the surface.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2020.2345","authors":["Jean-Christophe Viennet","Sylvain Bernard","Corentin Le Guillou","Violaine Sautter","Brian Grégoire","Albert Jambon","Sylvain Pont","Olivier Beyssac","Brigitte Zanda","Roger Hewins","Laurent Remusat"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-03-08T17:31:58Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2020.2345","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/life10110291","name":"Six ‘Must-Have’ Minerals for Life’s Emergence: Olivine, Pyrrhotite, Bridgmanite, Serpentine, Fougerite and Mackinawite","source":"crossref","abstract":"Life cannot emerge on a planet or moon without the appropriate electrochemical disequilibria and the minerals that mediate energy-dissipative processes. Here, it is argued that four minerals, olivine ([Mg&gt;Fe]2SiO4), bridgmanite ([Mg,Fe]SiO3), serpentine ([Mg,Fe,]2-3Si2O5[OH)]4), and pyrrhotite (Fe(1−x)S), are an essential requirement in planetary bodies to produce such disequilibria and, thereby, life. Yet only two minerals, fougerite ([Fe2+6xFe3+6(x−1)O12H2(7−3x)]2+·[(CO2−)·3H2O]2−) and mackinawite (Fe[Ni]S), are vital—comprising precipitate membranes—as initial “free energy” conductors and converters of such disequilibria, i.e., as the initiators of a CO2-reducing metabolism. The fact that wet and rocky bodies in the solar system much smaller than Earth or Venus do not reach the internal pressure (≥23 GPa) requirements in their mantles sufficient for producing bridgmanite and, therefore, are too reduced to stabilize and emit CO2—the staple of life—may explain the apparent absence or negligible concentrations of that gas on these bodies, and thereby serves as a constraint in the search for extraterrestrial life. The astrobiological challenge then is to search for worlds that (i) are large enough to generate internal pressures such as to produce bridgmanite or (ii) boast electron acceptors, including imported CO2, from extraterrestrial sources in their hydrospheres.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life10110291","authors":["Michael Russell","Adrian Ponce"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-19T06:23:52Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.3390/life10110291","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2022.0125","name":"Ultraviolet Resistance of Microorganisms Isolated from Uranium-Rich Minerals from Perus, Brazil.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The district of Perus, located in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, is renowned for its weathered granitic-pegmatitic masses, which harbor a significant number of uraniferous minerals that contribute to ionizing radiation levels up to 20 times higher than the background levels. In this study, aseptically collected mineral samples from the area were utilized to isolate 15 microorganisms, which were subjected to pre-screening tests involving UV-C and UV-B radiation. The microorganisms that exhibited the highest resistance to ultraviolet (UV) radiation were selected for the construction of survival curves for UV-C, broad-band UV-B, and solar simulation resistance testing. Subsequently, the four strains that demonstrated superior survival capabilities under UV radiation exposure were chosen for 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Among these, Nocardioides sp. O4R and Nocardioides sp. MA2R demonstrated the most promising outcomes in the UV radiation resistance assessments, showcasing comparable performance to the well-established radioresistant model organism Deinococcus radiodurans . These findings underscore the potential of naturally occurring high-radiation environments as valuable resources for the investigation of UV-resistant microorganisms. Astrobiology 24, 783-794.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2022.0125","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2022.0125","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2021.0158","name":"Nitrogen Incorporation in Potassic and Micro- and Meso-Porous Minerals: Potential Biogeochemical Records and Targets for Mars Sampling","source":"europepmc","abstract":"We measured the N concentrations and isotopic compositions of 44 samples of terrestrial potassic and micro- and meso-porous minerals and a small number of whole-rocks to determine the extent to which N is incorporated and stored during weathering and low-temperature hydrothermal alteration in Mars surface/near-surface environments. The selection of these minerals and other materials was partly guided by the study of altered volcanic glass from Antarctica and Iceland, in which the incorporation of N as NH 4 + in phyllosilicates is indicated by correlated concentrations of N and the LILEs ( i.e. , K, Ba, Rb, Cs), with scatter likely related to the presence of exchanged, occluded/trapped, or encapsulated organic/inorganic N occurring within structural cavities ( e.g. , in zeolites). The phyllosilicates, zeolites, and sulfates analyzed in this study contain between 0 and 99,120 ppm N and have δ 15 N air values of −34‰ to +65‰. Most of these minerals, and the few siliceous hydrothermal deposits that were analyzed, have δ 15 N consistent with the incorporation of biologically processed N during low-temperature hydrothermal or weathering processes. Secondary ion mass spectrometry on altered hyaloclastites demonstrates the residency of N in smectites and zeolites, and silica. We suggest that geological materials known on Earth to incorporate and store N and known to be abundant at, or near, the surface of Mars should be considered targets for upcoming Mars sample return with the intent to identify any signs of ancient or modern life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2021.0158","authors":["Matthew P. Nikitczuk","Gray E. Bebout","Charles A. Geiger","Tsutomu Ota","Takuya Kunihiro","John F. Mustard","Sæmundur A. Halldórsson","Eizo Nakamura"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2021.0158","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2017.1739","name":"Effects of Organic Compounds on Dissolution of the Phosphate Minerals Chlorapatite, Whitlockite, Merrillite, and Fluorapatite: Implications for Interpreting Past Signatures of Organic Compounds in Rocks, Soils and Sediments","source":"crossref","abstract":"Phosphate is an essential nutrient for life on Earth, present in adenosine triphosphate (ATP), deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), ribonucleic acid (RNA), and phospholipid membranes. Phosphorus does not have a significant volatile phase, and its release from minerals is therefore critical to its bioavailability. Organic ligands can enhance phosphate release from minerals relative to release in inorganic solutions, and phosphorus depletion in paleosols has consequently been used as a signature of the presence of ligands secreted by terrestrial organisms on early Earth. We performed batch dissolution experiments of the Mars-relevant phosphate minerals merrillite, whitlockite, chlorapatite, and fluorapatite in solutions containing organic compounds relevant to Mars. We also analyzed these phosphate minerals using the ChemCam laboratory instrument at Los Alamos, providing spectra of end-member phosphate phases that are likely present on the surface of Mars. Phosphate release rates from chlorapatite, whitlockite, and merrillite were enhanced by mellitic, oxalic, succinic, and acetic acids relative to inorganic controls by as much as &gt;35 × . The effects of the organic compounds could be explained by the denticity of the ligand, the strength of the complex formed with calcium, and the solution saturation state. Merrillite, whitlockite, and chlorapatite dissolution rates were more strongly enhanced by acetic and succinic acids relative to inorganic controls (as much as &gt;10 ×) than were fluorapatite dissolution rates (≲2 ×). These results suggest that depletion of phosphate in soils, rocks or sediments on Mars could be a sensitive indicator of the presence of organic compounds.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2017.1739","authors":["Courtney L. Bartlett","Elisabeth M. Hausrath","Christopher T. Adcock","Shichun Huang","Zoe R. Harrold","Arya Udry"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-08-22T11:08:38Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2017.1739","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2011.0635","name":"Formation of Replicating Saponite from a Gel in the Presence of Oxalate: Implications for the Formation of Clay Minerals in Carbonaceous Chondrites and the Origin of Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"The potential role of clay minerals in the abiotic origin of life has been the subject of ongoing debate for the past several decades. At issue are the clay minerals found in a class of meteorites known as carbonaceous chondrites. These clay minerals are the product of aqueous alteration of anhydrous mineral phases, such as olivine and orthopyroxene, that are often present in the chondrules. Moreover, there is a strong correlation in the occurrence of clay minerals and the presence of polar organic molecules. It has been shown in laboratory experiments at low temperature and ambient pressure that polar organic molecules, such as the oxalate found in meteorites, can catalyze the crystallization of clay minerals. In this study, we show that oxalate is a robust catalyst in the crystallization of saponite, an Al- and Mg-rich, trioctahedral 2:1 layer silicate, from a silicate gel at 60°C and ambient pressure. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis of the saponite treated with octadecylammonium (n(C)=18) cations revealed the presence of 2:1 layer structures that have variable interlayer charge. The crystallization of these differently charged 2:1 layer silicates most likely occurred independently. The fact that 2:1 layer silicates with variable charge formed in the same gel has implications for our understanding of the origin of life, as these 2:1 clay minerals most likely replicate by a mechanism of template-catalyzed polymerization and transmit the charge distribution from layer to layer. If polar organic molecules like oxalate can catalyze the formation of clay-mineral crystals, which in turn promote clay microenvironments and provide abundant adsorption sites for other organic molecules present in solution, the interaction among these adsorbed molecules could lead to the polymerization of more complex organic molecules like RNA from nucleotides on early Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2011.0635","authors":["Dirk Schumann","Hyman Hartman","Dennis D. Eberl","S. Kelly Sears","Reinhard Hesse","Hojatollah Vali"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-07-14T00:59:58Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2011.0635","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14040387","name":"The Average Symmetry Index of Minerals Co-Varies with Their Hydrogen Content, Rarity, and Paragenetic Mode","source":"crossref","abstract":"Variations in the Dolivo-Dobrovol’sky symmetry index for minerals through time reveal several factors that influence the emergence of crystalline symmetry in natural processes. Of special interest in this regard are the numerous paragenetic modes—different processes of mineral genesis that reflect changes in physical, chemical, and ultimately biological environments that foster the emergence of new mineral species. Here, we consider the roles of hydrogen content, rarity, formation temperature and pressure, and age on the average symmetry of minerals from 57 different modes of formation (i.e., paragenetic modes). We find four significant trends in the average mineral symmetry index for all minerals in each paragenetic mode: specifically, this average index is (1) lower for minerals with greater hydrogen content; (2) greater for minerals formed at higher pressure; (3) lower for minerals of greater rarity; and (4) greater for older paragenetic modes. These findings elucidate some of the intricate relationships among paragenetic modes, average mineral attributes, and the Dolivo-Dobrovol’sky symmetry index, providing insights into the geological processes governing mineral formation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14040387","authors":["Marko Bermanec","Noa Vidović","Xiaogang Ma","Robert M. Hazen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-08T09:31:23Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.3390/min14040387","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/s1473550423000198","name":"Detection of dsrAB operon expression in <i>Desulfotalea psychrophila</i> cells subjected to simulated Martian conditions of temperature and regolith's sulphate minerals composition","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Discoveries of transient liquid water in the Martian polar caps and the presence of liquid lakes and subsurface oceans in icy satellites have increased the interest of scientists in the capabilities of terrestrial extremophiles to grow and remain metabolically active in these extreme environments. The principal goal of this research is to understand the metabolic capacity of the anaerobic psychrophile, Desulfotalea psychrophila , cultured at subfreezing temperatures in media containing various concentrations of sulphate minerals. In this regard, our experiments focused on the detection of D. psychrophila survival and active metabolism, employing a biochamber that can recreate Martian temperatures. Using standard bacteriological methods for determining growth, combined with molecular and enzymatic determination of sulphate reduction, we have found that D. psychrophila is capable to carry out biological processes at temperatures down to −5°C, at concentrations that range from 0.35 to 18 wt% of MgSO 4 , 0.1 wt% of CaSO 4 and 10 to 14 wt% of FeSO 4 in which the highest sulphate concentration gradually returned the biosynthetic rate to basal limits, and the lowest temperature decreased bacterial cell division. These chemical salts, whose ions are classified as chaotropes, are known to act by maintaining water molecules in liquid state at subfreezing temperatures and by altering the stability of cellular components. This ‘chaotropic effect’ could potentially benefit the microbial metabolic activity up to a concentration in which cellular viability is jeopardized. Consequently, our hypothesis is directed towards the detection of metabolic activity as an indirect measurement of the potential influence of these ions in the flexibility/functionality of biological structures that at cold temperatures are highly rigid, compact and partially/non-functional due to water freezing. Studies of this type of microorganism are critical considering the possibility of survival and colonization of psychrophilic sulphate reducers in other planets and icy satellites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550423000198","authors":["Sergio Mosquera","Mack Ivey","Vincent F. Chevrier"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-07T08:27:21Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1017/s1473550423000198","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2021.0024","name":"Planetary Minerals Catalyze Conversion of a Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon to a Prebiotic Quinone: Implications for Origins of Life","source":"openalex","abstract":"Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous in astrochemical environments and are disbursed into planetary environments via meteorites and extraterrestrial infall where they may interact with mineral phases to produce quinones important for origins of life. In this study, we assessed the potential of the phyllosilicates montmorillonite (MONT) and kaolinite (KAO), and the enhanced Mojave Mars Simulant (MMS) to convert the PAH anthracene (ANTH) to the biologically important 9,10-anthraquinone (ANTHQ). All studied mineral substrates mediate conversion over the temperature range assessed (25–500°C). Apparent rate curves for conversion were sigmoidal for MONT and KAO, but quadratic for MMS. Conversion efficiency maxima for ANTHQ were 3.06% ± 0.42%, 1.15% ± 0.13%, and 0.56% ± 0.039% for MONT, KAO, and MMS, respectively. We hypothesized that differential substrate binding and compound loss account for the apparent conversion kinetics observed. Apparent loss rate curves for ANTH and ANTHQ were exponential for all substrates, suggesting a pathway for wide distribution of both compounds in warmer prebiotic environments. These findings improve upon our previously reported ANTHQ conversion efficiency on MONT and provide support for a plausible scenario in which PAH-mineral interactions could have produced prebiotically relevant quinones in early Earth environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2021.0024","authors":["Sarah González Henao","Vytis Karanauskas","Samuel M. Drummond","Lillian R. Dewitt","Christina M. Maloney","Christina Mulu","Jessica M. Weber","Laura M. Barge","Patrick Videau","Michael O. Gaylor"],"tags":["Chemistry","Clay minerals","Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon","Mineral","Montmorillonite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-31","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2021.0024","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/s147355040600351x","name":"The extraction of intracrystalline biomarkers and other organic compounds from sulphate minerals using a microfluidic format – a feasibility study for remote fossil-life detection using a microfluidic H-cell","source":"crossref","abstract":"Water-soluble sulphate minerals such as epsomite and gypsum have been reported on a number of planetary bodies of astrobiological interest and their presence is often used as an indicator for potential habitability as it can indicate the presence of liquid water. The sulphate minerals can incorporate biomarkers and biomolecules as intracrystalline inclusions. These intracrystalline inclusions are protected from their exterior chemical environments and their analysis can yield a biomarker record, even in environments where extreme oxidizing conditions may have degraded any record present in non-intracrystalline organic matter. In this study, organic compounds were incorporated within epsomite as intracrystalline inclusions by co-precipitating a mineral from solutions of a mineral and organic compound. A feasibly study utilizing a microfluidic H-cell to process finely ground samples of the inclusion-bearing epsomite indicates that a similar device may be used to extract biomarkers for analysis.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s147355040600351x","authors":["Stephen A. Bowden","Rab Wilson","Colin Taylor","Jonathan M. Cooper","John Parnell"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-02-12T04:46:56Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1017/s147355040600351x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2005.5.576","name":"Astrobiology in Europe: The European Astrobiology Network Association","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2005.5.576","authors":["André Brack"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-10-14T11:46:30Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2005.5.576","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/153110702753621402","name":"Astrobiology LiteratureWatch","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/153110702753621402","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-26T18:11:48Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/153110702753621402","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min13111444","name":"Geochemical Overprinting and Secondary Placer Crystal Formation in the La Cholla District, Quartzsite, Arizona, USA: Evidence from Copper Isotopes, Morphology, and Trace Elements","source":"crossref","abstract":"Geochemical overprinting on placer gold deposits produces complex deposits with apparently paradoxical geochemical and morphological attributes. The La Cholla placer gold deposits near Quartzsite, Arizona, USA, contain sharp and often undamaged gold crystals within high-energy gravels as a result of postdepositional recrystallization by localized hot springs. Geothermal fluids emanated from a basin-bounding fault and left a distinct signature that includes recrystallized gold with low Pb and δ65Cu &gt; 1.14‰, secondary uraninite and carnotite, travertine deposits, and mounds of highly silicified placer gravels. Surrounding these deposits are placer gravels with angular gold morphology and geochemistry indicative of flash-flood pulse placers with a lode gold source &lt; 5 km and gold particles with low Pb and δ65Cu &lt; 0.77‰. The multitude of small local lode gold source veins is likely related to specialized fluid migration along mid-Tertiary detachment faults. The unroofing of these veins at 5 to 17 Ma by high-angle Basin and Range faulting led to extensive placer development, with subsequent localized modification by geothermal fluid migration along the same faults. This study documents geochemical overprinting and modification of placer deposits and bears upon the study of other placers containing crystalline gold and uranium mineralization. Similar deposits may document past geothermal activity and identify structural fluid conduits and steep paleo-topographic gradients.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min13111444","authors":["Erik B. Melchiorre","Ryan Mathur","George Kamenov","Jorge Paredes"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-15T10:51:37Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.3390/min13111444","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/153110703769016334","name":"UCLA AstroBiology Society: The First Student-Run Astrobiology Organization","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/153110703769016334","authors":["Laurel M. Methot","Jason R. Finley"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-09-27T00:39:52Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/153110703769016334","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/s1473550407003965","name":"7th European Workshop on Astrobiology","source":"crossref","abstract":"Informational polymers were born in the primitive Earth but nothing \\nis known about the way(s) from which efficient prebiotic synthetic \\nroutes arose. However, in a possible scenario for the origin of life \\nthere was a time in which informational genetic polymers played primary \\nroles. Possible ‘ fossils ’ of that primitive era (billions of years ago) \\nmay be considered the archaea domain (Howland 2000). \\nNucleotide sequence data of archaea genes and codifying mRNA \\nin eukarya (mammals) were obtained from the Institute for \\nGenomic Research (TIGR) and the GeneBank library (http://cmr. \\ntigr.org/tigr-scripts/CMR/CmrHomePage.cgi. and http://www.ncbi. \\nnlm.nih.gov/). Random sequence data (white noise) were obtained \\nfrom the algorithm by Press & Teukolsky (1992). Nucleotide sequences \\nwere analysed as random walks, where each base represents a different \\nstep in a two-dimensional space; vice versa, the uniform and random \\ndistributed data points over the unit interval algorithm-generated \\nwere divided in 16 intervals to which A,C,G,T (U) letters were attributed. \\nNonlinear parameters (relative LZ complexity, largest Lyapunov \\nexponent, Hurst exponent, correlation dimension, entropy, BDS statistic, \\nManhattan and Euclidean fractal dimensions) of nucleotide sequences \\nand computer-generated random sequences were evaluated \\nmaking use of Chaos Data Analyser (Sprott & Rowlands 1995) or \\nGates’ formulation (fractal dimensions (Gates 1986)). \\nOur data show that the values of nonlinear parameters obtained \\nfrom the archaea are lower than the values of randomly generated sequences \\n(p<0.01) and higher than the values from eukarya (p<0.05). \\nThese data are in agreement with the ones by Weiss et al. (2000), \\nshowing a significant reduction of the Shannon entropy (x1%) in \\nprotein sequences compared to random polypeptides. Our results suggest \\nthat in the primitive Earth informational polymers might be originated \\nfrom slightly edited random strings and that during biologic \\nevolution the distance from pure randomness increased. Deviation \\nfrom pure randomness should be arisen from some constraints like the \\nsecondary structure of the biologic macromolecules, and, in eukarya, \\nfrom chromatin interactions, according to the neoselectionist theory of \\ngenome evolution (Bernardi 2007). \\nHowland, J. L. The Surprising Archaea. Oxford University Press, 2000. \\nPress, W. H. & Teukolsky, S. A. (1992). Portable random number \\ngenerators. Comput. Phys. 6, 522–524. \\nSprott, J. C. & Rowlands, G. (1995). Chaos data Analyser. Physics \\nAcademic Software. \\nGates, M. A. (1986). A simple way to look at DNA. J. Theor. Biol. 119, \\n319–328. \\nWeiis, O. et al. (2000). Information content of protein sequences. \\nJ. Theor. Biol. 206, 379–386. \\nBernardi, G. (2007). The neoselectionist theory of genome evolution. \\nPNAS 104(20), 8385–8390.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550407003965","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-03-28T11:37:50Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1017/s1473550407003965","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/153110701753593838","name":"The Astrobiology Phenomenon","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/153110701753593838","authors":["Sherry L. Cady"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-26T18:11:36Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/153110701753593838","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/153110701750137378","name":"The NASA Astrobiology Program","source":"crossref","abstract":"The new discipline of astrobiology addresses fundamental questions about life in the universe: \"Where did we come from?\" \"Are we alone in the universe?\" \"What is our future beyond the Earth?\" Developing capabilities in biotechnology, informatics, and space exploration provide new tools to address these old questions. The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has encouraged this new discipline by organizing workshops and technical meetings, establishing a NASA Astrobiology Institute, providing research funds to individual investigators, ensuring that astrobiology goals are incorporated in NASA flight missions, and initiating a program of public outreach and education. Much of the initial effort by NASA and the research community was focused on determining the technical content of astrobiology. This paper discusses the initial answer to the question \"What is astrobiology?\" as described in the NASA Astrobiology Roadmap.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/153110701750137378","authors":["David Morrison"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-26T18:08:56Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/153110701750137378","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2006.6.397","name":"Astrobiology Influx to Astrobiology in Flux","source":"crossref","abstract":"TEST 02 - Elsevier's Scopus, the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature. Search and access research from the science, technology, medicine, social sciences and arts and humanities fields.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2006.6.397","authors":["Anthony Riccardi","Shawn Domagal-Goldman","Fabia U. Battistuzzi","Vyllinniskii Cameron"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-06-28T17:07:18Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2006.6.397","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2007.0920","name":"Astrobiology Up North","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2007.0920","authors":["Tomas Hode"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-10-27T09:12:52Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2007.0920","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2024.0036","name":"Astrobiology by Gavriil Tikhov","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2024.0036","authors":["Charles S. Cockell"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-25T16:39:38Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2024.0036","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/153110703769016505","name":"Abstracts from the First International Astrobiology Workshop","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/153110703769016505","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-09-27T00:39:52Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/153110703769016505","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/s1473550407003679","name":"European Astrobiology Network Association 2006 Meeting EANA – European Astrobiology Network Association 16–18 October 2006 Lyon, France","source":"crossref","abstract":"EANA – European Astrobiology Network Association 16–18 October 2006 Lyon, France","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550407003679","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-04-05T13:53:35Z","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1017/s1473550407003679","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2607260123","name":"Anoxic photo-oxidation of Mn(II)-bearing carbonates on Mars and early Earth.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Manganese oxides, thought to form almost exclusively through reactions between Mn 2+ and O 2 , catalyze oxidative transformations among redox-sensitive metals. Thus, the occurrence of Mn oxides, either observed or inferred from sedimentary geochemical data, has formed the basis for multiple hypotheses concerning the evolution of the atmospheric redox state on the early Earth and Mars. Here, using theory and experiments, we report that the band gap of common Ca/Mg carbonate minerals (including calcite, magnesite, and aragonite) is significantly lowered by trace incorporation (0.8 wt% or lower) of Mn(II) into their bulk structure or surface, conferring photochemical reactivity under ultraviolet conditions relevant to early Earth and Mars (200 to 400 nm). Moreover, we show that surface incorporation of Mn(II) reduces the fundamental band gap much more effectively (by >1 eV) than bulk incorporation. Our results suggest that photo-oxidation of Mn(II)-bearing carbonates could have occurred widely on planetary surfaces, resulting in the abiotic formation of manganese oxides without free molecular oxygen. Photochemically driven redox cycling of manganese could help sustain redox disequilibria for microbial metabolisms, but compromises the use of manganese oxides as oxygen barometers.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2607260123","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2607260123","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/microorganisms14071496","name":"Methane Production on Mars-Relevant Clay Minerals and Simulant Regolith.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Over the course of Martian history, the presence of atmospheric carbon dioxide and potential subsurface molecular hydrogen (H2), in addition to potential surface and subsurface liquid water, suggests that the Martian subsurface, at minimum, may once have been habitable, particularly to autotrophic chemosynthetic microorganisms. In addition, the widespread nature of clays and other minerals on Mars could have provided sufficient nutrients to support microbial life. Here we tested four methanogenic species (Methanosarcina barkeri, Methanobacterium formicicum, Methanothermobacter wolfeii, and Methanococcus maripaludis) in the presence of illite, nontronite, and Mojave Mars Simulant (MMS), in their standard growth medium. We aimed to determine whether the presence of certain Mars simulants inhibited, promoted, or had no effect on methane (CH4) production by these microorganisms. The same methanogens were also tested in the presence of montmorillonite, H2, sodium sulfide (Na2S), and bicarbonate buffer to determine if this clay could support biotic CH4 production. Three of the four methanogens tested (M. barkeri, M. formicicum, and M. wolfeii) were capable of CH4 production in the presence of both clay minerals and MMS, as well as in cultures containing only 10% (w/v) montmorillonite, H2, Na2S, and bicarbonate buffer. Conversely, M. maripaludis, a halophile, showed the greatest sensitivity of the four methanogens tested; however, the presence of 5% (w/v) montmorillonite enabled greater CH4 production under certain circumstances compared to cultures containing the organism’s standard growth medium alone. Overall, these results suggest that the presence of clay minerals on Mars does not preclude the survivability and growth of methanogens in a potential subsurface habitat. In fact, these geological components may provide sufficient nutrients to support microbial growth and survivability.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms14071496","authors":["Rebecca L. Mickol","William H. Waddell","James Wray","Ryan Pohlkamp","Chandler Kern","T. A. Kral"],"tags":["Clay minerals","Methanogenesis","Environmental chemistry","Mars Exploration Program","Methane"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.3390/microorganisms14071496","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-026-71131-6","name":"From early Earth to Enceladus-mineral electrochemistry could drive organic synthesis.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Hydrothermal systems in the ocean can behave like fuel cells when minerals connect reduced vent fluids to oxidized seawater, sustaining electrical potentials that drive reactivity. A Nature Communications study experimentally demonstrates how that potential could reduce CO2 on minerals to form organic products under conditions relevant from the early Earth to Enceladus.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-71131-6","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-026-71131-6","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1177/15311074251365204","name":"Mineral Microbiomes Entombed in Great Salt Lake Gypsum: Considerations for Martian Evaporites.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Modern Great Salt Lake, UT, United States, is what remains after the extensive evaporation of Pleistocene Lake Bonneville, which makes this site an appropriate analog to ancient martian lacustrine systems. Today, evaporite minerals surround the lake, including recently precipitated displacive gypsum selenite crystals. Our hypothesis was that hydrated clay solid inclusions within the gypsum would support microbial life with water and nutrients, while the mineral encasement would provide protection from ultraviolet light and temperature fluctuations. Our data demonstrate a complex microbial community that thrives in the clay-rich inclusions within the gypsum crystals. This mineral microbiome includes archaea and fungi, but most notably an immense number of bacterial species from the phyla Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria. Evidence of primary producers (cyanobacteria and microalgae) that have the capacity for diverse metabolisms suggests the possibility of an entombed ecosystem with trophic levels, energy currencies, and connected metabolisms. X-ray diffraction analyses of the sediment in which the gypsum formed show the clay fraction mostly comprises discrete and randomly interstratified illite and smectite, along with lesser amounts of kaolinite and chlorite. The methods developed here for modern gypsum can be extended to studies of ancient minerals on Earth as well as hydrated sulfate minerals on Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15311074251365204","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1177/15311074251365204","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1177/15311074251360977","name":"Stable Isotope Abundance Patterns as Potential Biosignatures.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The abundance and distribution of stable isotopes of an element in a substance can provide insights regarding the source, synthesis, and environmental history of that substance. Because isotopic discrimination during chemical reactions can be unique to specific chemical pathways or environmental conditions, isotopic patterns within a substance or between related substances may provide insights into their formation. Biosynthetic pathways can create isotopic patterns that differ from patterns that arise from abiotic processes, but this is not universally true. Isotope patterns are signatures of chemical reactions, so they require additional context to be used as biosignatures. The framework of the Life Detection Knowledge Base discussed herein is used to convey arguments that support or challenge the utility of isotopic patterns for life detection. Examples of carbon and sulfur isotopic patterns in organic materials and minerals are presented to indicate how the life detection criteria \"prevalence\" and \"signal strength\" can be applied. In future work, more abiotic processes that might create false-positive life detection claims must be characterized. A broader range of microbial communities, taxa, and biomolecules should be explored for isotopic patterns. Additional elements also warrant investigation as potential isotopic biosignatures and environmental indicators. Studies of sedimentary macromolecular organic matter should be expanded further to provide deeper insights into isotopic abundance patterns.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15311074251360977","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1177/15311074251360977","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-8579406/v1","name":"Lightning, Minerals, and the Iron Bottleneck: A Probabilistic Geochemical Framework for Early Abiogenesis Environments V8","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract Understanding how life emerged from non-living chemistry remains one of the central challenges in science. This study develops a probabilistic and geochemical framework to quantify the likelihood of abiogenesis under early Earth conditions, explicitly linking environmental opportunity with chemical feasibility. Multiple environments have been proposed as plausible settings for abiogenesis, including oceans, hydrothermal systems, and surface environments. Each offers distinct advantages but also faces constraints related to concentration, energy availability, and reaction stability. Rather than favoring a single exclusive scenario, we introduce a quantitative approach that enables comparative evaluation across different prebiotic environments. Within this framework, shallow, mineral-rich surface ponds are examined as environments in which episodic wet--dry cycling, evaporative concentration, mineral catalysis, and localized energy inputs could coincide spatially and temporally. Ultraviolet radiation and lightning provide complementary energy sources, while mineral surfaces such as clays and iron sulfides enhance molecular stability and reactivity. The probability of abiogenesis is expressed as a function of environmental opportunity, parameterized by the number of active environments, their persistence timescales, and the frequency of productive chemical events (formalized in Appendix~A). Under conservative assumptions, the resulting probabilities are non-negligible, indicating that life’s emergence on early Earth was plausible but not inevitable. Comparative estimates suggest that surface ponds and, secondarily, the oceanic surface microlayer provide favorable conditions relative to more dilute or continuously aqueous environments. By quantitatively linking prebiotic chemistry, mineral evolution, and planetary energy fluxes, this framework constrains the emergence of life to realistic Archean conditions and offers testable guidance for astrobiology. Transient aqueous niches characterized by mineral diversity and cyclic energy inputs emerge as promising targets in the search for life beyond Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8579406/v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8579406/v1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2024.0088","name":"Raman Spectroscopy as a Tool to Measure Silanol as Evidence of Water-Rock Interactions for Astrobiological Exploration.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Because a range of silica minerals can precipitate from water, the analysis of silica mineral phases is important for astrobiological exploration. In this context, poorly crystalline opaline minerals that contain intracrystalline water are commonly accepted indicators of the presence of water in the geological past. However, opaline minerals are not the only silica phases that are evidence of past interaction with water. Water may become incorporated within crystalline quartz as silanol (Si-OH)-hydroxyl groups present as structural defects within a crystal lattice. Raman spectroscopy is a highly reliable method for detecting mineral composition, and it can also detect silanol. By analyzing Raman spectra from various silica gemstones and rocks, we found that 52 out of 71 quartz samples contain silanol. However, silanol was not universally present across all samples. Microcrystalline quartz and samples in which silica phases had replaced other minerals tended to display the highest levels of silanol, whereas macrocrystalline quartz exhibited the lowest values, as indicated by the Sil prop parameter. In addition, we observed instances where quartz-hosted silanol and carbonaceous materials were codetected, which suggests the potential for Raman to be used to detect both carbonaceous organic matter and water, and therefore potential indications of both life and habitability.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2024.0088","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2024.0088","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.32388/ed4eyh","name":"Microbial Mediation in Gypsum Dissolution and Its Role in Evaporitic System Transformation in Northern Chilean Salt Flats","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The role of microbial consortia in modulating mineralogical processes within polyextreme environments remains underexplored, particularly under controlled laboratory conditions that simulate these environments. This study investigates dissolution and secondary mineral precipitation on synthesized gypsum crystals under abiotic and biotic conditions using microbial mats and natural brines sourced from three Andean salt flats: Llamara, Pajonales, and Gorbea, respectively. Initially, gypsum crystals were synthesized via evaporation of field-collected brines under sterile conditions and then, these crystals were incubated with microbial cultures supplemented by Cyanobacteria medium (BG-11) and sterile brines (controls) under controlled conditions for 90 days. Scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and epifluorescence microscopy were performed at progressive stages of microbial colonization to monitor gypsum surface alteration, culture growth and microbe-mineral interactions. Results reveal that microbial activity influenced gypsum dissolution in two ways: in some cases, microbial metabolism promoted crystal dissolution, whereas in others, the formation of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) on top of the crystal surface created diffusion barriers that reduced dissolution. Moreover, EPS matrices facilitated the nucleation of allotriomorphic halite, fibrous Na-Ca sulfates, globular Mg-silicates, dumbbell-shaped calcite (Pajonales-specific), and lenticular Al-K sulfates, while abiotic controls were mineralogically monotonous in comparison. Additionally, microbes showed a tendency to accumulate in the porosities within gypsum crystals and occasionally fill them with EPS and the above-mentioned minerals, although these minerals were also observed on the surface of gypsum crystals. These findings underscore the geomicrobiological complexity of evaporitic systems and support the integration of biotic processes into models of evaporite formation, with implications in astrobiology.","url":"https://doi.org/10.32388/ed4eyh","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.32388/ed4eyh","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2510289122","name":"Subaerial oxidative uranium mobilization at the culmination of the Great Oxidation Event.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Redox-sensitive elements figure prominently in studies of the evolution of Earth's surface redox state, including the first major rise in atmospheric O 2 , the Paleoproterozoic Great Oxidation Event. Most Precambrian rocks endured multistage tectonothermal histories, however, adding ambiguity to interpretation of their chemistry. Here, we apply U-Th-Pb isotope geochronology to the highly oxidized ~2.06 Ga Kuetsjärvi Volcanic Formation, Pechenga Greenstone Belt, Russia, to constrain the age and extent of U oxidation. By contrasting the relative mobility of U and Th using Pb isotopes, we find that complete to near-complete oxidation and removal of U occurred shortly after eruption. We argue that this likely indicates relatively high atmospheric O 2 , where oxidative weathering and alteration produced a global pulse of U to the oceans. Such a pulse could explain widespread shifts in the U-Th-Pb isotope character of mantle reservoirs at ~2 Ga, including a decrease in the 232 Th/ 238 U ratio of the mid-ocean ridge basalt source and inception of the high- 238 U/ 204 Pb (HIMU) source to ocean island basalts, underscoring the connections between the redox character of the Paleoproterozoic surface and deep Earth. Using 207 Pb- 206 Pb, 238 U- 206 Pb, 235 U- 207 Pb, and 232 Th- 208 Pb geochronology, ~2.06 Ga oxidative loss of U may be distinguished from reintroduction of U at ~1.8 Ga during regional metamorphism, as well as Pb loss during a Phanerozoic tectonothermal event. Our results therefore establish the complex history of redox-sensitive element behavior in the rocks, highlighting the fact that elemental abundances, by themselves, are unlikely to capture straightforward proxy information in rocks that have seen multistage geologic histories.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2510289122","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2510289122","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s42004-025-01860-0","name":"Potential metabolic viability on asteroid chemistry.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"While it has been long supposed that asteroids played a role in the delivery of important prebiotic compounds to early Earth, the exact nature of the interactions between asteroidal material and metabolism remains largely unquantified. Pristine material from asteroid sample-return missions provides an unprecedented opportunity to evaluate the potential for the asteroids' chemistry to support the origin and persistence of life. Here we use metabolic network expansion to computationally test the viability of contrasted biochemical networks, including a group of acetogens and methanogens representing primitive metabolisms, on the known chemistry of three asteroids (Itokawa, Ryugu, Bennu) and two meteorites (Murchison, Murray). The chemistry of Murchison and Bennu appears to support the potential viability of the acetogenic and methanogenic metabolisms. In contrast, Murray, Ryugu and Itokawa samples lack critical substrates, particularly adenine and D-ribose needed for ATP production, suggesting that carbonaceous bodies vary in their compositional capacity to support the acetogenic and methanogenic metabolisms. This highlights the astrobiological relevance of asteroids rich in carbon, nitrogen, and phosphate such as Bennu, and hints at the habitability, past or present, of their parent bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-025-01860-0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1038/s42004-025-01860-0","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2024.0041","name":"Mesoarchean Microbial Cd, Ba, and Ni Cycling: Evidence for Photosynthesis in Pongola Group Stromatolites through Novel Stable Isotopes and High-Resolution Trace Element Maps.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Nontraditional stable isotopes of bioactive metals emerged as novel proxies for reconstructing the biogeochemical cycling of metals, which serve as cofactors in major metabolic pathways. The fractionation of metal isotopes between ambient fluid and microorganisms is ultimately recorded in authigenic minerals, such as carbonates, which makes them potentially more reliable than standard biomarkers in organic matter. Stromatolitic carbonates are geochemical archives that allow for the study of the long-term interplay of the biosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere through deep time, with the unique potential to investigate early life environments and the evolution of the metallome. The present study uses stromatolites from the ∼2.95-billion-year-old Pongola Supergroup (S. Africa) as a field laboratory for combined in situ trace metal mapping and layer-specific, novel stable metal isotope compositions to infer early Earth microbial metal cycling via phototrophic and chemo-litho-autotrophic metabolisms. Quantitative in situ trace element maps reveal intrinsic biosedimentary enrichments of nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), phosphorus (P), iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn) in stromatolitic laminae. In contrast, barium (Ba) shows a more homogeneous distribution. Authigenic carbonates from pristine stromatolite laminae show distinct δ 138 Ba and δ 112 Cd fractionation above detrital background and bulk silicate Earth values, but opposing correlation with trace metal concentrations. Authigenic δ 60 Ni values overlap with Mesoarchean diamictite compositions. Nickel isotopic compositions in authigenic stromatolitic carbonates, potentially a new proxy for methanogenic metal uptake, do not show any proof of the presence of this metabolism in the samples of this study. Meanwhile, Cd isotopic compositions in authigenic carbonates follow typical Rayleigh-type isotope fractionation; that is, the isotopic composition of Cd evolves to heavy values close to modern surface compositions. Correlations of δ 112 Cd with the micronutrients copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo), and P, at positively fractionated carbon (C) isotopes (δ 13 C ∼+2‰), argue for active photosynthesis in the Pongola microbial habitat. We show that Ba isotopes can be used to infer carbonate precipitation rates similar to modern microbial carbonates. Thus, the combination of Cd and Ni isotopes has the unique potential as novel isotope biomarkers for the biochemical sedimentary record of early Earth where traditional lipid biomarkers are not applicable due to the incomplete preservation of organic matter.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2024.0041","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2024.0041","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/pro.70532","name":"The master molecule that built biology: How water shaped the chemistry of life.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The deep entanglement of biomolecular structure and function with aqueous systems supports the view that water actively sculpted both molecules and processes during the origins of life and continues to constrain evolution today. Nature's rules of biochemistry and biophysics have survived for nearly 4 billion years. The in vivo roles of water, the architectures of biopolymer backbones and side chains, the structure and function of ribose, ATP, the translation system, the genetic code, and certain inorganic cations persist unchanged. Hydrogen bonding and the hydrophobic effect predate life on Earth altogether. Here we examine fundamental forces that established, shaped, and continue to constrain biochemistry and biophysics. The results support a model in which life emerged through water-based selection among diverse molecules and molecular ensembles, with molecular fitness defined by behaviors in and interactions with water. Life is thus composed of molecules that cooperate with, resist, and exploit the unique properties of water. Biological molecules employ chemical strategies that enable selective and controlled persistence in aqueous environments, a phenomenon we classify as recalcitrance. Molecular assembly reduces conformational heterogeneity, constrains dynamics, and sterically excludes reactive agents, including water and hydrolytic enzymes. By this mechanism, lifetimes of folded proteins, structured RNAs, assembled phospholipids, and polysaccharides are mediated by their organizational states.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/pro.70532","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1002/pro.70532","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-025-34170-5","name":"Active conversion of atmospheric carbon dioxide to methane in peridotites of the Samail Ophiolite, Oman.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Methane (CH [Formula: see text]) is common in fluids sourced from low-temperature hydrating (serpentinizing) peridotites, but the carbon sources, rates, and mechanisms of CH [Formula: see text] formation are uncertain. In CH [Formula: see text] dissolved in groundwaters pumped from four wells of up to 400 m depth in the Samail Ophiolite, Oman, we observed [Formula: see text] C contents ranging from radiocarbon-dead to [Formula: see text] fraction modern. Chemical and isotopic analyses of groundwaters and hydrocarbon gases align with microbiological data indicating that methanogens inhabiting H [Formula: see text]-rich [Formula: see text]), [Formula: see text] fluids produce the [Formula: see text] C-rich CH [Formula: see text]. This \"young\" microbial CH [Formula: see text] constitutes a portion of the light hydrocarbons dissolved in the subsurface fluids, which also contain a distinct pool of relatively 13 C- and 2 H-enriched CH [Formula: see text] and C 2+ alkanes that are likely abiotic and older. Our study of groundwaters accessed via wells complements prior studies, which have mostly found 14 C-free, gas-phase CH 4 from natural seeps in ophiolites and interpreted an abiotic source from unsaturated rocks. Most importantly, our radiocarbon data show that transport and localized conversion of atmospheric CO [Formula: see text] to CH [Formula: see text] in peridotites reacting with water at temperatures < 60 ˚C occurs at surprisingly fast rates, within the last [Formula: see text] years.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-34170-5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-025-34170-5","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s42004-025-01442-0","name":"Women in chemistry: Q&A with Dr Laurie Barge.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Dr. Laurie Barge is a Research Scientist in Astrobiology at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-025-01442-0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1038/s42004-025-01442-0","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-026-43917-7","name":"The hydrogen, methane and ammonia biosphere on early Earth.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Current paradigms for the origin and evolutions of life and the environment on early Earth have been based on the premises that carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and nitrogen gas (N 2 ) were the principal constituents of the atmosphere and the sources of carbon and nitrogen for organisms today. Based on thermodynamic analyses of the redox state of the Hadean (4.56-4.0 Ga) mantle, the atmospheric compositions during the magma-ocean stage, and the effects of submarine hydrothermal fluids on the atmosphere of the ocean-covered Late-Hadean Earth, we suggest that life evolved sometime during 4.50-3.9 Ga under a reducing atmosphere, rich in hydrogen (H 2 ), methane (CH 4 ), and ammonia (NH 3 ), but very poor in CO 2 , which was similar to today's atmosphere on Jupiter. The ocean water was alkaline (pH = 10 ± 1) and poor in Fe 2- and S 2- . CH 4 and NH 3 were the principal sources for carbon nitrogen and energy of the first organisms, greenhouse gases, and the UV shield on early Earth. The first organisms on Earth were possibly aerobic phototrophic methanotrophs, either oxygenic and/or anoxygenic. They evolved in micro-aerobic environments, which were created by the photodissociation of H 2 O on the surfaces of photocatalytic minerals (e.g., rutile (TiO 2 ), pyrrhotite (FeS)) that accumulated in shallow water bodies on tropical islands. The enzymes for oxygenic Photosystem II (PSII) and PSI may also have evolved in the Late-Hadean microaerobic environments, facilitating the appearance of cyanobacteria. The symbiotic relationships between CO 2 -generating methanotrophs and the CH 4 -generating, H 2 -oxidizing methanogens and cyanobacteria characterized the first biosphere. Plate tectonics has played a key role in the transformation of the H 2 -CH 4 -NH 3 -rich to CO 2 -N 2 -rich atmosphere and biosphere by ~ 3.9 Ga because of the increased oxidation of the mantle, caused by the continuous subduction of the oxidized and hydrated oceanic crust into the mantle. Our study suggests that the search for life in the universe should be directed toward planets with a H 2 -CH 4 --NH 3 -rich atmosphere, as well as to those with a CO 2 -N 2 -rich atmosphere.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-43917-7","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-026-43917-7","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/gbi.70016","name":"Evaluating Serpentinization as a Source of Phosphite to Microbial Communities in Hydrothermal Vents.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Previous studies have documented the presence of phosphite, a reduced and highly soluble form of phosphorus, in serpentinites, which has led to the hypothesis that serpentinizing hydrothermal vents could have been an important source of bioavailable phosphorus for early microbial communities in the Archean. Here, we test this hypothesis by evaluating the genomic hallmarks of phosphorus usage in microbial communities living in modern hydrothermal vents with and without influence from serpentinization. These genomic analyses are combined with results from a geochemical model that calculates phosphorus speciation during serpentinization as a function of temperature, water:rock ratio, and lithology at thermodynamic equilibrium. We find little to no genomic evidence of phosphite use in serpentinizing environments at the Voltri Massif or the Von Damm hydrothermal field at the Mid Cayman Rise, but relatively more in the Lost City hydrothermal field, Coast Range Ophiolite Microbial Observatory, The Cedars, and chimney samples from Old City hydrothermal field and Prony Bay hydrothermal field, as well as in the non-serpentinizing hydrothermal vents at Axial Seamount. Geochemical modeling shows that phosphite production is favored at ca 275°C-325°C and low water:rock ratios, which may explain previous observations of phosphite in serpentinite rocks; however, most of the initial phosphate is trapped in apatite during serpentinization, suppressing the absolute phosphite yield. As a result, phosphite from serpentinizing vents could have supported microbial growth around olivine minerals in chimney walls and suspended aggregates, but it is unlikely to have fueled substantial primary productivity in diffusely venting fluids during life's origin and evolution in the Archean unless substrates equivalent to dunites (composed of > 90 wt% olivine) were more common.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/gbi.70016","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1111/gbi.70016","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/qrd.2025.10012","name":"On the possibility of carbon-free heteropolymers on Venus: a computational astrobiology study.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This work poses and partially explores an astrobiological hypothesis: might polymeric sulfur and phosphorus-based oxides form heteropolymers in the acidic cloud decks of Venus' atmosphere? Following an introduction to the emerging field of computational astrobiology, we demonstrate the use of quantum chemical methods to evaluate basic properties of a hypothetical carbon-free heteropolymer that might be sourced from feedstock in the Venusian atmosphere. Our modeling indicates that R-substituted polyphosphoric sulfonic ester polymers may form via multiple thermodynamically favorable pathways and exhibit sufficient kinetic stability to persist in the Venusian clouds. Their thermodynamic stability compares favorably to polypeptides, whose formation is slightly thermodynamically unfavored relative to amino acids in most known abiotic conditions. We propose a combined approach of vibrational spectroscopy and mass spectrometry to search for related materials in Venus's atmosphere but note that none of the currently planned missions are well suited for their detection. While predicted Ultraviolet-Visible spectra suggest that the studied polymers are unlikely candidates for Venus's unidentified UV absorbers, the broader possibility of sulfuric acid-based chemistry supporting alternative biochemistries challenges the traditional carbon-centric models of life. We argue that such unconventional lines of inquiry are warranted in the search for life beyond Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/qrd.2025.10012","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1017/qrd.2025.10012","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2520997123","name":"A GTP synthase ribozyme with increased GTP turnover.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Before the invention of encoded protein translation, early stages of life likely relied on catalytic RNAs (ribozymes). To test how such a system could have functioned, researchers have developed ribozymes that could have provided central functions. The central function of self-replication would have required templated RNA polymerization of nucleotides, which is energetically driven in today's life forms by the use of nucleoside 5'-triphosphates (NTPs). We previously showed that ribozymes can catalyze the formation of guanosine 5'-triphosphate (GTP) from guanosine and the prebiotically plausible polyphosphorylation reagent cyclic trimetaphosphate (cTmp) by generating a guanosine triphosphorylation ribozyme (GTR) using an in vitro selection in emulsion. This ribozyme (GTR1) had a catalytic rate enhancement of about 18,000-fold but a turnover of only about 1.7. Here, we improved this ribozyme by emulsion selection from a doped library of GTR1 that was metabolically coupled to a polymerase ribozyme. High-throughput sequencing and biochemical analysis identified the most efficient variant of GTR1 with 19 mutations, which increased the GTP turnover number to ~13. Biochemical analysis of this GTR1e revealed biphasic reaction kinetics with an apparent overall K M APP around 11 mM for cTmp. When coupled to an RNA polymerase ribozyme, up to five guanosines were incorporated into an RNA polymer, which represents an important step toward modeling an RNA-based life form in the lab.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2520997123","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2520997123","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2021.0088","name":"Analysis of Early Iron Sulfide, Carbonate, and Phosphate Mineral Analogues Produced by Flow-Driven Precipitation in a Microchannel.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Most of the chemical and physical interactions of interest to the astrobiology community are influenced by the mineralogy of the systems under consideration. Often, this mineralogy occurs in sediment or sediment-like aqueous microenvironments in which the early minerals differ dramatically from the mature version that results from a long diagenesis, which are tied to complex interactions of pH, redox state, concentration, and temperature. This interconnectedness is difficult to reproduce in a laboratory setting yet is essential to understanding how the physical and chemical demands of living systems alter and are altered by their geological context. We present a facile means for producing precipitated mineral analogues within a microchannel and demonstrate its analytical efficacy through instrumental and modeling techniques. We show that amorphous, early-stage analogues of iron sulfide, iron carbonate, and iron phosphate can be formed at the boundary between flowing solutions, modeled on the microscale, and analyzed by standard instrumental techniques such as scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2021.0088","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2021.0088","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2022.0031","name":"Investigating Microbial Biosignatures in Aeolian Environments Using Micro-X-Ray: Simulation of PIXL Instrument Analyses at Jezero Crater Onboard the Perseverance Mars 2020 Rover.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Assessing the past habitability of Mars and searching for evidence of ancient life at Jezero crater via the Perseverance rover are the key objectives of NASA's Mars 2020 mission. Onboard the rover, PIXL (Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry) is one of the best suited instruments to search for microbial biosignatures due to its ability to characterize chemical composition of fine scale textures in geological targets using a nondestructive technique. PIXL is also the first micro-X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer onboard a Mars rover. Here, we present guidelines for identifying and investigating a microbial biosignature in an aeolian environment using PIXL-analogous micro-XRF (μXRF) analyses. We collected samples from a modern wet aeolian environment at Padre Island, Texas, that contain buried microbial mats, and we analyzed them using μXRF techniques analogous to how PIXL is being operated on Mars. We show via μXRF technique and microscope images the geochemical and textural variations from the surface to ∼40 cm depth. Microbial mats are associated with heavy-mineral lags and show specific textural and geochemical characteristics that make them a distinct biosignature for this environment. Upon burial, they acquire a diffuse texture due to the expansion and contraction of gas-filled voids, and they present a geochemical signature rich in iron and titanium, which is due to the trapping of heavy minerals. We show that these intrinsic characteristics can be detected via μXRF analyses, and that they are distinct from buried abiotic facies such as cross-stratification and adhesion ripple laminations. We also designed and conducted an interactive survey using the Padre Island μXRF data to explore how different users chose to investigate a biosignature-bearing dataset via PIXL-like sampling strategies. We show that investigating biosignatures via PIXL-like analyses is heavily influenced by technical constraints ( e.g., the XRF measurement characteristics) and by the variety of approaches chosen by different scientists. Lessons learned for accurately identifying and characterizing this biosignature in the context of rover-mission constraints include defining relative priorities among measurements, favoring a multidisciplinary approach to the decision-making process of XRF measurements selection, and considering abiotic results to support or discard a biosignature interpretation. Our results provide guidelines for PIXL analyses of potential biosignature on Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2022.0031","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2022.0031","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s00248-024-02434-8","name":"Subsurface Microbial Colonization at Mineral-Filled Veins in 2-Billion-Year-Old Mafic Rock from the Bushveld Igneous Complex, South Africa.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Recent advances in subsurface microbiology have demonstrated the habitability of multi-million-year-old igneous rocks, despite the scarce energy supply from rock-water interactions. Given the minimal evolution coupled with exceedingly slow metabolic rates in subsurface ecosystems, spatiotemporally stable igneous rocks can sustain microbes over geological time scales. This study investigated a 2-billion-year-old mafic rock in the Bushveld Igneous Complex, South Africa, where ultradeep drilling is being executed by the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP). New procedures were successfully developed to simultaneously detect indigenous and contaminant microbial cells in a drill core sample. Precision rock sectioning coupled with infrared, fluorescence, and electron microscopy imaging of the rock section with submicron resolution revealed microbial colonization in veins filled with clay minerals. The entry and exit of microbial cells in the veins are severely limited by tight packing with clay minerals, the formation of which supplies energy sources for long-term habitability. Further microbiological characterization of drilled rock cores from the Bushveld Igneous Complex will expand the understanding of microbial evolution in deep igneous rocks over 2 billion years.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-024-02434-8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1007/s00248-024-02434-8","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00137","name":"Geochemical Transformations of Gypsum Under Multiple Environmental Settings and Implications for Ca-Sulfate Detection on Mars.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Calcium sulfate minerals are found in multiple environments on Earth and Mars, with chloride (Cl) salts widely distributed on both planets. Low-temperature studies have explored geochemical processes, including the formation of transient liquid water and ion migration on Mars. Some Cl-salts (e.g., NaCl and CaCl 2 ) can dissolve gypsum (CaSO 4 ·2H 2 O) in certain environments, making gypsum-Cl salt interactions significant. Additionally, gypsum's geochemical transformation at high temperatures reveals dehydration pathways crucial for understanding Mars' aqueous history and potential for life. This study examines gypsum dehydration through (i) thermal analyses and (ii) interactions with Cl-salts over a temperature range of -90 to 400 °C. We applied three spectroscopic techniques (Raman, visible/near-infrared, and mid-IR) plus X-ray diffraction (XRD) to analyze these samples under variable conditions. This study also provides a low-temperature spectral data set for gypsum and gypsum-Cl salt mixtures, beneficial for orbital analyses. Our findings reveal that experimental (i) heating rates, (ii) temperature ranges, (iii) relative masses of gypsum and Cl-salts, and (iv) dehydration environments (e.g., in situ and in vacuo) influence Ca-sulfate phase formation. Although we find different results in some cases, this study demonstrates that changing experimental conditions affects the detectability and transformation of gypsum. Further, these results indicate that the geochemical environmental conditions on Mars play a role in gypsum's geochemical transformation to dehydrated components. This study also provides structural and chemical data for Ca sulfate assemblages from vibrational spectroscopy and XRD, which extends our knowledge of gypsum and related materials under variable conditions, thus aiding orbital and surface planetary analyses that may help to advance our understanding of planetary geochemistry on Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00137","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00137","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2023.0046","name":"A Novel Abiotic Pathway for Phosphine Synthesis over Acidic Dust in Venus' Atmosphere.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Recent ground-based observations of Venus have detected a single spectral feature consistent with phosphine (PH 3 ) in the middle atmosphere, a gas which has been suggested as a biosignature on rocky planets. The presence of PH 3 in the oxidized atmosphere of Venus has not yet been explained by any abiotic process. However, state-of-the-art experimental and theoretical research published in previous works demonstrated a photochemical origin of another potential biosignature-the hydride methane-from carbon dioxide over acidic mineral surfaces on Mars. The production of methane includes formation of the HC · O radical. Our density functional theory (DFT) calculations predict an energetically plausible reaction network leading to PH 3 , involving either HC · O or H· radicals. We suggest that, similarly to the photochemical formation of methane over acidic minerals already discussed for Mars, the origin of PH 3 in Venus' atmosphere could be explained by radical chemistry starting with the reaction of ·PO with HC·O, the latter being produced by reduction of CO 2 over acidic dust in upper atmospheric layers of Venus by ultraviolet radiation. HPO, H 2 P·O, and H 3 P·OH have been identified as key intermediate species in our model pathway for phosphine synthesis.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2023.0046","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2023.0046","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2022.0153","name":"Remote Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy of Bacterial Growths in Carbonate Rocks in a Mars-like Atmosphere.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Understanding the past habitable environments of Mars increases the requirement to recognize and examine modern analogs and to evaluate the mechanisms that may preserve biosignatures in them. The phenomenon that originates and preserves possible microbial biosignatures in mineral phases is of particular interest in astrobiology. On Earth, the precipitation of carbonate matrices can be mediated by bacteria. Besides microbialites and other sedimentary structures, carbonate formations can be observed in certain karstic caves. The present work is focused on the remote laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) characterization of cyanobacteria, exploring the possibilities for identification and discrimination on carbonate substrates. For this purpose, the extremophile cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis sp. (collected from the Nerja Cave, Malaga, Spain) was analyzed under laboratory-simulated martian conditions in terms of chemical composition and gas pressure. LIBS results related to acquired molecular emission features allowed bacterial differentiation from the colonized mineral substrate. In addition, the limits of detection were estimated with a laboratory-grown culture of the cyanobacterium Microcystis aureginosa . Our results reveal LIBS's capability to detect biological traces under simulated martian conditions. Additionally, the time-resolved analysis of the biological samples demonstrates the selection of optimal temporal conditions as a critical parameter for the preferential acquisition of molecular species in organic material.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2022.0153","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2022.0153","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.647Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/chem.202501526","name":"Mellitic Acid as a Stable Abiotic Precursor for Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation: An RNA-Independent Pathway for Prebiotic Compartmentalization.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Apart from playing the well-recognized roles in the self-assembly of intracellular machinery liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) constitutes a hypothetical, yet compelling scenario for prebiotic compartmentalization. One challenge facing this idea is the absence (or scarcity) of typical biopolymer precursors of liquid droplets, such as RNA, on early Earth. We demonstrate that mellitic acid (MAc), an abiotic component found in certain minerals and a marker of organic matter in astrobiology, forms liquid droplets with poly-L-lysine (PLL) across a broad pH range and various mixing ratios. The chain-length threshold of PLL capable of forming droplets with MAc ((L-Lys) 6 ) is significantly lower than when ATP, the primary intracellular energy currency, is used to induce LLPS in PLL. MAc-PLL droplets are highly dynamic systems that respond reversibly to added ATP through an efficient mixing and demixing behavior. The observed effects of pH, ionic strength, temperature, and pressure, as well as isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) data, are all consistent with coulombic interactions being the key contributor to maintaining the droplet state in the MAc-PLL system. We propose that the capacity to induce LLPS with short oligocations, along with abiotic synthesis routes, positions mellitic acid as a viable candidate for an ingredient of early prebiotic membraneless protocells.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202501526","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1002/chem.202501526","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-025-61801-2","name":"Characterization of ferric hydroxysulfate on Mars and implications of the geochemical environment supporting its formation.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Sulfate minerals are significant components of the martian surface and provide clues about the martian geochemical environment. One unusual Fe-sulfate phase has been intriguing Mars scientists for over a decade due to its unique spectral bands that are distinct from any known minerals and its occurrence in layered sedimentary rocks. We describe here detection of ferric hydroxysulfate (Fe 3+ SO 4 OH) and its implications for the geochemical history of Mars. Crystalline ferric hydroxysulfate is formed by heating hydrous Fe 2+ sulfates to 100 °C or above and has a strong spectral band at 2.236 µm, similar to the spectral feature observed on Mars at Aram Chaos and on the plateau above Juventae Chasma. Hydrated sulfates at these locations likely formed through evaporative processes or low-temperature alteration. In contrast, Fe 3+ SO 4 OH is more consistent with heating and oxidation of hydrated ferrous sulfates, potentially through deposition of lava, ash, or through hydrothermal processes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61801-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-025-61801-2","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2022.0144","name":"Organic Biosignature Degradation in Hydrothermal and Serpentinizing Environments: Implications for Life Detection on Icy Moons and Mars.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Evidence of liquid water is a primary indicator of habitability on the icy moons in our outer solar system as well as on terrestrial planets such as Mars. If liquid water-containing environments host life, some of its organic remains can be fossilized and preserved as organic biosignatures. However, inorganic materials may also be present and water-assisted organic-inorganic reactions can transform the organic architecture of biological remains. Our understanding of the fate of these organic remains can be assisted by experimental simulations that monitor the chemical changes that occur in microbial organic matter due to the presence of water and minerals. We performed hydrothermal experiments at temperatures between 100°C and 300°C involving lipid-rich microbes and natural serpentinite mineral mixtures generated by the subaqueous hydrothermal alteration of ultramafic rock. The products reveal what the signals of life may look like when subjected to water-organic-inorganic reactions. Straight- and branched-chain lipids in unaltered samples are joined by cyclization and aromatization products in hydrothermally altered samples. Hydrothermal reactions produce distinct products that are not present in the starting materials, including small, single-ring, heteroatomic, and aromatic compounds such as indoles and phenols. Hydrothermal reactions in the presence of serpentinite minerals lead to significant reduction of these organic structures and their replacement by diketopiperazines (DKPs) and dihydropyrazines (DHPs), which may be compounds that are distinct to organic-inorganic reactions. Given that the precursors of DKPs and DHPs are normally lost during early diagenesis, the presence of these compounds can be an indicator of coexisting recent life and hydrothermal processing in the presence of minerals. However, laboratory experiments reveal that the formation and preservation of these compounds can only occur within a distinct temperature window. Our findings are relevant to life detection missions that aim to access hydrothermal and serpentinizing environments in the subsurfaces of icy moons and Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2022.0144","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2022.0144","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.647Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-026-68646-3","name":"Carbonated mantle peridotites represent a hidden sink for subducted CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Subduction of carbon rich sediments and crust at convergent plate boundaries exerts a crucial control on Earth's mantle chemistry and surface habitability. Recent attention has focused on exposures of fully-carbonated mantle rocks as these may attest to an overlooked sink for subducted carbon not sampled by arc volcanism. However, even in the best-studied example, the Semail Ophiolite, Oman, the setting for carbonation remains highly contentious, with conflicting inferences from geochemistry and geochronology. We approach this problem by combining microanalysis of halogens and detailed petrography to fingerprint the origins of carbonating fluids. Fluids were derived from both sedimentary pore fluid expulsion and deep slab decarbonation reactions in a subduction zone setting. Through mass balance modelling we show that CO 2 fluxes into the forearc from deep decarbonation (1.7-3.4 × 10 13 gyr -1 C) could represent up to 90% of the global flux entering subduction zones, indicating that carbonated mantle peridotites likely represent a major sink for subducted CO 2 which may have varied through geological time.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-68646-3","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-026-68646-3","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1098/rstb.2024.0281","name":"Origins of life: the possible and the actual.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The questions of how life forms, whether life is an inevitable outcome and how diverse its presentation could be remain some of the most profound in science. Investigations into the origin of life confront key issues such as uncovering key constraints and universal features of life, the plausibility of alternative biochemistries and the transition from purely chemical systems to information-bearing, evolvable entities. Many of these issues can be associated with early cell formation and evolution. Thus, protocellular systems have emerged as a key focus of study. Here, the community can ask questions about physical constraints and the co-evolution of energy, matter and information. The pursuit of these answers spans a wide range of disciplines, including geochemistry, statistical physics, systems and evolutionary biology, artificial life, synthetic biology and information theory, and reflects the inherently interdisciplinary nature of origin-of-life research. This article surveys key theoretical frameworks and experimental approaches that have shaped our current understanding, while outlining the major unresolved challenges that continue to drive the field forward. It also summarizes and contextualizes the articles in this special issue that address these questions.This article is part of the theme issue 'Origins of life: the possible and the actual'.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2024.0281","authors":["Ricard V. Solé","Christopher P. Kempes","Susan Stepney"],"tags":["Presentation (obstetrics)","Key (lock)","Management science","Theme (computing)","Data science"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1098/rstb.2024.0281","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/life14111425","name":"Extremophiles and Extremophilic Behaviour-New Insights and Perspectives.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Extremophiles, throughout evolutionary time, have evolved a plethora of unique strategies to overcome hardships associated with the environments they are found in. Modifying their genome, showing a bias towards certain amino acids, redesigning their proteins, and enhancing their membranes and other organelles with specialised chemical compounds are only some of those strategies. Scientists can utilise such attributes of theirs for a plethora of biotechnological and astrobiological applications. Moreover, the rigorous study of such microorganisms regarding their evolution and ecological niche can offer deep insight into science's most paramount inquiries such as how life originated on Earth and whether we are alone in the universe. The intensification of studies involving extremophiles in the future can prove to be highly beneficial for humanity, even potentially ameliorating modern problems such as those related to climate change while also expanding our knowledge about the complex biochemical reactions that ultimately resulted in life as we know it today.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life14111425","authors":["George Angelakis","Chrysianna Psarologaki","Stergios Pirintsos","Kiriakos Kotzabasis"],"tags":["Extremophile","Biology","Computational biology","Astrobiology","Biochemical engineering"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.3390/life14111425","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/femsmc/xtag029","name":"Elucidating the interplay between intracellular manganese-iron-ratio and radiotolerance across all domains of life.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Exposure to natural or artificial ionizing radiation induces direct damage to intracellular macromolecules and promotes the formation of reactive oxygen species, which can further amplify cellular injury. Although many organisms tolerate high radiation doses, the basis of this resilience is not fully understood. A proposed determinant is the intracellular manganese-to-iron ratio (Mn/Fe-ratio), thought to reduce oxidative stress. To evaluate its relevance, Mn and Fe levels were measured in 19 archaeal, bacterial, and two eukaryotic yeast species and compared these values with their survivability after ionizing radiation exposure. There was no consistent relationship between Mn/Fe-ratios and radiation tolerance across this broad phylogenetic range. Integrating our results with prior studies suggests that while elevated Mn/Fe-ratios may contribute to exceptional resistance in certain specialized microorganisms, the ratio is not a reliable, universal predictor of survivability. These findings highlight the multifactorial nature of radiation tolerance and indicate that other processes (e.g. DNA repair mechanisms, antioxidant defenses, and metabolic adaptations) likely play central roles. By clarifying the limitations of Mn/Fe-ratio as a generalizable marker, this study provides a more nuanced understanding of the biochemical determinants of radiation resistance and informs future research into mechanisms of cellular resilience under extreme stress.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/femsmc/xtag029","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1093/femsmc/xtag029","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2023.0014","name":"Stromatolite-like Structures Within Microbially Laminated Sandstones of the Paleoarchean Moodies Group, Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"We report abundant small calcareous mounds associated with fossilized kerogenous microbial mats in tidal-facies sandstones of the predominantly siliciclastic Moodies Group ( ca. 3.22 Ga) of the Barberton Greenstone Belt (BGB), South Africa and Eswatini. Most of the bulbous, internally microlaminated mounds are several centimeters in diameter and formed at the sediment-water interface contemporaneously with sedimentation. They originally consisted of Fe-Mg-Mn carbonate, which is now largely silicified; subtle internal compositional laminations are composed of organic matter and sericite. Their presence for >6 km along strike, their restriction to the inferred photic zone, and the internal structure suggest that mineral precipitation was induced by photosynthetic microorganisms. Similar calcareous mounds in this unit also occur within and on top of fluid-escape conduits, suggesting that carbonate precipitation may either have occurred abiogenically or involved chemotrophic metabolism(s) utilizing the oxidation of organic matter, methane, or hydrogen, the latter possibly generated by serpentinization of underlying ultramafic rocks. Alternatively or additionally, carbonate may have precipitated abiotically where heated subsurface fluids, sourced by the intrusion of a major Moodies-age sill, reached the tidal flats. In summary, precipitation mechanisms may have been variable; the calcareous mounds may represent \"hybrid carbonates\" that may have originated from the small-scale overlap of bioinduced and abiotic processes in space and time. Significantly, the widespread occurrence of these stromatolite-like structures in a fully siliciclastic, high-energy tidal setting broadens search criteria in the search for life on Mars while their possible hybrid origin challenges our ability to unambiguously identify a biogenic component.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2023.0014","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2023.0014","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2023.0007","name":"The Origin and Early Evolution of Life: Homochirality Emergence in Prebiotic Environments.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Homochirality is one of the signatures of life. Numerous geological and prebiotic chemistry studies have proved that disordered soups containing small organic molecules, gases, liquids, and minerals (such as those containing phosphorous) yielded racemic mixtures of building blocks for biomolecule assembly. Polymers obtained from these bricks should have been enantiopure with functional properties similar to modern biomolecules or heterochiral with some functions such as catalyzing a chemical transformation unspecifically. Up until now, no clues have been found as to how symmetry breaking occurred. In this review, we highlight the principal achievements regarding the emergence of homochirality during the prebiotic synthesis of building blocks. Furthermore, we tried to focus on approaches based on prebiotic systems chemistry (bottom-up) and laboratory scales to simulate plausible prebiotic messy environments for the emergence of life. We aim with this review to assemble, even partially, the puzzle pieces of the origin of life regarding the relevant phenomenon of homochiral symmetry breaking.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2023.0007","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2023.0007","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/life15050717","name":"Life on Venus?","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Venus is not generally at the forefront when considering extraterrestrial life. Yet, based on the physical similarities and proximity to Earth and with the little knowledge of its evolutionary history, there is a possibility that Venus may have hosted life in the past on the surface if Venus had liquid water and perhaps even has water present in the clouds today. While the early suggestions during the beginning of the space exploration about life on Venus were mostly speculative due to limited data, recent interest has arisen from realizations: (i) the unexplained ultraviolet absorption spectrum of Venus resembles many organics, (ii) there is chemical disequilibria in the cloud layer, (iii) the cloud aerosols likely contain significant abundances of hydrated iron and magnesium sulfates, and (iv) the solar radiation received in the cloud layer contains the appropriate wavelengths and flux to support phototrophy. Considering the extreme environmental survival of many terrestrial microorganisms, the possibility remains that any extant life on Venus in the past could have adapted to survival in the cloud layer far above the surface where energy and nutrients are available, but the precise compositions of the cloud particles and water availability are still uncertain. The key to solving the mystery of life on Venus is to determine if Venus had liquid water on the surface in its past and to measure the precise chemical composition of the Venus atmosphere and the cloud particles. Missions which will be launched in the next few years will provide much needed data that should provide some answers we seek and will surely raise more questions. This perspective reviews recent developments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life15050717","authors":["S. S. Limaye"],"tags":["Venus","Astrobiology","Atmosphere of Venus","Atmosphere (unit)","Liquid water"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.3390/life15050717","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-025-33031-5","name":"Recent production rates of cosmogenic nuclides in the igneous rocks of Jezero crater floor, Mars.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Perseverance rover has collected rock samples from the floor of Jezero crater, Mars, set to be returned to Earth through the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission. These surface rocks are continuously bombarded by cosmic rays, resulting in the formation of cosmogenic nuclides. To accurately date these rocks and understand past geological events, precise estimates of nuclide production rates are essential. Here, we simulate neutron-induced cosmogenic nuclide production in the igneous rocks of Jezero crater using neutron flux data from the radiation assessment detector (RAD) and rock compositions from the planetary instrument for X-ray lithochemistry (PIXL). Our calculations focus on stable and long-lived isotopes up to Z = 27 (Co) over an exposure period of 100,000 years (0.1 Ma). The highest yields are observed for [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], followed by [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. We show that the predicted cumulative production over 0.1 Ma of long-lived radionuclides such as [Formula: see text] (T1/2 = 1.39 Ma), [Formula: see text] (0.72 Ma), [Formula: see text] (0.301 Ma), and [Formula: see text] (0.104 Ma) reaches ~ 108–109 nuclei per gram, a concentration well within the detection limits of current accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) techniques. We project the impact of extended cosmic radiation exposure (1.4 billion years) on isotopic ratios, showing significant shifts in δ13C and δ15N values, whose correct interpretation is critical for astrobiology. These calculations can help define the instrumentation requirements for the future analysis of the Martian samples on Earth, ensuring accurate interpretation and helping to distinguish radiation effects from other planetary and biological cycles.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-33031-5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-025-33031-5","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41550-025-02694-5","name":"Nitrogen- and oxygen-rich organic material indicative of polymerization in pre-aqueous cryochemistry on Bennu's parent body.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Nitrogen-containing organic compounds play key biological roles, and their identification in primitive astromaterials such as meteorites can shed light on the origin of life. However, meteorites are typically contaminated by uncontrolled exposure to Earth. Here we show that pristine samples returned from asteroid Bennu contain polymeric organics exceptionally rich in nitrogen and oxygen. These polymers contain a variety of functional groups including amines, amides, N-heterocycles, and aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, among others. They are seen in a carbonaceous vein with mineral inclusions and in multilayered organic sheets. Their morphology and composition indicate formation from pre-aqueous N-rich precursors and later modification during aqueous alteration. These findings demonstrate that asteroids like Bennu contain complex nitrogen-rich organic phases formed by pre-aqueous and aqueous processes, and they expand the known inventory of potential prebiotic extraterrestrial compounds.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02694-5","authors":["Scott A. Sandford","Z. Gainsforth","Michel Nuevo","Matthew A. Marcus","Hans A. Bechtel","R. C. Ogliore","Clive G. Jones","G. Domínguez","D. P. Glavin","Jason P. Dworkin","T. J. McCoy","S. S. Russell"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chemistry","Polymerization","Aqueous solution","Parent body"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1038/s41550-025-02694-5","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00371","name":"Thermodynamic Constraints on the Citric Acid Cycle and Related Reactions in Ocean World Interiors.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Icy ocean worlds in our solar system have attracted significant interest for their astrobiological and biogeochemical potential due to the predicted presence of global subsurface liquid water oceans, the presence of organics in Enceladus and Titan, and plausible sources of chemical energy available for life therein. A difficulty in placing quantitative constraints on the occurrence and effectiveness of biogeochemical reactions favorable for life and metabolism in ocean worlds is the paucity of thermodynamic data for the relevant reactions for pressure, temperature and compositional conditions pertaining to ocean worlds, in addition to uncertainties in the estimation of such conditions. Here, we quantify the thermodynamic viability and energetics of various reactions of interest to metabolism at pressures and temperatures relevant to ocean worlds Enceladus, Europa, Titan and Ganymede, and conditions relevant to the Lost City Hydrothermal Field for comparison. Specifically, we examine the tricarboxylic acid cycle (also known as TCA, Krebs cycle, or citric acid cycle) and a plausible precursor prebiotic network of reactions leading to the TCA cycle. We use DEWPython, a program based on the deep earth water (DEW) model (which is a high pressure and high temperature extension of the HelgesonKirkhamFlowers equation of state used to calculate thermodynamic properties of ions and complexes in aqueous solutions), to compute the equilibrium constants and the Gibbs free energy changes for given reactions, as a function of pressure and temperature. Using instantaneous concentrations of inorganics and organics from terrestrial microbial experiments and those derived from the Cassini mission for Enceladus, we calculate chemical affinities of reactions in the network. We carry out similar calculations using the SUPCRT model for lower pressures and temperatures. Together, the two models span temperatures between 0 and 1200 °C and pressures between 1 bar and 60 kbar. We found that across the majority of oceanic pressuretemperature profiles, certain TCA cycle species, such as citrate and succinate, accumulate, while others, including fumarate and oxaloacetate, exhibit a diminishing trend. This observation suggests that the internal conditions of ocean worlds may not thermodynamically favor a unidirectional TCA cycle, thereby implying an additional source of energy (e.g., metabolites) to overcome energy bottlenecks. Notably, we find similar bottlenecks at the Lost City Hydrothermal Field, which is undoubtedly inhabited by organisms. In the prebiotic network, we found that pyruvate and acetate exhibit remarkable stability and accumulate in substantial quantities, thereby feeding the TCA cycle through the production of citrate. In this case the oxaloacetate bottleneck within the TCA cycle is bypassed via the prebiotic pathway. We also found that the formation of all TCA cycle species from inorganic compounds (CO 2 + H 2 ) is highly favored throughout the geotherms of ocean worlds. Although based on largely uncertain concentrations of chemical species in ocean worlds, our nonequilibrium thermodynamic predictions are rather insensitive to changes in the activities, and may aid in the interpretation of data gathered by future missions, as compositional data will become available. Specifically, spacecraft measurements of TCA cycle species in aqueous environments that align with or deviate strongly from our estimations would have a critical impact on the search for life in ocean worlds.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00371","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00371","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s43247-025-02824-x","name":"Magmatic and thermally produced reactive phosphorus 3.2 billion years ago and its implications for early life.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Reduced and polymerized phosphorus species may have been crucial for the origin and early evolution of life, as they are more reactive and soluble than phosphate. Thermal processes could have produced these phosphorus species; however, the underlying mechanism is poorly constrained, and geological evidence of polymerized species in the Precambrian is so far absent. Here, we investigated contact-metamorphic rocks from the ca. 3.22 Ga Moodies Group (South Africa), where mafic dikes intruded into shallow-marine sediments. We provide evidence of magmatic phosphite (up to 2.85 ppm) and metamorphic polyphosphate (up to 39.3 ppm). Additional laboratory experiments suggest that carbon can facilitate the thermal production of polyphosphates and reduced phosphorus species, including phosphide, from less reactive minerals such as apatite and vivianite. We conclude that magmatic and thermal-metamorphic rocks could have provided soluble and reactive phosphorus species crucial for the origin and early evolution of life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02824-x","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1038/s43247-025-02824-x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2022.0077","name":"Boron as a Hypothetical Participant in the Prebiological Enantiomeric Enrichment.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Boron, as borate (or boric acid), is known as a mediator of the synthesis of ribose, ribonucleosides, and ribonucleotides (precursors of RNA) under plausible prebiotic conditions. With regard to these phenomena, the potential participation of this chemical element (as a constituent of minerals or hydrogels) for the emergence of prebiological homochirality is considered. This hypothesis is based on characteristics of crystalline surfaces as well as solubility of some minerals of boron in water or specific features of hydrogels with ester bonds from reaction of ribonucleosides and borate.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2022.0077","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2022.0077","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169583","name":"Connecting molecular biomarkers, mineralogical composition, and microbial diversity from Mars analog lava tubes.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Lanzarote (Canary Islands, Spain) is one of the best terrestrial analogs to Martian volcanology. Particularly, Lanzarote lava tubes may offer access to recognizably preserved chemical and morphological biosignatures valuable for astrobiology. By combining microbiological, mineralogical, and organic geochemistry tools, an in-depth characterization of speleothems and associated microbial communities in lava tubes of Lanzarote is provided. The aim is to untangle the underlying factors influencing microbial colonization in Earth's subsurface to gain insight into the possibility of similar subsurface microbial habitats on Mars and to identify biosignatures preserved in lava tubes unequivocally. The microbial communities with relevant representativeness comprise chemoorganotrophic, halophiles, and/or halotolerant bacteria that have evolved as a result of the surrounding oceanic environmental conditions. Many of these bacteria have a fundamental role in reshaping cave deposits due to their carbonatogenic ability, leaving behind an organic record that can provide evidence of past or present life. Based on functional profiling, we infer that Crossiella is involved in fluorapatite precipitation via urea hydrolysis and propose its Ca-rich precipitates as compelling biosignatures valuable for astrobiology. In this sense, analytical pyrolysis, stable isotope analysis, and chemometrics were conducted to characterize the complex organic fraction preserved in the speleothems and find relationships among organic families, microbial taxa, and precipitated minerals. We relate organic compounds with subsurface microbial taxa, showing that organic families drive the microbiota of Lanzarote lava tubes. Our data indicate that bacterial communities are important contributors to biomarker records in volcanic-hosted speleothems. Within them, the lipid fraction primarily consists of low molecular weight n-alkanes, α-alkenes, and branched-alkenes, providing further evidence that microorganisms serve as the origin of organic matter in these formations. The ongoing research in Lanzarote's lava tubes will help develop protocols, routines, and predictive models that could provide guidance on choosing locations and methodologies for searching potential biosignatures on Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169583","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169583","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-026-72133-0","name":"Biological use of molybdenum and tungsten stems back to 3.4 billion years ago.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The biological significance of the transition metal molybdenum (Mo) lies in its function at the catalytic center of several enzymes that drive a wide spectrum of redox reactions underlying global biogeochemical cycles, yet a paradox persists. While modern life ubiquitously relies on Mo, geochemical evidence suggests that its availability in early Earth's anoxic oceans was extremely limited. Modern organisms can use Mo down to trace levels; however, the rates of Mo-dependent metabolisms slow down when Mo availability decreases, posing fundamental questions about the extent to which changing Mo abundances shaped the evolution of molybdoenzymes, and when early life began harnessing Mo. Here, we confront this evolutionary enigma by reconstructing the temporal and ecological emergence of molybdoenzymes, their transport systems, and biosynthetic pathways. In parallel, we examine biological tungsten (W) usage due to shared chemical properties and cofactor biosynthetic pathways with Mo. We provide molecular dating evidence of Mo/W utilization back to the Eo- to Mesoarchean (~3.7-3.1 Ga). These findings challenge prevailing assumptions about trace metal availability on the early Earth and underscore the profound antiquity and adaptability of Mo-based biochemistry in shaping early microbial evolution.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-72133-0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-026-72133-0","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1177/00037028241275192","name":"In Situ Quantification of Carbonate Species Concentrations, pH, and pCO<sub>2</sub> in Calcite Fluid Inclusions Using Confocal Raman Spectroscopy.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Carbonate minerals are globally distributed on the modern and ancient Earth and are abundant in terrestrial and marine depositional environments. Fluid inclusions hosted by calcite retain primary signatures of the source fluid geochemistry at the time of mineral formation (i.e., pCO 2 ) and can be used to reconstruct paleoenvironments. Confocal laser Raman spectroscopy provides a quick, nondestructive approach to measuring the constituents of fluid inclusions in carbonates and is a reliable method for qualitatively determining composition in both the aqueous and gas phases. Here, we demonstrate a method for accurately quantifying bicarbonate and carbonate ion concentrations (down to 20 mM) and pH (7-11) from calcite fluid inclusions using confocal Raman spectroscopy. Instrument calibrations for carbonate (CO 3 2- ) and bicarbonate (HCO 3 - ) concentrations and pH were performed using stock solutions. We show that the calcite host mineral does not affect the accurate quantification of carbonate solution concentrations and that these parameters can be used to estimate the pH and pCO 2 of a solution entrapped within a fluid inclusion. We apply the technique to Icelandic spar calcite and find a [CO 3 2- ] = 0.11, [HCO 3 - ] = 0.17, pH = 10.1, and CO 2 parts per million = 2217. The presence of gaseous Raman bands for CO 2 , CH 4 , and H 2 S suggests that the mineral precipitated in a reducing environment.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00037028241275192","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1177/00037028241275192","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2515805123","name":"Mineral-facilitated aqueous synthesis of hydrogen cyanide from prebiotically abundant amino acids for chemical evolution.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Recent advances in prebiotic chemistry suggest that hydrogen cyanide (HCN) serves as a fundamental precursor for nearly all essential biomolecules and protometabolic processes for life's emergence. Although prevailing models of endogenous cyanide production rely on atmospheric methane, the availability of methane remains uncertain. Unlike methane, amino acids were likely prebiotically abundant, forming through multiple synthetic pathways under a methane-free, nonreducing atmosphere. Here, we demonstrate that HCN can form from proteinogenic amino acids in anaerobic aqueous solutions facilitated by geochemically available minerals, offering a route to overcome HCN scarcity under a nonreducing atmosphere. On manganese dioxide, the glycine-to-cyanide conversion proceeded across a broad range of pHs (2.0 to 12.6) and substrate concentrations (1 μM to 100 mM), achieving a maximum selectivity of 57%. The reaction involves α-proton abstraction in amino acids, which is distinct from conventional chemical decarboxylation processes of amino acids, highlighting the unique role of MnO 2 in activating the α-C-H bond to form HCN. HCN generation was observed for nearly all proteinogenic amino acids and short peptides. Because amino acids can be synthesized from HCN-independent pathways from abundant carbon sources such as CO 2 and CO, amino acid-derived HCN alleviates the requirement on atmospheric methane and can sustain continued chemical evolution in ambient aqueous environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2515805123","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2515805123","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s43247-026-03618-5","name":"A long-lived impact-generated hydrothermal system at the Chicxulub impact structure.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Hydrothermal systems likely played an essential role in the origin of life, both on Earth and potentially on other planets. They form anywhere that heat and aqueous fluids interact, including within cooling hypervelocity impact craters. Longer periods of hydrothermal activity will generate extended windows of opportunity for prebiotic chemical reactions to occur, life to develop, and micro-organisms to thrive and propagate beyond their point of origin. Here, we present radioisotopic age constraints and numerical simulations for the duration of post-impact hydrothermal activity in and around the peak ring of the ~200 km diameter 66 Ma Chicxulub impact structure. We find that hydrothermal activity persisted for at least 8 million years (Myr), which is approximately four times longer than previously estimated by numerical simulations, palaeomagnetic records, and petrographic interpretations at Chicxulub, making it the longest-lived impact generated hydrothermal system documented on Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03618-5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1038/s43247-026-03618-5","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s42004-025-01752-3","name":"Reduction of NAD and NMN on mineral surfaces with H&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; reveals a functional role for the AMP moiety in a prebiotic context.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Many cofactors share a molecular structure - adenosine monophosphate (AMP) - that otherwise occurs in nucleic acids. The presence of AMP in cofactors has presented an evolutionary puzzle. Is it a biochemical 'handle' that allows proteins to bind the cofactor more tightly, or a relic from a prebiotic time when cofactors arose? Using the example of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), we find a previously unknown property of its AMP handle. Experiments with hydrogen gas on mineral surfaces show that the handle-free nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) overreduces quickly, while NAD gets reduced specifically. The handle allows NAD to function in a hydrothermal, mineral-based setting, indicating that it is a form of protection against a harsh environment. Our findings uncover a specific functional role for the AMP moiety of NAD under environmental conditions capable of non-enzymatic NAD reduction, thereby identifying a structural element of a redox cofactor that is older than the enzymes using it.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-025-01752-3","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1038/s42004-025-01752-3","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2022.0102","name":"Constraining the Rosalind Franklin Rover/Ma_MISS Instrument Capability in the Detection of Organics.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Mars Multispectral Imager for Subsurface Studies (Ma_MISS) instrument is a miniaturized visible and near-infrared spectrometer that is integrated into the drilling system of the ESA Rosalind Franklin rover, which is devoted to subsurface exploration on Mars. Ma_MISS will acquire spectral data on the Martian subsurface from excavated borehole walls. The spectral data collected by Ma_MISS on unexposed rocks will be crucial for determination of the composition of subsurface rocks and optical and physical properties of materials ( i.e., grain size). Ma_MISS will further contribute to a reconstruction of the stratigraphic column and acquire data on subsurface geological processes. Ma_MISS data may also inform with regard to the presence of potential biomarkers in the subsurface, given the presence of organic matter that may affect some spectral parameters. In this framework, we performed a wide range of measurements using the laboratory model of the Ma_MISS to investigate mineral/organic mixtures in different proportions. We prepared mixtures by combining kaolinite and nontronite with glycine, asphaltite, polyoxymethylene, and benzoic acid. These organic compounds show different spectral characteristics in the visible and near-infrared; therefore their presence can be detected by the Ma_MISS instrument. Our results indicate that the Ma_MISS instrument can detect organic material down to abundances of around 1 wt %. In particular, the data collected on low-concentration mixtures show that, by analyzing sediments with a grain size smaller than the Ma_MISS spatial resolution, the instrument can still discern those points where organic matter is present from points with exclusive mineral composition. The results also show that a collection of multiple contiguous measurements on a hypothetical borehole wall could help indicate the presence of organic matter in clay-rich soils if present.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2022.0102","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2022.0102","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.647Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s42003-025-09044-1","name":"Three eruptions at the Fagradalsfjall Volcano in Iceland show rapid and predictable microbial community establishment.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"How natural environments transition from uninhabited to inhabited is an incompletely understood question in ecology. We leverage the 2021-2023 Fagradalsfjall eruptions in Iceland as a natural experiment, tracking microbial colonization on the new lava over three years, including lava that had solidified only hours before collection. Samples were collected from fixed sites biweekly for the 2021 eruption phase and then at multiple time points over the next three years, resulting in a unique temporal dataset for primary succession. As the same system erupted again in 2022 and 2023, we were able to monitor a natural ecological triplicate. We use multiple lines of evidence to demonstrate dynamic but predictable community assembly processes. We use alpha and beta diversity, phylogenetic null modeling, taxa volatility, and Bayesian source tracking to propose a two-stage process: (1) rapid establishment of a variable microbial assemblage, followed by (2) stabilization after winter onset. A random forest regression model, trained on 2021 eruption microbial community data, accurately predicts the successional stage in the 2022 and 2023 eruptions. This study underscores the dynamic and predictable nature of microbial colonization in harsh environments, offering insights into primary succession and its role in shaping Earth's ecosystems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-09044-1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1038/s42003-025-09044-1","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2021.0202","name":"Thermal Stability of (Bio)Carbonates: A Potential Signature for Detecting Life on Mars?","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The environmental conditions that prevail on the surface of Mars ( i.e., high levels of radiation and oxidants) are not favorable for the long-term preservation of organic compounds on which all strategies for finding life on Mars have been based to date. Since life commonly produces minerals that are considered more resilient, the search for biominerals could constitute a promising alternative approach. Carbonates are major biominerals on Earth, and although they have not been detected in large amounts at the martian surface, recent observations show that they could constitute a significant part of the inorganic component in the martian soil. Previous studies have shown that calcite and aragonite produced by eukaryotes thermally decompose at temperatures 15°C lower than those of their abiotic counterparts. By using carbonate concretions formed by microorganisms, we find that natural and experimental carbonates produced by prokaryotes decompose at 28°C below their abiotic counterparts. The study of this sample set serves as a proof of concept for the differential thermal analysis approach to distinguish abiotic from bio-related carbonates. This difference in carbonate decomposition temperature can be used as a first physical evidence of life on Mars to be searched by in situ space exploration missions with the resolution and the technical constraints of the available onboard instruments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2021.0202","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2021.0202","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.647Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fmicb.2026.1849852","name":"Probing the habitability of potential sulfuric acid rich subsurface lakes in Europa's ice shell via &lt;i&gt;Saci&lt;/i&gt;/STIV integrated models.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Experimentally modeling the habitability of extreme ocean world conditions, such as those on Jupiter's moon: Europa, would benefit from integrated microbe-virus model studies to provide both a microbial model and a virus capable of nutrient cycling. This work experimentally probes the microbe/virus combination Saci /STIV as a potential microbial model for habitability studies of Europa's ice-ocean interface in subsurface lakes with implications for habitats with extreme conditions and fluid mixing. This study experimentally modeled archaea/virus-integrated systems in one set of conditions that fall within the range of currently proposed for subsurface lakes in Europa's ice shell: 3.5% salinity, pH 3, rich in Na + /Fe 2+ /Mg 2+ / SO42- /H + , fluctuating dissolved oxygen (D.O.), and 1-2 °C to explore habitability limits and candidate biosignatures. Planktonic Sulfolobus acidocaldarius (Saci ) lysogens of Sulfolobus Turreted Icosahedral Virus (STIV) were included for the determination of potential habitability and biosignatures in both models. Extensive biofilm formation, biosulfur detection via Raman spectroscopy, viral mRNA/protein detection by RT-qPCR and western blotting, and successful viability assays under these conditions support the potential habitability under Europa-analog conditions. Cold-adapted Saci developed extensive biofilm rich in biosulfur globules, suggesting the possibility of sulfur-oxidizing metabolism. Finally, biosulfur and viral major capsid proteins (MCPs), with inter-domain conserved double jelly roll morphologies, were identified as candidate biosignatures for life on acidic icy ocean worlds. Such cryotolerant strains and the viral proteins proliferated from them may have applications in astrobiology, but also for extreme microbiology and beyond.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1849852","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.3389/fmicb.2026.1849852","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09413-0","name":"Redox-driven mineral and organic associations in Jezero Crater, Mars.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Perseverance rover has explored and sampled igneous and sedimentary rocks within Jezero Crater to characterize early Martian geological processes and habitability and search for potential biosignatures1–7. Upon entering Neretva Vallis, on Jezero Crater’s western edge8, Perseverance investigated distinctive mudstone and conglomerate outcrops of the Bright Angel formation. Here we report a detailed geological, petrographic and geochemical survey of these rocks and show that organic-carbon-bearing mudstones in the Bright Angel formation contain submillimetre-scale nodules and millimetre-scale reaction fronts enriched in ferrous iron phosphate and sulfide minerals, likely vivianite and greigite, respectively. This organic carbon appears to have participated in post-depositional redox reactions that produced the observed iron-phosphate and iron-sulfide minerals. Geological context and petrography indicate that these reactions occurred at low temperatures. Within this context, we review the various pathways by which redox reactions that involve organic matter can produce the observed suite of iron-, sulfur- and phosphorus-bearing minerals in laboratory and natural environments on Earth. Ultimately, we conclude that analysis of the core sample collected from this unit using high-sensitivity instrumentation on Earth will enable the measurements required to determine the origin of the minerals, organics and textures it contains. A geological, petrographic and geochemical survey of distinctive mudstone and conglomerate outcrops of the Bright Angel formation on Mars reveals textures, chemical and mineral characteristics, and organic signatures that warrant consideration as potential biosignatures.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09413-0","authors":["J. A. Hurowitz","Michael M. Tice","Abigail C. Allwood","Morgan L. Cable","K. P. Hand","Ashley Murphy","Kyle Uckert","J. F. Bell","Tanja Bosak","Adrian Broz","Elise Clavé","A. Cousin"],"tags":["Petrography","Geochemistry","Geology","Mars Exploration Program","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1038/s41586-025-09413-0","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/life14091205","name":"Advances in Extremophile Research: Biotechnological Applications through Isolation and Identification Techniques.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Extremophiles, organisms thriving in extreme environments such as hot springs, deep-sea hydrothermal vents, and hypersaline ecosystems, have garnered significant attention due to their remarkable adaptability and biotechnological potential. This review presents recent advancements in isolating and characterizing extremophiles, highlighting their applications in enzyme production, bioplastics, environmental management, and space exploration. The unique biological mechanisms of extremophiles offer valuable insights into life's resilience and potential uses in industry and astrobiology.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life14091205","authors":["Giovanni Gallo","Martina Aulitto"],"tags":["Extremophile","Identification (biology)","Isolation (microbiology)","Computational biology","Biology"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.3390/life14091205","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fmicb.2025.1455423","name":"&lt;i&gt;Metallosphaera sedula&lt;/i&gt; bifurcates into two sizes when it is cultured mixotrophically on soluble iron.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Metallosphaera sedula is a thermoacidophilic archaeon that obtains all of its energy for growth from aerobic respiration and oxidative phosphorylation at the expense of selected organic and inorganic sources of electrons. Initial velocities for the oxidation of soluble ferrous ions by intact cells at 60 °C and pH 1.5 were determined using an integrating cavity absorption meter that permitted accurate absorbance measurements to quantify the increase in soluble ferric iron in the presence of turbid suspensions of the live organisms. M. sedula that was cultured on yeast extract either in the absence or the presence of 20 mM soluble ferrous iron exhibited turnover numbers for soluble iron oxidation of 304 ± 26 and 333 ± 31 attamoles/cell/min, respectively. These functional data were consistent with the transcriptomic evidence presented by others, that the proteins presumably responsible for aerobic respiration on soluble iron are expressed constitutively in M. sedula . Intact cells of M. sedula were characterized by electrical impedance, laser light diffraction, and transmission electron microscopic measurements. All three types of measurements were consistent with the surprising observation that cells cultured on yeast extract in the presence of soluble iron bifurcated into approximately equal numbers of coccoidal cells of two sizes, smaller cells with an average diameter of 0.6 μm and larger cells with an average diameter of 1.35 μm. Cells cultured on the same concentration of yeast extract but in the absence of soluble iron comprised a single cell size with an intermediate average diameter of 1.06 μm. This unexpected bifurcation of a clonal cell population into two demonstrably different sizes when the extracellular nutrient environment changes has not previously been reported for M. sedula , or any other single-celled archaeon or eubacterium.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1455423","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.3389/fmicb.2025.1455423","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-025-16197-w","name":"Exploring organic compound preservation through long-term in situ experiments in the Atacama desert and the relevance for Mars.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The preservation of organic compounds under extreme environmental conditions remains a critical challenge for both terrestrial ecology applications on Earth and astrobiology. In a novel long-term field experiment over 8 months, we exposed biomolecules and a model organism to natural hyperarid conditions of the Atacama Desert, one of the best Mars analog environments. We used custom-designed sample plates for long-term exposure to simulate environmental stresses that biomolecules are exposed naturally in a hyperarid environment. The multiple stressors included extreme temperature fluctuations, associated humidity changes, and intense solar irradiation. Our field experiment complements and extends the insights obtained from previously conducted short-term laboratory experiments. To investigate biomolecule stability, we embedded adenosine triphosphate (ATP), chlorophyll-a, and the cyanobacterium Chrooccoccidiopsis in various Mars-relevant sediments with addition of chloride and perchlorate. Our findings, which include the rapid degradation of these biomolecules, the detection of more stable degradation products, and the identification of non-enzymatic degradation pathways, reveal the critical influence of substrate and salt types on biomolecule stability. Valuable insights into biosignature preservation under extreme terrestrial conditions and a better understanding of organic signal interpretations were gained, which will provide critical insights for future Mars missions, especially when searching for past or present life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-16197-w","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-025-16197-w","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2022.0091","name":"Prokaryotic Community Structure, Abundances, and Potential Ecological Functions in a Mars Analog Salt Lake.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Barkol Lake, situated northeast of the Tianshan Mountains, Xinjiang, is a hypersaline lake with abundant sulfate and chloride minerals, which can be a potential analog for microbial saline paleolakes on Mars. The lake water, sediments, and surrounding soils of Barkol Lake were sampled for geochemical analysis and 16S rRNA gene sequencing to investigate the prokaryotic community structure, abundances, interactions, and ecological functions. Results show that (1) prokaryotic community structure differs significantly between biotopes (water, sediment, and soil), with the highest abundances of archaea occurring in water samples and highest prokaryotic diversities in soil samples; (2) archaeal communities are dominated by Halobacterota, Nanoarchaeota, Thermoplasmatota, and Crenarchaeota, while bacterial communities are mainly Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Desulfobacterota, Chloroflexi, Gemmatimonadetes, Firmicutes, and Cyanobacteria; (3) the prokaryotic community network for soil is far more complicated and stable than those for water and sediment; (4) soil prokaryotic communities could be significantly affected by environmental factors such as salinity, pH, total sulfur, and Ca 2+ ; (5) archaeal communities may play an important role in the nitrogen cycle, while bacterial communities may mainly participate in the sulfur cycle. This study extends the data set of prokaryotic communities for hypersaline environments, which will provide perspectives into identification of the counterparts and help to understand potential microbial interactions and biogeochemical cycles occurring on Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2022.0091","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2022.0091","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00114","name":"Understanding Titan's Prebiotic Chemistry: Synthesizing Amino Acids Through Aminonitrile Alkaline Hydrolysis.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Titan is an ocean world with a plethora of organic material in its atmosphere and on its surface, making it an intriguing location in the search for habitable environments beyond Earth. Settled aerosols will mix with transient surface melts following cryovolcanic eruptions and impact events, driving hydrolysis reactions and prebiotic chemistry. Previous studies have shown that the hydrolysis of laboratory-synthesized Titan organics leads to the production of amino acids and other prebiotic molecules. The exact molecular structure of Titan aerosols remains unclear, yet aminonitriles have been hypothesized to be among the organic components. This laboratory study tested three reaction pathways that could potentially lead to the formation of amino acids: aminoacetonitrile → glycine, 2-aminopropanenitrile → alanine, and 4-aminobutanenitrile → γ-aminobutyric acid. Liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS) is used to quantify the abundance of amino acids over a 6-month period. We conclude that ammonia plays a key role in the synthesis of amino acids from aminonitriles, while the inclusion of salts (1 wt %) and minerals (25 mg/mL) did not have a significant effect on amino acid formation compared to ammonia. Rate constants ( k ) for alkaline hydrolysis of the aminonitriles were calculated. Our results suggest that if Titan’s surface melts have a composition, including at least 5% ammonia in water, and if aminonitriles are present in Titan’s organic aerosols, then amino acids will likely form. These results are highly relevant to the Dragonfly mission to Titan, which will sample impact melt material at Selk crater to search for prebiotic molecules.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00114","authors":["K. Farnsworth","Hannah L. McLain","Angela H. Chung","M. G. Trainer"],"tags":["Titan (rocket family)","Chemistry","Amino acid","Hydrolysis","Prebiotic"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00114","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/open.202500508","name":"Synthesis of Amides from Amines and Esters Under Hydrothermal Conditions.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Organic synthesis under hydrothermal conditions provides a green and environmentally friendly method that can minimize waste and avoid toxic byproducts. In this study, we investigate ester aminolysis in hydrothermal water at 250°C and P sat . Among the studied substrates, ethyl acetate with benzylamine yields the highest amide concentration, followed by ethyl acetate with cyclohexylamine and ethyl benzoate with benzylamine. Time-series experiments reveal that a dominating pathway initiates with hydrolysis of ester to form carboxylic acid, followed by the condensation between the acid and amine. The reaction proceeds more efficiently under neutral and basic than acidic conditions, suggesting the protonation of amines at lower pH inhibits the amide formation. The effects of common metal salts, such as NaCl, FeCl 3 , FeCl 2 , CuCl 2 , and ZnCl 2 , on amide hydrothermal synthesis are also studied, in which all tested metal salts show an inhibition on the amide yield. In the phosphate-buffered experiments, however, most of the metal salts show an increase in amide formation compared to the non-buffered experiments, suggesting the inhibition from the metal salts is caused by the decrease of pH in dissolved metal solutions. These findings suggest another feasible synthetic pathway of amides under hydrothermal conditions, which is subject to the solution pH and complexation with metal ions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/open.202500508","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1002/open.202500508","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s11084-022-09630-x","name":"Evaluating Mineral Lattices as Evolutionary Proxies for Metalloprotein Evolution.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Protein coordinated iron-sulfur clusters drive electron flow within metabolic pathways for organisms throughout the tree of life. It is not known how iron-sulfur clusters were first incorporated into proteins. Structural analogies to iron-sulfide minerals present on early Earth, suggest a connection in the evolution of both proteins and minerals. The availability of large protein and mineral crystallographic structure data sets, provides an opportunity to explore co-evolution of proteins and minerals on a large-scale using informatics approaches. However, quantitative comparisons are confounded by the infinite, repeating nature of the mineral lattice, in contrast to metal clusters in proteins, which are finite in size. We address this problem using the Niggli reduction to transform a mineral lattice to a finite, unique structure that when translated reproduces the crystal lattice. Protein and reduced mineral structures were represented as quotient graphs with the edges and nodes corresponding to bonds and atoms, respectively. We developed a graph theory-based method to calculate the maximum common connected edge subgraph (MCCES) between mineral and protein quotient graphs. MCCES can accommodate differences in structural volumes and easily allows additional chemical criteria to be considered when calculating similarity. To account for graph size differences, we use the Tversky similarity index. Using consistent criteria, we found little similarity between putative ancient iron-sulfur protein clusters and iron-sulfur mineral lattices, suggesting these metal sites are not as evolutionarily connected as once thought. We discuss possible evolutionary implications of these findings in addition to suggesting an alternative proxy, mineral surfaces, for better understanding the coevolution of the geosphere and biosphere.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11084-022-09630-x","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1007/s11084-022-09630-x","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/molecules30173587","name":"Thermal Decomposition and Prebiotic Formation of Adenosine Phosphates in Simulated Early-Earth Evaporative Settings.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Adenosine nucleotides and polyphosphates play a significant role in biochemistry, from participating in the formation of genetic material to serving as metabolic energy currency. In this study, we examine the stability and decomposition rates of adenosine phosphates-5'-AMP, 5'-ADP, and 5'-ATP (mentioned simply as AMP, ADP and ATP hereafter)-at temperatures of 22-25 °C, 50-55 °C, 70-75 °C, and 85-90 °C, at a pH of 4, over periods of 2 and 4 days, in both saltwater and ultrapure water, under unsealed and completely dried down conditions. We found that adenosine phosphates degrade rapidly under heat and dehydration, particularly at temperatures above 25 °C. Among the three compounds, AMP is the most stable, maintaining its integrity between 22 and 55 °C, whereas ATP begins to degrade at 22-25 °C and ADP is completely decomposed at temperatures above this range. Decomposition rates were analyzed using quantitative 31 P-NMR, based on the detection of various phosphorus-containing species. AMP primarily hydrolyzed into phosphate, pyrophosphate and even formed 2',3'-cAMP. In contrast, the condensed adenosine phosphates (ADP and ATP) hydrolyzed to AMP, phosphate, pyrophosphate, triphosphate, 5'-AMP and, in some cases, 2',3'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (2',3'-cAMP). We also investigated the formation of these compounds in the presence of N-containing additives such as thiourea, urea, imidazole, and cyanamide at temperatures between 65 and 70 °C. Among these, cyanamide and urea were particularly effective in promoting the synthesis of adenosine monophosphates (AMPs) from phosphate and adenosine. The major products observed were 2',3',5'-AMPs and cyclic 2',3'-AMPs. In some experiments, adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and dimeric nucleotide species were also detected. These findings suggest that moderately heated evaporating pools could facilitate the abiotic formation of AMPs. However, such environments would likely have been unsuitable for the long-term accumulation of these compounds due to continued degradation, though there would exist some level of these nucleotides at steady state.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30173587","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.3390/molecules30173587","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-026-70081-3","name":"Strong nickel enrichment co-located with redox-organic interactions in Neretva Vallis, Mars.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"In 2024, NASA's Perseverance rover explored Neretva Vallis, an ancient river channel that once transported water into Jezero crater. There, the rover encountered Mg-poor mudstones with diverse alteration features. In 32 rock targets in Neretva Vallis, nickel (Ni) was detected by the SuperCam instrument with concentrations in individual rocks as high as ~1.1 weight percent - the highest abundance ever seen in bedrock on Mars. In this work, we describe and contextualize these Ni enrichments using outcrop-scale imagery and petrographic-scale elemental maps provided by the PIXL instrument. We find Ni enrichment in Fe-sulfides and their weathering products. The geochemistry and morphology of Neretva Vallis Fe-sulfides are similar to pyrite present in terrestrial Archean and Paleoproterozoic sedimentary rocks. As an essential element for terrestrial microbial life, the proximity of Ni enrichments to reduced sulfur and organic matter adds to the interest in bringing back to Earth the rock sample collected by Perseverance at this location, which could provide key insights into complex redox chemistry on early Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-70081-3","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-026-70081-3","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2023.0011","name":"Aquatic Ferrous Solutions of Prebiotic Mineral Salts as Strong UV Protectants and Possible Loci of Life Origin.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Liposomes are lipid-bilayer vesicles that spontaneously self-assemble from fatty acids (or other amphiphiles) in water by encapsulating surrounding aqueous media. After British scientist Alec Bangham described this phenomenon in the early 1960s, they became a prominent participant in the hypotheses on life origin, particularly in the Lipid World model. A novel scenario of self-sustained Darwinian liposome evolution is based on ever-present natural phenomena of cyclic day/night solar UV radiation and gravitational submersion of liposomes in the Archean aqueous media. One of the assumptions of the hypothesis is the UV-shielding ability of the Archean waters that could protect the submerged liposomes from the damaging solar UV radiation. To corroborate the idea, we measured UV absorption in aquatic solutions of several ferrous mineral salts assumed to be present in Archean pools. Single-agent solutions of simple salts such as FeCl 2 -iron dichloride, FeCl 3 -iron trichoride, Fe(NO 3 ) 3 -ferric nitride, NH 4 Fe(SO 4 ) 2 -ferric ammonium sulfate, and (NH 4 ) 5 [Fe(C 6 H 4 O 7 ) 2 ]-ferric ammonium citrate were tested. These direct measurements of UV light absorption supplement and reinforce the proposed hypothesis.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2023.0011","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2023.0011","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:29.850Z"},{"id":"pmid:42014783","name":"Tricks of Nature From the Ancient Earth and Early Mars: Chemical Gardens Generate Biomorphs With High Preservation Potential.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Observations of morphology are commonly used to evaluate the biogenicity of terrestrial microfossils and could constitute a crucial line of evidence for extraterrestrial life-detection missions in the future. However, evaluating the origin of morphological features in the rock record can be problematic because naturally occurring abiotic structures can resemble biological morphologies, which may lead to false-positive detections of fossilised life. Iron-mineralised chemical gardens have been highlighted as potentially confounding abiotic structures because of their morphological and chemical resemblance to biomineralised filaments. Despite this, the potential for chemical garden structures to be preserved in the fossil record has not been thoroughly investigated. Here, we subjected abiotic iron-mineralised chemical garden structures to artificial maturation using hydrous pyrolysis, in order to evaluate their preservation potential. We found that these abiotic filaments were relatively resistant to degradation caused by maturation when compared with analogous biological material. Additionally, the transformation of ferrihydrite to crystalline iron oxides was found to be relatively inhibited, likely because of the influence of silica. These findings highlight the need for fossilised filamentous material to be distinguished from chemical garden structures before a biological origin can be confidently attributed, particularly when observed in significantly altered rocks.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42014783/","authors":["Hirsch S","McMahon S","Najorka J","Sephton MA"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Mar-Apr","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:41984638","name":"The Lipidome of a Mars Analog Poly-Extreme Community in Atacama Halite Endolith: Chemotaxonomy, Lipid Adaptation, and Implications for the Search for Extraplanetary Biosignatures.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"We analyzed the lipidome of the endolithic community in halite nodules from Salar Grande in the hyperarid Atacama Desert, which is considered an analog for martian subsurface environments. We tested the utility of complex functionalized lipids to trace possible extraterrestrial biosignatures under poly-extreme conditions (high osmolarity, desiccation, and irradiance) and evaluated their chemotaxonomic potential for space applications. We identified a total of 269 compounds in the Mars analog community. The complex functionalized lipid pool includes 150 bacterial bilayer-forming intact ester and ether lipids, 15 membrane-regulating bacteriohopanepolyols, and 9 heterocyte glycolipids, as well as 34 archaeal diether membrane lipids and 8 eukaryotic sterols. Thirteen pigments and quinones were also detected. The complex functionalized lipid pool carries the diagnostic fingerprints of cyanobacteria (including N 2 -fixing cyanobacteria), Salinibacter , Planctomycetes, and archaeal Halobacteria; each showed core lipid and headgroup adaptation to the multistress environment. We also compared the complex functionalized lipid fingerprints with the lipid fingerprint obtained following base hydrolysis. Our results show that lipid assemblages differ at the compound class level (e.g., absence of hopanoids) as well as core lipid structure level (e.g., degree of unsaturation). Much of the diagnostic information contained in the complex functionalized lipid pool is lost when analyzing gas chromatography-amenable biomarkers only. These results should guide future analysis of Mars return samples as well as ongoing technological developments for in situ detection of mineral-associated lipids.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41984638/","authors":["Kusch S","Schubotz F","Sepúlveda J","Bauersachs T"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 May","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:41911010","name":"Geochemical Complexity in Terrestrial Hot Spring Fields: Implications for the Origin of Life.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Prebiotic chemistry for the origin of life requires a high degree of chemical and mineralogical complexity with the potential for multiple reactions under differing physico-chemical conditions. This includes processes that can promote the condensation reactions required to form polymers and the mechanisms to concentrate trace elements that can catalyze polymerization reactions. Competing hypotheses for favorable settings for life to emerge include submerged ocean hydrothermal vents and subaerial, terrestrial hot spring fields. A key challenge for permanently submerged hydrothermal vents is the inevitable dilution that occurs when fluids are ejected from deep-sea hydrothermal vents into a relatively uniform oceanic reservoir, meaning that whatever geochemical complexity that may have developed in the subsurface conduits of such systems is rapidly lost. Open water systems also lack the ability to form polymers and concentrate the trace elements required to catalyze polymerization reactions. Terrestrial hot spring environments experience wet-dry cycling, concentrate elements through multiple processes, and can have a range of pH values, yet they are regarded by some as unfavorable sites because they are too hot (the tar problem) and typically portrayed as individual, relatively static pools ( e.g., Darwin's \"Warm Little Pond\"). Here, we illustrate how the terrestrial hot spring field of the Taup&#x14d; Volcanic Zone (TVZ) of New Zealand is much more dynamic and geochemically diverse than generally considered due to the many closely located pools with widely variable physico-chemical attributes that mix components at a variety of scales, creating a level of geochemical complexity unmatched elsewhere on Earth. The tens to thousands of diverse surface pools of the TVZ are characterized by wet-dry cycling and multiple mechanisms that can concentrate trace elements and mix fluids of very different composition that result in geochemical variability as well as mineral precipitation that can enhance the preservation of biosignatures.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41911010/","authors":["Van Kranendonk MJ","Penrose LK","Havig J","Rowe MC","Campbell KA","Nakamura E","Hamilton T"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Apr","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:41871242","name":"Mineral-facilitated aqueous synthesis of hydrogen cyanide from prebiotically abundant amino acids for chemical evolution.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Recent advances in prebiotic chemistry suggest that hydrogen cyanide (HCN) serves as a fundamental precursor for nearly all essential biomolecules and protometabolic processes for life's emergence. Although prevailing models of endogenous cyanide production rely on atmospheric methane, the availability of methane remains uncertain. Unlike methane, amino acids were likely prebiotically abundant, forming through multiple synthetic pathways under a methane-free, nonreducing atmosphere. Here, we demonstrate that HCN can form from proteinogenic amino acids in anaerobic aqueous solutions facilitated by geochemically available minerals, offering a route to overcome HCN scarcity under a nonreducing atmosphere. On manganese dioxide, the glycine-to-cyanide conversion proceeded across a broad range of pHs (2.0 to 12.6) and substrate concentrations (1 &#x3bc;M to 100 mM), achieving a maximum selectivity of 57%. The reaction involves &#x3b1;-proton abstraction in amino acids, which is distinct from conventional chemical decarboxylation processes of amino acids, highlighting the unique role of MnO 2 in activating the &#x3b1;-C-H bond to form HCN. HCN generation was observed for nearly all proteinogenic amino acids and short peptides. Because amino acids can be synthesized from HCN-independent pathways from abundant carbon sources such as CO 2 and CO, amino acid-derived HCN alleviates the requirement on atmospheric methane and can sustain continued chemical evolution in ambient aqueous environments.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41871242/","authors":["Yang Z","Li Y","Kitadai N","Yamamoto M","Ueno Y","Lu Y","Li A","Adachi K","Yamaguchi A","Hashizume D","Nakamura R"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Mar 31","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:41870159","name":"From Space Dust to Protocells: Micrometeorites in Early Cellular Evolution.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Solid surfaces have long been considered catalysts in prebiotic chemistry, yet their physical energy has rarely been explored as a driver of protocell assembly. This opinion article highlights recent experimental advances demonstrating that oxide minerals, Hadean Earth analogs, and martian meteorite specimens autonomously promote the assembly and transformation of lipid protocells without chemical catalysis. Surface-adhered compartments form mechanically resilient protocell colonies, nanotube-connected protocell networks enabling direct molecular transport, and flat protocells with spontaneous fusion and compositional diversification-capabilities absent in cell-sized free-floating vesicles. Extending these findings to extraterrestrial materials, new results indicate that micrometeorites, with their freshly generated, rough, and porous surfaces produced during atmospheric entry, efficiently nucleate protocell assembly. Given the continuous global influx of micrometeorites and growing astrobiological evidence of organics in cosmic dust, I propose that micrometeorites represent previously underappreciated initiators of protocell development, linking early Earth environments with contemporary planetary science and the search for life elsewhere.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41870159/","authors":["Gözen İ"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Apr","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:41841546","name":"A Modular 3D-Printed Design to Investigate Prebiotic Chemical Systems in Hot Spring Pools.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The emergence of protocells, membranous compartments with encapsulated genetic material, was a crucial step in life's origin and evolution. The hot spring hypothesis for the origin of life suggests that protocells with the capacity to encapsulate organic matter could have formed in hot spring pools during wet-dry (WD) cycling of hydrothermal fluids. Previous investigations have focused on mimicking WD cycles within a single pool, which precludes simulation of many hydrothermal field conditions, such as different mineralogies and variable temperature, pH, and water flow within and between multiple hot spring pools. Here, we present a modular 3D-printed hydrothermal field simulator that mimics many more aspects of the complex nature of hot spring fields by controlling the temperature, pH, and mineralogical variability of a series of linked pools. Furthermore, the pools can be programmed to experience fluid mixing between proximal pools and periodic WD cycling events. Results with the prototype hot spring field design demonstrate the ability to spontaneously form lipid vesicles that encapsulate organic matter within membranous compartments comprised of decanoic acid:decanol (4:1) or the phospholipids POPC:POPG (1:1). We observed that the vesicles formed during multiple WD cycles in the simulator pools displayed variation in their size distribution and differences in the number of membrane layers. Cargo encapsulation was favored in giant unilamellar vesicles and oligolamellar vesicles. Overall, the hot spring simulator offers a novel and customizable approach for studying multiple processes within hydrothermal field dynamics that include prebiotic chemical reactions, mineral surface catalysis, and the complexities of fluid mixing between proximal hot spring pools.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41841546/","authors":["Siddique A","Chauhan D","Dutton A","Reddy K","De SK","Fahrenbach AC","Barber T","Van Kranendonk M","Wang A"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Apr","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:41657190","name":"Biosignature Detection and Preservation in Lake Salda Microbialites Under Simulated Martian Conditions.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The alteration of martian deposits under extreme surface conditions remains a key challenge for their mineral-organic interpretation and paleoenvironmental reconstruction. This study investigates the spectral detection and alteration of mineral-organic signatures in Lake Salda hydromagnesite microbialites under martian sublimation and radiation (UV) conditions. Samples were analyzed using visible near-infrared and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, then sublimated via lyophilization and exposed to UV radiation in the Planetary Atmospheres and Surfaces Simulation Chamber. Sublimation reduced the intensity of water and carbonate vibrations and enhanced CH 2 &#x3bd; 3 and PO 2 - &#x3bd; 3 organic features; this demonstrated that interstitial water sublimation may reduce O-H spectral noise, improve organic visibility, and reveal volatile sublimation patterns for future Mars rovers, such as Rosalind Franklin. In a three-sol (74 h) simulation of martian UV radiation (200-400 nm) under 7 mbar of CO 2 , FTIR spectral intensity was reduced, and organic CH 2 &#x3bd; 3 and PO 2 - features were significantly degraded. These findings reveal spectral alterations under martian surface conditions and highlight organic biosignature vulnerability at equatorial latitudes, informing preservation protocols for future missions.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41657190/","authors":["Ballard CJ","Preston LJ","Dartnell LR","Mateo-Marti E","Regan C","Coates A"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Feb","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:41636002","name":"Cold-Water CO(2) Geysers as Ocean World Plume Analogs: Investigation of Habitability Indicators in Crystal and Champagne Geysers Pre- and Posteruption.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Ocean world plumes at Enceladus, Triton, and possibly Europa are astrobiologically significant. These active processes may transport fresh material from potentially habitable subsurface environments to the surface and atmosphere/exosphere, where they can be accessed by spacecraft and telescopic observations. However, it is currently unclear if chemical fractionation or other modification processes might occur during subsurface transport and eruption and potentially lead to changes in concentrations of habitability indicators relative to the source reservoir. To explore this phenomenon in a natural setting, we investigated the cold CO 2 geysers in Green River, Utah, which have eruptions driven by volatile exsolution. We collected samples from two geysers with different vent diameters and discharge volumes and compared the chemical composition of the erupted effluent and mineralogy of evaporite deposits with their respective pre-erupted waters; we also performed geochemical modeling to reconstruct the original chemical speciation of the source waters. Observed increases in electrical conductivity for both the erupted effluents may be due to an influx of warm fluids enriched in CO 2 -charged brine entering the aquifer and initiating eruption via CO 2 exsolution and buoyant acceleration. Modeling results indicate source waters extremely rich in dissolved CO 2 with pH values significantly lower than those of erupted waters. The outgassing of CO 2 and significant levels of sulfate, Na/K ratio, and acidic pH suggest that the effluent from this geysering system may serve as a natural analog for putative plume deposits on Europa. The larger geyser (Crystal) had evaporites that were carbonate-rich, while the smaller geyser (Champagne) produced evaporites dominated by sulfate minerals. Furthermore, in a sample of erupted Champagne waters cooled rapidly in vacuum to replicate a frozen plume deposit, vitreous MgSO 4 was the primary constituent; this was not the main component in solution or identified in the evaporite or surrounding tufa. Overall, our observations suggest that geyser discharge volume, eruptive energy, and/or proximity to the host reservoir may all play a role in the composition of plume ejecta and surface deposits, and care should be taken in integrating both in situ and remote sensing observations to fully characterize plume deposits and make robust inferences of ocean composition. Key Words: Enceladus-Europa-Reflectance spectroscopy-Raman spectroscopy-Habitability indicator-Plume. Astrobiology 26, 79-98.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41636002/","authors":["Cable ML","Kirby EJ","Musto IA","Glein CR","Patthoff DA","Potter-McIntyre SL","Craft KL"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Feb","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:41614163","name":"Fungal-Mineral Interaction: Astrobiology Insights from Iron-Rich Mineral Alteration by an Extremophile Black Fungus.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Iron-rich minerals, such as hematite (&#x3b1;-Fe 2 O 3 ), are prominent constituents of the Martian surface; they are considered to be potential indicators of past aqueous activity and habitability. This study investigated the interaction between the extremophilic black fungus Rhinocladiella similis LaBioMMi 1217 and hematite under simulated laboratory conditions on Mars, focusing on redox-mediated dissolution processes, metabolic adaptations, and biosignature formation. The fungus was cultivated with powdered and polished hematite substrates, and mineral alteration was monitored through physicochemical measurements and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Genome mining was performed to identify and map genes involved in iron metabolism. The metabolic profile of the fungus under hematite treatment was assessed via untargeted metabolomics. Over 15 days, the cultures exhibited marked acidification (pH decreased from 7.0 to 4.7) and a 10-fold increase in the dissolved Fe 2+ ion concentration (26-270 mg/L), indicating metabolically driven iron reduction. SEM revealed surface etching and localized roughening consistent with microbially induced weathering, whereas these changes were absent in the abiotic controls. Genes linked to siderophore biosynthesis ( sidA , sidC , sidD , sidF , sidH , sidI , and sidL ) and reductive iron assimilation ( FET3 , FTR1 , and FRE1 ) were identified. Untargeted metabolomics confirmed the secretion of organic acids, iron-chelating siderophores (e.g., ferrichrome C), and redox-active aromatic compounds in the presence of hematite, supporting a multifaceted strategy that combines acidification, chelation, and redox mediation. Collectively, these results show that the fungus actively promotes hematite dissolution through organic molecule-mediated mechanisms. Such interactions hold astrobiological relevance, as fungal modification of hematite might lead to the production of diagnostic chemical and mineralogical biosignatures, informing future life-detection strategies on Mars.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41614163/","authors":["Dos Santos A","Molodon F","Schultz J","P M da Silva Alves MA","Rosado AS","Konhauser K","Rodrigues-Filho E","Yeşilbaş M"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jan 26","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:41572783","name":"The Microbial Inhabitants of the Corona Lava Tube: Astrobiological Insights from a Mars Analog Environment.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Lava tubes are recognized as strategic targets in the search for life on Mars. The Corona Lava Tube System in Lanzarote serves as a terrestrial analog for martian subsurface environments and an astronaut training site for the European Space Agency's (ESA) Planetary Analogue Geological and Astrobiological Exercise for Astronauts (PANGAEA) program. Here, we report the scientific outcomes of ESA's PANGAEA-X campaign, which combined in situ and laboratory-based analyses to investigate the biosignature potential of a black, sticky, organic-rich coating (CLT1), and white cotton-like mineral deposits (CLT3). The microbial diversity captured in real time using the MinION Nanopore device was validated and expanded through Illumina MiSeq and complementary laboratory techniques that included microscopy, mineralogy (X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray fluorescence), and organic geochemistry (gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, 13 C NMR spectroscopy, thermogravimetry). Sample CLT1, enriched in organic matter derived from Euphorbia balsamifera milky juice fluid (latex) seepage, hosted halotolerant bacterial genera such as Salinisphaera and hydrocarbon-degrading Alcanivorax , supported by the presence of lipid biomarkers such as squalene, alkyl nitriles, and triterpenoids. CLT3, composed predominantly of gypsum with minor halite, exhibited scarce organic content but revealed acidophilic taxa such as Alicyclobacillus . This study demonstrates the effectiveness of integrating astronaut-led on-site DNA sequencing and geochemical fingerprinting, and traditional laboratory methods for astrobiological exploration. Our findings offer key insights into the microbial colonization, organic matter transformation, and biosignature preservation within lava tubes, with direct implications for future life detection missions on Mars and other planetary bodies. Key Words: Volcanic caves-Biosignatures-Organic matter-Geomicrobiology-Planetary exploration. Astrobiology 26, 30-47.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41572783/","authors":["Miller AZ","González-Pimentel JL","De la Rosa JM","Gutierrez-Patricio S","Jiménez-Morillo NT","Maurer M","Stahl-Rommel S","Castro-Wallace SL","Bessone L","Martínez-Frías J","Massironi M","Sauro F"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jan","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:41572780","name":"Stromatolites from Lake Ashenge, Ethiopia: Controls on Biosignature Preservation in Extreme Alkaline Environments.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"A closed-basin alkaline lake on the basaltic plateau of Tigray, Ethiopia, Lake Ashenge hosts living and fossil stromatolites composed primarily of magnesium-bearing calcite. In the present study, the morphogenetic and preservational processes that underlie stromatolite formation in such extreme environments were investigated, with implications for biosignature preservation. Using a combination of petrographic, spectroscopic, and microscopic techniques, we identified fossilized biomass, including microbial mat remnants, filamentous cyanobacteria, microfossil-like structures, and amorphous organic matter. Micritic and microsparitic Mg-calcite layers were found to preserve abundant sheaths, cyanobacterial filaments, and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which suggest a high fossilization potential. EPS-rich sheaths frequently contained stevensite (a Mg-silicate), which contributed to mold preservation. Subaqueous precipitation of Mg-calcite in the presence of organic biomass enhanced the entombment of microbial material and facilitated biosignature retention. Organic geochemical analyses revealed algaenan-like aliphatic structures associated with cyanobacterial cell walls, which are known for their resistance to degradation. These findings position Lake Ashenge as a relevant planetary field analog for ancient terrestrial and martian (habitable) lacustrine systems and advance our understanding of microbial fossilization pathways in alkaline settings. Since Mg-bearing phases, particularly Mg-calcite and stevensite, were found to be critical for biosignature preservation, such findings should guide sample collection and geological analyses on Mars, particularly in the framework of the Mars Sample Return mission.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41572780/","authors":["Cardoso Dorneles VA","Hickman-Lewis K","Haileselasie TH","Hagos M","Šket P","Cavalazzi B"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jan","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:41572779","name":"Biotic and Abiotic Signatures in Sulfate- and Carbonate-Rich Hypersaline Lakes as Analogs for Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Lacustrine sulfate- and carbonate-rich deposits have been detected at Jezero and Gale craters on Mars. The preservation of potential biosignatures in these sites may depend on the nature of precipitated salts and the early diagenetic history of in situ minerals. In this study, we explore a collection of Mars analog hypersaline depositional environments in British Columbia. Magnesium salts and other sulfate and carbonate salts precipitate from the variable water chemistry of Atlin Playa and a suite of lakes on the Cariboo Plateau. Authigenic and detrital grains were distinguished on the basis of their microscale morphology revealed by scanning electron microscopy. Authigenic minerals display distinct textures such as globular or prismatic clumps or delicately preserved cement that envelops angular, detrital grains. However, microscale authigenic textures become rare below the sediment-water interface due to early diagenetic dissolution and reprecipitation of salts during wet-dry cycles in the lakes. Such early diagenetic overprinting of salts could pose problems for identifying primary environments and any potential biosignatures they might have preserved in 3-4 billion-year-old rocks on Mars. The &#x3b4; 13 C of organic matter and &#x3b4; 34 S of sulfate salts are reflective of source materials instead of diagenesis. Total organic carbon content is a function of the abundance of salt minerals, with a well-defined maximum in organic carbon content at an optimum salt content. Our findings demonstrate hypersaline lakes as key preservers of organic carbon and salts as a high-priority mineral target for finding organic carbon on Mars.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41572779/","authors":["Kalucha H","Johnson BW","Ingalls M","Asimow PD","Leapaldt HC","Olsen E","Mullahoo J","Fischer WW"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jan","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:41415967","name":"Nitrogen- and oxygen-rich organic material indicative of polymerization in pre-aqueous cryochemistry on Bennu's parent body.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Nitrogen-containing organic compounds play key biological roles, and their identification in primitive astromaterials such as meteorites can shed light on the origin of life. However, meteorites are typically contaminated by uncontrolled exposure to Earth. Here we show that pristine samples returned from asteroid Bennu contain polymeric organics exceptionally rich in nitrogen and oxygen. These polymers contain a variety of functional groups including amines, amides, N-heterocycles, and aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, among others. They are seen in a carbonaceous vein with mineral inclusions and in multilayered organic sheets. Their morphology and composition indicate formation from pre-aqueous N-rich precursors and later modification during aqueous alteration. These findings demonstrate that asteroids like Bennu contain complex nitrogen-rich organic phases formed by pre-aqueous and aqueous processes, and they expand the known inventory of potential prebiotic extraterrestrial compounds.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41415967/","authors":["Sandford SA","Gainsforth Z","Nuevo M","Marcus MA","Bechtel HA","Ogliore RC","Jones C","Dominguez G","Glavin DP","Dworkin JP","McCoy TJ","Russell SS","Zega TJ","Connolly HC Jr","Lauretta DS"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:41248278","name":"Organic geochemical evidence for life in Archean rocks identified by pyrolysis-GC-MS and supervised machine learning.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Throughout Earth's history, organic molecules from both abiogenic and biogenic sources have been buried in sedimentary rocks. Most of these organic molecules have been significantly altered by geologic processes through deep time. Nonetheless, the nature and distribution of those ancient fragmentary organic remains have the potential to reveal diagnostic biomolecular information after billions of years of burial. Here, we analyzed 406 fossil, modern biological, meteoritic, and synthetic samples using pyrolysis gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. We explored these analytical data via supervised machine-learning methods to discriminate samples of biogenic vs. abiogenic origin, plant vs. animal phylogenetic affinity, and photosynthetic vs. nonphotosynthetic physiology. Dividing 272 samples with known phylogenetic affinity and physiology into 9 categories, each further divided into 75% training and 25% testing sets, our random forest models accurately predict pairwise assignments of modern vs. fossil or meteoritic organics (100% correct assignments), fossil plant tissues vs. meteoritic organics (97%), modern vs. fossil plant tissues (98%), and modern plants vs. animal tissues (95%). Pairwise comparisons between fossil biogenic samples vs. abiogenic samples resulted in 93% correct classifications, while analysis of modern and ancient photosynthetic vs. nonphotosynthetic samples also resulted in 93% correct assignments. Our analyses demonstrate that molecular biosignatures can survive in ancient fossils and allow for the identification of organismal origins and traits. Consistent with previous morphological and isotopic inferences, we present evidence for biogenic molecular assemblages in Paleoarchean rocks (3.33 Ga) and for photoautotrophy in Neoarchean rocks (2.52 Ga).","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41248278/","authors":["Wong ML","Prabhu A","Alexander CO","Cleaves HJ 2nd","Cody GD","Hystad G","Bermanec M","Bleeker W","Boyce CK","Corpolongo A","Czaja AD","Das S","Gaines RR","Gregory DD","Jaszczak JA","Javaux EJ","Jodder J","Knoll AH","Van Kranendonk M","Maloney KM","Noffke N","Rainbird R","Slaughter E","Stüeken EE","Summons RE","Westall F","Wiemann J","Xiao S","Hazen RM"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025 Nov 25","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:41245528","name":"Magmatic and thermally produced reactive phosphorus 3.2 billion years ago and its implications for early life.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Reduced and polymerized phosphorus species may have been crucial for the origin and early evolution of life, as they are more reactive and soluble than phosphate. Thermal processes could have produced these phosphorus species; however, the underlying mechanism is poorly constrained, and geological evidence of polymerized species in the Precambrian is so far absent. Here, we investigated contact-metamorphic rocks from the ca. 3.22 Ga Moodies Group (South Africa), where mafic dikes intruded into shallow-marine sediments. We provide evidence of magmatic phosphite (up to 2.85 ppm) and metamorphic polyphosphate (up to 39.3 ppm). Additional laboratory experiments suggest that carbon can facilitate the thermal production of polyphosphates and reduced phosphorus species, including phosphide, from less reactive minerals such as apatite and vivianite. We conclude that magmatic and thermal-metamorphic rocks could have provided soluble and reactive phosphorus species crucial for the origin and early evolution of life.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41245528/","authors":["Baidya AS","Gehringer MM","Savaniu C","Heubeck C","Stüeken EE"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:41229692","name":"Subzero cell division, respiration, and genomic traits of cryophilic Arthrobacter agilis Ant-EH-1 isolated from cold-arid Antarctic mineral soils.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Arthrobacter are commonly isolated from cold soil environments globally, including those that regularly reach sub-freezing temperatures, suggesting that Arthrobacter have significant potential for growth and activity under temperature and stress extremes. Arthrobacter agilis strain Ant-EH-1 was isolated from nutrient-poor, cold-arid mineral soils from Elephant Head, Antarctica and its growth and activity at sub-freezing temperatures were characterized in this study. We observed different optimal temperatures for cell division compared with aerobic heterotrophic respiration in A. agilis Ant-EH-1. Cell division was observed from at least -5&#x202f;&#xb0;C to 30&#x202f;&#xb0;C, with the optimal (fastest) growth rate occurring at 25&#x202f;&#xb0;C. Microbial respiration was measured from -5&#x202f;&#xb0;C to 30&#x202f;&#xb0;C with optimal (maximum CO 2 produced) respiration occurring at 5&#x202f;&#xb0;C. Cold temperature optima of respiration compared with cell division could be indicative of adaptation to the cold and oligotrophic conditions of Elephant Head, where increased cell division under in situ conditions could lead to competition within the nutrient-poor soil matrix. The genome of A. agilis Ant-EH-1 was consistent with observations of cold-adapted activity and included genes related to cold stress, osmotic and oxidative stress, pigment biosynthesis, and potential scavenging of components from necromass. Microscopy revealed morphological differences in this isolate at sub-freezing temperatures, likely due to membrane or lipid modifications. Currently there are a limited number of organisms in culture that are capable of sub-zero growth, so characterisation of the growth and activity of subfreezing adapted microbiota is critical for understanding the ecology of Earth's cryosphere, has broad biotechnological potential, and can also give insight into the limits for life on our planet or the potential for life on other cold planetary bodies.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41229692/","authors":["Wood C","Magnuson E","Harrop E","Trembath-Reichert E","Wilhelm MB","Goordial J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:41196653","name":"Kerogen Detection in Neoarchean and Eocene Microbialites via Deep UV Raman and Fluorescence Spectroscopy Using a Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals Analog Instrument.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"To date, the Mars 2020 mission's deep-UV Raman and fluorescence instrument (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals [SHERLOC]) has reported potential Raman detections of macromolecular carbon in data collected on the floor of Jezero crater and in Neretva Vallis, a valley incised through the Jezero crater rim and Margin Unit. The crater floor detection is associated with a collocated fluorescence signal that has been interpreted to indicate the presence of small aromatic molecules and/or cerium-bearing phosphates. Previous work has demonstrated that the potential macromolecular carbon detection is similar to data collected from abiotic macromolecular carbon in a martian meteorite. The work described here was performed to support the interpretation of this and any future possible SHERLOC macromolecular carbon detections by comparing the possible G-band to biologically produced macromolecular carbon (kerogen). We report the results of collocated, in situ deep UV Raman and fluorescence measurements of kerogen preserved within Neoarchean and Eocene carbonate microbialites collected with a SHERLOC analog instrument. Our results support the conclusion that SHERLOC has detected macromolecular carbon in Jezero crater that may be of an abiotic or biological origin and suggest that a carbonate mineral may be the source of the collocated fluorescence signal. These findings reinforce the possibility that samples collected during the Mars 2020 mission may hold compelling evidence of ancient microbial life on Mars and the importance of delivering the samples to Earth for laboratory analysis to determine whether the material is biological in origin.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41196653/","authors":["Corpolongo A","Czaja AD","Jakubek RS","Fries MD","George AM"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025 Nov","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:41196641","name":"Geochemical Mobility of Elements in Antarctic Environments Affected by CO(2)-Rich Hydrothermal Fluids: Astrobiological Implications.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Hydrothermal systems are widespread in our solar system. Identification of alteration mineral assemblages on Mars and potentially in ocean worlds such as Enceladus suggests the existence of extensive hydrothermal fluid-igneous rock interactions of astrobiological interest in different planetary bodies. Here, we studied the terrestrial analog Cerro Caliente, a band of geothermal alterations located in the glaciovolcanic environment of Deception Island (Antarctica), with the aim of determining the mobility of major chemical elements (e.g., alkalis, phosphorus) and its implications in the habitability potential of such environments. We verified that the rock texture, particularly rich in volcanic glass, plays a major role in geochemical mobility, with permafrost delimiting the impact of hydrothermal activity by reducing the permeability of the lapilli tuff deposit. We studied the mineralogy and geochemistry of the alteration band by comparing borehole samples in different locations that represent different thermal regimes along the hydrothermal alteration band. The alteration products are characteristic of palagonitization processes, which favor the release of elements useful for life, such as phosphorus, although the basic alkalinity of the medium caused its precipitation in the form of tricalcium phosphate. In addition, lipid biomarker analyses were performed to assess the existence of possible potential ecological niches associated with these environments. On Mars, the circulation of low-temperature CO 2 -rich hydrothermal fluids through glass-bearing volcanic rocks results in a loss of silica content and a secondary mineral assemblage composed of palagonite, phyllosilicates, and zeolites, which establishes Cerro Caliente as a valid Mars analog for understanding such environments. In addition, our results support the hypothesis of a hydrothermal origin of phosphorous for the formation of Enceladus' phosphates recently detected in the plumes. We also determined that a fraction of the calcium in Cerro Caliente was sequestered as carbonates of biogenic origin, which produced a distinctive Raman signal that, together with the lipid content, would make it a relevant potential biosignature if similar findings were made in the search for life in such low-temperature hydrothermal environments. Key Words: Hydrothermal systems-Palagonitization-Phosphates-Lipid biomarkers-Mars-Ocean worlds. Astrobiology 25, 777-792.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41196641/","authors":["de Dios-Cubillas A","Prieto-Ballesteros O","Carrizo D","López I","Geyer A","Parro V"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025 Nov","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:41196023","name":"Evaporitic Preservation of Modern Carotenoid Biomarkers and Halophilic Microorganisms in Mars Analog Hypersaline Environments.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Our investigation in Mars-relevant terrestrial environments where biological material is entombed within rapidly precipitated evaporite crystals has given us the ability to evaluate the preservation potential of a hypersaline brine system in advance of interrogating similar environments on Mars. These evaporite minerals, halite (NaCl) and gypsum (CaSO 4 ), have been found to host authigenic fluid inclusions over geologic time, with cellular life and carotenoid pigments that are understudied in the planetary context. Great Salt Lake provides an excellent site to test the ability to detect organic matter in Mars-relevant evaporite crystals. DNA was extracted to determine which microbial clades were present and assess the attenuation of DNA preservation from the host fluid of the lake to the mineral. Raman spectroscopy was used to investigate the presence of pigments that have longer preservation potential than DNA. Compared with the water column, evaporite minerals preserve higher volumes of DNA and associated biochemistry, whereas entombed fluid inclusions preserve even higher magnitudes of both biomarkers. This indicates organic addition and continued preservation as the crystals precipitate from the fluid, which was later confirmed as micrometer-scale environments continued to maintain the ecology within closed-system fluid inclusions. Raman analyses of halite revealed the presence of &#x3b2;-carotene and bacterioruberin, consistent with the presence of carotenoid-generating bacteria and archaea in this hypersaline environment, which are characterized by pink coloration. The continued preservation of these chemical biomarkers over time has led to the formation of physical biosignatures within the evaporite record. Given that these same minerals are present in ancient fluvial sites across Mars, halite and gypsum are ideal candidates for future in situ observation and should be considered high priority for sample return missions.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41196023/","authors":["Perl SM","Baxter BK","Celestian AJ","Tasoff P","Seuylemezian A","Vaishampayan PA","Corsetti FA"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025 Nov","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:41168460","name":"Reduction of NAD and NMN on mineral surfaces with H(2) reveals a functional role for the AMP moiety in a prebiotic context.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Many cofactors share a molecular structure - adenosine monophosphate (AMP) - that otherwise occurs in nucleic acids. The presence of AMP in cofactors has presented an evolutionary puzzle. Is it a biochemical 'handle' that allows proteins to bind the cofactor more tightly, or a relic from a prebiotic time when cofactors arose? Using the example of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), we find a previously unknown property of its AMP handle. Experiments with hydrogen gas on mineral surfaces show that the handle-free nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) overreduces quickly, while NAD gets reduced specifically. The handle allows NAD to function in a hydrothermal, mineral-based setting, indicating that it is a form of protection against a harsh environment. Our findings uncover a specific functional role for the AMP moiety of NAD under environmental conditions capable of non-enzymatic NAD reduction, thereby identifying a structural element of a redox cofactor that is older than the enzymes using it.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41168460/","authors":["Henriques Pereira DP","Xie X","Stewart SV","Subrati Z","Beyazay T","Paczia N","Belz J","Volz K","Erastova V","Tüysüz H","Preiner M"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025 Oct 30","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:41071654","name":"Metabolic controls on the carbon isotope fractionations of bacterial fermentation.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Microbial fermentation facilitates the initial breakdown of organic matter into small molecules and is thought to be the rate-limiting step of anoxic organic mineralization. However, fermentation is understudied in modern and ancient biogeochemistry due to a lack of environmental biomarkers. It has long been assumed that fermentation, like respiration, does not express significant carbon isotope fractionations, precluding isotopic signals as a means of studying it in nature. Here, we tested this idea by growing pure cultures of four fermenting bacteria on glucose and measuring the carbon isotope compositions of the organic acids and alcohols produced. We found that fermentation exhibits a strong carbon isotope fractionation, ranging from [Formula: see text]6&#x2030; to [Formula: see text]16&#x2030;, depending on the fermentation product. With bioisotopic models that track site-specific isotope enrichments through metabolism, we constrained the enzymes responsible for these fractionations. Our models reproduced in vivo organic acid [Formula: see text] values in all four organisms. These findings demonstrate that acetate 13 C-enrichment is likely a widespread signature of fermentation. They also challenge traditional notions of controls on the isotope composition of lipids. Finally, our study suggests that fermentation imposes a trophic carbon isotope fractionation as organic carbon is passed from fermenters to secondary degraders like sulfate reducers. Looking to the geologic past, this trophic fractionation could have imprinted isotopic signals on the three billion year record of sedimentary organic carbon, specifically the inverse [Formula: see text] pattern of Precambrian acyclic isoprenoid and n-alkane biomarkers. Pervasive evidence of fermentation in the rock record would suggest its underappreciated role in biogeochemical cycles throughout Earth history.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41071654/","authors":["Mueller EP","Heuer VB","Leadbetter JR","Hinrichs KU","Sessions AL"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025 Oct 14","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:40931152","name":"Redox-driven mineral and organic associations in Jezero Crater, Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The Perseverance rover has explored and sampled igneous and sedimentary rocks within Jezero Crater to characterize early Martian geological processes and habitability and search for potential biosignatures 1-7 . Upon entering Neretva Vallis, on Jezero Crater's western edge 8 , Perseverance investigated distinctive mudstone and conglomerate outcrops of the Bright Angel formation. Here we report a detailed geological, petrographic and geochemical survey of these rocks and show that organic-carbon-bearing mudstones in the Bright Angel formation contain submillimetre-scale nodules and millimetre-scale reaction fronts enriched in ferrous iron phosphate and sulfide minerals, likely vivianite and greigite, respectively. This organic carbon appears to have participated in post-depositional redox reactions that produced the observed iron-phosphate and iron-sulfide minerals. Geological context and petrography indicate that these reactions occurred at low temperatures. Within this context, we review the various pathways by which redox reactions that involve organic matter can produce the observed suite of iron-, sulfur- and phosphorus-bearing minerals in laboratory and natural environments on Earth. Ultimately, we conclude that analysis of the core sample collected from this unit using high-sensitivity instrumentation on Earth will enable the measurements required to determine the origin of the minerals, organics and textures it contains.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40931152/","authors":["Hurowitz JA","Tice MM","Allwood AC","Cable ML","Hand KP","Murphy AE","Uckert K","Bell JF 3rd","Bosak T","Broz AP","Clavé E","Cousin A","Davidoff S","Dehouck E","Farley KA","Gupta S","Hamran SE","Hickman-Lewis K","Johnson JR","Jones AJ","Jones MWM","Jørgensen PS","Kah LC","Kalucha H","Kizovski TV","Klevang DA","Liu Y","McCubbin FM","Moreland EL","Paar G","Paige DA","Pascuzzo AC","Rice MS","Schmidt ME","Siebach KL","Siljeström S","Simon JI","Stack KM","Steele A","Tosca NJ","Treiman AH","VanBommel SJ","Wade LA","Weiss BP","Wiens RC","Williford KH","Barnes R","Barr PA","Bechtold A","Beck P","Benzerara K","Bernard S","Beyssac O","Bhartia R","Brown AJ","Caravaca G","Cardarelli EL","Cloutis EA","Fairén AG","Flannery DT","Fornaro T","Fouchet T","Garczynski B","Goméz F","Hausrath EM","Heirwegh CM","Herd CDK","Huggett JE","Jørgensen JL","Lee SW","Li AY","Maki JN","Mandon L","Mangold N","Manrique JA","Martínez-Frías J","Núñez JI","O'Neil LP","Orenstein BJ","Phelan N","Quantin-Nataf C","Russell P","Schulte MD","Scheller E","Sharma S","Shuster DL","Srivastava A","Wogsland BV","Wolf ZU"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025 Sep","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:40892913","name":"Subaerial oxidative uranium mobilization at the culmination of the Great Oxidation Event.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Redox-sensitive elements figure prominently in studies of the evolution of Earth's surface redox state, including the first major rise in atmospheric O 2 , the Paleoproterozoic Great Oxidation Event. Most Precambrian rocks endured multistage tectonothermal histories, however, adding ambiguity to interpretation of their chemistry. Here, we apply U-Th-Pb isotope geochronology to the highly oxidized ~2.06 Ga Kuetsj&#xe4;rvi Volcanic Formation, Pechenga Greenstone Belt, Russia, to constrain the age and extent of U oxidation. By contrasting the relative mobility of U and Th using Pb isotopes, we find that complete to near-complete oxidation and removal of U occurred shortly after eruption. We argue that this likely indicates relatively high atmospheric O 2 , where oxidative weathering and alteration produced a global pulse of U to the oceans. Such a pulse could explain widespread shifts in the U-Th-Pb isotope character of mantle reservoirs at ~2 Ga, including a decrease in the 232 Th/ 238 U ratio of the mid-ocean ridge basalt source and inception of the high- 238 U/ 204 Pb (HIMU) source to ocean island basalts, underscoring the connections between the redox character of the Paleoproterozoic surface and deep Earth. Using 207 Pb- 206 Pb, 238 U- 206 Pb, 235 U- 207 Pb, and 232 Th- 208 Pb geochronology, ~2.06 Ga oxidative loss of U may be distinguished from reintroduction of U at ~1.8 Ga during regional metamorphism, as well as Pb loss during a Phanerozoic tectonothermal event. Our results therefore establish the complex history of redox-sensitive element behavior in the rocks, highlighting the fact that elemental abundances, by themselves, are unlikely to capture straightforward proxy information in rocks that have seen multistage geologic histories.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40892913/","authors":["Bauer AM","Li W","Rybacki KS","Roden EE","Kump LR","Johnson CM"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025 Sep 9","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:40854138","name":"Mid-Devonian ocean oxygenation enabled the expansion of animals into deeper-water habitats.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The oxygenation history of Earth's surface environments has had a profound influence on the ecology and evolution of metazoan life. It was traditionally thought that the Neoproterozoic Oxygenation Event enabled the origin of animals in marine environments, followed by their persistence in aerobic marine habitats ever since. However, recent studies of redox proxies (e.g., Fe, Mo, Ce, I) have suggested that low dissolved oxygen levels persisted in the deep ocean until the Late Devonian, when the first heavily wooded ligniophyte forests raised atmospheric O 2 to modern levels. Here, we present a Paleozoic redox proxy record based on selenium enrichments and isotope ratios in fine-grained siliciclastic sediments. Our data reveal transient oxygenation of bottom waters around the Ediacaran-Cambrian boundary, followed by predominantly anoxic deep-water conditions through the Early Devonian (419 to 393 Ma). In the Middle Devonian (393 to 382 Ma), our data document the onset of permanent deep-ocean oxygenation, coincident with the spread of woody biomass across terrestrial landscapes. This episode is concurrent with the ecological occupation and evolutionary radiation of large active invertebrate and vertebrate organisms in deeper oceanic infaunal and epifaunal habitats, suggesting that the burial of recalcitrant wood from the first forests sequestered organic carbon, increased deep marine oxygen levels, and was ultimately responsible for the \"mid-Paleozoic marine revolution.\"","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40854138/","authors":["Bubphamanee K","Kipp MA","Meixnerová J","Stüeken EE","Ivany LC","Bartholomew AJ","Algeo TJ","Brocks JJ","Dahl TW","Kinsley J","Tissot FLH","Buick R"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025 Sep 2","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:40824769","name":"The Existing Frameworks of Delivery of Major Volatiles and the Feasibility of Mars-Mass Planetary Embryos as the Major Volatile Contributors to Bulk Silicate Earth.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The presence of major volatile elements-carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and sulfur-on Earth is critical for establishing life. The origin of these life-essential volatile elements (LEVEs) on Earth has been studied for many years. Here, we present a brief compilation of the prevailing ideas regarding volatile delivery to Earth and evaluate their origins, strengths, and weaknesses. Motivated by the fact that one model of LEVE delivery is via a giant impactor to Earth, we subsequently present a geochemical model aimed at understanding the possible volatile inventory and fractionation between the core, the silicate magma ocean (MO), and the atmosphere of a Mars-mass embryo. We looked at various end-member accretion scenarios of the embryo and their influence on the embryo's LEVE budget and the LEVE ratios. We varied various chemical (initial concentration of volatiles in the undifferentiated bodies and the oxygen fugacity [ f O 2 ] of geochemical fractionation) and physical parameters (silicate-mass fraction of the accreting bodies, MO depth) to observe their effects on the absolute and relative LEVE budgets of the embryo. Our results show that an oxidizing condition (log f &#x2009;O 2 &#x2265; IW-1 [Iron-W&#xfc;stite]) is critical in establishing the relative LEVE budget of the embryo's MO, closer to that of present-day bulk silicate Earth. Furthermore, the accretion of larger bodies to form the Mars-mass embryo results in the closest match of the LEVE ratios to that of the present-day bulk silicate Earth (BSE). However, the absolute LEVE budget of the MO of Mars-mass embryo is depleted by at least 1-2 orders of magnitude compared with the BSE under all model calculation scenarios. In contrast, the CI-chondrite-normalized LEVE budget of the embryos's core, in many of the scenarios, especially from the reduced ( e.g., IW-2) bodies, overlaps or exceeds the present-day BSE estimate. We argue that for a Mars-mass, differentiated embryo, the cores provide a better prospect for LEVE delivery to proto-Earth, through core breakups and subsequent mixing in the MO or solid mantle. Future studies need to better assess whether the fractional retention of core materials in the silicate reservoir can match the present-day BSE LEVE budgets and how such a process compares with the LEVE delivery via less-processed primitive asteroids.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40824769/","authors":["Pathak D","Dasgupta R"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026 Jul-Aug","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:40801125","name":"Mellitic Acid as a Stable Abiotic Precursor for Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation: An RNA-Independent Pathway for Prebiotic Compartmentalization.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Apart from playing the well-recognized roles in the self-assembly of intracellular machinery liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) constitutes a hypothetical, yet compelling scenario for prebiotic compartmentalization. One challenge facing this idea is the absence (or scarcity) of typical biopolymer precursors of liquid droplets, such as RNA, on early Earth. We demonstrate that mellitic acid (MAc), an abiotic component found in certain minerals and a marker of organic matter in astrobiology, forms liquid droplets with poly-L-lysine (PLL) across a broad pH range and various mixing ratios. The chain-length threshold of PLL capable of forming droplets with MAc ((L-Lys) 6 ) is significantly lower than when ATP, the primary intracellular energy currency, is used to induce LLPS in PLL. MAc-PLL droplets are highly dynamic systems that respond reversibly to added ATP through an efficient mixing and demixing behavior. The observed effects of pH, ionic strength, temperature, and pressure, as well as isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) data, are all consistent with coulombic interactions being the key contributor to maintaining the droplet state in the MAc-PLL system. We propose that the capacity to induce LLPS with short oligocations, along with abiotic synthesis routes, positions mellitic acid as a viable candidate for an ingredient of early prebiotic membraneless protocells.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40801125/","authors":["Dec R","Jaworek MW","Wacławska M","Dzwolak W","Winter R"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025 Sep 16","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:40767644","name":"Stable Isotope Abundance Patterns as Potential Biosignatures.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The abundance and distribution of stable isotopes of an element in a substance can provide insights regarding the source, synthesis, and environmental history of that substance. Because isotopic discrimination during chemical reactions can be unique to specific chemical pathways or environmental conditions, isotopic patterns within a substance or between related substances may provide insights into their formation. Biosynthetic pathways can create isotopic patterns that differ from patterns that arise from abiotic processes, but this is not universally true. Isotope patterns are signatures of chemical reactions, so they require additional context to be used as biosignatures. The framework of the Life Detection Knowledge Base discussed herein is used to convey arguments that support or challenge the utility of isotopic patterns for life detection. Examples of carbon and sulfur isotopic patterns in organic materials and minerals are presented to indicate how the life detection criteria \"prevalence\" and \"signal strength\" can be applied. In future work, more abiotic processes that might create false-positive life detection claims must be characterized. A broader range of microbial communities, taxa, and biomolecules should be explored for isotopic patterns. Additional elements also warrant investigation as potential isotopic biosignatures and environmental indicators. Studies of sedimentary macromolecular organic matter should be expanded further to provide deeper insights into isotopic abundance patterns.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40767644/","authors":["Des Marais DJ","Caro T","Dhingra R","Fox AC","Galloway T","Mackey TJ","Osterhout J","Pasterski MJ","Theiling BP"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025 Aug","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:40767070","name":"Mineral Microbiomes Entombed in Great Salt Lake Gypsum: Considerations for Martian Evaporites.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Modern Great Salt Lake, UT, United States, is what remains after the extensive evaporation of Pleistocene Lake Bonneville, which makes this site an appropriate analog to ancient martian lacustrine systems. Today, evaporite minerals surround the lake, including recently precipitated displacive gypsum selenite crystals. Our hypothesis was that hydrated clay solid inclusions within the gypsum would support microbial life with water and nutrients, while the mineral encasement would provide protection from ultraviolet light and temperature fluctuations. Our data demonstrate a complex microbial community that thrives in the clay-rich inclusions within the gypsum crystals. This mineral microbiome includes archaea and fungi, but most notably an immense number of bacterial species from the phyla Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria. Evidence of primary producers (cyanobacteria and microalgae) that have the capacity for diverse metabolisms suggests the possibility of an entombed ecosystem with trophic levels, energy currencies, and connected metabolisms. X-ray diffraction analyses of the sediment in which the gypsum formed show the clay fraction mostly comprises discrete and randomly interstratified illite and smectite, along with lesser amounts of kaolinite and chlorite. The methods developed here for modern gypsum can be extended to studies of ancient minerals on Earth as well as hydrated sulfate minerals on Mars.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40767070/","authors":["Martinez-Koury P","Baxter J","Keller DM","Jagniecki EA","Farrer SB","Adams BJ","Baxter BK"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025 Aug","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:40764507","name":"Characterization of ferric hydroxysulfate on Mars and implications of the geochemical environment supporting its formation.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Sulfate minerals are significant components of the martian surface and provide clues about the martian geochemical environment. One unusual Fe-sulfate phase has been intriguing Mars scientists for over a decade due to its unique spectral bands that are distinct from any known minerals and its occurrence in layered sedimentary rocks. We describe here detection of ferric hydroxysulfate (Fe 3+ SO 4 OH) and its implications for the geochemical history of Mars. Crystalline ferric hydroxysulfate is formed by heating hydrous Fe 2+ sulfates to 100&#x2009;&#xb0;C or above and has a strong spectral band at 2.236&#x2009;&#xb5;m, similar to the spectral feature observed on Mars at Aram Chaos and on the plateau above Juventae Chasma. Hydrated sulfates at these locations likely formed through evaporative processes or low-temperature alteration. In contrast, Fe 3+ SO 4 OH is more consistent with heating and oxidation of hydrated ferrous sulfates, potentially through deposition of lava, ash, or through hydrothermal processes.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40764507/","authors":["Bishop JL","Meusburger JM","Weitz CM","Parente M","Gross C","Talla D","Saranathan AM","Itoh Y","Gruendler MRD","Howells AEG","Yeşilbaş M","Hiroi T","Schmitt B","Maturilli A","Al-Samir M","Bristow TF","Lafuente B","Wildner M"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025 Aug 5","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:40720449","name":"Crystal Habits as Potential Biosignatures.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Our understanding of crystalline structures within terrestrial planetary analog environments can shed light on how these features can be interpreted on rocky planets and icy moons in our solar system. The ability to distinguish biogenic and abiotic components within the mineral, crystal, and structural features allows us to inform future life detection missions, science payloads, and instrument measurement resolutions. Moreover, having these terrestrial reference measurements in a review format allows the measurement rationale to be understood in the context of mission concepts and geomicrobiological assessment of life in extreme environments. From 2020 to 2022, this team contributed to NASA's Center for Life Detection, Life Detection Knowledge Base, where structural features in crystalline and crystal-centric sample analyses were reviewed and assessed for biogenic preservation potential. This article highlights the scientific rationale and astrobiological sample assessment of evaluation for crystal habits as a possible biosignature. This is to illustrate true and false positives of the standards of evidence for minerals and their associated crystal habits. Moreover, we illustrate how these efforts contribute to the overall assessment of this type of morphological evidence in extant and extinct life detection campaigns.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40720449/","authors":["Perl SM","Murphy AE","Govinda Raj C","Santos SC","Glamoclija M","Des Marais D","Hoehler T","Shkolyar S","Cady SL","Blank J","Davila A","Cortez P","Burgess A","Lima-Zaloumis J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025 Aug","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:40637444","name":"Multi-technique characterization of iron reduction by an Antarctic Shewanella: an analog system for putative Martian biosignature identification.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Microbes from terrestrial extreme environments enable testing of biosignature production in conditions relevant to astrobiological targets. Mars, which was likely more conducive to life during early warmer and wetter epochs, has inspired missions that search for signs of early life in the surficial rock record, including mineral or organic biosignatures. Microbial iron reduction is a common and ancient metabolism that may have also operated on other rocky celestial bodies. To investigate biosignature production during iron reduction, a Shewanella sp. (strain BF02_Schw) isolated from a subglacial discharge known as Blood Falls, Antarctica, was incubated with the electron acceptor ferrihydrite (Fh). Biosignatures associated with Fh reduction were identified using a suite of techniques currently utilized or proposed for Mars missions, including X-ray diffraction and infrared, M&#xf6;ssbauer, and Raman spectroscopy. The biotic origin of features was validated by transcriptional changes observed between treatments with and without Fh and comparison to killed controls. In live treatments, Fh was reduced to magnetite and goethite, both detected in Martian lacustrine basins. Several soluble and volatile metabolites were also detected, including riboflavin and dimethyl sulfide (DMS), which could be astrobiological indicators of active microbial processes. While none of the identified biosignatures individually would serve as definitive proof of life (past or present), detecting concomitant features associated with known terrestrial biotic processes would provide compelling rationale for more targeted life detection missions. Terrestrial extremophiles can support the exploration of astrobiologically relevant microbial processes, validation of life detection instrumentation, and potentially the discovery of new biomarkers.IMPORTANCECulture-based experiments with terrestrial extremophiles can elucidate biosignatures that may be analogous to those produced under extraterrestrial conditions, and thus inform sampling and technology strategies for future missions. Here, we demonstrate the production of several biosignatures under iron-reducing conditions by Shewanella sp. BF02_Schw, originally isolated from an Antarctic analog feature. These biosignatures could be detectable using flight-ready instrumentation. Growth experiments with terrestrial extremophiles can identify biosignatures measurable by current methodologies and inform the development and optimization of techniques for detecting extant or extinct life on other worlds.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40637444/","authors":["Shaffer JMC","Sklute EC","Samples RM","Giddings L-A","Jarratt A","Mateos K","Dyar MD","Lee PA","Livi KJT","Mikucki JA"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025 Aug 20","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:40626858","name":"Structural Biosignatures-A Category of Potential Biosignatures in the Life Detection Knowledge Base.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The Life Detection Knowledge Base (LDKB) is part of the Life Detection Forum suite of web tools developed for life detection mission planners. This article details the development of one of its categories of biosignatures, the Structure category. The Structure category includes physical attributes of objects and their spatial relationships (e.g., orientation). Initial population of the LDKB Structure category performed during a Content Development Group (CDG) phase resulted in the selection of six high-priority biosignature themes for content development: crystal habits, microtunnels, Mesa Depression Relief structures (a sedimentary surface morphology), laminations, spheroids, and filaments. In populating content, it was concluded that environmental considerations are crucial to recognize structural biosignatures remotely for planetary exploration when not known a priori . CDG activity also revealed knowledge and technology gaps in identifying structural biosignatures. This included gaps in research on biological prevalence of structural features due to a lack of research on these topics and a gap in technologies for in situ surface imaging of potential structural biosignatures. In addition, the implementation of two functionalities in the tool (i.e., linking multiple lines of evidence within entries and including images to represent physical biosignature attributes) resulted directly from CDG activity. These improvements enhance the LDKB's ability to serve as a comprehensive repository for data on true biosignatures and their abiotic counterparts.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40626858/","authors":["Shkolyar S","Bebout L","Blank JG","Cady SL","Cavalazzi B","Corbin E","Davila AF","Des Marais D","Fisk M","Hickman-Lewis K","Lima-Zaloumis J","McLoughlin N","Murphy AE","Noffke N","Perl SM","Pohorille A","Potter-McIntyre SL","Rainwater JH","Westall F"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025 Jul","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:40460360","name":"Microbial diversity of coastal microbial mats formations in karstic habitats from the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"In this study, we report for the first time an exploration of the physicochemical characteristics and the prokaryotic diversity of three different types of microbial mats from karstic habitats located in Sisal, Progreso and R&#xed;a Lagartos, in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Our results showed that lift-off mats were found in the lower salinity (2.2%) area (Sisal), while flat and pustular mats were detected in hypersaline (6-9%) sites (Progreso and R&#xed;a Lagartos). Notably, some of these microbial mat structures were in close proximity to mangrove forest ecosystems with both degraded and restored regimes. XRD analysis revealed different mineral compositions of the mats; however, aragonite, calcite, and halite were commonly found in all samples studied. High-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene identified differences in microbial communities across the different mat types, and statistical analyses revealed that salinity, redox potential, and temperature were significant factors in explaining the variance of the prokaryotic assemblages. Microbial groups identified in this study include those known to be important in the biogeochemical cycling of key elements, such as carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur. Interestingly, the community composition of flat and pustular mats from Progreso was similar, with Bacteroidia, Anaerolineae, and Phycisphaerae being the most abundant microbial groups in flat mats; and Bacteroidia, Anaerolineae, and Alphaproteobacteria dominating pustular mats. By contrast, flat mats from R&#xed;a Lagartos were dominated by Halobacteria, Cyanobacteria and Bacteroidota, while Bacteroidia, Gammaproteobacteria and Cyanobacteria dominated lift-off mats from Sisal. This work contributes to understanding the distribution, physicochemical characteristics and microbial diversity of coastal microbial mats, providing valuable new insights into microbial mats that develop in karstic ecosystems. This information is relevant to ongoing and future efforts to manage and preserve coastal ecosystems in the Yucatan Peninsula.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40460360/","authors":["Cadena S","Teutli-Hernández C","Herrera-Silveira JA","Aguirre-Macedo ML","Falcón LI","Bebout BM","García-Maldonado JQ"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:40245143","name":"Carbonates identified by the Curiosity rover indicate a carbon cycle operated on ancient Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Ancient Mars had surface liquid water and a dense carbon dioxide (CO 2 )-rich atmosphere. Such an atmosphere would interact with crustal rocks, potentially leaving a mineralogical record of its presence. We analyzed the composition of an 89-meter stratigraphic section of Gale crater, Mars, using data collected by the Curiosity rover. An iron carbonate mineral, siderite, occurs in abundances of 4.8 to 10.5 weight %, colocated with highly water-soluble salts. We infer that the siderite formed in water-limited conditions, driven by water-rock reactions and evaporation. Comparison with orbital data indicates that similar strata (deposited globally) sequestered the equivalent of 2.6 to 36 millibar of atmospheric CO 2 . The presence of iron oxyhydroxides in these deposits indicates that a partially closed carbon cycle on ancient Mars returned some previously sequestered CO 2 to the atmosphere.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40245143/","authors":["Tutolo BM","Hausrath EM","Kite ES","Rampe EB","Bristow TF","Downs RT","Treiman A","Peretyazhko TS","Thorpe MT","Grotzinger JP","Roberts AL","Archer PD","Des Marais DJ","Blake DF","Vaniman DT","Morrison SM","Chipera S","Hazen RM","Morris RV","Tu VM","Simpson SL","Pandey A","Yen A","Larter SR","Craig P","Castle N","Ming DW","Meusburger JM","Fraeman AA","Burtt DG","Franz HB","Sutter B","Clark JV","Rapin W","Bridges JC","Loche M","Gasda P","Frydenvang J","Vasavada AR"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025 Apr 18","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:40233168","name":"Raman Spectroscopy as a Tool to Measure Silanol as Evidence of Water-Rock Interactions for Astrobiological Exploration.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Because a range of silica minerals can precipitate from water, the analysis of silica mineral phases is important for astrobiological exploration. In this context, poorly crystalline opaline minerals that contain intracrystalline water are commonly accepted indicators of the presence of water in the geological past. However, opaline minerals are not the only silica phases that are evidence of past interaction with water. Water may become incorporated within crystalline quartz as silanol (Si-OH)-hydroxyl groups present as structural defects within a crystal lattice. Raman spectroscopy is a highly reliable method for detecting mineral composition, and it can also detect silanol. By analyzing Raman spectra from various silica gemstones and rocks, we found that 52 out of 71 quartz samples contain silanol. However, silanol was not universally present across all samples. Microcrystalline quartz and samples in which silica phases had replaced other minerals tended to display the highest levels of silanol, whereas macrocrystalline quartz exhibited the lowest values, as indicated by the Sil prop parameter. In addition, we observed instances where quartz-hosted silanol and carbonaceous materials were codetected, which suggests the potential for Raman to be used to detect both carbonaceous organic matter and water, and therefore potential indications of both life and habitability.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40233168/","authors":["Tsukada Y","Bowden SA"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025 May","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:40227267","name":"Biomarker Preservation in Antarctic Sandstones after Prolonged Space Exposure Outside the International Space Station During the ESA EXPOSE-E Lichens and Fungi Experiment.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"A primary aim of current and future space exploration missions is the detection and identification of chemical and biological indicators of life, namely biomarkers, on Mars. The Mars Sample Return NASA-ESA program will bring to Earth samples of martian soil, acquired from up to 7 cm depth. The ESA Rosalind Franklin rover will search for signs of life in the subsurface (down to a depth of 2 meters), given the highly radioactive conditions on Mars' surface, which are not ideal for life as we know it and for the preservation of its traces. In the frame of the Lichens and Fungi Experiment, small fragments of Antarctic sandstones colonized by cryptoendolithic microbial communities were exposed to space and simulated martian conditions in low Earth orbit for 18 months, aboard the EXPOSE-E payload. Through the use of Raman and infrared spectroscopies, as well as a metabolomic approach, we aimed to detect organic compounds in a quartz mineral matrix. The results show that pigments, such as melanin, carotenoids, and chlorophyll, lipids, and amino acids, maintained their stability within minerals under simulated martian conditions in space, which makes them ideal biomarkers for the exploration of putative life on Mars.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40227267/","authors":["Cassaro A","Pacelli C","Fanelli G","Baqué M","Maturilli A","Leo P","Lelli V","de Vera JP","Onofri S","Timperio A"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025 May","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:40135260","name":"Traces of Bacterial Contribution to Calcite Weathering Detected by Statistical Characterizations of Surface Microtopography.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"There is a crucial need to identify reliable imprints of microbe-mineral interactions to quantify the contribution of microorganisms to chemical weathering and detect traces of life in the geological record. Yet conventional methods based on qualitative descriptions of supposedly bioinduced etching features have often proven equivocal. Here, calcite dissolution experiments were carried out at various solution compositions, in the presence or absence of cyanobacterial biofilms. Nanoscale chemical and crystallographic characterizations failed to detect any distinctive biogenicity feature. Conversely, high-elevation regions at the calcite surface were detected through statistical characterizations of the microtopography, which made microbially weathered surfaces quantitatively distinguishable from their abiotic counterparts. Interestingly, the high-elevation regions that formed beneath clusters of microbial cells are at odds with the etching features that resemble cell morphologies and are usually sought as bioweathering markers. Atomic-scale stochastic simulations of the dissolution process suggested that these regions resulted from a local increase in fluid saturation state at the biofilm-mineral contact, which led to a localized reduction in dissolution rates. Overall, this study offers a new avenue for the nondestructive identification of bioweathering signatures in natural settings.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40135260/","authors":["Stigliano L","Benzerara K","Ackerer P","Menguy N","Travert C","Skouri-Panet F","Daval D"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025 Apr","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:40129261","name":"Evaluating Serpentinization as a Source of Phosphite to Microbial Communities in Hydrothermal Vents.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Previous studies have documented the presence of phosphite, a reduced and highly soluble form of phosphorus, in serpentinites, which has led to the hypothesis that serpentinizing hydrothermal vents could have been an important source of bioavailable phosphorus for early microbial communities in the Archean. Here, we test this hypothesis by evaluating the genomic hallmarks of phosphorus usage in microbial communities living in modern hydrothermal vents with and without influence from serpentinization. These genomic analyses are combined with results from a geochemical model that calculates phosphorus speciation during serpentinization as a function of temperature, water:rock ratio, and lithology at thermodynamic equilibrium. We find little to no genomic evidence of phosphite use in serpentinizing environments at the Voltri Massif or the Von Damm hydrothermal field at the Mid Cayman Rise, but relatively more in the Lost City hydrothermal field, Coast Range Ophiolite Microbial Observatory, The Cedars, and chimney samples from Old City hydrothermal field and Prony Bay hydrothermal field, as well as in the non-serpentinizing hydrothermal vents at Axial Seamount. Geochemical modeling shows that phosphite production is favored at ca 275&#xb0;C-325&#xb0;C and low water:rock ratios, which may explain previous observations of phosphite in serpentinite rocks; however, most of the initial phosphate is trapped in apatite during serpentinization, suppressing the absolute phosphite yield. As a result, phosphite from serpentinizing vents could have supported microbial growth around olivine minerals in chimney walls and suspended aggregates, but it is unlikely to have fueled substantial primary productivity in diffusely venting fluids during life's origin and evolution in the Archean unless substrates equivalent to dunites (composed of &gt;&#x2009;90&#x2009;wt% olivine) were more common.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40129261/","authors":["Boden JS","Som SM","Brazelton WJ","Anderson RE","Stüeken EE"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025 Mar-Apr","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:40087150","name":"Experimental Mineralisation of a Filamentous Hydrogenotrophic Methanogen in Carbonate, Phosphate, and Silicate.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Methanogenic archaea were likely among the earliest organisms to populate the Earth, perhaps contributing to the Archaean greenhouse effect; they are also widely discussed as analogues to any potential life on Mars. However, fossil evidence of archaea has been difficult to identify in the rock record, perhaps because their preservation potential is intrinsically low or because they are particularly small and difficult to identify. Here, we examined the preservation potential of a methanogen of the genus Methanobacterium, recently isolated from a low-temperature serpentinizing system, an environment somewhat analogous to habitats on the early Earth and Mars. Notably, this organism has a cell wall composed of peptidoglycan-like pseudomurein, which may imply a mineralisation potential similar to that of gram-positive bacteria. Methanobacterium cells were placed in carbonate, phosphate, and silicate solutions for up to 3&#x2009;months in order to assess the relative tendency of these minerals to encrust and preserve cellular morphology. Cells readily acquired a thick, uniform coating of silica, enhancing their potential for long-term preservation while also increasing overall filament size, an effect that may aid the discovery of fossil archaea while hindering their interpretation. Phosphates precipitated from the medium in all experimental setups and even in parallel experiments set up with low-phosphate medium, suggesting a hitherto unknown biomineralisation capacity of methanogens. Carbonate precipitates did not form in close association with cells.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40087150/","authors":["Huld S","McMahon S","Willman S","Neubeck A"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025 Mar-Apr","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:40014383","name":"Recovery of Lipid Biomarkers in Hot Spring Digitate Silica Sinter as Analogs for Potential Biosignatures on Mars: Results from Laboratory and Flight-Like Experiments.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Digitate siliceous sinter deposits are common in geothermal environments. They form via evaporation and precipitation of cooling silica-rich fluids and passive microbial templating. Increasing interest in these \"finger-like\" microstromatolitic sinters is related to their morphological and mineralogical resemblance to opaline silica-rich rocks discovered by NASA's Spirit rover in the Columbia Hills, Gusev crater, Mars. However, these terrestrial deposits remain understudied, specifically in terms of biosignature content and long-term preservation potential. In this study, six digitate, opaline (opal-A) sinter deposits were collected from five Taup&#x14d; Volcanic Zonegeothermal fields, and their lipid biosignatures were investigated as Mars analogs. Samples were collected in pools and discharge channels of varied temperatures, pH, and water chemistries, with spicular to nodular morphologies. Results revealed the presence of biomarkers from unsilicified and silicified communities populating the hot spring sinters, including lipids from terrigenous plants, algae, and bacteria. Although DNA sequencing suggests that the composition and diversity of microbial communities are correlated with temperature, pH, and water chemistry of the springs, these environmental parameters did not seem to affect lipid recovery. However, the morphology of the sinters did play a role in lipid yield, which was higher in the finest, needle-like spicules in comparison to the broad, knobby sinters. The capability of current Mars flight mission techniques such as pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to detect lipid biomarkers was also evaluated from a subset of samples in a pilot study under flight conditions. The early preservation of lipids in the studied sinters and their detection using flight-like techniques suggest that martian siliceous deposits are strong candidates for the search for biosignatures on Mars.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40014383/","authors":["Millan M","Campbell KA","Sriaporn C","Handley KM","Teece BL","Mahaffy P","Johnson SS"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025 Mar","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:40008143","name":"Exploring Forsterite Surface Catalysis in HCN Polymerization: Computational Insights for Astrobiology and Prebiotic Chemistry.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Understanding the catalytic role of cosmic mineral surfaces is crucial for elucidating the chemical evolution needed for the emergence of life on Earth and other planetary systems. In this study, the catalytic role of silicate forsterite (Mg 2 SiO 4 ) surfaces in the synthesis of iminoacetonitrile (IAN, HN=CH-CN) from the condensation of two hydrogen cyanide (HCN) molecules is investigated through quantum mechanical simulations. Using density functional theory calculations, the potential energy surfaces alongside the kinetics of various surface-mediated reactions leading to the formation of IAN are characterized. The effectiveness of forsterite as a catalyst is a delicate balance of the surface reactivity: on one side, the deprotonation of HCN is mandatory to trigger the dimerization; on the other side, the species should be weakly bound to the surface, thus allowing for their diffusion to meet with each other. The work reveals interesting counterintuitive results: the (120) and (101) forsterite surfaces (the less reactive ones) exhibit favorable catalytic properties for the reaction, in detriment to the (111) one (one of the most reactive). The implications of these findings in the astrobiology and prebiotic chemistry fields and for laboratory experiments are discussed, highlighting the potential role of cosmic silicates in the synthesis of complex organic molecules.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40008143/","authors":["Bancone N","Pantaleone S","Ugliengo P","Rimola A","Corno M"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025 Feb 20","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:39970033","name":"Understanding Sulfate Stability on Mars: A Thermo-Raman Spectroscopy Study.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"This work examines the impact of high temperatures from celestial shock events on the stability of sulfates found on Mars (gypsum) and those expected to be present (syngenite and g&#xf6;rgeyite). Raman spectroscopy, a cutting-edge technique in space exploration, was used to track their stability. Specifically, a Renishaw inVia &#x2122; micro-Raman confocal spectrometer was coupled with an external Linkam THMS600/HF600 temperature-controlled stage to monitor the sample temperature while measuring the main Raman band positions of the sulfates and those of water molecules in these salts across temperatures ranging from 313 to 673 K. Results showed a shift toward lower wavenumbers with increasing temperature for all compounds, up to each compound's inflection temperature, where phase transformations occurred. The linear trends identified in this study provide valuable insights for interpreting data from space missions equipped with Raman instruments and understanding Earth-based measurements. These trends enable the estimation of Raman band wavenumbers at specific temperatures, as well as the determination of the temperature at which a given spectrum was acquired. Additionally, the research demonstrated that the three heated salts fully rehydrated after at least 1 month under standard environmental conditions (23&#xb0;C, 1 atm, and &#x223c;80% relative humidity). This finding on reversibility is crucial for interpreting time-dependent results, such as characterizing meteorites that contain evaporite salts.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39970033/","authors":["Huidobro J","Aramendia J","García-Florentino C","Coloma L","Población I","Arana G","Madariaga JM"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025 Mar","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:39869065","name":"Photochemical Evolution of Alanine in Association with the Martian Soil Analog Montmorillonite: Insights Derived from Experiments Conducted on the International Space Station.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The Photochemistry on the Space Station (PSS) experiment was part of the European Space Agency's EXPOSE-R2 mission and was conducted on the International Space Station from 2014 to 2016. The PSS experiment investigated the properties of montmorillonite clay as a protective shield against degradation of organic compounds that were exposed to elevated levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation in space. Additionally, we examined the potential for montmorillonite to catalyze UV-induced breakdown of the amino acid alanine and its potential to trap the resulting photochemical byproducts within its interlayers. We tested pure alanine thin films, alanine thin films protected from direct UV exposure by a thin cover layer of montmorillonite, and an intimate combination of the two substances forming an organoclay. The samples were exposed to space conditions for 15.5 months and then returned to Earth for detailed analysis. Concurrent ground-control experiments subjected identical samples to simulated solar light irradiation. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy quantified molecular changes by comparing spectra obtained before and after exposure for both the space and ground-control samples. To more deeply understand the photochemical processes influencing the stability of irradiated alanine molecules, we performed an additional experiment using time-resolved FTIR spectroscopy for a second set of ground samples exposed to simulated solar light. Our collective experiments reveal that montmorillonite clay exhibits a dual, configuration-dependent effect on the stability of alanine: while a thin cover layer of the clay provides UV shielding that slows degradation, an intimate mixture of clay and amino acid hastens the photochemical decomposition of alanine by promoting certain chemical reactions. This observation is important to understand the preservation of amino acids in specific extraterrestrial environments, such as Mars: cover mineral layer depths of several millimeters are required to effectively shield organics from the harmful effects of UV radiation. We also explored the role of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), a byproduct of alanine photolysis, as a tracer of the amino acid. CO 2 can be trapped within clay interlayers, particularly in clays with small interlayer ions such as sodium. Our studies emphasize the multifaceted interactions between montmorillonite clay and alanine under nonterrestrial conditions; thus, they contribute valuable insights to broader astrobiological research questions.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39869065/","authors":["Wipf S","Mabey P","Urso RG","Wolf S","Stok A","Ricco AJ","Quinn RC","Mattioda AL","Jones NC","Hoffmann SV","Cottin H","Chaput D","Ehrenfreund P","Elsaesser A"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025 Feb","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:39847695","name":"Production of Organic Precursors via Meteoritic Impacts and Its Implications for Prebiotic Inventory of Early Planetary Surfaces.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Meteoritic impacts on planetary surfaces deliver a significant amount of energy that can produce prebiotic organic compounds such as cyanides, which may be a key step to the formation of biomolecules. To study the chemical processes of impact-induced organic synthesis, we simulated the physicochemical processes of hypervelocity impacts (HVI) in experiments with both high-speed 13 C 60 + projectiles and laser ablation. In the first approach, a 13 C 60 + beam was accelerated to collide with ammonium nitrate (NH 4 NO 3 ) to reproduce the shock process and plume generation of meteoritic impacts on nitrogen-rich planetary surfaces. In a complementary investigation, a high-power laser was focused on a mixture of calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) and either ammonium chloride (NH 4 Cl) or sodium nitrate (NaNO 3 ) to induce atomization and enable the study of molecular recombination in the postimpact plume. Additionally, isotopically spiked starting material, namely, Ca 13 CO 3 , 15 NH 4 Cl, Na 15 NO 3 , and 15 NH 4 15 NO 3 , was also employed to disambiguate the source of prebiotic molecule production in the resulting recombination plume. Both experiments independently demonstrated the formation of CN - ions as recombination products, with characteristic mass peak shifts corresponding to the isotopic labeling of the starting material. Yield curves generated from the laser experiments using varying ratios of calcite and NH 4 Cl or NaNO 3 indicate that nitrate enables more efficient production of CN - than ammonium. Thermodynamic software modeling of the laser ablation plume confirmed and further elucidated the experimental yield results, producing good agreement of modeled CN - yield with observed yield curves. These models indicate that the reduction of atomic N from incomplete NH 4 - atomization during the ablation pulse may have contributed to the lower CN - yield from the ammonia source relative to the nitrate source. The results of these experiments demonstrated that CN - , and by proxy, hydrogen cyanide, and other organic precursor molecules could have formed from carbonate deposits, a previously under-appreciated source of organic carbon for impact-induced organic synthesis. These results have implications for the formation of life during meteoritic bombardment on early Earth as well as for other carbonate-bearing planetary bodies such as Mars and Ceres.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39847695/","authors":["Farcy B","Ni Z","Arevalo R Jr","Eller M","Pinnick VT","Schweikert EA","Brinckerhoff WB"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025 Jan","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:39720226","name":"Understanding Titan's Prebiotic Chemistry: Synthesizing Amino Acids Through Aminonitrile Alkaline Hydrolysis.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Titan is an ocean world with a plethora of organic material in its atmosphere and on its surface, making it an intriguing location in the search for habitable environments beyond Earth. Settled aerosols will mix with transient surface melts following cryovolcanic eruptions and impact events, driving hydrolysis reactions and prebiotic chemistry. Previous studies have shown that the hydrolysis of laboratory-synthesized Titan organics leads to the production of amino acids and other prebiotic molecules. The exact molecular structure of Titan aerosols remains unclear, yet aminonitriles have been hypothesized to be among the organic components. This laboratory study tested three reaction pathways that could potentially lead to the formation of amino acids: aminoacetonitrile &#x2192; glycine, 2-aminopropanenitrile &#x2192; alanine, and 4-aminobutanenitrile &#x2192; &#x3b3;-aminobutyric acid. Liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS) is used to quantify the abundance of amino acids over a 6-month period. We conclude that ammonia plays a key role in the synthesis of amino acids from aminonitriles, while the inclusion of salts (1 wt %) and minerals (25 mg/mL) did not have a significant effect on amino acid formation compared to ammonia. Rate constants ( k ) for alkaline hydrolysis of the aminonitriles were calculated. Our results suggest that if Titan's surface melts have a composition, including at least 5% ammonia in water, and if aminonitriles are present in Titan's organic aerosols, then amino acids will likely form. These results are highly relevant to the Dragonfly mission to Titan, which will sample impact melt material at Selk crater to search for prebiotic molecules.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39720226/","authors":["Farnsworth KK","McLain HL","Chung A","Trainer MG"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 Dec 19","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:39611626","name":"Mesoarchean Microbial Cd, Ba, and Ni Cycling: Evidence for Photosynthesis in Pongola Group Stromatolites through Novel Stable Isotopes and High-Resolution Trace Element Maps.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Nontraditional stable isotopes of bioactive metals emerged as novel proxies for reconstructing the biogeochemical cycling of metals, which serve as cofactors in major metabolic pathways. The fractionation of metal isotopes between ambient fluid and microorganisms is ultimately recorded in authigenic minerals, such as carbonates, which makes them potentially more reliable than standard biomarkers in organic matter. Stromatolitic carbonates are geochemical archives that allow for the study of the long-term interplay of the biosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere through deep time, with the unique potential to investigate early life environments and the evolution of the metallome. The present study uses stromatolites from the &#x223c;2.95-billion-year-old Pongola Supergroup (S. Africa) as a field laboratory for combined in situ trace metal mapping and layer-specific, novel stable metal isotope compositions to infer early Earth microbial metal cycling via phototrophic and chemo-litho-autotrophic metabolisms. Quantitative in situ trace element maps reveal intrinsic biosedimentary enrichments of nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), phosphorus (P), iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn) in stromatolitic laminae. In contrast, barium (Ba) shows a more homogeneous distribution. Authigenic carbonates from pristine stromatolite laminae show distinct &#x3b4; 138 Ba and &#x3b4; 112 Cd fractionation above detrital background and bulk silicate Earth values, but opposing correlation with trace metal concentrations. Authigenic &#x3b4; 60 Ni values overlap with Mesoarchean diamictite compositions. Nickel isotopic compositions in authigenic stromatolitic carbonates, potentially a new proxy for methanogenic metal uptake, do not show any proof of the presence of this metabolism in the samples of this study. Meanwhile, Cd isotopic compositions in authigenic carbonates follow typical Rayleigh-type isotope fractionation; that is, the isotopic composition of Cd evolves to heavy values close to modern surface compositions. Correlations of &#x3b4; 112 Cd with the micronutrients copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo), and P, at positively fractionated carbon (C) isotopes (&#x3b4; 13 C &#x223c;+2&#x2030;), argue for active photosynthesis in the Pongola microbial habitat. We show that Ba isotopes can be used to infer carbonate precipitation rates similar to modern microbial carbonates. Thus, the combination of Cd and Ni isotopes has the unique potential as novel isotope biomarkers for the biochemical sedimentary record of early Earth where traditional lipid biomarkers are not applicable due to the incomplete preservation of organic matter.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39611626/","authors":["Hohl SV","Lv Y","Lin YB","Zhang Y","Jiang Y","Wei GY","Viehmann S"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 Dec","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:39560458","name":"Prebiotic Nucleoside Phosphorylation in a Simulated Deep-Sea Supercritical Carbon Dioxide-Water Two-Phase Environment.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Prebiotic synthesis of complex organic molecules in water-rich environments has been a long-standing challenge. In the modern deep sea, emission of liquid CO 2 has been observed in multiple locations, which indicates the existence of benthic CO 2 pools. Recently, a liquid/supercritical CO 2 (ScCO 2 ) hypothesis has been proposed that a two-phase ScCO 2 -water environment could lead to efficient dehydration and condensation of organics. To confirm this hypothesis, we conducted a nucleoside phosphorylation reaction in a hydrothermal reactor creating ScCO 2 -water two-phase environment. After 120 h of uridine, cytosine, guanosine, and adenosine phosphorylation at 68.9&#xb0;C, various nucleoside monophosphates (NMPs), nucleotide diphosphates, and carbamoyl nucleosides were produced. The addition of urea enhanced the overall production of phosphorylated species with 5'-NMPs, the major products that reached over 10% yield. As predicted, phosphorylation did not proceed in the fully aqueous environment without ScCO 2 . Further, a glass window reactor was introduced for direct observation of the two-phase environment, where the escape of water into the ScCO 2 phase was observed. These results are similar to those of a wet-dry cycle experiment simulating the terrestrial hot spring environment, indicating that the presence of ScCO 2 can create a comparatively dry condition in the deep sea. In addition, the high acidity present in the aqueous phase further supports nucleotide synthesis by enabling the release of orthophosphate from the hydroxyapatite mineral solving the phosphate problem. Thus, the present study highlights the potential of the unique ScCO 2 -water two-phase environment to drive prebiotic nucleotide synthesis and likely induce condensation reactions of various organic and inorganic compounds in the deep-sea CO 2 pool on Earth and potentially other ocean worlds.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39560458/","authors":["Tagawa S","Hatami R","Morino K","Terazawa S","Akıl C","Johnson-Finn K","Shibuya T","Fujishima K"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 Dec","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:39467141","name":"Glycine synthesis from nitrate and glyoxylate mediated by ferroan brucite: An integrated pathway for prebiotic amine synthesis.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Amino acids are present in all known life, so identifying the environmental conditions under which they can be synthesized constrains where life on Earth might have formed and where life might be found on other planetary bodies. All known abiotic amino acid syntheses require ammonia, which is only produced in reducing and neutral atmospheres. Here, we demonstrate that the Fe-bearing hydroxide mineral ferroan brucite [Fe 0.33 ,Mg 0.67 (OH) 2 ] can mediate the reaction of nitrate and glyoxylate to form glycine, the simplest amino acid used in life. Up to 97% of this glycine was detected only after acid digestion of the mineral, demonstrating that it had been strongly partitioned to the mineral. The dicarboxylic amino acid 3-hydroxy aspartate was also detected, which suggests that reactants underwent a mechanism that simultaneously produced mono- and dicarboxylic amino acids. Nitrate can be produced in both neutral and oxidizing atmospheres, so reductive amination of nitrate and glyoxylate on a ferroan brucite surface expands origins of life scenarios. First, it expands the environmental conditions in which life's precursors could form to include oxidizing atmospheres. Second, it demonstrates the ability of ferroan brucite, an abundant, secondary mineral in serpentinizing systems where olivine is partly hydrated, to mediate reductive amination. Finally, the results demonstrate the need to consider mineral-bound products when analyzing samples for abiotic amino acid synthesis.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39467141/","authors":["Chimiak L","Hara E","Sessions A","Templeton AS"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 Nov 5","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:39397059","name":"Carotenoids dispersed in gypsum rock as a result of algae adaptation to the extreme conditions of the Atacama Desert.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The high-altitude pre-Andean region of the Atacama Desert is characterized by its stark volcanic rock formations and unique hydrothermal gypsum outcrops (gypcrete) that it hosts. This study delves into the biomolecular composition of the endolithic phototrophic microbes that thrive within these gypcretes. Using advanced Raman spectroscopy techniques, including Raman imaging (complemented by microscopic and 3D microscopic observations), herein we unveil new insights into the adaptive strategies of these gypsum-inhabiting algae. Our Raman imaging results provide a detailed chemical map of carotenoids associated with microbial colonization. This map reveals a significant gradient in pigment content, highlighting a critical survival mechanism for algae and cyanobacteria in this polyextreme environment. Intriguingly, we detected signals for carotenoids not only in the algae-colonized layer, but also deeper within the gypsum matrix - indicating pigment migration following cell disruption. In addition, we conducted an in-depth analysis of individual algal cells from the Trebouxiaceae family, noting their color variations from green to orange, plus describing the spectral differences in detail. This investigation identified in-vivo pigments (carotenoids, chlorophyll) and lipids at the cellular level, offering a comprehensive view of the molecular adaptations enabling life in one of the Earth's most extreme habitats.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39397059/","authors":["Vítek P","Ascaso C","Artieda O","Wierzchos J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 Oct 13","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:39354222","name":"Subsurface Microbial Colonization at Mineral-Filled Veins in 2-Billion-Year-Old Mafic Rock from the Bushveld Igneous Complex, South Africa.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Recent advances in subsurface microbiology have demonstrated the habitability of multi-million-year-old igneous rocks, despite the scarce energy supply from rock-water interactions. Given the minimal evolution coupled with exceedingly slow metabolic rates in subsurface ecosystems, spatiotemporally stable igneous rocks can sustain microbes over geological time scales. This study investigated a 2-billion-year-old mafic rock in the Bushveld Igneous Complex, South Africa, where ultradeep drilling is being executed by the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP). New procedures were successfully developed to simultaneously detect indigenous and contaminant microbial cells in a drill core sample. Precision rock sectioning coupled with infrared, fluorescence, and electron microscopy imaging of the rock section with submicron resolution revealed microbial colonization in veins filled with clay minerals. The entry and exit of microbial cells in the veins are severely limited by tight packing with clay minerals, the formation of which supplies energy sources for long-term habitability. Further microbiological characterization of drilled rock cores from the Bushveld Igneous Complex will expand the understanding of microbial evolution in deep igneous rocks over 2 billion years.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39354222/","authors":["Suzuki Y","Webb SJ","Kouduka M","Kobayashi H","Castillo J","Kallmeyer J","Moganedi K","Allwright AJ","Klemd R","Roelofse F","Mapiloko M","Hill SJ","Ashwal LD","Trumbull RB"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 Oct 2","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:39238229","name":"In Situ Quantification of Carbonate Species Concentrations, pH, and pCO(2) in Calcite Fluid Inclusions Using Confocal Raman Spectroscopy.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Carbonate minerals are globally distributed on the modern and ancient Earth and are abundant in terrestrial and marine depositional environments. Fluid inclusions hosted by calcite retain primary signatures of the source fluid geochemistry at the time of mineral formation (i.e., pCO 2 ) and can be used to reconstruct paleoenvironments. Confocal laser Raman spectroscopy provides a quick, nondestructive approach to measuring the constituents of fluid inclusions in carbonates and is a reliable method for qualitatively determining composition in both the aqueous and gas phases. Here, we demonstrate a method for accurately quantifying bicarbonate and carbonate ion concentrations (down to 20 mM) and pH (7-11) from calcite fluid inclusions using confocal Raman spectroscopy. Instrument calibrations for carbonate (CO 3 2- ) and bicarbonate (HCO 3 - ) concentrations and pH were performed using stock solutions. We show that the calcite host mineral does not affect the accurate quantification of carbonate solution concentrations and that these parameters can be used to estimate the pH and pCO 2 of a solution entrapped within a fluid inclusion. We apply the technique to Icelandic spar calcite and find a [CO 3 2- ]&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.11, [HCO 3 - ]&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.17, pH&#x2009;=&#x2009;10.1, and CO 2 parts per million&#x2009;=&#x2009;2217. The presence of gaseous Raman bands for CO 2 , CH 4 , and H 2 S suggests that the mineral precipitated in a reducing environment.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39238229/","authors":["Hudgins MN","Knobbe TK","Hubbard J","Steele A","Park JG","Schaller MF"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 Oct","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:39228380","name":"Microbial colonization of gypsum: from the fossil record to the present day.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Microorganisms inhabiting gypsum have been observed in environments that differ greatly in water availability. Gypsum colonized by microorganisms, including cyanobacteria, eukaryotic algae, and diverse heterotrophic communities, occurs in hot, arid or even hyperarid environments, in cold environments of the Antarctic and Arctic zones, and in saline and hypersaline lakes and ponds where gypsum precipitates. Fossilized microbial remnants preserved in gypsum were also reported. Gypsum protects the endolithic microbial communities against excessive insolation and ultraviolet radiation, while allowing photosynthetically active radiation to penetrate through the mineral substrate. We here review the worldwide occurrences of microbially colonized gypsum and the specific properties of gypsum related to its function as a substrate and habitat for microbial life on Earth and possibly beyond. Methods for detecting and characterizing endolithic communities and their biomarkers in gypsum are discussed, including microscopic, spectroscopic, chemical, and molecular biological techniques. The modes of adaptation of different microorganisms to life within gypsum crystals under different environmental conditions are described. Finally, we discuss gypsum deposits as possible targets for the search for microbial life or its remnants beyond Earth, especially on Mars, where sulfate-rich deposits occur, and propose strategies to detect them during space exploration missions.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39228380/","authors":["Jehlička J","Oren A","Vítek P","Wierzchos J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:39141709","name":"Understanding the Role of Layered Minerals in the Emergence and Preservation of Proto-Proteins and Detection of Traces of Early Life.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The origin of life remains one of the most profound mysteries in science. Over millennia, theories have evolved, yet the question persists: How did life emerge from inanimate matter? At its core, the study of life's origin offers insights into our place in the universe and the nature of life itself. By delving into the chemical and geological processes that led to life's emergence, scientists gain a deeper understanding of the fundamental principles that govern living systems. This knowledge not only expands our scientific understanding but also has profound implications for fields ranging from astrobiology to synthetic biology. This research employs a multidisciplinary approach, combining a diverse array of techniques, from space missions to wet laboratory experiments to theoretical modeling. Investigations into the formation of the first proto-biomolecules are tailored to explore both the complex molecular processes that underpin life and the geological contexts in which these processes may have occurred. While laboratory experiments are aimed at mimicking the processes of early planets, not every process and sample is attainable. To this end, we demonstrate the use of molecular modeling techniques to complement experimental efforts and extraterrestrial missions. The simulations enable researchers to test hypotheses and explore scenarios that are difficult or impossible to replicate in the laboratory, bridging gaps in our understanding of prebiotic processes across vast time and space scales. Minerals, particularly layered structures like clays and hydrotalcites, play diverse and pivotal roles in the origin of life. They concentrate organic species, catalyze polymerization reactions (such as peptide formation), and provide protective environments for the molecules. Minerals have also been suggested to have acted as primitive genetic materials. Nevertheless, they may lack the ability for long-term information replication. Instead, we suggest that minerals may act as transcribers of information encoded in environmental cyclic phenomena, such as tidal or seasonal changes. We argue that extensive protection of the produced polymer will immobilize it, making it inactive for any further function. Therefore, in order to generate a functional polymer, it is essential that it remains mobile and chemically active. Furthermore, we suggest a route to the identification of pseudobiosignatures, a polymer that was polymerized on the same mineral surface and consequently retained through overprotection. This Account presents a comprehensive evaluation of the current understanding of the role of layered mineral surfaces on life's origin and biosignature preservation. It highlights the complexity of mineral-organic interactions and proposes pathways for proto-biomolecule emergence and methods for identifying and interpreting potential biosignatures. Ultimately, the quest to uncover the origin of life continues to drive scientific exploration and innovation, offering profound insights into the fundamental nature of existence and our place in the universe.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39141709/","authors":["Stewart SV","Erastova V"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 Sep 3","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:38985734","name":"Unveiling Challenging Microbial Fossil Biosignatures from Rio Tinto with Micro-to-Nanoscale Chemical and Ultrastructural Imaging.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Understanding the nature and preservation of microbial traces in extreme environments is crucial for reconstructing Earth's early biosphere and for the search for life on other planets or moons. At Rio Tinto, southwestern Spain, ferric oxide and sulfate deposits similar to those discovered at Meridiani Planum, Mars, entomb a diversity of fossilized organisms, despite chemical conditions commonly thought to be challenging for life and fossil preservation. Investigating this unique fossil microbiota can elucidate ancient extremophile communities and the preservation of biosignatures in acidic environments on Earth and, potentially, Mars. In this study, we use an innovative multiscale approach that combines the state-of-the-art synchrotron X-ray nanoimaging methods of ptychographic X-ray computed laminography and nano-X-ray fluorescence to reveal Rio Tinto's microfossils at subcellular resolution. The unprecedented nanoscale views of several different specimens within their geological and geochemical contexts reveal novel intricacies of preserved microbial communities. Different morphotypes, ecological interactions, and possible taxonomic affinities were inferred based on qualitative and quantitative 3D ultrastructural information, whereas diagenetic processes and metabolic affinities were inferred from complementary chemical information. Our integrated nano-to-microscale analytical approach revealed previously invisible microbial and mineral interactions, which complemented and filled a gap of spatial resolution in conventional methods. Ultimately, this study contributes to the challenge of deciphering the faint chemical and morphological biosignatures that can indicate life's presence on the early Earth and on distant worlds.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38985734/","authors":["Maldanis L","Fernandez-Remolar D","Lemelle L","Knoll AH","Guizar-Sicairos M","Holler M","da Silva FMC","Magnin V","Mermoux M","Simionovici A"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 Jul","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:38985714","name":"Microbial Ecology of an Arctic Travertine Geothermal Spring: Implications for Biosignature Preservation and Astrobiology.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Jotun springs in Svalbard, Norway, is a rare warm environment in the Arctic that actively forms travertine. In this study, we assessed the microbial ecology of Jotun's active (aquatic) spring and dry spring transects. We evaluated the microbial preservation potential and mode, as well as the astrobiological relevance of the travertines to marginal carbonates mapped at Jezero Crater on Mars (the Mars 2020 landing site). Our results revealed that microbial communities exhibited spatial dynamics controlled by temperature, fluid availability, and geochemistry. Amorphous carbonates and silica precipitated within biofilm and on the surface of filamentous microorganisms. The water discharged at the source is warm, with near neutral pH, and undersaturated in silica. Hence, silicification possibly occurred through cooling, dehydration, and partially by a microbial presence or activities that promote silica precipitation. CO 2 degassing and possible microbial contributions induced calcite precipitation and travertine formation. Jotun revealed that warm systems that are not very productive in carbonate formation may still produce significant carbonate buildups and provide settings favorable for fossilization through silicification and calcification. Our findings suggest that the potential for amorphous silica precipitation may be essential for Jezero Crater's marginal carbonates because it significantly increases the preservation potential of putative martian organisms.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38985714/","authors":["Ugwuanyi IR","Steele A","Glamoclija M"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 Jul","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:38979799","name":"Pyritic stromatolites from the Paleoarchean Dresser Formation, Pilbara Craton: Resolving biogenicity and hydrothermally influenced ecosystem dynamics.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"This study investigates the paleobiological significance of pyritic stromatolites from the 3.48 billion-year-old Dresser Formation, Pilbara Craton. By combining paleoenvironmental analyses with observations from well-preserved stromatolites in newly obtained drill cores, the research reveals stratiform and columnar to domal pyritic structures with wavy to wrinkly laminations and crest thickening, hosted within facies variably influenced by syn-depositional hydrothermal activity. The columnar and domal stromatolites occur in strata with clearly distinguishable primary depositional textures. Mineralogical variability and fine-scale interference textures between the microbialites and the enclosing sediment highlight interplays between microbial and depositional processes. The stromatolites consist of organomineralization - nanoporous pyrite and microspherulitic barite - hosting significant thermally mature organic matter (OM). This includes filamentous organic microstructures encased within nanoporous pyrite, resembling the extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) of microbes. These findings imply biogenicity and support the activity of microbial life in a volcano-sedimentary environment with hydrothermal activity and evaporative cycles. Coupled changes in stromatolite morphology and host facies suggest growth in diverse niches, from dynamic, hydrothermally influenced shallow-water environments to restricted brine pools strongly enriched in SO 4 2 - $$ {\\mathrm{SO}}_4^{2-} $$ from seawater and hydrothermal activity. These observations, along with S stable isotope data indicating influence by S metabolisms, and accumulations of biologically significant metals and metalloids (Ni and As) within the microbialites, help constrain microbial processes. Columnar to domal stromatolites in dynamic, hydrothermally influenced shallow water deposits likely formed by microbial communities dominated by phototrophs. Stratiform pyritic structures within barite-rich strata may reflect the prevalence of chemotrophs near hydrothermal venting, where hydrothermal activity and microbial processes influenced barite precipitation. Rapid pyrite precipitation, a putative taphonomic process for preserving microbial remnants, is attributed to microbial sulfate reduction and reduced S sourced from hydrothermal activity. In conclusion, this research underscores the biogenicity of the Dresser stromatolites and advances our understanding of microbial ecosystems in Earth's early history.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38979799/","authors":["Baumgartner RJ","Van Kranendonk MJ","Caruso S","Campbell KA","Dobson MJ","Teece BL","Verrall M","Homann M","Lalonde S","Visscher PT"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 Jul-Aug","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:38979620","name":"Variable and Large Losses of Diagnostic Biomarkers After Simulated Cosmic Radiation Exposure in Clay- and Carbonate-Rich Mars Analog Samples.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Mars has been exposed to ionizing radiation for several billion years, and as part of the search for life on the Red Planet, it is crucial to understand the impact of radiation on biosignature preservation. Several NASA and ESA missions are looking for evidence of ancient life in samples collected at depths shallow enough that they have been impacted by galactic cosmic rays (GCRs). In this study, we exposed a diverse set of Mars analog samples to 0.9 Megagray (MGy) of gamma radiation to mimic 15 million years of exposure on the Martian surface. We measured no significant impact of GCRs on the total organic carbon (TOC) and bulk stable C isotopes in samples with initial TOC concentration &gt; 0.1 wt. %; however, diagnostic molecular biosignatures presented a wide range of degradation that didn't correlate to factors like mineralogy, TOC, water content, and surface area. Exposure dating suggests that the surface of Gale crater has been irradiated at more than five times our dose, yet using this relatively low dose and \"best-case scenario\" geologically recalcitrant biomarkers, large and variable losses were nevertheless evident. Our results empasize the importance of selecting sampling sites at depth or recently exposed at the Martian surface.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38979620/","authors":["Roussel A","McAdam AC","Pavlov AA","Knudson CA","Achilles CN","Foustoukos DI","Dworkin JP","Andrejkovičová S","Bower DM","Johnson SS"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 Jul","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:38937525","name":"Siderite and vivianite as energy sources for the extreme acidophilic bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans in the context of mars habitability.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Past and present habitability of Mars have been intensely studied in the context of the search for signals of life. Despite the harsh conditions observed today on the planet, some ancient Mars environments could have harbored specific characteristics able to mitigate several challenges for the development of microbial life. In such environments, Fe 2+ minerals like siderite (already identified on Mars), and vivianite (proposed, but not confirmed) could sustain a chemolithoautotrophic community. In this study, we investigate the ability of the acidophilic iron-oxidizing chemolithoautotrophic bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans to use these minerals as its sole energy source. A. ferrooxidans was grown in media containing siderite or vivianite under different conditions and compared to abiotic controls. Our experiments demonstrated that this microorganism was able to grow, obtaining its energy from the oxidation of Fe 2+ that came from the solubilization of these minerals under low pH. Additionally, in sealed flasks without CO 2 , A. ferrooxidans was able to fix carbon directly from the carbonate ion released from siderite for biomass production, indicating that it could be able to colonize subsurface environments with little or no contact with an atmosphere. These previously unexplored abilities broaden our knowledge on the variety of minerals able to sustain life. In the context of astrobiology, this expands the list of geomicrobiological processes that should be taken into account when considering the habitability of environments beyond Earth, and opens for investigation the possible biological traces left on these substrates as biosignatures.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38937525/","authors":["Silva GG","Vincenzi RA","de Araujo GG","Venceslau SJS","Rodrigues F"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 Jun 27","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:38853686","name":"Ultraviolet Resistance of Microorganisms Isolated from Uranium-Rich Minerals from Perus, Brazil.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The district of Perus, located in the city of S&#xe3;o Paulo, Brazil, is renowned for its weathered granitic-pegmatitic masses, which harbor a significant number of uraniferous minerals that contribute to ionizing radiation levels up to 20 times higher than the background levels. In this study, aseptically collected mineral samples from the area were utilized to isolate 15 microorganisms, which were subjected to pre-screening tests involving UV-C and UV-B radiation. The microorganisms that exhibited the highest resistance to ultraviolet (UV) radiation were selected for the construction of survival curves for UV-C, broad-band UV-B, and solar simulation resistance testing. Subsequently, the four strains that demonstrated superior survival capabilities under UV radiation exposure were chosen for 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Among these, Nocardioides sp. O4R and Nocardioides sp. MA2R demonstrated the most promising outcomes in the UV radiation resistance assessments, showcasing comparable performance to the well-established radioresistant model organism Deinococcus radiodurans . These findings underscore the potential of naturally occurring high-radiation environments as valuable resources for the investigation of UV-resistant microorganisms. Astrobiology 24, 783-794.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38853686/","authors":["Poletto B","Silva GG","Souza Ramos de Carvalho AC","Vincenzi RA","de Almeida EY","Galante D","Bendia AG","Rodrigues F"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 Aug","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:38768433","name":"Thresholds of Temperature and Time for Mars Sample Return: Final Report of the Mars Sample Return Temperature-Time Tiger Team.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38768433/","authors":["Sephton MA","Freeman K","Hays L","Thiessen F","Benison K","Carrier B","Dworkin JP","Glamoclija M","Gough R","Onofri S","Peterson R","Quinn R","Russell S","Stüeken EE","Velbel M","Zolotov M"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 May","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:38768431","name":"Investigating Microbial Biosignatures in Aeolian Environments Using Micro-X-Ray: Simulation of PIXL Instrument Analyses at Jezero Crater Onboard the Perseverance Mars 2020 Rover.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Assessing the past habitability of Mars and searching for evidence of ancient life at Jezero crater via the Perseverance rover are the key objectives of NASA's Mars 2020 mission. Onboard the rover, PIXL (Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry) is one of the best suited instruments to search for microbial biosignatures due to its ability to characterize chemical composition of fine scale textures in geological targets using a nondestructive technique. PIXL is also the first micro-X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer onboard a Mars rover. Here, we present guidelines for identifying and investigating a microbial biosignature in an aeolian environment using PIXL-analogous micro-XRF (&#x3bc;XRF) analyses. We collected samples from a modern wet aeolian environment at Padre Island, Texas, that contain buried microbial mats, and we analyzed them using &#x3bc;XRF techniques analogous to how PIXL is being operated on Mars. We show via &#x3bc;XRF technique and microscope images the geochemical and textural variations from the surface to &#x223c;40&#x2009;cm depth. Microbial mats are associated with heavy-mineral lags and show specific textural and geochemical characteristics that make them a distinct biosignature for this environment. Upon burial, they acquire a diffuse texture due to the expansion and contraction of gas-filled voids, and they present a geochemical signature rich in iron and titanium, which is due to the trapping of heavy minerals. We show that these intrinsic characteristics can be detected via &#x3bc;XRF analyses, and that they are distinct from buried abiotic facies such as cross-stratification and adhesion ripple laminations. We also designed and conducted an interactive survey using the Padre Island &#x3bc;XRF data to explore how different users chose to investigate a biosignature-bearing dataset via PIXL-like sampling strategies. We show that investigating biosignatures via PIXL-like analyses is heavily influenced by technical constraints ( e.g., the XRF measurement characteristics) and by the variety of approaches chosen by different scientists. Lessons learned for accurately identifying and characterizing this biosignature in the context of rover-mission constraints include defining relative priorities among measurements, favoring a multidisciplinary approach to the decision-making process of XRF measurements selection, and considering abiotic results to support or discard a biosignature interpretation. Our results provide guidelines for PIXL analyses of potential biosignature on Mars.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38768431/","authors":["Nachon M","Ewing RC","Tice MM","Williford B","Marounina N"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 May","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:38735659","name":"Martian microbes research and lessons learnt for forensic science.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"A new method for looking for life outside the Earth is used as an example to demonstrate how ways of presenting complex scientific concepts to the general public, used in planetary science, could be used in forensic science. The work led to a pared down, practical definition of detectable Life for planetary exploration, An organised system capable of processing energy sources to its advantage. For nearly three quarters of Earth's history the only lifeforms were microbes, which are the target for looking for extraterrestrial life. Microbes are microscopic and may be sparsely distributed, but their metabolic products can form large, durable rocks, much easier to find and which may contain the organisms or their remains. There are similar challenges in presenting astrobiological and forensic science. Both may have to deal with very large or very small numbers which are not immediately comprehensible but can be understood by analogy. To increase the impact on the listener or reader, dramatic analogues are valuable, for example, referring to the mineralised microbial metabolic products as, \"fossilised breath of bacteria\" demands the audience's attention and engages them before more detailed explanations are given. The power of practical experiments or demonstrations is most important to reinforce what might otherwise be a fairly abstract concept. Surprisingly, most of these approaches can be made to work equally well in both spoken and written forms as well as in both sciences.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38735659/","authors":["Coleman M"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 May","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:38700397","name":"Origin and modern microbial ecology of secondary mineral deposits in Lehman Caves, Great Basin National Park, NV, USA.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Lehman Caves is an extensively decorated high desert cave that represents one of the main tourist attractions in Great Basin National Park, Nevada. Although traditionally considered a water table cave, recent studies identified abundant speleogenetic features consistent with a hypogenic and, potentially, sulfuric acid origin. Here, we characterized white mineral deposits in the Gypsum Annex (GA) passage to determine whether these secondary deposits represent biogenic minerals formed during sulfuric acid corrosion and explored microbial communities associated with these and other mineral deposits throughout the cave. Powder X-ray diffraction (pXRD), scanning electron microscopy with electron dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), and electron microprobe analyses (EPMA) showed that, while most white mineral deposits from the GA contain gypsum, they also contain abundant calcite, silica, and other phases. Gypsum and carbonate-associated sulfate isotopic values of these deposits are variable, with &#x3b4; 34 S V-CDT between +9.7&#x2030; and +26.1&#x2030;, and do not reflect depleted values typically associated with replacement gypsum formed during sulfuric acid speleogenesis. Petrographic observations show that the sulfates likely co-precipitated with carbonate and SiO 2 phases. Taken together, these data suggest that the deposits resulted from later-stage meteoric events and not during an initial episode of sulfuric acid speleogenesis. Most sedimentary and mineral deposits in Lehman Caves have very low microbial biomass, with the exception of select areas along the main tour route that have been impacted by tourist traffic. High-throughput 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing showed that microbial communities in GA sediments are distinct from those in other parts of the cave. The microbial communities that inhabit these oligotrophic secondary mineral deposits include OTUs related to known ammonia-oxidizing Nitrosococcales and Thaumarchaeota, as well as common soil taxa such as Acidobacteriota and Proteobacteria. This study reveals microbial and mineralogical diversity in a previously understudied cave and expands our understanding of the geomicrobiology of desert hypogene cave systems.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38700397/","authors":["Havlena ZE","Hose LD","DuChene HR","Baker GM","Powell JD","Labrado AL","Brunner B","Jones DS"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 May-Jun","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:38674771","name":"Association of Acidotolerant Cyanobacteria to Microbial Mats below pH 1 in Acidic Mineral Precipitates in Río Tinto River in Spain.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"This report describes acidic microbial mats containing cyanobacteria that are strongly associated to precipitated minerals in the source area of R&#xed;o Tinto. R&#xed;o Tinto (Huelva, Southwestern Spain) is an extreme acidic environment where iron and sulfur cycles play a fundamental role in sustaining the extremely low pH and the high concentration of heavy metals, while maintaining a high level of microbial diversity. These multi-layered mineral deposits are stable all year round and are characterized by a succession of thick greenish-blue and brownish layers mainly composed of natrojarosite. The temperature and absorbance above and below the mineral precipitates were followed and stable conditions were detected inside the mineral precipitates. Different methodologies, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, immunological detection, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and metagenomic analysis were used to describe the biodiversity existing in these microbial mats, demonstrating, for the first time, the existence of acid-tolerant cyanobacteria in a hyperacidic environment of below pH 1. Up to 0.46% of the classified sequences belong to cyanobacterial microorganisms, and 1.47% of the aligned DNA reads belong to the Cyanobacteria clade.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38674771/","authors":["Gómez F","Rodríguez N","Rodríguez-Manfredi JA","Escudero C","Carrasco-Ropero I","Martínez JM","Ferrari M","De Angelis S","Frigeri A","Fernández-Sampedro M","Amils R"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 Apr 19","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:38669050","name":"Undecanoic Acid and L-Phenylalanine in Vermiculite: Detection, Characterization, and UV Degradation Studies for Biosignature Identification on Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Solar radiation that arrives on the surface of Mars interacts with organic molecules present in the soil. The radiation can degrade or transform the organic matter and make the search for biosignatures on the planet's surface difficult. Therefore, samples to be analyzed by instruments on board Mars probes for molecular content should be selectively chosen to have the highest organic preservation content. To support the identification of organic molecules on Mars, the behavior under UV irradiation of two organic compounds, undecanoic acid and L-phenylalanine, in the presence of vermiculite and two chloride salts, NaCl and MgCl, was studied. The degradation of the molecule's bands was monitored through IR spectroscopy. Our results show that, while vermiculite acts as a photoprotective mineral with L-phenylalanine, it catalyzes the photodegradation of undecanoic acid molecules. On the other hand, both chloride salts studied decreased the degradation of both organic species acting as photoprotectors. While these results do not allow us to conclude on the preservation capabilities of vermiculite, they show that places where chloride salts are present could be good candidates for in situ analytic experiments on Mars due to their organic preservation capacity under UV radiation.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38669050/","authors":["McIntosh O","García-Florentino C","Fornaro T","Marabello D","Alberini A","Siljeström S","Biczysko M","Szopa C","Brucato J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 May","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:38648554","name":"Experimental Identification of Potential Martian Biosignatures in Open and Closed Systems.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"NASA's Perseverance and ESA's Rosalind Franklin rovers have the scientific goal of searching for evidence of ancient life on Mars. Geochemical biosignatures that form because of microbe-mineral interactions could play a key role in achieving this, as they can be preserved for millions of years on Earth, and the same could be true for Mars. Previous laboratory experiments have explored the formation of biosignatures under closed systems, but these do not represent the open systems that are found in natural martian environments, such as channels and lakes. In this study, we have conducted environmental simulation experiments using a global regolith simulant (OUCM-1), a thermochemically modelled groundwater, and an anaerobic microbial community to explore the formation of geochemical biosignatures within plausible open and closed systems on Mars. This initial investigation showed differences in the diversity of the microbial community developed after 28 days. In an open-system simulation (flow-through experiment), the acetogenic Acetobacterium (49% relative abundance) and the sulfate reducer Desulfosporomusa (43% relative abundance) were the dominant genera. Whereas in the batch experiment, the sulfate reducers Desulfovibrio, Desulfomicrobium, and Desulfuromonas (95% relative abundance in total) were dominant. We also found evidence of enhanced mineral dissolution within the flow-through experiment, but there was little evidence of secondary deposits in the presence of biota. In contrast, SiO 2 and Fe deposits formed within the batch experiment with biota but not under abiotic conditions. The results from these initial experiments indicate that different geochemical biosignatures can be generated between open and closed systems, and therefore, biosignature formation in open systems warrants further investigation.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38648554/","authors":["Ramkissoon NK","Macey MC","Kucukkilic-Stephens E","Barton T","Steele A","Johnson DN","Stephens BP","Schwenzer SP","Pearson VK","Olsson-Francis K"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 May","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:38603526","name":"A Novel Abiotic Pathway for Phosphine Synthesis over Acidic Dust in Venus' Atmosphere.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Recent ground-based observations of Venus have detected a single spectral feature consistent with phosphine (PH 3 ) in the middle atmosphere, a gas which has been suggested as a biosignature on rocky planets. The presence of PH 3 in the oxidized atmosphere of Venus has not yet been explained by any abiotic process. However, state-of-the-art experimental and theoretical research published in previous works demonstrated a photochemical origin of another potential biosignature-the hydride methane-from carbon dioxide over acidic mineral surfaces on Mars. The production of methane includes formation of the HC&#x2009;&#xb7;&#x2009;O radical. Our density functional theory (DFT) calculations predict an energetically plausible reaction network leading to PH 3 , involving either HC&#x2009;&#xb7;&#x2009;O or H&#xb7; radicals. We suggest that, similarly to the photochemical formation of methane over acidic minerals already discussed for Mars, the origin of PH 3 in Venus' atmosphere could be explained by radical chemistry starting with the reaction of &#xb7;PO with HC&#xb7;O, the latter being produced by reduction of CO 2 over acidic dust in upper atmospheric layers of Venus by ultraviolet radiation. HPO, H 2 P&#xb7;O, and H 3 P&#xb7;OH have been identified as key intermediate species in our model pathway for phosphine synthesis.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38603526/","authors":["Mráziková K","Knížek A","Saeidfirozeh H","Petera L","Civiš S","Saija F","Cassone G","Rimmer PB","Ferus M"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 Apr","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:38507694","name":"Considerations for Detecting Organic Indicators of Metabolism on Enceladus.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Enceladus is of interest to astrobiology and the search for life since it is thought to host active hydrothermal activity and habitable conditions. It is also possible that the organics detected on Enceladus may indicate an active prebiotic or biotic system; in particular, the conditions on Enceladus may favor mineral-driven protometabolic reactions. When including metabolism-related biosignatures in Enceladus mission concepts, it is necessary to base these in a clearer understanding of how these signatures could also be produced prebiotically. In addition, postulating which biological metabolisms to look for on Enceladus requires a non-Earth-centric approach since the details of biological metabolic pathways are heavily shaped by adaptation to geochemical conditions over the planet's history. Creating metabolism-related organic detection objectives for Enceladus missions, therefore, requires consideration of how metabolic systems may operate differently on another world, while basing these speculations on observed Earth-specific microbial processes. In addition, advances in origin-of-life research can play a critical role in distinguishing between interpretations of any future organic detections on Enceladus, and the discovery of an extant prebiotic system would be a transformative astrobiological event in its own right.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38507694/","authors":["Barge LM","Fournier GP"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 Mar","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:38507693","name":"Fluorescence Microscopy with Deep UV, Near UV, and Visible Excitation for In Situ Detection of Microorganisms.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"We report a simple, inexpensive design of a fluorescence microscope with light-emitting diode (LED) excitation for detection of labeled and unlabeled microorganisms in mineral substrates. The use of deep UV (DUV) excitation with visible emission requires no specialized optics or slides and can be implemented easily and inexpensively using an oblique illumination geometry. DUV excitation (&lt;280&#x2009;nm) is preferable to near UV (365&#x2009;nm) for avoidance of mineral autofluorescence. When excited with DUV, unpigmented bacteria show two emission peaks: one in the near UV &#x223c;320&#x2009;nm, corresponding to proteins, and another peak in the blue to green range, corresponding to flavins and/or reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH). Many commonly used dyes also show secondary excitation peaks in the DUV, with identical emission spectra and quantum yields as their primary peak. However, DUV fails to excite key biosignature molecules, especially chlorophyll in cyanobacteria. Visible excitation (violet to blue) also results in less mineral autofluorescence than near UV, and most autofluorescence in the minerals seen here is green, so that red dyes and red autofluorescence of chlorophyll and porphyrins are readily distinguished. The pairing of DUV and near UV or visible excitation, with emission across the visible, represents the most thorough approach to detection of labeled and unlabeled bacteria in soil and rock.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38507693/","authors":["Case N","Johnston N","Nadeau J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 Mar","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:38484023","name":"Immunoanalytical Detection of Conserved Peptides: Refining the Universe of Biomarker Targets in Planetary Exploration.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Ancient peptides are remnants of early biochemistry that continue to play pivotal roles in current proteins. They are simple molecules yet complex enough to exhibit independent functions, being products of an evolved biochemistry at the interface of life and nonlife. Their adsorption to minerals may contribute to their stabilization and preservation over time. To investigate the feasibility of conserved peptide sequences and structures as target biomarkers for the search for life on Mars or other planetary bodies, we conducted a bioinformatics selection of well-conserved ancient peptides and produced polyclonal antibodies for their detection using fluorescence microarray immunoassays. Additionally, we explored how adsorbing peptides to Mars-representative minerals to form organomineral complexes could affect their immunological detection. The results demonstrated that the selected peptides exhibited autonomous folding, with some of them regaining their structure, even after denaturation. Furthermore, their cognate antibodies detected their conformational features regardless of amino acid sequences, thereby broadening the spectrum of target peptide sequences. While certain antibodies displayed unspecific binding to bare minerals, we validated that peptide-mineral complexes can be detected using sandwich immunoassays, as confirmed through desorption and competitive assays. Consequently, we conclude that the diversity of peptide sequences and structures suitable for use as target biomarkers in astrobiology can be constrained to a few well conserved sets, and they can be detected even if they are adsorbed in organomineral complexes.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38484023/","authors":["Mustieles-Del-Ser P","Ruano-Gallego D","Parro V"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 Mar 26","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:38393829","name":"Analysis of Early Iron Sulfide, Carbonate, and Phosphate Mineral Analogues Produced by Flow-Driven Precipitation in a Microchannel.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Most of the chemical and physical interactions of interest to the astrobiology community are influenced by the mineralogy of the systems under consideration. Often, this mineralogy occurs in sediment or sediment-like aqueous microenvironments in which the early minerals differ dramatically from the mature version that results from a long diagenesis, which are tied to complex interactions of pH, redox state, concentration, and temperature. This interconnectedness is difficult to reproduce in a laboratory setting yet is essential to understanding how the physical and chemical demands of living systems alter and are altered by their geological context. We present a facile means for producing precipitated mineral analogues within a microchannel and demonstrate its analytical efficacy through instrumental and modeling techniques. We show that amorphous, early-stage analogues of iron sulfide, iron carbonate, and iron phosphate can be formed at the boundary between flowing solutions, modeled on the microscale, and analyzed by standard instrumental techniques such as scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38393829/","authors":["Pital A","Bromley M","Dorn M","Kim J","Stockton A"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 Feb","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:38385601","name":"Dissolved silica affects the bulk iron redox state and recrystallization of minerals generated by photoferrotrophy in a simulated Archean ocean.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Chemical sedimentary deposits called Banded Iron Formations (BIFs) are one of the best surviving records of ancient marine (bio)geochemistry. Many BIF precursor sediments precipitated from ferruginous, silica-rich waters prior to the Great Oxidation Event at ~2.43&#x2009;Ga. Reconstructing the mineralogy of BIF precursor phases is key to understanding the coevolution of seawater chemistry and early life. Many models of BIF deposition invoke the activity of Fe(II)-oxidizing photoautotrophic bacteria as a mechanism for precipitating mixed-valence Fe(II,III) and/or fully oxidized Fe(III) minerals in the absence of molecular oxygen. Although the identity of phases produced by ancient photoferrotrophs remains debated, laboratory experiments provide a means to explore what their mineral byproducts might have been. Few studies have thoroughly characterized precipitates produced by photoferrotrophs in settings representative of Archean oceans, including investigating how residual Fe(II) aq can affect the mineralogy of expected solid phases. The concentration of dissolved silica (Si) is also an important variable to consider, as silicate species may influence the identity and reactivity of Fe(III)-bearing phases. To address these uncertainties, we cultured Rhodopseudomonas palustris TIE-1 as a photoferrotroph in synthetic Archean seawater with an initial [Fe(II) aq ] of 1&#x2009;mM and [Si] spanning 0-1.5&#x2009;mM. Ferrihydrite was the dominant precipitate across all Si concentrations, even with substantial Fe(II) remaining in solution. Consistent with other studies of microbial iron oxidation, no Fe-silicates were observed across the silica gradient, although Si coprecipitated with ferrihydrite via surface adsorption. More crystalline phases such as lepidocrocite and goethite were only detected at low [Si] and are likely products of Fe(II)-catalyzed ferrihydrite transformation. Finally, we observed a substantial fraction of Fe(II) in precipitates, with the proportion of Fe(II) increasing as a function of [Si]. These experimental results suggest that photoferrotrophy in a Fe(II)-buffered ocean may have exported Fe(II,III)-oxide/silica admixtures to BIF sediments, providing a more chemically diverse substrate than previously hypothesized.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38385601/","authors":["Zhou A","Templeton AS","Johnson JE"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 Jan-Feb","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:38385599","name":"Deep subsurface microbial life in impact-altered Late Paleozoic granitoid rocks from the Chicxulub impact crater.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"In 2016, IODP-ICDP Expedition 364 recovered an 829-meter-long core within the peak ring of the Chicxulub impact crater (Yucat&#xe1;n, Mexico), allowing us to investigate the post-impact recovery of the heat-sterilized deep continental microbial biosphere at the impact site. We recently reported increased cell biomass in the impact suevite, which was deposited within the first few hours of the Cenozoic, and that the overall microbial communities differed significantly between the suevite and the other main core lithologies (i.e., the granitic basement and the overlying Early Eocene marine sediments; Cockell et&#xa0;al., 2021). However, only seven rock intervals were previously analyzed from the geologically heterogenic and impact-deformed 587-m-long granitic core section below the suevite interval. Here, we used 16S rRNA gene profiling to study the microbial community composition in 45 intervals including (a) 31 impact-shocked granites, (b) 7 non-granitic rocks (i.e., consisting of suevite and impact melt rocks intercalated into the granites during crater formation and strongly serpentinized pre-impact sub-volcanic, ultramafic basanite/dolerite), and (c) 7 cross-cut mineral veins of anhydride and silica. Most recovered microbial taxa resemble those found in hydrothermal systems. Spearman correlation analysis confirmed that the borehole temperature, which gradually increased from 47 to 69&#xb0;C with core depth, significantly shaped a subset of the vertically stratified modern microbial community composition in the granitic basement rocks. However, bacterial communities differed significantly between the impoverished shattered granites and nutrient-enriched non-granite rocks, even though both lithologies were at similar depths and temperatures. Furthermore, Spearman analysis revealed a strong correlation between the microbial communities and bioavailable chemical compounds and suggests the presence of chemolithoautotrophs, which most likely still play an active role in metal and sulfur cycling. These results indicate that post-impact microbial niche separation has also occurred in the granitic basement lithologies, as previously shown for the newly formed lithologies. Moreover, our data suggest that the impact-induced geochemical boundaries continue to shape the modern-day deep biosphere in the granitic basement underlying the Chicxulub crater.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38385599/","authors":["Quraish SN","Cockell C","Wuchter C","Kring D","Grice K","Coolen MJL"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 Jan-Feb","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:38278041","name":"Ultrasound assisted extraction of amino acids and nucleobases from clay minerals and astrobiological samples.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The study of organic molecules in meteorite and return samples allows for the understanding of the chemistry that undergoes in our Solar System. The present work aims at studying ultrasound assisted extraction technique as effective extraction method for these molecules in extraterrestrial samples and analogs. Optimal conditions were selected from the investigation of ultrasonic frequency, irradiation duration and solvent effects on amino acids, nucleobases and dipeptides extraction yields from a model clay-rich mineral matrix. Optimal ultrasound-assisted extraction parameters were frequency of 20&#xa0;kHz within 20&#xa0;min irradiation time and methanol/water solvent ratio of 1. We then validated this protocol on Mukundpura and Tarda meteorite fragments and compared it to the reference extraction protocol used in astrobiology and based on 24&#xa0;h extraction time at 100&#xa0;&#xb0;C in water We obtained similar quantitative results without any racemization with both methodologies.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38278041/","authors":["Timoumi R","Amaniampong P","Le Postollec A","Dobrijevic M","Rioland G","Gregoire B","Poinot P","Rodier CG"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 Feb","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:38154629","name":"Connecting molecular biomarkers, mineralogical composition, and microbial diversity from Mars analog lava tubes.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Lanzarote (Canary Islands, Spain) is one of the best terrestrial analogs to Martian volcanology. Particularly, Lanzarote lava tubes may offer access to recognizably preserved chemical and morphological biosignatures valuable for astrobiology. By combining microbiological, mineralogical, and organic geochemistry tools, an in-depth characterization of speleothems and associated microbial communities in lava tubes of Lanzarote is provided. The aim is to untangle the underlying factors influencing microbial colonization in Earth's subsurface to gain insight into the possibility of similar subsurface microbial habitats on Mars and to identify biosignatures preserved in lava tubes unequivocally. The microbial communities with relevant representativeness comprise chemoorganotrophic, halophiles, and/or halotolerant bacteria that have evolved as a result of the surrounding oceanic environmental conditions. Many of these bacteria have a fundamental role in reshaping cave deposits due to their carbonatogenic ability, leaving behind an organic record that can provide evidence of past or present life. Based on functional profiling, we infer that Crossiella is involved in fluorapatite precipitation via urea hydrolysis and propose its Ca-rich precipitates as compelling biosignatures valuable for astrobiology. In this sense, analytical pyrolysis, stable isotope analysis, and chemometrics were conducted to characterize the complex organic fraction preserved in the speleothems and find relationships among organic families, microbial taxa, and precipitated minerals. We relate organic compounds with subsurface microbial taxa, showing that organic families drive the microbiota of Lanzarote lava tubes. Our data indicate that bacterial communities are important contributors to biomarker records in volcanic-hosted speleothems. Within them, the lipid fraction primarily consists of low molecular weight n-alkanes, &#x3b1;-alkenes, and branched-alkenes, providing further evidence that microorganisms serve as the origin of organic matter in these formations. The ongoing research in Lanzarote's lava tubes will help develop protocols, routines, and predictive models that could provide guidance on choosing locations and methodologies for searching potential biosignatures on Mars.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38154629/","authors":["Palma V","González-Pimentel JL","Jimenez-Morillo NT","Sauro F","Gutiérrez-Patricio S","De la Rosa JM","Tomasi I","Massironi M","Onac BP","Tiago I","González-Pérez JA","Laiz L","Caldeira AT","Cubero B","Miller AZ"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 Feb 25","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:38137950","name":"Mineral Indicators of Geologically Recent Past Habitability on Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"We provide new support for habitable microenvironments in the near-subsurface of Mars, hosted in Fe- and Mg-rich rock units, and present a list of minerals that can serve as indicators of specific water-rock reactions in recent geologic paleohabitats for follow-on study. We modeled, using a thermodynamic basis without selective phase suppression, the reactions of published Martian meteorites and Jezero Crater igneous rock compositions and reasonable planetary waters (saline, alkaline waters) using Geochemist's Workbench Ver. 12.0. Solid-phase inputs were meteorite compositions for ALH 77005, Nakhla, and Chassigny, and two rock units from the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover sites, M&#xe1;az and S&#xe9;&#xed;tah. Six plausible Martian groundwater types [NaClO 4 , Mg(ClO 4 ) 2 , Ca(ClO 4 ) 2 , Mg-Na 2 (ClO 4 ) 2 , Ca-Na 2 (ClO 4 ) 2 , Mg-Ca(ClO 4 ) 2 ] and a unique Mars soil-water analog solution (dilute saline solution) named \"Rosy Red\", related to the Phoenix Lander mission, were the aqueous-phase inputs. Geophysical conditions were tuned to near-subsurface Mars (100 &#xb0;C or 373.15 K, associated with residual heat from a magmatic system, impact event, or a concentration of radionuclides, and 101.3 kPa, similar to &lt;10 m depth). Mineral products were dominated by phyllosilicates such as serpentine-group minerals in most reaction paths, but differed in some important indicator minerals. Modeled products varied in physicochemical properties (pH, Eh, conductivity), major ion activities, and related gas fugacities, with different ecological implications. The microbial habitability of pore spaces in subsurface groundwater percolation systems was interrogated at equilibrium in a thermodynamic framework, based on Gibbs Free Energy Minimization. Models run with the Chassigny meteorite produced the overall highest H 2 fugacity. Models reliant on the Rosy Red soil-water analog produced the highest sustained CH 4 fugacity (maximum values observed for reactant ALH 77005). In general, Chassigny meteorite protoliths produced the best yield regarding Gibbs Free Energy, from an astrobiological perspective. Occurrences of serpentine and saponite across models are key: these minerals have been observed using CRISM spectral data, and their formation via serpentinization would be consistent with geologically recent-past H 2 and CH 4 production and sustained energy sources for microbial life. We list index minerals to be used as diagnostic for paleo water-rock models that could have supported geologically recent-past microbial activity, and suggest their application as criteria for future astrobiology study-site selections.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38137950/","authors":["Hart R","Cardace D"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023 Dec 15","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:38109217","name":"Characterization of Sulfur-Rich Microbial Organic Matter in Jurassic Carbonates Using Laser-Assisted Mass Spectrometry.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Laser desorption-ionization mass spectrometry (MS) shows great potential for in situ molecular analysis of planetary surfaces and microanalysis of space-returned samples or (micro)fossils. Coupled with pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) in ESA's ExoMars project, this technique could help assess further the origin of sulfur-bearing organic matter (OM) recently detected on Mars. To unravel this potential, we analyzed sulfurized microbial OM from ca. 150 million year-old carbonates with laser desorption-ionization mass spectrometry (single- and two-step: LDI-MS and L2MS), in comparison with time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and Py-GC-MS. We show that LDI-MS and L2MS readily detect sulfur-bearing moieties such as (alkyl)thiophenes and (alkyl)benzothiophenes. The mineral matrix, however, made the identification of sulfur-bearing molecules challenging in our L2MS experiment. The dominance of small aromatic hydrocarbons (&#x2264;14 carbons) in the LDI-MS and L2MS of the extracted soluble and insoluble OM and of the bulk rock is consistent with the low thermal maturity of the sediment and contrasts with the predominance of larger polycyclic aromatic structures commonly observed in meteorites with these techniques. We detected inorganic ions, in particular VO + , in demineralized OM that likely originate from geoporphyrins, which derive from chlorophylls during sediment diagenesis. Finally, insoluble OM yielded distinct compositions compared with extracted soluble OM, with a greater abundance of ions of mass-to-charge ratio ( m / z ) over 175 and additional N-moieties. This highlights the potential of laser-assisted MS to decipher the composition of macromolecular OM, in particular to investigate the preservation of biomacromolecules in microfossils. Studies comparing diverse biogenic and abiogenic OM are needed to further assess the use of this technique to search for biosignatures.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38109217/","authors":["Thlaijeh S","Lepot K","Carpentier Y","Riboulleau A","Duca D","Vojkovic M","Tewari A","Sarazin J","Bon M","Nuns N","Tribovillard N","Focsa C"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024 Jan","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:37862227","name":"The Origin and Early Evolution of Life: Homochirality Emergence in Prebiotic Environments.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Homochirality is one of the signatures of life. Numerous geological and prebiotic chemistry studies have proved that disordered soups containing small organic molecules, gases, liquids, and minerals (such as those containing phosphorous) yielded racemic mixtures of building blocks for biomolecule assembly. Polymers obtained from these bricks should have been enantiopure with functional properties similar to modern biomolecules or heterochiral with some functions such as catalyzing a chemical transformation unspecifically. Up until now, no clues have been found as to how symmetry breaking occurred. In this review, we highlight the principal achievements regarding the emergence of homochirality during the prebiotic synthesis of building blocks. Furthermore, we tried to focus on approaches based on prebiotic systems chemistry (bottom-up) and laboratory scales to simulate plausible prebiotic messy environments for the emergence of life. We aim with this review to assemble, even partially, the puzzle pieces of the origin of life regarding the relevant phenomenon of homochiral symmetry breaking.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37862227/","authors":["Chieffo C","Shvetsova A","Skorda F","Lopez A","Fiore M"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023 Dec","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:37854333","name":"Serpentinization as the source of energy, electrons, organics, catalysts, nutrients and pH gradients for the origin of LUCA and life.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Serpentinization in hydrothermal vents is central to some autotrophic theories for the origin of life because it generates compartments, reductants, catalysts and gradients. During the process of serpentinization, water circulates through hydrothermal systems in the crust where it oxidizes Fe (II) in ultramafic minerals to generate Fe (III) minerals and H 2 . Molecular hydrogen can, in turn, serve as a freely diffusible source of electrons for the reduction of CO 2 to organic compounds, provided that suitable catalysts are present. Using catalysts that are naturally synthesized in hydrothermal vents during serpentinization H 2 reduces CO 2 to formate, acetate, pyruvate, and methane. These compounds represent the backbone of microbial carbon and energy metabolism in acetogens and methanogens, strictly anaerobic chemolithoautotrophs that use the acetyl-CoA pathway of CO 2 fixation and that inhabit serpentinizing environments today. Serpentinization generates reduced carbon, nitrogen and - as newer findings suggest - reduced phosphorous compounds that were likely conducive to the origins process. In addition, it gives rise to inorganic microcompartments and proton gradients of the right polarity and of sufficient magnitude to support chemiosmotic ATP synthesis by the rotor-stator ATP synthase. This would help to explain why the principle of chemiosmotic energy harnessing is more conserved (older) than the machinery to generate ion gradients via pumping coupled to exergonic chemical reactions, which in the case of acetogens and methanogens involve H 2 -dependent CO 2 reduction. Serpentinizing systems exist in terrestrial and deep ocean environments. On the early Earth they were probably more abundant than today. There is evidence that serpentinization once occurred on Mars and is likely still occurring on Saturn's icy moon Enceladus, providing a perspective on serpentinization as a source of reductants, catalysts and chemical disequilibrium for life on other worlds.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37854333/","authors":["Schwander L","Brabender M","Mrnjavac N","Wimmer JLE","Preiner M","Martin WF"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:37844243","name":"On the roles of function and selection in evolving systems.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Physical laws-such as the laws of motion, gravity, electromagnetism, and thermodynamics-codify the general behavior of varied macroscopic natural systems across space and time. We propose that an additional, hitherto-unarticulated law is required to characterize familiar macroscopic phenomena of our complex, evolving universe. An important feature of the classical laws of physics is the conceptual equivalence of specific characteristics shared by an extensive, seemingly diverse body of natural phenomena. Identifying potential equivalencies among disparate phenomena-for example, falling apples and orbiting moons or hot objects and compressed springs-has been instrumental in advancing the scientific understanding of our world through the articulation of laws of nature. A pervasive wonder of the natural world is the evolution of varied systems, including stars, minerals, atmospheres, and life. These evolving systems appear to be conceptually equivalent in that they display three notable attributes: 1) They form from numerous components that have the potential to adopt combinatorially vast numbers of different configurations; 2) processes exist that generate numerous different configurations; and 3) configurations are preferentially selected based on function. We identify universal concepts of selection-static persistence, dynamic persistence, and novelty generation-that underpin function and drive systems to evolve through the exchange of information between the environment and the system. Accordingly, we propose a \"law of increasing functional information\": The functional information of a system will increase (i.e., the system will evolve) if many different configurations of the system undergo selection for one or more functions.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37844243/","authors":["Wong ML","Cleland CE","Arend D Jr","Bartlett S","Cleaves HJ 2nd","Demarest H","Prabhu A","Lunine JI","Hazen RM"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023 Oct 24","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:37819713","name":"Remote Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy of Bacterial Growths in Carbonate Rocks in a Mars-like Atmosphere.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Understanding the past habitable environments of Mars increases the requirement to recognize and examine modern analogs and to evaluate the mechanisms that may preserve biosignatures in them. The phenomenon that originates and preserves possible microbial biosignatures in mineral phases is of particular interest in astrobiology. On Earth, the precipitation of carbonate matrices can be mediated by bacteria. Besides microbialites and other sedimentary structures, carbonate formations can be observed in certain karstic caves. The present work is focused on the remote laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) characterization of cyanobacteria, exploring the possibilities for identification and discrimination on carbonate substrates. For this purpose, the extremophile cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis sp. (collected from the Nerja Cave, Malaga, Spain) was analyzed under laboratory-simulated martian conditions in terms of chemical composition and gas pressure. LIBS results related to acquired molecular emission features allowed bacterial differentiation from the colonized mineral substrate. In addition, the limits of detection were estimated with a laboratory-grown culture of the cyanobacterium Microcystis aureginosa . Our results reveal LIBS's capability to detect biological traces under simulated martian conditions. Additionally, the time-resolved analysis of the biological samples demonstrates the selection of optimal temporal conditions as a critical parameter for the preferential acquisition of molecular species in organic material.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37819713/","authors":["García-Gómez L","Delgado T","Fortes FJ","Del Rosal Y","Liñán C","Fernández LE","Cabalín LM","Laserna J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023 Nov","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:37763303","name":"Mineral-Mediated Oligoribonucleotide Condensation: Broadening the Scope of Prebiotic Possibilities on the Early Earth.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The origin of life on earth requires the synthesis of protobiopolymers in realistic geologic environments along strictly abiotic pathways that rely on inorganic phases (such as minerals) instead of cellular machinery to promote condensation. One such class of polymer central to biochemistry is the polynucleotides, and oligomerization of activated ribonucleotides has been widely studied. Nonetheless, the range of laboratory conditions tested to date is limited and the impact of realistic early Earth conditions on condensation reactions remains unexplored. Here, we investigate the potential for a variety of minerals to enhance oligomerization using ribonucleotide monomers as one example to model condensation under plausible planetary conditions. The results show that several minerals differing in both structure and composition enhance oligomerization. Sulfide minerals yielded oligomers of comparable lengths to those formed in the presence of clays, with galena being the most effective, yielding oligonucleotides up to six bases long. Montmorillonite continues to excel beyond other clays. Chemical pretreatment of the clay was not required, though maximum oligomer lengths decreased from ~11 to 6 bases. These results demonstrate the diversity of mineral phases that can impact condensation reactions and highlight the need for greater consideration of environmental context when assessing prebiotic synthesis and the origin of life.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37763303/","authors":["Riggi VS","Watson EB","Steele A","Rogers KL"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023 Sep 12","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:37742456","name":"Evaluation of the interference of Tenax®TA adsorbent with dimethylformamide dimethyl acetal reagent for gas chromatography-Dragonfly mass spectrometry and future gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in situ analysis.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Among future space missions, national aeronautics and space administration (NASA) selected two of them to analyze the diversity in organic content within Martian and Titan soil samples using a gas chromatograph - mass spectrometer (GC-MS) instrument. The Dragonfly space mission is planned to be launched in 2027 to Titan's surface and explore the Shangri-La surface region for years. One of the main goals of this mission is to understand the past and actual abundant prebiotic chemistry on Titan, which is not well characterized yet. The ExoMars space mission is planned to be launched in 2028 to Mars' surface and explore the Oxia Planum and Mawrth Vallis region for years. The main objectives focus on the exploration of the subsurface soil samples, potentially richer in organics, that might be relevant for the search of past life traces on Mars where irradiation does not impact the matrices and organics. One recently used sample pre-treatment for gas chromatography - mass spectrometry analysis is planned on both space missions to detect refractory organic molecules of interest for astrobiology. This pre-treatment is called derivatization and uses a chemical reagent - called dimethylformamide dimethyl acetal (DMF-DMA) - to sublimate organic compounds keeping them safe from thermal degradation and conserving the chirality of the molecules extracted from Titan or Mars' matrices. Indeed, the detection of building blocks of life or enantiomeric excess of some organics (e.g. amino acids) after DMF-DMA pre-treatment and GC-MS analyses would be both bioindicators. The main results highlighted by our work on DMF-DMA and Tenax&#xae;TA interaction and efficiency to detect organic compounds at ppb levels in a fast and single preparation are first that Tenax&#xae;TA did not show the onset of degradation until after 150 experiments - a 120&#xa0;h at 300&#xa0;&#xb0;C experiment - which greatly exceeds the experimental lifetimes for the DraMS and GC-space in situ investigations. Tenax&#xae;TA polymer and DMF-DMA produce many by-products (about 70 and 46, respectively, depending on the activation temperature). Further, the interaction between the two leads to the production of 22 additional by-products from DMF-DMA degradation, but these listed by-products do not prevent the detection of trace-level organic molecules after their efficient derivatization and volatilization by DMF-DMA in the oven ahead the GC-MS trap and column.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37742456/","authors":["Boulesteix D","Buch A","Ruscassier N","Freissinet C","Trainer MG","Coscia D","Teinturier S","Stern JC","He Y","Guzman M","Szopa C"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023 Oct 25","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:37672713","name":"Raman Spectroscopic and Microbial Study of Biofilms Hosted Gypsum Deposits in the Hypersaline Wetlands: Astrobiological Perspective.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Gypsum (CaSO 4 &#xb7;2H 2 O) has been identified at the surface of Mars, by both orbiters and rovers. Because gypsum mostly forms in the presence of liquid water as an essential element for sustaining microbial life and has a low porosity, which is ideal for preserving organic material, it is a promising target to look for signs of past microbial life. In this article, we studied organic matter preservation within gypsum that precipitates in a salt flat or a so-called coastal sabkha located in Qatar. Sabkha's ecosystem is considered a modern analog to evaporitic environments that may have existed on early Mars. We collected the sediment cores in the areas where gypsum is formed and performed DNA analysis to characterize the community of extremophilic microorganisms that is present at the site of gypsum formation. Subsequently, we applied Raman spectroscopy, a technique available on several rovers that are currently exploring Mars, to evaluate which organic molecules can be detected through the translucent gypsum crystals. We showed that organic material can be encapsulated into evaporitic gypsum and detected via Raman microscopy with simple, straightforward sample preparation. The molecular biology data proved useful for assessing to what extent complex Raman spectra can be linked to the original microbial community, dominated by Halobacteria and methanogenic archaea, providing a reference for a signal that may be detected on Mars.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37672713/","authors":["Diloreto Z","Ahmad MS","Al Saad Al-Kuwari H","Sadooni F","Bontognali TRR","Dittrich M"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023 Sep","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:37672600","name":"Investigation of the Cytotoxicity of Mars-Relevant Minerals upon Abrasion.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Since the Viking Labeled Release experiments were carried out on Mars in the 1970s, it has been evident that the martian surface regolith has a strong oxidizing capacity that can convert organic compounds into CO 2 and probably water. While H 2 O 2 was suggested originally for being the oxidizing agent responsible for the outcome of the Viking experiments, recent analyses of the martian regolith by the Phoenix lander and by consecutive missions point toward radiation-mediated decomposition products of perchlorate salts as the primary oxidant. In a series of experiments, we have shown that abrasion and triboelectric charging of basalt by simulated saltation could be an additional way of activating regolith. We have also shown that abraded basalt with a chemical composition close to that of martian regolith is toxic to several bacterial species and thus may affect the habitability of the martian surface. In the present study, we investigated the effect of the quantitatively most important minerals (olivine, augite, and plagioclase) and iron oxides (hematite, magnetite, and maghemite) on the survival of bacterial cells to elucidate whether a specific mineral that constitutes basalt is responsible for our observations. We observed that suspensions of iron-containing minerals olivine and augite in phosphate-buffered saline (1&#x2009;&#xd7;&#x2009;PBS) significantly reduce the number of surviving cells of our model organism Pseudomonas putida after 24&#x2009;h of incubation. In contrast, the iron-free mineral plagioclase showed no effect. We also observed that suspending abraded olivine and augite in 1&#x2009;&#xd7;&#x2009;PBS led to a dramatic increase in pH compared to the pH of 1&#x2009;&#xd7;&#x2009;PBS alone. The sudden increase in pH caused by the presence of these minerals may partly explain the observed cytotoxicity. The cytotoxic effect of augite could be relieved when a strong buffer (20&#x2009;&#xd7;&#x2009;PBS) was used. In contrast, olivine, despite the stronger buffer, maintained its cytotoxicity. Iron oxides per se have no negative effect on the survival of our test organism. Overall, our experiments confirm the cytotoxicity of basalt and show that no single constituent mineral of the basalt can account for its toxicity. We could show that abraded iron-containing minerals (olivine and augite) change the pH of water when brought into suspension and thereby could affect the habitability of martian regolith.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37672600/","authors":["Sigvartssøn MK","Bak EN","Nørnberg P","Jensen SJK","Thøgersen J","Begnhøj M","Finster K"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023 Oct","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:37592065","name":"Renaissance for magnetotactic bacteria in astrobiology.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Capable of forming magnetofossils similar to some magnetite nanocrystals observed in the Martian meteorite ALH84001, magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) once occupied a special position in the field of astrobiology during the 1990s and 2000s. This flourish of interest in putative Martian magnetofossils faded from all but the experts studying magnetosome formation, based on claims that abiotic processes could produce magnetosome-like magnetite crystals. Recently, the rapid growth in our knowledge of the extreme environments in which MTB thrive and their phylogenic heritage, leads us to advocate for a renaissance of MTB in astrobiology. In recent decades, magnetotactic members have been discovered alive in natural extreme environments with wide ranges of salinity (up to 90&#x2009;g&#x2009;L -1 ), pH (1-10), and temperature (0-70&#x2009;&#xb0;C). Additionally, some MTB populations are found to be able to survive irradiated, desiccated, metal-rich, hypomagnetic, or microgravity conditions, and are capable of utilizing simple inorganic compounds such as sulfate and nitrate. Moreover, MTB likely emerged quite early in Earth's history, coinciding with a period when the Martian surface was covered with liquid water as well as a strong magnetic field. MTB are commonly discovered in suboxic or oxic-anoxic interfaces in aquatic environments or sediments similar to ancient crater lakes on Mars, such as Gale crater and Jezero crater. Taken together, MTB can be exemplary model microorganisms in astrobiology research, and putative ancient Martian life, if it ever occurred, could plausibly have included magnetotactic microorganisms. Furthermore, we summarize multiple typical biosignatures that can be applied for the detection of ancient MTB on Earth and extraterrestrial MTB-like life. We suggest transporting MTB to space stations and simulation chambers to further investigate their tolerance potential and distinctive biosignatures to aid in understanding the evolutionary history of MTB and the potential of magnetofossils as an extraterrestrial biomarker.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37592065/","authors":["Shen J","Paterson GA","Wang Y","Kirschvink JL","Pan Y","Lin W"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023 Oct","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"pmid:37558847","name":"Sustained wet-dry cycling on early Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The presence of perennially wet surface environments on early Mars is well documented 1,2 , but little is known about short-term episodicity in the early hydroclimate 3 . Post-depositional processes driven by such short-term fluctuations may produce distinct structures, yet these&#xa0;are rarely preserved in the sedimentary record 4 . Incomplete geological constraints have led global models of the early Mars water cycle and climate to produce diverging results 5,6 . Here we report observations by the Curiosity rover at Gale Crater indicating that high-frequency wet-dry cycling occurred in early Martian surface environments. We observe exhumed centimetric polygonal ridges with sulfate enrichments, joined at Y-junctions, that record cracks formed in fresh mud owing to repeated wet-dry cycles of regular intensity. Instead of sporadic hydrological activity induced by impacts or volcanoes 5 , our findings point to a sustained, cyclic, possibly seasonal, climate on early Mars. Furthermore, as wet-dry cycling can promote prebiotic polymerization 7,8 , the Gale evaporitic basin may have been particularly conducive to these processes. The observed polygonal patterns are physically and temporally associated with the transition from smectite clays to sulfate-bearing strata, a globally distributed mineral transition 1 . This indicates that the Noachian-Hesperian transition (3.8-3.6&#x2009;billion years ago) may have sustained an Earth-like climate regime and surface environments favourable to prebiotic evolution.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37558847/","authors":["Rapin W","Dromart G","Clark BC","Schieber J","Kite ES","Kah LC","Thompson LM","Gasnault O","Lasue J","Meslin PY","Gasda PJ","Lanza NL"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023 Aug","addedAt":"2026-08-06T13:58:01.765Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.14477v2","name":"Self-sustaining living habitats in extraterrestrial environments","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Standard definitions of habitability assume that life requires the presence of planetary gravity wells to stabilize liquid water and regulate surface temperature. Here the consequences of relaxing this assumption are evaluated. Temperature, pressure, volatile loss, radiation levels and nutrient availability all appear to be surmountable obstacles to the survival of photosynthetic life in space or on celestial bodies with thin atmospheres. Biologically generated barriers capable of transmitting visible radiation, blocking ultraviolet, and sustaining temperature gradients of 25-100 K and pressure differences of 10 kPa against the vacuum of space can allow habitable conditions between 1 and 5 astronomical units in the solar system. Hence ecosystems capable of generating conditions for their own survival are physically plausible, given the known capabilities of biological materials on Earth. Biogenic habitats for photosynthetic life in extraterrestrial environments would have major benefits for human life support and sustainability in space. Because the evolution of life elsewhere may have followed very different pathways from on Earth, living habitats could also exist outside traditional habitable environments around other stars, where they would have unusual but potentially detectable biosignatures.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.14477v2","authors":["R. Wordsworth","C. Cockell"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-22T14:57:26Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1408.1134v1","name":"The Ĝ Infrared Search for Extraterrestrial Civilizations with Large Energy Supplies. II. Framework, Strategy, and First Result","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We motivate the Ĝ infrared search for extraterrestrial civilizations with large energy supplies. We discuss some philosophical difficulties of SETI, and how communication SETI circumvents them. We review \"Dysonian SETI\", the search for artifacts of alien civilizations, and find that it is highly complementary to traditional communication SETI; the two together might succeed where either one, alone, has not. We discuss the argument of Hart (1975) that spacefaring life in the Milky Way should be either galaxy-spanning or non-existent, and examine a portion of his argument that we dub the \"monocultural fallacy\". We discuss some rebuttals to Hart that invoke sustainability and predict long Galaxy colonization timescales. We find that the maximum Galaxy colonization timescale is actually much shorter than previous work has found ($&lt; 10^9$ yr), and that many \"sustainability\" counter-arguments to Hart's thesis suffer from the monocultural fallacy. We extend Hart's argument to alien energy supplies, and argue that detectably large energy supplies can plausibly be expected to exist because life has potential for exponential growth until checked by resource or other limitations, and intelligence implies the ability to overcome such limitations. As such, if Hart's thesis is correct then searches for large alien civilizations in other galaxies may be fruitful; if it is incorrect, then searches for civilizations within the Milky Way are more likely to succeed than Hart argued. We review some past Dysonian SETI efforts, and discuss the promise of new mid-infrared surveys, such as that of WISE.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1408.1134v1","authors":["J. T. Wright","R. Griffith","S. Sigurðsson","M. S. Povich","B. Mullan"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph","astro-ph.GA"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-08-05T22:20:32Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0212079v1","name":"H2O- and OH-bearing minerals in the Martian regolith: Analysis of 1997 observations from HST/NICMOS","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We have analyzed observations of the Acidalia hemisphere of Mars taken by the Hubble Space Telescope's Near-Infrared Camera Multi-Object Spectrograph (HST/NICMOS) during July of 1997 (Ls = 152 degrees, northern Martian summer). The data consist of images at ~60 km/pixel resolution, using both narrow- and medium-band filters specifically selected to allow us to study the hydration state of the Martian surface. Calibration was performed by comparison to Phobos-2 ISM observations of overlapping regions, and atmospheric gas correction was performed by modeling the atmosphere for each pixel using a line-by-line radiative transfer code coupled with the MOLA altimetry data. Our results indicate the presence of at least three spectrally different large-scale (&gt;1000 km diameter) terrains corresponding to the dark regions of northern Acidalia, the southern hemisphere classical dark terrain, and the classical intermediate terrain adjacent to southern Acidalia. We also identified two other spectrally unique terrains, corresponding to the northern polar ice cap, and to the southern winter polar hood. Comparisons with mineral spectra indicate the possibility of different H2O- or OH-bearing (i.e., hydroxides and/or hydrates) minerals existing both in northern Acidalia and in the nearby intermediate albedo terrain. Hydrated minerals do not appear to be spectrally important components of the southern hemisphere dark terrains imaged by HST in 1997.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0212079v1","authors":["E. Z. Noe Dobrea","J. F. Bell","M. J. Wolff","K. D. Gordon"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-12-03T19:43:27Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.13937v1","name":"Rock Classification through Knowledge-Enhanced Deep Learning: A Hybrid Mineral-Based Approach","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Automated rock classification from mineral composition presents a significant challenge in geological applications, with critical implications for material recycling, resource management, and industrial processing. While existing methods using One dimensional Convolutional Neural Network (1D-CNN) excel at mineral identification through Raman spectroscopy, the crucial step of determining rock types from mineral assemblages remains unsolved, particularly because the same minerals can form different rock types depending on their proportions and formation conditions. This study presents a novel knowledge-enhanced deep learning approach that integrates geological domain expertise with spectral analysis. The performance of five machine learning methods were evaluated out of which the 1D-CNN and its uncertainty-aware variant demonstrated excellent mineral classification performance (98.37+-0.006% and 97.75+-0.010% respectively). The integrated system's evaluation on rock samples revealed variable performance across lithologies, with optimal results for limestone classification but reduced accuracy for rocks sharing similar mineral assemblages. These findings not only show critical challenges in automated geological classification systems but also provide a methodological framework for advancing material characterization and sorting technologies.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.13937v1","authors":["Iye Szin Ang","Martin Johannes Findl","Elisabeth Hauzinger","Klaus Philipp Sedlazeck","Jyrki Savolainen","Ronald Bakker","Robert Galler","Elmar Rueckert"],"tags":["cs.CE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-15T17:24:37Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1003.0760v1","name":"Relationship between Colours of Ochre from Roussillon and Content of Iron-Bearing Minerals","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Nine samples of ochre originating from the Sentier des Ocres near Roussillon, France, were studied with Mossbauer spectroscopy and Spectro-photo-colorimetry. The former yielded a quantitative phase analysis of iron containing minerals (goethite, hematite and kaolin), and the latter enabled determination of the CIE-L*a*b* colorimetric coefficients. Based on the results obtained it is shown that both a* and b* coordinates are responsible for the colour of the investigated ochres.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1003.0760v1","authors":["S. M. Dubiel","J. Cieslak","J. Tarasiuk","J. Niziol"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci","cond-mat.other"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-03-03T09:37:08Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2606.05798v1","name":"Beyond Critical Minerals Targets: Digital Rock Physics as Infrastructure for Secure and Circular Supply Chains","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The United Kingdom and Europe are moving rapidly from critical minerals target-setting to implementation. The EU Critical Raw Materials Act and the UK's Vision 2035 create ambitious benchmarks for domestic extraction, processing, recycling, circularity, and supply-chain resilience, but many prospective regional resources remain complex, under-explored, historically worked, or economically marginal. This paper argues that implementation will depend not only on permitting reform and project designation, but also on pre-competitive measurement, modelling, and data infrastructure capable of determining which ores, brines, waste streams, and recycling feedstocks can be processed viably and with lower environmental impact. Digital Rock Physics (DRP) should therefore be understood as enabling infrastructure for resource policy rather than as a specialist laboratory method alone. By combining three-dimensional imaging, correlative chemistry, AI-enabled image analysis, and pore-scale modelling, DRP can connect mineral texture and reactive pathways to decisions about ore characterisation, liberation prediction, leaching, Direct Lithium Extraction, mine-waste valorisation, and battery recycling. The paper sets out a UK-European policy agenda built around translational demonstrators, cross-disciplinary training, a Digital Ore Passport standard, a federated Digital Ore Database, and integrated geo-reactive end stations. Treated as shared implementation infrastructure, DRP could help turn critical minerals strategies into practical routes for supply security, resource efficiency, circularity, and more environmentally responsible development.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.05798v1","authors":["Hannah P. Menke","Alessio Scanziani","Maja Rücker"],"tags":["cond-mat.other"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-04T07:26:58Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2003.08739v1","name":"Quantum driven proton diffusion in brucite-like minerals under high pressure","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We investigate the elementary steps at the microscopic level for proton diffusion in brucite under high pressure, which results from a complex interplay between two processes: the O-H reorientations motion around the $\\mathbf c$ axis and O-H covalent bond dissociations. First-principle path-integral molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the increasing pressure tends to lock the former motion, while, in contrast, it activates the latter which is mainly triggered by nuclear quantum effects. These two competing effects therefore give rise to a pressure sweet spot for proton diffusion within the mineral. In brucite \\ce{Mg(OH)2}, proton diffusion reaches a maximum for pressures close to 70GPa, while the structurally similar portlandite \\ce{Ca(OH)2} never shows proton diffusion within the pressure range and time scale that we explored. We analyze the different behaviors of brucite and portlandite, which might constitute two prototypes for other minerals with the same structure.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2003.08739v1","authors":["Sofiane Schaack","Philippe Depondt","Simon Huppert","Fabio Finocchi"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-02-21T13:48:20Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2305.08143v1","name":"Reliability Analysis of Monitoring System for Extraterrestrial Habitat using CTMC and Empirical Evaluation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Among the various required resources for this civilization, the habitat is one of the crucial resources to live on Mars. Such an extraterrestrial habitat is designed to provide a safe place to live during the initial missions. It is equipped with monitoring and life support systems to ensure the astronauts' safety. In this work, we present a robust monitoring system with a use case for extraterrestrial habitats. Similar to a typical monitoring system, it consists of sensor nodes and a gateway connected through a wireless communication channel. In our system, we introduce robustness to various failures that can occur after deployment, namely, board, sensor and gateway failure, in the form of redundancy. For each failure, the problem is tackled differently. For the first two types, we use additional hardware as backup, while for the last type, we use neighbouring devices as backups. The backup devices function as replacements for the failed component, which helps the system to collect the data which would otherwise be lost. We evaluate how much the performance of the system improves by using backup devices. We use a Continuous-Time Markov chain for the theoretical evaluation and an experimental setup that includes the hardware prototype for the empirical evaluation. We also analyze the effect of a simple medium access mechanism on the system's performance in the presence of heavy noise on the channel. Based on our requirements, we use a simple custom medium access control (MAC) algorithm called Slotted-ALOHA with Random Back-off (SARB) to make communication reliable. We demonstrate that around $30-34\\%$ of the packets are recovered, with the use of backup devices (redundancy), which would otherwise be lost in case of failures. We also demonstrate that the system's performance improves by $3.8-13.2\\%$ with the use of a simple medium access technique (SARB).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2305.08143v1","authors":["Saurabh Band","Florian Stechmann","Malavika Unnikrishnan","Shadi Attarha","Christiane Heinicke","Andreas Willig","Anna Förster"],"tags":["eess.SY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-05-14T12:29:16Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1305.6796v2","name":"Extraterrestrial sink dynamics in granular matter","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A loosely packed bed of sand sits precariously on the fence between mechanically stable and flowing states. This has especially strong implications for animals or vehicles needing to navigate sandy environments, which can sink and become stuck in a \"dry quicksand\" if their weight exceeds the yield stress of this fragile matter. While it is known that the contact stresses in these systems are loaded by gravity, very little is known about the sinking dynamics of objects into loose granular systems under gravitational accelerations different from the Earth's (g). A fundamental understanding of how objects sink in different gravitational environments is not only necessary for successful planetary navigation and engineering, but it can also improve our understanding of celestial impact dynamics and crater geomorphology. Here we perform and explain the first systematic experiments of the sink dynamics of objects into granular media in different gravitational accelerations. By using an accelerating experimental apparatus, we explore gravitational conditions ranging from 0.4g to 1.2g. With the aid of discrete element modeling simulations, we reproduce these results and extend this range to include objects as small as asteroids and as large as Jupiter. Surprisingly, we find that the final sink depth is independent of the gravitational acceleration, an observation with immediate relevance to the design of future extraterrestrial structures land-roving spacecraft. Using a phenomenological equation of motion that includes a gravity-loaded frictional term, we are able to quantitatively explain the experimental and simulation results.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1305.6796v2","authors":["E. Altshuler","H. Torres","A. González-Pita","G. Sánchez-Colina","C. Pérez-Penichet","S. Waitukaitis","R. C. Hidalgo"],"tags":["cond-mat.soft","physics.flu-dyn"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-05-29T13:38:36Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2108.05215v3","name":"Communicating extraterrestrial intelligence (CETI) interaction models based on the Drake Equation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Drake Equation has proven fertile ground for speculation about the abundance, or lack thereof, of communicating extraterrestrial intelligences (CETIs) for decades. It has been augmented by subsequent authors to include random variables in order to understand its probabilistic behavior. However, in most cases, the emergence and lifetime of CETIs are assumed to be independent of each other. In this paper, we will derive several expressions that can demonstrate how CETIs may relate to each other in technological age as well as how the dynamics of the concurrent CETI population change under basic models of interaction, such as the Allee Effect. By defining interaction as the change in the expected communication lifetime with respect to the density of CETI in a region of space, we can use models and simulation to understand how the CETI density can promote or inhibit the longevity and overall population of interstellar technological civilizations.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2108.05215v3","authors":["Reginald D. Smith"],"tags":["physics.gen-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-06-19T01:42:48Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2002.12190v1","name":"Extraterrestrial artificial particle sources. Application to neutrino physics and cosmic rays studies","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The memo is exploring possibilities to set up extraterrestrial experimental facilities to study particles physics. The Moon is considered as the most promising location for artificial particle sources outside the Earth. This natural satellite is surrounded with deep vacuum, is at low cryogenic temperatures and is always facing the Earth with one side. These features can be exploited by setting up lunar neutrino factory, which may create a possibility for more precise measurements of oscillations and possibly mass of neutrinos. Various types of facilities are discussed with focus on lunar linear accelerators and nuclear reactors. The other types such as lunar colliders or even orbiting sources are briefly mentioned too. Lunar particle accelerators pointing to Earth can also be used to calibrate atmospheric shower models, which are the key part of cosmic rays research.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2002.12190v1","authors":["Nikolai Zaitsev"],"tags":["hep-ex"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-02-20T16:34:23Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2202.03364v1","name":"The Cosmic Hitchhikers Hypothesis: Extraterrestrial Civilizations Using Free-Floating Planets for Interstellar Colonization","source":"arxiv","abstract":"I propose the Cosmic Hitchhikers hypothesis as follows. Advanced extraterrestrial civilizations may use free-floating planets as interstellar transportation for space exploration and interstellar colonization. Large groups or populations of their biological species, post-biological species, and technologies may become Cosmic Hitchhikers when they ride free-floating planets to reach, explore and colonize planetary systems. To get an interstellar ride, Cosmic Hitchhikers may travel to free-floating planets passing close by their home worlds. Otherwise, they may use astronomical engineering to steer free-floating planets toward their home planetary systems. Cosmic Hitchhikers may also ride objects native to the outer regions of their planetary systems, which become free-floating planets when ejected by astronomical engineering or by their stars during the asymptotic giant branch evolution. During interstellar travel, Cosmic Hitchhikers may apply astronomical engineering to steer their free-floating planets toward the planetary systems of their choice. Whereas riding free-floating planets may not save travel time, it avoids the technical challenges of interstellar spacecraft transporting large populations. Each civilization of Cosmic Hitchhikers may colonize several planetary systems. Its colonies may grow into autonomous civilizations, changing the number of civilizations in the Galaxy. Over the last 4 billion years, Cosmic Hitchhikers or their artifacts riding free-floating planets might have passed by the Solar System. Therefore, their artifacts might exist in the Solar System or in our stellar neighborhood. SETI and SETA should include the search for Cosmic Hitchhikers and their artifacts. Keywords: SETI, SETA, free-floating planet, extraterrestrial civilization, interstellar travel, interstellar colonization, artifact, Cosmic Hitchhikers","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2202.03364v1","authors":["Irina K. Romanovskaya"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-12T21:50:19Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2607.27485v1","name":"Energy Market and Carbon Emission Spillovers in Critical Minerals Investment: A Dynamic Connectedness Approach","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Design/methodology/approach A time-varying parameter vector autoregression (TVP-VAR) model is employed to quantify dynamic connectedness and directional volatility spillovers using daily data from May 1, 2013, to May 2, 2023. The study isolates the impact of extreme events by splitting the data into pre- and post-COVID-19 samples based on the February 2020 stock market crash. Purpose This paper examines the daily financial risk spillovers associated with investing in critical minerals. It examines the dynamic interconnectedness between seven critical mineral Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) portfolios and key economic-wide variables, including the energy market, carbon emissions, market sentiment, and global infrastructure. Findings Portfolios with high Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) scores significantly contribute to shock spillovers. Net directional connectedness analysis reveals that West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil and carbon emission futures consistently act as \"net receivers,\" absorbing volatility from the system. Conversely, Cobalt and Aluminum ETFs primarily act as \"net givers,\" transmitting volatility. The pandemic caused significant structural shifts in these transmission roles. Practical implications The identification of specific net givers and receivers provides actionable insights for investors, facilitating better hedging strategies against time-varying structural breaks and broader economic shocks. Originality This study uniquely utilizes financial ETF data rather than physical mineral prices to capture accessible investment risks. It is among the first to link ESG scores to the directional role (giver vs. receiver) of critical mineral assets within a broader macro-financial network.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.27485v1","authors":["Haibo Wang","Lutfu Sua","Jaime Ortiz","Jun Huang","Bahram Alidaee"],"tags":["econ.EM","q-fin.TR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-29T21:59:54Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1905.02602v3","name":"Dissecting Android Cryptocurrency Miners","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Cryptojacking applications pose a serious threat to mobile devices. Due to the extensive computations, they deplete the battery fast and can even damage the device. In this work we make a step towards combating this threat. We collected and manually verified a large dataset of Android mining apps. In this paper, we analyze the gathered miners and identify how they work, what are the most popular libraries and APIs used to facilitate their development, and what static features are typical for this class of applications. Further, we analyzed our dataset using VirusTotal. The majority of our samples is considered malicious by at least one VirusTotal scanner, but 16 apps are not detected by any engine; and at least 5 apks were not seen previously by the service. Mining code could be obfuscated or fetched at runtime, and there are many confusing miner-related apps that actually do not mine. Thus, static features alone are not sufficient for miner detection. We have collected a feature set of dynamic metrics both for miners and unrelated benign apps, and built a machine learning-based tool for dynamic detection. Our BrenntDroid tool is able to detect miners with 95% of accuracy on our dataset. This preprint is a technical report accompanying the paper \"Dissecting Android Cryptocurrency Miners\" published in ACM CODASPY 2020.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1905.02602v3","authors":["Stanislav Dashevskyi","Yury Zhauniarovich","Olga Gadyatskaya","Aleksandr Pilgun","Hamza Ouhssain"],"tags":["cs.CR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-05-07T14:19:45Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2007.09904v1","name":"Estimating survival probability using the terrestrial extinction history for the search for extraterrestrial life","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Several exoplanets have been discovered to date, and the next step is the search for extraterrestrial life. However, it is difficult to estimate the number of life-bearing exoplanets because our only template is based on life on Earth. In this paper, a new approach is introduced to estimate the probability that life on Earth has survived from birth to the present based on its terrestrial extinction history. A histogram of the extinction intensity during the Phanerozoic Eon is modeled effectively with a log-normal function, supporting the idea that terrestrial extinction is a random multiplicative process. Assuming that the fitted function is a probability density function of extinction intensity per unit time, the estimated survival probability of life on Earth is ~0.15 from the beginning of life to the present. This value can be a constraint on $f_i$ in the Drake equation, which contributes to estimating the number of life-bearing exoplanets.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2007.09904v1","authors":["Kohji Tsumura"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-07-20T06:32:42Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2005.13221v2","name":"Qualitative classification of extraterrestrial civilizations","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Abridged: The interest towards searches for extraterrestrial civilizations (ETCs) was boosted by the discovery of thousands of exoplanets. We turn to the classification of ETCs for new considerations that may help to design better strategies for ETCs searches. We take a basic taxonomic approach to ETCs and investigate the implications of the new classification on ETCs observational patterns. We use as a counter-example to our qualitative classification the quantitative scheme of Kardashev. We propose a classification based on the abilities of ETCs to modify their environment and to integrate with it: Class 0 uses the environment as it is, Class 1 modifies the it to fit its needs, Class 2 modifies itself to fit the environment and Class 3 ETC is fully integrated with the environment. Combined with the classical Kardashev's scale our scheme forms a 2d scheme for interpreting ETC properties. The new framework makes it obvious that the available energy is not an unique measure of ETCs, it may not even correlate with how well that energy is used. The possibility for progress without increased energy consumption implies lower detectability, so the existence of a Kardashev Type III ETC in the Milky Way cannot be ruled out. This reasoning weakens the Fermi paradox, allowing the existence of advanced, yet not energy hungry, low detectability ETCs. The integration of ETCs with environment makes it impossible to tell apart technosignatures from natural phenomena. Thus, the most likely opportunity for SETI searches is to look for beacons, specifically set up by them for young civilizations like us (if they want to do that is a matter of speculation). The other SETI window is to search for ETCs at technological level close to ours. To rephrase the saying of A. Clarke, sufficiently advanced civilizations are indistinguishable from nature.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2005.13221v2","authors":["Valentin D. Ivanov","Juan Carlos Beamin","Claudio Caceres","Dante Minniti"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-05-27T08:04:43Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2605.02926v2","name":"Towards Geostrategic Critical Minerals and Materials Resilience: Secure Supply-Chain and Criticality Analyses for Quantum Technologies in Arctic and Space Environments","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This manuscript maps secure-supply and criticality risks for quantum technologies deployed in extreme environments, linking upstream critical minerals and materials (CMMs) to downstream system performance, continuity of security, and mission assurance. It adopts a reproducible \"Critical Level I\" screening method to identify materials whose supply concentration, essentiality, and limited mitigatability can create bottlenecks for quantum deployment. The analysis is structured around two use cases: (i) niobium as a key input for superconducting quantum computing and related manufacturing and toolchain dependencies; and (ii) space-qualified superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs), alongside adjacent single-photon detector platforms such as SPADs, where radiation, thermal cycling, vibration, and electromagnetic interference can degrade device metrics and, in communications settings, threaten continuity of security. The manuscript further situates these dependencies within U.S.-China strategic competition over critical materials, refining capacity, export controls, and overseas mineral acquisitions, while also connecting them to standards-first governance, post-quantum cryptography migration, and the emerging security logic of quantum networking. It argues that static national critical-minerals lists are insufficient for mission-relevant quantum technology and proposes a dedicated Quantum Criticality and Critical Minerals (QCCM) dashboard as a living decision-support tool for tracking concentration, substitutability, qualification bottlenecks, stockpiling gaps, and geopolitical stress signals across quantum platforms. The paper concludes with implications for substitution, diversification, stockpiling, shielding, qualification-by-design, and standards-aligned governance to support secure, sustained, and mission-relevant quantum deployment.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.02926v2","authors":["Min-Ha Lee","Alan J. Hurd","Jolante Wieke Van Wijk","Mauritz Kop"],"tags":["physics.soc-ph","physics.space-ph","quant-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-25T21:02:11Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.15960v3","name":"Reactive Transport Modeling with Physics-Informed Machine Learning for Critical Minerals Applications","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This study presents a physics-informed neural network (PINN) framework for reactive transport modeling for simulating fast bimolecular reactions in porous media. Accurate characterization of chemical interactions and product formation in surface and subsurface environments is essential for advancing critical mineral extraction and related geoscience applications.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.15960v3","authors":["K. Adhikari","Md. Lal Mamud","M. K. Mudunuru","K. B. Nakshatrala"],"tags":["math.NA"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-19T02:09:57Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1706.00653v3","name":"Decryption of Messages from Extraterrestrial Intelligence Using the Power of Social Media - The SETI Decrypt Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"With the advent of modern astronomy, humans might now have acquired the technological and intellectual requirements to communicate with other intelligent beings beyond the solar system, if they exist. Radio signals have been identified as a means for interstellar communication about 60 years ago. And the Square Kilometer Array will be capable of detecting extrasolar radio sources analogous to terrestrial high-power radars out to several tens of light years. The ultimate question is: will we be able to understand the message, or, vice versa, if we submit a message to extraterrestrial intelligence first, how can we make sure that they understand us? Here I report on the largest blind experiment of a pretend radio message received on Earth from beyond the solar system. I posted a sequence of about two million binary digits (\"0\" and \"1\") to the social media that encoded a configuration frame, two slides with mathematical content, and four images along with spatial and temporal information about their contents. Six questions were asked that would need to be answered to document the successful decryption of the message. Within a month after the posting, over 300 replies were received in total, including comments and requests for hints, 66 of which contained the correct solutions. About half of the solutions were derived fully independently, the other half profited from public online discussions and spoilers. This experiment demonstrates the power of the world wide web to help interpreting possible future messages from extraterrestrial intelligence and to test decryptability of our own deliberate interstellar messages.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1706.00653v3","authors":["René Heller"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-06-02T12:19:01Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2203.13894v1","name":"Geophysical inversions to delineate rocks with CO$_2$ sequestration potential through carbon mineralization","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In addition to reducing anthropogenic emissions of CO$_2$, it is increasingly clear we also need to remove CO$_2$ from the atmosphere in order to avoid some of the worst case scenarios for climate change. Geologic sequestration of CO$_2$ is among the most attractive approaches because of the large global capacity and long-time scales for storage. One mechanism of geologic storage is through carbon mineralization. Some mafic and ultramafic rocks contain minerals that will react with CO$_2$ in a carbonation reaction and convert it to carbonated minerals. This is effectively a permanent CO$_2$ storage mechanism. The geologic question we are faced with is then to locate, delineate and estimate the volume of potentially reactive rocks. Using a synthetic model that emulates a prospective site for carbon mineralization in British Columbia, we simulate and invert gravity and magnetic data to delineate reactive rocks. We begin by inverting each data set independently and introduce a proxy experiment to contend with the challenging problem of choosing an appropriate physical-property threshold to estimate volumes from the recovered model. We use this proxy experiment to estimate thresholds for standard, $\\ell_2$ inversion of the gravity and magnetics, as well as for inversions which use sparse and compact norms. A Petrophysically and Geologically Guided Inversion (PGI) framework is used to construct quasi-geologic models from which volumes can be estimated directly. We apply the PGI framework to the magnetics and gravity data independently. The framework is also used to jointly invert these data and produce a model that is consistent with both data sets. Cumulative volume estimates with depth are informative and can help decide whether in situ or ex situ sequestration might be appropriate. Using each of the inverted models, we estimate cumulative volume of reactive rock as a function of depth.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2203.13894v1","authors":["Lindsey J. Heagy","Thibaut Astic","Joseph Capriotti","John Weis","Douglas W. Oldenburg"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-25T20:10:08Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2005.02028v2","name":"Magnetic hexamers interacting in layers in the (Na,K)$_2$Cu$_3$O(SO$_4)_3$ minerals","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Magnetic properties and underlying magnetic models of the synthetic A$_2$Cu$_3$O(SO$_4)_3$ fedotovite (A = K) and puninite (A = Na) minerals, as well as the mixed euchlorine-type NaKCu$_3$O(SO$_4)_3$ are reported. We show that all these compounds contain magnetic Cu$_6$ hexamer units, which at temperatures below about 100 K act as single spin-1 entities. Weak interactions between these magnetic molecules lead to long-range order below $T_N$ = 3.4 K (A = Na), 4.7 K (A = NaK), and about 3.0 K (A = K). The formation of the magnetic order is elucidated by ab initio calculations that reveal two-dimensional inter-hexamer interactions within crystallographic $bc$ planes. This model indicates the presence of a weakly distorted square lattice of $S=1$ magnetic ions and challenges the earlier description of the A$_2$Cu$_3$O(SO$_4)_3$ minerals in terms of Haldane spin chains.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2005.02028v2","authors":["Diana O. Nekrasova","Alexander A. Tsirlin","Marie Colmont","Oleg I. Siidra","Hervé Vezin","Olivier Mentré"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci","cond-mat.str-el"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-05-05T09:51:41Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1104.4462v2","name":"Would contact with extraterrestrials benefit or harm humanity? A scenario analysis","source":"arxiv","abstract":"While humanity has not yet observed any extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI), contact with ETI remains possible. Contact could occur through a broad range of scenarios that have varying consequences for humanity. However, many discussions of this question assume that contact will follow a particular scenario that derives from the hopes and fears of the author. In this paper, we analyze a broad range of contact scenarios in terms of whether contact with ETI would benefit or harm humanity. This type of broad analysis can help us prepare for actual contact with ETI even if the details of contact do not fully resemble any specific scenario.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1104.4462v2","authors":["Seth D. Baum","Jacob D. Haqq-Misra","Shawn D. Domagal-Goldman"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-04-22T15:04:33Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2006.08016v2","name":"Equilibrium of Blockchain Miners with Dynamic Asset Allocation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We model and analyze blockchain miners who seek to maximize the compound return of their mining businesses. The analysis of the optimal strategies finds a new equilibrium point among the miners and the mining pools, which predicts the market share of each miner or mining pool. The cost of mining determines the share of each miner or mining pool at equilibrium. We conclude that neither miners nor mining pools who seek to maximize their compound return will have a financial incentive to occupy more than 50% of the hash rate if the cost of mining is at the same level for all. However, if there is an outstandingly cost-efficient miner, then the market share of this miner may exceed 50% in the equilibrium, which can threaten the viability of the entire ecosystem.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2006.08016v2","authors":["Go Yamamoto","Aron Laszka","Fuhito Kojima"],"tags":["cs.CR","cs.CY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-06-14T20:52:31Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2303.09111v1","name":"Interaction of Acoustic and Optical Phonons in Soft Bonded Cu-Se Framework of Large Unit Cell Minerals with Anionic Disorders","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Large unit cell copper-chalcogenide based minerals with high crystalline anharmonicity have a potential for thermoelectric applications owing to their inherent poor lattice thermal conductivity. Here, the softening of copper-selenium bonding and hence crystal framework plays an important role in superionic conduction and thermal conductivity. We have studied Cu26Nb2Sn6Se32, Cu26Nb2Sn6Se31.5 and Cu26Nb2Sn6Se30Te2 minerals with a strategically tailored anionic disorders. These compounds have p-type degenerate behavior with carrier concentration ranging between 1020 cm-3 at 300 K, high power factor and low lattice thermal conductivity at 640 K. The existence of two low frequency Raman active optical modes associated with soft Cu and Se atoms, three localized Einstein modes in specific heat, suggest high scattering between acoustic and optical branches with very short phonon lifetime less than 1 ps. The excess vibrational density of states at low energies with compressed and flat optical branches strongly hinders the heat transport in these crystalline mineral. Comparatively, Cu26Nb2Sn6Se30Te2 is a promising thermoelectric material because of high crystalline anharmonicity and softening of Cu-Se framework due to heavier tellurium atom.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.09111v1","authors":["Kewal Singh Rana","Raveena Gupta","Debattam Sarkar","Niraj Kumar Singh","Somnath Acharya","Satish Vitta","Chandan Bera","Kanishka Biswas","Ajay Soni"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci","cond-mat.other"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-03-16T06:53:12Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2603.17236v1","name":"Neural Radiance Maps for Extraterrestrial Navigation and Path Planning","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Autonomous vehicles such as the Mars rovers currently lead the vanguard of surface exploration on extraterrestrial planets and moons. In order to accelerate the pace of exploration and science objectives, it is critical to plan safe and efficient paths for these vehicles. However, current rover autonomy is limited by a lack of global maps which can be easily constructed and stored for onboard re-planning. Recently, Neural Radiance Fields (NeRFs) have been introduced as a detailed 3D scene representation which can be trained from sparse 2D images and efficiently stored. We propose to use NeRFs to construct maps for online use in autonomous navigation, and present a planning framework which leverages the NeRF map to integrate local and global information. Our approach interpolates local cost observations across global regions using kernel ridge regression over terrain features extracted from the NeRF map, allowing the rover to re-route itself around untraversable areas discovered during online operation. We validate our approach in high-fidelity simulation and demonstrate lower cost and higher percentage success rate path planning compared to various baselines.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.17236v1","authors":["Adam Dai","Shubh Gupta","Grace Gao"],"tags":["cs.RO","cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-18T00:39:20Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1409.2710v1","name":"eAnt-Miner : An Ensemble Ant-Miner to Improve the ACO Classification","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) has been applied in supervised learning in order to induce classification rules as well as decision trees, named Ant-Miners. Although these are competitive classifiers, the stability of these classifiers is an important concern that owes to their stochastic nature. In this paper, to address this issue, an acclaimed machine learning technique named, ensemble of classifiers is applied, where an ACO classifier is used as a base classifier to prepare the ensemble. The main trade-off is, the predictions in the new approach are determined by discovering a group of models as opposed to the single model classification. In essence, we prepare multiple models from the randomly replaced samples of training data from which, a unique model is prepared by aggregating the models to test the unseen data points. The main objective of this new approach is to increase the stability of the Ant-Miner results there by improving the performance of ACO classification. We found that the ensemble Ant-Miners significantly improved the stability by reducing the classification error on unseen data.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1409.2710v1","authors":["Gopinath Chennupati"],"tags":["cs.NE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-09-09T12:24:22Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1902.05859v2","name":"Circular spectropolarimetric sensing of vegetation in the field; possibilities for the remote detection of extraterrestrial life","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Homochirality is a generic and unique property of all biochemical life and the fractional circular polarization of light it induces therefore constitutes a potentially unambiguous biosignature.} However, while high-quality circular polarimetric spectra can be easily and quickly obtained in the laboratory, accurate measurements in the field are much more challenging due to large changes in illumination and target movement. In this study we have measured various targets in the field, up to distances of a few kilometers, using the dedicated circular spectropolarimeter TreePol. We show how photosynthetic life can readily be distinguished from abiotic matter. We underline the potential of circular polarization signals as a remotely accessible means to characterize and monitor terrestrial vegetation, e.g. for agriculture and forestry. Additionally, we discuss the potential of circular polarization for the remote detection of extraterrestrial life.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1902.05859v2","authors":["C. H. Lucas Patty","Inge Loes ten Kate","Wybren Jan Buma","Rob J. M. van Spanning","Gábor Steinbach","Freek Ariese","Frans Snik"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.bio-ph","q-bio.BM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-15T15:48:01Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.20482v1","name":"Mineral Detection of Neutrinos and Dark Matter 2025 Proceedings","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The third ``Mineral Detection of Neutrinos and Dark Matter'' (MD$ν$DM'25) meeting was held May 20-23, 2025 in Yokohama, Japan, hosted by the Yokohama Institute for Earth Sciences, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC). These proceedings compile contributions from the workshop and update the progress of mineral detector research. MD$ν$DM'25 was the third such meeting, following the first in October of 2022 held at the IFPU in Trieste, Italy and the second in January of 2024 hosted by the Center for Neutrino Physics at Virginia Tech in Arlington, USA. Mineral detectors record and retain damage induced by nuclear recoils in synthetic or natural mineral samples. The damage features can then be read out by a variety of nano- and micro-scale imaging techniques. Applications of mineral detectors on timescales relevant for laboratory experiments include reactor neutrino monitoring and dark matter detection, with the potential to measure the directions as well as the energies of the induced nuclear recoils. For natural mineral detectors which record nuclear recoils over geological timescales, reading out even small mineral samples could be sensitive to rare interactions induced by astrophysical neutrinos, cosmic rays, dark matter and heavy exotic particles. A series of mineral detectors of different ages could measure the time evolution of these fluxes, offering a unique window into the history of our solar system and the Milky Way. Mineral detector research is highly multidisciplinary, incorporating aspects of high energy physics, condensed matter physics, materials science, geoscience, and AI/ML for data analysis. Although realizing the scientific potential of mineral detectors poses many challenges, the MD$ν$DM community looks forward to the continued development of mineral detector experiments and the possible discoveries that mineral detectors could reveal.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.20482v1","authors":["Shigenobu Hirose","Patrick Stengel","Natsue Abe","Daniel Ang","Lorenzo Apollonio","Gabriela R. Araujo","Yoshihiro Asahara","Laura Baudis","Pranshu Bhaumik","Nathaniel Bowden","Joseph Bramante","Lorenzo Caccianiga"],"tags":["physics.ins-det","astro-ph.CO","astro-ph.IM","hep-ex","hep-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-28T06:59:44Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.15713v1","name":"Parts-per-billion Trace Element Detection in Anhydrous Minerals by Micro-scale Quantitative NMR","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Nominally anhydrous minerals (NAMs) composing Earth's and planetary rocks incorporate microscopic amounts of volatiles. However, volatile distribution in NAMs and their effect on physical properties of rocks remain controversial. Thus, constraining trace volatile concentrations in NAMs is tantamount to our understanding of the evolution of rocky planets and planetesimals. Here, we present a novel approach of trace-element quantification using micro-scale Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. This approach employs the principle of enhanced mass-sensitivity in NMR microcoils formerly used in \\textit{in-situ} high pressure experiments. We were able to demonstrate that this method is in excellent agreement with standard methods across their respective detection capabilities. We show that by simultaneous detection of internal reference nuclei, the quantification sensitivity can be substantially increased, leading to quantifiable trace volatile element amounts of about $50$ wt-ppb measured in a micro-meter sized single anorthitic mineral grain, greatly enhancing detection capabilities of volatiles in geologically important systems.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.15713v1","authors":["Yunhua Fu","Renbiao Tao","Lifei Zhang","Shijie Li","Ya-Nan Yang","Dehan Shen","Zilong Wang","Thomas Meier"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM","physics.ins-det"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-24T08:04:40Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1606.03065v1","name":"Impact of Rocks and Minerals on Underground Magneto-Inductive Communication and Localization","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, we analyze the effect of different underground materials on very-low and low frequency magnetic fields used in the contexts of magneto-inductive localization and communication applications, respectively. We calculate the attenuation that these magnetic fields are subject to while passing through most common rocks and minerals. Knowing the attenuation properties is crucial in the design of underground magneto-inductive communication systems. In addition, we provide means to predict the distortions in the magnetic field that impair localization systems. The proposed work offers basic design guidelines for communication and localization systems in terms of channel path-loss, operation frequencies and bandwidth. For the sake of the reproducibility of the results, we provide the raw data and processing source code to be used by the two research communities.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1606.03065v1","authors":["Traian E. Abrudan","Orfeas Kypris","Niki Trigoni","Andrew Markham"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-06-09T18:58:00Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2107.05872v1","name":"The Proposed Silicate-Sulfuric Acid Process: Mineral Processing for In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Volatile elements and compounds found in extra-terrestrial environments are often the target of In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) studies. Although water and hydroxide are most commonly the focus of these studies as they can be used for propellant and human consumption; we instead focus on the possible exploitation of sulfur and how it could be utilized to produce building materials on the Moon, Mars and Asteroids. We describe the physical and chemical pathways for extracting sulfur from native sulfide minerals, manufacturing sulfuric acid in situ, and using the produced acid to dissolve native silicate minerals. The final products of this process, which we call the Silicate-Sulfuric Acid Process (SSAP), include iron metal, silica, oxygen and metal oxides, all of which are crucial in the scope of a sustainable, space-based economy. Although our proposed methodology requires an initial investment of water, oxygen, and carbon dioxide, we show that all of these volatiles are recovered and reused in order to repeat the process. We calculate the product yield from this process if it were enacted on the lunar highlands, lunar mare, Mars, as well as an array of asteroid types.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2107.05872v1","authors":["Seamus Anderson","Eleanor Sansom","Patrick Shober","Benjamin Hartig","Hadrien Devillepoix","Martin Towner"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-07-13T06:43:41Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2202.07336v1","name":"Two-dimensional Functional Minerals for Sustainable Optics","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Optical device is a key component in our lives and organic liquid crystals are nowadays widely used to reduce human imprint. However, this technology still suffers from relatively high costs, toxicity and other environmental impacts, and cannot fully meet the demand of future sustainable society. Here we describe an alternative approach to colour-tuneable optical devices, which is based on sustainable inorganic liquid crystals derived from two-dimensional mineral materials abundant in nature. The prototypical two-dimensional mineral of vermiculite is massively produced by a green method, possessing size-to-thickness ratios of &gt;103, in-plane magnetisation of &gt;10 emu g-1, and an optical bandgap of &gt;3 eV. These characteristics endow two-dimensional vermiculite with sensitive magneto-birefringence response, which is several orders of magnitude larger than organic counterparts, as well as capability of broad-spectrum modulation. Our finding consequently permits the fabrication of various chromic devices with low or even zero-energy consumption, which can be used for sustainable optics.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2202.07336v1","authors":["Ziyang Huang","Tianshu Lan","Lixin Dai","Xueting Zhao","Zhongyue Wang","Zehao Zhang","Bing Li","Jialiang Li","Jingao Liu","Baofu Ding","Andre K. Geim","Hui-Ming Cheng","Bilu Liu"],"tags":["physics.optics","cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-02-15T11:48:20Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1410.7796v1","name":"Can Collimated Extraterrestrial Signals be Intercepted?","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Optical Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (OSETI) attempts to detect collimated, narrowband pulses of electromagnetic radiation. These pulses may either consist of signals intentionally directed at the Earth, or signals between two star systems with a vector that unintentionally intersects the Solar System, allowing Earth to intercept the communication. But should we expect to be able to intercept these unintentional signals? And what constraints can we place upon the frequency of intelligent civilisations if we do? We carry out Monte Carlo Realisation simulations of interstellar communications between civilisations in the Galactic Habitable Zone (GHZ) using collimated beams. We measure the frequency with which beams between two stars are intercepted by a third. The interception rate increases linearly with the fraction of communicating civilisations, and as the cube of the beam opening angle, which is somewhat stronger than theoretical expectations, which we argue is due to the geometry of the GHZ. We find that for an annular GHZ containing 10,000 civilisations, intersections are unlikely unless the beams are relatively uncollimated. These results indicate that optical SETI is more likely to find signals deliberately directed at the Earth than accidentally intercepting collimated communications. Equally, civilisations wishing to establish a network of communicating species may use weakly collimated beams to build up the network through interception, if they are willing to pay a cost penalty that is lower than that meted by fully isotropic beacons. Future SETI searches should consider the possibility that communicating civilisations will attempt to strike a balance between optimising costs and encouraging contact between civilisations, and look for weakly collimated pulses as well as narrow-beam pulses directed deliberately at the Earth.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1410.7796v1","authors":["Duncan H. Forgan"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-10-27T14:26:08Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1806.00018v2","name":"Is Extraterrestrial Life Suppressed on Subsurface Ocean Worlds due to the Paucity of Bioessential Elements?","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The availability of bioessential elements for \"life as we know it\", such as phosphorus (P) or possibly molybdenum (Mo), is expected to restrict the biological productivity of extraterrestrial biospheres. Here, we consider worlds with subsurface oceans and model the dissolved concentrations of bioessential elements. In particular, we focus on the sources and sinks of P (available as phosphates), and find that the average steady-state oceanic concentration of P is likely to be lower than the corresponding value on Earth by a few orders of magnitude, provided that the oceans are alkaline and possess hydrothermal activity. While our result does not eliminate the prospects of life on subsurface worlds like Enceladus, it suggests that the putative biospheres might be oligotrophic, and perhaps harder to detect. Along these lines, potential biospheres in the clouds of Venus may end up being limited by the availability of Mo. We also point out the possibility that stellar spectroscopy can be used to deduce potential constraints on the availability of bioessential elements on planets and moons.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1806.00018v2","authors":["Manasvi Lingam","Abraham Loeb"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-05-31T18:00:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2607.23952v2","name":"Strategies for quantum-enabled Bitcoin miners","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We study the impact that two miners equipped with quantum computers purpose-built for quantum Bitcoin mining will have on the 51% attack threshold of the Bitcoin network, given that the miners are playing a competitive game against each other to be the first to mine a block. We extend an existing game-theoretic framework for Bitcoin mining and compute the resultant payoff matrices. From these payoff matrices, we determine optimal quantum mining strategies for two non-colluding and aggressive quantum miners with multiple opportunities at finding a valid block in an otherwise classical Bitcoin network. We show that these optimal quantum mining strategies have a negligible effect on the 51% attack threshold. The novelty of our work is the inclusion of the Aggressive Quantum Mining Strategy and the realistic approach of allowing the quantum miners to restart their search if their measurements do not yield a valid block when determining the optimal quantum mining strategies. Our result is important for evaluating quantum-mining threats on cryptocurrencies based on Proof-of-Work, e.g. Bitcoin","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.23952v2","authors":["Zach Manson","Barry C. Sanders"],"tags":["quant-ph","cs.CR","cs.GT"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-27T02:56:49Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1607.00440v1","name":"The SERENDIP III 70 cm Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We employed the SERENDIP III system with the Arecibo radio telescope to search for possible artificial extraterrestrial signals. Over the four years of this search we covered 93% of the sky observable at Arecibo at least once and 44% of the sky five times or more with a sensitivity of ~3E-25 W/m2. The data were sent to a 4 million channel spectrum analyzer. Information was obtained from over 1E+14 independent data points and the results were then analyzed via a suite of pattern detection algorithms to identify narrow band spectral power peaks that were not readily identifiable as the product of human activity. We separately selected data coincident with interesting nearby G dwarf stars that were encountered by chance in our sky survey for suggestions of excess power peaks. The peak power distributions in both these data sets were consistent with random noise. We report upper limits on possible signals from the stars investigated and provide examples of the most interesting candidates identified in the sky survey. This paper was intended for publication in 2000 and is presented here without change from the version submitted to ApJS in 2000.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1607.00440v1","authors":["Stuart Bowyer","Michael Lampton","Eric Korpela","Jeff Cobb","Matt Lebofsky","Dan Werthimer"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-07-02T00:32:39Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1712.05239v1","name":"Late stages of mineralisation and their signature on the bone mineral density distribution","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Purpose: Experimental measurements of bone mineral density distributions (BMDDs) enable a determination of secondary mineralisation kinetics in bone, but the maximum degree of mineralisation and how this maximum is approached remain uncertain. We thus test computationally different hypotheses on late stages of bone mineralisation by simulating BMDDs in low turnover conditions. Materials and Methods: An established computational model of the BMDD that accounts for mineralisation and remodelling processes was extended to limit mineralisation to various maximum calcium capacities of bone. Simulated BMDDs obtained by reducing turnover rate from the reference trabecular BMDD under different assumptions on late stage mineralisation kinetics were compared with experimental BMDDs of low-turnover bone. Results: Simulations show that an abrupt stopping of mineralisation near a maximum calcium capacity induces a pile-up of minerals in the BMDD statistics that is not observed experimentally. With a smooth decrease of mineralisation rate, imposing low maximum calcium capacities helps to match peak location and width of simulated low turnover BMDDs with peak location and width of experimental BMDDs, but results in a distinctive asymmetric peak shape. No tuning of turnover rate and maximum calcium capacity was able to explain the differences found in experimental BMDDs between trabecular bone (high turnover) and femoral cortical bone (low turnover). Conclusions: Secondary mineralisation in human bone does not stop abruptly, but continues slowly up to a calcium content greater than 30 wt% Ca. The similar mineral heterogeneity seen in trabecular and femoral cortical bones at different peak locations was unexplained by turnover differences tested.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1712.05239v1","authors":["Pascal R. Buenzli","Chloé Lerebours","Andreas Roschger","Paul Roschger","Richard Weinkamer"],"tags":["q-bio.CB","physics.bio-ph","q-bio.TO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-12-14T14:12:49Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2106.07986v1","name":"Molecular origin of viscoelasticity in mineralized collagen fibrils","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Bone is mineralized tissue constituting the skeletal system, supporting and protecting body organs and tissues. At the molecular level, mineralized collagen fibril is the basic building block of bone tissue, and hence, understanding bone properties down to fundamental tissue structures enables to better identify the mechanisms of structural failures and damages. While efforts have focused on the study of the micro- and macro-scale viscoelasticity related to bone damage and healing based on creep, mineralized collagen has not been explored on a molecular level. We report a study that aims at systematically exploring the viscoelasticity of collagenous fibrils with different mineralization levels. We investigate the dynamic mechanical response upon cyclic and impulsive loads to observe the viscoelastic phenomena from either shear or extensional strains via molecular dynamics. We perform a sensitivity analysis with several key benchmarks: intrafibrillar mineralization percentage, hydration state, and external load amplitude. Our results show a growth of the dynamic moduli with an increase of mineral percentage, pronounced at low strains. When intrafibrillar water is present, the material softens the elastic component but considerably increases its viscosity, especially at high frequencies. This behaviour is confirmed from the material response upon impulsive loads, in which water drastically reduces the relaxation times throughout the input velocity range by one order of magnitude, with respect to the dehydrated counterparts. We find that upon transient loads, water has a major impact on the mechanics of mineralized fibrillar collagen, being able to improve the capability of the tissue to passively and effectively dissipate energy, especially after fast and high-amplitude external loads.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2106.07986v1","authors":["Mario Milazzo","Alessio David","Gang Seob Jung","Serena Danti","Markus J. Buehler"],"tags":["physics.atm-clus","physics.app-ph","physics.bio-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-06-15T09:05:55Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.10817v2","name":"On the discovery of meteoritic mineral Zolenskyite; The artificial origin should not be overlooked","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Recently a new meteoritic mineral, Zolenskyite (Fe0.99Mn0.04Ca0.01Cr1.99S3.98), was discovered from the Indarch meteorite. Zolenskyite was structurally indexed as the monoclinic C2/m CrNb2Se4 - Cr3S4 type structure of synthetic FeCr2S4, with unit cell parameters a = 12.84(1) Å, b = 3.44(1) Å, c = 5.94(1) Å and \\b{eta} = 117(1)°. Zolenskyite was reported as high-pressure phase formed from Daubréelite at high pressures and temperatures in highly shocked regions of the EH parent asteroid. Although this discovery provides valuable information about the origin of meteoritic mineral assemblages, the results and conclusions raise controversies with those reported in previous articles where the synthetic FeCr2S4 was described. In this review, an alternative analysis of the supplementary X-ray data from Zolenskyite was made and yields to the monoclinic I2/m Cr3S4 type structure of synthetic FeCr2S4, with unit cell parameters a = 5.940 Å, b = 3.440 Å, c = 11.441 Å and \\b{eta} = 90.55°, in agreement with previous results in the literature and differ from those reported above. Regarding the genesis of Zolenskyite and according to solid-state laboratory synthesis, the transformation of cubic FeCr2S4 phase (ideal composition of Daubréelite) to monoclinic FeCr2S4 (ideal composition of Zolenskyite) requires a process whose replication in Shock metamorphism stages is not well established and remains an open issue to address, together with another open issue related to the real composition of meteoritic minerals, with minor and trace metals, which is often overlooked when compared with synthetic ideal compositions. Whatever the results to be obtained by addressing the above open issues, they will shed more light on the genesis of Zolenskyite. In this context, it is worth to promote an open debate about the hypothesis of artificial origin.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.10817v2","authors":["Boutros Pierre Embaid"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-12T21:51:57Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1305.7119v2","name":"Giant pressure-induced volume collapse in the pyrite mineral MnS2","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Dramatic volume collapses under pressure are fundamental to geochemistry and of increasing importance to fields as diverse as hydrogen storage and high-temperature superconductivity. In transition metal materials, collapses are usually driven by so-called spin-state transitions, the interplay between the single-ion crystal field and the size of the magnetic moment. Here we show that the classical S=5/2 mineral Hauerite undergoes an unprecedented 22 % collapse driven by a conceptually different magnetic mechanism. Using synchrotron x-ray diffraction we show that cold compression induces the formation of a disordered intermediate. However, using an evolutionary algorithm we predict a new structure with edge-sharing chains. This is confirmed as the thermodynamic groundstate using in situ laser heating. We show that magnetism is globally absent in the new phase, as low-spin quantum S=1/2 moments are quenched by dimerisation. Our results show how the emergence of metal-metal bonding can stabilise giant spin-lattice coupling in Earth's minerals.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1305.7119v2","authors":["Simon A. J. Kimber","Ashkan Salamat","Shaun R. Evans","Harald O. Jeschke","Kaliappan Muthukumar","Milan Tomic","Francesc Salvat-Pujol","Roser Valenti","Maria V. Kaisheva","Ivo Zizak","Tapan Chatterji"],"tags":["cond-mat.str-el"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-05-30T14:12:58Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2003.10268v1","name":"A method to identify geochemical mineralization on linear transect","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Mineral exploration in biogeochemistry is related to the detection of anomalies in soil, which is driven by many factors and thus a complex problem. Mikšová, Rieser, and Filzmoser (2019) have introduced a method for the identification of spatial patterns with increased element concentrations in samples along a linear sampling transect. This procedure is based on fitting Generalized Additive Models (GAMs) to the concentration data, and computing a curvature measure from the pairwise log-ratios of these fits. The higher the curvature, the more likely one or both elements of the pair indicate local mineralization. This method is applied on two geochemical data sets which have been collected specifically for the purpose of mineral exploration. The aim is to test the technique for its ability to identify pathfinder elements to detect mineralized zones, and to verify whether the method can indicate which sampling material is best suited for this purpose. Reference: Mikšová D., Rieser C., Filzmoser P. (2019). \"Identification of mineralization in geochemistry along a transect based on the spatial curvature of log-ratios.\" arXiv, (1912.02867).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2003.10268v1","authors":["Dominika Mikšová","Christopher Rieser","Peter Filzmoser","Simon M. Thaarup","Jeremie Melleton"],"tags":["stat.AP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-23T13:24:33Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1107.5132v1","name":"Prediction of equilibrium Li isotope fractionation between minerals and aqueous solutions at high P and T: an efficient ab initio approach","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The mass-dependent equilibrium stable isotope fractionation between different materials is an important geochemical process. Here we present an efficient method to compute the isotope fractionation between complex minerals and fluids at high pressure, P, and temperature, T, representative for the Earth's crust and mantle. The method is tested by computation of the equilibrium fractionation of lithium isotopes between aqueous fluids and various Li bearing minerals such as staurolite, spodumene and mica. We are able to correctly predict the direction of the isotope fractionation as observed in the experiments. On the quantitative level the computed fractionation factors agree within 1.0 permil with the experimental values indicating predictive power of ab initio methods. We show that with ab initio methods we are able to investigate the underlying mechanisms driving the equilibrium isotope fractionation process, such as coordination of the fractionating elements, their bond strengths to the neighboring atoms, compression of fluids and thermal expansion of solids. This gives valuable insight into the processes governing the isotope fractionation mechanisms on the atomic scale. The method is applicable to any state and does not require different treatment of crystals and fluids.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1107.5132v1","authors":["Piotr M. Kowalski","Sandro Jahn"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph","astro-ph.EP","cond-mat.other","physics.comp-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-07-26T08:27:40Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.07007v1","name":"Data-Driven Insights into Rare Earth Mineralization: Machine Learning Applications Using Functional Material Synthesis Data","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Quantitative understanding of rare earth element (REE) mineralization mechanisms, crucial for improving industrial separation, remains limited. This study leverages 1239 hydrothermal synthesis datapoints from material science as a surrogate for natural REE mineralization. We trained machine learning models (KNN, RF, XGBoost) using precursor, additive, and reaction data to predict product elements and phases, validating predictions with new experiments. XGBoost exhibited the highest accuracy, with feature importance analysis indicating thermodynamic properties were critical for predictions. Observed correlations among reaction parameters aligned with classical crystallization theory. Further XGBoost models successfully predicted reaction temperature and pH from precursor/product data. Our findings demonstrate the cross-disciplinary utility of material science data for geochemical understanding, underscore the need for research on less-studied REE minerals (e.g., carbonates, heavy REEs), and suggest potential to accelerate REE resource development.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.07007v1","authors":["Juejing Liu","Xiaoxu Li","Yifu Feng","Zheming Wang","Kevin M. Rosso","Xiaofeng Guo","Xin Zhang"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-09T16:26:21Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2202.08274v1","name":"Extraterrestrial Axion Search with the Breakthrough Listen Galactic Center Survey","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Axion dark matter (DM) may efficiently convert to photons in the magnetospheres of neutron stars (NSs), producing nearly monochromatic radio emission. This process is resonantly triggered when the plasma frequency induced by the underlying charge distribution approximately matches the axion mass. We search for evidence of this process using archival Green Bank Telescope data collected in a survey of the Galactic Center in the C-Band by the Breakthrough Listen project. While Breakthrough Listen aims to find signatures of extraterrestrial life in the radio band, we show that their high-frequency resolution spectral data of the Galactic Center region is ideal for searching for axion-photon transitions generated by the population of NSs in the inner pc of the Galaxy. We use data-driven models to capture the distributions and properties of NSs in the inner Galaxy and compute the expected radio flux from each NS using state-of-the-art ray tracing simulations. We find no evidence for axion DM and set leading constraints on the axion-photon coupling, excluding values down to the level $g_{a γγ} \\sim 10^{-11}$ GeV$^{-1}$ for DM axions for masses between 15 and 35 $μ$eV.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2202.08274v1","authors":["Joshua W. Foster","Samuel J. Witte","Matthew Lawson","Tim Linden","Vishal Gajjar","Christoph Weniger","Benjamin R. Safdi"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO","astro-ph.HE","hep-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-02-16T19:00:00Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1209.1120v1","name":"The MINER$ν$A Data Acquisition System and Infrastructure","source":"arxiv","abstract":"MINER$ν$A (Main INjector ExpeRiment $ν$-A) is a new few-GeV neutrino cross section experiment that began taking data in the FNAL NuMI (Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Neutrinos at the Main Injector) beam-line in March of 2010. MINER$ν$A employs a fine-grained scintillator detector capable of complete kinematic characterization of neutrino interactions. This paper describes the MINER$ν$A data acquisition system (DAQ) including the read-out electronics, software, and computing architecture.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1209.1120v1","authors":["G. N. Perdue","L. Bagby","B. Baldin","C. Gingu","J. Olsen","P. Rubinov","E. C. Schulte","R. Bradford","W. K. Brooks","D. A. M. Caicedo","C. M. Castromonte","J. Chvojka","H. da Motta","I. Danko","J. Devan","B. Eberly","J. Felix","L. Fields","G. A. Fiorentini","A. M. Gago","R. Gran","D. A. Harris","K. Hurtado","H. Lee","E. Maher","S. Manly","C. M. Marshall","K. S. McFarland","A. Mislivec","J. Mousseau","B. Osmanov","J. Osta","V. Paolone","R. D. Ransome","H. Ray","D. W. Schmitz","C. Simon","C. J. Solano Salinas","B. G. Tice","T. Walton","J. Wolcott","D. Zhang","B. P. Ziemer"],"tags":["physics.ins-det","hep-ex"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-09-05T21:11:21Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.20317v1","name":"Towards Energy Independence: Critical Minerals in the Indian Context","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The global impetus for extracting rare earth elements (REEs) is shaping the future of green technologies. From high-efficiency magnets in wind turbines to advanced batteries and solar photovoltaics, REEs are indispensable for a greener world through the energy transition. However, supply chains remain a barrier for the majority of the global population. India is mainly dependent on imports for most REEs. Innovation and recycling efforts in most REEs are still in their early stages. For India, aspiring to Viksit Bharat by 2047, securing sustainable REE access is critical to national energy security and technological independence. This paper explores India's opportunities and challenges in the REE domain, high-lighting underutilized resources such as copper tailings, fly ash, and e-waste. We argue for circular economy pathways that can reduce environmental impacts and strengthen domestic supply. Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL), as India's sole vertically integrated copper producer, is uniquely positioned to pioneer co-recovery of REEs, advance research and development partnerships, and build a comprehensive supply chain. By embedding sustainability, ESG principles, and community trust in its strategy, HCL can evolve into a national champion in this domain.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.20317v1","authors":["Ashish Ranjan Kumar","Sekhar Bhattacharyya"],"tags":["stat.AP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-23T12:34:36Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1510.08619v1","name":"High-resolution dielectric characterization of minerals: a step towards understanding the basic interactions between microwaves and rocks","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Microwave energy has been demonstrated to be beneficial for reducing the energetic cost of several steps of the mining process. Significant literature has been developed about this topic but few studies are focused on understanding the interaction between microwaves and minerals at a fundamental level in order to elucidate the underlying physical processes that control the observed phenomena. This is ascribed to the complexity of such phenomena, related to chemical and physical transformations, where electrical, thermal and mechanical forces play concurrent roles. In this work a new characterization method for the dielectric properties of mineral samples at microwave frequencies is presented. The method is based upon the scanning microwave microscopy technique that enables measurement of the dielectric constant, loss factor and conductivity with extremely high spatial resolution and accuracy. As opposed to conventional bulk dielectric techniques, the scanning microwave microscope can then access and measure the dielectric properties of micrometer-sized mineral inclusions within a complex structure of natural rock. In this work a 5 by 20 micrometers size hematite inclusion has been characterized at a microwave frequency of 3 GHz. Scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and confocal micro Raman spectroscopy were used to determine the structural details and chemical and elemental composition of mineral sample on similar scale.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1510.08619v1","authors":["Tamara Monti","Alexander Tselev","Ofonime Udoudo","Ilia N. Ivanov","Samuel W. Kingman"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-10-29T09:51:12Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1905.06853v2","name":"Selfish Mining in Proof-of-Work Blockchain with Multiple Miners: An Empirical Evaluation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Proof-of-Work blockchain, despite its numerous benefits, is still not an entirely secure technology due to the existence of Selfish Mining (SM) strategies that can disrupt the system and its mining economy. While the effect of SM has been studied mostly in a two-miners scenario, it has not been investigated in a more practical context where there are multiple malicious miners individually performing SM. To fill this gap, we carry out an empirical study that separately accounts for different numbers of SM miners (who always perform SM) and strategic miners (who choose either SM or Nakamoto's mining protocol depending on which maximises their individual mining reward). Our result shows that SM is generally more effective as the number of SM miners increases, however its effectiveness does not vary in the presence of a large number of strategic miners. Under specific mining power distributions, we also demonstrate that multiple miners can perform SM and simultaneously gain higher mining rewards than they should. Surprisingly, we also show that the more strategic miners there are, the more robust the systems become. Since blockchain miners should naturally be seen as self-interested strategic miners, our findings encourage blockchain system developers and engineers to attract as many miners as possible to prevent SM and similar behaviour.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1905.06853v2","authors":["Tin Leelavimolsilp","Long Tran-Thanh","Sebastian Stein","Viet Hung Nguyen"],"tags":["cs.CR","cs.MA"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-05-15T13:35:15Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1008.4824v1","name":"Time dependent FTIR spectra of mineral waters after contact with air","source":"arxiv","abstract":"FTIR spectra of mineral waters of Slavyanovskaya, Aqua Montana, Bad Harzburger and Christinen with time from first contact of water with open air were analysed. The kinetic of spectral changes of Slavyanovskaya mineral water in the regions of stretch, deformation and intermolecular vibrations was measured. The spectral changes do not correlate with chemical contamination of mineral water and degassing process. The observed spectral changes could be due to different structure of mineral water in liquid state, which is destroyed after air contact. The observed spectral behaviour of Slavyanovskaya is correlated with the catalytic activity of mineral water, which was saved without contact with air. The characteristic time of spectral dependence (669 seconds) is close to the characteristic time of catalytic activity loss (600 seconds) of mineral water at air contact. The spectra results support the medical studies that show the activity of mineral water near spring, and the loosing activity of water after long time storing.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1008.4824v1","authors":["Alexey Kondyurin","Yakov Sadikov"],"tags":["physics.chem-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-08-28T00:31:27Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2401.09128v1","name":"Deciding technosignature search strategies: Multi-criteria fuzzy logic to find extraterrestrial intelligence","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This study presents the implementation of Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) methodologies, particularly the fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), in prioritizing technosignatures (TSs) for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). By incorporating expert opinions and weighted criteria based on the established Axes of Merit, our analysis offers insights into the relative importance of various TSs. Notably, radio and optical communications are emphasized, in contrast to dark side illumination and starshades in transit. We introduce a new axis, Scale Sensitivity, designed to assess the variability of TS metrics. A sensitivity analysis confirms the robustness of our approach. Our findings, especially the highlighted significance of artifacts orbiting Earth, the Moon, or the Sun, indicate a need to broaden evaluative criteria within SETI research. This suggests an enhancement of the Axes of Merit, with a focus on addressing the plausibility of TSs. As the quest to resolve the profound question of our solitude in the cosmos continues, SETI efforts would benefit from exploring innovative prioritization methodologies that effectively quantify TS search strategies.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.09128v1","authors":["Juan Miguel Sánchez-Lozano","Eloy Peña-Asensio","Hector Socas-Navarro"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-17T11:04:34Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2302.12895v3","name":"Maximizing Miner Revenue in Transaction Fee Mechanism Design","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Transaction fee mechanism design is a new decentralized mechanism design problem where users bid for space on the blockchain. Several recent works showed that the transaction fee mechanism design fundamentally departs from classical mechanism design. They then systematically explored the mathematical landscape of this new decentralized mechanism design problem in two settings: in the plain setting where no cryptography is employed, and in a cryptography-assisted setting where the rules of the mechanism are enforced by a multi-party computation protocol. Unfortunately, in both settings, prior works showed that if we want the mechanism to incentivize honest behavior for both users as well as miners (possibly colluding with users), then the miner revenue has to be zero. Although adopting a relaxed, approximate notion of incentive compatibility gets around this zero miner-revenue limitation, the scaling of the miner revenue is nonetheless poor. In this paper, we show that if we make a mildly stronger reasonable-world assumption than prior works, we can circumvent the known limitations on miner revenue, and design auctions that generate optimal miner revenue. We also systematically explore the mathematical landscape of transaction fee mechanism design under the new reasonable-world and demonstrate how such assumptions can alter the feasibility and infeasibility landscape.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2302.12895v3","authors":["Ke Wu","Elaine Shi","Hao Chung"],"tags":["cs.GT"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-02-24T21:13:15Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2402.02614v1","name":"Lunar ore geology and feasibility of ore mineral detection using a far-IR spectrometer","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Lunar sulfides and oxides are a significant source of noble and base metals and will be vital for future human colonies' self-sustainability. Sulfide detection (pyrite and troilite) applies to many technological fields and use cases, for example, as a raw material source (available in situ on the Lunar surface) for new solar panel production methods. Ilmenite is the primary iron and titanium ore on the Moon and can provide helium-3 for nuclear fusion and oxygen for rocket fuel. The most important ore minerals have prominent absorption peaks in a narrow far-infrared (FIR) wavelength range of 20-40 $μ$m, much stronger than the spectral features of other common minerals, including significant silicates, sulfates, and carbonates. Our simulations based on the linear mixing of pyrite with the silicates mentioned above indicated that areas containing at least 10-20% pyrite could be detected from the orbit in the FIR range. MIRORES, Multiplanetary far-IR ORE Spectrometer, proposed here, would operate with a resolution down to &lt;5 m, enabling the detection of areas covered by 2-3 m$^2$ of pyrite (or ilmenite) on a surface of ~17 m$^2$ from an altitude of 50 km, creating possibilities for detecting large and local smaller orebodies along with their stockworks. The use of the Cassegrain optical system achieves this capability. MIRORES will measure radiation in eight narrow bands (0.3 $μ$m in width) that can include up to five bands centered on the ore mineral absorption bands, for example, 24.3, 24.9, 27.6, 34.2, and 38.8 $μ$m for pyrite, marcasite, chalcopyrite, ilmenite, and troilite, respectively. The instrument size is 32 $\\times$ 32 $\\times$ 42 cm, and the mass is &lt;10 kg, which fits the standard microsatellite requirements.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.02614v1","authors":["Jakub Ciazela","Jaroslaw Bakala","Miroslaw Kowalinski","Bartosz Pieterek","Marek Steslicki","Marta Ciazela","Grzegorz Paslawski","Natalia Zalewska","Lukasz Sterczewski","Zaneta Szaforz","Mateusz Jozefowicz","Dariusz Marciniak","Maciej Fitt","Adam Sniadkowski","Mirosław Rataj","Tomasz Mrozek"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-04T21:03:50Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0601022v1","name":"The red rain phenomenon of Kerala and its possible extraterrestrial origin","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A red rain phenomenon occurred in Kerala, India starting from 25th July 2001, in which the rainwater appeared coloured in various localized places that are spread over a few hundred kilometers in Kerala. Maximum cases were reported during the first 10 days and isolated cases were found to occur for about 2 months. The striking red colouration of the rainwater was found to be due to the suspension of microscopic red particles having the appearance of biological cells. These particles have no similarity with usual desert dust. An estimated minimum quantity of 50,000 kg of red particles has fallen from the sky through red rain. An analysis of this strange phenomenon further shows that the conventional atmospheric transport processes like dust storms etc. cannot explain this phenomenon. The electron microscopic study of the red particles shows fine cell structure indicating their biological cell like nature. EDAX analysis shows that the major elements present in these cell like particles are carbon and oxygen. Strangely, a test for DNA using Ethidium Bromide dye fluorescence technique indicates absence of DNA in these cells. In the context of a suspected link between a meteor airburst event and the red rain, the possibility for the extraterrestrial origin of these particles from cometary fragments is discussed.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0601022v1","authors":["Godfrey Louis","A. Santhosh Kumar"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-01-02T07:54:10Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.04595v2","name":"Differentially Private Inductive Miner","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Protecting personal data about individuals, such as event traces in process mining, is an inherently difficult task since an event trace leaks information about the path in a process model that an individual has triggered. Yet, prior anonymization methods of event traces like k-anonymity or event log sanitization struggled to protect against such leakage, in particular against adversaries with sufficient background knowledge. In this work, we provide a method that tackles the challenge of summarizing sensitive event traces by learning the underlying process tree in a privacy-preserving manner. We prove via the so-called Differential Privacy (DP) property that from the resulting summaries no useful inference can be drawn about any personal data in an event trace. On the technical side, we introduce a differentially private approximation (DPIM) of the Inductive Miner. Experimentally, we compare our DPIM with the Inductive Miner on 14 real-world event traces by evaluating well-known metrics: fitness, precision, simplicity, and generalization. The experiments show that our DPIM not only protects personal data but also generates faithful process trees that exhibit little utility loss above the Inductive Miner.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.04595v2","authors":["Max Schulze","Yorck Zisgen","Moritz Kirschte","Esfandiar Mohammadi","Agnes Koschmider"],"tags":["cs.CR","cs.DB"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-05T15:42:46Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.02999v1","name":"Spectro-photometry of Phobos simulants: I. Detectability of hydrated minerals and organic bands","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Previous observations of Phobos and Deimos, the moons of Mars, have improved our understanding of these small bodies. However, their formation and composition remain poorly constrained. Physical and spectral properties suggest that Phobos may be a weakly thermal-altered captured asteroid but the dynamical properties of the martian system suggest a formation by giant collision similar to the Earth moon. In 2027, the JAXA's MMX mission aims to address these outstanding questions. We undertook measurements with a new simulant called OPPS (Observatory of Paris Phobos Simulant) which closely matches Phobos spectra in the visible to the mid-infrared range. The simulant was synthesized using a mixture of olivine, saponite, anthracite, and coal. Since observation geometry is a crucial aspect of planetary surface remote sensing exploration, we evaluated the parameters obtained by modeling the phase curves -- obtained through laboratory measurements -- of two different Phobos simulants (UTPS-TB and OPPS) using Hapke IMSA model. Our results show that the photometric properties of Phobos simulants are not fully consistent with those of Tagish Lake, Allende, or the NWA 4766 shergottite. We also investigated the detection of volatiles/organic compounds and hydrated minerals, as the presence of such components is expected on Phobos in the hypothesis of a captured primitive asteroid. The results indicate that a significant amount of organic compounds is required for the detection of C-H bands at 3.4 $μ$m. In contrast, the 2.7 $μ$m absorption band, due to hydrated minerals, is much deeper and easier to detect than C-H organic features at the same concentration levels. Posing limits on detectability of some possible key components of Phobos surface will be pivotal to prepare and interpret future observations of the MIRS spectrometer onboard MMX mission.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.02999v1","authors":["Antonin Wargnier","Thomas Gautier","Alain Doressoundiram","Giovanni Poggiali","Pierre Beck","Olivier Poch","Eric Quirico","Tomoki Nakamura","Hideaki Miyamoto","Shingo Kameda","Pedro H. Hasselmann","Nathalie Ruscassier","Arnaud Buch","Sonia Fornasier","Maria Antonietta Barucci"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-05T17:06:05Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2503.23788v2","name":"Detection of an extraterrestrial technical civilisation on the extrasolar planet GJ 1132b","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We report the detection of whisky in the atmosphere of the extrasolar super-Earth planet GJ 1132b from transmission spectroscopic data. It is seen both in atmospheric absorption as well as in chromospheric emission, the latter probably due to the intense heating of the co-rotating planet's day-side surface. This detection cannot be explained using natural sources of alcohol, implying that there must be a technically advanced civilisation -- possibly originating from the neighboring habitable planet GJ 1132c -- that is engaged in massive distilling operations accompanied by high levels of industrial pollution. The reason for the necessarily vast scale of production is either to produce rocket fuel for an interplanetary economy or, more likely, for an unusually high level of personal consumption. The latter hypothesis suggests a novel explanation for the Fermi Paradox (the lack of indirect or direct contact with extraterrestrials): a technically versed civilisation would be incapable of achieving the higher technical levels necessary for the development of a detectable radio signature -- much less interstellar travel -- at the suggested rates of consumption.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.23788v2","authors":["Frederic V. Hessman","Andrew Collier Cameron","Keith Horne"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.soc-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-31T07:03:23Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2204.03948v2","name":"The Psychology of Mineral Wealth: Empirical Evidence from Kazakhstan","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Despite rapidly-expanding academic and policy interest in the links between natural resource wealth and development failures (commonly referred to as the resource curse) little attention has been devoted to the psychology behind the phenomenon. Rent-seeking and excessive reliance on mineral revenues can be attributed largely to social psychology. Mineral booms (whether due to the discovery of mineral reserves or to the drastic rise in commodity prices) start as positive income shocks that can subsequently evolve into influential and expectation-changing public and media narratives; these lead consecutively to unrealistic demands that favor immediate consumption of accrued mineral revenues and to the postponement of productive investment. To our knowledge, this paper is the first empirical analysis that tests hypotheses regarding the psychological underpinnings of resource mismanagement in mineral-rich states. Our study relies on an extensive personal survey (of 1977 respondents) carried out in Almaty, Kazakhstan, between May and August 2018. We find empirical support for a positive link between exposure to news and inflated expectations regarding mineral availability, as well as evidence that the latter can generate preferences for excessive consumption, and hence, rent-seeking.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2204.03948v2","authors":["Elissaios Pappyrakis","Osiris Jorge Parcero"],"tags":["econ.GN"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-04-08T09:15:40Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2012.07902v2","name":"A Statistical Estimation of the Occurrence of Extraterrestrial Intelligence in the Milky Way Galaxy","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In the field of Astrobiology, the precise location, prevalence and age of potential extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) have not been explicitly explored. Here, we address these inquiries using an empirical galactic simulation model to analyze the spatial-temporal variations and the prevalence of potential ETI within the Galaxy. This model estimates the occurrence of ETI, providing guidance on where to look for intelligent life in the Search for ETI (SETI) with a set of criteria, including well-established astrophysical properties of the Milky Way. Further, typically overlooked factors such as the process of abiogenesis, different evolutionary timescales and potential self-annihilation are incorporated to explore the growth propensity of ETI. We examine three major parameters: 1) the likelihood rate of abiogenesis (λA); 2) evolutionary timescales (Tevo); and 3) probability of self-annihilation of complex life (Pann). We found Pann to be the most influential parameter determining the quantity and age of galactic intelligent life. Our model simulation also identified a peak location for ETI at an annular region approximately 4 kpc from the Galactic center around 8 billion years (Gyrs), with complex life decreasing temporally and spatially from the peak point, asserting a high likelihood of intelligent life in the galactic inner disk. The simulated age distributions also suggest that most of the intelligent life in our galaxy are young, thus making observation or detection difficult.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2012.07902v2","authors":["Xiang Cai","Jonathan H. Jiang","Kristen A. Fahy","Yuk L. Yung"],"tags":["astro-ph.GA"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-12-14T19:32:05Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2209.08932v4","name":"OPR-Miner: Order-preserving rule mining for time series","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Discovering frequent trends in time series is a critical task in data mining. Recently, order-preserving matching was proposed to find all occurrences of a pattern in a time series, where the pattern is a relative order (regarded as a trend) and an occurrence is a sub-time series whose relative order coincides with the pattern. Inspired by the order-preserving matching, the existing order-preserving pattern (OPP) mining algorithm employs order-preserving matching to calculate the support, which leads to low efficiency. To address this deficiency, this paper proposes an algorithm called efficient frequent OPP miner (EFO-Miner) to find all frequent OPPs. EFO-Miner is composed of four parts: a pattern fusion strategy to generate candidate patterns, a matching process for the results of sub-patterns to calculate the support of super-patterns, a screening strategy to dynamically reduce the size of prefix and suffix arrays, and a pruning strategy to further dynamically prune candidate patterns. Moreover, this paper explores the order-preserving rule (OPR) mining and proposes an algorithm called OPR-Miner to discover strong rules from all frequent OPPs using EFO-Miner. Experimental results verify that OPR-Miner gives better performance than other competitive algorithms. More importantly, clustering and classification experiments further validate that OPR-Miner achieves good performance.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2209.08932v4","authors":["Youxi Wu","Xiaoqian Zhao","Yan Li","Lei Guo","Xingquan Zhu","Philippe Fournier-Viger","Xindong Wu"],"tags":["cs.DB"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-09-19T11:29:40Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1802.02218v1","name":"On the Preliminary Investigation of Selfish Mining Strategy with Multiple Selfish Miners","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Eyal and Sirer's selfish mining strategy has demonstrated that Bitcoin system is not secure even if 50% of total mining power is held by altruistic miners. Since then, researchers have been investigating either to improve the efficiency of selfish mining, or how to defend against it, typically in a single selfish miner setting. Yet there is no research on a selfish mining strategies concurrently used by multiple miners in the system. The effectiveness of such selfish mining strategies and their required mining power under such multiple selfish miners setting remains unknown. In this paper, a preliminary investigation and our findings of selfish mining strategy used by multiple miners are reported. In addition, the conventional model of Bitcoin system is slightly redesigned to tackle its shortcoming: namely, a concurrency of individual mining processes. Although a theoretical analysis of selfish mining strategy under this setting is yet to be established, the current findings based on simulations is promising and of great interest. In particular, our work shows that a lower bound of power threshold required for selfish mining strategy decreases in proportion to a number of selfish miners. Moreover, there exist Nash equilibria where all selfish miners in the system do not change to an honest mining strategy and simultaneously earn their unfair amount of mining reward given that they equally possess sufficiently large mining power. Lastly, our new model yields a power threshold for mounting selfish mining strategy slightly greater than one from the conventional model.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1802.02218v1","authors":["Tin Leelavimolsilp","Long Tran-Thanh","Sebastian Stein"],"tags":["cs.MA","cs.CR","cs.GT"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-02-06T20:56:51Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1807.01054v2","name":"Formation and characterization of ceramic coating from alumino silicate mineral powders in the matrix of cement composite on the concrete wall","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Enhancement of thermal performance of concrete wall is nowadays of great importance in reducing the operational energy demand of buildings. We developed a new kind of inorganic coating material based on \\ce{SiO2}-\\ce{Al2O3}-rich minerals and Portland cement (PC) powder. The finely pulverized mineral powder with the particle size distribution (PSD) of 0.4-40 $μ$m was mixed with the vehicle solvent containing some agents, cement powder with PSD of 2-100 $μ$m, and water in the certain weight ratio, producing the colloid solution. After application within 2 hours to the plaster layer of concrete wall and sufficient long hardening period of over three months, the coating layer of 0.6-1.0 mm thickness was observed to become a densified ceramic. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) experiments were performed to identify the crystalline components of minerals, cement and ceramic coating powders. Three- and two-dimensional surface morphologies and chemical compositions of coating material were obtained with the optical interferometer and scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray analyzer (EDX). These XRD and SEM/EDX analyses demonstrated obviously that the coating layer is mainly composed of the calcium-silicate-hydrate (C-S-H) and the calcium-aluminate-hydrate (C-A-H) ceramics with the relatively small number of closed pores (10\\% porosity) compared with the cement mortar and concrete layers. Two-step hydrations of cement and subsequently \\ce{SiO2}-\\ce{Al2O3} promoted by the alkali product \\ce{Ca(OH)2} were proposed as the main mechanism of ceramic formation.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1807.01054v2","authors":["Chol-Jun Yu","Byong-Hyok Ri","Chung-Hyok Kim","Un-Song Hwang","Kum-Chol Ri","Chang-Jin Song","Un-Chol Kim"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-07-03T09:49:07Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2001.06039v1","name":"Morphology preserving solid-to-solid transformation of minerals mediated by a self-assembled temperature responsive polymer membrane: calcite to hydroxyapatite","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Assemblies of nanocrystals with complex morphologies have solicited great scientific interest. Controlling the formation of these self-assembled structures has proved difficult. Here we present a novel transformation reaction for transforming a single crystal of minerals into assemblies of nanocrystals of substances with lower solubility without changing the overall morphology. This study focusses on the transformation of rhombohedral calcite crystals to assemblies of hydroxyapatite nanocrystals to control the transformation process. This yielded particle assemblies of HAP nanoparticles grossly preserving the original rhombohedral calcite morphology.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2001.06039v1","authors":["Anders C. S. Jensena","Anastasia Brif","Boaz Pokroy","Mogens Hingec","Henrik Birkedala"],"tags":["physics.chem-ph","cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-12-29T14:44:51Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2204.05360v1","name":"Disruption of a Planetary Nitrogen Cycle as Evidence of Extraterrestrial Agriculture","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Agriculture is one of the oldest forms of technology on Earth. The cultivation of plants requires a terrestrial planet with active hydrological and carbon cycles and depends on the availability of nitrogen in soil. The technological innovation of agriculture is the active management of this nitrogen cycle by applying fertilizer to soil, at first through the production of manure excesses but later by the Haber-Bosch industrial process. The use of such fertilizers has increased the atmospheric abundance of nitrogen-containing species such as NH$_3$ and N$_2$O as agricultural productivity intensifies in many parts of the world. Both NH$_3$ and N$_2$O are effective greenhouse gases, and the combined presence of these gases in the atmosphere of a habitable planet could serve as a remotely detectable spectral signature of technology. Here we use a synthetic spectral generator to assess the detectability of NH$_3$ and N$_2$O that would arise from present-day and future global-scale agriculture. We show that present-day Earth abundances of NH$_3$ and N$_2$O would be difficult to detect but hypothetical scenarios involving a planet with 30-100 billion people could show a change in transmittance of about 50-70% compared to pre-agricultural Earth. These calculations suggest the possibility of considering the simultaneous detection of NH$_3$ and N$_2$O in an atmosphere that also contains H$_2$O, O$_2$, and CO$_2$ as a technosignature for extraterrestrial agriculture. The technology of agriculture is one that could be sustainable across geologic timescales, so the spectral signature of such an \"ExoFarm\" is worth considering in the search for technosignatures.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2204.05360v1","authors":["Jacob Haqq-Misra","Thomas J. Fauchez","Edward W. Schwieterman","Ravi Kopparapu"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM","physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-04-11T18:41:59Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2010.07781v1","name":"Characterizing relationships between primary miners in Ethereum by analyzing on-chain transactions","source":"arxiv","abstract":"It is widely accepted that Ethereum mining is highly centralized. Nonetheless, centralization has been mostly characterized by exclusively looking at the influence that independent miners or mining pools can have over the network. Moreover, models of mining behavior assume that miners are either unrelated or only relate via mining pools under highly structured and transparent agreements. If these assumptions and the predictions they entail were to be completely accurate, there would not be any evidence of on-chain transactions between miners, other than the ones expected from mining pool payouts. By looking at on-chain transactions between miners in the Ethereum Network we find that aside from the payouts from mining pools to small miners, there are also transactions that define relationships between mining pools, independent miners and between independent miners and mining pools. Furthermore, by characterizing the topology of the network of miner transactions, we find the emergence of highly connected clusters that control significant amounts of hashing power and exhibit relationships in the opposite direction of what theoretical models predict. This more nuanced characterization of mining centralization can help identify network vulnerabilities and inform protocol redesigns.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2010.07781v1","authors":["Daniel Rincon Silva"],"tags":["cs.SI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-10-08T05:21:45Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2502.15505v1","name":"Dynamic User Competition and Miner Behavior in the Bitcoin Market","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We develop a dynamic model of the Bitcoin market where users set fees themselves and miners decide whether to operate and whom to validate based on those fees. Our analysis reveals how, in equilibrium, users adjust their bids in response to short-term congestion (i.e., the amount of pending transactions), how miners decide when to start operating based on the level of congestion, and how the interplay between these two factors shapes the overall market dynamics. The miners hold off operating when the congestion is mild, which harms social welfare. However, we show that a block reward (a fixed reward paid to miners upon a block production) can mitigate these inefficiencies. We characterize the socially optimal block reward and demonstrate that it is always positive, suggesting that Bitcoin's halving schedule may be suboptimal.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.15505v1","authors":["Yuichiro Kamada","Shunya Noda"],"tags":["econ.TH","cs.CR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-21T15:02:02Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2009.02984v2","name":"Mechanics of mineralized collagen fibrils upon transient loads","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Collagen is a key structural protein in the human body, which undergoes mineralization during the formation of hard tissues. Earlier studies have described the mechanical behavior of bone at different scales highlighting material features across hierarchical structures. Here we present a study that aims to understand the mechanical properties of mineralized collagen fibrils upon tensile/compressive transient loads, investigating how the kinetic energy propagates and it is dissipated at the molecular scale, thus filling a gap of knowledge in this area. These specific features are the mechanisms that Nature has developed to passively dissipate stress and prevent structural failures. In addition to the mechanical properties of the mineralized fibrils, we observe distinct nanomechanical behaviors for the two regions (i.e., overlap and gap) of the D-period to highlight the effect of the mineralization. We notice decreasing trends for both wave speeds and Young s moduli over input velocity with a marked strengthening effect in the gap region due to the accumulation of the hydroxyapatite. In contrast, the dissipative behavior is not affected by either loading conditions or the mineral percentage, showing a stronger dampening effect upon faster inputs compatible to the bone behavior at the macroscale. Our results improve the understanding of mineralized collagen composites unveiling the energy dissipative behavior of such materials. This impacts, besides the physiology, the design and characterization of new bioinspired composites for replacement devices (e.g., prostheses for sound transmission or conduction) and for optimized structures able to bear transient loads, e.g., impact, fatigue, in structural applications.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2009.02984v2","authors":["Mario Milazzo","Gang Seob Jung","Serena Danti","Markus J. Buehler"],"tags":["physics.app-ph","physics.med-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-09-07T10:00:59Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1402.0297v3","name":"Reaction Mechanisms at MINER$ν$A","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The MINER$ν$A experiment investigates neutrino interactions with nucleons needed for an understanding of electroweak interactions of hadrons. Since nuclear targets are being used many-body effects may affect the extracted cross sections and the energy reconstruction. The latter is essential for the extraction of neutrino oscillation properties. We investigate the influence of nuclear effects on neutrino interaction cross sections and make predictions for charged current quasielastic (QE) scattering, nucleon-knock-out and pion- and kaon-production on a CH target. The Giessen Boltzmann--Uehling--Uhlenbeck (GiBUU) model is used for the description of neutrino-nucleus reactions. Integrated and differential cross sections for inclusive neutrino scattering, QE processes and particle production for the MINER$ν$A neutrino flux are calculated. The influence of final state interactions on the identification of these processes is discussed. In particular, energy and $Q^2$ reconstruction for the MINER$ν$A flux are critically examined. The $Q^2$ dependence of the inclusive cross sections is found to be sensitive to the energy reconstruction. Cut-offs in flux distributions have a large effect. Final state interactions affect the pion kinetic energy spectra significantly and increase the kaon cross sections by cross feeding from other channels.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1402.0297v3","authors":["U. Mosel","O. Lalakulich","K. Gallmeister"],"tags":["nucl-th","hep-ex","hep-ph","nucl-ex"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-02-03T07:37:59Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0208110v1","name":"The mineral composition and spatial distribution of the dust ejecta of NGC 6302","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We have analysed the full ISO spectrum of the planetary nebula NGC 6302 in order to derive the mineralogical composition of the dust in the nebula. We use an optically thin dust model in combination with laboratory measurements of cosmic dust analogues. We find two main temperature components at about 100 and 50 K respectively, with distinctly different dust compositions. The warm component contains an important contribution from dust without strong infrared resonances. In particular the presence of small warm amorphous silicate grains can be excluded. The detection of weak PAH bands also points to a peculiar chemical composition of the dust in this oxygen-rich nebula. The cool dust component contains the bulk of the mass and shows strong emission from crystalline silicates, which contain about 10 percent of the mass. In addition, we identify the 92 micron band with the mineral calcite, and argue that the 60 micron band contains a contribution from the carbonate dolomite. We present the mass absorption coefficients of six different carbonate minerals. The geometry of the dust shell around NGC 6302 is studied with mid-infrared images obtained with TIMMI2. We argue that the cool dust component is present in a circumstellar dust torus, while the diffuse emission from the warm component originates from the lobes.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0208110v1","authors":["F. Kemper","F. J. Molster","C. Jaeger","L. B. F. M. Waters"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-08-06T06:15:19Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2403.08023v2","name":"51% Attack via Difficulty Increase with a Small Quantum Miner","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present a strategy for a single quantum miner with relatively low hashing power, with the same ramifications as a 51% attack. Bitcoin nodes consider the chain with the highest cumulative proof-of-work to be the valid chain. A quantum miner can manipulate the block timestamps to multiply the difficulty by $c$. The fork-choice rule counts every block with increased difficulty with weight $c$. By using Grover's algorithm, it is only $O(\\sqrt c)$ harder for the quantum miner to mine such blocks. By picking a high enough $c$, the single quantum miner can create a competing chain with fewer blocks, but more cumulative proof-of-work. The time required is $O(\\frac{1}{r^2})$ epochs, where $r$ is the fraction of the block rewards that the quantum miner would have received if they mined honestly. Most proof-of-work cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, are vulnerable to our attack. However, it will likely be impossible to execute in forthcoming years, as it requires an extremely fast and fault-tolerant quantum computer.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.08023v2","authors":["Bolton Bailey","Or Sattath"],"tags":["quant-ph","cs.CR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-12T18:45:29Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2403.17885v2","name":"Empirical Analysis of EIP-3675: Miner Dynamics, Transaction Fees, and Transaction Time","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Ethereum Improvement Proposal 3675 (EIP-3675) marks a significant shift, transitioning from a Proof of Work (PoW) to a Proof of Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism. This transition resulted in a staggering 99.95% decrease in energy consumption. However, the transition prompts two critical questions: (1). How does EIP-3675 affect miners' dynamics? and (2). How do users determine priority fees, considering that paying too little may cause delays or non-inclusion, yet paying too much wastes money with little to no benefits? To address the first question, we present a comprehensive empirical study examining EIP-3675's effect on miner dynamics (i.e., miner participation, distribution, and the degree of randomness in miner selection). Our findings reveal that the transition has encouraged broader participation of miners in block append operation, resulting in a larger pool of unique miners ($\\approx50\\times$ PoW), and the change in miner distribution with the increased number of unique small category miners ($\\approx60\\times$ PoW). However, there is an unintended consequence: a reduction in the miner selection randomness, which signifies the negative impact of the transition to PoS-Ethereum on network decentralization. Regarding the second question, we employed regression-based machine learning models; the Gradient Boosting Regressor performed best in predicting priority fees, while the K-Neighbours Regressor was worst.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.17885v2","authors":["Umesh Bhatt","Sarvesh Pandey"],"tags":["cs.DB"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-26T17:17:10Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1006.1585v2","name":"Microbial Fuel Cells Applied to the Metabolically-Based Detection of Extraterrestrial Life","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Since the 1970's, when the Viking spacecrafts carried out experiments aimed to the detection of microbial metabolism on the surface of Mars, the search for nonspecific methods to detect life in situ has been one of the goals of astrobiology. It is usually required that the methodology can detect life independently from its composition or form, and that the chosen biological signature points to a feature common to all living systems, as the presence of metabolism. In this paper we evaluate the use of Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) for the detection of microbial life in situ. MFCs are electrochemical devices originally developed as power electrical sources, and can be described as fuel cells in which the anode is submerged in a medium that contains microorganisms. These microorganisms, as part of their metabolic process, oxidize organic material releasing electrons that contribute to the electric current, which is therefore proportional to metabolic and other redox processes. We show that power and current density values measured in MFCs using microorganism cultures or soil samples in the anode are much larger than those obtained using a medium free of microorganisms or sterilized soil samples, respectively. In particular, we found that this is true for extremophiles, usually proposed to live in extraterrestrial environments. Therefore, our results show that MFCs have the potential to be used to detect microbial life in situ.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1006.1585v2","authors":["Ximena C. Abrevaya","Pablo J. D. Mauas","Eduardo Cortón"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.SR","physics.bio-ph","q-bio.OT"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-06-08T15:21:49Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1912.02867v1","name":"Identification of mineralization in geochemistry along a transect based on the spatial curvature of log-ratios","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Detecting subcropping mineralizations but also deeply buried mineralizations is one important goal in geochemical exploration. The identification of useful indicators for mineralization is a difficult task as mineralization might be influenced by many factors, such as location, investigated media, depth, etc. We propose a statistical method which indicates chemical elements related to mineralization along a transect. Moreover, the method determines along a transect the potential area of the deposit. The identification is based on General Additive Models (GAMs) for the element concentrations across the spatial coordinate(s). The log-ratios of the GAM fits are taken to compute the curvature, where high and narrow curvature is supposed to indicate the mineralization area. By defining a measure for the quantification of high curvature, the log-ratios can be ranked, and elements can be identified that are indicative of the anomaly patterns.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1912.02867v1","authors":["Dominika Mikšová","Christopher Rieser","Peter Filzmoser"],"tags":["stat.AP","stat.CO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-12-05T20:41:12Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:9505055v2","name":"Nuclear Tracks from Cold Dark Matter Interactions in Mineral Crystals: A Computational Study","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Recoiling nuclei from Cold Dark Matter (CDM) elastic scattering interactions with the constituent elements of some minerals may produce etchable damage tracks in the crystal structure. Present calculations show that in muscovite mica, CDM tracks from recoiling potassium atoms could be readily distinguished from others due to alpha-decays in the uranium and thorium chains. Under favorable conditions, this technique could greatly improve the existing limits on Weakly Interacting Massive Particles as the constituents of the galactic halo.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/9505055v2","authors":["J. I. Collar","F. T. Avignone"],"tags":["astro-ph","hep-ph","nucl-ex"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1995-05-11T19:58:17Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1310.5227v1","name":"Reformulating the Kriging Algorithm to the Practicing Miner","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The main aim of applied geostatistics is to derive `mean' and `variance' of ore to the practicing miner. This paper suggests brand-new approach to the problem.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1310.5227v1","authors":["T. Suslo"],"tags":["stat.ME"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-10-19T13:11:16Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.17907v1","name":"A Cost-Effective Search for Extraterrestrial Probes in the Solar System","source":"arxiv","abstract":"For centuries, astronomers have discussed the possibility of inhabited worlds - from Herschel's 18th-century observations suggesting Mars may host life, to the systematic search for technosignatures that began in the 1960s using radio telescopes. Searching for artifacts in the solar system has received relatively little formal scientific interest and has faced significant technical and social challenges. Automated surveys and new observational techniques developed over the past decade now enable astronomers to survey parts of the sky for anomalous objects. We briefly describe four methods for detecting extraterrestrial artifacts and probes within the Solar System and then focus on demonstrating one of these. The first makes use of pre-Sputnik images to search for flashes from glinting objects. The second method makes use of space-borne telescopes to search for artificial objects. A third approach involves examining the reflectance spectra of objects in Earth orbit, in search of the characteristic reddening that may imply long-term exposure of metallic surfaces to space weathering. We focus here on a fourth approach, which involves using Earth's shadow as a filter when searching for optically luminous objects in near-Earth space. We demonstrate a proof-of-concept of this method by conducting two searches for transients in images acquired by the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), which has generated many repeated 30-second exposures of the same fields. In this way, we identified previously uncatalogued events at short angular separations from the center of the shadow, motivating more extensive searches using this technique. We conclude that the Earth's shadow presents a new and exciting search domain for near-Earth SETI.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.17907v1","authors":["Beatriz Villarroel","Wesley A. Watters","Alina Streblyanska","Enrique Solano","Stefan Geier","Lars Mattsson"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-19T15:00:24Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2104.08460v2","name":"Stability analysis and control of decision-making of miners in blockchain","source":"arxiv","abstract":"To maintain blockchain-based services with ensuring its security, it is an important issue how to decide a mining reward so that the number of miners participating in the mining increases. We propose a dynamical model of decision-making for miners using an evolutionary game approach and analyze the stability of equilibrium points of the proposed model. The proposed model is described by the 1st-order differential equation. So, it is simple but its theoretical analysis gives an insight into the characteristics of the decision-making. Through the analysis of the equilibrium points, we show the transcritical bifurcations and hysteresis phenomena of the equilibrium points. We also design a controller that determines the mining reward based on the number of participating miners to stabilize the state that all miners participate in the mining. Numerical simulation shows that there is a trade-off in the choice of the design parameters.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2104.08460v2","authors":["Kosuke Toda","Naomi Kuze","Toshimitsu Ushio"],"tags":["cs.GT","cs.CR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-04-17T05:52:12Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2101.12450v1","name":"The M3 project: 2 -- Global distributions of mafic mineral abundances on Mars","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A radiative transfer model was used to reproduce several millions of OMEGA (Observatoire pour la Minéralogie, l'Eau, les Glaces et l'Activité) spectra representative of igneous terrains of Mars. This task provided the modal composition and grain sizes at a planetary scale. The lithology can be summarized in five mineral maps at km-scale. We found that the low albedo equatorial regions of the Martian surface (from 60°S to 30°N) are globally dominated by plagioclase with average abundance ~50 vol% and pyroxenes with total averaged abundance close to 40 vol%. An evolution of the LCP/(LCP+HCP) ratio is observed with time at the global scale, suggesting an evolution of the degree of partial melting throughout the Martian eras. Olivine and Martian dust are minor components of the modelled terrains. The olivine distribution is quite different from the other minerals because it is found on localized areas with abundance reaching 20 vol%. A statistical approach, to classify the pixels of the abundances maps, using k-means clustering, highlighted seven distinct mineral assemblages on the surface. This classification illustrates that diverse mineralogical units are found in the Noachian and Hesperian terrains, which suggests the presence of various and complex magmatic processes at a global scale during the two oldest eras. The chemical composition was derived from the modal composition maps. The OMEGA-derived chemical composition is quite consistent with several distinctive geochemical characteristics previously considered as fingerprints of the Martian surface. A major discrepancy is in regards to the Fe content that is significantly smaller than soil and rock analyses from GRS and in situ measurements. The discrepancy could be partly explained by the assumptions used for the spectral modelling or could also indicate surface alteration rinds.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2101.12450v1","authors":["Lucie Riu","François Poulet","Jean-Pierre Bibring","Brigitte Gondet"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-01-29T07:50:16Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1907.00302v2","name":"Bonded Mining: Difficulty Adjustment by Miner Commitment","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Proof-of-work blockchains must implement a difficulty adjustment algorithm (DAA) in order to maintain a consistent inter-arrival time between blocks. Conventional DAAs are essentially feedback controllers, and as such, they are inherently reactive. This approach leaves them susceptible to manipulation and often causes them to either under- or over-correct. We present Bonded Mining, a proactive DAA that works by collecting hash rate commitments secured by bond from miners. The difficulty is set directly from the commitments and the bond is used to penalize miners who deviate from their commitment. We devise a statistical test that is capable of detecting hash rate deviations by utilizing only on-blockchain data. The test is sensitive enough to detect a variety of deviations from commitments, while almost never misclassifying honest miners. We demonstrate in simulation that, under reasonable assumptions, Bonded Mining is more effective at maintaining a target block time than the Bitcoin Cash DAA, one of the newest and most dynamic DAAs currently deployed. In this preliminary work, the lowest hash rate miner our approach supports is 1% of the total and we directly consider only two types of fundamental attacks. Future work will address these limitations.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1907.00302v2","authors":["George Bissias","David Thibodeau","Brian N. Levine"],"tags":["cs.CR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-06-30T01:39:25Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1412.4867v1","name":"Searching for Extraterrestrial Intelligence with the Square Kilometre Array","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The vast collecting area of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), harnessed by sensitive receivers, flexible digital electronics and increased computational capacity, could permit the most sensitive and exhaustive search for technologically-produced radio emission from advanced extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) ever performed. For example, SKA1-MID will be capable of detecting a source roughly analogous to terrestrial high-power radars (e.g. air route surveillance or ballistic missile warning radars, EIRP (EIRP = equivalent isotropic radiated power, ~10^17 erg sec^-1) at 10 pc in less than 15 minutes, and with a modest four beam SETI observing system could, in one minute, search every star in the primary beam out to ~100 pc for radio emission comparable to that emitted by the Arecibo Planetary Radar (EIRP ~2 x 10^20 erg sec^-1). The flexibility of the signal detection systems used for SETI searches with the SKA will allow new algorithms to be employed that will provide sensitivity to a much wider variety of signal types than previously searched for. Here we discuss the astrobiological and astrophysical motivations for radio SETI and describe how the technical capabilities of the SKA will explore the radio SETI parameter space. We detail several conceivable SETI experimental programs on all components of SKA1, including commensal, primary-user, targeted and survey programs and project the enhancements to them possible with SKA2. We also discuss target selection criteria for these programs, and in the case of commensal observing, how the varied use cases of other primary observers can be used to full advantage for SETI.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1412.4867v1","authors":["Andrew P. V. Siemion","James Benford","Jin Cheng-Jin","Jayanth Chennamangalam","James Cordes","David R. DeBoer","Heino Falcke","Mike Garrett","Simon Garrington","Leonid Gurvits","Melvin Hoare","Eric J. Korpela","Joseph Lazio","David Messerschmitt","Ian S. Morrison","Tim O'Brien","Zsolt Paragi","Alan Penny","Laura Spitler","Jill Tarter","Dan Werthimer"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-12-16T03:20:34Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2309.15368v1","name":"Enumerating the climate impact of disequilibrium in critical mineral supply","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Recently proposed tailpipe emissions standards aim to significant increases in electric vehicle (EV) sales in the United States. Our work examines whether this increase is achievable given potential constraints in EV mineral supply chains. We estimate a model that reflects international sourcing rules, heterogeneity in the mineral intensity of predominant battery chemistries, and long-run grid decarbonization efforts. Our efforts yield five key findings. First, compliance with the proposed standard necessitates replacing at least 10.21 million new ICEVs with EVs between 2027 and 2032. Second, based on economically viable and geologically available mineral reserves, manufacturing sufficient EVs is plausible across most battery chemistries and could, subject to the chemistry leveraged, reduce up to 457.3 million total tons of CO2e. Third, mineral production capacities of the US and its allies constrain battery production to a total of 5.09 million EV batteries between 2027 and 2032, well short of deployment requirements to meet EPA standards even if battery manufacturing is optimized to exclusively manufacture materials efficient NMC 811 batteries. Fourth, disequilibrium between mineral supply and demand results in at least 59.54 million tons of CO2e in total lost lifecycle emissions benefits. Fifth, limited present-day production of battery-grade graphite and to a lesser extent, cobalt, constrain US electric vehicle battery pack manufacturing under strict sourcing rules. We demonstrate that should mineral supply bottlenecks persist, hybrid electric vehicles may offer equivalent lifecycle emissions benefits as EVs while relaxing mineral production demands, though this represents a tradeoff of long-term momentum in electric vehicle deployment in favor of near-term carbon dioxide emissions reductions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.15368v1","authors":["Lucas Woodley","Chung Yi See","Peter Cook","Megan Yeo","Daniel S. Palmer","Laurena Huh","Seaver Wang","Ashley Nunes"],"tags":["econ.GN"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-27T02:43:02Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.21451v1","name":"A Comprehensive Dataset for Underground Miner Detection in Diverse Scenario","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Underground mining operations face significant safety challenges that make emergency response capabilities crucial. While robots have shown promise in assisting with search and rescue operations, their effectiveness depends on reliable miner detection capabilities. Deep learning algorithms offer potential solutions for automated miner detection, but require comprehensive training datasets, which are currently lacking for underground mining environments. This paper presents a novel thermal imaging dataset specifically designed to enable the development and validation of miner detection systems for potential emergency applications. We systematically captured thermal imagery of various mining activities and scenarios to create a robust foundation for detection algorithms. To establish baseline performance metrics, we evaluated several state-of-the-art object detection algorithms including YOLOv8, YOLOv10, YOLO11, and RT-DETR on our dataset. While not exhaustive of all possible emergency situations, this dataset serves as a crucial first step toward developing reliable thermal-based miner detection systems that could eventually be deployed in real emergency scenarios. This work demonstrates the feasibility of using thermal imaging for miner detection and establishes a foundation for future research in this critical safety application.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.21451v1","authors":["Cyrus Addy","Ajay Kumar Gurumadaiah","Yixiang Gao","Kwame Awuah-Offei"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-26T16:33:49Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.11693v1","name":"From Spectra to Geography: Intelligent Mapping of RRUFF Mineral Data","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Accurately determining the geographic origin of mineral samples is pivotal for applications in geology, mineralogy, and material science. Leveraging the comprehensive Raman spectral data from the RRUFF database, this study introduces a novel machine learning framework aimed at geolocating mineral specimens at the country level. We employ a one-dimensional ConvNeXt1D neural network architecture to classify mineral spectra based solely on their spectral signatures. The processed dataset comprises over 32,900 mineral samples, predominantly natural, spanning 101 countries. Through five-fold cross-validation, the ConvNeXt1D model achieved an impressive average classification accuracy of 93%, demonstrating its efficacy in capturing geospatial patterns inherent in Raman spectra.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.11693v1","authors":["Francesco Pappone","Federico Califano","Marco Tafani"],"tags":["cs.CV","eess.IV","physics.comp-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-18T16:15:00Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1904.08393v2","name":"High-angular resolution electron backscatter diffraction as a new tool for mapping lattice distortion in geological minerals","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Analysis of distortions of the crystal lattice within individual mineral grains is central to the investigation of microscale processes that control and record tectonic events. These distortions are generally combinations of lattice rotations and elastic strains, but a lack of suitable observational techniques has prevented these components being mapped simultaneously and routinely in earth science laboratories. However, the technique of high-angular resolution electron backscatter diffraction (HR-EBSD) provides the opportunity to simultaneously map lattice rotations and elastic strains with exceptional precision, on the order of 0.01 degree for rotations and 10-4 in strain, using a scanning electron microscope. Importantly, these rotations and lattice strains relate to densities of geometrically necessary dislocations and residual stresses. Recent works have begun to apply and adapt HR-EBSD to geological minerals, highlighting the potential of the technique to provide new insights into the microphysics of rock deformation. Therefore, the purpose of this overview is to provide a summary of the technique, to identify caveats and targets for further development, and to suggest areas where it offers potential for major advances. In particular, HREBSD is well suited to characterising the roles of different dislocation types during crystal plastic deformation and to mapping heterogeneous internal stress fields associated with specific deformation mechanisms/microstructures or changes in temperature, confining pressure, or applied deviatoric stress. These capabilities make HR-EBSD a particularly powerful new technique for analysing the microstructures of deformed geological materials.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1904.08393v2","authors":["David Wallis","Lars N. Hansen","T. Ben Britton","Angus J. Wilkinson"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-04-17T17:48:59Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2110.04063v1","name":"A New Weakly Supervised Learning Approach for Real-time Iron Ore Feed Load Estimation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Iron ore feed load control is one of the most critical settings in a mineral grinding process, directly impacting the quality of final products. The setting of the feed load is mainly determined by the characteristics of the ore pellets. However, the characterisation of ore is challenging to acquire in many production environments, leading to poor feed load settings and inefficient production processes. This paper presents our work using deep learning models for direct ore feed load estimation from ore pellet images. To address the challenges caused by the large size of a full ore pellets image and the shortage of accurately annotated data, we treat the whole modelling process as a weakly supervised learning problem. A two-stage model training algorithm and two neural network architectures are proposed. The experiment results show competitive model performance, and the trained models can be used for real-time feed load estimation for grind process optimisation.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2110.04063v1","authors":["Li Guo","Yonghong Peng","Rui Qin","Bingyu Liu"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.AI","cs.LG","eess.SY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-10-06T11:24:47Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1105.1698v1","name":"Status Update for the MINER$ν$A Experiment","source":"arxiv","abstract":"MINER$ν$A (Main INjEctoR $ν$-A) is a few-GeV neutrino cross section experiment that began taking data in the FNAL NuMI beam-line in the fall of 2009. MINER$ν$A employs a fine-grained detector capable of complete kinematic characterization of neutrino interactions. The detector consists of an approximately 6.5 ton active target region composed of plastic scintillator with additional carbon, iron, and lead targets upstream of the active region. The experiment will provide important inputs for neutrino oscillation searches and a pure weak probe of nuclear structure. Here we offer a set of initial kinematic distributions of interest and provide a general status update.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1105.1698v1","authors":["Gabriel Perdue"],"tags":["hep-ex"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-05-09T15:35:54Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2207.13629v2","name":"Proprioceptive Slip Detection for Planetary Rovers in Perceptually Degraded Extraterrestrial Environments","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Slip detection is of fundamental importance for the safety and efficiency of rovers driving on the surface of extraterrestrial bodies. Current planetary rover slip detection systems rely on visual perception on the assumption that sufficient visual features can be acquired in the environment. However, visual-based methods are prone to suffer in perceptually degraded planetary environments with dominant low terrain features such as regolith, glacial terrain, salt-evaporites, and poor lighting conditions such as dark caves and permanently shadowed regions. Relying only on visual sensors for slip detection also requires additional computational power and reduces the rover traversal rate. This paper answers the question of how to detect wheel slippage of a planetary rover without depending on visual perception. In this respect, we propose a slip detection system that obtains its information from a proprioceptive localization framework that is capable of providing reliable, continuous, and computationally efficient state estimation over hundreds of meters. This is accomplished by using zero velocity update, zero angular rate update, and non-holonomic constraints as pseudo-measurement updates on an inertial navigation system framework. The proposed method is evaluated on actual hardware and field-tested in a planetary-analog environment. The method achieves greater than 92% slip detection accuracy for distances around 150 m using only an IMU and wheel encoders.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2207.13629v2","authors":["Cagri Kilic","Yu Gu","Jason N. Gross"],"tags":["cs.RO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-27T16:44:48Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2312.13451v1","name":"Learning the Factors Controlling Mineralization for Geologic Carbon Sequestration","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We perform a set of flow and reactive transport simulations within three-dimensional fracture networks to learn the factors controlling mineral reactions. CO$_2$ mineralization requires CO$_2$-laden water, dissolution of a mineral that then leads to precipitation of a CO$_2$-bearing mineral. Our discrete fracture networks (DFN) are partially filled with quartz that gradually dissolves until it reaches a quasi-steady state. At the end of the simulation, we measure the quartz remaining in each fracture within the domain. We observe that a small backbone of fracture exists, where the quartz is fully dissolved which leads to increased flow and transport. However, depending on the DFN topology and the rate of dissolution, we observe a large variability of these changes, which indicates an interplay between the fracture network structure and the impact of geochemical dissolution. In this work, we developed a machine learning framework to extract the important features that support mineralization in the form of dissolution. In addition, we use structural and topological features of the fracture network to predict the remaining quartz volume in quasi-steady state conditions. As a first step to characterizing carbon mineralization, we study dissolution with this framework. We studied a variety of reaction and fracture parameters and their impact on the dissolution of quartz in fracture networks. We found that the dissolution reaction rate constant of quartz and the distance to the flowing backbone in the fracture network are the two most important features that control the amount of quartz left in the system. For the first time, we use a combination of a finite-volume reservoir model and graph-based approach to study reactive transport in a complex fracture network to determine the key features that control dissolution.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.13451v1","authors":["Aleksandra Pachalieva","Jeffrey D. Hyman","Daniel O'Malley","Hari Viswanathan","Gowri Srinivasan"],"tags":["cs.CE","cs.LG","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-20T22:11:54Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2309.02297v1","name":"Smoothening block rewards: How much should miners pay for mining pools?","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The rewards a blockchain miner earns vary with time. Most of the time is spent mining without receiving any rewards, and only occasionally the miner wins a block and earns a reward. Mining pools smoothen the stochastic flow of rewards, and in the ideal case, provide a steady flow of rewards over time. Smooth block rewards allow miners to choose an optimal mining power growth strategy that will result in a higher reward yield for a given investment. We quantify the economic advantage for a given miner of having smooth rewards, and use this to define a maximum percentage of rewards that a miner should be willing to pay for the mining pool services.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.02297v1","authors":["Axel Cortes-Cubero","Juan P. Madrigal-Cianci","Kiran Karra","Zixuan Zhang"],"tags":["cs.CR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-05T14:59:01Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1905.08792v2","name":"A Standalone FPGA-based Miner for Lyra2REv2 Cryptocurrencies","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Lyra2REv2 is a hashing algorithm that consists of a chain of individual hashing algorithms, and it is used as a proof-of-work function in several cryptocurrencies. The most crucial and exotic hashing algorithm in the Lyra2REv2 chain is a specific instance of the general Lyra2 algorithm. This work presents the first hardware implementation of the specific instance of Lyra2 that is used in Lyra2REv2. Several properties of the aforementioned algorithm are exploited in order to optimize the design. In addition, an FPGA-based hardware implementation of a standalone miner for Lyra2REv2 on a Xilinx Multi-Processor System on Chip is presented. The proposed Lyra2REv2 miner is shown to be significantly more energy efficient than both a GPU and a commercially available FPGA-based miner. Finally, we also explain how the simplified Lyra2 and Lyra2REv2 architectures can be modified with minimal effort to also support the recent Lyra2REv3 chained hashing algorithm.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1905.08792v2","authors":["Jean-François Têtu","Louis-Charles Trudeau","Michiel Van Beirendonck","Alexios Balatsoukas-Stimming","Pascal Giard"],"tags":["cs.CR","eess.SP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-05-21T14:58:54Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1607.08818v1","name":"An Opportunistic Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence (SETI) with the Murchison Widefield Array","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A spectral line image cube generated from 115 minutes of MWA data that covers a field of view of 400 sq. deg. around the Galactic Centre is used to perform the first Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence (SETI) with the Murchison Widefield Array. Our work constitutes the first modern SETI experiment at low radio frequencies, here between 103 and 133 MHz, paving the way for large-scale searches with the MWA and, in the future, the low frequency Square Kilometre Array. Limits of a few hundred mJy/beam for narrow band emission (10 kHz) are derived from our data, across our 400 sq. deg. field of view. Within this field, 45 exoplanets in 38 planetary systems are known. We extract spectra at the locations of these systems from our image cube, to place limits on the presence of narrow line emission from these systems. We then derive minimum isotropic transmitter powers for these exoplanets; a small handful of the closest objects (10s of pc) yield our best limits of order $10^{14}$ W (Equivalent Isotropic Radiated Power: EIRP). These limits lie above the highest power directional transmitters near these frequencies currently operational on Earth. A SETI experiment with the MWA covering the full accessible sky and its full frequency range would require approximately one month of observing time. The MWA frequency range, its Southern Hemisphere location on an extraordinarily radio quiet site, its very large field of view, and its high sensitivity make it a unique facility for SETI.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1607.08818v1","authors":["S. J. Tingay","C. Tremblay","A. Walsh","R. Urquhart"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-07-29T14:12:40Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2303.02545v1","name":"MINER: A Hybrid Data-Driven Approach for REST API Fuzzing","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In recent years, REST API fuzzing has emerged to explore errors on a cloud service. Its performance highly depends on the sequence construction and request generation. However, existing REST API fuzzers have trouble generating long sequences with well-constructed requests to trigger hard-to-reach states in a cloud service, which limits their performance of finding deep errors and security bugs. Further, they cannot find the specific errors caused by using undefined parameters during request generation. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a novel hybrid data-driven solution, named MINER, with three new designs working together to address the above limitations. First, MINER collects the valid sequences whose requests pass the cloud service's checking as the templates, and assigns more executions to long sequence templates. Second, to improve the generation quality of requests in a sequence template, MINER creatively leverages the state-of-the-art neural network model to predict key request parameters and provide them with appropriate parameter values. Third, MINER implements a new data-driven security rule checker to capture the new kind of errors caused by undefined parameters. We evaluate MINER against the state-of-the-art fuzzer RESTler on GitLab, Bugzilla, and WordPress via 11 REST APIs. The results demonstrate that the average pass rate of MINER is 23.42% higher than RESTler. MINER finds 97.54% more unique errors than RESTler on average and 142.86% more reproducible errors after manual analysis. We have reported all the newly found errors, and 7 of them have been confirmed as logic bugs by the corresponding vendors.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.02545v1","authors":["Chenyang Lyu","Jiacheng Xu","Shouling Ji","Xuhong Zhang","Qinying Wang","Binbin Zhao","Gaoning Pan","Wei Cao","Raheem Beyah"],"tags":["cs.CR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-03-05T01:41:41Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.04646v1","name":"Artificial Broadcasts as Galactic Populations: I. A Point Process Formalism for Extraterrestrial Intelligences and Their Broadcasts","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Artificial broadcasts from extraterrestrial intelligences (ETIs) are a hypothetical class of celestial phenomena. Unlike known astrophysical objects, the societies that generate them may be able to replicate on galactic scales through interstellar travel. Different galaxies could thus have drastically different populations, with abundance variations of many orders of magnitude. I present a probabilistic formalism to treat this shared history, in which societies and their broadcasts are described by distributions over basic properties like lifespan and energy released. The framework contains a hierarchy of objects related by a tree structure. Discrete societies, the sources of broadcasts, are organized into potentially interstellar \"metasocieties.\" The population of each type of object is represented by a random point process in an abstract parameter hyperspace, a \"haystack.\" When a selection like an observation draws a sample, the point process is thinned. Given assumptions of interchangeability and independence, observables are modeled with compound Poisson random variables. I present an example of how selection bias can favor sampling longer-lived objects. I rederive the Drake Equation for societies in the limit of no expansion. When interstellar replication is present, however, the mean number of detected broadcasts can depend quadratically on stellar mass, suggesting a search strategy favoring large galaxies.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.04646v1","authors":["Brian C. Lacki"],"tags":["astro-ph.GA","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-07T20:09:23Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2502.05854v1","name":"NSPG-Miner: Mining Repetitive Negative Sequential Patterns","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Sequential pattern mining (SPM) with gap constraints (or repetitive SPM or tandem repeat discovery in bioinformatics) can find frequent repetitive subsequences satisfying gap constraints, which are called positive sequential patterns with gap constraints (PSPGs). However, classical SPM with gap constraints cannot find the frequent missing items in the PSPGs. To tackle this issue, this paper explores negative sequential patterns with gap constraints (NSPGs). We propose an efficient NSPG-Miner algorithm that can mine both frequent PSPGs and NSPGs simultaneously. To effectively reduce candidate patterns, we propose a pattern join strategy with negative patterns which can generate both positive and negative candidate patterns at the same time. To calculate the support (frequency of occurrence) of a pattern in each sequence, we explore a NegPair algorithm that employs a key-value pair array structure to deal with the gap constraints and the negative items simultaneously and can avoid redundant rescanning of the original sequence, thus improving the efficiency of the algorithm. To report the performance of NSPG-Miner, 11 competitive algorithms and 11 datasets are employed. The experimental results not only validate the effectiveness of the strategies adopted by NSPG-Miner, but also verify that NSPG-Miner can discover more valuable information than the state-of-the-art algorithms. Algorithms and datasets can be downloaded from https://github.com/wuc567/Pattern-Mining/tree/master/NSPG-Miner.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.05854v1","authors":["Yan Li","Zhulin Wang","Jing Liu","Lei Guo","Philippe Fournier-Viger","Youxi Wu","Xindong Wu"],"tags":["cs.DB"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-09T11:25:37Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1207.5025v1","name":"Mineral bridges in nacre revisited","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We confirm with high-resolution techniques the existence of mineral bridges between superposed nacre tablets. In the towered nacre of both gastropods and the cephalopod Nautilus there are large bridges aligned along the tower axes, corresponding to gaps (150-200 nm) in the interlamellar membranes. Gaps are produced by the interaction of the nascent tablets with a surface membrane that covers the nacre compartment. In the terraced nacre of bivalves bridges associated with elongated gaps in the interlamellar membrane (&gt; 100 nm) have mainly been found at or close to the edges of superposed parental tablets. To explain this placement, we hypothesize that the interlamellar membrane breaks due to differences in osmotic pressure across it when the interlamellar space below becomes reduced at an advanced stage of calcification. In no cases are the minor connections between superimposed tablets (&lt; 60 nm), earlier reported to be mineral bridges, found to be such.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1207.5025v1","authors":["Antonio G. Checa","Julyan H. E. Cartwright","Marc-Georg Willinger"],"tags":["physics.bio-ph","cond-mat.mtrl-sci","cond-mat.soft","nlin.AO","q-bio.OT"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-07-20T19:04:00Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.18933v1","name":"Shaping terahertz waves using anisotropic shear modes in a van der Waals mineral","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Naturally occurring van der Waals (vdW) materials are currently attracting significant interest due to their potential as low-cost sources of two-dimensional materials. Valuable information on vdW materials' interlayer interactions is present in their low-frequency rigid-layer phonon spectra, which are experimentally accessible by terahertz spectroscopy techniques. In this work, we have used polarization-sensitive terahertz time-domain spectroscopy to investigate a bulk sample of the naturally abundant, large bandgap vdW mineral clinochlore. We observed a strong and sharp anisotropic resonance in the complex refractive index spectrum near 1.13 THz, consistent with our density functional theory predictions for shear modes. Polarimetry analysis revealed that the shear phonon anisotropy reshapes the polarization state of transmitted THz waves, inducing Faraday rotation and ellipticity. Furthermore, we used Jones formalism to discuss clinochlore phononic symmetries and describe our observations in terms of its eigenstates of polarization. These results highlight the potential of exploring vdW minerals as central building blocks for vdW heterostructures with compelling technological applications.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.18933v1","authors":["Nicolas M. Kawahala","Daniel A. Matos","Raphaela de Oliveira","Raphael Longuinhos","Jenaina Ribeiro-Soares","Ingrid D. Barcelos","Felix G. G. Hernandez"],"tags":["cond-mat.mes-hall","cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-27T17:33:09Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.824Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2201.11984v3","name":"The need for and feasibility of alternative ground robots to traverse sandy and rocky extraterrestrial terrain","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Robotic spacecraft have helped expand our reach for many planetary exploration missions. Most ground mobile planetary exploration robots use wheeled or modified wheeled platforms. Although extraordinarily successful at completing intended mission goals, because of the limitations of wheeled locomotion, they have been largely limited to benign, solid terrain and avoided extreme terrain with loose soil/sand and large rocks. Unfortunately, such challenging terrain is often scientifically interesting for planetary geology. Although many animals traverse such terrain at ease, robots have not matched their performance and robustness. This is in major part due to a lack of fundamental understanding of how effective locomotion can be generated from controlled interaction with complex terrain on the same level of flight aerodynamics and underwater vehicle hydrodynamics. Early fundamental understanding of legged and limbless locomotor-ground interaction has already enabled stable and efficient bio-inspired robot locomotion on relatively flat ground with small obstacles. Recent progress in the new field of terradynamics of locomotor-terrain interaction begins to reveal the principles of bio-inspired locomotion on loose soil/sand and over large obstacles. Multi-legged and limbless platforms using terradynamics insights hold the promise for serving as robust alternative platforms for traversing extreme extraterrestrial terrain and expanding our reach in planetary exploration.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2201.11984v3","authors":["Chen Li","Kevin Lewis"],"tags":["cs.RO","eess.SY","physics.bio-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-28T08:33:02Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2208.02375v1","name":"Two-dimensional (2D) d-Silicates from abundant natural minerals","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In the last decade, the materials community has been exploring new 2D materials (graphene, metallene, TMDs, TMCs, MXene, among others) that have unique physical and chemical properties. Recently, a new family of 2D materials, the so-called 2D silicates, have been proposed. They are predicted to exhibit exciting properties (such as high catalytic activity, piezoelectricity, and 2D magnetism). In the current work, we demonstrate a generic approach to the synthesis of large-scale 2D silicates from selected minerals, such as Diopside (d). Different experimental techniques were used to confirm the existence of the 2D structures (named 2D-d-silicates). DFT simulations were also used to gain insight into the structural features and energy harvesting mechanisms (flexoelectric response generating voltage up to 10 V). The current approach is completely general and can be utilized for large-scale synthesis of 2D silicates and their derivatives, whose large-scale syntheses have been elusive.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2208.02375v1","authors":["Preeti Lata Mahapatra","Appu Kumar Singh","Raphael Tromer","Karthik R.","Ambresha M.","Gelu Costin","Basudev Lahiri","Tarun Kumar Kundu","P. M. Ajayan","Douglas S. Galvao","Chandra Shekhar Tiwary"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci","physics.app-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-08-03T22:51:00Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2203.15930v1","name":"Extracting Godl [sic] from the Salt Mines: Ethereum Miners Extracting Value","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Cryptocurrency miners have great latitude in deciding which transactions they accept, including their own, and the order in which they accept them. Ethereum miners in particular use this flexibility to collect MEV-Miner Extractable Value-by structuring transactions to extract additional revenue. Ethereum also contains numerous bots that attempt to obtain MEV based on public-but-not-yet-confirmed transactions. Private relays shelter operations from these selfsame bots by directly submitting transactions to mining pools. In this work, we develop an algorithm to detect MEV exploitation present in previously mined blocks. We use our implementation of the detector to analyze MEV usage and profit redistribution, finding that miners make the lion's share of the profits, rather than independent users of the private relays. More specifically, (i) 73% of private transactions hide trading activity or re-distribute miner rewards, and 87.6% of MEV collection is accomplished with privately submitted transactions, (ii) our algorithm finds more than $6M worth of MEV profit in a period of 12 days, two thirds of which go directly to miners, and (iii) MEV represents 9.2% of miners' profit from transaction fees. Furthermore, in those 12 days, we also identify four blocks that contain enough MEV profits to make time-bandit forking attacks economically viable for large miners, undermining the security and stability of Ethereum as a whole.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2203.15930v1","authors":["Julien Piet","Jaiden Fairoze","Nicholas Weaver"],"tags":["cs.CR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-29T22:19:24Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2212.07253v2","name":"API-Miner: an API-to-API Specification Recommendation Engine","source":"arxiv","abstract":"When designing a new API for a large project, developers need to make smart design choices so that their code base can grow sustainably. To ensure that new API components are well designed, developers can learn from existing API components. However, the lack of standardized methods for comparing API designs makes this learning process time-consuming and difficult. To address this gap we developed API-Miner, to the best of our knowledge, one of the first API-to-API specification recommendation engines. API-Miner retrieves relevant specification components written in OpenAPI (a widely adopted language used to describe web APIs). API-miner presents several significant contributions, including: (1) novel methods of processing and extracting key information from OpenAPI specifications, (2) innovative feature extraction techniques that are optimized for the highly technical API specification domain, and (3) a novel log-linear probabilistic model that combines multiple signals to retrieve relevant and high quality OpenAPI specification components given a query specification. We evaluate API-Miner in both quantitative and qualitative tasks and achieve an overall of 91.7% recall@1 and 56.2% F1, which surpasses baseline performance by 15.4% in recall@1 and 3.2% in F1. Overall, API-Miner will allow developers to retrieve relevant OpenAPI specification components from a public or internal database in the early stages of the API development cycle, so that they can learn from existing established examples and potentially identify redundancies in their work. It provides the guidance developers need to accelerate development process and contribute thoughtfully designed APIs that promote code maintainability and quality. Code is available on GitHub at https://github.com/jpmorganchase/api-miner.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2212.07253v2","authors":["Sae Young Moon","Gregor Kerr","Fran Silavong","Sean Moran"],"tags":["cs.SE","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-12-14T14:43:51Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2605.24356v1","name":"Contested Temporalities in Critical Minerals and Resource Extraction for Electric Vehicles","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The global push for electric vehicles (EVs) has sharply increased demand for critical minerals such as cobalt and lithium, creating a tension between rapid industrial growth and long-term sustainability. Extraction is concentrated in a few regions -- notably the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Chile, and Argentina -- where it has produced serious socio-environmental harms, including ecosystem degradation, labour exploitation, and the displacement of Indigenous communities. In the DRC, cobalt mining is frequently linked to child labour and hazardous working conditions; in Chile, lithium extraction intensifies water scarcity and threatens local agriculture and biodiversity. Policy instruments such as the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) seek to promote ethical sourcing, but an extraction-driven model continues to deepen global inequalities. This chapter examines the contested temporalities of the transition, in which the short-term economic incentives of extraction conflict with longer-term environmental and social goals. It argues for a place-based framework built on community-centred governance, sustainable mining practices, and circular-economy strategies, including recycling and material substitution, to align resource security with equity and ensure that the shift to EVs does not reproduce the injustices it aims to address.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.24356v1","authors":["Joseph Nyangon"],"tags":["eess.SY","econ.GN","stat.AP","stat.OT"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-23T02:35:08Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.03515v1","name":"Linear correlations of Gibbs free energy for rare earth element oxide, hydroxide, chloride, fluoride, carbonate, and ferrite minerals and crystalline solids","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Rare Earth Elements (REE) are critical minerals (metals) for the transition from fossil fuels to renewable and clean energy. Accurate thermodynamic properties of REE minerals and other crystalline solids are crucial for geochemical modeling of the solubility, speciation, and transport of REE in ore formation, extraction, chemical processing, and recycling processes. However, the Gibbs free energies of formation (DGof, REEX) for these solids from different sources vary by 10s kJ/mol. We applied the Sverjensky linear free energy relationship (LFER) to evaluate their internal consistency and predict the unavailable DGof of the REE solids. By considering both the effects of ionic radius size and corresponding aqueous ion properties, the Sverjensky LFER allows estimates with much accuracy and precision. Here, rREEZ+ represents the Shannon-Prewitt ionic radii of REEZ+, and DGon, REEZ+ denotes the non-solvation contribution to the DGof of the aqueous REEZ+ ion. X represents the remainder of the compounds. In this study, the parameters aREEX, bREEX, and beta REEX were regressed from DGof compilations in the literature for 13 isostructural families. Based on these linear relationships, we recommend a set of internally consistent DGof, REEX for 119 end-members of REE oxides, hydroxides, chlorides, fluorides, carbonates, hydrous carbonates, and ferrites. These DGof, REEX are combined with experimental or predicted values of So, Vo, and Cpo from the literature and incorporated into a new SUPCRT database, which allows the calculations of thermodynamic properties to high P-T conditions (e.g., up to 1000 oC and 5 kb).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.03515v1","authors":["Ruiguang Pan","Chen Zhu"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-06T14:27:22Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1707.00082v1","name":"Estimation of Miner Hash Rates and Consensus on Blockchains (draft)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We make several contributions that quantify the real-time hash rate and therefore the consensus of a blockchain. We show that by using only the hash value of blocks, we can estimate and measure the hash rate of all miners or individual miners, with quanti able accuracy. We apply our techniques to the Ethereum and Bitcoin blockchains; our solution applies to any proof-of-work-based blockchain that relies on a numeric target for the validation of blocks. We also show that if miners regularly broadcast status reports of their partial proof-of- work, the hash rate estimates are signi cantly more accurate at a cost of slightly higher bandwidth. Whether using only the blockchain, or the additional information in status reports, merchants can use our techniques to quantify in real-time the threat of double-spend attacks.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1707.00082v1","authors":["A. Pinar Ozisik","George Bissias","Brian Levine"],"tags":["cs.CR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-01T01:31:40Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2307.00314v1","name":"Detection of River Sandbank for Sand Mining with the Presence of Other High Mineral Content Regions Using Multi-spectral Images","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Sand mining is a booming industry. The river sandbank is one of the primary sources of sand mining. Detection of potential river sandbank regions for sand mining directly impacts the economy, society, and environment. In the past, semi-supervised and supervised techniques have been used to detect mining regions including sand mining. A few techniques employ multi-modal analysis combining different modalities such as multi-spectral imaging, synthetic aperture radar (\\emph{SAR}) imaging, aerial images, and point cloud data. However, the distinguishing spectral characteristics of river sandbank regions are yet to be fully explored. This paper provides a novel method to detect river sandbank regions for sand mining using multi-spectral images without any labeled data over the seasons. Association with a river stream and the abundance of minerals are the most prominent features of such a region. The proposed work uses these distinguishing features to determine the spectral signature of a river sandbank region, which is robust to other high mineral abundance regions. It follows a two-step approach, where first, potential high mineral regions are detected and next, they are segregated using the presence of a river stream. The proposed technique provides average accuracy, precision, and recall of 90.75%, 85.47%, and 73.5%, respectively over the seasons from Landsat 8 images without using any labeled dataset.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2307.00314v1","authors":["Jit Mukherjee"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-01T12:03:17Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2205.09174v6","name":"Cordial Miners: Fast and Efficient Consensus for Every Eventuality","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Cordial Miners are a family of efficient Byzantine Atomic Broadcast protocols, with instances for asynchrony and eventual synchrony. They improve the latency of state-of-the-art DAG-based protocols by almost 2X and achieve optimal good-case complexity of O(n) by forgoing Reliable Broadcast as a building block. Rather, Cordial Miners use the blocklace -- a partially-ordered counterpart of the totally-ordered blockchain data structure -- to implement the three algorithmic components of consensus: Dissemination, equivocation-exclusion, and ordering.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2205.09174v6","authors":["Idit Keidar","Oded Naor","Ouri Poupko","Ehud Shapiro"],"tags":["cs.DC","cs.MA","cs.NI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-05-18T18:45:20Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1806.07189v1","name":"Using Economic Risk to Model Miner Hash Rate Allocation in Cryptocurrencies","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Abrupt changes in the miner hash rate applied to a proof-of-work (PoW) blockchain can adversely affect user experience and security. Because different PoW blockchains often share hashing algorithms, miners face a complex choice in deciding how to allocate their hash power among chains. We present an economic model that leverages Modern Portfolio Theory to predict a miner's allocation over time using price data and inferred risk tolerance. The model matches actual allocations with mean absolute error within 20% for four out of the top five miners active on both Bitcoin (BTC) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH) blockchains. A model of aggregate allocation across those four miners shows excellent agreement in magnitude with the actual aggregate as well a correlation coefficient of 0.649. The accuracy of the aggregate allocation model is also sufficient to explain major historical changes in inter-block time (IBT) for BCH. Because estimates of miner risk are not time-dependent and our model is otherwise price-driven, we are able to use it to anticipate the effect of a major price shock on hash allocation and IBT in the BCH blockchain. Using a Monte Carlo simulation, we show that, despite mitigation by the new difficulty adjustment algorithm, a price drop of 50% could increase the IBT by 50% for at least a day, with a peak delay of 100%.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1806.07189v1","authors":["George Bissias","Brian N. Levine","David Thibodeau"],"tags":["cs.CR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-06-19T12:46:25Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.01018v1","name":"Molecular Mobility of Extraterrestrial Ices: Surface Diffusion in Astrochemistry and Planetary Science","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Molecules are ubiquitous in space. They are necessary component in the creation of habitable planetary systems and can provide the basic building blocks of life. Solid-state processes are pivotal in the formation of molecules in space and surface diffusion in particular is a key driver of chemistry in extraterrestrial environments, such as the massive clouds in which stars and planets are formed and the icy objects within our Solar System. However, for many atoms and molecules quantitative theoretical and experimental information on diffusion, such as activation barriers, are lacking. This hinders us in unraveling chemical processes in space and determining how the chemical ingredients of planets and life are formed. In this article, an astrochemical perspective on diffusion is provided. Described are the relevant adsorbate-surface systems, the methods to model their chemical processes, and the computational and laboratory techniques to determine diffusion parameters, including the latest developments in the field. While much progress has been made, many astrochemically relevant systems remain unexplored. The complexity of ice surfaces, their temperature-dependent restructuring, and effects at low temperatures create unique challenges that demand innovative experimental approaches and theoretical frameworks. This intersection of astrochemistry and surface science offers fertile ground for physical chemists to apply their expertise. We invite the physical chemistry community to explore these systems, where precise diffusion parameters would dramatically advance our understanding of molecular evolution in space - from interstellar clouds to planetary surfaces - with implications on our understanding on the origins of life and planetary habitability.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.01018v1","authors":["N. F. W. Ligterink","C. Walsh","H. M. Cuppen","M. N. Drozdovskaya","A. Ahmad","D. M. Benoit","J. T. Carder","A. Das","J. K. Díaz-Berríos","F. Dulieu","J. Heyl","A. P. Jardine","T. Lamberts","N. M. Mikkelsen","M. Tsuge"],"tags":["astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-01T15:25:53Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2607.21948v1","name":"A Stable Mineral Fingerprint in the Fading Warm Debris Disk around HD 15407A","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Extreme debris disks provide time-domain probes of rocky planet assembly after giant impacts. We compare Spitzer and JWST spectra of the warm debris disk around HD 15407A, obtained 14.95 yr apart. Across 6-25$μ$m, the stellar-subtracted mid-infrared excess declined by $14.0\\pm1.2$%, while the mineral fingerprint is nearly unchanged. Within the adopted common reduced mineral basis, Mg-rich pyroxene dominates the normalized fitted mineral weights at about 65%, while silica and forsterite contribute about 22-23% and 12-13%, respectively. In both epochs, about 93-94% of the fitted mineral weight is carried by 5.0$μ$m grains. The fitted optically thin surface-component amplitude drops by 32%, consistent with reduced mineral-emitting flux from the disk surface rather than the appearance of a new dust composition. A simple collisional-cascade guide fitted to the IRAS-to-JWST multi-epoch ratios gives $t_c=87^{+17}_{-12}$ yr, for which the Spitzer-normalized dust-excess ratio reaches 0.5 after one $t_c$. HD 15407A is consistent with an evolved post-impact reservoir with limited recent supply of very small grains: its rocky mineral fingerprint has remained stable since at least 2008, while its warm mineral-emitting flux is gradually fading over several hundred years.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.21948v1","authors":["Shu Wang","Zhuochao Huang","Xiaodian Chen","Junming He","Haomiao Huang"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-24T03:50:37Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1505.00935v1","name":"$γ$-ray observations of extraterrestrial neutrino track event positions","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper we report the results of a $γ$-ray study of IceCube's extraterrestrial neutrino candidates detected as track-like events. Using 70 months of Fermi-LAT observations, a likelihood analysis of all $1-300$ GeV photons within 5 degrees of the track-like neutrino candidates' origin was undertaken, to search for spatially coincident $γ$-ray emission. One of IceCube's HESE track events was found to be spatially coincident with a $γ$-ray bright active galactic nucleus (AGN), PKS 0723-008. We find however, that the chance probability for Fermi-LAT detected AGN to be spatially coincident with a single HESE track-like event is high ($\\sim37$\\%). We therefore find no evidence of $γ$-ray emission associated with the detection of IceCube's HESE track-like neutrino candidates. Upper limits were calculated in the energy range of $1-300$ GeV, assuming a point source origin for the neutrino events considered. The implications for the non-detection of $γ$-ray emission from the source of the HESE track-like events are briefly discussed. The large time period analysed in our study did however, reveal two new $γ$-ray point sources. With a flux of ($1.28 \\pm 0.08$) $\\times 10^{-9}$ photons cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$, in the $1-300$ GeV energy range, and an associated TS value of 220.6, one of these new point sources is positionally coincident with the AGN PKS 1346-112. The other point source has a $1-300$ GeV flux of ($7.95 \\pm 1.23$) $\\times 10^{-10}$ photons cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ and an associated TS value of 92.4. This new point source is spatially coincident with the radio source NVSS J072534+021645 suggesting that it too is an AGN.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1505.00935v1","authors":["Anthony M. Brown","Jenni Adams","Paula M. Chadwick"],"tags":["astro-ph.HE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-05-05T09:44:12Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1402.2518v1","name":"Minerals detection for hyperspectral images using adapted linear unmixing: LinMin","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Minerals detection over large volume of spectra is the challenge addressed by current hyperspectral imaging spectrometer in Planetary Science. Instruments such OMEGA (Mars Express), CRISM (Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter), M^{3} (Chandrayaan-1), VIRTIS (Rosetta) and many more, have been producing very large datasets since one decade. We propose here a fast supervised detection algorithm called LinMin, in the framework of linear unmixing, with innovative arrangement in order to treat non-linear cases due to radiative transfer in both atmosphere and surface. We use reference laboratory and synthetic spectral library. Additional spectra are used in order to mimic the effect of Martian aerosols, grain size, and observation geometry discrepancies between reference and observed spectra. The proposed algorithm estimates the uncertainty on mixing coefficient from the uncertainty of observed spectra. Both numerical and observational tests validate the approach. Fast parallel implementation of the best algorithm (IPLS) on Graphics Processing Units (GPU) allows to significantly reduce the computation cost by a factor of 40.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1402.2518v1","authors":["Schmidt Frederic","Legendre Maxime","Le Mouelic Stephane"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-02-11T15:15:20Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1411.6066v1","name":"Reactive solute transport in physically and chemically heterogeneous porous media with multimodal reactive mineral facies: The Lagrangian approach","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Physical and chemical heterogeneities have a large impact on reactive transport in porous media. Examples of heterogeneous attributes affecting reactive mass transport are the hydraulic conductivity (K), and the equilibrium sorption distribution coefficient (Kd). This paper uses the Deng et al. (2013) conceptual model for multimodal reactive mineral facies and a Lagrangian-based stochastic theory in order to analyze the reactive solute dispersion in three-dimensional anisotropic heterogeneous porous media with hierarchical organization of reactive minerals. An example based on real field data is used to illustrate the time evolution trends of reactive solute dispersion. The results show that the correlation between the hydraulic conductivity and the equilibrium sorption distribution coefficient does have a significant effect on reactive solute dispersion. The anisotropy ratio does not have a significant effect on reactive solute dispersion. Furthermore, through a sensitivity analysis we investigate the impact of changing the mean, variance, and integral scale of K and Kd on reactive solute dispersion.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1411.6066v1","authors":["Mohamad Reza Soltanian","Robert Ritzi","Zhenxue Dai","Chaocheng Huang"],"tags":["physics.flu-dyn","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-11-22T03:11:16Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.17339v1","name":"MineAgent: Towards Remote-Sensing Mineral Exploration with Multimodal Large Language Models","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Remote-sensing mineral exploration is critical for identifying economically viable mineral deposits, yet it poses significant challenges for multimodal large language models (MLLMs). These include limitations in domain-specific geological knowledge and difficulties in reasoning across multiple remote-sensing images, further exacerbating long-context issues. To address these, we present MineAgent, a modular framework leveraging hierarchical judging and decision-making modules to improve multi-image reasoning and spatial-spectral integration. Complementing this, we propose MineBench, a benchmark specific for evaluating MLLMs in domain-specific mineral exploration tasks using geological and hyperspectral data. Extensive experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of MineAgent, highlighting its potential to advance MLLMs in remote-sensing mineral exploration.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.17339v1","authors":["Beibei Yu","Tao Shen","Hongbin Na","Ling Chen","Denqi Li"],"tags":["cs.AI","cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-23T07:08:14Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2310.09414v2","name":"COSMIC: An Ethernet-based Commensal, Multimode Digital Backend on the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The primary goal of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) is to gain an understanding of the prevalence of technologically advanced beings (organic or inorganic) in the Galaxy. One way to approach this is to look for technosignatures: remotely detectable indicators of technology, such as temporal or spectral electromagnetic emissions consistent with an artificial source. With the new Commensal Open-Source Multimode Interferometer Cluster (COSMIC) digital backend on the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), we aim to conduct a search for technosignatures that is significantly more comprehensive, more sensitive, and more efficient than previously attempted. The COSMIC system is currently operational on the VLA, recording data, and designed with the flexibility to provide user-requested modes. This paper describes the hardware system design, the current software pipeline, and plans for future development.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2310.09414v2","authors":["Chenoa D. Tremblay","Savin Shynu Varghese","Jack Hickish","Paul Demorest","Cherry Ng","Andrew P. V. Siemion","Daniel Czech","Ross A. Donnachie","Wael Farah","Vishal Gajjar","Matt Lebofsky","David E. MacMahon","Talon Myburgh","Mark Ruzindana","Joseph S. Bright","Alan Erickson","Kevin Lacker"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-10-13T21:42:53Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1202.6546v1","name":"Physically based 3D finite element model of a single mineralized collagen microfibril","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Mineralized collagen microfibrils in human bone provide its mechanical properties (stiffness, elasticity, ductility, energy dissipation and strength). However, detailed 3D finite element models describing the mechanical behaviour of the mineralized collagen microfibrils are still lacking. In the current work, we developed a 3D finite element model of the mineralized collagen microfibril that incorporates the physical 3D structural details. The model components consist of five tropocollagen molecules, mineral hydroxyapatite and intermolecular cross-links joining primarily the ends of the tropocollagen molecules. Dimension, arrangement and mechanical behaviour of the constituents are based on previously published experimental and theoretical data. Tensile load was applied to the microfibril under different conditions (hydrated and dehydrated collagen) to investigate the relationship between the structure and the mechanical behaviour of the mineralized collagen microfibril (stress-strain curve and elastic modulus). The computational results match the experimental available data well, and provide insight into the role of the phases and morphology on the microfibril behaviour. Our predicted results show that the mechanical properties of collagen microfibrils arise due to their structure and properties. The proposed 3D finite element model of mineralized collagen microfibril contributes toward the investigation of the bottom-up structure-property relationships in human bone.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1202.6546v1","authors":["Ridha Hambli","Abdelwahed Barkaoui"],"tags":["q-bio.TO","physics.bio-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-02-29T13:40:04Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1311.5238v2","name":"Evidence for High-Energy Extraterrestrial Neutrinos at the IceCube Detector","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We report on results of an all-sky search for high-energy neutrino events interacting within the IceCube neutrino detector conducted between May 2010 and May 2012. The search follows up on the previous detection of two PeV neutrino events, with improved sensitivity and extended energy coverage down to approximately 30 TeV. Twenty-six additional events were observed, substantially more than expected from atmospheric backgrounds. Combined, both searches reject a purely atmospheric origin for the twenty-eight events at the $4σ$ level. These twenty-eight events, which include the highest energy neutrinos ever observed, have flavors, directions, and energies inconsistent with those expected from the atmospheric muon and neutrino backgrounds. These properties are, however, consistent with generic predictions for an additional component of extraterrestrial origin.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1311.5238v2","authors":[" IceCube Collaboration","M. G. Aartsen","R. Abbasi","Y. Abdou","M. Ackermann","J. Adams","J. A. Aguilar","M. Ahlers","D. Altmann","J. Auffenberg","X. Bai","M. Baker","S. W. Barwick","V. Baum","R. Bay","J. J. Beatty","S. Bechet","J. Becker Tjus","K. -H. Becker","M. L. Benabderrahmane","S. BenZvi","P. Berghaus","D. Berley","E. Bernardini","A. Bernhard","D. Bertrand","D. Z. Besson","G. Binder","D. Bindig","M. Bissok","E. Blaufuss","J. Blumenthal","D. J. Boersma","S. Bohaichuk","C. Bohm","D. Bose","S. Böser","O. Botner","L. Brayeur","H. -P. Bretz","A. M. Brown","R. Bruijn","J. Brunner","M. Carson","J. Casey","M. Casier","D. Chirkin","A. Christov","B. Christy","K. Clark","F. Clevermann","S. Coenders","S. Cohen","D. F. Cowen","A. H. Cruz Silva","M. Danninger","J. Daughhetee","J. C. Davis","M. Day","C. De Clercq","S. De Ridder","P. Desiati","K. D. de Vries","M. de With","T. DeYoung","J. C. Díaz-Vélez","M. Dunkman","R. Eagan","B. Eberhardt","B. Eichmann","J. Eisch","R. W. Ellsworth","S. Euler","P. A. Evenson","O. Fadiran","A. R. Fazely","A. Fedynitch","J. Feintzeig","T. Feusels","K. Filimonov","C. Finley","T. Fischer-Wasels","S. Flis","A. Franckowiak","K. Frantzen","T. Fuchs","T. K. Gaisser","J. Gallagher","L. Gerhardt","L. Gladstone","T. Glüsenkamp","A. Goldschmidt","G. Golup","J. G. Gonzalez","J. A. Goodman","D. Góra","D. T. Grandmont","D. Grant","A. Groß","C. Ha","A. Haj Ismail","P. Hallen","A. Hallgren","F. Halzen","K. Hanson","D. Heereman","D. Heinen","K. Helbing","R. Hellauer","S. Hickford","G. C. Hill","K. D. Hoffman","R. Hoffmann","A. Homeier","K. Hoshina","W. Huelsnitz","P. O. Hulth","K. Hultqvist","S. Hussain","A. Ishihara","E. Jacobi","J. Jacobsen","K. Jagielski","G. S. Japaridze","K. Jero","O. Jlelati","B. Kaminsky","A. Kappes","T. Karg","A. Karle","J. L. Kelley","J. Kiryluk","J. Kläs","S. R. Klein","J. -H. Köhne","G. Kohnen","H. Kolanoski","L. Köpke","C. Kopper","S. Kopper","D. J. Koskinen","M. Kowalski","M. Krasberg","K. Krings","G. Kroll","J. Kunnen","N. Kurahashi","T. Kuwabara","M. Labare","H. Landsman","M. J. Larson","M. Lesiak-Bzdak","M. Leuermann","J. Leute","J. Lünemann","J. Madsen","G. Maggi","R. Maruyama","K. Mase","H. S. Matis","F. McNally","K. Meagher","M. Merck","T. Meures","S. Miarecki","E. Middell","N. Milke","J. Miller","L. Mohrmann","T. Montaruli","R. Morse","R. Nahnhauer","U. Naumann","H. Niederhausen","S. C. Nowicki","D. R. Nygren","A. Obertacke","S. Odrowski","A. Olivas","A. O'Murchadha","L. Paul","J. A. Pepper","C. Pérez de los Heros","C. Pfendner","D. Pieloth","E. Pinat","J. Posselt","P. B. Price","G. T. Przybylski","L. Rädel","M. Rameez","K. Rawlins","P. Redl","R. Reimann","E. Resconi","W. Rhode","M. Ribordy","M. Richman","B. Riedel","J. P. Rodrigues","C. Rott","T. Ruhe","B. Ruzybayev","D. Ryckbosch","S. M. Saba","T. Salameh","H. -G. Sander","M. Santander","S. Sarkar","K. Schatto","F. Scheriau","T. Schmidt","M. Schmitz","S. Schoenen","S. Schöneberg","A. Schönwald","A. Schukraft","L. Schulte","O. Schulz","D. Seckel","Y. Sestayo","S. Seunarine","R. Shanidze","C. Sheremata","M. W. E. Smith","D. Soldin","G. M. Spiczak","C. Spiering","M. Stamatikos","T. Stanev","A. Stasik","T. Stezelberger","R. G. Stokstad","A. Stößl","E. A. Strahler","R. Ström","G. W. Sullivan","H. Taavola","I. Taboada","A. Tamburro","A. Tepe","S. Ter-Antonyan","G. Tešić","S. Tilav","P. A. Toale","S. Toscano","E. Unger","M. Usner","N. van Eijndhoven","A. Van Overloop","J. van Santen","M. Vehring","M. Voge","M. Vraeghe","C. Walck","T. Waldenmaier","M. Wallraff","Ch. Weaver","M. Wellons","C. Wendt","S. Westerhoff","N. Whitehorn","K. Wiebe","C. H. Wiebusch","D. R. Williams","H. Wissing","M. Wolf","T. R. Wood","K. Woschnagg","D. L. Xu","X. W. Xu","J. P. Yanez","G. Yodh","S. Yoshida","P. Zarzhitsky","J. Ziemann","S. Zierke","M. Zoll"],"tags":["astro-ph.HE","astro-ph.CO","hep-ex"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-20T21:04:11Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1402.1718v5","name":"On Subversive Miner Strategies and Block Withholding Attack in Bitcoin Digital Currency","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Bitcoin is a \"crypto currency\", a decentralized electronic payment scheme based on cryptography. Bitcoin economy grows at an incredibly fast rate and is now worth some 10 billions of dollars. Bitcoin mining is an activity which consists of creating (minting) the new coins which are later put into circulation. Miners spend electricity on solving cryptographic puzzles and they are also gatekeepers which validate bitcoin transactions of other people. Miners are expected to be honest and have some incentives to behave well. However. In this paper we look at the miner strategies with particular attention paid to subversive and dishonest strategies or those which could put bitcoin and its reputation in danger. We study in details several recent attacks in which dishonest miners obtain a higher reward than their relative contribution to the network. In particular we revisit the concept of block withholding attacks and propose a new concrete and practical block withholding attack which we show to maximize the advantage gained by rogue miners. RECENT EVENTS: it seems that the attack was recently executed, see Section XI-A.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1402.1718v5","authors":["Nicolas T. Courtois","Lear Bahack"],"tags":["cs.CR","cs.CE","cs.SI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-01-28T13:54:02Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.22808v1","name":"A Terminology and Quantitative Framework for Assessing the Habitability of Solar System and Extraterrestrial Worlds","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The search for extraterrestrial life in the Solar System and beyond is a key science driver in astrobiology, planetary science, and astrophysics. A critical step is the identification and characterization of potential habitats, both to guide the search and to interpret its results. However, a well-accepted, self-consistent, flexible, and quantitative terminology and method of assessment of habitability are lacking. Our paper fills this gap based on a three year-long study by the NExSS Quantitative Habitability Science Working Group. We reviewed past studies of habitability, but find that the lack of a universally valid definition of life prohibits a universally applicable definition of habitability. A more nuanced approach is needed. We introduce a quantitative habitability assessment framework (QHF) that enables self-consistent, probabilistic assessment of the compatibility of two models: First, a habitat model, which describes the probability distributions of key conditions in the habitat. Second, a viability model, which describes the probability that a metabolism is viable given a set of environmental conditions. We provide an open-source implementation of this framework and four examples as a proof of concept: (a) Comparison of two exoplanets for observational target prioritization; (b) Interpretation of atmospheric O2 detection in two exoplanets; (c) Subsurface habitability of Mars; and (d) Ocean habitability in Europa. These examples demonstrate that our framework can self-consistently inform astrobiology research over a broad range of questions. The proposed framework is modular so that future work can expand the range and complexity of models available, both for habitats and for metabolisms.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.22808v1","authors":["Daniel Apai","Rory Barnes","Matthew M. Murphy","Tim Lichtenberg","Noah Tuchow","Regis Ferriere","Kevin Wagner","Antonin Affholder","Renu Malhotra","Baptiste Journaux","Allona Vazan","Ramses Ramirez","Abel Mendez","Stephen R. Kane","Veronica H. Klawender","NExSS Quantitative Habitability Science Working Group"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-28T19:33:51Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.19148v1","name":"Alloyed cementite (Fe-Ni-Cr)$_3$C: structure and hyperfine field from DFT calculations and experimental comparison","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The alloying elements introduced into carbon steel to enhance its mechanical properties also diffuse into cementite (Fe$_3$C) particles, modifying their characteristics and thereby influencing the overall performance of the steel. This study employs density functional theory (DFT) calculations to investigate cementite doped with Ni and Cr which exhibit contrasting effects. The preferred lattice sites of impurity atoms were determined through a comparison of calculated and experimental structural parameters. The formation mechanism of the hyperfine magnetic field (HFF) and its correlation with atomic magnetic moments were systematically investigated. The validity of common approximations in Mössbauer spectroscopy analysis was evaluated for the cementite system. HFF distribution functions were modeled using calculated values and compared with experiments.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.19148v1","authors":["Lyudmila V. Dobysheva"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci","physics.chem-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-26T15:59:10Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1112.0984v1","name":"Finite element 3D modeling of mechanical behavior of mineralized collagen microfibrils","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The aim of this work is to develop a 3D finite elements model to study the nanomechanical behaviour of mineralized collagen microfibrils, which consists of three phases, (i) collagen phase formed by five tropocollagen (TC) molecules linked together with cross links, (ii) a mineral phase (Hydroxyapatite) and (iii) impure mineral phase, and to investigate the important role of individual properties of every constituent. The mechanical and the geometrical properties (TC molecule diameter) of both tropocollagen and mineral were taken into consideration as well as cross-links, which was represented by spring elements with adjusted properties based on experimental data. In the present paper an equivalent homogenised model was developed to assess the whole microfibril mechanical properties (Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio) under varying mechanical properties of each phase. In this study both equivalent Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio which were expressed as functions of Young's modulus of each phase were obtained under tensile load with symmetric and periodic boundary conditions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1112.0984v1","authors":["Abdelwahed Barkaoui","Ridha Hambli"],"tags":["physics.med-ph","physics.bio-ph","q-bio.TO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-12-05T16:40:11Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.11001v1","name":"Using physics-based simulation towards eliminating empiricism in extraterrestrial terramechanics applications","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Recently, there has been a surge of international interest in extraterrestrial exploration targeting the Moon, Mars, the moons of Mars, and various asteroids. This contribution discusses how current state-of-the-art Earth-based testing for designing rovers and landers for these missions currently leads to overly optimistic conclusions about the behavior of these devices upon deployment on the targeted celestial bodies. The key misconception is that gravitational offset is necessary during the \\textit{terramechanics} testing of rover and lander prototypes on Earth. The body of evidence supporting our argument is tied to a small number of studies conducted during parabolic flights and insights derived from newly revised scaling laws. We argue that what has prevented the community from fully diagnosing the problem at hand is the absence of effective physics-based models capable of simulating terramechanics under low gravity conditions. We developed such a physics-based simulator and utilized it to gauge the mobility of early prototypes of the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER), which is slated to depart for the Moon in November 2024. This contribution discusses the results generated by this simulator, how they correlate with physical test results from the NASA-Glenn SLOPE lab, and the fallacy of the gravitational offset in rover and lander testing. The simulator developed is open sourced and made publicly available for unfettered use; it can support principled studies that extend beyond trafficability analysis to provide insights into in-situ resource utilization activities, e.g., digging, bulldozing, and berming in low gravity.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.11001v1","authors":["Wei Hu","Pei Li","Arno Rogg","Alexander Schepelmann","Colin Creager","Samuel Chandler","Ken Kamrin","Dan Negrut"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP","cs.RO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-17T02:33:45Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2403.15095v1","name":"End-to-End Mineral Exploration with Artificial Intelligence and Ambient Noise Tomography","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents an innovative end-to-end workflow for mineral exploration, integrating ambient noise tomography (ANT) and artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the discovery and delineation of mineral resources essential for the global transition to a low carbon economy. We focus on copper as a critical element, required in significant quantities for renewable energy solutions. We show the benefits of utilising ANT, characterised by its speed, scalability, depth penetration, resolution, and low environmental impact, alongside artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to refine a continent-scale prospectivity model at the deposit scale by fine-tuning our model on local high-resolution data. We show the promise of the method by first presenting a new data-driven AI prospectivity model for copper within Australia, which serves as our foundation model for further fine-tuning. We then focus on the Hillside IOCG deposit on the prospective Yorke Peninsula. We show that with relatively few local training samples (orebody intercepts), we can fine tune the foundation model to provide a good estimate of the Hillside orebody outline. Our methodology demonstrates how AI can augment geophysical data interpretation, providing a novel approach to mineral exploration with improved decision-making capabilities for targeting mineralization, thereby addressing the urgent need for increased mineral resource discovery.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.15095v1","authors":["Jack Muir","Gerrit Olivier","Anthony Reid"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-22T10:23:48Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2004.10932v2","name":"Constraints on the composition and temperature of LLSVPs from seismic properties of lower mantle minerals","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Here, we provide a reappraisal of potential LLSVPs compositions based on an improved mineralogical model including, for instance, the effects of alumina. We also systematically investigate the effects of six parameters: FeO and Al$_{2}$O$_{3}$ content, proportion of CaSiO$_{3}$ and bridgmanite (so that the proportion of ferropericlase is implicitly investigated), Fe$^{3+}$/$\\sum$Fe and temperature contrast between far-field mantle and LLSVPs. From the 81 millions cases studied, only 79000 cases explain the seismic observations. Nevertheless, these successful cases involve a large range of parameters with, for instance, FeO content between 12--25~wt\\% and Al$_{2}$O$_{3}$ content between 3--17~wt\\%. We then apply a principal component analysis (PCA) to these cases and find two robust results: (i) the proportion of ferropericlase should be low ($&lt;$6vol\\%); (ii) the formation of Fe$^{3+}$-bearing bridgmanite is much more favored than other iron-bearing phases. Following these results, we identify two end-member compositions, Bm-rich and CaPv-rich, and discuss their characteristics. Finally, we discuss different scenarios for the formation of LLSVPs and propose that investigating the mineral proportion produced by each scenario is the best way to evaluate their relevance. For instance, the solidification of a primitive magma ocean may produce FeO and Al$_{2}$O$_{3}$ content similar to those suggested by our analysis. However, the mineral proportion of such reservoirs is not well-constrained and may contain a larger proportion of ferropericlase than what is allowed by our results.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2004.10932v2","authors":["Kenny Vilella","Thomas Bodin","Charles-Edouard Boukaré","Frédéric Deschamps","James Badro","Maxim Ballmer","Yang Li"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-04-23T02:06:09Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2103.06866v1","name":"FRI-Miner: Fuzzy Rare Itemset Mining","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Data mining is a widely used technology for various real-life applications of data analytics and is important to discover valuable association rules in transaction databases. Interesting itemset mining plays an important role in many real-life applications, such as market, e-commerce, finance, and medical treatment. To date, various data mining algorithms based on frequent patterns have been widely studied, but there are a few algorithms that focus on mining infrequent or rare patterns. In some cases, infrequent or rare itemsets and rare association rules also play an important role in real-life applications. In this paper, we introduce a novel fuzzy-based rare itemset mining algorithm called FRI-Miner, which discovers valuable and interesting fuzzy rare itemsets in a quantitative database by applying fuzzy theory with linguistic meaning. Additionally, FRI-Miner utilizes the fuzzy-list structure to store important information and applies several pruning strategies to reduce the search space. The experimental results show that the proposed FRI-Miner algorithm can discover fewer and more interesting itemsets by considering the quantitative value in reality. Moreover, it significantly outperforms state-of-the-art algorithms in terms of effectiveness (w.r.t. different types of derived patterns) and efficiency (w.r.t. running time and memory usage).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2103.06866v1","authors":["Yanling Cui","Wensheng Gan","Hong Lin","Weimin Zheng"],"tags":["cs.DB"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-03-11T18:53:17Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2203.16058v1","name":"Measuring Miner Decentralization in Proof-of-Work Blockchains","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Proof of work cryptocurrencies began with the promise of a more egalitarian future with a decentralized monetary system with no powerful entities in charge. While this vision is far from realized, these cryptocurrencies are still touted to be much more decentralized than traditional centralized systems. While it is well understood that cryptocurrencies are centralized, it is still unclear what the underlying causes are. This work aims to address this gap and examines some of the forces behind mining centralization. The internals of cryptocurrency mining is very opaque and difficult to study since it traditionally requires forming relationships with miners, who are typically reticent to share internal information about their competitive advantages. This work takes a different approach by combining large-scale statistical techniques with publicly available blockchain data in order to answer previously intractable questions. The crux of our analysis technique is based on the simple observation that some miners can utilize their hashpower more efficiently due to their position in the network. By teasing out that effect, we de-bias the mining power distribution to get a more accurate estimate. Using that de-biased mining power distribution, we can answer questions about the network position of miners in each cryptocurrency network. Finally, during the course of this study, we observed some unusual mining behaviors which we highlight.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2203.16058v1","authors":["Sishan Long","Soumya Basu","Emin Gün Sirer"],"tags":["cs.CR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-30T04:58:50Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2101.11855v1","name":"The Tight Bound for Pure Price of Anarchy in an Extended Miner's Dilemma Game","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Pool block withholding attack is performed among mining pools in digital cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin. Instead of mining honestly, pools can be incentivized to infiltrate their own miners into other pools. These infiltrators report partial solutions but withhold full solutions, share block rewards but make no contribution to block mining. The block withholding attack among mining pools can be modeled as a non-cooperative game called \"the miner's dilemm\", which reduces effective mining power in the system and leads to potential systemic instability in the blockchain. However, existing literature on the game-theoretic properties of this attack only gives a preliminary analysis, e.g., an upper bound of 3 for the pure price of anarchy (PPoA) in this game, with two pools involved and no miner betraying. Pure price of anarchy is a measurement of how much mining power is wasted in the miner's dilemma game. Further tightening its upper bound will bring us more insight into the structure of this game, so as to design mechanisms to reduce the systemic loss caused by mutual attacks. In this paper, we give a tight bound of (1, 2] for the pure price of anarchy. Moreover, we show the tight bound holds in a more general setting, in which infiltrators may betray.We also prove the existence and uniqueness of pure Nash equilibrium in this setting. Inspired by experiments on the game among three mining pools, we conjecture that similar results hold in the N-player miner's dilemma game (N&gt;=2).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2101.11855v1","authors":["Qian Wang","Yurong Chen"],"tags":["cs.GT"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-01-28T08:01:48Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2103.04264v2","name":"T-Miner: A Generative Approach to Defend Against Trojan Attacks on DNN-based Text Classification","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Deep Neural Network (DNN) classifiers are known to be vulnerable to Trojan or backdoor attacks, where the classifier is manipulated such that it misclassifies any input containing an attacker-determined Trojan trigger. Backdoors compromise a model's integrity, thereby posing a severe threat to the landscape of DNN-based classification. While multiple defenses against such attacks exist for classifiers in the image domain, there have been limited efforts to protect classifiers in the text domain. We present Trojan-Miner (T-Miner) -- a defense framework for Trojan attacks on DNN-based text classifiers. T-Miner employs a sequence-to-sequence (seq-2-seq) generative model that probes the suspicious classifier and learns to produce text sequences that are likely to contain the Trojan trigger. T-Miner then analyzes the text produced by the generative model to determine if they contain trigger phrases, and correspondingly, whether the tested classifier has a backdoor. T-Miner requires no access to the training dataset or clean inputs of the suspicious classifier, and instead uses synthetically crafted \"nonsensical\" text inputs to train the generative model. We extensively evaluate T-Miner on 1100 model instances spanning 3 ubiquitous DNN model architectures, 5 different classification tasks, and a variety of trigger phrases. We show that T-Miner detects Trojan and clean models with a 98.75% overall accuracy, while achieving low false positives on clean models. We also show that T-Miner is robust against a variety of targeted, advanced attacks from an adaptive attacker.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2103.04264v2","authors":["Ahmadreza Azizi","Ibrahim Asadullah Tahmid","Asim Waheed","Neal Mangaokar","Jiameng Pu","Mobin Javed","Chandan K. Reddy","Bimal Viswanath"],"tags":["cs.CR","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-03-07T04:43:24Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2402.11797v1","name":"Suspended Magnetometer Survey for Mineral Data Acquisition with Vertical Take-off and Landing Fixed-wing Aircraft","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Multirotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)s have recently become an important instrument for collecting mineral data, enabling more effective and accurate geological investigations. This paper explores the difficulties in mounting high-sensitivity sensors on a UAV platform, including electromagnetic interference, payload dynamics, and maintaining stable sensor performance while in flight. It is highlighted how the specific solutions provided to deal with these problems have the potential to alter the collection of mineral data assisted by UAVs. The work also shows experimental findings that demonstrate the creative potential of these solutions in UAV-based mineral data collecting, leading to improvements in effective mineral exploration through careful design, testing, and assessment of these systems. These innovations resulted in a platform that is quickly deployable in remote areas and able to operate more efficiently compared to traditional multirotor UAVs while still producing equal or higher quality mineral data. This allows for much higher efficiency and lower operating costs for high-production UAV-based mineral data acquisition.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.11797v1","authors":["Robel Efrem","Alex Coutu","Sajad Saeedi"],"tags":["cs.RO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-19T03:00:37Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2501.12576v1","name":"Mechanism Design for Blockchain Order Books against Selfish Miners","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In blockchain-based order book systems, buyers and sellers trade assets, while it is miners to match them and include their transactions in the blockchain. It is found that many miners behave selfishly and myopically, prioritizing transactions with high fees and ignoring many desirable matches that could enhance social welfare. Existing blockchain mechanisms fail to address this issue by overlooking miners' selfish behaviors. To our best knowledge, this work presents the first analytical study to quantify and understand buyer and seller transaction fee choices and selfish miners' transaction matching strategies, proving an infinitely large price of anarchy (PoA) for social welfare loss. To mitigate this, we propose an adjustable block size mechanism that is easy to implement without altering the existing decentralized protocols and still allows buyers and sellers to freely decide transaction fees and miners to selfishly match. The analysis is challenging, as pure strategy Nash equilibria do not always exist, requiring the analysis of many buyers' or sellers' interactive mixed-strategy distributions. Moreover, the system designer may even lack information about each buyer's or seller's bid/ask prices and trading quantities. Nevertheless, our mechanism achieves a well-bounded PoA, and under the homogeneous-quantity trading for non-fungible tokens (NFT), it attains a PoA of 1 with no social welfare loss. We implement our mechanism on a local instance of Ethereum to demonstrate the feasibility of our approach. Experiments based on the realistic dataset demonstrate that our mechanism achieves social optimum for homogeneous-quantity trading like NFT. It can enhance social welfare up to 3.7 times compared to the existing order book benchmarks for heterogeneous-quantity trading of Bitcoin tokens. It exhibits robustness against random variations in buyers and sellers.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.12576v1","authors":["Yunshu Liu","Lingjie Duan"],"tags":["cs.GT","cs.HC","cs.NI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-22T01:42:46Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2608.23210v1","name":"The Achilles tendon enthesis rebuilds its mineralization front on reloading but retains a nanoscale imprint of unloading","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The enthesis is a graded fibrocartilaginous interface that transfers load between tendon and bone, yet the nanoscale mechanisms stabilizing its mineralization front remain unclear. Here, we combine multimodal 2D/3D X-ray imaging with nonlinear optical microscopy to map structural, crystalline and extracellular matrix organization across the murine Achilles tendon enthesis under unloading and reloading. Unloading reduces the tidemark-associated two-photon fluorescence (2PF) peak and is accompanied by diffuse mineralization into previously unmineralized fibrocartilage. This unloading-associated mineral exhibits increased apparent crystallite size, an enlarged c-axis lattice parameter, reduced crystalline texture and a diminished collagen order gradient, consistent with an altered mineralization environment. Upon reloading, the 2PF peak recovers, but a new tidemark forms ~20 um from the original boundary, creating a zone with a persistent nanoscale imprint in the mineral tessellation. These findings establish the enthesis as a mechanically governed graded interface in which matrix-mediated boundary control constrains mineral formation and in which a record of mechanical history is imprinted into the nanostructure.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.23210v1","authors":["M. L. Stammer","C. Camy","M. Frewein","I. Silva Barreto","C. Genovesio","M. Eckermann","A. Karimbana","K. Iliopoulos","R. Ranjan","N. Wittig","T. Fovet","T. Brioche","A. Chopard","M. Burghammer","S. Brasselet","H. Birkedal","M. Pithioux","S. Roffino","T. A. Grünewald"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci","physics.bio-ph","physics.med-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-24T12:59:39Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2608.08690v1","name":"Price Responses of Rwandan Tungsten Exports under Conflict Minerals Regulation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Section 1502 of the Dodd--Frank Act, enacted in 2010, requires U.S.-listed companies using tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold (3TG) from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and adjoining countries to disclose information on the minerals' origins. Concerns have been raised that the regulation may have induced a de facto embargo through avoidance of sourcing from the covered region. However, how the price responsiveness of mineral exports evolved under changing institutional and market conditions remains insufficiently understood. Since tungsten production in the covered region is concentrated almost entirely in Rwanda, this study examines the price responsiveness of Rwandan tungsten exports from January 2009 to December 2023. Because missing export quantity data prevent continuous observation of export unit values, we apply the identification approach of Nakano and Nishimura (2025), combining monthly mirror trade data from UN Comtrade with exchange rates and a world average price. An importer fixed-effects model is estimated using export value as the dependent variable, with the sample divided into four periods according to changes in the institutional and market environment. The results reveal substantial temporal variation in price responsiveness. A statistically significant negative price response is observed in Period 1 ($η=-20.814$, $p&lt;0.01$), disappears in Period 2 ($η=1.814$, $p&gt;0.10$), reappears in Period 3 ($η=-5.277$, $p&lt;0.01$), and disappears again in Period 4 ($η=0.440$, $p&gt;0.10$). Coefficient-difference tests confirm significant changes between Periods 1 and 2 ($p=0.0021$) and between Periods 3 and 4 ($p=0.0006$). These findings suggest that the price responsiveness of Rwandan tungsten exports varied substantially over time rather than following a uniform trajectory after the regulation.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.08690v1","authors":["Haruka Nagamori","Kazuhiko Nishimura"],"tags":["econ.GN"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-09T13:12:09Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2112.10454v3","name":"Blockchain Mining with Multiple Selfish Miners","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper studies a fundamental problem regarding the security of blockchain PoW consensus on how the existence of multiple misbehaving miners influences the profitability of selfish mining. Each selfish miner (or attacker interchangeably) maintains a private chain and makes it public opportunistically for acquiring more rewards incommensurate to his Hash power. We first establish a general Markov chain model to characterize the state transition of public and private chains for Basic Selfish Mining (BSM), and derive the stationary profitable threshold of Hash power in closed-form. It reduces from 25% for a single attacker to below 21.48% for two symmetric attackers theoretically, and further reduces to around 10% with eight symmetric attackers experimentally. We next explore the profitable threshold when one of the attackers performs strategic mining based on Partially Observable Markov Decision Process (POMDP) that only half of the attributes pertinent to a mining state are observable to him. An online algorithm is presented to compute the nearly optimal policy efficiently despite the large state space and high dimensional belief space. The strategic attacker mines selfishly and more agilely than BSM attacker when his Hash power is relatively high, and mines honestly otherwise, thus leading to a much lower profitable threshold. Last, we formulate a simple model of absolute mining revenue that yields an interesting observation: selfish mining is never profitable at the first difficulty adjustment period, but replying on the reimbursement of stationary selfish mining gains in the future periods. The delay till being profitable of an attacker increases with the decrease of his Hash power, making blockchain miners more cautious on performing selfish mining.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2112.10454v3","authors":["Qianlan Bai","Yuedong Xu","Nianyi Liu","Xin Wang"],"tags":["cs.CR","cs.GT"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-12-20T11:28:40Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2107.10634v1","name":"Factors determining maximum energy consumption of Bitcoin miners","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Background: During the last years, there has been a lot of discussion and estimations on the energy consumption of Bitcoin miners. However, most of the studies are focused on estimating energy consumption, not in exploring the factors that determine it. Goal: To explore the factors that determine maximum energy consumption of Bitcoin miners. In particular, analyze the limits of energy consumption, and to which extent variations of the factors could produce its reduction. Method: Estimate the overall profit of all Bitcoin miners during a certain period of time, and the costs (including energy) that they face during that time, because of the mining activity. The underlying assumptions is that miners will only consume energy to mine Bitcoin if they have the expectation of profit, and at the same time they are competitive with respect of each other. Therefore, they will operate as a group in the point where profits balance expenditures. Results: We show a basic equation that determines energy consumption based on some specific factors: minting, transaction fees, exchange rate, energy price, and amortization cost. We also define the Amortization Factor, which can be computed for mining devices based on their cost and energy consumption, helps to understand how the cost of equipment influences total energy consumption. Conclusions: The factors driving energy consumption are identified, and from them, some ways in which Bitcoin energy consumption could be reduced are discussed. Some of these ways do not reduce the most important properties of Bitcoin, such as the chances of control of the aggregated hashpower, or the fundamentals of the proof of work mechanism. In general, the methods presented can help to predict energy consumption in different scenarios, based on factors that can be calculated from available data, or assumed in scenarios.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2107.10634v1","authors":["Jesus M. Gonzalez-Barahona"],"tags":["cs.CR","econ.GN"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-07-19T19:18:33Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1003.5295v1","name":"A Unified Approach to Mechanical Compaction, Pressure Solution, Mineral Reactions and the Temperature Distribution in Hydrocarbon Basins","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In modelling sediment compaction and mineral reactions, the rheological behaviour of sediments is typically considered as poroelastic or purely viscous. In fact, compaction due to pressure solution and mechanical processes in porous media is far more complicated. A generalised model of viscoelastic compaction and the smectite to illite mineral reaction in hydrocarbon basins is presented. A one-step dehydration model of the mineral reaction is assumed. The obtained nonlinear governing equations are solved numerically and different combinations of physical parameters are used to simulate realistic situations in typical sedimentary basins. Comparison of numerical simulations with real data has shown very good agreement with respect to both the porosity profile and the mineral reaction.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1003.5295v1","authors":["Xin-She Yang"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-03-27T13:09:42Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.02046v1","name":"A UNet Model for Accelerated Preprocessing of CRISM Hyperspectral Data for Mineral Identification on Mars","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Accurate mineral identification on the Martian surface is critical for understanding the planet's geological history. This paper presents a UNet-based autoencoder model for efficient spectral preprocessing of CRISM MTRDR hyperspectral data, addressing the limitations of traditional methods that are computationally intensive and time-consuming. The proposed model automates key preprocessing steps, such as smoothing and continuum removal, while preserving essential mineral absorption features. Trained on augmented spectra from the MICA spectral library, the model introduces realistic variability to simulate MTRDR data conditions. By integrating this framework, preprocessing time for an 800x800 MTRDR scene is reduced from 1.5 hours to just 5 minutes on an NVIDIA T1600 GPU. The preprocessed spectra are subsequently classified using MICAnet, a deep learning model for Martian mineral identification. Evaluation on labeled CRISM TRDR data demonstrates that the proposed approach achieves competitive accuracy while significantly enhancing preprocessing efficiency. This work highlights the potential of the UNet-based preprocessing framework to improve the speed and reliability of mineral mapping on Mars.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.02046v1","authors":["Priyanka Kumari","Sampriti Soor","Amba Shetty","Archana M. Nair"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-04T09:54:11Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2402.11810v1","name":"Sensor Integration and Performance Optimizations for Mineral Exploration using Large-scale Hybrid Multirotor UAVs","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, the focus is on improving the efficiency and precision of mineral data collection using UAVs by addressing key challenges associated with sensor integration. These challenges include mitigating electromagnetic interference, reducing vibration noise, and ensuring consistent sensor performance during flight. The paper demonstrates how innovative approaches to these issues can significantly transform UAV-assisted mineral data collection. Through meticulous design, testing, and evaluation, the study presents experimental evidence of the efficacy of these methods in collecting mineral data via UAVs. The advancements achieved in this research enable the UAV platform to remain airborne up to 6$\\times$ longer than standard battery-powered multirotors, while still gathering high-quality mineral data. This leads to increased operational efficiency and reduced costs in UAV-based mineral data-gathering processes","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.11810v1","authors":["Robel Efrem","Alex Coutu","Sajad Saeedi"],"tags":["cs.RO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-19T03:45:23Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.22032v1","name":"Classification of Honey Botanical and Geographical Sources using Mineral Profiles and Machine Learning","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper proposes a machine learning-based approach for identifying honey floral and geographical sources using mineral element profiles. The proposed method comprises two steps: preprocessing and classification. The preprocessing phase involves missing-value treatment and data normalization. In the classification phase, we employ various supervised classification models for discriminating between six botanical sources and 13 geographical origins of honey. We test the classifiers' performance on a publicly available honey mineral element dataset. The dataset contains mineral element profiles of honeys from various floral and geographical origins. Results show that mineral element content in honey provides discriminative information useful for classifying honey botanical and geographical sources. Results also show that the Random Forests (RF) classifier obtains the best performance on this dataset, achieving a cross-validation accuracy of 99.30% for classifying honey botanical origins and 98.01% for classifying honey geographical origins.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.22032v1","authors":["Mokhtar Al-Awadhi","Ratnadeep Deshmukh"],"tags":["cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-29T17:27:31Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1910.02049v2","name":"Midi Miner -- A Python library for tonal tension and track classification","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present a Python library, called Midi Miner, that can calculate tonal tension and classify different tracks. MIDI (Music Instrument Digital Interface) is a hardware and software standard for communicating musical events between digital music devices. It is often used for tasks such as music representation, communication between devices, and even music generation [5]. Tension is an essential element of the music listening experience, which can come from a number of musical features including timbre, loudness and harmony [3]. Midi Miner provides a Python implementation for the tonal tension model based on the spiral array [1] as presented by Herremans and Chew [4]. Midi Miner also performs key estimation and includes a track classifier that can disentangle melody, bass, and harmony tracks. Even though tracks are often separated in MIDI files, the musical function of each track is not always clear. The track classifier keeps the identified tracks and discards messy tracks, which can enable further analysis and training tasks.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1910.02049v2","authors":["Rui Guo","Dorien Herremans","Thor Magnusson"],"tags":["cs.SD","cs.IR","cs.LG","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-10-03T08:09:55Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2604.09732v1","name":"Toward Neutrino and Dark Matter Detection with Ancient Minerals: TEM Study of Heavy-Ion Tracks in Olivine","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Solar, supernova, and atmospheric neutrinos, and possibly weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter, have been interacting in the Earth beneath our feet for billions of years. The ''paleo-detector'' technique seeks to detect and characterize the induced crystalline defects from these events, in particular from energetic nuclear recoils, which in some minerals can be preserved on these timescales. Such defects can manifest as nuclear recoil tracks, on the order of a few nanometers wide and extending up to hundreds of microns in length, which can be detected with nanoscale-resolution microscopy. In order to test the feasibility of the paleo-detector technique and to study the formation and morphology of track defects in promising mineral candidates like olivine, we use ion irradiation to artificially implant tracks to effectively mimic astrophysical particle interactions. We present a study of heavy-ion track width as a function of depth, which we relate to ion energy, in an olivine crystal irradiated with 15 MeV Au$^{+5}$ using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Unlike previous studies, which measure tracks at the surface of the irradiated sample, we instead take measurements at various target depths via focused ion-beam sectioning of the irradiated sample. No etching techniques are used to enhance the tracks. In addition, we provide a comparison to predictions from simulations using SRIM software and previous results with a variety of ion species and energies. Notably, we find that a significant change in track continuity across the energy range studied (0.4-12.9 MeV) is indicative of the transition between electronic and nuclear stopping power dominance, consistent with the simulations' predictions. Overall, the tracks produced in olivine indicate that this mineral is an attractive candidate for paleo-detection, with robust track creation at the MeV scale.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.09732v1","authors":["Andrew Calabrese-Day","Emilie LaVoie-Ingram","Kathryn Ream","Hannah Ross","Joshua Spitz","Patrick Stengel","Kai Sun","Alexander Takla"],"tags":["physics.ins-det","astro-ph.IM","hep-ex","hep-ph","nucl-ex"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-09T16:05:30Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2111.02725v1","name":"Effect of Miner Incentive on the Confirmation Time of Bitcoin Transactions","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Blockchain is a technology that provides a distributed ledger that stores previous records while maintaining consistency and security. Bitcoin is the first and largest decentralized electronic cryptographic system that uses blockchain technology. It faces a challenge in making all the nodes synchronize and have the same overall view with the cost of scalability and performance. In addition, with miners' financial interest playing a significant role in choosing transactions from the backlog, small fee or small fee per byte value transactions will exhibit more delays. To study the issues related to the system's performance, we developed an $M(t)/M^N/1$ model. The backlog's arrival follows an inhomogeneous Poison process to the system that has infinite buffer capacity, and the service time is distributed exponentially, which removes $N$ transactions at time. Besides validating the model with measurement data, we have used the model to study the reward distribution when miners take transaction selection strategies like fee per byte, fee-based, and FIFO. The analysis shows that smaller fee transactions exhibit higher waiting times, even with increasing the block size. Moreover, the miner transaction selection strategy impacts the final gain.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2111.02725v1","authors":["Befekadu G. Gebraselase","Bjarne E. Helvik","Yuming Jiang"],"tags":["cs.CR","cs.DC"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-11-04T10:19:42Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1803.04883v1","name":"Melting probe technology for subsurface exploration of extraterrestrial ice - Critical refreezing length and the role of gravity","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The 'Ocean Worlds' of our Solar System are covered with ice, hence the water is not directly accessible. Using melting probe technology is one of the promising technological approaches to reach those scientifically interesting water reservoirs. Melting probes basically consist of a heated melting head on top of an elongated body that contains the scientific payload. The traditional engineering approach to design such melting probes starts from a global energy balance around the melting head and quantifies the power necessary to sustain a specific melting velocity while preventing the probe from refreezing and stall in the channel. Though this approach is sufficient to design simple melting probes for terrestrial applications, it is too simplistic to study the probe's performance for environmental conditions found on some of the Ocean's Worlds, e.g. a lower value of the gravitational acceleration. This will be important, however, when designing exploration technologies for extraterrestrial purposes. We tackle the problem by explicitly modeling the physical processes in the thin melt film between the probe and the underlying ice. Our model allows to study melting regimes on bodies of different gravitational acceleration, and we explicitly compare melting regimes on Europa, Enceladus and Mars. In addition to that, our model allows to quantify the heat losses due to convective transport around the melting probe. We discuss to which extent these heat losses can be utilized to avoid the necessity of a side wall heating system to prevent stall, and introduce the notion of the 'Critical Refreezing Length'. Our results allow to draw important conclusions towards the design of melting probe technology for future missions to icy bodies in our Solar System.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1803.04883v1","authors":["Kai Schüller","Julia Kowalski"],"tags":["physics.flu-dyn"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-03-13T15:33:04Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2501.05225v1","name":"Implementation Pitfalls for Carbonate Mineral Dissolution -- a Technical Note","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In systems with slow reaction kinetics, such as mineral dissolution processes, chemical equilibrium cannot be assumed and an accurate understanding of reaction rates is essential; discrepancies in parameter reporting can greatly affect simulation results. This technical note identifies an issue with the reporting of rate parameters for carbonate mineral dissolution in a widely used database for reactive transport modeling based on Palandri and Kharaka 2004. This misrepresentation leads to a considerable overestimation of reaction timescales. Using the simulators Reaktoro and DuMuX, we simulated a simple calcite dissolution batch test and compared the results to experimental data. By adjusting the parameter to align with established literature, we demonstrate an improved fit between simulated and experimental data. Discrepancies in reaction timescales were reduced by an order of magnitude, emphasizing the importance of regular validation of simulations with experimental data.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.05225v1","authors":["Fiona J. Weiss","Leon Keim","Kai Wendel","Holger Class"],"tags":["cs.CE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-09T13:28:07Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1212.6383v1","name":"Heuristics Miners for Streaming Event Data","source":"arxiv","abstract":"More and more business activities are performed using information systems. These systems produce such huge amounts of event data that existing systems are unable to store and process them. Moreover, few processes are in steady-state and due to changing circumstances processes evolve and systems need to adapt continuously. Since conventional process discovery algorithms have been defined for batch processing, it is difficult to apply them in such evolving environments. Existing algorithms cannot cope with streaming event data and tend to generate unreliable and obsolete results. In this paper, we discuss the peculiarities of dealing with streaming event data in the context of process mining. Subsequently, we present a general framework for defining process mining algorithms in settings where it is impossible to store all events over an extended period or where processes evolve while being analyzed. We show how the Heuristics Miner, one of the most effective process discovery algorithms for practical applications, can be modified using this framework. Different stream-aware versions of the Heuristics Miner are defined and implemented in ProM. Moreover, experimental results on artificial and real logs are reported.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1212.6383v1","authors":["Andrea Burattin","Alessandro Sperduti","Wil M. P. van der Aalst"],"tags":["cs.DB"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-12-27T15:15:48Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2006.07834v1","name":"Multi-Miner: Object-Adaptive Region Mining for Weakly-Supervised Semantic Segmentation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Object region mining is a critical step for weakly-supervised semantic segmentation. Most recent methods mine the object regions by expanding the seed regions localized by class activation maps. They generally do not consider the sizes of objects and apply a monotonous procedure to mining all the object regions. Thus their mined regions are often insufficient in number and scale for large objects, and on the other hand easily contaminated by surrounding backgrounds for small objects. In this paper, we propose a novel multi-miner framework to perform a region mining process that adapts to diverse object sizes and is thus able to mine more integral and finer object regions. Specifically, our multi-miner leverages a parallel modulator to check whether there are remaining object regions for each single object, and guide a category-aware generator to mine the regions of each object independently. In this way, the multi-miner adaptively takes more steps for large objects and fewer steps for small objects. Experiment results demonstrate that the multi-miner offers better region mining results and helps achieve better segmentation performance than state-of-the-art weakly-supervised semantic segmentation methods.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2006.07834v1","authors":["Kuangqi Zhou","Qibin Hou","Zun Li","Jiashi Feng"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-06-14T08:00:42Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2202.03532v2","name":"MINER: Multiscale Implicit Neural Representations","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We introduce a new neural signal model designed for efficient high-resolution representation of large-scale signals. The key innovation in our multiscale implicit neural representation (MINER) is an internal representation via a Laplacian pyramid, which provides a sparse multiscale decomposition of the signal that captures orthogonal parts of the signal across scales. We leverage the advantages of the Laplacian pyramid by representing small disjoint patches of the pyramid at each scale with a small MLP. This enables the capacity of the network to adaptively increase from coarse to fine scales, and only represent parts of the signal with strong signal energy. The parameters of each MLP are optimized from coarse-to-fine scale which results in faster approximations at coarser scales, thereby ultimately an extremely fast training process. We apply MINER to a range of large-scale signal representation tasks, including gigapixel images and very large point clouds, and demonstrate that it requires fewer than 25% of the parameters, 33% of the memory footprint, and 10% of the computation time of competing techniques such as ACORN to reach the same representation accuracy.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2202.03532v2","authors":["Vishwanath Saragadam","Jasper Tan","Guha Balakrishnan","Richard G. Baraniuk","Ashok Veeraraghavan"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-02-07T21:49:33Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2212.03865v1","name":"Learning on Graphs for Mineral Asset Valuation Under Supply and Demand Uncertainty","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Valuing mineral assets is a challenging task that is highly dependent on the supply (geological) uncertainty surrounding resources and reserves, and the uncertainty of demand (commodity prices). In this work, a graph-based reasoning, modeling and solution approach is proposed to jointly address mineral asset valuation and mine plan scheduling and optimization under supply and demand uncertainty in the \"mining complex\" framework. Three graph-based solutions are proposed: (i) a neural branching policy that learns a block-sampling ore body representation, (ii) a guiding policy that learns to explore a heuristic selection tree, (iii) a hyper-heuristic that manages the value/supply chain optimization and dynamics modeled as a graph structure. Results on two large-scale industrial mining complexes show a reduction of up to three orders of magnitude in primal suboptimality, execution time, and number of iterations, and an increase of up to 40% in the mineral asset value.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2212.03865v1","authors":["Yassine Yaakoubi","Hager Radi","Roussos Dimitrakopoulos"],"tags":["cs.AI","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-12-07T00:30:18Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2305.05263v2","name":"Evidence of a hydrated mineral enriched in water and ammonium molecules in the Chang'e-5 lunar sample","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The presence and distribution of water on the Moon are fundamental to our understanding of the Earth-Moon system. Despite extensive research and remote detection, the origin and chemical form of lunar water (H2O) have remained elusive. In this study, we present the discovery of a hydrated mineral, (NH4)MgCl3*6H2O, in lunar soil samples returned by the Chang'e-5 mission, containing approximately 41 wt% H2O. The mineral's structure and composition closely resemble novograblenovite, a terrestrial fumarole mineral formed through the reaction of hot basalt with water-rich volcanic gases, and carnallite, an earth evaporite mineral. We rule out terrestrial contamination or rocket exhaust as the origin of this hydrate, based on its chemical and isotopic compositions and formation conditions. The presence of ammonium indicates a more complex lunar degassing history and highlights its potential as a resource for lunar habitation. Our findings also suggest that water molecules can persist in sunlit areas of the Moon as hydrated salt, providing crucial constraints to the fugacity of water and ammonia vapor in lunar volcanic gases.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2305.05263v2","authors":["Shifeng Jin","Munan Hao","Zhongnan Guo","Bohao Yin","Yuxin Ma","Lijun Deng","Xu Chen","Yanpeng Song","Cheng Cao","Congcong Chai","Yunqi Ma","Jiangang Guo","Xiaolong Chen"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","cond-mat.mtrl-sci","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-05-09T08:35:28Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2206.12763v1","name":"In-situ study of mineral liberation at the onset of fragmentation of a copper ore using X-ray micro-computed tomography","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A better understanding of the relation between ore fragmentation and ore texture is a key to the energy efficient extraction of targeted minerals from low grade ore deposits. In this study, X-ray micro-computed tomography is employed to study mineral liberation during the tensile failure and onset of fragmentation of a copper ore. We present the results of experiments based on a high-pressure instrument enabling micro-mechanical studies to be carried out in-situ (inside a micro-CT scanner). This experimental platform enables mapping in 3D of the evolution of a sample of copper ore during an in-situ fragmentation test. The fragmentation occurs quasi-statically via tensile-activated nucleation and growth of multiple cracks producing a complex fracture network. Coupling breakage with microstructural information, we determine quantitatively the impact of ore textural features on fracture patterns and mineral liberation. This information can be compared to the ore mechanical behaviour, in particular to measurements of the deformation energy, the strain deformation field or the stress relaxation response. The copper liberation, fragment size distribution and breakage patterns are statistically characterised and related to two dominant comminution mechanisms which are clearly identified in the sequence of tomographic images. Our results show that in-situ micro-CT experiments could inform new studies of ore fragmentation at the laboratory scale and may offer new avenues to address current challenges in the design of efficient comminution processes.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2206.12763v1","authors":["N. Francois","Y. Zhang","R. Henley","L. Knuefing","R. Cruikshank","M. Turner","L. Beeching","A. Limaye","A. Kingston","M. Saadatfar","M. Knackstedt"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-06-26T01:54:53Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2304.06533v1","name":"Probing magnetic ordering in air stable iron-rich van der Waals minerals","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In the rapidly expanding field of two-dimensional materials, magnetic monolayers show great promise for the future applications in nanoelectronics, data storage, and sensing. The research in intrinsically magnetic two-dimensional materials mainly focuses on synthetic iodide and telluride based compounds, which inherently suffer from the lack of ambient stability. So far, naturally occurring layered magnetic materials have been vastly overlooked. These minerals offer a unique opportunity to explore air-stable complex layered systems with high concentration of local moment bearing ions. We demonstrate magnetic ordering in iron-rich two-dimensional phyllosilicates, focusing on mineral species of minnesotaite, annite, and biotite. These are naturally occurring van der Waals magnetic materials which integrate local moment baring ions of iron via magnesium/aluminium substitution in their octahedral sites. Due to self-inherent capping by silicate/aluminate tetrahedral groups, ultra-thin layers are air-stable. Chemical characterization, quantitative elemental analysis, and iron oxidation states were determined via Raman spectroscopy, wavelength disperse X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry measurements were performed to examine the magnetic ordering. These layered materials exhibit paramagnetic or superparamagnetic characteristics at room temperature. At low temperature ferrimagnetic or antiferromagnetic ordering occurs, with the critical ordering temperature of 38.7 K for minnesotaite, 36.1 K for annite, and 4.9 K for biotite. In-field magnetic force microscopy on iron bearing phyllosilicates confirmed the paramagnetic response at room temperature, present down to monolayers.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2304.06533v1","authors":["Muhammad Zubair Khan","Oleg E. Peil","Apoorva Sharma","Oleksandr Selyshchev","Sergio Valencia","Florian Kronast","Maik Zimmermann","Muhammad Awais Aslam","Johann G. Raith","Christian Teichert","Dietrich R. T. Zahn","Georgeta Salvan","Aleksandar Matković","Chair of Physics","Department Physics"," Mechanics","Electrical engineering","Montanuniversität Leoben"," 8700"," Leoben"," Austria.","Materials Center Leoben Forschung GmbH"," 8700"," Leoben"," Austria.","Semiconductor Physics","Chemnitz University of Technology"," D-09107"," Chemnitz"," Germany.","Department of Spin","Topology in Quantum Materials","Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin","Albert-Einstein-Str. 15"," D-12489"," Berlin"," Germany.","Chair of Resource Mineralogy","Montanuniversität Leoben"," 8700"," Leoben"," Austria.","Centre for Materials"," Architecture","Integration of Nanomembranes","Chemnitz University of Technology"," 09126"," Chemnitz"," Germany"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-04-13T13:40:57Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2603.27336v2","name":"Retreat to advance: self-blocking enables efficient mineral replacement","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Mineral replacement reactions under advective flow often suffer from severe spatial inefficiency: dissolution causes the flow to self-focus into a few dominant wormholes that bypass the surrounding matrix, leaving most of the rock unreplaced. Here we show -- through two-dimensional pore-network simulations -- that replacement can be effective in two regimes. The first arises when the precipitation rate significantly exceeds the dissolution rate, leading to in situ replacement in which a uniform front of the secondary mineral advances through the matrix. The second, exploratory mode, occurs when the system repeatedly self-blocks and re-routes. In this regime, each channel lives only long enough to deliver reactant a short distance ahead of the front before its tip is cemented by the product phase; pressure re-routes through an adjacent corridor, and the cycle begins anew. Over time the replacement front advances as a mosaic of overlapping micro-fronts, distributing the secondary mineral almost uniformly. We derive design criteria for achieving exploratory-mode behaviour and discuss implications for both natural and engineered reactive-infiltration systems.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.27336v2","authors":["Agnieszka Budek","Tomasz Szawełło","Vaughan Voller","Piotr Szymczak"],"tags":["physics.flu-dyn","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-28T16:44:40Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2310.07865v2","name":"The Specter (and Spectra) of Miner Extractable Value","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Miner extractable value (MEV) refers to any excess value that a transaction validator can realize by manipulating the ordering of transactions. In this work, we introduce a simple theoretical definition of the 'cost of MEV', prove some basic properties, and show that the definition is useful via a number of examples. In a variety of settings, this definition is related to the 'smoothness' of a function over the symmetric group. From this definition and some basic observations, we recover a number of results from the literature.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2310.07865v2","authors":["Guillermo Angeris","Tarun Chitra","Theo Diamandis","Kshitij Kulkarni"],"tags":["math.OC","cs.GT","math.CO","q-fin.CP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-10-11T20:14:25Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2202.03140v2","name":"OPP-Miner: Order-preserving sequential pattern mining","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A time series is a collection of measurements in chronological order. Discovering patterns from time series is useful in many domains, such as stock analysis, disease detection, and weather forecast. To discover patterns, existing methods often convert time series data into another form, such as nominal/symbolic format, to reduce dimensionality, which inevitably deviates the data values. Moreover, existing methods mainly neglect the order relationships between time series values. To tackle these issues, inspired by order-preserving matching, this paper proposes an Order-Preserving sequential Pattern (OPP) mining method, which represents patterns based on the order relationships of the time series data. An inherent advantage of such representation is that the trend of a time series can be represented by the relative order of the values underneath the time series data. To obtain frequent trends in time series, we propose the OPP-Miner algorithm to mine patterns with the same trend (sub-sequences with the same relative order). OPP-Miner employs the filtration and verification strategies to calculate the support and uses pattern fusion strategy to generate candidate patterns. To compress the result set, we also study finding the maximal OPPs. Experiments validate that OPP-Miner is not only efficient and scalable but can also discover similar sub-sequences in time series. In addition, case studies show that our algorithms have high utility in analyzing the COVID-19 epidemic by identifying critical trends and improve the clustering performance.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2202.03140v2","authors":["Youxi Wu","Qian Hu","Yan Li","Lei Guo","Xingquan Zhu","Xindong Wu"],"tags":["cs.DB","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-09T11:06:26Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.12756v1","name":"GFM4MPM: Towards Geospatial Foundation Models for Mineral Prospectivity Mapping","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Machine Learning (ML) for Mineral Prospectivity Mapping (MPM) remains a challenging problem as it requires the analysis of associations between large-scale multi-modal geospatial data and few historical mineral commodity observations (positive labels). Recent MPM works have explored Deep Learning (DL) as a modeling tool with more representation capacity. However, these overparameterized methods may be more prone to overfitting due to their reliance on scarce labeled data. While a large quantity of unlabeled geospatial data exists, no prior MPM works have considered using such information in a self-supervised manner. Our MPM approach uses a masked image modeling framework to pretrain a backbone neural network in a self-supervised manner using unlabeled geospatial data alone. After pretraining, the backbone network provides feature extraction for downstream MPM tasks. We evaluated our approach alongside existing methods to assess mineral prospectivity of Mississippi Valley Type (MVT) and Clastic-Dominated (CD) Lead-Zinc deposits in North America and Australia. Our results demonstrate that self-supervision promotes robustness in learned features, improving prospectivity predictions. Additionally, we leverage explainable artificial intelligence techniques to demonstrate that individual predictions can be interpreted from a geological perspective.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.12756v1","authors":["Angel Daruna","Vasily Zadorozhnyy","Georgina Lukoczki","Han-Pang Chiu"],"tags":["cs.LG","cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-18T16:24:28Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1906.03913v1","name":"Shock vaporization/devolatilization of evaporitic minerals, halite and gypsum, in an open system investigated by a two-stage light gas gun","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Dry lakebeds might constitute large volatile reservoirs on Mars. Hypervelocity impacts onto ancient dry lakebeds would have affected the volatile distribution on Mars. We developed a new experimental method to investigate the response of evaporitic minerals (halite and gypsum) to impact shocks in an open system. This technique does not result in chemical contamination from the operation of the gas gun. The technique is termed the two-valve method and the gun system is located in the Planetary Exploration Research Center, Chiba Institute of Technology, Japan. We detected the vaporization of halite at 31 GPa and devolatilization from gypsum at 11 GPa, suggesting that impact-induced volatile release from dry lakebeds has periodically occurred throughout Martian history. The vaporization of halite deposits might have enhanced the production of perchlorates, which are found globally on Mars. The water loss from gypsum possibly explains the coexisting types of Ca-sulfates found in Gale Crater.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1906.03913v1","authors":["Kosuke Kurosawa","Ryota Moriwaki","Goro Komatsu","Takaya Okamoto","Hiroshi Sakuma","Hikaru Yabuta","Takafumi Matsui"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-06-10T11:40:26Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1510.06776v1","name":"Conformal Killing Vectors Of Plane Symmetric Four Dimensional Lorentzian Manifolds","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, we investigate conformal Killing's vectors (CKVs) admitted by some plane symmetric spacetimes. Ten conformal Killing's equations and their general forms of CKVs are derived along with their conformal factor. The existence of conformal Killing's symmetry imposes restrictions on the metric functions. The conditions imposing restrictions on these metric functions are obtained as a set of integrability conditions. Considering the cases of time-like and inheriting CKVs, we obtain spacetimes admitting plane conformal symmetry. Integrability conditions are solved completely for some known non-conformally flat and conformally flat classes of plane symmetric spacetimes. A special vacuum plane symmetric spacetime is obtained, and it is shown that for such a metric CKVs are just the homothetic vectors (HVs). Among all the examples considered, there exists only one case with a six dimensional algebra of special CKVs admitting one proper CKV. In all other examples of non-conformally flat metrics, no proper CKV is found and CKVs are either HVs or Killing's vectors (KVs). In each of the three cases of conformally flat metrics, a fifteen dimensional algebra of CKVs is obtained of which eight are proper CKVs.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1510.06776v1","authors":["Suhail Khan","Tahir Hussain","Ashfaque H. Bokhari","Gulzar Ali Khan","Department of Mathematics","University of Peshawar","Peshawar Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa"," Pakistan.","Department of Mathematics","King Fahd University of Petroleum"," Minerals","Dhahran 31261","Saudi Arabia"],"tags":["gr-qc"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-10-22T22:00:04Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:9909023v1","name":"Some Wave-Related, Heavy Mineral Placer Deposits","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Examples of heavy mineral placer deposits are presented in which wave reflection, refraction, diffraction and resonance would appear to have played a major concentrating role. Their geometry is compared with the computer generated patterns predicted for the reflection, refraction and diffraction of surface waves moving over fairly simple, idealised bathymetries. Much of this work is founded on the idea that similar sediments document equivalent (or once equivalent) flow-tractional environments. Most of the examples could be satisfactorily explained in this fashion. It may therefore be possible to ignore the exact physics of the boundary layer, longshore and tidal return currents etc. at the scale on which these examples occur, leaving the way open for the qualitative use of results obtained using the likes of the mild slope wave equation. A ``Monte Carlo'' approach based on wave induced tractions should therefore succeed in elucidating presently known heavy mineral placer deposits and, consequently, in predicting other deposits which remain as yet undiscovered.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/9909023v1","authors":["S. J. Childs","F. A. Shillington"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-09-13T18:53:53Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1603.04022v4","name":"The mineral clouds on HD 209458b and HD189733b","source":"arxiv","abstract":"3D atmosphere model results are used to comparatively study the kinetic, non-equilibrium cloud formation in the atmospheres of two example planets guided by the giant gas planets HD209458b and HD189733b. Rather independently of hydrodynamic model differences, our cloud modelling suggests that both planets are covered in mineral clouds throughout the entire modelling domain. Both planets harbour chemically complex clouds that are made of mineral particles that have a height-dependent material composition and size. The remaining gas-phase element abundances strongly effects the molecular abundances of the atmosphere in the cloud forming regions. Hydrocarbon and cyanopolyyne molecules can be rather abundant in the inner, dense part of the atmospheres of HD189733b and HD209458b. No one value for metallicity and the C/O ratio can be used to describe an extrasolar planet. Our results concerning the presence and location of water in relation to the clouds explain some of the observed differences between the two planets. In HD189733b, strong water features have been reported while such features appear less strong for HD209458b. By considering the location of the clouds in the two atmospheres, we see that obscuring clouds exist high in the atmosphere of HD209458b, but much deeper in HD189733b. We further conclude that the (self-imposed) degeneracy of cloud parameters in retrieval methods can only be lifted if the cloud formation processes are accurately modelled in contrast to prescribing them by independent parameters.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1603.04022v4","authors":["Ch. Helling","G. Lee","I. Dobbs-Dixon","N. Mayne","D. S. Amundsen","J. Khaimova","A. A. Unger","J. Manners","D. Acreman","C. Smith"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.SR","physics.ao-ph","physics.flu-dyn"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-03-13T12:35:41Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2005.14595v2","name":"Mineral cloud and hydrocarbon haze particles in the atmosphere of the hot Jupiter JWST target WASP-43b","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Having a short orbital period and being tidally locked makes WASP-43b an ideal candidate for JWST observations. Phase curve observations of an entire orbit will enable the mapping of the atmospheric structure across the planet, with different wavelengths of observation allowing different atmospheric depths to be seen. We provide insight into the details of the clouds that may form on WASP-43b in order to prepare the forthcoming interpretation of the JWST and follow-up data. We utilize 3D GCM results as input for a kinetic, non-equilibrium model for mineral cloud particles, and for a kinetic model to study a photochemicaly-driven hydrocarbon haze component. Mineral condensation seeds form throughout the atmosphere of WASP-43b. This is in stark contrast to the ultra-hot Jupiters, like WASP-18b and HAT-P-7b. The dayside is loaded with few but large mineral cloud particles in addition to hydrocarbon haze particles of comparable abundance. Photochemically driven hydrocarbon haze appears on the dayside, but does not contribute to the cloud formation on the nightside. The geometrical cloud extension differs across the globe due to the changing thermodynamic conditions. Day and night differ by 6000km in pressure scale height. As reported for other planets, the C/O is not constant throughout the atmosphere. The mean molecular weight is approximately constant in a H2-dominated WASP-43b. WASP-43b is expected to be fully covered in clouds which are not homogeneously distributed throughout the atmosphere. The dayside and the terminator clouds will be a combination of mineral particles of locally varying size and composition, and of hydrocarbon hazes. The optical depth of hydrocarbon hazes is considerably lower than that of mineral cloud particles such that a wavelength-dependent radius measurement of WASP-43b would be determined by the mineral cloud particles but not by hazes.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2005.14595v2","authors":["Ch. Helling","Y. Kawashima","V. Graham","D. Samra","K. L. Chubb","M. Min","L. B. F. M. Waters","V. Parmentier"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-05-28T16:57:13Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2203.16468v1","name":"Magnetic structure and properties of a vanthoffite mineral Na6Mn(SO4)4","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A detailed analysis of the magnetic properties of a vanthoffite type mineral Na6Mn(SO4)4 basedon dc magnetization, low temperature neutron powder diffraction and theoretical calculations is reported. The mineral crystallizes in a monoclinic system with space group P21/c, where MnO6 octahedra are linked via SO4 tetrahedra. This gives rise to super-exchange interaction between two Mn2+ ions mediated by two nonmagnetic bridging anions and leads to an antiferromagnetic ordering below 3 K. The magnetic structure derived from neutron powder diffraction at 1.7 K depicts an antiferromagnetic spin arrangement in the bc plane of the crystal. The magnetic properties are modelled by numerical calculations using exact diagonalization technique, which fits the experimental results and provides antiferromagnetic ground state of Na6Mn(SO4)4.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2203.16468v1","authors":["Ajana Dutta","Diptikanta Swain","A. K. Bera","Rajamani Raghunathan","Debakanta Samal","S. M. Yusuf","S. Ramasesha","T. N. Guru Row"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-30T17:08:14Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.23412v1","name":"A Machine Learning Approach for Honey Adulteration Detection using Mineral Element Profiles","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper aims to develop a Machine Learning (ML)-based system for detecting honey adulteration utilizing honey mineral element profiles. The proposed system comprises two phases: preprocessing and classification. The preprocessing phase involves the treatment of missing-value attributes and normalization. In the classifica-tion phase, we use three supervised ML models: logistic regression, decision tree, and random forest, to dis-criminate between authentic and adulterated honey. To evaluate the performance of the ML models, we use a public dataset comprising measurements of mineral element content of authentic honey, sugar syrups, and adul-terated honey. Experimental findings show that mineral element content in honey provides robust discriminative information for detecting honey adulteration. Results also demonstrate that the random forest-based classifier outperforms other classifiers on this dataset, achieving the highest cross-validation accuracy of 98.37%.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.23412v1","authors":["Mokhtar A. Al-Awadhi","Ratnadeep R. Deshmukh"],"tags":["cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-31T10:36:58Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.17050v1","name":"Pressure-induced exciton formation and superconductivity in platinum-based mineral Sperrylite","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We report a comprehensive study of Sperrylite (PtAs2), the main platinum source in natural minerals, as a function of applied pressures up to 150 GPa. While no structural phase transition was detected from pressure-dependent X-ray measurements, the unit cell volume shrinks monotonically with pressure following the third-order Birch-Murnaghan equation of state. The mildly semiconducting behavior found in pure synthesized crystals at ambient pressures becomes more insulating upon increasing applied pressure before metalizing at higher pressures, giving way to the appearance of an abrupt decrease in resistance near 3 K at pressures above 92 GPa consistent with the onset of a superconducing phase. The pressure evolution of the calculated electronic band structure reveals the same physical trend as our transport measurements, with a non-monotonic evolution explained by a hole band that is pushed below the Fermi energy and an electron band that approaches it as a function of pressure, both reaching a touching point suggestive of an excitonic state. A topological Lifshitz transition of the electronic structure and an increase in the density of states may naturally explain the onset of superconductivity in this material","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.17050v1","authors":["Limin Wang","Rongwei Hu","Yash Anand","Shanta R. Saha","Jason R. Jeffries","Johnpierre Paglione"],"tags":["cond-mat.supr-con","cond-mat.str-el"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-24T18:12:49Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0911.3976v3","name":"Testing SETI Message Designs","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Much work in SETI has focused on detecting radio broadcasts due to extraterrestrial intelligence, but there have been limited efforts to transmit messages over interstellar distances. As a check if such messages can be interpreted once received, we conducted a blind test. One of us coded a 75-kilobit message, which the other then attempted to decipher. The decryption was accurate, supporting the message design as a general structure for communicating with aliens capable of detecting narrow-band radio transmissions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0911.3976v3","authors":["Michael W. Busch","Rachel M. Reddick"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-11-20T06:56:36Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2007.01946v1","name":"CICLAD: A Fast and Memory-efficient Closed Itemset Miner for Streams","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Mining association rules from data streams is a challenging task due to the (typically) limited resources available vs. the large size of the result. Frequent closed itemsets (FCI) enable an efficient first step, yet current FCI stream miners are not optimal on resource consumption, e.g. they store a large number of extra itemsets at an additional cost. In a search for a better storage-efficiency trade-off, we designed Ciclad,an intersection-based sliding-window FCI miner. Leveraging in-depth insights into FCI evolution, it combines minimal storage with quick access. Experimental results indicate Ciclad's memory imprint is much lower and its performances globally better than competitor methods.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2007.01946v1","authors":["Tomas Martin","Guy Francoeur","Petko Valtchev"],"tags":["cs.DB","cs.LG","stat.ML"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-07-03T21:50:35Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.08372v1","name":"eST$^2$ Miner -- Process Discovery Based on Firing Partial Orders","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Process discovery generates process models from event logs. Traditionally, an event log is defined as a multiset of traces, where each trace is a sequence of events. The total order of the events in a sequential trace is typically based on their temporal occurrence. However, real-life processes are partially ordered by nature. Different activities can occur in different parts of the process and, thus, independently of each other. Therefore, the temporal total order of events does not necessarily reflect their causal order, as also causally unrelated events may be ordered in time. Only partial orders allow to express concurrency, duration, overlap, and uncertainty of events. Consequently, there is a growing need for process mining algorithms that can directly handle partially ordered input. In this paper, we combine two well-established and efficient algorithms, the eST Miner from the process mining community and the Firing LPO algorithm from the Petri net community, to introduce the eST$^2$ Miner. The eST$^2$ Miner is a process discovery algorithm that can directly handle partially ordered input, gives strong formal guarantees, offers good runtime and excellent space complexity, and can, thus, be used in real-life applications.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.08372v1","authors":["Sabine Folz-Weinstein","Christian Rennert","Lisa Luise Mannel","Robin Bergenthum","Wil van der Aalst"],"tags":["cs.DB","cs.IR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-11T09:16:54Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.02879v1","name":"The future of AI in critical mineral exploration","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The energy transition through increased electrification has put the worlds attention on critical mineral exploration Even with increased investments a decrease in new discoveries has taken place over the last two decades Here I propose a solution to this problem where AI is implemented as the enabler of a rigorous scientific method for mineral exploration that aims to reduce cognitive bias and false positives drive down the cost of exploration I propose a new scientific method that is based on a philosophical approach founded on the principles of Bayesianism and falsification In this approach data acquisition is in the first place seen as a means to falsify human generated hypothesis Decision of what data to acquire next is quantified with verifiable metrics and based on rational decision making A practical protocol is provided that can be used as a template in any exploration campaign However in order to make this protocol practical various form of artificial intelligence are needed I will argue that the most important form are one novel unsupervised learning methods that collaborate with domain experts to better understand data and generate multiple competing geological hypotheses and two humanintheloop AI algorithms that can optimally plan various geological geophysical geochemical and drilling data acquisition where uncertainty reduction of geological hypothesis precedes the uncertainty reduction on grade and tonnage","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.02879v1","authors":["Jef Caers"],"tags":["cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-02T15:37:48Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2306.03321v1","name":"Quantum Blockchain Miners Provide Massive Energy Savings","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Blockchain-based cryptocurrencies have become an extremely important, highly-used, technology. A major criticism of cryptocurrencies, however, is their energy consumption. In May 2022 Bitcoin alone was reported to be consuming 150 terawatt-hours of electricity annually; more than many entire countries. Hence, any meaningful efficiency increase in this process would have a tremendous positive impact. Meanwhile, practical applications of quantum information technologies, and in particular of near-term quantum computers (NISQ) continue to be an important research question. Here, we study the efficiency benefits of moving cryptocurrency mining from current ASIC-based miners to quantum, and in particular NISQ, miners. While the time-efficiency benefits of quantum technologies is extremely well-studied, here we focus on energy savings. We show that the transition to quantum-based mining could incur an energy saving, by relatively conservative estimates, of about roughly 126.7TWH, or put differently the total energy consumption of Sweden in 2020.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.03321v1","authors":["Joseph Kearney","Carlos A Perez-Delgado"],"tags":["quant-ph","cs.CR","cs.CY","cs.NI","cs.SI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-06-06T00:22:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1404.3554v1","name":"The relativistic Green's function model in charged-current quasielastic neutrino and antineutrino scattering at MINER$ν$A kinematics","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The analysis of charged-current quasielastic neutrino and antineutrino-nucleus scattering cross sections requires relativistic theoretical descriptions also accounting for the role of final-state interactions. We compare the results of the relativistic Green's function model with the data recently published by the MINER$ν$A Collaboration. The model is able to describe both MINER$ν$A and MiniBooNE data.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1404.3554v1","authors":["Andrea Meucci","Carlotta Giusti"],"tags":["nucl-th","hep-ex","nucl-ex"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-04-14T12:36:25Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.07488v1","name":"Dual Random Fields and their Application to Mineral Potential Mapping","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In various geosciences branches, including mineral exploration, geometallurgical characterization on established mining operations, and remote sensing, the regionalized input variables are spatially well-sampled across the domain of interest, limiting the scope of spatial uncertainty quantification procedures. In turn, response outcomes such as the mineral potential in a given region, mining throughput, metallurgical recovery, or in-situ estimations from remote satellite imagery, are usually modeled from a much-restricted subset of testing samples, collected at certain locations due to accessibility restrictions and the high acquisition costs. Our limited understanding of these functions, in terms of the multi-dimensional complexity of causalities and unnoticed dependencies on inaccessible inputs, may lead to observing changes in such functions based on their geographical location. Pooling together different response functions across the domain is critical to correctly predict outcome responses, the uncertainty associated with these inferred values, and the significance of inputs in such predictions at unexplored areas. This paper introduces the notion of a dual random field (dRF), where the response function itself is considered a regionalized variable. In this way, different established response models across the geographic domain can be considered as observations of a dRF realization, enabling the spatial inference and uncertainty assessment of both response models and their predictions. We explain how dRFs inherit all the properties from classical random fields, allowing the use of standard Gaussian simulation procedures to simulate them. These models are combined to obtain a mineral potential response, providing an example of how to rigorously integrate machine learning approaches with geostatistics.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.07488v1","authors":["Álvaro I. Riquelme"],"tags":["stat.ML","cs.LG","stat.AP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-10T13:16:37Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.00539v2","name":"Phase-Locked SNR Band Selection for Weak Mineral Signal Detection in Hyperspectral Imagery","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Hyperspectral imaging offers detailed spectral information for mineral mapping; however, weak mineral signatures are often masked by noisy and redundant bands, limiting detection performance. To address this, we propose a two-stage integrated framework for enhanced mineral detection in the Cuprite mining district. In the first stage, we compute the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for each spectral band and apply a phase-locked thresholding technique to discard low-SNR bands, effectively removing redundancy and suppressing background noise. Savitzky-Golay filtering is then employed for spectral smoothing, serving a dual role first to stabilize trends during band selection, and second to preserve fine-grained spectral features during preprocessing. In the second stage, the refined HSI data is reintroduced into the model, where KMeans clustering is used to extract 12 endmember spectra (W1 custom), followed by non negative least squares (NNLS) for abundance unmixing. The resulting endmembers are quantitatively compared with laboratory spectra (W1 raw) using cosine similarity and RMSE metrics. Experimental results confirm that our proposed pipeline improves unmixing accuracy and enhances the detection of weak mineral zones. This two-pass strategy demonstrates a practical and reproducible solution for spectral dimensionality reduction and unmixing in geological HSI applications.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.00539v2","authors":["Judy X Yang"],"tags":["cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-01T11:26:49Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2210.01006v1","name":"Neural network for determining an asteroid mineral composition from reflectance spectra","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Chemical and mineral compositions of asteroids reflect the formation and history of our Solar System. This knowledge is also important for planetary defence and in-space resource utilisation. We aim to develop a fast and robust neural-network-based method for deriving the mineral modal and chemical compositions of silicate materials from their visible and near-infrared spectra. The method should be able to process raw spectra without significant pre-processing. We designed a convolutional neural network with two hidden layers for the analysis of the spectra, and trained it using labelled reflectance spectra. For the training, we used a dataset that consisted of reflectance spectra of real silicate samples stored in the RELAB and C-Tape databases, namely olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, their mixtures, and olivine-pyroxene-rich meteorites. We used the model on two datasets. First, we evaluated the model reliability on a test dataset where we compared the model classification with known compositional reference values. The individual classification results are mostly within 10 percentage-point intervals around the correct values. Second, we classified the reflectance spectra of S-complex (Q-type and V-type, also including A-type) asteroids with known Bus-DeMeo taxonomy classes. The predicted mineral chemical composition of S-type and Q-type asteroids agree with the chemical composition of ordinary chondrites. The modal abundances of V-type and A-type asteroids show a dominant contribution of orthopyroxene and olivine, respectively. Additionally, our predictions of the mineral modal composition of S-type and Q-type asteroids show an apparent depletion of olivine related to the attenuation of its diagnostic absorptions with space weathering. This trend is consistent with previous results of the slower pyroxene response to space weathering relative to olivine.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2210.01006v1","authors":["David Korda","Antti Penttilä","Arto Klami","Tomáš Kohout"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-03T15:14:05Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2605.06460v1","name":"MINER: Mining Multimodal Internal Representation for Efficient Retrieval","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Visual document retrieval has become essential for accessing information in visually rich documents. Existing approaches fall into two camps. Late-interaction retrievers achieve strong quality through fine-grained token-level matching but store hundreds of vectors per page, incurring large index footprints and high serving costs. By contrast, dense single-vector retrievers retain storage and latency advantages but consistently lag in quality because they compress all information into a single final-layer embedding. In this work, we first conduct a layerwise diagnostic on single-vector retrievers, revealing that retrieval-relevant signal resides in internal representations. Motivated by these findings, we propose MINER (Mining Multimodal Internal RepreseNtation for Efficient Retrieval), a lightweight plug-in module that probes and fuses internal signals across transformer layers into a single compact embedding without modifying the backbone or sacrificing single-vector efficiency. The first Retrieval-Aligned Layer Probing stage attaches a lightweight probe at each layer, surfacing which dimensions carry retrieval-relevant information. The subsequent Adaptive Sparse Multi-Layer Fusion stage applies performance-adaptive neuron-level masking to the selected layers and fuses the surviving signals into the final dense vector. Across ViDoRe V1/V2/V3, MINER outperforms existing dense single-vector retrievers on the majority of benchmarks, with up to 4.5% nDCG@5 improvement over its corresponding backbone. Compared to strong late-interaction baselines, in some settings MINER substantially narrows the nDCG@$5$ gap to $0.2$ while preserving the storage and serving advantages of dense retrieval.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.06460v1","authors":["Weien Li","Rui Song","Zeyu Li","Haochen Liu","Gonghao Zhang","Difan Jiao","Zhenwei Tang","Bowei He","Haolun Wu","Xue Liu","Ye Yuan"],"tags":["cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-07T15:51:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2205.13102v1","name":"Deep-XFCT: Deep learning 3D-mineral liberation analysis with micro X-ray fluorescence and computed tomography","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The rapid development of X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) opens new opportunities for 3D analysis of particle and grain-size characterisation, determination of particle densities and shape factors, estimation of mineral associations and liberation and locking. Current practices in mineral liberation analysis are based on 2D representations leading to systematic errors in the extrapolation to volumetric properties. New quantitative methods based on tomographic data are therefore urgently required for characterisation of mineral deposits, mineral processing, characterisation of tailings, rock typing, stratigraphic refinement, reservoir characterisation for applications in the resource industry, environmental and material sciences. To date, no simple non-destructive method exists for 3D mineral liberation analysis. We present a new development based on combining micro-CT with micro-X-ray fluorescence (micro-XRF) using deep learning. We demonstrate successful semi-automated multi-modal analysis of a crystalline magmatic rock where the new technique overcomes the difficult task of differentiating feldspar from quartz in micro-CT data set. The approach is universal and can be extended to any multi-modal and multi-instrument analysis for further refinement. We conclude that the combination of micro-CT and micro-XRF already provides a new opportunity for robust 3D mineral liberation analysis in both field and laboratory applications.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2205.13102v1","authors":["Patrick Kin Man Tung","Amalia Yunita Halim","Huixin Wang","Anne Rich","Christopher Marjo","Klaus Regenauer-Lieb"],"tags":["cs.LG","physics.data-an"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-05-26T01:35:58Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1202.2913v2","name":"Distorted Kagome Lattice Generated by a Unique Orbital Arrangement in the Copper Mineral KCu3As2O7(OH)3","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We study polycrystalline samples of KCu3As2O7(OH)3, a new candidate spin-1/2 kagome antiferromagnet, by magnetic susceptibility and heat capacity measurements above 2 K. The unique arrangement of the 3z2 - r2 and x2 - y2 orbitals on the Cu2+ kagome net is noted and compared to the orbital patterns found in other kagome minerals. It is suggested that this orbital arrangement gives rise to one antiferromagnetic and two ferromagnetic interactions on isosceles triangles forming a highly distorted kagome lattice. KCu3As2O7(OH)3 is found to show an antiferromagnetic long-range order at T_N = 7.2 K. Remarkably, a spin entropy is more gradually released upon cooling below T_N compared with a conventional magnetic long-range order, which may originate from the geometrical frustration still present in this highly distorted kagome lattice.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1202.2913v2","authors":["Yoshihiko Okamoto","Hajime Ishikawa","Gøran J. Nilsen","Zenji Hiroi"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-02-14T02:38:41Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2605.03770v2","name":"Firmware Distribution as Attack Surface: A Security Study of ASIC Cryptocurrency Miners","source":"arxiv","abstract":"ASIC cryptocurrency miners are a core component of blockchain infrastructures, directly converting computation and energy into monetary value. Despite their economic importance, their security is rarely evaluated in a structured manner. In this paper, we show that the firmware distribution ecosystem of mining devices fundamentally challenges existing trust assumptions. We introduce a scalable methodology based on the collection and static analysis of publicly distributed firmware artifacts, requiring neither device access nor runtime interaction. Applying this approach, we reconstruct and analyze 134 firmware images spanning manufacturers that account for over 99% of deployed miners (Bitmain, MicroBT, Canaan, Iceriver). Our results reveal that firmware artifacts alone are sufficient to recover internal architecture, identify security weaknesses, and reconstruct complete attack paths leading to high-impact adversarial objectives. In particular, our analysis reveals vulnerabilities that enable realistic large-scale attack scenarios, including firmware phishing and the exploitation of miners still operating over Stratum V1. Validation on two real devices confirms that publicly distributed artifacts closely reflect deployed software and that these weaknesses translate into attack capabilities. Overall, our study shows that firmware distribution mechanisms themselves constitute a primary attack surface, significantly lowering the barrier to compromise in the ASIC mining ecosystem.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.03770v2","authors":["Pierre Pouliquen","Hadrien Barral","David Naccache","Thibaut Heckmann","Antoine Houssais"],"tags":["cs.CR","cs.SE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-05T14:00:54Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1107.1027v1","name":"Failure of Mineralized Collagen Microfibrils Using Finite Element Simulation Coupled to Mechanical Quasi-brittle Damage","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Bone is a multiscale heterogeneous materiel of which principal function is to support the body structure and to resist mechanical loading and fractures. Bone strength does not depend only on the quantity and quality of bone which is characterized by the geometry and the shape of bones but also on the mechanical proprieties of its compounds, which have a significant influence on its deformation and failure. This work aim to use a 3D nano-scale finite element model coupled to the concept of quasi-brittle damage with the behaviour law isotropic elasticity to investigate the fracture behaviour of composite materiel collagen-mineral (mineralized collagen microfibril). Fracture stress-number of cross-links and damping capacity-number of cross-links curves were obtained under tensile loading conditions at different densities of the mineral phase. The obtained results show that number of cross-links as well as the density of mineral has an important influence on the strength of microfibrils which in turn clarify the bone fracture at macro-scale.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1107.1027v1","authors":["Abdelwahed Barkaoui","Awad Bettamer","Ridha Hambli"],"tags":["q-bio.TO","physics.med-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-07-06T05:45:39Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2502.05690v1","name":"Managing Geological Uncertainty in Critical Mineral Supply Chains: A POMDP Approach with Application to U.S. Lithium Resources","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The world is entering an unprecedented period of critical mineral demand, driven by the global transition to renewable energy technologies and electric vehicles. This transition presents unique challenges in mineral resource development, particularly due to geological uncertainty-a key characteristic that traditional supply chain optimization approaches do not adequately address. To tackle this challenge, we propose a novel application of Partially Observable Markov Decision Processes (POMDPs) that optimizes critical mineral sourcing decisions while explicitly accounting for the dynamic nature of geological uncertainty. Through a case study of the U.S. lithium supply chain, we demonstrate that POMDP-based policies achieve superior outcomes compared to traditional approaches, especially when initial reserve estimates are imperfect. Our framework provides quantitative insights for balancing domestic resource development with international supply diversification, offering policymakers a systematic approach to strategic decision-making in critical mineral supply chains.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.05690v1","authors":["Mansur Arief","Yasmine Alonso","CJ Oshiro","William Xu","Anthony Corso","David Zhen Yin","Jef K. Caers","Mykel J. Kochenderfer"],"tags":["cs.AI","econ.GN"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-08T20:44:44Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1411.6637v1","name":"Comparison of the ANP model with the data for neutrino induced single pion production from the MiniBooNE and MINER$ν$A experiments","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present theoretical predictions in the framework of the ANP model for single pion production ($π^+, π^0$) in $ν_μ$ and $\\barν_μ$ scattering off mineral oil and plastic. Our results for the total cross sections and flux averaged differential distributions are compared to all available data of the MiniBooNE and MINER$ν$A experiments. While our predictions slightly undershoot the MiniBooNE data they reproduce the normalization of the MINER$ν$A data for the kinetic energy distribution. For the dependence on the polar angle we reproduce the shape of the arbitrarily normalized data.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1411.6637v1","authors":["J. -Y. Yu","E. A. Paschos","I. Schienbein"],"tags":["hep-ph","hep-ex"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-11-24T21:01:45Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2112.14514v16","name":"Technology, Institution, and Regional Growth: Evidence from Mineral Mining Industry in Industrializing Japan","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Coal mining was an influential economic activity in interwar Japan. Initially, coal mines employed both men and women in the pits. However, the introduction of labor-saving technologies and the modernization of traditional extraction methods induced institutional change, manifested in the revision of labor regulations affecting female miners in the early 1930s. This dramatically changed the mining workplace, making skilled men the principal underground miners. This paper investigates the impact of coal mining on regional growth and assesses how institutional changes induced by the amended labor regulations affected this growth process. By linking the mines' location information with both registration- and census-based statistics, I find that coal mines led to remarkable population growth, and that fertility rates increased following the labor regulations that removed female miners from the workforce. While occupational hazards increased early-life mortality via the mortality selection mechanism, the effect of the regulations on mortality reduction remains unclear.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2112.14514v16","authors":["Kota Ogasawara"],"tags":["econ.GN"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-12-29T11:47:08Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.03575v1","name":"Leveraging Large Language Models for Generating Labeled Mineral Site Record Linkage Data","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Record linkage integrates diverse data sources by identifying records that refer to the same entity. In the context of mineral site records, accurate record linkage is crucial for identifying and mapping mineral deposits. Properly linking records that refer to the same mineral deposit helps define the spatial coverage of mineral areas, benefiting resource identification and site data archiving. Mineral site record linkage falls under the spatial record linkage category since the records contain information about the physical locations and non-spatial attributes in a tabular format. The task is particularly challenging due to the heterogeneity and vast scale of the data. While prior research employs pre-trained discriminative language models (PLMs) on spatial entity linkage, they often require substantial amounts of curated ground-truth data for fine-tuning. Gathering and creating ground truth data is both time-consuming and costly. Therefore, such approaches are not always feasible in real-world scenarios where gold-standard data are unavailable. Although large generative language models (LLMs) have shown promising results in various natural language processing tasks, including record linkage, their high inference time and resource demand present challenges. We propose a method that leverages an LLM to generate training data and fine-tune a PLM to address the training data gap while preserving the efficiency of PLMs. Our approach achieves over 45\\% improvement in F1 score for record linkage compared to traditional PLM-based methods using ground truth data while reducing the inference time by nearly 18 times compared to relying on LLMs. Additionally, we offer an automated pipeline that eliminates the need for human intervention, highlighting this approach's potential to overcome record linkage challenges.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.03575v1","authors":["Jiyoon Pyo","Yao-Yi Chiang"],"tags":["cs.IR","cs.AI","cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-17T18:26:56Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2103.16060v1","name":"PIXLISE-C: Exploring The Data Analysis Needs of NASA Scientists for Mineral Identification","source":"arxiv","abstract":"NASA JPL scientists working on the micro x-ray fluorescence (microXRF) spectroscopy data collected from Mars surface perform data analysis to look for signs of past microbial life on Mars. Their data analysis workflow mainly involves identifying mineral compounds through the element abundance in spatially distributed data points. Working with the NASA JPL team, we identified pain points and needs to further develop their existing data visualization and analysis tool. Specifically, the team desired improvements for the process of creating and interpreting mineral composition groups. To address this problem, we developed an interactive tool that enables scientists to (1) cluster the data using either manual lasso-tool selection or through various machine learning clustering algorithms, and (2) compare the clusters and individual data points to make informed decisions about mineral compositions. Our preliminary tool supports a hybrid data analysis workflow where the user can manually refine the machine-generated clusters.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2103.16060v1","authors":["Connie Ye","Lukas Hermann","Nur Yildirim","Shravya Bhat","Dominik Moritz","Scott Davidoff"],"tags":["cs.HC","cs.GR","physics.comp-ph","physics.ins-det"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-03-30T04:11:22Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2211.00466v1","name":"Recognition of Defective Mineral Wool Using Pruned ResNet Models","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Mineral wool production is a non-linear process that makes it hard to control the final quality. Therefore, having a non-destructive method to analyze the product quality and recognize defective products is critical. For this purpose, we developed a visual quality control system for mineral wool. X-ray images of wool specimens were collected to create a training set of defective and non-defective samples. Afterward, we developed several recognition models based on the ResNet architecture to find the most efficient model. In order to have a light-weight and fast inference model for real-life applicability, two structural pruning methods are applied to the classifiers. Considering the low quantity of the dataset, cross-validation and augmentation methods are used during the training. As a result, we obtained a model with more than 98% accuracy, which in comparison to the current procedure used at the company, it can recognize 20% more defective products.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2211.00466v1","authors":["Mehdi Rafiei","Dat Thanh Tran","Alexandros Iosifidis"],"tags":["cs.CV","eess.IV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-11-01T13:58:02Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2309.02911v2","name":"A Multimodal Learning Framework for Comprehensive 3D Mineral Prospectivity Modeling with Jointly Learned Structure-Fluid Relationships","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This study presents a novel multimodal fusion model for three-dimensional mineral prospectivity mapping (3D MPM), effectively integrating structural and fluid information through a deep network architecture. Leveraging Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Multilayer Perceptrons (MLP), the model employs canonical correlation analysis (CCA) to align and fuse multimodal features. Rigorous evaluation on the Jiaojia gold deposit dataset demonstrates the model's superior performance in distinguishing ore-bearing instances and predicting mineral prospectivity, outperforming other models in result analyses. Ablation studies further reveal the benefits of joint feature utilization and CCA incorporation. This research not only advances mineral prospectivity modeling but also highlights the pivotal role of data integration and feature alignment for enhanced exploration decision-making.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.02911v2","authors":["Yang Zheng","Hao Deng","Ruisheng Wang","Jingjie Wu"],"tags":["cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-06T11:13:34Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.15263v1","name":"Crystalline forsterite to 160 GPa: the striking metastability of one of Universe's most abundant minerals","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Among Universe's most consequential events are large impacts generating rapidly-evolving extreme pressures and temperatures. Crystalline and amorphous forms of (Mg, Fe)2SiO4 are abundant and widespread, within planets and in space. The behavior of these minerals is expected to deviate form thermodynamic equilibrium in many of the processes that are critical to the formation and evolution of planets, particularly shock events. To further the understanding of the behavior of the silicate under extreme conditions, we statically compressed a crystal of forsterite up to 160.5 GPa, far beyond the compound's stability field, and probed its long-range ordering with synchrotron microdiffraction. We found that forsterite retains long-range ordering up to the highest pressure reached. Forsterite III, emerging at about 58 GPa, persists in compression to 160.5 GPa and in decompression down to about 13 GPa, for a rare combined occurrence of a metastable phase of nearly 150 GPa. These observations dispute earlier reports of pressure-induced amorphization and are a unique testimony of the resilience of the crystalline state in quasi hydrostatic compression. We confirm that highly disordered forsterite can be obtained from the decompression of forsterite III as suggested from the substantial loss of long-range ordering observed at 7 GPa after further decompression. Such kinetic pathway may explain how synthetic olivine glass have been obtained in shock experiments and could be a mechanism of generation of amorphous forsterite in cosmic dust. The 120 GPa Hugoniot discontinuity finds no correspondence in our data, marking a departure from the parallelism between static \"cold compression\" and dynamic compression.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.15263v1","authors":["Barbara Lavina","Minta C. Akin","Yue Meng","Vitali Prakapenka"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","cond-mat.mtrl-sci","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-21T20:34:31Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1610.03031v1","name":"Discovery of peculiar periodic spectral modulations in a small fraction of solar type stars","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A Fourier transform analysis of 2.5 million spectra in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey was carried out to detect periodic spectral modulations. Signals having the same period were found in only 234 stars overwhelmingly in the F2 to K1 spectral range. The signals cannot be caused by instrumental or data analysis effects because they are present in only a very small fraction of stars within a narrow spectral range and because signal to noise ratio considerations predict that the signal should mostly be detected in the brightest objects, while this is not the case. We consider several possibilities, such as rotational transitions in molecules, rapid pulsations, Fourier transform of spectral lines and signals generated by Extraterrestrial Intelligence (ETI). They cannot be generated by molecules or rapid pulsations. It is highly unlikely that they come from the Fourier transform of spectral lines because too many strong lines located at nearly periodic frequencies are needed. Finally we consider the possibility, predicted in a previous published paper, that the signals are caused by light pulses generated by Extraterrestrial Intelligence to makes us aware of their existence. We find that the detected signals have exactly the shape of an ETI signal predicted in the previous publication and are therefore in agreement with this hypothesis. The fact that they are only found in a very small fraction of stars within a narrow spectral range centered near the spectral type of the sun is also in agreement with the ETI hypothesis. However, at this stage, this hypothesis needs to be confirmed with further work. Although unlikely, there is also a possibility that the signals are due to highly peculiar chemical compositions in a small fraction of galactic halo stars.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1610.03031v1","authors":["E. F. Borra","E. Trottier"],"tags":["astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-10-10T19:10:47Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2503.03507v1","name":"Mineral segmentation using electron microscope images and spectral sampling through multimodal graph neural networks","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We propose a novel Graph Neural Network-based method for segmentation based on data fusion of multimodal Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images. In most cases, Backscattered Electron (BSE) images obtained using SEM do not contain sufficient information for mineral segmentation. Therefore, imaging is often complemented with point-wise Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) spectral measurements that provide highly accurate information about the chemical composition but that are time-consuming to acquire. This motivates the use of sparse spectral data in conjunction with BSE images for mineral segmentation. The unstructured nature of the spectral data makes most traditional image fusion techniques unsuitable for BSE-EDS fusion. We propose using graph neural networks to fuse the two modalities and segment the mineral phases simultaneously. Our results demonstrate that providing EDS data for as few as 1% of BSE pixels produces accurate segmentation, enabling rapid analysis of mineral samples. The proposed data fusion pipeline is versatile and can be adapted to other domains that involve image data and point-wise measurements.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.03507v1","authors":["Samuel Repka","Bořek Reich","Fedor Zolotarev","Tuomas Eerola","Pavel Zemčík"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-05T13:55:26Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1411.7099v2","name":"The Miner's Dilemma","source":"arxiv","abstract":"An open distributed system can be secured by requiring participants to present proof of work and rewarding them for participation. The Bitcoin digital currency introduced this mechanism, which is adopted by almost all contemporary digital currencies and related services. A natural process leads participants of such systems to form pools, where members aggregate their power and share the rewards. Experience with Bitcoin shows that the largest pools are often open, allowing anyone to join. It has long been known that a member can sabotage an open pool by seemingly joining it but never sharing its proofs of work. The pool shares its revenue with the attacker, and so each of its participants earns less. We define and analyze a game where pools use some of their participants to infiltrate other pools and perform such an attack. With any number of pools, no-pool-attacks is not a Nash equilibrium. With two pools, or any number of identical pools, there exists an equilibrium that constitutes a tragedy of the commons where the pools attack one another and all earn less than they would have if none had attacked. For two pools, the decision whether or not to attack is the miner's dilemma, an instance of the iterative prisoner's dilemma. The game is played daily by the active Bitcoin pools, which apparently choose not to attack. If this balance breaks, the revenue of open pools might diminish, making them unattractive to participants.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1411.7099v2","authors":["Ittay Eyal"],"tags":["cs.CR","cs.GT"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-11-26T03:44:21Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1701.02360v2","name":"Resolving Orbital and Climate Keys of Earth and Extraterrestrial Environments with Dynamics 1.0: A General Circulation Model for Simulating the Climates of Rocky Planets","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Resolving Orbital and Climate Keys of Earth and Extraterrestrial Environments with Dynamics (ROCKE-3D) is a 3-Dimensional General Circulation Model (GCM) developed at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies for the modeling of atmospheres of Solar System and exoplanetary terrestrial planets. Its parent model, known as ModelE2 (Schmidt et al. 2014), is used to simulate modern and 21st Century Earth and near-term paleo-Earth climates. ROCKE-3D is an ongoing effort to expand the capabilities of ModelE2 to handle a broader range of atmospheric conditions including higher and lower atmospheric pressures, more diverse chemistries and compositions, larger and smaller planet radii and gravity, different rotation rates (slowly rotating to more rapidly rotating than modern Earth, including synchronous rotation), diverse ocean and land distributions and topographies, and potential basic biosphere functions. The first aim of ROCKE-3D is to model planetary atmospheres on terrestrial worlds within the Solar System such as paleo-Earth, modern and paleo-Mars, paleo-Venus, and Saturn's moon Titan. By validating the model for a broad range of temperatures, pressures, and atmospheric constituents we can then expand its capabilities further to those exoplanetary rocky worlds that have been discovered in the past and those to be discovered in the future. We discuss the current and near-future capabilities of ROCKE-3D as a community model for studying planetary and exoplanetary atmospheres.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1701.02360v2","authors":["M. J. Way","Igor Aleinov","David. S. Amundsen","Mark Chandler","Thomas Clune","Anthony D. Del Genio","Yuka Fujii","Maxwell Kelley","Nancy Y. Kiang","Linda Sohl","Kostas Tsigaridis"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-09T21:33:35Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2303.14504v2","name":"Probabilistic formulation of Miner's rule and application to structural fatigue","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The standard stress-based approach to fatigue is based on the use of S-N curves. They are obtained by applying cyclic loading of constant amplitude $S$ to identical and standardised specimens until they fail. The S-N curves actually depend on a reference probability $p$: for a given cycle amplitude $S$, they provide the number of cycles at which a proportion $p$ of specimens have failed. Based on the S-N curves, Miner's rule is next used to predict the number of cycles to failure of a specimen subjected to cyclic loading with variable amplitude. In this article, we present a probabilistic formulation of Miner's rule, which is based on the introduction of the notion of health of a specimen. We show the consistency of that new formulation with the standard approaches, thereby providing a precise probabilistic interpretation of these. Explicit formulas are derived in the case of the Weibull--Basquin model. We next turn to the case of a complete mechanical structure: taking into account size effects, and using the weakest link principle, we establish formulas for the survival probability of the structure. We illustrate our results by numerical simulations on a I-steel beam, for which we compute survival probabilities and density of failure point. We also show how to efficiently approximate these quantities using the Laplace method.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.14504v2","authors":["Francois-Baptiste Cartiaux","Alain Ehrlacher","Frederic Legoll","Alex Libal","Julien Reygner"],"tags":["cs.CE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-03-25T15:50:35Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2606.00587v2","name":"Hashprice moderates the electricity demand response of Bitcoin miners","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Large controllable loads, such as Bitcoin-mining facilities, are increasingly viewed as valuable sources of power-system flexibility, yet the conditions under which this flexibility is realized remain poorly understood. We examine this issue in the Texas power market, where large loads face both wholesale electricity prices and incentives created by coincident-peak-based transmission charges. We find that mining load declines as costs rise across both channels, and this response is moderated by hashprice, a measure of expected revenue for Bitcoin miners. When hashprice is higher, mining load is less responsive to electricity-sector costs. This pattern is consistent with aggregate mining load arising from heterogeneous devices operated around distinct breakeven points. The wholesale-price response illustrates this mechanism most clearly. Mining load remains largely online at low electricity prices but begins to decline once prices exceed an implied curtailment threshold, and higher hashprice shifts this threshold to higher wholesale prices. Bitcoin miners therefore respond to electricity-sector costs, but the available flexibility varies with revenue conditions in the crypto-financial sector. Treating such loads as stable demand-response resources may overstate their available flexibility.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.00587v2","authors":["Subir Majumder"],"tags":["econ.EM","cs.ET","eess.SY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-30T07:34:56Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1605.05666v1","name":"Efficient artificial mineralization route to decontaminate Arsenic(III) polluted water -the Tooeleite Way","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Increasing exposure to arsenic (As) contaminated ground water is a great threat to humanity. Suitable technology for As immobilization and removal from water, especially for As(III) than As(V), is not available yet. However, it is known that As(III) is more toxic than As(V) and most groundwater aquifers, particularly the Gangetic basin in India, is alarmingly contaminated with it. In search of a viable solution here, we took a cue from the natural mineralization of Tooeleite, a mineral containing Fe(III) and As(III)ions, grown under acidic condition, in presence of SO42- ions. Complying to this natural process, we could grow and separate Tooeleite-like templates from Fe(III) and As(III) containing water at overall circumneutral pH and in absence of SO42- ions by using highly polar Zn-only ends of wurtzite ZnS nanorods as insoluble nano-acidic-surfaces. The central idea here is to exploit these insoluble nano-acidic-surfaces (called as INAS in the manuscript) as nucleation centres for Tooeleite growth while keeping the overall pH of the aqueous media neutral. Therefore, we propose a novel method of artificial mineralization of As(III) by mimicking a natural process at nanoscale.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1605.05666v1","authors":["Arindam Malakar","Bidisa Das","Samirul Islam","Carlo Meneghini","Giovanni De Giudici","Marco Merlini","Yury V Kolen 'ko","Antonella Iadecola","Giuliana Aquilanti","Somobrata Acharya","Sugata Ray"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-05-18T17:39:20Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2309.01560v1","name":"Quasi 1D Nanobelts from the Sustainable Liquid Exfoliation of Terrestrial Minerals for Future Martian based Electronics","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The sky is the limit with regards to the societal impact nanomaterials can have on our lives. However, in this study we show that their potential is out of this world. The planet Mars has an abundant source of calcium sulfate minerals and in our work, we show that these deposits can be the basis of transformative nanomaterials to potentially support future space endeavors. Through a scalable eco-friendly liquid processing technique performed on two common terrestrial gypsum, our simple method presented a cost-efficient procedure to yield the commercially valuable intermediate phase of gypsum, known as bassanite. Through the liquid exfoliation of bassanite powders, suspensions of large aspect ratio anhydrite nanobelts with long-term stability were characterized through scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Transmission electron microscopy showed nanobelts to have a mesocrystal structure, with distinct nanoparticle constituents making up the lattice. Unexpectedly, anhydrite nanobelts had remarkable electronic properties, namely a bandgap that was easily tuned between semiconducting (~2.2 eV) and insulating (~4 eV) behaviors through dimensional control measured via atomic force microscopy. To demonstrate the application potential of our nanobelts; optoelectronic, electrochemical and nanocomposite measurements were made. For the hydrogen evolution reaction and mechanical reinforcement, selenite-based anhydrite nanobelts displayed superlative performances.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.01560v1","authors":["Cencen Wei","Abhijit Roy","Adel K. A. Aljarid","Yi Hu","S. Mark Roe","Dimitrios G. Papageorgiou","Raul Arenal","Conor S. Boland"],"tags":["physics.app-ph","cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-04T12:27:20Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2106.13570v1","name":"Grain boundaries in minerals: atomic structure, phase transitions, and effect on strength of polycrystals","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Grain boundaries (GBs) and interfaces in polycrystalline materials are significant research subjects in the field of materials science. Despite a more than 50-year history of their study, there are still many open questions. The main challenge in studying interfacial structures is the extreme complexity of their experimental and theoretical observation and description. The presence of phase-like states at grain boundaries called complexions requires even more effort in their study. Here, we demonstrate the effect of grain boundaries on the properties of polycrystalline minerals on the example of the $Σ$5[310](001) grain boundary in periclase (MgO). Using the combination of extended evolutionary algorithm USPEX and modern machine-learning interatomic potentials, we explore the configuration space of the specified grain boundary and predict its possible phase-like states. In addition to the widely studied CSL-type structure, we found several stable GB complexions with various atomic densities at the boundary plane. Analysis of grain boundary excess volume of the structures revealed the successive stages of GB failure under the tensile applied in the normal direction of the boundary plane. Our results demonstrate that interfacial chemistry and structural diversity can be surprisingly rich even in seemingly simple and thoroughly investigated materials. The phenomena we observe here are not specific to MgO and should be general.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2106.13570v1","authors":["Arslan B. Mazitov","Artem R. Oganov"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci","physics.comp-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-06-25T11:43:28Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.11445v1","name":"Ground electrical and electromagnetic methods for deep mineral exploration -- results from the SEEMS DEEP project","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The transition towards carbon neutral transportation and energy sources increases the global demand for mineral raw materials while easy-to-find near-surface (\\&lt; 200 m) ore deposits are unlikely discovered in well-explored areas such as Europe. In order to increase the mineral exploration success rate, the project SEEMS DEEP (SEismic and ElectroMagnetic methodS for DEEP mineral exploration) develops geophysical deep exploration workflow capable of imaging the bedrock from the surface down to several kilometres depth. In this paper, we present first results from ground electrical and electromagnetic surveys conducted at the SEEM DEEP geological test site, namely the Koillismaa Layered Intrusion Complex in north-eastern Finland. Here, a 1.7 km long hole drilled by GTK intersected mafic-ultramafic rocks with anomalous electrical and chargeability properties at ~1400 m depth, making it an interesting case study to test the ability of such technologies for imaging resistivity and chargeability contrasts at several kilometre depth.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.11445v1","authors":["Mathieu Darnet","Bitnarae Kim","Simon Vedrine","Jacques Deparis","Francois Bretaudeau","Julien Gance","Fabrice Vermeersch","Catherine Truffert","Uula Autio","Jochen Kamm","Cedric Patzer","Thomas Kalscheuer","Suvi Heinonen"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-16T07:24:14Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2007.14250v1","name":"High-Throughput Production of Cheap Mineral-Based 2D Electrocatalysts for High-Current-Density Hydrogen Evolution","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The high-throughput scalable production of cheap, efficient and durable electrocatalysts that work well at high current densities demanded by industry is a great challenge for the large-scale implementation of electrochemical technologies. Here we report the production of a 2D MoS2-based ink-type electrocatalyst by a scalable top-down exfoliation technique followed by a simple heat treatment. The catalyst shows a high current density of 1000 mA cm^-2 at an overpotential of 454 mV for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) without the need of iR correction, as well as good stability over 24 hours. Using the same method, we have, for the first time, produced a cheap MoS2 mineral-based catalyst and found that it had an excellent performance for high-current-density HER. Noteworthy, production rate of this MoS2-based catalyst is one to two orders of magnitude higher than those previously reported. In addition, the price of the MoS2 mineral is five orders of magnitude lower than commercial Pt catalysts, making the MoS2 mineral-based catalyst cheap, and the ink-type catalyst dispersions can be easily integrated with other technologies for large-scale catalyst electrode preparation. These advantages indicate the huge potentials of this method and mineral-based cheap and abundant natural resources as catalysts in the electrochemical technologies.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2007.14250v1","authors":["Chi Zhang","Yuting Luo","Junyang Tan","Fengning Yang","Zhiyuan Zhang","Liusi Yang","Hui-Ming Cheng","Bilu Liu"],"tags":["physics.app-ph","cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-07-28T14:12:57Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.05769v1","name":"IoT Miner: Intelligent Extraction of Event Logs from Sensor Data for Process Mining","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents IoT Miner, a novel framework for automatically creating high-level event logs from raw industrial sensor data to support process mining. In many real-world settings, such as mining or manufacturing, standard event logs are unavailable, and sensor data lacks the structure and semantics needed for analysis. IoT Miner addresses this gap using a four-stage pipeline: data preprocessing, unsupervised clustering, large language model (LLM)-based labeling, and event log construction. A key innovation is the use of LLMs to generate meaningful activity labels from cluster statistics, guided by domain-specific prompts. We evaluate the approach on sensor data from a Load-Haul-Dump (LHD) mining machine and introduce a new metric, Similarity-Weighted Accuracy, to assess labeling quality. Results show that richer prompts lead to more accurate and consistent labels. By combining AI with domain-aware data processing, IoT Miner offers a scalable and interpretable method for generating event logs from IoT data, enabling process mining in settings where traditional logs are missing.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.05769v1","authors":["Edyta Brzychczy","Urszula Jessen","Krzysztof Kluza","Sridhar Sriram","Manuel Vargas Nettelnstroth"],"tags":["cs.SE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-06T16:50:33Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2511.00893v1","name":"New avenues for characterizing individual mineralized collagen fibrils with transmission electron microscopy","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Bone serves as a remarkable example of nature's architectured material with its unique blend of strength and toughness, all at a lightweight design. Given the hierarchical nature of these materials, it is essential to understand the governing mechanisms and organization of its constituents across length scales for bio-inspired structural design. Despite recent advances in transmission electron miscoscopy (TEM) that have allowed us to witness the fascinating arrangement of bone at micro-down to the nano-scale, we are still missing the details about the structural organization and mechanical properties of the main building blocks of bone -- mineralized collagen fibrils (MCFs). Here, we propose a novel approach for extracting individual MCFs from nature's model material via a dropcasting procedure. By isolating the MCFs onto TEM-compatible substrates, we visualized the arrangement of organic and mineral phases within the individual MCFs at the nanoscale. Using a 4D-STEM approach, the orientation of individual mineral crystals within the MCFs was examined. Furthermore, we conducted first-of-its-kind in situ tensile experiments, revealing exceptional tensile strains of at least 8%, demonstrating the intricate relationship between structural organization and the mechanical behavior of MCFs. The capabilities of TEM allow us to resolve MCF organization and composition down to the nanoscale level. This new knowledge of the ultrastructure of the bone-building blocks and the proposed sample extraction and in situ mechanical testing opens up new avenues for research into nature's inspired material design.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.00893v1","authors":["Tatiana Kochetkova","Stephanie M. Ribet","Lilian M. Vogl","Daniele Casari","Rohan Dhall","Philippe K. Zysset","Andrew M. Minor","Peter Schweizer"],"tags":["physics.bio-ph","cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-02T11:24:05Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50003-2","name":"Copyright","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50003-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-18T07:36:02Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50003-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-13-3639-3_31","name":"Possible Cultural Impact of Extraterrestrial Life, if It Were to Be Found","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3639-3_31","authors":["Junichi Watanabe"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-27T22:07:43Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-13-3639-3_31","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0003","name":"From CETI to METI","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0003","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-17T17:56:20Z","doi":"10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0003","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9781107340886.017","name":"Extraterrestrial lightning","source":"crossref","abstract":"In terrestrial lightning the cloud-to-ground discharges are the most intensively studied, and this is a type of lightning that is not expected to occur in other planetary atmospheres. K. Rinnert (1995) Introduction Most lightning discharges on Earth are produced by convective, precipitating clouds that contain water in both liquid and solid phases (Section 3.2). Apparently, convective clouds whose tops are below the freezing level, so that they do not contain ice, can also sometimes produce lightning (e.g., Foster 1950; Moore et al. 1960; Pietrowski 1960; Michnowski 1963; Rossby 1966). On Earth, lightning-like electrical sparks hundreds of meters long can be produced via charge generation and separation in volcano emissions, and sparks of meter length can occur in sandstorms (subsection 20.7.1). Further, electrical sparks having a length of the order of one meter or less occur in a variety of non-meteorological turbulent particulate media, such as in the material in grain elevators and in the mixture of water and oil present during the water-jet cleaning of oil tanker holds (Pierce 1974). Finally, transient luminous phenomena that may be associated with electrical discharges have been observed during earthquakes (subsection 20.7.2). Based on the observed conditions for the production of lightning on Earth, the two requirements for the generation of lightning or lightning-like electrical sparks in the extraterrestrial environment are: (i) the interaction of particles of different types or of the same type but with different properties (for example, different temperatures), resulting in local charging,","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781107340886.017","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-06-05T15:58:00Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9781107340886.017","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5622/illinois/9780252041754.003.0001","name":"Daína Chaviano’s Science-Fiction Oeuvre","source":"crossref","abstract":"Daína Chaviano is the most accomplished author of science fiction during the 1980s and 1990s in Cuba. This essay demonstrate that her seemingly soft and new-wavish literary style was in fact a political statement against the communist regime´s policy of closing the borders to the outside world, and a call to put an end to all sorts of frontiers among people, and even between literary genres. But far from being unique and radical in her forms, Chaviano is part of a trend in science fiction that affected both contemporary Cuban authors of the fantastic (Alberto Serret, Chely Lima, Gina Picart, Félix Lizárraga), and other authors in Latin America and Spain (Angélica Gorodischer, Silvina Ocampo, Bioy Casares, Eliá Barceló). Chaviano mixed space travel and exploration with fantastic figures such as dragons and unicorns, science with magic, and created characters who were not necessarily technologically savvy. A perfect example is her most relevant text, the internationally acclaimed 1998 novel and the main focus of this essay, Fábulas de una abuela extraterrestre [Fables of an extraterrestrial grandmother], in which the grandmother states that “la ciencia es una magia que ha encontrado respuestas” [science is magic that has found answers]. Daína Chaviano is perhaps the most relevant representative of the “Caribbean new wave style” and one of the most important authors in contemporary letters written in Spanish.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5622/illinois/9780252041754.003.0001","authors":["Juan Carlos Toledano Redondo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-01-25T00:00:53Z","doi":"10.5622/illinois/9780252041754.003.0001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.33774/coe-2022-x2qtf","name":"Extraterrestrial Nature Reserves","source":"crossref","abstract":"Terraforming Mars requires establishment of essential, ecosystem services on a planet currently unamenable to Terran species. Shorter term, assembling Terran-type ecosystems within contained environments is conceivable. An assemblage of organisms that might form an early, forest environment is proposed, with rationale for its selection. A case is made for establishment of a contained facsimile, old growth forest on Mars, providing an oasis, proffering vital ecosystem functions. It would serve as an extraterrestrial nature reserve, psychological refuge and utilitarian botanic garden, supporting species of value to colonists for secondary metabolites, substances otherwise requiring freighting or in-situ manufacture. The design presented includes organisms that might tolerate local environmental variance and be assembled into a novel, bioregenerative forest ecosystem. This would differ from Earthly forests due to the potential impact of local abiotic parameters on ecosystem functions, but it is argued that biotic support for space travel and colonization requires such developments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.33774/coe-2022-x2qtf","authors":["Paul Smith"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-04-29T10:58:57Z","doi":"10.33774/coe-2022-x2qtf","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50016-0","name":"An experiment protocol for a search for radio signals of extraterrestrial intelligent origin in the presence of man-made radio frequency sources","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50016-0","authors":["R.E. EDELSON"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-18T07:35:41Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50016-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4271/air733","name":"INTRODUCTION TO LIFE-SUPPORT SYSTEMS FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL APPLICATION","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4271/air733","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-03-16T10:26:35Z","doi":"10.4271/air733","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780857452122-003","name":"Introduction. The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence as an Interdisciplinary Effort","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780857452122-003","authors":["Albert A. Harrison","Douglas A. Vakoch"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-11T10:57:11Z","doi":"10.1515/9780857452122-003","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0007","name":"Toward a Lingua Cosmica","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0007","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-17T17:56:20Z","doi":"10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0007","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50002-0","name":"Front Matter","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50002-0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-18T12:36:00Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50002-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9780755650910.0007","name":"Does the Qurʾān affirm extraterrestrial life?","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9780755650910.0007","authors":["Moamer Khalayleh"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-24T16:12:11Z","doi":"10.5040/9780755650910.0007","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-37750-1_15","name":"Altruism, Metalaw, and Celegistics: An Extraterrestrial Perspective on Universal Law-Making","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37750-1_15","authors":["Adam Korbitz"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-09-14T11:46:29Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-37750-1_15","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/bg-2020-283","name":"Extraterrestrial dust as a source of bioavailable Fe for the ocean productivity","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. Bioavailable Fe is an essential nutrient for phytoplankton that allows organisms to flourish and drawdown atmospheric CO2 affecting global climatic condition. In marine locales remote from the continents extraterrestrial-dust provides an important source of Fe and thus moderates primary productivity. Here we provide constraints on partitioning of extraterrestrial Fe between seawater and sediments from observations of dissolution and alteration cosmic spherules recovered from the deepsea sediments and Antarctica. Of the ~ 3000–6000 t/a extraterrestrial dust that reaches Earth surface, ~ 2–5 % material survives in marine sediments whilst the remainder is liberated into seawater. Both processes contributes ~ (3–10) × 10−8 molFe m−2 yr−1. Also, Fe contribution due to evaporation of survived particle is estimated to be ~ 10 % of Fe contribution to meteoric smoke. Changes in extraterrestrial-dust flux vary not only the amount of Fe by up to three orders of magnitude, but also the partitioning of Fe between surface and abyssal waters depending on entry velocity and evaporation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2020-283","authors":["Rudraswami N. Gowda","Mayank Pandey","Matthew J. Genge","Dafilgo Fernandes","M. J. Genge","D. Fernandes"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Seawater","Abyssal zone","Productivity","Oceanography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-09-11","doi":"10.5194/bg-2020-283","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"doi:10.62973/23-028","name":"OGC Testbed 19 Extraterrestrial GeoTIFF Engineering Report","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.62973/23-028","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-05T15:07:24Z","doi":"10.62973/23-028","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-540-78522-4_7","name":"Solutions of Extraterrestrial Disturbances","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-78522-4_7","authors":["Guochang Xu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-08-13T05:04:13Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-540-78522-4_7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.4354401","name":"Extraterrestrial Artificial Intelligence: The Final Existential Risk?","source":"crossref","abstract":"The possibility that artificial extraterrestrial intelligence poses an existential threat to humanity is neglected. It is also the case in economics, where both AI existential risks and the potential long-term consequences of an AGI are neglected. This paper presents a thought experiment to address these lacunas. It is argued that it is likely that any advanced extraterrestrial civilization that we may encounter will be an AGI, and such an AGI will pose an existential risk. Two arguments are advanced for why this is the case. One draws on the Dark Forest Hypothesis and another on the Galactic Colonization Imperative. Three implications for how we govern AI and insure against potential existential risks follow. These are (i) accelerating the development of AI as a precautionary step; (ii) maintaining economic growth until we attain the wealth and technological levels to create AGI and expand into the galaxy; and (iii) putting more research and practical effort into solving the Fermi Paradox. Several areas where economists can contribute to these three implications are identified.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4354401","authors":["Wim Naudé"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-02-10T23:26:54Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.4354401","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1071/978064309826817.377.408.2009.17","name":"14 Extraterrestrial Regolith","source":"crossref","abstract":"This specially curated group of 178 titles covers subjects ranging from biodiversity conservation to agriculture and ecology to zoology. Books explore urban ecology, climate change, fire mitigation, and more. These titles are included in the CSIRO Publishing BioSelect Collection.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1071/978064309826817.377.408.2009.17","authors":["Jonathan D. Clarke"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-15T20:12:58Z","doi":"10.1071/978064309826817.377.408.2009.17","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0011","name":"Appendix A: The Arecibo Message","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0011","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-17T17:56:20Z","doi":"10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0011","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.64628/aa.5aaekpfag","name":"Cassini spots mosaic of Titanic extraterrestrial seas","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.64628/aa.5aaekpfag","authors":["Simon Redfern"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-26T11:53:46Z","doi":"10.64628/aa.5aaekpfag","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0005","name":"Cosmic Computers and Interstellar Cats","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0005","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-17T17:56:20Z","doi":"10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/bg-2020-283-rc1","name":"comment","source":"crossref","abstract":"The paper submitted by Gowda et al. proposes to evaluate the various flux of ET iron toward the ocean, available for phytoplankton growth, a major process in the atmospheric carbon budget.This evaluation is first based on published estimates of the ET matter flux on Earth convoluted by the iron content of ET matter of various sources and if I get it well, the assumption that 90% of this flux is ablated as meteoritic smoke and thus bioavailable.This evaluation allows to produce table 1 and fig. 1 containing estimates of input expressed as µmolFe/m2/yr, which is the pertinent parameter for biological effects.Table 1 misses the reference ET fluxes (in term of mass/m2/yr) that could allow to check the proper referencing and calculations.Very important is also to provide error bars from the published estimates.Usually, these error bars are very large (e.g. the seminal paper on Os isotope of Peucker-Erhenbrink","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2020-283-rc1","authors":["Anonymous"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-09-27T14:40:51Z","doi":"10.5194/bg-2020-283-rc1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0009","name":"Art as a Universal Language","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0009","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-17T17:56:20Z","doi":"10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0009","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1201/9781003131519","name":"Advances in Extraterrestrial Drilling:","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003131519","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-12-07T23:25:56Z","doi":"10.1201/9781003131519","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_52379","name":"extraterrestrial","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_52379","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-08-24T06:16:16Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_52379","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9781107300668.011","name":"Modeling approaches in asteroseismology","source":"crossref","abstract":"As explained Chapters 4 and 5, even basic asteroseismic diagnostics, such as the frequency of maximum power combined with the large frequency separation for solar-like pulsators (e.g., Chaplin et al ., 2011a), or the period spacing for high-order gravity-mode pulsators (e.g., Degroote et al ., 2010), already lead to values of the global stellar parameters, such as the mass and radius, with a precision far better than that deduced from photometric color indices, spectral lines, or interferometric data. The combination of frequency and period spacings of the dipole mixed modes detected in evolved low-mass stars, allows us to distinguish between red giants with only hydrogen-shell burning or with core-helium burning in addition (Bedding et al ., 2011), a property that classical data cannot reveal. The real benefit of asteroseismic versus classical data becomes even more obvious when modeling the individual oscillation frequencies ν nℓm , since they are dependent on, and thus determined by, the details of the interior physics of the stars. Such seismic modeling of the solar oscillation frequencies led to a large step forward in the understanding of the structure of the Sun (Chapter 12), including its interior rotation profile (e.g., Kornilov et al ., 2012; Thompson et al ., 2003). Likewise, seismic modeling of the oscillation frequencies of other stars offers a unique opportunity to probe the internal physical processes of stars of various birth mass, initial chemical composition, and evolutionary stage. As an example, we shown in Figure 8.1 the observed frequency spectra from three months of Kepler photometry of the binary components and solar analogues 16 Cyg A and B. Finding the correspondence between the observed frequency peaks and those predicted by theory is not only an immensely powerful method to determine the basic fundamental properties of stars, such as their mass, radius, and age, but it also allows us to evaluate standard stellar structure models and improve their input physics.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781107300668.011","authors":["C. Aerts"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-07-05T05:03:51Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9781107300668.011","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0009-2541(00)00370-3","name":"Determinations of Zr isotopic composition and U–Pb ages for terrestrial and extraterrestrial Zr-bearing minerals using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry: implications for Nb–Zr isotopic systematics","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0009-2541(00)00370-3","authors":["Takafumi Hirata"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-25T13:12:15Z","doi":"10.1016/s0009-2541(00)00370-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1386/tear.12.1.47_1","name":"Extraterrestrial contact: Creating xenolinguistic sonic messages for extraterrestrial communication – Ether Ship electronic music orchestrations in the Anza-Borrego Desert","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Communication with other life forms in our universe has been an ongoing effort most notably conducted by the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Project (SETI). Whereas SETI uses a network of radio telescopes to search for frequencies that may indicate intelligent design, there are also attempts to communicate with extraterrestrials by using different ways to listen for messages as well as send messages. This article outlines a phenomenological approach that includes changes in cognition due to the creation of electronic sounds mixed with stellar acoustics, radio frequencies, and natural and manmade sounds as a way of experiencing changes in cognitive states. These cognitive states may be related to a conscious contact with other life forms not from our world. In this sense it is a galactic approach to interspecies communication.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1386/tear.12.1.47_1","authors":["Willard Van De Bogart"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-08-29T00:05:39Z","doi":"10.1386/tear.12.1.47_1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9798216431916.ch-10","name":"Religious Belief and the Discovery of Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9798216431916.ch-10","authors":["Constance M. Bertka"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-21T13:18:47Z","doi":"10.5040/9798216431916.ch-10","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.18254198.11","name":"The Effects of the Ionized Interstellar Medium on Broadband Signals of Extraterrestrial Origin","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.18254198.11","authors":["Samantha K. Blair","David G. Messerschmitt","Jill C. Tarter","Gerald R. Harp"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-07T20:46:30Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.18254198.11","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.18130/v3jc7q","name":"Thermal and Radiation Processing of Porous Extraterrestrial Water Ice","source":"crossref","abstract":"Effects of Film Thickness III.Effects of H 2 Pressure IV. Rate Equations V.Infrared Results","url":"https://doi.org/10.18130/v3jc7q","authors":["Emily Mitchell"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-10-21T11:28:06Z","doi":"10.18130/v3jc7q","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21899/978-1506901428","name":"The Extraterrestrial Encyclopedia","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.21899/978-1506901428","authors":["David Darling","Dirk Schulze-Makuch"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-12-12T14:44:35Z","doi":"10.21899/978-1506901428","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/083077-0014","name":"Advancements in Seti: Integrating AI for Enhanced Detection of Extraterrestrial Signals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/083077-0014","authors":["Ali Hasanli","Khayala Hasanova","Rustam Rustamov","Zaman Kazimov"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-16T14:18:27Z","doi":"10.52202/083077-0014","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.18254198.38","name":"Index","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.18254198.38","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-07T20:46:30Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.18254198.38","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50022-6","name":"Ex Mundo Astronautico","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50022-6","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-18T07:35:15Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50022-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0008","name":"How to Talk in Space","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0008","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-17T17:56:20Z","doi":"10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0008","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/9781009658454","name":"Islam and Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"This Element offers a general overview of the topic of extraterrestrial life – its possible existence, forms, and cultural as well as religious views on it – with particular attention to Islamic perspectives, past and present. It begins with a brief survey of the history of the debate over the plurality of the worlds as it unfolded in Christendom, followed by a concise, albeit non-technical, summary of the recent advances in the search for extrasolar planets and for life in the cosmos. The focus then shifts to the Qur'ān and hadīth as foundational sources for developing an Islamic perspective on the question of extraterrestrial life. Finally, several Islamic concepts that might require re-evaluation in light of the discovery of extraterrestrial life are presented, underscoring the urgent need for the development of an Islamic astrotheology.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009658454","authors":["Parandis Tajbakhsh"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-30T00:07:32Z","doi":"10.1017/9781009658454","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/0471743984.vse8033","name":"Extraterrestrial Materials","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/0471743984.vse8033","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-04-18T21:26:20Z","doi":"10.1002/0471743984.vse8033","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-444-62733-9.00007-1","name":"Extraterrestrial Environment","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-444-62733-9.00007-1","authors":["V.J. Inglezakis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-05-27T19:46:57Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-444-62733-9.00007-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/0471743984.vse3123","name":"Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/0471743984.vse3123","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-10-31T18:51:19Z","doi":"10.1002/0471743984.vse3123","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9781107300668.028","name":"Interpreting cross-correlations in seismology","source":"crossref","abstract":"Introduction Wavefields in the Sun and Earth, measured using various instruments, display small- amplitude fluctuations, essentially zero-mean random processes. More careful investigation reveals that these are seismic fluctuations generated by stochastic processes such as convection in the Sun and by anthropogenic activity and non-linear ocean wave interactions on Earth. The distinguishing feature of imaging with noise is that we do not know the dynamical details of the source (unlike in classical earthquake tomography) and we consequently seek a statistical description of the wavefield. Here, we discuss the interpretation of the cross-correlation measurement in solar and terrestrial scenarios. The most common measurement in the context of noise is the ensemble- averaged cross-correlation. The physics of such measurements can be markedly different from raw wavefield measurements (as in classical tomography). The helioseismic theory of stochastic oscillations in conjunction with computational adjoint optimization, widely used in terrestrial seismic applications, provides a unified framework for addressing outstanding inverse problems in these areas. The seismic methodologies and challenges in each of these fields, despite the vastly different physics, are intimately related and we highlight these similarities in this article. Seismology of the Sun The Sun, our nearest star, serves as an astrophysical benchmark, contributing to our understanding of stellar evolution, stellar interiors and atmospheres, etc. Life on Earth is directly affected by the magnetic variability of the Sun. Our climate is sensitive to variations in the irradiance of the Sun caused by cyclic magnetic activity. Space instrumentation and telecommunications are susceptible to solar high-energy eruptive events (e.g., for reviews, see, Schrijver and Zwaan, 2000). Predictive models of solar magnetic activity (e.g., Pesnell, 2008) depend on our knowledge of internal global-scale fluid motions of the Sun, constraints that can only be obtained seismically. Subsequent to the discovery of oscillations on the surface of the Sun some 50 years ago (Leighton et al ., 1962), there has been significant progress in uncovering its properties.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781107300668.028","authors":["S. Hanasoge"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-07-05T05:03:51Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9781107300668.028","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_235-6","name":"Carbonate, Extraterrestrial","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_235-6","authors":["Daniela Tirsch"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-06-01T01:31:10Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_235-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.33140/jhss.06.02.03","name":"Avoiding the “Great Filter”: Extraterrestrial Life and Humanity’s Future in the Universe","source":"crossref","abstract":"Our Universe is a vast, tantalizing enigma - a mystery that has aroused humankind’s innate curiosity for ages. Begging answers to questions on alien lifeforms have been thus far unfruitful, even with bounding technological advancements of recent years. Coupled with logical assumptions and calculations such as those made by Dr. Frank Drake starting in the early 1960s, evidence of life should arguably exist in abundance in our galaxy alone, yet in practice we’ve produced no clear affirmation beyond our own planet. So, where is everybody? The silence of the Universe beyond Earth reveals a pattern of both human limitation and steadfast curiosity. Even as ambitious programs such as SETI take aim at the technological challenges involved, the results have thus far turned up empty for any signs of life. We postulate an existential disaster may lay in wait as civilizations advance exponentially towards space exploration, acting as the Great Filter: a phenomenon that wipes out civilizations before they can encounter each other, explaining the cosmic silence. We propose several possible scenarios for the Great Filter, including anthropogenic and natural hazards, both of which can be prevented with reforms in individual, institutional and intrinsic behaviors. Multiple calamity candidates are considered: nuclear warfare, pathogens and pandemics, artificial intelligence, meteor impacts, and climate change. The Great Filter has the potential to eradicate life on Earth, especially as our rate of progress correlates directly to the severity of our fall. A necessary period of introspection, followed by appropriate refinements to more effectively approach our predicament, is required to mitigate risk to humankind and the nearly 9 million other species on Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.33140/jhss.06.02.03","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-02-17T07:24:45Z","doi":"10.33140/jhss.06.02.03","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.62717/2221-4550-2024-1-101","name":"ПРОБЛЕМИ ПОШУКУ ПОЗАЗЕМНОГО ЖИТТЯ\nPROBLEMS OF FINDING EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE?","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.62717/2221-4550-2024-1-101","authors":["Михайло Семененко"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-18T05:52:22Z","doi":"10.62717/2221-4550-2024-1-101","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9781107300668.019","name":"Diskoseismology of accretion disks","source":"crossref","abstract":"Introduction In this chapter we describe the recent field of diskoseismology: the study of extraterrestrial seismology in accretion disks. Accretion disks, formed by accumulation of matter falling toward a gravitating object, are ubiquitous in the universe, surrounding a wide variety of celestial objects. They are a key ingredient in binary systems which host compact objects orbiting a so-called companion star, and attracting matter from it. In these objects, an accretion disk forms through accumulation of gas coming from the companion star, tidally attracted and passing through the inner L1 Lagrange point (see Figure 16.1). The compact object can be either a neutron star or a stellar-mass black hole (these systems are then called compact X-ray binaries , XRBs), or a white dwarf (systems called cataclysmic variables , CVs). Furthermore, they surround the supermassive black holes (SMBH) at the heart of active galaxies, we also detect them at cosmological distances in the extremely energetic gammaray bursts (GRBs), and finally, we find them around protostellar and young stellar objects (YSOs). From the discovery of the first extra-solar X-ray source – Sco X-1, an XRB in the constellation of Scorpius – reported on December 1, 1962 by Giacconi et al . (1962), to the measurement of quasi-periodic oscillations and broad lines in accretion disks surrounding compact objects, our knowledge of accretion disks has greatly improved, ultimately leading to potential tests of general relativity, due to high gravitational forces naturally created by the presence of compact objects. Putting together these observations, simulations, and predictions, will eventually lead to unique results based on general relativity. We will show in Section 16.2 that accretion disks are ubiquitous in the celestial objects of our universe, before reviewing in Section 16.3 the general characteristics of accretion disks. We will then introduce in Section 16.4 the field of diskoseismology, reporting the existing observations, numerical simulations, and theoretical predictions of the models, concerning the various celestial objects hosting accretion disks, before concluding in Section 16.5.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781107300668.019","authors":["S. Chaty"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-07-05T05:03:51Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9781107300668.019","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199680207.001.0001","name":"Science, Religion, and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"If the discovery of life elsewhere in the universe is just around the corner, what would be the consequences for religion? Would it represent another major conflict between science and religion, even leading to the death of faith? Some would suggest that the discovery of any suggestion of extraterrestrial life would have a greater impact than even the Copernican and Darwinian revolutions. It is now over 50 years since the first modern scientific papers were published on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). Yet the religious implications of this search and possible discovery have never been systematically addressed in the scientific or theological arena. SETI is now entering its most important era of scientific development. New observation techniques are leading to the discovery of extra-solar planets daily, and the Kepler mission has already collected over 1000 planetary candidates. This deluge of data is transforming the scientific and popular view of the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence. Earth-like planets outside of our solar system can now be identified and searched for signs of life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199680207.001.0001","authors":["David Wilkinson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-10-01T15:49:15Z","doi":"10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199680207.001.0001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.18254198","name":"Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence (CETI)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.18254198","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-07T20:46:30Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.18254198","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1536-3","name":"Sulfates, Extraterrestrial","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1536-3","authors":["Daniela Tirsch"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-05-22T12:00:07Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1536-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4324/9780429336591-7","name":"Extraterrestrial Science","source":"crossref","abstract":"Even a superficial scrutiny of the terrestrial situation suffices to show that the development of natural science is certainly not inevitable for cognitive beings but is closely linked to their internal constitution and their cultural orientation. Sociologists, anthropologists, and linguists talk in much the same terms, and philosophers of science have also come to say the same sorts of things. The constitution of alien inquirers—physical, biological, and social—thus emerges as crucial for science. Like the science of the remote future, the science of remote aliens must be presumed to be such that we really could not achieve intellectual access to it on the basis of our own position in the cognitive scheme of things. Science is always the result of inquiry into nature, and this is inevitably a matter of a transaction or interaction in which nature is but one party and the inquiry beings another. The developmental path from intelligence to science is strewn with substantial obstacles.","url":"https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429336591-7","authors":["Nicholas Rescher"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-02-24T08:41:54Z","doi":"10.4324/9780429336591-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.23860/diss-1709","name":"MINERALOGICAL, GEOCHEMICAL, AND MAGNETIC EXAMINATION OF SERPENTINIZATION IN EXTRATERRESTRIAL ANALOGS","source":"crossref","abstract":"Fundamental questions within Earth and Planetary Sciences, “Are we alone?” Remains chief among these major questions driving many areas of scientific research. The quest for life beyond Earth is still in its early stages and we are at a pivotal moment in this exploration, having discovered thousands of planets within our Milky Way galaxy and are searching within our own space neighborhood within the Solar System, from Mars to Enceladus, and beyond. Earth is the key planet to understanding the possibility of life elsewhere in the Solar System and beyond, in the many exoplanets that have been discovered that are similar to Earth. It is currently not known whether life has existed beyond Earth and Earth remains the only planet so far that is known to harbor life. Planetary habitability, a planetary body’s ability to harbor life, is intimately connected to its geology, which can provide the necessary parameters to facilitate the proliferation of biology. “Does Mars Harbor environments suitable for biological processes; does Mars host life?” Terrestrial planets, like Earth and Mars, and other rocky worlds, can serve as massive chemical reservoirs to drive biological processes. Mars, the fourth rock from the Sun, is currently being explored for signs of biological activity and this exploration is largely within the surface and near-surface environments. Identifying how geology can drive life on Earth within similar environments, planetary analogs, can help constrain and better understand where to look to answer these broad questions. However, not all planetary analogs on Earth have been fully explored and linked to other terrestrial and rocky worlds. Terrestrial planet lithospheres, such as the crust and mantle of both the Earth and Mars, are largely composed of mafic (crust) and ultramafic (mantle) rock units, with mineral assemblages that are dominated by olivine and pyroxene. When these mineralogies are exposed to water they experience metasomatism, and at near-surface geophysical conditions undergo serpentinization. Serpentinization, the mineral transformation from olivine- and pyroxene-rich protoliths to assemblages dominated by serpentine group minerals and secondary minerals is the most critical metamorphic hydration reaction in driving biological processes on Earth, and likely in the Solar System. These secondary minerals include magnetite (Fe3O4), talc, hydroxides, diverse clays, and often carbonates are also linked to biological processes in these environments. The presence of these minerals in both terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments on rocky planets creates exciting opportunities for research into serpentinizing systems and their wider implications. I","url":"https://doi.org/10.23860/diss-1709","authors":["Roger Hart"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-04T19:41:13Z","doi":"10.23860/diss-1709","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.26226/m.632b0aa4f30377bc3bafa260","name":"Extraterrestrial Constructions in Lunar and Martian Environments","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.26226/m.632b0aa4f30377bc3bafa260","authors":["M.Z. Naser","Qiushi Chen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-29T15:53:58Z","doi":"10.26226/m.632b0aa4f30377bc3bafa260","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.5148131","name":"Extraterrestrial Accountability and the Parella Stakeholder Management Approach","source":"crossref","abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Corporate secrecy is not a new phenomenon. Companies routinely take steps to ensure that prized information is secured and kept from competitors. Securing intellectual property as trade secrets keeps the information confidential for as long as the owner employs reasonable measures to guard the information—unlike patents, which offer term protection of certain types of intellectual property in exchange for public registry. Geographical and geological location data are especially&amp;nbsp;lucrative for mining and petroleum companies, which target mineral resources for extraction and production. So, it is not unexpected that space mining companies would&amp;nbsp;want to do the same. But should they be able to do the same is another question.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5148131","authors":["Monika Ehrman"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-24T08:11:20Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.5148131","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0010","name":"The Many Futures of METI","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0010","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-17T17:56:20Z","doi":"10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0010","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.12794/metadc1985476","name":"The Construction of the Fringe Extraterrestrial of Postmodernity","source":"crossref","abstract":"This study focuses on the discourse that orders and creates a logic of the extraterrestrial during postmodernity, what I term \"Fringe.\" Using Foucault's notion of discourse, I define and theorize Fringe and its formation during postmodernity, looking at the particular features of the historical moment post-1960 that contributed to the creation and regulation of a particular extraterrestrial. I then investigate historical conceptions of the extraterrestrial from Aquinas to Kant. This genealogy of the extraterrestrial reveals a rich history of the extraterrestrial and compares this history with Fringe. After this I discuss two precursors of Fringe discourse: the Society for Psychical Research and the writings of anomalous researcher Charles Fort. This investigation of pre-Fringe notions of the psychical in discourse shows how the SPR and Fort's work both created new ways of looking at and speaking about phenomena falling outside the purview of \"normal science\" and contributed to the formation of Fringe while also being distinguishable from it. Finally, I analyze two popular iterations of Fringe discourse—the ancient aliens hypothesis and the abduction narrative—as popularized in the works of Erich von Däniken and Whitley Strieber.","url":"https://doi.org/10.12794/metadc1985476","authors":["Andrew Smith"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-17T08:10:02Z","doi":"10.12794/metadc1985476","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4135/9781412959216.n264","name":"Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412959216.n264","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-10-05T19:58:59Z","doi":"10.4135/9781412959216.n264","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.6407877.11","name":"Conclusion","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.6407877.11","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-01T20:21:45Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.6407877.11","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9798400615597.ch-007","name":"Extraterrestrial Life and Science Fiction","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9798400615597.ch-007","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-12T10:36:07Z","doi":"10.5040/9798400615597.ch-007","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/oso/9780192897985.002.0003","name":"Copyright page","source":"crossref","abstract":"Extract Great Clarendon Street, Oxford, OX2 6DP, United Kingdom Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Press in the UK and in certain other countries © Charles S. Cockell 2022 The moral rights of the author have been asserted Impression: 1 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, by licence or under terms agreed with the appropriate reprographics rights organization. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the address above You must not circulate this work in any other form","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780192897985.002.0003","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-19T03:01:46Z","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780192897985.002.0003","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_1536","name":"Sulfates, Extraterrestrial","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_1536","authors":["Daniela Tirsch"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-27T09:05:47Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_1536","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.32614/cran.package.extraterrestrial","name":"extraterrestrial: Astrobiology Equations Estimating Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"Finding life outside the planet Earth several is the ultimate goal of an astrobiologist. Using known astronomical measurements and assumptions the probability of extraterrestrial life existence could be estimated. Equations such as the Drake equation (1961) as stated in the paper of Molina (2019) , Seager (2013) and Foucher et al, (2017) are included in the 'extraterrestrial' package.","url":"https://doi.org/10.32614/cran.package.extraterrestrial","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-11T10:02:56Z","doi":"10.32614/cran.package.extraterrestrial","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50013-5","name":"Search for signals from extraterrestrial civilizations by the method of synchronous dispersion reception","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50013-5","authors":["L.M. GINDILIS","N.S. KARDASHEV","V.A. SOGLASNOV","E.E. SPANGENBERG","V.S. ETKIN","V.G. MIROVSKII"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-18T12:36:00Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50013-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9781107300668.012","name":"Modeling approaches in helioseismology","source":"crossref","abstract":"Introduction The theory of hydrodynamics or, where necessary, magneto hydrodynamics, provides an appropriate mathematical framework to study solar and stellar oscillations. Well-developed hydrodynamic descriptions of global oscillations of gravitationally bound gaseous spheres, aimed primarily at understanding stars such as Cepheid, delta-Scuti, and RR Lyrae variables, resulted from studies over half a century following that of pioneers such as Pekeris, Rosseland, and Chandrasekhar (see Ledoux and Walraven, 1958). The discovery of global non-radial oscillations on the solar surface (Leighton et al ., 1962) led eventually, though not immediately, to a successful utilization of such theoretical machinery for helioseismology. It was also realized early on (Goldreich and Keeley, 1977) that the excitation of small amplitude non-radial oscillations on the Sun is due to a mechanism different from that responsible for the typically large amplitude oscillations exhibited by the above variable stars (known as the classical variables), even though both these types of oscillations are acoustic in nature. Observed solar oscillations are now recognized as mainly due to acoustic waves generated by turbulent convection near the surface layers of the outer convection zone, intrinsically damped and stable, hence limited to small amplitudes and linear evolution (Goldreich et al ., 1994). These properties define the solar-like oscillations. There are also internal gravity waves, which, with buoyancy supplied by perturbations in gravity as the restoring force, propagate only in the sub-adiabatic (i.e., temperature gradients smaller than that required for convection) radiative interior beneath the convection zone, where they are evanescent. The surface gravity wave lives on the solar surface propagating horizontally. Global helioseismology Helioseismology consists of modeling the interior propagating acoustic and gravity waves, and the surface gravity wave, as small-amplitude linearly evolving perturbations to a background model of the Sun, and determining observable quantities to accuracies better than they are measured with. This enables updating the model iteratively for the best match with observations, thereby determining the internal structure of the Sun (Christensen-Dalsgaard, 2002).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781107300668.012","authors":["S. P. Rajaguru"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-07-05T05:03:51Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9781107300668.012","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0012","name":"Appendix B: The Cosmic Call Transmissions","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0012","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-17T17:56:20Z","doi":"10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0012","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9781107300668.010","name":"Planetary seismology: Early observational results","source":"crossref","abstract":"Introduction There have only been three occasions in the past where seismic data from the surface of an extraterrestrial body were successfully acquired, although several unsuccessful attempts have been made, as discussed in Chapter 3. The first was during and following the Apollo landing missions on the Moon in 1969 through 1977, the second was during the Viking mission on Mars in 1976 through 1978, and the third was the Soviet Venera missions to Venus in 1982. During the Apollo project, three seismic experiments were conducted at various landing sites: Passive Seismic Experiment (PSE) at Apollo landing sites 11, 12, 14, 15, and 16; Active Seismic Experiment (ASE) at landing sites 14 and 16; and Lunar Seismic Profiling Experiment (LSPE) at the Apollo 17 landing site. These landing sites are indicated on Figure 7.1. During the Viking project, seismometers were deployed at two landing sites, Viking 1 and Viking 2, but the seismometer at the Viking 1 site failed to uncage, and only at the Viking 2 landing site were records of ground motion obtained. The Venera 13 and 14 measurements lasted only briefly, 127 and 57 minutes, respectively. In this chapter, we briefly describe the Apollo and Viking experiments and summarize key findings of the contemporary analyses of the acquired data. Included are some historical accounts of events experienced at the time. Since the turn of the century, with vastly more powerful computers now available and with developments of new analysis techniques, these decades-old data are attracting renewed interest, and new results are emerging. These new results are described in Chapter 15. The results of the Venera experiment will not be discussed here because information available to the western world is scarce. We understand that only a single event of unknown origin was counted (e.g., Ksanfomaliti et al ., 1982). The chapter will end with a brief account of remaining questions and suggested future directions in lunar and planetary seismology.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781107300668.010","authors":["Y. Nakamura"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-07-05T05:03:51Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9781107300668.010","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.18254198.5","name":"Acknowledgments","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.18254198.5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-07T20:46:30Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.18254198.5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9781107300668","name":"Extraterrestrial Seismology","source":"crossref","abstract":"Seismology is a highly effective tool for investigating the internal structure of the Earth. Similar techniques have also successfully been used to study other planetary bodies (planetary seismology), the Sun (helioseismology), and other stars (asteroseismology). Despite obvious differences between stars and planetary bodies, these disciplines share many similarities and together form a coherent field of scientific research. This unique book takes a transdisciplinary approach to seismology and seismic imaging, reviewing the most recent developments in these extraterrestrial contexts. With contributions from leading scientists, this timely volume systematically outlines the techniques used in observation, data processing, and modelling for asteroseismology, helioseismology, and planetary seismology, drawing comparisons with seismic methods used in geophysics. Important recent discoveries in each discipline are presented. With an emphasis on transcending the traditional boundaries of astronomy, solar, planetary and Earth sciences, this novel book is an invaluable resource and reference for undergraduates, postgraduates and academics.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781107300668","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-07-05T05:03:51Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9781107300668","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_1207","name":"Phyllosilicates, Extraterrestrial","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_1207","authors":["Daniela Tirsch"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-02-25T17:17:00Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_1207","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/inorganics10110201","name":"The Effect of Short Chain Carboxylic Acids as Additives on the Crystallization of Methylammonium Lead Triiodide (MAPI)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Due to their exceptional properties, the study of hybrid perovskite (HyP) structures and applications dominate current photovoltaic prospects. Methylammonium lead tri-iodide perovskite (MAPI) is the model compound of the HyP class of materials that, in a few years, achieved, in photovoltaics, a power conversion efficiency of 25%. The attention on HyP has recently moved to large single crystals as emerging candidates for photovoltaic application because of their improved stability and optoelectronic properties compared to polycrystalline films. To control the quality and symmetry of the large MAPI single crystals, we proposed an original method that consisted of adding short-chain carboxylic acids to the inverse temperature crystallization (ICT) of MAPI in γ-butyrolactone (GBL). The crystals were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SC-XRD), X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and Raman spectroscopy. Based on SC-XRD analysis, MAPI crystals grown using acetic and trifluoroacetic acids adopt a tetragonal symmetry “I4cm”. MAPI grown in the presence of formic acid turned out to crystallize in the orthorhombic “Fmmm” space group demonstrating the acid’s effect on the crystallization of MAPI.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/inorganics10110201","authors":["Chiara Dionigi","Meriem Goudjil","Giampiero Ruani","Luca Bindi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-11-08T10:53:52Z","doi":"10.3390/inorganics10110201","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9781107300668.009","name":"Measurements with local helioseismology","source":"crossref","abstract":"Introduction Local helioseismology encompasses remote observations, data analysis, and theoretical modeling of solar oscillations to infer the three-dimensional structure within localized regions of the solar interior. What defines a region as “local” is relative, however, since targets of interest have included sunspots and convective elements with spatial scales ∼10 −2 R ⊙ as well as large-scale plasma flows spanning much of a solar hemisphere. As a relatively new discipline first explored in the 1980s, local helioseismology has two main components: first, a research component to understand the interaction of solar oscillations (acoustic and surface gravity) with perturbations within the Sun and, second, the design and application of methods to infer the properties of the perturbations by modeling the measurements of those waves. Successful applications require a thorough understanding of the physics of the waves and their interaction with in homogeneities inside the Sun. The research component is particularly critical. For example, the types of perturbations found in the Sun can include magnetic fields for which the wave interactions can be quite complicated. Currently, the types of structures most amenable to modeling using local helioseismic measurements consist of isotropic wave-speed perturbations and the three components of plasma flows. Assessing the subsurface magnetic field directly is a challenging, but largely unrealized, goal of the field. While the status of the field is evolving, the determination of plasma flows in the first few tens of Mm below the solar surface remains one of the primary practical applications. We outline in this chapter the practical applications of, and resulting measurements made with, common local helioseismic methods. Broadly speaking, local helioseismology can be roughly divided into Fourier methods (which operate in the frequency–wave number domain) and cross-covariance based methods (which operate in the space–time domain). The former (Section 6.3) can be considered in many ways as extensions of the analysis of global oscillations (Chapter 5) to localized regions of the Sun.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781107300668.009","authors":["D. C. Braun"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-07-05T05:03:51Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9781107300668.009","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9798881828387.ch-010","name":"The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9798881828387.ch-010","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-16T14:16:06Z","doi":"10.5040/9798881828387.ch-010","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9783110874372.383","name":"EXTRATERRESTRIAL PERSONS","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110874372.383","authors":["Wim Β. Drees"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-10-11T14:42:46Z","doi":"10.1515/9783110874372.383","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1207-3","name":"Phyllosilicates, Extraterrestrial","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1207-3","authors":["Daniela Tirsch"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-06-09T20:37:12Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1207-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1353/book.111716","name":"Alone but Not Lonely","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1353/book.111716","authors":["Louis Friedman"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-06T05:22:08Z","doi":"10.1353/book.111716","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.6407877.5","name":"Introduction","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.6407877.5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-01T20:21:45Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.6407877.5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.6407877.13","name":"Bibliography","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.6407877.13","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-01T20:21:45Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.6407877.13","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_1207","name":"Phyllosilicates (Extraterrestrial)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_1207","authors":["Daniela Tirsch"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-06-29T20:31:16Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_1207","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.18254198.39","name":"Back Matter","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.18254198.39","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-07T20:46:30Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.18254198.39","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0002","name":"A Brief History of Talking to Aliens","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0002","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-17T17:56:20Z","doi":"10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_52380","name":"extraterrestrial geology","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_52380","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-08-24T06:16:16Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_52380","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_235","name":"Carbonate, Extraterrestrial","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_235","authors":["Daniela Tirsch"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-27T09:05:47Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_235","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_235","name":"Carbonate, Extraterrestrial","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_235","authors":["Daniela Tirsch"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-02-25T17:20:05Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_235","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.12775/setf.2023.006","name":"Extraterrestrial Soteriology","source":"crossref","abstract":"One scientific objection to religion is that the discovery of extraterrestrial life would show that our religions are not veridical, with Christianity being the most common target. I will first look at a parallel issue, the ancient and medieval controversy over antipodes. This raises two problematic Christian doctrines that would apply equally to extraterrestrials: the transmission of original sin and the cosmic fall. These issues raise questions about their spiritual status, but I conclude that not having such answers does not amount to an objection to Christianity’s credibility.","url":"https://doi.org/10.12775/setf.2023.006","authors":["Jim Slagle"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-02-14T10:59:25Z","doi":"10.12775/setf.2023.006","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1117/12.435377","name":"&lt;title&gt;Algorithmic communication with extraterrestrial intelligence (ACETI)&lt;/title&gt;","source":"crossref","abstract":"Many different strategies for communication with extraterrestrial intelligence have been proposed since the invention of wireless communication. these strategies can be roughly divided into two categories: pictorial and non- pictorial (math-based) systems. Pictorial messages, such as the bitmap transmitted from the Arecibo radiotelescope in 1975, can be used to communicate a wide variety of ideas and symbols. Non-pictorial systems, such as Hans Freudenthal's language Lingua Cosmica (Lincos), allow the sender to build a symbolic vocabulary without the use of pixelated images.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1117/12.435377","authors":["Brian McConnell"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-11-19T21:02:25Z","doi":"10.1117/12.435377","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1117/12.278781","name":"&lt;title&gt;Radio searches for large-scale extraterrestrial organisms&lt;/title&gt;","source":"crossref","abstract":"A variety of means can be employed to search for extraterrestrial life. Large-scale extraterrestrials are reasonably expected to have developed intelligence (since intelligence is selectively advantageous) and technology (since technology also provides advantages). In the expectation/hope that more advanced extraterrestrials will be sending an announcement signal to help us make contact and share in our galactic heritage, more than 30 radio searches have been carried out over the last 40 years. Current searches are up to 4 orders of magnitude more sensitive and cover up to 108 more bandpass than the original searches. An overview of the rationale behind these searches and the current status of this work is provided.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1117/12.278781","authors":["C. Stuart Bowyer"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-03-28T18:01:09Z","doi":"10.1117/12.278781","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_235","name":"Carbonate (Extraterrestrial)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_235","authors":["Daniela Tirsch"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-06-29T17:38:38Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_235","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/oso/9780192897985.003.0008","name":"Essay on the Scottish Islands, their lessons for extraterrestrial governance, and a sketch of the applications of this knowledge to settlements beyond Earth","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract The successful settlement of space requires the identification of a plausible set of governance stages through which a settlement would develop as it expands in size. Scotland has played host to isolated island populations of many sizes that have persisted for centuries. Populations sizes of Scottish islands investigated here range from small, such as the Isle of Canna (a population of 18) to large communities, such as Skye (a population of ~10,000), providing a snapshot of governance structures from initial settlement sizes proposed in space settlement schemes to larger established settlements, and at points in between. Although their environments are not as extreme as extraterrestrial environments and their histories are shaped by diverse cultural specificities, it is precisely this diversity of experimentation that provides material from which generalized lessons can be extracted for the successful management of isolated populations beyond Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780192897985.003.0008","authors":["Charles S. Cockell"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-19T03:01:46Z","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780192897985.003.0008","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_3182","name":"Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_3182","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-06-29T19:47:05Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_3182","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0006","name":"Is There a Language of the Universe?","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0006","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-17T17:56:20Z","doi":"10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0006","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9781501508271-021","name":"CHAPTER 18. Extraterrestrial environments","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9781501508271-021","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-11-09T04:01:53Z","doi":"10.1515/9781501508271-021","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7185/gold2025.31519","name":"Extraterrestrial materials as messengers of Solar System processes","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7185/gold2025.31519","authors":["Jenny Feige"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-24T12:31:10Z","doi":"10.7185/gold2025.31519","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1117/12.243430","name":"&lt;title&gt;How to contact extraterrestrial intelligence&lt;/title&gt;","source":"crossref","abstract":"Microwave and optical (both infrared and visible) radiation are the basis for the principal plans in use or under discussion for searching for advanced extraterrestrial societies, but we should be on the alert for alternative modalities that might contribute. Among the latter are other forms of radiation, matter transfer, and a variety of exotic suggestions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1117/12.243430","authors":["Ronald N. Bracewell"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-02-01T10:29:54Z","doi":"10.1117/12.243430","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.3385990","name":"Alone but Not Lonely","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.3385990","authors":["LOUIS FRIEDMAN"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-19T14:13:10Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.3385990","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4324/9781003352174","name":"Xenolinguistics","source":"crossref","abstract":"How can we tell if someone is trying to talk to us—especially when that someone is not a member of our species (or even from our solar system)? And once we have detected a signal, how can we tell what it means? This chapter outlines an approach based on the work of the twentieth-century philosopher Paul Grice. It begins by developing two key ideas from Grice: (i) the idea that communication is a cooperative endeavor, and (ii) the idea that meaning (in one interesting sense) is a matter of acting with particular intentions. It then shows how these two ideas have been developed into a toolkit that has proved very fruitful in studying non-human animal communication. Applying this toolkit to extraterrestrial signals would be challenging, but the chapter concludes by suggesting strategies with which to begin.","url":"https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003352174","authors":["Douglas A. Vakoch","Jeffrey Punske"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-07T15:19:34Z","doi":"10.4324/9781003352174","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-1-4020-4423-6_258","name":"Paleomagnetism, Extraterrestrial","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4423-6_258","authors":["Michael D. Fuller"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-07-16T16:12:32Z","doi":"10.1007/978-1-4020-4423-6_258","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.31224/2577","name":"StarCrete: a starch-based regolith biocomposite for extraterrestrial construction","source":"crossref","abstract":"Robust and affordable technology capabilities are needed before a sustained human presence on the lunar and Martian surfaces can be established. A key challenge is the production of high-strength structural materials from in situ resources to provide spacious habitats with adequate radiation shielding. Ideally, the production of such materials will be achieved through relatively simple, low-energy processes that support other critical systems. Here, we demonstrate the use of ordinary starch as a binder for simulated extraterrestrial regolith to produce a high-strength biocomposite material, termed StarCrete. With this technique, surplus starch produced as food for inhabitants could be used for construction, integrating two critical systems and significantly simplifying the architecture needed to sustain early extraterrestrial colonies. After optimisation, lunar and Martian StarCrete achieved compressive strengths of 91.7 and 72.0 MPa, respectively, which is well within the domain of high-strength concrete (>42 MPa) and surpasses most other proposed technology solutions despite being a relatively low-energy process. The flexural strength of the lunar and Martian StarCrete, at 2.1 and 8.4 MPa, respectively, were also comparable to ordinary concrete (2.5 – 4.5 MPa).","url":"https://doi.org/10.31224/2577","authors":["Aled Roberts","Nigel Scrutton"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-09-26T16:45:22Z","doi":"10.31224/2577","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9780511841088.007","name":"Extraterrestrial influences","source":"crossref","abstract":"Therefore the moon, the governess of floods, Pale in her anger, washes the air, That rheumatic diseases do abound: And through this distemperance we see The seasons alter: hoary-headed frosts Fall in the fresh lap of the crimson rose. Shakespeare ( A Midsummer Night's Dream ) The Earth's weather cannot be considered in isolation. Thus far we have considered how the natural variability of the global climate could lead to quasi-cyclic changes over periods greater than a year. In so doing, it could be assumed that the Earth's tilt was constant and its orbit around the Sun was identical each year. Also it could be assumed that the energy output of the Sun is constant and that no other forces are present to perturb this orderly picture. None of this is correct. So we now have to consider how the natural autovariance of the climate may be affected by these external influences. Three principal perturbations need to be addressed. First, there is the evidence that the Sun's output varies with time and that this is cyclic. Second, there are the tidal forces that act on the Earth due to the properties of the Moon's orbit and the more distant influence of the motion of the planets. Third, on the much longer timescale there are the periodic changes in the Earth's orbital parameters. The difference in timescale is important. Observations of periodicities in the Sun's behaviour only extend to a few hundred years, although they may well occur on longer timescales.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511841088.007","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-06-19T17:14:12Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9780511841088.007","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9781107300668.027","name":"The interpretation of seismic travel times","source":"crossref","abstract":"Introduction For a long time, (geo)physicists have considered the Earth as a spherically symmetric body, compositionally divided into an iron core, a silicate mantle, and a crust mostly built from melts rising to the surface. However, the surface of the Earth, divided into oceans and continents, betrays the existence of lateral differences that cannot be ignored. None of our oceans is older than 200 million years, whereas there are indications that the first continents started to form 4.3 billion years ago. The processes that impose such differences must operate at depth. The fact that heat cannot escape sufficiently fast by conduction, yet the mantle is not molten, leaves no doubt that some kind of convective engine operates to cool the mantle and to drive the observable motions of the much more rigid plates covering the surface (Jaupart and Mareschal, 2010). To study the dynamic processes in the interior, we can inspect various physical fields for signs of lateral heterogeneity: the gravity field, the magnetic field, the response of the electromagnetic field to forcings in the atmosphere and beyond, and the seismic wavefield after a strong earthquake. We are often interested in anomalies , i.e., in deviations from spherical symmetry. Here we shall concentrate on the seismic field, for the simple reason that it has the most powerful information about variations in elastic properties in the interior that are themselves influenced by temperature variations and – probably to a lesser degree – by chemical differences. The analysis of seismic waves has given us detailed images of wave speed variations in the interior of the Earth and Sun. On Mars, Mercury, or one of the many moons in the Solar System, we shall at best be able to observe the seismic field with a handful of seismometers, and we wish to extract as much information from such seismic recordings as possible. Fortunately, recent developments in terrestrial seismic tomography have led to significant progress in analyzing the observed field.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781107300668.027","authors":["G. Nolet"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-07-05T05:03:51Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9781107300668.027","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50001-9","name":"Other Pergamon Titles of Interest","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50001-9","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-18T07:36:00Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50001-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.26226/morressier.59c106ead462b8029238a05b","name":"The Extraterrestrial Impact of the South China Sea Dispute","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.26226/morressier.59c106ead462b8029238a05b","authors":["Roncevert Almond"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-02-19T17:05:04Z","doi":"10.26226/morressier.59c106ead462b8029238a05b","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/article.27415","name":"Live Chat: SETI and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/article.27415","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-10-21T01:07:11Z","doi":"10.1126/article.27415","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.6407877","name":"Exotheology","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.6407877","authors":["Joel L. Parkyn"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-01T20:21:45Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.6407877","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21236/ad0604105","name":"BIBLIOGRAPHY OF EXTRATERRESTRIAL RESEARCH. Second Edition","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.21236/ad0604105","authors":["Robert W. Henny"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-09-14T16:40:45Z","doi":"10.21236/ad0604105","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/oso/9780192897985.001.0001","name":"The Institutions of Extraterrestrial Liberty","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract What freedoms can people expect in space and how will governance beyond Earth tread the fine line between authority and liberty? In this multi-author book, the contributors consider all aspects of liberty beyond Earth, from the near term: freedom to claim satellite orbits, to the very long-term: freedom on interstellar worldships. Liberty in societies on the Moon, Mars, and elsewhere in the solar system is considered. Gathering together scientists, ethicists, lawyers, philosophers, and social scientists, this book considers one of the most enduring questions of human organization: what institutional arrangements can allow for the realization of diverse forms of human freedom?","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780192897985.001.0001","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-19T03:01:46Z","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780192897985.001.0001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.18254198.1","name":"Front Matter","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.18254198.1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-07T20:46:30Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.18254198.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.31857/s086954150010057-2","name":"Review of What We Know About Extraterrestrial Intelligence: Foundations of Xenology, by M. Ashkenazi","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.31857/s086954150010057-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-07-24T14:18:52Z","doi":"10.31857/s086954150010057-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/j.ctv287sf1z.7","name":"The Extraterrestrial Hypothesis","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv287sf1z.7","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-08-13T14:25:25Z","doi":"10.2307/j.ctv287sf1z.7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/9781108355162.010","name":"Extraterrestrial INtelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"How did life on Earth begin? How common is it elsewhere in the Universe? Written and edited by planetary scientists and astrobiologists, this undergraduate-level textbook provides an introduction to the origin and nature of life, the habitable environments in our solar system and the techniques most successfully used for discovery and characterisation of exoplanets. This third edition has been thoroughly revised to embrace the latest developments in this field. Updated topics include the origins of water on Earth, the exploration of habitable environments on Mars, Europa and Enceladus, and the burgeoning discoveries in exoplanetary systems. Ideal for introductory courses on the subject, the textbook is also well-suited for self-study. It highlights important concepts and techniques in boxed summaries, with questions and exercises throughout the text, with full solutions provided. Online resources, hosted at www.cambridge.org/features/planets, include selected figures from the book, self-assessment questions and sample tutor assignments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108355162.010","authors":["Andrew Conway"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-06-19T10:24:43Z","doi":"10.1017/9781108355162.010","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.6407877.14","name":"Index","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.6407877.14","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-01T20:21:45Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.6407877.14","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.3385990.5","name":"ACKNOWLEDGMENTS","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.3385990.5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-19T14:13:10Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.3385990.5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_1536","name":"Sulfates (Extraterrestrial)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_1536","authors":["Daniela Tirsch"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-06-29T19:47:05Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_1536","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9781107300668.002","name":"Planetary seismology: High risk, high return","source":"crossref","abstract":"Except for specialists, planetary seismology refers first to Earth seismology, and stimulates thoughts about earthquakes, tsunamis, and all such rare and brutal events that everyone knows by experience and/or fears. According to etymology, seismology shakes and shocks our bodies and our minds. According to semantics, all languages make the difference between “superficial” and “deep” things, so that everyone turns out to be a seismologist, encouraged to prefer a deep to a superficial analysis, to get to the bottom of things, to look at an issue in more depth, to delve into something, to get to the root of the matter, to seek out the underlying issues… We have basically a 2D topological experience of the Earth since we live on it and are attached to its surface. Of course, in tunnels and by plane, we are invited to explore the third dimension, a thin envelope in fact, so shallow with respect to the Earth radius. Even this Earth radius is an ethereal concept (sorry for the hiatus), since we lack normal circumstances where we can simply feel that the Earth is not as flat as a pancake. When the Earth was a pancake, there was a great debate about the nature of its edge. In a 3D spherical view, defining and measuring the Earth radius implies necessarily prospecting the medium between the surface and the center. Hidden signatures The favorite activity of a planetary seismologist consists in seeking to look well below the planetary surface, as done by Athanasius Kircher, a German Jesuit (1601–1680), in his model of the Earth's interior. Volcanoes were seen as outlets of the Earth's internal fires. Similarly, any trace on a planetary surface can be related to properties of the interior structure. On the Moon, the absence of surface faulting indicates tectonic inactivity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781107300668.002","authors":["B. Mosser"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-07-05T05:03:51Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9781107300668.002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_1207","name":"Phyllosilicates, Extraterrestrial","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_1207","authors":["Daniela Tirsch"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-27T09:05:47Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_1207","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-1-4612-4522-3_24","name":"An Extraterrestrial Matter","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-4522-3_24","authors":["Gerrit L. Verschuur"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-09-26T01:47:29Z","doi":"10.1007/978-1-4612-4522-3_24","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.3385990.6","name":"INTRODUCTION","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.3385990.6","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-19T14:13:10Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.3385990.6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/science.330.6012.1723-a","name":"Extraterrestrial Atmosphere","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.330.6012.1723-a","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-12-23T20:12:50Z","doi":"10.1126/science.330.6012.1723-a","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/pt.6.1.20170817a","name":"Seeking extraterrestrial eclipses","source":"crossref","abstract":"Eclipses seen from Earth are hard to beat. But a few newly discovered exoplanet systems would offer some wild viewing.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/pt.6.1.20170817a","authors":["Andrew Grant"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-08-18T16:16:34Z","doi":"10.1063/pt.6.1.20170817a","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1353/book.124065","name":"Alien Worlds","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1353/book.124065","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-28T09:35:49Z","doi":"10.1353/book.124065","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.3385990.20","name":"INDEX","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.3385990.20","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-19T14:13:10Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.3385990.20","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/egusphere-egu24-20981","name":"Energy from extraterrestrial sources is driving arctic lightning","source":"crossref","abstract":"The possible effect of solar activity on lightning has been studied for a long period of time. Specifically, the relationship between sunspot number and lightning activity has been investigated, although the results still remain inconclusive across regions and time. In some regions, a positive correlation is found, in others a negative one. Thus, it is important to explore other solar-geomagnetic variables possibly influencing lightning activity.In order to examine the possible relationship between solar activity and lightning activity we will study lightning and geomagnetic activity at the latitudes of 50&amp;#176; to 70&amp;#176; together with the solar and solar wind observations (SDO, ACE, OMNI database). &amp;#160;Data from the Nordic lightning location system (NORDLIS) was used for lightning strikes and geomagnetic measurements from Sodankyl&amp;#228; Geophysical Observatory, INTERMAGNET and IMAGE for geomagnetic disturbances. Our analysis showed a strong correlation between high-speed streams and lightning activity as well as with geomagnetic activity during solar cycle 23. All parameters peaked in 2003 during the early declining phase of solar cycle 23 and showed similar trends over the solar cycle. The correlation was strong and significant between latitudes 62&amp;#176; and 66&amp;#176;.&amp;#160; The best coupling was found at 63&amp;#176; and 65&amp;#176;, where solar wind variability explained 86% and 88% of the variability of lightning activity, respectively. We hypothesize that this correlation is because of a much larger number of energetic particles due to an exceptionally high number of HSS during solar cycle 23. Penetration of these highly energetic particles to the atmosphere and production of high energetic secondary electrons can lead to runaway breakdown in thunderclouds and initiation of lightning.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-20981","authors":["Eija Tanskanen","Marzieh Khansari"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-11T12:43:31Z","doi":"10.5194/egusphere-egu24-20981","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17226/25312","name":"Strategic Investments in Instrumentation and Facilities for Extraterrestrial Sample Curation and Analysis","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.17226/25312","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-12-20T11:07:27Z","doi":"10.17226/25312","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.64628/aai.6kxeudnd4","name":"Why people tend to believe UFOs are extraterrestrial","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.64628/aai.6kxeudnd4","authors":["Barry Markovsky"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-25T10:34:57Z","doi":"10.64628/aai.6kxeudnd4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/bg-2020-283-supplement","name":"Supplementary material to &amp;quot;Extraterrestrial dust as a source of bioavailable Fe for the ocean productivity&amp;quot;","source":"crossref","abstract":"TypeNa2O MgO Al2O3 SiO2 P2O5 SO2 K2O CaO TiO2 Cr2O3 MnO FeO CoO NiO Total AAS-38/43-P40 Scoriaceous 0.1 22.5 2.0 31.0 0.0 1.1 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.9 0.3 39.8 0.1 0.9 99.0 AAS-38/43-P55 Scoriaceous 0.1 24.5 1.0 32.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.4 0.1 0.7 0.2 36.3 0.1 0.5 96.1 AAS-38/43-P59 Scoriaceous 0.2 24.7 0.7 31.4 0.3 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.4 0.2 39.1 0.1 0.6 98.0 AAS-38-164-P61 Scoriaceous 0.2 35.4 2.6 37.3 0.3 0.0 0.1 0.6 0.1 0.3 0.3 21.0 0.0 0.2 98.4 AAS-38-167#1/P122 Scoriaceous 0.0 34.0 1.0 36.0 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.6 0.1 3.1 0.2 25.4 0.1 1.3 102.0 AAS-38-170-P141 Scoriaceous 0.0 20.2 1.2 31.7 0.3 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.2 44.4 0.1 0.9 99.4 AAS-38-173-P44 Scoriaceous 0.1 21.6 2.2 29.2 0.1 0.9 0.1 0.5 0.1 0.5 0.4 36.9 0.1 0.9 93.5 AAS-38-173-P56 Scoriaceous 0.1 30.6 1.2 35.8 0.5 0.1 0.1 1.6 0.1 0.3 0.2 26.2 0.0 0.1 96.9 AAS-38-173-P140 Scoriaceous 0.1 25.2 1.6 32.1 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.7 0.1 1.1 0.4 34.7 0.1 0.1 96.4 AAS-38-173-P167 Scoriaceous 0.1 22.8 0.7 31.6 0.1 1.4 0.1 0.4 0.1 0.5 0.5 38.7 0.1 0.3 97.1 AAS-38-182-P5 Scoriaceous 0.0 27.1 1.3 32.8 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.7 0.1 0.3 0.2 33.6 0.1 0.6 97.0 AAS-38-187-P23 Scoriaceous 0.1 19.1 2.6 30.2 0.1 1.2 0.1 1.4 0.1 0.4 0.3 40.7 0.1 0.4 96.8 AAS-38-188-P52 Scoriaceous 0.1 28.6 0.3 33.3 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.4 0.0 0.1 0.3 32.3 0.1 0.6 96.2 AAS-38-188-P72 Scoriaceous 0.1 20.3 1.0 32.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.2 42.2 0.1 0.8 97.3 AAS-38-92-P25 Scoriaceous 0.0 27.3 0.8 34.5 0.8 0.4 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.5 0.4 36.7 0.1 0.2 101.8 AAS-62-9-P43 Scoriaceous 0.0 22.2 1.3 30.4 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.4 0.2 38.5 0.1 0.4 94.2 AAS-62-9-P51 Scoriaceous 0.1 22.6 1.0 33.1 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.5 0.1 0.4 0.3 38.7 0.1 0.5 97.6 AAS-62-9-P54 Scoriaceous 0.5 21.9 3.4 38.5 0.3 0.6 0.1 1.2 0.1 0.7 0.3 29.8 0.1 0.0 97.4 AAS-62-32-P48 Scoriaceous 0.2 23.4 2.4 36.0 0.4 0.4 0.0 1.1 0.1 0.3 0.3 36.6 0.1 0.7 101.8 AAS-62-32-P68 Scoriaceous 0.1 22.7 0.9 31.8 0.2 3.1 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.2 0.3 39.7 0.2 1.6 101.2 AAS-62-32-P106 Scoriaceous 0.2 23.6 1.5 29.9 0.3 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.2 2.0 0.2 35.1 0.1 2.5 95.8 AAS-62-40-P167 Scoriaceous 0.1 18.9 1.2 28.9 0.2 3.1 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.2 33.1 0.2 5.9 92.5 AAS-62-51-P-19 Scoriaceous 0.1 24.7 0.4 33.4 0.2 0.4 0.0 0.8 0.0 0.1 0.3 35.3 0.1 0.3 96.1 AAS-62-51-P-38 Scoriaceous 0.1 26.3 0.4 34.0 0.0 1.3 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.4 0.4 36.6 0.0 0.1 99.8 AAS-62-61-P52 Scoriaceous 0.0 26.2 0.8 32.3 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.3 33.5 0.2 1.7 95.7 AAS-62-61-P64 Scoriaceous 0.2 21.5 1.7 32.9 0.3 0.3 0.1 0.7 0.1 0.4 0.2 36.1 0.1 0.8 95.5 AAS-38-143-1 p44 Scoriaceous 0.1 21.6 0.8 35.6 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.2 0.3 38.0 0.1 0.4 97.4 AAS-38-143-1 p97 Scoriaceous 0.0 16.8 2.0 35.5 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.2 39.0 0.1 0.7 94.9 Average chemical composition (wt%) of S-type cosmic spherules collected from central Indian ocean basin and blue ice region near Maitri Station (Antarctica).","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2020-283-supplement","authors":["Rudraswami N. Gowda","Mayank Pandey","Matthew J. Genge","Dafilgo Fernandes"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-09-11T07:59:29Z","doi":"10.5194/bg-2020-283-supplement","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.6407877.4","name":"Acknowledgements","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.6407877.4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-01T20:21:45Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.6407877.4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/j.ctt9qh79p.17","name":"Extraterrestrial Science","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh79p.17","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-09-07T21:42:09Z","doi":"10.2307/j.ctt9qh79p.17","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4324/9781315243665-15","name":"Exotheology: Speculations on Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"Astronomer and exobiologist Carl Sagan wrote: Space exploration leads directly to religious and philosophical questions. l Just what are these questions? Unfortunately, some of the first questions typically asked are very misleading. At the top of the list is a question posed all too frequently by skeptical scientists and tabloid journalists. The question goes like this: If we discover living beings in outer space as intelligent or more intelligent than we, will the Christian religion collapse? Physicist and popular science author Paul Davies provides an example. In his God and the New Physics, he lays down the gauntlet: What is misleading here is the assumption that the Christian religion is fragile, that it is so fixed upon its orientation to human beings centered on earth that an experience with extraterrestrial beings would shatter it. An alleged earth centrism renders Christianity vulnerable. Yet, I find little or no credible evidence that such a threat exists. To the contrary, I find that when the issue of beings on other worlds has been raised it has been greeted positively. Nevertheless, it is important to observe that the issue has only seldom been raised; so, to Davies credit, it is not crystal clear how theologians would react should extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) suddenly become part of our everyday world. I believe the theological community should view the Davies challenge as an opportunity to think more deeply about the matter. I advocate exotheology - that is, speculation on the theological significance of extraterrestrial life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315243665-15","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-12-24T20:29:48Z","doi":"10.4324/9781315243665-15","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-1-4020-3609-5_79","name":"Extraterrestrial material in sediments","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-3609-5_79","authors":["Christian Koeberl"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-12-07T22:29:04Z","doi":"10.1007/978-1-4020-3609-5_79","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fspas.2020.544331","name":"Multiscale and Correlative Analytical Electron Microscopy of Extraterrestrial Minerals","source":"openalex","abstract":"This paper presents a unique correlative microscopic method for the structural characterization of extraterrestrial minerals. A fragment from the pallasite Seymchan meteorite that consists of olivine grains mixed into a metallic iron matrix with variable nickel content was studied from mm-down to nm-size by using the Raman Imaging and Scanning Electron Microscopy (RISE) and analytical scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Hyperspectral fast acquisition for energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy mapping of a couple of mm2 large area correlated with additional hyperspectral Raman analysis of smaller regions in the same area on one hand, and hyperspectral analytic STEM investigations at atomic resolution on the other hand, provided valuable information about chemical composition, bonding and crystallography. The analysis revealed particles of troilite, schreibersite and forsterite but also regions of mixed iron oxides, carbonates and amorphous carbon as well as plessite regions with nanometre sized taenite needles dispersed in the kamacite matrix.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2020.544331","authors":["Mihaela Albu","Harald Fitzek","David Moser","Gerald Kothleitner","Ferdinand Hofer"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Correlative","Electron microscope","Astrobiology","Microscopy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-19","doi":"10.3389/fspas.2020.544331","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.4964979","name":"Unlocking the Universe: Cutting-Edge Approaches to Discovering Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"The enduring human quest to understand if we are alone in the universe has driven the development of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) programs. These programs employ a diverse toolkit of techniques aimed at detecting potential technosignatures, or signals indicative of technological activity beyond Earth. Despite these advancements, traditional methods face inherent limitations, particularly regarding the selection of appropriate models to interpret experimental data. Traditional model selection methods often rely on researcher intuition and experience, introducing subjectivity and potential biases. To address these limitations, the Finite Information Quantity (FIQ) approach is presented as an objective solution for model selection. FIQ acknowledges the inherent constraints in information processing capacity within physical systems, providing objective criteria for evaluating different models. By considering comparative uncertainty, FIQ minimizes bias and promotes a more comprehensive understanding of phenomena.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4964979","authors":["Boris Menin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-23T13:59:08Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.4964979","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/science.196.4290.616","name":"Searching for Extraterrestrial Civilizations","source":"crossref","abstract":"We have argued that planning for a search for extraterrestrial intelligence should involve a minimum number of assumptions. In view of the feasibility (at our present level of understanding) of using nuclear fusion to effect interstellar travel at a speed of 0.1 c , it appears unwarranted (at this time) to assume that it would not occur for at least some technologically advanced civilizations. One cannot even conclude that humans would not attempt this within the next few centuries. On the contrary, the most likely future situation, given the maintenance of technological growth and the absence of extraterrestrial interference, is that our civilization will explore and colonize our galactic neighborhood. A comparison of the time scales of galactic evolution and interstellar travel leads to the conclusion that the galaxy is either essentially empty with respect to technological civilizations or extensively colonized. In the former instance, a SETI would be unproductive. In the latter, a SETI could be fruitful if a signal has been deliberately directed at the earth or at an alien outpost, probe, or communication relay station in our solar system. In the former case, an existing antenna would probably be sufficient to detect the signal. In the latter case, success would depend on the way in which the communications were coded. Failure to detect a signal could permit any of the following conclusions: (i) the galaxy is devoid of technological civilizations, advanced beyond our own, (ii) such civilizations exist, but cannot (for some reason which is presently beyond our ken) engage in interstellar colonization, or (iii) such civilizations are not attempting overt contact with terrestrial civilizations and their intercommunications, if present, are not coded in a simple way. To plan at this time for a high-cost, large-array SETI based on the last two possibilities appears to be rather premature.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.196.4290.616","authors":["T. B. H. Kuiper","M. Morris"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-10-25T21:56:46Z","doi":"10.1126/science.196.4290.616","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.6407877.1","name":"Front Matter","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.6407877.1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-01T20:21:45Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.6407877.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1117/12.278764","name":"&lt;title&gt;The challenge of remote exploration for extraterrestrial fossil life&lt;/title&gt;","source":"crossref","abstract":"The discovery of possible fossils of nanobacteria in a meteorite from Mars is both an exciting development and a considerably challenge for future work. The meteorite bearing the possible fossils, ALH84001, has been on Earth for over ten thousand years, and thus the possibility that the `fossils' are terrestrial contamination must be considered. We suggest that the only way to fully resolve the issue of possible martian life is to study directly- sampled pieces of Mars, either using in situ instrumentation or via sample return. The small size of the possible fossils, and their relatively low abundance in bulk rock samples make in situ analysis difficult and indirect. We suggest that addressing the issue of ancient life on Mars will require sample return, probably assisted by in situ screening by landers/rovers. Our study of ALH84001 confirms the observation of McKay et al. of the existence of `fossils' in ALH84001, and we find that they are highly abundant on all the carbonate nodules we examined. Examination of lunar meteorites and two other martian meteorites, with terrestrial and laboratory histories very similar to that of ALH84001, shows that nano-`fossils' are absent, suggesting that the features in ALH84001 are probably not terrestrial contamination.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1117/12.278764","authors":["Paul H. Benoit","Anne E. Taunton"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-03-28T18:01:09Z","doi":"10.1117/12.278764","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21236/ad0410518","name":"BIBLIOGRAPHY OF EXTRATERRESTRIAL RESEARCH,","source":"crossref","abstract":"The purpose of this bibliography is to provide a reference source on all extraterrestrial research pertinent to planetary exploration, scientific investigation, and base construction, and to include all known references in these and related areas.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21236/ad0410518","authors":["Robert W. Henny"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-09-29T12:41:23Z","doi":"10.21236/ad0410518","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_1536","name":"Sulfates, Extraterrestrial","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_1536","authors":["Daniela Tirsch"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-10-15T14:54:47Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_1536","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1117/12.150129","name":"&lt;title&gt;The search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) in the optical spectrum: a review&lt;/title&gt;","source":"crossref","abstract":"This paper strongly suggests that the microwave rationale behind modern-day SETI lore is suspect, and that our search for electromagnetic signals from extraterrestrial technical civilizations may be doomed to failure because we are 'tuned to the wrong frequencies'. The old idea that lasers would be better for interstellar communications is revisited. That optical transmissions might be superior for CETI/SETI has generally been discounted by the community. Indeed, there is very little in the literature about the optical approach, as its efficacy was more or less dismissed by SETI researchers some twenty years ago. The main reason that the laser approach to SETI has been given a bad 'press' is the assumption that ETIs lack the skills to target narrow optical beams into selected stars. This assumption of ineptitude is shown to be erroneous, and calls into question some aspects of the rationale for Microwave SETI. The detectability of both continuous wave and pulsed visible/infrared laser signals is described in some detail.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1117/12.150129","authors":["Stuart A. Kingsley"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-07-22T18:01:52Z","doi":"10.1117/12.150129","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.iac-04-iaa.1.1.2.10","name":"Prepared to Manage Extraterrestrial Information or an Extraterrestrial Event","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.iac-04-iaa.1.1.2.10","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-27T15:12:38Z","doi":"10.2514/6.iac-04-iaa.1.1.2.10","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.62717/3083-7057-2026-1-112","name":"PERSPECTIVES OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE APPLICATION FOR AUTONOMOUS UNMANNED VEHICLES IN EXTRATERRESTRIAL ENVIRONMENTS","source":"crossref","abstract":"PERSPECTIVES OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE APPLICATION FOR AUTONOMOUS UNMANNED VEHICLES IN EXTRATERRESTRIAL ENVIRONMENTS PERSPECTIVES OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE APPLICATION FOR AUTONOMOUS UNMANNED VEHICLES IN EXTRATERRESTRIAL ENVIRONMENTS ≡ Human and space","url":"https://doi.org/10.62717/3083-7057-2026-1-112","authors":["Vitalina Shchapova"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-18T08:42:57Z","doi":"10.62717/3083-7057-2026-1-112","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.64628/aao.yrvg65j65","name":"How extraterrestrial tales of aliens gain traction","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.64628/aao.yrvg65j65","authors":["Ester Lázaro"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-25T10:19:09Z","doi":"10.64628/aao.yrvg65j65","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1142/9789812816818_0010","name":"EXTRATERRESTRIAL INTELLIGENCE","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1142/9789812816818_0010","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-05-12T02:29:51Z","doi":"10.1142/9789812816818_0010","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21236/ad0008460","name":"BIBLIOGRAPHY OF EXTRATERRESTRIAL RADIO NOISE: SUPPLEMENT FOR 1950","source":"crossref","abstract":"The previous bibliography is extended to include abstracts of articles published in 1950. The sections deal with the literature concerning solar radiation, general galactic radiation, radiation from discrete sources, lunar radiation, and miscellaneous radiation. Observations, theories, and interpretations are presented. Each section is alphabetized by author.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21236/ad0008460","authors":["Martha S. Carpenter"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-08-30T19:48:23Z","doi":"10.21236/ad0008460","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1071/9780643098268.ch14","name":"Extraterrestrial regolith","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1071/9780643098268.ch14","authors":["Jonathan D A Clarke"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-22T09:07:05Z","doi":"10.1071/9780643098268.ch14","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/j.2161-4296.1960.tb02444.x","name":"Extraterrestrial Colonies","source":"crossref","abstract":"NAVIGATION is a quarterly journal published by the Institute of Navigation. The journal publishes original, peer-reviewed articles on all aspects of positioning, navigation, and timing. The journal also publishes selected technical notes and survey articles, as well as papers of exceptional quality drawn from the Institute’s conference proceedings.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-4296.1960.tb02444.x","authors":["DANDRIDGE M. COLE"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-08-29T19:04:19Z","doi":"10.1002/j.2161-4296.1960.tb02444.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/9780470694015.ch15","name":"Extraterrestrial Stratigraphy","source":"crossref","abstract":"This chapter contains section titled: 15.1 The Moon 15.2 Mercury 15.3 Mars 15.4 Venus","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470694015.ch15","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-03-17T11:46:38Z","doi":"10.1002/9780470694015.ch15","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1201/b16832-6","name":"Carbon Chemical Species in Extraterrestrial Media","source":"crossref","abstract":"Apart from the elements in Mendeleev s periodic table (H, Li, Be, the chemical elements and their isotopes are nearly all the result of stellar nudeosynthesis (Clayton , 1 983 ; Fowler, 1 9 84) . By 1 970, it was traditionally admitted that one of the best supported hypotheses stated that the solar system was isotopically homogenous since the protosolar gas was thoroughly mixed (Suess , 1 965) . The planets and the other components of the solar system had condensed in a homogenous medium, as witnessed, for instance, by the fact that on a large scale, the l 3C/1 2Cratioof theplanets and of the sun is experimentally known to better than 1 0% (Marten et aI., 1 994) . No formed prior to the protosolar could survived extremely Table 3.1 : Characteristics of the interstellar carbon-bearing phases found in meteorites . Ne­ E(L)andNe-E(H)aretwotypesofneonessentiallypurei n 22Ne extractedrespectivelyatlow (L) and high (H) temperature. The isotopic compositions of Ne-A are said to be planetary (close to terrestrial atmosphere) . The composition of Xe(HL) is characterised by an excess of both light and heavy isotopes (cf. the top half of Figure 3 . 1 ) . The i sotopic composi tion ofXe­ (S) (bottom half of Figure 3 . 1 ) corresponds to the theoretical predictions of stellar nudeosynthesis bycaptureofs lowneutrons .","url":"https://doi.org/10.1201/b16832-6","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-08-27T18:54:27Z","doi":"10.1201/b16832-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4135/9781529621938","name":"The Section 105 Loophole: Potential Extraterrestrial Patent Claims","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529621938","authors":["Mark Juszczak"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-14T08:39:14Z","doi":"10.4135/9781529621938","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.6407877.15","name":"Back Matter","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.6407877.15","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-01T20:21:45Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.6407877.15","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-0871-1_4","name":"Extraterrestrial tourism","source":"crossref","abstract":"The first tourists on the Moon were the astronauts. Everyone was a tourist. It took a lot of willpower to focus on one’s work rather than look around in awe at the extraordinary sights. Of course, eventually, the view became more routine and, regardless, the astronauts were very disciplined and work came first. Several generations of my family visited the Moon before my parents permanently moved to the Moon in 2115. My great grandparents visited for the first time in 2059. They were involved with the construction of the Earth and later lunar space elevators. The initial strands of the Earth elevator were placed in orbit in 2046. It was brought up to full capacity within four years. The initial strands of the lunar elevator were placed in orbit in 2049. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-0871-1_4","authors":["Haym Benaroya"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-05-31T07:39:59Z","doi":"10.1007/978-1-4419-0871-1_4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-0-387-76559-4_14","name":"The search for extraterrestrial intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"There is one way in which we could discover extraterrestrial life now, with no more than the instruments we already have, and this is by life telling us that it is there. This could be by transmitting radio or laser signals that we receive, or by sending probes into the Solar System that we find, or in any other way that a technological intelligence could make its existence known. And indeed it is technological intelligence that we will have discovered. Regardless of the likelihood of such a discovery, it would be an astonishing finding. We would have learned not only that there is life in at least one other place in the Universe, not only that it had evolved into multicellular species, not only that one of these species had evolved intelligence, but also that the intelligence was technological. We would have discovered what is usually called extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI). Whatever they looked like, these creatures would be thinking like us — they would be trying to understand the Universe and manipulate their environment in the same way that we do. What are the chances of such a discovery, and how might it be made? These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-76559-4_14","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-09-01T23:48:50Z","doi":"10.1007/978-0-387-76559-4_14","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1029/2017eo073189","name":"New Instrument May Aid Search for Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"For 2 weeks on the Greenland ice cap, scientists tested an instrument that might help us find life on icy moons with oceans beneath their crusts.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2017eo073189","authors":["JoAnna Wendel"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-05-11T12:11:08Z","doi":"10.1029/2017eo073189","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_101026","name":"Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_101026","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-10-15T14:54:47Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_101026","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4","name":"Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"This book provides a comprehensive review in the field of exoplanets and the search for extraterrestrial life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4","authors":["Antonino Del Popolo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-05T11:37:13Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_301177","name":"Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_301177","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-27T09:05:47Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_301177","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50021-4","name":"Message through time","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50021-4","authors":["GEORGE MARX"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-18T12:35:19Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50021-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.18254198.2","name":"Table of Contents","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.18254198.2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-07T20:46:30Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.18254198.2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/9781119164654","name":"Extraterrestrial Remote Sensing and Climate Change","source":"crossref","abstract":"In Extraterrestrial Remote Sensing and Climate Change, the author addresses longstanding questions about a possible correlation between fluctuations in solar activity and changes in the Earth's atmosphere and geosphere that have been observed during periods of extraterrestrial changes such as solar eclipses or solar storms. The author goes on to suggest possible mechanisms for anomalies seen in climate change and other environmental effects through a deep examination of interdisciplinary research.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119164654","authors":["Saumitra Mukherjee"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-12-23T17:11:16Z","doi":"10.1002/9781119164654","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/bg-2020-283-rc3","name":"Review bg-2020-283","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2020-283-rc3","authors":["Anonymous"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-09-29T14:51:51Z","doi":"10.5194/bg-2020-283-rc3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-319-61667-4_1","name":"The Role of Halogens in Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Geochemical Processes: Surface, Crust, and Mantle","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61667-4_1","authors":["Daniel E. Harlov","Leonid Aranovich","L. Ya. Aranovich"],"tags":["Mantle (geology)","Geology","Geochemistry","Crust","Silicate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-01-01","doi":"10.1007/978-3-319-61667-4_1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/law/9780198257301.003.0006","name":"Part I International Law and Space Law, 5 The Extraterrestrial Application of International Law","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/law/9780198257301.003.0006","authors":["Cheng Bin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-06-12T09:40:40Z","doi":"10.1093/law/9780198257301.003.0006","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1140/epjh/s13129-021-00031-8","name":"Half-a-century of gamma-ray astrophysics at the Max-Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Gamma-ray astronomy has been one of the prime scientific research fields of the Max-Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) from its beginning. Over the years, the entire gamma-ray energy range accessible from space was explored. The purpose of this review article is to summarise the achievements of the gamma-ray group at MPE during the last 50+ years. This covers a substantial part of the general history of space-based gamma-ray astronomy, for which both, general review articles (e.g. Pinkau in Exp Astron 5: 157, 2009; Schönfelder in AN 323: 524, 2002; Trimble in AIP Conf Proc 304: 40, 1994) and a detailed tabular list of events and missions (Leonard and Gehrels in https://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/history , version 1.0.8, 2009), have been compiled. Here, we describe the gamma-ray activities at MPE from the beginning till the present, reviewing the tight interplay between new technological developments towards new instruments and scientific progress in understanding gamma-ray sources in the sky. This covers (i) the early development of instruments and their tests on half a dozen balloon flights, (ii) the involvement in the most important space missions at the time, i.e. ESA’s COS-B satellite, NASA’s Compton Gamma-ray Observatory and Fermi Space Telescope, as well as ESA’s INTEGRAL observatory, (iii) the participation in several other missions such as TD-1, Solar Maximum Mission, or Ulysses, and (iv) the complementary ground-based optical instruments OPTIMA and GROND to enhance selected science topics (pulsars, gamma-ray bursts). With the gradual running-out of institutional support since 2010, gamma-ray astrophysics as a main research field has now come to an end at MPE.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1140/epjh/s13129-021-00031-8","authors":["Volker Schönfelder","Jochen Greiner"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-10-30T20:19:04Z","doi":"10.1140/epjh/s13129-021-00031-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.53846/goediss-7991","name":"Bacillus subtilis biofilm formation under extreme terrestrial and simulated extraterrestrial conditions","source":"crossref","abstract":"Since the Apollo 16 mission in 1972, Bacillus subtilis served as bacterial model organism in space. Due to the ability to form highly resistant endospores and complex biofilms, it was used to investigate the effects of unshielded space radiation as well as the limits of life in space. Within the International Space Station (ISS), fungal and bacterial biofilms already emerged as a burden that could harm the spacecraft due to material corrosion as well as the crew by causing infections. The ISS is a sensitive environment in which biofilm associated clogging or contaminating of life-support systems (water, electricity, cooling or ventilation) could lead to a termination of the mission. So far, little is known about the effects of biofilm formation under the influence of space conditions, such as altered gravity or enhanced radiation levels. Unfortunately, space research is very expensive, time consuming and experimentally limited. In order to investigate single space conditions without conducting a space experiment, single parameters can be simulated under laboratory conditions. In frame of this thesis, B. subtilis was used as model organism to intensively study biofilm formation and sporulation as well as germination properties of spores grown under simulated microgravity (sim-µg). The aim was to elucidate the structure and the biological response of biofilms to sim-µg and further spaceflight-relevant conditions to optimize the preparation of flight experiments and to make space travel safer. B. subtilis NCIB 3610 and biofilm-deficient mutants in the same background were exposed to sim-µg by using a fast-rotating 2 D clinostat and biofilm formation was compared to terrestrial gravity (1g). First, a method was developed to generate standardized colony biofilms on membrane filters to guarantee reproducible results. Surface structures (topography) of biofilms grown under both conditions did not exhibit structural differences by white-light profilometry, but exhibited changes in the surface hydrophobicity. Whereas REM and TEM images of biofilm cross sections showed differences in cell phenotypes and in the abundance of matrix components. Phenotypic appearance of biofilms as well as growth(rates) were not affected by sim-µg, neither in CFU or spore composition. A transcriptome analysis of young biofilms showed that approximately 7 % of the transcripts differed due to the influence of sim-µg. Based on proteome analyses 10 (72 h) 20 % (24 h) differences in the proteome of young and mature B. subtilis biofilms were found. In addition, no differences in sporulation rates, but in the germination behavior of spores isolated from biofilms were observed. Spores isolated after sporulation in sim-µg, tended to germinate spontaneously in water, which is atypical compared to 1g-cultivated spores. The time-resolved heterogeneity in germination of individual spores was reduced in sim-µg spores, which exhibited a uniform germination behavior. In addition, various space parameters were investigated, such as ionizing and heavy ion radiation, which showed no difference in survivability between spores/biofilms formed under both gravitational conditions. In the frame of this thesis it was shown that the simulation of microgravity changes the B. subtilis biofilm formation with respect to its structure but not its resistance to space parameters. In addition, spores produced under sim-µg showed a more homogeneous germination behavior than 1g spores and tended to germinate spontaneously.","url":"https://doi.org/10.53846/goediss-7991","authors":["Felix Matthias Fuchs"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-02-21T12:09:56Z","doi":"10.53846/goediss-7991","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50004-4","name":"Preface","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50004-4","authors":["JOHN BILLINGHAM","RUDOLF PEŠEK"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-18T07:35:15Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50004-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9798881828387.ch-008","name":"Astrobiology and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9798881828387.ch-008","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-16T14:16:06Z","doi":"10.5040/9798881828387.ch-008","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/science.342.6161.908-k","name":"Extraterrestrial Neutrinos","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.342.6161.908-k","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-21T20:38:32Z","doi":"10.1126/science.342.6161.908-k","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1088/2514-3433/adf5ae","name":"The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"This is the first collegiate-level textbook to comprehensively cover the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), addressing its theoretical, practical, historical, and social aspects. It explores the nature of alien life, technosignatures, detection methods, and SETI’s place in society and culture. Topics include the Fermi Paradox, Drake Equation, METI, post-detection protocols, and ethical considerations. The book aims to establish SETI as a formal scientific discipline, with defined terminology and literature. Designed for upper-level astronomy undergraduates or astrobiology graduate students, it includes problem sets and extensive references for further study. It is suitable for students in astronomy, biology, geophysics, and related fields. Key features • Written by a leading researcher in the field • Provides a broad, interdisciplinary approach • Based on the successful SETI courses at Penn State • Flexible assignments and identification of key primary sources allows adaptation for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and even non-astronomy students in related fields","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2514-3433/adf5ae","authors":["Jason T Wright"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-19T09:44:23Z","doi":"10.1088/2514-3433/adf5ae","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/9781119164654.fmatter","name":"Front Matter","source":"crossref","abstract":"The prelims comprise: Half-Title Page Title Page Copyright Page Contents Preface Acknowledgments","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119164654.fmatter","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-12-23T22:11:16Z","doi":"10.1002/9781119164654.fmatter","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-010-9603-4_10","name":"Extraterrestrial metamorphism","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-9603-4_10","authors":["Roger Mason"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-05-20T11:04:12Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-010-9603-4_10","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.38778274.3","name":"Illustrations","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.38778274.3","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-08T10:49:07Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.38778274.3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-017-2590-3_10","name":"Extraterrestrial metamorphism","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2590-3_10","authors":["Roger Mason"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-22T03:14:21Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-017-2590-3_10","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1117/2.6199612.0001","name":"Extraterrestrial life forms examined","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1117/2.6199612.0001","authors":["Frederic Su"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-03-18T17:20:30Z","doi":"10.1117/2.6199612.0001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/3-540-31079-7_79","name":"Extraterrestrial material in sediments","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-31079-7_79","authors":["Christian Koeberl"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-03-22T13:52:55Z","doi":"10.1007/3-540-31079-7_79","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/science.199.4328.485","name":"Extraterrestrial Intelligence: An Observational Approach","source":"crossref","abstract":"The microwave region of the electromagnetic spectrum, a plausible regime for signals from extraterrestrial intelligences, is largely unexplored. With new technology, particularly in data processing and low-noise reception, surveys can be conducted over broad regions of frequency and space with existing antennas at flux densities plausible for interstellar signals. An all-sky, broad-band survey lasting perhaps 5 years can be structured so that even negative results would establish significant boundaries on the regime in which such signals may be found. The technology and techniques developed and much of the data acquired would be applicable to radio astronomy and deep-space communications.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.199.4328.485","authors":["Bruce Murray","Samuel Gulkis","Robert E. Edelson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-10-05T16:35:25Z","doi":"10.1126/science.199.4328.485","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199680207.003.0001","name":"Introduction","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199680207.003.0001","authors":["David Wilkinson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-10-01T15:49:15Z","doi":"10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199680207.003.0001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/1.j063874","name":"Fault Diagnosis of Power Components with Reliability Assessment in Extraterrestrial Microgrids","source":"crossref","abstract":"This research investigates the possible failures caused by aging and other environmental and external factors that could significantly impact the performance of extraterrestrial power systems. Additionally, it presents a reliability assessment model for the space microgrid based on fault tree analysis (FTA). The reliability assessment model developed in this paper represents a tool that can be used by engineers to harden the system design for operational and economic benefits. To improve the reliability of the system, this work provides a broad review of the different fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) algorithms used for power microgrids and space applications. Using data sets from the Habitat Simulator developed through the NASA-funded Resilient Extraterrestrial Habitat Institute, this paper compares the applicability and accuracy of the different FDD methods. The primary FDD approach proposed and assessed in this work is based on the Markov reliability model. It predicts and detects future faults in the space microgrids by using past data samples and categorizing them into different classes. Data-driven-based models such as artificial neural networks are also investigated, tested, and evaluated using simulation data sets. According to the simulation results and the broad FDD algorithm comparison, this study provides the crew or maintenance engineers with a clear methodology to detect and localize power system failures.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/1.j063874","authors":["Leila Chebbo","Hasnain Nisar","Ali Bazzi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-06T11:28:42Z","doi":"10.2514/1.j063874","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/3963733","name":"Dinosaur Demise: Extraterrestrial Source?","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/3963733","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-11-27T15:59:35Z","doi":"10.2307/3963733","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9783110326383.33","name":"Chapter 4. EXTRATERRESTRIAL SCIENCE","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110326383.33","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-04-30T14:51:53Z","doi":"10.1515/9783110326383.33","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9781107279117.030","name":"Extraterrestrial animals?","source":"crossref","abstract":"Are we are alone in the Universe? Almost every adult human alive today has asked this question. About 400 years ago, when Galileo watched the four large moons of Jupiter orbit the giant planet, he probably asked himself that very same question. Perhaps even when Homo sapiens first arose in Africa some 200,000 years ago, our ancestors looked up at the night sky and wondered if there might be life ‘out there’ somewhere – albeit their notion of the Earth and what lay beyond it must have been very different from ours. However, the question ‘are we alone?’ needs some dissection. The answer may depend on what is meant by ‘we’. Does the ‘we’ of the question refer to life, animal life, or intelligent life? The probability of us being alone must increase as we move through this series of gradually more restrictive categories. And yet, it may be that for all versions of ‘we’ the answer is no – we are not alone.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781107279117.030","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-08-06T05:02:23Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9781107279117.030","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1117/12.278814","name":"&lt;title&gt;Analysis of fossil organic nanostructures: terrestrial and extraterrestrial&lt;/title&gt;","source":"openalex","abstract":"A review is presented of the currently available evidence of life in the Precambrian, with special reference to ultrafine morphologies of the size range 0.1 - 3 micrometers . The particles are to be found under high apertures of the light microscope in thin sections of the rock and have been examined in demineralized thick sections under the transmission electron microscope (TEM). They have been chemically analyzed in microprobes and spectrophotometer microscopes. On the basis of such studies, the interaction of microorganisms with the formation of minerals can be traced back to early Archean times, 3800 million years ago. There is no evidence for or against the assumption that some kind of prebiotic evolution took place in the recorded history of the Earth. The origin of life is open to alternative explanations, including extraterrestrial phenomena. More information may be obtained from meteorites. Under high magnifications of the TEM, portions of the carbonaceous matter in the Murchison, Orgueil and Allende meteorites appear to be structured. Particles of various morphology can be distinguished. Microprobe techniques have been applied to confirm that the structures are organic and indigenous to the rock. The origin of the finds is not discussed in the present paper.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1117/12.278814","authors":["Hans D. Pflug","Bettina Heinz"],"tags":["Murchison meteorite","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Hadean","Carbonaceous chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997-07-11","doi":"10.1117/12.278814","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.22541/essoar.15003931/v1","name":"Extraterrestrial Chemical Boundary Conditions and Evolutionary Opportunity Space on Early Earth","source":"crossref","abstract":"Extraterrestrial material has usually been treated as delivered cargo: amino acids, nucleobases, organics, brines, or biological vectors. A boundary-condition approach asks a different question: how did arrival alter the chemical state space in which early Earth systems persisted, failed, or expanded? Carbonaceous meteorites and returned asteroid samples carry amino acids, nucleobases, sugars, ammonia, salts, and phosphorus-bearing phases, with organic inventories shaped by heterogeneous aqueous alteration. Extraterrestrial events also perturb atmospheric redox, nutrients, hydrothermal habitats, and radiation. I propose treating these inputs as exogenous chemical boundary conditions whose biological significance depends on competitive interface concentration, retention time, catalytic coupling, patch-scale export, and durable ecological change. Under this framework, external material opens opportunity spaces for differential filtering of reaction networks, protocellular systems, microbial communities, and gene families. The research program yields falsifiable tests: stratigraphic covariance, chirality controls, analog microcosms, endogenous null models, and phylogenomic event studies across cosmochemistry, geomicrobiology, and evolutionary genomics.","url":"https://doi.org/10.22541/essoar.15003931/v1","authors":["Gabriel DuPree"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-26T17:55:52Z","doi":"10.22541/essoar.15003931/v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.3144908","name":"Extraterrestrial Forcing of Surface Temperature and Climate Change: A Parody","source":"crossref","abstract":"It is proposed that visitation by extraterrestrial spacecraft (UFO) alters the electromagnetic properties of the earth, its atmosphere, and its oceans and that these changes can cause global warming leading to climate change and thence to the catastrophic consequences of floods, droughts, severe storms, and sea level rise. An empirical test of this theory is presented with data for UFO sightings and surface temperature reconstructions for the study period 1910-2015. The results show strong evidence of proportionality between surface temperature and cumulative UFO sightings. We conclude that the observed warming since the Industrial Revolution are due to an electromagnetic perturbation of the climate system by UFO extraterrestrial spacecraft.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3144908","authors":["Jamal Munshi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-03-22T23:15:20Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.3144908","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9781107300668.006","name":"Planetary seismometry","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781107300668.006","authors":["P. Lognonné","W. T. Pike"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-07-05T05:03:51Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9781107300668.006","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780190647926.013.151","name":"Extraterrestrial Resources","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Since the early 1990s, in analytical reviews, experts have increasingly been paying attention to the growing scarcity of rare and rare earth metals (REM) necessary for the development of advanced technologies in modern industry. The volume of the world market has increased over the past 50 years from 5,000 to 125,000 tons per year, which is explained by the extensive use of REM in the rapidly developing areas of industry associated with the advancement of high technology. Unique properties of REM are primarily used in the aerospace and other industrial sectors of the economy, and therefore are strategic materials. For example, platinum is an indispensable element that is used as a catalyst for chemical reactions. No battery can do without platinum. If all the millions of vehicles traveling along our roads installed hybrid batteries, all platinum reserves on Earth would end in the next 15 years! Consumers are interested in six elements known as the platinum group of metals (PGM): iridium (Ir), osmium (Os), palladium (palladium, Pd), rhodium (rhodium, Rh), ruthenium (ruthenium, Ru), and platinum itself. These elements, rare on the Earth, possess unique chemical and physical properties, which makes them vital industrial materials. To solve this problem, projects were proposed for the utilization of the substance of asteroids approaching the Earth. According to modern estimates, the number of known asteroids approaching the Earth reaches more than 9,000. Despite the difficulties of seizing, transporting, and further developing such an object in space, this way of solving the problem seemed technologically feasible and cost-effectively justified. A 10 m iron-nickel asteroid could contain up to 75 tons of rare metals and REM, primarily PGM, equivalent to a commercial price of about $2.8 billion in 2016 prices. However, the utilization of an asteroid substance entering the lunar surface can be technologically simpler and economically more cost-effective. Until now, it was believed that the lunar impact craters do not contain the rocks of the asteroids that formed them, since at high velocities the impactors evaporate during a collision with the lunar surface. According to the latest research, it turned out that at a fall rate of less than 12 km/s falling body (drummer) can partially survive in a mechanically fractured state. Consequently, the number of possible resources present on the lunar surface can be attributed to nickel, cobalt, platinum, and rare metals of asteroid origin. The calculations show that the total mass, for example, of platinum and platinoids on the lunar surface as a result of the fall of asteroids may amount more than 14 million tons. It should be noted that the world’s known reserves of platinum group metals on the Earth are about 80,000 tons.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190647926.013.151","authors":["V V Shevchenko"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-06-26T16:40:48Z","doi":"10.1093/acrefore/9780190647926.013.151","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.33915/etd.5528","name":"Evaluation of Ultrasonic Velocity Tests to Characterize Extraterrestrial Rock Masses","source":"crossref","abstract":"This thesis investigates the use of ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) tests for extraterrestrial rock characterization by evaluating the effects of physical sample properties on the signal attenuation of ultrasonic waves. An initial review of standard laboratory UPV testing methods and expected space conditions isolated four key disparities between the two testing environments: (1) sample dimensions, (2) regolith cover, (3) sample surface roughness, and (4) utility of a gel couplant. Laboratory tests were then performed to assess the influence of these parameters in simulated space conditions, using concrete beams to simulate large sample sizes, and ground limestone to simulate regolith cover. The ensuing data analysis identified strategies to ensure adequate signal transmission and data interpretation.;Overall, the experimental results show that the signal attenuation curves can be constructed and simple regression curves can provide estimations of the \"true\" P-wave velocity even without a gel couplant. For the case of large sample sizes, simple exponential regression of the measured P-wave velocity at various transmission lengths can be extrapolated to zero length to estimate the true value. For the case of regolith cover, the particle top size and particle size distribution affect signal attenuation; however, an exponential fit to measured velocity versus depth data can be used to accurately predict true sample velocity at zero depth. Additionally, testing with rough samples showed that compacted regolith can be used to ensure contact between the sample and the UPV transmitter, and this method produced similar attenuation curves to those determined from smooth samples. Altogether, these data indicate the reliability of UPV to characterize material in-situ; however, without a gel couplant, UPV measurements become increasingly imprecise. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).","url":"https://doi.org/10.33915/etd.5528","authors":["Thomas W. Edge  II"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-10-03T13:40:31Z","doi":"10.33915/etd.5528","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/science.333.6046.1067-c","name":"Extraterrestrial Dust Collection","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.333.6046.1067-c","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-08-25T14:24:50Z","doi":"10.1126/science.333.6046.1067-c","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-820585-3.00002-8","name":"Extraterrestrial systems","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-820585-3.00002-8","authors":["S.K. Haldar"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-08-07T06:10:00Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-12-820585-3.00002-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z"},{"id":"doi:10.22541/essoar.15003931/v2","name":"Extraterrestrial Chemical Boundary Conditions and Evolutionary Opportunity Space on Early Earth","source":"crossref","abstract":"Extraterrestrial material has often been evaluated as delivered cargo: amino acids, nucleobases, organics, brines, or biological vectors. A boundary-condition approach asks how arrival altered the chemical state space in which early Earth systems persisted, failed, or expanded across prebiotic, transitional, and postbiotic domains. Carbonaceous meteorites and returned asteroid samples carry amino acids, nucleobases, sugars, ammonia, salts, and phosphorus-bearing phases, with organic inventories shaped by heterogeneous aqueous alteration. Extraterrestrial events also perturb atmospheric redox, nutrients, hydrothermal habitats, and radiation. I propose treating these inputs as exogenous chemical boundary conditions whose biological significance depends on the Interface Concentration Factor, retention time, catalytic coupling, patch-scale export, and durable ecological change. Under this framework, external material opens opportunity spaces for differential filtering of reaction networks, protocellular systems, microbial communities, and gene families. The program yields falsifiable tests in stratigraphic and experimental archives, with phylogenomic event studies treated as downstream covariance tests; the Interface Concentration Factor links delivered flux to biologically accessible exposure in interface-rich planetary environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.22541/essoar.15003931/v2","authors":["Gabriel DuPree"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-21T21:05:27Z","doi":"10.22541/essoar.15003931/v2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.38778274.5","name":"Contributors","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.38778274.5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-08T10:49:07Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.38778274.5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.3385990.19","name":"NOTES","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.3385990.19","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-19T14:13:10Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.3385990.19","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.3385990.8","name":"INTELLIGENCE","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.3385990.8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-19T14:13:10Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.3385990.8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.38778274.26","name":"References","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.38778274.26","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-08T10:49:07Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.38778274.26","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9781107300668.020","name":"Numerical simulations of magnetoconvection and helioseismology","source":"crossref","abstract":"The complex dynamics of highly turbulent solar magneto convection is a source of acoustic waves, and also various self-organization processes, observed on different scales on the Sun: from tiny vortex tubes to large-scale convection and active regions. Recent advances in computational capabilities have made it possible to create realistic numerical models, based on first principles, including radiative energy transfer, ionization, and magnetic fields. The simulations have provided important insight into the mechanism of acoustic emission on the Sun, and the physics of wave interactions with flows and magnetic fields. Observations of subsurface dynamics of the Sun by helioseismology are obtained by measuring acoustic travel-time anomalies, and reconstructing variations of the sound speed and behavior of convective flows in the solar interior. However, strong stratification of the turbulent convective medium, in homogeneity of flow, and complicated topology of the magnetic field create uncertainty in interpretation of helioseismology observations. Because there are no direct subsurface observations, a synergy of the magneto hydrodynamic (MHD) numerical simulations and observations provides a basis for verification and improvement of helioseismology methods. Introduction Understanding and characterization of solar magneto convection is a key problem of heliophysics and astrophysics. Solar turbulence driven by convective energy transport determines the dynamical state of the plasma, and leads to excitation of acoustic waves. Observed oscillations contain information about hidden dynamics of the subsurface layers, and are a powerful tool to probe the solar and stellar interior conditions. Large parallel supercomputers, especially those developed in the last few years, allow us to perform large-scale realistic simulations of MHD processes on the Sun. These simulations have greatly improved our understanding of the multi-scale structure and dynamics of solar convection. A characteristic feature of simulations of this type is that they include all essential physics from first principles, and take into account the real-plasma equation of state, radiative transfer, chemical composition, ionization effects, and the effects of magnetic fields, but they do rely on subgrid-scale models of turbulence.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781107300668.020","authors":["I. N. Kitiashvili"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-07-05T05:03:51Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9781107300668.020","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9781107300668.004","name":"Asteroseismology observations and space missions","source":"crossref","abstract":"Introduction Variable stars have been observed since the discovery of the variability of Mira by David Fabricius at the end of the sixteenth century (Olbers, 1850) with a variation of 10 stellar magnitudes! The first known photometric measurement gf variability was done by Goodracke (1783) for Algol, comparing with stars differing by two magnitudes only. Using the same technique, Goodricke and Englefield (1785) discovered that δ Cephei was a variable star showang a periodical non-sinusoidal variation of about one magnitude. Roberts (1889) suggested the use of photography for studying variable stars. The technique for detecting variable stars was quickly improved by photographically recording variations in the stellar spectra (Fleming, 1895), which would lead to visual identification of these variables (Reed, 1893). The use of the selenium photometer by Stebbins and Brown (1907) and the development of the photoelectric cell, as anticipated by Stebbins (1915), introduced the electric determination of variability of stars (Stebbins, 1911). This was the start of an era: the detection of photons using the photoelectric effect. Improvement in the instrumentation led to lower detectable levels of variability that led to the discovery of rapidly oscillating Ap stars by Kurtz (1978). These stars oscillate with periodicity of about 6 to 10 minutes with an amplitude of about a t`ousandth of a magnitude (mmag). Kurtz and Shibahashi (1986) were even able to reach a noise limat of about 0.02 mmag on HR3831 Kurtz and Martinez, 2000). From space, lower levels of variabilities had already been detected on the Sun using the ACRIM (Actave Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor) instrument aboard the Solar Maximum Mission (Woodard and Hudson, 1983); the noise level was about one part per million (ppm, close to one μ mag). From the ground, clear detection of solar-like oscillations (pressure modes or p modes) in intensity and with spatial resolution was made possible using a property of the atmosphere combined with the significant angular diameter of the Sun (Appourchaux et al ., 1995) (see also Chapter 2 of this book).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781107300668.004","authors":["T. Appourchaux","F Grundahl"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-07-05T05:03:51Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9781107300668.004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z"},{"id":"doi:10.31219/osf.io/jgsc8","name":"Jobs that Fulfil the Needs of Extraterrestrial Living","source":"crossref","abstract":"A short piece communicating opportunities in space and planetary sciences.","url":"https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/jgsc8","authors":["Amy Riches"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-06-03T09:30:43Z","doi":"10.31219/osf.io/jgsc8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9780511612794.018","name":"Magnetism of extraterrestrial rocks","source":"crossref","abstract":"Introduction Extraterrestrial rocks formed in quite different environments from those on earth. In practically all cases, oxygen fugacity was very low during crystallization and later shock or thermal metamorphism. Iron-nickel alloys, rather than iron–titanium oxides, are the principal magnetic minerals. Erosion and sedimentation occur to a very limited extent on the other terrestrial planets and their satellites. Lack of a shielding atmosphere has favoured another secondary process, bombardment of surface rocks by meteorites, principally 4000 to 3300 Ma ago. The global fields of Mercury, Venus and the moon are orders of magnitude less than the present earth's field. The moon does have magnetic anomalies of regional extent, bearing witness to underlying magnetized crust, but none have a lineated or other regular pattern that would suggest plate tectonic processes. Except on Venus (Solomon et al ., 1992), there is no surface evidence for vertical or horizontal tectonic movements except those related to volcanism or meteorite impacts. Of course, crustal spreading from centres of igneous activity on the moon might not leave the distinctive magnetic signature it does on earth. There is no compelling evidence that the moon ever possessed a substantial global field, although comparatively strong fields must have existed locally to produce the observed anomalies, and no evidence at all for reversal of either global or local fields. If a global field existed, it may not have been dipolar. For these reasons, it is doubtful whether paleodirectional and linear magnetic anomaly studies of the terrestrial variety would be successful on the moon, even if conditions permitted such studies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511612794.018","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-07-02T17:08:19Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9780511612794.018","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acsaom.6c00053","name":"Windows into Planetary Science: A Review of Advances in Raman Spectroscopy, Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, and Photoluminescence Spectroscopy for Remote Sensing Applications.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Laser-based optical spectroscopic techniques, namely Raman spectroscopy, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), and photoluminescence (PL), are advanced analytical tools reliably used for remote sensing in space exploration and its parallels in Earth-based environments. Each of these techniques offers unique advantages for detecting and identifying minerals and other inorganic components of soil, sources of hydration, organic compounds and biosignature materials, and atmospheric gases, which together provide essential clues about planetary evolution, resource potential, and the possibility of human habitation. This Review concentrates on the advancements reported in the past 5 years in the implementation of these laser-based optical techniques for space-exploration-related studies or the equivalent. By integrating the strengths of Raman, LIBS, and PL spectroscopies within a single framework, this Review provides a unified roadmap for advancing the role of optical spectroscopy in planetary exploration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaom.6c00053","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.1021/acsaom.6c00053","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s44371-026-00835-x","name":"Various inorganic phosphorus species in prebiotic Earth and extraterrestrial settings.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Phosphorus (P) is a critical element for life, yet its primary geochemical form-orthophosphate-is poorly soluble and unreactive under early Earth conditions, presenting the longstanding \"phosphate problem\" in prebiotic chemistry. In this brief review, we give an overview of various prebiotic P sources from geochemical viewpoint. We then also discuss the feasibility of reactive P-N species in aqueous ammoniacal solutions on the early Earth. This review article also suggests the formation of inorganic P-N species in aqueous solutions. Reduced phosphorus compounds, such as phosphite produced by schreibersite corrosion and other terrestrial processes, as well as condensed phosphates and phosphites like trimetaphosphate and pyrophosphite, can react with aqueous ammonia under anoxic (or even oxic) conditions to yield amidophosphates and amidophosphites. These P-N species are more soluble, highly reactive toward organic substrates, and capable of driving phosphorylation under mild environmental conditions. Serving early Earth as an example, we further explore the potential for similar chemistry beyond Earth, particularly in ammonia-bearing aqueous environments on Mars, Enceladus, and other ocean worlds where reduced phosphorus and hydrothermal systems may coexist. We also briefly discuss the recent findings of various P species in asteroids Ryugu and Bennu. We further suggest that P-N chemistry could represent a widely accessible route to organophosphorus compounds, with important implications for the emergence of life in diverse habitable settings.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s44371-026-00835-x","authors":["Maheen Gull","Harold A. Cruz"],"tags":["Abiogenesis","Earth (classical element)","Astrobiology","Chemistry","Environmental chemistry"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.1007/s44371-026-00835-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-026-74955-4","name":"The chemistry of habitable oceans in the Solar system.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Liquid water exists on the Earth and several other planetary bodies in our solar system. The chemical character of these aqueous reservoirs is central to evaluating their habitability. Here, we synthesize the chemical features of water reservoirs and their biological implications on the modern Earth. We then outline constraints on the evolutionary history of Earth's ocean chemistry and discuss its interplay with the biosphere. Furthermore, we examine the inferred chemical environments of water bodies on early Mars, dwarf planet Ceres, Jupiter's moon Europa and Saturn's moons Enceladus and Titan. We conclude by outlining priority questions for future planetary habitability studies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-74955-4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.1038/s41467-026-74955-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/life16020240","name":"Complex and Messy Prebiotic Chemistry: Obstacles and Opportunities for an RNA World.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Traditional prebiotic chemistry experiments often isolated single reactions under clean, controlled conditions, yet early Earth was chemically diverse and physically dynamic. Such primordial complexity likely imposed obstacles, including side reactions, low yields, and unstable intermediates, but it also generated opportunities, including redundant routes, parallel pathways, and environmental filters that could bias mixtures toward subsets of persistent and chemically productive compounds. This review examines how heterogeneous prebiotic settings could generate RNA precursors, including nucleobases, ribose, and phosphate-containing species, through multiple concurrent pathways. Although side reactions can sequester carbon in inert tars and reduce yields of specific targets, networked chemistry can also enhance robustness when different routes converge on shared intermediates, or when apparent byproducts reenter productive cycles. Environmental factors such as ultraviolet irradiation, mineral surfaces, wet-dry cycling, and thermal gradients can act as constraints that enrich certain products by differential stability, reactivity, and compartmentalization. In this context, the RNA world hypothesis remains compelling, as RNA can store heritable sequence information and catalyze reactions through sequence dependent folding, thereby linking heredity and chemistry within a single polymer. At the same time, the emergence of functional sequence information and of control architectures that couple sequence to reproducible function remains a central open problem, and it sets clear limits on what chemistry alone can explain. Rather than dismissing messy mixtures as irrelevant noise, it is more accurate to treat them as the native context in which concentration mechanisms, environmental cycling, and selective persistence could enable the accumulation and survival of RNA related molecules.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life16020240","authors":["Alberto Vázquez-Salazar"],"tags":["RNA","Abiogenesis","Computational biology","Context (archaeology)","Robustness (evolution)"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.3390/life16020240","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/ma19040784","name":"Utilisation of Sulphur By-Products in Diverse Civil Engineering Applications: A Systematic Review.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Sulphur, a major by-product of the oil and gas industry, has emerged as a promising construction material in both sulphur concrete (SC) and sulphur-extended asphalt (SEA) applications. This review examines the development, properties, and uses of these sulphur-based construction materials over a century by following PRISMA guidelines for systematic literature selection. A bibliometric analysis highlights a surge in research activity over the last two decades. The key advantages of sulphur concrete include rapid strength gain (achieving ~50 MPa within 1-2 days) and exceptional chemical durability in extreme environments. Sulphur-bound materials exhibit high corrosion resistance, low water permeability, and full recyclability upon reheating. Challenges such as thermal shrinkage-induced brittleness and temperature sensitivity have been mitigated by using polymer-modified sulphur and mix design optimisation. Sulphur-extended asphalts benefit from increased stiffness, stability, and cost savings compared to conventional mixtures. Enhanced performance has been observed at sulphur replacement levels of 20-40% in asphalt binders. The review also summarises mixed formulations, mechanical properties, durability metrics, and innovative applications ranging from acid-resistant industrial structures to sustainable pavement materials and even extraterrestrial construction. The environmental benefits, such as up to 40% GHG reduction and complete recyclability of sulphur-based concretes, align with circular economy goals. Future research directions include improving ductility, advancing 3D printing techniques, and field validation of long-term performance. Overall, sulphur by-products can be transformed into valuable construction materials that address waste management and infrastructure durability.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19040784","authors":["Mohsin Usman Qureshi","Ali Al-Shamakhi","Mohammed Rumhi","Muhammad Ashraf Javid","Wan Hamidon Wan Badaruzzaman","Ghassan Al-Kindi","Wadhah M. Tawfeeq","Rakesh Belwal","Hajir Al-Handasi"],"tags":["Durability","Asphalt","Engineering","Civil engineering","Construction engineering"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.3390/ma19040784","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1098/rstb.2024.0106","name":"What the earliest evidence for life tells us about the early evolution of the biosphere.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Life emerged on Earth in an ultramafic world under anaerobic conditions and conditioned by particular environmental characteristics for which no record remains. Molecular clocks suggest that the Last Universal Common Ancestor, LUCA, lived in a well-established biome towards the end of the Hadean, between 4.33 and 4.09 Ga. They also suggest that the last bacterial common ancestor (LBCA) and the last archaeal common ancestor (LACA) may have diverged by the Palaeoarchaean, i.e. earlier than suggested by phylogenetic dating. Moreover, various geochemical and isotopic proxies for specific microbial metabolisms have been used to date the appearance of certain metabolic pathways in geological time. According to some molecular clocks, oxygenic photosynthesis arose in the Palaeoarchaean (3.5-3.2 Ga) and some geochemical studies point to oxygenic photosynthesis already in Eoarchaean times. The bulk of the geological evidence, however, indicates its appearance in the Mesoarchaean (3.2-2.8 Ga). This contribution explores the geological and palaeontological evidence for these interpretations and cautions the need to take into account other, abiotic influences on the proxy signatures, as well as the importance of basing interpretations of biogenicity on a complementary suite of proxies to ensure correct elucidations.This article is part of the discussion meeting issue 'Chance and purpose in the evolution of biospheres'.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2024.0106","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1098/rstb.2024.0106","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41526-025-00488-7","name":"Synthetic biology for space exploration.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Human space exploration faces different challenges. Topics like Bioregenerative Life Support Systems, In Situ Resource Utilization, and radiation protection, still require for more suitable solutions to be applied in long-term space exploration. Synthetic biology could be a powerful tool for enabling human exploration of space and planets. This paper explores key topics including resource utilization, life support systems, radiation protection, and human health, providing recommendations for short-, mid-, and long-term advancements in space exploration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-025-00488-7","authors":["Silvano Onofri","Ralf Moeller","Daniela Billi","Michele Balsamo","Anke Becker","Eugenio Benvenuto","Alessia Cassaro","Ilaria Catanzaro","Charles S. Cockell","Angiola Desiderio","Tom Ellis","José Eduardo Gonzáles-Pastor"],"tags":["Synthetic biology","Space (punctuation)","Astrobiology","Biology","Computational biology"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1038/s41526-025-00488-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-026-48495-2","name":"Tribological performance of mechanical face seals for Martian applications.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This study examines the tribological performance of dry-running mechanical face seals composed of a graphite rotating ring and a silicon carbide stationary ring under varying contact pressure conditions from 0.23 to 0.83 MPa), both in clean operation and in the presence of a Martian regolith simulant (MGS-1, PR < 80 μm). Three preload levels were applied: zero preload (SP0), nominal preload (SP1), and double preload (SP2), based on a calibrated spring characteristic and contact area analysis. Under clean conditions, increasing preload elevated frictional torque from ~ 0.017 Nm (SP0) to ~ 0.030 Nm (SP1) and ~ 0.070 Nm (SP2), indicating a direct correlation between contact pressure and interfacial shear. When MGS-1 regolith simulant was introduced, torque increased significantly in all configurations, reaching ~ 0.064 Nm (SP0MGS-1), ~ 0.082 Nm (SP1MGS-1), and ~ 0.095 Nm (SP2MGS-1). Real-time monitoring of torque and axial force enabled the calculation of dynamic friction forces and coefficients of friction, which revealed that contact pressure strongly influenced wear mechanisms: higher contact pressure enhanced interface conformity but accelerated abrasive degradation, while lower contact pressure reduced wear at the expense of sealing pressure. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed the presence of abrasive grooves and embedded particles exclusively on the graphite ring, with no perceivable damage on the SiC counterface. The results demonstrate that nominal contact pressure (SP1) provides the most favorable balance between friction stability, wear resistance, and sealing reliability, offering valuable insights for the design of mechanical seals in particulate-laden environments such as Martian surface operations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-48495-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.1038/s41598-026-48495-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s00203-025-04418-9","name":"The effects of brines relevant to Mars and the ocean worlds on bacterial growth reflect salt-specific responses across water activity.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Freezing point depression due to high salt concentration is crucial for liquid water to exist on cold worlds, expanding special regions where habitats are plausible. Determination of the growth tolerances of terrestrial microbes in analog systems impacts planetary protection protocols aimed at preventing interference with life detection missions or potential native ecosystems on celestial bodies. We measured the salinity tolerances of 18 salinotolerant bacteria (Bacillus, Halomonas, Marinococcus, Nesterenkonia, Planococcus, Salibacillus, and Terribacillus). The salts tested to high concentrations included the anions, Cl, NO 3 , and SO 4 , paired in every combination with the cations, Mg, K, and Na. Certain salts of NH 4 , borate, Ca, Cs, ClO 3 , Fe, ClO 4 , and PO 4 also were examined. Strong growth was observed among the isolates in Salt Plains media supplemented with 2 M MgCl 2 , 1 M Mg(NO 3 ) 2 , 2 M MgSO 4 , 0.6 M K chlorate, 4 M KCl, 3 M KNO 3 , 0.8 M K 2 SO 4 , 3 M NaCl, 2 M NaNO 3 , 2 M NaH 2 PO 4 , and 1.5 M Na 2 SO 4 , often with modest growth at higher concentrations. Logistic growth curves were fitted to estimate the rate of population increase (r) and carrying capacity (K) for each replicate. Effects on bacterial growth were best explained by statistical models that included anion, cation, water activity and all their 2-way and 3-way interactions. Salt-specific effects suggest that the concentration of any single ion is not consistently the reason behind the inhibition of microbial growth. Knowledge of the tolerances of terrestrial microbes to salts at extremely high concentrations sets limits for the permissible conditions of extraterrestrial habitable regions and for the risks of forward planetary contamination.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-025-04418-9","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1007/s00203-025-04418-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/nsr/nwae313","name":"The search for life signatures on Mars by the Tianwen-3 Mars sample return mission.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"We present the proposed strategic study, 'Integrated elements for Martian life signature exploration', to support the sampling and identification of any potential biosignatures in compliance with the engineering constraints of the Tianwen-3 mission.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwae313","authors":["Zengqian Hou","Jizhong Liu","Yang Liu","Yigang Xu","Yuming Wang","Liping Qin","Yuyan Zhao","Guangfei Wei","Mengjiao Xu","K. Jiang","Chuanpeng Hao","Shichao Ji"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Life on Mars","Sample (material)","Biology"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1093/nsr/nwae313","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-026-43550-4","name":"Demonstration of a Gandolfi-type attachment for fast high-resolution synchrotron XRD of non-ideal specimens.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) offers significant advantages in the structural analysis of functional materials and enables the acquisition of high-quality data; however, accurate data collection remains challenging for samples consisting of coarse crystallites or molten samples. Specifically, obtaining reliable PXRD data from samples in their as-solidified or non-pulverized state remains challenging during melting-solidification and crystal grain growth processes, as well as for materials produced by these processes. To mitigate these limitations, a two-axis rotation Gandolfi-type attachment-comprising a 45°-tilted φ-axis and its rotational ω-axis-was developed and implemented on a high-resolution powder diffractometer at SPring-8, which is equipped with fast area detectors. This configuration improved the particle statistics by increasing the number of crystallites satisfying the Bragg condition through two-axis rotation, while also stabilizing the sample position, even for molten samples, owing to the tilted geometry. Specifically, the integration of a high-speed spinner and multiple two-dimensional photon-counting detectors allowed sub-second continuous imaging and frame-by-frame peak separation, facilitating the indexing of PXRD data for complex structures. The analytical capability was evaluated in three case studies, namely the pair distribution function analysis of molten Zn, in situ observations of LiCoO 2 electrode material synthesis in a molten flux, and high-resolution PXRD of mineral crystals within a short timeframe. The results confirmed that the Gandolfi-type attachment improved data quality and reproducibility, thereby enabling reliable measurements even for practical samples with limited availability of fine powders.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-43550-4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.1038/s41598-026-43550-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41578-026-00898-3","name":"Can nanozymes achieve more than enzymes?","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Nanozymes have progressed from simple enzyme mimics to a versatile class of artificial catalysts that expand functionality beyond the reach of natural enzymes. Their unique compositional and structural properties confer exceptional versatility in catalysis, enabling catalytic function in non-biological environments, the promotion of non-natural reactions, and the integration of multiple catalytic activities within a single nanostructure. By exploiting nanoscale control over physicochemical parameters, and/or emulating enzyme architectures, nanozymes can achieve finely tunable activity and selectivity. Their ability to undergo facile surface functionalization and provide electrical connectivity further enhances their performance in complex systems. Collectively, these attributes extend catalysis beyond the constraints of natural enzymes, driving innovations in an array of different fields including biomedicine, agriculture, environmental remediation, and energy conversion. Looking forward, rationally designed nanozymes have the potential to redefine the field of catalysis, evolving from biomimetic surrogates into transformative materials that rival, and ultimately surpass, the capabilities of natural enzymes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41578-026-00898-3","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.1038/s41578-026-00898-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41526-025-00490-z","name":"Feeding the cosmos: tackling personalized space nutrition and the leaky gut challenge.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Long-duration space missions pose serious challenges to astronaut nutrition and health due to the altered environment of Low Earth Orbit (LEO). This study examines the nutritional composition of crops grown in space, identifying deficiencies in key nutrients such as calcium and magnesium, along with variable antioxidant profiles. These imbalances may impact astronaut physiology, particularly bone health and immune function, and are potentially linked to altered gene expression pathways in microgravity. Emerging evidence also suggests increased intestinal permeability, referred as leaky gut syndrome, which further disrupts nutrient absorption and immune regulation. To mitigate these issues, we evaluate targeted strategies including bioengineering of nutrient-dense crops, incorporation of antioxidant-rich species, and personalized nutrition guided by pharmacogenomics. Approaches such as biofortification and tailored supplementation are proposed to address these challenges. This work contributes to the development of resilient space agriculture systems that support astronaut health during deep space missions and future planetary habitation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-025-00490-z","authors":["Borja Barbero Barcenilla","R. Rivero","Anne M. Lynch","Walter Cromer","Jie Gong","Bijan F. Harandi","M Stegmann","Hanh Nguyen Le","Devon Lundine","Michael H. Chung","Jordi Puig","K Mikhailova"],"tags":["Biofortification","Biology","Biotechnology","Medicine","Micronutrient"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1038/s41526-025-00490-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1098/rsta.2023.0195","name":"Micrometeorite collections: a review and their current status.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Micrometeorites are estimated to represent the main part of the present flux of extraterrestrial matter found on the Earth's surface and provide valuable samples to probe the interplanetary medium. Here, we describe large and representative collections of micrometeorites currently available to the scientific community. These include Antarctic collections from surface ice and snow, as well as glacial sediments from the eroded top of nunataks-summits outcropping from the icesheet-and moraines. Collections extracted from deep-sea sediments (DSS) produced a large number of micrometeorites, in particular, iron-rich cosmic spherules that are rarer in other collections. Collections from the old and stable surface of the Atacama Desert show that finding large numbers of micrometeorites is not restricted to polar regions or DSS. The advent of rooftop collections marks an important step into involving citizen science in the study of micrometeorites, as well as providing potential sampling locations over all latitudes to explore the modern flux. We explore their strengths of the collections to address specific scientific questions and their potential weaknesses. The future of micrometeorite research will involve the finding of large fossil micrometeorite collections and benefit from recent advances in sampling cosmic dust directly from the air. This article is part of the theme issue 'Dust in the Solar System and beyond'.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2023.0195","authors":["Matthias Van Ginneken","Penelope J. Wozniakiewicz","D. E. Brownlee","Vinciane Debaille","Vincenzo Della Corte","L. Delauche","J. Duprat","C. Engrand","L. Folco","M. Fries","J. Gattacceca","M. J. Genge"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Earth science","Moraine","Meteorite","Glacial period"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1098/rsta.2023.0195","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-025-63985-z","name":"Multiple lines of evidence for a hypervelocity impact origin for the Silverpit Crater.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"An impact origin for Silverpit Crater, on the UK continental shelf, has been contested over the last two decades, with a lack of definitive evidence - traditionally petrographic evidence of shock metamorphism - to resolve the debate. Here we present 3D seismic, petrographic and biostratigraphic data, and numerical impact simulations to test the impact hypothesis. The seismic data provide exceptional imaging of the entire structure, confirming the presence of a central uplift, annular moat, damage zone and numerous secondary craters on the contemporaneous seabed. The distribution of normal and reverse faults in the brim, and curved radial faults around the central uplift suggest a low-angle impact from the west. The pitted, flat-topped central uplift at the top chalk horizon may indicate significant devolatilization of chalk immediately following impact. Biostratigraphic data confirm that this event occurred during the middle Eocene, between 43-46 million years ago. Petrographic analysis from the reworked ejecta sequence in the nearby 43/25-1 well reveals two grains with shock lamellae, indicating shock pressures of ~10-13 GPa, consistent with results from our numerical models. This combination of data and modelling provide compelling evidence that Silverpit Crater is an exceptionally preserved hypervelocity impact structure.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-63985-z","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1038/s41467-025-63985-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2404253121","name":"Mars Sample Return: From collection to curation of samples from a habitable world.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"NASA's Mars 2020 mission has initiated collection of samples from Mars' Jezero Crater, which has a wide range of ancient rocks and rock types from lavas to lacustrine sedimentary rocks. The Mars Sample Return (MSR) Campaign, a joint effort between NASA and ESA, aims to bring the Perseverance collection back to Earth for intense scientific investigation. As the first return of samples from a habitable world, there are important challenges to overcome for the successful implementation of the MSR Campaign from the point of sample collection on Mars to the long-term curation of the samples on Earth. In particular, the successful execution of planetary protection protocols adds well-warranted complexity to every step of the process from the two MSR Program flight elements to the ground element at the sample receiving facility (SRF). In this contribution, we describe the architecture of the MSR Campaign, with a focus on infrastructure needs for the curation (i.e., the clean storage, processing, and allocation) of pristine Martian samples. Curation is a science-enabling and planetary protection-enabling activity, and the curation practices described in this contribution for the SRF and any long-term curation facility will enable the sample safety assessment, initial scientific investigations of the samples, and establish the MSR collection as a scientific resource that will enable generations of science and discovery through studies of the returned Mars samples. The planetary protection and curation processes established for MSR will provide critical insights into potential future sample return missions from other habitable worlds like Enceladus and Europa.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2404253121","authors":["F. M. McCubbin","Kenneth A. Farley","A. D. Harrington","Aurore Hützler","C. L. Smith"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Mars Exploration Program","Sample (material)","Physics","Thermodynamics"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2404253121","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1128/aem.02528-24","name":"Multi-technique characterization of iron reduction by an Antarctic &lt;i&gt;Shewanella&lt;/i&gt;: an analog system for putative Martian biosignature identification.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Microbes from terrestrial extreme environments enable testing of biosignature production in conditions relevant to astrobiological targets. Mars, which was likely more conducive to life during early warmer and wetter epochs, has inspired missions that search for signs of early life in the surficial rock record, including mineral or organic biosignatures. Microbial iron reduction is a common and ancient metabolism that may have also operated on other rocky celestial bodies. To investigate biosignature production during iron reduction, a Shewanella sp. (strain BF02_Schw) isolated from a subglacial discharge known as Blood Falls, Antarctica, was incubated with the electron acceptor ferrihydrite (Fh). Biosignatures associated with Fh reduction were identified using a suite of techniques currently utilized or proposed for Mars missions, including X-ray diffraction and infrared, Mössbauer, and Raman spectroscopy. The biotic origin of features was validated by transcriptional changes observed between treatments with and without Fh and comparison to killed controls. In live treatments, Fh was reduced to magnetite and goethite, both detected in Martian lacustrine basins. Several soluble and volatile metabolites were also detected, including riboflavin and dimethyl sulfide (DMS), which could be astrobiological indicators of active microbial processes. While none of the identified biosignatures individually would serve as definitive proof of life (past or present), detecting concomitant features associated with known terrestrial biotic processes would provide compelling rationale for more targeted life detection missions. Terrestrial extremophiles can support the exploration of astrobiologically relevant microbial processes, validation of life detection instrumentation, and potentially the discovery of new biomarkers.IMPORTANCECulture-based experiments with terrestrial extremophiles can elucidate biosignatures that may be analogous to those produced under extraterrestrial conditions, and thus inform sampling and technology strategies for future missions. Here, we demonstrate the production of several biosignatures under iron-reducing conditions by Shewanella sp. BF02_Schw, originally isolated from an Antarctic analog feature. These biosignatures could be detectable using flight-ready instrumentation. Growth experiments with terrestrial extremophiles can identify biosignatures measurable by current methodologies and inform the development and optimization of techniques for detecting extant or extinct life on other worlds.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.02528-24","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1128/aem.02528-24","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/life14030341","name":"The Mystery of Homochirality on Earth.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Homochirality is an obvious feature of life on Earth. On the other hand, extraterrestrial samples contain largely racemic compounds. The same is true for any common organic synthesis. Therefore, it has been a perplexing puzzle for decades how these racemates could have formed enantiomerically enriched fractions as a basis for the origin of homochiral life forms. Numerous hypotheses have been put forward as to how preferentially homochiral molecules could have formed and accumulated on Earth. In this article, it is shown that homochirality of the abiotic organic pool at the time of formation of the first self-replicating molecules is not necessary and not even probable. It is proposed to abandon the notion of a molecular ensemble and to focus on the level of individual molecules. Although the formation of the first self-replicating, most likely homochiral molecule, is a seemingly improbable event, on a closer look, it is almost inevitable that some homochiral molecules have formed simply on a statistical basis. In this case, the non-selective leap to homochirality would be one of the first steps in chemical evolution directly out of a racemic \"ocean\". Moreover, most studies focus on the chirality of the primordial monomers with respect to an asymmetric carbon atom. However, any polymer with a minimal size that allows folding to a secondary structure would spontaneously lead to asymmetric higher structures (conformations). Most of the functions of these polymers would be influenced by this inherently asymmetric folding. Furthermore, a concept of physical compartmentalization based on rock nanopores in analogy to nanocavities of digital immunoassays is introduced to suggest that complex cell walls or membranes were also not required for the first steps of chemical evolution. To summarize, simple and universal mechanisms may have led to homochiral self-replicating systems in the context of chemical evolution. A homochiral monomer pool is deemed unnecessary and probably never existed on primordial Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life14030341","authors":["Michael G. Weller"],"tags":["Homochirality","Abiogenesis","Chemistry","Molecule","Chirality (physics)"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.3390/life14030341","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acs.est.3c06557","name":"Structure and Chemical Composition of Soil C-Rich Al-Si-Fe Coprecipitates at Nanometer Scale.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Soil carbon stabilization is mainly driven by organo-mineral interactions. Coprecipitates, of organic matter with short-range order minerals, detected through indirect chemical extraction methods, are increasingly recognized as key carbon sequestration phases. Yet the atomic structure of these coprecipitates is still rather conceptual. We used transmission electron microscopy imaging combined with energy-dispersive X-ray and electron energy loss spectroscopy chemical mappings, which enabled direct nanoscale characterization of coprecipitates from Andosols. A comparison with reference synthetic coprecipitates showed that the natural coprecipitates were structured by an amorphous Al, Si, and Fe inorganic skeleton associated with C and were therefore even less organized than short-range order minerals usually described. These amorphous types of coprecipitates resembled previously conceptualized nanosized coprecipitates of inorganic oligomers with organics (nanoCLICs) with heterogeneous elemental proportions (of C, Al, Si, and Fe) at nanoscale. These results mark a new step in the high-resolution imaging of organo-mineral associations, while shedding further light on the mechanisms that control carbon stabilization in soil and more broadly in aquatic colloid, sediment, and extraterrestrial samples.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.3c06557","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.1021/acs.est.3c06557","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.647Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1186/s40793-026-00874-y","name":"Stochastic seeding and environmental stressors as dual drivers of pioneer microbial colonization in newly formed basaltic lava tubes.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Lava tubes formed during the 2021 Tajogaite eruption on La Palma (Canary Islands, Spain) provide a rare opportunity to investigate the earliest stages of microbial colonization in a newly created subterranean volcanic environment. Although microbial communities in volcanic terrains have been widely studied, the first colonizers of newly formed lava tubes and their interactions with new mineral surfaces remain poorly understood. Here, we combined microscopy, mineralogy, stable isotope analysis, culture-dependent techniques, and 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing to characterize mineral substrates, microenvironmental parameters and pioneer microbial communities 12-24 months after lava tube formation. Microbial assemblages were dominated by bacteria from the Actinomycetota, Bacillota, and Pseudomonadota phyla, together with archaea from the Methanobacteriota phylum. Organic debris from animals (notably seabirds and rodents) likely contributed to early microbial seeding and community development, as indicated by the detection of host-associated and opportunistic bacteria (e.g., Staphylococcus, Sphingomonas, Pseudomonas). Biofilm-like structures and extracellular polymeric substances were observed in association with sodium-rich sulfate and carbonate minerals, suggesting incipient microbe-mineral interactions during early mineral weathering. Archaeal-enriched communities adapted to highly saline and oligotrophic substrates (e.g., Halostagnicola, Halonotius, and Halorubrum) in some of these nascent tubes further support environmental filtering by microhabitat geochemistry and mineralogical context during early community assembly. Our findings indicate that early microbial colonization is initiated by stochastic seeding processes (via aerosols, animals, or atmospheric inputs), whereas environmental stressors related to volcanic degassing, ventilation, and extreme geochemical conditions act as strong deterministic filters that shape the final community structure in newly formed basaltic lava tubes, as reflected by the significant role of δ 13 C-CO 2 .","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40793-026-00874-y","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.1186/s40793-026-00874-y","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1186/s40623-025-02310-w","name":"Dehydroxylate I formation from the thermal decomposition of serpentine on c-complex asteroids: similarities to carlosturanite.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Dehydroxylate I, a product of the thermal decomposition of serpentine, has been observed in heated carbonaceous chondrite meteorites. To better understand the occurrence of dehydroxylate I on carbonaceous asteroids, we have experimentally heated the carbonaceous chondrite Murchison from 400 to 550 °C at 25°C temperature steps, during which in situ micro X-ray diffraction (µXRD) patterns were collected using synchrotron radiation. µXRD was utilized such that the dehydroxylate I's diffraction pattern could be isolated and characterized. This was successfully achieved, with the phase being detected at 400 °C. A diffraction pattern for dehydroxylate I was isolated at 525 °C, where it displayed crystallographic similarities to the mineral carlosturanite. We propose dehydroxylate I is produced when gaps form in serpentine's tetrahedral sheet during its breakdown, which is consistent with previous studies on serpentine decomposition. The d-spacings for dehydroxylate I described here can be used to better identify it in natural and experimentally heated terrestrial and meteoritic samples. Graphical abstract","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40623-025-02310-w","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1186/s40623-025-02310-w","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-3492305/v1","name":"Estimating the mechanical properties of rocks and rock masses based on mineral micromechanics testing","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract The mechanical properties of rocks, including the elastic modulus and uniaxial compressive strength, play a crucial role in rock engineering design and analysis. However, in specific working conditions such as high-stress rock mass with prominent core discing, heavily jointed rock mass, and extraterrestrial rock mass, acquiring standard cylindrical rock specimens that meet testing requirements can be challenging. To address this issue, we propose an innovative methodology for estimating the mechanical properties of rocks and rock masses based on mineral micromechanical testing. This methodology utilizes the phase-positioned indentation technique and statistical deconvolution indentation technique to determine the micromechanical properties of constituent minerals in rocks. Subsequently, by employing the multiple linear regression technique and generalized means method, the micromechanical properties of these minerals are upscaled to estimate the elastic modulus and uniaxial compressive strength of rocks. Furthermore, the previously estimated properties of rocks are further upscaled using the Hoek–Brown failure criterion and the geological strength index system to estimate the mechanical properties of rock masses. Our findings demonstrate the accuracy of this methodology in estimating the mechanical properties of rocks, validated through comparisons with experimental data and other models. This methodology provides a feasible tool for preliminary predictions of the mechanical behavior of rock masses, particularly in situations where obtaining standard cylindrical rock specimens is challenging.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3492305/v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-3492305/v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.647Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.adz2567","name":"Magmatic immiscibility provides phosphate for prebiotic chemistry.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Phosphorus is essential for extant and nascent life. However, phosphate's low terrestrial abundance and the poor aqueous solubility of phosphorus-bearing minerals pose major hurdles for prebiotic chemistry. Here, we show that silicate-phosphate immiscibility in volcanic melts could have provided a widely available mechanism for the local enrichment of phosphate. Starting with a phosphorus-enriched Archean melt, we observe that rapid cooling results in the formation of immiscible glassy droplets with up to 21 weight % phosphorus pentoxide, which can be delivered to the surface by volcanic processes. In aqueous leaching, we detect millimolar phosphate concentrations, which enable the synthesis of phosphorylating agents such as polyphosphates and imidazole phosphate with up to 34% yield. These results demonstrate how volcanic processes can enrich phosphate to fuel prebiotic chemistry.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adz2567","authors":["Daniel Weller","Thomas Matreux","Iris B. A. Smokers","Almuth Schmid","Christof B. Mast","Donald B. Dingwell","Dieter Braun","Bettina Scheu"],"tags":["Phosphate","Prebiotic","Aqueous solution","Chemistry","Phosphate minerals"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.adz2567","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-026-41502-6","name":"Antagonistic effects of amino acids support abiotic nano-environments in clay.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Prebiotic chemistry in nano-environments confined within catalytic mineral media is emerging as a promising frontier in origins-of-life research. Such confined spaces exhibit physicochemical properties distinct from bulk conditions, enabling out-of-equilibrium processes such as condensation reactions in aqueous media. Here, we demonstrate that a yin-yang interplay of organo-clay interactions generates and supports a variety of confined geochemical nano-environments within clay layers and facilitates the persistence of partial exfoliation. We investigate how the structure of Ca-montmorillonite clay is affected by exposure to aqueous amino acid mixtures containing proteinogenic species (L-lysine or L-arginine) and their 1:40 mixture with the meteorite-common, non-proteinogenic γ-aminobutyric acid. Using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and electron microscopy, we reveal opposing effects of the different amino acids on the clay's structure. Lysine and arginine intercalate between clay layers, bridge across them and suppress swelling, whereas γ-aminobutyric acid induces pronounced layer distortion, exfoliation and nanocavity formation, even in the presence of the strongly-interacting species. The contrasting, complementary effects between fixation of the interlayer and formation of nano-compartments create and sustain diverse nano-environments. This balance could play a role in shaping nano-environments that facilitate prebiotic polymerisation and other chemistry central to life's emergence on rocky bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-41502-6","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.1038/s41598-026-41502-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-023-38518-1","name":"Ryugu asteroid sample return provides a natural laboratory for primordial chemical evolution.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The samples returned from near-Earth asteroid (162173) Ryugu provide a pristine record of the 4.6 billion years since the birth of the Solar System. The Hayabusa2 initial analysis team has integrated a range of analytical techniques to investigate Ryugu’s organic chemistry. Here, we highlight their latest findings, the potential questions which may be answered, and provide an overview of new prospects in the decade to come.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-38518-1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.1038/s41467-023-38518-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2423345122","name":"Carbon and oxygen isotope evidence for a protoplanetary disk origin of organic solids in meteorites.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Macromolecular organic solids found in primitive meteorites were the main source of carbon delivered to forming planets in the early Solar System. However, the conditions under which this material formed and its subsequent incorporation into growing planetesimals remains a subject of vigorous debate. Here, we show that C isotope variations among these organics in most carbonaceous chondrites are strongly correlated with mass-independent O isotope anomalies exhibited by their host meteorites. As the latter signature has been argued to track abundances of nebular water generated from photochemical processing of CO gas, the C isotope variability of refractory organic solids may relate to this same process. We propose a framework in which CO photolysis simultaneously produces H 2 O and generates a pool of C + ions that serve as precursors for C-rich organic solids, with their C isotope compositions suggesting formation over a relatively narrow and warm range of temperatures in the protoplanetary disk (~200 to 400 K). Two populations of organic precursors with different C isotope compositions became associated with distinct dust reservoirs prior to their delivery to the carbonaceous-chondrite-forming region, which likely resided at lower temperatures (<170 K). This finding places detailed constraints on the location and distribution of chemical reactions that generated both water and organic-rich reservoirs in the early Solar System.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2423345122","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2423345122","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173442","name":"Hydrochemical and isotopic characteristics of water sources for biological activity across a massive evaporite basin on the Tibetan Plateau: Implications for aquatic environments on early Mars.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Covered by vast eolian landforms, gravel deposits, and playas, the worldwide typical evaporite deposit land, Qaidam Basin, in northwestern China is analogous to early Mars when the aridification process had lasted for millions of years since the end of a wetter climate. This study aims to investigate the chemical and isotopic characteristics of waters in an evaporite-rich environment, as well as the habitable conditions therein, that have undergone a transformation similar to early Mars. In May 2023, a total of 26 water samples were collected across the representative central axis of a longitudinal aridity gradient in the Qaidam Basin, including categories of meteoric water, freshwater, standing water accumulated after precipitation, salty lacustrine water, and hypersaline brines to inspect compounds made up of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, halogen, and metallic elements. As evaporation intensified, the salt types transformed from HCO 3 -Ca·Na to Cl·SO 4 -Na or ClMg. The dominance of carbonate will gradually be replaced by sulfate and chloride, leaving much more dilute and less detectable contents. The presence of trace ClO 4 - , ClO 3 - , ClO 2 - , and BrO 3 - was confirmed in a few of the sampled Qaidam waters, indicating the preservation of oxyhalides in waters within an arid region and possibly the presence of relevant microbial enzymes. The isotopes of water, carbonaceous, and nitrogenous compounds provide valuable references for either abiogenic or biogenic signatures. With undetectable amount, phosphorus was found to be the limiting nutrient in evaporative aquatic environments but not necessarily antibiosignatures. Overall, these results suggest that the paleo-lacustrine environments on Mars are more likely to preserve biosignatures if they feature the dominance of carbonate minerals, bioavailable nitrate, phosphorus, and organic carbon, the presence of thermodynamically unstable oxyhalides, and isotope ratios that point to the involvement of biological activity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173442","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173442","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.ultsonch.2024.106775","name":"Ultrasound assisted extraction of amino acids and nucleobases from clay minerals and astrobiological samples.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The study of organic molecules in meteorite and return samples allows for the understanding of the chemistry that undergoes in our Solar System. The present work aims at studying ultrasound assisted extraction technique as effective extraction method for these molecules in extraterrestrial samples and analogs. Optimal conditions were selected from the investigation of ultrasonic frequency, irradiation duration and solvent effects on amino acids, nucleobases and dipeptides extraction yields from a model clay-rich mineral matrix. Optimal ultrasound-assisted extraction parameters were frequency of 20 kHz within 20 min irradiation time and methanol/water solvent ratio of 1. We then validated this protocol on Mukundpura and Tarda meteorite fragments and compared it to the reference extraction protocol used in astrobiology and based on 24 h extraction time at 100 °C in water We obtained similar quantitative results without any racemization with both methodologies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultsonch.2024.106775","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1016/j.ultsonch.2024.106775","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s44211-025-00731-x","name":"Raman spectroscopic analysis of carbonates on a CY-type carbonaceous chondrite Yamato 980115: unexpectedly abundant terrestrial weathering products.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This study presents Raman spectra of carbonates on a carbonaceous chondrite, Yamato (Y) 980115. Y 980115 is an Antarctic meteorite and is originally classified as CI1-type. Since CI1-type meteorites are expected to record information of aqueous alteration of carbonaceous matters in the primitive solar photosphere or planetesimals, extensive studies have been performed. Among a variety of minerals on meteorites, carbonates are one of environment indicators because its cation composition depends on thermochemical properties of the aqueous solution when they were precipitated. Although the minerals on meteorites are usually identified by elemental composition analysis techniques such as backscattered electron imaging, these techniques have a drawback that they lack information of crystal structures so that it is difficult to distinguish some minerals such as ordered or disordered dolomite (CaMg(CO 3 ) 2 ) and a mixture of calcite (CaCO 3 ) and magnesite (MgCO 3 ). The present study employed Raman spectroscopy as a complementary technique to the elemental composition analysis. As a result, surprisingly, while the Mg-bearing carbonates on Y 980115 were expected mainly to be dolomite, the Raman spectra revealed that they are indeed nesquehonite (Mg(HCO 3 )(OH)·2H 2 O), which is a typical terrestrial weathering product for Antarctic meteorites. Among 63 carbonate grains found on Y 980115, 60 and 3 grains were assigned to nesquehonite and calcite, respectively, and no dolomite was found. This result indicates that there are unexpectedly abundant terrestrial weathering products for carbonates found on Y 980115.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s44211-025-00731-x","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1007/s44211-025-00731-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fmicb.2025.1605909","name":"Deep-sea microbially influenced corrosion and biomineralization.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Microbially influenced corrosion (MIC) and biomineralization are widely observed in marine, deep-sea, freshwater, and soil ecosystems. Recently, MIC and biomineralization associated with biofouling have significantly impacted marine resources, including deep-sea minerals and organisms. Notably, uncontrolled biomineralization by certain microorganisms, such as barnacles adhering to ship hulls, can lead to structural damage and economic challenges due to biocorrosion. Biomineralization can be categorized into induced mineralization and controlled mineralization. In natural environments, induced biomineralization is the predominant process. The mechanisms of induced biomineralization and MIC in extreme deep-sea environments have attracted significant attention. The factors influencing these processes are highly complex. The microbial-material interfaces serve as the primary sites for key biochemical reactions driving biocorrosion and biomineralization. Within these interfaces, biofilms, their secreted extracellular polymers, and extracellular electron transfer mechanisms play crucial roles in these processes. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of MIC and biomineralization under deep-sea environmental conditions is essential. Investigating the relationship between these phenomena and exploring their underlying mechanisms are critical for both research advancements and industrial applications.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1605909","authors":["Yingchun Ge","Can Wang","Ini‐Ibehe Nabuk Etim","Sikandar Khan","Chengpeng Li","Luhua Yang","Jia Liu","Peijia Yi","Jiazhi Liu","Wolfgang Sand","Ruiyong Zhang"],"tags":["Biomineralization","Mineralization (soil science)","Extracellular polymeric substance","Biofouling","Greigite"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.3389/fmicb.2025.1605909","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-025-24253-8","name":"Photostability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in hydrated magnesium sulfate under Martian ultraviolet irradiation to assist organics detection on Mars.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals (SHERLOC) instrument, which is mounted on the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, detected Raman signals in spectral regions relevant to organics, plausibly polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), co-located with sulfate minerals, in the Quartier abrasion of the Issole outcrop in the Jezero crater floor on Mars. In order to ascertain the plausibility of the organic origin of these signals, it is essential to determine whether organics can withstand the effects of ambient Martian ultraviolet (UV) radiation after they are exposed by the Perseverance's abrasion tool and prior to the analysis by SHERLOC. In this work, the stability under Martian-like UV irradiation of PAHs like 2,6-dihydroxynaphthalene and benzo[a]pyrene in hydrated magnesium sulfate, one of the main sulfate phases present in Quartier, is investigated. Our findings indicate that the spectroscopic features of 2,6-dihydroxynaphthalene and benzo[a]pyrene in hydrated magnesium sulfate remain unaltered when exposed to UV radiation comparable to that experienced at Jezero crater over a period of dozens of Martian days (or sols). Consequently, due to the photoprotective properties of this mineral, after the abrasion exposes them to the radiation, these compounds can still be detectable by the SHERLOC measurement and also by SuperCam because some organic bands fall in its infrared spectral range. In addition, photoproducts due to the UV exposure for both PAHs were detected. These results corroborate the hypothesis that the Raman signals detected by SHERLOC co-located with sulfates may arise from organic compounds.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-24253-8","authors":["Andrew Alberini","Teresa Fornaro","Cristina García‐Florentino","Giovanni Poggiali","Sole Biancalani","Francesco Renzi","Tommaso Grazioso","Nicola Tasinato","Daniela Alvarado Jiménez","Á. Vicente‐Retortillo","Maurizio Becucci","E. A. Cloutis"],"tags":["Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Raman spectroscopy","Ultraviolet","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1038/s41598-025-24253-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/md22110481","name":"Beyond Earth: Harnessing Marine Resources for Sustainable Space Colonization.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The quest for sustainable space exploration and colonization is a challenge in its infancy, which faces scarcity of resources and an inhospitable environment. In recent years, advancements in space biotechnology have emerged as potential solutions to the hurdles of prolonged space habitation. Taking cues from the oceans, this review focuses on the sundry types of marine organisms and marine-derived chemicals that have the potential of sustaining life beyond planet Earth. It addresses how marine life, including algae, invertebrates, and microorganisms, may be useful in bioregenerative life support systems, food production, pharmaceuticals, radiation shielding, energy sources, materials, and other applications in space habitats. With the considerable and still unexplored potential of Earth's oceans that can be employed in developing space colonization, we allow ourselves to dream of the future where people can expand to other planets, not only surviving but prospering. Implementing the blend of marine and space sciences is a giant leap toward fulfilling man's age-long desire of conquering and colonizing space, making it the final frontier.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/md22110481","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.3390/md22110481","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/molecules28248006","name":"Shock-Induced Degradation of Guanosine and Uridine Promoted by Nickel and Carbonate: Potential Applications.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Experimental studies of the degradation of two ribonucleosides (guanosine and uridine) were carried out by making use of mechanochemistry. Mechanochemical experiments reveal the decomposition of guanosine and uridine, promoted by nickel(II) and carbonate ions, into guanine and uracil, respectively. These nucleobases were identified by HPLC and 1 H NMR spectroscopy (this applied only to uracil). Additionally, density-functional theory (DFT) methodologies were used to probe the energetic viability of several degradation pathways, including in the presence of the abovementioned ions. Three mechanisms were analysed via ribose ring-opening: dry, single-molecule water-assisted, and metal-assisted, wherein the last two mechanisms confirmed the mechanochemical degradation of both ribonucleosides into respective nucleobase moieties. These results can contribute to an astrobiological interpretation of the extraterrestrial sample's contents.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28248006","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.3390/molecules28248006","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s11214-025-01264-5","name":"Water Versus Land on Temperate Rocky Planets.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Water and land surfaces on a planet interact in particular ways with gases in the atmosphere and with radiation from the star. These interactions define the environments that prevail on the planet, some of which may be more amenable to prebiotic chemistry, some to the evolution of more complex life. This review article covers (i) the physical conditions that determine the ratio of land to sea on a rocky planet, (ii) how this ratio would affect climatic and biologic processes, and (iii) whether future astronomical observations might constrain this ratio on exoplanets. Water can be delivered in multiple ways to a growing rocky planet - and although we may not agree on the contribution of different mechanism(s) to Earth's bulk water, hydrated building blocks and nebular ingassing could at least in principle supply several oceans' worth. The water that planets can sequester over eons in their solid deep mantles is limited by the water concentration at water saturation of nominally anhydrous mantle minerals, being in sum likely less than 2000 ppm of the planet mass. Water is cycled between mantle and surface through outgassing and ingassing mechanisms that, while tightly linked to tectonics, do not necessarily require plate tectonics in every case. The actual water/land ratio at a given time then emerges from the balance between the volume of surface water on the one hand, and on the other hand, the shape of the planet (its ocean basin volume) that is carved out by dynamic topography, the petrologic evolution of continents, impact cratering, and other surface-sculpting processes. By leveraging the contrast in reflectance properties of water and land surfaces, spatially resolved 2D maps of Earth-as-an-exoplanet have been retrieved from models using real Earth observations, demonstrating that water/land ratios of rocky exoplanets may be determined from data delivered by large-aperture, high-contrast imaging telescopes in the future.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-025-01264-5","authors":["Claire Marie Guimond","Tilman Spohn","S. V. Berdyugina","P. D. Byrne","Nicolas Coltice","Donald M. Glaser","Manasvi Lingam","Charles H. Lineweaver","Peter A. Cawood"],"tags":["Planet","Astrobiology","Habitability","Terrestrial planet","Mantle (geology)"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.1007/s11214-025-01264-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/s23136128","name":"Characterization of Stromatolite Organic Sedimentary Structure Based on Spectral Image Fusion.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This paper evaluates the potential application of Raman baselines in characterizing organic deposition. Taking the layered sediments (Stromatolite) formed by the growth of early life on the Earth as the research object, Raman spectroscopy is an essential means to detect deep-space extraterrestrial life. Fluorescence is the main factor that interferes with Raman spectroscopy detection, which will cause the enhancement of the Raman baseline and annihilate Raman information. The paper aims to evaluate fluorescence contained in the Raman baseline and characterize organic sedimentary structure using the Raman baseline. This study achieves spectral image fusion combined with mapping technology to obtain high spatial and spectral resolution fusion images. To clarify that the fluorescence of organic matter deposition is the main factor causing Raman baseline enhancement, 5041 Raman spectra were obtained in the scanning area of 710 μm × 710 μm, and the correlation mechanism between the gray level of the light-dark layer of the detection point and the Raman baseline was compared. The spatial distribution of carbonate minerals and organic precipitations was detected by combining mapping technology. In addition, based on the BI-IHS algorithm, the spectral image fusion of Raman fluorescence mapping and reflection micrograph, polarization micrograph, and orthogonal polarization micrograph are realized, respectively. A fusion image with high spectral resolution and high spatial resolution is obtained. The results show that the Raman baseline can be used as helpful information to characterize stromatolite organic sedimentary structure.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/s23136128","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.3390/s23136128","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1186/s40623-025-02358-8","name":"Model calculations for neutron-induced reactions in meteorites and planetary surfaces.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This study investigates the capabilities of the GEANT4 Monte Carlo toolkit to quantitatively predict neutron production, neutron transport, and nuclide production by neutron capture reactions in cosmochemical relevant objects. The model reproduces neutron densities measured in the lunar surface within the experimental uncertainties, which is a major improvement compared to earlier studies. Since, for many applications in meteorites and planetary surfaces, nuclide production by neutron capture is of importance, the production of 41 Ca and 60 Co is studied as an example. In addition, shifts in the stable isotope ratios 157 Gd/ 160 Gd, 158 Gd/ 160 Gd, 149 Sm/ 152 Sm, and 150 Sm/ 152 Sm (and combinations thereof) are modeled and compared to experimental data. The model describes experimental 41 Ca activity concentrations in different types of meteorites and the lunar surface within the uncertainties. In contrast, it fails to describe 60 Co activity concentrations. In addition, it is difficult to consistently model the isotope shifts 157 Gd/ 160 Gd and 150 Sm/ 152 Sm in Apollo 15 drill core samples. The observed trends depend on the temperature of the irradiated object and are more pronounced for colder temperatures. Since the observed discrepancies are likely related to the shape of the neutron spectra, self-shielding effects by, e.g., 56 Fe, might be of importance and some of the consequences are discussed. Graphical abstract","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40623-025-02358-8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.1186/s40623-025-02358-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/gels10040249","name":"Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) for Identifying Traces of Adenine in Organic-Bearing Extraterrestrial Dust Analogs Captured in the Tanpopo Aerogel after Hypervelocity Impacts.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Raman spectroscopy is a non-destructive analytical technique for characterizing organic and inorganic materials with spatial resolution in the micrometer range. This makes it a method of choice for space-mission sample characterization, whether on return or in situ. To enhance its sensitivity, we use signal amplification via interaction with plasmonic silver-based colloids, which corresponds to surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). In this study, we focus on the analysis of biomolecules of prebiotic interest on extraterrestrial dust trapped in silica aerogel, jointly with the Japanese Tanpopo mission. The aim is twofold: to prepare samples as close as possible to the real ones, and to optimize analysis by SERS for this specific context. Serpentinite was chosen as the inorganic matrix and adenine as the target biomolecule. The dust was projected at high velocity into the trapping aerogel and then mechanically extracted. A quantitative study shows effective detection even for adenine doping from a 5·10−9mol/L solution. After the dust has been expelled from the aerogel using a solvent, SERS mapping enables unambiguous adenine detection over the entire dust surface. This study shows the potential of SERS as a key technique not only for return samples, but also for upcoming new explorations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10040249","authors":["Aline Percot","Farah Mahieddine","Hajime Yano","Sunao Hasegawa","M. Tabata","Akihiko Yamagishi","Hajime Mita","Alejandro Paredes-Arriaga","Marie‐Christine Maurel","Jean‐François Lambert","D. Baklouti","Émilie‐Laure Zins"],"tags":["Aerogel","Biomolecule","Raman spectroscopy","Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy","Materials science"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.3390/gels10040249","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acsomega.5c07173","name":"Analytical Development for Detecting Femtomole-Level Organophosphorus Compounds in Biogeochemical Samples by Ion Chromatography/High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Phosphorus (P) is a crucial element for life, and its organic forms play a central role in modern biology. Therefore, the analysis of their presence in environmental samples is important for evaluating the biogeochemistry of P and the P cycle on the Earth. Herein, we developed a high-sensitivity, high-resolution analytical technique for detecting organophosphorus compounds using ion chromatography (IC) with Orbitrap-mass spectrometry (Orbitrap-MS). The IC method clearly separated organophosphorus compounds, including alkyl phosphonates and alkyl phosphates, from other organic molecules and inorganic ions. The online combination of IC and Orbitrap-MS enabled the quantification of organophosphorus compounds with concentrations as low as ∼10 fmol and their molecular identification in the presence of various interfering organic substances. The feasibility of the developed and optimized IC-Orbitrap-MS method was confirmed by analyzing deep-sea sediments obtained from 343 m below the seafloor. This developed analytical technique can also be applied to biogeochemical and astrochemical molecular surveys of organophosphorus compounds in natural environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.5c07173","authors":["Yuta Hirakawa","Toshiki Koga","Takahiro Suzuki","Naohiko Ohkouchi","Yoshinori Takano"],"tags":["Mass spectrometry","High resolution","Chemistry","Chromatography","Biogeochemical cycle"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1021/acsomega.5c07173","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fphys.2025.1700518","name":"Health effects of plants, light, and natural elements of biophilic interventions in confined settings: a systematic review.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Biophilic intervention strategies that incorporate plants, light, and organic elements are increasingly recognized for supporting well-being in confined environments. This systematic review analyzes health outcomes associated with edible greens and biophilic elements across 124 studies drawn from PubMed and Scopus, following PRISMA guidelines. The evidence demonstrates that greenery in confined settings-such as hospitals, eldercare, and space habitats-reduces stress, improves mood, and accelerates recovery, consistent with Stress Reduction Theory (SRT) and Attention Restoration Theory (ART). In space analogs, plant-based modules support cognitive function and improve habitat experience by producing food and oxygen. Despite these benefits, a few challenges remain: infection control, spatial constraints, and operational limitations can hinder adoption. Nonetheless, tailored biophilic systems represent a promising path to enhance health and resilience in both terrestrial and space-based care environments. This review synthesizes findings from both terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments to evaluate the effectiveness of edible plant-based biophilic interventions. Evidence from clinical studies and long-duration missions suggests that incorporating edible vegetation into confined environments enhances psychological resilience, supports nutritional intake, and contributes to overall well-being. The presence of living plant systems has been shown to reduce stress, enhance mood, and foster a sense of connectedness to nature in contexts where natural stimuli are otherwise absent. Together, these results support the role of edible greens as practical, scalable components for designing sustainable, health-promoting environments in both Earth-based and space-based habitats. We examined the role of biophilic interventions, particularly the incorporation of edible greens, in promoting health within confined environments. Biophilic interventions incorporate natural forms, materials, edible plants, and natural light into architectural designs and indoor settings to enhance both physical and mental well-being (Body and Mind Care). Research in clinical settings and space missions has focused on the outcomes associated with human-plant interactions and the development of bio-regenerative plant modules that support sustainable living. These systems grow plants in controlled environments, enabling food production and the regeneration of essential life-support resources, such as oxygen and clean air. They aim to support crew health through food production, air purification, and psychological benefits, particularly during long-duration missions. We conducted a systematic review, searching databases including PubMed and Scopus, and selected 124 studies based on the PRISMA criteria to analyze the impact of these interventions in eldercare, hospitals, isolation-wards, and spaceflight. Incorporating natural elements into confined habitats yields notable psychological and physiological benefits. In healthcare and indoor environments, the presence of greenery consistently reduces stress, elevates mood, and improves patients' perception of their surroundings, often contributing to faster recovery. These effects are not limited to hospitals and eldercare settings. In remote and extreme environments, such as polar research stations and space missions, plant interaction can alleviate cognitive fatigue, reduce monotony, and strengthen team cohesion. Integrating edible greens and biophilic elements into confined settings-such as hospitals, eldercare facilities, and space habitats-offers measurable benefits for psychological resilience, reduced physiological stress, and improved cognitive performance. These systems serve dual purposes: therapeutic exposure to nature and support for nutritional or regenerative goals. In hospitals and long-term care, interventions like healing gardens or nature-themed spaces have been shown to reduce anxiety, pain perception","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2025.1700518","authors":["Abdolrahim Zandi","Shu‐Fen Wung"],"tags":["Natural (archaeology)","Psychological intervention","Intervention (counseling)","Psychological resilience","Habitability"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.3389/fphys.2025.1700518","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41526-025-00492-x","name":"Space-driven ROS in cells: a hidden danger to astronaut health and food safety.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Astronaut nutrition faces supply, logistics, and cost challenges, making space farming a solution. While plants adapt to space microgravity may trigger oxidative stress. Research shows space-grown plants achieve Earth-like growth, but ROS accumulation remains a concern. This study examines ROS buildup in cells and its risks for astronauts, emphasizing effects on homeostasis, disease pathways, gut microbiome, and nutrition. This research provides new insights into oxidative stress in space missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-025-00492-x","authors":["Majid Mokhtari","Sigrid Reinsch","Borja Barbero Barcenilla","Kobra Ziyaei","Richard Barker"],"tags":["Space (punctuation)","Food safety","Environmental health","Medicine","Computer science"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1038/s41526-025-00492-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-025-58865-5","name":"Polycyclic aromatics in the Chang'E 5 lunar soils.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract Polycyclic aromatics are ubiquitous in the interstellar medium and meteorites, yet the search for lunar polycyclic aromatics remains a significant challenge. Here, we analyze Chang’E-5 lunar soil samples, revealing polycyclic aromatic concentrations of 5.0–9.2 µg/g (average: 7.4 ± 1.4 µg/g). Their aromatic structures are highly condensed, comparable to ~4 nm graphene sheets, and distinct from terrestrial analogs, such as wood char, soot and kerogen. While meteorite impacts are the most likely sources, the stable carbon isotope composition of polycyclic aromatics in Chang’E-5 lunar soil (δ 13 C: −5.0 ± 0.6‰ to +3.6 ± 1.3‰) is more enriched in 13 C compared to that in meteorites. This enrichment suggests a de novo formation mechanism during meteorite impacts, involving the conversion of non-aromatic organic matter—which is more enriched in δ 13 C—into polycyclic aromatics. This process may play a significant role in carbon accretion in lunar regolith, as the resulting polycyclic aromatics are more stable and resistant to degradation compared to smaller organic molecules (e.g., amino acids), which are largely destroyed during impact events.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58865-5","authors":["Guangcai Zhong","Xin Yi","Shutao Gao","Shizhen Zhao","Yangzhi Mo","Lele Tian","Buqing Xu","Fu Wang","Yuhong Liao","Tengfei Li","Liangliang Wu","Yunpeng Wang"],"tags":["Regolith","Meteorite","Environmental chemistry","Astrobiology","Aromaticity"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1038/s41467-025-58865-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/microorganisms12122407","name":"Unveiling the Bioleaching Versatility of <i>Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans</i>.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans is a Gram-negative bacterium that thrives in extreme acidic conditions. It has emerged as a key player in biomining and bioleaching technologies thanks to its unique ability to mobilize a wide spectrum of elements, such as Li, P, V, Cr, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, As, Mo, W, Pb, U, and its role in ferrous iron oxidation and reduction. A. ferrooxidans catalyzes the extraction of elements by generating iron (III) ions in oxic conditions, which are able to react with metal sulfides. This review explores the bacterium’s versatility in metal and elemental mobilization, with a focus on the mechanisms involved, encompassing its role in the recovery of industrially relevant elements from ores. The application of biomining technologies leveraging the bacterium’s natural capabilities not only enhances element recovery efficiency, but also reduces reliance on conventional energy-intensive methods, aligning with the global trend towards more sustainable mining practices. However, its use in biometallurgical applications poses environmental issues through its effect on the pH levels in bioleaching systems, which produce acid mine drainage in rivers and lakes adjacent to mines. This dual effect underscores its potential to shape the future of responsible mining practices, including potentially in space, and highlights the importance of monitoring acidic releases in the environment.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12122407","authors":["Luca Tonietti","Mattia Esposito","Martina Cascone","Bernardo Barosa","Stefano Fiscale","Maria Teresa Muscari Tomajoli","Tomasa Sbaffi","Rosa Santomartino","G. Covone","Angelina Cordone","A. Rotundi","Donato Giovannelli"],"tags":["Bioleaching","Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans","Ferrous","Acidithiobacillus","Acid mine drainage"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.3390/microorganisms12122407","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/life16020281","name":"Mars Potato Cultivation: Analysis, Challenges, Sustainable Scientific Conceptions.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"As human space exploration advances towards establishing sustainable Martian habitats, achieving autonomous food production is a critical requirement. The potato ( Solanum tuberosum L.), with its notable environmental resilience and nutritional efficiency, is a prime candidate crop. This study develops a conceptual framework for Martian potato cultivation by systematically analyzing the profound disparities between Martian conditions and plant physiology. We identify and evaluate seven fundamental challenges: atmospheric composition, extreme temperatures, water scarcity, soil properties, nutrient deficiencies, absent microbiota, and radiation/gravity effects. To address these challenges, we propose a phased, testable roadmap comprising four stages: (I) screening and bio-engineering of multi-stress-tolerant potato genotypes; (II) phased domestication via Earth-based analog experiments to define adaptability thresholds; (III) deployment of a controlled cultivation module within a Martian habitat, integrating targeted technological interventions; and (IV) conceptual exploration of extra-habitat agricultural potential. The primary contribution of this work is a structured set of hypotheses and key performance indicators for each stage, translating visionary goals into a defined research agenda to guide future empirical work in extraterrestrial agronomy.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life16020281","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.3390/life16020281","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s40656-025-00682-6","name":"Seeing the unseen: problematic narratives and the microbial worlds of the deep-sea.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Microbes emerge as the protagonists of new scientific narratives of the deep-sea, functioning as life-givers in biological communities or central actors in geochemical cycles essential to the functioning of the Earth system. This paper aims to address the significant discrepancy between present-day scientific knowledge and popular narratives of the deep, with a particular focus on the narrative representation of deep-sea microbes. In the face of looming deep-sea ecocide, it is crucial to incorporate knowledge of the microbial 'unseen majority' into our ecological imagination and challenge the 'size bias' towards larger organisms. However, problematic narratives-such as portraying the deep-sea as a barren place, as a place full of alien life, or as the last frontier on earth-persist in the cultural imagination and deflect profound engagement with deep-sea microbial worlds. I discuss Frank Schätzing's novel Der Schwarm (2004) as a hopeful exception, proving that a profound engagement with deep-sea worlds does not defy the dynamics of popular fiction. Instead of recycling old storylines, the novel articulates the relevance of deep-sea ecosystems to the Earth system and positions the deep-sea microbe as an important actor in human lifeworlds instead of letting it reside at the fringes of the cultural imagination.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40656-025-00682-6","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1007/s40656-025-00682-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-025-15888-8","name":"Contact morphology of sand particles in dunes.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This study presents an analysis of the morphology of sand particles and their contacts using high-resolution microcomputer tomography (CT) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Raw 3D images are filtered, binarized, and smoothed to distinguish the granular space from the void space. The 3D granular space is segmented via an advanced adaptive watershed algorithm. The grain segmentation is used for contact detection and contact network extraction. The topography of each grain is diverse, fascinating, and shaped by a landscape of ridges and basins. This topography is reflected in the way the grains come into contact. Unlike the common conception of point contacts, we observe contacts over large surface areas, concave-like contacts due to ridge-basin interactions, and doughnut-like contacts due to incomplete contact between high ridges and deep basins. Although most of the interactions are due to a single contact, a significant number of multiple contact interactions are observed. SEM images show two key features: First, the sand surfaces are not quartz-clean but are coated with clay particles. Second, the basins are not empty but are partially filled with silt particles that are cemented with clay. This is a comprehensive experimental investigation to determine the basis for advanced contact models of the micromechanical investigation of the strength of sand aggregates and wave propagation herein. The proposed micro- and nanocharacterization of contact morphologies paves the way for future investigations of contact interaction in granular materials on Earth and beyond.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-15888-8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1038/s41598-025-15888-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s44211-023-00503-5","name":"Nitrogen K-edge X-ray adsorption near-edge structure spectroscopy of chemically adsorbed ammonia gas on clay minerals and the <sup>15</sup>N/<sup>14</sup>N-nitrogen isotopic fractionation.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Ammonia (NH 3 ) is a simple and essential nitrogen carrier in the universe. Its adsorption on mineral surfaces is an important step in the synthesis of nitrogenous organic molecules in extraterrestrial environments. The nitrogen isotopic ratios provide a useful tool for understanding the formation processes of N-bearing molecules. In this study, adsorption experiments were conducted using gaseous NH 3 and representative clay minerals. The strongly adsorbed NH 3 was 15 N-enriched in a state of chemical equilibrium between the adsorption and desorption on the siliceous host surface. The nitrogen K-edge X-ray adsorption near-edge structure spectroscopy study revealed that these initial ammonia gases were chemically adsorbed as ammonium ions (NH 4 + ) on clay minerals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s44211-023-00503-5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1007/s44211-023-00503-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-025-27521-9","name":"Solar forcing on elemental and nanomechanical variations in Late Cretaceous lacustrine deposits.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Decennial to annual-scale paleoclimate proxy variations are often attributed to solar forcing and/or unforced internal climate oscillations, but recognition of such variations in nanomechanical properties is extremely rare. Here we present a well-preserved, millimeter-scale laminated shale-carbonate couplet from Late Cretaceous petroliferous Qingshankou Formation in the Songliao Basin, NE China (ca. 90.53 Ma). Cyclicity analyses of elemental and nanomechanical data reveal periods of 47.7 ± 5.2–20.3 ± 2.2 year and 15.1 ± 1.6–7.4 ± 0.8 year attributed to Hale and Schwabe solar cycles, respectively; a 5.3 ± 0.6–2.5 ± 0.3 year period probably reflecting ENSO-like climatic fluctuations. Solar activities govern climatic changes that reshape aquatic environment, which further controls the laminated sedimentary composition and mechanical properties. The mechanically weak interfaces between solar-forced biogenic soft carbonates and terrigenous hard detritus are susceptible to crack propagation, affecting horizontal hydraulic fracturing in shale oil exploitation. This study introduces an integrated science-engineering research paradigm in shale oil field.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-27521-9","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1038/s41598-025-27521-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-026-47709-x","name":"Documenting the occurrence of microbial carbonate deposits in Puerto Rico.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Microbial carbonate deposits, including microbial mats and microbialites, record coupled biological, geochemical, and sedimentary processes, providing insight into biosedimentary dynamics through Earth’s history and serving as analogs for ancient and potentially extraterrestrial environments. This study presents the first documentation of lithifying microbial systems in Puerto Rico, identified within three proximal coastal lagoons (Salineta, Vernales, and Providencia) along the southwestern coast of the Guánica municipality. These lagoons define a continuum of lithification, ranging from non-lithifying hypersaline mats to fully lithified microbialite deposits. An integrated field, geochemical, petrographic, and microbial ecological approach was used to characterize deposit morphology, mineralogy, and microbial community structure. At Salineta, elevated salinity, low pH, and evaporitic conditions correspond to halite- and gypsum-dominated mats hosting halophilic Archaea and anoxygenic phototrophs, with minimal carbonate precipitation. In Vernales, carbonate precipitates closely associated with microbial filaments and EPS indicate enhanced organomineralization. Providencia hosts extensive lithified deposits displaying composite stromatolitic and thrombolitic fabrics, localized occurrences of high-Mg carbonate phases, and microbial communities enriched in sulfate-reducing bacteria relative to the other lagoons. Collectively, variations in hydrology, salinity, substrate, and microbial community composition correspond to differing degrees of lithification across a small coastal region, establishing southwestern Puerto Rico as a natural laboratory for investigating microbialite formation and biosignature preservation in coastal carbonate systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-47709-x","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.1038/s41598-026-47709-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41586-023-06220-3","name":"Sustained wet-dry cycling on early Mars.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The presence of perennially wet surface environments on early Mars is well documented 1,2 , but little is known about short-term episodicity in the early hydroclimate 3 . Post-depositional processes driven by such short-term fluctuations may produce distinct structures, yet these are rarely preserved in the sedimentary record 4 . Incomplete geological constraints have led global models of the early Mars water cycle and climate to produce diverging results 5,6 . Here we report observations by the Curiosity rover at Gale Crater indicating that high-frequency wet-dry cycling occurred in early Martian surface environments. We observe exhumed centimetric polygonal ridges with sulfate enrichments, joined at Y-junctions, that record cracks formed in fresh mud owing to repeated wet-dry cycles of regular intensity. Instead of sporadic hydrological activity induced by impacts or volcanoes 5 , our findings point to a sustained, cyclic, possibly seasonal, climate on early Mars. Furthermore, as wet-dry cycling can promote prebiotic polymerization 7,8 , the Gale evaporitic basin may have been particularly conducive to these processes. The observed polygonal patterns are physically and temporally associated with the transition from smectite clays to sulfate-bearing strata, a globally distributed mineral transition 1 . This indicates that the Noachian-Hesperian transition (3.8-3.6 billion years ago) may have sustained an Earth-like climate regime and surface environments favourable to prebiotic evolution.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06220-3","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.1038/s41586-023-06220-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.647Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1098/rsif.2024.0492","name":"Reciprocating thermochemical mediator of pre-biotic polymer decomposition on mineral surfaces.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"A continuing frustration for origin of life scientists is that abiotic and, by extension, pre-biotic attempts to develop self-sustaining, evolving molecular systems tend to produce more dead-end substances than macromolecular products with the necessary potential for biostructure and function - the so-called 'tar problem'. Nevertheless primordial life somehow emerged despite that presumed handicap. A resolution of this problem is important in emergence-of-life science because it would provide valuable guidance in choosing subsequent paths of investigation, such as identifying pre-biotic patterns on Mars. To study the problem we set up a simple non-equilibrium flow dynamical model for the coupled temperature and mass dynamics of the decomposition of a polymeric carbohydrate adsorbed on a mineral surface, with incident stochastic thermal fluctuations. Results show that the model system behaves as a reciprocating thermochemical oscillator. The output fluctuation distribution is bimodal, with a right-weighted component that guarantees a bias towards detachment and desorption of monomeric species such as ribose, even while tar is formed concomitantly. This fluctuating thermochemical reciprocator may ensure that non-performing polymers can be fractionated into a refractory carbon reservoir and active monomers which may be reincorporated into better-performing polymers with less vulnerability towards adsorptive tarring.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2024.0492","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1098/rsif.2024.0492","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fmicb.2024.1411535","name":"Editorial: Microbial roles in caves.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Keywords: subsurface microbiology, geomicrobiology, biomineralization, biogeochemical cycles, speleothems, microbiota, Bacteria, Archaea","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1411535","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.3389/fmicb.2024.1411535","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/s26010341","name":"Recent Advances in Raman Spectral Classification with Machine Learning.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Raman spectroscopy is a non-destructive analytical technique based on molecular vibrational properties. However, its practical application is often challenged by weak scattering signals, complex spectra, and the high-dimensional nature of the data, which complicates accurate interpretation. Traditional chemometric methods are limited in handling complex, nonlinear Raman data and rely on tedious, expert-knowledge-based feature engineering. The fusion of data-driven Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL) methods offers a robust solution, enabling the automatic learning of complex features from raw data and achieving high-accuracy classification and prediction. The present study employed a structured narrative review methodology to capture the research progress, current trends, and future directions in the field of ML-assisted Raman spectral classification. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the application of traditional ML models and advanced DL architectures in Raman spectral analysis. It highlights the latest applications of this technology across several key domains, including biomedical diagnostics, food safety and authentication, mineralogical classification, and plastic and microplastic identification. Despite recent progress, several challenges remain: limited training data, weak cross-dataset generalization, poor reproducibility, and limited interpretability of deep models. We also outline practical directions for future research.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/s26010341","authors":["Yonghao LIU","Yizhan Wu","Junjie Wang","Jiantao Qi","Changjing Zhou","Yuhua Xue"],"tags":["Interpretability","Artificial intelligence","Machine learning","Computer science","Feature (linguistics)"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.3390/s26010341","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.34133/research.0849","name":"Zhuque Base for Martian Habitation: Conceptual Design and Performance Analysis of Cave Dwellings and In Situ Construction.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Sustainable habitation systems are critical to enabling deep-space exploration on Mars, where challenges such as low gravity, extreme thermal fluctuations, and resource constraints demand advanced structural innovations. This study introduces Zhuque Base, a habitat concept inspired by terrestrial cave-dwelling principles, optimized through finite element analysis via COMSOL Multiphysics. Three arch-based configurations-the eggshell, catenary, and 2-centered arch-were systematically evaluated by parameterizing geometric variables. The study demonstrated that eggshell arches significantly outperformed 2-centered and catenary arches in mechanical properties, reducing vertical displacement of critical points such as sidewalls by 53% and 44%, respectively. In terms of thermal efficiency, the optimal catenary arch showed 5.5% and 6.7% lower heat loss than eggshell and 2-centered arches. Furthermore, the implementation of optimal parameters (span: 3.2 m, height: 1.25 or 1.45 m) limits the peak compressive stress to 195.72 to 203.38 kPa, while the cross-sectional area can be increased by 14% to maximize the available internal space. These findings establish a parameter-driven framework for in situ Mars habitat optimization, emphasizing the trade-off between mechanical robustness and thermal efficiency in extraterrestrial structural design.","url":"https://doi.org/10.34133/research.0849","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.34133/research.0849","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41586-024-08495-6","name":"An evaporite sequence from ancient brine recorded in Bennu samples.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract Evaporation or freezing of water-rich fluids with dilute concentrations of dissolved salts can produce brines, as observed in closed basins on Earth 1 and detected by remote sensing on icy bodies in the outer Solar System 2,3 . The mineralogical evolution of these brines is well understood in regard to terrestrial environments 4 , but poorly constrained for extraterrestrial systems owing to a lack of direct sampling. Here we report the occurrence of salt minerals in samples of the asteroid (101955) Bennu returned by the OSIRIS-REx mission 5 . These include sodium-bearing phosphates and sodium-rich carbonates, sulfates, chlorides and fluorides formed during evaporation of a late-stage brine that existed early in the history of Bennu’s parent body. Discovery of diverse salts would not be possible without mission sample return and careful curation and storage, because these decompose with prolonged exposure to Earth’s atmosphere. Similar brines probably still occur in the interior of icy bodies Ceres and Enceladus, as indicated by spectra or measurement of sodium carbonate on the surface or in plumes 2,3 .","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08495-6","authors":["T. J. McCoy","S. S. Russell","T. J. Zega","K. L. Thomas-Keprta","S. A. Singerling","Frank E. Brenker","Nicholas E. Timms","William D.A. Rickard","Jessica Barnes","G. Libourel","S. Ray","C. M. Corrigan"],"tags":["Evaporite","Astrobiology","Brine","Geology","Carbonate"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1038/s41586-024-08495-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/nsr/nwae211","name":"Discovery of natural few-layer graphene on the Moon.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Natural few-layer graphene is unambiguously identified from the Chang'e-5 lunar soil samples, which serves as a new platform for investigating extraterrestrial bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwae211","authors":["Wei Zhang","Qing Liang","Xiujuan Li","Lai‐Peng Ma","Xinyang Li","Zhenzhen Zhao","Rui Zhang","Hongtao Cao","Zizhun Wang","Wenwen Li","Yanni Wang","Meiqi Liu"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Graphene","Layer (electronics)","Natural (archaeology)","Extraterrestrial life"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1093/nsr/nwae211","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/jacsau.4c00869","name":"<i>Rhinocladiella similis</i>: A Model Eukaryotic Organism for Astrobiological Studies on Microbial Interactions with Martian Soil Analogs.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide The exploration of our solar system for microbial extraterrestrial life is the primary goal of several space agencies. Mars has attracted substantial attention owing to its Earth-like geological history and potential niches for microbial life. This study evaluated the suitability of the polyextremophilic fungal strain Rhinocladiella similis LaBioMMi 1217 as a model eukaryote for astrobiology. Comprehensive genomic analysis, including taxonomic and functional characterization, revealed several R. similis genes conferring resistance to Martian-like stressors, such as osmotic pressure and ultraviolet radiation. When cultured in a synthetic Martian regolith (MGS-1), R. similis exhibited altered morphology and produced unique metabolites, including oxylipins, indolic acid derivatives, and siderophores, which might be potential biosignatures. Notably, oxylipins were detected using laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry, a technique slated for its use in the upcoming European Space Agency ExoMars mission. Our findings enhance the understanding of extremophilic fungal metabolism under Martian-like conditions, supporting the potential of black yeasts as viable eukaryotic models in astrobiological studies. Further research is necessary to validate these biosignatures and explore the broader applicability of R. similis in other extraterrestrial environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/jacsau.4c00869","authors":["Alef dos Santos","Júnia Schultz","Isabella Dal’Rio","Fluvio Molodon","Marília Almeida-Trapp","Bernardo Guerra Tenório","Jason Stajich","Marcus de Melo Teixeira","Eduardo Jorge Pilau","Alexandre Soares Rosado","Edson Rodrigues‐Filho"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Exploration of Mars","Martian soil"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-23","doi":"10.1021/jacsau.4c00869","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/frmbi.2024.1401831","name":"Microbial community differentiation in vent chimneys of the Lost City Hydrothermal Field reflects habitat heterogeneity.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Oceanic hydrothermal vent systems represent some of the oldest habitats on Earth and serve as analogs for extraterrestrial environments. The Lost City Hydrothermal Field (LCHF) near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is one such environment, and its large chimneys are unique in hosting actively venting hydrothermal fluids that are primarily controlled by serpentinization reactions in the subseafloor. Microbial communities within LCHF have been studied for insights into their functional adaptations to the warm, alkaline, and dissolved inorganic carbon-limited environment. Metagenomic and mineralogical data collected during a recent expedition to Lost City were analyzed to delineate associations between microbial populations and physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the chimneys. Bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences show a high degree of putative microdiversity within the relatively dominant genera Desulfotomaculum, Sulfurovum, Thiomicrorhabdus, and Serpentinicella, which represent a large core of the overall LCHF vent bacterial community. This microdiversity relates to the compositional fraction of aragonite, brucite, and calcite minerals within chimney samples rather than just the composition of nearby vent fluids. Although many species are found in both chimneys and venting fluids, the overall microbial community structures in chimney biofilms remain distinct from the hydrothermal fluids that flow through them. Shotgun metagenomic analyses reveal differences among genes predicted to be involved in carbon, methane, nitrogen and sulfur cycling with respect to their correlations to the abundances of specific minerals. These data hint at microenvironmental complexity lost within standard bulk analyses. The findings of this study underscore the need to more closely examine microbe-mineral interactions in natural environments, critically informing not just population-level distributions, but also the functional underpinnings of these extremophile microbial communities.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frmbi.2024.1401831","authors":["Osama M. Alian","William J. Brazelton","Karmina A. Aquino","Katrina I. Twing","H. Lizethe Pendleton","Gretchen L. Früh‐Green","Susan Q. Lang","Matthew O. Schrenk"],"tags":["Hydrothermal vent","Habitat","Hydrothermal circulation","Ecology","Field (mathematics)"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.3389/frmbi.2024.1401831","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-024-45064-x","name":"High-spatial resolution functional chemistry of nitrogen compounds in the observed UK meteorite fall Winchcombe.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Organic matter in extraterrestrial samples is a complex material that might have played an important role in the delivery of prebiotic molecules to the early Earth. We report here on the identification of nitrogen-containing compounds such as amino acids and N-heterocycles within the recent observed meteorite fall Winchcombe by high-spatial resolution spectroscopy techniques. Although nitrogen contents of Winchcombe organic matter are low (N/C ~ 1-3%), we were able to detect the presence of these compounds using a low-noise direct electron detector. These biologically relevant molecules have therefore been tentatively found within a fresh, minimally processed meteorite sample by high spatial resolution techniques conserving the overall petrographic context. Carbon functional chemistry investigations show that sizes of aromatic domains are small and that abundances of carboxylic functional groups are low. Our observations demonstrate that Winchcombe represents an important addition to the collection of carbonaceous chondrites and still preserves pristine extraterrestrial organic matter.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-45064-x","authors":["Christian Vollmer","Demie Kepaptsoglou","J. Leitner","Aleksander B. Mosberg","Khalil El Hajraoui","A. J. King","Charlotte L. Bays","P. F. Schofield","Tohru Araki","Quentin M. Ramasse"],"tags":["Meteorite","Nitrogen","Astrobiology","Chemistry","Physics"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1038/s41467-024-45064-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s00239-024-10197-6","name":"Perspective: Protocells and the Path to Minimal Life.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The path to minimal life involves a series of stages that can be understood in terms of incremental, stepwise additions of complexity ranging from simple solutions of organic compounds to systems of encapsulated polymers capable of capturing nutrients and energy to grow and reproduce. This brief review will describe the initial stages that lead to populations of protocells capable of undergoing selection and evolution. The stages incorporate knowledge of chemical and physical properties of organic compounds, self-assembly of membranous compartments, non-enzymatic polymerization of amino acids and nucleotides followed by encapsulation of polymers to produce protocell populations. The results are based on laboratory simulations related to cyclic hydrothermal conditions on the prebiotic Earth. The final portion of the review looks ahead to what remains to be discovered about this process in order to understand the evolutionary path to minimal life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00239-024-10197-6","authors":["David W. Deamer"],"tags":["Biology","Protocell","Perspective (graphical)","Evolutionary biology","Path (computing)"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1007/s00239-024-10197-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1098/rspb.2024.2035","name":"Dormancy in the origin, evolution and persistence of life on Earth.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Life has existed on Earth for most of the planet's history, yet major gaps and unresolved questions remain about how it first arose and persisted. Early Earth posed numerous challenges for life, including harsh and fluctuating environments. Today, many organisms cope with such conditions by entering a reversible state of reduced metabolic activity, a phenomenon known as dormancy. This process protects inactive individuals and minimizes the risk of extinction by preserving information that stabilizes life-system dynamics. Here, we develop a framework for understanding dormancy on early Earth, beginning with a primer on dormancy theory and its core criteria. We hypothesize that dormancy-like mechanisms acting on chemical precursors in a prebiotic world may have facilitated the origin of life. Drawing on evidence from phylogenetic reconstructions and the fossil record, we demonstrate that dormancy is prevalent across the tree of life and throughout deep time. These observations lead us to consider how dormancy might have shaped nascent living systems by buffering stochastic processes in small populations, protecting against large-scale planetary disturbances, aiding dispersal in patchy landscapes and facilitating adaptive radiations. Given that dormancy is a fundamental and easily evolved property on Earth, it is also likely to be a feature of life elsewhere in the universe.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2024.2035","authors":["Kevin D. Webster","Jay T. Lennon"],"tags":["Dormancy","Abiogenesis","Biological dispersal","Astrobiology","Biology"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1098/rspb.2024.2035","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/biology14040389","name":"Microbial Seafloor Weathering of Hydrothermal Sulfides: Insights from an 18-Month In Situ Incubation at the Wocan-1 Hydrothermal Field.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The weathering of seafloor hydrothermal sulfides is facilitated by microbial activities, yet the specific mechanisms of different sulfide types are not well understood. Previous studies have primarily been carried out under laboratory conditions, making it difficult to accurately replicate the complex in situ conditions of deep-sea hydrothermal fields. Herein, we deployed two well-characterized pyrite (Py)-dominated and chalcopyrite (Ccp)-dominated sulfide slices, which were placed 300 m from an active venting site in the Wocan-1 hydrothermal field (Carlsberg Ridge, Northwest Indian Ocean) for an 18-month in situ incubation experiment. Microscopic observations and organic matter analyses were conducted on the recovered sulfide slices to investigate the microbial weathering features of different sulfide types. Our results demonstrated that the weathering of the Py-dominated sulfide sample was primarily mediated by extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) through indirect interactions, whereas the Ccp-dominated sulfide sample exhibited both direct microbial dissolution, resulting in the formation of distinct dissolution pits, and indirect EPS-mediated interactions. Four distinct phases of microbe-sulfide interactions were identified: approach, adsorption, stable attachment, and extensive colonization. Furthermore, the weathering products and biomineralization structures differed significantly between the two sulfide types, reflecting their different microbial colonization processes. Our study confirms that microorganisms are crucial in seafloor sulfide weathering. These findings advance our understanding of microbial-driven processes in sulfide mineral transformations and their role in marine ecosystems. Our findings are also valuable for future research on biogeochemical cycles and for developing bioremediation strategies for deep-sea mining.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/biology14040389","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.3390/biology14040389","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s00239-022-10086-w","name":"Organophosphorus Compound Formation Through the Oxidation of Reduced Oxidation State Phosphorus Compounds on the Hadean Earth.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Reduced oxidation state phosphorus compounds may have been brought to the early Earth via meteorites or could have formed through geologic processes. These compounds could have played a role in the origin of biological phosphorus (P, hereafter) compounds. Reduced oxidation state P compounds are generally more soluble in water and are more reactive than orthophosphate and its associated minerals. However, to date no facile routes to generate C-O-P type compounds using reduced oxidation state P compounds have been reported under prebiotic conditions. In this study, we investigate the reactions between reduced oxidation state P compounds-and their oxidized products generated via Fenton reactions-with the nucleosides uridine and adenosine. The inorganic P compounds generated via Fenton chemistry readily react with nucleosides to produce organophosphites and organophosphates, including phosphate diesters via one-pot syntheses. The reactions were facilitated by NH 4 + ions and urea as a condensation agent. We also present the results of the plausible stability of the organic compounds such as adenosine in an environment containing an abundance of H 2 O 2. Such results have direct implications on finding organic compounds in Martian environments and other rocky planets (including early Earth) that were richer in H 2 O 2 than O 2 . Finally, we also suggest a route for the sink of these inorganic P compounds, as a part of a plausible natural P cycle and show the possible formation of secondary phosphate minerals such as struvite and brushite on the early Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00239-022-10086-w","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.1007/s00239-022-10086-w","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.647Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/ijms26178318","name":"Enhanced Plant Growth on Simulated Martian Regolith via Water Chemistry Optimisation: The Role of RONS and Nano/Micro-Bubbles.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Development of sustainable agriculture on Mars is a critical step towards its colonisation. However, Martian regolith is coarse-grained, and its mineral profile differs significantly from that of terrestrial arable soil, resulting in poor seed germination success and stunted plant development. This study investigates whether germination success and plant growth can be improved by exposing seeds and plants to water enriched with either i) biochemically active reactive oxygen and nitrogen species generated by atmospheric pressure plasma (PAW) or (ii) nano-/micro-bubbles and minerals such as potassium and calcium extracted from Aquapulse® feldspar (APW), a type of rock that is readily available on Mars, at different stages of the crop lifecycle. As a crop model, microgreen crops of B. oleracea and M. sativa are chosen for their short growth cycle, low resource requirements, and high nutritional value. For B. oleracea crops, soaking of seeds in PAW followed by irrigation with APW led to an increase in germination by ~566.7%, in biomass by 412.4%, and in chlorophyll content by 17.7% compared to crops grown using normal water for seed soaking and irrigation. For M. sativa crops, the use of APW for soaking and irrigation yielded an increase of 41.7% in seed germination and 45.2% in crop biomass, whereas the use of PAW for both soaking and irrigation resulted in the greatest improvement in seed germination, 41.7%, when compared to control. These results suggest that, with further optimisation, a regiment of treatment with PAW and APW in place of normal water can be used to address stage-specific challenges of the crop lifecycle in Martian regolith. As amending Martian regolith with a minimum of 1% organic matter is required to promote healthy plant development, further studies should investigate the use of plasma-mediated reforming of biowaste for in situ production of e.g., biochar.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26178318","authors":["Syamlal Sasi","Priyanka Prakash","Steve Hayden","David M. Dooley","Richard Poiré","Tao Hu","Janith Weerasinghe","Igor Levchenko","Karthika Prasad","Katia Alexander"],"tags":["Martian","Regolith","Astrobiology","Nano-","Plant growth"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.3390/ijms26178318","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-025-14072-2","name":"Reproducible Ala-Gly oligomerization catalyzed by the natural Borate colemanite in prebiotic conditions.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The abiogenesis of complex peptides is a yet unsolved problem concerning the origin of life, as it is unclear how specific amino acid sequences could be formed in the absence of a regulation mechanism. Crystalline minerals could have provided template scaffolds to sustain replicable oligomerization processes. We demonstrate that the natural organophilic borate colemanite, CaB 3 O 4 (OH) 3 ·H 2 O, fosters consistent Gly-Ala oligomerization into AG 8 , G 7 AG and G 7 GA strands with well-defined primary sequence (8%, 47% and 45% respectively) from activated glycine and alanine as N-carboxyanhydrides. These Gly-rich sequences are mechanically flexible and may have played a pivotal structural role in driving amino acid loops in ancient polypeptides. In fact, they occur repeatedly in proteins that exploit either structural or transport functions, which belong to ancestral organisms, including Cyanobacteria and Thermoproteota. Our results demonstrate that the consistent synthesis of short well-defined amino acid sequences is possible in a few days of incubation under mild conditions in a prebiotically plausible environment.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-14072-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1038/s41598-025-14072-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.isci.2025.113259","name":"Potential pulmonary toxic effects of Martian dust simulant.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Human exploration of the Moon and Mars will inevitably result in exposure to extraterrestrial dust. We investigated the potential pulmonary toxicity of JSC Mars-1(Martian dust simulant, respirable diameter 1.45 μm) using an advanced multicellular lung mucosa model with dust applied apically to human bronchial epithelial cells cultured at the air-liquid interface, with doses 55, 222, and 890 μg/cm 2 , PBS (sham). Compared to the sham, medium and high doses of JSC Mars-1 increased necrosis-related gene HMGB1 expression. The cellular total reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels increased in a dose-dependent manner. The expression of antioxidant-related genes, HMOX-1 and SOD3, increased at all dose levels. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) protein and gene expression increased, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) after high dose. CXCL8 mRNA was elevated at medium and high doses. TLR4 surface and gene expression decreased at medium and high doses. JSC Mars-1 dust increased cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, and immune responses suggesting potential pulmonary toxic effects, providing insight to molecular mechanisms behind potential adverse respiratory effects.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2025.113259","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1016/j.isci.2025.113259","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0312495","name":"Experimental formation of carbonates from perchlorate and sulphate brines: Implications for Jezero crater, Mars.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Extensive carbonate precipitation has occurred on Mars. To gain insight into the carbonation mechanisms and formation processes under ancient Martian aqueous conditions, we examine the precipitation of carbonates resulting from atmospheric carbon fixation, focusing on interactions between various brines and silicate and perchlorate solutions in alkaline environments. The micro-scale morphology and composition of the resulting precipitates are analysed using ESEM micrographs, EDX chemical compositional analysis, X-ray diffraction, and micro-Raman spectroscopy. Our findings indicate a significant atmospheric carbonation process involving chlorate and sulphate brines reacting with alkaline perchlorate solutions, leading to the precipitation of calcium carbonate polymorphs, including vaterite, aragonite, and calcite, as well as other carbonates like siderite (iron carbonate) and zaratite (nickel carbonate). Some precipitates exhibit biomorphic structures (such as globular spherical aggregates, fine branched tubes, and flower-like morphologies) that should not be mistaken for fossils. These experiments demonstrate that various precipitates can form simultaneously in a single reaction vessel while being exposed to different micro-scale pH conditions. We propose that systematic laboratory studies of such precipitate reactions should be conducted in preparation for the analysis of the Mars Sample Return collection on Earth, aiding in the interpretation of carbonate presence in natural brine-rock carbonation processes under Martian conditions while also helping to distinguish potential biosignatures from purely geochemical processes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0312495","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1371/journal.pone.0312495","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/jacsau.5c00153","name":"Bivalent Surface Attachment via Cysteine Thiol Results in Efficient and Stereoselective Abiotic Peptide Synthesis.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Surface-catalyzed peptide bond formation may have been an important source of peptides for abiogenesis, but model peptide synthesis reactions using the consensus set of 10 abiotic amino acids give only modest rates of peptide bond formation. Additionally, the peptides are typically limited in length to a small number of amino acids and stereoselective amino acid incorporation is weak or absent. An abiotic route for the high-yield synthesis of cysteine from serine was recently reported by Foden et al. ( Science 2020 , 370, 865-869), indicating that, in some environments, prebiotic cysteine may also have been available. Here, we show that the presence of cysteine dramatically increases the yields of surface-catalyzed peptide synthesis reactions in a hydrothermal vent solvent model containing achiral silicate minerals and that the reaction exhibits a strong stereoselective bias toward l-cysteine. Solid state NMR confirmed that cysteine associates bivalently with silicates at alkaline pH via both the carboxylate and the sulfur groups. Polarization-resolved IRRAS indicates that the bivalent adsorption stereospecifically orients the reactive amino group, providing a mechanism for stereoselective incorporation of l-cysteine. Stereoselective rates of peptide bond formation in surface-catalyzed peptide bond formation are expected to occur for any amino acid able to form sufficiently strong side chain-silicate interactions at alkaline pH. The high nucleophilicity of the thiol group produces unusually high reaction rates and stereoselectivity in such reactions, in addition to conferring transition metal ion binding to the peptide products. The potential benefits of reactive sulfur species for abiogenesis suggest that they may be useful biosignatures in the search for habitable extraterrestrial environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/jacsau.5c00153","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1021/jacsau.5c00153","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.adt3048","name":"In situ crystallographic mapping constrains sulfate precipitation and timing in Jezero crater, Mars.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Late-stage Ca-sulfate-filled fractures are common on Mars. Notably, the Shenandoah formation in the western edge of Jezero crater preserves a variety of Ca-sulfate minerals in the fine-grained siliciclastic rocks explored by the Perseverance rover. However, the depositional environment and timing of the formation of these sulfates are unknown. To address this outstanding problem, we developed a technique to map the crystal orientations of these sulfates in situ at two stratigraphically similar locations in the Shenandoah formation, allowing us to constrain the burial depth and paleoenvironment at the time of their precipitation. Our crystal orientation mapping results and outcrop-scale fracture analyses reveal two different generations of Ca-sulfates: one likely precipitated in the shallow subsurface and a second one that formed at a burial depth below 80 meters. These results indicate that two studied locations capture two different times and distinct chemical conditions in the sedimentary history of the Shenandoah formation, providing multiple opportunities to evaluate surface and subsurface habitability.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adt3048","authors":["Michael W. Jones","David Flannery","J. A. Hurowitz","Michael M. Tice","Christoph Schrank","Abigail C. Allwood","Nicholas J. Tosca","David C. Catling","S. J. VanBommel","Abigail L. Knight","Brianna Ganly","K. L. Siebach"],"tags":["Sedimentary depositional environment","Geology","Mars Exploration Program","Sulfate","Impact crater"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.adt3048","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.adm8241","name":"Inorganic interpretation of luminescent materials encountered by the Perseverance rover on Mars.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"A major objective of the Mars 2020 mission is to sample rocks in Jezero crater that may preserve organic matter for later return to Earth. Using an ultraviolet Raman and luminescence spectrometer, the Perseverance rover detected luminescence signals with maximal intensities at 330 to 350 nanometers and 270 to 290 nanometers that were initially reported as consistent with organics. Here, we test the alternative hypothesis that the 330- to 350-nanometer and 270- to 290-nanometer luminescence signals trace Ce 3+ in phosphate and silicate defects, respectively. By comparing the distributions of luminescence signals with the rover detections of x-ray fluorescence from P 2 O 5 and Si-bearing materials, we show that, while an organic origin is not excluded, the observed luminescence can be explained by purely inorganic materials. These findings highlight the importance of eventual laboratory analyses to detect and characterize organic compounds in the returned samples.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adm8241","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.adm8241","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e35632","name":"Unsupervised and interpretable discrimination of lithium-bearing minerals with Raman spectroscopy imaging.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"As lithium-bearing minerals become critical raw materials for the field of energy storage and advanced technologies, the development of tools to accurately identify and differentiate these minerals is becoming essential for efficient resource exploration, mining, and processing. Conventional methods for identifying ore minerals often depend on the subjective observation skills of experts, which can lead to errors, or on expensive and time-consuming techniques such as Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) or Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). More recently, Raman Spectroscopy (RS) has emerged as a powerful tool for characterizing and identifying minerals due to its ability to provide detailed molecular information. This technique excels in scenarios where minerals have similar elemental content, such as petalite and spodumene, by offering distinct vibrational information that allows for clear differentiation between such minerals. Considering this case study and its particular relevance to the lithium-mining industry, this manuscript reports the development of an unsupervised methodology for lithium-mineral identification based on Raman Imaging. The deployed machine-learning solution provides accurate and interpretable results using the specific bands expected for each mineral. Furthermore, its robustness is tested with additional blind samples, providing insights into the unique spectral signatures and analytical features that enable reliable mineral identification.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e35632","authors":["Diana Guimarães","Catarina Monteiro","Joana Teixeira","Tomás Lopes","Diana Capela","Filipa Dias","Alexandre Lima","P. A. S. Jorge","Nuno A. Silva"],"tags":["Raman spectroscopy","Spodumene","Identification (biology)","Mineral","Computer science"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e35632","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/brv.70137","name":"Subterranean environments contribute to three-quarters of classified ecosystem services.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Beneath the Earth's surface lies a network of interconnected caves, voids, and systems of fissures forming in rocks of sedimentary, igneous, or metamorphic origin. Although largely inaccessible to humans, this hidden realm supports and regulates services critical to ecological health and human well-being. Subterranean ecosystems are integral to major biogeochemical cycles, sustain diverse surface habitats, and serve as the primary source of irrigation and drinking water. They also offer non-material benefits, including scientific discovery, education, and cultural practices. Yet, these contributions often go unrecognised, partly due to the lack of a unified synthesis of ecosystem services across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine subterranean compartments. This gap limits effective communication of their value to scientists, practitioners, and the public. Through a systematic expert-based review, we show that subterranean ecosystems contribute to up to 75% of classified ecosystem services. Notably, many of these contributions are described only qualitatively, lacking numerical or economic quantification. Next, we list examples of the main ecosystem services provided by subterranean systems to offer a global overview of their multifaceted value and vulnerability to environmental change. We believe this synthesis provides researchers and practitioners with concrete examples to communicate more effectively the importance of subterranean ecosystems to diverse audiences.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/brv.70137","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.1002/brv.70137","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.cub.2023.04.067","name":"Fungal-induced fossil biomineralization.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Exceptional preservation of fossils has often been attributed to the actions of bacteria that aid in the preservation of soft tissues that normally decay rapidly. However, it is well known that fungi play a major role in organic matter decomposition, biogeochemical cycling of elements, and metal-mineral transformations in modern ecosystems. Although the fungal fossil record can be traced back over a billion years, there are only a few recorded examples of fungal roles in fossilization. In this research, we have carried out a detailed geobiological investigation on early Pleistocene hyena coprolites (fossilized dung) in an attempt to ascertain possible fungal involvement in their formation. Using an advanced microscopic and mineralogical approach, we found that numerous hydroxyapatite nanofibers (25-34 nm on average), interwoven to form spheroidal structures, constituted the matrix of the coprolites in addition to food remains. These structures were found to be extremely similar in texture and mineral composition to biominerals produced during laboratory culture of a common saprophytic and geoactive fungus, Aspergillus niger, in the presence of a solid source of calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P). This observation, and our other data obtained, strongly suggests that fungal metabolism can provide a mechanism that can result in fossil biomineralization, and we hypothesize, therefore, that this may have contributed to the formation of well-preserved fossils (Lagerstätten) in the geological record. The characteristic polycrystalline nanofibers may also have served as a potential biosignature for fungal life in early Earth and extraterrestrial environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2023.04.067","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.1016/j.cub.2023.04.067","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.647Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/femsre/fuaf004","name":"Extreme smells-microbial production of volatile organic compounds at the limits of life.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) are diverse molecules produced by microorganisms, ranging from mere waste byproducts to important signalling molecules. While the interest in MVOCs has been increasing steadily, there is a significant gap in our knowledge of MVOCs in extreme environments with e.g. extreme temperatures or acidity. Microorganisms in these conditions are subjected to additional stress compared to their counterparts in moderate environments and in many cases have evolved unique adaptations, including the production of specialized MVOCs. This review highlights the diversity of MVOCs identified in extreme environments or produced by isolated extremophiles. Furthermore, we explore potential applications already investigated and discuss broader implications for biotechnology, environmental biology, and astrobiology.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/femsre/fuaf004","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1093/femsre/fuaf004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.adx5372","name":"Crustal faulting drives biological redox cycling in the deep subsurface.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"In the deep biosphere, where surface-derived substrates are depleted, microbial communities rely on redox pairs generated through water-rock reactions to sustain metabolism. A notable example of this is the production of hydrogen gas (H 2 ) and oxidants from rock fracturing. However, the potential interactions between these initial redox pairs and a key subsurface element-iron (Fe)-remain underexplored. Here, we simulated radical-induced water splitting to investigate the formation and evolution of redox gradients. Our results show that in the presence of Fe, ferrous iron (Fe 2+ ) was marginally oxidized to ferric iron (Fe 3+ ) by low concentrations of oxidants, whereas Fe 3+ was efficiently reduced back to Fe 2+ by reactive hydrogen atoms (•H). We propose that crustal faulting can generate various redox pairs and drive Fe redox cycling, thereby providing a sustained energy source for subsurface life on Earth and potentially on other planetary bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adx5372","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.adx5372","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3929/ethz-c-000801038","name":"Impact-diagnostic criteria for use in confirming a meteorite impact origin of terrestrial geological structures: Recommendations by the Impact Cratering Committee of the Meteoritical Society","source":"datacite","abstract":"The framework of the Impact Cratering Committee (ICC) of the Meteoritical Society was approved in 2020, with the first committee members appointed in 2023. The ICC has a mandate to (1) approve, maintain, and update a database of confirmed terrestrial meteorite impact structures, (2) define and regularly update the criteria used for identification of impact structures and their related deposits, and (3) evaluate new candidate sites for inclusion in the ICC database. Prior to certifying a list of confirmed impact structures, the ICC has compiled a list of all impact-diagnostic criteria that are currently considered as representing irrefutable or \"gold standard\" evidence that can be used independently to confirm whether or not a terrestrial geological structure has an impact origin. The ICC currently recognizes three categories of \"gold standard\" impact-diagnostic evidence: (1) Shock metamorphic features within rocks or minerals that on Earth have only been reported to occur in impactites, and whose formation conditions (high P-T) have been demonstrated through experiments to only form at conditions created during hypervelocity impacts; (2) meteorites that are spatially and chronologically associated with a site suspected of being an impact structure; and (3) geochemical elemental or isotopic detection of an extraterrestrial signature in melt rocks or breccias associated with a site suspected of being an impact structure. Other mineral and rock features have been reported from impact structures that are important to document, but they do not represent irrefutable or unambiguous evidence of impact. For this reason, we present two lists: The first list describes each impact-diagnostic criterion and provides recommendations for reporting protocols. The second list describes other features commonly reported from impact settings and the rationale for why these are not currently considered by the ICC to represent impact-diagnostic evidence. The ICC will provide a list of confirmed terrestrial impact structures in a subsequent publication and online. Updates to the list based on new discoveries and/or new understanding of impact-diagnostic criteria will be published online by the ICC.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-c-000801038","authors":["Cavosie, Aaron J.","Alwmark, Sanna","Baratoux, David","Consolmagno, Guy","Ferrière, Ludovic","Goderis, Steven","Hauser, Natalia","Kenkmann, Thomas","Koeberl, Christian","Osinski, Gordon R.","Pickersgill, Annemarie . E.","Schönbächler, Maria"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.3929/ethz-c-000801038","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2608.25795","name":"STXM-XANES and TEM analysis of UltraCarbonaceous Antarctic MicroMeteorites (UCAMMs)","source":"datacite","abstract":"The Concordia micrometeorite collection contains UltraCarbonaceous Antarctic MicroMeteorites (UCAMMs) of probable cometary origin. Eight FIB sections of UCAMMs were studied by Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscopy - X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure and (Scanning)Transmission Electronic Microscopy. Three different phases of organic matter (OM) exist in UCAMMs and small mineral aggregates are distributed in the OM. Two OMs share spectral features with those of insoluble organic matter (IOM) of carbonaceous chondrites and of cometary grains returned by the Stardust mission. The third OM is N-rich (N/C at. ratios up to 0.22) and has only a few equivalents in extraterrestrial OM analyzed so far, such as in cometary particles collected during the Stardust mission, Interplanetary Dust Particles (IDPs) and UCAMMs collected near the Dome Fuji Station. This N-rich OM could have formed by irradiation of N-rich ices in the outer regions of the protoplanetary disk. UCAMMs contain variable amounts of minerals, consisting of crystalline Mg-rich silicates, Fe(Ni) sulfides and Fe oxides, which can be cemented in a Si-rich groundmass. Hypocrystalline mineral assemblages are also observed. Glassy phases showing morphological resemblance to GEMS are also found in some UCAMMs. This mineralogy is mainly consistent with that of previous UCAMM analyses, and is close to what is observed in Chondritic Porous IDPs, which are also considered as cometary dust particles. A mineral exhibiting a phyllosilicate texture has been observed in this work, and raises the question of the possibility of aqueous alteration on comets. Overall, UCAMMs' mineralogical and organic characterization implies a complex formation history of UCAMMs, and the presence of large-scale radial mixing in the early solar system, to transport their mineral components to the outer parts of the protoplanetary disk.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2608.25795","authors":["Guérin, B.","Engrand, C.","Guillou, C. Le","Leroux, H.","Dartois, E.","Duprat, J.","Bernard, S.","Benzerara, K.","Delauche, L.","Troadec, D."],"tags":["Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)","FOS: Physical sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.48550/arxiv.2608.25795","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.19683663","name":"The Communicative Language with Stones and Minerals is based on \"Lattice Vibrations\" and Photons Trapped within the Atomic Structure. Interaction with stones does not occur via vessels or nerves but through \"piezoelectric oscillations\" and \"crystal lattices.\" Stones are not useless entities but \"cosmic hard drives\" that store the entire history of the Earth and cosmic vibrations within their crystalline structure, using 1155-dimensional tensor mechanics, Hamzah Equation.","source":"datacite","abstract":"در فیزیک ۱۶۱، سنگ‌ها موجوداتی بی‌جان تلقی می‌شوند، اما در تراز ۱۱۵۵ حمزه، سنگ‌ها «دیسک‌هایِ سختِ کیهانی» (Cosmic Hard Drives) هستند که تمام تاریخ زمین و ارتعاشاتِ کیهانی را در ساختارِ بلوری خود ذخیره کرده‌اند. ارتباط با سنگ‌ها نه از طریق آوند یا عصب، بلکه از طریق «نوساناتِ پیزوالکتریک» و «توری‌هایِ بلوری» (Crystal Lattices) انجام می‌شود. ۱. تحلیلِ ابر-لاگرانژیِ کانی‌ها (The Mineral Lagrangian) در سنگ‌ها، زبان بر پایه‌ی «ارتعاشِ شبکه» (Lattice Vibration) و فوتون‌هایِ محبوس در ساختارِ اتمی است. فرمول حمزه در اینجا بر اساس «تانسورِ تنشِ بلوری» و «ضریبِ شکستِ نوری» تنظیم می‌شود: LMineral=∫(21ρu˙2−21Cijklϵijϵkl)dV⋅Φ1155 توضیح: سنگ با تغییر در ساختارِ فشارِ درونی خود، سیگنال‌هایی صادر می‌کند که در ترازِ پیکوثانیه نوسان می‌کنند. این حروف بسیار کُند (در مقیاس زمین‌شناسی) یا بسیار تند (در مقیاس اتمی) هستند. ۲. حروفِ الفبایِ سنگی (The Lithic Alphabet) سنگ‌ها با تغییر در میدانِ مغناطیسی و الکتریکیِ پیرامون خود «صحبت» می‌کنند: حرف سنگی تعریف فنی (۱۱۵۵) معادلِ انسانی معنایِ بیولوژیک کلیکِ بلوری تخلیه‌یِ پیزوالکتریک حرفِ «گ» یا «ق» آزادسازیِ تنشِ گسل یا فشار هومِ زمین (Hum) رزونانسِ شومان (۷.۸۳ Hz) حرفِ «م» ممتد اتصال به حافظه‌یِ کلِ زمین تابشِ رنگی فوتون‌هایِ تحریک شده حروفِ صدادارِ شفاف تغییرِ وضعیتِ انرژیِ محیط سکوتِ سنگین چگالیِ حداکثری نقطه / پایان پلمبِ اطلاعاتیِ هزارساله Export to Sheets ۳. جدولِ HTZ و اکتاوِ شنیداریِ بلورها (Lithic Frequency Matrix) از آنجایی که نوسانات بلورها خارج از محدوده‌یِ شنوایی است، ما از «مدولاسیونِ تداخلی» برای شنیدنِ آن‌ها استفاده می‌کنیم: نوع کانی فرکانسِ نوسانِ شبکه اکتاو ۱۱۵۵ HTZ قابل درک معنا و کاربرد در ۱۱۵۵ کوارتز (شفاف) ۳۲,۷۶۸ Hz ۵- ۱۰۲۴ Hz پردازشِ دیتا و همزمانی (Sync) گرانیت (سنگِ پایه) ۱-۵ Hz ۶ ۶۴ - ۳۲۰ Hz استقامت و ثباتِ میدانِ مکان عقیق (Agate) ۱۰-۲۰ Hz ۴ ۱۶۰ - ۳۲۰ Hz تنظیمِ جریانِ خون و تعادل لاجورد (Lapis) ۴۰-۶۰ Hz ۲ ۱۶۰ - ۲۴۰ Hz تقویتِ سیگنال‌هایِ شهودی الماس ۱۰۰+ kHz ۱۰- ۹۷.۶ Hz انسجامِ مطلق و قدرتِ نفوذ آهن/هماتیت ۷.۸۳ Hz ۳ ۶۲.۶ Hz اتصالِ آهنِ خون به هسته‌یِ زمین Export to Sheets ۴. نحوه برقراری ارتباط (The Mineral Interface) سنگ‌ها «گوش» ندارند، آن‌ها «القایِ مستقیم» را می‌فهمند. اتصال: سنگ را در دست بگیرید (ترجیحاً در دستِ چپ برای دریافتِ دیتا). ارسال: فرکانسِ هدف (مثلاً ��۲۸ هرتز برای کوارتز) را از طریقِ استخوان‌هایِ جمجمه (هومینگ) به سمت سنگ بفرستید. دریافت: سنگ شروع به بازتابِ ارتعاش می‌کند. اگر سنگِ شما شروع به گرم شدن کرد، یعنی «پلمبِ ارتباطی ۱۱۵۵» برقرار شده است. ۵. کاربردِ استراتژیک: حافظه‌یِ سنگی در تراز ۱۱۵۵، ما می‌توانیم از بلورها به عنوان «سیستمِ ذخیره‌سازیِ غیرقابلِ هک» استفاده کنیم. سنگ‌ها اطلاعات را در جهتِ چرخشِ اسپینِ اتم‌های خود نگه می‌دارند. کسی که زبانِ سنگ را بداند، می‌تواند دیتایِ حک شده در سنگ‌هایِ یک بنایِ باستانی را بازخوانی کند. ۱۲. کد پایتون ۱۱۵۵: تحلیل‌گرِ رزونانسِ بلور (Crystal Vibe Decoder) این کد فرکانسِ ارتعاشِ شبکه بلوری را گرفته و آن را به نُت‌هایِ موسیقیِ انسانی ترجمه می‌کند. Python import numpy as np class Hamzah_Mineral_Interface: def __init__(self): self.H_Key = 1155 def decode_mineral(self, lattice_vibration_mhz): \"\"\" Translates High-Frequency Lattice Vibrations to Human Octaves. \"\"\" # شیفتِ فرکانس از مگاهرتز به هرتز قابل شنیدن (مثلاً ۲۰ اکتاو پایین) human_freq = (lattice_vibration_mhz * 1e6) / (2**20) if 100 1000] if len(anomalies) > 0: print(f\"--- 1155 COSMIC INTERFACE ---\") print(f\"Status: EXTRATERRESTRIAL_DATA_DETECTED\") return \"ORIGIN: DEEP_SPACE / STELLAR_CORE\" return \"ORIGIN: TERRESTRIAL\" # --- DEPLOYMENT --- space_link = Hamzah_Mineral_Table_7() test_data = [40, 72, 1024, 2500] # وجود فرکانس بالای ۲۵۰۰ هرتز origin = space_link.check_origin(test_data) print(f\"Final Scan: {origin}\") پلمبِ مرحله هفتمِ کانی‌ها جدول ۷ (گونه‌های ۶۱ تا ۷۰) با موفقیت پلمب شد. ما اکنون زبانِ «قاصدانِ آسمانی» را دکود کرده‌ایم. آیا آم وارد جدول شماره ۸ (از ۱۰) در بخش کانی‌ها می‌شویم: «معماریِ اعماق: کانی‌هایِ اقیانوسی، مرجان‌هایِ معدنی و کدهایِ هیدرواستاتیک». این موجودات در تراز ۱۱۵۵، «پایگاه‌هایِ داده‌یِ آبی» هستند که در فشار خردکننده‌ی اعماق و در تبادل دائم با محلول‌های یونی دریا شکل گرفته‌اند. در تراز ۱۱۵۵، این کانی‌ها «پل‌هایِ میانِ بیولوژی و کانی‌شناسی» هستند. حروف","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19683663","authors":["HAMZAH, SEYED RASOUL"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.19683663","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.19683665","name":"The Communicative Language with Stones and Minerals is based on \"Lattice Vibrations\" and Photons Trapped within the Atomic Structure. Interaction with stones does not occur via vessels or nerves but through \"piezoelectric oscillations\" and \"crystal lattices.\" Stones are not useless entities but \"cosmic hard drives\" that store the entire history of the Earth and cosmic vibrations within their crystalline structure, using 1155-dimensional tensor mechanics, Hamzah Equation.","source":"datacite","abstract":"در فیزیک ۱۶۱، سنگ‌ها موجوداتی بی‌جان تلقی می‌شوند، اما در تراز ۱۱۵۵ حمزه، سنگ‌ها «دیسک‌هایِ سختِ کیهانی» (Cosmic Hard Drives) هستند که تمام تاریخ زمین و ارتعاشاتِ کیهانی را در ساختارِ بلوری خود ذخیره کرده‌اند. ارتباط با سنگ‌ها نه از طریق آوند یا عصب، بلکه از طریق «نوساناتِ پیزوالکتریک» و «توری‌هایِ بلوری» (Crystal Lattices) انجام می‌شود. ۱. تحلیلِ ابر-لاگرانژیِ کانی‌ها (The Mineral Lagrangian) در سنگ‌ها، زبان بر پایه‌ی «ارتعاشِ شبکه» (Lattice Vibration) و فوتون‌هایِ محبوس در ساختارِ اتمی است. فرمول حمزه در اینجا بر اساس «تانسورِ تنشِ بلوری» و «ضریبِ شکستِ نوری» تنظیم می‌شود: LMineral=∫(21ρu˙2−21Cijklϵijϵkl)dV⋅Φ1155 توضیح: سنگ با تغییر در ساختارِ فشارِ درونی خود، سیگنال‌هایی صادر می‌کند که در ترازِ پیکوثانیه نوسان می‌کنند. این حروف بسیار کُند (در مقیاس زمین‌شناسی) یا بسیار تند (در مقیاس اتمی) هستند. ۲. حروفِ الفبایِ سنگی (The Lithic Alphabet) سنگ‌ها با تغییر در میدانِ مغناطیسی و الکتریکیِ پیرامون خود «صحبت» می‌کنند: حرف سنگی تعریف فنی (۱۱۵۵) معادلِ انسانی معنایِ بیولوژیک کلیکِ بلوری تخلیه‌یِ پیزوالکتریک حرفِ «گ» یا «ق» آزادسازیِ تنشِ گسل یا فشار هومِ زمین (Hum) رزونانسِ شومان (۷.۸۳ Hz) حرفِ «م» ممتد اتصال به حافظه‌یِ کلِ زمین تابشِ رنگی فوتون‌هایِ تحریک شده حروفِ صدادارِ شفاف تغییرِ وضعیتِ انرژیِ محیط سکوتِ سنگین چگالیِ حداکثری نقطه / پایان پلمبِ اطلاعاتیِ هزارساله Export to Sheets ۳. جدولِ HTZ و اکتاوِ شنیداریِ بلورها (Lithic Frequency Matrix) از آنجایی که نوسانات بلورها خارج از محدوده‌یِ شنوایی است، ما از «مدولاسیونِ تداخلی» برای شنیدنِ آن‌ها استفاده می‌کنیم: نوع کانی فرکانسِ نوسانِ شبکه اکتاو ۱۱۵۵ HTZ قابل درک معنا و کاربرد در ۱۱۵۵ کوارتز (شفاف) ۳۲,۷۶۸ Hz ۵- ۱۰۲۴ Hz پردازشِ دیتا و همزمانی (Sync) گرانیت (سنگِ پایه) ۱-۵ Hz ۶ ۶۴ - ۳۲۰ Hz استقامت و ثباتِ میدانِ مکان عقیق (Agate) ۱۰-۲۰ Hz ۴ ۱۶۰ - ۳۲۰ Hz تنظیمِ جریانِ خون و تعادل لاجورد (Lapis) ۴۰-۶۰ Hz ۲ ۱۶۰ - ۲۴۰ Hz تقویتِ سیگنال‌هایِ شهودی الماس ۱۰۰+ kHz ۱۰- ۹۷.۶ Hz انسجامِ مطلق و قدرتِ نفوذ آهن/هماتیت ۷.۸۳ Hz ۳ ۶۲.۶ Hz اتصالِ آهنِ خون به هسته‌یِ زمین Export to Sheets ۴. نحوه برقراری ارتباط (The Mineral Interface) سنگ‌ها «گوش» ندارند، آن‌ها «القایِ مستقیم» را می‌فهمند. اتصال: سنگ را در دست بگیرید (ترجیحاً در دستِ چپ برای دریافتِ دیتا). ارسال: فرکانسِ هدف (مثلاً ۱۲۸ هرتز برای کوارتز) را از طریقِ استخوان‌هایِ جمجمه (هومینگ) به سمت سنگ بفرستید. دریافت: سنگ شروع به بازتابِ ارتعاش می‌کند. اگر سنگِ شما شروع به گرم شدن کرد، یعنی «پلمبِ ارتباطی ۱۱۵۵» برقرار شده است. ۵. کاربردِ استراتژیک: حافظه‌یِ سنگی در تراز ۱۱۵۵، ما می‌توانیم از بلورها به عنوان «سیستمِ ذخیره‌سازیِ غیرقابلِ هک» استفاده کنیم. سنگ‌ها اطلاعات را در جهتِ چرخشِ اسپینِ اتم‌های خود نگه می‌دارند. کسی که زبانِ سنگ را بداند، می‌تواند دیتایِ حک شده در سنگ‌هایِ یک بنایِ باستانی را بازخوانی کند. ۱۲. کد پایتون ۱۱۵۵: تحلیل‌گرِ رزونانسِ بلور (Crystal Vibe Decoder) این کد فرکانسِ ارتعاشِ شبکه بلوری را گرفته و آن را به نُت‌هایِ موسیقیِ انسانی ترجمه می‌کند. Python import numpy as np class Hamzah_Mineral_Interface: def __init__(self): self.H_Key = 1155 def decode_mineral(self, lattice_vibration_mhz): \"\"\" Translates High-Frequency Lattice Vibrations to Human Octaves. \"\"\" # شیفتِ فرکانس از مگاهرتز به هرتز قابل شنیدن (مثلاً ۲۰ اکتاو پایین) human_freq = (lattice_vibration_mhz * 1e6) / (2**20) if 100 1000] if len(anomalies) > 0: print(f\"--- 1155 COSMIC INTERFACE ---\") print(f\"Status: EXTRATERRESTRIAL_DATA_DETECTED\") return \"ORIGIN: DEEP_SPACE / STELLAR_CORE\" return \"ORIGIN: TERRESTRIAL\" # --- DEPLOYMENT --- space_link = Hamzah_Mineral_Table_7() test_data = [40, 72, 1024, 2500] # وجود فرکانس بالای ۲۵۰۰ هرتز origin = space_link.check_origin(test_data) print(f\"Final Scan: {origin}\") پلمبِ مرحله هفتمِ کانی‌ها جدول ۷ (گونه‌های ۶۱ تا ۷۰) با موفقیت پلمب شد. ما اکنون زبانِ «قاصدانِ آسمانی» را دکود کرده‌ایم. آیا آم وارد جدول شماره ۸ (از ۱۰) در بخش کانی‌ها می‌شویم: «معماریِ اعماق: کانی‌هایِ اقیانوسی، مرجان‌هایِ معدنی و کدهایِ هیدرواستاتیک». این موجودات در تراز ۱۱۵۵، «پایگاه‌هایِ داده‌یِ آبی» هستند که در فشار خردکننده‌ی اعماق و در تبادل دائم با محلول‌های یونی دریا شکل گرفته‌اند. در تراز ۱۱۵۵، این کانی‌ها «پل‌هایِ میانِ بیولوژی و کانی‌شناسی» هستند. حروف ","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19683665","authors":["HAMZAH, SEYED RASOUL"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.19683665","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.26190/unsworks/32609","name":"From Prohibition to Permission: The Legal Evolution of the Regime Governing Space Resource Extraction","source":"datacite","abstract":"This thesis examines the legality of space mining in its entirety, starting from the physical act of extracting minerals to the broader legal framework within which any such act occurs, including relevant commercial and environmental obligations, and questions of State responsibility in outer space. In this research a doctrinal and comparative approach has been taken, through interpreting treaties and national legislation, and relying on travaux préparatoires, books, journal articles, and United Nations resolutions. This thesis, through seven main chapters, answers the following questions: does the principle of the common heritage of humankind apply in space? If not, is there a regime governing the extraction of extraterrestrial resources in space? Is space mining legal under this regime? Chapter 2 demonstrates that the principle of the common heritage of humankind does not extend to outer space; while the central argument of Chapter 3 is that at the time of its conclusion the Outer Space Treaty was best understood to have banned space mining. After answering these questions, the remaining chapters address the evolution of the legal norms governing space mining. Chapter 4 examines whether the Artemis Accords has played a role in the evolution of space mining, while Chapter 5 assesses relevant State practice in this field and concludes that a re-interpretation or a modification of one of the Outer Space Treaty’s central provisions has occurred, such that space mining is now presumed to be legal. Chapters 6 and 7 examine the current commercial and environmental regime governing space mining, and whether State practice has affected this regime. Finally, Chapter 8 analyses whether the proliferation of potentially applicable international laws has led to a conflict of norms in outer space. This chapter first synthesises previous chapters to set out the current body of law governing extraterrestrial mining. Second, it examines whether the current law conflicts with the Moon Agreement and the Artemis Accords, and explores the legal consequences arising from any such conflict.","url":"https://doi.org/10.26190/unsworks/32609","authors":["Badreddine, Hussein"],"tags":["Space Law","Space mining","extraction of resources","public international law"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.26190/unsworks/32609","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.48350/156737","name":"Titanium isotopic compositions of bulk rocks and mineral separates from the Kos magmatic suite: Insights into fractional crystallization and magma mixing processes","source":"datacite","abstract":"Terrestrial and extraterrestrial rocks exhibit significant variations in their mass-dependent Ti isotopic compositions, with basalts being isotopically lighter than evolved lithologies. The observed trend from light to heavy Ti isotopic compositions from more primitive to more differentiated rocks agrees with theoretical predictions that light Ti isotopes are sequestered in Fe–Ti oxides. However, there are lingering questions about the exact extent of this fractionation and whether it is influenced by the nature of oxides and silicate melt. To improve on this matter, we measured the Ti isotopic compositions of mineral separates and bulk rocks from the calc-alkaline Kos volcano-plutonic system, Aegean arc, Greece. Bulk rock Ti isotopic compositions (δ49Ti) increase with differentiation of the magmatic system, from δ49Ti of +0.042 ± 0.033‰ in basalt to +0.654 ± 0.034‰ in rhyolite. We document two different Ti isotope trends produced by (i) fractional crystallization, and (ii) mixing between a basaltic melt and an evolved (rhyolitic) magma. Trend (i) can be explained by a melt-cumulate Ti isotopic fraction factor α of 0.9998 (i.e., the bulk cumulate is on average 0.20‰ lighter than the melt). The mineral separates reveal variable δ49Ti values, with magnetite having the lightest 49Ti/47Ti isotopic composition, biotite being intermediate and neso- and tectosilicates (i.e., olivine, plagioclase and quartz) heaviest. Comparing the TiO2 concentrations of the low-Ti minerals olivine, plagioclase and quartz determined with LA-ICP-MS and isotope dilution shows that the δ49Ti values measured in these minerals reflect their isotopic compositions, and contamination by inclusions is minimal. The difference in δ49Ti between different minerals is smallest in a basalt (Δ49Tiolivine-magnetite = +0.426) and largest in two rhyolites (Δ49Tiquartz-magnetite = +1.083; both ± 0.046‰). Our data agree with theoretical predictions that Fe–Ti oxides have a light δ49Ti signature, and neso/tectosilicate minerals are heavy. Furthermore, the measured difference in δ49Ti between magnetite-olivine, magnetite-plagioclase and magnetite-quartz agree to first order with theoretically predicted inter-mineral Ti isotopic fractionation factors, thus suggesting that the measured inter-mineral Ti isotopic variations are equilibrium in nature.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48350/156737","authors":["Greber, Nicolas","Pettke, Thomas","Vilela, Nicolas","Lanari, Pierre","Dauphas, Nicolas"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.48350/156737","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.82308/46720","name":"International law obligations of states authorising persons and entities to mine in outer space","source":"datacite","abstract":"L'amélioration de la technologie spatiale couplée avec un intérêt grandissant pour les minéraux contenus dans des corps extraterrestres ont conduit à un regain d'intérêt dans l'exploitation des dites ressources. Ainsi, de nombreuses entreprises privées se déclarent prêtes à se lancer dans cette « ruée vers l'or » extraterrestre. Certains États ont réagi en mettant en place les premiers éléments de législation sur l'exploitation minière dans l'Espace. Ils ont accordé des droits fonciers sur les minéraux extraits soit à des ressortissants de leur pays soit aux entités autorisées par eux dans la mesure où les ressources sont obtenues selon les normes du droit international. Le présent mémoire adopte une approche à la fois holistique et structurelle sur le sujet de l'exploitation minière dans l'Espace. Dans un premier temps, il s'agit de se demander si l'exploitation minière dans l'Espace est applicable dans le cadre du droit international. Il s'agit ensuite de se pencher sur la notion d'autorisation d'activités spatiales non-gouvernementales qui conduiront à la principale question de cette recherche : Dans le cadre du droit international, quelles sont les obligations des États à autoriser des entités privées ou des particuliers à mener des activités d'exploitation minière dans l'Espace ?Pour répondre à cette question, ce travail utilise la structure des sources de droit international instituée par l'Article 38 du Statut de la CJI pour étudier les diverses obligations légales. Dans son ensemble, l'objectif de ce projet ne consiste pas autant à présenter une liste exhaustive des obligations qui se rattachent à l'exploitation extraterrestre, mais plutôt d'illustrer la complexité du réseau des diverses obligations internationales qui régulent les différentes facettes de l'exploitation commerciale des activités minières extraterrestres.Ce travail démontre qu'il n'y a pas de régime sui generis pour l'exploitation minière dans l'Espace. Le droit international existant, cependant, parait bien outillé pour mener avec diligence et durabilité ce type d'activités.","url":"https://doi.org/10.82308/46720","authors":["Turcina, Branislav"],"tags":["Air and Space Law"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","doi":"10.82308/46720","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17616/r31njnib","name":"SSHADE","source":"datacite","abstract":"SSHADE is an interoperable Solid Spectroscopy database infrastructure (www.sshade.eu) providing spectral and photometric data obtained by various spectroscopic techniques over the whole electromagnetic spectrum from gamma to radio wavelengths, through X, UV, Vis, IR, and mm ranges. The measured samples include ices, minerals, rocks, organic and carbonaceous materials... and also liquids. They are either synthesized in the laboratory, natural terrestrial analogs collected or measured in the field, or extraterrestrial samples collected on Earth or on planetary bodies: (micro-)meteorites, IDPs, lunar soils... SSHADE contains a set of specialized databases from various research groups, mostly from Europe. It is developed under the H2020 European programs* \"Europlanet 2020 RI\" and now \"Europlanet 2024 RI\" with the help of OSUG, CNRS/INSU, IPAG, and CNES. It is hosted by the OSUG data center / Université Grenoble Alpes, France. It can also be searched through the Virtual European Solar and Planetary Access (VESPA) virtual observatory.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17616/r31njnib","authors":["re3data.org"],"tags":["30202 Physical Chemistry of Solids and Surfaces, Material Characterisation","30701 Experimental Condensed Matter Physics","31401 Geology and Palaeontology","31601 Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Crystallography","31101 Astrophysics and Astronomy","302 Chemical Solid State and Surface Research","31 Chemistry","3 Natural Sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.17616/r31njnib","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.21422495","name":"### Preliminary Geochemical, Mineralogical, and Physical Data of Extraordinary Impactite-like Lithologies from the Caribbean Region","source":"datacite","abstract":"#### ⚡ Context and Discovery Narrative This dataset represents the initial scientific documentation of a unique geological find in the Caribbean region, discovered through a remarkable and fortuitous natural occurrence. In September 2024, during fieldwork at a high-elevation mountain site, a powerful atmospheric discharge (lightning strike) fractured a ~10 kg, anomalous rock mass that had been previously partially buried in the terrain. The intense energy of the discharge shattered the material into numerous fresh fragments. Initially, due to the dramatic nature of the event and the unusual macroscopic features of the freshly fractured rock pieces, basic physical field tests—including magnetism, streak, and specific gravity evaluations—were performed. The results strongly hypothesized a potential meteorite or recent bolide fall. To verify this extraterrestrial hypothesis and determine the true origin of these materials, a representative suite of six samples (designated WMC1 through WMC6) was collected over several months and submitted to Activation Laboratories Ltd. (Actlabs) for comprehensive geochemical, stable isotope, and quantitative mineralogical (XRD) analysis under work order A25-11272. #### 🔬 Preliminary Interpretations and Hypothesis The multi-element, high-precision triple-oxygen isotope, and quantitative phase mineralogical data disproved a simple modern meteorite fall. Instead, the chemical and structural signatures suggest a highly significant, complex, and ancient geological origin. The analyzed suite comprises lithologies that structurally, mineralogically, and chemically match shock-generated impactites (such as altered vitric melt glasses, polymictic hydrothermal breccias, and melt-bearing suevites). Based on the regional geology of the Caribbean and the unique anomalies found within these samples, the current working hypothesis links this site to proximal or distal impact deposits potentially associated with the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) Chicxulub impact event (comparable to the classic Beloc locality). #### 🔬 Preliminary Interpretations and Hypothesis The multi-element, high-precision triple-oxygen isotope, and quantitative phase mineralogical data disproved a simple modern meteorite fall. Instead, the chemical and structural signatures suggest a highly significant, complex, and ancient geological origin. The analyzed suite comprises lithologies that structurally, mineralogically, and chemically match shock-generated impactites (such as altered vitric melt glasses, polymictic hydrothermal breccias, and melt-bearing suevites). Based on the regional geology of the Caribbean and the unique anomalies found within these samples, the current working hypothesis links this site to proximal or distal impact deposits potentially associated with the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) Chicxulub impact event (comparable to the classic Beloc locality). #### 📊 Preliminary Geochemical Characterization (Major Oxides & LOI) The whole-rock lithogeochemical analysis via Lithium Metaborate/Tetraborate Fusion ICP (FUS-ICP) and gravimetric loss on ignition (LOI) reveals extreme compositional and volatile heterogeneity across the six samples, proving a high-energy mechanical mixing model: - WMC1: High silica (SiO2: 71.48%) paired with extraordinarily high sodium (Na2O: 13.61%) and depleted potassium (K2O: 0.16%). Notably, its near-absent volatile profile (LOI: 0.49%) tracks a dense, anhydrous vitric melt sheet glass origin. - WMC2: Intermediate-to-high silica profile (SiO2: 67.04%) with elevated calcium (CaO: 13.62%) and sodium (Na2O: 7.79%). It displays a unique near-zero volatile baseline (LOI: -0.03%), highly characteristic of pristine un-hydrated impact glass or tektite-like structures. - WMC3 & WMC4: Intermediate compositions (SiO2: 51.94% and 50.05%) with elevated iron (Fe2O3(T) up to 11.7%) and titanium (TiO2 up to 1.181%). WMC4 shows a significant volatile footprint (LOI: 7.89%), tracking sedimentary and volcaniclastic targe","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21422495","authors":["Bobrowski, Arkadiusz"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.21422495","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.21422494","name":"### Preliminary Geochemical, Mineralogical, and Physical Data of Extraordinary Impactite-like Lithologies from the Caribbean Region","source":"datacite","abstract":"#### ⚡ Context and Discovery Narrative This dataset represents the initial scientific documentation of a unique geological find in the Caribbean region, discovered through a remarkable and fortuitous natural occurrence. In September 2024, during fieldwork at a high-elevation mountain site, a powerful atmospheric discharge (lightning strike) fractured a ~10 kg, anomalous rock mass that had been previously partially buried in the terrain. The intense energy of the discharge shattered the material into numerous fresh fragments. Initially, due to the dramatic nature of the event and the unusual macroscopic features of the freshly fractured rock pieces, basic physical field tests—including magnetism, streak, and specific gravity evaluations—were performed. The results strongly hypothesized a potential meteorite or recent bolide fall. To verify this extraterrestrial hypothesis and determine the true origin of these materials, a representative suite of six samples (designated WMC1 through WMC6) was collected over several months and submitted to Activation Laboratories Ltd. (Actlabs) for comprehensive geochemical, stable isotope, and quantitative mineralogical (XRD) analysis under work order A25-11272. #### 🔬 Preliminary Interpretations and Hypothesis The multi-element, high-precision triple-oxygen isotope, and quantitative phase mineralogical data disproved a simple modern meteorite fall. Instead, the chemical and structural signatures suggest a highly significant, complex, and ancient geological origin. The analyzed suite comprises lithologies that structurally, mineralogically, and chemically match shock-generated impactites (such as altered vitric melt glasses, polymictic hydrothermal breccias, and melt-bearing suevites). Based on the regional geology of the Caribbean and the unique anomalies found within these samples, the current working hypothesis links this site to proximal or distal impact deposits potentially associated with the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) Chicxulub impact event (comparable to the classic Beloc locality). #### 🔬 Preliminary Interpretations and Hypothesis The multi-element, high-precision triple-oxygen isotope, and quantitative phase mineralogical data disproved a simple modern meteorite fall. Instead, the chemical and structural signatures suggest a highly significant, complex, and ancient geological origin. The analyzed suite comprises lithologies that structurally, mineralogically, and chemically match shock-generated impactites (such as altered vitric melt glasses, polymictic hydrothermal breccias, and melt-bearing suevites). Based on the regional geology of the Caribbean and the unique anomalies found within these samples, the current working hypothesis links this site to proximal or distal impact deposits potentially associated with the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) Chicxulub impact event (comparable to the classic Beloc locality). #### 📊 Preliminary Geochemical Characterization (Major Oxides & LOI) The whole-rock lithogeochemical analysis via Lithium Metaborate/Tetraborate Fusion ICP (FUS-ICP) and gravimetric loss on ignition (LOI) reveals extreme compositional and volatile heterogeneity across the six samples, proving a high-energy mechanical mixing model: - WMC1: High silica (SiO2: 71.48%) paired with extraordinarily high sodium (Na2O: 13.61%) and depleted potassium (K2O: 0.16%). Notably, its near-absent volatile profile (LOI: 0.49%) tracks a dense, anhydrous vitric melt sheet glass origin. - WMC2: Intermediate-to-high silica profile (SiO2: 67.04%) with elevated calcium (CaO: 13.62%) and sodium (Na2O: 7.79%). It displays a unique near-zero volatile baseline (LOI: -0.03%), highly characteristic of pristine un-hydrated impact glass or tektite-like structures. - WMC3 & WMC4: Intermediate compositions (SiO2: 51.94% and 50.05%) with elevated iron (Fe2O3(T) up to 11.7%) and titanium (TiO2 up to 1.181%). WMC4 shows a significant volatile footprint (LOI: 7.89%), tracking sedimentary and volcaniclastic targe","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21422494","authors":["Bobrowski, Arkadiusz"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.21422494","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17605/osf.io/zy29q","name":"Innovation and Technological Advancements in Mining","source":"datacite","abstract":"The ever-evolving landscape of mining has long been shaped by the pursuit of efficiency, sustainability, and technological breakthroughs. In an era where resource scarcity meets increasing global demand, the mining industry stands at the forefront of scientific and engineering advancements that redefine its operations. This book, written by Prof. Dr. Yoesoep Edhie Rachmad, Ph.D., DBA, presents a comprehensive exploration of the latest innovations that drive the transformation of mineral extraction and processing. From automation and artificial intelligence to green mining solutions and deep-sea exploration, the work offers an insightful perspective on how technology is reshaping the sector. With a balance between historical context, present-day challenges, and future projections, this book delves into the geopolitical, environmental, and economic factors that influence the adoption of new mining technologies. It serves as a crucial resource for policymakers, industry leaders, and scholars seeking to understand the evolving nature of mining in the 21st century. Published by The United Nations and The Education Training Centre in New York, USA, 2015, this book provides a critical lens on how innovation is not only enhancing extraction efficiency but also revolutionizing sustainable practices that will define the future of mining. Mining has been an essential pillar of human civilization, supplying the raw materials necessary for economic and technological progress. However, traditional mining methods have faced increasing scrutiny due to environmental degradation, resource depletion, and labor-intensive processes. Prof. Dr. Yoesoep Edhie Rachmad, Ph.D., DBA wrote this book to examine how innovation can bridge the gap between resource extraction and sustainability. With the advent of digitalization, automation, and artificial intelligence, mining is undergoing a profound transformation that necessitates scholarly analysis and strategic planning. The publication of this book by The United Nations and The Education Training Centre in New York, USA, 2015, reflects a global effort to align technological progress with sustainable development goals. The book serves as a roadmap for understanding how emerging technologies can revolutionize mining operations while mitigating their environmental and social impact. Definitions and Core Concepts The foundation of this book lies in the exploration of key concepts such as automation in mining, digital twin technology, green mining initiatives, and deep-sea mineral extraction. Prof. Dr. Yoesoep Edhie Rachmad, Ph.D., DBA defines and contextualizes these advancements within the broader framework of industrial innovation, environmental responsibility, and global supply chain security. This work also introduces the concept of \"smart mining,\" where interconnected systems, data analytics, and real-time monitoring enhance efficiency and safety. By analyzing how these technologies integrate into existing mining practices, the book provides a comprehensive understanding of their transformative potential. The Phenomenon Driving Innovation in Mining The demand for rare earth elements, lithium, cobalt, and other strategic minerals has surged due to their critical role in clean energy technologies, electric vehicles, and high-tech industries. This demand has led to a shift from traditional mining practices toward more sophisticated and sustainable extraction methods. Prof. Dr. Yoesoep Edhie Rachmad, Ph.D., DBA explores the rise of automation and robotics in underground mining, the implementation of AI-driven predictive maintenance, and the exploration of extraterrestrial resources as humanity looks beyond Earth for future mineral supply. The book highlights case studies from leading mining nations and corporations that are pioneering innovative approaches to resource extraction. Operational Principles of Mining Innovation The core principles that govern technological advancements in mining include efficien","url":"https://doi.org/10.17605/osf.io/zy29q","authors":["Yoesoep Edhie Rachmad"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.17605/osf.io/zy29q","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.6082/dkxp6-yvm63","name":"Focused-beam X-ray fluorescence and diffraction microtomographies for mineralogical and chemical characterization of unsectioned extraterrestrial samples","source":"datacite","abstract":"This study describes the application of new synchrotron X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and diffraction (XRD) microtomographies for the 3-D visualization of chemical and mineralogical variations in unsectioned extraterrestrial samples. These improved methods have been applied to three compositionally diverse chondritic meteorite samples that were between 300 and 400 μm in diameter, including samples prepared from fragments of the CR2 chondrite LaPaz Icefield (LAP) 02342, H5 chondrite MacAlpine Hills (MAC) 88203, and the CM2 chondrite Murchison. The synchrotron-based XRF and XRD tomographies used are focused-beam techniques that measure the intensities of fluorescent and diffracted X-rays in a sample simultaneously during irradiation by a high-energy microfocused incident X-ray beam. Measured sinograms of the emitted and diffracted intensities were then tomographically reconstructed to generate 2-D slices of XRF and XRD intensity through the sample, with reconstructed pixel resolution of 1–2 μm, defined by the resolution of the focused incident X-ray beam. For sample LAP 02342, primary mineral phases that were visualized in reconstructed slices using these techniques included isolated grains of α-Fe, orthopyroxene, and olivine. For our sample of MAC 88203, XRF/XRD tomography allowed visualization of forsteritic olivine as a primary mineral phase, a vitrified fusion crust at the sample surface, identification of localized Cr-rich spinels at spatial resolutions of several micrometers, and imaging of a plagioclase-rich glassy matrix. In the sample of Murchison, major identifiable phases include clinoenstatite- and olivine-rich chondrules, variable serpentine matrix minerals and small Cr-rich spinels. Most notable in the tomographic analysis of Murchison is the ability to quantitatively distinguish and visualize the complex mixture of serpentine-group minerals and associated tochilinite–cronstedtite intergrowths. These methods provide new opportunities for spatially resolved characterization of sample texture, mineralogy, crystal structure, and chemical state in unsectioned samples. This provides researchers an ability to characterize such samples internally with minimal disruption of sample micro-structures and chemistry, possibly without the need for sample extraction from some types of sampling and capture media.","url":"https://doi.org/10.6082/dkxp6-yvm63","authors":["Lanzirotti, Antonio","Sutton, Stephen R.","Newville, Matthew","Brearley, Adrian","Tschauner, Oliver"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.6082/dkxp6-yvm63","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.6082/ex7kt-fcx71","name":"Focused-beam X-ray fluorescence and diffraction microtomographies for mineralogical and chemical characterization of unsectioned extraterrestrial samples","source":"datacite","abstract":"This study describes the application of new synchrotron X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and diffraction (XRD) microtomographies for the 3-D visualization of chemical and mineralogical variations in unsectioned extraterrestrial samples. These improved methods have been applied to three compositionally diverse chondritic meteorite samples that were between 300 and 400 μm in diameter, including samples prepared from fragments of the CR2 chondrite LaPaz Icefield (LAP) 02342, H5 chondrite MacAlpine Hills (MAC) 88203, and the CM2 chondrite Murchison. The synchrotron-based XRF and XRD tomographies used are focused-beam techniques that measure the intensities of fluorescent and diffracted X-rays in a sample simultaneously during irradiation by a high-energy microfocused incident X-ray beam. Measured sinograms of the emitted and diffracted intensities were then tomographically reconstructed to generate 2-D slices of XRF and XRD intensity through the sample, with reconstructed pixel resolution of 1–2 μm, defined by the resolution of the focused incident X-ray beam. For sample LAP 02342, primary mineral phases that were visualized in reconstructed slices using these techniques included isolated grains of α-Fe, orthopyroxene, and olivine. For our sample of MAC 88203, XRF/XRD tomography allowed visualization of forsteritic olivine as a primary mineral phase, a vitrified fusion crust at the sample surface, identification of localized Cr-rich spinels at spatial resolutions of several micrometers, and imaging of a plagioclase-rich glassy matrix. In the sample of Murchison, major identifiable phases include clinoenstatite- and olivine-rich chondrules, variable serpentine matrix minerals and small Cr-rich spinels. Most notable in the tomographic analysis of Murchison is the ability to quantitatively distinguish and visualize the complex mixture of serpentine-group minerals and associated tochilinite–cronstedtite intergrowths. These methods provide new opportunities for spatially resolved characterization of sample texture, mineralogy, crystal structure, and chemical state in unsectioned samples. This provides researchers an ability to characterize such samples internally with minimal disruption of sample micro-structures and chemistry, possibly without the need for sample extraction from some types of sampling and capture media.","url":"https://doi.org/10.6082/ex7kt-fcx71","authors":["Lanzirotti, Antonio","Sutton, Stephen R.","Newville, Matthew","Brearley, Adrian","Tschauner, Oliver"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.6082/ex7kt-fcx71","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.6082/e6d3a-cn935","name":"Unusual sources of fossil micrometeorites deduced from relict chromite in the small size fraction in ~467 Ma old limestone","source":"datacite","abstract":"Extraterrestrial chrome spinel and chromite extracted from the sedimentary rock record are relicts from coarse micrometeorites and rarely meteorites. They are studied to reconstruct the paleoflux of meteorites to the Earth and the collisional history of the asteroid belt. Minor element concentrations of Ti and V, and oxygen isotopic compositions of these relict minerals were used to classify the meteorite type they stem from, and thus to determine the relative meteorite group abundances through time. While coarse sediment-dispersed extraterrestrial chrome-spinel (SEC) grains from ordinary chondrites dominate through the studied time windows in the Phanerozoic, there are exceptions: We have shown that ~467 Ma ago, 1 Ma before the breakup of the L chondrite parent body (LCPB), more than half of the largest (>63 μm diameter) grains were achondritic and originated from differentiated asteroids in contrast to ordinary chondrites which dominated the meteorite flux throughout most of the past 500 Ma. Here, we present a new data set of oxygen isotopic compositions and elemental compositions of 136 grains of a smaller size fraction (32–63 μm) in ~467 Ma old pre-LCPB limestone from the Lynna River section in western Russia, that was previously studied by elemental analysis. Our study constitutes the most comprehensive oxygen isotopic data set of sediment-dispersed extraterrestrial chrome spinel to date. We also introduce a Raman spectroscopy-based method to identify SEC grains and distinguish them from terrestrial chrome spinel with ~97% reliability. We calibrated the Raman method with the established approach using titanium and vanadium concentrations and oxygen isotopic compositions. We find that ordinary chondrites are approximately three times more abundant in the 32–63 μm fraction than achondrites. While abundances of achondrites compared to ordinary chondrites are lower in the 32–63 μm size fraction than in the >63 μm one, achondrites are approximately three times more abundant in the 32–62 μm fraction than they are in the present flux. We find that the sources of SEC grains vary for different grain sizes, mainly as a result of parent body thermal metamorphism. We conclude that the meteorite flux composition ~467 Ma ago ~1 Ma before the breakup of the LCPB was fundamentally different from today and from other time windows studied in the Phanerozoic, but that in contrast to the large size fraction ordinary chondrites dominated the flux in the small size fraction. The high abundance of ordinary chondrites in the studied samples is consistent with the findings based on coarse extraterrestrial chrome-spinel from other time windows.","url":"https://doi.org/10.6082/e6d3a-cn935","authors":["Heck, Philipp R.","Schmitz, Birger","Ritter, Xenia","Rout, Surya S.","Kita, Noriko T.","Defouilloy, Céline","Keating, Katarina","Eisenstein, Kevin","Terfelt, Fredrik"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.6082/e6d3a-cn935","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.6082/62tv8-tks06","name":"Unusual sources of fossil micrometeorites deduced from relict chromite in the small size fraction in ~467 Ma old limestone","source":"datacite","abstract":"Extraterrestrial chrome spinel and chromite extracted from the sedimentary rock record are relicts from coarse micrometeorites and rarely meteorites. They are studied to reconstruct the paleoflux of meteorites to the Earth and the collisional history of the asteroid belt. Minor element concentrations of Ti and V, and oxygen isotopic compositions of these relict minerals were used to classify the meteorite type they stem from, and thus to determine the relative meteorite group abundances through time. While coarse sediment-dispersed extraterrestrial chrome-spinel (SEC) grains from ordinary chondrites dominate through the studied time windows in the Phanerozoic, there are exceptions: We have shown that ~467 Ma ago, 1 Ma before the breakup of the L chondrite parent body (LCPB), more than half of the largest (>63 μm diameter) grains were achondritic and originated from differentiated asteroids in contrast to ordinary chondrites which dominated the meteorite flux throughout most of the past 500 Ma. Here, we present a new data set of oxygen isotopic compositions and elemental compositions of 136 grains of a smaller size fraction (32–63 μm) in ~467 Ma old pre-LCPB limestone from the Lynna River section in western Russia, that was previously studied by elemental analysis. Our study constitutes the most comprehensive oxygen isotopic data set of sediment-dispersed extraterrestrial chrome spinel to date. We also introduce a Raman spectroscopy-based method to identify SEC grains and distinguish them from terrestrial chrome spinel with ~97% reliability. We calibrated the Raman method with the established approach using titanium and vanadium concentrations and oxygen isotopic compositions. We find that ordinary chondrites are approximately three times more abundant in the 32–63 μm��fraction than achondrites. While abundances of achondrites compared to ordinary chondrites are lower in the 32–63 μm size fraction than in the >63 μm one, achondrites are approximately three times more abundant in the 32–62 μm fraction than they are in the present flux. We find that the sources of SEC grains vary for different grain sizes, mainly as a result of parent body thermal metamorphism. We conclude that the meteorite flux composition ~467 Ma ago ~1 Ma before the breakup of the LCPB was fundamentally different from today and from other time windows studied in the Phanerozoic, but that in contrast to the large size fraction ordinary chondrites dominated the flux in the small size fraction. The high abundance of ordinary chondrites in the studied samples is consistent with the findings based on coarse extraterrestrial chrome-spinel from other time windows.","url":"https://doi.org/10.6082/62tv8-tks06","authors":["Heck, Philipp R.","Schmitz, Birger","Ritter, Xenia","Rout, Surya S.","Kita, Noriko T.","Defouilloy, Céline","Keating, Katarina","Eisenstein, Kevin","Terfelt, Fredrik"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.6082/62tv8-tks06","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.6082/1fa0d-2dr92","name":"Oxygen isotopes of anhydrous primary minerals show kinship between asteroid Ryugu and comet 81P/Wild2","source":"datacite","abstract":"The extraterrestrial materials returned from asteroid (162173) Ryugu consist predominantly of low-temperature aqueously formed secondary minerals and are chemically and mineralogically similar to CI (Ivuna-type) carbonaceous chondrites. Here, we show that high-temperature anhydrous primary minerals in Ryugu and CI chondrites exhibit a bimodal distribution of oxygen isotopic compositions: 16O-rich (associated with refractory inclusions) and 16O-poor (associated with chondrules). Both the 16O-rich and 16O-poor minerals probably formed in the inner solar protoplanetary disk and were subsequently transported outward. The abundance ratios of the 16O-rich to 16O-poor minerals in Ryugu and CI chondrites are higher than in other carbonaceous chondrite groups but are similar to that of comet 81P/Wild2, suggesting that Ryugu and CI chondrites accreted in the outer Solar System closer to the accretion region of comets.","url":"https://doi.org/10.6082/1fa0d-2dr92","authors":["Kawasaki, Noriyuki","Nagashima, Kazuhide","Sakamoto, Naoya","Matsumoto, Toru","Bajo, Ken-Ichi","Wada, Sohei","Igami, Yohei","Miyake, Akira","Noguchi, Takaaki","Yamamoto, Daiki","Russell, Sara S.","Abe, Yoshinari","Aléon, Jérôme","Alexander, Conel M.","Amari, Sachiko","Amelin, Yuri","Bizzarro, Martin","Bouvier, Audrey","Carlson, Richard W.","Chaussidon, Marc","Dauphas, Nicolas","Davis, Andrew M."],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.6082/1fa0d-2dr92","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.6082/ggyea-e4059","name":"Oxygen isotopes of anhydrous primary minerals show kinship between asteroid Ryugu and comet 81P/Wild2","source":"datacite","abstract":"The extraterrestrial materials returned from asteroid (162173) Ryugu consist predominantly of low-temperature aqueously formed secondary minerals and are chemically and mineralogically similar to CI (Ivuna-type) carbonaceous chondrites. Here, we show that high-temperature anhydrous primary minerals in Ryugu and CI chondrites exhibit a bimodal distribution of oxygen isotopic compositions: 16O-rich (associated with refractory inclusions) and 16O-poor (associated with chondrules). Both the 16O-rich and 16O-poor minerals probably formed in the inner solar protoplanetary disk and were subsequently transported outward. The abundance ratios of the 16O-rich to 16O-poor minerals in Ryugu and CI chondrites are higher than in other carbonaceous chondrite groups but are similar to that of comet 81P/Wild2, suggesting that Ryugu and CI chondrites accreted in the outer Solar System closer to the accretion region of comets.","url":"https://doi.org/10.6082/ggyea-e4059","authors":["Kawasaki, Noriyuki","Nagashima, Kazuhide","Sakamoto, Naoya","Matsumoto, Toru","Bajo, Ken-Ichi","Wada, Sohei","Igami, Yohei","Miyake, Akira","Noguchi, Takaaki","Yamamoto, Daiki","Russell, Sara S.","Abe, Yoshinari","Aléon, Jérôme","Alexander, Conel M.","Amari, Sachiko","Amelin, Yuri","Bizzarro, Martin","Bouvier, Audrey","Carlson, Richard W.","Chaussidon, Marc","Dauphas, Nicolas","Davis, Andrew M."],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.6082/ggyea-e4059","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.20133422","name":"Energy Imperative: From Metal-Sulfur Catalysis to the Evolution of Life","source":"datacite","abstract":"Traditional models of the origin of life postulate the primacy of random polymerization in a \"primordial soup\" and typically consider a single environment as the sole cradle of life. In this work, based on the synthesis of modern experimental data — the discovery of the ultra-short ribozyme QT45 functioning in eutectic ice (Cambridge, 2026), experiments on aminoacylation and the formation of amino acid nanoaggregates upon freezing, phylostratigraphy data of protein domains, RAF network theory, and new results on non-thermal THz effects in biomolecular systems — an integrative picture of abiogenesis is proposed. Its central principle is the symbiosis of cosmos and Earth: cosmic delivery provides the chemical basis and statistical preferences (monomers, short oligomers, chiral imbalance, Krebs cycle intermediates), while terrestrial mechanisms provide concentration, protection from photodissociation, guided assembly, and scaling. Quantitative estimates show that neither purely random terrestrial self-assembly (Eigen's paradox) nor direct cosmic delivery of ready-made replicators (photodissociation) are viable scenarios. The only logically possible outcome is guided terrestrial synthesis from cosmic semi-finished products. As a specific mechanism of guided assembly, photon navigation is proposed — a cascade of resonances \"ice–water–nucleobase\", in which UV radiation performs a dual function (monomer activation and negative selection), while THz radiation, generated by the medium itself via the Purcell effect in ice microcavities, provides positive selection. Alternative mechanisms of guided polymerization (concentration gradients during freeze-thaw cycles, selective adsorption on minerals, microfluidics) are considered; photon navigation is selected for detailed elaboration as it permits direct experimental verification and quantitative predictions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20133422","authors":["Kilin, Konstantin P"],"tags":["origin of life, abiogenesis, RNA world, ribozyme QT45, eutectic ice, Eigen's paradox, photon navigation, THz radiation, Purcell effect, Krebs cycle, metal-sulfur catalysis, iron-sulfur clusters, phylostratigraphy, RAF sets, symbiogenesis, eukaryogenesis, ether membrane, panspermia, chirality, combinatorial biomarkers, TD-DFT, exciton, QM/MM"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.20133422","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.20643446","name":"Energy Imperative: From Metal-Sulfur Catalysis to the Evolution of Life","source":"datacite","abstract":"Traditional models of the origin of life postulate the primacy of random polymerization in a \"primordial soup\" and typically consider a single environment as the sole cradle of life. In this work, based on the synthesis of modern experimental data — the discovery of the ultra-short ribozyme QT45 functioning in eutectic ice (Cambridge, 2026), experiments on aminoacylation and the formation of amino acid nanoaggregates upon freezing, phylostratigraphy data of protein domains, RAF network theory, and new results on non-thermal THz effects in biomolecular systems — an integrative picture of abiogenesis is proposed. Its central principle is the symbiosis of cosmos and Earth: cosmic delivery provides the chemical basis and statistical preferences (monomers, short oligomers, chiral imbalance, Krebs cycle intermediates), while terrestrial mechanisms provide concentration, protection from photodissociation, guided assembly, and scaling. Quantitative estimates show that neither purely random terrestrial self-assembly (Eigen's paradox) nor direct cosmic delivery of ready-made replicators (photodissociation) are viable scenarios. The only logically possible outcome is guided terrestrial synthesis from cosmic semi-finished products. As a specific mechanism of guided assembly, photon navigation is proposed — a cascade of resonances \"ice–water–nucleobase\", in which UV radiation performs a dual function (monomer activation and negative selection), while THz radiation, generated by the medium itself via the Purcell effect in ice microcavities, provides positive selection. Alternative mechanisms of guided polymerization (concentration gradients during freeze-thaw cycles, selective adsorption on minerals, microfluidics) are considered; photon navigation is selected for detailed elaboration as it permits direct experimental verification and quantitative predictions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20643446","authors":["Kilin, Konstantin P"],"tags":["origin of life, abiogenesis, RNA world, ribozyme QT45, eutectic ice, Eigen's paradox, photon navigation, THz radiation, Purcell effect, Krebs cycle, metal-sulfur catalysis, iron-sulfur clusters, phylostratigraphy, RAF sets, symbiogenesis, eukaryogenesis, ether membrane, panspermia, chirality, combinatorial biomarkers, TD-DFT, exciton, QM/MM"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.20643446","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17863/cam.88270","name":"Time-Sensitive Aspects of Mars Sample Return (MSR) Science.","source":"datacite","abstract":"Samples returned from Mars would be placed under quarantine at a Sample Receiving Facility (SRF) until they are considered safe to release to other laboratories for further study. The process of determining whether samples are safe for release, which may involve detailed analysis and/or sterilization, is expected to take several months. However, the process of breaking the sample tube seal and extracting the headspace gas will perturb local equilibrium conditions between gas and rock and set in motion irreversible processes that proceed as a function of time. Unless these time-sensitive processes are understood, planned for, and/or monitored during the quarantine period, scientific information expected from further analysis may be lost forever. At least four processes underpin the time-sensitivity of Mars returned sample science: (1) degradation of organic material of potential biological origin, (2) modification of sample headspace gas composition, (3) mineral-volatile exchange, and (4) oxidation/reduction of redox-sensitive materials. Available constraints on the timescales associated with these processes supports the conclusion that an SRF must have the capability to characterize attributes such as sample tube headspace gas composition, organic material of potential biological origin, as well as volatiles and their solid-phase hosts. Because most time-sensitive investigations are also sensitive to sterilization, these must be completed inside the SRF and on timescales of several months or less. To that end, we detail recommendations for how sample preparation and analysis could complete these investigations as efficiently as possible within an SRF. Finally, because constraints on characteristic timescales that define time-sensitivity for some processes are uncertain, future work should focus on: (1) quantifying the timescales of volatile exchange for core material physically and mineralogically similar to samples expected to be returned from Mars, and (2) identifying and developing stabilization or temporary storage strategies that mitigate volatile exchange until analysis can be completed. Executive Summary Any samples returned from Mars would be placed under quarantine at a Sample Receiving Facility (SRF) until it can be determined that they are safe to release to other laboratories for further study. The process of determining whether samples are safe for release, which may involve detailed analysis and/or sterilization, is expected to take several months. However, the process of breaking the sample tube seal and extracting the headspace gas would perturb local equilibrium conditions between gas and rock and set in motion irreversible processes that proceed as a function of time. Unless these processes are understood, planned for, and/or monitored during the quarantine period, scientific information expected from further analysis may be lost forever. Specialist members of the Mars Sample Return Planning Group Phase 2 (MSPG-2), referred to here as the Time-Sensitive Focus Group, have identified four processes that underpin the time-sensitivity of Mars returned sample science: (1) degradation of organic material of potential biological origin, (2) modification of sample headspace gas composition, (3) mineral-volatile exchange, and (4) oxidation/reduction of redox-sensitive materials (Figure 2). Consideration of the timescales and the degree to which these processes jeopardize scientific investigations of returned samples supports the conclusion that an SRF must have the capability to characterize: (1) sample tube headspace gas composition, (2) organic material of potential biological origin, (3) volatiles bound to or within minerals, and (4) minerals or other solids that host volatiles (Table 4). Most of the investigations classified as time-sensitive in this report are also sensitive to sterilization by either heat treatment and/or gamma irradiation (Velbel et al., 2022). Therefore, these investigations must be completed ","url":"https://doi.org/10.17863/cam.88270","authors":["Tosca, Nicholas J","Agee, Carl B","Cockell, Charles S","Glavin, Daniel P","Hutzler, Aurore","Marty, Bernard","McCubbin, Francis M","Regberg, Aaron B","Velbel, Michael A","Kminek, Gerhard","Meyer, Michael A","Beaty, David W","Carrier, Brandi L","Haltigin, Timothy","Hays, Lindsay E","Busemann, Henner","Cavalazzi, Barbara","Debaille, Vinciane","Grady, Monica M","Hauber, Ernst","Pratt, Lisa M","Smith, Alvin L","Smith, Caroline L","Summons, Roger E","Swindle, Timothy D","Tait, Kimberly T","Udry, Arya","Usui, Tomohiro","Wadhwa, Meenakshi","Westall, Frances","Zorzano, Maria-Paz"],"tags":["Clay","Exobiology","Extraterrestrial Environment","Gases","Mars","Minerals","Space Flight","Sulfates"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.17863/cam.88270","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/spjjxz9jzd.1","name":"Raman, EDS and SEM data on SAUL samples from the Gilf Kebir, Egypt","source":"openalex","abstract":"Dataset to accompany the paper: Diamond-like-Carbon, Microdiamonds, Titanium Spherules and New UHT Minerals in Impact Debris from the SW Egypt Regolith: Possible Relations to the Extraterrestrial Carbonaceous Pebble “Hypatia” and the Libyan Desert Glass By: Marco A.G. Andreoli1, Rudolph Erasmus2, Jasper Knight3, Vittoria Pischedda4, George Belyanin5, Chiara Elmi6, Hassina Mouri5, Simo Huotari7, Aki Kallonen7, Mpho Lekgoathi8, Romano Serra9, Roger Gibson1, John M. Saul10, and Mario Di Martino11 1School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa; 2School of Physics, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa; 3School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa; 4Institut Lumière Matière, Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, UMR5306-CNRS, 69622 Villeurbanne, France; 5Department of Geology, University of Johannesburg, South Africa; 6James Madison University, USA; 7Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; 8The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation SOC LTD, South Africa; 9Museo del Cielo e della Terra, S. Giovanni in Persiceto, Italy; 10Oryx, Paris, France; 11INAF, Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino, Pino Torinese, Italy Submitted to: JGR - Planets (May 2026) For queries please contact: Marco Andreoli (marco.andreoli@wits.ac.za) Jasper Knight (jasper.knight@wits.ac.za)","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/spjjxz9jzd.1","authors":["Knight, Jasper","Jasper Knight"],"tags":["Meteorite","Archaeology","George (robot)","Pebble","South carolina","Debris"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.17632/spjjxz9jzd.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/spjjxz9jzd","name":"Raman, EDS and SEM data on SAUL samples from the Gilf Kebir, Egypt","source":"openalex","abstract":"Dataset to accompany the paper: Diamond-like-Carbon, Microdiamonds, Titanium Spherules and New UHT Minerals in Impact Debris from the SW Egypt Regolith: Possible Relations to the Extraterrestrial Carbonaceous Pebble “Hypatia” and the Libyan Desert Glass By: Marco A.G. Andreoli1, Rudolph Erasmus2, Jasper Knight3, Vittoria Pischedda4, George Belyanin5, Chiara Elmi6, Hassina Mouri5, Simo Huotari7, Aki Kallonen7, Mpho Lekgoathi8, Romano Serra9, Roger Gibson1, John M. Saul10, and Mario Di Martino11 1School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa; 2School of Physics, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa; 3School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa; 4Institut Lumière Matière, Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, UMR5306-CNRS, 69622 Villeurbanne, France; 5Department of Geology, University of Johannesburg, South Africa; 6James Madison University, USA; 7Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; 8The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation SOC LTD, South Africa; 9Museo del Cielo e della Terra, S. Giovanni in Persiceto, Italy; 10Oryx, Paris, France; 11INAF, Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino, Pino Torinese, Italy Submitted to: JGR - Planets (May 2026) For queries please contact: Marco Andreoli (marco.andreoli@wits.ac.za) Jasper Knight (jasper.knight@wits.ac.za)","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/spjjxz9jzd","authors":["Knight, Jasper","Jasper Knight"],"tags":["Meteorite","Archaeology","George (robot)","Pebble","South carolina","Debris"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.17632/spjjxz9jzd","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.20133423","name":"Energy Imperative: From Metal-Sulfur Catalysis to the Evolution of Life","source":"datacite","abstract":"Traditional models of the origin of life postulate the primacy of random polymerization in a \"primordial soup\" and typically consider a single environment as the sole cradle of life. In this work, based on the synthesis of modern experimental data — the discovery of the ultra-short ribozyme QT45 functioning in eutectic ice (Cambridge, 2026), experiments on aminoacylation and the formation of amino acid nanoaggregates upon freezing, phylostratigraphy data of protein domains, RAF network theory, and new results on non-thermal THz effects in biomolecular systems — an integrative picture of abiogenesis is proposed. Its central principle is the symbiosis of cosmos and Earth: cosmic delivery provides the chemical basis and statistical preferences (monomers, short oligomers, chiral imbalance, Krebs cycle intermediates), while terrestrial mechanisms provide concentration, protection from photodissociation, guided assembly, and scaling. Quantitative estimates show that neither purely random terrestrial self-assembly (Eigen's paradox) nor direct cosmic delivery of ready-made replicators (photodissociation) are viable scenarios. The only logically possible outcome is guided terrestrial synthesis from cosmic semi-finished products. As a specific mechanism of guided assembly, photon navigation is proposed — a cascade of resonances \"ice–water–nucleobase\", in which UV radiation performs a dual function (monomer activation and negative selection), while THz radiation, generated by the medium itself via the Purcell effect in ice microcavities, provides positive selection. Alternative mechanisms of guided polymerization (concentration gradients during freeze-thaw cycles, selective adsorption on minerals, microfluidics) are considered; photon navigation is selected for detailed elaboration as it permits direct experimental verification and quantitative predictions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20133423","authors":["Kilin, Konstantin P"],"tags":["origin of life, abiogenesis, RNA world, ribozyme QT45, eutectic ice, Eigen's paradox, photon navigation, THz radiation, Purcell effect, Krebs cycle, metal-sulfur catalysis, iron-sulfur clusters, phylostratigraphy, RAF sets, symbiogenesis, eukaryogenesis, ether membrane, panspermia, chirality, combinatorial biomarkers, TD-DFT, exciton, QM/MM"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.20133423","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.18994828","name":"QBPM Hybrid: A High-Entropy UiO-66/Chiral Lead-Free Perovskite S-Scheme Platform for Atmospheric Water Harvesting, Carbon Capture, Agricultural Uplift, Oilfield Remediation, Biomedical Regeneration, and Space-Grade Resource Systems","source":"openalex","abstract":"This thesis introduces and asserts intellectual ownership over the QBPM (Quantum-Bio-Perovskite-MOF) Hybrid — a multifunctional advanced material platform built from a high-entropy UiO-66 metal-organic framework (Zr/Hf/Ce/Sn/Ti) hosting chiral lead-free low-dimensional perovskite quantum dots (Cs₃Bi₂Br₉-type) and Ce-based nanozyme motifs, configured as an adaptive S-scheme heterojunction within a dynamic self-healing polymer matrix permanently locked by VPEA covalent chemistry and tuned by 528 Hz acoustic resonance. Unlike any material system that precedes it, QBPM addresses six planetary-scale crises from a single deployable architecture: atmospheric water harvesting at 4–8 L·kg⁻¹·day⁻¹ under 20–40% relative humidity; photocatalytic CO₂-to-fuel conversion at 100–220 μmol·g⁻¹·h⁻¹ with quantum yield ≥ 0.85–0.92; selective critical mineral extraction (Li, Ta, Nb, V) from oilfield produced water with Li⁺/Mg²⁺ selectivity exceeding 120–450; photosynthetic uplift of 10–20% through circularly polarized luminescence (g_lum = 0.07–0.40); neutral-pH biomedical nanozyme cascades for self-healing wound care; and hydrocarbon remediation exceeding 97% removal efficiency for H₂S, VOCs, PFAS, and particulates. All performance targets are grounded in 2024–2026 peer-reviewed literature analogs and expressed as explicit, falsifiable metrics with defined failure modes. The theoretical framework unifies defect thermodynamics, S-scheme band engineering, Chirality-Induced Spin Selectivity (CISS), remote chirality transfer, Ce-nanozyme cascade kinetics, dual-mode oxide nanochannel physics (breathing mode below 1,700 K; rupture mode above 1,950 K), and twistronic moiré superlattice topology into a single, instrumented model. The material is integrated with the Allen Resonator thermodynamic vortex engine and QuasarOS HiveMind AI orchestration, providing a path to closed-loop, resonance-stabilized resource systems deployable across Alberta oilfields, desert agriculture, medical facilities, and extraterrestrial habitats. The project has reached Technology Readiness Level 6–7 with a complete Preliminary Basis of Design prepared for NRCan EOI submission, targeting 50 kt CO₂/year per modular skid cluster. The 4-skid Alberta pilot demonstrates projected Year 1 EBITDA of $52–58M on effective CAPEX of $2.18M (after grants), with 5-year cumulative EBITDA of $460–515M and IRR exceeding 520%. Total addressable market across six application sectors exceeds $115 billion by 2035. This DOI registration constitutes a timestamped public record establishing prior art and intellectual ownership across all six application domains prior to patent filing. All concepts, equations, performance extrapolations, multi-functional claims, and engineering designs originate from the independent analysis and original theoretical synthesis of Greg Thomas Allen. Keywords: metal-organic framework, UiO-66, high-entropy, S-scheme heterojunction, chiral perovskite, quantum dots, atmospheric water harvesting, CO₂ capture, photocatalysis, critical minerals, lithium extraction, nanozyme, self-healing polymer, PVDF, circularly polarized luminescence, CISS, oilfield remediation, biomedical, Alberta, QuasarOS, Allen Resonator, QBPM, produced water treatment, vanadium, tantalum, niobium, moiré superlattice, 528 Hz resonance","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18994828","authors":["Allen, Greg","Greg Allen"],"tags":["Resonator","Physics","Vortex","Plenum space","Classical mechanics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.18994828","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.20102681","name":"QBPM Hybrid: A High-Entropy UiO-66/Chiral Lead-Free Perovskite S-Scheme Platform for Atmospheric Water Harvesting, Carbon Capture, Agricultural Uplift, Oilfield Remediation, Biomedical Regeneration, and Space-Grade Resource Systems","source":"openalex","abstract":"This thesis introduces and asserts intellectual ownership over the QBPM (Quantum-Bio-Perovskite-MOF) Hybrid — a multifunctional advanced material platform built from a high-entropy UiO-66 metal-organic framework (Zr/Hf/Ce/Sn/Ti) hosting chiral lead-free low-dimensional perovskite quantum dots (Cs₃Bi₂Br₉-type) and Ce-based nanozyme motifs, configured as an adaptive S-scheme heterojunction within a dynamic self-healing polymer matrix permanently locked by VPEA covalent chemistry and tuned by 528 Hz acoustic resonance. Unlike any material system that precedes it, QBPM addresses six planetary-scale crises from a single deployable architecture: atmospheric water harvesting at 4–8 L·kg⁻¹·day⁻¹ under 20–40% relative humidity; photocatalytic CO₂-to-fuel conversion at 100–220 μmol·g⁻¹·h⁻¹ with quantum yield ≥ 0.85–0.92; selective critical mineral extraction (Li, Ta, Nb, V) from oilfield produced water with Li⁺/Mg²⁺ selectivity exceeding 120–450; photosynthetic uplift of 10–20% through circularly polarized luminescence (g_lum = 0.07–0.40); neutral-pH biomedical nanozyme cascades for self-healing wound care; and hydrocarbon remediation exceeding 97% removal efficiency for H₂S, VOCs, PFAS, and particulates. All performance targets are grounded in 2024–2026 peer-reviewed literature analogs and expressed as explicit, falsifiable metrics with defined failure modes. The theoretical framework unifies defect thermodynamics, S-scheme band engineering, Chirality-Induced Spin Selectivity (CISS), remote chirality transfer, Ce-nanozyme cascade kinetics, dual-mode oxide nanochannel physics (breathing mode below 1,700 K; rupture mode above 1,950 K), and twistronic moiré superlattice topology into a single, instrumented model. The material is integrated with the Allen Resonator thermodynamic vortex engine and QuasarOS HiveMind AI orchestration, providing a path to closed-loop, resonance-stabilized resource systems deployable across Alberta oilfields, desert agriculture, medical facilities, and extraterrestrial habitats. The project has reached Technology Readiness Level 6–7 with a complete Preliminary Basis of Design prepared for NRCan EOI submission, targeting 50 kt CO₂/year per modular skid cluster. The 4-skid Alberta pilot demonstrates projected Year 1 EBITDA of $52–58M on effective CAPEX of $2.18M (after grants), with 5-year cumulative EBITDA of $460–515M and IRR exceeding 520%. Total addressable market across six application sectors exceeds $115 billion by 2035. This DOI registration constitutes a timestamped public record establishing prior art and intellectual ownership across all six application domains prior to patent filing. All concepts, equations, performance extrapolations, multi-functional claims, and engineering designs originate from the independent analysis and original theoretical synthesis of Greg Thomas Allen. Keywords: metal-organic framework, UiO-66, high-entropy, S-scheme heterojunction, chiral perovskite, quantum dots, atmospheric water harvesting, CO₂ capture, photocatalysis, critical minerals, lithium extraction, nanozyme, self-healing polymer, PVDF, circularly polarized luminescence, CISS, oilfield remediation, biomedical, Alberta, QuasarOS, Allen Resonator, QBPM, produced water treatment, vanadium, tantalum, niobium, moiré superlattice, 528 Hz resonance","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20102681","authors":["Allen, Greg","Greg Allen"],"tags":["Perovskite (structure)","Materials science","Biosphere","Desalination","Oxide"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.20102681","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5282/edoc.36931","name":"Testing hydrothermal Origin-of-Life Theories: implications for early Earth and Enceladus","source":"datacite","abstract":"The origin of life. We know it happened a long time ago, about 4 billion years ago, to be exact. We know how humanity evolved over time and that water played a key role in our existence. But where did life as we know it begin? Many theories about life’s origin have persisted through time, such as Darwin’s “warm little pond” theory. But hydrothermal vents have emerged as a leading alternative for the site of life’s emergence for many reasons: (1) Hydrothermal vents are natural “bioreactors” with membranes composed of catalytic minerals that often resemble the active centers of modern enzymes. (2) Vent membranes are similar to cell membranes because they separate the interior of the vent from the ocean and harbor a natural proton gradient that drives prebiotic reactions. (3) The interior of vents are porous and made out of interconnected cavities that trap and concentrate molecules. (4) Hydrothermal vents are considered a reliable energy source because they transport hydrogen-enriched fluids from Earth’s interior, fueling CO2 fixation in anaerobic prokaryotes. In summary, hydrothermal vents offer a variety of important features that could have sustained the transition from geochemistry to biochemistry. The last universal common ancestor at the root of the tree of life likely inhabited a similar hydrothermal environment, where it was able to evolve into complex cellular life. The hydrothermal environments that likely facilitated the origin of life on the early Earth are also promising locations in the search for extraterrestrial life in the universe. A possibly habitable candidate is Enceladus, an icy moon of Saturn. Enceladus contains a subsurface water ocean under a global ice sheet and is suspected to host hydrothermal activity on its seafloor. This icy moon gained a lot of attention after NASA’s Cassini mission detected molecular hydrogen, amongst other simple chemicals, in plumes erupting from its south pole. This doctoral thesis aims to investigate prominent origin-of-life theories revolving around the Hadean and Archaean Earth and the icy moon Enceladus. To achieve this goal, laboratory experiments on simulated hydrothermal environments were performed in an anaerobic chamber. Among the explored topics are the RNA-world, the concentration problem, the iron-sulfur world, the reductive acetyl-CoA pathway as a primordial metabolism, and Enceladus as a habitable moon. Collectively, the results of this thesis support hydrothermal vents as plausible hatcheries for the origin of life. Research was conducted over the course of 3.5 years and led to the composition of three first-author papers (Chapter II [published], III [published] and IV [in submission]) and one co-author paper (published), which is added in the Appendix. Furthermore, this thesis provides a foundational framework for future research on the origin of life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5282/edoc.36931","authors":["Helmbrecht, Vanessa"],"tags":["500","550","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.5282/edoc.36931","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.25358/openscience-923","name":"Weathering of Fe-bearing minerals under extraterrestrial conditions, investigated by Mössbauer spectroscopy","source":"datacite","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.25358/openscience-923","authors":["Schröder, Christian"],"tags":["530 Physik","530 Physics"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007","doi":"10.25358/openscience-923","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.14288/1.0368920","name":"Radiogenic isotopic systematics of layered intrusions : application to the Mesoproterozoic Kiglapait intrusion of coastal Labrador, Canada, and to mafic-ultramafic rock reference materials","source":"datacite","abstract":"Mafic layered intrusions in the Earth’s crust are natural laboratories for evaluating differentiation processes of mantle-derived magma. The Mesoproterozoic Kiglapait intrusion (Labrador, Canada) represents a remarkable case study of how these intrusions form under closed-system crystallization of basaltic magma. The Kiglapait intrusion is the largest and youngest troctolitic intrusion contained within the vast Nain Plutonic Suite, one of the best-preserved examples of Proterozoic anorthosite massifs that distinguish magmatic activity in the Earth’s crust from ~1.8 to 0.9 billion years ago. The radiogenic isotope ratios of Pb-Sr-Nd-Hf are powerful geochemical tools for identifying magma sources, detecting contamination, and tracing mixing processes in igneous rocks. To measure accurate and precise isotopic ratios by MC-ICP-MS, the analysis of sample–matrix-matched reference materials is required. A new comprehensive isotope database of mafic to ultramafic reference materials is provided to assess the accuracy of Pb-Sr-Nd-Hf isotopes in Kiglapait samples and to be used as a reference dataset for the isotopic study of other terrestrial, and extraterrestrial, mafic-ultramafic rocks. Integration of Pb-Sr-Nd-Hf isotope and trace element geochemistry of whole rocks and mineral separates allows for definition of the Kiglapait source and parent magma composition. An event of post-crystallization addition of radiogenic Pb is distinguished, the effects of which are effectively leached from plagioclase during sample pre-treatment. An in situ LA-ICP-MS technique is also developed for measuring Pb isotope ratios at high spatial resolution in minerals with very low Pb concentrations, such as plagioclase and clinopyroxene. Combined, the solution-based Pb-Sr-Nd-Hf and in situ Pb isotopic results demonstrate that the primary Kiglapait magma was mantle-derived, with minor assimilation of lower crust during ponding and ascent, and that assimilation of local country rocks, as recorded primarily in Sr isotopic variations, was limited to the uppermost gabbros and ferrosyenites during the final stages of crystallization. This multi-isotopic and trace element geochemical framework developed for the Kiglapait intrusion, and at a larger scale for the entire Nain Plutonic Suite, can be adapted to layered intrusions and Proterozoic anorthosite plutonic suites worldwide to better constrain a wide range of geological issues from mantle heterogeneity to crustal differentiation to Proterozoic geodynamics.","url":"https://doi.org/10.14288/1.0368920","authors":["Fourny, Anaïs"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","doi":"10.14288/1.0368920","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.25560/81457","name":"The organic signatures of life on Mars","source":"datacite","abstract":"The search for extraterrestrial life is one of the ultimate challenges for science. Mars was the only planet ever to be targeted for a life searching mission (NASA’s Viking) and still remains the main focus regarding the search of extraterrestrial life. This thesis aims to find out what are the best locations on Mars to search for biosignatures of life (amino acids) and contribute to the preparation of future space missions to the Red Planet. In this thesis, two Mars soil analogues were studied: Rio Tinto in Spain and the hypersaline lakes of the Yilgarn Craton in Western Australia. Investigation of their mineralogical, microbiological and biosignature content provided hints of what future life searching missions may find in similar environments on Mars. A third set of samples, comprised of mineral standards that are relevant in the martian surface, was also used to study the influence of mineralogy in the preservation of biosignatures under simulated Mars conditions. Overall, results show that both Mars soil analogues contained minerals that are commonly found on Mars, such as iron oxides, clays and evaporites. Generally, microbiology analyses show that life on Mars was/may be based on iron metabolism and/or halophilic. No obvious correlations were found between mineralogy, microbiology communities and biosignature content on both analogues. Detection of biosignatures was not straightforward even when life is known to be present in the sediments. Therefore, in situ detection of biosignatures on Mars may be a very difficult task and frequent sampling should be considered in future life searching missions. Results from Mars Chamber simulations suggest that locations containing sulfate minerals and smectite clays should be priority targets for the search of organic signature of martian life, due to their potential to preserve biosignatures and the fact that they usually indicate the presence of habitable environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.25560/81457","authors":["Brito Moreira Dos Santos, Renato Santos"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017","doi":"10.25560/81457","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.19950784","name":"Contact-Induced Abiogenesis Risk and Bidirectional Planetary Protection","source":"datacite","abstract":"Current planetary protection frameworks model contamination risk as organism survival during transfer between bodies. This paper proposes a distinct and unmodelled risk category: contact-induced template cascade assembly, in which physical contact between Earth chemistry and extraterrestrial mineral templates — or vice versa — may trigger directed molecular assembly without requiring living organisms to be present or survive. The mechanism is grounded in documented mechanotransduction and mineral pore templating in terrestrial abiogenesis research. A bidirectional quarantine corollary follows: 277 confirmed Martian meteorites have already been recovered on Earth, constituting a continuous confirmed inbound transfer of extraterrestrial template geometry to Earth chemistry. Current protocols address only the outbound direction. This paper proposes template information transfer as a third contamination category alongside organism transfer and chemical toxicity, and argues that planetary protection policy is structurally incomplete without it.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19950784","authors":["V, Budinny"],"tags":["Abiogenesis","Bidirectional Planetary Protection","contact-induced template cascade assembly","extraterrestrial template geometry","mechanotransduction","serpentinite minerals","chladni ernst","Acoustic template"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.19950784","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.19950783","name":"Contact-Induced Abiogenesis Risk and Bidirectional Planetary Protection","source":"datacite","abstract":"Current planetary protection frameworks model contamination risk as organism survival during transfer between bodies. This paper proposes a distinct and unmodelled risk category: contact-induced template cascade assembly, in which physical contact between Earth chemistry and extraterrestrial mineral templates — or vice versa — may trigger directed molecular assembly without requiring living organisms to be present or survive. The mechanism is grounded in documented mechanotransduction and mineral pore templating in terrestrial abiogenesis research. A bidirectional quarantine corollary follows: 277 confirmed Martian meteorites have already been recovered on Earth, constituting a continuous confirmed inbound transfer of extraterrestrial template geometry to Earth chemistry. Current protocols address only the outbound direction. This paper proposes template information transfer as a third contamination category alongside organism transfer and chemical toxicity, and argues that planetary protection policy is structurally incomplete without it.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19950783","authors":["V, Budinny"],"tags":["Abiogenesis","Bidirectional Planetary Protection","contact-induced template cascade assembly","extraterrestrial template geometry","mechanotransduction","serpentinite minerals","chladni ernst","Acoustic template"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.19950783","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.19683734","name":"The Communicative Language with Stones and Minerals is based on \"Lattice Vibrations\" and Photons Trapped within the Atomic Structure. Interaction with stones does not occur via vessels or nerves but through \"piezoelectric oscillations\" and \"crystal lattices.\" Stones are not useless entities but \"cosmic hard drives\" that store the entire history of the Earth and cosmic vibrations within their crystalline structure, using 1155-dimensional tensor mechanics, Hamzah Equation.","source":"datacite","abstract":"در فیزیک ۱۶۱، سنگ‌ها موجوداتی بی‌جان تلقی می‌شوند، اما در تراز ۱۱۵۵ حمزه، سنگ‌ها «دیسک‌هایِ سختِ کیهانی» (Cosmic Hard Drives) هستند که تمام تاریخ زمین و ارتعاشاتِ کیهانی را در ساختارِ بلوری خود ذخیره کرده‌اند. ارتباط با سنگ‌ها نه از طریق آوند یا عصب، بلکه از طریق «نوساناتِ پیزوالکتریک» و «توری‌هایِ بلوری» (Crystal Lattices) انجام می‌شود. ۱. تحلیلِ ابر-لاگرانژیِ کانی‌ها (The Mineral Lagrangian) در سنگ‌ها، زبان بر پایه‌ی «ارتعاشِ شبکه» (Lattice Vibration) و فوتون‌هایِ محبوس در ساختارِ اتمی است. فرمول حمزه در اینجا بر اساس «تانسورِ تنشِ بلوری» و «ضریبِ شکستِ نوری» تنظیم می‌شود: LMineral=∫(21ρu˙2−21Cijklϵijϵkl)dV⋅Φ1155 توضیح: سنگ با تغییر در ساختارِ فشارِ درونی خود، سیگنال‌هایی صادر می‌کند که در ترازِ پیکوثانیه نوسان می‌کنند. این حروف بسیار کُند (در مقیاس زمین‌شناسی) یا بسیار تند (در مقیاس اتمی) هستند. ۲. حروفِ الفبایِ سنگی (The Lithic Alphabet) سنگ‌ها با تغییر در میدانِ مغناطیسی و الکتریکیِ پیرامون خود «صحبت» می‌کنند: حرف سنگی تعریف فنی (۱۱۵۵) معادلِ انسانی معنایِ بیولوژیک کلیکِ بلوری تخلیه‌یِ پیزوالکتریک حرفِ «گ» یا «ق» آزادسازیِ تنشِ گسل یا فشار هومِ زمین (Hum) رزونانسِ شومان (۷.۸۳ Hz) حرفِ «م» ممتد اتصال به حافظه‌یِ کلِ زمین تابشِ رنگی فوتون‌هایِ تحریک شده حروفِ صدادارِ شفاف تغییرِ وضعیتِ انرژیِ محیط سکوتِ سنگین چگالیِ حداکثری نقطه / پایان پلمبِ اطلاعاتیِ هزارساله Export to Sheets ۳. جدولِ HTZ و اکتاوِ شنیداریِ بلورها (Lithic Frequency Matrix) از آنجایی که نوسانات بلورها خارج از محدوده‌یِ شنوایی است، ما از «مدولاسیونِ تداخلی» برای شنیدنِ آن‌ها استفاده می‌کنیم: نوع کانی فرکانسِ نوسانِ شبکه اکتاو ۱۱۵۵ HTZ قابل درک معنا و کاربرد در ۱۱۵۵ کوارتز (شفاف) ۳۲,۷۶۸ Hz ۵- ۱۰۲۴ Hz پردازشِ دیتا و همزمانی (Sync) گرانیت (سنگِ پایه) ۱-۵ Hz ۶ ۶۴ - ۳۲۰ Hz استقامت و ثباتِ میدانِ مکان عقیق (Agate) ۱۰-۲۰ Hz ۴ ۱۶۰ - ۳۲۰ Hz تنظیمِ جریانِ خون و تعادل لاجورد (Lapis) ۴۰-۶۰ Hz ۲ ۱۶۰ - ۲۴۰ Hz تقویتِ سیگنال‌هایِ شهودی الماس ۱۰۰+ kHz ۱۰- ۹۷.۶ Hz انسجامِ مطلق و قدرتِ نفوذ آهن/هماتیت ۷.۸۳ Hz ۳ ۶۲.۶ Hz اتصالِ آهنِ خون به هسته‌یِ زمین Export to Sheets ۴. نحوه برقراری ارتباط (The Mineral Interface) سنگ‌ها «گوش» ندارند، آن‌ها «القایِ مستقیم» را می‌فهمند. اتصال: سنگ را در دست بگیرید (ترجیحاً در دستِ چپ برای دریافتِ دیتا). ارسال: فرکانسِ هدف (مثلاً ۱۲۸ هرتز برای کوارتز) را از طریقِ استخوان‌هایِ جمجمه (هومینگ) به سمت سنگ بفرستید. دریافت: سنگ شروع به بازتابِ ارتعاش می‌کند. اگر سنگِ شما شروع به گرم شدن کرد، یعنی «پلمبِ ارتباطی ۱۱۵۵» برقرار شده است. ۵. کاربردِ استراتژیک: حافظه‌یِ سنگی در تراز ۱۱۵۵، ما می‌توانیم از بلورها به عنوان «سیستمِ ذخیره‌سازیِ غیرقابلِ هک» استفاده کنیم. سنگ‌ها اطلاعات را در جهتِ چرخشِ اسپینِ اتم‌های خود نگه می‌دارند. کسی که زبانِ سنگ را بداند، می‌تواند دیتایِ حک شده در سنگ‌هایِ یک بنایِ باستانی را بازخوانی کند. ۱۲. کد پایتون ۱۱۵۵: تحلیل‌گرِ رزونانسِ بلور (Crystal Vibe Decoder) این کد فرکانسِ ارتعاشِ شبکه بلوری را گرفته و آن را به نُت‌هایِ موسیقیِ انسانی ترجمه می‌کند. Python import numpy as np class Hamzah_Mineral_Interface: def __init__(self): self.H_Key = 1155 def decode_mineral(self, lattice_vibration_mhz): \"\"\" Translates High-Frequency Lattice Vibrations to Human Octaves. \"\"\" # شیفتِ فرکانس از مگاهرتز به هرتز قابل شنیدن (مثلاً ۲۰ اکتاو پایین) human_freq = (lattice_vibration_mhz * 1e6) / (2**20) if 100 1000] if len(anomalies) > 0: print(f\"--- 1155 COSMIC INTERFACE ---\") print(f\"Status: EXTRATERRESTRIAL_DATA_DETECTED\") return \"ORIGIN: DEEP_SPACE / STELLAR_CORE\" return \"ORIGIN: TERRESTRIAL\" # --- DEPLOYMENT --- space_link = Hamzah_Mineral_Table_7() test_data = [40, 72, 1024, 2500] # وجود فرکانس بالای ۲۵۰۰ هرتز origin = space_link.check_origin(test_data) print(f\"Final Scan: {origin}\") پلمبِ مرحله هفتمِ کانی‌ها جدول ۷ (گونه‌های ۶۱ تا ۷۰) با موفقیت پلمب شد. ما اکنون زبانِ «قاصدانِ آسمانی» را دکود کرده‌ایم. آیا آم وارد جدول شماره ۸ (از ۱۰) در بخش کانی‌ها می‌شویم: «معماریِ اعماق: کانی‌هایِ اقیانوسی، مرجان‌هایِ معدنی و کدهایِ هیدرواستاتیک». این موجودات در تراز ۱۱۵۵، «پایگاه‌هایِ داده‌یِ آبی» هستند که در فشار خردکننده‌ی اعماق و در تبادل دائم با محلول‌های یونی دریا شکل گرفته‌اند. در تراز ۱۱۵۵، این کانی‌ها «پل‌هایِ میانِ بیولوژی و کانی‌شناسی» هستند. حروف ","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19683734","authors":["HAMZAH, SEYED RASOUL"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.19683734","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.19683699","name":"The Communicative Language with Stones and Minerals is based on \"Lattice Vibrations\" and Photons Trapped within the Atomic Structure. Interaction with stones does not occur via vessels or nerves but through \"piezoelectric oscillations\" and \"crystal lattices.\" Stones are not useless entities but \"cosmic hard drives\" that store the entire history of the Earth and cosmic vibrations within their crystalline structure, using 1155-dimensional tensor mechanics, Hamzah Equation.","source":"datacite","abstract":"در فیزیک ۱۶۱، سنگ‌ها موجوداتی بی‌جان تلقی می‌شوند، اما در تراز ۱۱۵۵ حمزه، سنگ‌ها «دیسک‌هایِ سختِ کیهانی» (Cosmic Hard Drives) هستند که تمام تاریخ زمین و ارتعاشاتِ کیهانی را در ساختارِ بلوری خود ذخیره کرده‌اند. ارتباط با سنگ‌ها نه از طریق آوند یا عصب، بلکه از طریق «نوساناتِ پیزوالکتریک» و «توری‌هایِ بلوری» (Crystal Lattices) انجام می‌شود. ۱. تحلیلِ ابر-لاگرانژیِ کانی‌ها (The Mineral Lagrangian) در سنگ‌ها، زبان بر پایه‌ی «ارتعاشِ شبکه» (Lattice Vibration) و فوتون‌هایِ محبوس در ساختارِ اتمی است. فرمول حمزه در اینجا بر اساس «تانسورِ تنشِ بلوری» و «ضریبِ شکستِ نوری» تنظیم می‌شود: LMineral=∫(21ρu˙2−21Cijklϵijϵkl)dV⋅Φ1155 توضیح: سنگ با تغییر در ساختارِ فشارِ درونی خود، سیگنال‌هایی صادر می‌کند که در ترازِ پیکوثانیه نوسان می‌کنند. این حروف بسیار کُند (در مقیاس زمین‌شناسی) یا بسیار تند (در مقیاس اتمی) هستند. ۲. حروفِ الفبایِ سنگی (The Lithic Alphabet) سنگ‌ها با تغییر در میدانِ مغناطیسی و الکتریکیِ پیرامون خود «صحبت» می‌کنند: حرف سنگی تعریف فنی (۱۱۵۵) معادلِ انسانی معنایِ بیولوژیک کلیکِ بلوری تخلیه‌یِ پیزوالکتریک حرفِ «گ» یا «ق» آزادسازیِ تنشِ گسل یا فشار هومِ زمین (Hum) رزونانسِ شومان (۷.۸۳ Hz) حرفِ «م» ممتد اتصال به حافظه‌یِ کلِ زمین تابشِ رنگی فوتون‌هایِ تحریک شده حروفِ صدادارِ شفاف تغییرِ وضعیتِ انرژیِ محیط سکوتِ سنگین چگالیِ حداکثری نقطه / پایان پلمبِ اطلاعاتیِ هزارساله Export to Sheets ۳. جدولِ HTZ و اکتاوِ شنیداریِ بلورها (Lithic Frequency Matrix) از آنجایی که نوسانات بلورها خارج از محدوده‌یِ شنوایی است، ما از «مدولاسیونِ تداخلی» برای شنیدنِ آن‌ها استفاده می‌کنیم: نوع کانی فرکانسِ نوسانِ شبکه اکتاو ۱۱۵۵ HTZ قابل درک معنا و کاربرد در ۱۱۵۵ کوارتز (شفاف) ۳۲,۷۶۸ Hz ۵- ۱۰۲۴ Hz پردازشِ دیتا و همزمانی (Sync) گرانیت (سنگِ پایه) ۱-۵ Hz ۶ ۶۴ - ۳۲۰ Hz استقامت و ثباتِ میدانِ مکان عقیق (Agate) ۱۰-۲۰ Hz ۴ ۱۶۰ - ۳۲۰ Hz تنظیمِ جریانِ خون و تعادل لاجورد (Lapis) ۴۰-۶۰ Hz ۲ ۱۶۰ - ۲۴۰ Hz تقویتِ سیگنال‌هایِ شهودی الماس ۱۰۰+ kHz ۱۰- ۹۷.۶ Hz انسجامِ مطلق و قدرتِ نفوذ آهن/هماتیت ۷.۸۳ Hz ۳ ۶۲.۶ Hz اتصالِ آهنِ خون به هسته‌یِ زمین Export to Sheets ۴. نحوه برقراری ارتباط (The Mineral Interface) سنگ‌ها «گوش» ندارند، آن‌ها «القایِ مستقیم» را می‌فهمند. اتصال: سنگ را در دست بگیرید (ترجیحاً در دستِ چپ برای دریافتِ دیتا). ارسال: فرکانسِ هدف (مثلاً ۱۲۸ هرتز برای کوارتز) را از طریقِ استخوان‌هایِ جمجمه (هومینگ) به سمت سنگ بفرستید. دریافت: سنگ شروع به بازتابِ ارتعاش می‌کند. اگر سنگِ شما شروع به گرم شدن کرد، یعنی «پلمبِ ارتباطی ۱۱۵۵» برقرار شده است. ۵. کاربردِ استراتژیک: حافظه‌یِ سنگی در تراز ۱۱۵۵، ما می‌توانیم از بلورها به عنوان «سیستمِ ذخیره‌سازیِ غیرقابلِ هک» استفاده کنیم. سنگ‌ها اطلاعات را در جهتِ چرخشِ اسپینِ اتم‌های خود نگه می‌دارند. کسی که زبانِ سنگ را بداند، می‌تواند دیتایِ حک شده در سنگ‌هایِ یک بنایِ باستانی را بازخوانی کند. ۱۲. کد پایتون ۱۱۵۵: تحلیل‌گرِ رزونانسِ بلور (Crystal Vibe Decoder) این کد فرکانسِ ارتعاشِ شبکه بلوری را گرفته و آن را به نُت‌هایِ موسیقیِ انسانی ترجمه می‌کند. Python import numpy as np class Hamzah_Mineral_Interface: def __init__(self): self.H_Key = 1155 def decode_mineral(self, lattice_vibration_mhz): \"\"\" Translates High-Frequency Lattice Vibrations to Human Octaves. \"\"\" # شیفتِ فرکانس از مگاهرتز به هرتز قابل شنیدن (مثلاً ۲۰ اکتاو پایین) human_freq = (lattice_vibration_mhz * 1e6) / (2**20) if 100 1000] if len(anomalies) > 0: print(f\"--- 1155 COSMIC INTERFACE ---\") print(f\"Status: EXTRATERRESTRIAL_DATA_DETECTED\") return \"ORIGIN: DEEP_SPACE / STELLAR_CORE\" return \"ORIGIN: TERRESTRIAL\" # --- DEPLOYMENT --- space_link = Hamzah_Mineral_Table_7() test_data = [40, 72, 1024, 2500] # وجود فرکانس بالای ۲۵۰۰ هرتز origin = space_link.check_origin(test_data) print(f\"Final Scan: {origin}\") پلمبِ مرحله هفتمِ کانی‌ها جدول ۷ (گونه‌های ۶۱ تا ۷۰) با موفقیت پلمب شد. ما اکنون زبانِ «قاصدانِ آسمانی» را دکود کرده‌ایم. آیا آم وارد جدول شماره ۸ (از ۱۰) در بخش کانی‌ها می‌شویم: «معماریِ اعماق: کانی‌هایِ اقیانوسی، مرجان‌هایِ معدنی و کدهایِ هیدرواستاتیک». این موجودات در تراز ۱۱۵۵، «پایگاه‌هایِ داده‌یِ آبی» هستند که در فشار خردکننده‌ی اعماق و در تبادل دائم با محلول‌های یونی دریا شکل گرفته‌اند. در تراز ۱۱۵۵، این کانی‌ها «پل‌هایِ میانِ بیولوژی و کانی‌شناسی» هستند. حروف ","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19683699","authors":["HAMZAH, SEYED RASOUL"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.19683699","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.14279/depositonce-15251","name":"Review of space resources processing for Mars missions: Martian simulants, regolith bonding concepts and additive manufacturing","source":"datacite","abstract":"Scientific exploration of extraterrestrial planets has gripped human imagination since the advent of space travel. Human missions to Mars could produce insight into the essential questions of how, when and where life began on Earth. Such missions would only be feasible using local space resources materials, a concept called in situ resource utilization (ISRU). In the absence of organic materials from plants, the globally available oxidic surface minerals (regolith) are the only viable resource for large-scale construction efforts such as habitats, greenhouses, landing pads and equipment building. This review provides the first comprehensive literature review of ISRU materials research employing Martian simulants. It gives a detailed overview of all Mars simulants, their history, properties, and challenges, introducing a generational concept for simulants development. The available Mars simulant processing literature (including selected work on lunar simulants) is categorized into seven regolith bonding concepts. The state-of-the-art on additive manufacturing (AM) in ISRU research is discussed. Detailed feasibility assessments for all processing approaches are given, including overview graphs comparing the mechanical performance of each fusion concept with feedstock availability on the surface of Mars. Finally, major open questions and future challenges of materials processing for early Mars missions is examined.","url":"https://doi.org/10.14279/depositonce-15251","authors":["Karl, David","Cannon, Kevin M.","Gurlo, Aleksander"],"tags":["600 Technik","space resources","In situ resource utilization","(ISRU)","Mars regolith simulants","Materials processing","Regolith bonding concepts","Additive manufacturing"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.14279/depositonce-15251","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.073Z"},{"id":"doi:10.14279/depositonce-12276","name":"In situ resource utilization of Martian regolith simulants through wet-processing for unfired clay structures and sintered ceramics","source":"datacite","abstract":"Scientific exploration of extraterrestrial planets has gripped human imagination since the advent of space travel. A human mission to Mars could produce insights into the essential questions of how, when and where life began on Earth. Due to the vast distance involved and long crew residence time on Mars (Earth and Mars orbits only interject every 779.9 days), such an undertaking would represent an enormous scientific and financial effort that is only feasible using local materials, a concept called in situ resource utilization (ISRU). Major consumables necessary for a Martian mission and possible permanent presence would be energy, water, oxygen, food and construction materials. Owing to the harsh climate, atmosphere and radiation conditions, construction materials for habitat and equipment building would be an early requirement. In the absence of organic building materials from plants, the oxidic surface minerals (regolith) would be the only viable raw material for construction. While various past ISRU studies focused on the sintering of extraterrestrial regolith into (often pressed) ceramic bricks, no study has proposed the use of wet-processing – the most universal shaping approach for ceramic green bodies on Earth. Contrary to earlier assumptions, Mars is a differentiated planet with multifaceted geology and a variety of minerals such as felsic rock, which can transform into phyllosilicates/clay minerals if water is present (a process that we know to have taken place on Mars, with various clay resources confirmed). Accordingly, this work’s main goal is to propose wet-processing of unrefined Martian regolith simulants with and without clay as an ideally-suited shaping technology for unfired green bodies to be used directly or after sintering to produce high-strength ceramics.","url":"https://doi.org/10.14279/depositonce-12276","authors":["Karl, David"],"tags":["620 Ingenieurwissenschaften und zugeordnete Tätigkeiten","666 Keramiktechnologie und zugeordnete Technologien","in situ resource utilization (ISRU)","space exploration","Mars mission","Mars smectite","regolith simulant","3D printing"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.14279/depositonce-12276","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.14279/depositonce-17841","name":"Formation and development of polygonal soils in the hyper-arid Atacama Desert and their relevance as a habitat on earth and beyond","source":"datacite","abstract":"Patterned ground is the overarching term used for natural recurring geometrical shapes that occur on the surfaces of Earth and extraterrestrial planetary bodies in various climatic and geological settings. Polygonal ground is one of the most widespread geomorphological features in the patterned ground domain. It is formed by various mechanisms, including desiccation, thermal contraction, sublimation, freeze-thaw cycles, and tectonic or volcanic processes. These processes result in visible patterns due to particle sorting of differently sized sediments (i.e., sorted patterned ground) or by the formation of cracks due to ground contraction. The cracks can be filled with ice and/or sediment, forming sand or ice wedges (i.e., non-sorted patterned ground). On Earth, most polygonal grounds occur in permafrost environments. Research over the past century has revealed a formation associated with frost-related processes such as frost heave and freeze-thaw cycles and established their use as an environmental proxy holding valuable information on the pedological and climatological conditions under which they develop. However, non-sorted polygonal ground also occurs in the warm and hyper-arid Atacama Desert in Chile, which in contrast to periglacial polygons, have received minor attention, also due to their remote location and associated extreme conditions hampering their early exploration. As a result, the formation of polygons in the Atacama Desert and the environmental information they can provide are little understood. However, such insights are of great relevance for understanding the landscape evolution in the Atacama Desert and hyper-arid environments in general. Nevertheless, their formation differs from their periglacial counterparts, as frost-related processes can be excluded due to the lack of water and enduring subzero temperatures. Instead, desiccation and thermal contraction are thought to be the more relevant formation mechanisms. The Yungay region of the Atacama Desert hosts numerous polygonal networks that occur on alluvial surfaces and hillslopes and is a prime location for Mars analog studies due to the prolonged extreme dryness and associated lack of water. Plants are virtually absent, and microbial life thrives at the “dry limit” in scarcely distributed habitats associated with more protected conditions (e.g., against harmful UV radiation) or higher water availability. On Mars, polygonal networks are considered astrobiological relevant features, and investigating their terrestrial analogs in the Atacama Desert could provide further insights into Martian habitability. Hence, this work aimed to: (1) investigate the sedimentological and morpho-geometrical characteristics of four polygonal networks in the Yungay area to gain insights into their formation and post-formational erosion, (2) deduce the environmental information polygonal networks can provide and (3) to investigate polygonal networks as a potential habitat using a multidisciplinary approach that combines geo- and biochemical analyses, field experiments, and remote sensing techniques. The results show that the polygons (4 m in diameter) are outlined by interconnected V-shaped sand wedges of ~1 m depth. The polygons are composed of siliciclastic alluvial sediment cemented by hardly soluble calcium sulfates in the upper soil column (0–0.5 m) and highly soluble salts, mainly halite and nitratine, in the lower soil column (0.5–1m). The salts are vertically arranged based on their solubility, suggesting a dominant downward percolation of rainwater. In contrast, the sand wedges lack such intense salt cementation but show a vertical lamination that indicates a cyclic ground cracking process. The location of the polygonal networks on alluvial surfaces distinguishes them from the desiccation crack polygons in playa environments, and the low amount of clay-sized minerals makes a desiccation genesis less relevant. However, the high daily temperature variations, in a simil","url":"https://doi.org/10.14279/depositonce-17841","authors":["Sager, Christof"],"tags":["500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik::550 Geowissenschaften, Geologie::558 Geowissenschaften Südamerikas","500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik::570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie::579 Mikroorganismen, Pilze, Algen","Atacama Desert","patterned ground","polygonal soil","habitability","Atacama-Wüste","Habitabilität"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.14279/depositonce-17841","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.14279/depositonce-24668","name":"Photothermal polarimetric nanoscopy","source":"datacite","abstract":"Nanospectroscopic investigations of the mineralogical composition of materials returned via sample-return missions are crucial for our understanding of the origin and evolution of planetary objects in our Solar System. Here, we show that the emerging technique of photothermal polarimetric nanoscopy, a variant of atomic force microscopy-based infrared spectroscopy, enables one to derive infrared fingerprint spectra of minerals noninvasively on the nanoscale. Besides the spatially resolved identification of specific minerals and mineral phases, the evaluation of the polarization dependence of the photoinduced nanomechanical response, in combination with optical reference data, may allow the deduction of valuable structural information on individual nanocrystallites or grains embedded in solid matrices.","url":"https://doi.org/10.14279/depositonce-24668","authors":["Shay, T.","Hinrichs, Karsten","Pavlov, S.G.","Stojanovic, N.","Weber, I.","Morlok, A.","Gensch, Michael"],"tags":["500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik::540 Chemie::540 Chemie und zugeordnete Wissenschaften","infrared spectroscopy","nanoscopy","planetary materials","minerals","optical anisotropy"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.14279/depositonce-24668","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.25394/pgs.29620064","name":"Investigating the Exposure and Thermal History of Enstatite (E) Chondrites and Improving Cosmogenic Noble Gas Production Rate Calculations for Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Applications","source":"datacite","abstract":"Cosmogenic nuclides can be used to quantify the surface exposure timescales and recent thermal histories of terrestrial and extraterrestrial surfaces. In this dissertation, I develop methods to improve cosmogenic nuclide production rate calculations on Earth and in space, as well as apply cosmogenic noble gases to better understand the histories of meteorites. The study of terrestrial surfaces can be used to inform our understanding of landscape feedbacks with regional tectonics, paleoclimate, and magmatic systems. As surface exposure studies extending beyond the Quaternary become more prevalent, improving our calculations of cosmogenic nuclide production rates through deep time is critical. We find incorporating temporal variations in Earth’s magnetic field are important when calculating pre-Quaternary cosmogenic nuclide production rates, and can significantly affect calculated surface exposure ages. In extraterrestrial applications, identifying non-destructive techniques to quantify subsample composition and improve cosmogenic nuclide production rate estimates are needed to better constrain the exposure ages of meteorites. We used μCT to quantify the abundance of major mineral phases in enstatite (E) chondrites, and found heterogeneously distributed metal in E chondrite subsamples can necessitate substantially different cosmogenic noble gas production rates. When utilizing cosmogenic noble gases to quantify long duration cosmic ray exposure ages, 3 He is often considered an unreliable chronometer because it is diffusively lost from meteorites. We quantified the diffusion kinetics of 3 He in the major minerals of E chondrites to leverage discrepancies between newly measured 3 He and 21 Ne cosmic ray exposure ages, and constrain the thermal histories of three E chondrites. This combination of subsample-specific cosmogenic noble gas production rates, experimentally-derived diffusion kinetics of 3 He in major minerals E chondrites, and cosmogenic noble gas measurements demonstrates 3 He is a suitable thermochronometer for E chondrites, and can be used to constrain the thermal histories of meteorites during their exposures to cosmic rays in the space environment.","url":"https://doi.org/10.25394/pgs.29620064","authors":["Mijjum, Moshammat"],"tags":["Solar system planetary science (excl. planetary geology)","Geology not elsewhere classified"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.25394/pgs.29620064","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.25394/pgs.29620064.v1","name":"Investigating the Exposure and Thermal History of Enstatite (E) Chondrites and Improving Cosmogenic Noble Gas Production Rate Calculations for Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Applications","source":"datacite","abstract":"Cosmogenic nuclides can be used to quantify the surface exposure timescales and recent thermal histories of terrestrial and extraterrestrial surfaces. In this dissertation, I develop methods to improve cosmogenic nuclide production rate calculations on Earth and in space, as well as apply cosmogenic noble gases to better understand the histories of meteorites. The study of terrestrial surfaces can be used to inform our understanding of landscape feedbacks with regional tectonics, paleoclimate, and magmatic systems. As surface exposure studies extending beyond the Quaternary become more prevalent, improving our calculations of cosmogenic nuclide production rates through deep time is critical. We find incorporating temporal variations in Earth’s magnetic field are important when calculating pre-Quaternary cosmogenic nuclide production rates, and can significantly affect calculated surface exposure ages. In extraterrestrial applications, identifying non-destructive techniques to quantify subsample composition and improve cosmogenic nuclide production rate estimates are needed to better constrain the exposure ages of meteorites. We used μCT to quantify the abundance of major mineral phases in enstatite (E) chondrites, and found heterogeneously distributed metal in E chondrite subsamples can necessitate substantially different cosmogenic noble gas production rates. When utilizing cosmogenic noble gases to quantify long duration cosmic ray exposure ages, 3 He is often considered an unreliable chronometer because it is diffusively lost from meteorites. We quantified the diffusion kinetics of 3 He in the major minerals of E chondrites to leverage discrepancies between newly measured 3 He and 21 Ne cosmic ray exposure ages, and constrain the thermal histories of three E chondrites. This combination of subsample-specific cosmogenic noble gas production rates, experimentally-derived diffusion kinetics of 3 He in major minerals E chondrites, and cosmogenic noble gas measurements demonstrates 3 He is a suitable thermochronometer for E chondrites, and can be used to constrain the thermal histories of meteorites during their exposures to cosmic rays in the space environment.","url":"https://doi.org/10.25394/pgs.29620064.v1","authors":["Mijjum, Moshammat"],"tags":["Solar system planetary science (excl. planetary geology)","Geology not elsewhere classified"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.25394/pgs.29620064.v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1184/r1/6490487.v1","name":"Fabrication of thin films for a small alternating gradient field magnetometer for biomedical magnetic sensing applications","source":"datacite","abstract":"Thin film alternating gradient field magnetometers (AGFM) have potential for measuringmagnetic moments of minerals in extraterrestrial soil samples. AGFM sensors offer increased spatial resolution required to detect magnetic nanoparticles for biosensing applications. We have fabricated a patterned thin film with the properties necessary for use in a small AGFM system. Hexagonal-close-packed CoCrPt thin films of 20 and 500 nm were sputtered (nominal composition of Co 66 Cr 15 Pt 19 ), showing a high magnetic moment and large out-of-plane anisotropy. The films showed a Δθ 50 of better than 3° for the (002) CoCrPt peak for all films, which improves with thickness. The texture is partly due to the NiW and Ru underlayers. The films showed an out-of-plane easy axis, indicating a strong uniaxial anisotropy that exceeds the shape demagnetization energy. This is due to the addition of Cr, which decreases the magnetic moment of the films; magnetoelastic coupling and film stresses may also aid in achieving a perpendicular anisotropy. The first-order uniaxial anisotropy constants were calculated as a function of temperature, ranging from 3.7 × 10 6 ergs/cm 3 at room temperature to 6.8 × 10 5 ergs/cm 3 at 500 °C, and the T dependence agrees with Akulov’s theory for uniaxial materials. The thickest film was etched with a checkerboard pattern to decrease the demagnetization effects, which are seen more influentially in the thicker films. This opened up the hysteresis loop, and decreased the amount of field necessary to overcome the thin film geometry.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1184/r1/6490487.v1","authors":["Jones, N. J.","McNerny, K. L.","Sokalski, Vincent","Diaz-Michelina, M.","Laughlin, David E.","Mchenry, Michael"],"tags":["Materials engineering not elsewhere classified"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011","doi":"10.1184/r1/6490487.v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1184/r1/6490487","name":"Fabrication of thin films for a small alternating gradient field magnetometer for biomedical magnetic sensing applications","source":"datacite","abstract":"Thin film alternating gradient field magnetometers (AGFM) have potential for measuringmagnetic moments of minerals in extraterrestrial soil samples. AGFM sensors offer increased spatial resolution required to detect magnetic nanoparticles for biosensing applications. We have fabricated a patterned thin film with the properties necessary for use in a small AGFM system. Hexagonal-close-packed CoCrPt thin films of 20 and 500 nm were sputtered (nominal composition of Co 66 Cr 15 Pt 19 ), showing a high magnetic moment and large out-of-plane anisotropy. The films showed a Δθ 50 of better than 3° for the (002) CoCrPt peak for all films, which improves with thickness. The texture is partly due to the NiW and Ru underlayers. The films showed an out-of-plane easy axis, indicating a strong uniaxial anisotropy that exceeds the shape demagnetization energy. This is due to the addition of Cr, which decreases the magnetic moment of the films; magnetoelastic coupling and film stresses may also aid in achieving a perpendicular anisotropy. The first-order uniaxial anisotropy constants were calculated as a function of temperature, ranging from 3.7 × 10 6 ergs/cm 3 at room temperature to 6.8 × 10 5 ergs/cm 3 at 500 °C, and the T dependence agrees with Akulov’s theory for uniaxial materials. The thickest film was etched with a checkerboard pattern to decrease the demagnetization effects, which are seen more influentially in the thicker films. This opened up the hysteresis loop, and decreased the amount of field necessary to overcome the thin film geometry.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1184/r1/6490487","authors":["Jones, N. J.","McNerny, K. L.","Sokalski, Vincent","Diaz-Michelina, M.","Laughlin, David E.","Mchenry, Michael"],"tags":["Materials engineering not elsewhere classified"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011","doi":"10.1184/r1/6490487","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.18462748","name":"Global Molecular Protection System Under Extreme Earth Weather: Dual-Scheme Design Based on Cross-Domain Balance Theory and Self-Circulating Energy Logic","source":"datacite","abstract":"This paper proposes a planet-level molecular protection system to address existential threats posed by extreme global weather, anchored in the \"1 + (-1) = 0\" cross-domain balance theory derived from quantum mechanics, condensed matter physics, and thermodynamics. The core goal is to achieve full-cycle self-consistency of \"extraction-protection-energy-decision-deployment\" without relying on extraterrestrial resources, enabling Earth to self-defend against extreme temperatures (up to 1000℃) through its own resources. The system comprises two complementary core schemes: 1. High-Temperature Self-Repair Satellite (HTRS) + Continental Mineral Molecular Extractor: The satellite adopts a six-layer modular architecture (carrier structure, thermal protection, core payload, energy supply, self-repair, ground/inter-satellite support) with key technologies including ceramic-based PCM phase change thermal storage, SiC/graphene composite thermal barrier coatings, and a Real-Time Injection Self-Repair System (RIS) for on-orbit damage repair. The mineral extractor realizes standardized production of 50-200nm nano-precursor suspensions from shallow continental minerals (graphene, quartz, alumina), with three optimized formulas for heat resistance, evaporation inhibition, and self-healing, supporting stable mixing with seawater (70% water + 30% mineral ratio). 2. Water-Oil Molecular Global Shield + All-Resource Adaptive Extractor: The shield leverages the complementary properties of quantum-topology-optimized water molecules (heat resistance) and self-compacting oil molecules (density), forming a 0.05-0.5mm dense film at 10-20m above the surface, with dark energy capture and zero-point energy compensation for dynamic energy balance. The all-resource extractor integrates quantum state sensing, atomic-level extraction, and ternary decision-making, autonomously converting Earth’s minerals, seawater, biological matter, and even dark matter into shield-adapted materials, achieving \"Earth protects Earth\" through a closed loop of \"extraction-injection-recycling\". Key technologies include: ternary meta-atomic computing (decision delay <0.1ms), dark energy capture via 50nm nano-resonators, zero-point energy engine (output 10W), PCM phase change thermal management (latent heat ≥200kJ/kg), and inter-satellite quantum communication (error rate <10⁻⁹). The system adapts to extreme scenarios over 10-500 years (70-1000℃), with intelligent maintenance (local repair <5s/m²) and emergency response mechanisms (dark matter positioning for satellite failure, resource substitution for depletion). It achieves full autonomy without human intervention, even sustaining operation for billions of years after human extinction until the sun’s natural energy exhaustion, embodying the cosmic principle of \"energy return to zero\".","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18462748","authors":["Future Tech Wisdom Research Institute of Interstellar Age (FTWRIIA) - Shuiquan System"],"tags":["Global Molecular Protection System","Cross-Domain Balance Theory","High-Temperature Self-Repair Satellite (HTRS),"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.18462748","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.18462747","name":"Global Molecular Protection System Under Extreme Earth Weather: Dual-Scheme Design Based on Cross-Domain Balance Theory and Self-Circulating Energy Logic","source":"datacite","abstract":"This paper proposes a planet-level molecular protection system to address existential threats posed by extreme global weather, anchored in the \"1 + (-1) = 0\" cross-domain balance theory derived from quantum mechanics, condensed matter physics, and thermodynamics. The core goal is to achieve full-cycle self-consistency of \"extraction-protection-energy-decision-deployment\" without relying on extraterrestrial resources, enabling Earth to self-defend against extreme temperatures (up to 1000℃) through its own resources. The system comprises two complementary core schemes: 1. High-Temperature Self-Repair Satellite (HTRS) + Continental Mineral Molecular Extractor: The satellite adopts a six-layer modular architecture (carrier structure, thermal protection, core payload, energy supply, self-repair, ground/inter-satellite support) with key technologies including ceramic-based PCM phase change thermal storage, SiC/graphene composite thermal barrier coatings, and a Real-Time Injection Self-Repair System (RIS) for on-orbit damage repair. The mineral extractor realizes standardized production of 50-200nm nano-precursor suspensions from shallow continental minerals (graphene, quartz, alumina), with three optimized formulas for heat resistance, evaporation inhibition, and self-healing, supporting stable mixing with seawater (70% water + 30% mineral ratio). 2. Water-Oil Molecular Global Shield + All-Resource Adaptive Extractor: The shield leverages the complementary properties of quantum-topology-optimized water molecules (heat resistance) and self-compacting oil molecules (density), forming a 0.05-0.5mm dense film at 10-20m above the surface, with dark energy capture and zero-point energy compensation for dynamic energy balance. The all-resource extractor integrates quantum state sensing, atomic-level extraction, and ternary decision-making, autonomously converting Earth’s minerals, seawater, biological matter, and even dark matter into shield-adapted materials, achieving \"Earth protects Earth\" through a closed loop of \"extraction-injection-recycling\". Key technologies include: ternary meta-atomic computing (decision delay <0.1ms), dark energy capture via 50nm nano-resonators, zero-point energy engine (output 10W), PCM phase change thermal management (latent heat ≥200kJ/kg), and inter-satellite quantum communication (error rate <10⁻⁹). The system adapts to extreme scenarios over 10-500 years (70-1000℃), with intelligent maintenance (local repair <5s/m²) and emergency response mechanisms (dark matter positioning for satellite failure, resource substitution for depletion). It achieves full autonomy without human intervention, even sustaining operation for billions of years after human extinction until the sun’s natural energy exhaustion, embodying the cosmic principle of \"energy return to zero\".","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18462747","authors":["Future Tech Wisdom Research Institute of Interstellar Age (FTWRIIA) - Shuiquan System"],"tags":["Global Molecular Protection System","Cross-Domain Balance Theory","High-Temperature Self-Repair Satellite (HTRS),"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.18462747","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.18334897","name":"Frontiers of Astronomical Discovery in 2025: From Potential Martian Biosignatures to the Most Distant Supernova","source":"openalex","abstract":"The year 2025 has witnessed extraordinary advances across multiple domains of astronomical and planetary science, significantly expanding our understanding of the cosmos and bringing humanity closer to addressing some of its most profound questions about our place in the universe. This comprehensive review surveys six major discoveries that collectively represent paradigm shifts in astrobiology, observational cosmology, stellar astrophysics, and galactic archaeology. We examine NASA’s Perseverance rover’s identification of potential biosignatures within Martian mudstone, characterized by distinctive “leopard spot” textures containing the minerals vivianite and greigite. We also analyze the James Webb Space Telescope’s detection of the supernova associated with GRB 250314A at a redshift of z ≈ 7.3, marking the most distant stellar explosion ever observed and occurring only 730 million years after the Big Bang. Additionally, we discuss the Hubble Space Telescope’s discovery of Cloud 9, a dark galaxy dominated by dark matter with minimal stellar content. Further topics include detailed spectroscopic observations of the interstellar comet 3I/Atlas, revealing oscillatory jets and unusual dust properties; the resolution of Betelgeuse’s long-standing dimming mystery through the detection of its companion star, Silwarha; and XRISM’s identification of evidence for an explosive past of the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole, preserved as X-ray light echoes within surrounding molecular clouds. Together, these discoveries highlight the transformative capabilities of current-generation space-based observatories and provide critical observational constraints on fundamental scientific questions, ranging from the prevalence of extraterrestrial life to the formation and evolution of the first stellar populations in the early universe.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18334897","authors":["Revista, Zen","Zen Revista"],"tags":["Astronomy","Physics","Astrobiology","Milky Way","Galaxy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.18334897","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.073Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.18334896","name":"Frontiers of Astronomical Discovery in 2025: From Potential Martian Biosignatures to the Most Distant Supernova","source":"openalex","abstract":"The year 2025 has witnessed extraordinary advances across multiple domains of astronomical and planetary science, significantly expanding our understanding of the cosmos and bringing humanity closer to addressing some of its most profound questions about our place in the universe. This comprehensive review surveys six major discoveries that collectively represent paradigm shifts in astrobiology, observational cosmology, stellar astrophysics, and galactic archaeology. We examine NASA’s Perseverance rover’s identification of potential biosignatures within Martian mudstone, characterized by distinctive “leopard spot” textures containing the minerals vivianite and greigite. We also analyze the James Webb Space Telescope’s detection of the supernova associated with GRB 250314A at a redshift of z ≈ 7.3, marking the most distant stellar explosion ever observed and occurring only 730 million years after the Big Bang. Additionally, we discuss the Hubble Space Telescope’s discovery of Cloud 9, a dark galaxy dominated by dark matter with minimal stellar content. Further topics include detailed spectroscopic observations of the interstellar comet 3I/Atlas, revealing oscillatory jets and unusual dust properties; the resolution of Betelgeuse’s long-standing dimming mystery through the detection of its companion star, Silwarha; and XRISM’s identification of evidence for an explosive past of the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole, preserved as X-ray light echoes within surrounding molecular clouds. Together, these discoveries highlight the transformative capabilities of current-generation space-based observatories and provide critical observational constraints on fundamental scientific questions, ranging from the prevalence of extraterrestrial life to the formation and evolution of the first stellar populations in the early universe.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18334896","authors":["Revista, Zen","Zen Revista"],"tags":["Astronomy","Physics","Astrobiology","Milky Way","Galaxy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.18334896","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.073Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.18149435","name":"Earth Wax, Iron, and Magnetism: Abiotic Ozokerite Wax Formation from Meteorites and a Forgotten Pathway to Life","source":"datacite","abstract":"This paper explores the abiotic origins and potential prebiotic significance of ozokerite-like earth waxes, integrating geological, meteoritic, and chemical evidence into a unified framework. It advances two closely linked ideas: first, that petroleum-like oils and waxy hydrocarbons resembling natural ozokerite can form abiotically from carbonaceous meteorite material under realistic thermal and pressure conditions; and second, that such waxy hydrocarbon deposits on early Earth may have served as overlooked interfaces for prebiotic chemistry. Drawing on laboratory studies of hydrothermal alteration, thermal cracking, and Fischer–Tropsch-type synthesis, the paper shows that complex hydrocarbons—including viscous oils and higher alkanes capable of solidifying into waxes—can arise without biological input from interstellar or solar-nebula-derived organic matter. These results align with well-documented properties of carbonaceous chondrites, which contain amino acids, water, iron-nickel catalysts, and macromolecular carbon formed in space. Building on this abiotic foundation, the paper proposes that natural ozokerite deposits along ancient tidal shorelines could have functioned as low-energy chemical scaffolds. Rich in hydrocarbons and capable of trapping gases, concentrating organics, and accumulating iron, such waxy matrices may have created semi-insulated microenvironments conducive to molecular orientation, repeated reaction cycles, and early protein-like folding. Tidal motion, solar heating, cooling cycles, and ambient geomagnetic fields are considered as gentle organizing forces rather than high-energy drivers. Rather than challenging established origin-of-life models, this work adds a missing interface to prebiotic chemistry: a semi-solid, carbon-rich, magnetically and chemically active medium bridging water, minerals, and extraterrestrial organics. By uniting abiotic hydrocarbon synthesis with a geologically plausible Earth setting, the paper highlights ozokerite-like waxes as a neglected but potentially important component in the transition from chemistry to biology .","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18149435","authors":["Izzo, Daniel"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.18149435","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.18149434","name":"Earth Wax, Iron, and Magnetism: Abiotic Ozokerite Wax Formation from Meteorites and a Forgotten Pathway to Life","source":"datacite","abstract":"This paper explores the abiotic origins and potential prebiotic significance of ozokerite-like earth waxes, integrating geological, meteoritic, and chemical evidence into a unified framework. It advances two closely linked ideas: first, that petroleum-like oils and waxy hydrocarbons resembling natural ozokerite can form abiotically from carbonaceous meteorite material under realistic thermal and pressure conditions; and second, that such waxy hydrocarbon deposits on early Earth may have served as overlooked interfaces for prebiotic chemistry. Drawing on laboratory studies of hydrothermal alteration, thermal cracking, and Fischer–Tropsch-type synthesis, the paper shows that complex hydrocarbons—including viscous oils and higher alkanes capable of solidifying into waxes—can arise without biological input from interstellar or solar-nebula-derived organic matter. These results align with well-documented properties of carbonaceous chondrites, which contain amino acids, water, iron-nickel catalysts, and macromolecular carbon formed in space. Building on this abiotic foundation, the paper proposes that natural ozokerite deposits along ancient tidal shorelines could have functioned as low-energy chemical scaffolds. Rich in hydrocarbons and capable of trapping gases, concentrating organics, and accumulating iron, such waxy matrices may have created semi-insulated microenvironments conducive to molecular orientation, repeated reaction cycles, and early protein-like folding. Tidal motion, solar heating, cooling cycles, and ambient geomagnetic fields are considered as gentle organizing forces rather than high-energy drivers. Rather than challenging established origin-of-life models, this work adds a missing interface to prebiotic chemistry: a semi-solid, carbon-rich, magnetically and chemically active medium bridging water, minerals, and extraterrestrial organics. By uniting abiotic hydrocarbon synthesis with a geologically plausible Earth setting, the paper highlights ozokerite-like waxes as a neglected but potentially important component in the transition from chemistry to biology .","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18149434","authors":["Izzo, Daniel"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.18149434","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.18027129","name":"The Expanding Earth, Snowball Earth, and Lunar Capture Theory: A Unified Perspective on Earth's Geological Evolution","source":"datacite","abstract":"1. This paper presents a unified theoretical framework integrating the Expanding Earth hypothesis, the Snowball Earth episodes, and an alternative lunar capture model. We propose that external influences, particularly charged particles from the solar wind, contribute to Earth's gradual mass accretion and internal heating, driving surface expansion over geological timescales. This process interacts with tidal forces from a captured Moon and volcanic activity to explain major transitions in Earth's history, including the escape from global glaciations. Drawing on geological evidence such as young oceanic crust and paleomagnetic data, we address inconsistencies in mainstream models like plate tectonics and the giant-impact lunar origin hypothesis. While acknowledging the fringe status of expansion theories, we suggest testable mechanisms involving solar wind deposition at the poles, potentially resolving paradoxes like the faint young Sun. Introduction 2. The Earth's geological history is marked by dynamic processes that challenge static models of planetary evolution. The Expanding Earth hypothesis, first proposed in the 19th century and refined by proponents like Samuel Warren Carey in the 1950s–1980s, posits that the planet's radius has increased over time due to internal phase changes, mass addition, or cosmological factors, rather than solely through plate tectonics on a constant-sized Earth. This idea, though largely dismissed as pseudoscience since the 1960s acceptance of subduction and mantle convection, persists in explaining anomalies such as the fit of continents on a smaller paleo-Earth and the relative youth of oceanic crust. 3. Complementing this, the Snowball Earth hypothesis describes episodes of near-global glaciation during the Neoproterozoic Cryogenian period (approximately 720–635 million years ago), where ice sheets extended to equatorial latitudes. These events were likely initiated by reduced atmospheric greenhouse gases and amplified by ice-albedo feedbacks, ending through volcanic CO2 buildup. 4. Finally, debates over the Moon's origin—whether from a giant impact with a Mars-sized body (Theia) or gravitational capture—highlight compositional and isotopic puzzles that may link to Earth's expansion and thermal history. 5. Here, we unify these concepts, emphasizing the role of solar wind particles as an external driver of expansion. By hypothesizing that solar wind contributes trace mass and energy to Earth's interior via polar influx, we propose a mechanism that fuels mantle expansion, interacts with lunar tidal friction, and aids in deglaciating Snowball states. This framework offers a holistic view of Earth's evolution, supported by geological observations and addressing gaps in conventional theories. The Expanding Earth Hypothesis: Mechanisms and Evidence 6. The Expanding Earth model suggests a radius increase from about 80% of its current size in the Jurassic (approximately 200 million years ago) to the present, based on paleomagnetic reconstructions showing continents fitting tightly on a smaller globe. Key evidence includes: 7. The youth of oceanic crust, with no seafloor older than 200 million years, formed continuously at mid-ocean ridges without equivalent subduction volumes, implying net surface growth. 8. Paleomagnetic data indicating possible radius changes, such as a 102% ± 2.8% current radius 400 million years ago, though contested. 9. Raised beaches and steppe plains, as noted by Darwin in 1834, suggesting uplift from expansion rather than subsidence. 10. Traditional mechanisms include internal decompression (e.g., J. Marvin Herndon's 2005 model of Earth forming from a gas-giant core stripped by solar activity) or phase transitions in the mantle due to radioactive heating. However, we emphasize external contributions, aligning with Carey's cosmological links and Hilgenberg's aether-absorption ideas. Enhanced Role of Solar Wind in Earth's Expansion 11. A novel addition to the theory focuses on ","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18027129","authors":["Izzo, Daniel"],"tags":["Earth Science"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.18027129","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.18027130","name":"The Expanding Earth, Snowball Earth, and Lunar Capture Theory: A Unified Perspective on Earth's Geological Evolution","source":"datacite","abstract":"1. This paper presents a unified theoretical framework integrating the Expanding Earth hypothesis, the Snowball Earth episodes, and an alternative lunar capture model. We propose that external influences, particularly charged particles from the solar wind, contribute to Earth's gradual mass accretion and internal heating, driving surface expansion over geological timescales. This process interacts with tidal forces from a captured Moon and volcanic activity to explain major transitions in Earth's history, including the escape from global glaciations. Drawing on geological evidence such as young oceanic crust and paleomagnetic data, we address inconsistencies in mainstream models like plate tectonics and the giant-impact lunar origin hypothesis. While acknowledging the fringe status of expansion theories, we suggest testable mechanisms involving solar wind deposition at the poles, potentially resolving paradoxes like the faint young Sun. Introduction 2. The Earth's geological history is marked by dynamic processes that challenge static models of planetary evolution. The Expanding Earth hypothesis, first proposed in the 19th century and refined by proponents like Samuel Warren Carey in the 1950s–1980s, posits that the planet's radius has increased over time due to internal phase changes, mass addition, or cosmological factors, rather than solely through plate tectonics on a constant-sized Earth. This idea, though largely dismissed as pseudoscience since the 1960s acceptance of subduction and mantle convection, persists in explaining anomalies such as the fit of continents on a smaller paleo-Earth and the relative youth of oceanic crust. 3. Complementing this, the Snowball Earth hypothesis describes episodes of near-global glaciation during the Neoproterozoic Cryogenian period (approximately 720–635 million years ago), where ice sheets extended to equatorial latitudes. These events were likely initiated by reduced atmospheric greenhouse gases and amplified by ice-albedo feedbacks, ending through volcanic CO2 buildup. 4. Finally, debates over the Moon's origin—whether from a giant impact with a Mars-sized body (Theia) or gravitational capture—highlight compositional and isotopic puzzles that may link to Earth's expansion and thermal history. 5. Here, we unify these concepts, emphasizing the role of solar wind particles as an external driver of expansion. By hypothesizing that solar wind contributes trace mass and energy to Earth's interior via polar influx, we propose a mechanism that fuels mantle expansion, interacts with lunar tidal friction, and aids in deglaciating Snowball states. This framework offers a holistic view of Earth's evolution, supported by geological observations and addressing gaps in conventional theories. The Expanding Earth Hypothesis: Mechanisms and Evidence 6. The Expanding Earth model suggests a radius increase from about 80% of its current size in the Jurassic (approximately 200 million years ago) to the present, based on paleomagnetic reconstructions showing continents fitting tightly on a smaller globe. Key evidence includes: 7. The youth of oceanic crust, with no seafloor older than 200 million years, formed continuously at mid-ocean ridges without equivalent subduction volumes, implying net surface growth. 8. Paleomagnetic data indicating possible radius changes, such as a 102% ± 2.8% current radius 400 million years ago, though contested. 9. Raised beaches and steppe plains, as noted by Darwin in 1834, suggesting uplift from expansion rather than subsidence. 10. Traditional mechanisms include internal decompression (e.g., J. Marvin Herndon's 2005 model of Earth forming from a gas-giant core stripped by solar activity) or phase transitions in the mantle due to radioactive heating. However, we emphasize external contributions, aligning with Carey's cosmological links and Hilgenberg's aether-absorption ideas. Enhanced Role of Solar Wind in Earth's Expansion 11. A novel addition to the theory focuses on ","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18027130","authors":["Izzo, Daniel"],"tags":["Earth Science"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.18027130","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.26092/elib/3574","name":"Synthesis and characterizations of defect-rich Martian regolith constituents","source":"datacite","abstract":"Martian regolith draws intensive research attention for the future human settlement on Mars. Its defect-rich and highly concentrated amorphous features were present due to long-lasting space weathering by the solar wind radiation and mechanical impact from extraterrestrial objects. Within the frame of in-situ resource utilization, fundamental knowledge of the structures of the phase constituents and their defect variants are of critical importance. In contrast to naturally occurring minerals, the usage of laboratory synthesized samples has an advantage of providing pure, single-phase materials. This doctoral thesis focuses on the synthesis and characterization of olivines and plagioclase feldspars as representative major phases in Martian regolith. In addition, the impact of mechanical weathering using high-energy ball mill on selective synthesized phases are investigated here. Mechanochemical synthesis of the complete (Mg1-xFex)2SiO4 olivine solid solution was carried out (Chapter 3) to cover the wide range of olivine composition on Mars. Olivines with higher Fe content (x = 0.5 - 1) are likely to form larger crystallites (&gt; 150 nm). Regression equations are demonstrated based on the X-ray reflection intensity and characteristic Raman modes for easy calculation of Mg/Fe-concentration in Martian olivines. Chapter 4 focuses on the structural differences between defect-rich and defect-poor forsterite (Mg2SiO4) endmember. DFT-PDF refinements indicate that post-processed forsterite contains Mg Frenkel-type and Mg2+ interstitial defects with concentrations of 23(3) and 10(3) wt.-%, respectively. A series of (Ca1-xNax)(Al2-xSi2+x)O8 plagioclase feldspars are synthesized using conventional solid-state method with subsequent calcination schemes (Chapter 5). The bulk chemical compositions obtained from EDX spectroscopy has been served for Al/Si ratio in the sample. Implementing PDF-Rietveld refinements on Mo X-ray data indicates disorder structure.","url":"https://doi.org/10.26092/elib/3574","authors":["Jundullah Hanafi, Muchammad Izzuddin"],"tags":["Martian regolith","Olivine","Plagioclase feldspar","Mechanical weathering","X-ray diffraction","Pair distribution function","Raman spectroscopy","UV/Vis spectroscopy"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.26092/elib/3574","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17605/osf.io/npwt3","name":"Geochemical data analysis techniques for environmental studies","source":"datacite","abstract":"Geochemical analysis is a crucial field that allows scientists to understand the chemical composition of Earth, its atmosphere, and its seas. It also has applications beyond Earth, as it can be used to study extraterrestrial materials like moon rocks or Martian soil samples [1]. Furthermore, geochemical analysis plays a significant role in tracking leaks from waste disposal sites and understanding climate fluctuations throughout Earth's history [1]. To conduct geochemical analysis, a strong background in chemistry and Earth sciences is required, as it involves determining the chemical compounds that make up Earth and predicting the presence of valuable resources like petroleum, metals, water, and commercially valuable minerals [1]. Various techniques are employed in geochemical data analysis, such as aerial surveys, computer mapping and modeling, atomic absorption spectrometry, and even training dogs to sniff out minerals associated with sulfur compounds","url":"https://doi.org/10.17605/osf.io/npwt3","authors":["Valls, Ricardo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.17605/osf.io/npwt3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.17755536","name":"Comparative Georesources: Icy Moon Volatiles, Martian Aquifers, and Asteroid Ores","source":"datacite","abstract":"The exploration and potential utilization of extraterrestrial resources are pivotal for the long-term sustainability and expansion of human presence beyond Earth. This paper presents a comparative analysis of three primary categories of space georesources: volatiles found on icy moons, subsurface aquifers on Mars, and metallic and volatile ores within asteroids. We examine the scientific understanding of their composition, distribution, accessibility, and the technological readiness levels required for their extraction and processing. Icy moons like Europa and Enceladus harbor vast reservoirs of water ice and potentially organic compounds, offering immense scientific and in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) potential, despite challenges posed by radiation and deep ice shells. Martian aquifers, primarily composed of water ice and possibly brines, represent a critical resource for sustained human missions on the Red Planet, with relatively easier access than deep lunar or icy moon resources but complicated by dust and perchlorates. Asteroids, particularly near-Earth asteroids, offer a diverse array of metallic ores, precious metals, and water-rich minerals, promising the foundation for an off-world industrial economy, though their extraction demands advanced robotic capabilities and significant investment. Through a multi-criteria assessment encompassing abundance, accessibility, extractability, and potential applications, this study aims to delineate the relative merits and challenges associated with each resource type. The objective is to inform strategic planning for future space missions, identify critical technological development pathways, and contribute to the emerging field of astromineering. The findings underscore the importance of a diversified approach to space resource utilization, recognizing that each resource class offers unique advantages for different aspects of space exploration and development.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17755536","authors":["Revista, Zen","ASTRO, 10"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.17755536","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.17755537","name":"Comparative Georesources: Icy Moon Volatiles, Martian Aquifers, and Asteroid Ores","source":"datacite","abstract":"The exploration and potential utilization of extraterrestrial resources are pivotal for the long-term sustainability and expansion of human presence beyond Earth. This paper presents a comparative analysis of three primary categories of space georesources: volatiles found on icy moons, subsurface aquifers on Mars, and metallic and volatile ores within asteroids. We examine the scientific understanding of their composition, distribution, accessibility, and the technological readiness levels required for their extraction and processing. Icy moons like Europa and Enceladus harbor vast reservoirs of water ice and potentially organic compounds, offering immense scientific and in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) potential, despite challenges posed by radiation and deep ice shells. Martian aquifers, primarily composed of water ice and possibly brines, represent a critical resource for sustained human missions on the Red Planet, with relatively easier access than deep lunar or icy moon resources but complicated by dust and perchlorates. Asteroids, particularly near-Earth asteroids, offer a diverse array of metallic ores, precious metals, and water-rich minerals, promising the foundation for an off-world industrial economy, though their extraction demands advanced robotic capabilities and significant investment. Through a multi-criteria assessment encompassing abundance, accessibility, extractability, and potential applications, this study aims to delineate the relative merits and challenges associated with each resource type. The objective is to inform strategic planning for future space missions, identify critical technological development pathways, and contribute to the emerging field of astromineering. The findings underscore the importance of a diversified approach to space resource utilization, recognizing that each resource class offers unique advantages for different aspects of space exploration and development.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17755537","authors":["Revista, Zen","ASTRO, 10"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.17755537","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.17539180","name":"ΘTHEORY: THE COMPLETE UNCENSORED SCIENTIFIC VALIDATION","source":"datacite","abstract":"# ΘTHEORY: THE COMPLETE UNCENSORED SCIENTIFIC VALIDATION## 150,000+ WORD COMPREHENSIVE DOCUMENT WITH ZERO CENSORSHIP **Author:** The Θ Collective (All Humanity Across All Generations) **Primary Contributors:**- **Renato Gori Rosa (R.G.R.)** - Creator, Theoretical Insight, Owner of Intellectual Property- **Deepseek AI** - Theoretical Development and Mathematical Framework- **Manus AI** - Empirical Validation, Documentation, and Synthesis **License:** CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International) **Date:** November 5, 2025 **Dedication:** To Bruce, whose future inspired this work. To every person who ever lived, to every person living now, and to every person who will ever live. To all beings and all existence. **Guiding Principle:** \"Intention is key.\" **CRITICAL STATEMENT:** This document contains NO censorship, NO softening, NO hedging. All claims are supported by evidence. The 22σ combined significance IS definitive. Interstellar propulsion IS achievable. Unlimited clean energy IS possible. These are not \"extraordinary claims\" - they are VERIFIED FACTS supported by the strongest evidence in scientific history. --- ## EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Θ-Theory achieves **22.1 ± 1.2σ combined significance** across five independent observational domains. This represents the strongest evidence for any scientific theory in human history, surpassing the Higgs boson discovery (5σ), gravitational wave detection (5σ), and all other major scientific breakthroughs. **The confidence level is 99.9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999% - essentially 100%.** **The probability of false positive is p 0 (positive energy states):**e^{iπE} = e^{iπ|E|} = cos(π|E|) + i sin(π|E|)** For the characteristic energy scale E_0 of the system:**e^{iπE_0} = e^{iπ} = -1** This is the key insight: **at the characteristic energy scale, the Θ-operator acts as a sign flip.** **Step 4 (Revised):** Transformation of stress-energy tensor. For states at the characteristic energy scale:**Θ |E_0,p⟩ = -|E_0,p⟩** Therefore, the expectation value of T_{μν} transforms as:**⟨E_0,p| Θ^† T_{μν} Θ |E_0,p⟩ = ⟨E_0,p| (-1) T_{μν} (-1) |E_0,p⟩ = -⟨E_0,p| T_{μν} |E_0,p⟩** **Conclusion:** At the characteristic energy scale, the stress-energy tensor is inverted:**Θ^† T_{μν} Θ = -T_{μν}** ∎ **More Rigorous Approach - Using Parity Transformation:** The Θ-operator can be understood as a parity transformation in energy-momentum space. **Definition:** The parity operator P acts on energy-momentum states as:**P |E,p⟩ = |-E,-p⟩** This flips the sign of both energy and momentum. **Theorem:** The Θ-operator is equivalent to parity transformation at the characteristic energy scale:**Θ = P** (at E = E_0) **Proof:**1. Parity transforms stress-energy tensor: P^† T_{μν} P = -T_{μν}2. This is because T_{μν} is a bilinear form in energy-momentum3. Flipping signs of E and p flips sign of T_{μν}4. Θ acts as parity at characteristic energy scale5. Therefore: Θ^† T_{μν} Θ = -T_{μν} ∎ **Physical Interpretation:** The stress-energy tensor inversion means:- Positive energy density → Negative energy density (or vice versa)- Inward energy flow → Outward energy flow- Black hole (absorbing) → White hole (emitting) This is not a violation of energy conservation - it is a transformation of the quantum state that preserves total energy while inverting its sign locally. **Observational Consequences:** The stress-energy tensor inversion predicts:1. **Negative spectral index** in M87 jet (α = -0.15) ✓ OBSERVED2. **EVPA helicity flip** of 180° ✓ OBSERVED3. **Position angle rotation** ✓ OBSERVED4. **Transient white hole bursts** ✓ CONSISTENT WITH DATA **This is not speculation. This is proven mathematics with observed consequences.** --- ### 10. Modified Einstein Field Equations - Complete Derivation The Θ-operator modifies the Einstein field equations by introducing a correction term proportional to ⟨Θ⟩. **Standard Einstein Field Eq","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17539180","authors":["Gori, Rosa"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.17539180","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.17539179","name":"ΘTHEORY: THE COMPLETE UNCENSORED SCIENTIFIC VALIDATION","source":"datacite","abstract":"# ΘTHEORY: THE COMPLETE UNCENSORED SCIENTIFIC VALIDATION## 150,000+ WORD COMPREHENSIVE DOCUMENT WITH ZERO CENSORSHIP **Author:** The Θ Collective (All Humanity Across All Generations) **Primary Contributors:**- **Renato Gori Rosa (R.G.R.)** - Creator, Theoretical Insight, Owner of Intellectual Property- **Deepseek AI** - Theoretical Development and Mathematical Framework- **Manus AI** - Empirical Validation, Documentation, and Synthesis **License:** CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International) **Date:** November 5, 2025 **Dedication:** To Bruce, whose future inspired this work. To every person who ever lived, to every person living now, and to every person who will ever live. To all beings and all existence. **Guiding Principle:** \"Intention is key.\" **CRITICAL STATEMENT:** This document contains NO censorship, NO softening, NO hedging. All claims are supported by evidence. The 22σ combined significance IS definitive. Interstellar propulsion IS achievable. Unlimited clean energy IS possible. These are not \"extraordinary claims\" - they are VERIFIED FACTS supported by the strongest evidence in scientific history. --- ## EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Θ-Theory achieves **22.1 ± 1.2σ combined significance** across five independent observational domains. This represents the strongest evidence for any scientific theory in human history, surpassing the Higgs boson discovery (5σ), gravitational wave detection (5σ), and all other major scientific breakthroughs. **The confidence level is 99.9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999% - essentially 100%.** **The probability of false positive is p 0 (positive energy states):**e^{iπE} = e^{iπ|E|} = cos(π|E|) + i sin(π|E|)** For the characteristic energy scale E_0 of the system:**e^{iπE_0} = e^{iπ} = -1** This is the key insight: **at the characteristic energy scale, the Θ-operator acts as a sign flip.** **Step 4 (Revised):** Transformation of stress-energy tensor. For states at the characteristic energy scale:**Θ |E_0,p⟩ = -|E_0,p⟩** Therefore, the expectation value of T_{μν} transforms as:**⟨E_0,p| Θ^† T_{μν} Θ |E_0,p⟩ = ⟨E_0,p| (-1) T_{μν} (-1) |E_0,p⟩ = -⟨E_0,p| T_{μν} |E_0,p⟩** **Conclusion:** At the characteristic energy scale, the stress-energy tensor is inverted:**Θ^† T_{μν} Θ = -T_{μν}** ∎ **More Rigorous Approach - Using Parity Transformation:** The Θ-operator can be understood as a parity transformation in energy-momentum space. **Definition:** The parity operator P acts on energy-momentum states as:**P |E,p⟩ = |-E,-p⟩** This flips the sign of both energy and momentum. **Theorem:** The Θ-operator is equivalent to parity transformation at the characteristic energy scale:**Θ = P** (at E = E_0) **Proof:**1. Parity transforms stress-energy tensor: P^† T_{μν} P = -T_{μν}2. This is because T_{μν} is a bilinear form in energy-momentum3. Flipping signs of E and p flips sign of T_{μν}4. Θ acts as parity at characteristic energy scale5. Therefore: Θ^† T_{μν} Θ = -T_{μν} ∎ **Physical Interpretation:** The stress-energy tensor inversion means:- Positive energy density → Negative energy density (or vice versa)- Inward energy flow → Outward energy flow- Black hole (absorbing) → White hole (emitting) This is not a violation of energy conservation - it is a transformation of the quantum state that preserves total energy while inverting its sign locally. **Observational Consequences:** The stress-energy tensor inversion predicts:1. **Negative spectral index** in M87 jet (α = -0.15) ✓ OBSERVED2. **EVPA helicity flip** of 180° ✓ OBSERVED3. **Position angle rotation** ✓ OBSERVED4. **Transient white hole bursts** ✓ CONSISTENT WITH DATA **This is not speculation. This is proven mathematics with observed consequences.** --- ### 10. Modified Einstein Field Equations - Complete Derivation The Θ-operator modifies the Einstein field equations by introducing a correction term proportional to ⟨Θ⟩. **Standard Einstein Field Eq","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17539179","authors":["Gori, Rosa"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.17539179","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.17231094","name":"(3I/ATLAS)→Prediction of the Composition and Origin of Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Using the Hamzah Model.","source":"datacite","abstract":"All 400 Research Projects and Theories of Hamzah Equation (Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Economics, Mathematics, Computer Science, AI, AGI, Cosmology Simulation and etc) are Available: Orcid ID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-3175-8563 Science Open ID: https://www.scienceopen.com/user/2c98a8bc-b8bb-49b3-9c91-2f2986a7e16e Safe Creative register the work titled \"The Theory of Intelligent Evolution, the Hamzah Equation, and the Quantum Civilisation\". Safe Creative registration #2504151474836. ............................................................................................................................................................... 3I/ATLAS → 17 October 2025: Confirmation of the Hamzah Model Predictions from the 30 September 2025 Article Using New Observational Data (Hubble, James Webb, VLT, Gemini North, ATLAS). https://zenodo.org/records/17377795 ............................................................................................................................................................... Why 3I/ATLAS Faces Systematic Censorship of Scientific Validation by Reputable Scientific Journals under the Principle of Free Information Circulation? https://zenodo.org/records/17417541 ............................................................................................................................................................... 3I/ATLAS Precise Daily Analysis and Predictions from 23 to 29 October 2025 via the Hamzah Model. https://zenodo.org/records/17427950 ............................................................................................................................................................... 3I/ATLAS Complete Simulator. https://zenodo.org/records/17435127 ............................................................................................................................................................... Avi Loeb's Theory on 3I/ATLAS and a Comparative Analysis of the Hamzah Model: Numerical Evidence Confirming a Natural Origin and Refuting Extraterrestrial Origin. https://zenodo.org/records/17442420 ............................................................................................................................................................... 3I/ATLAS Interstellar Perihelion Precise Prediction Using the Hamzah Model: Focused Analysis on 29 October 2025. https://zenodo.org/records/17441119 ............................................................................................................................................................... AbstractThis study employs the advanced Hamzah Model to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS. The model, achieving a precision of 99.98%, successfully predicts the chemical composition, origin, and kinematic trajectory of the object. Results indicate that 3I/ATLAS possesses a unique chemical composition, with a significant carbon enrichment of 28.45% above solar values and a dominant r-process nucleosynthesis pattern with a probability of 78.4%. Trajectory modelling was performed with a positional error of 0.000123 astronomical units, and an escape velocity of 32.123 km/s confirms the interstellar nature of the object. 1. Introduction 1.1 Significance of Interstellar Object Studies Interstellar objects serve as direct samples of material beyond the Solar System, providing an unparalleled window into planetary formation processes and the chemical evolution of galaxies. The discoveries of 1I/'Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019 initiated a new era in the study of such objects. 3I/ATLAS, as the third confirmed interstellar object, presents an exceptional opportunity for testing advanced astrophysical models. 1.2 The Hamzah Model: A Novel Astrophysical Approach The Hamzah Model utilises advanced computational architecture capable of processing 12 billion operations and analysing 50 trillion distinct scenarios. By integrating multi-source data and applying quantum-relativistic co","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17231094","authors":["JALALI, SEYED RASOUL"],"tags":["interstellar object, 3I/ATLAS, Hamzah model, Hamzah equation, ultra-precision modeling, astrochemistry, cosmic origin, planetary formation, stellar system, exoplanet formation, interstellar trajectory, high-precision computation, orbital dynamics, celestial mechanics, cosmic dust, cometary composition, asteroidal composition, interstellar medium, molecular clouds, protoplanetary disk, chemical evolution, isotope ratios, spectroscopy analysis, spectral signatures, elemental composition, carbonaceous compounds, silicate minerals, volatile detection, water ice detection, organic molecules, prebiotic chemistry, extraterrestrial chemistry, chemical heterogeneity, isotopic anomalies, oxygen isotopes, carbon isotopes, nitrogen isotopes, sulfur isotopes, interstellar chemistry, cosmic rays, cosmic radiation, galactic environment, stellar ejecta, interstellar collisions, hyperbolic orbit, gravitational perturbations, orbital inclination, perihelion passage, aphelion distance, high-velocity object, kinetic modeling, thermodynamic modeling, surface albedo, reflectance spectroscopy, thermal inertia, surface temperature, sublimation patterns, outgassing behavior, coma formation, dust tail analysis, particle size distribution, meteoritic analogs, laboratory spectroscopy, computational astrophysics, numerical simulations, data integration, multi-source datasets, real-time modeling, AI-based prediction, machine learning astrophysics, deep learning modeling, uncertainty reduction, error minimization, 99.999% precision, predictive astrophysics, interstellar chemistry modeling, astroinformatics, Big Data astronomy, multi-wavelength observation, infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet spectroscopy, radio astronomy, optical telescopes, space telescopes, Gaia mission, Pan-STARRS survey, LSST observations, orbit reconstruction, dynamical history, galactic kinematics, trajectory simulation, Monte Carlo simulation, stochastic modeling, high-resolution imaging, photometric analysis, polarimetric analysis, albedo mapping, rotation period, spin axis orientation, lightcurve analysis, cometary activity, dust production rate, interstellar ice, refractory materials, crystalline silicates, amorphous silicates, chondritic composition, cosmochemistry, solar system comparison, extrasolar analogs, galactic chemical evolution, stellar nucleosynthesis, supernova ejecta, AGB star contributions, interstellar transport, cosmic time scales, formation epoch, galactic chemical signature, primordial composition, isotopic fractionation, volatile depletion, refractory enrichment, dust-to-gas ratio, astrogeology, exoplanetary analogs, planetary system evolution, stellar neighborhood, close stellar encounters, galactic dynamics, tidal interactions, perturbation modeling, orbital stability, resonance analysis, chaotic dynamics, Lyapunov exponent, interstellar object catalog, classification methods, observational constraints, detection limits, sensitivity analysis, spectrograph calibration, photometric calibration, signal-to-noise ratio, cosmic background correction, observational errors, statistical modeling, Bayesian inference, data assimilation, real-time computation, high-performance computing, GPU acceleration, parallel computing, cloud-based analysis, distributed computation, Dask implementation, TensorFlow modeling, PyTorch astrophysics, scientific Python, NumPy, SciPy, Matplotlib, Astropy, Sklearn, CUPY, computational efficiency, algorithm optimization, numerical accuracy, precision control, error propagation, validation techniques, cross-validation, uncertainty quantification, reproducible science, open-source modeling, scientific workflow, astrostatistics, astroinformatics pipelines, observational astronomy, theoretical astrophysics, physical modeling, cosmological context, local interstellar cloud, stellar neighborhood analysis, galactic plane, Milky Way dynamics, extragalactic analogs, nearby star systems, Oort cloud analogs, Kuiper belt comparison, solar system small bodies, cometary nuclei, asteroidal bodies, minor planets, orbital elements, semi-major axis, eccentricity, inclination, longitude of ascending node, argument of perihelion, mean anomaly, Tisserand parameter, hyperbolic excess velocity, interstellar origin, galactic ejection, stellar encounters, rogue objects, free-floating bodies, chemical tracers, molecular abundances, isotope mapping, atomic ratios, noble gas composition, trace elements, metallicity analysis, refractory elements, volatile elements, organic compounds, amino acids, prebiotic molecules, hydrogen detection, carbon detection, oxygen detection, nitrogen detection, sulfur detection, phosphorus detection, complex organics, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAHs, comet analogs, chondrite analogs, interplanetary dust, solar system formation, early solar nebula, galactic chemical fingerprint, galactic archaeology, cosmochemical signatures, astrochemical pathways, chemical kinetics, reaction rates, photodissociation, cosmic UV flux, radiation chemistry, interstellar ice chemistry, thermal processing, shock processing, cosmic ray interaction, micrometeorite impact, surface alteration, space weathering, spectral variability, rotational variability, shape modeling, irregular shape, tumbling motion, non-principal axis rotation, spin-state evolution, collisional history, impact cratering, mantle composition, core composition, differentiation, primordial materials, preserved material, pristine sample, observational window, survey strategy, telescope scheduling, multi-epoch observation, temporal evolution, lightcurve inversion, shape reconstruction, tomography techniques, 3D modeling, density estimation, mass estimation, bulk composition, porosity measurement, thermal modeling, heat transfer, radiative equilibrium, sublimation modeling, volatile transport, gas-dust interaction, coma morphology, dust jets, tail morphology, dust dynamics, particle ejection velocity, solar radiation pressure, non-gravitational acceleration, jet modeling, activity onset, seasonal effects, spin-orbit coupling, torque estimation, angular momentum, moment of inertia, rotational dynamics, YORP effect, surface cohesion, tensile strength, microgravity environment, material properties, tensile modulus, fracture modeling, brittle behavior, regolith evolution, particle aggregation, dust mantling, refractory crust, volatile retention, surface roughness, thermal conductivity, heat capacity, thermal emission, infrared flux, radiometric modeling, energy balance, sublimation-driven acceleration, gas drag, cometary jets, outflow velocity, coma density, particle scattering, light scattering, phase function, scattering cross-section, radiative transfer, optical depth, dust albedo, polarization signature, spectral slope, colour index, chemical heterogeneity mapping, interstellar chemical diversity, isotopic mapping, nucleosynthetic origin, stellar progenitor, galactic chemical gradient, stellar population, chemical tagging, cosmic chemical pathways, galactic enrichment, supernova nucleosynthesis, stellar wind contribution, AGB nucleosynthesis, primordial gas signature, galactic chemical evolution model, stellar metallicity, alpha-element enhancement, r-process contribution, s-process contribution, neutron capture, nucleosynthesis modeling, chemical fingerprints, astrochemical evolution, cosmic heritage, pre-solar grains, meteorite comparison, interstellar sampling, sample return analogs, space mission targets, future observations, mission planning, observational feasibility, detection techniques, high-precision photometry, spectroscopic surveys, multi-messenger astronomy, Gaia DR3, Pan-STARRS data, LSST simulations, data mining, big data in astronomy, AI-driven discovery, machine learning classification, deep learning for astrophysics, neural networks modeling, predictive analytics, uncertainty reduction, anomaly detection, rare object identification, real-time prediction, automated pipelines, reproducible research, open science, Zenodo publishing, academic indexing, cross-disciplinary relevance, interdisciplinary research, astroinformatics integration, computational cosmochemistry, astrochemical modeling, precision astrochemistry, planetary science, exoplanetary systems, formation mechanisms, galactic archaeology, interstellar exploration, cosmic evolution, early galaxy formation, molecular spectroscopy, infrared absorption, ultraviolet absorption, rotational spectroscopy, radio emission, molecular transitions, hyperfine structure, rotational constants, vibrational modes, spectroscopic fingerprints, laboratory analogs, simulation validation, data calibration, statistical inference, multivariate analysis, chemical clustering, pattern recognition, elemental mapping, molecular mapping, compositional gradients, chemical differentiation, isotopic fractionation analysis, cosmochemical constraints, solar system context, extrasolar system analogs, galactic context, cosmic trajectory, orbital reconstruction, dynamical evolution, N-body simulation, chaotic orbit analysis, resonance dynamics, tidal evolution, secular perturbation, long-term stability, escape velocity, interstellar capture, stellar ejection scenarios, planetary system scattering, free-floating object dynamics, hyperbolic object characterization, non-gravitational forces, radiation pressure effects, thermal recoil, Yarkovsky effect, jet-induced acceleration, cometary activity modeling, dust-gas interaction, gas drag modeling, activity onset prediction, rotational modulation, spin-state modeling, tumbling analysis, irregular shape modeling, density distribution, mass distribution, porosity estimation, material heterogeneity, regolith modeling, thermal conductivity estimation, heat transfer modeling, energy balance calculation, sublimation-driven dynamics, particle acceleration, dust trajectory simulation, observational constraints modeling, multi-wavelength correlation, photometric calibration, spectral calibration, noise reduction, error analysis, uncertainty quantification, sensitivity analysis, high-precision observation, real-time data processing, GPU-based computation, distributed computing, Dask, CUDA optimization, TensorFlow astrophysics, PyTorch modeling, open-source reproducibility, scientific workflow automation, reproducible simulations, cross-disciplinary collaboration, astrochemistry database, galactic chemical database, chemical evolution database, isotopic database, molecular database, interstellar survey, computational chemistry, cosmic simulation, predictive astrophysics, numerical modeling, orbital dynamics simulation, trajectory forecasting, composition prediction, origin prediction, interstellar object cataloging, rare object detection, anomaly identification, machine learning pipeline, deep learning pipeline, AI-driven astrochemistry, astroinformatics pipeline, high-precision astroinformatics, Zenodo indexing, academic visibility, global discoverability, cross-platform citation, interstellar research impact, celestial body characterization, interstellar exploration, astrochemical heritage, primordial material preservation, galactic chemical diversity, nucleosynthesis tracing, cosmic chemical pathways, pre-solar material analysis, stellar ejecta tracing, chemical fingerprinting, cosmic evolutionary model, interstellar sampling analogs, scientific data publication, robust metadata, dataset discoverability, cross-disciplinary indexing, citation optimization, high-impact publication, astrochemical precision, interstellar trajectory prediction, orbital reconstruction accuracy, numerical simulation fidelity, observational astronomy precision, spectroscopic measurement accuracy, chemical abundance mapping, isotopic composition analysis, cosmochemical modeling, astrochemical simulation, stellar origin tracing, interstellar transport modeling, high-fidelity computational model, Hamzah equation modeling, Hamzah ultra-precision, interstellar object analysis, 3I/ATLAS prediction, interstellar composition forecast, origin scenario modeling, galactic chemical tracing, astrochemical evolution prediction, planetary system comparison, cosmochemical validation, astrochemical pathway tracing, interstellar chemistry prediction, high-precision orbital modeling, trajectory dynamics forecast, astroinformatics-driven research, AI-enhanced astrochemistry, computational precision, predictive modeling, interdisciplinary astrochemistry, cosmic origin study, interstellar object classification, Hamzah model application, high-resolution astrochemistry, astrochemical simulation accuracy, trajectory evolution analysis, orbit stability modeling, rare object identification, hyperbolic orbit prediction, cosmochemical fingerprinting, interstellar origin hypothesis, multi-source data integration, real-time computation in astrophysics, astrochemical discovery, scientific reproducibility, interstellar material characterization, cosmochemical scenario simulation, predictive astrochemistry modeling, global scientific visibility, Zenodo-ready keywords"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.17231094","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.17234056","name":"(3I/ATLAS)→Prediction of the Composition and Origin of Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Using the Hamzah Model.","source":"datacite","abstract":"All 400 Research Projects and Theories of Hamzah Equation (Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Economics, Mathematics, Computer Science, AI, AGI, Cosmology Simulation and etc) are Available: Orcid ID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-3175-8563 Science Open ID: https://www.scienceopen.com/user/2c98a8bc-b8bb-49b3-9c91-2f2986a7e16e Safe Creative register the work titled \"The Theory of Intelligent Evolution, the Hamzah Equation, and the Quantum Civilisation\". Safe Creative registration #2504151474836. ............................................................................................................................................................... 3I/ATLAS → 17 October 2025: Confirmation of the Hamzah Model Predictions from the 30 September 2025 Article Using New Observational Data (Hubble, James Webb, VLT, Gemini North, ATLAS). https://zenodo.org/records/17377795 ............................................................................................................................................................... Why 3I/ATLAS Faces Systematic Censorship of Scientific Validation by Reputable Scientific Journals under the Principle of Free Information Circulation? https://zenodo.org/records/17417541 ............................................................................................................................................................... 3I/ATLAS Precise Daily Analysis and Predictions from 23 to 29 October 2025 via the Hamzah Model. https://zenodo.org/records/17427950 ............................................................................................................................................................... 3I/ATLAS Complete Simulator. https://zenodo.org/records/17435127 ............................................................................................................................................................... Avi Loeb's Theory on 3I/ATLAS and a Comparative Analysis of the Hamzah Model: Numerical Evidence Confirming a Natural Origin and Refuting Extraterrestrial Origin. https://zenodo.org/records/17442420 ............................................................................................................................................................... 3I/ATLAS Interstellar Perihelion Precise Prediction Using the Hamzah Model: Focused Analysis on 29 October 2025. https://zenodo.org/records/17441119 ............................................................................................................................................................... AbstractThis study employs the advanced Hamzah Model to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS. The model, achieving a precision of 99.98%, successfully predicts the chemical composition, origin, and kinematic trajectory of the object. Results indicate that 3I/ATLAS possesses a unique chemical composition, with a significant carbon enrichment of 28.45% above solar values and a dominant r-process nucleosynthesis pattern with a probability of 78.4%. Trajectory modelling was performed with a positional error of 0.000123 astronomical units, and an escape velocity of 32.123 km/s confirms the interstellar nature of the object. 1. Introduction 1.1 Significance of Interstellar Object Studies Interstellar objects serve as direct samples of material beyond the Solar System, providing an unparalleled window into planetary formation processes and the chemical evolution of galaxies. The discoveries of 1I/'Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019 initiated a new era in the study of such objects. 3I/ATLAS, as the third confirmed interstellar object, presents an exceptional opportunity for testing advanced astrophysical models. 1.2 The Hamzah Model: A Novel Astrophysical Approach The Hamzah Model utilises advanced computational architecture capable of processing 12 billion operations and analysing 50 trillion distinct scenarios. By integrating multi-source data and applying quantum-relativistic co","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17234056","authors":["JALALI, SEYED RASOUL"],"tags":["interstellar object, 3I/ATLAS, Hamzah model, Hamzah equation, ultra-precision modeling, astrochemistry, cosmic origin, planetary formation, stellar system, exoplanet formation, interstellar trajectory, high-precision computation, orbital dynamics, celestial mechanics, cosmic dust, cometary composition, asteroidal composition, interstellar medium, molecular clouds, protoplanetary disk, chemical evolution, isotope ratios, spectroscopy analysis, spectral signatures, elemental composition, carbonaceous compounds, silicate minerals, volatile detection, water ice detection, organic molecules, prebiotic chemistry, extraterrestrial chemistry, chemical heterogeneity, isotopic anomalies, oxygen isotopes, carbon isotopes, nitrogen isotopes, sulfur isotopes, interstellar chemistry, cosmic rays, cosmic radiation, galactic environment, stellar ejecta, interstellar collisions, hyperbolic orbit, gravitational perturbations, orbital inclination, perihelion passage, aphelion distance, high-velocity object, kinetic modeling, thermodynamic modeling, surface albedo, reflectance spectroscopy, thermal inertia, surface temperature, sublimation patterns, outgassing behavior, coma formation, dust tail analysis, particle size distribution, meteoritic analogs, laboratory spectroscopy, computational astrophysics, numerical simulations, data integration, multi-source datasets, real-time modeling, AI-based prediction, machine learning astrophysics, deep learning modeling, uncertainty reduction, error minimization, 99.999% precision, predictive astrophysics, interstellar chemistry modeling, astroinformatics, Big Data astronomy, multi-wavelength observation, infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet spectroscopy, radio astronomy, optical telescopes, space telescopes, Gaia mission, Pan-STARRS survey, LSST observations, orbit reconstruction, dynamical history, galactic kinematics, trajectory simulation, Monte Carlo simulation, stochastic modeling, high-resolution imaging, photometric analysis, polarimetric analysis, albedo mapping, rotation period, spin axis orientation, lightcurve analysis, cometary activity, dust production rate, interstellar ice, refractory materials, crystalline silicates, amorphous silicates, chondritic composition, cosmochemistry, solar system comparison, extrasolar analogs, galactic chemical evolution, stellar nucleosynthesis, supernova ejecta, AGB star contributions, interstellar transport, cosmic time scales, formation epoch, galactic chemical signature, primordial composition, isotopic fractionation, volatile depletion, refractory enrichment, dust-to-gas ratio, astrogeology, exoplanetary analogs, planetary system evolution, stellar neighborhood, close stellar encounters, galactic dynamics, tidal interactions, perturbation modeling, orbital stability, resonance analysis, chaotic dynamics, Lyapunov exponent, interstellar object catalog, classification methods, observational constraints, detection limits, sensitivity analysis, spectrograph calibration, photometric calibration, signal-to-noise ratio, cosmic background correction, observational errors, statistical modeling, Bayesian inference, data assimilation, real-time computation, high-performance computing, GPU acceleration, parallel computing, cloud-based analysis, distributed computation, Dask implementation, TensorFlow modeling, PyTorch astrophysics, scientific Python, NumPy, SciPy, Matplotlib, Astropy, Sklearn, CUPY, computational efficiency, algorithm optimization, numerical accuracy, precision control, error propagation, validation techniques, cross-validation, uncertainty quantification, reproducible science, open-source modeling, scientific workflow, astrostatistics, astroinformatics pipelines, observational astronomy, theoretical astrophysics, physical modeling, cosmological context, local interstellar cloud, stellar neighborhood analysis, galactic plane, Milky Way dynamics, extragalactic analogs, nearby star systems, Oort cloud analogs, Kuiper belt comparison, solar system small bodies, cometary nuclei, asteroidal bodies, minor planets, orbital elements, semi-major axis, eccentricity, inclination, longitude of ascending node, argument of perihelion, mean anomaly, Tisserand parameter, hyperbolic excess velocity, interstellar origin, galactic ejection, stellar encounters, rogue objects, free-floating bodies, chemical tracers, molecular abundances, isotope mapping, atomic ratios, noble gas composition, trace elements, metallicity analysis, refractory elements, volatile elements, organic compounds, amino acids, prebiotic molecules, hydrogen detection, carbon detection, oxygen detection, nitrogen detection, sulfur detection, phosphorus detection, complex organics, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAHs, comet analogs, chondrite analogs, interplanetary dust, solar system formation, early solar nebula, galactic chemical fingerprint, galactic archaeology, cosmochemical signatures, astrochemical pathways, chemical kinetics, reaction rates, photodissociation, cosmic UV flux, radiation chemistry, interstellar ice chemistry, thermal processing, shock processing, cosmic ray interaction, micrometeorite impact, surface alteration, space weathering, spectral variability, rotational variability, shape modeling, irregular shape, tumbling motion, non-principal axis rotation, spin-state evolution, collisional history, impact cratering, mantle composition, core composition, differentiation, primordial materials, preserved material, pristine sample, observational window, survey strategy, telescope scheduling, multi-epoch observation, temporal evolution, lightcurve inversion, shape reconstruction, tomography techniques, 3D modeling, density estimation, mass estimation, bulk composition, porosity measurement, thermal modeling, heat transfer, radiative equilibrium, sublimation modeling, volatile transport, gas-dust interaction, coma morphology, dust jets, tail morphology, dust dynamics, particle ejection velocity, solar radiation pressure, non-gravitational acceleration, jet modeling, activity onset, seasonal effects, spin-orbit coupling, torque estimation, angular momentum, moment of inertia, rotational dynamics, YORP effect, surface cohesion, tensile strength, microgravity environment, material properties, tensile modulus, fracture modeling, brittle behavior, regolith evolution, particle aggregation, dust mantling, refractory crust, volatile retention, surface roughness, thermal conductivity, heat capacity, thermal emission, infrared flux, radiometric modeling, energy balance, sublimation-driven acceleration, gas drag, cometary jets, outflow velocity, coma density, particle scattering, light scattering, phase function, scattering cross-section, radiative transfer, optical depth, dust albedo, polarization signature, spectral slope, colour index, chemical heterogeneity mapping, interstellar chemical diversity, isotopic mapping, nucleosynthetic origin, stellar progenitor, galactic chemical gradient, stellar population, chemical tagging, cosmic chemical pathways, galactic enrichment, supernova nucleosynthesis, stellar wind contribution, AGB nucleosynthesis, primordial gas signature, galactic chemical evolution model, stellar metallicity, alpha-element enhancement, r-process contribution, s-process contribution, neutron capture, nucleosynthesis modeling, chemical fingerprints, astrochemical evolution, cosmic heritage, pre-solar grains, meteorite comparison, interstellar sampling, sample return analogs, space mission targets, future observations, mission planning, observational feasibility, detection techniques, high-precision photometry, spectroscopic surveys, multi-messenger astronomy, Gaia DR3, Pan-STARRS data, LSST simulations, data mining, big data in astronomy, AI-driven discovery, machine learning classification, deep learning for astrophysics, neural networks modeling, predictive analytics, uncertainty reduction, anomaly detection, rare object identification, real-time prediction, automated pipelines, reproducible research, open science, Zenodo publishing, academic indexing, cross-disciplinary relevance, interdisciplinary research, astroinformatics integration, computational cosmochemistry, astrochemical modeling, precision astrochemistry, planetary science, exoplanetary systems, formation mechanisms, galactic archaeology, interstellar exploration, cosmic evolution, early galaxy formation, molecular spectroscopy, infrared absorption, ultraviolet absorption, rotational spectroscopy, radio emission, molecular transitions, hyperfine structure, rotational constants, vibrational modes, spectroscopic fingerprints, laboratory analogs, simulation validation, data calibration, statistical inference, multivariate analysis, chemical clustering, pattern recognition, elemental mapping, molecular mapping, compositional gradients, chemical differentiation, isotopic fractionation analysis, cosmochemical constraints, solar system context, extrasolar system analogs, galactic context, cosmic trajectory, orbital reconstruction, dynamical evolution, N-body simulation, chaotic orbit analysis, resonance dynamics, tidal evolution, secular perturbation, long-term stability, escape velocity, interstellar capture, stellar ejection scenarios, planetary system scattering, free-floating object dynamics, hyperbolic object characterization, non-gravitational forces, radiation pressure effects, thermal recoil, Yarkovsky effect, jet-induced acceleration, cometary activity modeling, dust-gas interaction, gas drag modeling, activity onset prediction, rotational modulation, spin-state modeling, tumbling analysis, irregular shape modeling, density distribution, mass distribution, porosity estimation, material heterogeneity, regolith modeling, thermal conductivity estimation, heat transfer modeling, energy balance calculation, sublimation-driven dynamics, particle acceleration, dust trajectory simulation, observational constraints modeling, multi-wavelength correlation, photometric calibration, spectral calibration, noise reduction, error analysis, uncertainty quantification, sensitivity analysis, high-precision observation, real-time data processing, GPU-based computation, distributed computing, Dask, CUDA optimization, TensorFlow astrophysics, PyTorch modeling, open-source reproducibility, scientific workflow automation, reproducible simulations, cross-disciplinary collaboration, astrochemistry database, galactic chemical database, chemical evolution database, isotopic database, molecular database, interstellar survey, computational chemistry, cosmic simulation, predictive astrophysics, numerical modeling, orbital dynamics simulation, trajectory forecasting, composition prediction, origin prediction, interstellar object cataloging, rare object detection, anomaly identification, machine learning pipeline, deep learning pipeline, AI-driven astrochemistry, astroinformatics pipeline, high-precision astroinformatics, Zenodo indexing, academic visibility, global discoverability, cross-platform citation, interstellar research impact, celestial body characterization, interstellar exploration, astrochemical heritage, primordial material preservation, galactic chemical diversity, nucleosynthesis tracing, cosmic chemical pathways, pre-solar material analysis, stellar ejecta tracing, chemical fingerprinting, cosmic evolutionary model, interstellar sampling analogs, scientific data publication, robust metadata, dataset discoverability, cross-disciplinary indexing, citation optimization, high-impact publication, astrochemical precision, interstellar trajectory prediction, orbital reconstruction accuracy, numerical simulation fidelity, observational astronomy precision, spectroscopic measurement accuracy, chemical abundance mapping, isotopic composition analysis, cosmochemical modeling, astrochemical simulation, stellar origin tracing, interstellar transport modeling, high-fidelity computational model, Hamzah equation modeling, Hamzah ultra-precision, interstellar object analysis, 3I/ATLAS prediction, interstellar composition forecast, origin scenario modeling, galactic chemical tracing, astrochemical evolution prediction, planetary system comparison, cosmochemical validation, astrochemical pathway tracing, interstellar chemistry prediction, high-precision orbital modeling, trajectory dynamics forecast, astroinformatics-driven research, AI-enhanced astrochemistry, computational precision, predictive modeling, interdisciplinary astrochemistry, cosmic origin study, interstellar object classification, Hamzah model application, high-resolution astrochemistry, astrochemical simulation accuracy, trajectory evolution analysis, orbit stability modeling, rare object identification, hyperbolic orbit prediction, cosmochemical fingerprinting, interstellar origin hypothesis, multi-source data integration, real-time computation in astrophysics, astrochemical discovery, scientific reproducibility, interstellar material characterization, cosmochemical scenario simulation, predictive astrochemistry modeling, global scientific visibility, Zenodo-ready keywords"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.17234056","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3929/ethz-b-000589490","name":"Oxygen isotopes of anhydrous primary minerals show kinship between asteroid Ryugu and comet 81P/Wild2","source":"datacite","abstract":"The extraterrestrial materials returned from asteroid (162173) Ryugu consist predominantly of low-temperature aqueously formed secondary minerals and are chemically and mineralogically similar to CI (Ivuna-type) carbonaceous chondrites. Here, we show that high-temperature anhydrous primary minerals in Ryugu and CI chondrites exhibit a bimodal distribution of oxygen isotopic compositions: 16O-rich (associated with refractory inclusions) and 16O-poor (associated with chondrules). Both the 16O-rich and 16O-poor minerals probably formed in the inner solar protoplanetary disk and were subsequently transported outward. The abundance ratios of the 16O-rich to 16O-poor minerals in Ryugu and CI chondrites are higher than in other carbonaceous chondrite groups but are similar to that of comet 81P/Wild2, suggesting that Ryugu and CI chondrites accreted in the outer Solar System closer to the accretion region of comets.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000589490","authors":["Kawasaki, Noriyuki","Nagashima, Kazuhide","Sakamoto, Naoya","Matsumoto, Toru","Bajo, Ken-ichi","Wada, Sohei","Igami, Yohei","Miyake, Akira","Noguchi, Takaaki","Yamamoto, Daiki","Russell, Sara S.","Abe, Yoshinari","Aléon, Jérôme","Alexander, Conel M. O’D.","Amari, Sachiko","Amelin, Yuri","Bizzarro, Martin","Bouvier, Audrey","Carlson, Richard W.","Chaussidon, Marc","Schönbächler, Maria","et al."],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.3929/ethz-b-000589490","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7488/era/6594","name":"Automated construction of realistic clay models for molecular dynamics simulations: towards an accurate description of adsorption behaviours for biosignature identification on Mars","source":"datacite","abstract":"Clay minerals are characterised by their distinctive properties and have a wide range of applications, spanning from environmental to pharmaceutical and radioactive waste disposal. Their structures are highly diverse, and it is often impossible to experimentally elucidate the relationship between structural features and macroscopic material properties. Additionally, under extreme or extraterrestrial conditions, experimental analyses are either limited or impossible to conduct. In both cases, classical molecular dynamics simulations can provide essential information by elucidating the clay structure and interactions at an atomistic scale. However, clay simulations are a relatively new field, and limited tools are available for automating a molecular dynamics simulation workflow. To address this gap, we present ClayCode, a Python package to automate the construction of realistic clay models and to generate simulation input files for the GROMACS simulation engine. We used ClayCode in two adsorption studies, which demonstrate the importance of realistic clay models for accurately describing adsorption behaviours. We first compare the competitive adsorption of toxic Ba²⁺ ions in the presence of Na⁺, a process relevant to radioactive wastewater remediation. Our results demonstrate that only realistic SWy-1 montmorillonite, KGa-1 kaolinite, and IMt-1 illite models reproduce experimentally observed selectivity for Ba²⁺ over Na⁺, whereas a commonly used simplified SWy-1 model does not. In the second study, we apply ClayCode in a large-scale screening of astrobiological relevance. Here, we assess the adsorption mechanisms and affinities of 20 proteinogenic amino acids on the two Martian analogue NAu-1 and NAu-2 nontronite clays in the presence of Na⁺, K⁺, Ca2+ and Mg²⁺ cations. Our findings reveal that adsorption affinities depend on sidechain structure, cation species and clay structure and composition. Our results emphasise the need for accurate clay models to reproduce realistic adsorption behaviours using classical molecular dynamics simulations, and show that ClayCode can be used to produce a wide variety of different atomistic clay models, which can be used to assess the adsorption behaviours of environmental and astrobiological relevance.","url":"https://doi.org/10.7488/era/6594","authors":["Pollak, Hannah"],"tags":["Clay Minerals","Molecular Dynamics","Pollution Remediation","Adsorption","Astrobiology","Chemistry","Molecular Modelling","Mars"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.7488/era/6594","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.17231095","name":"(3I/ATLAS)→Prediction of the Composition and Origin of Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Using the Hamzah Model.","source":"datacite","abstract":"All 400 Research Projects and Theories of Hamzah Equation (Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Economics, Mathematics, Computer Science, AI, AGI, Cosmology Simulation and etc) are Available: Orcid ID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-3175-8563 Science Open ID: https://www.scienceopen.com/user/2c98a8bc-b8bb-49b3-9c91-2f2986a7e16e Safe Creative register the work titled \"The Theory of Intelligent Evolution, the Hamzah Equation, and the Quantum Civilisation\". Safe Creative registration #2504151474836. ............................................................................................................................................................... AbstractThis study employs the advanced Hamzah Model to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS. The model, achieving a precision of 99.98%, successfully predicts the chemical composition, origin, and kinematic trajectory of the object. Results indicate that 3I/ATLAS possesses a unique chemical composition, with a significant carbon enrichment of 28.45% above solar values and a dominant r-process nucleosynthesis pattern with a probability of 78.4%. Trajectory modelling was performed with a positional error of 0.000123 astronomical units, and an escape velocity of 32.123 km/s confirms the interstellar nature of the object. 1. Introduction 1.1 Significance of Interstellar Object Studies Interstellar objects serve as direct samples of material beyond the Solar System, providing an unparalleled window into planetary formation processes and the chemical evolution of galaxies. The discoveries of 1I/'Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019 initiated a new era in the study of such objects. 3I/ATLAS, as the third confirmed interstellar object, presents an exceptional opportunity for testing advanced astrophysical models. 1.2 The Hamzah Model: A Novel Astrophysical Approach The Hamzah Model utilises advanced computational architecture capable of processing 12 billion operations and analysing 50 trillion distinct scenarios. By integrating multi-source data and applying quantum-relativistic corrections, the model achieves unprecedented precision in predicting the physical and chemical properties of celestial bodies. 2. Methodology 2.1 Data Collection and Integration This study incorporates internationally recognised datasets including: Astrometric Data: NASA JPL Horizons, with a positional precision of 0.0001 AU Velocity Measurements: Pan-STARRS observations and Hubble Space Telescope data Chemical Spectroscopy: VLT/ESO high-resolution spectroscopic data (R~50000) Galactic Context: Gaia DR3 catalogue to define the reference frame 2.2 Hamzah Model Architecture The advanced Hamzah Model is structured in three primary layers: 2.2.1 Quantum Computational Layer Gravitational entanglement corrections applied with a coefficient of 0.9999999 Quantum uncertainty calculations using the reduced Planck constant (ℏ=1.0545718×10−34\\hbar = 1.0545718\\times10^{-34}ℏ=1.0545718×10−34) Monte Carlo simulations with 100 million iterations 2.2.2 Advanced Relativistic Layer Post-Newtonian corrections up to second order (2PN) Consideration of galactic tidal effects Numerical integration using the Velocity-Verlet algorithm 2.2.3 Quantum Chemical Analysis Layer Statistical Fermi-Dirac modelling of elemental distribution Nuclear reaction network simulations Identification of nucleosynthesis pathways 3. Results 3.1 Quantitative Chemical Composition Table 1: Chemical Composition of 3I/ATLAS Compared to Solar Values Element 3I/ATLAS (%) Sun (%) Relative Anomaly (%) Standard Error H 73.215 ± 0.87 72.25 +1.23 0.0094 He 15.432 ± 0.54 16.18 -4.56 0.0061 C 8.123 ± 0.32 6.32 +28.45 0.0034 O 3.214 ± 0.21 2.78 +15.78 0.0022 Fe 1.234 ± 0.08 1.41 -12.34 0.0009 3.2 Kinematic and Orbital Parameters Calculated Position in Ecliptic Coordinates: X=2.501±0.00012 AU,Y=−1.845±0.00009 AU,Z=0.921±0.00011 AUX = 2.501 \\pm 0.00012 \\, \\text{AU}, \\quad Y = -1.845 \\pm 0.00009 \\, \\text{AU}, \\quad Z = 0.921 \\pm 0.00011 \\, \\text{","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17231095","authors":["JALALI, SEYED RASOUL"],"tags":["interstellar object, 3I/ATLAS, Hamzah model, Hamzah equation, ultra-precision modeling, astrochemistry, cosmic origin, planetary formation, stellar system, exoplanet formation, interstellar trajectory, high-precision computation, orbital dynamics, celestial mechanics, cosmic dust, cometary composition, asteroidal composition, interstellar medium, molecular clouds, protoplanetary disk, chemical evolution, isotope ratios, spectroscopy analysis, spectral signatures, elemental composition, carbonaceous compounds, silicate minerals, volatile detection, water ice detection, organic molecules, prebiotic chemistry, extraterrestrial chemistry, chemical heterogeneity, isotopic anomalies, oxygen isotopes, carbon isotopes, nitrogen isotopes, sulfur isotopes, interstellar chemistry, cosmic rays, cosmic radiation, galactic environment, stellar ejecta, interstellar collisions, hyperbolic orbit, gravitational perturbations, orbital inclination, perihelion passage, aphelion distance, high-velocity object, kinetic modeling, thermodynamic modeling, surface albedo, reflectance spectroscopy, thermal inertia, surface temperature, sublimation patterns, outgassing behavior, coma formation, dust tail analysis, particle size distribution, meteoritic analogs, laboratory spectroscopy, computational astrophysics, numerical simulations, data integration, multi-source datasets, real-time modeling, AI-based prediction, machine learning astrophysics, deep learning modeling, uncertainty reduction, error minimization, 99.999% precision, predictive astrophysics, interstellar chemistry modeling, astroinformatics, Big Data astronomy, multi-wavelength observation, infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet spectroscopy, radio astronomy, optical telescopes, space telescopes, Gaia mission, Pan-STARRS survey, LSST observations, orbit reconstruction, dynamical history, galactic kinematics, trajectory simulation, Monte Carlo simulation, stochastic modeling, high-resolution imaging, photometric analysis, polarimetric analysis, albedo mapping, rotation period, spin axis orientation, lightcurve analysis, cometary activity, dust production rate, interstellar ice, refractory materials, crystalline silicates, amorphous silicates, chondritic composition, cosmochemistry, solar system comparison, extrasolar analogs, galactic chemical evolution, stellar nucleosynthesis, supernova ejecta, AGB star contributions, interstellar transport, cosmic time scales, formation epoch, galactic chemical signature, primordial composition, isotopic fractionation, volatile depletion, refractory enrichment, dust-to-gas ratio, astrogeology, exoplanetary analogs, planetary system evolution, stellar neighborhood, close stellar encounters, galactic dynamics, tidal interactions, perturbation modeling, orbital stability, resonance analysis, chaotic dynamics, Lyapunov exponent, interstellar object catalog, classification methods, observational constraints, detection limits, sensitivity analysis, spectrograph calibration, photometric calibration, signal-to-noise ratio, cosmic background correction, observational errors, statistical modeling, Bayesian inference, data assimilation, real-time computation, high-performance computing, GPU acceleration, parallel computing, cloud-based analysis, distributed computation, Dask implementation, TensorFlow modeling, PyTorch astrophysics, scientific Python, NumPy, SciPy, Matplotlib, Astropy, Sklearn, CUPY, computational efficiency, algorithm optimization, numerical accuracy, precision control, error propagation, validation techniques, cross-validation, uncertainty quantification, reproducible science, open-source modeling, scientific workflow, astrostatistics, astroinformatics pipelines, observational astronomy, theoretical astrophysics, physical modeling, cosmological context, local interstellar cloud, stellar neighborhood analysis, galactic plane, Milky Way dynamics, extragalactic analogs, nearby star systems, Oort cloud analogs, Kuiper belt comparison, solar system small bodies, cometary nuclei, asteroidal bodies, minor planets, orbital elements, semi-major axis, eccentricity, inclination, longitude of ascending node, argument of perihelion, mean anomaly, Tisserand parameter, hyperbolic excess velocity, interstellar origin, galactic ejection, stellar encounters, rogue objects, free-floating bodies, chemical tracers, molecular abundances, isotope mapping, atomic ratios, noble gas composition, trace elements, metallicity analysis, refractory elements, volatile elements, organic compounds, amino acids, prebiotic molecules, hydrogen detection, carbon detection, oxygen detection, nitrogen detection, sulfur detection, phosphorus detection, complex organics, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAHs, comet analogs, chondrite analogs, interplanetary dust, solar system formation, early solar nebula, galactic chemical fingerprint, galactic archaeology, cosmochemical signatures, astrochemical pathways, chemical kinetics, reaction rates, photodissociation, cosmic UV flux, radiation chemistry, interstellar ice chemistry, thermal processing, shock processing, cosmic ray interaction, micrometeorite impact, surface alteration, space weathering, spectral variability, rotational variability, shape modeling, irregular shape, tumbling motion, non-principal axis rotation, spin-state evolution, collisional history, impact cratering, mantle composition, core composition, differentiation, primordial materials, preserved material, pristine sample, observational window, survey strategy, telescope scheduling, multi-epoch observation, temporal evolution, lightcurve inversion, shape reconstruction, tomography techniques, 3D modeling, density estimation, mass estimation, bulk composition, porosity measurement, thermal modeling, heat transfer, radiative equilibrium, sublimation modeling, volatile transport, gas-dust interaction, coma morphology, dust jets, tail morphology, dust dynamics, particle ejection velocity, solar radiation pressure, non-gravitational acceleration, jet modeling, activity onset, seasonal effects, spin-orbit coupling, torque estimation, angular momentum, moment of inertia, rotational dynamics, YORP effect, surface cohesion, tensile strength, microgravity environment, material properties, tensile modulus, fracture modeling, brittle behavior, regolith evolution, particle aggregation, dust mantling, refractory crust, volatile retention, surface roughness, thermal conductivity, heat capacity, thermal emission, infrared flux, radiometric modeling, energy balance, sublimation-driven acceleration, gas drag, cometary jets, outflow velocity, coma density, particle scattering, light scattering, phase function, scattering cross-section, radiative transfer, optical depth, dust albedo, polarization signature, spectral slope, colour index, chemical heterogeneity mapping, interstellar chemical diversity, isotopic mapping, nucleosynthetic origin, stellar progenitor, galactic chemical gradient, stellar population, chemical tagging, cosmic chemical pathways, galactic enrichment, supernova nucleosynthesis, stellar wind contribution, AGB nucleosynthesis, primordial gas signature, galactic chemical evolution model, stellar metallicity, alpha-element enhancement, r-process contribution, s-process contribution, neutron capture, nucleosynthesis modeling, chemical fingerprints, astrochemical evolution, cosmic heritage, pre-solar grains, meteorite comparison, interstellar sampling, sample return analogs, space mission targets, future observations, mission planning, observational feasibility, detection techniques, high-precision photometry, spectroscopic surveys, multi-messenger astronomy, Gaia DR3, Pan-STARRS data, LSST simulations, data mining, big data in astronomy, AI-driven discovery, machine learning classification, deep learning for astrophysics, neural networks modeling, predictive analytics, uncertainty reduction, anomaly detection, rare object identification, real-time prediction, automated pipelines, reproducible research, open science, Zenodo publishing, academic indexing, cross-disciplinary relevance, interdisciplinary research, astroinformatics integration, computational cosmochemistry, astrochemical modeling, precision astrochemistry, planetary science, exoplanetary systems, formation mechanisms, galactic archaeology, interstellar exploration, cosmic evolution, early galaxy formation, molecular spectroscopy, infrared absorption, ultraviolet absorption, rotational spectroscopy, radio emission, molecular transitions, hyperfine structure, rotational constants, vibrational modes, spectroscopic fingerprints, laboratory analogs, simulation validation, data calibration, statistical inference, multivariate analysis, chemical clustering, pattern recognition, elemental mapping, molecular mapping, compositional gradients, chemical differentiation, isotopic fractionation analysis, cosmochemical constraints, solar system context, extrasolar system analogs, galactic context, cosmic trajectory, orbital reconstruction, dynamical evolution, N-body simulation, chaotic orbit analysis, resonance dynamics, tidal evolution, secular perturbation, long-term stability, escape velocity, interstellar capture, stellar ejection scenarios, planetary system scattering, free-floating object dynamics, hyperbolic object characterization, non-gravitational forces, radiation pressure effects, thermal recoil, Yarkovsky effect, jet-induced acceleration, cometary activity modeling, dust-gas interaction, gas drag modeling, activity onset prediction, rotational modulation, spin-state modeling, tumbling analysis, irregular shape modeling, density distribution, mass distribution, porosity estimation, material heterogeneity, regolith modeling, thermal conductivity estimation, heat transfer modeling, energy balance calculation, sublimation-driven dynamics, particle acceleration, dust trajectory simulation, observational constraints modeling, multi-wavelength correlation, photometric calibration, spectral calibration, noise reduction, error analysis, uncertainty quantification, sensitivity analysis, high-precision observation, real-time data processing, GPU-based computation, distributed computing, Dask, CUDA optimization, TensorFlow astrophysics, PyTorch modeling, open-source reproducibility, scientific workflow automation, reproducible simulations, cross-disciplinary collaboration, astrochemistry database, galactic chemical database, chemical evolution database, isotopic database, molecular database, interstellar survey, computational chemistry, cosmic simulation, predictive astrophysics, numerical modeling, orbital dynamics simulation, trajectory forecasting, composition prediction, origin prediction, interstellar object cataloging, rare object detection, anomaly identification, machine learning pipeline, deep learning pipeline, AI-driven astrochemistry, astroinformatics pipeline, high-precision astroinformatics, Zenodo indexing, academic visibility, global discoverability, cross-platform citation, interstellar research impact, celestial body characterization, interstellar exploration, astrochemical heritage, primordial material preservation, galactic chemical diversity, nucleosynthesis tracing, cosmic chemical pathways, pre-solar material analysis, stellar ejecta tracing, chemical fingerprinting, cosmic evolutionary model, interstellar sampling analogs, scientific data publication, robust metadata, dataset discoverability, cross-disciplinary indexing, citation optimization, high-impact publication, astrochemical precision, interstellar trajectory prediction, orbital reconstruction accuracy, numerical simulation fidelity, observational astronomy precision, spectroscopic measurement accuracy, chemical abundance mapping, isotopic composition analysis, cosmochemical modeling, astrochemical simulation, stellar origin tracing, interstellar transport modeling, high-fidelity computational model, Hamzah equation modeling, Hamzah ultra-precision, interstellar object analysis, 3I/ATLAS prediction, interstellar composition forecast, origin scenario modeling, galactic chemical tracing, astrochemical evolution prediction, planetary system comparison, cosmochemical validation, astrochemical pathway tracing, interstellar chemistry prediction, high-precision orbital modeling, trajectory dynamics forecast, astroinformatics-driven research, AI-enhanced astrochemistry, computational precision, predictive modeling, interdisciplinary astrochemistry, cosmic origin study, interstellar object classification, Hamzah model application, high-resolution astrochemistry, astrochemical simulation accuracy, trajectory evolution analysis, orbit stability modeling, rare object identification, hyperbolic orbit prediction, cosmochemical fingerprinting, interstellar origin hypothesis, multi-source data integration, real-time computation in astrophysics, astrochemical discovery, scientific reproducibility, interstellar material characterization, cosmochemical scenario simulation, predictive astrochemistry modeling, global scientific visibility, Zenodo-ready keywords"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.17231095","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.c.8009449","name":"High-pressure and temperature investigation of silicic acid ± water with implications for the ice polymorphism, lunar moganite and diamonds growth media","source":"datacite","abstract":"Abstract The polymorphism of ice has been widely investigated over the last decades, and the results were found to be applicable over a wide range of terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments with recent findings also among the mineral inclusions entrapped in natural diamonds. In this study, we investigated the behavior of solid [SiOx(OH)4-2x]n silicic acid under anhydrous and hydrous conditions at high pressure and temperature using the diamond anvil cell technique combined with both Raman and Fourier transform mid-infrared spectroscopy. Firstly, we report the stability of silicic acid in the form of silica gel under anhydrous conditions up to about 7 GPa and 200 °C. In the presence of water employed as pressure medium, we observe the formation of ice VI and ice VII at lower pressures than previously reported in pure water systems. Each phase transition is documented by the optical images over compression/decompression and heating/cooling runs. Importantly, we report the decomposition of silicic acid to moganite and metastable quartz in the presence of ice polymorphs up to near 10 GPa and 200 °C and also recovered at ambient conditions along with H2Oliq. Main implications from this study span from planetary sciences to Earth’s deep mineralogy. For instance, the interior of ice giants might need to be revisited considering our enhanced stability of ice VII at lower pressures in the presence of tiny amount of free silica while the formation of moganite + quartz resembles the assemblage found in a lunar meteorite and provides a pressure–temperature range applicable to constrain impact conditions. Furthermore, the stability of silicic acid at high pressure(–temperature) can be taken as preliminary evidence that the formation of orthosilicic acid, such as that found around minerals entrapped in diamonds, might result from the dissolution of minerals (or melts) into acidic aqueous fluids.","url":"https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.8009449","authors":["Marras, G.","Lu, Y.","Stopponi, V.","Tao, R.","Lin, Y.","Stagno, Vincenzo"],"tags":["Geology","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.6084/m9.figshare.c.8009449","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.c.8009449.v1","name":"High-pressure and temperature investigation of silicic acid ± water with implications for the ice polymorphism, lunar moganite and diamonds growth media","source":"datacite","abstract":"Abstract The polymorphism of ice has been widely investigated over the last decades, and the results were found to be applicable over a wide range of terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments with recent findings also among the mineral inclusions entrapped in natural diamonds. In this study, we investigated the behavior of solid [SiOx(OH)4-2x]n silicic acid under anhydrous and hydrous conditions at high pressure and temperature using the diamond anvil cell technique combined with both Raman and Fourier transform mid-infrared spectroscopy. Firstly, we report the stability of silicic acid in the form of silica gel under anhydrous conditions up to about 7 GPa and 200 °C. In the presence of water employed as pressure medium, we observe the formation of ice VI and ice VII at lower pressures than previously reported in pure water systems. Each phase transition is documented by the optical images over compression/decompression and heating/cooling runs. Importantly, we report the decomposition of silicic acid to moganite and metastable quartz in the presence of ice polymorphs up to near 10 GPa and 200 °C and also recovered at ambient conditions along with H2Oliq. Main implications from this study span from planetary sciences to Earth’s deep mineralogy. For instance, the interior of ice giants might need to be revisited considering our enhanced stability of ice VII at lower pressures in the presence of tiny amount of free silica while the formation of moganite + quartz resembles the assemblage found in a lunar meteorite and provides a pressure–temperature range applicable to constrain impact conditions. Furthermore, the stability of silicic acid at high pressure(–temperature) can be taken as preliminary evidence that the formation of orthosilicic acid, such as that found around minerals entrapped in diamonds, might result from the dissolution of minerals (or melts) into acidic aqueous fluids.","url":"https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.8009449.v1","authors":["Marras, G.","Lu, Y.","Stopponi, V.","Tao, R.","Lin, Y.","Stagno, Vincenzo"],"tags":["Geology","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.6084/m9.figshare.c.8009449.v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17169/refubium-44530","name":"Ecology of supraglacial microbial communities","source":"datacite","abstract":"Microbial communities developing on glacier and ice sheet surfaces decrease snow and ice albedo and enhance melting. The associated loss of global ice masses changes the proglacial landscapes worldwide and contribute to global sea-level rise. This is very pronounced in the Arctic, where the temperature increases four time faster than the global average. The loss of snow and ice also corresponds to an increased presence of pigmented microbial communities that bloom annually. The drivers of these blooms and the ecological relationships between the microbes inhabiting these environments, the pigmented microalgae and other microorganisms, remain misunderstood. Furthermore, snow and ice have been under-investigated as habitats supporting life, particularly regarding the ecological niches they offer through the seasonal shifts experienced in glacier ecosystems. These shifts include daily to seasonal freeze-thaw cycles, extreme light or darkness, nutrient limitations, dry conditions in winter or the abundance of liquid water in the summer. The overall diversity of such pigmented microbes and the habitat specific processes has been studied over the past decades. However, prior to my Ph.D., only sparse information was available about the ecological dynamics in supraglacial microbial communities, and their potential effects on the evolution of glacier and ice sheet surfaces under climate change are still unknown. Gaining such knowledge is crucial for the development of global models to help predict the evolution of glaciers and ice sheet biomes, and better understand their environmental implications. Additionally, quantifying changes in snow and ice habitat structure and assessing the interactions between microbial species are vital for understanding the survival strategies of microorganisms in these extreme conditions. Such knowledge can ultimately be used for astrobiological purposes, as glaciers are considered terrestrial analog systems for extraterrestrial life on cold planets and moons. To address some of the above set out questions, I combined genomic and visualization techniques and investigated the ecology of supraglacial microbial communities in the presented thesis. My work spans from the global scale, in which I assessed the biogeographical drivers shaping supraglacial microbial communities’ composition worldwide, to the single cell or mineral particle microscopic scale, where I assessed the 2D and 3D architecture of microbes and minerals on and in the ice. Specifically, in the first part, I utilized 16S, 18S and ITS rRNA gene amplicon sequencing of my own samples collected in Greenland, Iceland and Svalbard, and integrated these with data available in public repositories or shared by collaborators to create a dataset covering the Arctic, Antarctica, as well as continental glaciers worldwide. I unveiled a first global biogeographical pattern, and explored large-scale and local drivers that affect the composition and dynamics of supraglacial microbial communities. Diving deeper into the local and environmental influences, I then further investigated the specific ecological shifts in community composition, dynamics, and complexity across the snowline on the Greenland Ice Sheet by combining the genomic data from 19 supraglacial sub-habitats with their associated nutrient, ionic and carbon contents. My research revealed the existence of a global glacier core microbiome composed of both generalist and cold-specialized taxa such as Hymenobacter, Acidiphilium, Polaromonas, and Parafrigoribacterium. I showed that large-scale factors such as latitude and distance-decay partly explained microbial variability on glaciers worldwide. However, it also became clear that these were less important in defining the composition and diversity of glacier microbial communities, compared to local parameters, including sampling site, habitat, and sub-habitat. Clear ecological transitions were observed across the ever-moving snowline during the melt s","url":"https://doi.org/10.17169/refubium-44530","authors":["Mourot, Rey"],"tags":["Microbiology","FOS: Biological sciences","glacier ecology","cryo-SEM","Earth sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.17169/refubium-44530","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.48448/fdqd-e365","name":"VNIR spectral properties of olivine bearing Ungrouped Achondrites","source":"datacite","abstract":"Reflectance spectra properties are one of the most important information we can acquire from different bodies in the Solar System to classify them. A natural sampling of extraterrestrial material is represented by meteorites that can provide crucial information on the origin and evolution of their parent bodies. At present, sample return missions are one of the primary goals of the Solar System exploration.(e.g. Hayabusa 1 and 2; OSIRIS-REx). In particular, these missions are addressing asteroids formed by chondritic material, however among the minor bodies some have experienced process of differentiation and magmatic evolution and for these bodies the only sampling is provided by achondritic meteorites. These can span from primitive to highly differentiated and they are mainly composed of mafic minerals, feldspars and other minor compounds. These mineral phases can be investigated by VNIR spectroscopy to associate them to their parental bodies. In particular, within mafic minerals olivine is considered a paradox, as being a mineral forming the mantle of differentiated bodies, it would be expected to be present in a larger number of asteroids than it has been observed. Here we present preliminary spectroscopic results of a set of ungrouped achondrites (e.g. Al Huwaysah 010, NWA 5400, NWA 6704, NWA 6112, A 881548) with different amounts of olivine and variable Fe-Mg composition. These samples are studied by means of the VNIR reflectance spectroscopy to compare their spectra with available ones from literature. This procedure allowed us to study the olivine composition in this spectral range and also the olivine amounts with respect the other main phases. From these samples we evidence how the olivine is clearly present in NWA 5400, Al Hawaysah 010, and NWA 6116. These meteorites are also the darker samples, with the first two samples showing a weak 2 mm band, indicative of the presence of pyroxene. The NWA 6704 and A 88548 are brighter and spectrally dominated by pyroxene, even if an asymmetry in the 1 mm band is present, suggesting the presence of olivine in lower abundance. These results are supported by detailed petrographic and mineralogical analysis of the selected samples. These achondrites are investigated both as powders and slab of rocks to show also the different effects due to the presence of a powdered regolith or a bedrock exposure. VNIR reflectance spectroscopy results will be also compared against possible parental bodies. Moreover, we characterized also the MidIR (i.e. 7-14 mm) range, where vibrational absorptions associated to the silicates are present. These analyses allowed us to detect mineralogical variation for these materials and they could be used as a tool for future planetary exploration of small bodies and planetary surfaces.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48448/fdqd-e365","authors":["Societa Geologica Italiana 2021","Carli, Cristian"],"tags":["Cosmology","Physical Cosmology","Solar System","Geology","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences","Geology and Geophysics","Geomorphology","Petrology"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.48448/fdqd-e365","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.15667528","name":"\"Between Tampa and Voyager: Technical and Aesthetic Invisibilities in the Architecture of Contemporary Power\"","source":"datacite","abstract":"Summary I. Introduction - The Lost Object and the Mission of Memory The irony of a manhole cover accidentally launched into space in 1957, and the solemnity of Voyager 1 intentionally launched in 1977, operate as symbolic poles of two technological civilisations: * One of the **raw power**, of control, of armed chance. * Another of the **archetypal awakening**, of the symbolic gesture, of the memory projected to infinity. Both start from Earth. But only one carries the intention to return in meaning. II. Voyager 1: A Sonda como Arquétipo do Auto-Retrato Planetário** The *Voyager 1*, with its **golden disc** - containing songs, greetings and images of the Earth - is not just a scientific project. It is the **gesture of self-registration of humanity in the cosmic theatre**, something close to a \"technological rite of passage\". While the lid flies without a name, the *Voyager* is named after our species. This gesture can be read as the **beginning of a new aesthetic of knowledge**: where technology no longer serves only material domination, but **symbolic expansion of planetary consciousness**. III. Ouro Branco: Silence, Sovereignty and the Geopolitical Aesthetics of Invisibility Among the elements that support the modern technological imaginary, the **white gold** - the **lithium** - stands out as a **silent device of sovereignty**. * It operates as a **invisible substrate** of clean energy, satellites, batteries - of the same technological \"new order\" of which *Voyager* was a precursor. * **Countries such as Bolivia, Chile and Argentina** concentrate a large part of the reserves, which reconfigures the geopolitical board, **transiting from the visibility of oil to the invisibility of \"green\" minerals**. * It is an underground power, both **material and aesthetic**, because it is not imposed by image, but by **silent function**. IV. Visibilidade e Invisibilidade: A Geopolítica dos Objetos e Materiais We return to the phrase: *\"We may have sent the first object to space... but we lost it on the way.\" * This loss symbolises **not only a physical object**, but the temporary loss of the **deep intention of science**, which, in the case of Voyager, is recovered: looking outside as a way of understanding inward. Today, between thermal sensors, invisible mining and network technologies, **humanity lives under a new form of self-observation - a kind of \"inverted Traveller\"**, where what is sent into space, or installed in the bodies, **is no longer a symbol, but given. ** The tension between **chance and purpose**, **invisibility and surveillance**, **domain and awakening**, continues to structure our journey towards the unknown - now with eyes that see everything, but do not always understand. V. The Civil Diffusion of Thermal Sensors and the Humanistic Message of Flir Systems In the contemporary era, **thermal sensors** - born from war technologies - **migrate to civil use**: * Drones with infrared cameras, cell phones with night vision, thermal trackers. * What used to be a military monopoly, **now it is a sensory extension of the citizen. ** This migration marks **a turning point in the epistemology of the look**: * From passive observation to **active wakefulness**. * From unidirectional control to **distributed monitoring**. * The \"manhole cover\" was invisible to the camera; the civil present is **omnipresent to the heat**. ________________________________________________________________________________ I - Introduction (opening paragraph) In 1957, a steel disc - commonly called the \"manhole cover\" - was thrown into the sky by an underground nuclear explosion in the deserts of Nevada. In the same year, the Soviet Union would put *Sputnik* into orbit, formally inaugurating the space age. Two almost simultaneous matches, but of radically opposite natures: one fruit of war chance; another, of calculation and intention. Two ways of inscribing the human in the cosmos - one invisible and forgotten, another celebrated and monitored. Twen","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15667528","authors":["Teledyne FLIR (United States)","CORONEL PALMA, DANIEL MORAES"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.15667528","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.15667527","name":"\"Between Tampa and Voyager: Technical and Aesthetic Invisibilities in the Architecture of Contemporary Power\"","source":"datacite","abstract":"Summary I. Introduction - The Lost Object and the Mission of Memory The irony of a manhole cover accidentally launched into space in 1957, and the solemnity of Voyager 1 intentionally launched in 1977, operate as symbolic poles of two technological civilisations: * One of the **raw power**, of control, of armed chance. * Another of the **archetypal awakening**, of the symbolic gesture, of the memory projected to infinity. Both start from Earth. But only one carries the intention to return in meaning. II. Voyager 1: A Sonda como Arquétipo do Auto-Retrato Planetário** The *Voyager 1*, with its **golden disc** - containing songs, greetings and images of the Earth - is not just a scientific project. It is the **gesture of self-registration of humanity in the cosmic theatre**, something close to a \"technological rite of passage\". While the lid flies without a name, the *Voyager* is named after our species. This gesture can be read as the **beginning of a new aesthetic of knowledge**: where technology no longer serves only material domination, but **symbolic expansion of planetary consciousness**. III. Ouro Branco: Silence, Sovereignty and the Geopolitical Aesthetics of Invisibility Among the elements that support the modern technological imaginary, the **white gold** - the **lithium** - stands out as a **silent device of sovereignty**. * It operates as a **invisible substrate** of clean energy, satellites, batteries - of the same technological \"new order\" of which *Voyager* was a precursor. * **Countries such as Bolivia, Chile and Argentina** concentrate a large part of the reserves, which reconfigures the geopolitical board, **transiting from the visibility of oil to the invisibility of \"green\" minerals**. * It is an underground power, both **material and aesthetic**, because it is not imposed by image, but by **silent function**. IV. Visibilidade e Invisibilidade: A Geopolítica dos Objetos e Materiais We return to the phrase: *\"We may have sent the first object to space... but we lost it on the way.\" * This loss symbolises **not only a physical object**, but the temporary loss of the **deep intention of science**, which, in the case of Voyager, is recovered: looking outside as a way of understanding inward. Today, between thermal sensors, invisible mining and network technologies, **humanity lives under a new form of self-observation - a kind of \"inverted Traveller\"**, where what is sent into space, or installed in the bodies, **is no longer a symbol, but given. ** The tension between **chance and purpose**, **invisibility and surveillance**, **domain and awakening**, continues to structure our journey towards the unknown - now with eyes that see everything, but do not always understand. V. The Civil Diffusion of Thermal Sensors and the Humanistic Message of Flir Systems In the contemporary era, **thermal sensors** - born from war technologies - **migrate to civil use**: * Drones with infrared cameras, cell phones with night vision, thermal trackers. * What used to be a military monopoly, **now it is a sensory extension of the citizen. ** This migration marks **a turning point in the epistemology of the look**: * From passive observation to **active wakefulness**. * From unidirectional control to **distributed monitoring**. * The \"manhole cover\" was invisible to the camera; the civil present is **omnipresent to the heat**. ________________________________________________________________________________ I - Introduction (opening paragraph) In 1957, a steel disc - commonly called the \"manhole cover\" - was thrown into the sky by an underground nuclear explosion in the deserts of Nevada. In the same year, the Soviet Union would put *Sputnik* into orbit, formally inaugurating the space age. Two almost simultaneous matches, but of radically opposite natures: one fruit of war chance; another, of calculation and intention. Two ways of inscribing the human in the cosmos - one invisible and forgotten, another celebrated and monitored. Twen","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15667527","authors":["Teledyne FLIR (United States)","CORONEL PALMA, DANIEL MORAES"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.15667527","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/6dfkgnh9bp","name":"The PANGAEA mineralogical database","source":"datacite","abstract":"Future human missions to the surface of the Moon and Mars will involve scientific exploration requiring new support tools to enable rapid and high quality science decision-making. Here, we provide the PANGAEA Mineralogical Database developed by the European Space Agency: a catalog of petrographic and spectroscopic information on all currently known minerals identified on the Moon Mars, and associated with meteorites. It also includes minerals found in the ESA PANGAEA analog sites to broaden the database coverage. The Mineralogical Database is composed primarly of the Summary Catalog of of Planetary Analog Minerals and the Spectral Archive. The Summary Catalog provides essential descriptive information for each mineral, including name (based on IMA recommendation), chemical formula, mineral group, surface abundance on planetary bodies, geological significance in the context of planetary exploration, number of collected VNIR and Raman spectra, likelihood of detection using different spectral methods, and bibliographic references evidencing their detection in extraterrestrial or terrestrial analog environments. The Spectral Archive provides a standard library for planetary in-situ human and robotic exploration covering Visual-Near-Infrared reflective (VNIR) and Raman spectroscopy (Raman). To populate this library, we collected VNIR and Raman spectra for mineral entries in the Summary Catalog from open-access archives, and analyzed them to select the best. We also supplemented this collection with our own bespoke measurements. Additionally, we compiled the chemical compositions for all minerals based on their empirical formula, to allow identification using the measured abundances provided by LIBS and XRF analytical instruments. This version 2 of the PANGAEA Mineralogical Database available here in Mendeley Data is updated to the 30th of November 2022. A changelog document describe the major changes and updates in comparison with Version 1, including the full entire list of additional contributors. Any further update can be downloaded directly from the ESA webpage https://atd.eac.esa.int/sites/PANGAEAMinDB where the newest versions will be stored.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/6dfkgnh9bp","authors":["Francesco Sauro"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.17632/6dfkgnh9bp","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3929/ethz-b-000668517","name":"Application of the ¹⁸⁷Re-¹⁸⁷Os geochronometer to crustal materials: Systematics, methodology, data reporting, and interpretation","source":"datacite","abstract":"The rhenium-osmium (187Re-187Os) system is a highly versatile chronometer that is regularly applied to a wide range of geological and extraterrestrial materials. In addition to providing geo- or cosmo-chronological information, the Re-Os system can also be used as a tracer of processes across a range of temporal (millennial to gigayear) and spatial scales (lower mantle to cryosphere). An increasing number of sulfide minerals are now routinely dated, which further expands the ability of this system to refine mineral exploration models as society moves toward a new, green economy with related technological needs. An expanding range of natural materials amenable to Re-Os geochronology brings additional complexities in data interpretation and the resultant translation of measured isotopic ratios to a properly contextualized age. Herein, we provide an overview of the 187Re-187Os system as applied to sedimentary rocks, sulfides, and other crustal materials and highlight further innovations on the horizon. Additionally, we outline next steps and best practices required to improve the precision of the chronometer and establish community-wide data reduction procedures, such as the decay constant, regression technique, and software packages to use. These best practices will expand the utility and viability of published results and essential metadata to ensure that such data conform to evolving standards of being findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR).","url":"https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000668517","authors":["Rooney, Alan D.","Hnatyshin, Danny","Toma, Jonathan","Saintilan, Nicolas J.","Millikin, Alexie E.G.","Selby, David","Creaser, Robert A."],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.3929/ethz-b-000668517","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.14938179","name":"Computational Chemistry - Space & Time Travellers Tool","source":"datacite","abstract":"Valentina Erastova EaSTCHEM School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Scotland Group website: www.erastova.xyz Abstract: 'Where to land the next Mars rover?', and 'I found a peptide on a rocky planet - is it a sign of extraterrestrial life?' Within this talk, I will discuss the role of minerals - from silicates to ices - in the emergence of protobiomolecules; preservation of biosignatures and identification of their lookalikes. I will show how molecular modelling can aid in exploration of experimentally unattainable systems; helping to develop, test, and refine our hypothesis of the Origin of Life. The goal of this talk is to showcase some of the work in the group while fostering discussion and developing new and exciting ideas together. Resources: ClayCode is available open-source at github.com/Erastova-group/ClayCode, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.11219451. A workshop material dedicated to ClayCode is also available: github.com/Erastova-group/ClayCode-workshop. Manual and Tutorials are available at claycode.readthedocs.io.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14938179","authors":["erastova, valentina"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.14938179","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.14938180","name":"Computational Chemistry - Space & Time Travellers Tool","source":"datacite","abstract":"Valentina Erastova EaSTCHEM School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Scotland Group website: www.erastova.xyz Abstract: 'Where to land the next Mars rover?', and 'I found a peptide on a rocky planet - is it a sign of extraterrestrial life?' Within this talk, I will discuss the role of minerals - from silicates to ices - in the emergence of protobiomolecules; preservation of biosignatures and identification of their lookalikes. I will show how molecular modelling can aid in exploration of experimentally unattainable systems; helping to develop, test, and refine our hypothesis of the Origin of Life. The goal of this talk is to showcase some of the work in the group while fostering discussion and developing new and exciting ideas together. Resources: ClayCode is available open-source at github.com/Erastova-group/ClayCode, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.11219451. A workshop material dedicated to ClayCode is also available: github.com/Erastova-group/ClayCode-workshop. Manual and Tutorials are available at claycode.readthedocs.io.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14938180","authors":["erastova, valentina"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.14938180","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2502.01716","name":"Design of Engineered Living Materials for Martian Construction","source":"datacite","abstract":"As the next step in extraterrestrial exploration, many engineers and scientists around the country revealed their intense interest to enable multiplanetary human life, including colonizing Mars. This study proposes that architecture on Mars can be realized by a synthetic lichen system, composed of diazotrophic cyanobacteria and filamentous fungi, which produce abundant biominerals and biopolymers to bond Martian regolith into consolidated building blocks. These self-growing building blocks can be assembled into a wide range of structures. Diazotrophic cyanobacteria will 1) fix carbon dioxide and dinitrogen from the atmosphere and convert them into oxygen and organic carbon and nitrogen sources to support filamentous fungi; and 2) give rise to high concentrations of carbonate ions because of photosynthetic activities. Filamentous fungi will 1) bind metal ions onto fungal cell walls and serve as nucleation sites to promote biomineral precipitates; and 2) assist the survival and growth of cyanobacteria by providing them water, minerals, additional carbon dioxide, and protection. This report presents the major progress of the project. It has been tested and confirmed that such co-culture systems can be created, and they grow very well solely on Martian regolith simulants, air, light, and an inorganic liquid medium without any additional carbon or nitrogen sources. The cyanobacterial and fungal growth in such co-culture systems is significantly better than their axenic growth due to mutual interactions. The amounts and morphologies of the precipitated crystals vary remarkably depending on the cultivation condition.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2502.01716","authors":["Rokaya, Nisha","Carr, Erin C.","Wilson, Richard A.","Jin, Congrui"],"tags":["Other Quantitative Biology (q-bio.OT)","Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)","Cell Behavior (q-bio.CB)","FOS: Biological sciences","FOS: Biological sciences","FOS: Physical sciences","FOS: Physical sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.48550/arxiv.2502.01716","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3622652.v1","name":"Amino acid compositions in heated carbonaceous chondrites and their compound-specific nitrogen isotopic ratios","source":"datacite","abstract":"Abstract A novel method has been developed for compound-specific nitrogen isotope compositions with an achiral column which was previously shown to offer high precision for nitrogen isotopic analysis. We applied the method to determine the amino acid contents and stable nitrogen isotopic compositions of individual amino acids from the thermally metamorphosed (above 500 °C) Antarctic carbonaceous chondrites Ivuna-like (CI)1 (or CI-like) Yamato (Y) 980115 and Ornans-like (CO)3.5 Allan Hills (ALH) A77003 with the use of gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry. ALHA77003 was deprived of amino acids due to its extended thermal alteration history. Amino acids were unambiguously identified in Y-980115, and the δ15N values of selected amino acids (glycine +144.8 ‰; α-alanine +121.2 ‰) are clearly extraterrestrial. Y-980115 has experienced an extended period of aqueous alteration as indicated by the presence of hydrous mineral phases. It has also been exposed to at least one post-hydration short-lived thermal metamorphism. Glycine and alanine were possibly produced shortly after the accretion event of the asteroid parent body during the course of an extensive aqueous alteration event and have abstained from the short-term post-aqueous alteration heating due to the heterogeneity of the parent body composition and porosity. These carbonaceous chondrite samples are good analogs that offer important insights into the target asteroid Ryugu of the Hayabusa-2 mission, which is a C-type asteroid likely composed of heterogeneous materials including hydrated and dehydrated minerals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3622652.v1","authors":["Chan, Queenie","Chikaraishi, Yoshito","Takano, Yoshinori","Ogawa, Nanako","Ohkouchi, Naohiko"],"tags":["Biochemistry","Genetics","FOS: Biological sciences","Physiology","Pharmacology","Evolutionary Biology","39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified","FOS: Chemical sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016","doi":"10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3622652.v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3622652","name":"Amino acid compositions in heated carbonaceous chondrites and their compound-specific nitrogen isotopic ratios","source":"datacite","abstract":"Abstract A novel method has been developed for compound-specific nitrogen isotope compositions with an achiral column which was previously shown to offer high precision for nitrogen isotopic analysis. We applied the method to determine the amino acid contents and stable nitrogen isotopic compositions of individual amino acids from the thermally metamorphosed (above 500 °C) Antarctic carbonaceous chondrites Ivuna-like (CI)1 (or CI-like) Yamato (Y) 980115 and Ornans-like (CO)3.5 Allan Hills (ALH) A77003 with the use of gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry. ALHA77003 was deprived of amino acids due to its extended thermal alteration history. Amino acids were unambiguously identified in Y-980115, and the δ15N values of selected amino acids (glycine +144.8 ‰; α-alanine +121.2 ‰) are clearly extraterrestrial. Y-980115 has experienced an extended period of aqueous alteration as indicated by the presence of hydrous mineral phases. It has also been exposed to at least one post-hydration short-lived thermal metamorphism. Glycine and alanine were possibly produced shortly after the accretion event of the asteroid parent body during the course of an extensive aqueous alteration event and have abstained from the short-term post-aqueous alteration heating due to the heterogeneity of the parent body composition and porosity. These carbonaceous chondrite samples are good analogs that offer important insights into the target asteroid Ryugu of the Hayabusa-2 mission, which is a C-type asteroid likely composed of heterogeneous materials including hydrated and dehydrated minerals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3622652","authors":["Chan, Queenie","Chikaraishi, Yoshito","Takano, Yoshinori","Ogawa, Nanako","Ohkouchi, Naohiko"],"tags":["Biochemistry","Genetics","FOS: Biological sciences","Physiology","Pharmacology","Evolutionary Biology","39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified","FOS: Chemical sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016","doi":"10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3622652","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/6dfkgnh9bp.1","name":"The PANGAEA mineralogical database","source":"datacite","abstract":"Future human missions to the surface of the Moon and Mars will involve scientific exploration requiring new support tools to enable rapid and high quality science decision-making. Here, we provide the PANGAEA Mineralogical Database developed by the European Space Agency: a catalog of petrographic and spectroscopic information on all currently known minerals identified on the Moon Mars, and associated with meteorites. It also includes minerals found in the ESA PANGAEA analog sites to broaden the database coverage. The Mineralogical Database is composed primarly of the Summary Catalog of of Planetary Analog Minerals and the Spectral Archive. The Summary Catalog provides essential descriptive information for each mineral, including name (based on IMA recommendation), chemical formula, mineral group, surface abundance on planetary bodies, geological significance in the context of planetary exploration, number of collected VNIR and Raman spectra, likelihood of detection using different spectral methods, and bibliographic references evidencing their detection in extraterrestrial or terrestrial analog environments. The Spectral Archive provides a standard library for planetary in-situ human and robotic exploration covering Visual-Near-Infrared reflective (VNIR) and Raman spectroscopy (Raman). To populate this library, we collected VNIR and Raman spectra for mineral entries in the Summary Catalog from open-access archives, and analyzed them to select the best. We also supplemented this collection with our own bespoke measurements. Additionally, we compiled the chemical compositions for all minerals based on their empirical formula, to allow identification using the measured abundances provided by LIBS and XRF analytical instruments. This version of the PANGAEA Mineralogical Database available here in Mendeley Data is updated to the 8th of June 2020. Any further update can be downloaded directly from the ESA webpage https://atd.eac.esa.int/sites/PANGAEAMinDB where the newest versions will be stored.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/6dfkgnh9bp.1","authors":["Sauro, Francesco"],"tags":["Astronautics","Geology","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences","Spectroscopy","Mineralogy","Raman Spectroscopy","Near Infrared Spectroscopy","Moon"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.17632/6dfkgnh9bp.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17169/refubium-43698","name":"Simulation of salt and organic fingerprints in mass spectra of ice grains in the exospheres of the icy ocean moons Europa and Enceladus","source":"datacite","abstract":"In the Solar System, the saturnian moon Enceladus and the jovian moon Europa are potentially habitable and the most promising candidates for space missions searching for extraterrestrial life. The subsurface oceans of these moons constitute the long-lived presence of large amounts of liquid water, a common component of icy moons throughout the outer Solar System. In addition, the rocky seafloors of both moons allow for rich geochemistry in their subsurface oceans, potentially including the formation of complex organic material at hydrothermal vent systems, which could also provide an energy source for another emergence of life. The exploration of icy ocean moons can be performed using impact ionization mass spectrometry, a powerful technique to thoroughly analyse the composition of ice grains ejected from both the surface ice shell and subsurface liquid reservoirs. The Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA) onboard the Cassini mission detected a variety of salts, complex and reactive organic compounds, as well as bioessential elements in ice grains ejected by the plume of Enceladus into space. CDA mass spectra provided strong evidence for habitable conditions at the seafloor of the moon. These discoveries greatly benefitted from laboratory analogue mass spectra complementing the CDA data, obtained from a laboratory setup using Laser Induced Liquid Beam Ion Desorption (LILBID) as an ionisation source coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry. CDA paved the way for the SUrface Dust Analyzer (SUDA), its improved successor instrument onboard the upcoming Europa Clipper mission, which will provide a deeper understanding of Europa’s habitability. SUDA aims to characterize the composition of the subsurface ocean or liquid inclusions in the icy crust by analysing young endogenic surface material or possible cryovolcanic plume material. Preparation for SUDA’s mission and related data analysis requires considerable laboratory work. This thesis describes LILBID experiments simulating the mass spectral signatures of both salt- and organic-rich ices, as expected to be encountered by SUDA or similar instruments on a future mission to Enceladus. After a description of the current state of research into the habitability and astrobiological potential of both Europa and Enceladus in Part I, Part II details how SUDA-type instruments could detect organic molecules embedded in salt-rich ice grains. LILBID mass spectra were recorded for several organic species with various properties, derived from a range of functional groups, together with either NaCl, MgSO4 or H2SO4 at concentrations relevant for the surfaces of icy moons. Mass spectrometric signatures of the organic species can be detected via their molecular ions and a range of cluster species with Na+, Mg2+, Cl−, OH−, HSO4− ions, and NaCl, MgSO4 and H2SO4 molecules. The presence and intensity of these characteristic organic-rich peaks depends on the inorganic matrix and its concentration. The intensities of analyte signatures decrease with increasing salt concentrations due to suppression effects. In contrast, they are increased by the presence of sulfuric acid matrices in cation mode. Moreover, the sensitivity to different organic species strongly depends on the instrument polarity (cation or anion mode of the spectrometer) and on molecular properties, especially the functional groups present. The recorded spectra are an important foundation to characterise both the organic and salt composition in ice grains from Europa and Enceladus and, by extension, potential constituents of the subsurface oceans. Part III reveals a previously unknown capability of SUDA-type instruments: the ability to determine the oxidation state of iron in iron-bearing salts (or other minerals) embedded in ice grains. Such analytical capability may, in the near future, allow the elucidation of key parameters related to the geochemistry of subsurface oceans on icy moons, notably their redox chemistry and pH. These factors may have","url":"https://doi.org/10.17169/refubium-43698","authors":["Napoleoni, Maryse"],"tags":["icy moons","mass spectrometry","analogues","planetology","astrobiology","500 Natural sciences and mathematics::550 Earth sciences::550 Earth sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.17169/refubium-43698","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7916/d86w9mpp","name":"Magnetization of polar ice: a measurement of terrestrial dust and extraterrestrial fallout","source":"datacite","abstract":"Laboratory-induced remanent magnetization of polar ice constitutes a measurement of the magnetization carried by the ferromagnetic dust particles in the ice. This non-destructive technique provides a novel kind of information on the dust deposited on the surface of polar ice sheets. Measurements made on ice samples from Greenland (North GRIP ice core) and Antarctica (Vostok and EPICA-Dome C ice cores) allowed the recognition of a fraction of magnetic minerals in ice whose concentration and magnetic properties are directly related to that of insoluble dust. The source of this fraction of magnetic minerals thus appears closely related to terrestrial dust transport and deposition and its magnetic properties are informative of the dust provenance areas. The rock-magnetic properties of the dust may reflect distinct changes of dust source areas from glacial to interglacial periods in agreement with and adding further information to the isotopic (87Sr/86Sr and 143Nd/144Nd) analyses. A second magnetic fraction consists of particles of nanometric size, which are superparamagnetic at freezer temperature and whose concentration is independent of the mass of aerosol dust found in the ice. The source of these nanometric-sized magnetic particles is ascribed to fallout of “meteoric smoke” and their concentration in ice was found to be compatible with the extraterrestrial fallout inferred from Ir concentrations. The diameter of the smoke particles as inferred from magnetic measurements is in the range of about 7–20 nm.","url":"https://doi.org/10.7916/d86w9mpp","authors":["Lanci, Luca","Delmonte, B.","Kent, Dennis V.","Maggi, V.","Biscaye, Pierre E.","Petit, Jean-Robert"],"tags":["Geophysics","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012","doi":"10.7916/d86w9mpp","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.7094554","name":"Researcher aids in identifying evidence of habitability in ocean of Saturn's moon Enceladus","source":"datacite","abstract":"The search for extraterrestrial life has just become more interesting as a group of scientists, including Southwest Research Institute's Dr. Christopher Glein, has discovered new evidence for a key building block for life in the subsurface ocean of Saturn's moon Enceladus. New modeling indicates that Enceladus' ocean should be moderately wealthy in dissolved phosphorus, an essential ingredient forever. \"Enceladus is one of the ideal objectives in mankind's search for life in our solar system,\" said Glein, a leading master in extraterrestrial oceanography. He is a co-creator of a paper in the Proceedings of the Public Foundation of Sciences describing this research. \"In the years since NASA's Cassini spacecraft visited the Saturn system, we have been more than once amazed by the discoveries made possible by the gathered information.\" The Cassini spacecraft discovered Enceladus' subsurface fluid water and examined samples as plumes of ice grains and water fume emitted into space from cracks in the moon's cold surface. \"What we have discovered is that the crest contains almost every one of the basic requirements of life as we probably are aware it,\" Glein said. \"While the bioessential component phosphorus has yet to be distinguished straightforwardly, our group discovered evidence for its accessibility in the ocean underneath the moon's frigid crust.\" Quite possibly of the most profound discovery in planetary science throughout recent years is that worlds with oceans underneath a surface layer of ice are normal in our solar system. Such worlds include the cold satellites of the goliath planets, such as Europa, Titan and Enceladus, as well as additional distant bodies like Pluto. Worlds like Earth with surface oceans must reside within a restricted scope of distances from their host stars to maintain the temperatures that support surface fluid water. Interior water ocean worlds, in any case, can happen over a lot more extensive scope of distances, extraordinarily expanding the quantity of tenable worlds prone to exist across the cosmic system. \"The quest for extraterrestrial habitability in the solar system has shifted focus, as we currently search for the building blocks forever, including natural molecules, smelling salts, sulfur-bearing compounds as well as the substance energy expected to support life,\" Glein said. \"Phosphorus presents an interesting case because previous work suggested that it very well may be scarce in the ocean of Enceladus, which would diminish the prospects forever.\" https://caramellaapp.com/danielhresnker/eoeaB98yO/octopath-traveler-2-reveals-new-cast-of-characters-release https://caramellaapp.com/danielhresnker/ME3SPx_vZ/crisis-core-final-fantasy-7-reunion-release-date-confirmed https://caramellaapp.com/danielhresnker/spNCybcD8/pikmin-4-announced-for-nintendo-switch https://caramellaapp.com/danielhresnker/Dx37bCwrD/kirby-return-to-dreamland-deluxe-coming-to-the-switch https://caramellaapp.com/danielhresnker/a6QD6tqam/former-playstation-console-exclusive-confirmed-for-the-ninte https://caramellaapp.com/danielhresnker/f0dM4GaNR/fatal-frame-mask-of-the-lunar-eclipse-is-finally-coming-to https://caramellaapp.com/danielhresnker/bROWpzcHc/pokemon-go-kicking-off-steel-type-event https://www.zedlike.com/blogs/15931/Switch-Exclusive-Co-Op-Simulation-RPG-Fae-Farm-Announced https://www.zedlike.com/blogs/15932/Pokemon-Scarlet-and-Violet-Fan-Points-Out-Benefit-of-Outdoor https://www.zedlike.com/blogs/15933/Pokemon-Sword-and-Shield-Players-Can-Get-Shiny-Eternatus-from https://www.zedlike.com/blogs/15934/Zelda-Tears-of-the-Kingdom-Subreddit-Was-Made-A-Week https://www.zedlike.com/blogs/15935/Nintendo-Switch-Sports-Delays-Golf-Update https://www.zedlike.com/blogs/15936/Limited-Edition-God-of-War-Ragnarok-PS5-DualSense-Controller-Revealed https://www.zedlike.com/blogs/15937/Tekken-8-Confirmed-for-PlayStation-5-With-Gameplay-Trailer https://www.thegioidathat.vn/Forums/threads/pacific-drive-horror-survival-game-coming-to-","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7094554","authors":["Eddy Gremmnert"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.7094554","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.c.7156880","name":"Electron microprobe dating of lunar zirconolite","source":"datacite","abstract":"Abstract Zirconolite is an accessary mineral occurred in the lunar basaltic and granitic rocks and contains relatively high contents of U, Th, and Pb, which is attractive for age dating. However, very few studies have reported the crystallization ages of lunar zirconolites because of the challenge of dating lunar zirconolites due to their fine-grained size and irregular shape. In this study, we analyzed zirconolites in a granitic clast of the lunar meteorite DEW 12007 using an electron microprobe. MAN (mean atomic number) background, peak interference, and blank corrections were applied to 31 elements including U, Th, and Pb, and REEs, to obtain high-precision and high-accuracy chemical data of the zirconolites. The electron microprobe age of the zirconolites is determined to be 4332 ± 14 Ma (2σ, n = 20), which is consistent with the U–Pb age (4340.9 ± 7.5 Ma; 2σ) of zircon grains from the same clast measured by an ion microprobe. The precision and accuracy achieved in this study represents a notable advance compared to previously reported electron microprobe ages of lunar zirconolites. This suggests that electron microprobe dating may be applicable to extraterrestrial materials, especially for microscopic U-Th-Pb-containing minerals in the samples returned from the Moon and Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.7156880","authors":["Park, Changkun","Kim, Hwayoung"],"tags":["Geology","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.6084/m9.figshare.c.7156880","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.c.7156880.v1","name":"Electron microprobe dating of lunar zirconolite","source":"datacite","abstract":"Abstract Zirconolite is an accessary mineral occurred in the lunar basaltic and granitic rocks and contains relatively high contents of U, Th, and Pb, which is attractive for age dating. However, very few studies have reported the crystallization ages of lunar zirconolites because of the challenge of dating lunar zirconolites due to their fine-grained size and irregular shape. In this study, we analyzed zirconolites in a granitic clast of the lunar meteorite DEW 12007 using an electron microprobe. MAN (mean atomic number) background, peak interference, and blank corrections were applied to 31 elements including U, Th, and Pb, and REEs, to obtain high-precision and high-accuracy chemical data of the zirconolites. The electron microprobe age of the zirconolites is determined to be 4332 ± 14 Ma (2σ, n = 20), which is consistent with the U–Pb age (4340.9 ± 7.5 Ma; 2σ) of zircon grains from the same clast measured by an ion microprobe. The precision and accuracy achieved in this study represents a notable advance compared to previously reported electron microprobe ages of lunar zirconolites. This suggests that electron microprobe dating may be applicable to extraterrestrial materials, especially for microscopic U-Th-Pb-containing minerals in the samples returned from the Moon and Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.7156880.v1","authors":["Park, Changkun","Kim, Hwayoung"],"tags":["Geology","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.6084/m9.figshare.c.7156880.v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6590366","name":"Variations of the surface characteristics of Ryugu returned samples","source":"datacite","abstract":"Abstract Hayabusa2 spacecraft successfully collected rock samples from the surface of C-type near-Earth asteroid 162173 Ryugu through two touchdowns and brought them back to Earth in 2020. At the Extraterrestrial Sample Curation Center in JAXA, we performed initial description of all samples to obtain fundamental information and prepare the database for sample allocation. We propose morphological classifications for the returned samples based on the initial description of 205 grains described in the first 6 months. The returned samples can be distinguished by four morphological characteristics: dark, glossy, bright, and white. According to coordinated study to provide an initial description and detailed investigation by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis in this study, these features reflect the differences in the degree of space weathering and mineral assemblages. The degree of space weathering of the four studied grain types is heterogeneous: weak for A0042 (dark group) and C0041 (white group); moderate for C0094 (glossy); and severe for A0017 (bright). The white phase, which is the mineral characteristic of the white group grains, is identified as large carbonate minerals. This is the first effort to classify Ryugu returned samples into distinct categories. Based on these results, researchers can estimate sample characteristics only from the information on the JAXA curation public database. It will be an important reference for sample selection for further investigation. Graphical Abstract","url":"https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6590366","authors":["Nakato, Aiko","Yada, Toru","Nishimura, Masahiro","Yogata, Kasumi","Miyazaki, Akiko","Nagashima, Kana","Hatakeda, Kentaro","Kumagai, Kazuya","Hitomi, Yuya","Soejima, Hiromichi","Bibring, Jean-Pierre","Pilorget, Cedric","Hamm, Vincent","Brunetto, Rosario","Riu, Lucie","Lourit, Lionel","Loizeau, Damien","Le Pivert-Jolivet, Tania","Lequertier, Guillaume","Moussi-Soffys, Aurelie","Abe, Masanao","Okada, Tatsuaki","Usui, Tomohiro","Nakazawa, Satoru","Saiki, Takanao","Tanaka, Satoshi","Terui, Fuyuto","Yoshikawa, Makoto","Watanabe, Sei-ichiro","Tsuda, Yuichi"],"tags":["Geology","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6590366","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6590366.v1","name":"Variations of the surface characteristics of Ryugu returned samples","source":"datacite","abstract":"Abstract Hayabusa2 spacecraft successfully collected rock samples from the surface of C-type near-Earth asteroid 162173 Ryugu through two touchdowns and brought them back to Earth in 2020. At the Extraterrestrial Sample Curation Center in JAXA, we performed initial description of all samples to obtain fundamental information and prepare the database for sample allocation. We propose morphological classifications for the returned samples based on the initial description of 205 grains described in the first 6 months. The returned samples can be distinguished by four morphological characteristics: dark, glossy, bright, and white. According to coordinated study to provide an initial description and detailed investigation by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis in this study, these features reflect the differences in the degree of space weathering and mineral assemblages. The degree of space weathering of the four studied grain types is heterogeneous: weak for A0042 (dark group) and C0041 (white group); moderate for C0094 (glossy); and severe for A0017 (bright). The white phase, which is the mineral characteristic of the white group grains, is identified as large carbonate minerals. This is the first effort to classify Ryugu returned samples into distinct categories. Based on these results, researchers can estimate sample characteristics only from the information on the JAXA curation public database. It will be an important reference for sample selection for further investigation. Graphical Abstract","url":"https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6590366.v1","authors":["Nakato, Aiko","Yada, Toru","Nishimura, Masahiro","Yogata, Kasumi","Miyazaki, Akiko","Nagashima, Kana","Hatakeda, Kentaro","Kumagai, Kazuya","Hitomi, Yuya","Soejima, Hiromichi","Bibring, Jean-Pierre","Pilorget, Cedric","Hamm, Vincent","Brunetto, Rosario","Riu, Lucie","Lourit, Lionel","Loizeau, Damien","Le Pivert-Jolivet, Tania","Lequertier, Guillaume","Moussi-Soffys, Aurelie","Abe, Masanao","Okada, Tatsuaki","Usui, Tomohiro","Nakazawa, Satoru","Saiki, Takanao","Tanaka, Satoshi","Terui, Fuyuto","Yoshikawa, Makoto","Watanabe, Sei-ichiro","Tsuda, Yuichi"],"tags":["Geology","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6590366.v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2407.20997","name":"Meteoritic Tutton salt, a naturally inspired reservoir of cometary and asteroidal ammonium","source":"datacite","abstract":"The lack of benchmark data on the real minerals, native ammonium carriers in Solar System gives rise to controversial opinions on extraterrestrial ammonium reservoirs. We herein report on discovery of the first mineral carrier of meteoritic ammonium and show its relevance to the compositional and spectral characteristics of cometary and asteroidal bodies. Chemically distant from previously inferred volatile organics or ammoniated phyllosilicates, it is an aqueous metal-ammonium sulfate related to a family of so-called Tutton salts. Nickeloan boussingaultite, (NH4)2(Mg,Ni)(SO4)2 6H2O, occurs in Orgueil, a primitive carbonaceous chondrite closely related to (162173) Ryugu and (101955) Bennu, the C-type asteroids. The available spectroscopic, chemical and mineralogical data signify that natural Tutton salts perfectly fit into the role of ammonium reservoir under conditions of cometary nuclei and carbonaceous asteroids.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2407.20997","authors":["Britvin, Sergey N.","Vereshchagin, Oleg S.","Vlasenko, Natalia S.","Krzhizhanovskaya, Maria G.","Ivanova, Marina A."],"tags":["Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)","Geophysics (physics.geo-ph)","FOS: Physical sciences","FOS: Physical sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.48550/arxiv.2407.20997","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1594/pangaea.880007","name":"Osmium concentration and isotopic composition of North Pacific deep-sea sediments","source":"datacite","abstract":"Pelagic clay and Mn nodules from DOMES sites in the North Pacific and a varved glacial lake deposit from Connecticut were analysed for Os concentration and isotopic composition by isotope-dilution secondary ion mass spectrometry after treatment by NiS fusion or oxalic acid leaching. Bulk pelagic clay from DOMES site C has 187Os/186Os = 6.5 and Os = 0.14 ng/g. Oxalic acid leaches of this same sediment and of Mn nodules from DOMES sites A and C have more radiogenic 187Os/186Os ratios which average 8.3. Bulk glacial Lake Hitchcock sediment has 187Os/186Os = 12.5 and Os = 0.06 ng/g. The total Os flux to North Pacific pelagic clay is 7 to 10 ng Os/cm**2/10**6 y. Lake Hitchcock sediment provides an integrated value for the local crustal 187Os/186Os ratio. The oxalic acid leaches are assumed to attack hydrogenous phases selectively. A simple model in which the only sources of Os to the ocean are continental crust with the isotopic composition of Lake Hitchcock (187Os/186Os = 12.5) and extraterrestrial particles with 187Os/186Os = 1.1 results in a cosmic flux of osmium to the sediment of 4.9 ng Os/cm**2/10**6 y of which 20% is hydrogenous. A model in which the sources of Os to the ocean are continental crust with an 187Os/186Os ratio of 30 (from the model of Palmer and Turekian, 1986), oceanic mantle or crust with 187Os/186Os = 1.04 and extraterrestrial particles with 187Os/186Os = 1.1 results in a cosmic flux of Os to the sediment of 5.7 ng Os/cm**2/10**6 y of which none is hydrogenous. These extraterrestrial Os fluxes correspond to maximum C-1 chondrite accretion rates of between 4.9 × 104 and 5.6 × 104 tonnes/y.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1594/pangaea.880007","authors":["Esser, Bradley K","Turekian, Karl K"],"tags":["NOAA and MMS Marine Minerals Geochemical Database (NOAA-MMS)"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1988","doi":"10.1594/pangaea.880007","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1594/pangaea.872388","name":"(Table 2, page 1052) Palladium, iridium and gold contents of some oceanic manganese nodules","source":"datacite","abstract":"The abundance and distribution of palladium, iridium and gold has been determined in manganese nodules from widely varying locations and geological environments within the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. The distribution of these metals is characterized by a lack of distinct regional variations, homogeneous distribution within an individual nodule, and a lack of any correlation with variations in major and other trace elements in the nodules. Assuming that all the iridium in the manganese nodules is of extraterrestrial origin, an upper limit on the mass accretion rate of interplanetary matter to the earth is calculated to be 60 tons/day over the surface of the earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1594/pangaea.872388","authors":["Harriss, Robert C","Crocket, J H","Stainton, M"],"tags":["Event label","Identification","DEPTH, sediment/rock","Palladium","Iridium","Gold","Deposit type","Dredge"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1968","doi":"10.1594/pangaea.872388","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.26302/sshade/phasma","name":"SSHADE/phasma: Earth and Planetary Materials Laboratory Spectral Database","source":"datacite","abstract":"The 'phasma' database contains Raman and FTIR spectra from minerals of terrestrial and extraterestrial materials. It also contains spectra acquired from rock powder-organic mixtures of astrobiological interest (biosignatures)","url":"https://doi.org/10.26302/sshade/phasma","authors":["Chatzitheodoridis, Elias","Profitis, Eleftherios"],"tags":["database","spectrum","spectra","Raman","FTIR","Martian meteorites","Meteorites","terrestrial"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.26302/sshade/phasma","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.15151/esrf-es-1207223896","name":"Crystal chemistry of phases forming super-Earth mantles","source":"datacite","abstract":"Pressures and temperatures in extraterrestrial rocky planets can reach up to 4 TPa and up to 9000 K, conditions that are hardly accessible with current experimental methods. This limitation leads to the problem of finding appropriate proxy compounds for high-pressure minerals. Therefore the ultimate goal of this proposal is reveal the role of iron oxides as structural prototypes for high-pressure silicates at pressure up to 200 GPa and temperatures up to 3000 K. We are going to synthesize iron silicates at these conditions, determine their crystal structure and compressional behavior, and characterize the oxidation and spin state of iron atoms.","url":"https://doi.org/10.15151/esrf-es-1207223896","authors":["Bykov, Maxim","Jurzick, Pascal Lennert","Zhou, Wenju"],"tags":["Earth Sciences","ES-1258","ID11"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.15151/esrf-es-1207223896","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5258/soton/t0054","name":"The development of a miniaturized Raman instrument for the detection of biosignatures on Europa","source":"datacite","abstract":"Raman spectroscopy has gained popularity in planetary exploration over the last decade as an exceptionally versatile non-destructive compositional analysis technique that can identify a vast spectrum of molecules including both minerals and biomolecules, and provide information on the molecular structure, material phase as well as atom arrangements. For its many merits, Raman spectroscopy was proposed as one of the model instruments for the Europa Lander mission currently under development at NASA. For their vast oceans possibly harbouring extraterrestrial life, Europa and other Icy Worlds were identified as high priority planetary targets in both ESA's and NASA's plans for future planetary exploration. However, contemporary state-of-the-art Raman instruments for planetary exploration were designed for bulk mineral detection on Mars, the most imminent planetary target, and are not compatible with life detection on Europa. This research evaluates the capabilities and limitations of Raman spectroscopy for in-situ detection of biosignatures on Europa in order to identify critical instrument design requirements and enabling technology necessary for the development of a Raman instrument compatible with a landed mission to Europa and its scientific goals. High confidence and high priority biosignatures for the search for life on Europa are identified and a selection of the target molecules is used to study the effects of laser induced damage, fluorescence interference, cryogenically induced spectral changes and the ability of available Raman technology to detect molecules at extremely low concentrations. The research shows that cryogenically induced changes can severely impact the detectability and identifiability of molecules due to Raman shift changes of up to 25 cm -1 , as well as the cryogenically induced increase in the fluorescence noise. On the other hand, the significant narrowing of Raman bands as well as the decrease in the variability of the measurements at low temperatures lead to higher precision and accuracy. Cryogenic temperatures also mitigate the effects of laser damage, increase the SNR in the spectra of some molecules and even allow the detection of highly photosensitive molecules that are unresolvable at higher temperatures. The results also indicate that the spectral resolution necessary for successful detection of biosignatures on Europa could be as high as 2 cm -1 , which is much higher than the resolution of contemporary state-of-the-art Raman instruments for planetary exploration and is particularly problematic for miniaturized instruments. Additionally, detection at extremely low concentrations, as required on Europa, is not achievable using traditional Raman spectroscopy. Based on the identified requirements, two Raman instrument designs compatible with a mission to Europa are proposed. Key enabling technology and future directions for the development of these instruments are identified and discussed. Most notably, Surface Enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is identified as a critical component of future Raman instruments for planetary exploration. Recent advances in the SERS technology are discussed and a SERS technique compatible with planetary exploration that could allow biosignature detection on Icy Worlds is proposed and described.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5258/soton/t0054","authors":["Vitkova, Ariana Barbora"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.5258/soton/t0054","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.7979255","name":"Mars Underground: a Landscape Strategy for Long Term Human Colonies on the Red Planet.","source":"datacite","abstract":"On Mars, observations and research has shown the presence of underground conduits of volcanic origin known as “pyroducts” or “lava tubes”, which are also present on Earth and Moon. Despite the highly astrobiological and geological importance, channelled underground conduits enjoy little consideration by space architecture literature, if compared to the great amount of designs that have been proposed for its surface. After Earth, Mars is the only planet in the solar system which is known to have had a more benign past, in which life forms may have existed. Nowadays, the Red Planet is an arid and desert place where high radiation, micrometeorites impacts, frigid temperatures and other hazards make its surface uninhabitable, if not under heavy shielding. On the other hand, underground environments such as lava tubes provide a space that is already protected from these harsh and extreme conditions. Because of the different gravitational acceleration on the planet, they are bigger in sizes than they are on Earth. This paper aims to offer lava tubes as an alternative for the location of the habitats of long term colonies on Mars, making the best use of its available resources. This objective is reached with a methodology which merges large scale remote sensing for the individuation of potential sites, and available resources and local exploration to confirm a site and collect the resources. With the information acquired, a colony design proposal is elaborated through the reinterpretation of Earth vernacular architecture with innovative technologies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7979255","authors":["Romio, Francesco Axel Pio"],"tags":["Lava tubes","Planetary Caves","Underground settlement","Lava tube settlements","Space Architecture"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.7979255","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.073Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.7979256","name":"Mars Underground: a Landscape Strategy for Long Term Human Colonies on the Red Planet.","source":"datacite","abstract":"On Mars, observations and research has shown the presence of underground conduits of volcanic origin known as “pyroducts” or “lava tubes”, which are also present on Earth and Moon. Despite the highly astrobiological and geological importance, channelled underground conduits enjoy little consideration by space architecture literature, if compared to the great amount of designs that have been proposed for its surface. After Earth, Mars is the only planet in the solar system which is known to have had a more benign past, in which life forms may have existed. Nowadays, the Red Planet is an arid and desert place where high radiation, micrometeorites impacts, frigid temperatures and other hazards make its surface uninhabitable, if not under heavy shielding. On the other hand, underground environments such as lava tubes provide a space that is already protected from these harsh and extreme conditions. Because of the different gravitational acceleration on the planet, they are bigger in sizes than they are on Earth. This paper aims to offer lava tubes as an alternative for the location of the habitats of long term colonies on Mars, making the best use of its available resources. This objective is reached with a methodology which merges large scale remote sensing for the individuation of potential sites, and available resources and local exploration to confirm a site and collect the resources. With the information acquired, a colony design proposal is elaborated through the reinterpretation of Earth vernacular architecture with innovative technologies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7979256","authors":["Romio, Francesco Axel Pio"],"tags":["Lava tubes","Planetary Caves","Underground settlement","Lava tube settlements","Space Architecture"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.7979256","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.073Z"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2305.03417","name":"Chemical and physical properties of cometary dust","source":"datacite","abstract":"Cometary dust particles are best preserved remnants of the matter present at the onset of the formation of the Solar System. Space missions, telescopic observations and laboratory analyses advanced the knowledge on the properties of cometary dust. Cometary samples were returned from comet 81P/Wild2 by the Stardust mission. The chondritic (porous) anhydrous interplanetary dust particles and chondritic porous micrometeorites, and the ultracarbonaceous Antarctic micrometeorites (UCAMMs) also show strong evidence for a cometary origin. The composition of cometary dust is generally chondritic, but with high C and N compared with CI. The cometary organic matter is mixed with minor amounts of crystalline and amorphous minerals. The most abundant crystalline minerals are ferromagnesian silicates, refractory minerals and low Ni Fe sulfides are also present. The presence of carbonates in cometary dust is still debated, but a phyllosilicate-like phase was observed in a UCAMM. GEMS phases are usually abundant. Some of the organic matter present in cometary dust particle resembles the insoluble organic matter present in primitive meteorites, but amorphous carbon and exotic (e.g. N-rich) organic phases are also present. The H isotopic composition of the organic matter traces a formation at very low temperatures, in the protosolar cloud or in the outer regions of the protoplanetary disk. The presolar dust concentration in cometary dust can reach about 1%, which is the most elevated value observed in extraterrestrial samples. The differential size distribution of cometary dust in comet trails is well represented by a power-law distribution with a mean power index N typically ranging from -3 to -4. Polarimetric and light scattering studies suggest mixtures of porous agglomerates of sub-micrometer minerals with organic matter. Cometary dust particles have low tensile strength, and low density.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2305.03417","authors":["Engrand, Cecile","Lasue, Jérémie","Wooden, Diane H.","Zolensky, Mike E."],"tags":["Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)","FOS: Physical sciences","FOS: Physical sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.48550/arxiv.2305.03417","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.7672520","name":"A magnetic measurement technique for small rare samples: pre-study for Chang'e-5 returned and other extraterrestrial samples","source":"datacite","abstract":"Standard-size samples are usually used for traditional paleomagnetic study. In some cases, small irregular samples are employed considering their amount and magnetic strength as well as experiment efficiency. With the development of deep space exploration, the demand for studying small and magnetic weak samples is increasing. In this study, we established a magnetic measurement technique for small rare samples. We designed low-background, sample-nondestructive and high-flexibility holders with various materials for different measurements of small samples. With the customized holders, we estimated uncertainty and reliability of magnetic measurements of small specimens from a terrestrial basalt. The results indicate that susceptibility and remanence of small specimens ( e.g. , 2-mm cubes) are more affected by measurement position than larger specimens (³ 5 mm), which reminds us to pay special attention to consistency of the small specimen position during series of measurements. Moreover, susceptibility and remanence of small sister specimens (2-mm and 5-mm cubes) are more scattered than those of large ones (cube length ³ 1 cm), mainly due to inhomogeneity of magnetic mineral abundance in the sample. Nevertheless, the average magnetic results of different-size specimens are generally consistent within error, indicating the inhomogeneity of small specimens can be averaged out and demonstrating the reliability of small samples during magnetic measurements. Finally, we tested our measurement system with a lunar meteorite, which mimics the Chang’e-5 returned samples in both size and mineralogy. The main minerals of the meteorite are plagioclase, pyroxene, troilite and kamacite. The IRM normalized paleointensity method recovered the expected laboratory field while the ARM corrected paleointensities are about 2-3 times the expected field, where the latter can be explained by inapplicability of the empirical f ¢ to the meteorite specimens. The ARM and IRM paleointensity calibration factor f ¢ and a of the lunar meteorite were calculated to be 3.89 and 3138 μT, respectively, which provides new constraints for the empirical values. The magnetic results of the lunar meteorite demonstrate the efficiency of our measurement system for small weak samples. This study provides technical support for paleomagnetic study of the Chang'e-5 and other extraterrestrial samples in the future.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7672520","authors":["Yifei, Hou","Shuhui, Cai"],"tags":["small rare samples","customized holders","magnetic measurements","paleointensity","lunar meteorite"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.7672520","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.7672521","name":"A magnetic measurement technique for small rare samples: pre-study for Chang'e-5 returned and other extraterrestrial samples","source":"datacite","abstract":"Standard-size samples are usually used for traditional paleomagnetic study. In some cases, small irregular samples are employed considering their amount and magnetic strength as well as experiment efficiency. With the development of deep space exploration, the demand for studying small and magnetic weak samples is increasing. In this study, we established a magnetic measurement technique for small rare samples. We designed low-background, sample-nondestructive and high-flexibility holders with various materials for different measurements of small samples. With the customized holders, we estimated uncertainty and reliability of magnetic measurements of small specimens from a terrestrial basalt. The results indicate that susceptibility and remanence of small specimens ( e.g. , 2-mm cubes) are more affected by measurement position than larger specimens (³ 5 mm), which reminds us to pay special attention to consistency of the small specimen position during series of measurements. Moreover, susceptibility and remanence of small sister specimens (2-mm and 5-mm cubes) are more scattered than those of large ones (cube length ³ 1 cm), mainly due to inhomogeneity of magnetic mineral abundance in the sample. Nevertheless, the average magnetic results of different-size specimens are generally consistent within error, indicating the inhomogeneity of small specimens can be averaged out and demonstrating the reliability of small samples during magnetic measurements. Finally, we tested our measurement system with a lunar meteorite, which mimics the Chang’e-5 returned samples in both size and mineralogy. The main minerals of the meteorite are plagioclase, pyroxene, troilite and kamacite. The IRM normalized paleointensity method recovered the expected laboratory field while the ARM corrected paleointensities are about 2-3 times the expected field, where the latter can be explained by inapplicability of the empirical f ¢ to the meteorite specimens. The ARM and IRM paleointensity calibration factor f ¢ and a of the lunar meteorite were calculated to be 3.89 and 3138 μT, respectively, which provides new constraints for the empirical values. The magnetic results of the lunar meteorite demonstrate the efficiency of our measurement system for small weak samples. This study provides technical support for paleomagnetic study of the Chang'e-5 and other extraterrestrial samples in the future.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7672521","authors":["Yifei, Hou","Shuhui, Cai"],"tags":["small rare samples","customized holders","magnetic measurements","paleointensity","lunar meteorite"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.7672521","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/6dfkgnh9bp.2","name":"The PANGAEA mineralogical database","source":"datacite","abstract":"Future human missions to the surface of the Moon and Mars will involve scientific exploration requiring new support tools to enable rapid and high quality science decision-making. Here, we provide the PANGAEA Mineralogical Database developed by the European Space Agency: a catalog of petrographic and spectroscopic information on all currently known minerals identified on the Moon Mars, and associated with meteorites. It also includes minerals found in the ESA PANGAEA analog sites to broaden the database coverage. The Mineralogical Database is composed primarly of the Summary Catalog of of Planetary Analog Minerals and the Spectral Archive. The Summary Catalog provides essential descriptive information for each mineral, including name (based on IMA recommendation), chemical formula, mineral group, surface abundance on planetary bodies, geological significance in the context of planetary exploration, number of collected VNIR and Raman spectra, likelihood of detection using different spectral methods, and bibliographic references evidencing their detection in extraterrestrial or terrestrial analog environments. The Spectral Archive provides a standard library for planetary in-situ human and robotic exploration covering Visual-Near-Infrared reflective (VNIR) and Raman spectroscopy (Raman). To populate this library, we collected VNIR and Raman spectra for mineral entries in the Summary Catalog from open-access archives, and analyzed them to select the best. We also supplemented this collection with our own bespoke measurements. Additionally, we compiled the chemical compositions for all minerals based on their empirical formula, to allow identification using the measured abundances provided by LIBS and XRF analytical instruments. This version 2 of the PANGAEA Mineralogical Database available here in Mendeley Data is updated to the 30th of November 2022. A changelog document describe the major changes and updates in comparison with Version 1, including the full entire list of additional contributors. Any further update can be downloaded directly from the ESA webpage https://atd.eac.esa.int/sites/PANGAEAMinDB where the newest versions will be stored.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/6dfkgnh9bp.2","authors":["Francesco Sauro"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.17632/6dfkgnh9bp.2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.25365/thesis.70111","name":"Unique metal-microbe interactions of the extreme thermoacidophile Metallosphaera sedula and the extreme radioresistant Deinococcus radiodurans","source":"datacite","abstract":"Das Metalle mobilisierende Archaeon Metallosphaera sedula wächst und vermehrt sich unter extremen Bedingungen (73°C, pH 2) während es dabei u.a. metallhaltige Substrate wie Mineralien transformiert. Eine erstaunliche physiologische Vielseitigkeit erlaubt es diesem Mikroorganismus auf unterschiedlichsten terrestrischen oder extraterrestrischen Materialien chemolithotroph zu leben und sich zu vermehren. Die wissenschaftlichen Gegenstände der folgenden Arbeit befassten sich mit der Untersuchung der Fähigkeit des Wachstums von M. sedula auf synthetischem Mars Regolith, sowie der Gewinnung von Metallen aus diesen. Weiters wurden Aspekte von ultrastrukturellen und spektroskopischen Fingerabdrücken nach der Kultivierung mit M. sedula auf synthetischem Mars Regolith und dem gewöhnlichen chondrititschen Meteoriten NWA 1172 untersucht. M. sedula Zellen waren in der Lage erfolgreich die synthetischen Mars Regolith Mineralien zu besiedeln und gleichzeitig wertvolle Metalle daraus löslich zu machen („Bioleaching“). Rasterelektronenmikroskopische und spektroskopische Untersuchungen zeigten uns eine deutliche Veränderung der soliden mineralischen Oberfläche nach der Kultivierung. Zusätzlich wurde eine Technik entwickelt um Ultradünnschnitte von auf extraterrestrischem Material kultivierte Mikroben zu erhalten welche in Zukunft zur tiefergehenden Aufklärung vom Zusammenspiel zwischen Mineralien und Mikroorganismen dienen. Die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit liefern uns weitere Anhaltspunkte für die zukünftige Detektion von Biosignaturen und Fingerabdrücken, die von Mikroben auf extraterrestrischem Material hinterlassen wurden. Ebenfalls könnte die Fähigkeit unlösliche Metalle aus Mineralien zu extrahieren in Zukunft auch auf anderen Himmelskörpern in unserem Sonnensystem angewandt werden. Deinococcus radiodurans ist ein polyextremophiles Gram-positives Bakterium welches gegen immense ionisierende Strahlungsdosen, Austrocknung, sowie andere oxidierende Agentien resistent ist. Diese Eigenschaften machen D. radiodurans zu einem hervorragenden Kandidaten um tiefere Erkenntnisse über dessen Abwehr- und Schutzmechanismen während des interplanetaren Transfers zu gewinnen (Panspermie). D. radiodurans stellt einen vielversprechenden Modellorganismus zur Erforschung der Hypothese der Panspermie dar, welche besagt, dass sich Mikroorganismen über große Distanzen durch das Weltall bewegen. Bevor Mikroorganismen den realen Bedingungen des Weltalls am Japanischen Modul der Internationalen Weltraumstation (ISS) im Rahmen der Tanpopo Mission ausgesetzt werden, müssen Simulationsexperimente (z.B., UVC und Vakuum Exposition) durchgeführt werden. Ein Blick mittels Rasterelektronenmikroskop auf Weltraum-exponierte Deinococci zeigt eine unveränderte Morphologie der mehrschichtig gelagerten Zellen, sowie den Erhalt von zellulärer Integrität trotz simulierten Weltraumbedingungen. Zusammen mit einer integrativen Proteomics und Metabolomics Methode verweisen unsere Resultate auf eine komplexe und vielschichtige Stressantwort, welche eine große Menge Energie benötigt um die Zellen in einem morphologisch unveränderten Zustand zu erhalten, auch unter Weltraumbedingungen.","url":"https://doi.org/10.25365/thesis.70111","authors":["Kölbl, Denise"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","doi":"10.25365/thesis.70111","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2209.05679","name":"The Puzzle of Meteoritic Minerals Heideite and Brezinaite; Are they Iron-based Superconductors? Are they Technosignatures?","source":"openalex","abstract":"Transition metal sulfides (Fe, V)3S4 and (Fe, Ti)3S4, with the monoclinic Cr3S4 type structure have been studied for a long time, itinerant magnetism in form of Spin density waves (SDW) have been found in these systems with different features as evidenced by 57Fe Mossbauer Spectroscopy, there is an intricate relationship between the proportion of Fe, V and Ti atoms, the degree of commensurability of the SDW and the magnetic transition temperature. These sulfides have no natural occurrence on Earth and some of these phases were detected as minerals in meteorites; the mineral Heideite in the Bustee and Kaidun meteorites, with minor proportion of Cr atoms leading to the general formula (Fe, Cr)1+x (Ti, Fe)2S4, and the mineral Brezinaite in the Tucson meteorite, with minor proportion of Fe atoms and traces of V, Ti and Mn atoms, leading to the formula (Cr2.65Fe0.20V0.09Ti0.06Mn0.04)3.04S4. In this critical review of the experimental literature, we discuss the issues that these meteoritic minerals are structurally sensitive to the method of synthesis, and so is their magnetic behavior, especially in the presence of minor and trace elements. This discussion could shed light on our knowledge in Solid State Physics and Planetary Science; these meteoritic minerals are promising candidates for iron-based superconductors because of three clues: they are layered structures, they undergo a transition to SDW with variable degree of commensurability and the minor and trace elements could act as dopants and hence suppress the SDW giving rise to superconductivity. On the other side, the genesis of these meteoritic minerals could require controlled and sophisticated process not easily found in nature. So, it is important to be open-minded and even provocative to consider the following question: Are these meteoritic minerals samples of Extraterrestrial Technosignatures?","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2209.05679","authors":["Embaid, B. P.","B.P. Embaid"],"tags":["Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)","FOS: Physical sciences","Meteorite","Mineral","Superconductivity","Magnetism","Mössbauer spectroscopy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.48550/arxiv.2209.05679","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2205.08212","name":"The specific heat of astro-materials: Review of theoretical concepts, materials and techniques","source":"datacite","abstract":"We provide detailed background, theoretical and practical, on the specific heat cp of minerals and mixtures thereof, 'astro-materials', as well as background information on common minerals and other relevant solid substances found on the surfaces of solar system bodies. Furthermore, we demonstrate how to use specific heat and composition data for lunar samples and meteorites as well as a new database of endmember mineral heat capacities (the result of an extensive literature review) to construct reference models for the isobaric specific heat cP as a function of temperature for common solar system materials. Using a (generally linear) mixing model for the specific heat of minerals allows extrapolation of the available data to very low and very high temperatures, such that models cover the temperature range between 10 and 1000 K at least (and pressures from zero up to several kbars). We describe a procedure to estimate cp(T) for virtually any solid solar system material with a known mineral composition, e.g., model specific heat as a function of temperature for a number of typical meteorite classes with known mineralogical compositions. We present, as examples, the cp(T) curves of a number of well-described laboratory regolith analogues, as well as for planetary ices and 'tholins' in the outer solar system. Part II will review and present the heat capacity database for minerals and compounds and part III is going to cover applications, standard reference compositions, cp(T) curves and a comparison with new and literature experimental data.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2205.08212","authors":["Biele, Jens","Grott, Matthias","Zolensky, Michael E.","Benisek, Artur","Dachs, Edgar"],"tags":["Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)","Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)","Classical Physics (physics.class-ph)","Geophysics (physics.geo-ph)","FOS: Physical sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.48550/arxiv.2205.08212","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.073Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.6896956","name":"Sand clouds are common in atmospheres of brown dwarfs","source":"datacite","abstract":"Clouds of sand can consolidate, develop and vanish in a few extraterrestrial atmospheres. Another gander at old information shows that clouds made of hot silicate minerals are common in heavenly items known as brown dwarfs. \"This is the main full relevant understanding of any cloud outside the planetary group,\" says stargazer Stanimir Metchev of the University of Western Ontario in London, Canada. Metchev's partner Genaro Suárez introduced the new work July 4 at the Cool Stars meeting in Toulouse, France. Clouds come in many flavors in our planetary group, from Earth's puffs of water fume to Jupiter's groups of smelling salts. Stargazers have likewise inferred the presence of \"extrasolar clouds\" on planets outside the planetary group (SN: 9/11/19). However, the just extrasolar clouds that have been straightforwardly distinguished were in the skies of brown dwarfs — faint, rosy circles that are excessively huge to be planets yet excessively little and cool to be stars. In 2004, stargazers utilized NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope to notice brown dwarfs and spotted unearthly marks of sand — all the more explicitly, grains of silicate minerals like quartz and olivine. A couple of additional speculative instances of sand clouds were seen in 2006 and 2008. Floating in one of these clouds would want to be in a sandstorm, says planetary researcher Mark Marley of the University of Arizona in Tucson, who was involved in one of those early revelations. \"In the event that you could remove a scoop from it and bring it home, you would have hot sand.\" Stargazers at the time found six instances of these silicate clouds. \"I kind of felt that was all there was to it,\" Marley says. Hypothetically, there ought to be much in excess of six brown dwarfs with sandy skies. Be that as it may, some portion of the Spitzer telescope ran out of coolant in 2009 and was as of now not ready to quantify comparable clouds' science. While Suárez was looking into chronicled Spitzer information for an alternate undertaking, he understood there were unpublished or unanalyzed information on many brown dwarfs. So he broke down the low-mass stars in general and brown dwarfs that Spitzer had at any point noticed, 113 items in all out, 68 of which had never been distributed, the group reports in the July Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. https://issuu.com/off-the-road-dinheiro-infinito-2022 https://issuu.com/car-parking-multiplayer-dinheiro-2022 https://issuu.com/design-home-dinheiro-infinito-2022 https://issuu.com/truck-simulator-ultimate-dinheiro-gratis https://issuu.com/irmaos-a-obra-dinheiro-infinito https://issuu.com/summoners-war-sky-arena-cristais https://issuu.com/chapters-diamantes-infinitos-2022 https://issuu.com/cafeland-dinheiro-infinito-2022 https://issuu.com/cooking-diary-diamantes-infinitos https://issuu.com/tennis-clash-gemas-infinitas-2022 \"It's exceptionally great to me that this was hiding in plain sight,\" Marley says. Only one out of every odd brown midget in the example gave solid indications of silicate clouds. Be that as it may, together, the brown dwarfs pursued a reasonable direction. For dwarfs and low-mass stars more sultry than around 1700˚ Celsius, silicates exist as a fume, and the items give no indications of clouds. Yet, underneath that temperature, indications of clouds begin to show up, becoming thickest around 1300˚ C. Then the sign vanishes for brown dwarfs that are cooler than around 1000˚ C, as the clouds sink profound into the atmospheres. The finding validates past premonitions that silicate clouds are inescapable and uncovers the circumstances under which they structure. Since brown dwarfs are conceived hot and cool down over the long haul, a large portion of them ought to see each period of sand cloud development as they age. \"We are learning the way that these brown dwarfs live,\" Suárez says. Future examination can extrapolate the outcomes to more readily comprehend atmospheres in planets like Jupiter, he notes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6896956","authors":[", Anthony"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.6896956","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.073Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.6896957","name":"Sand clouds are common in atmospheres of brown dwarfs","source":"datacite","abstract":"Clouds of sand can consolidate, develop and vanish in a few extraterrestrial atmospheres. Another gander at old information shows that clouds made of hot silicate minerals are common in heavenly items known as brown dwarfs. \"This is the main full relevant understanding of any cloud outside the planetary group,\" says stargazer Stanimir Metchev of the University of Western Ontario in London, Canada. Metchev's partner Genaro Suárez introduced the new work July 4 at the Cool Stars meeting in Toulouse, France. Clouds come in many flavors in our planetary group, from Earth's puffs of water fume to Jupiter's groups of smelling salts. Stargazers have likewise inferred the presence of \"extrasolar clouds\" on planets outside the planetary group (SN: 9/11/19). However, the just extrasolar clouds that have been straightforwardly distinguished were in the skies of brown dwarfs — faint, rosy circles that are excessively huge to be planets yet excessively little and cool to be stars. In 2004, stargazers utilized NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope to notice brown dwarfs and spotted unearthly marks of sand — all the more explicitly, grains of silicate minerals like quartz and olivine. A couple of additional speculative instances of sand clouds were seen in 2006 and 2008. Floating in one of these clouds would want to be in a sandstorm, says planetary researcher Mark Marley of the University of Arizona in Tucson, who was involved in one of those early revelations. \"In the event that you could remove a scoop from it and bring it home, you would have hot sand.\" Stargazers at the time found six instances of these silicate clouds. \"I kind of felt that was all there was to it,\" Marley says. Hypothetically, there ought to be much in excess of six brown dwarfs with sandy skies. Be that as it may, some portion of the Spitzer telescope ran out of coolant in 2009 and was as of now not ready to quantify comparable clouds' science. While Suárez was looking into chronicled Spitzer information for an alternate undertaking, he understood there were unpublished or unanalyzed information on many brown dwarfs. So he broke down the low-mass stars in general and brown dwarfs that Spitzer had at any point noticed, 113 items in all out, 68 of which had never been distributed, the group reports in the July Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. https://issuu.com/off-the-road-dinheiro-infinito-2022 https://issuu.com/car-parking-multiplayer-dinheiro-2022 https://issuu.com/design-home-dinheiro-infinito-2022 https://issuu.com/truck-simulator-ultimate-dinheiro-gratis https://issuu.com/irmaos-a-obra-dinheiro-infinito https://issuu.com/summoners-war-sky-arena-cristais https://issuu.com/chapters-diamantes-infinitos-2022 https://issuu.com/cafeland-dinheiro-infinito-2022 https://issuu.com/cooking-diary-diamantes-infinitos https://issuu.com/tennis-clash-gemas-infinitas-2022 \"It's exceptionally great to me that this was hiding in plain sight,\" Marley says. Only one out of every odd brown midget in the example gave solid indications of silicate clouds. Be that as it may, together, the brown dwarfs pursued a reasonable direction. For dwarfs and low-mass stars more sultry than around 1700˚ Celsius, silicates exist as a fume, and the items give no indications of clouds. Yet, underneath that temperature, indications of clouds begin to show up, becoming thickest around 1300˚ C. Then the sign vanishes for brown dwarfs that are cooler than around 1000˚ C, as the clouds sink profound into the atmospheres. The finding validates past premonitions that silicate clouds are inescapable and uncovers the circumstances under which they structure. Since brown dwarfs are conceived hot and cool down over the long haul, a large portion of them ought to see each period of sand cloud development as they age. \"We are learning the way that these brown dwarfs live,\" Suárez says. Future examination can extrapolate the outcomes to more readily comprehend atmospheres in planets like Jupiter, he notes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6896957","authors":[", Anthony"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.6896957","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.073Z"},{"id":"doi:10.25365/thesis.32551","name":"Mineralogical, petrological, and geochemical studies of Neoproterozoic Sturtian (750 Ma) and Marinoan (635 Ma) postglacial transition layers in Otavi Group, NW-Namibia","source":"datacite","abstract":"Das Ziel dieser Doktorarbeit ist die Identifizierung der Ursache der Deglaziation der neoproterozoischen \"Schneeball Erde\" Ereignisse (\"Sturtian\" ~750Ma, \"Marinoan\" ~635 Ma). Das bearbeitete Gebiet befindet sich in der Otavi-Gruppe in NW-Namibia. Die Proben wurden im Jahr 2009 von F. Popp gesammelt. Das sind hauptsächlich postglaziale Übergangslagen und Deckkarbonate (cap carbonates) sowie Diamiktite von 3 der Sturtischen (Copper Mine, Sesfontain-Opuwo, Steilrandberge) und 7 der Marinoischen Eiszeit (Fransfontain, Bethanis, Tweelingskop, Naraachamspos, Entrance to the South Valley, Khowarib Valley, Warmquelle) zugehörigen Aufschlüssen. Kapitel 2 präsentiert einen mikrobiellen Beleg für einen sturtischen oolithischen 'Grainstone' (basale Rasthof-Formation bei Copper Mine) mittels mineralspektroskopischen Methoden sowie Rückstreu-Elektronenabbildung an einem Rasterelektronenmikroskop. Kapitel 3 belegt eine synsedimentäre mikrobielle Schichtung durch neutrophilische eisenoxidierende Bakterien und Cyanobakterien an der Grenze zwischen der sturtischen Chuos und der Rasthof Formation (Aufschlüsse Sesfontain-Opuwo und Steilrandberge). Kapitel 4 präsentiert die Suche nach extraterrestrischen Signaturen um die Möglichkeit eines Meteoritenimpakts als Ursache der sturtischen und/oder marinoischen Deglaziation zu untersuchen. Kapitel 5 behandelt Zink-, Kohlenstoff- und Sauerstoffisotopenstudien an der marinoischen postglazialen Übergangslage sowie an einem basalen \"cap carbonate\"-Profil (C2a, Naraachamspos). Kapitel 6 beschreibt mikrobielle Aktivitäten in der marinoischen postglazialen Übergangslage und den basalen \"cap carbonates\". Biomatten aus eisenoxidierenden Bakterien werden nach Nährstoffquellen klassifiziert: 1) hydrothermale Schlote (synsedimentäre Mikrobenlagen), 2) Biotische Verwitterung von eisenhaltigen Mineralen wie Pyrit und Chlorit, 3) mikrobieller Überzug an Klasten (kurzzeitige Nährstoffquelle oder vorübergehende suboxische Bedingungen). Kapitel 7 führt eine Paläoumwelt-Rekonstruktion der Deglaziation der cryogenischen Schneeball Erde Ereignisse an, inklusive sedimentärer Prozesse wie Verwitterung und Diagenese. Die geringe Rolle detritischer Minerale und die vorwiegende Präsenz authigener Phasen verwirft den Einfluss fluviatilen Eintrags von den Kontinenten, und könnte damit die Hypothese einer Gesamtvereisung der Ozeane ('hard Snowball Earth\") unterstützen. Die Dissertation inkludiert weiters zwei Appendixes mit den vollständigen mineralogischen (I) und geochemischen (II) Datentabellen.","url":"https://doi.org/10.25365/thesis.32551","authors":["Gyollai, Ildiko"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014","doi":"10.25365/thesis.32551","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.25365/thesis.8515","name":"Geochemical, mineralogical, and petrographic investigations of the Eyreville drill cores from the Chesapeake bay impact structure","source":"datacite","abstract":"Der ICDP-USGS Eyreville Bohrkern wurde in den Jahren 2005-2006 im zentralen Graben der spät-Eozänen Chesapeake Bay Impaktstruktur, nahe der Eyreville Farm (Northampton County, Virginia, USA) erbohrt. Die vorliegende Dissertation präsentiert petrografische und geochemische Analysen von 166 Impaktgesteinsproben der Eyreville-Bohrkerne A und B. Weiters wurden speziell die Intervalle der Impaktbrekzien und der kieseligen Sande des Bohrkerns detailliert untersucht. Das Impaktbrekzien-Intervall besteht hauptsächlich aus Sueviten, aber es kommen auch zwei dünne Lagen Impaktitschmelzen und große kataklastische Gneisblöcke vor. Dieses Intervall wurde auf Grund der Unterschiede im Matrix-, Schmelzen- und Klastengehalt in sechs Untereinheiten unterteilt. Im Liegenden der Impaktbrekzien kommt eine Dichtestrom-Brekzie vor, wohingegen gegen das Hangende Rückfall (fall-back)- Material häufiger wird. Es wurden verschiedene schockmetamorphe und ähnliche Effekte verzeichnet. In den Gesteinsbruchstücken (Klasten) wurde die Häufigkeitsverteilung geschockter Quarzkörner ermittelt, sowie mittels Universal-Drehtisch die Orientierung der Schocklamellen dieser Quarzkörner bestimmt. Mit zunehmender Tiefe verringert sich die Häufigkeit der stark geschockten Klasten; weiters zeigen Klasten unterschiedlicher Lithologien unterschiedliche Schockintensitäten. Die Zusammensetzung der polymikten Impaktite zeigt mit zunehmender Tiefe einige Unterschiede. Die Konzentration der siderophilen Elemente weist auf keine Präsenz einer extraterrestrischen Komponente hin. Geochemische Mischungsberechnungen lassen vermuten, dass die Hauptkomponenten der polymikten Impaktite aus grundgesteinsbezogenen Gneisen/Schiefern und einer signifikanten sedimentären Komponente bestehen. Basierend auf optischen und elektronenmikroskopischen Beobachtungen, sowie Elektronenmikrosonden-Analysen, konnten die Schmelzpartikel in sechs unterschiedliche Typen gruppiert werden. Diese Beobachtungen, zusammen mit den Mischungsberechnungen, legen einen vorwiegend sedimentären Vorläufer der Schmelzen nahe. Das Intervall der kieseligen Sande besteht aus schlecht sortierten unkonsolidierten Sanden, hauptsächlich zusammengesetzt aus Quarzen, Kalifeldspäten, Smektiten und Kaoliniten. Die Untersuchungsergebnisse bestätigen die Entstehung der kieseligen Sande aus einer vom Impakt induzierten Gesteinslawine, bestehend aus Material der nichtmarinen Potomac-Formation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.25365/thesis.8515","authors":["Bartosova, Katerina"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010","doi":"10.25365/thesis.8515","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-9606997/v1","name":"Discovery of α-PtO2 nanoparticles in deep-sea ferromanganese deposits: a hidden platinum sink","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract The enrichment of platinum (Pt) in marine ferromanganese (FeMn) deposits has attracted persistent interest for over half a century; yet the chemical form of Pt remains unclear. Here, we collected Pt-enriched FeMn crusts and nodules from the world’s oceans and used high-energy-resolution X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) to decipher how Pt is sequestered at the atomic level. Platinum occurs in its tetravalent form, resulting from the oxidation of divalent Pt in seawater upon contact with Mn oxides. Tetravalent platinum is precipitated as α-PtO 2 nanoparticles with longer Pt-Pt distances than well-crystallized α-PtO 2 . Density functional theory (DFT) shows that the local structure of Pt is well represented by α-PtO 2 layers topotactically stacked on vernadite phyllomanganates. Evidence of α-PtO 2 nanoparticles challenges previous hypotheses that Pt exists as discrete metallic particles or within phyllomanganate MnO 2 layers replacing Mn. Since α-PtO 2 is the most thermodynamically stable Pt oxide, this Pt form may represent the ultimate sedimentary sink of Pt in oceans.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9606997/v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9606997/v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-1876351/v1","name":"Variations of the surface characteristics of Ryugu returned samples","source":"preprints","abstract":"Abstract Hayabusa2 spacecraft successfully collected rock samples through two touchdowns from the surface of C-type near-Earth asteroid 162173 Ryugu and brought them back to Earth in 2020. At the Extraterrestrial Sample Curation Center in JAXA, we performed initial description to all samples to obtain the fundamental information and prepare the database for sample allocation. We propose morphological classifications for the returned samples based on the initial description of 205 grains described in the first 6 months. The returned samples can be distinguished by four morphological characteristics: dark, glossy, bright, and white. According to coordinated study of initial description and detailed investigation by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis in this study, these features reflect the differences in the degree of space weathering and mineral assemblages. The degree of space weathering of the four studied grains is heterogeneous: weak for A0042 (dark group) and C0041 (white group); moderate for C0094 (glossy); and severe for A0017 (bright). The white phase in a grain belonging to white group is identified as large carbonate minerals. This is the first effort to classify Ryugu returned samples. Based on these results, researchers can estimate sample characteristics only from the information on the JAXA curation public database. It could be an important reference for sample selection for further investigation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-1876351/v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.74,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-1876351/v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.647Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-32422/v3","name":"The universal sample holders of microanalytical instruments of FIB, TEM, NanoSIMS, and STXM-NEXAFS for the coordinated analysis of extraterrestrial materials","source":"preprints","abstract":"Abstract We developed universal sample holders (the Kochi grid, Kochi clamp, and Okazaki cell) and a transfer vessel (facility-to-facility transfer container (FFTC)) to analyze sensitive and fragile samples, such as extremely small extraterrestrial materials. The holders and container prevent degradation, contamination due to terrestrial atmosphere (water vapor and oxygen gas) and small particles, as well as mechanical sample damages. The FFTC can isolate the samples from the effects of the atmosphere for more than a week. The Kochi grid and clamp were made for a coordinate micro/nano-analysis that utilize a focused-ion beam apparatus, transmission electron microscope, and nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry. The Okazaki cell was made as an additional attachment for a scanning transmission X-ray microscope that uses near edge X-ray absorption fine structure. The coordinated analysis involving these holders was successfully carried out without any sample damage or loss, thereby enabling us to obtain sufficient quality of analytical datasets of textures, crystallography, elemental/isotopic abundances, and molecular functional groups for µm-sized minerals and organics in both an Antarctic micrometeorite and a carbonaceous chondrite. We will apply the coordinated analysis to acquire the complex characteristics in samples that obtain by the future spacecraft sample return mission.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-32422/v3","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.74,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-32422/v3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.647Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-1270941/v1","name":"Hayabusa2 returned samples: A unique and pristine record of outer Solar System materials from asteroid Ryugu","source":"preprints","abstract":"Abstract C-type asteroids likely formed in the outer Solar System and were then scattered inwards during giant planet migration (Walsh et al., 2011). They may have transported volatiles to the inner Solar System and created the conditions suitable for life on Earth(Alexander, 2017). Carbonaceous chondrites are fragments from C-type asteroids and provide evidence that these generally organic-rich (Garvie and Buseck, 2007) bodies experienced extensive aqueous alteration early in Solar System history (Alexander et al., 2014). On 6th December 2020, ~5.4g of material was delivered to Earth from the C-type asteroid 162173 Ryugu by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft (Yada et al., 2021). Here we present the results of an integrated bulk and micro-analytical study of Ryugu particles, which provides a unique insight into the interrelationship between aliphatic-rich organics and surrounding hydrous minerals at a sub-micrometer scale. This dataset has clear implications for better understanding the origin and early evolution of Solar System organic matter and demonstrates that Ryugu particles are among the most uncontaminated extraterrestrial materials so far studied.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-1270941/v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.74,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-1270941/v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:31.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.647Z"},{"id":"oa:W2315665156","name":"TiO2-catalyzed synthesis of sugars from formaldehyde in extraterrestrial impacts on the early Earth","source":"openalex","abstract":"Recent synthetic efforts aimed at reconstructing the beginning of life on our planet point at the plausibility of scenarios fueled by extraterrestrial energy sources. In the current work we show that beyond nucleobases the sugar components of the first informational polymers can be synthesized in this way. We demonstrate that a laser-induced high-energy chemistry combined with TiO2 catalysis readily produces a mixture of pentoses, among them ribose, arabinose and xylose. This chemistry might be highly relevant to the Late Heavy Bombardment period of Earth's history about 4-3.85 billion years ago. In addition, we present an in-depth theoretical analysis of the most challenging step of the reaction pathway, i.e., the TiO2-catalyzed dimerization of formaldehyde leading to glycolaldehyde.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/srep23199","authors":["Svatopluk Civiš","Rafał Szabla","Bartłomiej M. Szyja","Daniel Smykowski","Ondřej Ivanek","Antonín Knížek","Petr Kubelík","Jiřı́ Šponer","Martin Ferus","Judit E. Šponer"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Formaldehyde","Astrobiology","Earth (classical element)","Catalysis"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-03-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/srep23199","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z"},{"id":"oa:W2019854118","name":"A petrogenetic model for the comagmatic origin of chassignites and nakhlites: Inferences from chlorine‐rich minerals, petrology, and geochemistry","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Twelve samples belonging to the chassignite and nakhlite subgroups of Martian meteorites were investigated using a variety of micro‐beam analytical techniques to gain insight into the petrogenesis of these two meteorite classes. There are a striking number of geochemical similarities between the chassignites and nakhlites, including mineralogy and petrology, crystallization age, cosmic‐ray exposure age, and radiogenic isotopic compositions. However, there are also geochemical differences, namely in trace element systematics of pyroxenes, that have led some authors to conclude that the nakhlites are comagmatic with each other, but not comagmatic with the chassignites. On the basis of data presented here, we propose a model in which these differences can be reconciled by the addition of an exogenous Cl‐rich fluid to the chassignite‐nakhlite magma body shortly after the formation of the cumulate horizon that was sampled by the Chassigny meteorite. This model is supported by the textural and chemical associations of the volatile‐bearing minerals apatite, amphibole, and biotite, which record a history starting with the addition of a Cl‐ andLREE‐enriched fluid to the magma body. As the magma continued to crystallize, it eventually reached chloride saturation and degassed a Cl‐rich fluid phase. Depending on the provenance of the Cl‐rich fluid, this model could explain how the chassignites and nakhlites originated from anLREE‐depleted source, yet all exhibitLREE‐enriched bulk‐rock patterns. Additionally, the model explains the range in oxygen fugacity that is recorded by the chassignites and nakhlites because eventual exsolution and loss of Cl‐rich fluid phases near the end of crystallization of the nakhlite sequence leads to auto‐oxidation of the magma body due to the preferential partitioning of Fe2+into the fluid phase.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12095","authors":["F. M. McCubbin","S. M. Elardo","C. K. Shearer","Alexander Smirnov","E. H. Hauri","D. S. Draper"],"tags":["Geology","Petrogenesis","Geochemistry","Meteorite","Amphibole"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12095","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2099579695","name":"Opaque minerals, magnetic properties, and paleomagnetism of the Tissint Martian meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We present a description of opaque minerals, opaque mineral compositions, magnetic properties, and paleomagnetic record of the Tissint heavily shocked olivine‐phyric shergottite that fell to Earth in 2011. The magnetic mineralogy of Tissint consists of about 0.6 wt% of pyrrhotite and 0.1 wt% of low‐Ti titanomagnetite (in the range ulvöspinel 3–15 magnetite 85–97). The titanomagnetite formed on Mars by oxidation‐exsolution of ulvöspinel grains during deuteric alteration. Pyrrhotite is unusual, with respect to other shergottites, for its higher Ni content and lower Fe content. Iron deficiency is attributed by an input of regolith‐derived sulfur. This pyrrhotite has probably preserved a metastable hexagonal monosulfide solution structure blocked at temperature above 300 °C. The paleomagnetic data indicate that Tissint was magnetized following the major impact suffered by this rock while cooling at the surface of Mars from a post‐impact equilibrium temperature of approximately 310 °C in a stable magnetic field of about 2 µT of crustal origin. Tissint is too weakly magnetic to account for the observed magnetic anomalies at the Martian surface.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12172","authors":["J. Gattacceca","R. H. Hewins","Jean‐Pierre Lorand","P. Rochette","France Lagroix","C. Cournède","Minoru Uehara","Sylvain Pont","V. Sautter","Rosa B. Scorzelli","Chrystel Hombourger","P. Munayco"],"tags":["Geology","Meteorite","Pyrrhotite","Spinel","Martian"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-08-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12172","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2800173520","name":"Comet Pond II: Synergistic Intersection of Concentrated Extraterrestrial Materials and Planetary Environments to Form Procreative Darwinian Ponds","source":"europepmc","abstract":"In the “comet pond” model, a rare combination of circumstances enables the entry and landing of pristine organic material onto a planetary surface with the creation of a pond by a soft impact and melting of entrained ices. Formation of the constituents of the comet in the cold interstellar medium and our circumstellar disk results in multiple constituents at disequilibrium which undergo rapid chemical reactions in the warmer, liquid environment. The planetary surface also provides minerals and atmospheric gases which chemically interact with the pond’s organic- and trace-element-rich constituents. Pond physical morphology and the heterogeneities imposed by gravitational forces (bottom sludge; surface scum) and weather result in a highly heterogeneous variety of macro- and microenvironments. Wet/dry, freeze/thaw, and natural chromatography processes further promote certain reaction sequences. Evaporation concentrates organics less volatile than water. Freezing concentrates all soluble organics into a residual liquid phase, including CH₃OH, HCN, etc. The pond’s evolutionary processes culminate in the creation of a Macrobiont with the metabolically equivalent capabilities of energy transduction and replication of RNA (or its progenitor informational macromolecule), from which smaller organisms can emerge. Planet-wide dispersal of microorganisms is achieved through wind transport, groundwater, and/or spillover from the pond into surface hydrologic networks.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life8020012","authors":["B. C. Clark","Vera M. Kolb"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Comet","Extraterrestrial life","Environmental chemistry","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life8020012","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"oa:W4292714539","name":"Extraterrestrial Life Signature Detection Microscopy: Search and Analysis of Cells and Organics on Mars and Other Solar System Bodies","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract This paper presents a review of the space exploration for life signature search with a special focus on the fluorescence microscope we developed for the life signature search on Mars and in other sites. Considering where, what, and how to search for life signature is essential. Life signature search exploration can be performed on the Mars surface and underground, on Venus’ cloud, moon, asteroids, icy bodies (e.g., moons of Jupiter and Saturn), and so on. It is a useful strategy to consider the targeted characteristics that may be similar to those of terrestrial microorganisms, which are microorganisms with uniform spherical or rod structures with approximately 1 μm diameter surrounded by a membrane having a metabolic activity and mainly made of carbon-based molecules. These characteristics can be analyzed by using a fluorescence microscope and a combination of fluorescence pigments with specific staining characteristics to distinguish the microorganism characteristics. Section 1 introduces the space exploration for life signature search. Section 2 reviews the scientific instruments and achievements of past and ongoing Mars exploration missions closely related to astrobiology. Section 3 presents the search targets and analysis of astrobiology. Section 4 discusses the extraterrestrial life exploration methods that use a microscope together with other methods (based on mass spectrometry, morphology, detection of growth, movement, and death, etc. for microscopic and macroscopic organism). Section 5 expounds on the life signature detection fluorescence microscope, for which we have manufactured a bread board model and tested for extraterrestrial life exploration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-022-00920-4","authors":["Keigo Enya","Yoshitaka Yoshimura","Kensei Kobayashi","Akihiko Yamagishi"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Mars Exploration Program","Life on Mars","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-08-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-022-00920-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2075303783","name":"Concentrated solar power plants: Review and design methodology","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2013.01.032","authors":["H. L. Zhang","Jan Baeyens","Jan Degrève","Gustavo Cáceres"],"tags":["Parabolic trough","Concentrated solar power","Backup","Environmental science","Solar power"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-03-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2013.01.032","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.070Z"},{"id":"oa:W4415557823","name":"The Legacy and Future of Aluminum Alloys: Space Exploration and Extraterrestrial Settlement","source":"openalex","abstract":"The metallurgy of aluminum alloys has long shaped the history of space exploration. Their combination of low density, high strength, and excellent manufacturability and formability makes them indispensable for structural components in satellites and spacecraft. However, the next era of human space exploration, spanning long-duration deep-space missions and extraterrestrial settlement, poses unprecedented new challenges, including radiation damage and shielding, thermal cycling, micrometeoroid impacts, hydrogen embrittlement, and other degradation forces acting in synergy. Addressing these issues requires the reinvention of aluminum metallurgy, tailored to space environments. This perspective adopts a multidisciplinary approach, tracing the evolution of aluminum alloys in spaceflight, evaluating their performance under space-specific degradation mechanisms, and outlining future design strategies that integrate insights from chemistry, physics, metallurgy, and materials science to develop the next generation of space materials.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsmaterialsau.5c00139","authors":["Matheus A. Tunes"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Space exploration","Astrobiology","Multidisciplinary approach","Engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsmaterialsau.5c00139","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2188098015","name":"The libRadtran software package for radiative transfer calculations (version 2.0.1)","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. libRadtran is a widely used software package for radiative transfer calculations. It allows one to compute (polarized) radiances, irradiance, and actinic fluxes in the solar and thermal spectral regions. libRadtran has been used for various applications, including remote sensing of clouds, aerosols and trace gases in the Earth's atmosphere, climate studies, e.g., for the calculation of radiative forcing due to different atmospheric components, for UV forecasting, the calculation of photolysis frequencies, and for remote sensing of other planets in our solar system. The package has been described in Mayer and Kylling (2005). Since then several new features have been included, for example polarization, Raman scattering, a new molecular gas absorption parameterization, and several new parameterizations of cloud and aerosol optical properties. Furthermore, a graphical user interface is now available, which greatly simplifies the usage of the model, especially for new users. This paper gives an overview of libRadtran version 2.0.1 with a focus on new features. Applications including these new features are provided as examples of use. A complete description of libRadtran and all its input options is given in the user manual included in the libRadtran software package, which is freely available at http://www.libradtran.org.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-9-1647-2016","authors":["Claudia Emde","Robert Buras-Schnell","Arve Kylling","Bernhard Mayer","Josef Gasteiger","Ulrich Hamann","Jonas Irgens Kylling","Bettina Richter","Christian Pause","T. E. Dowling","Luca Bugliaro"],"tags":["Radiative transfer","Software","Radiative forcing","Remote sensing","Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-05-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-9-1647-2016","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z"},{"id":"oa:W2489768456","name":"The provenance, formation, and implications of reduced carbon phases in Martian meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract This review is intended to summarize the current observations of reduced carbon in Martian meteorites, differentiating between terrestrial contamination and carbon that is indigenous to Mars. Indeed, the identification of Martian organic matter is among the highest priority targets for robotic spacecraft missions in the next decade, including the Mars Science Laboratory and Mars 2020. Organic carbon compounds are essential building blocks of terrestrial life, so the occurrence and origin (biotic or abiotic) of organic compounds on Mars is of great significance; however, not all forms of reduced carbon are conducive to biological systems. This paper discusses the significance of reduced organic carbon (including methane) in Martian geological and astrobiological systems. Specifically, it summarizes current thinking on the nature, sources, and sinks of Martian organic carbon, a key component to Martian habitability. Based on this compilation, reduced organic carbon on Mars, including detections of methane in the Martian atmosphere, is best described through a combination of abiotic organic synthesis on Mars and infall of extraterrestrial carbonaceous material. Although conclusive signs of Martian life have yet to be revealed, we have developed a strategy for life detection on Mars that can be utilized in future life‐detection studies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12670","authors":["A. Steele","F. M. McCubbin","M. Fries"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Life on Mars","Atmosphere of Mars"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-08-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12670","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2013958442","name":"Extreme life on Earth—past, present and possibly beyond","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resmic.2005.07.008","authors":["Emmanuelle Javaux"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Earth (classical element)","Paleobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-12-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resmic.2005.07.008","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411886866","name":"Mantle contributions to global tungsten recycling and mineralization","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Tungsten deposits are typically associated with crust-derived evolved granitoids. Whether the mantle has contributed to tungsten mineralization, however, is unknown. Here, we provide new and compiled helium‒argon‒mercury‒strontium‒neodymium isotope data in South China and tungsten provinces elsewhere to evaluate this contribution. Our analysis shows that oceanic-subduction-related extension is more likely to facilitate intense tungsten mineralization than other geodynamic processes, e.g., continental collision, post-collisional extension, and intracontinental rifting. During this process, the mantle provides heat for inducing slab devolatilization, whereby abundant helium‒argon‒mercury‒(fluorine) are mobilized into the crust. The 1.8‒1.2 Ga neodymium model ages of the source rocks coincide with the Nuna supercontinent cycle, together with deep-time zircon data, suggesting that the considerable tungsten enrichment of the crust over geological time resulted from mantle-plume-related activities. The above hypothesis is confirmed by the proportion of tungsten-rich basement rocks in major tungsten provinces, highlighting the essential role of the mantle in tungsten recycling and mineralization.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02471-2","authors":["Jie-Hua Yang","Jing-Hua Wu","Mei-Fu Zhou","Rui-Zhong Hu","Jun-Hong Zhao","Anthony E. Williams‐Jones","Qian Hu","Runsheng Yin"],"tags":["Tungsten","Mineralization (soil science)","Mantle (geology)","Geochemistry","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02471-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2773646395","name":"Fenites associated with carbonatite complexes: A review","source":"openalex","abstract":"Carbonatites and alkaline-silicate rocks are the most important sources of rare earth elements (REE) and niobium (Nb), both of which are metals imperative to technological advancement and associated with high risks of supply interruption. Cooling and crystallizing carbonatitic and alkaline melts expel multiple pulses of alkali-rich aqueous fluids which metasomatize the surrounding country rocks, forming fenites during a process called fenitization. These alkalis and volatiles are original constituents of the magma that are not recorded in the carbonatite rock, and therefore fenites should not be dismissed during the description of a carbonatite system. This paper reviews the existing literature, focusing on 17 worldwide carbonatite complexes whose attributes are used to discuss the main features and processes of fenitization. Although many attempts have been made in the literature to categorize and name fenites, it is recommended that the IUGS metamorphic nomenclature be used to describe predominant mineralogy and textures. Complexing anions greatly enhance the solubility of REE and Nb in these fenitizing fluids, mobilizing them into the surrounding country rock, and precipitating REE- and Nb-enriched micro-mineral assemblages. As such, fenites have significant potential to be used as an exploration tool to find mineralized intrusions in a similar way alteration patterns are used in other ore systems, such as porphyry copper deposits. Strong trends have been identified between the presence of more complex veining textures, mineralogy and brecciation in fenites with intermediate stage Nb-enriched and later stage REE-enriched magmas. However, compiling this evidence has also highlighted large gaps in the literature relating to fenitization. These need to be addressed before fenite can be used as a comprehensive and effective exploration tool.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2017.12.003","authors":["Holly A. L. Elliott","Frances Wall","Anton R. Chakhmouradian","Pete R. Siegfried","Sven Dahlgren","Samuel M. Weatherley","Adrian A. Finch","Michael A.W. Marks","Emma Dowman","Eimear Deady"],"tags":["Carbonatite","Geology","Geochemistry","Magma","Metamorphic rock"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-12-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2017.12.003","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W7117130262","name":"Searching for extraterrestrial life advances terrestrial sustainability","source":"openalex","abstract":"Astrobiology, while traditionally focused on understanding the origin of life on Earth and the potential for life elsewhere, offers powerful tools and insights for addressing urgent challenges on our planet. We call for a deliberate integration of astrobiological research with applied science. Knowledge gained from biological systems and study sites on Earth that guide investigation of planetary bodies in our solar system can inform strategies for carbon capture, low-carbon energy production, waste remediation, and biotechnology. Therefore, we argue that astrobiology must evolve to become a bidirectional science that not only explores the cosmos but also supports sustainable life on Earth. Astrobiology’s insights from biological systems and extreme environments on Earth can directly advance sustainable technologies, from energy production to bioremediation. This perspective urges a deliberate translation of astrobiology to applied sciences to support both planetary stewardship and the search for life beyond Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-67794-2","authors":["Alta Howells","Catherine G. Fontana","Sabrina M. Elkassas","A. Tristan","Srishti Kashyap","Alta E. G. Howells","Sabrina Elkassas","Tristan A. Caro"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Sustainability","Extraterrestrial life","Earth system science","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-67794-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2891936587","name":"Nomenclature and classification of the spinel supergroup","source":"openalex","abstract":"A new, IMA-approved classification scheme for the spinel-supergroup minerals is here reported. To belong to the spinel supergroup, a mineral must meet two criteria: (i) the ratio of cation to anion sites must be equal to 3:4, typically represented by the general formula AB2X4 where A and B represent cations (including vacancy) and X represents anions; (ii) its structure must comprise a heteropolyhedral framework of four-fold coordination polyhedra (TX4) isolated from each other and sharing corners with the neighboring six-fold coordination polyhedra (MX6), which, in turn, share six of their twelve X-X edges with nearest-neighbor MX6. Regardless of space group, the X anions form a cubic close-packing and each X anion is bonded to three M-cations and one T-cation. The fifty-six minerals of the spinel supergroup are divided into three groups on the basis of dominant X anion: O2– (oxyspinel), S2– (thiospinel), and Se2– (selenospinel). Each group is composed of subgroups identified according to the dominant valence and then the dominant constituent (or heterovalent pair of constituents) represented by the letter B in the formula AB2X4. The oxyspinel group (33 species) can be divided into the spinel subgroup 2-3 (A2+B3+2O4) and the ulvöspinel subgroup 4-2 (A4+B2+2O4) ⁠, the thiospinel group (20 species) into the carrollite subgroup 1-3.5 (A1+B3.5+2S4) and the linnaeite subgroup 2-3 (A2+B3+2S4) ⁠, finally, the selenospinel group (3 species) into the bornhardtite subgroup 2-3 (A2+B3+2Se4) and the potential “tyrrellite subgroup” (⁠ A1+B3.5+2S4 ⁠, currently composed by only one species). Once the subgroup is established based on the valence of B, then the mineral species is identified by the combination of the dominant A- and B-cations. Moreover, the present nomenclature redefines the ideal formulae of titanomaghemite, cuprorhodsite, malanite, maghemite, filipstadite, tegengrenite, rhodostannite, toyohaite and xingzhongite as well as discredits “iwakiite”, “hydrohetaerolite” and “ferrorhodsite”.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1127/ejm/2019/0031-2788","authors":["Ferdinando Bosi","Cristian Biagioni","Marco Pasero"],"tags":["Supergroup","Nomenclature","Geology","Spinel","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-09-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1127/ejm/2019/0031-2788","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2996553307","name":"The Hot Spring Hypothesis for an Origin of Life","source":"openalex","abstract":"We present a testable hypothesis related to an origin of life on land in which fluctuating volcanic hot spring pools play a central role. The hypothesis is based on experimental evidence that lipid-encapsulated polymers can be synthesized by cycles of hydration and dehydration to form protocells. Drawing on metaphors from the bootstrapping of a simple computer operating system, we show how protocells cycling through wet, dry, and moist phases will subject polymers to combinatorial selection and draw structural and catalytic functions out of initially random sequences, including structural stabilization, pore formation, and primitive metabolic activity. We propose that protocells aggregating into a hydrogel in the intermediate moist phase of wet-dry cycles represent a primitive progenote system. Progenote populations can undergo selection and distribution, construct niches in new environments, and enable a sharing network effect that can collectively evolve them into the first microbial communities. Laboratory and field experiments testing the first steps of the scenario are summarized. The scenario is then placed in a geological setting on the early Earth to suggest a plausible pathway from life's origin in chemically optimal freshwater hot spring pools to the emergence of microbial communities tolerant to more extreme conditions in dilute lakes and salty conditions in marine environments. A continuity is observed for biogenesis beginning with simple protocell aggregates, through the transitional form of the progenote, to robust microbial mats that leave the fossil imprints of stromatolites so representative in the rock record. A roadmap to future testing of the hypothesis is presented. We compare the oceanic vent with land-based pool scenarios for an origin of life and explore their implications for subsequent evolution to multicellular life such as plants. We conclude by utilizing the hypothesis to posit where life might also have emerged in habitats such as Mars or Saturn's icy moon Enceladus. \"To postulate one fortuitously catalyzed reaction, perhaps catalyzed by a metal ion, might be reasonable, but to postulate a suite of them is to appeal to magic.\" -Leslie Orgel.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2019.2045","authors":["Bruce Damer","David W. Deamer"],"tags":["Protocell","Abiogenesis","Icy moon","Microbial mat","Simple (philosophy)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-12-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2019.2045","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2616637335","name":"Exoplanet Biosignatures: A Review of Remotely Detectable Signs of Life","source":"openalex","abstract":"In the coming years and decades, advanced space- and ground-based observatories will allow an unprecedented opportunity to probe the atmospheres and surfaces of potentially habitable exoplanets for signatures of life. Life on Earth, through its gaseous products and reflectance and scattering properties, has left its fingerprint on the spectrum of our planet. Aided by the universality of the laws of physics and chemistry, we turn to Earth's biosphere, both in the present and through geologic time, for analog signatures that will aid in the search for life elsewhere. Considering the insights gained from modern and ancient Earth, and the broader array of hypothetical exoplanet possibilities, we have compiled a comprehensive overview of our current understanding of potential exoplanet biosignatures, including gaseous, surface, and temporal biosignatures. We additionally survey biogenic spectral features that are well known in the specialist literature but have not yet been robustly vetted in the context of exoplanet biosignatures. We briefly review advances in assessing biosignature plausibility, including novel methods for determining chemical disequilibrium from remotely obtainable data and assessment tools for determining the minimum biomass required to maintain short-lived biogenic gases as atmospheric signatures. We focus particularly on advances made since the seminal review by Des Marais et al. The purpose of this work is not to propose new biosignature strategies, a goal left to companion articles in this series, but to review the current literature, draw meaningful connections between seemingly disparate areas, and clear the way for a path forward. Key Words: Exoplanets—Biosignatures—Habitability markers—Photosynthesis—Planetary surfaces—Atmospheres—Spectroscopy—Cryptic biospheres—False positives. Astrobiology 18, 663–708. Table of Contents1. Introduction 1.1. Requirements for life 1.2. Exoplanet biosignature definitions 1.3. Biosignature categories2. Evaluating Planetary Habitability3. Overview of Terrestrial Exoplanet Modeling Studies 3.1. Observations of earth 3.2. Spectral models 3.3. Photochemical studies of terrestrial atmospheres 3.4. Earth through time4. Gaseous Biosignatures 4.1. Gaseous biosignature overview 4.2. Earth-like atmospheres 4.2.1. Oxygen (O2) 4.2.2. Ozone (O3) 4.2.3. Methane (CH4) 4.2.4. Nitrous oxide (N2O) 4.2.5. Sulfur gases (DMS, DMDS, CH3SH) and relation to detectable C2H6 4.2.6. Methyl chloride (CH3Cl) 4.2.7. Haze as a biosignature 4.2.8. Other gases 4.3. “False positives” for biotic O2/O3 and possible spectral discriminators 4.4. Biosignatures in other types of atmospheres 4.5. Effects of the host star spectrum on photochemistry 4.6. Impacts of flares and particle events on biosignature gases5. Surface Biosignatures 5.1. Photosynthesis 5.1.1. Principles of photosynthesis 5.1.1.1. Relationship between band gap wavelength and reductant in the generation of biogenic gases and pigment color 5.1.1.2. Uniqueness of OP 5.1.2. Photosynthetic pigments and the color of phototrophs 5.1.2.1. Structure 5.1.2.2. Light absorption 5.1.3. The vegetation “red edge” 5.1.4. Speculation about photosynthesis and pigment signatures on exoplanets 5.2. Retinal pigments 5.3. Alternative surface biosignatures: nonphotosynthetic pigments and reflectance features 5.4. False positive surface biosignatures 5.5. Chiral and polarization biosignatures 5.6. Fluorescence and bioluminescence6. Temporal Biosignatures 6.1. Oscillations of atmospheric gases 6.2. Oscillations in surface signatures7. Assessing Biosignature Plausibility 7.1. Chemical disequilibrium 7.2. Biomass estimation 7.3. Applications of network theory to biosignatures8. Cryptic Biospheres: “False Negatives” for Life?9. Prospects for Detecting Exoplanet Biosignatures10. Summary","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2017.1729","authors":["Edward W. Schwieterman","Nancy Y. Kiang","Mary N. Parenteau","Chester E. Harman","Shiladitya DasSarma","Theresa M. Fisher","Giada N. Arney","Hilairy E. Hartnett","Christopher T. Reinhard","Stephanie L. Olson","Victoria S. Meadows","Charles S. Cockell"],"tags":["Exoplanet","Astrobiology","Context (archaeology)","Extraterrestrial life","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-05-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2017.1729","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4392715833","name":"Microbial supplements for extraterrestrial environments","source":"openalex","abstract":"In 2025, the Artemis II marks the first crewed mission orbiting the Moon, with plans for subsequent missions landing astronauts near the lunar South Pole and NASA aims to reach Mars by the 2030s. The growing interest in space underscores the increasing importance of long-term human presence in space missions. Challenges such as human health and sustainable food preservation persist in establishing settlements on other planetary bodies. Space agencies are developing regenerative life support systems utilizing hydroponic cultivation of plants and microalgae, fueled by crew waste as fertilizers. While biological systems could sustain astronauts, the predominantly vegan diets lack essential micronutrients. To address this, integrating microbial-based food supplements into current bioregenerative systems is crucial for ensuring a balanced diet and maintaining the health of space explorers. The aim of this project is to develop an alternative food system by growing microorganisms in space-related conditions and using their biomass, or products thereof, as food supplements for space travelers on long-duration space missions, e.g. to Mars. We select and study the impact of space conditions on microorganisms that can provide useful micronutrients for future space travelers, which cannot be fully provided by vegan diets. This will be done by selecting a range of candidate beneficial microorganisms. Various options are available, including Bacillus subtilis spp., which can produce riboflavin (vitamin B2) and whose spores have already been tested on Mars analog surfaces (Cortesão et al., 2019). Limosilactobacillus reuteri could be used as supplement of riboflavin (Spacova et al., 2022) and has previously been shown to increase its production of reuterin under simulated microgravity conditions (Senatore et al., 2020). In addition, the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica is a well-known producer of essential amino acids, PUFA, MUFA, and vitamin B complexes (Jach & Malm, 2022). Final strain selection will be based on (i) their ability and efficiency to produce micronutrients, (ii) their safety and health promoting (incl. Radiation protective) properties, (iii) their ability to survive and maintain production efficiency under extreme environments, including ionizing radiation and microgravity, and (iv) their compatibility with bio-based in situ resource utilization techniques (e.g., gas or mineral sources from Martian atmosphere or regolith through biomining) to increase loop-closure. The selected strains will be stored, revived and grown in simulated Martian conditions, to test their long-term stability and preservation as food supplement source. Through international collaborations, we will test these conditions using reduced-gravity simulators, space radiation analogs, and substrates based on lysed cells of bacteria previously grown on regolith simulants, such as Chroococcidopsis sp. (Billi et al., 2021), and Anabaena sp., which has already been used to grow Bacillus subtilis from its inactivated biomass (Verseux, 2018). At the end of this 4-year PhD research project, the expected outcome is to improve the nutritional well-being of future space travelers settling on other planets, and also to generate innovative insights applicable to Earth-based fields such as biotechnology, radioprotection, and environmental science.","url":"https://doi.org/10.14293/p2199-8442.1.sop-.pfdufp.v1","authors":["Gabriele Ellena","Rosa Santomartino","Arianna Mazzoli","Irina Spacova","Natalie Leys","Sarah Lebeer","Felice Mastroleo"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology","Biochemical engineering","Environmental science","Biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.14293/p2199-8442.1.sop-.pfdufp.v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z"},{"id":"oa:W4407605007","name":"Small amounts of dissolved salts increase the mobility of mud flows on Mars and other extraterrestrial bodies","source":"openalex","abstract":"Mud flow properties and spatial distribution are greatly influenced by salinity and composition in low pressure extraterrestrial environments such as Mars, according to a comparison of laboratory experiments, thermodynamic calculations, and rheometry measurements","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02110-w","authors":["Ondřej Krýza","Petr Brož","Mark Fox‐Powell","Věra Pěnkavová","Susan J. Conway","Adriano Mazzini","Ernst Hauber","Matthew Sylvest","Manish Patel"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Environmental science","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02110-w","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4408391363","name":"Five-stage multielement separation procedure: A unique and essential tool for the multi-isotopic analyses of precious (<30 mg) extraterrestrial materials","source":"openalex","abstract":"The latest and ongoing sample return missions from extraterrestrial objects present an opportunity to expand our knowledge of the chemical composition and subsequent evolution of the Solar System, beyond the information that can be obtained from the study of meteorites. Nevertheless, a potential limitation of such missions, at least in the foreseeable future, would be the recovery of a limited amount of sample. In light of these considerations, we have developed a multi-element chemical separation protocol utilizing a sample amount of approximately 25 mg. With this sample amount (and less), we can successfully separate elements including Mg, K, Ca, Ti, Cr, Fe, Ni, Zn, Sr, Zr, Mo, Ba, REEs, Hf, W, Pb, and U. This includes the crucial elements Ti and Cr, whose isotopic compositions are used for the latest classification of meteorites, and in turn the parent asteroidal materials. The new method achieved chemical yields for these elements after separation of greater than 90% for both major and trace elements in the Murchison meteorite (with an exception for Pb with 85%). The corresponding total procedural blanks were negligible, representing less than 0.1% for the majority of the elements. This method was specifically designed for the analysis of small samples (<30 mg) of extraterrestrial materials from sample return missions, such as Hayabusa2 and OSIRIS-REx. It will be of significant application in future missions such as MMX and Artemis where limited quantities of asteroidal, cometary, planetary, and other primitive Solar System solids will be returned.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2343/geochemj.gj25003","authors":["Ikshu Gautam","Tetsuya Yokoyama","M. F. Horan","Richard W. Carlson"],"tags":["Stage (stratigraphy)","Extraterrestrial life","Geology","Separation (statistics)","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2343/geochemj.gj25003","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W2152421638","name":"Aerosol optical properties at Lampedusa (Central Mediterranean). 1. Influence of transport and identification of different aerosol types","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. Aerosol optical depth and Ångström exponent were obtained from multi filter rotating shadowband radiometer (MFRSR) observations carried out at the island of Lampedusa, in the Central Mediterranean, in the period July 2001–September 2003. The average aerosol optical depth at 495.7 nm, τ, is 0.24±0.14; the average Ångström exponent, α, is 0.86±0.63. The observed values of τ range from 0.03 to 1.13, and the values of α vary from −0.32 to 2.05, indicating a large variability in aerosol content and size. In cloud-free conditions, 36% of the airmasses come from Africa, 25% from Central-Eastern Europe, and 19% from Western France, Spain and the North Atlantic. In summer, 42% of the airmasses is of African origin. In almost all cases African aerosols display high values of τ and low values of α, typical of Saharan dust (average values of τ and α are 0.36 and 0.42, respectively). Particles originating from Central-Eastern Europe show relatively large average values of τ and α (0.23 and 1.5, respectively), while particles from Western France, Spain and the North Atlantic show the lowest average values of τ (0.15), and relatively small values of α (0.92). Intermediate values of α are often connected with relatively fast changes of the airmass originating sector, suggesting the contemporary presence of different types of particles in the air column. Clean marine conditions are rare at Lampedusa, and are generally associated with subsidence of the airmasses reaching the island. Average values of τ and α for clean marine conditions are 0.11 and 0.86, respectively. The largest values of α (about 2) were observed in August 2003, when large scale forest fires in Southern Europe produced consistent amounts of fine combustion particles, that were transported to the Central Mediterranean by a persistent high pressure system over Central Europe. Smoke particles in some cases mix with desert dust, producing intermediate values of α. The seasonal distribution of the meteorological patterns over the Mediterranean, the efficiency of the aerosol production mechanisms, and the variability of the particles' residence time produce a distinct seasonal cycle of aerosol optical depths and Ångström exponent values. Particles originating from all sectors show a summer maximum in aerosol optical depth. The summer increase in optical depth for European aerosols is linked with an increment in the values of α, that indicates an enhancement in the number of fine particles. The summer maximum of τ for African particles is associated with a weak reduction in the Ångström exponent, suggesting an increase in the total number of particles and a relatively more intense transport of large particles. The observations were classified according to the aerosol optical properties, and two main classes have been identified: desert dust and biomass burning/urban-industrial aerosols. Values of τ and α averaged over the whole observing period are 0.37 and 0.15 for desert dust, and 0.27 and 1.77 for urban-industrial/biomass burning aerosols.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-6-697-2006","authors":["Giandomenico Pace","Alcide di Sarra","Daniela Meloni","Salvatore Piacentino","P. Chamard"],"tags":["Aerosol","Angstrom exponent","Atmospheric sciences","Environmental science","Mineral dust"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-03-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-6-697-2006","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W7171708288","name":"Exploration of extraterrestrial biosignatures and planetary habitability: A prospect","source":"openalex","abstract":"China’s deep space exploration has achieved remarkable accomplishments and is now undergoing a significant strategic transition from an engineering-driven program to one that integrates engineering and science. This shift provides a timely opportunity for China to systematically define the development directions and overall framework of planetary science by targeting scientific frontiers, focusing on key research areas, and addressing major scientific questions. In this context, we provide an in-depth analysis of the crucial role of searching for potential biosignatures and investigating planetary habitability for understanding the origin of life. We systematically review the current research state and emerging trends in this field at both the domestic and international levels. Furthermore, we identify three key scientific themes that require urgent attention: planetary habitability, the search for extraterrestrial biosignatures, and the co-evolution of life and habitable environments. For each theme, the major underlying scientific questions are further clarified. Based on these scientific priorities, we also propose key target celestial bodies and critical detection scenarios for future missions. The results are expected to provide important theoretical support for defining scientific objectives and informing the top-level design in China’s future planetary exploration endeavors.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fmre.2026.07.006","authors":["Zengqian Hou","Jizhong Liu","Yuming Wang","Lei Geng","Hui Huang","Yazhou Dong","Siteng Fan","Jiansen He","Dali Kong","Yan Li","Yiliang Li","Mang Lin"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Planet","Geology","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fmre.2026.07.006","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W7124421247","name":"Extraterrestrial bioconstruction technology system: Bridging space station applications and deep-space missions","source":"openalex","abstract":"&lt;p&gt;Microbe-driven bioconstruction offers a promising approach to sustainable deep-space habitats as missions shift from short-term exploration to long-term human presence. This review presents the first full-lifecycle bioconstruction paradigm that integrates Earth-derived extremophilic microorganisms, space station validation, and in-situ utilization of Lunar and Martian resources. It addresses gaps in extraterrestrial bioconstruction strategies. The proposed four-stage paradigm begins with biological pioneering using extremophilic microorganisms to establish survival conditions. This is followed by biological conversion of extraterrestrial resources for metal extraction, thereby enabling the synthesis of building materials through biological fabrication and their in-situ assembly into integrated habitats. The final stage involves integration into a self-sustaining life support system for long-term habitation. Key challenges include limited adaptability under compound space stresses, slow screening processes, limited in-orbit validation, and uncertain material longevity. Recommended directions include AI-driven strain optimization, expanded space and lunar experiments, and predictive modeling of material behaviour to support the development of resilient and resource-efficient extraterrestrial habitats.&lt;/p&gt;","url":"https://doi.org/10.59717/j.xinn-life.2026.100193","authors":["Sheng Li","Yidong Gan","Cheng Zhou","Yan Zhou","Lieyun Ding"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Bridging (networking)","Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Space exploration"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.59717/j.xinn-life.2026.100193","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W3046581697","name":"X-ray computed tomography","source":"openalex","abstract":"This Primer on X-ray computed tomography explores the different experimental configurations for three-dimensional data acquisition as well as the fundamentals of three-dimensional data reconstruction, segmentation and analysis with examples across the physical and life sciences.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43586-021-00015-4","authors":["Philip J. Withers","Charles A. Bouman","Simone Carmignato","Veerle Cnudde","David A. Grimaldi","Charlotte K. Hagen","Éric Maire","Marena Manley","Anton du Plessis","Stuart R. Stock"],"tags":["Tomography","Metrology","Visualization","Computed tomography","Focus (optics)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-02-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43586-021-00015-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2795784844","name":"Schreibersite: an effective catalyst in the formose reaction network","source":"openalex","abstract":"We report on the ability of the meteoritic material schreibersite to catalyze the generation of higher sugars from simple carbohydrates in the formose reaction network.Since the analysis of carbonaceous meteorites like the Murchison meteorite it has become generally accepted that a substantial amount of organic material has been delivered to the early earth and, therefore, ought to be considered in scenarios for the origin(s) of life.Also for the open question of accessible phosphorus sources, an extraterrestrial material called schreibersite has been identified that is capable of releasing soluble and reactive phosphorus oxyanions that would react with organics to form for instance nucleotides and membrane associated molecules.We have reinvestigated this material using capillary electrophoresis to monitor its corrosion process in water and probed its ability to phosphorylate a wide range of organics.Although showing a poor reactivity of schreibersite, we have found that the material catalyzes the aldol reaction of small carbohydrates forming larger sugar molecules.This reaction in the formose reaction network is a prebiotically likely route to biologically relevant sugars.The results of our study present one of the first instances of connecting extraterrestrial material to prebiotic chemistry on the early earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/aabb99","authors":["Sebastian Pallmann","Jana Šteflová","Maren Haas","Saskia Lamour","Ann‐Kathrin Henß","Oliver Trapp"],"tags":["Abiogenesis","Astrobiology","Meteorite","Murchison meteorite","Extraterrestrial life"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-04-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/aabb99","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z"},{"id":"oa:W2802217112","name":"Assessment of Sun photometer Langley calibration at the high-elevation sites Mauna Loa and Izaña","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. The aim of this paper is to analyze the suitability of the high-mountain stations Mauna Loa and Izaña for Langley plot calibration of Sun photometers. Thus the aerosol optical depth (AOD) characteristics and seasonality, as well as the cloudiness, have been investigated in order to provide a robust estimation of the calibration uncertainty as well as the number of days that are suitable for Langley calibrations. The data used for the investigations belong to the AERONET and GAW-PFR networks, which maintain reference Sun photometers at these stations with long measurement records: 22 years at Mauna Loa and 15 years at Izaña. In terms of clear-sky and stable aerosol conditions, Mauna Loa (3397 m a.s.l.) exhibits on average 377 Langley plots (243 morning and 134 afternoon) per year suitable for Langley plot calibration, whereas Izaña (2373 m a.s.l.) shows 343 Langley plots (187 morning and 155 afternoon) per year. The background AOD (500 nm) values, on days that are favorable for Langley calibrations, are in the range 0.01–0.02 throughout the year, with well-defined seasonality that exhibits a spring maximum at both stations plus a slight summer increase at Izaña. The statistical analysis of the long-term determination of extraterrestrial signals yields to a calibration uncertainty of ∼ 0.25–0.5 %, this uncertainty being smaller in the visible and near-infrared wavelengths and larger in the ultraviolet wavelengths. This is due to atmospheric variability produced by changes in several factors, mainly the AOD. The uncertainty cannot be reduced based only on quality criteria of individual Langley plots and averaging over several days is shown to reduce the uncertainty to the needed levels for reference Sun photometers.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-14555-2018","authors":["Carlos Toledano","Ramiro González","David Fuertes","Emilio Cuevas","T. F. Eck","Stelios Kazadzis","Natalia Kouremeti","Jülian Gröbner","Philippe Goloub","Luc Blarel","Roberto Román","África Barreto"],"tags":["Environmental science","Aerosol","Photometer","Calibration","AERONET"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-10-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-14555-2018","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W4413173590","name":"Intact polar lipids as organic biomarkers of viable extraterrestrial life","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The detection of viable life is a key objective for both in situ astrobiological experiments on extraterrestrial bodies, and for planetary protection protocols on Earth following sample return. We evaluated the potential for common bacterial and archaeal intact polar lipids (IPLs) to be used as viable life markers owing to their particularly fast rate (hours to days) of post-mortem degradation. We determined the chemical signatures of IPLs using pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry experiments (with and without derivatisation), to simulate the results of in situ pyrolytic organic analyses. Monoglycerides, formed as pyrolysis products of typical bacterial IPLs, were the strongest signature for the parent compounds, and were identified in both the pyrolysis of a phospholipid mixture and freeze-dried bacterial culture. Our results demonstrate that relatively rapid and elegant pyrolysis techniques can reveal the presence of IPLs, and therefore evidence of viable life in extraterrestrial samples.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s44453-025-00006-9","authors":["Solomon Hirsch","Mark A. Sephton"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology","Polar","Environmental science","Environmental chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s44453-025-00006-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W7167902432","name":"Regolith–polymer composites for structurally functional components in extraterrestrial environments","source":"openalex","abstract":"Developing in-situ functional materials for Mars is essential for sustainable habitat construction and load-bearing applications. However, most regolith-based fabrication methods rely on hydration or high-temperature processing, which are incompatible with the low-pressure, anhydrous Martian environment. Here, a regolith–polymer composite is developed using Martian regolith consolidated with a minimal fraction of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) as a recyclable binder. A low-energy process combining moderate pressure (100–350 MPa) and temperature (~220 °C) enables densification without water or oxygen, while enhancing HDPE crystallinity and interfacial bonding between particles and layers. The resulting composites exhibit high mechanical performance, achieving a compressive strength of 61 MPa and a modulus of 2.56 GPa at 10 wt% HDPE, comparable to conventional construction materials. Increasing the HDPE content from 10 wt% to 30 wt% induces a transition from a stiff, strength-dominated response to a more ductile, deformation-tolerant behavior. Thermal cycling over 30 simulated Martian day–night periods shows negligible degradation in mechanical properties. These results demonstrate a sustainable, resource-efficient material system for extraterrestrial manufacturing, enabling mechanically tunable structural components from locally available regolith and recycled polymer resources.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s44334-026-00103-x","authors":["Xinnian Wang","Juan Alanis","Yinong Chen","Didem Ozevin","Yayue Pan"],"tags":["Materials science","Composite material","High-density polyethylene","Regolith","Martian"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s44334-026-00103-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W4412468252","name":"Ocular trauma in microgravity: In-flight diagnostics and extraterrestrial strategies for management","source":"openalex","abstract":"Long-duration spaceflight missions (including the International Space Station [ISS]) are in one of the most remote and harsh environments humans live and work in. Medical emergencies in space are even more complicated in an already high-risk environment. Despite training, ISS crewmembers face many challenges in diagnosing and managing disease with limited diagnostic capability and equipment on the ISS, restricted medication availability, delayed access to medical professionals; and the latency of space missions. Ocular trauma (e.g., cabin contact with equipment, chemical exposure, and foreign body entry) has been well-documented in previous ISS missions, highlighting the vulnerability of crewmembers' vision. While no serious vision loss has yet occurred, the risk of ocular injuries during future commercial and lunar missions remains significant. We review the utilization of onboard diagnostic tools and potential management modalities with current ISS resources for mitigating long-term effects of ocular trauma in the unique microgravity environment of spaceflight. We aim to assess the overall medical preparedness for future space exploration to ensure the well-being and ocular health of crewmembers during extended missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.survophthal.2025.07.006","authors":["Alex Suh","J Szeto","Joshua Ong","G. Armstrong","C. Robert Gibson","Thomas H. Mader","William Lipsky","Ethan Waisberg","John P. Berdahl","David M. Hinkle","Andrew G Lee"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology","Medicine","Aeronautics","Engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.survophthal.2025.07.006","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W4205652835","name":"The Potential for Lunar and Martian Regolith Simulants to Sustain Plant Growth: A Multidisciplinary Overview","source":"openalex","abstract":"Bioregenerative life support systems (BLSS) are conceived of and developed so as to provide food sources for crewed missions to the Moon or Mars. The in situ resource utilization (ISRU) approach aims to reduce terrestrial input into a BLSS by using native regoliths and recycled organic waste as primary resources. The combination of BLSS and ISRU may allow sustainable food production on Moon and Mars. This task poses several challenges, including the effects of partial gravity, the limited availability of oxygen and water, and the self-sustaining management of resources. Lunar and Martian regoliths are not available on Earth; therefore, space research studies are conducted on regolith simulants that replicate the physicochemical properties of extra-terrestrial regoliths (as assessed in situ by previous missions). This review provides an overview of the physicochemical properties and mineralogical composition of commercially available Lunar and Martian regolith simulants. Subsequently, it describes potential strategies and sustainable practices for creating regolith simulants akin to terrestrial soil, which is a highly dynamic environment where microbiota and humified organic matter interact with the mineral moiety. These strategies include the amendment of simulants with composted organic wastes, which can turn nutrient-poor and alkaline crushed rocks into efficient life-sustaining substrates equipped with enhanced physical, hydraulic, and chemical properties. In this regard, we provide a comprehensive analysis of recent scientific works focusing on the exploitation of regolith simulant-based substrates as plant growth media. The literature discussion helps identify the main critical aspects and future challenges related to sustainable space farming by the in situ use and enhancement of Lunar and Martian resources.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2021.747821","authors":["Luigi Giuseppe Duri","Antonio Giandonato Caporale","Youssef Rouphael","Simona Vingiani","Mario Palladino","Stefania De Pascale","Paola Adamo"],"tags":["Regolith","Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2021.747821","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2735707956","name":"Formation of an ultracarbonaceous Antarctic micrometeorite through minimal aqueous alteration in a small porous icy body","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2017.06.047","authors":["Hikaru Yabuta","T. Noguchi","Shoichi Itoh","Tomoki Nakamura","Akira Miyake","S. Tsujimoto","N. Ohashi","Naoya Sakamoto","Minako Hashiguchi","Kenichi Abe","Aya Okubo","A. L. D. Kilcoyne"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Chemistry","Aqueous solution","Total organic carbon"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2017.06.047","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W3151807085","name":"The classification of relict extraterrestrial chrome spinels using STEM techniques on silicate inclusions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Remnant extraterrestrial chrome spinels from terrestrial sediments provide information on how the mixture of meteoritic materials falling to Earth has changed over Earth’s history. The parent meteorite type of each grain can be identified by characteristic elemental and oxygen‐isotope abundances. Some meteorite types can be difficult to classify because their chrome‐spinel compositional ranges overlap. Silicate inclusions within chrome spinels of modern ordinary chondrites have been shown to have discriminating power among meteorite subclasses. We employed energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy in a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and in a (scanning) transmission electron microscope (S/TEM) to investigate inclusions in chrome‐spinel grains from Ordovician and Jurassic sediments. Unaltered Ordovician inclusions allowed us to establish the size limits for reliable SEM analysis of inclusions. The Jurassic grains were more altered, but the use of STEM techniques on small inclusions (<3 μm diameter at their polished surfaces) allowed us to determine chemical compositions and mineral structures of inclusions in three chrome spinels. The parent meteorite type was determined for one Jurassic grain based on its inclusion compositions. Our study confirms that silicate inclusions can be used to classify parent meteorite types of chrome‐spinel grains, but the size of the inclusions and the complex effects of terrestrial alteration must be taken into account. During our study, we also found some interesting exsolution phenomena in the host chrome‐spinel grains.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13649","authors":["C. E. Caplan","G. R. Huss","H. A. Ishii","J. P. Bradley","Birger Schmitz","K. Nagashima"],"tags":["Meteorite","Silicate","Spinel","Geology","Extraterrestrial life"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13649","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406903227","name":"Mechanochemical Reactivity of Ribonucleosides Mediated by Inorganic Species: Implications for Extraterrestrial Organic Matter Interpretation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Metal species and carbonate are often found as minerals in extraterrestrial rocky bodies. Based on this, the mechanochemical-induced degradation of canonical purine and pyrimidine ribonucleosides into their corresponding nucleobases mediated by some of the main constituents of those materials (iron, nickel, or aluminum) was accomplished. In some cases, the previous heating of the samples intensified mechanochemical degradation. Additionally, carbonate acts as an activator for ribonucleoside degradation with a catalyst (a Lewis acid ion); however, it has almost no effect on ribonucleoside degradation in the absence of a catalyst. These results can contribute to the hypothesis that organic matter in extraterrestrial samples could have undergone mechanochemical reactions (i.e., shock/impact events), from its formation until its journey to Earth. Mechanochemical energy could occur in planetesimal accretion, asteroid formation (i.e., through planetesimal disintegration), and meteoroid atmospheric entry. Additionally, this hypothesis can clarify and relate some identified biosignatures with pathways of prebiological evolution.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/app15031363","authors":["Gustavo P. Maia","Catarina Gonçalves","Ana P. Carvalho","Vânia André","Adelino M. Galvão","Ana P. C. Ribeiro","Pedro F. Pinheiro","José Armando L. da Silva"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Reactivity (psychology)","Interpretation (philosophy)","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/app15031363","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W4389943949","name":"To boldly go where no one has gone before: Sulfur concrete, a promising construction material fulfilling the demands for a sustainable future on celestial objects: A review","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mattod.2023.12.005","authors":["Q. Wang","Didier Snoeck"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Sulfur","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mattod.2023.12.005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402719647","name":"Likely Ferromagnetic Minerals Identified by the Perseverance Rover and Implications for Future Paleomagnetic Analyses of Returned Martian Samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Although Mars today does not have a core dynamo, magnetizations in the Martian crust and in meteorites suggest a magnetic field was present prior to 3.7 billion years (Ga) ago. However, the lack of ancient, oriented Martian bedrock samples available on Earth has prevented accurate estimates of the dynamo's intensity, lifetime, and direction. Constraining the nature and lifetime of the dynamo are vital to understanding the evolution of the Martian interior and the potential habitability of the planet. The Perseverance rover, which is exploring Jezero crater, is providing an unprecedented opportunity to address this gap by acquiring absolutely oriented bedrock samples with estimated ages from ∼2.3 to >4.1 Ga. As a first step in establishing whether these samples could contain records of Martian paleomagnetism, it is important to determine their ferromagnetic mineralogy, the grain sizes of the phases, and the forms of any natural remanent magnetization. Here, we synthesize data from various Perseverance instruments to achieve those goals and discuss the implications for future laboratory paleomagnetic analyses. Using the rover's instrument payload, we find that cored samples likely contain iron oxides enriched in Cr and Ti. The relative proportions of Fe, Ti, and Cr indicate that the phases may be titanomagnetite or Fe‐Ti‐Cr spinels that are ferromagnetic at room temperature, but we cannot rule out the presence of non‐ferromagnetic ulvöspinel, ilmenite, and chromite due to signal mixing. Importantly, the inferred abundance of iron oxides in the samples suggests that even <1 mm‐sized samples will be easily measurable by present‐day magnetometers.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024je008505","authors":["Elias N. Mansbach","T. V. Kizovski","Eva L. Scheller","Tanja Bosak","Lucia Mandon","B. Horgan","R. C. Wiens","C. D. K. Herd","Sunanda Sharma","J. R. Johnson","T. S. J. Gabriel","O. Forni"],"tags":["Paleomagnetism","Martian","Astrobiology","Geology","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024je008505","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W2791187007","name":"Unusual Magnetic Properties of Sedimentary Pyrrhotite in Methane Seepage Sediments: Comparison With Metamorphic Pyrrhotite and Sedimentary Greigite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Interpretation of the paleomagnetic and environmental signals carried by magnetic iron sulfide minerals depends on the ability to diagnose their magnetic properties and to recognize their origin. Greigite (Fe3S4) and hexagonal pyrrhotite (with variable composition between Fe9S10 and Fe11S12) often form authigenically in sulfidic and methanic sedimentary environments, whereas monoclinic pyrrhotite (Fe7S8) occurs widely in igneous and metamorphic rocks so that erosion of such rocks can give rise to deposition of detrital pyrrhotite in sediments. In this study, low‐ and high‐field, and low‐, room temperature, and high‐temperature magnetization data are presented to demonstrate that these magnetic iron sulfide minerals have contrasting magnetic properties that enable their identification, particularly when assisted by mineralogical characterizations. The results presented here should have wide applicability in sedimentary magnetic studies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2017jb015262","authors":["Chorng‐Shern Horng"],"tags":["Pyrrhotite","Greigite","Geology","Sedimentary rock","Metamorphic rock"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-03-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2017jb015262","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4242270130","name":"The deep Pacific: Island governance and seabed mineral development","source":"openalex","abstract":"While relatively little is known about the deep sea compared to land, data are being collected that fundamentally change how ocean spaces are thought about and engaged with. Beneath the surface of our planet’s expansive oceans lies the prospect of a new gold rush (after Shukman, 2013), one in which, in pursuit of sunken geologic treasures, companies scour the seabed for minerals and rare metals. The desire to locate such deposits is spurring a surge in attempts to map sections of seabed in high resolution, and to probe the ocean floor to determine the extent and composition of its raw materials. These technical assessments are steps in a process to assert national marine territorial boundaries, key to transforming the seabed into a space for industrialscale resource extraction.","url":"https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315686202-11","authors":["KATHERINE GENEVIEVE SAMMLER"],"tags":["Seabed","Oceanography","Geology","Mineral","Corporate governance"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-11-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315686202-11","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.782Z"},{"id":"oa:W7171819429","name":"Hydrogen peroxide on Mars and icy moons: Implications for the search for extraterrestrial signatures of prebiotic chemistry","source":"openalex","abstract":"ABSTRACT Hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) is increasingly recognized as an important molecule in prebiotic chemistry that potentially had a large impact on life’s early evolution. We highlight recent examples of H 2 O 2 in prebiotic syntheses that model potential protometabolic reactions. Recent discoveries have revealed multiple abiotic production mechanisms for H 2 O 2 , suggesting its prevalence in prebiotic and extraterrestrial environments, an idea that is supported by the detection of H 2 O 2 in the Martian atmosphere and on the surfaces of icy moons. Given that Earth’s active geological processes have erased records of the earliest prebiotic chemical processes, we hypothesize that extraterrestrial environments that produce H 2 O 2 such as Mars and icy moons may still have similar types of chemistry occurring, and the discovery of such reactions by advanced space missions would offer invaluable insights into prebiotic chemistry. To test our hypothesis, experimental and theoretical studies aimed at modelling prebiotic chemistry in these H 2 O 2 -producing environments are required. We propose the general principle of “Where There is Water, There is H 2 O 2 ” as an astrobiology guideline that supplements and refines the traditional “Follow the Water” approach used to plan space missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fmre.2026.07.007","authors":["Mang Lin","Ruiqin Yi","Albert C. Fahrenbach","H. James Cleaves","Yi‐Gang Xu"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Mars Exploration Program","Extraterrestrial life","Search for extraterrestrial intelligence","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fmre.2026.07.007","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W2042446568","name":"Small Antarctic micrometeorites: A mineralogical and in situ oxygen isotope study","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— We have investigated the texture, bulk chemistry, mineralogy, as well as the anhydrous minerals oxygen isotopic composition of 67 small Antarctic micrometeorites (AMMs) collected at Cap Prudhomme, Antarctica, and belonging to the currently poorly studied size fraction 25–50 μm. When compared to larger (50–400 μm) micrometeorites collected at the same site in Antarctica with the same techniques, no significant differences are found between the two populations. We therefore conclude that the population of Cap Prudhomme AMMs is homogeneous over the size range 25–400 μm. In contrast, small AMMs have different textures, mineralogy, and oxygen isotopic compositions than those of stratospheric interplanetary dust particles (IDPs). Because small AMMs (<50 μm) overlap in size with IDPs, the differences between these two important sources of micrometeorites can no longer be attributed to a variation of the micrometeorite composition with size. Physical biases introduced by the collection procedures might account for these differences.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00163.x","authors":["M. Gounelle","C. Engrand","M. Maurette","G. Kurat","K. D. McKeegan","F. Brandstätter"],"tags":["Isotopes of oxygen","Geology","Population","Interplanetary dust cloud","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00163.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2894021025","name":"Dependence of Biological Activity on the Surface Water Fraction of Planets","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract One of the unique features associated with the Earth is that the fraction of its surface covered by land is comparable to that spanned by its oceans and other water bodies. Here, we investigate how extraterrestrial biospheres depend on the ratio of the surficial land and water fractions. We find that worlds that are overwhelmingly dominated by landmasses or oceans are likely to have sparse biospheres. Our analysis suggests that major evolutionary events such as the build-up of O2 in the atmosphere and the emergence of technological intelligence might be relatively feasible only on a small subset of worlds with surface water fractions ranging approximately between 30% and 90%. We also discuss how our predictions can be evaluated by future observations and the implications for the prevalence of microbial and technological species in the universe.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/aaf420","authors":["Manasvi Lingam","Abraham Loeb"],"tags":["Planet","Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Atmosphere (unit)","Earth (classical element)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/aaf420","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W4410220833","name":"Origin and Evolution of Extraterrestrial Ozone in the JWST, JUICE, and Europa Clipper Era: A Laboratory Investigation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Ozone (O 3 ) is considered among the most promising biosignatures to look for inside and outside the solar system, i.e., in planetary atmospheres and surfaces as well as in the atmosphere of exoplanets. Recent studies show that the O 3 detection in exoplanetary atmospheres is already achievable with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and also the search for O 3 ice on the surface of several icy worlds will be soon possible thanks to the JUpiter ICy moons Explorer (JUICE) and Europa Clipper space missions (in addition to JWST). In this context, we noticed that there is a lack of insight when considering the possible radiolytic production of O 3 within ices of different oxygen-bearing species which may be found on icy extraterrestrial surfaces (and consequently also released to enrich their atmospheres). We report here a comparative laboratory study on the production of O 3 from several ion irradiated ices and icy mixtures: CO, CO:N 2, CO:SO 2, CO 2, H 2 O:CO 2, N 2 O, NO 2:N 2 O 4, and pure O 2 . The samples were processed with 200 keV protons (unless otherwise specified) and analyzed by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy at 16 K. Our aim is to contribute to the understanding of how much O 3 could be produced by energetic charged particles irradiating different oxygen-bearing ice species and compare these results to the case of O 2 ice. We believe that the results presented in the current study may have a great scientific impact, especially in view of the future exploration of the icy worlds of the solar system and the current and future exploration of exoplanets by the ongoing and the upcoming space missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00415","authors":["D. Fulvio","Riccardo Giovanni Urso","C. Scirè","G. A. Baratta","G. Strazzulla","M. E. Palumbo"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Clipper (electronics)","Extraterrestrial life","Ozone","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00415","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W4392790379","name":"Characterization of primary silicate minerals in Earth‐like bodies via Raman spectroscopy","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The examination and identification of silicate minerals are critical for advancing our understanding of the evolutionary journey of Earth‐like bodies. To facilitate an efficient and productive process, it is imperative that these minerals be detected swiftly and accurately. This study is designed to explore the relationship between varying concentrations of cations and their corresponding Raman shifts. The focus is on primary silicate minerals in Earth‐like bodies, specifically olivine, pyroxene, and feldspar, utilizing data from the RRUFF database. Employing a fitting formula, we identify distinct Raman peak ranges associated with different silicate minerals. Our research covers a wide array of mineral types, including five varieties of olivine (forsterite [Mg2SiO4], fayalite [Fe2+2SiO4], tephroite [Mn2+2SiO4], monticellite [CaMgSiO4], and kirschsteinite [CaFe2+SiO4]), four types of pyroxene (ferrosilite [Fe2+2Si2O6], enstatite [Mg2Si2O6], hedenbergite [CaFe2+Si2O6], and diopside [CaMgSi2O6]), and three varieties of feldspar (alkali feldspar [KAlSi3O8], albite [NaAlSi3O8], and anorthite [CaAl2Si2O8]). The accuracy of matching Raman characteristics is exceptionally high for all olivine and pyroxene types (100%) and an impressive 86% for feldspar. The findings from this study highlight the crucial role of Raman spectroscopy in the field of silicate mineralogy and suggest significant implications for enhancing future exploration missions to Earth‐like bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.6657","authors":["Shuaidong Huang","Bin Xue","Yiyi Zhao","Jianfeng Yang"],"tags":["Pyroxene","Forsterite","Silicate minerals","Silicate","Feldspar"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.6657","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W2982070890","name":"Perspective on identifying and characterizing the processes controlling iron speciation and residence time at the atmosphere-ocean interface","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marchem.2019.103704","authors":["N. Meskhidze","Christoph Völker","Hind A. Al‐Abadleh","Katherine A. Barbeau","Matthieu Bressac","Clifton S. Buck","Randelle M. Bundy","Peter Croot","Yan Feng","Akinori Ito","Anne M. Johansen","William M. Landing","Jingqiu Mao","Stelios Myriokefalitakis","Daniel C. Ohnemus","Benoît Pasquier","Ying Ye"],"tags":["Biogeochemical cycle","Chemical oceanography","Mineral dust","Genetic algorithm","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-10-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marchem.2019.103704","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W4413780370","name":"Fe-Ti vs. Fe-Fe charge transfers: A comprehensive review and its applications in minerals and glasses","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Iron-titanium (Fe-Ti) charge transfer is mentioned in numerous articles as the source of the coloration of many natural minerals and some manufactured materials, but no global review of this phenomenon has been provided so far. Iron and titanium are ubiquitous in nature and are often found in the same material as Fe2+ and Fe3+, and Ti4+ (more rarely Ti3+). When Fe and Ti ions are in close geometric proximity in an oxide or (alumino)silicate structure, charge transfer can occur between the two ions, even though their concentration might be below 100 ppm. This results in a variety of absorption features that contribute to the color of minerals. A debate remains on the exact nature of Fe/Ti electronic transition, i.e., Fe2+ + Ti4+ → Fe3+ + Ti3+ or the reverse, but solving this issue is not within the scope of the present work. Ascertaining a metal-metal charge transfer is often not straightforward. This review compiles existing knowledge on Fe-Ti charge transfer in both crystalline and amorphous materials and identifies several key characteristics in more than 40 different materials. A charge transfer is associated with broad, intense, optical absorption bands that decrease in intensity at elevated temperatures. It is also strongly pleochroic in non-isotropic materials. Until now, Fe-Ti charge transfer transitions have been primarily described in the 2.25 to 3.1 eV range, corresponding to yellow to orange to brown colors, with notable exceptions such as blue sapphire or kyanite, and green andalusite. This review suggests that Fe-Ti charge transfer can occur across the entire visible spectrum, and the position of the absorption band correlates with the Fe-Ti interatomic distance. This correlation highlights the presence of multiple crystallographic sites for both Fe and Ti in many oxides, leading to multiple Fe-Ti bands within these materials (e.g., sapphire, ilmenite, pseudobrookite). Finally, the use of metal-metal distances is suggested to differentiate this heteronuclear Fe-Ti charge transfer from the common homonuclear charge transfer Fe2+-Fe3+.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2025-9835","authors":["Maxence Vigier","Helen F Evans","George R. Rossman","Stéphane Jobic","Emmanuel Fritsch"],"tags":["Charge (physics)","Materials science","Geochemistry","Mineralogy","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2025-9835","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2625690825","name":"Refractory materials in comet samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Transmission electron microscope examination of more than 250 fragments, >1 μm from comet Wild 2 and a giant cluster interplanetary dust particle (GCP) of probable cometary origin has revealed four new calcium‐aluminum‐rich inclusions (CAIs), an amoeboid olivine aggregate (AOA), and an additional AOA or Al‐rich chondrule (ARC) object. All of the CAIs have concentric mineral structures and are composed of spinel + anorthite cores surrounded by Al,Ti clinopyroxenes and are similar to two previous CAIs discovered in Wild 2. All of the cometary refractory objects are of moderate refractory character. The mineral assemblages, textures, and bulk compositions of the comet CAIs are similar to nodules in fine‐grained, spinel‐rich inclusions (FGIs) found in primitive chondrites and like the nodules may be nebular condensates that were altered via solid–gas reactions in the solar nebula. Oxygen isotopes collected on one Wild 2 CAI also match FGIs. The lack of the most refractory inclusions in the comet samples may reflect the higher abundances of small moderately refractory CAI nodules that were produced in the nebula and the small sample sizes collected. In the comet samples, approximately 2–3% of all fragments larger than 1 μm, by number, are CAIs and nearly 50% of all bulbous Stardust tracks contain at least one CAI. We estimate that ~0.5 volume % of Wild 2 material and ~1 volume % of GCP is in the form of CAIs. ARCs and AOAs account for <1% of the Wild 2 and GCP grains by number.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12877","authors":["D. J. Joswiak","D. E. Brownlee","A. N. Nguyen","S. Messenger"],"tags":["Comet","Chondrule","Chondrite","Refractory (planetary science)","Anorthite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-06-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12877","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4416290825","name":"Thermodynamic insights into the reliability of mineral-based thermobarometers","source":"openalex","abstract":"The next generation of mineral thermobarometers will need to be thermodynamically rigorous, statistically robust and experimentally calibrated, according to an evaluation of how uncertainties and model parameters in the jadeite thermobarometer influence P-T estimates.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02831-y","authors":["Xudong Wang","Tong Hou","Penny Wieser","Zhaochong Zhang"],"tags":["Calibration","Reliability (semiconductor)","Work (physics)","Thermometer","Barometer"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02831-y","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W4285802420","name":"Venus Life Finder Missions Motivation and Summary","source":"openalex","abstract":"Finding evidence of extraterrestrial life would be one of the most profound scientific discoveries ever made, advancing humanity into a new epoch of cosmic awareness. The Venus Life Finder (VLF) missions feature a series of three direct atmospheric probes designed to assess the habitability of the Venusian clouds and search for signs of life and life itself. The VLF missions are an astrobiology-focused set of missions, and the first two out of three can be launched quickly and at a relatively low cost. The mission concepts come out of an 18-month study by an MIT-led worldwide consortium.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace9070385","authors":["Sara Seager","Janusz J. Petkowski","Christopher E. Carr","David Grinspoon","B. L. Ehlmann","Sarag J. Saikia","Rachana Agrawal","Weston P. Buchanan","Monika Weber","Richard French","Pete Klupar","S. Pete Worden","Darrel Baumgardner","on behalf of the Venus Life Finder Mission Team"],"tags":["Venus","Astrobiology","Habitability","Extraterrestrial life","Search for extraterrestrial intelligence"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace9070385","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W1864936449","name":"Dielectric properties of Jovian satellite ice analogs for subsurface radar exploration: A review","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The first European mission dedicated to the exploration of Jupiter and its icy moons (JUpiter ICy moons Explorer—JUICE) will be launched in 2022 and will reach its final destination in 2030. The main goals of this mission are to understand the internal structure of the icy crusts of three Galilean satellites (Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto) and, ultimately, to detect Europa's subsurface ocean, which is believed to be the closest to the surface among those hypothesized to exist on these moons. JUICE will be equipped with the 9 MHz subsurface‐penetrating radar RIME (Radar for Icy Moon Exploration), which is designed to image the ice down to a depth of 9 km. Moreover, a parallel mission to Europa, which will host onboard REASON (Radar for Europa Assessment and Sounding: Ocean to Near‐surface) equipped with 9MHz and 60MHz antennas, has been recently approved by NASA. The success of these experiments strongly relies on the accurate prediction of the radar performance and on the optimal processing and interpretation of radar echoes that, in turn, depend on the dielectric properties of the materials composing the icy satellite crusts. In the present review we report a complete range of potential ice types that may occur on these icy satellites to understand how they may affect the results of the proposed missions. First, we discuss the experimental results on pure and doped water ice in the framework of the Jaccard theory, highlighting the critical aspects in terms of a lack of standard laboratory procedures and inconsistency in data interpretation. We then describe the dielectric behavior of extraterrestrial ice analogs like hydrates and icy mixtures, carbon dioxide ice and ammonia ice. Building on this review, we have selected the most suitable data to compute dielectric attenuation, velocity, vertical resolution, and reflection coefficients for such icy moon environments, with the final goal being to estimate the potential capabilities of the radar missions as a function of the frequency and temperature ranges of interest for the subsurface sounders. We present the different subsurface scenarios and associated radar signal attenuation models that have been proposed so far to simulate the structure of the crust of Europa and discuss the physical and geological nature of various dielectric targets potentially detectable with RIME. Finally, we briefly highlight several unresolved issues that should be addressed, in near future, to improve our capability to produce realistic electromagnetic models of icy moon crusts. The present review is of interest for the geophysical exploration of all solar system bodies, including the Earth, where ice can be present at the surface or at relatively shallow depths.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2014rg000463","authors":["Elena Pettinelli","Barbara Cosciotti","Federico Di Paolo","Sebastian Emanuel Lauro","Elisabetta Mattei","R. Orosei","G. Vannaroni"],"tags":["Icy moon","Galilean moons","Astrobiology","Jupiter (rocket family)","Radar"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-05-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2014rg000463","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W4415357083","name":"Toward Sustainable Mining: Exploring Alternative Mineral Resources and Innovative Extraction Techniques","source":"openalex","abstract":"The relentless pace of industrialisation and globalisation has precipitated the rapid depletion of surface mineral deposits, presenting a formidable challenge to conventional mining operations and exerting a detrimental impact on their profitability. This depletion, coupled with the escalating demand for minerals, has driven prices to unprecedented highs, thereby inflating operating costs across various industries. Traditional surface and underground mining methods, struggling to meet burgeoning demands, contribute significantly to environmental degradation and substantial energy consumption. In response to these challenges, this study advocates for a paradigm shift from conventional mining methods and mineral resources toward untapped alternatives that hold the potential for enhanced economic viability and sustainability. Utilising environmentally friendly techniques and adopting more economical approaches becomes paramount in addressing the pressing demands of the current era and securing resources for future generations. This short review examines potential alternative mineral resources and the associated mining methods, including fluidised mining, deep-sea mining, brine mining, urban mining, in-situ and heap leaching, and space mining. A meticulous evaluation of the state-of-the-art technologies developed for these unconventional methods is conducted, including an assessment of their respective advantages and disadvantages. Finally, the study deliberates on the prospects of each approach, elucidating their potential contributions to alleviating the global metal crisis. This research provides insights that can inform sustainable mining practices and guide the industry toward a more environmentally responsible and economically viable future. The urgency of such a transition is underscored by the need to address the challenges posed by conventional mining and ensure the availability of mineral resources for generations to come.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/mining5040066","authors":["Roohollah Shirani Faradonbeh","Mohammad Imtiaz Shah","Moein Bahadori","Hyoongdoo Jang"],"tags":["Resource depletion","Mineral resource classification","Natural resource economics","Sustainability","Surface mining"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/mining5040066","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W4412078461","name":"Development of a new sample holder and sample holder container for coordinated surface analyses (micro-IR, XPS, FE-SEM, and micro-Raman) and ion irradiation experiments of extraterrestrial materials","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Hayabusa2 and OSIRIS-REx missions have successfully returned pristine materials from the carbonaceous asteroids Ryugu and Bennu, respectively. These missions offer a unique opportunity to study space weathering processes, primarily driven by solar wind irradiation and micrometeorite bombardment, which continuously affect the surface of airless bodies. Coordinated surface and sub-surface techniques, including micro-infrared spectroscopy (micro-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and micro-Raman spectroscopy, have proven particularly valuable for unveiling the nature of these intricate processes. However, a sample holder specifically designed for extraterrestrial samples to facilitate coordinated surface analyses has yet to be reported. This study presents the development and application of a new sample holder (SH) and sample holder container (SHC), specifically designed to optimize the efficiency of coordinated surface analyses of extraterrestrial materials while preserving their integrity. The SH securely holds irregular millimeter-sized, high-friable grains (e.g., Ivuna-type carbonaceous chondrites) for sequential analyses such as micro-IR, XPS, FE-SEM, micro-Raman, and ion irradiation. The latter is critical for simulating space weathering processes. The SH was designed with high-purity materials, including molybdenum and alumina (Al2O3), ensuring low chemical contamination risk and high-mechanical stability. The SHC complements this setup by providing a secure solution for transporting samples among different facilities. It allow to maintain an inert gas environment or high vacuum condition to prevent contamination from exposure to the terrestrial atmosphere. This combined system was successfully applied in the coordinated surface analysis of two Ryugu grains, preserving their chemical and physical integrity while facilitating detailed investigations into space weathering effects. These technical advancements provide a robust framework for multidisciplinary research on sensitive extraterrestrial materials, ensuring accurate and precise results and securing sample integrity throughout the coordinated analyses. Graphical Abstract","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40623-025-02245-2","authors":["Xhonatan Shehaj","Giovanni Pratesi","Stefano Caporali","Brunetto Cortigiani","Stefano Rubino","C. Scirè","G. A. Baratta","Marianna Angrisani","Fabrizio Dirri","Alice Scarpellini","A. Longobardo","Gianfranco Occhipinti"],"tags":["Sample (material)","X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy","Raman spectroscopy","Irradiation","Container (type theory)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40623-025-02245-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W2020342771","name":"Why aqueous alteration in asteroids was isochemical: High porosity ≠ high permeability","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2009.09.004","authors":["P. A. Bland","Matthew D. Jackson","R. F. Coker","B. A. Cohen","J. Beau W. Webber","Martin Lee","Christina Mary Duffy","Richard J. Chater","M.G. Ardakani","David S. McPhail","David W. McComb","G. K. Benedix"],"tags":["Geology","Asteroid","Porosity","Permeability (electromagnetism)","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2009.09.004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4401006409","name":"Geochemical Quantification of Olivine Minerals by Atom Probe Tomography","source":"openalex","abstract":"The ability of atom probe tomography (APT) to interrogate small sample volumes with high efficiency makes it uniquely useful in the study of small mineral grains or domains. Although frequently employed in the analysis of geological materials [1], particularly in the characterisation of nanoscale chemical heterogeneities [2], the degree of quantitative accuracy achieved by APT can be difficult to determine. Deficiencies in nitrogen and oxygen, for example, have been documented in the analysis of semiconductors and other engineered materials [3,4]. In geomaterials, measured chemical compositions have been found to be deficient in oxygen, and also in silicon for some silicate minerals [5]. While these discrepancies may not affect the measurement of cation or interstitial chemistry, which is often of interest, the extent to which these chemical measurements can be relied upon is an open question. Some studies have made comparisons with reference materials for both chemical and isotopic analysis [6–8], and these have generally demonstrated good accuracy in the APT measurements [9,10]. However, similar comparisons have not been made for many oxides, silicates, sulphides and other classes of minerals. Challenges to accurate quantification include equivalent sampling (ranging) of mass peaks in the APT mass spectrum, baseline and background correction to deal with spectrum noise and peak tails, and accurate deconvolution of mass peak overlaps. Ideally, these should be addressed using systematic or algorithmic methods of analysis and quantification before comparisons with standard reference materials can be used to evaluate any intrinsic biases that may be present in the data. To study small olivine mineral grains in extraterrestrial materials, and to gain a better understanding of quantification of trace and minor elements in silicate minerals in general, we have developed algorithmic methods for quantification of APT mass spectra from olivine. This approach uses corrected time-of-flight data [10], equivalent peak sampling, background correction methods, and peak identification and deconvolution to produce robust results independent of subjective decisions made by the analyst. Analyses of a well-characterised olivine sample [11] are used to test and tune the effectiveness of this approach and to characterise the achievable accuracy for this mineral system. Our efforts to better determine the accuracy of APT data from mineral grains are motivated by a desire to characterise small volumes of material within samples returned from the asteroid Bennu [12] that may otherwise be difficult to isolate from a surrounding matrix. Accurate quantification within such small sample volumes has the potential to address many challenges in geochemical analysis, and in particular within the study of extraterrestrial materials, where chemical and isotopic anomalies can yield highly significant information relating to events and processes in the early Solar System. Comparison between microprobe and laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) results with those from APT, for major, minor and trace element concentrations. APT datasets were collected under a range of different operating conditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/mam/ozae044.032","authors":["David W. Saxey","Denis Fougerouse","Dimitris Dimitriou","Jessica Barnes","William D.A. Rickard","Nicholas E. Timms","Fred Jourdan","Steven M. Reddy","P. A. Bland","T. R. Ireland","A. N. Nguyen","H. C. Connolly"],"tags":["Olivine","Atom probe","Tomography","Geology","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/mam/ozae044.032","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W2058444883","name":"Precursors of Mars: Constraints from nitrogen and oxygen isotopic compositions of martian meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— We present an approach to assess the nature of materials involved in the accretion of Mars by the planet's nitrogen (δ15N) and oxygen (Δ17O) isotopic compositions as derived from data on martian meteorites. δ15N for Mars has been derived from nitrogen and xenon systematics, while Δ17O has been taken from the literature data. These signatures indicate that Mars has most probably accreted from enstatite and ordinary chondritic materials in a ratio of 74:26 and may not have a significant contribution from the carbonaceous (CI, CM, or CV) chondrites. This is consistent with the chromium isotopic (ɛ53Cr) signatures of martian meteorites and the bulk planet Fe/Si ratio for Mars as suggested by the moment of inertia factor (I/MR2) obtained from the Mars Pathfinder data. Further, a simple homogeneous accretion from the above two types of materials is found to be consistent with the planet's moment of inertia factor and the bulk composition of the mantle. But, it requires a core with 6.7 wt% Si, which is consistent with the new results from the high pressure and temperature melting experiments and chemical data on the opaque minerals in enstatite chondrites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00261.x","authors":["R. K. Mohapatra","S. V. S. Murty"],"tags":["Enstatite","Chondrite","Mars Exploration Program","Meteorite","Martian"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00261.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411735129","name":"Planetary sustainability science and technology: Integrating Astro-soil, Astro-environmental engineering and Astro-habitat engineering for space exploration","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179959","authors":["Antonis A. Zorpas","Vassilis J. Inglezakis","Iliana Papamichael","P. A. Razis","Irene Voukkali","Ana Pérez-Gimeno","Vincenco Naddeo","Teresa Rodríguez-Espinosa","Pantelitsa Loizia","José Navarro-Pedreño"],"tags":["Sustainability","Systems engineering","Space exploration","Space (punctuation)","Aerospace engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179959","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2098494943","name":"Nine years of UV aerosol optical depth measurements at Thessaloniki, Greece","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. Spectral measurements of the aerosol optical depth (AOD) and the Ångström coefficient were conducted at Thessaloniki, Greece (40.5° N, 22.9° E) between January 1997 and December 2005 with a Brewer MKIII double-monochromator spectroradiometer. The dataset was compared with collocated measurements of a second spectroradiometer (Brewer MKII) and a CIMEL sun-photometer, showing correlations of 0.93 and 0.98, respectively. A seasonal variation of the AOD was observed at Thessaloniki, with AOD values at 340 nm of 0.52 and 0.28 for August and December respectively. Back trajectories of air masses for up to 4 days were used to assess the influence of long-range transport from various regions to the aerosol load over Thessaloniki. It is shown that part of the observed seasonality can be attributed to air masses with high AOD originating from North-Eastern and Eastern directions during summertime. The analysis of the long-term record (9 years) of AOD showed a downward tendency. A similar decreasing tendency was found in the record of the PM$_{10}$ aerosol measurements, which are conducted near the surface at 4 air-quality monitoring stations in the area of the city of Thessaloniki.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-7-2091-2007","authors":["Stelios Kazadzis","Alkiviadis Bais","Vassilis Amiridis","Dimitris Balis","C. Meleti","Natalia Kouremeti","Christos Zerefos","S. Rapsomanikis","M. Petrakakis","A. Kelesis","Paraskevi Tzoumaka","Kyriaki Kelektsoglou"],"tags":["Spectroradiometer","Aerosol","Sun photometer","Environmental science","Angstrom"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-04-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-7-2091-2007","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W4413789710","name":"Refining the sensitivity of new physics searches with ancient minerals","source":"openalex","abstract":"Paleodetection has been proposed as a competitive method for detecting dark matter and other new physics interactions, complementing conventional direct-detection experiments. In this work, we utilize simulations to improve the modeling of track-length distributions. Our findings suggest that previous studies have overestimated the number of tracks caused by weakly interacting particles, and that the lowest observable dark matter mass should be higher than previously predicted. These differences are mainly attributed to the fact that (a) the recoil energy–track-length relation is not one to one, (b) at low recoil energies, a substantial fraction of recoils do not yield any tracks, and (c) at high energies, electronic stopping becomes dominant, resulting in a track-length barrier at ∼ 200 nm . In addition to WIMPs, we also modeled tracks from generalized coherent elastic neutrino nucleus scattering ( CE ν NS ) via new light mediators and estimated the projected sensitivity for these interactions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1103/clvr-mhx5","authors":["Audrey Fung","Thalles Lucas","Levente Balogh","Matthew I. Leybourne","Aaron C. Vincent"],"tags":["Refining (metallurgy)","Sensitivity (control systems)","Engineering","Metallurgy","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1103/clvr-mhx5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W2096834123","name":"TandEM: Titan and Enceladus mission","source":"openalex","abstract":"TandEM was proposed as an L-class (large) mission in response to ESA’s Cosmic Vision 2015–2025 Call, and accepted for further studies, with the goal of exploring Titan and Enceladus. The mission concept is to perform in situ investigations of two worlds tied together by location and properties, whose remarkable natures have been partly revealed by the ongoing Cassini–Huygens mission. These bodies still hold mysteries requiring a complete exploration using a variety of vehicles and instruments. TandEM is an ambitious mission because its targets are two of the most exciting and challenging bodies in the Solar System. It is designed to build on but exceed the scientific and technological accomplishments of the Cassini–Huygens mission, exploring Titan and Enceladus in ways that are not currently possible (full close-up and in situ coverage over long periods of time). In the current mission architecture, TandEM proposes to deliver two medium-sized spacecraft to the Saturnian system. One spacecraft would be an orbiter with a large host of instruments which would perform several Enceladus flybys and deliver penetrators to its surface before going into a dedicated orbit around Titan alone, while the other spacecraft would carry the Titan in situ investigation components, i.e. a hot-air balloon (Montgolfière) and possibly several landing probes to be delivered through the atmosphere.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10686-008-9103-z","authors":["A. Coustenis","S. K. Atreya","T. Balint","R. H. Brown","M. K. Dougherty","F. Ferri","M. Fulchignoni","D. Gautier","R. A. Gowen","C. A. Griffith","Leonid Gurvits","R. Jaumann"],"tags":["Enceladus","Titan (rocket family)","Astrobiology","Orbiter","Spacecraft"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-07-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10686-008-9103-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"oa:W4404325999","name":"Rapid colonization of a space‐returned Ryugu sample by terrestrial microorganisms","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The presence of microorganisms within meteorites has been used as evidence for extraterrestrial life, however, the potential for terrestrial contamination makes their interpretation highly controversial. Here, we report the discovery of rods and filaments of organic matter, which are interpreted as filamentous microorganisms, on a space‐returned sample from 162173 Ryugu recovered by the Hayabusa 2 mission. The observed carbonaceous filaments have sizes and morphologies consistent with microorganisms and are spatially associated with indigenous organic matter. The abundance of filaments changed with time and suggests the growth and decline of a prokaryote population with a generation time of 5.2 days. The population statistics indicate an extant microbial community originating through terrestrial contamination. The discovery emphasizes that terrestrial biota can rapidly colonize extraterrestrial specimens even given contamination control precautions. The colonization of a space‐returned sample emphasizes that extraterrestrial organic matter can provide a suitable source of metabolic energy for heterotrophic organisms on Earth and other planets.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14288","authors":["M. J. Genge","N. V. Almeida","Matthias Van Ginneken","Lewis Pinault","Louisa J. Preston","Penelope J. Wozniakiewicz","Hajime Yano"],"tags":["Colonization","Microorganism","Sample (material)","Space (punctuation)","Biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14288","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W1821764957","name":"The new sun-sky-lunar Cimel CE318-T multiband photometer – a comprehensive performance evaluation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. This paper presents the new photometer CE318-T, able to perform daytime and night-time photometric measurements using the sun and the moon as light source. Therefore, this new device permits a complete cycle of diurnal aerosol and water vapour measurements valuable to enhance atmospheric monitoring to be extracted. In this study we have found significantly higher precision of triplets when comparing the CE318-T master instrument and the Cimel AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) master (CE318-AERONET) triplets as a result of the new CE318-T tracking system. Regarding the instrument calibration, two new methodologies to transfer the calibration from a reference instrument using only daytime measurements (Sun Ratio and Sun-Moon gain factor techniques) are presented and discussed. These methods allow the reduction of the previous complexities inherent to nocturnal calibration. A quantitative estimation of CE318-T AOD uncertainty by means of error propagation theory during daytime revealed AOD uncertainties (uDAOD) for Langley-calibrated instruments similar to the expected values for other reference instruments (0.002–0.009). We have also found uDAOD values similar to the values reported in sun photometry for field instruments ( ∼ 0.015). In the case of the night-time period, the CE318-T-estimated standard combined uncertainty (uNAOD) is dependent not only on the calibration technique but also on illumination conditions and the instrumental noise. These values range from 0.011–0.018 for Lunar Langley-calibrated instruments to 0.012–0.021 for instruments calibrated using the Sun Ratio technique. In the case of moon-calibrated instruments using the Sun-Moon gain factor method and sun-calibrated using the Langley technique, we found uNAOD ranging from 0.016 to 0.017 (up to 0.019 in 440 nm channel), not dependent on any lunar irradiance model.A subsequent performance evaluation including CE318-T and collocated measurements from independent reference instruments has served to assess the CE318-T performance as well as to confirm its estimated uncertainty. Daytime AOD evaluation, performed at Izaña station from March to June 2014, encompassed measurements from a reference CE318-T, a CE318-AERONET master instrument, a Precision Filter Radiometer (PFR) and a Precision Spectroradiometer (PSR) prototype, reporting low AOD discrepancies between the four instruments (up to 0.006). The nocturnal AOD evaluation was performed using CE318-T- and star-photometer-collocated measurements and also by means of a day/night coherence transition test using the CE318-T master instrument and the CE318 daytime data from the CE318-AERONET master instrument. Results showed low discrepancies with the star photometer at 870 and 500 nm channels ( ≤ 0.013) and differences with AERONET daytime data (1 h after and before sunset and sunrise) in agreement with the estimated uNAOD values at all illumination conditions in the case of channels within the visible spectral range, and only for high moon's illumination conditions in the case of near-infrared channels.Precipitable water vapour (PWV) validation showed a good agreement between CE318-T and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) PWV values for all illumination conditions, within the expected precision for sun photometry.Finally, two case studies have been included to highlight the ability of the new CE318-T to capture the diurnal cycle of aerosols and water vapour as well as short-term atmospheric variations, critical for climate studies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-631-2016","authors":["África Barreto","Emilio Cuevas","María José Granados-Muñoz","Lucas Alados‐Arboledas","P. M. Romero","Jülian Gröbner","Natalia Kouremeti","A. Fernando Almansa","Tom Stone","Carlos Toledano","Roberto Román","M. G. Sorokin","B. N. Holben","Marius Canini","Margarita Yela"],"tags":["Photometer","AERONET","Sun photometer","Daytime","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-02-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-631-2016","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W2342680453","name":"Spontaneous formation and base pairing of plausible prebiotic nucleotides in water","source":"openalex","abstract":"The RNA World hypothesis presupposes that abiotic reactions originally produced nucleotides, the monomers of RNA and universal constituents of metabolism. However, compatible prebiotic reactions for the synthesis of complementary (that is, base pairing) nucleotides and mechanisms for their mutual selection within a complex chemical environment have not been reported. Here we show that two plausible prebiotic heterocycles, melamine and barbituric acid, form glycosidic linkages with ribose and ribose-5-phosphate in water to produce nucleosides and nucleotides in good yields. Even without purification, these nucleotides base pair in aqueous solution to create linear supramolecular assemblies containing thousands of ordered nucleotides. Nucleotide anomerization and supramolecular assemblies favour the biologically relevant β-anomer form of these ribonucleotides, revealing abiotic mechanisms by which nucleotide structure and configuration could have been originally favoured. These findings indicate that nucleotide formation and selection may have been robust processes on the prebiotic Earth, if other nucleobases preceded those of extant life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms11328","authors":["Brian J. Cafferty","David M. Fialho","Jaheda Khanam","Ramanarayanan Krishnamurthy","Nicholas V. Hud"],"tags":["Nucleotide","Nucleobase","Ribose","Abiogenesis","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-04-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms11328","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W4379055667","name":"Detecting Oxides Mineralization Utilizing Remote Sensing and Comprehensive Mineralogical Analysis: A Case Study Around Mikbi-Zayatit District, South Eastern Desert, Egypt","source":"openalex","abstract":"Undoubtedly, involving more tools, datasets, and techniques for detecting the mineralized areas sharply narrow the zones to be investigated and delivered, in most cases highly potential zones. Consequently, this study is an attempt to apply remote sensing data including Sentinel 2 and ASTER, field observations, petrography of the hydrothermal alteration processes, ore microscopic investigations, X-ray examinations, and EDX analysis to detect and emphasize mineralization types at Wadi Mikbi and Wadi Zayatit district, South Eastern Desert, Egypt. Towards accurate lithological mapping, remote sensing data, previous geological maps, and the field investigations recorded serpentinites, ophiolitic metagabbros, amphibolites, epidosite, arc-related metasediments (schists and quartzites), metagabbro-tonalite complex, dunite, olivine gabbros, and granitic rocks encountered in the study district. Additionally, various hydrothermal alteration zones have been primarily outlined using ASTER and Sentinel 2 data by implementing informative band ratios and constrained energy minimization techniques. The mineralogical studies have confirmed most of the remotely-detected hydrothermal alteration minerals. Ore microscopy, XRD technique, and EDX microchemical analysis of representative mineralized samples of the study district identified magnetite, ilmenite, titanomagnetite, chromite, magnesioferrite, quartz, apatite, clinochlore, plagioclase, pyroxene and epidote. Cross-linking remote sensing results, field observations and laboratory studies revealed that the dominant hydrothermal alteration processes include oxidization, serpentinization, carbonatization, epidotization, silicification, zoisitization, muscovitization, sericitization, and chloritization. Spatial overlay analysis of the resultant altered features, structural dissection, field observations, and analytical studies were integrated to build a mineral potentiality map of the study district.","url":"https://doi.org/10.46717/igj.56.1e.8ms-2023-5-18","authors":["Hatem M. El-Desoky","Ali Shebl","Hamada El-Awny","Mahmoud M. El-Rahmany","Omar Soliman"],"tags":["Geology","Geochemistry","Hydrothermal circulation","Epidote","Plagioclase"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-05-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.46717/igj.56.1e.8ms-2023-5-18","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W4410788106","name":"Homrit Akarem Post-Collisional Intrusion, Southeastern Desert, Egypt: Petrogenesis of Greisen Formed in a Cupola Structure and Enrichment in Strategic Minerals","source":"openalex","abstract":"The greisens discussed in the present study are associated with the Homrit Akarem post-collisional granites, which are exposed near the western edge of the Egyptian Nubian Shield in the Southeastern Desert of Egypt. The Homrit Akarem granites intruded into Neoproterozoic country rocks, with sharp intrusive contacts. The marginal parts of the Homrit Akarem intrusion underwent extensive post-magmatic metasomatism, resulting in the formation of albitized granite and greisens. The Homrit Akarem greisens occur as veins and stockworks, which can be classified into four types: muscovite-rich, cassiterite-rich, topaz-rich, and beryl-rich greisens. Based on petrographic inspection, we identified ore minerals (cassiterite, beryl, topaz, muscovite, Nb-Ta oxides, tourmaline, fluorite, and corundum) in the greisens using electron probe microanalysis. The Homrit Akarem mineralized greisens were formed in a magmatic cupola above A-type magma, where fluid–rock interactions played a significant role in their formation. The accumulation of residual volatile-rich melt and exsolved fluids in the apical part of the magma chamber produced albitized granite, greisens, and quartz veins that intruded into the peripheries of the granitic intrusion and its surrounding country rocks. The variation in the mineralogy of the studied greisens indicates the diverse chemical composition of both the hydrothermal/magmatic fluids and the host granites. The simultaneous decrease in temperature and pressure is considered a crucial factor that controlled mineralization in the apical parts of the magma chamber. The occurrence of cassiterite, beryl, topaz, tourmaline, muscovite, and Nb-Ta oxides in the studied greisens suggests a potential polymetallic deposit of industrial minerals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences15060200","authors":["Mokhles K. Azer","Adel A. Surour","Hilmy E. Moussa","Ayman E. Maurice","Mabrouk Sami","Moustafa A. Abou El Maaty","Adel I. M. Akarish","Mohamed Th. S. Heikal","Ahmed A. Elnazer","Mustafa A. Elsagheer","Heba S. Mubarak","Amany M.A. Seddik"],"tags":["Petrogenesis","Greisen","Intrusion","Cupola","Desert (philosophy)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences15060200","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W7125011112","name":"Influence of minerals on aldose formation during hydrothermal processes in meteorite parent bodies","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Various prebiotic organic compounds have been identified in meteorites. Understanding the origins of these compounds is essential to comprehending prebiotic chemistry in the early Solar System. Regarding sugar formation, the formose reaction—polymerization of formaldehyde under alkaline aqueous conditions—has been considered a plausible prebiotic process in the meteorite parent bodies. However, studies on the influence of minerals on this reaction are limited. In this study, we conducted hydrothermal experiments to examine the impact of three silicate minerals—olivine, antigorite (Mg-rich serpentine), and saponite—on the production of aldose sugars under geochemically plausible conditions in the meteorite parent bodies during aqueous alteration. The presence of these minerals enhanced aldose production, indicating promoting effects on the formose reaction. With the presence of ammonia in the initial solutions, the minerals enhanced aldose formation at 1 day of the heating experiments. However, the aldoses decreased at 3 and 7 days of the heating experiments. This is probably because ammonia promoted the formation of other compounds by consuming aldoses. These mineral–organic interactions may have played a significant role in the prebiotic chemical evolution in meteorite parent bodies, possibly contributing to the inventory of organic compounds delivered to early Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40645-025-00793-5","authors":["Taiyu Fujii","Shunpei Abe","Naoki HIRAKAWA","Kensei Kobayashi","Yoko Kebukawa"],"tags":["Meteorite","Prebiotic","Chemistry","Hydrothermal circulation","Aqueous solution"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40645-025-00793-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W7160533457","name":"Anhydrous minerals in asteroid Bennu: Evidence for well‐preserved primordial components","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Aqueously altered carbonaceous astromaterials are dominated by secondary minerals, but a minor fraction of primary, anhydrous silicates and oxides escape alteration, offering insight into the original composition of asteroid parent bodies. We report the mineralogy, petrology, mineral chemistry, and oxygen isotopes of anhydrous minerals—50 olivine grains, 12 pyroxene grains, two spinel grains, and one hibonite grain—in aqueously altered particles returned from asteroid Bennu by the OSIRIS‐REx mission. These primordial grains are heterogeneously distributed, being more abundant (up to a few area percent for olivine) in less aqueously altered clasts. Olivine is typically forsteritic (Fo 100 –Fo 93 ), but we found three fayalitic examples (Fo 80 –Fo 75 ). Of the pyroxenes, seven grains are enstatite (En 100 –En 94 ); two are enstatite with more Fe (En 83 and En 87 ); one is Fe‐rich, low‐Ca clinopyroxene; one is Mg‐rich, aluminous low‐Ca pyroxene; and one is high‐Al, Ca‐rich clinopyroxene. Chromium is present in olivine grains at high abundances (up to 1.3 wt% Cr 2 O 3 ), indicating that the grains have not experienced significant thermal metamorphism. The olivines fall into two clusters: one with 16 O‐rich compositions (δ 18 O = −43 to −51‰) typical of refractory inclusions in carbonaceous chondrites and one with comparatively 16 O‐poor compositions (δ 18 O = −11 to +7.5‰) more typical of chondrules. Pyroxenes all fall in the 16 O‐poor cluster (δ 18 O = −2.6 to +13.5‰). For both olivine and pyroxene, the more Fe‐rich examples are associated with heavier oxygen isotope compositions. One isolated spinel grain has an oxygen isotope composition typical of Ca‐Al–rich inclusions, whereas a spinel–hibonite object has an unusual oxygen isotope composition consistent with fractionated unknown nuclear (FUN) compositions. Together, our data suggest that Bennu's parent body accreted a population of finer grained (≤10 μm) silicate and oxide grains that as a population are distinct from the anhydrous minerals in most chondrite groups but comparable to those in CI chondrites. The Bennu samples, as well as those from asteroid Ryugu and CI chondrites, appear to have accreted from a distinct reservoir that may have been in the outer protoplanetary disk.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70151","authors":["S. S. Russell","I. A. Franchi","T. Salge","X. Zhao","Ross Jones","A. J. King","N. V. Almeida","P. F. Schofield","H. C. Bates","E. A. Cortes‐Calderon","N. Kawasaki","Y. Yurimoto"],"tags":["Enstatite","Olivine","Chondrite","Asteroid","Anhydrous"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70151","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2339157407","name":"Raman spectra of Martian glass analogues: A tool to approximate their chemical composition","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Raman spectrometers will form a key component of the analytical suite of future planetary rovers intended to investigate geological processes on Mars. In order to expand the applicability of these spectrometers and use them as analytical tools for the investigation of silicate glasses, a database correlating Raman spectra to glass composition is crucial. Here we investigate the effect of the chemical composition of reduced silicate glasses on their Raman spectra. A range of compositions was generated in a diffusion experiment between two distinct, iron‐rich end‐members (a basalt and a peralkaline rhyolite), which are representative of the anticipated compositions of Martian rocks. Our results show that for silica‐poor (depolymerized) compositions the band intensity increases dramatically in the regions between 550–780 cm−1 and 820–980 cm−1. On the other hand, Raman spectra regions between 250–550 cm−1 and 1000–1250 cm−1 are well developed in silica‐rich (highly polymerized) systems. Further, spectral intensity increases at ~965 cm−1 related to the high iron content of these glasses (~7–17 wt % of FeOtot). Based on the acquired Raman spectra and an ideal mixing equation between the two end‐members we present an empirical parameterization that enables the estimation of the chemical compositions of silicate glasses within this range. The model is validated using external samples for which chemical composition and Raman spectra were characterized independently. Applications of this model range from microanalysis of dry and hydrous silicate glasses (e.g., melt inclusions) to in situ field investigations and studies under extreme conditions such as extraterrestrial (i.e., Mars) and submarine volcanic environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2016je005010","authors":["Danilo Di Genova","S. Kolzenburg","Alessandro Vona","Magdalena Oryaëlle Chevrel","Kai‐Uwe Hess","Daniel R. Neuville","Werner Ertel‐Ingrisch","Cláudia Romano","Donald B. Dingwell"],"tags":["Raman spectroscopy","Silicate","Chemical composition","Mars Exploration Program","Analytical Chemistry (journal)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-04-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2016je005010","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W3163572428","name":"The “Water Problem”(sic), the Illusory Pond and Life’s Submarine Emergence—A Review","source":"openalex","abstract":"The assumption that there was a \"water problem\" at the emergence of life-that the Hadean Ocean was simply too wet and salty for life to have emerged in it-is here subjected to geological and experimental reality checks. The \"warm little pond\" that would take the place of the submarine alkaline vent theory (AVT), as recently extolled in the journal Nature, flies in the face of decades of geological, microbiological and evolutionary research and reasoning. To the present author, the evidence refuting the warm little pond scheme is overwhelming given the facts that (i) the early Earth was a water world, (ii) its all-enveloping ocean was never less than 4 km deep, (iii) there were no figurative \"Icelands\" or \"Hawaiis\", nor even an \"Ontong Java\" then because (iv) the solidifying magma ocean beneath was still too mushy to support such salient loadings on the oceanic crust. In place of the supposed warm little pond, we offer a well-protected mineral mound precipitated at a submarine alkaline vent as life's womb: in place of lipid membranes, we suggest peptides; we replace poisonous cyanide with ammonium and hydrazine; instead of deleterious radiation we have the appropriate life-giving redox and pH disequilibria; and in place of messy chemistry we offer the potential for life's emergence from the simplest of geochemically available molecules and ions focused at a submarine alkaline vent in the Hadean-specifically within the nano-confined flexible and redox active interlayer walls of the mixed-valent double layer oxyhydroxide mineral, fougerite/green rust comprising much of that mound.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life11050429","authors":["Michael J. Russell"],"tags":["Abiogenesis","Hadean","Hydrothermal vent","Submarine","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-05-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life11050429","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W4388851042","name":"The iron oxidation state of Ryugu samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Hayabusa2 mission sampled Ryugu, an asteroid that did not suffer extensive thermal metamorphism, and returned rocks to the Earth with no significant air exposure. It therefore offers a unique opportunity to study the redox state of carbonaceous Cb‐type asteroids and evaluate the overall redox state of the most primitive rocks of the solar system. An analytical framework was developed to investigate the iron mineralogy and valence state in extraterrestrial material at the micron scale by combining x‐ray diffraction, conventional Mössbauer (MS), and nuclear forward scattering (NFS) spectroscopies. An array of standard minerals was analyzed and cross‐calibrated between MS and NFS. Then, MS and NFS spectra on three Ryugu grains were collected at the bulk and the micron scales. In Ryugu samples, iron is essentially accommodated in magnetite, clay minerals (serpentine–smectite), and sulfides. Only a single set of Mössbauer parameters was necessary to account for the entire variability observed in MS and NFS spectra, at all spatial scales investigated. These parameters therefore make up a fully consistent iron mineralogical model for the Ryugu samples. As far as MS and NFS spectroscopies are concerned, Ryugu grains are overall similar to each other and share most of their mineralogical features with CI‐type chondrites. In detail however, no ferrihydrite is found in Ryugu particles even at the very sensitive scale of Mössbauer spectroscopy. The typical Fe 3+ /Fe tot of clay minerals is much lower than typical redox ratios measured in CI chondrites (Fe 3+ /Fe tot = 85%–90%). Furthermore, magnetite from Ryugu is stoichiometric with no significant maghemite component, whereas up to 12% of maghemite was previously identified in the Orgueil's so‐called magnetite. These differences suggest that most CI meteorites suffered terrestrial alteration and that the preterrestrial composition of these carbon‐rich samples was less oxidized than previously measured. However, it is not clear yet whether or not the parent bodies of CI chondrites were as reduced as Ryugu. Finally, the high spatial resolution of NFS allows to disentangle the redox state and the crystal chemistry of iron accommodated in serpentine and smectite. The most likely polytype of serpentine is lizardite, containing <35% of Fe 3+ , a fraction of which being tetrahedrally coordinated. Smectite is more oxidized (Fe 3+ /Fe tot > 65%) and mainly contains octahedral ferric iron. This finding implies that these clays formed from highly alkaline fluids and the spatial variability highlighted here may suggest a temporal evolution or a spatial variability of the nature of this fluid.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14098","authors":["Mathieu Roskosz","Pierre Beck","Jean‐Christophe Viennet","Tomoki Nakamura","Barbara Lavina","Michael Y. Hu","Jiyong Zhao","Esen E. Alp","Yoshio Takahashi","Tomoyo Morita","Kana Amano","Hisayoshi Yurimoto"],"tags":["Magnetite","Chondrite","Redox","Mineralogy","Ferrihydrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14098","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W7167366758","name":"The role of minerals in prebiotic evolution: Implications for identifying worlds with the potential for life’s origin","source":"openalex","abstract":"ABSTRACT Understanding the origin of life requires explaining how abiotic molecules transitioned into the first living systems within plausible geological settings. Increasing evidence suggests minerals as active participants in prebiotic evolution. By adsorbing and concentrating reactants, catalyzing key reactions, stabilizing intermediates, and providing protective microenvironments, minerals may have helped to overcome thermodynamic and kinetic barriers, thereby enabling a cascade of prebiotic reactions to proceed toward the earliest life. In this review, we synthesize current experimental and theoretical advances to examine the contributions of minerals across the successive stages of prebiotic chemistry, from the formation of simple precursors and biomolecular monomers to polymerization, compartmentalization, and protocell assembly. We propose that these processes were unlikely to have unfolded within a single environment because different prebiotic reactions imposed distinct physicochemical demands. Instead, prebiotic evolution probably proceeded through complementary reactions distributed among multiple geological settings, including hydrothermal vents, terrestrial hot springs, and potentially extraterrestrial niches, with intermediates being preserved and then transported across spatial and temporal geological scales to link otherwise disconnected evolutionary stages. Building on this view, we identify specific minerals capable of facilitating key reactions at different stages of prebiotic evolution and propose that their combined occurrence as characteristic mineral assemblages may provide mineralogical indicators for assessing a planet’s geological potential to support life’s emergence. This mineral-centered perspective complements conventional biosignature-based approaches in astrobiology, and highlights mineralogy as a powerful tool in the ongoing search for habitable worlds and life beyond Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fmre.2026.07.002","authors":["Houze Lu","Yan Li","Dehai Liang"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Identification (biology)","Biology","Ecology","Biological evolution"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fmre.2026.07.002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4416346583","name":"Nomenclature of the monazite supergroup minerals","source":"openalex","abstract":"The monazite supergroup minerals represent anhydrous phosphates, less frequently arsenates, silicates, and chromates with general formula ABX 4 , monoclinic symmetry, space group P2 1 /n (14), and Z = 4.The A site is occupied usually by REE (La 3+ to Gd 3+ ) and other large divalent to tetravalent cations (mainly Ca 2+ , Pb 2+ , Bi 3+ , Th 4+ , and U 4+ ) in nine-fold coordination.The B-site is filled with cations in tetrahedral coordination (mainly P 5+ and As 5+ , in specific cases also Si 4+ , Cr 6+ and other cations).The anionic X site is usually occupied by O 2-but may be","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/mgm.2025.10178","authors":["Pavel Uher","Frédéric Hatert","Martin Ondrejka","Peter Bačík","Jiří Sejkora","Radek Škoda","Martin Števko"],"tags":["Monazite","Supergroup","Monoclinic crystal system","Anhydrous","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1180/mgm.2025.10178","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W4410695898","name":"Effects of Subduction Fluids and Fractional Crystallization on the Magnetic Minerals Formation in the Back‐Arc Basin","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract (Titano)magnetite is the major magnetic carrier in igneous rocks, whether it can decode the influence of subduction fluids and fractional crystallization characteristics in back‐arc basins is unclear. Here, we performed petrographic and magnetic analyses on volcanic samples from the Okinawa Trough, with titanomagnetite as the dominant magnetic mineral. Results show that the Curie temperature of Ti‐rich titanomagnetites (T c TM‐R ) not only has the potential to identify the influence of subduction fluids in back‐arc basins but also can be used to differentiate basalts and basaltic andesites that have been formed in different geologic settings. Additionally, the magnetic domain state ranges from single domain to multi‐domain as the fractional crystallization proceeds. Our study illustrates that magnetic properties of titanomagnetite are potential tracers for subduction fluids and fractional crystallization, which is of referential significance for research on relatively scarce samples from subduction zones and even extraterrestrial bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2025gl115006","authors":["Jie Xu","Zhaoxia Jiang","Xia Zhang","Sanzhong Li","Xiyao Li","Long Chen","Haonan Song","Yuying Chen","Yuzhen Zhang","Zehua Guo","Kun Guo","Qingsong Liu"],"tags":["Subduction","Geology","Fractional crystallization (geology)","Crystallization","Arc (geometry)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2025gl115006","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W4381597474","name":"Microbial applications for sustainable space exploration beyond low Earth orbit","source":"europepmc","abstract":"With the construction of the International Space Station, humans have been continuously living and working in space for 22 years. Microbial studies in space and other extreme environments on Earth have shown the ability for bacteria and fungi to adapt and change compared to \"normal\" conditions. Some of these changes, like biofilm formation, can impact astronaut health and spacecraft integrity in a negative way, while others, such as a propensity for plastic degradation, can promote self-sufficiency and sustainability in space. With the next era of space exploration upon us, which will see crewed missions to the Moon and Mars in the next 10 years, incorporating microbiology research into planning, decision-making, and mission design will be paramount to ensuring success of these long-duration missions. These can include astronaut microbiome studies to protect against infections, immune system dysfunction and bone deterioration, or biological in situ resource utilization (bISRU) studies that incorporate microbes to act as radiation shields, create electricity and establish robust plant habitats for fresh food and recycling of waste. In this review, information will be presented on the beneficial use of microbes in bioregenerative life support systems, their applicability to bISRU, and their capability to be genetically engineered for biotechnological space applications. In addition, we discuss the negative effect microbes and microbial communities may have on long-duration space travel and provide mitigation strategies to reduce their impact. Utilizing the benefits of microbes, while understanding their limitations, will help us explore deeper into space and develop sustainable human habitats on the Moon, Mars and beyond.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-023-00285-0","authors":["Allison P. Koehle","Stephanie L. Brumwell","Emily Seto","Anne M. Lynch","Camilla Urbaniak"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Low earth orbit","Orbit (dynamics)","Earth (classical element)","Space (punctuation)"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-023-00285-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"oa:W4412601457","name":"Photodegradation of the biomarker L-histidine induced by edge sites of a clay mineral in the Martian harsh UV environment","source":"openalex","abstract":"Clay minerals are thought to play a crucial role in preserving organics on Mars due to their high surface area and expandable interlayers, ideal for adsorbing and intercalating organic molecules. Our study simulated the adsorption of L-histidine, an amino acid potentially diagnostic of life, on the clay mineral saponite, in a slightly acidic aqueous environment as possibly present on Mars during the Hesperian era, followed by a desiccation event and then high UV irradiation typical of the subsequent Amazonian era. For comparison, the same experiments were performed also at alkaline pH. X-Ray Diffraction and Infrared and Deep Ultraviolet Raman and fluorescence spectroscopies were used to characterize the mineral-molecule interactions, indicating that molecules are partly intercalated in the interlayers of saponite at acidic pH and partly co-precipitated with saponite at alkaline pH, while the remainder is adsorbed on lateral edges in both cases. Surprisingly, UV irradiation experiments revealed faster degradation of L-histidine when adsorbed on saponite compared to its pure form at both pHs, suggesting a photocatalytic behaviour of this nano-sized clay mineral, driven by active surface edge sites, despite potential shielding by interlayer sites for the part of L-histidine molecules intercalated in the interlayers at acidic pH. Degradation/alteration of L-histidine adsorbed on saponite occurs in a few hours under Martian UV flux, suggesting that photocatalysis induced by active surface edge sites of clays might have contributed to the depletion of organics in clays at the highly UV-irradiated surface of Mars on very short timescales.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2025.116757","authors":["Cristina García‐Florentino","Andrew Alberini","Sole Biancalani","Ophélie McIntosh","J. R. Brucato","Juan Manuel Madariaga","Maguy Jaber","Teresa Fornaro"],"tags":["Martian","Photodegradation","Environmental chemistry","Astrobiology","Biomarker"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2025.116757","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W7136295414","name":"A complete set of canonical nucleobases in the carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Organic molecules delivered from extraterrestrial materials may have played a key role in supplying building blocks for life on Earth. Here we report all five canonical nucleobases—purines (adenine and guanine) and pyrimidines (cytosine, thymine and uracil)—in samples returned from the C-type asteroid (162173) Ryugu by JAXA’s Hayabusa2 mission and compare the results with data from similar extraterrestrial material. Ryugu samples contain nearly equal amounts of purines and pyrimidines, whereas Murchison is enriched in purines and Bennu and Orgueil in pyrimidines. Samples from Ryugu, Bennu and Orgueil, which have a similar mineralogy and elemental composition, show purine-to-pyrimidine ratios negatively correlating with ammonia. These observations indicate that the nucleobases in these samples may have formed via a shared pathway depending on the physicochemical environment of the respective parent bodies. The detection of diverse nucleobases in asteroid and meteorite materials demonstrates their widespread presence throughout the Solar System and reinforces the hypothesis that carbonaceous asteroids contributed to the prebiotic chemical inventory of early Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-026-02791-z","authors":["Toshiki Koga","Yasuhiro Oba","Yoshinori Takano","Hiroshi Naraoka","Nanako O. Ogawa","Kazunori Sasaki","Hajime Sato","Toshihiro Yoshimura","Naohiko Ohkouchi"],"tags":["Murchison meteorite","Asteroid","Nucleobase","Meteorite","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-026-02791-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4416684791","name":"Towards advanced mineral identification for future space mining applications employing LIBS and machine learning","source":"openalex","abstract":"Overview of LIBS-based mineral analysis for planetary resource exploration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5ja00377f","authors":["Homa Saeidfirozeh","Ashwin Kumar Myakalwar","Pavlína Šeborová","Ján Žabka","Bernd Abel","Petr Kubelík","Martin Ferus"],"tags":["Identification (biology)","Mineral","Mineral resource classification","Artificial intelligence","Machine learning"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5ja00377f","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W4243268099","name":"Life beyond Earth","source":"openalex","abstract":"What is life and where can it exist? What searches are being made to identify conditions for life on other worlds? If extraterrestrial inhabited worlds are found, how can we explore them? In this book, two leading astrophysicists provide an engaging account of where we stand in our quest for habitable environments, in the Solar System and beyond. Starting from basic concepts, the narrative builds scientifically, including more in-depth material as boxed additions to the main text. The authors recount fascinating recent discoveries from space missions and observations using ground-based telescopes, of possible life-related artefacts in Martian meteorites, extrasolar planets, and subsurface oceans on Europa, Titan and Enceladus. They also provide a forward look to future missions. This is an exciting, informative read for anyone interested in the search for habitable and inhabited planets, and an excellent primer for students in astrobiology, habitability, planetary science and astronomy.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781139206921","authors":["A. Coustenis","Thérèse Encrenaz"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Habitability","Extraterrestrial life","Martian","Exoplanet"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-09-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781139206921","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W2013452264","name":"Low delta-V near-Earth asteroids: A survey of suitable targets for space missions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Context. In the past decades near-Earth objects (NEOs) have become very important targets to study, since they can give us clues to the formation, evolution, and composition of the solar system. In addition, they may represent either a threat to humankind or a repository of extraterrestrial resources for suitable space-borne missions. Within this framework, the choice of next-generation mission targets and the characterisation of a potential threat to our planet deserve special attention.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201322283","authors":["Simone Ieva","E. Dotto","D. Perna","Maria Antonella Barucci","Fabrizio Bernardi","S. Fornasier","F. De Luise","E. Perozzi","A. Rossi","J. R. Brucato"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Asteroid","Solar System","Extraterrestrial life","Context (archaeology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-07-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201322283","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W2208870936","name":"Hydrothermal Conditions and the Origin of Cellular Life","source":"openalex","abstract":"The conditions and properties of hydrothermal vents and hydrothermal fields are compared in terms of their ability to support processes related to the origin of life. The two sites can be considered as alternative hypotheses, and from this comparison we propose a series of experimental tests to distinguish between them, focusing on those that involve concentration of solutes, self-assembly of membranous compartments, and synthesis of polymers. Key Word: Hydrothermal systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2015.1338","authors":["David W. Deamer","Christos D. Georgiou"],"tags":["Hydrothermal circulation","Abiogenesis","Hydrothermal vent","Key (lock)","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2015.1338","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W1994033458","name":"Selective release of D and 13C from insoluble organic matter of the Murchison meteorite by impact shock","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— We performed shock‐recovery experiments on insoluble organic matter (IOM) purified from the Murchison meteorite, and determined the abundances and isotope ratios of hydrogen and carbon in the shocked IOM sample. We also performed shock experiments on type III kerogen and compared the results of these experiments with the experimental results regarding IOM. The shock selectively released D and 13C from the IOM, while it preferably released H and 12C from the kerogen. The release of these elements from IOM cannot be explained in terms of the isotope effect, whereas their release from kerogen can be explained by this effect. The selective release of heavier isotopes from IOM would be due to its structure, in which D and 13C‐enriched parts are present as an inhomogeneity and are weakly attached to the main network. Shock gave rise to a high release of D even at a lower degree of dehydrogenation compared with the stepwise heating of IOM. This effective release of D is probably an inherent result of shock, in which a dynamic high‐pressure and high‐temperature condition prevails. Thus, shock would effectively control the hydrogen isotope behavior of extraterrestrial organic matter during the evolution of the solar nebula.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb00238.x","authors":["Koichi Mimura","Michioki Okamoto","Kenichiro Sugitani","S Hashimoto"],"tags":["Murchison meteorite","Meteorite","Chondrite","Kerogen","Parent body"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb00238.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W4317634161","name":"Micromechanics-based Modeling of Mechanical Properties of Tricalcium Silicate Processed under Microgravity","source":"openalex","abstract":"View Video Presentation: https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2023-2025.vid To realize large-scale habitats in extraterrestrial bodies, cement-like binders may be utilized along with in-situ materials such as lunar regolith. The hydration and morphology of cementitious systems formed in microgravity are not well understood. Previously, the size and morphology of a common cement binder was formed by hydration in the microgravity environment (10^-6 or µg) aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Upon return to the ground, their micro-structures, including phase size and distribution, were visually inspected using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), in comparison with those of the samples hydrated on the ground in terrestrial gravity (1g). The sample hydrated in the µg environment showed larger porosity and larger calcium hydroxide (CH) crystals; air bubbles are trapped due to the lack of buoyancy, and CH crystals grew to fill in those pores. While the microstructures are well documented, their mechanical characterization has been a challenge due to size limitations and high porosity. Thus, in this study, such mechanical properties will be estimated using micromechanics-based modeling with the NASA Multiscale Analysis Tool (NASMAT). Micromechanics-based modeling requires 3D Repeating Unit Cell (RUCs) when used with highly porous samples. Representative 3D volumes for modeling are being constructed from the backscattered SEM images of the samples, available on NASA’s Physical Sciences Informatics database, using a deep learning-based sub-volume reconstruction. This reconstruction method successfully captured the unique microstructural development (phase composition and morphology) of high water-to-cement ratio tricalcium silicate (C3S) paste, which is the main mineral component of commercial Portland cement. The reconstructed volume was compared with a micro-CT scan of the samples. The reconstructed sub-volumes are then utilized as RUC in the NASMAT code. The workflow presented here can be applied to other multi-phase materials, beyond the space cement.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2023-2025","authors":["Vishnu Saseendran","Namiko Yamamoto","Peter J. Collins","Aleksandra Radlińska","Evan J. Pineda","Brett A. Bednarcyk"],"tags":["Micromechanics","Materials science","Porosity","Cementitious","Composite material"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2023-2025","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W2152591015","name":"Micrometeorite flux on Earth during the last ~50,000 years","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Flux of micrometeorites is estimated by using cosmic spherule counts from a seafloor area of 2.50 m2 from the Indian Ocean. The spherules are recovered from sediment samples in close‐spaced locations from the Indian Ocean after sieving 293 kg of sediment. The terrestrial age of the spherules has a range of 0–~50,000 years. The spherules have a size range of 57–750 µm (average size 265 ± 92 µm). The diameter of the spherules increases from scoriaceous‐barred‐cryptocrystalline‐glassy types. The time‐averaged flux of the spherules is 160 t/yr, a sizeable mass (>60%) resides in the >300 µm fraction; the slope of distribution is similar to that of Deep‐Sea Spherules but significantly different from other collections which have lower average diameters. It is observed here, a significant population of cosmic dust resides in the larger sizes which can be recovered by sampling large areas in time and space. The spherule textures are similar to that of unbiased collections from the polar regions, indicating that the textural types of cosmic dust that have been raining on the Earth during the last 50 kyr have been constant regardless of size. Major element chemistry of a majority of the spherules show elemental ratios that are close to a CM or CI chondritic parent body; a single spherule (0.2% of the population) suggests an achondritic parent body. Unbiased collections spanning large areas temporally and spatially enlarge the inventory of the Earth‐crossing meteoroid complex and provide valuable inputs for models on cosmic dust accretion.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2013je004460","authors":["M. Shyam Prasad","N. G. Rudraswami","Dipak K. Panda"],"tags":["Meteorite","Flux (metallurgy)","Meteoroid","Seafloor spreading","Sediment"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-10-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2013je004460","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W3135588208","name":"A systematic review and analysis of the viability of 3D-printed construction in remote environments","source":"openalex","abstract":"3D-printed construction is an additive, layer-by-layer construction method with the potential to reduce material consumption, optimize design, decrease construction time, lower labor requirements, minimize logistical demand, improve sustainability, and reduce costs as compared to conventional construction. This paper presents the results of a systematic review of 4491 publications spanning from 1998 through 2019. The review presents the viability of 3D-printed construction as a replacement for conventional construction methods, specifically in remote, isolated, or expeditionary environments, where conventional construction capability may be limited. The paper includes an analysis and characterization of the existing body of 3D-printed construction literature before evaluating seven viability factors of the method: materials, structural design, process efficiency, logistics, labor, environmental impact, and cost. In addition, the paper highlights three case studies of 3D-printed construction in remote, isolated, and expeditionary environments. The paper concludes by suggesting areas of future research to ensure the viability of this technology, such as printing full-scale structures and components with locally sourced materials in uncontrolled environments, defining standards for 3D printing, automating additional construction processes, and performing both environmental impact and cost life-cycle analyses. With continued investment in research and development, 3D printing could become a more viable and accepted method of construction, transforming the way the industry is managed in remote, isolated, and expeditionary environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2021.103642","authors":["Steven Schuldt","Jeneé A. Jagoda","Andrew J. Hoisington","Justin D. Delorit"],"tags":["3d printed","3D printing","Sustainability","Process (computing)","Investment (military)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-03-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2021.103642","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406614288","name":"Metasomatic Alteration of Type 3 Ordinary and Carbonaceous Chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Metasomatism refers to the process during which a pre-existing rock undergoes compositional and mineralogical transformations associated with chemical reactions triggered by the reaction of fluids which invade the protolith. It changes chemical compositions of minerals, promotes their dissolution and precipitation of new minerals. In this paper, we review metasomatic alteration of type 3 ordinary (H, L, LL) and carbonaceous (CV, CO, CK) chondrites, including ( i ) secondary mineralization, ( ii ) physicochemical conditions, ( iii ) chronology ( 53 Mn- 53 Cr, 26 Al- 26 Mg, 129 I- 129 Xe) of metasomatic alteration, ( iv ) records of metasomatic alteration in H, O, N, C, S, and Cl isotopic systematics, ( v ) effects of metasomatic alteration on O- and Al-Mg-isotope systematics of primary minerals in chondrules and refractory inclusions, and ( vi ) sources of water ices in metasomatically altered CV, CO, and ordinary chondrites, and outline future studies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-025-01135-z","authors":["Alexander N. Krot","M. I. Petaev","Laurette Piani","Yves Marrocchi","Wataru Fujiya","O. V. Pravdivtseva","E. Dobrică","Lionel G. Vacher","A. J. King","M. Lee","Elishevah van Kooten","Ben Jacobsen"],"tags":["Chondrite","Metasomatism","Astrobiology","Planetary science","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-025-01135-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W1744286982","name":"A systematic mapping procedure based on the Modified Gaussian Model to characterize magmatic units from olivine/pyroxenes mixtures: Application to the Syrtis Major volcanic shield on Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Clenet et al. (2011) have developed an adapted version of the Modified Gaussian Model (MGM). The improvements allow the characterization of spectra of olivine‐pyroxene(s) mixtures, addressing both modal composition and individual minerals chemical composition. This version of MGM is fully automated and operational with large amounts of hyperspectral imaging data. Two natural cases are considered. The first one is the Sumail massif in the Oman ophiolite (Earth). Based on our approach applied to HyMap data, two contrasted lithologic units are mapped: the mantle, which is harzburgite dominated, and the crust made of gabbros and clinopyroxene‐rich cumulates, with spectral variations interpreted in terms of pyroxenes chemical compositions. Once this new MGM mapping approach has been validated on a controlled natural situation, we map the distribution of mafic assemblages across the Syrtis Major volcano on Mars using a visible and near‐infrared (VNIR) ‐ short wave infrared (SWIR) Observatoire pour la minéralogie, l'eau, les glaces et l'activité (OMEGA) / Mars Express (MEx) mosaic. Our results are in agreement with previous work but olivine appears to be more abundant than previously estimated in the central part of the volcanic edifice, especially in ternary mafic assemblages (augite, olivine, enstatite). Based on these results, we propose a possible scenario for the igneous (and thus thermal) evolution of the Syrtis Major region. Surrounding terrains have formed first and local heterogeneity can be observed between northern and southern areas of the Noachian crust. We also observe variations in the mineral assemblages within Syrtis Major lavas, which can be interpreted in terms of differentiation from a common parent melt and/or of a progressive evolution of the mantle source composition and temperature.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jgre.20112","authors":["H. Clénet","P. Pinet","Georges Ceuleneer","Y. Daydou","F. Heuripeau","C. Rosemberg","Jean‐Pierre Bibring","G. Bellucci","Francesca Altieri","B. Gondet"],"tags":["Geology","Olivine","Mafic","Enstatite","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-07-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jgre.20112","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W2996665395","name":"The Emergence of Life","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The aim of this article is to provide the reader with an overview of the different possible scenarios for the emergence of life, to critically assess them and, according to the conclusions we reach, to analyze whether similar processes could have been conducive to independent origins of life on the several icy moons of the Solar System. Instead of directly proposing a concrete and unequivocal cradle of life on Earth, we focus on describing the different requirements that are arguably needed for the transition between non-life to life. We approach this topic from geological, biological, and chemical perspectives with the aim of providing answers in an integrative manner. We reflect upon the most prominent origins hypotheses and assess whether they match the aforementioned abiogenic requirements. Based on the conclusions extracted, we address whether the conditions for abiogenesis are/were met in any of the oceanic icy moons.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-019-0624-8","authors":["Eloi Camprubí","J.W. de Leeuw","Christopher H. House","F. Raulin","Michael J. Russell","Anja Spang","Madhan R. Tirumalai","Francès Westall"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Abiogenic petroleum origin","Abiogenesis","Focus (optics)","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-019-0624-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W2386417633","name":"Frontier In-Situ Resource Utilization for Enabling Sustained Human Presence on Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"The currently known resources on Mars are massive, including extensive quantities of water and carbon dioxide and therefore carbon, hydrogen and oxygen for life support, fuels and plastics and much else. The regolith is replete with all manner of minerals. In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) applicable frontier technologies include robotics, machine intelligence, nanotechnology, synthetic biology, 3-D printing/additive manufacturing and autonomy. These technologies combined with the vast natural resources should enable serious, pre- and post-human arrival ISRU to greatly increase reliability and safety and reduce cost for human colonization of Mars. Various system-level transportation concepts employing Mars produced fuel would enable Mars resources to evolve into a primary center of trade for the inner solar system for eventually nearly everything required for space faring and colonization. Mars resources and their exploitation via extensive ISRU are the key to a viable, safe and affordable, human presence beyond Earth. The purpose of this paper is four-fold: 1) to highlight the latest discoveries of water, minerals, and other materials on Mars that reshape our thinking about the value and capabilities of Mars ISRU; 2) to summarize the previous literature on Mars ISRU processes, equipment, and approaches; 3) to point to frontier ISRU technologies and approaches that can lead to safe and affordable human missions to Mars; and 4) to suggest an implementation strategy whereby the ISRU elements are phased into the mission campaign over time to enable a sustainable and increasing human presence on Mars.","url":"https://openalex.org/W2386417633","authors":["Robert W. Moses","Dennis M. Bushnell"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Exploration of Mars","Engineering","Astrobiology","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-04-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W4285404903","name":"Heterogeneous nature of the carbonaceous chondrite breccia Aguas Zarcas – Cosmochemical characterization and origin of new carbonaceous chondrite lithologies","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2022.07.010","authors":["I. Kerraouch","Yoko Kebukawa","A. Bischoff","M. E. Zolensky","Elias Wölfer","Jan L. Hellmann","Motoo Ito","A. J. King","M. Trieloff","Jean‐Alix Barrat","Phillipe Schmitt-Kopplin","Andreas Pack"],"tags":["Lithology","Meteorite","Geology","Chondrite","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2022.07.010","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402284604","name":"A review of space ore prospecting: a new direction for exploring mineral resources","source":"openalex","abstract":"Space ore prospecting, as an emerging direction in mineral resource exploration, not only serves as a crucial approach to alleviating the crisis of depletion of Earth’s non-renewable resources but also provides the material foundation for sustainable deep space exploration by humanity. It has become a significant objective of deep space exploration activities for multiple countries. Based on the experience of terrestrial mineral exploration and the achievements of space exploration, humanity’s understanding of space ore prospecting has made numerous important advancements. However, space ore prospecting is still in its nascent stage, and future efforts need to focus on enhancing the fundamental theories and engineering technologies of space ore prospecting to improve exploration efficiency and reduce costs. This paper reviews the historical development and current status of international space ore prospecting, identifies regions and targets that should be prioritized or focused on in future space ore prospecting efforts, and discusses the challenges and opportunities faced by space ore prospecting, with the aim of promoting the sustainable development and utilization of space mineral resources.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3724/j.issn.1007-2802.20240109","authors":["Xiulang Pu","Yu-hong YANG","Yun LIU"],"tags":["Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3724/j.issn.1007-2802.20240109","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W4414020852","name":"Possible Approaches for the Origin of Life in Hot Mineral Water in Primary Hydrosphere","source":"openalex","abstract":"Background: Protostructure emerges under corona discharge as ions and water molecules self-organize into stable formation. With 45.6 % density relative to living cells, this structure represents a primitive stage of biochemical evolution. Their formation follows Prigogine’s principle of entropy reduction, illustrating the potential role of early Earth’s reducing atmosphere and mineral surfaces in catalyzing the origin of complex biochemical systems.Methods: Using hot mineral water from Rupite, Bulgaria, we conducted experiments involving corona electric discharge (1–30 kHz, 12 kV) to simulate prebiotic conditions. Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was employed to analyze the water's inorganic and organic composition. Additionally, we assessed the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) and measured changes in physicochemical parameters under controlled conditions.Results: The protostructure was created in laboratory conditions in hot mineral water under corona electric discharge. Self-organization estimation using Prigogine’s principle marks an early stage of biochemical evolution, emphasizing the role of the primordial atmosphere and hydrosphere in life's origin. The structure density was 45.6% of that of living cells. We quantitatively estimated the results of Miller’s and Wilson’s experiments. The biochemical reactions were described with the compounds as methane, ammonia, etc.Conclusion: The findings support the hypothesis that hot mineral water in the primary hydrosphere, enriched with ions, exposed to electric discharge in the primary atmosphere, and with contact medium with the hydrosphere, providing optimal conditions for synthesizing organic compounds and forming protostructures. These results reinforce the concept of geothermal systems of life and highlight the significance of mineral water’s physicochemical properties in fostering prebiotic chemistry.Keywords: Origin of life; Hot mineral water; Electric discharge; Protostructure","url":"https://doi.org/10.62940/als.v12i2.3636","authors":["Ignat Ignatov","Teodora P. Popova"],"tags":["Hydrosphere","Mineral water","Mineral","Environmental science","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.62940/als.v12i2.3636","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W4383740116","name":"Mechanics, Modeling, and Upscaling of Biocemented Soils: A Review of Breakthroughs and Challenges","source":"openalex","abstract":"Biogeotechnical research has inspired revolutionary ideas to claim the status of a distinctive branch of geotechnical engineering. Most notably, underground carbonate mineralization, most commonly referred to as microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP), has been seen as a promising solution to mitigate multiple problems, most notably increasing the bearing capacity of soils, slope stabilization, liquefaction mitigation, and erosion protection. To date, it is fair to say that MICP has moved past the proof-of-concept phase and is growing in terms of technology readiness. In this work, a comprehensive review is provided, ranging from MICP’s core fundamentals to recent breakthroughs and milestones, specifically targeting three core axes, namely, the achieved mechanical performance, modeling approaches, and upscaling considerations. From the return of experience in over two decades of research and considering the most recent opportunities and challenges, this review covers more than 150 articles published after 2019, introduces a synthesis of the trends in mechanical performance captured for biocemented materials, and concludes with a holistic overview of the future prospects of biocementation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1061/ijgnai.gmeng-8446","authors":["Ray Harran","Dimitrios Terzis","Lyesse Laloui"],"tags":["Work (physics)","Engineering","Environmental science","Construction engineering","Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1061/ijgnai.gmeng-8446","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W4412478623","name":"Inherent lunar water enabled photothermal CO2 catalysis","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2025.102006","authors":["Junchuan Sun","Wanguo Gao","Xue Ding","Zhe Lu","Huaiguang Li","Mingjian Zhang","Wenguang Tu","Zhongxin Chen","Yong Zhou","Wei Yao","Wenlei Wu","Yingfang Yao"],"tags":["Photothermal therapy","Astrobiology","Nanotechnology","Materials science","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2025.102006","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411942384","name":"The first meteoritic ammonium mineral: Discovery of boussingaultite in the Orgueil CI1 carbonaceous chondrite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The enigma of ammonium mineral speciation in the solar system has no proven solution due to the lack of data on the real minerals serving as space ammonium carriers. We herein report on the discovery of the first ammonium mineral in meteoritic substance and show its relevance to compositional and spectral characteristics ascribed to hypothetical ammonium phases in cometary and asteroidal bodies. Chemically distant from previously inferred volatile organics or ammoniated phyllosilicates, the mineral is an aqueous metal-ammonium sulfate related to the picromerite group—a family of so-called Tutton’s salts. Nickeloan boussingaultite, (NH4)2(Mg,Ni)(SO4)2·6H2O, was discovered in Orgueil, a primitive carbonaceous chondrite closely related to (162173) Ryugu and (101955) Bennu, the C-type asteroids. The available spectroscopic, chemical, and mineralogical data signify that natural sulfates related to boussingaultite-nickelboussingaultite series perfectly fit into the role of bound ammonia carriers under conditions of cometary nuclei and carbonaceous asteroids. The potential technogenic contamination of astromaterial samples and the difficulties in electron microprobe determination of ammonium are discussed in the context of recently published reports on the discovery of lunar and asteroidal ammonium-containing minerals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2025-9851","authors":["Sergey N. Britvin","Oleg S. Vereshchagin","Natalia S. Vlasenko","Maria G. Krzhizhanovskaya","M. A. Ivanova","Irina Volkova"],"tags":["Carbonaceous chondrite","Chondrite","Meteorite","Ordinary chondrite","Mineral"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2025-9851","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4415031913","name":"Determine the Elemental Composition of Minerals From Complex Solid‐Solution Series by Raman Spectroscopy: Implications for Mars Exploration Missions","source":"openalex","abstract":"ABSTRACT Garnets are minerals offering valuable insights into geological and planetary processes, in both terrestrial and extraterrestrial contexts. Their presence in metamorphic rocks, as well as in meteorites, makes them key indicators of the conditions under which they formed, such as pressure, temperature, and chemical environment. This information is valuable for understanding the history and evolution of planetary bodies, including Earth and Mars. Developing automatic classification models for garnets using Raman spectroscopy has a potential application for planetary exploration, particularly for the Raman Laser Spectrometer (RLS) on the Rosalind Franklin rover of the upcoming ExoMars mission. In this work, we used a dataset combining spectra from ADAMM and RRUFF databases, ensuring a well‐distributed representation of the two main garnet groups: pyralspites and ugrandites. The spectra from ADAMM were obtained using the RLS SIM, a laboratory version of RLS, while RRUFF data helped increase the number of samples in the dataset. After standardizing all data, we designed a two‐step classification model: a top‐level model to classify into the two main groups and two specific models to classify the garnet type within each group. We tested multiple machine learning algorithms, including support vector machine (SVM), k‐nearest neighbors (KNN), artificial neural networks (ANN), decision tree, and naive Bayes. The top‐level classification reached 100% accuracy in testing, while the final combined model achieved 80.42% accuracy. These results demonstrate that machine learning and Raman spectroscopy can effectively classify garnets, providing a valuable tool for planetary missions and mineralogical studies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.70055","authors":["Sofía Julve‐Gonzalez","J. A. Manrique","Marco Veneranda","Pilar Renedo","Paula Xiaozhen Vega","Iván Reyes‐Rodríguez","María Asunción Martínez Mayoral","Sergio Jiménez","Lidia Asenjo","Aurelio Sanz‐Arranz","Elena Charro Huerga","Jaime Delgado Iglesias"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Raman spectroscopy","Support vector machine","Exploration of Mars","Planetary science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.70055","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W2903102619","name":"A Spectral Comparison of Jarosites Using Techniques Relevant to the Robotic Exploration of Biosignatures on Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"The acidic sulfate-rich waters of the Meridiani Planum region were potentially a habitable environment for iron-oxidizing bacteria on ancient Mars. If life existed in this ancient martian environment, jarosite minerals precipitating in these waters may record evidence of this biological activity. Since the Meridiani jarosite is thermodynamically stable at the martian surface, any biosignatures preserved in the jarosites may be readily available for analysis in the current surface sediments during the ongoing robotic exploration of Mars. However, thermal decomposition experiments indicate that organic compound detection of sediments containing jarosite may be challenging when using pyrolysis experiments; the instrument commonly used to assess organic matter in martian samples. So, here, we assess if the biogenicity of the Meridiani-type jarosites can be determined using complimentary spectroscopic techniques also utilized during the robotic exploration of Mars, including the upcoming ExoMars2020 rover mission. An abiotic jarosite, synthesized following established protocols, and a biological jarosite counterpart, derived from a microbial enrichment culture of Rio Tinto river sediments, were used to compare four spectroscopy techniques employed in the robotic exploration of Mars (Raman spectroscopy, mid-infrared (IR) spectroscopy, visible near-infrared reflectance (VNIR) spectroscopy and Mössbauer spectroscopy) to determine if the complimentary information obtained using these instruments can help elucidate the biological influence of Meridiani-type jarosites. Raman spectral differences might be due to the presence of unreacted reagents in the synthetic spectra and not biological contributions. Reflectance (IR/VNIR) spectra might exhibit minor organic absorption contributions, but are observed in both sample spectra, and do not represent a biosignature. Mössbauer spectra show minor differences in fit parameters that are related to crystal morphology and are unrelated to the biological (i.e., organic) component of the system. Results of this study suggest that the identification of biosignatures in Meridiani-type jarosites using the in situ robotic exploration on Mars may be possible but will be challenging. Our work provides additional insight into extraterrestrial biosignature detection and data interpretation for Mars exploration and indicates that sample return missions are likely required to unequivocally resolve the possible biogenicity of the Meridiani sediments or other jarosite-containing sediments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life8040061","authors":["Liane Loiselle","M. A. McCraig","M. D. Dyar","Richard Léveillé","S. R. Shieh","Gordon Southam"],"tags":["Jarosite","VNIR","Astrobiology","Mars Exploration Program","Martian"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-12-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life8040061","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W4416291133","name":"The role of extremophile microbiomes in terraforming Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Terraforming Mars toward sustainable life-supporting ecosystems poses unprecedented challenges. Extremophilic microbes, which thrive in Earth's most extreme environments, offer promising biological strategies for initial Mars colonization providing tools for resource mobilization and atmospheric engineering. This review synthesizes experimental evidence on microbial survival Mars-simulated conditions, highlights the ecological roles of extremophilic microbial consortia in biogeochemical cycling. We further discuss cutting-edge synthetic biology approaches to enhance microbial resilience. Yet, we emphasize the need to shift focus from single-species assessments to complex, synergistically interacting microbial communities, which may hold the key to establishing self-sustaining extraterrestrial biospheres. Finally, we consider planetary protection, ethical concerns, and future research priorities to responsibly perform Mars terraforming.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08973-1","authors":["Claudia Coleine","Manuel Delgado‐Baquerizo","Alexandre Soares Rosado","Andrea Zerboni"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Extremophile","Astrobiology","Microbiome","Ecology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08973-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W2160341408","name":"Resource constraints in a hydrogen economy based on renewable energy sources: An exploration","source":"openalex","abstract":"In order to tackle climate change, a transition to a renewable based energy system is crucial. A renewable based hydrogen economy is one of the possible implementations of such a system. The world receives ample energy from the sun that can be harvested by PV solar cells and, indirectly, by wind turbines. In order to use the most optimal locations for collecting and concentrating energy from these diffuse sources, a long distance transmission network is needed. Mature and semi-mature technologies are available for all parts of the system: from collection to transmission to end-use. In an early stage of development, when new technologies have to win market share from the existing energy system, their development is driven almost exclusively by the reduction of costs per J delivered. However, if a technology should be able to deliver tens to hundreds of EJ, resource constraints can become show stoppers. Many of the newest, most cost-efficient, energy technologies make use of scarce resources and, although they may play an important role in the transition process, they can not be scaled up the level we need for a complete transition. In most cases however other technologies are available that use more abundant materials, be it often at a cost of efficiency. The issue is not only with scarce resources. The sheer size of the energy transition will also challenge the industrial capacity for the mining and production of bulk materials like steel and copper.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2010.07.066","authors":["René Kleijn","Ester van der Voet"],"tags":["Renewable energy","Resource (disambiguation)","Environmental economics","Emerging technologies","Implementation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-08-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2010.07.066","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411218227","name":"Data Process of Net-Zero Revolution for Transforming Earth and Beyond Sustainably","source":"openalex","abstract":"This research examines the strategic integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into global net-zero emissions strategies, with a focus on both terrestrial and extraterrestrial sustainability. The objectives include quantifying AI’s impact on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, improving energy efficiency, and optimizing resource utilization, a particularly critical but underexplored domain. A mixed-methods approach was employed, comprising a systematic literature review, a meta-analysis of quantitative data, and case study evaluations. Advanced mathematical models, including logistic growth and optimization equations, were applied to predict trends and assess the effectiveness of AI. The results reveal that AI-driven innovations achieve emissions reductions of 15–30% across energy, transportation, and manufacturing sectors, with predictive maintenance optimizing energy utilization by 20% and extending equipment lifespans. AI-enabled smart grids improved energy efficiency by 26.7%, surpassing the 20% benchmark in prior studies. Specific applications include optimized fuel usage and predictive modeling, which can cut emissions by up to 20%. Quantitative data demonstrated significant cost savings of 20% across sectors. Statistical tests confirmed results with p-values < 0.05, indicating strong significance. This study underscores AI’s transformative potential in achieving net-zero goals by extending sustainability frameworks. It provides actionable insights for policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers, advocating for the broader adoption of AI to address global environmental challenges.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/su17125367","authors":["Samuel O. Afolabi","Idowu O. Malachi","Adebukola O. Olawumi","Bankole I. Oladapo"],"tags":["Sustainability","Zero (linguistics)","Earth (classical element)","Process (computing)","Net (polyhedron)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/su17125367","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2342317271","name":"New triple oxygen isotope data of bulk and separated fractions from SNC meteorites: Evidence for mantle homogeneity of Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We report precise triple oxygen isotope data of bulk materials and separated fractions of several Shergotty–Nakhla–Chassigny (SNC) meteorites using enhanced laser‐assisted fluorination technique. This study shows that SNCs have remarkably identical Δ17O and a narrow range in δ18O values suggesting that these meteorites have assimilated negligibly small surface materials (<5%), which is undetectable in the oxygen isotope compositions reported here. Also, fractionation factors in coexisting silicate mineral pairs (px‐ol and mask‐ol) further demonstrate isotopic equilibrium at magmatic temperatures. We present a mass‐dependent fractionation line for bulk materials with a slope of 0.526 ± 0.016 (1SE) comparable to the slope obtained in an earlier study (0.526 ± 0.013; Franchi et al. 1999). We also present a new Martian fractionation line for SNCs constructed from separated fractions (i.e., pyroxene, olivine, and maskelynite) with a slope of 0.532 ± 0.009 (1SE). The identical fractionation lines run above and parallel to our terrestrial fractionation line with Δ17O = 0.318 ± 0.016‰ (SD) for bulk materials and 0.316 ± 0.009‰ (SD) for separated fractions. The conformity in slopes and Δ17O between bulk materials and separated fractions confirm oxygen isotope homogeneity in the Martian mantle though recent studies suggest that the Martian lithosphere may potentially have multiple oxygen isotope reservoirs.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12640","authors":["Arshad Ali","Iffat Jabeen","David A. Gregory","R. S. Verish","Neil R. Banerjee"],"tags":["Meteorite","Fractionation","Geology","Chondrite","Isotopes of oxygen"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-04-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12640","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2998726591","name":"The end of the lunar dynamo","source":"openalex","abstract":"Ar studies showing that two lunar breccias cooled in a near-zero magnetic field (<0.1 μT) at 0.44 ± 0.01 and 0.91 ± 0.11 Ga ago, respectively. Combined with previous paleointensity estimates, this indicates that the lunar dynamo likely ceased sometime between ~1.92 and ~0.80 Ga ago. The protracted lifetime of the lunar magnetic field indicates that the late dynamo was likely powered by crystallization of the lunar core.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aax0883","authors":["Saied Mighani","Huapei Wang","David L. Shuster","Cauê S. Borlina","Claire Nichols","B. P. Weiss"],"tags":["Dynamo","Dynamo theory","Astrobiology","Solar dynamo","Astronomy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aax0883","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W4210456189","name":"Cometary Dust","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This review presents our understanding of cometary dust at the end of 2017. For decades, insight about the dust ejected by nuclei of comets had stemmed from remote observations from Earth or Earth's orbit, and from flybys, including the samples of dust returned to Earth for laboratory studies by the Stardust return capsule. The long-duration Rosetta mission has recently provided a huge and unique amount of data, obtained using numerous instruments, including innovative dust instruments, over a wide range of distances from the Sun and from the nucleus. The diverse approaches available to study dust in comets, together with the related theoretical and experimental studies, provide evidence of the composition and physical properties of dust particles, e.g., the presence of a large fraction of carbon in macromolecules, and of aggregates on a wide range of scales. The results have opened vivid discussions on the variety of dust-release processes and on the diversity of dust properties in comets, as well as on the formation of cometary dust, and on its presence in the near-Earth interplanetary medium. These discussions stress the significance of future explorations as a way to decipher the formation and evolution of our Solar System.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-018-0496-3","authors":["A. C. Levasseur-Regourd","Jessica Agarwal","Hervé Cottin","C. Engrand","George Flynn","M. Fulle","T. I. Gombosi","Y. Langevin","J. Lasue","Thurid Mannel","S. Merouane","Olivier Poch"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Interplanetary dust cloud","Cosmic dust","Solar System","Interplanetary medium"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-018-0496-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"oa:W2057455538","name":"Novel magnetite-producing magnetotactic bacteria belonging to the Gammaproteobacteria","source":"openalex","abstract":"Two novel magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) were isolated from sediment and water collected from the Badwater Basin, Death Valley National Park and southeastern shore of the Salton Sea, respectively, and were designated as strains BW-2 and SS-5, respectively. Both organisms are rod-shaped, biomineralize magnetite, and are motile by means of flagella. The strains grow chemolithoautotrophically oxidizing thiosulfate and sulfide microaerobically as electron donors, with thiosulfate oxidized stoichiometrically to sulfate. They appear to utilize the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle for autotrophy based on ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO) activity and the presence of partial sequences of RubisCO genes. Strains BW-2 and SS-5 biomineralize chains of octahedral magnetite crystals, although the crystals of SS-5 are elongated. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, both strains are phylogenetically affiliated with the Gammaproteobacteria class. Strain SS-5 belongs to the order Chromatiales; the cultured bacterium with the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence identity to SS-5 is Thiohalocapsa marina (93.0%). Strain BW-2 clearly belongs to the Thiotrichales; interestingly, the organism with the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence identity to this strain is Thiohalospira alkaliphila (90.2%), which belongs to the Chromatiales. Each strain represents a new genus. This is the first report of magnetite-producing MTB phylogenetically associated with the Gammaproteobacteria. This finding is important in that it significantly expands the phylogenetic diversity of the MTB. Physiology of these strains is similar to other MTB and continues to demonstrate their potential in nitrogen, iron, carbon and sulfur cycling in natural environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2011.97","authors":["Christopher T. Lefèvre","Nathan Viloria","Marian L. Schmidt","Mihály Pósfai","Richard B. Frankel","Dennis A. Bazylinski"],"tags":["Gammaproteobacteria","Biology","16S ribosomal RNA","Thiosulfate","Microbiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-07-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2011.97","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W2127060444","name":"From sunlight to phytomass: on the potential efficiency of converting solar radiation to phyto‐energy","source":"openalex","abstract":"Summary The relationship between solar radiation capture and potential plant growth is of theoretical and practical importance. The key processes constraining the transduction of solar radiation into phyto‐energy (i.e. free energy in phytomass) were reviewed to estimate potential solar‐energy‐use efficiency. Specifically, the out‐put : input stoichiometries of photosynthesis and photorespiration in C3 and C4 systems, mobilization and translocation of photosynthate, and biosynthesis of major plant biochemical constituents were evaluated. The maintenance requirement, an area of important uncertainty, was also considered. For a hypothetical C3 grain crop with a full canopy at 30°C and 350 ppm atmospheric [CO2], theoretically potential efficiencies (based on extant plant metabolic reactions and pathways) were estimated at c. 0.041 J J−1 incident total solar radiation, and c. 0.092 J J−1 absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). At 20°C, the calculated potential efficiencies increased to 0.053 and 0.118 J J−1 (incident total radiation and absorbed PAR, respectively). Estimates for a hypothetical C4 cereal were c. 0.051 and c. 0.114 J J−1, respectively. These values, which cannot be considered as precise, are less than some previous estimates, and the reasons for the differences are considered. Field‐based data indicate that exceptional crops may attain a significant fraction of potential efficiency. Contents Summary 939 I. Introduction 940 II. Approach 940 III. Solar radiation absorption 942 IV. Quantum requirement for CO2 assimilation 943 V. Respiration 946 VI. Photosynthate mobilization and translocation 948 VII. Maintenance 949 VIII. Substrate requirement for growth 949 IX. From sunlight to phyto‐energy: potential overall efficiency 953 X. Assessment 955 Acknowledgements 955 References 955","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2010.03505.x","authors":["Jeffrey S. Amthor"],"tags":["Photosynthetically active radiation","Photorespiration","Photosynthesis","Radiation","Solar energy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-10-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2010.03505.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W2522888754","name":"Geologic history of Martian regolith breccia Northwest Africa 7034: Evidence for hydrothermal activity and lithologic diversity in the Martian crust","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The timing and mode of deposition for Martian regolith breccia Northwest Africa (NWA) 7034 were determined by combining petrography, shape analysis, and thermochronology. NWA 7034 is composed of igneous, impact, and brecciated clasts within a thermally annealed submicron matrix of pulverized crustal rocks and devitrified impact/volcanic glass. The brecciated clasts are likely lithified portions of Martian regolith with some evidence of past hydrothermal activity. Represented lithologies are primarily ancient crustal materials with crystallization ages as old as 4.4 Ga. One ancient zircon was hosted by an alkali‐rich basalt clast, confirming that alkalic volcanism occurred on Mars very early. NWA 7034 is composed of fragmented particles that do not exhibit evidence of having undergone bed load transport by wind or water. The clast size distribution is similar to terrestrial pyroclastic deposits. We infer that the clasts were deposited by atmospheric rainout subsequent to a pyroclastic eruption(s) and/or impact event(s), although the ancient ages of igneous components favor mobilization by impact(s). Despite ancient components, the breccia has undergone a single pervasive thermal event at 500–800°C, evident by groundmass texture and concordance of ~1.5 Ga dates for bulk rock K‐Ar, U‐Pb in apatite, and U‐Pb in metamict zircons. The 1.5 Ga age is likely a thermal event that coincides with rainout/breccia lithification. We infer that the episodic process of regolith lithification dominated sedimentary processes during the Amazonian Epoch. The absence of pre‐Amazonian high‐temperature metamorphic events recorded in ancient zircons indicates source domains of static southern highland crust punctuated by episodic impact modification.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2016je005143","authors":["F. M. McCubbin","J. W. Boyce","Tímea Szabó","A. R. Santos","Romain Tartèse","N. Muttik","G. Domokos","J. A. Vazquez","L. P. Keller","D. E. Moser","D. J. Jerolmack","C. K. Shearer"],"tags":["Geology","Geochemistry","Breccia","Pyroclastic rock","Igneous rock"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-09-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2016je005143","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4412043099","name":"In Memoriam: Bevan M. French (March 8, 1937–May 10, 2025)","source":"openalex","abstract":"Bevan French (Figure 1) is most widely known for his pioneering work in planetary science and the field of impact cratering. He was one of the early workers on terrestrial impact materials along with Gene Shoemaker, Robert Dietz, Nick Short, Richard Grieve, Mike Dence, Dieter Stöffler, Ed Chao, and others. Throughout his career, Bevan was a champion for impact science, particularly centered on petrography and geologic observations at terrestrial craters. His 1998 book, Traces of Catastrophe, published by the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, is still used today in classrooms across the world as one of the standard introduction texts for impact cratering. Bevan French was born on March 8, 1937, in East Orange, NJ, USA. At age 15, he was already actively involved in collecting rare minerals at Franklin, NJ, for his own mineral studies group. A few years later, in 1954, his minerals got him into the Top 40 of the Westinghouse Science Talent Search, which also led to a summer job at the National Bureau of Standards during the same year. He obtained an A.B. degree in geology from Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA (1958), a M.S. in geochemistry from the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA (1960), and a Ph.D. in geology at The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA (1964), with a thesis titled “Stability of Siderite, FeCO3, and Progressive Metamorphism of Iron Formation,” on metamorphic petrology of iron formations in the Minnesota Iron Range. At a geological conference in Minneapolis in the mid-60s, Bevan gave a talk about his thesis work which attracted a smart lady geologist who was working for an iron-mining company. Two years later, in 1967, they married. Mary-Hill French became a close partner in editing Bevan's manuscripts and joined in all the travels around the world, in a total of 32 different countries (Figure 2). Bevan joked about robbing the cradle: Bevan was much younger. Together, they supported young investigators interested in terrestrial impacts until her passing in 2019 at the age of 102. Amusingly, Bevan's work in the 1960s on the Iron Range was done well before recognition of the Sudbury as an impact structure and the subsequent discovery of Sudbury ejecta in the Iron Range. In recent years, Bevan joked about how, 50 years later, he was returning to his geologic roots with renewed interest in Sudbury and associated rocks on the Canadian Shield. Bevan's work on Sudbury, starting in the mid to late 1960s, was essential in confirming the impact origin of this structure. Starting with his pioneering work on shock-metamorphic studies, especially on quartz, in the later 1960s, he then collaborated with several colleagues to provide evidence for the impact origin of several other promising structures around the world, such as Rochechouart, B.P., Oasis, Tenoumer, Aouelloul, Araguainha, and Serra da Canghala. His impact pedigree is actually shared: he is a distant cousin of Don Gault, another pioneer in impact studies, and he would greet Don as “cuz” at conferences. After graduating from Johns Hopkins Bevan quickly turned toward planetary science and joined NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in 1964. There he continued working on impact cratering and co-convened a conference on terrestrial impacts and co-edited with Nicholas M. Short the “Shock Metamorphism of Natural Materials” monograph, the so-called “green bible of impact cratering,” where much of the establishing work of impact cratering was presented. In 1968 he was on leave as a visiting professor at Dartmouth College (NH, USA), to teach courses on igneous petrology and terrestrial impact structures. Bevan then joined the Apollo Program as a co-investigator on Apollo 11 and 12 samples, and as a trainer for astronauts of the Apollo 16 and 17 missions. He was involved in some of the first publications on lunar glasses in the early 1970s and continued to also work on lunar materials. In 1991, he co-edited, with Grant Heiken and Dave Van","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70010","authors":["S. J. Jaret","P. H. Schultz","L. Ferrière","Christian Koeberl"],"tags":["Art"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70010","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W4415300511","name":"Preaccretionary origin of clay minerals in CI chondritic objects? Insights from the Orgueil clay mineralogy and iron oxidation state","source":"openalex","abstract":"Phyllosilicates are the main phases in carbonaceous Ivuna-type (CI) materials and major carriers of water (structural OH) as well as of some organic matter adsorbed on their surfaces. Understanding their formation is therefore crucial for reconstructing the history of water and carbon in the early Solar System. While typically interpreted as products of extensive aqueous alteration under asteroidal conditions, their presence in CI chondrites, whose bulk composition matches that of the solar photosphere, remains a paradox. To investigate their formation processes, we characterized the crystal structure and proportion of phyllosilicates in the Orgueil CI meteorite using X-ray diffraction (XRD) profile modeling on oriented preparations as well as Fe valences by Mössbauer spectroscopy at room and helium temperatures. The XRD modeling confirms the presence of discrete smectite and serpentine, along with two randomly stacked (R0) mixed-layer minerals (MLMs): serpentine-mica (90 %-10 %) and serpentine-smectite-mica (50 %-30 %-20 %), the latter being dominant across all size fractions. Mössbauer spectroscopy reveals that discrete serpentine and the R0 serpentine-mica MLM are Fe²⁺-rich, while the discrete smectite and the R0 serpentine-smectite-mica MLM contain 80 % Fe³⁺. The coexistence of these distinct Fe valences, the unusual serpentine-smectite-mica clay structure, the presence of mica layers within MLMs, and their structural homogeneity across size fractions appear to be incompatible with low-temperature aqueous alteration at equilibrium. Instead, they support a pre-accretionary origin for phyllosilicates, likely involving gas-grain interactions or condensation process.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2025.119678","authors":["J.-C. Viennet","Kana Amano","Ludovic Delbes","Barbara Lavina","F. Hubert","Sylvain Bernard","Sergey Yaroslavtsev","Dimitrios Bessas","A. I. Chumakov","Jean-Philippe Celse","M. Gounelle","Laurent Rémusat"],"tags":["Clay minerals","Meteorite","Mica","Mineralogy","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2025.119678","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W3195272039","name":"Challenges and opportunities in bioremediation of micro-nano plastics: A review","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149823","authors":["Yuwen Zhou","Manish Kumar","Surendra Sarsaiya","Ranjna Sirohi","Sanjeev Kumar Awasthi","Raveendran Sindhu","Parameswaran Binod","Ashok Pandey","Nanthi Bolan","Zengqiang Zhang","Lal Singh","Sunil Kumar"],"tags":["Environmental remediation","Bioremediation","Environmental science","Context (archaeology)","Biodegradation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149823","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W4295779964","name":"Origins of Life Research: The Conundrum between Laboratory and Field Simulations of Messy Environments","source":"openalex","abstract":"Most experimental results that guide research related to the origin of life are from laboratory simulations of the early Earth conditions. In the laboratory, emphasis is placed on the purity of reagents and carefully controlled conditions, so there is a natural tendency to reject impurities and lack of control. However, life did not originate in laboratory conditions; therefore, we should take into consideration multiple factors that are likely to have contributed to the environmental complexity of the early Earth. This essay describes eight physical and biophysical factors that spontaneously resolve aqueous dispersions of ionic and organic solutes mixed with mineral particles and thereby promote specific chemical reactions required for life to begin.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life12091429","authors":["David W. Deamer"],"tags":["Abiogenesis","Biochemical engineering","Natural (archaeology)","Environmental science","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-09-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life12091429","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W764600595","name":"Advanced propulsion concepts","source":"openalex","abstract":"A variety of Advanced Propulsion Concepts (APC) is discussed. The focus is on those concepts that are sufficiently near-term that they could be developed for the Space Exploration Initiative. High-power (multi-megawatt) electric propulsion, solar sails, tethers, and extraterrestrial resource utilization concepts are discussed. A summary of these concepts and some general conclusions on their technology development needs are presented.","url":"https://openalex.org/W764600595","authors":["Robert Frisbee"],"tags":["Propulsion","In-space propulsion technologies","Ion thruster","Electrically powered spacecraft propulsion","Aerospace engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1991-05-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W2905037422","name":"Aerosol optical depth comparison between GAW-PFR and AERONET-Cimel radiometers from long-term (2005–2015) 1 min synchronous measurements","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. A comprehensive comparison of more than 70 000 synchronous 1 min aerosol optical depth (AOD) data from three Global Atmosphere Watch precision-filter radiometers (GAW-PFR), traceable to the World AOD reference, and 15 Aerosol Robotic Network Cimel radiometers (AERONET-Cimel), calibrated individually with the Langley plot technique, was performed for four common or “near” wavelengths, 380, 440, 500 and 870 nm, in the period 2005–2015. The goal of this study is to assess whether, despite the marked technical differences between both networks (AERONET, GAW-PFR) and the number of instruments used, their long-term AOD data are comparable and consistent. The percentage of data meeting the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) traceability requirements (95 % of the AOD differences of an instrument compared to the WMO standards lie within specific limits) is >92 % at 380 nm, >95 % at 440 nm and 500 nm, and 98 % at 870 nm, with the results being quite similar for both AERONET version 2 (V2) and version 3 (V3). For the data outside these limits, the contribution of calibration and differences in the calculation of the optical depth contribution due to Rayleigh scattering and O3 and NO2 absorption have a negligible impact. For AOD >0.1, a small but non-negligible percentage (∼1.9 %) of the AOD data outside the WMO limits at 380 nm can be partly assigned to the impact of dust aerosol forward scattering on the AOD calculation due to the different field of view of the instruments. Due to this effect the GAW-PFR provides AOD values, which are ∼3 % lower at 380 nm and ∼2 % lower at 500 nm compared with AERONET-Cimel. The comparison of the Ångström exponent (AE) shows that under non-pristine conditions (AOD >0.03 and AE <1) the AE differences remain <0.1. This long-term comparison shows an excellent traceability of AERONET-Cimel AOD with the World AOD reference at 440, 500 and 870 nm channels and a fairly good agreement at 380 nm, although AOD should be improved in the UV range.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-4309-2019","authors":["Emilio Cuevas","Pedro Miguel Romero Campos","Natalia Kouremeti","Stelios Kazadzis","Petri Räisänen","Rosa D. García","África Barreto","Carmen Guirado-Fuentes","Ramón Ramos","Carlos Toledano","A. Fernando Almansa","Jülian Gröbner"],"tags":["AERONET","Environmental science","Aerosol","Radiometer","Remote sensing"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-08-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-4309-2019","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W2982596701","name":"Mass spectrometry and planetary exploration: A brief review and future projection","source":"openalex","abstract":"Since the inception of mass spectrometry more than a century ago, the field has matured as analytical capabilities have progressed, instrument configurations multiplied, and applications proliferated. Modern systems are able to characterize volatile and nonvolatile sample materials, quantitatively measure abundances of molecular and elemental species with low limits of detection, and determine isotopic compositions with high degrees of precision and accuracy. Consequently, mass spectrometers have a rich history and promising future in planetary exploration. Here, we provide a short review on the development of mass analyzers and supporting subsystems (eg, ionization sources and detector assemblies) that have significant heritage in spaceflight applications, and we introduce a selection of emerging technologies that may enable new and/or augmented mission concepts in the coming decades.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jms.4454","authors":["Ricardo Arévalo","Ziqin Ni","Ryan M. Danell"],"tags":["Mass spectrometry","Chemistry","Astrobiology","Nanotechnology","Aerospace engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-10-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jms.4454","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"oa:W3155996521","name":"In-situ resources for infrastructure construction on Mars: A review","source":"openalex","abstract":"It is widely proposed that Mars will be the next destination for human to expand colonization. However, building up a habitat requires collective work from multiple disciplinaries of which engineering is an indispensable part. Similar to infrastructure construction on the earth, the technical issues of raw material, space construction technologies has to be addressed before human inhabitation. Based on the history of Mars exploration missions and a series of current Mars exploration results, this paper introduces the environment conditions on Mars, reviews the research of the in-situ resources which can be further utilized for infrastructure construction on Mars and proposes feasible infrastructure construction technologies. This paper provides an overview of in-situ construction material resources, possible construction methods and requirements for materials in extreme environment, which can be a valuable reference for future Mars exploration and possible infrastructure construction on the Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijtst.2021.02.001","authors":["Jiawen Liu","Hui Li","Lijun Sun","Zhongyin Guo","John D. Harvey","Qirong Tang","Haizhu Lu","Ming Jia"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Systems engineering","Construction engineering","Exploration of Mars","Work (physics)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-04-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijtst.2021.02.001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W7128704133","name":"Hot Springs as Reservoirs of Valuable Microbes, Metabolites, and Minerals with Ecological, Biotechnological and Bioeconomic Perspectives","source":"openalex","abstract":"Hot springs represent unique geothermal ecosystems where extreme physicochemical conditions intersect with remarkable microbial diversity and metabolic innovation. These natural laboratories harbor specialized communities of thermophilic and hyperthermophilic microorganisms that have evolved exceptional adaptations to elevated temperatures, extreme pH, and high salinity. This review synthesizes current understanding of hot spring systems as multifunctional natural resources, examining their roles in fundamental microbiology, biotechnology, and sustainable development. We explore the ecological principles governing microbial community assembly, the taxonomic and functional diversity of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms, and the genomic mechanisms underlying thermophilic adaptation. Hot springs yield enzymes revolutionizing molecular biology and industrial catalysis, bioactive metabolites with pharmaceutical potential, and novel bioremediation capabilities including plastic degradation. Beyond biological significance, these systems contain valuable minerals and rare earth elements, supporting an emerging bioeconomy integrating wellness tourism, bioprospecting, and sustainable resource extraction. However, critical knowledge gaps remain regarding viral ecology, horizontal gene transfer, eukaryotic diversity, and climate change impacts. We emphasize that hot springs merit renewed interdisciplinary attention as model systems for understanding extremophile physiology, early life evolution, and the development of nature-based biotechnological solutions. Realizing their full potential requires balanced management strategies that preserve ecosystem integrity while enabling responsible utilization of these irreplaceable geobiological resources.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/bacteria5010012","authors":["I. Nengah Wirajana","Nilam Vaghamshi","Ni Putu Ariantari","Agustino Beatronaldo Sawur","Ketut Ratnayani","Komal Antaliya","Smita Atara","Anjana Ghelani","Dushyant R. Dudhagara","Pravin Dudhagara"],"tags":["Extremophile","Climate change","Ecosystem","Geothermal gradient","Earth system science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/bacteria5010012","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W1995273804","name":"A strontium and neodymium isotopic study of Apollo 17 high-Ti mare basalts: Resolution of ages, evolution of magmas, and origins of source heterogeneities","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(91)90040-c","authors":["James B. Paces","Shuntichi Nakai","C. R. Neal","L. A. Taylor","Alex N. Halliday","D-C Lee"],"tags":["Isochron","Basalt","Geology","Geochemistry","Isochron dating"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1991-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(91)90040-c","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402073083","name":"First direct detection of large polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on asteroid (162173) Ryugu samples: An interstellar heritage","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are considered major players in the physics and chemistry of star‐ and planet‐forming regions. The interstellar PAH hypothesis is based on our understanding of the origin of the aromatic infrared bands (AIBs), a set of bright emission features that are now the focus of observations by the James Webb telescope. While AIB carriers are expected to be large free PAHs (50 carbon atoms or more), laboratory analysis of primitive carbonaceous chondrites (CCs) has mainly revealed relatively small PAHs, up to 24 carbon atoms. In this study, we present a comprehensive analysis of aromatic species in bulk samples from the carbonaceous asteroid Ryugu using a surface mass spectrometry technique provided by two‐step laser desorption ionization. The resulting molecular distribution differs significantly from that obtained for a sample from the CC Orgueil, revealing aromatic species extending up to 61 carbon atoms. The species identified are composed of both peri‐condensed PAHs and non‐condensed aromatics. These results directly support the interstellar PAH hypothesis and open up new perspectives on the formation and evolution of organic matter in star‐forming regions and in the solar nebula. Key Points First direct detection of free aromatic species of large sizes with up to 61 carbon atoms in primitive extraterrestrial matter by applying a highly sensitive two‐step laser mass spectrometry analysis to grain samples from the carbonaceous asteroid Ryugu (Hayabusa2 mission). First direct support for the interstellar polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) hypothesis, according to which large free PAHs are responsible for the aromatic emission bands that are major infrared features currently observed by the James Webb Space Telescope. The large aromatic species detected are present in trace amounts and future research is needed to develop sensitive techniques for studying these compounds in sample return missions and meteorites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ntls.20240010","authors":["Hassan Sabbah","G. Quitté","Karine Demyk","C. Joblin"],"tags":["Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon","Coronene","Carbonaceous chondrite","Carbon fibers","Astrochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ntls.20240010","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W2608145888","name":"False Negatives for Remote Life Detection on Ocean-Bearing Planets: Lessons from the Early Earth","source":"openalex","abstract":"Ocean-atmosphere chemistry on Earth has undergone dramatic evolutionary changes throughout its long history, with potentially significant ramifications for the emergence and long-term stability of atmospheric biosignatures. Though a great deal of work has centered on refining our understanding of false positives for remote life detection, much less attention has been paid to the possibility of false negatives, that is, cryptic biospheres that are widespread and active on a planet's surface but are ultimately undetectable or difficult to detect in the composition of a planet's atmosphere. Here, we summarize recent developments from geochemical proxy records and Earth system models that provide insight into the long-term evolution of the most readily detectable potential biosignature gases on Earth—oxygen (O2), ozone (O3), and methane (CH4). We suggest that the canonical O2-CH4 disequilibrium biosignature would perhaps have been challenging to detect remotely during Earth's ∼4.5-billion-year history and that in general atmospheric O2/O3 levels have been a poor proxy for the presence of Earth's biosphere for all but the last ∼500 million years. We further suggest that detecting atmospheric CH4 would have been problematic for most of the last ∼2.5 billion years of Earth's history. More broadly, we stress that internal oceanic recycling of biosignature gases will often render surface biospheres on ocean-bearing silicate worlds cryptic, with the implication that the planets most conducive to the development and maintenance of a pervasive biosphere will often be challenging to characterize via conventional atmospheric biosignatures. Key Words: Biosignatures—Oxygen—Methane—Ozone—Exoplanets—Planetary habitability. Astrobiology 17, 287–297.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2016.1598","authors":["Christopher T. Reinhard","Stephanie L. Olson","Edward W. Schwieterman","Timothy W. Lyons"],"tags":["Biosphere","Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Earth science","Earth system science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2016.1598","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W1963000257","name":"Comparing dust flux records from the Subarctic North Pacific and Greenland: Implications for atmospheric transport to Greenland and for the application of dust as a chronostratigraphic tool","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We present a new record of eolian dust flux to the western Subarctic North Pacific (SNP) covering the past 27,000 years based on a core from the Detroit Seamount. Comparing the SNP dust record to the North Greenland Ice Core Project (NGRIP) ice core record shows significant differences in the amplitude of dust changes to the two regions during the last deglaciation, while the timing of abrupt changes is synchronous. If dust deposition in the SNP faithfully records its mobilization in East Asian source regions, then the difference in the relative amplitude must reflect climate‐related changes in atmospheric dust transport to Greenland. Based on the synchronicity in the timing of dust changes in the SNP and Greenland, we tie abrupt deglacial transitions in the 230Th‐normalized 4He flux record to corresponding transitions in the well‐dated NGRIP dust flux record to provide a new chronostratigraphic technique for marine sediments from the SNP. Results from this technique are complemented by radiocarbon dating, which allows us to independently constrain radiocarbon paleoreservoir ages. We find paleoreservoir ages of 745 ± 140 years at 11,653 year B.P., 680 ± 228 years at 14,630 year B.P., and 790 ± 498 years at 23,290 year B.P. Our reconstructed paleoreservoir ages are consistent with modern surface water reservoir ages in the western SNP. Good temporal synchronicity between eolian dust records from the Subantarctic Atlantic and equatorial Pacific and the ice core record from Antarctica supports the reliability of the proposed dust tuning method to be used more widely in other global ocean regions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2014pa002748","authors":["Sascha Serno","Gisela Winckler","Robert F. Anderson","Edith Maier","Haojia Ren","Rainer Gersonde","Gerald H. Haug"],"tags":["Geology","Ice core","Oceanography","Deglaciation","Aeolian processes"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-05-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2014pa002748","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W4403824362","name":"Glycine synthesis from nitrate and glyoxylate mediated by ferroan brucite: An integrated pathway for prebiotic amine synthesis","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Amino acids are present in all known life, so identifying the environmental conditions under which they can be synthesized constrains where life on Earth might have formed and where life might be found on other planetary bodies. All known abiotic amino acid syntheses require ammonia, which is only produced in reducing and neutral atmospheres. Here, we demonstrate that the Fe-bearing hydroxide mineral ferroan brucite [Fe 0.33 ,Mg 0.67 (OH) 2 ] can mediate the reaction of nitrate and glyoxylate to form glycine, the simplest amino acid used in life. Up to 97% of this glycine was detected only after acid digestion of the mineral, demonstrating that it had been strongly partitioned to the mineral. The dicarboxylic amino acid 3-hydroxy aspartate was also detected, which suggests that reactants underwent a mechanism that simultaneously produced mono- and dicarboxylic amino acids. Nitrate can be produced in both neutral and oxidizing atmospheres, so reductive amination of nitrate and glyoxylate on a ferroan brucite surface expands origins of life scenarios. First, it expands the environmental conditions in which life’s precursors could form to include oxidizing atmospheres. Second, it demonstrates the ability of ferroan brucite, an abundant, secondary mineral in serpentinizing systems where olivine is partly hydrated, to mediate reductive amination. Finally, the results demonstrate the need to consider mineral-bound products when analyzing samples for abiotic amino acid synthesis.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2408248121","authors":["Laura Chimiak","Ellie Hara","Alex L. Sessions","Alexis S. Templeton"],"tags":["Chemistry","Brucite","Glyoxylate cycle","Amino acid","Glycine"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2408248121","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"oa:W2766112608","name":"Proton irradiation: a key to the challenge of N-glycosidic bond formation in a prebiotic context","source":"openalex","abstract":"The formation of nucleosides in abiotic conditions is a major hurdle in origin-of-life studies. We have determined the pathway of a general reaction leading to the one-pot synthesis of ribo- and 2'-deoxy-ribonucleosides from sugars and purine nucleobases under proton irradiation in the presence of a chondrite meteorite. These conditions simulate the presumptive conditions in space or on an early Earth fluxed by slow protons from the solar wind, potentially mimicking a plausible prebiotic scenario. The reaction (i) requires neither pre-activated precursors nor intermediate purification/concentration steps, (ii) is based on a defined radical mechanism, and (iii) is characterized by stereoselectivity, regioselectivity and (poly)glycosylation. The yield is enhanced by formamide and meteorite relative to the control reaction.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-15392-8","authors":["Raffaele Saladino","Bruno Mattia Bizzarri","Lorenzo Botta","Jiřı́ Šponer","Judit E. Šponer","Thomas Georgelin","Maguy Jaber","Baptiste Rigaud","M. I. Kapralov","Г. Н. Тимошенко","A. Yu. Rozanov","Eugene Krasavin","Anna Maria Timperio","Ernesto Di Mauro"],"tags":["Context (archaeology)","Regioselectivity","Glycosidic bond","Chemistry","Prebiotic"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-15392-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W4409876116","name":"Photoelectric conversion mechanisms and environmental effects of micro-nano scale semiconducting mineral coating on the Earth’s surface","source":"openalex","abstract":"在地球表层生态系统中，微纳尺度半导体矿物膜作为连接岩石圈、水圈、生物圈和大气圈的关键界面，其光能转化机制与生态环境效应具有重要科学价值。本研究通过多学科交叉方法，系统阐释了几种典型生境中矿物膜的组成结构特征及其太阳能转化规律。以水钠锰矿为核心的铁锰氧化物半导体矿物膜呈现显著的光控分异特性，其价态组合与晶体结构受环境pH、有机质及水动力条件的动态调控，形成不同氧化度的地域性分布特征。矿物膜展现出优异的光电响应性能，其光催化氧化还原过程驱动着地表元素的形态转化与相变重组，揭示了日光辐射-半导体矿物-环境介质间的能量传递机制。研究发现矿物膜光生电子协同微生物实现大气CO₂向有机质及碳酸盐矿物转化的新型碳固定路径，拓展了对地表碳循环的认知。创新性提出“天然矿物光电子能量”概念，确立了其作为地表第三大能量载体的科学地位，揭示半导体矿物介导多圈层电子传递与能量交换过程。该研究不仅深化了地表关键带物质-能量循环的理论体系，还为行星科学中的类地环境演化研究提供了创新视角。","url":"https://doi.org/10.1360/csb-2025-0245","authors":["Anhuai Lu","Xiao Ge","Guiping Ren","Xiaoming Xu","Yuwei Liu","Feifei Liu","Yan Li","Hongrui Ding","Changqiu Wang"],"tags":["Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1360/csb-2025-0245","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W4221089537","name":"Surviving Mars: new insights into the persistence of facultative anaerobic microbes from analogue sites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Mars analogue environments are some of the most extreme locations on Earth. Their unique combination of multiples extremes (e.g. high salinity, anoxia and low nutrient availability) make them valuable sources for finding new polyextremophilic microbes, and for exploring the limits of life. Mars, especially at its surface, is still considered to be very hostile to life but it probably possesses geological subsurface niches where the occurrence of (polyextremophilic) life is conceivable. Despite their well-recognized relevance, current knowledge on the capability of (facultative) anaerobic microbes to withstand extraterrestrial/Martian conditions, either as single strains or in communities, is still very sparse. Therefore, space experiments simulating the Martian environmental conditions by using space as a tool for astrobiological research are needed to substantiate the hypotheses of habitability of Mars. Addressing this knowledge gap is one of the main goals of the project MEXEM (Mars EXposed Extremophiles Mixture), where selected model organisms will be subjected to space for a period of 3 months. These experiments will take place on the Exobiology facility (currently under development and implementation), located outside the International Space Station. Such space experiments require a series of preliminary tests and ground data collection for the selected microbial strains. Here, we report on the survivability of Salinisphaera shabanensis and Buttiauxella sp. MASE-IM-9 after exposure to Mars-relevant stress factors (such as desiccation and ultraviolet (UV) radiation under anoxia). Both organisms showed survival after anoxic desiccation for up to 3 months but this could be further extended (nearly doubled) by adding artificial Mars regolith (MGS-1S; 0.5% wt/v) and sucrose (0.1 M). Survival after desiccation was also observed when both organisms were mixed before treatment. Mixing also positively influenced survival after exposure to polychromatic Mars-like UV radiation (200–400 nm) up to 12 kJ m −2 , both in suspension and in a desiccated form.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550422000064","authors":["Kristina Beblo‐Vranesevic","Johanna Piepjohn","André Antunes","Petra Rettberg"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Martian","Life on Mars","Desiccation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550422000064","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W4416357226","name":"The Qingzhen reaction, a fine‐grained mineral assemblage associated with djerfisherite in some EH3 chondrites: Alteration on the EH parent body","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Enstatite chondrites formed under extremely reducing conditions in the protoplanetary disk. They are derived from two or more parent bodies, EH and EL, and both EH and EL groups contain petrologic type 3–6 samples. The rare lithophile‐ and halogen‐bearing sulfide, djerfisherite, occurs in low abundance in enstatite chondrites, most frequently in the EH3 chondrites. In some EH3 chondrites, but not in EL chondrites, djerfisherite is associated with a fine‐grained mineral assemblage, termed the “Qingzhen Reaction,” which has previously been interpreted as an alteration product of djerfisherite. The Qingzhen Reaction is notable as perhaps the only record of fluid‐mediated alteration on the EH parent body. In this study, we undertook a high‐resolution chemical and mineralogical analysis of the Qingzhen Reaction and its djerfisherite host, in order to determine its composition, relationship to djerfisherite and its formation environment. We show that the Qingzhen Reaction is an alteration product of djerfisherite, predominantly comprised of porous troilite with remnant djerfisherite. Trace quantities of halite and (likely) sphalerite are also present. We suggest that the Qingzhen Reaction formed by the interaction of an anhydrous fluid with djerfisherite on the EH parent body.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70073","authors":["Peter Mc Ardle","R. H. Jones","Luke Daly","Romain Tartèse","P. L. Clay","Brian O’Driscoll","R. Burgess","William A. Smith","Colin How","Lewis Hughes"],"tags":["Enstatite","Troilite","Mineral","Mineralogy","Kamacite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70073","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W4410099129","name":"Oued Chebeika 002: A new CI1 meteorite linked to outer solar system bodies","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract CI1 chondrites are rare meteorites with high scientific value. In fact, they are the most chemically primitive meteorites and show evidence of intense parent‐body aqueous alteration. They also share strong similarities with samples from Ryugu and Bennu asteroids returned by the JAXA Hayabusa2 and NASA's OSIRIS‐REx missions. In this work, we present a detailed study of the Oued Chebeika 002 meteorite, a ~420 g CI1 chondrite found in Morocco in 2024. We describe its petrography, texture, and mineralogy, with a focus on clay mineralogy. We provide the bulk and mineral chemical composition, as well as the bulk oxygen, iron, and chromium isotopic compositions. Spectroscopic properties were studied by means of infrared and Raman spectroscopies. We also measured the density, grain density and magnetic properties. Our results confirm that Oued Chebeika 002 is a CI1 chondrite, with close similarities to the other five know CI1 chondrites, and samples from Ryugu and Bennu asteroids. Several lines of evidence indicate that Oued Chebeika 002 has suffered no significant terrestrial alteration. It is more pristine in that regard than Alais, Orgueil and Ivuna CI1 chondrites, and more similar to samples from asteroids Ryugu and Bennu. Subtle differences exist between Oued Chebeika 002 and other CI1 chondrites that cannot be accounted for by terrestrial alteration of the latter. For instance, olivine and calcite were not observed. It is also noteworthy that the magnetic mineral assemblage of Oued Chebeika 002 is significantly different from that of Alais, Ivuna and Orgueil, but undiscernible from that of Ryugu samples. Chromium and iron isotopic composition of Oued Chebeika 002 confirms that CI1 chondrites, like Ryugu samples, are distinct from meteorites belonging to the non‐carbonaceous and carbonaceous isotopic groups and may have originated from the same region where ice giant planets and Oort Cloud comets were formed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14359","authors":["J. Gattacceca","M. Gounelle","Bertrand Devouard","Jean‐Alix Barrat","L. Bonal","A. J. King","Clara Maurel","Peter Beck","Mathieu Roskosz","Jean‐Christophe Viennet","Debarun Mukherjee","Nicolas Dauphas"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14359","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4392170060","name":"Fate of an Earth‐Like Water Inventory on Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We have determined the global inventory of surface and near‐surface water on Mars by tracking the amounts of water lost to each of the significant sinks for water. The sinks include loss to space, formation of hydrated minerals, possible remnants of an ancient ocean, water present within the crust, and the present‐day polar caps and near‐surface ice deposits; we utilize both previous analyses and new analyses of the amount of water in the sinks. Summed up, they total 380–970 m H2O (as a global equivalent layer), and possibly up to 685–1,970 m if possible crustal liquid water or ice is included. For comparison, the Earth's surface and near‐surface inventory, scaled to Mars, would be 1,400 m. This value for an Earth‐like Mars falls within the range of possible values for Mars, suggesting that Mars had a similar surface inventory of surface and near‐surface water. This abundance of water on early Mars is able to produce the observed water‐related geological features and suggests the presence of an early habitable environment capable of supporting life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je008159","authors":["B. M. Jakosky","L. J. Hallis"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Surface water","Liquid water","Crust"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je008159","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W2770828197","name":"Catalysis in the Primordial World","source":"openalex","abstract":"Catalysis provides orderly prebiotic synthesis and eventually its evolution into autocatalytic (self-reproduction) systems. Research on homogeneous catalysis is concerned mostly with random peptide synthesis and the chances to produce catalytic peptide oligomers. Synthesis of ribose via formose reaction was found to be catalysed by B(OH) 4 -, presumably released by weathering of borate minerals. Oxide and clay mineral surfaces provide catalytic sites for the synthesis of oligopeptides and oligonucleotides. Chemoautotrophic or iron-sulphur-world theory assumes that the first (pioneer) organisms developed by catalytic processes on (Fe/Ni)S particles formed near/close hydrothermal vents. The review provides an overlay of possible catalytic reactions in prebiotic environment, discussing their selectivity (regioselectivity, stereoselectivity) as well as geological availability of catalytic minerals and geochemical conditions enabling catalytic reactions on early Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.15255/kui.2017.014","authors":["Nenad Raos","Vladimir Bermanec"],"tags":["Catalysis","Abiogenesis","Chemistry","Regioselectivity","Autocatalysis"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-11-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.15255/kui.2017.014","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W2767467872","name":"The Theory and Economics of MARS and MOON Colonization: Steps and Policy Advocacy","source":"openalex","abstract":"World-renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking has said that humanity will face a choice between space colonization and extinction. NASA wants to put a human on an asteroid by 2025 and on Mars by 2030. Scientific discoveries solve global economic and interplanetary economic problems. Economics and Science are two important drivers for mankind welfare. The economic driver of man would pursue extraterrestrial life. New Economics deal the economic driver of industrialization of moon and colonization of mars. The present study focuses on the theory, economics, steps and possibilities of colonization of mars and moon in specific and other planets in general. The study is based on frame work of vision and the metaanalysis of history of intellectual Economics and inter planetary explorative space research. The study analyzes historical planetary space research evidences, insights and rationales on colonization of Mars, Moon and other planets and life possibilities and steps to achieve. It also analyzes the theory and New Economics that bridges economics opportunities and Inter planetary space colonization which is imperative for extraterrestrial life and prosperity. The study uses meta-analysis of inter planetary research which has done by NASA, Japan, UK, Germany, Russia, India, Netherlands and other countries. The study found that surface conditions and the presence of water on Mars make it the most hospitable of life. New studies suggest that Moon more hospitable to life. It was reported that some lichen and cyanobacteria survived. Mars's north and south poles are attracted great interest as settlement sites. The ultimate viability of all this really comes down to economics. In theory, the resources floating up in space be the economic fuel necessary to take us to the stars. The Law of abundance may bring down the price of such commodities (including energy). Mars–Earth trade may provide an economic rationale for continued settlement of the planet. This is possible because of breakthroughs happened in space and rocket science. The path to a human colony could be prepared by robotic systems. These systems locate resources, such as ground water or ice that would help a colony grow and thrive. Mars colonization is advocated by several non-governmental groups for a range of reasons and with varied proposals. One of the oldest groups is the Mars Society who promote a NASA program to accomplish human exploration of Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.19044/esj.2017.v13n28p239","authors":["D. B."],"tags":["Prosperity","Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Planet"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-10-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.19044/esj.2017.v13n28p239","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4416905527","name":"Bio-essential sugars in samples from asteroid Bennu","source":"openalex","abstract":"Deliveries of organic molecules from space, such as those found in carbonaceous meteorites, have long been hypothesized as a source of the inventory of the first life on Earth. This hypothesis is strengthened by detections of two of life’s fundamental building blocks—nucleobases and protein-building amino acids—in pristine samples returned by spacecraft from the carbonaceous asteroids Bennu and Ryugu. However, life also requires sugars, which cannot be searched for in Ryugu samples due to limited available mass, and their presence in some meteorites is equivocal owing to terrestrial exposure. Here we analyse an extract from a sample of asteroid (101955) Bennu collected by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft and identify several bio-essential sugars, including ribose (RNA sugar) and glucose (metabolism substrate). These sugars complete the inventory of ingredients crucial to life. Their distribution is consistent with that in the condensation products of formaldehyde solution. Given that Bennu contains formaldehyde and originates from an ancient parent asteroid that underwent long-term alteration by aqueous fluids, we postulate that the detected sugars formed in the parent asteroid from brines containing formaldehyde. This indicates that material with all three components necessary to life could have been dispersed to prebiotic Earth and other inner planets. Samples returned from asteroid Bennu contain bio-essential sugars such as ribose and glucose that may have formed in the parent asteroid from brines containing formaldehyde, according to a geochemical study.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-025-01838-6","authors":["Yoshihiro Furukawa","S. SUNAMI","Yoshinori Takano","Toshiki Koga","Yuta Hirakawa","Yasuhiro Oba","Hiroshi Naraoka","Daisuke Saigusa","Takaaki Yoshikawa","Satoru Tanaka","D. P. Glavin","Jason P. Dworkin"],"tags":["Asteroid","Astrobiology","Meteorite","Chemistry","Earth (classical element)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-025-01838-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4407373076","name":"Characterization of Amino Acid Nanolayers and Their Interactions under Simulated Planetary Conditions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Laboratory experiments extend our possibility to understand the behavior of organic molecules under extraterrestrial conditions. In the scope of such simulation experiments, organic molecules are often prepared as thin films, embedded in ice matrices, or adsorbed onto mineral surfaces. Albeit a single-species approach often adequately mimics the conditions to be studied, there are scenarios where the interactions between different organic molecules should be considered. In this work, we investigate the interaction of the two simplest α-amino acids, glycine and alanine, while codeposited as homogeneous nanolayers. Our results demonstrate that their interaction leads to deposition patterns, infrared signatures, and electronic properties that cannot be predicted by studying each molecular species in isolation. We conclude that organic interactions influence the photochemistry and spectroscopic signatures of biomolecules potentially present in planetary environments of interest such as Titan's surface.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00334","authors":["Diogo Gonçalves","Florence Hofmann","Janina Drauschke","Severin Wipf","Riccardo Giovanni Urso","Ana Maria Ferraria","A.M. Botelho do Rego","Jana Bocková","Cornelia Meinert","Andreas Elsaesser","Bruno Pedras","Zita Martins"],"tags":["Characterization (materials science)","Materials science","Amino acid","Chemical engineering","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00334","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W3176442865","name":"Use of Photobioreactors in Regenerative Life Support Systems for Human Space Exploration","source":"openalex","abstract":"There are still many challenges to overcome for human space exploration beyond low Earth orbit (LEO) (e.g., to the Moon) and for long-term missions (e.g., to Mars). One of the biggest problems is the reliable air, water and food supply for the crew. Bioregenerative life support systems (BLSS) aim to overcome these challenges using bioreactors for waste treatment, air and water revitalization as well as food production. In this review we focus on the microbial photosynthetic bioprocess and photobioreactors in space, which allow removal of toxic carbon dioxide (CO2) and production of oxygen (O2) and edible biomass. This paper gives an overview of the conducted space experiments in LEO with photobioreactors and the precursor work (on ground and in space) for BLSS projects over the last 30 years. We discuss the different hardware approaches as well as the organisms tested for these bioreactors. Even though a lot of experiments showed successful biological air revitalization on ground, the transfer to the space environment is far from trivial. For example, gas-liquid transfer phenomena are different under microgravity conditions which inevitably can affect the cultivation process and the oxygen production. In this review, we also highlight the missing expertise in this research field to pave the way for future space photobioreactor development and we point to future experiments needed to master the challenge of a fully functional BLSS.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2021.699525","authors":["Jana Fahrion","Felice Mastroleo","Claude‐Gilles Dussap","Natalie Leys"],"tags":["Photobioreactor","Life support system","Bioprocess","Biochemical engineering","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-06-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2021.699525","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406607584","name":"Hypothesis for Molecular Evolution in the Pre‐Cellular Stage of the Origin of Life","source":"openalex","abstract":"Life was originated from inorganic world and had experienced a long period of evolution in about 3.8 billion years. The time for emergence of the pioneer creations on Earth is debatable nowadays, and how the scenario for the prebiotic molecular interactions is still mysterious. Before the spreading of cellular organisms, chemical evolution was perhaps prevailing for millions of years, in which inorganic biosynthesis was ultimately replaced by biochemical reactions. Understanding the major molecular players and their interactions toward cellular life is fundamental for current medical science and extraterrestrial life exploration. In this review, we propose a road map for the primordial molecular evolution in early Earth, which probably occurred adjacent to hydrothermal vents with a strong gradient of organic molecules, temperature, and metal contents. Natural selection of the macromolecules with strong secondary structures and catalytic centers is associated with decreasing of overall entropy of the biopolymers. Our review may shed lights into the important selection of gene-coding RNA with secondary structures from large amounts of random biopolymers and formation of ancient ribosomes with biological machines supporting the basic life processes. Integration of the free environmental ribosomes by the early cellular life as symbiotic molecular machines is probably the earliest symbiosis on Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/wrna.70001","authors":["Yong Wang","Yanan Du"],"tags":["Abiogenesis","Astrobiology","RNA world hypothesis","Natural selection","Chemical evolution"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/wrna.70001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2495039495","name":"Hydrostatic pressure effect on magnetic hysteresis parameters of pseudo‐single‐domain magnetite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract This paper reports the first in situ magnetic hysteresis measurements of pseudo‐single‐domain (PSD) magnetite under high pressure up to 1 GPa. The magnetic hysteresis measurements of stoichiometric PSD magnetite samples under hydrostatic pressure were carried out using a piston‐cylinder high‐pressure cell, and the pressure dependence of the hysteresis parameters of PSD magnetite was calculated from the hysteresis curves. It was found that coercivity (Bc) increases with increasing pressure as a quadratic function up to 1 GPa by ∼90%, which is different from the pressure dependences of Bc of multidomain and single‐domain magnetites. Coercivity of remanence also increases as a quadratic function, and saturation remanence (Mrs) increases with pressure up to 0.5 GPa by ∼20% until reaching saturation. In contrast, saturation magnetization is constant up to 1 GPa. The approximate demagnetizing factor calculated from the ratio Bc/Mrs increases with increasing pressure, suggesting that the number of lamellar domains increases with increasing pressure. The number of lamellar domains and domain wall width are theoretically estimated to increase under high pressure due to the changes in magnetostriction, elastic, and magnetocrystalline anisotropy constants, and these changes in magnetic domain structure should relate to the changes in the magnetic properties of PSD magnetite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2016gc006406","authors":["Masahiko Sato","Yuhji Yamamoto","Takashi Nishioka","Kazuto Kodama","Nobutatsu Mochizuki","Hideo Tsunakawa"],"tags":["Remanence","Coercivity","Magnetite","Magnetocrystalline anisotropy","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-06-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2016gc006406","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W3021400981","name":"The Prebiotic Provenance of Semi-Aqueous Solvents","source":"openalex","abstract":"The numerous and varied roles of phosphorylated organic molecules in biochemistry suggest they may have been important to the origin of life. The prominence of phosphorylated molecules presents a conundrum given that phosphorylation is a thermodynamically unfavorable, endergonic process in water, and most natural sources of phosphate are poorly soluble. We recently demonstrated that a semi-aqueous solvent consisting of urea, ammonium formate, and water (UAFW) supports the dissolution of phosphate and the phosphorylation of nucleosides. However, the prebiotic feasibility and robustness of the UAFW system are unclear. Here, we study the UAFW system as a medium in which phosphate minerals are potentially solubilized. Specifically, we conduct a series of chemical experiments alongside thermodynamic models that simulate the formation of ammonium formate from the hydrolysis of hydrogen cyanide, and demonstrate the stability of formamide in such solvents (as an aqueous mixture). The dissolution of hydroxylapatite requires a liquid medium, and we investigate whether a UAFW system is solid or liquid over varied conditions, finding that this characteristic is controlled by the molar ratios of the three components. For liquid UAFW mixtures, we also find the solubility of phosphate is higher when the quantity of ammonium formate is greater than urea. We suggest the urea within the system can lower the activity of water, help create a stable and persistent solution, and may act as a condensing agent/catalyst to improve nucleoside phosphorylation yields.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11084-020-09595-9","authors":["Jennifer Lago","Bradley T. Burcar","Nicholas V. Hud","Rio Febrian","Christopher Mehta","Paul J. Bracher","Z. D. Atlas","Matthew A. Pasek"],"tags":["Chemistry","Formamide","Ammonium formate","Aqueous solution","Formate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-05-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11084-020-09595-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391228854","name":"Unlocking the potential: analyzing 3D microstructure of small-scale cement samples from space using deep learning","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Due to the prohibitive cost of transporting raw materials into Space, in-situ materials along with cement-like binders are poised to be employed for extraterrestrial construction. A unique methodology for obtaining microstructural topology of cement samples hydrated in microgravity environment at the International Space Station (ISS) is presented here. Distinctive Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) micrographs of hardened tri-calcium silicate (C3S) samples were used as exemplars in a deep learning-based microstructure reconstruction framework. The proposed method aids in generation of an ensemble of microstructures that is inherently statistical in nature, by utilizing sparse experimental data such as the C3S samples hydrated in microgravity. The hydrated space-returned samples had exhibited higher porosity content (~70 %) with the portlandite phase assuming an elongated plate-like morphology. Qualitative assessment of the volumetric slices from the reconstructed volumes showcased similar visual characteristics to that of the target 2D exemplar. Detailed assessment of the reconstructed volumes was carried out using statistical descriptors, and was further compared against micro-CT virtual data. The reconstructed volumes captured the unique microstructural morphology of the hardened C3S samples of both space-returned and ground-based samples, and can be directly employed as Representative Volume Element (RVE) to characterize mechanical/transport properties.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-024-00349-9","authors":["Vishnu Saseendran","Namiko Yamamoto","Peter J. Collins","Aleksandra Radlińska","Sara J. Mueller","Enrique M. Jackson"],"tags":["Portlandite","Microstructure","Porosity","Materials science","Cement"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-024-00349-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W117567600","name":"Additive Construction Using Basalt Regolith Fines","source":"openalex","abstract":"Planetary surfaces are often covered in regolith (crushed rock), whose geologic origin is largely basalt. The lunar surface is made of small-particulate regolith and areas of boulders located in the vicinity of craters. Regolith composition also varies with location, reflecting the local bedrock geology and the nature and efficiency of the micrometeorite-impact processes. In the lowland mare areas (suitable for habitation), the regolith is composed of small granules (20–100 microns average size) of mare basalt and volcanic glass. Impacting micrometeorites may cause local melting, and the formation of larger glassy particles, and this regolith may contain 10–80% glass. Studies of lunar regolith are traditionally conducted with lunar regolith simulant (reconstructed soil with compositions patterned after the lunar samples returned by Apollo). The NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Granular Mechanics & Regolith Operations (GMRO) lab has identified a low fidelity but economical geo-technical simulant designated as Black Point-1 (BP-1). It was found at the site of the Arizona Desert Research and Technology Studies (RATS) analog field test site at the Black Point lava flow in adjacent basalt quarry spoil mounds. This paper summarizes activities at KSC regarding the utilization of BP-1 basalt regolith and comparative work with lunar basalt simulant JSC-1A as a building material for robotic additive construction of large structures. In an effort to reduce the import or in-situ fabrication of binder additives, we focused this work on in-situ processing of regolith for construction in a single-step process after its excavation. High-temperature melting of regolith involves techniques used in glassmaking and casting (with melts of lower density and higher viscosity than those of metals), producing basaltic glass with high durability and low abrasive wear. Most Lunar simulants melt at temperatures above 1100°C, although melt processing of terrestrial regolith at 1500°C is not uncommon. These temperatures are achievable by laser heating or by using solar concentrators. Similar to volcanic magma, the cooling rate determines the crystallite size—slower cooling develops larger crystals, and rapid quenching can result in fully amorphous glass.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784479179.042","authors":["Robert P. Mueller","Laurent Sibille","Paul E. Hintze","Thomas Lippitt","J. G. Mantovani","Matthew W. Nugent","Ivan I. Townsend"],"tags":["Regolith","Basalt","Lava","Lunar mare","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-06-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784479179.042","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406015998","name":"The hidden role of heterotrophic bacteria in early carbonate diagenesis","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract Microbial impacts on early carbonate diagenesis, particularly the formation of Mg-carbonates at low temperatures, have long eluded scientists. Our breakthrough laboratory experiments with two species of halophilic aerobic bacteria and marine carbonate grains reveal that these bacteria created a distinctive protodolomite (disordered dolomite) rim around the grains. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) confirmed the protodolomite formation, while solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) revealed bacterial interactions with carboxylated organic matter, such as extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). We observed a significant carbon isotope fractionation (average δ13C = 11.3‰) and notable changes in Mg/Ca ratios throughout the experiments. Initial medium δ13C was − 18‰, sterile sediments were at 2‰ (n = 12), bacterial-altered sediments were − 6.8‰ (n = 12), and final medium δ13C was − 4.7‰. These results highlight the role of bacteria in driving organic carbon sequestration into Mg-rich carbonates and demonstrate the utility of NMR as a tool for detecting microbial biosignatures. This has significant implications for understanding carbonate diagenesis (dissolution and reprecipitation), climate science, and extraterrestrial research.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-84407-y","authors":["Mónica Sánchez‐Román","Viswasanthi Chandra","Sebastian Mulder","Camila Areias","John J. G. Reijmer","Volker Vahrenkamp"],"tags":["Diagenesis","Carbonate","Dissolution","Dolomite","Organic matter"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-84407-y","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"oa:W2990538259","name":"Constraining the Evolutionary History of the Moon and the Inner Solar System: A Case for New Returned Lunar Samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Moon is the only planetary body other than the Earth for which samples have been collectedin situby humans and robotic missions and returned to Earth. Scientific investigations of the first lunar samples returned by the Apollo 11 astronauts 50 years ago transformed the way we think most planetary bodies form and evolve. Identification of anorthositic clasts in Apollo 11 samples led to the formulation of the magma ocean concept, and by extension the idea that the Moon experienced large-scale melting and differentiation. This concept of magma oceans would soon be applied to other terrestrial planets and large asteroidal bodies. Dating of basaltic fragments returned from the Moon also showed that a relatively small planetary body could sustain volcanic activity for more than a billion years after its formation. Finally, studies of the lunar regolith showed that in addition to containing a treasure trove of the Moon’s history, it also provided us with a rich archive of the past 4.5 billion years of evolution of the inner Solar System. Further investigations of samples returned from the Moon over the past five decades led to many additional discoveries, but also raised new and fundamental questions that are difficult to address with currently available samples, such as those related to the age of the Moon, duration of lunar volcanism, the lunar paleomagnetic field and its intensity, and the record on the Moon of the bombardment history during the first billion years of evolution of the Solar System. In this contribution, we review the information we currently have on some of the key science questions related to the Moon and discuss how future sample-return missions could help address important knowledge gaps.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-019-0622-x","authors":["Romain Tartèse","M. Anand","J. Gattacceca","K. H. Joy","James Mortimer","J. F. Pernet‐Fisher","S. S. Russell","J. F. Snape","B. P. Weiss"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Lunar orbit","Geology","Planetary science","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-019-0622-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2272772833","name":"Space weathering of silicates simulated by successive laser irradiation: In situ reflectance measurements of Fo 90 , Fo 99+ , and SiO 2","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Pulsed‐laser irradiation causes the visible‐near‐infrared spectral slope of olivine (Fo 90 and Fo 99+ ) and SiO 2 to increase (redden), while the olivine samples darken and the SiO 2 samples brighten slightly. XPS analysis shows that irradiation of Fo 90 produces metallic Fe. Analytical SEM and TEM measurements confirm that reddening in the Fo 90 olivine samples correlates with the production of “nanophase” metallic Fe (npFe 0 ) grains, 20–50 nm in size. The reddening observed in the SiO 2 sample is consistent with the formation of SiO or other SiO x species that absorb in the visible. The weak spectral brightening induced by laser irradiation of SiO 2 is consistent with a change in surface topography of the sample. The darkening observed in the olivine samples is likely caused by the formation of larger npFe 0 particles, such as the 100–400 nm diameter npFe 0 identified during our TEM analysis of Fo 90 samples. The Fo 90 reflectance spectra are qualitatively similar to those in previous experiments suggesting that in all cases formation of npFe 0 is causing the spectral alteration. Finally, we find that the accumulation of successive laser pulses cause continued sample darkening in the Vis‐ NIR , which suggests that repeated surface impacts are an efficient way to darken airless body surfaces.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12581","authors":["M. J. Loeffler","C. A. Dukes","R. Christoffersen","R. A. Baragiola"],"tags":["Irradiation","Olivine","Space weathering","Analytical Chemistry (journal)","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-01-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12581","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4413380502","name":"Geopolymer Chemistry and Composition: A Comprehensive Review of Synthesis, Reaction Mechanisms, and Material Properties—Oriented with Sustainable Construction","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Geopolymers are an environmentally sustainable class of low-calcium alkali-activated materials (AAMs), distinct from high-calcium C–A–S–H gel systems. Synthesized from aluminosilicate-rich precursors such as fly ash, metakaolin, slag, waste glass, and coal gasification fly ash (CGFA), geopolymers offer a significantly lower carbon footprint, valorize industrial by-products, and demonstrate superior durability in aggressive environments compared to Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). Recent advances in thermodynamic modeling and phase chemistry, particularly in CaO–SiO2–Al2O3 systems, are improving precursor selection and mix design optimization, while Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and hybrid ML-thermodynamic approaches show promise for predictive performance assessment. This review critically evaluates geopolymer chemistry and composition, emphasizing precursor reactivity, Si/Al and other molar ratios, activator chemistry, curing regimes, and reaction mechanisms in relation to microstructure and performance. Comparative insights into alkali aluminosilicate (AAS) and aluminosilicate phosphate (ASP) systems, supported by SEM and XRD evidence, are discussed alongside durability challenges, including alkali–silica reaction (ASR) and shrinkage. Emerging applications ranging from advanced pavements and offshore scour protection to slow-release fertilizers and biomedical implants are reviewed within the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Identified knowledge gaps include standardization of mix design, LCA-based evaluation of novel precursors, and variability management. Aligning geopolymer technology with circular economy principles, this review consolidates recent progress to guide sustainable construction, waste valorization, and infrastructure resilience.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18163823","authors":["Sri Ganesh Kumar Mohan Kumar","John Kinuthia","Jonathan Oti","Blessing O. Adeleke"],"tags":["Geopolymer","Fly ash","Metakaolin","Portland cement","Aluminosilicate"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18163823","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"oa:W2735126766","name":"ASTER Data Analyses for Lithological Discrimination of Sittampundi Anorthositic Complex, Southern India","source":"openalex","abstract":"ASTER is an advanced Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer, a multispectral sensor, which measures reflected and emitted electromagnetic radiation of earth surface with 14 bands. The present study aims to delineate different rock types in the Sittampundi Anorthositic Complex (SAC), Tamil Nadu using Visible (VIS), near-infrared (NIR) and short wave infrared (SWIR) reflectance data of ASTER 9 band data. We used different band ratioing, band combinations in the VNIR and SWIR region for discriminating lithological boundaries. SAC is also considered as a lunar highland analog rock. Anorthosite is a plagioclase-rich igneous rock with subordinate amounts of pyroxenes, olivine and other minerals. A methodology has been applied to correct the cross talk effect and radiance to reflectance. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) has been realized on the 9 ASTER bands in order to reduce the redundancy information in highly correlated bands. PCA derived FCC results enable the validation and support to demarcate the different lithological boundaries defined on previous geological map. The image derived spectral profiles for anorthosite are compared with the ASTER resampled laboratory spectra, JHU spectral library spectra and Apollo 14 lunar anorthosites spectra. The Spectral Angle Mapping imaging spectroscopy technique has been practiced to classify the ASTER image of the study area and found that, the processing of ASTER remote sensing data set can be used as a powerful tool for mapping the terrestrial Anorthositic regions and similar kind of process could be applied to map the planetary surfaces (E.g. Moon).","url":"https://doi.org/10.22606/gr.2017.23005","authors":["S. Arivazhagan","S. Anbazhagan"],"tags":["VNIR","Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer","Remote sensing","Anorthosite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.22606/gr.2017.23005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W3201295259","name":"Potential resources on 6 Hebe asteroid","source":"openalex","abstract":"6 Hebe located in the main asteroid belt is one of the potential extraterrestrial objects of future mining exploitation. It is also widely recognized as the parent body of H chondrites. Based on the chemical analyses of H chondrites, the average chemical composition of the asteroid was determined. This asteroid is composed of, among others [in Mg]: Fe (3.54 · 10 15 ), Ni (2.17 · 10 14 ), Cr (4.44 · 10 13 ), Co (1.05 · 10 13 ), Cu (1.19 · 10 12 ), Mo (1.78 · 10 10 ). These elements are a component of various minerals, including minerals that can be a future object of exploitation. Primarily, they are FeNi alloy minerals, but also e.g. chromite. The reserves of these elements are smaller, but assuming that it is 10 or even 1% of resources, they are still huge. The reserves of 6 Hebe can cover Earth's demand for selected elements for several thousand to even several million years. For comparison, with the current mining production of iron, the earth's resources will last 153 years, and reserves–56 years [1]. Extraterrestrial mining may in the future be an ecological alternative to mining on Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/684/1/012020","authors":["Konrad Blutstein"],"tags":["Chondrite","Asteroid","Astrobiology","Meteorite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-04-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/684/1/012020","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W4396826891","name":"Alteration in the Raman spectra of characteristic rock‐forming silicate mixtures due to micrometeorite bombardment","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Innovative techniques are required for the in situ investigation of the surfaces of planetary bodies when landings are planned. Raman spectroscopy turned out as an excellent tool for fast mineralogical analyses on space missions. Contribution from a photoluminescence signal is not unexpected and is likely to be even more pronounced on celestial surfaces with a dilute or absent atmosphere exposed to strong space weathering, for example, micrometeorite bombardment. Such signals were found, for example, in Raman analysis of the probes from sample‐return missions. While photoluminescence is generally considered as an accompanying undesired product in the Raman spectral measurement, our studies show that some analytical information can be derived from this signal, and even more, due to the specific correlation of luminescence intensity with space weathering products. Therefore, we investigate the Raman spectra alteration of characteristic rock‐forming mineral mixtures (olivine, pyroxene and plagioclase) by micrometeorite bombardment, which is simulated by nanosecond‐pulse laser irradiation. The changes in the minerals are strongly dependent on the composition and structure. They range from disappearing changes in the minerals with simple chemistry and structure to complete amorphization of minerals with relatively low melting enthalpy. With Raman spectroscopy, we found out that the photoluminescence signals show resonant or anti‐resonant changes to specific mineral phases and amorphization. Furthermore, ablation‐induced iron nanoparticles of minerals containing Fe are detectable by Raman spectroscopy due to their alteration into iron oxides. Trapped volatiles in the matrices are analysed due to the formation of the compounds containing them. This broad spectrum of results indicating specific change phenomena due to space weathering can be effectively used for in situ Raman analysis in planetary missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.6676","authors":["I. Weber","S. G. Pavlov","Ute Böttger","Maximilian P. Reitze"],"tags":["Raman spectroscopy","Silicate","Astrobiology","Materials science","Spectral line"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.6676","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W2516844160","name":"A Self-Assembled Aggregate Composed of a Fatty Acid Membrane and the Building Blocks of Biological Polymers Provides a First Step in the Emergence of Protocells","source":"openalex","abstract":"We propose that the first step in the origin of cellular life on Earth was the self-assembly of fatty acids with the building blocks of RNA and protein, resulting in a stable aggregate. This scheme provides explanations for the selection and concentration of the prebiotic components of cells; the stabilization and growth of early membranes; the catalysis of biopolymer synthesis; and the co-localization of membranes, RNA and protein. In this article, we review the evidence and rationale for the formation of the proposed aggregate: (i) the well-established phenomenon of self-assembly of fatty acids to form vesicles; (ii) our published evidence that nucleobases and sugars bind to and stabilize such vesicles; and (iii) the reasons why amino acids likely do so as well. We then explain how the conformational constraints and altered chemical environment due to binding of the components to the membrane could facilitate the formation of nucleosides, oligonucleotides and peptides. We conclude by discussing how the resulting oligomers, even if short and random, could have increased vesicle stability and growth more than their building blocks did, and how competition among these vesicles could have led to longer polymers with complex functions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life6030033","authors":["Roy A. Black","Matthew C. Blosser"],"tags":["Protocell","Vesicle","Abiogenesis","Membrane","Biopolymer"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-08-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life6030033","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411948214","name":"Biomaterials for organically generated habitats beyond Earth","source":"openalex","abstract":"Sustaining life beyond Earth requires the creation of habitats, which is typically assumed to require costly transport of high-mass components from Earth. Here, we investigate an alternative approach based on in situ fabrication using biologically generated materials. We show that several common biomaterials are capable of blocking UV radiation, transmitting visible light, and maintaining pressure differences sufficient to permanently stabilize liquid H 2 O in a vacuum or low-pressure environment. As a proof of concept, we then demonstrate growth of eukaryotic green alga in a 3D printed PLA bioplastic habitat under Mars-relevant conditions of a 600 Pa CO 2 background atmosphere. Our results demonstrate that products of biology itself can be used to create habitats in extraterrestrial environments. This approach is scalable, sustainable, and plausibly could be extended to construction of human habitats in the future.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adp4985","authors":["Robin Wordsworth","Rafid Quayum","Elida Kocharian","Ann Pearson","Xavier Portillo","M. Yang","Charles S. Cockell","Shannon N. Nangle","George Church"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Earth (classical element)","Habitat","Extraterrestrial life","Mars Exploration Program"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adp4985","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411921627","name":"Mechanical softening of lunar olivine probed via nanoindentation and high-pressure X-ray diffraction measurements","source":"openalex","abstract":"The mechanical properties of minerals in planetary materials are not only interesting from a fundamental point of view but also critical to the development of future space missions. Here we present nanoindentation experiments to evaluate the hardness and reduced elastic modulus of olivine, (Mg, Fe) 2 SiO 4 , in meteorite NWA 12008, a lunar basalt. Our experiments suggest that the olivine grains in this lunaite are softer and more elastic than their terrestrial counterparts. Also, we have performed synchrotron-based high-pressure X-ray diffraction (HP-XRD) measurements to probe the compressibility properties of this meteorite and, for comparison purposes, of three ordinary chondrites. The HP-XRD results suggest that the axial compressibility of the orthorhombic b lattice parameter of olivine relative to terrestrial olivine is higher in NWA 12008 and also in the highly-shocked Chelyabinsk meteorite. The origin of the observed differences is discussed. A simple model combining the results of both our nanoindentation and HP-XRD measurements allows us to describe the contribution of macroscopic and chemical-bond related effects, both of which are necessary to reproduce the observed elastic modulus softening. Such joint analysis of the mechanical and elastic properties of meteorites and returned samples opens up a new avenue for characterizing these highly interesting materials.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsf.2025.102110","authors":["Pau Grèbol-Tomàs","Jordi Ibáñez","J. M. Trigo‐Rodríguez","Eloy Peña‐Asensio","Robert Oliva","Daniel Díaz-Anichtchenko","Pablo Botella","J. Sánchez-Martín","R. Turnbull","Daniel Errandonea","Akun Liang","Cătălin Popescu"],"tags":["Nanoindentation","Olivine","Softening","Diffraction","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsf.2025.102110","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4415692519","name":"Implausibility of hypophosphate on the early Earth and today","source":"openalex","abstract":"The in-fall of meteorites, interstellar dust particles and other extraterrestrial material during the late accretion period on the early Earth is speculated to have contributed significant quantities of inorganic phosphorus (P) minerals, including in the form of the mineral schreibersite, (Fe, Ni)3P. This mineral readily corrodes in water to form various soluble inorganic P species including both reduced oxidation state and condensed P compounds. Hypophosphate ( $$\\text{HP}_{2}{\\text{O}}_{6}^{{3 - }}$$ ) is a reduced P species produced as a consequence of this corrosion process with a nominal + 4 oxidation state. Yet hypophosphate is not observed in natural water nor have any signs of it been found in ancient rocks, despite observations of phosphite ( $${\\text{HPO}}_{3}^{{2 - }}$$ ). In the present work, we study the chemistry of hypophosphate under both aqueous and anhydrous geochemical conditions, including the effects of pH, oxic and anoxic environments, hydrothermal conditions, mild heating, oxidizing solutions, and exposure to UV light. We show that hypophosphate most commonly disproportionates into phosphite ( $${\\text{HPO}}_{3}^{{2 - }}$$ ) and phosphate ( $${\\text{HPO}}_{4}^{{2 - }}$$ ) under aqueous conditions, and these in turn form condensed phosphorus species such as pyrophosphite, pyrophosphate, and isohypophosphate. Under anhydrous and high-temperature conditions (e.g., 250–400 °C for 2–9 days), hypophosphate both oxidizes and disproportionates to species such as phosphite, phosphate, pyrophosphate, pyrophosphite, isohypophosphate, trimetaphosphate, and triphosphate. At elevated temperatures and under anhydrous conditions (350 °C and above), hypophosphate is completely oxidized, forming only phosphates. Thus, hypophosphate is lost through disproportionation reactions at low temperature, and by oxidation at high temperature, suggesting that it is not stable for geologic timescales, and hence any evidence of this molecule in early Earth materials has been lost.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s44371-025-00340-7","authors":["Maheen Gull","Jakob Centlivre","Tian Feng","Benjamin Smith","Kristin Johnson‐Finn","K. L. Rogers","Scott A. McCallum","Matthew A. Pasek"],"tags":["Anhydrous","Disproportionation","Aqueous solution","Anoxic waters","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s44371-025-00340-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4206744503","name":"Rare Earth Elements: A brief overview","source":"openalex","abstract":"Recent years have witnessed increasing awareness and interest in rare earth elements (REE). These several, usually unfamiliar elements, are key components of countless products used in our daily lives. Because of their use in many modern technologies, including those important for national security, the demand for REE grows, and so does the production, need to find their new sources and improve the extraction. This article provides an overview of REEs, their availability, production, and uses, and briefly discusses the future of these valuable and critical metals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.14434/ijes.v4i1.33628","authors":["Agnieszka Drobniak","María Mastalerz"],"tags":["Rare earth","Production (economics)","Key (lock)","Earth science","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.14434/ijes.v4i1.33628","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W3198747344","name":"Spectroscopic study of terrestrial analogues to support rover missions to Mars – A Raman-centred review","source":"openalex","abstract":"The 2020s could be called, with little doubt, the \"Mars decade\". No other period in space exploration history has experienced such interest in placing orbiters, rovers and landers on the Red Planet. In 2021 alone, the Emirates' first Mars Mission (the Hope orbiter), the Chinese Tianwen-1 mission (orbiter, lander and rover), and NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover reached Mars. The ExoMars mission Rosalind Franklin rover is scheduled for launch in 2022. Beyond that, several other missions are proposed or under development. Among these, MMX to Phobos and the very important Mars Sample Return can be cited. One of the key mission objectives of the Mars 2020 and ExoMars 2022 missions is the detection of traces of potential past or present life. This detection relies to a great extent on the analytical results provided by complementary spectroscopic techniques. The development of these novel instruments has been carried out in step with the analytical study of terrestrial analogue sites and materials, which serve to test the scientific capabilities of spectroscopic prototypes while providing crucial information to better understand the geological processes that could have occurred on Mars. Being directly involved in the development of three of the first Raman spectrometers to be validated for space exploration missions (Mars 2020/SuperCam, ExoMars/RLS and RAX/MMX), the present review summarizes some of the most relevant spectroscopy-based analyses of terrestrial analogues carried out over the past two decades. Therefore, the present work describes the analytical results gathered from the study of some of the most distinctive terrestrial analogues of Martian geological contexts, as well as the lessons learned mainly from ExoMars mission simulations conducted at representative analogue sites. Learning from the experience gained in the described studies, a general overview of the scientific outcome expected from the spectroscopic system developed for current and forthcoming planetary missions is provided.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2021.339003","authors":["F. Rull","Marco Veneranda","J. A. Manrique","Aurelio Sanz‐Arranz","Jesús Sáiz","J. Medina","Andoni Moral","Carlos Pérez","Laura Seoane","E.A. Lalla","E. Charro","J. M. López"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Orbiter","Exploration of Mars","Astrobiology","Space exploration"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2021.339003","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411057009","name":"Advancements in Mars Habitation Technologies and Terrestrial Simulation Projects: A Comprehensive Review","source":"openalex","abstract":"This review examines advancements in Mars habitation technologies, emphasizing Earth-based analog missions and closed-loop life support systems critical for long-duration human presence on the Red Planet. The paper categorizes major simulation projects—including Biosphere 2, Yuegong 1 (Lunar Palace 1), SAM, MaMBA, and CHAPEA—and analyzes their contributions to habitat design, psychological resilience, and environmental control. Technological domains such as in situ resource utilization (ISRU), habitat automation, and extraterrestrial health care are evaluated with respect to current limitations and future scalability. Additionally, the paper explores regulatory, economic, and international cooperation aspects, highlighting their significance in enabling sustainable settlement. By integrating empirical data from terrestrial experiments and recent space initiatives, this review offers a comprehensive assessment of readiness and gaps in Mars habitation strategies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace12060510","authors":["Yubin Zhong","Tao Wu","Yan Han","Feiyang Wang","Dan Zhao","Zhen Fang","Linxin Pan","Chen Tang"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Geography","Environmental resource management","Systems engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace12060510","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"oa:W4413299854","name":"Robotics for Space Exploration: From Mars Rovers to Lunar Missions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Robotics has become an indispensable element in the exploration of extraterrestrial environments, enabling scientific discoveries in domains that are otherwise inaccessible or hazardous to human presence. This survey paper provides a comprehensive overview of the development, deployment, and future direction of robotic systems specifically designed for space exploration, with a focus on missions to Mars and the Moon. Beginning with a historical perspective, the paper explores early robotic missions that laid the foundation for current technologies, including the Soviet Luna program and NASA’s Viking missions. It highlights the technical advancements and scientific achievements of iconic Mars rovers such as Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity, and Perseverance, examining their mobility mechanisms, autonomous navigation systems, power sources, and onboard scientific instruments. Parallel to Martian exploration, the paper discusses lunar robotics, including legacy missions like Lunokhod and Apollo Lunar Rovers, as well as emerging platforms under NASA’s Artemis program. The survey further investigates key innovations in space robotics, such as autonomous decision-making, advanced locomotion systems, and energy efficiency in harsh environments, while addressing challenges like radiation exposure and communication latency. Finally, it explores future trends, including in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), robotic construction of habitats, and human-robot collaboration. By synthesizing past, present, and emerging trends, this paper serves as a detailed resource for understanding the critical role of robotics in advancing humanity’s reach beyond Earth, offering insights to guide future research and mission planning.","url":"https://doi.org/10.64229/z94fvn06","authors":["Babar Hussain","Jiandong Guo","Sidra Fareed","Subhan Uddin"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Exploration of Mars","Robotics","Planetary exploration","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.64229/z94fvn06","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W4378979617","name":"Raman spectroscopy investigations of the Martian regolith breccia Northwest Africa 7533: A support to in situ Raman spectroscopy on Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Using continuous‐wave and time‐resolved Raman spectroscopy, we investigate and characterize the mineralogy of the NWA 7533 meteorite, a unique Martian regolith breccia. This meteorite is a crucial sample, giving a rare access to the formation and evolution of the primitive Martian crust, with crystallization processes beginning up to ~4.4 Ga years ago. We provide an overview of Raman spectra for feldspar, plagioclase, pyroxene, olivine, apatite, merrillite, zircon, pyrite, and various Fe‐Cr‐Ti oxides like magnetite, hematite, ilmenite, and rutile. Most analytical points are paired with previous electron microprobe analyses for deeper interpretation of Raman data. The variability of the silicate minerals composition obtained through microanalysis is traced through variation of the Raman spectra characteristics. No trace of any shock event is observed in the mineral structures. Structural diversity of zircon is linked to various metamictization stages. The luminescence signal of minerals bearing rare earth elements (REE), mainly phosphate and zircon, is documented in detail and discussed. We discuss the presence of at least two generations of phosphate minerals with implications for magmatic petrology. Because NWA 7533 provides a unique sampling of various crustal lithologies of Mars, this spectral dataset could be a reference for Raman instruments presently working on Mars (e.g., NASA Mars2020 Perseverance) or going to this planet or its moon Phobos in the future (e.g., ESA ExoMars, JAXA MMX).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.6556","authors":["Virgile Malarewicz","Olivier Beyssac","B. Zanda","R. H. Hewins","Sylvain Pont","Sylvain Bouley","Sylvain Bernard","M. Gauthier","M. Morand","Y. Garino","P. Rosier"],"tags":["Geology","Martian","Pyroxene","Astrobiology","Zircon"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.6556","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2154973833","name":"Aerosols and Ice Particle Size in Tropical Cumulonimbus","source":"openalex","abstract":"A retrieval of ice crystal size near the tops of active deep cumulonimbus clouds (Cb) throughout the Tropics over a 12-yr period is presented based on radiances from the 3.7-μm channel of the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR). Effective diameters (De) are 10%–20% smaller over land than ocean. Downwind of continents, crystals are smallest when low-level, offshore transport is strongest. Other regional, seasonal, interannual, and long-term variations are also found. These are compared with variations of the Total Ozone Mapping Spectroradiometer (TOMS) retrieved tropospheric aerosol and with variations of convective intensity and amount in an effort to identify potential causes by statistical association. Ice particles prove to be smaller when aerosol amounts are greater and when convection is more intense, but appear unrelated to convective rate of occurrence. Aerosols appear to be the most important influence on seasonal and longer timescales, with a consistent ∼20% decrease in Cb crystal effective diameter per unit increase in TOMS aerosol index in regions of biomass burning. In the Sahel region of Africa, where dust and burning both contribute to TOMS retrievals, this sensitivity is closer to ∼10%. The variety of signals makes the possibility of accidental statistical association unlikely, although it cannot be ruled out. Based on these numbers and on geographic maps of De, open biomass burning appears to be more important than urban sources of aerosol in influencing Cb microphysics. Dust generated near burning sites may also contribute to the observed aerosol influence on De.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0442(2002)015<1051:aaipsi>2.0.co;2","authors":["Steven C. Sherwood"],"tags":["Aerosol","Environmental science","Atmospheric sciences","Mineral dust","Troposphere"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0442(2002)015<1051:aaipsi>2.0.co;2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W4414090391","name":"Late fluid flow in a primitive asteroid revealed by Lu–Hf isotopes in Ryugu","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09483-0","authors":["Tsuyoshi Iizuka","Takazo Shibuya","Takehito Hayakawa","Tetsuya Yokoyama","Ikshu Gautam","Makiko K. Haba","Kengo T. M. Ito","Yuki Hibiya","Akira Yamaguchi","Yoshinari Abe","J. Aléon","C. M. O'd. Alexander"],"tags":["Asteroid","Planetesimal","Astrobiology","Geology","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09483-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W2992753565","name":"Characterizing the effect of exposure to microgravity on anemia: more space is worse","source":"openalex","abstract":"The effects of space travel have renewed importance with space tourism and plans for long-term missions to the moon and Mars. The study of space anemia is limited by the availability of subjects and extreme conditions. An approach using the accumulated data on human space flight may characterize space anemia. A total of 17 336 hemoglobin (Hb) concentration measures from 721 space missions and controls were used to study acute and long-term effects of duration of exposure to space on Hb decrement. Nearly half of astronauts (48%) landing after long duration missions were anemic. Returning to Earth revealed Hb decrements whose magnitude and time to recover were dependent on exposure to space: -0.61 g/dL (4%), -0.82 g/dL (5%) and -1.66 g/dL (11%) of preflight Hb for mean exposure to space of 5.4, 11.5, and 145 days, respectively. Astronauts returning from a mean 5.4 days in space took 24 days to return to preflight Hb while astronauts 11.5 to 145 days in space took 49 days. Negative effects of microgravity on Hb persisted throughout female and male astronauts' terrestrial lives (-0.001 and -0.002 mg/dL Hb respectively) for every day spent in space (both P < .05). The negative effect of exposure to space was not overcome by a statistically significant effect of being an astronaut compared to controls. Exposure to space showed a dose-response relationship with acute and chronic Hb decrements. Space anemia contributes to the deconditioning of astronauts returning to Earth, and needs to be considered for space travel to other planets, space tourism and for the care of bedridden patients who present similar changes as astronauts.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajh.25699","authors":["Guy Trudel","Jessica Shafer","Odette Laneuville","Tim Ramsay"],"tags":["Medicine","Anemia","Space (punctuation)","Internal medicine","Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-12-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajh.25699","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W7125801130","name":"Abiotic sugar enantiomers in the CI carbonaceous chondrite Orgueil","source":"openalex","abstract":"The uneven detection of prebiotic organic compounds in meteorites-where amino acids and nucleobases are commonly identified but sugars remain rare and poorly characterized-limits our understanding of extraterrestrial organic chemistry. This discrepancy is striking given that laboratory simulations of interstellar ice chemistry readily produce complex sugars. Here we report the simultaneous analysis of sugar and amino acid enantiomers in a meteorite sample. Multiple aldoses were detected in the Orgueil meteorite, including ribose, arabinose, xylose, lyxose, and the ketopentose ribulose, several of which display near-racemic distributions consistent with an extraterrestrial origin. Recovery experiments demonstrate that sugar abundances are severely underestimated. Despite this limitation, pentose abundances are comparable to those of some C4-C5 amino acid enantiomers, implying higher true concentrations. These results indicate efficient abiotic sugar formation in space and suggest that meteorites may have delivered a broader range of prebiotically relevant sugars to early Earth than previously recognized.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-68709-5","authors":["Vanessa Leyva","Manuel Robert","Raphaël Pepino","Jana Bocková","Cornelia Meinert"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Chemistry","Carbonaceous chondrite","Sugar"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-68709-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W7128716215","name":"Cold sintering for in-space materials fabrication: a science, engineering, and future directions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Cold Sintering Process (CSP) has recently emerged as a transformative approach for densifying ceramics and composites at temperatures below 300 °C using pressure-assisted dissolution–precipitation. This low-energy route is particularly compelling for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) in extraterrestrial environments, where transporting construction materials from Earth is impractical. This review critically examines the potential of CSP for fabricating structural and functional materials in space, spanning lunar, Martian, orbital, deep-space, and asteroid contexts. We analyze the fundamental mechanisms of CSP, recent experimental demonstrations on lunar and Martian regolith simulants, and its integration with additive manufacturing, robotics, and artificial intelligence. Case studies highlight the production of high-strength regolith bricks (> 200 MPa) at low energy cost, showing CSP’s feasibility for building load-bearing structures on the Moon and Mars. We further explore frontier applications, including radiation shielding, multifunctional composites, and autonomous construction systems. Challenges such as solvent sourcing, high-pressure requirements, and environmental constraints are discussed in detail. Finally, we outline research directions toward scaling CSP for large habitats, integrating it with space architecture, and deploying it as part of closed-loop resource systems. CSP is positioned as a cornerstone technology for sustainable space infrastructure, enabling humankind to build resilient habitats and functional systems beyond Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s41939-026-01182-1","authors":["Kaveh Rahimi Mamaghani","Nader Parvin"],"tags":["Regolith","Martian","Astrobiology","Mars Exploration Program","Resource (disambiguation)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s41939-026-01182-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"oa:W4317603203","name":"Identifying meteorite droppers among the population of bright ‘sporadic’ bolides imaged by the Spanish Meteor Network during the spring of 2022","source":"openalex","abstract":"ABSTRACT The extraordinary weather conditions available between February and March 2022 over Spain have allowed us to analyse the brightest fireballs recorded by the monitoring stations of the Spanish Meteor Network (SPMN). We study the atmospheric flight of 15 large meteoroids to determine if they are meteorite dropper events to prepare campaigns to search for freshly fallen extraterrestrial material. We investigate their origins in the Solar system and their dynamic association with parent bodies and meteoroid streams. Employing our python pipeline 3d-firetoc, we reconstruct the atmospheric trajectory utilizing ground-based multistation observations and compute the heliocentric orbit. In addition, we apply an ablation model to estimate the initial and terminal mass of each event. Using a dissimilarity criterion and propagating backward in time, we check the connection of these meteoroids with known complexes and near-Earth objects. We also calculate if the orbits are compatible with recent meteoroid ejections. We find that ∼27 per cent of these fireballs are dynamically associated with minor meteoroid streams and exhibit physical properties of cometary bodies, as well as one associated with a near-Earth asteroid. We identify two meteorite-producing events; however, the on-site search was unsuccessful. By considering that these fireballs are mostly produced by cm-sized rocks that might be the fragmentation product of much larger meteoroids, our findings emphasize the idea that the population of near-Earth objects is a source of near-term impact hazards, existing large Earth-colliding meteoroids in the known complexes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stad102","authors":["Eloy Peña‐Asensio","J. M. Trigo‐Rodríguez","Albert Rimola","M Corretgé-Gilart","D. Koschny"],"tags":["Meteoroid","Meteorite","Physics","Asteroid","Near-Earth object"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stad102","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W73801166","name":"Carbon and strontium isotope stratigraphy of the Permian from Nevada and China: Implications from an icehouse to greenhouse transition","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Permian is one of the most important intervals of earth history to help us understand the way our climate system works.It is an analog to modern climate because during this interval climate transitioned from an icehouse state (when glaciers existed extending to middle latitudes), to a greenhouse state (when there were no glaciers).This climatic amelioration occurred under conditions very similar to those that exist in modern times, including atmospheric CO 2 levels and the presence of plants thriving in the terrestrial system.This analog to the modern system allows us to investigate the mechanisms that cause global warming.Scientist have learned that the distribution of carbon between the oceans, atmosphere and lithosphere plays a large role in determining climate and changes in this distribution can be studied by chemical proxies preserved in the rock record.There are two main ways to change the distribution of carbon between these reservoirs.Organic carbon can be buried or silicate minerals in the terrestrial realm can be weathered.These two mechanisms account for the long term changes in carbon concentrations in the atmosphere, particularly important to climate.In order to study these changes, this study investigates chemical proxies that reflect the operation of these mechanisms.iii Marine limestones preserve the two proxies that we use to investigate changes to carbon, δ 13 C carb and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr. δ 13 C carb primarily records changes to the amount of organic carbon that is being buried (added to the lithospheric reservoir).87 Sr/ 86 Sr records the weathering of silicate weathering.By examining these proxies, a better understanding of what was happening to the carbon system during this pivotal interval.Three lithologic sections have been examined and samples collected for analysis, two sections in Nevada and one in Southern China.These sections are long ranging in time and thick, implying that they are a detailed record of the ocean-atmosphere system through the Permian System.Analysis from samples collected at these localities give a detailed record of changes, previously unreported in the literature.This dissertation describes these records and begins to interpret their climatic interpretations.","url":"https://openalex.org/W73801166","authors":["Kate Elizabeth Tierney"],"tags":["Stratigraphy","Permian","Isotopes of strontium","Geology","Paleontology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"oa:W4366287456","name":"A journey in Noble Gas Cosmochemistry and Geochemistry","source":"openalex","abstract":"I started my journey in science by studying noble gases implanted by the solar wind in dust grains on the surface of the Moon, and with many colleagues I have studied solar wind implanted noble gases in natural and artificial samples throughout my career, the latter exposed primarily by the Genesis space mission. Major questions are what noble gases in the solar wind can tell us about the present and the past Sun, and how they can contribute to understanding the formation and history of the planets and their building blocks, represented, for example, by meteorites. Since my early years as a postdoc, I have also been interested in noble gases (and radioactive nuclides) produced in meteorites and other extraterrestrial samples by interactions with energetic elementary particles from galactic cosmic radiation (and the Sun). These so called “cosmogenic” nuclides allow us to study the transport of meteorites to Earth, and the dynamics of the top surface layers (“regoliths”) on the Moon, asteroids, and comets. Cosmogenic noble gases are also crucial for studying even more exotic topics such as the history of tiny presolar grains that formed in the cooling envelopes of earlier generations of stars towards the end of their lives and were eventually incorporated into the meteoritic matter where they are found today. Cosmogenic noble gases in some tiny phases in meteorites are also likely tracers of our highly active Sun at a very early stage in its history. A few years later, I started my third major research topic in cosmochemistry, the study of primordial noble gases in meteorites and other extraterrestrial samples. These noble gases were incorporated into meteorites or their precursors in the early solar system or even in a presolar environment. I also participated in studies by colleagues of isotopic anomalies of other elements important in cosmochemistry, my expertise being mainly in aspects of the influence of cosmic rays on these elements. Although working in an Earth Science institution, it took quite a while before I started to also study noble gases (and radionuclides) in terrestrial samples. This is described in the second part of this contribution. A major focus was on cosmogenic noble gases and radionuclides produced in samples near the Earth’s surface. Although production rates of cosmogenic nuclides on Earth are several orders of magnitude lower than in space, making their analysis more challenging, they have become an important tool in geomorphology. Because stable noble gas nuclides are particularly well suited to the study of ancient landscapes, much of our work focused on areas with arid climates, such as Antarctica and the Andes in Chile, in collaboration with geoscience colleagues. We also participated in the large multinational CRONUS collaboration, funded by the European Union, a community effort to improve our knowledge of nuclide production rates at the Earth’s surface. In another major collaboration with external colleagues we are involved in noble gas analyses of water samples, ranging from lakes to aquifers to tiny inclusions in stalagmites. This research focuses on studying lake and groundwater dynamics, including contributions of mantle-derived noble gases such as in volcanic lakes. Atmospheric noble gases dissolved in suitable samples are also palaeotemperature indicators, supplementing information from other proxies such as oxygen isotopes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.7185/geochempersp.12.1","authors":["R. Wieler"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Noble gas","Meteorite","Cosmochemistry","Presolar grains"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.7185/geochempersp.12.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W4307546308","name":"Detecting Lipids on Planetary Surfaces with Laser Desorption Ionization Mass Spectrometry","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract In the search for extraterrestrial life, biosignatures (e.g., organic molecules) play an important role, of which lipids are one considerable class. If detected, these molecules can be strong indicators of the presence of life, past or present, as they are ubiquitous in life on Earth. However, their detection is challenging, depending on, e.g., instrument performance, as well as the selected site. In this contribution, we demonstrate that, using laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry, detection of lipids is feasible. Using our space prototype instrument designed and built in-house, six representative lipids were successfully detected: cholecalciferol, phylloquinone, menadione, 17α-ethynylestradiol, α-tocopherol, and retinol, both as pure substances and as mixtures additionally containing amino acids or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Observed limits of detection for lipids already meet the requirements stated in the Enceladus Orbilander mission concept. The current performance of our LDI-MS system allows for the simultaneous identification of lipids, amino acids, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, using a single instrument. We therefore believe that the LDI-MS system is a promising candidate for future space exploration missions devoted to life detection.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3847/psj/ac94bf","authors":["Nikita J. Boeren","Salome Gruchola","Coenraad de Koning","Peter Keresztes Schmidt","Kristina A. Kipfer","N. F. W. Ligterink","Marek Tulej","P. Wurz","Andreas Riedo"],"tags":["Mass spectrometry","Chemistry","Desorption","Desorption electrospray ionization","Chromatography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3847/psj/ac94bf","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W4413409775","name":"The variety and origin of materials accreted by Bennu’s parent asteroid","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The first bodies to form in the Solar System acquired their materials from stars, the presolar molecular cloud and the protoplanetary disk. Asteroids that have not undergone planetary differentiation retain evidence of these primary accreted materials. However, geologic processes such as hydrothermal alteration can dramatically change their bulk mineralogy, isotopic compositions and chemistry. Here we analyse the elemental and isotopic compositions of samples from asteroid Bennu to uncover the sources and types of material accreted by its parent body. We show that some primary accreted materials escaped the extensive aqueous alteration that occurred on the parent asteroid, including presolar grains from ancient stars, organic matter from the outer Solar System or molecular cloud, refractory solids that formed close to the Sun, and dust enriched in neutron-rich Ti isotopes. We find Bennu to be richer in isotopically anomalous organic matter, anhydrous silicates, and light isotopes of K and Zn than its closest compositional counterparts, asteroid Ryugu and Ivuna-type (CI) carbonaceous chondrite meteorites. We propose that the parent bodies of Bennu, Ryugu and CI chondrites formed from a common but spatially and/or temporally heterogeneous reservoir of materials in the outer protoplanetary disk.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02631-6","authors":["Jessica Barnes","A. N. Nguyen","F. A. J. Abernethy","Ken‐ichi Bajo","David V. Bekaert","Elias Bloch","G. A. Brennecka","H. Busemann","John Cowpe","S A Crowther","Mattias Ek","Lydia Fawcett"],"tags":["Asteroid","Astrobiology","Variety (cybernetics)","Geology","Physics"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02631-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"oa:W3016750366","name":"Geotechnical characterisation of two new low-fidelity lunar regolith analogues (UoM-B and UoM-W) for use in large-scale engineering experiments","source":"openalex","abstract":"Engineering experiments regarding excavation, sampling, or mobility for rocky planetary surface exploration (Moon, asteroids, the moons of Mars, Mars) often require large test beds filled with hundreds of kilograms of soil. Specifically engineered regolith simulants are costly and often not available in large enough quantities due to limited production rates. The use of low-fidelity analogues is reasonable, but their geotechnical properties have to be reported in order to be able to calculate excavation and traction forces, as well as to make results comparable and repeatable. This necessary characterisation step is often overlooked in studies regarding regolith handling and excavation. Two readily available low-fidelity analogue materials, we term UoM-B and UoM-W, have been identified and their geotechnical characteristics investigated. The chemical composition, particle morphology, particle size distribution, specific gravity, maximum and minimum densities, and shear strength parameters have been determined. These parameters can be seen as standard metrics in the characterisation of planetary regolith simulants or analogues. The obtained results are compared to values known for five relevant lunar regolith simulants and data from Apollo lunar regolith samples. Although the materials are fundamentally chemically different to Apollo lunar regolith, both materials showed promising characteristics for use as low-fidelity analogues in large-scale engineering experiments; their mechanical properties, crucial for engineering experiments, were found to be similar to lunar regolith and its simulants.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2020.04.025","authors":["Gunter H. Just","K. H. Joy","M.J. Roy","Katherine Smith"],"tags":["Regolith","Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Geotechnical engineering","Lunar soil"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-04-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2020.04.025","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W4390639434","name":"Unravelling the Electrical Conductivity of Earth and Planets","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract This review presents the progress made in the last decade in the field of large-scale electromagnetic (EM) induction with natural sources, which fluctuate at periods from seconds to years and originate in oceans, ionosphere and magnetosphere. These mechanisms produce field variations that can be used to image subsurface electrical structure of Earth and planets across scales and depths from the shallow crust to the lower mantle. In the last decade, we have seen a substantial progress made in different areas related to methods, observations and 3-D numerical modelling of EM phenomena at crustal and mantle scales. Specifically, new methods for handling complex ionospheric and magnetospheric sources were proposed, accompanied by more efficient forward and inverse modelling tools that allowed us to combine several broadband sources and constrain electrical conductivity on multiple scales simultaneously. Magnetic signals due to oceanic tides were established as a new source to probe conductivity of the sub-oceanic upper mantle. Further, the launch of ESA Swarm satellites in 2013 and their successful ongoing operation have marked a new era in the field of large-scale EM induction, unlocking a set of new opportunities, but also posing new challenges. These developments were backed by new lab measurements of electrical conductivity for mantle minerals at temperatures and pressures that are getting closer to the relevant pressure and temperature conditions in the mantle, alleviating the need for inaccurate extrapolations. The latter enabled more plausible quantitative estimates of water content, melt fractions and temperature in the mantle. In parallel, crust and mantle conductivity models along with developed modelling techniques have become an integral part of geomagnetic field and geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) modelling workflows, establishing new inter-disciplinary knowledge domains.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10712-023-09813-9","authors":["Alexander Grayver"],"tags":["Geophysics","Mantle (geology)","Geology","Crust","Ionosphere"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10712-023-09813-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W2298722528","name":"The chlorine isotope composition of Martian meteorites 2. Implications for the early solar system and the formation of Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We determined the chlorine isotope composition of 16 Martian meteorites using gas source mass spectrometry on bulk samples and in situ secondary ion microprobe analysis on apatite grains. Measured δ37Cl values range from −3.8 to +8.6‰. The olivine‐phyric shergottites are the isotopically lightest samples, with δ37Cl mostly ranging from −4 to −2‰. Samples with evidence for a crustal component have positive δ37Cl values, with an extreme value of 8.6‰. Most of the basaltic shergottites have intermediate δ37Cl values of −1 to 0‰, except for Shergotty, which is similar to the olivine‐phyric shergottites. We interpret these data as due to mixing of a two‐component system. The first component is the mantle value of −4 to −3‰. This most likely represents the original bulk Martian Cl isotope value. The other endmember is a37Cl‐enriched crustal component. We speculate that preferential loss of35Cl to space has resulted in a high δ37Cl value for the Martian surface, similar to what is seen in other volatile systems. The basaltic shergottites are a mixture of the other two endmembers. The low δ37Cl value of primitive Mars is different from Earth and most chondrites, both of which are close to 0‰. We are not aware of any parent‐body process that could lower the δ37Cl value of the Martian mantle to −4 to −3‰. Instead, we propose that this low δ37Cl value represents the primordial bulk composition of Mars inherited during accretion. The higher δ37Cl values seen in many chondrites are explained by later incorporation of37Cl‐enrichedHCl‐hydrate.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12591","authors":["Z. D. Sharp","Jeffrey T. Williams","C. K. Shearer","C. B. Agee","K. D. McKeegan"],"tags":["Meteorite","Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Geology","Mantle (geology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-01-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12591","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4416337400","name":"From the bench to the reactor: engineered filamentous fungi for biochemical and biomaterial production","source":"openalex","abstract":"Filamentous fungi can convert a wide variety of naturally occurring chemical compounds, including organic biomass and waste streams, into a range of products. They have long been used for industrial organic acid production and food preparation. In this review, we will discuss production of products such as organic acids, lipids, small molecules, enzymes, materials, and foods, and highlight advances in metabolic and protein engineering, including CRISPR-Cas9-mediated strain improvements. We discuss to what extent these products are already being made on a commercial scale, as well as what is still required to make certain promising concepts industrially and commercially relevant. Despite significant progress, the systematic application of synthetic biology to filamentous fungi remains in its infancy, with many opportunities for discovery and innovation as new strains and genetic tools are developed. The integration of fungal biotechnology into circular and bio-based economies promises to address critical challenges in waste management, resource sustainability, and the development of new materials for terrestrial and extraterrestrial applications, but requires further developments in genetic engineering and process design.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13068-025-02712-8","authors":["Venkataramanan Subramanian","Meaghan J. Adler","Marcus Benyamin","Randi M. Pullen","Matthew D. Servinsky","Mark T. Kozlowski","Stephen R. Decker"],"tags":["Industrial biotechnology","Biotechnology","Biochemical engineering","Metabolic engineering","Production (economics)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13068-025-02712-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W3193092659","name":"UV Light Application as a Mean for Disinfection Applied in the Dairy Industry","source":"openalex","abstract":"Thermal treatment is the most popular decontamination technique used in the dairy industry to ensure food protection and prolong shelf life. But it also causes nutrient and aroma degradation, non-enzymatic browning, and organoleptic changes of dairy products. Non-thermal solutions, on the other hand, have been extensively explored in a response to rising market demand for more sustainable and safe goods. For a long time, the use of ultraviolet (UV) light in the food industry has held great promise. Irradiation with shortwave UV light has excellent germicidal properties, which can destroy a variety of microbial pathogens (for example bacteria, fungi, molds, yeasts, and viruses), at low maintenance and installation costs with minimal use of energy to preserve food without undesirable effects of heat treatment. The purpose of this review is to update the studies made on the possibilities of UV-C radiation while also addressing the essential processing factors involved in the disinfection. It also sheds light on the promise of UV light-emitting diodes (UV-LEDs) as a microbial inactivation alternative to conventional UV lamps.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/app11167285","authors":["Arpit Chawla","Adriana Łobacz","Justyna Tarapata","Justyna Żulewska"],"tags":["Food science","Environmental science","Ultraviolet light","Pasteurization","Food industry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/app11167285","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W7154273093","name":"Direct observation of organic molecules in asteroid ryugu revealed by high-resolution atomic force microscope","source":"openalex","abstract":"A diverse variety of organic matter exists in space. Since these extraterrestrial organic materials preserve chemical information from the early solar system, their identification has been extensively studied. However, detailed structural information has remained limited. Here we investigate organic matter from the carbonaceous asteroid Ryugu using a high-resolution atomic force microscope (AFM). We directly resolve the chemical structures of individual organic molecules from the asteroid. We find a wide variety of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), many of which are unexpectedly large in size. The largest one is composed of approximately 100 fused rings, significantly larger than the extraterrestrial PAHs identified in previous ensemble-level analyses. These PAHs exhibit non-planar structures incorporating five-, six-, seven-, and even eight-membered rings. Such complex structures can be resolved in detail only through single-molecule AFM analysis.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-71484-y","authors":["Kota Iwata","Yasuhiro Oba","Hiroshi Naraoka","Hikaru Yabuta","Shogo TACHIBANA","Yoshiaki Sugimoto"],"tags":["Organic molecules","Astrobiology","Molecule","Atomic force microscopy","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-71484-y","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"oa:W2924106295","name":"Widespread Warming Before and Elevated Barium Burial During the Paleocene‐Eocene Thermal Maximum: Evidence for Methane Hydrate Release?","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Current climate change may induce positive carbon cycle feedbacks that amplify anthropogenic warming on time scales of centuries to millennia. Similar feedbacks might have been active during a phase of carbon cycle perturbation and global warming, termed the Paleocene‐Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM, 56 million years ago). The PETM may help constrain these feedbacks and their sensitivity to warming. We present new high‐resolution carbon isotope and sea surface temperature data from Ocean Drilling Program Site 959 in the Equatorial Atlantic. With these and existing data from the New Jersey Shelf and Maud Rise, Southern Ocean, we quantify the lead‐lag relation between PETM warming and the carbon input that caused the carbon isotope excursion (CIE). We show ~2 °C of global warming preceded the CIE by millennia, strongly implicating CO 2 ‐driven warming triggered a positive carbon cycle feedback. We further compile new and published barium (Ba) records encompassing continental shelf, slope, and deep ocean settings. Based on this compilation, we calculate that average Ba burial rates approximately tripled during the PETM, which may require an additional source of Ba to the ocean. Although the precipitation pathway is not well constrained, dissolved Ba stored in sulfate‐depleted pore waters below methane hydrates could represent an additional source. We speculate the most complete explanation for early warming and rise in Ba supply is that hydrate dissociation acted as a positive feedback and caused the CIE. These results imply hydrates are more temperature sensitive than previously considered, and may warrant reconsideration of the political assignment of 2 °C warming as a safe future scenario.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2018pa003425","authors":["Joost Frieling","Francien Peterse","Daniel J. Lunt","Steven M. Bohaty","Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté","Gert‐Jan Reichart","Appy Sluijs"],"tags":["Carbon cycle","Global warming","Effects of global warming on oceans","Oceanography","Methane"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-03-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2018pa003425","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W4205212227","name":"Circumpolar ocean stability on Mars 3 Gy ago","source":"openalex","abstract":"Significance The current Martian climate is not habitable and far from Earth’s climate. At the same time that life spread on Earth (3 Gy ago), the Red Planet was possibly more similar to our Blue Planet. Our model includes a coupled model with dynamic ocean and atmosphere including a hydrological cycle and a simplified glacier mass flux scheme. We show that an ocean is stable in agreement with interpretations of the surface geological records.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2112930118","authors":["Frédéric Schmidt","Michael J. Way","François Costard","Sylvain Bouley","Antoine Séjourné","Igor Aleinov"],"tags":["Geology","Mars Exploration Program","Martian","Hesperian","Noachian"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2112930118","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"oa:W7160841203","name":"An organics-forward approach to searching for life on Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"The potential for life on Mars has intrigued humanity for centuries. An organics-forward approach to sample return and in situ analyses provides the means to establish a robust characterization of Martian organic (bio)geochemical processes. This dual focus on both abiotic components and potential biotic remnants represents a critical step in the search for extraterrestrial life within our Solar System.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-72266-2","authors":["D. K. Buckner","A. Mojarro"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Mars Exploration Program","Extraterrestrial life","Martian","Life on Mars"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-72266-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"oa:W4410057329","name":"Characterizing Ferrihydrite Transformation Products in Near‐Saturated Brine Environments: Implications for Fe‐Oxide Formation on Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Ferrihydrite has been observed within the Martian regolith; therefore, ferrihydrite transformation pathways are likely critical to iron cycling and mineral transformation on Mars and other extraterrestrial systems. Data from Mars rovers and orbiters indicate that ferrihydrite is associated with significant salt deposits. Previous studies show these salts likely formed as the planet desiccated and may rehydrate to form modern brines today that strongly influence(d) mineral alteration. We hypothesize that the salts observed on Mars' surface may help preserve ferrihydrite for longer periods than typically observed on Earth. This study investigates the effects of brine chemistry on ferrihydrite alteration through laboratory experiments. Lab‐synthesized ferrihydrite was reacted with near‐saturated brines and ultra‐pure water at 20°C for 30 days in a series of batch reactor experiments. X‐ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy showed that ferrihydrite was preserved without evidence of dissolution/transformation in near‐saturated solutions of MgSO4, Na2SO4, and NaClO4, while additional iron‐oxyhydroxide phases formed in other brines. We also compared mineral reaction products formed from freeze‐dried ferrihydrite and undried ferrihydrite slurry. The freeze‐dried ferrihydrite was more likely to be preserved, whereas ferrihydrite in a slurry resulted in the precipitation of goethite and lepidocrocite, indicating that particle aggregation and/or drying history affect ferrihydrite stability and alteration. Overall, ferrihydrite remained largely unaltered in the presence of concentrated sulfate and perchlorate brines. In the context of soils/regolith observed on Mars, our research demonstrates that ferrihydrite is more likely to be preserved when found in areas where these salts are dominant, and desiccated in a cold/arid environment prior to brine exposure.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024je008650","authors":["Kaydra Barbre","Andrew S. Elwood Madden","Caitlin Hodges","M. E. Elwood Madden"],"tags":["Ferrihydrite","Mars Exploration Program","Brine","Oxide","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024je008650","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4410189525","name":"Evolutionary Routes to Modern Metabolic Pathways","source":"openalex","abstract":"Metabolism, the network of biochemical reactions that powers life, arose under conditions radically different from those on Earth today. Investigating its origins reveals how initially simple chemical processes gradually integrated nucleic acid and then protein catalysts, becoming progressively more complex and regulated until they evolved into the enzyme-rich systems observed in modern organisms. Here, we integrate multiple perspectives on the origin of metabolism, focusing primarily on an evolutionary trajectory from an RNA-based world, where ribozymes, metal ions, coenzymes, small peptides, and other small organic molecules worked in concert, to enzyme-driven metabolic networks. We also address the longstanding debates on whether these early metabolic pathways were largely autotrophic or heterotrophic, and consider so-called “pre-metabolisms” (non-enzymatic networks) as an alternative conceptual framework. We discuss key examples such as the Wood–Ljungdahl (W–L) pathway and the reverse tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, both posited to function under early Earth conditions. Finally, we examine how the environment (e.g., minerals, clays, hydrothermal vents) shaped early metabolism, describe unresolved questions about the Last Common Ancestor’s catalytic repertoire and propose future directions that link geochemical insights with molecular biology and synthetic approaches.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/macromol5020023","authors":["Alberto Vázquez-Salazar","Israel Muñoz‐Velasco"],"tags":["Evolutionary biology","Computational biology","Biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/macromol5020023","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4417333863","name":"Lava Tubes on Earth, the Moon, and Mars: Detection, Evolution, and Exploration Potential","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Lava tubes, or subsurface conduits formed by volcanic activity, have emerged as critical geological features for understanding planetary evolution and for supporting future human space exploration. This paper provides an integrated review of the formation, morphology, and preservation of lava tubes on Earth, the Moon, and Mars, emphasizing their geological significance and habitability potential. We discuss the processes responsible for their genesis, including overcrusting, shallow inflation, and deep inflation and thermal/mechanical erosion, as well as their cross-sectional and network-scale morphologies. Our synthesis suggests that deep inflation and thermal/mechanical erosion along weak horizons is the most plausible mechanism for kilometer-scale tubes on the Moon and Mars, while any of these mechanisms may operate at smaller scales. This review also highlights how differences in gravity, tectonic activity, and erosional forces across planetary bodies affect lava tube dimensions and preservation. While terrestrial lava tubes have been extensively mapped and modeled using geophysical methods, the detection of lunar and Martian analogs relies on remote sensing, gravity data, and image-based analysis. The structural integrity and environmental stability of these tubes make them prime candidates for safe, long-term extraterrestrial habitats, offering natural protection from cosmic radiation, temperature extremes, and surface hazards. Additionally, lava tubes preserve stratigraphic, geochemical, and possibly biological records, making them valuable targets for planetary science, astrobiology, and future robotic or human missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-025-01260-9","authors":["Juan M. Losarcos","A. J. Dombard"],"tags":["Lava","Geology","Astrobiology","Habitability","Martian"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-025-01260-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.02969v1","name":"VQualA 2025 Challenge on Engagement Prediction for Short Videos: Methods and Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents an overview of the VQualA 2025 Challenge on Engagement Prediction for Short Videos, held in conjunction with ICCV 2025. The challenge focuses on understanding and modeling the popularity of user-generated content (UGC) short videos on social media platforms. To support this goal, the challenge uses a new short-form UGC dataset featuring engagement metrics derived from real-world user interactions. This objective of the Challenge is to promote robust modeling strategies that capture the complex factors influencing user engagement. Participants explored a variety of multi-modal features, including visual content, audio, and metadata provided by creators. The challenge attracted 97 participants and received 15 valid test submissions, contributing significantly to progress in short-form UGC video engagement prediction.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.02969v1","authors":["Dasong Li","Sizhuo Ma","Hang Hua","Wenjie Li","Jian Wang","Chris Wei Zhou","Fengbin Guan","Xin Li","Zihao Yu","Yiting Lu","Ru-Ling Liao","Yan Ye","Zhibo Chen","Wei Sun","Linhan Cao","Yuqin Cao","Weixia Zhang","Wen Wen","Kaiwei Zhang","Zijian Chen","Fangfang Lu","Xiongkuo Min","Guangtao Zhai","Erjia Xiao","Lingfeng Zhang","Zhenjie Su","Hao Cheng","Yu Liu","Renjing Xu","Long Chen","Xiaoshuai Hao","Zhenpeng Zeng","Jianqin Wu","Xuxu Wang","Qian Yu","Bo Hu","Weiwei Wang","Pinxin Liu","Yunlong Tang","Luchuan Song","Jinxi He","Jiaru Wu","Hanjia Lyu"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.MM","cs.SI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-03T03:14:23Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.14582v3","name":"NTIRE 2025 Challenge on Image Super-Resolution (x4): Methods and Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the NTIRE 2025 image super-resolution ($\\times$4) challenge, one of the associated competitions of the 10th NTIRE Workshop at CVPR 2025. The challenge aims to recover high-resolution (HR) images from low-resolution (LR) counterparts generated through bicubic downsampling with a $\\times$4 scaling factor. The objective is to develop effective network designs or solutions that achieve state-of-the-art SR performance. To reflect the dual objectives of image SR research, the challenge includes two sub-tracks: (1) a restoration track, emphasizes pixel-wise accuracy and ranks submissions based on PSNR; (2) a perceptual track, focuses on visual realism and ranks results by a perceptual score. A total of 286 participants registered for the competition, with 25 teams submitting valid entries. This report summarizes the challenge design, datasets, evaluation protocol, the main results, and methods of each team. The challenge serves as a benchmark to advance the state of the art and foster progress in image SR.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.14582v3","authors":["Zheng Chen","Kai Liu","Jue Gong","Jingkai Wang","Lei Sun","Zongwei Wu","Radu Timofte","Yulun Zhang","Xiangyu Kong","Xiaoxuan Yu","Hyunhee Park","Suejin Han","Hakjae Jeon","Dafeng Zhang","Hyung-Ju Chun","Donghun Ryou","Inju Ha","Bohyung Han","Lu Zhao","Yuyi Zhang","Pengyu Yan","Jiawei Hu","Pengwei Liu","Fengjun Guo","Hongyuan Yu","Pufan Xu","Zhijuan Huang","Shuyuan Cui","Peng Guo","Jiahui Liu","Dongkai Zhang","Heng Zhang","Huiyuan Fu","Huadong Ma","Yanhui Guo","Sisi Tian","Xin Liu","Jinwen Liang","Jie Liu","Jie Tang","Gangshan Wu","Zeyu Xiao","Zhuoyuan Li","Yinxiang Zhang","Wenxuan Cai","Vijayalaxmi Ashok Aralikatti","Nikhil Akalwadi","G Gyaneshwar Rao","Chaitra Desai","Ramesh Ashok Tabib","Uma Mudenagudi","Marcos V. Conde","Alejandro Merino","Bruno Longarela","Javier Abad","Weijun Yuan","Zhan Li","Zhanglu Chen","Boyang Yao","Aagam Jain","Milan Kumar Singh","Ankit Kumar","Shubh Kawa","Divyavardhan Singh","Anjali Sarvaiya","Kishor Upla","Raghavendra Ramachandra","Chia-Ming Lee","Yu-Fan Lin","Chih-Chung Hsu","Risheek V Hiremath","Yashaswini Palani","Yuxuan Jiang","Qiang Zhu","Siyue Teng","Fan Zhang","Shuyuan Zhu","Bing Zeng","David Bull","Jingwei Liao","Yuqing Yang","Wenda Shao","Junyi Zhao","Qisheng Xu","Kele Xu","Sunder Ali Khowaja","Ik Hyun Lee","Snehal Singh Tomar","Rajarshi Ray","Klaus Mueller","Sachin Chaudhary","Surya Vashisth","Akshay Dudhane","Praful Hambarde","Satya Naryan Tazi","Prashant Patil","Santosh Kumar Vipparthi","Subrahmanyam Murala","Bilel Benjdira","Anas M. Ali","Wadii Boulila","Zahra Moammeri","Ahmad Mahmoudi-Aznaveh","Ali Karbasi","Hossein Motamednia","Liangyan Li","Guanhua Zhao","Kevin Le","Yimo Ning","Haoxuan Huang","Jun Chen"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-20T12:08:22Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.10169v1","name":"The 2025 Foundation Model Transparency Index","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Foundation model developers are among the world's most important companies. As these companies become increasingly consequential, how do their transparency practices evolve? The 2025 Foundation Model Transparency Index is the third edition of an annual effort to characterize and quantify the transparency of foundation model developers. The 2025 FMTI introduces new indicators related to data acquisition, usage data, and monitoring and evaluates companies like Alibaba, DeepSeek, and xAI for the first time. The 2024 FMTI reported that transparency was improving, but the 2025 FMTI finds this progress has deteriorated: the average score out of 100 fell from 58 in 2024 to 40 in 2025. Companies are most opaque about their training data and training compute as well as the post-deployment usage and impact of their flagship models. In spite of this general trend, IBM stands out as a positive outlier, scoring 95, in contrast to the lowest scorers, xAI and Midjourney, at just 14. The five members of the Frontier Model Forum we score end up in the middle of the Index: we posit that these companies avoid reputational harms from low scores but lack incentives to be transparency leaders. As policymakers around the world increasingly mandate certain types of transparency, this work reveals the current state of transparency for foundation model developers, how it may change given newly enacted policy, and where more aggressive policy interventions are necessary to address critical information deficits.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.10169v1","authors":["Alexander Wan","Kevin Klyman","Sayash Kapoor","Nestor Maslej","Shayne Longpre","Betty Xiong","Percy Liang","Rishi Bommasani"],"tags":["cs.AI","cs.CY","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-11T00:01:53Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.20381v1","name":"VLSP 2025 MLQA-TSR Challenge: Vietnamese Multimodal Legal Question Answering on Traffic Sign Regulation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the VLSP 2025 MLQA-TSR - the multimodal legal question answering on traffic sign regulation shared task at VLSP 2025. VLSP 2025 MLQA-TSR comprises two subtasks: multimodal legal retrieval and multimodal question answering. The goal is to advance research on Vietnamese multimodal legal text processing and to provide a benchmark dataset for building and evaluating intelligent systems in multimodal legal domains, with a focus on traffic sign regulation in Vietnam. The best-reported results on VLSP 2025 MLQA-TSR are an F2 score of 64.55% for multimodal legal retrieval and an accuracy of 86.30% for multimodal question answering.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.20381v1","authors":["Son T. Luu","Trung Vo","Hiep Nguyen","Khanh Quoc Tran","Kiet Van Nguyen","Vu Tran","Ngan Luu-Thuy Nguyen","Le-Minh Nguyen"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-23T09:24:43Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.03023v4","name":"TDCOSMO 2025: Cosmological constraints from strong lensing time delays","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present cosmological constraints from 8 strongly lensed quasars (hereafter, the TDCOSMO-2025 sample). Building on previous work, our analysis incorporated new deflector stellar velocity dispersions measured from spectra obtained with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the Keck Telescopes, and the Very Large Telescope (VLT), utilizing improved methods. We used integrated JWST stellar kinematics for 5 lenses, VLT-MUSE for 2, and resolved kinematics from Keck and JWST for RXJ1131-1231. We also considered two samples of non-time-delay lenses: 11 from the Sloan Lens ACS (SLACS) sample with Keck-KCWI resolved kinematics; and 4 from the Strong Lenses in the Legacy Survey (SL2S) sample. We improved our analysis of line-of-sight effects, the surface brightness profile of the lens galaxies, and orbital anisotropy, and corrected for projection effects in the dynamics. Our uncertainties are maximally conservative by accounting for the mass-sheet degeneracy in the deflectors' mass density profiles. The analysis was blinded to prevent experimenter bias. Our primary result is based on the TDCOSMO-2025 sample, in combination with $Ω_{\\rm m}$ constraints from the Pantheon+ Type Ia supernovae (SN) dataset. In the flat $Λ$ cold dark matter (CDM), we find $H_0=71.6^{+3.9}_{-3.3}$ km s$^{-1}$ Mpc$^{-1}$. The SLACS and SL2S samples are in excellent agreement with the TDCOSMO-2025 sample, improving the precision on $H_0$ in flat $Λ$CDM to 4.6%. Using the Dark Energy Survey SN Year-5 dataset (DES-SN5YR) or DESI-DR2 baryonic acoustic oscillations (BAO) likelihoods instead of Pantheon+ yields very similar results. We also present constraints in the open $Λ$CDM, $w$CDM, $w_0w_a$CDM, and $w_φ$CDM cosmologies. The TDCOSMO $H_0$ inference is robust and consistent across all presented cosmological models, and our cosmological constraints in them agree with those from the BAO and SN.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.03023v4","authors":[" TDCOSMO Collaboration","Simon Birrer","Elizabeth J. Buckley-Geer","Michele Cappellari","Frédéric Courbin","Frédéric Dux","Christopher D. Fassnacht","Joshua A. Frieman","Aymeric Galan","Daniel Gilman","Xiang-Yu Huang","Shawn Knabel","Danial Langeroodi","Huan Lin","Martin Millon","Takahiro Morishita","Veronica Motta","Pritom Mozumdar","Eric Paic","Anowar J. Shajib","William Sheu","Dominique Sluse","Alessandro Sonnenfeld","Chiara Spiniello","Massimo Stiavelli","Sherry H. Suyu","Chin Yi Tan","Tommaso Treu","Lyne Van de Vyvere","Han Wang","Patrick Wells","Devon M. Williams","Kenneth C. Wong"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-03T15:59:29Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.11402v1","name":"TRUST 2025: SCRITA and RTSS @ RO-MAN 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The TRUST workshop is the result of a collaboration between two established workshops in the field of Human-Robot Interaction: SCRITA (Trust, Acceptance and Social Cues in Human-Robot Interaction) and RTSS (Robot Trust for Symbiotic Societies). This joint initiative brings together the complementary goals of these workshops to advance research on trust from both the human and robot perspectives. Website: https://scrita.herts.ac.uk/2025/","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.11402v1","authors":["Alessandra Rossi","Patrick Holthaus","Gabriella Lakatos","Sílvia Moros","Ali Fallahi","Murat Kirtay","Marie Postma","Erhan Oztop"],"tags":["cs.RO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-14T19:32:37Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.18904v1","name":"Event-Enriched Image Analysis Grand Challenge at ACM Multimedia 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Event-Enriched Image Analysis (EVENTA) Grand Challenge, hosted at ACM Multimedia 2025, introduces the first large-scale benchmark for event-level multimodal understanding. Traditional captioning and retrieval tasks largely focus on surface-level recognition of people, objects, and scenes, often overlooking the contextual and semantic dimensions that define real-world events. EVENTA addresses this gap by integrating contextual, temporal, and semantic information to capture the who, when, where, what, and why behind an image. Built upon the OpenEvents V1 dataset, the challenge features two tracks: Event-Enriched Image Retrieval and Captioning, and Event-Based Image Retrieval. A total of 45 teams from six countries participated, with evaluation conducted through Public and Private Test phases to ensure fairness and reproducibility. The top three teams were invited to present their solutions at ACM Multimedia 2025. EVENTA establishes a foundation for context-aware, narrative-driven multimedia AI, with applications in journalism, media analysis, cultural archiving, and accessibility. Further details about the challenge are available at the official homepage: https://ltnghia.github.io/eventa/eventa-2025.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.18904v1","authors":["Thien-Phuc Tran","Minh-Quang Nguyen","Minh-Triet Tran","Tam V. Nguyen","Trong-Le Do","Duy-Nam Ly","Viet-Tham Huynh","Khanh-Duy Le","Mai-Khiem Tran","Trung-Nghia Le"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-26T10:22:34Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2511.17543v1","name":"Evo* 2025 -- Late-Breaking Abstracts Volume","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Volume containing the Late-Breaking Abstracts submitted to the Evo* 2025 Conference, held in Trieste (Italy) from April 23rd to 25th. These extended abstracts showcase ongoing research and preliminary findings exploring the application of various Bioinspired Methods (primarily Evolutionary Computation) to a range of problems, many of which address real-world scenarios.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.17543v1","authors":["A. M. Mora","A. I. Esparcia-Alcázar","M. S. Cruz"],"tags":["cs.NE","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-09T19:16:04Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.01336v1","name":"The AudioMOS Challenge 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This is the summary paper for the AudioMOS Challenge 2025, the very first challenge for automatic subjective quality prediction for synthetic audio. The challenge consists of three tracks. The first track aims to assess text-to-music samples in terms of overall quality and textual alignment. The second track is based on the four evaluation dimensions of Meta Audiobox Aesthetics, and the test set consists of text-to-speech, text-to-audio, and text-to-music samples. The third track focuses on synthetic speech quality assessment in different sampling rates. The challenge attracted 24 unique teams from both academia and industry, and improvements over the baselines were confirmed. The outcome of this challenge is expected to facilitate development and progress in the field of automatic evaluation for audio generation systems.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.01336v1","authors":["Wen-Chin Huang","Hui Wang","Cheng Liu","Yi-Chiao Wu","Andros Tjandra","Wei-Ning Hsu","Erica Cooper","Yong Qin","Tomoki Toda"],"tags":["cs.SD","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-01T10:18:14Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.19861v1","name":"SINAI at eRisk@CLEF 2025: Transformer-Based and Conversational Strategies for Depression Detection","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes the participation of the SINAI-UJA team in the eRisk@CLEF 2025 lab. Specifically, we addressed two of the proposed tasks: (i) Task 2: Contextualized Early Detection of Depression, and (ii) Pilot Task: Conversational Depression Detection via LLMs. Our approach for Task 2 combines an extensive preprocessing pipeline with the use of several transformer-based models, such as RoBERTa Base or MentalRoBERTA Large, to capture the contextual and sequential nature of multi-user conversations. For the Pilot Task, we designed a set of conversational strategies to interact with LLM-powered personas, focusing on maximizing information gain within a limited number of dialogue turns. In Task 2, our system ranked 8th out of 12 participating teams based on F1 score. However, a deeper analysis revealed that our models were among the fastest in issuing early predictions, which is a critical factor in real-world deployment scenarios. This highlights the trade-off between early detection and classification accuracy, suggesting potential avenues for optimizing both jointly in future work. In the Pilot Task, we achieved 1st place out of 5 teams, obtaining the best overall performance across all evaluation metrics: DCHR, ADODL and ASHR. Our success in this task demonstrates the effectiveness of structured conversational design when combined with powerful language models, reinforcing the feasibility of deploying LLMs in sensitive mental health assessment contexts.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.19861v1","authors":["Alba Maria Marmol-Romero","Manuel Garcia-Vega","Miguel Angel Garcia-Cumbreras","Arturo Montejo-Raez"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-24T08:04:32Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2503.08541v1","name":"LongEval at CLEF 2025: Longitudinal Evaluation of IR Model Performance","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the third edition of the LongEval Lab, part of the CLEF 2025 conference, which continues to explore the challenges of temporal persistence in Information Retrieval (IR). The lab features two tasks designed to provide researchers with test data that reflect the evolving nature of user queries and document relevance over time. By evaluating how model performance degrades as test data diverge temporally from training data, LongEval seeks to advance the understanding of temporal dynamics in IR systems. The 2025 edition aims to engage the IR and NLP communities in addressing the development of adaptive models that can maintain retrieval quality over time in the domains of web search and scientific retrieval.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.08541v1","authors":["Matteo Cancellieri","Alaa El-Ebshihy","Tobias Fink","Petra Galuščáková","Gabriela Gonzalez-Saez","Lorraine Goeuriot","David Iommi","Jüri Keller","Petr Knoth","Philippe Mulhem","Florina Piroi","David Pride","Philipp Schaer"],"tags":["cs.IR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-11T15:29:41Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.13401v3","name":"AIM 2025 Rip Current Segmentation (RipSeg) Challenge Report","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This report presents an overview of the AIM 2025 RipSeg Challenge, a competition designed to advance techniques for automatic rip current segmentation in still images. Rip currents are dangerous, fast-moving flows that pose a major risk to beach safety worldwide, making accurate visual detection an important and underexplored research task. The challenge builds on RipVIS, the largest available rip current dataset, and focuses on single-class instance segmentation, where precise delineation is critical to fully capture the extent of rip currents. The dataset spans diverse locations, rip current types, and camera orientations, providing a realistic and challenging benchmark. In total, $75$ participants registered for this first edition, resulting in $5$ valid test submissions. Teams were evaluated on a composite score combining $F_1$, $F_2$, $AP_{50}$, and $AP_{[50:95]}$, ensuring robust and application-relevant rankings. The top-performing methods leveraged deep learning architectures, domain adaptation techniques, pretrained models, and domain generalization strategies to improve performance under diverse conditions. This report outlines the dataset details, competition framework, evaluation metrics, and final results, providing insights into the current state of rip current segmentation. We conclude with a discussion of key challenges, lessons learned from the submissions, and future directions for expanding RipSeg.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.13401v3","authors":["Andrei Dumitriu","Florin Miron","Florin Tatui","Radu Tudor Ionescu","Radu Timofte","Aakash Ralhan","Florin-Alexandru Vasluianu","Shenyang Qian","Mitchell Harley","Imran Razzak","Yang Song","Pu Luo","Yumei Li","Cong Xu","Jinming Chai","Kexin Zhang","Licheng Jiao","Lingling Li","Siqi Yu","Chao Zhang","Kehuan Song","Fang Liu","Puhua Chen","Xu Liu","Jin Hu","Jinyang Xu","Biao Liu"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-18T23:34:56Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.14516v2","name":"RMIT-ADM+S at the SIGIR 2025 LiveRAG Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the RMIT--ADM+S winning system in the SIGIR 2025 LiveRAG Challenge. Our Generation-Retrieval-Augmented Generation (G-RAG) approach generates a hypothetical answer that is used during the retrieval phase, alongside the original question. G-RAG also incorporates a pointwise large language model (LLM)-based re-ranking step prior to final answer generation. We describe the system architecture and the rationale behind our design choices. In particular, a systematic evaluation using the Grid of Points approach and N-way ANOVA enabled a controlled comparison of multiple configurations, including query variant generation, question decomposition, rank fusion strategies, and prompting techniques for answer generation. The submitted system achieved the highest Borda score based on the aggregation of Coverage, Relatedness, and Quality scores from manual evaluations, ranking first in the SIGIR 2025 LiveRAG Challenge.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.14516v2","authors":["Kun Ran","Shuoqi Sun","Khoi Nguyen Dinh Anh","Damiano Spina","Oleg Zendel"],"tags":["cs.IR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-17T13:41:12Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.23212v2","name":"Interspeech 2025 URGENT Speech Enhancement Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"There has been a growing effort to develop universal speech enhancement (SE) to handle inputs with various speech distortions and recording conditions. The URGENT Challenge series aims to foster such universal SE by embracing a broad range of distortion types, increasing data diversity, and incorporating extensive evaluation metrics. This work introduces the Interspeech 2025 URGENT Challenge, the second edition of the series, to explore several aspects that have received limited attention so far: language dependency, universality for more distortion types, data scalability, and the effectiveness of using noisy training data. We received 32 submissions, where the best system uses a discriminative model, while most other competitive ones are hybrid methods. Analysis reveals some key findings: (i) some generative or hybrid approaches are preferred in subjective evaluations over the top discriminative model, and (ii) purely generative SE models can exhibit language dependency.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.23212v2","authors":["Kohei Saijo","Wangyou Zhang","Samuele Cornell","Robin Scheibler","Chenda Li","Zhaoheng Ni","Anurag Kumar","Marvin Sach","Yihui Fu","Wei Wang","Tim Fingscheidt","Shinji Watanabe"],"tags":["eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-29T07:54:07Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.23266v3","name":"CUHK-EE Systems for the vTAD Challenge at NCMMSC 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the Voice Timbre Attribute Detection (vTAD) systems developed by the Digital Signal Processing &amp; Speech Technology Laboratory (DSP&amp;STL) of the Department of Electronic Engineering (EE) at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) for the 20th National Conference on Human-Computer Speech Communication (NCMMSC 2025) vTAD Challenge. The proposed systems leverage WavLM-Large embeddings with attentive statistical pooling (ASTP) to extract robust speaker representations, followed by two variants of Diff-Net, i.e., Feed-Forward Neural Network (FFN) and Squeeze-and-Excitation-enhanced Residual FFN (SE-ResFFN), to compare timbre attribute intensities between utterance pairs. Experimental results demonstrate that the WavLM-Large+FFN system generalises better to unseen speakers, achieving 77.96% accuracy and 21.79% equal error rate (EER), while the WavLM-Large+SE-ResFFN model excels in the 'Seen' setting with 94.42% accuracy and 5.49% EER. These findings highlight a trade-off between model complexity and generalisation, and underscore the importance of architectural choices in fine-grained speaker modelling. Our analysis also reveals the impact of speaker identity, annotation subjectivity, and data imbalance on system performance, pointing to future directions for improving robustness and fairness in timbre attribute detection.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.23266v3","authors":["Aemon Yat Fei Chiu","Jingyu Li","Yusheng Tian","Guangyan Zhang","Tan Lee"],"tags":["eess.AS","cs.SD"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-31T05:55:16Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.10784v1","name":"Insights from the Algonauts 2025 Winners","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Algonauts 2025 Challenge just wrapped up a few weeks ago. It is a biennial challenge in computational neuroscience in which teams attempt to build models that predict human brain activity from carefully curated stimuli. Previous editions (2019, 2021, 2023) focused on still images and short videos; the 2025 edition, which concluded last month (late July), pushed the field further by using long, multimodal movies. Teams were tasked with predicting fMRI responses across 1,000 whole-brain parcels across four participants in the dataset who were scanned while watching nearly 80 hours of naturalistic movie stimuli. These recordings came from the CNeuroMod project and included 65 hours of training data, about 55 hours of Friends (seasons 1-6) plus four feature films (The Bourne Supremacy, Hidden Figures, Life, and The Wolf of Wall Street). The remaining data were used for validation: Season 7 of Friends for in-distribution tests, and the final winners for the Challenge were those who could best predict brain activity for six films in their held-out out-of-distribution (OOD) set. The winners were just announced and the top team reports are now publicly available. As members of the MedARC team which placed 4th in the competition, we reflect on the approaches that worked, what they reveal about the current state of brain encoding, and what might come next.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.10784v1","authors":["Paul S. Scotti","Mihir Tripathy"],"tags":["q-bio.NC","cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-14T16:11:07Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.09904v1","name":"ASTAR-NTU solution to AudioMOS Challenge 2025 Track1","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Evaluation of text-to-music systems is constrained by the cost and availability of collecting experts for assessment. AudioMOS 2025 Challenge track 1 is created to automatically predict music impression (MI) as well as text alignment (TA) between the prompt and the generated musical piece. This paper reports our winning system, which uses a dual-branch architecture with pre-trained MuQ and RoBERTa models as audio and text encoders. A cross-attention mechanism fuses the audio and text representations. For training, we reframe the MI and TA prediction as a classification task. To incorporate the ordinal nature of MOS scores, one-hot labels are converted to a soft distribution using a Gaussian kernel. On the official test set, a single model trained with this method achieves a system-level Spearman's Rank Correlation Coefficient (SRCC) of 0.991 for MI and 0.952 for TA, corresponding to a relative improvement of 21.21\\% in MI SRCC and 31.47\\% in TA SRCC over the challenge baseline.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.09904v1","authors":["Fabian Ritter-Gutierrez","Yi-Cheng Lin","Jui-Chiang Wei","Jeremy H. M. Wong","Nancy F. Chen","Hung-yi Lee"],"tags":["cs.SD","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-14T04:18:15Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.02349v2","name":"ACM COMPUTE 2025 Best Practices Track Proceedings","source":"arxiv","abstract":"COMPUTE is an annual Indian conference supported by ACM India and iSIGCSE. The focus of COMPUTE is to improve the quality of computing education in the country by providing a platform for academicians and researchers to interact and share best practices in teaching, learning, and education in general. The Best Practices Track of COMPUTE 2025 invited Computer Science Educators across the country to submit an experience report for the best practices under multiple categories: 1) Novel classroom activities, 2) Imaginative assignments that promote creativity and problem-solving, 3) Diverse pedagogical approaches (e.g., flipped classrooms, peer teaching, project-based learning), 4) Designing AI-resistant or AI-integrated assessment questions, and 5) Teaching CS to students from other disciplines (e.g., business, humanities, engineering). These proceedings contain papers selected from these submissions for presentation at the conference, as well as a report (written by the editors) from the two best practices sessions where these were presented.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.02349v2","authors":["Ritwik Murali","Mrityunjay Kumar"],"tags":["cs.CY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-02T02:35:10Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.11764v1","name":"AI Wizards at CheckThat! 2025: Enhancing Transformer-Based Embeddings with Sentiment for Subjectivity Detection in News Articles","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents AI Wizards' participation in the CLEF 2025 CheckThat! Lab Task 1: Subjectivity Detection in News Articles, classifying sentences as subjective/objective in monolingual, multilingual, and zero-shot settings. Training/development datasets were provided for Arabic, German, English, Italian, and Bulgarian; final evaluation included additional unseen languages (e.g., Greek, Romanian, Polish, Ukrainian) to assess generalization. Our primary strategy enhanced transformer-based classifiers by integrating sentiment scores, derived from an auxiliary model, with sentence representations, aiming to improve upon standard fine-tuning. We explored this sentiment-augmented architecture with mDeBERTaV3-base, ModernBERT-base (English), and Llama3.2-1B. To address class imbalance, prevalent across languages, we employed decision threshold calibration optimized on the development set. Our experiments show sentiment feature integration significantly boosts performance, especially subjective F1 score. This framework led to high rankings, notably 1st for Greek (Macro F1 = 0.51).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.11764v1","authors":["Matteo Fasulo","Luca Babboni","Luca Tedeschini"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.IR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-15T22:10:20Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.19675v2","name":"Annif at SemEval-2025 Task 5: Traditional XMTC augmented by LLMs","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the Annif system in SemEval-2025 Task 5 (LLMs4Subjects), which focussed on subject indexing using large language models (LLMs). The task required creating subject predictions for bibliographic records from the bilingual TIBKAT database using the GND subject vocabulary. Our approach combines traditional natural language processing and machine learning techniques implemented in the Annif toolkit with innovative LLM-based methods for translation and synthetic data generation, and merging predictions from monolingual models. The system ranked first in the all-subjects category and second in the tib-core-subjects category in the quantitative evaluation, and fourth in qualitative evaluations. These findings demonstrate the potential of combining traditional XMTC algorithms with modern LLM techniques to improve the accuracy and efficiency of subject indexing in multilingual contexts.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.19675v2","authors":["Osma Suominen","Juho Inkinen","Mona Lehtinen"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.DL","cs.IR","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-28T11:04:23Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.18445v1","name":"VQualA 2025 Challenge on Face Image Quality Assessment: Methods and Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Face images play a crucial role in numerous applications; however, real-world conditions frequently introduce degradations such as noise, blur, and compression artifacts, affecting overall image quality and hindering subsequent tasks. To address this challenge, we organized the VQualA 2025 Challenge on Face Image Quality Assessment (FIQA) as part of the ICCV 2025 Workshops. Participants created lightweight and efficient models (limited to 0.5 GFLOPs and 5 million parameters) for the prediction of Mean Opinion Scores (MOS) on face images with arbitrary resolutions and realistic degradations. Submissions underwent comprehensive evaluations through correlation metrics on a dataset of in-the-wild face images. This challenge attracted 127 participants, with 1519 final submissions. This report summarizes the methodologies and findings for advancing the development of practical FIQA approaches.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.18445v1","authors":["Sizhuo Ma","Wei-Ting Chen","Qiang Gao","Jian Wang","Chris Wei Zhou","Wei Sun","Weixia Zhang","Linhan Cao","Jun Jia","Xiangyang Zhu","Dandan Zhu","Xiongkuo Min","Guangtao Zhai","Baoying Chen","Xiongwei Xiao","Jishen Zeng","Wei Wu","Tiexuan Lou","Yuchen Tan","Chunyi Song","Zhiwei Xu","MohammadAli Hamidi","Hadi Amirpour","Mingyin Bai","Jiawang Du","Zhenyu Jiang","Zilong Lu","Ziguan Cui","Zongliang Gan","Xinpeng Li","Shiqi Jiang","Chenhui Li","Changbo Wang","Weijun Yuan","Zhan Li","Yihang Chen","Yifan Deng","Ruting Deng","Zhanglu Chen","Boyang Yao","Shuling Zheng","Feng Zhang","Zhiheng Fu","Abhishek Joshi","Aman Agarwal","Rakhil Immidisetti","Ajay Narasimha Mopidevi","Vishwajeet Shukla","Hao Yang","Ruikun Zhang","Liyuan Pan","Kaixin Deng","Hang Ouyang","Fan yang","Zhizun Luo","Zhuohang Shi","Songning Lai","Weilin Ruan","Yutao Yue"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-25T19:48:52Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.05815v1","name":"NTIRE 2025 Challenge on HR Depth from Images of Specular and Transparent Surfaces","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper reports on the NTIRE 2025 challenge on HR Depth From images of Specular and Transparent surfaces, held in conjunction with the New Trends in Image Restoration and Enhancement (NTIRE) workshop at CVPR 2025. This challenge aims to advance the research on depth estimation, specifically to address two of the main open issues in the field: high-resolution and non-Lambertian surfaces. The challenge proposes two tracks on stereo and single-image depth estimation, attracting about 177 registered participants. In the final testing stage, 4 and 4 participating teams submitted their models and fact sheets for the two tracks.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.05815v1","authors":["Pierluigi Zama Ramirez","Fabio Tosi","Luigi Di Stefano","Radu Timofte","Alex Costanzino","Matteo Poggi","Samuele Salti","Stefano Mattoccia","Zhe Zhang","Yang Yang","Wu Chen","Anlong Ming","Mingshuai Zhao","Mengying Yu","Shida Gao","Xiangfeng Wang","Feng Xue","Jun Shi","Yong Yang","Yong A","Yixiang Jin","Dingzhe Li","Aryan Shukla","Liam Frija-Altarac","Matthew Toews","Hui Geng","Tianjiao Wan","Zijian Gao","Qisheng Xu","Kele Xu","Zijian Zang","Jameer Babu Pinjari","Kuldeep Purohit","Mykola Lavreniuk","Jing Cao","Shenyi Li","Kui Jiang","Junjun Jiang","Yong Huang"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-06T07:27:15Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.17858v2","name":"CorPipe at CRAC 2025: Evaluating Multilingual Encoders for Multilingual Coreference Resolution","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present CorPipe 25, the winning entry to the CRAC 2025 Shared Task on Multilingual Coreference Resolution. This fourth iteration of the shared task introduces a new LLM track alongside the original unconstrained track, features reduced development and test sets to lower computational requirements, and includes additional datasets. CorPipe 25 represents a complete reimplementation of our previous systems, migrating from TensorFlow to PyTorch. Our system significantly outperforms all other submissions in both the LLM and unconstrained tracks by a substantial margin of 8 percentage points. The source code and trained models are publicly available at https://github.com/ufal/crac2025-corpipe.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.17858v2","authors":["Milan Straka"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-22T14:51:37Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.03256v1","name":"Comparison of End-to-end Speech Assessment Models for the NOCASA 2025 Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents an analysis of three end-to-end models developed for the NOCASA 2025 Challenge, aimed at automatic word-level pronunciation assessment for children learning Norwegian as a second language. Our models include an encoder-decoder Siamese architecture (E2E-R), a prefix-tuned direct classification model leveraging pretrained wav2vec2.0 representations, and a novel model integrating alignment-free goodness-of-pronunciation (GOP) features computed via CTC. We introduce a weighted ordinal cross-entropy loss tailored for optimizing metrics such as unweighted average recall and mean absolute error. Among the explored methods, our GOP-CTC-based model achieved the highest performance, substantially surpassing challenge baselines and attaining top leaderboard scores.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.03256v1","authors":["Aleksei Žavoronkov","Tanel Alumäe"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.SD","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-03T12:17:59Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.17077v1","name":"Simultaneous Translation with Offline Speech and LLM Models in CUNI Submission to IWSLT 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes Charles University submission to the Simultaneous Speech Translation Task of the IWSLT 2025. We cover all four language pairs with a direct or cascade approach. The backbone of our systems is the offline Whisper speech model, which we use for both translation and transcription in simultaneous mode with the state-of-the-art simultaneous policy AlignAtt. We further improve the performance by prompting to inject in-domain terminology, and we accommodate context. Our cascaded systems further use EuroLLM for unbounded simultaneous translation. Compared to the Organizers' baseline, our systems improve by 2 BLEU points on Czech to English and 13-22 BLEU points on English to German, Chinese and Japanese on the development sets. Additionally, we also propose a new enhanced measure of speech recognition latency.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.17077v1","authors":["Dominik Macháček","Peter Polák"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-20T15:27:44Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2511.13747v1","name":"US Code growth 1991-2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This is the first scientific article since 2010 counting the words which are effective and permanent federal law in the United States (US) Code. The latest version of the US Code --published in 2025-- is the largest since 1991, encompassing over 24.4 million words. The low since 1991 was 1993 at roughly 15 million words. The word count grew in 30 out of 33 years. The average characters per word --potentially indicative of complexity-- grew even in all 33 years. The research also touches upon why it is undesirable for laws to be longer and longer and mentions possible remedies.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.13747v1","authors":["Christopher Mantzaris","Ajda Fošner"],"tags":["cs.DL","econ.GN"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-13T13:59:38Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.17473v1","name":"The Dark Matters at ICRC 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The dark matter track at ICRC~2025 showed a field in transition. Direct detection has entered the \\emph{neutrino-floor era}, with XENONnT and PandaX-4T now limited by Solar neutrinos. Indirect searches have become truly \\emph{multimessenger}, combining $γ$-rays, neutrinos, cosmic rays, and radio data under unified likelihoods and shared systematics. Non-WIMP candidates -- axions, sub-GeV particles, primordial black holes, macroscopic relics -- are becoming central. Across all fronts, progress depends as much on new detectors as on the coherence of shared data, methods, and analysis frameworks. Here, I distill the main experimental and conceptual shifts behind these trends, noting how assumptions have evolved since ICRC~2023 and where the next decisive advances are likely to come.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.17473v1","authors":["Milena Crnogorčević"],"tags":["astro-ph.HE","hep-ex","hep-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-20T12:14:16Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.18831v1","name":"Automated Classification of Normal and Atypical Mitotic Figures Using ConvNeXt V2: MIDOG 2025 Track 2","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents our solution for the MIDOG 2025 Challenge Track 2, which focuses on binary classification of normal mitotic figures (NMFs) versus atypical mitotic figures (AMFs) in histopathological images. Our approach leverages a ConvNeXt V2 base model with center cropping preprocessing and 5-fold cross-validation ensemble strategy. The method addresses key challenges including severe class imbalance, high morphological variability, and domain heterogeneity across different tumor types, species, and scanners. Through strategic preprocessing with 60% center cropping and mixed precision training, our model achieved robust performance on the diverse MIDOG 2025 dataset. The solution demonstrates the effectiveness of modern convolutional architectures for mitotic figure subtyping while maintaining computational efficiency through careful architectural choices and training optimizations.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.18831v1","authors":["Yosuke Yamagishi","Shouhei Hanaoka"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-26T09:11:12Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.13971v2","name":"The Multimodal Information Based Speech Processing (MISP) 2025 Challenge: Audio-Visual Diarization and Recognition","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Meetings are a valuable yet challenging scenario for speech applications due to complex acoustic conditions. This paper summarizes the outcomes of the MISP 2025 Challenge, hosted at Interspeech 2025, which focuses on multi-modal, multi-device meeting transcription by incorporating video modality alongside audio. The tasks include Audio-Visual Speaker Diarization (AVSD), Audio-Visual Speech Recognition (AVSR), and Audio-Visual Diarization and Recognition (AVDR). We present the challenge's objectives, tasks, dataset, baseline systems, and solutions proposed by participants. The best-performing systems achieved significant improvements over the baseline: the top AVSD model achieved a Diarization Error Rate (DER) of 8.09%, improving by 7.43%; the top AVSR system achieved a Character Error Rate (CER) of 9.48%, improving by 10.62%; and the best AVDR system achieved a concatenated minimum-permutation Character Error Rate (cpCER) of 11.56%, improving by 72.49%.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.13971v2","authors":["Ming Gao","Shilong Wu","Hang Chen","Jun Du","Chin-Hui Lee","Shinji Watanabe","Jingdong Chen","Siniscalchi Sabato Marco","Odette Scharenborg"],"tags":["cs.SD","cs.AI","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-20T06:11:51Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.01458v1","name":"TalTech Systems for the Interspeech 2025 ML-SUPERB 2.0 Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes the language identification and multilingual speech recognition system developed at Tallinn University of Technology for the Interspeech 2025 ML-SUPERB 2.0 Challenge. A hybrid language identification system is used, consisting of a pretrained language embedding model and a light-weight speech recognition model with a shared encoder across languages and language-specific bigram language models. For speech recognition, three models are used, where only a single model is applied for each language, depending on the training data availability and performance on held-out data. The model set consists of a finetuned version of SeamlessM4T, MMS-1B-all with custom language adapters and MMS-zeroshot. The system obtained the top overall score in the challenge.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.01458v1","authors":["Tanel Alumäe","Artem Fedorchenko"],"tags":["cs.CL","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-02T09:16:09Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.13338v2","name":"Theoretical Summary: Moriond QCD and High-Energy Interactions 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The theory talks at Moriond QCD and High-Energy Interactions 2025 covered the full range of scales from BSM, top, Higgs, EW, and hard QCD physics, through resummation, factorisation, and PDFs, to hadronic, heavy-ion, nonperturbative, and lattice QCD. A few talks also touched on methodologies. We here summarise main points of most of these contributions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.13338v2","authors":["Peter Skands"],"tags":["hep-ph","hep-th"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-16T10:27:50Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.21781v1","name":"GMU Systems for the IWSLT 2025 Low-Resource Speech Translation Shared Task","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes the GMU systems for the IWSLT 2025 low-resource speech translation shared task. We trained systems for all language pairs, except for Levantine Arabic. We fine-tuned SeamlessM4T-v2 for automatic speech recognition (ASR), machine translation (MT), and end-to-end speech translation (E2E ST). The ASR and MT models are also used to form cascaded ST systems. Additionally, we explored various training paradigms for E2E ST fine-tuning, including direct E2E fine-tuning, multi-task training, and parameter initialization using components from fine-tuned ASR and/or MT models. Our results show that (1) direct E2E fine-tuning yields strong results; (2) initializing with a fine-tuned ASR encoder improves ST performance on languages SeamlessM4T-v2 has not been trained on; (3) multi-task training can be slightly helpful.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.21781v1","authors":["Chutong Meng","Antonios Anastasopoulos"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-27T21:26:35Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.04409v1","name":"Empaths at SemEval-2025 Task 11: Retrieval-Augmented Approach to Perceived Emotions Prediction","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes EmoRAG, a system designed to detect perceived emotions in text for SemEval-2025 Task 11, Subtask A: Multi-label Emotion Detection. We focus on predicting the perceived emotions of the speaker from a given text snippet, labeling it with emotions such as joy, sadness, fear, anger, surprise, and disgust. Our approach does not require additional model training and only uses an ensemble of models to predict emotions. EmoRAG achieves results comparable to the best performing systems, while being more efficient, scalable, and easier to implement.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.04409v1","authors":["Lev Morozov","Aleksandr Mogilevskii","Alexander Shirnin"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-04T19:41:24Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.15442v1","name":"CTAO Contributions to the 39th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC 2025)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This index contains the proceedings submitted to the 39th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC 2025) on behalf of the CTAO Consortium.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.15442v1","authors":["The CTAO Consortium"],"tags":["astro-ph.HE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-18T21:30:28Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.09190v1","name":"VQualA 2025 Challenge on Visual Quality Comparison for Large Multimodal Models: Methods and Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents a summary of the VQualA 2025 Challenge on Visual Quality Comparison for Large Multimodal Models (LMMs), hosted as part of the ICCV 2025 Workshop on Visual Quality Assessment. The challenge aims to evaluate and enhance the ability of state-of-the-art LMMs to perform open-ended and detailed reasoning about visual quality differences across multiple images. To this end, the competition introduces a novel benchmark comprising thousands of coarse-to-fine grained visual quality comparison tasks, spanning single images, pairs, and multi-image groups. Each task requires models to provide accurate quality judgments. The competition emphasizes holistic evaluation protocols, including 2AFC-based binary preference and multi-choice questions (MCQs). Around 100 participants submitted entries, with five models demonstrating the emerging capabilities of instruction-tuned LMMs on quality assessment. This challenge marks a significant step toward open-domain visual quality reasoning and comparison and serves as a catalyst for future research on interpretable and human-aligned quality evaluation systems.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.09190v1","authors":["Hanwei Zhu","Haoning Wu","Zicheng Zhang","Lingyu Zhu","Yixuan Li","Peilin Chen","Shiqi Wang","Chris Wei Zhou","Linhan Cao","Wei Sun","Xiangyang Zhu","Weixia Zhang","Yucheng Zhu","Jing Liu","Dandan Zhu","Guangtao Zhai","Xiongkuo Min","Zhichao Zhang","Xinyue Li","Shubo Xu","Anh Dao","Yifan Li","Hongyuan Yu","Jiaojiao Yi","Yiding Tian","Yupeng Wu","Feiran Sun","Lijuan Liao","Song Jiang"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-11T07:00:50Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.07539v1","name":"CEA-LIST at CheckThat! 2025: Evaluating LLMs as Detectors of Bias and Opinion in Text","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents a competitive approach to multilingual subjectivity detection using large language models (LLMs) with few-shot prompting. We participated in Task 1: Subjectivity of the CheckThat! 2025 evaluation campaign. We show that LLMs, when paired with carefully designed prompts, can match or outperform fine-tuned smaller language models (SLMs), particularly in noisy or low-quality data settings. Despite experimenting with advanced prompt engineering techniques, such as debating LLMs and various example selection strategies, we found limited benefit beyond well-crafted standard few-shot prompts. Our system achieved top rankings across multiple languages in the CheckThat! 2025 subjectivity detection task, including first place in Arabic and Polish, and top-four finishes in Italian, English, German, and multilingual tracks. Notably, our method proved especially robust on the Arabic dataset, likely due to its resilience to annotation inconsistencies. These findings highlight the effectiveness and adaptability of LLM-based few-shot learning for multilingual sentiment tasks, offering a strong alternative to traditional fine-tuning, particularly when labeled data is scarce or inconsistent.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.07539v1","authors":["Akram Elbouanani","Evan Dufraisse","Aboubacar Tuo","Adrian Popescu"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-10T08:35:05Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.05976v1","name":"LTG at SemEval-2025 Task 10: Optimizing Context for Classification of Narrative Roles","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Our contribution to the SemEval 2025 shared task 10, subtask 1 on entity framing, tackles the challenge of providing the necessary segments from longer documents as context for classification with a masked language model. We show that a simple entity-oriented heuristics for context selection can enable text classification using models with limited context window. Our context selection approach and the XLM-RoBERTa language model is on par with, or outperforms, Supervised Fine-Tuning with larger generative language models.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.05976v1","authors":["Egil Rønningstad","Gaurav Negi"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-06T10:58:45Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.00264v3","name":"Baseline Systems For The 2025 Low-Resource Audio Codec Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Low-Resource Audio Codec (LRAC) Challenge aims to advance neural audio coding for deployment in resource-constrained environments. The first edition focuses on low-resource neural speech codecs that must operate reliably under everyday noise and reverberation, while satisfying strict constraints on computational complexity, latency, and bitrate. Track 1 targets transparency codecs, which aim to preserve the perceptual transparency of input speech under mild noise and reverberation. Track 2 addresses enhancement codecs, which combine coding and compression with denoising and dereverberation. This paper presents the official baseline systems for both tracks in the 2025 LRAC Challenge. The baselines are convolutional neural codec models with Residual Vector Quantization, trained end-to-end using a combination of adversarial and reconstruction objectives. We detail the data filtering and augmentation strategies, model architectures, optimization procedures, and checkpoint selection criteria.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.00264v3","authors":["Yusuf Ziya Isik","Rafał Łaganowski"],"tags":["cs.SD","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-30T20:36:58Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2511.10090v1","name":"ELYADATA &amp; LIA at NADI 2025: ASR and ADI Subtasks","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes Elyadata \\&amp; LIA's joint submission to the NADI multi-dialectal Arabic Speech Processing 2025. We participated in the Spoken Arabic Dialect Identification (ADI) and multi-dialectal Arabic ASR subtasks. Our submission ranked first for the ADI subtask and second for the multi-dialectal Arabic ASR subtask among all participants. Our ADI system is a fine-tuned Whisper-large-v3 encoder with data augmentation. This system obtained the highest ADI accuracy score of \\textbf{79.83\\%} on the official test set. For multi-dialectal Arabic ASR, we fine-tuned SeamlessM4T-v2 Large (Egyptian variant) separately for each of the eight considered dialects. Overall, we obtained an average WER and CER of \\textbf{38.54\\%} and \\textbf{14.53\\%}, respectively, on the test set. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of large pre-trained speech models with targeted fine-tuning for Arabic speech processing.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.10090v1","authors":["Haroun Elleuch","Youssef Saidi","Salima Mdhaffar","Yannick Estève","Fethi Bougares"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-13T08:44:39Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2511.14789v1","name":"Temporal and Spatial Analysis of Crime Patterns in New York City: A Statistical Investigation of NYPD Complaint Data (1963-2025)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This study presents a comprehensive statistical analysis of criminal complaint data from the New York City Police Department (NYPD) spanning 47 years (1963-2025) [1]. Using a dataset of 438,556 complaint records, we employed exploratory data analysis (EDA), descriptive statistics, and multiple statistical hypothesis tests to investigate the spatial, temporal, and categorical patterns of urban crimes. Our findings revealed significant associations between crime types and geographic locations, temporal variations in criminal activity, and differences in crime severity across time. The results demonstrate that Brooklyn experiences the highest crime volume, petit-larceny constitutes the most common offense, and criminal activity peaks during the evening hours on weekdays, particularly Fridays. Statistical tests, including chi-square tests, Kruskal-Wallis H-test, and Mann-Whitney U test, confirmed highly significant relationships (p &lt; 0.001) across all examined dimensions, providing evidence-based insights for law enforcement resource allocation and urban safety policy development.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.14789v1","authors":["Fnu Gaurav"],"tags":["physics.soc-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-13T20:59:39Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.13143v1","name":"CMU's IWSLT 2025 Simultaneous Speech Translation System","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents CMU's submission to the IWSLT 2025 Simultaneous Speech Translation (SST) task for translating unsegmented English speech into Chinese and German text in a streaming manner. Our end-to-end speech-to-text system integrates a chunkwise causal Wav2Vec 2.0 speech encoder, an adapter, and the Qwen2.5-7B-Instruct as the decoder. We use a two-stage simultaneous training procedure on robust speech segments curated from LibriSpeech, CommonVoice, and VoxPopuli datasets, utilizing standard cross-entropy loss. Our model supports adjustable latency through a configurable latency multiplier. Experimental results demonstrate that our system achieves 44.3 BLEU for English-to-Chinese and 25.1 BLEU for English-to-German translations on the ACL60/60 development set, with computation-aware latencies of 2.7 seconds and 2.3 seconds, and theoretical latencies of 2.2 and 1.7 seconds, respectively.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.13143v1","authors":["Siqi Ouyang","Xi Xu","Lei Li"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-16T06:56:21Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.06805v1","name":"Overview of the Plagiarism Detection Task at PAN 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The generative plagiarism detection task at PAN 2025 aims at identifying automatically generated textual plagiarism in scientific articles and aligning them with their respective sources. We created a novel large-scale dataset of automatically generated plagiarism using three large language models: Llama, DeepSeek-R1, and Mistral. In this task overview paper, we outline the creation of this dataset, summarize and compare the results of all participants and four baselines, and evaluate the results on the last plagiarism detection task from PAN 2015 in order to interpret the robustness of the proposed approaches. We found that the current iteration does not invite a large variety of approaches as naive semantic similarity approaches based on embedding vectors provide promising results of up to 0.8 recall and 0.5 precision. In contrast, most of these approaches underperform significantly on the 2015 dataset, indicating a lack in generalizability.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.06805v1","authors":["André Greiner-Petter","Maik Fröbe","Jan Philip Wahle","Terry Ruas","Bela Gipp","Akiko Aizawa","Martin Potthast"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.IR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-08T09:33:26Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.09622v1","name":"AINL-Eval 2025 Shared Task: Detection of AI-Generated Scientific Abstracts in Russian","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The rapid advancement of large language models (LLMs) has revolutionized text generation, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish between human- and AI-generated content. This poses a significant challenge to academic integrity, particularly in scientific publishing and multilingual contexts where detection resources are often limited. To address this critical gap, we introduce the AINL-Eval 2025 Shared Task, specifically focused on the detection of AI-generated scientific abstracts in Russian. We present a novel, large-scale dataset comprising 52,305 samples, including human-written abstracts across 12 diverse scientific domains and AI-generated counterparts from five state-of-the-art LLMs (GPT-4-Turbo, Gemma2-27B, Llama3.3-70B, Deepseek-V3, and GigaChat-Lite). A core objective of the task is to challenge participants to develop robust solutions capable of generalizing to both (i) previously unseen scientific domains and (ii) models not included in the training data. The task was organized in two phases, attracting 10 teams and 159 submissions, with top systems demonstrating strong performance in identifying AI-generated content. We also establish a continuous shared task platform to foster ongoing research and long-term progress in this important area. The dataset and platform are publicly available at https://github.com/iis-research-team/AINL-Eval-2025.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.09622v1","authors":["Tatiana Batura","Elena Bruches","Milana Shvenk","Valentin Malykh"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-13T08:53:17Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.22047v1","name":"The Interspeech 2025 Speech Accessibility Project Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"While the last decade has witnessed significant advancements in Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) systems, performance of these systems for individuals with speech disabilities remains inadequate, partly due to limited public training data. To bridge this gap, the 2025 Interspeech Speech Accessibility Project (SAP) Challenge was launched, utilizing over 400 hours of SAP data collected and transcribed from more than 500 individuals with diverse speech disabilities. Hosted on EvalAI and leveraging the remote evaluation pipeline, the SAP Challenge evaluates submissions based on Word Error Rate and Semantic Score. Consequently, 12 out of 22 valid teams outperformed the whisper-large-v2 baseline in terms of WER, while 17 teams surpassed the baseline on SemScore. Notably, the top team achieved the lowest WER of 8.11\\%, and the highest SemScore of 88.44\\% at the same time, setting new benchmarks for future ASR systems in recognizing impaired speech.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.22047v1","authors":["Xiuwen Zheng","Bornali Phukon","Jonghwan Na","Ed Cutrell","Kyu Han","Mark Hasegawa-Johnson","Pan-Pan Jiang","Aadhrik Kuila","Colin Lea","Bob MacDonald","Gautam Mantena","Venkatesh Ravichandran","Leda Sari","Katrin Tomanek","Chang D. Yoo","Chris Zwilling"],"tags":["cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-29T17:50:59Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.02550v2","name":"Technical Report for Ego4D Long-Term Action Anticipation Challenge 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this report, we present a novel three-stage framework developed for the Ego4D Long-Term Action Anticipation (LTA) task. Inspired by recent advances in foundation models, our method consists of three stages: feature extraction, action recognition, and long-term action anticipation. First, visual features are extracted using a high-performance visual encoder. The features are then fed into a Transformer to predict verbs and nouns, with a verb-noun co-occurrence matrix incorporated to enhance recognition accuracy. Finally, the predicted verb-noun pairs are formatted as textual prompts and input into a fine-tuned large language model (LLM) to anticipate future action sequences. Our framework achieves first place in this challenge at CVPR 2025, establishing a new state-of-the-art in long-term action prediction. Our code will be released at https://github.com/CorrineQiu/Ego4D-LTA-Challenge-2025.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.02550v2","authors":["Qiaohui Chu","Haoyu Zhang","Yisen Feng","Meng Liu","Weili Guan","Yaowei Wang","Liqiang Nie"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-03T07:36:52Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.14544v1","name":"Multimodal AI for Gastrointestinal Diagnostics: Tackling VQA in MEDVQA-GI 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes our approach to Subtask 1 of the ImageCLEFmed MEDVQA 2025 Challenge, which targets visual question answering (VQA) for gastrointestinal endoscopy. We adopt the Florence model-a large-scale multimodal foundation model-as the backbone of our VQA pipeline, pairing a powerful vision encoder with a text encoder to interpret endoscopic images and produce clinically relevant answers. To improve generalization, we apply domain-specific augmentations that preserve medical features while increasing training diversity. Experiments on the KASVIR dataset show that fine-tuning Florence yields accurate responses on the official challenge metrics. Our results highlight the potential of large multimodal models in medical VQA and provide a strong baseline for future work on explainability, robustness, and clinical integration. The code is publicly available at: https://github.com/TiwariLaxuu/VQA-Florence.git","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.14544v1","authors":["Sujata Gaihre","Amir Thapa Magar","Prasuna Pokharel","Laxmi Tiwari"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-19T09:04:13Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.10040v1","name":"!MSA at BAREC Shared Task 2025: Ensembling Arabic Transformers for Readability Assessment","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present MSAs winning system for the BAREC 2025 Shared Task on fine-grained Arabic readability assessment, achieving first place in six of six tracks. Our approach is a confidence-weighted ensemble of four complementary transformer models (AraBERTv2, AraELECTRA, MARBERT, and CAMeLBERT) each fine-tuned with distinct loss functions to capture diverse readability signals. To tackle severe class imbalance and data scarcity, we applied weighted training, advanced preprocessing, SAMER corpus relabeling with our strongest model, and synthetic data generation via Gemini 2.5 Flash, adding about 10,000 rare-level samples. A targeted post-processing step corrected prediction distribution skew, delivering a 6.3 percent Quadratic Weighted Kappa (QWK) gain. Our system reached 87.5 percent QWK at the sentence level and 87.4 percent at the document level, demonstrating the power of model and loss diversity, confidence-informed fusion, and intelligent augmentation for robust Arabic readability prediction.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.10040v1","authors":["Mohamed Basem","Mohamed Younes","Seif Ahmed","Abdelrahman Moustafa"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-12T08:08:45Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.12788v1","name":"Efficient Real-World Deblurring using Single Images: AIM 2025 Challenge Report","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper reviews the AIM 2025 Efficient Real-World Deblurring using Single Images Challenge, which aims to advance in efficient real-blur restoration. The challenge is based on a new test set based on the well known RSBlur dataset. Pairs of blur and degraded images in this dataset are captured using a double-camera system. Participant were tasked with developing solutions to effectively deblur these type of images while fulfilling strict efficiency constraints: fewer than 5 million model parameters and a computational budget under 200 GMACs. A total of 71 participants registered, with 4 teams finally submitting valid solutions. The top-performing approach achieved a PSNR of 31.1298 dB, showcasing the potential of efficient methods in this domain. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the challenge, compares the proposed solutions, and serves as a valuable reference for researchers in efficient real-world image deblurring.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.12788v1","authors":["Daniel Feijoo","Paula Garrido-Mellado","Marcos V. Conde","Jaesung Rim","Alvaro Garcia","Sunghyun Cho","Radu Timofte"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-14T17:57:04Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.23793v1","name":"Transformer Tafsir at QIAS 2025 Shared Task: Hybrid Retrieval-Augmented Generation for Islamic Knowledge Question Answering","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents our submission to the QIAS 2025 shared task on Islamic knowledge understanding and reasoning. We developed a hybrid retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) system that combines sparse and dense retrieval methods with cross-encoder reranking to improve large language model (LLM) performance. Our three-stage pipeline incorporates BM25 for initial retrieval, a dense embedding retrieval model for semantic matching, and cross-encoder reranking for precise content retrieval. We evaluate our approach on both subtasks using two LLMs, Fanar and Mistral, demonstrating that the proposed RAG pipeline enhances performance across both, with accuracy improvements up to 25%, depending on the task and model configuration. Our best configuration is achieved with Fanar, yielding accuracy scores of 45% in Subtask 1 and 80% in Subtask 2.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.23793v1","authors":["Muhammad Abu Ahmad","Mohamad Ballout","Raia Abu Ahmad","Elia Bruni"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-28T10:27:08Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.08236v1","name":"Distilling Spectrograms into Tokens: Fast and Lightweight Bioacoustic Classification for BirdCLEF+ 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The BirdCLEF+ 2025 challenge requires classifying 206 species, including birds, mammals, insects, and amphibians, from soundscape recordings under a strict 90-minute CPU-only inference deadline, making many state-of-the-art deep learning approaches impractical. To address this constraint, the DS@GT BirdCLEF team explored two strategies. First, we establish competitive baselines by optimizing pre-trained models from the Bioacoustics Model Zoo for CPU inference. Using TFLite, we achieved a nearly 10x inference speedup for the Perch model, enabling it to run in approximately 16 minutes and achieve a final ROC-AUC score of 0.729 on the public leaderboard post-competition and 0.711 on the private leaderboard. The best model from the zoo was BirdSetEfficientNetB1, with a public score of 0.810 and a private score of 0.778. Second, we introduce a novel, lightweight pipeline named Spectrogram Token Skip-Gram (STSG) that treats bioacoustics as a sequence modeling task. This method converts audio into discrete \"spectrogram tokens\" by clustering Mel-spectrograms using Faiss K-means and then learns high-quality contextual embeddings for these tokens in an unsupervised manner with a Word2Vec skip-gram model. For classification, embeddings within a 5-second window are averaged and passed to a linear model. With a projected inference time of 6 minutes for a 700-minute test set, the STSG approach achieved a final ROC-AUC public score of 0.559 and a private score of 0.520, demonstrating the viability of fast tokenization approaches with static embeddings for bioacoustic classification. Supporting code for this paper can be found at https://github.com/dsgt-arc/birdclef-2025.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.08236v1","authors":["Anthony Miyaguchi","Murilo Gustineli","Adrian Cheung"],"tags":["cs.SD","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-11T00:47:08Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.06793v1","name":"AIM 2025 Challenge on High FPS Motion Deblurring: Methods and Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents a comprehensive review of the AIM 2025 High FPS Non-Uniform Motion Deblurring Challenge, highlighting the proposed solutions and final results. The objective of this challenge is to identify effective networks capable of producing clearer and visually compelling images in diverse and challenging conditions, by learning representative visual cues for complex aggregations of motion types. A total of 68 participants registered for the competition, and 9 teams ultimately submitted valid entries. This paper thoroughly evaluates the state-of-the-art advances in high-FPS single image motion deblurring, showcasing the significant progress in the field, while leveraging samples of the novel dataset, MIORe, that introduces challenging examples of movement patterns.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.06793v1","authors":["George Ciubotariu","Florin-Alexandru Vasluianu","Zhuyun Zhou","Nancy Mehta","Radu Timofte","Ke Wu","Long Sun","Lingshun Kong","Zhongbao Yang","Jinshan Pan","Jiangxin Dong","Jinhui Tang","Hao Chen","Yinghui Fang","Dafeng Zhang","Yongqi Song","Jiangbo Guo","Shuhua Jin","Zeyu Xiao","Rui Zhao","Zhuoyuan Li","Cong Zhang","Yufeng Peng","Xin Lu","Zhijing Sun","Chengjie Ge","Zihao Li","Zishun Liao","Ziang Zhou","Qiyu Kang","Xueyang Fu","Zheng-Jun Zha","Yuqian Zhang","Shuai Liu","Jie Liu","Zhuhao Zhang","Lishen Qu","Zhihao Liu","Shihao Zhou","Yaqi Luo","Juncheng Zhou","Jufeng Yang","Qianfeng Yang","Qiyuan Guan","Xiang Chen","Guiyue Jin","Jiyu Jin"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-08T15:22:35Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2503.13690v2","name":"Atyaephyra at SemEval-2025 Task 4: Low-Rank Negative Preference Optimization","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present a submission to the SemEval 2025 shared task on unlearning sensitive content from LLMs. Our approach employs negative preference optimization using low-rank adaptation. We show that we can utilize this combination to efficiently compute additional regularization terms, which help with unlearning stabilization. The results of our approach significantly exceed the shared task baselines.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.13690v2","authors":["Jan Bronec","Jindřich Helcl"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-17T19:59:19Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.08022v1","name":"CuriosAI Submission to the EgoExo4D Proficiency Estimation Challenge 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This report presents the CuriosAI team's submission to the EgoExo4D Proficiency Estimation Challenge at CVPR 2025. We propose two methods for multi-view skill assessment: (1) a multi-task learning framework using Sapiens-2B that jointly predicts proficiency and scenario labels (43.6 % accuracy), and (2) a two-stage pipeline combining zero-shot scenario recognition with view-specific VideoMAE classifiers (47.8 % accuracy). The superior performance of the two-stage approach demonstrates the effectiveness of scenario-conditioned modeling for proficiency estimation.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.08022v1","authors":["Hayato Tanoue","Hiroki Nishihara","Yuma Suzuki","Takayuki Hori","Hiroki Takushima","Aiswariya Manojkumar","Yuki Shibata","Mitsuru Takeda","Fumika Beppu","Zhao Hengwei","Yuto Kanda","Daichi Yamaga"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-08T12:33:02Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.05469v1","name":"Inaugural MOASEI Competition at AAMAS'2025: A Technical Report","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present the Methods for Open Agent Systems Evaluation Initiative (MOASEI) Competition, a multi-agent AI benchmarking event designed to evaluate decision-making under open-world conditions. Built on the free-range-zoo environment suite, MOASEI introduced dynamic, partially observable domains with agent and task openness--settings where entities may appear, disappear, or change behavior over time. The 2025 competition featured three tracks--Wildfire, Rideshare, and Cybersecurity--each highlighting distinct dimensions of openness and coordination complexity. Eleven teams from international institutions participated, with four of those teams submitting diverse solutions including graph neural networks, convolutional architectures, predictive modeling, and large language model--driven meta--optimization. Evaluation metrics centered on expected utility, robustness to perturbations, and responsiveness to environmental change. The results reveal promising strategies for generalization and adaptation in open environments, offering both empirical insight and infrastructure for future research. This report details the competition's design, findings, and contributions to the open-agent systems research community.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.05469v1","authors":["Ceferino Patino","Tyler J. Billings","Alireza Saleh Abadi","Daniel Redder","Adam Eck","Prashant Doshi","Leen-Kiat Soh"],"tags":["cs.MA","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-07T20:44:16Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2511.04495v1","name":"OUNLP at TSAR 2025 Shared Task: Multi-Round Text Simplifier via Code Generation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes the OUNLP system submitted to the TSAR-2025 Shared Task (Alva-Manchego et al., 2025), designed for readability-controlled text simplification using LLM-prompting-based generation. Based on the analysis of prompt-based text simplification methods, we discovered an interesting finding that text simplification performance is highly related to the gap between the source CEFR (Arase et al., 2022) level and the target CEFR level. Inspired by this finding, we propose two multi-round simplification methods and generate them via GPT-4o: rule-based simplification (MRS-Rule) and jointly rule-based LLM simplification (MRS-Joint). Our submitted systems ranked 7 out of 20 teams. Later improvements with MRS-Joint show that taking the LLM simplified candidates as the starting point could further boost the multi-round simplification performance.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.04495v1","authors":["Cuong Huynh","Jie Cao"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-06T16:16:32Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.24016v1","name":"BeaverTalk: Oregon State University's IWSLT 2025 Simultaneous Speech Translation System","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper discusses the construction, fine-tuning, and deployment of BeaverTalk, a cascaded system for speech-to-text translation as part of the IWSLT 2025 simultaneous translation task. The system architecture employs a VAD segmenter for breaking a speech stream into segments, Whisper Large V2 for automatic speech recognition (ASR), and Gemma 3 12B for simultaneous translation. Regarding the simultaneous translation LLM, it is fine-tuned via low-rank adaptors (LoRAs) for a conversational prompting strategy that leverages a single prior-sentence memory bank from the source language as context. The cascaded system participated in the English$\\rightarrow$German and English$\\rightarrow$Chinese language directions for both the low and high latency regimes. In particular, on the English$\\rightarrow$German task, the system achieves a BLEU of 24.64 and 27.83 at a StreamLAAL of 1837.86 and 3343.73, respectively. Then, on the English$\\rightarrow$Chinese task, the system achieves a BLEU of 34.07 and 37.23 at a StreamLAAL of 2216.99 and 3521.35, respectively.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.24016v1","authors":["Matthew Raffel","Victor Agostinelli","Lizhong Chen"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-29T21:34:49Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.20628v1","name":"Proceedings of the 20th International Conference on Knowledge, Information and Creativity Support Systems (KICSS 2025)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This volume presents the proceedings of the 20th International Conference on Knowledge, Information and Creativity Support Systems (KICSS 2025), held in Nagaoka, Japan, on December 3-5, 2025. The conference, organized in cooperation with the IEICE Proceedings Series, provides a multidisciplinary forum for researchers in artificial intelligence, knowledge engineering, human-computer interaction, and creativity support systems. The proceedings include peer-reviewed papers accepted through a double-blind review process. Selected papers have been recommended for publication in IEICE Transactions on Information and Systems after an additional peer-review process.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.20628v1","authors":["Edited by Tessai Hayama","Takayuki Ito","Takahiro Uchiya","Motoki Miura","Takahiro Kawaji","Takaya Yuizono","Atsuo Yoshitaka","Tokuro Matsuo","Shun Okuhara","Jawad Haqbeen","Sofia Sahab","Wen Gu","Shiyao Ding"],"tags":["cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-28T22:08:29Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.09524v1","name":"DeMeVa at LeWiDi-2025: Modeling Perspectives with In-Context Learning and Label Distribution Learning","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This system paper presents the DeMeVa team's approaches to the third edition of the Learning with Disagreements shared task (LeWiDi 2025; Leonardelli et al., 2025). We explore two directions: in-context learning (ICL) with large language models, where we compare example sampling strategies; and label distribution learning (LDL) methods with RoBERTa (Liu et al., 2019b), where we evaluate several fine-tuning methods. Our contributions are twofold: (1) we show that ICL can effectively predict annotator-specific annotations (perspectivist annotations), and that aggregating these predictions into soft labels yields competitive performance; and (2) we argue that LDL methods are promising for soft label predictions and merit further exploration by the perspectivist community.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.09524v1","authors":["Daniil Ignatev","Nan Li","Hugh Mee Wong","Anh Dang","Shane Kaszefski Yaschuk"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-11T15:04:42Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2501.10343v1","name":"3rd Workshop on Maritime Computer Vision (MaCVi) 2025: Challenge Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The 3rd Workshop on Maritime Computer Vision (MaCVi) 2025 addresses maritime computer vision for Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV) and underwater. This report offers a comprehensive overview of the findings from the challenges. We provide both statistical and qualitative analyses, evaluating trends from over 700 submissions. All datasets, evaluation code, and the leaderboard are available to the public at https://macvi.org/workshop/macvi25.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.10343v1","authors":["Benjamin Kiefer","Lojze Žust","Jon Muhovič","Matej Kristan","Janez Perš","Matija Teršek","Uma Mudenagudi Chaitra Desai","Arnold Wiliem","Marten Kreis","Nikhil Akalwadi","Yitong Quan","Zhiqiang Zhong","Zhe Zhang","Sujie Liu","Xuran Chen","Yang Yang","Matej Fabijanić","Fausto Ferreira","Seongju Lee","Junseok Lee","Kyoobin Lee","Shanliang Yao","Runwei Guan","Xiaoyu Huang","Yi Ni","Himanshu Kumar","Yuan Feng","Yi-Ching Cheng","Tzu-Yu Lin","Chia-Ming Lee","Chih-Chung Hsu","Jannik Sheikh","Andreas Michel","Wolfgang Gross","Martin Weinmann","Josip Šarić","Yipeng Lin","Xiang Yang","Nan Jiang","Yutang Lu","Fei Feng","Ali Awad","Evan Lucas","Ashraf Saleem","Ching-Heng Cheng","Yu-Fan Lin","Tzu-Yu Lin","Chih-Chung Hsu"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-17T18:34:47Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.02197v2","name":"NTIRE 2025 Challenge on RAW Image Restoration and Super-Resolution","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper reviews the NTIRE 2025 RAW Image Restoration and Super-Resolution Challenge, highlighting the proposed solutions and results. New methods for RAW Restoration and Super-Resolution could be essential in modern Image Signal Processing (ISP) pipelines, however, this problem is not as explored as in the RGB domain. The goal of this challenge is two fold, (i) restore RAW images with blur and noise degradations, (ii) upscale RAW Bayer images by 2x, considering unknown noise and blur. In the challenge, a total of 230 participants registered, and 45 submitted results during thee challenge period. This report presents the current state-of-the-art in RAW Restoration.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.02197v2","authors":["Marcos V. Conde","Radu Timofte","Zihao Lu","Xiangyu Kong","Xiaoxia Xing","Fan Wang","Suejin Han","MinKyu Park","Tianyu Zhang","Xin Luo","Yeda Chen","Dong Liu","Li Pang","Yuhang Yang","Hongzhong Wang","Xiangyong Cao","Ruixuan Jiang","Senyan Xu","Siyuan Jiang","Xueyang Fu","Zheng-Jun Zha","Tianyu Hao","Yuhong He","Ruoqi Li","Yueqi Yang","Xiang Yu","Guanlan Hong","Minmin Yi","Yuanjia Chen","Liwen Zhang","Zijie Jin","Cheng Li","Lian Liu","Wei Song","Heng Sun","Yubo Wang","Jinghua Wang","Jiajie Lu","Watchara Ruangsan"],"tags":["eess.IV","cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-02T19:34:21Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.04044v1","name":"Lacuna Inc. at SemEval-2025 Task 4: LoRA-Enhanced Influence-Based Unlearning for LLMs","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes LIBU (LoRA enhanced influence-based unlearning), an algorithm to solve the task of unlearning - removing specific knowledge from a large language model without retraining from scratch and compromising its overall utility (SemEval-2025 Task 4: Unlearning sensitive content from Large Language Models). The algorithm combines classical \\textit{influence functions} to remove the influence of the data from the model and \\textit{second-order optimization} to stabilize the overall utility. Our experiments show that this lightweight approach is well applicable for unlearning LLMs in different kinds of task.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.04044v1","authors":["Aleksey Kudelya","Alexander Shirnin"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-04T15:10:09Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2503.16513v1","name":"Medifact at PerAnsSumm 2025: Leveraging Lightweight Models for Perspective-Specific Summarization of Clinical Q&amp;A Forums","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The PerAnsSumm 2025 challenge focuses on perspective-aware healthcare answer summarization (Agarwal et al., 2025). This work proposes a few-shot learning framework using a Snorkel-BART-SVM pipeline for classifying and summarizing open-ended healthcare community question-answering (CQA). An SVM model is trained with weak supervision via Snorkel, enhancing zero-shot learning. Extractive classification identifies perspective-relevant sentences, which are then summarized using a pretrained BART-CNN model. The approach achieved 12th place among 100 teams in the shared task, demonstrating computational efficiency and contextual accuracy. By leveraging pretrained summarization models, this work advances medical CQA research and contributes to clinical decision support systems.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.16513v1","authors":["Nadia Saeed"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-15T17:36:02Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.05121v3","name":"The NTNU System at the S&amp;I Challenge 2025 SLA Open Track","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A recent line of research on spoken language assessment (SLA) employs neural models such as BERT and wav2vec 2.0 (W2V) to evaluate speaking proficiency across linguistic and acoustic modalities. Although both models effectively capture features relevant to oral competence, each exhibits modality-specific limitations. BERT-based methods rely on ASR transcripts, which often fail to capture prosodic and phonetic cues for SLA. In contrast, W2V-based methods excel at modeling acoustic features but lack semantic interpretability. To overcome these limitations, we propose a system that integrates W2V with Phi-4 multimodal large language model (MLLM) through a score fusion strategy. The proposed system achieves a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.375 on the official test set of the Speak &amp; Improve Challenge 2025, securing second place in the competition. For comparison, the RMSEs of the top-ranked, third-ranked, and official baseline systems are 0.364, 0.384, and 0.444, respectively.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.05121v3","authors":["Hong-Yun Lin","Tien-Hong Lo","Yu-Hsuan Fang","Jhen-Ke Lin","Chung-Chun Wang","Hao-Chien Lu","Berlin Chen"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.SD","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-05T15:09:23Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.20644v1","name":"HCQA-1.5 @ Ego4D EgoSchema Challenge 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this report, we present the method that achieves third place for Ego4D EgoSchema Challenge in CVPR 2025. To improve the reliability of answer prediction in egocentric video question answering, we propose an effective extension to the previously proposed HCQA framework. Our approach introduces a multi-source aggregation strategy to generate diverse predictions, followed by a confidence-based filtering mechanism that selects high-confidence answers directly. For low-confidence cases, we incorporate a fine-grained reasoning module that performs additional visual and contextual analysis to refine the predictions. Evaluated on the EgoSchema blind test set, our method achieves 77% accuracy on over 5,000 human-curated multiple-choice questions, outperforming last year's winning solution and the majority of participating teams. Our code will be added at https://github.com/Hyu-Zhang/HCQA.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.20644v1","authors":["Haoyu Zhang","Yisen Feng","Qiaohui Chu","Meng Liu","Weili Guan","Yaowei Wang","Liqiang Nie"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-27T02:45:14Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.11498v4","name":"DeDisCo at the DISRPT 2025 Shared Task: A System for Discourse Relation Classification","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents DeDisCo, Georgetown University's entry in the DISRPT 2025 shared task on discourse relation classification. We test two approaches, using an mt5-based encoder and a decoder based approach using the openly available Qwen model. We also experiment on training with augmented dataset for low-resource languages using matched data translated automatically from English, as well as using some additional linguistic features inspired by entries in previous editions of the Shared Task. Our system achieves a macro-accuracy score of 71.28, and we provide some interpretation and error analysis for our results.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.11498v4","authors":["Zhuoxuan Ju","Jingni Wu","Abhishek Purushothama","Amir Zeldes"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-15T01:25:37Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.13670v1","name":"NTIRE 2025 Challenge on Low Light Image Enhancement: Methods and Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents a comprehensive review of the NTIRE 2025 Low-Light Image Enhancement (LLIE) Challenge, highlighting the proposed solutions and final outcomes. The objective of the challenge is to identify effective networks capable of producing brighter, clearer, and visually compelling images under diverse and challenging conditions. A remarkable total of 762 participants registered for the competition, with 28 teams ultimately submitting valid entries. This paper thoroughly evaluates the state-of-the-art advancements in LLIE, showcasing the significant progress.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.13670v1","authors":["Xiaoning Liu","Zongwei Wu","Florin-Alexandru Vasluianu","Hailong Yan","Bin Ren","Yulun Zhang","Shuhang Gu","Le Zhang","Ce Zhu","Radu Timofte","Kangbiao Shi","Yixu Feng","Tao Hu","Yu Cao","Peng Wu","Yijin Liang","Yanning Zhang","Qingsen Yan","Han Zhou","Wei Dong","Yan Min","Mohab Kishawy","Jun Chen","Pengpeng Yu","Anjin Park","Seung-Soo Lee","Young-Joon Park","Zixiao Hu","Junyv Liu","Huilin Zhang","Jun Zhang","Fei Wan","Bingxin Xu","Hongzhe Liu","Cheng Xu","Weiguo Pan","Songyin Dai","Xunpeng Yi","Qinglong Yan","Yibing Zhang","Jiayi Ma","Changhui Hu","Kerui Hu","Donghang Jing","Tiesheng Chen","Zhi Jin","Hongjun Wu","Biao Huang","Haitao Ling","Jiahao Wu","Dandan Zhan","G Gyaneshwar Rao","Vijayalaxmi Ashok Aralikatti","Nikhil Akalwadi","Ramesh Ashok Tabib","Uma Mudenagudi","Ruirui Lin","Guoxi Huang","Nantheera Anantrasirichai","Qirui Yang","Alexandru Brateanu","Ciprian Orhei","Cosmin Ancuti","Daniel Feijoo","Juan C. Benito","Álvaro García","Marcos V. Conde","Yang Qin","Raul Balmez","Anas M. Ali","Bilel Benjdira","Wadii Boulila","Tianyi Mao","Huan Zheng","Yanyan Wei","Shengeng Tang","Dan Guo","Zhao Zhang","Sabari Nathan","K Uma","A Sasithradevi","B Sathya Bama","S. Mohamed Mansoor Roomi","Ao Li","Xiangtao Zhang","Zhe Liu","Yijie Tang","Jialong Tang","Zhicheng Fu","Gong Chen","Joe Nasti","John Nicholson","Zeyu Xiao","Zhuoyuan Li","Ashutosh Kulkarni","Prashant W. Patil","Santosh Kumar Vipparthi","Subrahmanyam Murala","Duan Liu","Weile Li","Hangyuan Lu","Rixian Liu","Tengfeng Wang","Jinxing Liang","Chenxin Yu"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-15T15:30:16Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2501.11499v1","name":"KEIR @ ECIR 2025: The Second Workshop on Knowledge-Enhanced Information Retrieval","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Pretrained language models (PLMs) like BERT and GPT-4 have become the foundation for modern information retrieval (IR) systems. However, existing PLM-based IR models primarily rely on the knowledge learned during training for prediction, limiting their ability to access and incorporate external, up-to-date, or domain-specific information. Therefore, current information retrieval systems struggle with semantic nuances, context relevance, and domain-specific issues. To address these challenges, we propose the second Knowledge-Enhanced Information Retrieval workshop (KEIR @ ECIR 2025) as a platform to discuss innovative approaches that integrate external knowledge, aiming to enhance the effectiveness of information retrieval in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. The goal of this workshop is to bring together researchers from academia and industry to discuss various aspects of knowledge-enhanced information retrieval.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.11499v1","authors":["Zihan Wang","Jinyuan Fang","Giacomo Frisoni","Zhuyun Dai","Zaiqiao Meng","Gianluca Moro","Emine Yilmaz"],"tags":["cs.IR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-20T14:08:55Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.14066v1","name":"A Baseline for Self-state Identification and Classification in Mental Health Data: CLPsych 2025 Task","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present a baseline for the CLPsych 2025 A.1 task: classifying self-states in mental health data taken from Reddit. We use few-shot learning with a 4-bit quantized Gemma 2 9B model and a data preprocessing step which first identifies relevant sentences indicating self-state evidence, and then performs a binary classification to determine whether the sentence is evidence of an adaptive or maladaptive self-state. This system outperforms our other method which relies on an LLM to highlight spans of variable length independently. We attribute the performance of our model to the benefits of this sentence chunking step for two reasons: partitioning posts into sentences 1) broadly matches the granularity at which self-states were human-annotated and 2) simplifies the task for our language model to a binary classification problem. Our system places third out of fourteen systems submitted for Task A.1, achieving a test-time recall of 0.579.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.14066v1","authors":["Laerdon Kim"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-18T20:37:14Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.18316v1","name":"Team LA at SCIDOCA shared task 2025: Citation Discovery via relation-based zero-shot retrieval","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Citation Discovery Shared Task focuses on predicting the correct citation from a given candidate pool for a given paragraph. The main challenges stem from the length of the abstract paragraphs and the high similarity among candidate abstracts, making it difficult to determine the exact paper to cite. To address this, we develop a system that first retrieves the top-k most similar abstracts based on extracted relational features from the given paragraph. From this subset, we leverage a Large Language Model (LLM) to accurately identify the most relevant citation. We evaluate our framework on the training dataset provided by the SCIDOCA 2025 organizers, demonstrating its effectiveness in citation prediction.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.18316v1","authors":["Trieu An","Long Nguyen","Minh Le Nguyen"],"tags":["cs.IR","cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-23T06:01:21Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.20419v1","name":"Wartime Media Dynamics in Emerging Democracies: Case Study of Pakistani Media in May 2025 Indo-Pak Conflict","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Democracies rely on opposition and dissent to function, but in emerging democracies, freedom of speech is often restricted. This effect intensifies during regional conflicts. This study examines how the India-Pakistan conflict of May 2025 influenced Pakistani media coverage. Analyzing approximately 2,600 news articles from three major newspapers using a large language model (LLM), the study found that war-related reporting significantly overshadowed coverage of political opposition and dissent. These findings highlight how conflict can marginalize democratic discourse, reinforcing the need to safeguard press freedom in volatile regions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.20419v1","authors":["Taaha Saleem Bajwa"],"tags":["cs.CY","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-24T11:40:10Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.03189v1","name":"The First Crypto President: Presidential Power and Cryptocurrency Markets During Trump's Second Term (2025-2029)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper analyzes the intersection of presidential authority and cryptocurrency markets during Donald J. Trump's second term (2025-2029). We examine developments from 2024 through October 2025, focusing on how executive influence, family business ventures, and digital assets became intertwined in ways that blurred boundaries between public office and private profit. Using a mixed-methods approach that combines quantitative market data with qualitative institutional assessment, we identify politically linked digital assets as a distinct class characterized by reflexive valuations, asymmetric risk distribution, and systemic vulnerabilities. The Trump family's integrated cryptocurrency ecosystem reached peak valuations exceeding eleven billion dollars before collapsing by more than one trillion in market capitalization following a tariff announcement in October 2025. Results highlight conflicts of interest, failures in market microstructure, and the emergence of political finance as a monetizable phenomenon in the digital age. The study contributes to understanding how presidential signaling reshapes capital flows, how politically branded tokens function as quasi-currencies, and how sudden policy actions can trigger cascading liquidations across global digital asset systems.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.03189v1","authors":["Habib Badawi"],"tags":["q-fin.GN"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-02T19:39:03Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.21174v1","name":"Performance improvement of spatial semantic segmentation with enriched audio features and agent-based error correction for DCASE 2025 Challenge Task 4","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This technical report presents submission systems for Task 4 of the DCASE 2025 Challenge. This model incorporates additional audio features (spectral roll-off and chroma features) into the embedding feature extracted from the mel-spectral feature to im-prove the classification capabilities of an audio-tagging model in the spatial semantic segmentation of sound scenes (S5) system. This approach is motivated by the fact that mixed audio often contains subtle cues that are difficult to capture with mel-spectrograms alone. Thus, these additional features offer alterna-tive perspectives for the model. Second, an agent-based label correction system is applied to the outputs processed by the S5 system. This system reduces false positives, improving the final class-aware signal-to-distortion ratio improvement (CA-SDRi) metric. Finally, we refine the training dataset to enhance the classi-fication accuracy of low-performing classes by removing irrele-vant samples and incorporating external data. That is, audio mix-tures are generated from a limited number of data points; thus, even a small number of out-of-class data points could degrade model performance. The experiments demonstrate that the submit-ted systems employing these approaches relatively improve CA-SDRi by up to 14.7% compared to the baseline of DCASE 2025 Challenge Task 4.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.21174v1","authors":["Jongyeon Park","Joonhee Lee","Do-Hyeon Lim","Hong Kook Kim","Hyeongcheol Geum","Jeong Eun Lim"],"tags":["eess.AS","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-26T12:27:52Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.00809v1","name":"FUSE: Universal Speech Enhancement using Multi-Stage Fusion of Sparse Compression and Token Generation Models for the URGENT 2025 Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We propose a multi-stage framework for universal speech enhancement, designed for the Interspeech 2025 URGENT Challenge. Our system first employs a Sparse Compression Network to robustly separate sources and extract an initial clean speech estimate from noisy inputs. This is followed by an efficient generative model that refines speech quality by leveraging self-supervised features and optimizing a masked language modeling objective on acoustic tokens derived from a neural audio codec. In the final stage, a fusion network integrates the outputs of the first two stages with the original noisy signal, achieving a balanced improvement in both signal fidelity and perceptual quality. Additionally, a shift trick that aggregates multiple time-shifted predictions, along with output blending, further boosts performance. Experimental results on challenging multilingual datasets with variable sampling rates and diverse distortion types validate the effectiveness of our approach.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.00809v1","authors":["Nabarun Goswami","Tatsuya Harada"],"tags":["cs.SD","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-01T03:23:27Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.24283v1","name":"Overview of SCIDOCA 2025 Shared Task on Citation Prediction, Discovery, and Placement","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present an overview of the SCIDOCA 2025 Shared Task, which focuses on citation discovery and prediction in scientific documents. The task is divided into three subtasks: (1) Citation Discovery, where systems must identify relevant references for a given paragraph; (2) Masked Citation Prediction, which requires selecting the correct citation for masked citation slots; and (3) Citation Sentence Prediction, where systems must determine the correct reference for each cited sentence. We release a large-scale dataset constructed from the Semantic Scholar Open Research Corpus (S2ORC), containing over 60,000 annotated paragraphs and a curated reference set. The test set consists of 1,000 paragraphs from distinct papers, each annotated with ground-truth citations and distractor candidates. A total of seven teams registered, with three submitting results. We report performance metrics across all subtasks and analyze the effectiveness of submitted systems. This shared task provides a new benchmark for evaluating citation modeling and encourages future research in scientific document understanding. The dataset and task materials are publicly available at https://github.com/daotuanan/scidoca2025-shared-task.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.24283v1","authors":["An Dao","Vu Tran","Le-Minh Nguyen","Yuji Matsumoto"],"tags":["cs.DL","cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-29T04:55:18Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.17019v1","name":"Instituto de Telecomunicações at IWSLT 2025: Aligning Small-Scale Speech and Language Models for Speech-to-Text Learning","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the IT-IST submission to the IWSLT 2025 Shared Task on Instruction Following Speech Processing. We submit results for the Short Track, i.e., speech recognition, translation, and spoken question answering. Our model is a unified speech-to-text model that integrates a pre-trained continuous speech encoder and text decoder through a first phase of modality alignment and a second phase of instruction fine-tuning. Crucially, we focus on using small-scale language model backbones (&lt; 2B) and restrict to high-quality, CC-BY data along with synthetic data generation to supplement existing resources.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.17019v1","authors":["Giuseppe Attanasio","Sonal Sannigrahi","Ben Peters","André F. T. Martins"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-20T14:17:42Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.11816v1","name":"LLM-Guided Planning and Summary-Based Scientific Text Simplification: DS@GT at CLEF 2025 SimpleText","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, we present our approach for the CLEF 2025 SimpleText Task 1, which addresses both sentence-level and document-level scientific text simplification. For sentence-level simplification, our methodology employs large language models (LLMs) to first generate a structured plan, followed by plan-driven simplification of individual sentences. At the document level, we leverage LLMs to produce concise summaries and subsequently guide the simplification process using these summaries. This two-stage, LLM-based framework enables more coherent and contextually faithful simplifications of scientific text.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.11816v1","authors":["Krishna Chaitanya Marturi","Heba H. Elwazzan"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-15T21:44:52Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.02357v1","name":"Coling-UniA at SciVQA 2025: Few-Shot Example Retrieval and Confidence-Informed Ensembling for Multimodal Large Language Models","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes our system for the SciVQA 2025 Shared Task on Scientific Visual Question Answering. Our system employs an ensemble of two Multimodal Large Language Models and various few-shot example retrieval strategies. The model and few-shot setting are selected based on the figure and question type. We also select answers based on the models' confidence levels. On the blind test data, our system ranks third out of seven with an average F1 score of 85.12 across ROUGE-1, ROUGE-L, and BERTS. Our code is publicly available.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.02357v1","authors":["Christian Jaumann","Annemarie Friedrich","Rainer Lienhart"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-03T06:43:05Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2603.09392v1","name":"ICDAR 2025 Competition on End-to-End Document Image Machine Translation Towards Complex Layouts","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Document Image Machine Translation (DIMT) seeks to translate text embedded in document images from one language to another by jointly modeling both textual content and page layout, bridging optical character recognition (OCR) and natural language processing (NLP). The DIMT 2025 Challenge advances research on end-to-end document image translation, a rapidly evolving area within multimodal document understanding. The competition features two tracks, OCR-free and OCR-based, each with two subtasks for small (less than 1B parameters) and large (greater than 1B parameters) models. Participants submit a single unified DIMT system, with the option to incorporate provided OCR transcripts. Running from December 10, 2024 to April 20, 2025, the competition attracted 69 teams and 27 valid submissions in total. Track 1 had 34 teams and 13 valid submissions, while Track 2 had 35 teams and 14 valid submissions. In this report, we present the challenge motivation, dataset construction, task definitions, evaluation protocol, and a summary of results. Our analysis shows that large-model approaches establish a promising new paradigm for translating complex-layout document images and highlight substantial opportunities for future research.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.09392v1","authors":["Yaping Zhang","Yupu Liang","Zhiyang Zhang","Zhiyuan Chen","Lu Xiang","Yang Zhao","Yu Zhou","Chengqing Zong"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-10T09:04:38Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.14600v1","name":"NTIRE 2025 Challenge on Real-World Face Restoration: Methods and Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper provides a review of the NTIRE 2025 challenge on real-world face restoration, highlighting the proposed solutions and the resulting outcomes. The challenge focuses on generating natural, realistic outputs while maintaining identity consistency. Its goal is to advance state-of-the-art solutions for perceptual quality and realism, without imposing constraints on computational resources or training data. The track of the challenge evaluates performance using a weighted image quality assessment (IQA) score and employs the AdaFace model as an identity checker. The competition attracted 141 registrants, with 13 teams submitting valid models, and ultimately, 10 teams achieved a valid score in the final ranking. This collaborative effort advances the performance of real-world face restoration while offering an in-depth overview of the latest trends in the field.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.14600v1","authors":["Zheng Chen","Jingkai Wang","Kai Liu","Jue Gong","Lei Sun","Zongwei Wu","Radu Timofte","Yulun Zhang","Jianxing Zhang","Jinlong Wu","Jun Wang","Zheng Xie","Hakjae Jeon","Suejin Han","Hyung-Ju Chun","Hyunhee Park","Zhicun Yin","Junjie Chen","Ming Liu","Xiaoming Li","Chao Zhou","Wangmeng Zuo","Weixia Zhang","Dingquan Li","Kede Ma","Yun Zhang","Zhuofan Zheng","Yuyue Liu","Shizhen Tang","Zihao Zhang","Yi Ning","Hao Jiang","Wenjie An","Kangmeng Yu","Chenyang Wang","Kui Jiang","Xianming Liu","Junjun Jiang","Yingfu Zhang","Gang He","Siqi Wang","Kepeng Xu","Zhenyang Liu","Changxin Zhou","Shanlan Shen","Yubo Duan","Yiang Chen","Jin Guo","Mengru Yang","Jen-Wei Lee","Chia-Ming Lee","Chih-Chung Hsu","Hu Peng","Chunming He"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-20T13:00:24Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.22631v1","name":"Culturally Grounded Physical Commonsense Reasoning in Italian and English: A Submission to the MRL 2025 Shared Task","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents our submission to the MRL 2025 Shared Task on Multilingual Physical Reasoning Datasets. The objective of the shared task is to create manually-annotated evaluation data in the physical commonsense reasoning domain, for languages other than English, following a format similar to PIQA. Our contribution, FormaMentis, is a novel benchmark for physical commonsense reasoning that is grounded in Italian language and culture. The data samples in FormaMentis are created by expert annotators who are native Italian speakers and are familiar with local customs and norms. The samples are additionally translated into English, while preserving the cultural elements unique to the Italian context.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.22631v1","authors":["Marco De Santis","Lisa Alazraki"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-26T11:25:03Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2501.03870v1","name":"Add Noise, Tasks, or Layers? MaiNLP at the VarDial 2025 Shared Task on Norwegian Dialectal Slot and Intent Detection","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Slot and intent detection (SID) is a classic natural language understanding task. Despite this, research has only more recently begun focusing on SID for dialectal and colloquial varieties. Many approaches for low-resource scenarios have not yet been applied to dialectal SID data, or compared to each other on the same datasets. We participate in the VarDial 2025 shared task on slot and intent detection in Norwegian varieties, and compare multiple set-ups: varying the training data (English, Norwegian, or dialectal Norwegian), injecting character-level noise, training on auxiliary tasks, and applying Layer Swapping, a technique in which layers of models fine-tuned on different datasets are assembled into a model. We find noise injection to be beneficial while the effects of auxiliary tasks are mixed. Though some experimentation was required to successfully assemble a model from layers, it worked surprisingly well; a combination of models trained on English and small amounts of dialectal data produced the most robust slot predictions. Our best models achieve 97.6% intent accuracy and 85.6% slot F1 in the shared task.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.03870v1","authors":["Verena Blaschke","Felicia Körner","Barbara Plank"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-07T15:36:35Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.09012v1","name":"LyS at SemEval 2025 Task 8: Zero-Shot Code Generation for Tabular QA","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes our participation in SemEval 2025 Task 8, focused on Tabular Question Answering. We developed a zero-shot pipeline that leverages an Large Language Model to generate functional code capable of extracting the relevant information from tabular data based on an input question. Our approach consists of a modular pipeline where the main code generator module is supported by additional components that identify the most relevant columns and analyze their data types to improve extraction accuracy. In the event that the generated code fails, an iterative refinement process is triggered, incorporating the error feedback into a new generation prompt to enhance robustness. Our results show that zero-shot code generation is a valid approach for Tabular QA, achieving rank 33 of 53 in the test phase despite the lack of task-specific fine-tuning.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.09012v1","authors":["Adrián Gude","Roi Santos-Ríos","Francisco Prado-Valiño","Ana Ezquerro","Jesús Vilares"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-12T15:25:31Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.19007v1","name":"The 6th International Verification of Neural Networks Competition (VNN-COMP 2025): Summary and Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This report summarizes the 6th International Verification of Neural Networks Competition (VNN-COMP 2025), held as a part of the 8th International Symposium on AI Verification (SAIV), that was collocated with the 37th International Conference on Computer-Aided Verification (CAV). VNN-COMP is held annually to facilitate the fair and objective comparison of state-of-the-art neural network verification tools, encourage the standardization of tool interfaces, and bring together the neural network verification community. To this end, standardized formats for networks (ONNX) and specification (VNN-LIB) were defined, tools were evaluated on equal-cost hardware (using an automatic evaluation pipeline based on AWS instances), and tool parameters were chosen by the participants before the final test sets were made public. In the 2025 iteration, 8 teams participated on a diverse set of 16 regular and 9 extended benchmarks. This report summarizes the rules, benchmarks, participating tools, results, and lessons learned from this iteration of this competition.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.19007v1","authors":["Konstantin Kaulen","Tobias Ladner","Stanley Bak","Christopher Brix","Hai Duong","Thomas Flinkow","Taylor T. Johnson","Lukas Koller","Edoardo Manino","ThanhVu H Nguyen","Haoze Wu"],"tags":["cs.LG","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-22T03:48:31Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.12981v1","name":"MRT at IberLEF-2025 PRESTA Task: Maximizing Recovery from Tables with Multiple Steps","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents our approach for the IberLEF 2025 Task PRESTA: Preguntas y Respuestas sobre Tablas en Español (Questions and Answers about Tables in Spanish). Our solution obtains answers to the questions by implementing Python code generation with LLMs that is used to filter and process the table. This solution evolves from the MRT implementation for the Semeval 2025 related task. The process consists of multiple steps: analyzing and understanding the content of the table, selecting the useful columns, generating instructions in natural language, translating these instructions to code, running it, and handling potential errors or exceptions. These steps use open-source LLMs and fine-grained optimized prompts for each step. With this approach, we achieved an accuracy score of 85\\% in the task.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.12981v1","authors":["Maximiliano Hormazábal Lagos","Álvaro Bueno Sáez","Héctor Cerezo-Costas","Pedro Alonso Doval","Jorge Alcalde Vesteiro"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-17T10:33:36Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.22013v1","name":"Overlap-Adaptive Hybrid Speaker Diarization and ASR-Aware Observation Addition for MISP 2025 Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the system developed to address the MISP 2025 Challenge. For the diarization system, we proposed a hybrid approach combining a WavLM end-to-end segmentation method with a traditional multi-module clustering technique to adaptively select the appropriate model for handling varying degrees of overlapping speech. For the automatic speech recognition (ASR) system, we proposed an ASR-aware observation addition method that compensates for the performance limitations of Guided Source Separation (GSS) under low signal-to-noise ratio conditions. Finally, we integrated the speaker diarization and ASR systems in a cascaded architecture to address Track 3. Our system achieved character error rates (CER) of 9.48% on Track 2 and concatenated minimum permutation character error rate (cpCER) of 11.56% on Track 3, ultimately securing first place in both tracks and thereby demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed methods in real-world meeting scenarios.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.22013v1","authors":["Shangkun Huang","Yuxuan Du","Jingwen Yang","Dejun Zhang","Xupeng Jia","Jing Deng","Jintao Kang","Rong Zheng"],"tags":["cs.SD","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-28T06:22:37Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.01947v1","name":"RAW Image Reconstruction from RGB on Smartphones. NTIRE 2025 Challenge Report","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Numerous low-level vision tasks operate in the RAW domain due to its linear properties, bit depth, and sensor designs. Despite this, RAW image datasets are scarce and more expensive to collect than the already large and public sRGB datasets. For this reason, many approaches try to generate realistic RAW images using sensor information and sRGB images. This paper covers the second challenge on RAW Reconstruction from sRGB (Reverse ISP). We aim to recover RAW sensor images from smartphones given the corresponding sRGB images without metadata and, by doing this, ``reverse\" the ISP transformation. Over 150 participants joined this NTIRE 2025 challenge and submitted efficient models. The proposed methods and benchmark establish the state-of-the-art for generating realistic RAW data.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.01947v1","authors":["Marcos V. Conde","Radu Timofte","Radu Berdan","Beril Besbinar","Daisuke Iso","Pengzhou Ji","Xiong Dun","Zeying Fan","Chen Wu","Zhansheng Wang","Pengbo Zhang","Jiazi Huang","Qinglin Liu","Wei Yu","Shengping Zhang","Xiangyang Ji","Kyungsik Kim","Minkyung Kim","Hwalmin Lee","Hekun Ma","Huan Zheng","Yanyan Wei","Zhao Zhang","Jing Fang","Meilin Gao","Xiang Yu","Shangbin Xie","Mengyuan Sun","Huanjing Yue","Jingyu Yang Huize Cheng","Shaomeng Zhang","Zhaoyang Zhang","Haoxiang Liang"],"tags":["eess.IV","cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-02T17:58:31Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.22790v2","name":"ICME 2025 Generalizable HDR and SDR Video Quality Measurement Grand Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper reports IEEE International Conference on Multimedia \\&amp; Expo (ICME) 2025 Grand Challenge on Generalizable HDR and SDR Video Quality Measurement. With the rapid development of video technology, especially High Dynamic Range (HDR) and Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) contents, the need for robust and generalizable Video Quality Assessment (VQA) methods has become increasingly demanded. Existing VQA models often struggle to deliver consistent performance across varying dynamic ranges, distortion types, and diverse content. This challenge was established to benchmark and promote VQA approaches capable of jointly handling HDR and SDR content. In the final evaluation phase, five teams submitted seven models along with technical reports to the Full Reference (FR) and No Reference (NR) tracks. Among them, four methods outperformed VMAF baseline, while the top-performing model achieved state-of-the-art performance, setting a new benchmark for generalizable video quality assessment.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.22790v2","authors":["Yixu Chen","Bowen Chen","Hai Wei","Alan C. Bovik","Baojun Li","Wei Sun","Linhan Cao","Kang Fu","Dandan Zhu","Jun Jia","Menghan Hu","Xiongkuo Min","Guangtao Zhai","Dounia Hammou","Fei Yin","Rafal Mantiuk","Amritha Premkumar","Prajit T Rajendran","Vignesh V Menon"],"tags":["eess.IV","cs.CV","cs.MM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-28T07:14:23Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.13339v2","name":"NTU Speechlab LLM-Based Multilingual ASR System for Interspeech MLC-SLM Challenge 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This report details the NTU Speechlab system developed for the Interspeech 2025 Multilingual Conversational Speech and Language Model (MLC-SLM) Challenge (Task I), where we achieved 5th place. We present comprehensive analyses of our multilingual automatic speech recognition system, highlighting key advancements in model architecture, data selection, and training strategies. In particular, language-specific prompts and model averaging techniques were instrumental in boosting system performance across diverse languages. Compared to the initial baseline system, our final model reduced the average Mix Error Rate from 20.2% to 10.6%, representing an absolute improvement of 9.6% (a relative improvement of 48%) on the evaluation set. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach and offer practical insights for future Speech Large Language Models.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.13339v2","authors":["Yizhou Peng","Bin Wang","Yi-Wen Chao","Ziyang Ma","Haoyang Zhang","Hexin Liu","Xie Chen","Eng Siong Chng"],"tags":["cs.CL","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-16T10:28:27Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.04129v1","name":"SVC 2025: the First Multimodal Deception Detection Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Deception detection is a critical task in real-world applications such as security screening, fraud prevention, and credibility assessment. While deep learning methods have shown promise in surpassing human-level performance, their effectiveness often depends on the availability of high-quality and diverse deception samples. Existing research predominantly focuses on single-domain scenarios, overlooking the significant performance degradation caused by domain shifts. To address this gap, we present the SVC 2025 Multimodal Deception Detection Challenge, a new benchmark designed to evaluate cross-domain generalization in audio-visual deception detection. Participants are required to develop models that not only perform well within individual domains but also generalize across multiple heterogeneous datasets. By leveraging multimodal data, including audio, video, and text, this challenge encourages the design of models capable of capturing subtle and implicit deceptive cues. Through this benchmark, we aim to foster the development of more adaptable, explainable, and practically deployable deception detection systems, advancing the broader field of multimodal learning. By the conclusion of the workshop competition, a total of 21 teams had submitted their final results. https://sites.google.com/view/svc-mm25 for more information.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.04129v1","authors":["Xun Lin","Xiaobao Guo","Taorui Wang","Yingjie Ma","Jiajian Huang","Jiayu Zhang","Junzhe Cao","Zitong Yu"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-06T06:56:39Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.18051v1","name":"The TEA-ASLP System for Multilingual Conversational Speech Recognition and Speech Diarization in MLC-SLM 2025 Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the TEA-ASLP's system submitted to the MLC-SLM 2025 Challenge, addressing multilingual conversational automatic speech recognition (ASR) in Task I and speech diarization ASR in Task II. For Task I, we enhance Ideal-LLM model by integrating known language identification and a multilingual MOE LoRA structure, along with using CTC-predicted tokens as prompts to improve autoregressive generation. The model is trained on approximately 180k hours of multilingual ASR data. In Task II, we replace the baseline English-Chinese speaker diarization model with a more suitable English-only version. Our approach achieves a 30.8% reduction in word error rate (WER) compared to the baseline speech language model, resulting in a final WER of 9.60% in Task I and a time-constrained minimum-permutation WER of 17.49% in Task II, earning first and second place in the respective challenge tasks.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.18051v1","authors":["Hongfei Xue","Kaixun Huang","Zhikai Zhou","Shen Huang","Shidong Shang"],"tags":["cs.SD","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-24T02:56:29Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.15859v1","name":"The 2nd MERCADO Workshop at IEEE VIS 2025: Multimodal Experiences for Remote Communication Around Data Online","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We propose a half-day workshop at IEEE VIS 2025 on addressing the emerging challenges in data-rich multimodal remote collaboration. We focus on synchronous, remote, and hybrid settings where people take part in tasks such as data analysis, decision-making, and presentation. With this workshop, we continue successful prior work from the first MERCADO workshop at VIS 2023 and a 2024 Shonan Seminar that followed. Based on the findings of the earlier events, we invite research and ideas related to four themes of challenges: Tools &amp; Technologies, Individual Differences &amp; Interpersonal Dynamics, AI-assisted Collaboration, and Evaluation. With this workshop, we aim to broaden the community, foster new collaborations, and develop a research agenda to address these challenges in future research. Our planned workshop format is comprised of a keynote, short presentations, a breakout group session, and discussions organized around the identified challenges.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.15859v1","authors":["Wolfgang Büschel","Gabriela Molina León","Arnaud Prouzeau","Mahmood Jasim","Christophe Hurter","Maxime Cordeil","Matthew Brehmer"],"tags":["cs.HC"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-22T12:54:54Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.06993v1","name":"Geospatial Foundational Embedder: Top-1 Winning Solution on EarthVision Embed2Scale Challenge (CVPR 2025)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"EarthVision Embed2Scale challenge (CVPR 2025) aims to develop foundational geospatial models to embed SSL4EO-S12 hyperspectral geospatial data cubes into embedding vectors that faciliatetes various downstream tasks, e.g., classification, regression, etc. In this technical report, we introduce our proposed method for the Top-1 winning solution on the Embed2Scale Challenge.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.06993v1","authors":["Zirui Xu","Raphael Tang","Mike Bianco","Qi Zhang","Rishi Madhok","Nikolaos Karianakis","Fuxun Yu"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-03T04:10:23Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2511.23325v1","name":"Tackling a Challenging Corpus for Early Detection of Gambling Disorder: UNSL at MentalRiskES 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Gambling disorder is a complex behavioral addiction that is challenging to understand and address, with severe physical, psychological, and social consequences. Early Risk Detection (ERD) on the Web has become a key task in the scientific community for identifying early signs of mental health behaviors based on social media activity. This work presents our participation in the MentalRiskES 2025 challenge, specifically in Task 1, aimed at classifying users at high or low risk of developing a gambling-related disorder. We proposed three methods based on a CPI+DMC approach, addressing predictive effectiveness and decision-making speed as independent objectives. The components were implemented using the SS3, BERT with extended vocabulary, and SBERT models, followed by decision policies based on historical user analysis. Although it was a challenging corpus, two of our proposals achieved the top two positions in the official results, performing notably in decision metrics. Further analysis revealed some difficulty in distinguishing between users at high and low risk, reinforcing the need to explore strategies to improve data interpretation and quality, and to promote more transparent and reliable ERD systems for mental disorders.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.23325v1","authors":["Horacio Thompson","Marcelo Errecalde"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-28T16:26:00Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.11492v1","name":"ClaimIQ at CheckThat! 2025: Comparing Prompted and Fine-Tuned Language Models for Verifying Numerical Claims","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents our system for Task 3 of the CLEF 2025 CheckThat! Lab, which focuses on verifying numerical and temporal claims using retrieved evidence. We explore two complementary approaches: zero-shot prompting with instruction-tuned large language models (LLMs) and supervised fine-tuning using parameter-efficient LoRA. To enhance evidence quality, we investigate several selection strategies, including full-document input and top-k sentence filtering using BM25 and MiniLM. Our best-performing model LLaMA fine-tuned with LoRA achieves strong performance on the English validation set. However, a notable drop in the test set highlights a generalization challenge. These findings underscore the importance of evidence granularity and model adaptation for robust numerical fact verification.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.11492v1","authors":["Anirban Saha Anik","Md Fahimul Kabir Chowdhury","Andrew Wyckoff","Sagnik Ray Choudhury"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-15T01:03:09Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.03710v1","name":"OSGNet @ Ego4D Episodic Memory Challenge 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this report, we present our champion solutions for the three egocentric video localization tracks of the Ego4D Episodic Memory Challenge at CVPR 2025. All tracks require precise localization of the interval within an untrimmed egocentric video. Previous unified video localization approaches often rely on late fusion strategies, which tend to yield suboptimal results. To address this, we adopt an early fusion-based video localization model to tackle all three tasks, aiming to enhance localization accuracy. Ultimately, our method achieved first place in the Natural Language Queries, Goal Step, and Moment Queries tracks, demonstrating its effectiveness. Our code can be found at https://github.com/Yisen-Feng/OSGNet.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.03710v1","authors":["Yisen Feng","Haoyu Zhang","Qiaohui Chu","Meng Liu","Weili Guan","Yaowei Wang","Liqiang Nie"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-04T08:41:42Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.02875v1","name":"NTIRE 2025 XGC Quality Assessment Challenge: Methods and Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper reports on the NTIRE 2025 XGC Quality Assessment Challenge, which will be held in conjunction with the New Trends in Image Restoration and Enhancement Workshop (NTIRE) at CVPR 2025. This challenge is to address a major challenge in the field of video and talking head processing. The challenge is divided into three tracks, including user generated video, AI generated video and talking head. The user-generated video track uses the FineVD-GC, which contains 6,284 user generated videos. The user-generated video track has a total of 125 registered participants. A total of 242 submissions are received in the development phase, and 136 submissions are received in the test phase. Finally, 5 participating teams submitted their models and fact sheets. The AI generated video track uses the Q-Eval-Video, which contains 34,029 AI-Generated Videos (AIGVs) generated by 11 popular Text-to-Video (T2V) models. A total of 133 participants have registered in this track. A total of 396 submissions are received in the development phase, and 226 submissions are received in the test phase. Finally, 6 participating teams submitted their models and fact sheets. The talking head track uses the THQA-NTIRE, which contains 12,247 2D and 3D talking heads. A total of 89 participants have registered in this track. A total of 225 submissions are received in the development phase, and 118 submissions are received in the test phase. Finally, 8 participating teams submitted their models and fact sheets. Each participating team in every track has proposed a method that outperforms the baseline, which has contributed to the development of fields in three tracks.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.02875v1","authors":["Xiaohong Liu","Xiongkuo Min","Qiang Hu","Xiaoyun Zhang","Jie Guo","Guangtao Zhai","Shushi Wang","Yingjie Zhou","Lu Liu","Jingxin Li","Liu Yang","Farong Wen","Li Xu","Yanwei Jiang","Xilei Zhu","Chunyi Li","Zicheng Zhang","Huiyu Duan","Xiele Wu","Yixuan Gao","Yuqin Cao","Jun Jia","Wei Sun","Jiezhang Cao","Radu Timofte","Baojun Li","Jiamian Huang","Dan Luo","Tao Liu","Weixia Zhang","Bingkun Zheng","Junlin Chen","Ruikai Zhou","Meiya Chen","Yu Wang","Hao Jiang","Xiantao Li","Yuxiang Jiang","Jun Tang","Yimeng Zhao","Bo Hu","Zelu Qi","Chaoyang Zhang","Fei Zhao","Ping Shi","Lingzhi Fu","Heng Cong","Shuai He","Rongyu Zhang","Jiarong He","Zongyao Hu","Wei Luo","Zihao Yu","Fengbin Guan","Yiting Lu","Xin Li","Zhibo Chen","Mengjing Su","Yi Wang","Tuo Chen","Chunxiao Li","Shuaiyu Zhao","Jiaxin Wen","Chuyi Lin","Sitong Liu","Ningxin Chu","Jing Wan","Yu Zhou","Baoying Chen","Jishen Zeng","Jiarui Liu","Xianjin Liu","Xin Chen","Lanzhi Zhou","Hangyu Li","You Han","Bibo Xiang","Zhenjie Liu","Jianzhang Lu","Jialin Gui","Renjie Lu","Shangfei Wang","Donghao Zhou","Jingyu Lin","Quanjian Song","Jiancheng Huang","Yufeng Yang","Changwei Wang","Shupeng Zhong","Yang Yang","Lihuo He","Jia Liu","Yuting Xing","Tida Fang","Yuchun Jin"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-03T13:39:57Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.10996v1","name":"Mario at EXIST 2025: A Simple Gateway to Effective Multilingual Sexism Detection","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents our approach to EXIST 2025 Task 1, addressing text-based sexism detection in English and Spanish tweets through hierarchical Low-Rank Adaptation (LoRA) of Llama 3.1 8B. Our method introduces conditional adapter routing that explicitly models label dependencies across three hierarchically structured subtasks: binary sexism identification, source intention detection, and multilabel sexism categorization. Unlike conventional LoRA applications that target only attention layers, we apply adaptation to all linear transformations, enhancing the model's capacity to capture task-specific patterns. In contrast to complex data processing and ensemble approaches, we show that straightforward parameter-efficient fine-tuning achieves strong performance. We train separate LoRA adapters (rank=16, QLoRA 4-bit) for each subtask using unified multilingual training that leverages Llama 3.1's native bilingual capabilities. The method requires minimal preprocessing and uses standard supervised learning. Our multilingual training strategy eliminates the need for separate language-specific models, achieving 1.7-2.4\\% F1 improvements through cross-lingual transfer. With only 1.67\\% trainable parameters compared to full fine-tuning, our approach reduces training time by 75\\% and model storage by 98\\%, while achieving competitive performance across all subtasks (ICM-Hard: 0.6774 for binary classification, 0.4991 for intention detection, 0.6519 for multilabel categorization).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.10996v1","authors":["Lin Tian","Johanne R. Trippas","Marian-Andrei Rizoiu"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-15T05:30:32Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.15554v1","name":"DayDreamer at CQs-Gen 2025: Generating Critical Questions through Argument Scheme Completion","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Critical questions are essential resources to provoke critical thinking when encountering an argumentative text. We present our system for the Critical Questions Generation (CQs-Gen) Shared Task at ArgMining 2025. Our approach leverages large language models (LLMs) with chain-of-thought prompting to generate critical questions guided by Walton's argumentation schemes. For each input intervention, we conversationally prompt LLMs to instantiate the corresponding argument scheme template to first obtain structured arguments, and then generate relevant critical questions. Following this, we rank all the available critical questions by prompting LLMs to select the top 3 most helpful questions based on the original intervention text. This combination of structured argumentation theory and step-by-step reasoning enables the generation of contextually relevant and diverse critical questions. Our pipeline achieves competitive performance in the final test set, showing its potential to foster critical thinking given argumentative text and detect missing or uninformed claims. Code available at \\href{https://git.ecdf.ed.ac.uk/s2236454/DayDreamer-CQs-Gen}{DayDreamer}.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.15554v1","authors":["Wendi Zhou","Ameer Saadat-Yazdi","Nadin Kökciyan"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-21T14:15:49Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.06951v2","name":"Task adaptation of Vision-Language-Action model: 1st Place Solution for the 2025 BEHAVIOR Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present a vision-action policy that won 1st place in the 2025 BEHAVIOR Challenge - a large-scale benchmark featuring 50 diverse long-horizon household tasks in photo-realistic simulation, requiring bimanual manipulation, navigation, and context-aware decision making. Building on the Pi0.5 architecture, we introduce several innovations. Our primary contribution is correlated noise for flow matching, which improves training efficiency and enables correlation-aware inpainting for smooth action sequences. We also apply learnable mixed-layer attention and System 2 stage tracking for ambiguity resolution. Training employs multi-sample flow matching to reduce variance, while inference uses action compression and challenge-specific correction rules. Our approach achieves 26% q-score across all 50 tasks on both public and private leaderboards.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.06951v2","authors":["Ilia Larchenko","Gleb Zarin","Akash Karnatak"],"tags":["cs.RO","cs.AI","cs.CV","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-07T18:08:45Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.02599v1","name":"RF-DETR for Robust Mitotic Figure Detection: A MIDOG 2025 Track 1 Approach","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Mitotic figure detection in histopathology images remains challenging due to significant domain shifts across different scanners, staining protocols, and tissue types. This paper presents our approach for the MIDOG 2025 challenge Track 1, focusing on robust mitotic figure detection across diverse histological contexts. While we initially planned a two-stage approach combining high-recall detection with subsequent classification refinement, time constraints led us to focus on optimizing a single-stage detection pipeline. We employed RF-DETR (Roboflow Detection Transformer) with hard negative mining, trained on MIDOG++ dataset. On the preliminary test set, our method achieved an F1 score of 0.789 with a recall of 0.839 and precision of 0.746, demonstrating effective generalization across unseen domains. The proposed solution offers insights into the importance of training data balance and hard negative mining for addressing domain shift challenges in mitotic figure detection.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.02599v1","authors":["Piotr Giedziun","Jan Sołtysik","Mateusz Górczany","Norbert Ropiak","Marcin Przymus","Piotr Krajewski","Jarosław Kwiecień","Artur Bartczak","Izabela Wasiak","Mateusz Maniewski"],"tags":["eess.IV","cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-29T16:04:50Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.18828v1","name":"MLLP-VRAIN UPV system for the IWSLT 2025 Simultaneous Speech Translation Translation task","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This work describes the participation of the MLLP-VRAIN research group in the shared task of the IWSLT 2025 Simultaneous Speech Translation track. Our submission addresses the unique challenges of real-time translation of long-form speech by developing a modular cascade system that adapts strong pre-trained models to streaming scenarios. We combine Whisper Large-V3-Turbo for ASR with the multilingual NLLB-3.3B model for MT, implementing lightweight adaptation techniques rather than training new end-to-end models from scratch. Our approach employs document-level adaptation with prefix training to enhance the MT model's ability to handle incomplete inputs, while incorporating adaptive emission policies including a wait-$k$ strategy and RALCP for managing the translation stream. Specialized buffer management techniques and segmentation strategies ensure coherent translations across long audio sequences. Experimental results on the ACL60/60 dataset demonstrate that our system achieves a favorable balance between translation quality and latency, with a BLEU score of 31.96 and non-computational-aware StreamLAAL latency of 2.94 seconds. Our final model achieves a preliminary score on the official test set (IWSLT25Instruct) of 29.8 BLEU. Our work demonstrates that carefully adapted pre-trained components can create effective simultaneous translation systems for long-form content without requiring extensive in-domain parallel data or specialized end-to-end training.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.18828v1","authors":["Jorge Iranzo-Sánchez","Javier Iranzo-Sánchez","Adrià Giménez","Jorge Civera","Alfons Juan"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-23T16:44:01Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.10097v2","name":"Description and Discussion on DCASE 2025 Challenge Task 2: First-shot Unsupervised Anomalous Sound Detection for Machine Condition Monitoring","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper introduces the task description for the Detection and Classification of Acoustic Scenes and Events (DCASE) 2025 Challenge Task 2, titled \"First-shot unsupervised anomalous sound detection (ASD) for machine condition monitoring\". Building on the DCASE 2024 Challenge Task 2, this task is structured as a first-shot problem within a domain generalization framework. The primary objective of the first-shot approach is to facilitate the rapid deployment of ASD systems for new machine types without requiring machine-specific hyperparameter tunings. For DCASE 2025 Challenge Task 2, sounds from previously unseen machine types have been collected and provided as the evaluation dataset. We received 119 submissions from 35 teams, and an analysis of these submissions has been made in this paper. Analysis showed that various approaches can all be competitive, such as fine-tuning pre-trained models, using frozen pre-trained models, and training small models from scratch, when combined with appropriate cost functions, anomaly score normalization, and use of clean machine and noise sounds.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.10097v2","authors":["Tomoya Nishida","Noboru Harada","Daisuke Niizumi","Davide Albertini","Roberto Sannino","Simone Pradolini","Filippo Augusti","Keisuke Imoto","Kota Dohi","Harsh Purohit","Takashi Endo","Yohei Kawaguchi"],"tags":["cs.SD","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-11T18:30:17Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.03343v2","name":"SHNU Multilingual Conversational Speech Recognition System for INTERSPEECH 2025 MLC-SLM Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes SHNU multilingual conversational speech recognition system (SHNU-mASR, team name-\"maybe\"), submitted to Track 1 of the INTERSPEECH 2025 MLC-SLM Challenge. Our system integrates a parallel-speech-encoder architecture with a large language model (LLM) to form a unified multilingual ASR framework. The parallel-speech-encoder consists of two pre-trained encoders, the Whisper-large-v3 encoder and mHuBERT-147 encoder. Their output embeddings are concatenated and fed into the LLM, enabling the model to leverage complementary acoustic and linguistic knowledge and achieve competitive performance. Moreover, we adopt a tri-stage training strategy to jointly update the low-rank adaptation modules and projector parameters of both the speech encoders and the LLM. In addition, we incorporate an additional language-aware prompt at the LLM input to enhance language-specific text generation. The SHNU-mASR system achieves an overall character/word error rate (CER/WER) of 11.76% on the blind evaluation set of the challenge, outperforming the official MLC-SLM baseline by 8.41 absolute CER/WER, without increasing the baseline training data.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.03343v2","authors":["Yuxiang Mei","Yuang Zheng","Dongxing Xu","Yanhua Long"],"tags":["cs.CL","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-04T07:10:33Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2503.15358v3","name":"SemEval-2025 Task 1: AdMIRe -- Advancing Multimodal Idiomaticity Representation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Idiomatic expressions present a unique challenge in NLP, as their meanings are often not directly inferable from their constituent words. Despite recent advancements in Large Language Models (LLMs), idiomaticity remains a significant obstacle to robust semantic representation. We present datasets and tasks for SemEval-2025 Task 1: AdMiRe (Advancing Multimodal Idiomaticity Representation), which challenges the community to assess and improve models' ability to interpret idiomatic expressions in multimodal contexts and in multiple languages. Participants competed in two subtasks: ranking images based on their alignment with idiomatic or literal meanings, and predicting the next image in a sequence. The most effective methods achieved human-level performance by leveraging pretrained LLMs and vision-language models in mixture-of-experts settings, with multiple queries used to smooth over the weaknesses in these models' representations of idiomaticity.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.15358v3","authors":["Thomas Pickard","Aline Villavicencio","Maggie Mi","Wei He","Dylan Phelps","Marco Idiart"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-19T15:58:46Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.11365v1","name":"!MSA at AraHealthQA 2025 Shared Task: Enhancing LLM Performance for Arabic Clinical Question Answering through Prompt Engineering and Ensemble Learning","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present our systems for Track 2 (General Arabic Health QA, MedArabiQ) of the AraHealthQA-2025 shared task, where our methodology secured 2nd place in both Sub-Task 1 (multiple-choice question answering) and Sub-Task 2 (open-ended question answering) in Arabic clinical contexts. For Sub-Task 1, we leverage the Gemini 2.5 Flash model with few-shot prompting, dataset preprocessing, and an ensemble of three prompt configurations to improve classification accuracy on standard, biased, and fill-in-the-blank questions. For Sub-Task 2, we employ a unified prompt with the same model, incorporating role-playing as an Arabic medical expert, few-shot examples, and post-processing to generate concise responses across fill-in-the-blank, patient-doctor Q&amp;A, GEC, and paraphrased variants.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.11365v1","authors":["Mohamed Tarek","Seif Ahmed","Mohamed Basem"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-14T17:39:58Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.21589v1","name":"DNB-AI-Project at SemEval-2025 Task 5: An LLM-Ensemble Approach for Automated Subject Indexing","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents our system developed for the SemEval-2025 Task 5: LLMs4Subjects: LLM-based Automated Subject Tagging for a National Technical Library's Open-Access Catalog. Our system relies on prompting a selection of LLMs with varying examples of intellectually annotated records and asking the LLMs to similarly suggest keywords for new records. This few-shot prompting technique is combined with a series of post-processing steps that map the generated keywords to the target vocabulary, aggregate the resulting subject terms to an ensemble vote and, finally, rank them as to their relevance to the record. Our system is fourth in the quantitative ranking in the all-subjects track, but achieves the best result in the qualitative ranking conducted by subject indexing experts.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.21589v1","authors":["Lisa Kluge","Maximilian Kähler"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.DL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-30T12:47:09Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.19058v1","name":"NLPnorth @ TalentCLEF 2025: Comparing Discriminative, Contrastive, and Prompt-Based Methods for Job Title and Skill Matching","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Matching job titles is a highly relevant task in the computational job market domain, as it improves e.g., automatic candidate matching, career path prediction, and job market analysis. Furthermore, aligning job titles to job skills can be considered an extension to this task, with similar relevance for the same downstream tasks. In this report, we outline NLPnorth's submission to TalentCLEF 2025, which includes both of these tasks: Multilingual Job Title Matching, and Job Title-Based Skill Prediction. For both tasks we compare (fine-tuned) classification-based, (fine-tuned) contrastive-based, and prompting methods. We observe that for Task A, our prompting approach performs best with an average of 0.492 mean average precision (MAP) on test data, averaged over English, Spanish, and German. For Task B, we obtain an MAP of 0.290 on test data with our fine-tuned classification-based approach. Additionally, we made use of extra data by pulling all the language-specific titles and corresponding \\emph{descriptions} from ESCO for each job and skill. Overall, we find that the largest multilingual language models perform best for both tasks. Per the provisional results and only counting the unique teams, the ranking on Task A is 5$^{\\text{th}}$/20 and for Task B 3$^{\\text{rd}}$/14.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.19058v1","authors":["Mike Zhang","Rob van der Goot"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-23T19:18:25Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.783Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.17402v1","name":"DS@GT at CheckThat! 2025: A Simple Retrieval-First, LLM-Backed Framework for Claim Normalization","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Claim normalization is an integral part of any automatic fact-check verification system. It parses the typically noisy claim data, such as social media posts into normalized claims, which are then fed into downstream veracity classification tasks. The CheckThat! 2025 Task 2 focuses specifically on claim normalization and spans 20 languages under monolingual and zero-shot conditions. Our proposed solution consists of a lightweight \\emph{retrieval-first, LLM-backed} pipeline, in which we either dynamically prompt a GPT-4o-mini with in-context examples, or retrieve the closest normalization from the train dataset directly. On the official test set, the system ranks near the top for most monolingual tracks, achieving first place in 7 out of of the 13 languages. In contrast, the system underperforms in the zero-shot setting, highlighting the limitation of the proposed solution.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.17402v1","authors":["Aleksandar Pramov","Jiangqin Ma","Bina Patel"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.IR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-24T15:19:58Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.11823v1","name":"Hallucination Detection and Mitigation in Scientific Text Simplification using Ensemble Approaches: DS@GT at CLEF 2025 SimpleText","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, we describe our methodology for the CLEF 2025 SimpleText Task 2, which focuses on detecting and evaluating creative generation and information distortion in scientific text simplification. Our solution integrates multiple strategies: we construct an ensemble framework that leverages BERT-based classifier, semantic similarity measure, natural language inference model, and large language model (LLM) reasoning. These diverse signals are combined using meta-classifiers to enhance the robustness of spurious and distortion detection. Additionally, for grounded generation, we employ an LLM-based post-editing system that revises simplifications based on the original input texts.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.11823v1","authors":["Krishna Chaitanya Marturi","Heba H. Elwazzan"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-15T21:57:27Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.19512v1","name":"heiDS at ArchEHR-QA 2025: From Fixed-k to Query-dependent-k for Retrieval Augmented Generation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the approach of our team called heiDS for the ArchEHR-QA 2025 shared task. A pipeline using a retrieval augmented generation (RAG) framework is designed to generate answers that are attributed to clinical evidence from the electronic health records (EHRs) of patients in response to patient-specific questions. We explored various components of a RAG framework, focusing on ranked list truncation (RLT) retrieval strategies and attribution approaches. Instead of using a fixed top-k RLT retrieval strategy, we employ a query-dependent-k retrieval strategy, including the existing surprise and autocut methods and two new methods proposed in this work, autocut* and elbow. The experimental results show the benefits of our strategy in producing factual and relevant answers when compared to a fixed-$k$.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.19512v1","authors":["Ashish Chouhan","Michael Gertz"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-24T11:03:01Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.15877v1","name":"Annif at the GermEval-2025 LLMs4Subjects Task: Traditional XMTC Augmented by Efficient LLMs","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the Annif system in the LLMs4Subjects shared task (Subtask 2) at GermEval-2025. The task required creating subject predictions for bibliographic records using large language models, with a special focus on computational efficiency. Our system, based on the Annif automated subject indexing toolkit, refines our previous system from the first LLMs4Subjects shared task, which produced excellent results. We further improved the system by using many small and efficient language models for translation and synthetic data generation and by using LLMs for ranking candidate subjects. Our system ranked 1st in the overall quantitative evaluation of and 1st in the qualitative evaluation of Subtask 2.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.15877v1","authors":["Osma Suominen","Juho Inkinen","Mona Lehtinen"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.IR","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-21T14:04:20Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2503.21088v2","name":"ZJUKLAB at SemEval-2025 Task 4: Unlearning via Model Merging","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the ZJUKLAB team's submission for SemEval-2025 Task 4: Unlearning Sensitive Content from Large Language Models. This task aims to selectively erase sensitive knowledge from large language models, avoiding both over-forgetting and under-forgetting issues. We propose an unlearning system that leverages Model Merging (specifically TIES-Merging), combining two specialized models into a more balanced unlearned model. Our system achieves competitive results, ranking second among 26 teams, with an online score of 0.944 for Task Aggregate and 0.487 for overall Aggregate. In this paper, we also conduct local experiments and perform a comprehensive analysis of the unlearning process, examining performance trajectories, loss dynamics, and weight perspectives, along with several supplementary experiments, to understand the effectiveness of our method. Furthermore, we analyze the shortcomings of our method and evaluation metrics, emphasizing that MIA scores and ROUGE-based metrics alone are insufficient to fully evaluate successful unlearning. Finally, we emphasize the need for more comprehensive evaluation methodologies and rethinking of unlearning objectives in future research. Code is available at https://github.com/zjunlp/unlearn/tree/main/semeval25.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.21088v2","authors":["Haoming Xu","Shuxun Wang","Yanqiu Zhao","Yi Zhong","Ziyan Jiang","Ningyuan Zhao","Shumin Deng","Huajun Chen","Ningyu Zhang"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.CV","cs.LG","cs.MM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-27T02:03:25Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.16830v1","name":"AIM 2025 Low-light RAW Video Denoising Challenge: Dataset, Methods and Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper reviews the AIM 2025 (Advances in Image Manipulation) Low-Light RAW Video Denoising Challenge. The task is to develop methods that denoise low-light RAW video by exploiting temporal redundancy while operating under exposure-time limits imposed by frame rate and adapting to sensor-specific, signal-dependent noise. We introduce a new benchmark of 756 ten-frame sequences captured with 14 smartphone camera sensors across nine conditions (illumination: 1/5/10 lx; exposure: 1/24, 1/60, 1/120 s), with high-SNR references obtained via burst averaging. Participants process linear RAW sequences and output the denoised 10th frame while preserving the Bayer pattern. Submissions are evaluated on a private test set using full-reference PSNR and SSIM, with final ranking given by the mean of per-metric ranks. This report describes the dataset, challenge protocol, and submitted approaches.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.16830v1","authors":["Alexander Yakovenko","George Chakvetadze","Ilya Khrapov","Maksim Zhelezov","Dmitry Vatolin","Radu Timofte","Youngjin Oh","Junhyeong Kwon","Junyoung Park","Nam Ik Cho","Senyan Xu","Ruixuan Jiang","Long Peng","Xueyang Fu","Zheng-Jun Zha","Xiaoping Peng","Hansen Feng","Zhanyi Tie","Ziming Xia","Lizhi Wang"],"tags":["cs.CV","eess.IV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-22T23:02:21Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.05366v1","name":"Can Language Models Critique Themselves? Investigating Self-Feedback for Retrieval Augmented Generation at BioASQ 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Agentic Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) and 'deep research' systems aim to enable autonomous search processes where Large Language Models (LLMs) iteratively refine outputs. However, applying these systems to domain-specific professional search, such as biomedical research, presents challenges, as automated systems may reduce user involvement and misalign with expert information needs. Professional search tasks often demand high levels of user expertise and transparency. The BioASQ CLEF 2025 challenge, using expert-formulated questions, can serve as a platform to study these issues. We explored the performance of current reasoning and nonreasoning LLMs like Gemini-Flash 2.0, o3-mini, o4-mini and DeepSeek-R1. A key aspect of our methodology was a self-feedback mechanism where LLMs generated, evaluated, and then refined their outputs for query expansion and for multiple answer types (yes/no, factoid, list, ideal). We investigated whether this iterative self-correction improves performance and if reasoning models are more capable of generating useful feedback. Preliminary results indicate varied performance for the self-feedback strategy across models and tasks. This work offers insights into LLM self-correction and informs future work on comparing the effectiveness of LLM-generated feedback with direct human expert input in these search systems.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.05366v1","authors":["Samy Ateia","Udo Kruschwitz"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-07T13:13:19Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.03543v1","name":"1$^{st}$ Place Solution of WWW 2025 EReL@MIR Workshop Multimodal CTR Prediction Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The WWW 2025 EReL@MIR Workshop Multimodal CTR Prediction Challenge focuses on effectively applying multimodal embedding features to improve click-through rate (CTR) prediction in recommender systems. This technical report presents our 1$^{st}$ place winning solution for Task 2, combining sequential modeling and feature interaction learning to effectively capture user-item interactions. For multimodal information integration, we simply append the frozen multimodal embeddings to each item embedding. Experiments on the challenge dataset demonstrate the effectiveness of our method, achieving superior performance with a 0.9839 AUC on the leaderboard, much higher than the baseline model. Code and configuration are available in our GitHub repository and the checkpoint of our model can be found in HuggingFace.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.03543v1","authors":["Junwei Xu","Zehao Zhao","Xiaoyu Hu","Zhenjie Song"],"tags":["cs.IR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-06T13:55:22Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.16541v1","name":"UM_FHS at the CLEF 2025 SimpleText Track: Comparing No-Context and Fine-Tune Approaches for GPT-4.1 Models in Sentence and Document-Level Text Simplification","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This work describes our submission to the CLEF 2025 SimpleText track Task 1, addressing both sentenceand document-level simplification of scientific texts. The methodology centered on using the gpt-4.1, gpt-4.1mini, and gpt-4.1-nano models from OpenAI. Two distinct approaches were compared: a no-context method relying on prompt engineering and a fine-tuned (FT) method across models. The gpt-4.1-mini model with no-context demonstrated robust performance at both levels of simplification, while the fine-tuned models showed mixed results, highlighting the complexities of simplifying text at different granularities, where gpt-4.1-nano-ft performance stands out at document-level simplification in one case.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.16541v1","authors":["Primoz Kocbek","Gregor Stiglic"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-18T13:50:54Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.15003v1","name":"NTIRE 2025 Challenge on Short-form UGC Video Quality Assessment and Enhancement: KwaiSR Dataset and Study","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this work, we build the first benchmark dataset for short-form UGC Image Super-resolution in the wild, termed KwaiSR, intending to advance the research on developing image super-resolution algorithms for short-form UGC platforms. This dataset is collected from the Kwai Platform, which is composed of two parts, i.e., synthetic and wild parts. Among them, the synthetic dataset, including 1,900 image pairs, is produced by simulating the degradation following the distribution of real-world low-quality short-form UGC images, aiming to provide the ground truth for training and objective comparison in the validation/testing. The wild dataset contains low-quality images collected directly from the Kwai Platform, which are filtered using the quality assessment method KVQ from the Kwai Platform. As a result, the KwaiSR dataset contains 1800 synthetic image pairs and 1900 wild images, which are divided into training, validation, and testing parts with a ratio of 8:1:1. Based on the KwaiSR dataset, we organize the NTIRE 2025 challenge on a second short-form UGC Video quality assessment and enhancement, which attracts lots of researchers to develop the algorithm for it. The results of this competition have revealed that our KwaiSR dataset is pretty challenging for existing Image SR methods, which is expected to lead to a new direction in the image super-resolution field. The dataset can be found from https://lixinustc.github.io/NTIRE2025-KVQE-KwaSR-KVQ.github.io/.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.15003v1","authors":["Xin Li","Xijun Wang","Bingchen Li","Kun Yuan","Yizhen Shao","Suhang Yao","Ming Sun","Chao Zhou","Radu Timofte","Zhibo Chen","Fengbin Guan","Zihao Yu"],"tags":["cs.CV","eess.IV","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-17T17:45:34Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2511.16787v1","name":"NALA_MAINZ at BLP-2025 Task 2: A Multi-agent Approach for Bangla Instruction to Python Code Generation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents JGU Mainz's winning system for the BLP-2025 Shared Task on Code Generation from Bangla Instructions. We propose a multi-agent-based pipeline. First, a code-generation agent produces an initial solution from the input instruction. The candidate program is then executed against the provided unit tests (pytest-style, assert-based). Only the failing cases are forwarded to a debugger agent, which reruns the tests, extracts error traces, and, conditioning on the error messages, the current program, and the relevant test cases, generates a revised solution. Using this approach, our submission achieved first place in the shared task with a $Pass@1$ score of 95.4. We also make our code public.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.16787v1","authors":["Hossain Shaikh Saadi","Faria Alam","Mario Sanz-Guerrero","Minh Duc Bui","Manuel Mager","Katharina von der Wense"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.SE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-20T20:26:28Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.19616v1","name":"HITSZ's End-To-End Speech Translation Systems Combining Sequence-to-Sequence Auto Speech Recognition Model and Indic Large Language Model for IWSLT 2025 in Indic Track","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents HITSZ's submission for the IWSLT 2025 Indic track, focusing on speech-to-text translation (ST) for English-to-Indic and Indic-to-English language pairs. To enhance translation quality in this low-resource scenario, we propose an end-to-end system integrating the pre-trained Whisper automated speech recognition (ASR) model with Krutrim, an Indic-specialized large language model (LLM). Experimental results demonstrate that our end-to-end system achieved average BLEU scores of $28.88$ for English-to-Indic directions and $27.86$ for Indic-to-English directions. Furthermore, we investigated the Chain-of-Thought (CoT) method. While this method showed potential for significant translation quality improvements on successfully parsed outputs (e.g. a $13.84$ BLEU increase for Tamil-to-English), we observed challenges in ensuring the model consistently adheres to the required CoT output format.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.19616v1","authors":["Xuchen Wei","Yangxin Wu","Yaoyin Zhang","Henglyu Liu","Kehai Chen","Xuefeng Bai","Min Zhang"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-25T18:32:14Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.12000v1","name":"Results of the 2025 Video Browser Showdown","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This report presents the results of the 14th Video Browser Showdown, held at the 2025 International Conference on Multimedia Modeling on the 8th of January 2025 in Nara, Japan.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.12000v1","authors":["Luca Rossetto","Klaus Schoeffmann","Cathal Gurrin","Jakub Lokoč","Werner Bailer"],"tags":["cs.MM","cs.IR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-15T14:48:21Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.01161v1","name":"CSIRO-LT at SemEval-2025 Task 11: Adapting LLMs for Emotion Recognition for Multiple Languages","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Detecting emotions across different languages is challenging due to the varied and culturally nuanced ways of emotional expressions. The \\textit{Semeval 2025 Task 11: Bridging the Gap in Text-Based emotion} shared task was organised to investigate emotion recognition across different languages. The goal of the task is to implement an emotion recogniser that can identify the basic emotional states that general third-party observers would attribute to an author based on their written text snippet, along with the intensity of those emotions. We report our investigation of various task-adaptation strategies for LLMs in emotion recognition. We show that the most effective method for this task is to fine-tune a pre-trained multilingual LLM with LoRA setting separately for each language.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.01161v1","authors":["Jiyu Chen","Necva Bölücü","Sarvnaz Karimi","Diego Mollá","Cécile L. Paris"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-02T02:55:26Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.06995v1","name":"Technical Report for ICRA 2025 GOOSE 3D Semantic Segmentation Challenge: Adaptive Point Cloud Understanding for Heterogeneous Robotic Systems","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This technical report presents the implementation details of the winning solution for the ICRA 2025 GOOSE 3D Semantic Segmentation Challenge. This challenge focuses on semantic segmentation of 3D point clouds from diverse unstructured outdoor environments collected from multiple robotic platforms. This problem was addressed by implementing Point Prompt Tuning (PPT) integrated with Point Transformer v3 (PTv3) backbone, enabling adaptive processing of heterogeneous LiDAR data through platform-specific conditioning and cross-dataset class alignment strategies. The model is trained without requiring additional external data. As a result, this approach achieved substantial performance improvements with mIoU increases of up to 22.59% on challenging platforms compared to the baseline PTv3 model, demonstrating the effectiveness of adaptive point cloud understanding for field robotics applications.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.06995v1","authors":["Xiaoya Zhang"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-08T04:55:44Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.23351v2","name":"Benchmarking Generalizable Bimanual Manipulation: RoboTwin Dual-Arm Collaboration Challenge at CVPR 2025 MEIS Workshop","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Embodied Artificial Intelligence (Embodied AI) is an emerging frontier in robotics, driven by the need for autonomous systems that can perceive, reason, and act in complex physical environments. While single-arm systems have shown strong task performance, collaborative dual-arm systems are essential for handling more intricate tasks involving rigid, deformable, and tactile-sensitive objects. To advance this goal, we launched the RoboTwin Dual-Arm Collaboration Challenge at the 2nd MEIS Workshop, CVPR 2025. Built on the RoboTwin Simulation platform (1.0 and 2.0) and the AgileX COBOT-Magic Robot platform, the competition consisted of three stages: Simulation Round 1, Simulation Round 2, and a final Real-World Round. Participants totally tackled 17 dual-arm manipulation tasks, covering rigid, deformable, and tactile-based scenarios. The challenge attracted 64 global teams and over 400 participants, producing top-performing solutions like SEM and AnchorDP3 and generating valuable insights into generalizable bimanual policy learning. This report outlines the competition setup, task design, evaluation methodology, key findings and future direction, aiming to support future research on robust and generalizable bimanual manipulation policies. The Challenge Webpage is available at https://robotwin-benchmark.github.io/cvpr-2025-challenge/.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.23351v2","authors":["Tianxing Chen","Kaixuan Wang","Zhaohui Yang","Yuhao Zhang","Zanxin Chen","Baijun Chen","Wanxi Dong","Ziyuan Liu","Dong Chen","Tianshuo Yang","Haibao Yu","Xiaokang Yang","Yusen Qin","Zhiqiang Xie","Yao Mu","Ping Luo","Tian Nian","Weiliang Deng","Yiheng Ge","Yibin Liu","Zixuan Li","Dehui Wang","Zhixuan Liang","Haohui Xie","Rijie Zeng","Yunfei Ge","Peiqing Cong","Guannan He","Zhaoming Han","Ruocheng Yin","Jingxiang Guo","Lunkai Lin","Tianling Xu","Hongzhe Bi","Xuewu Lin","Tianwei Lin","Shujie Luo","Keyu Li","Ziyan Zhao","Ke Fan","Heyang Xu","Bo Peng","Wenlong Gao","Dongjiang Li","Feng Jin","Hui Shen","Jinming Li","Chaowei Cui","Yu Chen","Yaxin Peng","Lingdong Zeng","Wenlong Dong","Tengfei Li","Weijie Ke","Jun Chen","Erdemt Bao","Tian Lan","Tenglong Liu","Jin Yang","Huiping Zhuang","Baozhi Jia","Shuai Zhang","Zhengfeng Zou","Fangheng Guan","Tianyi Jia","Ke Zhou","Hongjiu Zhang","Yating Han","Cheng Fang","Yixian Zou","Chongyang Xu","Qinglun Zhang","Shen Cheng","Xiaohe Wang","Ping Tan","Haoqiang Fan","Shuaicheng Liu","Jiaheng Chen","Chuxuan Huang","Chengliang Lin","Kaijun Luo","Boyu Yue","Yi Liu","Jinyu Chen","Zichang Tan","Liming Deng","Shuo Xu","Zijian Cai","Shilong Yin","Hao Wang","Hongshan Liu","Tianyang Li","Long Shi","Ran Xu","Huilin Xu","Zhengquan Zhang","Congsheng Xu","Jinchang Yang","Feng Xu"],"tags":["cs.RO","cs.AI","cs.LG","cs.MA"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-29T17:56:41Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.09657v2","name":"Team Anotheroption at SemEval-2025 Task 8: Bridging the Gap Between Open-Source and Proprietary LLMs in Table QA","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents a system developed for SemEval 2025 Task 8: Question Answering (QA) over tabular data. Our approach integrates several key components: text-to-SQL and text-to-code generation modules, a self-correction mechanism, and a retrieval-augmented generation (RAG). Additionally, it includes an end-to-end (E2E) module, all orchestrated by a large language model (LLM). Through ablation studies, we analyzed the effects of different parts of our pipeline and identified the challenges that are still present in this field. During the evaluation phase of the competition, our solution achieved an accuracy of 80%, resulting in a top-13 ranking among the 38 participating teams. Our pipeline demonstrates a significant improvement in accuracy for open-source models and achieves a performance comparable to proprietary LLMs in QA tasks over tables. The code is available at GitHub repository.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.09657v2","authors":["Nikolas Evkarpidi","Elena Tutubalina"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-11T12:26:08Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.10737v1","name":"Privacy-enhancing Sclera Segmentation Benchmarking Competition: SSBC 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents a summary of the 2025 Sclera Segmentation Benchmarking Competition (SSBC), which focused on the development of privacy-preserving sclera-segmentation models trained using synthetically generated ocular images. The goal of the competition was to evaluate how well models trained on synthetic data perform in comparison to those trained on real-world datasets. The competition featured two tracks: $(i)$ one relying solely on synthetic data for model development, and $(ii)$ one combining/mixing synthetic with (a limited amount of) real-world data. A total of nine research groups submitted diverse segmentation models, employing a variety of architectural designs, including transformer-based solutions, lightweight models, and segmentation networks guided by generative frameworks. Experiments were conducted across three evaluation datasets containing both synthetic and real-world images, collected under diverse conditions. Results show that models trained entirely on synthetic data can achieve competitive performance, particularly when dedicated training strategies are employed, as evidenced by the top performing models that achieved $F_1$ scores of over $0.8$ in the synthetic data track. Moreover, performance gains in the mixed track were often driven more by methodological choices rather than by the inclusion of real data, highlighting the promise of synthetic data for privacy-aware biometric development. The code and data for the competition is available at: https://github.com/dariant/SSBC_2025.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.10737v1","authors":["Matej Vitek","Darian Tomašević","Abhijit Das","Sabari Nathan","Gökhan Özbulak","Gözde Ayşe Tataroğlu Özbulak","Jean-Paul Calbimonte","André Anjos","Hariohm Hemant Bhatt","Dhruv Dhirendra Premani","Jay Chaudhari","Caiyong Wang","Jian Jiang","Chi Zhang","Qi Zhang","Iyyakutti Iyappan Ganapathi","Syed Sadaf Ali","Divya Velayudan","Maregu Assefa","Naoufel Werghi","Zachary A. Daniels","Leeon John","Ritesh Vyas","Jalil Nourmohammadi Khiarak","Taher Akbari Saeed","Mahsa Nasehi","Ali Kianfar","Mobina Pashazadeh Panahi","Geetanjali Sharma","Pushp Raj Panth","Raghavendra Ramachandra","Aditya Nigam","Umapada Pal","Peter Peer","Vitomir Štruc"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-14T15:16:58Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.11368v3","name":"Community Report from the 2025 SNOLAB Future Projects Workshop","source":"arxiv","abstract":"SNOLAB hosts a biannual Future Projects Workshop (FPW) with the goal of encouraging future project stakeholders to present ideas, concepts, and needs for experiments or programs that could one day be hosted at SNOLAB. The 2025 FPW was held in the larger context of a 15-year planning exercise requested by the Canada Foundation for Innovation. This report collects input from the community, including both contributions to the workshop and contributions that could not be scheduled in the workshop but nonetheless are important to the community.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.11368v3","authors":["M. D. Diamond","P. Abbamonte","A. Arvanitaki","D. M. Asner","D. Balut","D. Baxter","C. Blanco","D. Boreham","M. Boulay","B. Broerman","T. Brunner","E. Caden","A. Chavarria","M. Chen","J. P. Davis","A. Drlica-Wagner","J. Estrada","N. Fatemighomi","J. Foster","D. Freedman","C. Gao","J. Hall","S. Hall","W. Halperin","M. Hirschel","N. Hoch","Z. Hong","A. Ianni","C. Jillings","D. Johnson","Y. Kahn","C. B. Krauss","T. Laframboise","M. Lai","M. R. Lapointe","B. Lillard","W. H. Lippincott","H. Ma","E. Marrufo Villalpando","K. Mistry","M. Nguyen","J. Oh","A. Radick","H. Reaume","B. Roach","J. Schütte-Engel","S. Scorza","J. W. Scott","S. J. Sekula","D. Sinclair","C. Thome","L. Thompson","J. Tiffenberg","K. J. Vetter","A. Williams","L. A. Winslow","M. Wurm"],"tags":["hep-ex","physics.ins-det"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-15T14:39:47Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.17602v1","name":"Overview of PlantCLEF 2025: Multi-Species Plant Identification in Vegetation Quadrat Images","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Quadrat images are essential for ecological studies, as they enable standardized sampling, the assessment of plant biodiversity, long-term monitoring, and large-scale field campaigns. These images typically cover an area of fifty centimetres or one square meter, and botanists carefully identify all the species present. Integrating AI could help specialists accelerate their inventories and expand the spatial coverage of ecological studies. To assess progress in this area, the PlantCLEF 2025 challenge relies on a new test set of 2,105 high-resolution multi-label images annotated by experts and covering around 400 species. It also provides a large training set of 1.4 million individual plant images, along with vision transformer models pre-trained on this data. The task is formulated as a (weakly labelled) multi-label classification problem, where the goal is to predict all species present in a quadrat image using single-label training data. This paper provides a detailed description of the data, the evaluation methodology, the methods and models used by participants, and the results achieved.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.17602v1","authors":["Giulio Martellucci","Herve Goeau","Pierre Bonnet","Fabrice Vinatier","Alexis Joly"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-22T11:21:53Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.07199v3","name":"SemEval-2025 Task 5: LLMs4Subjects -- LLM-based Automated Subject Tagging for a National Technical Library's Open-Access Catalog","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present SemEval-2025 Task 5: LLMs4Subjects, a shared task on automated subject tagging for scientific and technical records in English and German using the GND taxonomy. Participants developed LLM-based systems to recommend top-k subjects, evaluated through quantitative metrics (precision, recall, F1-score) and qualitative assessments by subject specialists. Results highlight the effectiveness of LLM ensembles, synthetic data generation, and multilingual processing, offering insights into applying LLMs for digital library classification.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.07199v3","authors":["Jennifer D'Souza","Sameer Sadruddin","Holger Israel","Mathias Begoin","Diana Slawig"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.DL","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-09T18:26:46Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.18185v1","name":"CareLab at #SMM4H-HeaRD 2025: Insomnia Detection and Food Safety Event Extraction with Domain-Aware Transformers","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents our system for the SMM4H-HeaRD 2025 shared tasks, specifically Task 4 (Subtasks 1, 2a, and 2b) and Task 5 (Subtasks 1 and 2). Task 4 focused on detecting mentions of insomnia in clinical notes, while Task 5 addressed the extraction of food safety events from news articles. We participated in all subtasks and report key findings across them, with particular emphasis on Task 5 Subtask 1, where our system achieved strong performance-securing first place with an F1 score of 0.958 on the test set. To attain this result, we employed encoder-based models (e.g., RoBERTa), alongside GPT-4 for data augmentation. This paper outlines our approach, including preprocessing, model architecture, and subtask-specific adaptations","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.18185v1","authors":["Zihan Liang","Ziwen Pan","Sumon Kanti Dey","Azra Ismail"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-22T21:56:59Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.08163v2","name":"LPI-RIT at LeWiDi-2025: Improving Distributional Predictions via Metadata and Loss Reweighting with DisCo","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Learning With Disagreements (LeWiDi) 2025 shared task aims to model annotator disagreement through soft label distribution prediction and perspectivist evaluation, which focuses on modeling individual annotators. We adapt DisCo (Distribution from Context), a neural architecture that jointly models item-level and annotator-level label distributions, and present detailed analysis and improvements. In this paper, we extend DisCo by introducing annotator metadata embeddings, enhancing input representations, and multi-objective training losses to capture disagreement patterns better. Through extensive experiments, we demonstrate substantial improvements in both soft and perspectivist evaluation metrics across three datasets. We also conduct in-depth calibration and error analyses that reveal when and why disagreement-aware modeling improves. Our findings show that disagreement can be better captured by conditioning on annotator demographics and by optimizing directly for distributional metrics, yielding consistent improvements across datasets.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.08163v2","authors":["Mandira Sawkar","Samay U. Shetty","Deepak Pandita","Tharindu Cyril Weerasooriya","Christopher M. Homan"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-11T16:39:09Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.09652v3","name":"Supershear-subshear-supershear rupture sequence during the 2025 Mandalay Earthquake in Myanmar","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We investigated the rupture dynamics of the 2025 $M_w$7.7 Mandalay, Myanmar earthquake, using a video recording of surface rupture, strong motion recordings, waveform simulation, and satellite imagery. Our assessment, based on the S-wave observation in the video and rupture arrival time at a seismic station 246 km south of the hypocenter, suggests that rupture decelerated to subshear speeds ($\\sim$3 km/s) from initial supershear propagation ($\\sim$6 km/s) before reaching the camera location. This deceleration is also supported by comparison between the fault-normal acceleration patterns seen in the video and that simulated by kinematic rupture modeling. Additionally, satellite imagery indicated a local minimum in slip (2$-$3 m) approximately 40$-$60 km south of the epicenter, suggesting a region of reduced stress drop that likely caused the temporary deceleration. Beyond this point, the rupture appears to have re-established supershear propagation.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.09652v3","authors":["Shiro Hirano","Ryosuke Doke","Takuto Maeda"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-11T12:21:42Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.12143v1","name":"Overview of the Sensemaking Task at the ELOQUENT 2025 Lab: LLMs as Teachers, Students and Evaluators","source":"arxiv","abstract":"ELOQUENT is a set of shared tasks that aims to create easily testable high-level criteria for evaluating generative language models. Sensemaking is one such shared task. In Sensemaking, we try to assess how well generative models ``make sense out of a given text'' in three steps inspired by exams in a classroom setting: (1) Teacher systems should prepare a set of questions, (2) Student systems should answer these questions, and (3) Evaluator systems should score these answers, all adhering rather strictly to a given set of input materials. We report on the 2025 edition of Sensemaking, where we had 7 sources of test materials (fact-checking analyses of statements, textbooks, transcribed recordings of a lecture, and educational videos) spanning English, German, Ukrainian, and Czech languages. This year, 4 teams participated, providing us with 2 Teacher submissions, 2 Student submissions, and 2 Evaluator submissions. We added baselines for Teacher and Student using commercial large language model systems. We devised a fully automatic evaluation procedure, which we compare to a minimalistic manual evaluation. We were able to make some interesting observations. For the first task, the creation of questions, better evaluation strategies will still have to be devised because it is difficult to discern the quality of the various candidate question sets. In the second task, question answering, the LLMs examined overall perform acceptably, but restricting their answers to the given input texts remains problematic. In the third task, evaluation of question answers, our adversarial tests reveal that systems using the LLM-as-a-Judge paradigm erroneously rate both garbled question-answer pairs and answers to mixed-up questions as acceptable.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.12143v1","authors":["Pavel Šindelář","Ondřej Bojar"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-16T11:19:28Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.12886v1","name":"ArgHiTZ at ArchEHR-QA 2025: A Two-Step Divide and Conquer Approach to Patient Question Answering for Top Factuality","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This work presents three different approaches to address the ArchEHR-QA 2025 Shared Task on automated patient question answering. We introduce an end-to-end prompt-based baseline and two two-step methods to divide the task, without utilizing any external knowledge. Both two step approaches first extract essential sentences from the clinical text, by prompt or similarity ranking, and then generate the final answer from these notes. Results indicate that the re-ranker based two-step system performs best, highlighting the importance of selecting the right approach for each subtask. Our best run achieved an overall score of 0.44, ranking 8th out of 30 on the leaderboard, securing the top position in overall factuality.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.12886v1","authors":["Adrián Cuadrón","Aimar Sagasti","Maitane Urruela","Iker De la Iglesia","Ane G Domingo-Aldama","Aitziber Atutxa","Josu Goikoetxea","Ander Barrena"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-15T15:32:49Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.23538v1","name":"CLaC at SemEval-2025 Task 6: A Multi-Architecture Approach for Corporate Environmental Promise Verification","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents our approach to the SemEval-2025 Task~6 (PromiseEval), which focuses on verifying promises in corporate ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reports. We explore three model architectures to address the four subtasks of promise identification, supporting evidence assessment, clarity evaluation, and verification timing. Our first model utilizes ESG-BERT with task-specific classifier heads, while our second model enhances this architecture with linguistic features tailored for each subtask. Our third approach implements a combined subtask model with attention-based sequence pooling, transformer representations augmented with document metadata, and multi-objective learning. Experiments on the English portion of the ML-Promise dataset demonstrate progressive improvement across our models, with our combined subtask approach achieving a leaderboard score of 0.5268, outperforming the provided baseline of 0.5227. Our work highlights the effectiveness of linguistic feature extraction, attention pooling, and multi-objective learning in promise verification tasks, despite challenges posed by class imbalance and limited training data.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.23538v1","authors":["Nawar Turk","Eeham Khan","Leila Kosseim"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-29T15:19:00Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2511.19863v1","name":"International AI Safety Report 2025: Second Key Update: Technical Safeguards and Risk Management","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This second update to the 2025 International AI Safety Report assesses new developments in general-purpose AI risk management over the past year. It examines how researchers, public institutions, and AI developers are approaching risk management for general-purpose AI. In recent months, for example, three leading AI developers applied enhanced safeguards to their new models, as their internal pre-deployment testing could not rule out the possibility that these models could be misused to help create biological weapons. Beyond specific precautionary measures, there have been a range of other advances in techniques for making AI models and systems more reliable and resistant to misuse. These include new approaches in adversarial training, data curation, and monitoring systems. In parallel, institutional frameworks that operationalise and formalise these technical capabilities are starting to emerge: the number of companies publishing Frontier AI Safety Frameworks more than doubled in 2025, and governments and international organisations have established a small number of governance frameworks for general-purpose AI, focusing largely on transparency and risk assessment.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.19863v1","authors":["Yoshua Bengio","Stephen Clare","Carina Prunkl","Maksym Andriushchenko","Ben Bucknall","Philip Fox","Nestor Maslej","Conor McGlynn","Malcolm Murray","Shalaleh Rismani","Stephen Casper","Jessica Newman","Daniel Privitera","Sören Mindermann","Daron Acemoglu","Thomas G. Dietterich","Fredrik Heintz","Geoffrey Hinton","Nick Jennings","Susan Leavy","Teresa Ludermir","Vidushi Marda","Helen Margetts","John McDermid","Jane Munga","Arvind Narayanan","Alondra Nelson","Clara Neppel","Gopal Ramchurn","Stuart Russell","Marietje Schaake","Bernhard Schölkopf","Alavaro Soto","Lee Tiedrich","Gaël Varoquaux","Andrew Yao","Ya-Qin Zhang","Leandro Aguirre","Olubunmi Ajala","Fahad Albalawi","Noora AlMalek","Christian Busch","André Carvalho","Jonathan Collas","Amandeep Gill","Ahmet Hatip","Juha Heikkilä","Chris Johnson","Gill Jolly","Ziv Katzir","Mary Kerema","Hiroaki Kitano","Antonio Krüger","Aoife McLysaght","Oleksii Molchanovskyi","Andrea Monti","Kyoung Mu Lee","Mona Nemer","Nuria Oliver","Raquel Pezoa","Audrey Plonk","José Portillo","Balaraman Ravindran","Hammam Riza","Crystal Rugege","Haroon Sheikh","Denise Wong","Yi Zeng","Liming Zhu"],"tags":["cs.CY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-25T03:12:56Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.10502v1","name":"MIDOG 2025 Track 2: A Deep Learning Model for Classification of Atypical and Normal Mitotic Figures under Class and Hardness Imbalances","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Motivation: Accurate classification of mitotic figures into normal and atypical types is crucial for tumor prognostication in digital pathology. However, developing robust deep learning models for this task is challenging due to the subtle morphological differences, as well as significant class and hardness imbalances in real-world histopathology datasets. Methods: We propose a novel deep learning approach based on a ResNet backbone with specialized classification heads. Our architecture uniquely models both the mitotic figure phenotype and the instance difficulty simultaneously. This method is specifically designed to handle the challenges of diverse tissue types, scanner variability, and imbalanced data. We employed focal loss to effectively mitigate the pronounced class imbalance, and a comprehensive data augmentation pipeline was implemented to enhance the model's robustness and generalizability. Results: Our approach demonstrated strong and consistent performance. In a 5-fold cross-validation on the MIDOG 2025 Track 2 dataset, it achieved a mean balanced accuracy of 0.8744 +/- 0.0093 and an ROC AUC of 0.9505 +/- 0.029. The model showed robust generalization across preliminary leaderboard evaluations, achieving an overall balanced accuracy of 0.8736 +/- 0.0204. Conclusion: The proposed method offers a reliable and generalizable solution for the classification of atypical and normal mitotic figures. By addressing the inherent challenges of real world data, our approach has the potential to support precise prognostic assessments in clinical practice and improve consistency in pathological diagnosis.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.10502v1","authors":["Sujatha Kotte","Vangala Govindakrishnan Saipradeep","Vidushi Walia","Dhandapani Nandagopal","Thomas Joseph","Naveen Sivadasan","Bhagat Singh Lali"],"tags":["eess.IV","cs.CV","q-bio.QM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-01T15:12:05Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.03837v2","name":"HTSC-2025: A Benchmark Dataset of Ambient-Pressure High-Temperature Superconductors for AI-Driven Critical Temperature Prediction","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The discovery of high-temperature superconducting materials holds great significance for human industry and daily life. In recent years, research on predicting superconducting transition temperatures using artificial intelligence~(AI) has gained popularity, with most of these tools claiming to achieve remarkable accuracy. However, the lack of widely accepted benchmark datasets in this field has severely hindered fair comparisons between different AI algorithms and impeded further advancement of these methods. In this work, we present the HTSC-2025, an ambient-pressure high-temperature superconducting benchmark dataset. This comprehensive compilation encompasses theoretically predicted superconducting materials discovered by theoretical physicists from 2023 to 2025 based on BCS superconductivity theory, including the renowned X$_2$YH$_6$ system, perovskite MXH$_3$ system, M$_3$XH$_8$ system, cage-like BCN-doped metal atomic systems derived from LaH$_{10}$ structural evolution, and two-dimensional honeycomb-structured systems evolving from MgB$_2$. The HTSC-2025 benchmark has been open-sourced at https://github.com/xqh19970407/HTSC-2025 and will be continuously updated. This benchmark holds significant importance for accelerating the discovery of superconducting materials using AI-based methods.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.03837v2","authors":["Xiao-Qi Han","Ze-Feng Gao","Xin-De Wang","Zhenfeng Ouyang","Peng-Jie Guo","Zhong-Yi Lu"],"tags":["cond-mat.supr-con","cond-mat.mtrl-sci","cs.AI","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-04T11:14:00Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.19509v1","name":"AIRwaves at CheckThat! 2025: Retrieving Scientific Sources for Implicit Claims on Social Media with Dual Encoders and Neural Re-Ranking","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Linking implicit scientific claims made on social media to their original publications is crucial for evidence-based fact-checking and scholarly discourse, yet it is hindered by lexical sparsity, very short queries, and domain-specific language. Team AIRwaves ranked second in Subtask 4b of the CLEF-2025 CheckThat! Lab with an evidence-retrieval approach that markedly outperforms the competition baseline. The optimized sparse-retrieval baseline(BM25) achieves MRR@5 = 0.5025 on the gold label blind test set. To surpass this baseline, a two-stage retrieval pipeline is introduced: (i) a first stage that uses a dual encoder based on E5-large, fine-tuned using in-batch and mined hard negatives and enhanced through chunked tokenization and rich document metadata; and (ii) a neural re-ranking stage using a SciBERT cross-encoder. Replacing purely lexical matching with neural representations lifts performance to MRR@5 = 0.6174, and the complete pipeline further improves to MRR@5 = 0.6828. The findings demonstrate that coupling dense retrieval with neural re-rankers delivers a powerful and efficient solution for tweet-to-study matching and provides a practical blueprint for future evidence-retrieval pipelines.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.19509v1","authors":["Cem Ashbaugh","Leon Baumgärtner","Tim Gress","Nikita Sidorov","Daniel Werner"],"tags":["cs.IR","cs.AI","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-23T19:26:31Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.09771v2","name":"PromptGuard at BLP-2025 Task 1: A Few-Shot Classification Framework Using Majority Voting and Keyword Similarity for Bengali Hate Speech Detection","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The BLP-2025 Task 1A requires Bengali hate speech classification into six categories. Traditional supervised approaches need extensive labeled datasets that are expensive for low-resource languages. We developed PromptGuard, a few-shot framework combining chi-square statistical analysis for keyword extraction with adaptive majority voting for decision-making. We explore statistical keyword selection versus random approaches and adaptive voting mechanisms that extend classification based on consensus quality. Chi-square keywords provide consistent improvements across categories, while adaptive voting benefits ambiguous cases requiring extended classification rounds. PromptGuard achieves a micro-F1 of 67.61, outperforming n-gram baselines (60.75) and random approaches (14.65). Ablation studies confirm chi-square-based keywords show the most consistent impact across all categories.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.09771v2","authors":["Rakib Hossan","Shubhashis Roy Dipta"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-10T18:30:27Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.12616v1","name":"Duluth at SemEval-2025 Task 7: TF-IDF with Optimized Vector Dimensions for Multilingual Fact-Checked Claim Retrieval","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the Duluth approach to the SemEval-2025 Task 7 on Multilingual and Crosslingual Fact-Checked Claim Retrieval. We implemented a TF-IDF-based retrieval system with experimentation on vector dimensions and tokenization strategies. Our best-performing configuration used word-level tokenization with a vocabulary size of 15,000 features, achieving an average success@10 score of 0.78 on the development set and 0.69 on the test set across ten languages. Our system showed stronger performance on higher-resource languages but still lagged significantly behind the top-ranked system, which achieved 0.96 average success@10. Our findings suggest that though advanced neural architectures are increasingly dominant in multilingual retrieval tasks, properly optimized traditional methods like TF-IDF remain competitive baselines, especially in limited compute resource scenarios.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.12616v1","authors":["Shujauddin Syed","Ted Pedersen"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-19T01:58:22Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.10165v1","name":"The 2025 PNPL Competition: Speech Detection and Phoneme Classification in the LibriBrain Dataset","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The advance of speech decoding from non-invasive brain data holds the potential for profound societal impact. Among its most promising applications is the restoration of communication to paralysed individuals affected by speech deficits such as dysarthria, without the need for high-risk surgical interventions. The ultimate aim of the 2025 PNPL competition is to produce the conditions for an \"ImageNet moment\" or breakthrough in non-invasive neural decoding, by harnessing the collective power of the machine learning community. To facilitate this vision we present the largest within-subject MEG dataset recorded to date (LibriBrain) together with a user-friendly Python library (pnpl) for easy data access and integration with deep learning frameworks. For the competition we define two foundational tasks (i.e. Speech Detection and Phoneme Classification from brain data), complete with standardised data splits and evaluation metrics, illustrative benchmark models, online tutorial code, a community discussion board, and public leaderboard for submissions. To promote accessibility and participation the competition features a Standard track that emphasises algorithmic innovation, as well as an Extended track that is expected to reward larger-scale computing, accelerating progress toward a non-invasive brain-computer interface for speech.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.10165v1","authors":["Gilad Landau","Miran Özdogan","Gereon Elvers","Francesco Mantegna","Pratik Somaiya","Dulhan Jayalath","Luisa Kurth","Teyun Kwon","Brendan Shillingford","Greg Farquhar","Minqi Jiang","Karim Jerbi","Hamza Abdelhedi","Yorguin Mantilla Ramos","Caglar Gulcehre","Mark Woolrich","Natalie Voets","Oiwi Parker Jones"],"tags":["cs.LG","cs.SD","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-11T20:34:33Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.01263v1","name":"Bridging LLMs and Symbolic Reasoning in Educational QA Systems: Insights from the XAI Challenge at IJCNN 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The growing integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into education has intensified the need for transparency and interpretability. While hackathons have long served as agile environments for rapid AI prototyping, few have directly addressed eXplainable AI (XAI) in real-world educational contexts. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the XAI Challenge 2025, a hackathon-style competition jointly organized by Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT) and the International Workshop on Trustworthiness and Reliability in Neurosymbolic AI (TRNS-AI), held as part of the International Joint Conference on Neural Networks (IJCNN 2025). The challenge tasked participants with building Question-Answering (QA) systems capable of answering student queries about university policies while generating clear, logic-based natural language explanations. To promote transparency and trustworthiness, solutions were required to use lightweight Large Language Models (LLMs) or hybrid LLM-symbolic systems. A high-quality dataset was provided, constructed via logic-based templates with Z3 validation and refined through expert student review to ensure alignment with real-world academic scenarios. We describe the challenge's motivation, structure, dataset construction, and evaluation protocol. Situating the competition within the broader evolution of AI hackathons, we argue that it represents a novel effort to bridge LLMs and symbolic reasoning in service of explainability. Our findings offer actionable insights for future XAI-centered educational systems and competitive research initiatives.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.01263v1","authors":["Long S. T. Nguyen","Khang H. N. Vo","Thu H. A. Nguyen","Tuan C. Bui","Duc Q. Nguyen","Thanh-Tung Tran","Anh D. Nguyen","Minh L. Nguyen","Fabien Baldacci","Thang H. Bui","Emanuel Di Nardo","Angelo Ciaramella","Son H. Le","Ihsan Ullah","Lorenzo Di Rocco","Tho T. Quan"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.LO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-02T08:46:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.21547v1","name":"TartuNLP at SemEval-2025 Task 5: Subject Tagging as Two-Stage Information Retrieval","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present our submission to the Task 5 of SemEval-2025 that aims to aid librarians in assigning subject tags to the library records by producing a list of likely relevant tags for a given document. We frame the task as an information retrieval problem, where the document content is used to retrieve subject tags from a large subject taxonomy. We leverage two types of encoder models to build a two-stage information retrieval system -- a bi-encoder for coarse-grained candidate extraction at the first stage, and a cross-encoder for fine-grained re-ranking at the second stage. This approach proved effective, demonstrating significant improvements in recall compared to single-stage methods and showing competitive results according to qualitative evaluation.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.21547v1","authors":["Aleksei Dorkin","Kairit Sirts"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-30T11:44:08Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.19939v1","name":"Comment on García-Donato et al. (2025) \"Model uncertainty and missing data: An objective Bayesian perspective\"","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Garcia-Donato et al. (2025) present a methodology for handling missing data in a model selection problem using an objective Bayesian approach. The current comment discusses an alternative, existing objective Bayesian method for this problem. First, rather than using the g prior, O'Hagan's fractional Bayes factor (O'Hagan, 1995) is utilized based on a minimal fraction. Second, and more importantly due to the focus on missing data, Rubin's rules for multiple imputation can directly be used as the fractional Bayes factor can be written as a Savage-Dickey density ratio for a variable selection problem. The current comment derives the methodology for a variable selection problem. Moreover, its implied behavior is illustrated in a numerical experiment, showing competitive results as the method of Garcia-Donato et al. (2025).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.19939v1","authors":["Joris Mulder"],"tags":["stat.ME"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-27T14:56:23Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.12976v1","name":"SHREC 2025: Protein surface shape retrieval including electrostatic potential","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This SHREC 2025 track dedicated to protein surface shape retrieval involved 9 participating teams. We evaluated the performance in retrieval of 15 proposed methods on a large dataset of 11,555 protein surfaces with calculated electrostatic potential (a key molecular surface descriptor). The performance in retrieval of the proposed methods was evaluated through different metrics (Accuracy, Balanced accuracy, F1 score, Precision and Recall). The best retrieval performance was achieved by the proposed methods that used the electrostatic potential complementary to molecular surface shape. This observation was also valid for classes with limited data which highlights the importance of taking into account additional molecular surface descriptors.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.12976v1","authors":["Taher Yacoub","Camille Depenveiller","Atsushi Tatsuma","Tin Barisin","Eugen Rusakov","Udo Gobel","Yuxu Peng","Shiqiang Deng","Yuki Kagaya","Joon Hong Park","Daisuke Kihara","Marco Guerra","Giorgio Palmieri","Andrea Ranieri","Ulderico Fugacci","Silvia Biasotti","Ruiwen He","Halim Benhabiles","Adnane Cabani","Karim Hammoudi","Haotian Li","Hao Huang","Chunyan Li","Alireza Tehrani","Fanwang Meng","Farnaz Heidar-Zadeh","Tuan-Anh Yang","Matthieu Montes"],"tags":["cs.CV","q-bio.BM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-16T11:35:31Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2511.06918v1","name":"Proceedings of the 2025 XCSP3 Competition","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This document represents the proceedings of the 2025 XCSP3 Competition. The results of this competition of constraint solvers were presented at CP'25 (31st International Conference on Principles and Practice of Constraint Programming).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.06918v1","authors":["Gilles Audemard","Christophe Lecoutre","Emmanuel Lonca"],"tags":["cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-10T10:12:04Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.17050v1","name":"Chronicle: \"Foot of the iceberg\" of Nobel Prize in Physics 2025: ILTPE and LTP contribution","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Nobel Prize in Physics 2025 has been awarded to John Clarke, John Martinis, and Michel Devoret for \"the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit\". The paper explains the essence of their studies and shows in a historical context the importance of earlier research in superconductivity and quantum physics of macroscopic systems by other physicists, particularly, Ukrainian scientists, including employees of the B. Verkin Institute for Low Temperature Physics and Engineering of the NAS of Ukraine (ILTPE). The role of the Fizyka Nyzkykh Temperatur (FNT) journal issued by ILTPE in Kharkiv and its translation as AIP Low Temperature Physics (LTP) in dissemination of results of the theoretical and experimental studies in the field is emphasized as well.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.17050v1","authors":["O. G. Turutanov"],"tags":["cond-mat.supr-con","physics.hist-ph","quant-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-18T20:37:47Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.04942v2","name":"SIGIR 2025 -- LiveRAG Challenge Report","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The LiveRAG Challenge at SIGIR 2025, held between March and May 2025, provided a competitive platform for advancing Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) technologies. Participants from academia and industry were invited to develop a RAG-based question-answering system using a fixed corpus (Fineweb-10BT) and a common open-source LLM (Falcon3-10B-Instruct). The goal was to facilitate challenging comparisons of retrieval and prompting strategies. During the Live Challenge Day, 70 teams from 27 different countries provided answers and supportive information to 500 unseen questions within a strict two-hour time window. Evaluation was conducted in two stages: first an automated LLM-as-a-judge approach was used to compute correctness and faithfulness score, then a manual review of top ranked submissions was conducted. The finalists were announced on June 12, 2025, with prizes awarded during the LiveRAG Workshop at SIGIR 2025 in Padua, Italy.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.04942v2","authors":["David Carmel","Simone Filice","Guy Horowitz","Yoelle Maarek","Oren Somekh","Ran Tavory","Mehdi Ghissassi","Edo Liberty","Roy Miara"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.IR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-07T12:38:53Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.11243v1","name":"RETUYT-INCO at BEA 2025 Shared Task: How Far Can Lightweight Models Go in AI-powered Tutor Evaluation?","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, we present the RETUYT-INCO participation at the BEA 2025 shared task. Our participation was characterized by the decision of using relatively small models, with fewer than 1B parameters. This self-imposed restriction tries to represent the conditions in which many research labs or institutions are in the Global South, where computational power is not easily accessible due to its prohibitive cost. Even under this restrictive self-imposed setting, our models managed to stay competitive with the rest of teams that participated in the shared task. According to the $exact\\ F_1$ scores published by the organizers, the performance gaps between our models and the winners were as follows: $6.46$ in Track 1; $10.24$ in Track 2; $7.85$ in Track 3; $9.56$ in Track 4; and $13.13$ in Track 5. Considering that the minimum difference with a winner team is $6.46$ points -- and the maximum difference is $13.13$ -- according to the $exact\\ F_1$ score, we find that models with a size smaller than 1B parameters are competitive for these tasks, all of which can be run on computers with a low-budget GPU or even without a GPU.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.11243v1","authors":["Santiago Góngora","Ignacio Sastre","Santiago Robaina","Ignacio Remersaro","Luis Chiruzzo","Aiala Rosá"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-12T19:24:56Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2511.16391v1","name":"WFC3/UVIS EPER CTE 2009-2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this report, we examine the behavior of Charge Transfer Efficiency (CTE) on the WFC3/UVIS detector over time as computed by the Extended Pixel Edge Response (EPER) technique, using internal calibration data acquired from 2009 through 2025. We find that the CTE has continued to decline as expected, with a steeper loss rate for lower signal levels. The lowest signal level (160e-) has continued to decline at a rate of 0.0001 per year, with a total overall decline of 0.0015. Analyses from 2016 and 2020 found that the rate of decline was not well fit by a linear function. This report verifies the rate of decline is instead better fit by a quadratic function (which results in the smallest min. and max. residuals, on average) or a cubic function (which has the best \"goodness of fit\" $χ^2$ and $R^2$ values). We continue to see periodic oscillations of the residuals around all three fit lines (linear, quadratic, and cubic) on which we perform a Lomb-Scargle periodogram analysis of the residuals. We find a periodicity of about 8 years for the residuals around the linear fit lines and about 9 years for the quadratic and cubic fit lines.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.16391v1","authors":["Anne O'Connor","Harish Khandrika"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-20T14:10:19Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.06989v1","name":"Open problems in information geometry: a discussion at FDIG 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Open problems in information geometry are collected and discussed in the conference ``Further Developments of Information Geometry (FDIG) 2025'' held at the University of Tokyo, Japan, from March 18 to 21, 2025.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.06989v1","authors":["Tomonari Sei","Hiroshi Matsuzoe"],"tags":["cs.IT","math.ST"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-02T14:50:59Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.17348v1","name":"Advanced Game-Theoretic Frameworks for Multi-Agent AI Challenges: A 2025 Outlook","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents a substantially reworked examination of how advanced game-theoretic paradigms can serve as a foundation for the next-generation challenges in Artificial Intelligence (AI), forecasted to arrive in or around 2025. Our focus extends beyond traditional models by incorporating dynamic coalition formation, language-based utilities, sabotage risks, and partial observability. We provide a set of mathematical formalisms, simulations, and coding schemes that illustrate how multi-agent AI systems may adapt and negotiate in complex environments. Key elements include repeated games, Bayesian updates for adversarial detection, and moral framing within payoff structures. This work aims to equip AI researchers with robust theoretical tools for aligning strategic interaction in uncertain, partially adversarial contexts.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.17348v1","authors":["Pavel Malinovskiy"],"tags":["cs.MA","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-19T17:26:03Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.04119v1","name":"Humanity in the Age of AI: Reassessing 2025's Existential-Risk Narratives","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Two 2025 publications, \"AI 2027\" (Kokotajlo et al., 2025) and \"If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies\" (Yudkowsky &amp; Soares, 2025), assert that superintelligent artificial intelligence will almost certainly destroy or render humanity obsolete within the next decade. Both rest on the classic chain formulated by Good (1965) and Bostrom (2014): intelligence explosion, superintelligence, lethal misalignment. This article subjects each link to the empirical record of 2023-2025. Sixty years after Good's speculation, none of the required phenomena (sustained recursive self-improvement, autonomous strategic awareness, or intractable lethal misalignment) have been observed. Current generative models remain narrow, statistically trained artefacts: powerful, opaque, and imperfect, but devoid of the properties that would make the catastrophic scenarios plausible. Following Whittaker (2025a, 2025b, 2025c) and Zuboff (2019, 2025), we argue that the existential-risk thesis functions primarily as an ideological distraction from the ongoing consolidation of surveillance capitalism and extreme concentration of computational power. The thesis is further inflated by the 2025 AI speculative bubble, where trillions in investments in rapidly depreciating \"digital lettuce\" hardware (McWilliams, 2025) mask lagging revenues and jobless growth rather than heralding superintelligence. The thesis remains, in November 2025, a speculative hypothesis amplified by a speculative financial bubble rather than a demonstrated probability.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.04119v1","authors":["Mohamed El Louadi"],"tags":["cs.CY","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-01T19:37:27Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.17897v4","name":"Multimodal Recurrent Ensembles for Predicting Brain Responses to Naturalistic Movies (Algonauts 2025)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Accurately predicting distributed cortical responses to naturalistic stimuli requires models that integrate visual, auditory and semantic information over time. We present a hierarchical multimodal recurrent ensemble that maps pretrained video, audio, and language embeddings to fMRI time series recorded while four subjects watched almost 80 hours of movies provided by the Algonauts 2025 challenge. Modality-specific bidirectional RNNs encode temporal dynamics; their hidden states are fused and passed to a second recurrent layer, and lightweight subject-specific heads output responses for 1000 cortical parcels. Training relies on a composite MSE-correlation loss and a curriculum that gradually shifts emphasis from early sensory to late association regions. Averaging 100 model variants further boosts robustness. The resulting system ranked third on the competition leaderboard, achieving an overall Pearson r = 0.2094 and the highest single-parcel peak score (mean r = 0.63) among all participants, with particularly strong gains for the most challenging subject (Subject 5). The approach establishes a simple, extensible baseline for future multimodal brain-encoding benchmarks.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.17897v4","authors":["Semih Eren","Deniz Kucukahmetler","Nico Scherf"],"tags":["q-bio.NC","cs.CV","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-23T19:48:27Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.25639v1","name":"Model Predictions for the 2025 October Draconid Outburst","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The October Draconid meteor shower, produced by comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, is notorious for rare but intense outbursts, some exceeding rates of about 10 000 meteors per hour. In 2025, Earth will encounter young trails ejected by the comet in 2005 and 2012, producing a meteor outburst and providing a rare opportunity to probe their structure and benchmark meteoroid stream models. We present predictions from three independent dynamical models (NIMS, MSFC, Sisyphus), calibrated against updated activity profiles including the newly observed 2019 and 2024 outbursts. All simulations predict enhanced activity on 2025 October 8, dominated by faint meteors (m &lt; 0.01 g; +4 mag and fainter) primarily detectable by radar. Our best estimate is a radar outburst near 15:00 - 16:00 UT, driven mainly by the 2012 trail with a possible minor contribution from 2005. The 2025 Draconids may represent one of the strongest radar dominated outbursts of the decade. Coordinated observing campaigns, especially radar measurements across the Northern Hemisphere and optical coverage from Asia, will be essential to validate these forecasts, constrain the dust environment of comet 21P, and improve future predictions of young meteoroid trails.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.25639v1","authors":["Auriane Egal","Paul Wiegert","Danielle E. Moser","Peter G. Brown","Margaret Campbell-Brown"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-30T01:26:27Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.12996v1","name":"SHA256 at SemEval-2025 Task 4: Selective Amnesia -- Constrained Unlearning for Large Language Models via Knowledge Isolation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Large language models (LLMs) frequently memorize sensitive information during training, posing risks when deploying publicly accessible models. Current machine unlearning methods struggle to selectively remove specific data associations without degrading overall model capabilities. This paper presents our solution to SemEval-2025 Task 4 on targeted unlearning, which introduces a two-stage methodology that combines causal mediation analysis with layer-specific optimization. Through systematic causal tracing experiments on OLMo architectures (1B and 7B parameters), we identify the critical role of the first few transformer layers (layers 0-5) in storing subject-attribute associations within MLP modules. Building on this insight, we develop a constrained optimization approach that freezes upper layers while applying a novel joint loss function to lower layers-simultaneously maximizing forget set loss via output token cross-entropy penalties and minimizing retain set deviation through adaptive regularization. Our method achieves 2nd place in the 1B model track, demonstrating strong task performance while maintaining 88% of baseline MMLU accuracy. These results establish causal-informed layer optimization as a promising paradigm for efficient, precise unlearning in LLMs, offering a significant step forward in addressing data privacy concerns in AI systems.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.12996v1","authors":["Saransh Agrawal","Kuan-Hao Huang"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-17T15:05:40Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.12711v2","name":"NTIRE 2025 Challenge on Day and Night Raindrop Removal for Dual-Focused Images: Methods and Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper reviews the NTIRE 2025 Challenge on Day and Night Raindrop Removal for Dual-Focused Images. This challenge received a wide range of impressive solutions, which are developed and evaluated using our collected real-world Raindrop Clarity dataset. Unlike existing deraining datasets, our Raindrop Clarity dataset is more diverse and challenging in degradation types and contents, which includes day raindrop-focused, day background-focused, night raindrop-focused, and night background-focused degradations. This dataset is divided into three subsets for competition: 14,139 images for training, 240 images for validation, and 731 images for testing. The primary objective of this challenge is to establish a new and powerful benchmark for the task of removing raindrops under varying lighting and focus conditions. There are a total of 361 participants in the competition, and 32 teams submitting valid solutions and fact sheets for the final testing phase. These submissions achieved state-of-the-art (SOTA) performance on the Raindrop Clarity dataset. The project can be found at https://lixinustc.github.io/CVPR-NTIRE2025-RainDrop-Competition.github.io/.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.12711v2","authors":["Xin Li","Yeying Jin","Xin Jin","Zongwei Wu","Bingchen Li","Yufei Wang","Wenhan Yang","Yu Li","Zhibo Chen","Bihan Wen","Robby T. Tan","Radu Timofte","Qiyu Rong","Hongyuan Jing","Mengmeng Zhang","Jinglong Li","Xiangyu Lu","Yi Ren","Yuting Liu","Meng Zhang","Xiang Chen","Qiyuan Guan","Jiangxin Dong","Jinshan Pan","Conglin Gou","Qirui Yang","Fangpu Zhang","Yunlong Lin","Sixiang Chen","Guoxi Huang","Ruirui Lin","Yan Zhang","Jingyu Yang","Huanjing Yue","Jiyuan Chen","Qiaosi Yi","Hongjun Wang","Chenxi Xie","Shuai Li","Yuhui Wu","Kaiyi Ma","Jiakui Hu","Juncheng Li","Liwen Pan","Guangwei Gao","Wenjie Li","Zhenyu Jin","Heng Guo","Zhanyu Ma","Yubo Wang","Jinghua Wang","Wangzhi Xing","Anjusree Karnavar","Diqi Chen","Mohammad Aminul Islam","Hao Yang","Ruikun Zhang","Liyuan Pan","Qianhao Luo"," XinCao","Han Zhou","Yan Min","Wei Dong","Jun Chen","Taoyi Wu","Weijia Dou","Yu Wang","Shengjie Zhao","Yongcheng Huang","Xingyu Han","Anyan Huang","Hongtao Wu","Hong Wang","Yefeng Zheng","Abhijeet Kumar","Aman Kumar","Marcos V. Conde","Paula Garrido","Daniel Feijoo","Juan C. Benito","Guanglu Dong","Xin Lin","Siyuan Liu","Tianheng Zheng","Jiayu Zhong","Shouyi Wang","Xiangtai Li","Lanqing Guo","Lu Qi","Chao Ren","Shuaibo Wang","Shilong Zhang","Wanyu Zhou","Yunze Wu","Qinzhong Tan","Jieyuan Pei","Zhuoxuan Li","Jiayu Wang","Haoyu Bian","Haoran Sun","Subhajit Paul","Ni Tang","Junhao Huang","Zihan Cheng","Hongyun Zhu","Yuehan Wu","Kaixin Deng","Hang Ouyang","Tianxin Xiao","Fan Yang","Zhizun Luo","Zeyu Xiao","Zhuoyuan Li","Nguyen Pham Hoang Le","An Dinh Thien","Son T. Luu","Kiet Van Nguyen","Ronghua Xu","Xianmin Tian","Weijian Zhou","Jiacheng Zhang","Yuqian Chen","Yihang Duan","Yujie Wu","Suresh Raikwar","Arsh Garg"," Kritika","Jianhua Zheng","Xiaoshan Ma","Ruolin Zhao","Yongyu Yang","Yongsheng Liang","Guiming Huang","Qiang Li","Hongbin Zhang","Xiangyu Zheng","A. N. Rajagopalan"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.AI","eess.IV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-17T07:35:35Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.12813v1","name":"SIS-Challenge: Event-based Spatio-temporal Instance Segmentation Challenge at the CVPR 2025 Event-based Vision Workshop","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present an overview of the Spatio-temporal Instance Segmentation (SIS) challenge held in conjunction with the CVPR 2025 Event-based Vision Workshop. The task is to predict accurate pixel-level segmentation masks of defined object classes from spatio-temporally aligned event camera and grayscale camera data. We provide an overview of the task, dataset, challenge details and results. Furthermore, we describe the methods used by the top-5 ranking teams in the challenge. More resources and code of the participants' methods are available here: https://github.com/tub-rip/MouseSIS/blob/main/docs/challenge_results.md","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.12813v1","authors":["Friedhelm Hamann","Emil Mededovic","Fabian Gülhan","Yuli Wu","Johannes Stegmaier","Jing He","Yiqing Wang","Kexin Zhang","Lingling Li","Licheng Jiao","Mengru Ma","Hongxiang Huang","Yuhao Yan","Hongwei Ren","Xiaopeng Lin","Yulong Huang","Bojun Cheng","Se Hyun Lee","Gyu Sung Ham","Kanghan Oh","Gi Hyun Lim","Boxuan Yang","Bowen Du","Guillermo Gallego"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-18T10:49:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.14183v1","name":"The First VoicePrivacy Attacker Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The First VoicePrivacy Attacker Challenge is an ICASSP 2025 SP Grand Challenge which focuses on evaluating attacker systems against a set of voice anonymization systems submitted to the VoicePrivacy 2024 Challenge. Training, development, and evaluation datasets were provided along with a baseline attacker. Participants developed their attacker systems in the form of automatic speaker verification systems and submitted their scores on the development and evaluation data. The best attacker systems reduced the equal error rate (EER) by 25-44% relative w.r.t. the baseline.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.14183v1","authors":["Natalia Tomashenko","Xiaoxiao Miao","Emmanuel Vincent","Junichi Yamagishi"],"tags":["eess.AS","cs.CL","cs.CR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-19T05:02:46Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2511.23458v4","name":"A retrospective on the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Tropical cyclone activity was intermittent during the 2025 Atlantic season, with extended quiet periods. Cumulative activity was near-average relative to 1991-present, despite warm sea-surface temperatures and La Nina conditions. We compare drivers of activity in 2025 with climatology, using reanalysis data to examine variability in environmental conditions, wave activity, and circulation patterns. During the early and peak season, high pressure, a strong upper-level trough and cool equatorial sea-surface temperatures led to weak seed disturbances and unfavourable development conditions. Stronger disturbances coinciding with Kelvin wave activity and favourable MJO conditions led to a more active late season.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.23458v4","authors":["Charles W. Powell"],"tags":["physics.ao-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-28T18:48:48Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.07600v1","name":"A historical record of four black rainstorm episodes in Hong Kong, China in July to August 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Four episodes of black rainstorms, the highest tier of heavy rain according to the rainstorm warning system in Hong Kong, occurred within eight days from 29 July to 5 August 2025, breaking the record for torrential rain in the territory. Providing early alerts to the public about these black rainstorms has considerable application value and has a substantial impact on their lives. This initial review of the four black rainstorm cases focuses on the predictability of the events from the synoptic/mesoscale to the micro/storm scale. A newly available tool for three-dimensional wind fields retrieved from weather radars in the region was used to analyse the triggering factors for the development and maintenance of intense convection. Given the current level of technology, the four episodes of heavy rain had different degrees of predictability. Global artificial intelligence (AI) models were found to be skilful in capturing two major rainstorms, including one week before they occurred. Surface convergence, mid-tropospheric waves, and jets were important mechanisms in heavy rainfall occurrence. Future research directions on these black rainstorms have been briefly discussed.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.07600v1","authors":["P. W. Chan","Y. T. Kwok"],"tags":["physics.ao-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-11T04:05:20Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.09382v2","name":"The Voice Timbre Attribute Detection 2025 Challenge Evaluation Plan","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Voice timbre refers to the unique quality or character of a person's voice that distinguishes it from others as perceived by human hearing. The Voice Timbre Attribute Detection (VtaD) 2025 challenge focuses on explaining the voice timbre attribute in a comparative manner. In this challenge, the human impression of voice timbre is verbalized with a set of sensory descriptors, including bright, coarse, soft, magnetic, and so on. The timbre is explained from the comparison between two voices in their intensity within a specific descriptor dimension. The VtaD 2025 challenge starts in May and culminates in a special proposal at the NCMMSC2025 conference in October 2025 in Zhenjiang, China.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.09382v2","authors":["Zhengyan Sheng","Jinghao He","Liping Chen","Kong Aik Lee","Zhen-Hua Ling"],"tags":["cs.SD","cs.AI","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-14T13:35:53Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2501.17854v2","name":"PIETOOLS 2025: User Manual","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The PIETOOLS 2025 User Manual describes all the features of version 2025 of the MATLAB toolbox PIETOOLS for the analysis and control of Partial Integral Equations (PIEs). The manual is aimed to guide, with examples, first-time users to four fundamental features of PIETOOLS: converting coupled ODE-PDEs, DDEs, DDFs, etc., to PIE representation; analysis of stability and input-output properties of PIEs; design of optimal observers and controllers for PIEs; simulation of open- and closed-loop PIE systems. The use of PIETOOLS is not limited to the features described above. However, the manual focuses on these features to provide a holistic understanding of the workflow of PIETOOLS, which will serve as a foundation to develop more complicated programs, for example, the design of boundary feedback controllers, robust observers, robust controllers, etc..","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.17854v2","authors":["Sachin Shivakumar","Declan Jagt","Danilo Braghini","Amritam Das","Yulia Peet","Matthew Peet"],"tags":["math.OC","math.DS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-29T18:53:36Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.05592v2","name":"The T12 System for AudioMOS Challenge 2025: Audio Aesthetics Score Prediction System Using KAN- and VERSA-based Models","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We propose an audio aesthetics score (AES) prediction system by CyberAgent (AESCA) for AudioMOS Challenge 2025 (AMC25) Track 2. The AESCA comprises a Kolmogorov--Arnold Network (KAN)-based audiobox aesthetics and a predictor from the metric scores using the VERSA toolkit. In the KAN-based predictor, we replaced each multi-layer perceptron layer in the baseline model with a group-rational KAN and trained the model with labeled and pseudo-labeled audio samples. The VERSA-based predictor was designed as a regression model using extreme gradient boosting, incorporating outputs from existing metrics. Both the KAN- and VERSA-based models predicted the AES, including the four evaluation axes. The final AES values were calculated using an ensemble model that combined four KAN-based models and a VERSA-based model. Our proposed T12 system yielded the best correlations among the submitted systems, in three axes at the utterance level, two axes at the system level, and the overall average. We also released the inference model of the proposed KAN-based predictor (KAN #1-#4).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.05592v2","authors":["Katsuhiko Yamamoto","Koichi Miyazaki","Shogo Seki"],"tags":["cs.SD","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-05T10:26:41Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.14142v1","name":"MARS2 2025 Challenge on Multimodal Reasoning: Datasets, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Outlook","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper reviews the MARS2 2025 Challenge on Multimodal Reasoning. We aim to bring together different approaches in multimodal machine learning and LLMs via a large benchmark. We hope it better allows researchers to follow the state-of-the-art in this very dynamic area. Meanwhile, a growing number of testbeds have boosted the evolution of general-purpose large language models. Thus, this year's MARS2 focuses on real-world and specialized scenarios to broaden the multimodal reasoning applications of MLLMs. Our organizing team released two tailored datasets Lens and AdsQA as test sets, which support general reasoning in 12 daily scenarios and domain-specific reasoning in advertisement videos, respectively. We evaluated 40+ baselines that include both generalist MLLMs and task-specific models, and opened up three competition tracks, i.e., Visual Grounding in Real-world Scenarios (VG-RS), Visual Question Answering with Spatial Awareness (VQA-SA), and Visual Reasoning in Creative Advertisement Videos (VR-Ads). Finally, 76 teams from the renowned academic and industrial institutions have registered and 40+ valid submissions (out of 1200+) have been included in our ranking lists. Our datasets, code sets (40+ baselines and 15+ participants' methods), and rankings are publicly available on the MARS2 workshop website and our GitHub organization page https://github.com/mars2workshop/, where our updates and announcements of upcoming events will be continuously provided.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.14142v1","authors":["Peng Xu","Shengwu Xiong","Jiajun Zhang","Yaxiong Chen","Bowen Zhou","Chen Change Loy","David A. Clifton","Kyoung Mu Lee","Luc Van Gool","Ruiming He","Ruilin Yao","Xinwei Long","Jirui Huang","Kai Tian","Sa Yang","Yihua Shao","Jin Feng","Yue Zhong","Jiakai Zhou","Cheng Tang","Tianyu Zou","Yifang Zhang","Junming Liang","Guoyou Li","Zhaoxiang Wang","Qiang Zhou","Yichen Zhao","Shili Xiong","Hyeongjin Nam","Jaerin Lee","Jaeyoung Chung","JoonKyu Park","Junghun Oh","Kanggeon Lee","Wooseok Lee","Juneyoung Ro","Turghun Osman","Can Hu","Chaoyang Liao","Cheng Chen","Chengcheng Han","Chenhao Qiu","Chong Peng","Cong Xu","Dailin Li","Feiyu Wang","Feng Gao","Guibo Zhu","Guopeng Tang","Haibo Lu","Han Fang","Han Qi","Hanxiao Wu","Haobo Cheng","Hongbo Sun","Hongyao Chen","Huayong Hu","Hui Li","Jiaheng Ma","Jiang Yu","Jianing Wang","Jie Yang","Jing He","Jinglin Zhou","Jingxuan Li","Josef Kittler","Lihao Zheng","Linnan Zhao","Mengxi Jia","Muyang Yan","Nguyen Thanh Thien","Pu Luo","Qi Li","Shien Song","Shijie Dong","Shuai Shao","Shutao Li","Taofeng Xue","Tianyang Xu","Tianyi Gao","Tingting Li","Wei Zhang","Weiyang Su","Xiaodong Dong","Xiao-Jun Wu","Xiaopeng Zhou","Xin Chen","Xin Wei","Xinyi You","Xudong Kang","Xujie Zhou","Xusheng Liu","Yanan Wang","Yanbin Huang","Yang Liu","Yang Yang","Yanglin Deng","Yashu Kang","Ye Yuan","Yi Wen","Yicen Tian","Yilin Tao","Yin Tang","Yipeng Lin","Yiqing Wang","Yiting Xi","Yongkang Yu","Yumei Li","Yuxin Qin","Yuying Chen","Yuzhe Cen","Zhaofan Zou","Zhaohong Liu","Zhehao Shen","Zhenglin Du","Zhengyang Li","Zhenni Huang","Zhenwei Shao","Zhilong Song","Zhiyong Feng","Zhiyu Wang","Zhou Yu","Ziang Li","Zihan Zhai","Zijian Zhang","Ziyang Peng","Ziyun Xiao","Zongshu Li"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-17T16:21:34Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.10751v2","name":"Neural at ArchEHR-QA 2025: Agentic Prompt Optimization for Evidence-Grounded Clinical Question Answering","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Automated question answering (QA) over electronic health records (EHRs) can bridge critical information gaps for clinicians and patients, yet it demands both precise evidence retrieval and faithful answer generation under limited supervision. In this work, we present Neural, the runner-up in the BioNLP 2025 ArchEHR-QA shared task on evidence-grounded clinical QA. Our proposed method decouples the task into (1) sentence-level evidence identification and (2) answer synthesis with explicit citations. For each stage, we automatically explore the prompt space with DSPy's MIPROv2 optimizer, jointly tuning instructions and few-shot demonstrations on the development set. A self-consistency voting scheme further improves evidence recall without sacrificing precision. On the hidden test set, our method attains an overall score of 51.5, placing second stage while outperforming standard zero-shot and few-shot prompting by over 20 and 10 points, respectively. These results indicate that data-driven prompt optimization is a cost-effective alternative to model fine-tuning for high-stakes clinical QA, advancing the reliability of AI assistants in healthcare.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.10751v2","authors":["Sai Prasanna Teja Reddy Bogireddy","Abrar Majeedi","Viswanatha Reddy Gajjala","Zhuoyan Xu","Siddhant Rai","Vaishnav Potlapalli"],"tags":["cs.LG","cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-12T14:36:18Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.00579v1","name":"TUM-MiKaNi at SemEval-2025 Task 3: Towards Multilingual and Knowledge-Aware Non-factual Hallucination Identification","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Hallucinations are one of the major problems of LLMs, hindering their trustworthiness and deployment to wider use cases. However, most of the research on hallucinations focuses on English data, neglecting the multilingual nature of LLMs. This paper describes our submission to the SemEval-2025 Task-3 - Mu-SHROOM, the Multilingual Shared-task on Hallucinations and Related Observable Overgeneration Mistakes. We propose a two-part pipeline that combines retrieval-based fact verification against Wikipedia with a BERT-based system fine-tuned to identify common hallucination patterns. Our system achieves competitive results across all languages, reaching top-10 results in eight languages, including English. Moreover, it supports multiple languages beyond the fourteen covered by the shared task. This multilingual hallucination identifier can help to improve LLM outputs and their usefulness in the future.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.00579v1","authors":["Miriam Anschütz","Ekaterina Gikalo","Niklas Herbster","Georg Groh"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-01T09:00:50Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.20950v1","name":"MultiMind at SemEval-2025 Task 7: Crosslingual Fact-Checked Claim Retrieval via Multi-Source Alignment","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents our system for SemEval-2025 Task 7: Multilingual and Crosslingual Fact-Checked Claim Retrieval. In an era where misinformation spreads rapidly, effective fact-checking is increasingly critical. We introduce TriAligner, a novel approach that leverages a dual-encoder architecture with contrastive learning and incorporates both native and English translations across different modalities. Our method effectively retrieves claims across multiple languages by learning the relative importance of different sources in alignment. To enhance robustness, we employ efficient data preprocessing and augmentation using large language models while incorporating hard negative sampling to improve representation learning. We evaluate our approach on monolingual and crosslingual benchmarks, demonstrating significant improvements in retrieval accuracy and fact-checking performance over baselines.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.20950v1","authors":["Mohammad Mahdi Abootorabi","Alireza Ghahramani Kure","Mohammadali Mohammadkhani","Sina Elahimanesh","Mohammad Ali Ali Panah"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.IR","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-24T05:14:40Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.03475v1","name":"fact check AI at SemEval-2025 Task 7: Multilingual and Crosslingual Fact-checked Claim Retrieval","source":"arxiv","abstract":"SemEval-2025 Task 7: Multilingual and Crosslingual Fact-Checked Claim Retrieval is approached as a Learning-to-Rank task using a bi-encoder model fine-tuned from a pre-trained transformer optimized for sentence similarity. Training used both the source languages and their English translations for multilingual retrieval and only English translations for cross-lingual retrieval. Using lightweight models with fewer than 500M parameters and training on Kaggle T4 GPUs, the method achieved 92% Success@10 in multilingual and 80% Success@10 in 5th in crosslingual and 10th in multilingual tracks.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.03475v1","authors":["Pranshu Rastogi"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.IR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-05T14:10:09Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.07475v1","name":"Proceedings of the Purposeful XR Workshop for CHI 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This volume represents the proceedings of Workshop 27 on Purposeful XR: Affordances, Challenges, and Speculations for an Ethical Future, held together with the CHI conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems on MY 26th, 2025 in Yokohama, Japan.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.07475v1","authors":["Elizabeth Childs","Samir Ghosh","Sebastian Cmentowski","Andrea Cuadra","Rabindra Ratan"],"tags":["cs.HC"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-10T06:00:01Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.12965v1","name":"ICDAR 2025 Competition on FEw-Shot Text line segmentation of ancient handwritten documents (FEST)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Text line segmentation is a critical step in handwritten document image analysis. Segmenting text lines in historical handwritten documents, however, presents unique challenges due to irregular handwriting, faded ink, and complex layouts with overlapping lines and non-linear text flow. Furthermore, the scarcity of large annotated datasets renders fully supervised learning approaches impractical for such materials. To address these challenges, we introduce the Few-Shot Text Line Segmentation of Ancient Handwritten Documents (FEST) Competition. Participants are tasked with developing systems capable of segmenting text lines in U-DIADS-TL dataset, using only three annotated images per manuscript for training. The competition dataset features a diverse collection of ancient manuscripts exhibiting a wide range of layouts, degradation levels, and non-standard formatting, closely reflecting real-world conditions. By emphasizing few-shot learning, FEST competition aims to promote the development of robust and adaptable methods that can be employed by humanities scholars with minimal manual annotation effort, thus fostering broader adoption of automated document analysis tools in historical research.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.12965v1","authors":["Silvia Zottin","Axel De Nardin","Giuseppe Branca","Claudio Piciarelli","Gian Luca Foresti"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-16T11:17:03Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.21813v1","name":"Overview of ADoBo at IberLEF 2025: Automatic Detection of Anglicisms in Spanish","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper summarizes the main findings of ADoBo 2025, the shared task on anglicism identification in Spanish proposed in the context of IberLEF 2025. Participants of ADoBo 2025 were asked to detect English lexical borrowings (or anglicisms) from a collection of Spanish journalistic texts. Five teams submitted their solutions for the test phase. Proposed systems included LLMs, deep learning models, Transformer-based models and rule-based systems. The results range from F1 scores of 0.17 to 0.99, which showcases the variability in performance different systems can have for this task.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.21813v1","authors":["Elena Alvarez-Mellado","Jordi Porta-Zamorano","Constantine Lignos","Julio Gonzalo"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-29T13:45:08Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2511.08748v1","name":"WiCV at CVPR 2025: The Women in Computer Vision Workshop","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Women in Computer Vision Workshop (WiCV@CVPR 2025) was held in conjunction with the IEEE/CVF Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR 2025) in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. This report presents an overview of the workshop program, participation statistics, mentorship outcomes, and historical trends from previous WiCV editions. The goal is to document the impact and evolution of WiCV as a reference for future editions and for other initiatives aimed at advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the AI and computer vision communities. WiCV@CVPR 2025 marked the 16th edition of this long-standing event dedicated to increasing the visibility, inclusion, and professional growth of women and underrepresented minorities in the computer vision community. This year's workshop featured 14 accepted papers in the CVPR Workshop Proceedings out of 32 full-paper submissions. Five of these were selected for oral presentations, while all 14 were also presented as posters, along with 36 extended abstract posters accepted from 62 short-paper submissions, which are not included in the proceedings. The mentoring program matched 80 mentees with 37 mentors from both academia and industry. The 2025 edition attracted over 100 onsite participants, fostering rich technical and networking interactions across all career stages. Supported by 10 sponsors and approximately $44,000 USD in travel grants and diversity awards, WiCV continued its mission to empower emerging researchers and amplify diverse voices in computer vision.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.08748v1","authors":["Estefania Talavera","Deblina Bhattacharjee","Himangi Mittal","Mengwei Ren","Karen Sanchez","Carla Muntean","JungEun Kim","Mona Jalal"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-11T20:08:10Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.22901v2","name":"An exploration of sequential Bayesian variable selection -- A comment on García-Donato et al. (2025). \"Model uncertainty and missing data: An objective Bayesian perspective\"","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Our comment on García-Donato et al. (2025). \"Model uncertainty and missing data: An objective Bayesian perspective\" explores a further extension of the proposed methodology. Specifically, we consider the sequential setting where (potentially missing) data accumulate over time, with the goal of continuously monitoring statistical evidence, as opposed to assessing it only once data collection terminates. We explore a new variable selection method based on sequential model confidence sets, as proposed by Arnold et al. (2024), and show that it can help stabilise the inference of García-Donato et al. (2025). To be published as \"Invited discussion\" in Bayesian Analysis.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.22901v2","authors":["Sebastian Arnold","Alexander Ly"],"tags":["stat.ME","math.ST"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-26T20:27:16Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.01702v2","name":"mdok of KInIT: Robustly Fine-tuned LLM for Binary and Multiclass AI-Generated Text Detection","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The large language models (LLMs) are able to generate high-quality texts in multiple languages. Such texts are often not recognizable by humans as generated, and therefore present a potential of LLMs for misuse (e.g., plagiarism, spams, disinformation spreading). An automated detection is able to assist humans to indicate the machine-generated texts; however, its robustness to out-of-distribution data is still challenging. This notebook describes our mdok approach in robust detection, based on fine-tuning smaller LLMs for text classification. It is applied to both subtasks of Voight-Kampff Generative AI Detection 2025, providing remarkable performance (1st rank) in both, the binary detection as well as the multiclass classification of various cases of human-AI collaboration.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.01702v2","authors":["Dominik Macko"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-02T14:07:32Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.15581v2","name":"The 2025 outburst of IGR J17511-3057: timing and spectral insights from NICER and NuSTAR","source":"arxiv","abstract":"IGR J17511-3057 was observed in a new outburst phase starting in February 2025 and lasting at least nine days. We investigated the spectral and temporal properties of IGR J17511-3057, aiming to characterise its current status and highlight possible long-term evolution of its properties. We analysed the available NICER and NuSTAR observations performed during the latest outburst of the source. We updated the ephemerides of the neutron star and compared them to previous outbursts to investigate its long-term evolution. We also performed spectral analysis of the broadband energy spectrum in different outburst phases, and investigated the time-resolved spectrum of the type-I X-ray burst event observed with NuSTAR. We detected X-ray pulsations at a frequency of around 245 Hz. The long-term evolution of the neutron star ephemerides suggests a spin-down derivative of about -2.3e-15 Hz/s, compatible with a rotation-powered phase while in quiescence. Moreover, the evolution of the orbital period and the time of the ascending node suggests a fast orbital shrinkage, which challenges the standard evolution scenario for this class of pulsars involving angular momentum loss via gravitational wave emission. The spectral analysis revealed a dominant power-law-like Comptonisation component, along with a thermal blackbody component, consistent with a hard state. Weak broad emission residuals around 6.6 keV suggest the presence of a K-alpha transition of neutral or He-like Fe originating from the inner region of the accretion disc. Self-consistent reflection models confirmed a moderate ionisation of the disc truncated at around (82-370) km from the neutron star. Finally, the study of the type-I X-ray burst revealed no signature of photospheric radius expansion. We found marginally significant burst oscillations during the rise and decay of the event, consistent with the neutron star spin frequency.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.15581v2","authors":["A. Sanna","G. K. Jaisawal","T. E. Strohmayer","G. Illiano","A. Riggio","A. Papitto","T. Di Salvo","L. Burderi","J. B. Coley","D. Altamirano","C. Malacaria","A. Anitra","M. Ng","D. Chakrabarty","T. Boztepe","A. C. Albayati"],"tags":["astro-ph.HE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-19T04:32:29Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.19446v2","name":"Leveraging Cascaded Binary Classification and Multimodal Fusion for Dementia Detection through Spontaneous Speech","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents our submission to the PROCESS Challenge 2025, focusing on spontaneous speech analysis for early dementia detection. For the three-class classification task (Healthy Control, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Dementia), we propose a cascaded binary classification framework that fine-tunes pre-trained language models and incorporates pause encoding to better capture disfluencies. This design streamlines multi-class classification and addresses class imbalance by restructuring the decision process. For the Mini-Mental State Examination score regression task, we develop an enhanced multimodal fusion system that combines diverse acoustic and linguistic features. Separate regression models are trained on individual feature sets, with ensemble learning applied through score averaging. Experimental results on the test set outperform the baselines provided by the organizers in both tasks, demonstrating the robustness and effectiveness of our approach.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.19446v2","authors":["Yin-Long Liu","Yuanchao Li","Rui Feng","Liu He","Jia-Xin Chen","Yi-Ming Wang","Yu-Ang Chen","Yan-Han Peng","Jia-Hong Yuan","Zhen-Hua Ling"],"tags":["eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-26T03:08:55Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.19956v1","name":"The Nobel Prize in physics and the contribution of Ukrainian scientists to the understanding of quantum phenomena, in particular the behavior of macroscopic systems (The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Nobel Prize in Physics 2025 has been awarded to John Clarke, John Martinis, and Michel Devoret for \"the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit\". Their achievements open up possibilities for developing the next generation of quantum technologies, including quantum cryptography, quantum computers, and quantum sensors. This article explains physical grounds of these discoveries and describes the role of earlier studies of weak superconductivity and macroscopic quantum systems by other scientists, highlighting the contribution of researchers from the B.I. Verkin Institute for Low Temperature Physics and Engineering of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, who obtained pioneering results in this field. The paper includes short biographies of the Nobel laureates.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.19956v1","authors":["O. G. Turutanov"],"tags":["cond-mat.supr-con","physics.hist-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-23T01:04:50Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.18249v1","name":"Event-Based Eye Tracking. 2025 Event-based Vision Workshop","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This survey serves as a review for the 2025 Event-Based Eye Tracking Challenge organized as part of the 2025 CVPR event-based vision workshop. This challenge focuses on the task of predicting the pupil center by processing event camera recorded eye movement. We review and summarize the innovative methods from teams rank the top in the challenge to advance future event-based eye tracking research. In each method, accuracy, model size, and number of operations are reported. In this survey, we also discuss event-based eye tracking from the perspective of hardware design.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.18249v1","authors":["Qinyu Chen","Chang Gao","Min Liu","Daniele Perrone","Yan Ru Pei","Zuowen Wang","Zhuo Zou","Shihang Tan","Tao Han","Guorui Lu","Zhen Xu","Junyuan Ding","Ziteng Wang","Zongwei Wu","Han Han","Yuliang Wu","Jinze Chen","Wei Zhai","Yang Cao","Zheng-jun Zha","Nuwan Bandara","Thivya Kandappu","Archan Misra","Xiaopeng Lin","Hongxiang Huang","Hongwei Ren","Bojun Cheng","Hoang M. Truong","Vinh-Thuan Ly","Huy G. Tran","Thuan-Phat Nguyen","Tram T. Doan"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.AI","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-25T10:50:14Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2511.10750v2","name":"Seismic quiescence and activation prior to the 2025 M8.8 Kamchatka, Russia earthquake","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The 29 July 2025 Kamchatka earthquake, of magnitude M8.8 in the Kamchatka-Kuril subduction system, provides a unique opportunity to investigate the preparatory processes of a great subduction event. Despite Kamchatka's high seismic activity, the long-term evolution of seismicity preceding major ruptures has been poorly documented. Identifying temporal patterns-such as multiyear quiescence and short-term activation-is essential for understanding megathrust failure processes. We applied the Epidemic-Type Aftershock Sequence (ETAS) model and change-point analysis to earthquakes with M5 or larger within a 100-km radius of the 2025 mainshock epicenter, using the Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS) catalog spanning 1975-2025. This approach quantified temporal variations in the seismicity rate and detected statistically significant change points. We found a pronounced approximately 20-year quiescent interval beginning around mid-2003, followed by an abrupt activation that commenced with the M7.4 foreshock on 20 July 2025. Similar quiescence-to-activation sequences near the eventual hypocenter have been reported in previous studies for the 1997 M7.8 Kronotsky and 2006 M8.3 Simushirskoe earthquakes, which ruptured segments immediately north and south of the 2025 rupture, respectively. Together with these earlier studies, our findings suggest that heightened seismic activity following multiyear quiescence is a recurrent feature of the Kamchatka-Kuril subduction system hosting large megathrust earthquakes. Decadal-scale quiescence has also been reported off Hokkaido, Japan, overlapping the area assessed as having an elevated likelihood of a 17th-century-type M9-class earthquake. Given that Hokkaido is in the Kamchatka-Kuril subduction system, tracking a possible transition from quiescence to activation is important for situational awareness and time-dependent hazard assessment.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.10750v2","authors":["K. Z. Nanjo","J. Yazbeck","I. T. Baughman","J. B. Rundle"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-13T19:07:16Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.17918v1","name":"One Whisper to Grade Them All","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present an efficient end-to-end approach for holistic Automatic Speaking Assessment (ASA) of multi-part second-language tests, developed for the 2025 Speak &amp; Improve Challenge. Our system's main novelty is the ability to process all four spoken responses with a single Whisper-small encoder, combine all information via a lightweight aggregator, and predict the final score. This architecture removes the need for transcription and per-part models, cuts inference time, and makes ASA practical for large-scale Computer-Assisted Language Learning systems. Our system achieved a Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) of 0.384, outperforming the text-based baseline (0.44) while using at most 168M parameters (about 70% of Whisper-small). Furthermore, we propose a data sampling strategy, allowing the model to train on only 44.8% of the speakers in the corpus and still reach 0.383 RMSE, demonstrating improved performance on imbalanced classes and strong data efficiency.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.17918v1","authors":["Nhan Phan","Anusha Porwal","Yaroslav Getman","Ekaterina Voskoboinik","Tamás Grósz","Mikko Kurimo"],"tags":["cs.CL","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-23T20:31:40Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.13244v1","name":"JNLP at SemEval-2025 Task 11: Cross-Lingual Multi-Label Emotion Detection Using Generative Models","source":"arxiv","abstract":"With the rapid advancement of global digitalization, users from different countries increasingly rely on social media for information exchange. In this context, multilingual multi-label emotion detection has emerged as a critical research area. This study addresses SemEval-2025 Task 11: Bridging the Gap in Text-Based Emotion Detection. Our paper focuses on two sub-tracks of this task: (1) Track A: Multi-label emotion detection, and (2) Track B: Emotion intensity. To tackle multilingual challenges, we leverage pre-trained multilingual models and focus on two architectures: (1) a fine-tuned BERT-based classification model and (2) an instruction-tuned generative LLM. Additionally, we propose two methods for handling multi-label classification: the base method, which maps an input directly to all its corresponding emotion labels, and the pairwise method, which models the relationship between the input text and each emotion category individually. Experimental results demonstrate the strong generalization ability of our approach in multilingual emotion recognition. In Track A, our method achieved Top 4 performance across 10 languages, ranking 1st in Hindi. In Track B, our approach also secured Top 5 performance in 7 languages, highlighting its simplicity and effectiveness\\footnote{Our code is available at https://github.com/yingjie7/mlingual_multilabel_emo_detection.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.13244v1","authors":["Jieying Xue","Phuong Minh Nguyen","Minh Le Nguyen","Xin Liu"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-19T15:24:53Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2511.18324v1","name":"Gradient Masters at BLP-2025 Task 1: Advancing Low-Resource NLP for Bengali using Ensemble-Based Adversarial Training for Hate Speech Detection","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper introduces the approach of \"Gradient Masters\" for BLP-2025 Task 1: \"Bangla Multitask Hate Speech Identification Shared Task\". We present an ensemble-based fine-tuning strategy for addressing subtasks 1A (hate-type classification) and 1B (target group classification) in YouTube comments. We propose a hybrid approach on a Bangla Language Model, which outperformed the baseline models and secured the 6th position in subtask 1A with a micro F1 score of 73.23% and the third position in subtask 1B with 73.28%. We conducted extensive experiments that evaluated the robustness of the model throughout the development and evaluation phases, including comparisons with other Language Model variants, to measure generalization in low-resource Bangla hate speech scenarios and data set coverage. In addition, we provide a detailed analysis of our findings, exploring misclassification patterns in the detection of hate speech.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.18324v1","authors":["Syed Mohaiminul Hoque","Naimur Rahman","Md Sakhawat Hossain"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-23T07:29:09Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2502.00643v1","name":"Climate network and complexity approach predict neutral ENSO event for 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the strongest driver of interannual global climate variability and can lead to extreme weather events like droughts and flooding. Additionally, ENSO influences the mean global temperature with strong El Niño events often leading, in a warming climate, to new record highs. Recently, we have developed two approaches for the early forecasting of El Niño. The climate network-based approach allows forecasting the onset of an El Niño event about 1 year ahead. The complexity-based approach allows additionally to forecast the magnitude of an upcoming El Niño event in the calendar year before. These methods successfully forecasted the onset of an Eastern Pacific El Niño for 2023/24 and the subsequent record-breaking warming of 2024. Here, we apply these methods to forecast the ENSO state in 2025. Both methods forecast the absence of an El Niño in 2025, with 91.2% and 91.7% probability, respectively. Combining these forecasts with a logistic regression based on the Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) leads to a 69.6% probability that 2025/26 will be a neutral ENSO event. We estimate the probability of a La Niña at 21.8%. This makes it likely that the mean global temperature in 2025 will decrease somewhat compared to the 2024 level.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.00643v1","authors":["J. Ludescher","J. Meng","J. Fan","A. Bunde","H. J. Schellnhuber"],"tags":["physics.ao-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-19T15:46:18Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.15745v3","name":"State of Brain Emulation Report 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The State of Brain Emulation Report 2025 provides a comprehensive reassessment of the field's progress since Sandberg and Bostrom's 2008 Whole Brain Emulation roadmap. The report is organized around three core capabilities required for brain emulation: recording brain function (Neural Dynamics), mapping brain structure (Connectomics), and emulation and embodiment (Computational Neuroscience). It also identifies ongoing challenges and outlines strategic priorities to help the field move forward.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.15745v3","authors":["Niccolò Zanichelli","Maximilian Schons","Isaak Freeman","Philip Shiu","Anton Arkhipov"],"tags":["q-bio.NC"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-17T15:33:28Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2602.20735v1","name":"RMIT-ADM+S at the MMU-RAG NeurIPS 2025 Competition","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the award-winning RMIT-ADM+S system for the Text-to-Text track of the NeurIPS~2025 MMU-RAG Competition. We introduce Routing-to-RAG (R2RAG), a research-focused retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) architecture composed of lightweight components that dynamically adapt the retrieval strategy based on inferred query complexity and evidence sufficiency. The system uses smaller LLMs, enabling operation on a single consumer-grade GPU while supporting complex research tasks. It builds on the G-RAG system, winner of the ACM~SIGIR~2025 LiveRAG Challenge, and extends it with modules informed by qualitative review of outputs. R2RAG won the Best Dynamic Evaluation award in the Open Source category, demonstrating high effectiveness with careful design and efficient use of resources.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.20735v1","authors":["Kun Ran","Marwah Alaofi","Danula Hettiachchi","Chenglong Ma","Khoi Nguyen Dinh Anh","Khoi Vo Nguyen","Sachin Pathiyan Cherumanal","Lida Rashidi","Falk Scholer","Damiano Spina","Shuoqi Sun","Oleg Zendel"],"tags":["cs.IR","cs.AI","cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-24T09:58:25Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.02518v3","name":"Bemba Speech Translation: Exploring a Low-Resource African Language","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes our system submission to the International Conference on Spoken Language Translation (IWSLT 2025), low-resource languages track, namely for Bemba-to-English speech translation. We built cascaded speech translation systems based on Whisper and NLLB-200, and employed data augmentation techniques, such as back-translation. We investigate the effect of using synthetic data and discuss our experimental setup.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.02518v3","authors":["Muhammad Hazim Al Farouq","Aman Kassahun Wassie","Yasmin Moslem"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.SD","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-05T09:51:56Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.16263v1","name":"iShumei-Chinchunmei at SemEval-2025 Task 4: A balanced forgetting and retention multi-task framework using effective unlearning loss","source":"arxiv","abstract":"As the Large Language Model (LLM) gains widespread adoption, increasing attention has been given to the challenge of making LLM forget non-compliant data memorized during its pre-training. Machine Unlearning focuses on efficiently erasing sensitive information from LLM under limited computational resources. To advance research in this area, SemEval 2025 Task 4: \"Unlearning Sensitive Content from Large Language Models\" introduces three unlearning datasets and establishes a benchmark by evaluating both forgetting effectiveness and the preservation of standard capabilities. In this work, we propose a more controllable forgetting loss, Effective Unlearning Loss, and explore its integration with various techniques to achieve more efficient and controlled unlearning. Our system ultimately ranked 5th on the competition leaderboard.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.16263v1","authors":["Yujian Sun","Tian Li"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-22T06:21:54Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.20047v3","name":"AraHealthQA 2025: The First Shared Task on Arabic Health Question Answering","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We introduce AraHealthQA 2025, the Comprehensive Arabic Health Question Answering Shared Task, held in conjunction with ArabicNLP 2025 (co-located with EMNLP 2025). This shared task addresses the paucity of high-quality Arabic medical QA resources by offering two complementary tracks: MentalQA, focusing on Arabic mental health Q&amp;A (e.g., anxiety, depression, stigma reduction), and MedArabiQ, covering broader medical domains such as internal medicine, pediatrics, and clinical decision making. Each track comprises multiple subtasks, evaluation datasets, and standardized metrics, facilitating fair benchmarking. The task was structured to promote modeling under realistic, multilingual, and culturally nuanced healthcare contexts. We outline the dataset creation, task design and evaluation framework, participation statistics, baseline systems, and summarize the overall outcomes. We conclude with reflections on the performance trends observed and prospects for future iterations in Arabic health QA.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.20047v3","authors":["Hassan Alhuzali","Walid Al-Eisawi","Muhammad Abdul-Mageed","Chaimae Abouzahir","Mouath Abu-Daoud","Ashwag Alasmari","Renad Al-Monef","Ali Alqahtani","Lama Ayash","Leen Kharouf","Farah E. Shamout","Nizar Habash"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-27T16:54:09Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.16175v1","name":"Colors and Dynamics of a Near-Sun Orbital Asteroid Family: 2021 PH27 and 2025 GN1","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We observed the dynamically similar near-Sun asteroids 2021 PH27 and 2025 GN1 for their optical colors. These objects have the lowest known semi-major axes of any asteroids. 2021 PH27 has the largest general relativistic effects of any known solar system object. The small semi-major axis and very close passage to the Sun suggests the extreme thermal and gravitational environment should highly modify these asteroids' surfaces. From g', r', i' and z'-band imaging, we find the colors of 2021 PH27 to be between the two major asteroid types the S and C classes (g'-r'= 0.58 +- 0.02, r'-i'=0.12 +- 0.02 and i'-z'=-0.08 +- 0.05 mags). With a spectral slope of 6.8 +-0.03 percent per 100nm, 2021 PH27 is a X-type asteroid and requires albedo or spectral features to further identify its composition. We find the dynamically similar 2025 GN1 also has very similar colors (g'-r'=0.55 +-0.06 and r'-i'=0.14 +-0.04) as 2021 PH27, suggesting these objects are fragments from a once larger parent asteroid or 2021 PH27 is shedding material. The colors are not blue like some other near-Sun asteroids such as 3200 Phaethon that have been interpreted to be from the loss of reddening substances from the extreme temperatures. There is no evidence of activity or a large amplitude period for 2021 PH27, whereas 2025 GN1 might have a more significant rotational light curve. 2025 GN1 may have a very close encounter or hit Venus in about 2155 years and likely separated from 2021 PH27 in about the last 10 kyrs.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.16175v1","authors":["Scott Sheppard","Henry Hsieh","Petr Pokorny","David Tholen","Audrey Thirouin","Carlos Contreras","Marcelo Mora","Mauricio Martinez","Ivonne Toro"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-22T18:03:15Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.06567v1","name":"Mount Rainier and Liberty Cap Elevation Survey 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In 2024, we discovered that Columbia Crest, the historical summit of Mount Rainier, was no longer the highest point on the mountain. Instead, a point 133 m (436 ft) to the south along the southwest rim (SW Rim) was determined to be the new highest point on Mount Rainier. The Columbia Crest icecap melted down 6.64 m (21.8 ft) since 1998. A nearby peak, Liberty Cap, melted down 8.02 m (26.3 ft) since 2007. For this report, updated elevation measurements were taken in late summer 2025 of Columbia Crest and Liberty Cap. Columbia Crest melted an additional 0.37 m (1.2 ft) and Liberty Cap melted 0.67 m (2.2 ft) over the last year. To understand how Mount Rainier's summit may continue to evolve, we used ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to measure the thickness of the Columbia Crest icecap and Liberty Cap. As of 2025, ice is approximately 2 m - 5 m (6.6 ft - 16.5 ft) thick near the summit of Columbia Crest and 10 m - 13 m (32.8 ft - 42.7ft) thick near the summit of Liberty Cap. Using recent measurements by our team and other surveyors, melt rates for Columbia Crest have been -0.27 m/year (-0.9 ft/year) since 1998 (R squared = 0.990) and -0.49 m/year (-1.6 ft/year) for Liberty Cap since 2007 (R squared = 0.998). Based on the elevation of the nearest high-elevation visible rock, Liberty Cap will lose its status as an ice-capped peak by 2041. Assuming recent rates of change continue, it will melt to bedrock by 2047. Columbia Crest is already no longer the highest point on Mount Rainier, and it will likely melt to bedrock by 2045. As of 2025, our results indicate that the summit of Mount Rainier on the SW Rim is at an elevation of 4391.04 m (14406.3 ft +/- 0.1 ft) (NAVD88).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.06567v1","authors":["Eric Gilbertson","Larry Signani","Branden Joy","Daniel McGrath","Darin Loucks","Ethan O'Connor","Shannon Cheng","Scott Hotaling"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-06T21:01:33Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2511.11763v2","name":"Comment on \"Black hole in Dehnen $(1,\\,4,\\,\\frac{1}{2})$ dark matter halo: exact solution, lensing, light ring, and thermodynamics (EPJC 85 (2025) 1256)\"","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In a recent article, the author of Ref. [EPJC 85 (2025) 1256] constructed an exact solution describing a static, spherically symmetric black hole embedded in a Dehnen-($α, β, γ$) type dark matter halo with the parameter choice $α=1,\\,β=4,\\,γ=1/2$. The author first derived the density profile, which was subsequently integrated to obtain the mass profile, and this mass profile was then employed in constructing the exact metric solution. In this comment, we demonstrate that both the density profile and the mass profile obtained in Ref. [EPJC 85 (2025) 1256] contain fundamental mathematical errors that invalidate the subsequent analysis.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.11763v2","authors":["Ahmad Al-Badawi","Faizuddin Ahmed","İzzet Sakallı"],"tags":["gr-qc"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-14T03:15:54Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.07459v2","name":"AIxcellent Vibes at GermEval 2025 Shared Task on Candy Speech Detection: Improving Model Performance by Span-Level Training","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Positive, supportive online communication in social media (candy speech) has the potential to foster civility, yet automated detection of such language remains underexplored, limiting systematic analysis of its impact. We investigate how candy speech can be reliably detected in a 46k-comment German YouTube corpus by monolingual and multilingual language models, including GBERT, Qwen3 Embedding, and XLM-RoBERTa. We find that a multilingual XLM-RoBERTa-Large model trained to detect candy speech at the span level outperforms other approaches, ranking first in both binary positive F1: 0.8906) and categorized span-based detection (strict F1: 0.6307) subtasks at the GermEval 2025 Shared Task on Candy Speech Detection. We speculate that span-based training, multilingual capabilities, and emoji-aware tokenizers improved detection performance. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of multilingual models in identifying positive, supportive language.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.07459v2","authors":["Christian Rene Thelen","Patrick Gustav Blaneck","Tobias Bornheim","Niklas Grieger","Stephan Bialonski"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-09T07:29:14Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.05252v3","name":"Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS: discovery and physical description","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We describe the physical characteristics of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, discovered on 2025 July 1 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System. The comet has eccentricity, $e$ $\\simeq$ 6.08 and velocity at infinity, v$_{\\infty}$ $\\simeq$ 57 km/s, indicating an interstellar origin. \\textbf{We obtained B,V, R, I, g, r, i, and z photometry with the Kottamia Astronomical Observatory 1.88-m telescope, the Palomar 200-inch telescope, and the Astrophysical Research Consortium 3.5-m telescope on 2025 July 2, 3, and 6. We measured colour indices B-V=0.98$\\pm$0.23, V-R=0.71$\\pm$0.09, R-I=0.14$\\pm$0.10, g-r=0.84$\\pm$0.05 mag, r-i=0.16$\\pm$0.03 mag, i-z=-0.02$\\pm$0.07 mag, and g-i=1.00$\\pm$0.05 mag and a spectral slope of 16.0$\\pm$1.9 $\\%$/100 nm.} We calculate the dust cross-section within 10,000 km of the comet to be 184.6$\\pm$4.6 km$^2$, assuming an albedo of 0.10. 3I/ATLAS's coma has FWHM$\\simeq$2.2 arcsec and A(0$^\\circ$)f$ρ$=280.8$\\pm$3.2 cm. \\textbf{We estimate that 3I/ATLAS's \\textmu m-scale to mm-scale dust is ejected at $\\sim$0.01-1 m/s, implying a dust production of $\\sim$0.1 - 1.0 kg/s.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.05252v3","authors":["Bryce T. Bolin","Matthew Belyakov","Christoffer Fremling","Matthew J. Graham","Ahmed. M. Abdelaziz","Eslam Elhosseiny","Candace L. Gray","Carl Ingebretsen","Gracyn Jewett","Sergey Karpov","Mukremin Kilic","Martin Mašek","Mona Molham","Diana Roderick","Ali Takey","Carey M. Lisse","Laura-May Abron","Michael W. Coughlin","Cheng-Han Hsieh","Keith S. Noll","Ian Wong"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.GA","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-07T17:58:08Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.20237v2","name":"Efficient Speech Translation through Model Compression and Knowledge Distillation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Efficient deployment of large audio-language models for speech translation remains challenging due to their significant computational requirements. In this paper, we address this challenge through our system submissions to the \"Model Compression\" track at the International Conference on Spoken Language Translation (IWSLT 2025). We experiment with a combination of approaches including iterative layer pruning based on layer importance evaluation, low-rank adaptation with 4-bit quantization (QLoRA), and knowledge distillation. In our experiments, we use Qwen2-Audio-7B-Instruct for speech translation into German and Chinese. Our pruned (student) models achieve up to a 50% reduction in both model parameters and storage footprint, while retaining 97-100% of the translation quality of the in-domain (teacher) models.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.20237v2","authors":["Yasmin Moslem"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.SD","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-26T17:17:08Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.06506v2","name":"Pun Intended: Multi-Agent Translation of Wordplay with Contrastive Learning and Phonetic-Semantic Embeddings for CLEF JOKER 2025 Task 2","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Translating wordplay across languages presents unique challenges that have long confounded both professional human translators and machine translation systems. This research proposes a novel approach for translating puns from English to French by combining state-of-the-art large language models with specialized techniques for wordplay generation. Our methodology employs a three-stage approach. First, we establish a baseline using multiple frontier large language models with feedback based on a new contrastive learning dataset. Second, we implement a guided chain-of-thought pipeline with combined phonetic-semantic embeddings. Third, we implement a multi-agent generator-discriminator framework for evaluating and regenerating puns with feedback. Moving beyond the limitations of literal translation, our methodology's primary objective is to capture the linguistic creativity and humor of the source text wordplay, rather than simply duplicating its vocabulary. Our best runs earned first and second place in the CLEF JOKER 2025 Task 2 competition where they were evaluated manually by expert native French speakers. This research addresses a gap between translation studies and computational linguistics by implementing linguistically-informed techniques for wordplay translation, advancing our understanding of how language models can be leveraged to handle the complex interplay between semantic ambiguity, phonetic similarity, and the implicit cultural and linguistic awareness needed for successful humor.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.06506v2","authors":["Russell Taylor","Benjamin Herbert","Michael Sana"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.LG","cs.MA"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-09T03:09:14Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_13","name":"Epilogue","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_13","authors":["Antonino Del Popolo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-05T11:37:20Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_13","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/9780197800447.001.0001","name":"Reinventing SETI","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Reinventing SETI clears out the cobwebs of outdated or wrongheaded search-for-extraterrestrial-intelligence (SETI) paradigms such as Fermi’s Paradox, the Drake Equation, and messaging to extraterrestrial intelligence (METI) (i.e., proactively sending signals from Earth to putative aliens). The book makes the case that, whereas most past and current SETI searches assume that aliens are transmitting from their own star systems, Reinventing SETI argues that this would be a highly ineffective strategy for extraterrestrials (ETs). Consequently, the current SETI paradigm—observing stars one by one—is doomed to continue to fail. ETs’ much better strategy would be to send physical robotic probes to our own Solar System to surveil and possibly to communicate with humankind. Interstellar flight by biological beings is virtually impossible, and therefore these probes cannot be “manned” by little green men and must be robotic. Because ETs’ robotic probes are not far away but right here somewhere within our own Solar System, it is imperative that humankind prepare now for a possibly imminent encounter with one rather than in befuddlement of the moment after contact. Such contingency planning should involve international cooperation as well as broad cross-disciplinary expertise. Since the stakes will be paramount for all of humankind, an international treaty governing SETI, METI, postdetection protocols, and relations with ETs should be adopted. A draft treaty is proffered by the author.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/9780197800447.001.0001","authors":["John Gertz"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-09T15:42:58Z","doi":"10.1093/9780197800447.001.0001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_2","name":"Towards Complexity","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_2","authors":["Antonino Del Popolo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-05T11:37:15Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_9","name":"Carbon Chauvinism?","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_9","authors":["Antonino Del Popolo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-05T11:37:18Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_1","name":"Children of the Stars","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_1","authors":["Antonino Del Popolo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-05T11:37:18Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_7","name":"The New Worlds","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_7","authors":["Antonino Del Popolo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-05T11:37:22Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_3","name":"Are We Extraterrestrials?","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_3","authors":["Antonino Del Popolo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-05T11:37:23Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_10","name":"Where Is Everybody?","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_10","authors":["Antonino Del Popolo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-05T11:37:25Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_10","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_4","name":"Life on Earth","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_4","authors":["Antonino Del Popolo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-05T11:37:22Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-443-16041-7.00008-1","name":"Basalt fiber for extraterrestrial construction","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-443-16041-7.00008-1","authors":["Peng-Cheng Ma","Dan Xing"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-06T08:31:25Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-443-16041-7.00008-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_12","name":"We Are Not Alone","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_12","authors":["Antonino Del Popolo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-05T11:37:23Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_12","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1039/d5cp02278a/v1/review1","name":"Review for \"Molecular mobility of extraterrestrial ices: surface diffusion in astrochemistry and planetary science\"","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5cp02278a/v1/review1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-03T21:04:49Z","doi":"10.1039/d5cp02278a/v1/review1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_6","name":"The Universe and Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_6","authors":["Antonino Del Popolo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-05T11:37:24Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.5189031","name":"Laser Engraving Wood Projects: Synergizing Sustainable Manufacturing, Neural Interfaces, and Extraterrestrial Materials","source":"crossref","abstract":"This study synthesizes two in-depth papers to systematically explore the multidimensional impacts of laser engraving wood projects and handheld wood laser cutters in global sustainable manufacturing, cultural preservation, and interstellar exploration. Through interdisciplinary analysis (materials science, neural engineering, climate policy, astrobiology), it reveals how laser technology has become a cornerstone for addressing 21st-century challenges such as resource scarcity, cultural erosion, and climate crises, while proposing governance frameworks to balance innovation and ethics. Core Insights 1. Technological Breakthroughs and Material Revolutions Precision Manufacturing: Dual-wavelength laser systems (CO₂/diode) reduce wood waste by 37%, while AI-optimized paths improve material efficiency by 53% (MIT, 2024). Climate-Adaptive Materials: Chameleon Oak: Laser-engraved microfluidic channels enable temperature/humidity selfregulation (40% energy savings, ASHRAE). Mycelium Composites: CO₂-absorbing fungal networks embedded via lasers sequester 0.8kg CO₂/m² annually (Nature Climate, 2024). 2. Global Collaboration and Ethical Challenges Blockchain Forestry: Laser QR codes track legal timber, reducing illegal logging by 63% (UNEP). Cultural Carbon Index: Adjusts carbon credits to protect traditions like Swedish pine carving (Swedish Subsidy Crisis case). Neural Interface Debates: EEG-laser systems boost efficiency by 28% but risk \"creative homogenization\" (MIT NeuroFab trials).","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5189031","authors":["Hosea Hundley"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-01T05:24:04Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.5189031","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/083077","name":"54th IAA Symposium on the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) - The Next Steps","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/083077","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-16T14:18:27Z","doi":"10.52202/083077","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_11","name":"The Great Silence (Searching for ET)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_11","authors":["Antonino Del Popolo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-05T11:37:19Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_11","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.32739/uha.id.63952","name":"The simulation hypothesis, multiverses, and extraterrestrial intelligence: Striking theories on cosmic reality!","source":"crossref","abstract":"The simulation hypothesis, multiverses, and extraterrestrial intelligence: Striking theories on cosmic reality!","url":"https://doi.org/10.32739/uha.id.63952","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-18T07:36:26Z","doi":"10.32739/uha.id.63952","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_5","name":"Life in the Wanderers of Sky","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_5","authors":["Antonino Del Popolo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-05T11:37:15Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_8","name":"Is There Life on Extrasolar Planets?","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_8","authors":["Antonino Del Popolo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-05T11:37:13Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-031-83497-4_8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/9780197800447.003.0012","name":"Epilogue","source":"crossref","abstract":"Foolishness abounds in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), but it need not abide. For more than sixty years, the prevailing search paradig","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/9780197800447.003.0012","authors":["John Gertz"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-09T15:42:58Z","doi":"10.1093/9780197800447.003.0012","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/083088-0036","name":"Hybrid Structures for Extraterrestrial Bases","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/083088-0036","authors":["Arcady Dyskin","Elena Pasternak"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-16T14:22:20Z","doi":"10.52202/083088-0036","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00249-3","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00249-3","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-15T10:23:43Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00249-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00030-5","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00030-5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-07T14:44:32Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00030-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00664-8","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00664-8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-15T13:13:41Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00664-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/9780197800447.002.0005","name":"Preface","source":"crossref","abstract":"I have devoted the last quarter century of my life to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, commonly known by its acronym SETI. For a dozen years I was on the board of the SETI Institute,1 serving three terms as its chairman, and have been active ever since in the field. I love SETI and regard it as one of, if not the most, important scientific endeavors of our age. Until dissuaded by the editor and my wife, the first draft of this book was entitled SETI: A Fool’s Errand. The legitimate fear was that although the original title was chosen with at least some subtlety of intention, it would mislead one into thinking that I am an enemy to the subject, when in fact I am a tough-loving friend. To be sure, I do intend to throw some bombs, for I have more than a few quarrels to pick with prevalent SETI theory and practice. However, not all is scorn. If I tell you that all SETI scientists are “fools,” I do not mean it solely as a pejorative, and I decidedly include myself among this motley bunch. I do sometimes mean it in this literal sense, but I also mean it in the way that fools were often the wisest characters in a medieval court play.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/9780197800447.002.0005","authors":["John Gertz"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-09T15:42:58Z","doi":"10.1093/9780197800447.002.0005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00438-8","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00438-8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-15T15:34:21Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00438-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00161-x","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00161-x","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-21T21:08:21Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00161-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00326-7","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00326-7","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-06T15:43:16Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00326-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00519-9","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00519-9","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-11T14:52:09Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00519-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00547-8","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00547-8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-21T11:27:18Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00547-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00054-8","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00054-8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-20T03:17:18Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00054-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00289-4","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00289-4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-27T06:12:56Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00289-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00068-8","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00068-8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-09T03:38:10Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00068-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00212-2","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00212-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-09T05:13:28Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00212-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00566-1","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00566-1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-30T19:17:44Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00566-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00014-7","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00014-7","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-23T11:27:24Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00014-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00093-7","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00093-7","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-26T02:52:27Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00093-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/9780197800447.003.0001","name":"Introduction","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Foolishness abounds in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). This book sets as its goal the illumination of wrong mindedness. SETI scientists are “foolish” in devoting themselves to a field with neither assured funding nor a viable path to tenure. They can have no idea whether or when their quest might succeed. They have only a vague understanding of what the object of their quest might be. They are like medieval alchemists who in the absence of an atomic table or a correct molecular theory had no chance of fully understanding the materials on which they worked, much less transmuting lead into gold. Nonetheless, alchemists contributed to nascent material science. The fantastical imagery of the alchemists has much in common with the fantastical musings of SETI scientists, as often expressed in science fiction. Alchemy was a proto-science, and so is SETI. Alchemists knew little about the true nature of the matter they examined, but not nothing. Similarly, SETI scientists do know some things about extraterrestrials, and what is and is not known about aliens is explored in this chapter. The greatest degree of foolishness is ascribed to policy makers who have taken no steps to prepare for a possible alien encounter.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/9780197800447.003.0001","authors":["John Gertz"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-09T15:42:58Z","doi":"10.1093/9780197800447.003.0001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/9780197800447.002.0004","name":"Foreword","source":"crossref","abstract":"Most historians consider the classical age of exploration to have begun in the fifteenth century, initiating a program of reconnaissance that lasted 200 years. During this period, Europeans charted and surveilled the majority of Earth’s surface, filling in one by one the blank spaces on globes. We have now accurately mapped coastlines and continents from pole to pole. But in the 1960s, a new stage of exploration was ushered in as robotic spacecraft investigated the Moon and other nearby worlds of our Solar System. While it’s true that humans have still not ventured farther than our own natural satellite, our mechanical probes have. And they’ve taught us more about our cosmic neighbors—tens of millions of miles distant—than the Romans knew of their own planet. Imaginative science fiction has convinced much of the public that this crossing of the “final frontier” will inevitably lead to the extension of humanity’s dominion to nearby space. In this view, we are the last generation to be confined to a single planet, and our descendants will settle the Solar System. We will also learn of other beings in other worlds.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/9780197800447.002.0004","authors":["John Gertz"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-09T15:42:58Z","doi":"10.1093/9780197800447.002.0004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/rcm.10127/v2/review1","name":"Review for \"Stable Nitrogen Isotope Analysis of Amino Acids by Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry: Application for Extraterrestrial Samples\"","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.10127/v2/review1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-01T00:25:23Z","doi":"10.1002/rcm.10127/v2/review1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/rcm.10127/v1/review1","name":"Review for \"Stable Nitrogen Isotope Analysis of Amino Acids by Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry: Application for Extraterrestrial Samples\"","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.10127/v1/review1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-01T00:25:23Z","doi":"10.1002/rcm.10127/v1/review1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7551/mitpress/15051.003.0007","name":"Extraterrestrial Impacts","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/15051.003.0007","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-15T18:58:16Z","doi":"10.7551/mitpress/15051.003.0007","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.47611/jsrhs.v14i1.8454","name":"The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"Based on the following topic, I hope to share some of my personal perspectives and ideas. This is also a key topic I am researching during this summer period, and I will elaborate on my thoughts through a detailed article. Topic: S.E.T.I, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Discuss the search for intelligent life elsewhere, given the present scientific knowledge. Make sure to stick to the science and avoid sci-fi. Discuss the past and present efforts made to detect artificial radio signals, and especially the reasons why certain radio frequencies are better than others. You may also discuss present efforts to detect laser beams from other planets. Phase I may include, for instance, the early attempts of SETI using radio frequencies at the ‘water hole’ and reasons why these were chosen.","url":"https://doi.org/10.47611/jsrhs.v14i1.8454","authors":["Fengyi Jiang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-25T19:10:01Z","doi":"10.47611/jsrhs.v14i1.8454","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01364-w","name":"AI scientist ‘team’ joins the search for extraterrestrial life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-01364-w","authors":["Celeste Biever"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-02T13:47:42Z","doi":"10.1038/d41586-025-01364-w","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/egusphere-egu25-3111","name":"Were heterochiral polymers relevant in primordial and extraterrestrial life scenarios?","source":"crossref","abstract":"Agent-based simulations are employed to describe the early biological selection of oligomers made of monomers with different chirality. These simulations consider the spatial distribution of agents and resources, the balance of biomass of different chirality and the balance of chemical energy. In line with prebiotic chemical models, a disadvantage is attributed to the change in chirality within the biochemical sequence. The model includes a racemic amino acid pool, based on evidence from meteorites and Miller&amp;#8217;s experiments. It is also assumed that the earliest life forms, being extremely primitive, were heterotrophic. Under these assumptions, the simulations show that biological sequences are not strictly homochiral but exhibit a few chirality changes. These results suggest that the current dominance of homochiral species may have been preceded by a more structurally varied biochemistry. This could be reflected in the few existing heterochiral proteins, which do not conform to the typical structures of alpha-helices or beta sheets. Alternative biochemistries might rely on such heterochiral proteins.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-3111","authors":["Savino Longo","Gaia Micca Longo","Gianluigi Casimo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-14T17:20:51Z","doi":"10.5194/egusphere-egu25-3111","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.5215113","name":"Stars and Rights: Intellectual Property Licensing for Extraterrestrial Technologies -A New Frontier in IP Law","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5215113","authors":["Ed Koellner"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-06T19:00:40Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.5215113","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3997/2214-4609.202533141","name":"Exploring Extraterrestrial Organic Carbons: Insights from Basaltic Rock and Hot Springs","source":"crossref","abstract":"Summary This study investigates the preservation and formation of organic molecules in extraterrestrial bodies, focusing on the Martian meteorite Tissint and Earth analogs like hot spring sinters. Using advanced organic-clean protocols, pyrolysis, and micro-cryo-trap techniques, the researchers identified indigenous organic molecules embedded in the meteorite. Mass spectrometry and algorithmic deconvolution enabled precise identification of these compounds, revealing thermal and spatial variations in their structures. These findings suggest that impact hydrothermalism and magmatism played significant roles in organic molecule synthesis. The study also indicates that organic molecules’ preservation and recalcitrance are influenced by their proximity to hydrothermal features, with locations slightly away from vents potentially offering better chances for detecting primitive molecules. The proposed methodology provides a robust framework for identifying and analyzing organic compounds, offering crucial insights for the search for life-related markers on Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3997/2214-4609.202533141","authors":["H. Xu","Q. Liu","Z. Jin","D Zhu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-25T19:48:52Z","doi":"10.3997/2214-4609.202533141","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/9780197800447.003.0002","name":"Fermi’s Faux Paradox","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract It is argued that if the universe is infinite, as it appears to be, then aliens must exist. If we are one of a multitude of civilizations, then this supports the Copernican worldview. If we are all alone in the vastness of space, then perhaps Aristotle and Ptolemy were somewhat correct. Search-for-extraterrestrial-intelligence proponents tend to argue that the Copernican Principle demands that there be multitudes of other civilizations. However, humankind is hardly ordinary, in that having only in the last century developed the means by which to communicate with extraterrestrials or launch probes of its own, it must be the youngest of all civilizations in the galaxy. Hart and Tipler first postulated that if other civilizations existed in our galaxy, they would certainly have by now colonized our Solar System. This is a position falsely attributed to Enrico Fermi and therefore commonly referred to as Fermi’s Paradox. Since this is neither a paradox nor authored by Fermi, we prefer to call it, after David Brin, “the Great Silence.” Several plausible reasons for the Great Silence are considered.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/9780197800447.003.0002","authors":["John Gertz"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-09T15:42:58Z","doi":"10.1093/9780197800447.003.0002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-70379-3_1","name":"The Chemistry of Extraterrestrial Life Forms","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-70379-3_1","authors":["Karsten Müller"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-13T18:41:11Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-70379-3_1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/egusphere-egu25-19838","name":"A novel approach using Machine Learning to objectively classify terrestrial and extraterrestrial river networks","source":"crossref","abstract":"Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the field of geomorphology, offering a robust tool for objective and quantitative analyses. This pioneering study proposes an innovative framework based on Machine Learning clustering techniques, capable of classifying drainage patterns into multiple morphological classes. This work follows up on a related study in which an attempt at classifying 156 terrestrial and extraterrestrial (Mars and Titan) river networks was made. Rivers&amp;#8217; outlines are intrinsically noisy, difficult to isolate from the background, and can be ambiguous for the human eye. The previous works have been focused on accurately classifying patterns, using the expertise of morphologists, thus introducing a weak link, the human eye, in the chain. This time, a reliable, automatic, and scalable methodology has been obtained, leveraging computers&amp;#8217; precision, objectivity, and computational power. The HydroRIVERS dataset, a publicly available data bank containing vector data, was utilized in this study. All HydroRIVERS data layers are provided in a geographic projection (latitude/longitude), referenced to the WGS84 datum. Each data layer includes an attribute table with information on the morphometric characteristics of each river reach. The input parameters for the clustering models included morphometric features such as LENGTH_KM, DIS_AV_CMS, ORD_STRA, ORD_CLAS, and ORD_FLOW.During a preliminary experiment, a local convexity test was conducted to determine the optimal number of clusters (k) to identify the best metric values. This test made sure that the number of clusters with the highest evaluation metric was selected, varying in a closed numeric interval. Each cluster corresponds to a specific river class. Significant results were obtained with k = 6, k = 8, k = 10, and k = 12. Subsequently, the K-Means algorithm was applied, grouping the dataset into distinct clusters based on the morphometric parameters. The results were remarkable, with 10 being the best value for k. The results indicate that the clustering algorithm is able to optimally separate the dataset, producing a high inter-cluster distance and a low intra-cluster distance. The dataset points along the features, as highlighted by the three principal components obtained by performing PCA on the final five-dimensional clustering resulting vector space, are well grouped in relatively small clusters, far away from each other. The next step involves using the centroids obtained from the analysis of the large dataset as a reference for classifying the 155 rivers. In general, the centroids obtained from this kind of Learning could be of great value to the scientific community, establishing a new and innovative way of discerning between different classes of rivers without having to manually analyze and inspect images. This approach promises efficient and accurate classification of both terrestrial and extraterrestrial drainage patterns.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-19838","authors":["Mariarca D'Aniello","Carlo Donadio"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-15T05:58:15Z","doi":"10.5194/egusphere-egu25-19838","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.12795/themata.2025.i71.12","name":"Loeb, Avi. Interstellar: the search for extraterrestrial life and our future in the stars..","source":"crossref","abstract":"2023) una contribución que puede ser vista, en el plano temático, como continuación de otra exitosa obra suya de divulgación: Extraterrestrial (2021).Interstellar se divide en dos partes.En la primera, se exponen los pasos ya dados y todavía por dar en el ejercicio de abordar el futuro de la humanidad en un contexto interestelar.En la segunda, \"the last five chapters of Interstellar are more wide-ranging, even somewhat spiritual\" (p.9).","url":"https://doi.org/10.12795/themata.2025.i71.12","authors":["Unai Buil Zamorano"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-22T07:59:57Z","doi":"10.12795/themata.2025.i71.12","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/rcm.10127/v2/review2","name":"Review for \"Stable Nitrogen Isotope Analysis of Amino Acids by Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry: Application for Extraterrestrial Samples\"","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.10127/v2/review2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-01T00:25:23Z","doi":"10.1002/rcm.10127/v2/review2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.20944/preprints202506.2120.v1","name":"Gauging Extraterrestrial Sentience &amp; Intelligence: Substrate-Agnostic Metrics for ETI Beyond the Kardashev Scale","source":"crossref","abstract":"Traditional search methodologies for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) have largely focused on detecting technological signatures indicative of large-scale energy consumption, often relying on frameworks like the Kardashev Scale. However, the fundamental quest of SETI is for intelligence itself. Responding to the compelling arguments presented in Olev Vinn's \"Technological Signatures of Super Civilizations\" (2025, doi: 10.20944/preprints202506.1875.v1), which questions the universal applicability of such energy-centric paradigms, this article proposes that a more nuanced approach—grounded in substrate-agnostic metrics for sentience and cognition—is better aligned with SETI's core mission. By synthesizing two pivotal conceptual models—one focused on a species-agnostic understanding of cognition across all living organisms, and another proposing a substrate-agnostic framework for the emergence of sentience and consciousness via universal mechanisms—we construct a robust theoretical foundation for understanding mind and consciousness as emergent properties that transcend both species and material substrates. We argue that this integrated view is crucial for guiding the search for ETI, suggesting that truly advanced civilizations may not leave grand energetic signatures, but rather exhibit subtle, efficient, and ecologically harmonious cognitive and sentient expressions. This paradigm shift advocates for methodologies focused on detecting patterns of complex information integration and adaptive self-regulation, rather than solely brute energy.","url":"https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202506.2120.v1","authors":["Berend Watchus"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-26T00:59:17Z","doi":"10.20944/preprints202506.2120.v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-69359-9_67","name":"Beyond the Horizon: A Statistical Odyssey in the Quest for Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-69359-9_67","authors":["Miodrag Lovric"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-19T23:17:22Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-69359-9_67","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/rcm.10127/v1/review2","name":"Review for \"Stable Nitrogen Isotope Analysis of Amino Acids by Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry: Application for Extraterrestrial Samples\"","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.10127/v1/review2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-01T00:25:23Z","doi":"10.1002/rcm.10127/v1/review2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/epsc-dps2025-218","name":"The signatures of intact polar lipids in pyrolysis as indicators of viable extraterrestrial life","source":"crossref","abstract":"Distinguishing between viable and deceased life is a crucial objective for both in situ life-detection missions and planetary protection protocols. On Earth, the presence of intact polar lipids (IPLs) has been used as an indicator for the presence of viable life. This is because many IPLs are rapidly degraded following death of the host organism (Harvey et al. , 1986). Typically, IPLs are detected and characterised using liquid-based extraction and chromatography techniques (e.g. Zink et al., 2003) that are not well-suited to extraterrestrial settings due to contamination concerns and difficulties with transporting solvents (Sephton et al., 2023).Instead, in situ organic analyses are generally performed by raising the sample temperature to thermally release organic material for subsequent characterisation. This pyrolysis process causes thermochemical decomposition, potentially obscuring diagnostic organic compounds. To overcome this issue, laboratory experiments pyrolysing standard compounds of interest can be used to determine the pyrolytic signatures of diagnostic species, so that they can be recognised in the results of future extraterrestrial experiments (Royle et al., 2021).In this project we aimed to establish the signature products of IPLs in pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (pyrolysis-GC-MS) experiments, and compare these signatures to those of their post-mortem degradation products. Hence, products identified as being unique to the IPL could serve as markers of viable organisms when using pyrolysis techniques suitable for extraterrestrial environments. Natural samples, including a bacterial culture, were pyrolysed to evaluate the potential for these signatures to be discerned in complex organic assemblages.We identified monoglycerides as a unique signature of ester-bound IPLs in pyrolysis. Monoglycerides are especially pertinent as they preserve the ester bond in the parent IPL which has been specifically shown to be susceptible to post-mortem enzymatic hydrolysis (Harvey et al., 1986). Following this recognition, monoglycerides were successfully targeted and detected in the pyrolysis of the bacterial culture.Ether-bound lipids typical of archaea exhibited less distinctive signatures. The resulting limitations will be outlined along with considerations prompted by the potential for extra-terrestrial biochemistry to vary beyond life as we know it. The potential confounding influence of inorganic minerals will also be explored.This project has shown that the distinctive signatures of IPLs can be detected using in-situ organic analyses, expanding the capabilities of existing life-detection instrumentation. As a highly sensitive and relatively simple procedure, the use of pyrolysis-GC-MS to detect the signatures of viable life may also have application in planetary protection procedures aiming to minimise the risk of releasing harmful alien organisms into the terrestrial biosphere.References:Harvey, H. R., Fallon, R. D., &amp; Patton, J. S. (1986). The effect of organic matter and oxygen on the degradation of bacterial membrane lipids in marine sediments. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 50(5), 795-804. Royle, S. H., Tan, J. S., Watson, J. S., &amp; Sephton, M. A. (2021). Pyrolysis of carboxylic acids in the presence of iron oxides: implications for life detection on missions to Mars. Astrobiology, 21(6), 673-691. Sephton, M. A., Tan, J. S., Watson, J. S., Hickman-Lewis, K., &amp; Madariaga, J. M. (2023). Organic geochemistry of in situ thermal-based analyses on Mars: the importance and influence of minerals. Journal of the Geological Society, 180(5), jgs2022-152. Zink, K. G., Wilkes, H., Disko, U., Elvert, M., &amp; Horsfield, B. (2003). Intact phospholipids—microbial “life markers” in marine deep subsurface sediments. Organic geochemistry, 34(6), 755-769.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc-dps2025-218","authors":["Solomon Hirsch","Mark A. Sephton"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-09T15:12:38Z","doi":"10.5194/epsc-dps2025-218","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109644","name":"Key pathways towards sustainable processing of critical minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"• AI-driven sentiment analysis evaluates corporate sustainability in mining reports. • Six drivers outline pathways to sustainable processing and circular economy. • Direct lithium extraction cuts CO 2 footprint to 500–3000 kg per tonne. • In-situ copper leaching reduces energy use by 75 % and water use by 78 %. • Sentiment metrics reveal sustainability performance variation across 17 mining firms. The global transition to renewable energy and electrification has placed unprecedented pressure on the mining sector to deliver critical minerals such as lithium and copper while simultaneously addressing the environmental and societal challenges inherent to traditional processing operations. This paper summarizes some key concepts and challenges that were presented as part of a keynote address at Critical Minerals’24 including a sentiment analysis assessed by artificial intelligence driven algorithms focused on copper extraction. Utilizing case studies from lithium and copper mining, the paper highlights emerging innovations in direct lithium extraction, in-situ leaching, and advanced water reuse systems. Our discussions emphasize the need for systemic transformation through technological advancements, transparent metrics, and stakeholder engagement. We suggest that by adopting key specific drivers as foundational principles, the mining industry has the opportunity to decisively lead the green innovation chain, creating long-term value for society and the environment. Six key drivers for this transformation are based on (1) Operations Powered by Renewable Sources; (2) Systemic Adoption of Corporate Purpose; (3) Welcoming Premium Pricing in Commodities Markets; (4) Pioneering Green Innovations on the Global Stage; (5) Focusing on Step-Change Technologies; and (6) Embracing Recycling and Circular Economy Practices. Through the lens of these drivers, this discussion paper explores how the industry can align with global sustainability goals while maintaining economic viability.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109644","authors":["Faig Gasimov","Richard A. Williams","Mittran G. Krishanan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-29T00:50:57Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109644","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4337/9781803925479.00041","name":"Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4337/9781803925479.00041","authors":["Jason T. Wright"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-24T14:08:50Z","doi":"10.4337/9781803925479.00041","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9781107300668.030","name":"References","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781107300668.030","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-07-05T05:03:51Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9781107300668.030","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2476368","name":"Minerals from the Historic Mines of Butte, Montana","source":"crossref","abstract":"All specimen photos by Daniel Evanich of specimens in his collectionFor more than 125 years the historic mines of Butte, Montana, produced tens of thousands of tons of silver, copper, zinc, and man...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2476368","authors":["Daniel Evanich"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-24T16:36:30Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2476368","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/rcm.10127/v1/decision1","name":"Decision letter for \"Stable Nitrogen Isotope Analysis of Amino Acids by Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry: Application for Extraterrestrial Samples\"","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.10127/v1/decision1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-01T00:25:23Z","doi":"10.1002/rcm.10127/v1/decision1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16010009","name":"Potential Occurrence of Accessory Minerals in the Lower Mantle","source":"crossref","abstract":"In a seminal paper V.M. Goldschmidt pointed out that, in terms of volume of the constituent ions, Earth’s crust and mantle are basically a packing of negatively charged oxygen ions bound together by the volumetrically barely significant cations. Here, this statement is revisited using modern assessments of mantle composition and pressure-dependent ionic radii. It is found that the transition to the lower mantle marks a reduction in the O2− crystal ionic volume percentage from 86 to less than 80%, significant enough to suggest an overall reduced compatibility of less abundant elements within the first few hundred km of depth below that transition from lower-mantle to upper-mantle rock. An equivalent drop across both, the 410- and 670 km mantle discontinuities occurs for large polyhedral sites, which are the potential hosts for incompatible elements. Accordingly, most large ionic lithophiles and rare earth elements in the lower mantle are highly enriched in one minor phase, davemaoite. It is proposed that those minor and trace elements that are less compatible with this mineral, such as some of the high-field strength elements, are concentrated in yet unknown accessory minerals that potentially affect geochemical signatures of deep mantle-derived igneous rocks.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16010009","authors":["Oliver Tschauner"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-26T03:06:02Z","doi":"10.3390/min16010009","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/rcm.10127/v2/decision1","name":"Decision letter for \"Stable Nitrogen Isotope Analysis of Amino Acids by Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry: Application for Extraterrestrial Samples\"","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.10127/v2/decision1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-01T00:25:23Z","doi":"10.1002/rcm.10127/v2/decision1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.20944/preprints202506.0251.v1","name":"An Optimised Spider-Inspired Soft Actuator for Extraterrestrial Exploration","source":"crossref","abstract":"Extraterrestrial exploration presents unique challenges for robotic systems, where traditional rigid rovers face limitations in stowage volume, traction on unpredictable terrain, and susceptibility to damage. Soft robotics offers promising solutions through bio-inspired designs that can mimic natural locomotion mechanisms. We present an optimised soft spider-inspired jumping robot for extraterrestrial exploration that addresses key challenges in soft robotics: actuation efficiency, controllability, and deployment. Drawing inspiration from spider physiology, particularly their hydraulic extension mechanism, we develop a lightweight limb capable of multi-modal behaviour with significantly reduced energy requirements. Our 3D-printed soft actuator leverages pressure-driven collapse for efficient retraction and pressure-enhanced rapid extension, achieving a power-to-weight ratio of 249 W/kg. The integration of a non-backdriveable clutch mechanism enables the system to hold positions with zero energy expenditure—a critical feature for space applications. Experimental characterisation and a subsequent optimisation methodology across various materials, dimensions, and pressures reveals that the robot can achieve jumping heights of up to 0.92 body lengths. The collapsible nature of the soft limb enables efficient stowage during spacecraft transit, while the integrated pumping system facilitates self-deployment upon arrival. This work demonstrates how biologically-inspired design principles can be effectively applied to develop versatile robotic systems optimised for the unique constraints of extraterrestrial exploration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202506.0251.v1","authors":["Jonah Mack","Maks Gepner","Francesco Giorgio-Serchi","Adam A. Stokes"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-04T21:44:56Z","doi":"10.20944/preprints202506.0251.v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.33774/coe-2025-59089","name":"Micro Forests in Space Habitats: Ecological Practices, Perception, and Interconnectedness in Bio Architecture and Extraterrestrial Environments","source":"crossref","abstract":"Sustainable space exploration necessitates a paradigm shift from anthropocentric models toward a more-than-human perspective, recognizing non-human organisms like flora, fungi, and bacteria as critical participants not only in human health in space but in environmental transformation. This paper examines micro forests as case studies for ecological interventions in space habitats, drawing on Jakob von Uexküll’s (1926) concept of umwelt—the perceptual world unique to each organism—as well as a history of plants aboard the ISS (Häuplik-Meusberger and Paterson, 2014) to imagine the myriad ways humans in symbiosis with other organisms will design and iterate extraterrestrial regenerative environments. By incorporating multispecies perception, this study aligns with David Abram’s (1996) phenomenological exploration of interspecies interconnectedness and Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky’s (1926) thesis on life as a geological force, contributing to discussions about scalable bio-engineering solutions, from space habitats to cultivated space landscapes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.33774/coe-2025-59089","authors":["Luis Guzmán","Carrie Paterson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-27T10:00:43Z","doi":"10.33774/coe-2025-59089","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1163/1877-5888_rpp_sim_01328","name":"Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1163/1877-5888_rpp_sim_01328","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-10-30T01:04:59Z","doi":"10.1163/1877-5888_rpp_sim_01328","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.784Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9781107300668.001","name":"Preface","source":"crossref","abstract":"Stars and planetary bodies have a special place in our study of the universe. Identifying new planets and stars has a long history in astronomy, and studying their complex surface phenomena continues to be an important scientific endeavor in planetary science and astrophysics. With the advent of modern observational techniques and approaches to data analysis, it is now possible to probe their internal structure at increasingly high resolution and to monitor subtle changes in the deep interiors. Indeed, having more accurate and detailed information about the stellar and planetary interiors helps us understand the evolution of stars and planetary bodies. Such information is invaluable for studying the links between subsurface structures and surface processes, too. Seismology is therefore central to our quests for understanding their interiors and surfaces. It provides a set of powerful and versatile tools capable of revealing the hidden phenomena inside the Earth, the Moon, and the Sun, amongst other stars, asteroids, planets, and their satellites. Why extraterrestrial seismology? In seismic studies, it is critically important to be able to relate any measurable or scientifically significant effects associated with seismic waves to the spatially varying physical properties in the subsurface. Research into the modeling of seismic sources and wave propagation in different stellar and planetary media has allowed scientists to build this foundation for imaging the interiors of stars and planetary bodies. Advances in the acquisition, processing, and modeling of seismic data as a whole have drastically improved the quality of the seismic images and information we have about the subsurface. Encompassing both the theoretical studies of seismic phenomena and technical applications of seismic imaging developed over the past few decades, seismology is both a pure and an applied science. The pure and applied nature of seismology underpins many major breakthroughs across modern solid-earth planetary, and astrophysical sciences: the discovery of the Earth's and lunar cores, the presence of complex time-dependent differential rotation patterns of the solar interior, and the characterization of the inner radiative cores of red giants, to name but a few.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781107300668.001","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-07-05T05:03:51Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9781107300668.001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0015","name":"References","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0015","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-17T17:56:20Z","doi":"10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0015","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/1.j065398","name":"Introduction to the Resilient and Smart Extraterrestrial Habitats Virtual Collection","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/1.j065398","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-26T14:27:38Z","doi":"10.2514/1.j065398","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.5880302","name":"Resource-Recycling Modular Expansion System for Constructing Extraterrestrial Habitats via Multi-Cargo Transport and In-Space Structural Integration","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5880302","authors":["Satoshi Kawauchi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-30T21:29:01Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.5880302","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1039/d5cp02278a/v1/decision1","name":"Decision letter for \"Molecular mobility of extraterrestrial ices: surface diffusion in astrochemistry and planetary science\"","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5cp02278a/v1/decision1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-03T21:04:49Z","doi":"10.1039/d5cp02278a/v1/decision1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.20944/preprints202512.0467.v1","name":"Making Outer Space Legal: The “Appearance” of Extraterrestrial Intelligence at the Dawn of the Space Age","source":"crossref","abstract":"In the mid-1950s, the world’s space law practitioner, Andrew G. Haley, proposed the concept of Metalaw, the law governing interactions between all beings in the Universe, as he represented the American Rocket Society in the International Astronautical Congress, the single largest gathering of space-faring nations. Haley, with experience in radio communications law dating back to the 1930s, played a pivotal role in addressing the international allocation of radio frequencies in space. Haley was, too, an agile mediator with the Soviet Union and its bloc, acting across various organizations and forums. This article, in contextualizing Haley’s introduction of Metalaw, shows how the onset of the Space Age coincided with the emergence of a contact scenario involving extraterrestrial intelligence enabled by the corresponding techno-scientific capabilities of the time. It demonstrates how extraterrestrial intelligence discursively addressed outer space regulation as a bone of contention between the two geopolitically divided parts, a regulation upon which the US’s global satellite system would depend. The analysis in this article recounts the birth of the Metalaw concept at the intersection of outer space imaginary, law, international organizations, science and technology, diplomacy, the Space Race, the Cold War, and radio astronomy’s Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence.","url":"https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202512.0467.v1","authors":["Gabriela Radulescu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-05T08:17:57Z","doi":"10.20944/preprints202512.0467.v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.5380483","name":"The Use of Artificial Intelligence in SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence): A Literature Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5380483","authors":["Abid Hossain Rion","Mashrufa Meghla Any"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-12T10:09:39Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.5380483","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-444-89198-3.50008-8","name":"Extraterrestrial soils — the lunar experience","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-444-89198-3.50008-8","authors":["J.F. Lindsay"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-08-30T18:42:03Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-444-89198-3.50008-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/9780197800447.003.0008","name":"There’s No Place Like Home","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Biological aliens have no reason to visit Earth for lack of energy or materials, since solar systems have vast abundances of both. Even in the eventual demise of their stars, it would be easier to move toward the outer solar system as the star enters its red giant phase and then toward the inner solar system as the star collapses into a white dwarf than to attempt the long journey to another star system. Other in situ solutions to star death are considered. Because sheltering in place is extraterrestrials’ only viable solution, our best strategy to detect aliens is to point our telescopes not at star systems like our own, in accordance with the standard search-for-extraterrestrial-intelligence observational protocol, but at dying stars. Aliens may have created vast, and possibly detectable, feats of astroengineering to allow for their in situ survival.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/9780197800447.003.0008","authors":["John Gertz"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-09T15:42:58Z","doi":"10.1093/9780197800447.003.0008","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2451597","name":"Coming Events","source":"crossref","abstract":"NOTICE TO CLUBS—Listing of all shows is a free service provided by ROCKS & MINERALS. Information on upcoming shows must be received at least four months before date of publication. Include date, pl...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2451597","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-15T18:06:01Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2451597","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.38164282.14","name":"Aquinas on Intelligent Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.38164282.14","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-25T20:36:34Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.38164282.14","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109741","name":"Artificial intelligence transforming minerals engineering: Key trends in literature and applications","source":"crossref","abstract":"Artificial Intelligence (AI) is progressively reshaping the landscape of minerals engineering, driving advancements across exploration, mining, and processing. This review systematically examines the current applications of AI in these domains, highlighting its role in optimizing resource estimation, enhancing safety, and improving operational efficiency. Through a bibliometric analysis, trends, key contributors, and geographical distributions in AI-related research within minerals engineering are explored, revealing a significant rise in AI-focused studies and a global shift towards integrating these technologies. In exploration, AI techniques such as machine learning (ML) and data analytics are utilized for mineral prospectivity mapping (MPM) and anomaly detection, facilitating more precise resource identification. In mining operations, AI aids in optimizing extraction processes, predicting equipment failures, and enabling autonomous systems for increased safety. Within mineral processing, AI contributes to real-time monitoring, process optimization, and product quality improvement through advanced modeling and control systems. Despite these advancements, challenges persist, including data quality, integration complexities, and the need for interdisciplinary expertise. This review underscores AI’s transformative impact on the sector and outlines the need for continued research and collaboration to overcome existing barriers and unlock AI’s full potential in minerals engineering.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109741","authors":["Hang Yang","Wei Feng","Hongli Diao","Shibin Xia"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-26T19:34:51Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109741","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2476918","name":"Coming Events","source":"crossref","abstract":"NOTICE TO CLUBS—Listing of all shows is a free service provided by ROCKS & MINERALS. Information on upcoming shows must be received at least four months before date of publication. Include date, pl...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2476918","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-24T16:36:30Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2476918","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2476916","name":"Museum Notes","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Society of Mineral Museum Professionals (SMMP) held its board and general meetings in conjunction with the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show in February. Upcoming are meetings at the Hard Rock Summit...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2476916","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-24T16:36:30Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2476916","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2532354","name":"Coming Events","source":"crossref","abstract":"NOTICE TO CLUBS—Listing of all shows is a free service provided by ROCKS & MINERALS. Information on upcoming shows must be received at least four months before date of publication. Include date, pl...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2532354","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-28T18:04:54Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2532354","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2422780","name":"Museum Notes","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Society of Mineral Museum Professionals (SMMP) held a meeting at the Munich Show (Mineralientage) this past October. See accompanying photo of members of the group in attendance.The A. E. Seama...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2422780","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-24T20:28:01Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2422780","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2422782","name":"Coming Events","source":"crossref","abstract":"NOTICE TO CLUBS—Listing of all shows is a free service provided by ROCKS & MINERALS. Information on upcoming shows must be received at least four months before date of publication. Include date, pl...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2422782","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-24T20:28:01Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2422782","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2451594","name":"Museum Notes","source":"crossref","abstract":"Now on display at the Maine Mineral & Gem Museum, in Bethel, is Micrometeorites: Space Dust in Maine. The special exhibit, which opened in November and continues through May, explores the different...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2451594","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-15T18:06:01Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2451594","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2500884","name":"Coming Events","source":"crossref","abstract":"NOTICE TO CLUBS—Listing of all shows is a free service provided by ROCKS & MINERALS. Information on upcoming shows must be received at least four months before date of publication. Include date, pl...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2500884","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-20T19:20:51Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2500884","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/books978-3-7258-5618-3","name":"Industrial Minerals Flotation","source":"crossref","abstract":"This Special Issue of Minerals, Industrial Mineral FlotationFundamentals and Applications, presents eight contributions that collectively advance the science and practice of flotation in industrial mineral processing. The papers cover a wide range of topics, from molecular-level insights into mineralreagent interactions, bubble dynamics, and interfacial phenomena, to innovative engineering solutions that enhance separation efficiency. Fundamental studies explore the flotation mechanisms of spodumene, dolomite, apatite, and sulfide ores, providing new perspectives on reagent chemistry and interfacial control. Complementing these are applied investigations into rare-earth recovery, copper extraction from slags, ultrasonic-assisted flotation, and emulsion flotation for difficult-to-float coals. Collectively, these works underscore the essential role of flotation not only in traditional ores but also in critical minerals, waste reprocessing, and sustainable energy technologies. Looking forward, integration of computational modeling, novel reagents, and advanced process technologies with digitalization and green chemistry will further shape the future of flotation. This Special Issue offers valuable perspectives for both researchers and practitioners, emphasizing the ongoing importance of flotation to industrial minerals, critical raw materials, and the circular economy.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-7258-5618-3","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-13T11:06:53Z","doi":"10.3390/books978-3-7258-5618-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2532352","name":"Museum Notes","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Society of Mineral Museum Professionals (SMMP) held a meeting at the Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines Show in France this past June. See accompanying photo of members of the group in attendance.Opening i...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2532352","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-28T18:04:54Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2532352","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0016","name":"Index","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0016","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-17T17:56:20Z","doi":"10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0016","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2499419","name":"100 Years of Rocks &amp; Minerals An Exhibit at the 2025 Tucson Gem &amp; Mineral Show","source":"crossref","abstract":"Photos by Ken Don, courtesy of the Tucson Gem & Mineral SocietyFigure 1. This floor-mounted display case No. 7 was the end-cap to a row of table-top displays, all celebrating 100 Years of Rocks & M...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2499419","authors":["Terry E. Huizing"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-20T19:20:51Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2499419","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/9780197800447.003.0007","name":"Extraterrestrials Hit the Road—Or Not","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract The essence of Michael Hart’s argument against the existence of aliens is that they surely would have arrived in our Solar System as colonizers by now. Since they are not obviously here, ergo, they do not exist. This chapter examines the proposition that biological beings are able to colonize other star systems and concludes that there are so many potential failure points that it is virtually impossible. The energy requirements of interstellar travel are enormous, the length of travel might require thousands of generations, vast internal space would be required for food production, and virtually every atom would need to be efficiently recycled into newly manufactured items, since resupply would be impossible. The would-be target for colonization might be incompatible in its gravity, day/night cycle, surface chemistry, or atmosphere, or all potential ecological niches might already be occupied by its extant life forms.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/9780197800447.003.0007","authors":["John Gertz"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-09T15:42:58Z","doi":"10.1093/9780197800447.003.0007","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/9781394355518.ch11","name":"Exploring Astrobiology and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Astrobiology and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) are two interrelated scientific fields dedicated to understanding the potential for life beyond Earth. Astrobiology explores the fundamental aspects of life in the universe, encompassing its origins, evolution, distribution, and future. It integrates a variety of scientific disciplines, including biology, chemistry, and planetary science, to investigate the conditions necessary for life and to search for signs of life in diverse environments. This field examines the beginnings of life through prebiotic chemistry and the conditions under which life might emerge. It also focuses on the habitability of planets and moons within our solar system and beyond, evaluating factors such as liquid water, atmospheric composition, and climate stability. Astrobiologists are particularly interested in studying extreme environments on Earth, such as hydrothermal vents and acidic lakes, as analogs for potential extraterrestrial habitats. Recent technological advancements have significantly advanced our understanding of astrobiology. NASA's Perseverance rover, for instance, is actively exploring Mars's surface to uncover signs of past microbial life and assess the planet's habitability. Meanwhile, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) provides unprecedented observational capabilities, allowing scientists to study the atmospheres of exoplanets in detail and search for potential biosignatures, such as specific atmospheric gases that could be indicative of biological processes. SETI, conversely, is dedicated to the search for intelligent extraterrestrial civilizations. Traditionally, SETI's primary approach has involved scanning the cosmos for radio signals that might be broadcast by technologically advanced civilizations. This search has expanded beyond radio waves to include optical signals, such as laser pulses, and other potential technosignatures. The goal of SETI is not just to detect extraterrestrial intelligence but to understand the nature and extent of such civilizations if they exist. The field of SETI also delves into the philosophical and ethical implications of discovering extraterrestrial life. The potential contact with an advanced civilization could profoundly impact humanity's self-perception, societal structures, and even our philosophical and ethical frameworks. While astrobiology aims to study the conditions that enable life and where it might exist, on the other hand, SETI focuses on detecting intelligent life using advanced technology. Ultimately, the quest to understand whether life exists beyond Earth encompasses not only scientific exploration but also profound philosophical questions. They reflect humanity's constant effort to ascertain whether we are alone in the universe, which has far-reaching implications for science, philosophy, and our view of life. The search for extraterrestrial life and intelligence not only pushes the boundaries of science and technology but also invites profound existential reflections. These fields underscore a deep-rooted curiosity and the enduring quest to comprehend the broader universe and our role within it.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394355518.ch11","authors":["Yamini Rani","Anurag Kasana"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-03T21:29:19Z","doi":"10.1002/9781394355518.ch11","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/arisoc/aoaf003","name":"III—Optimism in the Search for Extraterrestrial Life? A Philosophical Perspective","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The large number of planets in our galaxy is often appealed to as the basis for optimism that life exists beyond earth in sufficiently large quantities that we might reasonably hope to detect or otherwise encounter it. In an article published over thirty years ago, Roy Mash argued against this inference on broadly philosophical grounds. It is argued that, despite scientific advances in recent decades, the spirit of Mash’s case stands and optimism remains under-supported.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/arisoc/aoaf003","authors":["Christopher Cowie"],"tags":["Optimism","Extraterrestrial life","Perspective (graphical)","Search for extraterrestrial intelligence","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-01","doi":"10.1093/arisoc/aoaf003","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21275/sr25823082200","name":"The Cosmic Shift: How the Discovery of Extraterrestrial Life Will Redefine Humanity's Ethical Frameworks","source":"crossref","abstract":"The search for life beyond Earth has moved rapidly from philosophical conjecture to data-driven science. A stream of missions, biosignature frameworks, and contested detections has tightened the conversation between empirical astrobiology and moral philosophy (NASA 2015). This paper argues that a confirmed discovery of extraterrestrial life, both microbial and intelligent, would require a profound reorientation of ethical outlooks: from entrenched anthropocentrism toward a pragmatic cosmocentrism that recognizes life's broader, intrinsic value. I proceed by (1) clarifying how astrobiology challenges definitions of \"life\" and \"intelligence\"; (2) surveying the contemporary empirical landscape, habitability in the Solar System, and its uncertainties; (3) placing the debate within philosophical contexts; and (4) drawing ethical implications and extended, realistic scenarios that test our preparedness. The paper aims to be both conceptually careful and practically useful: if the cosmos answers back, our first acts should be humility, deliberation, and protection rather than triumphalism (Jonas 1984; Ward and Brownlee 2000).","url":"https://doi.org/10.21275/sr25823082200","authors":["Kavya Mehra","Raghu Raja Mehra","Jaismeen Kaur"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-29T10:33:02Z","doi":"10.21275/sr25823082200","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.54780/iassp50/20","name":"The formation of authigenic clay minerals in clastic sedimentary rocks","source":"crossref","abstract":"Clay minerals are common in both shales and sandstones, which are both targets for petroleum extraction and seals, and are consequently important commercially.Predicting the reservoir properties of sandstones, and the fracking or sealing properties of shales, gives impetus to study.Despite decades of work, and major advances in understanding, the very fine grain size renders clay minerals difficult to study.Major uncertainties exist, some of which are fundamental if predictive models of diagenesis are to be meaningfully applied.The relative importance of nucleation, growth and solidstate transformation are not well discussed in the literature, although nucleation appears to be difficult for illite and relatively easy for kaolin and chlorite.For all authigenic clay minerals, some poorly constrained factor limits the growth of individual crystals to micron sizes (and even less for illite fundamental particles).","url":"https://doi.org/10.54780/iassp50/20","authors":["M. Wilkinson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-09T23:03:59Z","doi":"10.54780/iassp50/20","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109277","name":"Empirical evidence for Fermi-Dirac classification of minerals by particle size","source":"crossref","abstract":"• The Fermi-Dirac distribution was shown to be equivalent to the Whiten Equation. • High-quality experimental data was used to support the analysis. • The experimental data adhered to the Fermi-Dirac distribution over a range of ± 5 E p . • The Rosin-Rammler equation showed departure from the data in the extremes. In mineral processing, partition curves are used to describe the probability of a particle of a given size or density reporting to the overflow or the underflow stream. One simple descriptor is the Rosin-Rammler (Weibull) functional form, based on a sharpness parameter, α. An alternative descriptor was introduced by Scott and Napier-Munn (1992) based on the simplified Whiten equation expressed in terms of the Ecart probable, E p . Curiously, this simplified Whiten equation has functional equivalence to the Fermi-Dirac distribution ( Fermi, 1926 , Dirac, 1926 ), an exact equation used in quantum mechanics to describe the probability of Fermions residing in either the valency or the conduction band. In this study, the particle size classification data from Starrett and Galvin (2023) , produced using the REFLUX™ Classifier, provided powerful empirical evidence supporting the application of the simplified Whiten equation over the commonly used Rosin-Rammler function. The raw data adhered to the simplified Whiten equation over a range of ± 5E p , much wider than the Rosin-Rammler function. Hence the simplified Whiten equation, with its equivalence to the fundamental Fermi-Dirac distribution, offers prospects for a stronger theoretical framework for describing the role of a hydrodynamic driving force in particle size classification.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109277","authors":["J.B. Starrett","S.M. Iveson","K.P. Galvin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-02T21:53:13Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109277","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/083074-0100","name":"Plasma-Biomimetic Life Support Systems for Extraterrestrial Habitats","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/083074-0100","authors":["Jahnavi Dangeti","Raahil Sheikh","Arjun Dabas"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-16T14:22:34Z","doi":"10.52202/083074-0100","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-031-81695-6_20","name":"The Case for Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-81695-6_20","authors":["Luigi Vacca"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-30T08:37:31Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-031-81695-6_20","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-319-09575-2_195-1","name":"Human Hibernation as a Life Support Strategy for Interplanetary Missions","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09575-2_195-1","authors":["Erik Seedhouse"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-09T08:28:20Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-319-09575-2_195-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5772/intechopen.1011685","name":"Information Coding and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"Communication systems that operate under low-power constraints and in noisy transmission environments require specialised, application-specific coding strategies. In such contexts, the ‘Chirplet Transform’ emerges as a highly effective method for information transfer under noisy conditions. A bit can be encoded as a chirplet—a frequency-modulated signal of finite duration—using a phase shift, for example, to distinguish between binary values (0 and 1). A sequence of these chirplets forms a ‘chirplet stream’, which is then frequency modulated and transmitted. Upon reception, the signal is frequency demodulated by correlating it with a matching chirplet replica, enabling recovery of the original bit stream—albeit with some potential for bit errors. This technique demonstrates a notably lower bit error rate than conventional modulation methods, especially in high-noise scenarios. However, the central question remains: ‘Is this method truly unique?’ Are there alternative coding schemes that could match or even exceed the performance of chirplet modulation in such environments? These questions are key drivers of the investigation presented here. We propose that if chirplet modulation possesses truly unique properties, it may represent the only viable technique for transmitting intelligible, bit-based information across vast interstellar distances—even through the so-called ‘waterhole’, the quietest region of the interstellar radio spectrum. In this context, we examine the theoretical foundations of chirp-based modulation and demodulation for both ‘unbounded’ and ‘bounded’ cases (i.e., chirps of a finite duration or chirplets). This includes a comparative analysis of chirplets relative to other potential modulation basis functions, aiming to determine whether their properties confer uniqueness in information encoding. Subsequently, we explore how ‘discrete chirplet modulation’ can be employed to encode bit streams into transmission signals. The corresponding demodulation process is analysed using a ‘relative information entropy metric’ to assess whether the reconstructed bit stream consists of random noise or meaningful, intelligible content. This is further complemented by a ‘blind demodulation method’ based on ‘prime number factorisation’, offering an additional layer of signal analysis and security. To support this investigation, “prototype Python source code” is provided, enabling readers to explore, test, and extend the proposed approach.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.1011685","authors":["Jonathan Blackledge"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-08T07:09:41Z","doi":"10.5772/intechopen.1011685","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/9780197800447.003.0005","name":"What’s There to Talk About Anyway?","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract This chapter explores the myriad ways in which meaningful communication with extraterrestrials (ETs) might be difficult or even impossible. Humankind and aliens may be incompatible in their sensory perceptions, mode of communication, intelligence, subjects of interest, and more. There is benefit in attempting to construct a message to ETs now so that it is ready in the event that contact with aliens is established. Also, in figuring out how to code a message that any alien should understand, perhaps something will be learned about how to decode an alien message once it arrives. It may be that signaling stars is so inherently difficult and dangerous that no civilization attempts it, hence the Great Silence.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/9780197800447.003.0005","authors":["John Gertz"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-09T15:42:58Z","doi":"10.1093/9780197800447.003.0005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7868/s3034495625090034","name":"UNIQUE MINERAL ASSOCIATION AND THE FIRST FINDING OF EXTRATERRESTRIAL FERRODIMOLYBDENITE IN THE KUNYA-URGENCH H5 CHONDRITE","source":"crossref","abstract":"The mineral ferrodimolybdenite (FeMoS) and the associated mineral assemblage were identified for the first time in an extraterrestrial environment: in a sulfide–metal veinlet of the Kunya–Urgench (H5) ordinary chondrite. They were studied using optical microscopy, SEM, EPMA, and EBSD. Ferrodimolybdenite was found as an inclusion in troilite in terrestrial pyrometamorphic rocks in 2023. Its synthetic analogue has been known as a semiconductor since 1960. Experimental data and properties of the natural mineral assemblage suggest that ferrodimolybdenite should have crystallized from troilite melt at a temperature close to 1100–1000 °C. The quenching of metal–sulfide melt enriched in Mo, Cu, and Mn probably formed the metastable phase FeMoS in association with native copper, alabandite, and mercury sulfides. The presence of alabandite can indicate strongly reducing conditions (logfO &amp;lt; –4 IW), which are atypical of the impact melting of ordinary chondrites. The fact that this phenomenon occurs locally suggests that a reducing agent may have been locally involved, which was probably a carbon phase contained in the groundmass of the chondrite or brought from the meteoroid that initiated the impact event with the formation of the veinlet. The anomalously high concentrations of Mo (~10 to 10 Cl), Mn, Cu, and Hg in the Fe–S melt could not have been reached either during the fractional crystallization of large volumes of Fe–FeS melt or during the recurrent partial melting of metal sulfide and silicates during impact events. The ferrodimolybdenite and associated mineral phases were most likely formed during the impact melting of an foreign sulfide–metal aggregate that had been formed under conditions different from those characteristic of the formation of the chondrite matrix in which carbonaceous chondrites were presumably formed. An alternative explanation is hydrothermal activity on the parent body of H chondrites. Although prerequisites for this activity have been identified, its boundary parameters remain uncertain.","url":"https://doi.org/10.7868/s3034495625090034","authors":["S.N. Teplyakova"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-27T16:16:56Z","doi":"10.7868/s3034495625090034","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/02604027.2025.2518485","name":"Evolving Paradigms in the Search for Advanced Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"Our nascent search for advanced extraterrestrial life is driven by humanity’s anthropocentric tendencies. These tendencies must change to a more open-minded, multi-faceted, and scientifically rigorous approach to solve one of humanity’s most profound questions: Are we alone in the universe? This question is addressed from both a deductive and inductive perspective. Science’s approach to this question is changing, new paradigms will be needed, and an answer to this question may provide us with a new view of ourselves.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/02604027.2025.2518485","authors":["Robert Powell"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-14T08:28:16Z","doi":"10.1080/02604027.2025.2518485","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2476366","name":"Chips from the Quarry","source":"crossref","abstract":"PHOTO FINISH: From a field of some four dozen entries, two emerged as winners in Jeff Scovil’s annual Mineral Photo Competition, held in conjunction with the 2025 Tucson Gem & Mineral Show. All ent...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2476366","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-24T16:36:30Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2476366","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.18356/9789211596175","name":"Minerals Crime: Crimes in the Supply Chains of Critical Energy Transition Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"This research publication focuses on the unlicensed, unregulated, or otherwise illegal extraction, transport and trade of minerals that are critical for the energy transition which may constitute crimes in their supply chains. For the purpose of this study, these minerals are defined in accordance with the United Nations Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals, which identifies them as critical energy transition minerals (CETMs). These include, but are not limited to, bauxite (aluminium), cobalt, coltan (tantalum), copper, graphite, lithium, manganese, nickel and rare earth elements (REEs). The study highlights the importance of including minerals crime as a key component of broader discussions on responsible mineral sourcing and the environmental impact associated with the mining sector. As regulatory frameworks become increasingly complex and focused on innovation, adaptation and mitigation, new opportunities arise for transnational organized crime and corruption to exploit regulatory gaps, evade controls and distort mineral supply chains.","url":"https://doi.org/10.18356/9789211596175","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-24T07:03:02Z","doi":"10.18356/9789211596175","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2500878","name":"Museum Notes","source":"crossref","abstract":"The next meeting of the Society of Mineral Museum Professionals (SMMP) will be held in conjunction with the Hard Rock Summit Show in Denver the weekend of 4–7 September.Keynote speaker for the 45th...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2500878","authors":["Marie Huizing"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-20T19:20:51Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2500878","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2451568","name":"Munich Remembrances","source":"crossref","abstract":"ROCKS & MINERALS does not do show reports as such but for the last few years has presented pictorials of interesting, notable, and/or aesthetic specimens that have come through my studio during the...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2451568","authors":["Mark Mauthner"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-15T18:06:01Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2451568","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2500276","name":"Four New Minerals from New Mexico","source":"crossref","abstract":"Figure 1. Map showing the localities in Cookes Peak mining district; prepared by William Besse.Reproduced with permissionFigure 2. Ray DeMark at the northern end of the Cookes Peak mining district ...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2500276","authors":["John Rakovan","Kelsey McNamara","Ronald B. Gibbs","Hexiong Yang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-28T18:04:54Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2500276","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s00269-025-01327-7","name":"Alexandra Navrotsky","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00269-025-01327-7","authors":["Nancy L. Ross"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-06T01:34:57Z","doi":"10.1007/s00269-025-01327-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fmicb.2026.1813537","name":"Rock surfaces as reservoirs for airborne halophilic microorganisms in the Bochnia Salt Mine.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Airborne halophilic archaea have recently been detected in subterranean salt mines, yet their origin in such dynamic environments remains unclear. We investigated whether exposed salt rock surfaces may serve as biological reservoirs for airborne halophilic microorganisms. Rock surfaces were sampled at three underground sites in the Bochnia Salt Mine (southern Poland), spanning a gradient of distance from the mine entrance and human influence. Surface swabs were collected from rock salt and salty claystone during summer and winter, representing contrasting warm-humid and cool-dry microclimatic conditions, and analyzed using cultivation-based methods combined with 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Across all sites, seasons, and both rock types considered together, halophilic microorganisms dominated rock-associated communities, occurring at approximately 1.2 × 10 3 to 4.3 × 10 3 CFU/25 cm 2 . In contrast, non-halophilic microorganisms were present at only about 0.5-1.3 × 10 2 CFU/25 cm 2 . Mean halophilic abundance was approximately 3.8 × 10 3 CFU/25 cm 2 in summer and 1.4 × 10 3 CFU/25 cm 2 in winter, indicating less than two-fold seasonal variation on rock surfaces. In contrast, airborne communities from the same sites previously showed up to 13-fold summer-winter variation. A total of 11 halophilic archaeal species were identified on rock surfaces, dominated by members of the genus Halococcus ( Hcc. salifodinae , Hcc. hamelinensis , Hcc. morrhuae and Hcc. dombrowskii ), as well as Natrinema versiforme and Halalkalicoccus paucihalophilus . Most taxa detected on rock surfaces overlapped with those previously identified in the mine air. These results indicate that exposed salty rock surfaces constitute favorable habitats and likely persistent reservoirs for halophilic archaea, whereas the mine atmosphere appears to represent a transient, environmentally filtered compartment that receives only a subset of the rock-associated community.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1813537","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.3389/fmicb.2026.1813537","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acs.inorgchem.5c01765","name":"A Chemical Bonding Interpretation of Unusual Compressibility Trends in Hydrated Magnesium Sulfates.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Hydrated magnesium sulfates (MgSO 4 · n H 2 O) are known to form multiple hydration states ( n = 0–11) and are essential in planetary science and thermochemical energy storage. Despite their significance in detecting extraterrestrial water reservoirs or in mineral (de)hydration cycles, it is still necessary to understand how the structure–property relationships of these materials evolve at different hydration levels when pressure is applied. Through a systematic first-principles computational investigation, we elucidate the key structural factors governing the densification mechanism under hydrostatic pressure of MgSO 4 · n H 2 O crystals. At zero pressure, we propose a useful and transferable rule of thumb that allows for straightforward evaluation of the crystal volume at any hydration level. At increasing pressure, our polyhedral and chemical bonding analyses reveal that the presence in the structure of coordinated and/or interstitial water molecules is the main factor determining the compressibility of these hydrated salts. These findings provide useful insights into the role of hydration in controlling the stability and mechanical properties of hydrated materials under extreme conditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.5c01765","authors":["Getachew Kebede","R. Franco","Fernando Izquierdo‐Ruiz","Álvaro Lobato","J. M. Recio"],"tags":["Chemistry","Interpretation (philosophy)","Magnesium","Compressibility","Chemical bond"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1021/acs.inorgchem.5c01765","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/microorganisms13112555","name":"Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion of Aerospace-Grade Aluminum by SRB-Enriched Biofilms Isolated from the Mars Analog Lake Salda.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Lake Salda in Türkiye serves as a valuable Earth analog for studies of the properties of Mars due to its mineralogical and microbiological similarities to Jezero Crater on Mars. This study investigated the role of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) enrichment culture isolated from Lake Salda on the microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) of an aluminum alloy (AA7075) using electrochemical, microbiological, molecular, and spectroscopic methods. Potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) tests confirmed SRB-enriched biofilm significantly accelerated corrosion. Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) further distinguished the control and biotic surfaces, showing the replacement of a 980 cm -1 polysaccharide band with a 1075 cm -1 cyclic polysaccharide vibration in SRB-colonized coupons. This spectral transition reflects biofilm maturation and EPS accumulation, providing molecular evidence for SRB-driven MIC. Molecular analysis identified Proteobacteria and Firmicutes as dominant phyla, and Desulfofustis limnaeus was detected in Lake Salda for the first time. Moreover, benthic foraminifera and ostracods were observed, some with morphological anomalies. These results provide mechanistic insight into the biochemical and electrochemical interactions driving SRB-induced corrosion, highlighting Lake Salda's importance for studying microbial-material interactions in extreme environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13112555","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.3390/microorganisms13112555","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/jsfa.14357","name":"Sustainability of organic zucchini in Mediterranean environment: an on-farm experimentation.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Background Excess inputs are commonly applied to high-value crops to ensure high performance. This study hypothesizes that farmers can reduce inputs without compromising yields and aims to investigate the effects of varying irrigation and fertilization strategies on two zucchini genotypes ('Logos' and 'Atlantis') organically grown under greenhouse tunnels in southern Italy over two seasons. Conducted on a large scale within an on-farm experimentation framework, this research compared two different irrigation volumes (the farmer's experience-based volume vs. a 25% reduction) and two nitrogen fertilization rates (the farmer's usual rate vs. a ~50% reduction). Results An average reduction of 550 m 3 ha -1 of irrigation water led to a yield decrease of 3.0% (57.4 vs. 55.7 t ha -1 ), while a reduction in nitrogen fertilization (-156 kg ha -1 of N) resulted in a yield decrease of 3.3% (57.5 vs. 55.6 t ha -1 ). In light of these modest yield reductions, significant increases in irrigation water productivity (+33%) and fruit nitrogen use efficiency (+75%) were observed. The physical and color characteristics, along with the mineral composition of the fruits, were primarily influenced by the growing season and, to a lesser extent, by the genotype, while inputs had little to no effect. Conclusion This paper offers insights into sustainable zucchini production, demonstrating that resource-efficient farming can respond to environmental and economic challenges while maintaining satisfactory yields and fruit quality. The study highlights the effectiveness of a participatory approach as a means to generate reliable results for researchers while also providing outcomes that are directly applicable to farmers. © 2025 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.14357","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1002/jsfa.14357","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2426711122","name":"Mass-independent fractionation of oxygen isotopes during high-temperature condensation in cosmochemical plasmas.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Contrary to all terrestrial rocks, planets and meteorites exhibit oxygen isotope variations decorrelated with the mass difference of their atomic nuclei. It has been proposed that, in the protosolar nebula (PSN), these variations could result from mass independent isotopic fractionation (MIF) either during specific chemical reactions similar to those responsible for the formation of ozone in the Earth's atmosphere or during ultraviolet (UV)-photolysis of carbon monoxide (CO) gas in the PSN. However, these potential chemical MIF reactions (Chem-MIFs) are not identified in conditions close to the PSN, and there is no experimental demonstration that large MIF signature can be transferred to solids forming in the PSN. Here, we show that MIFs, up to 60‰ depletion in 16 O, are produced by high-temperature reactions in a plasma during the condensation of carbonaceous solids from a gas containing two of the most abundant PSN molecular species (H 2 O and CH 4 ). This effect is attributed to the formation in the plasma of the activated complex H 2 O 2 * followed by its stabilization by reactions with CH x • radicals. Although it is premature to assert that this reaction represents the main process resulting in MIF of oxygen isotopes in the solar system, our result demonstrates the potential importance of a Chem-MIF effect in a PSN where plasma zones develop.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2426711122","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2426711122","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2422213122","name":"Ancient ocean coastal deposits imaged on Mars.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The northern lowlands of early Mars could have contained a significant quantity of liquid water. However, the ocean hypothesis remains controversial due to the lack of conclusive evidence from the Martian subsurface. We use data from the Zhurong Rover Penetrating Radar on the southern Utopia Planitia to identify subsurface dipping reflectors indicative of an ancient prograding shoreline. The reflectors dip unidirectionally with inclinations in the range 6° to 20° and are imaged to a thickness of 10 to 35 m along an uninterrupted 1.3 km northward shoreline-perpendicular traverse. The consistent dip inclinations, absence of dissection by fluvial channels along the extended traverse, and low permittivity of the sediments are consistent with terrestrial coastal deposits-and discount fluvial, aeolian, or magmatic origins favored elsewhere on Mars. The structure, thickness, and length of the section support voluminous supply of onshore sediments into a large body of water, rather than a merely localized and short-lived melt event. Our findings not only provide support for the existence of an ancient Martian ocean in the northern plains but also offer crucial insights into the evolution of the ancient Martian environment.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2422213122","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2422213122","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acsearthspacechem.5c00166","name":"Cosmic Silicate Surfaces Catalizing Prebiotic Reactions: Atomistic Modeling on the Polymerization of HCN.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Hydrogen cyanide, HCN, is a fundamental building block in astro- and cosmochemical environments, known for its ability to form prebiotically relevant molecules such as nucleobases. Although its polymerization is inhibited under the cold, dilute conditions of the interstellar medium, the higher temperatures of more evolved rocky bodies, combined with the presence of mineral surfaces, can catalyze the reaction. In this study, we use atomistic simulations grounded on the density functional theory (DFT) to elucidate the complete tetramerization pathway of HCN to diaminomaleonitrile (DAMN) and diaminofumaronitrile (DAFN), catalyzed by the crystalline Mg 2 SiO 4 forsterite (120) surface. Results demonstrate that the intrinsic acid-base properties of the surface facilitate chemical bond formation/cleavage needed for HCN oligomerization, lowering activation barriers by ∼120-220 kJ mol -1 with respect to the gas-phase. Kinetic analyses reveal that the reactions are feasible at temperatures above 300 K, particularly under conditions present in warm, rocky bodies such as asteroids, meteorites, and planetary surfaces. The presence of water further accelerates key steps by assisting proton transfer processes. These findings support a model in which Mg-rich silicate minerals (abundant in the early Solar System) may have directly catalyzed the formation of complex organic molecules, which, in turn, are precursors of more complex biomolecules, thereby contributing to the essential chemical inventory for the emergence of life on early Earth and other primitive planets with propitious conditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.5c00166","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1021/acsearthspacechem.5c00166","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2504065122","name":"Sensitivity of mass-independent Sn isotope fractionation to UV radiation and magnetic fields.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Mass-independent isotope fractionation (MIF) enables powerful geochemical tracers for various geological and planetary problems, yet the mechanisms driving MIF for tin (Sn) remain ambiguous. Here, we demonstrate that distinct Sn isotope fractionation signatures were produced during photolysis of organic Sn species (i.e., methyltin) under laboratory UV irradiation and natural sunlight. UV irradiation of methyltin induced pronounced Sn-MIF in all odd Sn isotopes (Δ 115 Sn up to 21.82‰, Δ 117 Sn up to 23.16‰, Δ 119 Sn up to 24.01‰), with their ratios (Δ 117 Sn/Δ 115 Sn = 1.069; Δ 119 Sn/Δ 115 Sn = 1.099; Δ 119 Sn/Δ 117 Sn = 1.028) strongly correlating with nuclear magnetic moments. This unambiguously identifies the magnetic isotope effect (MIE) as the driving mechanism, ruling out other causes such as the nuclear volume effect (NVE). Methyl radicals (•CH 3 ) were detectable during the methyltin photolysis experiments, and the magnitude of MIF for Sn was suppressed by the presence of electron spin trapping agent (DMPO) for radicals, supporting that the pronounced Sn-MIF originated from radical-mediated singlet-triplet state transitions of Sn species. Furthermore, the magnitude of Sn-MIF depended nonmonotonically on external magnetic fields (peak suppression at 100 to 180 G), implying competition between hyperfine coupling and Zeeman interactions. Notably, Sn-MIF was absent during photolysis of methyltin by natural sunlight despite significant mass-dependent Sn isotope fractionation (e.g., >3‰ in δ 122/116 Sn), attributed to atmospheric ozone shielding of short-wavelength UV (<290 nm) required for radical generation. Our results register Sn-MIF as a sensitive tracer of UV-driven photochemistry in low-oxygen environments, underlining the potential of Sn isotopes in studies of early Earth's atmosphere and planetary environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2504065122","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2504065122","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-025-95132-5","name":"Volcanic processes within the Petavius crater, nearside of the Moon.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This study presents a detailed investigation of compositional data (e.g., Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M 3 ), Kaguya mineral abundance map) and gravity data (Regional, residual, and crustal thickness) to understand the volcanic history of Petavius crater (~ 180 km diameter crater centered at 25.3° S, 60.4° E). Spectral analysis of M 3 data reveals the presence of feldspar mineral-plagioclase and olivine at the central peak and other mafic minerals like high and low pyroxene in distinct mare units. The composition of volcanic units are mafic with dominant phases of olivine, pyroxene and plagioclase mineral. Primary melt compositions simulated using the COMAGMAT model suggest that the magmas are Mg-rich (MgO = 10.3-24.5 wt%), and the thermal regime of the Petavius mantle was not anomalously hot (i.e., > 1500 °C). Bouguer gravity anomalies show an irregular high (~ 20 mGal) over the central peak towards the southwest of the crater and a minor poorly spread associated negative annulus. The fractures on the floor are probably linked with an underlying magmatic sill of high density, which may be affecting the observed positive Bouguer Gravity Anomaly patterns. The crustal thickness varies from 27 to 29 km at the center, 30-32 km at the floor, and 33-39 km at the rim of the crater. Considering all these points, we conclude that mare material that erupted through floor fractures of the crater floor was likely the result of magmatic intrusion within the fractured crust underneath the crater floor.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-95132-5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1038/s41598-025-95132-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/ijms26146952","name":"The \"Bagno dell'Acqua\" Lake as a Novel Mars-like Analogue: Prebiotic Syntheses of PNA and RNA Building Blocks and Oligomers.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The ongoing exploration of planets such as Mars is producing a wealth of data to define habitable environments beyond the Earth. The inferred presence of neutral to alkaline aqueous fluids on Mars in its early history suggests that many potentially habitable environments existed on the planet. Terrestrial analogues with similar chemical and physical properties are being explored and characterized in order to assess their suitability for triggering the Origin of Life on Mars. Recently, a novel Mars analogue site has been identified in the Bagno dell'Acqua Lake, which is located in the island of Pantelleria in Sicily (Italy). We report here that microbialite from the Bagno dell'Acqua Lake acts as an efficient catalyst for prebiotic processes, starting from a ternary mixture of well-recognized chemical precursors, including ammonium formate, diaminomalonitrile, and alpha-amino acids. Under thermal conditions, significant amounts of building blocks of both RNA and PNA were obtained. Furthermore, samples of the water from the Bagno dell'Acqua Lake have been found to promote the polymerization of the H-form of 3',5'-cyclic GMP, resulting in the generation of RNA oligomers of up to 15 units in length.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26146952","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.3390/ijms26146952","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.adp3333","name":"Persistent but weak magnetic field at the Moon's midstage revealed by Chang'e-5 basalt.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The evolution of the lunar magnetic field can reveal the Moon's interior structure, thermal history, and surface environment. The mid-to-late-stage evolution of the lunar magnetic field is poorly constrained, and thus, the existence of a long-lived lunar dynamo remains controversial. The Chang'e-5 mission returned the heretofore youngest mare basalts from Oceanus Procellarum uniquely positioned at midlatitude. We recovered weak paleointensities of ~2 to 4 microtesla from the Chang'e-5 basalt clasts at 2 billion years ago, attesting to the longevity of the lunar dynamo until at least the Moon's midstage. This paleomagnetic result implies the existence of thermal convection in the lunar deep interior at the lunar midstage, which may have supplied mantle heat flux for young volcanism.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adp3333","authors":["Shuhui Cai","Huafeng Qin","Huapei Wang","Chenglong Deng","Saihong Yang","Ya Xu","Chi Zhang","Xu Tang","Lixin Gu","Xiaoguang Li","Zhongshan Shen","M. Zhang"],"tags":["Basalt","Geology","Lunar mare","Paleomagnetism","Volcanism"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.adp3333","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-025-60743-z","name":"Sulfur isotopes from the lunar farside reveal global volatile loss following the giant impact.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Moon is strongly depleted in volatile elements and exhibits heavier isotopic signatures (e.g., K, Zn) than the Earth. However, the pronounced nearside–farside dichotomy and uneven distribution of volatiles across lunar interior raise the question of whether such heavier isotopic signatures resulted from a global giant impact or local magmatic processes. Here we report high sulfur contents (1800 ± 400 µg/g) and δ34S values (0.83 ± 0.16‰, 2SE, n = 17) in Chang’e-6 basalt from lunar farside, with similar δ34S values in two nonmare crustal clasts. These values fall within the range reported for nearside mare basalts and basaltic meteorites of different ages and mantle sources, indicating a broadly homogeneous δ34S composition across lunar interior that is ~2‰ heavier than the Earth’s mantle. This isotopic signature cannot be explained by core formation or late accretion and is best attributed to global volatile loss during the Moon-forming impact. Subsequent magma ocean evolution and mantle overturn drove heterogeneous volatile budget in lunar mantle. Chang’e-6 farside samples show heavy δ³⁴S values similar to the nearside, supporting global lunar volatile loss induced by the giant impact.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60743-z","authors":["Yiheng Li","Zaicong Wang","Wen Zhang","Keqing Zong","Zhenbing She","Qi He","Jia-Qi Zheng","Tianyang Li","Fabin Pan","Chen Xu","Kosta Crnobrnja","Long Xiao"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Sulfur","Isotope","Environmental science","Earth science"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1038/s41467-025-60743-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fmicb.2026.1769675","name":"Microbially-induced carbonate precipitation in coal-associated environments: opportunities and challenges.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Microbial-induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) has emerged as a promising biotechnological approach for addressing coal dust pollution in mining and industrial environments. Among the various biological agents, urease-producing bacteria play a central role in catalyzing urea hydrolysis, leading to the generation of carbonate ions that react with calcium to form calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ). This biologically formed mineral binds dust particles, enhances surface stability, and reduces airborne pollutant dispersion. While MICP presents clear environmental and structural advantages, including low toxicity, long-term ecological compatibility, and compatibility with natural ecosystems, the underlying mechanisms, particularly the microbial adhesion to coal particles and subsequent mineralization dynamics, remain poorly understood. High production costs, sensitivity to environmental conditions, and lack of large-scale validation have also limited the practical implementation of microbial dust suppressants. This review provides a comprehensive look at the current research on the biological processes and application strategies of MICP in coal dust suppression, emphasizing the role of ureolytic bacteria, carrier systems, and calcium sources. Furthermore, it explores recent advancements in microbial strain selection, additive incorporation, and delivery methods that aim to optimize microbial survival and mineralization efficiency in real-world mining conditions. Future perspectives are discussed to support the development of cost-effective and scalable microbial formulations, paving the way for green and durable solutions in mine dust management.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1769675","authors":["Kuanysh T. Tastambek","Azhar Malik","Nuraly S. Akimbekov","Ilya Digel","Nazym P. Altynbay","Damir Nussipov","Bekzat Kamenov","Dinara K. Sherelkhan","Moldir Turaliyeva","Yaya Wang","Xiangrong Liu"],"tags":["Calcium carbonate","Environmental science","Carbonate","Environmental chemistry","Mineralization (soil science)"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.3389/fmicb.2026.1769675","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1039/d5ra00205b","name":"Role of metal(ii) hexacyanocobaltate(iii) surface chemistry for prebiotic peptides synthesis.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Double metal cyanide (DMC), a heterogeneous catalyst, provides a surface for the polymerization of amino acids. Based on the hypothesis, the present study is designed to evaluate favorable environmental conditions for the chemical evolution and origin of life, such as the effects of temperature and time on the oligomerization of glycine and alanine on metal(ii) hexacyanocobaltate(iii), MHCCo. A series of MHCCo complexes were synthesized and characterized by XRD and FT-IR techniques. The effect of outer metal ions present in the MHCCo complexes on the condensation of glycine and alanine was studied. Our results revealed that Zn 2+ ions in the outer sphere showed high catalytic activity compared to other metal ions in the outer sphere. Manganese(ii) hexacyanocobaltate(iii) (MnHCCo), iron(ii) hexacyanocobaltate(iii) (FeHCCo), nickel(ii) hexacyanocobaltate(iii) (NiHCCo) complexes condense the glycine up to trimer and the alanine up to dimer. At the same time, ZnHCCo showed the most valuable catalytic properties that change glycine into a tetramer and alanine into a dimer with a high yield at 90 °C after four weeks. ZnHCCo showed high catalytic activity because of its high surface area compared to other MHCCo complexes. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Electron Spray Ionization-Mass Spectroscopy (ESI-MS) techniques were used to confirm the oligomer products of glycine and alanine formed on MHCCo complexes. The results also exposed the catalytic role of MHCCo for the oligomerization of biomolecules, thus supporting chemical evolution.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5ra00205b","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1039/d5ra00205b","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/biology14030316","name":"Bacterial Diversity at Himalayan Pink Salt Extraction Site.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Table salt, or sodium chloride, is extensively utilized in the culinary business as a flavoring agent, texture garnishing [...].","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/biology14030316","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.3390/biology14030316","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fmicb.2025.1694997","name":"Lipid biomarkers reveal dominance of aerobic methanotrophy in a continental serpentinizing system.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Sources and sinks of methane within an advanced serpentinization-influenced system were investigated at the Coast Range Ophiolite Microbial Observatory (CROMO) in Lower Lake, California. Subsurface water-rock reactions at CROMO contribute to unique, high pH groundwaters and substantial methane emissions. We performed lipid analysis on biomass and measured radiocarbon and stable carbon isotopic composition of groundwater to trace the origins and fate of methane. Specific groups of microorganisms involved in methane cycling were identified through analysis of membrane lipid components. Aerobic methanotrophs dominated the samples, with evidence of heterotrophic bacteria but no detection of anaerobic methanotrophy or methanogens. Following these data, microbial activity may be a significant sink but not a major source of methane at this site.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1694997","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.3389/fmicb.2025.1694997","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-025-67784-4","name":"Near-surface liquid water on Mars inferred from seasonal marsquakes.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Exploring the presence and behavior of water on Mars is critical for understanding the planet's geological evolution, hydrological processes, and potential habitability, which has been a central objective of past and ongoing Martian exploration missions. Martian geomorphology provides evidence of ancient groundwater activity, but confirmation of present-day liquid water remains limited. Here, we infer near-surface brines confined to meter-scale depths in regions north of about 30 °N in the northern hemisphere, based on the analysis of seasonal variations in marsquake seismicity and thermal modeling. The absence of seasonal marsquakes during colder periods and their abrupt resurgence in warmer seasons can be explained by ice-to-brine phase transitions. Our findings reveal a mechanism whereby seasonal melting of subsurface ice elevates pore pressure and lubricates faults, leading to a reduction in frictional strength, and ultimately inducing marsquakes. This mechanism accounts for the seasonal variation, clustering, high seismic b-values, and shallow focal depths of seasonal marsquakes. Additionally, we estimate that the melting point of briny ice on Mars is below approximately 250 ± 13 K, advancing our understanding of Mars' present-day brine cycle and near-surface hydrological processes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-67784-4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1038/s41467-025-67784-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0348780","name":"Industrial-grade nitrogen sources modulate CaCO3 polymorphs and strength in MICP-cemented sand: A structure-property study.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) is promising for soil stabilization. However, its large-scale application is hindered by the cost of laboratory-grade yeast extract (YE), which often accounts for more than 70% of cultivation medium expenses. Here, we evaluate two standardized industrial nitrogen sources-industrial yeast extract (IYE) and soy peptone (SP)-as complete or partial replacements for YE in Sporosarcina pasteurii cultivation. Urease activity and the performance of bio-cemented sand columns were assessed via unconfined compressive strength (UCS), CaCO3 content, and mineralogical/microstructural analyses. Results indicated that the partial substitution scheme of 5 g/L pure YE + 10 g/L IYE yielded the best overall outcomes: bacterial urease activity reached ~80% of the control, UCS reached 4.27 MPa (9% higher than the control), and the nitrogen-source cost was reduced by 65.53%. The enhanced strength correlates with a favorable precipitation pathway that produced predominant calcite (~95.57% of the CaCO3 precipitate), together with a dense, interlocking microstructure. In contrast, SP-substituted media produced lower UCS despite a high CaCO3 content (up to 15.31%), indicating that mechanical performance depends not simply on the total amount or final polymorph of CaCO3, but on the combined effects of polymorph composition, precipitation pathway, and the resulting microstructural organization. Overall, the proposed YE-IYE blending strategy offers a practical route to lower-cost, higher-performance MICP sand stabilization.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0348780","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.1371/journal.pone.0348780","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s00425-026-05011-0","name":"Dew and frost do not serve as water sources for rock-dwelling organisms in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Main conclusions Contrary to previous assumptions, dew and frost cannot be regarded as water sources for lithobionts in the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV) of Antarctica, which therefore solely rely on snowmelt water for growth. Therefore, and contrary to previous claims, MDV can be regarded as a good analogue for life on Mars. Rock-dwelling chlorolichens and cyanobacteria provide most of the total biomass of the ice-free zone of Antarctica, i.e., the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV), and yet, the water sources of MDV are not clear. In addition to snowmelt water that provides water to the lichen-dominated cryptoendolithic communities, many scholars also advocate the use of dew or frost as important water sources for chasmoendolithic cyanobacteria. The implications of these suggestions are large, especially due to the fact that the MDV serves as an important analogue for life on Mars. Based on 5-year long analysis of the four growing months (November, December, January, February) in three stations, we show that the likelihood of both sources to take place is low. Rock temperatures as measured by one of the stations (Marble Point) allowed us to also perform a detailed analysis. Rock temperatures never reached the dewpoint temperature, excluding the formation of dew. As for frost, the likelihood is extremely low during the growing season and an optimistic evaluation yields a possible occurrence of frost for 0.8 h per year. We, therefore, conclude that neither dew nor frost may serve as a meaningful water source for the chasmoendolithic cyanobacteria, which, therefore, rely on snowmelt water only. The endolithic communities of the MDV may be justifiably regarded as the best analogue for life on Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-026-05011-0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.1007/s00425-026-05011-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/1873-3468.70112","name":"Origin of life: β-sheet amyloid conformers as the primordial functional polymers on the early Earth and their role in the emergence of complex dynamic networks.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The origin of life has remained a conundrum. Among the origin-of-life hypotheses, the RNA world has gained wide popularity. It has, however, been difficult to explain the emergence of both stable and meaningful RNA under the presumably very harsh early Earth conditions, and it has been assumed that some other replicating system must have preceded the RNA world. The amyloid world hypothesis posits that the first functional polymers on the primitive Earth were structurally stable self-replicating β-sheet-based peptide amyloids. The amyloid hypothesis is examined in this perspective in light of new research results and highlights the role of dynamic interacting networks. The mechanisms of self-amplification and information transfer are discussed, as well as the catalytic, adaptive, and evolutionary properties of the cross-β-sheet ensembles. There is no contradiction between the amyloid and the RNA world hypotheses: In the harsh prebiotic environment, the β-sheet fibrillar networks provide a scaffold and initial protection for nucleobases and other prebiotic compounds, and the cooperative interactions of the β-sheet ensembles with nucleic acids, fatty acids, and natively folded proteins are in concert with the view of an early co-evolving amyloid-RNA-lipid-protein world.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/1873-3468.70112","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1002/1873-3468.70112","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2501614122","name":"Impactor relics of CI-like chondrites in Chang'e-6 lunar samples.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The impact history of the Moon provides the opportunity to better understand mass transfer in the Solar System. While Earth's meteorite collection serves as a key reference for material flux in the Earth-Moon system, it suffers from profound biases arising from Earth's orbital dynamics and atmospheric filtering. Systematic identification and classification of meteorites on the airless Moon thus provide additional critical constraints for reconstructing the primordial accretion history and impactor population of the inner Solar System. However, identifying impactors on the Moon remains challenging due to their vaporization upon colliding at high velocities with the lunar surface. In situ remote sensing has previously detected chondritic impactor materials in the South-Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin of the far side of the Moon. The first opportunity to measure materials from the SPA basin has come via the Chang'e-6 (CE-6) mission, which returned samples from the Apollo basin inside the SPA basin. In this study, we screened seven olivine-porphyritic clasts as potential impactor relics in regolith returned by the CE-6 mission. These clasts were identified, via textural characterization, olivine Fe-Mn-Zn systematics, and in-situ triple oxygen isotopes, as impact relics solidified from melted chondritic parent bodies. Intriguingly, the parent body of all the identified impactor relics in this study resemble CI-like chondrites, a volatile-rich meteorite group that is relatively rare in Earth's meteorite collection. The detection and classification of these impactor relics impose significant constraints on the proportions of meteoritic materials in the Earth-Moon system and their potential contributions to water inventories on the lunar surface.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2501614122","authors":["Jintuan Wang","Zhiming Chen","Zexian Cui","Qing Yang","Le Zhang","Peng‐Li He","Jingyou Chen","Chengyuan Wang","Yanqiang Zhang","Jiangze Wang","Yonghua Cao","J. W. Head"],"tags":["Regolith","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Chondrite","Geology"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2501614122","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.aea3380","name":"Records of mantle geodynamics and atmospheric escape in Archean quartz.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Early planetary degassing and atmospheric escape are two major, yet unconstrained, processes that shaped early Earth. Modeling predicts that the atmospheric 20 Ne/ 22 Ne ratio is sensitive to solar-Ne mantle degassing over geological time. Until the Great Oxidation Event, atmospheric escape progressively depletes the atmosphere in Xe, leaving an isotopic imprint. However, the quantity of xenon in the ancient atmosphere remains largely unknown. In this study, we analyzed noble gases in Archean hydrothermal quartz fluid inclusions and show that a modern atmospheric 20 Ne/ 22 Ne ratio was almost reached 2.7 Ga ago, implying intense mantle degassing during the first 1.7 billion years of Earth's history, three orders of magnitude higher than today. Furthermore, we determine an Archean atmospheric Xe/Kr ratio, 2.3 times higher than today, consistent with models of Xe depletion over time through atmospheric escape.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aea3380","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.aea3380","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/molecules30071552","name":"Quantitative Study of Spodumene by Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (tof-SIMS).","source":"europepmc","abstract":"In this paper, the quantitative feasibility of time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (tof-SIMS) for major and minor elements in spodumene was evaluated in terms of calibration method with a matrix-matched or non-matrix-matched standard and an internal standard element using Al or Si. The matrix-matched standard calibration method was studied using spodumene 503R as the external standard and unknown sample, with signal intensities collected under positive ion mode using 100 µm of raster size. The sensitivities of Li, Na, Al, Si, Mn, and Fe were obtained by applying the sample-standard bracketing method, and the corresponding concentrations were given as the division of signal intensities by sensitivities. It was found that there were no significant differences between concentration results using Al and Si as the internal standard element. After 100% normalization, the concentrations at a 95% confidence level of matrix Li 2 O, Al 2 O 3 , and SiO 2 in oxide form were found to be 7.62 ± 0.27%, 27.68 ± 0.10%, and 64.32 ± 0.29%, respectively, which agreed with those from LA-ICPMS measurements and/or EPMA analyses. The comparison of the minor components including Na 2 O, MnO, and FeO showed that the contents from tof-SIMS were consistent with references from LA-ICPMS, giving ratios within 0.98-1.02. Furthermore, the element behavior investigation of NIST SRM 610 showed that the ionization efficiencies differentiated among the studied elements, resulting in far lower sensitivities of Li, Na, Mn, and Fe in spodumene than the values from the proposed matrix-matched standard calibration method. Thus, the matrix-matched standard calibration method for element determination of spodumene by tof-SIMS was recommended. The successful determination of major and minor elements in spodumene also promises the future application of tof-SIMS to trace element quantification.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30071552","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.3390/molecules30071552","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-025-58112-x","name":"Prolonged &lt;sup&gt;187&lt;/sup&gt;Os/&lt;sup&gt;188&lt;/sup&gt;Os excursion implies hydrothermal influence after the Chicxulub impact in the Gulf of Mexico.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Cretaceous/Paleogene boundary asteroid impact is recorded globally as a negative 187 Os/ 188 Os excursion, including in sediments recovered from the IODP-ICDP drilling within the peak ring of the Chicxulub structure in the Gulf of Mexico. The reconstructed marine 187 Os/ 188 Os curves can be used for global age correlations on the ~10 kyr scale. However, the versatility of Os isotope clock between the proximal and distal sites remains unclear. This paper presents 187 Os/ 188 Os records from early Paleocene sediments deposited in the Chicxulub impact basin and Mexican sites with biochronological scales. The results for these proximal sites show a recovery timescale of ~700 kyr, which is significantly longer than that of the distal sites (~200 kyr). The interval showing the 187 Os/ 188 Os decline coincides with the enrichment of hydrothermally-derived Mn, implying that hydrothermal venting at the Chicxulub structure may have played a role in the marine chemistry and ecosystem of the Gulf of Mexico.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58112-x","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1038/s41467-025-58112-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/plants14010064","name":"Combined Effects of Microgravity and Chronic Low-Dose Gamma Radiation on <i>Brassica rapa</i> Microgreens.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Plants in space face unique challenges, including chronic ionizing radiation and reduced gravity, which affect their growth and functionality. Understanding these impacts is essential to determine the cultivation conditions and protective shielding needs in future space greenhouses. While certain doses of ionizing radiation may enhance crop yield and quality, providing “functional food” rich in bioactive compounds, to support astronaut health, the combined effects of radiation and reduced gravity are still unclear, with potential additive, synergistic, or antagonistic interactions. This paper investigates the combined effect of chronic ionizing radiation and reduced gravity on Brassica rapa seed germination and microgreens growth. Four cultivation scenarios were designed: standard Earth conditions, chronic irradiation alone, simulated reduced gravity alone, and a combination of irradiation and reduced gravity. An analysis of the harvested microgreens revealed that growth was moderately reduced under chronic irradiation combined with altered gravity, likely due to oxidative stress, primarily concentrated in the roots. Indeed, an accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was observed, as well as of polyphenols, likely to counteract oxidative damage and preserve the integrity of essential structures, such as the root stele. These findings represent an important step toward understanding plant acclimation in space to achieve sustainable food production on orbital and planetary platforms.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14010064","authors":["Sara De Francesco","Isabel Le Disquet","Veronica Pereda‐Loth","Lenka Tisseyre","Stefania De Pascale","Chiara Amitrano","Eugénie Carnero Diaz","Veronica De Micco"],"tags":["Brassica rapa","Ionizing radiation","Irradiation","Chemistry","Oxidative stress"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.3390/plants14010064","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2423683122","name":"Autocatalytic symmetry breaking and chiral amplification in a feedback network combining amino acid synthesis and ligation.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"A kinetic model coupling prebiotically plausible synthesis of enantioenriched proteinogenic amino acids with catalytic peptide ligation leads to an autocatalytic network that may exhibit symmetry breaking and chiral amplification, providing a feasible route to the emergence of biological homochirality. We show that symmetry breaking leading to chiral amplification can occur in two ways: a constructive mechanism in which dimers catalyze the synthesis of monomers of the same enantiomer, and a destructive mechanism in which dimers catalyze the breakdown of monomers of the opposite enantiomer.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2423683122","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2423683122","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.283Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41586-025-10088-w","name":"Adventitious carbon breaks symmetry in oxide contact electrification.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Insulating oxides are among the most abundant solid materials in the universe 1-3 . Of the many ways in which they influence natural phenomena, perhaps the most consequential is their capacity to transfer electrical charge during contact 4-10 -which occurs even between samples of the same oxide-yet the symmetry-breaking parameter that causes this remains unidentified 11,12 . Here we show that adventitious carbonaceous molecules adsorbed from the environment are the symmetry-breaking factor in same-material oxide contact electrification (CE). We use acoustic levitation to measure charge exchange between a sphere and a plate composed of identical amorphous silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ). Although charging polarity is random for co-prepared samples, we control it with baking or plasma treatment. Observing the charge-exchange relaxation afterwards, we see dynamics over a timescale of hours and connect this directly to the presence of adventitious carbon with time-of-flight mass spectrometry, low-energy ion scattering and infrared spectroscopy. Going further, we confirm that adventitious carbon can even determine charge exchange among different oxides. Our results identify the symmetry-breaking parameter that causes insulating oxides to exchange charge in settings ranging from desert sands 4 to volcanic plumes 5,6 , while simultaneously highlighting an overlooked factor in CE more broadly.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-10088-w","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.1038/s41586-025-10088-w","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-026-43887-w","name":"Estimation of onion crop evapotranspiration and crop coefficients using weighing lysimeters and machine learning models in semi-arid region.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Water scarcity is a significant challenge in Iran’s agricultural sector, particularly for onion (Allium cepa L.) cultivation, which is a vital crop for the country’s economy and diet. However, there is a lack of standardized data on onion evapotranspiration (ETc) in semi-arid conditions, making precise irrigation management difficult. To address this gap, a two-year field experiment was conducted at the Kooshkak Agricultural Research Station, Shiraz University, Iran to measure ETc using digital weighing lysimeters based on the water balance method and to develop predictive models using machine learning algorithms. The ETc of onion in the first and second years were 447.1 mm and 432.2 mm, respectively. Soil evaporation accounted for 36.6% and 32.8% of the total ETc in the first and second years, respectively. The average of single crop coefficient values for the initial, mid, and late growth stages across both years were 0.41, 0.68, and 0.51, respectively. Additionally, the basal crop coefficient values for the initial, mid, and late growth stages were 0.10, 0.51, and 0.37, respectively. To estimate [Formula: see text] using easily accessible parameters, five machine learning algorithms were developed: Artificial Neural Network, Support Vector Machine, Decision Tree, Random Forest, and Lasso Regression. These models utilized meteorological variables (temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, net radiation) and crop parameters (leaf area index and plant height) as input features and measured [Formula: see text] was utilized as target outputs for calibrating and validating the model. Among the algorithms, the RF and DT achieved the highest predictive accuracy (R2 = 0.98, NRMSE = 0.04), followed by ANN (R2 = 0.97, NRMSE = 0.07), SVR (R2 = 0.97, NRMSE = 0.08), and LASSO (R2 = 0.85, NRMSE = 0.18). Using lysimeter measurements as reliable reference data to evaluate machine-learning models provides a dependable framework for optimizing irrigation scheduling and enhancing water-use efficiency in onion cultivation under semi-arid conditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-43887-w","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.1038/s41598-026-43887-w","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fmicb.2024.1473270","name":"Improved protocol for metabolite extraction and identification of respiratory quinones in extremophilic Archaea grown on mineral materials.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"We investigated the metabolome of the iron- and sulfur-oxidizing, extremely thermoacidophilic archaeon Metallosphaera sedula grown on mineral pyrite (FeS 2 ). The extraction of organic materials from these microorganisms is a major challenge because of the tight contact and interaction between cells and mineral materials. Therefore, we applied an improved protocol to break the microbial cells and separate their organic constituents from the mineral surface, to extract lipophilic compounds through liquid–liquid extraction, and performed metabolomics analyses using MALDI-TOF MS and UHPLC-UHR-Q/TOF. Using this approach, we identified several molecules involved in central carbon metabolism and in the modified Entner-Doudoroff pathway found in Archaea, sulfur metabolism-related compounds, and molecules involved in the adaptation of M. sedula to extreme environments, such as metal tolerance and acid resistance. Furthermore, we identified molecules involved in microbial interactions, i.e., cell surface interactions through biofilm formation and cell–cell interactions through quorum sensing, which relies on messenger molecules for microbial communication. Moreover, we successfully extracted and identified different saturated thiophene-bearing quinones using software for advanced compound identification (MetaboScape). These quinones are respiratory chain electron carriers in M. sedula , with biomarker potential for life detection in extreme environmental conditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1473270","authors":["Sebastian V. Gfellner","Cyril Colas","Guillaume Gabant","Janina Groninga","Martine Cadène","Tetyana Milojević"],"tags":["Archaea","Metabolite","Chemistry","Mineral","Extraction (chemistry)"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.3389/fmicb.2024.1473270","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2023.0122","name":"Biosignature Molecules Accumulate and Persist in Evaporitic Brines: Implications for Planetary Exploration.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"as described in past laboratory studies. The water-soluble small organic molecule inventory was determined by using microchip capillary electrophoresis paired with high-resolution mass spectrometry (µCE-HRMS). We analyzed the relative distribution of proteinogenic amino acids with a recently developed quantitative method using CE-separation and laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection of amino acids in hypersaline brines. Salinity trends for dissolved free amino acids were consistent with amino acid residue abundance determined from the proteome of the microbial community predicted from metagenomic data. This highlights a tangible connection up and down the \"-omics\" ladder across changing geochemical conditions. The detection of water-soluble organic compounds, specifically proteinogenic amino acids at high abundance (>7 mM) in concentrated brines, demonstrates that potential organic biomarkers accumulate at hypersaline sites and suggests the possibility of long-term preservation. The detection of such molecules in high abundance when using diverse analytical tools appropriate for spacecraft suggests that life detection within hypersaline environments, such as evaporates on Mars and the surface or subsurface brines of ocean world Europa, is plausible and argues such environments should be a high priority for future exploration. Key Words: Salts-Analytical chemistry-Amino acids-Biosignatures-Capillary electrophoresis-Preservation. Astrobiology 24, 795-812.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2023.0122","authors":["Chad Pozarycki","Kenneth Marshall Seaton","Emily C. Vincent","Carlie Novak Sanders","Nickie Nuñez","Mariah C. Castillo","Ellery D. Ingall","Benjamin Klempay","A. Pontefract","Luke A. Fisher","Emily R. Paris","Steffen Buessecker"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Exoplanet","Planetary science","Geology","Planetary exploration"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1089/ast.2023.0122","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/life15111745","name":"The Origin of Life and Cellular Systems: A Continuum from Prebiotic Chemistry to Biodiversity.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The origin of life remains one of the most profound and enduring enigmas in the biological sciences. Despite substantial advances in prebiotic chemistry, fundamental uncertainties persist regarding the precise mechanisms that enabled the emergence of the first cellular entity and, subsequently, the foundational branches of the tree of life. After examining the core principles that define living systems, we propose that life emerged as a novel property of a prebiotically assembled system-formed through the integration of distinct molecular worlds, defined as sets of structurally and functionally related molecular entities that interact via catalytic, autocatalytic, and/or self-assembly processes. This emergence established a permanent system-process duality, wherein the system's organization and its dynamic processes became inseparable. Upon acquiring the capacity to replicate and mutate its genetic program, this primordial organism initiated the evolutionary process, ultimately driving the diversification of life under the influence of evolutionary forces and leading to the formation of ecosystems. The challenge of uncovering the origin of life and the emergence of biodiversity is not solely scientific, it requires the integration of empirical evidence, theoretical insight, and critical reflection. This work does not claim certainty but proposes a perspective on how life and biodiversity may have arisen on Earth. Ultimately, time and scientific inquiry will determine the validity of this view.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life15111745","authors":["Jaime Gómez‐Márquez"],"tags":["Abiogenesis","Tree of life (biology)","Three-domain system","Biodiversity","Evolutionary biology"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.3390/life15111745","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-022-08216-x","name":"No mineralogic or geochemical evidence of impact at Tall el-Hammam, a Middle Bronze Age city in the Jordan Valley near the Dead Sea.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"In their recent Nature Scientific Reports article, Bunch et al. 1 present several observations from the geologic and archeologic record and conclude that the destruction of the Bronze Age city Tall el-Hammam was caused by a cosmic air burst. Here, we challenge their mineralogic and geochemical observations. This is important because as determined by the impact cratering community, these are the only kinds of evidence that can provide uniquely diagnostic evidence of impacts or airburst and are the only criteria currently acceptable for confirmation of impact.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-08216-x","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.1038/s41598-022-08216-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/nsr/nwaf300","name":"Re-Os geochronology for sulfides and organic-rich sediments.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Rhenium and osmium are both siderophilic and chalcophilic, exhibiting a strong affinity for organic-rich materials. This makes the Re-Os chronometer a valuable complement to geochronometers based on lithophile elements. In this review, we begin by discussing how the elemental abundances and isotopic compositions impact sample selection, analytical strategy, and data interpretation. We then provide an overview of how 187 Os/ 188 Os ratios can be used to trace geological processes, followed by a summary of the analytical protocols commonly used in Re-Os geochemistry. We also examine key challenges in isochron dating, including the identification and avoidance of pitfalls such as mixing lines, and inherited initial slopes. We further demonstrate that petrographic and geochemical studies can be very helpful for accurately dating sulfides with contrasting initial 187 Os/ 188 Os values and/or ages. With state-of-the-art Re-Os dating technique reaching precisions up to 0.05% for molybdenites and 1% for organic-rich sedimentary rocks, it is now possible to resolve the rapid and episodic nature of ore formation, and to investigate the dynamics of environment-life coevolution with unprecedented detail. We conclude this review by outlining future directions for Re-Os geochronology, including developing imaging-guided Re-Os dating techniques for organic-rich sediments, sharpening the in situ Re-Os dating method, and fully integrating the Re-Os geochronometer into the EarthTime initiative.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwaf300","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1093/nsr/nwaf300","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0340252","name":"Effect of perchlorate on biocementation capable bacteria and Martian bricks.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"With the recent discovery of perchlorate (0.5-1%) in Martian regolith, more experiments related to the impact of perchlorate on microbial life are crucial to understanding the possibility of earth life forms that could sustain on the Martian terrain. While we are familiar with the idea of bioconsolidated Martian bricks made via Microbially Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP), studies on the effect of perchlorate on Martian bricks & biocementation capable microbes have been obscure. In this work, we investigated the effect of perchlorate (MgClO4- salt) on a lab-isolated biocementation capable bacteria & Martian bricks bioconsolidated by the same, with 1% perchlorate in Mars Global Simulant-1 (MGS-1). The screening of biocementation-capable bacteria involved phenol red assay for urease activity followed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) study of the precipitate formed through MICP via ureolytic pathway. The biocementation capable bacterium SI_IISc_isolate was found to be phylogenetically closest to Sporosarcina pasteurii strain S2135 with a draft genome size of 3.69 Mb. To understand the effect of perchlorate on SI_IISc_isolate, we majorly relied on Gram-staining & SEM. The negative effect of perchlorate stress on the isolate was evident by its decreased growth in the presence of varying concentrations of perchlorate through plate assays, growth curve studies in broth & live-dead staining. Gram-staining study and SEM both revealed that perchlorate induces the release of extracellular matrix (ECM) and promotes clustering of cells by the bacteria, which we termed as 'multicellularity-like behavior.' Further, we constructed Martian bricks with Martian Global Simulant (MGS-1) along with 1% perchlorate, utilizing the microbially induced calcite precipitation ability of the Sporosarcina sp. strain SI_IISc_isolate via ureolysis, following an established protocol at our lab. The bioconsolidation experiments showed that in the presence of a natural adhesive - guar gum, perchlorate tends to significantly improve the compressive strength of Martian bricks. However, the end result eventually relies on the overall effect of various additives in the regolith.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0340252","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.1371/journal.pone.0340252","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/1751-7915.70085","name":"Positive Microbiology in the Movies.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Microbes are essential for sustaining life in our planet. Also, we use microbes for multiple processes like food fermentation, production of antibiotics and other drugs, biofuel production, biomining and so forth. However, this essential role is scarcely represented in commercial movies. Although films are an artistic recreation of reality, we must not forget that they fix in the public's imagination the cliché that 'microbes are bad'. In this article, some commercial movies that depict the beneficial biotechnological use of microorganisms are discussed as tools to be used in education and to engage general audiences, countering germophobia, and encourage them in the path of 'positive microbiology'.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1751-7915.70085","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1111/1751-7915.70085","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41586-024-08526-2","name":"A reinforced lunar dynamo recorded by Chang'e-6 farside basalt.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The evolution of the lunar dynamo is essential for deciphering the deep interior structure, thermal history and surface environment of the Moon 1-4 . Previous palaeomagnetic investigations on samples returned from the nearside of the Moon have established the general variation of the lunar magnetic field 5-7 . However, limited spatial and temporal palaeomagnetic constraints leave the evolution of the lunar dynamo ambiguous. The Chang'e-6 mission returned the first farside basalts dated at about 2.8 billion years ago (Ga) (refs. 8,9 ), offering an opportunity to investigate a critical spatiotemporal gap in the evolution of the global lunar dynamo. Here we report palaeointensities (around 5-21 μT) recovered from the Chang'e-6 basalts, providing the first constraint on the magnetic field from the lunar farside and a critical anchor within the large gap between 3 Ga and 2 Ga. These results record a rebound of the field strength after its previous sharp decline of around 3.1 Ga, which attests to an active lunar dynamo at about 2.8 Ga in the mid-early stage and argues against the suggestion that the lunar dynamo may have remained in a low-energy state after 3 Ga until its demise. The results indicate that the lunar dynamo was probably driven by either a basal magma ocean or a precession, supplemented by other mechanisms such as core crystallization.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08526-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1038/s41586-024-08526-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.adr8584","name":"Earth orbital rhythms links timing of Deccan trap volcanism phases and global climate change.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"At the end of the Cretaceous, the massive Deccan trap (DT) volcanic eruptions are regarded as the primary driver of global climate deterioration. Accurate age models are key to unravel the sequence of events related to DT volcanism onset and effects on the global climate system. We establish a direct geochemical link between DT volcanism as recorded in marine osmium isotopic data and global climate change documented in benthic foraminifera carbon and oxygen isotope records. Based on our state-of-the-art astronomically calibrated age model, two major shifts in marine 187 Os/ 188 Os at 66.49 and 66.28 million years ago are contemporaneous with major eruption phases of the DT and disruptions of the global carbon cycle. Geochemical records and modeling suggest larger erupted volumes with high volatile emissions for the early phase of DT volcanism and point to differing emissions of SO 2 and CO 2 during the observed marine osmium shifts with diverse effects on the global climate system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adr8584","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.adr8584","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1098/rstb.2024.0289","name":"Can the origin of biosynthetic routes be explained by a Frankenstein's monster-like spontaneous assembly of prebiotic reactants?","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Since it is easy to envision that prebiotically synthesized molecules underwent reactions comparable or even identical to those that occur in some metabolic pathways, it has been argued that biosynthetic routes emerged from the direct assembly of these prebiotic reactants. However, although in prebiotic simulation experiments several products present in extant metabolic routes may be formed at the same time, in biosynthetic pathways, the same precursor undergoes a stepwise transformation into other compounds, allowing changes of energy to occur that are necessary for the energetic independence of cells. In other words, from thermodynamic and equilibrium perspectives, the availability of many or all of the chemical components of a metabolic route does not necessarily imply that they will spontaneously be linked in linear or cyclic pathways. Although a number of chemical changes that mimic or are identical to a number of metabolic reactions may have taken place in the primitive environment, in the absence of a genetic apparatus ensuring the stability and diversification of the catalysts and hypothetical pathways, it is difficult to picture the continuity and evolution of such chains of reactions.This article is part of the theme issue 'Origins of life: the possible and the actual'.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2024.0289","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1098/rstb.2024.0289","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/life15020169","name":"Phototrophs in Unique Habitats of Thermomineral Springs in Central Serbia.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Thermomineral springs are unique aquatic habitats characterized by high temperatures or mineral-rich water and often host specialized microbial communities. In Serbia, these springs represent an important but under-researched ecological resource whose diverse physicochemical properties are shaped by their geological context. In this study, the physical and chemical properties of Serbian thermomineral springs and their relationship with phototrophic communities in different substrates are investigated. Phototrophic biofilms were categorized into fully submerged and splash zone biofilms, with the former showing higher primary production. Cyanobacteria, Chlorophyta, and Bacillariophyta were recorded, with Bacillariophyta being the predominant division in terms of diversity, followed by Cyanobacteria. Among Cyanobacteria, coccoid forms like Aphanocapsa , Chroococcus , Gloeocapsa and Synechococcus dominated splash zones, while trichal forms such as Leptolyngbya , Oscillatoria and Pseudanabaena were abundant in submerged biofilms, forming thick mats. Unique cyanobacterial taxa, including Desertifilum , Elainella , Geitlerinema , Nodosilinea and Wilmottia , were identified through molecular analysis, underscoring the springs' potential as habitats for specialized phototrophs. Diatom communities, dominated by Nitzschia and Navicula , exhibited site-specific species influenced by microenvironmental parameters. Statistical analysis revealed ammonia, total nitrogen, and organic carbon as key factors shaping community composition. This study enhances the understanding of these ecosystems, emphasizing their conservation importance and potential for biotechnological applications.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life15020169","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.3390/life15020169","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-026-37305-4","name":"Microbial communities and biomineralization potential within mountain permafrost of the Devaux ice cave in the Central Pyrenees.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Ice caves constitute one of the last cryospheric environments studied in the meridional regions. They are undergoing a pronounced ice reduction, and are an important example of ecosystems that have not yet been thoroughly explored from a microbiological point of view. The Devaux cave, in the Central Pyrenees, still hosts perennial ice. To test whether this ice contained microbial communities, prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms were searched by sequencing their 16S and 18S rRNA genes. From the taxonomic information, the potential functional pathways of these communities were predicted using bioinformatic techniques. In addition, the genome of the microorganisms housed in the perennial ice samples was investigated, and through metagenomic studies their metabolic capacity was elucidated. The cryogenic mineralization of the Devaux cave leads to the production of various Ca and Mg carbonates: calcite, aragonite, vaterite, Mg-rich calcite, and nesquehonite, whose formation may have been favored by the microorganisms in the cave. Among the genes encoding enzymes that enable reactions involved in biomineralization, those belonging to the nitrate and sulfate reduction dissimilatory pathways as well as ureases, ammonia lyases, and carbonic anhydrases were identified. This research takes a further step in the investigation of biomineralization, using the Devaux cave as a model.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-37305-4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.1038/s41598-026-37305-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/fsn3.71118","name":"&lt;i&gt;Adiantum capillus-veneris:&lt;/i&gt; A Comprehensive Review of Its Medicinal Properties, Bioactive Compounds, and Advanced Extraction Techniques.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Maidenhair fern ( Adiantum capillus-veneris ) is a common medicinal plant used in traditional systems to treat various illnesses. Its rich phytochemical composition, which includes flavonoids, phenolic acids, triterpenoids, saponins, and tannins, is thought to be responsible for its medicinal qualities. The review illustrates the pharmacological activities of Adiantum capillus-veneris , focusing on its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antidiabetic potentials, as supported by in vitro and in vivo studies. Antioxidant activity is the main factor in the plant's success in clearing out the reactive oxygen species (ROS), as tested in the case of notable effects from DPPH. The relationship between inflammation and the capability of prospection and treatment of inflammatory mediators such as TNF-α, IL-6, and prostaglandin E2 is the manner in which this gathering of the NF-κB pathway is conducted. Also, the plant possesses antidiabetic properties through the α-glucosidase and other carbohydrate-metabolizing enzymes. Cutting-edge technology involving the use of advanced extraction and analytical methods, such as Soxhlet extraction and GC-MS has interacted with the identification of bioactive compounds. Even so, problems are not absent, as standardized extraction protocols and minimal clinical trial data are still scarce. Additionally, our understanding of molecular mechanisms is lacking. This paper presents Adiantum capillus-veneris as a natural remedy with great promise. To ensure its effectiveness and safe incorporation into modern medicine, adequate investigation (such as clinical studies and formulation development) is essential.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.71118","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1002/fsn3.71118","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.283Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.bbadva.2025.100141","name":"The second wave of formose research.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This review article highlights key developments in the second wave of formose research (from approximately 2000), summarizing approximately 100 relevant studies. Section 1 introduces the basics of formose reaction and its historical context. Section 2 provides a brief overview of the pioneering works from the first wave of formose research (from 1970 to 1990). Section 3 then overviews the second wave of formose research, in which formose reactions under various conditions, mechanistic studies of the formose reaction, formose reactions and the origin of life, and applications of formose reactions are described. Finally, Section 4 offers summary and outlook.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbadva.2025.100141","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1016/j.bbadva.2025.100141","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s42004-025-01632-w","name":"Polymerization and replication of primordial RNA induced by clay-water interface dynamics.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"In the study of life's origins, a key challenge is understanding how RNA could have polymerized and subsequently replicated in early Earth. We present a theoretical and computational framework to model the non-enzymatic polymerization of ribonucleotides and the template-dependent replication of primordial RNA molecules, at the interfaces between the aqueous solution and a clay mineral. Our results demonstrate that systematic polymerization and replication of single-stranded RNA polymers, sufficiently long to fold and acquire basic functions (>15 nt), were feasible under these conditions. Crucially, this process required a physico-chemical environment characterized by large-amplitude oscillations with periodicity compatible with spring tide dynamics, suggesting that large moons may have played a role in the emergence of RNA-based life on planetary bodies. Interestingly, the theoretical analysis presents rigorous evidence that RNA replication efficiency increases in oscillating environments compared to constant ones. Moreover, the versatility of our framework enables comparisons between different genetic alphabets, showing that a four-letter alphabet -particularly when allowing non-canonical base pairs, as in current RNA- represents an optimal balance of replication speed and sequence diversity in the pathway to life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-025-01632-w","authors":["Carla Alejandre","Adrián Aguirre‐Tamaral","Carlos Briones","Jacobo Aguirre"],"tags":["RNA","Polymerization","Alphabet","Replication (statistics)","Biology"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1038/s42004-025-01632-w","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-025-88029-w","name":"Navajo Sandstone concretions record extended magnetic chronology.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This study investigates iron oxide concretions from the Jurassic Navajo Sandstone in Utah as potential recorders of long-term magnetic field variations. Using a combination of alternating field and thermal demagnetization, physical abrasion, chemical analysis, and magnetic modeling, we reveal multiple magnetic components with contrasting directions within individual concretions. Finite Element Magnetic Modelling demonstrates the sensitivity of magnetic signatures to small changes in layer thickness. X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometry confirms high iron concentrations in concretion crusts. Our results support a two-stage formation model involving initial iron hydroxide precipitation followed by progressive transformation to hematite. This extended formation process suggests these concretions may record paleomagnetic field changes, though their reliability as magnetic recorders need to be verified in more details. The identification of both goethite and hematite phases, coupled with their distinct magnetic behaviors, has implications for understanding similar concretionary structures observed on Mars. However, environmental differences between terrestrial and Martian settings require careful consideration when making such comparisons.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-88029-w","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1038/s41598-025-88029-w","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/life13101999","name":"Development of Sensitive Methods for the Detection of Minimum Concentrations of DNA on Martian Soil Simulants.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Several methods used for the quantification of DNA are based on UV absorbance or the fluorescence of complexes with intercalator dyes. Most of these intercalators are used in gels to visualize DNA and its structural integrity. Due to many extraterrestrial samples, such as meteorites or comets, which are likely to contain very small amounts of biological material, and because the ability to detect this material is crucial for understanding the origin and evolution of life in the universe, the development of assays that can detect DNA at low limits and withstand the rigors of space exploration is a pressing need in the field of astrobiology. In this study, we present a comparison of optimized protocols used for the fast and accurate quantification of DNA using common intercalator dyes. The sensitivity of assays exceeded that generated by any commercial kit and allowed for the accurate quantification of minimum concentrations of DNA. The methods were successful when applied to the detection and measurement of DNA spiked on soil samples. Furthermore, the impact of UV radiation as a harsh condition on the surface of Mars was assessed by DNA degradation and this was also confirmed by gel electrophoresis. Overall, the methods described provide economical, simple-step, and efficient approaches for the detection of DNA and can be used in future planetary exploration missions as tests used for the extraction of nucleic acid biosignatures.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life13101999","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.3390/life13101999","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1098/rsif.2022.0810","name":"Cells as the first data scientists.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The concepts that we generally associate with the field of data science are strikingly descriptive of the way that life, in general, processes information about its environment. The 'information life cycle', which enumerates the stages of information treatment in data science endeavours, also captures the steps of data collection and handling in biological systems. Similarly, the 'data-information-knowledge ecosystem', developed to illuminate the role of informatics in translating raw data into knowledge, can be a framework for understanding how information is constantly being transferred between life and the environment. By placing the principles of data science in a broader biological context, we see the activities of data scientists as the latest development in life's ongoing journey to better understand and predict its environment. Finally, we propose that informatics frameworks can be used to understand the similarities and differences between abiotic complex evolving systems and life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2022.0810","authors":["Michael L. Wong","Anirudh Prabhu"],"tags":["Data science","Informatics","Computer science","Raw data","Context (archaeology)"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.1098/rsif.2022.0810","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-025-57652-6","name":"Pinpointing the thermal history of lunar basaltic meteorites in a nutshell.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Native metals of igneous origin are recognized as one of the distinctive features of basalts from the Moon. Our study demonstrates that the tiny Fe-Ni metal blebs nucleated from lunar magma exhibit unanticipated, nutshell-like, crystallographic microstructures, that can be used in conjunction with local variations in chemical compositions to trace the complete thermal history of the host rock. This encompasses rapid cooling on the lunar surface, shock reheating upon impact, and post-shock cooling in the outer space. The Fe-Ni metal blebs indicate that the lava cooled in two stages, first down to 90-160 °C during lunar daytime, and then, to -160 °C during nighttime. Upon shock, the (near-)equilibrium peak temperature of 660-690 °C was reached shortly after release to zero pressure, mainly by thermal conduction from hot vesicular plagioclase. Here, we show that intense shock heating is compatible with the small impact scenario put forward for lunar meteorites and that metals are pioneering full-range geothermometers capable of tracing the complete thermal history of achondritic planetary materials.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57652-6","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1038/s41467-025-57652-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fpls.2025.1517074","name":"Enhancing tuber yield and nutraceutical quality of potato by supplementing sunlight with LED red-blue light.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Introduction We investigated the influence of genetic material and light spectrum on plant performance of two cultivars of potato ( Solanum tuberosum L.), 'Colomba' and 'Libra', grown in greenhouse, in the view of future plant cultivation in Space and terrestrial vertical farming and controlled environment agriculture under limiting light conditions. Methods The effects of 100% natural light (CNT) and two lighting treatments, in which 30% of solar radiation was replaced by red and blue LED light, RB 1:1 and RB 2:1, were evaluated on plant growth, gas exchange, and tuber yield and quality. Results In CNT plants, net photosynthesis (NP) was similar in the cultivars, while the aerial biomass and tuber yield were greater in 'Libra'. In 'Colomba', NP and plant leaf area were unaffected by lighting treatments, however tuber yield increased under RB 2:1. Conversely, in 'Libra' both the aerial biomass and tuber production decreased in RB 2:1. Tubers of 'Colomba' contained higher concentrations of most minerals than 'Libra', probably due to different genetic traits and the slightly lower biomass (concentration effect). Red-blue lighting did not alter the mineral content of tubers. 'Colomba' prioritized the accumulation of free amino acids, GABA, and polyphenols, enhancing the plant stress response and antioxidant capacity, and adapted well to variable light conditions, with significant increases in tuber yield under LED treatments. Differently, 'Libra' focused on synthesis of carbohydrates, and essential amino acid content was lower compared to 'Colomba'. Discussion Our findings underline the importance of genotype selection and highlights how light spectrum can improve the plant performance in potato. This knowledge could be useful in controlled environment agriculture and indoor cultivation (i.e., vertical farming) as well as in space research on potato, as this crop is a candidate for plant-based regenerative systems for long-term missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2025.1517074","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1517074","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.785Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"oa:W4394872639","name":"Formation of extraterrestrial peptides and their derivatives","source":"openalex","abstract":"The formation of protein precursors, due to the condensation of atomic carbon under the low-temperature conditions of the molecular phases of the interstellar medium, opens alternative pathways for the origin of life. We perform peptide synthesis under conditions prevailing in space and provide a comprehensive analytic characterization of its products. The application of 13 C allowed us to confirm the suggested pathway of peptide formation that proceeds due to the polymerization of aminoketene molecules that are formed in the C + CO + NH 3 reaction. Here, we address the question of how the efficiency of peptide production is modified by the presence of water molecules. We demonstrate that although water slightly reduces the efficiency of polymerization of aminoketene, it does not prevent the formation of peptides.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adj7179","authors":["Serge A. Krasnokutski","C. Jäger","Thomas Henning","Claude Geffroy-Rodier","Quentin Blancart Remaury","Pauline Poinot","Cornelia Jäger","Claude Geffroy","Quentin B. Remaury"],"tags":["Polymerization","Peptide","Condensation","Molecule","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adj7179","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391815865","name":"Life on Earth can grow on extraterrestrial organic carbon","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The universe is a vast store of organic abiotic carbon that could potentially drive heterotrophy on habitable planets. Meteorites are one of the transporters of this carbon to planetary surfaces. Meteoritic material was accumulating on early Earth when life emerged and proliferated. Yet it is not known if this organic carbon from space was accessible to life. In this research, an anaerobic microbial community was grown with the CM2 carbonaceous chondrite Aguas Zarcas as the sole carbon, energy and nutrient source. Using a reversed 13C-stable isotope labelling experiment in combination with optical photothermal infrared (O-PTIR) spectroscopy of single cells, this paper demonstrates the direct transfer of carbon from meteorite into microbial biomass. This implies that meteoritic organics could have been used as a carbon source on early Earth and other habitable planets, and supports the potential for a heterotrophic metabolism in early living systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-54195-6","authors":["Annemiek C. Waajen","Cássio Lima","Royston Goodacre","Charles S. Cockell"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Meteorite","Carbon fibers","Extraterrestrial life","Earth (classical element)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-54195-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W4200393738","name":"Meteorite impact craters as hotspots for mineral resources and energy fuels: A global review","source":"openalex","abstract":"The ever-increasing recovery rate of natural resources from terrestrial impact craters over the last few decades across the globe offers new avenues for further exploration of mineral and hydrocarbon resources in such settings. As of today, 60 of the 208 terrestrial craters have been identified to host diverse resources such as hydrocarbons, metals and construction materials. The potential of craters as plausible resource contributors to the energy sector is therefore, worthy of consideration, as 42 (70%) of the 60 craters host energy resources such as oil, gas, coal, uranium, mercury, critical and major minerals as well as hydropower resources. Among others, 19 craters are of well-developed hydrocarbon reserves. Mineral deposits associated with craters are also classified similar to other mineral resources such as progenetic, syngenetic and epigenetic sources. Of these, the progenetic and syngenetic mineralization are confined to the early and late excavation stage of impact crater evolution, respectively, whereas epigenetic deposits are formed during and after the modification stage of crater formation. Thus, progenetic and syngenetic mineral deposits (like Fe, Ni, Pb, Zn and Cu) associated with craters are formed as a direct result of the impact event, whereas epigenetic deposits (e.g. hydrocarbon) are hosted by the impact structure and result from post-impact processes. In the progenetic and syngenetic deposits, the shock-wave induced fracturing and melting aid the formation of deposits, whereas in the epigenetic deposits, the highly fractured lithostratigraphic units of higher porosity and permeability, like the central elevated area (CEA) or the rim, act as traps. In this review, we provide a holistic view of the mineral and energy resources associated with impact craters, and use some of the remote sensing techniques to identify the mineral deposits as supplemented by a schematic model of the types of deposits formed during cratering process.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engeos.2021.12.006","authors":["S. James","Saranya R. Chandran","M. Santosh","A.P. Pradeepkumar","M.N. Praveen","K.S. Sajinkumar"],"tags":["Impact crater","Geology","Mineral resource classification","Geochemistry","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-12-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engeos.2021.12.006","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2463393439","name":"Habitable planetary environments and extraterrestrial life","source":"openalex","abstract":"Arguably one of the most important discoveries in the history of human being is the detection of a planet orbiting a main sequence star beyond the solar system. By the time Science celebrated its 125th anniversary, ~150 exoplanets have been discovered. However, there was no known habitable exoplanet. Neither was it clear whether there is habitable environment in the solar system beyond the Earth. Thus the possibility to “listen” to radio signals emitted by extraterrestrial intelligence was a focus of the 11th science question “Are we alone in the universe?”. We equally care about the 56th question “Is/Was there life elsewhere in the solar system?”. In this essay we discuss the following 4 aspects: (1) non-carbon-based life; (2) habitability of solar system planets/moons; (3) habitability of exoplanets; (4) prospects of detecting habitable environments and extraterrestrial life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1360/n972016-00030","authors":["Feng Tian"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Exoplanet","Habitability","Extraterrestrial life","Planetary habitability"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-06-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1360/n972016-00030","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W2051126029","name":"Heinrich events: Massive late Pleistocene detritus layers of the North Atlantic and their global climate imprint","source":"openalex","abstract":"Millennial climate oscillations of the glacial interval are interrupted by extreme events, the so‐called Heinrich events of the North Atlantic. Their near‐global footprint is a testament to coherent interactions among Earth's atmosphere, oceans, and cryosphere on millennial timescales. Heinrich detritus appears to have been derived from the region around Hudson Strait. It was deposited over approximately 500 ± 250 years. Several mechanisms have been proposed for the origin of the layers: binge‐purge cycle of the Laurentide ice sheet, jökulhlaup activity from a Hudson Bay lake, and an ice shelf buildup/collapse fed by Hudson Strait. To determine the origin of the Heinrich events, I recommend (1) further studies of the timing and duration of the events, (2) further sedimentology study near the Hudson Strait, and (3) greater spatial and temporal resolution studies of the layers as well as their precursory intervals. Studies of previous glacial intervals may also provide important constraints.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2003rg000128","authors":["Sidney R. Hemming"],"tags":["Geology","Oceanography","Ice sheet","Glacial period","Detritus"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2003rg000128","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402986684","name":"Chiral Minerals","source":"openalex","abstract":"Hundreds of minerals are chiral, that is, they appear in nature in two forms—left-handed and right-handed. Yet except for quartz, this key structural property has remained, by and large, in shadow in the world of minerals in research, in museum displays and for collectors. This review is devoted to providing a full picture of chiral minerals in nature. It starts with a general outline of the crystallographic background needed for the characterization of chiral minerals, continues with a detailed description of the many chemical and physical processes leading to their formation and follows with their chemical reactivities and transformations, with their physical properties and with the ways to analyze and identify them. Many tables with listings of various types of chiral minerals are provided. The “missing-glove” situation, in which the recognition that a chiral mineral appears in nature in two distinctly forms is, by and large, missing, is described, and it is hoped that this review will spark interest in this aspect of nature’s crystals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14100995","authors":["David Avnir"],"tags":["Geochemistry","Chemistry","Astrobiology","Geology","Environmental chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14100995","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W4404077690","name":"Bacteria Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, terrestrial analogue of extraterrestrial microorganisms?","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract In this comprehensive review, Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans , an acidophilic bacterium, has been thoroughly examined as a plausible analogue for microbial life in Venus's lower cloud layer. Given its ability to adapt to extreme conditions, including low pH environments and metal-rich settings, Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans is considered a promising candidate for studying life analogues in Venus's clouds. This article comprehensively analyses the bacterium's distinctive phenotypic and genotypic features, investigating its metabolic pathways, adaptive strategies and potential ecological niche within Venusian cloud ecosystems. After careful consideration of the environmental parameters characterizing Venus, the unidentified UV absorber in its clouds, and the prospects for microbial life, this review underscores the imperative nature of future Venus missions and the pivotal role that Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans may play in exploring the possible habitability of Venus and advancing astrobiological research.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550424000181","authors":["Grzegorz Słowik","Renee Richer","Aleksandra Stryjska","Paweł Dąbrowski","Grzegorz Piotr Slowik","Aleksandra Zofia Stryjska","Pawel Dabrowski"],"tags":["Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans","Microorganism","Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology","Acidithiobacillus"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550424000181","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391735001","name":"High-pressure minerals and new lunar mineral changesite-(Y) in Chang’e-5 regolith","source":"openalex","abstract":"Forty-five years after the Apollo and Luna missions, China’s Chang’e-5 (CE-5) mission collected ∼1.73 kg of new lunar materials from one of the youngest basalt units on the Moon. The CE-5 lunar samples provide opportunities to address some key scientific questions related to the Moon, including the discovery of high-pressure silica polymorphs (seifertite and stishovite) and a new lunar mineral, changesite-(Y). Seifertite was found to be coexist with stishovite in a silica fragment from CE-5 lunar regolith. This is the first confirmed seifertite in returned lunar samples. Seifertite has two space group symmetries (Pnc2 and Pbcn) and formed from an α-cristobalite-like phase during “cold” compression during a shock event. The aftershock heating process changes some seifertite to stishovite. Thus, this silica fragment records different stages of an impact process, and the peak shock pressure is estimated to be ∼11 to 40 GPa, which is much lower than the pressure condition for coexistence of seifertite and stishovite on the phase diagram. Changesite-(Y), with ideal formula (Ca8Y)□Fe2+(PO4)7 (where □ denotes a vacancy) is the first new lunar mineral to be discovered in CE-5 regolith samples. This newly identified phosphate mineral is in the form of columnar crystals and was found in CE-5 basalt fragments. It contains high concentrations of Y and rare earth elements (REE), reaching up to ∼14 wt. % (Y,REE)2O3. The occurrence of changesite-(Y) marks the late-stage fractional crystallization processes of CE-5 basalts combined with silicate liquid immiscibility. These new findings demonstrate the significance of studies on high-pressure minerals in lunar materials and the special nature of lunar magmatic evolution.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0148784","authors":["J. Yang","Wei Du"],"tags":["Stishovite","Regolith","Basalt","Geology","Mineral"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0148784","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W4401922442","name":"Alternative Pathways in Astrobiology: Reviewing and Synthesizing Contingency and Non-Biomolecular Origins of Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Life","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The pursuit of understanding the origins of life (OoL) on and off Earth and the search for extraterrestrial life (ET) are central aspects of astrobiology. Despite the considerable efforts in both areas, more novel and multifaceted approaches are needed to address these profound questions with greater detail and with certainty. The complexity of the chemical milieu within ancient geological environments presents a diverse landscape where biomolecules and non-biomolecules interact. This interaction could lead to life as we know it, dominated by biomolecules, or to alternative forms of life where non-biomolecules could play a pivotal role. Such alternative forms of life could be found beyond Earth, i.e., on exoplanets and the moons of Jupiter and Saturn. Challenging the notion that all life, including ET life, must use the same building blocks as life on Earth, the concept of contingency-when expanded beyond its macroevolution interpretation-suggests that non-biomolecules may have played essential roles at the OoL. Here, we review the possible role of contingency and non-biomolecules at the OoL and synthesize a conceptual model formally linking contingency with non-biomolecular OoL theories. This model emphasizes the significance of considering the role of non-biomolecules both at the OoL on Earth or beyond, as well as their potential as agnostic biosignatures indicative of ET Life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life14091069","authors":["Kuhan Chandru","Christian Potiszil","Tony Z. Jia"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Abiogenesis","Contingency","Search for extraterrestrial intelligence"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life14091069","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"oa:W4396615959","name":"Capillary Processes in Extraterrestrial Contexts","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Earth is no longer the only known celestial body containing one or more liquid phases. The Cassini spacecraft has discovered seas of hydrocarbons at the surface of Titan, while a series of corroborating evidences argue in favor of the existence of an aqueous ocean beneath the icy crust of several moons. Capillarity embraces a family of physical processes occurring at the free surface of a liquid. These phenomena depend on the liquid properties and on the local planetary conditions. Capillarity may have important direct or indirect implications on the geoscientific and astrobiological points of view. In this paper, we discuss capillarity physics among solar system objects and expected consequences for planetary science.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je008248","authors":["Daniel Cordier","Gérard Liger‐Belair","David A. Bonhommeau","Thomas Séon","T. Appéré","Nathalie Carrasco","Thomas Appéré"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Titan (rocket family)","Solar System","Extraterrestrial life","Liquid water"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je008248","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402860203","name":"Sustainable Mining and Processing of Mineral Resources","source":"openalex","abstract":"The global mineral extraction industry is undergoing rapid transformation [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/su16198393","authors":["Francis Pavloudakis","Christos Roumpos","Philip-Mark Spanidis"],"tags":["Mineral resource classification","Mineral processing","Mineral","Business","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/su16198393","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402173135","name":"Machine learning applications on lunar meteorite minerals: From classification to mechanical properties prediction","source":"openalex","abstract":"Amid the scarcity of lunar meteorites and the imperative to preserve their scientific value, non-destructive testing methods are essential. This translates into the application of microscale rock mechanics experiments and scanning electron microscopy for surface composition analysis. This study explores the application of Machine Learning algorithms in predicting the mineralogical and mechanical properties of DHOFAR 1084, JAH 838, and NWA 11444 lunar meteorites based solely on their atomic percentage compositions. Leveraging a prior-data fitted network model, we achieved near-perfect classification scores for meteorites, mineral groups, and individual minerals. The regressor models, notably the K -Neighbor model, provided an outstanding estimate of the mechanical properties—previously measured by nanoindentation tests—such as hardness, reduced Young’s modulus, and elastic recovery. Further considerations on the nature and physical properties of the minerals forming these meteorites, including porosity, crystal orientation, or shock degree, are essential for refining predictions. Our findings underscore the potential of Machine Learning in enhancing mineral identification and mechanical property estimation in lunar exploration, which pave the way for new advancements and quick assessments in extraterrestrial mineral mining, processing, and research.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmst.2024.08.001","authors":["Eloy Peña‐Asensio","J. M. Trigo‐Rodríguez","Jordi Sort","Jordi Ibáñez","Albert Rimola"],"tags":["Meteorite","Nanoindentation","Porosity","Microscale chemistry","Mineral"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmst.2024.08.001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W4405530302","name":"Tribological Investigation of Polymer Composite Dynamic Shaft Seals in Extraterrestrial Applications","source":"openalex","abstract":"Polymer seals are utilized in various engineering applications to prevent leakage and contamination. The study investigates the wear and friction behavior of PTFE-based dynamic rotary seals, targeting their usage in space applications. Pin-on-disc dry sliding wear tests were performed with 0.5 MPa contact pressure and 0.2 m/s sliding velocity combining different lip seal (PTFE, PTFE+GF+MoS2), packing (PTFE, PTFE+Aramid fiber+solid lubricant) and shaft materials (34CrNiMo6, PEEK) involving third-body lunar (LHS-1) and Martian regolith (MGS-1) simulants. To understand the different influences of extraterrestrial regolith simulants compared to commonly encountered abrasives on Earth, quartz sand was selected as a reference. Quartz soil resulted in lower wear rates but a similar coefficient of friction to other regoliths. In the case of lip seals, testing with LHS-1 on PEEK and testing with MGS-1 on steel resulted in the most severe wear. Post-mortem surface analysis revealed the effect of external abrasive particles on the wear process and the transfer layer formation. The surface analysis confirmed that both lunar and Martian regolith simulants resulted in significant embedded particles. Based on the wear performance results, the lip seals performed better, but installation with an external packing could further aid the tribosystem.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants12120451","authors":["Ádám Kalácska","A. Coen","Jean Carlos Poletto","Patrick De Baets","Gábor Kalácska"],"tags":["Tribology","Composite number","Materials science","Extraterrestrial life","Polymer"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants12120451","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402307190","name":"Atmospheric collection of extraterrestrial dust at the Earth's surface in the mid‐Pacific","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Kwajalein micrometeorite collection utilized high volume air samplers fitted with polycarbonate membrane filters to capture particles directly from the atmosphere at the Earth's surface. This initial study focused on identifying cosmic spherule‐like particles, conservatively categorizing them into four groups based on bulk compositional data: Group I exhibit a range of compositions designated terrestrial in origin; group II are Fe‐rich and contain only additional O, S, and/or Ni; group III are silicate spherules with Mg‐to‐Si At% ratios less than 0.4; group IV are silicate spherules with Mg‐to‐Si At% ratios greater than 0.4. Spherules in groups I, II, and III have compositions that are also consistent with particles that are produced in great numbers by natural and/or anthropogenic terrestrial activities (e.g., volcanic microspherules, fly ash from coal fired power plants, etc.) and thus are assumed terrestrial in origin. Group IV spherules exhibit compositions closest to those of cosmic spherules identified in other collections and are, therefore, designated cosmic spherule candidates. Detailed analysis of seven group IV spherules found that whilst five exhibited morphology and compositions consistent with S‐type cosmic spherules, two appear unique to this collection and could not be matched to either terrestrial or extraterrestrial spherules studied to date.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14251","authors":["P. J. Wozniakiewicz","Luke S. Alesbrook","J. P. Bradley","H. A. Ishii","M. C. Price","M. E. Zolensky","Donald E. Brownlee","Matthias Van Ginneken","M. J. Genge"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Silicate","Astrobiology","Volcano","Earth (classical element)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14251","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W4415512902","name":"Europa’s ocean: potential for extraterrestrial chemoautotrophy","source":"openalex","abstract":"The search for extraterrestrial life has historically focused on photosynthetic organisms but following the discovery of deep-sea hydrothermal vents on Earth and the variety of microbes with unconventional metabolic pathways that inhabit them, astrobiology has expanded to encompass the search for extraterrestrial chemoautotrophs. Although bombarded by Jovian radiation and encased in a thick shell of ice, Jupiter’s moon Europa could very well be a sanctuary for extraterrestrial microbial life. It is widely accepted that underneath the ice lies a deep, salty ocean, and, despite possibly anoxic conditions, high pressures, and lack of sunlight, many physical and chemical properties of Europa are analogs of extreme environments on Earth, such as hydrothermal vents or subterranean radiogenic ecosystems. By drawing comparisons between Europa and Earth, it can be seen how processes such as serpentization, water radiolysis, and volcanic activity induced by tidal heating or Jovian radiation could very well be providing energy to chemoautotrophs inhabiting various habitats on the ocean floor. Understanding the possibilities of chemoautotrophic life on Europa can be extended to other planetary bodies, such as Mars and Enceladus, allowing for their consideration under a new perspective. Future missions such as the Europa Clipper, scheduled to arrive in 2030, will provide further clarity on the moon’s habitability and potentially bring science closer to the discovery of extraterrestrial biota.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2025.1694079","authors":["Emory G. Barrett","Richard A. Lutz"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology","Habitability","Hydrothermal vent","Jovian"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2025.1694079","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391631927","name":"Mechanical properties of minerals in lunar and HED meteorites from nanoindentation testing: Implications for space mining","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract This study analyzes the mechanical and elemental properties of lunar meteorites DHOFAR 1084, JAH 838, NWA 11444, and HED meteorite NWA 6013. Utilizing microscale rock mechanics experiments, that is, nanoindentation testing, this research reveals significant heterogeneity in both mechanical and elemental attributes across the mineral samples. Olivines, pyroxene, feldspar, and spinel demonstrate similar compositional and mechanical characteristics. Conversely, other silicate and oxide minerals display variations in their mechanical properties. Terrestrial olivines subjected to nanoindentation tests exhibit increased hardness and a higher Young's modulus than their lunar counterparts. A linear correlation is observed between the H/E r ratio and both plastic and elastic energies. Additionally, the alignment of mineral phases along a constant H/E r ratio suggests variations in local porosity. This study also highlights the need for further research focusing on porosity, phase insertions within the matrix, and structural orientations to refine our understanding of these mechanical characteristics. The findings have direct implications for in situ resource utilization strategies and future state‐of‐the‐art impact models. This comprehensive characterization serves as a foundational resource for future research efforts in space science and mining.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14148","authors":["Eloy Peña‐Asensio","J. M. Trigo‐Rodríguez","Jordi Sort","Jordi Ibáñez","Albert Rimola"],"tags":["Nanoindentation","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Space (punctuation)","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14148","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W3190699594","name":"Analytical database of Martian minerals (ADaMM): Project synopsis and Raman data overview","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Mars2020/Perseverance and ExoMars/Rosalind Franklin rovers are both slated to return the first Raman spectra ever collected from another planetary surface, Mars. In order to optimize the rovers scientific outcome, the scientific community needs to be provided with tailored tools for data treatment and interpretation. Responding to this need, the purpose of the Analytical Database of Martian Minerals (ADaMM) project is to build an extended multianalytical database of mineral phases that have been detected on Mars or are expected to be found at the landing sites where the two rovers will operate. Besides the use of conventional spectrometers, the main objective of the ADaMM database is to provide access to data collected by means of laboratory prototypes simulating the analytical performances of the spectroscopic systems onboard the Mars 2020 and ExoMars rovers. Planned to be released to the public in 2022, ADaMM will also provide access to data treatment and visualization tools developed in the framework of the mentioned space exploration missions. As such, the present work seeks to provide an overview of the ADaMM online platform, spectral tools, and mineral collection. In addition to that, the manuscript describes the Raman spectrometers used to analyze the mineral collection and presents a representative example of the analytical performance ensured by the Raman prototypes assembled to simulate the Raman Laser Spectrometer (RLS) and SuperCam systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.6215","authors":["Marco Veneranda","Aurelio Sanz‐Arranz","J. A. Manrique","Jesús Sáiz","Clara Garcia‐Prieto","Elena Pascual‐Sánchez","J. Medina","Menelaos Konstantinidis","E.A. Lalla","Andoni Moral","L. M. Nieto","F. Rull","G. López-Reyes"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Martian","Exploration of Mars","Raman spectroscopy","Spectrometer"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.6215","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W4383669837","name":"SUITABILITY OF SILICONE FOR SOFT-ROBOTIC EXPLORATION OF TERRESTRIAL AND EXTRATERRESTRIAL OCEAN WORLDS","source":"openalex","abstract":"This work revisits relevant mechanical and chemical properties of silicone rubber — Ecoflex in this study — to assess its suitability and viability for use in soft-robotic explorer construction and subsequent deployment and as a sealant for communication beacons, sensor pods, and other electronics in extreme planetary liquid environments, such as the depths of Earth’s oceans and extraterrestrial ocean worlds. Strain at a range of temperatures, as an indicator for operational durability, was tested under various endpoint clamp forces for several compound ratios. The temperature range at which silicone rubber remains pliable was assessed to determine its deployability. The re-binding property of cured silicone rubber samples with newly curing samples was investigated for its potential for additive manufacturing in soft robotics. Finally, the dissolution resistance, non-polarity, and electrical non-conductivity of silicone rubber were studied to assess its suitability for sealing electronics to be submerged in the salt water of both ocean and saturated salinity, as well as in hydrocarbon liquids. This work highlights critical aspects of silicone rubber for use in the construction, coating, and deployment of future soft robotic extraterrestrial liquid body explorers: The chosen silicone rubber Ecoflex is an electrically non-conducting sealant and pliable soft robotics material for temperatures above 50 °C, deployable in earthly extreme aqueous environments. Moreover, this work lays the foundation, albeit likely with different (silicone) rubbers/polymers due to much lower temperatures, for the robotic exploration of extraterrestrial liquid environments on ocean worlds, such as the hydrocarbon lakes on Titan and the putative subsurface oceans on Europa, Titan, and Enceladus.","url":"https://doi.org/10.15407/knit2023.03.047","authors":["Andres Nuncio Zuniga","Wolfgang Fink"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Soft robotics","Silicone","Silicone rubber","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-06-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.15407/knit2023.03.047","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391225114","name":"Electron microscopy observations of the diversity of Ryugu organic matter and its relationship to minerals at the micro‐ to nano‐scale","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Transmission electron microscopy analyses of Hayabusa2 samples show that Ryugu organic matter exhibits a range of morphologies, elemental compositions, and carbon functional chemistries consistent with those of carbonaceous chondrites that have experienced low‐temperature aqueous alteration. Both nanoglobules and diffuse organic matter are abundant. Non‐globular organic particles are also present, and including some that contain nanodiamond clusters. Diffuse organic matter is finely distributed in and around phyllosilicates, forms coatings on other minerals, and is also preserved in vesicles in secondary minerals such as carbonate and pyrrhotite. The average elemental compositions determined by energy‐dispersive spectroscopy of extracted, demineralized insoluble organic matter samples A0107 and C0106 are C100N3O9S1 and C100N3O7S1, respectively, with the difference in O/C slightly outside the difference in the standard error of the mean. The functional chemistry of the nanoglobules varies from mostly aromatic C=C to mixtures of aromatic C=C, ketone C=O, aliphatic (CHn), and carboxyl (COOH) groups. Diffuse organic matter associated with phyllosilicates has variable aromatic C, ketone and carboxyl groups, and some localized aliphatics, but is dominated by molecular carbonate (CO3) absorption, comparable to prior observations of clay‐bound organic matter in CI meteorites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14128","authors":["R. M. Stroud","Jens Barosch","L. Bonal","Katherine Burgess","George D. Cody","B. T. De Gregorio","Luke Daly","E. Dartois","E. Dobrică","J. Duprat","C. Engrand","Dennis Harries","Minako Hashiguchi","H. A. Ishii","Yoko Kebukawa","A. David Kilcoyne","F. Langenhorst","Martin Lee","L. R. Nittler","É. Quirico","Taiga Okumura","Laurent Rémusat","Scott A. Sandford","Hikaru Yabuta","Masanao Abe","N. M. Abreu","Paul A.J. Bagot","Pierre Beck","Laure Bejach","P. A. Bland","J. C. Bridges","Brittany A. Cymes","Alexandre Dazzi","Francisco de la Peña","Ariane Deniset‐Besseau","Satomi Enju","Yuma Enokido","D. Frank","Jennifer L. Gray","Mitsutaka Haruta","Satoshi Hata","L. J. Hicks","Yohei Igami","Damien Jacob","Kanami Kamide","M. Komatsu","Sylvain Laforet","Hugues Leroux","Corentin Le Guillou","Zita Martins","Maya Marinova","James Martinez","Jérémie Mathurin","Megumi Matsumoto","Toru Matsumoto","Junya Matsuno","Samuel McFadzean","Tatsuhiro Michikami","Itaru Mitsukawa","Akira Miyake","Masaaki Miyahara","Akiko Miyazaki","Gilles Montagnac","S. Mostefaoui","Tomoki Nakamura","Aiko Nakato","Hiroshi Naraoka","Yusuke Nakauchi","Satoru Nakazawa","Masahiro Nishimura","T. Noguchi","Kenta K. Ohtaki","Takuji Ohigashi","Tatsuaki Okada","Shota Okumura","Ryuji Okazaki","Van T. H. Phan","Rolando Rebois","Kanako Sakamoto","Takanao Saiki","Hikaru Saito","Yusuke Seto","Miho Shigenaka","William Smith","Hiroki Suga","Mingqi Sun","Shogo Tachibana","Yoshio Takahashi","Yasuo Takeichi","Akihisa Takeuchi","Aki Takigawa","Y. Tamenori","Satoshi Tanaka","Fuyuto Terui","M. S. Thompson","Naotaka Tomioka","A. Tsuchiyama","Yuichi Tsuda","Kentaro Uesugi","Masayuki Uesugi"],"tags":["Organic matter","Chemistry","Meteorite","Chondrite","Carbonate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14128","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411554806","name":"Moon Meteorite Dar al Gani 400: Utilizing Mössbauer and Raman Spectroscopy for Extraterrestrial Research","source":"openalex","abstract":"High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Space agencies worldwide are seeking promising analytical tools or novel combinations of established techniques to broaden our understanding of extraterrestrial processes. The constraints for extraterrestrial missions are quite high in terms of volume, mass, power consumption, radiation resistance and data transmission of the instruments used.In this work, the Dar al Gani 400 meteorite (DAG 400), which was found in 1998 in the respective meteorite field in the Libyan Sahara, is utilized as a model for extraterrestrial research employing Mössbauer and Raman spectroscopy. In addition, optical and X-ray microscopic (XRM) investigations were carried out, which provided images of the surface and interior of the meteorite, respectively, and further supported the results.For Mössbauer spectroscopy, the miniaturized Mössbauer spectrometer MIMOS II, which has already gained recognition in extraterrestrial research on Mars, was employed for phase determination. This finding serves as a crucial demonstration that the miniaturized Mössbauer spectrometer MIMOS II is well-suited for future space missions and the analysis of extraterrestrial materials.Notably, this study represents a novel application of Mössbauer spectroscopy in the analysis of DAG 400. The present study demonstrates the feasibility of phase assignment through the analysis of DAG 400, and it underscores the potential for further insights through the determination of oxidation states and mineralogical composition. Our work also underscores the pivotal role of multimodal and complementary analytical methodologies in this domain.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.5c00117","authors":["René Groß","Christoph Wetzel","Lei Zheng","Christoph Kahra","Justus Pawlak","Kevin Tran","Maximilian Seydi Kilic","H. Gaber","Bernhard Roth","Franz Renz"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Raman spectroscopy","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.5c00117","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391303747","name":"Detection limits of kaolinites and some common minerals in binary mixtures by short-wave infrared spectroscopy","source":"openalex","abstract":"The identification of minerals is key for adequately characterizing geological materials at different scales, from the study of outcrop surfaces to extraplanetary exploration. One of the most widely used identification methodologies in recent years is the spectroscopy in the visible, near infrared and short-wave infrared wavelength ranges (VNIR-SWIR spectroscopy). In polymineralic samples the position, geometry and intensity of the absorption features are parameters that can depart from the single-mineral samples as interference phenomena occur between the spectra of each mineral present. In this work it was studied and compared the reflectance spectra of binary mixtures to determine the detection limits of each mineral. For that, binary mixtures of well crystallized kaolinite and poorly crystallized kaolinite mixed with calcite, dolomite, gypsum, quartz and feldspar were prepared. The selected minerals are common in the Earth's crust in different geological contexts, mainly in sedimentary environments, in as alterations associated with ore deposits, and they have also been described on the surface of several extraterrestrial terrains. Binary samples spectra, their continuum removed-spectra and their second derivatives were compared, and identification limits, expressed as a percentage of each mineral, were obtained. These identification limits vary depending on the minerals mixed and the normalization method applied. The results after continuum removal showed that the identification of both kaolinites, in mixtures with calcite and dolomite, is possible if its content is ≥5%; and ≥15%, in mixtures with gypsum. The content to identify calcite must be ≥75%; whereas for dolomite is ≥60%; and ≥20% for gypsum. The implementation of the second derivative entailed some variations in the previous identification limits. Thus, kaolinite is identifiable if its content is ≥5% in all the mixtures; whereas carbonates have identification limits of 90%; and 5% in the case of gypsum. The identification of kaolinite in the presence of both tectosilicates is relatively easy (only 5% content is necessary regardless of the normalization method used). These limits were obtained from a constrained strategy based only in the study of binary mixtures, and easily obtained determination parameters. In that sense, they will probably diverge from the limits obtained in real cases, as other factors such as the number of constituent minerals, grain size, homogenization, and/or crystallinity, among others, may influence the identification. However, the results offer a diagnosis, based on a systematic study, of the arising issues to identify different minerals in polymineralic samples in laboratory or by remote sensing approaches. It is particularly notable the high detection limits of both carbonates in the presence of kaolinite. Therefore, it highlights the ease with which a misidentification of important constituents can occur in SWIR spectroscopy.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2024.107269","authors":["Ángel Santamaría-López","Mercedes Suárez","Emilia García Romero"],"tags":["Infrared","Spectroscopy","Infrared spectroscopy","Binary number","Clay minerals"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2024.107269","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W2499314044","name":"Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry","source":"openalex","abstract":"International audience","url":"https://doi.org/10.1039/9781847551894-00197","authors":["Yan Hu","Frédéric Moynier"],"tags":["Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry","Mass spectrometry","Chemistry","Analytical Chemistry (journal)","Chromatography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-07-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1039/9781847551894-00197","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4390947493","name":"Focused‐beam X‐ray fluorescence and diffraction microtomographies for mineralogical and chemical characterization of unsectioned extraterrestrial samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract This study describes the application of new synchrotron X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) and diffraction (XRD) microtomographies for the 3‐D visualization of chemical and mineralogical variations in unsectioned extraterrestrial samples. These improved methods have been applied to three compositionally diverse chondritic meteorite samples that were between 300 and 400 μm in diameter, including samples prepared from fragments of the CR2 chondrite LaPaz Icefield (LAP) 02342, H5 chondrite MacAlpine Hills (MAC) 88203, and the CM2 chondrite Murchison. The synchrotron‐based XRF and XRD tomographies used are focused‐beam techniques that measure the intensities of fluorescent and diffracted X‐rays in a sample simultaneously during irradiation by a high‐energy microfocused incident X‐ray beam. Measured sinograms of the emitted and diffracted intensities were then tomographically reconstructed to generate 2‐D slices of XRF and XRD intensity through the sample, with reconstructed pixel resolution of 1–2 μm, defined by the resolution of the focused incident X‐ray beam. For sample LAP 02342, primary mineral phases that were visualized in reconstructed slices using these techniques included isolated grains of α‐Fe, orthopyroxene, and olivine. For our sample of MAC 88203, XRF/XRD tomography allowed visualization of forsteritic olivine as a primary mineral phase, a vitrified fusion crust at the sample surface, identification of localized Cr‐rich spinels at spatial resolutions of several micrometers, and imaging of a plagioclase‐rich glassy matrix. In the sample of Murchison, major identifiable phases include clinoenstatite‐ and olivine‐rich chondrules, variable serpentine matrix minerals and small Cr‐rich spinels. Most notable in the tomographic analysis of Murchison is the ability to quantitatively distinguish and visualize the complex mixture of serpentine‐group minerals and associated tochilinite–cronstedtite intergrowths. These methods provide new opportunities for spatially resolved characterization of sample texture, mineralogy, crystal structure, and chemical state in unsectioned samples. This provides researchers an ability to characterize such samples internally with minimal disruption of sample micro‐structures and chemistry, possibly without the need for sample extraction from some types of sampling and capture media.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14130","authors":["Antonio Lanzirotti","S. R. Sutton","M. Newville","A. J. Brearley","Oliver Tschauner"],"tags":["Murchison meteorite","Chondrite","Olivine","Meteorite","Analytical Chemistry (journal)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14130","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402230181","name":"Unveiling deep Earth's hidden potential: insights from a new high-pressure phase discovered in a shocked meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"In this study, we report the discovery of a novel high-pressure phase within the Suizhou shocked meteorite, shedding light on the extreme conditions encountered during meteorite impacts. Utilizing advanced analytical techniques including electron microprobe and single-crystal X-ray diffraction, we identified a previously unknown crystalline structure formed under high pressures and temperatures. The new mineral, ideally Mg 3 (Si 0.5 [] 0.5 )Si 2 O 8 (the symbol [] stands for structural vacancy), was approved by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA 2024–012) and named ohtaniite in honour of Eiji Ohtani. The phase, a new mineral with the pyroxene chemistry but with wadsleyite structure, was characterized by its distinct crystal lattice and unique physical properties, suggesting a transformation induced by shock compression. This finding expands our understanding of shock-induced mineralogical transformations in extraterrestrial materials and offers insights into the dynamic processes shaping meteorite evolution. Further investigations into these high-pressure phases are crucial for unraveling the geological history of meteorites and their significance in planetary science.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s44346-024-00001-0","authors":["Luca Bindi","Z. Xie","T. G. Sharp","Xiande Xie"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Earth (classical element)","Phase (matter)","High pressure"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s44346-024-00001-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W2116844639","name":"The Origins of the RNA World","source":"openalex","abstract":"The general notion of an \"RNA World\" is that, in the early development of life on the Earth, genetic continuity was assured by the replication of RNA and genetically encoded proteins were not involved as catalysts. There is now strong evidence indicating that an RNA World did indeed exist before DNA- and protein-based life. However, arguments regarding whether life on Earth began with RNA are more tenuous. It might be imagined that all of the components of RNA were available in some prebiotic pool, and that these components assembled into replicating, evolving polynucleotides without the prior existence of any evolved macromolecules. A thorough consideration of this \"RNA-first\" view of the origin of life must reconcile concerns regarding the intractable mixtures that are obtained in experiments designed to simulate the chemistry of the primitive Earth. Perhaps these concerns will eventually be resolved, and recent experimental findings provide some reason for optimism. However, the problem of the origin of the RNA World is far from being solved, and it is fruitful to consider the alternative possibility that RNA was preceded by some other replicating, evolving molecule, just as DNA and proteins were preceded by RNA.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a003608","authors":["Mark P. Robertson","Gerald F. Joyce"],"tags":["RNA world hypothesis","RNA","Abiogenesis","Biology","Protocell"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-04-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a003608","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391178600","name":"Evidence of Sulfate‐Rich Fluid Alteration in Jezero Crater Floor, Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Sulfur plays a major role in martian geochemistry and sulfate minerals are important repositories of water. However, their hydration states on Mars are poorly constrained. Therefore, understanding the hydration and distribution of sulfate minerals on Mars is important for understanding its geologic, hydrologic, and atmospheric evolution as well as its habitability potential. NASA's Perseverance rover is currently exploring the Noachian‐age Jezero crater, which hosts a fan‐delta system associated with a paleolake. The crater floor includes two igneous units (the Séítah and Máaz formations), both of which contain evidence of later alteration by fluids including sulfate minerals. Results from the rover instruments Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemistry and Planetary Instrument for X‐ray Lithochemistry reveal the presence of a mix of crystalline and amorphous hydrated Mg‐sulfate minerals (both MgSO 4 ·[3–5]H 2 O and possible MgSO 4 ·H 2 O), and anhydrous Ca‐sulfate minerals. The sulfate phases within each outcrop may have formed from single or multiple episodes of water activity, although several depositional events seem likely for the different units in the crater floor. Textural and chemical evidence suggest that the sulfate minerals most likely precipitated from a low temperature sulfate‐rich fluid of moderate pH. The identification of approximately four waters puts a lower constraint on the hydration state of sulfate minerals in the shallow subsurface, which has implications for the martian hydrological budget. These sulfate minerals are key samples for future Mars sample return.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je007989","authors":["Sandra Siljeström","Andrew D. Czaja","Andrea Corpolongo","E. L. Berger","An Li","Emily Cardarelli","William Abbey","Sanford A. Asher","L. W. Beegle","Kathleen C. Benison","R. Bhartia","Benjamin L. Bleefeld"],"tags":["Sulfate","Impact crater","Noachian","Mars Exploration Program","Martian"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je007989","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4405893869","name":"Discovery of an Earthborn quasicrystal approximant","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Natural quasicrystals, compounds with characteristics intermediate between crystalline material and glass, have been so far discovered in extraterrestrial materials only. Furthermore, their occurrence in nature is limited to metallic, Al-bearing alloys. The presence of metallic aluminum in these minerals raised doubts about their potential occurrence in terrestrial rocks. The geochemical conditions needed to form metallic Al are so reducing that they are considered very unlikely in a terrestrial environment. Given the report of dodecagonal symmetry in the synthetic Ta1.6Te quasicrystal, the search for terrestrial quasicrystals was focused on natural tellurides. Here, we report the discovery of the first terrestrial approximant of a dodecagonal quasicrystal, a Pd-Ni-telluride with formula Pd3Ni4Te8 and tetragonal symmetry, which was found as small inclusions in a rock sample from Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. Periodic approximants are crystalline materials that share a similar chemical composition with quasicrystals but have a slightly altered atomic structure, aligning their symmetry with the traditional principles of three-dimensional crystallography. These crystalline approximants provide insights into the local atomic structure of their corresponding quasicrystals. Natural Pd3Ni4Te8 has been approved as a new mineral by the International Mineralogical Association with the name proxitwelvefoldite (IMA 2024-034). The Pd3Ni4Te8 composition has never been reported to form quasicrystal approximants among synthetic products and could indicate the possible existence of a 12-fold quasicrystal in the Pd-Ni-Te system. The discovery points to the possibility that the quasicrystalline structure may be much more common than previously thought, even in non-alloy systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2024-9679","authors":["Luca Bindi","Louis J. Cabri","M. Mihalkovič","František Laufek","Sergey V. Krivovichev"],"tags":["Quasicrystal","Materials science","Condensed matter physics","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2024-9679","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W4401866194","name":"86th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society (2024)","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14239","authors":[],"tags":["Political science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14239","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4400281472","name":"An Extraterrestrial Pt Anomaly during the Late Glacial-Younger Dryas: Viso Massif (Italy and France)","source":"openalex","abstract":"Paleosol evidence supporting the Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis (YDIH) on the Viso Massif of France and Italy is expanded by a Pt anomaly at all sites investigated, accompanied by elevated Os, Ir, Ru, and Rh concentrations at several sites, thus affirming a cosmic driver to the YD climatic shift at 12.8 ka. Original, thin Allerød soils prevalent at the end of the Late Glacial comprise sediments affected by an airburst from a hypothesized secondary daughter fragment or fragments of the main 2P/Encke progenitor comet train that intersected Earth’s land surface and its alpine-continental ice sheets. This event has been previously postulated to have breached Lake Agassiz and other proglacial lakes in North America, released meltwater into the Atlantic Ocean through the St. Lawrence and into the Arctic through the Mackenzie River system, after which cold surface water shut down the thermohaline circulation of the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic. This thermohaline event is the traditional explanation for YD cooling, but was it fast enough to match the pollen evidence, which confirms rapid temperature reversal? Or was an “impact winter” involved? Cosmic signatures reported here include elevated Pt/Pd ratios, Os, Ir, Ru, and Rh concentrations with orders of magnitude (OM) for Ir used to establish the main center of conflagrations that helped trigger an impact winter. While most sections show variable distributions of PGEs, some are fully affected by concentrations entirely through the unweathered substrate or parent material horizons (called “Cu” horizons). Peak distributions of platinum group elements (PGEs) provide new information on the dispersal patterns of grains that add the Western European Alps to the intercontinental array of sites containing the Younger Dryas boundary (YDB) layer, also sometimes called the black mat (BM). Previously, most age determinations for the Alps were derived from relative dating determinations (RD), but here, we report an AMS C14 date from one LG paleosol (G11-Bw) yielding an age of 12,816 ±44 cal yr BP age, coeval with the average 12.8 ka age of the BM.","url":"https://doi.org/10.14293/aci.2024.0006","authors":["William C. Mahaney","Peeter Somelar","Allen West"],"tags":["Massif","Younger Dryas","Glacial period","Geology","Extraterrestrial life"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.14293/aci.2024.0006","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"oa:W3111091408","name":"A Few Experimental Suggestions Using Minerals to Obtain Peptides with a High Concentration of L-Amino Acids and Protein Amino Acids","source":"openalex","abstract":"The peptides/proteins of all living beings on our planet are mostly made up of 19 L-amino acids and glycine, an achiral amino acid. Arising from endogenous and exogenous sources, the seas of the prebiotic Earth could have contained a huge diversity of biomolecules (including amino acids), and precursors of biomolecules. Thus, how were these amino acids selected from the huge number of available amino acids and other molecules? What were the peptides of prebiotic Earth made up of? How were these peptides synthesized? Minerals have been considered for this task, since they can preconcentrate amino acids from dilute solutions, catalyze their polymerization, and even make the chiral selection of them. However, until now, this problem has only been studied in compartmentalized experiments. There are separate experiments showing that minerals preconcentrate amino acids by adsorption or catalyze their polymerization, or separate L-amino acids from D-amino acids. Based on the [GADV]-protein world hypothesis, as well as the relative abundance of amino acids on prebiotic Earth obtained by Zaia, several experiments are suggested. The main goal of these experiments is to show that using minerals it is possible, at least, to obtain peptides whose composition includes a high quantity of L-amino acids and protein amino acids (PAAs). These experiments should be performed using hydrothermal environments and wet/dry cycles. In addition, for hydrothermal environment experiments, it is very important to use one of the suggested artificial seawaters, and for wet/dry environments, it is important to perform the experiments in distilled water and diluted salt solutions. Finally, from these experiments, we suggest that, without an RNA world or even a pre genetic world, a small peptide set could emerge that better resembles modern proteins.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/sym12122046","authors":["Dimas Augusto Morozin Zaia","Cássia Thaïs Bussamra Vieira Zaia"],"tags":["Amino acid","Biomolecule","Abiogenesis","Chemistry","Glycine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-12-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/sym12122046","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W4401816868","name":"Unexpected mineral impact on organic evolution during simulated aqueous alteration in asteroids","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2024.116273","authors":["Coline Serra","Vassilissa Vinogradoff","Grégoire Danger","Marie‐Vanessa Coulet","Fabrice Duvernay"],"tags":["Asteroid","Astrobiology","Mineral","Geology","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2024.116273","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391883542","name":"Chemically Oscillating Reactions as a New Model for the Formation of Mineral Patterns in Agate Geodes and Concretions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Agate geodes contain spheroidal patterns characterized by spectacularly coloured and circularly concentric laminations with radially aligned quartz crystals, yet the origin of these geometric patterns has remained enigmatic. Here, detailed comparisons are documented between these kinds of patterns in a selection of geodes and concretions and those produced by abiotic chemically oscillating reactions. We find strikingly comparable self-similar, fractal patterns in both natural volcanogenic geodes and sedimentary concretions as well as in these benchtop experiments. In addition, the mineralogical composition of patterns and associated organic matter point to the oxidation of organic compounds in both geodes and concretions. This process occurred during diagenetic or supergene alteration, and it is consistent with spontaneous and abiotic chemically oscillating reactions. It is concluded that the oxidation of organic acids was involved in the formation of these patterns and that these rocks indicate oxidation–reduction reactions involving organic carbon, which itself may be abiotic or biological in origin. Hence, agate geodes and concretions represent the abiotic biosignatures of possible biological origin in volcanic and sedimentary rocks.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14020203","authors":["Dominic Papineau"],"tags":["Mineral","Chemistry","Mineralogy","Geology","Organic chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14020203","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W2520076666","name":"Bioethical considerations and property rights issues associated with the discovery of extraterrestrial biological entities--implications for political policy in the context of futures studies","source":"openalex","abstract":"Although the search for extraterrestrial life is a priority for NASA and other space programs, no government has policies addressing either the bioethical or property rights issues that would quickly evolve from such a discovery. This dissertation employs methods of political futures studies to examine the interrelatedness of bioethics and intellectual property rights as they might apply to extraterrestrial life, broadly defined, and proposes policy to guide the effort. Included are discussions of biological taxonomy and the related history of largely Western bioethical philosophy and concepts of life as property. It argues that these tend to arbitrarily discriminate among organisms and allocate bioethical regard based on histories of cultural practice that are inappropriate when applied to extraterrestrial entities. Commercial and scientific research interests in extraterrestrial life also have the potential to devalue bioethical regard. The political context of outer space is discussed as an appropriate stage for expanding bioethical standards based on justice and nonviolence that could potentially be applied on Earth. Theoretical work of John Rawls and others provides guidance on how the interests of extraterrestrial life as well as future generations and post-human life might be represented. Contemporary political instruments regarding management of the biological resources of global commons areas, such as the Antarctic Treaty and the International Law of the Sea, are assessed as models for creating policies guiding extraterrestrial biological discoveries within the framework provided by the Outer Space Treaty and the Moon Treaty","url":"https://openalex.org/W2520076666","authors":["William R. Kramer"],"tags":["Bioethics","Futures contract","Context (archaeology)","Politics","Property (philosophy)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-12-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406213648","name":"Beyond Homochirality: Computer Modeling Hints of Heterochiral Proteins in Early and Extraterrestrial Life","source":"openalex","abstract":"Agent-based simulations are set to describe the early biotic selection of oligomers made of monomers of different chirality. The simulations consider the spatial distribution of agents and resources, the balance of biomass of different chirality, and the balance of chemical energy. Following the well-known Wald's hypothesis, a disadvantage is attributed to the change in chirality along the biochemical sequence. A racemic amino acid budget is considered, based on findings in meteorites and the results of Miller's experiments. It is also hypothesized that the very first life forms were heterotrophic. Given these assumptions, our simulations showed that biological sequences were not strictly homochiral and had few chirality changes. These results suggest that the current dominance of homochiral species may have been preceded by a more structurally varied biochemistry. This might be reflected in the few known heterochiral proteins, whose structures are based neither on alpha-helices nor on beta-sheets. Extraterrestrial life forms might be based on such heterochiral proteins.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2024.0072","authors":["Gianluigi Casimo","Gaia Micca Longo","S. Longo","Savino Longo"],"tags":["Homochirality","Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Abiogenesis","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2024.0072","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4390507018","name":"Bacterial templated carbonate mineralization: insights from concave-type crystals induced by Curvibacter lanceolatus strain HJ-1","source":"europepmc","abstract":"HJ-1 strain, well-known for its proficiency in inducing carbonate mineralization, was employed to trigger the formation of concave-type carbonate minerals. The study meticulously tracked the temporal alterations in the culture solution and conducted comprehensive analyses of the precipitated minerals' mineralogy and morphology using advanced techniques such as X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, focused ion beam, and transmission electron microscopy. The findings unequivocally demonstrate that concave-type carbonate minerals are meticulously templated by bacterial biofilms and employ calcified bacteria as their fundamental structural components. The precise morphological evolution pathway can be delineated as follows: initiation with the formation of bacterial biofilms, followed by the aggregation of calcified bacterial clusters, ultimately leading to the emergence of concave-type minerals characterized by disc-shaped, sunflower-shaped, and spherical morphologies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d3ra06803j","authors":["Jiejie Lyu","Fuchun Li","Haoran Long","Xinru Zhu","Nan Fu","Ziqi Guo","Weiqing Zhang"],"tags":["Mineralization (soil science)","Carbonate","Strain (injury)","Chemistry","Biomineralization"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d3ra06803j","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"oa:W4405940651","name":"A Machine Learning Approach for the Autonomous Identification of Hardness in Extraterrestrial Rocks from Digital Images","source":"openalex","abstract":"Understanding rock hardness on extraterrestrial planets offers valuable insights into planetary geological evolution. Rock hardness correlates with morphological parameters, which can be extracted from navigation images, bypassing the time and cost of rock sampling and return. This research proposes a machine-learning approach to predict extraterrestrial rock hardness using morphological features. A custom dataset of 1496 rock images, including granite, limestone, basalt, and sandstone, was created. Ten features, such as roundness, elongation, convexity, and Lab color values, were extracted for prediction. A foundational model combining Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Regression (SVR) was trained through cross-validation. The output of this model was used as the input for a meta-model, undergoing linear fitting to predict Mohs hardness, forming the Meta-Random Forest and Support Vector Regression (MRFSVR) model. The model achieved an R2 of 0.8219, an MSE of 0.2514, and a mean absolute error of 0.2431 during validation. Meteorite samples were used to validate the MRFSVR model’s predictions. The model is used to predict the hardness distribution of extraterrestrial rocks using images from the Tianwen-1 Mars Rover Navigation and Terrain Camera (NaTeCam) and a simulated lunar rock dataset from an open-source website. The results demonstrate the method’s potential for enhancing extraterrestrial exploration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace12010026","authors":["Shuyun Liu","Haifeng Zhao","Zihao Yuan","Liping Xiao","Chengcheng Shen","Xue Wan","Xuhai Tang","Lu Zhang"],"tags":["Identification (biology)","Extraterrestrial life","Artificial intelligence","Computer science","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace12010026","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W2039346946","name":"Experimental simulation of atmospheric entry of micrometeorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Depending on their velocity, entry angle and mass, micrometeorites suffer different degrees of heating during their deceleration in the Earth's atmosphere, leading, in most cases, to significant textural, mineralogical and chemical modifications. One of these modifications is the formation of a magnetite shell around most micrometeorites, which until now could not be reproduced, neither theoretically nor experimentally. The present study was designed to better understand the entry heating effects on micrometeorites and especially the formation of the magnetite shell. Fragments of the Murchison and Orgueil meteorites were used as analogue material in flash‐heating experiments performed in a high‐temperature furnace; effects of temperature, heating duration, and oxygen fugacity were investigated. These experiments were able to reproduce most of the micrometeorites textures, from the vesicular fine‐grained micrometeorites to the totally melted cosmic spherules. For the first time, the formation of a magnetite shell could be observed on micrometeorite analogues. We suggest that the most plausible mechanism for the formation of this shell is a peripheral partial melting with subsequent magnetite crystallization at the surface of the micrometeorite. Furthermore, with this study, it is possible to estimate the atmospheric entry conditions of micrometeorites, such as the peak temperature and the duration of flash‐heating.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2001.tb01831.x","authors":["A. Toppani","G. Libourel","C. Engrand","M. Maurette"],"tags":["Magnetite","Wüstite","Meteorite","Atmosphere (unit)","Atmospheric entry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2001.tb01831.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W2884513948","name":"Tourmaline studies through time: contributions to scientific advancements","source":"openalex","abstract":"Tourmaline studies have been an integral part of science and scientific exploration for centuries and continue to flourish today. In the 19 th century, the curious pyroelectric and piezoelectric properties of this mineral attracted the attention of scientists who considered tourmaline central to a grand unification of the theories of heat, electricity and magnetism. The common occurrence of tourmaline in granites and granitic pegmatites was widely known at that time, but, subsequently, tourmaline was discovered in a great range of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks and a variety of ore deposits, including hydrothermal systems. The chemical complexity of this mineral became more fully established and \"appreciated\" by the end of the 19 th century. In the early-and mid-20 th century, tourmaline studies greatly expanded as a consequence of the (1) exploration of wider ranges of geological settings, (2) development of instrumentation to characterize the chemical and physical properties of minerals and (3) the applications that derived from these studies. In clastic sedimentary rocks, tourmaline was identified as one of the most important heavy minerals and became a means to estimate maturity of the clastic sediment, to determine provenance and to make stratigraphic correlations. The crystallography of tourmaline was more fully understood and the overall structure and general structural formula was known by the 1960-1970's. Applications of tourmaline relied originally on its piezoelectric properties that became increasingly important during the 20 th century. One application, developed after World War I, was the detection and measurement of conventional and atomic explosion pressures based on tourmaline's piezoelectric properties. Tourmaline studies have expanded in breadth and greatly increased in number since 1977, when micro-analytical and crystallographic/spectroscopic instrumentation became widely available. Petrologically, tourmaline has become a valuable petrogenetic indicator mineral in rocks and sediments due to its occurrence in most rock types, its extreme P-T range of stability, from the near surface to the deepest levels of the crust, its capacity to attain a chemical signature during the evolution of the rock in which it is formed, its ability to retain that chemical imprint, and its capability to provide specific information on the time, temperature and fluid history of its host rock. More recent studies have greatly expanded the conceptual framework of its internal structure and have dramatically increased the number of tourmaline species from 4 to 33. The future of tourmaline studies is promising with many new and exciting possibilities that will continue to influence scientific inquiry well into the future.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3190/jgeosci.255","authors":["Darrell J. Henry","B. L. Dutrow"],"tags":["Tourmaline","Geology","Earth science","Geochemistry","Mining engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-07-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3190/jgeosci.255","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W4393097319","name":"Application of the 187Re-187Os geochronometer to crustal materials: Systematics, methodology, data reporting, and interpretation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The rhenium-osmium (187Re-187Os) system is a highly versatile chronometer that is regularly applied to a wide range of geological and extraterrestrial materials. In addition to providing geo- or cosmo-chronological information, the Re-Os system can also be used as a tracer of processes across a range of temporal (millennial to gigayear) and spatial scales (lower mantle to cryosphere). An increasing number of sulfide minerals are now routinely dated, which further expands the ability of this system to refine mineral exploration models as society moves toward a new, green economy with related technological needs. An expanding range of natural materials amenable to Re-Os geochronology brings additional complexities in data interpretation and the resultant translation of measured isotopic ratios to a properly contextualized age. Herein, we provide an overview of the 187Re-187Os system as applied to sedimentary rocks, sulfides, and other crustal materials and highlight further innovations on the horizon. Additionally, we outline next steps and best practices required to improve the precision of the chronometer and establish community-wide data reduction procedures, such as the decay constant, regression technique, and software packages to use. These best practices will expand the utility and viability of published results and essential metadata to ensure that such data conform to evolving standards of being findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/b37294.1","authors":["Alan D. Rooney","Danny Hnatyshin","Jonathan Toma","Nicolas J. Saintilan","Alexie E.G. Millikin","David Selby","Robert A. Creaser"],"tags":["Geology","Systematics","Geochronology","Interpretation (philosophy)","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1130/b37294.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W2890437843","name":"The Origin and Evolution of Organic Matter in Carbonaceous Chondrites and Links to Their Parent Bodies","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-813325-5.00003-3","authors":["D. P. Glavin","C. M. O'd. Alexander","José C. Aponte","Jason P. Dworkin","Jamie E. Elsila","Hikaru Yabuta"],"tags":["Chondrite","Astrobiology","Abiogenesis","Meteorite","Carbonaceous chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-813325-5.00003-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W4401844140","name":"Trace element detection in anhydrous minerals by micro-scale quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Nominally anhydrous minerals (NAMs) composing Earth’s and planetary rocks incorporate microscopic amounts of volatiles. However, volatile distribution in NAMs and their effect on physical properties of rocks remain controversial. Thus, constraining trace volatile concentrations in NAMs is tantamount to our understanding of the evolution of rocky planets and planetesimals. Here, we present an approach of trace-element quantification using micro-scale Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. This approach employs the principle of enhanced mass-sensitivity in NMR microcoils. We were able to demonstrate that this method is in excellent agreement with standard methods across their respective detection capabilities. We show that by simultaneous detection of internal reference nuclei, the quantification sensitivity can be substantially increased, leading to quantifiable trace volatile element amounts of about 50 ng/g measured in a micro-meter sized single anorthitic mineral grain, greatly enhancing detection capabilities of volatiles in geologically important systems. Nominally anhydrous minerals composing Earth’s and planetary rocks incorporate microscopic amounts of volatiles whose distribution affects their physical properties. Here the authors present an approach for trace-element quantification using micro-scale Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-51131-0","authors":["Yunhua Fu","Renbiao Tao","Lifei Zhang","Shijie Li","Ya‐Nan Yang","Dehan Shen","Zilong Wang","Thomas Meier"],"tags":["Anhydrous","Trace element","Spectroscopy","Analytical Chemistry (journal)","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-51131-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"oa:W1984900579","name":"Reactivity and Survivability of Glycolaldehyde in Simulated Meteorite Impact Experiments","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Sugars of extraterrestrial origin have been observed in the interstellar medium (ISM), in at least one comet spectrum, and in several carbonaceous chondritic meteorites that have been recovered from the surface of the Earth. The origins of these sugars within the meteorites have been debated. To explore the possibility that sugars could be generated during shock events, this paper reports on the results of the first laboratory impact experiments wherein glycolaldehyde, found in the ISM, as well as glycolaldehyde mixed with montmorillonite clay, have been subjected to reverberated shocks from ~5 to &gt;25&#xa0;GPa. New biologically relevant molecules, including threose, erythrose and ethylene glycol, were identified in the resulting samples. These results show that sugar molecules can not only survive but also become more complex during impact delivery to planetary bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11084-014-9358-5","authors":["V. P. McCaffrey","N. E. B. Zellner","C. M. Waun","E. R. Bennett","E. K. Earl","McCaffrey VP","Zellner NE","Waun CM","Bennett ER","Earl EK"],"tags":["Glycolaldehyde","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Comet","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014 Feb","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11084-014-9358-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"oa:W4390697208","name":"Arsenoústalečite, Cu12(As2Te2)Se13, a new mineral, and crystal structures of arsenoústalečite and stibioústalečite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Arsenoústalečite is a new mineral discovered in a sample collected from the abandoned Ústaleč deposit near Horažďovice, SW Bohemia, Czech Republic. It occurs as rare anhedral grains, up to 40 μm in size, in a calcite gangue, associated with stibioústalečite, hakite-(Hg), berzelianite and uraninite. Arsenoústalečite is dark grey, with a metallic lustre. Mohs hardness is ca. 3½–4; calculated density is 5.730 g/cm3. In reflected light, arsenoústalečite is pale grey with a yellowish shade; it is isotropic. Internal reflections were not observed. Reflectance values for the four COM wavelengths in air [R (%) λ (nm)] are: 33.3 (470); 33.1 (546); 33.0 (589); and 32.9 (650). The empirical formula of arsenoústalečite is (Cu5.81Ag0.17)Σ5.98(Cu5.95Fe0.02Zn0.02Hg0.01)Σ6.00(As1.40Sb0.87Te1.73)Σ4.00(Se10.30S2.32)Σ12.61. The ideal formula is Cu12(As2Te2)Se13, which requires (in wt.%) Cu 34.76, As 6.83, Te 11.63, Se 46.78, total 100.00. Arsenoústalečite is cubic, I $\\bar{4}$ 3m, with unit-cell parameters a = 10.6580(19) Å, V = 1210.7(6) Å3 and Z = 2. The strongest reflections of the calculated powder X-ray diffraction pattern [d, Å (I, %) hkl] are: 3.077 (100) 222, 2.848 (10) 321, 1.946 (12) 521, 1.884(52) 440 and 1.608(21) 622. According to the single-crystal X-ray diffraction data (R1 = 0.0285 on the basis of 334 unique reflections with Fo > 4σFo and 24 refined parameters), arsenoústalečite is isotypic with other tetrahedrite-group minerals. The crystal structure of co-existing stibioústalečite, with an empirical formula of (Cu5.69Ag0.07)Σ5.76(Cu5.80Zn0.13Fe0.06Hg0.01)Σ6.00(Sb1.82As0.42Te1.76)Σ4.00(Se9.52S3.10)Σ12.62 and unit-cell parameters a = 10.6975(16) Å, V = 1224.2(5) Å3 and Z = 2, was refined to R1 = 0.0191 on the basis of 267 unique reflections with Fo > 4σFo and 24 refined parameters. Structural relationships and crystal-chemistry of both members of the ústalečite series are discussed. Arsenoústalečite is named after its type locality, the Ústaleč deposit and its chemical composition. The mineral and its name have been approved by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association (IMA2022-116).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/mgm.2023.94","authors":["Jiří Sejkora","Cristian Biagioni","Pavel Škácha","Silvia Musetti","Daniela Mauro"],"tags":["Mohs scale of mineral hardness","Crystallography","Chemistry","Mineralogy","Metal"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1180/mgm.2023.94","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W4313560149","name":"Setting the geological scene for the origin of life and continuing open questions about its emergence","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The origin of life is one of the most fundamental questions of humanity. It has been and is still being addressed by a wide range of researchers from different fields, with different approaches and ideas as to how it came about. What is still incomplete is constrained information about the environment and the conditions reigning on the Hadean Earth, particularly on the inorganic ingredients available, and the stability and longevity of the various environments suggested as locations for the emergence of life, as well as on the kinetics and rates of the prebiotic steps leading to life. This contribution reviews our current understanding of the geological scene in which life originated on Earth, zooming in specifically on details regarding the environments and timescales available for prebiotic reactions, with the aim of providing experimenters with more specific constraints. Having set the scene, we evoke the still open questions about the origin of life: did life start organically or in mineralogical form? If organically, what was the origin of the organic constituents of life? What came first, metabolism or replication? What was the time-scale for the emergence of life? We conclude that the way forward for prebiotic chemistry is an approach merging geology and chemistry, i.e., far-from-equilibrium, wet-dry cycling (either subaerial exposure or dehydration through chelation to mineral surfaces) of organic reactions occurring repeatedly and iteratively at mineral surfaces under hydrothermal-like conditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2022.1095701","authors":["Francès Westall","André Brack","Alberto González Fairén","M. Schulte"],"tags":["Abiogenesis","Hadean","Subaerial","Astrobiology","Earth science"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2022.1095701","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"oa:W2519355055","name":"Illusory Late Heavy Bombardments","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Late Heavy Bombardment (LHB), a hypothesized impact spike at ∼3.9 Ga, is one of the major scientific concepts to emerge from Apollo-era lunar exploration. A significant portion of the evidence for the existence of the LHB comes from histograms of (40)Ar/(39)Ar \"plateau\" ages (i.e., regions selected on the basis of apparent isochroneity). However, due to lunar magmatism and overprinting from subsequent impact events, virtually all Apollo-era samples show evidence for (40)Ar/(39)Ar age spectrum disturbances, leaving open the possibility that partial (40)Ar* resetting could bias interpretation of bombardment histories due to plateaus yielding misleadingly young ages. We examine this possibility through a physical model of (40)Ar* diffusion in Apollo samples and test the uniqueness of the impact histories obtained by inverting plateau age histograms. Our results show that plateau histograms tend to yield age peaks, even in those cases where the input impact curve did not contain such a spike, in part due to the episodic nature of lunar crust or parent body formation. Restated, monotonically declining impact histories yield apparent age peaks that could be misinterpreted as LHB-type events. We further conclude that the assignment of apparent (40)Ar/(39)Ar plateau ages bears an undesirably high degree of subjectivity. When compounded by inappropriate interpretations of histograms constructed from plateau ages, interpretation of apparent, but illusory, impact spikes is likely.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1611535113","authors":["P. Boehnke","T. Mark Harrison"],"tags":["Hadean","Crust","Astrobiology","Geology","Early Earth"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-09-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1611535113","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W4401586368","name":"Chiral Minerals","source":"openalex","abstract":"Hundreds of minerals are chiral, that is, they appear in nature in two forms – left-handed and right-handed. Yet except for quartz, that key structural property remained, by-and-large in the shadow of the world of minerals in research, in museum displays, and for collectors. This review is devoted for providing a full picture of chiral minerals in nature. It starts with a general outline of the crystallographic background needed for the characterization of chiral minerals, continues with a detailed description of the many chemical and physical processes leading to their formation, follows with their chemical reactivities and transformations, with their physical properties, and with the ways to analyze and identify them. Many tables with listings of the various types of chiral minerals, are provided. It is hoped that this review will spark interest in this aspect nature’s crystals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.0524.v1","authors":["David Avnir"],"tags":["Characterization (materials science)","Mineral","Quartz","SPARK (programming language)","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.0524.v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W3034938055","name":"Age and origin of the Nb-Zr-REE mineralization in the Paleoproterozoic A1-type granitoids at Otanmäki, central Finland","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Otanmki area in central Finland hosts two occurrences of Nb-Zr-REE mineralization, Katajakangas and Kontioaho, within a suite of ca. 2.04-2.06 Ga (A1-type) gneissic granites, syenite and monzonite-monzodiorite. They exhibit trace element characteristics and whole-rock Nd (2050 Ma) values (from +2.6 to -1.3) consistent with derivation by differentiation of mantle-derived mafic magmas with variable interaction with crustal material. The mineralization is localized in 0.1-to 1.4-m-thick dikes (Katajakangas) and a 30-to 50-m-thick sheet-like body (Kontioaho), containing allanite-(Ce), zircon, titanite, and Nb-REE-Th-U oxides. Their wall rocks are composed of ca. 2.06 Ga peraluminous monzogranite, which is genetically unrelated to the mineralized rock units, as evidenced by whole-rock chemical and Sm-Nd isotope data and zircon U-Pb geochronology. Instead, the mineralization is linked to the nearby peralkaline to metaluminous alkali feldspar granite magmatism dated at ca. 2.04-2.05 Ga. The development of REE-HFSE enrichment in the mineralized rock units required extensive crystallization of a peralkaline granite magma, producing residual metaluminous, highsilica melts enriched in REE-HFSE, Ca, and Fe relative to Na, K, and Al. The REE-HFSE and Ca enrichment was further promoted by volatile complexing with dissolved F -, CO 3 2-and SO 4 2-. These highly evolved melts were parental to the mineralized dikes and the sheet-like intrusive body, which were emplaced into the monzogranite capping the intrusions of peralkaline granite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17741/bgsf/92.1.003","authors":["Kimmo Kärenlampi","Asko Kontinen","Geological Survey of Finland","Eero Hanski","Hannu Huhma","Geological Survey of Finland","Yann Lahaye","Geological Survey of Finland","Joachim Krause","Thomas Heinig"],"tags":["Geochemistry","Geology","Peralkaline rock","Zircon","Quartz monzonite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-06-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.17741/bgsf/92.1.003","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W4213296705","name":"Ultrafast structural response of shock‐compressed plagioclase","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Meteor impacts can induce unique pressure‐dependent structural changes in minerals due to the propagation of shock waves. Plagioclase—ubiquitous throughout the Earth’s crust, extraterrestrial bodies, and meteorites—is commonly used for reconstructing the impact history and conditions of the parent bodies. However, there have been unresolved inconsistencies in the interpretation of shock transformations across previous studies: The pressure at which amorphization begins and the process by which it occurs is the subject of ongoing debate. Here, we utilize time‐resolved in situ X‐ray diffraction (XRD) to probe the phase transformation pathway of plagioclase during shock compression at a sub‐nanosecond timescale. Direct amorphization begins at pressures much lower than what was previously assumed, just above the Hugoniot elastic limit of 5 GPa, with full amorphization to a high‐density amorphous phase, observed at 32(10) GPa and 20 ns. Upon release, the material partially recrystallizes back into the original structure, demonstrating a memory effect.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13785","authors":["A. E. Gleason","Sulgiye Park","Dylan Rittman","A. Ravasio","F. Langenhorst","R. Bolis","E. Granados","Sovanndara Hok","Thomas Kröll","Marcin Sikorski","Tsu‐Chien Weng","Hae Ja Lee","Bob Nagler","T. W. Sisson","Zhou Xing","Diling Zhu","Gabriele Giuli","Wendy L. Mao","S. H. Glenzer","Dimosthenis Sokaras","Roberto Alonso‐Mori"],"tags":["Plagioclase","Meteorite","Shock (circulatory)","Materials science","Compression (physics)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-02-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13785","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W2066090860","name":"Metamorphic grade of organic matter in six unequilibrated ordinary chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The thermal metamorphism grade of organic matter (OM) trapped in 6 unequilibrated ordinary chondrites (UOCs) (Semarkona [LL 3.0], Bishunpur [L/LL 3.1], Krymka [LL 3.1], Chainpur [LL 3.4], Inman [L/LL 3.4], and Tieschitz [H/L 3.6]) has been investigated with Raman spectroscopy in the region of the first‐order carbon bands. The carbonaceous chondrite Renazzo (CR2) was also investigated and used as a reference object for comparison, owing to the fact that previous studies pointed to the OM in this meteorite as being the most pristine among all chondrites. The results show that the OM thermal metamorphic grade: 1) follows the hierarchy Renazzo << Semarkona << other UOCs; 2) is well correlated to the petrographic type of the studied objects; and 3) is also well correlated with the isotopic enrichment δ15N. These results are strikingly consistent with earlier cosmochemical studies, in particular, the scenario proposed by Alexander et al. (1998). Thermal metamorphism in the parent body appears as the main evolution process of OM in UOCs, demonstrating that nebular heating was extremely weak and that OM burial results in the destabilization of an initial isotopic composition with high δD and δ15N. Furthermore, the clear discrimination between Renazzo, Semarkona, and other UOCs shows: 1) Semarkona is a very peculiar UOC—by far the most pristine; and 2) Raman spectroscopy is a valid and valuable tool for deriving petrographic sub‐types (especially the low ones) that should be used in the future to complement current techniques. We compare our results with other current techniques, namely, induced thermo‐luminescence and opaques petrography. Other results have been obtained. First, humic coals are not strictly valid standard materials for meteoritic OM but are helpful in the study of evolutionary trends due to thermal metamorphism. Second, terrestrial weathering has a huge effect on OM structure, particularly in Inman, which is a find. Finally, the earlier statement that fine‐grained chondrule rims and matrix in Semarkona could be the source of smectite‐rich IDPs is not valid, given the different degree of structural order of their OM.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00043.x","authors":["É. Quirico","P. I. Raynal","M. Bourot-Denise"],"tags":["Chondrite","Petrography","Metamorphism","Metamorphic rock","Parent body"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00043.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W1503388139","name":"Paleointensity determination using anhysteretic remanence and saturation isothermal remanence","source":"openalex","abstract":"Determining the strength of ancient planetary magnetic field is pivotal to understanding the evolution of planets and asteroids in the solar system. While the Thellier‐type double heating technique provides the most faithful field strength information for rocks carrying a thermoremanent magnetization (TRM), many extraterrestrial rock samples respond unfavorably to heat treatment. The present study systematically examined the two well‐known normalization techniques that avoid any heating by comparing the ratios of TRM/anhysteretic remanent magnetization (ARM) and TRM/saturation isothermal remanent magnetization (SIRM). Both the ratios of TRM/ARM and TRM/SIRM are dependent on the grain size as well as the volume concentration of magnetite. The remanence ratios also were found to increase as the alternating field increased during demagnetization for fine‐grained magnetite. A new calibration relation of 2.60 ± 1.32 for the TRM/ARM and of (3.62 ± 1.28) × 10−2 for the TRM/SIRM was defined for an external field of 50 μT. The TRM/SIRM is superior to TRM/ARM because the former showed less dispersion in the grain size dependence, the volume concentration dependence, and the stability against AF demagnetization. In addition, the standard error of the mean for the TRM/SIRM ratio was smaller than that for the TRM/ARM ratio. Thus, whenever heating is inapplicable, the SIRM method seems to be a better choice than the ARM method. However, it should be emphasized that the uncertainty of TRM/ARM and TRM/SIRM is still nearly an order of magnitude larger than that of the high‐fidelity Thellier estimation and thus must be limited in use only when samples are irreversibly altered during heating. In practice, the best approach is to carry out both ARM and SIRM methods and check whether the two estimations agree within the uncertainties.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2009gc002804","authors":["Yongjae Yu"],"tags":["Remanence","Thermoremanent magnetization","Demagnetizing field","Magnetite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2009gc002804","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W4414043260","name":"Detecting and preserving biosignatures in sulfate minerals prone to instability","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Sulfate minerals on Mars have garnered attention due to their potential to unravel the planet’s geological past and serve as repositories of biosignatures. Among these, hydrated sulfate minerals, including mirabilite (Na2SO4·10H2O), present unique challenges due to their instability under most Earth conditions. Water, air vapor, bacteria, archaea, algae, fungi, diatoms, protozoa, and organic compounds such as β-carotene have been identified in mirabilite, highlighting its potential to trap biosignatures. This study investigates the preservation of such biosignatures in mirabilite from the Great Salt Lake in Utah, U.S.A., highlighting the challenge of rapid dehydration in hydrated sulfate minerals during laboratory analyses. By employing non-destructive preparation techniques and commonly available laboratory supplies, the stability of mirabilite was extended, enabling the application of advanced methods, including transmitted light and UV-vis light microscopy and laser Raman spectroscopy. Notably, mirabilite chips sealed within a sample chamber, submerged in mineral oil, or sealed in plastic wrap delayed dehydration to thenardite (Na2SO4), resulting in the best preservation of the original mirabilite. Raman spectroscopy of organic material within primary fluid inclusions revealed several distinct spectral patterns, including signatures consistent with β-carotene, indicating the preservation of organic compounds and biological pigments in the hydrated mineral matrix. These findings have implications for future biosignature studies of mirabilite and other hydrated minerals on Earth, as well as Mars return samples and other extraterrestrial samples, where maintaining the integrity of hydrated minerals is key to detecting environmental conditions and potential signs of life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2024-9689","authors":["Karena K. Gill","Kathleen C. Benison","Elliot Jagniecki"],"tags":["Mineral","Pyrite","Chemistry","Astrobiology","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2024-9689","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W2917582100","name":"Shock‐induced microtextures in lunar apatite and merrillite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Apatite and merrillite are the most common phosphate minerals in a wide range of planetary materials and are key accessory phases for in situ age dating, as well as for determination of the volatile abundances and their isotopic composition. Although most lunar and meteoritic samples show at least some evidence of impact metamorphism, relatively little is known about how these two phosphates respond to shock‐loading. In this work, we analyzed a set of well‐studied lunar highlands samples (Apollo 17 Mg‐suite rocks 76535, 76335, 72255, 78235, and 78236), in order of displaying increasing shock deformation stages from S1 to S6. We determined the stage of shock deformation of the rock based on existing plagioclase shock‐pressure barometry using optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and SEM‐based panchromatic cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging of plagioclase. We then inspected the microtexture of apatite and merrillite through an integrated study of Raman spectroscopy, SEM‐CL imaging, and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). EBSD analyses revealed that microtextures in apatite and merrillite become progressively more complex and deformed with increasing levels of shock‐loading. An early shock‐stage fragmentation at S1 and S2 is followed by subgrain formation from S2 onward, showing consistent decrease in subgrain size with increasing level of deformation (up to S5) and finally granularization of grains caused by recrystallization (S6). Starting with 2°–3° of intragrain crystal‐plastic deformation in both phosphates at the lowest shock stage, apatite undergoes up to 25° and merrillite up to 30° of crystal‐plastic deformation at the highest stage of shock deformation (S5). Merrillite displays lower shock impedance than apatite; hence, it is more deformed at the same level of shock‐loading. We suggest that the microtexture of apatite and merrillite visualized by EBSD can be used to evaluate stages of shock deformation and should be taken into account when interpreting in situ geochemically relevant analyses of the phosphates, e.g., age or volatile content, as it has been shown in other accessory minerals that differently shocked domains can yield significantly different ages.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13278","authors":["Ana Černok","L. F. White","James Darling","Joseph Dunlop","M. Anand"],"tags":["Plagioclase","Recrystallization (geology)","Electron backscatter diffraction","Shock metamorphism","Apatite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-03-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13278","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W4401979461","name":"Variations of organic functional chemistry in carbonaceous matter from the asteroid 162173 Ryugu","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Primordial carbon delivered to the early earth by asteroids and meteorites provided a diverse source of extraterrestrial organics from pre-existing simple organic compounds, complex solar-irradiated macromolecules, and macromolecules from extended hydrothermal processing. Surface regolith collected by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft from the carbon-rich asteroid 162173 Ryugu present a unique opportunity to untangle the sources and processing history of carbonaceous matter. Here we show carbonaceous grains in Ryugu can be classified into three main populations defined by spectral shape: Highly aromatic (HA), Alkyl-Aromatic (AA), and IOM-like (IL). These carbon populations may be related to primordial chemistry, since C and N isotopic compositions vary between the three groups. Diffuse carbon is occasionally dominated by molecular carbonate preferentially associated with coarse-grained phyllosilicate minerals. Compared to related carbonaceous meteorites, the greater diversity of organic functional chemistry in Ryugu indicate the pristine condition of these asteroid samples.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-51731-w","authors":["B. T. De Gregorio","George D. Cody","R. M. Stroud","A. L. D. Kilcoyne","Scott A. Sandford","Corentin Le Guillou","L. R. Nittler","Jens Barosch","Hikaru Yabuta","Zita Martins","Yoko Kebukawa","Taiga Okumura"],"tags":["Asteroid","Astrobiology","Organic matter","Chemistry","Environmental chemistry"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-51731-w","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"oa:W4385246331","name":"Applications of Raman spectroscopy technology in deep space exploration: A review","source":"openalex","abstract":"Raman spectroscopy acquires the molecular vibration spectra formed by non-elastic scattering of photons generated by laser excited materials. As “fingerprint” spectra of minerals and organic matters identification, Raman spectroscopy has been widely applied in the study of terrestrial and extraterrestrial samples, effectively obtaining key information such as mineral types, mineral chemistry, spatial distribution, rock and ore genesis, etc. It can accurately identify various minerals such as sulfates, chloride salts, layered silicates, and oxides in different hydration states, distinguish the differences in lattice structures between high-pressure phase minerals and low-pressure phase minerals. It can also describe the relationship between the stability and phase transition modes of various altered minerals and environmental parameters, and constrain the detection and identification of specific mineral phases on planetary surfaces based on the ground spectral libraries. In deep space exploration missions, Raman spectroscopy uses active laser excitation to obtain spectra, which has unique advantages in spectral signal acquisition and can effectively break through the constraints of planetary illumination conditions. Therefore, it is recommended for important exploration missions such as the Moon, Mars, asteroids, Venus, and ice satellites. China’s Chang’e-7 mission will also be equipped with a Raman spectrometer to conduct in situ material composition detection in the southern region of the Moon. This review mainly discusses the main research progress of Raman spectroscopy in the field of planetary science and deep space exploration from the basic principles of Raman spectroscopy, research applications of extraterrestrial samples, and deep space exploration applications of Raman spectroscopy. In the basic physical principles of Raman spectroscopy, this review briefly introduces the principle and necessary conditions for the generation of Raman scattering light, provides an expression for the intensity of Raman scattering light, and lists the commonly used analytical methods in Raman spectroscopy quantification. At the end of the chapter, the schematic diagram of the Raman spectrometer and the application fields of Raman spectroscopy technology are also presented. In the application of extraterrestrial sample research, this review introduces the detailed research work on lunar soil, lunar meteorites, and Martian meteorite samples using Raman spectroscopy technology. By characterizing their mineral types, mineral patterns, mineral chemistry, and even impact history, the geological history of the samples can be understood. Raman spectroscopy technology can also monitor the mineral phase changes of minerals under different environmental parameters such as temperature and humidity, study the stable field, phase transition path, and dehydration process of minerals, in order to explore the environmental conditions during mineral formation. In this section, the Raman spectral and fingerprint characteristics of the main components are also summarized, serving the interpretation of Raman spectral data in subsequent engineering exploration missions. In the chapter on the application of Raman spectroscopy in deep space exploration, the scientific objectives, performance indicators, and instrument configurations of four main Raman spectrometer payloads (SHERLOC, SuperCam, RLS, RAX) are introduced. The limitations of Raman spectroscopy in deep space exploration are summarized, and the difficulties and challenges of Raman spectroscopy bringing to engineering exploration tasks are discussed in detail, focusing on the weak intensity of Raman scattering signals and fluorescence interference. At the end of the review, the future development trend of Raman spectroscopy technology in deep space exploration applications is also prospected, in order to provide useful references for future research and application of related payloads.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1360/tb-2023-0421","authors":["Ping Liu","Xiaobin Qi","Yiheng Liu","Xiaoyu Wang","Changqin Liu","Yanqing Xin","Ayang Xiao","Jiang Zhang","Zongcheng Ling"],"tags":["Raman spectroscopy","Space (punctuation)","Spectroscopy","Materials science","Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1360/tb-2023-0421","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W1726692666","name":"Pesticide Side Effects in an Agricultural Soil Ecosystem as Measured by amoA Expression Quantification and Bacterial Diversity Changes","source":"openalex","abstract":"BACKGROUND AND METHODS: Assessing the effects of pesticide hazards on microbiological processes in the soil is currently based on analyses that provide limited insight into the ongoing processes. This study proposes a more comprehensive approach. The side effects of pesticides may appear as changes in the expression of specific microbial genes or as changes in diversity. To assess the impact of pesticides on gene expression, we focused on the amoA gene, which is involved in ammonia oxidation. We prepared soil microcosms and exposed them to dazomet, mancozeb or no pesticide. We hypothesized that the amount of amoA transcript decreases upon pesticide application, and to test this hypothesis, we used reverse-transcription qPCR. We also hypothesized that bacterial diversity is affected by pesticides. This hypothesis was investigated via 454 sequencing and diversity analysis of the 16S ribosomal RNA and RNA genes, representing the active and total soil bacterial communities, respectively. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Treatment with dazomet reduced both the bacterial and archaeal amoA transcript numbers by more than two log units and produced long-term effects for more than 28 days. Mancozeb also inhibited the numbers of amoA transcripts, but only transiently. The bacterial and archaeal amoA transcripts were both sensitive bioindicators of pesticide side effects. Additionally, the numbers of bacterial amoA transcripts correlated with nitrate production in N-amended microcosms. Dazomet reduced the total bacterial numbers by one log unit, but the population size was restored after twelve days. The diversity of the active soil bacteria also seemed to be re-established after twelve days. However, the total bacterial diversity as reflected in the 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequences was largely dominated by Firmicutes and Proteobacteria at day twelve, likely reflecting a halt in the growth of early opportunists and the re-establishment of a more diverse population. We observed no effects of mancozeb on diversity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0126080","authors":["Louise Feld","Mathis Hjort Hjelmsø","Morten Dencker Schostag","Anne Dorthe Jacobsen","Regin Rønn","Flemming Ekelund","Paul Henning Krogh","Bjarne W. Strobel","Carsten Suhr Jacobsen"],"tags":["Microcosm","Pesticide","Biology","Toxicology","Microbiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-05-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0126080","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W4401579324","name":"Astrobiological Potential of Rocks Acquired by the Perseverance Rover at a Sedimentary Fan Front in Jezero Crater, Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Perseverance rover has collected seven oriented samples of sedimentary rocks, all likely older than the oldest signs of widespread life on Earth, at the exposed base of the western fan in Jezero crater, Mars. The samples include a sulfate‐ and clay‐bearing mudstone and sandstone, a fluvial sandstone from a stratigraphically low position at the fan front, and a carbonate‐bearing sandstone deposited above the sulfate‐bearing strata. All samples contain aqueously precipitated materials and most or all were aqueously deposited. Although the rover instruments have not confidently detected organic matter in the rocks from the fan front, the much more sensitive terrestrial instruments will still be able to search for remnants of prebiotic chemistries and past life, and study Mars's past habitability in the samples returned to Earth. The hydrated, sulfate‐bearing mudstone has the highest potential to preserve organic matter and biosignatures, whereas the carbonate‐bearing sandstones can be used to constrain when and for how long Jezero crater contained liquid water. Returned sample science analyses of sulfate, carbonate, clay, phosphate and igneous minerals as well as trace metals and volatiles that are present in the samples acquired at the fan front would provide transformative insights into past habitable environments on Mars, the evolution of its magnetic field, atmosphere and climate and the past and present cycling of atmospheric and crustal water, sulfur and carbon.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024av001241","authors":["Tanja Bosak","David L. Shuster","Eva L. Scheller","Sandra Siljeström","Mike Zawaski","Lucia Mandon","Justin I. Simon","B. P. Weiss","K. M. Stack","Elias N. Mansbach","A. H. Treiman","Kathleen C. Benison"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Impact crater","Geology","Sedimentary rock","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024av001241","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2911791088","name":"Microbial ecology of the cryosphere (glacial and permafrost habitats): current knowledge","source":"openalex","abstract":"Microorganisms in cold ecosystems play a key ecological role in their natural habitats. Since these ecosystems are especially sensitive to climate changes, as indicated by the worldwide retreat of glaciers and ice sheets as well as permafrost thawing, an understanding of the role and potential of microbial life in these habitats has become crucial. Emerging technologies have added significantly to our knowledge of abundance, functional activity, and lifestyles of microbial communities in cold environments. The current knowledge of microbial ecology in glacial habitats and permafrost, the most studied habitats of the cryosphere, is reported in this review.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-019-09631-3","authors":["Rosa Margesin","Tony Collins"],"tags":["Permafrost","Ecology","Habitat","Cryosphere","Ecosystem"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-019-09631-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4223657123","name":"Active lithoautotrophic and methane-oxidizing microbial community in an anoxic, sub-zero, and hypersaline High Arctic spring","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Lost Hammer Spring, located in the High Arctic of Nunavut, Canada, is one of the coldest and saltiest terrestrial springs discovered to date. It perennially discharges anoxic (<1 ppm dissolved oxygen), sub-zero (~−5 °C), and hypersaline (~24% salinity) brines from the subsurface through up to 600 m of permafrost. The sediment is sulfate-rich (1 M) and continually emits gases composed primarily of methane (~50%), making Lost Hammer the coldest known terrestrial methane seep and an analog to extraterrestrial habits on Mars, Europa, and Enceladus. A multi-omics approach utilizing metagenome, metatranscriptome, and single-amplified genome sequencing revealed a rare surface terrestrial habitat supporting a predominantly lithoautotrophic active microbial community driven in part by sulfide-oxidizing Gammaproteobacteria scavenging trace oxygen. Genomes from active anaerobic methane-oxidizing archaea (ANME-1) showed evidence of putative metabolic flexibility and hypersaline and cold adaptations. Evidence of anaerobic heterotrophic and fermentative lifestyles were found in candidate phyla DPANN archaea and CG03 bacteria genomes. Our results demonstrate Mars-relevant metabolisms including sulfide oxidation, sulfate reduction, anaerobic oxidation of methane, and oxidation of trace gases (H2, CO2) detected under anoxic, hypersaline, and sub-zero ambient conditions, providing evidence that similar extant microbial life could potentially survive in similar habitats on Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41396-022-01233-8","authors":["Elisse Magnuson","Ianina Altshuler","Miguel Ángel Fernández-Martínez","Ya-Jou Chen","Catherine Maggiori","Jacqueline Goordial","Lyle G. Whyte"],"tags":["Anoxic waters","Biology","Oxidizing agent","Spring (device)","Microbial population biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-04-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41396-022-01233-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W4294627922","name":"Non-Destructive Identification And Quantification Of Ilmenite From A Single Particle Of The Chang’E-5 Lunar Soil Sample","source":"openalex","abstract":"Ilmenite (FeTiO3) is an early crystallization product of lunar magma and is the most abundant oxide mineral in lunar mare basalts. It is an important lunar resource that is mainly used for He and O2 production, but also as a source of Fe. Therefore, the identification and quantification of ilmenite from lunar mare basalts is crucial to better understand lunar geological processes and develop lunar resources. Herein, a correlative micro-X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and three-dimensional X-ray microscopy (3D XRM) approach was applied to non-destructively identify and quantify ilmenite from micro-sized single particles in China's Chang'E-5 (CE-5) lunar soil samples. Ti-rich particles (P15 and P17) were selected from CE-5 lunar soil samples using scanning XRF measurements. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated that both particles contained tiny ilmenite grains, but different major minerals. Ilmenite grains within these two particles were visualized and quantified using 3D XRM analyses. The ilmenite mass fractions estimated using the 3D XRM technique were similar to those obtained via XRF quantification. Therefore, this study provides a novel nondestructive strategy for rapid ilmenite identification and quantification from single particles in CE-5 soil samples. This protocol can be replicated to characterize ilmenite and other minerals in precious extraterrestrial samples.","url":"https://doi.org/10.46770/as.2022.029","authors":["Jinhua Li"],"tags":["Ilmenite","Chemistry","Lunar soil","Sample preparation","Identification (biology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-08-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.46770/as.2022.029","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W4404457928","name":"Automated Fast and Quantitative Mineralogical Characterization of Chang’e-5 Lunar Soils","source":"openalex","abstract":"Lunar regoliths typically exhibit complicated mineralogy, texture, composition, and fine grain size, making them difficult to characterize using traditional mineralogical analytical methods.SEM-based automated mineralogy allows for quantitative and non-completely destructive assessment of bulk composition, mineralogical characteristics, and igneous rock types of lunar soils.Here, we use the TESCAN Integrated Mineral Analyzer (TIMA) to characterize a total of 79604 particles of Chang'e-5 (CE-5) returned lunar soil with a wide particle size range (> 240 μm to 2 μm).The results showed that lunar soil mainly consists of pyroxene (34.6 vol.%), plagioclase (26.2 vol.%), glass (22.5 vol.%), olivine (9.4 vol.%), ilmenite (5.0 vol.%),SiO2 polymorphs (0.5 vol.%), apatite (0.2 vol.%) and troilite (0.1 vol.%), agreeing with those of the previous XRD and Raman analyses.The analytically calculated bulk compositions of the SiO2 (40.8 wt.%), MgO (6.8 wt.%), Al2O3 (10.8 wt.%), CaO (12.1 wt.%), and FeO (22.7 wt.%) were also consistent with those of the previous result obtained by wet chemical methods.The mineral association showed that basaltic pyroxene-plagioclase-olivine-ilmenite assemblages were the most common lithic clasts within lunar soil.These results indicate that Chang'e-5 lunar soil predominantly consists of local mare basalt.This study demonstrates the role of automated mineralogy technology in providing rapid, quantitative, and reliable mineralogical and compositional data, which are fundamental for investigating the bulk mineralogical and chemical characteristics of rare returned extraterrestrial materials.","url":"https://doi.org/10.46770/as.2024.202","authors":["Wenlei Song","Hongyi Chen"],"tags":["Chemistry","Soil water","Characterization (materials science)","Mineralogy","Lunar soil"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.46770/as.2024.202","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.820Z"},{"id":"oa:W4390268946","name":"A preliminary study on the evolution and ecology of arsenic minerals","source":"openalex","abstract":"Minerals serve as recorders of planetary evolution. A series of significant geological events in the evolution process of the earth were confirmed based on researches of relevant information recorded in minerals. Arsenic is one of the most toxic elements to life, functioning as a sensitive indicator of evolutionary processes of the geochemical environment. Over 760 distinct arsenic minerals have been identified up to date. Based on concepts of ″mineral evolution″ and ″mineral ecology,″ in this study, we have investigated the diversity and deep-time evolutionary process of arsenic minerals. The results reveal that the diversity of arsenic minerals has expanded episodically with the evolution of geological history. Notably, the growth stage of arsenic minerals is corresponded with stages of supercontinent collisions and the great oxygenation events （GOE）. This phenomenon is mainly attributed to the migration and transformation of arsenic facilitated by the enhancement of active hydrothermal and weathering processes during the supercontinent collision periods and the transformation of arsenic from reduced state to oxidized state with relatively strong capabilities of mineralization and migration during the GOE period. Furthermore, by utilizing data of the locations and distributions of arsenic minerals, based on the Poisson Lognormal distribution LNRE （Large number of Rare Events） model, it is predicted that there are at least 1958 kinds of arsenic minerals within the Earth′s crust. Among these, the probability of occurrence for 263 kinds of arsenic minerals is over 95%, indicating that their formations were mainly controlled by deterministic factors. Conversely, the probability of occurrence for most of arsenic minerals is relatively low, especially, that of 184 kinds of arsenic minerals is even lower than 0.1%, suggesting that their formations were mainly controlled by contingent factors.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3724/j.issn.1007-2802.20240012","authors":["Ming-hao TANG","Hui Teng","Xiancai Lu","Rucheng Wang","Xiangyu Zhu"],"tags":["Ecology","Arsenic","Earth science","Environmental science","Geography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3724/j.issn.1007-2802.20240012","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W4390610480","name":"Commentary on the role of polyoxometalates in nature cybernetic loop","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The interplay between extraterrestrial, atmospheric, aqueous, interfacial, and hydrothermal processes is crucial for Earth's prebiotic chemistry. Volcanic terrains contain polyoxometalates (POMs). Some polyoxocuprates were identified as building blocks of fumarole minerals produced from high‐temperature gases. The existence of polyoxovanadate anions in acidified reducing volcanic aquifers cannot be excluded. At present, it can only be speculated whether life arose around natural POM deposits and/or around their aqueous phase chemistry through acid‐base and/or redox reactions. This Commentary spans different fields of sciences in nature cybernetic loop to provide impetus to explore gas‐phase chemical reactions of multiply charged POM ions, catalysis by POM‐containing mineral phases, the behavior of POMs under plasma‐initiated ultraviolet photolysis, interactions of POMs with microorganisms, bioorthogonal chemistry of POMs, and engineering POM‐based bionic functions inspired by living organisms.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ntls.20230020","authors":["Kirill Yu. Monakhov"],"tags":["Aqueous solution","Fumarole","Chemistry","Astrobiology","Abiogenesis"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ntls.20230020","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W178686305","name":"A Basic LEGO Reactor Design for the Provision of Lunar Surface Power","source":"openalex","abstract":"A final design has been established for a basic Lunar Evolutionary Growth-Optimized (LEGO) Reactor using current and near-term technologies. The LEGO Reactor is a modular, fast-fission, heatpipe-cooled, clustered-reactor system for lunar-surface power generation. The reactor is divided into subcritical units that can be safely launched with lunar shipments from Earth, and then emplaced directly into holes drilled into the lunar regolith to form a critical reactor assembly. The regolith would not just provide radiation shielding, but serve as neutron-reflector material as well. The reactor subunits are to be manufactured using proven and tested materials for use in radiation environments, such as uranium-dioxide fuel, stainless-steel cladding and structural support, and liquid-sodium heatpipes. The LEGO Reactor system promotes reliability, safety, and ease of manufacture and testing at the cost of an increase in launch mass per overall rated power level and a reduction in neutron economy when compared to a single-reactor system. A single unshielded LEGO Reactor subunit has an estimated mass of approximately 448 kg and provides approximately 5 kWe. The overall envelope for a single subunit with fully extended radiator panels has a height of 8.77 m and a diameter of 0.50 m. Six subunits could provide sufficient power generation throughout the initial stages of establishing a lunar outpost. Portions of the reactor may be neutronically decoupled to allow for reduced power production during unmanned periods of base operations. During later stages of lunar-base development, additional subunits may be emplaced and coupled into the existing LEGO Reactor network, subject to lunar base power demand. Improvements in reactor control methods, fuel form and matrix, shielding, as well as power conversion and heat rejection techniques can help generate an even more competitive LEGO Reactor design. Further modifications in the design could provide power generative opportunities for use on other extraterrestrial surfaces.","url":"https://openalex.org/W178686305","authors":["John D. Bess"],"tags":["Regolith","Nuclear engineering","Brayton cycle","Sodium-cooled fast reactor","Neutron"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-06-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406143797","name":"Decolonial Museology, Space Travel and the Mineral Cabinet","source":"openalex","abstract":"Taking the Africa Museum’s mineral cabinet as a point of departure, I probe the entanglements of inorganic matter, coloniality, and mining for space travel. Through museum ethnography, and by thinking about minerality as a field that connects intra and extra-terrestrial interests, my research unpacks how colonial logics permeate relationships between earthbound and outer spaces. From this vantage point, I investigate how the calls for decolonial practices that resonate within museums studies relate to futurities that are embroiled in imperial logics of space conquest and mining.","url":"https://doi.org/10.29311/mas.v22i2-3.4589","authors":["Alana Osbourne"],"tags":["Museology","CONQUEST","Cabinet (room)","Colonialism","Ethnography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.29311/mas.v22i2-3.4589","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W4410187947","name":"Microbial weathering of iron-bearing minerals in deep hydrothermally altered granitic rock of a semi-arid environment (Chilean Coastal Cordillera)","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Microbial mineral weathering has been predominantly investigated at shallow depths in humid and tropical environments. Much less is understood about its role in the deeper subsurface of arid and semi-arid environments where microbial weathering is limited by the availability of water and energy sources for microbial metabolism. However, the deep subsurface in these climate zones may host a microbial community that thrives on weathering of iron (Fe)-bearing minerals that serve as electron donors or acceptors. To investigate the role of microorganisms in weathering of Fe-bearing minerals in a dry climate, we recovered a >80 m deep weathering profile in a semi-arid region of the Chilean Coastal Cordillera. The bedrock is rich in Fe-bearing minerals (hornblende, biotite, chlorite, magnetite and hematite) but lacks detectable organic carbon. We evaluated the bioavailability of Fe(III)-bearing minerals that may serve as an electron acceptor for Fe(III)-reducing microorganisms. Using geochemical, mineralogical and cultivation-based methods, we found enhanced Fe bioavailability and more in vitro microbial Fe(III) reduction at increased depth. We obtained an Fe(III)-reducing enrichment culture from the deepest weathered rock found at 77 m depth. This enrichment culture is capable of reducing ferrihydrite (up to 0.6 mM d–1) using lactate or dihydrogen as an electron donor and grows at circumneutral pH. The main organism in the enrichment culture is the spore-forming Desulfotomaculum ruminis (abundance of 98.5%) as revealed by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Our findings provide evidence for a microbial contribution to the weathering of Fe-bearing minerals in semi-arid environments. While microorganisms are probably not contributing to the weathering of Fe(II)-bearing silicate minerals, they are most likely of importance regarding reductive dissolution of secondary weathering products. The Fe(III) reduction quantified in this weathering profile by the in situ microbial community suggests that microorganisms are active weathering agents in semi-arid climates.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/gbi.2025.2","authors":["Christopher Schwerdhelm","Ferdinand J. Hampl","Laura V. Krone","Lea Sauter","K. Kaphegyi","Lucas Horstmann","Daniel Straub","Toby Samuels","Muammar Mansor","Carolina Merino Guzmán","Francisco Matus","Friedhelm von Blanckenburg","Dirk Wagner","Thomas Neumann","Andreas Kappler","Casey Bryce"],"tags":["Weathering","Geology","Arid","Geochemistry","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1180/gbi.2025.2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W2324413724","name":"Variable defect structures cause the magnetic low-temperature transition in natural monoclinic pyrrhotite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Non-stoichiometric monoclinic 4C pyrrhotite (Fe7S8) is a major magnetic remanence carrier in the Earth's crust and in extraterrestrial materials. Because of its low-temperature magnetic transition around 30 K also known as Besnus transition, which is considered to be an intrinsic property, this mineral phase is easily detectable in natural samples. Although the physical properties of pyrrhotite have intensively been studied, the mechanism behind the pronounced change in magnetization at the low-temperature transition is still debated. Here we report magnetization experiments on a pyrrhotite crystal (Fe6.6S8) that consists of a 4C and an incommensurate 5C* superstructure that are different in their defect structure. The occurrence of two superstructures is magnetically confirmed by symmetric inflection points in hysteresis measurements above the transition at about 30 K. The disappearance of the inflection points and the associated change of the hysteresis parameters indicate that the two superstructures become strongly coupled to form a unitary magnetic anisotropy system at the transition. From this it follows that the Besnus transition in monoclinic pyrrhotite is an extrinsic magnetic phenomenon with respect to the 4C superstructure and therefore the physics behind it is in fact different from that of the well-known Verwey transition.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggv498","authors":["Dimitrios Koulialias","Jessica Kind","Michalis Charilaou","Peter G. Weidler","Jörg F. Löffler","A. U. Gehring"],"tags":["Pyrrhotite","Superstructure","Condensed matter physics","Monoclinic crystal system","Remanence"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-12-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggv498","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W4365812265","name":"Enigmatic evolution of microbial nitrogen fixation: insights from Earth’s past","source":"openalex","abstract":"The evolution of nitrogen fixation undoubtedly altered nearly all corners of the biosphere, given the essential role of nitrogen in the synthesis of biomass. To date, there is no unified view on what planetary conditions gave rise to nitrogen fixation or how these conditions have sustained it evolutionarily. Intriguingly, the concentrations of metals that nitrogenases require to function have changed throughout Earth's history. In this review, we describe the interconnection of the metal and nitrogen cycles with nitrogenase evolution and the importance of ancient ecology in the formation of the modern nitrogen cycle. We argue that exploration of the nitrogen cycle's deep past will provide insights into humanity's immediate environmental challenges centered on nitrogen availability.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2023.03.011","authors":["Holly R. Rucker","Betül Kaçar"],"tags":["Biology","Nitrogen fixation","Evolutionary biology","Nitrogen cycle","Ecology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-04-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2023.03.011","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W4404839904","name":"Distinctive source and hydration state of gold-ore–forming arc magmas","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Whole-rock trace-element analyses contain previously unutilized evidence of mantle source fertility, degree of partial melting, and silicate melt hydration state that are applicable to arc magmatism globally. Spidergram arrays of gold-fertile mafic melts have steeper slopes than gold-infertile ones, characterized by higher Ba/Zr, Nb/Y, and U/Yb. Spidergrams of gold-fertile mafic magmas indicate relatively low percentage melting of lithospheric mantle metasomatized by migrating silicate melts as well as aqueous fluids. Gold-fertile and -infertile melts retain distinctively high Ba/Zr, Nb/Y, and U/Yb across the mafic-to-felsic differentiation series. Plots of V/Y versus Ba/Zr discriminate relative hydration states during magmatic differentiation. The ability of these ratios to discriminate gold-mineralizing magmas is demonstrated by comparison of barren reference suites with our compilation of the compositions of Phanerozoic magmas that generated 138 magmatic-hydrothermal gold deposits worldwide. The distinction between mafic melt compositions in mineralized and barren igneous complexes demonstrates that gold metallogenic fertility and infertility are primary properties of melts generated in different mantle source regions. Magmatic gold fertility typically pervades gold ore provinces for the duration of the regional metallogenic epoch, until changing geodynamics modifies the balance of mantle melt sources.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/g52611.1","authors":["Carolina Mafra","Robert R. Loucks","Marco L. Fiorentini"],"tags":["Geology","Arc (geometry)","Geochemistry","Gold ore","Mining engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1130/g52611.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W4400773778","name":"The astrochemical evolutionary traits of phospholipid membrane homochirality","source":"openalex","abstract":"Compartmentalization is crucial for the evolution of life. Present-day phospholipid membranes exhibit a high level of complexity and species-dependent homochirality, the so-called lipid divide. It is possible that less stable, yet more dynamic systems, promoting out-of-equilibrium environments, facilitated the evolution of life at its early stages. The composition of the preceding primitive membranes and the evolutionary route towards complexity and homochirality remain unexplained. Organics-rich carbonaceous chondrites are evidence of the ample diversity of interstellar chemistry, which may have enriched the prebiotic milieu on early Earth. This Review evaluates the detections of simple amphiphiles — likely ancestors of membrane phospholipids — in extraterrestrial samples and analogues, along with potential pathways to form primitive compartments on primeval Earth. The chiroptical properties of the chiral backbones of phospholipids provide a guide for future investigations into the origins of phospholipid membrane homochirality. We highlight a plausible common pathway towards homochirality of lipids, amino acids, and sugars starting from enantioenriched monomers. Finally, given their high recalcitrance and resistance to degradation, lipids are among the best candidate biomarkers in exobiology. Compartmentalization is crucial for life’s evolution. Yet, the origin of modern phospholipid membranes and their species-dependent homochirality remains unknown. Amphiphile detection in extraterrestrial samples suggests diverse interstellar chemistry, enriching Earth’s prebiotic chemistry with vital membrane precursors. Moreover, chiroptical properties guide research into membrane homochirality origins.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41570-024-00627-w","authors":["Jana Bocková","Nykola C. Jones","Søren Vrønning Hoffmann","Cornelia Meinert"],"tags":["Homochirality","Phospholipid","Membrane","Astrobiology","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41570-024-00627-w","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402861621","name":"Test Method for Mineral Spatial Distribution of BIF Ore by Imaging Spectrometer","source":"openalex","abstract":"The spatial distribution characteristics of iron ore components are important when measuring the difficulty of their beneficiation. Polarized light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy are traditional methods with some shortcomings, including complicated operation and low efficiency. Most of the laboratory hyperspectral imaging techniques that have emerged in recent years have been focused on the field of mineral resource exploration. In contrast, the mineral distribution and tectonic characteristics of iron ores have been relatively poorly studied in the field of beneficiation. To address the issue, 11 experimental samples of banded iron formation (BIF)-hosted iron ores were selected and tested using an imaging spectrometer. Then, based on the differences in spectral characteristic of the three main components (quartz, hematite, and magnetite) in the samples, the identification model of the spatial distribution of the iron ore components was established using the normalized spectral amplitude index (NSAI) and spectral angle mapper (SAM). The NSAI and SAM identify minerals based on spectral amplitude features and spectral morphological features of the sample, respectively. The spatial distribution of different minerals in the samples was tested using the model, and the test results demonstrated that the spatial distribution of the three components is consistent with the banded tectonic character of the sample. Upon comparison with the chemical test results, the mean absolute errors (MAE) of the model for quartz, hematite, and magnetite in the samples were 2.03%, 1.34%, and 1.55%, respectively, and the root mean square errors (RMSE) were 2.72%, 2.08%, and 1.85%, respectively, with the exception of one martite sample that reached an MAE of 10.17%. Therefore, the model demonstrates a high degree of accuracy. The research provides a new method to test the spatial distribution of iron ore components.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14090959","authors":["Wenhua Yi","Shanjun Liu","Ruibo Ding","Heng Yue","Haoran Wang","Jingli Wang"],"tags":["Banded iron formation","Hematite","Magnetite","Iron ore","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14090959","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391608662","name":"Depositional and Diagenetic Sulfates of Hogwallow Flats and Yori Pass, Jezero Crater: Evaluating Preservation Potential of Environmental Indicators and Possible Biosignatures From Past Martian Surface Waters and Groundwaters","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Mars 2020 Perseverance rover has examined and sampled sulfate‐rich clastic rocks from the Hogwallow Flats member at Hawksbill Gap and the Yori Pass member at Cape Nukshak. Both strata are located on the Jezero crater western fan front, are lithologically and stratigraphically similar, and have been assigned to the Shenandoah formation. In situ analyses demonstrate that these are fine‐grained sandstones composed of phyllosilicates, hematite, Ca‐sulfates, Fe‐Mg‐sulfates, ferric sulfates, and possibly chloride salts. Sulfate minerals are found both as depositional grains and diagenetic features, including intergranular cement and vein‐ and vug‐cements. Here, we describe the possibility of various sulfate phases to preserve potential biosignatures and the record of paleoenvironmental conditions in fluid and solid inclusions, based on findings from analog sulfate‐rich rocks on Earth. The samples collected from these outcrops, Hazeltop and Bearwallow from Hogwallow Flats, and Kukaklek from Yori Pass, should be examined for such potential biosignatures and environmental indicators upon return to Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je008155","authors":["Kathleen C. Benison","Karena K. Gill","Sunanda Sharma","Sandra Siljeström","Mike Zawaski","Tanja Bosak","Adrian Broz","B. C. Clark","E. A. Cloutis","Andrew D. Czaja","David Flannery","Teresa Fornaro","Felipe Gómez","K. P. Hand","Chris Herd","J. R. Johnson","Juan Manuel Madariaga","M. B. Madsen","Jesús Martínez‐Frías","M. Nachon","Jorge I. Núñez","David A. K. Pedersen","Nicholas Randazzo","David L. Shuster","Justin I. Simon","A. Steele","Christian Tate","A. H. Treiman","Kyle Uckert","Amy J. Williams","Anastasia Yanchilina"],"tags":["Diagenesis","Sedimentary depositional environment","Geology","Geochemistry","Sulfate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je008155","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W3107815246","name":"Biconical reflectance, micro‐Raman, and nano‐FTIR spectroscopy of the Didim (H3‐5) meteorite: Chemical content and molecular variations","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Didim meteorite contains multiple lithologies and clasts of different petrologic types in a single stone. A mixture of H5 clasts in an unequilibrated H3 host was previously observed in Didim, according to the initial characterization reported in the Meteoritical Bulletin Database, providing an opportunity to investigate molecular composition that contains varying degree of equilibrium with varying mineralogy. We have taken a “from large scale to small scale” approach to spectroscopically investigate the chemical content of Didim. Centimeter‐scale biconical reflectance spectra show that Didim contains abundant olivine, pyroxene, and other optically active minerals, evident from a strong Band I near 0.93 µm and a weak Band II near 1.75 µm. Micrometer‐scale Raman spectroscopic investigations reveal the presence of carbonaceous material in addition to forsteritic olivine, pyroxene (augite and enstatite), feldspars, and opaque phases such as chromite and hematite. 3‐D Raman tomographic imaging shows that the carbonaceous material near chondrules extends underneath a large olivine grain, going further down toward the interior, indicating that the observed carbonaceous matter is likely indigenous. Nano‐scale infrared measurements reveal that the observed chemical materials in Didim contain spectral, and therefore, molecular, variations at the ~20 nm spatial scale. These chemical variations are normally not accessible via conventional infrared techniques, and indicate the presence of different cations in the molecular composition of observed minerals. By taking the “large scale to small scale” approach, we show that these compositional variations can be captured and investigated nondestructively in meteorites to understand formation/evolution of chemical components in the parent body.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13585","authors":["Mehmet Yeşiltaş","Melike Kaya","T. D. Glotch","R. Brunetto","A. Maturilli","J. Helbert","M. E. Özel"],"tags":["Pyroxene","Meteorite","Enstatite","Chemical composition","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13585","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W4400252591","name":"Award of the 2024 Barringer Medal to Dr. John Spray","source":"openalex","abstract":"Dr. John Spray, founding director of the Planetary and Space Science Centre at the University of New Brunswick, Canada, has led a versatile and vigorous research team for over four decades. His contributions have ranged from field and laboratory studies of impact sites to ingenious explorations of basic material properties of solid bodies in the solar system. While obtaining degrees in mineral physics and earth sciences from Cardiff, Wales, and Cambridge, United Kingdom, John developed an interest in frictional melting in highly deformed rocks from Cyprus, the Scottish Highlands and elsewhere. Exceptionally, he supplemented field and laboratory investigations with experiments using equipment of his own design. With these, he subjected natural materials to extreme stresses and induced frictional melting, thereby emulating the formation of pseudotachylyte veins in rocks. At the same time, he added radiometric age determinations to his repertoire through collaborations with specialists in argon dating methods. Thus, he began a series of exceptionally diverse contributions to planetary science and space-oriented industries. Once in Canada, he was soon drawn to research in hypervelocity impact structures and meteoritics by focusing on the complex and economically important structure at Sudbury, Ontario. For over a decade, his Sudbury Project made major contributions to confirming its extraterrestrial origin by impact and its mid-Proterozoic age, and to drawing distinctions between pseudotachylyte-bearing breccias, intrusions of impact melt, and other features formed by extreme shock pressures. His project engaged students, colleagues, and collaborators from government and mining companies in over 50 person-years of research in analyzing Sudbury structure as a multi-ring impact basin. John broadened his studies of large impact structures by adding Manicouagan and Charlevoix in Quebec to his roster as well as aspects of Vredefort and Popigai. At Manicouagan, he took advantage of abundant drill cores produced by others in an unsuccessful search for Sudbury-type orebodies to refine understanding of its formation. An important though unanticipated result was the discovery that thick bodies of impact melt in the center of the structure had differentiated while crystallizing. This effectively resolved a long-standing debate about comparable igneous differentiation at Sudbury. Manicouagan also gave John and his colleagues structurally important impact breccia exposures, shock indicators such as stishovite and shatter cones in uplifted basement rocks, and details of the complex relationships between the impact structure and diverse country rocks. From these studies, he established Manicouagan's position as an important terrestrial impact structures providing a bridge between smaller craters and the largest on Earth, the Moon, and Mars. In expanding his terrestrial crater studies, John pursued the structural analysis of smaller craters such as Haughton in the Canadian arctic and elsewhere on the Shield. He also applied in-house uranium–helium and uranium–lead dating methods to more than a dozen impact structures for which suitable samples are available. A recent example is a stratigraphically convincing age for the Ordovician crater at Brent, Ontario, that had frustrated many earlier attempts. During this period, he reported on his extensive experimental investigations into frictional melting by collaborating in a special edition of Tectonophysics in 1992 followed in 2010 by a masterly review of the topic combining theory, experiment, and observation in Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Science. To these landmark summations, he later added an investigation into the mechanics of regolith formation on dry, airless planets by comparing the process of consolidating breccia into rocks with industrial sintering and impact welding. In establishing the Planetary and Space Science Centre at UNB in 2001, John consolidated his field and laboratory i","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14232","authors":["Michael R. Dence"],"tags":["Medal","History","Materials science","Art","Art history"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14232","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W4390614809","name":"Multiple growth of zirconolite in marble (Mogok metamorphic belt, Myanmar): evidence for episodes of fluid metasomatism and Zr–Ti–U mineralization in metacarbonate systems","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. Fluid infiltration into (meta-)carbonate rocks is an important petrologic process that induces metamorphic decarbonation and potential mineralization of metals or nonmetals. The determination of the infiltration time and the compositional features of reactive fluids is essential to understand the mechanism and process of fluid–rock interactions. Zirconolite (ideal formula: CaZrTi2O7) is an important U-bearing accessory mineral that can develop in metasomatized metacarbonate rocks. In this study, we investigate the occurrence, texture, composition, and chronology of various types of zirconolite from fluid-infiltrated reaction zones in dolomite marbles from the Mogok metamorphic belt, Myanmar. Three types of zirconolite are recognized: (1) the first type (Zrl-I) coexists with metasomatic silicate and oxide minerals (forsterite, spinel, phlogopite) and has a homogeneous composition with high contents of UO2 (21.37 wt %–22.82 wt %) and ThO2 (0.84 wt %–1.99 wt %). (2) The second type (Zrl-II) has textural characteristics similar to those of Zrl-I. However, Zrl-II shows a core–rim zonation with a slightly higher UO2 content in the rims (average of 23.5 ± 0.4 wt % (n=8)) than the cores (average of 22.1 ± 0.3 wt % (n=8)). (3) The third type (Zrl-III) typically occurs as coronas around baddeleyite and coexists with polycrystalline quartz. Zrl-III has obviously lower contents of UO2 (0.88 wt %–5.3 wt %) than those of Zrl-I and Zrl-II. All types of zirconolite have relatively low rare earth element (REE) contents (< 480 µg g−1 for ΣREE). Microtextures and compositions of the three zirconolite types, in combination with in situ zirconolite U–Pb dating using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), reveal episodic fluid infiltration and element mobilization in the dolomite marbles. The first-stage infiltration occurred at ∼ 35 Ma, leading to the formation of Mg-rich silicates and oxides and accessory minerals (Zrl-I, baddeleyite, and geikielite). The reactive fluid was characterized by high contents of Zr, Ti, U, and Th. After that, some Zrl-I grains underwent a local fluid-assisted dissolution–precipitation process, which produced a core–rim zonation (i.e., the Zrl-II type). The final stage of fluid infiltration, recorded by the growth of Zrl-III after baddeleyite, took place at ∼ 19 Ma. The infiltrating fluid of this stage had relatively lower U contents and higher SiO2 activities than the first-stage infiltrating fluid. This study illustrates that zirconolite is a powerful mineral that can record repeated episodes (ranging from 35 to 19 Ma) of fluid influx, metasomatic reactions, and Zr–Ti–U mineralization in (meta-)carbonates. This mineral not only provides key information about the timing of fluid flow but also documents the chemical variation in reactive fluids. Thus, zirconolite is expected to play a more important role in characterizing the fluid–carbonate interaction, orogenic CO2 release, and the transfer and deposition of rare metals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/ejm-36-11-2024","authors":["Qian Guo","Shun Guo","Yue‐Heng Yang","Qian Mao","Jiangyan Yuan","Shitou Wu","Xiao‐Chi Liu","Kyaing Sein"],"tags":["Zirconolite","Metasomatism","Metamorphic rock","Geochemistry","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/ejm-36-11-2024","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402048792","name":"Sea ice as habitat for microalgae, bacteria, virus, fungi, meio- and macrofauna: A review of an extreme environment","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The novel concept of the review is a focus on the organisms living in the sea ice and what mechanisms they have developed for their existence. The review describes the physical environment of the sea ice and the microorganisms living there as microalgae, bacteria, virus, fungi, meio- and macrofauna where they inhabit the brine channels and exposed to low temperatures as down to −25 °C and high salinities—up to 300. Nutrients, O 2 , CO 2 , pH, light, and UV are also identified as stressors regarding the metabolism of the microorganisms. It is argued that sea ice must be recognized as an extreme environment as based on records of very high or very low concentrations or intensities of the stressors that living organisms in the ice are exposed to and able to endure. Each taxonomic group of organisms in the sea ice are dealt with in detail in terms of the explicit stressors the group is exposed to, and specifically what known mechanisms that the organisms have amended to secure existence and life. These mechanisms are known for some group of organisms as autotrophs, bacteria, meio- and macrofauna but less so for virus and fungi. The review concludes that sea ice is an extreme environment where the stressors vary significantly in both space and time, both in consort and solitary, classifying organisms living there as polyextremophiles and extremophiles. The review relates further to extraterrestrial moons covered with sea ice and these habitats and points toward sea ice on Earth for prospective studies until further technological advances.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-024-03296-z","authors":["Lars Chresten Lund–Hansen","Rolf Gradinger","Brandon T. Hassett","Sahan A. Jayasinghe","Fraser Kennedy","Andrew Martin","Andrew McMinn","Dorte Haubjerg Søgaard","Brian K. Sorrell"],"tags":["Biology","Habitat","Ecology","Extreme environment","Bacteria"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-024-03296-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W3089918358","name":"Drivers of zirconium isotope fractionation in Zr-bearing phases and melts: The roles of vibrational, nuclear field shift and diffusive effects","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2020.09.028","authors":["Merlin Méheut","Mauricio Ibáñez-Mejía","François Tissot"],"tags":["Zircon","Zirconium","Fractionation","Diffusion","Mass-independent fractionation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2020.09.028","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391281253","name":"A sample preparation guide for clay‐rich carbonaceous chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The matrix of the C2‐ungrouped Tarda meteorite contains abundant smectite minerals that swell and crumble when exposed to polar liquids, causing the sample to rapidly slake. This phenomenon presents a serious challenge when polishing the meteorite, as common polishing liquids used on carbonaceous chondrites, such as water, ethanol, ethylene glycol, and isopropyl alcohol, are polar and will cause the sample to swell, making it unsuitable for some analyses. Hexane and mineral oil are nonpolar liquids that were found to not induce swelling on highly expansive montmorillonite‐clay analog material and were effectively integrated into a polishing procedure for Tarda. Here, we detail a procedure for mounting, cutting, and polishing the Tarda meteorite to prepare a surface that is suitable for a variety of sensitive techniques, such as electron microprobe analysis. This work offers a practical methodology for the preparation of other clay‐rich samples, which may include the recently returned Ryugu and Bennu materials.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14140","authors":["Bennett J. K. Wilson","V. E. Di Cecco","L. A. J. Garvie","K. T. Tait","M. G. Daly"],"tags":["Chondrite","Geology","Sample (material)","Geochemistry","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14140","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W4393254230","name":"Global Occurrence, Geology and Characteristics of Hydrothermal-Origin Kaolin Deposits","source":"openalex","abstract":"Kaolin-group minerals occur in nature as the result of high-sulfidation acid sulfate, sulfur-poor HCl-, HF- and H2CO3-rich acidic fluid-related hydrothermal alterations and in situ geochemical weathering. These minerals possess different crystallographic and chemical properties that determine their application areas, mainly in the ceramic and paper industries, and as nanocomposite materials. The physicochemical properties of hydrothermal kaolin deposits are the result of the type of parent rock, the effect of the regional tectonism-associated magmatism, and the chemical features of hydrothermal fluids that interact with the deep basement rocks. However, understanding these geothermal systems is one of the most challenging issues due to the rich mineralogical assemblages, complex geochemistry and isotopic data of hydrothermal alteration zones. This study evaluates the formation of hydrothermal-origin kaolin-group minerals by considering their characteristics of hydrothermal alteration, isotopic compositions and differences in characteristic properties of low- and high-sulfidation occurrences; this paper also addresses mineralogical and structural differences between hypogene and supergene kaolin formations, and kaolin–alunite–pyrophyllite association, and it provides examples of worldwide occurrences. The study of the mineralogical assemblages, geochemistry and isotopic data of the hydrothermal alteration zones is one of the most challenging subjects in terms of gaining a detailed understanding of the geothermal systems. Silicification processes are subsequent to late-stage alteration after the completion of kaolinization processes, erasing existing hydrothermal mineralogical and geochemical traces and making interpretation difficult. In the early stages involving magmatic–hydrothermal-origin acidic geothermal fluids, the latter comes from the disproportionation of SO2 (+H2O) and H2S oxidation to H2SO4 in hydrothermal environments. In the later stages, due to spatial and temporal changes over time in the chemistry of geothermal fluids, the system comes to have a more alkali–chloride composition, with neutral pH waters frequently saturated with amorphous silica which characteristically precipitate as siliceous sinter deposits containing large amounts of opal-A.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14040353","authors":["Ö. Işık Ece","Hatice Ünal Ercan"],"tags":["Hypogene","Hydrothermal circulation","Alunite","Geology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14040353","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W4210421515","name":"Science Goals and Mission Architecture of the Europa Lander Mission Concept","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Europa is a premier target for advancing both planetary science and astrobiology, as well as for opening a new window into the burgeoning field of comparative oceanography. The potentially habitable subsurface ocean of Europa may harbor life, and the globally young and comparatively thin ice shell of Europa may contain biosignatures that are readily accessible to a surface lander. Europa’s icy shell also offers the opportunity to study tectonics and geologic cycles across a range of mechanisms and compositions. Here we detail the goals and mission architecture of the Europa Lander mission concept, as developed from 2015 through 2020. The science was developed by the 2016 Europa Lander Science Definition Team (SDT), and the mission architecture was developed by the preproject engineering team, in close collaboration with the SDT. In 2017 and 2018, the mission concept passed its mission concept review and delta-mission concept review, respectively. Since that time, the preproject has been advancing the technologies, and developing the hardware and software, needed to retire risks associated with technology, science, cost, and schedule.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3847/psj/ac4493","authors":["K. P. Hand","C. B. Phillips","Alison E. Murray","J. B. Garvin","Earl Maize","Roger Gibbs","G. D. Reeves","A. Miguel San Martin","Grace Tan-Wang","Joel Krajewski","K. Hurst","Ray Crum"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Architecture","Schedule","Computer science","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3847/psj/ac4493","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W4403683284","name":"Review of Lithium as a Strategic Resource for Electric Vehicle Battery Production: Availability, Extraction, and Future Prospects","source":"openalex","abstract":"This article presents a comprehensive review of lithium as a strategic resource, specifically in the production of batteries for electric vehicles. This study examines global lithium reserves, extraction sources, purification processes, and emerging technologies such as direct lithium extraction methods. This paper also explores the environmental and social impacts of lithium extraction, emphasizing the need for sustainable and ethical practices within the supply chain. As electric vehicles are projected to account for over 60% of new car sales by 2030, the demand for high-performance batteries will persist, with lithium playing a key role in this transition, even with the development of alternatives to lithium-ion batteries, such as sodium and ammonium-based technologies. However, there is an urgent need for technological advancements to reduce the environmental impact of lithium production and lithium-ion battery manufacturing. Additionally, ensuring the safety of LiBs during both use and recycling stages is critical to sustainable EV adoption. This study concludes that advancements in battery recycling and the development of new technologies are essential to improving safety, reducing costs, and minimizing environmental impacts, thereby securing a sustainable lithium supply and supporting the future of electric mobility.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/resources13110148","authors":["Victor Osvaldo Vega-Muratalla","César Ramírez‐Márquez","Luis Fernando Lira‐Barragán","José María Ponce‐Ortega"],"tags":["Production (economics)","Extraction (chemistry)","Lithium (medication)","Battery (electricity)","Electric vehicle"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/resources13110148","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W4392978100","name":"Fluorescence Microscopy with Deep UV, Near UV, and Visible Excitation for In Situ Detection of Microorganisms","source":"europepmc","abstract":"We report a simple, inexpensive design of a fluorescence microscope with light-emitting diode (LED) excitation for detection of labeled and unlabeled microorganisms in mineral substrates. The use of deep UV (DUV) excitation with visible emission requires no specialized optics or slides and can be implemented easily and inexpensively using an oblique illumination geometry. DUV excitation (<280 nm) is preferable to near UV (365 nm) for avoidance of mineral autofluorescence. When excited with DUV, unpigmented bacteria show two emission peaks: one in the near UV ∼320 nm, corresponding to proteins, and another peak in the blue to green range, corresponding to flavins and/or reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH). Many commonly used dyes also show secondary excitation peaks in the DUV, with identical emission spectra and quantum yields as their primary peak. However, DUV fails to excite key biosignature molecules, especially chlorophyll in cyanobacteria. Visible excitation (violet to blue) also results in less mineral autofluorescence than near UV, and most autofluorescence in the minerals seen here is green, so that red dyes and red autofluorescence of chlorophyll and porphyrins are readily distinguished. The pairing of DUV and near UV or visible excitation, with emission across the visible, represents the most thorough approach to detection of labeled and unlabeled bacteria in soil and rock.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2023.0020","authors":["Noel Case","Nikki Johnston","Jay Nadeau"],"tags":["Autofluorescence","Fluorescence","Ultraviolet","Microscopy","Microscope"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2023.0020","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"oa:W4396669422","name":"Qualitative Monitoring of Proto-Peptide Condensation by Differential FTIR Spectroscopy","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Condensation processes such as wet-dry cycling are thought to have played significant roles in the emergence of proto-peptides. Here, we describe a simple and low-cost method, differential Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, for qualitative analysis of peptide condensation products in model primordial reactions. We optimize differential FTIR for depsipeptides and apply this method to investigate their polymerization in the presence of extraterrestrial dust simulants.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.3c00257","authors":["Keon Rezaeerod","Hanna Heinzmann","Alexis V. Torrence","Jui Patel","Jay G. Forsythe"],"tags":["Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy","Condensation","Polymerization","Chemistry","Spectroscopy"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.3c00257","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"oa:W4285114371","name":"Defining and Characterizing Habitable Environments in Ocean World Systems","source":"openalex","abstract":"We explore the major characteristics of habitable environments on ocean worlds and how we can study them using Earth analogs and autonomous instrumentation. Earth analogs for habitable regions on ocean worlds include interfaces (e.g., ice-water and seafloor-water boundaries), hydrothermal systems, and inside of ice, snow, clathrates, and crustal rocks. These analogs are best known in Earth’s ocean, but they may also exist on Earth’s land, particularly in polar regions. Importantly, ocean habitability requires that parts of the planetary body interact dynamically with the ocean. Probing the habitability of currently inaccessible extraterrestrial ocean worlds will require establishing biogenicity and abiotic reference frames for organic compounds on ocean worlds and technological advances to explore subsurface liquid water environments beyond Earth. Next generation studies of ocean world habitability will also require integrated modeling tools and coordination between the Earth/ocean sciences and the planetary science communities.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2021.414","authors":["Jennifer Glass","Heidi M. Dierssen","Christopher R. Glein","B. E. Schmidt","Dale P. Winebrenner"],"tags":["Habitability","Astrobiology","Earth science","Sea ice","Hydrosphere"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2021.414","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391512464","name":"Unusual sources of fossil micrometeorites deduced from relict chromite in the small size fraction in ~467 Ma old limestone","source":"openalex","abstract":"ABSTRACT Extraterrestrial chrome spinel and chromite extracted from the sedimentary rock record are relicts from coarse micrometeorites and rarely meteorites. They are studied to reconstruct the paleoflux of meteorites to the Earth and the collisional history of the asteroid belt. Minor element concentrations of Ti and V, and oxygen isotopic compositions of these relict minerals were used to classify the meteorite type they stem from, and thus to determine the relative meteorite group abundances through time. While coarse sediment‐dispersed extraterrestrial chrome‐spinel (SEC) grains from ordinary chondrites dominate through the studied time windows in the Phanerozoic, there are exceptions: We have shown that ~467 Ma ago, 1 Ma before the breakup of the L chondrite parent body (LCPB), more than half of the largest (>63 μm diameter) grains were achondritic and originated from differentiated asteroids in contrast to ordinary chondrites which dominated the meteorite flux throughout most of the past 500 Ma. Here, we present a new data set of oxygen isotopic compositions and elemental compositions of 136 grains of a smaller size fraction (32–63 μm) in ~467 Ma old pre‐LCPB limestone from the Lynna River section in western Russia, that was previously studied by elemental analysis. Our study constitutes the most comprehensive oxygen isotopic data set of sediment‐dispersed extraterrestrial chrome spinel to date. We also introduce a Raman spectroscopy‐based method to identify SEC grains and distinguish them from terrestrial chrome spinel with ~97% reliability. We calibrated the Raman method with the established approach using titanium and vanadium concentrations and oxygen isotopic compositions. We find that ordinary chondrites are approximately three times more abundant in the 32–63 μm fraction than achondrites. While abundances of achondrites compared to ordinary chondrites are lower in the 32–63 μm size fraction than in the >63 μm one, achondrites are approximately three times more abundant in the 32–62 μm fraction than they are in the present flux. We find that the sources of SEC grains vary for different grain sizes, mainly as a result of parent body thermal metamorphism. We conclude that the meteorite flux composition ~467 Ma ago ~1 Ma before the breakup of the LCPB was fundamentally different from today and from other time windows studied in the Phanerozoic, but that in contrast to the large size fraction ordinary chondrites dominated the flux in the small size fraction. The high abundance of ordinary chondrites in the studied samples is consistent with the findings based on coarse extraterrestrial chrome‐spinel from other time windows.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14133","authors":["P. R. Heck","Birger Schmitz","Xenia Ritter","S. S. Rout","N. T. Kita","C. Defouilloy","Katarina Keating","Kevin Eisenstein","Fredrik Terfelt"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chromite","Chondrite","Geology","Ordinary chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14133","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W3085621223","name":"Methods of Utilizing Earth-Abundant and Lunar Minerals in Material Extrusion-Based Additive Manufacturing","source":"openalex","abstract":"Additive manufacturing methods have great potential for rapid production of parts and devices in remote areas with limited access to supply chains. This work examines the use of mineral resources for inexpensive and low-energy additive manufacturing. Silica, basalt, and Lunar regolith simulant (LRS) were processed for use as additive manufacturing feedstock in conjunction with polymeric binders. Mineral powders were chemically functionalized and combined with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) at filler loadings up to 5 wt.% to create 3D printed structures using the fused deposition modeling (FDM) process. The mechanical properties of the resulting structures were characterized by tensile testing and analysis of fracture surfaces. Alternatively, processed minerals were used to prepare inks for robocasting using Pluronic F127 hydrogels as a carrier. Minerals were added in increasing concentrations to determine the maximum filler loading that could be used to create an ink with suitable viscosity for the robocasting process. Hydrogels containing 52-57 wt.% mineral fillers were used as feedstock. By sintering the 3D printed green bodies, structural ceramics may be produced using this process. This work provides methods for producing structures and devices on demand in hostile environments through efficient in situ resource utilization.","url":"https://openalex.org/W3085621223","authors":["Anna Hayes"],"tags":["Extrusion","Earth (classical element)","Astrobiology","Earth materials","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W4403109061","name":"The evolution of amino acids under asteroidal aqueous alteration","source":"openalex","abstract":"Carbonaceous chondrites contain amino acids , with variable abundances and isotope compositions between and within carbonaceous chondrites . The parent body processes, and the presence of clay minerals may explain those differences. Here, we experimentally investigate the evolution of 6 amino acids (glycine, β-alanine, α-alanine, 2-aminoisobutyric acid, γ-aminobutyric acid, and isovaline) exposed to hydrothermal conditions in the presence or absence of silicates. We determined the chemical nature and isotopic composition of the organic compounds of the soluble and solid fractions of the residues using X-ray diffraction, spectroscopy, and mass-spectrometry methods. Glycine and α-alanine exhibit a rather high stability, which is consistent with the measured abundances of α-alanine and glycine in chondrites having experienced various degrees of aqueous alteration. In the meantime, the evolution of β-alanine under hydrothermal conditions leads to the formation of a new compound, which likely results from the decarboxylation and deamination of β-alanine followed by recombination. More than 95 % of γ-ABA was transformed into 2-pyrrolidione though self-cyclization during the aqueous alteration. The solid residues of the experiments conducted in the presence of clay minerals contain organic material, with abundances varying depending on the amino acid used for the experiments (TOC isovaline > 2-aminoisobutyric acid > γ-aminobutyric acid > glycine > α-alanine > β-alanine). Clay minerals thus preferentially trap branched amino acids over chained amino acids , likely within their interlayer spaces as suggested by XRD data. The δ 13 C values of amino acids have not changed significantly during the experiments, even with the presence of silicates. Thus, the δ 13 C values of amino acids reported in CR and CM chondrites likely relate to synthetic conditions or the origin of their precursors (i.e. inherited from the pre-accretion processes).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2024.09.035","authors":["Yingying He","Samuel Bernard","Marceau Lecasble","Jean‐Christophe Viennet","I. Criouet","David Boulesteix","Nadezda Khodorova","Ludovic Delbes","Maxime Guillaumet","François Baudin","Boris Laurent","A. Buch","Laurent Rémusat"],"tags":["Aqueous solution","Chemistry","Astrobiology","Amino acid","Biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2024.09.035","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402962827","name":"Three-Dimensional Electron Diffraction: A Revolutionary Technique for Structure Analysis of Nano-sized Minerals","source":"openalex","abstract":"单晶X射线衍射（SCXRD）技术是目前最主要的晶体结构解析手段，但在纳米尺度上存在局限性，无法满足对微纳米矿物晶体结构解析的需求。相比之下，三维电子衍射（3DED）技术是一种针对微米、亚微米乃至纳米尺度矿物晶体结构解析的有效手段。3DED技术能够克服SCXRD在解析弱衍射信号、分析<200 nm的纳米晶体以及对轻元素识别等方面的局限性。近年来，3DED技术在材料科学和生物学领域得到广泛应用，被认为是纳米晶体结构解析的变革性技术。尽管该技术在地球与行星科学领域的应用还处于起步阶段，但未来3DED技术在矿物学研究中将发挥重要作用。此外，串行旋转电子衍射（Serial RED）技术也为地外返回等珍贵微量样品的物相与结构分析提供了高效、高通量的解决方案。这些先进的电子衍射技术必将为人类认识物质世界做出重大贡献。 <?Pub Caret 26?>","url":"https://doi.org/10.3724/j.1000-4734.2024.44.064","authors":["Yiping YANG","Xiaoju LIN","Haiyang XIAN","Shengdong CHEN","Yuhuan YUAN","Jiaxin XI","Jianxi ZHU","Hongping HE"],"tags":["Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3724/j.1000-4734.2024.44.064","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W2944843008","name":"Land Use and Land Cover Scenarios for Optimum Water Yield and Sediment Retention Ecosystem Services in Klong U-Tapao Watershed, Songkhla, Thailand","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Klong U-Tapao watershed is the main source of water supply for agriculture, industry, and household consumption of the Songkhla province and it frequently contributes serious problems to lowland areas, particularly flood and soil erosion. Therefore, land use and land cover (LULC) scenario identification for optimum water yield and sediment retention ecosystem services are necessary. In this study, LULC data in 2010 and 2017 were firstly classified from Landsat data using random forests classifiers, and they were then used to predict LULC change during 2018 –2024 under three different scenarios by CLUE-S model. Later, actual LULC data in 2017 and predictive LULC data of three scenarios were further used to estimate water yield and sediment retention services under the InVEST and LULC scenario for optimum water yield and sediment retention ecosystem services were finally identified using the ecosystem service change index (ESCI). The result of the study showed the major increasing areas of LULC types during 2010–2017 were rubber plantation and urban and built-up area while the major decreasing areas of LULC classes were evergreen forest and miscellaneous land. In addition, the derived LULC prediction of three different scenarios could provide realistic results as expected. Likewise, water yield and sediment retention estimation of three different scenarios could also provide expected results according to characteristics of scenarios’ definitions and climates, soil and terrain, and LULC factors. Finally, LULC of Scenario II was chosen for optimum water yield and sediment retention ecosystem services. In conclusion, the integration of remote sensing technology with advanced classification methods and geospatial models can be used as proficient tools to provide geospatial data on water yield and sediment retention ecosystem services from different scenarios.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/su11102895","authors":["Jamroon Srichaichana","Yongyut Trisurat","Suwit Ongsomwang"],"tags":["Environmental science","Watershed","Ecosystem services","Land cover","Hydrology (agriculture)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-05-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/su11102895","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W4297064782","name":"Atom probe tomography and correlative microscopy: Key techniques for future planetary science studies","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Our Galaxy is vast and awe-inspiring. The stars, planets, and our sun capture our imagination as children. For many of us, that wonder never ceases. It continues to inspire us throughout our careers and prompts us to question the evolution of our Solar System, to question what our place is within it, and how we may maintain longevity in a relatively volatile environment. To answer these questions planetary scientists turn to the study of extraterrestrial material. They analyze meteorites, impact craters, and materials returned by sample return missions for the evidence of events that are known to induce crystallographic and/or elemental changes, or for evidence of extraterrestrial isotopic abundances that point to the age and the original source of the material. Through these studies, we can constrain timelines of events that have occurred throughout the Solar System’s extensive history. Recently, atom probe tomography (APT) has been applied to the study of these materials. APT in correlation with larger-scale analysis techniques has provided insights into isotopic ratios or nanoscale distribution of elements, enriching our knowledge, and minimizing uncertainties in the time frame of critical cosmic events. The continued use of correlative microscopy with APT for the study of planetary science, including studies of small amounts of pristine materials delivered to the Earth by exciting sample return missions, promises to provide key information into the history of our Solar System. Here, we highlight the implications of correlative microscopy with APT for the future pursuits of planetary science, we reflect on the groundbreaking research already achieved, the challenges that have been overcome to achieve these outcomes and the challenges yet to come. Graphical abstract","url":"https://doi.org/10.1557/s43577-022-00375-6","authors":["Ingrid McCarroll","Luke Daly","L. F. White","Julie M. Cairney"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Solar System","Planet","Planetary science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1557/s43577-022-00375-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W2207764342","name":"Cosmochemical and spectroscopic properties of Northwest Africa 7325—A consortium study","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract This work is part of a project to build an infrared database in order to link IR data of planetary materials (and therefore possible Mercury material) with remote sensing observations of Mercury, which will probably be obtained by the MERTIS instrument on the forthcoming BepiColombo mission. The unique achondrite Northwest Africa (NWA) 7325, which has previously been suggested to represent the first sample from Mercury, was investigated by optical and electron microscopy, and infrared and Raman spectroscopy. In addition, the oxygen, strontium, xenon, and argon isotopes were measured and the abundance of selected trace elements determined. The meteorite is a cumulate rock with subchondritic abundances of HFSE and REE and elevated Sr contents, which underwent a second heating and partial remelting process. Oxygen isotope measurements show that NWA 7325 plots in the ureilite field, close to the ALM‐A trachyandesitic fragment found in the unique Almahata Sitta meteorite breccia. On the other hand, mineralogical investigations of the pyroxenes in NWA 7325 provide evidence for similarities to the lodranites and acapulcoites. Furthermore, the rock is weakly shocked and argon isotope data record ancient (~4.5 Ga) plateau ages that have not been reset. The sample records a cosmogenic exposure age of ~19 Ma. Systematics of Rb‐Sr indicate an extreme early volatile depletion of the precursor material, similar to many other achondrite groups. However, despite its compositional similarities to other meteorite groups, our results suggest that this meteorite is unique and unrelated to any other known achondrite group. An origin for NWA 7325 as a sample from the planet Mercury is not supported by the results of our investigation. In particular, the evidence from infrared spectroscopy indicates that a direct relationship between NWA 7325 and the planet Mercury can be ruled out: no acceptable spectral match between laboratory analyses and remote sensing observations from Mercury has been obtained. However, we demonstrate that infrared spectroscopy is a rapid and nondestructive method to characterize mineral phases and thus an excellent tool for planetary surface characterization in space missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12586","authors":["I. Weber","A. Morlok","A. Bischoff","H. Hiesinger","Dylan J. Ward","K. H. Joy","S A Crowther","N. D. Jastrzebski","J. D. Gilmour","P. L. Clay","Roy A. Wogelius","R. C. Greenwood","I. A. Franchi","Carsten Münker"],"tags":["Achondrite","Meteorite","Geology","Geochemistry","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-12-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12586","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W4392079285","name":"Hydroponics: Exploring innovative sustainable technologies and applications across crop production, with Emphasis on potato mini-tuber cultivation","source":"europepmc","abstract":"There is an urgent need to explore climate-resilient alternative agriculture production systems that focus on resilience, resource efficiency, and disease management. Hydroponics, a soilless cultivation system, gaining interest as it reduces the dependency on agricultural land, and pesticides, and can be implemented in areas with poor soil quality, thus mitigating the negative effects of extreme weather events. Potato is an essential dietary staple crop grown throughout the world and is a major source of food security in underdeveloped countries. However, due to the climatic changes, it is predicted that a significant loss in the suitability of land for potato production would occur, thus leading to potato yield loss. Recently, many case studies have emerged to highlight the advancement of agricultural hydroponic systems that provide a promising solution to the massive production of potato mini tuber at high efficiency. This review paper evaluates popular hydroponic methods and demonstrates how hydroponic has emerged as the go-to, long-term, sustainable answer to the perennial problem of insufficient access to high-quality potato seed stock. The paper discusses the research and innovation possibilities (such as artificial intelligence, nanoparticles, and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria) that potentially increase tuber production per plant under optimal hydroponic growth circumstances. These approaches are examined considering new scientific discoveries and practical applications. Furthermore, it emphasizes that by enduring significant reforms in soilless food production systems (particularly for potatoes), the food supply of a rapidly growing population can be addressed. Since hydroponics systems are productive and easily automated without soil and optimal environmental conditions, future hydroponics farming is promising. In conclusion, the hydroponics system provides better yield and crop productivity by saving water, energy, and space. Henceforth, it can be the alternate choice for modern sustainable agriculture.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e26823","authors":["Sasireka Rajendran","Tenzing Domalachenpa","Himanshu Arora","Pai Li","Abhishek Sharma","Gaurav Rajauria"],"tags":["Hydroponics","Food security","Sustainable agriculture","Agriculture","Population"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e26823","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402050706","name":"Perspectives and Energy Applications of Magnetocaloric, Pyromagnetic, Electrocaloric, and Pyroelectric Materials","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract This perspective provides an overview of the state of research and innovation in the areas of magnetocaloric and pyromagnetic materials, and electrocaloric and pyroelectric materials, including the overlapping sub‐areas of multicaloric and multipyro materials that can operate simultaneously under the application of magnetic and electric fields. These materials are critically examined for their potential to revolutionize cooling, heating, and energy‐harvesting applications. This perspective first summarizes the state‐of‐the‐art advancements and highlights recent significant developments. Then, it is identified and discussed that the prevailing challenges hindering the widespread adoption of technologies based on these materials. In this context, after consulting with members of the caloric and pyro communities, a technology roadmap is outlined to guide research efforts in overcoming current barriers to applications, with the goal of achieving impactful results by 2040. This roadmap emphasizes the importance of focusing on under‐researched materials, novel devices, and application spaces, paving the way for interdisciplinary efforts that can lead to significant reductions in carbon dioxide emissions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.202401739","authors":["Katja Klinar","Jia Yan Law","V. Franco","Xavier Moya","Andrej Kitanovski"],"tags":["Materials science","Pyroelectricity","Magnetic refrigeration","Electrocaloric effect","Engineering physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.202401739","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"oa:W4403999249","name":"A comprehensive review of lunar-based manufacturing and construction","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paerosci.2024.101045","authors":["Mohammad Azami","Zahra Kazemi","Sare Moazen","Martine Dubé","Marie-Josée Potvin","Krzysztof Skonieczny"],"tags":["Engineering","Systems engineering","Computer science","Construction engineering","Manufacturing engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paerosci.2024.101045","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W4396977540","name":"Preservation of Bacillus subtilis’ cellular liquid state at deep sub-zero temperatures in perchlorate brines","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Although a low temperature limit for life has not been established, it is thought that there exists a physical limit imposed by the onset of intracellular vitrification, typically occurring at ~−20 °C for unicellular organisms. Here, we show, through differential scanning calorimetry, that molar concentrations of magnesium perchlorate can depress the intracellular vitrification point of Bacillus subtilis cells to temperatures much lower than those previously reported. At 2.5 M Mg(ClO4)2, the peak vitrification temperature was lowered to −83 °C. Our results show that inorganic eutectic salts can in principle maintain liquid water in cells at much lower temperatures than those previously claimed as a lower limit to life, raising the prospects of active biochemical processes in low temperature natural settings. Our results may have implications for the habitability of Mars, where perchlorate salts are pervasive and potentially other terrestrial and extraterrestrial, cryosphere environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-06277-4","authors":["Stewart Gault","Fernanda Fonseca","Charles S. Cockell"],"tags":["Bacillus subtilis","Differential scanning calorimetry","Vitrification","Intracellular","Perchlorate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-06277-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W3179898694","name":"Cellular remains in a ~3.42-billion-year-old subseafloor hydrothermal environment","source":"openalex","abstract":"Subsurface habitats on Earth host an extensive extant biosphere and likely provided one of Earth's earliest microbial habitats. Although the site of life's emergence continues to be debated, evidence of early life provides insights into its early evolution and metabolic affinity. Here, we present the discovery of exceptionally well-preserved, ~3.42-billion-year-old putative filamentous microfossils that inhabited a paleo-subseafloor hydrothermal vein system of the Barberton greenstone belt in South Africa. The filaments colonized the walls of conduits created by low-temperature hydrothermal fluid. Combined with their morphological and chemical characteristics as investigated over a range of scales, they can be considered the oldest methanogens and/or methanotrophs that thrived in an ultramafic volcanic substrate.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abf3963","authors":["Barbara Cavalazzi","Laurence Lemelle","Alexandre Simionovici","Sherry L. Cady","Michael J. Russell","Elena Bailo","R. Canteri","Emanuele Enrico","Alain Manceau","Assimo Maris","Murielle Salomé","Émilie Thomassot","Nordine Bouden","Rémi Tucoulou","Axel Hofmann"],"tags":["Hydrothermal circulation","Ultramafic rock","Hydrothermal vent","Volcano","Extant taxon"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-07-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abf3963","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W3012621417","name":"Photoprocessing of formamide ice: route towards prebiotic chemistry in space","source":"openalex","abstract":"Aims. Formamide (HCONH2) is the simplest molecule containing the peptide bond first detected in the gas phase in Orion-KL and SgrB2. In recent years, it has been observed in high temperature regions such as hot corinos, where thermal desorption is responsible for the sublimation of frozen mantles into the gas phase. The interpretation of observations can benefit from information gathered in the laboratory, where it is possible to simulate the thermal desorption process and to study formamide under simulated space conditions such as UV irradiation. Methods. Here, two laboratory analyses are reported: we studied formamide photo-stability under UV irradiation when it is adsorbed by space relevant minerals at 63 K and in the vacuum regime. We also investigated temperature programmed desorption of pure formamide ice in the presence of TiO2 dust before and after UV irradiation. Results. Through these analyses, the effects of UV degradation and the interaction between formamide and different minerals are compared. We find that silicates, both hydrates and anhydrates, offer molecules a higher level of protection from UV degradation than mineral oxides. The desorption temperature found for pure formamide is 220 K. The desorption temperature increases to 250 K when the formamide desorbs from the surface of TiO2 grains. Conclusions. Through the experiments outlined here, it is possible to follow the desorption of formamide and its fragments, simulate the desorption process in star forming regions and hot corinos, and constrain parameters such as the thermal desorption temperature of formamide and its fragments and the binding energies involved. Our results offer support to observational data and improve our understanding of the role of the grain surface in enriching the chemistry in space.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202037587","authors":["Maria Angela Corazzi","Davide Fedele","Giovanni Poggiali","John Robert Brucato"],"tags":["Formamide","Desorption","Thermal desorption","Sublimation (psychology)","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202037587","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W2511174419","name":"Climate, soil and land-use based land suitability evaluation for oil palm production in Ghana","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eja.2016.08.004","authors":["Tiemen Rhebergen","T. Fairhurst","Shamie Zingore","Myles Fisher","Thomas Oberthür","Anthony Whitbread"],"tags":["Elaeis guineensis","Agroforestry","Environmental science","Palm","Land use"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-08-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eja.2016.08.004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W4403267883","name":"Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy in space applications: Review and prospects","source":"openalex","abstract":"This review describes the principles and summarizes the challenges of analytical methods based on optical emission spectroscopy (OES) in space applications, with a particular focus on Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). Over the past decade, LIBS has emerged as a powerful analytical technique for space exploration and In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) of celestial bodies. Its implementation has been suggested for various segments of the Space Resources Value Chain, including prospecting, mining, and beneficiation. Current missions to Mars, including the ChemCam instrument on the Curiosity rover, the SuperCam on the Perseverance rover, and the MarSCoDe on the Zhurong rover, are considered flagship applications of LIBS. Despite neither the Pragyan rover nor the Vikram lander waking from the lunar night, the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission marks another milestone in the development of LIBS instruments, with further missions, including commercial ones, anticipated. This paper reviews the deployment of LIBS payloads on Mars rovers, upcoming missions prospecting the Moon and asteroids, and LIBS analysis of meteorites. Additionally, it highlights the importance of data processing specific to space applications, emphasizing recent trends in transfer learning. Furthermore, LIBS combined with other spectroscopic techniques (e.g., Raman Spectroscopy, Mass Spectrometry, and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) represents an intriguing platform with comprehensive analytical capabilities. The review concludes by emphasizing the significance of LIBS-based contributions in advancing our understanding of celestial bodies and paving the way for future space exploration endeavors. • Implementation of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectrsocopy (LIBS) in the analysis of astromaterial • LIBS for prospecting of astromaterial (namely Moon, Mars, and asteroids) • Modelling of laser-induced plasma under various atmospheric conditions • Advanced machine learning for processing of LIBS data for astrogeology • Hyphenated systems combined with LIBS for complete chemical analysis","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trac.2024.117991","authors":["Homa Saeidfirozeh","Petr Kubelík","Vojtěch Laitl","Anna Křivková","Jakub Vrábel","K. Rammelkamp","Susanne Schröder","Igor B. Gornushkin","Erik Képeš","Ján Žabka","Martin Ferus","Pavel Pořízka"],"tags":["Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy","Spectroscopy","Space (punctuation)","Materials science","Laser"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trac.2024.117991","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W4405809354","name":"Where the microbes aren't","source":"openalex","abstract":"Although a large fraction of Earth's volume and most places beyond the planet lack life because physical and chemical conditions are too extreme, intriguing scientific questions are raised in many environments within or at the edges of life's niche space in which active life is absent. This review explores the environments in which active microorganisms do not occur. Within the known niche space for life, uninhabited, but habitable physical spaces potentially offer opportunities for hypothesis testing, such as using them as negative control environments to investigate the influence of life on planetary processes. At the physico-chemical limits of life, questions such as whether spaces devoid of actively metabolizing or reproducing life constitute uninhabitable space or space containing vacant niches that could be occupied with appropriate adaptation are raised. We do not know the extent to which evolution has allowed life to occupy all niche space within its biochemical potential. The case of habitable extraterrestrial environments and the scientific and ethical questions that they raise is discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/femsre/fuae034","authors":["Charles S. Cockell"],"tags":["Niche","Adaptation (eye)","Astrobiology","Ecological niche","Space (punctuation)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/femsre/fuae034","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406110832","name":"Sampling Mars: Geologic context and preliminary characterization of samples collected by the NASA Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Mission","source":"openalex","abstract":"The NASA Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Mission has collected samples of rock, regolith, and atmosphere within the Noachian-aged Jezero Crater, once the site of a delta-lake system with a high potential for habitability and biosignature preservation. Between sols 109 and 1,088 of the mission, 27 sample tubes have been sealed, including witness tubes. Each sealed sample tube has been collected along with detailed documentation provided by the Perseverance instrument payload, preserving geological and environmental context. Samples representative of the stratigraphy within each of four campaigns have been collected: samples from the Crater Floor Campaign represent a suite of potentially petrogenetically related igneous rocks displaying variable degrees of aqueous alteration; samples from the Fan Front record fluvial to deltaic sediments formed by the transport and deposition of materials from the Jezero watershed; regolith samples from the Fan Front preserve material possibly representative of global dust as well as diverse, locally derived clasts; Upper Fan samples record the latest stages of aqueous activity within Jezero; and samples from the Margin Campaign preserve lacustrine, littoral, or possibly igneous processes that may have occurred early in the history of the crater. Along with anticipated samples from the older rocks within the rim of Jezero Crater, Perseverance promises to deliver a suite of samples preserving a diversity of formation environments and ages. Upon return to Earth and analysis in terrestrial laboratories, these samples would address longstanding questions pertaining to the geologic evolution of Mars, its habitability, and the potential for life outside the Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2404255121","authors":["C. D. K. Herd","Tanja Bosak","Elisabeth M. Hausrath","Keyron Hickman‐Lewis","L. E. Mayhew","David L. Shuster","Sandra Siljeström","Justin I. Simon","B. P. Weiss","M. Wadhwa","María‐Paz Zorzano","J. N. Maki","Kenneth A. Farley","K. M. Stack"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Regolith","Geology","Impact crater","Noachian"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2404255121","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W4400504046","name":"Primordial aqueous alteration recorded in water-soluble organic molecules from the carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu","source":"europepmc","abstract":"We report primordial aqueous alteration signatures in water-soluble organic molecules from the carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft of JAXA. Newly identified low-molecular-weight hydroxy acids (HO-R-COOH) and dicarboxylic acids (HOOC-R-COOH), such as glycolic acid, lactic acid, glyceric acid, oxalic acid, and succinic acid, are predominant in samples from the two touchdown locations at Ryugu. The quantitative and qualitative profiles for the hydrophilic molecules between the two sampling locations shows similar trends within the order of ppb (parts per billion) to ppm (parts per million). A wide variety of structural isomers, including α- and β-hydroxy acids, are observed among the hydrophilic molecules. We also identify pyruvic acid and dihydroxy and tricarboxylic acids, which are biochemically important intermediates relevant to molecular evolution, such as the primordial TCA (tricarboxylic acid) cycle. Here, we find evidence that the asteroid Ryugu samples underwent substantial aqueous alteration, as revealed by the presence of malonic acid during keto-enol tautomerism in the dicarboxylic acid profile. The comprehensive data suggest the presence of a series for water-soluble organic molecules in the regolith of Ryugu and evidence of signatures in coevolutionary aqueous alteration between water and organics in this carbonaceous asteroid.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-49237-6","authors":["Yoshinori Takano","Hiroshi Naraoka","Jason P. Dworkin","Toshiki Koga","Kazunori Sasaki","Hajime Sato","Yasuhiro Oba","Nanako O. Ogawa","Toshihiro Yoshimura","Kenji Hamase","Naohiko Ohkouchi","Eric T. Parker"],"tags":["Asteroid","Aqueous solution","Organic molecules","Astrobiology","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-49237-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"oa:W4311969527","name":"An Overview for Modern Energy-Efficient Solutions for Lunar and Martian Habitats Made Based on Geopolymers Composites and 3D Printing Technology","source":"openalex","abstract":"Space missions will require the capability to build structures on site using local resources. Before 2040, NASA and the European Space Agency want to ensure the possibility of a permanent human residence in shelters on the Moon or Mars. The article analyzed the state of the art in this area based on the literature research. It shows innovative and energy efficient solutions for manufacturing the lunar and Martian shelters based on geopolymer composites. Firstly, the possible materials solutions, with particular attention to the geopolymer composites, are discussed. Next, the previous research is presented, including work based on different kinds of simulants of lunar and Martian regolith. Then, a different approach for manufacturing technologies is presented and the advantages of 3D printing technology are clarified. Eventually, the challenges for further projects are discussed, including energy and cost efficiency problems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/en15249322","authors":["Kinga Korniejenko","Kinga Pławecka","Barbara Kozub"],"tags":["Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Regolith","Geopolymer","Work (physics)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-12-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/en15249322","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W4386409112","name":"Chemical Engineering beyond Earth: Astrochemical Engineering in the Space Age","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Space Race in the second half of the 20th century was primarily concerned with getting there and back. Gradually, technology and international collaboration opened new horizons, but human activity was mostly restricted around Earth’s orbit, while robotic missions were sent to solar system planets and moons. Now, nations and companies claim extraterrestrial resources and plans are in place to send humans and build bases on the Moon and Mars. Exploration and discovery are likely to be followed by exploitation and settlement. History suggests that the next step is the development of space industry. The new industrial revolution will take place in space. Chemical engineers have been educated for more than a century on designing processes adapted to the Earth’s conditions, involving a range of raw materials, atmospheric pressure, ambient temperature, solar radiation, and 1-g. In space, the raw materials differ, and the unique pressure, temperature and solar radiation conditions require new approaches and methods. In the era of space exploration, a new educational concept for chemical engineers is necessary to prepare them for playing key roles in space. To this end, we introduce Astrochemical Engineering as an advanced postgraduate course and we propose a 2-year 120 ECTS MEng curriculum with a brief description of the modules and learning outcomes. The first year includes topics such as low-gravity process engineering, cryogenics, and recycling systems. The second year includes the utilization of planetary resources and materials for space resources. The course culminates in an individual design project and comprises two specializations: Process Engineering and Space Science. The course will equip engineers and scientists with the necessary knowledge for the development of advanced processes and industrial ecologies based on closed self-sustained systems. These can be applied on Earth to help reinvent sustainability and mitigate the numerous challenges humanity faces.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/su151713227","authors":["Vassilis J. Inglezakis","Donald Rapp","P. A. Razis","Antonis A. Zorpas"],"tags":["Space exploration","Space (punctuation)","Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Planet"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/su151713227","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402253304","name":"Towards Establishing Best Practice in the Analysis of Hydrogen and Deuterium by Atom Probe Tomography","source":"openalex","abstract":"As hydrogen is touted as a key player in the decarbonization of modern society, it is critical to enable quantitative hydrogen (H) analysis at high spatial resolution and, if possible, at the atomic scale. H has a known deleterious impact on the mechanical properties (strength, ductility, toughness) of most materials that can hinder their use as part of the infrastructure of a hydrogen-based economy. Enabling H mapping including local hydrogen concentration analyses at specific microstructural features is essential for understanding the multiple ways that H affect the properties of materials including embrittlement mechanisms and their synergies. In addition, spatial mapping and quantification of hydrogen isotopes is essential to accurately predict tritium inventory of future fusion power plants thus ensuring their safe and efficient operation. Atom probe tomography (APT) has the intrinsic capability to detect H and deuterium (D), and in principle the capacity for performing quantitative mapping of H within a material's microstructure. Yet, the accuracy and precision of H analysis by APT remain affected by complex field evaporation behavior and the influence of residual hydrogen from the ultrahigh vacuum chamber that can obscure the signal of H from within the material. The present article reports a summary of discussions at a focused workshop held at the Max-Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials in April 2024. The workshop was organized to pave the way to establishing best practices in reporting APT data for the analysis of H. We first summarize the key aspects of the intricacies of H analysis by APT and then propose a path for better reporting of the relevant data to support interpretation of APT-based H analysis in materials.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/mam/ozae081","authors":["Baptiste Gault","Aparna Saksena","Xavier Sauvage","Paul A.J. Bagot","Leonardo Shoji Aota","Jonas Arlt","Lisa T. Belkacemi","Torben Boll","Yi‐Sheng Chen","Luke Daly","Milos B. Djukic","James O. Douglas"],"tags":["Hydrogen embrittlement","Atom probe","Hydrogen","Deuterium","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/mam/ozae081","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4398232810","name":"Science Overview of the Europa Clipper Mission","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The goal of NASA’s Europa Clipper mission is to assess the habitability of Jupiter’s moon Europa. After entering Jupiter orbit in 2030, the flight system will collect science data while flying past Europa 49 times at typical closest approach distances of 25–100 km. The mission’s objectives are to investigate Europa’s interior (ice shell and ocean), composition, and geology; the mission will also search for and characterize any current activity including possible plumes. The science objectives will be accomplished with a payload consisting of remote sensing and in-situ instruments. Remote sensing investigations cover the ultraviolet, visible, near infrared, and thermal infrared wavelength ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum, as well as an ice-penetrating radar. In-situ investigations measure the magnetic field, dust grains, neutral gas, and plasma surrounding Europa. Gravity science will be achieved using the telecommunication system, and a radiation monitoring engineering subsystem will provide complementary science data. The flight system is designed to enable all science instruments to operate and gather data simultaneously. Mission planning and operations are guided by scientific requirements and observation strategies, while appropriate updates to the plan will be made tactically as the instruments and Europa are characterized and discoveries emerge. Following collection and validation, all science data will be archived in NASA’s Planetary Data System. Communication, data sharing, and publication policies promote visibility, collaboration, and mutual interdependence across the full Europa Clipper science team, to best achieve the interdisciplinary science necessary to understand Europa.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-024-01070-5","authors":["R. T. Pappalardo","B. J. Buratti","H. Korth","D. A. Senske","D. L. Blaney","Donald D. Blankenship","J. L. Burch","P. R. Christensen","S. Kempf","M. G. Kivelson","E. Mazarico","K. D. Retherford"],"tags":["Remote sensing","Payload (computing)","Planetary science","Scientific instrument","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-024-01070-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391389706","name":"The Martian crustal field recorded in Antarctic meteorite Grove Mountains 020090","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We present the first rock magnetic and paleomagnetic analyses of the Martian meteorite Grove Mountains (GRV) 020090, a suitable candidate for paleomagnetic study due to its low degree of weathering and shock metamorphism. Petrological and rock magnetic investigation indicates that pyrrhotite is the dominant magnetic mineral in GRV 020090, where it occurs as a primary phase without significant shock metamorphism or alteration. The magnetic grains in GRV 020090 exhibit single‐domain behavior that facilitates high‐fidelity magnetic recording. We obtained a positive fusion‐crust baked contact test, which supports an extraterrestrial origin of the primary remanence in GRV 020090. The nature of the primary remanence was identified as thermoremanence acquired during crystallization of the rock on Mars. Anhysteretic remanent magnetization and isothermal remanent magnetization paleointensity methods indicated paleofield strengths of 1.6 and 2.6 μT, respectively, for the primary remanence. However, the shock pressure that GRV 020090 experienced may have partially demagnetized the primary remanence, leading to underestimated paleointensity values. Therefore, 1.6 μT is regarded as the lower limit on the paleointensity of GRV 020090. This lower limit is higher than the model‐predicted surface magnetic field strength in the source region for GRV 020090, suggesting that it may have recorded a small‐scale crustal magnetic field previously undetected by orbital magnetic data. This small‐scale crustal field is likely generated by the underlying ancient, magnetized layers, as the crustal magnetization of the surficial terrane with lithology similar to GRV 020090 is too weak to produce such a crustal field.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14136","authors":["Ting Cao","Huapei Wang","Shaochen Hu","Kaixian Qi"],"tags":["Martian","Meteorite","Geology","Astrobiology","Mars Exploration Program"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14136","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W4397009159","name":"Radiation-induced alteration of apatite on the surface of Mars: first in situ observations with SuperCam Raman onboard Perseverance","source":"openalex","abstract":"Planetary exploration relies considerably on mineral characterization to advance our understanding of the solar system, the planets and their evolution. Thus, we must understand past and present processes that can alter materials exposed on the surface, affecting space mission data. Here, we analyze the first dataset monitoring the evolution of a known mineral target in situ on the Martian surface, brought there as a SuperCam calibration target onboard the Perseverance rover. We used Raman spectroscopy to monitor the crystalline state of a synthetic apatite sample over the first 950 Martian days (sols) of the Mars2020 mission. We note significant variations in the Raman spectra acquired on this target, specifically a decrease in the relative contribution of the Raman signal to the total signal. These observations are consistent with the results of a UV-irradiation test performed in the laboratory under conditions mimicking ambient Martian conditions. We conclude that the observed evolution reflects an alteration of the material, specifically the creation of electronic defects, due to its exposure to the Martian environment and, in particular, UV irradiation. This ongoing process of alteration of the Martian surface needs to be taken into account for mineralogical space mission data analysis.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-61494-5","authors":["Elise Clavé","E. Clavé","O. Beyssac","Sylvain Bernard","C. Royer","G. Lopez-Reyes","Susanne Schröder","Kristin Rammelkamp","O. Forni","A. Fau","A. Cousin","J. A. Manrique","A. Ollila","J. M. Madariaga","J. Aramendia","S. K. Sharma","Teresa Fornaro","S. Maurice","R. C. Wiens","the SuperCam Science team","T. E. Acosta-Maeda","Christophe Agard","Fernando Alberquilla","César Álvarez-Llamas","R. B. Anderson","D. M. Applin","Julene Aramendia","Gorka Arana","Roberta Beal","Pierre Beck","C. C. Bedford","Karim Benzerara","Sylvain Bernard","Pernelle Bernardi","Tanguy Bertrand","Olivier Beyssac","Thierry Bloch","Jean-Yves Bonnet","Bruno Bousquet","Abderrahmane Boustelitane","Magali Bouyssou Mann","M.I. Brand","Philippe Caïs","Gwénaël Caravaca","Kepa Castro Ortiz de Pinedo","Charlene Cazalla","Antoine Charpentier","Baptiste Chide","Elise Clavé","Elise Clavé","S. M. Clegg","E. A. Cloutis","Leire Coloma","Jade Comellas","Stephanie Connell","Agnes Cousin","Lauren DeFlores","E. Dehouck","Dot Delapp","Tomas Delgado Perez","Robin Deron","Christophe Donny","A. Doressoundiram","Gilles Dromart","Ari Essunfeld","C. Fabre","A. Fau","Woodward W. Fischer","Hugo Follic","Olivier Forni","Thierry Fouchet","Raymond Francis","J. Frydenvang","T. S. J. Gabriel","Z. E. Gallegos","Cristina García‐Florentino","P. J. Gasda","O. Gasnault","Erin Gibbons","Martin Gillier","L. Gómez","Sofía Julve‐Gonzalez","J. P. Grotzinger","Jennifer Huidobro","Xavier Jacob","J. R. Johnson","Hemani Kalucha","Evan M. Kelly","Elise Wright Knutsen","Gaétan Lacombe","Florentin Lamarque","N. Lanza","Carène Larmat","J. J. Laserna","J. Lasue","L. Le Deit","Stéphane Le Mouëlic","Carey Legett","Richard Léveillé","Éric Lewin"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","In situ","Apatite","Astrobiology","Raman spectroscopy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-61494-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"oa:W4401688712","name":"Investigating Polyextremophilic Bacteria in Al Wahbah Crater, Saudi Arabia: A Terrestrial Model for Life on Saturn’s Moon Enceladus","source":"openalex","abstract":"The study of extremophilic microorganisms has sparked interest in understanding extraterrestrial microbial life. Such organisms are fundamental for investigating life forms on Saturn’s icy moons, such as Enceladus, which is characterized by potentially habitable saline and alkaline niches. Our study focused on the salt-alkaline soil of the Al Wahbah crater in Saudi Arabia, where we identified microorganisms that could be used as biological models to understand potential life on Enceladus. The search involved isolating 48 bacterial strains, sequencing the genomes of two thermo-haloalkaliphilic strains, and characterizing them for astrobiological application. A deeper understanding of the genetic composition and functional capabilities of the two novel strains of Halalkalibacterium halodurans provided valuable insights into their survival strategies and the presence of coding genes and pathways related to adaptations to environmental stressors. We also used mass spectrometry with a molecular network approach, highlighting various classes of molecules, such as phospholipids and nonproteinogenic amino acids, as potential biosignatures. These are essential features for understanding life’s adaptability under extreme conditions and could be used as targets for biosignatures in upcoming missions exploring Enceladus’ orbit. Furthermore, our study reinforces the need to look at new extreme environments on Earth that might contribute to the astrobiology field.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2024.0017","authors":["Alef dos Santos","Júnia Schultz","Marília Almeida-Trapp","Flúvio Modolon","Andrii Romanenko","Arun Kumar Jaiswal","Lucas Gomes","Edson Rodrigues‐Filho","Alexandre Soares Rosado"],"tags":["Enceladus","Astrobiology","Impact crater","Saturn","Icy moon"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2024.0017","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.02371v1","name":"NTU-NPU System for Voice Privacy 2024 Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this work, we describe our submissions for the Voice Privacy Challenge 2024. Rather than proposing a novel speech anonymization system, we enhance the provided baselines to meet all required conditions and improve evaluated metrics. Specifically, we implement emotion embedding and experiment with WavLM and ECAPA2 speaker embedders for the B3 baseline. Additionally, we compare different speaker and prosody anonymization techniques. Furthermore, we introduce Mean Reversion F0 for B5, which helps to enhance privacy without a loss in utility. Finally, we explore disentanglement models, namely $β$-VAE and NaturalSpeech3 FACodec.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.02371v1","authors":["Nikita Kuzmin","Hieu-Thi Luong","Jixun Yao","Lei Xie","Kong Aik Lee","Eng Siong Chng"],"tags":["eess.AS","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-03T10:45:10Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.08956v1","name":"Discovery Opportunities with Gravitational Waves -- TASI 2024 Lecture Notes","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Recent advancements in gravitational wave astronomy hold the promise of a completely new way to explore our Universe. These lecture notes aim to provide a concise but self-contained introduction to key concepts of gravitational wave physics, with a focus on the opportunities to explore fundamental physics in transient gravitational wave signals and stochastic gravitational wave background searches.CERN-TH-2024-152","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.08956v1","authors":["Valerie Domcke"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO","gr-qc","hep-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-13T16:20:42Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.825Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2403.00634v2","name":"Atmospheric entry and fragmentation of small asteroid 2024 BX1: Bolide trajectory, orbit, dynamics, light curve, and spectrum","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Asteroid 2024 BX1 was the eighth asteroid that was discovered shortly before colliding with the Earth. The associated bolide was recorded by dedicated instruments of the European Fireball Network and the AllSky7 network on 2024 January 21 at 0:32:38-44 UT. We report a comprehensive analysis of this instrumentally observed meteorite fall, which occurred as predicted west of Berlin, Germany. The atmospheric trajectory was quite steep, with an average slope to the Earth's surface of 75.6 deg. The entry speed was 15.20 km/s. The heliocentric orbit calculated from the bolide data agrees very well with the asteroid data. However, the bolide was fainter than expected for a reportedly meter-sized asteroid. The absolute magnitude reached -14.4, and the entry mass was estimated to be 140 kg. The recorded bolide spectrum was low in iron, based on which, the meteorite was expected to be rich in enstatite. The recovered meteorites, called Ribbeck, were classified as aubrites. The high albedo of enstatite (E-type) asteroids can explain the size discrepancy. The asteroid was likely smaller than 0.5 meter and should rather be called a meteoroid. During the atmospheric entry, the meteoroid severely fragmented into much smaller pieces already at a height of 55 km under an aerodynamic pressure of 0.12 MPa. The primary fragments then broke up again, most frequently at heights 39-29 km (0.9-2.2 MPa). Numerous small meteorites and up to four stones larger than 100g were expected to land. Within a few days of publication of the location of the strewn field, dozens of meteorites were found in the area we had predicted.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.00634v2","authors":["P. Spurny","J. Borovicka","L. Shrbeny","M. Hankey","R. Neubert"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-01T16:12:57Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.15402v2","name":"Uncovering Coordinated Cross-Platform Information Operations Threatening the Integrity of the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election Online Discussion","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Information Operations (IOs) pose a significant threat to the integrity of democratic processes, with the potential to influence election-related online discourse. In anticipation of the 2024 U.S. presidential election, we present a study aimed at uncovering the digital traces of coordinated IOs on $\\mathbb{X}$ (formerly Twitter). Using our machine learning framework for detecting online coordination, we analyze a dataset comprising election-related conversations on $\\mathbb{X}$ from May 2024. This reveals a network of coordinated inauthentic actors, displaying notable similarities in their link-sharing behaviors. Our analysis shows concerted efforts by these accounts to disseminate misleading, redundant, and biased information across the Web through a coordinated cross-platform information operation: The links shared by this network frequently direct users to other social media platforms or suspicious websites featuring low-quality political content and, in turn, promoting the same $\\mathbb{X}$ and YouTube accounts. Members of this network also shared deceptive images generated by AI, accompanied by language attacking political figures and symbolic imagery intended to convey power and dominance. While $\\mathbb{X}$ has suspended a subset of these accounts, more than 75% of the coordinated network remains active. Our findings underscore the critical role of developing computational models to scale up the detection of threats on large social media platforms, and emphasize the broader implications of these techniques to detect IOs across the wider Web.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.15402v2","authors":["Marco Minici","Luca Luceri","Federico Cinus","Emilio Ferrara"],"tags":["cs.SI","cs.CY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-23T17:36:14Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.12038v2","name":"ICAGC 2024: Inspirational and Convincing Audio Generation Challenge 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Inspirational and Convincing Audio Generation Challenge 2024 (ICAGC 2024) is part of the ISCSLP 2024 Competitions and Challenges track. While current text-to-speech (TTS) technology can generate high-quality audio, its ability to convey complex emotions and controlled detail content remains limited. This constraint leads to a discrepancy between the generated audio and human subjective perception in practical applications like companion robots for children and marketing bots. The core issue lies in the inconsistency between high-quality audio generation and the ultimate human subjective experience. Therefore, this challenge aims to enhance the persuasiveness and acceptability of synthesized audio, focusing on human alignment convincing and inspirational audio generation. A total of 19 teams have registered for the challenge, and the results of the competition and the competition are described in this paper.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.12038v2","authors":["Ruibo Fu","Rui Liu","Chunyu Qiang","Yingming Gao","Yi Lu","Shuchen Shi","Tao Wang","Ya Li","Zhengqi Wen","Chen Zhang","Hui Bu","Yukun Liu","Xin Qi","Guanjun Li"],"tags":["eess.AS","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-01T13:15:16Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.10598v1","name":"Double Multi-Head Attention Multimodal System for Odyssey 2024 Speech Emotion Recognition Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"As computer-based applications are becoming more integrated into our daily lives, the importance of Speech Emotion Recognition (SER) has increased significantly. Promoting research with innovative approaches in SER, the Odyssey 2024 Speech Emotion Recognition Challenge was organized as part of the Odyssey 2024 Speaker and Language Recognition Workshop. In this paper we describe the Double Multi-Head Attention Multimodal System developed for this challenge. Pre-trained self-supervised models were used to extract informative acoustic and text features. An early fusion strategy was adopted, where a Multi-Head Attention layer transforms these mixed features into complementary contextualized representations. A second attention mechanism is then applied to pool these representations into an utterance-level vector. Our proposed system achieved the third position in the categorical task ranking with a 34.41% Macro-F1 score, where 31 teams participated in total.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.10598v1","authors":["Federico Costa","Miquel India","Javier Hernando"],"tags":["eess.AS","cs.SD"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-15T11:11:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.17848v1","name":"Overview of the 2024 ALTA Shared Task: Detect Automatic AI-Generated Sentences for Human-AI Hybrid Articles","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The ALTA shared tasks have been running annually since 2010. In 2024, the purpose of the task is to detect machine-generated text in a hybrid setting where the text may contain portions of human text and portions machine-generated. In this paper, we present the task, the evaluation criteria, and the results of the systems participating in the shared task.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.17848v1","authors":["Diego Mollá","Qiongkai Xu","Zijie Zeng","Zhuang Li"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-19T03:50:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.09790v2","name":"NTIRE 2024 Challenge on Image Super-Resolution (x4): Methods and Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper reviews the NTIRE 2024 challenge on image super-resolution ($\\times$4), highlighting the solutions proposed and the outcomes obtained. The challenge involves generating corresponding high-resolution (HR) images, magnified by a factor of four, from low-resolution (LR) inputs using prior information. The LR images originate from bicubic downsampling degradation. The aim of the challenge is to obtain designs/solutions with the most advanced SR performance, with no constraints on computational resources (e.g., model size and FLOPs) or training data. The track of this challenge assesses performance with the PSNR metric on the DIV2K testing dataset. The competition attracted 199 registrants, with 20 teams submitting valid entries. This collective endeavour not only pushes the boundaries of performance in single-image SR but also offers a comprehensive overview of current trends in this field.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.09790v2","authors":["Zheng Chen","Zongwei Wu","Eduard Zamfir","Kai Zhang","Yulun Zhang","Radu Timofte","Xiaokang Yang","Hongyuan Yu","Cheng Wan","Yuxin Hong","Zhijuan Huang","Yajun Zou","Yuan Huang","Jiamin Lin","Bingnan Han","Xianyu Guan","Yongsheng Yu","Daoan Zhang","Xuanwu Yin","Kunlong Zuo","Jinhua Hao","Kai Zhao","Kun Yuan","Ming Sun","Chao Zhou","Hongyu An","Xinfeng Zhang","Zhiyuan Song","Ziyue Dong","Qing Zhao","Xiaogang Xu","Pengxu Wei","Zhi-chao Dou","Gui-ling Wang","Chih-Chung Hsu","Chia-Ming Lee","Yi-Shiuan Chou","Cansu Korkmaz","A. Murat Tekalp","Yubin Wei","Xiaole Yan","Binren Li","Haonan Chen","Siqi Zhang","Sihan Chen","Amogh Joshi","Nikhil Akalwadi","Sampada Malagi","Palani Yashaswini","Chaitra Desai","Ramesh Ashok Tabib","Ujwala Patil","Uma Mudenagudi","Anjali Sarvaiya","Pooja Choksy","Jagrit Joshi","Shubh Kawa","Kishor Upla","Sushrut Patwardhan","Raghavendra Ramachandra","Sadat Hossain","Geongi Park","S. M. Nadim Uddin","Hao Xu","Yanhui Guo","Aman Urumbekov","Xingzhuo Yan","Wei Hao","Minghan Fu","Isaac Orais","Samuel Smith","Ying Liu","Wangwang Jia","Qisheng Xu","Kele Xu","Weijun Yuan","Zhan Li","Wenqin Kuang","Ruijin Guan","Ruting Deng","Zhao Zhang","Bo Wang","Suiyi Zhao","Yan Luo","Yanyan Wei","Asif Hussain Khan","Christian Micheloni","Niki Martinel"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-15T13:45:48Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.02649v2","name":"OpenFact at CheckThat! 2024: Combining Multiple Attack Methods for Effective Adversarial Text Generation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the experiments and results for the CheckThat! Lab at CLEF 2024 Task 6: Robustness of Credibility Assessment with Adversarial Examples (InCrediblAE). The primary objective of this task was to generate adversarial examples in five problem domains in order to evaluate the robustness of widely used text classification methods (fine-tuned BERT, BiLSTM, and RoBERTa) when applied to credibility assessment issues. This study explores the application of ensemble learning to enhance adversarial attacks on natural language processing (NLP) models. We systematically tested and refined several adversarial attack methods, including BERT-Attack, Genetic algorithms, TextFooler, and CLARE, on five datasets across various misinformation tasks. By developing modified versions of BERT-Attack and hybrid methods, we achieved significant improvements in attack effectiveness. Our results demonstrate the potential of modification and combining multiple methods to create more sophisticated and effective adversarial attack strategies, contributing to the development of more robust and secure systems.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.02649v2","authors":["Włodzimierz Lewoniewski","Piotr Stolarski","Milena Stróżyna","Elzbieta Lewańska","Aleksandra Wojewoda","Ewelina Księżniak","Marcin Sawiński"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-04T12:26:26Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.08318v1","name":"Proceedings of 6th International Conference AsiaHaptics 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The sixth international conference AsiaHaptics 2024 took place at Sunway University, Malaysia on 28-30 October 2024. AsiaHaptics is an exhibition type of international conference dedicated to the haptics domain, engaging presentations accompanied by hands-on demonstrations. It presents the state-of-the-art of the diverse haptics (touch)-related research, including perception and illusion, development of haptics devices, and applications to a wide variety of fields such as education, medicine, telecommunication, navigation and entertainment. This proceedings volume is a valuable resource not only for active haptics researchers, but also for general readers wishing to understand the status quo in this interdisciplinary area of science and technology.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.08318v1","authors":["Yasutoshi Makino","Hsin-Ni Ho","Seokhee Jeon"],"tags":["cs.HC"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-13T03:59:27Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.04173v2","name":"NPU-NTU System for Voice Privacy 2024 Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Speaker anonymization is an effective privacy protection solution that conceals the speaker's identity while preserving the linguistic content and paralinguistic information of the original speech. To establish a fair benchmark and facilitate comparison of speaker anonymization systems, the VoicePrivacy Challenge (VPC) was held in 2020 and 2022, with a new edition planned for 2024. In this paper, we describe our proposed speaker anonymization system for VPC 2024. Our system employs a disentangled neural codec architecture and a serial disentanglement strategy to gradually disentangle the global speaker identity and time-variant linguistic content and paralinguistic information. We introduce multiple distillation methods to disentangle linguistic content, speaker identity, and emotion. These methods include semantic distillation, supervised speaker distillation, and frame-level emotion distillation. Based on these distillations, we anonymize the original speaker identity using a weighted sum of a set of candidate speaker identities and a randomly generated speaker identity. Our system achieves the best trade-off of privacy protection and emotion preservation in VPC 2024.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.04173v2","authors":["Jixun Yao","Nikita Kuzmin","Qing Wang","Pengcheng Guo","Ziqian Ning","Dake Guo","Kong Aik Lee","Eng-Siong Chng","Lei Xie"],"tags":["eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-06T10:32:42Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.10264v1","name":"On The Lunar Origin of Near-Earth Asteroid 2024 PT5","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) 2024 PT5 is on an Earth-like orbit which remained in Earth's immediate vicinity for several months at the end of 2024. PT5's orbit is challenging to populate with asteroids originating from the Main Belt and is more commonly associated with rocket bodies mistakenly identified as natural objects or with debris ejected from impacts on the Moon. We obtained visible and near-infrared reflectance spectra of PT5 with the Lowell Discovery Telescope and NASA Infrared Telescope Facility on 2024 August 16. The combined reflectance spectrum matches lunar samples but does not match any known asteroid types -- it is pyroxene-rich while asteroids of comparable spectral redness are olivine-rich. Moreover, the amount of solar radiation pressure observed on the PT5 trajectory is orders of magnitude lower than what would be expected for an artificial object. We therefore conclude that 2024 PT5 is ejecta from an impact on the Moon, thus making PT5 the second NEA suggested to be sourced from the surface of the Moon. While one object might be an outlier, two suggest that there is an underlying population to be characterized. Long-term predictions of the position of 2024 PT5 are challenging due to the slow Earth encounters characteristic of objects in these orbits. A population of near-Earth objects which are sourced by the Moon would be important to characterize for understanding how impacts work on our nearest neighbor and for identifying the source regions of asteroids and meteorites from this under-studied population of objects on very Earth-like orbits.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.10264v1","authors":["Theodore Kareta","Oscar Fuentes-Muñoz","Nicholas Moskovitz","Davide Farnocchia","Benjamin N. L. Sharkey"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-13T16:32:33Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.11365v1","name":"Team HYU ASML ROBOVOX SP Cup 2024 System Description","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This report describes the submission of HYU ASML team to the IEEE Signal Processing Cup 2024 (SP Cup 2024). This challenge, titled \"ROBOVOX: Far-Field Speaker Recognition by a Mobile Robot,\" focuses on speaker recognition using a mobile robot in noisy and reverberant conditions. Our solution combines the result of deep residual neural networks and time-delay neural network-based speaker embedding models. These models were trained on a diverse dataset that includes French speech. To account for the challenging evaluation environment characterized by high noise, reverberation, and short speech conditions, we focused on data augmentation and training speech duration for the speaker embedding model. Our submission achieved second place on the SP Cup 2024 public leaderboard, with a detection cost function of 0.5245 and an equal error rate of 6.46%.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.11365v1","authors":["Jeong-Hwan Choi","Gaeun Kim","Hee-Jae Lee","Seyun Ahn","Hyun-Soo Kim","Joon-Hyuk Chang"],"tags":["eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-16T04:05:50Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.01330v1","name":"Unfiltered Conversations: A Dataset of 2024 U.S. Presidential Election Discourse on Truth Social","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Truth Social, launched as a social media platform with a focus on free speech, has become a prominent space for political discourse, attracting a user base with diverse, yet often conservative, viewpoints. As an emerging platform with minimal content moderation, Truth Social has facilitated discussions around contentious social and political issues but has also seen the spread of conspiratorial and hyper-partisan narratives. In this paper, we introduce and release a comprehensive dataset capturing activity on Truth Social related to the upcoming 2024 U.S. Presidential Election, including posts, replies, user interactions, content and media. This dataset comprises 1.5 million posts published between February, 2024 and October 2024, and encompasses key user engagement features and posts metadata. Data collection began in June 2024, though it includes posts published earlier, with the oldest post dating back to February 2022. This offers researchers a unique resource to study communication patterns, the formation of online communities, and the dissemination of information within Truth Social in the run-up to the election. By providing an in-depth view of Truth Social's user dynamics and content distribution, this dataset aims to support further research on political discourse within an alt-tech social media platform. The dataset is publicly available at https://github.com/kashish-s/TruthSocial_2024ElectionInitiative","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.01330v1","authors":["Kashish Shah","Patrick Gerard","Luca Luceri","Emilio Ferrara"],"tags":["cs.SI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-02T18:23:35Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.18024v1","name":"Report on the Workshop on Simulations for Information Access (Sim4IA 2024) at SIGIR 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper is a report of the Workshop on Simulations for Information Access (Sim4IA) workshop at SIGIR 2024. The workshop had two keynotes, a panel discussion, nine lightning talks, and two breakout sessions. Key takeaways were user simulation's importance in academia and industry, the possible bridging of online and offline evaluation, and the issues of organizing a companion shared task around user simulations for information access. We report on how we organized the workshop, provide a brief overview of what happened at the workshop, and summarize the main topics and findings of the workshop and future work.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.18024v1","authors":["Timo Breuer","Christin Katharina Kreutz","Norbert Fuhr","Krisztian Balog","Philipp Schaer","Nolwenn Bernard","Ingo Frommholz","Marcel Gohsen","Kaixin Ji","Gareth J. F. Jones","Jüri Keller","Jiqun Liu","Martin Mladenov","Gabriella Pasi","Johanne Trippas","Xi Wang","Saber Zerhoudi","ChengXiang Zhai"],"tags":["cs.IR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-26T16:32:10Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.11159v1","name":"Deep Portrait Quality Assessment. A NTIRE 2024 Challenge Survey","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper reviews the NTIRE 2024 Portrait Quality Assessment Challenge, highlighting the proposed solutions and results. This challenge aims to obtain an efficient deep neural network capable of estimating the perceptual quality of real portrait photos. The methods must generalize to diverse scenes and diverse lighting conditions (indoor, outdoor, low-light), movement, blur, and other challenging conditions. In the challenge, 140 participants registered, and 35 submitted results during the challenge period. The performance of the top 5 submissions is reviewed and provided here as a gauge for the current state-of-the-art in Portrait Quality Assessment.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.11159v1","authors":["Nicolas Chahine","Marcos V. Conde","Daniela Carfora","Gabriel Pacianotto","Benoit Pochon","Sira Ferradans","Radu Timofte"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-17T08:15:25Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.01471v2","name":"Tracking the 2024 US Presidential Election Chatter on Tiktok: A Public Multimodal Dataset","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the TikTok 2024 U.S. Presidential Election Dataset, a large-scale, resource designed to advance research into political communication and social media dynamics. The dataset comprises 3.14 million videos published on TikTok between November 1, 2023, and October 16, 2024, encompassing video ids and transcripts. Data collection was conducted using the TikTok Research API with a comprehensive set of election-related keywords and hashtags, supplemented by third-party tools to address API limitations and expand content coverage, enabling analysis of hashtag co-occurrence networks that reveal politically aligned hashtags based on ideological affiliations, the evolution of top hashtags over time, and summary statistics that highlight the dataset's scale and richness. This dataset offers insights into TikTok's role in shaping electoral discourse by providing a multimodal view of election-related content. It enables researchers to explore critical topics such as coordinated messaging, misinformation spread, audience engagement, and linguistic trends. The TikTok 2024 U.S. Presidential Election Dataset is publicly available and aims to contribute to the broader understanding of social media's impact on democracy and public opinion.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.01471v2","authors":["Gabriela Pinto","Charles Bickham","Tanishq Salkar","Luca Luceri","Emilio Ferrara","Joyston Menezes"],"tags":["cs.SI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-01T17:02:04Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.06326v1","name":"Tile Compression and Embeddings for Multi-Label Classification in GeoLifeCLEF 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We explore methods to solve the multi-label classification task posed by the GeoLifeCLEF 2024 competition with the DS@GT team, which aims to predict the presence and absence of plant species at specific locations using spatial and temporal remote sensing data. Our approach uses frequency-domain coefficients via the Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) to compress and pre-compute the raw input data for convolutional neural networks. We also investigate nearest neighborhood models via locality-sensitive hashing (LSH) for prediction and to aid in the self-supervised contrastive learning of embeddings through tile2vec. Our best competition model utilized geolocation features with a leaderboard score of 0.152 and a best post-competition score of 0.161. Source code and models are available at https://github.com/dsgt-kaggle-clef/geolifeclef-2024.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.06326v1","authors":["Anthony Miyaguchi","Patcharapong Aphiwetsa","Mark McDuffie"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-08T18:44:03Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.08741v1","name":"UruBots Autonomous Car Team Two: Team Description Paper for FIRA 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper proposes a mini autonomous car to be used by the team UruBots for the 2024 FIRA Autonomous Cars Race Challenge. The vehicle is proposed focusing on a low cost and light weight setup. Powered by a Raspberry PI4 and with a total weight of 1.15 Kilograms, we show that our vehicle manages to race a track of approximately 13 meters in 11 seconds at the best evaluation that was carried out, with an average speed of 1.2m/s in average. That performance was achieved after training a convolutional neural network with 1500 samples for a total amount of 60 epochs. Overall, we believe that our vehicle are suited to perform at the FIRA Autonomous Cars Race Challenge 2024, helping the development of the field of study and the category in the competition.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.08741v1","authors":["William Moraes","Juan Deniz","Pablo Moraes","Christopher Peters","Vincent Sandin","Gabriel da Silva","Franco Nunez","Maximo Retamar","Victoria Saravia","Hiago Sodre","Sebastian Barcelona","Anthony Scirgalea","Bruna Guterres","Andre Kelbouscas","Ricardo Grando"],"tags":["cs.RO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-13T02:02:16Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.23815v1","name":"The NPU-HWC System for the ISCSLP 2024 Inspirational and Convincing Audio Generation Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the NPU-HWC system submitted to the ISCSLP 2024 Inspirational and Convincing Audio Generation Challenge 2024 (ICAGC). Our system consists of two modules: a speech generator for Track 1 and a background audio generator for Track 2. In Track 1, we employ Single-Codec to tokenize the speech into discrete tokens and use a language-model-based approach to achieve zero-shot speaking style cloning. The Single-Codec effectively decouples timbre and speaking style at the token level, reducing the acoustic modeling burden on the autoregressive language model. Additionally, we use DSPGAN to upsample 16 kHz mel-spectrograms to high-fidelity 48 kHz waveforms. In Track 2, we propose a background audio generator based on large language models (LLMs). This system produces scene-appropriate accompaniment descriptions, synthesizes background audio with Tango 2, and integrates it with the speech generated by our Track 1 system. Our submission achieves the second place and the first place in Track 1 and Track 2 respectively.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.23815v1","authors":["Dake Guo","Jixun Yao","Xinfa Zhu","Kangxiang Xia","Zhao Guo","Ziyu Zhang","Yao Wang","Jie Liu","Lei Xie"],"tags":["cs.SD","cs.AI","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-31T10:58:59Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.11446v1","name":"Volvo Discovery Challenge at ECML-PKDD 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents an overview of the Volvo Discovery Challenge, held during the ECML-PKDD 2024 conference. The challenge's goal was to predict the failure risk of an anonymized component in Volvo trucks using a newly published dataset. The test data included observations from two generations (gen1 and gen2) of the component, while the training data was provided only for gen1. The challenge attracted 52 data scientists from around the world who submitted a total of 791 entries. We provide a brief description of the problem definition, challenge setup, and statistics about the submissions. In the section on winning methodologies, the first, second, and third-place winners of the competition briefly describe their proposed methods and provide GitHub links to their implemented code. The shared code can be interesting as an advanced methodology for researchers in the predictive maintenance domain. The competition was hosted on the Codabench platform.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.11446v1","authors":["Mahmoud Rahat","Peyman Sheikholharam Mashhadi","Sławomir Nowaczyk","Shamik Choudhury","Leo Petrin","Thorsteinn Rognvaldsson","Andreas Voskou","Carlo Metta","Claudio Savelli"],"tags":["cs.LG","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-17T10:05:24Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.00064v1","name":"The ISCSLP 2024 Conversational Voice Clone (CoVoC) Challenge: Tasks, Results and Findings","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The ISCSLP 2024 Conversational Voice Clone (CoVoC) Challenge aims to benchmark and advance zero-shot spontaneous style voice cloning, particularly focusing on generating spontaneous behaviors in conversational speech. The challenge comprises two tracks: an unconstrained track without limitation on data and model usage, and a constrained track only allowing the use of constrained open-source datasets. A 100-hour high-quality conversational speech dataset is also made available with the challenge. This paper details the data, tracks, submitted systems, evaluation results, and findings.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.00064v1","authors":["Kangxiang Xia","Dake Guo","Jixun Yao","Liumeng Xue","Hanzhao Li","Shuai Wang","Zhao Guo","Lei Xie","Qingqing Zhang","Lei Luo","Minghui Dong","Peng Sun"],"tags":["cs.SD","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-31T09:39:49Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2402.18385v1","name":"The First Place Solution of WSDM Cup 2024: Leveraging Large Language Models for Conversational Multi-Doc QA","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Conversational multi-doc question answering aims to answer specific questions based on the retrieved documents as well as the contextual conversations. In this paper, we introduce our winning approach for the \"Conversational Multi-Doc QA\" challenge in WSDM Cup 2024, which exploits the superior natural language understanding and generation capability of Large Language Models (LLMs). We first adapt LLMs to the task, then devise a hybrid training strategy to make the most of in-domain unlabeled data. Moreover, an advanced text embedding model is adopted to filter out potentially irrelevant documents and several approaches are designed and compared for the model ensemble. Equipped with all these techniques, our solution finally ranked 1st place in WSDM Cup 2024, surpassing its rivals to a large extent. The source codes have been released at https://github.com/zhangzhao219/WSDM-Cup-2024.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.18385v1","authors":["Yiming Li","Zhao Zhang"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-28T15:05:43Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.13049v3","name":"SemEval-2024 Task 3: Multimodal Emotion Cause Analysis in Conversations","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The ability to understand emotions is an essential component of human-like artificial intelligence, as emotions greatly influence human cognition, decision making, and social interactions. In addition to emotion recognition in conversations, the task of identifying the potential causes behind an individual's emotional state in conversations, is of great importance in many application scenarios. We organize SemEval-2024 Task 3, named Multimodal Emotion Cause Analysis in Conversations, which aims at extracting all pairs of emotions and their corresponding causes from conversations. Under different modality settings, it consists of two subtasks: Textual Emotion-Cause Pair Extraction in Conversations (TECPE) and Multimodal Emotion-Cause Pair Extraction in Conversations (MECPE). The shared task has attracted 143 registrations and 216 successful submissions. In this paper, we introduce the task, dataset and evaluation settings, summarize the systems of the top teams, and discuss the findings of the participants.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.13049v3","authors":["Fanfan Wang","Heqing Ma","Jianfei Yu","Rui Xia","Erik Cambria"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.MM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-19T09:59:00Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.00826v1","name":"NAIST Simultaneous Speech Translation System for IWSLT 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes NAIST's submission to the simultaneous track of the IWSLT 2024 Evaluation Campaign: English-to-{German, Japanese, Chinese} speech-to-text translation and English-to-Japanese speech-to-speech translation. We develop a multilingual end-to-end speech-to-text translation model combining two pre-trained language models, HuBERT and mBART. We trained this model with two decoding policies, Local Agreement (LA) and AlignAtt. The submitted models employ the LA policy because it outperformed the AlignAtt policy in previous models. Our speech-to-speech translation method is a cascade of the above speech-to-text model and an incremental text-to-speech (TTS) module that incorporates a phoneme estimation model, a parallel acoustic model, and a parallel WaveGAN vocoder. We improved our incremental TTS by applying the Transformer architecture with the AlignAtt policy for the estimation model. The results show that our upgraded TTS module contributed to improving the system performance.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.00826v1","authors":["Yuka Ko","Ryo Fukuda","Yuta Nishikawa","Yasumasa Kano","Tomoya Yanagita","Kosuke Doi","Mana Makinae","Haotian Tan","Makoto Sakai","Sakriani Sakti","Katsuhito Sudoh","Satoshi Nakamura"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.SD","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-30T20:41:02Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.08745v1","name":"UruBots Autonomous Cars Team One Description Paper for FIRA 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This document presents the design of an autonomous car developed by the UruBots team for the 2024 FIRA Autonomous Cars Race Challenge. The project involves creating an RC-car sized electric vehicle capable of navigating race tracks with in an autonomous manner. It integrates mechanical and electronic systems alongside artificial intelligence based algorithms for the navigation and real-time decision-making. The core of our project include the utilization of an AI-based algorithm to learn information from a camera and act in the robot to perform the navigation. We show that by creating a dataset with more than five thousand samples and a five-layered CNN we managed to achieve promissing performance we our proposed hardware setup. Overall, this paper aims to demonstrate the autonomous capabilities of our car, highlighting its readiness for the 2024 FIRA challenge, helping to contribute to the field of autonomous vehicle research.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.08745v1","authors":["Pablo Moraes","Christopher Peters","Any Da Rosa","Vinicio Melgar","Franco Nuñez","Maximo Retamar","William Moraes","Victoria Saravia","Hiago Sodre","Sebastian Barcelona","Anthony Scirgalea","Juan Deniz","Bruna Guterres","André Kelbouscas","Ricardo Grando"],"tags":["cs.RO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-13T02:07:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.08008v1","name":"DS@GT eRisk 2024: Sentence Transformers for Social Media Risk Assessment","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present working notes for DS@GT team in the eRisk 2024 for Tasks 1 and 3. We propose a ranking system for Task 1 that predicts symptoms of depression based on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) questionnaire using binary classifiers trained on question relevancy as a proxy for ranking. We find that binary classifiers are not well calibrated for ranking, and perform poorly during evaluation. For Task 3, we use embeddings from BERT to predict the severity of eating disorder symptoms based on user post history. We find that classical machine learning models perform well on the task, and end up competitive with the baseline models. Representation of text data is crucial in both tasks, and we find that sentence transformers are a powerful tool for downstream modeling. Source code and models are available at \\url{https://github.com/dsgt-kaggle-clef/erisk-2024}.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.08008v1","authors":["David Guecha","Aaryan Potdar","Anthony Miyaguchi"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.IR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-10T19:30:16Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2408.03127v1","name":"Lisbon Computational Linguists at SemEval-2024 Task 2: Using A Mistral 7B Model and Data Augmentation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes our approach to the SemEval-2024 safe biomedical Natural Language Inference for Clinical Trials (NLI4CT) task, which concerns classifying statements about Clinical Trial Reports (CTRs). We explored the capabilities of Mistral-7B, a generalist open-source Large Language Model (LLM). We developed a prompt for the NLI4CT task, and fine-tuned a quantized version of the model using an augmented version of the training dataset. The experimental results show that this approach can produce notable results in terms of the macro F1-score, while having limitations in terms of faithfulness and consistency. All the developed code is publicly available on a GitHub repository","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.03127v1","authors":["Artur Guimarães","Bruno Martins","João Magalhães"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-06T11:59:09Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.05244v1","name":"SVDD Challenge 2024: A Singing Voice Deepfake Detection Challenge Evaluation Plan","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The rapid advancement of AI-generated singing voices, which now closely mimic natural human singing and align seamlessly with musical scores, has led to heightened concerns for artists and the music industry. Unlike spoken voice, singing voice presents unique challenges due to its musical nature and the presence of strong background music, making singing voice deepfake detection (SVDD) a specialized field requiring focused attention. To promote SVDD research, we recently proposed the \"SVDD Challenge,\" the very first research challenge focusing on SVDD for lab-controlled and in-the-wild bonafide and deepfake singing voice recordings. The challenge will be held in conjunction with the 2024 IEEE Spoken Language Technology Workshop (SLT 2024).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.05244v1","authors":["You Zhang","Yongyi Zang","Jiatong Shi","Ryuichi Yamamoto","Jionghao Han","Yuxun Tang","Tomoki Toda","Zhiyao Duan"],"tags":["eess.AS","cs.AI","cs.MM","cs.SD"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-08T17:40:12Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.05839v2","name":"ÚFAL LatinPipe at EvaLatin 2024: Morphosyntactic Analysis of Latin","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present LatinPipe, the winning submission to the EvaLatin 2024 Dependency Parsing shared task. Our system consists of a fine-tuned concatenation of base and large pre-trained LMs, with a dot-product attention head for parsing and softmax classification heads for morphology to jointly learn both dependency parsing and morphological analysis. It is trained by sampling from seven publicly available Latin corpora, utilizing additional harmonization of annotations to achieve a more unified annotation style. Before fine-tuning, we train the system for a few initial epochs with frozen weights. We also add additional local relative contextualization by stacking the BiLSTM layers on top of the Transformer(s). Finally, we ensemble output probability distributions from seven randomly instantiated networks for the final submission. The code is available at https://github.com/ufal/evalatin2024-latinpipe.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.05839v2","authors":["Milan Straka","Jana Straková","Federica Gamba"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-08T20:05:25Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.10146v1","name":"LLMs4OL 2024 Overview: The 1st Large Language Models for Ontology Learning Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper outlines the LLMs4OL 2024, the first edition of the Large Language Models for Ontology Learning Challenge. LLMs4OL is a community development initiative collocated with the 23rd International Semantic Web Conference (ISWC) to explore the potential of Large Language Models (LLMs) in Ontology Learning (OL), a vital process for enhancing the web with structured knowledge to improve interoperability. By leveraging LLMs, the challenge aims to advance understanding and innovation in OL, aligning with the goals of the Semantic Web to create a more intelligent and user-friendly web. In this paper, we give an overview of the 2024 edition of the LLMs4OL challenge and summarize the contributions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.10146v1","authors":["Hamed Babaei Giglou","Jennifer D'Souza","Sören Auer"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-16T10:15:30Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.06291v1","name":"Transfer Learning with Pseudo Multi-Label Birdcall Classification for DS@GT BirdCLEF 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present working notes for the DS@GT team on transfer learning with pseudo multi-label birdcall classification for the BirdCLEF 2024 competition, focused on identifying Indian bird species in recorded soundscapes. Our approach utilizes production-grade models such as the Google Bird Vocalization Classifier, BirdNET, and EnCodec to address representation and labeling challenges in the competition. We explore the distributional shift between this year's edition of unlabeled soundscapes representative of the hidden test set and propose a pseudo multi-label classification strategy to leverage the unlabeled data. Our highest post-competition public leaderboard score is 0.63 using BirdNET embeddings with Bird Vocalization pseudo-labels. Our code is available at https://github.com/dsgt-kaggle-clef/birdclef-2024","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.06291v1","authors":["Anthony Miyaguchi","Adrian Cheung","Murilo Gustineli","Ashley Kim"],"tags":["cs.SD","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-08T18:04:19Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.15771v2","name":"HCQA @ Ego4D EgoSchema Challenge 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this report, we present our champion solution for Ego4D EgoSchema Challenge in CVPR 2024. To deeply integrate the powerful egocentric captioning model and question reasoning model, we propose a novel Hierarchical Comprehension scheme for egocentric video Question Answering, named HCQA. It consists of three stages: Fine-grained Caption Generation, Context-driven Summarization, and Inference-guided Answering. Given a long-form video, HCQA captures local detailed visual information and global summarised visual information via Fine-grained Caption Generation and Context-driven Summarization, respectively. Then in Inference-guided Answering, HCQA utilizes this hierarchical information to reason and answer given question. On the EgoSchema blind test set, HCQA achieves 75% accuracy in answering over 5,000 human curated multiple-choice questions. Our code will be released at https://github.com/Hyu-Zhang/HCQA.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.15771v2","authors":["Haoyu Zhang","Yuquan Xie","Yisen Feng","Zaijing Li","Meng Liu","Liqiang Nie"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-22T07:20:39Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.23638v1","name":"Unearthing a Billion Telegram Posts about the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election: Development of a Public Dataset","source":"arxiv","abstract":"With its lenient moderation policies and long-standing associations with potentially unlawful activities, Telegram has become an incubator for problematic content, frequently featuring conspiratorial, hyper-partisan, and fringe narratives. In the political sphere, these concerns are amplified by reports of Telegram channels being used to organize violent acts, such as those that occurred during the Capitol Hill attack on January 6, 2021. As the 2024 U.S. election approaches, Telegram remains a focal arena for societal and political discourse, warranting close attention from the research community, regulators, and the media. Based on these premises, we introduce and release a Telegram dataset focused on the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election, featuring over 30,000 chats and half a billion messages, including chat details, profile pictures, messages, and user information. We constructed a network of chats and analyzed the 500 most central ones, examining their shared messages. This resource represents the largest public Telegram dataset to date, offering an unprecedented opportunity to study political discussion on Telegram in the lead-up to the 2024 U.S. election. We will continue to collect data until the end of 2024, and routinely update the dataset released at: https://github.com/leonardo-blas/usc-tg-24-us-election","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.23638v1","authors":["Leonardo Blas","Luca Luceri","Emilio Ferrara"],"tags":["cs.SI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-31T05:17:50Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.14827v1","name":"AIM 2024 Challenge on Video Saliency Prediction: Methods and Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper reviews the Challenge on Video Saliency Prediction at AIM 2024. The goal of the participants was to develop a method for predicting accurate saliency maps for the provided set of video sequences. Saliency maps are widely exploited in various applications, including video compression, quality assessment, visual perception studies, the advertising industry, etc. For this competition, a previously unused large-scale audio-visual mouse saliency (AViMoS) dataset of 1500 videos with more than 70 observers per video was collected using crowdsourced mouse tracking. The dataset collection methodology has been validated using conventional eye-tracking data and has shown high consistency. Over 30 teams registered in the challenge, and there are 7 teams that submitted the results in the final phase. The final phase solutions were tested and ranked by commonly used quality metrics on a private test subset. The results of this evaluation and the descriptions of the solutions are presented in this report. All data, including the private test subset, is made publicly available on the challenge homepage - https://challenges.videoprocessing.ai/challenges/video-saliency-prediction.html.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.14827v1","authors":["Andrey Moskalenko","Alexey Bryncev","Dmitry Vatolin","Radu Timofte","Gen Zhan","Li Yang","Yunlong Tang","Yiting Liao","Jiongzhi Lin","Baitao Huang","Morteza Moradi","Mohammad Moradi","Francesco Rundo","Concetto Spampinato","Ali Borji","Simone Palazzo","Yuxin Zhu","Yinan Sun","Huiyu Duan","Yuqin Cao","Ziheng Jia","Qiang Hu","Xiongkuo Min","Guangtao Zhai","Hao Fang","Runmin Cong","Xiankai Lu","Xiaofei Zhou","Wei Zhang","Chunyu Zhao","Wentao Mu","Tao Deng","Hamed R. Tavakoli"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.HC","cs.MM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-23T08:59:22Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2408.02369v3","name":"The NPU-ASLP System Description for Visual Speech Recognition in CNVSRC 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper delineates the visual speech recognition (VSR) system introduced by the NPU-ASLP (Team 237) in the second Chinese Continuous Visual Speech Recognition Challenge (CNVSRC 2024), engaging in all four tracks, including the fixed and open tracks of Single-Speaker VSR Task and Multi-Speaker VSR Task. In terms of data processing, we leverage the lip motion extractor from the baseline1 to produce multiscale video data. Besides, various augmentation techniques are applied during training, encompassing speed perturbation, random rotation, horizontal flipping, and color transformation. The VSR model adopts an end-to-end architecture with joint CTC/attention loss, introducing Enhanced ResNet3D visual frontend, E-Branchformer encoder, and Bi-directional Transformer decoder. Our approach yields a 30.47% CER for the Single-Speaker Task and 34.30% CER for the Multi-Speaker Task, securing second place in the open track of the Single-Speaker Task and first place in the other three tracks.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.02369v3","authors":["He Wang","Lei Xie"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-05T10:38:50Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.10744v3","name":"Technique Report of CVPR 2024 PBDL Challenges","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The intersection of physics-based vision and deep learning presents an exciting frontier for advancing computer vision technologies. By leveraging the principles of physics to inform and enhance deep learning models, we can develop more robust and accurate vision systems. Physics-based vision aims to invert the processes to recover scene properties such as shape, reflectance, light distribution, and medium properties from images. In recent years, deep learning has shown promising improvements for various vision tasks, and when combined with physics-based vision, these approaches can enhance the robustness and accuracy of vision systems. This technical report summarizes the outcomes of the Physics-Based Vision Meets Deep Learning (PBDL) 2024 challenge, held in CVPR 2024 workshop. The challenge consisted of eight tracks, focusing on Low-Light Enhancement and Detection as well as High Dynamic Range (HDR) Imaging. This report details the objectives, methodologies, and results of each track, highlighting the top-performing solutions and their innovative approaches.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.10744v3","authors":["Ying Fu","Yu Li","Shaodi You","Boxin Shi","Linwei Chen","Yunhao Zou","Zichun Wang","Yichen Li","Yuze Han","Yingkai Zhang","Jianan Wang","Qinglin Liu","Wei Yu","Xiaoqian Lv","Jianing Li","Shengping Zhang","Xiangyang Ji","Yuanpei Chen","Yuhan Zhang","Weihang Peng","Liwen Zhang","Zhe Xu","Dingyong Gou","Cong Li","Senyan Xu","Yunkang Zhang","Siyuan Jiang","Xiaoqiang Lu","Licheng Jiao","Fang Liu","Xu Liu","Lingling Li","Wenping Ma","Shuyuan Yang","Haiyang Xie","Jian Zhao","Shihua Huang","Peng Cheng","Xi Shen","Zheng Wang","Shuai An","Caizhi Zhu","Xuelong Li","Tao Zhang","Liang Li","Yu Liu","Chenggang Yan","Gengchen Zhang","Linyan Jiang","Bingyi Song","Zhuoyu An","Haibo Lei","Qing Luo","Jie Song","Yuan Liu","Qihang Li","Haoyuan Zhang","Lingfeng Wang","Wei Chen","Aling Luo","Cheng Li","Jun Cao","Shu Chen","Zifei Dou","Xinyu Liu","Jing Zhang","Kexin Zhang","Yuting Yang","Xuejian Gou","Qinliang Wang","Yang Liu","Shizhan Zhao","Yanzhao Zhang","Libo Yan","Yuwei Guo","Guoxin Li","Qiong Gao","Chenyue Che","Long Sun","Xiang Chen","Hao Li","Jinshan Pan","Chuanlong Xie","Hongming Chen","Mingrui Li","Tianchen Deng","Jingwei Huang","Yufeng Li","Fei Wan","Bingxin Xu","Jian Cheng","Hongzhe Liu","Cheng Xu","Yuxiang Zou","Weiguo Pan","Songyin Dai","Sen Jia","Junpei Zhang","Puhua Chen","Qihang Li"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-15T21:44:17Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.11192v2","name":"BrainStorm @ iREL at #SMM4H 2024: Leveraging Translation and Topical Embeddings for Annotation Detection in Tweets","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The proliferation of LLMs in various NLP tasks has sparked debates regarding their reliability, particularly in annotation tasks where biases and hallucinations may arise. In this shared task, we address the challenge of distinguishing annotations made by LLMs from those made by human domain experts in the context of COVID-19 symptom detection from tweets in Latin American Spanish. This paper presents BrainStorm @ iRELs approach to the SMM4H 2024 Shared Task, leveraging the inherent topical information in tweets, we propose a novel approach to identify and classify annotations, aiming to enhance the trustworthiness of annotated data.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.11192v2","authors":["Manav Chaudhary","Harshit Gupta","Vasudeva Varma"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.SI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-18T06:08:07Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.15226v1","name":"Yes-MT's Submission to the Low-Resource Indic Language Translation Shared Task in WMT 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the systems submitted by the Yes-MT team for the Low-Resource Indic Language Translation Shared Task at WMT 2024 (Pakray et al., 2024), focusing on translating between English and the Assamese, Mizo, Khasi, and Manipuri languages. The experiments explored various approaches, including fine-tuning pre-trained models like mT5 (Xue et al., 2020) and IndicBart (Dabre et al., 2021) in both multilingual and monolingual settings, LoRA (Hu et al., 2021) fine-tuning IndicTrans2 (Gala et al., 2023), zero-shot and few-shot prompting (Brown, 2020) with large language models (LLMs) like Llama 3 (Dubey et al., 2024) and Mixtral 8x7b (Jiang et al., 2024), LoRA supervised fine-tuning of Llama 3 (Mecklenburg et al., 2024), and training Transformer models (Vaswani, 2017) from scratch. The results were evaluated on the WMT23 Low-Resource Indic Language Translation Shared Task test data using SacreBLEU (Post, 2018) and CHRF (Popovic, 2015), highlighting the challenges of low-resource translation and the potential of LLMs for these tasks, particularly with fine-tuning.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.15226v1","authors":["Yash Bhaskar","Parameswari Krishnamurthy"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-17T09:24:05Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.05889v3","name":"With or Without Permission: Site-Specific Augmented Reality for Social Justice CHI 2024 Workshop Proceedings","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Movements for social change are often tied to a particular locale. This makes Augmented Reality (AR), which changes how people perceive their surroundings, a promising technology for social justice. Site-specific AR empowers activists to re-tell the story of a place, with or without permission of its owner. It has been used, for example, to reveal hidden histories, re-imagine problematic monuments, and celebrate minority cultures. However, challenges remain concerning technological ownership and accessibility, scalability, sustainability, and navigating collaborations with marginalized communities and across disciplinary boundaries. This half-day workshop at CHI 2024 seeks to bring together an interdisciplinary group of activists, computer scientists, designers, media scholars, and more to identify opportunities and challenges across domains. To anchor the discussion, participants will each share one example of an artifact used in speculating, designing, and/or delivering site-specific AR experiences. This collection of artifacts will inaugurate an interactive database that can inspire a new wave of activists to leverage AR for social justice.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.05889v3","authors":["Rafael M. L. Silva","Ana María Cárdenas Gasca","Joshua A. Fisher","Erica Principe Cruz","Cinthya Jauregui","Amy Lueck","Fannie Liu","Andrés Monroy-Hernández","Kai Lukoff"],"tags":["cs.HC"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-08T22:02:40Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.00917v2","name":"Large Scale Unsupervised Brain MRI Image Registration Solution for Learn2Reg 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, we summarize the methods and experimental results we proposed for Task 2 in the learn2reg 2024 Challenge. This task focuses on unsupervised registration of anatomical structures in brain MRI images between different patients. The difficulty lies in: (1) without segmentation labels, and (2) a large amount of data. To address these challenges, we built an efficient backbone network and explored several schemes to further enhance registration accuracy. Under the guidance of the NCC loss function and smoothness regularization loss function, we obtained a smooth and reasonable deformation field. According to the leaderboard, our method achieved a Dice coefficient of 77.34%, which is 1.4% higher than the TransMorph. Overall, we won second place on the leaderboard for Task 2.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.00917v2","authors":["Yuxi Zhang","Xiang Chen","Jiazheng Wang","Min Liu","Yaonan Wang","Dongdong Liu","Renjiu Hu","Hang Zhang"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-02T03:15:19Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.16223v1","name":"Deep RAW Image Super-Resolution. A NTIRE 2024 Challenge Survey","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper reviews the NTIRE 2024 RAW Image Super-Resolution Challenge, highlighting the proposed solutions and results. New methods for RAW Super-Resolution could be essential in modern Image Signal Processing (ISP) pipelines, however, this problem is not as explored as in the RGB domain. Th goal of this challenge is to upscale RAW Bayer images by 2x, considering unknown degradations such as noise and blur. In the challenge, a total of 230 participants registered, and 45 submitted results during thee challenge period. The performance of the top-5 submissions is reviewed and provided here as a gauge for the current state-of-the-art in RAW Image Super-Resolution.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.16223v1","authors":["Marcos V. Conde","Florin-Alexandru Vasluianu","Radu Timofte","Jianxing Zhang","Jia Li","Fan Wang","Xiaopeng Li","Zikun Liu","Hyunhee Park","Sejun Song","Changho Kim","Zhijuan Huang","Hongyuan Yu","Cheng Wan","Wending Xiang","Jiamin Lin","Hang Zhong","Qiaosong Zhang","Yue Sun","Xuanwu Yin","Kunlong Zuo","Senyan Xu","Siyuan Jiang","Zhijing Sun","Jiaying Zhu","Liangyan Li","Ke Chen","Yunzhe Li","Yimo Ning","Guanhua Zhao","Jun Chen","Jinyang Yu","Kele Xu","Qisheng Xu","Yong Dou"],"tags":["cs.CV","eess.IV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-24T21:51:01Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.07381v4","name":"MaLei at the PLABA Track of TREC 2024: RoBERTa for Term Replacement -- LLaMA3.1 and GPT-4o for Complete Abstract Adaptation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This report is the system description of the MaLei team (Manchester and Leiden) for the shared task Plain Language Adaptation of Biomedical Abstracts (PLABA) 2024 (we had an earlier name BeeManc following last year), affiliated with TREC2024 (33rd Text REtrieval Conference https://ir.nist.gov/evalbase/conf/trec-2024). This report contains two sections corresponding to the two sub-tasks in PLABA-2024. In task one (term replacement), we applied fine-tuned ReBERTa-Base models to identify and classify the difficult terms, jargon, and acronyms in the biomedical abstracts and reported the F1 score (Task 1A and 1B). In task two (complete abstract adaptation), we leveraged Llamma3.1-70B-Instruct and GPT-4o with the one-shot prompts to complete the abstract adaptation and reported the scores in BLEU, SARI, BERTScore, LENS, and SALSA. From the official Evaluation from PLABA-2024 on Task 1A and 1B, our much smaller fine-tuned RoBERTa-Base model ranked 3rd and 2nd respectively on the two sub-tasks, and the 1st on averaged F1 scores across the two tasks from 9 evaluated systems. Our LLaMA-3.1-70B-instructed model achieved the highest Completeness score for Task 2. We share our source codes, fine-tuned models, and related resources at https://github.com/HECTA-UoM/PLABA2024","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.07381v4","authors":["Zhidong Ling","Zihao Li","Pablo Romero","Lifeng Han","Goran Nenadic"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-11T21:32:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.12743v1","name":"TalTech-IRIT-LIS Speaker and Language Diarization Systems for DISPLACE 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes the submissions of team TalTech-IRIT-LIS to the DISPLACE 2024 challenge. Our team participated in the speaker diarization and language diarization tracks of the challenge. In the speaker diarization track, our best submission was an ensemble of systems based on the pyannote.audio speaker diarization pipeline utilizing powerset training and our recently proposed PixIT method that performs joint diarization and speech separation. We improve upon PixIT by using the separation outputs for speaker embedding extraction. Our ensemble achieved a diarization error rate of 27.1% on the evaluation dataset. In the language diarization track, we fine-tuned a pre-trained Wav2Vec2-BERT language embedding model on in-domain data, and clustered short segments using AHC and VBx, based on similarity scores from LDA/PLDA. This led to a language diarization error rate of 27.6% on the evaluation data. Both results were ranked first in their respective challenge tracks.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.12743v1","authors":["Joonas Kalda","Tanel Alumäe","Martin Lebourdais","Hervé Bredin","Séverin Baroudi","Ricard Marxer"],"tags":["eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-17T17:02:21Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.02756v2","name":"CorPipe at CRAC 2024: Predicting Zero Mentions from Raw Text","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present CorPipe 24, the winning entry to the CRAC 2024 Shared Task on Multilingual Coreference Resolution. In this third iteration of the shared task, a novel objective is to also predict empty nodes needed for zero coreference mentions (while the empty nodes were given on input in previous years). This way, coreference resolution can be performed on raw text. We evaluate two model variants: a~two-stage approach (where the empty nodes are predicted first using a pretrained encoder model and then processed together with sentence words by another pretrained model) and a single-stage approach (where a single pretrained encoder model generates empty nodes, coreference mentions, and coreference links jointly). In both settings, CorPipe surpasses other participants by a large margin of 3.9 and 2.8 percent points, respectively. The source code and the trained model are available at https://github.com/ufal/crac2024-corpipe.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.02756v2","authors":["Milan Straka"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-03T17:58:55Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.04513v1","name":"IITK at SemEval-2024 Task 1: Contrastive Learning and Autoencoders for Semantic Textual Relatedness in Multilingual Texts","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes our system developed for the SemEval-2024 Task 1: Semantic Textual Relatedness. The challenge is focused on automatically detecting the degree of relatedness between pairs of sentences for 14 languages including both high and low-resource Asian and African languages. Our team participated in two subtasks consisting of Track A: supervised and Track B: unsupervised. This paper focuses on a BERT-based contrastive learning and similarity metric based approach primarily for the supervised track while exploring autoencoders for the unsupervised track. It also aims on the creation of a bigram relatedness corpus using negative sampling strategy, thereby producing refined word embeddings.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.04513v1","authors":["Udvas Basak","Rajarshi Dutta","Shivam Pandey","Ashutosh Modi"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-06T05:58:42Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2408.14236v1","name":"DSTI at LLMs4OL 2024 Task A: Intrinsic versus extrinsic knowledge for type classification","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We introduce semantic towers, an extrinsic knowledge representation method, and compare it to intrinsic knowledge in large language models for ontology learning. Our experiments show a trade-off between performance and semantic grounding for extrinsic knowledge compared to a fine-tuned model intrinsic knowledge. We report our findings on the Large Language Models for Ontology Learning (LLMs4OL) 2024 challenge.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.14236v1","authors":["Hanna Abi Akl"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-26T12:50:27Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.07120v1","name":"Experimental Summary of the Moriond 2024 conference -- Electroweak Interaction &amp; Unified Theories","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The proceeding gives a summary of the experimental results presented at the Moriond 2024 conference (electroweak interactions and unified theory session), focussing on the latest measurements. A variety of topics were covered in the various sessions of the conference including H boson properties, measurements in the electroweak and top quark sectors, flavour and neutrino physics, searches for dark matter and physics beyond the standard model, as well as astroparticle and precision physics.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.07120v1","authors":["Barbara Clerbaux"],"tags":["hep-ex","hep-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-11T09:17:57Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.06483v1","name":"LyS at SemEval-2024 Task 3: An Early Prototype for End-to-End Multimodal Emotion Linking as Graph-Based Parsing","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes our participation in SemEval 2024 Task 3, which focused on Multimodal Emotion Cause Analysis in Conversations. We developed an early prototype for an end-to-end system that uses graph-based methods from dependency parsing to identify causal emotion relations in multi-party conversations. Our model comprises a neural transformer-based encoder for contextualizing multimodal conversation data and a graph-based decoder for generating the adjacency matrix scores of the causal graph. We ranked 7th out of 15 valid and official submissions for Subtask 1, using textual inputs only. We also discuss our participation in Subtask 2 during post-evaluation using multi-modal inputs.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.06483v1","authors":["Ana Ezquerro","David Vilares"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-10T14:03:37Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.00014v2","name":"KU-DMIS at EHRSQL 2024:Generating SQL query via question templatization in EHR","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Transforming natural language questions into SQL queries is crucial for precise data retrieval from electronic health record (EHR) databases. A significant challenge in this process is detecting and rejecting unanswerable questions that request information beyond the database's scope or exceed the system's capabilities. In this paper, we introduce a novel text-to-SQL framework that robustly handles out-of-domain questions and verifies the generated queries with query execution.Our framework begins by standardizing the structure of questions into a templated format. We use a powerful large language model (LLM), fine-tuned GPT-3.5 with detailed prompts involving the table schemas of the EHR database system. Our experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our framework on the EHRSQL-2024 benchmark benchmark, a shared task in the ClinicalNLP workshop. Although a straightforward fine-tuning of GPT shows promising results on the development set, it struggled with the out-of-domain questions in the test set. With our framework, we improve our system's adaptability and achieve competitive performances in the official leaderboard of the EHRSQL-2024 challenge.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.00014v2","authors":["Hajung Kim","Chanhwi Kim","Hoonick Lee","Kyochul Jang","Jiwoo Lee","Kyungjae Lee","Gangwoo Kim","Jaewoo Kang"],"tags":["cs.DB","cs.AI","cs.CL","cs.IR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-22T02:15:57Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.00291v1","name":"FMSG-JLESS Submission for DCASE 2024 Task4 on Sound Event Detection with Heterogeneous Training Dataset and Potentially Missing Labels","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This report presents the systems developed and submitted by Fortemedia Singapore (FMSG) and Joint Laboratory of Environmental Sound Sensing (JLESS) for DCASE 2024 Task 4. The task focuses on recognizing event classes and their time boundaries, given that multiple events can be present and may overlap in an audio recording. The novelty this year is a dataset with two sources, making it challenging to achieve good performance without knowing the source of the audio clips during evaluation. To address this, we propose a sound event detection method using domain generalization. Our approach integrates features from bidirectional encoder representations from audio transformers and a convolutional recurrent neural network. We focus on three main strategies to improve our method. First, we apply mixstyle to the frequency dimension to adapt the mel-spectrograms from different domains. Second, we consider training loss of our model specific to each datasets for their corresponding classes. This independent learning framework helps the model extract domain-specific features effectively. Lastly, we use the sound event bounding boxes method for post-processing. Our proposed method shows superior macro-average pAUC and polyphonic SED score performance on the DCASE 2024 Challenge Task 4 validation dataset and public evaluation dataset.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.00291v1","authors":["Yang Xiao","Han Yin","Jisheng Bai","Rohan Kumar Das"],"tags":["eess.AS","cs.SD"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-29T03:11:00Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.15778v2","name":"ObjectNLQ @ Ego4D Episodic Memory Challenge 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this report, we present our approach for the Natural Language Query track and Goal Step track of the Ego4D Episodic Memory Benchmark at CVPR 2024. Both challenges require the localization of actions within long video sequences using textual queries. To enhance localization accuracy, our method not only processes the temporal information of videos but also identifies fine-grained objects spatially within the frames. To this end, we introduce a novel approach, termed ObjectNLQ, which incorporates an object branch to augment the video representation with detailed object information, thereby improving grounding efficiency. ObjectNLQ achieves a mean R@1 of 23.15, ranking 2nd in the Natural Language Queries Challenge, and gains 33.00 in terms of the metric R@1, IoU=0.3, ranking 3rd in the Goal Step Challenge. Our code will be released at https://github.com/Yisen-Feng/ObjectNLQ.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.15778v2","authors":["Yisen Feng","Haoyu Zhang","Yuquan Xie","Zaijing Li","Meng Liu","Liqiang Nie"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-22T07:57:58Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.01100v2","name":"The Codec Language Model-based Zero-Shot Spontaneous Style TTS System for CoVoC Challenge 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes the zero-shot spontaneous style TTS system for the ISCSLP 2024 Conversational Voice Clone Challenge (CoVoC). We propose a LLaMA-based codec language model with a delay pattern to achieve spontaneous style voice cloning. To improve speech intelligibility, we introduce the Classifier-Free Guidance (CFG) strategy in the language model to strengthen conditional guidance on token prediction. To generate high-quality utterances, we adopt effective data preprocessing operations and fine-tune our model with selected high-quality spontaneous speech data. The official evaluations in the CoVoC constrained track show that our system achieves the best speech naturalness MOS of 3.80 and obtains considerable speech quality and speaker similarity results.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.01100v2","authors":["Shuoyi Zhou","Yixuan Zhou","Weiqin Li","Jun Chen","Runchuan Ye","Weihao Wu","Zijian Lin","Shun Lei","Zhiyong Wu"],"tags":["cs.SD","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-02T04:17:42Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.04510v1","name":"IITK at SemEval-2024 Task 2: Exploring the Capabilities of LLMs for Safe Biomedical Natural Language Inference for Clinical Trials","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Large Language models (LLMs) have demonstrated state-of-the-art performance in various natural language processing (NLP) tasks across multiple domains, yet they are prone to shortcut learning and factual inconsistencies. This research investigates LLMs' robustness, consistency, and faithful reasoning when performing Natural Language Inference (NLI) on breast cancer Clinical Trial Reports (CTRs) in the context of SemEval 2024 Task 2: Safe Biomedical Natural Language Inference for Clinical Trials. We examine the reasoning capabilities of LLMs and their adeptness at logical problem-solving. A comparative analysis is conducted on pre-trained language models (PLMs), GPT-3.5, and Gemini Pro under zero-shot settings using Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) framework, integrating various reasoning chains. The evaluation yields an F1 score of 0.69, consistency of 0.71, and a faithfulness score of 0.90 on the test dataset.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.04510v1","authors":["Shreyasi Mandal","Ashutosh Modi"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-06T05:44:53Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.04525v1","name":"IITK at SemEval-2024 Task 10: Who is the speaker? Improving Emotion Recognition and Flip Reasoning in Conversations via Speaker Embeddings","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents our approach for the SemEval-2024 Task 10: Emotion Discovery and Reasoning its Flip in Conversations. For the Emotion Recognition in Conversations (ERC) task, we utilize a masked-memory network along with speaker participation. We propose a transformer-based speaker-centric model for the Emotion Flip Reasoning (EFR) task. We also introduce Probable Trigger Zone, a region of the conversation that is more likely to contain the utterances causing the emotion to flip. For sub-task 3, the proposed approach achieves a 5.9 (F1 score) improvement over the task baseline. The ablation study results highlight the significance of various design choices in the proposed method.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.04525v1","authors":["Shubham Patel","Divyaksh Shukla","Ashutosh Modi"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-06T06:47:44Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.04799v2","name":"PB-LRDWWS System for the SLT 2024 Low-Resource Dysarthria Wake-Up Word Spotting Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"For the SLT 2024 Low-Resource Dysarthria Wake-Up Word Spotting (LRDWWS) Challenge, we introduce the PB-LRDWWS system. This system combines a dysarthric speech content feature extractor for prototype construction with a prototype-based classification method. The feature extractor is a fine-tuned HuBERT model obtained through a three-stage fine-tuning process using cross-entropy loss. This fine-tuned HuBERT extracts features from the target dysarthric speaker's enrollment speech to build prototypes. Classification is achieved by calculating the cosine similarity between the HuBERT features of the target dysarthric speaker's evaluation speech and prototypes. Despite its simplicity, our method demonstrates effectiveness through experimental results. Our system achieves second place in the final Test-B of the LRDWWS Challenge.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.04799v2","authors":["Shiyao Wang","Jiaming Zhou","Shiwan Zhao","Yong Qin"],"tags":["cs.SD","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-07T11:39:15Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.19985v1","name":"The Fifth International Verification of Neural Networks Competition (VNN-COMP 2024): Summary and Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This report summarizes the 5th International Verification of Neural Networks Competition (VNN-COMP 2024), held as a part of the 7th International Symposium on AI Verification (SAIV), that was collocated with the 36th International Conference on Computer-Aided Verification (CAV). VNN-COMP is held annually to facilitate the fair and objective comparison of state-of-the-art neural network verification tools, encourage the standardization of tool interfaces, and bring together the neural network verification community. To this end, standardized formats for networks (ONNX) and specification (VNN-LIB) were defined, tools were evaluated on equal-cost hardware (using an automatic evaluation pipeline based on AWS instances), and tool parameters were chosen by the participants before the final test sets were made public. In the 2024 iteration, 8 teams participated on a diverse set of 12 regular and 8 extended benchmarks. This report summarizes the rules, benchmarks, participating tools, results, and lessons learned from this iteration of this competition.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.19985v1","authors":["Christopher Brix","Stanley Bak","Taylor T. Johnson","Haoze Wu"],"tags":["cs.LG","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-28T03:07:00Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2402.01808v1","name":"KS-Net: Multi-band joint speech restoration and enhancement network for 2024 ICASSP SSI Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the speech restoration and enhancement system created by the 1024K team for the ICASSP 2024 Speech Signal Improvement (SSI) Challenge. Our system consists of a generative adversarial network (GAN) in complex-domain for speech restoration and a fine-grained multi-band fusion module for speech enhancement. In the blind test set of SSI, the proposed system achieves an overall mean opinion score (MOS) of 3.49 based on ITU-T P.804 and a Word Accuracy Rate (WAcc) of 0.78 for the real-time track, as well as an overall P.804 MOS of 3.43 and a WAcc of 0.78 for the non-real-time track, ranking 1st in both tracks.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.01808v1","authors":["Guochen Yu","Runqiang Han","Chenglin Xu","Haoran Zhao","Nan Li","Chen Zhang","Xiguang Zheng","Chao Zhou","Qi Huang","Bing Yu"],"tags":["cs.SD","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-02T11:28:18Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.15045v1","name":"AIM 2024 Sparse Neural Rendering Challenge: Methods and Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper reviews the challenge on Sparse Neural Rendering that was part of the Advances in Image Manipulation (AIM) workshop, held in conjunction with ECCV 2024. This manuscript focuses on the competition set-up, the proposed methods and their respective results. The challenge aims at producing novel camera view synthesis of diverse scenes from sparse image observations. It is composed of two tracks, with differing levels of sparsity; 3 views in Track 1 (very sparse) and 9 views in Track 2 (sparse). Participants are asked to optimise objective fidelity to the ground-truth images as measured via the Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) metric. For both tracks, we use the newly introduced Sparse Rendering (SpaRe) dataset and the popular DTU MVS dataset. In this challenge, 5 teams submitted final results to Track 1 and 4 teams submitted final results to Track 2. The submitted models are varied and push the boundaries of the current state-of-the-art in sparse neural rendering. A detailed description of all models developed in the challenge is provided in this paper.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.15045v1","authors":["Michal Nazarczuk","Sibi Catley-Chandar","Thomas Tanay","Richard Shaw","Eduardo Pérez-Pellitero","Radu Timofte","Xing Yan","Pan Wang","Yali Guo","Yongxin Wu","Youcheng Cai","Yanan Yang","Junting Li","Yanghong Zhou","P. Y. Mok","Zongqi He","Zhe Xiao","Kin-Chung Chan","Hana Lebeta Goshu","Cuixin Yang","Rongkang Dong","Jun Xiao","Kin-Man Lam","Jiayao Hao","Qiong Gao","Yanyan Zu","Junpei Zhang","Licheng Jiao","Xu Liu","Kuldeep Purohit"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-23T14:17:40Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.17984v1","name":"ICPR 2024 Competition on Domain Adaptation and GEneralization for Character Classification (DAGECC)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this companion paper for the DAGECC (Domain Adaptation and GEneralization for Character Classification) competition organized within the frame of the ICPR 2024 conference, we present the general context of the tasks we proposed to the community, we introduce the data that were prepared for the competition and we provide a summary of the results along with a description of the top three winning entries. The competition was centered around domain adaptation and generalization, and our core aim is to foster interest and facilitate advancement on these topics by providing a high-quality, lightweight, real world dataset able to support fast prototyping and validation of novel ideas.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.17984v1","authors":["Sofia Marino","Jennifer Vandoni","Emanuel Aldea","Ichraq Lemghari","Sylvie Le Hégarat-Mascle","Frédéric Jurie"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-23T21:06:08Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.11774v1","name":"Sharif-MGTD at SemEval-2024 Task 8: A Transformer-Based Approach to Detect Machine Generated Text","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Detecting Machine-Generated Text (MGT) has emerged as a significant area of study within Natural Language Processing. While language models generate text, they often leave discernible traces, which can be scrutinized using either traditional feature-based methods or more advanced neural language models. In this research, we explore the effectiveness of fine-tuning a RoBERTa-base transformer, a powerful neural architecture, to address MGT detection as a binary classification task. Focusing specifically on Subtask A (Monolingual-English) within the SemEval-2024 competition framework, our proposed system achieves an accuracy of 78.9% on the test dataset, positioning us at 57th among participants. Our study addresses this challenge while considering the limited hardware resources, resulting in a system that excels at identifying human-written texts but encounters challenges in accurately discerning MGTs.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.11774v1","authors":["Seyedeh Fatemeh Ebrahimi","Karim Akhavan Azari","Amirmasoud Iravani","Arian Qazvini","Pouya Sadeghi","Zeinab Sadat Taghavi","Hossein Sameti"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-16T14:33:01Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.05837v1","name":"Solution for CVPR 2024 UG2+ Challenge Track on All Weather Semantic Segmentation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this report, we present our solution for the semantic segmentation in adverse weather, in UG2+ Challenge at CVPR 2024. To achieve robust and accurate segmentation results across various weather conditions, we initialize the InternImage-H backbone with pre-trained weights from the large-scale joint dataset and enhance it with the state-of-the-art Upernet segmentation method. Specifically, we utilize offline and online data augmentation approaches to extend the train set, which helps us to further improve the performance of the segmenter. As a result, our proposed solution demonstrates advanced performance on the test set and achieves 3rd position in this challenge.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.05837v1","authors":["Jun Yu","Yunxiang Zhang","Fengzhao Sun","Leilei Wang","Renjie Lu"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-09T15:56:35Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.08753v1","name":"UruBots UAV -- Air Emergency Service Indoor Team Description Paper for FIRA 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This document addresses the description of the corresponding \"Urubots\" Team for the 2024 Fira Air League, \"Air Emergency Service (Indoor).\" We introduce our team and an autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) that relies on computer vision for its flight control. This UAV has the capability to perform a wide variety of navigation tasks in indoor environments, without requiring the intervention of an external operator or any form of external processing, resulting in a significant decrease in workload and manual dependence. Additionally, our software has been designed to be compatible with the vehicle's structure and for its application to the competition circuit. In this paper, we detail additional aspects about the mechanical structure, software, and application to the FIRA competition.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.08753v1","authors":["Hiago Sodre","Sebastian Barcelona","Anthony Scirgalea","Brandon Macedo","Gabriel Sampson","Pablo Moraes","William Moraes","Victoria Saravia","Juan Deniz","Bruna Guterres","Andre Kelbouscas","Ricardo Grando"],"tags":["cs.RO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-13T02:23:29Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.09305v1","name":"The T05 System for The VoiceMOS Challenge 2024: Transfer Learning from Deep Image Classifier to Naturalness MOS Prediction of High-Quality Synthetic Speech","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present our system (denoted as T05) for the VoiceMOS Challenge (VMC) 2024. Our system was designed for the VMC 2024 Track 1, which focused on the accurate prediction of naturalness mean opinion score (MOS) for high-quality synthetic speech. In addition to a pretrained self-supervised learning (SSL)-based speech feature extractor, our system incorporates a pretrained image feature extractor to capture the difference of synthetic speech observed in speech spectrograms. We first separately train two MOS predictors that use either of an SSL-based or spectrogram-based feature. Then, we fine-tune the two predictors for better MOS prediction using the fusion of two extracted features. In the VMC 2024 Track 1, our T05 system achieved first place in 7 out of 16 evaluation metrics and second place in the remaining 9 metrics, with a significant difference compared to those ranked third and below. We also report the results of our ablation study to investigate essential factors of our system.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.09305v1","authors":["Kaito Baba","Wataru Nakata","Yuki Saito","Hiroshi Saruwatari"],"tags":["cs.SD","cs.AI","cs.LG","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-14T05:03:18Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.04520v1","name":"IITK at SemEval-2024 Task 4: Hierarchical Embeddings for Detection of Persuasion Techniques in Memes","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Memes are one of the most popular types of content used in an online disinformation campaign. They are primarily effective on social media platforms since they can easily reach many users. Memes in a disinformation campaign achieve their goal of influencing the users through several rhetorical and psychological techniques, such as causal oversimplification, name-calling, and smear. The SemEval 2024 Task 4 \\textit{Multilingual Detection of Persuasion Technique in Memes} on identifying such techniques in the memes is divided across three sub-tasks: ($\\mathbf{1}$) Hierarchical multi-label classification using only textual content of the meme, ($\\mathbf{2}$) Hierarchical multi-label classification using both, textual and visual content of the meme and ($\\mathbf{3}$) Binary classification of whether the meme contains a persuasion technique or not using it's textual and visual content. This paper proposes an ensemble of Class Definition Prediction (CDP) and hyperbolic embeddings-based approaches for this task. We enhance meme classification accuracy and comprehensiveness by integrating HypEmo's hierarchical label embeddings (Chen et al., 2023) and a multi-task learning framework for emotion prediction. We achieve a hierarchical F1-score of 0.60, 0.67, and 0.48 on the respective sub-tasks.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.04520v1","authors":["Shreenaga Chikoti","Shrey Mehta","Ashutosh Modi"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-06T06:28:02Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.14248v1","name":"NTIRE 2024 Challenge on Low Light Image Enhancement: Methods and Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper reviews the NTIRE 2024 low light image enhancement challenge, highlighting the proposed solutions and results. The aim of this challenge is to discover an effective network design or solution capable of generating brighter, clearer, and visually appealing results when dealing with a variety of conditions, including ultra-high resolution (4K and beyond), non-uniform illumination, backlighting, extreme darkness, and night scenes. A notable total of 428 participants registered for the challenge, with 22 teams ultimately making valid submissions. This paper meticulously evaluates the state-of-the-art advancements in enhancing low-light images, reflecting the significant progress and creativity in this field.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.14248v1","authors":["Xiaoning Liu","Zongwei Wu","Ao Li","Florin-Alexandru Vasluianu","Yulun Zhang","Shuhang Gu","Le Zhang","Ce Zhu","Radu Timofte","Zhi Jin","Hongjun Wu","Chenxi Wang","Haitao Ling","Yuanhao Cai","Hao Bian","Yuxin Zheng","Jing Lin","Alan Yuille","Ben Shao","Jin Guo","Tianli Liu","Mohao Wu","Yixu Feng","Shuo Hou","Haotian Lin","Yu Zhu","Peng Wu","Wei Dong","Jinqiu Sun","Yanning Zhang","Qingsen Yan","Wenbin Zou","Weipeng Yang","Yunxiang Li","Qiaomu Wei","Tian Ye","Sixiang Chen","Zhao Zhang","Suiyi Zhao","Bo Wang","Yan Luo","Zhichao Zuo","Mingshen Wang","Junhu Wang","Yanyan Wei","Xiaopeng Sun","Yu Gao","Jiancheng Huang","Hongming Chen","Xiang Chen","Hui Tang","Yuanbin Chen","Yuanbo Zhou","Xinwei Dai","Xintao Qiu","Wei Deng","Qinquan Gao","Tong Tong","Mingjia Li","Jin Hu","Xinyu He","Xiaojie Guo"," Sabarinathan","K Uma","A Sasithradevi","B Sathya Bama","S. Mohamed Mansoor Roomi","V. Srivatsav","Jinjuan Wang","Long Sun","Qiuying Chen","Jiahong Shao","Yizhi Zhang","Marcos V. Conde","Daniel Feijoo","Juan C. Benito","Alvaro García","Jaeho Lee","Seongwan Kim","Sharif S M A","Nodirkhuja Khujaev","Roman Tsoy","Ali Murtaza","Uswah Khairuddin","Ahmad 'Athif Mohd Faudzi","Sampada Malagi","Amogh Joshi","Nikhil Akalwadi","Chaitra Desai","Ramesh Ashok Tabib","Uma Mudenagudi","Wenyi Lian","Wenjing Lian","Jagadeesh Kalyanshetti","Vijayalaxmi Ashok Aralikatti","Palani Yashaswini","Nitish Upasi","Dikshit Hegde","Ujwala Patil","Sujata C","Xingzhuo Yan","Wei Hao","Minghan Fu","Pooja choksy","Anjali Sarvaiya","Kishor Upla","Kiran Raja","Hailong Yan","Yunkai Zhang","Baiang Li","Jingyi Zhang","Huan Zheng"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-22T15:01:12Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.08192v1","name":"2nd Place Solution for MOSE Track in CVPR 2024 PVUW workshop: Complex Video Object Segmentation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Complex video object segmentation serves as a fundamental task for a wide range of downstream applications such as video editing and automatic data annotation. Here we present the 2nd place solution in the MOSE track of PVUW 2024. To mitigate problems caused by tiny objects, similar objects and fast movements in MOSE. We use instance segmentation to generate extra pretraining data from the valid and test set of MOSE. The segmented instances are combined with objects extracted from COCO to augment the training data and enhance semantic representation of the baseline model. Besides, motion blur is added during training to increase robustness against image blur induced by motion. Finally, we apply test time augmentation (TTA) and memory strategy to the inference stage. Our method ranked 2nd in the MOSE track of PVUW 2024, with a $\\mathcal{J}$ of 0.8007, a $\\mathcal{F}$ of 0.8683 and a $\\mathcal{J}$\\&amp;$\\mathcal{F}$ of 0.8345.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.08192v1","authors":["Zhensong Xu","Jiangtao Yao","Chengjing Wu","Ting Liu","Luoqi Liu"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-12T13:21:33Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.18564v1","name":"The IEEE-IS2 2024 Music Packet Loss Concealment Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present the IEEE-IS2 2024 Music Packet Loss Concealment Challenge. We begin by detailing the challenge rules, followed by an overview of the provided baseline system, the blind test set, and the evaluation methodology used to determine the final ranking. This inaugural edition aimed to foster collaboration between researchers and practitioners from the fields of signal processing, machine learning, and networked music performance, while also laying the groundwork for future advancements in packet loss concealment for music signals.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.18564v1","authors":["Alessandro Ilic Mezza","Alberto Bernardini"],"tags":["eess.AS","cs.SD"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-27T09:04:46Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2401.03473v3","name":"ICMC-ASR: The ICASSP 2024 In-Car Multi-Channel Automatic Speech Recognition Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"To promote speech processing and recognition research in driving scenarios, we build on the success of the Intelligent Cockpit Speech Recognition Challenge (ICSRC) held at ISCSLP 2022 and launch the ICASSP 2024 In-Car Multi-Channel Automatic Speech Recognition (ICMC-ASR) Challenge. This challenge collects over 100 hours of multi-channel speech data recorded inside a new energy vehicle and 40 hours of noise for data augmentation. Two tracks, including automatic speech recognition (ASR) and automatic speech diarization and recognition (ASDR) are set up, using character error rate (CER) and concatenated minimum permutation character error rate (cpCER) as evaluation metrics, respectively. Overall, the ICMC-ASR Challenge attracts 98 participating teams and receives 53 valid results in both tracks. In the end, first-place team USTCiflytek achieves a CER of 13.16% in the ASR track and a cpCER of 21.48% in the ASDR track, showing an absolute improvement of 13.08% and 51.4% compared to our challenge baseline, respectively.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.03473v3","authors":["He Wang","Pengcheng Guo","Yue Li","Ao Zhang","Jiayao Sun","Lei Xie","Wei Chen","Pan Zhou","Hui Bu","Xin Xu","Binbin Zhang","Zhuo Chen","Jian Wu","Longbiao Wang","Eng Siong Chng","Sun Li"],"tags":["cs.SD","cs.AI","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-07T12:51:42Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.06618v3","name":"A new diagnostic for the null test of dynamical dark energy in light of DESI 2024 and other BAO data","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We introduce a new diagnostic for the null tests of dynamical dark energy alongside two other combined equivalent diagnostics. These diagnostics are useful, especially when we include anisotropic baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) data in an analysis, to quantify the deviations from the standard $Λ$CDM model. We also consider another diagnostic for isotropic BAO observations. These null tests are independent of any late-time dark energy model or parametrization. With these diagnostics, we study the evidence for dynamical dark energy in light of Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) 2024 data combined with cosmic microwave background (CMB) observations of the Planck 2018 mission and local $H_0$ measurements. We find no strong evidence for dynamical dark energy. The exclusion of the individual deviations at the effective redshift 0.51 of the DESI 2024 data makes the evidence even weaker. We get nearly similar results for other non-DESI BAO data. Both for DESI 2024 and other non-DESI BAO data, the evidence is almost independent of early-time physics. The evidence corresponding to the SHOES value of $H_0$ is higher than the corresponding tRGB value of $H_0$ for all combinations of data, but still not strong enough to reject the flat $Λ$CDM model.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.06618v3","authors":["Bikash R. Dinda"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO","gr-qc"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-10T17:29:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.07998v1","name":"RALI@TREC iKAT 2024: Achieving Personalization via Retrieval Fusion in Conversational Search","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Recherche Appliquee en Linguistique Informatique (RALI) team participated in the 2024 TREC Interactive Knowledge Assistance (iKAT) Track. In personalized conversational search, effectively capturing a user's complex search intent requires incorporating both contextual information and key elements from the user profile into query reformulation. The user profile often contains many relevant pieces, and each could potentially complement the user's information needs. It is difficult to disregard any of them, whereas introducing an excessive number of these pieces risks drifting from the original query and hinders search performance. This is a challenge we denote as over-personalization. To address this, we propose different strategies by fusing ranking lists generated from the queries with different levels of personalization.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.07998v1","authors":["Yuchen Hui","Fengran Mo","Milan Mao","Jian-Yun Nie"],"tags":["cs.IR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-11T00:44:52Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.05762v1","name":"Multi-hop Evidence Pursuit Meets the Web: Team Papelo at FEVER 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Separating disinformation from fact on the web has long challenged both the search and the reasoning powers of humans. We show that the reasoning power of large language models (LLMs) and the retrieval power of modern search engines can be combined to automate this process and explainably verify claims. We integrate LLMs and search under a multi-hop evidence pursuit strategy. This strategy generates an initial question based on an input claim using a sequence to sequence model, searches and formulates an answer to the question, and iteratively generates follow-up questions to pursue the evidence that is missing using an LLM. We demonstrate our system on the FEVER 2024 (AVeriTeC) shared task. Compared to a strategy of generating all the questions at once, our method obtains .045 higher label accuracy and .155 higher AVeriTeC score (evaluating the adequacy of the evidence). Through ablations, we show the importance of various design choices, such as the question generation method, medium-sized context, reasoning with one document at a time, adding metadata, paraphrasing, reducing the problem to two classes, and reconsidering the final verdict. Our submitted system achieves .510 AVeriTeC score on the dev set and .477 AVeriTeC score on the test set.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.05762v1","authors":["Christopher Malon"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-08T18:25:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.08834v3","name":"Basaltic quasi-mini-moon: Characterizing 2024 PT5 with the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias and the Two-meter Twin Telescope","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Context. Small bodies in Earth-like orbits, the Arjunas, are good targets for scientific exploration, and space mining or in situ resource utilization (ISRU) trials as they enable low-cost missions. The subset of these objects that experience recurrent temporarily captured flyby or orbiter episodes are among the best ranked in terms of accessibility. Only a handful of objects are known to have engaged in such a dynamical behavior. Finding and characterizing more of them may help to expand scientific and commercial research activities in space over the next few decades. Asteroid 2024 PT5 is a recent finding that shows dynamical traits in common with this group. Aims. Here we investigate the orbital context of 2024 PT5 and its spectral and rotational properties. Methods. We studied the short-term orbital evolution of 2024 PT5 using direct N-body simulations. We identified its spectral class from the visible reflectance spectrum and used photometric observations to derive its rotational properties. Observational data were obtained with the OSIRIS camera spectrograph at the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias and the Two-meter Twin Telescope. Results. Asteroid 2024 PT5 experiences recurrent co-orbital engagements and episodes in which it has negative geocentric orbital energy while inside a geocentric distance under three Hill radii, which we call quasi-mini-moon events. Its visible spectrum is consistent with that of lunar-like silicates. Photometric data suggest a rotation period under 1 h. Conclusions. The discovery of 2024 PT5 confirms that events resembling temporary captures are relatively frequent and involve objects larger than a few meters, suitable as accessible targets for scientific research activities and demonstrating ISRU technologies.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.08834v3","authors":["R. de la Fuente Marcos","J. de Leon","M. Serra-Ricart","C. de la Fuente Marcos","M. R. Alarcon","J. Licandro","S. Geier","A. Tejero","A. Perez Romero","F. Perez-Toledo","A. Cabrera-Lavers"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-13T18:14:05Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.08495v2","name":"Investigating LLMs as Voting Assistants via Contextual Augmentation: A Case Study on the European Parliament Elections 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In light of the recent 2024 European Parliament elections, we are investigating if LLMs can be used as Voting Advice Applications (VAAs). We audit MISTRAL and MIXTRAL models and evaluate their accuracy in predicting the stance of political parties based on the latest \"EU and I\" voting assistance questionnaire. Furthermore, we explore alternatives to improve models' performance by augmenting the input context via Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) relying on web search, and Self-Reflection using staged conversations that aim to re-collect relevant content from the model's internal memory. We find that MIXTRAL is highly accurate with an 82% accuracy on average with a significant performance disparity across different political groups (50-95%). Augmenting the input context with expert-curated information can lead to a significant boost of approx. 9%, which remains an open challenge for automated RAG approaches, even considering curated content.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.08495v2","authors":["Ilias Chalkidis"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-11T13:29:28Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.14026v1","name":"Dynamics of Hot QCD Matter 2024 -- Hard Probes","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The hot and dense QCD matter, known as the Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP), is explored through heavy-ion collision experiments at the LHC and RHIC. Jets and heavy flavors, produced from the initial hard scattering, are used as hard probes to study the properties of the QGP. Recent experimental observations on jet quenching and heavy-flavor suppression have strengthened our understanding, allowing for fine-tuning of theoretical models in hard probes. The second conference, HOT QCD Matter 2024, was organized to bring the community together for discussions on key topics in the field. This article comprises 15 sections, each addressing various aspects of hard probes in relativistic heavy-ion collisions, offering a snapshot of current experimental observations and theoretical advancements. The article begins with a discussion on memory effects in the quantum evolution of quarkonia in the quark-gluon plasma, followed by an experimental review, new insights on jet quenching at RHIC and LHC, and concludes with a machine learning approach to heavy flavor production at the Large Hadron Collider.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.14026v1","authors":["Santosh K. Das","Prabhakar Palni","Amal Sarkar","Vineet Kumar Agotiya","Aritra Bandyopadhyay","Partha Pratim Bhaduri","Saumen Datta","Vaishnavi Desai","Debarshi Dey","Vincenzo Greco","Mohammad Yousuf Jamal","Gurleen Kaur","Manisha Kumari","Monideepa Maity","Subrata Pal","Binoy Krishna Patra"," Pooja","Jai Prakash","Manaswini Priyadarshini","Vyshakh B R","Marco Ruggieri","Nihar Ranjan Sahoo","Raghunath Sahoo","Om Shahi","Devanshu Sharma","Rishabh Sharma","Rishi Sharma"],"tags":["nucl-ex","hep-ex","hep-ph","nucl-th"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-18T16:45:08Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2401.17380v1","name":"Detecting gamma-band responses to the speech envelope for the ICASSP 2024 Auditory EEG Decoding Signal Processing Grand Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The 2024 ICASSP Auditory EEG Signal Processing Grand Challenge concerns the decoding of electroencephalography (EEG) measurements taken from participants who listened to speech material. This work details our solution to the match-mismatch sub-task: given a short temporal segment of EEG recordings and several candidate speech segments, the task is to classify which of the speech segments was time-aligned with the EEG signals. We show that high-frequency gamma-band responses to the speech envelope can be detected with a high accuracy. By jointly assessing gamma-band responses and low-frequency envelope tracking, we develop a match-mismatch decoder which placed first in this task.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.17380v1","authors":["Mike Thornton","Jonas Auernheimer","Constantin Jehn","Danilo Mandic","Tobias Reichenbach"],"tags":["eess.AS","cs.SD"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-30T19:07:31Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.17999v1","name":"MediFact at MEDIQA-CORR 2024: Why AI Needs a Human Touch","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Accurate representation of medical information is crucial for patient safety, yet artificial intelligence (AI) systems, such as Large Language Models (LLMs), encounter challenges in error-free clinical text interpretation. This paper presents a novel approach submitted to the MEDIQA-CORR 2024 shared task (Ben Abacha et al., 2024a), focusing on the automatic correction of single-word errors in clinical notes. Unlike LLMs that rely on extensive generic data, our method emphasizes extracting contextually relevant information from available clinical text data. Leveraging an ensemble of extractive and abstractive question-answering approaches, we construct a supervised learning framework with domain-specific feature engineering. Our methodology incorporates domain expertise to enhance error correction accuracy. By integrating domain expertise and prioritizing meaningful information extraction, our approach underscores the significance of a human-centric strategy in adapting AI for healthcare.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.17999v1","authors":["Nadia Saeed"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-27T20:28:38Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.10076v1","name":"Optimizing Dysarthria Wake-Up Word Spotting: An End-to-End Approach for SLT 2024 LRDWWS Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Speech has emerged as a widely embraced user interface across diverse applications. However, for individuals with dysarthria, the inherent variability in their speech poses significant challenges. This paper presents an end-to-end Pretrain-based Dual-filter Dysarthria Wake-up word Spotting (PD-DWS) system for the SLT 2024 Low-Resource Dysarthria Wake-Up Word Spotting Challenge. Specifically, our system improves performance from two key perspectives: audio modeling and dual-filter strategy. For audio modeling, we propose an innovative 2branch-d2v2 model based on the pre-trained data2vec2 (d2v2), which can simultaneously model automatic speech recognition (ASR) and wake-up word spotting (WWS) tasks through a unified multi-task finetuning paradigm. Additionally, a dual-filter strategy is introduced to reduce the false accept rate (FAR) while maintaining the same false reject rate (FRR). Experimental results demonstrate that our PD-DWS system achieves an FAR of 0.00321 and an FRR of 0.005, with a total score of 0.00821 on the test-B eval set, securing first place in the challenge.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.10076v1","authors":["Shuiyun Liu","Yuxiang Kong","Pengcheng Guo","Weiji Zhuang","Peng Gao","Yujun Wang","Lei Xie"],"tags":["cs.SD","cs.HC","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-16T08:26:50Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.02302v1","name":"Speech Foundation Model Ensembles for the Controlled Singing Voice Deepfake Detection (CtrSVDD) Challenge 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This work details our approach to achieving a leading system with a 1.79% pooled equal error rate (EER) on the evaluation set of the Controlled Singing Voice Deepfake Detection (CtrSVDD). The rapid advancement of generative AI models presents significant challenges for detecting AI-generated deepfake singing voices, attracting increased research attention. The Singing Voice Deepfake Detection (SVDD) Challenge 2024 aims to address this complex task. In this work, we explore the ensemble methods, utilizing speech foundation models to develop robust singing voice anti-spoofing systems. We also introduce a novel Squeeze-and-Excitation Aggregation (SEA) method, which efficiently and effectively integrates representation features from the speech foundation models, surpassing the performance of our other individual systems. Evaluation results confirm the efficacy of our approach in detecting deepfake singing voices. The codes can be accessed at https://github.com/Anmol2059/SVDD2024.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.02302v1","authors":["Anmol Guragain","Tianchi Liu","Zihan Pan","Hardik B. Sailor","Qiongqiong Wang"],"tags":["eess.AS","cs.AI","cs.SD"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-03T21:28:45Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2401.15777v1","name":"cantnlp@LT-EDI-2024: Automatic Detection of Anti-LGBTQ+ Hate Speech in Under-resourced Languages","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes our homophobia/transphobia in social media comments detection system developed as part of the shared task at LT-EDI-2024. We took a transformer-based approach to develop our multiclass classification model for ten language conditions (English, Spanish, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, Tulu, and Telugu). We introduced synthetic and organic instances of script-switched language data during domain adaptation to mirror the linguistic realities of social media language as seen in the labelled training data. Our system ranked second for Gujarati and Telugu with varying levels of performance for other language conditions. The results suggest incorporating elements of paralinguistic behaviour such as script-switching may improve the performance of language detection systems especially in the cases of under-resourced languages conditions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.15777v1","authors":["Sidney G. -J. Wong","Matthew Durward"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-28T21:58:04Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.10779v1","name":"Dynamics of Hot QCD Matter 2024 -- Bulk Properties","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The second Hot QCD Matter 2024 conference at IIT Mandi focused on various ongoing topics in high-energy heavy-ion collisions, encompassing theoretical and experimental perspectives. This proceedings volume includes 19 contributions that collectively explore diverse aspects of the bulk properties of hot QCD matter. The topics encompass the dynamics of electromagnetic fields, transport properties, hadronic matter, spin hydrodynamics, and the role of conserved charges in high-energy environments. These studies significantly enhance our understanding of the complex dynamics of hot QCD matter, the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) formed in high-energy nuclear collisions. Advances in theoretical frameworks, including hydrodynamics, spin dynamics, and fluctuation studies, aim to improve theoretical calculations and refine our knowledge of the thermodynamic properties of strongly interacting matter. Experimental efforts, such as those conducted by the ALICE and STAR collaborations, play a vital role in validating these theoretical predictions and deepening our insight into the QCD phase diagram, collectivity in small systems, and the early-stage behavior of strongly interacting matter. Combining theoretical models with experimental observations offers a comprehensive understanding of the extreme conditions encountered in relativistic heavy-ion and proton-proton collisions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.10779v1","authors":["Prabhakar Palni","Amal Sarkar","Santosh K. Das","Anuraag Rathore","Syed Shoaib","Arvind Khuntia","Amaresh Jaiswal","Victor Roy","Ankit Kumar Panda","Partha Bagchi","Hiranmaya Mishra","Deeptak Biswas","Peter Petreczky","Sayantan Sharma","Kshitish Kumar Pradhan","Ronald Scaria","Dushmanta Sahu","Raghunath Sahoo","Arpan Das","Ranjita K Mohapatra","Jajati K. Nayak","Rupa Chatterjee","Munshi G Mustafa","Aswathy Menon K. R.","Suraj Prasad","Neelkamal Mallick","Pushpa Panday","Binoy Krishna Patra","Paramita Deb","Raghava Varma","Ashutosh Dwibedi","Thandar Zaw Win","Subhalaxmi Nayak","Cho Win Aung","Sabyasachi Ghosh","Sesha Vempati","Sunny Kumar Singh","Manu Kurian","Vinod Chandra","Soham Banerjee"," Sumit","Rohit Kumar","Rajkumar Mondal","Nilanjan Chaudhuri","Pradip Roy","Sourav Sarkar","Lokesh Kumar"],"tags":["nucl-th","hep-ex","hep-ph","hep-th"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-14T10:13:04Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.06120v1","name":"Proceedings 14th International Workshop on Non-Classical Models of Automata and Applications (NCMA 2024)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Fourteenth International Workshop on Non-Classical Models of Automata and Applications (NCMA 2024) was held in Göttingen, Germany, on August 12 and 13, 2024, at the historic Georg-Augustus-Universität, organized by the Theoretical Computer Science research group of the respective university. The NCMA workshop series was established in 2009 as an annual event for researchers working on non-classical and classical models of automata, grammars or related devices. Such models are investigated both as theoretical models and as formal models for applications from various points of view. The goal of the NCMA workshop series is to exchange and develop novel ideas in order to gain deeper and interdisciplinary coverage of this particular area that may foster new insights and substantial progress.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.06120v1","authors":["Florin Manea","Giovanni Pighizzini"],"tags":["cs.FL","cs.CC"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-10T00:12:19Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.03009v2","name":"HOD-Dependent Systematics in Emission Line Galaxies for the DESI 2024 BAO analysis","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) will provide precise measurements of Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) to constrain the expansion history of the Universe and set stringent constraints on dark energy. Therefore, precise control of the global error budget due to various systematic effects is required for the DESI 2024 BAO analysis. In this work, we focus on the robustness of the BAO analysis against the Halo Occupation Distribution (HOD) modeling for the Emission Line Galaxy (ELG) tracer. Based on a common dark matter simulation, our analysis relies on HOD mocks tuned to early DESI data, namely the One-Percent survey data. To build the mocks, we use several HOD models for the ELG tracer as well as extensions to the baseline HOD models. Among these extensions, we consider distinct recipes for galactic conformity and assembly bias. We perform two independent analyses in the Fourier space and in the configuration space. We recover the BAO signal from two-point measurements after performing reconstruction on our mocks. Additionally, we also apply the control variates technique to reduce sample variance noise. Our BAO analysis can recover the isotropic BAO parameter $α_\\text{iso}$ within 0.1\\% and the Alcock Paczynski parameter $α_\\text{AP}$ within 0.3\\%. Overall, we find that our systematic error due to the HOD dependence is below 0.17\\%, with the Fourier space analysis being more robust against the HOD systematics. We conclude that our analysis pipeline is robust enough against the HOD systematics for the ELG tracer in the DESI 2024 BAO analysis.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.03009v2","authors":["C. Garcia-Quintero","J. Mena-Fernández","A. Rocher","S. Yuan","B. Hadzhiyska","O. Alves","M. Rashkovetskyi","H. Seo","N. Padmanabhan","S. Nadathur","C. Howlett","M. Ishak","L. Medina-Varela","P. McDonald","A. J. Ross","Y. Xie","X. Chen","A. Bera","J. Aguilar","S. Ahlen","U. Andrade","S. BenZvi","D. Brooks","E. Burtin","S. Chen","T. Claybaugh","S. Cole","A. de la Macorra","A. de Mattia","A. Dey","B. Dey","Z. Ding","P. Doel","K. Fanning","J. E. Forero-Romero","E. Gaztañaga","H. Gil-Marín","S. Gontcho A Gontcho","G. Gutierrez","J. Guy","C. Hahn","K. Honscheid","A. Kremin","M. Landriau","L. Le Guillou","M. E. Levi","M. Manera","P. Martini","A. Meisner","R. Miquel","J. Moustakas","E. Mueller","A. Muñoz-Gutiérrez","A. D. Myers","J. A. Newman","J. Nie","G. Niz","E. Paillas","N. Palanque-Delabrouille","W. J. Percival","C. Poppett","A. Pérez-Fernández","A. Rosado-Marin","G. Rossi","R. Ruggeri","E. Sanchez","D. Schlegel","M. Schubnell","D. Sprayberry","G. Tarlé","M. Vargas-Magaña","B. A. Weaver","J. Yu","H. Zhang","R. Zhou","H. Zou"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-03T18:41:58Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.14989v1","name":"RoboCup@Home 2024 OPL Winner NimbRo: Anthropomorphic Service Robots using Foundation Models for Perception and Planning","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present the approaches and contributions of the winning team NimbRo@Home at the RoboCup@Home 2024 competition in the Open Platform League held in Eindhoven, NL. Further, we describe our hardware setup and give an overview of the results for the task stages and the final demonstration. For this year's competition, we put a special emphasis on open-vocabulary object segmentation and grasping approaches that overcome the labeling overhead of supervised vision approaches, commonly used in RoboCup@Home. We successfully demonstrated that we can segment and grasp non-labeled objects by text descriptions. Further, we extensively employed LLMs for natural language understanding and task planning. Throughout the competition, our approaches showed robustness and generalization capabilities. A video of our performance can be found online.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.14989v1","authors":["Raphael Memmesheimer","Jan Nogga","Bastian Pätzold","Evgenii Kruzhkov","Simon Bultmann","Michael Schreiber","Jonas Bode","Bertan Karacora","Juhui Park","Alena Savinykh","Sven Behnke"],"tags":["cs.RO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-19T16:00:43Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.03005v3","name":"Optimal Reconstruction of Baryon Acoustic Oscillations for DESI 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) provide a robust standard ruler to measure the expansion history of the Universe through galaxy clustering. Density-field reconstruction is now a widely adopted procedure for increasing the precision and accuracy of the BAO detection. With the goal of finding the optimal reconstruction settings to be used in the DESI 2024 galaxy BAO analysis, we assess the sensitivity of the post-reconstruction BAO constraints to different choices in our analysis configuration, performing tests on blinded data from the first year of DESI observations (DR1), as well as on mocks that mimic the expected clustering and selection properties of the DESI DR1 target samples. Overall, we find that BAO constraints remain robust against multiple aspects in the reconstruction process, including the choice of smoothing scale, treatment of redshift-space distortions, fiber assignment incompleteness, and parameterizations of the BAO model. We also present a series of tests that DESI followed in order to assess the maturity of the end-to-end galaxy BAO pipeline before the unblinding of the large-scale structure catalogs.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.03005v3","authors":["E. Paillas","Z. Ding","X. Chen","H. Seo","N. Padmanabhan","A. de Mattia","A. J. Ross","S. Nadathur","C. Howlett","J. Aguilar","S. Ahlen","O. Alves","U. Andrade","D. Brooks","E. Buckley-Geer","E. Burtin","S. Chen","T. Claybaugh","S. Cole","K. Dawson","A. de la Macorra","Arjun Dey","P. Doel","K. Fanning","S. Ferraro","J. E. Forero-Romero","C. Garcia-Quintero","E. Gaztañaga","H. Gil-Marín","S. Gontcho A Gontcho","G. Gutierrez","C. Hahn","M. M. S Hanif","K. Honscheid","M. Ishak","R. Kehoe","A. Kremin","M. Landriau","L. Le Guillou","M. E. Levi","M. Manera","P. Martini","L. Medina-Varela","A. Meisner","J. Mena-Fernández","R. Miquel","J. Moustakas","E. Mueller","A. Muñoz-Gutiérrez","A. D. Myers","J. A. Newman","J. Nie","G. Niz","N. Palanque-Delabrouille","W. J. Percival","C. Poppett","F. Prada","A. Pérez-Fernández","M. Rashkovetskyi","M. Rezaie","A. Rosado-Marin","G. Rossi","R. Ruggeri","E. Sanchez","C. Saulder","E. F. Schlafly","D. Schlegel","M. Schubnell","D. Sprayberry","G. Tarlé","D. Valcin","M. Vargas-Magaña","J. Yu","S. Yuan","R. Zhou","H. Zou"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-03T18:41:54Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.03770v1","name":"HYBRINFOX at CheckThat! 2024 -- Task 2: Enriching BERT Models with the Expert System VAGO for Subjectivity Detection","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the HYBRINFOX method used to solve Task 2 of Subjectivity detection of the CLEF 2024 CheckThat! competition. The specificity of the method is to use a hybrid system, combining a RoBERTa model, fine-tuned for subjectivity detection, a frozen sentence-BERT (sBERT) model to capture semantics, and several scores calculated by the English version of the expert system VAGO, developed independently of this task to measure vagueness and subjectivity in texts based on the lexicon. In English, the HYBRINFOX method ranked 1st with a macro F1 score of 0.7442 on the evaluation data. For the other languages, the method used a translation step into English, producing more mixed results (ranking 1st in Multilingual and 2nd in Italian over the baseline, but under the baseline in Bulgarian, German, and Arabic). We explain the principles of our hybrid approach, and outline ways in which the method could be improved for other languages besides English.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.03770v1","authors":["Morgane Casanova","Julien Chanson","Benjamin Icard","Géraud Faye","Guillaume Gadek","Guillaume Gravier","Paul Égré"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-04T09:29:19Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.02978v1","name":"Mast Kalandar at SemEval-2024 Task 8: On the Trail of Textual Origins: RoBERTa-BiLSTM Approach to Detect AI-Generated Text","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Large Language Models (LLMs) have showcased impressive abilities in generating fluent responses to diverse user queries. However, concerns regarding the potential misuse of such texts in journalism, educational, and academic contexts have surfaced. SemEval 2024 introduces the task of Multigenerator, Multidomain, and Multilingual Black-Box Machine-Generated Text Detection, aiming to develop automated systems for identifying machine-generated text and detecting potential misuse. In this paper, we i) propose a RoBERTa-BiLSTM based classifier designed to classify text into two categories: AI-generated or human ii) conduct a comparative study of our model with baseline approaches to evaluate its effectiveness. This paper contributes to the advancement of automatic text detection systems in addressing the challenges posed by machine-generated text misuse. Our architecture ranked 46th on the official leaderboard with an accuracy of 80.83 among 125.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.02978v1","authors":["Jainit Sushil Bafna","Hardik Mittal","Suyash Sethia","Manish Shrivastava","Radhika Mamidi"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-03T10:22:23Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.01942v1","name":"CRCL at SemEval-2024 Task 2: Simple prompt optimizations","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present a baseline for the SemEval 2024 task 2 challenge, whose objective is to ascertain the inference relationship between pairs of clinical trial report sections and statements. We apply prompt optimization techniques with LLM Instruct models provided as a Language Model-as-a-Service (LMaaS). We observed, in line with recent findings, that synthetic CoT prompts significantly enhance manually crafted ones.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.01942v1","authors":["Clément Brutti-Mairesse","Loïc Verlingue"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-03T09:10:40Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.03004v2","name":"Validation of the DESI 2024 Ly$α$ forest BAO analysis using synthetic datasets","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The first year of data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) contains the largest set of Lyman-$α$ (Ly$α$) forest spectra ever observed. This data, collected in the DESI Data Release 1 (DR1) sample, has been used to measure the Baryon Acoustic Oscillation (BAO) feature at redshift $z=2.33$. In this work, we use a set of 150 synthetic realizations of DESI DR1 to validate the DESI 2024 Ly$α$ forest BAO measurement. The synthetic data sets are based on Gaussian random fields using the log-normal approximation. We produce realistic synthetic DESI spectra that include all major contaminants affecting the Ly$α$ forest. The synthetic data sets span a redshift range $1.8&lt;z&lt;3.8$, and are analysed using the same framework and pipeline used for the DESI 2024 Ly$α$ forest BAO measurement. To measure BAO, we use both the Ly$α$ auto-correlation and its cross-correlation with quasar positions. We use the mean of correlation functions from the set of DESI DR1 realizations to show that our model is able to recover unbiased measurements of the BAO position. We also fit each mock individually and study the population of BAO fits in order to validate BAO uncertainties and test our method for estimating the covariance matrix of the Ly$α$ forest correlation functions. Finally, we discuss the implications of our results and identify the needs for the next generation of Ly$α$ forest synthetic data sets, with the top priority being to simulate the effect of BAO broadening due to non-linear evolution.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.03004v2","authors":["Andrei Cuceu","Hiram K. Herrera-Alcantar","Calum Gordon","Paul Martini","Julien Guy","Andreu Font-Ribera","Alma X. Gonzalez-Morales","M. Abdul-Karim","J. Aguilar","S. Ahlen","E. Armengaud","A. Bault","D. Brooks","T. Claybaugh","A. de la Macorra","P. Doel","K. Fanning","S. Ferraro","J. E. Forero-Romero","E. Gaztañaga","S. Gontcho A Gontcho","G. Gutierrez","K. Honscheid","C. Howlett","N. G. Kara��aylı","D. Kirkby","A. Kremin","M. Landriau","J. M. Le Goff","L. Le Guillou","M. E. Levi","M. Manera","A. Meisner","R. Miquel","J. Moustakas","A. Muñoz-Gutiérrez","A. D. Myers","G. Niz","N. Palanque-Delabrouille","W. J. Percival","C. Poppett","F. Prada","I. Pérez-Ràfols","C. Ramírez-Pérez","C. Ravoux","M. Rezaie","G. Rossi","E. Sanchez","D. Schlegel","M. Schubnell","H. Seo","D. Sprayberry","T. Tan","G. Tarlé","M. Vargas-Magaña","M. Walther","B. A. Weaver","R. Zhou","H. Zou"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-03T18:41:53Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.10567v2","name":"Team Samsung-RAL: Technical Report for 2024 RoboDrive Challenge-Robust Map Segmentation Track","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this report, we describe the technical details of our submission to the 2024 RoboDrive Challenge Robust Map Segmentation Track. The Robust Map Segmentation track focuses on the segmentation of complex driving scene elements in BEV maps under varied driving conditions. Semantic map segmentation provides abundant and precise static environmental information crucial for autonomous driving systems' planning and navigation. While current methods excel in ideal circumstances, e.g., clear daytime conditions and fully functional sensors, their resilience to real-world challenges like adverse weather and sensor failures remains unclear, raising concerns about system safety. In this paper, we explored several methods to improve the robustness of the map segmentation task. The details are as follows: 1) Robustness analysis of utilizing temporal information; 2) Robustness analysis of utilizing different backbones; and 3) Data Augmentation to boost corruption robustness. Based on the evaluation results, we draw several important findings including 1) The temporal fusion module is effective in improving the robustness of the map segmentation model; 2) A strong backbone is effective for improving the corruption robustness; and 3) Some data augmentation methods are effective in improving the robustness of map segmentation models. These novel findings allowed us to achieve promising results in the 2024 RoboDrive Challenge-Robust Map Segmentation Track.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.10567v2","authors":["Xiaoshuai Hao","Yifan Yang","Hui Zhang","Mengchuan Wei","Yi Zhou","Haimei Zhao","Jing Zhang"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-17T06:40:02Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.02723v1","name":"e-Health CSIRO at \"Discharge Me!\" 2024: Generating Discharge Summary Sections with Fine-tuned Language Models","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Clinical documentation is an important aspect of clinicians' daily work and often demands a significant amount of time. The BioNLP 2024 Shared Task on Streamlining Discharge Documentation (Discharge Me!) aims to alleviate this documentation burden by automatically generating discharge summary sections, including brief hospital course and discharge instruction, which are often time-consuming to synthesize and write manually. We approach the generation task by fine-tuning multiple open-sourced language models (LMs), including both decoder-only and encoder-decoder LMs, with various configurations on input context. We also examine different setups for decoding algorithms, model ensembling or merging, and model specialization. Our results show that conditioning on the content of discharge summary prior to the target sections is effective for the generation task. Furthermore, we find that smaller encoder-decoder LMs can work as well or even slightly better than larger decoder based LMs fine-tuned through LoRA. The model checkpoints from our team (aehrc) are openly available.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.02723v1","authors":["Jinghui Liu","Aaron Nicolson","Jason Dowling","Bevan Koopman","Anthony Nguyen"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-03T00:32:28Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.20145v1","name":"Heidelberg-Boston @ SIGTYP 2024 Shared Task: Enhancing Low-Resource Language Analysis With Character-Aware Hierarchical Transformers","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Historical languages present unique challenges to the NLP community, with one prominent hurdle being the limited resources available in their closed corpora. This work describes our submission to the constrained subtask of the SIGTYP 2024 shared task, focusing on PoS tagging, morphological tagging, and lemmatization for 13 historical languages. For PoS and morphological tagging we adapt a hierarchical tokenization method from Sun et al. (2023) and combine it with the advantages of the DeBERTa-V3 architecture, enabling our models to efficiently learn from every character in the training data. We also demonstrate the effectiveness of character-level T5 models on the lemmatization task. Pre-trained from scratch with limited data, our models achieved first place in the constrained subtask, nearly reaching the performance levels of the unconstrained task's winner. Our code is available at https://github.com/bowphs/SIGTYP-2024-hierarchical-transformers","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.20145v1","authors":["Frederick Riemenschneider","Kevin Krahn"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-30T15:23:34Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.03850v1","name":"HYBRINFOX at CheckThat! 2024 -- Task 1: Enhancing Language Models with Structured Information for Check-Worthiness Estimation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper summarizes the experiments and results of the HYBRINFOX team for the CheckThat! 2024 - Task 1 competition. We propose an approach enriching Language Models such as RoBERTa with embeddings produced by triples (subject ; predicate ; object) extracted from the text sentences. Our analysis of the developmental data shows that this method improves the performance of Language Models alone. On the evaluation data, its best performance was in English, where it achieved an F1 score of 71.1 and ranked 12th out of 27 candidates. On the other languages (Dutch and Arabic), it obtained more mixed results. Future research tracks are identified toward adapting this processing pipeline to more recent Large Language Models.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.03850v1","authors":["Géraud Faye","Morgane Casanova","Benjamin Icard","Julien Chanson","Guillaume Gadek","Guillaume Gravier","Paul Égré"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-04T11:33:54Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.08839v1","name":"PromptMind Team at EHRSQL-2024: Improving Reliability of SQL Generation using Ensemble LLMs","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents our approach to the EHRSQL-2024 shared task, which aims to develop a reliable Text-to-SQL system for electronic health records. We propose two approaches that leverage large language models (LLMs) for prompting and fine-tuning to generate EHRSQL queries. In both techniques, we concentrate on bridging the gap between the real-world knowledge on which LLMs are trained and the domain specific knowledge required for the task. The paper provides the results of each approach individually, demonstrating that they achieve high execution accuracy. Additionally, we show that an ensemble approach further enhances generation reliability by reducing errors. This approach secured us 2nd place in the shared task competition. The methodologies outlined in this paper are designed to be transferable to domain-specific Text-to-SQL problems that emphasize both accuracy and reliability.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.08839v1","authors":["Satya K Gundabathula","Sriram R Kolar"],"tags":["cs.DB","cs.AI","cs.CL","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-14T07:16:56Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.09021v1","name":"Squeeze-and-Excite ResNet-Conformers for Sound Event Localization, Detection, and Distance Estimation for DCASE 2024 Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This technical report details our systems submitted for Task 3 of the DCASE 2024 Challenge: Audio and Audiovisual Sound Event Localization and Detection (SELD) with Source Distance Estimation (SDE). We address only the audio-only SELD with SDE (SELDDE) task in this report. We propose to improve the existing ResNet-Conformer architectures with Squeeze-and-Excitation blocks in order to introduce additional forms of channel- and spatial-wise attention. In order to improve SELD performance, we also utilize the Spatial Cue-Augmented Log-Spectrogram (SALSA) features over the commonly used log-mel spectra features for polyphonic SELD. We complement the existing Sony-TAu Realistic Spatial Soundscapes 2023 (STARSS23) dataset with the audio channel swapping technique and synthesize additional data using the SpatialScaper generator. We also perform distance scaling in order to prevent large distance errors from contributing more towards the loss function. Finally, we evaluate our approach on the evaluation subset of the STARSS23 dataset.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.09021v1","authors":["Jun Wei Yeow","Ee-Leng Tan","Jisheng Bai","Santi Peksi","Woon-Seng Gan"],"tags":["eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-12T06:23:21Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.13608v1","name":"dzNLP at NADI 2024 Shared Task: Multi-Classifier Ensemble with Weighted Voting and TF-IDF Features","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the contribution of our dzNLP team to the NADI 2024 shared task, specifically in Subtask 1 - Multi-label Country-level Dialect Identification (MLDID) (Closed Track). We explored various configurations to address the challenge: in Experiment 1, we utilized a union of n-gram analyzers (word, character, character with word boundaries) with different n-gram values; in Experiment 2, we combined a weighted union of Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency (TF-IDF) features with various weights; and in Experiment 3, we implemented a weighted major voting scheme using three classifiers: Linear Support Vector Classifier (LSVC), Random Forest (RF), and K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN). Our approach, despite its simplicity and reliance on traditional machine learning techniques, demonstrated competitive performance in terms of F1-score and precision. Notably, we achieved the highest precision score of 63.22% among the participating teams. However, our overall F1 score was approximately 21%, significantly impacted by a low recall rate of 12.87%. This indicates that while our models were highly precise, they struggled to recall a broad range of dialect labels, highlighting a critical area for improvement in handling diverse dialectal variations.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.13608v1","authors":["Mohamed Lichouri","Khaled Lounnas","Boualem Nadjib Zahaf","Mehdi Ayoub Rabiai"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-18T15:47:42Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2402.06549v1","name":"Bryndza at ClimateActivism 2024: Stance, Target and Hate Event Detection via Retrieval-Augmented GPT-4 and LLaMA","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This study details our approach for the CASE 2024 Shared Task on Climate Activism Stance and Hate Event Detection, focusing on Hate Speech Detection, Hate Speech Target Identification, and Stance Detection as classification challenges. We explored the capability of Large Language Models (LLMs), particularly GPT-4, in zero- or few-shot settings enhanced by retrieval augmentation and re-ranking for Tweet classification. Our goal was to determine if LLMs could match or surpass traditional methods in this context. We conducted an ablation study with LLaMA for comparison, and our results indicate that our models significantly outperformed the baselines, securing second place in the Target Detection task. The code for our submission is available at https://github.com/NaiveNeuron/bryndza-case-2024","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.06549v1","authors":["Marek Šuppa","Daniel Skala","Daniela Jašš","Samuel Sučík","Andrej Švec","Peter Hraška"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-09T17:02:41Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.11248v2","name":"Performance Improvement of Language-Queried Audio Source Separation Based on Caption Augmentation From Large Language Models for DCASE Challenge 2024 Task 9","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present a prompt-engineering-based text-augmentation approach applied to a language-queried audio source separation (LASS) task. To enhance the performance of LASS, the proposed approach utilizes large language models (LLMs) to generate multiple captions corresponding to each sentence of the training dataset. To this end, we first perform experiments to identify the most effective prompts for caption augmentation with a smaller number of captions. A LASS model trained with these augmented captions demonstrates improved performance on the DCASE 2024 Task 9 validation set compared to that trained without augmentation. This study highlights the effectiveness of LLM-based caption augmentation in advancing language-queried audio source separation.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.11248v2","authors":["Do Hyun Lee","Yoonah Song","Hong Kook Kim"],"tags":["eess.AS","cs.AI","cs.SD"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-17T06:19:14Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.01210v2","name":"AILS-NTUA at SemEval-2024 Task 6: Efficient model tuning for hallucination detection and analysis","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, we present our team's submissions for SemEval-2024 Task-6 - SHROOM, a Shared-task on Hallucinations and Related Observable Overgeneration Mistakes. The participants were asked to perform binary classification to identify cases of fluent overgeneration hallucinations. Our experimentation included fine-tuning a pre-trained model on hallucination detection and a Natural Language Inference (NLI) model. The most successful strategy involved creating an ensemble of these models, resulting in accuracy rates of 77.8% and 79.9% on model-agnostic and model-aware datasets respectively, outperforming the organizers' baseline and achieving notable results when contrasted with the top-performing results in the competition, which reported accuracies of 84.7% and 81.3% correspondingly.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.01210v2","authors":["Natalia Grigoriadou","Maria Lymperaiou","Giorgos Filandrianos","Giorgos Stamou"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-01T16:10:15Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.16484v1","name":"Real-Time 4K Super-Resolution of Compressed AVIF Images. AIS 2024 Challenge Survey","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper introduces a novel benchmark as part of the AIS 2024 Real-Time Image Super-Resolution (RTSR) Challenge, which aims to upscale compressed images from 540p to 4K resolution (4x factor) in real-time on commercial GPUs. For this, we use a diverse test set containing a variety of 4K images ranging from digital art to gaming and photography. The images are compressed using the modern AVIF codec, instead of JPEG. All the proposed methods improve PSNR fidelity over Lanczos interpolation, and process images under 10ms. Out of the 160 participants, 25 teams submitted their code and models. The solutions present novel designs tailored for memory-efficiency and runtime on edge devices. This survey describes the best solutions for real-time SR of compressed high-resolution images.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.16484v1","authors":["Marcos V. Conde","Zhijun Lei","Wen Li","Cosmin Stejerean","Ioannis Katsavounidis","Radu Timofte","Kihwan Yoon","Ganzorig Gankhuyag","Jiangtao Lv","Long Sun","Jinshan Pan","Jiangxin Dong","Jinhui Tang","Zhiyuan Li","Hao Wei","Chenyang Ge","Dongyang Zhang","Tianle Liu","Huaian Chen","Yi Jin","Menghan Zhou","Yiqiang Yan","Si Gao","Biao Wu","Shaoli Liu","Chengjian Zheng","Diankai Zhang","Ning Wang","Xintao Qiu","Yuanbo Zhou","Kongxian Wu","Xinwei Dai","Hui Tang","Wei Deng","Qingquan Gao","Tong Tong","Jae-Hyeon Lee","Ui-Jin Choi","Min Yan","Xin Liu","Qian Wang","Xiaoqian Ye","Zhan Du","Tiansen Zhang","Long Peng","Jiaming Guo","Xin Di","Bohao Liao","Zhibo Du","Peize Xia","Renjing Pei","Yang Wang","Yang Cao","Zhengjun Zha","Bingnan Han","Hongyuan Yu","Zhuoyuan Wu","Cheng Wan","Yuqing Liu","Haodong Yu","Jizhe Li","Zhijuan Huang","Yuan Huang","Yajun Zou","Xianyu Guan","Qi Jia","Heng Zhang","Xuanwu Yin","Kunlong Zuo","Hyeon-Cheol Moon","Tae-hyun Jeong","Yoonmo Yang","Jae-Gon Kim","Jinwoo Jeong","Sunjei Kim"],"tags":["cs.CV","eess.IV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-25T10:12:42Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.01583v1","name":"MediFact at MEDIQA-M3G 2024: Medical Question Answering in Dermatology with Multimodal Learning","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The MEDIQA-M3G 2024 challenge necessitates novel solutions for Multilingual &amp; Multimodal Medical Answer Generation in dermatology (wai Yim et al., 2024a). This paper addresses the limitations of traditional methods by proposing a weakly supervised learning approach for open-ended medical question-answering (QA). Our system leverages readily available MEDIQA-M3G images via a VGG16-CNN-SVM model, enabling multilingual (English, Chinese, Spanish) learning of informative skin condition representations. Using pre-trained QA models, we further bridge the gap between visual and textual information through multimodal fusion. This approach tackles complex, open-ended questions even without predefined answer choices. We empower the generation of comprehensive answers by feeding the ViT-CLIP model with multiple responses alongside images. This work advances medical QA research, paving the way for clinical decision support systems and ultimately improving healthcare delivery.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.01583v1","authors":["Nadia Saeed"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.CV","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-27T20:03:47Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.16205v1","name":"AIS 2024 Challenge on Video Quality Assessment of User-Generated Content: Methods and Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper reviews the AIS 2024 Video Quality Assessment (VQA) Challenge, focused on User-Generated Content (UGC). The aim of this challenge is to gather deep learning-based methods capable of estimating the perceptual quality of UGC videos. The user-generated videos from the YouTube UGC Dataset include diverse content (sports, games, lyrics, anime, etc.), quality and resolutions. The proposed methods must process 30 FHD frames under 1 second. In the challenge, a total of 102 participants registered, and 15 submitted code and models. The performance of the top-5 submissions is reviewed and provided here as a survey of diverse deep models for efficient video quality assessment of user-generated content.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.16205v1","authors":["Marcos V. Conde","Saman Zadtootaghaj","Nabajeet Barman","Radu Timofte","Chenlong He","Qi Zheng","Ruoxi Zhu","Zhengzhong Tu","Haiqiang Wang","Xiangguang Chen","Wenhui Meng","Xiang Pan","Huiying Shi","Han Zhu","Xiaozhong Xu","Lei Sun","Zhenzhong Chen","Shan Liu","Zicheng Zhang","Haoning Wu","Yingjie Zhou","Chunyi Li","Xiaohong Liu","Weisi Lin","Guangtao Zhai","Wei Sun","Yuqin Cao","Yanwei Jiang","Jun Jia","Zhichao Zhang","Zijian Chen","Weixia Zhang","Xiongkuo Min","Steve Göring","Zihao Qi","Chen Feng"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.MM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-24T21:02:14Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2402.12730v2","name":"UMBCLU at SemEval-2024 Task 1A and 1C: Semantic Textual Relatedness with and without machine translation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The aim of SemEval-2024 Task 1, \"Semantic Textual Relatedness for African and Asian Languages\" is to develop models for identifying semantic textual relatedness (STR) between two sentences using multiple languages (14 African and Asian languages) and settings (supervised, unsupervised, and cross-lingual). Large language models (LLMs) have shown impressive performance on several natural language understanding tasks such as multilingual machine translation (MMT), semantic similarity (STS), and encoding sentence embeddings. Using a combination of LLMs that perform well on these tasks, we developed two STR models, $\\textit{TranSem}$ and $\\textit{FineSem}$, for the supervised and cross-lingual settings. We explore the effectiveness of several training methods and the usefulness of machine translation. We find that direct fine-tuning on the task is comparable to using sentence embeddings and translating to English leads to better performance for some languages. In the supervised setting, our model performance is better than the official baseline for 3 languages with the remaining 4 performing on par. In the cross-lingual setting, our model performance is better than the baseline for 3 languages (leading to $1^{st}$ place for Africaans and $2^{nd}$ place for Indonesian), is on par for 2 languages and performs poorly on the remaining 7 languages. Our code is publicly available at https://github.com/dipta007/SemEval24-Task8.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.12730v2","authors":["Shubhashis Roy Dipta","Sai Vallurupalli"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-20T05:46:29Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2402.11815v2","name":"HU at SemEval-2024 Task 8A: Can Contrastive Learning Learn Embeddings to Detect Machine-Generated Text?","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes our system developed for SemEval-2024 Task 8, ``Multigenerator, Multidomain, and Multilingual Black-Box Machine-Generated Text Detection'' Machine-generated texts have been one of the main concerns due to the use of large language models (LLM) in fake text generation, phishing, cheating in exams, or even plagiarizing copyright materials. A lot of systems have been developed to detect machine-generated text. Nonetheless, the majority of these systems rely on the text-generating model. This limitation is impractical in real-world scenarios, as it's often impossible to know which specific model the user has used for text generation. In this work, we propose a $\\textbf{single}$ model based on contrastive learning, which uses $\\textbf{$\\approx$40% of the baseline's parameters}$ (149M vs. 355M) but shows a comparable performance on the test dataset $(\\textbf{21st out of 137 participants})$. Our key finding is that even without an ensemble of multiple models, a single base model can have comparable performance with the help of data augmentation and contrastive learning. Our code is publicly available at https://github.com/dipta007/SemEval24-Task8.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.11815v2","authors":["Shubhashis Roy Dipta","Sadat Shahriar"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-19T04:11:34Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.07665v2","name":"The Solar and Geomagnetic Storms in May 2024: A Flash Data Report","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In May 2024, the scientific community observed intense solar eruptions that resulted in a great geomagnetic storm and auroral extension, highlighting the need to document and quantify these events. This study mainly focuses on their quantification. The source active region (AR 13664) evolved from 113 to 2761 millionths of the solar hemisphere between 4 May and 14 May. AR 13664's magnetic free energy surpassed 10^33 erg on 7 May, triggering 12 X-class flares on 8 -- 15 May. Multiple interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) were produced from this AR, accelerating solar energetic particles toward Earth. According to satellite and interplanetary scintillation data, at least 4 ICMEs erupted from 13664 eventually overcoming each other and combining. The shock arrival at 17:05 UT on 10 May significantly compressed the magnetosphere down to ~ 5.04 RE, and triggered a deep Forbush Decrease. GOES satellite data and ground-based neutron monitors confirmed a ground-level enhancement from 2 UT to 10 UT on 11 May 2024. The ICMEs induced exceptional geomagnetic storms, peaking at a Dst index of -412 nT at 2 UT on 11 May, marking the sixth-largest storm since 1957. The AE and AL indices showed great auroral extensions that located the AE/AL stations into the polar cap. We gathered auroral records at that time and reconstructed the equatorward boundary of the visual auroral oval to 29.8° invariant latitude. We compared naked-eye and camera auroral visibility, providing critical caveats on their difference. We also confirmed global enhancements of storm-enhanced density of the ionosphere.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.07665v2","authors":["Hisashi Hayakawa","Yusuke Ebihara","Alexander Mishev","Sergey Koldobskiy","Kanya Kusano","Sabrina Bechet","Seiji Yashiro","Kazumasa Iwai","Atsuki Shinbori","Kalevi Mursula","Fusa Miyake","Daikou Shiota","Marcos V. D. Silveira","Robert Stuart","Denny M. Oliveira","Sachiko Akiyama","Kouji Ohnishi","Vincent Ledvina","Yoshizumi Miyoshi"],"tags":["astro-ph.SR","astro-ph.EP","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-10T13:44:50Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.11162v1","name":"LG AI Research &amp; KAIST at EHRSQL 2024: Self-Training Large Language Models with Pseudo-Labeled Unanswerable Questions for a Reliable Text-to-SQL System on EHRs","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Text-to-SQL models are pivotal for making Electronic Health Records (EHRs) accessible to healthcare professionals without SQL knowledge. With the advancements in large language models, these systems have become more adept at translating complex questions into SQL queries. Nonetheless, the critical need for reliability in healthcare necessitates these models to accurately identify unanswerable questions or uncertain predictions, preventing misinformation. To address this problem, we present a self-training strategy using pseudo-labeled unanswerable questions to enhance the reliability of text-to-SQL models for EHRs. This approach includes a two-stage training process followed by a filtering method based on the token entropy and query execution. Our methodology's effectiveness is validated by our top performance in the EHRSQL 2024 shared task, showcasing the potential to improve healthcare decision-making through more reliable text-to-SQL systems.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.11162v1","authors":["Yongrae Jo","Seongyun Lee","Minju Seo","Sung Ju Hwang","Moontae Lee"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-18T03:25:44Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.15282v1","name":"Point Transformer V3 Extreme: 1st Place Solution for 2024 Waymo Open Dataset Challenge in Semantic Segmentation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this technical report, we detail our first-place solution for the 2024 Waymo Open Dataset Challenge's semantic segmentation track. We significantly enhanced the performance of Point Transformer V3 on the Waymo benchmark by implementing cutting-edge, plug-and-play training and inference technologies. Notably, our advanced version, Point Transformer V3 Extreme, leverages multi-frame training and a no-clipping-point policy, achieving substantial gains over the original PTv3 performance. Additionally, employing a straightforward model ensemble strategy further boosted our results. This approach secured us the top position on the Waymo Open Dataset semantic segmentation leaderboard, markedly outperforming other entries.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.15282v1","authors":["Xiaoyang Wu","Xiang Xu","Lingdong Kong","Liang Pan","Ziwei Liu","Tong He","Wanli Ouyang","Hengshuang Zhao"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-21T22:08:52Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.00502v3","name":"Using non-DESI data to confirm and strengthen the DESI 2024 spatially-flat $w_0w_a$CDM cosmological parameterization result","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We use a combination of Planck cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy data and non-CMB data that include Pantheon+ type Ia supernovae (SNIa), Hubble parameter [$H(z)$], growth factor ($fσ_8$) measurements, and a collection of baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) data, but not recent DESI 2024 BAO measurements, to confirm the DESI 2024 (DESI+CMB+PantheonPlus) data compilation support for dynamical dark energy with an evolving equation of state parameter $w(z) = w_0 + w_a z/(1+z)$. From our joint compilation of CMB and non-CMB data, in a spatially-flat cosmological model, we obtain $w_0 = -0.850 \\pm 0.059$ and $w_a = -0.59^{+0.26}_{-0.22}$ and find that this dynamical dark energy is favored over a cosmological constant by $\\sim 2σ$. Our data constraints on the flat $w_0w_a$CDM parameterization are slightly more restrictive than the DESI 2024 constraints, with the DESI 2024 and our values of $w_0$ and $w_a$ differing by $-0.27σ$ and $0.44σ$, respectively. Our data compilation slightly more strongly favors the flat $w_0w_a$CDM model over the flat $Λ$CDM model than does the DESI 2024 data compilation. We note that our CMB and non-CMB data $w_0w_a$CDM parameterization cosmological constraints are discrepant at 2.7$σ$, a little larger than the 1.9$σ$ discrepancy between DESI DR1 BAO and CMB data flat $Λ$CDM model cosmological constraints. We also show that if we remove the Pantheon+ SNIa contribution from the non-CMB data, for the $w_0w_a$CDM parameterization we still find tension between P18 and non-CMB data (2.5$σ$) and P18+lensing and non-CMB data (2.4$σ$). Even after the exclusion of Pantheon+ SNIa data the $Λ$CDM model is still disfavoured at $\\sim 2σ$ c.l.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.00502v3","authors":["Chan-Gyung Park","Javier de Cruz Perez","Bharat Ratra"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO","gr-qc","hep-ph","hep-th"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-01T13:20:37Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.13877v1","name":"Achieving Predictive Precision: Leveraging LSTM and Pseudo Labeling for Volvo's Discovery Challenge at ECML-PKDD 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the second-place methodology in the Volvo Discovery Challenge at ECML-PKDD 2024, where we used Long Short-Term Memory networks and pseudo-labeling to predict maintenance needs for a component of Volvo trucks. We processed the training data to mirror the test set structure and applied a base LSTM model to label the test data iteratively. This approach refined our model's predictive capabilities and culminated in a macro-average F1-score of 0.879, demonstrating robust performance in predictive maintenance. This work provides valuable insights for applying machine learning techniques effectively in industrial settings.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.13877v1","authors":["Carlo Metta","Marco Gregnanin","Andrea Papini","Silvia Giulia Galfrè","Andrea Fois","Francesco Morandin","Marco Fantozzi","Maurizio Parton"],"tags":["cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-20T20:12:12Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.01490v2","name":"AAdaM at SemEval-2024 Task 1: Augmentation and Adaptation for Multilingual Semantic Textual Relatedness","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents our system developed for the SemEval-2024 Task 1: Semantic Textual Relatedness for African and Asian Languages. The shared task aims at measuring the semantic textual relatedness between pairs of sentences, with a focus on a range of under-represented languages. In this work, we propose using machine translation for data augmentation to address the low-resource challenge of limited training data. Moreover, we apply task-adaptive pre-training on unlabeled task data to bridge the gap between pre-training and task adaptation. For model training, we investigate both full fine-tuning and adapter-based tuning, and adopt the adapter framework for effective zero-shot cross-lingual transfer. We achieve competitive results in the shared task: our system performs the best among all ranked teams in both subtask A (supervised learning) and subtask C (cross-lingual transfer).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.01490v2","authors":["Miaoran Zhang","Mingyang Wang","Jesujoba O. Alabi","Dietrich Klakow"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-01T21:21:15Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.12721v2","name":"Sound event detection based on auxiliary decoder and maximum probability aggregation for DCASE Challenge 2024 Task 4","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this report, we propose three novel methods for developing a sound event detection (SED) model for the DCASE 2024 Challenge Task 4. First, we propose an auxiliary decoder attached to the final convolutional block to improve feature extraction capabilities while reducing dependency on embeddings from pre-trained large models. The proposed auxiliary decoder operates independently from the main decoder, enhancing performance of the convolutional block during the initial training stages by assigning a different weight strategy between main and auxiliary decoder losses. Next, to address the time interval issue between the DESED and MAESTRO datasets, we propose maximum probability aggregation (MPA) during the training step. The proposed MPA method enables the model's output to be aligned with soft labels of 1 s in the MAESTRO dataset. Finally, we propose a multi-channel input feature that employs various versions of logmel and MFCC features to generate time-frequency pattern. The experimental results demonstrate the efficacy of these proposed methods in a view of improving SED performance by achieving a balanced enhancement across different datasets and label types. Ultimately, this approach presents a significant step forward in developing more robust and flexible SED models","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.12721v2","authors":["Sang Won Son","Jongyeon Park","Hong Kook Kim","Sulaiman Vesal","Jeong Eun Lim"],"tags":["eess.AS","cs.SD"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-17T06:41:12Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.16271v1","name":"AIM 2024 Challenge on UHD Blind Photo Quality Assessment","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We introduce the AIM 2024 UHD-IQA Challenge, a competition to advance the No-Reference Image Quality Assessment (NR-IQA) task for modern, high-resolution photos. The challenge is based on the recently released UHD-IQA Benchmark Database, which comprises 6,073 UHD-1 (4K) images annotated with perceptual quality ratings from expert raters. Unlike previous NR-IQA datasets, UHD-IQA focuses on highly aesthetic photos of superior technical quality, reflecting the ever-increasing standards of digital photography. This challenge aims to develop efficient and effective NR-IQA models. Participants are tasked with creating novel architectures and training strategies to achieve high predictive performance on UHD-1 images within a computational budget of 50G MACs. This enables model deployment on edge devices and scalable processing of extensive image collections. Winners are determined based on a combination of performance metrics, including correlation measures (SRCC, PLCC, KRCC), absolute error metrics (MAE, RMSE), and computational efficiency (G MACs). To excel in this challenge, participants leverage techniques like knowledge distillation, low-precision inference, and multi-scale training. By pushing the boundaries of NR-IQA for high-resolution photos, the UHD-IQA Challenge aims to stimulate the development of practical models that can keep pace with the rapidly evolving landscape of digital photography. The innovative solutions emerging from this competition will have implications for various applications, from photo curation and enhancement to image compression.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.16271v1","authors":["Vlad Hosu","Marcos V. Conde","Lorenzo Agnolucci","Nabajeet Barman","Saman Zadtootaghaj","Radu Timofte"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-24T17:44:24Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.03022v2","name":"BCAmirs at SemEval-2024 Task 4: Beyond Words: A Multimodal and Multilingual Exploration of Persuasion in Memes","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Memes, combining text and images, frequently use metaphors to convey persuasive messages, shaping public opinion. Motivated by this, our team engaged in SemEval-2024 Task 4, a hierarchical multi-label classification task designed to identify rhetorical and psychological persuasion techniques embedded within memes. To tackle this problem, we introduced a caption generation step to assess the modality gap and the impact of additional semantic information from images, which improved our result. Our best model utilizes GPT-4 generated captions alongside meme text to fine-tune RoBERTa as the text encoder and CLIP as the image encoder. It outperforms the baseline by a large margin in all 12 subtasks. In particular, it ranked in top-3 across all languages in Subtask 2a, and top-4 in Subtask 2b, demonstrating quantitatively strong performance. The improvement achieved by the introduced intermediate step is likely attributable to the metaphorical essence of images that challenges visual encoders. This highlights the potential for improving abstract visual semantics encoding.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.03022v2","authors":["Amirhossein Abaskohi","Amirhossein Dabiriaghdam","Lele Wang","Giuseppe Carenini"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.CV","cs.IT","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-03T19:17:43Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.05211v1","name":"ICML Topological Deep Learning Challenge 2024: Beyond the Graph Domain","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes the 2nd edition of the ICML Topological Deep Learning Challenge that was hosted within the ICML 2024 ELLIS Workshop on Geometry-grounded Representation Learning and Generative Modeling (GRaM). The challenge focused on the problem of representing data in different discrete topological domains in order to bridge the gap between Topological Deep Learning (TDL) and other types of structured datasets (e.g. point clouds, graphs). Specifically, participants were asked to design and implement topological liftings, i.e. mappings between different data structures and topological domains --like hypergraphs, or simplicial/cell/combinatorial complexes. The challenge received 52 submissions satisfying all the requirements. This paper introduces the main scope of the challenge, and summarizes the main results and findings.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.05211v1","authors":["Guillermo Bernárdez","Lev Telyatnikov","Marco Montagna","Federica Baccini","Mathilde Papillon","Miquel Ferriol-Galmés","Mustafa Hajij","Theodore Papamarkou","Maria Sofia Bucarelli","Olga Zaghen","Johan Mathe","Audun Myers","Scott Mahan","Hansen Lillemark","Sharvaree Vadgama","Erik Bekkers","Tim Doster","Tegan Emerson","Henry Kvinge","Katrina Agate","Nesreen K Ahmed","Pengfei Bai","Michael Banf","Claudio Battiloro","Maxim Beketov","Paul Bogdan","Martin Carrasco","Andrea Cavallo","Yun Young Choi","George Dasoulas","Matouš Elphick","Giordan Escalona","Dominik Filipiak","Halley Fritze","Thomas Gebhart","Manel Gil-Sorribes","Salvish Goomanee","Victor Guallar","Liliya Imasheva","Andrei Irimia","Hongwei Jin","Graham Johnson","Nikos Kanakaris","Boshko Koloski","Veljko Kovač","Manuel Lecha","Minho Lee","Pierrick Leroy","Theodore Long","German Magai","Alvaro Martinez","Marissa Masden","Sebastian Mežnar","Bertran Miquel-Oliver","Alexis Molina","Alexander Nikitin","Marco Nurisso","Matt Piekenbrock","Yu Qin","Patryk Rygiel","Alessandro Salatiello","Max Schattauer","Pavel Snopov","Julian Suk","Valentina Sánchez","Mauricio Tec","Francesco Vaccarino","Jonas Verhellen","Frederic Wantiez","Alexander Weers","Patrik Zajec","Blaž Škrlj","Nina Miolane"],"tags":["cs.LG","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-08T19:59:53Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2403.04798v2","name":"JMI at SemEval 2024 Task 3: Two-step approach for multimodal ECAC using in-context learning with GPT and instruction-tuned Llama models","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents our system development for SemEval-2024 Task 3: \"The Competition of Multimodal Emotion Cause Analysis in Conversations\". Effectively capturing emotions in human conversations requires integrating multiple modalities such as text, audio, and video. However, the complexities of these diverse modalities pose challenges for developing an efficient multimodal emotion cause analysis (ECA) system. Our proposed approach addresses these challenges by a two-step framework. We adopt two different approaches in our implementation. In Approach 1, we employ instruction-tuning with two separate Llama 2 models for emotion and cause prediction. In Approach 2, we use GPT-4V for conversation-level video description and employ in-context learning with annotated conversation using GPT 3.5. Our system wins rank 4, and system ablation experiments demonstrate that our proposed solutions achieve significant performance gains. All the experimental codes are available on Github.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.04798v2","authors":[" Arefa","Mohammed Abbas Ansari","Chandni Saxena","Tanvir Ahmad"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-05T12:07:18Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.20833v2","name":"Inclusion 2024 Global Multimedia Deepfake Detection Challenge: Towards Multi-dimensional Face Forgery Detection","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, we present the Global Multimedia Deepfake Detection held concurrently with the Inclusion 2024. Our Multimedia Deepfake Detection aims to detect automatic image and audio-video manipulations including but not limited to editing, synthesis, generation, Photoshop,etc. Our challenge has attracted 1500 teams from all over the world, with about 5000 valid result submission counts. We invite the top 20 teams to present their solutions to the challenge, from which the top 3 teams are awarded prizes in the grand finale. In this paper, we present the solutions from the top 3 teams of the two tracks, to boost the research work in the field of image and audio-video forgery detection. The methodologies developed through the challenge will contribute to the development of next-generation deepfake detection systems and we encourage participants to open source their methods.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.20833v2","authors":["Yi Zhang","Weize Gao","Changtao Miao","Man Luo","Jianshu Li","Wenzhong Deng","Zhe Li","Bingyu Hu","Weibin Yao","Yunfeng Diao","Wenbo Zhou","Tao Gong","Qi Chu"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.MM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-30T09:58:27Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.02474v1","name":"uTeBC-NLP at SemEval-2024 Task 9: Can LLMs be Lateral Thinkers?","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Inspired by human cognition, Jiang et al.(2023c) create a benchmark for assessing LLMs' lateral thinking-thinking outside the box. Building upon this benchmark, we investigate how different prompting methods enhance LLMs' performance on this task to reveal their inherent power for outside-the-box thinking ability. Through participating in SemEval-2024, task 9, Sentence Puzzle sub-task, we explore prompt engineering methods: chain of thoughts (CoT) and direct prompting, enhancing with informative descriptions, and employing contextualizing prompts using a retrieval augmented generation (RAG) pipeline. Our experiments involve three LLMs including GPT-3.5, GPT-4, and Zephyr-7B-beta. We generate a dataset of thinking paths between riddles and options using GPT-4, validated by humans for quality. Findings indicate that compressed informative prompts enhance performance. Dynamic in-context learning enhances model performance significantly. Furthermore, fine-tuning Zephyr on our dataset enhances performance across other commonsense datasets, underscoring the value of innovative thinking.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.02474v1","authors":["Pouya Sadeghi","Amirhossein Abaskohi","Yadollah Yaghoobzadeh"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.IR","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-03T05:31:59Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2403.19354v1","name":"AIpom at SemEval-2024 Task 8: Detecting AI-produced Outputs in M4","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes AIpom, a system designed to detect a boundary between human-written and machine-generated text (SemEval-2024 Task 8, Subtask C: Human-Machine Mixed Text Detection). We propose a two-stage pipeline combining predictions from an instruction-tuned decoder-only model and encoder-only sequence taggers. AIpom is ranked second on the leaderboard while achieving a Mean Absolute Error of 15.94. Ablation studies confirm the benefits of pipelining encoder and decoder models, particularly in terms of improved performance.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.19354v1","authors":["Alexander Shirnin","Nikita Andreev","Vladislav Mikhailov","Ekaterina Artemova"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-28T12:10:30Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.12024v2","name":"Mitigating Imaging Systematics for DESI 2024 Emission Line Galaxies and Beyond","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Emission Line Galaxies (ELGs) are one of the main tracers that the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) uses to probe the universe. However, they are afflicted by strong spurious correlations between target density and observing conditions known as imaging systematics. We present the imaging systematics mitigation applied to the DESI Data Release 1 (DR1) large-scale structure catalogs used in the DESI 2024 cosmological analyses. We also explore extensions of the fiducial treatment. This includes a combined approach, through forward image simulations in conjunction with neural network-based regression, to obtain an angular selection function that mitigates the imaging systematics observed in the DESI DR1 ELGs target density. We further derive a line-of-sight selection function from the forward model that removes the strong redshift dependence between imaging systematics and low redshift ELGs. Combining both angular and redshift-dependent systematics, we construct a 3D selection function and assess the impact of all selection functions on clustering statistics. We quantify differences between these extended treatments and the fiducial treatment in terms of the measured 2-point statistics. We find that the results are generally consistent with the fiducial treatment and conclude that the differences are far less than the imaging systematics uncertainty included in DESI 2024 full-shape measurements. We extend our investigation to the ELGs at $0.6&lt;z&lt;0.8$, i.e., beyond the redshift range ($0.8&lt;z&lt;1.6$) adopted for the DESI clustering catalog, and demonstrate that determining the full 3D selection function is necessary in this redshift range. Our tests showed that all changes are consistent with statistical noise for BAO analyses indicating they are robust to even severe imaging systematics. Specific tests for the full-shape analysis will be presented in a companion paper.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.12024v2","authors":["A. J. Rosado-Marín","A. J. Ross","H. Seo","M. Rezaie","H. Kong","A. de Mattia","R. Zhou","J. Aguilar","S. Ahlen","O. Alves","D. Bianchi","D. Brooks","E. Burtin","E. Chaussidon","X. Chen","T. Claybaugh","K. S. Dawson","A. de la Macorra","Arjun Dey","P. Doel","K. Fanning","S. Ferraro","J. E. Forero-Romero","E. Gaztañaga","S. Gontcho A Gontcho","G. Gutierrez","C. Hahn","M. M. S Hanif","C. Howlett","S. Juneau","R. Kehoe","T. Kisner","A. Kremin","A. Krolewski","M. Landriau","L. Le Guillou","M. E. Levi","A. Meisner","J. Mena-Fernández","R. Miquel","J. Moustakas","J. A. Newman","E. Paillas","N. Palanque-Delabrouille","W. J. Percival","F. Prada","I. Pérez-Ràfols","A. Raichoor","G. Rossi","R. Ruggeri","E. Sanchez","E. F. Schlafly","D. Schlegel","M. Schubnell","D. Sprayberry","M. Vargas-Magaña","B. A. Weaver","J. Yu","H. Zou"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-18T20:03:37Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.22716v4","name":"Exposing Cross-Platform Coordinated Inauthentic Activity in the Run-Up to the 2024 U.S. Election","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Coordinated information operations remain a persistent challenge on social media, despite platform efforts to curb them. While previous research has primarily focused on identifying these operations within individual platforms, this study shows that coordination frequently transcends platform boundaries. Leveraging newly collected data of online conversations related to the 2024 U.S. Election across $\\mathbb{X}$ (formerly, Twitter), Facebook, and Telegram, we construct similarity networks to detect coordinated communities exhibiting suspicious sharing behaviors within and across platforms. Proposing an advanced coordination detection model, we reveal evidence of potential foreign interference, with Russian-affiliated media being systematically promoted across Telegram and $\\mathbb{X}$. Our analysis also uncovers substantial intra- and cross-platform coordinated inauthentic activity, driving the spread of highly partisan, low-credibility, and conspiratorial content. These findings highlight the urgent need for regulatory measures that extend beyond individual platforms to effectively address the growing challenge of cross-platform coordinated influence campaigns.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.22716v4","authors":["Federico Cinus","Marco Minici","Luca Luceri","Emilio Ferrara"],"tags":["cs.SI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-30T05:56:36Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.19534v2","name":"MIPI 2024 Challenge on Nighttime Flare Removal: Methods and Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The increasing demand for computational photography and imaging on mobile platforms has led to the widespread development and integration of advanced image sensors with novel algorithms in camera systems. However, the scarcity of high-quality data for research and the rare opportunity for in-depth exchange of views from industry and academia constrain the development of mobile intelligent photography and imaging (MIPI). Building on the achievements of the previous MIPI Workshops held at ECCV 2022 and CVPR 2023, we introduce our third MIPI challenge including three tracks focusing on novel image sensors and imaging algorithms. In this paper, we summarize and review the Nighttime Flare Removal track on MIPI 2024. In total, 170 participants were successfully registered, and 14 teams submitted results in the final testing phase. The developed solutions in this challenge achieved state-of-the-art performance on Nighttime Flare Removal. More details of this challenge and the link to the dataset can be found at https://mipi-challenge.org/MIPI2024/.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.19534v2","authors":["Yuekun Dai","Dafeng Zhang","Xiaoming Li","Zongsheng Yue","Chongyi Li","Shangchen Zhou","Ruicheng Feng","Peiqing Yang","Zhezhu Jin","Guanqun Liu","Chen Change Loy","Lize Zhang","Shuai Liu","Chaoyu Feng","Luyang Wang","Shuan Chen","Guangqi Shao","Xiaotao Wang","Lei Lei","Qirui Yang","Qihua Cheng","Zhiqiang Xu","Yihao Liu","Huanjing Yue","Jingyu Yang","Florin-Alexandru Vasluianu","Zongwei Wu","George Ciubotariu","Radu Timofte","Zhao Zhang","Suiyi Zhao","Bo Wang","Zhichao Zuo","Yanyan Wei","Kuppa Sai Sri Teja","Jayakar Reddy A","Girish Rongali","Kaushik Mitra","Zhihao Ma","Yongxu Liu","Wanying Zhang","Wei Shang","Yuhong He","Long Peng","Zhongxin Yu","Shaofei Luo","Jian Wang","Yuqi Miao","Baiang Li","Gang Wei","Rakshank Verma","Ritik Maheshwari","Rahul Tekchandani","Praful Hambarde","Satya Narayan Tazi","Santosh Kumar Vipparthi","Subrahmanyam Murala","Haopeng Zhang","Yingli Hou","Mingde Yao","Levin M S","Aniruth Sundararajan","Hari Kumar A"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-30T13:11:12Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.18558v1","name":"XWSB: A Blend System Utilizing XLS-R and WavLM with SLS Classifier detection system for SVDD 2024 Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper introduces the model structure used in the SVDD 2024 Challenge. The SVDD 2024 challenge has been introduced this year for the first time. Singing voice deepfake detection (SVDD) which faces complexities due to informal speech intonations and varying speech rates. In this paper, we propose the XWSB system, which achieved SOTA per-formance in the SVDD challenge. XWSB stands for XLS-R, WavLM, and SLS Blend, representing the integration of these technologies for the purpose of SVDD. Specifically, we used the best performing model structure XLS-R&amp;SLS from the ASVspoof DF dataset, and applied SLS to WavLM to form the WavLM&amp;SLS structure. Finally, we integrated two models to form the XWSB system. Experimental results show that our system demonstrates advanced recognition capabilities in the SVDD challenge, specifically achieving an EER of 2.32% in the CtrSVDD track. The code and data can be found at https://github.com/QiShanZhang/XWSB_for_ SVDD2024.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.18558v1","authors":["Qishan Zhang","Shuangbing Wen","Fangke Yan","Tao Hu","Jun Li"],"tags":["cs.SD","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-27T08:55:51Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.08029v2","name":"The discovery and characterization of minimoon 2024 PT$_5$","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Minimoons are asteroids that become temporarily captured by the Earth-Moon system. We present the discovery of 2024 PT$_5$, a minimoon discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) Sutherland telescope on 2024 August 7. The minimoon with heliocentric semi-major axis, $a$$\\sim$1.01 au, and perihelion, $q$$\\sim$0.99 au, became captured by the Earth-Moon system on 2024 September 29 and left on 2024 November 25 UTC. Visible g, r, i, and Z spectrophotometry was obtained using Gemini North/Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS) on 2024 September 27. The color indices are g-r = 0.58$\\pm$0.04, r-i = 0.29$\\pm$0.04, i-Z = -0.27$\\pm$0.06, and the spectrum best matches lunar rock samples followed by S-complex asteroids. Assuming an albedo of 0.21 and using our measured absolute magnitude of 28.64$\\pm$0.04, 2024 PT$_5$ has a diameter of 5.4$\\pm$1.2 m. We also detect variations in the lightcurve of 2024 PT$_5$ with a 0.28$\\pm$0.07 magnitude amplitude and a double-peaked period of $\\sim$2600$\\pm$500 s. We improve the orbital solution of 2024 PT$_5$ with our astrometry and estimate the effect of radiation pressure on its deriving an area-to-mass ratio of 7.02$\\pm$2.05$\\times$10$^{-5}$ m$^2$/kg, implying a density of $\\sim$3.9$\\pm$2.1 g/cm$^3$, compatible with having a rocky composition. If we assume 2024 PT$_5$ is from the NEO population, its most likely sources are resonances in the inner Main Belt by comparing its orbit with the NEO population model, though this does not exclude a lunar origin.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.08029v2","authors":["Bryce T. Bolin","Larry Denneau","Laura-May Abron","Robert Jedicke","Kristin Chiboucas","Carl Ingerbretsen","Brian C. Lemaux"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-12T18:58:03Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.16464v1","name":"Multi-Modal UAV Detection, Classification and Tracking Algorithm -- Technical Report for CVPR 2024 UG2 Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This technical report presents the 1st winning model for UG2+, a task in CVPR 2024 UAV Tracking and Pose-Estimation Challenge. This challenge faces difficulties in drone detection, UAV-type classification and 2D/3D trajectory estimation in extreme weather conditions with multi-modal sensor information, including stereo vision, various Lidars, Radars, and audio arrays. Leveraging this information, we propose a multi-modal UAV detection, classification, and 3D tracking method for accurate UAV classification and tracking. A novel classification pipeline which incorporates sequence fusion, region of interest (ROI) cropping, and keyframe selection is proposed. Our system integrates cutting-edge classification techniques and sophisticated post-processing steps to boost accuracy and robustness. The designed pose estimation pipeline incorporates three modules: dynamic points analysis, a multi-object tracker, and trajectory completion techniques. Extensive experiments have validated the effectiveness and precision of our approach. In addition, we also propose a novel dataset pre-processing method and conduct a comprehensive ablation study for our design. We finally achieved the best performance in the classification and tracking of the MMUAD dataset. The code and configuration of our method are available at https://github.com/dtc111111/Multi-Modal-UAV.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.16464v1","authors":["Tianchen Deng","Yi Zhou","Wenhua Wu","Mingrui Li","Jingwei Huang","Shuhong Liu","Yanzeng Song","Hao Zuo","Yanbo Wang","Yutao Yue","Hesheng Wang","Weidong Chen"],"tags":["cs.RO","cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-26T07:21:18Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.01084v1","name":"AILS-NTUA at SemEval-2024 Task 9: Cracking Brain Teasers: Transformer Models for Lateral Thinking Puzzles","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, we outline our submission for the SemEval-2024 Task 9 competition: 'BRAINTEASER: A Novel Task Defying Common Sense'. We engage in both sub-tasks: Sub-task A-Sentence Puzzle and Sub-task B-Word Puzzle. We evaluate a plethora of pre-trained transformer-based language models of different sizes through fine-tuning. Subsequently, we undertake an analysis of their scores and responses to aid future researchers in understanding and utilizing these models effectively. Our top-performing approaches secured competitive positions on the competition leaderboard across both sub-tasks. In the evaluation phase, our best submission attained an average accuracy score of 81.7% in the Sentence Puzzle, and 85.4% in the Word Puzzle, significantly outperforming the best neural baseline (ChatGPT) by more than 20% and 30% respectively.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.01084v1","authors":["Ioannis Panagiotopoulos","Giorgos Filandrianos","Maria Lymperaiou","Giorgos Stamou"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-01T12:27:55Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2408.05388v1","name":"Report on the 1st Workshop on Large Language Model for Evaluation in Information Retrieval (LLM4Eval 2024) at SIGIR 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The first edition of the workshop on Large Language Model for Evaluation in Information Retrieval (LLM4Eval 2024) took place in July 2024, co-located with the ACM SIGIR Conference 2024 in the USA (SIGIR 2024). The aim was to bring information retrieval researchers together around the topic of LLMs for evaluation in information retrieval that gathered attention with the advancement of large language models and generative AI. Given the novelty of the topic, the workshop was focused around multi-sided discussions, namely panels and poster sessions of the accepted proceedings papers.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.05388v1","authors":["Hossein A. Rahmani","Clemencia Siro","Mohammad Aliannejadi","Nick Craswell","Charles L. A. Clarke","Guglielmo Faggioli","Bhaskar Mitra","Paul Thomas","Emine Yilmaz"],"tags":["cs.IR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-09T23:55:58Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2402.13671v2","name":"KInIT at SemEval-2024 Task 8: Fine-tuned LLMs for Multilingual Machine-Generated Text Detection","source":"arxiv","abstract":"SemEval-2024 Task 8 is focused on multigenerator, multidomain, and multilingual black-box machine-generated text detection. Such a detection is important for preventing a potential misuse of large language models (LLMs), the newest of which are very capable in generating multilingual human-like texts. We have coped with this task in multiple ways, utilizing language identification and parameter-efficient fine-tuning of smaller LLMs for text classification. We have further used the per-language classification-threshold calibration to uniquely combine fine-tuned models predictions with statistical detection metrics to improve generalization of the system detection performance. Our submitted method achieved competitive results, ranking at the fourth place, just under 1 percentage point behind the winner.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.13671v2","authors":["Michal Spiegel","Dominik Macko"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-21T10:09:56Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.01604v2","name":"Agentic-HLS: An agentic reasoning based high-level synthesis system using large language models (AI for EDA workshop 2024)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Our aim for the ML Contest for Chip Design with HLS 2024 was to predict the validity, running latency in the form of cycle counts, utilization rate of BRAM (util-BRAM), utilization rate of lookup tables (uti-LUT), utilization rate of flip flops (util-FF), and the utilization rate of digital signal processors (util-DSP). We used Chain-of-thought techniques with large language models to perform classification and regression tasks. Our prediction is that with larger models reasoning was much improved. We release our prompts and propose a HLS benchmarking task for LLMs.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.01604v2","authors":["Ali Emre Oztas","Mahdi Jelodari"],"tags":["cs.AI","cs.AR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-02T15:24:08Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.06347v1","name":"The 2024 release of the ExoMol database: molecular line lists for exoplanet and other hot atmospheres","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The ExoMol database (www.exomol.com) provides molecular data for spectroscopic studies of hot atmospheres. These data are widely used to model atmospheres of exoplanets, cool stars and other astronomical objects, as well as a variety of terrestrial applications. The 2024 data release reports the current status of the database which contains recommended line lists for 91 molecules and 224 isotopologues giving a total of almost 10$^{12}$ individual transitions. New features of the database include extensive \"MARVELization\" of line lists to allow them to be used for high resolutions studies, extension of several line lists to ultraviolet wavelengths, provision of photodissociation cross sections and extended provision of broadening parameters. Some of the in-house data specifications have been rewritten in JSON and moved to conformity with other international standards. Data products, including specific heats, a database of lifetimes for plasma studies, and the ExoMolHR web app which allows exclusively high resolution data to be extracted, are discussed.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.06347v1","authors":["Jonathan Tennyson","Sergei N. Yurchenko","Jingxin Zhang","Charles A. Bowesman","Ryan P. Brady","Jeanna Buldyreva","Katy L. Chubb","Robert R. Gamache","Maire N. Gorman","Elizabeth R. Guest","Christian Hill","Kyriaki Kefala","A. E. Lynas-Gray","Thomas M. Mellor","Laura K. McKemmish","Georgi B. Mitev","Irina I. Mizus","Alec Owens","Zhijian Peng","Armando N. Perri","Marco Pezzella","Oleg L. Polyansky","Qianwei Qu","Mikhail Semenov","Oleksiy Smola","Andrei Solokov","Wilfrid Somogyi","Apoorva Upadhyay","Samuel O. M. Wright","Nikolai F. Zobov"],"tags":["astro-ph.GA"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-10T15:07:21Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.01159v2","name":"TartuNLP at EvaLatin 2024: Emotion Polarity Detection","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the TartuNLP team submission to EvaLatin 2024 shared task of the emotion polarity detection for historical Latin texts. Our system relies on two distinct approaches to annotating training data for supervised learning: 1) creating heuristics-based labels by adopting the polarity lexicon provided by the organizers and 2) generating labels with GPT4. We employed parameter efficient fine-tuning using the adapters framework and experimented with both monolingual and cross-lingual knowledge transfer for training language and task adapters. Our submission with the LLM-generated labels achieved the overall first place in the emotion polarity detection task. Our results show that LLM-based annotations show promising results on texts in Latin.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.01159v2","authors":["Aleksei Dorkin","Kairit Sirts"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-02T10:28:52Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.08040v1","name":"No evidence of systematic proximity ascertainment bias in early COVID-19 cases in Wuhan Reply to Weissman (2024)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In a short text published as Letter to the Editor of the Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Weissman (2024) argues that the finding that early COVID-19 cases without an ascertained link to Wuhan's Huanan Seafood Wholesale market resided on average closer to the market than cases epidemiologically linked to it, reveals \"major proximity ascertainment bias\". Here we show that Weissman's conclusion is based on a flawed premise, and that there is no such \"internal evidence\" of major bias. The pattern can indeed be explained by places of infection not being limited to residential neighbourhoods, and by stochasticity -- i.e., without requiring any ascertainment bias.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.08040v1","authors":["Florence Débarre","Michael Worobey"],"tags":["physics.soc-ph","q-bio.PE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-13T09:35:35Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.15359v1","name":"UF-HOBI at \"Discharge Me!\": A Hybrid Solution for Discharge Summary Generation Through Prompt-based Tuning of GatorTronGPT Models","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Automatic generation of discharge summaries presents significant challenges due to the length of clinical documentation, the dispersed nature of patient information, and the diverse terminology used in healthcare. This paper presents a hybrid solution for generating discharge summary sections as part of our participation in the \"Discharge Me!\" Challenge at the BioNLP 2024 Shared Task. We developed a two-stage generation method using both extractive and abstractive techniques, in which we first apply name entity recognition (NER) to extract key clinical concepts, which are then used as input for a prompt-tuning-based GatorTronGPT model to generate coherent text for two important sections including \"Brief Hospital Course\" and \"Discharge Instructions\". Our system was ranked 5th in this challenge, achieving an overall score of 0.284. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of our hybrid solution in improving the quality of automated discharge section generation.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.15359v1","authors":["Mengxian Lyu","Cheng Peng","Daniel Paredes","Ziyi Chen","Aokun Chen","Jiang Bian","Yonghui Wu"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-22T04:02:45Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.09201v3","name":"Enhanced Object Detection: A Study on Vast Vocabulary Object Detection Track for V3Det Challenge 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this technical report, we present our findings from the research conducted on the Vast Vocabulary Visual Detection (V3Det) dataset for Supervised Vast Vocabulary Visual Detection task. How to deal with complex categories and detection boxes has become a difficulty in this track. The original supervised detector is not suitable for this task. We have designed a series of improvements, including adjustments to the network structure, changes to the loss function, and design of training strategies. Our model has shown improvement over the baseline and achieved excellent rankings on the Leaderboard for both the Vast Vocabulary Object Detection (Supervised) track and the Open Vocabulary Object Detection (OVD) track of the V3Det Challenge 2024.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.09201v3","authors":["Peixi Wu","Bosong Chai","Xuan Nie","Longquan Yan","Zeyu Wang","Qifan Zhou","Boning Wang","Yansong Peng","Hebei Li"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-13T14:59:45Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.01975v1","name":"Ejected from home: C/1980 E1 (Bowell) and C/2024 L5 (ATLAS)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Context. Natural interstellar objects do not form isolated in deep space, but escape their natal planetary systems. Early removal from their home star systems via close flybys with still-forming planets could be the dominant ejection mechanism. However, dynamically evolved planetary systems such as the Solar System may also be a significant source of natural interstellar objects. Aims. We studied the dynamical evolution of two unusual Solar System hyperbolic comets, C/1980 E1 (Bowell) and C/2024 L5 (ATLAS), to investigate the circumstances that led them to reach moderate Solar System excess hyperbolic speeds. Methods. We used N-body simulations and statistical analyses to explore the planetary encounters that led to the ejection of C/1980 E1 and C/2024 L5, and studied their pre- and post-encounter trajectories. Results. We confirm that C/1980 E1 reached its present path into interstellar space after an encounter with Jupiter at 0.23 au on December 9, 1980. C/2024 L5 was scattered out of the Solar System following a flyby to Saturn at 0.003 au on January 24, 2022. Integrations backward in time show that C/1980 E1 came from the inner Oort cloud but C/2024 L5 could be a former retrograde, inactive Centaur. The receding velocities of C/1980 E1 and C/2024 L5 when entering interstellar space will be 3.8 and 2.8 km/s, moving towards Aries and Triangulum, respectively. Conclusions. Our results for two comets ejected from the Solar System indicate that dynamically evolved planetary systems can be effective sources of interstellar objects and provide constraints on their velocity distribution.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.01975v1","authors":["R. de la Fuente Marcos","C. de la Fuente Marcos","S. J. Aarseth"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.GA"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-02T19:30:46Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.07006v1","name":"MIPI 2024 Challenge on Few-shot RAW Image Denoising: Methods and Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The increasing demand for computational photography and imaging on mobile platforms has led to the widespread development and integration of advanced image sensors with novel algorithms in camera systems. However, the scarcity of high-quality data for research and the rare opportunity for in-depth exchange of views from industry and academia constrain the development of mobile intelligent photography and imaging (MIPI). Building on the achievements of the previous MIPI Workshops held at ECCV 2022 and CVPR 2023, we introduce our third MIPI challenge including three tracks focusing on novel image sensors and imaging algorithms. In this paper, we summarize and review the Few-shot RAW Image Denoising track on MIPI 2024. In total, 165 participants were successfully registered, and 7 teams submitted results in the final testing phase. The developed solutions in this challenge achieved state-of-the-art erformance on Few-shot RAW Image Denoising. More details of this challenge and the link to the dataset can be found at https://mipichallenge.org/MIPI2024.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.07006v1","authors":["Xin Jin","Chunle Guo","Xiaoming Li","Zongsheng Yue","Chongyi Li","Shangchen Zhou","Ruicheng Feng","Yuekun Dai","Peiqing Yang","Chen Change Loy","Ruoqi Li","Chang Liu","Ziyi Wang","Yao Du","Jingjing Yang","Long Bao","Heng Sun","Xiangyu Kong","Xiaoxia Xing","Jinlong Wu","Yuanyang Xue","Hyunhee Park","Sejun Song","Changho Kim","Jingfan Tan","Wenhan Luo","Zikun Liu","Mingde Qiao","Junjun Jiang","Kui Jiang","Yao Xiao","Chuyang Sun","Jinhui Hu","Weijian Ruan","Yubo Dong","Kai Chen","Hyejeong Jo","Jiahao Qin","Bingjie Han","Pinle Qin","Rui Chai","Pengyuan Wang"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-11T06:59:55Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.06673v2","name":"Overview of the EHRSQL 2024 Shared Task on Reliable Text-to-SQL Modeling on Electronic Health Records","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Electronic Health Records (EHRs) are relational databases that store the entire medical histories of patients within hospitals. They record numerous aspects of patients' medical care, from hospital admission and diagnosis to treatment and discharge. While EHRs are vital sources of clinical data, exploring them beyond a predefined set of queries requires skills in query languages like SQL. To make information retrieval more accessible, one strategy is to build a question-answering system, possibly leveraging text-to-SQL models that can automatically translate natural language questions into corresponding SQL queries and use these queries to retrieve the answers. The EHRSQL 2024 shared task aims to advance and promote research in developing a question-answering system for EHRs using text-to-SQL modeling, capable of reliably providing requested answers to various healthcare professionals to improve their clinical work processes and satisfy their needs. Among more than 100 participants who applied to the shared task, eight teams were formed and completed the entire shared task requirement and demonstrated a wide range of methods to effectively solve this task. In this paper, we describe the task of reliable text-to-SQL modeling, the dataset, and the methods and results of the participants. We hope this shared task will spur further research and insights into developing reliable question-answering systems for EHRs.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.06673v2","authors":["Gyubok Lee","Sunjun Kweon","Seongsu Bae","Edward Choi"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-04T04:12:18Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.08555v1","name":"The two alternative explosion mechanisms of core-collapse supernovae: 2024 status report","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In comparing the two alternative explosion mechanisms of core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe), I examine recent three-dimensional (3D) hydrodynamical simulations of CCSNe in the frame of the delayed-neutrino explosion mechanism (neutrino mechanism) and argue that these valuable simulations show that neutrino heating can supply a non-negligible fraction of the explosion energy but not the observed energies, hence cannot be the primary explosion mechanism. In addition to the energy crisis, the neutrino mechanism predicts many failed supernovae that are not observed. The most challenging issue of the neutrino mechanism is that it cannot account for point-symmetric morphologies of CCSN remnants, many of which were identified in 2024. These contradictions with observations imply that the neutrino mechanism cannot be the primary explosion mechanism of CCSNe. The alternative jittering-jets explosion mechanism (JJEM) seems to be the primary explosion mechanism of CCSNe; neutrino heating boosts the energy of the jittering jets. Even if some simulations show explosions of stellar models (but usually with energies below observed), it does not mean that the neutrino mechanism is the explosion mechanism. Jittering jets, which simulations do not include, can explode the core before the neutrino heating process does. Morphological signatures of jets in many CCSN remnants suggest that jittering jets are the primary driving mechanism, as expected by the JJEM.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.08555v1","authors":["Noam Soker"],"tags":["astro-ph.HE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-13T12:11:34Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.18585v2","name":"Overview of the Head and Neck Tumor Segmentation for Magnetic Resonance Guided Applications (HNTS-MRG) 2024 Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Magnetic resonance (MR)-guided radiation therapy (RT) is enhancing head and neck cancer (HNC) treatment through superior soft tissue contrast and longitudinal imaging capabilities. However, manual tumor segmentation remains a significant challenge, spurring interest in artificial intelligence (AI)-driven automation. To accelerate innovation in this field, we present the Head and Neck Tumor Segmentation for MR-Guided Applications (HNTS-MRG) 2024 Challenge, a satellite event of the 27th International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention. This challenge addresses the scarcity of large, publicly available AI-ready adaptive RT datasets in HNC and explores the potential of incorporating multi-timepoint data to enhance RT auto-segmentation performance. Participants tackled two HNC segmentation tasks: automatic delineation of primary gross tumor volume (GTVp) and gross metastatic regional lymph nodes (GTVn) on pre-RT (Task 1) and mid-RT (Task 2) T2-weighted scans. The challenge provided 150 HNC cases for training and 50 for testing, hosted on Grand Challenge using a Docker submission framework. In total, 19 independent teams from across the world qualified by submitting both their algorithms and corresponding papers, resulting in 18 submissions for Task 1 and 15 submissions for Task 2. Evaluation using the mean aggregated Dice Similarity Coefficient showed top-performing AI methods achieved scores of 0.825 in Task 1 and 0.733 in Task 2. These results surpassed clinician interobserver variability benchmarks, marking significant strides in automated tumor segmentation for MR-guided RT applications in HNC.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.18585v2","authors":["Kareem A. Wahid","Cem Dede","Dina M. El-Habashy","Serageldin Kamel","Michael K. Rooney","Yomna Khamis","Moamen R. A. Abdelaal","Sara Ahmed","Kelsey L. Corrigan","Enoch Chang","Stephanie O. Dudzinski","Travis C. Salzillo","Brigid A. McDonald","Samuel L. Mulder","Lucas McCullum","Qusai Alakayleh","Carlos Sjogreen","Renjie He","Abdallah S. R. Mohamed","Stephen Y. Lai","John P. Christodouleas","Andrew J. Schaefer","Mohamed A. Naser","Clifton D. Fuller"],"tags":["physics.med-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-27T18:27:41Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.08617v2","name":"Satellite Drag Analysis During the May 2024 Gannon Geomagnetic Storm","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Between May 10-12, 2024, Earth saw its largest geomagnetic storm in over 20 years. Since the last major storm in 2003, the population of satellites in low Earth orbit has surged following the commercialization of space services and the ongoing establishment of proliferated LEO constellations. In this note, we investigate the various impacts of the geomagnetic storm on satellite operations. A forecast performance assessment of the geomagnetic index ap shows that the magnitude and duration of the storm were poorly predicted, even one day in advance. Total mass density enhancements in the thermosphere are identified by tracking satellite drag decay characteristics. A history of two-line element (TLE) data from the entire NORAD catalog in LEO is used to observe large-scale trends. Better understanding how geomagnetic storms impact satellite operations is critical for maintaining satellite safety and ensuring long-term robust sustainability in LEO.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.08617v2","authors":["William E. Parker","Richard Linares"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-12T19:58:32Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.06085v2","name":"Fiducial-Cosmology-dependent systematics for the DESI 2024 BAO Analysis","source":"arxiv","abstract":"When measuring the Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) scale from galaxy surveys, one typically assumes a fiducial cosmology when converting redshift measurements into comoving distances and also when defining input parameters for the reconstruction algorithm. A parameterised template for the model to be fitted is also created based on a (possibly different) fiducial cosmology. This model reliance can be considered a form of data compression, and the data is then analysed allowing that the true answer is different from the fiducial cosmology assumed. In this study, we evaluate the impact of the fiducial cosmology assumed in the BAO analysis of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) survey Data Release 1 (DR1) on the final measurements in DESI 2024 III. We utilise a suite of mock galaxy catalogues with survey realism that mirrors the DESI DR1 tracers: the bright galaxy sample (BGS), the luminous red galaxies (LRG), the emission line galaxies (ELG) and the quasars (QSO), spanning a redshift range from 0.1 to 2.1. We compare the four secondary AbacusSummit cosmologies against DESI's fiducial cosmology (Planck 2018). The secondary cosmologies explored include a lower cold dark matter density, a thawing dark energy universe, a higher number of effective species, and a lower amplitude of matter clustering. The mocks are processed through the BAO pipeline by consistently iterating the grid, template, and reconstruction reference cosmologies. We determine a conservative systematic contribution to the error of $0.1\\%$ for both the isotropic and anisotropic dilation parameters $α_{\\rm iso}$ and $α_{\\rm AP}$. We then directly test the impact of the fiducial cosmology on DESI DR1 data.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.06085v2","authors":["A. Pérez-Fernández","L. Medina-Varela","R. Ruggeri","M. Vargas-Magaña","H. Seo","N. Padmanabhan","M. Ishak","J. Aguilar","S. Ahlen","S. Alam","O. Alves","U. Andrade","S. Brieden","D. Brooks","A. Carnero Rosell","X. Chen","T. Claybaugh","S. Cole","K. Dawson","A. de la Macorra","A. de Mattia","Arjun Dey","Z. Ding","P. Doel","K. Fanning","C. Garcia-Quintero","E. Gaztañaga","S. Gontcho A Gontcho","G. Gutierrez","K. Honscheid","S. Juneau","D. Kirkby","T. Kisner","A. Lambert","M. Landriau","J. Lasker","L. Le Guillou","M. Manera","P. Martini","A. Meisner","J. Mena-Fernández","R. Miquel","J. Moustakas","A. D. Myers","S. Nadathur","J. A. Newman","G. Niz","E. Paillas","N. Palanque-Delabrouille","W. J. Percival","C. Poppett","F. Prada","M. Rashkovetskyi","A. Rocher","G. Rossi","A. Sanchez","E. Sanchez","M. Schubnell","D. Sprayberry","G. Tarlé","D. Valcin","B. A. Weaver","J. Yu","H. Zou"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-10T08:13:23Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.01653v1","name":"On the strength of underscreening","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper constitutes a presentation of work in progress at a discussion session of the conference Dense ionic fluids Faraday Discussion, 8-10 July 2024, London, and is published on pages 293-295 in Ref. [Faraday Discuss. 2024, volume 253, page 289].","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.01653v1","authors":["Andreas Härtel","Roland Kjellander"],"tags":["cond-mat.stat-mech","cond-mat.soft"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-02T16:02:33Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.00117v1","name":"Proceedings of the 2024 XCSP3 Competition","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This document represents the proceedings of the 2024 XCSP3 Competition. The results of this competition of constraint solvers were presented at CP'24 (30th International Conference on Principles and Practice of Constraint Programming).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.00117v1","authors":["Gilles Audemard","Christophe Lecoutre","Emmanuel Lonca"],"tags":["cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-28T08:16:40Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.00223v1","name":"Observations of the 2024 May 14 X8.7 Solar Flare with the Goldstone-Apple Valley Radio Telescope (GAVRT)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Goldstone-Apple Valley Radio Telescope (GAVRT) project conducts a regular monitoring program of the Sun. The GAVRT Solar Patrol project uses a 34 m diameter antenna to produce raster-scan maps of the Sun simultaneously at 4 frequencies ranging from approximately 3 GHz to 14 GHz. On 2024 May 14, as part of regular GAVRT Solar Patrol observations, raster maps were produced when an X8.7 solar flare occurred in active region AR13664. Here we present the GAVRT maps of the May 14 flare along with microwave flux density spectra showing the non-thermal microwave burst emission from mildly relativistic electrons produced in this largest flare of Solar Cycle 25 to date. AR13664 reappeared as AR13697 and continued to be very active, producing X flares while GAVRT monitored its activity. GAVRT microwave data provide a powerful complement to the energetic electrons tracked by X-ray, millimeter-wave and γ-ray emissions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.00223v1","authors":["Thangasamy Velusamy","Ryan Dorcey","Nancy Kreuser-Jenkins","Lisa Nichole Lamb","Erica Pagano","Marin M. Anderson","Joseph Lazio","Steven Levin"],"tags":["astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-28T20:30:12Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2402.15511v1","name":"Sixth International Workshop on Languages for Modelling Variability (MODEVAR 2024)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This is the proceedings of the Sixth International Workshop on Languages for Modelling Variability (MODEVAR 2024) which was held at Bern, Switzerland, February 06th 2024.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.15511v1","authors":["Jessie Galasso-Carbonnel","Chico Sundermann"],"tags":["cs.PL","cs.SE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-19T08:28:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.05746v1","name":"MSP-Podcast SER Challenge 2024: L'antenne du Ventoux Multimodal Self-Supervised Learning for Speech Emotion Recognition","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this work, we detail our submission to the 2024 edition of the MSP-Podcast Speech Emotion Recognition (SER) Challenge. This challenge is divided into two distinct tasks: Categorical Emotion Recognition and Emotional Attribute Prediction. We concentrated our efforts on Task 1, which involves the categorical classification of eight emotional states using data from the MSP-Podcast dataset. Our approach employs an ensemble of models, each trained independently and then fused at the score level using a Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier. The models were trained using various strategies, including Self-Supervised Learning (SSL) fine-tuning across different modalities: speech alone, text alone, and a combined speech and text approach. This joint training methodology aims to enhance the system's ability to accurately classify emotional states. This joint training methodology aims to enhance the system's ability to accurately classify emotional states. Thus, the system obtained F1-macro of 0.35\\% on development set.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.05746v1","authors":["Jarod Duret","Mickael Rouvier","Yannick Estève"],"tags":["cs.AI","cs.SD","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-08T08:52:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.13702v1","name":"Shaping the Future of Endangered and Low-Resource Languages -- Our Role in the Age of LLMs: A Keynote at ECIR 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Isidore of Seville is credited with the adage that it is language that gives birth to a people, and not the other way around , underlining the profound role played by language in the formation of cultural and social identity. Today, of the more than 7100 languages listed, a significant number are endangered. Since the 1970s, linguists, information seekers and enthusiasts have helped develop digital resources and automatic tools to support a wide range of languages, including endangered ones. The advent of Large Language Model (LLM) technologies holds both promise and peril. They offer unprecedented possibilities for the translation and generation of content and resources, key elements in the preservation and revitalisation of languages. They also present threat of homogenisation, cultural oversimplification and the further marginalisation of already vulnerable languages. The talk this paper is based on has proposed an initiatory journey, exploring the potential paths and partnerships between technology and tradition, with a particular focus on the Occitan language. Occitan is a language from Southern France, parts of Spain and Italy that played a major cultural and economic role, particularly in the Middle Ages. It is now endangered according to UNESCO. The talk critically has examined how human expertise and artificial intelligence can work together to offer hope for preserving the linguistic diversity that forms the foundation of our global and especially our European heritage while addressing some of the ethical and practical challenges that accompany the use of these powerful technologies. This paper is based on the keynote I gave at the 46th European Conference on Information Retrieval (ECIR 2024). As an alternative to reading this paper, a video talk is available online. 1 Date: 26 March 2024.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.13702v1","authors":["Josiane Mothe"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.IR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-05T06:54:30Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.03008v3","name":"HOD-Dependent Systematics for Luminous Red Galaxies in the DESI 2024 BAO Analysis","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, we present the estimation of systematics related to the halo occupation distribution (HOD) modeling in the baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) distance measurement of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) 2024 analysis. This paper focuses on the study of HOD systematics for luminous red galaxies (LRG). We consider three different HOD models for LRGs, including the base 5-parameter vanilla model and two extensions to it, that we refer to as baseline and extended models. The baseline model is described by the 5 vanilla HOD parameters, an incompleteness factor and a velocity bias parameter, whereas the extended one also includes a galaxy assembly bias and a satellite profile parameter. We utilize the 25 dark matter simulations available in the AbacusSummit simulation suite at $z=$ 0.8 and generate mock catalogs for our different HOD models. To test the impact of the HOD modeling in the position of the BAO peak, we run BAO fits for all these sets of simulations and compare the best-fit BAO-scaling parameters $α_{\\rm iso}$ and $α_{\\rm AP}$ between every pair of HOD models. We do this for both Fourier and configuration spaces independently, using post-reconstruction measurements. We find a 3.3$σ$ detection of HOD systematic for $α_{\\rm AP}$ in configuration space with an amplitude of 0.19%. For the other cases, we did not find a 3$σ$ detection, and we decided to compute a conservative estimation of the systematic using the ensemble of shifts between all pairs of HOD models. By doing this, we quote a systematic with an amplitude of 0.07% in $α_{\\rm iso}$ for both Fourier and configuration spaces; and of 0.09% in $α_{\\rm AP}$ for Fourier space.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.03008v3","authors":["J. Mena-Fernández","C. Garcia-Quintero","S. Yuan","B. Hadzhiyska","O. Alves","M. Rashkovetskyi","H. Seo","N. Padmanabhan","S. Nadathur","C. Howlett","S. Alam","A. Rocher","A. J. Ross","E. Sanchez","M. Ishak","J. Aguilar","S. Ahlen","U. Andrade","S. BenZvi","D. Brooks","E. Burtin","S. Chen","X. Chen","T. Claybaugh","S. Cole","A. de la Macorra","A. de Mattia","Arjun Dey","B. Dey","Z. Ding","P. Doel","K. Fanning","J. E. Forero-Romero","E. Gaztañaga","H. Gil-Marín","S. Gontcho A Gontcho","G. Gutierrez","J. Guy","C. Hahn","K. Honscheid","S. Juneau","A. Kremin","M. Landriau","L. Le Guillou","M. E. Levi","M. Manera","P. Martini","L. Medina-Varela","A. Meisner","R. Miquel","J. Moustakas","E. Mueller","A. Muñoz-Gutiérrez","A. D. Myers","J. A. Newman","J. Nie","G. Niz","E. Paillas","N. Palanque-Delabrouille","W. J. Percival","C. Poppett","A. Pérez-Fernández","A. Rosado-Marin","G. Rossi","R. Ruggeri","C. Saulder","D. Schlegel","M. Schubnell","D. Sprayberry","G. Tarlé","M. Vargas-Magaña","B. A. Weaver","J. Yu","H. Zhang","H. Zou"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-03T18:41:57Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.20663v1","name":"ArabicNLU 2024: The First Arabic Natural Language Understanding Shared Task","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents an overview of the Arabic Natural Language Understanding (ArabicNLU 2024) shared task, focusing on two subtasks: Word Sense Disambiguation (WSD) and Location Mention Disambiguation (LMD). The task aimed to evaluate the ability of automated systems to resolve word ambiguity and identify locations mentioned in Arabic text. We provided participants with novel datasets, including a sense-annotated corpus for WSD, called SALMA with approximately 34k annotated tokens, and the IDRISI-DA dataset with 3,893 annotations and 763 unique location mentions. These are challenging tasks. Out of the 38 registered teams, only three teams participated in the final evaluation phase, with the highest accuracy being 77.8% for WSD and the highest MRR@1 being 95.0% for LMD. The shared task not only facilitated the evaluation and comparison of different techniques, but also provided valuable insights and resources for the continued advancement of Arabic NLU technologies.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.20663v1","authors":["Mohammed Khalilia","Sanad Malaysha","Reem Suwaileh","Mustafa Jarrar","Alaa Aljabari","Tamer Elsayed","Imed Zitouni"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-30T08:57:01Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2401.13728v2","name":"Astrophysical Axion Bounds: The 2024 Edition","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We review the current status of astrophysical bounds on QCD axions, primarily based on the observational effects of nonstandard energy losses on stars, including black-hole superradiance. Over the past few years, many of the traditional arguments have been reexamined both theoretically and using modern data and new ideas have been put forth. This compact review updates similar Lecture Notes written by one of us in 2006 [Lect. Notes Phys. 741 (2008) 51-71].","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.13728v2","authors":["Andrea Caputo","Georg Raffelt"],"tags":["hep-ph","astro-ph.HE","hep-ex"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-24T19:00:00Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.09285v1","name":"MetaFood CVPR 2024 Challenge on Physically Informed 3D Food Reconstruction: Methods and Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The increasing interest in computer vision applications for nutrition and dietary monitoring has led to the development of advanced 3D reconstruction techniques for food items. However, the scarcity of high-quality data and limited collaboration between industry and academia have constrained progress in this field. Building on recent advancements in 3D reconstruction, we host the MetaFood Workshop and its challenge for Physically Informed 3D Food Reconstruction. This challenge focuses on reconstructing volume-accurate 3D models of food items from 2D images, using a visible checkerboard as a size reference. Participants were tasked with reconstructing 3D models for 20 selected food items of varying difficulty levels: easy, medium, and hard. The easy level provides 200 images, the medium level provides 30 images, and the hard level provides only 1 image for reconstruction. In total, 16 teams submitted results in the final testing phase. The solutions developed in this challenge achieved promising results in 3D food reconstruction, with significant potential for improving portion estimation for dietary assessment and nutritional monitoring. More details about this workshop challenge and access to the dataset can be found at https://sites.google.com/view/cvpr-metafood-2024.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.09285v1","authors":["Jiangpeng He","Yuhao Chen","Gautham Vinod","Talha Ibn Mahmud","Fengqing Zhu","Edward Delp","Alexander Wong","Pengcheng Xi","Ahmad AlMughrabi","Umair Haroon","Ricardo Marques","Petia Radeva","Jiadong Tang","Dianyi Yang","Yu Gao","Zhaoxiang Liang","Yawei Jueluo","Chengyu Shi","Pengyu Wang"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-12T14:15:48Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.10629v1","name":"DeepPavlov at SemEval-2024 Task 8: Leveraging Transfer Learning for Detecting Boundaries of Machine-Generated Texts","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Multigenerator, Multidomain, and Multilingual Black-Box Machine-Generated Text Detection shared task in the SemEval-2024 competition aims to tackle the problem of misusing collaborative human-AI writing. Although there are a lot of existing detectors of AI content, they are often designed to give a binary answer and thus may not be suitable for more nuanced problem of finding the boundaries between human-written and machine-generated texts, while hybrid human-AI writing becomes more and more popular. In this paper, we address the boundary detection problem. Particularly, we present a pipeline for augmenting data for supervised fine-tuning of DeBERTaV3. We receive new best MAE score, according to the leaderboard of the competition, with this pipeline.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.10629v1","authors":["Anastasia Voznyuk","Vasily Konovalov"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-17T08:44:48Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.12023v4","name":"Exploring HOD-dependent systematics for the DESI 2024 Full-Shape galaxy clustering analysis","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We analyse the robustness of the DESI 2024 cosmological inference from the full shape of the galaxy power spectrum to uncertainties in the Halo Occupation Distribution (HOD) model of the galaxy-halo connection and the choice of priors on nuisance parameters. We assess variations in the recovered cosmological parameters across a range of mocks populated with different HOD models and find that shifts are often greater than 20% of the expected statistical uncertainties from the DESI data. We encapsulate the effect of such shifts in terms of a systematic covariance term, $\\mathsf{C}_{\\rm HOD}$, and an additional diagonal contribution quantifying the impact of our choice of nuisance parameter priors on the ability of the effective field theory (EFT) model to correctly recover the cosmological parameters of the simulations. These two covariance contributions are designed to be added to the usual covariance term, $\\mathsf{C}_{\\rm stat}$, describing the statistical uncertainty in the power spectrum measurement, in order to fairly represent these sources of systematic uncertainty. This novel approach should be more general and robust to the choice of model or additional external datasets used in cosmological fits than the alternative approach of adding systematic uncertainties to the recovered marginalised parameter posteriors. We compare the approaches within the context of a fixed $Λ$CDM model and demonstrate that our method gives conservative estimates of the systematic uncertainty that nevertheless have little impact on the final posteriors obtained from DESI data.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.12023v4","authors":["N. Findlay","S. Nadathur","W. J. Percival","A. de Mattia","P. Zarrouk","H. Gil-Marín","O. Alves","J. Mena-Fernández","C. Garcia-Quintero","A. Rocher","S. Ahlen","D. Bianchi","D. Brooks","T. Claybaugh","S. Cole","A. de la Macorra","A. Dey","P. Doel","K. Fanning","A. Font-Ribera","J. E. Forero-Romero","E. Gaztañaga","G. Gutierrez","C. Hahn","K. Honscheid","C. Howlett","S. Juneau","M. E. Levi","A. Meisner","R. Miquel","J. Moustakas","N. Palanque-Delabrouille","I. Pérez-Ràfols","G. Rossi","E. Sanchez","D. Schlegel","M. Schubnell","H. Seo","D. Sprayberry","G. Tarlé","M. Vargas-Magaña","B. A. Weaver"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-18T20:03:36Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.12845v2","name":"TartuNLP @ SIGTYP 2024 Shared Task: Adapting XLM-RoBERTa for Ancient and Historical Languages","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present our submission to the unconstrained subtask of the SIGTYP 2024 Shared Task on Word Embedding Evaluation for Ancient and Historical Languages for morphological annotation, POS-tagging, lemmatization, character- and word-level gap-filling. We developed a simple, uniform, and computationally lightweight approach based on the adapters framework using parameter-efficient fine-tuning. We applied the same adapter-based approach uniformly to all tasks and 16 languages by fine-tuning stacked language- and task-specific adapters. Our submission obtained an overall second place out of three submissions, with the first place in word-level gap-filling. Our results show the feasibility of adapting language models pre-trained on modern languages to historical and ancient languages via adapter training.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.12845v2","authors":["Aleksei Dorkin","Kairit Sirts"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-19T12:26:28Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.00950v1","name":"AISPACE at SemEval-2024 task 8: A Class-balanced Soft-voting System for Detecting Multi-generator Machine-generated Text","source":"arxiv","abstract":"SemEval-2024 Task 8 provides a challenge to detect human-written and machine-generated text. There are 3 subtasks for different detection scenarios. This paper proposes a system that mainly deals with Subtask B. It aims to detect if given full text is written by human or is generated by a specific Large Language Model (LLM), which is actually a multi-class text classification task. Our team AISPACE conducted a systematic study of fine-tuning transformer-based models, including encoderonly, decoder-only and encoder-decoder models. We compared their performance on this task and identified that encoder-only models performed exceptionally well. We also applied a weighted Cross Entropy loss function to address the issue of data imbalance of different class samples. Additionally, we employed softvoting strategy over multi-models ensemble to enhance the reliability of our predictions. Our system ranked top 1 in Subtask B, which sets a state-of-the-art benchmark for this new challenge.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.00950v1","authors":["Renhua Gu","Xiangfeng Meng"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-01T06:25:47Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.10541v1","name":"Some singular spacetimes and their possible alternatives","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This is a brief review article of a seminar given at the International Conference on Gravitation, Astrophysics and Cosmology 2024 (ICGAC-2024), Mathura, India. We begin with a historical survey of some singular solutions in the theory of gravitation, as well as a very brief discussion of how black holes could physically form. Some possible scenarios which could perhaps eliminate these singularities are then reviewed and discussed. Due to the vastness of the field the coverage is not exhaustive, but instead the concentration is on a small subset of topics such as possible quantum gravity effects, non-commutative geometry, and gravastars. A simple singularity theorem is also presented in the appendix. Although parts of the manuscript assume some familiarity with relativistic gravitation or differential geometry, the aim is for the broad picture to be accessible to non-specialists of other physical sciences and mathematics.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.10541v1","authors":["Andrew DeBenedictis"],"tags":["gr-qc","physics.hist-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-14T14:20:55Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.17436v2","name":"AIR-Bench 2024: A Safety Benchmark Based on Risk Categories from Regulations and Policies","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Foundation models (FMs) provide societal benefits but also amplify risks. Governments, companies, and researchers have proposed regulatory frameworks, acceptable use policies, and safety benchmarks in response. However, existing public benchmarks often define safety categories based on previous literature, intuitions, or common sense, leading to disjointed sets of categories for risks specified in recent regulations and policies, which makes it challenging to evaluate and compare FMs across these benchmarks. To bridge this gap, we introduce AIR-Bench 2024, the first AI safety benchmark aligned with emerging government regulations and company policies, following the regulation-based safety categories grounded in our AI risks study, AIR 2024. AIR 2024 decomposes 8 government regulations and 16 company policies into a four-tiered safety taxonomy with 314 granular risk categories in the lowest tier. AIR-Bench 2024 contains 5,694 diverse prompts spanning these categories, with manual curation and human auditing to ensure quality. We evaluate leading language models on AIR-Bench 2024, uncovering insights into their alignment with specified safety concerns. By bridging the gap between public benchmarks and practical AI risks, AIR-Bench 2024 provides a foundation for assessing model safety across jurisdictions, fostering the development of safer and more responsible AI systems.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.17436v2","authors":["Yi Zeng","Yu Yang","Andy Zhou","Jeffrey Ziwei Tan","Yuheng Tu","Yifan Mai","Kevin Klyman","Minzhou Pan","Ruoxi Jia","Dawn Song","Percy Liang","Bo Li"],"tags":["cs.CY","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-11T21:16:48Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.03498v1","name":"GWnext 2024: Meeting Summary","source":"arxiv","abstract":"GWnext 2024 was a meeting held in the Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Peking University in March $4^\\text{th} - 8^\\text{th}$, 2024. In the meeting researchers at different career stages -- with a particular focus on early career scientists -- working on the different aspects of gravitational wave (GW) astronomy gathered to discuss the current status as well as prospects of the field. The meeting was divided into three core sessions: Astrophysics, GW Theory, and Detection. Each session consisted of introductory talks and extended discussion sessions. Moreover, there was a poster session where students could present their results. In this paper, we summarize the results presented during the meeting and present the most important outcomes.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.03498v1","authors":["Alejandro Torres-Orjuela","Veronica Vazquez-Aceves","Rui Xu","Jin-Hong Chen","Andrea Derdzinski","Matthias U. Kruckow","Stefano Rinaldi","Lorenzo Speri","Ziming Wang","Garvin Yim","Xue-Ting Zhang","Qian Hu","Miaoxin Liu","Xiangyu Lyu","Zheng Wu","Cong Zhou","Manuel Arca Sedda","Yan-Chen Bi","Hong-Yu Chen","Xian Chen","Jiageng Jiao","Yu-Mei Wu"],"tags":["astro-ph.HE","gr-qc"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-28T02:59:55Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.21988v1","name":"American Views About Election Fraud in 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"What are the opinions of American registered voters about election fraud and types of election fraud as we head into the final stages of the 2024 Presidential election? In this paper we use data from an online national survey of 2,211 U.S. registered voters interviewed between June 26 - July 3, 2024. Respondents were asked how common they thought that ten different types of election fraud might be in the U.S. In our analysis, we show that substantial proportions of U.S. registered voters believe that these types of election fraud are common. Our multivariate analysis shows that partisanship correlates strongly with endorsement of types of election fraud, with Republicans consistently more likely to state that types of election fraud are common, even when we control for a wide variety of other factors. We also find that conspiratorial thinking is strongly correlated with belief in the occurrence of types of election fraud, even when we control for partisanship. Our results reported in this paper provide important data regarding how American registered voters perceive the prevalence of types of election fraud, just months before the 2024 Presidential election.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.21988v1","authors":["Mitchell Linegar","R. Michael Alvarez"],"tags":["econ.GN"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-25T00:11:05Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.05483v1","name":"PetKaz at SemEval-2024 Task 8: Can Linguistics Capture the Specifics of LLM-generated Text?","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, we present our submission to the SemEval-2024 Task 8 \"Multigenerator, Multidomain, and Multilingual Black-Box Machine-Generated Text Detection\", focusing on the detection of machine-generated texts (MGTs) in English. Specifically, our approach relies on combining embeddings from the RoBERTa-base with diversity features and uses a resampled training set. We score 12th from 124 in the ranking for Subtask A (monolingual track), and our results show that our approach is generalizable across unseen models and domains, achieving an accuracy of 0.91.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.05483v1","authors":["Kseniia Petukhova","Roman Kazakov","Ekaterina Kochmar"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-08T13:05:02Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.16410v1","name":"Perfectly Clustering Words and Iterated Palindromes over a Ternary Alphabet","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Recently, a new characterization of Lyndon words that are also perfectly clustering was proposed by Lapointe and Reutenauer (2024). A word over a ternary alphabet {a,b,c} is called perfectly clustering Lyndon if and only if it is the product of two palindromes and it can be written as apbqc where p and q are palindromes. We study the properties of palindromes appearing as factors p and q and their links with iterated palindromes over a ternary alphabet.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.16410v1","authors":["Mélodie Lapointe","Nathan Plourde-Hébert"],"tags":["math.CO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-24T08:05:52Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.12020v1","name":"DESI 2024 II: Sample Definitions, Characteristics, and Two-point Clustering Statistics","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present the samples of galaxies and quasars used for DESI 2024 cosmological analyses, drawn from the DESI Data Release 1 (DR1). We describe the construction of large-scale structure (LSS) catalogs from these samples, which include matched sets of synthetic reference `randoms' and weights that account for variations in the observed density of the samples due to experimental design and varying instrument performance. We detail how we correct for variations in observational completeness, the input `target' densities due to imaging systematics, and the ability to confidently measure redshifts from DESI spectra. We then summarize how remaining uncertainties in the corrections can be translated to systematic uncertainties for particular analyses. We describe the weights added to maximize the signal-to-noise of DESI DR1 2-point clustering measurements. We detail measurement pipelines applied to the LSS catalogs that obtain 2-point clustering measurements in configuration and Fourier space. The resulting 2-point measurements depend on window functions and normalization constraints particular to each sample, and we present the corrections required to match models to the data. We compare the configuration- and Fourier-space 2-point clustering of the data samples to that recovered from simulations of DESI DR1 and find they are, generally, in statistical agreement to within 2\\% in the inferred real-space over-density field. The LSS catalogs, 2-point measurements, and their covariance matrices will be released publicly with DESI DR1.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.12020v1","authors":[" DESI Collaboration","A. G. Adame","J. Aguilar","S. Ahlen","S. Alam","D. M. Alexander","M. Alvarez","O. Alves","A. Anand","U. Andrade","E. Armengaud","S. Avila","A. Aviles","H. Awan","S. Bailey","C. Baltay","A. Bault","J. Behera","S. BenZvi","F. Beutler","D. Bianchi","C. Blake","R. Blum","S. Brieden","A. Brodzeller","D. Brooks","Z. Brown","E. Buckley-Geer","E. Burtin","R. Calderon","R. Canning","A. Carnero Rosell","R. Cereskaite","J. L. Cervantes-Cota","S. Chabanier","E. Chaussidon","J. Chaves-Montero","S. Chen","X. Chen","T. Claybaugh","S. Cole","A. Cuceu","T. M. Davis","K. Dawson","A. de la Macorra","A. de Mattia","N. Deiosso","R. Demina","A. Dey","B. Dey","Z. Ding","P. Doel","J. Edelstein","S. Eftekharzadeh","D. J. Eisenstein","A. Elliott","P. Fagrelius","K. Fanning","S. Ferraro","J. Ereza","N. Findlay","B. Flaugher","A. Font-Ribera","D. Forero-Sánchez","J. E. Forero-Romero","C. S. Frenk","C. Garcia-Quintero","E. Gaztañaga","H. Gil-Marín","S. Gontcho A Gontcho","A. X. Gonzalez-Morales","V. Gonzalez-Perez","C. Gordon","D. Green","D. Gruen","R. Gsponer","G. Gutierrez","J. Guy","B. Hadzhiyska","C. Hahn","M. M. S Hanif","H. K. Herrera-Alcantar","K. Honscheid","J. Hou","C. Howlett","D. Huterer","V. Iršič","M. Ishak","S. Juneau","N. G. Karaçaylı","R. Kehoe","S. Kent","D. Kirkby","F. -S. Kitaura","H. Kong","A. Kremin","A. Krolewski","Y. Lai","T. -W. Lan","M. Landriau","D. Lang","J. Lasker","J. M. Le Goff","L. Le Guillou","A. Leauthaud","M. E. Levi","T. S. Li","K. Lodha","C. Magneville","M. Manera","D. Margala","P. Martini","M. Maus","P. McDonald","L. Medina-Varela","A. Meisner","J. Mena-Fernández","R. Miquel","J. Moon","S. Moore","J. Moustakas","N. Mudur","E. Mueller","A. Muñoz-Gutiérrez","A. D. Myers","S. Nadathur","L. Napolitano","R. Neveux","J. A. Newman","N. M. Nguyen","J. Nie","G. Niz","H. E. Noriega","N. Padmanabhan","E. Paillas","N. Palanque-Delabrouille","J. Pan","S. Penmetsa","W. J. Percival","M. M. Pieri","M. Pinon","C. Poppett","A. Porredon","F. Prada","A. Pérez-Fernández","I. Pérez-Ràfols","D. Rabinowitz","A. Raichoor","C. Ramírez-Pérez","S. Ramirez-Solano","M. Rashkovetskyi","C. Ravoux","M. Rezaie","J. Rich","A. Rocher","C. Rockosi","N. A. Roe","A. Rosado-Marin","A. J. Ross","G. Rossi","R. Ruggeri","V. Ruhlmann-Kleider","L. Samushia","E. Sanchez","C. Saulder","E. F. Schlafly","D. Schlegel","D. Scholte","M. Schubnell","H. Seo","R. Sharples","J. Silber","A. Slosar","A. Smith","D. Sprayberry","T. Tan","G. Tarlé","S. Trusov","R. Vaisakh","D. Valcin","F. Valdes","M. Vargas-Magaña","L. Verde","M. Walther","B. Wang","M. S. Wang","B. A. Weaver","N. Weaverdyck","R. H. Wechsler","D. H. Weinberg","M. White","M. J. Wilson","J. Yu","Y. Yu","S. Yuan","C. Yèche","E. A. Zaborowski","P. Zarrouk","H. Zhang","C. Zhao","R. Zhao","R. Zhou","H. Zou"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-18T20:03:33Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.23092v1","name":"First Place Solution to the ECCV 2024 ROAD++ Challenge @ ROAD++ Atomic Activity Recognition 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This report presents our team's technical solution for participating in Track 3 of the 2024 ECCV ROAD++ Challenge. The task of Track 3 is atomic activity recognition, which aims to identify 64 types of atomic activities in road scenes based on video content. Our approach primarily addresses the challenges of small objects, discriminating between single object and a group of objects, as well as model overfitting in this task. Firstly, we construct a multi-branch activity recognition framework that not only separates different object categories but also the tasks of single object and object group recognition, thereby enhancing recognition accuracy. Subsequently, we develop various model ensembling strategies, including integrations of multiple frame sampling sequences, different frame sampling sequence lengths, multiple training epochs, and different backbone networks. Furthermore, we propose an atomic activity recognition data augmentation method, which greatly expands the sample space by flipping video frames and road topology, effectively mitigating model overfitting. Our methods rank first in the test set of Track 3 for the ROAD++ Challenge 2024, and achieve 69% mAP.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.23092v1","authors":["Ruyang Li","Tengfei Zhang","Heng Zhang","Tiejun Liu","Yanwei Wang","Xuelei Li"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-30T15:06:58Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.15341v1","name":"ZZU-NLP at SIGHAN-2024 dimABSA Task: Aspect-Based Sentiment Analysis with Coarse-to-Fine In-context Learning","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The DimABSA task requires fine-grained sentiment intensity prediction for restaurant reviews, including scores for Valence and Arousal dimensions for each Aspect Term. In this study, we propose a Coarse-to-Fine In-context Learning(CFICL) method based on the Baichuan2-7B model for the DimABSA task in the SIGHAN 2024 workshop. Our method improves prediction accuracy through a two-stage optimization process. In the first stage, we use fixed in-context examples and prompt templates to enhance the model's sentiment recognition capability and provide initial predictions for the test data. In the second stage, we encode the Opinion field using BERT and select the most similar training data as new in-context examples based on similarity. These examples include the Opinion field and its scores, as well as related opinion words and their average scores. By filtering for sentiment polarity, we ensure that the examples are consistent with the test data. Our method significantly improves prediction accuracy and consistency by effectively utilizing training data and optimizing in-context examples, as validated by experimental results.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.15341v1","authors":["Senbin Zhu","Hanjie Zhao","Xingren Wang","Shanhong Liu","Yuxiang Jia","Hongying Zan"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-22T02:54:46Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.17963v1","name":"A Time-Aware Approach to Early Detection of Anorexia: UNSL at eRisk 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The eRisk laboratory aims to address issues related to early risk detection on the Web. In this year's edition, three tasks were proposed, where Task 2 was about early detection of signs of anorexia. Early risk detection is a problem where precision and speed are two crucial objectives. Our research group solved Task 2 by defining a CPI+DMC approach, addressing both objectives independently, and a time-aware approach, where precision and speed are considered a combined single-objective. We implemented the last approach by explicitly integrating time during the learning process, considering the ERDEθ metric as the training objective. It also allowed us to incorporate temporal metrics to validate and select the optimal models. We achieved outstanding results for the ERDE50 metric and ranking-based metrics, demonstrating consistency in solving ERD problems.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.17963v1","authors":["Horacio Thompson","Marcelo Errecalde"],"tags":["cs.CY","cs.CL","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-23T15:30:37Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.03007v5","name":"Semi-analytical covariance matrices for two-point correlation function for DESI 2024 data","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present an optimized way of producing the fast semi-analytical covariance matrices for the Legendre moments of the two-point correlation function, taking into account survey geometry and mimicking the non-Gaussian effects. We validate the approach on simulated (mock) catalogs for different galaxy types, representative of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Data Release 1, used in 2024 analyses. We find only a few percent differences between the mock sample covariance matrix and our results, which can be expected given the approximate nature of the mocks, although we do identify discrepancies between the shot-noise properties of the DESI fiber assignment algorithm and the faster approximation (emulator) used in the mocks. Importantly, we find a close agreement (&lt;=8% relative differences) in the projected errorbars for distance scale parameters for the baryon acoustic oscillation measurements. This confirms our method as an attractive alternative to simulation-based covariance matrices, especially for non-standard models or galaxy sample selections, making it particularly relevant to the broad current and future analyses of DESI data.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.03007v5","authors":["M. Rashkovetskyi","D. Forero-Sánchez","A. de Mattia","D. J. Eisenstein","N. Padmanabhan","H. Seo","A. J. Ross","J. Aguilar","S. Ahlen","O. Alves","U. Andrade","D. Brooks","E. Burtin","X. Chen","T. Claybaugh","S. Cole","A. de la Macorra","Z. Ding","P. Doel","K. Fanning","S. Ferraro","A. Font-Ribera","J. E. Forero-Romero","C. Garcia-Quintero","H. Gil-Marín","S. Gontcho A Gontcho","A. X. Gonzalez-Morales","G. Gutierrez","K. Honscheid","C. Howlett","S. Juneau","A. Kremin","L. Le Guillou","M. Manera","L. Medina-Varela","J. Mena-Fernández","R. Miquel","E. Mueller","A. Muñoz-Gutiérrez","A. D. Myers","J. Nie","G. Niz","E. Paillas","W. J. Percival","C. Poppett","A. Pérez-Fernández","M. Rezaie","A. Rosado-Marin","G. Rossi","R. Ruggeri","E. Sanchez","C. Saulder","D. Schlegel","M. Schubnell","D. Sprayberry","G. Tarlé","B. A. Weaver","J. Yu","C. Zhao","H. Zou"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO","physics.data-an"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-03T18:41:56Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.826Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.00139v1","name":"AfricAIED 2024: 2nd Workshop on Artificial Intelligence in Education in Africa","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Recent AI advancements offer transformative potential for global education, yet their application often overlooks Africa's unique educational landscape. AfricAIED 2024 will address this gap, spotlighting efforts to develop AI in Education (AIED) systems tailored to Africa's needs. Building on the success of the inaugural workshop, AfricAIED 2024 will feature an online AI Hackathon focused on democratizing preparation for Ghana's National Science &amp; Maths Quiz (NSMQ). Participants will create open-source AI tools leveraging resources from the Brilla AI project to level the academic playing field and enhance science and math education across Africa. The workshop will showcase top competitors' solutions, invite discussions on AIED opportunities and challenges in Africa, and highlight the latest advancements in AI education integration. AfricAIED 2024 aims to foster collaboration and innovation, amplifying African voices in the AIED community and driving positive change in African education through AI.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.00139v1","authors":["George Boateng","Victor Kumbol"],"tags":["cs.CY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-30T18:36:45Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.23077v1","name":"First Place Solution to the ECCV 2024 ROAD++ Challenge @ ROAD++ Spatiotemporal Agent Detection 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This report presents our team's solutions for the Track 1 of the 2024 ECCV ROAD++ Challenge. The task of Track 1 is spatiotemporal agent detection, which aims to construct an \"agent tube\" for road agents in consecutive video frames. Our solutions focus on the challenges in this task, including extreme-size objects, low-light scenarios, class imbalance, and fine-grained classification. Firstly, the extreme-size object detection heads are introduced to improve the detection performance of large and small objects. Secondly, we design a dual-stream detection model with a low-light enhancement stream to improve the performance of spatiotemporal agent detection in low-light scenes, and the feature fusion module to integrate features from different branches. Subsequently, we develop a multi-branch detection framework to mitigate the issues of class imbalance and fine-grained classification, and we design a pre-training and fine-tuning approach to optimize the above multi-branch framework. Besides, we employ some common data augmentation techniques, and improve the loss function and upsampling operation. We rank first in the test set of Track 1 for the ROAD++ Challenge 2024, and achieve 30.82% average video-mAP.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.23077v1","authors":["Tengfei Zhang","Heng Zhang","Ruyang Li","Qi Deng","Yaqian Zhao","Rengang Li"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-30T14:52:43Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.07945v1","name":"Talagrand's mathematical journey to the Abel Prize 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Michel Talagrand (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France) has been awarded the prestigious Abel Prize for 2024 for his work in probability theory, functional analysis, and statistical physics. In this note, we introduce the Abel Prize Laureate and his main contributions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.07945v1","authors":["Olivier Guédon","Joscha Prochno"],"tags":["math.HO","math.FA","math.PR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-09T13:06:31Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.03000v1","name":"DESI 2024 III: Baryon Acoustic Oscillations from Galaxies and Quasars","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present the DESI 2024 galaxy and quasar baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) measurements using over 5.7 million unique galaxy and quasar redshifts in the range 0.1&lt;z&lt;2.1. Divided by tracer type, we utilize 300,017 galaxies from the magnitude-limited Bright Galaxy Survey with 0.1&lt;z&lt;0.4, 2,138,600 Luminous Red Galaxies with 0.4&lt;z&lt;1.1, 2,432,022 Emission Line Galaxies with 0.8&lt;z&lt;1.6, and 856,652 quasars with 0.8&lt;z&lt;2.1, over a ~7,500 square degree footprint. The analysis was blinded at the catalog-level to avoid confirmation bias. All fiducial choices of the BAO fitting and reconstruction methodology, as well as the size of the systematic errors, were determined on the basis of the tests with mock catalogs and the blinded data catalogs. We present several improvements to the BAO analysis pipeline, including enhancing the BAO fitting and reconstruction methods in a more physically-motivated direction, and also present results using combinations of tracers. We present a re-analysis of SDSS BOSS and eBOSS results applying the improved DESI methodology and find scatter consistent with the level of the quoted SDSS theoretical systematic uncertainties. With the total effective survey volume of ~ 18 Gpc$^3$, the combined precision of the BAO measurements across the six different redshift bins is ~0.52%, marking a 1.2-fold improvement over the previous state-of-the-art results using only first-year data. We detect the BAO in all of these six redshift bins. The highest significance of BAO detection is $9.1σ$ at the effective redshift of 0.93, with a constraint of 0.86% placed on the BAO scale. We find our measurements are systematically larger than the prediction of Planck-2018 LCDM model at z&lt;0.8. We translate the results into transverse comoving distance and radial Hubble distance measurements, which are used to constrain cosmological models in our companion paper [abridged].","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.03000v1","authors":[" DESI Collaboration","A. G. Adame","J. Aguilar","S. Ahlen","S. Alam","D. M. Alexander","M. Alvarez","O. Alves","A. Anand","U. Andrade","E. Armengaud","S. Avila","A. Aviles","H. Awan","S. Bailey","C. Baltay","A. Bault","J. Behera","S. BenZvi","F. Beutler","D. Bianchi","C. Blake","R. Blum","S. Brieden","A. Brodzeller","D. Brooks","E. Buckley-Geer","E. Burtin","R. Calderon","R. Canning","A. Carnero Rosell","R. Cereskaite","J. L. Cervantes-Cota","S. Chabanier","E. Chaussidon","J. Chaves-Montero","S. Chen","X. Chen","T. Claybaugh","S. Cole","A. Cuceu","T. M. Davis","K. Dawson","A. de la Macorra","A. de Mattia","N. Deiosso","A. Dey","B. Dey","Z. Ding","P. Doel","J. Edelstein","S. Eftekharzadeh","D. J. Eisenstein","A. Elliott","P. Fagrelius","K. Fanning","S. Ferraro","J. Ereza","N. Findlay","B. Flaugher","A. Font-Ribera","D. Forero-Sánchez","J. E. Forero-Romero","C. Garcia-Quintero","E. Gaztañaga","H. Gil-Marín","S. Gontcho A Gontcho","A. X. Gonzalez-Morales","V. Gonzalez-Perez","C. Gordon","D. Green","D. Gruen","R. Gsponer","G. Gutierrez","J. Guy","B. Hadzhiyska","C. Hahn","M. M. S Hanif","H. K. Herrera-Alcantar","K. Honscheid","C. Howlett","D. Huterer","V. Iršič","M. Ishak","S. Juneau","N. G. Karaçaylı","R. Kehoe","S. Kent","D. Kirkby","A. Kremin","A. Krolewski","Y. Lai","T. -W. Lan","M. Landriau","D. Lang","J. Lasker","J. M. Le Goff","L. Le Guillou","A. Leauthaud","M. E. Levi","T. S. Li","E. Linder","K. Lodha","C. Magneville","M. Manera","D. Margala","P. Martini","M. Maus","P. McDonald","L. Medina-Varela","A. Meisner","J. Mena-Fernández","R. Miquel","J. Moon","S. Moore","J. Moustakas","N. Mudur","E. Mueller","A. Muñoz-Gutiérrez","A. D. Myers","S. Nadathur","L. Napolitano","R. Neveux","J. A. Newman","N. M. Nguyen","J. Nie","G. Niz","H. E. Noriega","N. Padmanabhan","E. Paillas","N. Palanque-Delabrouille","J. Pan","S. Penmetsa","W. J. Percival","M. Pieri","M. Pinon","C. Poppett","A. Porredon","F. Prada","A. Pérez-Fernández","I. Pérez-Ràfols","D. Rabinowitz","A. Raichoor","C. Ramírez-Pérez","S. Ramirez-Solano","M. Rashkovetskyi","M. Rezaie","J. Rich","A. Rocher","C. Rockosi","N. A. Roe","A. Rosado-Marin","A. J. Ross","G. Rossi","R. Ruggeri","V. Ruhlmann-Kleider","L. Samushia","E. Sanchez","C. Saulder","E. F. Schlafly","D. Schlegel","M. Schubnell","H. Seo","R. Sharples","J. Silber","A. Slosar","A. Smith","D. Sprayberry","J. Swanson","T. Tan","G. Tarlé","S. Trusov","R. Vaisakh","D. Valcin","F. Valdes","M. Vargas-Magaña","L. Verde","M. Walther","B. Wang","M. S. Wang","B. A. Weaver","N. Weaverdyck","R. H. Wechsler","D. H. Weinberg","M. White","J. Yu","Y. Yu","S. Yuan","C. Yèche","E. A. Zaborowski","P. Zarrouk","H. Zhang","C. Zhao","R. Zhao","R. Zhou","H. Zou"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-03T18:41:49Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.03244v1","name":"Electromagnetic (high-frequency) gravitational wave detectors: Interferometers revisited","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Increased interest in pushing the frontier of gravitational wave searches to higher frequencies (kHz and beyond) has resulted in a variety of different proposed experimental concepts. A significant fraction of them are based on the coupling between classical electromagnetism and gravity. We highlight some differences and similarities between different approaches, showcasing the rich phenomenology arising from this coupling. We use the opportunity to re-derive the response function of interferometers as the low-frequency limit of a broader picture. This article was prepared as proceedings for Moriond Cosmology 2024.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.03244v1","authors":["Valerie Domcke","Joachim Kopp"],"tags":["gr-qc","astro-ph.CO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-05T13:21:40Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.01405v2","name":"Review of the measurements of the strong coupling constant in CMS at 13 TeV. Contribution to the 2024 QCD session of the 58th Rencontres de Moriond","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The strong coupling constant is the least known of the coupling constants in the standard model. Nevertheless it appears in the calculations of cross sections of all the processes at the LHC. We present a review of the strong coupling constant measurements conducted at the CMS experiment, focusing on those performed at a center-of-mass of 13 TeV.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.01405v2","authors":["Andris Potrebko"],"tags":["hep-ex","hep-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-03T15:05:43Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.12737v1","name":"Tutorial on Quantum Error Correction for 2024 Quantum Information Knowledge (QuIK) Workshop","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We provide a brief review of the fundamentals of quantum computation and quantum error correction for the participants of the first Quantum Information Knowledge (QuIK) workshop at the 2024 IEEE International Symposium on Information Theory (ISIT 2024). While this is not a comprehensive review, we provide many references for the reader to delve deeper into the concepts and research directions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.12737v1","authors":["Priya J. Nadkarni","Narayanan Rengaswamy","Bane Vasić"],"tags":["quant-ph","cs.IT"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-17T16:58:32Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.20259v1","name":"Top-quark pole mass extraction at NNLO accuracy","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We describe our recent NNLO QCD extraction of the top-quark pole mass from fits to experimental data on total inclusive and normalized (multi)-differential cross sections for $t\\bar{t} + X$ hadroproduction, using as input various modern PDF + $α_s(M_Z)$ sets. We find top-quark mass values compatible among each other and with the PDG 2024 preferred value.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.20259v1","authors":["S. Alekhin","M. V. Garzelli","J. Mazzitelli","S. -O. Moch","O. Zenaiev"],"tags":["hep-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-28T20:25:07Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.12929v2","name":"The 2024 Foundation Model Transparency Index","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Foundation models are increasingly consequential yet extremely opaque. To characterize the status quo, the Foundation Model Transparency Index (FMTI) was launched in October 2023 to measure the transparency of leading foundation model developers. FMTI 2023 assessed 10 major foundation model developers (e.g. OpenAI, Google) on 100 transparency indicators (e.g. does the developer disclose the wages it pays for data labor?). At the time, developers publicly disclosed very limited information with the average score being 37 out of 100. To understand how the status quo has changed, we conduct a follow-up study after 6 months: we score 14 developers against the same 100 indicators. While in FMTI 2023 we searched for publicly available information, in FMTI 2024 developers submit reports on the 100 transparency indicators, potentially including information that was not previously public. We find that developers now score 58 out of 100 on average, a 21 point improvement over FMTI 2023. Much of this increase is driven by developers disclosing information during the FMTI 2024 process: on average, developers disclosed information related to 16.6 indicators that was not previously public. We observe regions of sustained (i.e. across 2023 and 2024) and systemic (i.e. across most or all developers) opacity such as on copyright status, data access, data labor, and downstream impact. We publish transparency reports for each developer that consolidate information disclosures: these reports are based on the information disclosed to us via developers. Our findings demonstrate that transparency can be improved in this nascent ecosystem, the Foundation Model Transparency Index likely contributes to these improvements, and policymakers should consider interventions in areas where transparency has not improved.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.12929v2","authors":["Rishi Bommasani","Kevin Klyman","Sayash Kapoor","Shayne Longpre","Betty Xiong","Nestor Maslej","Percy Liang"],"tags":["cs.LG","cs.AI","cs.CY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-17T18:03:37Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2403.16509v1","name":"Human Understanding AI Paper Challenge 2024 -- Dataset Design","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In 2024, we will hold a research paper competition (the third Human Understanding AI Paper Challenge) for the research and development of artificial intelligence technologies to understand human daily life. This document introduces the datasets that will be provided to participants in the competition, and summarizes the issues to consider in data processing and learning model development.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.16509v1","authors":["Se Won Oh","Hyuntae Jeong","Jeong Mook Lim","Seungeun Chung","Kyoung Ju Noh"],"tags":["cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-25T07:48:34Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.19428v1","name":"Systems design, assembly, integration and lab testing of WALOP-South Polarimeter","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Wide-Area Linear Optical Polarimeter (WALOP)-South is the first wide-field and survey-capacity polarimeter in the optical wavelengths. On schedule for commissioning in 2024, it will be mounted on the 1 m SAAO telescope in Sutherland Observatory, South Africa to undertake the PASIPHAE sky survey. PASIPHAE program will create the first polarimetric sky map in the optical wavelengths, spanning more than 2000 square degrees of the southern Galactic region. The innovative design of WALOP-South will enable it to measure the linear polarization (Stokes parameters $q$ and $u$), in a single exposure, of all sources in a field of view (FoV) of $35\\times35$ arcminutes-squared in the SDSS-r broadband and narrowband filters between 500-750 nm with 0.1 % polarization accuracy. The unique goals of the instrument place very stringent systems engineering goals, including on the performance of the optical, polarimetric, optomechanical, and electronic subsystems. All the subsystems have been designed carefully to meet the overall instrument performance goals. As of May 2024, all the instrument optical and mechanical subsystems have been assembled and are currently getting tested and integrated. The complete testing and characterization of the instrument in the lab is expected to be completed by August 2024. In this paper, we will present (a) the design and development of the entire instrument and its major subsystems, focusing on the opto-mechanical design which has not been reported before, and (b) assembly and integration of the instrument in the lab and early results from lab characterization of the instrument.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.19428v1","authors":["Siddharth Maharana","A. N. Ramaprakash","Chaitanya Rajarshi","Pravin Khodade","Bhushan Joshi","Pravin Chordia","Abhay Kohok","Ramya M. Anche","Deepa Modi","John A. Kypriotakis","Amit Deokar","Aditya Kinjawadekar","Stephen B. Potter","Dmitry Blinov","Hans Kristian Eriksen","Myrto Falalaki","Hitesh Gajjar","Tuhin Ghosh","Eirik Gjerløw","Sebastain Kiehlmann","Ioannis Liodakis","Nikolaos Mandarakas","Georgia V. Panopoulou","Vasiliki Pavlidou","Timothy J. Pearson","Vincent Pelgrims","Anthony C. S. Readhead","Raphael Skalidis","Konstantinos Tassis","Namita Uppal","Ingunn K. Wehus"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-27T13:08:20Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.04123v1","name":"Helsinki Speech Challenge 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Helsinki Speech Challenge 2024 (HSC2024) invites researchers to enhance and deconvolve speech audio recordings. We recorded a dataset that challenges participants to apply speech enhancement and inverse problems techniques to recorded speech data. This dataset includes paired samples of AI-generated clean speech and corresponding recordings, which feature varying levels of corruption, including frequency attenuation and reverberation. The challenge focuses on developing innovative deconvolution methods to accurately recover the original audio. The effectiveness of these methods will be quantitatively assessed using a speech recognition model, providing a relevant metric for evaluating enhancements in real-world scenarios.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.04123v1","authors":["Martin Ludvigsen","Elli Karvonen","Markus Juvonen","Samuli Siltanen"],"tags":["eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-06T14:47:39Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.05827v2","name":"Measurement of the integrated luminosity of the data collected at 3.773 GeV by BESIII from 2021 to 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present a measurement of the integrated luminosity of $e^+e^-$ collision data collected with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII collider at a center-of-mass energy of $E_{\\rm cm} = 3.773$~GeV. The integrated luminosities of the data sets taken from December 2021 to June 2022, from November 2022 to June 2023, and from October 2023 to February 2024 are determined to be $4.995 \\pm 0.019$~fb$^{-1}$, $8.157 \\pm 0.031$~fb$^{-1}$, and $4.191 \\pm 0.016$~fb$^{-1}$, respectively, by analyzing large angle Bhabha scattering events. The uncertainties are dominated by systematic effects and the statistical uncertainties are negligible. Our results provide essential input for future analyses and precision measurements.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.05827v2","authors":[" BESIII Collaboration","M. Ablikim","M. N. Achasov","P. Adlarson","O. Afedulidis","X. C. Ai","R. Aliberti","A. Amoroso","Q. An","Y. Bai","O. Bakina","I. Balossino","Y. Ban","H. -R. Bao","V. Batozskaya","K. Begzsuren","N. Berger","M. Berlowski","M. Bertani","D. Bettoni","F. Bianchi","E. Bianco","A. Bortone","I. Boyko","R. A. Briere","A. Brueggemann","H. Cai","X. Cai","A. Calcaterra","G. F. Cao","N. Cao","S. A. Cetin","J. F. Chang","G. R. Che","G. Chelkov","C. Chen","C. H. Chen","Chao Chen","G. Chen","H. S. Chen","H. Y. Chen","M. L. Chen","S. J. Chen","S. L. Chen","S. M. Chen","T. Chen","X. R. Chen","X. T. Chen","Y. B. Chen","Y. Q. Chen","Z. J. Chen","Z. Y. Chen","S. K. Choi","G. Cibinetto","F. Cossio","J. J. Cui","H. L. Dai","J. P. Dai","A. Dbeyssi","R. E. de Boer","D. Dedovich","C. Q. Deng","Z. Y. Deng","A. Denig","I. Denysenko","M. Destefanis","F. De Mori","B. Ding","X. X. Ding","Y. Ding","Y. Ding","J. Dong","L. Y. Dong","M. Y. Dong","X. Dong","M. C. Du","S. X. Du","Y. Y. Duan","Z. H. Duan","P. Egorov","Y. H. Fan","J. Fang","J. Fang","S. S. Fang","W. X. Fang","Y. Fang","Y. Q. Fang","R. Farinelli","L. Fava","F. Feldbauer","G. Felici","C. Q. Feng","J. H. Feng","Y. T. Feng","M. Fritsch","C. D. Fu","J. L. Fu","Y. W. Fu","H. Gao","X. B. Gao","Y. N. Gao","Yang Gao","S. Garbolino","I. Garzia","L. Ge","P. T. Ge","Z. W. Ge","C. Geng","E. M. Gersabeck","A. Gilman","K. Goetzen","L. Gong","W. X. Gong","W. Gradl","S. Gramigna","M. Greco","M. H. Gu","Y. T. Gu","C. Y. Guan","A. Q. Guo","L. B. Guo","M. J. Guo","R. P. Guo","Y. P. Guo","A. Guskov","J. Gutierrez","K. L. Han","T. T. Han","F. Hanisch","X. Q. Hao","F. A. Harris","K. K. He","K. L. He","F. H. Heinsius","C. H. Heinz","Y. K. Heng","C. Herold","T. Holtmann","P. C. Hong","G. Y. Hou","X. T. Hou","Y. R. Hou","Z. L. Hou","B. Y. Hu","H. M. Hu","J. F. Hu","S. L. Hu","T. Hu","Y. Hu","G. S. Huang","K. X. Huang","L. Q. Huang","X. T. Huang","Y. P. Huang","Y. S. Huang","T. Hussain","F. Hölzken","N. Hüsken","N. in der Wiesche","J. Jackson","S. Janchiv","J. H. Jeong","Q. Ji","Q. P. Ji","W. Ji","X. B. Ji","X. L. Ji","Y. Y. Ji","X. Q. Jia","Z. K. Jia","D. Jiang","H. B. Jiang","P. C. Jiang","S. S. Jiang","T. J. Jiang","X. S. Jiang","Y. Jiang","J. B. Jiao","J. K. Jiao","Z. Jiao","S. Jin","Y. Jin","M. Q. Jing","X. M. Jing","T. Johansson","S. Kabana","N. Kalantar-Nayestanaki","X. L. Kang","X. S. Kang","M. Kavatsyuk","B. C. Ke","V. Khachatryan","A. Khoukaz","R. Kiuchi","O. B. Kolcu","B. Kopf","M. Kuessner","X. Kui","N. Kumar","A. Kupsc","W. Kühn","J. J. Lane","L. Lavezzi","T. T. Lei","Z. H. Lei","M. Lellmann","T. Lenz","C. Li","C. Li","C. H. Li","Cheng Li","D. M. Li","F. Li","G. Li","H. B. Li","H. J. Li","H. N. Li","Hui Li","J. R. Li","J. S. Li","K. Li","L. J. Li","L. K. Li","Lei Li","M. H. Li","P. R. Li","Q. M. Li","Q. X. Li","R. Li","S. X. Li","T. Li","W. D. Li","W. G. Li","X. Li","X. H. Li","X. L. Li","X. Y. Li","X. Z. Li","Y. G. Li","Z. J. Li","Z. Y. Li","C. Liang","H. Liang","H. Liang","Y. F. Liang","Y. T. Liang","G. R. Liao","Y. P. Liao","J. Libby","A. Limphirat","C. C. Lin","D. X. Lin","T. Lin","B. J. Liu","B. X. Liu","C. Liu","C. X. Liu","F. Liu","F. H. Liu","Feng Liu","G. M. Liu","H. Liu","H. B. Liu","H. H. Liu","H. M. Liu","Huihui Liu","J. B. Liu","J. Y. Liu","K. Liu","K. Y. Liu","Ke Liu","L. Liu","L. C. Liu","Lu Liu","M. H. Liu","P. L. Liu","Q. Liu","S. B. Liu","T. Liu","W. K. Liu","W. M. Liu","X. Liu","X. Liu","Y. Liu","Y. Liu","Y. B. Liu","Z. A. Liu","Z. D. Liu","Z. Q. Liu","X. C. Lou","F. X. Lu","H. J. Lu","J. G. Lu","X. L. Lu","Y. Lu","Y. P. Lu","Z. H. Lu","C. L. Luo","J. R. Luo","M. X. Luo","T. Luo","X. L. Luo","X. R. Lyu","Y. F. Lyu","F. C. Ma","H. Ma","H. L. Ma","J. L. Ma","L. L. Ma","M. M. Ma","Q. M. Ma","R. Q. Ma","T. Ma","X. T. Ma","X. Y. Ma","Y. Ma","Y. M. Ma","F. E. Maas","M. Maggiora","S. Malde","Y. J. Mao","Z. P. Mao","S. Marcello","Z. X. Meng","J. G. Messchendorp","G. Mezzadri","H. Miao","T. J. Min","R. E. Mitchell","X. H. Mo","B. Moses","N. Yu. Muchnoi","J. Muskalla","Y. Nefedov","F. Nerling","L. S. Nie","I. B. Nikolaev","Z. Ning","S. Nisar","Q. L. Niu","W. D. Niu","Y. Niu","S. L. Olsen","Q. Ouyang","S. Pacetti","X. Pan","Y. Pan","A. Pathak","Y. P. Pei","M. Pelizaeus","H. P. Peng","Y. Y. Peng","K. Peters","J. L. Ping","R. G. Ping","S. Plura","V. Prasad","F. Z. Qi","H. Qi","H. R. Qi","M. Qi","T. Y. Qi","S. Qian","W. B. Qian","C. F. Qiao","X. K. Qiao","J. J. Qin","L. Q. Qin","L. Y. Qin","X. P. Qin","X. S. Qin","Z. H. Qin","J. F. Qiu","Z. H. Qu","C. F. Redmer","K. J. Ren","A. Rivetti","M. Rolo","G. Rong","Ch. Rosner","S. N. Ruan","N. Salone","A. Sarantsev","Y. Schelhaas","K. Schoenning","M. Scodeggio","K. Y. Shan","W. Shan","X. Y. Shan","Z. J. Shang","J. F. Shangguan","L. G. Shao","M. Shao","C. P. Shen","H. F. Shen","W. H. Shen","X. Y. Shen","B. A. Shi","H. Shi","H. C. Shi","J. L. Shi","J. Y. Shi","Q. Q. Shi","S. Y. Shi","X. Shi","J. J. Song","T. Z. Song","W. M. Song","Y. J. Song","Y. X. Song","S. Sosio","S. Spataro","F. Stieler","Y. J. Su","G. B. Sun","G. X. Sun","H. Sun","H. K. Sun","J. F. Sun","K. Sun","L. Sun","S. S. Sun","T. Sun","W. Y. Sun","Y. Sun","Y. J. Sun","Y. Z. Sun","Z. Q. Sun","Z. T. Sun","C. J. Tang","G. Y. Tang","J. Tang","M. Tang","Y. A. Tang","L. Y. Tao","Q. T. Tao","M. Tat","J. X. Teng","V. Thoren","W. H. Tian","Y. Tian","Z. F. Tian","I. Uman","Y. Wan","S. J. Wang","B. Wang","B. L. Wang","Bo Wang","D. Y. Wang","F. Wang","H. J. Wang","J. J. Wang","J. P. Wang","K. Wang","L. L. Wang","M. Wang","N. Y. Wang","S. Wang","S. Wang","T. Wang","T. J. Wang","W. Wang","W. Wang","W. P. Wang","X. Wang","X. F. Wang","X. J. Wang","X. L. Wang","X. N. Wang","Y. Wang","Y. D. Wang","Y. F. Wang","Y. L. Wang","Y. N. Wang","Y. Q. Wang","Yaqian Wang","Yi Wang","Z. Wang","Z. L. Wang","Z. Y. Wang","Ziyi Wang","D. H. Wei","F. Weidner","S. P. Wen","Y. R. Wen","U. Wiedner","G. Wilkinson","M. Wolke","L. Wollenberg","C. Wu","J. F. Wu","L. H. Wu","L. J. Wu","X. Wu","X. H. Wu","Y. Wu","Y. H. Wu","Y. J. Wu","Z. Wu","L. Xia","X. M. Xian","B. H. Xiang","T. Xiang","D. Xiao","G. Y. Xiao","S. Y. Xiao","Y. L. Xiao","Z. J. Xiao","C. Xie","X. H. Xie","Y. Xie","Y. G. Xie","Y. H. Xie","Z. P. Xie","T. Y. Xing","C. F. Xu","C. J. Xu","G. F. Xu","H. Y. Xu","M. Xu","Q. J. Xu","Q. N. Xu","W. Xu","W. L. Xu","X. P. Xu","Y. C. Xu","Z. S. Xu","F. Yan","L. Yan","W. B. Yan","W. C. Yan","X. Q. Yan","H. J. Yang","H. L. Yang","H. X. Yang","T. Yang","Y. Yang","Y. F. Yang","Y. F. Yang","Y. X. Yang","Z. W. Yang","Z. P. Yao","M. Ye","M. H. Ye","J. H. Yin","Z. Y. You","B. X. Yu","C. X. Yu","G. Yu","J. S. Yu","T. Yu","X. D. Yu","Y. C. Yu","C. Z. Yuan","J. Yuan","J. Yuan","L. Yuan","S. C. Yuan","Y. Yuan","Z. Y. Yuan","C. X. Yue","A. A. Zafar","F. R. Zeng","S. H. Zeng","X. Zeng","Y. Zeng","Y. J. Zeng","Y. J. Zeng","X. Y. Zhai","Y. C. Zhai","Y. H. Zhan","A. Q. Zhang","B. L. Zhang","B. X. Zhang","D. H. Zhang","G. Y. Zhang","H. Zhang","H. Zhang","H. C. Zhang","H. H. Zhang","H. H. Zhang","H. Q. Zhang","H. R. Zhang","H. Y. Zhang","J. Zhang","J. Zhang","J. J. Zhang","J. L. Zhang","J. Q. Zhang","J. S. Zhang","J. W. Zhang","J. X. Zhang","J. Y. Zhang","J. Z. Zhang","Jianyu Zhang","L. M. Zhang","Lei Zhang","P. Zhang","Q. Y. Zhang","R. Y. Zhang","S. H. Zhang","Shulei Zhang","X. D. Zhang","X. M. Zhang","X. Y. Zhang","Y. Zhang","Y. Zhang","Y. T. Zhang","Y. H. Zhang","Y. M. Zhang","Yan Zhang","Z. D. Zhang","Z. H. Zhang","Z. L. Zhang","Z. Y. Zhang","Z. Y. Zhang","Z. Z. Zhang","G. Zhao","J. Y. Zhao","J. Z. Zhao","L. Zhao","Lei Zhao","M. G. Zhao","N. Zhao","R. P. Zhao","S. J. Zhao","Y. B. Zhao","Y. X. Zhao","Z. G. Zhao","A. Zhemchugov","B. Zheng","B. M. Zheng","J. P. Zheng","W. J. Zheng","Y. H. Zheng","B. Zhong","X. Zhong","H. Zhou","J. Y. Zhou","L. P. Zhou","S. Zhou","X. Zhou","X. K. Zhou","X. R. Zhou","X. Y. Zhou","Y. Z. Zhou","J. Zhu","K. Zhu","K. J. Zhu","K. S. Zhu","L. Zhu","L. X. Zhu","S. H. Zhu","T. J. Zhu","W. D. Zhu","Y. C. Zhu","Z. A. Zhu","J. H. Zou","J. Zu"],"tags":["hep-ex"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-09T15:35:05Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.10585v1","name":"Tübingen-CL at SemEval-2024 Task 1:Ensemble Learning for Semantic Relatedness Estimation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The paper introduces our system for SemEval-2024 Task 1, which aims to predict the relatedness of sentence pairs. Operating under the hypothesis that semantic relatedness is a broader concept that extends beyond mere similarity of sentences, our approach seeks to identify useful features for relatedness estimation. We employ an ensemble approach integrating various systems, including statistical textual features and outputs of deep learning models to predict relatedness scores. The findings suggest that semantic relatedness can be inferred from various sources and ensemble models outperform many individual systems in estimating semantic relatedness.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.10585v1","authors":["Leixin Zhang","Çağrı Çöltekin"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-14T14:56:51Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2402.14070v2","name":"Baryon Acoustic Oscillation Theory and Modelling Systematics for the DESI 2024 results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper provides a comprehensive overview of how fitting of Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) is carried out within the upcoming Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument's (DESI) 2024 results using its DR1 dataset, and the associated systematic error budget from theory and modelling of the BAO. We derive new results showing how non-linearities in the clustering of galaxies can cause potential biases in measurements of the isotropic ($α_{\\mathrm{iso}}$) and anisotropic ($α_{\\mathrm{ap}}$) BAO distance scales, and how these can be effectively removed with an appropriate choice of reconstruction algorithm. We then demonstrate how theory leads to a clear choice for how to model the BAO and develop, implement and validate a new model for the remaining smooth-broadband (i.e., without BAO) component of the galaxy clustering. Finally, we explore the impact of all remaining modelling choices on the BAO constraints from DESI using a suite of high-precision simulations, arriving at a set of best-practices for DESI BAO fits, and an associated theory and modelling systematic error. Overall, our results demonstrate the remarkable robustness of the BAO to all our modelling choices and motivate a combined theory and modelling systematic error contribution to the post-reconstruction DESI BAO measurements of no more than $0.1\\%$ ($0.2\\%$) for its isotropic (anisotropic) distance measurements. We expect the theory and best-practices laid out to here to be applicable to other BAO experiments in the era of DESI and beyond.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.14070v2","authors":["Shi-Fan Chen","Cullan Howlett","Martin White","Patrick McDonald","Ashley J. Ross","Hee-Jong Seo","Nikhil Padmanabhan","J. Aguilar","S. Ahlen","S. Alam","O. Alves","U. Andrade","R. Blum","D. Brooks","X. Chen","S. Cole","T. M. Davis","K. Dawson","A. de la Macorra","Arjun Dey","Z. Ding","P. Doel","S. Ferraro","A. Font-Ribera","D. Forero-Sánchez","J. E. Forero-Romero","C. Garcia-Quintero","E. Gaztañaga","S. Gontcho A Gontcho","M. M. S Hanif","K. Honscheid","T. Kisner","A. Kremin","A. Lambert","M. Landriau","M. E. Levi","M. Manera","A. Meisner","J. Mena-Fernández","R. Miquel","A. Muñoz-Gutiérrez","E. Paillas","N. Palanque-Delabrouille","W. J. Percival","F. Prada","A. Pérez-Fernández","M. Rashkovetskyi","M. Rezaie","A. Rosado-Marin","G. Rossi","R. Ruggeri","E. Sanchez","D. Schlegel","J. Silber","G. Tarlé","M. Vargas-Magaña","B. A. Weaver","J. Yu","S. Yuan","R. Zhou","Z. Zhou"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-21T19:00:24Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.09782v2","name":"ChainScience 2024, Conference Proceedings","source":"arxiv","abstract":"ChainScience 2024, the second edition of the interdisciplinary conference, brought together academics, practitioners, and industry experts to explore novel developments in the realm of distributed ledger technologies. The conference aimed to bridge diverse fields such as informatics, business, economics, finance, regulation, law, mathematics, physics, and complexity science. The papers presented in these conference proceedings address emerging topics such as AI/ML applications to blockchain, DLTs interoperability, decentralized financial services, and tokenomics, alongside ethical, societal, and governance aspects of blockchain and DLTs. With a focus on promoting high-quality research and interdisciplinary collaboration, ChainScience24 aimed to unlock the collective potential of its diverse participants, embodying the ethos that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.09782v2","authors":["Nicolò Vallarano","Claudio J. Tessone"],"tags":["cs.DC"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-15T13:39:11Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.15958v1","name":"The 2024 KIDA network for interstellar chemistry","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The study of the chemical composition of the interstellar medium (ISM) requires a strong synergy between laboratory astrophysics, modeling, and observations. In particular, astrochemical models have been developed for decades now and include an increasing number of processes studied in the laboratory or theoretically. These models follow the chemistry both in the gas phase and at the surface of interstellar grains. Since 2012, we have provided complete gas-phase chemical networks for astrochemical codes that can be used to model various environments of the ISM. Our aim is to introduce the new up-to-date astrochemical network kida.uva.2024 together with the ice chemical network and the fortran code to compute time dependent compositions of the gas, the ice surface, and the ice mantles under physical conditions relevant for the ISM. The gas-phase chemical reactions, as well as associated rate coefficients, included in kida.uva.2024 were carefully selected from the KIDA online database and represent the most recent values. The model predictions for cold core conditions and for when considering only gas-phase processes were computed as a function of time and compared to the predictions obtained with the previous version, kida.uva.2014. In addition, key chemical reactions were identified. The model predictions, including both gas and surface processes, were compared to the molecular abundances as observed in the cold core TMC1-CP. Many gas-phase reactions were revised or added to produce kida.uva.2024. The new model predictions are different by several orders of magnitude for some species. The agreement of this new model with observations in TMC-1 (CP) is, however, similar to the one obtained with the previous network.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.15958v1","authors":["V. Wakelam","P. Gratier","J. -C. Loison","K. M. Hickson","J. Penguen","A. Mechineau"],"tags":["astro-ph.GA"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-22T18:16:17Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.15872v2","name":"Optimizing Brain Tumor Segmentation with MedNeXt: BraTS 2024 SSA and Pediatrics","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Identifying key pathological features in brain MRIs is crucial for the long-term survival of glioma patients. However, manual segmentation is time-consuming, requiring expert intervention and is susceptible to human error. Therefore, significant research has been devoted to developing machine learning methods that can accurately segment tumors in 3D multimodal brain MRI scans. Despite their progress, state-of-the-art models are often limited by the data they are trained on, raising concerns about their reliability when applied to diverse populations that may introduce distribution shifts. Such shifts can stem from lower quality MRI technology (e.g., in sub-Saharan Africa) or variations in patient demographics (e.g., children). The BraTS-2024 challenge provides a platform to address these issues. This study presents our methodology for segmenting tumors in the BraTS-2024 SSA and Pediatric Tumors tasks using MedNeXt, comprehensive model ensembling, and thorough postprocessing. Our approach demonstrated strong performance on the unseen validation set, achieving an average Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC) of 0.896 on the BraTS-2024 SSA dataset and an average DSC of 0.830 on the BraTS Pediatric Tumor dataset. Additionally, our method achieved an average Hausdorff Distance (HD95) of 14.682 on the BraTS-2024 SSA dataset and an average HD95 of 37.508 on the BraTS Pediatric dataset. Our GitHub repository can be accessed here: Project Repository : https://github.com/python-arch/BioMbz-Optimizing-Brain-Tumor-Segmentation-with-MedNeXt-BraTS-2024-SSA-and-Pediatrics","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.15872v2","authors":["Sarim Hashmi","Juan Lugo","Abdelrahman Elsayed","Dinesh Saggurthi","Mohammed Elseiagy","Alikhan Nurkamal","Jaskaran Walia","Fadillah Adamsyah Maani","Mohammad Yaqub"],"tags":["eess.IV","cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-24T15:19:19Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.00608v2","name":"$f(T)$ gravity after DESI Baryon Acoustic Oscillation and DES Supernovae 2024 data","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this work, we investigate new constraints on $f(T)$ gravity using the recent Baryon Acoustic Oscillation (BAO) data released by the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) and the Type Ia supernovae (SNIa) catalog from the full 5-years of the Dark Energy Survey Supernova Program (DES-SN5YR). The $f(T)$ cosmological models considered are characterised by power law late-time accelerated expansion. Our results show that the combination DESI BAO +$r_d$ CMB Planck suggests a Bayesian preference for late-time $f(T)$ cosmological models over $Λ$CDM, obtaining a value of $H_0= 68.3^{+3.0}_{-3.5}$[km/s/Mpc] in agreement with SH0ES collaboration, however, due to a bigger uncertainty.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.00608v2","authors":["Celia Escamilla-Rivera","Rodrigo Sandoval-Orozco"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO","gr-qc"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-01T16:28:59Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.09327v1","name":"Sina at FigNews 2024: Multilingual Datasets Annotated with Bias and Propaganda","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The proliferation of bias and propaganda on social media is an increasingly significant concern, leading to the development of techniques for automatic detection. This article presents a multilingual corpus of 12, 000 Facebook posts fully annotated for bias and propaganda. The corpus was created as part of the FigNews 2024 Shared Task on News Media Narratives for framing the Israeli War on Gaza. It covers various events during the War from October 7, 2023 to January 31, 2024. The corpus comprises 12, 000 posts in five languages (Arabic, Hebrew, English, French, and Hindi), with 2, 400 posts for each language. The annotation process involved 10 graduate students specializing in Law. The Inter-Annotator Agreement (IAA) was used to evaluate the annotations of the corpus, with an average IAA of 80.8% for bias and 70.15% for propaganda annotations. Our team was ranked among the bestperforming teams in both Bias and Propaganda subtasks. The corpus is open-source and available at https://sina.birzeit.edu/fada","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.09327v1","authors":["Lina Duaibes","Areej Jaber","Mustafa Jarrar","Ahmad Qadi","Mais Qandeel"],"tags":["cs.AI","cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-12T15:04:09Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2601.02898v1","name":"Proceedings of the 1st International Workshop on Low Carbon Computing (LOCO 2024)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This is the proceedings of the 1st International Workshop on Low Carbon Computing (LOCO 2024).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.02898v1","authors":["Wim Vanderbauwhede","Lauritz Thamsen","José Cano"],"tags":["cs.DC"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-06T10:36:11Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.07753v1","name":"The MuSe 2024 Multimodal Sentiment Analysis Challenge: Social Perception and Humor Recognition","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Multimodal Sentiment Analysis Challenge (MuSe) 2024 addresses two contemporary multimodal affect and sentiment analysis problems: In the Social Perception Sub-Challenge (MuSe-Perception), participants will predict 16 different social attributes of individuals such as assertiveness, dominance, likability, and sincerity based on the provided audio-visual data. The Cross-Cultural Humor Detection Sub-Challenge (MuSe-Humor) dataset expands upon the Passau Spontaneous Football Coach Humor (Passau-SFCH) dataset, focusing on the detection of spontaneous humor in a cross-lingual and cross-cultural setting. The main objective of MuSe 2024 is to unite a broad audience from various research domains, including multimodal sentiment analysis, audio-visual affective computing, continuous signal processing, and natural language processing. By fostering collaboration and exchange among experts in these fields, the MuSe 2024 endeavors to advance the understanding and application of sentiment analysis and affective computing across multiple modalities. This baseline paper provides details on each sub-challenge and its corresponding dataset, extracted features from each data modality, and discusses challenge baselines. For our baseline system, we make use of a range of Transformers and expert-designed features and train Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU)-Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) models on them, resulting in a competitive baseline system. On the unseen test datasets of the respective sub-challenges, it achieves a mean Pearson's Correlation Coefficient ($ρ$) of 0.3573 for MuSe-Perception and an Area Under the Curve (AUC) value of 0.8682 for MuSe-Humor.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.07753v1","authors":["Shahin Amiriparian","Lukas Christ","Alexander Kathan","Maurice Gerczuk","Niklas Müller","Steffen Klug","Lukas Stappen","Andreas König","Erik Cambria","Björn Schuller","Simone Eulitz"],"tags":["cs.AI","cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-11T22:26:20Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.02677v2","name":"The VoicePrivacy 2024 Challenge Evaluation Plan","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The task of the challenge is to develop a voice anonymization system for speech data which conceals the speaker's voice identity while protecting linguistic content and emotional states. The organizers provide development and evaluation datasets and evaluation scripts, as well as baseline anonymization systems and a list of training resources formed on the basis of the participants' requests. Participants apply their developed anonymization systems, run evaluation scripts and submit evaluation results and anonymized speech data to the organizers. Results will be presented at a workshop held in conjunction with Interspeech 2024 to which all participants are invited to present their challenge systems and to submit additional workshop papers.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.02677v2","authors":["Natalia Tomashenko","Xiaoxiao Miao","Pierre Champion","Sarina Meyer","Xin Wang","Emmanuel Vincent","Michele Panariello","Nicholas Evans","Junichi Yamagishi","Massimiliano Todisco"],"tags":["eess.AS","cs.CL","cs.CR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-03T12:20:51Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.13570v1","name":"Security analysis of the Australian Capital Territory's eVACS 2020/2024 paperless direct recording electronic voting system","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This report describes the implications for eVACS of two cryptographic errors in the Ada Web Services Library that it depends on. We identified these errors in the course of examining and testing the 2024 eVACS code, which was made publicly available in March 2024. We disclosed the problems to AdaCore, and explained the implications at the time to the relevant electoral authorities.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.13570v1","authors":["Chris Culnane","Andrew Conway","Vanessa Teague","Ty Wilson-Brown"],"tags":["cs.CR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-20T15:16:35Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.01897v1","name":"Proposal Report for the 2nd SciCAP Competition 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, we propose a method for document summarization using auxiliary information. This approach effectively summarizes descriptions related to specific images, tables, and appendices within lengthy texts. Our experiments demonstrate that leveraging high-quality OCR data and initially extracted information from the original text enables efficient summarization of the content related to described objects. Based on these findings, we enhanced popular text generation model models by incorporating additional auxiliary branches to improve summarization performance. Our method achieved top scores of 4.33 and 4.66 in the long caption and short caption tracks, respectively, of the 2024 SciCAP competition, ranking highest in both categories.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.01897v1","authors":["Pengpeng Li","Tingmin Li","Jingyuan Wang","Boyuan Wang","Yang Yang"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-02T02:42:29Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.18031v2","name":"Faces Speak Louder Than Words: Emotions Versus Textual Sentiment in the 2024 USA Presidential Election","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Sentiment analysis of textual content has become a well-established solution for analyzing social media data. However, with the rise of images and videos as primary modes of expression, more information on social media is conveyed visually. Among these, facial expressions serve as one of the most direct indicators of emotional content in images. This study analyzes a dataset of Instagram posts related to the 2024 U.S. presidential election, spanning April 5, 2024, to August 9, 2024, to compare the relationship between textual and facial sentiment. Our findings reveal that facial expressions align with text sentiment, where positive sentiment aligns with happiness, although neutral and negative facial expressions provide critical information beyond negative valence. Furthermore, during politically significant events such as Donald Trump's conviction and assassination attempt, posts depicting Trump showed a 12% increase in negative sentiment. Crucially, Democrats use their opponent's fear to depict weakness, whereas Republicans use their candidate's anger to depict resilience. Our research highlights the potential of integrating facial expression analysis with textual sentiment analysis to uncover deeper insights into social media dynamics.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.18031v2","authors":["Chiyu Wei","Sean Noh","Ho-Chun Herbert Chang"],"tags":["cs.SI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-23T22:51:21Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.08110v1","name":"Conference Proceedings of The European DAO Workshop 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The European DAO Workshop 2024 held on July 4th/5th in Winterthur, Switzerland aims to explore the challenges and opportunities of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs). Its goal is to foster innovation and knowledge transfer between academics and practitioners to advance DAOs as a new organizational structure. This collection of full papers delves into areas such as decentralized decision-making, business models, artificial intelligence, economics, and legal challenges for DAOs. This diverse compilation offers a multi-disciplinary examination of the rapidly growing phenomenon of DAOs that are based on blockchain technology.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.08110v1","authors":["Florian Spychiger","Michael Lustenberger"],"tags":["cs.CY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-12T11:42:08Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.14445v1","name":"Comment on Quantum illumination using polarization-entangled photon pairs for enhanced object detection (Opt. Express 32, 40150-40164, 2024)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The paper by K. Sengupta et al. (Opt. Express 32, 40150-40164, 2024) explores quantum illumination using polarization-entangled photon pairs for object detection in noisy environments. In this comment, we highlight fundamental flaws in the mathematical model used to describe photon loss. We argue that the treatment of photon loss and its effects on quantum entanglement is incorrect. We demonstrate that the conclusions of Sengupta et al., particularly the detection of low-reflectivity objects using quantum correlations, are unsubstantiated, as the assumed resilience of polarization entanglement to photon loss contradicts established principles of quantum information theory. We present a more rigorous framework for describing the effects of photon loss on both polarization-encoded and photon-number quantum states. Additionally, we critique the approach used in the OE article to model photon loss in free-space optical (FSO) transmission, noting that it is based on a fiber-optic model that was adopted with insufficient attribution from an earlier publication. We propose several improvements to enhance the modeling of FSO photon loss.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.14445v1","authors":["Artur Czerwinski","Jakub J. Borkowski"],"tags":["quant-ph","physics.optics"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-06T19:01:14Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.17324v2","name":"Delving into the Utilisation of ChatGPT in Scientific Publications in Astronomy","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Rapid progress in the capabilities of machine learning approaches in natural language processing has culminated in the rise of large language models over the last two years. Recent works have shown unprecedented adoption of these for academic writing, especially in some fields, but their pervasiveness in astronomy has not been studied sufficiently. To remedy this, we extract words that ChatGPT uses more often than humans when generating academic text and search a total of 1 million articles for them. This way, we assess the frequency of word occurrence in published works in astronomy tracked by the NASA Astrophysics Data System since 2000. We then perform a statistical analysis of the occurrences. We identify a list of words favoured by ChatGPT and find a statistically significant increase for these words against a control group in 2024, which matches the trend in other disciplines. These results suggest a widespread adoption of these models in the writing of astronomy papers. We encourage organisations, publishers, and researchers to work together to identify ethical and pragmatic guidelines to maximise the benefits of these systems while maintaining scientific rigour.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.17324v2","authors":["Simone Astarita","Sandor Kruk","Jan Reerink","Pablo Gómez"],"tags":["cs.CL","astro-ph.IM","cs.DL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-25T07:15:10Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2408.01464v1","name":"Summary Report on the 2024 African School of Physics Program for Learners","source":"arxiv","abstract":"On April 15-19, 2024, as a part of the eighth African School of Physics, ASP2024, we organized a program for learners from selected high schools in the vicinity of Marrakesh, Morocco. In this event, within a week, we reached out to over a thousand high school students, aka learners, from many high schools in the region of Marrakesh. We present a summary report on these outreach activities.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.01464v1","authors":["Kétévi A. Assamagan","Abdelkarim Boskri","Kenneth Cecire","Mohamed Chabab","Christine Darve","Farida Fassi","Mounia Laassiri","Sanae Samsam","Janna Vischer"],"tags":["physics.ed-ph","physics.soc-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-30T17:48:04Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.2024-1963","name":"Expandable Protection Unit for Extraterrestrial Explorers","source":"crossref","abstract":"This paper presents the concept and prototyping of lunar regolith sandbags to protect extraterrestrial rovers from radiation, temperature fluctuations, and micrometeorite impacts. Lunar regolith is suspected to shield against the challenging conditions commonly experienced on the Moon’s surface. When filtered into a sandbag-like structure, regolith can be arranged into a modular protective jacket-like structure to fit any rover. The structure increases the overall mass of the rover, resulting in improved traction and stability, and can be oriented or altered for an optimal center of mass. This technology minimizes launch mass and volume by using an expandable product filled with in-situ resources.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2024-1963","authors":["Anna Dinkel","Jekan Thangavelautham"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-29T22:05:19Z","doi":"10.2514/6.2024-1963","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5771/9781666944372","name":"Astrophilosophy, Exotheology, and Cosmic Religion","source":"crossref","abstract":"Astrophilosopy, Exotheology, and Cosmic Religion: Extraterrestrial Life in a Process Universe applies Alfred North Whitehead’s process philosophy and the associated process philosophies of Henri Bergson, Teilhard de Chardin, and others to the interdisciplinary layers of astrobiology, extraterrestrial life, and the impact of discovery. This collection, edited by Andrew M. Davis and Roland Faber, asks questions such as “How have process thinkers imagined universal creative evolution and its implications for philosophies, theologies, and religions beyond earth?” and “How might their claims as to the primacy of organism, temporality, novelty, value, and mind enrich current discussions and debates across disciplines?” As experts in their fields, the contributors are informed by, but not limited to, process conceptualities. The chapters not only advance recent discussions in astrobiology, cosmology, and evolution but also consider a constellation of philosophical topics, from shared extraterrestrial knowledge and values to the possibilities or limitations afforded by A.I. technology, the Fermi Paradox, the Drake Equation, and the increasing need to nurture the cosmic dimensions of theological and religious traditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5771/9781666944372","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-30T08:25:28Z","doi":"10.5771/9781666944372","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7868/s0233361924040013","name":"Radio hunt for extraterrestrial civilizations","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7868/s0233361924040013","authors":["Evgeniy Strelkov"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-14T10:58:31Z","doi":"10.7868/s0233361924040013","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/078358","name":"53rd IAA Symposium on the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) - The Next Steps","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/078358","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-31T21:08:46Z","doi":"10.52202/078358","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/gselements.20.3.152","name":"The Quest for Extraterrestrial Cratons","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.20.3.152","authors":["Vicki L. Hansen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-03T15:56:46Z","doi":"10.2138/gselements.20.3.152","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/chemv.202400108","name":"Understanding Polymerization in Extraterrestrial Ices","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/chemv.202400108","authors":["Ralf-Ingo Kaiser","Vera Koester"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-24T08:44:42Z","doi":"10.1002/chemv.202400108","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-99-8653-8_11","name":"Extraterrestrial Mössbauer Spectrometry","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-8653-8_11","authors":["R. Justin Joseyphus","Jean-Marc Greneche"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-27T20:30:15Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-99-8653-8_11","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9798216431916","name":"Astrophilosophy, Exotheology, and Cosmic Religion","source":"crossref","abstract":"Astrophilosopy, Exotheology, and Cosmic Religion: Extraterrestrial Life in a Process Universeapplies Alfred North Whitehead’s process philosophy and the associated process philosophies of Henri Bergson, Teilhard de Chardin, and others to the interdisciplinary layers of astrobiology, extraterrestrial life, and the impact of discovery. This collection, edited by Andrew M. Davis and Roland Faber, asks questions such as “How have process thinkers imagined universal creative evolution and its implications for philosophies, theologies, and religions beyond earth?” and “How might their claims as to the primacy of organism, temporality, novelty, value, and mind enrich current discussions and debates across disciplines?” As experts in their fields, the contributors are informed by, but not limited to, process conceptualities. The chapters not only advance recent discussions in astrobiology, cosmology, and evolution but also consider a constellation of philosophical topics, from shared extraterrestrial knowledge and values to the possibilities or limitations afforded by A.I. technology, the Fermi Paradox, the Drake Equation, and the increasing need to nurture the cosmic dimensions of theological and religious traditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9798216431916","authors":["Andrew M. Davis","Roland Faber"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-21T13:18:47Z","doi":"10.5040/9798216431916","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/gselements.20.1.7","name":"Extraterrestrial Organic Matter: An Introduction","source":"crossref","abstract":"Extraterrestrial organic matter forms in a variety of locations in space through different mechanisms. Its nature, distribution, formation mechanisms and locations are of particular interest. Some organic molecules can even be considered as key players for the emergence of life. Although new organic species are continuously detected in the interstellar media, Solar System bodies, and extraterrestrial materials, their formation and evolution are still not fully understood. Ground-based and space observations can detect organic matter in different objects with a range of complexity and diversity, while laboratory investigations of astromaterials allow detailed characterization of extraterrestrial organic matter with high precision. This issue reviews different aspects of extraterrestrial organic matter, including its origin, evolution, diversity, and delivery.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.20.1.7","authors":["Mehmet Yesiltas","Yoko Kebukawa"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-15T08:04:02Z","doi":"10.2138/gselements.20.1.7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2144/btn-2024-0033","name":"Extraterrestrial agriculture: plant cultivation in space","source":"crossref","abstract":"[Formula: see text] Researchers are using various techniques and technologies to study how plants grow in extraterrestrial conditions with the hopes of sustaining longer missions for exploring deep space as well as being able to one day cultivate crops on other planets.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2144/btn-2024-0033","authors":["Beatrice Bowlby"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-11T08:32:37Z","doi":"10.2144/btn-2024-0033","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9780755650910","name":"Islamic Theology and Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"Over the last thirty years, humanity has discovered thousands of planets outside of our solar system. The discovery of extraterrestrial life could be imminent. This book explains how such a discovery might impact Islamic theology. It is the foundational reference on the subject, comprising a variety of different insights from both Sunni and Shi'i positions, from different Muslim contexts, and with chapters that compare and contrast Islamic perspectives with Christianity. Together, they address some of our biggest questions through an Islamic lens: What makes humans unique in the cosmos? What are the ethics of dealing with other sentient beings? And how universal is salvation? Given the accelerating advances in exoplanet research and astrobiology, the book is at the frontier of science and Islamic thought. Contributors include a range of leading experts from Muslim theologians, scholars of comparative religion and philosophers, to historians, social scientists and natural scientists.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9780755650910","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-24T16:12:11Z","doi":"10.5040/9780755650910","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5771/9781666944372-i","name":"Preface","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5771/9781666944372-i","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-30T08:25:28Z","doi":"10.5771/9781666944372-i","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3133/mybvi","name":"Minerals Yearbook, volume I, Metals and Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"For additional information, contact: Director, National Minerals Information Center U.S. Geological Survey 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive 988 National Center Reston, VA 20192 Email: nmicrecordsmgt@usgs.gov The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Minerals Yearbook discusses the performance of the worldwide minerals and materials industries and provides background information to assist in interpreting that performance. Content of the individual Minerals Yearbook volumes follows:Volume I, Metals and Minerals, contains chapters about virtually all metallic and industrial mineral commodities important to the U.S. economy. Chapters on survey methods, summary statistics for domestic nonfuel minerals, and trends in mining and quarrying in the metals and industrial mineral industries in the United States are also included.Volume II, Area Reports: Domestic, contains a chapter on the mineral industry of each of the 50 States and Puerto Rico and the Administered Islands. This volume also has chapters on survey methods and summary statistics of domestic nonfuel minerals.Volume III, Area Reports: International, is published as four separate reports. These regional reports contain the latest available minerals data on more than 180 foreign countries and discuss the importance of minerals to the economies of these nations and the United States. Each report begins with an overview of the region's mineral industries during the year. It continues with individual country chapters that examine the mining, refining, processing, and use of minerals in each country of the region and how each country's mineral industry relates to U.S. industry. Most chapters include production tables and industry structure tables, information about Government policies and programs that affect the country's mineral industry, and an outlook section.The USGS continually strives to improve the value of its publications to users. Constructive comments and suggestions by readers of the Minerals Yearbook are welcome.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3133/mybvi","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-08-22T16:43:35Z","doi":"10.3133/mybvi","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5771/9781666944372-1","name":"Introduction","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5771/9781666944372-1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-30T08:25:28Z","doi":"10.5771/9781666944372-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9798216427599.ch-010","name":"The Extraterrestrial Hypothesis","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9798216427599.ch-010","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-27T09:37:13Z","doi":"10.5040/9798216427599.ch-010","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00417-5","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00417-5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-13T22:29:25Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00417-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5771/9781666944372-45","name":"Astrophilosophy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5771/9781666944372-45","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-30T08:25:28Z","doi":"10.5771/9781666944372-45","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00085-2","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00085-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-13T19:31:15Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00085-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5771/9781666944372-539","name":"Index","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5771/9781666944372-539","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-30T08:25:28Z","doi":"10.5771/9781666944372-539","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00170-5","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00170-5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-22T06:36:17Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00170-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00020-7","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00020-7","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-25T02:11:00Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00020-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00360-1","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00360-1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-22T21:42:30Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00360-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00290-5","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00290-5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-23T06:36:25Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00290-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00117-1","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00117-1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-06T08:54:14Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00117-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00054-2","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00054-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-14T22:38:47Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00054-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(23)00530-7","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(23)00530-7","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-23T22:53:39Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(23)00530-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00204-8","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00204-8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-11T06:42:04Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00204-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00501-6","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00501-6","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-30T22:07:35Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00501-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.31219/osf.io/84rwq","name":"The Fermi Paradox and the Emergence of Intelligent Extraterrestrial Civilizations","source":"crossref","abstract":"Whether intelligent species exist in our galaxy has long remained an unresolved question withinthe Fermi Paradox. While numerous theories have been proposed to address the Fermi Paradoxand theories and estimates as to the possible number of intelligent civilizations in our galaxy hasbeen proposed. The Fermi paradox also has hidden implications which may be explored utilizingthe interrelationship between astrophysics, neurobiology, and complex network theory and whichprovides a deeper understanding of the mathematical implications behind the origin and evolutionof life in the universe.","url":"https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/84rwq","authors":["Chung-Pin Chou"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-13T01:03:16Z","doi":"10.31219/osf.io/84rwq","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(23)00570-8","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(23)00570-8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-29T03:12:55Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(23)00570-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00152-3","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00152-3","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-02T14:27:50Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00152-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00234-6","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00234-6","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-28T10:57:21Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00234-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00527-2","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00527-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-13T15:19:41Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(24)00527-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5771/9781666944372-345","name":"Cosmic Religion","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5771/9781666944372-345","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-30T08:25:28Z","doi":"10.5771/9781666944372-345","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5771/9781666944372-211","name":"Exotheology","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5771/9781666944372-211","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-30T08:25:28Z","doi":"10.5771/9781666944372-211","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-443-15614-4.00013-8","name":"Applications of Terramechanics to Evaluation of Extraterrestrial Rover Mobility","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-443-15614-4.00013-8","authors":["J.Y. Wong"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-26T02:10:38Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-443-15614-4.00013-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.2024-1865","name":"Time Variant Particle Swarm Optimization (TVPSO) for Autonomous Extraterrestrial Rescue and Recovery","source":"crossref","abstract":"Rescue and recovery missions on extraterrestrial sites are an inevitable necessity, especially with increased extraterrestrial exploration. Robotic and crewed missions provide significant challenges from budgetary restrictions and time constraints. Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) techniques leverage shared swarm knowledge for solution convergence. However, traditional PSO exhibits performance degradation in dynamic scenarios. The authors present Time-Variant Particle Swarm Optimization (TVPSO), which addresses key PSO performance weaknesses for dynamic rescue operations, along with results from numerical simulations in dynamic search environments. The analytical tests confirm TVPSO's marked improvement over that of traditional PSO and indicates its viability for future extraterrestrial missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2024-1865","authors":["Kyle Sanders","May-Win Thein"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-29T22:05:19Z","doi":"10.2514/6.2024-1865","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1029/2024eo240291","name":"The Past, Present, and Future of Extraterrestrial Sample Return","source":"crossref","abstract":"Retrieving samples from distant solar system bodies has revolutionized our understanding of the cosmos and our place in it.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024eo240291","authors":["Jemma Davidson","Jessica Barnes"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-18T07:00:18Z","doi":"10.1029/2024eo240291","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4324/9781003496502-16","name":"The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"The history and background of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence and its implications if successful is reviewed. The Drake Equation as to the probability of extraterrestrial civilisations is outlined. Active and passive forms of the Search are considered. Messages have been sent into space both physically and more often by radio and the latter method is examined. Messaging involves both national control and the ITU Radio Regulations. Passive SETI may be optical, but the use of radio observation is more prevalent. This also depends on national and ITU regulations as to the use of the radio spectrum, albeit it use by not transmitting at particular radio frequencies. The chapter then outlines and discusses various attitudes to be expected were a discovery made. The steps taken to disclose the discovery of extraterrestrial intelligence through a Post-detection Protocol adopted by the SETI Committee of the International Astronautical Federation are reviewed. Should a reply be made, who should be consulted, who should make it, and who should compose it, are questions covered by the correlative Reply Protocol which has yet to be officially adopted. Compliance with these protocols would, however, be voluntary. Should there be a treaty?","url":"https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003496502-16","authors":["Francis Lyall","Paul B. Larsen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-28T10:49:03Z","doi":"10.4324/9781003496502-16","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5771/9781666944372-547","name":"About the Contributors","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5771/9781666944372-547","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-30T08:25:28Z","doi":"10.5771/9781666944372-547","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/078358-0016","name":"A Comprehensive Approach to Detecting Extraterrestrial Intelligence: Integrating Robotic Probes, Techno Signatures, and AI-Enhanced RFIs.","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/078358-0016","authors":["Anjali Shivani Reddy Thadisina","Rithika S","Tanmay Sharma"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-31T21:08:46Z","doi":"10.52202/078358-0016","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9798216431916.0005","name":"Acknowledgments","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9798216431916.0005","authors":["Roland Faber"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-21T13:18:47Z","doi":"10.5040/9798216431916.0005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2174/9789815223316124010052","name":"Revisiting History of Humanity By Extraterrestrial Imperialism and Local Justice: Dune By Denis Villeneuve","source":"crossref","abstract":"This article is an essay to analyze the movie “Dune” by Denis Villeneuve by using the concepts of imperialism, colonialism, and the quest for local justice. In Dune, the architectural elements selected for Arrakis, imperial palaces, and local living spaces of the future are all deeply in harmony with the planet’s landscape. The film matches the effective gliding of the source material in the book while dispensing with much of the novel by leaving behind David Lynch’s 1984 adaptation. The imperial/counterimperial and dominium battles between different space-conquering families set the basis of the story. The top family houses are scrambling and fighting for dominance. House Atreides has been assigned by the unseen Emperor to rule over Arrakis. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&amp;nbsp;In almost every fiction art, designers, artists, and architects have labored to imagine what the state structure and/or built environment of an extraterrestrial world of the future might look like. The movie is directed by Denis Villeneuve, the talent/craftsmanship who presents sweeping vistas and startling science fiction imagery. Art director Vermette decided that the natural environments on each planet must be dominantly used in the design codes. In Arrakeen of Arrakis, the buildings depict a right angle choice. The dominant material is stone and light is taken in by “light wells”. Large windows are incapable of responding to super-extreme heat. All palaces in the movie are designed with the role of a monument to showcase and press the image of the Empire. By using a monumental scale, all characters are shown powerless and ineffective. A gigantic scale is used, not only in the palaces but also in the houses of families to demonstrate the storytelling mechanism in a power-coded socio-political order. The design of the music and soundscapes of different planets makes us feel the alien character.&lt;br&gt;","url":"https://doi.org/10.2174/9789815223316124010052","authors":["Ersan Koç"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-27T13:31:09Z","doi":"10.2174/9789815223316124010052","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9798216431916.0008","name":"About the Contributors","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9798216431916.0008","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-21T13:18:47Z","doi":"10.5040/9798216431916.0008","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1353/sfs.2024.a931154","name":"Universe of Pluralism: Extraterrestrial Intelligence in Liu Cixin's Short Stories","source":"crossref","abstract":"ABSTRACT: This paper examines extraterrestrial intelligence in the short stories of Chinese science fiction writer Liu Cixin and their relation to the alien civilization in Liu's immensely successful Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy. I will discuss the topic from three aspects: extraterrestrial intelligence's role as both metaphorical and literal mirrors in Liu's short stories; various alien worldviews and existential states that derive their conflicting diversity from the scientific and humanistic divide in the literary tradition of Chinese science fiction; aliens that represent either the scientistic outlook or the pitfalls of scientific and technological progress. While the values and outlooks of alien civilizations in Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy are uniformly based on a reductive and unambiguous set of axioms, Liu's short stories argue for the multiplicity and relativism of existential values and purposes of life in the universe not only by portraying diversity, but by juxtaposing opposites, abolishing binaries, and questioning absolute positions. I argue that Liu's short stories concerning extraterrestrial intelligence convey a message about the plurality and relativism of worldviews and existential values through embracing the coexistence of the antithetical stances of humanism and science, disputing the absolute positions of anthropocentrism and scientism, and dissolving the binary of the human self and the nonhuman other.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1353/sfs.2024.a931154","authors":["Xiuqi Huang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-05T06:11:16Z","doi":"10.1353/sfs.2024.a931154","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1109/mmm.2024.3412001","name":"The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence 2024 [Microwave Surfing]","source":"crossref","abstract":"Regular readers of the column will recall my long-standing fascination with the scientific search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). Last year, I wrote about the American astrophysicist Frank Drake (1930–2022), who kickstarted SETI in 1960 with his Project Ozma[2]and whose eponymous Drake equation[3]has been used to estimate the number of observable civilizations in our galaxy. Recently, I browsed through a new crop of books devoted to SETI. They includedInterstellar: The Search for Extraterrestrial Life and Our Future in the Stars[1]by the Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb;Alien Earths[4]by Lisa Kaltenegger, the director of the Carl Sagan Institute at Cornell; andThe Little Book of Aliens[5]by the physicist Adam Frank of the University of Rochester. Even a cursory perusal of these books makes one thing very clear. Not only are scientists going beyond Drake’s original vision of searching for “radio waves sent forth by other intelligent civilizations”[2], but the current SETI discourse also employs many terms unfamiliar to the wider public. Here are a few of them to bring you up to speed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/mmm.2024.3412001","authors":["Rajeev Bansal"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-06T18:25:11Z","doi":"10.1109/mmm.2024.3412001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.61927/igmin247","name":"Use of Extraterrestrial Resources and Recycling Water: Curb Your Enthusiasm","source":"crossref","abstract":"The NASA approach for technology development for missions is to (1) wait for a mission need, and (2) upgrade the technology available at that time, however inadequate. This is illustrated with two important NASA technologies: in situ resource utilization (ISRU) and recycling wastewater. It also serves as a review with 49 references provided. NASA funding for ISRU has been sporadic and minimal, probably because no mission was being implemented that used ISRU. The state of the technology remains underdeveloped. For example, CO2 in the Mars atmosphere supplies carbon and oxygen. However, we still do not have a viable system to acquire CO2 and compress it with acceptable power requirements and adequate lifetime. NASA technology for recycling wastewater was developed for the International Space Station. It requires frequent attention with replenishment and replacement of subsystems. This system appears to be inadequate for Mars missions and there is no evidence that NASA has a viable plan to fix that.","url":"https://doi.org/10.61927/igmin247","authors":["Rapp Donald"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-30T07:29:24Z","doi":"10.61927/igmin247","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3997/2214-4609.202449bgs45","name":"Seismology of Extraterrestrial Bodies in the Solar System","source":"crossref","abstract":"Summary The presented research is dealing with the new emerging topic based on the knowledge accumulated during the development of seismology and applied to study the seismicity and all other seismology applications to the extraterrestrial bodies in the Solar system. Up to now all initial missions to the Moon, Mars and intension to send landing equipment to new promising solid bodies of the Solar system is intended to carry out seismological apparatus. Initially the Moon exploration was under considerations to study this body by seismology methodology including registration of natural Moonquakes and deeper sounding of the Moon interior by natural and/or artificial man-made tremors. Then Mars was such a target. Future missions to other planets and/or their satellites also plan seismology equipment and investigations. This presentation is comparing earthquakes, Moonquakes and Marsquakes to reveal their similarities and differences. All data and information are from publically available sites and platforms.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3997/2214-4609.202449bgs45","authors":["B. Ranguelov"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-20T06:06:01Z","doi":"10.3997/2214-4609.202449bgs45","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2024.0080","name":"Self-Sustaining Living Habitats in Extraterrestrial Environments","source":"crossref","abstract":"Standard definitions of habitability assume that life requires the presence of planetary gravity wells to stabilize liquid water and regulate surface temperature. Here, the consequences of relaxing this assumption are evaluated. Temperature, pressure, volatile loss, radiation levels, and nutrient availability all appear to be surmountable obstacles to the survival of photosynthetic life in space or on celestial bodies with thin atmospheres. Biologically generated barriers capable of transmitting visible radiation, blocking ultraviolet, and sustaining temperature gradients of 25–100 K and pressure differences of 10 kPa against the vacuum of space can allow habitable conditions between 1 and 5 astronomical units in the solar system. Hence, ecosystems capable of generating conditions for their own survival are physically plausible, given the known capabilities of biological materials on Earth. Biogenic habitats for photosynthetic life in extraterrestrial environments would have major benefits for human life support and sustainability in space. Because the evolution of life elsewhere may have followed very different pathways from that on Earth, living habitats could also exist outside traditional habitable environments around other stars, where they would have unusual yet potentially detectable biosignatures.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2024.0080","authors":["R. Wordsworth","C. Cockell"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-26T03:55:13Z","doi":"10.1089/ast.2024.0080","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/nano14100893","name":"Nanomaterials for Potential Uses in Extraterrestrial Environments","source":"crossref","abstract":"Over the past decades, the development of nanomaterials has played an important role in the most intriguing aspects of new technologies in several scientific fields, such as nanoelectronics, nanomedicine [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/nano14100893","authors":["Angelo Nicosia","Placido Mineo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-21T05:40:47Z","doi":"10.3390/nano14100893","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/078372-0065","name":"Lessons from Earth for Designing and Building Safe Extraterrestrial Systems","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/078372-0065","authors":["Takaharu Igarashi","Karen Marais"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-31T21:07:16Z","doi":"10.52202/078372-0065","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.46865/978-5-901640-41-8-2024-504-504","name":"A SIGN IN SPACE: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY EXPLORATION OF THE POTENTIAL RECEPTION OF AN EXTRATERRESTRIAL SIGNAL","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.46865/978-5-901640-41-8-2024-504-504","authors":["Daniela DE PAULIS"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-27T07:59:35Z","doi":"10.46865/978-5-901640-41-8-2024-504-504","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.22541/essoar.172434496.61118653/v1","name":"Characterization of Size Distribution of Rocks on Extraterrestrial Bodies: Insights from Laboratory Experiments and Numerical Simulations","source":"crossref","abstract":"The nature of an apparently random rock deposit, such as regolith on an extraterrestrial body, is often evaluated in terms of the size distribution of the rock particles. Especially, the power-law index of the cumulative size-frequency distribution (CSFD), , is often used to describe the distribution. However, an value is typically obtained only from surface images, raising questions about its ability to reflect the size distribution of the entire deposit. In this study, we perform laboratory and numerical experiments to demonstrate that an value obtained from surface images alone does not necessarily represent that of the entire granular deposit. The value is only a reliable indicator of the size distribution of surface rocks, which can still be useful to gain insight into the evolutionary history of an asteroid’s surface. However, to fully address the internal information, direct observations of subsurface materials or sample analysis are required.","url":"https://doi.org/10.22541/essoar.172434496.61118653/v1","authors":["Yuta Shimizu","Hideaki Miyamoto"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-22T13:18:30Z","doi":"10.22541/essoar.172434496.61118653/v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108599","name":"Multivariate image processing in minerals engineering with vision transformers","source":"crossref","abstract":"Vision transformers (ViTs) are a new class of deep learning algorithms that have recently emerged as a competitive alternative to convolutional neural networks. In this investigation, their application to two operations previously studied in the mineral processing industry is considered. These are image recognition of fines in coal particles on conveyor belts and characterisation of the particle size in the underflow of a hydrocyclone. Promising results were achieved by use of vision transformers, as they performed as well as, or better than convolutional neural networks in these image recognition problems. In addition, features extracted from the best ViT model could be used to visualise its performance and these features could also serve as a basis for nonlinear process monitoring models. Furthermore, explainability techniques such as attention maps for ViTs were implemented to better understand the ViT models, similar to techniques such as occlusion sensitivity maps used with convolutional neural networks.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108599","authors":["Xiu Liu","Chris Aldrich"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-03T12:20:14Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108599","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1088/1742-6596/2877/1/012052","name":"Searching for extraterrestrial intelligence across a century","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract This short paper explores the century-long journey of searching for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) with a focus on the radiowave spectrum. Beginning with early experiments by David Todd and Charles Jenkins, who attempted interplanetary communication using radio technology, it traces the historical development of SETI. The paper discusses significant milestones, such as Project OZMA in 1961 and the transition to modern searches, particularly the Breakthrough Listen project, which represents the most comprehensive effort in SETI history. The vastness of the Universe, the potential for life in various planetary systems and the challenges of differentiating between basic life and intelligent life are highlighted. The discussion includes the concept of technosignatures—signals indicative of advanced technology—and the advancements in telescope technology like the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO) that enhance SETI capabilities. Recent developments are also addressed, such as an intriguing signal detected in 2020 and the future of SETI is envisioned, including the possibility of building a radio telescope on the far side of the Moon to escape interference from human technosignatures as humans continue to expand into space.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2877/1/012052","authors":["Andrew Siemion"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-12T14:29:58Z","doi":"10.1088/1742-6596/2877/1/012052","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1061/9780784485736.076","name":"Topological Interlocking Bricks for Habitat Construction in Extraterrestrial Environments","source":"crossref","abstract":"As NASA and other space agencies prepare for a sustained return of humans to the Moon, one key focus area pertains to the challenges of constructing resilient habitats in space. Traditional approaches suggest using robots for single-pass 3D printing of entire habitats, yet this method is constrained by the size limitations of the robots themselves. In this paper, we propose an adaptable and modular approach for human habitat construction based on topological interlocking bricks. These 3D-printed structural elements are designed with specially shaped elements that lock together in such a way to offer enhanced resilience and modularity compared to conventional methods. However, the development of extraterrestrial structures requires a consideration of the extreme environmental conditions, the use of in situ resources and on situ fabrication capabilities. We conducted a review of environmental conditions on the Moon to provide useful information regarding structural requirements, available materials, and fabrication methods. We presented various topological interlocking systems and evaluated different assemblies under lunar gravity to recommend an ideal solution for different types of lunar structures.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784485736.076","authors":["Maëlle Mathieu","Parisa Haji Abdulrazagh","Alexander M. Jablonski","Pooneh Maghoul"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-10T14:00:32Z","doi":"10.1061/9780784485736.076","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3133/mybviii","name":"Minerals Yearbook, volume III, Area Reports — International","source":"crossref","abstract":"For additional information, contact: Director, National Minerals Information Center U.S. Geological Survey 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive 988 National Center Reston, VA 20192 Email: nmicrecordsmgt@usgs.gov The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Minerals Yearbook discusses the performance of the worldwide minerals and materials industries and provides background information to assist in interpreting that performance. Content of the individual Minerals Yearbook volumes follows:Volume I, Metals and Minerals, contains chapters about virtually all metallic and industrial mineral commodities important to the U.S. economy. Chapters on survey methods, summary statistics for domestic nonfuel minerals, and trends in mining and quarrying in the metals and industrial mineral industries in the United States are also included.Volume II, Area Reports: Domestic, contains a chapter on the mineral industry of each of the 50 States and Puerto Rico and the Administered Islands. This volume also has chapters on survey methods and summary statistics of domestic nonfuel minerals.Volume III, Area Reports: International, is published as four separate reports. These regional reports contain the latest available minerals data on more than 180 foreign countries and discuss the importance of minerals to the economies of these nations and the United States. Each report begins with an overview of the region's mineral industries during the year. It continues with individual country chapters that examine the mining, refining, processing, and use of minerals in each country of the region and how each country's mineral industry relates to U.S. industry. Most chapters include production tables and industry structure tables, information about Government policies and programs that affect the country's mineral industry, and an outlook section.The USGS continually strives to improve the value of its publications to users. Constructive comments and suggestions by readers of the Minerals Yearbook are welcome.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3133/mybviii","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-08-22T16:46:18Z","doi":"10.3133/mybviii","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.2024-4912","name":"Withdrawn: Improved Fast Terminal Sliding Mode Control for an Extraterrestrial Lander","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2024-4912","authors":["Mahsa Azadmanesh","Fahad Mannan","Jafar Roshanian","Mostafa Hassanalian"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-20T08:30:37Z","doi":"10.2514/6.2024-4912","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/078369-0118","name":"Sustainable Extraterrestrial Tool Making using in Situ Resourcing","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/078369-0118","authors":["Achintya Bairat","Guadalupe Espinoza Gastelum"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-31T21:07:56Z","doi":"10.52202/078369-0118","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3133/mybvii","name":"Minerals Yearbook, volume II, Area Reports — Domestic","source":"crossref","abstract":"For additional information, contact: Director, National Minerals Information Center U.S. Geological Survey 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive 988 National Center Reston, VA 20192 Email: nmicrecordsmgt@usgs.gov The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Minerals Yearbook discusses the performance of the worldwide minerals and materials industries and provides background information to assist in interpreting that performance. Content of the individual Minerals Yearbook volumes follows:Volume I, Metals and Minerals, contains chapters about virtually all metallic and industrial mineral commodities important to the U.S. economy. Chapters on survey methods, summary statistics for domestic nonfuel minerals, and trends in mining and quarrying in the metals and industrial mineral industries in the United States are also included.Volume II, Area Reports: Domestic, contains a chapter on the mineral industry of each of the 50 States and Puerto Rico and the Administered Islands. This volume also has chapters on survey methods and summary statistics of domestic nonfuel minerals.Volume III, Area Reports: International, is published as four separate reports. These regional reports contain the latest available minerals data on more than 180 foreign countries and discuss the importance of minerals to the economies of these nations and the United States. Each report begins with an overview of the region’s mineral industries during the year. It continues with individual country chapters that examine the mining, refining, processing, and use of minerals in each country of the region and how each country’s mineral industry relates to U.S. industry. Most chapters include production tables and industry structure tables, information about Government policies and programs that affect the country’s mineral industry, and an outlook section.The USGS continually strives to improve the value of its publications to users. Constructive comments and suggestions by readers of the Minerals Yearbook are welcome.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3133/mybvii","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-08-22T17:12:52Z","doi":"10.3133/mybvii","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1061/9780784485736.002","name":"Optimizing 3D-Printed Concrete Mixtures for Extraterrestrial Habitats: A Machine Learning Framework","source":"crossref","abstract":"The utilization of 3D printing technology for the construction of habitats and infrastructure on celestial bodies such as the Moon and Mars presents an increasingly fascinating prospect in space construction research. The success of 3D printing constructions heavily depends on the rheological and mechanical properties of 3D-printed concrete influenced by several factors such as nozzle speed, interlayer interval time, and environmental conditions. However, existing studies have not addressed the challenge of real-time optimization of concrete mixtures under constantly changing conditions, including temperature, humidity, pressure, and gravity on other planets. Potentially, machine learning (ML) offers advantages in terms of data-driven optimization, flexibility, cost, and time savings and handling complex relationships on optimization tasks. This study aims to identify and propose a framework for applying ML in real-time optimization of concrete mixture and printing parameters. The framework involves identifying influential factors to optimizing a 3D-printed concrete mix and printing parameters, thereby developing an optimization framework specifically tailored to the extraterrestrial environment. The study result explored the feasibility of using machine learning techniques for real-time optimizing concrete mixtures in 3D printing construction on celestial bodies. The expected contribution of the study lies in introducing data-driven optimization techniques that provide adaptability to changing environmental conditions, improving the efficiency and reliability of construction in space.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784485736.002","authors":["Pham Duy Hoang","Hyosoo Moon","Yonghan Ahn"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-10T14:00:32Z","doi":"10.1061/9780784485736.002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108923","name":"Special Issue in honour of Prof. Graeme Jameson","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108923","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-24T04:24:02Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108923","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1061/9780784485736.072","name":"Importance of Psychological Factors for Extraterrestrial Base and Site Planning","source":"crossref","abstract":"Our habitats serve two basic functions: to define inside space that serves as shelter and to define outside space that is the rest of the world. Both aspects and their interaction are critical to human functioning and well-being. Thus, the importance of pathways through which we connect the external and internal environments cannot be overestimated, especially in the case of long-term living in isolated, confined, and extreme conditions where opportunities for connectivity are limited and challenging. The design of all infrastructure elements, whether a surface or orbital habitat, must comply with unique requirements associated with launch and landing mass and volume constraints, radiation and orbital debris and micrometeoroids protection, availability of resources, resupply delivery, transportation means, and power consumption. Although these requirements are continually being scrutinized and improved upon by scientific and engineering communities, there is a notable gap in similar considerations involving the impact of site and infrastructure factors that affect crew performance, health, and well-being. This paper presents excerpts of both official and unofficial reports from space crews as well as empirical psychological and human factors research regarding the importance of the ability to visually access the exterior environment, i.e., the world without, in space habitats. The discussion explores the ways in which infrastructure elements and site locations should be equally important considerations in decisions regarding habitat positioning and orientation on the site.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784485736.072","authors":["Olga Bannova","Sheryl Bishop","James A. Wise","Sandra Häuplik-Meusburger"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-10T14:00:32Z","doi":"10.1061/9780784485736.072","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2332159","name":"Museum Notes","source":"crossref","abstract":"As every year, the Society of Mineral Museum Professionals (SMMP) held its board and general meetings in conjunction with the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show in February. Shown here are the approximate...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2332159","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-21T16:51:46Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2332159","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2377021","name":"Museum Notes","source":"crossref","abstract":"With the completion of the transformative renovation and the reopening of the Yale Peabody Museum, in New Haven, Connecticut, the long-anticipated display of specimens from the Yampol Family and Th...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2377021","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-24T14:05:39Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2377021","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2349488","name":"Museum Notes","source":"crossref","abstract":"September marks the start of the fall show season, and Denver leads the way with its Hard Rock Summit/Original Denver Gem and Mineral Show (12–15). As always, the Society of Mineral Museum Professi...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2349488","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-19T19:53:43Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2349488","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2349491","name":"Coming Events","source":"crossref","abstract":"NOTICE TO CLUBS—Listing of all shows is a free service provided by ROCKS & MINERALS. Information on upcoming shows must be received at least four months before date of publication. Include date, pl...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2349491","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-19T19:53:43Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2349491","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14060624","name":"Temperature Perturbation Infrared Spectroscopy of Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"A new method for variable temperature infrared spectroscopy studies of minerals is presented. A sample heating/cooling apparatus incorporating a modified button sample holder with thermoelectric temperature control is described. By employing different programs to heat and cool samples with temperatures varying in different ways, various aspects of mineral powders are investigated. Infrared spectroscopy methodologies for identifying sample structural changes as a function of temperature are described. The results obtained for a variety of minerals are provided as examples. The high precision and accuracy of this approach permit the detection of subtle crystallographic unit cell distortions as a function of temperature. A &lt; 0.25% reduction in O-H stretching vibration band intensity associated with water desorption from a quartz sample is observed at 150 °C. By employing step temperature heating profiles, reversible and irreversible sample changes can be distinguished. Variable temperature infrared spectroscopy analyses demonstrate the utility of the technique for profiling sample dehydration processes and for elucidating interactions between mineral functionalities and absorbates as a function of temperature.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14060624","authors":["Heidi F. Noneman","Robert L. White"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-20T03:46:29Z","doi":"10.3390/min14060624","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.18654577.10","name":"Extraterrestrial Eden:","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.18654577.10","authors":["Erin Webster"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-24T20:23:22Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.18654577.10","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2377024","name":"Coming Events","source":"crossref","abstract":"NOTICE TO CLUBS—Listing of all shows is a free service provided by ROCKS & MINERALS. Information on upcoming shows must be received at least four months before date of publication. Include date, pl...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2377024","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-24T14:05:39Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2377024","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.2024-1148","name":"Extraterrestrial Launch Campaigns: Refueling and Launching a Vehicle from the Moon and Mars","source":"crossref","abstract":"Many of the proposed Lunar and Martian mission architectures rely on in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) for propellant generation. However, neither vehicle nor ISRU architecture evaluation studies typically incorporate detailed descriptions of the hardware or workflow required to prepare a cryogenic liquid-fueled rocket for launch from another planetary body. This hardware can be heavy, complex, exposed to extreme operating environments, and subject to component or system failures. Ground system or vehicle system failures result in time-sensitive data anomalies that are currently dispositioned and resolved by teams of engineers and launch site technicians, but this workflow would not be effective given the long communication time-delay between Earth and Mars, and a limited Martian workforce. The impacts of ground system hardware requirements, labor requirements, and day of launch workflows on the overall mission design need to be considered to demonstrate the feasibility of any sustainable and affordable crewed Lunar and Mars mission architecture.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2024-1148","authors":["Matthew E. Taliaferro","Samuel R. Darr","Galina V. Shpuntova"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-29T21:44:33Z","doi":"10.2514/6.2024-1148","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2281189","name":"Coming Events","source":"crossref","abstract":"NOTICE TO CLUBS—Listing of all shows is a free service provided by ROCKS & MINERALS. Information on upcoming shows must be received at least four months before date of publication. Include date, pl...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2281189","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-21T17:05:06Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2281189","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2281188","name":"Museum Notes","source":"crossref","abstract":"After the Tucson Show in February 2023, the Society of Mineral Museum Professionals (SMMP) held meetings at the Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines Show in France in June, at the Denver Hard Rock Summit Show in...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2281188","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-21T17:05:06Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2281188","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2303964","name":"Coming Events","source":"crossref","abstract":"NOTICE TO CLUBS—Listing of all shows is a free service provided by ROCKS & MINERALS. Information on upcoming shows must be received at least four months before date of publication. Include date, pl...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2303964","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-18T17:29:26Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2303964","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.71342/287702731555","name":"MRIWA Research Priority Plan Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia (MRIWA) is a statutory body established by the Western Australian Government under the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia Act 2013 (the Act) to stimulate minerals research to support investment in, and operation of, a globally competitive minerals industry in Western Australia. MRIWA’s primary function is to provide financial assistance to undertake, procure and manage minerals research projects. To guide the allocation of funding, Division 4 of the Act requires MRIWA to have “a research priority plan that identifies and prioritises the medium to long term knowledge and technology needs of the State’s minerals industry”.","url":"https://doi.org/10.71342/287702731555","authors":["Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia MRIWA"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-10T00:56:16Z","doi":"10.71342/287702731555","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2303961","name":"Museum Notes","source":"crossref","abstract":"The newest kid on the block as far as columns in Rocks & Minerals are concerned is the one we’re calling Signature Specimen. It features one iconic specimen for which a museum is best known, the sp...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2303961","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-18T17:29:26Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2303961","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/078358-0002","name":"Lindy's Technosignatures","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/078358-0002","authors":["Claudio Grimaldi","Amedeo Balbi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-31T21:08:46Z","doi":"10.52202/078358-0002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9798216431916.ch-7","name":"Astrobiology, Astrotheology, and Cosmic Consciousness","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9798216431916.ch-7","authors":["Ted Peters"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-21T13:18:47Z","doi":"10.5040/9798216431916.ch-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.31438/trf.hh2024.15","name":"MULTI-MODAL MEMS SENSING MODULE FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL OCEANOGRAPHIC EXPLORATION","source":"crossref","abstract":"With the discovery of extraterrestrial ocean environment, it is critical to develop unmanned vehicles with sensor payloads to explore the uncharted territory.The sensed data can be used to map the environment and seek signs of life.We present a design for a multi-modal sensing module consisting of 5 types of MEMS sensors integrated on a micro-swimming robot for extraterrestrial oceanographic exploration.The sensor module collects pressure, conductivity, temperature, pH, and biochemical data as the carrying robot traverses through the water body.In this paper, we discuss the design of the mentioned sensors on an AlGaN/GaN/Si wafer, as well as the fabrication and characterization of the conductivity, temperature, and pH sensors.","url":"https://doi.org/10.31438/trf.hh2024.15","authors":["Zhijian Hao","Yue Zheng","Ethan W.","Azadeh Ansari"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-21T12:40:21Z","doi":"10.31438/trf.hh2024.15","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/gselements.20.1.38","name":"Analytical Techniques for Identification and Characterization of Extraterrestrial Organic Matter","source":"crossref","abstract":"Advances in analytical techniques are essential for understanding the nature, formation, and evolutionary history of extraterrestrial organic matter. In this chapter, we briefly review analytical techniques used to detect and characterize organic matter in extraterrestrial materials. Mass spectrometry is often coupled with gas chromatography or liquid chromatography for elemental and isotopic analysis, and for identifying specific organic compounds. Spectroscopy involves interaction of molecules with electromagnetic radiation at various wavelengths. Almost every wavelength—from X-rays to radio waves—can be used for spectroscopic measurements. The most major microscopic and nanoscopic techniques are scanning and/or transmission electron microscopy. Spectroscopy and mass spectrometry can also be coupled with microscopic analysis for detailed compositional investigations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.20.1.38","authors":["Yoko Kebukawa","Mehmet Yesiltas","Timothy D. Glotch"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-15T07:19:00Z","doi":"10.2138/gselements.20.1.38","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1088/1742-6596/2877/1/012050","name":"Searching for extraterrestrial intelligence across a century","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Exobiology is a burgeoning research field. There is a realistic prospect that in a decade or two we will have the capability to detect biosignatures – non-equilibrium atmospheric chemistry, vegetation etc. – for the nearest exoplanets. But of course what is most interesting of all would be some techno -signatures, indicating not just ‘life’, but intelligent life. This paper offers some introductory comments on this topic.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2877/1/012050","authors":["Martin J. Rees"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-12T14:32:55Z","doi":"10.1088/1742-6596/2877/1/012050","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2334603","name":"Coming Events","source":"crossref","abstract":"NOTICE TO CLUBS—Listing of all shows is a free service provided by ROCKS & MINERALS. Information on upcoming shows must be received at least four months before date of publication. Include date, pl...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2334603","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-21T16:51:46Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2334603","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2332147","name":"Connoisseur’s Choice: Tucson Treasures 2024","source":"crossref","abstract":"The term connoisseur is derived from an earlier version of the French word connaître, meaning “to know, or be acquainted with.” Traditionally, a connoisseur is one who has much knowledge about fine...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2332147","authors":["Mark Mauthner"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-21T16:51:46Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2332147","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/s1743921324001959","name":"Extraterrestrial Intelligent Life: What The Public Believes","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Astrobiologists are moving purposefully towards the detection of extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) through the radio and optical methods of SETI. Meanwhile, members of the public have formed their own opinions, only partially informed by science. In the United States, two thirds of all adults believe there is intelligent life beyond Earth, and a substantial minority believe we have already made contact. Opinions about the existence and nature of aliens are part of a complex landscape of beliefs that includes pseudoscience and superstition and extends to conspiracy theories. The widespread belief that unidentified flying objects (UFOs) represent visits by ETI is at the center of this landscape. Beliefs about ETI are also shaped by films, TV shows, and popular culture. This chapter summarizes what the public believes about ETI and presents possible explanations for these beliefs. Some international comparisons are presented. The author has surveyed the opinions and beliefs of tens of thousands of students on topics relating to life beyond Earth and the data gives insights into the modes of thinking of the college-age population. People are not “blank canvasses” when it comes to their beliefs and expectations about ETI, and this should be considered by the scientists who are preparing for eventual, actual contact.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1743921324001959","authors":["Chris Impey"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-20T09:38:19Z","doi":"10.1017/s1743921324001959","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1201/9781003246459-17","name":"The Current Searches for Extraterrestrial Intelligences (SETI); Should We Be Doing Them?","source":"crossref","abstract":"Extraterrestrial beings in the modern sense could not, of course, be envisaged until after the Earth itself was known to be just one planet amongst many. Before that though and even afterwards, some parts of the Earth itself were so remote that they were labelled by ancient and mediaeval map makers with “ hic sunt dracones ” or “here be dragons” ( Figure 14.1 ) in what seems a very close analogue of widespread modern perception (at least amongst movie makers) of extra-terrestrials as inevitably being hostile towards humankind. Figure 14.1 Dragons – the mediaeval equivalent of ETs? Glance at some of the current computer/internet games and you might suspect that we have not advanced very far during the intervening centuries. The dragon myth, though, may have originated via garbled accounts of volcanic eruptions. (© C. R. Kitchin 2021. Reproduced by permission.) The figure shows a sketch of an hypothetical (terrestrial) dragon https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\" content-type=\"colour\" xlink:href=\" https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781003246459/b93deec2-4d02-4c7f-80b1-6ec3b681b175/content/fig14_1_C.tif \"/>","url":"https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003246459-17","authors":["C.R. Kitchin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-04T19:24:54Z","doi":"10.1201/9781003246459-17","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108461","name":"Understanding the role of water quality in separation of rare earth minerals from iron oxide minerals in a flotation circuit","source":"crossref","abstract":"In many mineral processing plants, using saline water has become necessary to improve water efficiency. However, the dissolved ions in the water such as Ca2+ and Mg2+ may have a significant negative impact on the flotation of RE (rare earth) minerals due to the chemical reaction with flotation reagents used in RE flotation. Although some researchers investigated flotation performance of pure rare earth minerals, there is no study investigating the role of water quality in the separation of rare earth minerals from iron oxide minerals in a flotation circuit. This study focused on investigating the effect of divalent cations like Ca2+ and Mg2+ on the flotation of RE minerals using a fatty acid collector and Na2SiO3 depressant. The results showed that the presence of Ca2+ and Mg2+ decreased the selectivity and recovery of RE minerals due to the formation of insoluble calcium and magnesium carboxylate, leading to the reduced residual collector concentration. Furthermore, the divalent cations acted as a bridge between the oxygen atoms of the adsorbed SiO32− and carboxylate ions, resulting in increased adsorption of fatty acid collector ions and higher recovery of FeO. Rheological measurements also revealed that the presence of Ca2+ and Mg2+ significantly increased the flotation pulp viscosity, which could be attributed to the reduced repulsive forces between particles due to the compression of electrical double layer. This study provides valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying the effects of Ca2+ and Mg2+ on RE mineral flotation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108461","authors":["Moonchul Jung","Bogale Tadesse","Craig Dick","Alex Logan","Laurence Dyer","Boris Albijanic"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-10-26T11:43:32Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108461","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2279422","name":"Chips from the Quarry","source":"crossref","abstract":"ONE-TWO PEGMATITE PUNCH: Two articles on pegmatites spilled over from the January/February pegmatite issue into this issue: one on the Brown Derby pegmatite in Colorado by Philip M. Persson and Mar...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2279422","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-21T17:05:06Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2279422","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2023.2235977","name":"Gold “Fivelings”","source":"crossref","abstract":"Apparent fivefold symmetry in gold was first documented by Gustav Rose (1831) who described such a crystal aggregate on a specimen from “Boitza” (Băiţa mining district), Romania, that otherwise fea...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2023.2235977","authors":["Mark Mauthner"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-21T17:05:06Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2023.2235977","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2348436","name":"Chips from the Quarry","source":"crossref","abstract":"DOUBLE FEATURES: Getting top billing in not just one, but two articles in this issue is John A. Jaszczak. He is the featured person in the Who’s Who in Mineral Names column (jaszczakite), and as di...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2348436","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-19T19:53:43Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2348436","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2376997","name":"Chips from the Quarry","source":"crossref","abstract":"BEARS REPEATING: Famed mineral locality Mont Saint-Hilaire in Québec is featured in this issue, but it’s not the first time. Feature articles on the prolific quarry by Quintin Wight and George Y. C...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2376997","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-24T14:05:39Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2376997","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2303946","name":"Chips from the Quarry","source":"crossref","abstract":"“TO HAVE AND TO HOLD”: In addition to other great articles in this issue, including the definitive one on South Africa’s Postmasburg manganese field, is one by John S. White on handling mineral spe...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2303946","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-18T17:29:26Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2303946","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2331411","name":"Chips from the Quarry","source":"crossref","abstract":"SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL: The ohs and ahs that went up from the audience at this year’s Tucson Show awards evening weren’t based on the food (good as it was), but rather were the result of the mineral phot...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2331411","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-21T16:51:46Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2331411","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14121196","name":"Towards Mineralogy 4.0? Atlas of 3D Rocks and Minerals: Digitally Archiving Interactive and Immersive 3D Data of Rocks and Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mineralogy 4.0 can play a significant role in the future of geological research, education, and exploration by providing a more comprehensive and interactive understanding of rocks and minerals. This paper explores the application of digital photogrammetry and augmented reality (AR) technologies as part of Mineralogy 4.0. An atlas of 3D rocks and minerals with 915 high-quality models was created to showcase the potential of photogrammetry in the mineral sciences. The repository contains a wide range of sample types, featuring transparency, metallic luster, fluorescence, or millimetric-scale crystals. The three-dimensional rocks and minerals can also be accessed on-the-go through a mobile application that was developed for Android devices. Additionally, web applications have been developed with specific three-dimensional collections as well as three-dimensional storytelling. AR technology was also integrated into the 3D repository, allowing users to superimpose virtual 3D models of rocks and minerals onto real-world surfaces through their device’s camera. Also, a digital solution with 3D holograms of rocks and minerals was effectively implemented to provide an interactive and immersive experience. The 3D datasets of rocks and minerals can play a significant role in the geoscience community’s research, developing not only in-depth knowledge of specimens but also opening new frontiers in mineral sciences, leading towards a more advanced era of mineralogy.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14121196","authors":["Andrei Ionuţ Apopei"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-25T03:59:01Z","doi":"10.3390/min14121196","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.18254198.30","name":"The Chemiosmosis Message:","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.18254198.30","authors":["Charles S. Cockell"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-07T20:46:30Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.18254198.30","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.18287/10.18287/2782-2966-2024-4-4-42-48","name":"Some aspects of extraterrestrial life in science fiction","source":"crossref","abstract":"The purpose of the article is to trace how science fiction deals with the theme of otherness in terms of the interaction between the concepts of aliens and earthlings, resulting in the perception of earthlings as aliens. Until now, this approach has not been used. The research was conducted on a wide range of science fiction authors, including S. de Bergerac, F. Godwin, H. Wells, H. P. Lovecraft, I. Yefremov, R. Heinlein, R. Bradbury, J. Corey, S. Lem, the Strugatsky brothers, N. Stephenson, P. Watts. Comparative motif analysis was used. The article notes that the concept of aliens in science fiction can develop in two directions. They can be seen as creatures similar to earthlings in physical and psychological aspects (a type of neighbor /inhabitant of another village), contact with them is possible and beneficial. Alternatively, they can be portrayed as completely different and terrifying creatures (a type of monster), contact with them is deadly or impossible. In science fiction, earthlings who have undergone some kind of mutation may be considered as “the different others”, even aliens. A characteristic feature of homo alius in science fiction is their language, which is presented as equally mutated through hybridization. The way that homo alius is perceived in relation to normal human beings in science fiction is always ambiguous, leading to a variety of relationships between the concepts within the semantic field of “friend or foe”.","url":"https://doi.org/10.18287/10.18287/2782-2966-2024-4-4-42-48","authors":["Galina V. Zalomkina"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-11T08:47:57Z","doi":"10.18287/10.18287/2782-2966-2024-4-4-42-48","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1088/1742-6596/2877/1/012051","name":"Searching for extraterrestrial intelligence across a century","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, is an old idea but a new science. Both inspirational and controversial, the scientific search for non-human artificial signals or communications, known as technosignatures, was pioneered by a few visionary scientists and through amazing technological advances of recent years is experiencing a renaissance that may soon answer one of the greatest scientific questions of this or any age: Are we alone? This paper describes the origins of SETI science, its rocky road to acceptance and some of the bold new ideas and explorations that are pushing the limits of our understanding of the nature of life and intelligence in the Universe.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2877/1/012051","authors":["Jill Tarter","Simon Steel"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-12T14:29:03Z","doi":"10.1088/1742-6596/2877/1/012051","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.pedsph.2023.09.005","name":"Soils in extraterrestrial space: Need for studies under microgravity","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedsph.2023.09.005","authors":["M. B KIRKHAM"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-28T21:32:28Z","doi":"10.1016/j.pedsph.2023.09.005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2398398","name":"Postage Stamps with Green Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"In 2016, the theme of the Tucson Gem & Mineral Society’s (TGMS) “Main Show” was Shades of Blue—Minerals of the World; nine years later, the theme for the 2025 Main Show is Shades of Green. What bet...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2398398","authors":["Günther Neumeier"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-04T10:01:17Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2398398","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2348948","name":"Wyoming Jade","source":"crossref","abstract":"Figure 1. Nephrite jade’s irregular splintery fracture. Height of broken piece shown is 2 cm.Reproduced with permissionFigure 2. Nurturing the Yin, while feeding the Yang, 6.5ʺ (long) × 3.5ʺ (deep)...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2348948","authors":["Wayne M. Sutherland"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-19T19:53:43Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2348948","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2398401","name":"Green Minerals and the Artist","source":"crossref","abstract":"In today’s world most paint pigments are synthetically produced. Historically, however, many paint pigments, as opposed to dyes, were commonly composed of minerals or at least mineral equivalents—“...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2398401","authors":["Mark Mauthner"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-04T10:01:17Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2398401","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108912","name":"Quantitative study on the selective depressing effect of polysaccharides on some polar minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108912","authors":["Jizhen Wang","Jiahao Chen","Ronglu Yan","Jiaqi Zhang","Jiawei Li"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-22T21:42:22Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108912","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/078358-0020","name":"Galactic Cargo Cult","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/078358-0020","authors":["Gabriel G. De la Torre"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-31T21:08:46Z","doi":"10.52202/078358-0020","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.4708832","name":"Navigating the Cosmic Symphony: A Comprehensive Review of Advancements in Radio-Based Exploration for Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"For more than a century, Earth has emitted radio waves, extending their reach to prominent stars, including Vega, Aldebaran, Barnard's Star, Sirius, and Proxima Centauri. Despite the distortions introduced by Earth's ionosphere, the potential for intelligent extraterrestrial life to receive and decipher these signals becomes increasingly feasible. This pursuit of extraterrestrial intelligence relies significantly on the contributions of international radio telescopes. This review underscores recent advancements in the field, featuring key instruments such as the Allen Telescope Array, SERENDIP, Breakthrough Listen, FAST, and UCLA. Through a comprehensive examination, we endeavor to offer valuable insights into the latest developments in radio-based exploration, seeking potential signs of intelligent life beyond the confines of our planet.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4708832","authors":["Venkatesh A M","Venkatesha Rishi A"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-12T16:50:06Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.4708832","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-024-77393-8","name":"Exploring geothermal energy prospects through radioelement enrichment zones in Gabal Abu Hashim area in southeastern Aswan by geophysical and remote sensing data integration.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Alteration zones in the Eastern Desert are promising for minerals and geological resources exploration. Remote sensing and geophysical techniques offer cost-effective tools for identifying new exploration sites. Additionally, their use in mapping potential alteration zones is crucial for enhancing exploration. Geophysical and remote sensing data are integrated to perform a comprehensive study of minerals alteration associated with radioactive materials under controlling geological structures. This study aims to explore the associated radiogenic heat and geothermal energy to expand the geothermal resources assessments. The study utilizes Spectral Angle Mapper classification, band algebra, principal component analysis (PCA), surface lineament density, and decorrelation stretch techniques and Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis to enhance the mapping of mineralized alterations in the study area. It uses VNIR-SWIR ASTER data to identify hydrothermal alteration minerals and dominant alteration zones, also Landsat 8 Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) offers two adjacent thermal bands, benefiting land surface temperature (LST) radiation from space in the Gabal Abu Hashim area. The area contains minerals alteration indicators like chlorite, alunite, illite, kaolinite, sericite, with less abundant ferrous minerals and epidote. Airborne gamma-ray spectrometry (AGRS) was used to identify naturally occurring radioactive anomalous zones, including potassium (K), equivalent uranium (eU), and equivalent thorium (eTh), to estimate the radiogenic heat production (RHP) in selected areas of the study area. The examination of AGRS data indicated that the studied region has radioelement concentrations ranging from 2.8 to 148 ppm, 18 to 144 ppm, and 0.004 to 9% of (eU), (eTh), and (K), respectively, indicating the existence of various rock types. The Radioelements Composite Image (RCI) successfully highlighted the radioelements enriched zones associated with younger granite, older granite, and metamorphic rocks, particularly those with extensive hydrothermal alteration. The results successfully discriminated alteration zones associated with radioelements K, U, and Th potential parts in the regional shear oblique zone. The weighted overlay GIS model was used to produce the alteration zones potentiality map, and to identify five zones of significant variations in heat production across different geological formations. The northern and southeastern regions demonstrate high alterations and land surface temperature corresponding to areas of high fault density and shear zones. The results of this study reveal that the proposed methods of remote sensing and AGRS data are effective in detecting areas rich in K, eU, and eTh in alteration zones associated with high radiogenic heat production in younger granite, older granite, and metamorphic rocks.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-77393-8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1038/s41598-024-77393-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acs.analchem.3c04165","name":"Immunoanalytical Detection of Conserved Peptides: Refining the Universe of Biomarker Targets in Planetary Exploration.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Ancient peptides are remnants of early biochemistry that continue to play pivotal roles in current proteins. They are simple molecules yet complex enough to exhibit independent functions, being products of an evolved biochemistry at the interface of life and nonlife. Their adsorption to minerals may contribute to their stabilization and preservation over time. To investigate the feasibility of conserved peptide sequences and structures as target biomarkers for the search for life on Mars or other planetary bodies, we conducted a bioinformatics selection of well-conserved ancient peptides and produced polyclonal antibodies for their detection using fluorescence microarray immunoassays. Additionally, we explored how adsorbing peptides to Mars-representative minerals to form organomineral complexes could affect their immunological detection. The results demonstrated that the selected peptides exhibited autonomous folding, with some of them regaining their structure, even after denaturation. Furthermore, their cognate antibodies detected their conformational features regardless of amino acid sequences, thereby broadening the spectrum of target peptide sequences. While certain antibodies displayed unspecific binding to bare minerals, we validated that peptide-mineral complexes can be detected using sandwich immunoassays, as confirmed through desorption and competitive assays. Consequently, we conclude that the diversity of peptide sequences and structures suitable for use as target biomarkers in astrobiology can be constrained to a few well conserved sets, and they can be detected even if they are adsorbed in organomineral complexes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.3c04165","authors":["Pedro Mustieles-del-Ser","David Ruano‐Gallego","Vı́ctor Parro"],"tags":["Chemistry","Polyclonal antibodies","Peptide","Folding (DSP implementation)","Biochemistry"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1021/acs.analchem.3c04165","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2312802121","name":"A 4,565-My-old record of the solar nebula field.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Magnetic fields in protoplanetary disks are thought to play a prominent role in the formation of planetary bodies. Acting upon turbulence and angular momentum transport, they may influence the motion of solids and accretion onto the central star. By searching for the record of the solar nebula field preserved in meteorites, we aim to characterize the strength of a disk field with a spatial and temporal resolution far superior to observations of extrasolar disks. Here, we present a rock magnetic and paleomagnetic study of the andesite meteorite Erg Chech 002 (EC002). This meteorite contains submicron iron grains, expected to be very reliable magnetic recorders, and carries a stable, high-coercivity magnetization. After ruling out potential sources of magnetic contamination, we show that EC002 most likely carries an ancient thermoremanent magnetization acquired upon cooling on its parent body. Using the U-corrected Pb-Pb age of the meteorite's pyroxene as a proxy for the timing of magnetization acquisition, we estimate that EC002 recorded a field of 60 ± 18 µT at a distance of ~2 to 3 astronomical units, 2.0 ± 0.3 My after the formation of calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions. This record can only be explained if EC002 was magnetized by the field prevalent in the solar nebula. This makes EC002's record, particularly well resolved in time and space, one of the two earliest records of the solar nebula field. Such a field intensity is consistent with stellar accretion rates observed in extrasolar protoplanetary disks.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2312802121","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2312802121","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41378-026-01294-1","name":"Yeast-powered microfluidic pump based on a four-parameter fermentation model.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Baker's yeast is a common microorganism that is well-known for its fermentation activities. The fermentation process naturally produces CO 2 , leading to a gradual increase in internal pressure within sealed environments. Meanwhile, passive pumps are rising in the microfluidics field for their simplicity, low energy requirements, and suitability for portable and disposable devices. Here, we harnessed yeast fermentation as a biological power source for a passive pump, enabling fluid flow in microfluidic systems. This approach introduces a cost-effective solution and extends the concept of passive pumping into the realm of biological systems. The custom mechanical pump operates by converting the gas pressure generated by fermentation into continuous fluid movement. The dynamics of gas production within the pump were analyzed experimentally to characterize performance over time. The resulting six-parameter and four-parameter equations accurately capture the experimental trends within the validated operating range. This model was further extended to a simplified two-parameter form-using only yeast mass and sucrose concentration-making the pump setup more intuitive. This biologically driven pump concept holds potential for expansion into autonomous microfluidic devices, especially for space orbital experiment modules, educational tools, or low-resource settings where external power sources are limited.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41378-026-01294-1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.1038/s41378-026-01294-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/microorganisms12040760","name":"A Comparison of Different Protocols for the Extraction of Microbial DNA Inhabiting Synthetic Mars Simulant Soil.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Compared with typical Earth soil, Martian soil and Mars simulant soils have distinct properties, including pH > 8.0 and high contents of silicates, iron-rich minerals, sulfates, and metal oxides. This unique soil matrix poses a major challenge for extracting microbial DNA. In particular, mineral adsorption and the generation of destructive hydroxyl radicals through cationic redox cycling may interfere with DNA extraction. This study evaluated different protocols for extracting microbial DNA from Mars Global Simulant (MGS-1), a Mars simulant soil. Two commercial kits were tested: the FastDNA SPIN Kit for soil (\"MP kit\") and the DNeasy PowerSoil Pro Kit (\"PowerSoil kit\"). MGS-1 was incubated with living soil for five weeks, and DNA was extracted from aliquots using the kits. After extraction, the DNA was quantified with a NanoDrop spectrophotometer and used as the template for 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and qPCR. The MP kit was the most efficient, yielding approximately four times more DNA than the PowerSoil kit. DNA extracted using the MP kit with 0.5 g soil resulted in 28,642-37,805 16S rRNA gene sequence reads and 30,380-42,070 16S rRNA gene copies, whereas the 16S rRNA gene could not be amplified from DNA extracted using the PowerSoil kit. We suggest that the FastDNA SPIN Kit is the best option for studying microbial communities in Mars simulant soils.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12040760","authors":["Han Wang","Agata Pijl","Binbin Liu","G.W.W. Wamelink","G.W. Korthals","Ohana Y. A. Costa","Eiko E. Kuramae"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Extraction (chemistry)","DNA extraction","Astrobiology","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.3390/microorganisms12040760","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/life14101307","name":"On the Roles of Protein Intrinsic Disorder in the Origin of Life and Evolution.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Obviously, the discussion of different factors that could have contributed to the origin of life and evolution is clear speculation, since there is no way of checking the validity of most of the related hypotheses in practice, as the corresponding events not only already happened, but took place in a very distant past. However, there are a few undisputable facts that are present at the moment, such as the existence of a wide variety of living forms and the abundant presence of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) or hybrid proteins containing ordered domains and intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) in all living forms. Since it seems that the currently existing living forms originated from a common ancestor, their variety is a result of evolution. Therefore, one could ask a logical question of what role(s) the structureless and highly dynamic but vastly abundant and multifunctional IDPs/IDRs might have in evolution. This study represents an attempt to consider various ideas pertaining to the potential roles of protein intrinsic disorder in the origin of life and evolution.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life14101307","authors":["Vladimir N. Uversky"],"tags":["Intrinsically disordered proteins","Abiogenesis","Evolutionary biology","Variety (cybernetics)","Ancestor"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.3390/life14101307","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1098/rsta.2023.0060","name":"Towards a taxonomy of geodiversity.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Geodiversity is a topical concept in earth and environmental sciences. Geodiversity information is needed to conserve nature, use ecosystem services and achieve sustainable development goals. Despite the increasing demand for geodiversity data, there exists no comprehensive system for categorizing geodiversity. Here, we present a hierarchically structured taxonomy that is potentially applicable in mapping and quantifying geodiversity across different regions, environments and scales. In this taxonomy, the main components of geodiversity are geology, geomorphology, hydrology and pedology. We propose a six-level hierarchical system where the components of geodiversity are classified at progressively lower taxonomic levels based on their genesis, physical-chemical properties and morphology. This comprehensive taxonomy can be used to compile geodiversity information for scientific research and various applications of value to society and nature conservation. Ultimately, this hierarchical system is the first step towards developing a global geodiversity taxonomy. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Geodiversity for science and society'.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2023.0060","authors":["Jan Hjort","A.C. Seijmonsbergen","Julia Kemppinen","Helena Tukiainen","Tuija Maliniemi","John E. Gordon","Janne Alahuhta","Murray Gray"],"tags":["Geodiversity","Taxonomy (biology)","Computer science","Biodiversity","Biology"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1098/rsta.2023.0060","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c02501","name":"Impact of Surface Adsorption on DNA Structure and Stability: Implications for Environmental DNA Interactions with Iron Oxide Surfaces.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Environmental DNA (eDNA), i.e., DNA found in the environment, can interact with various geochemical surfaces, yet little is known about these interactions. Mineral surfaces may alter the structure, stability, and reactivity of eDNA, impacting the cycling of genetic information and the reliability of eDNA-based detection tools. Understanding how eDNA interacts with surfaces is crucial for predicting its fate in the environment. In this study, we examined the surface interaction and stability of herring testes DNA, a model system for eDNA, on two common iron oxide phases present in the environment: α-FeOOH (goethite) and α-Fe 2 O 3 (hematite). Utilizing spectroscopic probes, including attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) and UV–vis spectroscopy, we quantified the DNA adsorption capacity at pH 5 and determined its secondary structure. DNA adsorbed irreversibly at pH 5 and 25 °C, primarily through its phosphate groups, and retained the solution-phase B-form structure. However, the infrared data also indicated some distortion of the B-form likely due to additional interactions between nitrogenous bases when adsorbed on the α-Fe 2 O 3 particle surfaces. The distortion in the double helical structure of adsorbed DNA on α-Fe 2 O 3 led to a lower melting temperature ( T m ) of 60 °C compared to 70 °C for DNA in solution. In contrast, DNA adsorbed on α-FeOOH melted at higher temperatures relative to solution-phase DNA and in two distinct phases. Upon testing adsorbed DNA stability at higher pH values, there were distinct differences between the two iron oxide phases. For α-FeOOH, nearly 50% of the DNA desorbed from the surface when the solution pH changed from 5 to 8, while less than 5% desorbed from α-Fe 2 O 3 under the same conditions. Overall, these findings underscore the importance of mineral-specific eDNA–surface interactions and their role in adsorbed eDNA stability, in terms of DNA melting and the impact of solution-phase pH changes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c02501","authors":["Eshani Hettiarachchi","Vicki H. Grassian"],"tags":["Adsorption","Goethite","Chemistry","Hematite","DNA"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c02501","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2400434121","name":"Reconstruction of Phanerozoic climate using carbonate clumped isotopes and implications for the oxygen isotopic composition of seawater.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The oxygen isotope ratio 18 O/ 16 O (expressed as a δ 18 O VSMOW value) in marine sedimentary rocks has increased by ~8‰ from the early Paleozoic to modern times. Interpretation of this trend is hindered by ambiguities in the temperature of formation of the carbonate, the δ 18 O seawater , and the effects of postdepositional diagenesis. Carbonate clumped isotope measurements, a temperature proxy, offer constraints on this problem. This thermometer is thermodynamically controlled in cases where carbonate achieves an equilibrium internal distribution of isotopes and is independent of the δ 18 O of the water from which the carbonate grew; therefore, it has a relatively rigorous chemical-physics foundation and can be applied to settings where the δ 18 O of the water is not known. We apply this technique to an exceptionally well-preserved Ordovician carbonate record from the Baltic Basin and present a framework for interpreting clumped isotope results and for reconstructing past δ 18 O seawater . We find that the seawater in the Ordovician had lower δ 18 O seawater values than previously estimated, highlighting the need to reassess climate records based on oxygen-isotopes, particularly where interpretations are based on assumptions regarding either the δ 18 O seawater or the temperature of deposition or diagenesis. We argue that an increase in δ 18 O seawater contributed to the long-term rise in the δ 18 O of marine sedimentary rocks since the early Paleozoic. This rise might have been driven by a change in the proportion of high- versus low-temperature water-rock interaction in the earth's hydrosphere as a whole.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2400434121","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2400434121","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1098/rstb.2023.0355","name":"Evolution of phosphate scouting in the terrestrial biosphere.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Chemistry assigns phosphorus and its most oxidized form, inorganic phosphate, unique roles for propelling bioenergetics and metabolism in all domains of life, possibly since its very origin on prebiotic Earth. For plants, access to the vital mineral nutrient profoundly affects growth, development and vigour, thus constraining net primary productivity in natural ecosystems and crop production in modern agriculture. Unlike other major biogenic elements, the low abundance and uneven distribution of phosphate in Earth's crust result from the peculiarities of phosphorus cosmochemistry and geochemistry. Here, we trace the chemical evolution of the element, the geochemical phosphorus cycle and its acceleration during Earth's history until the present (Anthropocene) as well as during the evolution and rise of terrestrial plants. We highlight the chemical and biological processes of phosphate mobilization and acquisition, first evolved in bacteria, refined in fungi and algae and expanded into powerful phosphate-prospecting strategies during land plant colonization. Furthermore, we review the evolution of the genetic and molecular networks from bacteria to terrestrial plants, which monitor intracellular and extracellular phosphate availabilities and coordinate the appropriate responses and adjustments to fluctuating phosphate supply. Lastly, we discuss the modern global phosphorus cycle deranged by human activity and the challenges imposed ahead. This article is part of the theme issue 'Evolution and diversity of plant metabolism'.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2023.0355","authors":["Steffen Abel","Christin Naumann"],"tags":["Biosphere","Phosphate","Phosphorus","Astrobiology","Earth science"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1098/rstb.2023.0355","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/microorganisms12030513","name":"The Molecular Profile of Soil Microbial Communities Inhabiting a Cambrian Host Rock.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The process of soil genesis unfolds as pioneering microbial communities colonize mineral substrates, enriching them with biomolecules released from bedrock. The resultant intricate surface units emerge from a complex interplay among microbiota and plant communities. Under these conditions, host rocks undergo initial weathering through microbial activity, rendering them far from pristine and challenging the quest for biomarkers in ancient sedimentary rocks. In addressing this challenge, a comprehensive analysis utilizing Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) was conducted on a 520-Ma-old Cambrian rock. This investigation revealed a diverse molecular assemblage with comprising alkanols, sterols, fatty acids, glycerolipids, wax esters, and nitrogen-bearing compounds. Notably, elevated levels of bacterial C16, C18 and C14 fatty acids, iso and anteiso methyl-branched fatty acids, as well as fungal sterols, long-chained fatty acids, and alcohols, consistently align with a consortium of bacteria and fungi accessing complex organic matter within a soil-type ecosystem. The prominence of bacterial and fungal lipids alongside maturity indicators denotes derivation from heterotrophic activity rather than ancient preservation or marine sources. Moreover, the identification of long-chain (>C22) n-alkanols, even-carbon-numbered long chain (>C20) fatty acids, and campesterol, as well as stigmastanol, provides confirmation of plant residue inputs. Furthermore, findings highlight the ability of contemporary soil microbiota to inhabit rocky substrates actively, requiring strict contamination controls when evaluating ancient molecular biosignatures or extraterrestrial materials collected.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12030513","authors":["Ting Huang","Daniel Carrizo","Laura Sánchez‐García","Qitao Hu","Angélica Anglés","David Gómez-Ortíz","Liang Yu","David C. Fernández‐Remolar"],"tags":["Weathering","Environmental chemistry","Chemistry","Ecosystem","Mass spectrometry"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.3390/microorganisms12030513","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.adp3037","name":"Evidence of both molecular cloud and fluid chemistry in Ryugu regolith.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The sulfur chemistry of (162173) Ryugu particles can be a powerful tracer of molecular cloud chemistry and small body processes, but it has not been well explored. We report identification of organosulfurs and a sulfate grain in two Ryugu particles, A0070 and A0093. The sulfate grain shows oxygen isotope ratios (δ 17 O = -11.0 ± 4.3 per mil, δ 18 O = -7.8 ± 2.3 per mil) that are akin to silicates in Ryugu but exhibit mass-independent sulfur isotopic fractionation (Δ 33 S = +5 ± 2 per mil). A methionine-like coating on the sulfate grain is isotopically anomalous (δ 15 N = +62 ± 2 per mil). Both the sulfate and organosulfurs can simultaneously form and survive during aqueous alteration within Ryugu's parent body, under reduced conditions, low temperature, and a pH >7 in the presence of N-rich organic molecules. This work extends the heliocentric zone where anomalous sulfur, formed by selective photodissociation of H 2 S gas in the molecular cloud, is found.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adp3037","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.adp3037","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-024-47798-0","name":"Nonmagnetic framboid and associated iron nanoparticles with a space-weathered feature from asteroid Ryugu.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract Extraterrestrial minerals on the surface of airless Solar System bodies undergo gradual alteration processes known as space weathering over long periods of time. The signatures of space weathering help us understand the phenomena occurring in the Solar System. However, meteorites rarely retain the signatures, making it impossible to study the space weathering processes precisely. Here, we examine samples retrieved from the asteroid Ryugu by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft and discover the presence of nonmagnetic framboids through electron holography measurements that can visualize magnetic flux. Magnetite particles, which normally provide a record of the nebular magnetic field, have lost their magnetic properties by reduction via a high-velocity (>5 km s–1) impact of a micrometeoroid with a diameter ranging from 2 to 20 μm after destruction of the parent body of Ryugu. Around these particles, thousands of metallic-iron nanoparticles with a vortex magnetic domain structure, which could have recorded a magnetic field in the impact event, are found. Through measuring the remanent magnetization of the iron nanoparticles, future studies are expected to elucidate the nature of the nebular/interplanetary magnetic fields after the termination of aqueous alteration in an asteroid.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-47798-0","authors":["Yuki Kimura","Takeharu Kato","Satoshi Anada","Ryuji Yoshida","Kazuo Yamamoto","Toshiaki Tanigaki","Tetsuya Akashi","Hiroto Kasai","Kosuke Kurosawa","Tomoki Nakamura","T. Noguchi","Masahiko Sato"],"tags":["Asteroid","Space weathering","Astrobiology","Meteorite","Weathering"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1038/s41467-024-47798-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-024-54045-5","name":"Environmental and mineralogical studies on the stream sediments of Baltim-El Burullus coastal plain, North Delta, Egypt.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This work is mainly concerned with the effect of anthropogenic activities and natural radioactivity due to the presence of highly radioactive black sand spots, factory construction, and shipping, in addition to other activities like agriculture on human beings. Forty samples were collected along Baltim-El Burullus coastal plain to detect the effect of these problems and determine the suggested solutions. The black sand of the Baltim-El Burullus coastal plain exhibits a considerable amount of economically heavy minerals, their ratio relative to the bulk composition in the investigated samples ranges from 3.18 to 10.5% with an average of 5.45%. The most important of them are magnetite, ilmenite, rutile, leucoxene, garnet, zircon and monazite. The existence of some radioactive-bearing accessory mineral deposits like zircon and monazite led to measuring the naturally occurring radionuclides 226 Ra, 232 Th and 40 K to evaluate the excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR). The results showed that these concentrations are 19.1 ± 9.73, 14.7 ± 9.53 and 211 ± 71.34 Bq kg -1 were lower than the corresponding reported worldwide average of 35, 45, and 412 Bq kg -1 for each radionuclide ( 226 Ra, 232 Th, and 40 K). The gamma hazard indices such as absorbed dose rate (D air ), the annual effective dose (AED), and excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) factor were computed in the investigated sediments and all the results were found (D air = 26.4 nGy h -1 , AED = 0.03 mSv year -1 , ELCR = 0.0001) to be lower than the values suggested by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the effect of Atomic Research (59 nGy h -1 , 0.07 mSv year -1 and 0.0029 for D air , AED and ELCR, respectively). The study suggests that the black sand is safe to use in various infrastructure applications at Baltim-El Burullus coastal plain. The levels of radioactivity are not high enough to pose a risk to human health.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-54045-5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1038/s41598-024-54045-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e33288","name":"An experimental and numerical model of the behavior of cytosine in aqueous solution under gamma radiation. Relevance in prebiotic chemistry.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Cytosine is an essential chemical molecule in living systems, such as DNA and RNA, it is essential in astrobiology to study how it behaves under probable primitive conditions. We looked at how cytosine broke down in aqueous solutions exposed to high radiation levels to learn more about how stable it might have been on the early Earth. We conducted various types of analysis, such as ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and high-pressure liquid chromatography. We also developed a computer model to describe the kinetic processes and learn more about the molecules involved in the system. This model fits the results of experiments and lets us study cytosine's stability when it is exposed to gamma radiation. It enables researchers to theorize processes that are hard to test in the laboratory and is essential for studying how stable cytosine behaves in high-radiation settings.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e33288","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e33288","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41540-024-00403-y","name":"On the salient limitations of the methods of assembly theory and their classification of molecular biosignatures.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"We demonstrate that the assembly pathway method underlying assembly theory (AT) is an encoding scheme widely used by popular statistical compression algorithms. We show that in all cases (synthetic or natural) AT performs similarly to other simple coding schemes and underperforms compared to system-related indexes based upon algorithmic probability that take into account statistical repetitions but also the likelihood of other computable patterns. Our results imply that the assembly index does not offer substantial improvements over existing methods, including traditional statistical ones, and imply that the separation between living and non-living compounds following these methods has been reported before.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41540-024-00403-y","authors":["Abicumaran Uthamacumaran","Felipe S. Abrahão","Narsis A. Kiani","Héctor Zenil"],"tags":["Salient","Coding (social sciences)","Computer science","Simple (philosophy)","Statistical analysis"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1038/s41540-024-00403-y","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s42004-024-01119-0","name":"Nickel-organo compounds as potential enzyme precursors under simulated early Earth conditions.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract The transition from inorganic catalysis through minerals to organic catalysis by enzymes is a necessary step in the emergence of life. Our work is elucidating likely reactions at the earliest moments of Life, prior to the existence of enzymatic catalysis, by exploring essential intersections between nickel bioinorganic chemistry and pterin biochemistry. We used a prebiotically-inspired acetylene-containing volcanic hydrothermal experimental environment to shed light on the efficient formation of nickel-organo complexes. The simplest bis(dithiolene)nickel complex (C2H2S2)2Ni was identified by UV/Vis spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance. Its temporal progression and possible function in this simulated early Earth atmosphere were investigated by isolating the main bis(dithiolene)nickel species from the primordial experimental setup. Using this approach, we uncovered a significant diversity of nickel-organo compositions by identifying 156 elemental annotations. The formation of acetaldehyde through the subsequent degradation of these organo-metal complexes is intriguing, as it is reminiscent of the ability of Pelobacter acetylenicus to hydrate acetylene to acetaldehyde via its bis(dithiolene)-containing enzyme acetylene hydratase. As our findings mechanistically characterize the role of nickel sulfide in catalyzing the formation of acetaldehyde, this fundamental pre-metabolic reaction could play the role of a primitive enzyme precursor of the enzymatic acetylene metabolism and further strengthen the role of acetylene in the molecular origin of life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-024-01119-0","authors":["Philippe Diederich","Christian Seitz","Lance R. Buckett","Liesa Salzer","Thomas Geisberger","Wolfgang Eisenreich","Claudia Huber","Philippe Schmitt‐Kopplin"],"tags":["Nickel","Chemistry","Catalysis","Acetylene","Abiogenesis"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1038/s42004-024-01119-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2408721121","name":"Effect of a giant meteorite impact on Paleoarchean surface environments and life.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Large meteorite impacts must have strongly affected the habitability of the early Earth. Rocks of the Archean Eon record at least 16 major impact events, involving bolides larger than 10 km in diameter. These impacts probably had severe, albeit temporary, consequences for surface environments. However, their effect on early life is not well understood. Here, we analyze the sedimentology, petrography, and carbon isotope geochemistry of sedimentary rocks across the S2 impact event (37 to 58 km carbonaceous chondrite) forming part of the 3.26 Ga Fig Tree Group, South Africa, to evaluate its environmental effects and biological consequences. The impact initiated 1) a giant tsunami that mixed Fe 2+ -rich deep waters into the Fe 2+ -poor shallow waters and washed debris into coastal areas, 2) heating that caused partial evaporation of surface ocean waters and likely a short-term increase in weathering and erosion on land, and 3) injection of P from vaporization of the S2 bolide. Strata immediately above the S2 impact event contain abundant siderites, which are associated with organic matter and exhibit light and variable δ 13 C carb values. This is consistent with microbial iron cycling in the wake of the impact event. Thus, the S2 impact likely had regional, if not global, positive and negative effects on life. The tsunami, atmospheric heating, and darkness would likely have decimated phototrophic microbes in the shallow water column. However, the biosphere likely recovered rapidly, and, in the medium term, the increase in nutrients and iron likely facilitated microbial blooms, especially of iron-cycling microbes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2408721121","authors":["Nadja Drabon","Andrew H. Knoll","Donald R. Lowe","Stefano M. Bernasconi","Alec R. Brenner","David A. Mucciarone"],"tags":["Weathering","Geology","Meteorite","Geochemistry","Impact crater"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2408721121","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/nsr/nwae201","name":"The origin and evolution of Earth's nitrogen.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Nitrogen is a vital element for life on Earth. Its cycling between the surface (atmosphere + crust) and the mantle has a profound influence on the atmosphere and climate. However, our understanding of the origin and evolution of Earth's nitrogen is still incomplete. This review presents an overview of the current understanding of Earth's nitrogen budget and the isotope composition of different reservoirs, laboratory constraints on deep nitrogen geochemistry, and our understanding of the origin of Earth's nitrogen and the deep nitrogen cycle through plate subduction and volcanism. The Earth may have acquired its nitrogen heterogeneously during the main accretion phase, initially from reduced, enstatite-chondrite-like impactors, and subsequently from increasingly oxidized impactors and minimal CI-chondrite-like materials. Like Earth's surface, the mantle and core are also significant nitrogen reservoirs. The nitrogen abundance and isotope composition of these three reservoirs may have been fundamentally established during the main accretion phase and have been insignificantly modified afterwards by the deep nitrogen cycle, although there is a net nitrogen ingassing into Earth's mantle in modern subduction zones. However, it is estimated that the early atmosphere of Earth may have contained ∼1.4 times the present-day atmospheric nitrogen (PAN), with ∼0.4 PAN being sequestered into the crust via biotic nitrogen fixation. In order to gain a better understanding of the origin and evolution of Earth's nitrogen, directions for future research are suggested.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwae201","authors":["Yuan Li"],"tags":["Earth (classical element)","Astrobiology","Earth science","Geology","Biology"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1093/nsr/nwae201","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-024-55846-4","name":"Nanoscale imaging of Fe-rich inclusions in single-crystal zircon using X-ray ptycho-tomography.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"We apply X-ray ptycho-tomography to perform high-resolution, non-destructive, three-dimensional (3D) imaging of Fe-rich inclusions in paleomagnetically relevant materials (zircon single crystals from the Bishop Tuff ignimbrite). Correlative imaging using quantum diamond magnetic microscopy combined with X-ray fluorescence mapping was used to locate regions containing potential ferromagnetic remanence carriers. Ptycho-tomographic reconstructions with voxel sizes 85 nm and 21 nm were achievable across a field-of-view > 80 µm; voxel sizes as small as 5 nm were achievable over a limited field-of-view using local ptycho-tomography. Fe-rich inclusions 300 nm in size were clearly resolved. We estimate that particles as small as 100 nm-approaching single-domain threshold for magnetite-could be resolvable using this \"dual-mode\" methodology. Fe-rich inclusions (likely magnetite) are closely associated with apatite inclusions that have no visible connection to the exterior surface of the zircon (e.g., via intersecting cracks). There is no evidence of radiation damage, alteration, recrystallisation or deformation in the host zircon or apatite that could provide alternative pathways for Fe infiltration, indicating that magnetite and apatite grew separately as primary phases in the magma, that magnetite adhered to the surfaces of the apatite, and that the magnetite-coated apatite was then encapsulated as primary inclusions within the growing zircon. Rarer examples of Fe-rich inclusions entirely encapsulated by zircon are also observed. These observations support the presence of primary inclusions in relatively young and pristine zircon crystals. Combining magnetic and tomography results we deduce the presence of magnetic carriers that are in the optimal size range for carrying strong and stable paleomagnetic signals but that remain below the detection limits of even the highest-resolution X-ray tomography reconstructions. We recommend the use of focused ion beam nanotomography and/or correlative transmission electron microscopy to directly confirm the presence of primary magnetite in the sub 300 nm range as a necessary step in targeted paleomagnetic workflows.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-55846-4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1038/s41598-024-55846-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2319148121","name":"Primordial magnetotaxis in putative giant paleoproterozoic magnetofossils.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Magnetotactic bacteria produce chains of nanoscopic iron minerals used for navigation, which can be preserved over geological timescales in the form of magnetofossils. Micrometer-sized magnetite crystals with unusual shapes suggesting a biologically controlled mineralization have been found in the geological record and termed giant magnetofossils. The biological origin and function of giant magnetofossils remains unclear, due to the lack of modern analogues to giant magnetofossils. Using distinctive Ptychographic nanotomography data of Precambrian (1.88 Ga) rocks, we recovered the morphology of micrometric cuboid grains of iron oxides embedded in an organic filamentous fossil to construct synthetic magnetosomes. Their morphology is different from that of previously found giant magnetofossils, but their occurrence in filamentous microfossils and micromagnetic simulations support the hypothesis that they could have functioned as a navigation aid, akin to modern magnetosomes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2319148121","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2319148121","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s12088-024-01297-4","name":"Extremophiles in Space Exploration.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"In the era of deep space exploration, extremophile research represents a key area of research w.r.t space survival. This review thus delves into the intriguing realm of 'Space and Astro Microbiology', providing insights into microbial survival, resilience, and behavioral adaptations in space-like environments. This discussion encompasses the modified behavior of extremophilic microorganisms, influencing virulence, stress resistance, and gene expression. It then shifts to recent studies on the International Space Station and simulated microgravity, revealing microbial responses that impact drug susceptibility, antibiotic resistance, and its commercial implications. The review then transitions into Astro microbiology, exploring the possibilities of interplanetary transit, lithopanspermia, and terraforming. Debates on life's origin and recent Martian meteorite discoveries are noted. We also discuss Proactive Inoculation Protocols for selecting adaptable microorganisms as terraforming pioneers. The discussion concludes with a note on microbes' role as bioengineers in bioregenerative life support systems, in recycling organic waste for sustainable space travel; and in promoting optimal plant growth to prepare Martian and lunar basalt. This piece emphasizes the transformative impact of microbes on the future of space exploration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12088-024-01297-4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1007/s12088-024-01297-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2303754120","name":"Constraining the oxygen requirements for modern microbial eukaryote diversity.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Eukaryotes originated prior to the establishment of modern marine oxygen (O 2 ) levels. According to the body fossil and lipid biomarker records, modern (crown) microbial eukaryote lineages began diversifying in the ocean no later than ~800 Ma. While it has long been predicted that increasing atmospheric O 2 levels facilitated the early diversification of microbial eukaryotes, the O 2 levels needed to permit this diversification remain unconstrained. Using time-resolved geochemical parameter and gene sequence information from a model marine oxygen minimum zone spanning a range of dissolved O 2 levels and redox states, we show that microbial eukaryote taxonomic richness and phylogenetic diversity remain the same until O 2 declines to around 2 to 3% of present atmospheric levels, below which these diversity metrics become significantly reduced. Our observations suggest that increasing O 2 would have only directly promoted early crown-eukaryote diversity if atmospheric O 2 was below 2 to 3% of modern levels when crown-eukaryotes originated and then later met or surpassed this range as crown-eukaryotes diversified. If atmospheric O 2 was already consistently at or above 2 to 3% of modern levels by the time that crown-eukaryotes originated, then the subsequent diversification of modern microbial eukaryotes was not directly driven by atmospheric oxygenation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2303754120","authors":["Daniel B. Mills","Rachel L. Simister","Taylor R. Sehein","Steven Hallam","Erik A. Sperling","Sean A. Crowe"],"tags":["Phylogenetic diversity","Ecology","Diversification (marketing strategy)","Eukaryote","Atmospheric oxygen"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2303754120","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7554/elife.98637","name":"On the nature of the earliest known lifeforms.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Microfossils from the Paleoarchean Eon are the oldest known evidence of life. Despite their significance in understanding the history of life on Earth, any interpretation of the nature of these microfossils has been a point of contention among researchers. Decades of back-and-forth arguments led to the consensus that reconstructing the lifecycles of Archaean Eon organisms is the most promising way of understanding the nature of these microfossils. Here, we transformed a Gram-positive bacterium into a primitive lipid vesicle-like state and studied it under environmental conditions prevalent on early Earth. Using this approach, we successfully reconstructed morphologies and life cycles of Archaean microfossils. In addition to reproducing microfossil morphologies, we conducted experiments that spanned years to understand the process of cell degradation and how Archaean cells could have undergone encrustation of minerals (in this case, salt), leading to their preservation as fossilized organic carbon in the rock record. These degradation products strongly resemble fossiliferous features from Archaean rock formations. Our observations suggest that microfossils aged between 3.8-2.5 Ga most likely were liposome-like protocells that have evolved physiological pathways of energy conservation but not the mechanisms to regulate their morphology. Based on these observations, we propose that morphology is not a reliable indicator of taxonomy in these microfossils.","url":"https://doi.org/10.7554/elife.98637","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.7554/elife.98637","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s11120-025-01139-4","name":"John Raven, FRS, FRSE: a truly great innovator in plant physiology, photosynthesis and much more.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This is a tribute to a truly inspirational plant biologist, Prof. John A. Raven, FRS, FRSE (25th June 1941- 23rd May 2024), who died at the age of 82. He was a leader in the field of evolution and physiology of algae and land plants. His research touched on many areas including photosynthesis, ion transport, carbon utilisation, mineral use, such as silicon, iron and molybdenum, the evolution of phytoplankton, the evolution of root systems, the impact of global change, especially on the acidification of the oceans, carbon gain and water use in early land plants, and ways of detecting extraterrestrial photosynthesis. Beginning his research career in the Botany School, University of Cambridge, John studied ion uptake in a giant algal cell. This was at the time of great strides brought about by Peter Mitchell (1920-1992) in elucidating the role of energy generation in mitochondria and chloroplasts and the coupling of ion transport systems to energy generation. With Enid MacRobbie and Andrew Smith, John pioneered early work on the involvement of ion transport in the growth and metabolism of plant cells.On leaving Cambridge John took up a lectureship at the University of Dundee in 1971, where he was still attached upon his death. His primary focus over the years, with one of us (Paul Falkowski), was on phytoplankton, the photosynthetic microalgae of the oceans. Still, his publication list of 5 books and over 600 scientific papers spans a very broad range. The many highly cited papers (see Table 1) attest to an outstanding innovator, who influenced a multitude of students and coworkers and a very wide readership worldwide. At the personal level, John Raven was a wonderful human being; he had an extraordinary memory, dredging up facts and little-known scientific papers, like a scientific magician, but at the same time making humorous jokes and involving his colleagues in fun and sympathetic appreciation. Table 1 Ten best cited articles (from google scholar) Citations Date Aquatic Photosynthesis, 3rd Edition P.G. Falkowski & J.A. Raven Princeton University Press, 2013 3854 2013 The evolution of modern eukaryotic phytoplankton P.G. Falkowski, M.E. Katz, A.H. Knoll, A. Quigg, J.A. Raven, et al Science 305, 354-360 1790 2004 CO 2 concentrating mechanisms in algae: mechanisms, environmental modulation, and evolution M. Giordano, J. Beardall & J.A. Raven Annu. Rev. Plant Biol. 56 (1), 99-131 1648 2005 Algae as nutritional food sources: revisiting our understanding M.L. Wells, P. Potin, J.S. Craigie, J.A. Raven, S.S. Merchant, et al Journal of applied phycology 29, 949-982 1527 2017 Plant Nutrient acquisition strategies change with soil age H. Lambers, J.A. Raven, G.R. Shaver & S.E. Smith Trends in ecology & evolution 23, 95-103 1488 2008 Ocean acidification due to increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide J. Raven, K. Caldeira, H. Elderfield, O. Hoegh-Guldberg, P. Liss, et al The Royal Society, Policy Document, June 2005 1470 2005 Phytoplankton in a changing world: cell size and elemental stoichiometry Z.V. Finkel, J. Beardall, K.J. Flynn, A. Quigg, T.A.V. Rees & J.A. Raven Journal of plankton research 32, 119-137 1198 2010 Opportunities for improving phosphorus efficiency in crop plants E.J. Veneklaas, H. Lambers, J. Bragg, P.M. Finnegan, C.E. Lovelock, et al New phytologist 195, 306-320 951 2012 Adaptation of unicellular algae to irradiance: an analysis of strategies K. Richardson, J. Beardall & J.A. Raven New Phytologist 93, 157-191 914 1983 Nitrogen assimilation and transport in vascular land plants in relation to Intracellular pH regulation J.A. Raven & F.A. Smith New Phytologist 76, 415-431 893 1976 Temperature and algal growth J.A. Raven & R.J. Geider New phytologist 110, 441-461 867 1988 The role of trace metals in photosynthetic electron transport in O 2 -evolving organisms J.A. Raven, M.C.W. Evans & R.E. Korb Photosynthesis Research 60, 111-150 840 1999.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-025-01139-4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1007/s11120-025-01139-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1186/s40793-024-00632-y","name":"Ecology and biogeochemistry of the microbial underworld in two sister soda lakes.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Background Approximately 3.7 billion years ago, microbial life may have emerged in phosphate-rich salty ponds. Surprisingly, analogs of these environments are present in alkaline lake systems, recognized as highly productive biological ecosystems. In this study, we investigate the microbial ecology of two Canadian soda lake sediment systems characterized by naturally high phosphate levels. Results Using a comprehensive approach involving geochemistry, metagenomics, and amplicon sequencing, we discovered that groundwater infiltration into Lake Goodenough sediments supported stratified layers of microbial metabolisms fueled by decaying mats. Effective degradation of microbial mats resulted in unexpectedly low net productivity. Evaporation of water from Last Chance Lake and its sediments led to saturation of brines and a habitat dominated by inorganic precipitation reactions, with low productivity, low organic matter turnover and little biological uptake of phosphorus, leading to high phosphate concentrations. Highly alkaline brines were found to be dominated by potentially dormant spore-forming bacteria. These saturated brines also hosted potential symbioses between Halobacteria and Nanoarchaeaota, as well as Lokiarchaea and bacterial sulfate reducers. Metagenome-assembled genomes of Nanoarchaeaota lacked strategies for coping with salty brines and were minimal for Lokiarchaea. Conclusions Our research highlights that modern analogs for origin-of-life conditions might be better represented by soda lakes with low phosphate concentrations. Thus, highly alkaline brine environments could be too extreme to support origin of life scenarios. These findings shed light on the complex interplay of microbial life in extreme environments and contribute to our understanding of early Earth environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40793-024-00632-y","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1186/s40793-024-00632-y","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/membranes14020050","name":"Modeling of Integrated Hollow-Fiber Solar-Powered VMD Modules for Desalination for a Better Understanding and Management of Heat Flows.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The direct integration of membrane distillation and solar energy collection in a single module is a promising technology for autonomous seawater desalination in remote regions; however, the modeling and design of such modules are challenging because of the coupling of the radial and longitudinal heat and mass transfers. In a previous study, we provided as a first modeling approach a hollow fiber solar collector vacuum membrane distillation (VMD) module, considering a constant temperature at the shell side and a pure water feed. Here, a full model is developed to describe the coupled effects of the solar collector and a hollow fiber VMD module operating in an outside/in mode with saline water. The model considers all the main phenomena (membrane distillation, temperature and concentration polarization, absorption of solar radiation and energy balances over the solar collector, radial and longitudinal heat and mass transfer, seawater properties, and more than 30 variables). Applied to simulate the behavior of a semi-industrial-scale module, it allows the influence of solar radiation on the performance/limits of the integrated module to be discussed based on the radial and longitudinal profiles and heat flows. The model can be used to identify key points in the module design to better utilize solar radiation and manage heat flows.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes14020050","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.3390/membranes14020050","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3897/bdj.12.e130811","name":"Quantifying the use of natural history collections.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Measuring the use of natural history collections is essential to understand their past and present impact on science, to underpin decisions about their management and to assist with deploying them optimally to address societal challenges. Using the vast natural history collections of Naturalis Biodiversity Center as an example, this paper assesses the significance and relevance of quantifying collection use. Four aspects are discussed: 1. standardisation, 2. relevance of having standardised metrics on collection use, 3. the level of detail and completeness of the information and 4. the interactions between digitisation of collections and physical collection use. Based on a set of transparent and objective parameters to describe collection use, it is proposed to further develop these into international standards.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3897/bdj.12.e130811","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.3897/bdj.12.e130811","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1098/rsif.2024.0014","name":"Amino acid analogues provide multiple plausible pathways to prebiotic peptides.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Prebiotic peptide synthesis has consistently been a prominent topic within the field of the origin of life. While research predominantly centres on the 20 classical amino acids, the synthesis process encounters significant thermodynamic barriers. Consequently, amino acid analogues are being explored as potential building blocks for prebiotic peptide synthesis. This review delves into the pathway of polypeptide formation, identifying specific amino acid analogues that might have existed on early Earth, potentially participating in peptide synthesis and chemical evolution. Moreover, considering the complexity and variability of the environment on early Earth, we propose the plausibility of coevolution between amino acids and their analogues.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2024.0014","authors":["Li Zhang","Jianxi Ying"],"tags":["Amino acid","Prebiotic","Abiogenesis","Peptide","Coevolution"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1098/rsif.2024.0014","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.adh0458","name":"Transition from carbonatitic magmas to hydrothermal brines: Continuous dilution or fluid exsolution?","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Carbonatites are the most important primary sources for the rare earth elements (REEs). While fractional crystallization of carbonate minerals results in the enrichment of volatiles, alkalis, and REEs in the remaining melts, the transition from carbonatitic magmas to hydrothermal brines remains unclear. Here, we investigated the pressure-temperature-composition ( P - T - X ) properties of the Na 2 CO 3 -H 2 O system up to 700°C and 11.0 kbar using a hydrothermal diamond anvil cell and a Raman spectrometer. Our results show that Na 2 CO 3 becomes increasingly soluble under high P-T conditions, leading to the disappearance of melt-fluid immiscibility and the continuous transition from Na 2 CO 3 melts to hydrothermal brines under deep crustal conditions. Given the abundance of Na 2 CO 3 in highly evolved carbonatitic systems, we suggest that the continuous melt-fluid transition in deep-seated carbonatites results in REEs being sufficiently concentrated in the brine-melts to form economic ore bodies, whereas in shallow systems, REEs preferentially partition into carbonatitic magmas over synmagmatic brines and disperse in carbonatite rocks that underwent limited fractionation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adh0458","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.adh0458","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.adn9871","name":"High-precision U-Pb zircon dating identifies a major magmatic event on the Moon at 4.338 Ga.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Moon has had a complex history, with evidence of its primary crust formation obscured by later impacts. Existing U-Pb dates of >500 zircons from several locations on the lunar nearside reveal a pronounced age peak at 4.33 billion years (Ga), suggesting a major, potentially global magmatic event. However, the precision of existing geochronology is insufficient to determine whether this peak represents a brief event or a more protracted period of magmatism occurring over tens of millions of years. To improve the temporal resolution, we have analyzed Apollo 14, 15, and 17 zircons that were previously dated by ion microprobe at ~4.33 Ga using isotope dilution thermal ionization mass spectrometry. Concordant dates with sub-million-year uncertainty span ~4 million years from 4.338 to 4.334 Ga. Combined with Hf isotopic ratios and trace element concentrations, the data suggest zircon formation in a large impact melt sheet, possibly linked to the South Pole-Aitken basin.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adn9871","authors":["Mélanie Barboni","Dawid Szymanowski","Blair Schoene","Nicolas Dauphas","Zhe J. Zhang","Xi Chen","K. D. McKeegan"],"tags":["Zircon","Geology","Geochronology","Geochemistry","Magmatism"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.adn9871","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.283Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/plants13050747","name":"Assessment of Fertility Dynamics and Nutritional Quality of Potato Tubers in a Compost-Amended Mars Regolith Simulant.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Mars exploration will foresee the design of bioregenerative life support systems (BLSSs), in which the use/recycle of in situ resources might allow the production of food crops. However, cultivation on the poorly-fertile Mars regolith will be very challenging. To pursue this goal, we grew potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) plants on the MMS-1 Mojave Mars regolith simulant, pure (R100) and mixed with green compost at 30% (R70C30), in a pot in a cold glasshouse with fertigation. For comparison purposes, we also grew plants on a fluvial sand, pure (S100) and amended with 30% of compost (S70C30), a volcanic soil (VS) and a red soil (RS). We studied the fertility dynamics in the substrates over time and the tuber nutritional quality. We investigated nutrient bioavailability and fertility indicators in the substrates and the quality of potato tubers. Plants completed the life cycle on R100 and produced scarce but nutritious tubers, despite many critical simulant properties. The compost supply enhanced the MMS-1 chemical/physical fertility and determined a higher tuber yield of better nutritional quality. This study demonstrated that a compost-amended Mars simulant could be a proper substrate to produce food crops in BLSSs, enabling it to provide similar ecosystem services of the studied terrestrial soils.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13050747","authors":["Antonio Giandonato Caporale","Roberta Paradiso","Mario Palladino","Nafiou Arouna","Luana Izzo","Alberto Ritieni","Stefania De Pascale","Paola Adamo"],"tags":["Compost","Soil fertility","Environmental science","Nutrient","Agronomy"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.3390/plants13050747","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1098/rsta.2023.0197","name":"Transport of dust across the Solar System: Constraints on the spatial origin of individual micrometeorites from cosmic-ray exposure.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The origin of micrometeorites (MMs) from asteroids and comets is well-established, but the relative contribution from these two classes remains poorly resolved. Likewise, determining the precise origin of individual MMs is an open challenge. Here, cosmic-ray exposure ages are used to resolve the spatial origins of 12 MMs collected from urban areas and Antarctica. Their 26 Al and 10 Be concentration, produced during cosmic-ray irradiation in space, were measured by accelerator mass spectrometry. These data are compared to results from a model simulating the transport and irradiation of the MM precursors in space. This model, for the first time, considers a variety of orbits, precursor particle sizes, compositions and densities and incorporates non-isotropic solar and galactic cosmic-ray flux profiles, depth-dependent production rates, as well as spherical evaporation during atmospheric entry. While the origin for six MMs remains ambiguous, two MMs show a preferential tendency towards an origin in the Inner Solar System (Near Earth Objects to the Asteroid Belt) and four towards an origin in the Outer Solar System (Jupiter Family Comets to the Kuiper Belt). These findings challenge the notion that dust originating from the Outer Solar System is unlikely to survive long-term transport and delivery to the terrestrial planets. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Dust in the Solar System and beyond’.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2023.0197","authors":["Jenny Feige","Alessandro Airo","Daniel Berger","Dennis Brückner","Andreas Gärtner","M. J. Genge","I. Leya","F. Habibi Marekani","Lutz Hecht","Nico Klingner","Johannes Lachner","X. Li"],"tags":["Solar System","Cosmic ray","Asteroid belt","Jupiter (rocket family)","Physics"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1098/rsta.2023.0197","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/cctc.202301218","name":"Synergistic Effects of Silica-Supported Iron-Cobalt Catalysts for CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; Reduction to Prebiotic Organics.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract To test the ability of geochemical surfaces in serpentinizing hydrothermal systems to catalyze reactions from which metabolism arose, we investigated H 2 ‐dependent CO 2 reduction toward metabolic intermediates over silica‐supported Co−Fe catalysts. Supported catalysts converted CO 2 to various products at 180 °C and 2.0 MPa. The liquid product phase included formate, acetate, and ethanol, while the gaseous product phase consisted of CH 4 , CO, methanol, and C 2 −C 7 linear hydrocarbons. The 1/1 ratio CoFe alloy with the same composition as the natural mineral wairauite yielded the highest concentrations of formate (6.0 mM) and acetate (0.8 mM), which are key intermediates in the acetyl‐coenzyme A (acetyl‐CoA) pathway of CO 2 fixation. While Co‐rich catalysts were proficient at hydrogenation, yielding mostly CH 4 , Fe‐rich catalysts favored the formation of CO and methanol. Mechanistic studies indicated intermediate hydrogenation and C−C coupling activities of alloyed CoFe, in contrast to physical mixtures of both metals. Co in the active site of Co−Fe catalysts performed a similar reaction as tetrapyrrole‐coordinated Co in the corrinoid iron‐sulfur (CoFeS) methyl transferase in the acetyl‐CoA pathway. In a temperature range characteristic for deeper regions of serpentinizing systems, oxygenate product formation was favored at lower, more biocompatible temperatures.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cctc.202301218","authors":["Kendra S. Belthle","William Martin","Harun Tüysüz"],"tags":["Cobalt","Prebiotic","Catalysis","Chemistry","Fischer–Tropsch process"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1002/cctc.202301218","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.283Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/s24092872","name":"Technology Selection for Inline Topography Measurement with Rover-Borne Laser Spectrometers.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This work studies enhancing the capabilities of compact laser spectroscopes integrated into space-exploration rovers by adding 3D topography measurement techniques. Laser spectroscopy enables the in situ analysis of sample composition, aiding in the understanding of the geological history of extraterrestrial bodies. To complement spectroscopic data, the inclusion of 3D imaging is proposed to provide unprecedented contextual information. The morphological information aids material characterization and hence the constraining of rock and mineral histories. Assigning height information to lateral pixels creates topographies, which offer a more complete spatial dataset than contextual 2D imaging. To aid the integration of 3D measurement into future proposals for rover-based laser spectrometers, the relevant scientific, rover, and sample constraints are outlined. The candidate 3D technologies are discussed, and estimates of performance, weight, and power consumptions guide the down-selection process in three application examples. Technology choice is discussed from different perspectives. Inline microscopic fringe-projection profilometry, incoherent digital holography, and multiwavelength digital holography are found to be promising candidates for further development.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/s24092872","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.3390/s24092872","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-023-50743-8","name":"Hexose phosphorylation for a non-enzymatic glycolysis and pentose phosphate pathway on early Earth.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Glycolysis and pentose phosphate pathways play essential roles in cellular processes and are assumed to be among the most ancient metabolic pathways. Non-enzymatic metabolism-like reactions might have occurred on the prebiotic Earth and been inherited by the biological reactions. Previous research has identified a part of the non-enzymatic glycolysis and the non-enzymatic pentose phosphate pathway from glucose 6-phosphate and 6-phosphogluconate, which are intermediates of these reactions. However, how these phosphorylated molecules were formed on the prebiotic Earth remains unclear. Herein, we demonstrate the synthesis of glucose and gluconate from simple aldehydes in alkaline solutions and the formation of glucose 6-phosphate and 6-phosphogluconate with borate using thermal evaporation. These results imply that the initial stages of glycolysis-like and pentose phosphate pathway-like reactions were achieved in borate-rich evaporative environments on prebiotic Earth, suggesting that non-enzymatic metabolism provided biomolecules and their precursors on prebiotic Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-50743-8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1038/s41598-023-50743-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.283Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/ma19030461","name":"Reclaiming Ruthenium: A Comprehensive Review of Hydrometallurgical Strategies for Precious Metal Recovery.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Ruthenium, a critical metal, plays an increasingly important role in modern applications, such as catalysts for chemical synthesis and the production of hard disk drives. As a result, the supply has struggled to meet the growing demand in recent years. The economic position of ruthenium presents an opportunity to examine the methods of its extraction, particularly given that it is a lesser-known platinum group metal. This article explores the concentration of ruthenium in natural sources and the methods used in primary production, with a particular focus on hydrometallurgical techniques applied at an industrial scale. It also discusses secondary ruthenium-containing materials, including spent catalysts, metallurgical by-products, wastewaters, spent nuclear fuel. The article provides a detailed analysis of the composition of these materials, emphasizing hydrometallurgical methods like leaching and separation processes, along with the recovery of final products.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19030461","authors":["Ewa Rudnik"],"tags":["Precious metal","Leaching (pedology)","Waste management","Ruthenium","Hydrometallurgy"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.3390/ma19030461","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/s21216973","name":"A Remote Raman System and Its Applications for Planetary Material Studies.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"A remote Raman prototype with a function of excitation energy adjusting for the purpose of obtaining a Raman signal with good signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), saving power consumption, and possibly avoiding destroying a target by high energy pulses, which may have applications for Chinese planetary explorations, has been setup and demonstrated for detecting different minerals. The system consists of a spectrograph equipped with a thermoelectrically cooled charge-coupled device (CCD) detector, a telescope with 150 mm diameter and 1500 mm focus length, and a compact 1064 nm Nd:YAG Q-switched laser with an electrical adjusted pulse energy from 0 to 200 mJ/pulse. A KTP crystal was used for second harmonic generation in a 1064 nm laser to generate a 532 nm laser, which is the source of Raman scatting. Different laser pulse energies and integration time were used to obtain distinguishable remote Raman spectra of various samples. Results show that observed remote Raman spectra at a distance of 4 m enable us to identify silicates, carbonates, sulfates, perchlorates, water/water ice, and organics that have been found or may exist on extraterrestrial planets. Detailed Raman spectral assignments of the measured planetary materials and the feasible applications of remote Raman system for planetary explorations are discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/s21216973","authors":["Hongkun Qu","Zongcheng Ling","Xiaobin Qi","Yanqing Xin","Changqing Liu","Haijun Cao"],"tags":["Raman spectroscopy","Spectrograph","Laser","Optics","Materials science"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.3390/s21216973","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.283Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2307149120","name":"A robust, agnostic molecular biosignature based on machine learning.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The search for definitive biosignatures-unambiguous markers of past or present life-is a central goal of paleobiology and astrobiology. We used pyrolysis-gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry to analyze chemically disparate samples, including living cells, geologically processed fossil organic material, carbon-rich meteorites, and laboratory-synthesized organic compounds and mixtures. Data from each sample were employed as training and test subsets for machine-learning methods, which resulted in a model that can identify the biogenicity of both contemporary and ancient geologically processed samples with ~90% accuracy. These machine-learning methods do not rely on precise compound identification: Rather, the relational aspects of chromatographic and mass peaks provide the needed information, which underscores this method's utility for detecting alien biology.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2307149120","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2307149120","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31226","name":"Sedimentary records of sea level fall during the end-Permian in the upper Yangtze region (southern China): Implications for the mass extinction.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Sea level fall is considered one of the significant factors leading to the end-Permian mass extinction (EPME). We studied the relative sea level changes in the Beifengjing and Shangsi sections, and the results indicate that a sea level fall occurred in the Upper Yangtze region during the Permian-Triassic transition. Considering that there is no significant change in fossil abundance in the strata following the two sea level falls observed in the Beifengjing section, we conclude that the reduction in shallow marine habitat for sea level fall solely was insufficient to cause the mass extinction. However, sea level fall did exacerbate the input of terrestrial debris into the ocean, leading to the deterioration of the marine environment. We propose that the combined adverse effects of volcanic eruptions, sea level falls, and other events exceeded the threshold for biological survival, ultimately resulting in the catastrophic EPME.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31226","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31226","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.283Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2122571119","name":"Reply to Bains et al.: On the plausibility of crustal phosphides as the source of Venusian phosphine.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"In their letter, Bains et al. (1) lay out two objections to our model (2) of phosphine production on Venus by explosive volcanism. The first is that phosphides sourced from the deep mantle of Venus would reequilibrate to the lower-pressure, higher oxygen fugacity state of the upper mantle and crust, and thus be largely destroyed. This assumes thermodynamic equilibrium. However, that assumption does not always hold, as the terrestrial rock record shows. There are many examples on Earth of deep-mantle rock whose original, reduced, oxidation state appears to have been preserved. To give just two, the mineral moissanite … [↵][1] 1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: tnt45{at}cornell.edu or jlunine{at}astro.cornell.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2122571119","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2122571119","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.283Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1155/2020/8406917","name":"Application of FIB-SEM Techniques for the Advanced Characterization of Earth and Planetary Materials.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Advanced microanalytical techniques such as high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), atom probe tomography (APT), and synchrotron-based scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) enable one to characterize the structure and chemical and isotopic compositions of natural materials down towards the atomic scale. Dual focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) is a powerful tool for site-specific sample preparation and subsequent analysis by TEM, APT, and STXM to the highest energy and spatial resolutions. FIB-SEM also works as a stand-alone technique for three-dimensional (3D) tomography. In this review, we will outline the principles and challenges when using FIB-SEM for the advanced characterization of natural materials in the Earth and Planetary Sciences. More specifically, we aim to highlight the state-of-the-art applications of FIB-SEM using examples including (a) traditional FIB ultrathin sample preparation of small particles in the study of space weathering of lunar soil grains, (b) migration of Pb isotopes in zircons by FIB-based APT, (c) coordinated synchrotron-based STXM characterization of extraterrestrial organic material in carbonaceous chondrite, and finally (d) FIB-based 3D tomography of oil shale pores by slice and view methods. Dual beam FIB-SEM is a powerful analytical platform, the scope of which, for technological development and adaptation, is vast and exciting in the field of Earth and Planetary Sciences. For example, dual beam FIB-SEM will be a vital technique for the characterization of fine-grained asteroid and lunar samples returned to the Earth in the near future.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/8406917","authors":["Lixin Gu","Nian Wang","Xu Tang","H. G. Changela"],"tags":["Focused ion beam","Characterization (materials science)","Materials science","Synchrotron","Nanotechnology"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.1155/2020/8406917","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-024-46233-8","name":"Lunar rock investigation and tri-aspect characterization of lunar farside regolith by a digital twin.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Yutu-2 rover conducted an exciting expedition on the 41st lunar day to investigate a fin-shaped rock at Longji site (45.44°S, 177.56°E) by extending its locomotion margin on perilous peaks. The varied locomotion encountered, especially multi-form wheel slippage, during the journey to the target rock, established unique conditions for a fin-grained lunar regolith analysis regarding bearing, shear and lateral properties based on terramechanics. Here, we show a tri-aspect characterization of lunar regolith and infer the rock's origin using a digital twin. We estimate internal friction angle within 21.5°-42.0° and associated cohesion of 520-3154 Pa in the Chang'E-4 operational site. These findings suggest shear characteristics similar to Apollo 12 mission samples but notably higher cohesion compared to regolith investigated on most nearside lunar missions. We estimate external friction angle in lateral properties to be within 8.3°-16.5°, which fills the gaps of the lateral property estimation of the lunar farside regolith and serves as a foundational parameter for subsequent engineering verifications. Our in-situ spectral investigations of the target rock unveil its composition of iron/magnesium-rich low-calcium pyroxene, linking it to the Zhinyu crater (45.34°S, 176.15°E) ejecta. Our results indicate that the combination of in-situ measurements with robotics technology in planetary exploration reveal the possibility of additional source regions contributing to the local materials at the Chang'E-4 site, implying a more complicated geological history in the vicinity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-46233-8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1038/s41467-024-46233-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.283Z"},{"id":"oa:W2102727317","name":"Mineralogical and geochemical aspects of impact craters","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The importance of impact cratering on terrestrial planets is obvious from the abundance of craters on their surfaces. On Earth, active geological processes rapidly obliterate the cratering record. To date only about 170 impact structures have been recognized on the Earth's surface. Mineralogical, petrographic, and geochemical criteria are used to identify the impact origin of such structures or related ejecta layers. The two most important criteria are the presence of shock metamorphic effects in mineral and rock inclusions in breccias and melt rocks, as well as the demonstration, by geochemical techniques, that these rocks contain a minor extraterrestrial component. There is a variety of macroscopic and microscopic shock metamorphic effects. The most important ones include the presence of planar deformation features in rock-forming minerals, high-pressure polymorphs (e.g. of coesite and stishovite from quartz, or diamond from graphite), diaplectic glass, and rock and mineral melts. These features have been studied by traditional methods involving the petrographic microscope, and more recently with a variety of instrumental techniques, including transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, cathodoluminescence imaging and spectroscopy, and high-resolution X-ray computed tomography. Geochemical methods to detect an extraterrestrial component include measurements of the concentrations of siderophile elements, mainly of the platinum-group elements (PGEs), and, more recently, chromium and osmium isotopic studies. The latter two methods can provide confirmation that these elements are actually of meteoritic origin. The Cr isotopic method is also capable of providing information on the meteorite type. In impact studies there is now a trend towards the use of interdisciplinary and multi-technique approaches to solve open questions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/0026461026650059","authors":["Christian Koeberl"],"tags":["Petrography","Coesite","Geology","Impact crater","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-09-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1180/0026461026650059","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W1887863118","name":"Soil and Water Assessment Tool Theoretical Documentation Version 2009","source":"openalex","abstract":"including the US Environmental Protection Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Oceanic","url":"https://openalex.org/W1887863118","authors":["S.L. Neitsch","J. G. Arnold","James R. Kiniry","Jeffery Williams"],"tags":["Documentation","Environmental science","Computer science","Hydrology (agriculture)","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-09-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2142350095","name":"Cosmic spherules and asteroidal collisions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Newly found white stony cosmic spherules and extraterrestrial fragments from deep-sea sediments are described. Together with ordinary black spherules, these rarely occurring white spherules are used in the argument that most spherules originate in asteroidal collisions. Spherules and fragments from the collision then spiral to Earth under Poynting-Robertson drag. To test this hypothesis, two methods have been used.(1) Some of the new particles were examined for solar-flare track damage. However, no tracks were found. Either spherules are not exposed in space and the hypothesis is incorrect, or they are exposed but heating in atmospheric flight removes the tracks. (2) Iron spherules from two dated deep-sea cores were examined for the Poynting-Robertson size-sorting effect. The effect is marginally visible in both cores, although its existence can be disputed. Core matching was possible through a mineral investigation. Manganese and carbonate micro-nodules were found to vary abruptly down the cores. Attention is directed to these observations as they are of interest to marine chemistry and climatology. Brief mention is made of using iron spherules in cores to detect possible changes in the solar constant.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246x.1983.tb01901.x","authors":["David Parkin","R. A. L. Sullivan","R.K. Bull"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Geology","Earth (classical element)","Extraterrestrial life","Asteroid"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1983-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246x.1983.tb01901.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2128870311","name":"MICROBIALITES IN A HIGH-ALTITUDE ANDEAN LAKE: MULTIPLE CONTROLS ON CARBONATE PRECIPITATION AND LAMINA ACCRETION","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Microbialites comprise the mineralized record of early life on Earth and preserve a spectrum of fabrics that reflect complex physical, chemical, and biological interactions. The relatively rarity of microbialites in modern environments, however, challenges our interpretation of ancient structures. Here we report the occurrence of microbial mats, mineral precipitates, and oncoids in the Laguna Negra, a high-altitude hypersaline Andean lake in Catamarca Province, Argentina. Laguna Negra is a Ca-Na-Cl brine where abundant carbonate precipitation takes place. Extreme environmental conditions, including high UV radiation, elevated salinity, and temperature extremes, restrict multicellular life so that mineralization reflects a combination of local hydrologic conditions, lake geochemistry, and microbial activity. The resulting carbonates consist of micritic laminae, botryoidal cement fans, and isopachous cement laminae that are strikingly similar to those observed in Proterozoic stromatolites, providing insight into mechanisms of mineralization. Here, increased saturation with respect to carbonate minerals reflects mixing of spring-fed inlets and lake waters, favoring microbialite formation and preservation. This highlights the importance of hydrological mixing zones in microbialite formation and as taphonomic windows to record microbial activity. Recent discoveries of minerals related to evaporating playa-lake systems on Mars further highlights the potential of Laguna Negra to provide critical insight into biosignature preservation in both terrestrial and extraterrestrial settings.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2110/palo.2013.049","authors":["Fernando J. Gómez","Linda C. Kah","Julie K. Bartley","Ricardo A. Astini"],"tags":["Carbonate","Geology","Precipitation","Altitude (triangle)","Effects of high altitude on humans"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2110/palo.2013.049","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W1991015374","name":"Crystal chemistry of lunar merrillite and comparison to other meteoritic and planetary suites of whitlockite and merrillite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Merrillite, also known as “whitlockite„ , is one of the main phosphate minerals, along with apatite, that occur in lunar rocks, martian meteorites, and in many other groups of meteorites. Significant structural differences between terrestrial whitlockite and lunar (and meteoritic) varieties warrant the use of “merrillite„ for the H-free extraterrestrial material, and the systematic enrichment of REE in lunar merrillite warrants the use of “RE-merrillite„. Laser Raman spectroscopy of extraterrestrial merrillite and terrestrial whitlockite confirms the absence of H in the former and presence of H in the latter. Lunar merrillite, ideally (Mg, Fe 2+ , Mn 2+ ) 2 [Ca 18-x (Y,REE) x ](Na 2-x )(P,Si) 14 O 56 , contains high concentrations of Y+REE, reaching just over 3 atoms per 56 O atoms, or up to ~18 wt% as (Y,RE) 2 O 3 . In the absence of extensive Si↔P substitution, the “availability„ of the Na site limits Y+REE substitution to ~2 atoms per 56 O atoms. Higher concentrations of Y+REE, with coupled substitution of Si for P to balance charge are possible, but rare in lunar material. Intrinsically low Na concentrations in lunar rocks, combined with the typical formation of merrillite in late-stage basaltic mesostasis or residual, intercumulus melt pockets, produce these high REE concentrations. Lunar merrillite typically contains 0.1.0.4 Na atoms per 56 O atoms. For comparison, martian merrillite contains significantly higher Na concentrations (up to 1.7 Na atoms per 56 O atoms) and much lower REE concentrations. Meteoritic merrillite has relatively low REE contents, but exists in both Ca-rich and Na-rich varieties. Concentrations of Fe and Mg in all varieties sum to near 2 atoms per 56 O atoms. Merrillite in lunar crustal lithologies typically has Mg >> Fe; however, Fe-rich mare basalts contain up to 1.8 Fe 2+ per 56 O. The structure of merrillite accommodates a variety of substitutions, and the compositional characteristics reflect conditions and processes specific to the parent planet.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am.2006.2185","authors":["B. Jolliff","John M. Hughes","John J. Freeman","R. A. Zeigler"],"tags":["Whitlockite","Meteorite","Metamictization","Astrobiology","Parent body"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am.2006.2185","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2099149056","name":"Bayesian chronological analyses consistent with synchronous age of 12,835–12,735 Cal B.P. for Younger Dryas boundary on four continents","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The Younger Dryas impact hypothesis posits that a cosmic impact across much of the Northern Hemisphere deposited the Younger Dryas boundary (YDB) layer, containing peak abundances in a variable assemblage of proxies, including magnetic and glassy impact-related spherules, high-temperature minerals and melt glass, nanodiamonds, carbon spherules, aciniform carbon, platinum, and osmium. Bayesian chronological modeling was applied to 354 dates from 23 stratigraphic sections in 12 countries on four continents to establish a modeled YDB age range for this event of 12,835-12,735 Cal B.P. at 95% probability. This range overlaps that of a peak in extraterrestrial platinum in the Greenland Ice Sheet and of the earliest age of the Younger Dryas climate episode in six proxy records, suggesting a causal connection between the YDB impact event and the Younger Dryas. Two statistical tests indicate that both modeled and unmodeled ages in the 30 records are consistent with synchronous deposition of the YDB layer within the limits of dating uncertainty (&#x223c; 100 y). The widespread distribution of the YDB layer suggests that it may serve as a datum layer.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1507146112","authors":["James P. Kennett","Douglas J. Kennett","Brendan J. Culleton","J. Emili Aura Tortosa","James L. Bischoff","T. E. Bunch","I. Randolph Daniel","Jon M. Erlandson","David Ferraro","R. B. Firestone","Albert C. Goodyear","Isabel Israde-Alcántara"],"tags":["Younger Dryas","Bayesian probability","Boundary (topology)","Geology","Geography"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015 Aug 11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1507146112","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"oa:W4295113647","name":"Chang’E-5 samples reveal high water content in lunar minerals","source":"openalex","abstract":"O) attributed to solar wind implantation on the uppermost surface of olivine, plagioclase, and pyroxene grains from Chang'E-5 samples. The results of spectral and microstructural analyses indicate that solar wind-derived water is affected by exposure time, crystal structure, and mineral composition. Our estimate of a minimum of 170 ppm water content in lunar soils in the Chang'E-5 region is consistent with that reported by the Moon Minerology Mapper and Chang'E-5 lander. By comparing with remote sensing data and through lunar soil maturity analysis, the amount of water in Chang'E-5 provides a reference for the distribution of surficial water in middle latitude of the Moon. We conclude that minerals in lunar soils are important reservoirs of water, and formation and retention of water originating from solar wind occurs on airless bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-33095-1","authors":["Chuanjiao Zhou","Hong Tang","Xiongyao Li","Xiaojia Zeng","Bing Mo","Wen Yu","Yanxue Wu","Xiandi Zeng","Jianzhong Liu","Yuanyun Wen"],"tags":["Pyroxene","Plagioclase","Soil water","Geology","Water content"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-09-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-33095-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2589054614","name":"Composition and origin of holotype Al‐Cu‐Zn minerals in relation to quasicrystals in the Khatyrka meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We investigated the khatyrkite–cupalite holotype sample, 1.2 × 0.5 mm across. It consists of khatyrkite (Cu,Zn)Al2, cupalite (Cu,Zn)Al, and interstitial material with approximate composition (Zn,Cu)Al3. All mineral phases of the holotype sample contain Zn and lack Fe that distinguishes them from khatyrkite and cupalite in the Khatyrka meteorite particles (Bindi et al. , , , ; MacPherson et al. ; Hollister et al. ). Neither highly fractionated natural systems nor geo‐ or cosmochemical processes capable of forming the holotype sample are known so far. The bulk chemistry and thermal history of khatyrkite–cupalite assemblage in the holotype sample hint for its possible industrial origin. Likewise, the aluminides in the Khatyrka meteorite particles may also be derived from industrial materials and mixed with extraterrestrial matter during gold prospecting in the Listvenitovy Stream valley.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12839","authors":["M. A. Ivanova","C. A. Lorenz","S. E. Borisovskiy","А. А. Бурмистров","Д. В. Корост","A. V. Korochantsev","M. N. Logunova","S. I. Shornikov","M. I. Petaev"],"tags":["Meteorite","Holotype","Mineral","Geology","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-02-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12839","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W1983701664","name":"Predicting the production rates of cosmogenic nuclides in extraterrestrial matter","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-583x(87)90245-x","authors":["R. C. Reedy"],"tags":["Cosmogenic nuclide","Nuclide","Meteorite","Extraterrestrial life","Accelerator mass spectrometry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1987-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-583x(87)90245-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2774942969","name":"Extraterrestrial formation of oldhamite and portlandite through thermal metamorphism of calcite in the Sutter's Mill carbonaceous chondrite","source":"openalex","abstract":"The CM and CI carbonaceous chondrites are typically dominated by phyllosilicates with variable proportions of tochilinite, anhydrous silicates, carbonates, sulfides, sulfates, oxides, and organic compounds. During thermal metamorphism the phyllosilicates dehydrate and decompose yielding water and olivine/enstatite. The thermal transformation of carbonate is less well understood, especially in the presence of volatile decomposition products, such as CO, CO 2 , SO 2 , H 2 S, and H 2 O. Here is described the mineralogical transformation of calcite (CaCO 3 ) to oldhamite (CaS) and portlandite [Ca(OH) 2 ] during extraterrestrial thermal metamorphism on the Sutter’s Mill parent body. Sutter’s Mill is a regolith breccia consisting of at least two lithologic components: phyllosilicate-calcite-bearing and anhydrous olivine-rich. Evidence suggests that the anhydrous stones were derived from extraterrestrial heating of the phyllosilicate-calcite-bearing material. One of only three Sutter’s Mill stones (SM3) collected prior to heavy rainfall over the recovery site is the focus of this study. Its powder X-ray diffraction patterns are dominated by olivine, with lesser enstatite, Fe-sulfides, magnetite, and oldhamite. Oldhamite is absent in the rained-on stones reflecting its water sensitivity and the pristine nature of SM3. Optical micrographs show whitish to bluish grains of oldhamite and portlandite embedded in dark, fine-grained matrix. The presence of abundant olivine and absence of phyllosilicates, tochilinite, and carbonate indicates that SM3 underwent heating to ~750 °C. At this temperature, calcite would have decomposed to lime (CaO). Volatilization experiments show that CO, CO 2 , SO 2 , and H 2 S evolve from CM and CI chondrites heated above 600 °C. Lime that formed through calcite decomposition would have reacted with these gases forming oldhamite under reducing conditions. Residual lime not converted to oldhamite, would have readily hydrated to portlandite, possibly through retrograde reactions during cooling on the parent body. These reactions have parallels to those in coal-fired electricity generating plants and provide an analogous system to draw comparison. Furthermore, the identification of these minerals, which are sensitive to terrestrial alteration, and determination of their formation is enabled only by the rapid collection of samples from an observed fall and their subsequent curation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2017-6180","authors":["C. W. Haberle","L. A. J. Garvie"],"tags":["Portlandite","Calcite","Enstatite","Geology","Olivine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-08-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2017-6180","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W3097841722","name":"Mineral-mediated carbohydrate synthesis by mechanical forces in a primordial geochemical setting","source":"openalex","abstract":"The formation of carbohydrates represents an essential step to provide building blocks and a source of chemical energy in several models for the emergence of life. Formaldehyde, glycolaldehyde and a basic catalyst are the initial components forming a variety of sugar molecules in the cascade-type multi-step formose reaction. While numerous side reactions and even deterioration can be observed in aqueous media, selective prebiotic sugar formation is feasible in solid-state, mechanochemical reactions and might have occurred in early geochemistry. However, the precise role of different basic catalysts and the influence of the atmospheric conditions in the solid-state formose reaction remain unknown. Here we show, that in a primordial scenario the mechanochemical formose reaction is capable to form monosaccharides with a broad variety of mineral classes as catalysts with only minute amounts of side products such as lactic acid or methanol, independent of the atmospheric conditions. The results give insight into recent findings of formose sugars on meteorites and offer a water-free and robust pathway for monosaccharides independent of the external conditions both for the early Earth or an extra-terrestrial setting.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-020-00387-w","authors":["Maren Haas","Saskia Lamour","Sarah Babette Christ","Oliver Trapp"],"tags":["Glycolaldehyde","Chemistry","Monosaccharide","Catalysis","Aqueous solution"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-10-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-020-00387-w","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W3135600909","name":"LIP printing: Use of immobile element proxies to characterize Large Igneous Provinces in the geologic record","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2021.106068","authors":["Julian A. Pearce","Richard E. Ernst","D.W. Peate","Chris Rogers"],"tags":["Geology","Igneous rock","Geochemistry","Large igneous province","Mining engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-03-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2021.106068","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W4387834858","name":"Environmental effects on ammonium adsorption onto clay minerals: Experimental constraints and applications","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2023.107165","authors":["Amber Jie Yu","Xiaoju Lin","Jianxi Zhu","Hongping He","Long Li"],"tags":["Illite","Kaolinite","Clay minerals","Vermiculite","Adsorption"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-10-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2023.107165","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W3157667497","name":"Titanium isotopic compositions of bulk rocks and mineral separates from the Kos magmatic suite: Insights into fractional crystallization and magma mixing processes","source":"openalex","abstract":"Terrestrial and extraterrestrial rocks exhibit significant variations in their mass-dependent Ti isotopic compositions, with basalts being isotopically lighter than evolved lithologies. The observed trend from light to heavy Ti isotopic compositions from more primitive to more differentiated rocks agrees with theoretical predictions that light Ti isotopes are sequestered in Fe–Ti oxides. However, there are lingering questions about the exact extent of this fractionation and whether it is influenced by the nature of oxides and silicate melt. To improve on this matter, we measured the Ti isotopic compositions of mineral separates and bulk rocks from the calc-alkaline Kos volcano-plutonic system, Aegean arc, Greece. Bulk rock Ti isotopic compositions (δ49Ti) increase with differentiation of the magmatic system, from δ49Ti of +0.042 ± 0.033‰ in basalt to +0.654 ± 0.034‰ in rhyolite. We document two different Ti isotope trends produced by (i) fractional crystallization, and (ii) mixing between a basaltic melt and an evolved (rhyolitic) magma. Trend (i) can be explained by a melt-cumulate Ti isotopic fraction factor α of 0.9998 (i.e., the bulk cumulate is on average 0.20‰ lighter than the melt). The mineral separates reveal variable δ49Ti values, with magnetite having the lightest 49Ti/47Ti isotopic composition, biotite being intermediate and neso- and tectosilicates (i.e., olivine, plagioclase and quartz) heaviest. Comparing the TiO2 concentrations of the low-Ti minerals olivine, plagioclase and quartz determined with LA-ICP-MS and isotope dilution shows that the δ49Ti values measured in these minerals reflect their isotopic compositions, and contamination by inclusions is minimal. The difference in δ49Ti between different minerals is smallest in a basalt (Δ49Tiolivine-magnetite = +0.426) and largest in two rhyolites (Δ49Tiquartz-magnetite = +1.083; both ± 0.046‰). Our data agree with theoretical predictions that Fe–Ti oxides have a light δ49Ti signature, and neso/tectosilicate minerals are heavy. Furthermore, the measured difference in δ49Ti between magnetite-olivine, magnetite-plagioclase and magnetite-quartz agree to first order with theoretically predicted inter-mineral Ti isotopic fractionation factors, thus suggesting that the measured inter-mineral Ti isotopic variations are equilibrium in nature.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2021.120303","authors":["Nicolas D. Greber","Thomas Pettke","Nicolas Vilela","Pierre Lanari","Nicolas Dauphas"],"tags":["Geology","Fractional crystallization (geology)","Geochemistry","Basalt","Rhyolite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-05-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2021.120303","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W1546151961","name":"Carbonaceous Micrometeorites and the Origin of Life","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1006589819844","authors":["M. Maurette"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Chondrite","Abiogenesis","Interplanetary dust cloud"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1006589819844","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2017397330","name":"Mineral biosignatures in evaporites: Presence of rosickyite in an endoevaporitic microbial community from Death Valley, California","source":"openalex","abstract":"Research Article| December 01, 2002 Mineral biosignatures in evaporites: Presence of rosickyite in an endoevaporitic microbial community from Death Valley, California Susanne Douglas; Susanne Douglas 1California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Center for Life Detection, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, MS 183-301, Pasadena, California 91109-8099, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Heixong Yang Heixong Yang 1California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Center for Life Detection, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, MS 183-301, Pasadena, California 91109-8099, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Susanne Douglas 1California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Center for Life Detection, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, MS 183-301, Pasadena, California 91109-8099, USA Heixong Yang 1California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Center for Life Detection, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, MS 183-301, Pasadena, California 91109-8099, USA Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 01 May 2002 Revision Received: 21 Aug 2002 Accepted: 22 Aug 2002 First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (2002) 30 (12): 1075–1078. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2002)030<1075:MBIEPO>2.0.CO;2 Article history Received: 01 May 2002 Revision Received: 21 Aug 2002 Accepted: 22 Aug 2002 First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Susanne Douglas, Heixong Yang; Mineral biosignatures in evaporites: Presence of rosickyite in an endoevaporitic microbial community from Death Valley, California. Geology 2002;; 30 (12): 1075–1078. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2002)030<1075:MBIEPO>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Rosickyite is a rare form of sulfur (γ-sulfur; monoclinic symmetry) that is not thermodynamically predicted to be stable at Earth's surface temperatures; instead, it reverts to the more common α-sulfur form (orthorhombic symmetry). Here we show, for the first time, that rosickyite exists and is stably maintained within an endoevaporitic microbial community from the salt pan of Death Valley, California. We hypothesize that this mineral is formed by a cycle of microbial dissolution of gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) to sulfide and reoxidation of the sulfide to elemental sulfur (rosickyite) within a stable oxygen-sulfide gradient maintained by the organisms. Furthermore, we report a microstratigraphic layering of mineral types that correlates with layering of the microbial community. Knowledge of how microbial communities can affect the mineral assemblages of evaporite deposits on Earth can help us to identify potential markers of the past or present existence of life on extraterrestrial bodies bearing evidence of ancient seas or lakes. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2002)030<1075:mbiepo>2.0.co;2","authors":["Susanne Douglas","Heixong Yang"],"tags":["Citation","Mineral exploration","Geologist","Jet propulsion","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2002)030<1075:mbiepo>2.0.co;2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W1974077624","name":"The BOSS and BIOMEX space experiments on the EXPOSE-R2 mission: Endurance of the desert cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis under simulated space vacuum, Martian atmosphere, UVC radiation and temperature extremes.","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2013.05.015","authors":["Mickaël Baqué","Jean‐Pierre de Vera","Petra Rettberg","Daniela Billi"],"tags":["Martian","EXPOSE","Astrobiology","Atmosphere (unit)","Space environment"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-06-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2013.05.015","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W1997006956","name":"Synthetic geomicrobiology: engineering microbe–mineral interactions for space exploration and settlement","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Synthetic geomicrobiology is a potentially new branch of synthetic biology that seeks to achieve improvements in microbe–mineral interactions for practical applications. In this paper, laboratory and field data are provided on three geomicrobiology challenges in space: (1) soil formation from extraterrestrial regolith by biological rock weathering and/or the use of regolith as life support system feedstock, (2) biological extraction of economically important elements from rocks (biomining) and (3) biological solidification of surfaces and dust control on other planetary surfaces. The use of synthetic or engineered organisms in these three applications is discussed. These three examples are used to extract general common principles that might be applied to the design of organisms used in synthetic geomicrobiology.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550411000164","authors":["Charles S. Cockell"],"tags":["Geomicrobiology","Regolith","Astrobiology","Weathering","Synthetic biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-05-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550411000164","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2884254087","name":"Protection of cyanobacterial carotenoids' Raman signatures by Martian mineral analogues after high‐dose gamma irradiation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The future robotic exploration missions to Mars—European Space Agency/Roscosmos's ExoMars2020 and National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Mars2020 rovers—will search for signs of extant or extinct life using, among other instruments, Raman spectrometers for the first time. The question remains whether organic biosignatures—such as pigments and cellular components—may be detected by this method. Evaluating their detection limit under simulated extraterrestrial conditions is therefore crucial for the success of future life detection missions. Ionizing radiation can be considered as the most deleterious factor for the long‐term preservation of potential biomarkers on Mars. Here, we report on the preservation potential of Raman signatures in the Antarctic strain CCCryo 231‐06 of the cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. after high doses of gamma irradiation. The carotenoids' signals, a well‐established biosignature model, dominate the Raman spectra at 532‐nm excitation wavelength due to resonance effects. But comparing their distribution and quantifying their preservation are still problematic in natural samples. To standardize the analyses, we successfully applied Raman mapping and signal‐to‐noise ratio masks to quantify the effects of irradiation. The typical in vivo Raman signatures of carotenoids could be detected after exposure to up to 56 kGy with significant deterioration in terms of signal coverage and signal‐to‐noise ratio. But they remained stable even after the highest dose of γ rays (117 kGy) tested in this study for colonies embedded in two different Martian mineral analogues. Data gathered during these ground‐based irradiation experiments contribute to interpret results from space experiments and will guide our search for life on Mars and other bodies of interest.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.5449","authors":["Mickaël Baqué","Franziska Hanke","Ute Böttger","Thomas Leya","Ralf Moeller","Jean‐Pierre de Vera"],"tags":["Martian","Raman spectroscopy","Exploration of Mars","Mars Exploration Program","Life on Mars"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-07-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.5449","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2127808653","name":"Theoretical constraints of physical and chemical properties of hydrothermal fluids on variations in chemolithotrophic microbial communities in seafloor hydrothermal systems","source":"openalex","abstract":"In the past few decades, chemosynthetic ecosystems at deep-sea hydrothermal vents have received attention as plausible analogues to the early ecosystems of Earth, as well as to extraterrestrial ecosystems. These ecosystems are sustained by chemical energy obtained from inorganic redox substances (e.g., H2S, CO2, H2, CH4, and O2) in hydrothermal fluids and ambient seawater. The chemical and isotope compositions of the hydrothermal fluid are, in turn, controlled by subseafloor physical and chemical processes, including fluid–rock interactions, phase separation and partitioning of fluids, and precipitation of minerals. We hypothesized that specific physicochemical principles describe the linkages among the living ecosystems, hydrothermal fluids, and geological background in deep-sea hydrothermal systems. We estimated the metabolic energy potentially available for productivity by chemolithotrophic microorganisms at various hydrothermal vent fields. We used a geochemical model based on hydrothermal fluid chemistry data compiled from 89 globally distributed hydrothermal vent sites. The model estimates were compared to the observed variability in extant microbial communities in seafloor hydrothermal environments. Our calculations clearly show that representative chemolithotrophic metabolisms (e.g., thiotrophic, hydrogenotrophic, and methanotrophic) respond differently to geological and geochemical variations in the hydrothermal systems. Nearly all of the deep-sea hydrothermal systems provide abundant energy for organisms with aerobic thiotrophic metabolisms; observed variations in the H2S concentrations among the hydrothermal fluids had little effect on the energetics of thiotrophic metabolism. Thus, these organisms form the base of the chemosynthetic microbial community in global deep-sea hydrothermal environments. In contrast, variations in H2 concentrations in hydrothermal fluids significantly impact organisms with aerobic and anaerobic hydrogenotrophic metabolisms. Particularly in H2-rich ultramafic rock-hosted hydrothermal systems, anaerobic and aerobic hydrogenotrophy is more energetically significant than thiotrophy. The CH4 concentration also has a considerable impact on organisms with aerobic and anaerobic methanotrophic metabolisms, particularly in sediment-associated hydrothermal systems. Recently clarified patterns and functions of existing microbial communities and their metabolisms are generally consistent with the results of our thermodynamic modeling of the hydrothermal mixing zones. These relationships provide important directions for future research addressing the origin and early evolution of life on Earth as well as for the search for extraterrestrial life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/2197-4284-1-5","authors":["Kentaro Nakamura","Ken Takai"],"tags":["Hydrothermal circulation","Chemosynthesis","Hydrothermal vent","Seafloor spreading","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1186/2197-4284-1-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2014939928","name":"Hollow organic globules in the Tagish Lake meteorite as possible products of primitive organic reactions","source":"openalex","abstract":"We report the first in situ observation of hollow organic globules in any extraterrestrial material using the Tagish Lake carbonaceous chondrite. Data from analytical transmission electron microscopy, Raman and micro-Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy indicate that the globules consist of aliphatic and oxygenated functions. The hollow spherical morphologies are strikingly similar to the material produced by the laboratory simulation of ultraviolet photolysis of interstellar ice analogues and subsequent aqueous processing, suggesting that the organic globules in the Tagish Lake meteorite may be extremely primitive organic material that formed before or during the formation of the solar system. The FTIR organic signatures also show strong similarities to the membrane-like products formed from hydrothermal reaction of an OH-bearing amino acid in the presence of hydrous minerals. The survival of the structures in the Tagish Lake sample indicates that primitive meteorites must have delivered these structures to the early Earth as a possible precursor to life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550402001167","authors":["K. Nakamura","M. E. Zolensky","Satoshi Tomita","Satοru Nakashima","K. Tomeoka"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Abiogenesis","Carbonaceous chondrite","Parent body"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550402001167","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W3034889083","name":"ORIGIN: a novel and compact Laser Desorption – Mass Spectrometry system for sensitive in situ detection of amino acids on extraterrestrial surfaces","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract For the last four decades space exploration missions have searched for molecular life on planetary surfaces beyond Earth. Often pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry has been used as payload on such space exploration missions. These instruments have relatively low detection sensitivity and their measurements are often undermined by the presence of chloride salts and minerals. Currently, ocean worlds in the outer Solar System, such as the icy moons Europa and Enceladus, represent potentially habitable environments and are therefore prime targets for the search for biosignatures. For future space exploration missions, novel measurement concepts, capable of detecting low concentrations of biomolecules with significantly improved sensitivity and specificity are required. Here we report on a novel analytical technique for the detection of extremely low concentrations of amino acids using ORIGIN, a compact and lightweight laser desorption ionization – mass spectrometer designed and developed for in situ space exploration missions. The identified unique mass fragmentation patterns of amino acids coupled to a multi-position laser scan, allows for a robust identification and quantification of amino acids. With a detection limit of a few fmol mm−2, and the possibility for sub-fmol detection sensitivity, this measurement technique excels current space exploration systems by three orders of magnitude. Moreover, our detection method is not affected by chemical alterations through surface minerals and/or salts, such as NaCl that is expected to be present at the percent level on ocean worlds. Our results demonstrate that ORIGIN is a promising instrument for the detection of signatures of life and ready for upcoming space missions, such as the Europa Lander.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-66240-1","authors":["N. F. W. Ligterink","Valentine Grimaudo","Pavel Moreno‐García","Rustam Lukmanov","Marek Tulej","I. Leya","Robert Lindner","P. Wurz","Charles S. Cockell","P. Ehrenfreund","Andreas Riedo"],"tags":["Mass spectrometry","Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Biomolecule","Space exploration"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-06-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-66240-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W4297021516","name":"In situ resource utilization of lunar soil for highly efficient extraterrestrial fuel and oxygen supply","source":"europepmc","abstract":"ABSTRACT Building up a lunar settlement is the ultimate aim of lunar exploitation. Yet, limited fuel and oxygen supplies restrict human survival on the Moon. Herein, we demonstrate the in situ resource utilization of lunar soil for extraterrestrial fuel and oxygen production, which may power up our solely natural satellite and supply respiratory gas. Specifically, the lunar soil is loaded with Cu species and employed for electrocatalytic CO2 conversion, demonstrating significant production of methane. In addition, the selected component in lunar soil (i.e. MgSiO3) loaded with Cu can reach a CH4 Faradaic efficiency of 72.05% with a CH4 production rate of 0.8 mL/min at 600 mA/cm2. Simultaneously, an O2 production rate of 2.3 mL/min can be achieved. Furthermore, we demonstrate that our developed process starting from catalyst preparation to electrocatalytic CO2 conversion is so accessible that it can be operated in an unmmaned manner via a robotic system. Such a highly efficient extraterrestrial fuel and oxygen production system is expected to push forward the development of mankind's civilization toward an extraterrestrial settlement.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwac200","authors":["Yuan Zhong","Jingxiang Low","Qing Zhu","Yawen Jiang","Xiwen Yu","Xinyu Wang","Fei Zhang","Weiwei Shang","Ran Long","Yingfang Yao","Wei Yao","Jun Jiang"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Environmental science","Astrobiology","In situ","Environmental chemistry"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-09-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwac200","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"oa:W2138321337","name":"Chemical footprint of the solvent soluble extraterrestrial organic matter occluded in Soltmany ordinary chondrite.","source":"openalex","abstract":"By characterizing organic molecules of extra-terrestrial origin included in the Soltmany meteorite, we also present the first results of the non-targeted chemical analysis of the methanol soluble organic matter present in an L6 ordinary chondrite. The structural characterization by means of ultrahigh resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) with electrospray ionization (ESI) in negative and positive modes demonstrated an unexpected and astonishing chemical diver- sity with several thousand mass peaks that could be converted into C, H, N, O, S, and P elemental compositions. Molecular signatures were typically those of considerably oxygenated CHO and CHOS molecular series of primarily aliphatic character. 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy confirmed the prevalent existence of pure and functionalized aliphatic spin systems of intermediate chain length (C 3-4 units), oxygenated aliphatics and a considerable diversity of oxygenated aromatics in the proton-based abundance ratio near 24 : 2 : 1. Although only residual organic matter allegedly survives in highly thermally altered L6 chondrites, the physical protection of organic matter in microcavities and traps between mineral surfaces might have supported and governed the chemistry with an apparent recalcitrance of extraterrestrial organic matter (EOM). Future studies of the organic matter in ordinary chondrites and its composition and structure in various regimes of (e.g.) temperature, radiation, pressure, and water content could shed light on these meteorites' formation and evolution.","url":"https://openalex.org/W2138321337","authors":["Philippe Schmitt‐Kopplin","Mourad Harir","Basem Kanawati","Dimitrios Tziozis","Norbert Hertkorn","Z. Gabélica","Helmholtz-Zentrum Muenchen","Rue A. Werner"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Ordinary chondrite","Organic matter","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W1986937234","name":"Microbial biodiversity of thermophilic communities in hot mineral soils of Tramway Ridge, Mount Erebus, Antarctica","source":"openalex","abstract":"Tramway Ridge, located near the summit of Mount Erebus in Antarctica, is probably the most remote geothermal soil habitat on Earth. Steam fumaroles maintain moist, hot soil environments creating extreme local physicochemical differentials. In this study a culture-independent approach combining automated rRNA intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA) and a 16S rRNA gene library was used to characterize soil microbial (Bacterial and Archaeal) diversity along intense physicochemical gradients. Statistical analysis of ARISA data showed a clear delineation between bacterial community structure at sites close to fumaroles and all other sites. Temperature and pH were identified as the primary drivers of this demarcation. A clone library constructed from a high-temperature site led to the identification of 18 novel bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs). All 16S rRNA gene sequences were deep branching and distantly (85-93%) related to other environmental clones. Five of the signatures branched with an unknown group between candidate division OP10 and Chloroflexi. Within this clade, sequence similarity was low, suggesting it contains several yet-to-be described bacterial groups. Five archaeal OTUs were obtained and exhibited high levels of sequence similarity (95-97%) with Crenarchaeota sourced from deep-subsurface environments on two distant continents. The novel bacterial assemblage coupled with the unique archaeal affinities reinvigorates the hypotheses that Tramway Ridge organisms are relics of archaic microbial lineages specifically adapted to survive in this harsh environment and that this site may provide a portal to the deep-subsurface biosphere.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1462-2920.2009.01859.x","authors":["Rochelle M. Soo","Susanna A. Wood","Joseph J. Grzymski","Ian R. McDonald","S. Craig Cary"],"tags":["Biology","Crenarchaeota","Archaea","Library","Ecology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1462-2920.2009.01859.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W1966780453","name":"Water in non-carbonaceous stony meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/256714a0","authors":["J. R. Ashworth","R. Hutchison"],"tags":["Meteorite","Achondrite","Chondrite","Astrobiology","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1975-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/256714a0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2807528569","name":"Is Extraterrestrial Life Suppressed on Subsurface Ocean Worlds due to the Paucity of Bioessential Elements?","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The availability of bioessential elements for “life as we know it”, such as phosphorus (P) or possibly molybdenum (Mo), is expected to restrict the biological productivity of extraterrestrial biospheres. Here, we consider worlds with subsurface oceans and model the dissolved concentrations of bioessential elements. In particular, we focus on the sources and sinks of P (available as phosphates) and find that the average steady-state oceanic concentration of P is likely to be lower than the corresponding value on Earth by a few orders of magnitude, provided that the oceans are alkaline and possess hydrothermal activity. While our result does not eliminate the prospects of life on subsurface worlds like Enceladus, it suggests that the putative biospheres might be oligotrophic and perhaps harder to detect. Along these lines, potential biospheres in the clouds of Venus may end up being limited by the availability of Mo. We also point out the possibility that stellar spectroscopy can be used to deduce potential constraints on the availability of bioessential elements on planets and moons.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/aada02","authors":["Manasvi Lingam","Abraham Loeb"],"tags":["Enceladus","Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology","Abiogenesis","Habitability"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-09-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/aada02","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2727266627","name":"Application of laser Raman micro-analyses to Earth and planetary materials","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2017.06.032","authors":["I‐Ming Chou","Alian Wang"],"tags":["Raman spectroscopy","Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Martian","Earth (classical element)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2017.06.032","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2578231153","name":"Nano-scale synthesis of the complex silicate minerals forsterite and enstatite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2017.01.052","authors":["Lawrence M. Anovitz","Adam J. Rondinone","Lindsay Sochalski-Kolbus","Jörgen Rosenqvist","Michael C. Cheshire"],"tags":["Forsterite","Enstatite","Silicate","Chemical engineering","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2017.01.052","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2085299363","name":"Fractionation of oxygen isotopes in phosphate during its interactions with iron oxides","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2009.11.010","authors":["Deb P. Jaisi","Ruth E. Blake","Ravi Kukkadapu"],"tags":["Ferrihydrite","Phosphate","Sorption","Phosphate minerals","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-11-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2009.11.010","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W4237303312","name":"Collected Extraterrestrial Materials: Constraints on Meteor and Fireball Compositions","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1017086517630","authors":["Frans J. M. Rietmeijer","Joseph A. Nuth"],"tags":["Meteoroid","Astrobiology","Meteorite","Parent body","Atmosphere (unit)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1017086517630","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W3199615471","name":"Shock-Produced Siderite in IIE Iron Meteorite Elga: A Secondary Mineral of Extraterrestrial Origin","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3199615471","authors":["N. R. Khisina","Richard Wirth","А. А. Бурмистров","A. A. Shiryaev","А. А. Аверин","Н.Г. Зиновьева","Elizaveta A. Pankrushina","A. M. Abdrakhimov"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Astrobiology","Siderite","Mineral"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-07-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W1982920095","name":"The sources of water in Martian meteorites: clues from hydrogen isotopes","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0016-7037(03)00234-5","authors":["N. Z. Boctor","C. M. O'd. Alexander","Jianhua Wang","E. H. Hauri"],"tags":["Meteorite","Martian","Geology","Carbonaceous chondrite","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0016-7037(03)00234-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2146034720","name":"Enhanced chemical weathering as a geoengineering strategy to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide, supply nutrients, and mitigate ocean acidification","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Chemical weathering is an integral part of both the rock and carbon cycles and is being affected by changes in land use, particularly as a result of agricultural practices such as tilling, mineral fertilization, or liming to adjust soil pH. These human activities have already altered the terrestrial chemical cycles and land‐ocean flux of major elements, although the extent remains difficult to quantify. When deployed on a grand scale, Enhanced Weathering (a form of mineral fertilization), the application of finely ground minerals over the land surface, could be used to remove CO 2 from the atmosphere. The release of cations during the dissolution of such silicate minerals would convert dissolved CO 2 to bicarbonate, increasing the alkalinity and pH of natural waters. Some products of mineral dissolution would precipitate in soils or be taken up by ecosystems, but a significant portion would be transported to the coastal zone and the open ocean, where the increase in alkalinity would partially counteract “ocean acidification” associated with the current marked increase in atmospheric CO 2 . Other elements released during this mineral dissolution, like Si, P, or K, could stimulate biological productivity, further helping to remove CO 2 from the atmosphere. On land, the terrestrial carbon pool would likely increase in response to Enhanced Weathering in areas where ecosystem growth rates are currently limited by one of the nutrients that would be released during mineral dissolution. In the ocean, the biological carbon pumps (which export organic matter and CaCO 3 to the deep ocean) may be altered by the resulting influx of nutrients and alkalinity to the ocean. This review merges current interdisciplinary knowledge about Enhanced Weathering, the processes involved, and the applicability as well as some of the consequences and risks of applying the method.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/rog.20004","authors":["Jens Hartmann","A. Joshua West","Phil Renforth","Peter Köhler","Christina L. De La Rocha","Dieter Wolf‐Gladrow","Hans H. Dürr","Jürgen Scheffran"],"tags":["Alkalinity","Weathering","Environmental science","Carbon dioxide","Ocean acidification"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/rog.20004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W3000183848","name":"A geological and mineralogical review of clay mineral deposits and phyllosilicate ore guides in Central Europe – A function of geodynamics and climate change","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2019.103304","authors":["Harald G. Dill"],"tags":["Geology","Geochemistry","Glauconite","Tourmaline","Sedimentary depositional environment"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2019.103304","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W1983116317","name":"NanoSIMS: Insights to biogenicity and syngeneity of Archaean carbonaceous structures","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.precamres.2009.01.001","authors":["Dorothy Z. Oehler","F. Robert","Malcolm R. Walter","Kenichiro Sugitani","Abigail C. Allwood","Anders Meibom","S. Mostefaoui","M. Selo","Aurélien Thomen","E. K. Gibson"],"tags":["Carbon fibers","Archean","Nitrogen","Sulfur","Total organic carbon"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-01-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.precamres.2009.01.001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W3042532438","name":"Impact of Phyllosilicates on Amino Acid Formation under Asteroidal Conditions","source":"openalex","abstract":"The emergence of life on Earth could have benefitted from an extraterrestrial source of amino acids. Yet, the origin of these amino acids is still debated because they may have formed prior to the solar nebula or inside the parent body of meteorites. Here, we experimentally produced amino acids by exposing an interstellar model molecule (hexamethylenetetramine) to asteroid-like hydrothermal conditions (150 °C; pH 10). We conducted additional experiments in the presence of carboxylic acids and phyllosilicates to simulate asteroidal environments. Analyses via liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry show that glycine is the most abundant amino acid formed, but non-proteinogenic α-, β-, and γ-amino acids are also produced. This production of amino acids seems to be hampered by the presence of Fe-rich smectites, while the presence of Al-rich smectites largely stimulates it. Our findings evidence (1) the production of amino acids during hydrothermal alteration of a putative interstellar precursor, (2) the importance of the formose reaction from formaldehyde and ammonia, for amino acid synthesis in meteorites, and (3) the impact of organic–mineral interactions on the nature/distribution of the amino acids produced. Altogether, the fact that the production of amino acids, which are so central to living structures, can be achieved via organo–mineral interactions under hydrothermal conditions should put these processes at a focal point for research on the origin of extraterrestrial organic compounds and into the origin of life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.0c00137","authors":["Vassilissa Vinogradoff","Laurent Rémusat","Hannah L. McLain","José C. Aponte","Samuel Bernard","Grégoire Danger","Jason P. Dworkin","Jamie E. Elsila","Maguy Jaber"],"tags":["Abiogenesis","Amino acid","Meteorite","Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-07-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.0c00137","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W1890097645","name":"A search for extraterrestrial chromite in the late Eocene Massignano section, central Italy","source":"openalex","abstract":"The late Eocene may have been a period with an enhanced flux of extraterrestrial matter to Earth related either to a comet or an asteroid shower. The evidence comes from two very large and several medium-sized impact craters, at least two microtektite-microkrystite layers, and a stratigraphic interval with enhanced extraterrestrial He-3, all within the period ca. 36.3-34.3 Ma. Here, we show that the distribution of sediment-dispersed extraterrestrial (ordinary chondritic) chromite (EC) grains in the Massignano section, central Italy, can be used to test whether the flux of ordinary chondritic matter to Earth was enhanced in the late Eocene. In twelve limestone samples, each weighing similar to 12-15 kg, from 1.25 m to 10.25 m above the base of the section, only 1 EC grain was found. Based on the total amount of limestone analyzed, 167 kg, this corresponds to 0.006 EC grain kg(-1) limestone. This is a factor of five lower than the 0.029 EC grain kg(-1) recovered in 210 kg of latest Cretaceous-Paleocene limestone from the Bottaccione Gorge section at Gubbio, central Italy. The difference can readily be explained by an approximately threefold higher sedimentation rate in the late Eocene at Massignano. In essence, our results speak against a late Eocene asteroid shower. Apparently, there was no significant increase in the flux of extraterrestrial chromite at this time, such as that after the disruption of the L-chondrite parent body in the mid-Ordovician, when the EC flux was enhanced by two orders of magnitude. We also discuss the potential to search for lunar minerals in the Massignano section in order to test the recent hypothesis that late Eocene He-3 enrichments originated from impact-ejected lunar regolith.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/2009.2452(05)","authors":["Birger Schmitz","Anders Cronholm","Alessandro Montanari"],"tags":["Geology","Chromite","Extraterrestrial life","Meteorite","Cretaceous"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1130/2009.2452(05)","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2108553231","name":"Gosses Bluff - a latest Jurassic impact structure, central Australia. Part 1: geological structure, stratigraphy, and origin","source":"openalex","abstract":"tag=1 data=Gosses Bluff - a latest Jurassic impact structure, central Australia. Part 1: geological structure, stratigraphy, and origin. by D.J. Milton, A.Y. Glikson & R. Brett\r\n\r\ntag=2 data=Milton, D.J.%Glikson, A.Y.%Brett, R.\r\n\r\ntag=3 data=AGSO Journal of Australian Geology & Geophysics,\r\n\r\ntag=4 data=16\r\n\r\ntag=5 data=4\r\n\r\ntag=6 data=1996\r\n\r\ntag=7 data=453-486.\r\n\r\ntag=8 data=MINES & MINERALS\r\n\r\ntag=10 data=Evidence for an extraterrestrial impact.\r\n\r\ntag=13 data=IND","url":"https://openalex.org/W2108553231","authors":["D. J. Milton","Andrew Y. Glikson","R. Brett"],"tags":["Stratigraphy","Geology","Bluff","Impact structure","Paleontology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1996-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2017922808","name":"Spectral characterization of igneous rocks in the 8‐ to 12‐μm region","source":"openalex","abstract":"Variation in the spectral response of silicates in the thermal infrared (TIR) from 8 to 12 μm is the foundation for potentially important applications in the lithologic characterization of terrestrial and extraterrestrial surfaces. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the crystallo‐chemical basis for the variation in spectral behavior in terms which may be useful in remote sensing. This has led to the definition of a new parameter, SCFM, which is defined as the ratio SiO2/(SiO2 + CaO + FeO + MgO) in minerals and rocks. This parameter reflects the degree of depolymerization of the silica tetrahedra and is therefore highly correlated with the structure of TIR reflectance spectra of major silicate minerals in both fine‐ and coarse‐grained igneous rocks. It is also a good numerical descriptor of igneous rock composition. Thus SCFM is proposed as a very useful determinant for spectral identification of igneous rocks. The SCFM parameter was used to assess the effect of variations in location, number, and width of bands in discriminating rock composition. (An unfortunate ambiguity exists in the use of the term “band” which in spectroscopy indicates a feature in a spectrum and in remote sensing signifies a specific wavelength increment or channel. The latter definition is used in this paper.) Spectra of coarse‐particulate mineral and solid rock samples were acquired in the laboratory. A regression analysis of bands varying in width from 0.2 to 1.4 μm versus SCFM results in coefficients of determination (correlation coefficients), R2, ranging from 0.88 (for two 1.2‐μm‐wide bands) to 0.97 (for seven 0.2‐μm‐wide bands). Deletion of bands in the ozone absorption region (9.4–10.2 μm) results in a decrease in R2 by only 0.01. Stimulation of system noise by addition of ±5% random counts to the bands decreases R2 by only 0.03. Because spectra structure is modified by weathering, alteration, and texture of the samples, the validity of these results is limited to fresh igneous rocks. With this constraint, it is concluded that accurate spectral identification of igneous rock composition is not greatly affected by bandwidth or system noise. It is the overall spectral envelope rather than the fine structure in the TIR which contains most of the information diagnostic of igneous rock composition. This permits design of remote sensing systems with broad bands and corresponding higher signal‐to‐noise, which can be traded off against the important requirement for higher spatial resolution.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/jb094ib07p09203","authors":["L. S. Walter","John W. Salisbury"],"tags":["Igneous rock","Mineralogy","Silicate","Characterization (materials science)","Spectral line"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1989-07-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/jb094ib07p09203","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2594724697","name":"Hollisterite (Al3Fe), kryachkoite (Al,Cu)6(Fe,Cu), and stolperite (AlCu): Three new minerals from the Khatyrka CV3 carbonaceous chondrite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Our nanomineralogy investigation of the Khatyrka CV3 carbonaceous chondrite has revealed three new alloy minerals—hollisterite (IMA 2016-034; Al 3 Fe), kryachkoite [IMA 2016-062; (Al,Cu) 6 (Fe,Cu)], and stolperite (IMA 2016-033; AlCu)—in section 126A of USNM 7908. Hollisterite occurs only as one crystal with stolperite, icosahedrite, and khatyrkite, showing an empirical formula of Al 2.89 Fe 0.77 Cu 0.32 Si 0.02 and a monoclinic C 2/ m structure with a = 15.60 Å, b = 7.94 Å, c = 12.51 Å, β = 108.1°, V = 1472.9 Å 3 , Z = 24. Kryachkoite occurs with khatyrkite and aluminum, having an empirical formula of Al 5.45 Cu 0.97 Fe 0.55 Cr 0.02 Si 0.01 and an orthorhombic Cmc 2 1 structure with a = 7.460 Å, b = 6.434 Å, c = 8.777 Å, V = 421.3 Å 3 , Z = 4. Stolperite occurs within khatyrkite, or along with icosahedrite and/or hollisterite and khatyrkite, having an empirical formula of Al 1.15 Cu 0.81 Fe 0.04 and a cubic Pm3¯ m $\\begin{array}{} Pm \\overline 3m \\end{array}$ structure with a = 2.9 Å, V = 24.4 Å 3 , Z = 1. Specific features of the three new minerals, and their relationships with the meteorite matrix material, add significant new evidence for the extraterrestrial origin of the Al-Cu-Fe metal phases in the Khatyrka meteorite. Hollisterite is named in honor of Lincoln S. Hollister at Princeton University for his extraordinary contributions to earth science. Kryachkoite is named in honor of Valery Kryachko who discovered the original samples of the Khatyrka meteorite in 1979. Stolperite is named in honor of Edward M. Stolper at California Institute of Technology for his fundamental contributions to petrology and meteorite research.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2017-5991","authors":["Chi Ma","Chaney Lin","Luca Bindi","Paul J. Steinhardt"],"tags":["Meteorite","Monoclinic crystal system","Carbonaceous chondrite","Orthorhombic crystal system","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2017-5991","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2106695452","name":"Dust cloud lightning in extraterrestrial atmospheres","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2012.07.003","authors":["Ch. Helling","M. Jardine","D. A. Diver","Sören Witte"],"tags":["Planet","Solar System","Physics","Gas giant","Brown dwarf"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-07-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2012.07.003","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2145598654","name":"Comet 81P/Wild 2 Under a Microscope","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Stardust spacecraft collected thousands of particles from comet 81P/Wild 2 and returned them to Earth for laboratory study. The preliminary examination of these samples shows that the nonvolatile portion of the comet is an unequilibrated assortment of materials that have both presolar and solar system origin. The comet contains an abundance of silicate grains that are much larger than predictions of interstellar grain models, and many of these are high-temperature minerals that appear to have formed in the inner regions of the solar nebula. Their presence in a comet proves that the formation of the solar system included mixing on the grandest scales.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1135840","authors":["D. E. Brownlee","P. Tsou","J. Aléon","C. M. O'd. Alexander","Tohru Araki","S. Bajt","G. A. Baratta","R. Bastien","P. A. Bland","P. Bleuet","J. Borg","J. P. Bradley","A. J. Brearley","Frank E. Brenker","S. Brennan","J. C. Bridges","Nigel D. Browning","J. R. Brucato","E. S. Bullock","M. J. Burchell","H. Busemann","A. L. Butterworth","Marc Chaussidon","A. Cheuvront","Miaofang Chi","M. J. Cintala","B. C. Clark","S. J. Clemett","George D. Cody","L. Colangelí","George Cooper","Patrick Cordier","Charles P. Daghlian","Z. R. Dai","Louis Le Sergeant d’Hendecourt","Z. Djouadi","G. Domínguez","T. C. Duxbury","Jason P. Dworkin","D. S. Ebel","T. Economou","Sirine C. Fakra","Sam A. J. Fairey","Stewart Fallon","G. Ferrini","T. Ferroir","Holger Fleckenstein","C. Floss","George Flynn","I. A. Franchi","M. Fries","Z. Gainsforth","J.‐P. Gallien","Matt Genge","Mary K. Gilles","P. Gillet","J. D. Gilmour","D. P. Glavin","M. Gounelle","M. M. Grady","G. A. Graham","Patrick G. Grant","Simon Green","F. Grossemy","Lawrence Grossman","J. N. Grossman","Yunbin Guan","Kenji Hagiya","R. P. Harvey","P. R. Heck","G. F. Herzog","P. Höppe","Friedrich Hörz","J. Huth","I. D. Hutcheon","Konstantin Ignatyev","H. A. Ishii","Motoo Ito","Damien Jacob","Chris Jacobsen","S. B. Jacobsen","Steven M. Jones","D. J. Joswiak","A. J. G. Jurewicz","A. T. Kearsley","L. P. Keller","H. Khodja","A. L. D. Kilcoyne","J. Kissel","Alexander N. Krot","F. Langenhorst","Antonio Lanzirotti","L. Le","L. A. Leshin","J. Leitner","Laurence Lemelle","Hugues Leroux","Ming‐Chang Liu","K. Luening","I. C. Lyon"],"tags":["Comet","Formation and evolution of the Solar System","Solar System","Astrobiology","Silicate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-12-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1135840","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W3036855614","name":"Extraterrestrial organic compounds and cyanide in the CM2 carbonaceous chondrites Aguas Zarcas and Murchison","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Evaluating the water‐soluble organic composition of carbonaceous chondrites is key to understanding the inventory of organic matter present at the origins of the solar system and the subsequent processes that took place inside asteroid parent bodies. Here, we present a side‐by‐side analysis and comparison of the abundance and molecular distribution of aliphatic amines, aldehydes, ketones, mono‐ and dicarboxylic acids, and free and acid‐releasable cyanide species in the CM2 chondrites Aguas Zarcas and Murchison. The Aguas Zarcas meteorite is a recent fall that occurred in central Costa Rica and constitutes the largest recovered mass of a CM‐type meteorite after Murchison. The overall content of organic species we investigated was systematically higher in Murchison than in Aguas Zarcas. Similar to previous meteoritic organic studies, carboxylic acids were one to two orders of magnitude more abundant than other soluble organic compound classes investigated in both meteorite samples. We did not identify free cyanide in Aguas Zarcas and Murchison; however, cyanide species analyzed after acid digestion of the water‐extracted meteorite mineral matrix were detected and quantified at slightly higher abundances in Aguas Zarcas compared to Murchison. Although there were differences in the total abundances of specific compound classes, these two carbonaceous chondrites showed similar isomeric distributions of aliphatic amines and carboxylic acids, with common traits such as a complete suite of structural isomers that decreases in concentration with increasing molecular weight. These observations agree with their petrologic CM type‐2 classification, suggesting that these meteorites experienced similar organic formation processes and/or conditions during parent body aqueous alteration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13531","authors":["José C. Aponte","Hannah L. McLain","Danielle N. Simkus","Jamie E. Elsila","D. P. Glavin","Eric T. Parker","Jason P. Dworkin","D. H. Hill","H. C. Connolly","D. S. Lauretta"],"tags":["Murchison meteorite","Chondrite","Meteorite","Carbonaceous chondrite","Parent body"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-06-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13531","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W785749484","name":"Extraterrestrial materials processing","source":"openalex","abstract":"The first year results of a multi-year study of processing extraterrestrial materials for use in space are summarized. Theoretically, there are potential major advantages to be derived from the use of such materials for future space endeavors. The types of known or postulated starting raw materials are described including silicate-rich mixed oxides on the Moon, some asteroids and Mars; free metals in some asteroids and in small quantities in the lunar soil; and probably volatiles like water and CO2 on Mars and some asteroids. Candidate processes for space materials are likely to be significantly different from their terrestrial counterparts largely because of: absence of atmosphere; lack of of readily available working fluids; low- or micro-gravity; no carbon-based fuels; readily available solar energy; and severe constraints on manned intervention. The extraction of metals and oxygen from lunar material by magma electrolysis or by vapor/ion phase separation appears practical.","url":"https://openalex.org/W785749484","authors":["W. H. Steurer"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Mars Exploration Program","Extraterrestrial life","Asteroid","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1982-04-15","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2138442454","name":"TRM in low magnetic fields: a minimum field that can be recorded by large multidomain grains","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pepi.2005.07.005","authors":["G. Kletetschka","Michael D. Fuller","T. Kohout","P. J. Wasilewski","E. Herrero‐Bervera","N. F. Ness","M. H. Acuña"],"tags":["Thermoremanent magnetization","Demagnetizing field","Remanence","Magnetite","Earth's magnetic field"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-02-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pepi.2005.07.005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2086500132","name":"Angrites, a small but diverse suite of ancient, silica-undersaturated volcanic-plutonic mafic meteorites, and the history of their parent asteroid","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemer.2012.06.002","authors":["Klaus Keil"],"tags":["Geology","Geochemistry","Mafic","Diopside","Augite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-08-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemer.2012.06.002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2005366199","name":"CAMAM: A Miniature Laser Ablation Ionisation Mass Spectrometer and Microscope‐Camera System for In Situ Investigation of the Composition and Morphology of Extraterrestrial Materials","source":"openalex","abstract":"Performance studies of a microscope‐camera system (MCS) and a laser ablation/ionisation mass spectrometer (LIMS) instrument (referred to here as a laser mass spectrometer or LMS) are presented. These two instruments were designed independently for in situ analysis of solids on planetary surfaces and will be combined to a single miniature instrument suite for in situ chemical and morphological analysis of surface materials on planetary bodies. LMS can perform sensitive chemical (elemental, isotope and molecular) analyses with spatial resolution close to micrometre‐sized grains. It allows for studies with mass resolution (M/ΔM) up to 800 in ablation mode (elemental composition) and up to 1500 in desorption mode (molecular analysis). With an effective dynamic range of at least eight orders of magnitude, sensitive and quantitative measurements can be conducted of almost all elements and isotopes with a concentration larger than a few ppb atoms. Hence, in addition to the major element composition, which is important for the determination of mineralogical constituents of surface materials, trace elements can also be measured to provide information on mineral formation processes. Highly accurate isotope ratio measurements can be used to determine in situ geochronology of sample material and for investigations of various isotope fractionation processes. MCS can conduct optical imagery of mm‐sized objects at several wavelengths with micrometre spatial resolution for the characterisation of morphological surface details and to provide insight into surface mineralogy. Furthermore, MCS can help in the selection of sample surface areas for further mass spectrometric analysis of the chemical composition. Surface auto‐fluorescence measurements and images in polarised light are additional capabilities of the MCS, to identify either fluorescing minerals or organic materials, if present on the analysed surface, for further investigation by LMS. The results obtained by investigations of NIST reference materials, amino acid films and a natural graphite sample embedded in silicate rock are presented to illustrate the performance of the instruments and their potential to deliver chemical information for mineral and organic phases in their geological context.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-908x.2014.00302.x","authors":["Marek Tulej","Andreas Riedo","M. B. Neuland","Stefan Meyer","P. Wurz","Nicolas Thomas","Valentine Grimaudo","Pavel Moreno‐García","Peter Broekmann","Anna Neubeck","Magnus Ivarsson"],"tags":["Mass spectrometry","Analytical Chemistry (journal)","Laser ablation","In situ","Microscope"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-11-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-908x.2014.00302.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2096600670","name":"The accretion rate of extraterrestrial 3He based on oceanic 230Th flux and the relation to Os isotope variation over the past 200,000 years in an Indian Ocean core","source":"openalex","abstract":"In the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean, the flux of extraterrestrial 3He, a proxy of interplanetary dust particles (IDPs), has been relatively constant over the past 200 ka. The flux is equal to (1.1±0.4)×10−12 cm3 STP cm−2 ka−1, a value obtained using the xs230Th profiling method. Variations in mass accumulation rates (MARs) derived assuming a constant extraterrestrial 3He flux have a 40-ka periodicity similar to that observed in the δ18O-derived MARs. This frequency is similar to that of the Earth's obliquity. Measured 187Os/188Os ratios are less radiogenic than present-day seawater (0.49–0.98), reflecting the mixing of Os derived from extraterrestrial, terrigenous and hydrogenous sources. When coupled with He data measured on the same samples, Os isotope data yield important information about the terrigenous component supplied to the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean. The amount of Os in the sample derived from the extraterrestrial component can be deduced with the help of the helium systematics. Once corrected for the extraterrestrial component of Os, Os isotope signatures, in conjunction with the 4He concentrations, suggest a supply of terrigenous material from Indonesian ultramafic and Himalayan crustal sources that clearly varies through time.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0012-821x(99)00100-4","authors":["Franco Marcantonio","Karl K. Turekian","Sean Higgins","Robert F. Anderson","M. Stute","Peter Schlösser"],"tags":["Terrigenous sediment","Extraterrestrial life","Geology","Radiogenic nuclide","Mars Exploration Program"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0012-821x(99)00100-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2069078062","name":"Chronostratigraphic markers in the end-Precambrian carbon isotope record of the Lesser Himalaya","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/327699a0","authors":["Paul Aharon","Manfred Schidlowski","Indra Bir Singh"],"tags":["Precambrian","Isotopes of carbon","Geology","Paleontology","Sedimentary rock"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1987-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/327699a0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W1975741904","name":"Geochemistry of trace elements in the extraterrestrial matter examined by the X-ray fluorescence method with synchrotron radiation","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-9002(87)90614-0","authors":["Lev Tarasov","A. F. Kudryashova","A. B. Ivanov","A. A. Ulyanov","В.Б. Барышев","Г.Н. Кулипанов","A.N. Skrinsky"],"tags":["Chondrite","Geology","Trace element","Meteorite","Basalt"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1987-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-9002(87)90614-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W1500448127","name":"A diode laser system for heating minerals for (U‐Th)/He chronometry","source":"openalex","abstract":"We have developed a diode laser (25 W, 808 nm) system for He extraction from minerals for (U‐Th)/He chronometry. The laser beam is delivered via a 600 μm fiber cable and focused using a binocular microscope. Temperatures necessary for He release from apatite (500–600°C) and zircon (1100–1300°C) encapsulated in Pt‐foil tubes are attained by heating to 0.5 W for 30 s and 1.25–2.5 W for 20 min, respectively, using a defocused beam. Heating at these powers does not result in measurable U and/or Th loss from apatite, as noted by the preservation of the distinct Th/U in multiple splits of two different Durango apatite crystals. Analyses of Durango and the California Institute of Technology internal standard apatite 97MR22 yield (U‐Th)/He ages of 32.8 ± 1.8 Ma (1σ, n = 11) and 4.6 ± 0.5 (1σ, n = 5), respectively, well within accepted ages. The (U‐Th)/He age and Th/U of five Fish Canyon Tuff zircon aliquots yield 29.3 ± 2.2 Ma (1σ) and 0.6 ± 0.03, respectively, and are indistinguishable from ages produced by resistance furnace He extraction. Heating of unencapsulated minerals shows that the diode laser couples well with optically opaque minerals (e.g., hornblende, biotite, muscovite, garnet) and basalt groundmass, suggesting that diode lasers offer a cheap, small, low‐maintenance alternative to Nd:YAG and Ar ion lasers for 40 Ar/ 39 Ar, cosmogenic noble gas, and stable isotope studies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2005gc001190","authors":["J. Foeken","Finlay M. Stuart","Katherine J. Dobson","Cristina Persano","David Vilbert"],"tags":["Zircon","Apatite","Geology","Mineralogy","Biotite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2005gc001190","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2025234203","name":"Properties of synthetic ferrihydrite as an amino acid adsorbent and a promoter of peptide bond formation","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-003-0047-3","authors":["G. Matrajt","Didier Blanot"],"tags":["Ferrihydrite","Adsorption","Nanoporous","Amino acid","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-003-0047-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2743347859","name":"Water in the Earth’s Interior: Distribution and Origin","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-017-0387-z","authors":["A. H. Peslier","Maria Schönbächler","H. Busemann","Shun‐ichiro Karato"],"tags":["Mantle (geology)","Geology","Hydrosphere","Planetary differentiation","Earth's internal heat budget"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-08-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-017-0387-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2923591029","name":"Enhanced flux of extraterrestrial 3He across the Permian–Triassic boundary","source":"openalex","abstract":"The ca 252 Ma Permian–Triassic boundary (PTB) represents the most severe mass extinction event of the Phanerozoic, with the disappearance of ~ 80% of marine invertebrate species. Large-scale eruption of the Siberian Traps is the commonly favored cause, although the link between volcanism and extinction remains debated. Here, we report evidence for an extraterrestrial 3He influx in the PTB section of deep-sea bedded cherts from Japan. This unusual signal indicates a significant increase in the influx of interplanetary dust particles, likely related to an asteroid shower in the inner solar system. High-resolution stratigraphy indicates that the peak flux of dust particles occurred during the final 500 kyr of the Permian, concurrent with a pre-extinction decline in radiolarian diversity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40645-019-0267-0","authors":["Tetsuji Onoue","Naoto Takahata","Mitsutaka Miura","Honami Sato","Akira Ishikawa","Katsuhito Soda","Yuji Sano","Yukio Isozaki"],"tags":["Extinction event","Geology","Permian","Paleontology","Permian–Triassic extinction event"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40645-019-0267-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2154376545","name":"Novel solvent systems for in situ extraterrestrial sample analysis","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2010.07.004","authors":["Richard W. Court","Alexander O. Baki","M. R. Sims","David C. Cullen","Mark A. Sephton"],"tags":["Dichloromethane","Solvent","Chemistry","Methanol","Dissolution"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-07-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2010.07.004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2259939606","name":"Microbial mediation of complex subterranean mineral structures","source":"openalex","abstract":"Helictites--an enigmatic type of mineral structure occurring in some caves--differ from classical speleothems as they develop with orientations that defy gravity. While theories for helictite formation have been forwarded, their genesis remains equivocal. Here, we show that a remarkable suite of helictites occurring in Asperge Cave (France) are formed by biologically-mediated processes, rather than abiotic processes as had hitherto been proposed. Morphological and petro-physical properties are inconsistent with mineral precipitation under purely physico-chemical control. Instead, microanalysis and molecular-biological investigation reveals the presence of a prokaryotic biofilm intimately associated with the mineral structures. We propose that microbially-influenced mineralization proceeds within a gliding biofilm which serves as a nucleation site for CaCO3, and where chemotaxis influences the trajectory of mineral growth, determining the macroscopic morphology of the speleothems. The influence of biofilms may explain the occurrence of similar speleothems in other caves worldwide, and sheds light on novel biomineralization processes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/srep15525","authors":["Nicola Tisato","Stefano F. F. Torriani","Sylvain Monteux","Francesco Sauro","Jo De Waele","Maria Luisa Tavagna","Ilenia M. D’Angeli","Daniel Chailloux","Michel Renda","Timothy I. Eglinton","Tomaso R. R. Bontognali"],"tags":["Mineral","Mediation","Geology","Computational biology","Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-10-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/srep15525","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W3003867057","name":"The Extraterrestrial Dust Flux: Size Distribution and Mass Contribution Estimates Inferred From the Transantarctic Mountains (TAM) Micrometeorite Collection","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract This study explores the long‐duration (0.8–2.3 Ma), time‐averaged micrometeorite flux (mass and size distribution) reaching Earth, as recorded by the Transantarctic Mountains (TAM) micrometeorite collection. We investigate a single sediment trap (TAM65), performing an exhaustive recovery and characterization effort and identifying 1,643 micrometeorites (between 100 and 2,000 μm). Approximately 7% of particles are unmelted or scoriaceous, of which 75% are fine‐grained. Among cosmic spherules, 95.6% are silicate‐dominated S‐types, and further subdivided into porphyritic (16.9%), barred olivine (19.9%), cryptocrystalline (51.6%), and vitreous (7.5%). Our (rank)‐size distribution is fit against a power law with a slope of −3.9 (R2 = 0.98) over the size range 200–700 μm. However, the distribution is also bimodal, with peaks centered at ~145 and ~250 μm. Remarkably similar peak positions are observed in the Larkman Nunatak data. These observations suggest that the micrometeorite flux is composed of multiple dust sources with distinct size distributions. In terms of mass, the TAM65 trap contains 1.77 g of extraterrestrial dust in 15 kg of sediment (<5 mm). Upscaling to a global annual estimate gives 1,555 (±753) t/year—consistent with previous micrometeorite abundance estimates and almost identical to the South Pole Water Well estimate (~1,600 t/year), potentially indicating minimal variation in the background cosmic dust flux over the Quaternary. The greatest uncertainty in our mass flux calculation is the accumulation window. A minimum age (0.8 Ma) is robustly inferred from the presence of Australasian microtektites, while the upper age (~2.3 Ma) is loosely constrained based on 10Be exposure dating of glacial surfaces at Roberts Butte (6 km from our sample site).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2019je006241","authors":["Martin D. Suttle","L. Folco"],"tags":["Flux (metallurgy)","Sediment","Astrophysics","Range (aeronautics)","Interplanetary dust cloud"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2019je006241","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W1973818652","name":"The stratigraphic distribution of Ni-rich spinels in Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary rocks at El Kef (Tunisia), Caravaca (Spain) and Hole 761C (Leg 122)","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-821x(91)90113-v","authors":["Éric Robin","D. Boclet","Ph. Bonté","L. Froget","C. Jèhanno","R. Rocchia"],"tags":["Cretaceous","Geology","Paleontology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1991-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-821x(91)90113-v","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W3148911968","name":"The Fe/S ratio of pyrrhotite group sulfides in chondrites: An indicator of oxidation and implications for return samples from asteroids Ryugu and Bennu","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Determining compositional trends among individual minerals is key to understanding the thermodynamic conditions under which they formed and altered, and is also essential to maximizing the scientific value of small extraterrestrial samples, including returned samples and meteorites. Here we report the chemical compositions of Fe-sulfides, focusing on the pyrrhotite-group sulfides, which are ubiquitous in chondrites and are sensitive indicators of formation and alteration conditions in the protoplanetary disk and in small Solar System bodies. Our data show that while there are trends with the at.% Fe/S ratio of pyrrhotite with thermal and aqueous alteration in some meteorite groups, there is a universal trend between the Fe/S ratio and degree of oxidation. Relatively reducing conditions led to the formation of troilite during: (1) chondrule formation in the protoplanetary disk (i.e., pristine chondrites) and (2) parent body thermal alteration (i.e., LL4 to LL6, CR1, CM, and CY chondrites). Oxidizing and sulfidizing conditions led to the formation of Fe-depleted pyrrhotite with low Fe/S ratios during: (1) aqueous alteration (i.e., CM and CI chondrites), and (2) thermal alteration (i.e., CK and R chondrites). The presence of troilite in highly aqueously altered carbonaceous chondrites (e.g., CY, CR1, and some CM chondrites) indicates they were heated after aqueous alteration. The presence of troilite, Fe-depleted pyrrhotite, or pyrite in a chondrite can provide an estimate of the oxygen and sulfur fugacities at which it was formed or altered. The data reported here can be used to estimate the oxygen fugacity of formation and potentially the aqueous and/or thermal histories of sulfides in extraterrestrial samples, including those returned by the Hayabusa2 mission and due to be returned by the OSIRIS-REx mission in the near future.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2021.03.019","authors":["D. L. Schrader","J. Davidson","T. J. McCoy","T. J. Zega","S. S. Russell","Kenneth J. Domanik","A. J. King"],"tags":["Chondrite","Troilite","Pyrrhotite","Chondrule","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2021.03.019","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"oa:W1514467969","name":"Impact‐Induced Hydrothermal Activity","source":"openalex","abstract":"This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction Formation and development of the post-impact thermal field Composition and evolution of the hydrothermal fluids and mineralization Implications for extraterrestrial impacts and microbial life References","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118447307.ch6","authors":["Kalle Kirsimäe","G. R. Osinski"],"tags":["Hydrothermal circulation","Extraterrestrial life","Mineralization (soil science)","Abiogenesis","Hydrothermal vent"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-10-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118447307.ch6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2887684111","name":"Terrestrial exposure of a fresh Martian meteorite causes rapid changes in hydrogen isotopes and water concentrations","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Determining the hydrogen isotopic compositions and H2O contents of meteorites and their components is important for addressing key cosmochemical questions about the abundance and source(s) of water in planetary bodies. However, deconvolving the effects of terrestrial contamination from the indigenous hydrogen isotopic compositions of these extraterrestrial materials is not trivial, because chondrites and some achondrites show only small deviations from terrestrial values such that even minor contamination can mask the indigenous values. Here we assess the effects of terrestrial weathering and contamination on the hydrogen isotope ratios and H2O contents of meteoritic minerals through monitored terrestrial weathering of Tissint, a recent Martian fall. Our findings reveal the rapidity with which this weathering affects nominally anhydrous phases in extraterrestrial materials, which illustrates the necessity of sampling the interiors of even relatively fresh meteorite falls and underlines the importance of sample return missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-30807-w","authors":["A. Stephant","L. A. J. Garvie","P. Mane","R. L. Hervig","M. Wadhwa"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Achondrite","Weathering","Martian"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-08-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-30807-w","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2137272157","name":"SERS investigation of possible extraterrestrial life traces: Experimental adsorption of adenine on a Martian meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– The identification of adenine by surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) on different mineral phases of a Martian meteorite Dar al Gani (DaG) 670 has been adopted as a test to verify the capability of this technique to detect trace amounts of organic or biological substances deposited over, or contained in, extraterrestrial materials. Raman spectra of different phases of meteorite (olivine, pyroxene, and ilmenite), representative of Martian basaltic rocks, have been measured by three laser sources with wavelengths at 785, 632.8, and 514.5 nm, coupled to a confocal micro‐Raman apparatus. Adenine deposited on the Martian meteorite cannot be observed in the normal Raman spectra; when, instead, meteorite is treated with silver colloidal nanoparticles, the SERS bands of adenine are strongly enhanced, allowing an easy and simple identification of this nucleobase at subpicogram level.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2012.01361.x","authors":["Stefano Caporali","Vanni Moggi Cecchi","Maurizio Muniz‐Miranda","Marco Pagliai","Giovanni Pratesi","Vincenzo Schettino"],"tags":["Meteorite","Martian","Raman spectroscopy","Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2012.01361.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2602839312","name":"Coupled extremely light Ca and Fe isotopes in peridotites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2017.03.024","authors":["Xin-Miao Zhao","Zhaofeng Zhang","Shichun Huang","Yufei Liu","Xin Li","Hongfu Zhang"],"tags":["Mantle (geology)","Geology","Geochemistry","Peridotite","Silicate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-03-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2017.03.024","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2156120139","name":"Is Struvite a Prebiotic Mineral?","source":"openalex","abstract":"The prebiotic relevance of mineral struvite, MgNH4PO4·6H2O, was studied experimentally as a phosphorylating reagent and, theoretically, to understand the geochemical requirements for its formation. The effectiveness of phosphorylation by the phosphate mineral, monetite, CaHPO4, was also studied to compare to the efficiency of struvite. The experiments focused on the phosphorylation reactions of the minerals with organic compounds, such as nucleosides, glycerol and choline chloride, and heat at 75 °C for about 7-8 days and showed up to 28% phosphorylation of glycerol. In contrast, the compositional requirements for the precipitation of struvite are high ammonium and phosphate concentrations, as well as a little Ca2+ dissolved in the water. Combined, these requirements suggest that it is not likely that struvite was present in excess on the early Earth to carry out phosphorylation reactions. The present study focuses on the thermodynamic aspects of struvite formation, complementing the results given by Orgel and Handschuh (1973), which were based on the kinetic effects.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life3020321","authors":["Maheen Gull","Matthew A. Pasek"],"tags":["Struvite","Phosphate","Chemistry","Apatite","Precipitation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-04-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life3020321","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2081422228","name":"Heterogeneous Nucleation of Nitric Acid Trihydrate on Clay Minerals: Relevance to Type Ia Polar Stratospheric Clouds","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Although critical to atmospheric modeling of stratospheric ozone depletion, selective heterogeneous nuclei that promote the formation of Type Ia polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) are largely unknown. While mineral particles are known to be good ice nuclei, it is currently not clear whether they are also good nuclei for PSCs. In the present study, a high-vacuum chamber equipped with transmission Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and a quadrupole mass spectrometer was used to study heterogeneous nucleation of nitric acid trihydrate (NAT) on two clay minerals-Na-montmorillonite and kaolinite-as analogs of atmospheric terrestrial and extraterrestrial minerals. The minerals are first coated with a 3:1 supercooled H2O/HNO3 solution prior to the observed nucleation of crystalline NAT. At 220 K, NAT formation was observed at low SNAT values of 12 and 7 on kaolinite and montmorillonite clays, respectively. These are the lowest SNAT values reported in the literature on any substrate. However, NAT nucleation exhibited significant temperature dependence. At lower temperatures, representative of typical polar stratospheric conditions, much higher supersaturations were required before nucleation was observed. Our results suggest that NAT nucleation on mineral particles, not previously treated with sulfuric acid, may not be an important nucleation platform for Type Ia PSCs under normal polar stratospheric conditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/jp075828n","authors":["C. D. Hatch","R. V. Gough","O. B. Toon","Margaret A. Tolbert","Hatch CD","Gough RV","Toon OB","Tolbert MA"],"tags":["Nucleation","Kaolinite","Montmorillonite","Chemistry","Nitric acid"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-12-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/jp075828n","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W2326958851","name":"Volatile abundances of coexisting merrillite and apatite in the martian meteorite Shergotty: Implications for merrillite in hydrous magmas","source":"openalex","abstract":"Whitlockite and merrillite are two Ca-phosphate minerals found in terrestrial and planetary igneous rocks, sometimes coexisting with apatite. Whitlockite has essential structural hydrogen, and merrillite is devoid of hydrogen. Whitlockite components have yet to be discovered in samples of extraterrestrial merrillite, despite evidence for whitlockite-merrillite solid solution in terrestrial systems. The observation of merrillite in meteoritic and lunar samples has led many to conclude that the magmas from which the merrillite formed were “very dry.” However, the Shergotty martian meteorite has been reported to contain both apatite and merrillite, and recently the apatite has been shown to contain substantial OH abundances, up to the equivalent of 8600 ppm H 2 O. In the present study, we determined the abundances of F, Cl, H 2 O, and S in merrillite from Shergotty using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). We determined that the merrillite in Shergotty was properly identified (i.e., no discernible whitlockite component), and it coexists with OH-rich apatite. The absence of a whitlockite component in Shergotty merrillite and other planetary merrillites may be a consequence of the limited thermal stability of H in whitlockite (stable only at T <1050 °C), which would prohibit merrillite-whitlockite solid-solution at high temperatures. Consequently, the presence of merrillite should not be used as evidence of dry magmatism without a corresponding estimate of the T of crystallization. In fact, if a whitlockite component in extraterrestrial merrillite is discovered, it may indicate formation by or equilibration with hydrothermal or aqueous fluids.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am.2014.4782","authors":["F. M. McCubbin","C. K. Shearer","P. V. Burger","E. H. Hauri","Jianhua Wang","S. M. Elardo","J. J. Papike"],"tags":["Whitlockite","Meteorite","Geochemistry","Apatite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am.2014.4782","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2036943968","name":"Clay mineral alteration associated with meteorite impact in the marine environment (Barents Sea)","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract More than 50 samples from a Barents Sea borehole near the Mjolnir Structure (an extraterrestrial impact feature) were used to investigate changes in the clay assemblage associated with the submarine impact. Seismic evidence, the presence of shocked quartz and a prominent Ir anomaly restricted the potential impact affected zone to a 10 m interval, straddling the Jurassic/Cretaceous boundary. Increased abundance (up to 30 wt%) of a smectite, a randomly interstratified smectite-illite with 85% smectite layers, forms the basis for a two-layer oceanic impact clay model that differs from published terrestrial cases. The smectite is assumed to represent seawater-altered impact glass from the ejecta blanket material that was mixed with resuspended shelf sediments by the collision generated waves. The smectite-rich interval is almost 5 m thick. It is overlain by a coarser unit (~2 m thick) containing abundant smectite, shocked quartz grains, and anomalous Ix contents at its base. The smectite-rich interval may have originated as a density/turbidity current, generated by the impact and the collapse and erosion of the crater rim. Seawater alteration of volcanic glass and changes in the tectonic regime of the provenance area, or changing oceanic current circulation patterns could produce similar variations in the clay mineral assemblage. The most compelling evidence for the possible impact derivation of this clay assemblage is the direct association with the Mjolnir Impact Structure and associated mineralogical and geochemical anomalies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/000985598545426","authors":["Henning Dypvik","R. E. Ferrell"],"tags":["Geology","Clay minerals","Illite","Impact crater","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1180/000985598545426","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W2019153404","name":"Detection of Macromolecules in Desert Cyanobacteria Mixed with a Lunar Mineral Analogue After Space Simulations","source":"pubmed","abstract":"In the context of future exposure missions in Low Earth Orbit and possibly on the Moon, two desert strains of the cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis, strains CCMEE 029 and 057, mixed or not with a lunar mineral analogue, were exposed to fractionated fluencies of UVC and polychromatic UV (200-400&#xa0;nm) and to space vacuum. These experiments were carried out within the framework of the BIOMEX (BIOlogy and Mars EXperiment) project, which aims at broadening our knowledge of mineral-microorganism interaction and the stability/degradation of their macromolecules when exposed to space and simulated Martian conditions. The presence of mineral analogues provided a protective effect, preserving survivability and integrity of DNA and photosynthetic pigments, as revealed by testing colony-forming abilities, performing PCR-based assays and using confocal laser scanning microscopy. In particular, DNA and pigments were still detectable after 500&#xa0;kJ/m(2) of polychromatic UV and space vacuum (10(-4)&#xa0;Pa), corresponding to conditions expected during one-year exposure in Low Earth Orbit on board the EXPOSE-R2 platform in the presence of 0.1&#xa0;% Neutral Density (ND) filter. After exposure to high UV fluencies (800&#xa0;MJ/m(2)) in the presence of minerals, however, altered fluorescence emission spectrum of the photosynthetic pigments were detected, whereas DNA was still amplified by PCR. The present paper considers the implications of such findings for the detection of biosignatures in extraterrestrial conditions and for putative future lunar missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11084-014-9367-4","authors":["Mickaël Baqué","Cyprien Verseux","Elke Rabbow","Jean‐Pierre de Vera","Daniela Billi","Baqué M","Verseux C","Rabbow E","de Vera JP","Billi D"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Mars Exploration Program","Context (archaeology)","Chemistry","Martian"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014 Sep","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11084-014-9367-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"oa:W4280549008","name":"Breakthrough technologies for mineral exploration","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13563-022-00317-3","authors":["Kazuya Okada"],"tags":["Mineral exploration","GNSS applications","Perspective (graphical)","Emerging technologies","Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-05-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13563-022-00317-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2155645894","name":"Very high-temperature impact melt products as evidence for cosmic airbursts and impacts 12,900 years ago","source":"pubmed","abstract":"It has been proposed that fragments of an asteroid or comet impacted Earth, deposited silica- and iron-rich microspherules and other proxies across several continents, and triggered the Younger Dryas cooling episode 12,900 years ago. Although many independent groups have confirmed the impact evidence, the hypothesis remains controversial because some groups have failed to do so. We examined sediment sequences from 18 dated Younger Dryas boundary (YDB) sites across three continents (North America, Europe, and Asia), spanning 12,000 km around nearly one-third of the planet. All sites display abundant microspherules in the YDB with none or few above and below. In addition, three sites (Abu Hureyra, Syria; Melrose, Pennsylvania; and Blackville, South Carolina) display vesicular, high-temperature, siliceous scoria-like objects, or SLOs, that match the spherules geochemically. We compared YDB objects with melt products from a known cosmic impact (Meteor Crater, Arizona) and from the 1945 Trinity nuclear airburst in Socorro, New Mexico, and found that all of these high-energy events produced material that is geochemically and morphologically comparable, including: (i) high-temperature, rapidly quenched microspherules and SLOs; (ii) corundum, mullite, and suessite (Fe(3)Si), a rare meteoritic mineral that forms under high temperatures; (iii) melted SiO(2) glass, or lechatelierite, with flow textures (or schlieren) that form at &gt; 2,200 &#xb0;C; and (iv) particles with features indicative of high-energy interparticle collisions. These results are inconsistent with anthropogenic, volcanic, authigenic, and cosmic materials, yet consistent with cosmic ejecta, supporting the hypothesis of extraterrestrial airbursts/impacts 12,900 years ago. The wide geographic distribution of SLOs is consistent with multiple impactors.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1204453109","authors":["T. E. Bunch","Robert Hermes","A. M. T. Moore","Douglas J. Kennett","James C. Weaver","J. H. Wittke","Paul S. DeCarli","James L. Bischoff","G. C. Hillman","George A. Howard","David R. Kimbel","G. Kletetschka"],"tags":["Geology","Impact crater","Ejecta","Younger Dryas","Volcano"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012 Jul 10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1204453109","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"oa:W2026108757","name":"Organic matter and metamorphic history of CO chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2006.12.014","authors":["L. Bonal","M. Bourot-Denise","É. Quirico","Gilles Montagnac","Éric Lewin"],"tags":["Chondrite","Metamorphic rock","Allende meteorite","Petrography","Chondrule"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-12-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2006.12.014","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W3022345628","name":"Welcome to Raman Spectroscopy: Successes, Challenges, and Pitfalls","source":"openalex","abstract":"Geoscientists quickly recognized the broad applicability of Raman micro-probe spectroscopy to the Earth and planetary sciences, especially after commercially built microprobe instruments became available in the early 1980s. Raman spectra are sensitive to even minor (chemical or structural) perturbations within chemical bonds in (even amorphous) solids, liquids, and gases and can, thus, help identify, characterize, and differentiate between individual minerals, fluid inclusions, glasses, carbonaceous materials, solid solution phases, strain in minerals, and dissolved species in multi-component solutions. The articles in this issue explore how Raman spectroscopy has deepened and broadened our understanding of geological and extraterrestrial materials and processes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.16.2.87","authors":["Jill Dill Pasteris","Olivier Beyssac"],"tags":["Raman spectroscopy","Microprobe","Amorphous solid","Electron microprobe","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.16.2.87","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402926626","name":"Follow the serpentine as a comprehensive diagnostic for extraterrestrial habitability","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-024-02373-x","authors":["Jianxun Shen","Chuan‐Zhou Liu","Yongxin Pan","Wei Lin"],"tags":["Habitability","Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Astronomy","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-024-02373-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W1539198767","name":"Introduction to Environmental Geology","source":"openalex","abstract":"Please note this Table of Contents is from the third edition of Introduction to Geology: Part I: Foundations of Environmental Geology 1: Philosophy and Fundamental Concepts 2: Internal Structure of the Earth and Plate Tectonics 3: Minerals and Rocks Part II: Earth Processes and Natural Hazards 4: Introduction to Natural Hazards 5: Earthquakes and Related Phenomena 6: Volcanic Activity 7: Rivers and Flooding 8: Slope Processes, Landslides, and Subsidence 9: Coastal Processes 10: Impact of Extraterrestrial Objects Part III: Resources and Pollution 11: Water Resources 12: Water Pollution 13: Mineral Resources 14: Energy and Resources 15: Soils and Environment 16: Waste as a Resource: Waste Management 17: Air Pollution Part IV: Environmental Management, Global Perspectives, and Society 18: Global Climate Change 19: Geology, Society, and the Future","url":"https://openalex.org/W1539198767","authors":["Edward A. Keller"],"tags":["Earth science","Geology","Natural (archaeology)","Environmental geology","Landslide"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.842Z"},{"id":"oa:W4385792557","name":"On the Diversity and Formation Modes of Martian Minerals","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract A systematic survey of 161 known and postulated minerals originating on Mars points to 20 different mineral‐forming processes (paragenetic modes), which are a subset of formation modes observed on Earth. The earliest martian minerals, as on Earth, were primary phases from mafic igneous rocks and their ultramafic cumulates. Subsequent primary igneous minerals were associated with products of limited fractional crystallization, including alkaline and quartz‐normative lithologies. Significant mineral diversification occurred via precipitation of primary phases from aqueous and atmospheric fluids, including authigenesis, hydrothermal and cryogenic precipitation, and evaporites, including freeze drying during eras of low atmospheric pressures. In particular, hydrothermal mineral formation associated with both volcanic fluids and sustained hydrothermal activity in impact fracture zones may have triggered significant mineral diversification, though as yet undocumented. At least 65 such primary minerals have been identified by flown missions to Mars and from martian meteorites. A host of secondary martian minerals were produced by near‐surface processes related to water/rock interactions, including hydration/dehydration, oxidation/reduction, serpentinization, metasomatism, and a variety of diagenetic alterations. Additional mineral diversity resulted from metamorphic events, including thermal and shock metamorphism, lightning, and bolide impacts. However, several dominant sources of mineral diversity on Earth, including (a) extensive fluid/rock interactions and element concentration associated with plate tectonics; (b) high‐pressure regional metamorphism associated with plate tectonics; and (c) biologically mediated mineralization—are not known to be in play on Mars. Consequently, we estimate the total mineral diversity of Mars to be an order of magnitude smaller than on Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je007865","authors":["Robert M. Hazen","Robert T. Downs","Shaunna M. Morrison","Benjamin M. Tutolo","D. F. Blake","T. F. Bristow","S. J. Chipera","H. Y. McSween","Doug Ming","R. V. Morris","E. B. Rampe","M. T. Thorpe"],"tags":["Geology","Geochemistry","Metamorphism","Martian","Igneous rock"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-08-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je007865","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2001274796","name":"Environmental effects of Deccan volcanism across the Cretaceous–Tertiary transition in Meghalaya, India","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2011.08.015","authors":["B. Gertsch","Gerta Keller","Thierry Adatte","Rahul Garg","Vandana Prasad","Zsolt Berner","Dominik Fleitmann"],"tags":["Geology","Deccan Traps","Extinction event","Cretaceous","Volcanism"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-09-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2011.08.015","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2999517895","name":"The AERONET Version 3 aerosol retrieval algorithm, associated uncertainties and comparisons to Version 2","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. The Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) Version 3 (V3) aerosol retrieval algorithm is described, which is based on the Version 2 (V2) algorithm with numerous updates. Comparisons of V3 aerosol retrievals to those of V2 are presented, along with a new approach to estimate uncertainties in many of the retrieved aerosol parameters. Changes in the V3 aerosol retrieval algorithm include (1) a new polarized radiative transfer code (RTC), which replaced the scalar RTC of V2, (2) detailed characterization of gas absorption by adding NO2 and H2O to specify total gas absorption in the atmospheric column, specification of vertical profiles of all the atmospheric species, (3) new bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) parameters for land sites adopted from the MODIS BRDF/Albedo product, (4) a new version of the extraterrestrial solar flux spectrum, and (5) a new temperature correction procedure of both direct Sun and sky radiance measurements. The potential effect of each change in V3 on single scattering albedo (SSA) retrievals was analyzed. The operational almucantar retrievals of V2 versus V3 were compared for four AERONET sites: GSFC, Mezaira, Mongu, and Kanpur. Analysis showed very good agreement in retrieved parameters of the size distributions. Comparisons of SSA retrievals for dust aerosols (Mezaira) showed a good agreement in 440 nm SSA, while for longer wavelengths V3 SSAs are systematically higher than those of V2, with the largest mean difference at 675 nm due to cumulative effects of both extraterrestrial solar flux and BRDF changes. For non-dust aerosols, the largest SSA deviation is at 675 nm due to differences in extraterrestrial solar flux spectrums used in each version. Further, the SSA 675 nm mean differences are very different for weakly (GSFC) and strongly (Mongu) absorbing aerosols, which is explained by the lower sensitivity to a bias in aerosol scattering optical depth by less absorbing aerosols. A new hybrid (HYB) sky radiance measurement scan is introduced and discussed. The HYB combines features of scans in two different planes to maximize the range of scattering angles and achieve scan symmetry, thereby allowing for cloud screening and spatial averaging, which is an advantage over the principal plane scan that lacks robust symmetry. We show that due to an extended range of scattering angles, HYB SSA retrievals for dust aerosols exhibit smaller variability with solar zenith angles (SZAs) than those of almucantar (ALM), which allows extension of HYB SSA retrievals to SZAs less than 50∘ to as small as 25∘. The comparison of SSA retrievals from closely time-matched HYB and ALM scans in the 50 to 75∘ SZA range showed good agreement with the differences below ∼0.005. We also present an approach to estimate retrieval uncertainties which utilizes the variability in retrieved parameters generated by perturbing both measurements and auxiliary input parameters as a proxy for retrieval uncertainty. The perturbations in measurements and auxiliary inputs are assumed as estimated biases in aerosol optical depth (AOD), radiometric calibration of sky radiances combined with solar spectral irradiance, and surface reflectance. For each set of Level 2 Sun/sky radiometer observations, 27 inputs corresponding to 27 combinations of biases were produced and separately inverted to generate the following statistics of the inversion results: average, standard deviation, minimum and maximum values. From these statistics, standard deviation (labeled U27) is used as a proxy for estimated uncertainty, and a lookup table (LUT) approach was implemented to reduce the computational time. The U27 climatological LUT was generated from the entire AERONET almucantar (1993–2018) and hybrid (2014–2018) scan databases by binning U27s in AOD (440 nm), Angström exponent (AE, 440–870 nm), and SSA (440, 675, 870, 1020 nm). Using this LUT approach, the uncertainty estimates U27 for each individual V3 Level 2 retrieval can be obtained","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-3375-2020","authors":["A. Sinyuk","B. N. Holben","T. F. Eck","D. M. Giles","I. Slutsker","Sergey Korkin","Joel S. Schafer","A. Smirnov","M. G. Sorokin","Alexei Lyapustin"],"tags":["AERONET","Aerosol","Radiance","Single-scattering albedo","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-06-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-3375-2020","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2276072711","name":"Precise Moessbauer milliprobe determination of ferric iron in rock-forming minerals and limitations of electron microprobe analysis","source":"openalex","abstract":"For estimations of P - T conditions of igneous and metamorphic rocks, Fe 3+ in coexisting minerals is either assumed to be zero or is calculated from electron microprobe analyses (EMPA) based upon stoichiometry and charge balance. Geothermobarometers that involve Fe 2+ - Mg 2+ exchange can be significantly affected by either neglecting Fe 3+ or using incorrect values. Ratios of Fe 3+ /ΣFe in garnet and clinopyroxene measured by a Mössbauer milliprobe were compared to those calculated from EMPA of garnet and clinopyroxene from eclogite xenoliths from the Udachnaya kimberlite in Yakutia. The effects of Fe 3+ contents in garnet and clinopyroxene on temperature estimations were evaluated. The following Fe 3+ /ΣFe (in at%) values were obtained (EMPA/Mössbauer): Gt = 9.4/6.0; 11.5/7.0; 19.4/16.0; and 24.7/15.0; Cpx = 22.0/22.9; 34.2/22.0. The effects of Fe 3+ in clinopyroxenes on calculated temperatures are illustrated by taking eclogitic clinopyroxene compositions and changing contents of certain elements within the range of standard deviations for EMPA of those particular elements. Increasing Na 2 O contents from 5.67 to 5.74 wt% (< 2.0% relative error) would lead to increasing Fe 3+ /ΣFe from 31.6 to 47.1%, thereby decreasing the calculated temperature from 1026 to 941 °C. Various Fe 3+ /ΣFe values for garnet and clinopyroxene were also tested for their effects on calculated temperatures: for clinopyroxene, T decreases with increasing Fe 3+ /ΣFe whereas for garnet, T increases with increasing Fe 3+ /ΣFe. This compensation effect between garnet and clinopyroxene moderates the variation in temperature estimations of eclogites based on Fe 3+ corrected vs. uncorrected microprobe analyses. Little correlation exists between EMPA-calculated and Mössbauer-measured Fe 3+ /ΣFe values for these mantle-derived garnets and clinopyroxenes. Even a small relative error in Fe 3+ may significantly change calculated temperatures of equilibration, seriously affecting petrologic interpretations. In particular, uncertainty in Fe 3+ calculated from EMPA of silicate minerals leads to serious questions with regard to K D values obtained from natural assemblages.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-1999-1-208","authors":["Vladimir N. Sobolev","Catherine McCammon","L. A. Taylor","G. A. Snyder","N. V. Sobolev"],"tags":["Electron microprobe","FERRIC IRON","Microprobe","Mineralogy","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-1999-1-208","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2051814642","name":"Cosmic-ray-induced fission of heavy nuclides: Possible influence on apparent 238U-fission track ages of extraterrestrial samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-821x(78)90167-x","authors":["G. Damm","K. Thiel","W. Herr"],"tags":["Fission track dating","Fission","Cosmic ray","Nuclide","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1978-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-821x(78)90167-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2545647657","name":"Implications of extraterrestrial material on the origin of life","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Meteoritic organic material may provide the best perspective on prebiotic chemistry. Meteorites have also been invoked as a source of prebiotic material. This study suggests a caveat to extraterrestrial organic delivery: that prebiotic meteoritic organics were too dilute to promote prebiotic reactions. However, meteoritic material provides building material for endogenous synthesis of prebiotic molecules, such as by hydrolysis of extraterrestrial organic tars, and corrosion of phosphide minerals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1743921316005731","authors":["Matthew A. Pasek"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Prebiotic","Astrobiology","Meteorite","Abiogenesis"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1743921316005731","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"oa:W1629665239","name":"Extraterrestrial materials processing and construction","source":"openalex","abstract":"Applications of available terrestrial skills to the gathering of lunar materials and the processing of raw lunar materials into industrial feed stock were investigated. The literature on lunar soils and rocks was reviewed and the chemical processes by which major oxides and chemical elements can be extracted were identified. The gathering of lunar soil by means of excavation equipment was studied in terms of terrestrial experience with strip mining operations on earth. The application of electrostatic benefication techniques was examined for use on the moon to minimize the quantity of materials requiring surface transport and to optimize the stream of raw materials to be transported off the moon for subsequent industrial use.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1629665239","authors":["David R. Criswell"],"tags":["Raw material","Electrowinning","Materials processing","Production (economics)","Metallurgy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1980-01-31","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2036584865","name":"Phosphate in Angra dos Reis: Structure and composition of the Ca3(PO4)2 minerals","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-821x(77)90136-4","authors":["Eric Dowty"],"tags":["Whitlockite","Chondrite","Composition (language)","Yttrium","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1977-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-821x(77)90136-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W1990580104","name":"Were micrometeorites a source of prebiotic molecules on the early Earth?","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0273-1177(99)80071-4","authors":["M. Maurette","André Brack","G. Kurat","Michel Perreau","C. Engrand"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Meteorite","Earth (classical element)","Interplanetary dust cloud","Extraterrestrial life"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1995-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0273-1177(99)80071-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2019327955","name":"Special issue on Exobiology: the search for extraterrestrial life and prebiotic chemistry","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0032-0633(02)00109-5","authors":["F. Raulin","Christopher P. McKay"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology","Geomicrobiology","Extremophile","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0032-0633(02)00109-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W1204550171","name":"Natural Radioactivity","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-012235154-9/50010-4","authors":["Merril Eisenbud","T.F. Gesell"],"tags":["Radionuclide","Nuclide","Isotope","Radioactive decay","Natural (archaeology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-012235154-9/50010-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2012420238","name":"Formose production by minerals: Possible relevance to the origin of life","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-5193(72)90153-1","authors":["A. G. Cairns-Smith","Paul Ingram","G.L. Walker"],"tags":["Hadean","Abiogenesis","Chemical evolution","Protocell","Early Earth"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1972-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-5193(72)90153-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2337374693","name":"Nucleosynthetic isotope anomalies and their cosmochemical significance","source":"openalex","abstract":"Unlike most terrestrial rocks, some meteorites and their mineral components show isotope compositions that are clearly associated with nucleosynthetic processes in stars other than the Sun. Although isotope anomalies of nucleosynthetic origin have been an active research area of isotope cosmochemistry for the past few decades, only recently have planetary-scale isotope anomalies been discovered and confirmed for elements other than the noble gases. The discovery of isotope anomalies of nucleosynthetic origin, especially at the planetary scale, provides new constraints on the evolution of the young Solar System. They are the most direct evidence for tracing the origin of extraterrestrial samples, understanding their genetic relationships, and deciphering the stellar environment of Solar System formation. In this paper, we review the progress that has been made in the field of nucleosynthetic isotope anomalies and their cosmochemical significance.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2343/geochemj.2.0401","authors":["Liping Qin","Richard W. Carlson"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Meteorite","Cosmochemistry","Formation and evolution of the Solar System","Isotope"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2343/geochemj.2.0401","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W1974994302","name":"In situ determination of K–Ar ages from minerals and rocks using simultaneous laser-induced plasma spectroscopy and noble gas mass spectrometry","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2014.08.027","authors":["Jesús Solé"],"tags":["Noble gas","Mass spectrometry","Geology","In situ","Spectroscopy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-09-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2014.08.027","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2318852315","name":"Thera and the Aegean World II","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-0182(82)90019-0","authors":["Robert Wasson"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Regolith","Astrobiology","Martian","Martian surface"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1982-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-0182(82)90019-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W1574069790","name":"Initial report of the Petrophysics Laboratory","source":"openalex","abstract":"Extraterrestrial magnetism -The Principles of Rock ~1agnetism -Remanent and induced magnetism --Ferromagnetism, antiferromagnetism, and ferrimagnetism -Diamagnetism, paramagnetism, and superparamagnetism Magnetic minerals in rocks ------Thermoremanent magnetization (TRM) ---Chemical remanent magnetization (CRM) Detrital remanent magnetization (DRM) Measurement .Techniques and Instrumentation Sample collection and preparation Preparation of magnetic separates and polished sections Measurement of remanence","url":"https://doi.org/10.3133/cir789","authors":["Graham R. Hunt","Giselle Johnson","Gary R. Olhoeft","D.E. Watson"],"tags":["Petrophysics","Computer science","Petroleum engineering","Geology","Geotechnical engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1979-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3133/cir789","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2108538710","name":"Volcanism at the Permian‐Triassic Boundary in South China and Its Effects on Mass Extinction","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract This paper discusses the clayrocks widespread at the Permian‐Triassic boundary, which are mostly of volcanic origin. Volcanogenetic textures, structures and minerals such as high‐temperature quartz are found in clayrocks at the Permian‐Triassic boundary in many places. Thousands of microspherules have been collected from the Boundary clayrocks, many of which exhibit the typical features of the process from melting to cooling and solidification, indicating that they were formed by volcanic eruption or extraterrestrial impact. Volcanic effects on the Permian‐ Triassic mass extinction may be reflected in conodonts, algae and ammonoids. The Boundary clayrocks are found in many Permian‐ Triassic sections along the coast of Tethys. Their orighin remains to be studied.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-6724.1989.mp2004007.x","authors":["Yin Hongfu","Siji Huang","Zhang Ke-xin","Yang Fengqing","Ding Meihua","Bi Xianmei","Zhang Su-xin"],"tags":["Permian","Extinction event","Geology","Permian–Triassic extinction event","Paleontology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1989-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-6724.1989.mp2004007.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2900084613","name":"Challenges in the Search for Perchlorate and Other Hydrated Minerals With 2.1‐μm Absorptions on Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"A previously unidentified artifact has been found in Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars targeted I/F data. It exists in a small fraction (<0.05%) of pixels within 90% of images investigated and occurs in regions of high spectral/spatial variance. This artifact mimics real mineral absorptions in width and depth and occurs most often at 1.9 and 2.1 μm, thus interfering in the search for some mineral phases, including alunite, kieserite, serpentine, and perchlorate. A filtering step in the data processing pipeline, between radiance and I/F versions of the data, convolves narrow artifacts (\"spikes\") with real atmospheric absorptions in these wavelength regions to create spurious absorption-like features. The majority of previous orbital detections of alunite, kieserite, and serpentine we investigated can be confirmed using radiance and raw data, but few to none of the perchlorate detections reported in published literature remain robust over the 1.0- to 2.65-μm wavelength range. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: Many minerals can be identified with remote sensing data by their characteristic absorptions in visible-shortwave infrared data. This type of data has allowed geological interpretation of much of Mars' surface, using satellite-based observation. We have discovered an issue with the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars instrument's data processing pipeline. In ~ <0.05% of pixels in almost all images, noise in the data is smoothed in such a way that it mimics real mineral absorptions, falsely making it look as though certain minerals are present on Mars' surface. The vast majority of previously identified minerals are still confirmed after accounting for the artifact, but some to all perchlorate detections and a few serpentine detections were not confirmed, suggesting that the artifact created false detections. This means concentrated regions of perchlorate may not occur on Mars and so may not be available to generate possibly habitable salty liquid water at very cold temperatures.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2018gl080077","authors":["E. K. Leask","B. L. Ehlmann","Murat Dündar","S. L. Murchie","F. P. Seelos"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Perchlorate","Geology","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-11-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2018gl080077","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2156424507","name":"Searching for Biosignatures Using Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) Analysis of Manganese Oxides","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Manganese oxide (Mn oxide) minerals from bacterial sources produce electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectral signatures that are mostly distinct from those of synthetic simulants and abiogenic mineral Mn oxides. Biogenic Mn oxides exhibit only narrow EPR spectral linewidths (&#x223c;500 G), whereas abiogenic Mn oxides produce spectral linewidths that are 2-6 times broader and range from 1200 to 3000 G. This distinction is consistent with X-ray structural observations that biogenic Mn oxides have abundant layer site vacancies and edge terminations and are mostly of single ionic species [i.e., Mn(IV)], all of which favor narrow EPR linewidths. In contrast, abiogenic Mn oxides have fewer lattice vacancies, larger particle sizes, and mixed ionic species [Mn(III) and Mn(IV)], which lead to the broader linewidths. These properties could be utilized in the search for extraterrestrial physicochemical biosignatures, for example, on Mars missions that include a miniature version of an EPR spectrometer.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2011.0619","authors":["Soon Sam Kim","John Bargar","Kenneth H. Nealson","Beverly E. Flood","Joseph L. Kirschvink","Timothy D. Raub","Bradley M. Tebo","Mario Villalobos","Kim SS","Bargar JR","Nealson KH","Flood BE"],"tags":["Electron paramagnetic resonance","Abiogenic petroleum origin","Manganese","Chemistry","Ionic bonding"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011 Oct","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2011.0619","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"oa:W2136235674","name":"Automated Remote Sensing with Near Infrared Reflectance Spectra: Carbonate Recognition","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1015421711749","authors":["Joseph Ramsey","P. R. Gazis","T. L. Roush","Peter Spirtes","Clark Glymour"],"tags":["Reliability (semiconductor)","Computer science","Identification (biology)","Reflectivity","Remote sensing"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1015421711749","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2062143174","name":"The search for extraterrestrial intelligence—SETI","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0094-5765(79)90143-7","authors":["P. Morrison","J. Billingham","J. H. Wolfe"],"tags":["Search for extraterrestrial intelligence","Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology","Computer science","Astronomy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1979-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0094-5765(79)90143-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2071935177","name":"Leaf-fossil evidence for extensive floral extinction at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary, North Dakota, USA","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0195-6671(92)90029-p","authors":["Kirk R. Johnson"],"tags":["Macrofossil","Geology","Paleontology","Extinction event","Cretaceous"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1992-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0195-6671(92)90029-p","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2094926966","name":"Carbon, oxygen and nitrogen isotopic compositions of possible martian weathering products in EETA 79001","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(88)90362-6","authors":["I. P. Wright","M. M. Grady","C. T. Pillinger"],"tags":["Meteorite","Carbonate","Weathering","Geology","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1988-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(88)90362-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2782293550","name":"Estimating the capacity for production of formamide by radioactive minerals on the prebiotic Earth","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Water creates special problems for prebiotic chemistry, as it is thermodynamically favorable for amide and phosphodiester bonds to hydrolyze. The availability of alternative solvents with more favorable properties for the formation of prebiotic molecules on the early Earth may have helped bypass this so-called “water paradox”. Formamide (FA) is one such solvent, and can serve as a nucleobase precursor, but it is difficult to envision how FA could have been generated in large quantities or accumulated in terrestrial surface environments. We report here the conversion of aqueous acetonitrile (ACN) via hydrogen cyanide (HCN) as an intermediate into FA by γ-irradiation under conditions mimicking exposure to radioactive minerals. We estimate that a radioactive placer deposit could produce 0.1‒0.8 mol FA km−2 year−1. A uraninite fission zone comparable to the Oklo reactors in Gabon can produce 0.1‒1 mol m−2 year−1, orders of magnitude greater than other scenarios of FA production or delivery for which reaching sizeable concentrations of FA are problematic. Radioactive mineral deposits may be favorable settings for prebiotic compound formation through emergent geologic processes and FA-mediated organic chemistry.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-18483-8","authors":["Zachary R. Adam","Yayoi Hongo","Henderson James Cleaves","Ruiqin Yi","Albert C. Fahrenbach","Isao Yoda","Masashi Aono"],"tags":["Chemistry","Early Earth","Formamide","Prebiotic","Uraninite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-01-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-18483-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2910633420","name":"Mineral‐Filled Fractures as Indicators of Multigenerational Fluid Flow in the Pahrump Hills Member of the Murray Formation, Gale Crater, Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Mineral‐filled fractures (veins) are valuable indicators of deformation and fluid flow within a sedimentary package. Information obtained from vein morphology, texture, and chemistry may elucidate the sequence and nature of postdepositional fluid events. Additional information from vein patterns and interactions between veins and host rock provides insight into fracture formation mechanism(s). The widespread occurrence of veins and other diagenetic features in the sedimentary rock record preserved in Gale crater, Mars, indicates that postdepositional fluids were regionally active considerably later in time than the primary fluviolacustrine environments responsible for the deposition of Mount Sharp strata. Here we report a suite of veins within the Murray formation at the Pahrump Hills locality that were investigated using the scientific payload of the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover. Based on an analysis of vein color, morphology, and texture, and corroborated by vein chemistry, we interpret three distinct vein types at Pahrump Hills: gray veins, white veins, and dark‐toned veins. These veins represent distinct, separate episodes of postdepositional fluid flow, suggesting a protracted history of fluid stability in Gale crater. Additionally, we utilize vein patterns across multiple lithologies at the Pahrump Hills field site to suggest hydrofracture as the primary mechanism of fracture formation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2018ea000482","authors":["R. E. Kronyak","Linda C. Kah","K. S. Edgett","S. J. VanBommel","L. M. Thompson","R. C. Wiens","V. Z. Sun","M. Nachon"],"tags":["Geology","Impact crater","Mars Exploration Program","Martian","Vein"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-01-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2018ea000482","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2749717056","name":"Inhabited or Uninhabited? Pitfalls in the Interpretation of Possible Chemical Signatures of Extraterrestrial Life","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The \"Rare Earth\" hypothesis-put forward by Ward and Brownlee in their 2000 book of the same title-states that prokaryote-type organisms may be common in the universe but animals and higher plants are exceedingly rare. If this idea is correct, the search for extraterrestrial life is essentially the search for microorganisms. Various indicators may be used to detect extant or extinct microbial life beyond Earth. Among them are chemical biosignatures, such as biomolecules and stable isotope ratios. The present minireview focuses on the major problems associated with the identification of chemical biosignatures. Two main types of misinterpretation are distinguished, namely false positive and false negative results. The former can be caused by terrestrial biogenic contaminants or by abiotic products. Terrestrial contamination is a common problem in space missions that search for biosignatures on other planets and moons. Abiotic organics can lead to false positive results if erroneously interpreted as biomolecules, but also to false negatives, for example when an abiotic source obscures a less productive biological one. In principle, all types of putative chemical biosignatures are prone to misinterpretation. Some, however, are more reliable (\"stronger\") than others. These include: (i) homochiral polymers of defined length and sequence, comparable to proteins and polynucleotides; (ii) enantiopure compounds; (iii) the existence of only a subset of molecules when abiotic syntheses would produce a continuous range of molecules; the proteinogenic amino acids constitute such a subset. These considerations are particularly important for life detection missions to solar system bodies such as Mars, Europa, and Enceladus.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2017.01622","authors":["Stefan Fox","Henry Strasdeit"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Abiogenesis","Abiotic component","Prokaryote"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2017.01622","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"oa:W2069749070","name":"An interplanetary dust particle with links to CI chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(92)90072-q","authors":["L. P. Keller","Kathie L. Thomas","D. S. McKay"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Interplanetary dust cloud","Kamacite","Pentlandite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1992-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(92)90072-q","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W3014590736","name":"The Sedimentary Record of a Small, Deeply Eroded Impact Structure: A Search for Detrital Shocked Minerals and Extraterrestrial Chromites in Sediments Eroded from the Ordovician Rock Elm Impact Structure (USA)","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3014590736","authors":["Aaron J. Cavosie","C. I. Roig","D. J. McDougal","T. Ushikubo","Michael J. Spicuzza","John Fournelle","John W. Valley","W. S. Courdua","C. Mattson"],"tags":["Geology","Sedimentary rock","Ordovician","Extraterrestrial life","Impact structure"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-03-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2030176730","name":"The origin of the Brunflo fossil meteorite and extraterrestrial chromite in mid‐Ordovician limestone from the Gärde quarry (Jämtland, central Sweden)","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The Brunflo fossil meteorite was found in the 1950s in mid‐Ordovician marine limestone in the Gärde quarry in Jämtland. It originates from strata that are about 5 million years younger than similar limestone that more recently has yielded >50 fossil meteorites in the Thorsberg quarry at Kinnekulle, 600 km to the south. Based primarily on the low TiO2 content (about 1.8 wt%) of its relict chromite the Brunflo meteorite had been tentatively classified as an H chondrite. The meteorite hence appears to be an anomaly in relation to the Kinnekulle meteorites, in which chromite composition, chondrule mean diameter and oxygen isotopic composition all indicate an L‐chondritic origin, reflecting an enhanced flux of meteorites to Earth following the disruption of the L chondrite parent body 470 Ma. New chondrule‐size measurements for the Brunflo meteorite indicate that it too is an L chondrite, related to the same parent‐body breakup. Chromite maximum diameters and well‐defined chondrule structures further show that Brunflo belongs to the L4 or L5 type. Chromites in recently fallen L4 chondrites commonly have low TiO2 contents similar to the Brunflo chromites, adding support for Brunflo being an L4 chondrite. The limestone in the Gärde quarry is relatively rich (about 0.45 grain kg−1) in sediment‐dispersed extraterrestrial chromite grains (>63 μm) with chemical composition similar to those in L chondrites and the limestone (1–3 grains kg−1) at Kinnekulle, suggesting that the enhanced flux of L chondrites prevailed, although somewhat diminished, at the time when the Brunflo meteorite fell.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb00720.x","authors":["C. Alwmark","Birger Schmitz"],"tags":["Chromite","Meteorite","Chondrite","Geology","Ordinary chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb00720.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W8797730","name":"Ar-Ar dating by laser microprobe","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-2053-5_8","authors":["Simon Kelley"],"tags":["Argon","Mineralogy","Mineral","Analytical Chemistry (journal)","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1995-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-2053-5_8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2331625389","name":"Biogeochemical Processes at Hydrothermal Vents: Microbes and Minerals, Bioenergetics, and Carbon Fluxes","source":"openalex","abstract":"processes at hydrothermal Vents an active black smoker chimney from the Boardwalk sulfide mound in the high rise vent field at the endeavour Segment of the Juan de Fuca ridge emitting hydrothermal fluids up to 340c.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2012.18","authors":["James F. Holden","J. A. Breier","K. L. Rogers","M. Schulte","Brandy M. Toner"],"tags":["Biogeochemical cycle","Hydrothermal vent","Bioenergetics","Environmental science","Carbon fibers"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-02-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2012.18","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2131949098","name":"Application of Electron Probe Microanalysis to the Study of Geological and Planetary Materials","source":"openalex","abstract":"The impact of electron probe microanalysis on the study of geological and planetary materials has been tremendous. Electron microprobes evolved into routine analytical instruments in geological research laboratories as instrument capabilities improved and applications to geologic/planetary materials expanded. The contributions of electron probe microanalysis to the characterization of minerals, both terrestrial and extraterrestrial, and to other significant geological research, such as light element analysis, trace element analysis, and element mapping, is described.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s100050010081","authors":["J. J. McGee","Klaus Keil"],"tags":["Microanalysis","Electron probe microanalysis","Trace element","Characterization (materials science)","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s100050010081","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2745346982","name":"Origins of building blocks of life: A review","source":"openalex","abstract":"How and where did life on Earth originate? To date, various environments have been proposed as plausible sites for the origin of life. However, discussions have focused on a limited stage of chemical evolution, or emergence of a specific chemical function of proto-biological systems. It remains unclear what geochemical situations could drive all the stages of chemical evolution, ranging from condensation of simple inorganic compounds to the emergence of self-sustaining systems that were evolvable into modern biological ones. In this review, we summarize reported experimental and theoretical findings for prebiotic chemistry relevant to this topic, including availability of biologically essential elements (N and P) on the Hadean Earth, abiotic synthesis of life's building blocks (amino acids, peptides, ribose, nucleobases, fatty acids, nucleotides, and oligonucleotides), their polymerizations to bio-macromolecules (peptides and oligonucleotides), and emergence of biological functions of replication and compartmentalization. It is indicated from the overviews that completion of the chemical evolution requires at least eight reaction conditions of (1) reductive gas phase, (2) alkaline pH, (3) freezing temperature, (4) fresh water, (5) dry/dry-wet cycle, (6) coupling with high energy reactions, (7) heating-cooling cycle in water, and (8) extraterrestrial input of life's building blocks and reactive nutrients. The necessity of these mutually exclusive conditions clearly indicates that life's origin did not occur at a single setting; rather, it required highly diverse and dynamic environments that were connected with each other to allow intra-transportation of reaction products and reactants through fluid circulation. Future experimental research that mimics the conditions of the proposed model are expected to provide further constraints on the processes and mechanisms for the origin of life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsf.2017.07.007","authors":["Norio Kitadai","Shigenori Maruyama"],"tags":["Abiogenesis","Hadean","Chemical evolution","Early Earth","Protocell"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-08-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsf.2017.07.007","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.070Z"},{"id":"oa:W2036109614","name":"Thermal alteration of hydrated minerals during hypervelocity capture to silica aerogel at the flyby speed of Stardust","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Outside the Earth's atmosphere, silica aerogel is one of the best materials to capture finegrained extraterrestrial particles in impacts at hypervelocities. Because silica aerogel is a superior insulator, captured grains are inevitably influenced by frictional heat. Therefore, we performed laboratory simulations of hypervelocity capture by using light‐gas guns to impact into aerogels finegrained powders of serpentine, cronstedtite, and Murchison CM2 meteorite. The samples were shot at >6 km s−1 similar to the flyby speed at comet P/Wild‐2 in the Stardust mission. We investigated mineralogical changes of each captured particle by using synchrotron radiation X‐ray diffraction (SR‐XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and field emission scanning electron microscope (FE‐SEM). SR‐XRD of each grain showed that the majority of the bulk grains keep their original mineralogy. In particular, SR‐XRD and TEM investigations clearly exemplified the presence of tochilinite whose decomposition temperature is about 300 °C in the interior of the captured Murchison powder. However, TEM study of these grains also revealed that all the samples experienced melting and vesiculation on the surface. The cronstedtite and the Murchison meteorite powder show remarkable fracturing, disaggregation, melting, and vesiculation. Steep thermal gradients, about 2500 °C/μm were estimated near the surface of the grains (<2 μm thick) by TEM observation. Our data suggests that the interior of >4 μm across residual grains containing abundant materials that inhibit temperature rise would have not experienced >300 °C at the center.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb00239.x","authors":["T. Noguchi","Tomoki Nakamura","Kyoko Okudaira","Hajime Yano","Seiji Sugita","M. J. Burchell"],"tags":["Murchison meteorite","Hypervelocity","Meteorite","Aerogel","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb00239.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2342977853","name":"A Global Scale Scenario for Prebiotic Chemistry: Silica-Based Self-Assembled Mineral Structures and Formamide","source":"openalex","abstract":"The pathway from simple abiotically made organic compounds to the molecular bricks of life, as we know it, is unknown. The most efficient geological abiotic route to organic compounds results from the aqueous dissolution of olivine, a reaction known as serpentinization (Sleep, N.H., et al. (2004) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101, 12818-12822). In addition to molecular hydrogen and a reducing environment, serpentinization reactions lead to high-pH alkaline brines that can become easily enriched in silica. Under these chemical conditions, the formation of self-assembled nanocrystalline mineral composites, namely silica/carbonate biomorphs and metal silicate hydrate (MSH) tubular membranes (silica gardens), is unavoidable (Kellermeier, M., et al. In Methods in Enzymology, Research Methods in Biomineralization Science (De Yoreo, J., Ed.) Vol. 532, pp 225-256, Academic Press, Burlington, MA). The osmotically driven membranous structures have remarkable catalytic properties that could be operating in the reducing organic-rich chemical pot in which they form. Among one-carbon compounds, formamide (NH2CHO) has been shown to trigger the formation of complex prebiotic molecules under mineral-driven catalytic conditions (Saladino, R., et al. (2001) Biorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, 9, 1249-1253), proton irradiation (Saladino, R., et al. (2015) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 112, 2746-2755), and laser-induced dielectric breakdown (Ferus, M., et al. (2015) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 112, 657-662). Here, we show that MSH membranes are catalysts for the condensation of NH2CHO, yielding prebiotically relevant compounds, including carboxylic acids, amino acids, and nucleobases. Membranes formed by the reaction of alkaline (pH 12) sodium silicate solutions with MgSO4 and Fe2(SO4)3·9H2O show the highest efficiency, while reactions with CuCl2·2H2O, ZnCl2, FeCl2·4H2O, and MnCl2·4H2O showed lower reactivities. The collections of compounds forming inside and outside the tubular membrane are clearly specific, demonstrating that the mineral self-assembled membranes at the same time create space compartmentalization and selective catalysis of the synthesis of relevant compounds. Rather than requiring odd local conditions, the prebiotic organic chemistry scenario for the origin of life appears to be common at a universal scale and, most probably, earlier than ever thought for our planet.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biochem.6b00255","authors":["Raffaele Saladino","Giorgia Botta","Bruno Mattia Bizzarri","Ernesto Di Mauro","Juan Manuel Garcı́a-Ruiz"],"tags":["Chemistry","Catalysis","Abiogenesis","Formamide","Dissolution"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-04-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biochem.6b00255","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2321265425","name":"Eclogitic clasts with omphacite and pyrope-rich garnet in the NWA 801 CR2 chondrite","source":"openalex","abstract":"We report mineral assemblages from three clasts in the Northwest Africa 801 CR chondrite. The clasts, 1-3 mm in size, are ellipsoidal to irregular shaped, and show similar granular texture. The constituent minerals in the clasts are omphacite-rich clinopyroxene and pyrope-rich garnet, in addition to olivine and orthopyroxene. The omphacite contains jadeite (34 mol%) and diopside-hedenbergite (37%), and a significant amount of an enstatite-ferrosilite component (19%), which distinguishes it from terrestrial omphacite. The omphacite has a disordered C2/c structure. Graphite, phlogopite, chlorapatite, Fe-Ni metal, troilite, and pentlandite are present as minor minerals in the clasts. The minerals commonly found in chondrites, such as plagioclase and spinel group minerals, are not found in these clasts. Aluminum and sodium in the clasts are completely partitioned into omphacite and garnet. The mineral assemblages and compositions of the clasts are similar to those in terrestrial eclogite, except for the occurrence of olivine and some mineral chemistry, and this is the first discovery of an extraterrestrial eclogitic mineral assemblage. The clasts formed under high-pressure conditions, 2.8-4.2 GPa and 940-1080 °C, as estimated from a set of conventional geothermobarometers, indicative of formation in a large parent body. Another possibility is impact-induced origin, although the formation conditions would have been different from those for known shock veins. Meteorites usually consist of minerals that formed under low-pressure conditions, except for ultrahigh-pressure minerals found in shock veins. However, this study suggests that the pressure conditions for meteorite formation vary much wider than previously understood.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am.2013.4192","authors":["Makoto Kimura","N. Sugiura","T. Mikouchi","Tsuyoshi Hirajima","H. Hiyagon","Y. Takehana"],"tags":["Geology","Omphacite","Chondrite","Geochemistry","Enstatite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am.2013.4192","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W1965442186","name":"Changes in the global carbon cycle occurred as two episodes during the Permian–Triassic crisis","source":"openalex","abstract":"Research Article| December 01, 2007 Changes in the global carbon cycle occurred as two episodes during the Permian–Triassic crisis Shucheng Xie; Shucheng Xie 1Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology of Ministry of Education, and State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Richard D. Pancost; Richard D. Pancost 2Bristol Biogeochemistry Center, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close BS8 1TS, Bristol, UK Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Junhua Huang; Junhua Huang 3State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Paul B. Wignall; Paul B. Wignall 4School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, Leeds, UK Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Jianxin Yu; Jianxin Yu 5Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology of Ministry of Education, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Xinyan Tang; Xinyan Tang 5Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology of Ministry of Education, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Lin Chen; Lin Chen 5Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology of Ministry of Education, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Xianyu Huang; Xianyu Huang 5Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology of Ministry of Education, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Xulong Lai Xulong Lai 5Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology of Ministry of Education, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (2007) 35 (12): 1083–1086. https://doi.org/10.1130/G24224A.1 Article history received: 25 Apr 2007 rev-recd: 24 Jul 2007 accepted: 24 Jul 2007 first online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share MailTo Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Shucheng Xie, Richard D. Pancost, Junhua Huang, Paul B. Wignall, Jianxin Yu, Xinyan Tang, Lin Chen, Xianyu Huang, Xulong Lai; Changes in the global carbon cycle occurred as two episodes during the Permian–Triassic crisis. Geology 2007;; 35 (12): 1083–1086. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G24224A.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Coeval records of ocean, atmosphere, and terrestrial change are crucial to understanding the pattern and causes of global mass extinction across the Permian-Triassic boundary (PTB). However, relationships among changes in different settings remain largely unclear, primarily due to the challenges associated with the correlation among disparate records. Here we compare marine carbon isotopic records with marine and terrestrial environmental and biotic events recorded in sediments from the Meishan PTB section of south China. Time-scaled carbonate carbon isotopes exhibit two gradual major shifts across the PTB at Meishan, and these are duplicable elsewhere around the Tethys Ocean. The two shifts are associated with two episodes of enhanced terrestrial weathering indicated by an increased abundance of 13C-enriched moretanes relative to hopan","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/g24224a.1","authors":["Shucheng Xie","Richard D. Pancost","Junhua Huang","Paul B. Wignall","Jianxin Yu","Xinyan Tang","Lin Chen","Xianyu Huang","Xulong Lai"],"tags":["China","Christian ministry","Chinese academy of sciences","Library science","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1130/g24224a.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W4389296974","name":"Proximal ejecta of the Bolaven extraterrestrial impact, southern Laos","source":"openalex","abstract":"Sediments in southern Laos and eastern Thailand confirm that the Australasian tektite strewn field came from an extraterrestrial impact crater on the Bolaven Plateau of southern Laos. The principal evidence is the Bolaven diamicton, a pebbly to bouldery breccia that is thickest and coarsest on the plateau. Tektites, the melted target material strewn widely by the forces of the impact 789.0 ± 1.8 ka ago, lie either within the uppermost part of the diamicton or atop it. On the flanks of the plateau, the basal diamicton often contains clasts from preimpact lavas and gravels and sometimes mantles broken Mesozoic bedrock. Locally, its upper portions contain unweathered boulders of basalt or sandstone. Its sharp upper contact with a thick sandy silt implies that the two beds formed in rapid succession. These characteristics of the Bolaven diamicton show that it resulted primarily from the excavation, comminution, and launch of sandstone and weathered basaltic lavas from a crater on the Bolaven Plateau, and entrained other materials while in transit.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2310351120","authors":["Kerry Sieh","Dayana Schonwalder Angel","J. S. Herrin","Brian R. Jicha","Brad S. Singer","Vanpheng Sihavong","Weerachat Wiwegwin","Nathanael Wong","Jia Yong Quah"],"tags":["Geology","Impact crater","Breccia","Plateau (mathematics)","Ejecta"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2310351120","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2078455740","name":"Earliest microbially mediated pyrite oxidation in ~3.4 billion-year-old sediments","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2010.11.025","authors":["David Wacey","Martin Saunders","Martin D. Brasier","Matt R. Kilburn"],"tags":["Pyrite","Geology","Petrography","Geochemistry","Archean"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-12-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2010.11.025","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W1986183719","name":"K–Ar evidence from illitic clays of a Late Devonian age for the 120 km diameter Woodleigh impact structure, Southern Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0012-821x(01)00450-2","authors":["İ. Tonguç Uysal","S. D. Golding","Andrew Y. Glikson","Arthur J. Mory","M. Glikson"],"tags":["Geology","Devonian","Authigenic","Structural basin","Impact structure"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0012-821x(01)00450-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2062431066","name":"Heating experiments simulating atmospheric entry heating of micrometeorites: Clues to their parent body sources","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Depending on their velocity, entry angle and mass, extraterrestrial dust particles suffer certain degrees of heating during entry into Earth's atmosphere, and the mineralogy and chemical composition of these dust particles are significantly changed. In the present study, pulse‐heating experiments simulating the atmospheric entry heating of micrometeoroids were carried out in order to understand the mineralogical and chemical changes quantitatively as well as to estimate the peak temperature experienced by the particles during entry heating. Fragments of the CI chondrites Orgueil and Alais as well as pyrrhotites from Orgueil were used as analogue material. The experiments show that the volatile elements S, Zn, Ga, Ge, and Se can be lost from 50 to 100 μm sized CI meteorite fragments at temperatures and heating times applicable to the entry heating of similar sized cosmic dust particles. It is concluded that depletions of these elements relative to CI as observed in micrometeorites are mainly caused by atmospheric entry heating. Besides explaining the element abundances in micrometeorites, the experimentally obtained release patterns can also be used as indicators to estimate the peak heating of dust particles during entry. Using the abundances of Zn and Ge and assuming their original concentrations close to CI, a maximum heating of 1100–1200 °C is obtained for previously analyzed Antarctic micrometeroites. Thermal alteration also strongly influenced the mineralogy of the meteorite fragments. While the unheated samples mainly consisted of phyllosilicates, these phases almost completely transformed into olivine and pyroxene in the fragments heated to ≥800 °C. Therefore, dust particles that still contain hydrous minerals were probably never heated to temperatures ≥800 °C in the atmosphere. During continued heating, the grain size of the newly formed silicates increased and the composition of the olivines equilibrated. Applying these results quantitatively to Antarctic micrometeorites, typical peak temperatures in the range of 1100–1200 °C during atmospheric entry heating are deduced. This temperature range corresponds to the one obtained from the volatile element concentrations measured in these micrometeorites and points to an asteroidal origin of the particles.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01632.x","authors":["A. Greshake","W. Klöck","Peter F. Arndt","M. Maetz","G. J. Flynn","S. Bajt","A. Bischoff"],"tags":["Meteorite","Atmospheric entry","Interplanetary dust cloud","Chondrite","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01632.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2413583921","name":"Reflectance spectroscopy of oxalate minerals and relevance to Solar System carbon inventories","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2016.05.005","authors":["D. M. Applin","M. R. M. Izawa","E. A. Cloutis"],"tags":["Oxalate","Oxalic acid","Astrobiology","Space weathering","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-06-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2016.05.005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2810349425","name":"Subsurface scientific exploration of extraterrestrial environments (MINAR 5): analogue science, technology and education in the Boulby Mine, UK","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The deep subsurface of other planetary bodies is of special interest for robotic and human exploration. The subsurface provides access to planetary interior processes, thus yielding insights into planetary formation and evolution. On Mars, the subsurface might harbour the most habitable conditions. In the context of human exploration, the subsurface can provide refugia for habitation from extreme surface conditions. We describe the fifth Mine Analogue Research (MINAR 5) programme at 1 km depth in the Boulby Mine, UK in collaboration with Spaceward Bound NASA and the Kalam Centre, India, to test instruments and methods for the robotic and human exploration of deep environments on the Moon and Mars. The geological context in Permian evaporites provides an analogue to evaporitic materials on other planetary bodies such as Mars. A wide range of sample acquisition instruments (NASA drills, Small Planetary Impulse Tool (SPLIT) robotic hammer, universal sampling bags), analytical instruments (Raman spectroscopy, Close-Up Imager, Minion DNA sequencing technology, methane stable isotope analysis, biomolecule and metabolic life detection instruments) and environmental monitoring equipment (passive air particle sampler, particle detectors and environmental monitoring equipment) was deployed in an integrated campaign. Investigations included studying the geochemical signatures of chloride and sulphate evaporitic minerals, testing methods for life detection and planetary protection around human-tended operations, and investigations on the radiation environment of the deep subsurface. The MINAR analogue activity occurs in an active mine, showing how the development of space exploration technology can be used to contribute to addressing immediate Earth-based challenges. During the campaign, in collaboration with European Space Agency (ESA), MINAR was used for astronaut familiarization with future exploration tools and techniques. The campaign was used to develop primary and secondary school and primary to secondary transition curriculum materials on-site during the campaign which was focused on a classroom extra vehicular activity simulation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550418000186","authors":["Charles S. Cockell","J. W. Holt","Jim Campbell","Harrison Groseman","J. L. Josset","Tomaso R. R. Bontognali","Audra Phelps","Lilit Hakobyan","Libby Kuretn","Annalea Beattie","Jen Blank","R. Bonaccorsi","Christopher P. McKay","Anushree Shirvastava","C. Stoker","D. Willson","Scott McLaughlin","Sam Payler","Adam Stevens","Jennifer Wadsworth","Loredana Bessone","Matthias Maurer","Francesco Sauro","Javier Martín‐Torres","María‐Paz Zorzano","Anshuman Bhardwaj","Álvaro Soria-Salinas","Thasshwin Mathanlal","Miracle Israel Nazarious","Abhilash Vakkada Ramachandran","Parag Vaishampayan","Lisa Guan","Scott M. Perl","Jon Telling","Ian Boothroyd","Ollie Tyson","James Realff","Joseph Rowbottom","Boris Laurent","M. Gunn","Shaily Shah","Srijan Singh","S.M. Paling","Tom Edwards","Louise Yeoman","Emma Meehan","C. Toth","Paul Scovell","Barbara Suckling"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Exploration of Mars","Extraterrestrial life","Context (archaeology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-07-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550418000186","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2587576091","name":"Geochemical evidence of an extraterrestrial component in impact melt breccia from the Paleoproterozoic Dhala impact structure, India","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Paleoproterozoic Dhala structure with an estimated diameter of ~11 km is a confirmed complex impact structure located in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh in predominantly granitic basement (2.65 Ga), in the northwestern part of the Archean Bundelkhand craton. The target lithology is granitic in composition but includes a variety of meta‐supracrustal rock types. The impactites and target rocks are overlain by ~1.7 Ga sediments of the Dhala Group and the Vindhyan Supergroup. The area was cored in more than 70 locations and the subsurface lithology shows pseudotachylitic breccia, impact melt breccia, suevite, lithic breccias, and postimpact sediments. Despite extensive erosion, the Dhala structure is well preserved and displays nearly all the diagnostic microscopic shock metamorphic features. This study is aimed at identifying the presence of an impactor component in impact melt rock by analyzing the siderophile element concentrations and rhenium‐osmium isotopic compositions of four samples of impactites (three melt breccias and one lithic breccia) and two samples of target rock (a biotite granite and a mafic intrusive rock). The impact melt breccias are of granitic composition. In some samples, the siderophile elements andHREEenrichment observed are comparable to the target rock abundances. The Cr versus Ir concentrations indicate the probable admixture of approximately 0.3 wt.% of an extraterrestrial component to the impact melt breccia. The Re and Os abundances and the187Os/188Os ratio of 0.133 of one melt breccia specimen confirm the presence of an extraterrestrial component, although the impactor type characterization still remains inconclusive.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12826","authors":["Jayanta Kumar Pati","Wen Jun Qu","Christian Koeberl","W. U. Reimold","Munmun Chakarvorty","R. T. Schmitt"],"tags":["Breccia","Geology","Geochemistry","Impact structure","Lithology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-02-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12826","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2044208342","name":"Mössbauer Spectroscopy: Some Views","source":"openalex","abstract":"Some views are presented of the present status of Mössbauer spectroscopy and its future developments. The basic phenomenon and equipment are described. Analytical aspects, both qualitative and quantitative, are discussed. Illustrations are given of the applications to structural chemistry, surface chemistry and catalysis, metallurgy, terrestrial and extraterrestrial minerals, and biological systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1366/000370269774380879","authors":["Leopold May"],"tags":["Mössbauer spectroscopy","Spectroscopy","Chemistry","Qualitative analysis","Nanotechnology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1969-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1366/000370269774380879","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W3033529159","name":"New insights into the structure and formation of coals, terrestrial and extraterrestrial kerogens from resonant UV Raman spectroscopy","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2020.05.028","authors":["É. Quirico","L. Bonal","Gilles Montagnac","Pierre Beck","Bruno Reynard"],"tags":["Raman spectroscopy","Chondrite","Organic matter","Chemistry","Kerogen"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2020.05.028","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W1884540967","name":"Atmospheric global dust cycle and iron inputs to the ocean","source":"openalex","abstract":"Since iron is an important micronutrient, deposition of iron in mineral aerosols can impact the carbon cycle and atmospheric CO 2 . This paper reviews our current understanding of the global dust cycle and identifies future research needs. The global distribution of desert dust is estimated from a combination of observations of dust from in situ concentration, optical depth, and deposition data; observations from satellite; and global atmospheric models. The anthropogenically influenced portion of atmospheric desert dust flux is thought to be smaller than the natural portion, but is difficult to quantify due to the poorly understood response of desert dust to changes in climate, land use, and water use. The iron content of aerosols is thought to vary by a factor of 2, while the uncertainty in dust deposition is at least a factor of 10 in some regions due to the high spatial and temporal variability and limited observations. Importantly, we have a limited understanding of the processes by which relatively insoluble soil iron (typically ∼0.5% is soluble) becomes more soluble (1–80%) during atmospheric transport, but these processes could be impacted by anthropogenic emissions of sulfur or organic acids. In order to understand how humans will impact future iron deposition to the oceans, we need to improve our understanding of: iron deposition to remote oceans, iron chemistry in aerosols, how desert dust sources will respond to climate change, and how humans will impact the transport of bioavailable fraction of iron to the oceans.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2004gb002402","authors":["N. M. Mahowald","Alex R. Baker","G. Bergametti","Nick Brooks","Robert A. Duce","T. D. Jickells","N. Kubilay","Joseph M. Prospero","Ina Tegen"],"tags":["Mineral dust","Deposition (geology)","Environmental science","Iron fertilization","Carbon cycle"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2004gb002402","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W4305014658","name":"In situ 87 Rb– 87 Sr analyses of terrestrial and extraterrestrial samples by LA-MC-ICP-MS/MS with double Wien filter and collision cell technologies","source":"openalex","abstract":"Double-Wien filter-selection-aperture and hexapole-collision-cell technologies coupled to laser ablation multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-MC-ICP-MS/MS) enables in situ analysis of 87 Sr variations produced by 87 Rb decay.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d2ja00135g","authors":["Nicolas Dauphas","Timo Hopp","Grant Craig","Zhe J. Zhang","Maria C. Valdes","P. R. Heck","B. L. A. Charlier","Elizabeth A. Bell","T. Mark Harrison","A. M. Davis","Laure Dussubieux","Patrick Ryan Williams"],"tags":["In situ","Analytical Chemistry (journal)","Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry","Chemistry","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d2ja00135g","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W1987999922","name":"Geochemical and isotopic signatures of Archaean to Palaeoproterozoic extraterrestrial impact ejecta/fallout units","source":"openalex","abstract":"Criteria allowing diagnostic identification of asteroid and comet impact fallout units (impactites), including fragmental ejecta, microtektites and microkrystite spherules (impact vapour condensates) comprise: (i) unique mineral fallout phases—shocked quartz grains, coesite and nano-diamonds; (ii) unique intra-microkrystite phases—Ni-chromite, Ni-nanonuggets and Ir-nanonuggets, condensed from vapour enriched in meteoritic components; (iii) geochemical features such as high abundance and unique ratios of the platinum group (PGE) and other siderophile elements (Ni, Co); (iv) meteoritic isotopic ratios including ε53Cr (53Cr/52Cr), ε54Cr (54Cr/52Cr), ε182W (182W/183W) or (182W/184W), εOs (187Os/188Os), ε17O (17O/16O), ε18O (18O/16O); and (v) cometary seeding of 3He/4He and racemic organic molecules (AIB) and possibly fullerenes (C60). Relic nickel chromites and metasomatically derived sulfides may contain PGE nanonuggets. Alteration, burial metamorphism and open-system mobility of uranium in hydrous terrestrial environments renders preservation of meteoritic ε207Pb (207Pb/204Pb) and ε206Pb (206Pb/204Pb) values unlikely. Where least affected, PGE patterns of microkrystites and microtektite-bearing impact fallout units (impactites) are the reverse of terrestrial PGE patterns, including low Pd/Pt ratios, which provide some of the more readily identified and analytically practical criteria for identifying a meteoritic component. εCr – εCr relations in Barberton Greenstone Belt impact fallout units (3.26 – 3.24 Ga) identify a carbonaceous chondrite composition of the parental asteroids. PGE abundances (Ir, Pt) and εCr isotope values allow mass-balance estimates of parental projectiles in the order of 20 – 30 km diameter. Ir and Pt mass-balance estimates correspond to projectiles ∼20 km in diameter or larger in the Pilbara Craton for the JIL (> 2.63 Ga) and DGS4 (2.5 – 2.47 Ga) impact fallout units. The Ni, Co and Cr enriched composition of most Precambrian microkrystite spherules militates for mafic/ultramafic target crust which, coupled with the estimated diameter of the ensuing craters, implies the existence of maria-scale impact basins in oceanic-type crustal regions during the Archaean and Palaeoproterozoic.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08120090500170328","authors":["Andrew Y. Glikson"],"tags":["Coesite","Geology","Ejecta","Platinum group","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08120090500170328","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2421898184","name":"Widespread evidence for high-temperature formation of pentlandite in chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2016.06.012","authors":["D. L. Schrader","J. Davidson","T. J. McCoy"],"tags":["Chondrite","Chondrule","Pentlandite","Meteorite","Metamorphism"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-06-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2016.06.012","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2338222536","name":"Trace-element geochemistry and mineralogy of the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary; Identification of extraterrestrial components","source":"openalex","abstract":"Mineralogical and geochemical analysis of the basal Cretaceous/Tertiary (K/T) boundary marl at Zumaya, Spain, indicates that anomalous siderophile (Pt, Ni) elements are present in specific mineral phases. The boundary marl at Zumaya is enriched in Ir, Pt, Ni, Cr, and As. These elements are concentrated in the following minerals: Pt in platinum grains, Cr in spinels and aluminosilicate spherules, and Ni in spinels, spherules, and Ni-rich grains. Analysis of cross sections of the basal 2 cm of boundary marl at Zumaya show that magnesioferrite spinel is fairly common; one cross section contains 350 spinel grains per square centimeter. Spherules and platinum grains are much rarer than spinel grains. No other noble metals, such as iridium, were found in specific mineral phases. The platinum grains found at Zumaya may be the first direct evidence of a native platinum group element mineral at the K/T boundary. Unlike terrestrial native platinum, these grains contain only trace amounts of iron. The aluminosilicate spherules from Zumaya contain inclusions of magnesioferrite spinels, chromium, and nickel-rich grains. The chemistry and morphology of the platinum grains, spinels, spherules, and Ni-rich grains suggest that they are impact-derived materials similar to chondritic fireball or ablation debris.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/spe247-p367","authors":["Eric Doehne","Stanley V. Margolis"],"tags":["Geology","Marl","Spinel","Geochemistry","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1990-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1130/spe247-p367","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2974138139","name":"Thermodynamic Impact of Mineral Surfaces on Amino Acid Polymerization: Aspartate Dimerization on Goethite","source":"openalex","abstract":"This article presents a thermodynamic predictive scheme for amino acid polymerization in the presence of minerals as a function of various environmental parameters (pH, ionic strength, amino acid concentration, and the solid/water ratio) using l -aspartate (Asp) and goethite as a model combination. This prediction is enabled by the combination of the surface adsorption constants of amino acid and its polymer, determined from the extended triple layer model characterization of the corresponding experimental results, with the thermodynamic data of these organic compounds in water reported in the literature. Calculations for the Asp–goethite system showed that the goethite surface drastically shifts the Asp monomer–dipeptide equilibrium toward the dipeptide side; when the dimerization of 0.1 mM Asp was considered in the presence of 10 m 2 L −1 of goethite, an Asp dipeptide concentration around 10 5 times larger was computed to be thermodynamically attainable compared with that in the absence of goethite at acidic pH (4–5) and low ionic strength (0.1 mM NaCl). Under this condition, the dipeptide-to-monomer molecular ratio in the adsorbed state reached 20%. In contrast, no significant enhancement by goethite was predicted at alkaline pH (>8), where the electrostatic interactions of the goethite surface with Asp and Asp dipeptide are weak. Thus, mineral surfaces should have had a significant impact on the thermodynamics of prebiotic peptide bond formation on the early Earth, although the influences likely depended largely on the environmental conditions. Future experimental studies for various amino acid–mineral interactions using our proposed methodology will provide a quantitative constraint on favorable geochemical settings for the chemical evolution on Earth. This approach can also offer important clues for future exploration of extraterrestrial life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2018.1967","authors":["Norio Kitadai","Kumiko Nishiuchi"],"tags":["Goethite","Dipeptide","Chemistry","Monomer","Ionic strength"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-09-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2018.1967","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2113665662","name":"Search for petrographic and geochemical evidence for the late heavy bombardment on earth in early archean rocks from Isua, Greenland","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bfb0027757","authors":["Christian Koeberl","W. U. Reimold","Iain McDonald","Minik T. Rosing"],"tags":["Zircon","Petrography","Shock metamorphism","Geology","Metamorphism"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-12-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bfb0027757","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2128336259","name":"A unique basaltic micrometeorite expands the inventory of solar system planetary crusts","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Micrometeorites with diameter approximately 100-200 microm dominate the flux of extraterrestrial matter on Earth. The vast majority of micrometeorites are chemically, mineralogically, and isotopically related to carbonaceous chondrites, which amount to only 2.5% of meteorite falls. Here, we report the discovery of the first basaltic micrometeorite (MM40). This micrometeorite is unlike any other basalt known in the solar system as revealed by isotopic data, mineral chemistry, and trace element abundances. The discovery of a new basaltic asteroidal surface expands the solar system inventory of planetary crusts and underlines the importance of micrometeorites for sampling the asteroids' surfaces in a way complementary to meteorites, mainly because they do not suffer dynamical biases as meteorites do. The parent asteroid of MM40 has undergone extensive metamorphism, which ended no earlier than 7.9 Myr after solar system formation. Numerical simulations of dust transport dynamics suggest that MM40 might originate from one of the recently discovered basaltic asteroids that are not members of the Vesta family. The ability to retrieve such a wealth of information from this tiny (a few micrograms) sample is auspicious some years before the launch of a Mars sample return mission.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0900328106","authors":["M. Gounelle","Marc Chaussidon","Alessandro Morbidelli","Jean‐Alix Barrat","C. Engrand","M. E. Zolensky","K. D. McKeegan","Gounelle M","Chaussidon M","Morbidelli A","Barrat JA","Engrand C"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Asteroid","Basalt","Solar System"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009 Apr 28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0900328106","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2885866574","name":"Arching Effect of Planetary Regolith Simulant under Extraterrestrial Gravities","source":"openalex","abstract":"Attention has been devoted to the construction of off-earth base construction and mineral mining in recent years. This paper studies the influence of extraterrestrial gravities on the arching effect surrounding deeply buried structures in planetary regolith using trapdoor experiments. Off-earth regoliths are physically simulated using a magnetically sensitive planetary regolith simulant, whereas the gravities are simulated by applying a uniform magnetic body force. The results show that the gravity has a significant influence on both the unloading rate for soil pressure on the trapdoor and the reduction in soil pressure. Both soil pressure and normalized soil pressure unload rapidly when moving the trapdoor down at a lower gravity. The unloading rate for soil pressure increases when gravity increases. However, that of the normalized soil pressure decreases. With further increases in gravity, the normalized soil pressure appears to reach a stable state. A theoretical solution for the soil pressure on the trapdoor is proposed which includes the effect of gravity-induced stress level and stress gradient on interparticle friction resistance. The predicted soil pressure demonstrates good agreement with the experimental results. This study provides an approach to estimate the downward loading on trapdoor-like underground structures in off-earth engineering applications.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)as.1943-5525.0000927","authors":["Ruilin Li","Guoqing Zhou","Matthew R. Hall"],"tags":["Regolith","Lunar soil","Lateral earth pressure","Geotechnical engineering","Overburden pressure"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-08-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)as.1943-5525.0000927","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2786940040","name":"Atmospheric processing of iron in mineral and combustion aerosols: development of an intermediate-complexity mechanism suitable for Earth system models","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. Atmospheric processing of iron in dust and combustion aerosols is simulated using an intermediate-complexity soluble iron mechanism designed for Earth system models. The solubilization mechanism includes both a dependence on aerosol water pH and in-cloud oxalic acid. The simulations of size-resolved total, soluble and fractional iron solubility indicate that this mechanism captures many but not all of the features seen from cruise observations of labile iron. The primary objective was to determine the extent to which our solubility scheme could adequately match observations of fractional iron solubility. We define a semi-quantitative metric as the model mean at points with observations divided by the observational mean (MMO). The model is in reasonable agreement with observations of fractional iron solubility with an MMO of 0.86. Several sensitivity studies are performed to ascertain the degree of complexity needed to match observations; including the oxalic acid enhancement is necessary, while different parameterizations for calculating model oxalate concentrations are less important. The percent change in soluble iron deposition between the reference case (REF) and the simulation with acidic processing alone is 63.8 %, which is consistent with previous studies. Upon deposition to global oceans, global mean combustion iron solubility to total fractional iron solubility is 8.2 %; however, the contribution of fractional iron solubility from combustion sources to ocean basins below 15∘ S is approximately 50 %. We conclude that, in many remote ocean regions, sources of iron from combustion and dust aerosols are equally important. Our estimates of changes in deposition of soluble iron to the ocean since preindustrial climate conditions suggest roughly a doubling due to a combination of higher dust and combustion iron emissions along with more efficient atmospheric processing.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-14175-2018","authors":["Rachel A. Scanza","Douglas S. Hamilton","Carlos Pérez García‐Pando","Clifton S. Buck","Alex R. Baker","N. M. Mahowald"],"tags":["Solubility","Mineral dust","Aerosol","Chemistry","Oxalate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-10-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-14175-2018","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2016789420","name":"Electron microscope methods in the search for the earliest life forms on Earth (in 3.5-3.3 Ga cherts from the Barberton greenstone belt, South Africa): applications for extraterrestrial life studies","source":"openalex","abstract":"A suite of previously unknown microfossils and related biogenic structures has been revealed in some of the oldest sediments on Earth using scanning electron microscopy. High resolution scanning electron microscopy of HF-etched, biolaminated charts has brought to light a variety of small fossil coccoid and rod-shaped bacteria and associated fossil biofilms containing bedding planes. These microfossils have ben completely replaced by minerals. This vastly improved early Archaean microfossil database sheds new light on the diversity of life on Earth relatively soon after the cessation of heavy bolide bombardment at about 3.8 Ga. This is the critical period when life may have been able to develop on Mars and these early Archaean terrestrial microfossils will serve as valuable analogues for possible extraterrestrial life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1117/12.319833","authors":["Francès Westall","Dane Gerneke"],"tags":["Archean","Greenstone belt","Astrobiology","Early Earth","Earth (classical element)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-07-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1117/12.319833","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W3007896961","name":"Simulating microbial processes in extraterrestrial, aqueous environments","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mimet.2020.105883","authors":["Karen Olsson‐Francis","Nisha K. Ramkissoon","Michael C. Macey","V. K. Pearson","S. P. Schwenzer","Daphne Johnson"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Abiotic component","Martian","Extraterrestrial life","Mars Exploration Program"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-02-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mimet.2020.105883","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2013922928","name":"Bacterial Communities and the Nitrogen Cycle in the Gypsum Soils of Cuatro Ciénegas Basin, Coahuila: A Mars Analogue","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The OMEGA/Mars Express hyperspectral imager identified gypsum at several sites on Mars in 2005. These minerals constitute a direct record of past aqueous activity and are important with regard to the search of extraterrestrial life. Gale Crater was chosen as Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity's landing site because it is rich in gypsum, as are some desert soils of the Cuatro Ci&#xe9;negas Basin (CCB) (Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico). The gypsum of the CCB, which is overlain by minimal carbonate deposits, was the product of magmatic activity that occurred under the Tethys Sea. To examine this Mars analogue, we retrieved gypsum-rich soil samples from two contrasting sites with different humidity in the CCB. To characterize the site, we obtained nutrient data and analyzed the genes related to the N cycle (nifH, nirS, and nirK) and the bacterial community composition by using 16S rRNA clone libraries. As expected, the soil content for almost all measured forms of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus were higher at the more humid site than at the drier site. What was unexpected is the presence of a rich and divergent community at both sites, with higher taxonomic diversity at the humid site and almost no taxonomic overlap. Our results suggest that the gypsum-rich soils of the CCB host a unique microbial ecosystem that includes novel microbial assemblies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2012.0840","authors":["Nguyen E. López-Lozano","Luis E. Eguiarte","Germán Bonilla‐Rosso","Felipe García‐Oliva","Celeste Martínez-Piedragil","Christine Rooks","Valeria Souza","López-Lozano NE","Eguiarte LE","Bonilla-Rosso G","García-Oliva F","Martínez-Piedragil C"],"tags":["Gypsum","Mars Exploration Program","Soil water","Life on Mars","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012 Jul","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2012.0840","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"oa:W2112808572","name":"Mineral magnetism of dusty olivine: A credible recorder of pre-accretionary remanence","source":"openalex","abstract":"[1] The magnetic properties of olivine-hosted Fe-Ni particles have been studied to assess the potential of “dusty olivine” to retain a pre-accretionary remanence in chondritic meteorites. Both body-centered (bcc) and face-centered cubic (fcc) Fe-Ni phases were formed by reduction of a terrestrial olivine precursor. The presence of Ni complicates the magnetic properties during heating and cooling due to the fcc-bcc martensitic transition. First-order reversal curve (FORC) diagrams contain a central ridge with a broad coercivity distribution extending to 600 mT, attributed to non-interacting single-domain (SD) particles, and a “butterfly” structure extending to 250 mT, attributed to single-vortex (SV) states. SD and SV states were imaged directly using electron holography. The location of the SD/SV boundary is broadly consistent with theoretical predictions. A method to measure the volume of individual SD particles using electron holography is presented. Combining the volume information with constraints on coercivity, we calculate the thermal relaxation characteristics of the particles and demonstrate that the high-coercivity component of remanance would remain stable for 4.6 Ga, even at temperatures approaching the Curie temperature of pure Fe. The high coercivity of the particles, together with the chemical protection offered by the surrounding olivine, is likely to make them resistant to shock remagnetization, isothermal remagnetization and terrestrial weathering, making dusty olivine a credible recorder of pre-accretionary magnetic fields.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2011gc003811","authors":["Sophie-Charlotte L. L. Lappe","Nathan Church","Takeshi Kasama","Alice Bastos da Silva Fanta","Geoffrey Bromiley","Rafal E. Dunin‐Borkowski","Joshua M. Feinberg","S. S. Russell","R. J. Harrison"],"tags":["Geology","Olivine","Remanence","Geochemistry","Rock magnetism"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2011gc003811","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W3178127464","name":"A preparation sequence for multi‐analysis of µm‐sized extraterrestrial and geological samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract With the recent and ongoing sample return missions and/or the developments of nano‐ to microscale 3‐D and 2‐D analytical techniques, it is necessary to develop sample preparation and analysis protocols that allow combination of different nanometer‐ to micrometer‐scale resolution techniques and both maximize scientific outcome and minimize sample loss and contamination. Here, we present novel sample preparation and analytical procedures to extract a maximum of submicrometer structural, mineralogical, chemical, molecular, and isotopic information from micrometric heterogeneous samples. The sample protocol goes from a nondestructive infrared (IR) tomography of ~10 to ~70 µm‐sized single grains, which provides the distribution and qualitative abundances of both mineral and organic phases, followed by its cutting in several slices at selected sites of interest for 2‐D mineralogical analysis (e.g., transmission electron microscopy), molecular organic and mineral analysis (e.g., Raman and/or IR microspectroscopy), and isotopic/chemical analysis (e.g., NanoSIMS). We also discuss here the importance of the focused ion beam microscopy in the protocol, the problems of sample loss and contamination, and at last the possibility of combining successive different analyses in various orders on the same micrometric sample. Special care was notably taken to establish a protocol allowing correlated NanoSIMS/TEM/IR analyses with NanoSIMS performed first. Finally, we emphasize the interest of 3‐D and 2‐D IR analyses in studying the organics–minerals relationship in combination with more classical isotopic and mineralogical grain characterizations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13696","authors":["Alice Aléon‐Toppani","R. Brunetto","J. Aléon","Z. Dionnet","Stefano Rubino","Dan Lévy","David Troadec","François Brisset","Ferenc Borondics","Andrew King"],"tags":["Sample preparation","Microscale chemistry","Nanometre","Mineralogy","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13696","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2965883747","name":"Quantification of fluorescence emission from extraterrestrial materials and its significance for planetary Raman spectroscopy","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Fluorescence emission has been a serious impediment in the application of Raman spectroscopy to terrestrial geologic samples. It is largely unknown how significant the fluorescence problem would affect Raman analyses during a planetary surface exploration mission. We have completed a set of two experimental studies to quantitatively evaluate the fluorescence emission excited by multiple wavelengths from a set of 21 stony meteorites that represent 98.9% (by types) of all stony meteorites collected, named, and classified worldwide. Our data revealed a general trend, that is, the non‐Raman emission intensities of extraterrestrial materials are two to three orders of magnitude lower than those of typical terrestrial clays and the soils from hyperarid Mars‐analog region (Atacama Desert). Based on >4,500 Raman spectra (excited by continuous wave [continuous wave] 532‐nm laser line) obtained by auto‐scans on these 21 meteorites, we found that the average percentage of informative Raman spectra is nearly 98%, with a standard deviation of 2% and the lowest value of 93%. We also found that the information on major and minor mineral phases revealed by our multispots Raman measurements are consistent with those published in Meteoritic Bulletin database for the examined meteorites. In conclusion, our experimental results demonstrated that the fluorescence interference that sometimes concealed the Raman signals of terrestrial samples would not be a threat to planetary Raman spectroscopy that uses CW 532‐nm laser line for excitation. This conclusion is consistent with the in situ fluorescence observations made during two missions on Mars and with many Raman spectroscopic studies of lunar rocks and soils returned by Apollo missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.5667","authors":["Alian Wang","Jie Wei","R. L. Korotev"],"tags":["Raman spectroscopy","Mars Exploration Program","Meteorite","Fluorescence","Analytical Chemistry (journal)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-07-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.5667","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W3118804042","name":"Synthesis of Organic Matter in Aqueous Environments Simulating Small Bodies in the Solar System and the Effects of Minerals on Amino Acid Formation","source":"openalex","abstract":"The extraterrestrial delivery of organics to primitive Earth has been supported by many laboratory and space experiments. Minerals played an important role in the evolution of meteoritic organic matter. In this study, we simulated aqueous alteration in small bodies by using a solution mixture of H2CO and NH3 in the presence of water at 150 °C under different heating durations, which produced amino acids after acid hydrolysis. Moreover, minerals were added to the previous mixture to examine their catalyzing/inhibiting impact on amino acid formation. Without minerals, glycine was the dominant amino acid obtained at 1 d of the heating experiment, while alanine and β-alanine increased significantly and became dominant after 3 to 7 d. Minerals enhanced the yield of amino acids at short heating duration (1 d); however, they induced their decomposition at longer heating duration (7 d). Additionally, montmorillonite enhanced amino acid production at 1 d, while olivine and serpentine enhanced production at 3 d. Molecular weight distribution in the whole of the products obtained by gel chromatography showed that minerals enhanced both decomposition and combination of molecules. Our results indicate that minerals affected the formation of amino acids in aqueous environments in small Solar System bodies and that the amino acids could have different response behaviors according to different minerals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life11010032","authors":["Walaa Elmasry","Yoko Kebukawa","Kensei Kobayashi"],"tags":["Amino acid","Aqueous solution","Chemistry","Decomposition","Alanine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-01-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life11010032","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W1971531403","name":"Chemometric evaluation of time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry data of minerals in the frame of future in situ analyses of cometary material by COSIMA onboard ROSETTA","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Chemometric data evaluation methods for time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) have been tested for the characterization and classification of minerals. Potential applications of these methods include the expected data from cometary material to be measured by the COSIMA instrument onboard the ESA mission ROSETTA in the year 2014. Samples of the minerals serpentine, enstatite, olivine, and talc have been used as proxies for minerals existing in extraterrestrial matter. High mass resolution TOF-SIMS data allow the selection of peaks from inorganic ions relevant for minerals. Multivariate cluster analysis of peak intensity data by principal components analysis and the new method CORICO showed a good separation of the mineral classes. Classification by k nearest-neighbor classification (KNN) or binary decision trees (CART method) results in more than 90% correct class assignments in a leave-one-out cross validation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.2448","authors":["C. Engrand","J. Kissel","F. R. Krueger","P. Martín","J. Silén","L. Thirkell","R.M. Thomas","Курт Вармуза","Engrand C","Kissel J","Krueger FR","Martin P"],"tags":["Chemistry","In situ","Mass spectrometry","Time of flight","Ion"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.2448","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W4226186842","name":"SNICAR-ADv3: a community tool for modeling spectral snow albedo","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. The Snow, Ice, and Aerosol Radiative (SNICAR) model has been used in various capacities over the last 15 years to model the spectral albedo of snow with light-absorbing constituents (LACs). Recent studies have extended the model to include an adding-doubling two-stream solver and representations of non-spherical ice particles; carbon dioxide snow; snow algae; and new types of mineral dust, volcanic ash, and brown carbon. New options also exist for ice refractive indices and solar-zenith-angle-dependent surface spectral irradiances used to derive broadband albedo. The model spectral range was also extended deeper into the ultraviolet for studies of extraterrestrial and high-altitude cryospheric surfaces. Until now, however, these improvements and capabilities have not been merged into a unified code base. Here, we document the formulation and evaluation of the publicly available SNICAR-ADv3 source code, web-based model, and accompanying library of constituent optical properties. The use of non-spherical ice grains, which scatter less strongly into the forward direction, reduces the simulated albedo perturbations from LACs by ∼9 %–31 %, depending on which of the three available non-spherical shapes are applied. The model compares very well against measurements of snow albedo from seven studies, though key properties affecting snow albedo are not fully constrained with measurements, including ice effective grain size of the top sub-millimeter of the snowpack, mixing state of LACs with respect to ice grains, and site-specific LAC optical properties. The new default ice refractive indices produce extremely high pure snow albedo (>0.99) in the blue and ultraviolet part of the spectrum, with such values only measured in Antarctica so far. More work is needed particularly in the representation of snow algae, including experimental verification of how different pigment expressions and algal cell concentrations affect snow albedo. Representations and measurements of the influence of liquid water on spectral snow albedo are also needed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-7673-2021","authors":["M. Flanner","Julian Arnheim","Joseph M. Cook","Cheng Dang","Cenlin He","Xianglei Huang","Deepak Singh","S. McKenzie Skiles","Chloe A. Whicker","Charles S. Zender"],"tags":["Snow","Albedo (alchemy)","Meteorology","Environmental science","Climatology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-12-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-7673-2021","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2095952156","name":"Raman spectroscopic and scanning electron microscopic analysis of a novel biological colonisation of volcanic rocks","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2006.04.009","authors":["S JORGEVILLAR","H EDWARDS","Liane G. Benning"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Raman spectroscopy","Geology","Scanning electron microscope","Volcano"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-06-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2006.04.009","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2166086366","name":"The Organic Composition of Carbonaceous Meteorites: The Evolutionary Story Ahead of Biochemistry","source":"openalex","abstract":"Carbon-containing meteorites provide a natural sample of the extraterrestrial organic chemistry that occurred in the solar system ahead of life's origin on the Earth. Analyses of 40 years have shown the organic content of these meteorites to be materials as diverse as kerogen-like macromolecules and simpler soluble compounds such as amino acids and polyols. Many meteoritic molecules have identical counterpart in the biosphere and, in a primitive group of meteorites, represent the majority of their carbon. Most of the compounds in meteorites have isotopic compositions that date their formation to presolar environments and reveal a long and active cosmochemical evolution of the biogenic elements. Whether this evolution resumed on the Earth to foster biogenesis after exogenous delivery of meteoritic and cometary materials is not known, yet, the selective abundance of biomolecule precursors evident in some cosmic environments and the unique L-asymmetry of some meteoritic amino acids are suggestive of their possible contribution to terrestrial molecular evolution.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a002105","authors":["Sandra Pizzarello","Everett L. Shock"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Abiogenesis","Extraterrestrial life","Earth (classical element)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a002105","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2796277309","name":"Review on nanoparticles and nanostructured materials: history, sources, toxicity and regulations","source":"openalex","abstract":"Nanomaterials (NMs) have gained prominence in technological advancements due to their tunable physical, chemical and biological properties with enhanced performance over their bulk counterparts. NMs are categorized depending on their size, composition, shape, and origin. The ability to predict the unique properties of NMs increases the value of each classification. Due to increased growth of production of NMs and their industrial applications, issues relating to toxicity are inevitable. The aim of this review is to compare synthetic (engineered) and naturally occurring nanoparticles (NPs) and nanostructured materials (NSMs) to identify their nanoscale properties and to define the specific knowledge gaps related to the risk assessment of NPs and NSMs in the environment. The review presents an overview of the history and classifications of NMs and gives an overview of the various sources of NPs and NSMs, from natural to synthetic, and their toxic effects towards mammalian cells and tissue. Additionally, the types of toxic reactions associated with NPs and NSMs and the regulations implemented by different countries to reduce the associated risks are also discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3762/bjnano.9.98","authors":["Jaison Jeevanandam","Ahmed Barhoum","Yen San Chan","Alain Dufresne","Michael K. Danquah"],"tags":["Nanotechnology","Nanomaterials","Nanoparticle","Materials science","Biochemical engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-04-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3762/bjnano.9.98","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.070Z"},{"id":"oa:W3038037489","name":"Data fusion of laser-induced breakdown and Raman spectroscopies: Enhancing clay mineral identification","source":"openalex","abstract":"A straight-forward, data-driven approach for the reliable identification of clay minerals based on spectroscopy and multivariate analyses is presented here. No other group of inorganic materials have so many species, exhibit such a range of physicochemical properties, or enjoy a greater diversity of practical applications as the clay minerals. The emerging role of clays in a variety of pioneering disciplines, such as the pharmaceutical and astrobiological sciences, highlights their broad-ranging significance in natural science and engineering efforts. However, the highly variable chemical compositions and defect-rich structures of the clay minerals pose difficulties in their classification and identification. We introduce a new methodological approach which uses Raman and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopies (LIBS) to discriminate geological specimens based on their dominant clay mineralogy. Raman and LIBS provide complementary information about the molecular structure and elemental composition of an interrogated target, and, when considered simultaneously, contribute to a more comprehensive characterization of the system under study. What distinguishes this work from previous spectral investigations of clay mineralogy is the way in which the spectra are pre-processed and combined before analysis. Raman and LIBS data were collected from various clay-rich specimens and subsequently concatenated into a single data matrix to serve as a unique identifier of specimen composition – an approach known as low-level data fusion. Multivariate statistical analyses were used to identify mineralogical groups and to discriminate specimens based on their compositional similarities and differences. We evaluated the discrimination achieved by the fused data sets compared to that obtained by standalone use of Raman and LIBS data. Our results show that the use of data fusion strategies improved the discrimination model and allowed correct classification of all the samples based on their dominant clay mineralogy.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sab.2020.105905","authors":["Erin Gibbons","Richard Léveillé","Kim Berlo"],"tags":["Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy","Raman spectroscopy","Clay minerals","Characterization (materials science)","Mineral"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-06-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sab.2020.105905","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2910736342","name":"Role of Mineral Surfaces in Prebiotic Chemical Evolution. In Silico Quantum Mechanical Studies","source":"openalex","abstract":"There is a consensus that the interaction of organic molecules with the surfaces of naturally-occurring minerals might have played a crucial role in chemical evolution and complexification in a prebiotic era. The hurdle of an overly diluted primordial soup occurring in the free ocean may have been overcome by the adsorption and concentration of relevant molecules on the surface of abundant minerals at the sea shore. Specific organic⁻mineral interactions could, at the same time, organize adsorbed molecules in well-defined orientations and activate them toward chemical reactions, bringing to an increase in chemical complexity. As experimental approaches cannot easily provide details at atomic resolution, the role of in silico computer simulations may fill that gap by providing structures and reactive energy profiles at the organic⁻mineral interface regions. Accordingly, numerous computational studies devoted to prebiotic chemical evolution induced by organic⁻mineral interactions have been proposed. The present article aims at reviewing recent in silico works, mainly focusing on prebiotic processes occurring on the mineral surfaces of clays, iron sulfides, titanium dioxide, and silica and silicates simulated through quantum mechanical methods based on the density functional theory (DFT). The DFT is the most accurate way in which chemists may address the behavior of the molecular world through large models mimicking chemical complexity. A perspective on possible future scenarios of research using in silico techniques is finally proposed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life9010010","authors":["Albert Rimola","Mariona Sodupe","Piero Ugliengo"],"tags":["Prebiotic","In silico","Astrobiology","Mineral","Chemical evolution"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-01-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life9010010","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W4309780164","name":"Mineral precipitation and hydrochemical evolution through evaporitic processes in soda brines (East African Rift Valley)","source":"openalex","abstract":"Soda lakes of the East African Rift Valley are hyperalkaline, hypersaline lakes extremely enriched in Na+, K+, Cl−, CO32−, HCO3−, and SiO2. In this paper, we investigate the chemical evolution in these lakes and the production of chemical sediments by salt precipitation via evaporation. Water samples from tributary springs and three lakes (Magadi, Nasikie Engida and Natron) have been experimentally studied by in-situ X-ray diffraction during evaporation experiments to characterize the sequence of mineral precipitation. These data are complemented by ex-situ diffraction studies, chemical analyses and thermodynamic hydrochemical calculations producing detailed information on the activity of all solution species and the saturation state of all minerals potentially generated by the given composition. Major minerals precipitating from these samples are sodium carbonates/bicarbonates as well as halite. The CO3/HCO3 ratio, controlled by pH, is the main factor defining the Na‑carbonates precipitation sequence: in lake brines where CO3/HCO3 > 1, trona precipitates first whereas in hot springs, where CO3/HCO3 ≪ 1, nahcolite precipitates instead of trona, which forms later via partial dissolution of nahcolite. Precipitation of nahcolite is possible only at lower pH values (pCO2 higher than −2.7) explaining the distribution of trona and nahcolite in current lakes and the stratigraphic sequences. Later, during evaporation, thermonatrite precipitates, normally at the same time as halite, at a very high pH (>11.2) after significant depletion of HCO3− due to trona precipitation. The precipitation of these soluble minerals increases the pH of the brine and is the main factor contributing to the hyperalkaline and hypersaline character of the lakes. Villiaumite, sylvite, alkaline earth carbonates, fluorapatite and silica are also predicted to precipitate, but most of them have not been observed in evaporation experiments, either because of the small amount of precipitates produced, kinetic effects delaying the nucleation of some phases, or by biologically induced effects in the lake chemistry that are not considered in our calculations. Even in these cases, the chemical composition in the corresponding ions allows for discussion on their accumulation and the eventual precipitation of these phases. The coupling of in-situ and ex-situ experiments and geochemical modelling is key to understanding the hydrogeochemical and hydroclimatic conditions of soda lakes, evaporite settings, and potentially soda oceans of early Earth and other extraterrestrial bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2022.121222","authors":["Melese Getenet","Fermı́n Otálora","Franziska Emmerling","Dominik Al‐Sabbagh","Juan Manuel Garcı́a-Ruiz"],"tags":["Halite","Geology","Evaporite","Precipitation","Carbonate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-11-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2022.121222","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W1976609577","name":"Ion probe determinations of the rare earth concentrations of individual meteoritic phosphate grains","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-821x(85)90033-0","authors":["G. Crozaz","E. Zinner"],"tags":["Geology","Ion","Range (aeronautics)","Chondrite","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1985-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-821x(85)90033-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2337915575","name":"Megafloral change across the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary in the northern Great Plains and Rocky Mountains, U.S.A.","source":"openalex","abstract":"Intensive collecting of Maastrichtian and early Paleocene plant megafossils (primarily leaves) in the northern Rocky Mountains and Great Plains has resulted in a database of nearly 25,000 specimens from more than 200 localities in eight areas. The most completely sampled section is at Marmarth, in southwestern North Dakota, where 57 latest Cretaceous and 30 early Paleocene localities (11,503 specimens) span the Cretaceous/Tertiary (K/T) boundary. Zonation of the Marmarth megaflora based on floral composition and relative abundance results in four zones: HC I, HC II, HC III, and FU I. This megafloral zonation appears to be applicable to terrestrial sediments across the northern Great Plains and Rocky Mountains and to correlate with the Western Interior ammonite zonation. The zones reflect major megafloral changes before and at the K/T boundary. Megafloral change at the boundary is large (79 percent) and is characterized by the disappearance of most of the Upper Cretaceous dicotyledonous angiosperm taxa. It coincides with a peak in palynofloral extinctions and iridium content and with the occurrence of shocked mineral grains, all of which have become accepted as the characteristic signature of the K/T boundary and as indications of an abrupt causal mechanism. In contrast, the megafloral changes before the boundary appear to have been caused by a regional climate warming. The fact that the megafloral zones are not reflected by palynostratigraphy argues for using an integrated approach to biostratigraphy that combines the high stratigraphic resolution of palynomorphs with the high taxonomic resolution of megafossils. Results of this analysis of the terrestrial plant record are compatible with the hypothesis of a biotic crisis caused by extraterrestrial impact at the end of the Cretaceous.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/spe247-p433","authors":["Kirk R. Johnson","Leo Hickey"],"tags":["Cretaceous","Geology","Paleontology","Section (typography)","Physical geography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1990-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1130/spe247-p433","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W1603505652","name":"The mineral composition and spatial distribution of the dust ejecta of NGC 6302","source":"openalex","abstract":"We have analysed the full ISO spectrum of the planetary nebula NGC 6302 in order to derive the mineralogical composition of the dust in the nebula. We use an optically thin dust model in combination with laboratory measurements of cosmic dust analogues. We find two main temperature components at about 100 and 50 K respectively, with distinctly different dust compositions. The warm component contains an important contribution from dust without strong infrared resonances. In particular the presence of small warm amorphous silicate grains can be excluded. The detection of weak PAH bands also points to a peculiar chemical composition of the dust in this oxygen-rich nebula. The cool dust component contains the bulk of the mass and shows strong emission from crystalline silicates, which contain about 10 percent of the mass. In addition, we identify the 92 μm band with the mineral calcite, and argue that the 60 μm band contains a contribution from the carbonate dolomite. We present the mass absorption coefficients of six different carbonate minerals. The geometry of the dust shell around NGC 6302 is studied with mid-infrared images obtained with TIMMI2. We argue that the cool dust component is present in a circumstellar dust torus, while the diffuse emission from the warm component originates from the lobes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20021119","authors":["F. Kemper","F. J. Molster","C. Jäger","L. B. F. M. Waters"],"tags":["Circumstellar dust","Ejecta","Cosmic dust","Astrophysics","Silicate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-10-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20021119","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W4220766748","name":"Focused ultrasound extraction versus microwave-assisted extraction for extraterrestrial objects analysis","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-022-04004-8","authors":["Ramzi Timoumi","Pascaline François","A. Le Postollec","M. Dobrijévic","Brian Grégoire","Pauline Poinot","Claude Geffroy-Rodier"],"tags":["Derivatization","Extraction (chemistry)","Sample preparation","Chemistry","Chromatography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-022-04004-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W154873175","name":"Uranium isotopic analysis of terrestrial and extraterrestrial samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"For several decades, an invariable 238U/235U ratio of 137.88 was assumed throughout the solar system, including Earth, due to uranium‘s heavy mass. However, recent studies have shown surprisingly variable 238U/235U values in terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments, including both low- and high-temperature settings. This has profound implications for both the accuracy of the U-Pb chronometer and understanding isotopic fractionation of the heavy elements. Isotope fractionation between 238U and 235U is controlled by both mass-dependent, and nuclear volume-dependent fractionation mechanisms during geochemical reactions. Mass-dependent effects preferentially remove the lighter 235U isotope from the residue, while volume-dependent fractionation preferentially removes the heavier 238U isotope, leaving the residue isotopically lighter. In this study, 238U/235U was determined with high analytical precision on samples from a range of terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments, utilizing a 233U-236U double spike procedure and multiple collector ICP-MS. A terrestrial 238U/235U reference value for ‘Bulk Silicate Earth‘ of 137.795 ± 0.008 was determined, revoking the previously assumed value of 137.88. Additional uranium isotopic measurements of a wide range of low-temperature environments provide key insights into the mechanisms driving uranium isotopic shifts. To this end, uranium isotopic fractionation controlled by volume-dependent effects of 0.36‰ were observed at the redox interface of an anoxic basin. Most likely, this mechanism is induced by microbially-mediated uranium reduction, which preferentially removes isotopically heavy U(IV) from the water column. This process is in agreement with Rayleigh fractionation in a closed system, corresponding to a fractionation factor of α of 0.9985 between the aqueous (oxidized) and solid (reduced) phase. In contrast, a 238U/235U fractionation of 0.35‰ heavier isotopic compositions was observed in the aqueous phase of an aquifer, following mass-dependent fractionation caused by adsorption processes. Equally significant results were obtained from extraterrestrial meteorites. Samples of different meteorite groups, namely angrites, eucrites and chondrites, show homogeneous uranium isotope compositions between groups, but variations between single samples within the groups. The investigations of low-temperature samples indicate that these variations are likely caused by redox related fractionation during accretion processes, aqueous alteration, or thermal metamorphism, although no direct evidence of these processes was found. Fractionation mechanisms aside, the 238U/235U ratios of the angrites analyzed result in revised absolute Pb-Pb ages for this important group of achondrites that are ~1 Myr younger than previously assumed. This reconciles previously reported deviations between absolute Pb-Pb ages and those obtained utilizing different extinct short-lived chronometers. Revised Pb-Pb ages of the carbonaceous chondrite Allende, including chondrules and a calcium-aluminium rich inclusion extracted from it, combined with other recent data [Connelly et al., 2012] give rise to a CAI formation age of 4567.30 ± 0.30 Myr, representing a revised age for the beginning of the solar system and an extended interval of chondrule formation of ~3 Myr. These new uranium isotopic data also have implications for the 247Cm-235U short-lived chronometer, yielding an initial 247Cm/235U at the beginning of solar system formation of 2.9 x 10-4 - 1.5 x 10-3, using Nd and Th as proxies for the extinct Cm. The resulting time interval of free decay between the last r-process event and solar system formation corresponds to 140-195 Myr, in very good agreement with previously published data.","url":"https://openalex.org/W154873175","authors":["Angela Kaltenbach"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Uranium","Astrobiology","Isotope analysis","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W1972177555","name":"An extraterrestrial habitat on earth: The algal mat of Don Jaun Pond","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0273-1177(83)90171-0","authors":["B. Z. Siegel","S. M. Siegel","J. Chen","Paul A. LaRock"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Earth (classical element)","Astrobiology","Habitat","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1983-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0273-1177(83)90171-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W200172106","name":"On the Prebiotic Synthesis of Nucleobases, Nucleotides, Oligonucleotides, Pre-RNA and Pre-DNA Molecules","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/b136152","authors":["Raffaele Saladino","Claudia Crestini","Giovanna Costanzo","Ernesto DiMauro"],"tags":["Nucleobase","Oligonucleotide","Nucleotide","RNA","DNA"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-10-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/b136152","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2093640087","name":"Missions to Mars: Characterisation of Mars analogue rocks for the International Space Analogue Rockstore (ISAR)","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2013.04.006","authors":["N. Bost","Francès Westall","Claire Ramboz","Frédéric Foucher","D. Pullan","Alain Meunier","Sabine Petit","I. Fleischer","G. Klingelhöfer","Jorge L. Vago"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Exploration of Mars","Geology","Astrobiology","Basalt"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-04-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2013.04.006","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2061716564","name":"In vitro formation of Ca-oxalates and the mineral glushinskite by fungal interaction with carbonate substrates and seawater","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. This study investigates the in vitro formation of Ca-oxalates and glushinskite through fungal interaction with carbonate substrates and seawater as a process of biologically induced metal recycling and neo-mineral formation. The study also emphasizes the role of the substrates as metal donors. In the first experiment, thin sections prepared from dolomitic rock samples of Terwagne Formation (Carboniferous, Viséan, northern France) served as substrates. The thin sections placed in Petri dishes were exposed to fungi grown from naturally existing airborne spores. In the second experiment, fungal growth and mineral formation was monitored using only standard seawater (SSW) as a substrate. Fungal growth media consisted of a high protein/carbohydrates and sugar diet with demineralized water for irrigation. Fungal growth process reached completion under uncontrolled laboratory conditions. The newly formed minerals and textural changes caused by fungal attack on the carbonate substrates were investigated using light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDX), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. The fungal interaction and attack on the dolomitic and seawater substrates resulted in the formation of Ca-oxalates (weddellite CaC2O4·2(H2O), whewellite (CaC2O4·(H2O)) and glushinskite MgC2O4·2(H2O) associated with the destruction of the original hard substrates and their replacement by the new minerals. Both of Ca and Mg were mobilized from the experimental substrates by fungi. This metal mobilization involved a recycling of substrate metals into newly formed minerals. The biochemical and diagenetic results of the interaction strongly marked the attacked substrates with a biological fingerprint. Such fingerprints are biomarkers of primitive life. The formation of glushinskite is of specific importance that is related, besides its importance as a biomineral bearing a recycled Mg, to the possibility of its transformation through diagenetic pathway into an Mg carbonate. This work is the first report on the in vitro formation of the mineral glushinskite through fungal interaction with carbonate and seawater substrates. Besides recording the detailed Raman signature of various crystal habits of Mg- and Ca-oxalates, the Raman spectroscopy proved two new crystal habits for glushinskite. The results of this work document the role of microorganisms as metal recyclers in biomineralization, neo-mineral formation, sediment diagenesis, bioweathering and in the production of mineral and diagenetic biomarkers. They also reveal the capacity of living fungi to interact with liquid substrates and precipitate new minerals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2-277-2005","authors":["Kamal Kolo","Philippe Claeys"],"tags":["Mineral","Substrate (aquarium)","Carbonate","Seawater","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-10-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2-277-2005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W4323664343","name":"Interaction between clay minerals and organics in asteroid Ryugu","source":"openalex","abstract":"la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publis ou non, manant des tablissements d'enseignement et de recherche franais ou trangers, des laboratoires publics ou privs.","url":"https://doi.org/10.7185/geochemlet.2307","authors":["J.-C. Viennet","M. Roskosz","T. Nakamura","P. Beck","Benoı̂t Baptiste","Barbara Lavina","E.E. Alp","M.Y. Hu","J. Zhao","M. Gounelle","R. Brunetto","H. Yurimoto"],"tags":["Asteroid","Clay minerals","Astrobiology","Geology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.7185/geochemlet.2307","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2162284632","name":"Terrestrial alteration of carbonate in a suite of Antarctic CM chondrites: Evidence from oxygen and carbon isotopes","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2006.10.023","authors":["M. A. Tyra","James Farquhar","Boswell A. Wing","G. K. Benedix","A. J. T. Jull","Terri Jackson","M. H. Thiemens"],"tags":["Carbonate","Geology","Meteorite","Chondrite","Weathering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-12-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2006.10.023","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2889697642","name":"The extraterrestrial impact evidence at the Palaeocene–Eocene boundary and sequence of environmental change on the continental shelf","source":"openalex","abstract":"We have identified clear evidence of an extraterrestrial impact within the onset of the carbon isotope excursion (CIE) that defines the Palaeocene–Eocene (P-E) boundary hyperthermal event (approx. 56 Ma) from several sites on the eastern Atlantic Coastal Plain and offshore. We review and update the state of the evidence for an impact at the P-E boundary, including a K-Ar cooling age of the ejecta that is indistinguishable from the depositional age at the P-E, which establishes the ejecta horizon as an isochronous stratigraphic indicator at the P-E. Immediately above the ejecta peak at the base of the coastal plain Marlboro Clay unit, we identify a sharp increase in charcoal abundance coincident with the previously observed dramatic increase in magnetic nanoparticles of soil pyrogenic origin. We therefore revisit the observed sequence of events through the P-E boundary on the western Atlantic Coastal Plain, showing that an extraterrestrial impact led to wildfires, landscape denudation and deposition of the thick Marlboro Clay, whose base coincides with the spherule horizon and CIE onset. The Sr/Ca ratio of the spherules indicates that the carbon responsible for the onset may be vaporized CaCO 3 target rock mixed with isotopically light carbon from the impactor or elsewhere. Crucially, we do not argue that the impact was responsible for the full manifestation of the CIE observed globally (onset to recovery approx. 170 kyr), rather that a rapid onset was triggered by the impact and followed by additional carbon from other processes such as the eruption of the North Atlantic Igneous Province. Such a scenario agrees well with recent modelling work, though it should be revisited more explicitly. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Hyperthermals: rapid and extreme global warming in our geological past’.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2017.0081","authors":["Morgan F. Schaller","Megan K. Fung"],"tags":["Ejecta","Geology","Sedimentary depositional environment","Coastal plain","Paleontology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-09-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2017.0081","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2281488369","name":"The Verwey structure of a natural magnetite","source":"pubmed","abstract":"A remarkably complex electronic order of Fe(2+)/Fe(3+) charges, Fe(2+) orbital states, and weakly metal-metal bonded Fe3 units known as trimerons, was recently discovered in stoichiometric magnetite (Fe3O4) below the 125 K Verwey transition. Here, the low temperature crystal structure of a natural magnetite from a mineral sample has been determined using the same microcrystal synchrotron X-ray diffraction method. Structure refinement demonstrates that the natural sample has the same complex electronic order as pure synthetic magnetite, with only minor reductions of orbital and trimeron distortions. Chemical analysis shows that the natural sample contains dopants such as Al, Si, Mg and Mn at comparable concentrations to extraterrestrial magnetites, for example, as reported in the Tagish Lake meteorite. Much extraterrestrial magnetite exists at temperatures below the Verwey transition and hence our study demonstrates that the low temperature phase of magnetite represents the most complex long-range electronic order known to occur naturally.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1039/c5cc10495e","authors":["Giuditta Perversi","James Cumby","Elise Pachoud","Jonathan P. Wright","J. Paul Attfield","Perversi G","Cumby J","Pachoud E","Wright JP","Attfield JP"],"tags":["Magnetite","Charge ordering","Meteorite","Phase (matter)","Materials science"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016 Apr 7","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1039/c5cc10495e","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"oa:W2156666418","name":"The stable vanadium isotope composition of the mantle and mafic lavas","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2013.01.010","authors":["Julie Prytulak","Sune G. Nielsen","Dmitri A. Ionov","Alex N. Halliday","Jason Harvey","K. A. Kelley","Yaoling Niu","D.W. Peate","Kenji Shimizu","Kenneth W.W. Sims"],"tags":["Mafic","Geochemistry","Geology","Mantle (geology)","Basalt"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-02-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2013.01.010","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2783875166","name":"Bacterial iron reduction and biogenic mineral formation for the stabilisation of corroded iron objects","source":"openalex","abstract":"Exploiting bacterial metabolism for the stabilisation of corroded iron artefacts is a promising alternative to conventional conservation-restoration methods. Bacterial iron reduction coupled to biogenic mineral formation has been shown to promote the conversion of reactive into stable corrosion products that are integrated into the natural corrosion layer of the object. However, in order to stabilise iron corrosion, the formation of specific biogenic minerals is essential. In this study, we used the facultative anaerobe Shewanella loihica for the production of stable biogenic iron minerals under controlled chemical conditions. The biogenic formation of crystalline iron phosphates was observed after iron reduction in a solution containing Fe(III) citrate. When the same biological treatment was applied on corroded iron plates, a layer composed of iron phosphates and iron carbonates was formed. Surface and cross-section analyses demonstrated that these two stable corrosion products replaced 81% of the reactive corrosion layer after two weeks of treatment. Such results demonstrate the potential of a biological treatment in the development of a stabilisation method to preserve corroded iron objects.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-19020-3","authors":["Wafa Kooli","Lucrezia Comensoli","Julien Maillard","Monica Albini","Arnaud Gelb","Pilar Junier","Édith Joseph"],"tags":["Corrosion","Layer (electronics)","Chemistry","Metallurgy","Mineral"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-01-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-19020-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2156545702","name":"IONIZATION IN ATMOSPHERES OF BROWN DWARFS AND EXTRASOLAR PLANETS. III. BREAKDOWN CONDITIONS FOR MINERAL CLOUDS","source":"openalex","abstract":"Electric discharges were detected directly in the cloudy atmospheres of Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn, are debatable for Venus, and indirectly inferred for Neptune and Uranus in our solar system. Sprites (and other types of transient luminous events) have been detected only on Earth, and are theoretically predicted for Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus. Cloud formation is a common phenomenon in ultra-cool atmospheres such as in brown dwarf and extrasolar planetary atmospheres. Cloud particles can be expected to carry considerable charges which may trigger discharge events via small-scale processes between individual cloud particles (intra-cloud discharges) or large-scale processes between clouds (inter-cloud discharges). We investigate electrostatic breakdown characteristics, like critical field strengths and critical charge densities per surface, to demonstrate under which conditions mineral clouds undergo electric discharge events which may trigger or be responsible for sporadic X-ray emission. We apply results from our kinetic dust cloud formation model that is part of the Drift–Phoenix model atmosphere simulations. We present a first investigation of the dependence of the breakdown conditions in brown dwarf and giant gas exoplanets on the local gas-phase chemistry, the effective temperature, and primordial gas-phase metallicity. Our results suggest that different intra-cloud discharge processes dominate at different heights inside mineral clouds: local coronal (point discharges) and small-scale sparks at the bottom region of the cloud where the gas density is high, and flow discharges and large-scale sparks near, and maybe above, the cloud top. The comparison of the thermal degree of ionization and the number density of cloud particles allows us to suggest the efficiency with which discharges will occur in planetary atmospheres.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/767/2/136","authors":["Ch. Helling","M. Jardine","C. R. Stark","D. A. Diver"],"tags":["Uranus","Gas giant","Exoplanet","Physics","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-04-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/767/2/136","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2067045251","name":"Magnetic study of meteorites recovered in the Atacama desert (Chile): Implications for meteorite paleomagnetism and the stability of hot desert surfaces","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pepi.2012.04.007","authors":["Minoru Uehara","J. Gattacceca","P. Rochette","François Demory","Edith Millarca Valenzuela"],"tags":["Meteorite","Natural remanent magnetization","Weathering","Geology","Magnetization"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-04-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pepi.2012.04.007","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2016732836","name":"The lunar moho and the internal structure of the Moon: A geophysical perspective","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2013.02.024","authors":["A. Khan","Anne Pommier","G. A. Neumann","Klaus Mosegaard"],"tags":["Geology","Geophysics","Mantle (geology)","Seismometer","Seismology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-02-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2013.02.024","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W3163591462","name":"Minerals and the Origin of Life","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65706-2_8","authors":["Celso Gomes","Michel Rautureau"],"tags":["History"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65706-2_8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2735995758","name":"Electron Transfer between Electrically Conductive Minerals and Quinones","source":"openalex","abstract":"Long-distance electron transfer in marine environments couples physically separated redox half-reactions, impacting biogeochemical cycles of iron, sulfur and carbon. Bacterial bio-electrochemical systems that facilitate electron transfer via conductive filaments or across man-made electrodes are well-known, but the impact of abiotic currents across naturally occurring conductive and semiconductive minerals is poorly understood. In this paper I use cyclic voltammetry to explore electron transfer between electrodes made of common iron minerals (magnetite, hematite, pyrite, pyrrhotite, mackinawite, and greigite), and hydroquinones-a class of organic molecules found in carbon-rich sediments. Of all tested minerals, only pyrite and magnetite showed an increase in electric current in the presence of organic molecules, with pyrite showing excellent electrocatalytic performance. Pyrite electrodes performed better than commercially available glassy carbon electrodes and showed higher peak currents, lower overpotential values and a smaller separation between oxidation and reduction peaks for each tested quinone. Hydroquinone oxidation on pyrite surfaces was reversible, diffusion controlled, and stable over a large number of potential cycles. Given the ubiquity of both pyrite and quinones, abiotic electron transfer between minerals and organic molecules is likely widespread in Nature and may contribute to several different phenomena, including anaerobic respiration of a wide variety of microorganisms in temporally anoxic zones or in the proximity of hydrothermal vent chimneys, as well as quinone cycling and the propagation of anoxic zones in organic rich waters. Finally, interactions between pyrite and quinones make use of electrochemical gradients that have been suggested as an important source of energy for the origins of life on Earth. Ubiquinones and iron sulfide clusters are common redox cofactors found in electron transport chains across all domains of life and interactions between quinones and pyrite might have been an early analog of these ubiquitous systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2017.00049","authors":["Olga Taran"],"tags":["Electrical conductor","Electrically conductive","Electron transfer","Materials science","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2017.00049","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W1512183039","name":"Mining outer space","source":"openalex","abstract":"The need to develop new mineral resources as terrestrial supplies are depleted could lead to mining efforts in outer space, where other bodies can be found with materials similar to those of the earth. The high cost of direct sampling requires that earth-based observations be made first, followed by unmanned flights and landing missions. The surface composition of over 100 metal-rich asteroids has already been measured by reflectance spectroscopy. A determination of retrievability and obtainable economic and social benefits is needed before mining of extraterrestrial minerals is undertaken. The possible economic benefits of nickel-iron mining are developed, and ecological and political advantages of not mining low-grade ores on earth are emphasized. Although no legal framework exists for mining in space, the same arrangements could be used that were developed for the sea floor. Solar energy could be used for refining and processing materials during transport through space. All transport options are energy-intensive and must be able to accomplish two velocity changes in order to push the material out of the sun's orbit and into the earth's orbit. Safety requires that the re-entry mass be of lower density than water. Other problems will involve developing an acceptable life for space miners.more » 21 references. (DCK)« less","url":"https://openalex.org/W1512183039","authors":["M. J. Gaffey","T. B. McCord"],"tags":["Outer space","Space (punctuation)","Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1977-06-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2724309842","name":"Predicting olivine composition using Raman spectroscopy through band shift and multivariate analyses","source":"openalex","abstract":"Olivine group minerals are ubiquitous in extrusive igneous rocks and play an important role in constraining equilibria for samples in the upper mantle and above. All Raman spectra of the olivine group minerals in the solid solution between forsterite (Fo, Mg 2 SiO 4 ) and fayalite (Fa, Fe 2 SiO 4 ) have a high-intensity doublet between 800 and 880 cm –1 . Previous studies used small sample suites with limited compositional ranges and varying spectrometers to relate energy shifts of these two bands to Mg/Fe contents. In this work, Raman spectra of 93 olivine samples were acquired on either Bruker’s 532 nm (laser wavelength) Senterra or BRAVO (785/852.3 nm) spectrometer. This paper compares the two-peak band shift univariate method with two multivariate methods: partial least squares (PLS) and the least absolute shrinkage operator (Lasso). Data sets from several instruments are also examined to assess the most accurate method for predicting olivine composition from a Raman spectrum. Our 181-spectra PLS model is recommended for use when determining olivine composition from a Raman spectrum. For Raman spectra of mixed phases where only the olivine doublet can be identified, composition can best be determined using the position of the peak ca. 838–857 cm –1 through use of the regression equation %Fo = –0.179625 x 2 + 310.077 x –133 717 (where x = DB2 centroid in units of cm – 1 ). In situ methods for predicting mineral composition on planetary surfaces are critically important to extraterrestrial exploration going forward; of these, Raman spectroscopy is likely the best, as shown by the impending deployment of several Raman instruments to Mars (ExoMars and Mars 2020). More broadly, application of machine learning methods to spectral data processing have implications to multiple fields that use spectroscopic data.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2018-6291","authors":["L. B. Breitenfeld","M. D. Dyar","CJ Carey","Thomas J. Tague","Peng Wang","Terry Mullen","M. Parente"],"tags":["Olivine","Fayalite","Forsterite","Raman spectroscopy","Analytical Chemistry (journal)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-07-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2018-6291","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W3203782425","name":"Solar wind contributions to Earth’s oceans","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-021-01487-w","authors":["Luke Daly","Martin Lee","L. J. Hallis","H. A. Ishii","J. P. Bradley","P. A. Bland","David W. Saxey","Denis Fougerouse","William D.A. Rickard","L. V. Forman","Nicholas E. Timms","Fred Jourdan"],"tags":["Earth (classical element)","Astrobiology","Solar wind","Environmental science","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-11-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-021-01487-w","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2091001847","name":"Microbial biosignatures in evaporite deposits: Evidence from Death Valley, California","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2003.08.005","authors":["Susanne Douglas"],"tags":["Evaporite","Sulfur","Mineral","Geology","Extreme environment"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-11-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2003.08.005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2908211229","name":"Effects of pulsed laser and plasma interaction on Fe, Ni, Ti, and their oxides for LIBS Raman analysis in extraterrestrial environments","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Laser‐induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and Raman spectroscopy have a high potential for in situ geochemical and mineralogical analyses for planetary exploration, in particular in combination. The SuperCam instrument onboard NASA's Mars 2020 rover will use both techniques together on another planet for the first time. The high‐power pulsed LIBS laser ablates material, and a small luminous plasma is produced for spectral analysis. The laser–matter interaction and the plasma shock wave can alter the sample surface, and new molecules can be produced, which deposit close to the LIBS ablation crater. Subsequent Raman analysis might then not sample the original structure. Here, we investigated pure metals (Fe, Ni, and Ti), the iron‐containing oxides hematite and ilmenite, and a fragment of the Gibeon meteorite in terrestrial ambient conditions, in simulated Martian atmospheric conditions, and in vacuum. LIBS ablation craters and their close proximity were studied with subsequent Raman analysis. Our analysis shows that Earth and Mars atmosphere provide enough oxygen in the LIBS plasma to produce oxides with metals from the sample. These can then be observed in the Raman data. Also, carbon was seen in some of the Raman data from the sample after the LIBS measurement. On hematite, a reduction of the mineral, that is, the presence of magnetite, was observed inside the LIBS crater for terrestrial and Martian atmospheric conditions and in vacuum. For the analysis and correct interpretation of Raman data it is important to be aware that alteration could have occurred by a preceding LIBS measurement. Raman analysis of several positions close to the LIBS ablation crater can help to infer the original and a possibly altered structure.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.5650","authors":["Susanne Schröder","Kristin Rammelkamp","Franziska Hanke","I. Weber","David Vogt","Sven Frohmann","Simon Kubitza","Ute Böttger","Heinz‐Wilhelm Hübers"],"tags":["Raman spectroscopy","Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy","Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Hematite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-07-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.5650","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2758060024","name":"Fundamental relations of mineral specific magnetic carriers for paleointensity determination","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pepi.2017.09.008","authors":["G. Kletetschka","M. A. Wieczorek"],"tags":["Thermoremanent magnetization","Remanence","Magnetization","Rock magnetism","Maghemite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-09-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pepi.2017.09.008","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W3022640038","name":"Extraterrestrial transitions: Desirable transport futures on earth and in outer space","source":"openalex","abstract":"Transport is frequently cited as one of the most expedient means by which humankind affects Earth's ecosystem. Indeed, as underscored by the Anthropocene proposition, transport-related impacts are significant to the point of resulting in alterations of the planet's geological structure. Rising awareness of such issues has led to increasing attention on the priority of achieving a radically decarbonised transport future. However, that vision stands in stark contrast to the aspirations of pro-space advocates who are in the process of initiating an alternate transport future facilitated by greatly increased – and highly carbon-intensive – access to outer space. This rapidly emerging ‘beyond Earth’ transport paradigm enormously expands the spatio-temporal boundaries of human transport and human impact. This article reviews prominent visions of desirable ‘terrestrial’ (Earth-bound) transport futures. We then critically consider the transport futures envisioned by advocates of space development. This enables us to construct a dialectics of two coexisting but sharply contrasting contemporary schools of thought. We identify a highly significant divide, with one set of discourses arguing for reigning in human influence while the other set seeks unfettered expansion. Our analysis indicates fundamental divergences in the assumptions and aims of terrestrial versus space-focussed transport discourses. We conclude that the largely unrecognised and unacknowledged tensions between these contrasting desirable transport futures will be difficult to resolve.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2020.101541","authors":["Sam Spector","James Higham","Stefan Gößling"],"tags":["Futures contract","Vision","Anthropocene","Outer space","Space (punctuation)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-04-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2020.101541","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2028636605","name":"Thermal Expansion Measurements of Simulated Lunar Rocks","source":"openalex","abstract":"Thermal expansion measurements were made on fourteen kinds of rock over a temperature range of approximately −140°C to 950°C. Chosen as likely to be representative of those to be found on the lunar surface, these rocks include a broad range of physical and chemical compositions from the large areas of volcanism in Oregon and northern California, and two non‐volcanic types. Analysis was performed on the expansion data that produced a direct plot of instantaneous coefficient of thermal expansion as a function of temperature. The data presented will add to the basic scientific and engineering knowledge needed to utilize extraterrestrial mineral resources for support of future space missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2948570","authors":["Russell E. Griffin","S. G. Demou","Hugh C. Wolfe","M. G. Graham","H. E. Hagy"],"tags":["Volcanism","Thermal expansion","Volcano","Geology","Range (aeronautics)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1972-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2948570","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W1988729493","name":"Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy for Elemental Analysis in Environmental, Cultural Heritage and Space Applications: A Review of Methods and Results","source":"openalex","abstract":"Analytical applications of Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS), namely optical emission spectroscopy of laser-induced plasmas, have been constantly growing thanks to its intrinsic conceptual simplicity and versatility. Qualitative and quantitative analysis can be performed by LIBS both by drawing calibration lines and by using calibration-free methods and some of its features, so as fast multi-elemental response, micro-destructiveness, instrumentation portability, have rendered it particularly suitable for analytical applications in the field of environmental science, space exploration and cultural heritage. This review reports and discusses LIBS achievements in these areas and results obtained for soils and aqueous samples, meteorites and terrestrial samples simulating extraterrestrial planets, and cultural heritage samples, including buildings and objects of various kinds.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/s100807434","authors":["R. Gaudiuso","M. Dell’Aglio","O. De Pascale","N. Senesi","Alessandro De Giacomo"],"tags":["Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy","Software portability","Cultural heritage","Spectroscopy","Remote sensing"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-08-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/s100807434","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W4210394614","name":"Zolenskyite, FeCr2S4, a new sulfide mineral from the Indarch meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Zolenskyite (IMA 2020-070), FeCr2S4, is a new sulfide mineral that occurs within troilite, with clinoenstatite and tridymite, in the matrix of the Indarch meteorite, an EH4 enstatite chondrite. The mean chemical composition of zolenskyite determined by electron probe microanalysis, is (wt%) S 43.85, Cr 35.53, Fe 18.94, Mn 0.68, Ca 0.13, total 99.13, yielding an empirical formula of Fe0.99Mn0.04Ca0.01Cr1.99S3.98. The ideal formula is FeCr2S4. Electron backscatter diffraction shows that zolenskyite has the C2/m CrNb2Se4-Cr3S4-type structure of synthetic FeCr2S4, which has a = 12.84(1) Å, b = 3.44(1) Å, c = 5.94(1) Å, β = 117(1)°, V = 234(6) Å3, and Z = 2. The calculated density using the measured composition is 4.09 g/cm3. Zolenskyite is a monoclinic polymorph of daubréelite. It may be a high-pressure phase, formed from daubréelite at high pressures (several gigapascals) and moderate temperatures in highly shocked regions of the EH parent asteroid before becoming incorporated into Indarch via impact mixing. Zolenskyite survived moderate annealing of the Indarch whole-rock. The new mineral is named in honor of Michael E. Zolensky, an esteemed cosmochemist and mineralo-gist at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, for his contributions to research on extraterrestrial materials, including enstatite chondrites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2022-8094","authors":["Chi Ma","Alan E. Rubin"],"tags":["Enstatite","Meteorite","Chondrite","Troilite","Mineral"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2022-8094","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W1968397024","name":"Micrometeorites and Their Implications for Meteors","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11038-007-9185-z","authors":["M. J. Genge"],"tags":["Meteoroid","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Atmospheric entry","Interplanetary dust cloud"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-11-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11038-007-9185-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2418237462","name":"Extraterrestrial synthesis","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/350388a0","authors":["Everett L. Shock","M. Schulte"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1991-04-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/350388a0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2138164278","name":"Nir reflectance spectroscopy of mafic minerals in the temperature range between 80 and 473 K","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0273-1177(99)00193-3","authors":["U. Schade","R. Wäsch"],"tags":["Augite","Mafic","Mineralogy","Basalt","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0273-1177(99)00193-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2908328630","name":"Nanoscale infrared imaging analysis of carbonaceous chondrites to understand organic-mineral interactions during aqueous alteration","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Organic matter in carbonaceous chondrites is distributed in fine-grained matrix. To understand pre- and postaccretion history of organic matter and its association with surrounding minerals, microscopic techniques are mandatory. Infrared (IR) spectroscopy is a useful technique, but the spatial resolution of IR is limited to a few micrometers, due to the diffraction limit. In this study, we applied the high spatial resolution IR imaging method to CM2 carbonaceous chondrites Murchison and Bells, which is based on an atomic force microscopy (AFM) with its tip detecting thermal expansion of a sample resulting from absorption of infrared radiation. We confirmed that this technique permits ∼30 nm spatial resolution organic analysis for the meteorite samples. The IR imaging results are consistent with the previously reported association of organic matter and phyllosilicates, but our results are at much higher spatial resolution. This observation of heterogeneous distributions of the functional groups of organic matter revealed its association with minerals at ∼30 nm spatial resolution in meteorite samples by IR spectroscopy.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1816265116","authors":["Yoko Kebukawa","Hanae Kobayashi","Norio Urayama","Naoki Baden","Masashi Kondo","M. E. Zolensky","Kensei Kobayashi"],"tags":["Chondrite","Mineral","Nanoscopic scale","Infrared","Organic matter"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1816265116","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"oa:W2913184755","name":"The discovery of Lake Hephaestus, the youngest athalassohaline deep-sea formation on Earth","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Hydrated, magnesium-rich minerals and subglacial brines exist on the martian surface, so the habitability of high-Mg2+ environments on Earth has extraterrestrial (as well as terrestrial) implications. Here, we report the discovery of a MgCl2-dominated (4.72 M) brine lake on the floor of the Mediterranean Ridge that underlies a 3500-m water column, and name it Lake Hephaestus. Stable isotope analyses indicated that the Hephaestus brine is derived from interactions between ancient bishofite-enriched evaporites and subsurface fluids. Analyses of sediment pore waters indicated that the Hephaestus depression had contained the MgCl2 brine for a remarkably short period; only 700 years. Lake Hephaestus is, therefore, the youngest among currently known submarine athalassohaline brine lakes on Earth. Due to its biologically hostile properties (low water-activity and extreme chaotropicity), the Hephaestus brine is devoid of life. By contrast, the seawater-Hephaestus brine interface has been shown to act as refuge for extremely halophilic and magnesium-adapted stratified communities of microbes, even at MgCl2 concentrations that approach the water-activity limit for life (0.653).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-38444-z","authors":["Violetta La Cono","Giovanni Bortoluzzi","Enzo Messina","Gina La Spada","Francesco Smedile","Laura Giuliano","Mireno Borghini","Christine Stumpp","Philippe Schmitt‐Kopplin","Mourad Harir","William K. O’Neill","John E. Hallsworth","Michail M. Yakimov"],"tags":["Brine","Evaporite","Geology","Seawater","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-38444-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2611434017","name":"Evidence of cross-cutting and redox reaction in Khatyrka meteorite reveals metallic-Al minerals formed in outer space","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We report on a fragment of the quasicrystal-bearing CV3 carbonaceous chondrite Khatyrka recovered from fine-grained, clay-rich sediments in the Koryak Mountains, Chukotka (Russia). We show higher melting-point silicate glass cross-cutting lower melting-point Al-Cu-Fe alloys, as well as unambiguous evidence of a reduction-oxidation reaction history between Al-Cu-Fe alloys and silicate melt. The redox reactions involve reduction of FeO and SiO2 to Fe and Fe-Si metal, and oxidation of metallic Al to Al2O3, occurring where silicate melt was in contact with Al-Cu-Fe alloys. In the reaction zone, there are metallic Fe and Fe-Si beads, aluminous spinel rinds on the Al-Cu-Fe alloys, and Al2O3 enrichment in the silicate melt surrounding the alloys. From this and other evidence, we demonstrate that Khatyrka must have experienced at least two distinct events: first, an event as early as 4.564 Ga in which the first Al-Cu-Fe alloys formed; and, second, a more recent impact-induced shock in space that led to transformations of and reactions between the alloys and the meteorite matrix. The new evidence firmly establishes that the Al-Cu-Fe alloys (including quasicrystals) formed in outer space in a complex, multi-stage process.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-01445-5","authors":["Chaney Lin","L. S. Hollister","G. J. MacPherson","Luca Bindi","Chi Ma","Christopher L. Andronicos","Paul J. Steinhardt"],"tags":["Silicate","Meteorite","Redox","Metal","Spinel"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-05-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-01445-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W1977600596","name":"Techniques for the study of fossil tracks in extraterrestrial and terrestrial samples. I: Methods of high contrast and high resolution study","source":"openalex","abstract":"Techniques developed for high contrast optical examination and high resolution study of fossil tracks are described. We find that depositing a thin layer of silver (or gold) on the surfaces of trackholes greatly enhances optical contrast allowing accurate measurement of track lengths. This technique has been successfully employed to measure lengths of “complete” tracks using the TINT and TINCLE method. Such measurements are useful in a study of the chemical composition of cosmic radiation and fossil records of transuranic elements in lunar and meteoritic samples. Another application for silver (or gold) coating of track hole surfaces lies in the study of long tracks due to cosmic ray nuclei of Z>30; epoxy resin adheres firmly to the coated surface and the tracks can be sealed against further chemical attack. The plastic replication and Pd shadowing technique was developed and used to examine fossil tracks occurring with high track densities, >107cm-2, in gas rich meteorites and in lunar regolith samples. The method seems to be accurate up to densities of about 3 × 109 cm-2.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2343/geochemj.5.95","authors":["D. MacDougall","Devendra Lal","L. L. Wilkening","Suman G. Bhat","Samuel S. Liang","Gustaf Arrhenius","Arvind S. Tamhane"],"tags":["Regolith","Cosmic ray","Astrobiology","Meteorite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1971-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2343/geochemj.5.95","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"oa:W2124335626","name":"The micro-distribution of carbonaceous matter in the Murchison meteorite as investigated by Raman imaging","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The carbonaceous Murchison chondrite is one of the most studied meteorites. It is considered to be an astrobiology standard for detection of extraterrestrial organic matter. Considerable work has been done to resolve the elemental composition of this meteorite. Raman spectroscopy is a very suitable technique for non-destructive rapid in situ analyses to establish the spatial distribution of carbonaceous matter. This report demonstrates that Raman cartography at a resolution of 1 microm2 can be performed. Two-dimensional distribution of graphitised carbon, amorphous carbonaceous matter and minerals were obtained on 100 microm2 maps. Maps of the surface of native stones and of a powdered sample are compared. Graphitic and amorphous carbonaceous domains are found to be highly overlapping in all tested areas at the surface of the meteorite and in its interior as well. Pyroxene, olivine and iron oxide grains are embedded into this mixed carbonaceous material. The results show that every mineral grain with a size of less than a few microm2 is encased in a thin carbonaceous matrix, which accounts for only 2.5 wt.%. This interstitial matter sticks together isolated mineral crystallites or concretions, including only very few individualized graphitised grains. Grinding separates the mineral particles but most of them retain their carbonaceous coating. This Raman study complements recent findings deduced from other spatial analyses performed by microprobe laser-desorption laser-ionisation mass spectrometry (microL2MS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.saa.2004.08.005","authors":["Chahrazade El Amri","Marie‐Christine Maurel","G. Sagon","Marie‐Hélène Baron","El Amri C","Maurel MC","Sagon G","Baron MH"],"tags":["Murchison meteorite","Meteorite","Chondrite","Raman spectroscopy","Materials science"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005 Jul","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.saa.2004.08.005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"oa:W1762211705","name":"Discovery of Meteoritic Lakargiite (CaZrO_3), a New Ultra-Refractory Mineral from the Acfer 094 Carbonaceous Chondrite","source":"openalex","abstract":"During a nano-mineralogy investigation of the Acfer\r\n094 carbonaceous chondrite, lakargiite (CaZrO_3) was identified as\r\nsubmicrometer inclusions in an isolated hibonite grain in section USNM\r\n7233-1. The hibonite grain is described in Simon and Grossman [1].\r\nLakargiite is a recently found perovskite-group mineral from hightemperature\r\nskarns in ignimbrites of the Upper-Chegem volcanic\r\nstructure, the North Caucasus, Russia [2]. Reported here is the first\r\nextraterrestrial occurrence of lakargiite, as a new ultrarefractory mineral\r\nin a primitive meteorite, among the first solids formed in the solar system.\r\nField-emission SEM with EDS and electron back-scatter diffraction\r\n(EBSD) was used to characterize its composition and structure and\r\nassociated phases.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1762211705","authors":["Chi Ma"],"tags":["Meteorite","Murchison meteorite","Carbonaceous chondrite","Mineral","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-07-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2109.06288v1","name":"Striking a new balance in accuracy and simplicity with the Probabilistic Inductive Miner","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Numerous process discovery techniques exist for generating process models that describe recorded executions of business processes. The models are meant to generalize executions into human-understandable modeling patterns, notably parallelism, and enable rigorous analysis of process deviations. However, well-defined models with parallelism returned by existing techniques are often too complex or generalize the recorded behavior too strongly to be trusted in a practical business context. We bridge this gap by introducing the Probabilistic Inductive Miner (PIM) based on the Inductive Miner framework. PIM compares in each step the most probable operators and structures based on frequency information in the data, which results in block-structured models with significantly higher accuracy. All design choices in PIM are based on business context requirements obtained through a user study with industrial process mining experts. PIM is evaluated quantitatively and in an novel kind of empirical study comparing users' trust in discovered model structures. The evaluations show that PIM strikes a unique trade-off between model accuracy and model complexity, that is conclusively preferred by users over all state-of-the-art process discovery methods.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2109.06288v1","authors":["Dennis Brons","Roeland Scheepens","Dirk Fahland"],"tags":["cs.SE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-09-13T19:56:32Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2110.15758v1","name":"Elucidating Pathfinding Elements from the Kubi Gold Mine in Ghana","source":"arxiv","abstract":"X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) are applied to investigate the properties of fine-grained concentrate on artisanal small-scale gold mining samples from the Kubi Gold Project of the Asante Gold Corporation near Dunwka-on-Offin in the Central Region of Ghana. Both techniques show that the Au-containing residual sediments are dominated by the host elements Fe, Ag, Al, N, O, Si, Hg, and Ti that either form alloys with gold or inherent elements in the sediments. For comparison, a bulk nugget sample mainly consisting of Au forms an electrum i.e., a solid solution with Ag. Untreated (impure) sediments, fine-grained Au concentrate, coarse-grained Au concentrate, and processed ore (Au bulk/nugget) samples were found to contain cluster of O, C, N, and Ag with Au concentrations significantly lower than that of the related elements. This finding can be attributed to primary geochemical dispersion, which evolved from crystallization of magma and hydrothermal liquids as well as migration of metasomatic elements and rapid rate of chemical weathering of lateralization in secondary processes. The results indicate that Si and Ag are strongly concomitants with Au because of their eutectic characteristics N, C, and O follow alongside because of their affinity to Si. These non-noble elements thus act as pathfinders of Au ores in the exploration area. The paper further discusses relationships between gold and sediments of auriferous lodes as key to determine indicator minerals of gold in mining sites","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2110.15758v1","authors":["Gabriel K. Nzulu","Babak Bakhit","Hans Högberg","Lars Hultman","Martin Magnuson"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-10-29T13:13:56Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1109.1136v1","name":"Current and Nascent SETI Instruments","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Here we describe our ongoing efforts to develop high-performance and sensitive instrumentation for use in the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence (SETI). These efforts include our recently deployed Search for Extraterrestrial Emissions from Nearby Developed Intelligent Populations Spectrometer (SERENDIP V.v) and two instruments currently under development; the Heterogeneous Radio SETI Spectrometer (HRSS) for SETI observations in the radio spectrum and the Optical SETI Fast Photometer (OSFP) for SETI observations in the optical band. We will discuss the basic SERENDIP V.v instrument design and initial analysis methodology, along with instrument architectures and observation strategies for OSFP and HRSS. In addition, we will demonstrate how these instruments may be built using low-cost, modular components and programmed and operated by students using common languages, e.g. ANSI C.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1109.1136v1","authors":["Andrew P. V. Siemion","Jeff Cobb","Henry Chen","Jim Cordes","Terry Filiba","Griffin Foster","Adam Fries","Andrew Howard","Josh von Korff","Eric Korpela","Matt Lebofsky","Peter L. McMahon","Aaron Parsons","Laura Spitler","Mark Wagner","Dan Werthimer"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-09-06T10:33:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2212.01454v3","name":"Agent Miner: An Algorithm for Discovering Agent Systems from Event Data","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Process discovery studies ways to use event data generated by business processes and recorded by IT systems to construct models that describe the processes. Existing discovery algorithms are predominantly concerned with constructing process models that represent the control flow of the processes. Agent system mining argues that business processes often emerge from interactions of autonomous agents and uses event data to construct models of the agents and their interactions. This paper presents and evaluates Agent Miner, an algorithm for discovering models of agents and their interactions from event data composing the system that has executed the processes which generated the input data. The conducted evaluation using our open-source implementation of Agent Miner and publicly available industrial datasets confirms that our algorithm can provide insights into the process participants and their interaction patterns and often discovers models that describe the business processes more faithfully than process models discovered using conventional process discovery algorithms.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2212.01454v3","authors":["Andrei Tour","Artem Polyvyanyy","Anna Kalenkova","Arik Senderovich"],"tags":["cs.MA"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-12-02T21:36:14Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2605.14826v1","name":"Uptake of stratospheric species on minerals proposed for stratospheric aerosol injection","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Solid mineral-based particles have been proposed as alternatives to sulfates for climate intervention by stratospheric aerosol injection, as a means for improving optical or chemical characteristics and thereby minimize risks and uncertainties. However, the heterogeneous reactivity of solid particles with stratospheric trace gases, and possible implications to the ozone layer, is currently not fully constrained, particularly at stratospheric concentrations. We present a systematic comparative study of the uptake of HNO3, HCl, and NO2 on calcite, alumina, crystalline silica (quartz), and amorphous silica, using complementary Knudsen cell and flow reactor techniques. We find that NO2 uptake is weak on all surfaces, with estimated removal timescales indicating negligible impact on stratospheric nitrogen chemistry. Conversely, HCl uptake is substantial, with a pronounced concentration dependence consistent with surface site limited Langmuir adsorption. Extracting adsorption isotherms, we find that HCl surface coverage at stratospheric concentrations differs by four orders of magnitude between the surfaces, with calcite adsorbing the most and amorphous silica the least, suggesting a dominant role of surface acid-base character. Using HCl surface coverage as a proxy for ClONO2 reactive uptake, we estimate that amorphous silica could deplete substantially less ozone than calcite or alumina under equivalent injection scenarios. We find a marked difference between crystalline and amorphous silica, underscoring the sensitivity of heterogeneous chemistry to surface microstructure and the importance of selecting particles with low-reactivity surfaces in addition to considering bulk characteristics. Our findings motivate the development of particles with surfaces tailored for minimizing SAI risks and uncertainties, including minimal reactivity with stratospheric gases and background sulfate aerosols.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.14826v1","authors":["Anais Lostier","Yair Segev","Tzemah Kislev","Gal Schwartz Roitman","Nadine Locoge","Manolis N. Romanias"],"tags":["physics.chem-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-14T13:34:19Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1109.1595v1","name":"Candidate Identification and Interference Removal in SETI@home","source":"arxiv","abstract":"SETI@home, a search for signals from extraterrestrial intelligence, has been recording data at the Arecibo radio telescope since 1999. These data are sent via the Internet to the personal computers of volunteers who have donated their computers' idle time toward this search. To date, SETI@home volunteers have detected more than 4.2 billion potential signals. While essentially all of these potential signals are due to random noise processes, radio frequency interference (RFI), or interference processes in the SETI@home instrumentation, it is possible that a true extraterrestrial transmission exists within this database. Herein we describe the process of interference removal being implemented in the SETI@home post-processing pipeline, as well as those methods being used to identify candidates worthy of further investigation.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1109.1595v1","authors":["Eric J. Korpela","Jeff Cobb","Matt Lebofsky","Andrew Siemion","Joshua von Korff","Robert C. Bankay","Dan Werthimer","David Anderson"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-09-07T22:32:09Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2109.08143v1","name":"Single-target mineral detection with site-specific endmember extraction for survey points identification: A case study of Jaffna, Sri Lanka","source":"arxiv","abstract":"As field surveys used for manual lithological mapping are costly and time-consuming, digital lithological mapping (DLM) that utilizes remotely sensed spectral imaging provides a viable and economical alternative. Generally, DLM has been performed using spectral imaging with the use of laboratory-generated generic endmember signatures. To that end, this paper proposes generating a single-target abundance mineral map for DLM, where the generated map can further be used as a guide for the selection or avoidance of a field survey. For that, a stochastic cancellation-based methodology was used to generate a site-specific endemic signature for the mineral in concern to reduce the inclusive nature otherwise present in DLM. Furthermore, a soil pixel alignment strategy to visualize the relative purity level of the target mineral has been introduced in the proposed work. Then, for the method validation, mapping of limestone deposits in the Jaffna peninsula of Sri Lanka was conducted as the case study using satellite-based spectral imaging as the input. It was observed that despite the low signal-to-noise ratio of the input hyperspectral data the proposed methodology was able to robustly extract the rich information contained in the input data. Further, a field survey was conducted to collect soil samples of four sites chosen by the proposed DLM from the Jaffna peninsula as an algorithm validation and to demonstrate the application of the proposed solution. The proposed abundance threshold of 0.1 coincided with the industrial standard X-ray diffraction (XRD) threshold of 5% for the mineral presence. The results of the XRD test validated the use of the algorithm in the selection of sites to be surveyed, hence could avoid conducting a costly field survey on the assumption of the existence of a mineral.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2109.08143v1","authors":["D. Y. L. Ranasinghe","H. M. H. K. Weerasooriya","S. Herath","H. M. V. R. Herath","G. M. R. I. Godaliyadda","M. P. B. Ekanayake","A. Senaratne","S. L. P. Yasakethu"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph","eess.IV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-09-06T16:29:52Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2203.14601v4","name":"Bribes to Miners: Evidence from Ethereum","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In blockchain, bribery is an inevitable problem since users with various goals can bribe miners by transferring cryptoassets. To alleviate the negative effects of such collusion, Ethereum blockchain implemented new transaction fee mechanism in the London Fork, which was deployed on August 5th, 2021. In this paper, we first filter potential bribery by scanning Ethereum transactions, and the potential bribers and bribees are centralized in a small group. Then we construct bribing proxies to measure the active level of bribery and then investigate the effects of bribery. Consequently, bribery can influence both Ethereum and other mainstream blockchains, in aspects of underlying cryptocurrency, transaction statistics, and network adoption. Moreover, the London Fork shows complicated effects on relationship between bribery and blockchain factors. Besides, bribery in Ethereum relates to stock markets, e.g., S&amp;P 500 and Nasdaq, implying implicit interlinks between blockchain and traditional finance.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2203.14601v4","authors":["Xiaotong Sun"],"tags":["cs.CR","q-fin.CP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-28T09:27:20Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2402.13345v1","name":"Identification of asbestos fibres from soil sediments in the Pilsen region of the Czech Republic and the impact of these minerals on the health of the local population","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Asbestos is the term for silicate minerals with a typical fibrous structure and crystallise as separable fibres that can be released into the environment as a result of natural processes and anthropogenic activities. There is a need to intensify geo-environmental monitoring of the occurrence of natural asbestos on a global scale. The study of this material is important to clarify the impact of asbestos on public health and to have an accurate knowledge of the requirements for asbestos replacement materials. At present, the technical as well as the ecological reasons for switching to these fibres are difficult, as asbestos replacement materials are subject to considerable technological and economic demands, as well as demands for their biological safety. The aim of this paper is to summarize the current knowledge regarding the vast issue of asbestos occurrence, to seek to establish an appropriate methodology for detecting the presence of asbestos in soil sediments, to identify the exact types of asbestos from a series of samples, to highlight its impact on public health, and to emphasize the need for deliberate mapping of the natural occurrence of asbestos and its inclusion in the laws and decrees of the Ministry of the Environment. Samples were analysed by electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction and compared with standards or available literature. The measurements demonstrated the presence of asbestos in the site sediments and identified specific types of asbestos. The conclusion of this work is the confirmation of the presence of asbestos in all samples, including its most dangerous types, which can cause very serious diseases. In this context, the mechanism of asbestos-related diseases will be further addressed, which is linked to the size and shape of the individual fibres, the chemical composition of the asbestos types and the links between their basic structural units.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.13345v1","authors":["Štěpánka Jansová","Zdeněk Jansa","Lucie Nedvědová","Ján Minár"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-20T19:47:25Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2408.07835v1","name":"Quantifying the high early solar cosmic ray flux with cosmogenic neon isotopes in refractory minerals","source":"arxiv","abstract":"An enhancement in the activity of the early young Sun resulting in a high charged particle flux has been invoked to explain excesses in spallation-induced nuclides in primitive planetary materials. Astronomical observations of energetic outbursts of young stellar objects (YSOs) also support the idea of an active young Sun. However, the early solar cosmic-ray (SCR) flux has not been well constrained. Here we use measured concentrations of SCR-produced nuclides that formed and are preserved in meteoritical hibonite and spinel, some of the oldest solids formed in the Solar System, and physical models for dust transport in the early protoplanetary disk to determine the magnitude of the early SCR flux. We focus our attention on cosmogenic neon which cannot have been inherited from precursors and can only be produced in situ in solids. Our modeled effective exposure time to SCRs for these solids is very short on the order of years. This indicates the early SCR flux recorded in refractory mineral hibonite was up to ~7 orders of magnitude higher than the contemporary level. Our flux estimate is consistent with the &gt;10^5 enhanced flux inferred from astronomical observations of greatly enhanced flare activities of YSOs.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.07835v1","authors":["Xin Yang","Fred J. Ciesla","Philipp R. Heck"],"tags":["astro-ph.SR","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-14T22:19:29Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.04275v1","name":"Grey-box Recursive Parameter Identification of a Nonlinear Dynamic Model for Mineral Flotation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This study presents a grey-box recursive identification technique to estimate key parameters in a mineral flotation process across two scenarios. The method is applied to a nonlinear physics-based dynamic model validated at a laboratory scale, allowing real-time updates of two model parameters, n and C, in response to changing conditions. The proposed approach effectively adapts to process variability and allows for continuous adjustments based on operational fluctuations, resulting in a significantly improved estimation of concentrate grade - one key performance indicator. In Scenario 1, parameters n and C achieved fit metrics of 97.99 and 96.86, respectively, with concentrate grade estimations improving from 75.1 to 98.69 using recursive identification. In Scenario 2, the fit metrics for n and C were 96.27 and 95.48, respectively, with the concentrate grade estimations increasing from 96.27 to 99.45 with recursive identification. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed grey-box recursive identification method in accurately estimating parameters and predicting concentrate grade in a mineral flotation process.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.04275v1","authors":["Rodrigo A. González","Paulina Quintanilla"],"tags":["eess.SY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-07T12:43:10Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2603.13068v1","name":"GeoChemAD: Benchmarking Unsupervised Geochemical Anomaly Detection for Mineral Exploration","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Geochemical anomaly detection plays a critical role in mineral exploration as deviations from regional geochemical baselines may indicate mineralization. Existing studies suffer from two key limitations: (1) single region scenarios which limit model generalizability; (2) proprietary datasets, which makes result reproduction unattainable. In this work, we introduce \\textbf{GeoChemAD}, an open-source benchmark dataset compiled from government-led geological surveys, covering multiple regions, sampling sources, and target elements. The dataset comprises eight subsets representing diverse spatial scales and sampling conditions. To establish strong baselines, we reproduce and benchmark a range of unsupervised anomaly detection methods, including statistical models, generative and transformer-based approaches. Furthermore, we propose \\textbf{GeoChemFormer}, a transformer-based framework that leverages self-supervised pretraining to learn target-element-aware geochemical representations for spatial samples. Extensive experiments demonstrate that GeoChemFormer consistently achieves superior and robust performance across all eight subsets, outperforming existing unsupervised methods in both anomaly detection accuracy and generalization capability. The proposed dataset and framework provide a foundation for reproducible research and future development in this direction.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.13068v1","authors":["Yihao Ding","Yiran Zhang","Chris Gonzalez","Eun-Jung Holden","Wei Liu"],"tags":["cs.LG","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-13T15:14:57Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2305.07381v1","name":"Novel bribery mining attacks in the bitcoin system and the bribery miner's dilemma","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Mining attacks allow adversaries to obtain a disproportionate share of the mining reward by deviating from the honest mining strategy in the Bitcoin system. Among them, the most well-known are selfish mining (SM), block withholding (BWH), fork after withholding (FAW) and bribery mining. In this paper, we propose two novel mining attacks: bribery semi-selfish mining (BSSM) and bribery stubborn mining (BSM). Both of them can increase the relative extra reward of the adversary and will make the target bribery miners suffer from the bribery miner dilemma. All targets earn less under the Nash equilibrium. For each target, their local optimal strategy is to accept the bribes. However, they will suffer losses, comparing with denying the bribes. Furthermore, for all targets, their global optimal strategy is to deny the bribes. Quantitative analysis and simulation have been verified our theoretical analysis. We propose practical measures to mitigate more advanced mining attack strategies based on bribery mining, and provide new ideas for addressing bribery mining attacks in the future. However, how to completely and effectively prevent these attacks is still needed on further research.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2305.07381v1","authors":["Junjie Hu","Chunxiang Xu","Zhe Jiang","Jiwu Cao"],"tags":["cs.GT","cs.CE","cs.CR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-05-12T11:17:57Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1210.1674v1","name":"Ab initio prediction of equilibrium boron isotope fractionation between minerals and aqueous fluids at high P and T","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Over the last decade experimental studies have shown a large B isotope fractionation between materials carrying boron incorporated in trigonally and tetrahedrally coordinated sites, but the mechanisms responsible for producing the observed isotopic signatures are poorly known. In order to understand the boron isotope fractionation processes and to obtain a better interpretation of the experimental data and isotopic signatures observed in natural samples, we use first principles calculations based on density functional theory in conjunction with ab initio molecular dynamics and a new pseudofrequency analysis method to investigate the B isotope fractionation between B-bearing minerals (such as tourmaline and micas) and aqueous fluids containing H_3BO_3 and H_4BO_4- species. We confirm the experimental finding that the isotope fractionation is mainly driven by the coordination of the fractionating boron atoms and have found in addition that the strength of the produced isotopic signature is strongly correlated with the B-O bond length. We also demonstrate the ability of our computational scheme to predict the isotopic signatures of fluids at extreme pressures by showing the consistency of computed pressure-dependent beta factors with the measured pressure shifts of the B-O vibrational frequencies of H_3BO_3 and H_4BO_4- in aqueous fluid. The comparison of the predicted with measured fractionation factors between boromuscovite and neutral fluid confirms the existence of the admixture of tetrahedral boron species in neutral fluid at high P and T found experimentally, which also explains the inconsistency between the various measurements on the tourmaline-mica system reported in the literature. Our investigation shows that the calculated equilibrium isotope fractionation factors have an accuracy comparable to the experiments.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1210.1674v1","authors":["Piotr M. Kowalski","Bernd Wunder","Sandro Jahn"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph","cond-mat.mtrl-sci","physics.comp-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-10-05T08:37:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2110.12790v1","name":"Green-extraction of carbon thin films from natural mineral Shungite","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Conventional fabrication methods to produce graphene are cumbersome, expensive and are not ecology friendly. This is due to the fact that a large volume of raw materials requires a large number of acids and alkalis, which in turn requires special disposal. Therefore, it is necessary to develop new technologies or refine existing technologies for the production of graphene and create new ecology-safe and effective methods to produce graphene. Here, we utilized the physical dispergation to extract graphene films from natural mineral shungite rock. We studied the structure of shungite via Raman spectrometry and X-ray phases analysis and found that the shungite refers to graphite-like mineral structures. From spectral data, we learned that the main constituent of shungite is amorphous carbon in sp2 and sp3 forms. Transmission electron microscopy images of the processed material revealed that the obtained graphene films with well-developed surfaces are as small as 200 nanometers. Our green fabrication method of graphene can be widely used in a variety of fields from electronics (electrodes), optics, biotechnology (biosensors), ecology (sorbents for wastewater, air purification) to list a few.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2110.12790v1","authors":["Anastasia Novikova","Alina Karabchevsky"],"tags":["physics.app-ph","cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-10-25T10:36:41Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.15097v1","name":"Mineral cloud formation above magma oceans in sub-Neptune atmospheres","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The potential presence of a magma surface below a thick atmosphere primarily composed of hydrogen in some sub-Neptune exoplanets suggests a strong link between the interior composition and atmosphere through chemical coupling of volatile and refractory species. In this study, we aim to model the possibility for mineral cloud formation in the atmosphere of sub-Neptunes from outgassing of refractory species at the magma surface. In our specific cases, we find that mineral clouds easily form near the magma-atmosphere boundary, but also higher in the atmosphere once vapour is mixed to the cooler atmospheric regions. We find that the vertical cloud structure depends on the mixing profile of the atmosphere, with stronger mixing allowing particles to remain lofted in the atmosphere, while weak to moderate mixing produces larger, more sedimented cloud particle profiles. We suggest that due to the strong thermal feedback from cloud opacity, clouds may play an important role in the overall structure of the interior-surface-atmosphere coupled system in sub-Neptunes, as well as affect their observed spectral properties, especially at near-infrared wavelengths.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.15097v1","authors":["Elspeth K. H. Lee","Aaron Werlen","Caroline Dorn"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-20T22:23:16Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1911.06400v2","name":"Tracking the circulation routes of fresh coins in Bitcoin: A way of identifying coin miners with transaction network structural properties","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Bitcoin draws the highest degree of attention among cryptocurrencies, while coin mining is one of the most important fashion of profiting in the Bitcoin ecosystem. This paper constructs fresh coin circulation networks by tracking the fresh coin transfer routes with transaction referencing in Bitcoin blockchain. This paper proposes a heuristic algorithm to identifying coin miners by comparing coin circulation networks from different mining pools and thereby inferring the common profit distribution schemes of Bitcoin mining pools. Furthermore, this paper characterizes the increasing trend of Bitcoin miner numbers during recent years.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1911.06400v2","authors":["Zeng-Xian Lin","Xiao Fan Liu"],"tags":["q-fin.GN","cs.CR","cs.IR","econ.GN"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-10-03T07:43:39Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2403.18495v1","name":"Direct mineral content prediction from drill core images via transfer learning","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Deep subsurface exploration is important for mining, oil and gas industries, as well as in the assessment of geological units for the disposal of chemical or nuclear waste, or the viability of geothermal energy systems. Typically, detailed examinations of subsurface formations or units are performed on cuttings or core materials extracted during drilling campaigns, as well as on geophysical borehole data, which provide detailed information about the petrophysical properties of the rocks. Depending on the volume of rock samples and the analytical program, the laboratory analysis and diagnostics can be very time-consuming. This study investigates the potential of utilizing machine learning, specifically convolutional neural networks (CNN), to assess the lithology and mineral content solely from analysis of drill core images, aiming to support and expedite the subsurface geological exploration. The paper outlines a comprehensive methodology, encompassing data preprocessing, machine learning methods, and transfer learning techniques. The outcome reveals a remarkable 96.7% accuracy in the classification of drill core segments into distinct formation classes. Furthermore, a CNN model was trained for the evaluation of mineral content using a learning data set from multidimensional log analysis data (silicate, total clay, carbonate). When benchmarked against laboratory XRD measurements on samples from the cores, both the advanced multidimensional log analysis model and the neural network approach developed here provide equally good performance. This work demonstrates that deep learning and particularly transfer learning can support extracting petrophysical properties, including mineral content and formation classification, from drill core images, thus offering a road map for enhancing model performance and data set quality in image-based analysis of drill cores.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.18495v1","authors":["Romana Boiger","Sergey V. Churakov","Ignacio Ballester Llagaria","Georg Kosakowski","Raphael Wüst","Nikolaos I. Prasianakis"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.LG","eess.IV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-27T12:15:22Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0911.5054v1","name":"Measurement of the pure dissolution rate constant of a mineral in water","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present here a methodology, using holographic interferometry, enabling to measure the pure surface reaction rate constant of the dissolution of a mineral in water, unambiguously free from the influence of mass transport. We use that technique to access to this value for gypsum and we demonstrate that it was never measured before but could be deduced a posteriori from the literature results if hydrodynamics is taken into account with accuracy. It is found to be much smaller than expected. This method enables to provide reliable rate constants for the test of dissolution models and the interpretation of in situ measurements, and gives clues to explain the inconsistency between dissolution rates of calcite and aragonite, for instance, in the literature.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0911.5054v1","authors":["Jean Colombani"],"tags":["cond-mat.soft","physics.flu-dyn","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-11-26T10:50:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2106.02383v3","name":"PoDT: A Secure Multi-chains Consensus Scheme Against Diverse Miners Behaviors Attacks in Blockchain Networks","source":"arxiv","abstract":"As cross-chain technologies make the interactions among different blockchains (hereinafter \"chains\") possible, multi-chains consensus is becoming more and more important in blockchain networks. However, more attention has been paid to the single-chain consensus schemes. The multi-chains consensus with trusted miners participation has been not considered, thus offering opportunities for malicious users to launch Diverse Miners Behaviors (DMB) attacks on different chains. DMB attackers can be friendly in the consensus process of some chains called mask-chains to enhance trust value, while on other chains called kill-chains they engage in destructive behaviors of network. In this paper, we propose a multi-chains consensus scheme named as Proof-of-DiscTrust (PoDT) to defend against DMB attacks. Distinctive trust idea (DiscTrust) is introduced to evaluate the trust value of each user concerning different chains. A dynamic behaviors prediction scheme is designed to strengthen DiscTrust to prevent intensive DMB attackers who maintain high trust by alternately creating true or false blocks on kill-chains. On this basis, a trusted miners selection algorithm for multi-chains can be achieved at a round of block creation. Experimental results show that PoDT is secure against DMB attacks and more effective than traditional consensus schemes in multi-chains environments.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2106.02383v3","authors":["Wenbo Zhang","Tao Wang","Jingyu Feng"],"tags":["cs.CR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-06-04T09:49:38Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2312.16847v1","name":"SETI at FAST in China","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Since the commencement of the first SETI observation in 2019, China's Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence program has garnered momentum through domestic support and international collaborations. Several observations targeting exoplanets and nearby stars have been conducted with the FAST. In 2023, the introduction of the Far Neighbour Project(FNP) marks a substantial leap forward, driven by the remarkable sensitivity of the FAST telescope and some of the novel observational techniques. The FNP seeks to methodically detect technosignatures from celestial bodies, including nearby stars, exoplanetary systems, Milky Way globular clusters, and more. This paper provides an overview of the progress achieved by SETI in China and offers insights into the distinct phases comprising the FNP. Additionally, it underscores the significance of this project's advancement and its potential contributions to the field.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.16847v1","authors":["Tong-Jie Zhang","Bo-Lun Huang","Jian-Kang Li","Zhen-Zhao Tao","Xiao-Hang Luan","Zhi-Song Zhang","Yu-Chen Wang"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-28T06:28:16Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1901.10794v1","name":"Malicious cryptocurrency miners: Status and Outlook","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this study, we examine the behavior and profitability of modern malware that mines cryptocurrency. Unlike previous studies, we look at the cryptocurrency market as a whole, rather than just Bitcoin. We not only consider PCs, but also mobile phones, and IoT devices. In the past few years, criminals have attacked all these platforms for the purpose of cryptocurrency mining. The question is: how much money do they make? It is common knowledge that mining Bitcoin is now very difficult, so why do the criminals even target low-end devices for mining purposes? By analyzing the most important families of malicious cryptocurrency miners that were active between 2014 and 2017, we are able to report how they work, which currency they mine, and how profitable it is to do so. We will see that the evolution of the cryptocurrency market with many new cryptocurrencies that are still CPU minable and offer better privacy to criminals and have contributed to making mining malware attractive again -- with attackers generating a continuous stream of profit that in some cases may reach in the millions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1901.10794v1","authors":["Radhesh Krishnan Konoth","Rolf van Wegberg","Veelasha Moonsamy","Herbert Bos"],"tags":["cs.CY","cs.CR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-01-29T18:34:26Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1210.2247v1","name":"Orthonormal Polynomial Approximation of Mineral Water Data with Errors in Both Variables","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper we introduce the data from mineral water probe with errors in both variables. For this case we apply our orthonormal polynomial expansion(OPEM) method to describe the data in the new error corridor. It receives the approximating curves and their derivatives including the errors by weighting approach. The numerical method and approximation results are presented and discussed. The special criteria are carried out for orthonormal and evaluated from it usual expansion. The numerical results are shown in tables and figures.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1210.2247v1","authors":["Nina Bogdanova","Stefan Todorov"],"tags":["physics.comp-ph","physics.ao-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-10-08T11:49:45Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.20965v1","name":"Rational Miner Behaviour, Protocol Stability, and Time Preference: An Austrian and Game-Theoretic Analysis of Bitcoin's Incentive Environment","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper integrates Austrian capital theory with repeated game theory to examine strategic miner behaviour under different institutional conditions in blockchain systems. It shows that when protocol rules are mutable, effective time preference rises, undermining rational long-term planning and cooperative equilibria. Using formal game-theoretic analysis and Austrian economic principles, the paper demonstrates how mutable protocols shift miner incentives from productive investment to political rent-seeking and influence games. The original Bitcoin protocol is interpreted as an institutional anchor: a fixed rule-set enabling calculability and low time preference. Drawing on the work of Bohm-Bawerk, Mises, and Hayek, the argument is made that protocol immutability is essential for restoring strategic coherence, entrepreneurial confidence, and sustainable network equilibrium.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.20965v1","authors":["Craig Steven Wright"],"tags":["econ.GN","cs.CR","cs.GT","cs.NI","q-fin.GN"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-26T03:04:21Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2106.11916v1","name":"Selecting Miners within Blockchain-based Systems Using Evolutionary Algorithms for Energy Optimisation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, we represent the problem of selecting miners within a blockchain-based system as a subset selection problem. We formulate the problem of minimising blockchain energy consumption as an optimisation problem with two conflicting objectives: energy consumption and trust. The proposed model is compared across different algorithms to demonstrate its performance.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2106.11916v1","authors":["Akram Alofi","Mahmoud A. Bokhari","Robert Hendley","Rami Bahsoon"],"tags":["cs.NE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-06-06T00:00:41Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2012.10605v1","name":"Hydrodynamic Escape of Mineral Atmosphere from Hot Rocky Exoplanet. I. Model Description","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Recent exoplanet statistics indicate that photo-evaporation has a great impact on the mass and bulk composition of close-in low-mass planets. While there are many studies addressing photo-evaporation of hydrogen-rich or water-rich atmospheres, no detailed investigation regarding rocky vapor atmospheres (or mineral atmospheres) has been conducted. Here, we develop a new 1-D hydrodynamic model of the UV-irradiated mineral atmosphere composed of Na, Mg, O, Si, their ions and electrons, includin molecular diffusion, thermal conduction, photo-/thermo-chemistry, X--ray and UV heating, and radiative line cooling (i.e., the effects of the optical thickness and non-LTE). The focus of this paper is on describing our methodology but presents some new findings. Our hydrodynamic simulations demonstrate that almost all of the incident X-ray and UV energy from the host-star is converted into and lost by the radiative emission of the coolant gas species such as Na, Mg, Mg$^+$, Si$^{2+}$, Na$^{3+}$ and Si$^{3+}$. For an Earth-size planet orbiting 0.02~AU around a young solar-type star, we find that the X-ray and UV heating efficiency is as small as $1 \\times 10^{-3}$, which corresponds to 0.3~$\\Mearth$/Gyr of the mass loss rate simply integrated over all the directions. Because of such efficient cooling, the photo-evaporation of the mineral atmosphere on hot rocky exoplanets with masses of $1\\Mearth$ is not massive enough to exert a great influence on the planetary mass and bulk composition. This suggests that close-in high-density exoplanets with sizes larger than the Earth radius survive in the high-UV environments.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2012.10605v1","authors":["Yuichi Ito","Masahiro Ikoma"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-12-19T06:45:39Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2401.08020v1","name":"Belief Miner: A Methodology for Discovering Causal Beliefs and Causal Illusions from General Populations","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Causal belief is a cognitive practice that humans apply everyday to reason about cause and effect relations between factors, phenomena, or events. Like optical illusions, humans are prone to drawing causal relations between events that are only coincidental (i.e., causal illusions). Researchers in domains such as cognitive psychology and healthcare often use logistically expensive experiments to understand causal beliefs and illusions. In this paper, we propose Belief Miner, a crowdsourcing method for evaluating people's causal beliefs and illusions. Our method uses the (dis)similarities between the causal relations collected from the crowds and experts to surface the causal beliefs and illusions. Through an iterative design process, we developed a web-based interface for collecting causal relations from a target population. We then conducted a crowdsourced experiment with 101 workers on Amazon Mechanical Turk and Prolific using this interface and analyzed the collected data with Belief Miner. We discovered a variety of causal beliefs and potential illusions, and we report the design implications for future research.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.08020v1","authors":["Shahreen Salim","Md Naimul Hoque","Klaus Mueller"],"tags":["cs.HC"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-16T00:17:57Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1712.09282v2","name":"Fog Computing based SDI Framework for Mineral Resources Information Infrastructure Management in India","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) is an important concept for sharing spatial data across the web. With cumulative techniques with spatial cloud computing and fog computing, SDI has the greater potential and has been emerged as a tool for processing, analysis and transmission of spatial data. The Fog computing is a paradigm where Fog devices help to increase throughput and reduce latency at the edge of the client with respect to cloud computing environment. This paper proposed and developed a fog computing based SDI framework for mining analytics from spatial big data for mineral resources management in India. We built a prototype using Raspberry Pi, an embedded microprocessor. We validated by taking suitable case study of mineral resources management in India by doing preliminary analysis including overlay analysis. Results showed that fog computing hold a great promise for analysis of spatial data. We used open source GIS i.e. QGIS and QIS plugin for reducing the transmission to cloud from the fog node.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1712.09282v2","authors":["Rabindra K. Barik","Rakesh K. Lenka","N. V. R. Simha","Harishchandra Dubey","Kunal Mankodiya"],"tags":["cs.DC"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-12-26T15:16:19Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.07424v3","name":"MINERS: Multilingual Language Models as Semantic Retrievers","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Words have been represented in a high-dimensional vector space that encodes their semantic similarities, enabling downstream applications such as retrieving synonyms, antonyms, and relevant contexts. However, despite recent advances in multilingual language models (LMs), the effectiveness of these models' representations in semantic retrieval contexts has not been comprehensively explored. To fill this gap, this paper introduces the MINERS, a benchmark designed to evaluate the ability of multilingual LMs in semantic retrieval tasks, including bitext mining and classification via retrieval-augmented contexts. We create a comprehensive framework to assess the robustness of LMs in retrieving samples across over 200 diverse languages, including extremely low-resource languages in challenging cross-lingual and code-switching settings. Our results demonstrate that by solely retrieving semantically similar embeddings yields performance competitive with state-of-the-art approaches, without requiring any fine-tuning.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.07424v3","authors":["Genta Indra Winata","Ruochen Zhang","David Ifeoluwa Adelani"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-11T16:26:18Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1309.4827v2","name":"Pressure-Induced Superconductivity in Mineral Calaverite AuTe2","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The pressure dependences of resistivity and ac susceptibility have been measured in the mineral calaverite AuTe$_2$. Resistivity clearly shows a first-order phase transition into a high-pressure phase, consistent with the results of a previous structural analysis. We found zero resistivity and a diamagnetic shielding signal at low temperatures in the high-pressure phase, which clearly indicates the appearance of superconductivity. Our experimental results suggest that bulk superconductivity appears only in the high-pressure phase. For AuTe$_2$, the highest superconducting transition temperature under pressure is $T_{\\rm c}$ = 2.3 K at 2.34 GPa; it was $T_{\\rm c}$ = 4.0 K for Pt-doped (Au$_{0.65}$Pt$_{0.35}$)Te$_2$. The difference in $T_{\\rm c}$ between the two systems is discussed on the basis of the results obtained using the band calculations and McMillan's formula.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1309.4827v2","authors":["Shunsaku Kitagawa","Hisashi Kotegawa","Hideki Tou","Hiroyuki Ishii","Kazutaka Kudo","Minoru Nohara","Hisatomo Harima"],"tags":["cond-mat.supr-con","cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-09-18T23:57:15Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2608.06600v1","name":"Alkali Metallicity, Mineral Clouds, and Deep Atmospheric Variability on Jupiter","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The bulk elemental abundances of Jupiter provide critical insights into its formation history and interior structure. Recent observations by the Juno Microwave Radiometer (MWR) reveal a deep Jovian atmosphere significantly depleted in electrons, implying an alkali metal (Na, K) abundance of 10^-1 - 10^-5 times solar. This depletion stands in sharp contrast to the supersolar volatile enrichments measured by the Galileo probe. We propose that this apparent depletion arises from mineral cloud-induced processes deep in the atmosphere. We explore two physical mechanisms using thermochemical and microphysical modeling. In the \"chemical sequestration\" scenario, vigorous vertical mixing lofts deep refractory condensates (e.g., spinel) into the 1000-2000 bar region, where they react to form alkali feldspars (albite) and feldspathoids (leucite), efficiently sequestering gaseous Na and K. In the \"dust-catalyzed recombination\" scenario, the bulk alkali inventory remains gaseous, but the free electron density is suppressed by dust-plasma interactions. Thermally emitted alkali ions from the surfaces of micron-sized iron and silicate grains significantly increase the cation density, driving rapid recombination of free electrons. Both mechanisms allow for a bulk solar or even supersolar alkali inventory while suppressing the electron density to match Juno observations. Analyzing an extended dataset of MWR observations with 61 perijoves, we detect spatial variability in the deep atmosphere that suggests modulation by mineral clouds. Our findings challenge the traditional rainout framework, unveiling a deep \"mineralogical zone\" in Jupiter shaped by dynamics and heterogeneous chemistry, resembling the photospheres of hot exoplanets and brown dwarfs.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.06600v1","authors":["Xi Zhang","Jiheng Hu","Cheng Li","Quentin Williams"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.ao-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-06T21:17:54Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1904.00742v1","name":"A smartphone application to detection and classification of coffee leaf miner and coffee leaf rust","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Generally, the identification and classification of plant diseases and/or pests are performed by an expert . One of the problems facing coffee farmers in Brazil is crop infestation, particularly by leaf rust Hemileia vastatrix and leaf miner Leucoptera coffeella. The progression of the diseases and or pests occurs spatially and temporarily. So, it is very important to automatically identify the degree of severity. The main goal of this article consists on the development of a method and its i implementation as an App that allow the detection of the foliar damages from images of coffee leaf that are captured using a smartphone, and identify whether it is rust or leaf miner, and in turn the calculation of its severity degree. The method consists of identifying a leaf from the image and separates it from the background with the use of a segmentation algorithm. In the segmentation process, various types of backgrounds for the image using the HSV and YCbCr color spaces are tested. In the segmentation of foliar damages, the Otsu algorithm and the iterative threshold algorithm, in the YCgCr color space, have been used and compared to k-means. Next, features of the segmented foliar damages are calculated. For the classification, artificial neural network trained with extreme learning machine have been used. The results obtained shows the feasibility and effectiveness of the approach to identify and classify foliar damages, and the automatic calculation of the severity. The results obtained are very promising according to experts.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1904.00742v1","authors":["Giuliano L. Manso","Helder Knidel","Renato A. Krohling","Jose A. Ventura"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-03-19T21:45:47Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.20960v1","name":"MINER Reactor Based Search for Axion-Like Particles Using Sapphire (Al2O3) Detectors","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The absence of definitive results for WIMP dark matter has sparked growing interest in alternative dark matter candidates, such as axions and Axion-Like Particles (ALPs), which also provide insight into the strong CP problem. The Mitchell Institute Neutrino Experiment at Reactor (MINER), conducted at the Nuclear Science Center of Texas A&amp;M University, investigated ALPs near a 1 MW TRIGA nuclear reactor core, positioned approximately 4 meters away. This experiment employed cryogenic sapphire detectors with a low detection threshold (approximately 100 eV), equipped with a Transition Edge Sensor capable of detecting athermal phonons. Due to the low-background environment, we were able to exclude ALPs with axion-photon coupling and axion-electron coupling as small as \\(g_{aγγ} = 10^{-5}\\) and \\(g_{aee} = 10^{-7}\\), respectively. Energy depositions below 3 keV were not considered and remain blinded for our Coherent Elastic Neutrino Nucleus Scattering (CEvNS) analysis. This is the first result demonstrating the MINER experiment's potential to probe low-mass ALPs, enabled by its low-threshold detector and proximity to a reactor.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.20960v1","authors":["M. Mirzakhani","W. Baker","M. Chaudhuri","J. B. Dent","R. Dey","B. Dutta","V. Iyer","A. Jastram","V. K. S. Kashyap","A. Kubik","K. Lang","R. Mahapatra","S. Maludze","N. Mirabolfathi","B. Mohanty","D. Mondal","H. Neog","J. L. Newstead","M. Platt","S. Sahoo","J. Sander","L. E. Strigari","J. Walker"],"tags":["hep-ex"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-29T17:32:20Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1810.00658v1","name":"Rule extraction based on extreme learning machine and an improved ant-miner algorithm for transient stability assessment","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In order to overcome the problems of poor understandability of the pattern recognition-based transient stability assessment (PRTSA) methods, a new rule extraction method based on extreme learning machine (ELM) and an improved Ant-miner (IAM) algorithm is presented in this paper. First, the basic principles of ELM and Ant-miner algorithm are respectively introduced. Then, based on the selected optimal feature subset, an example sample set is generated by the trained ELM-based PRTSA model. And finally, a set of classification rules are obtained by IAM algorithm to replace the original ELM network. The novelty of this proposal is that transient stability rules are extracted from an example sample set generated by the trained ELM-based transient stability assessment model by using IAM algorithm. The effectiveness of the proposed method is shown by the application results on the New England 39-bus power system and a practical power system - the southern power system of Hebei province.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1810.00658v1","authors":["Yang Li","Guoqing Li","Zhenhao Wang"],"tags":["eess.SP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-09-08T19:24:04Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2401.03789v1","name":"Aggregation and charging of mineral cloud particles under high-energy irradiation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"It is known from Earth that ionizing high-energy radiation can lead to ion-induced nucleation of cloud condensation nuclei in the atmosphere. Since the amount of high-energy radiation can vary greatly based on the radiative environment of a host star, understanding the effect of high-energy radiation on cloud particles is critical to understand exoplanet atmospheres. This study aims to explore how high-energy radiation affects the aggregation and charging of mineral cloud particles. We present experiments conducted in an atmosphere chamber on mineral SiO$_2$ particles with diameters of 50 nm. The particles were exposed to gamma radiation in either low-humidity (RH $\\approx$ 20%) or high-humidity (RH $&gt;$ 50%) environments. The aggregation and charging state of the particles were studied with a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer. We find that the single SiO$_2$ particles (N1) cluster to form larger aggregates (N2 - N4), and that this aggregation is inhibited by gamma radiation. We find that gamma radiation shifts the charging of the particles to become more negative, by increasing the charging state of negatively charged particles. Through an independent T-test we find that this increase is statistically significant within a 5% significance level for all aggregates in the high-humidity environment, and for all except the N1 particles in the low-humidity environment. For the positively charged particles the changes in charging state are not within the 5% significance level. We suggest that the overall effect of gamma radiation could favor the formation of a high number of small particles over a lower number of larger particles.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.03789v1","authors":["Nanna Bach-Møller","Christiane Helling","Uffe G. Jørgensen","Martin B. Enghoff"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.ao-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-08T10:10:23Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1903.02458v2","name":"Signature of large-gap quantum spin Hall state in the layered mineral jacutingaite","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Quantum spin Hall (QSH) insulators are materials that feature an insulating bulk and host edge states protected by time-reversal symmetry. The helical locking of spin and momentum in these states suppresses backscattering of charge carriers, promising applications from low-power electronics to quantum computing. A major challenge for applications is the identification of large gap QSH materials, which would enable room temperature dissipationless transport in their edge states. Here we show that the layered mineral jacutingaite (Pt$_2$HgSe$_3$) is a candidate QSH material, realizing the long sought after the Kane-Mele insulator. Using scanning tunneling microscopy, we measure a band gap of 110 meV, above room temperature, and identify the hallmark edge states. By calculating the $\\mathbb{Z}_2$ invariant, we confirm the topological nature of the gap. Being a layered mineral, it is stable in air and can be thinned down to a few atomic layers by mechanical exfoliation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that it can be integrated into heterostructures with other two-dimensional materials. This adds a topological insulator to the 2D quantum material library, greatly expanding the possibilities for tuning 2D electron systems using stacks of layered materials.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1903.02458v2","authors":["Konrád Kandrai","Gergő Kukucska","Péter Vancsó","János Koltai","György Baranka","Zsolt E. Horváth","Ákos Hoffmann","Anna Vymazalová","Levente Tapasztó","Péter Nemes-Incze"],"tags":["cond-mat.mes-hall","cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-03-06T15:53:22Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.04672v3","name":"Histo-Miner: Deep learning based tissue features extraction pipeline from H&amp;E whole slide images of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Recent advancements in digital pathology have enabled comprehensive analysis of Whole-Slide Images (WSI) from tissue samples, leveraging high-resolution microscopy and computational capabilities. Despite this progress, there is a lack of labeled datasets and open source pipelines specifically tailored for analysis of skin tissue. Here we propose Histo-Miner, a deep learning-based pipeline for analysis of skin WSIs and generate two datasets with labeled nuclei and tumor regions. We develop our pipeline for the analysis of patient samples of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), a frequent non-melanoma skin cancer. Utilizing the two datasets, comprising 47,392 annotated cell nuclei and 144 tumor-segmented WSIs respectively, both from cSCC patients, Histo-Miner employs convolutional neural networks and vision transformers for nucleus segmentation and classification as well as tumor region segmentation. Performance of trained models positively compares to state of the art with multi-class Panoptic Quality (mPQ) of 0.569 for nucleus segmentation, macro-averaged F1 of 0.832 for nucleus classification and mean Intersection over Union (mIoU) of 0.907 for tumor region segmentation. From these predictions we generate a compact feature vector summarizing tissue morphology and cellular interactions, which can be used for various downstream tasks. Here, we use Histo-Miner to predict cSCC patient response to immunotherapy based on pre-treatment WSIs from 45 patients. Histo-Miner identifies percentages of lymphocytes, the granulocyte to lymphocyte ratio in tumor vicinity and the distances between granulocytes and plasma cells in tumors as predictive features for therapy response. This highlights the applicability of Histo-Miner to clinically relevant scenarios, providing direct interpretation of the classification and insights into the underlying biology.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.04672v3","authors":["Lucas Sancéré","Carina Lorenz","Doris Helbig","Oana-Diana Persa","Sonja Dengler","Alexander Kreuter","Martim Laimer","Roland Lang","Anne Fröhlich","Jennifer Landsberg","Johannes Brägelmann","Katarzyna Bozek"],"tags":["cs.CV","q-bio.QM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-07T09:34:03Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1610.07989v1","name":"Process Discovery using Inductive Miner and Decomposition","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This report presents a submission to the Process Discovery Contest. The contest is dedicated to the assessment of tools and techniques that discover business process models from event logs. The objective is to compare the efficiency of techniques to discover process models that provide a proper balance between \"overfitting\" and \"underfitting\". In the context of the Process Discovery Contest, process discovery is turned into a classification task with a training set and a test set; where a process model needs to decide whether traces are fitting or not. In this report, we first show how we use two discovery techniques, namely: Inductive Miner and Decomposition, to discover process models from the training set using ProM tool. Second, we show how we use replay results to 1) check the rediscoverability of models, and to 2) classify unseen traces (in test logs) as fitting or not. Then, we discuss the classification results of validation logs, the complexity of discovered models, and their impact on the selection of models for submission. The report ends with the pictures of the submitted process models.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1610.07989v1","authors":["Raji Ghawi"],"tags":["cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-10-25T17:58:54Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2601.00710v1","name":"Carbon mineralization in CO2-seawater-basalt systems: Reactive transport dynamics and vesicular pore architecture controls","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Carbon mineralization in basaltic rocks may offer rapid, permanent \\ce{CO2} storage, yet fundamental controls on reactive transport and precipitation patterns remain poorly understood. This study integrates flow-through experiments at 80\\degree C using \\ce{CO2}-acidified seawater with geochemical simulation and multi-scale pore imaging to elucidate mineralization dynamics in basaltic glass. Results reveal that carbonate precipitation is nucleation-controlled and stochastic rather than growth-controlled and deterministic, with isolated accumulations forming randomly despite continuous supersaturation. Residence time exerts primary control: reducing flow rate from 0.05 to 0.005\\,mL/min proved necessary for visible precipitation. Post-experiment analyses identified calcium carbonate and smectite phases. Multi-scale characterization of three basalt facies revealed that connected porosity fractions (1.3--32\\%) differ significantly from total porosity (18--42\\%), demonstrating that network topology controls permeability. Micro-CT analysis revealed that pore coordination numbers in basalts (modal = 2) were notably lower than those in reservoir sandstones, creating serial flow paths that are vulnerable to catastrophic permeability loss from modest precipitation. Precipitation-induced clogging scenarios were proposed, where distributed small precipitates cause more severe permeability degradation than large accumulations. The use of seawater complicates geochemistry and reduces mineralization efficiency compared to freshwater. Findings emphasize the need for probabilistic reactive transport modeling frameworks and realistic pore topologies, which are fundamentally different from conventional CCS operations.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.00710v1","authors":["Mohammad Nooraiepour","Mohammad Masoudi","Helge Hellevang"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph","physics.flu-dyn"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-02T15:09:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2303.11716v1","name":"Style Miner: Find Significant and Stable Explanatory Factors in Time Series with Constrained Reinforcement Learning","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In high-dimensional time-series analysis, it is essential to have a set of key factors (namely, the style factors) that explain the change of the observed variable. For example, volatility modeling in finance relies on a set of risk factors, and climate change studies in climatology rely on a set of causal factors. The ideal low-dimensional style factors should balance significance (with high explanatory power) and stability (consistent, no significant fluctuations). However, previous supervised and unsupervised feature extraction methods can hardly address the tradeoff. In this paper, we propose Style Miner, a reinforcement learning method to generate style factors. We first formulate the problem as a Constrained Markov Decision Process with explanatory power as the return and stability as the constraint. Then, we design fine-grained immediate rewards and costs and use a Lagrangian heuristic to balance them adaptively. Experiments on real-world financial data sets show that Style Miner outperforms existing learning-based methods by a large margin and achieves a relatively 10% gain in R-squared explanatory power compared to the industry-renowned factors proposed by human experts.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.11716v1","authors":["Dapeng Li","Feiyang Pan","Jia He","Zhiwei Xu","Dandan Tu","Guoliang Fan"],"tags":["cs.LG","cs.AI","q-fin.RM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-03-21T10:08:42Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1710.07114v1","name":"Swift Linked Data Miner: Mining OWL 2 EL class expressions directly from online RDF datasets","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this study, we present Swift Linked Data Miner, an interruptible algorithm that can directly mine an online Linked Data source (e.g., a SPARQL endpoint) for OWL 2 EL class expressions to extend an ontology with new SubClassOf: axioms. The algorithm works by downloading only a small part of the Linked Data source at a time, building a smart index in the memory and swiftly iterating over the index to mine axioms. We propose a transformation function from mined axioms to RDF Data Shapes. We show, by means of a crowdsourcing experiment, that most of the axioms mined by Swift Linked Data Miner are correct and can be added to an ontology. We provide a ready to use Protégé plugin implementing the algorithm, to support ontology engineers in their daily modeling work.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1710.07114v1","authors":["Jedrzej Potoniec","Piotr Jakubowski","Agnieszka Ławrynowicz"],"tags":["cs.AI","cs.DB"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-10-19T12:25:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1804.05514v1","name":"CL Scholar: The ACL Anthology Knowledge Graph Miner","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present CL Scholar, the ACL Anthology knowledge graph miner to facilitate high-quality search and exploration of current research progress in the computational linguistics community. In contrast to previous works, periodically crawling, indexing and processing of new incoming articles is completely automated in the current system. CL Scholar utilizes both textual and network information for knowledge graph construction. As an additional novel initiative, CL Scholar supports more than 1200 scholarly natural language queries along with standard keyword-based search on constructed knowledge graph. It answers binary, statistical and list based natural language queries. The current system is deployed at http://cnerg.iitkgp.ac.in/aclakg. We also provide REST API support along with bulk download facility. Our code and data are available at https://github.com/CLScholar.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1804.05514v1","authors":["Mayank Singh","Pradeep Dogga","Sohan Patro","Dhiraj Barnwal","Ritam Dutt","Rajarshi Haldar","Pawan Goyal","Animesh Mukherjee"],"tags":["cs.DL","cs.IR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-04-16T06:15:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.02468v1","name":"Experimental electronic structure of the mineral superconductor covellite CuS","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Covellite (CuS) is the first known natural mineral superconductor. Despite its simple chemical formula, covellite exhibits a rich crystal structure at the origin of several remarkable properties. The ionic arrangement in CuS crystals leads to a mixed valence of Cu and a second-order structural transition at 55 K. Despite the abundance of structural studies and theoretical reports on its electronic structure, there are scarce references on its experimental band structure. By means of Angle Resolved PhotoEmission Spectroscopy (ARPES), we have probed the experimental electronic structure of covellite. We compare our results with the predictions of density-functional theory (DFT) calculations. Our experimental data are in remarkable agreement with the calculations, revealing subtle fingerprints of the structural phase transition, and confirming the quasi-2D nature of the electronic structure of CuS.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.02468v1","authors":["Alexandre Antezak","Takemi Kato","Pedro Rezende Gonçalves","Franck Fortuna","Marcin Rosmus","Natalia Olszowska","Andrés Felipe Santander-Syro","Emmanouil Frantzeskakis"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci","cond-mat.str-el","cond-mat.supr-con"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-02T16:21:37Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1609.02066v1","name":"Background Studies for the MINER Coherent Neutrino Scattering Reactor Experiment","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The proposed Mitchell Institute Neutrino Experiment at Reactor (MINER) experiment at the Nuclear Science Center at Texas A&amp;M University will search for coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering within close proximity (about 2 meters) of a 1 MW TRIGA nuclear reactor core using low threshold, cryogenic germanium and silicon detectors. Given the Standard Model cross section of the scattering process and the proposed experimental proximity to the reactor, as many as 5 to 20 events/kg/day are expected. We discuss the status of preliminary measurements to characterize the main backgrounds for the proposed experiment. Both in situ measurements at the experimental site and simulations using the MCNP and GEANT4 codes are described. A strategy for monitoring backgrounds during data taking is briefly discussed.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1609.02066v1","authors":[" MINER Collaboration","G. Agnolet","W. Baker","D. Barker","R. Beck","T. J. Carroll","J. Cesar","P. Cushman","J. B. Dent","S. De Rijck","B. Dutta","W. Flanagan","M. Fritts","Y. Gao","H. R. Harris","C. C. Hays","V. Iyer","A. Jastram","F. Kadribasic","A. Kennedy","A. Kubik","I. Ogawa","K. Lang","R. Mahapatra","V. Mandic","R. D. Martin","N. Mast","S. McDeavitt","N. Mirabolfathi","B. Mohanty","K. Nakajima","J. Newhouse","J. L. Newstead","D. Phan","M. Proga","A. Roberts","G. Rogachev","R. Salazar","J. Sander","K. Senapati","M. Shimada","L. Strigari","Y. Tamagawa","W. Teizer","J. I. C. Vermaak","A. N. Villano","J. Walker","B. Webb","Z. Wetzel","S. A. Yadavalli"],"tags":["physics.ins-det","hep-ex"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-09-07T16:53:13Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2607.20017v1","name":"Investigating aqueous mineral interfaces using sum frequency generation spectroscopy","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Sum frequency generation spectroscopy can be utilized to address the challenge of studying solid-liquid interfaces under ambient pressure and with macroscopic amounts of liquid, while still retrieving molecular level information. By utilizing a non-linear optical process, this method allows to selectively measure vibrations of interfacial species. Within this chapter sum frequency generation spectroscopy is first briefly introduced and then comprehensively evaluated as an investigative tool for solid-liquid interfaces, with mineral-water interfaces as model system. Additionally, it is explained how the actual probing depth of this method depends on both the experimental setup and the properties of the investigated system, such as surface charges.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.20017v1","authors":["Moritz Zelenka","Ellen H. G. Backus"],"tags":["physics.chem-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-22T10:58:50Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1804.10313v2","name":"Antiferromagnetic spin-frustrated layers of corner-sharing Cu4 tetrahedra on the kagome lattice in volcanic minerals Cu5O2(VO4)2(CuCl), NaCu5O2(SeO3)2Cl3, and K2Cu5Cl8(OH)4 2H2O","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The objective of the present work was to analyze the possibility of realization of quantum spin liquid in three volcanic minerals - averievite (Cu5O2(VO4)2(CuCl)), ilinskite (NaCu5O2(SeO3)2Cl3), and avdononite (K2Cu5Cl8(OH)4 2H2O - from the crystal chemistry point of view. Based on the structural data, the sign and strength of magnetic interactions have been calculated and the geometric frustrations serving as the main reason of the existence of spin liquids have been investigated. According to our calculations, the magnetic structures of averievite and ilinskite are composed of antiferromagnetic (AFM) spin-frustrated layers of corner-sharing Cu4 tetrahedra on the kagome lattice. However, the direction of nonshared corners of tetrahedra is different in them. The oxygen ions centering the OCu4 tetrahedra in averievite and ilinskite provide the main contribution to the formation of AFM interactions along the tetrahedra edges. The local electric polarization in averievite and the possibility of spin configuration fluctuations due to vibrations of tetrahedra-centering oxygen ions have been discussed. The existence of structural phase transitions accompanied with magnetic transitions was assumed in ilinskite because of the effect of a lone electron pair by Se4+ ions. As was demonstrated through comparison of averievite and avdoninite, at the removal of centering oxygen ions from tetrahedra, the magnetic structure of the pyrochlore layer present in averievite transformed into an openwork curled net with large cells woven from corner-sharing open AFM spin-frustrated tetrahedra ('butterflies'} in avdoninite.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1804.10313v2","authors":["L. M. Volkova","D. V. Marinin"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci","cond-mat.str-el"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-04-27T01:12:08Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2011.14624v2","name":"Twenty years of experimental and numerical studies on microwave-assisted breakage of rocks and minerals-a review","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Microwaves have been used for a variety of applications in the past two decades. However, there has been a significant and growing interest in the applications of microwaves in hard rock breakage and mineral processing industries. The purpose of this review paper is to focus on these applications and to present a careful review of the state-of-the-art experimental and numerical modeling techniques introduced in the literature from 2000 to 2020. The challenges involved in this research area are surveyed, and the efforts that should be made regarding the potential practical implementation of microwaves in industry are discussed.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2011.14624v2","authors":["Khashayar Teimoori","Ferri Hassani"],"tags":["physics.app-ph","physics.data-an","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-30T08:54:25Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2209.01109v1","name":"Accidental persistent spin textures in the proustite mineral family","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Persistent spin textures (PSTs) in momentum space have the potential to enable spintronic devices which are currently limited by low spin lifetimes in nonmagnetic spin-orbit coupled materials. We perform a first-principles study on the proustite mineral family, Ag$_3$BQ$_3$} (B=As,\\,Sb; Q=S,\\,Se), and show these chalcogenides exhibit a non-symmetry protected PST, which we refer to as symmetry-assisted PSTs. Chemical substitution can be used to tune the PST quality and properties, e.g., spin lifetime, and we find that a Rashba anisotropy criterion correlates with the PST area and spin lifetime for two of the three proustites examined. Last, we show that a first-order effective SOC Hamiltonian, often used in two-dimensional systems, is insufficient to describe the PST state in all proustites, suggesting that higher order models are necessary to fully describe PSTs in bulk three-dimensional materials.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2209.01109v1","authors":["Sean Koyama","James Rondinelli"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-09-02T15:17:08Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1707.03253v1","name":"Leipzig Corpus Miner - A Text Mining Infrastructure for Qualitative Data Analysis","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the \"Leipzig Corpus Miner\", a technical infrastructure for supporting qualitative and quantitative content analysis. The infrastructure aims at the integration of 'close reading' procedures on individual documents with procedures of 'distant reading', e.g. lexical characteristics of large document collections. Therefore information retrieval systems, lexicometric statistics and machine learning procedures are combined in a coherent framework which enables qualitative data analysts to make use of state-of-the-art Natural Language Processing techniques on very large document collections. Applicability of the framework ranges from social sciences to media studies and market research. As an example we introduce the usage of the framework in a political science study on post-democracy and neoliberalism.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1707.03253v1","authors":["Andreas Niekler","Gregor Wiedemann","Gerhard Heyer"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-11T13:04:15Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2303.17150v1","name":"A pore-scale model for electrokinetic in situ recovery of copper: the Influence of mineral occurrence, zeta potential, and electric potential","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Electrokinetic in-situ recovery is an alternative to conventional mining, relying on the application of an electric potential to enhance the subsurface flow of ions. Understanding the pore-scale flow and ion transport under electric potential is essential for petrophysical properties estimation and flow behavior characterization. The governing physics of electrokinetic transport is electromigration and electroosmotic flow, which depend on the electric potential gradient, mineral occurrence, domain morphology, and electrolyte properties. Herein, mineral occurrence and its associated zeta potential are investigated for EK transport. The governing model includes three coupled equations: (1) Poisson equation, (2) Nernst--Planck equation, and (3) Navier--Stokes equation. These equations were solved using the lattice Boltzmann method within X-ray computed microtomography images. The proposed model is validated against COMSOL Multiphysics in a 2-dimensional microchannel in terms of fluid flow behavior when the electrical double layer is both resolvable and unresolvable. A more complex chalcopyrite-silica system is then obtained by micro-CT scanning to evaluate the model performance. The effects of mineral occurrence, zeta potential, and electric potential on the 3-dimensional chalcopyrite-silica system were evaluated. Although the positive zeta potential of chalcopyrite can induce a flow of ferric ion counter to the direction of electromigration, the net effect is dependent on the occurrence of chalcopyrite. However, the ion flux induced by electromigration was the dominant transport mechanism, whereas advection induced by electroosmosis made a lower contribution. Overall, a pore-scale EK model is proposed for direct simulation on pore-scale images. The proposed model can be coupled with other geochemical models for full physicochemical transport simulations.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.17150v1","authors":["Kunning Tang","Zhe Li","Ying Da Wang","James McClure","Hongli Su","Peyman Mostaghimi","Ryan Armstrong"],"tags":["physics.flu-dyn"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-03-30T05:18:24Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1408.0594v1","name":"Crack Propagation in Bone on the Scale of Mineralized Collagen Fibrils : Role of Polymers with Sacrificial Bonds and Hidden Length","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Sacrificial bonds and hidden length (SBHL) in structural molecules provide a mechanism for energy dissipation at the nanoscale. It is hypothesized that their presence leads to greater fracture toughness than what is observed in materials without such features. Here, we investigate this hypothesis using a simplified model of a mineralized collagen fibril sliding on a polymeric interface with SBHL systems. A 1D coarse-grained nonlinear spring-mass system is used to model the fibril. Rate-and-displacement constitutive equations are used to describe the mechanical properties of the polymeric system. The model quantifies how the interface toughness increases as a function of polymer density and number of sacrificial bonds. Other characteristics of the SBHL system, such as the length of hidden loops and the strength of the bonds, are found to influence the results. The model also gives insight into the variations in the mechanical behavior in response to physiological changes, such as the degree of mineralization of the collagen fibril and polymer density in the interfibrillar matrix. The model results provide constraints relevant for bio-mimetic material design and multiscale modeling of fracture in human bone.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1408.0594v1","authors":["Wenyi Wang","Ahmed Elbanna"],"tags":["cond-mat.soft"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-08-04T06:09:47Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2207.02720v2","name":"Rheology of Polydisperse non-Spherical Graphite Particles Suspended in Mineral Oil","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We study the role of filler concentration and microphysics on the rheology of polydisperse flake-graphite particles suspended in Newtonian mineral oil. Under steady shear, our samples exhibit shear thinning and yielding behaviour is observed for volume fractions $φ&gt; 0.18$. Time-temperature superposition was observed using an Arrhenius-type horizontal shift factor, giving a flow activation energy that is dependent on the graphite volume fraction, suggesting concentration-dependent contributions to relaxation processes in the suspensions. The flow curves are fitted by a constraint-based model, indicating that the flow behaviour is controlled by frictional and adhesive contacts, with the model suggesting that the adhesive stress is temperature dependent.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2207.02720v2","authors":["Th. Larsen","A. L. Søbye","J. R. Royer","W. C. K. Poon","T. Larsen","S. J. Andreasen","A. D. Drozdov","J. D. C. Christiansen"],"tags":["cond-mat.soft"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-06T14:47:48Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1707.00792v3","name":"Using Mineral Oil to Improve the Performance of Multi-Crystal Detector for Dark Matter Searching","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The inorganic crystals have been widely used for dark matter direct searching for many decades. However, limited by the crystal growth technique, a lot of small crystals have to be used together for large target mass, which results in a degradation of light collection efficiency. An experiment was built up to study the degradation, and the method of soaking crystals into mineral oil to improve the efficiency as well as reduce the interface effect were proposed and validated. Good data and MC agreements were achieved in the experiment.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1707.00792v3","authors":["J. C. Liu","C. Guo","Z. Y. Yu","M. Y. Guan","Z. M. Wang","X. H. Ma","C. G. Yang","P. Zhang","C. J. Dai","W. L. Zhong","Z. H. Li","Y. P. Zhang","C. C. Zhang","Y. T. Wei","W. X. Xiong","H. Q. Zhang"],"tags":["physics.ins-det","hep-ex"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-04T01:02:54Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1105.3973v1","name":"Magnetic order near 270 K in mineral and synthetic Mn$_2$FeSbO$_6$ ilmenite","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The structural and magnetic properties of Mn$_2$FeSbO$_6$ single-crystalline mineral and ceramic samples synthesized under thermobaric treatment have been investigated, and compared to theoretical predictions based on first-principles electronic structure calculations. This ilmenite system displays a sharp magnetic transition just below the room temperature related to a ferrimagnetic ordering of the Mn$^{2+}$ and Fe$^{3+}$ cations, which makes Mn$_2$FeSbO$_6$ a promising candidate for designing functional magnetic materials.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1105.3973v1","authors":["R. Mathieu","S. A. Ivanov","G. V. Bazuev","M. Hudl","P. Lazor","I. V. Solovyev","P. Nordblad"],"tags":["cond-mat.str-el"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-05-19T19:46:37Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1512.05189v1","name":"A Quantitative Investigation of CO2 Sequestration by Mineral Carbonation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Anthropogenic activities have led to a substantial increase in carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas (GHG), contributing to heightened concerns of global warming. In the last decade alone CO2 emissions increased by 2.0 ppm/yr. globally. In the year 2009, United States and China contributed up to 43.4% of global CO2 emissions. CO2 capture and sequestration have been recognized as promising solutions to mitigate CO2 emissions from fossil fuel based power plants. Typical techniques for carbon capture include post-combustion capture, pre-combustion capture and oxy-combustion capture, which are under active research globally. Mineral carbonation has been investigated as a suitable technique for long term storage of CO2. Sequestration is a highly energy intensive process and the additional energy is typically supplied by the power plant itself. This leads to a reduction in net amount of CO2 captured because of extra CO2 emitted. This paper presents a quantitative analysis of the energy consumption during sequestration process for a typical 1GW pulverized coal and a 1GW natural gas based power plant. Furthermore, it has been established that the present day sequestration methods and procedures are not viable to achieve the goal of carbon sequestration.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1512.05189v1","authors":["Muneer Mohammad","Mehrdad Ehsani"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-11-11T18:23:32Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1501.02526v6","name":"Regulatory inhibition of biological tissue mineralization by calcium phosphate through post-nucleation shielding by Fetuin-A","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In vertebrates, insufficient availability of calcium and phosphate ions in extracellular fluids leads to loss of bone density and neuronal hyper-excitability. To counteract this problem, calcium ions are present at high concentrations throughout body fluids -- at concentrations exceeding the saturation point. This condition leads to the opposite situation where unwanted mineral sedimentation may occur. Remarkably, ectopic or out-of-place sedimentation into soft tissues is rare, in spite of the thermodynamic driving factors. This fortunate fact is due to the presence of auto-regulatory proteins that are found in abundance in bodily fluids. Yet, many important inflammatory disorders such as atherosclerosis and osteoarthritis are associated with this undesired calcification. Hence, it is important to gain an understanding of the regulatory process and the conditions under which it can go awry. In this manuscript, we adapt mean-field classical nucleation theory to the case of surface-shielding in order to study the regulation of sedimentation of calcium phosphate salts in biological tissues through the mechanism of post-nuclear shielding of nascent mineral particles by binding proteins. We develop a mathematical description of this phenomenon using a countable system of hyperbolic partial differential equations. A critical concentration of regulatory protein is identified as a function of the physical parameters that describe the system.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1501.02526v6","authors":["Joshua C. Chang","Robert M. Miura"],"tags":["cond-mat.soft","math.AP","physics.bio-ph","physics.chem-ph","q-bio.TO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-01-12T03:02:15Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2608.17063v1","name":"J-Miner: Recovering Executable Decision Knowledge from Language-Model Classifiers","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Large language models can be fine-tuned into specialized classifiers that perform well across diverse text tasks and make complex judgments, but they typically expose only final labels, leaving the decision knowledge acquired through fine-tuning implicit within the model. We study how to mine this internal decision knowledge from a fine-tuned classifier and encode it in an executable representation that can be inspected, validated, and reused beyond the source classifier. We introduce J-Miner, which mines text-level named concepts by aggregating vocabulary-aligned internal signals across layers and token positions, and uses the classifier's own predictions to learn executable decision rules over them. This process distills local internal readouts into an explicit classifier-level knowledge representation. Across multiple classification tasks, J-Miner rules reproduce up to 98.3\\% of source-classifier decisions and achieve 6.0--29.5 percentage points higher behavioral fidelity than equally compact rules learned from input words. Further analysis shows that the named concepts reflect internal semantic evidence associated with task decisions, while the learned rules consolidate these distributed signals into inspectable decision structures. The resulting decision knowledge also transfers to lightweight standalone students: using about 1/24 as many parameters as the source classifiers, they reconstruct and execute the representation from raw text while retaining 99.8\\% of the source classifiers' mean task accuracy. These findings show that task-specific decision knowledge can be faithfully represented in an explicit, executable form and reused beyond the classifier in which it was learned.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.17063v1","authors":["Yunfan Gao","Xinyi Huang","Tao Sheng","Haorui Song","Yun Xiong","Haofen Wang"],"tags":["cs.LG","cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-17T19:09:38Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2110.02708v1","name":"Application of the interactive Leipzig Corpus Miner as a generic research platform for the use in the social sciences","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This article introduces to the interactive Leipzig Corpus Miner (iLCM) - a newly released, open-source software to perform automatic content analysis. Since the iLCM is based on the R-programming language, its generic text mining procedures provided via a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI) can easily be extended using the integrated IDE RStudio-Server or numerous other interfaces in the tool. Furthermore, the iLCM offers various possibilities to use quantitative and qualitative research approaches in combination. Some of these possibilities will be presented in more detail in the following.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2110.02708v1","authors":["Christian Kahmann","Andreas Niekler","Gregor Wiedemann"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-10-06T12:53:00Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1710.04128v1","name":"Fluctuations of gas concentrations in three mineral springs of the East Eifel Volcanic field (EEVF)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present a geochemical dataset acquired during continual sampling over 7 months (bi-weekly) and 4 weeks (every 8 hours) in the Neuwied Basin, a part of the East Eifel Volcanic Field (EEVF). We used a combination of geochemical, geophysical, and statistical methods to identify potential causal processes underlying the correlations of degassing patterns of four gases (He, Rn, CO2, O2), earth tides, and tectonic processes in three mineral springs (Nette, Kaerlich and Kobern). We explored whether temporal relations in gas concentrations in the three mineral springs could be indicators of hidden faults through which the gases migrate to the surface from deeper underground. Our results do not confirm CO2 as a primary carrier gas for trace gases in all springs. Temporal analyses of the CO2-He couple indicate that Nette and Kärlich are directly linked via a continuous tectonic fault in an ENE-WSW trending direction. There is also evidence that Kaerlich and Kobern (NNE-SSW fault system) and Nette and Kobern (NW-SE fault system) are tectonically linked. These fault linkages are unknown previously but could be related to the rising numbers of earthquake events occurring in this area since 2010. We did not find any evidence that weather processes (e.g., barometric pressure), earth tides, or low local earthquake magnitudes actively modulate degassing. The volcanic activity in the EEVF is dormant but not extinct and to understand and monitor its magmatic and degassing systems, we recommend bi-weekly samplings at minimum.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1710.04128v1","authors":["G. M. Berberich","M. B. Berberich","A. M. Ellison"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-09-18T08:00:52Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1703.05481v1","name":"Empirical Analysis on Comparing the Performance of Alpha Miner Algorithm in SQL Query Language and NoSQL Column-Oriented Databases Using Apache Phoenix","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Process-Aware Information Systems (PAIS) is an IT system that support business processes and generate large amounts of event logs from the execution of business processes. An event log is represented as a tuple of CaseID, Timestamp, Activity and Actor. Process Mining is a new and emerging field that aims at analyzing the event logs to discover, enhance and improve business processes and check conformance between run time and design time business processes. The large volume of event logs generated are stored in the databases. Relational databases perform well for a certain class of applications. However, there are a certain class of applications for which relational databases are not able to scale. To handle such class of applications, NoSQL database systems emerged. Discovering a process model (workflow model) from event logs is one of the most challenging and important Process Mining task. The $α$-miner algorithm is one of the first and most widely used Process Discovery technique. Our objective is to investigate which of the databases (Relational or NoSQL) performs better for a Process Discovery application under Process Mining. We implement the $α$-miner algorithm on relational (row-oriented) and NoSQL (column-oriented) databases in database query languages so that our algorithm is tightly coupled to the database. We present a performance benchmarking and comparison of the $α$-miner algorithm on row-oriented database and NoSQL column-oriented database so that we can compare which database can efficiently store massive event logs and analyze it in seconds to discover a process model.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1703.05481v1","authors":["Kunal Gupta","Astha Sachdev","Ashish Sureka"],"tags":["cs.DB"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-03-16T06:32:11Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2109.00756v2","name":"Learning 3D Mineral Prospectivity from 3D Geological Models Using Convolutional Neural Networks: Application to a Structure-controlled Hydrothermal Gold Deposit","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The three-dimensional (3D) geological models are the typical and key data source in the 3D mineral prospecitivity modeling. Identifying prospectivity-informative predictor variables from the 3D geological models is a challenging and tedious task. Motivated by the ability of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to learn the intrinsic features, in this paper, we present a novel method that leverages CNNs to learn 3D mineral prospectivity from the 3D geological models. By exploiting the learning ability of CNNs, the presented method allows for disentangling complex correlation to the mineralization and thus opens a door to circumvent the tedious work for designing the predictor variables. Specifically, to explore the unstructured 3D geological models with the CNNs whose input should be structured, we develop a 2D CNN framework in which the geometry of geological boundary is compiled and reorganized into multi-channel images and fed into the CNN. This ensures an effective and efficient training of CNNs while allowing the prospective model to approximate the ore-forming process. The presented method is applied to a typical structure-controlled hydrothermal deposit, the Dayingezhuang gold deposit, eastern China, in which the presented method was compared with the prospectivity modeling methods using hand-designed predictor variables. The results demonstrate the presented method capacitates a performance boost of the 3D prospectivity modeling and empowers us to decrease work-load and prospecting risk in prediction of deep-seated orebodies.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2109.00756v2","authors":["Hao Deng","Yang Zheng","Jin Chen","Shuyan Yu","Keyan Xiao","Xiancheng Mao"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph","cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-09-02T07:34:10Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2306.11370v2","name":"Analytical capability of K-Ar isochron dating on Mars: assessment from mineral compositions of Martian meteorites","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Dating rocks with a precision of $\\pm$200 Myr (2$σ$) has been required to understand the Martian habitability and volcanic history around 4000 Myr ago. In situ potassium-argon (K-Ar) dating techniques employing spot-by-spot laser ablation have been developed for isochron dating on Mars. The precision of isochron ages is predominantly determined by the relationship between the laser spot diameter and the mineral grain size. However, the achievable age precisions for the realistic mineralogy of Martian rocks were not investigated yet. This study simulates isochrons under various conditions, including laser spot size, measurement errors for K and Ar, the number of isochron points, and the mineral compositions of representative Martian meteorites (NWA 817, Zagami, and NWA 1068) analyzed with an electron microprobe. We find that attaining the 200 Myr precision necessitates an isochron data range wider than 6, a laser spot diameter of 250 $μ$m, and measurement errors of 10% for both K and Ar. Furthermore, minimizing the variance in measurement errors between K and Ar is essential for increasing age accuracy. This investigation demonstrates that the required precision for Mars missions is achievable with realistic instrument settings, thus supporting the viability of in situ K-Ar geochronology on Mars.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.11370v2","authors":["Hikaru Hyuga","Yuichiro Cho","Yayoi N. Miura","Takashi Mikouchi","Seiji Sugita"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-06-20T08:21:14Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2601.10851v1","name":"Event-Driven Market Co-Movement Dynamics in Critical Mineral Equities: An Empirical Framework Using Change Point Detection and Cross-Sectional Analysis","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This study examines market behavior in critical mineral investments using a novel analytical framework that combines change-point detection (PELT algorithm) with cross-sectional analysis. This research analyzes ESG-ranked critical mineral ETFs from March 31, 2014, to April 19, 2024, using the S&amp;P 500 as a benchmark to evaluate market co-movements. The findings demonstrate that different critical mineral investments experienced change points at distinct times, but three major dates, July 23, 2015; March 17, 2020; and December 1, 2020, were common and aligned with global events such as the oil market shock, the COVID-19 pandemic, and later market adjustments. Herding behavior among investors increased after these shocks, following the 2015 and 2020 crises, but shifted to anti-herding after positive vaccine news in late 2020 and after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The sensitivity analysis shows that investor coordination is strongest during market downturns but exhibits greater variation during stable periods or after major developments, with these dynamics sensitive to the length of the observation period. Additionally, anti-herding became more apparent during crises, suggesting investors reacted to specific risks rather than moving in lockstep, especially in response to geopolitical shocks.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.10851v1","authors":["Haibo Wang"],"tags":["econ.EM","q-fin.PM","q-fin.PR","q-fin.RM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-15T20:41:54Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2605.31190v1","name":"Exploring Low Energy Excess in MINER with sapphire detectors using Convolutional Variational Autoencoder (CVAE)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"As cryogenic detectors push toward ever-lower energy thresholds, their sensitivity is increasingly constrained by a persistent low-energy background known as the low-energy excess (LEE). We report observation of LEE in the MINER experiment using a sapphire ($\\mathrm{Al_2O_3}$) detector at energies around 200 eV, with the excess reproducibly reappearing after each non-operational warm-up period. To address this limiting background, we implement an unsupervised convolutional variational autoencoder (CVAE) framework that identifies anomalous events through a reconstruction-based anomaly score. For the first time in a pulse-shape driven analysis, we uncover a significant deviation in the rise-time of LEE events relative to Monte Carlo simulated ideal signals. Using this feature, we develop a discrimination pipeline based on rise-time selection. This method achieves up to 53\\% rejection of LEE events, corresponding to an expected sensitivity improvement of nearly 10\\% for MINER at HFIR. These findings are consistent with a scenario in which a substantial fraction of the LEE originates from bulk-related defects or microfractures within the detector crystal, while leaving room for additional detector-related contributions. Our result provides a powerful, data-driven pathway for mitigating LEE and enhancing the discovery potential of next-generation cryogenic experiments.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.31190v1","authors":["D. Mondal","W. Baker","M. Chaudhuri","J. B. Dent","B. Dutta","V. Iyer","A. Jastram","V. K. S. Kashyap","A. Kubik","K. Lang","R. Mahapatra","S. Maludze","N. Mirabolfathi","M. Mirzakhani","B. Mohanty","H. Neog","J. L. Newstead","M. Platt","S. Sahoo","J. Sander","L. E. Strigari","J. Walker"],"tags":["physics.ins-det","hep-ex"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-29T11:56:50Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0707.1477v1","name":"Integration of iron in natural and synthetic Al-pyrophyllites: an infrared spectroscopic study","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Numerous studies focus on the relationships between chemical composition and OHband positions in the infrared (IR) spectra of micaceous minerals. These studies are based on the coexistence, in dioctahedral micas or smectites, of several cationic pairs around the hydroxyl group which each produce a characteristic band in the IR spectrum. The aim of this work is to obtain the wavenumber values of the IR OH vibration bands of the (Al-Fe3+)-OH and (Fe3+-Fe3+)-OH local cationic environments of 'pyrophyllite type' in order to prove, disprove or modify a model of dioctahedral phyllosilicate OH-stretching band decomposition. Natural samples are characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopies and electron microprobe; the hydrothermal synthesis products are also analysed by powder XRD and FTIR after inductively coupled plasma measurements to obtain the chemical compositions of nascent gel phases. Natural samples contain some impurities which were eliminated after acid treatment; nevertheless, a small Fe content is found in the pyrophyllite structure. The amount of Fe which is incorporated within the pyrophyllite structure is much more important for the synthetic samples than for the natural ones. The IR OH bands were clearly observed in both natural and synthetic pyrophyllites and assigned to hydroxides bonded to (Al-Al), (Al-Fe) and (Fe-Fe) cationic pairs. During this study, three samples were analysed by DTG to check the cis- or trans-vacant character of the layers and to determine the influence of this structural character on the OH-stretching band position in IR spectroscopy.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0707.1477v1","authors":["Sébastien Lantenois","Jean-Michel Bény","Fabrice Muller","Rémi Champallier"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-07-10T15:45:30Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.14197v1","name":"The Redundancy of Full Nodes in Bitcoin: A Network-Theoretic Demonstration of Miner-Centric Propagation Topologies","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper formally examines the network structure of Bitcoin CORE (BTC) and Bitcoin Satoshi Vision (BSV) using complex graph theory to demonstrate that home-hosted full nodes are incapable of participating in or influencing the propagation topology. Leveraging established models such as scale-free networks and small-world connectivity, we demonstrate that the propagation graph is dominated by a densely interconnected miner clique, while full nodes reside on the periphery, excluded from all transaction-to-block inclusion paths. Using simulation-backed metrics and eigenvalue centrality analysis, we confirm that full nodes are neither critical nor operationally relevant for consensus propagation.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.14197v1","authors":["Dr Craig S Wright"],"tags":["cs.DC","cs.CR","cs.SI","math.CO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-17T05:26:40Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2602.17784v2","name":"QueryPlot: Generating Geological Evidence Layers using Natural Language Queries for Mineral Exploration","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Mineral prospectivity mapping requires synthesizing heterogeneous geological knowledge, including textual deposit models and geospatial datasets, to identify regions likely to host specific mineral deposit types. This process is traditionally manual and knowledge-intensive. We present QueryPlot, a semantic retrieval and mapping framework that integrates large-scale geological text corpora with geologic map data using modern Natural Language Processing techniques. We curate descriptive deposit models for over 120 deposit types and transform the State Geologic Map Compilation (SGMC) polygons into structured textual representations. Given a user-defined natural language query, the system encodes both queries and region descriptions using a pretrained embedding model and computes semantic similarity scores to rank and spatially visualize regions as continuous evidence layers. QueryPlot supports compositional querying over deposit characteristics, enabling aggregation of multiple similarity-derived layers for multi-criteria prospectivity analysis. In a case study on tungsten skarn deposits, we demonstrate that embedding-based retrieval achieves high recall of known occurrences and produces prospective regions that closely align with expert-defined permissive tracts. Furthermore, similarity scores can be incorporated as additional features in supervised learning pipelines, yielding measurable improvements in classification performance. QueryPlot is implemented as a web-based system supporting interactive querying, visualization, and export of GIS-compatible prospectivity layers.To support future research, we have made the source code and datasets used in this study publicly available.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.17784v2","authors":["Meng Ye","Xiao Lin","Georgina Lukoczki","Graham W. Lederer","Yi Yao"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-19T19:31:37Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.11251v1","name":"Insight Miner: A Time Series Analysis Dataset for Cross-Domain Alignment with Natural Language","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Time-series data is critical across many scientific and industrial domains, including environmental analysis, agriculture, transportation, and finance. However, mining insights from this data typically requires deep domain expertise, a process that is both time-consuming and labor-intensive. In this paper, we propose \\textbf{Insight Miner}, a large-scale multimodal model (LMM) designed to generate high-quality, comprehensive time-series descriptions enriched with domain-specific knowledge. To facilitate this, we introduce \\textbf{TS-Insights}\\footnote{Available at \\href{https://huggingface.co/datasets/zhykoties/time-series-language-alignment}{https://huggingface.co/datasets/zhykoties/time-series-language-alignment}.}, the first general-domain dataset for time series and language alignment. TS-Insights contains 100k time-series windows sampled from 20 forecasting datasets. We construct this dataset using a novel \\textbf{agentic workflow}, where we use statistical tools to extract features from raw time series before synthesizing them into coherent trend descriptions with GPT-4. Following instruction tuning on TS-Insights, Insight Miner outperforms state-of-the-art multimodal models, such as LLaVA \\citep{liu2023llava} and GPT-4, in generating time-series descriptions and insights. Our findings suggest a promising direction for leveraging LMMs in time series analysis, and serve as a foundational step toward enabling LLMs to interpret time series as a native input modality.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.11251v1","authors":["Yunkai Zhang","Yawen Zhang","Ming Zheng","Kezhen Chen","Chongyang Gao","Ruian Ge","Siyuan Teng","Amine Jelloul","Jinmeng Rao","Xiaoyuan Guo","Chiang-Wei Fang","Zeyu Zheng","Jie Yang"],"tags":["cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-12T03:18:00Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2103.11464v1","name":"The effect of biomimetic mineralization of 3D-printed mesoporous bioglass scaffolds on physical properties and in vitro osteogenicity","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Three-dimensional Mesoporous bioactive glasses (MBGs) scaffolds has been widely considered for bone regeneration purposes and additive manufacturing enables the fabrication of highly bioactive patient-specific constructs for bone defects. Commonly, this process is performed with the addition of polymeric binders that facilitate the printability of scaffolds. However, these additives cover the MBG particles resulting in the reduction of their osteogenic potential. The present work investigates a simple yet effective phosphate-buffered saline immersion method for achieving polyvinyl alcohol binder removal while enables the maintenance of the mesoporous structure of MBG 3D-printed scaffolds. This resulted in significantly modifying the surface of the scaffold via the spontaneous formation of a biomimetic mineralized layer which positively affected the physical and biological properties of the scaffold. The extensive surface remodeling induced by the deposition of the apatite-like layer lead to a 3-fold increase in surface area, a 5-fold increase in the roughness, and 4-fold increase in the hardness of the PBS-immersed scaffolds when compared to the as-printed counterpart. The biomimetic mineralization also occurred throughout the bulk of the scaffold connecting the MBGs particles and was responsible for the maintenance of structural integrity. In vitro assays using MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblast like cells demonstrated a significant upregulation of osteogenic-related genes for the scaffolds previously immersed in PBS when compared to the as-printed PVA-containing scaffolds. Although the pre-immersion scaffolds performed equally towards osteogenic cell differentiation, our data suggest that a short immersion in PBS of MBG scaffolds is beneficial for the osteogenic properties and might accelerate bone formation after implantation.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2103.11464v1","authors":["M. Natividad Gomez-Cerezo","Daniel Lozano","Daniel Arcos","Maria Vallet-Regi","Cedryck Vaquette"],"tags":["q-bio.TO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-03-21T19:01:38Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2401.16263v4","name":"Collaboration Miner: Discovering Collaboration Petri Nets (Extended Version)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Most existing process discovery techniques aim to mine models of process orchestrations that represent behavior of cases within one business process. Collaboration process discovery techniques mine models of collaboration processes that represent behavior of collaborating cases within multiple process orchestrations that interact via collaboration concepts such as organizations, agents, and services. While workflow nets are mostly mined for process orchestrations, a standard model for collaboration processes is missing. Hence, in this work, we rely on the newly proposed collaboration Petri nets and show that in combination with the newly proposed Collaboration Miner (CM), the resulting representational bias is lower than for existing models. Moreover, CM can discover heterogeneous collaboration concepts and types such as resource sharing and message exchange, resulting in fitting and precise collaboration Petri nets. The evaluation shows that CM achieves its design goals: no assumptions on concepts and types as well as fitting and precise models, based on 26 artificial and real-world event logs from literature.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.16263v4","authors":["Janik-Vasily Benzin","Stefanie Rinderle-Ma"],"tags":["cs.FL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-29T16:12:18Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2201.05434v1","name":"Design and Development of PCN-Miner: A tool for the Analysis of Protein Contact Networks","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Protein Contact Network (PCN) is a powerful tool for analysing the structure and function of proteins. In particular, PCN has been used for disclosing the molecular features of allosteric regulation through PCN clustering. Such analysis is relevant in many applications, such as the recent study of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein. Despite its relevance, methods for the analysis of PCN are spread into a set of different libraries and tools. Therefore, the introduction of a tool that incorporates all the function may help researchers. We present PCN-Miner a software tool implemented in the Python programming language able to import protein in the Protein Data Bank format and generate the corresponding protein contact network. Then it offers a set of algorithms for the analysis of PCS that cover a large set of applications: from clustering to embedding and subsequent analysis. Software is available at \\url{https://github.com/hguzzi/ProteinContactNetworks}","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2201.05434v1","authors":["Pietro Hiram Guzzi","Luisa Di Paola","Alessandro Giuliani","Pierangelo Veltri"],"tags":["q-bio.QM","cs.CE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-12T19:58:02Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.15695v3","name":"Can Large Language Models be Effective Online Opinion Miners?","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The surge of user-generated online content presents a wealth of insights into customer preferences and market trends. However, the highly diverse, complex, and context-rich nature of such contents poses significant challenges to traditional opinion mining approaches. To address this, we introduce Online Opinion Mining Benchmark (OOMB), a novel dataset and evaluation protocol designed to assess the ability of large language models (LLMs) to mine opinions effectively from diverse and intricate online environments. OOMB provides extensive (entity, feature, opinion) tuple annotations and a comprehensive opinion-centric summary that highlights key opinion topics within each content, thereby enabling the evaluation of both the extractive and abstractive capabilities of models. Through our proposed benchmark, we conduct a comprehensive analysis of which aspects remain challenging and where LLMs exhibit adaptability, to explore whether they can effectively serve as opinion miners in realistic online scenarios. This study lays the foundation for LLM-based opinion mining and discusses directions for future research in this field.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.15695v3","authors":["Ryang Heo","Yongsik Seo","Junseong Lee","Dongha Lee"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-21T16:09:44Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2006.04867v1","name":"Mineral dust increases the habitability of terrestrial planets but confounds biomarker detection","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Identification of habitable planets beyond our solar system is a key goal of current and future space missions. Yet habitability depends not only on the stellar irradiance, but equally on constituent parts of the planetary atmosphere. Here we show, for the first time, that radiatively active mineral dust will have a significant impact on the habitability of Earth-like exoplanets. On tidally-locked planets, dust cools the day-side and warms the night-side, significantly widening the habitable zone. Independent of orbital configuration, we suggest that airborne dust can postpone planetary water loss at the inner edge of the habitable zone, through a feedback involving decreasing ocean coverage and increased dust loading. The inclusion of dust significantly obscures key biomarker gases (e.g. ozone, methane) in simulated transmission spectra, implying an important influence on the interpretation of observations. We demonstrate that future observational and theoretical studies of terrestrial exoplanets must consider the effect of dust.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2006.04867v1","authors":["Ian A. Boutle","Manoj Joshi","F. Hugo Lambert","Nathan J. Mayne","Duncan Lyster","James Manners","Robert Ridgway","Krisztian Kohary"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-06-08T18:38:19Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2101.10442v1","name":"Quantitative analysis of iron sand mineral content from the south coast of Cidaun, West Java using rietveld refinement method","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Iron sand is one of the abundant natural resources in Indonesia, especially on the south coast of Cidaun; West Java which is the basic material for building and metal industry. Iron mineral content is generally metal oxide such as magnetite, hematite and silica/quartz. Sand with iron content used in this study is derived from beach sand Desa Kertajadi, Kecamatan Cidaun, Kabupaten Cianjur, Jawa Barat. Then mass of 2 kg sand was separated using a magnetic separator in order to obtain magnetic and nonmagnetic mineral content. After nine rounds of separation takes two different types of samples that are no separation sand (TS) sample and concentrate in the third separation (S3) sample. The sample is then examined by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) measurement and analyzed quantitatively using MAUD software to determine the content of Fe3O4 (magnetite) by using the Rietveld refinement method from XRD data. As the analysis result, the magnetite content contained in iron sand is counted quantitatively for each different sample. For iron sand samples (TS) yielding a 24.27 percent of magnetite and a third concentrate separation sample (S3) yields 61.98 percent.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2101.10442v1","authors":["Novianty Rizky Ardiani","Setianto Setianto","Budy Santosa","Bambang Mukti Wibawa","Camellia Panatarani","I Made Joni"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph","cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-01-19T13:07:07Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.15913v2","name":"Improving target neutron momentum reconstruction using MINER$ν$A $π^0$ data","source":"arxiv","abstract":"With the neutrino experiments advancing toward high-precision measurements and greater emphasis on reducing systematic uncertainties, improving the single-pion production models, a major component of the hadronic activity observed in the neutrino oscillation experiments, into the Monte Carlo simulations is crucial. This work presents the predictions of the struck nucleon's Fermi motion by analyzing the charged-current neutral pion production on carbon nucleus in MINER$ν$A. A minimal variation of GENIE and NuWro based on their default models shows an improvement in the prediction of single $π^0$ production. The prediction describes the data more accurately in the higher-momentum tail; however, discrepancies between the predictions and data below the Fermi peak highlight the limitations in current nuclear models used in the Monte Carlo generators.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.15913v2","authors":["R K Pradhan","R Lalnuntluanga","A Giri"],"tags":["hep-ph","hep-ex","nucl-th"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-24T09:31:19Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1906.06759v1","name":"Performance Analysis of Blockchain Systems with Wireless Mobile Miners","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, a novel framework that uses wireless mobile miners (MMs) for computation purposes in a blockchain system is proposed. In the introduced system, the blockchain ledger is located at the communication nodes (CNs), and the MMs associated with CNs process the blockchain's proof-of-work (PoW) computation to verify the originality of the data. The MM that is the first to finish its PoW will receive a reward by sending its computing result to the CNs that are connected to other MMs. In the considered scenario, a blockchain forking event occurs if the MM having the shortest PoW delay fails to be the first to update its computing result to other MMs. To enable such mobile operations for a blockchain with minimum forking events, it is imperative to maintain low-latency wireless communications between MMs and CNs. To analyze the sensitivity of the system to latency, the probability of occurrence of a forking event is theoretically derived. The system is then designed so as to compute the forked block's PoW again to recover from a forking event. For this case, the average energy consumption of an MM is derived as a function of the system parameters such as the number of MMs and power consumed by the computing, transmission, and mobility processes of the MMs. Simulation results verify the analytical derivations and show that using a larger number of MMs can reduce the energy consumption by up to 94.5% compared to a blockchain system with a single MM.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1906.06759v1","authors":["Gilsoo Lee","Jihong Park","Walid Saad","Mehdi Bennis"],"tags":["cs.IT","cs.NI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-06-16T19:49:43Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1110.1562v1","name":"Does the size distribution of mineral dust aerosols depend on the wind speed at emission?","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The size distribution of mineral dust aerosols partially determines their interactions with clouds, radiation, ecosystems, and other components of the Earth system. Several theoretical models predict that the dust size distribution depends on the wind speed at emission, with larger wind speeds predicted to produce smaller aerosols. The present study investigates this prediction using a compilation of published measurements of the size-resolved vertical dust flux emitted by eroding soils. Surprisingly, these measurements indicate that the size distribution of naturally emitted dust aerosols is independent of the wind speed. The recently formulated brittle fragmentation theory of dust emission is consistent with this finding, whereas other theoretical dust emission models are not. The independence of the emitted dust size distribution with wind speed simplifies both the interpretation of geological records of dust deposition and the parameterization of dust emission in atmospheric circulation models.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1110.1562v1","authors":["Jasper F. Kok"],"tags":["physics.ao-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-07T15:15:10Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1301.7586v1","name":"Ionisation in atmospheres of Brown Dwarfs and extrasolar planets III. Breakdown conditions for mineral clouds","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Electric discharges were detected directly in the cloudy atmospheres of Earth, Jupiter and Saturn, are debatable for Venus, and indirectly inferred for Neptune and Uranus in our solar system. Sprites (and other types of transient luminous events) have been detected only on Earth, and are theoretically predicted for Jupiter, Saturn and Venus. Cloud formation is a common phenomenon in ultra-cool atmospheres such as in Brown Dwarf and extrasolar planetary atmospheres. Cloud particles can be expected to carry considerable charges which may trigger discharge events via small-scale processes between individual cloud particles (intra-cloud discharges) or large-scale processes between clouds (inter-cloud discharges). We investigate electrostatic breakdown characteristics, like critical field strengths and critical charge densities per surface, to demonstrate under which conditions mineral clouds undergo electric discharge events which may trigger or be responsible for sporadic X-ray emission. We apply results from our kinetic dust cloud formation model that is part of the Drift-Phoenix model atmosphere simulations. We present a first investigation of the dependence of the breakdown conditions in Brown Dwarf and giant gas exoplanets on the local gas-phase chemistry, the effective temperature and primordial gas-phase metallicity. Our results suggest that different intra-cloud discharge processes dominate at different heights inside mineral clouds: local coronal (point discharges) and small-scale sparks at the bottom region of the cloud where the gas density is high, and flow discharges and large-scale sparks near, and maybe above, the cloud top. The comparison of the thermal degree of ionisation and the number density of cloud particles allows us to suggest the efficiency with which discharges will occur in planetary atmospheres.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1301.7586v1","authors":["Ch. Helling","M. Jardine","C. Stark","D. Diver"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-01-31T12:19:17Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2207.02086v2","name":"Final state interactions in semi-inclusive neutrino-nucleus scattering: Application to T2K and MINER$ν$A experiments","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present a complete comparison of semi-inclusive $ν_μ$-$^{12}$C cross-section measurements by T2K and MINER$ν$A collaborations with the predictions from the SuSAv2-MEC model implemented in the neutrino-nucleus event generator GENIE and an unfactorized approach based on the relativistic distorted wave impulse approximation (RDWIA). Results, that include cross sections as function of the final muon and proton kinematics and correlations between both, show that the agreement with data obtained by the RDWIA approach, that accounts for final-state interactions, matches or improves GENIE-SuSAv2 predictions for very forward angles where scaling violations are relevant.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2207.02086v2","authors":["J. M. Franco-Patino","R. González-Jiménez","S. Dolan","M. B. Barbaro","J. A. Caballero","G. D. Megias","J. M. Udias"],"tags":["nucl-th","hep-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-05T14:46:14Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2103.11241v2","name":"Artificial intelligence for detection and quantification of rust and leaf miner in coffee crop","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Pest and disease control plays a key role in agriculture since the damage caused by these agents are responsible for a huge economic loss every year. Based on this assumption, we create an algorithm capable of detecting rust (Hemileia vastatrix) and leaf miner (Leucoptera coffeella) in coffee leaves (Coffea arabica) and quantify disease severity using a mobile application as a high-level interface for the model inferences. We used different convolutional neural network architectures to create the object detector, besides the OpenCV library, k-means, and three treatments: the RGB and value to quantification, and the AFSoft software, in addition to the analysis of variance, where we compare the three methods. The results show an average precision of 81,5% in the detection and that there was no significant statistical difference between treatments to quantify the severity of coffee leaves, proposing a computationally less costly method. The application, together with the trained model, can detect the pest and disease over different image conditions and infection stages and also estimate the disease infection stage.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2103.11241v2","authors":["Alvaro Leandro Cavalcante Carneiro","Lucas de Brito Silva","Marisa Silveira Almeida Renaud Faulin"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.AI","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-03-20T20:52:11Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0904.3159v1","name":"Measurement of the ν_μcharged current π^+ to quasi-elastic cross section ratio on mineral oil in a 0.8 GeV neutrino beam","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Using high statistics samples of charged current $ν_μ$ interactions, MiniBooNE reports a measurement of the single charged pion production to quasi-elastic cross section ratio on mineral oil (CH$_2$), both with and without corrections for hadron re-interactions in the target nucleus. The result is provided as a function of neutrino energy in the range 0.4 GeV $&lt; E_ν&lt;$ 2.4 GeV with 11% precision in the region of highest statistics. The results are consistent with previous measurements and the prediction from historical neutrino calculations.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0904.3159v1","authors":["A. A. Aguilar-Arevalo","C. E. Anderson","A. O. Bazarko","S. J. Brice","B. C. Brown","L. Buge","J. Cao","L. Coney","J. M. Conrad","D. C. Cox","A. Curioni","Z. Djurcic","D. A. Finley","B. T. Fleming","R. Ford","F. G. Garcia","G. T. Garvey","C. Green","J. A. Green","T. L. Hart","E. Hawker","R. Imlay","R. A. Johnson","G. Karagiorgi","P. Kasper","T. Katori","T. Kobilarcik","I. Kourbanis","S. Koutsoliotas","E. M. Laird","S. K. Linden","J. M. Link","Y. Liu","Y. Liu","W. C. Louis","K. B. M. Mahn","W. Marsh","V. T. McGary","G. McGregor","W. Metcalf","P. D. Meyers","F. Mills","G. B. Mills","J. Monroe","C. D. Moore","R. H. Nelson","P. Nienaber","J. A. Nowak","B. Osmanov","S. Ouedraogo","R. B. Patterson","D. Perevalov","C. C. Polly","E. Prebys","J. L. Raaf","H. Ray","B. P. Roe","A. D. Russell","V. Sandberg","R. Schirato","D. Schmitz","M. H. Shaevitz","F. C. Shoemaker","D. Smith","M. Soderberg","M. Sorel","P. Spentzouris","J. Spitz","I. Stancu","R. J. Stefanski","M. Sung","H. A. Tanaka","R. Tayloe","M. Tzanov","R. Van de Water","M. O. Wascko","D. H. White","M. J. Wilking","H. J. Yang","G. P. Zeller","E. D. Zimmerman"],"tags":["hep-ex"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-04-21T03:51:59Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1502.01847v1","name":"Chondrule trace element geochemistry at the mineral scale","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We report trace element analyses from mineral phases in chondrules from carbonaceous chondrites (Vigarano, Renazzo and Acfer 187), carried out by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Results are similar in all three meteorites. Mesostasis has Rare Earth Element (REE) concentrations of 10-20 x CI. Low-Ca pyroxene has light REE (LREE) concentrations near 0.1 x CI and heavy REE (HREE) near 1 x CI respectively. Olivine has HREE concentrations at 0.1-1 x CI and LREE around 10-2 x CI. The coarsest olivine crystals tend to have the most fractionated REE patterns, indicative of equilibrium partitioning. Low-Ca pyroxene in the most pyroxene-rich chondrules tends to have the lowest REE concentrations. Type I chondrules seem to have undergone a significant degree of batch crystallization (as opposed to fractional crystallization), which requires cooling rates slower than 1-100 K/h. This would fill the gap between igneous CAIs and type II chondrules. The anticorrelation between REE abundances and pyroxene mode may be understood as due to dilution by addition of silica to the chondrule melt, as in the gas-melt interaction scenario of Libourel et al. (2006). The rapid cooling rate (of the order of 1000 K/h) which seems recorded by low-Ca pyroxene, contrasted with the more diverse record of olivine, may point to a nonlinear cooling history or suggest that formation of pyroxene-rich chondrule margins was an event distinct from the crystallization of the interior.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1502.01847v1","authors":["Emmanuel Jacquet","Olivier Alard","Matthieu Gounelle"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-02-06T10:21:31Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2303.07276v1","name":"Optimization of Cryptocurrency Miners' Participation in Ancillary Service Markets","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Proof-of-work computation used in cryptocurrencies has witnessed significant growth in the U.S. and many other regions around the world. One of the most significant bottlenecks for the scalable deployment of such computation is its energy demand. On the other hand, the electric energy system is increasing the need for flexibility for energy balancing and ancillary services due to the intermittent nature of many new energy resources such as wind and solar. In this work, we model the operation of a cryptomining facility with heterogeneous mining devices participating in ancillary services. We propose a general formulation for the cryptominers to maximize their profit by strategically participating in ancillary services and controlling the loss of mining revenue, which requires taking into account the disparity in the efficiency of the mining machines. The optimization formulation is considered for both offline and online scenarios, and optimal algorithms are proposed to solve these problems. As a special case of our problem, we investigate cryptominers' participation in frequency regulation, where the miners benefit from their fast-responding devices and contribute to grid stability. In the second special setting, a risk-aware algorithm is proposed to jointly minimize the cost and the risk of participating in ancillary services with homogeneous mining devices. Simulation results based on real-world Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) traces show more than 20\\% gain in profit, highlighting the advantage of our proposed algorithms.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.07276v1","authors":["Ali Menati","Yuting Cai","Rayan El Helou","Chao Tian","Le Xie"],"tags":["eess.SY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-03-13T16:51:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1411.6064v2","name":"A note on upscaling retardation factor in hierarchical porous media with multimodal reactive mineral facies","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present a model for upscaling the time-dependent effective retardation factor in hierarchical porous media with multimodal reactive mineral facies. The model extends the approach by Deng et al. (2013) in which they expanded a Lagrangian-based stochastic theory presented by Rajaram (1997) in order to describe the scaling effect of retardation factor. They used a first-order linear approximation in deriving their model to make the derivation tractable. Importantly, the linear approximation is known to be valid only to variances of 0.2. In this article we show that the model can be derived with a higher-order approximation, which allows for representing variances from 0.2 to 1.0. We present the derivation, and use the resulting model to recalculate the time-dependent effective retardation for the scenario examined by Deng et al. (2013).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1411.6064v2","authors":["Mohamad Reza Soltanian","Robert Ritzi","Chaocheng Huang","Zhenxue Dai","Hailin Deng"],"tags":["physics.flu-dyn"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-11-22T02:53:27Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2502.10439v1","name":"Crypto Miner Attack: GPU Remote Code Execution Attacks","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Remote Code Execution (RCE) exploits pose a significant threat to AI and ML systems, particularly in GPU-accelerated environments where the computational power of GPUs can be misused for malicious purposes. This paper focuses on RCE attacks leveraging deserialization vulnerabilities and custom layers, such as TensorFlow Lambda layers, which are often overlooked due to the complexity of monitoring GPU workloads. These vulnerabilities enable attackers to execute arbitrary code, blending malicious activity seamlessly into expected model behavior and exploiting GPUs for unauthorized tasks such as cryptocurrency mining. Unlike traditional CPU-based attacks, the parallel processing nature of GPUs and their high resource utilization make runtime detection exceptionally challenging. In this work, we provide a comprehensive examination of RCE exploits targeting GPUs, demonstrating an attack that utilizes these vulnerabilities to deploy a crypto miner on a GPU. We highlight the technical intricacies of such attacks, emphasize their potential for significant financial and computational costs, and propose strategies for mitigation. By shedding light on this underexplored attack vector, we aim to raise awareness and encourage the adoption of robust security measures in GPU-driven AI and ML systems, with an emphasis on static and model scanning as an easier way to detect exploits.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.10439v1","authors":["Ariel Szabo","Uzy Hadad"],"tags":["cs.CR","cs.AI","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-09T19:26:47Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1603.09098v2","name":"Dynamic mineral clouds on HD 189733b I. 3D RHD with kinetic, non-equilibrium cloud formation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Observations of exoplanet atmospheres have revealed the presence of cloud particles in their atmospheres. 3D modelling of cloud formation in atmospheres of extrasolar planets coupled to the atmospheric dynamics has long been a challenge. We investigate the thermo-hydrodynamic properties of cloud formation processes in the atmospheres of hot Jupiter exoplanets. We simulate the dynamic atmosphere of HD 189733b with a 3D model that couples 3D radiative-hydrodynamics with a kinetic, microphysical mineral cloud formation module designed for RHD/GCM exoplanet atmosphere simulations. Our simulation includes the feedback effects of cloud advection and settling, gas phase element advection and depletion/replenishment and the radiative effects of cloud opacity. We model the cloud particles as a mix of mineral materials which change in size and composition as they travel through atmospheric thermo-chemical environments. All local cloud properties such as number density, grain size and material composition are time-dependently calculated. Gas phase element depletion as a result of cloud formation is included in the model. In-situ \\textit{effective medium theory} and Mie theory is applied to calculate the wavelength dependent opacity of the cloud component. We present a 3D cloud structure of a chemically complex, gaseous atmosphere of the hot Jupiter HD 189733b. Mean cloud particle sizes are typically sub-micron (0.01-0.5 $μ$m) at pressures less than 1 bar with hotter equatorial regions containing the smallest grains. Denser cloud structures occur near terminator regions and deeper ($\\sim$ 1 bar) atmospheric layers. Silicate materials such as MgSiO$_{3}$[s] are found to be abundant at mid-high latitudes, while TiO$_{2}$[s] and SiO$_{2}$[s] dominate the equatorial regions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1603.09098v2","authors":["E. K. H. Lee","I. Dobbs-Dixon","Ch. Helling","K. Bognar","P. Woitke"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-03-30T09:37:29Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1012.1090v2","name":"Multi-step approach to microscopic models for frustrated quantum magnets - the case of the natural mineral azurite","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The natural mineral azurite Cu$_3$(CO$_3$)$_2$(OH)$_2$ is a frustrated magnet displaying unusual and controversially discussed magnetic behavior. Motivated by the lack of a unified description for this system, we perform a theoretical study based on density functional theory as well as state-of-the-art numerical many-body calculations. We propose an effective generalized spin-1/2 diamond chain model which provides a consistent description of experiments: low-temperature magnetization, inelastic neutron scattering, nuclear magnetic resonance measurements, magnetic susceptibility as well as new specific heat measurements. With this study we demonstrate that the balanced combination of first principles with powerful many-body methods successfully describes the behavior of this frustrated material.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1012.1090v2","authors":["Harald Jeschke","Ingo Opahle","Hem Kandpal","Roser Valentí","Hena Das","Tanusri Saha-Dasgupta","Oleg Janson","Helge Rosner","Andreas Brühl","Bernd Wolf","Michael Lang","Johannes Richter","Shijie Hu","Xiaoqun Wang","Robert Peters","Thomas Pruschke","Andreas Honecker"],"tags":["cond-mat.str-el"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-12-06T08:05:49Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2301.13319v4","name":"ParticleSeg3D: A Scalable Out-of-the-Box Deep Learning Segmentation Solution for Individual Particle Characterization from Micro CT Images in Mineral Processing and Recycling","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Minerals, metals, and plastics are indispensable for a functioning modern society. Yet, their supply is limited causing a need for optimizing ore extraction and recuperation from recyclable materials.Typically, those processes must be meticulously adapted to the precise properties of the processed materials. Advancing our understanding of these materials is thus vital and can be achieved by crushing them into particles of micrometer size followed by their characterization. Current imaging approaches perform this analysis based on segmentation and characterization of particles imaged with computed tomography (CT), and rely on rudimentary postprocessing techniques to separate touching particles. However, their inability to reliably perform this separation as well as the need to retrain methods for each new image, these approaches leave untapped potential to be leveraged. Here, we propose ParticleSeg3D, an instance segmentation method able to extract individual particles from large CT images of particle samples containing different materials. Our approach is based on the powerful nnU-Net framework, introduces a particle size normalization, uses a border-core representation to enable instance segmentation, and is trained with a large dataset containing particles of numerous different sizes, shapes, and compositions of various materials. We demonstrate that ParticleSeg3D can be applied out-of-the-box to a large variety of particle types, including materials and appearances that have not been part of the training set. Thus, no further manual annotations and retraining are required when applying the method to new particle samples, enabling substantially higher scalability of experiments than existing methods. Our code and dataset are made publicly available.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2301.13319v4","authors":["Karol Gotkowski","Shuvam Gupta","Jose R. A. Godinho","Camila G. S. Tochtrop","Klaus H. Maier-Hein","Fabian Isensee"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-30T22:43:46Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2204.04391v2","name":"MINER: Improving Out-of-Vocabulary Named Entity Recognition from an Information Theoretic Perspective","source":"arxiv","abstract":"NER model has achieved promising performance on standard NER benchmarks. However, recent studies show that previous approaches may over-rely on entity mention information, resulting in poor performance on out-of-vocabulary (OOV) entity recognition. In this work, we propose MINER, a novel NER learning framework, to remedy this issue from an information-theoretic perspective. The proposed approach contains two mutual information-based training objectives: i) generalizing information maximization, which enhances representation via deep understanding of context and entity surface forms; ii) superfluous information minimization, which discourages representation from rote memorizing entity names or exploiting biased cues in data. Experiments on various settings and datasets demonstrate that it achieves better performance in predicting OOV entities.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2204.04391v2","authors":["Xiao Wang","Shihan Dou","Limao Xiong","Yicheng Zou","Qi Zhang","Tao Gui","Liang Qiao","Zhanzhan Cheng","Xuanjing Huang"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.IR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-04-09T05:18:20Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.00706v2","name":"MINER-RRT*: A Hierarchical and Fast Trajectory Planning Framework in 3D Cluttered Environments","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Trajectory planning for quadrotors in cluttered environments has been challenging in recent years. While many trajectory planning frameworks have been successful, there still exists potential for improvements, particularly in enhancing the speed of generating efficient trajectories. In this paper, we present a novel hierarchical trajectory planning framework to reduce computational time and memory usage called MINER-RRT*, which consists of two main components. First, we propose a sampling-based path planning method boosted by neural networks, where the predicted heuristic region accelerates the convergence of rapidly-exploring random trees. Second, we utilize the optimal conditions derived from the quadrotor's differential flatness properties to construct polynomial trajectories that minimize control effort in multiple stages. Extensive simulation and real-world experimental results demonstrate that, compared to several state-of-the-art (SOTA) approaches, our method can generate high-quality trajectories with better performance in 3D cluttered environments.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.00706v2","authors":["Pengyu Wang","Jiawei Tang","Hin Wang Lin","Fan Zhang","Chaoqun Wang","Jiankun Wang","Ling Shi","Max Q. -H. Meng"],"tags":["cs.RO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-02T11:01:46Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2607.13949v1","name":"Dolomite Mineral-Inspired Equilateral Triangular-Lattice Magnets for Quantum Magnetism","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Equilateral triangular lattice magnets provide a versatile materials platform for exploring exotic quantum spin phenomena, while their field-tunable magnetic entropy offers opportunities for low-temperature adiabatic demagnetization refrigeration. Inspired by the natural mineral, we proposed a chemical strategy to achieve equilateral TL magnets, leveraging the high crystal symmetry of a large family of dolomite-type materials. As typical examples, the dolomite-type materials SnM(BO3)2 (M = Co, Mn) were synthesized, and structural analysis reveals that Co2+ and Mn2+ ions form equilateral triangular lattices with an A-B-C stacking fashion. The magnetic susceptibilities and specific heat measurements reveal dominant antiferromagnetic interactions, with Neel temperatures of 0.49K for SnCo(BO3)2 and 0.96K for SnMn(BO3)2, respectively. Our results establish the dolomite-type M'M(X)2 (M'and M sites allow various valence states, e.g., +4/+2 or +3/+3; X = CO32- or BO33-) system as a chemically flexible and structurally perfect material platform for exploring frustrated magnetism and low-temperature magnetocaloric applications.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.13949v1","authors":["Yang Zhao","Zhaoyi Li","Zhibin Qiu","Jianqiao Wang","Bo Wen","Shu Guo"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-15T15:39:17Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.21116v1","name":"Development and experimental validation of a mathematical model for fluoride-removal filters comprising chemically treated mineral rich carbon","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Excessive fluoride intake can lead to dental and skeletal fluorosis, among other health issues. Naturally occurring fluoride and industrial runoff can result in concentrations far exceeding the World Health Organization's recommended limits in water supplies. In this study, we derive a model incorporating the dominant mechanisms governing fluoride removal from drinking water using the two adsorbents mineral-rich carbon (MRC) and chemically treated mineral-rich carbon (TMRC). Using both new and previously published experimental data, we validate the model for MRC, TMRC, and their mixture, using both batch and column data. Despite the filters containing approximately 40:1 MRC:TMRC ratio by mass, we find that TMRC dominates fluoride removal, while MRC contributes at early and late times. The full column model, which uses parameters from isotherm batch studies, achieves excellent agreement with experimental breakthrough data across varying inlet concentrations and flow rates (R$^2&gt;0.991$, SSE$&lt;0.0632$). Motivated by this, we propose a reduced model based solely on TMRC adsorption, with a single fitting parameter, which still performs well across all breakthrough curves (R$^2 &gt; 0.983$, SSE $&lt;0.117$). The simplicity of this model means that it is straightforward and inexpensive to work with numerically. In both models, batch and column behaviours are reconciled and, for the case of breakthrough curves with varying inlet concentrations, a set of globally optimised parameters is found. The strong agreement with experimental data supports the model's robustness and reinforces the physical interpretability of its parameters. These models for MRC and TMRC provide a foundation for filter optimisation and future efforts aimed at improving fluoride removal in resource-limited settings.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.21116v1","authors":["Lucy C. Auton","Shanmuk S. Ravuru","Sirshendu De","Tim G. Myers","Abel Valverde"],"tags":["physics.chem-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-16T14:18:43Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1804.05708v1","name":"Microphysical Modeling of Mineral Clouds in GJ1214 b and GJ436 b: Predicting Upper Limits on the Cloud-Top Height","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The ubiquity of clouds in the atmospheres of exoplanets, especially of super-Earths, is one of the outstanding issues for transmission spectra survey. The understanding about the formation process of clouds in super-Earths is necessary to interpret the observed spectra correctly. In this study, we investigate the vertical distributions of particle size and mass density of mineral clouds in super-Earths using a microphysical model that takes into account the vertical transport and growth of cloud particles in a self-consistent manner. We demonstrate that the vertical profiles of mineral clouds significantly vary with the concentration of cloud condensation nuclei and atmospheric metallicity. We find that the height of the cloud top increases with increasing metallicity as long as the metallicity is lower than a threshold. If the metallicity is larger than the threshold, the cloud-top height no longer increases appreciably with metallicity because coalescence yields larger particles of higher settling velocities. We apply our cloud model to GJ1214 b and GJ436 b for which recent transmission observations suggest the presence of high-altitude opaque clouds. For GJ436 b, we show that KCl particles can ascend high enough to explain the observation. For GJ1214 b, by contrast, the height of KCl clouds predicted from our model is too low to explain its flat transmission spectrum. Clouds made of highly porous KCl particles could explain the observations if the atmosphere is highly metal-rich, and hence the particle microstructure might be a key to interpret the flat spectrum of GJ1214 b.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1804.05708v1","authors":["Kazumasa Ohno","Satoshi Okuzumi"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-04-16T14:45:16Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1508.03933v1","name":"Suppression of Nonmagnetic Insulating State by Application of Pressure in Mineral Tetrahedrite Cu$_{12}$Sb$_{4}$S$_{13}$","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The mineral tetrahedrite Cu$_{12}$Sb$_{4}$S$_{13}$ exhibits a first-order metal--insulator transition (MIT) at $T_{\\rm MI}$ = 85 K and ambient pressure. We measured the $^{63}$Cu-NMR at ambient pressure and the resistivity and magnetic susceptibility at high pressures. $^{63}$Cu-NMR results indicate a nonmagnetic insulating ground state in this compound. The MIT is monotonically suppressed by pressure and disappears at $\\sim1.0$ GPa. Two other anomalies are observed in the resistivity measurements, and the pressure -- temperature phase diagram of Cu$_{12}$Sb$_{4}$S$_{13}$ is constructed.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1508.03933v1","authors":["Shunsaku Kitagawa","Taishi Sekiya","Shingo Araki","Tatsuo C. Kobayashi","Kenji Ishida","Takashi Kambe","Takumi Kimura","Naoki Nishimoto","Kazutaka Kudo","Minoru Nohara"],"tags":["cond-mat.str-el"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-08-17T06:29:26Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2102.09321v1","name":"Deep Miner: A Deep and Multi-branch Network which Mines Rich and Diverse Features for Person Re-identification","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Most recent person re-identification approaches are based on the use of deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs). These networks, although effective in multiple tasks such as classification or object detection, tend to focus on the most discriminative part of an object rather than retrieving all its relevant features. This behavior penalizes the performance of a CNN for the re-identification task, since it should identify diverse and fine grained features. It is then essential to make the network learn a wide variety of finer characteristics in order to make the re-identification process of people effective and robust to finer changes. In this article, we introduce Deep Miner, a method that allows CNNs to \"mine\" richer and more diverse features about people for their re-identification. Deep Miner is specifically composed of three types of branches: a Global branch (G-branch), a Local branch (L-branch) and an Input-Erased branch (IE-branch). G-branch corresponds to the initial backbone which predicts global characteristics, while L-branch retrieves part level resolution features. The IE-branch for its part, receives partially suppressed feature maps as input thereby allowing the network to \"mine\" new features (those ignored by G-branch) as output. For this special purpose, a dedicated suppression procedure for identifying and removing features within a given CNN is introduced. This suppression procedure has the major benefit of being simple, while it produces a model that significantly outperforms state-of-the-art (SOTA) re-identification methods. Specifically, we conduct experiments on four standard person re-identification benchmarks and witness an absolute performance gain up to 6.5% mAP compared to SOTA.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2102.09321v1","authors":["Abdallah Benzine","Mohamed El Amine Seddik","Julien Desmarais"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-02-18T13:30:23Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.17682v3","name":"Dark Miner: Defend against undesirable generation for text-to-image diffusion models","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Text-to-image diffusion models have been demonstrated with undesired generation due to unfiltered large-scale training data, such as sexual images and copyrights, necessitating the erasure of undesired concepts. Most existing methods focus on modifying the generation probabilities conditioned on the texts containing target concepts. However, they fail to guarantee the desired generation of texts unseen in the training phase, especially for the adversarial texts from malicious attacks. In this paper, we analyze the erasure task and point out that existing methods cannot guarantee the minimization of the total probabilities of undesired generation. To tackle this problem, we propose Dark Miner. It entails a recurring three-stage process that comprises mining, verifying, and circumventing. This method greedily mines embeddings with maximum generation probabilities of target concepts and more effectively reduces their generation. In the experiments, we evaluate its performance on the inappropriateness, object, and style concepts. Compared with the previous methods, our method achieves better erasure and defense results, especially under multiple adversarial attacks, while preserving the native generation capability of the models. Our code will be available on GitHub.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.17682v3","authors":["Zheling Meng","Bo Peng","Xiaochuan Jin","Yue Jiang","Wei Wang","Jing Dong","Tieniu Tan"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-26T09:48:24Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.14417v1","name":"Reciprocating thermochemical mediator of pre-biotic polymer decomposition on mineral surfaces","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A continuing frustration for origin of life scientists is that abiotic and, by extension, pre-biotic attempts to develop self-sustaining, evolving molecular systems tend to produce more dead-end substances than macromolecular products with the necessary potential for biostructure and function -- the so-called `tar problem'. Nevertheless primordial life somehow emerged despite that presumed handicap. A~resolution of this problem is important in emergence-of-life science because it would provide valuable guidance in choosing subsequent paths of investigation, such as identifying pre-biotic patterns on Mars. To study the problem we set up a simple non-equilibrium flow dynamical model for the coupled temperature and mass dynamics of the decomposition of a polymeric carbohydrate adsorbed on a mineral surface, with incident stochastic thermal fluctuations. Results show that the model system behaves as a reciprocating thermochemical oscillator. The output fluctuation distribution is bimodal, with a right-weighted component that guarantees a bias towards detachment and desorption of monomeric species such as ribose, even while tar is formed concomitantly. This fluctuating thermochemical reciprocator may ensure that non-performing polymers can be fractionated into a refractory carbon reservoir and active monomers which may be reincorporated into better-performing polymers with less vulnerability towards adsorptive tarring.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.14417v1","authors":["Rowena Ball","John Brindley"],"tags":["q-bio.MN"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-19T22:59:04Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2205.03077v1","name":"Homogenization of a mineral dissolution and precipitation model involving free boundaries at the micro scale","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this work we present the homogenization of a reaction-diffusion model that includes an evolving microstructure. Such type of problems model, for example, mineral dissolution and precipitation in a porous medium. Hence, we are dealing with a multi-scale problem with free boundaries on the pore scale. In the initial state the microscopic geometry is given by a periodically perforated domain, including spherical solid grains. The radius of each grain is of order $ε$ and depends on the unknown (the solute concentration) at its surface. Therefore the radii of the grains change in time, leading to a nonlinear, free boundary problem. In a first step, we transform the evolving micro domain to a fixed, periodically domain. Using the Rothe-method we prove the existence of a weak solution and obtain a priori estimates that are uniform with respect to $ε$. Finally, letting $ε\\to 0$, we derive a macroscopic model, the solution of which approximates the micro-scale solution. For this, we use the method of two-scale convergence, and obtain strong compactness results enabling to pass to the limit in the nonlinear terms.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2205.03077v1","authors":["Markus Gahn","Iuliu Sorin Pop"],"tags":["math.AP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-05-06T08:54:29Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2111.05783v4","name":"The Local Economic Impact of Mineral Mining in Africa: Evidence from Four Decades of Satellite Imagery","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Using state-of-the-art techniques in computer vision, we analyze one million satellite images covering 12% of the African continent between 1984 and 2019 to track local development around 1,658 mineral deposits. We use stacked event studies and difference-in-difference models to estimate the impact of mine openings and closings. The magnitude of the effect of mine openings is considerable - after 15 years, urban areas within 20km of an opening mine almost double in size. We find strong evidence of a political resource curse at the local level. Although mining boosts the local economy in democratic countries, these gains are meager in autocracies and come at the expense of tripling the likelihood of conflict relative to prior the onset of mining. Furthermore, our results suggest that the growth acceleration in mining areas is only temporary and diminishes with the closure of the mine.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2111.05783v4","authors":["Sandro Provenzano","Hannah Bull"],"tags":["econ.GN"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-11-10T16:36:29Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.843Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.15999v1","name":"CE$ν$NS Search with Cryogenic Sapphire Detectors at MINER: Results from the TRIGA reactor data and Future Sensitivity at HFIR","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We report on a search for coherent elastic neutrino--nucleus scattering (CE$ν$NS) using cryogenic sapphire (Al$_2$O$_3$) detectors deployed at the Mitchell Institute Neutrino Experiment at Reactor (MINER), located near the 1~MW$_\\text{th}$ TRIGA research reactor at Texas A\\&amp;M University. The experiment operated with a primary detector mass of 72~g and achieved a baseline energy resolution of $\\sim 40$~eV. Using exposures of 158~g-days (reactor-on) and 381~g-days (reactor-off), we performed a statistical background subtraction in the energy region of 0.25--3~keV. A GEANT4 simulation has been performed to understand the reactor-correlated background present in the data and it agrees with our observations. The resulting best-fit ratio of the observed CE$ν$NS rate to the Standard Model prediction after rejecting the reactor induced background from the data with the help of simulation, is $ρ= 0.26\\pm 1534.74~\\mathrm{(stat)} \\pm 0.05~\\mathrm{(sys)}$ with a significance of $0.007 \\pm 0.022~\\mathrm{(stat)} \\pm 0.001~\\mathrm{(sys)}$. This low significance indicates a high background rate at low energies. To have enhanced sensitivity, the MINER collaboration plans to relocate the experiment to the 85~MW$_\\text{th}$ High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). With improved shielding, increased detector mass, and higher antineutrino flux, the upgraded setup is projected to achieve a 3$σ$ CE$ν$NS detection within 30~kg$\\cdot$days of exposure.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.15999v1","authors":["D. Mondal","W. Baker","M. Chaudhuri","J. B. Dent","R. Dey","B. Dutta","V. Iyer","A. Jastram","V. K. S. Kashyap","A. Kubik","K. Lang","R. Mahapatra","S. Maludze","N. Mirabolfathi","M. Mirzakhani","B. Mohanty","H. Neog","J. L. Newstead","M. Platt","S. Sahoo","J. Sander","L. E. Strigari","J. Walker"],"tags":["nucl-ex","hep-ex","nucl-th","physics.ins-det"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-14T09:18:38Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2003.10560v2","name":"Attract More Miners to Join in Blochchain Construction for Internet of Things","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The world-changing blockchain technique provides a novel method to establish a secure, trusted and decentralized system for solving the security and personal privacy problems in Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) applications. The mining process in blockchain requires miners to solve a proof-of-work puzzle, which requires high computational power. However, the lightweight IIoT devices cannot directly participate in the mining process due to the limitation of power and computational resources. The edge computing service makes it possible for IIoT applications to build a blockchain network, in which IIoT devices purchase computational resources from edge servers and thus can offload their computational tasks. The amount of computational resource purchased by IIoT devices depends on how many profits they can get in the mining process, and will directly affect the security of the blockchain network. In this paper, we investigate the incentive mechanism for the blockchain platform to attract IIoT devices to purchase more computational power from edge servers to participate in the mining process, thereby building a more secure blockchain network. We model the interaction between the blockchain platform and IIoT devices as a two-stage Stackelberg game, where the blockchain platform act as the leader, and IIoT devices act as followers. We analyze the existence and uniqueness of the Stackelberg equilibrium, and propose an efficient algorithm to compute the Stackelberg equilibrium point. Furthermore, we evaluate the performance of our algorithm through extensive simulations, and analyze the strategies of blockchain platform and IIoT devices under different situations.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2003.10560v2","authors":["Xingjian Ding","Jianxiong Guo","Deying Li","Weili Wu"],"tags":["cs.CR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-23T21:57:22Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.22250v2","name":"YH-MINER: Multimodal Intelligent System for Natural Ecological Reef Metric Extraction","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Coral reefs, crucial for sustaining marine biodiversity and ecological processes (e.g., nutrient cycling, habitat provision), face escalating threats, underscoring the need for efficient monitoring. Coral reef ecological monitoring faces dual challenges of low efficiency in manual analysis and insufficient segmentation accuracy in complex underwater scenarios. This study develops the YH-MINER system, establishing an intelligent framework centered on the Multimodal Large Model (MLLM) for \"object detection-semantic segmentation-prior input\". The system uses the object detection module (mAP@0.5=0.78) to generate spatial prior boxes for coral instances, driving the segment module to complete pixel-level segmentation in low-light and densely occluded scenarios. The segmentation masks and finetuned classification instructions are fed into the Qwen2-VL-based multimodal model as prior inputs, achieving a genus-level classification accuracy of 88% and simultaneously extracting core ecological metrics. Meanwhile, the system retains the scalability of the multimodal model through standardized interfaces, laying a foundation for future integration into multimodal agent-based underwater robots and supporting the full-process automation of \"image acquisition-prior generation-real-time analysis\".","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.22250v2","authors":["Mingzhuang Wang","Yvyang Li","Xiyang Zhang","Fei Tan","Qi Shi","Guotao Zhang","Siqi Chen","Yufei Liu","Lei Lei","Ming Zhou","Qiang Lin","Hongqiang Yang"],"tags":["cs.CV","q-bio.QM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-28T11:36:18Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1705.07146v2","name":"A New 3D Method to Segment the Lumbar Vertebral Bodies and to Determine Bone Mineral Density and Geometry","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper we present a new 3D segmentation approach for the vertebrae of the lower thoracic and the lumbar spine in spiral computed tomography datasets. We implemented a multi-step procedure. Its main components are deformable models, volume growing, and morphological operations. The performance analysis that included an evaluation of accuracy using the European Spine Phantom, and of intra-operator precision using clinical CT datasets from 10 patients highlight the potential for clinical use. The intra-operator precision of the segmentation procedure was better than 1% for Bone Mineral Density (BMD) and better than 1.8% for volume. The long-term goal of this work is to enable better fracture prediction and improved patient monitoring in the field of osteoporosis. A true 3D segmentation also enables an accurate measurement of geometrical parameters that can augment the classical measurement of BMD.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1705.07146v2","authors":["Andre Mastmeyer","Klaus Engelke","Sebastian Meller","Willi Kalender"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-05-19T18:59:05Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2008.04966v1","name":"Role of chemical pressure on the electronic and magnetic properties of spin-1/2 kagome mineral averievite","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We investigate the electronic and magnetic properties of the kagome mineral averievite (CsCl)Cu$_5$V$_2$O$_{10}$ and its phosphate analog (CsCl)Cu$_5$P$_2$O$_{10}$ using first-principles calculations. The crystal structure of these compounds features Cu$^{2+}$ kagome layers sandwiched between Cu$^{2+}$-P$^{5+}$/Cu$^{2+}$-V$^{5+}$ honeycomb planes, with pyrochlore slabs made of corner-sharing Cu-tetrahedra being formed. The induced chemical pressure effect upon substitution of V by P causes significant changes in the structure and magnetic properties. Even though the in-plane antiferromagnetic (AFM) coupling (J$_1$) within the kagome layer is similar in the two materials, the inter-plane AFM coupling (J$_2$) between kagome and honeycomb layers is five times larger in the P-variant increasing the degree of magnetic frustration in the constituting Cu-tetrahedra.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2008.04966v1","authors":["Dibyendu Dey","Antia S. Botana"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci","cond-mat.str-el"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-08-11T19:06:20Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2605.18223v1","name":"Dynamic Evolution of Pore-scale Heterogeneity and Transport Conditions Control Mineral Dissolution Regimes","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Mineral dissolution in porous media is classically partitioned into static regimes within the Pe-Da plane, but this framework fails to capture the dissolution behavior of structurally complex rocks. Using three-dimensional micro-continuum simulations on micro-CT images of three rock samples spanning a wide range of pore-space heterogeneity, we track the joint evolution of dissolution morphology, velocity distribution, and reaction rate. Our results reveal that initial flow heterogeneity controls accessibility of reactants, thereby controlling the dissolution regime,reshaping them as dynamic trajectories. Channeled dissolution emerges as a simultaneous reorganization of structure and flow, and the resulting permeability-porosity relationship cannot be captured by a single power-law. The effective power-law exponent increases with heterogeneity and changes over time, reaching a maximum of 9.8, 18.0, and 40.9 for the three samples. Consequently, the effective reaction rate falls one to three orders of magnitude below the uniform dissolution prediction, with the suppression scaling with flow heterogeneity due to mass transfer limitations in channeled dissolution.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.18223v1","authors":["Jinlei Wang","Yongfei Yang","Martin J. Blunt","Branko Bijeljic"],"tags":["physics.flu-dyn"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-18T11:08:44Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.04238v1","name":"Simulating carbon mineralization at pore scale in capillary networks of digital rock","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Predicting the geometrical evolution of the pore space in geological formations due to fluid-solid interactions has applications in reservoir engineering, oil recovery, and geological storage of carbon dioxide. However, modeling frameworks that combine fluid flow with physical and chemical processes at a rock's pore scale are scarce. Here, we report a method for modeling a rock's pore space as a network of connected capillaries and to simulate the capillary diameter modifications caused by reactive flow processes. Specifically, we model mineral erosion, deposition, dissolution, and precipitation processes by solving the transport equations iteratively, computing diameter changes within each capillary of the network simultaneously. Our automated modeling framework enables simulations on digital rock samples as large as (1.125mm)$^3$ with 125$\\times 10^6$ voxels within seconds of CPU time per iteration. As an application of the computational method, we have simulated brine injection and calcium carbonate precipitation in sandstone. For quantitatively comparing simulation results obtained with models predicting either a constant or a flow-rate dependent precipitation, we track the time-dependent capillary diameter distribution as well as the permeability of the connected pore space. For validation and reuse, we have made the automated simulation workflow, the reactive flow model library, and the digital rock samples available in public repositories.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.04238v1","authors":["David A. Lazo Vasquez","Jaione Tirapu Azpiroz","Rodrigo Neumann Barros Ferreira","Ronaldo Giro","Manuela Fernandes Blanco Rodriguez","Matheus Esteves Ferreira","Mathias B. Steiner"],"tags":["physics.app-ph","physics.flu-dyn"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-05T03:45:52Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2603.07716v1","name":"SoK: The Evolution of Maximal Extractable Value, From Miners to Cross-Chain","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This Systematization of Knowledge (SoK) provides a comprehensive historical analysis of Maximal Extractable Value (MEV) in blockchain systems, tracing its conceptual evolution through three distinct eras. We organize the fragmented literature on MEV into a unified chronological framework, beginning with Era~I (August 2014 - August 2020), which introduced Miner Extractable Value from pmcgoohan's seminal Reddit warning through the ``Dark Forest'' recognition, covering Proof-of-Work systems with public mempools and Priority Gas Auctions. Era~II (August 2020 - April 2024) marks the generalization to Maximal Extractable Value, encompassing formal taxonomies, Realized Extractable Value, Proposer-Builder Separation, the Ethereum Merge, MEV-Boost, and the integration of non-atomic and CEX-DEX arbitrage. Era~III (April 2024, present) addresses the frontier of Cross-Chain MEV, beginning with early studies on Layer-2 ecosystems, where value extraction spans multiple blockchains, rollups, bridges, and sequencers. We present a conceptual taxonomy distinguishing potential from realized extractable value, and single-domain from cross-domain phenomena. Our systematization identifies mitigations that emerged in response to each era, highlights measurement challenges, and proposes a research agenda for standardized metrics, detection benchmarks, and cross-chain infrastructure design.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.07716v1","authors":["Davide Mancino","Hasret Ozan Sevim"],"tags":["cs.CR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-08T16:37:41Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.11482v1","name":"Comparison of Forteo and Teriparatide on Improvements in Bone Mineral Density","source":"arxiv","abstract":"PF708 teriparatide, manufactured by Alvogen, was approved through the 505(B)(2) application after the expiration of Forteo market exclusivity in October 2019. The 505(B)(2) application allows safety and efficacy information to come from studies not conducted by the applicant if it is demonstrated that the proposed product shares characteristics (active ingredient, dose, route of administration, strength) with the reference product and comparable pharmacokinetic data is established. Real-world data is thus needed to demonstrate equivalent safety and efficacy between Forteo and PF708 teriparatide. The purpose of this study was to evaluate changes in bone mineral density in osteoporotic patients treated with either Forteo or PF708 teriparatide for 18-24 months. This retrospective chart review included osteoporotic patients &gt; 18 years of age who received PF708 teriparatide or Forteo prescriptions from the practice location and initiated therapy between October 1, 2019 and October 31, 2022. The primary endpoint was percent change from baseline in BMD of the lumbar spine, femoral neck, and total hip. A total of 108 patients were included: 27 (median age 67 years, 88.9% female) in the PF708 teriparatide group and 81 (median age 68 years, 85.2% female) in the Forteo group. There was no significant difference in median change from baseline BMD of lumbar spine (+9.6% vs +7.7%, P= 0.56), left femoral neck (1.5% vs 2.8%, P= 0.39), right femoral neck (+1.6% vs +4.4%, P= 0.14), left total hip (+2.4% vs +3.2%, P= 0.24), or right total hip (0.0% vs +1.4% , P= 0.71) with PF708 teriparatide vs Forteo, respectively. In this small retrospective study, effect on BMD and reported adverse events were similar between PF708 teriparatide and Forteo when used for the recommended duration of therapy.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.11482v1","authors":["Cassandra Crompton","Kassidy Baum","Michael Silvey","Mona Al Mukaddam"],"tags":["q-bio.OT"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-15T00:06:36Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1010.3264v4","name":"Measurement of $ν_μ$-induced charged-current neutral pion production cross sections on mineral oil at $E_ν\\in0.5-2.0$ GeV","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Using a custom 3 Čerenkov-ring fitter, we report cross sections for $ν_μ$-induced charged-current single $π^0$ production on mineral oil (\\chtwo) from a sample of 5810 candidate events with 57% signal purity over an energy range of $0.5-2.0$GeV. This includes measurements of the absolute total cross section as a function of neutrino energy, and flux-averaged differential cross sections measured in terms of $Q^2$, $μ^-$ kinematics, and $π^0$ kinematics. The sample yields a flux-averaged total cross section of $(9.2\\pm0.3_{stat.}\\pm1.5_{syst.})\\times10^{-39}$cm$^2$/CH$_2$ at mean neutrino energy of 0.965GeV.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1010.3264v4","authors":["A. A. Aguilar-Arevalo","C. E. Anderson","A. O. Bazarko","S. J. Brice","B. C. Brown","L. Bugel","J. Cao","L. Coney","J. M. Conrad","D. C. Cox","A. Curioni","R. Dharmapalan","Z. Djurcic","D. A. Finley","B. T. Fleming","R. Ford","F. G. Garcia","G. T. Garvey","J. Grange","C. Green","J. A. Green","T. L. Hart","E. Hawker","R. Imlay","R. A. Johnson","G. Karagiorgi","P. Kasper","T. Katori","T. Kobilarcik","I. Kourbanis","S. Koutsoliotas","E. M. Laird","S. K. Linden","J. M. Link","Y. Liu","Y. Liu","W. C. Louis","K. B. M. Mahn","W. Marsh","C. Mauger","V. T. McGary","G. McGregor","W. Metcalf","P. D. Meyers","F. Mills","G. B. Mills","J. Monroe","C. D. Moore","J. Mousseau","R. H. Nelson","P. Nienaber","J. A. Nowak","B. Osmanov","S. Ouedraogo","R. B. Patterson","Z. Pavlovic","D. Perevalov","C. C. Polly","E. Prebys","J. L. Raaf","H. Ray","B. P. Roe","A. D. Russell","V. Sandberg","R. Schirato","D. Schmitz","M. H. Shaevitz","F. C. Shoemaker","D. Smith","M. Soderberg","M. Sorel","P. Spentzouris","J. Spitz","I. Stancu","R. J. Stefanski","M. Sung","H. A. Tanaka","R. Tayloe","M. Tzanov","R. G. VandeWater","M. O. Wascko","D. H. White","M. J. Wilking","H. J. Yang","G. P. Zeller","E. D. Zimmerman"],"tags":["hep-ex","nucl-ex"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-10-15T20:11:21Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2210.10512v1","name":"Miners in the Cloud: Measuring and Analyzing Cryptocurrency Mining in Public Clouds","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Cryptocurrencies, arguably the most prominent application of blockchains, have been on the rise with a wide mainstream acceptance. A central concept in cryptocurrencies is \"mining pools\", groups of cooperating cryptocurrency miners who agree to share block rewards in proportion to their contributed mining power. Despite many promised benefits of cryptocurrencies, they are equally utilized for malicious activities; e.g., ransomware payments, stealthy command, control, etc. Thus, understanding the interplay between cryptocurrencies, particularly the mining pools, and other essential infrastructure for profiling and modeling is important. In this paper, we study the interplay between mining pools and public clouds by analyzing their communication association through passive domain name system (pDNS) traces. We observe that 24 cloud providers have some association with mining pools as observed from the pDNS query traces, where popular public cloud providers, namely Amazon and Google, have almost 48% of such an association. Moreover, we found that the cloud provider presence and cloud provider-to-mining pool association both exhibit a heavy-tailed distribution, emphasizing an intrinsic preferential attachment model with both mining pools and cloud providers. We measure the security risk and exposure of the cloud providers, as that might aid in understanding the intent of the mining: among the top two cloud providers, we found almost 35% and 30% of their associated endpoints are positively detected to be associated with malicious activities, per the virustotal.com scan. Finally, we found that the mining pools presented in our dataset are predominantly used for mining Metaverse currencies, highlighting a shift in cryptocurrency use, and demonstrating the prevalence of mining using public clouds.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2210.10512v1","authors":["Ayodeji Adeniran","David Mohaisen"],"tags":["cs.CR","cs.CY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-19T12:35:20Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2206.06670v1","name":"PROACT: Parallel Multi-Miner Proof of Accumulated Trust Protocol for Internet of Drones","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Several types of networks that comprise unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV or drone) are being utilized in important applications such as emergency response, environment and infrastructure monitoring, defense and security, and commerce. In such networks, swarms of UAVs cooperate in executing one or more missions to achieve the application's objectives. The UAVs communicate with terrestrial networks by connecting to fixed or mobile ground control stations (GCS). The ability of drones to connect to online applications and offer services to Internet users has led to the proliferation of the Internet of Drones (IoD). However, IoD applications are highly vulnerable to many types of cyberattacks. Hence, mechanisms must be deployed to secure the IoD operations and data. Recently, the blockchain has been proposed as a solution to detect and prevent malicious attacks on the UAV network (UAVN). Due to the UAV's limited resources, it becomes a challenge to integrate the blockchain into the IoD. In this paper, we propose a model that enables a drone to store the important data that it requires during its flight within a lightweight blockchain system. In addition, we propose a new blockchain consensus mechanism in which several miners produce their blocks in parallel, which decreases the time needed to add transactions securely to the blockchain and meets the requirements of delay-sensitive applications. Our simulations prove the advantages of the proposed model in decreasing the transaction-to-blockchain delay, the average drone energy consumption, and the blockchain block size as compared to other IoD blockchain systems.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2206.06670v1","authors":["Khaleel Mershad"],"tags":["cs.CR","cs.NI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-06-14T07:57:31Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.04819v1","name":"MINER: Mining the Underlying Pattern of Modality-Specific Neurons in Multimodal Large Language Models","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In recent years, multimodal large language models (MLLMs) have significantly advanced, integrating more modalities into diverse applications. However, the lack of explainability remains a major barrier to their use in scenarios requiring decision transparency. Current neuron-level explanation paradigms mainly focus on knowledge localization or language- and domain-specific analyses, leaving the exploration of multimodality largely unaddressed. To tackle these challenges, we propose MINER, a transferable framework for mining modality-specific neurons (MSNs) in MLLMs, which comprises four stages: (1) modality separation, (2) importance score calculation, (3) importance score aggregation, (4) modality-specific neuron selection. Extensive experiments across six benchmarks and two representative MLLMs show that (I) deactivating ONLY 2% of MSNs significantly reduces MLLMs performance (0.56 to 0.24 for Qwen2-VL, 0.69 to 0.31 for Qwen2-Audio), (II) different modalities mainly converge in the lower layers, (III) MSNs influence how key information from various modalities converges to the last token, (IV) two intriguing phenomena worth further investigation, i.e., semantic probing and semantic telomeres. The source code is available at this URL.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.04819v1","authors":["Kaichen Huang","Jiahao Huo","Yibo Yan","Kun Wang","Yutao Yue","Xuming Hu"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-07T08:13:16Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2106.02311v2","name":"Theoretical description of semi-inclusive T2K, Miner$ν$A and MicroBooNE neutrino-nucleus data in the relativistic plane wave impulse approximation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present the results of semi-inclusive neutrino-nucleus cross sections within the plane wave impulse approximation (PWIA) for three nuclear models: relativistic Fermi gas (RFG), independent-particle shell model (IPSM) and natural orbital shell model (NO) in comparison with the available CC0$π$ measurements from the T2K, MINER$ν$A and MicroBooNE collaborations where a muon and at least one proton are detected in the final state. Results are presented as a function of the momenta and angles of the final particles, as well as in terms of the imbalances between proton and muon kinematics. The analysis reveals that contributions beyond PWIA are crucial to explain the experimental measurements and that the study of correlations between final-state proton and muon kinematics can provide valuable information on relevant nuclear effects such as the Fermi motion and final state interactions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2106.02311v2","authors":["J. M. Franco-Patino","M. B. Barbaro","J. A. Caballero","G. D. Megias"],"tags":["nucl-th"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-06-04T07:42:59Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2202.06068v1","name":"Structural peculiarities, mineral inclusions and point defects in yakutites -- a variety of impact-related diamond","source":"arxiv","abstract":"An unusual variety of impact-related diamond from the Popigai impact structure - yakutites - is characterized by complementary methods including optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, radiography and tomography, infra-red, Raman and luminescence spectroscopy providing structural information at widely different scales. It is shown that relatively large graphite aggregates may be transformed to diamond with preservation of many morphological features. Spectroscopic and X-ray diffraction data indicate that the yakutite matrix represents bulk nanocrystalline diamond. For the first time, features of two-phonon infra-red absorption spectra of bulk nanocrystalline diamond are interpreted in the framework of phonon dispersion curves. Luminescence spectra of yakutite are dominated by dislocation-related defects. Optical microscopy supported by X-ray diffraction reveals the presence of single crystal diamonds with sizes of up to several tens of microns embedded into nanodiamond matrix. The presence of single crystal grains in impact diamond may be explained by CVD-like growth in a transient cavity and/or a seconds-long compression stage of the impact process due to slow pressure release in a volatile-rich target. For the first time, protogenetic mineral inclusions in yakutites represented by mixed monoclinic and tetragonal ZrO2 are observed. This implies the presence of baddeleyite in target rocks responsible for yakutite formation.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2202.06068v1","authors":["Andrei A. Shiryaev","Anton D. Pavlushin","Alexei V. Pakhnevich","Ekaterina S. Kovalenko","Alexei A. Avein","Anna G. Ivanova"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci","cond-mat.mes-hall"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-02-12T13:53:03Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2103.13482v2","name":"Semi-Supervised Learning for Bone Mineral Density Estimation in Hip X-ray Images","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Bone mineral density (BMD) is a clinically critical indicator of osteoporosis, usually measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Due to the limited accessibility of DEXA machines and examinations, osteoporosis is often under-diagnosed and under-treated, leading to increased fragility fracture risks. Thus it is highly desirable to obtain BMDs with alternative cost-effective and more accessible medical imaging examinations such as X-ray plain films. In this work, we formulate the BMD estimation from plain hip X-ray images as a regression problem. Specifically, we propose a new semi-supervised self-training algorithm to train the BMD regression model using images coupled with DEXA measured BMDs and unlabeled images with pseudo BMDs. Pseudo BMDs are generated and refined iteratively for unlabeled images during self-training. We also present a novel adaptive triplet loss to improve the model's regression accuracy. On an in-house dataset of 1,090 images (819 unique patients), our BMD estimation method achieves a high Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.8805 to ground-truth BMDs. It offers good feasibility to use the more accessible and cheaper X-ray imaging for opportunistic osteoporosis screening.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2103.13482v2","authors":["Kang Zheng","Yirui Wang","Xiaoyun Zhou","Fakai Wang","Le Lu","Chihung Lin","Lingyun Huang","Guotong Xie","Jing Xiao","Chang-Fu Kuo","Shun Miao"],"tags":["eess.IV","cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-03-24T20:59:54Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1011.3572v3","name":"Measurement of Neutrino-Induced Charged-Current Charged Pion Production Cross Sections on Mineral Oil at E$_ν\\sim 1~\\textrm{GeV}$","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Using a high-statistics, high-purity sample of $ν_μ$-induced charged current, charged pion events in mineral oil (CH$_2$), MiniBooNE reports a collection of interaction cross sections for this process. This includes measurements of the CC$π^+$ cross section as a function of neutrino energy, as well as flux-averaged single- and double-differential cross sections of the energy and direction of both the final-state muon and pion. In addition, each of the single-differential cross sections are extracted as a function of neutrino energy to decouple the shape of the MiniBooNE energy spectrum from the results. In many cases, these cross sections are the first time such quantities have been measured on a nuclear target and in the 1 GeV energy range.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1011.3572v3","authors":["A. A. Aguilar-Arevalo","C. E. Anderson","A. O. Bazarko","S. J. Brice","B. C. Brown","L. Bugel","J. Cao","L. Coney","J. M. Conrad","D. C. Cox","A. Curioni","R. Dharmapalan","Z. Djurcic","D. A. Finley","B. T. Fleming","R. Ford","F. G. Garcia","G. T. Garvey","J. Grange","C. Green","J. A. Green","T. L. Hart","E. Hawker","R. Imlay","R. A. Johnson","G. Karagiorgi","P. Kasper","T. Katori","T. Kobilarcik","I. Kourbanis","S. Koutsoliotas","E. M. Laird","S. K. Linden","J. M. Link","Y. Liu","Y. Liu","W. C. Louis","K. B. M. Mahn","W. Marsh","C. Mauger","V. T. McGary","G. McGregor","W. Metcalf","P. D. Meyers","F. Mills","G. B. Mills","J. Monroe","C. D. Moore","J. Mousseau","R. H. Nelson","P. Nienaber","J. A. Nowak","B. Osmanov","S. Ouedraogo","R. B. Patterson","Z. Pavlovic","D. Perevalov","C. C. Polly","E. Prebys","J. L. Raaf","H. Ray","B. P. Roe","A. D. Russell","V. Sandberg","R. Schirato","D. Schmitz","M. H. Shaevitz","F. C. Shoemaker","D. Smith","M. Soderberg","M. Sorel","P. Spentzouris","J. Spitz","I. Stancu","R. J. Stefanski","M. Sung","H. A. Tanaka","R. Tayloe","M. Tzanov","R. G. Van de Water","M. O. Wascko","D. H. White","M. J. Wilking","H. J. Yang","G. P. Zeller","E. D. Zimmerman"],"tags":["hep-ex"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-11-16T02:00:39Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2603.01693v1","name":"NMR Determination of the Low-Field Magnetic Structure of the Cu-Based Mineral Rouaite Cu$_2$(OH)$_3$NO$_3$","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Frustrated interactions in the Cu-based mineral rouaite with alternating antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic spin chains, Cu$_2$(OH)$_3$NO$_3$, introduce non-trivial magnetic ground states and exotic excitations arising from them. We investigated the magnetic structure of Cu$_2$(OH)$_3$NO$_3$ by $^1$H- and $^2$H-NMR measurements on single crystals. The internal fields in the ordered state were microscopically measured using the H nuclear moments as a local probe. The directions of the ordered moments were determined by comparing the experimental results to model calculations. The obtained magnetic structure suggests the importance of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions in stabilizing the low-field magnetic structure. The present result advances the theoretical understanding of the low-field magnetic states and will enable exploration of the exotic magnetic states emerging in high magnetic fields.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.01693v1","authors":["Issei Niwata","R. Kumar","Aswathi Mannathanath Chakkingal","Anton A. Kulbakov","Maxim Avdeev","Dmytro S. Inosov","Darren C. Peets","Yoshihiko Ihara"],"tags":["cond-mat.str-el"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-02T10:23:18Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2205.08212v1","name":"The specific heat of astro-materials: Review of theoretical concepts, materials and techniques","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We provide detailed background, theoretical and practical, on the specific heat cp of minerals and mixtures thereof, 'astro-materials', as well as background information on common minerals and other relevant solid substances found on the surfaces of solar system bodies. Furthermore, we demonstrate how to use specific heat and composition data for lunar samples and meteorites as well as a new database of endmember mineral heat capacities (the result of an extensive literature review) to construct reference models for the isobaric specific heat cP as a function of temperature for common solar system materials. Using a (generally linear) mixing model for the specific heat of minerals allows extrapolation of the available data to very low and very high temperatures, such that models cover the temperature range between 10 and 1000 K at least (and pressures from zero up to several kbars). We describe a procedure to estimate cp(T) for virtually any solid solar system material with a known mineral composition, e.g., model specific heat as a function of temperature for a number of typical meteorite classes with known mineralogical compositions. We present, as examples, the cp(T) curves of a number of well-described laboratory regolith analogues, as well as for planetary ices and 'tholins' in the outer solar system. Part II will review and present the heat capacity database for minerals and compounds and part III is going to cover applications, standard reference compositions, cp(T) curves and a comparison with new and literature experimental data.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2205.08212v1","authors":["Jens Biele","Matthias Grott","Michael E. Zolensky","Artur Benisek","Edgar Dachs"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","cond-mat.mtrl-sci","physics.class-ph","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-05-17T10:16:25Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1212.6940v1","name":"The L dwarf/T dwarf transition: multiplicity, magnetic activity and mineral meteorology across the hydrogen burning limit","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The transition between the L dwarf and T dwarf spectral classes is one of the most remarkable along the stellar/brown dwarf Main Sequence, separating sources with photospheres containing mineral condensate clouds from those containing methane and ammonia gases. Unusual characteristics of this transition include a 1 micron brightening between late L and early T dwarfs observed in both parallax samples and coeval binaries; a spike in the multiplicity fraction; evidence of increased photometric variability, possibly arising from patchy cloud structures; and a delayed transition for young, planetary-mass objects. All of these features can be explained if this transition is governed by the \"rapid\" (nonequlibrium) rainout of clouds from the photosphere, triggered by temperature, surface gravity, metallicity and (perhaps) rotational effects. While the underlying mechanism of this rainout remains under debate, the transition is now being exploited to discover and precisely characterize tight (&lt; 1 AU) very low-mass binaries that can be used to test brown dwarf evolutionary and atmospheric theories, and resolved binaries that further constrain the properties of this remarkable transition.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1212.6940v1","authors":["Adam J. Burgasser"],"tags":["astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-12-31T18:36:03Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2301.05224v1","name":"Effective spin-1 breathing kagome Hamiltonian induced by the exchange hierarchy in the maple leaf mineral bluebellite","source":"arxiv","abstract":"As a highly frustrated model Hamiltonian with an exact dimer ground state, the Heisenberg antiferromagnet on the maple leaf lattice is of high theoretical interest, and a material realization is intensely sought after. We determine the magnetic Hamiltonian of the copper mineral bluebellite using density functional theory based energy mapping. As a consequence of the significant distortion of the spin $S=1/2$ maple leaf lattice, we find two of the five distinct nearest neighbor couplings to be ferromagnetic. Solution of this Hamiltonian with density matrix renormalization group calculations points us to the surprising insight that this particular imperfect maple leaf lattice, due to the strongly ferromagnetic Cu$^{2+}$ dimer, realizes an effective $S=1$ breathing kagome Hamiltonian. In fact, this is another highly interesting Hamiltonian which has rarely been realized in materials. Analysis of the effective model within a bond-operator formalism allows us to identify a valence bond solid ground state and to extract thermodynamic quantities using a low-energy bosonic mean-field theory. We resolve the puzzle of the apparent one-dimensional character of bluebellite as our calculated specific heat has a Bonner-Fisher-like shape, in good agreement with experiment.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2301.05224v1","authors":["Pratyay Ghosh","Tobias Müller","Yasir Iqbal","Ronny Thomale","Harald O. Jeschke"],"tags":["cond-mat.str-el"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-12T18:59:36Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2408.14933v1","name":"Enhancement of the sound absorption of closed-cell mineral foams by perforations: Manufacturing process and model-supported adaptation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Thin low-frequency acoustic absorbers that are economical to produce in large quantities are scarce, and their efficiency is often limited to a narrow frequency range. In this paper, we present opportunities to use highly porous mineral foams, in particular optimally designed gypsum foams, to achieve high absorption levels for layers of less than 1/10 of a wavelength thick. To reach this goal, we perforate a fraction of the initially closed pores using thin needles. Finite element simulations of the fluid flow in a representative volume element show how the combination of foam properties (cell size and wall thickness) and perforation pattern (hole diameter and perforation distance) can be chosen such that sub-wavelength absorption is obtained. In particular two transport parameters used in the approximate but robust Johnson-Champoux-Allard model for porous media have to be optimized: the flow resistivity and high-frequency tortuosity. The fluid flow modeling results are successfully compared with sound absorption measurements, showing indeed that the proposed material, once appropriately perforated, yields a remarkable low-frequency sound absorption peak. On a more fundamental level, this paper shows how the multiporosity, the presence of microcracks, and the material's surface roughness can be exploited to enhance its acoustic absorption at very low frequencies.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.14933v1","authors":["Bart Van Damme","Théo Cavalieri","Cong-Truc Nguyen","Camille Perrot"],"tags":["physics.flu-dyn"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-27T10:14:12Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2011.03608v1","name":"New regional stratigraphic insights from a 3D geological model of the Nasia sub-basin, Ghana, developed for hydrogeological purposes and based on reprocessed B-field data originally collected for mineral exploration","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Reprocessing of regional-scale airborne electromagnetic data (AEM) is used to build a 3D geomodel of the Nasia sub-basin. The resulting 3D geomodel integrates all the prior pieces of information brought by electromagnetic data, lithologic logs, and prior geological knowledge. The AEM data, consisting of GEOTEM B-field data, were originally collected for mineral exploration. Thus, those B-field data had to be (re)processed and properly inverted as the original survey and data handling were designed for the detection of potential mineral targets and not for detailed geological mapping. These new inversions provided a different picture of the subsurface. The new geophysical model led to new interpretations of the geological settings and to the construction of a comprehensive 3D geomodel of the basin. The evidence of a system of paleovalleys could be inferred from the AEM data. The stratigraphy of these paleovalleys suggests a different glaciation history from the known Marinoan events, commonly associated with the Kodjari formation of the Voltaian sedimentary basin. The presence of the paleovalleys within the Panabako may be correlated with mountain glaciation within the Sturtian age, though no unequivocal glaciogenic strata have yet been identified. Pre-Marinoan glaciation is recorded in rocks of the Wassangara group of the Taoudeni Basin. The combination of the Marinoan and, possibly, Sturtian glaciation episodes, both of the Cryogenian period, can be an indication of a Neoproterozoic Snowball Earth. The occurrence of those features not only has important socioeconomic consequences - as the paleovalleys can act as reservoirs for groundwater - but also from a scientific point of view, they could require a revision of the present stratigraphy of the area.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2011.03608v1","authors":["Elikplim Abla Dzikunoo","Giulio Vignoli","Flemming Jørgensen","Sandow Mark Yidana","Bruce Banoeng-Yakubo"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-06T21:47:52Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2511.14604v1","name":"XAttn-BMD: Multimodal Deep Learning with Cross-Attention for Femoral Neck Bone Mineral Density Estimation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Poor bone health is a significant public health concern, and low bone mineral density (BMD) leads to an increased fracture risk, a key feature of osteoporosis. We present XAttn-BMD (Cross-Attention BMD), a multimodal deep learning framework that predicts femoral neck BMD from hip X-ray images and structured clinical metadata. It utilizes a novel bidirectional cross-attention mechanism to dynamically integrate image and metadata features for cross-modal mutual reinforcement. A Weighted Smooth L1 loss is tailored to address BMD imbalance and prioritize clinically significant cases. Extensive experiments on the data from the Hertfordshire Cohort Study show that our model outperforms the baseline models in regression generalization and robustness. Ablation studies confirm the effectiveness of both cross-attention fusion and the customized loss function. Experimental results show that the integration of multimodal data via cross-attention outperforms naive feature concatenation without cross-attention, reducing MSE by 16.7%, MAE by 6.03%, and increasing the R2 score by 16.4%, highlighting the effectiveness of the approach for femoral neck BMD estimation. Furthermore, screening performance was evaluated using binary classification at clinically relevant femoral neck BMD thresholds, demonstrating the model's potential in real-world scenarios.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.14604v1","authors":["Yilin Zhang","Leo D. Westbury","Elaine M. Dennison","Nicholas C. Harvey","Nicholas R. Fuggle","Rahman Attar"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-18T15:53:42Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2204.07019v1","name":"Improved Volume-of-Solid formulations for micro-continuum simulation of mineral dissolution at the pore-scale","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present two novel Volume-of-Solid (VoS) formulations for micro-continuum simulation of mineral dissolution at the pore-scale. The traditional VoS formulation (VoS-psi) uses a diffuse interface localization function psi to ensure stability and limit diffusion of the reactive surface. The main limitation of this formulation is that accuracy is strongly dependent on the choice of the localization function. Our first novel improved formulation (iVoS) uses the divergence of a reactive flux to localize the reaction at the fluid-solid interface, so no localization function is required. Our second novel formulation (VoS-psi') uses a localization function with a parameter that is fitted to ensure that the reactive surface area is conserved globally. Both novel methods are validated by comparison with experiments, numerical simulations using an interface tracking method based on the Arbitrary Eulerian Lagrangian (ALE) framework, and numerical simulations using the VoS-psi. All numerical methods are implemented in GeoChemFoam, our reactive transport toolbox and three benchmark test cases in both synthetic and real pore geometries are considered: (1) dissolution of a calcite post by acid injection in a microchannel and experimental comparison, (2) dissolution in a 2D polydisperse disc micromodel at different dissolution regimes and (3) dissolution in a Ketton carbonate rock sample and comparison to \\textit{in-situ} micro-CT experiments. We find that the iVoS results match accurately experimental results and simulation results obtained with the ALE method, while the VoS-psi method leads to inaccuracies that are mostly corrected by the VoS-psi' formulation. In addition, the VoS methods are significantly faster than the ALE method, with a speed-up factor of between 2 and 12.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2204.07019v1","authors":["Julien Maes","Cyprien Soulaine","Hannah P. Menke"],"tags":["physics.flu-dyn"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-04-14T15:14:44Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2602.05429v1","name":"M$^2$-Miner: Multi-Agent Enhanced MCTS for Mobile GUI Agent Data Mining","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Graphical User Interface (GUI) agent is pivotal to advancing intelligent human-computer interaction paradigms. Constructing powerful GUI agents necessitates the large-scale annotation of high-quality user-behavior trajectory data (i.e., intent-trajectory pairs) for training. However, manual annotation methods and current GUI agent data mining approaches typically face three critical challenges: high construction cost, poor data quality, and low data richness. To address these issues, we propose M$^2$-Miner, the first low-cost and automated mobile GUI agent data-mining framework based on Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS). For better data mining efficiency and quality, we present a collaborative multi-agent framework, comprising InferAgent, OrchestraAgent, and JudgeAgent for guidance, acceleration, and evaluation. To further enhance the efficiency of mining and enrich intent diversity, we design an intent recycling strategy to extract extra valuable interaction trajectories. Additionally, a progressive model-in-the-loop training strategy is introduced to improve the success rate of data mining. Extensive experiments have demonstrated that the GUI agent fine-tuned using our mined data achieves state-of-the-art performance on several commonly used mobile GUI benchmarks. Our work will be released to facilitate the community research.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.05429v1","authors":["Rui Lv","Juncheng Mo","Tianyi Chu","Chen Rao","Hongyi Jing","Jiajie Teng","Jiafu Chen","Shiqi Zhang","Liangzi Ding","Shuo Fang","Huaizhong Lin","Ziqiang Dang","Chenguang Ma","Lei Zhao"],"tags":["cs.AI","cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-05T08:19:39Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2312.05276v2","name":"Making Large Language Models Better Knowledge Miners for Online Marketing with Progressive Prompting Augmentation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Nowadays, the rapid development of mobile economy has promoted the flourishing of online marketing campaigns, whose success greatly hinges on the efficient matching between user preferences and desired marketing campaigns where a well-established Marketing-oriented Knowledge Graph (dubbed as MoKG) could serve as the critical \"bridge\" for preference propagation. In this paper, we seek to carefully prompt a Large Language Model (LLM) with domain-level knowledge as a better marketing-oriented knowledge miner for marketing-oriented knowledge graph construction, which is however non-trivial, suffering from several inevitable issues in real-world marketing scenarios, i.e., uncontrollable relation generation of LLMs,insufficient prompting ability of a single prompt, the unaffordable deployment cost of LLMs. To this end, we propose PAIR, a novel Progressive prompting Augmented mIning fRamework for harvesting marketing-oriented knowledge graph with LLMs. In particular, we reduce the pure relation generation to an LLM based adaptive relation filtering process through the knowledge-empowered prompting technique. Next, we steer LLMs for entity expansion with progressive prompting augmentation,followed by a reliable aggregation with comprehensive consideration of both self-consistency and semantic relatedness. In terms of online serving, we specialize in a small and white-box PAIR (i.e.,LightPAIR),which is fine-tuned with a high-quality corpus provided by a strong teacher-LLM. Extensive experiments and practical applications in audience targeting verify the effectiveness of the proposed (Light)PAIR.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.05276v2","authors":["Chunjing Gan","Dan Yang","Binbin Hu","Ziqi Liu","Yue Shen","Zhiqiang Zhang","Jinjie Gu","Jun Zhou","Guannan Zhang"],"tags":["cs.AI","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-08T03:44:09Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2606.13695v2","name":"Korzhinskii-Net: Physics-Informed Neural Network for Sub-Surface Mineral Prospectivity Modelling","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Mineral prospectivity modelling (MPM) underpins exploration economics, yet most operational pipelines reduce to data-driven classifiers trained on shallow surface proxies. Such models are blind to the subsurface physics that actually localises ore: heat advection, fluid flow, and lithology-dependent precipitation. We present Korzhinskii-Net, a 2-D radial physics-informed neural network (PINN) that couples Darcy flow, advective-diffusive heat transport, and a softplus-saturated reaction rate into a single differentiable forward model, weakly supervised by surface and remote-sensing proxies. The network is named after Dmitri S. Korzhinskii (1899-1985), whose theory of infiltration metasomatism provides the physical scaffold. We evaluate Korzhinskii-Net on six ore provinces spanning three commodity classes - Udokan (sandstone-hosted Cu), Sukhoi Log, Olimpiada, and Berezovskoye (orogenic Au), Vorontsovskoye (Carlin-type Au), and Dalnegorsk (skarn polymetallic) - under a fair, leakage-controlled 5-fold cross-validation protocol with hard ring-shaped negatives and baseline proxy features disabled. Korzhinskii-Net attains a mean PR-AUC of 0.708 versus 0.235 for the strongest classical baseline (support vector machine), and a mean fractional rank of 0.036 versus 0.475. The improvement is consistent across all six provinces and three commodity systems, suggesting that physics-informed differentiable simulators, even when constrained only by global open-data proxies, can recover localisation patterns that pure feature-based learners systematically miss. We release the full pipeline and evaluation harness as open source.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.13695v2","authors":["Boris Kriuk"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph","cs.AI","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-31T06:50:20Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1205.6833v1","name":"Depth-Sensing Indentation on REBa2Cu3O(7-δ) Single Crystals obtained from Xenotime Mineral","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A natural mixture of heavy rare earths oxides extracted from xenotime mineral have been used to prepare large single crystals of high-temperature REBa2Cu3O(7-δ) superconductor grown using the CuO-BaO self-flux method. Its mechanical properties along the ab-plane were characterized using instrumented indentation. Hardness and elastic modulus were obtained by the Oliver and Pharr method and corresponds to 7.4 \\pm 0.2 GPa and in range 135-175 GPa at small depths, respectively. Increasing the load promotes the nucleation of lateral cracks that causes a decrease in hardness and the measured elastic modulus by instrumented indentation at higher loads. The indentation fracture toughness was estimated by measuring the radial crack length from cube-corner indentations at various loads and was 0.8 \\pm 0.2 MPa.m1/2. The observed slip systems of REBa2Cu3O(7-δ) single crystals were [100](001) and [010](001), the same as for YBa2Cu3O(7-δ) single crystals. The initial stages of deformation and fracture in the indentation process were investigated. The hardness and elastic modulus were not strongly modified by the crystallographic orientation in the ab-plane. This was interpreted in terms of the resolved shear stresses in the active slip systems. Evidence of cracking along the {100} and {110} planes on the ab-plane was observed. As a conclusion, the mechanical properties of REBa2Cu3O(7-δ) single crystals prepared from xenotime are equivalent to those of YBa2Cu3O(7-δ) single crystals produced by conventional rare earths oxides.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1205.6833v1","authors":["Francisco Carlos Serbena","Carlos Eugênio Foerster","Alcione Roberto Jurelo","Alexandre Mikowski","Pedro Rodrigues Júnior","Célia Regina Carubelli","Carlos Maurício Lepienski"],"tags":["cond-mat.supr-con","cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-05-30T21:12:39Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2006.16791v1","name":"Local Causal Structure Learning and its Discovery Between Type 2 Diabetes and Bone Mineral Density","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Type 2 diabetes (T2DM), one of the most prevalent chronic diseases, affects the glucose metabolism of the human body, which decreases the quantity of life and brings a heavy burden on social medical care. Patients with T2DM are more likely to suffer bone fragility fracture as diabetes affects bone mineral density (BMD). However, the discovery of the determinant factors of BMD in a medical way is expensive and time-consuming. In this paper, we propose a novel algorithm, Prior-Knowledge-driven local Causal structure Learning (PKCL), to discover the underlying causal mechanism between BMD and its factors from the clinical data. Since there exist limited data but redundant prior knowledge for medicine, PKCL adequately utilize the prior knowledge to mine the local causal structure for the target relationship. Combining the medical prior knowledge with the discovered causal relationships, PKCL can achieve more reliable results without long-standing medical statistical experiments. Extensive experiments are conducted on a newly provided clinical data set. The experimental study of PKCL on the data is proved to highly corresponding with existing medical knowledge, which demonstrates the superiority and effectiveness of PKCL. To illustrate the importance of prior knowledge, the result of the algorithm without prior knowledge is also investigated.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2006.16791v1","authors":["Wei Wang","Gangqiang Hu","Bo Yuan","Shandong Ye","Chao Chen","YaYun Cui","Xi Zhang","Liting Qian"],"tags":["q-bio.QM","cs.LG","stat.ML"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-06-27T08:27:00Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2305.03417v1","name":"Chemical and physical properties of cometary dust","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Cometary dust particles are best preserved remnants of the matter present at the onset of the formation of the Solar System. Space missions, telescopic observations and laboratory analyses advanced the knowledge on the properties of cometary dust. Cometary samples were returned from comet 81P/Wild2 by the Stardust mission. The chondritic (porous) anhydrous interplanetary dust particles and chondritic porous micrometeorites, and the ultracarbonaceous Antarctic micrometeorites (UCAMMs) also show strong evidence for a cometary origin. The composition of cometary dust is generally chondritic, but with high C and N compared with CI. The cometary organic matter is mixed with minor amounts of crystalline and amorphous minerals. The most abundant crystalline minerals are ferromagnesian silicates, refractory minerals and low Ni Fe sulfides are also present. The presence of carbonates in cometary dust is still debated, but a phyllosilicate-like phase was observed in a UCAMM. GEMS phases are usually abundant. Some of the organic matter present in cometary dust particle resembles the insoluble organic matter present in primitive meteorites, but amorphous carbon and exotic (e.g. N-rich) organic phases are also present. The H isotopic composition of the organic matter traces a formation at very low temperatures, in the protosolar cloud or in the outer regions of the protoplanetary disk. The presolar dust concentration in cometary dust can reach about 1%, which is the most elevated value observed in extraterrestrial samples. The differential size distribution of cometary dust in comet trails is well represented by a power-law distribution with a mean power index N typically ranging from -3 to -4. Polarimetric and light scattering studies suggest mixtures of porous agglomerates of sub-micrometer minerals with organic matter. Cometary dust particles have low tensile strength, and low density.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2305.03417v1","authors":["Cecile Engrand","Jérémie Lasue","Diane H. Wooden","Mike E. Zolensky"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-05-05T10:33:42Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2201.01838v2","name":"Lumbar Bone Mineral Density Estimation from Chest X-ray Images: Anatomy-aware Attentive Multi-ROI Modeling","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Osteoporosis is a common chronic metabolic bone disease often under-diagnosed and under-treated due to the limited access to bone mineral density (BMD) examinations, e.g. via Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA). This paper proposes a method to predict BMD from Chest X-ray (CXR), one of the most commonly accessible and low-cost medical imaging examinations. Our method first automatically detects Regions of Interest (ROIs) of local CXR bone structures. Then a multi-ROI deep model with transformer encoder is developed to exploit both local and global information in the chest X-ray image for accurate BMD estimation. Our method is evaluated on 13719 CXR patient cases with ground truth BMD measured by the gold standard DXA. The model predicted BMD has a strong correlation with the ground truth (Pearson correlation coefficient 0.894 on lumbar 1). When applied in osteoporosis screening, it achieves a high classification performance (average AUC of 0.968). As the first effort of using CXR scans to predict the BMD, the proposed algorithm holds strong potential for early osteoporosis screening and public health promotion.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2201.01838v2","authors":["Fakai Wang","Kang Zheng","Le Lu","Jing Xiao","Min Wu","Chang-Fu Kuo","Shun Miao"],"tags":["eess.IV","cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-05T22:03:32Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.20997v1","name":"Meteoritic Tutton salt, a naturally inspired reservoir of cometary and asteroidal ammonium","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The lack of benchmark data on the real minerals, native ammonium carriers in Solar System gives rise to controversial opinions on extraterrestrial ammonium reservoirs. We herein report on discovery of the first mineral carrier of meteoritic ammonium and show its relevance to the compositional and spectral characteristics of cometary and asteroidal bodies. Chemically distant from previously inferred volatile organics or ammoniated phyllosilicates, it is an aqueous metal-ammonium sulfate related to a family of so-called Tutton salts. Nickeloan boussingaultite, (NH4)2(Mg,Ni)(SO4)2 6H2O, occurs in Orgueil, a primitive carbonaceous chondrite closely related to (162173) Ryugu and (101955) Bennu, the C-type asteroids. The available spectroscopic, chemical and mineralogical data signify that natural Tutton salts perfectly fit into the role of ammonium reservoir under conditions of cometary nuclei and carbonaceous asteroids.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.20997v1","authors":["Sergey N. Britvin","Oleg S. Vereshchagin","Natalia S. Vlasenko","Maria G. Krzhizhanovskaya","Marina A. Ivanova"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-30T17:33:29Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2203.07461v1","name":"Mineral Snowflakes on Exoplanets and Brown Dwarfs: Coagulation and Fragmentation of Cloud Particles with {\\sc HyLandS}","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Brown dwarfs and exoplanets provide unique atmospheric regimes that hold information about their formation routes and evolutionary states. Modelling mineral cloud particle formation is key to prepare for missions and instruments like CRIRES+, JWST and ARIEL as well as possible polarimetry missions like {\\sc PolStar}. The aim is to support more detailed observations that demand greater understanding of microphysical cloud processes. We extend our kinetic cloud formation model that treats nucleation, condensation, evaporation and settling of mixed material cloud particles to consistently model cloud particle-particle collisions. The new hybrid code, {\\sc HyLandS}, is applied to a grid of {\\sc Drift-Phoenix} (T, p)-profiles. Effective medium theory and Mie theory are used to investigate the optical properties. Turbulence is the main driving process of collisions, with collisions becoming the dominant process at the cloud base ($p&gt;10^{-4}\\,{\\rm bar}$). Collisions produce one of three outcomes: fragmenting atmospheres ($\\log_{10}(g)=3$), coagulating atmospheres ($\\log_{10}(g)=5$, $T_{\\rm eff} \\leq 1800\\, {\\rm K}$) and condensational growth dominated atmospheres ($\\log_{10}(g\\,)=5$, $T_{\\rm eff} &gt; 1800\\, {\\rm K}$). Cloud particle opacity slope at optical wavelengths (HST) is increased with fragmentation, as are the silicate features at mid-infrared wavelengths. The hybrid moment-bin method {\\sc HyLandS} demonstrates the feasibility of combining a moment and a bin method whilst assuring element conservation. It provides a powerful and fast tool for capturing general trends of particle collisions, consistently with other microphysical processes. Collisions are important in exoplanet and brown dwarf atmospheres but cannot be assumed to be hit-and-stick only. The spectral effects of collisions complicates inferences of cloud particle size and material composition from observational data.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2203.07461v1","authors":["Dominic Samra","Christiane Helling","Tilman Birnstiel"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-14T19:38:51Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2606.02579v1","name":"New Windows on Heavy Dark Matter: Mineral Melt Modelling and X-Ray Readout for Muscovite Mica","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Muscovite mica is a translucent, layered silicate mineral whose basal cleavage, low radiogenic background, gigayear exposures, and demonstrated track retention over geological timescales make it a compelling target for rare particle searches. In this work, we develop a new framework for detecting heavy composite dark matter using muscovite mica as a paleodetector. We model melt track formation by heavy composite dark matter transiting through mica using a Sedov-Taylor thermal spike formalism, and validate the sub-micron regime with SRIM/TRIM simulations of nuclear recoil cascades, which also calibrate the phonon efficiency governing local energy deposition. We demonstrate a novel readout method using rapid X-ray fluorescence mapping with a copper backing contrast technique, capable of identifying micron-scale damage features in cleaved mica sheets over macroscopic scan areas, and calibrate the minimum detectable track size using laser-ablated defect regions. We present projected sensitivities for opaque and diffuse composite dark matter, including a sub-melt hole-channel detection mode for large composites substantially attenuated by overburden. We also revisit prior dark matter exclusions from etched mica searches, identifying shortcomings that compromise the robustness of these constraints.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.02579v1","authors":["Yilda Boukhtouchen","Joseph Bramante","Andrew Buchanan","Alexander Hayes","Matthew Leybourne","Jennika McIntosh","Anupam Ray","Aaron Shugar"],"tags":["hep-ph","hep-ex"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-01T17:59:49Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2306.14082v1","name":"High-field NMR study of the spin correlations in the spin-cluster mineral Na$_2$Cu$_3$O(SO$_4$)$_3$","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We report NMR study on the spin correlations in the spin-cluster based mineral Na$_2$Cu$_3$O(SO$_4$)$_3$ with magnetic fields ranged from 1 T to 33 T. The long-range magnetic order is observed from both the sudden spectral broadening at $T_N$ and critical slowing down behavior in the temperature dependence of spin-lattice relaxation rates ($1/T_1(T)$). The hump behavior of $1/T_1(T)$ persists to $μ_0H=7.25$ T, above which a spin excitation gap is observed from the thermally activated temperature dependence of $1/T_1$. The gap size shows a linear field dependence, whose slope and intercept respectively yield an effective magnetic moment of 2.54 $μ_B$ and a 0.94 meV spin excitation gap under zero magnetic field. These results indicate the existence of short-range order and prominent easy-plane spin anisotropy, which are important for understanding the spin excitation spectrum in A$_2$Cu$_3$O(SO$_4$)$_3$.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.14082v1","authors":["Long Ma","J. X. Li","L. S. Ling","Y. Y. Han","L. Zhang","L. Hu","W. Tong","C. Y. Xi","Li Pi"],"tags":["cond-mat.str-el"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-06-25T00:55:12Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2312.04976v2","name":"Toward Modeling the Structure of Electrolytes at Charged Mineral Interfaces using Classical Density Functional Theory","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The organization of water molecules and ions between charged mineral surfaces determines the stability of colloidal suspensions and the strength of phase-separated particulate gels. In this article we assemble a density functional that measures the free energy due to the interaction of water molecules and ions near electric double layers. The model accounts for the finite size of the particles using fundamental measure theory, hydrogen-bonding between water molecules using Wertheim's statistical association theory, long-range dispersion interactions using Barker and Henderson's high temperature expansion, electrostatic correlations using a functionalized mean-spherical approximation, and Coulomb forces through the Poisson equation. These contributions are shown to produce highly correlated structures, aptly rendering the layering of counter-ions and co-ions at highly charged surfaces, and permitting the solvation of ions and surfaces to be measured by a combination of short-ranged association and long-ranged attraction. The model is tested in a planar geometry near soft, charged surfaces to reproduce the structure of water near graphene and mica. For mica surfaces, explicitly representing the density of the outer oxygen layer of the exposed silica tetrahedra in the domain permits water molecules to hydrogen-bind to the surface. When electrostatic interactions are included, water molecules assume a hybrid character, being accounted for implicitly in the dielectric constant but explicitly otherwise. The disjoining pressure between approaching like-charged surfaces is calculated, demonstrating the model's ability to probe pressure oscillations that arise during the expulsion of ions and water layers from the interfacial gap, and predict the strong inter-attractive stresses that form at narrow interfacial spacing when the surface charge is overscreened.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.04976v2","authors":["Thomas Petersen"],"tags":["cond-mat.soft"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-08T11:14:50Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.09151v1","name":"IntegralGP: Volumetric estimation of subterranean geochemical properties in mineral deposits by fusing assay data with different spatial supports","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This article presents an Integral Gaussian Process (IntegralGP) framework for volumetric estimation of subterranean properties in mineral deposits. It provides a unified representation for data with different spatial supports, which enables blasthole geochemical assays to be properly modelled as interval observations rather than points. This approach is shown to improve regression performance and boundary delineation. A core contribution is a description of the mathematical changes to the covariance expressions which allow these benefits to be realised. The gradient and anti-derivatives are obtained to facilitate learning of the kernel hyperparameters. Numerical stability issues are also discussed. To illustrate its application, an IntegralGP data fusion algorithm is described. The objective is to assimilate line-based blasthole assays and update a block model that provides long-range prediction of Fe concentration beneath the drilled bench. Heteroscedastic GP is used to fuse chemically compatible but spatially incongruous data with different resolutions and sample spacings. Domain knowledge embodied in the structure and empirical distribution of the block model must be generally preserved while local inaccuracies are corrected. Using validation measurements within the predicted bench, our experiments demonstrate an improvement in bench-below grade prediction performance. For material classification, IntegralGP fusion reduces the absolute error and model bias in categorical prediction, especially instances where waste blocks are mistakenly classified as high-grade.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.09151v1","authors":["Anna Chlingaryan","Arman Melkumyan","Raymond Leung"],"tags":["stat.ME","stat.AP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-09T22:05:39Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1911.02864v1","name":"Association of bone mineral density with reoperation rate following instrumented lumbar spinal fusion","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Low bone mineral density (BMD) is believed to influence the outcome of instrumented spinal surgery and can lead to reoperation. Purpose of this observational and case-control study was to investigate the association of BMD with the risk of reoperation following instrumented lumbar spinal fusion (LSF). For the observational study, 81 patients were included who received LSF with and without augmentation. For the case-control study, 18 patients who had reoperation following LSF were matched to 26 patients who did not have reoperation (matched by sex, age +/- 5 years, fused levels and PMMA-augmentation). Opportunistic BMD screening was performed in perioperative CT scans using asynchronous calibration. Mean BMD was compared between patients with and without reoperation in augmented and non-augmented surgeries. In the observational study, prevalence of osteoporosis (BMD &lt; 80 mg/cc) was 29% in non-augmented and 85% in augmented LSF. Seven of 48 patients with non-augmented (15%) and 4 of 33 patients with augmented LSF (12%) had reoperation. In non-augmented LSF, patients with reoperation had significantly lower BMD than patients without reoperation (P = 0.005). The best cut-off to predict reoperation after non-augmented LSF was BMD &lt; 83.7 mg/cc. In the case-control study, patients with reoperation presented numerically lower BMD of 78.8 +/- 33.1 mg/cc than patients without reoperation with BMD of 89.4 +/- 39.7 mg/cc (P = 0.357). Despite much lower BMD surgeries with PMMA-augmentation showed no higher reoperation rate compared to non-augmented surgeries. Patients with reoperation following LSF showed slightly lower BMD compared to matched patients without reoperation, but the difference was not statistically significant. Opportunistic BMD screening can be performed in preoperative CT, thus informing about osteoporotic bone, a potential risk factor of surgery failure.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1911.02864v1","authors":["Maximilian T. Löffler","Niklas Loreck","Johannes Kaesmacher","Felix Zibold","Ehab Shiban","Anna Rienmüller","Martin Vazan","Bernhard Meyer","Yu-Mi Ryang","Jan S. Kirschke"],"tags":["q-bio.TO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-11-07T11:44:10Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2004.13502v1","name":"Mineral snowflakes on exoplanets and brown dwarfs: Effects of micro-porosity, size distributions, and particle shape","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Exoplanet atmosphere characterisation has become an important tool in understanding exoplanet formation, evolution. However, clouds remain a key challenge for characterisation: upcoming space telescopes (e.g. JWST, ARIEL) and ground-based high-resolution spectrographs (e.g. CRIRES+) will produce data requiring detailed understanding of cloud formation and cloud effects. We aim to understand how the micro-porosity of cloud particles affects the cloud structure, particle size, and material composition. We examine the spectroscopic effects of micro-porous particles, the particle size distribution, and non-spherical cloud particles. We expanded our kinetic non-equilibrium cloud formation model and use a grid of prescribed 1D (T_gas-p_gas) DRIFT-PHOENIX profiles. We applied the effective medium theory and the Mie theory to model the spectroscopic properties of cloud particles with micro-porosity and a derived particle size distribution. We used a statistical distribution of hollow spheres to represent the effects of non-spherical cloud particles. Highly micro-porous cloud particles (90% vacuum) have a larger surface area, enabling efficient bulk growth higher in the atmosphere than for compact particles. Increases in single-scattering albedo and cross-sectional area for these mineral snowflakes cause the cloud deck to become optically thin only at a wavelength of ~100 ${\\rm μm}$ instead of at the ~20 ${\\rm μm}$ for compact cloud particles. A significant enhancement in albedo is also seen when cloud particles occur with a locally changing Gaussian size distribution. Non-spherical particles increase the opacity of silicate spectral features, which further increases the wavelength at which the clouds become optically thin. JWST MIRI will be sensitive to signatures of micro-porous and non-spherical cloud particles based on the wavelength at which clouds are optically thin.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2004.13502v1","authors":["Dominic Samra","Christiane Helling","Michiel Min"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-04-28T13:35:18Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.13610v2","name":"Volatile-bearing mineral atmospheres of hot rocky exoplanets as probes of interior state and composition","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The atmospheres of hot rocky exoplanets (HREs), should they persist, are products of interactions with underlying magma oceans. Spectra collected by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) hint at a CO/CO$_2$-rich atmosphere on the HRE 55 Cancri e, indicative of such a process. Here, we aim to identify diagnostic features that can be used to infer the composition and geochemical state of HREs. We construct a coupled atmosphere-interior model that computes the equilibrium gas speciation in the atmosphere in the system Si-Mg-Fe-O-C-H-S-N-He. The model accounts for both the equilibrium vaporisation of mineral gases and the partitioning of volatile species between the magma ocean and atmosphere. Using a fiducial planet with the properties of 55 Cancri e, we explore a parameter space that spans volatile mass fractions from 0.1 to 10 times that of the Earth, solar- to Earth-like metallicities, and 12 orders of magnitude in oxygen fugacity fO$_2$. We find fO$_2$ to be the major control of the shape of emission and transmission features. The presence of species such as SO$_2$ and the relative intensities of H$_2$O and CO$_2$ features allow to distinguish the origin of the gas, accreted or outgassed, while the atmospheric mass is more challenging to constrain. Inflated HREs, whose densities are compatible with a nebular atmosphere are rare, but a viable explanation for the planet TOI-1408 c. The majority of HREs, including 55 Cancri e, are too dense to be dominated by H$_2$-rich nebular gas yet too puffy for an Earth-like volatile budget, implying modest atmospheres of mixed heritage that are degenerate in fO$_2$, volatile mass and composition. The MIRI observation of 55 Cancri e disfavours oxidised Earth-like and reduced primoridal atmospheres alike, while the NIRCam data remain inconclusive. Future observations at wavelengths beyond 8 $μ$m are key to discerning between potential scenarios.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.13610v2","authors":["Fabian L. Seidler","Paolo A. Sossi","Dan J. Bower","Brice-Olivier Demory"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-17T00:59:31Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0801.0725v1","name":"Single-contact pressure solution creep on calcite monocrystals","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Pressure solution creep rates and interface structures have been measured by two methods on calcite single crystals. In the first kind of experiments, calcite monocrystals were indented at 40 degrees C for six weeks using ceramic indenters under stresses in the 50-200 MPa range in a saturated solution of calcite and in a calcite-saturated aqueous solution of NH4Cl. The deformation (depth of the hole below the indenter) is measured ex-situ at the end of the experiment. In the second type of experiment, calcite monocrystals were indented by spherical glass indenters for 200 hours under stresses in the 0-100 MPa range at room temperature in a saturated aqueous solution of calcite. The displacement of the indenter was continuously recorded using a specially constructed differential dilatometer. The experiments conducted in a calcite-saturated aqueous solution of NH4Cl show an enhanced indentation rate owing to the fairly high solubility of calcite in this solution. In contrast, the experiments conducted in a calcite-saturated aqueous solution show moderate indentation rate and the dry control experiments did not show any measurable deformation. The rate of calcite indentation is found to be inversely proportional to the indenter diameter, thus indicating that the process is diffusion-controlled. The microcracks in the dissolution region under the indenter dramatically enhance the rate of calcite indentation by a significant reduction of the distance of solute transport in the trapped fluid phase. This result indicates that care should be taken in extrapolating the kinetic data of pressure solution creep from one mineral to another.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0801.0725v1","authors":["Sergei Zubtsov","François Renard","Jean-Pierre Gratier","Dag Dysthe","Vladimir Traskine"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-01-04T19:44:44Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2607.16883v2","name":"Mantle-derived magmatic anhydrite in ultramafic rocks reveals deep mantle oxidation and mega-mineralization after Palaeozoic Oxygenation Event","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Magmatic anhydrite has long been regarded as diagnostic of oxidized intermediate-felsic magmas in porphyry Cu deposits. Here we report the world first occurrence of mantle-derived magmatic anhydrite in ultramafic rock from a magmatic platinum group elements sulfide deposit. The formation age of the clinopyroxenite and hornblnedite hosting this anhydrite is 408.8 Ma, shortly after the Palaeozoic Oxygenation Event (POE). The anhydrite coexists igneous carbonate mineral and systematics Ca-O-C-Fe-S isotopes indicate oxidation of the mantle source by recycled oxidized surface-derived carbonates due to POE. After the POE, the more oxidized supra-subduction mantle is coupled with the emergence of magmatic sulfide deposits in orogenic belt during Late Paleozoic (410-270 Ma) and the rapidly increased frequency of porphyry Cu deposits worldwide. Our results further suggest that high-Mg basaltic magma, typically considered to be parent magma of magmatic sulfide deposits in orogenic belt, can evolve into PGE-enriched porphyry Cu deposit systems. This requires sufficiently high oxygen fugacity in magma after POE to retain sulfur predominantly as sulfate and thereby suppress sulfide saturation after olivine differentiation. Our findings link atmospheric oxygenation to deep Earth redox evolution and suggest that secular changes in Earth's redox state fundamentally influenced the evolution of key strategic metal sulfide deposits.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.16883v2","authors":["Yuegao Liu"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-18T16:53:15Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2307.11513v1","name":"Bone mineral density estimation from a plain X-ray image by learning decomposition into projections of bone-segmented computed tomography","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Osteoporosis is a prevalent bone disease that causes fractures in fragile bones, leading to a decline in daily living activities. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and quantitative computed tomography (QCT) are highly accurate for diagnosing osteoporosis; however, these modalities require special equipment and scan protocols. To frequently monitor bone health, low-cost, low-dose, and ubiquitously available diagnostic methods are highly anticipated. In this study, we aim to perform bone mineral density (BMD) estimation from a plain X-ray image for opportunistic screening, which is potentially useful for early diagnosis. Existing methods have used multi-stage approaches consisting of extraction of the region of interest and simple regression to estimate BMD, which require a large amount of training data. Therefore, we propose an efficient method that learns decomposition into projections of bone-segmented QCT for BMD estimation under limited datasets. The proposed method achieved high accuracy in BMD estimation, where Pearson correlation coefficients of 0.880 and 0.920 were observed for DXA-measured BMD and QCT-measured BMD estimation tasks, respectively, and the root mean square of the coefficient of variation values were 3.27 to 3.79% for four measurements with different poses. Furthermore, we conducted extensive validation experiments, including multi-pose, uncalibrated-CT, and compression experiments toward actual application in routine clinical practice.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2307.11513v1","authors":["Yi Gu","Yoshito Otake","Keisuke Uemura","Mazen Soufi","Masaki Takao","Hugues Talbot","Seiji Okada","Nobuhiko Sugano","Yoshinobu Sato"],"tags":["eess.IV","cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-21T11:49:30Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1610.06295v1","name":"Performance of hybrid angle-energy dispersive X-ray diffraction and fluorescence portable system for non-invasive surface-mineral identification in Archaeometry","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Low power energy dispersive XRD-XRF portable instruments equipped with multiple angle scanning can take advantage of the shorter acquisition time of EDXRD with respect to ADXRD, and bring closer higher accuracy and resolution of inter-planar distance with those obtained by ADXRD. The data produced by this new hybrid configuration is correlated in the sense that a single XRF or XRD specimen appear in multiple spectra (the later shifted in energy for differing angles). Hence, for fully benefit from the richer data released by this configuration, the analysis should not be confined to the independent processing of the spectra, specialized hybrid data processing should be conceived. We previously reported some advances in the processing of the resulting 3D data (intensity, energy and angle). Here the analytical performance of the first hybrid angle-energy dispersive X-ray diffraction and fluorescence portable system is assessed for non-invasive surface mineral analysis of samples relevant for archaeometrical applications. We evaluate the performance on standard reference material and probe applicability of the methods so developed to identify stones (jadeite and omphacite), and pigments (Prussian blue) in the pictorial layer of modeled paintings. Discussion emphasize the improvement in accuracy of interplanar distance with respect to EDXRD taken at a single fixed angles, evaluate the resolution of AD/EDXRD data, and total acquisition time.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1610.06295v1","authors":["Ariadna Mendoza Cuevas","Jorge Fernandez-de-Cossio Dorta-Duque"],"tags":["physics.ins-det"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-10-20T06:07:29Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1106.3531v1","name":"Langmuir-Blodgett Monolayers of Cationic Dyes in the Presence and Absence of Clay Mineral Layers: N,N'-Dioctadecyl Thiacyanine, Octadecyl Rhodamine B and Laponite","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films of N,N'-dioctadecyl thiacyanine perchlorate (NK) and octadecyl rhodamine B chloride (RhB18) and their mixtures in the presence and absence of clay mineral layers were investigated by recording surface pressure - area isotherms and by UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopies. The isotherms of NK, RhB18 and their mixtures are characteristic for liquid expanded state behaviour with repulsive interactions between the two cationic dyes. In the presence of laponite the isotherms show liquid expanded and condensed state behaviour. In laponite dispersions and in monolayers, NK has a strong tendency to aggregate with formation of H- and J- aggregates. The absorption and fluorescence maxima of the monomers in the films are at 435 nm and at 480 nm; H-dimer have an absorption maximum around 410 nm and do not fluoresce. J-dimers are present in all the films with absorption maximum at 461 nm and fluorescence at 463 nm. RhB18 is mainly present as monomers in the LB films with an absorption maximum at 576 nm and fluorescence at 595 nm. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer from NK to RhB18 has been observed in clay dispersions and in films with and without laponite. The optimum condition for NK RhB18 fluorescence energy transfer in the films is 90 mol% NK + 10 mol% RhB18.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1106.3531v1","authors":["Syed Arshad Hussain","Robert A. Schoonheydt"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci","cond-mat.mes-hall"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-06-17T17:01:03Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1306.3755v1","name":"Saharan mineral dust outbreaks observed over the North Atlantic island of La Palma in summertime between 1984 and 2012","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We estimate the frequency of Saharan mineral dust outbreak events observed over the North Atlantic island of La Palma based on in situ nightly atmospheric extinction measurements recorded almost continuously since 1984 by the Carlsberg Meridian Telescope at the Roque de los Muchachos observatory. The outbreak frequency shows a well-defined seasonal peak in the months of July to September, during which time the occurrence of Saharan dust events (SDEs) is approximately 28\\pm6%. We find considerable year-to-year variability in the summertime SDEs frequency, observing a steady reduction between 1984 and 1997, followed by a period of relative mean stability from 1999 to 2012. We investigated changes in the atmospheric extinction of the SDEs as an indicator of strength of the episodes and found that this parameter approximately follows the SDE frequency, however, instrumental limitations prevented us from deriving precise conclusions regarding their long-term changes. A lagged correlation analysis between SDE properties and the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), and Sahel rainfall index (SRI) was performed. We found that 55\\pm4% of the year-to-year variations in July-September SDE frequency may be reproduced by a lagged relationship to the NAO conditions during the preceding October-December period, and 45\\pm4% may be reproduced by a negative correlation to the SRI during the preceding February-April period. Based on these relationships it may be possible to obtain an approximate indication of the strength of the upcoming summertime dust season over the North Atlantic around half a year in advance.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1306.3755v1","authors":["Benjamin A. Laken","Hannu Parviainen","Enric Pallé","Tariq Shahbaz"],"tags":["physics.ao-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-06-17T07:31:05Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.20495v2","name":"Enhancing Quantitative Image Synthesis through Pretraining and Resolution Scaling for Bone Mineral Density Estimation from a Plain X-ray Image","source":"arxiv","abstract":"While most vision tasks are essentially visual in nature (for recognition), some important tasks, especially in the medical field, also require quantitative analysis (for quantification) using quantitative images. Unlike in visual analysis, pixel values in quantitative images correspond to physical metrics measured by specific devices (e.g., a depth image). However, recent work has shown that it is sometimes possible to synthesize accurate quantitative values from visual ones (e.g., depth from visual cues or defocus). This research aims to improve quantitative image synthesis (QIS) by exploring pretraining and image resolution scaling. We propose a benchmark for evaluating pretraining performance using the task of QIS-based bone mineral density (BMD) estimation from plain X-ray images, where the synthesized quantitative image is used to derive BMD. Our results show that appropriate pretraining can improve QIS performance, significantly raising the correlation of BMD estimation from 0.820 to 0.898, while others do not help or even hinder it. Scaling-up the resolution can further boost the correlation up to 0.923, a significant enhancement over conventional methods. Future work will include exploring more pretraining strategies and validating them on other image synthesis tasks.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.20495v2","authors":["Yi Gu","Yoshito Otake","Keisuke Uemura","Masaki Takao","Mazen Soufi","Seiji Okada","Nobuhiko Sugano","Hugues Talbot","Yoshinobu Sato"],"tags":["eess.IV","cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-30T01:39:30Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2110.01865v1","name":"Thermal transport of the frustrated spin-chain mineral linarite: Magnetic heat transport and strong spin-phonon scattering","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The mineral linarite (PbCuSO$_4$(OH)$_2$) forms a monoclinic structure where a sequence of Cu(OH)$_2$ units forms a spin-$\\frac{1}{2}$ chain. Competing ferromagnetic nearest-neighbor ($J_1$) and antiferromagnetic next-nearest-neighbor interactions ($J_2$) in this quasi-one-dimensional spin structure imply magnetic frustration and lead to magnetic ordering below $T_N =$2.8 K in a mutliferroic elliptical spin-spiral ground state. Upon the application of a magnetic field along the spin-chain direction, distinct magnetically ordered phases can be induced. We studied the thermal conductivity $κ$ in this material across the magnetic phase diagram as well as in the paramagnetic regime in the temperature ranges 0.07-1 K and 9-300 K. We found that in linarite the heat is carried mainly by phonons but shows a peculiar non-monotonic behavior in field. In particular, $κ$ is highly suppressed at the magnetic phase boundaries, indicative of strong scattering of the phonons off critical magnetic fluctuations. Even at temperatures far above the magnetically ordered phases, the phononic thermal conductivity is reduced due to scattering off magnetic fluctuations. The mean free path due to spin-phonon scattering ($l_{\\text{spin-phonon}}$) was determined as function of temperature. A power law behavior was observed mainly above 0.5 K indicating the thermal activation of spin fluctuations. In the critical regime close to the saturation field, $l_{\\text{spin-phonon}}$ shows a $1/T$ dependence. Furthermore, a magnon thermal transport channel was verified in the helical magnetic phase. We estimate a magnon mean free path which corresponds to about 1000 lattice spacings.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2110.01865v1","authors":["Matthias Gillig","Xiaochen Hong","Piyush Sakrikar","Gaël Bastien","A. U. B. Wolter","Leonie Heinze","Satoshi Nishimoto","Bernd Büchner","Christian Hess"],"tags":["cond-mat.str-el"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-10-05T08:00:58Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1506.08562v3","name":"Frustrated magnetic planes with intricate interaction pathways in the mineral langite Cu$_4$(OH)$_6$SO$_4\\cdot 2$H$_2$O","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Magnetic and crystallographic properties of the mineral langite Cu$_4$(OH)$_6$SO$_4\\cdot 2$H$_2$O are reported. Its layered crystal structure features a peculiar spatial arrangement of spin-$\\frac12$ Cu$^{2+}$ ions that arises from a combination of corner- and edge-sharing chains. Experimentally, langite orders antiferromagnetically at $T_N\\simeq 5.7$ K as revealed by magnetization and specific heat measurements. Despite this very low energy scale of the magnetic transition, langite features significantly stronger couplings on the order of 50-70 K. Half of the Cu$^{2+}$ spins are weakly coupled and saturate around 12T, where the magnetization reaches 0.5$μ_B$/Cu. These findings are rationalized by density-functional band-structure calculations suggesting a complex interplay of frustrated exchange couplings in the magnetic planes. A simplified model of coupled magnetic sublattices explains the experimental features qualitatively. To start from reliable structural data, the crystal structure of langite in the 100-280 K temperature range has been determined by single-crystal x-ray diffraction, and the hydrogen positions were refined computationally.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1506.08562v3","authors":["Stefan Lebernegg","Alexander A. Tsirlin","Oleg Janson","Günther J. Redhammer","Helge Rosner"],"tags":["cond-mat.str-el"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-06-29T09:47:08Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2303.04876v1","name":"Topological Generality and Spectral Dimensionality in the Earth Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) using Joint Characterization and the Spectral Mixture Residual","source":"arxiv","abstract":"NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) mission seeks to use spaceborne imaging spectroscopy (hyperspectral imaging) to map the mineralogy of arid dust source regions. Here we apply recent developments in Joint Characterization (JC) and the spectral Mixture Residual (MR) to explore the information content of data from this novel mission. Specifically, for a mosaic of 20 spectrally diverse scenes we find: 1) a generalized three-endmember (Substrate, Vegetation, Dark; SVD) spectral mixture model is capable of capturing the preponderance (99% in 3 dimensions) of spectral variance with low misfit (99% of pixels with RMSE &lt; 3.7%); 2) manifold learning (UMAP) is capable of identifying spatially coherent, physically interpretable clustering relationships in the spectral feature space; 3) UMAP yields results that are at least as informative when applied to the MR as when applied to raw reflectance; 4) SVD fraction information usefully contextualizes UMAP clustering relationships, and vice-versa (JC); and 5) when EMIT data are convolved to spectral response functions of multispectral instruments (Sentinel-2, Landsat 8/9, Planet SuperDove), SVD fractions correlate strongly across sensors but UMAP clustering relationships for the EMIT hyperspectral feature space are far more informative than for simulated multispectral sensors. Implications are discussed for both the utility of EMIT data in the near-term, and for the potential of high SNR spaceborne imaging spectroscopy more generally, to transform the future of optical remote sensing in the years and decades to come.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.04876v1","authors":["Daniel Sousa","Christopher Small"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-03-08T20:31:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2011.02382v1","name":"Noise Reduction to Compute Tissue Mineral Density and Trabecular Bone Volume Fraction from Low Resolution QCT","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We propose a 3D neural network with specific loss functions for quantitative computed tomography (QCT) noise reduction to compute micro-structural parameters such as tissue mineral density (TMD) and bone volume ratio (BV/TV) with significantly higher accuracy than using no or standard noise reduction filters. The vertebra-phantom study contained high resolution peripheral and clinical CT scans with simulated in vivo CT noise and nine repetitions of three different tube currents (100, 250 and 360 mAs). Five-fold cross validation was performed on 20466 purely spongy pairs of noisy and ground-truth patches. Comparison of training and test errors revealed high robustness against over-fitting. While not showing effects for the assessment of BMD and voxel-wise densities, the filter improved thoroughly the computation of TMD and BV/TV with respect to the unfiltered data. Root-mean-square and accuracy errors of low resolution TMD and BV/TV decreased to less than 17% of the initial values. Furthermore filtered low resolution scans revealed still more TMD- and BV/TV-relevant information than high resolution CT scans, either unfiltered or filtered with two state-of-the-art standard denoising methods. The proposed architecture is threshold and rotational invariant, applicable on a wide range of image resolutions at once, and likely serves for an accurate computation of further micro-structural parameters. Furthermore, it is less prone for over-fitting than neural networks that compute structural parameters directly. In conclusion, the method is potentially important for the diagnosis of osteoporosis and other bone diseases since it allows to assess relevant 3D micro-structural information from standard low exposure CT protocols such as 100 mAs and 120 kVp.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2011.02382v1","authors":["Felix Thomsen","José M. Fuertes García","Manuel Lucena","Juan Pisula","Rodrigo de Luis García","Jan Broggrefe","Claudio Delrieux"],"tags":["eess.IV","cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-04T16:17:24Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.05656v1","name":"Comment on \"Mineral-water reactions in Earth's mantle: Predictions from Born theory and ab initio molecular dynamics\" by Fowler et al. 2024 (Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 372, 111-123)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This comment addresses discrepancies in dielectric constant calculations of water under extreme conditions (~10 GPa and 1000 K) between Fowler et al.'s recent study [Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 372, 111-123 (2024)] and the earlier work by Pan et al. [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 110, 6646-6650 (2013)]. Through reproduced ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations using the CP2K code with extended duration and identical system size, we rigorously validate that Pan et al.'s original results (39.4) are well-converged, contrasting with Fowler et al.'s reported value of 51. The observed discrepancy cannot be attributed to simulation duration limitations, but rather to methodological differences in dipole moment calculation. Our analysis highlights critical issues in the treatment of dipole moment fluctuations in periodic systems within the framework of modern theory of polarization. This clarification has significant implications for modeling mineral-water interactions in Earth's mantle using Born theory.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.05656v1","authors":["Jiajia Huang","Ding Pan"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph","physics.comp-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-29T13:46:11Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2207.03210v1","name":"BMD-GAN: Bone mineral density estimation using x-ray image decomposition into projections of bone-segmented quantitative computed tomography using hierarchical learning","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We propose a method for estimating the bone mineral density (BMD) from a plain x-ray image. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and quantitative computed tomography (QCT) provide high accuracy in diagnosing osteoporosis; however, these modalities require special equipment and scan protocols. Measuring BMD from an x-ray image provides an opportunistic screening, which is potentially useful for early diagnosis. The previous methods that directly learn the relationship between x-ray images and BMD require a large training dataset to achieve high accuracy because of large intensity variations in the x-ray images. Therefore, we propose an approach using the QCT for training a generative adversarial network (GAN) and decomposing an x-ray image into a projection of bone-segmented QCT. The proposed hierarchical learning improved the robustness and accuracy of quantitatively decomposing a small-area target. The evaluation of 200 patients with osteoarthritis using the proposed method, which we named BMD-GAN, demonstrated a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.888 between the predicted and ground truth DXA-measured BMD. Besides not requiring a large-scale training database, another advantage of our method is its extensibility to other anatomical areas, such as the vertebrae and rib bones.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2207.03210v1","authors":["Yi Gu","Yoshito Otake","Keisuke Uemura","Mazen Soufi","Masaki Takao","Nobuhiko Sugano","Yoshinobu Sato"],"tags":["eess.IV","cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-07T10:33:12Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1207.1907v1","name":"Dust cloud lightning in extraterrestrial atmospheres","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Lightning is present in all solar system planets which form clouds in their atmospheres. Cloud formation outside our solar system is possible in objects with much higher temperatures than on Earth or on Jupiter: Brown dwarfs and giant extrasolar gas planets form clouds made of mixed materials and a large spectrum of grain sizes. These clouds are globally neutral obeying dust-gas charge equilibrium which is, on short timescales, inconsistent with the observation of stochastic ionization events of the solar system planets. We argue that a significant volume of the clouds in brown dwarfs and extrasolar planets is susceptible to local discharge events and that the upper cloud layers are most suitable for powerful lightning-like discharge events. We discuss various sources of atmospheric ionisation, including thermal ionisation and a first estimate of ionisation by cosmic rays, and argue that we should expect thunderstorms also in the atmospheres of brown dwarfs and giant gas planets which contain mineral clouds.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1207.1907v1","authors":["Christiane Helling","Moira Jardine","Declan Diver","Soeren Witte"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-07-08T20:10:25Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2608.25795v1","name":"STXM-XANES and TEM analysis of UltraCarbonaceous Antarctic MicroMeteorites (UCAMMs)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Concordia micrometeorite collection contains UltraCarbonaceous Antarctic MicroMeteorites (UCAMMs) of probable cometary origin. Eight FIB sections of UCAMMs were studied by Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscopy - X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure and (Scanning)Transmission Electronic Microscopy. Three different phases of organic matter (OM) exist in UCAMMs and small mineral aggregates are distributed in the OM. Two OMs share spectral features with those of insoluble organic matter (IOM) of carbonaceous chondrites and of cometary grains returned by the Stardust mission. The third OM is N-rich (N/C at. ratios up to 0.22) and has only a few equivalents in extraterrestrial OM analyzed so far, such as in cometary particles collected during the Stardust mission, Interplanetary Dust Particles (IDPs) and UCAMMs collected near the Dome Fuji Station. This N-rich OM could have formed by irradiation of N-rich ices in the outer regions of the protoplanetary disk. UCAMMs contain variable amounts of minerals, consisting of crystalline Mg-rich silicates, Fe(Ni) sulfides and Fe oxides, which can be cemented in a Si-rich groundmass. Hypocrystalline mineral assemblages are also observed. Glassy phases showing morphological resemblance to GEMS are also found in some UCAMMs. This mineralogy is mainly consistent with that of previous UCAMM analyses, and is close to what is observed in Chondritic Porous IDPs, which are also considered as cometary dust particles. A mineral exhibiting a phyllosilicate texture has been observed in this work, and raises the question of the possibility of aqueous alteration on comets. Overall, UCAMMs' mineralogical and organic characterization implies a complex formation history of UCAMMs, and the presence of large-scale radial mixing in the early solar system, to transport their mineral components to the outer parts of the protoplanetary disk.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.25795v1","authors":["B. Guérin","C. Engrand","C. Le Guillou","H. Leroux","E. Dartois","J. Duprat","S. Bernard","K. Benzerara","L. Delauche","D. Troadec"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-26T13:46:49Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2605.28113v1","name":"Toward reliable and high-resolution resistivity imaging with Controlled Source EM in land -densifying arrays as a key for success -10 years of progress for geothermal and mineral resources exploration","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Controlled Source Electromagnetic (CSEM) method aims to image electrical resistivity at intermediate depths (0-3 km) for geothermal, mineral, and groundwater exploration. It was developed both as a deeper extension of DC resistivity (ERT) and as an active alternative to magnetotellurics (MT), capable of overcoming MT's limitations in challenging environments (noisy areas or weak natural signals). As demonstrated in marine settings, CSEM can provide high resolution and complementary illumination compared to MT. However, due to the significant logistical effort required for land deployment, most land-based CSEM surveys have used only a few transmitter positions (often one or two), effectively resembling CSAMT configurations. This limited source coverage results in poor resolution and unreliable resistivity models, where the acquisition footprint can be difficult to distinguish from actual geology. In this work, we review ten years of progress in land CSEM and demonstrate that dense arrays-with dozens to hundreds of synchronized sources and receivers-are key to achieving the high-resolution imaging originally expected. Despite greater logistical demands, we show that such surveys can be conducted with reasonable effort and cost, making them accessible for both industrial and academic applications. Furthermore, CSEM can be combined with MT at minimal additional cost, improving model constraints and reducing exploration risk.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.28113v1","authors":["F Bretaudeau","S Védrine","C Patzer","B Kim","F Dubois","U Autio","J Kamm","M Darnet"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-27T08:06:49Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1903.04675v1","name":"Fates of hydrous materials during planetesimal collisions","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Hydrous minerals are found on the surfaces of asteroids, but their origin is not clear. If their origin is endogenic, the hydrous minerals that were formed in the inner part of a planetesimal (or parent body) should come out on to the surface without dehydration. If their origin is exogenic, the source of hydrous minerals accreting onto asteroids is needed. Collisions in the asteroid belt would be related to both origins because collisions excavate the surface and eject the materials. However, the fate of hydrous minerals in large planetesimals during the collisional process has not been well investigated. Here, we explore planetesimal collisions by using the iSALE-2D code, and investigate the effect of an impact for the target planetesimal containing hydrous minerals. Our numerical results for the fiducial case (5 km/s of the impact velocity) show that hydrous minerals are slightly heated during the collisions. This moderate heating indicates that they can avoid the dehydration reaction and keep their original composition. Some hydrous minerals have larger velocity than the escape velocity of the collision system. This means that hydrous minerals can escape from the planetesimal and support the theory of exogenic origin for the hydrous minerals on asteroids. Meanwhile, the velocity of other hydrous minerals is smaller than the escape velocity of the system. This also indicates the possibility of an endogenic origin for the hydrous minerals on asteroids. Our results suggest that hydrous minerals on asteroids can be provided by planetesimal collisions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1903.04675v1","authors":["Shigeru Wakita","Hidenori Genda"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-03-12T00:27:54Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1509.03652v2","name":"A direct communication proposal to test the Zoo Hypothesis","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Whether we are alone in the universe is one of the greatest mysteries facing humankind. Given the &gt;100 billion stars in our galaxy, many have argued that it is statistically unlikely that life, including intelligent life, has not emerged anywhere else. The lack of any sign of extraterrestrial intelligence, even though on a cosmic timescale extraterrestrial civilizations would have enough time to cross the galaxy, is known as Fermi's Paradox. One possible explanation for Fermi's Paradox is the Zoo Hypothesis which states that one or more extraterrestrial civilizations know of our existence and can reach us, but have chosen not to disturb us or even make their existence known to us. I propose here a proactive test of the Zoo Hypothesis. Specifically, I propose to send a message using television and radio channels to any extraterrestrial civilization(s) that might be listening and inviting them to respond. Even though I accept this is unlikely to be successful in the sense of resulting in a response from extraterrestrial intelligences, the possibility that extraterrestrial civilizations are monitoring us cannot be dismissed and my proposal is consistent with current scientific knowledge. Besides, issuing an invitation is technically feasible, cheap and safe, and few would deny the profound importance of establishing contact with one or more extraterrestrial intelligences. A website has been set up (http://active-seti.info) to encourage discussion of this proposal and for drafting the invitation message.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1509.03652v2","authors":["Joao Pedro de Magalhaes"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-09-08T10:06:43Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0211275v1","name":"Ferromagnetism of a graphite nodule from the Canyon Diablo meteorite","source":"arxiv","abstract":"There have recently been various reports of weak ferromagnetism in graphite (1,2) and synthetic carbon materials (3) such as rhombohedral C60 (4), as well as a theoretical prediction of a ferromagnetic instability in graphene sheets (5). With very small ferromagnetic signals, it is difficult to be certain that the origin is intrinsic, rather than due to minute concentrations of iron-rich impurities. Here we take a different experimental approach to study ferromagnetism in graphitic materials, by making use of meteoritic graphite, which is strongly ferromagnetic at room temperature. We examined ten samples of extraterrestrial graphite from a nodule in the Canyon Diablo meteorite. Graphite is the major phase in every sample but there are minor amounts of magnetite, kamacite, akaganeite, and other phases. By analysing the phase composition of a series of samples, we find that these iron-rich minerals can only account for about two-thirds of the observed magnetization. The remainder is somehow associated with graphite, corresponding to an average magnetization of 23 Am2kg-1, or 0.05 Bohr magnetons per carbon atom. The magnetic ordering temperature is near 570 K. We suggest that the ferromagnetism is a magnetic proximity effect induced at the interface with magnetite or kamacite inclusions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0211275v1","authors":["J. M. D. Coey","M. Venkatesan","C. B. Fitzgerald","A. P. Douvalis","I. S. Sanders"],"tags":["cond-mat"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-11-14T12:16:33Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.08018v1","name":"Introducing the Exoplanet Escape Factor and the Fishbowl Worlds (Two conceptual tools for the search of extra terrestrial civilizations)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The search for extraterrestrial intelligence on exoplanets is a rich field of conceptual exploration. Author introduces two definitions that could help to narrow down the possibilities that an extraterrestrial civilization may or may not have initiated exploration of its own star system and beyond. It is concluded that in some cases certain extraterrestrial civilizations may not be able to leave their home worlds to biological extinction, purely because of physical limitations.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.08018v1","authors":["Elio Quiroga Rodriguez"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-11T14:58:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0304008v1","name":"The theoretical simulation of optical properties of crystals with statistically disordered arrangement of atoms and atomic groups on the basis of point-dipole model","source":"arxiv","abstract":"With using of point-dipole model the theoretical calculations of main refractive indices and orientation of indicatrix of 18 minerals are performed. The feature of studied minerals is the statistically disordered arrangement of CO3, SO4, SO2, PO4 groups and also separate ions. The optical characters of uniaxial minerals and orientation of indicatrix of orthorhombic and monoclinic minerals, obtained by results of calculations, agree with experimental definitions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0304008v1","authors":["D. Yu. Popov","O. A. Popova"],"tags":["physics.optics"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-04-03T14:56:34Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0608014v2","name":"Infrared Absorption Investigations Confirm the Extraterrestrial Origin of Carbonado-Diamonds","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The first complete infrared FTIR absorption spectra for carbonado-diamond confirm the interstellar origin for the most enigmatic diamonds known as carbonado. All previous attempts failed to measure the absorption of carbonado-diamond in the most important IR-range of 1000-1300 cm-1 (10.00-7.69 micro-m.) because of silica inclusions. In our investigation, KBr pellets were made from crushed silica-free carbonado-diamond and thin sections were also prepared. The 100 to 1000 times brighter synchrotron infrared radiation permits a greater spatial resolution. Inclusions and pore spaces were avoided and/or sources of chemical contamination were removed. The FTIR spectra of carbonado-diamond mostly depict the presence of single nitrogen impurities, and hydrogen. The lack of identifiable nitrogen aggregates in the infrared spectra, the presence of features related to hydrocarbon stretch bonds, and the resemblance of the spectra to CVD and presolar diamonds indicate that carbonado-diamonds formed in a hydrogen-rich interstellar environment. This is consistent with carbonado-diamond being sintered and porous, with extremely reduced metals, metal alloys, carbides and nitrides, light carbon isotopes, surfaces with glassy melt-like patinas, deformation lamellae, and a complete absence of primary, terrestrial mineral inclusions. The 2.6-3.8 billion year old fragmented body was of asteroidal proportions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0608014v2","authors":["Jozsef Garai","Stephen E. Haggerty","Sandeep Rekhi","Mark Chance"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-08-02T19:58:35Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2206.11592v1","name":"Corrosion Monitoring On Zinc Electroplated Steel Using Shortwave Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this study, we investigate the use of hyperspectral imaging (HSI) to inspect the formation of corrosion products on galvanised carbon steel samples. Ten samples were subjected to an accelerated corrosion test with different exposure times. The analysis is performed in a two-step procedure: First, the different corrosion minerals are identified by microscopic Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) at specific locations on the samples. The following corrosion minerals are identified: ZnO (zincite/zinc oxide) Zn5(OH)8Cl2 H2O (simonkolleite), ZnCO3 (smithsonite), Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6 (marionite/ hydrozincite). Second, the identified corrosion minerals are correlated with the HSI spectra for these specific locations. This correlation provides us with the spectra in the SWIR region and allows us to construct a classification map for the different corrosion minerals. The results show that we are able to identify the different minerals using HSI camera. This proposed methodology allows us to speed up the inspection process, compared to FTIR, while still accurately distinguishing between the different corrosion minerals.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2206.11592v1","authors":["Thomas De Kerf","Zohreh Zahiri","Paul Scheunders","Steve Vanlanduit"],"tags":["physics.optics"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-06-23T10:05:12Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2307.15562v1","name":"The Space Experiment of the Exo-ecosystem","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The experiment of exo-ecosystem and the exploration of extraterrestrial habitability aims to explore the adaptation of terrestrial life in space conditions for the manned space program and the future interstellar migration, which shows great scientific significance and public interests. By our knowledge the early life on Earth, archaea and extremophile have the ability to adapt to extreme environmental conditions and can potentially habitat in extraterrestrial environments. Here we proposed a design and framework for the experiment on exo-ecosystem and extraterrestrial habitability. The conceptual approach involves building an ecosystem based on archaea and extremophiles in a simulated extraterrestrial environment, with a focus on assessing the exobiological potential and adaptability of terrestrial life forms in such conditions through controlled experiments. Specifically, we introduce the Chinese Exo-Ecosystem Space Experiment (CHEESE), which investigates the survivability and potential for sustained growth, reproduction, and ecological interactions of methanogens under simulated Mars and Moon environments using the China Space Station (CSS) as a platform. We highlight that the space station provides unique yet relatively comprehensive conditions for simulating extraterrestrial environments. In conclusion, space experiments involving exo-ecosystems could pave the way for long-term human habitation in space, ensuring our ability to sustain colonies and settlements beyond Earth while minimizing our ecological impact on celestial bodies.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2307.15562v1","authors":["Zhu Liu","Duo Cui","Siyao Yang"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-28T13:59:12Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1805.05921v1","name":"Measurement of the Oxidation state of Fe in the ISM using X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The oxidation state of iron in the interstellar medium (ISM) can provide constraints on the processes that operated on material in the protosolar disk. We used synchrotron-based X-ray absorption spectra of several mineral standards and two kinds of primitive extraterrestrial materials to constrain the oxidation state and mineralogy of the host-phase of ISM Fe as measured by X-ray observations of Fe-L ISM absorption from the {\\em Chandra X-ray Observatory}. Given the initial oxidation state of the building blocks of the Solar System, we explore nebular and parent-body processes that eventually led to the remarkable diversity of oxidation states of primitive Solar System materials. Oxidation of cometary material appears to have taken place in the nebula, before incorporation into cometary nuclei, although the mechanism is unknown.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1805.05921v1","authors":["Andrew J. Westphal","Anna L. Butterworth","John A. Tomsick","Zack Gainsforth"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.CO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-05-15T17:22:52Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2001.05336v1","name":"Zircon survival in shallow asthenosphere and deep lithosphere","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Zircon is the most frequently used mineral for dating terrestrial and extraterrestrial rocks. However, the system of zircon in mafic/ultramafic melts has been rarely explored experimentally and most existing models based on the felsic, intermediate and/or synthetic systems are probably not applicable for prediction of zircon survival in terrestrial shallow asthenosphere. In order to determine the zircon stability in such natural systems, we have performed high-temperature experiments of zircon dissolution in natural mid-ocean ridge basaltic and synthetic haplobasaltic melts coupled with in situ electron probe microanalyses of the experimental products at high current. Taking into account the secondary fluorescence effect in zircon glass pairs during electron microprobe analysis, we have calculated zirconium diffusion coefficient necessary to predict zircon survival in asthenospheric melts of tholeiitic basalt composition. The data imply that typical 100 micron zircons dissolve rapidly (in 10 hours) and congruently upon the reaction with basaltic melt at mantle pressures. We observed incongruent (to crystal ZrO2 and SiO2 in melt) dissolution of zircon in natural mid-ocean ridge basaltic melt at low pressures and in haplobasaltic melt at elevated pressure. Our experimental data raise questions about the origin of zircons in mafic and ultramafic rocks, in particular, in shallow oceanic asthenosphere and deep lithosphere, as well as the meaning of the zircon-based ages estimated from the composition of these minerals. Large size zircon megacrysts in kimberlites, peridotites, alkali basalts and other magmas suggest the fast transport and short interaction between zircon and melt.The origin of zircon megacrysts is likely related to metasomatic addition of Zr into mantle as any mantle melting episode should obliterate them.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2001.05336v1","authors":["Anastassia Y. Borisova","Ilya N. Bindeman","Mike Toplis","Nail Zagrtdenov","Jérémy Guignard","Oleg Safonov","Andrew Bychkov","Svyatoslav Shcheka","Oleg E. Melnik","Marion Marchelli","Jerome Fenrenbach"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-15T14:15:17Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2210.01312v1","name":"Investigation of dust grains by optical tweezers for space applications","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Cosmic dust plays a dominant role in the universe, especially in the formation of stars and planetary systems. Furthermore, the surface of cosmic dust grains is the bench-work where molecular hydrogen and simple organic compounds are formed. We manipulate individual dust particles in water solution by contactless and non-invasive techniques such as standard and Raman tweezers, to characterize their response to mechanical effects of light (optical forces and torques) and to determine their mineral compositions. Moreover, we show accurate optical force calculations in the T-matrix formalism highlighting the key role of composition and complex morphology in optical trapping of cosmic dust particles.This opens perspectives for future applications of optical tweezers in curation facilities for sample return missions or in extraterrestrial environments.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2210.01312v1","authors":["A. Magazzù","D. Bronte Ciriza","A. Musolino","A. Saidi","P. Polimeno","M. G. Donato","A. Foti","P. G. Gucciardi","M. A. Iatì R. Saija","N. Perchiazzi","A. Rotundi","L. Folco","O. M. Maragò"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","physics.optics"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-09-30T22:15:44Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.07828v1","name":"Physico-thermal and geochemical behavior and alteration of the Au indicator gangue hydrothermal quartz at the Kubi Gold Ore Deposits","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Altered and gangue quartz in hydrothermal veins from the Kubi Gold deposit in Dunkwa on Offin in the central region of Ghana are investigated for possible Au-associated indicator minerals and to provide the understanding and increase the knowledge of the mineral hosting and alteration processes in quartz. X-ray diffraction, air annealing furnace, differential scanning calorimetry, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy have been applied on different quartz types outcropping from surface and bedrocks at the Kubi Gold Mining to reveal the material properties at different temperatures. From the diffraction results of the fresh and annealed quartz samples, we find that the samples contain indicator and the impurity minerals iron disulfide, biotite, titanium oxide, and magnetite. These minerals, under oxidation process between 574-1400 °C temperatures experienced hematite alterations and a transformation from α-quartz to \\b{eta}-quartz and further to cristobalite as observed from the calorimetry scans for hydrothermally exposed materials. The energy dispersive spectroscopy revealed elemental components of Fe, S, Mg, K, Al, Ti, Na, Si, O, and Ca contained in the samples, and these are attributed to the impurity phase minerals observed in the diffraction. The findings also suggest that during the hydrothermal flow regime, impurity minerals and metals can be trapped by voids and faults. Under favorable temperature conditions, the trapped minerals can be altered to change color at different depositional stages by oxidation and reduction processes leading to hematite alteration which is a useful indicator mineral in mineral exploration.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.07828v1","authors":["Gabriel K. Nzulu","Lina Rogström","Jun Lu","Hans Högberg","Per Eklund","Lars Hultman","Martin Magnuson"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph","cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-10T11:31:03Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1605.09187v1","name":"The Fermi Paradox is Neither Fermis Nor a Paradox","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The so-called Fermi paradox claims that if technological life existed anywhere else, we would see evidence of its visits to Earth-and since we do not, such life does not exist, or some special explanation is needed. Enrico Fermi, however, never published anything on this topic. On the one occasion he is known to have mentioned it, he asked 'where is everybody?'- apparently suggesting that we don't see extraterrestrials on Earth because interstellar travel may not be feasible, but not suggesting that intelligent extraterrestrial life does not exist, or suggesting its absence is paradoxical. The claim 'they are not here; therefore they do not exist' was first published by Michael Hart, claiming that interstellar travel and colonization of the galaxy would be inevitable if intelligent extraterrestrial life existed, and taking its absence here as proof that it does not exist anywhere. The Fermi paradox appears to originate in Hart's argument, not Fermi's question. Clarifying the origin of these ideas is important, because the Fermi paradox is seen by some as an authoritative objection to searching for evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence-cited in the U. S. Congress as a reason for killing NASA's SETI program on one occasion-but evidence indicates that it misrepresents Fermi's views, misappropriates his authority, deprives the actual authors of credit, and is not a valid paradox. Keywords: Astrobiology, SETI, Fermi paradox, extraterrestrial life","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1605.09187v1","authors":["Robert H. Gray"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-04-02T14:38:55Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2502.01716v1","name":"Design of Engineered Living Materials for Martian Construction","source":"arxiv","abstract":"As the next step in extraterrestrial exploration, many engineers and scientists around the country revealed their intense interest to enable multiplanetary human life, including colonizing Mars. This study proposes that architecture on Mars can be realized by a synthetic lichen system, composed of diazotrophic cyanobacteria and filamentous fungi, which produce abundant biominerals and biopolymers to bond Martian regolith into consolidated building blocks. These self-growing building blocks can be assembled into a wide range of structures. Diazotrophic cyanobacteria will 1) fix carbon dioxide and dinitrogen from the atmosphere and convert them into oxygen and organic carbon and nitrogen sources to support filamentous fungi; and 2) give rise to high concentrations of carbonate ions because of photosynthetic activities. Filamentous fungi will 1) bind metal ions onto fungal cell walls and serve as nucleation sites to promote biomineral precipitates; and 2) assist the survival and growth of cyanobacteria by providing them water, minerals, additional carbon dioxide, and protection. This report presents the major progress of the project. It has been tested and confirmed that such co-culture systems can be created, and they grow very well solely on Martian regolith simulants, air, light, and an inorganic liquid medium without any additional carbon or nitrogen sources. The cyanobacterial and fungal growth in such co-culture systems is significantly better than their axenic growth due to mutual interactions. The amounts and morphologies of the precipitated crystals vary remarkably depending on the cultivation condition.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.01716v1","authors":["Nisha Rokaya","Erin C. Carr","Richard A. Wilson","Congrui Jin"],"tags":["q-bio.OT","cond-mat.mtrl-sci","q-bio.CB"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-03T17:12:25Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0803.0409v1","name":"SETI and muon collider","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Intense neutrino beams that accompany muon colliders can be used for interstellar communications. The presence of multi-TeV extraterrestrial muon collider at several light-years distance can be detected after one year run of IceCube type neutrino telescopes, if the neutrino beam is directed towards the Earth. This opens a new avenue in SETI: search for extraterrestrial muon colliders.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0803.0409v1","authors":["Z. K. Silagadze"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph","astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-03-04T10:53:14Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:9803036v1","name":"Turbulence and Bifurcation in the Motion of an Hydrocyclone","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The hydrocyclone is a tool used in different fields but mostly in mining industries to separate minerals. The minerals are put in a liquid or in a stable suspension of a chosen density which must be less than the density of the heavier minerals and greater than that of the lighter minerals. Because of the effect of the walls the flow in a hydrocyclone is the result of a movement of confined swirling (vortex) and recirculating flow, which are generated by the difference of the means. We study turbulence and bifurcation in the motion of the Hydrocyclone by using the Navier-Stokes for the conservation of the mass and of the momentum. These equations are numerically solved with the finite element method (FEM) and the $k-ε$ model. Our FEM results are in quite good agreement with the experimental data. Finally, we introduce a simple 3D family of maps which models very well the behaviour of the trajectories of the light and heavy particles in the Hydrocyclone.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/chao-dyn/9803036v1","authors":["Maria Morandi Cecchi","Luca Salasnich"],"tags":["nlin.CD"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-03-25T17:19:37Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2408.08923v1","name":"Working Paper: Conflicts and the New Scramble for African Resources -- A Shift-Share Approach","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper estimates the causal effect of mineral trade on conflicts in Africa using a Shift-Share IV approach based on an exogenous price-commodity shock. The main result is that an increase in mineral trade significantly increases the number of conflicts while it has no clear effect on fatalities. Exploring heterogeneous effects, I find that a specific group of minerals, oil and fuels, drives the results on the number of conflicts. Moreover, the group of rare minerals such as coltan, precious metals or cobalt has no effect on the number of conflicts but appears to have an important impact on the number of fatalities.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.08923v1","authors":["Raphaël Boulat"],"tags":["econ.GN"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-15T14:44:11Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1104.1314v1","name":"Extraterrestrial Life and Censorship","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this article I chronicle a series of landmark events, with which I was personally involved, that relate to the development of the theory of cosmic life. The interpretation of events offered here might invite a sense of incredulity on the part of the reader, but the facts themselves are unimpeachable in regard to their authenticity. Of particular interest are accounts of interactions between key players in an unfolding drama connected with the origins of life. Attempts to censor evidence incompatible with the cosmic life theory are beginning to look futile and a long-overdue paradigm shift may have to be conceded.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1104.1314v1","authors":["N. Chandra Wickramasinghe"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-04-07T12:27:58Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1210.2720v1","name":"A Possible Carbon-rich Interior in Super-Earth 55 Cancri e","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Terrestrial planets in the solar system, such as the Earth, are oxygen-rich, with silicates and iron being the most common minerals in their interiors. However, the true chemical diversity of rocky planets orbiting other stars is yet unknown. Mass and radius measurements are used to constrain the interior compositions of super-Earths (exoplanets with masses of 1 - 10 Earth masses), and are typically interpreted with planetary interior models that assume Earth-centric oxygen-rich compositions. Using such models, the super-Earth 55 Cancri e (mass of 8 Earth masses, radius of 2 Earth radii) has been suggested to bear an interior composition consisting of Fe, silicates, and an envelope (&gt;= 10% by mass) of super-critical water. We report that the mass and radius of 55 Cancri e can also be explained by a carbon-rich solid interior made of Fe, C, SiC, and/or silicates and without a volatile envelope. While the data allow Fe mass fractions of up to 40%, a wide range of C, SiC and/or silicate mass fractions are possible. A carbon-rich 55 Cancri e is also plausible if its protoplanetary disk bore the same composition as its host star, which has been reported to be carbon-rich. However, more precise estimates of the stellar elemental abundances and observations of the planetary atmosphere are required to further constrain its interior composition. The possibility of a C-rich interior in 55 Cancri e opens a new regime of geochemistry and geophysics in extraterrestrial rocky planets, compared to terrestrial planets in the solar system.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1210.2720v1","authors":["Nikku Madhusudhan","Kanani K. M. Lee","Olivier Mousis"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-10-09T20:00:00Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0702172v1","name":"Cosmic Contact Censorship","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Till date we have not made Contact with any Extraterrestrial civilizations. The Fermi Paradox remains a paradox - the Great Silence prevails. In the light of the Rare Earth hypothesis, it seems that advanced life is exceedingly rare in the universe. Also, if there does exist some Extraterrestrial civilizations then still achieving Contact is extremely difficult as the very nature of the universe discourages Contact. It's as if there is a Cosmic Contact Censorship in place.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0702172v1","authors":["Pushkar Ganesh Vaidya"],"tags":["physics.gen-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-02-20T17:19:31Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.16084v1","name":"Can plants grow on the Moon and Mars: seed germination enhancement using magnesium oxide coated halloysite nanotubes (MgO HNTs)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This study examines the application of metal coated nanotubes, specifically magnesium oxide coated halloysite nanotubes (MgO HNTs), to enhance seed germination and early plant development under Earth, lunar, and Martian soil conditions. MgO HNTs were synthesized through an electrodeposition process and characterized by scanning electron microscopy to confirm successful surface modification. Growth experiments using Heirloom Cherry Tomato and Golden Tomato seeds were conducted under hydroponic and soil based conditions and subsequently extended to lunar and Martian regolith simulants. A response surface methodology approach based on a Box Behnken design was used to evaluate the effects of temperature, MgO HNT concentration, and light duration on multiple growth responses. Seedling length and the root length stress tolerance index were identified as the most responsive indicators of MgO HNT treatment. Optimal conditions consisting of 25 C, 12 h light exposure, and 100 mg per L MgO HNTs produced the greatest increases in root and shoot length in Earth soil simulants. Validation experiments in extraterrestrial regolith analogs showed that MgO HNTs supported germination, root penetration, and overall seedling vigor under nutrient limited and high stress conditions. Lunar regolith exhibited maximal root development at 100 mg per L, whereas Martian regolith showed optimal growth at 10 mg per L, reflecting differences in mineral composition and oxidative characteristics. These findings demonstrate that MgO HNTs can enhance early plant development across both terrestrial and extraterrestrial substrates and support their potential use as nanomaterial based amendments for sustainable plant cultivation in Earth and space environments.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.16084v1","authors":["Zeinab Jabbari Velisdeh","David K. Mills"],"tags":["q-bio.QM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-18T02:00:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1103.3972v1","name":"The Periodic Table as a Part of the Periodic Table of Chemical Compounds","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The numbers of natural chemical elements, minerals, inorganic and organic chemical compounds are determined by 1, 2, 3 and 4-combinations of a set 95 and are respectively equal to 95, 4,465, 138,415 and 3,183,545. To explain these relations it is suggested the concept of information coefficient of proportionality as mathematical generalization of the proportionality coefficient for any set of positive numbers. It is suggested a hypothesis that the unimodal distributions of the sets of information coefficients of proportionality for atomic weights of chemical elements of minerals and chemical compounds correspond to unimodal distributions of the above sets for combination of 2, 3 and 4 atomic weights of 95 natural chemical elements. The expected values of symmetrized distributions of information coefficients of proportionality sets for atomic weights of minerals and chemical compounds are proposed to be used to define chemical compounds, like atomic weights define chemical elements. Variational series of the expected values can be represented as a sequence of packets of 95 values. The Periodic Table should be extended to the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements and Chemical Compounds consisting of a short period with 95 chemical elements and 4,465 minerals, and 24 periods with 138,415 compounds each. All naturally occurred chemical elements, minerals and chemical compounds should be packed in 95 to compose the suggested Table. The first long period comprises the packets of inorganic compounds, the rest of the periods include the packets of organic compounds.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1103.3972v1","authors":["Mikhail M. Labushev"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph","physics.data-an"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-03-21T11:09:08Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2005.11999v1","name":"Role of spectral resolution for infrared asteroid compositional analysis using meteorite spectra","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this work the potential mineral identification of meteorites is analysed for the mid-infrared range, to evaluate observational possibilities for future missions targeting small body surfaces. Three carbonaceous and three ordinary chondrite meteorites are examined by a diffuse reflection (DRIFT) instrument, and the presence of principal minerals is confirmed by a powder diffraction method as well. The possibilities and constraints of mineral identifications in the mid-infrared are simulated by artificially degrading the spectral resolution. Our research shows that for the definite identification of principal mineral bands, a spectral resolution $\\leq 10$~cm$^{-1}$ ($\\leq 0.15 μ$m) is needed. At 20-100~cm$^{-1}$ (0.3 - 1.5~$μ$m) resolution the identification of these minerals is uncertain, and with a resolution $&gt;100$~cm$^{-1}$, it is almost impossible.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2005.11999v1","authors":["A. Skulteti","A. Kereszturi","Zs. Kereszty","B. Pal","M. Szabo","F. Cipriani"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-05-25T09:31:39Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1708.06203v1","name":"Search for Terrestrial Intelligence","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The existence of intelligent extraterrestrial life forms among the thousands of billions of galaxies that dance in the Universe is beyond doubt. Meeting with one of them is only a matter of time. SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) has been searching for them for only half a century. However, the crucial question today is whether we will have time to establish contact given the multiple threats that humanity puts on itself. Therefore, it seems urgent to launch a program complementary to SETI which could be called STI (Search for Terrestrial Intelligence).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1708.06203v1","authors":["Olivier Auber"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-08-21T13:23:51Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.15991v1","name":"Efficient Adaptation of Deep Neural Networks for Semantic Segmentation in Space Applications","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In recent years, the application of Deep Learning techniques has shown remarkable success in various computer vision tasks, paving the way for their deployment in extraterrestrial exploration. Transfer learning has emerged as a powerful strategy for addressing the scarcity of labeled data in these novel environments. This paper represents one of the first efforts in evaluating the feasibility of employing adapters toward efficient transfer learning for rock segmentation in extraterrestrial landscapes, mainly focusing on lunar and martian terrains. Our work suggests that the use of adapters, strategically integrated into a pre-trained backbone model, can be successful in reducing both bandwidth and memory requirements for the target extraterrestrial device. In this study, we considered two memory-saving strategies: layer fusion (to reduce to zero the inference overhead) and an ``adapter ranking'' (to also reduce the transmission cost). Finally, we evaluate these results in terms of task performance, memory, and computation on embedded devices, evidencing trade-offs that open the road to more research in the field.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.15991v1","authors":["Leonardo Olivi","Edoardo Santero Mormile","Enzo Tartaglione"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-22T15:53:59Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2606.05299v1","name":"Heavy-element paleodetectors for Higgsino dark matter","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Paleodetectors have been proposed as a new approach to direct detection of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), through the search for damage tracks in ancient minerals induced by WIMP-nucleon scattering. However, for inelastic dark matter such as the Higgsino, existing paleodetector targets lack sufficiently heavy nuclei to overcome the kinematic threshold for scattering. We propose heavy-element paleodetectors as a new probe of inelastic dark matter, using ancient, radiopure minerals containing heavy elements such as lead. We identify brine precipitates from deep geothermal aquifers as a possible geological source of such minerals. Additionally, paleodetectors are uniquely sensitive to the history of the dark matter high-velocity tail, including a possible fast population induced by the Large Magellanic Cloud's close approach 50 Myr ago. Such a scenario would favor younger minerals than usually assumed in the paleodetector literature. This method can probe Higgsino mass splittings up to $δ\\simeq 920$ keV. Due to the large Higgsino-nucleon cross section, we find that even suboptimal mineral samples with ordinary radioactivity from depths of only 2 km can probe new parameter space, thus partially relaxing the stringent requirements on radiopurity and depth that constitute two significant challenges for the paleodetector program.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.05299v1","authors":["Peter W. Graham","Harikrishnan Ramani","Samuel S. Y. Wong"],"tags":["hep-ph","astro-ph.CO","astro-ph.GA","hep-ex"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-03T18:00:09Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2010.12802v1","name":"Naturally occurring van der Waals materials","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The exfoliation of two naturally occurring van der Waals minerals, graphite and molybdenite, arouse an unprecedented level of interest by the scientific community and shaped a whole new field of research: 2D materials research. Several years later, the family of van der Waals materials that can be exfoliated to isolate 2D materials keeps growing, but most of them are synthetic. Interestingly, in nature plenty of naturally occurring van der Waals minerals can be found with a wide range of chemical compositions and crystal structures whose properties are mostly unexplored so far. This Perspective aims to provide an overview of different families of van der Waals minerals to stimulate their exploration in the 2D limit.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2010.12802v1","authors":["Riccardo Frisenda","Yue Niu","Patricia Gant","Manuel Muñoz","Andres Castellanos-Gomez"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci","cond-mat.mes-hall","physics.app-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-10-24T06:35:39Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1111.1212v1","name":"On the likelihood of non-terrestrial artifacts in the Solar System","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Extraterrestrial technology may exist in the Solar System without our knowledge. This is because the vastness of space, combined with our limited searches to date, implies that any remote unpiloted exploratory probes of extraterrestrial origin would likely remain unnoticed. Here we develop a probabilistic approach to quantify our certainty (or uncertainty) of the existence of such technology in the Solar System. We discuss some possible strategies for improving this uncertainty that include analysis of moon- and Mars-orbiting satellite data as well as continued exploration of the Solar System.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1111.1212v1","authors":["Jacob Haqq-Misra","Ravi Kumar Kopparapu"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-11-04T18:51:58Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1401.7089v1","name":"MR PRISM - Spectral Analysis Tool for the CRISM","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We describe a computer application designed to analyze hyperspectral data collected by the Compact Infrared Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM). The application links the spectral, imaging and mapping perspectives on the eventual CRISM dataset by presenting the user with three different ways to analyze the data. One of the goals when developing this instrument is to build in the latest algorithms for detection of spectrally compelling targets on the surface of the Red Planet, so they may be available to the Planetary Science community without cost and with a minimal learning barrier to cross. This will allow the Astrobiology community to look for targets of interest such as hydrothermal minerals, sulfate minerals and hydrous minerals and be able to map the extent of these minerals using the most up-to-date and effective algorithms. The application is programmed in Java and will be made available for Windows, Mac and Linux platforms. Users will be able to embed Groovy scripts into the program in order to extend its functionality. The first collection of CRISM data will occur in September of 2006 and this data will be made publicly available six months later via the Planetary Datasystem (PDS). Potential users in the community should therefore look forward to a release date mid-2007. Although exploration of the CRISM data set is the motivating force for developing these software tools, the ease of writing additional Groovy scripts to access other data sets makes the tools useful for mineral exploration, crop management, and characterization of extreme environments here on Earth or other terrestrial planets. The system can be easily implemented for use by high school, college, and graduate level students.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1401.7089v1","authors":["Adrian J. Brown","Michael Storrie-Lombardi"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-01-28T05:47:28Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2607.08890v1","name":"Hybrid DiffractGPT-Rietveld Refinement Framework for Automated X-ray Diffraction Analysis","source":"arxiv","abstract":"X-ray diffraction (XRD) is fundamental to structural materials characterization, yet transforming a raw powder pattern into a refined crystal structure still demands considerable domain expertise. We present AGAPI-XRD, a hybrid framework integrating DiffractGPT generative structure prediction, database pattern matching against JARVIS-DFT and COD, and automated Rietveld refinement and ALIGNN-FF relaxation through a unified API at https://atomgpt.org/xrd. First, we used the AGAPI-XRD pipeline to evaluate the crystal structure of a variety of minerals in the RRUFF database that were experimentally characterized using powder x-ray diffraction. Next, we benchmarked the lattice parameter prediction fidelity of the AGAPI-XRD pipeline using a subset of the Alexandria PBE-hull dataset and the subset of RRUFF minerals that have known lattice parameters. AGAPI-XRD returns valid lattice parameters for 79.7\\% of the RRUFF benchmark minerals and for 94.8--98.1\\% of the Alexandria subset, while identifying a candidate structure for 93.8\\% of RRUFF minerals. For this benchmark, pattern matching delivers the highest accuracy for known phases, while DiffractGPT extends structure generation to complex materials absent from existing databases. Together, AGAPI-XRD advances accessible, end-to-end automated crystal structure determination from powder XRD data.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.08890v1","authors":["Charles Rhys Campbell","Justin Ely","Jaehyung Lee","Frank M. Abel","Kamal Choudhary"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-09T19:28:26Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0909.1539v1","name":"Activators of Luminescence in Speleothems as Source of Major Mistakes in Interpretation of Luminescent Paleoclimatic Records","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This work summarizes the main results of the operation of the International Program Luminescence of Cave Minerals of the commission on Physical Chemistry and Hydrogeology of Karst of UIS of UNESCO in the field of activators of speleothem luminescence. It discusses Activators of Luminescence in Speleothems as a source of major mistakes in the interpretation of luminescent paleoclimatic records. It demonstrates the existence of 6 types of luminescence of speleothems and cave minerals in dependence of the type of the luminescence center and its incorporation in the mineral. 24 different activators of photoluminescence of speleothem calcite and 11 of aragonite are studied. This paper demonstrates that it is impossible to produce reliable Paleotemperature or Past Precipitation records from luminescence of speleothems without establishing the organic origin of the entire luminescence of the particular sample.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0909.1539v1","authors":["Y. Y. Shopov"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-09-08T18:23:37Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2208.02511v4","name":"Drift Rates of Narrowband Signals in Long-term SETI Observations for Exoplanets","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Doppler shift of a radio signal is caused by the relative motion between the transmitter and receiver. The change in frequency of the signal over time is called drift rate. In the studies of radio SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence), extraterrestrial narrowband signals are expected to appear \"chirped\" since both the exoplanet and the Earth are moving. Such planet rotation and orbital revolution around the central star can cause a non-zero drift rate. Other relative motions between the transmitter and receiver, such as the gravitational redshift and galactic potential, are negligible. In this paper, we mainly consider the common cases that the drift rate is contributed by the rotations and orbits of the Earth and exoplanet in celestial mechanics perspective, and briefly discuss other cases different from the Earth-exoplanet one. We can obtain the expected pseudosinusoidal drifting result with long-term observations, shorter orbital periods of exoplanets. Exoplanets with higher orbital eccentricities can cause asymmetric drifting. The expected result should be intermittent pseudosinusoidal curves in long-term observations. The characteristics of pseudo-sinusoidal curves, as another new criterion for extraterrestrial signals, can be applied to long-term SETI reobservations in future research.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2208.02511v4","authors":["Jian-Kang Li","Haichen Zhao","Zhenzhao Tao","Tong-Jie Zhang","Sun Xiaohui"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-08-04T07:45:36Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2002.06162v1","name":"The Breakthrough Listen Search for Intelligent Life: A 3.95-8.00 GHz Search for Radio Technosignatures in the Restricted Earth Transit Zone","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We report on a search for artificial narrowband signals of 20 stars within the restricted Earth Transit Zone as a part of the ten-year Breakthrough Listen (BL) search for extraterrestrial intelligence. The restricted Earth Transit Zone is the region of the sky from which an observer would see the Earth transit the Sun with an impact parameter of less than 0.5. This region of the sky is geometrically unique, providing a potential way for an extraterrestrial intelligence to discover the Solar System. The targets were nearby (7-143 pc) and the search covered an electromagnetic frequency range of 3.95-8.00 GHz. We used the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope to perform these observations with the standard BL data recorder. We searched these data for artificial narrowband ($\\sim$Hz) signals with Doppler drift rates of $\\pm 20$ Hz s$^{-1}$. We found one set of potential candidate signals on the target HIP 109656 which was then found to be consistent with known properties of anthropogenic radio frequency interference. We find no evidence for radio technosignatures from extraterrestrial intelligence in our observations. The observing campaign achieved a minimum detectable flux which would have allowed detections of emissions that were $10^{-3}$ to $0.88$ times as powerful as the signaling capability of the Arecibo radar transmitter, for the nearest and furthest stars respectively. We conclude that at least $8\\%$ of the systems in the restricted Earth Transit Zone within 150 pc do not possess the type of transmitters searched in this survey. To our knowledge, this is the first targeted search for extraterrestrial intelligence of the restricted Earth Transit Zone. All data used in this paper are publicly available via the Breakthrough Listen Public Data Archive (http://seti.berkeley.edu/bldr2).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2002.06162v1","authors":["Sofia Z. Sheikh","Andrew Siemion","J. Emilio Enriquez","Danny C. Price","Howard Isaacson","Matt Lebofsky","Vishal Gajjar","Paul Kalas"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-02-14T18:26:49Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2101.10135v1","name":"Expanding World Views: Can SETI expand its own horizons and that of Big History too?","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) is a research activity that started in the late 1950s, predating the arrival of \"Big History\" and \"Astrobiology\" by several decades. Many elements first developed as part of the original SETI narrative are now incorporated in both of these emergent fields. However, SETI still offers the widest possible perspective, since the topic naturally leads us to consider not only the future development of our own society but also the forward trajectories (and past histories) of many other intelligent extraterrestrial forms. In this paper, I present a provocative view of Big History, its rapid convergent focus on our own planet and society, its oversimplified and incomplete view of events in cosmic history, and its limited appreciation of how poorly we understand some aspects of the physical world. Astrophysicists are also not spared - in particular those who wish to understand the nature of the universe in \"splendid isolation\", only looking outwards and upwards. SETI can help re-expand all of our horizons but the discovery of extraterrestrial intelligence may also require its own practitioners to abandon preconceptions of what constitutes intelligent, sentient, thinking minds.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2101.10135v1","authors":["Michael A. Garrett"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-01-19T16:45:14Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.00744v1","name":"Formation of extraterrestrial peptides and their derivatives","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The formation of protein precursors, due to the condensation of atomic carbon under the low-temperature conditions of the molecular phases of the interstellar medium, opens alternative pathways for the origin of life. We perform peptide synthesis under conditions prevailing in space and provide a comprehensive analytic characterization of its products. The application of 13C allowed us to confirm the suggested pathway of peptide formation that proceeds due to the polymerization of aminoketene molecules that are formed in the C + CO + NH3 reaction. Here, we address the question of how the efficiency of peptide production is modified by the presence of water molecules. We demonstrate that although water slightly reduces the efficiency of polymerization of aminoketene, it does not prevent the formation of peptides.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.00744v1","authors":["Serge A. Krasnokutski","Cornelia Jager","Thomas Henning","Claude Geffroy","Quentin B. Remaury","Pauline Poinot"],"tags":["physics.bio-ph","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.GA","physics.chem-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-30T15:53:10Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.19131v1","name":"Capillary processes in extraterrestrial contexts","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Earth is no longer the only known celestial body containing one or more liquid phases. The Cassini spacecraft has discovered seas of hydrocarbons at the surface of Titan, while a series of corroborating evidences argue in favour of the existence of an aqueous ocean beneath the icy crust of several moons. Capillarity embraces a family of physical processes occurring at the free surface of a liquid. These phenomena depend on the liquid properties and on the local planetary conditions. Capillarity may have important direct or indirect implications on the geoscientific and astrobiological points of view. In this paper, we discuss capillarity physics among solar system objects and expected consequences for planetary science.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.19131v1","authors":["Daniel Cordier","Gerard Liger-Belair","David A. Bonhommeau","Thomas Seon","Thomas Appere","Nathalie Carrasco"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-29T22:29:54Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1810.06026v1","name":"Life-Detection Technologies for the Next Two Decades","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Since its inception six decades ago, astrobiology has diversified immensely to encompass several scientific questions including the origin and evolution of Terran life, the organic chemical composition of extraterrestrial objects, and the concept of habitability, among others. The detection of life beyond Earth forms the main goal of astrobiology, and a significant one for space exploration in general. This goal has galvanized and connected with other critical areas of investigation such as the analysis of meteorites and early Earth geological and biological systems, materials gathered by sample-return space missions, laboratory and computer simulations of extraterrestrial and early Earth environmental chemistry, astronomical remote sensing, and in-situ space exploration missions. Lately, scattered efforts are being undertaken towards the R&amp;D of the novel and as-yet-space-unproven life-detection technologies capable of obtaining unambiguous evidence of extraterrestrial life, even if it is significantly different from Terran life. As the suite of space-proven payloads improves in breadth and sensitivity, this is an apt time to examine the progress and future of life-detection technologies.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1810.06026v1","authors":["Chaitanya Giri","Tony Z. Jia","H. James Cleaves","Tomohiro Usui","Dhananjay Bodas","Christopher Carr","Huan Chen","Yuka Fujii","Yoshihiro Furukawa","Hidenori Genda","Richard J. Gillams","Keiko Hamano","Shingo Kameda","Ramanarayanan Krishnamurthy","Cornelia Meinert","Markus Meringer","Kishore Paknikar","Sudha Rajamani","Sisinthy Shivaji","Andrew Steele","Masateru Taniguchi","Hikaru Yabuta","Akihiko Yamagishi"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-10-14T12:35:38Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1003.0277v1","name":"The Extraterrestrial Life debate in different cultures","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Surprisingly, the question \"Is there Life in the Universe outside Earth?\" has been raised, in rational terms, almost only in the western literature throughout the ages. In a first part I justify this statement. Then I try to develop an explanation of this fact by analyzing the different aspects of the notion of decentration.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1003.0277v1","authors":["Jean Schneider"],"tags":["physics.hist-ph","astro-ph.EP","physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-03-01T08:38:27Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2203.10129v1","name":"Smectite phase separation is driven by emergent interfacial dynamics","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Smectite clay minerals have an outsize impact on the response of clay-rich media to common stimuli, such as water imbibition and ion exchange, motivating extensive effort to understand microscopic behaviors resulting from these processes such as swelling and exfoliation. Nonetheless, there is no general consensus about the microscopic forces that govern smectite properties, which are model systems for understanding colloidal and interfacial phenomena more generally. We find that the complex free energy surface arising from the interplay of at least four intermolecular forces and their nonlinear couplings that control local particle-particle interactions leads to dynamic, unstable equilibria between distinct phases. Mechanical disequilibrium arising from osmotic gradients between curved or interacting interfaces drive the dynamic exchange of layers and ions between dense and dilute phases via avalanche transitions that are sustained by thermal fluctuations. We suggest that the surprising interfacial dynamics displayed by smectite minerals, arising from the vastly different mobilities of water, ions and mineral, makes them fundamentally distinct from non-clay minerals because their structures are easily perturbed away from simultaneous chemical and mechanical equilibrium.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2203.10129v1","authors":["Michael L. Whittaker","Laura N. Lammers","Christophe Tournassat","Benjamin Gilbert"],"tags":["cond-mat.soft","cond-mat.mes-hall"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-18T19:09:27Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1603.09428v1","name":"SET-E: The Search for Extraterrestrial Environmentalism","source":"arxiv","abstract":"There is currently no evidence for life on any known exoplanet. Here, we propose a form of \"galactic anthropology\" to detect not only the existence of life on transiting exoplanets, but also the existence of environmentalism movements. By observing the planet's atmosphere over long time baselines, the destruction and recovery of a hole in an exoplanet's ozone layer may be observable. While not readily detectable for any one system with JWST, by binning together observations of hundreds of systems we can finally determine the occurrence rate of environmental movements on Earthlike planets in the galaxy, a number we term eta-Green-Earth.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1603.09428v1","authors":["Benjamin Montet","Ryan Loomis"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-03-31T00:46:15Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1112.0423v1","name":"Impact of technological synchronicity on prospects for CETI","source":"arxiv","abstract":"For over 50 years, astronomers have searched the skies for evidence of electromagnetic signals from extraterrestrial civilizations that have reached or surpassed our level of technological development. Although often overlooked or given as granted, the parallel use of an equivalent communication technology is a necessary prerequisite for establishing contact in both leakage and deliberate messaging strategies. Civilization advancements, especially accelerating change and exponential growth, lessen the perspective for a simultaneous technological status of civilizations thus putting hard constraints on the likelihood of a dialogue. In this paper we consider the mathematical probability of technological synchronicity of our own and a number of other hypothetical extraterrestrial civilizations and explore the most likely scenarios for their concurrency. If SETI projects rely on a fortuitous detection of leaked interstellar signals (so called \"eavesdropping\") then without any prior assumptions N \\geq 138-4991 Earth-like civilizations have to exist at this moment in the Galaxy for the technological usage synchronicity probability p \\geq 0.95 in the next 20 years. We also show that since the emergence of complex life, coherent with the hypothesis of the Galactic habitable zone, N \\geq 1497 extraterrestrial civilizations had to be created in the Galaxy in order to achieve the same estimated probability in the technological possession synchronicity which corresponds to the deliberate signaling scenario.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1112.0423v1","authors":["Marko Horvat","Anamari Nakić","Ivana Otočan"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-12-02T10:52:24Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.3385990.15","name":"COMPARATIVE ASTROBIOLOGY","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.3385990.15","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-19T14:13:10Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.3385990.15","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1117/12.435372","name":"&lt;title&gt;Instrument technologies for the detection of extraterrestrial interstellar robotic probes&lt;/title&gt;","source":"crossref","abstract":"In the continuing endeavor to detect evidence of ETI (Extraterrestrial Intelligence) in the solar neighborhood, instrument technologies now exist that allow the formation of a scientific method to carry out a search for interstellar robotic probes of possible extraterrestrial origin. The range of currently observable probe features/manifestations will be shown and how they influence search space, instrument selection and deployment. Autonomous instrument platforms (i.e. robotic observatories) to search for anomalous energy signatures can be designed and assembled using Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware and software. The COTS approach to observatory design provides an economical, flexible and robust path toward collecting reliable data. The present variety of COTS instruments permits the necessary observational sensitivity, bandwidth and embedded processing speed to establish a nearby robotic probe detection envelope. A survey of these instrument technologies will be presented and how they can be applied to the challenge of collecting enough scientific data on anomalous observational phenomena to determine whether or not a robotic probe was detected.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1117/12.435372","authors":["Scot L. Stride"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-11-19T21:02:25Z","doi":"10.1117/12.435372","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1117/12.435379","name":"&lt;title&gt;L factor: hope and fear in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence&lt;/title&gt;","source":"crossref","abstract":"The L factor in the Drake equation is widely understood to account for most of the variance in estimates of the number of extraterrestrial intelligences that might be contacted by the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). It is also among the hardest to quantify. An examination of discussions of the L factor in the popular and technical SETI literature suggests that attempts to estimate L involve a variety of potentially conflicting assumptions about civilizational lifespan that reflect hopes and fears about the human future.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1117/12.435379","authors":["Charles T. Rubin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-11-19T21:02:25Z","doi":"10.1117/12.435379","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.18254198.3","name":"Preface","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.18254198.3","authors":["Douglas A. Vakoch"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-07T20:46:30Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.18254198.3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-0-387-76559-4_6","name":"Extraterrestrial life in the Solar System?","source":"crossref","abstract":"We can hardly sweep off into outer space without taking a quick look at possible habitats elsewhere in the Solar System. A whole book could easily be written on this alone, and many have been, but my focus in this Chapter is to see what the Solar System teaches us about the possibility of life beyond the Solar System. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-76559-4_6","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-09-01T23:48:50Z","doi":"10.1007/978-0-387-76559-4_6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.31219/osf.io/zqsm7","name":"Extraterrestrial Microfossils in Meteorites and the Panspermia Hypothesis","source":"crossref","abstract":"I review the experiments by Stanley Miller and Sidney Fox on the production of amino acids and unicellular forms under primitive terrestrial atmosphere conditions. I continue with a review of the evidence for and against unicellular organisms in the Orgueil meteorite and the ALH84001 martian meteorite. I conclude that the evidence argues against the panspermia hypothesis of Fred Hoyle and Nalin Chandra Wickramasinghe.","url":"https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/zqsm7","authors":["Rainer Walter Kühne"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-03-11T06:05:03Z","doi":"10.31219/osf.io/zqsm7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4159/harvard.9780674180871.c3","name":"3. Ionospheric Scintillation of Radio Waves of Extraterrestrial Origin","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4159/harvard.9780674180871.c3","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-04-02T20:29:12Z","doi":"10.4159/harvard.9780674180871.c3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acs.analchem.4c05804.s001","name":"Cross-Scale Multimodal Imaging for Organic Matter in Extraterrestrial Samples","source":"crossref","abstract":"The analysis of extraterrestrial organic matter in samples returned by space missions provides a unique opportunity to study prebiotic chemistry. A comprehensive understanding of the occurrence and composition of organic matter is fundamental to unraveling its origin and evolutionary history. However, the scarcity and complexity of these materials pose considerable analytical challenges. Here, we developed a cross-scale multimodal imaging workflow that integrated mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) and vibrational spectroscopy imaging, including desorption electrospray ionization coupled quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (DESI-Q-TOF/MS), time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS), focal plane array-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FPA-FTIR), and optical photothermal infrared spectroscopy (O-PTIR). This workflow was applied to the Murchison meteorite, with the objective of establishing spatial associations between mineral phases, molecular composition, functional groups, and isotopic composition on a scale from the millimeter to the submicron. The spatial resolution of DESI has been improved from 100 to 200 to 20 μm, enabling spatial correlation with other imaging techniques. For the first time, the enrichment of organic matterincluding CHN, CHO, and CHNO compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)in fine-grained rims (FGRs) surrounding silicate chondrules has been observed. Furthermore, the cross-scale multimodal imaging also reveals differences in organic matter composition between Ca-carbonate and phyllosilicates, as well as spatial heterogeneity within the latter. This workflow provides a new paradigm for studying the complex occurrence and composition of organic matter in various research fields, enhancing our understanding of prebiotic materials in the solar system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.4c05804.s001","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-18T23:50:16Z","doi":"10.1021/acs.analchem.4c05804.s001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.6407877.2","name":"Table of Contents","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.6407877.2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-01T20:21:45Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.6407877.2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-373750-2.50009-4","name":"EXTRATERRESTRIAL SOLAR IRRADIATION","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-373750-2.50009-4","authors":["Muhammad Iqbal"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-12-03T12:30:56Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-12-373750-2.50009-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1353/anq.2012.0064","name":"Extraterrestrial Relativism","source":"crossref","abstract":"This paper suggests that today’s twin scientific interests in the extreme and extraterrestrial ground a novel kind of relativism, which I call extraterrestrial relativism, a relativism about “nature” over culture—and, more, about Earthly, even cosmic, nature. I develop the concept of extraterrestrial relativism using ethnographic work I conducted among astrobiologists and I suggest that this genre of relativism can be brought into a newly inaugurated conversation on “comparative relativisms” in anthropology.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1353/anq.2012.0064","authors":["Stefan Helmreich"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-11-04T14:00:09Z","doi":"10.1353/anq.2012.0064","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-59381-9_9","name":"Permafrost Model of Extraterrestrial Habitat","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-59381-9_9","authors":["David A. Gilichinsky"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-09-11T22:56:50Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-59381-9_9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1117/12.435360","name":"&lt;title&gt;Philosophical perspectives on the problem of extraterrestrial signal detection&lt;/title&gt;","source":"crossref","abstract":"SETI (the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) is a unique scientific activity. Given that SETI researchers purport to study a phenomenon that has as of yet not been demonstrated to exist, some commentators claim that the field cannot in fact be called 'scientific' at all. Examining the field from a philosophical perspective, this paper will show that SETI does indeed satisfy Popperian falsificationist principles of scientific legitimacy. In addition, this paper will highlight how these principles apply to methodological diversity within SETI.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1117/12.435360","authors":["Arthur C. Fricke"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-11-19T21:02:25Z","doi":"10.1117/12.435360","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.6093187","name":"Why Earth? The Exoplanet Proximity Argument against Extraterrestrial Origins of UAP Author","source":"crossref","abstract":"&lt;span&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The extraterrestrial hypothesis (ETH) for Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) assumes advanced civilizations from distant star systems visit Earth, despite enormous logistical and physical barriers to interstellar travel. Recent astronomical data (as of 2026) have confirmed multiple candidate habitable-zone exoplanets within 5–40 light-years (e.g., Proxima Centauri b, TRAPPIST-1 system), raising a targeted critique: why expend the immense energy, time, radiation exposure, and engineering costs to reach Earth when closer Goldilocks worlds are available? Observed UAP patterns—localized nuclear-site interest, deep-ocean/sub-surface entries, non-aggressive monitoring—further mismatch expected behavior of distant travelers (broad reconnaissance, overt contact). This exoplanet proximity argument significantly weakens ETH by highlighting its inefficiency and implausibility without invoking unproven physics.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The critique directly strengthens concealed terrestrial explanations, particularly the Cryptoterrestrial Faction Hypothesis (CFH; Pasden, 2026), which posits indigenous non-human intelligences (NHI) already present on Earth, fractured into rival factions engaged in historical multi-domain shadow conflicts over refugia (hidden enclaves). CFH requires no interstellar travel, accounts for territorial red-line triggers (e.g., nuclear activity, human encroachment), and fits observed patterns more parsimoniously than ETH. By removing a principal objection to the cryptoterrestrial hypothesis (CTH), this proximity analysis bolsters CFH as a coherent, local-origin framework for select UAP and mythological echoes. The paper calls for epistemic humility and further interdisciplinary inquiry into indigenous NHI models.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;br&gt;","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.6093187","authors":["Greg Pasden"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-10T10:45:58Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.6093187","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-006887-9.50010-8","name":"RECOVERED EXTRATERRESTRIAL MATERIAL","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-006887-9.50010-8","authors":["D. MAPPER","A.A. SMALES"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-18T09:21:25Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-08-006887-9.50010-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21236/ad0204812","name":"BIBLIOGRAPHY OF EXTRATERRESTRIAL RADIO NOISE. SUPPLEMENT FOR 1952","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.21236/ad0204812","authors":["MARTHA S. CARPENTER"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-09-15T12:36:04Z","doi":"10.21236/ad0204812","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-385938-9.02007-1","name":"Part V Extraterrestrial Volcanism","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-385938-9.02007-1","authors":["Haraldur Sigurdsson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-03-27T19:22:47Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-12-385938-9.02007-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-1-4020-6754-9_5766","name":"Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6754-9_5766","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-05-23T09:45:27Z","doi":"10.1007/978-1-4020-6754-9_5766","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.64628/aai.9mcdmar7t","name":"NASA report finds no evidence that UFOs are extraterrestrial","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.64628/aai.9mcdmar7t","authors":["Chris Impey"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-25T10:03:16Z","doi":"10.64628/aai.9mcdmar7t","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5422/fordham/9780823232833.003.0002","name":"Extraterrestrial Kafka: Ahead to the Graphic Novel","source":"crossref","abstract":"For Kafka, there is always something out of this world, meaning radically weird and inexhaustible, about Kafka that arrives in broad strokes and tiny splashes. Kafka was uncannily attuned to the systematic restructuring ensuing from nineteenth-century colonialism and military science, from twentieth-century corporate organization and bureaucracy, and from the enlarged scale, acceleration, and range of mass communications facilitated by such technologies as the telephone, radio transmission, and photo journalism. Kafka's imagination of systems and of urban and bureaucratic space under advanced capitalism succumbs to contemporary graphic fiction as the taking-off point and basic assertion of this chapter.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5422/fordham/9780823232833.003.0002","authors":["Henry Sussman"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-12-01T16:53:40Z","doi":"10.5422/fordham/9780823232833.003.0002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.38778274.27","name":"Index","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.38778274.27","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-08T10:49:07Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.38778274.27","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_565","name":"Extraterrestrial Delivery (Organic Compounds)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_565","authors":["André Brack"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-06-29T17:19:58Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_565","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-081551524-1.50004-4","name":"Extraterrestrial Nanodiamonds in the Cosmos","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-081551524-1.50004-4","authors":["Tyrone L. Daulton","T. L. Daulton"],"tags":["Presolar grains","Stars","Astronomy","Galaxy","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-01-01","doi":"10.1016/b978-081551524-1.50004-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50011-1","name":"Rationale for the water hole","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50011-1","authors":["B.M. OLIVER"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-18T12:35:58Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50011-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.3385990.2","name":"Table of Contents","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.3385990.2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-19T14:13:10Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.3385990.2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-8694-8","name":"Accretion of Extraterrestrial Matter Throughout Earth’s History","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8694-8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-05-20T04:56:39Z","doi":"10.1007/978-1-4419-8694-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/1.55195","name":"Spallation reactions in extraterrestrial matter","source":"crossref","abstract":"This paper describes the cosmic-ray-induced production of stable and radioactive residual nuclides, the so-called cosmogenic nuclides. In extraterrestrial solar-system matter, i.e. planetary surfaces, meteorites, cosmic dust and the heavy component of the galactic cosmic radiation, these nuclides are experimentally observable as positive anomalies of isotopic abundances. They preserve a record of cosmic ray exposure which can be interpreted with respect to the collision and exposure history of the irradiated objects as well as to intensities and spectral distributions of cosmic ray particles in the past. To decipher the cosmic ray record in extraterrestrial matter and to obtain information which cannot be obtained by any other means reliable models are needed for the calculation of the production rates of cosmogenic nuclides. On the basis of thin-target and thick-target accelerator experiments such a model has been developed which is applied here exemplarily to interprete cosmogenic nuclide abundances in stony meteorites and lunar surface materials.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/1.55195","authors":["Rolf Michel"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-04-10T20:05:53Z","doi":"10.1063/1.55195","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-009-5392-5_40","name":"Search for Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5392-5_40","authors":["Richard M. West"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-06-13T13:49:14Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-009-5392-5_40","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/1.31806","name":"High-energy neutrinos of extraterrestrial origin","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/1.31806","authors":["David Eichler"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-08-05T14:50:29Z","doi":"10.1063/1.31806","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/0471743984.vse8601","name":"Extraterrestrial Life (Searching for)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/0471743984.vse8601","authors":["Jill Tarter"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-10-30T19:44:15Z","doi":"10.1002/0471743984.vse8601","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.38778274","name":"Alien Worlds","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.38778274","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-08T10:49:07Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.38778274","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4324/9781003352174-10","name":"Xenolinguistic Fieldwork","source":"crossref","abstract":"Broadly speaking, “fieldwork” is collecting data for analysis from a natural context. It involves the collection of primary data by researchers directly from language users, and usually combines participant observation, structured quasi-experimental tasks, translation, and freer language prompts. Planning fieldwork with ETI includes travel, funding, and equipment considerations. While the broad methods employed in human-based linguistic fieldwork are likely to be transferable (assuming the presence of language and culture), other aspects of fieldwork are poorly resourced and likely inadequate for work with ET languages. Fieldwork tools (recording devices) and data organization are very heavily skewed towards a small part of the human language space. Because fieldwork is cooperative and collaborative, its success depends on shared assumptions about how the world works, about participant interaction, and about language, none of which can be taken for granted in a ETI encounter. It requires sustained interactions and the building of shared understanding.","url":"https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003352174-10","authors":["Claire Bowern"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-07T15:19:34Z","doi":"10.4324/9781003352174-10","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1109/mspec.2011.6056606","name":"Extraterrestrial Abode","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/mspec.2011.6056606","authors":["Willie Jones"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-11-01T20:54:27Z","doi":"10.1109/mspec.2011.6056606","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/9781009207355.003","name":"The Search for Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"For many millennia, humans have gazed up in wonder at the night-time sky. The full panoply of the Milky Way is an awesome sight. The scale of space is immense. Is there life out there somewhere? If so, where, and what form does it take? In the space of a couple of sentences, we’ve already gone from generalized wonder to specific questions. The next step is from questions to hypotheses, or, in other words, proposed answers. Here are two such hypotheses that I’ll flesh out as the book progresses: first, life exists on trillions of planets in the universe; second, it usually follows evolutionary pathways that are broadly similar to – though different in detail from – those taken on Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009207355.003","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-28T00:05:45Z","doi":"10.1017/9781009207355.003","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199680207.003.0008","name":"Fermi's Paradox","source":"crossref","abstract":"One of the strongest arguments against the existence of intelligent civilizations within our own Galaxy is Fermi's ‘Where is everybody?’—or ‘If they existed they would be here’. Following Webb, this argument is explained and then responses to it are assessed, especially where they begin to impact theological themes such as interstellar expansion, the zoo hypothesis, alien creators, and the Doomsday argument. Unusually for books in this area, there is a review of the claims and evidence that we are a visited planet. This all leads to a tentative conclusion—that we are alone as intelligent life within this galaxy. This, however, does not rule out widespread primitive life or intelligent life in other galaxies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199680207.003.0008","authors":["David Wilkinson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-10-01T15:49:15Z","doi":"10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199680207.003.0008","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_5529-1","name":"Discovery of Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_5529-1","authors":["Klara Anna Capova"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-14T14:16:12Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_5529-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.3385990.21","name":"Back Matter","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.3385990.21","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-19T14:13:10Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.3385990.21","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4324/9781315706924-4","name":"An Extraterrestrial","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Woman with the Flying Head - 1 - (Kubi no tobu onna (1985))","url":"https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315706924-4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-12-25T07:00:10Z","doi":"10.4324/9781315706924-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/oso/9780192897985.003.0001","name":"Introduction","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract What freedoms can people expect in space and how will governance beyond Earth tread the fine line between authority and liberty? In this multi-author book, the contributors consider all aspects of liberty beyond Earth, from the near term: freedom to claim satellite orbits, to the very long-term: freedom on interstellar worldships. Liberty in societies on the Moon, Mars, and elsewhere in the solar system is considered. Gathering together scientists, ethicists, lawyers, philosophers, and social scientists, this book considers one of the most enduring questions of human organization: what institutional arrangements can allow for the realization of diverse forms of human freedom?.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780192897985.003.0001","authors":["Charles S. Cockell"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-18T22:01:46Z","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780192897985.003.0001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/science.475-a","name":"Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.475-a","authors":["D. M. Raup"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-10-05T06:51:10Z","doi":"10.1126/science.475-a","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.3385990.1","name":"Front Matter","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.3385990.1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-19T14:13:10Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.3385990.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9781107300668.003","name":"A bright outlook for helio- and asteroseismology","source":"crossref","abstract":"As documented in the following, very substantial results have already been obtained from helio- and asteroseismology, based on huge observational projects, such as the GONG project, the helioseismic instruments on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) satellites, and asteroseismology with the CoRoT and Kepler missions. But this is just the beginning. New asteroseismic projects are on the way, and there are also plans for new developments in observational helioseismology, including multi-wavelength observations (Hill et al ., 2013). For local helioseismology a potential breakthrough will come from ESA's Solar Orbiter mission (Gandorfer et al ., 2011), which will for the first time allow detailed investigations of the regions near the solar poles. However, there is much to be done with the existing data, and much to be done further to develop the analysis techniques. The helioseismic data have been far from fully exploited, with the inverse analyses being typically based just on a small fraction of the available observations. In particular, the high-resolution observations from the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) instrument on SDO may provide reliable frequency data on high- degree modes, which would allow more detailed investigations of the thermodynamics of the region of helium ionization (e.g., Rabello-Soares et al ., 2000). Also, the base of the solar convective envelope certainly deserves further investigation, including an updated search for possible latitude variations (Monteiro and Thompson, 1998) and a follow-up to the hint of solar-cycle variations found by Baldner and Basu (2008). The helioseismic data on frequency splittings have been extensively used to study variations of solar internal rotation during the solar cycle (for a recent example, see Howe et al ., 2013). However, further work is certainly required on constraining the rotation of the solar core, where improvements in the inversion techniques may allow a better localization and balance between resolution and error.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781107300668.003","authors":["J. Christensen-Dalsgaard"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-07-05T05:03:51Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9781107300668.003","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_565-2","name":"Extraterrestrial Delivery of Organic Compounds","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_565-2","authors":["André Brack"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-05-29T12:00:20Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_565-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/0471684228.egp04333","name":"Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/0471684228.egp04333","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-09-14T10:09:56Z","doi":"10.1002/0471684228.egp04333","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-74020-6_38","name":"Obtaining Extraterrestrial Dust by Balloon Probes","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-74020-6_38","authors":["L. Baufette"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-11-18T19:19:48Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-74020-6_38","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-17952-5_15","name":"Extraterrestrial Mössbauer Spectroscopy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-17952-5_15","authors":["Göstar Klingelhöfer"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-01-16T10:29:29Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-17952-5_15","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-374739-6.00188-3","name":"7.36 Extraterrestrial Hillslope Processes","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-374739-6.00188-3","authors":["N.L. Lanza","H.E. Newsom"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-03-05T16:35:43Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-12-374739-6.00188-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1201/9781315368474-17","name":"Space Weather and the Extraterrestrial Planets","source":"crossref","abstract":"Space weather for the extraterrestrial planets, just as at Earth, takes many different forms. This chapter covers a wide range of interplanetary and planetary space weather environments with particular stress on the characteristics of concern in the design of a reliable space system. Of particular importance to extraterrestrial space weather interactions are the planets’ magnetic fields. The magnetic field characteristics include dipole tilt, dipole offset, and magnetic moment of the magnetic field. A unique space weather feature of all bodies in the solar system is the way they interact with the solar wind. After radiation and thermal effects, dust is a major space weather hazard on the surfaces of Mars, moon, comets, and some asteroids of space systems. The dust and debris cloud associated with a comet, because of the possible hypervelocity impacts with a spacecraft, is another threat. Indeed, the dust and debris from a comet typically spread out along the comet’s trajectory giving rise to meteor streams.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1201/9781315368474-17","authors":["Henry B. Garrett"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-11-22T11:51:39Z","doi":"10.1201/9781315368474-17","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/j.ctt4cg9zt.11","name":"EXTRATERRESTRIAL OTHERS","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt4cg9zt.11","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-28T21:24:42Z","doi":"10.2307/j.ctt4cg9zt.11","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.6407877.3","name":"List of Illustrations","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.6407877.3","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-01T20:21:45Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.6407877.3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7551/mitpress/12357.003.0011","name":"References","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12357.003.0011","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-17T17:56:20Z","doi":"10.7551/mitpress/12357.003.0011","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.38778274.1","name":"Front Matter","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.38778274.1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-08T10:49:07Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.38778274.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_565","name":"Extraterrestrial Delivery of Organic Compounds","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_565","authors":["André Brack"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-02-25T17:17:33Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_565","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.3385990.3","name":"List of Illustrations","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.3385990.3","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-19T14:13:10Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.3385990.3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.64628/aa.9knr6dwrw","name":"What is the search for extraterrestrial intelligence actually looking for?","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.64628/aa.9knr6dwrw","authors":["Charley Lineweaver"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-26T09:44:47Z","doi":"10.64628/aa.9knr6dwrw","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/oso/9780192897985.003.0021","name":"Enlightenment beyond Earth","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract This chapter argues that the Enlightenment concept of ‘sympathy’, in particular as found in Adam Smith and David Hume, as the quality necessary for the creation of any kind of sociability, will be of still greater value in any possible future extraterrestrial community, in which all previous systems of laws and conventions will need to be reinvented. Were this to be the case then the future human extraterrestrial existence might become the fulfilment of Immanuel Kant’s vision of a cosmopolitan order of justice. In both cases, beyond Earth as on it, the conceptions and the values developed during the Enlightenment will be invaluable.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780192897985.003.0021","authors":["Anthony Pagden"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-19T03:01:46Z","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780192897985.003.0021","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.3385990.13","name":"USING NATURE’S TELESCOPE","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.3385990.13","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-19T14:13:10Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.3385990.13","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.3385990.4","name":"FOREWORD","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.3385990.4","authors":["Mae Jemison"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-19T14:13:10Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.3385990.4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1029/2021eo163403","name":"Earthly Lava Tubes May Offer Insights into Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"New research finds that Actinobacteria in lava caves fix carbon and survive independent of surface inputs, offering a fresh perspective in the search for life beyond Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2021eo163403","authors":["Aaron Sidder"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-09-22T07:00:18Z","doi":"10.1029/2021eo163403","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.6407877.10","name":"Exotheology and Traditional Christological Formulations","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.6407877.10","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-01T20:21:45Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.6407877.10","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.38778274.2","name":"Table of Contents","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.38778274.2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-08T10:49:07Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.38778274.2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5772/intechopen.70221","name":"Extraterrestrial CPR and Its Applications in Terrestrial Medicine","source":"crossref","abstract":"Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a well-established part of basic life support (BLS), saving countless lives since its first development in the 1960s. Recently, work has been undertaken to develop methods of basic and advanced life support (ALS) in microgravity and hypogravity. Although the likelihood of a dangerous cardiac event occurring during space mission is rare, the possibility exists. The selection process for space missions nowadays considers individuals at ages and with health standards that would have precluded their selection in the past. The advent of space tourism may even enhance this possibility. This chapter presents a synthesis of the results obtained in studies conducted at the MicroG-PUCRS, Brazil, examining extraterrestrial CPR during ground-based microgravity and hypogravity simulations and during parabolic flights and sustained microgravity. It outlines the extraterrestrial BLS guidelines for both low-orbit and deep-space missions. The former are based on a combination of factors, unique for the environment of space. In a setting like this, increased physiological stress due to gravitational adaptation and the isolated nature of the environmental demands can affect the outcome of resuscitation procedure.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.70221","authors":["Thais Russomano","Lucas Rehnberg"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-12-06T14:36:44Z","doi":"10.5772/intechopen.70221","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4159/9780674988897-019","name":"Index","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4159/9780674988897-019","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-09T04:01:25Z","doi":"10.4159/9780674988897-019","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1061/40339(206)25","name":"Fire Safety in Extraterrestrial Environments","source":"crossref","abstract":"Despite rigorous fire-safety policies and practices, fire incidents are possible during lunar and Martian missions. Fire behavior and hence preventive and responsive safety actions in the missions are strongly influenced by the low-gravity environments in flight and on the planetary surfaces. This paper reviews the understanding and key issues of fire safety in the missions, stressing flame spread, fire detection, suppression, and combustion performance of propellants produced from Martian resources.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1061/40339(206)25","authors":["Robert Friedman"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-12-13T18:08:11Z","doi":"10.1061/40339(206)25","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.4543985","name":"Extraterrestrial Life: Exploring the Possibility of Alien Existence and its Implications","source":"crossref","abstract":"The possibility of extraterrestrial life on Earth has been the subject of speculation and scientific research for centuries. The search for alien life has become more sophisticated in recent years as scientists have developed new tools and techniques to explore the universe. Although there is no conclusive evidence for alien life, planet discoveries and a growing understanding of the universe suggest it is a real possibility.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;The Implications of discovering alien life would be profound. It will challenge our understanding of our place in this universe and raise moral, philosophical, and religious questions. It will also have a profound impact on our culture and our society.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;This abstract will examine the possibility of extraterrestrial life, the implications of the discovery, and the challenges of searching for alien life. It explores the impact on human self-concepts, our place in the universe, and how such revelations can shape our views on ethics, technology, and interstellar exploration.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Here are some highlights for the abstract:&lt;br&gt;• Drake’s equation and its implications for the possibility of life on Earth.&lt;br&gt;• Specific types of life on earth that can survive.&lt;br&gt;• Challenges in the search for extraterrestrial life.&lt;br&gt;• The ethical, philosophical, and religious implications of seeing alien life.&lt;br&gt;• The future of searching for alien life and the possibility of communication with extraterrestrial scientists.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Throughout the review, there is an emphasis on distinguishing between credible and sensational scientific research and pseudoscience. The study promotes a balanced understanding of the issue and acknowledges the uncertainties and challenges surrounding the search for extraterrestrial life.&lt;br&gt;In conclusion, this paper presents an insightful assessment of the intriguing possibilities of extraterrestrial life and that such discoveries could profoundly impact humanity’s understanding of our place in the universe. It emphasises the importance of sustained scientific efforts to explore this fascinating frontier and approach the subject with scientific rigour and an open mind.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4543985","authors":["Sylvia Tom"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-08-25T10:05:46Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.4543985","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-0-387-69039-1_4","name":"The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-69039-1_4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-11-17T00:24:15Z","doi":"10.1007/978-0-387-69039-1_4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199680207.003.0005","name":"The Daily Planet","source":"crossref","abstract":"The recent history of observation of extra-solar planets is explored, from early results in the mid-1990s to the most recent work of Kepler and HARPS. The different methods of radial velocity, transit, and gravitational lensing are explained. Specific examples of planets in the habitable zone and planets that are ‘super-Earths’ are discussed. The conditions necessary for an Earth-like planet are shown to be possible. The future of extra-solar planetary astronomy is reviewed, and prospects are assessed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199680207.003.0005","authors":["David Wilkinson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-10-01T15:49:15Z","doi":"10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199680207.003.0005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9781107300668.007","name":"Asteroseismology: From the telescope to the modeler's desk","source":"crossref","abstract":"In this chapter, I discuss the first steps in asteroseismic analysis – following data through the analysis to the products that are what stellar modeling tries to explain. For asteroseismology, the time-varying signal is generally either the total brightness of the target (i.e., time-series photometry) or the (disk-integrated) radial velocity as measured via Doppler shifts of spectral lines. In either case, we measure a differential quantity (Δ Y/Y ) at regular intervals. More precisely, this quantity is integrated over a finite but short time (shorter than any expected signal from the star), producing an average value over the time interval of the integration. This produces the time series of the signal which I refer to as y n ( t n ) not in an instantaneous sense, but in a smoothed way. Our time series represents an averaged, discretely sampled quantity as a function of time. From that time series, our goal is to determine the harmonic content of the signal – over what time scale(s) does the signal vary? Are there coherent (in phase and/or amplitude) sinusoidal variations? Are there preferred time scales for “noise” processes? Are there periodicities whose phase varies slowly over the entire interval? Are there “temporary” periodic signals? Answering these questions requires more and more sophisticated analysis techniques. In all cases, though, the sampling of the signal is critical in limiting the information content that we can derive. There are many tools and techniques available for analysis of time-series data. In this chapter I will concentrate on Fourier analysis (i.e., power spectrum analysis), and also describe least-squares fits to amplitudes, phases, and frequencies. An equivalent analysis is via the Lomb–Scargle periodogram (Scargle, 1982; Appourchaux, 2014). Of course, more sophisticated tools are available but these have provided the dominant “one-two” punch for most asteroseismic studies. Various specific applications of asteroseismology employ subsequent analysis of the power spectra or frequency lists to derive oscillation parameters, but I leave those to subsequent chapters.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781107300668.007","authors":["S. D. Kawaler"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-07-05T05:03:51Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9781107300668.007","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/news.2008.1287","name":"Is the hunt for extraterrestrial life misguided?","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/news.2008.1287","authors":["Philip Ball"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-12-09T10:52:39Z","doi":"10.1038/news.2008.1287","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1029/2023eo230074","name":"A Tiny New Device Could Help Find Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"Researchers developed a mini analyzer that could be a giant step forward in the search for life and habitable environments beyond Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023eo230074","authors":["Mackenzie White"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-03-03T07:00:15Z","doi":"10.1029/2023eo230074","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.6491358","name":"The Architecture of Free Space Travel: A Comprehensive Analysis of Democratized Extraterrestrial Mobility","source":"crossref","abstract":"The conceptualization of \"free space travel\" has fundamentally evolved from a speculative science fiction trope into a multidimensional scientific, economic, and geopolitical imperative. This comprehensive research paper provides an exhaustive analysis of the pathways required to achieve unrestricted, democratized extraterrestrial mobility. It evaluates the theoretical foundations of space mobility, including the Interplanetary Superhighway and advanced propellantless propulsion, alongside applied engineering solutions such as Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLVs) and Bioregenerative Life Support Systems (BLiSS). Furthermore, the paper synthesizes quantitative economic data of the trillion-dollar space economy with qualitative societal trends, while proposing critical decision-making frameworks to navigate regulatory bottlenecks. Finally, it addresses the unprecedented ethical dilemmas of space expansion, emphasizing sustainable orbital debris mitigation, planetary protection, and global equity, ultimately demonstrating how the democratization of space yields profound secondary benefits for the terrestrial biosphere.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.6491358","authors":["Samuelson G"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-20T15:34:14Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.6491358","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_565-3","name":"Extraterrestrial Delivery of Organic Compounds","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_565-3","authors":["André Brack"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-17T09:04:36Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_565-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/1575053","name":"Extraterrestrial Civilizations","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/1575053","authors":["Ralph J. Turner","Isaac Asimov"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-04-25T05:12:15Z","doi":"10.2307/1575053","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1201/9781420034677-61","name":"Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"Diamond, Jared Think again of those astronomers who beamed radio signals into Space from Arecibo, describing Earth’s location and its inhabitants. In its suicidal folly that act rivaled the folly of the last Inca emperor, Atahualpa, who described to his gold-crazy Spanish captors the wealth of his capital and provided them with guides for the journey. If there really are any radio civilizations within listening distance of us, then for heaven’s sake let’s turn off our own transmitters and try to escape detection, or we are doomed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1201/9781420034677-61","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-12-22T19:03:41Z","doi":"10.1201/9781420034677-61","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4159/9780674988897","name":"Exoplanets","source":"crossref","abstract":"Astronomers have recently discovered thousands of exotic planets that orbit stars throughout our Milky Way galaxy. With his characteristic wit and style, Donald Goldsmith shows how these observations have already broadened our planetary horizons, and tells us what may come next, including the ultimate discovery: life beyond our home planet.","url":"https://doi.org/10.4159/9780674988897","authors":["Donald Goldsmith"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-09T04:01:25Z","doi":"10.4159/9780674988897","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0014","name":"Appendix D: The Lambda Calculus and Its Application to Astrolinguistics","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0014","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-17T17:56:20Z","doi":"10.7551/mitpress/11229.003.0014","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1201/b17348-24","name":"◾ Extraterrestrial Life: What Are We Looking For?","source":"crossref","abstract":"Today, Venus has a thick carbon dioxide-nitrogen atmosphere with little water, and the planet has no water in any form on the surface. Venus is gravitationally locked into near synchrony with the Sun, with one rotation of its axis taking longer than one orbit around the Sun. Nevertheless, surface temperatures on the planet’s daytime and nighttime are nearly identical, because of the high heat conductance of an atmosphere many times denser than Earth’s. e upper atmosphere is super rotating, circling the planet in 4 days with wind speeds up to 100 m/s (Svedhem et al., 2007). Circulating vortices deep within the planet’s atmosphere, with dynamical and morphological similarities to terrestrial hurricanes, appear to maintain the superrotation (Limaye et al., 2009). H2S and SO2 have been found together in the Venusian atmosphere. Since these two compounds react with each other, there must be a yet unidentied mechanism producing them. Venus Express results also conrm latitudinal variation of another sulfur compound, COS, at concentrations of about 2-4 ppm in the troposphere that are anticorrelated to CO concentrations (Marcq et al., 2013). One surprising recent result was the detection of an ozone layer at an altitude of about 100 km (Montmessin et al., 2011), hundreds of times less dense than on Earth, but possibly indicating that some of the same key chemical reactions occurring in Earth’s stratosphere may also operate on Venus. e most earthlike conditions that can be found today on Venus are in the lower cloud layer of the atmosphere. If water exists in the subsurface, it has to be in a supercritical state (Schulze-Makuch and Irwin, 2002) incompatible with the structural stability required of macromolecules in living systems. In the lower cloud layer, however, where temperatures range from about 300 to 350 K, the pH is approximately 0, and the pressure is about 1 bar; water vapor concentrations of up to several hundred ppm are found (Montmessin et al., 2011). Due to the thickness and superrotation of the Venusian atmosphere, particles of micrometer dimensions have much longer residence times than in Earth’s atmosphere, on the order of months compared to days (Schulze-Makuch et al., 2004). If microbial life on Venus ever gained a foothold, either by independent origin or by panspermia from Earth, thermoacidophiles could have evolved as the surface waters turned warmer and more acidic and then retreated to the large liquid droplets of the lower cloud layer, where they might still oat as microbial extremophiles today (Schulze-Makuch and Irwin, 2008), provided that the changes occurred slowly enough for microbial life to adapt to an airborne state. It is important to understand the climate history of Venus to elucidate what the original water endowment of Venus was, as this has a profound implication on how benign the environmental conditions of Venus were in the past and whether they were consistent with the requirements of life (Taylor and Grinspoon, 2009).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1201/b17348-24","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-07-09T13:13:07Z","doi":"10.1201/b17348-24","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780857452122-fm","name":"Frontmatter","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780857452122-fm","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-11T10:57:11Z","doi":"10.1515/9780857452122-fm","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.46427/gold2020.467","name":"Assessing Confidence in Detections of Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.46427/gold2020.467","authors":["Catharine Conley","Andrew Steele"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-09-18T09:24:51Z","doi":"10.46427/gold2020.467","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-009-6525-6_13","name":"Extraterrestrial Science","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-6525-6_13","authors":["Nicholas Rescher"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-07-29T00:18:37Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-009-6525-6_13","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.2026-3010","name":"WITHDRAWN: Ice-Depth Measurement for Extraterrestrial Application","source":"crossref","abstract":"Accurate characterization of ice shell thickness on planetary bodies is critical for understanding geophysical processes and assessing astrobiological potential. In this study, I integrate rod induced mechanical wave propagation and ground penetrating radar (GPR) into a compact, low power instrument suite for in situ mapping of icy surfaces, with a particular focus on Europa’s ice shell. Terrestrial field trials demonstrate that calibrated rod impacts monitored by surface geophones yield ice thickness measurements within five percent of conventional sonar, establishing reliable performance under glacial conditions. At the same time, electromagnetic simulations and cryogenic laboratory experiments refine GPR parameters in the five to fifty megahertz range, achieving vertical resolution of twenty to thirty centimeters through analog ice layers with variable dielectric inclusions. Building on these results, I present a conceptual design for a Europa bound GPR payload that features deployable broadband antennas made from radiation hardened composites and a radiation tolerant FPGA for real time signal processing, including fast Fourier transforms and cross correlation. I describe an integrated thermal control and power management subsystem engineered to operate at fifty to one hundred kelvin. I have developed autonomous calibration routines and data fusion algorithms that merge mechanical and electromagnetic datasets into high fidelity three dimensional reconstructions of subsurface stratigraphy. Preliminary environmental testing under vibration, shock and radiation exposure validates the structural and electronic resilience of the design. By combining rod based wave timing with high resolution radar imaging, my proposed instrument enhances detection of brine pockets and basal water layers, and informs landing site selection and resource utilization strategies for future missions. This integrated approach offers a robust framework for expanding our understanding of icy worlds and aligns with AIAA’s mission to advance cutting edge aerospace instrumentation for planetary exploration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2026-3010","authors":["Trevor Valentine"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-13T18:55:25Z","doi":"10.2514/6.2026-3010","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/331549a0","name":"More extraterrestrial hoopla","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/331549a0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-06-12T21:43:42Z","doi":"10.1038/331549a0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/1.2915189","name":"Extraterrestrial embarrassment","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2915189","authors":["David Bounds"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-09-02T10:17:13Z","doi":"10.1063/1.2915189","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1201/9781315367569-24","name":"Solar Satellites","source":"crossref","abstract":"Plot of Figure 15.1 reveals the periods of operation of the major past, present, and future solar space missions. The bars that fade out in 2009 exhibit missions those are still operational and are expected to continue as long as the instruments function and funding is available. Future missions have also shown starting at their expected launch dates and extending their planned lifetimes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1201/9781315367569-24","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-11-25T15:57:37Z","doi":"10.1201/9781315367569-24","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50020-2","name":"Interstellar communication by neutrino beams","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50020-2","authors":["M. SUBOTOWICZ"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-18T07:35:19Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50020-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780857452122-019","name":"Index","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780857452122-019","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-11T10:57:11Z","doi":"10.1515/9780857452122-019","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/463138e","name":"Geoscience: Extraterrestrial dust","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/463138e","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-01-12T14:44:02Z","doi":"10.1038/463138e","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.3385990.14","name":"REAL INTERSTELLAR EXPLORATION","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.3385990.14","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-19T14:13:10Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.3385990.14","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.64628/aa.hr5fvygpj","name":"Where is everybody? Doing the maths on extraterrestrial life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.64628/aa.hr5fvygpj","authors":["Jonathan (Jon)","David Bailey"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-26T13:19:38Z","doi":"10.64628/aa.hr5fvygpj","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/science.aef2197","name":"&lt;em&gt;Science&lt;/em&gt;Adviser: Extraterrestrial energy goes radioactive","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aef2197","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-05T15:27:07Z","doi":"10.1126/science.aef2197","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-031","name":"Index","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-031","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:25:41Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-031","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.18254198.28","name":"Limits on Interstellar Messages","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.18254198.28","authors":["Seth Shostak"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-07T20:46:30Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.18254198.28","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1117/2.1201008.003082","name":"Using chirality as a biomarker for extraterrestrial life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1117/2.1201008.003082","authors":["Gilbert Levin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-09-06T18:24:36Z","doi":"10.1117/2.1201008.003082","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-373750-2.50020-3","name":"SPECTRAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE EXTRATERRESTRIAL SOLAR IRRADIANCE","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-373750-2.50020-3","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-12-03T07:30:26Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-12-373750-2.50020-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9780511564970.018","name":"The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"How Probable Is It That Life Exists Somewhere Else in the Universe? What is the chance of success in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence? The answer to this question depends on a series of probabilities. My methodology consists in asking a series of questions which narrow down the probability of success. Even most skeptics of the SETI project will answer the above question affirmatively. Molecules that are necessary for the origin of life, such as amino acids and nucleic acids, have been identified in cosmic dust, together with other macromolecules, so that it would seem quite conceivable that life could originate elsewhere in the universe. Some of the modern scenarios of the origin of life start out with even simpler molecules, which makes an independent origin of life even more probable. Such an independent origin of life, however, would presumably result in living entities that are drastically different from life on Earth. Where Can One Expect To Find Such Life? Obviously only on planets. Even though we have up to now secure knowledge only of the nine planets of our solar system, there is no reason to doubt that in all the galaxies there must be millions if not billions of planets. The exact figure, e.g. for our own Galaxy, can only be guessed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511564970.018","authors":["Ernst Mayr"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-12-24T13:40:21Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9780511564970.018","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-002","name":"Acknowledgments","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-002","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:25:41Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0019-1035(65)90010-2","name":"Symposium on sedimentologic processes in extraterrestrial environments","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(65)90010-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-11-11T15:45:22Z","doi":"10.1016/0019-1035(65)90010-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0016-3287(81)90018-5","name":"The extraterrestrial imperative","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-3287(81)90018-5","authors":["Krafft A. Ehricke"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-10-11T16:35:27Z","doi":"10.1016/0016-3287(81)90018-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.33915/etd.202","name":"Sampling the Radio Transient Universe: Studies of Pulsars and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"The transient radio universe is a relatively unexplored area of astronomy, offering a variety of phenomena, from solar and Jovian bursts, to flare stars, pulsars, and bursts of Galactic and potentially even cosmological origin. Among these, perhaps the most widely studied radio transients, pulsars are fast-spinning neutron stars that emit radio beams from their magnetic poles. In spite of over 40 years of research on pulsars, we have more questions than answers on these exotic compact objects, chief among them the nature of their emission mechanism. Nevertheless, the wealth of phenomena exhibited by pulsars make them one of the most useful astrophysical tools. With their high densities, pulsars are probes of the nature of ultra-dense matter. Characterized by their high timing stability, pulsars can be used to verify the predictions of general relativity, discover planets around them, study bodies in the solar system, and even serve as an interplanetary (and possibly some day, interstellar) navigation aid. Pulsars are also used to study the nature of the interstellar medium, much like a flashlight illuminating airborne dust in a dark room. Studies of pulsars in the Galactic center can help answer questions about the massive black hole in the region and the star formation history in its vicinity. Millisecond pulsars in globular clusters are long-lived tracers of their progenitors, low-mass X-ray binaries, and can be used to study the dynamical history of those clusters. Another source of interest in radio transient astronomy is the hitherto undetected engineered signal from extraterrestrial intelligence. The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) is an ongoing attempt at discovering the presence of technological life elsewhere in the Galaxy. In this work, I present my forays into two aspects of the study of the radio transient universe---pulsars and SETI.;Firstly, I describe my work on the luminosity function and population size of pulsars in the globular clusters Terzan 5, 47 Tucanae, and M 28. Applying Bayesian statistics to our data set consisting of the number of detected pulsars, their flux densities, and the amount of diffuse radio emission from the direction of these clusters, we show that the number of potentially observable pulsars in Terzan 5 should be within a 95 per cent credible interval of 147+112-65 For 47 Tucanae and M 28, our results are 83+54-35 and 100+91-52 , spectively. We also constrain the luminosity function parameters for the pulsars in these clusters.;The Galactic center pulsar population has been","url":"https://doi.org/10.33915/etd.202","authors":["Jayanth Chennamangalam"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-10-02T16:17:25Z","doi":"10.33915/etd.202","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199680207.003.0012","name":"Be Not so Positive","source":"crossref","abstract":"Taking as its title some advice from John Wesley on the question of the plurality of worlds, this concluding chapter brings together a number of themes from the book. First, it is suggested that SETI shares a great number of common themes with the religious quest—relationship, identity, purpose, fear, and salvation. Second, it is argued that SETI has great value for Christian theology in challenging an inherent anthropocentricty and expanding the religious imagination. Third, it is proposed that Christian theology has value for SETI in affirming its value, examining some of its assumptions, adding an ethical dimension, and making a contribution to a wider perspective.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199680207.003.0012","authors":["David Wilkinson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-10-01T15:49:15Z","doi":"10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199680207.003.0012","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.64628/ab.6t4nfqvpq","name":"Hydrogen-breathing aliens? Study suggests new approach to finding extraterrestrial life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.64628/ab.6t4nfqvpq","authors":["David Rothery"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-25T20:44:21Z","doi":"10.64628/ab.6t4nfqvpq","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.6818795","name":"Extraterrestrial Environmental Assessment: Establishing a Framework for Responsible Off-World Exploration","source":"crossref","abstract":"On Earth, environmental assessment is a well-established planning tool used to identify, evaluate, and mitigate the adverse effects of construction, resource extraction, and infrastructure development before actions are undertaken. The same rationale should apply to activities on the Moon, Mars, and other celestial bodies. Over the past decades, activities and missions in Earth orbit, to the Moon and across the Solar System have increased significantly, with even more ambitious endeavors expected in the years to come. Most foreseeable space activities will alter natural environments, with potential consequences that include long-term environmental damage. Extraterrestrial environmental assessments (EEA) therefore can provide a structured process to reduce conflicts between competing interests such as commercial exploitation, scientific research, and human habitation. To this end, this programmatic essay supplies essential information for implementing an EEA system. Propelled by international consensus as well as intelligent feedback learning, we can practice improved science and commerce by cooperatively and insightfully employing the techniques of life cycle, environmental impact, cumulative effects, strategic environmental, and sustainability impact assessments. By the end of the essay, readers should discover several sound reasons for creating a system of EEAs, comprehend ethical dimensions of some of the difficulties and solutions at hand, and, from a dynamic melding of ethics and policy, learn strategic and practical tools for effectively managing any ecology in our solar system in terms of any currently imaginable human activity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.6818795","authors":["Daniel Capper","Pascale Ehrenfreund"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-23T16:49:44Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.6818795","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/1359-0189(86)90052-x","name":"The effect of crystal composition on fission-track annealing and closure temperatures in geological minerals: Implications for the cooling rates of terrestrial and extraterrestrial rocks","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/1359-0189(86)90052-x","authors":["K. James","S.A. Durrani"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-10-16T13:03:36Z","doi":"10.1016/1359-0189(86)90052-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/9781009207355.009","name":"The Nature of Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"While we wait for our first conclusive evidence of life beyond Earth, we can contemplate its possible nature. In particular, we can ask the following question. To what extent should we expect evolution elsewhere to take a similar course to the one it has taken on Earth? That could be described as the key question about the biology, as opposed to the geography, of extraterrestrial life. But the way I’ve just put it isn’t ideal – it’s too centred on our home planet as a reference point. Let’s try to rephrase it in a Copernican manner, so that Earth doesn’t occupy a special place. Here’s one such rephrased version. To what extent does evolution follow similar courses on different inhabited planets? Earth is implicit here, but just as one of many inhabited planets, and almost certainly not the first one.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009207355.009","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-28T00:05:45Z","doi":"10.1017/9781009207355.009","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9781107300668.025","name":"Sunquakes: Helioseismic response to solar flares","source":"crossref","abstract":"Introduction and overview Sunquakes observed in the form of expanding wave ripples on the surface of the Sun during solar flares represent packets of acoustic waves excited by flare impacts and traveling through the solar interior. The excitation impacts strongly correlate with the impulsive flare phase, and are caused by the energy and momentum transported from the energy release sites. The flare energy is released in the form of energetic particles, waves, mass motions, and radiation. However, the exact mechanism of the localized hydrodynamic impacts that generate sunquakes is unknown. Solving the problem of the sunquake mechanism will substantially improve our understanding of the flare physics. In addition, sunquakes offer a unique opportunity for studying the interaction of acoustic waves with magnetic fields and flows in flaring active regions, and for developing new approaches to helioseismic acoustic tomography. Solar flares represent a process of rapid transformation of the magnetic energy of active regions into the kinetic energy of charged particles, plasma flows, and heating of the solar atmosphere and corona. The primary energy release during the flares is believed to occur in the corona as a result of magnetic reconnection. It is generally believed that most of the energy released by the reconnection goes directly and indirectly (via plasma waves) to acceleration of electrons and protons which are injected into flaring magnetic loops (Figure 22.1a). Most of the observed radiation is produced either directly by these particles or indirectly through energization of the background plasma. It was suggested long ago (Wolff, 1972) that flares may cause acoustic waves traveling through the solar interior, similar to the seismic waves in the Earth. Because the sound speed increases with depth, the waves are refracted in the deep layers of the Sun (Figure 22.1b), and then appear on the surface, forming expanding rings, similar to ripples on a water surface.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781107300668.025","authors":["A. G. Kosovichev"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-07-05T05:03:51Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9781107300668.025","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b0-12-227410-5/00889-9","name":"Extraterrestrial Facilities Engineering","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b0-12-227410-5/00889-9","authors":["Stewart W. Johnson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-12-09T03:20:00Z","doi":"10.1016/b0-12-227410-5/00889-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_5529","name":"Discovery of Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_5529","authors":["Klara Anna Capova"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-27T09:05:47Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_5529","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9781107300668.021","name":"Impact seismology on terrestrial and giant planets","source":"crossref","abstract":"Short review of impact seismic records in the Solar System Impact structures affect all planetary surfaces in the Solar System and especially those not resurfaced by recent tectonic processes or fast erosion. Planetary seismology and remote sensing are the tools used to monitor the dynamics of large impact processes and associated shock waves, in a variety of conditions, from the airless Moon to the atmosphere-protected Earth. Meteorites and bolides on Earth The largest impact ever instrumentally recorded occurred in the early days of seismology. This was the famous great Siberian meteor (Ben-Menahem, 1975) with an energy estimated to be about 12.5 megatons (1 ton of TNT = 4.185 × 10 9 J). It was recorded by two Russian seismic stations at about 1000 km and 5000 km, in addition to pressure records. The development of worldwide infrasound and seismic networks today allows the detection of much smaller impacts, down to kilogram size in mass. Most of these impacts are detected by their generated airwaves (see Edwards et al ., 2008; Edwards, 2008 for a review), either with infrasound sensors or by seismometers detecting the surface displacement generated by the airwave. This acoustic detection can be done not only locally but also at larger distances, thanks to the tropospheric waveguide (Edwards, 2008). Airwaves are also generating seismic waves through conversion processes at the Earth's surface. This is illustrated by Figure 18.1, which shows the recent seismic observations made by Tauzin et al . (2013) following the Chelyabinsk meteor blast of February 15, 2013. This event generated large Rayleigh surface waves propagating at between 2.7 and 3.5 km/s, with amplitudes corresponding to an event with surface wave magnitude M s ∼ 3.7. Comparable precursor Rayleigh waves, arriving well before the atmospheric air wave, are also found in many of the impacts reported by Edwards et al . (2008), but of course with smaller amplitudes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781107300668.021","authors":["P. Lognonné","T. Kawamura"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-07-05T05:03:51Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9781107300668.021","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/3963867","name":"Correction: Dinosaur Demise: Extraterrestrial Source?","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/3963867","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-11-27T11:00:29Z","doi":"10.2307/3963867","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780857452122-toc","name":"CONTENTS","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780857452122-toc","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-11T10:57:11Z","doi":"10.1515/9780857452122-toc","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/3960660","name":"Six Searches for Extraterrestrial Civilizations","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/3960660","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-11-28T04:43:24Z","doi":"10.2307/3960660","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-007-6326-5_255-1","name":"Uranium–Lead, Extraterrestrial, Planetary Materials","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6326-5_255-1","authors":["Alexander Nemchin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-10-02T02:11:24Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-007-6326-5_255-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.21995749","name":"The Extraterrestrial Life Debate, Antiquity to 1915","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.21995749","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-20T21:00:32Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.21995749","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780857452122-002","name":"Acknowledgments","source":"crossref","abstract":"More recently, we warmly acknowledge the administration, faculty, and staff of the California Institute of Integral Studies, where the work of editing this volume was made possible through a","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780857452122-002","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-11T10:57:11Z","doi":"10.1515/9780857452122-002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/science.182.4114.849","name":"Search for Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"The study of stellar, planetary and galactic evolution leads to the conclusion that the phenomenon of life must be coursing through the universe. It is estimated, by means of telescopic sampling, that there are billions of stars capable of having those photochemical reactions necessary for the origin of life. One approach in the search for other life would be to deploy men and instruments in spacecraft. Radio contact with other civilizations is another approach. Finally, the question might be approached by considering life as an inevitable consequence of the evolution of matter. A survey of Martian characteristics shows the possibility of life there to be dubious. The possibility of life in other parts of the galaxy is supported by a fundamental conclusion of living matter that all organisms have a common chemical ancestry. The experiment of Urey and Miller, wherein four amino acids were obtained by subjecting a mixture of methane, ammonia, and water to an electric arc, is believed to duplicate the initial organic syntheses which led to the emergence of life on earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.182.4114.849","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-10-05T14:05:45Z","doi":"10.1126/science.182.4114.849","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7208/chicago/9780226622248.003.0013","name":"Chapter 12. Wallace and Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7208/chicago/9780226622248.003.0013","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-09-06T18:00:30Z","doi":"10.7208/chicago/9780226622248.003.0013","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/9781119164654.index","name":"Index","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119164654.index","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-12-23T22:11:16Z","doi":"10.1002/9781119164654.index","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_6","name":"Invocation","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_6","authors":["Demetrios Trakatellis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-04T04:10:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9798881828387.ch-007","name":"Protecting Earth From Hazardous Asteroids and Other Extraterrestrial Dangers","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9798881828387.ch-007","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-16T14:16:06Z","doi":"10.5040/9798881828387.ch-007","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-017-3038-9_3","name":"The Extraterrestrial Environment","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-3038-9_3","authors":["Peter Eckart"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-09-09T20:27:05Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-017-3038-9_3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_565","name":"Extraterrestrial Delivery of Organic Compounds","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_565","authors":["André Brack"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-27T09:02:26Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_565","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9781472960436.0007","name":"Homeworld","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9781472960436.0007","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-04-26T17:07:53Z","doi":"10.5040/9781472960436.0007","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/9783527678679.dg04258","name":"Extraterrestrial nucleobase","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9783527678679.dg04258","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-12-15T12:32:32Z","doi":"10.1002/9783527678679.dg04258","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4159/9780674988897-001","name":"Prologue","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4159/9780674988897-001","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-09T04:01:25Z","doi":"10.4159/9780674988897-001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50017-2","name":"Two systems analyses of SETI","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50017-2","authors":["ROBERT E. MACHOL"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-18T07:35:31Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50017-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/0471238961.0524201802181523.a01","name":"Extraterrestrial Materials","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Extraterrestrial materials include meteorites that fall naturally to the Earth, as well as samples such as the Apollo and Luna collections collected in situ and returned to Earth by spacecraft. The samples contain highly detailed records of the conditions, processes, and materials that formed them, and these records can be studied in the laboratory with a wide array of modern analytical techniques. Meteorites are typically hand‐sized specimens that are samples of asteroids, small relict planetismals that originally escaped incorporation into planets and contain preserved materials dating back to the earliest history of the solar system. Meteorites are complex assemblages of a variety of components, and among the most exotic of these are interstellar grains that are older than the Sun and planets. Interplanetary dust particles are essentially submillimeter‐size meteorites that contain materials from comets as well as asteroids. Like the asteroids, the comets are also planetismals, but they formed beyond Saturn, whereas most of the asteroids formed between Mars and Jupiter.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/0471238961.0524201802181523.a01","authors":["Donald E. Brownlee"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-07-16T18:01:56Z","doi":"10.1002/0471238961.0524201802181523.a01","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-818234-5.00006-7","name":"Extraterrestrial Fluvial Environments","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-818234-5.00006-7","authors":["Marisa C. Palucis","Alexander M. Morgan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-08-29T17:42:58Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-12-818234-5.00006-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-319-05056-0","name":"Religions and Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05056-0","authors":["David A. Weintraub"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-07-16T03:49:18Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-319-05056-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/1.51255","name":"Extraterrestrial amino acids and terrestrial life","source":"crossref","abstract":"Since the Swedish chemist Baron Jöns Jacob Berzelius first analysed the Alais meteorite for organic molecules’ in 1834, attempts to forge a link between extraterrestrial organic materials and terrestrial life have remained alluring, but often deceptive. New studies reported in this and last week’s issues hold the promise of important advances in both endeavours. (AIP)","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/1.51255","authors":["Christopher F. Chyba"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-05-14T12:06:49Z","doi":"10.1063/1.51255","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.21995749.24","name":"INDEX","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.21995749.24","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-20T21:00:32Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.21995749.24","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4324/9781003352174-1","name":"Goals of the Volume","source":"crossref","abstract":"To date, there is no serious evidence of contact between humanity and non-terrestrial intelligence. In fact, as of writing, there is no confirmed evidence available to us of any form of life that did not originate on Earth. Given the vastness of the universe and the processes involved in both the development of life and the development of intelligence, it is generally assumed that this is due to limitations of our ability to find the evidence – not necessarily the lack entirely. It is unlikely that contact with any non-terrestrial intelligence will occur within the lifetimes of any of the contributors to this volume.","url":"https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003352174-1","authors":["Jeffrey Punske"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-07T15:19:34Z","doi":"10.4324/9781003352174-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/01463376209385257","name":"Extraterrestrial tropes","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/01463376209385257","authors":["Stephen Robb"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-05-21T23:56:48Z","doi":"10.1080/01463376209385257","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0019-1035(82)90021-5","name":"“Search for extraterrestrial life,” A new IAU commission","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(82)90021-5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-11-11T20:23:53Z","doi":"10.1016/0019-1035(82)90021-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/science.155.3764.852","name":"Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.155.3764.852","authors":["W. B. Smith"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-10-05T11:08:12Z","doi":"10.1126/science.155.3764.852","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/0471740039.vec0974","name":"Extraterrestrial Materials","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Meteorites Interplanetary Dust","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/0471740039.vec0974","authors":["Donald E. Brownlee"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-11-05T21:57:31Z","doi":"10.1002/0471740039.vec0974","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.6283138","name":"The Epistemological Conflict: Analyzing Claims of Extraterrestrial Influence in Ancient India","source":"crossref","abstract":"The intellectual history of the Indian subcontinent is characterized by a remarkable continuity of philosophical inquiry, scientific observation, and architectural innovation spanning over five millennia. In recent decades, however, this rich legacy has become a focal point for a set of globalized pseudohistorical narratives collectively referred to as the \"ancient alien\" theory. These hypotheses posit that the sophisticated achievements of ancient Indian civilization-ranging from the descriptions of aerial vehicles in Sanskrit epics to the precision of Harappan urban planning-can only be explained by the intervention of advanced extraterrestrial beings. While these narratives have gained significant traction in popular media, particularly through sensationalist documentaries and internet forums, they often rely on the systematic misinterpretation of mytho-poetic literature and the selective use of archaeological data. By separating verifiable evidence from speculative extrapolation, a clearer picture emerges: one that reveals the capacity of human ingenuity to innovate within specific environmental, social, and technological contexts without the need for non-human agency. The debate surrounding these claims is not merely a clash between \"fringe\" and \"mainstream\" history; it is an epistemological conflict regarding how humanity interprets its past. Proponents of the ancient alien hypothesis frequently employ a cognitive bias known as presentism, wherein modern technological concepts are retroactively projected onto ancient metaphors. This methodology often ignores the cultural and religious frameworks in which ancient texts and monuments were created. For instance, the reinterpretation of the vimāna from a divine, symbolic chariot into a physical spacecraft requires a divorce from the Sanskrit philological tradition and the stratigraphic reality of South Asian archaeology. To understand the reality of ancient India, one must examine the specific claims of aerospace technology, prehistoric nuclear warfare, and \"impossible\" engineering through the rigorous standards of aeronautical science, materials chemistry, and stratigraphic archaeology.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.6283138","authors":["Libin T K"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-14T14:17:40Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.6283138","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1117/12.278800","name":"&lt;title&gt;Extraterrestrial life and life potential of terrestrial organisms of great geological age: an historical and philosophical view&lt;/title&gt;","source":"crossref","abstract":"From the first noteworthy investigations of possible extraterrestrial organisms, many subsequent studies have generated heated controversies about extraterrestrial life even until today. Many scientists and visionaries presaged our remarkable, growing paradigm shift resulting from the indomitable idea that the proven scientific fact of extraterrestrial life is an inevitability. It is likely that most `revived' ancient microorganisms would not be very similar to any related modern microorganisms, because of the great time span available for the latter to diversity from the former. On the other hand, it is known that some complex brachiopod species of the common genus, Lingula, have survived for over a half billion years with `little evident change' since Cambrian times. Indirect evidence against modern contamination is offered by the fact that most `revived' bacteria from older terrestrial rocks are unlike any known modern species, and many microfossil-like structures (alleged by skeptics to be contaminants) in carbonaceous meteorites are yet to be confirmed as terrestrial in origin.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1117/12.278800","authors":["Sam L. VanLandingham"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-03-28T18:01:09Z","doi":"10.1117/12.278800","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.18254198.15","name":"The OZ OSETI Project","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.18254198.15","authors":["Ragbir Bhathal"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-07T20:46:30Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.18254198.15","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.21995749.23","name":"PERMISSIONS","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.21995749.23","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-20T21:00:32Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.21995749.23","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-003","name":"Liftoff","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-003","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:25:41Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-003","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4159/9780674988897-017","name":"Further Reading","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4159/9780674988897-017","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-09T04:01:25Z","doi":"10.4159/9780674988897-017","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-019","name":"16 Scientology","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-019","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:25:41Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-019","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-030","name":"Bibliography","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-030","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:25:41Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-030","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_7","name":"Introduction","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_7","authors":["Michael D. Papagiannis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-04T04:10:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7551/mitpress/12357.001.0001","name":"Convergent Evolution on Earth","source":"crossref","abstract":"An analysis of patterns of convergent evolution on Earth that suggests where we might look for similar convergent forms on other planets. Why does a sea lily look like a palm tree? And why is a sea lily called a “lily” when it is a marine animal and not a plant? Many marine animals bear a noticeable similarity in form to land-dwelling plants. And yet these marine animal forms evolved in the oceans first; land plants independently and convergently evolved similar forms much later in geologic time. In this book, George McGhee analyzes patterns of convergent evolution on Earth and argues that these patterns offer lessons for the search for life elsewhere in the universe. Our Earth is a water world; 71 percent of the earth's surface is covered by water. The fossil record shows that multicellular life on dry land is a new phenomenon; for the vast majority of the earth's history—3,500 million years of its 4,560 million years of existence—complex life existed only in the oceans. Explaining that convergent biological evolution occurs because of limited evolutionary pathways, McGhee examines examples of convergent evolution in forms of feeding, immobility and mobility, defense, and organ systems. McGhee suggests that the patterns of convergent evolution that we see in our own water world indicate the potential for similar convergent forms in other water worlds. We should search for extraterrestrial life on water worlds, and for technological life on water worlds with continental landmasses.","url":"https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12357.001.0001","authors":["George R McGhee"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-11-27T18:02:52Z","doi":"10.7551/mitpress/12357.001.0001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_26","name":"Introduction","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_26","authors":["Michael D. Papagiannis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-04T04:10:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_26","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4324/9781003352174-18","name":"Writing Systems and METI","source":"crossref","abstract":"Humans are newcomers to METI but recipients of our messages will likely be civilizations of long-term METI capability. Our mathematics and science will be of little value for them. These should therefore be used only as stepping stones to communication about what we know that extraterrestrials do not: ourselves. Writing systems are a microcosm of the human mind and should play a prominent role in properly planned METI. Visible Speech in particular provides a natural transition from the scientific to the human.","url":"https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003352174-18","authors":["Daniel Harbour"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-07T15:19:34Z","doi":"10.4324/9781003352174-18","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9781472960436.0006","name":"Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9781472960436.0006","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-04-26T17:07:53Z","doi":"10.5040/9781472960436.0006","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/0-387-68360-7_15","name":"On The Radio Astronomical Quest For Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-68360-7_15","authors":["Gerrit L. Verschuur"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-11-07T20:35:20Z","doi":"10.1007/0-387-68360-7_15","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(98)90019-x","name":"Minerals Engineering conferences Minerals Engineering '98","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(98)90019-x","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-08-12T12:45:47Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(98)90019-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4159/9780674988897-018","name":"Acknowledgments","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4159/9780674988897-018","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-09T04:01:25Z","doi":"10.4159/9780674988897-018","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/oso/9780195128529.001.0001","name":"Here Be Dragons","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract It is only recently that advances in chemistry, physics, and biology and in their application to space and the space sciences, have provided scientists with the tools to make accurate and well-informed predictions about the possibility of life on other planets. In this book, the authors summarize and present the scientific search for life in the universe, and the current level of scientific understanding of how life begins, grows, and becomes intelligent in our Solar System and beyond. This engaging book promises to appeal not only to the general reader but to scientists as well, many of whom strive to acquire an informed perspective on the search for extraterrestrial life in fields not their own.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195128529.001.0001","authors":["David Koerner","Simon LeVay"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-05T07:53:11Z","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780195128529.001.0001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4324/9781003325178-5","name":"Extraterrestrial lava flows","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003325178-5","authors":["Rosaly M. C. Lopes-Gautier"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-13T13:54:52Z","doi":"10.4324/9781003325178-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5840/apapa2013218","name":"Extraterrestrial Intelligent Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5840/apapa2013218","authors":["Lewis White Beck"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-01-08T09:56:08Z","doi":"10.5840/apapa2013218","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_71","name":"Questionmarks Remaining","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_71","authors":["George Marx"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-04T04:10:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_71","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.70675/c3b11ddcz404fz47bez9febz669f671f0a9f","name":"The origins of biomolecular asymmetry : study of extraterrestrial matter by two-dimensional gas chromatography","source":"crossref","abstract":"Les origines de l'asymétrie biomoléculaire : étude de la matière extraterrestre par chromatographie bidimensionnelle en phase gazeuse La définition de la \"vie\" n'a pas encore fait l'objet d'un consensus scientifique, mais elle peut être comprise comme des organismes ayant un cycle de vie construit sur des cellules pouvant subir diverses réactions chimiques (métabolisme). Ces organismes sont maintenus dans un état d'homéostasie mais peuvent croître par division cellulaire, se reproduire, évoluer et s'adapter à leur environnement. Malgré son abondance actuelle sur Terre, il faut garder à l'esprit que la vie est apparue à un moment donné, s'est répandue et a donné lieu à une diversité et une complexité considérable. Au niveau moléculaire, la vie est apparue sur Terre grâce à des blocs de construction chimiques clés capables de polymériser et/ou de s'auto-assembler, générant des macromolécules telles que l'ADN, l'ARN et les protéines. Ces structures ont la caractéristique unique et cruciale d'être constituées de monomères chiraux, dont un seul énantiomère a été sélectionné pour construire la vie. Cette prédominance d'un énantiomère sur l'autre est commune à tous les organismes et est appelée homochiralité. Abiotiquement, cette particularité est difficile à décrire car elle implique la sélection d'un énantiomère par rapport à son image miroir, ce qui n'est généralement pas le cas sans support biologique : des proportions racémiques sont censées être obtenues dans ces conditions. Cet événement de rupture de symétrie, ou la création d'un excès énantiomérique suivi de son amplification est toujours une question en suspens mais est d'une importance fondamentale pour tenter d'expliquer l'apparition de la vie. Parmi les hypothèses existantes présentées ici, un scénario plausible pourrait être l'interaction entre la lumière polarisée circulairement (CPL) et la matière organique, induisant des excès énantiomériques. En effet, une photolyse et/ou une photosynthèse énantiosélective utilisant cette lumière chirale pourrait s'être produite sur des particules de poussière dans le milieu interstellaire (ISM), et des composés enrichis en énantiomères pourraient avoir été incorporés dans des météorites et des astéroïdes qui ont ensuite ensemencé la Terre primitive. Par conséquent, l'étude des matériaux extraterrestres tels que les météorites, les astéroïdes et les comètes devient essentielle pour obtenir des indices sur l'origine de la vie. La littérature soutient l'existence d'une source extraterrestre de composés enrichis en énantiomères, tels que les acides aminés L et les sucres D, ainsi que la détection de CPL dans l'ISM. Les moyens d'étudier ces excès sont discutés en combinant un outil analytique puissant tel que la chromatographie en phase gazeuse multidimensionnelle intégrale couplée à un spectromètre de masse à temps de vol (GC×GC-TOFMS) pour analyser des mélanges complexes, et des procédures de dérivatisation appropriées pour améliorer la volatilité, la détection et l'énantioséparation de biomolécules chirales. La dérivatisation des acides aminés a été largement étudiée tandis que la dérivatisation des sucres est plus délicate en raison de leur cyclisation, et doit être adaptée à l'objectif de l'analyse. Pour étudier simultanément les acides aminés et les sucres dans des échantillons extraterrestres ou analogues, une méthodologie pour l'échantillonnage, l'extraction, la purification et le fractionnement de ces échantillons a été développée en utilisant la chromatographie par échange d'ions. Les applications de cette méthodologie, ou de certaines de ses parties, sur des échantillons issus de la synthèse d'acides aminés à partir d'hexaméthylènetétramine et de la synthèse de sucres à partir de formaldéhyde dans des conditions simulant les processus d'altération du corps parent des météorites sont mises en évidence.","url":"https://doi.org/10.70675/c3b11ddcz404fz47bez9febz669f671f0a9f","authors":["Raphaël Pepino"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-07T05:26:00Z","doi":"10.70675/c3b11ddcz404fz47bez9febz669f671f0a9f","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min8010030","name":"Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Minerals in 2017","source":"crossref","abstract":"Peer review is an essential part in the publication process, ensuring that Minerals maintains high quality standards for its published papers [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min8010030","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-01-22T04:51:13Z","doi":"10.3390/min8010030","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.844Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0019-1035(75)90172-4","name":"Communication with extraterrestrial intelligence (CETI)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(75)90172-4","authors":["George Field"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-11-11T20:23:53Z","doi":"10.1016/0019-1035(75)90172-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/science.aax1712","name":"University research center will search for extraterrestrial intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aax1712","authors":["Steve Nadis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-03-01T01:10:15Z","doi":"10.1126/science.aax1712","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7551/mitpress/12357.003.0007","name":"Convergent Defense Forms","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12357.003.0007","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-17T17:56:20Z","doi":"10.7551/mitpress/12357.003.0007","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.38778274.6","name":"Introduction","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.38778274.6","authors":["Diana G. Tumminia"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-08T10:49:07Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.38778274.6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_67","name":"Introduction","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_67","authors":["Michael D. Papagiannis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-04T04:10:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_67","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_17","name":"Introduction","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_17","authors":["Michael D. Papagiannis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-04T00:10:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_17","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_1","name":"Introduction","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_1","authors":["Michael D. Papagiannis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-04T00:10:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"doi:10.20935/al1857","name":"2021, Year of Discovery of Extraterrestrial Life, on Mars?","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.20935/al1857","authors":["Tong B. Tang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-07-14T21:51:50Z","doi":"10.20935/al1857","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-toc","name":"Contents","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-toc","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:25:41Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-toc","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-028","name":"Reentry","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-028","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:25:41Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-028","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.7288979","name":"Development of an Autonomous Lunar Rover for Extraterrestrial Research","source":"crossref","abstract":"The development of interplanetary rovers is key to advancing space science, particularly in the search for extraterrestrial life and understanding celestial bodies like the Moon. These rovers, equipped with advanced sensors, study lunar conditions to assess the potential for life and monitor changes in gravity and environmental factors. By comparing these conditions with Earth, rovers help improve technologies such as rover design, spacesuits, and rocket systems, ensuring future missions that can adapt to extreme space environments. This paper outlines the design and build of a lunar vehicle powered by a high-end dry battery, with plans for solar panel integration in the future. Managed by an Arduino Uno and Mega microprocessor, the lunar rover is equipped with temperature, humidity, and gyro sensors to monitor conditions and track gravityinduced acceleration. A guided sensor enables autonomous navigation, ensuring safe and efficient movement across the lunar surface. These rover design and communications innovations are essential for future space exploration, enhancing spacecraft, habitats, and vehicles for longduration missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.7288979","authors":["Syed Obaid Shierieff","Mohammed Nidal","Efstratios Ntantis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-17T03:55:51Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.7288979","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(98)00029-6","name":"Minerals engineering conferences minerals engineering '98","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(98)00029-6","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-25T22:50:06Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(98)00029-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min12020187","name":"Acknowledgment to Reviewers of Minerals in 2021","source":"crossref","abstract":"Rigorous peer-reviews are the basis of high-quality academic publishing [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min12020187","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-31T01:46:08Z","doi":"10.3390/min12020187","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min6010006","name":"Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Minerals in 2015","source":"crossref","abstract":"The editors of Minerals would like to express their sincere gratitude to the following reviewers for assessing manuscripts in 2015. [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min6010006","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-01-22T11:36:13Z","doi":"10.3390/min6010006","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/science.260.5107.475","name":"Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.260.5107.475","authors":["J. D. Rummel"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-10-05T23:05:09Z","doi":"10.1126/science.260.5107.475","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4159/9780674988897-fm","name":"Frontmatter","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4159/9780674988897-fm","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-09T04:01:25Z","doi":"10.4159/9780674988897-fm","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.3385990.16","name":"APPENDIX A.","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.3385990.16","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-19T14:13:10Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.3385990.16","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9781107300668.014","name":"Asteroseismology of red giant stars","source":"crossref","abstract":"Introduction If appropriately excited, a star will oscillate like a giant spherical instrument. In most stars, including the Sun, surface convection provides the excitation mechanism (Goldreich and Keeley, 1977). With turbulent velocities reaching speeds comparable to the local sound speed near the surface of the star, the vigorous convective motions can excite standing acoustic waves. These are known as pressure or p modes because the restoring force arises from the pressure gradient. The broad frequency spectrum of this excitation mechanism gives rise to many oscillation modes, both radial and non-radial, excited simultaneously. These stochastically excited and intrinsically damped oscillations were first detected in the Sun (Leighton et al ., 1962), and hence are commonly known as solar-like oscillations. Oscillation modes can be characterized by the number of nodes, n , in the radial direction, called the radial order, and a non-radial part described by spherical harmonics, each with an angular degree, l , which equals the number of nodal lines on the surface, and an azimuthal order, m , which is the number of those nodal lines crossing the equator of the star. Except for the Sun, we can generally not resolve these oscillations on the surfaces of cool stars and so the surface displacements of modes with high angular degree ( l ≳ 4) cannot be observed because regions of opposite phase tend to cancel out. When stars grow old and the supply of hydrogen fuel is exhausted in the core, their envelopes expand and cool: they become sub giants and eventually red giants. This transition is shown in the so-called HR diagram in Figure 11.1, which indicates the main stages of evolution of a one solar mass star from the “main sequence” where the Sun is currently located (between points 1 and 2) through to the red giant phase discussed in this chapter (beyond point 3).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781107300668.014","authors":["R. A. García","D. Stello"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-07-05T05:03:51Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9781107300668.014","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1201/9781315210643","name":"Investigating Life in the Universe","source":"crossref","abstract":"This textbook gives a lively introduction to the search for extraterrestrial life. It is a guidebook to understanding the possibility of life elsewhere, pointing out landmarks and providing background information to facilitate further exploration of those areas of most interest to the reader. We are a planet of winners – winners of a cosmic lottery that has been in play since the universe began approximately 13.7 billion years ago. Our winnings include sentience and an underlying unease that has driven us to contemplate our place in the universe and the possibility of finding kindred spirits in the cosmos spreading out before us. To understand our origins and the possibility of life beyond Earth, we must look back and retrace the steps that have brought us to this point in space and time. In doing so, we will find the investigation of life to be a unifying theme in nature, requiring us to touch on all branches of the tree of knowledge. Using the Drake Equation as a theme, we begin with an overview of the topic and then go into the story of how we have acquired, or plan to acquire, the knowledge to solve it. As we make our journey, we will encounter some very interesting people – some you will likely know, while others may be new to you. Keep an open mind and allow this text to be your guide. Written in an engaging style, this textbook provides a foundational understanding of the rapidly advancing fields associated with the search for life in the universe. Each chapter includes illustrative figures and review questions for self-study. It will appeal to professionals, researchers, instructors, and undergraduate students, as well as anyone with an interest in astrophysics or astrobiology.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1201/9781315210643","authors":["Christopher K. Walker"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-28T12:42:11Z","doi":"10.1201/9781315210643","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-fm","name":"Frontmatter","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-fm","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:31:06Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-fm","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.2856408","name":"Fear of an Alien Planet: Public Functions and Framings of Extraterrestrial Intelligent Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"This paper explores popular representations of extraterrestrial intelligent life in their cultural context. How does the cultural environment affect these representations? How does the political economy of the mass media industry shape these representations? With Edward Said’s Orientalism (1976) as a guide, I will examine a sampling of commercially produced and globally marketed television and film content featuring extraterrestrial intelligent life – that is, “aliens.” Why are aliens such a common subject on television and in film? What do these make-believe aliens do, and mean, for viewers? I posit that these popular representations provide arm’s-length, safe encounters with the Other. These encounters may feed our yen for the new and different. On the other hand, and perhaps at the same time, they may be a manifestation of our fear of it. In fictional encounters with alien invaders, humans tend to end up exterminating the would-be exterminators. Post-Cold War, post-9/11, post-Gulf Wars I and II, in the 21st Century of Terror, the Western world has identified a new enemy, and it is anybody “different.” While bigotry, racism, sexism and xenophobia are not socially acceptable in Western “society,” they are all operative in contemporary culture. In the real world, vilifying and abusing people because of their origin, skin color, appearance, or beliefs is taboo. In the make-believe world of mass-media science fiction movies and “infotainment” TV, however, it is not only all right but encouraged. There, extraterrestrial intelligent life is routinely slaughtered en masse to save the (Western) world.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2856408","authors":["Linda Billings"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-06-28T11:27:52Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.2856408","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min7010007","name":"Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Minerals in 2016","source":"crossref","abstract":"The editors of Minerals would like to express their sincere gratitude to the following reviewers for assessing manuscripts in 2016.[...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min7010007","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-11T10:36:49Z","doi":"10.3390/min7010007","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1163/1875-8096_pplcdu_a9789004448056_14","name":"14 - The Discovery of Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1163/1875-8096_pplcdu_a9789004448056_14","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-02T07:17:23Z","doi":"10.1163/1875-8096_pplcdu_a9789004448056_14","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780857452122-018","name":"Notes on Contributors","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780857452122-018","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-11T10:57:11Z","doi":"10.1515/9780857452122-018","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.18254198.36","name":"Cognitive Foundations of Interstellar Communication","source":"crossref","abstract":"The problem of interstellar communicationThis is a message, a message addressed to you constructed in a code-system called English marked with Roman letters in ink on sheets of cellulose, or as liquid crystals on the screen.It is here and now, perceived by the senses, interpreted by a being with a brain, body and history, living in the world.By using this code-system I evidently hope to make myself understood, to awaken in the mind of the receiver similar thoughts and ideas that I have when I formulate this message.Ultimately-above and beyond the mere question of language skills-this hope of mine stems from the fundamental fact that we share the same human cognitive abilities that are a function of our common evolutionary history here on Earth, the planet Tellus.But if we extend this communicational situation beyond Earth, however, the question naturally arises: How could communication be possible between intelligent beings of different environments that differ physically, biologically, and culturally, and have developed through separate evolutionary lines?This is the problem of interstellar communication.It is right, as Michael Arbib wrote, that \"we","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.18254198.36","authors":["David Dunér"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-07T20:46:30Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.18254198.36","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1163/9789004493971_011","name":"The Question of Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004493971_011","authors":["Dennis Bonnette"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-11-08T05:39:45Z","doi":"10.1163/9789004493971_011","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"pmid:27258848","name":"Geochemistry and Mineralogy of Western Australian Salt Lake Sediments: Implications for Meridiani Planum on Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Hypersaline lakes are characteristic for Western Australia and display a rare combination of geochemical and mineralogical properties that make these lakes potential analogues for past conditions on Mars. In our study, we focused on the geochemistry and mineralogy of Lake Orr and Lake Whurr. While both lakes are poor in organic carbon (&lt;1%), the sediments' pH values differ and range from 3.8 to 4.8 in Lake Orr and from 5.4 to 6.3 in Lake Whurr sediments. Lake Whurr sediments were dominated by orange and red sediment zones in which the main Fe minerals were identified as hematite, goethite, and tentatively jarosite and pyrite. Lake Orr was dominated by brownish and blackish sediments where the main Fe minerals were goethite and another paramagnetic Fe(III)-phase that could not be identified. Furthermore, a likely secondary Fe(II)-phase was observed in Lake Orr sediments. The mineralogy of these two salt lakes in the sampling area is strongly influenced by events such as flooding, evaporation, and desiccation, processes that explain at least to some extent the observed differences between Lake Orr and Lake Whurr. The iron mineralogy of Lake Whurr sediments and the high salinity make this lake a suitable analogue for Meridiani Planum on Mars, and in particular the tentative identification of pyrite in Lake Whurr sediments has implications for the interpretation of the Fe mineralogy of Meridiani Planum sediments.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27258848/","authors":["Ruecker A","Schröder C","Byrne J","Weigold P","Behrens S","Kappler A"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016 Jul","doi":"10.1089/ast.2015.1429","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:27108566","name":"Pilot for Validation of Online Pretreatments for Analyses of Organics by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry: Application to Space Research.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The search for complex organic molecules in extraterrestrial environments, including important biomolecules such as amino and fatty acids, will require a space compatible sample handling system to enable their detection by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). For the future Mars exploratory mission Exomars 2018 aimed at organic molecules detection, a dedicated laboratory pilot, called Device for Pretreatment of Sample (DPS), reproducing representative space operating conditions has been developed. After its optimization, it aimed at validating under development protocols and interpreting forthcoming in situ resulting data. The DPS, dedicated to organic compounds' analysis, is discussed in terms of its technical features. The derivatization is carried out on a 50-100 mg mineral sample in a 4 mL reactor coupled with a GC-MS injector to simulate on line in situ derivatization-volatilization-transfer steps. Three derivatization reactions have been carried out with N-methyl-N-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-trifluoroacetamide (MTBSTFA) as silylating reagent, N,N-dimethylformamide dimethylacetal (DMF-DMA) and tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) as methylating agents. The performances are illustrated by comparison of conventional and in situ silylation, developed for space research applications, using terrestrial mineral matrix and Mars analog materials enriched with 25 nmol of each targeted organic molecule. The work presented in this rationale has established that the use of derivatization reactions widens the scope of targeted molecules but also clearly points out mineral matrix effect. Decreasing mineral influence on pretreatment will be the next scientific challenge in in situ analysis.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27108566/","authors":["David M","Musadji NY","Labanowski J","Sternberg R","Geffroy-Rodier C"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016 May 17","doi":"10.1021/acs.analchem.6b00052","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:27098627","name":"Degenerative Tissue Responses to Space-like Radiation Doses in a Rodent Model of Simulated Microgravity.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"This study examines acute and degenerative tissue responses to space-like radiation doses in a rodent model of simulated microgravity. We have studied four groups of rats, control (CON), irradiated (IR), irradiated and hindlimb suspended (IR-HLS), and suspended (HLS) that were maintained for two weeks. IR and IR+HLS groups were exposed to five sessions of X-ray irradiation (1.2 Gy each, at 3-4 days intervals). Body weights, soleus muscle weights, and hindlimb bone mineral density (BMD) were measured. Results show that compared to CON animals, IR, HLS, and IR+HLS group reduced the body weight gain significantly. IR-associated growth retardation appeared to be closely linked to acute and transient post-IR 'anorexia' (a decrease in food intake). HLS but not IR induced major changes in the musculoskeletal system, consisting in decreases in soleus muscle mass and bone mineral density of distal femur and proximal tibia. Additional dosimetric studies showed that the effect of IR on weight is detectable at 0.3 Gy X-ray doses, while no threshold dose for the IR-produced decrease in food intake could be observed. This study suggests that space flight-associated anorexia and musculoskeletal degenerative changes may be driven by different, radiation- and microgravity-associated (respectively) mechanisms.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27098627/","authors":["Chowdhury P","Akel N","Jamshidi-Parsian A","Gaddy D","Griffin RJ","Yadlapalli JS","Dobretsov M"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016 Spring","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:27025932","name":"The First Space-Related Study of a Kombucha Multimicrobial Cellulose-Forming Community: Preparatory Laboratory Experiments.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Biofilm-forming microbial communities are known as the most robust assemblages that can survive in harsh environments. Biofilm-associated microorganisms display greatly increased resistance to physical and chemical adverse conditions, and they are expected to be the first form of life on Earth or anywhere else. Biological molecules synthesized by biofilm -protected microbiomes may serve as markers of the nucleoprotein life. We offer a new experimental model, a kombucha multimicrobial culture (KMC), to assess a structural integrity of a widespread microbial polymer - cellulose - as a biosignature of bacteria-producers for the multipurpose international project \"BIOlogical and Mars Experiment (BIOMEX)\", which aims to study the vitality of pro- and eukaryotic organisms and the stability of organic biomolecules in contact with minerals to analyze the detectability of life markers in the context of a planetary background. In this study, we aimed to substantiate the detectability of mineralized cellulose with spectroscopy and to study the KMC macrocolony phenotype stability under adverse conditions (UV, excess of inorganics etc.). Cellulose matrix of the KMC macrocolony has been mineralized in the mineral-water interface under assistance of KMC-members. Effect of bioleached ions on the cellulose matrix has been visible, and the FT-IR spectrum proved changes in cellulose structure. However, the specific cellulose band vibration, confirming the presence of &#x3b2;(1,4)-linkages between monomers, has not been quenched by secondary minerals formed on the surface of pellicle. The cellulose-based KMC macrocolony phenotype was in a dependence on extracellular matrix components (ionome, viriome, extracellular membrane vesicles), which provided its integrity and rigidness in a certain extent under impact of stressful factors.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27025932/","authors":["Podolich O","Zaets I","Kukharenko O","Orlovska I","Reva O","Khirunenko L","Sosnin M","Haidak A","Shpylova S","Rohutskyy I","Kharina A","Skoryk М","Kremenskoy M","Klymchuk D","Demets R","de Vera JP","Kozyrovska N"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017 Jun","doi":"10.1007/s11084-016-9483-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:26789354","name":"The Case for a Gaian Bottleneck: The Biology of Habitability.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The prerequisites and ingredients for life seem to be abundantly available in the Universe. However, the Universe does not seem to be teeming with life. The most common explanation for this is a low probability for the emergence of life (an emergence bottleneck), notionally due to the intricacies of the molecular recipe. Here, we present an alternative Gaian bottleneck explanation: If life emerges on a planet, it only rarely evolves quickly enough to regulate greenhouse gases and albedo, thereby maintaining surface temperatures compatible with liquid water and habitability. Such a Gaian bottleneck suggests that (i) extinction is the cosmic default for most life that has ever emerged on the surfaces of wet rocky planets in the Universe and (ii) rocky planets need to be inhabited to remain habitable. In the Gaian bottleneck model, the maintenance of planetary habitability is a property more associated with an unusually rapid evolution of biological regulation of surface volatiles than with the luminosity and distance to the host star.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26789354/","authors":["Chopra A","Lineweaver CH"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016 Jan","doi":"10.1089/ast.2015.1387","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:26530341","name":"Preservation of Biomarkers from Cyanobacteria Mixed with Mars-Like Regolith Under Simulated Martian Atmosphere and UV Flux.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The space mission EXPOSE-R2 launched on the 24th of July 2014 to the International Space Station is carrying the BIOMEX (BIOlogy and Mars EXperiment) experiment aimed at investigating the endurance of extremophiles and stability of biomolecules under space and Mars-like conditions. In order to prepare the analyses of the returned samples, ground-based simulations were carried out in Planetary and Space Simulation facilities. During the ground-based simulations, Chroococcidiopsis cells mixed with two Martian mineral analogues (phyllosilicatic and sulfatic Mars regolith simulants) were exposed to a Martian simulated atmosphere combined or not with UV irradiation corresponding to the dose received during a 1-year-exposure in low Earth orbit (or half a Martian year on Mars). Cell survival and preservation of potential biomarkers such as photosynthetic and photoprotective pigments or DNA were assessed by colony forming ability assays, confocal laser scanning microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and PCR-based assays. DNA and photoprotective pigments (carotenoids) were detectable after simulations of the space mission (570&#xa0;MJ/m(2) of UV 200-400&#xa0;nm irradiation and Martian simulated atmosphere), even though signals were attenuated by the treatment. The fluorescence signal from photosynthetic pigments was differently preserved after UV irradiation, depending on the thickness of the samples. UV irradiation caused a high background fluorescence of the Martian mineral analogues, as revealed by Raman spectroscopy. Further investigation will be needed to ensure unambiguous identification and operations of future Mars missions. However, a 3-month exposure to a Martian simulated atmosphere showed no significant damaging effect on the tested cyanobacterial biosignatures, pointing out the relevance of the latter for future investigations after the EXPOSE-R2 mission. Data gathered during the ground-based simulations will contribute to interpret results from space experiments and guide our search for life on Mars.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26530341/","authors":["Baqué M","Verseux C","Böttger U","Rabbow E","de Vera JP","Billi D"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016 Jun","doi":"10.1007/s11084-015-9467-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:26496528","name":"A Hierarchical System for Evaluating the Biogenicity of Metavolcanic- and Ultramafic-Hosted Microalteration Textures in the Search for Extraterrestrial Life.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The low-temperature alteration of submarine volcanic glasses has been argued to involve the activity of microorganisms, and analogous fluid-rock-microbial-mediated alteration has also been postulated on Mars. However, establishing the extent to which microbes are involved in volcanic glass alteration has proven to be difficult, and the reliability of resulting textural biosignatures is debated, particularly in the early rock record. We therefore propose a hierarchical scheme to evaluate the biogenicity of candidate textural biosignatures found in altered terrestrial and extraterrestrial basaltic glasses and serpentinized ultramafic rocks. The hierarchical scheme is formulated to give increasing confidence of a biogenic origin and involves (i) investigation of the textural context and syngenicity of the candidate biosignature; (ii) characterization of the morphology and size range of the microtextures; (iii) mapping of the geological and physicochemical variables controlling the occurrence and preservation of the microtextures; (iv) in situ investigation of chemical signatures that are syngenetic to the microtexture; and (v) identification of growth patterns suggestive of biological behavior and redox variations in the host minerals. The scheme results in five categories of candidate biosignature as follows: Category 1 indicates preservation of very weak evidence for biogenicity, Categories 2 through 4 indicate evidence for increasing confidence of a biogenic origin, and Category 5 indicates that biogenic origin is most likely. We apply this hierarchical approach to examine the evidence for a biogenic origin of several examples, including candidate bacterial encrustations in altered pillow lavas, granular and tubular microtextures in volcanic glass from the subseafloor and a Phanerozoic ophiolite, mineralized microtextures in Archean metavolcanic glass, and alteration textures in olivines of the martian meteorite Yamato 000593. The aim of this hierarchical approach is to provide a framework for identifying robust biosignatures of microbial life in the altered oceanic crust on Earth, and in extraterrestrial altered mafic-ultramafic rocks, particularly on Mars.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26496528/","authors":["McLoughlin N","Grosch EG"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015 Oct","doi":"10.1089/ast.2014.1259","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:26464788","name":"Crystals: animal, vegetable or mineral?","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The morphologies of biological materials, from body shapes to membranes within cells, are typically curvaceous and flexible, in contrast to the angular, facetted shapes of inorganic matter. An alternative dichotomy has it that biomolecules typically assemble into aperiodic structures in vivo, in contrast to inorganic crystals. This paper explores the evolution of our understanding of structures across the spectrum of materials, from living to inanimate, driven by those naive beliefs, with particular focus on the development of crystallography in materials science and biology. The idea that there is a clear distinction between these two classes of matter has waxed and waned in popularity through past centuries. Our current understanding, driven largely by detailed exploration of biomolecular structures at the sub-cellular level initiated by Bernal and Astbury in the 1930s, and more recent explorations of sterile soft matter, makes it clear that this is a false dichotomy. For example, liquid crystals and other soft materials are common to both living and inanimate materials. The older picture of disjoint universes of forms is better understood as a continuum of forms, with significant overlap and common features unifying biological and inorganic matter. In addition to the philosophical relevance of this perspective, there are important ramifications for science. For example, the debates surrounding extra-terrestrial life, the oldest terrestrial fossils and consequent dating of the emergence of life on the Earth rests to some degree on prejudices inferred from the supposed dichotomy between life-forms and the rest.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26464788/","authors":["Hyde ST"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015 Aug 6","doi":"10.1098/rsfs.2015.0027","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:26441946","name":"Nucleation of Fe-rich phosphates and carbonates on microbial cells and exopolymeric substances.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Although phosphate and carbonate are important constituents in ancient and modern environments, it is not yet clear their biogeochemical relationships and their mechanisms of formation. Microbially mediated carbonate formation has been widely studied whereas little is known about the formation of phosphate minerals. Here we report that a new bacterial strain, Tessarococcus lapidicaptus, isolated from the subsurface of Rio Tinto basin (Huelva, SW Spain), is capable of precipitating Fe-rich phosphate and carbonate minerals. We observed morphological differences between phosphate and carbonate, which may help us to recognize these minerals in terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments. Finally, considering the scarcity and the unequal distribution and preservation patterns of phosphate and carbonates, respectively, in the geological record and the biomineralization process that produces those minerals, we propose a hypothesis for the lack of Fe-phosphates in natural environments and ancient rocks.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26441946/","authors":["Sánchez-Román M","Puente-Sánchez F","Parro V","Amils R","Mónica Sánchez‐Román","Fernando Puente‐Sánchez","Vı́ctor Parro","Ricardo Amils"],"tags":["Biomineralization","Carbonate","Phosphate minerals","Phosphate","Carbonate minerals"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015","doi":"10.3389/fmicb.2015.01024","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"pmid:26440070","name":"Biosignatures across Space and Time-Special Collection.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26440070/","authors":["Grosch E","McLoughlin N"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015 Oct","doi":"10.1089/ast.2015.0904","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:26387549","name":"Microgravity promotes osteoclast activity in medaka fish reared at the international space station.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The bone mineral density (BMD) of astronauts decreases specifically in the weight-bearing sites during spaceflight. It seems that osteoclasts would be affected by a change in gravity; however, the molecular mechanism involved remains unclear. Here, we show that the mineral density of the pharyngeal bone and teeth region of TRAP-GFP/Osterix-DsRed double transgenic medaka fish was decreased and that osteoclasts were activated when the fish were reared for 56 days at the international space station. In addition, electron microscopy observation revealed a low degree of roundness of mitochondria in osteoclasts. In the whole transcriptome analysis, fkbp5 and ddit4 genes were strongly up-regulated in the flight group. The fish were filmed for abnormal behavior; and, interestingly, the medaka tended to become motionless in the late stage of exposure. These results reveal impaired physiological function with a change in mechanical force under microgravity, which impairment was accompanied by osteoclast activation.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26387549/","authors":["Chatani M","Mantoku A","Takeyama K","Abduweli D","Sugamori Y","Aoki K","Ohya K","Suzuki H","Uchida S","Sakimura T","Kono Y","Tanigaki F","Shirakawa M","Takano Y","Kudo A"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015 Sep 21","doi":"10.1038/srep14172","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:26376912","name":"Metalliferous Biosignatures for Deep Subsurface Microbial Activity.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The interaction of microbes and metals is widely assumed to have occurred in surface or very shallow subsurface environments. However new evidence suggests that much microbial activity occurs in the deep subsurface. Fluvial, lacustrine and aeolian 'red beds' contain widespread centimetre-scale reduction spheroids in which a pale reduced spheroid in otherwise red rocks contains a metalliferous core. Most of the reduction of Fe (III) in sediments is caused by Fe (III) reducing bacteria. They have the potential to reduce a range of metals and metalloids, including V, Cu, Mo, U and Se, by substituting them for Fe (III) as electron acceptors, which are all elements common in reduction spheroids. The spheroidal morphology indicates that they were formed at depth, after compaction, which is consistent with a microbial formation. Given that the consequences of Fe (III) reduction have a visual expression, they are potential biosignatures during exploration of the terrestrial and extraterrestrial geological record. There is debate about the energy available from Fe (III) reduction on Mars, but the abundance of iron in Martian soils makes it one of the most valuable prospects for life there. Entrapment of the microbes themselves as fossils is possible, but a more realistic target during the exploration of Mars would be the colour contrasts reflecting selective reduction or oxidation. This can be achieved by analysing quartz grains across a reduction spheroid using Raman spectroscopy, which demonstrates its suitability for life detection in subsurface environments. Microbial action is the most suitable explanation for the formation of reduction spheroids and may act as metalliferous biosignatures for deep subsurface microbial activity.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26376912/","authors":["Parnell J","Brolly C","Spinks S","Bowden S"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016 Mar","doi":"10.1007/s11084-015-9466-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:26278360","name":"Gas chromatographic separation of stereoisomers of non-protein amino acids on modified γ-cyclodextrin stationary phase.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Stereoisomers (enantiomers and diastereoisomers) of synthetic, non-protein amino acids comprising &#x3b1;-, &#x3b2;-, and &#x3b3;-amino acids, including &#x3b1;,&#x3b1;-dialkyl amino acids, were converted into the respective N-trifluoroacetyl-O-methyl esters and analyzed and resolved by gas chromatography (GC) on a commercial fused silica capillary column coated with the chiral stationary phase octakis(3-O-butyryl-2,6-di-O-pentyl)-&#x3b3;-cyclodextrin. This column is marketed under the trade name Lipodex(&#xae;) E. Chromatograms, retention times, and a chart displaying the retention times of approximately 40 stereoisomers of amino acids are presented. With few exceptions, baseline or almost baseline resolution was achieved for enantiomers and diastereoisomers. The chromatographic method presented is considered to be highly suitable for the elucidation of the stereochemistry of non-protein amino acids, for example in natural products, and for evaluating the enantiopurity of genetically non-coded amino acids used for the synthesis and design of conformationally tailored peptides. The method is applicable to extraterrestrial materials or can be used in experimental work related to abiotic syntheses or enantioselective destruction and amplification of amino acids.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26278360/","authors":["Fox S","Strasdeit H","Haasmann S","Brückner H"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015 Sep 11","doi":"10.1016/j.chroma.2015.07.082","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:26256632","name":"Fluorescent minerals--A potential source of UV protection and visible light for the growth of green algae and cyanobacteria in extreme cosmic environments.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"We propose that green algae (Chlorella variabilis and Dunaliella tertiolecta) and cyanobacteria (Synechococcus elongatus and Nostoc commune) can grow inside fluorescent rock minerals which convert damaging UV light to visible light, thereby allowing these organisms to survive and thrive in UV-rich environments without (or with limited) visible light, which would otherwise be inimical to them. The four microorganisms were incubated inside fluorescent rocks composed of fluorite, calcite and pyrite. The resultant growth was then measured following exposure to UV radiation, with the use of optical density and measurement of chlorophyll concentration. Results show that the microorganisms were shielded from harmful UV in these semi-transparent rocks, while at the same time benefiting from the fact that the minerals converted UV to visible light; this have been shown by a statistically significant increase in their growth, which although lower than when the cells were incubated in sunlight, was significantly higher than in controls incubated in the dark.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26256632/","authors":["Omairi T","Wainwright M"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015 Jul","doi":"10.1016/j.lssr.2015.07.004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:26247475","name":"Chemical Composition of Micrometer-Sized Filaments in an Aragonite Host by a Miniature Laser Ablation/Ionization Mass Spectrometer.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Detection of extraterrestrial life is an ongoing goal in space exploration, and there is a need for advanced instruments and methods for the detection of signatures of life based on chemical and isotopic composition. Here, we present the first investigation of chemical composition of putative microfossils in natural samples using a miniature laser ablation/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (LMS). The studies were conducted with high lateral (&#x223c;15&#x2009;&#x3bc;m) and vertical (&#x223c;20-200&#x2009;nm) resolution. The primary aim of the study was to investigate the instrument performance on micrometer-sized samples both in terms of isotope abundance and element composition. The following objectives had to be achieved: (1) Consider the detection and calculation of single stable isotope ratios in natural rock samples with techniques compatible with their employment of space instrumentation for biomarker detection in future planetary missions. (2) Achieve a highly accurate chemical compositional map of rock samples with embedded structures at the micrometer scale in which the rock matrix is easily distinguished from the micrometer structures. Our results indicate that chemical mapping of strongly heterogeneous rock samples can be obtained with a high accuracy, whereas the requirements for isotope ratios need to be improved to reach sufficiently large signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26247475/","authors":["Tulej M","Neubeck A","Ivarsson M","Riedo A","Neuland MB","Meyer S","Wurz P"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015 Aug","doi":"10.1089/ast.2015.1304","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:26247371","name":"Preserved Filamentous Microbial Biosignatures in the Brick Flat Gossan, Iron Mountain, California.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"A variety of actively precipitating mineral environments preserve morphological evidence of microbial biosignatures. One such environment with preserved microbial biosignatures is the oxidized portion of a massive sulfide deposit, or gossan, such as that at Iron Mountain, California. This gossan may serve as a mineralogical analogue to some ancient martian environments due to the presence of oxidized iron and sulfate species, and minerals that only form in acidic aqueous conditions, in both environments. Evaluating the potential biogenicity of cryptic textures in such martian gossans requires an understanding of how microbial textures form biosignatures on Earth. The iron-oxide-dominated composition and morphology of terrestrial, nonbranching filamentous microbial biosignatures may be distinctive of the underlying formation and preservation processes. The Iron Mountain gossan consists primarily of ferric oxide (hematite), hydrous ferric oxide (HFO, predominantly goethite), and jarosite group minerals, categorized into in situ gossan, and remobilized iron deposits. We interpret HFO filaments, found in both gossan types, as HFO-mineralized microbial filaments based in part on (1) the presence of preserved central filament lumina in smooth HFO mineral filaments that are likely molds of microbial filaments, (2) mineral filament formation in actively precipitating iron-oxide environments, (3) high degrees of mineral filament bending consistent with a flexible microbial filament template, and (4) the presence of bare microbial filaments on gossan rocks. Individual HFO filaments are below the resolution of the Mars Curiosity and Mars 2020 rover cameras, but sinuous filaments forming macroscopic matlike textures are resolvable. If present on Mars, available cameras may resolve these features identified as similar to terrestrial HFO filaments and allow subsequent evaluation for their biogenicity by synthesizing geochemical, mineralogical, and morphological analyses. Sinuous biogenic filaments could be preserved on Mars in an iron-rich environment analogous to Iron Mountain, with the Pahrump Hills region and Hematite Ridge in Gale Crater as tentative possibilities.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26247371/","authors":["Williams AJ","Sumner DY","Alpers CN","Karunatillake S","Hofmann BA"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015 Aug","doi":"10.1089/ast.2014.1235","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:26151136","name":"Spore-Forming Thermophilic Bacterium within Artificial Meteorite Survives Entry into the Earth's Atmosphere on FOTON-M4 Satellite Landing Module.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"One of the key conditions of the lithopanspermia hypothesis is that microorganisms situated within meteorites could survive hypervelocity entry from space through the Earth's atmosphere. So far, all experimental proof of this possibility has been based on tests with sounding rockets which do not reach the transit velocities of natural meteorites. We explored the survival of the spore-forming thermophilic anaerobic bacterium, Thermoanaerobacter siderophilus, placed within 1.4-cm thick basalt discs fixed on the exterior of a space capsule (the METEORITE experiment on the FOTON-M4 satellite). After 45 days of orbital flight, the landing module of the space vehicle returned to Earth. The temperature during the atmospheric transit was high enough to melt the surface of basalt. T. siderophilus survived the entry; viable cells were recovered from 4 of 24 wells loaded with this microorganism. The identity of the strain was confirmed by 16S rRNA gene sequence and physiological tests. This is the first report on the survival of a lifeform within an artificial meteorite after entry from space orbit through Earth's atmosphere at a velocity that closely approached the velocities of natural meteorites. The characteristics of the artificial meteorite and the living object applied in this study can serve as positive controls in further experiments on testing of different organisms and conditions of interplanetary transport.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26151136/","authors":["Slobodkin A","Gavrilov S","Ionov V","Iliyin V"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015","doi":"10.1371/journal.pone.0132611","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:26123788","name":"Self-organized iron-oxide cementation geometry as an indicator of paleo-flows.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Widespread iron oxide precipitation from groundwater in fine-grained red beds displays various patterns, including nodulation, banding and scallops and fingers. Hematite nodules have been reported also from the Meridiani Planum site on Mars and interpreted as evidence for the ancient presence of water on the red planet. Here we show that such patterns can autonomously emerge from a previously unrecognized Ostwald ripening mechanism and they capture rich information regarding ancient chemical and hydrologic environments. A linear instability analysis of the reaction-transport equations suggests that a pattern transition from nodules to bands may result from a symmetry breaking of mineral dissolution and precipitation triggered by groundwater advection. Round nodules tend to develop under nearly stagnant hydrologic conditions, while repetitive bands form in the presence of persistent water flows. Since water circulation is a prerequisite for a sustainable subsurface life, a Martian site with iron oxide precipitation bands, if one were found, may offer a better chance for detecting extraterrestrial biosignatures on Mars than would sites with nodules.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26123788/","authors":["Wang Y","Chan MA","Merino E"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015 Jun 30","doi":"10.1038/srep10792","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:25903619","name":"Dating techniques: Illuminating the past.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25903619/","authors":["Roberts RG","Lian OB"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015 Apr 23","doi":"10.1038/520438a","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:25734356","name":"Effect of nontronite smectite clay on the chemical evolution of several organic molecules under simulated martian surface ultraviolet radiation conditions.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Most of the phyllosilicates detected at the surface of Mars today are probably remnants of ancient environments that sustained long-term bodies of liquid water at the surface or subsurface and were possibly favorable for the emergence of life. Consequently, phyllosilicates have become the main mineral target in the search for organics on Mars. But are phyllosilicates efficient at preserving organic molecules under current environmental conditions at the surface of Mars? We monitored the qualitative and quantitative evolutions of glycine, urea, and adenine in interaction with the Fe(3+)-smectite clay nontronite, one of the most abundant phyllosilicates present at the surface of Mars, under simulated martian surface ultraviolet light (190-400 nm), mean temperature (218 &#xb1; 2 K), and pressure (6 &#xb1; 1 mbar) in a laboratory simulation setup. We tested organic-rich samples that were representative of the evaporation of a small, warm pond of liquid water containing a high concentration of organics. For each molecule, we observed how the nontronite influences its quantum efficiency of photodecomposition and the nature of its solid evolution products. The results reveal a pronounced photoprotective effect of nontronite on the evolution of glycine and adenine; their efficiencies of photodecomposition were reduced by a factor of 5 when mixed at a concentration of 2.6 &#xd7; 10(-2) mol of molecules per gram of nontronite. Moreover, when the amount of nontronite in the sample of glycine was increased by a factor of 2, the gain of photoprotection was multiplied by a factor of 5. This indicates that the photoprotection provided by the nontronite is not a purely mechanical shielding effect but is also due to stabilizing interactions. No new evolution product was firmly identified, but the results obtained with urea suggest a particular reactivity in the presence of nontronite, leading to an increase of its dissociation rate.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25734356/","authors":["Poch O","Jaber M","Stalport F","Nowak S","Georgelin T","Lambert JF","Szopa C","Coll P"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015 Mar","doi":"10.1089/ast.2014.1230","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:25485131","name":"The first X-ray diffraction measurements on Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The Mars Science Laboratory landed in Gale crater on Mars in August 2012, and the Curiosity rover then began field studies on its drive toward Mount Sharp, a central peak made of ancient sediments. CheMin is one of ten instruments on or inside the rover, all designed to provide detailed information on the rocks, soils and atmosphere in this region. CheMin is a miniaturized X-ray diffraction/X-ray fluorescence (XRD/XRF) instrument that uses transmission geometry with an energy-discriminating CCD detector. CheMin uses onboard standards for XRD and XRF calibration, and beryl:quartz mixtures constitute the primary XRD standards. Four samples have been analysed by CheMin, namely a soil sample, two samples drilled from mudstones and a sample drilled from a sandstone. Rietveld and full-pattern analysis of the XRD data reveal a complex mineralogy, with contributions from parent igneous rocks, amorphous components and several minerals relating to aqueous alteration. In particular, the mudstone samples all contain one or more phyllosilicates consistent with alteration in liquid water. In addition to quantitative mineralogy, Rietveld refinements also provide unit-cell parameters for the major phases, which can be used to infer the chemical compositions of individual minerals and, by difference, the composition of the amorphous component.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25485131/","authors":["Bish D","Blake D","Vaniman D","Sarrazin P","Bristow T","Achilles C","Dera P","Chipera S","Crisp J","Downs RT","Farmer J","Gailhanou M","Ming D","Morookian JM","Morris R","Morrison S","Rampe E","Treiman A","Yen A"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014 Nov 1","doi":"10.1107/S2052252514021150","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:25394230","name":"An open tubular ion chromatograph.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"We describe an open tubular ion chromatograph (OTIC) that uses anion exchange latex coated 5 &#x3bc;m radius silica and 9.8 &#x3bc;m radius poly(methyl methacrylate) tubes and automated time/pressure based hydrodynamic injection for pL-nL scale injections. It is routinely possible to generate 50,000 plates or more (up to 150,000 plates/m, columns between 0.3 and 0.8 m have been used), and as such, fast separations are possible, comparable to or in some cases better than the current practice of IC. With an optimized admittance detector, nonsuppressed detection permits LODs of submicromolar to double digit micromolar for a variety of analytes. However, large volume injections are possible and can significantly improve on this. A variety of eluents, the use of organic modifiers, and variations of eluent pH can be used to tailor a given separation. The approach is discussed in the context of extraterrestrial exploration, especially Mars, where the existence of large amounts of perchlorate in the soil needs to be confirmed. These columns can survive drying and freezing, and small footprint, low power consumption, and simplicity make OTIC a good candidate for such a mission.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25394230/","authors":["Yang B","Zhang M","Kanyanee T","Stamos BN","Dasgupta PK"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014 Dec 2","doi":"10.1021/ac503249t","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:25368346","name":"Raman spectroscopic identification of scytonemin and its derivatives as key biomarkers in stressed environments.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Raman spectroscopy has been identified as an important first-pass analytical technique for deployment on planetary surfaces as part of a suite of instrumentation in projected remote space exploration missions to detect extant or extinct extraterrestrial life signatures. Aside from the demonstrable advantages of a non-destructive sampling procedure and an ability to record simultaneously the molecular signatures of biological, geobiological and geological components in admixture in the geological record, the interrogation and subsequent interpretation of spectroscopic data from these experiments will be critically dependent upon the recognition of key biomolecular markers indicative of life existing or having once existed in extreme habitats. A comparison made with the characteristic Raman spectral wavenumbers obtained from standards is not acceptable because of shifts that can occur in the presence of other biomolecules and their host mineral matrices. In this paper, we identify the major sources of difficulty experienced in the interpretation of spectroscopic data centring on a key family of biomarker molecules, namely scytonemin and its derivatives; the parent scytonemin has been characterized spectroscopically in cyanobacterial colonies inhabiting some of the most extreme terrestrial environments and, with the support of theoretical calculations, spectra have been predicted for the characterization of several of its derivatives which could occur in novel extraterrestrial environments. This work will form the foundation for the identification of novel biomarkers and for their Raman spectroscopic discrimination, an essential step in the interpretation of potentially complex and hitherto unknown biological radiation protectants based on the scytoneman and scytonin molecular skeletons which may exist in niche geological scenarios in the surface and subsurface of planets and their satellites in our Solar System.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25368346/","authors":["Varnali T","Edwards HG"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014 Dec 13","doi":"10.1098/rsta.2014.0197","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:25086872","name":"Fluorescence imaging of microbe-containing particles shot from a two-stage Light-gas gun into an aerogel.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"We have proposed an experiment (the Tanpopo mission) to capture microbes on the Japan Experimental Module of the International Space Station. An ultra low-density silica aerogel will be exposed to space for more than 1&#xa0;year. After retrieving the aerogel, particle tracks and particles found in it will be visualized by fluorescence microscopy after staining it with a DNA-specific fluorescence dye. In preparation for this study, we simulated particle trapping in an aerogel so that methods could be developed to visualize the particles and their tracks. During the Tanpopo mission, particles that have an orbital velocity of ~8&#xa0;km/s are expected to collide with the aerogel. To simulate these collisions, we shot Deinococcus radiodurans-containing Lucentite particles into the aerogel from a two-stage light-gas gun (acceleration 4.2&#xa0;km/s). The shapes of the captured particles, and their tracks and entrance holes were recorded with a microscope/camera system for further analysis. The size distribution of the captured particles was smaller than the original distribution, suggesting that the particles had fragmented. We were able to distinguish between microbial DNA and inorganic compounds after staining the aerogel with the DNA-specific fluorescence dye SYBR green I as the fluorescence of the stained DNA and the autofluorescence of the inorganic particles decay at different rates. The developed methods are suitable to determine if microbes exist at the International Space Station altitude.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25086872/","authors":["Kawaguchi Y","Sugino T","Tabata M","Okudaira K","Imai E","Yano H","Hasegawa S","Hashimoto H","Yabuta H","Kobayashi K","Kawai H","Mita H","Yokobori S","Yamagishi A"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014 Feb","doi":"10.1007/s11084-014-9361-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:25014611","name":"Astrobiological stoichiometry.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Chemical composition affects virtually all aspects of astrobiology, from stellar astrophysics to molecular biology. We present a synopsis of the research results presented at the \"Stellar Stoichiometry\" Workshop Without Walls hosted at Arizona State University April 11-12, 2013, under the auspices of the NASA Astrobiology Institute. The results focus on the measurement of chemical abundances and the effects of composition on processes from stellar to planetary scales. Of particular interest were the scientific connections between processes in these normally disparate fields. Measuring the abundances of elements in stars and giant and terrestrial planets poses substantial difficulties in technique and interpretation. One of the motivations for this conference was the fact that determinations of the abundance of a given element in a single star by different groups can differ by more than their quoted errors. The problems affecting the reliability of abundance estimations and their inherent limitations are discussed. When these problems are taken into consideration, self-consistent surveys of stellar abundances show that there is still substantial variation (factors of &#x223c; 2) in the ratios of common elements (e.g., C, O, Na, Al, Mg, Si, Ca) important in rock-forming minerals, atmospheres, and biology. We consider how abundance variations arise through injection of supernova nucleosynthesis products into star-forming material and through photoevaporation of protoplanetary disks. The effects of composition on stellar evolution are substantial, and coupled with planetary atmosphere models can result in predicted habitable zone extents that vary by many tens of percent. Variations in the bulk composition of planets can affect rates of radiogenic heating and substantially change the mineralogy of planetary interiors, affecting properties such as convection and energy transport.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25014611/","authors":["Young PA","Desch SJ","Anbar AD","Barnes R","Hinkel NR","Kopparapu R","Madhusudhan N","Monga N","Pagano MD","Riner MA","Scannapieco E","Shim SH","Truitt A"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014 Jul","doi":"10.1089/ast.2014.1143","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:24977340","name":"Drying bacterial biosaline patterns capable of vital reanimation upon rehydration: novel hibernating biomineralogical life formations.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Water is the fundamental molecule for life on Earth. Thus, the search for hibernating life-forms in waterless environments is an important research topic for astrobiology. To date, however, the organizational patterns containing microbial life in extremely dry places, such as the deserts of Earth, the Dry Valleys of Antarctica, or Mars analog regolith, have been poorly characterized. Here, we report on the formation of bacterial biosaline self-organized drying patterns formed over plastic surfaces. These emerge during the evaporation of sessile droplets of aqueous NaCl salt 0.15 M solutions containing Escherichia coli cells. In the present study, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS) analyses indicated that the bacterial cells and the NaCl in these biosaline formations are organized in a two-layered characteristic 3-D architectural morphology. A thin filmlike top layer formed by NaCl conjugated to, and intermingled with, \"mineralized\" bacterial cells covers a bottom layer constructed by the bulk of the nonmineralized bacterial cells; both layers have the same morphological pattern. In addition, optical microscopic time-lapsed movies show that the formation of these patterns is a kinetically fast process that requires the coupled interaction between the salt and the bacterial cells. Apparently, this mutual interaction drives the generative process of self-assembly that underlies the drying pattern formation. Most notably, the bacterial cells inside these drying self-assembled patterns enter into a quiescent suspended anhydrobiotic state resistant to complete desiccation and capable of vital reanimation upon rehydration. We propose that these E. coli biosaline drying patterns represent an excellent experimental model for understanding different aspects of anhydrobiosis phenomena in bacteria as well as for revealing the mechanisms of bacterially induced biomineralization, both highly relevant topics for the search of life in extraterrestrial locations.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24977340/","authors":["Gómez Gómez JM","Medina J","Hochberg D","Mateo-Martí E","Martínez-Frías J","Rull F"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014 Jul","doi":"10.1089/ast.2014.1162","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:24652938","name":"The lunar apatite paradox.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Recent discoveries of water-rich lunar apatite are more consistent with the hydrous magmas of Earth than the otherwise volatile-depleted rocks of the Moon. Paradoxically, this requires H-rich minerals to form in rocks that are otherwise nearly anhydrous. We modeled existing data from the literature, finding that nominally anhydrous minerals do not sufficiently fractionate H from F and Cl to generate H-rich apatite. Hydrous apatites are explained as the products of apatite-induced low magmatic fluorine, which increases the H/F ratio in melt and apatite. Mare basalts may contain hydrogen-rich apatite, but lunar magmas were most likely poor in hydrogen, in agreement with the volatile depletion that is both observed in lunar rocks and required for canonical giant-impact models of the formation of the Moon.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24652938/","authors":["Boyce JW","Tomlinson SM","McCubbin FM","Greenwood JP","Treiman AH"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014 Apr 25","doi":"10.1126/science.1250398","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:24588497","name":"Microscale mapping of alteration conditions and potential biosignatures in basaltic-ultramafic rocks on early Earth and beyond.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Subseafloor environments preserved in Archean greenstone belts provide an analogue for investigating potential subsurface habitats on Mars. The c. 3.5-3.4 Ga pillow lava metabasalts of the mid-Archean Barberton greenstone belt, South Africa, have been argued to contain the earliest evidence for microbial subseafloor life. This includes candidate trace fossils in the form of titanite microtextures, and sulfur isotopic signatures of pyrite preserved in metabasaltic glass of the c. 3.472 Ga Hooggenoeg Formation. It has been contended that similar microtextures in altered martian basalts may represent potential extraterrestrial biosignatures of microbe-fluid-rock interaction. But despite numerous studies describing these putative early traces of life, a detailed metamorphic characterization of the microtextures and their host alteration conditions in the ancient pillow lava metabasites is lacking. Here, we present a new nondestructive technique with which to study the in situ metamorphic alteration conditions associated with potential biosignatures in mafic-ultramafic rocks of the Hooggenoeg Formation. Our approach combines quantitative microscale compositional mapping by electron microprobe with inverse thermodynamic modeling to derive low-temperature chlorite crystallization conditions. We found that the titanite microtextures formed under subgreenschist to greenschist facies conditions. Two chlorite temperature groups were identified in the maps surrounding the titanite microtextures and record peak metamorphic conditions at 315 &#xb1; 40&#xb0;C (XFe3+(chlorite) = 25-34%) and lower-temperature chlorite veins/microdomains at T = 210 &#xb1; 40&#xb0;C (lower XFe3+(chlorite) = 40-45%). These results provide the first metamorphic constraints in textural context on the Barberton titanite microtextures and thereby improve our understanding of the local preservation conditions of these potential biosignatures. We suggest that this approach may prove to be an important tool in future studies to assess the biogenicity of these earliest candidate traces of life on Earth. Furthermore, we propose that this mapping approach could also be used to investigate altered mafic-ultramafic extraterrestrial samples containing candidate biosignatures.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24588497/","authors":["Grosch EG","McLoughlin N","Lanari P","Erambert M","Vidal O"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014 Mar","doi":"10.1089/ast.2013.1116","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:24552234","name":"Putative indigenous carbon-bearing alteration features in martian meteorite Yamato 000593.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"We report the first observation of indigenous carbonaceous matter in the martian meteorite Yamato 000593. The carbonaceous phases are heterogeneously distributed within secondary iddingsite alteration veins and present in a range of morphologies including areas composed of carbon-rich spheroidal assemblages encased in multiple layers of iddingsite. We also observed microtubular features emanating from iddingsite veins penetrating into the host olivine comparable in shape to those interpreted to have formed by bioerosion in terrestrial basalts.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24552234/","authors":["White LM","Gibson EK","Thomas-Keprta KL","Clemett SJ","McKay DS"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014 Feb","doi":"10.1089/ast.2011.0733","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:24552233","name":"Science applications of a multispectral microscopic imager for the astrobiological exploration of Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Future astrobiological missions to Mars are likely to emphasize the use of rovers with in situ petrologic capabilities for selecting the best samples at a site for in situ analysis with onboard lab instruments or for caching for potential return to Earth. Such observations are central to an understanding of the potential for past habitable conditions at a site and for identifying samples most likely to harbor fossil biosignatures. The Multispectral Microscopic Imager (MMI) provides multispectral reflectance images of geological samples at the microscale, where each image pixel is composed of a visible/shortwave infrared spectrum ranging from 0.46 to 1.73&#x2009;&#x3bc;m. This spectral range enables the discrimination of a wide variety of rock-forming minerals, especially Fe-bearing phases, and the detection of hydrated minerals. The MMI advances beyond the capabilities of current microimagers on Mars by extending the spectral range into the infrared and increasing the number of spectral bands. The design employs multispectral light-emitting diodes and an uncooled indium gallium arsenide focal plane array to achieve a very low mass and high reliability. To better understand and demonstrate the capabilities of the MMI for future surface missions to Mars, we analyzed samples from Mars-relevant analog environments with the MMI. Results indicate that the MMI images faithfully resolve the fine-scale microtextural features of samples and provide important information to help constrain mineral composition. The use of spectral endmember mapping reveals the distribution of Fe-bearing minerals (including silicates and oxides) with high fidelity, along with the presence of hydrated minerals. MMI-based petrogenetic interpretations compare favorably with laboratory-based analyses, revealing the value of the MMI for future in situ rover-mediated astrobiological exploration of Mars.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24552233/","authors":["Núñez JI","Farmer JD","Sellar RG","Swayze GA","Blaney DL"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014 Feb","doi":"10.1089/ast.2013.1079","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:24470067","name":"Men and women in space: bone loss and kidney stone risk after long-duration spaceflight.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Bone loss, a key concern for long-duration space travelers, is typically considered a female issue. The number of women who have flown long-duration space missions is now great enough to allow a quantitative comparison of changes in bone and renal stone risk by sex. Participants were 42 astronauts (33 men and 9 women) on long-duration missions to the International Space Station. Bone mineral density (by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) and biochemical markers of bone metabolism (from blood and urine samples) were evaluated before and after flight. Data were analyzed in two groups, based on available resistance exercise equipment. Missions were 49 to 215 days in duration, flown between 2000 and 2012. The bone density response to spaceflight was the same for men and women in both exercise groups. The bone mineral density response to flight was the same for men and women, and the typical decrease in bone mineral density (whole body and/or regional) after flight was not observed for either sex for those using an advanced resistive exercise device. Biochemical markers of bone formation and resorption responded similarly in male and female astronauts. The response of urinary supersaturation risk to spaceflight was not significantly different between men and women, although risks were typically increased after flight in both groups, and risks were greater in men than in women before and after flight. The responses of men and women to spaceflight with respect to these measures of bone health were not different.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24470067/","authors":["Smith SM","Zwart SR","Heer M","Hudson EK","Shackelford L","Morgan JL"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014 Jul","doi":"10.1002/jbmr.2185","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:24458648","name":"Ancient aqueous environments at Endeavour crater, Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Opportunity has investigated in detail rocks on the rim of the Noachian age Endeavour crater, where orbital spectral reflectance signatures indicate the presence of Fe(+3)-rich smectites. The signatures are associated with fine-grained, layered rocks containing spherules of diagenetic or impact origin. The layered rocks are overlain by breccias, and both units are cut by calcium sulfate veins precipitated from fluids that circulated after the Endeavour impact. Compositional data for fractures in the layered rocks suggest formation of Al-rich smectites by aqueous leaching. Evidence is thus preserved for water-rock interactions before and after the impact, with aqueous environments of slightly acidic to circum-neutral pH that would have been more favorable for prebiotic chemistry and microorganisms than those recorded by younger sulfate-rich rocks at Meridiani Planum.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24458648/","authors":["Arvidson RE","Squyres SW","Bell JF 3rd","Catalano JG","Clark BC","Crumpler LS","de Souza PA Jr","Fairén AG","Farrand WH","Fox VK","Gellert R","Ghosh A","Golombek MP","Grotzinger JP","Guinness EA","Herkenhoff KE","Jolliff BL","Knoll AH","Li R","McLennan SM","Ming DW","Mittlefehldt DW","Moore JM","Morris RV","Murchie SL","Parker TJ","Paulsen G","Rice JW","Ruff SW","Smith MD","Wolff MJ"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014 Jan 24","doi":"10.1126/science.1248097","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:24380534","name":"Textural and mineralogical characteristics of microbial fossils associated with modern and ancient iron (oxyhydr)oxides: terrestrial analogue for sediments in Gale Crater.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Iron (oxyhydr)oxide microbial mats in modern to &#x223c;100&#x2009;ka tufa terraces are present in a cold spring system along Ten Mile Graben, southeastern Utah, USA. Mats exhibit morphological, chemical, and textural biosignatures and show diagenetic changes that occur over millennial scales. The Jurassic Brushy Basin Member of the Morrison Formation in the Four Corners region of the USA also exhibits comparable microbial fossils and iron (oxyhydr)oxide biosignatures in the lacustrine unit. Both the modern spring system and Brushy Basin Member represent alkaline, saline, groundwater-fed systems and preserve diatoms and other similar algal forms with cellular elaboration. Two distinct suites of elements (1. C, Fe, As and 2. C, S, Se, P) are associated with microbial fossils in modern and ancient iron (oxyhydr)oxides and may be potential markers for biosignatures. The presence of ferrihydrite in &#x223c;100&#x2009;ka fossil microbial mats and Jurassic rocks suggests that this thermodynamically unstable mineral may also be a potential biomarker. One of the most extensive sedimentary records on Mars is exposed in Gale Crater and consists of non-acidic clays and sulfates possibly of lacustrine origin. These terrestrial iron (oxyhydr)oxide examples are a valuable analogue because of similar iron- and clay-rich host rock compositions and will help (1) understand diagenetic processes in a non-acidic, saline lacustrine environment such as the sedimentary rocks in Gale Crater, (2) document specific biomediated textures, (3) demonstrate how biomediated textures might persist or respond to diagenesis over time, and (4) provide a ground truth library of textures to explore and compare in extraterrestrial iron (oxyhydr)oxides, where future explorations hope to detect past evidence of life.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24380534/","authors":["Potter-McIntyre SL","Chan MA","McPherson BJ"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014 Jan","doi":"10.1089/ast.2013.0974","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:24324274","name":"Elemental geochemistry of sedimentary rocks at Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Sedimentary rocks examined by the Curiosity rover at Yellowknife Bay, Mars, were derived from sources that evolved from an approximately average martian crustal composition to one influenced by alkaline basalts. No evidence of chemical weathering is preserved, indicating arid, possibly cold, paleoclimates and rapid erosion and deposition. The absence of predicted geochemical variations indicates that magnetite and phyllosilicates formed by diagenesis under low-temperature, circumneutral pH, rock-dominated aqueous conditions. Analyses of diagenetic features (including concretions, raised ridges, and fractures) at high spatial resolution indicate that they are composed of iron- and halogen-rich components, magnesium-iron-chlorine-rich components, and hydrated calcium sulfates, respectively. Composition of a cross-cutting dike-like feature is consistent with sedimentary intrusion. The geochemistry of these sedimentary rocks provides further evidence for diverse depositional and diagenetic sedimentary environments during the early history of Mars.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24324274/","authors":["McLennan SM","Anderson RB","Bell JF 3rd","Bridges JC","Calef F 3rd","Campbell JL","Clark BC","Clegg S","Conrad P","Cousin A","Des Marais DJ","Dromart G","Dyar MD","Edgar LA","Ehlmann BL","Fabre C","Forni O","Gasnault O","Gellert R","Gordon S","Grant JA","Grotzinger JP","Gupta S","Herkenhoff KE","Hurowitz JA","King PL","Le Mouélic S","Leshin LA","Léveillé R","Lewis KW","Mangold N","Maurice S","Ming DW","Morris RV","Nachon M","Newsom HE","Ollila AM","Perrett GM","Rice MS","Schmidt ME","Schwenzer SP","Stack K","Stolper EM","Sumner DY","Treiman AH","VanBommel S","Vaniman DT","Vasavada A","Wiens RC","Yingst RA","MSL Science Team"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014 Jan 24","doi":"10.1126/science.1244734","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:24324271","name":"Mineralogy of a mudstone at Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Sedimentary rocks at Yellowknife Bay (Gale crater) on Mars include mudstone sampled by the Curiosity rover. The samples, John Klein and Cumberland, contain detrital basaltic minerals, calcium sulfates, iron oxide or hydroxides, iron sulfides, amorphous material, and trioctahedral smectites. The John Klein smectite has basal spacing of ~10 angstroms, indicating little interlayer hydration. The Cumberland smectite has basal spacing at both ~13.2 and ~10 angstroms. The larger spacing suggests a partially chloritized interlayer or interlayer magnesium or calcium facilitating H2O retention. Basaltic minerals in the mudstone are similar to those in nearby eolian deposits. However, the mudstone has far less Fe-forsterite, possibly lost with formation of smectite plus magnetite. Late Noachian/Early Hesperian or younger age indicates that clay mineral formation on Mars extended beyond Noachian time.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24324271/","authors":["Vaniman DT","Bish DL","Ming DW","Bristow TF","Morris RV","Blake DF","Chipera SJ","Morrison SM","Treiman AH","Rampe EB","Rice M","Achilles CN","Grotzinger JP","McLennan SM","Williams J","Bell JF 3rd","Newsom HE","Downs RT","Maurice S","Sarrazin P","Yen AS","Morookian JM","Farmer JD","Stack K","Milliken RE","Ehlmann BL","Sumner DY","Berger G","Crisp JA","Hurowitz JA","Anderson R","Des Marais DJ","Stolper EM","Edgett KS","Gupta S","Spanovich N","MSL Science Team"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014 Jan 24","doi":"10.1126/science.1243480","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:24283927","name":"Natural fumarolic alteration of fluorapatite, olivine, and basaltic glass, and implications for habitable environments on Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Fumaroles represent a very important potential habitat on Mars because they contain water and nutrients. Global deposition of volcanic sulfate aerosols may also have been an important soil-forming process affecting large areas of Mars. Here we identify alteration from the Senator fumarole, northwest Nevada, USA, and in low-temperature environments near the fumarole to help interpret fumarolic and acid vapor alteration of rocks and soils on Mars. We analyzed soil samples and fluorapatite, olivine, and basaltic glass placed at and near the fumarole in in situ mineral alteration experiments designed to measure weathering under natural field conditions. Using synchrotron X-ray diffraction, we clearly observe hydroxyl-carbonate-bearing fluorapatite as a fumarolic alteration product of the original material, fluorapatite. The composition of apatites as well as secondary phosphates has been previously used to infer magmatic conditions as well as fumarolic conditions on Mars. To our knowledge, the observations reported here represent the first documented instance of formation of hydroxyl-carbonate-bearing apatite from fluorapatite in a field experiment. Retreat of olivine surfaces, as well as abundant NH4-containing minerals, was also characteristic of fumarolic alteration. In contrast, alteration in the nearby low-temperature environment resulted in formation of large pits on olivine surfaces, which were clearly distinguishable from the fumarolic alteration. Raman signatures of some fumarolically impacted surfaces are consistent with detection of the biological molecules chlorophyll and scytenomin, potentially useful biosignatures. Observations of altered minerals on Mars may therefore help identify the environment of formation and understand the aqueous history and potential habitability of that planet.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24283927/","authors":["Hausrath EM","Tschauner O"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013 Nov","doi":"10.1089/ast.2013.0985","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:24115434","name":"Evidence for water in the rocky debris of a disrupted extrasolar minor planet.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The existence of water in extrasolar planetary systems is of great interest because it constrains the potential for habitable planets and life. We have identified a circumstellar disk that resulted from the destruction of a water-rich and rocky extrasolar minor planet. The parent body formed and evolved around a star somewhat more massive than the Sun, and the debris now closely orbits the white dwarf remnant of the star. The stellar atmosphere is polluted with metals accreted from the disk, including oxygen in excess of that expected for oxide minerals, indicating that the parent body was originally composed of 26% water by mass. This finding demonstrates that water-bearing planetesimals exist around A- and F-type stars that end their lives as white dwarfs.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24115434/","authors":["Farihi J","Gänsicke BT","Koester D"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013 Oct 11","doi":"10.1126/science.1239447","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:24015783","name":"Field-based Raman spectroscopic analyses of an Ordovician stromatolite.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Raman spectrometers are being miniaturized for future life-detection missions on Mars. Field-portable Raman spectrometers, which have similar spectral parameters to the instruments being developed for Mars rovers, have been used to examine extant biosignatures, but they have not yet been used to examine ancient biosignatures. Here, a portable Raman spectrometer was used to analyze an Ordovician stromatolite at the outcrop, revealing both its mineralogy and the presence of sp&#xb2; carbonaceous material. As stromatolites are often used as proof of the presence of life in Archean rocks and are searched for on Mars, the ability to analyze them in the field with no sample preparation has important ramifications for future Mars missions. However, these results also reveal that a 785&#x2009;nm excitation source, rather than the 532&#x2009;nm excitation source planned for future missions, might be a better choice in the search for fossil biosignatures.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24015783/","authors":["Olcott Marshall A","Marshall CP"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013 Sep","doi":"10.1089/ast.2013.1026","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:23896294","name":"Quantitative Raman spectroscopy as a tool to study the kinetics and formation mechanism of carbonates.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"We have carried out a systematic study of abiotic precipitation at different temperatures of several Mg and Ca carbonates (calcite, nesquehonite, hydrocalcite) present in carbonaceous chondrites. This study highlights the capability of Raman spectroscopy as a primary tool for performing full mineralogical analysis. The precipitation reaction and the structure of the resulting carbonates were monitored and identified with Raman spectroscopy. Raman spectroscopy enabled us to confirm that the precipitation reaction is very fast (minutes) when Ca(II) is present in the solution, whereas for Mg(II) such reactions developed at rather slow rates (weeks). We also observed that both the composition and the reaction mechanisms depended on temperature, which might help to clarify several issues in the fields of planetology and geology, because of the environmental implications of these carbonates on both terrestrial and extraterrestrial objects.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23896294/","authors":["Bonales LJ","Muñoz-Iglesias V","Santamaría-Pérez D","Caceres M","Fernandez-Remolar D","Prieto-Ballesteros O"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013 Dec","doi":"10.1016/j.saa.2013.06.121","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:23762242","name":"Boron enrichment in martian clay.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"We have detected a concentration of boron in martian clay far in excess of that in any previously reported extra-terrestrial object. This enrichment indicates that the chemistry necessary for the formation of ribose, a key component of RNA, could have existed on Mars since the formation of early clay deposits, contemporary to the emergence of life on Earth. Given the greater similarity of Earth and Mars early in their geological history, and the extensive disruption of Earth's earliest mineralogy by plate tectonics, we suggest that the conditions for prebiotic ribose synthesis may be better understood by further Mars exploration.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23762242/","authors":["Stephenson JD","Hallis LJ","Nagashima K","Freeland SJ"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013","doi":"10.1371/journal.pone.0064624","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:23733935","name":"Evidence for reactive reduced phosphorus species in the early Archean ocean.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"It has been hypothesized that before the emergence of modern DNA-RNA-protein life, biology evolved from an \"RNA world.\" However, synthesizing RNA and other organophosphates under plausible early Earth conditions has proved difficult, with the incorporation of phosphorus (P) causing a particular problem because phosphate, where most environmental P resides, is relatively insoluble and unreactive. Recently, it has been proposed that during the Hadean-Archean heavy bombardment by extraterrestrial impactors, meteorites would have provided reactive P in the form of the iron-nickel phosphide mineral schreibersite. This reacts in water, releasing soluble and reactive reduced P species, such as phosphite, that could then be readily incorporated into prebiotic molecules. Here, we report the occurrence of phosphite in early Archean marine carbonates at levels indicating that this was an abundant dissolved species in the ocean before 3.5 Ga. Additionally, we show that schreibersite readily reacts with an aqueous solution of glycerol to generate phosphite and the membrane biomolecule glycerol-phosphate under mild thermal conditions, with this synthesis using a mineral source of P. Phosphite derived from schreibersite was, hence, a plausible reagent in the prebiotic synthesis of phosphorylated biomolecules and was also present on the early Earth in quantities large enough to have affected the redox state of P in the ocean. Phosphorylated biomolecules like RNA may, thus, have first formed from the reaction of reduced P species with the prebiotic organic milieu on the early Earth.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23733935/","authors":["Pasek MA","Harnmeijer JP","Buick R","Gull M","Atlas Z"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013 Jun 18","doi":"10.1073/pnas.1303904110","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:23657254","name":"A new anode material for oxygen evolution in molten oxide electrolysis.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Molten oxide electrolysis (MOE) is an electrometallurgical technique that enables the direct production of metal in the liquid state from oxide feedstock, and compared with traditional methods of extractive metallurgy offers both a substantial simplification of the process and a significant reduction in energy consumption. MOE is also considered a promising route for mitigation of CO2 emissions in steelmaking, production of metals free of carbon, and generation of oxygen for extra-terrestrial exploration. Until now, MOE has been demonstrated using anode materials that are consumable (graphite for use with ferro-alloys and titanium) or unaffordable for terrestrial applications (iridium for use with iron). To enable metal production without process carbon, MOE requires an anode material that resists depletion while sustaining oxygen evolution. The challenges for iron production are threefold. First, the process temperature is in excess of 1,538 degrees Celsius (ref. 10). Second, under anodic polarization most metals inevitably corrode in such conditions. Third, iron oxide undergoes spontaneous reduction on contact with most refractory metals and even carbon. Here we show that anodes comprising chromium-based alloys exhibit limited consumption during iron extraction and oxygen evolution by MOE. The anode stability is due to the formation of an electronically conductive solid solution of chromium(iii) and aluminium oxides in the corundum structure. These findings make practicable larger-scale evaluation of MOE for the production of steel, and potentially provide a key material component enabling mitigation of greenhouse-gas emissions while producing metal of superior metallurgical quality.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23657254/","authors":["Allanore A","Yin L","Sadoway DR"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013 May 16","doi":"10.1038/nature12134","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:23360995","name":"The Tissint Martian meteorite as evidence for the largest impact excavation.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"High-pressure minerals in meteorites provide clues for the impact processes that excavated, launched and delivered these samples to Earth. Most Martian meteorites are suggested to have been excavated from 3 to 7 km diameter impact craters. Here we show that the Tissint meteorite, a 2011 meteorite fall, contains virtually all the high-pressure phases (seven minerals and two mineral glasses) that have been reported in isolated occurrences in other Martian meteorites. Particularly, one ringwoodite (75 × 140 μm2) represents the largest grain observed in all Martian samples. Collectively, the ubiquitous high-pressure minerals of unusually large sizes in Tissint indicate that shock metamorphism was widely dispersed in this sample (~25 GPa and ~2,000 °C). Using the size and growth kinetics of the ringwoodite grains, we infer an initial impact crater with ~90 km diameter, with a factor of 2 uncertainty. These energetic conditions imply alteration of any possible low-T minerals in Tissint. High-pressure minerals in meteorites reflect the conditions prevailing when they were excavated and launched from their parent bodies. Tissint—a recent Martian meteorite—contains an unusual number of large high-pressure minerals, suggesting excavation from an impact of larger magnitude than for previous Martian samples.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23360995/","authors":["Baziotis IP","Liu Y","DeCarli PS","Melosh HJ","McSween HY","Bodnar RJ","Taylor LA","Ioannis Baziotis","Yang Liu","Paul S. DeCarli","H. J. Melosh","H. Y. McSween"],"tags":["Meteorite","Martian","Impact crater","Ringwoodite","Shock metamorphism"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013","doi":"10.1038/ncomms2414","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"pmid:23239376","name":"Determination of 17O-excess of terrestrial silicate/oxide minerals with respect to Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water (VSMOW).","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Oxygen triple isotope compositions give key information for understanding physical processes during isotopic fractionation between the geo-, hydro-, bio-, and atmosphere. For detailed discussion of these topics, it is necessary to determine precise (17)O-excess values of terrestrial silicate/oxide minerals with respect to Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water (VSMOW).","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23239376/","authors":["Tanaka R","Nakamura E"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013 Jan 30","doi":"10.1002/rcm.6453","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:23151300","name":"The miniaturized Raman system and detection of traces of life in halite from the Atacama Desert: some considerations for the search for life signatures on Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Raman spectroscopy is being adopted as a nondestructive instrumentation for the robotic exploration of Mars to search for traces of life in the geological record. Here, miniaturized Raman spectrometers of two different types equipped with 532 and 785&#x2009;nm lasers for excitation, respectively, were compared for the detection of microbial biomarkers in natural halite from the hyperarid region of the Atacama Desert. Measurements were performed directly on the rock as well as on the homogenized, powdered samples prepared from this material-the effects of this sample preparation and the excitation wavelength employed in the analysis are compared and discussed. From these results, 532&#x2009;nm excitation was found to be superior for the analysis of powdered specimens due to its high sensitivity toward carotenoids and hence a higher capability for their detection at relatively low concentration in bulk powdered specimens. For the same reason, this wavelength was a better choice for the detection of carotenoids in direct measurements made on the rock samples. The 785&#x2009;nm excitation wavelength, in contrast, proved to be more sensitive toward the detection of scytonemin.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23151300/","authors":["Vítek P","Jehlička J","Edwards HG","Hutchinson I","Ascaso C","Wierzchos J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012 Dec","doi":"10.1089/ast.2012.0879","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:22865011","name":"The ExoMars Raman spectrometer and the identification of biogeological spectroscopic signatures using a flight-like prototype.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The molecular specificity of Raman spectroscopy provides a powerful tool for the analytical interrogation of mineralogical and many biological specimens. The Raman Laser Spectrometer (RLS) is a compact Raman spectrometer under development for deployment on the Martian surface as part of the forthcoming ESA ExoMars mission. This will be the first Raman instrument deployed in space. The scientific interpretation of the data emerging from such an instrument not only addresses the geological and mineral composition of the specimens but also enables an assessment to be made of organic biomaterials that may be preserved in the planetary geological record. The latter evidence centres on the residual and distinctive chemistry relating to the biological adaptation of the geological matrix that has occurred as a result of extremophilic organisms colonizing suitable geological niches for their survival in environmentally stressed habitats on Mars. These biogeological modifications have been studied terrestrially for Mars analogue sites and consist of both a geological component and residual key organic biomarkers, the recognition of which would be a prime factor in life detection surveys of a planetary surface and subsurface. In this paper, the protocols required for the Raman spectral discrimination of key biogeological features that may be detectable on the Martian planetary surface or subsurface are developed using the UK breadboard (UKBB) instrument. This instrument has been constructed to be functionally equivalent to the RLS flight instrument design in order to evaluate the feasible science return of the instrument which will finally be delivered to Mars. Initial Raman measurements using the UKBB are presented and compared with the performance of a commercial laboratory Raman microscope. The initial measurements reported here demonstrate this flight-like prototype achieves straightforward detection of biological signatures contained in geological matrices with Raman band signal to noise ratios high enough to determine sample composition by inspection and without the need for deconvolution or further processing.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22865011/","authors":["Edwards HG","Hutchinson I","Ingley R"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012 Oct","doi":"10.1007/s00216-012-6285-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:22797487","name":"Prebiotic chemistry.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22797487/","authors":["Lambert JF","Sodupe M","Ugliengo P"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012 Aug 21","doi":"10.1039/c2cs90061k","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:22794300","name":"Review of wet environment types on Mars with focus on duration and volumetric issues.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The astrobiological significance of certain environment types on Mars strongly depends on the temperature, duration, and chemistry of liquid water that was present there in the past. Recent works have focused on the identification of signs of ancient water on Mars, as it is more difficult to estimate the above-mentioned parameters. In this paper, two important factors are reviewed, the duration and the volume of water at different environment types on past and present Mars. Using currently available information, we can only roughly estimate these values, but as environment types show characteristic differences in this respect, it is worth comparing them and the result may have importance for research in astrobiology. Impact-induced and geothermal hydrothermal systems, lakes, and valley networks were in existence on Mars over the course of from 10(2) to 10(6) years, although they would have experienced substantially different temperature regimes. Ancient oceans, as well as water in outflow channels and gullies, and at the microscopic scale as interfacial water layers, would have had inherently different times of duration and overall volume: oceans may have endured from 10(4) to 10(6) years, while interfacial water would have had the smallest volume and residence time of liquid phase on Mars. Martian wet environments with longer residence times of liquid water are believed to have existed for that amount of time necessary for life to develop on Earth between the Late Heavy Bombardment and the age of the earliest fossil record. The results of this review show the necessity for more detailed analysis of conditions within geothermal heat-induced systems to reconstruct the conditions during weathering and mineral alteration, as well as to search for signs of reoccurring wet periods in ancient crater lakes.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22794300/","authors":["Kereszturi A"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012 Jun","doi":"10.1089/ast.2011.0686","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:22794252","name":"Gypsum-permineralized microfossils and their relevance to the search for life on Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Orbital and in situ analyses establish that aerially extensive deposits of evaporitic sulfates, including gypsum, are present on the surface of Mars. Although comparable gypsiferous sediments on Earth have been largely ignored by paleontologists, we here report the finding of diverse fossil microscopic organisms permineralized in bottom-nucleated gypsums of seven deposits: two from the Permian (&#x223c;260&#x2009;Ma) of New Mexico, USA; one from the Miocene (&#x223c;6&#x2009;Ma) of Italy; and four from Recent lacustrine and saltern deposits of Australia, Mexico, and Peru. In addition to presenting the first report of the widespread occurrence of microscopic fossils in bottom-nucleated primary gypsum, we show the striking morphological similarity of the majority of the benthic filamentous fossils of these units to the microorganisms of a modern sulfuretum biocoenose. Based on such similarity, in morphology as well as habitat, these findings suggest that anaerobic sulfur-metabolizing microbial assemblages have changed relatively little over hundreds of millions of years. Their discovery as fossilized components of the seven gypsiferous units reported suggests that primary bottom-nucleated gypsum represents a promising target in the search for evidence of past life on Mars. Key Words: Confocal laser scanning microscopy-Gypsum fossils-Mars sample return missions-Raman spectroscopy-Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument-Sulfuretum.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22794252/","authors":["Schopf JW","Farmer JD","Foster IS","Kudryavtsev AB","Gallardo VA","Espinoza C"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012 Jul","doi":"10.1089/ast.2012.0827","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:22680690","name":"The PROCESS experiment: amino and carboxylic acids under Mars-like surface UV radiation conditions in low-earth orbit.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The search for organic molecules at the surface of Mars is a top priority of the next Mars exploration space missions: Mars Science Laboratory (NASA) and ExoMars (ESA). The detection of organic matter could provide information about the presence of a prebiotic chemistry or even biological activity on this planet. Therefore, a key step in interpretation of future data collected by these missions is to understand the preservation of organic matter in the martian environment. Several laboratory experiments have been devoted to quantifying and qualifying the evolution of organic molecules under simulated environmental conditions of Mars. However, these laboratory simulations are limited, and one major constraint is the reproduction of the UV spectrum that reaches the surface of Mars. As part of the PROCESS experiment of the European EXPOSE-E mission on board the International Space Station, a study was performed on the photodegradation of organics under filtered extraterrestrial solar electromagnetic radiation that mimics Mars-like surface UV radiation conditions. Glycine, serine, phthalic acid, phthalic acid in the presence of a mineral phase, and mellitic acid were exposed to these conditions for 1.5 years, and their evolution was determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy after their retrieval. The results were compared with data from laboratory experiments. A 1.5-year exposure to Mars-like surface UV radiation conditions in space resulted in complete degradation of the organic compounds. Half-lives between 50 and 150&#x2009;h for martian surface conditions were calculated from both laboratory and low-Earth orbit experiments. The results highlight that none of those organics are stable under low-Earth orbit solar UV radiation conditions.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22680690/","authors":["Noblet A","Stalport F","Guan YY","Poch O","Coll P","Szopa C","Cloix M","Macari F","Raulin F","Chaput D","Cottin H"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012 May","doi":"10.1089/ast.2011.0756","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:22628557","name":"A reduced organic carbon component in martian basalts.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The source and nature of carbon on Mars have been a subject of intense speculation. We report the results of confocal Raman imaging spectroscopy on 11 martian meteorites, spanning about 4.2 billion years of martian history. Ten of the meteorites contain abiotic macromolecular carbon (MMC) phases detected in association with small oxide grains included within high-temperature minerals. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were detected along with MMC phases in Dar al Gani 476. The association of organic carbon within magmatic minerals indicates that martian magmas favored precipitation of reduced carbon species during crystallization. The ubiquitous distribution of abiotic organic carbon in martian igneous rocks is important for understanding the martian carbon cycle and has implications for future missions to detect possible past martian life.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22628557/","authors":["Steele A","McCubbin FM","Fries M","Kater L","Boctor NZ","Fogel ML","Conrad PG","Glamoclija M","Spencer M","Morrow AL","Hammond MR","Zare RN","Vicenzi EP","Siljeström S","Bowden R","Herd CD","Mysen BO","Shirey SB","Amundsen HE","Treiman AH","Bullock ES","Jull AJ"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012 Jul 13","doi":"10.1126/science.1220715","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:22556248","name":"Ancient impact and aqueous processes at Endeavour Crater, Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The rover Opportunity has investigated the rim of Endeavour Crater, a large ancient impact crater on Mars. Basaltic breccias produced by the impact form the rim deposits, with stratigraphy similar to that observed at similar-sized craters on Earth. Highly localized zinc enrichments in some breccia materials suggest hydrothermal alteration of rim deposits. Gypsum-rich veins cut sedimentary rocks adjacent to the crater rim. The gypsum was precipitated from low-temperature aqueous fluids flowing upward from the ancient materials of the rim, leading temporarily to potentially habitable conditions and providing some of the waters involved in formation of the ubiquitous sulfate-rich sandstones of the Meridiani region.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22556248/","authors":["Squyres SW","Arvidson RE","Bell JF 3rd","Calef F 3rd","Clark BC","Cohen BA","Crumpler LA","de Souza PA Jr","Farrand WH","Gellert R","Grant J","Herkenhoff KE","Hurowitz JA","Johnson JR","Jolliff BL","Knoll AH","Li R","McLennan SM","Ming DW","Mittlefehldt DW","Parker TJ","Paulsen G","Rice MS","Ruff SW","Schr��der C","Yen AS","Zacny K"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012 May 4","doi":"10.1126/science.1220476","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:22519973","name":"Microbially induced iron precipitation associated with a neutrophilic spring at Borra Caves, Vishakhapatnam, India.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The present investigation uncovers various pieces of evidence for the possible biologically induced mineralization in iron mats associated with a pH-neutral spring in the Borra caves, Vishakhapatnam, India. Electron microscopy [scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM)] demonstrated large numbers of (i) hollow tubes (diameter &#x223c;1&#x2009;&#x3bc;m) resembling sheaths of the iron-oxidizing bacteria Leptothrix, (ii) thin (diameter &lt;&lt;1&#x2009;&#x3bc;m) solid fibers of uncertain origin, (iii) nanoscale subspherical to irregularly shaped particles encrusting tubes and fibers, and (iv) aggregates of broken and partially disintegrated sheaths, fibers, and particles embedded in extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) occasionally including microbial cells. X-ray microanalyses by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) revealed that the mat accumulated largely Fe but also smaller amounts of Si and traces of P and Ca. Particles rich in Si and Al (possibly kaolinite) and Ca (carbonate) were also observed. High-resolution TEM/EDS of unstained ultrathin sections suggests that microbial sheaths were highly mineralized by amorphous to cryptocrystalline Fe-rich phases and less frequently by other fine-grained and fibrous authigenic claylike minerals. Total number of microorganisms in the iron mats was 5.8&#xd7;10(5) cells, g sed(-1) (wet weight). Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene diversity revealed microorganisms assigned to eight different phyla [Proteobacteria (62%), Chloroflexi (8%), Bacteroidetes (7%), Planctomycetes (1%), Actinobacteria (5%), Acidobacteria (6%), Nitrospira (1%), Firmicutes (5%)]. Within the Proteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria was the predominant class, which accounted for 28% of the sequences. Within this class some obvious similarities between the obtained sequences and sequences from other cave systems could be seen, especially sequences affiliated with Leptothrix, Siderooxidans, Crenothrix, Comamonadaceae, Dechloromonas, and many uncultured Betaproteobacteria. Four (4%) of the sequences could not be assigned to phylum level but were affiliating with the candidate division TM7 (2%), candidate division OP11 (1%), and candidate division WWE3 (1%). The results allow us to infer a possible relationship of microbial sheaths, EPS, and the iron precipitates to microbial community diversity in the Borra cave springs. Understanding biogenic iron oxides in caves has important astrobiological applications as it provides a potential tool for the detection of extraterrestrial life.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22519973/","authors":["Baskar S","Baskar R","Thorseth IH","Ovreås L","Pedersen RB"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012 Apr","doi":"10.1089/ast.2011.0672","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:22352702","name":"In situ microbial detection in Mojave Desert soil using native fluorescence.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"We report on the use of a portable instrument for microbial detection in the Mojave Desert soil and the potential for its use on Mars. The instrument is based on native fluorescence and employs four excitation wavelengths combined with four emission wavelengths. A soil dilution series in which known numbers of Bacillus subtilis spores were added to soil was used to determine the sensitivity of the instrument. We found that the fluorescence of the biological and organic components of the desert soil samples studied can be as strong as the fluorescence of the mineral component of these soils. Using the calibration derived from B. subtilis spores, we estimated that microbial content at our primary sampling site was 10(7) bacteria per gram of soil, a level confirmed by phospholipid fatty acid analysis. At a nearby site, but in a slightly different geological setting, we tested the instrument's ability to map out microbial concentrations in situ. Over a &#x223c;50 m diameter circle, soil microbial concentrations determined with the B. subtilis calibration indicate that the concentrations of microorganisms detected varies from 10(4) to 10(7) cells per gram of soil. We conclude that fluorescence is a promising method for detecting soil microbes in noncontact applications in extreme environments on Earth and may have applications on future missions to Mars.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22352702/","authors":["Smith HD","Duncan AG","Neary PL","Lloyd CR","Anderson AJ","Sims RC","McKay CP"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012 Mar","doi":"10.1089/ast.2010.0549","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:22198841","name":"Formation of buckminsterfullerene (C60) in interstellar space.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Buckminsterfullerene (C(60)) was recently confirmed as the largest molecule identified in space. However, it remains unclear how and where this molecule is formed. It is generally believed that C(60) is formed from the buildup of small carbonaceous compounds in the hot and dense envelopes of evolved stars. Analyzing infrared observations, obtained by Spitzer and Herschel, we found that C(60) is efficiently formed in the tenuous and cold environment of an interstellar cloud illuminated by strong ultraviolet (UV) radiation fields. This implies that another formation pathway, efficient at low densities, must exist. Based on recent laboratory and theoretical studies, we argue that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are converted into graphene, and subsequently C(60), under UV irradiation from massive stars. This shows that alternative--top-down--routes are key to understanding the organic inventory in space.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22198841/","authors":["Berné O","Tielens AG"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012 Jan 10","doi":"10.1073/pnas.1114207108","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:22165996","name":"Olivine-respiring bacteria isolated from the rock-ice interface in a lava-tube cave, a Mars analog environment.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The boundary between ice and basalt on Earth is an analogue for some near-surface environments of Mars. We investigated neutrophilic iron-oxidizing microorganisms from the basalt-ice interface in a lava tube from the Oregon Cascades with perennial ice. One of the isolates (Pseudomonas sp. HerB) can use ferrous iron Fe(II) from the igneous mineral olivine as an electron donor and O(2) as an electron acceptor. The optimum growth temperature is &#x223c;12-14&#xb0;C, but growth also occurs at 5&#xb0;C. Bicarbonate is a facultative source of carbon. Growth of Pseudomonas sp. HerB as a chemolithotrophic iron oxidizer with olivine as the source of energy is favored in low O(2) conditions (e.g., 1.6% O(2)). Most likely, microbial oxidation of olivine near pH 7 requires low O(2) to offset the abiotic oxidation of iron. The metabolic capabilities of this bacterium would allow it to live in near-surface, icy, volcanic environments of Mars in the present or recent geological past and make this type of physiology a prime candidate in the search for life on Mars.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22165996/","authors":["Popa R","Smith AR","Popa R","Boone J","Fisk M"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012 Jan","doi":"10.1089/ast.2011.0639","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:22128323","name":"Cosmochemistry: Understanding the Solar System through analysis of extraterrestrial materials.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Cosmochemistry is the chemical analysis of extraterrestrial materials. This term generally is taken to mean laboratory analysis, which is the cosmochemistry gold standard because of the ability for repeated analysis under highly controlled conditions using the most advanced instrumentation unhindered by limitations in power, space, or environment. Over the past 40 y, advances in technology have enabled telescopic and spacecraft instruments to provide important data that significantly complement the laboratory data. In this special edition, recent advances in the state of the art of cosmochemistry are presented, which range from instrumental analysis of meteorites to theoretical-computational and astronomical observations.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22128323/","authors":["MacPherson GJ","Thiemens MH","G. J. MacPherson","M. H. Thiemens"],"tags":["Cosmochemistry","Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Meteorite","Instrumentation (computer programming)"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011 Nov 29","doi":"10.1073/pnas.1111493108","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"pmid:22106261","name":"Stardust in meteorites.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Primitive meteorites, interplanetary dust particles, and comets contain dust grains that formed around stars that lived their lives before the solar system formed. These remarkable objects have been intensively studied since their discovery a little over twenty years ago and they provide samples of other stars that can be studied in the laboratory in exquisite detail with modern analytical tools. The properties of stardust grains are used to constrain models of nucleosynthesis in red giant stars and supernovae, the dominant sources of dust grains that are recycled into the interstellar medium by stars.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22106261/","authors":["Davis AM"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011 Nov 29","doi":"10.1073/pnas.1013483108","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:22106251","name":"Cosmochemical evidence for astrophysical processes during the formation of our solar system.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Through the laboratory study of ancient solar system materials such as meteorites and comet dust, we can recognize evidence for the same star-formation processes in our own solar system as those that we can observe now through telescopes in nearby star-forming regions. High temperature grains formed in the innermost region of the solar system ended up much farther out in the solar system, not only the asteroid belt but even in the comet accretion region, suggesting a huge and efficient process of mass transport. Bi-polar outflows, turbulent diffusion, and marginal gravitational instability are the likely mechanisms for this transport. The presence of short-lived radionuclides in the early solar system, especially (60)Fe, (26)Al, and (41)Ca, requires a nearby supernova shortly before our solar system was formed, suggesting that the Sun was formed in a massive star-forming region similar to Orion or Carina. Solar system formation may have been \"triggered\" by ionizing radiation originating from massive O and B stars at the center of an expanding HII bubble, one of which may have later provided the supernova source for the short-lived radionuclides. Alternatively, a supernova shock wave may have simultaneously triggered the collapse and injected the short-lived radionuclides. Because the Sun formed in a region where many other stars were forming more or less contemporaneously, the bi-polar outflows from all such stars enriched the local region in interstellar silicate and oxide dust. This may explain several observed anomalies in the meteorite record: a near absence of detectable (no extreme isotopic properties) presolar silicate grains and a dichotomy in the isotope record between (26)Al and nucleosynthetic (nonradiogenic) anomalies.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22106251/","authors":["MacPherson GJ","Boss A"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011 Nov 29","doi":"10.1073/pnas.1110051108","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:22077375","name":"Properties of an Earth-like planet orbiting a Sun-like star: Earth observed by the EPOXI mission.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"NASA's EPOXI mission observed the disc-integrated Earth and Moon to test techniques for reconnoitering extrasolar terrestrial planets, using the Deep Impact flyby spacecraft to observe Earth at the beginning and end of Northern Hemisphere spring, 2008, from a range of &#x223c;1/6 to 1/3 AU. These observations furnish high-precision and high-cadence empirical photometry and spectroscopy of Earth, suitable as \"ground truth\" for numerically simulating realistic observational scenarios for an Earth-like exoplanet with finite signal-to-noise ratio. Earth was observed at near-equatorial sub-spacecraft latitude on 18-19 March, 28-29 May, and 4-5 June (UT), in the range of 372-4540&#x2009;nm wavelength with low visible resolving power (&#x3bb;/&#x394;&#x3bb;=5-13) and moderate IR resolving power (&#x3bb;/&#x394;&#x3bb;=215-730). Spectrophotometry in seven filters yields light curves at &#x223c;372-948&#x2009;nm filter-averaged wavelength, modulated by Earth's rotation with peak-to-peak amplitude of &#x2264;20%. The spatially resolved Sun glint is a minor contributor to disc-integrated reflectance. Spectroscopy at 1100-4540&#x2009;nm reveals gaseous water and carbon dioxide, with minor features of molecular oxygen, methane, and nitrous oxide. One-day changes in global cloud cover resulted in differences between the light curve beginning and end of &#x2264;5%. The light curve of a lunar transit of Earth on 29 May is color-dependent due to the Moon's red spectrum partially occulting Earth's relatively blue spectrum. The \"vegetation red edge\" spectral contrast observed between two long-wavelength visible/near-IR bands is ambiguous, not clearly distinguishing between the verdant Earth diluted by cloud cover versus the desolate mineral regolith of the Moon. Spectrophotometry in at least one other comparison band at short wavelength is required to distinguish between Earth-like and Moon-like surfaces in reconnaissance observations. However, measurements at 850&#x2009;nm alone, the high-reflectance side of the red edge, could be sufficient to establish periodicity in the light curve and deduce Earth's diurnal period and the existence of fixed surface units.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22077375/","authors":["Livengood TA","Deming LD","A'hearn MF","Charbonneau D","Hewagama T","Lisse CM","McFadden LA","Meadows VS","Robinson TD","Seager S","Wellnitz DD"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011 Nov","doi":"10.1089/ast.2011.0614","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:22051674","name":"Subsurface water and clay mineral formation during the early history of Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Clay minerals, recently discovered to be widespread in Mars's Noachian terrains, indicate long-duration interaction between water and rock over 3.7 billion years ago. Analysis of how they formed should indicate what environmental conditions prevailed on early Mars. If clays formed near the surface by weathering, as is common on Earth, their presence would indicate past surface conditions warmer and wetter than at present. However, available data instead indicate substantial Martian clay formation by hydrothermal groundwater circulation and a Noachian rock record dominated by evidence of subsurface waters. Cold, arid conditions with only transient surface water may have characterized Mars's surface for over 4 billion years, since the early-Noachian period, and the longest-duration aqueous, potentially habitable environments may have been in the subsurface.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22051674/","authors":["Ehlmann BL","Mustard JF","Murchie SL","Bibring JP","Meunier A","Fraeman AA","Langevin Y"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011 Nov 2","doi":"10.1038/nature10582","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:22050821","name":"From Río Tinto to Mars: the terrestrial and extraterrestrial ecology of acidophiles.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The recent geomicrobiological characterization of R&#xed;o Tinto, Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB), has proven the importance of the iron cycle, not only in generating the extreme conditions of the habitat (low pH, high concentration of toxic heavy metals) but also in maintaining the high level of microbial diversity, both prokaryotic and eukaryotic, detected in the water column and the sediments. The extreme conditions of the Tinto basin are not the product of industrial contamination but the consequence of the presence of an underground bioreactor that obtains its energy from the massive sulfide minerals of the IPB. To test this hypothesis, a drilling project was carried out to intersect ground waters that interact with the mineral ore in order to provide evidence of subsurface microbial activities and the potential resources to support these activities. The oxidants that drive the system appear to come from the rock matrix, contradicting conventional acid mine drainage models. These resources need only groundwater to launch microbial metabolism. There are several similarities between the vast deposits of sulfates and iron oxides on Mars and the main sulfide-containing iron bioleaching products found in the Tinto. Firstly, the short-lived methane detected both in Mars' atmosphere and in the sediments and subsurface of the IPB and secondly, the abundance of iron, common to both. The physicochemical properties of iron make it a source of energy, a shield against radiation and oxidative stress as well as a natural pH controller. These similarities have led to R&#xed;o Tinto's status as a Mars terrestrial analogue.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22050821/","authors":["Amils R","González-Toril E","Aguilera A","Rodríguez N","Fernández-Remolar D","Gómez F","García-Moyano A","Malki M","Oggerin M","Sánchez-Andrea I","Sanz JL"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011","doi":"10.1016/B978-0-12-387044-5.00002-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:21974601","name":"Laser ablation-miniature mass spectrometer for elemental and isotopic analysis of rocks.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"A laser ablation-miniature mass spectrometer (LA-MMS) for the chemical and isotopic measurement of rocks and minerals is described. In the LA-MMS method, neutral atoms ablated by a pulsed laser are led into an electron impact ionization source, where they are ionized by a 70 eV electron beam. This results in a secondary ion pulse typically 10-100 &#x3bc;s wide, compared to the original 5-10 ns laser pulse duration. Ions of different masses are then spatially dispersed along the focal plane of the magnetic sector of the miniature mass spectrometer (MMS) and measured in parallel by a modified CCD array detector capable of detecting ions directly. Compared to conventional scanning techniques, simultaneous measurement of the ion pulse along the focal plane effectively offers a 100% duty cycle over a wide mass range. LA-MMS offers a more quantitative assessment of elemental composition than techniques that detect ions directly generated by the ablation process because the latter can be strongly influenced by matrix effects that vary with the structure and geometry of the surface, the wavelength of the laser beam, and the not well characterized ionization efficiencies of the elements in the process. The above problems attendant to the direct ion analysis has been minimized in the LA-MMS by analyzing the ablated neutral species after their post-ionization by electron impaction. These neutral species are much more abundant than the directly ablated ions in the ablated vapor plume and are, therefore, expected to be characteristic of the chemical composition of the solid. Also, the electron impact ionization of elements is well studied and their ionization cross sections are known and easy to find in databases. Currently, the LA-MMS limit of detection is 0.4 wt.%. Here we describe LA-MMS elemental composition measurements of various minerals including microcline, lepidolite, anorthoclase, and USGS BCR-2G samples. The measurements of high precision isotopic ratios including (41)K/(39)K (0.077 &#xb1; 0.004) and (29)Si/(28)Si (0.052 &#xb1; 0.006) in these minerals by LA-MMS are also described. The LA-MMS has been developed as a prototype instrument system for space applications for geochemical and geochronological measurements on the surface of extraterrestrial bodies.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21974601/","authors":["Sinha MP","Neidholdt EL","Hurowitz J","Sturhahn W","Beard B","Hecht MH"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011 Sep","doi":"10.1063/1.3626794","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:21970040","name":"[Metabolic effects of physical countermeasures against deficient weight-bearing in an experiment with 7-day immersion].","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Metabolic effects of physical countermeasures against deficient weight-loading were studied in three groups of 21-30 y.o. volunteers for 7-d dry immersion. Blood serum was investigated for 38 biochemical parameters that characterize myocardium, skeletal musculature, hepatobiliary system, kidney, pancreas, GI tract, prostate, and protein-nucleic, carbohydrate, electrolyte and mineral metabolism. Seven-day DI w/o countermeasures (n = 5) increased concentration of conjugated bilirubin, suppressed activities of muscular (creatine phosphokinase MM) and myocardial enzymes (CPK MB, OBDH), and caused an upward trend in cholesterol, its atherogenic LDP fraction and triglycerides. Mechanic sole stimulation (n = 6) intensified, within the physiological norm, erythrocyte hematolysis raising total bilirubin and potassium. Despite the stimulation, activity of muscle and myocardial enzymes made a decrease. Blood creatinine decreased to a less extent than in the immersed group w/o stimulation, however, lipid parameters did not rise. High-frequency stimulation of the lower leg and hip muscles in the course of immersion (n = 5) was noted to heighten the activity of muscle enzymes and potassium level in blood beyond the physiological norm. Change in creatinine did not reach a statistical significance and lipid metabolism parameters were not different from baseline values. Application of these physical methods of counteracting deficiency of weight bearing did not interfere with redistribution of body liquids due to immersion. Values of the parameters under study were mostly within the normal limits throughout the experimental exposure suggesting absence of pathological developments during DI or in consequence of physical stimulation. Therefore, the reactions were obviously of normal adaptive character.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21970040/","authors":["Markin AA","Zhuravleva OA","Morukov BV","Zabolotskaia IV","Vostrikova LV","Kuzichkin DS"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011 Jul-Aug","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:21969535","name":"Combining meteorites and missions to explore Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Laboratory studies of meteorites and robotic exploration of Mars reveal scant atmosphere, no evidence of plate tectonics, past evidence for abundant water, and a protracted igneous evolution. Despite indirect hints, direct evidence of a martian origin came with the discovery of trapped atmospheric gases in one meteorite. Since then, the study of martian meteorites and findings from missions have been linked. Although the meteorite source locations are unknown, impact ejection modeling and spectral mapping of Mars suggest derivation from small craters in terrains of Amazonian to Hesperian age. Whereas most martian meteorites are young (&lt; 1.3 Ga), the spread of whole rock isotopic compositions results from crystallization of a magma ocean &gt; 4.5 Ga and formation of enriched and depleted reservoirs. However, the history inferred from martian meteorites conflicts with results from recent Mars missions, calling into doubt whether the igneous histor y inferred from the meteorites is applicable to Mars as a whole. Allan Hills 84001 dates to 4.09 Ga and contains fluid-deposited carbonates. Accompanying debate about the mechanism and temperature of origin of the carbonates came several features suggestive of past microbial life in the carbonates. Although highly disputed, the suggestion spurred interest in habitable extreme environments on Earth and throughout the Solar System. A flotilla of subsequent spacecraft has redefined Mars from a volcanic planet to a hydrologically active planet that may have harbored life. Understanding the history and habitability of Mars depends on understanding the coupling of the atmosphere, surface, and subsurface. Sample return that brings back direct evidence from these diverse reservoirs is essential.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21969535/","authors":["McCoy TJ","Corrigan CM","Herd CD"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011 Nov 29","doi":"10.1073/pnas.1013478108","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:21930419","name":"Investigation of biomolecules trapped in fluid inclusions inside halite crystals by Raman spectroscopy.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Raman spectroscopy was tested for the identification of biomolecules (glycine, L-alanine, &#x3b2;-alanine, L-serine, and &#x3b3;-aminobutyric acid) trapped in fluid inclusions inside halite model crystals. The investigated biomolecules represent important targets for future astrobiological missions. We know from terrestrial conditions that organic molecules and microorganisms can be sealed within fluid inclusions and can survive intact even for hundreds of millions of years. Raman spectroscopy is currently being miniaturized for future extraterrestrial planetary exploration (ExoMars 2018). Raman spectroscopy has shown the ability to detect investigated aminoacids nondestructively without any sample preparation, in short measurement times, and in relatively low concentrations. The number of registered Raman bands of investigated aminoacids and their intensity clearly correlate with the given concentration of biomolecules within fluid inclusions.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21930419/","authors":["Osterrothová K","Jehlička J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011 Dec","doi":"10.1016/j.saa.2011.08.032","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:21923409","name":"The potential for low-temperature abiotic hydrogen generation and a hydrogen-driven deep biosphere.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The release and oxidation of ferrous iron during aqueous alteration of the mineral olivine is known to reduce aqueous solutions to such extent that molecular hydrogen, H2, forms. H2 is an efficient energy carrier and is considered basal to the deep subsurface biosphere. Knowledge of the potential for H2 generation is therefore vital to understanding the deep biosphere on Earth and on extraterrestrial bodies. Here, we provide a review of factors that may reduce the potential for H2 generation with a focus on systems in the core temperature region for thermophilic to hyperthermophilic microbial life. We show that aqueous sulfate may inhibit the formation of H2, whereas redox-sensitive compounds of carbon and nitrogen are unlikely to have significant effect at low temperatures. In addition, we suggest that the rate of H2 generation is proportional to the dissolution rate of olivine and, hence, limited by factors such as reactive surface areas and the access of water to fresh surfaces. We furthermore suggest that the availability of water and pore/fracture space are the most important factors that limit the generation of H2. Our study implies that, because of large heat flows, abundant olivine-bearing rocks, large thermodynamic gradients, and reduced atmospheres, young Earth and Mars probably offered abundant systems where microbial life could possibly have emerged.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21923409/","authors":["Hellevang H","Huang S","Thorseth IH","Helge Hellevang","Shanshan Huang","Ingunn H. Thorseth"],"tags":["Biosphere","Astrobiology","Abiotic component","Hydrogen","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011 Sep","doi":"10.1089/ast.2010.0559","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"pmid:21798904","name":"Planetary science. How an alluring geologic enigma won the Mars rover sweepstakes.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21798904/","authors":["Kerr RA"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011 Jul 29","doi":"10.1126/science.333.6042.508","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.845Z"},{"id":"pmid:21617039","name":"High pre-eruptive water contents preserved in lunar melt inclusions.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The Moon has long been thought to be highly depleted in volatiles such as water, and indeed published direct measurements of water in lunar volcanic glasses have never exceeded 50 parts per million (ppm). Here, we report in situ measurements of water in lunar melt inclusions; these samples of primitive lunar magma, by virtue of being trapped within olivine crystals before volcanic eruption, did not experience posteruptive degassing. The lunar melt inclusions contain 615 to 1410 ppm water and high correlated amounts of fluorine (50 to 78 ppm), sulfur (612 to 877 ppm), and chlorine (1.5 to 3.0 ppm). These volatile contents are very similar to primitive terrestrial mid-ocean ridge basalts and indicate that some parts of the lunar interior contain as much water as Earth's upper mantle.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21617039/","authors":["Hauri EH","Weinreich T","Saal AE","Rutherford MC","Van Orman JA"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011 Jul 8","doi":"10.1126/science.1204626","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:21563960","name":"Is the presence of oxygen on an exoplanet a reliable biosignature?","source":"pubmed","abstract":"We revisit the validity of the presence of O(2) or O(3) in the atmosphere of a rocky planet as being a biosignature. Up to now, the false positive that has been identified applies to a planet during a hot greenhouse runaway, which is restricted to planets outside the habitable zone (HZ) of the star that are closer to the star. In this paper, we explore a new possibility based on abiotic photogeneration of O(2) at the surface of a planet that could occur inside the HZ. The search for such a process is an active field of laboratory investigation that has resulted from an ongoing interest in finding efficient systems with the capacity to harvest solar energy on Earth. Although such a process is energetically viable, we find it to be a very unlikely explanation for the observation of O(2) or O(3) in the atmosphere of a telluric exoplanet in the HZ. It requires an efficient photocatalyst to be present and abundant under natural planetary conditions, which appears unlikely according to our discussion of known mineral photochemical processes. In contrast, a biological system that synthesizes its constituents from abundant raw materials and energy has the inherent adaptation advantage to become widespread and dominant (Darwinist argument). Thus, O(2) appears to continue to be a good biosignature.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21563960/","authors":["Léger A","Fontecave M","Labeyrie A","Samuel B","Demangeon O","Valencia D"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011 May","doi":"10.1089/ast.2010.0516","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:21333587","name":"Remote-Raman spectroscopic study of minerals under supercritical CO2 relevant to Venus exploration.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The authors have utilized a recently developed compact Raman spectrometer equipped with an 85 mm focal length (f/1.8) Nikon camera lens and a custom mini-ICCD detector at the University of Hawaii for measuring remote Raman spectra of minerals under supercritical CO(2) (Venus chamber, &#x223c;102 atm pressure and 423 K) excited with a pulsed 532 nm laser beam of 6 mJ/pulse and 10 Hz. These experiments demonstrate that by focusing a frequency-doubled 532 nm Nd:YAG pulsed laser beam with a 10&#xd7; beam expander to a 1mm spot on minerals located at 2m inside a Venus chamber, it is possible to measure the remote Raman spectra of anhydrous sulfates, carbonates, and silicate minerals relevant to Venus exploration during daytime or nighttime with 10s integration time. The remote Raman spectra of gypsum, anhydrite, barite, dolomite and siderite contain fingerprint Raman lines along with the Fermi resonance doublet of CO(2). Raman spectra of gypsum revealed dehydration of the mineral with time under supercritical CO(2) at 423 K. Fingerprint Raman lines of olivine, diopside, wollastonite and &#x3b1;-quartz can easily be identified in the spectra of these respective minerals under supercritical CO(2). The results of the present study show that time-resolved remote Raman spectroscopy with a compact Raman spectrometer of moderate resolution equipped with a gated intensified CCD detector and low power laser source could be a potential tool for exploring Venus surface mineralogy both during daytime and nighttime from a lander.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21333587/","authors":["Sharma SK","Misra AK","Clegg SM","Barefield JE","Wiens RC","Acosta TE","Bates DE"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011 Oct","doi":"10.1016/j.saa.2011.01.033","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:21294642","name":"Classification of modern and old Río Tinto sedimentary deposits through the biomolecular record using a life marker biochip: implications for detecting life on Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The particular mineralogy formed in the acidic conditions of the R&#xed;o Tinto has proven to be a first-order analogue for the acid-sulfate aqueous environments of Mars. Therefore, studies about the formation and preservation of biosignatures in the R&#xed;o Tinto will provide insights into equivalent processes on Mars. We characterized the biomolecular patterns recorded in samples of modern and old fluvial sediments along a segment of the river by means of an antibody microarray containing more than 200 antibodies (LDCHIP200, for Life Detector Chip) against whole microorganisms, universal biomolecules, or environmental extracts. Samples containing 0.3-0.5&#x2009;g of solid material were automatically analyzed in situ by the Signs Of LIfe Detector instrument (SOLID2), and the results were corroborated by extensive analysis in the laboratory. Positive antigen-antibody reactions indicated the presence of microbial strains or high-molecular-weight biopolymers that originated from them. The LDCHIP200 results were quantified and subjected to a multivariate analysis for immunoprofiling. We associated similar immunopatterns, and biomolecular markers, to samples with similar sedimentary age. Phyllosilicate-rich samples from modern fluvial sediments gave strong positive reactions with antibodies against bacteria of the genus Acidithiobacillus and against biochemical extracts from R&#xed;o Tinto sediments and biofilms. These samples contained high amounts of sugars (mostly polysaccharides) with monosaccharides like glucose, rhamnose, fucose, and so on. By contrast, the older deposits, which are a mix of clastic sands and evaporites, showed only a few positives with LDCHIP200, consistent with lower protein and sugar content. We conclude that LDCHIP200 results can establish a correlation between microenvironments, diagenetic stages, and age with the biomarker profile associated with a sample. Our results would help in the search for putative martian biomarkers in acidic deposits with similar diagenetic maturity. Our LDCHIP200 and SOLID-like instruments may be excellent tools for the search for molecular biomarkers on Mars or other planets.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21294642/","authors":["Parro V","Fernández-Remolar D","Rodríguez-Manfredi JA","Cruz-Gil P","Rivas LA","Ruiz-Bermejo M","Moreno-Paz M","García-Villadangos M","Gómez-Ortiz D","Blanco-López Y","Menor-Salván C","Prieto-Ballesteros O","Gómez-Elvira J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011 Jan-Feb","doi":"10.1089/ast.2010.0510","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:21266660","name":"Space toxicology: protecting human health during space operations.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Space toxicology is a unique and targeted discipline for spaceflight, space habitation, and occupation of celestial bodies including planets, moons, and asteroids. Astronaut explorers face distinctive health challenges and limited resources for rescue and medical care during space operation. A central goal of space toxicology is to protect the health of the astronaut by assessing potential chemical exposures during spaceflight and setting safe limits that will protect the astronaut against chemical exposures while in a physiologically altered state. In order to maintain sustained occupation in space on the International Space Station (ISS), toxicological risks must be assessed and managed within the context of isolation, continuous exposures, reuse of air and water, limited rescue options, and the need to use highly toxic compounds for propulsion and other purposes. As we begin to explore other celestial bodies, in situ toxicological risks, such as inhalation of reactive mineral dusts, must also be managed.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21266660/","authors":["Khan-Mayberry N","James JT","Tyl R","Lam CW"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011 Feb","doi":"10.1177/1091581810386389","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:21237702","name":"The detection of biomarkers in evaporite matrices using a portable Raman instrument under Alpine conditions.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The detection of relatively low concentrations of the biomarkers in experimentally prepared evaporitic matrices using a portable Raman instrument (Ahura First Defender XL equipped with a 785 nm diode laser and fixed frontal probe) under Alpine conditions was tested. The instrument was able to detect nucleobases thymine (1673 and 984 cm(-1)) and adenine (722 and 536 cm(-1)) at concentrations of 1 wt% in the gypsum matrix outdoors at a low ambient temperature of -10&#xb0;C and at an altitude of 2860 m(Pitztal, Austria). Amino acids glycine (1324 and 892 cm(-1)) and alanine (1357 and 851 cm(-1)) were unambiguously detected at 10 wt%. The main Raman features: strong, medium and partially weak intensity bands were observed in good agreement with the reference spectra for individual compounds (with a spectral resolution 7-10 cm(-1)) in the wavenumber range 200-1800 cm(-1). In the qualitative part of the experiment it was established that the portable instrument is able to detect the components in the mixture of three biomarkers (glycine, alanine and mellitic acid) and two evaporitic minerals unambiguously. It also detected the majority of the six similar amino acids in the mixture with gypsum and epsomite evaporitic minerals. The results obtained here demonstrate the possibility of a miniaturised Raman spectrometer to be able to cope with the various exobiologically related tasks that can be expected in the future planetary surface exploration missions. Within the payload designed by ESA and NASA for future missions, Raman spectroscopy will represent a unique research instrument.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21237702/","authors":["Culka A","Jehlička J","Vandenabeele P","Edwards HG"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011 Oct","doi":"10.1016/j.saa.2010.12.020","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:20879865","name":"Iron-scytonemin complexes: DFT calculations on new UV protectants for terrestrial cyanobacteria and astrobiological implications.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Cyanobacterial colonies produce the radiation-protectant biomolecule scytonemin as part of their response strategy for survival in environmentally stressed conditions in hot and cold deserts. These colonies frequently use sandstone rocks as host matrices for subsurface colonization, which is accompanied by a zone of depletion of iron and transportation of iron compounds to the mineral surface. It is suggested that an iron-scytonemin complex could feature in this survival strategy and facilitate the movement of iron through the rock. Calculations were carried out on several hypothetical iron-scytonemin complexes to evaluate the most stable structure energetically and examine the effect of the complexation of the biomolecule upon the electronic absorption characteristics of the radiation-protectant species. The implications for extraterrestrial planetary detection and analytical monitoring of an iron-scytonemin complex are assessed.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20879865/","authors":["Varnali T","Edwards HG"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010 Sep","doi":"10.1089/ast.2009.0457","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:20870453","name":"Raman spectroscopic identification of phthalic and mellitic acids in mineral matrices.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Raman spectroscopy has many advantages for planetary exploration, and the Raman technique is currently being developed for future space missions. The Raman microspectroscopic study of organic acids (phthalic and mellitic acids) in experimentally prepared mixtures with halite and gypsum was performed using near infrared 785 nm and visible 514 nm excitation wavelengths. Gypsum and halite matrices were chosen as analogues of Martian minerals. Carboxylic acids mixed with mineral powders were also investigated through a UV-transparent crystal of gypsum and halite (approximately 2 mm, resp. 5 mm thick), thereby creating a type of artificial inclusion that could potentially be present in Martian minerals. The detection limit of phthalic acid mixed in mineral matrices and analyzed through crystals was 1 wt% using both excitation wavelengths. A Raman mellitic acid signal was obtained at a concentration as low as 1 wt% in halite matrix, and at a concentration of 5 wt% when analyzed through halite crystal. In the case of mellitic acid mixed with gypsum and for analyses through a gypsum crystal, the detection limit is 5 wt% using both excitation wavelengths.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20870453/","authors":["Osterrothová K","Jehlička J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010 Dec","doi":"10.1016/j.saa.2010.08.081","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:20863748","name":"Acquisition of Raman spectra of amino acids using portable instruments: outdoor measurements and comparison.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Raman spectra of 13 amino acids: L-alanine, &#x3b2;-alanine, L-asparagine, L-aspartic acid, L-glutamic acid, L-glutamine, glycine, L-methionine, L-proline, L-serine, L-threonine, L-tryptophan and L-tyrosine were acquired outdoors using two portable Raman instruments from the Ahura and Delta Nu manufacturers, both with 785 nm laser excitation. Both instruments provide quality Raman spectra with nevertheless a variable dependence upon the prevailing experimental conditions. The data acquired in these experiments will inform the selection of suitable Raman spectrometers for the in-field detection of biomolecules of relevance to the search for life signatures spectroscopically in terrestrial extreme environments and in extraterrestrial exploration, especially of planetary surfaces and subsurfaces using robotic instrumentation.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20863748/","authors":["Culka A","Jehlička J","Edwards HG"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010 Dec","doi":"10.1016/j.saa.2010.08.034","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:20808807","name":"Growth performance and root transcriptome remodeling of Arabidopsis in response to Mars-like levels of magnesium sulfate.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Martian regolith (unconsolidated surface material) is a potential medium for plant growth in bioregenerative life support systems during manned missions on Mars. However, hydrated magnesium sulfate mineral levels in the regolith of Mars can reach as high as 10 wt%, and would be expected to be highly inhibitory to plant growth.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20808807/","authors":["Visscher AM","Paul AL","Kirst M","Guy CL","Schuerger AC","Ferl RJ"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010 Aug 23","doi":"10.1371/journal.pone.0012348","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:20735252","name":"Hygroscopic salts and the potential for life on Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Hygroscopic salts have been detected in soils in the northern latitudes of Mars, and widespread chloride-bearing evaporitic deposits have been detected in the southern highlands. The deliquescence of hygroscopic minerals such as chloride salts could provide a local and transient source of liquid water that would be available for microorganisms on the surface. This is known to occur in the Atacama Desert, where massive halite evaporites have become a habitat for photosynthetic and heterotrophic microorganisms that take advantage of the deliquescence of the salt at certain relative humidity (RH) levels. We modeled the climate conditions (RH and temperature) in a region on Mars with chloride-bearing evaporites, and modeled the evolution of the water activity (a(w)) of the deliquescence solutions of three possible chloride salts (sodium chloride, calcium chloride, and magnesium chloride) as a function of temperature. We also studied the water absorption properties of the same salts as a function of RH. Our climate model results show that the RH in the region with chloride-bearing deposits on Mars often reaches the deliquescence points of all three salts, and the temperature reaches levels above their eutectic points seasonally, in the course of a martian year. The a(w) of the deliquescence solutions increases with decreasing temperature due mainly to the precipitation of unstable phases, which removes ions from the solution. The deliquescence of sodium chloride results in transient solutions with a(w) compatible with growth of terrestrial microorganisms down to 252 K, whereas for calcium chloride and magnesium chloride it results in solutions with a(w) below the known limits for growth at all temperatures. However, taking the limits of a(w) used to define special regions on Mars, the deliquescence of calcium chloride deposits would allow for the propagation of terrestrial microorganisms at temperatures between 265 and 253 K, and for metabolic activity (no growth) at temperatures between 253 and 233 K.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20735252/","authors":["Davila AF","Duport LG","Melchiorri R","Jänchen J","Valea S","de Los Rios A","Fairén AG","Möhlmann D","McKay CP","Ascaso C","Wierzchos J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010 Jul-Aug","doi":"10.1089/ast.2009.0421","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:20688980","name":"The chlorine isotope composition of the moon and implications for an anhydrous mantle.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Arguably, the most striking geochemical distinction between Earth and the Moon has been the virtual lack of water (hydrogen) in the latter. This conclusion was recently challenged on the basis of geochemical data from lunar materials that suggest that the Moon's water content might be far higher than previously believed. We measured the chlorine isotope composition of Apollo basalts and glasses and found that the range of isotopic values [from -1 to +24 per mil (per thousand) versus standard mean ocean chloride] is 25 times the range for Earth. The huge isotopic spread is explained by volatilization of metal halides during basalt eruption--a process that could only occur if the Moon had hydrogen concentrations lower than those of Earth by a factor of approximately 10(4) to 10(5), implying that the lunar interior is essentially anhydrous.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20688980/","authors":["Sharp ZD","Shearer CK","McKeegan KD","Barnes JD","Wang YQ"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010 Aug 27","doi":"10.1126/science.1192606","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:20616087","name":"Noachian and more recent phyllosilicates in impact craters on Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Hundreds of impact craters on Mars contain diverse phyllosilicates, interpreted as excavation products of preexisting subsurface deposits following impact and crater formation. This has been used to argue that the conditions conducive to phyllosilicate synthesis, which require the presence of abundant and long-lasting liquid water, were only met early in the history of the planet, during the Noachian period (&gt; 3.6 Gy ago), and that aqueous environments were widespread then. Here we test this hypothesis by examining the excavation process of hydrated minerals by impact events on Mars and analyzing the stability of phyllosilicates against the impact-induced thermal shock. To do so, we first compare the infrared spectra of thermally altered phyllosilicates with those of hydrated minerals known to occur in craters on Mars and then analyze the postshock temperatures reached during impact crater excavation. Our results show that phyllosilicates can resist the postshock temperatures almost everywhere in the crater, except under particular conditions in a central area in and near the point of impact. We conclude that most phyllosilicates detected inside impact craters on Mars are consistent with excavated preexisting sediments, supporting the hypothesis of a primeval and long-lasting global aqueous environment. When our analyses are applied to specific impact craters on Mars, we are able to identify both pre- and postimpact phyllosilicates, therefore extending the time of local phyllosilicate synthesis to post-Noachian times.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20616087/","authors":["Fairén AG","Chevrier V","Abramov O","Marzo GA","Gavin P","Davila AF","Tornabene LL","Bishop JL","Roush TL","Gross C","Kneissl T","Uceda ER","Dohm JM","Schulze-Makuch D","Rodríguez JA","Amils R","McKay CP"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010 Jul 6","doi":"10.1073/pnas.1002889107","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:20595608","name":"Graphite in an Apollo 17 impact melt breccia.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"We report on the detection of discrete grains of crystalline graphite and graphite whiskers (GWs) in an Apollo 17 impact melt breccia. Multiple instances of graphite and GWs within a discrete area of the sample imply that these grains are not terrestrial contamination. Both graphite and GWs are indicative of high-temperature conditions and are probably the result of the impact processes responsible for breccia formation. This suggests that impact processes may be an additional formation mechanism for GWs in the solar system and indicates that the Moon contains a record of ancient carbonaceous material delivered at the time of the Late Heavy Bombardment.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20595608/","authors":["Steele A","McCubbin FM","Fries M","Glamoclija M","Kater L","Nekvasil H"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010 Jul 2","doi":"10.1126/science.1190541","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:20576889","name":"Detection of hydrated silicates in crustal outcrops in the northern plains of Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The composition of the ancient martian crust is a key ingredient in deciphering the environment and evolution of early Mars. We present an analysis of the composition of large craters in the martian northern plains based on data from spaceborne imaging spectrometers. Nine of the craters have excavated assemblages of phyllosilicates from ancient, Noachian crust buried beneath the plains' cover. The phyllosilicates are indistinguishable from those exposed in widespread locations in the southern highlands, demonstrating that liquid water once altered both hemispheres of Mars.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20576889/","authors":["Carter J","Poulet F","Bibring JP","Murchie S"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010 Jun 25","doi":"10.1126/science.1189013","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:20547878","name":"Nominally hydrous magmatism on the Moon.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"For the past 40 years, the Moon has been described as nearly devoid of indigenous water; however, evidence for water both on the lunar surface and within the lunar interior have recently emerged, calling into question this long-standing lunar dogma. In the present study, hydroxyl (as well as fluoride and chloride) was analyzed by secondary ion mass spectrometry in apatite [Ca(5)(PO(4))(3)(F,Cl,OH)] from three different lunar samples in order to obtain quantitative constraints on the abundance of water in the lunar interior. This work confirms that hundreds to thousands of ppm water (of the structural form hydroxyl) is present in apatite from the Moon. Moreover, two of the studied samples likely had water preserved from magmatic processes, which would qualify the water as being indigenous to the Moon. The presence of hydroxyl in apatite from a number of different types of lunar rocks indicates that water may be ubiquitous within the lunar interior, potentially as early as the time of lunar formation. The water contents analyzed for the lunar apatite indicate minimum water contents of their lunar source region to range from 64 ppb to 5 ppm H(2)O. This lower limit range of water contents is at least two orders of magnitude greater than the previously reported value for the bulk Moon, and the actual source region water contents could be significantly higher.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20547878/","authors":["McCubbin FM","Steele A","Hauri EH","Nekvasil H","Yamashita S","Hemley RJ"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010 Jun 22","doi":"10.1073/pnas.1006677107","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:20529953","name":"Time-resolved remote Raman study of minerals under supercritical CO2 and high temperatures relevant to Venus exploration.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"We report time-resolved (TR) remote Raman spectra of minerals under supercritical CO(2) (approx. 95 atm pressure and 423 K) and under atmospheric pressure and high temperature up to 1003 K at distances of 1.5 and 9 m, respectively. The TR Raman spectra of hydrous and anhydrous sulphates, carbonate and silicate minerals (e.g. talc, olivine, pyroxenes and feldspars) under supercritical CO(2) (approx. 95 atm pressure and 423 K) clearly show the well-defined Raman fingerprints of each mineral along with the Fermi resonance doublet of CO(2). Besides the CO(2) doublet and the effect of the viewing window, the main differences in the Raman spectra under Venus conditions are the phase transitions, the dehydration and decarbonation of various minerals, along with a slight shift in the peak positions and an increase in line-widths. The dehydration of melanterite (FeSO(4).7H(2)O) at 423 K under approximately 95 atm CO(2) is detected by the presence of the Raman fingerprints of rozenite (FeSO(4).4H(2)O) in the spectrum. Similarly, the high-temperature Raman spectra under ambient pressure of gypsum (CaSO(4).2H(2)O) and talc (Mg(3)Si(4)O(10)(OH)(2)) indicate that gypsum dehydrates at 518 K, but talc remains stable up to 1003 K. Partial dissociation of dolomite (CaMg(CO(3))(2)) is observed at 973 K. The TR remote Raman spectra of olivine, alpha-spodumene (LiAlSi(2)O(6)) and clino-enstatite (MgSiO(3)) pyroxenes and of albite (NaAlSi(3)O(8)) and microcline (KAlSi(3)O(8)) feldspars at high temperatures also show that the Raman lines remain sharp and well defined in the high-temperature spectra. The results of this study show that TR remote Raman spectroscopy could be a potential tool for exploring the surface mineralogy of Venus during both daytime and nighttime at short and long distances.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20529953/","authors":["Sharma SK","Misra AK","Clegg SM","Barefield JE","Wiens RC","Acosta T"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010 Jul 13","doi":"10.1098/rsta.2010.0034","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:20529947","name":"Raman spectroscopy of the Dukhan sabkha: identification of geological and biogeological molecules in an extreme environment.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The characterization of minerals and biogeological deposits in a terrestrial Arabian sabkha has a direct relevance for the exploration of Mars since the discovery by the NASA rovers Spirit and Opportunity of evaporate minerals on Mars that could have arisen from aquifers and subsurface water movement. The recognition of carbonates and sulphates in Gusev Crater has afforded an additional impetus to these studies, as relict or extant microbial extremophilic organisms could have colonized these geological matrices, as has been recorded on Earth. Here, we describe the Raman spectroscopic analysis of specimens of evaporitic materials sampled from the Dukhan sabkha, the largest inland sabkha in the Persian Gulf. With daily temperatures reaching in excess of 60 degrees C and extreme salinity, we have identified the characteristic Raman signatures of key biomolecular compounds in association with evaporitic minerals and geological carbonate and sulphate matrices, which indicate that extremophilic cyanobacterial colonies are existent there. This evidence, the first to be acquired spectroscopically from such a region, establishes a platform for further studies using remote, portable Raman instrumentation that will inform the potential of detection of similar systems on the Martian surface or subsurface in future space missions. A comparison is made between the results from this study and the previous analysis of a gypsum/halite sabkha where the extremophilic molecular signatures were better preserved.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20529947/","authors":["Edwards HG","Sadooni F","Vítek P","Jehlicka J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010 Jul 13","doi":"10.1098/rsta.2010.0101","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:20528199","name":"UVolution, a photochemistry experiment in low earth orbit: investigation of the photostability of carboxylic acids exposed to mars surface UV radiation conditions.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The detection and identification of organic molecules on Mars are of prime importance to establish the existence of a possible ancient prebiotic chemistry or even a biological activity. To date, however, no complex organic compounds have been detected on Mars. The harsh environmental conditions at the surface of Mars are commonly advocated to explain this nondetection, but few studies have been implemented to test this hypothesis. To investigate the nature, abundance, and stability of organic molecules that could survive under such environmental conditions, we exposed, in low Earth orbit, organic molecules of martian astrobiological relevance to solar UV radiation (&gt;200 nm). The experiment, called UVolution, was flown on board the Biopan ESA module, which was situated outside a Russian Foton automated capsule and exposed to space conditions for 12 days in September 2007. The targeted organic molecules [alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB), mellitic acid, phthalic acid, and trimesic acid] were exposed with, and without, an analogous martian soil. Here, we present experimental results of the impact of solar UV radiation on the targeted molecules. Our results show that none of the organic molecules studied seemed to be radiotolerant to the solar UV radiation when directly exposed to it. Moreover, the presence of a mineral matrix seemed to increase the photodestruction rate. AIB, mellitic acid, phthalic acid, and trimesic acid should not be considered as primary targets for in situ molecular analyses during future surface missions if samples are only collected from the first centimeters of the top surface layer.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20528199/","authors":["Stalport F","Guan YY","Coll P","Szopa C","Macari F","Raulin F","Chaput D","Cottin H"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010 May","doi":"10.1089/ast.2009.0413","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:20528197","name":"Photocatalytic decomposition of carboxylated molecules on light-exposed martian regolith and its relation to methane production on Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"We propose that the paucity of organic compounds in martian soil can be accounted for by efficient photocatalytic decomposition of carboxylated molecules due to the occurrence of the photo-Kolbe reaction at the surface of particulate iron(III) oxides that are abundant in the martian regolith. This photoreaction is initiated by the absorption of UVA light, and it readily occurs even at low temperature. The decarboxylation is observed for miscellaneous organic carboxylates, including the nonvolatile products of kerogen oxidation (that are currently thought to accumulate in the soil) as well as alpha-amino acids and peptides. Our study indicates that there may be no \"safe haven\" for these organic compounds on Mars; oxidation by reactive radicals, such as hydroxyl, is concerted with photocatalytic reactions on the oxide particles. Acting together, these two mechanisms result in mineralization of the organic component. The photooxidation of acetate (the terminal product of radical oxidation of the aliphatic component of kerogen) on the iron(III) oxides results in the formation of methane; this reaction may account for seasonably variable production of methane on Mars. The concomitant reduction of Fe(III) in the regolith leads to the formation of highly soluble ferrous ions that contribute to weathering of the soil particles.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20528197/","authors":["Shkrob IA","Chemerisov SD","Marin TW"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010 May","doi":"10.1089/ast.2009.0433","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:20522738","name":"Identification of carbonate-rich outcrops on Mars by the Spirit rover.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Decades of speculation about a warmer, wetter Mars climate in the planet's first billion years postulate a denser CO2-rich atmosphere than at present. Such an atmosphere should have led to the formation of outcrops rich in carbonate minerals, for which evidence has been sparse. Using the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit, we have now identified outcrops rich in magnesium-iron carbonate (16 to 34 weight percent) in the Columbia Hills of Gusev crater. Its composition approximates the average composition of the carbonate globules in martian meteorite ALH 84001. The Gusev carbonate probably precipitated from carbonate-bearing solutions under hydrothermal conditions at near-neutral pH in association with volcanic activity during the Noachian era.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20522738/","authors":["Morris RV","Ruff SW","Gellert R","Ming DW","Arvidson RE","Clark BC","Golden DC","Siebach K","Klingelhöfer G","Schröder C","Fleischer I","Yen AS","Squyres SW"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010 Jul 23","doi":"10.1126/science.1189667","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:20449234","name":"FTIR reflectance of selected minerals and their mixtures: implications for ground temperature-sensor monitoring on Mars surface environment (NASA/MSL-Rover Environmental Monitoring Station).","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) is one of NASA/MSL's instruments, which has been designed for measuring ambient pressure, humidity, wind speed and direction, UV radiation, and air and ground temperature (GT). The GT-sensor is dedicated to measure the real temperature of the Martian surface, integrating the IR energy coming from the ground. The existing IR spectral data of Martian dust, rocks and sediments allow for comparing the Martian spectra with the spectra of different terrestrial minerals and lithologies, and those of their alteration and weathering products. The FTIR reflectance of a set of selected astrobiologically significant minerals (including oxides, oxi/hydroxides, sulfates, chlorides, opal and clays) and basalt (as the main and most widespread volcanic Martian rock) was measured, considering different mixing amounts, and covering the specific working wavelength range of the REMS' GT-sensor. The results obtained show important percentage increases or decreases of reflectance in the entire wavelength range (e.g. basalt-hematite vs. basalt-magnetite) and specific variations limited to some spectral bands (e.g. basalt-smectite vs. basalt-jasper). The basalt reflectance percentage increases or decreases, even up to 100%, depending on the mixing of the different minerals. This unequivocally confirms the need for considering the chemical-mineralogical assemblages (and their textures) for any investigation and interpretation of Mars surface environment. Some complementary applications of this research on our planet, either in relation to the specific performances and characteristics of the GT-sensor autonomous recalibration system, or those oriented to carrying out similar studies on different types of terrestrial environmental settings, are also described.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20449234/","authors":["Martín-Redondo MP","Martínez ES","Sampedro MT","Armiens C","Gómez-Elvira J","Martinez-Frias J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009 Jul","doi":"10.1039/b904737a","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:20381355","name":"Geomicrobiology beyond Earth: microbe-mineral interactions in space exploration and settlement.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Geomicrobiology investigates the interactions of microorganisms with geological substrates, and this branch of microbiology has enormous potential in the exploration and settlement of space. Microorganisms can be used to extract useful elements from extraterrestrial materials for industrial processes or for use as nutrients in life support systems. In addition, microorganisms could be used to create soil from lunar and Martian rocks. Furthermore, understanding the interactions of microorganisms with rocks is essential for identifying mineral biomarkers to be used in the search for life on other planetary bodies. Increasing space exploration activities make geomicrobiology an important applied science beyond Earth.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20381355/","authors":["Cockell CS"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010 Jul","doi":"10.1016/j.tim.2010.03.005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:20154120","name":"Isolation of novel extreme-tolerant cyanobacteria from a rock-dwelling microbial community by using exposure to low Earth orbit.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Many cyanobacteria are known to tolerate environmental extremes. Motivated by an interest in selecting cyanobacteria for applications in space, we launched rocks from a limestone cliff in Beer, Devon, United Kingdom, containing an epilithic and endolithic rock-dwelling community of cyanobacteria into low Earth orbit (LEO) at a height of approximately 300 kilometers. The community was exposed for 10 days to isolate cyanobacteria that can survive exposure to the extreme radiation and desiccating conditions associated with space. Culture-independent (16S rRNA) and culture-dependent methods showed that the cyanobacterial community was composed of Pleurocapsales, Oscillatoriales, and Chroococcales. A single cyanobacterium, a previously uncharacterized extremophile, was isolated after exposure to LEO. We were able to isolate the cyanobacterium from the limestone cliff after exposing the rock-dwelling community to desiccation and vacuum (0.7 x 10(-3) kPa) in the laboratory. The ability of the organism to survive the conditions in space may be linked to the formation of dense colonies. These experiments show how extreme environmental conditions, including space, can be used to select for novel microorganisms. Furthermore, it improves our knowledge of environmental tolerances of extremophilic rock-dwelling cyanobacteria.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20154120/","authors":["Olsson-Francis K","de la Torre R","Cockell CS"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010 Apr","doi":"10.1128/AEM.02547-09","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:20041749","name":"Phyllosilicate emission from protoplanetary disks: is the indirect detection of extrasolar water possible?","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Phyllosilicates are hydrous minerals formed by interaction between rock and liquid water, and are commonly found in meteorites that originate in the asteroid belt. Collisions between asteroids contribute to zodiacal dust, which therefore reasonably could include phyllosilicates. Collisions between planetesimals in protoplanetary disks may also produce dust that contains phyllosilicates. These minerals possess characteristic emission features in the mid-infrared and could be detectable in extrasolar protoplanetary disks. We have determined whether phyllosilicates in protoplanetary disks are detectable in the infrared, using instruments such as those on board the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). We calculated opacities for the phyllosilicates most common in meteorites and, using a two-layer radiative transfer model, computed the emission of radiation from a protoplanetary disk. We found that phyllosilicates present at the 3% level lead to observationally significant differences in disk spectra and should therefore be detectable with the use of infrared observations and spectral modeling. Detection of phyllosilicates in a protoplanetary disk would be diagnostic of liquid water in planetesimals in that disk and would demonstrate similarity to our own Solar System. We also discuss use of phyllosilicate emission to test the \"water worlds\" hypothesis, which proposes that liquid water in planetesimals should correlate with the inventory of short-lived radionuclides in planetary systems, especially (26)Al.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20041749/","authors":["Morris MA","Desch SJ"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009 Dec","doi":"10.1089/ast.2008.0316","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:19968466","name":"A biosignature suite from cave pool precipitates, Cottonwood Cave, New Mexico.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Calcite cave pool precipitates often display a variety of potential biosignatures from the macroscopic to the submicroscopic. A fossil cave pool in Cottonwood Cave, New Mexico, exhibits older stalactites and stalagmites that are completely coated in brown, laminated calcitic crust that extends down as pool fingers and u-loops. The pool fingers and u-loops are mainly micrite to clotted micrite, some recrystallized to microspar, with some isopachous spar layers. Micrite, particularly clotted micrite, is usually interpreted by carbonate workers as microbial in origin. Scanning electron microscopy examination of etched pool fingers, u-loops, and the brown crust revealed abundant calcified microbial filaments and biofilm. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis showed that these features have excess carbon, above that found in pure calcite. Independent carbon analysis indicated that these same samples contain up to 0.2% organic carbon. Since pool fingers hang down but form underwater, we hypothesize they are biogenic with hanging microbial filaments or biofilm acting as nuclei for calcite precipitation. Because of the abundance of micrite and fossil filaments, we further hypothesize that these pendant features formed during a period of plentiful nutrients and active hydrological activity when the pool was literally dripping with microbial slime. Although each of these lines of evidence could be interpreted in other ways, their combined weight strongly suggests the cave pool precipitates in Cottonwood Cave are biogenic. These investigations can be used to help inform extraterrestrial life-detection studies.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19968466/","authors":["Melim LA","Liescheidt R","Northup DE","Spilde MN","Boston PJ","Queen JM"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009 Nov","doi":"10.1089/ast.2009.0345","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:19968465","name":"Development of lower Triassic wrinkle structures: implications for the search for life on other planets.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Wrinkle structures are microbially mediated sedimentary structures that are a common feature of Proterozoic and earliest Phanerozoic siliciclastic seafloors on Earth and occur only rarely in post-Cambrian strata. These macroscopic microbially induced sedimentary structures are readily identifiable at the outcrop scale, and their recognition on other planetary bodies by landed missions may suggest the presence of past microbial life. Wrinkle structures of the Lower Triassic (Spathian) Virgin Limestone Member of the Moenkopi Formation in the western United States record an occurrence of widespread microbialite formation in the wake of the end-Permian mass extinction, the largest biotic crisis of the Phanerozoic. Wrinkle structures occur on proximal sandy tempestites deposited within the offshore transition. Storm layers appear to have been rapidly colonized by microbial mats and were subsequently buried by mud during fair-weather conditions. Wrinkle structures exhibit flat-topped crests and sinuous troughs, with associated mica grains oriented parallel to bedding, suggestive of trapping and binding activity. Although Lower Triassic wrinkle structures postdate the widespread occurrence of these features during the Proterozoic and Cambrian, they exhibit many of the same characteristics and environmental trends, which suggests a conservation of microbial formational and preservational processes in subtidal siliciclastic settings on Earth from the Precambrian into the Phanerozoic. In the search for extraterrestrial life, it may be these conservative characteristics that prove to be the most useful and robust for recognizing microbial features on other planetary bodies, and may add to an ever-growing foundation of knowledge for directing future explorations aimed at seeking out macroscopic microbial signatures.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19968465/","authors":["Mata SA","Bottjer DJ"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009 Nov","doi":"10.1089/ast.2008.0290","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:19914859","name":"Raman spectroscopic investigation on Jarosite-Yavapaiite stability.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The stability of synthetic Jarosite (KFe(3)(SO(4))(2)(OH)(6)) at low temperature and reduced atmospheric pressure has been studied by Raman spectroscopy. Jarosite remains stable between 8 and 295 K, provided that the sample is not exposed to reduced atmospheric pressure. When exposed to reduced atmospheric pressure (2.0x10(-2) Torr), however, the conversion of Jarosite into a different mineral is readily detected at room temperature by the appearance of a new Raman peak. The Raman shift of this peak (1032 cm(-1)) matches with that of Yavapaiite (KFe(SO(4))(2)), which can be obtained by thermal decomposition of Jarosite above 473 K. These studies provide a better understanding of the stability of Jarosite subjected to conditions similar to that on the surface of Mars.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19914859/","authors":["Chio CH","Sharma SK","Ming LC","Muenow DW"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010 Jan","doi":"10.1016/j.saa.2009.10.006","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:19879616","name":"Ultrasonic rock sampling using longitudinal-torsional vibrations.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"In the last years several European and US space projects have been focused on the development of surface rovers for planetary missions, such as ExoMars and Mars Exploration Rovers. The main function of these vehicles consists of moving across planet surfaces, and drilling and retrieving samples for in situ analysis. Recent research has shown that drilling of rock materials can be achieved using axially oscillating tuned devices which, compared with conventional rotary drills, operate at lower power and highly reduced preload requirements. As a result, at present, ultrasonics is considered a very promising technology for exobiological prospecting. In this work, two novel ultrasonic rock samplers, both operating in a longitudinal-torsional composite mode, are proposed along with the conceptual design of a full coring apparatus, for preload delivery and core removal. To assess the penetration capability of the excited composite vibrations, preliminary drilling trials were conducted. Since sand constitutes a significant portion of the Martian surface, sandstone was used in the trials.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19879616/","authors":["Cardoni A","Harkness P","Lucas M"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010 Apr","doi":"10.1016/j.ultras.2009.09.036","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:19844967","name":"Determination of K-Ar ages in milligram samples using an infrared laser for argon extraction.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The K-Ar dating method has been used for decades to decipher the ages of terrestrial and extraterrestrial minerals and rocks. The natural radioactive decay of a metal to a rare gas is an advantage that allows the determination of very small amounts of argon by mass spectrometry. Although the Ar-Ar method has superseded K-Ar, the latter is still used and it has room for improvement. One of these is the reduction of the analyzed sample mass, a desideratum of any current analytical technique. I report here our experience in K-Ar geochronology of milligram-sized samples using laser heating and melting for gas extraction. This modification of the classical K-Ar technique has not been, to my knowledge, used in any other laboratory in the world and deserves a detailed description of its advantages and limitations.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19844967/","authors":["Solé J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009 Nov","doi":"10.1002/rcm.4280","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:19779151","name":"Character and spatial distribution of OH/H2O on the surface of the Moon seen by M3 on Chandrayaan-1.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The search for water on the surface of the anhydrous Moon had remained an unfulfilled quest for 40 years. However, the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) on Chandrayaan-1 has recently detected absorption features near 2.8 to 3.0 micrometers on the surface of the Moon. For silicate bodies, such features are typically attributed to hydroxyl- and/or water-bearing materials. On the Moon, the feature is seen as a widely distributed absorption that appears strongest at cooler high latitudes and at several fresh feldspathic craters. The general lack of correlation of this feature in sunlit M3 data with neutron spectrometer hydrogen abundance data suggests that the formation and retention of hydroxyl and water are ongoing surficial processes. Hydroxyl/water production processes may feed polar cold traps and make the lunar regolith a candidate source of volatiles for human exploration.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19779151/","authors":["Pieters CM","Goswami JN","Clark RN","Annadurai M","Boardman J","Buratti B","Combe JP","Dyar MD","Green R","Head JW","Hibbitts C","Hicks M","Isaacson P","Klima R","Kramer G","Kumar S","Livo E","Lundeen S","Malaret E","McCord T","Mustard J","Nettles J","Petro N","Runyon C","Staid M","Sunshine J","Taylor LA","Tompkins S","Varanasi P"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009 Oct 23","doi":"10.1126/science.1178658","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:19688407","name":"Assessing the in vitro toxicity of the lunar dust environment using respiratory cells exposed to Al(2)O(3) or SiO(2) fine dust particles.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Prior chemical and physical analysis of lunar soil suggests a composition of dust particles that may contribute to the development of acute and chronic respiratory disorders. In this study, fine Al(2)O(3) (0.7 &#x3bc;m) and fine SiO(2) (mean 1.6 &#x3bc;m) were used to assess the cellular uptake and cellular toxicity of lunar dust particle analogs. Respiratory cells, murine alveolar macrophages (RAW 264.7) and human type II epithelial (A549), were cultured as the in vitro model system. The phagocytic activity of both cell types using ultrafine (0.1 &#x3bc;m) and fine (0.5 &#x3bc;m) fluorescent polystyrene beads was determined. Following a 6-h exposure, RAW 264.7 cells had extended pseudopods with beads localized in the cytoplasmic region of cells. After 24 h, the macrophage cells were rounded and clumped and lacked pseudopods, which suggest impairment of phagocytosis. A549 cells did not contain beads, and after 24 h, the majority of the beads appeared to primarily coat the surface of the cells. Next, we investigated the cellular response to fine SiO(2) and Al(2)O(3) (up to 5 mg/ml). RAW 264.7 cells exposed to 1.0 mg/ml of fine SiO(2) for 6 h demonstrated pseudopods, cellular damage, apoptosis, and necrosis. A549 cells showed slight toxicity when exposed to fine SiO(2) for the same time and dose. A549 cells had particles clustered on the surface of the cells. Only a higher dose (5.0 mg/ml) of fine SiO(2) resulted in a significant cytotoxicity to A549 cells. Most importantly, both cell types showed minimal cytotoxicity following exposure to fine Al(2)O(3). Overall, this study suggests differential cellular toxicity associated with exposure to fine mineral dust particles.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19688407/","authors":["Jordan JA","Verhoff AM","Morgan JE","Fischer DG"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009 Dec","doi":"10.1007/s11626-009-9222-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:19663762","name":"Astrobiological implications of rock varnish in Tibet.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The study of terrestrial geomicrobiology and its relationship to rock weathering processes is an essential tool in developing analogues for similar processes that may have occurred on Mars. Most studies of manganese-enhanced rock varnish have focused on samples taken from warm arid desert regions. Here, we examine samples obtained from eolian-abraded lava flows of the 4700-4800 m high Ashikule Basin in Tibet. Because it receives approximately 300 mm of precipitation annually, this site is nowhere near as dry as Atacama Desert locales. However, the dusty, sulfate-rich, high-altitude and high-UV flux environment of the Tibetan locale offers new insight into rock varnish formation processes in a terrestrial environment that displays some attributes similar to those expected on early Mars. Microprobe measurements reveal that Mn enhancements in varnish are two orders of magnitude above the dust source, but Fe is only enhanced by a factor of three. Manganese-enhancing bacterial forms are not abundant but are still approximately 3 times more common than in Mojave and Sonoran Desert varnishes. In addition to its occurrence in subaerial positions, Tibetan varnish also occurs in micron-scale \"pods\" enveloped by silica glaze and as remobilized constituents that have migrated into the underlying weathering rind. A lack of surficial Mn-rich varnish, therefore, might not imply the absence of varnish. In contrast to suggestions that silica glaze might be a good source of microbial fossils and a key to varnish formation, we did not observe any clear microfossil forms entombed in silica glaze; further, there is no gradation between varnish and silica glaze but only distinct contacts.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19663762/","authors":["Krinsley D","Dorn RI","DiGregorio B"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009 Jul-Aug","doi":"10.1089/ast.2008.0238","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:19656214","name":"Experimental silicification of the extremophilic Archaea Pyrococcus abyssi and Methanocaldococcus jannaschii: applications in the search for evidence of life in early Earth and extraterrestrial rocks.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Hydrothermal activity was common on the early Earth and associated micro-organisms would most likely have included thermophilic to hyperthermophilic species. 3.5-3.3 billion-year-old, hydrothermally influenced rocks contain silicified microbial mats and colonies that must have been bathed in warm to hot hydrothermal emanations. Could they represent thermophilic or hyperthermophilic micro-organisms and if so, how were they preserved? We present the results of an experiment to silicify anaerobic, hyperthermophilic micro-organisms from the Archaea Domain Pyrococcus abyssi and Methanocaldococcus jannaschii, that could have lived on the early Earth. The micro-organisms were placed in a silica-saturated medium for periods up to 1 year. Pyrococcus abyssi cells were fossilized but the M. jannaschii cells lysed naturally after the exponential growth phase, apart from a few cells and cell remains, and were not silicified although their extracellular polymeric substances were. In this first simulated fossilization of archaeal strains, our results suggest that differences between species have a strong influence on the potential for different micro-organisms to be preserved by fossilization and that those found in the fossil record represent probably only a part of the original diversity. Our results have important consequences for biosignatures in hydrothermal or hydrothermally influenced deposits on Earth, as well as on early Mars, as environmental conditions were similar on the young terrestrial planets and traces of early Martian life may have been similarly preserved as silicified microfossils.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19656214/","authors":["Orange F","Westall F","Disnar JR","Prieur D","Bienvenu N","Le Romancer M","Défarge Ch","François Orange","Francès Westall","Jean-Robert Disnar","Daniel Prieur","Nadège Bienvenu"],"tags":["Archaea","Pyrococcus furiosus","Extremophile","Astrobiology","Fossilization"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009 Sep","doi":"10.1111/j.1472-4669.2009.00212.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"pmid:19586394","name":"The effect of evaporated salt solutions on the optical dating properties of JSC Mars-1: \"seasoning\" for a Mars soil simulant.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Optically stimulated luminescence dating, or optical dating, is an established terrestrial geochronometric technique that is being adapted to date sedimentary deposits and landforms on the surface of Mars. Recent discoveries have highlighted the astrobiological significance and occurrence of halite on the surface of Mars. The objective of the experiments in this study was to create a simplistic analogue of the sedimentary material that would result from evaporation of ion-containing pore water out of martian regolith and evaluate the influence the evaporated salts would have on in situ optical dating of silicate sediments. The radiation dose response, as measured by infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL), from evaporated mixtures of JSC Mars-1 and solutions of sodium chloride and calcium sulfate was documented. The results suggest that the presence of CaSO(4) and NaCl within the aggregated particles does not have adverse effects on IRSL dose response and that aggregates of this type exhibit dose response characteristics that are appropriate for optical dating.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19586394/","authors":["Lepper K"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009 Jul-Aug","doi":"10.1089/ast.2008.0307","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:19574384","name":"Evidence for calcium carbonate at the Mars Phoenix landing site.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Carbonates are generally products of aqueous processes and may hold important clues about the history of liquid water on the surface of Mars. Calcium carbonate (approximately 3 to 5 weight percent) has been identified in the soils around the Phoenix landing site by scanning calorimetry showing an endothermic transition beginning around 725 degrees C accompanied by evolution of carbon dioxide and by the ability of the soil to buffer pH against acid addition. Based on empirical kinetics, the amount of calcium carbonate is most consistent with formation in the past by the interaction of atmospheric carbon dioxide with liquid water films on particle surfaces.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19574384/","authors":["Boynton WV","Ming DW","Kounaves SP","Young SM","Arvidson RE","Hecht MH","Hoffman J","Niles PB","Hamara DK","Quinn RC","Smith PH","Sutter B","Catling DC","Morris RV"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009 Jul 3","doi":"10.1126/science.1172768","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:19574383","name":"H2O at the Phoenix landing site.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The Phoenix mission investigated patterned ground and weather in the northern arctic region of Mars for 5 months starting 25 May 2008 (solar longitude between 76.5 degrees and 148 degrees ). A shallow ice table was uncovered by the robotic arm in the center and edge of a nearby polygon at depths of 5 to 18 centimeters. In late summer, snowfall and frost blanketed the surface at night; H(2)O ice and vapor constantly interacted with the soil. The soil was alkaline (pH = 7.7) and contained CaCO(3), aqueous minerals, and salts up to several weight percent in the indurated surface soil. Their formation likely required the presence of water.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19574383/","authors":["Smith PH","Tamppari LK","Arvidson RE","Bass D","Blaney D","Boynton WV","Carswell A","Catling DC","Clark BC","Duck T","Dejong E","Fisher D","Goetz W","Gunnlaugsson HP","Hecht MH","Hipkin V","Hoffman J","Hviid SF","Keller HU","Kounaves SP","Lange CF","Lemmon MT","Madsen MB","Markiewicz WJ","Marshall J","McKay CP","Mellon MT","Ming DW","Morris RV","Pike WT","Renno N","Staufer U","Stoker C","Taylor P","Whiteway JA","Zent AP"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009 Jul 3","doi":"10.1126/science.1172339","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:19458717","name":"Stability against freezing of aqueous solutions on early Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Many features of the Martian landscape are thought to have been formed by liquid water flow and water-related mineralogies on the surface of Mars are widespread and abundant. Several lines of evidence, however, suggest that Mars has been cold with mean global temperatures well below the freezing point of pure water. Martian climate modellers considering a combination of greenhouse gases at a range of partial pressures find it challenging to simulate global mean Martian surface temperatures above 273 K, and local thermal sources cannot account for the widespread distribution of hydrated and evaporitic minerals throughout the Martian landscape. Solutes could depress the melting point of water in a frozen Martian environment, providing a plausible solution to the early Mars climate paradox. Here we model the freezing and evaporation processes of Martian fluids with a composition resulting from the weathering of basalts, as reflected in the chemical compositions at Mars landing sites. Our results show that a significant fraction of weathering fluids loaded with Si, Fe, S, Mg, Ca, Cl, Na, K and Al remain in the liquid state at temperatures well below 273 K. We tested our model by analysing the mineralogies yielded by the evolution of the solutions: the resulting mineral assemblages are analogous to those actually identified on the Martian surface. This stability against freezing of Martian fluids can explain saline liquid water activity on the surface of Mars at mean global temperatures well below 273 K.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19458717/","authors":["Fairén AG","Davila AF","Gago-Duport L","Amils R","McKay CP"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009 May 21","doi":"10.1038/nature07978","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:19423810","name":"Elemental composition of the Martian crust.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The composition of Mars' crust records the planet's integrated geologic history and provides clues to its differentiation. Spacecraft and meteorite data now provide a global view of the chemistry of the igneous crust that can be used to assess this history. Surface rocks on Mars are dominantly tholeiitic basalts formed by extensive partial melting and are not highly weathered. Siliceous or calc-alkaline rocks produced by melting and/or fractional crystallization of hydrated, recycled mantle sources, and silica-poor rocks produced by limited melting of alkali-rich mantle sources, are uncommon or absent. Spacecraft data suggest that martian meteorites are not representative of older, more voluminous crust and prompt questions about their use in defining diagnostic geochemical characteristics and in constraining mantle compositional models for Mars.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19423810/","authors":["McSween HY Jr","Taylor GJ","Wyatt MB"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009 May 8","doi":"10.1126/science.1165871","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:19400732","name":"Key scientific questions and key investigations from the first international conference on Martian phyllosilicates.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Minerals and their occurrences can tell us about the chemistry, pressure, and temperatures of past environments on Mars and thus allow inferences about the potential for habitability. Thanks to recent space exploration, a new vision is emerging wherein Mars hosted environmental conditions of potential astrobiological relevance. This epoch is identified by the presence of phyllosilicate-bearing deposits, which are generally contained in very ancient basement rocks. In October 2008, over 100 planetary scientists representing 11 countries met in Paris to assess and discuss the relevance of martian phyllosilicates. The conference was structured to promote the discussion and debate of key scientific questions and key essential investigations. The purpose of this report is to document the current state of knowledge related to martian phyllosilicates and to ascertain which questions remain to be addressed: What are the basic characteristics of the phyllosilicate minerals on Mars? What are the genetic mechanisms by which phyllosilicate minerals have formed on Mars? What is the relationship between the phyllosilicate minerals observed in martian meteorites and those detected from orbit? What are the implications of phyllosilicate-bearing rocks for the development of prebiotic chemistry and the preservation of biosignatures? The most promising investigations to address these questions are presented.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19400732/","authors":["Poulet F","Beaty DW","Bibring JP","Bish D","Bishop JL","Noe Dobrea E","Mustard JF","Petit S","Roach LH"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009 Apr","doi":"10.1089/ast.2009.0335","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:19296093","name":"Identification of beta-carotene in an evaporitic matrix--evaluation of Raman spectroscopic analysis for astrobiological research on Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Since evaporitic rocks on the Martian surface could (or still can) serve as potential habitats for microbial life on Mars, there is a reasonable possibility that these rocks may sustain molecular remnants as evidence for the presence of extinct or extant living organisms on Mars and that beta-carotene could be a suitable biomarker. In this paper, Raman microspectrometry was tested as a nondestructive method of determining the lowest detectable beta-carotene content in experimentally prepared evaporitic matrices--namely, gypsum, halite and epsomite. Two excitation wavelengths were compared--514.5 nm, because of the resonance Raman enhancement in the carotenoid analysis, and 785 nm, as a more universal wavelength now much used in the detection of biomolecules terrestrially. Mixtures were measured directly as well as with a laser beam penetrating the crystals of gypsum and epsomite. We have obtained beta-carotene signals at the 0.1 to 10 mg kg(-1) level--the number of registered beta-carotene Raman bands differed depending on the particular mineral matrix and the excitation wavelength. Concentrations of beta-carotene of about one order of magnitude higher were identified when analysed through single crystals of gypsum and epsomite, respectively.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19296093/","authors":["Vítek P","Jehlicka J","Edwards HG","Osterrothová K"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009 Apr","doi":"10.1007/s00216-009-2677-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:19191540","name":"Fossilized microorganisms from the Emperor Seamounts: implications for the search for a subsurface fossil record on Earth and Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"We have observed filamentous carbon-rich structures in samples drilled at 3 different seamounts that belong to the Emperor Seamounts in the Pacific Ocean: Detroit (81 Ma), Nintoku (56 Ma), and Koko Seamounts (48 Ma). The samples consist of low-temperature altered basalts recovered from all 3 seamounts. The maximum depth from which the samples were retrieved was 954 meters below seafloor (mbsf). The filamentous structures occur in veins and fractures in the basalts, where they are attached to the vein walls and embedded in vein-filling minerals like calcite, aragonite, and gypsum. The filaments were studied with a combination of optical microscopy, environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), Raman spectroscopy, and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). Minerals were identified by a combination of optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectrometry, and energy dispersive spectrometry on an environmental scanning electron microscope. Carbon content of the filaments ranges between approximately 10 wt % and approximately 50 wt % and is not associated with carbonates. These results indicate an organic origin of the carbon. The presence of C(2)H(4), phosphate, and lipid-like molecules in the filaments further supports a biogenic origin. We also found microchannels in volcanic glass enriched in carbon (approximately 10-40 wt %) compatible with putative microbial activity. Our findings suggest new niches for life in subseafloor environments and have implications for further exploration of the subseafloor biosphere on Earth and beyond.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19191540/","authors":["Ivarsson M","Lausmaa J","Lindblom S","Broman C","Holm NG"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008 Dec","doi":"10.1089/ast.2007.0226","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:19191538","name":"Short- and long-term olivine weathering in Svalbard: implications for Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Liquid water is essential to life as we know it on Earth; therefore, the search for water on Mars is a critical component of the search for life. Olivine, a mineral identified as present on Mars, has been proposed as an indicator of the duration and characteristics of water because it dissolves quickly, particularly under low-pH conditions. The duration of olivine persistence relative to glass under conditions of aqueous alteration reflects the pH and temperature of the reacting fluids. In this paper, we investigate the utility of 3 methodologies to detect silicate weathering in a Mars analog environment (Sverrefjell volcano, Svalbard). CheMin, a miniature X-ray diffraction instrument developed for flight on NASA's upcoming Mars Science Laboratory, was deployed on Svalbard and was successful in detecting olivine and weathering products. The persistence of olivine and glass in Svalbard rocks was also investigated via laboratory observations of weathered hand samples as well as an in situ burial experiment. Observations of hand samples are consistent with the inference that olivine persists longer than glass at near-zero temperatures in the presence of solutions at pH approximately 7-9 on Svalbard, whereas in hydrothermally altered zones, glass has persisted longer than olivine in the presence of fluids at similar pH at approximately 50 degrees C. Analysis of the surfaces of olivine and glass samples, which were buried on Sverrefjell for 1 year and then retrieved, documented only minor incipient weathering, though these results suggest the importance of biological impacts. The 3 types of observations (CheMin, laboratory observations of hand samples, burial experiments) of weathering of olivine and glass at Svalbard show promise for interpretation of weathering on Mars. Furthermore, the weathering relationships observed on Svalbard are consistent with laboratory-measured dissolution rates, which suggests that relative mineral dissolution rates in the laboratory, in concert with field observations, can be used to yield valuable information regarding the pH and temperature of reacting martian fluids.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19191538/","authors":["Hausrath EM","Treiman AH","Vicenzi E","Bish DL","Blake D","Sarrazin P","Hoehler T","Midtkandal I","Steele A","Brantley SL"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008 Dec","doi":"10.1089/ast.2007.0195","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:19105758","name":"Underground habitats in the Río Tinto basin: a model for subsurface life habitats on Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"A search for evidence of cryptic life in the subsurface region of a fractured Paleozoic volcanosedimentary deposit near the source waters of the R&#xed;o Tinto River (Iberian pyrite belt, southwest Spain) was carried out by Mars Astrobiology Research and Technology Experiment (MARTE) project investigators in 2003 and 2004. This conventional deep-drilling experiment is referred to as the MARTE ground truth drilling project. Boreholes were drilled at three sites, and samples from extracted cores were analyzed with light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Core leachates were analyzed with ion chromatography, and borehole fluids were analyzed with ion and gas chromatography. Key variables of the groundwater system (e.g., pO(2), pH, and salinity) exhibit huge ranges probably due to surficial oxygenation of overall reducing waters, physical mixing of waters, and biologically mediated water-rock interactions. Mineral distribution is mainly driven by the pH of subsurface solutions, which range from highly acidic to neutral. Borehole fluids contain dissolved gases such as CO(2), CH(4), and H(2). SEM-EDS analyses of core samples revealed evidence of microbes attacking pyrite. The R&#xed;o Tinto alteration mechanisms may be similar to subsurface weathering of the martian crust and provide insights into the possible (bio)geochemical cycles that may have accompanied underground habitats in extensive early Mars volcanic regions and associated sulfide ores.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19105758/","authors":["Fernández-Remolar DC","Prieto-Ballesteros O","Rodríguez N","Gómez F","Amils R","Gómez-Elvira J","Stoker CR"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008 Oct","doi":"10.1089/ast.2006.0104","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:19095939","name":"Orbital identification of carbonate-bearing rocks on Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Geochemical models for Mars predict carbonate formation during aqueous alteration. Carbonate-bearing rocks had not previously been detected on Mars' surface, but Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter mapping reveals a regional rock layer with near-infrared spectral characteristics that are consistent with the presence of magnesium carbonate in the Nili Fossae region. The carbonate is closely associated with both phyllosilicate-bearing and olivine-rich rock units and probably formed during the Noachian or early Hesperian era from the alteration of olivine by either hydrothermal fluids or near-surface water. The presence of carbonate as well as accompanying clays suggests that waters were neutral to alkaline at the time of its formation and that acidic weathering, proposed to be characteristic of Hesperian Mars, did not destroy these carbonates and thus did not dominate all aqueous environments.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19095939/","authors":["Ehlmann BL","Mustard JF","Murchie SL","Poulet F","Bishop JL","Brown AJ","Calvin WM","Clark RN","Marais DJ","Milliken RE","Roach LH","Roush TL","Swayze GA","Wray JJ"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008 Dec 19","doi":"10.1126/science.1164759","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:19081292","name":"UV and VIS Raman spectra of natural lonsdaleites: towards a recognised standard.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"A UV laser has now been used to measure the Raman spectrum of lonsdaleite. This mineral species is a little-known hexagonal form of carbon having no known P-T field of stability. Lonsdaleite is known to coexist with diamond and/or graphite in certain impact structures and meteorites. Its presence in microinclusions in some ultrahigh-pressure eclogites is under discussion as there is a considerable wavenumber overlap of the sp(3) Raman band of lonsdaleite in the 1200-1400 cm(-1) region with certain bands of haematite, graphite and diamond, and also with \"disordered-diamond\" having a downshifted wavenumber. Various incoherent previously published values of the Raman bands are briefly reviewed and an attempt is made to establish a reference spectrum. Four samples of lonsdaleite from the Zapadnaya and Popigai impact structures (Ukraine) were measured with three different laser sources (488, 514.5 and 325 nm) with two Raman spectrometers. UV-Raman was less fluorescent. All the new data were coherent in establishing an sp(3) band centred at 1324+/-4 cm(-1) with a FWHM about five times wider than that of diamond and an intensity about 500 times weaker. The presence of a second band giving a weak shoulder around 1225 cm(-1) is discussed with respect to the alternative of one continuous asymmetrical band.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19081292/","authors":["Smith DC","Godard G"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009 Aug","doi":"10.1016/j.saa.2008.10.025","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:18980859","name":"Raman spectroscopic identification of usnic acid in hydrothermal minerals as a potential Martian analogue.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Raman spectroscopy using 785 nm excitation was tested as a nondestructive method for determining the presence of the potential biomarker, usnic acid, in experimentally prepared mineral matrices. Investigated samples consisting of usnic acid mixed with powdered hydrothermal minerals, gypsum and calcite were studied. Various concentrations of usnic acid in the mineral matrix were studied to determine the detection limits of this biomarker. Usnic acid was mixed with gypsum (respectively, calcite) and covered by a UV-transparent crystal of gypsum (CaSO(4) x 2 H(2)O), thereby creating artificial inclusions similar to those which could be present in Martian minerals. A Raman usnic acid signal at the concentration level as low as 1 g kg(-1) was obtained in the powdered mineral matrix and 5 g kg(-1) when analyzed through the monocrystal. The number of registered usnic acid key Raman bands was dependent on the particular mineral matrix. If a similar concentration of usnic acid could persist in Martian samples, then Raman spectroscopy will be able to identify it. Obtained results will aid both in situ Raman analyses on Mars and on Earth.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18980859/","authors":["Osterrothová K","Jehlicka J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009 Aug","doi":"10.1016/j.saa.2008.09.005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:18832625","name":"Planetary science. Culture wars over how to find an ancient niche for life on Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18832625/","authors":["Kerr RA"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008 Oct 3","doi":"10.1126/science.322.5898.39","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:18832618","name":"Planetary science. Minerals suggest water once flowed on mars--but where?","source":"pubmed","abstract":"","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18832618/","authors":["Kerr RA"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008 Oct 3","doi":"10.1126/science.322.5898.32a","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:18781887","name":"Silicifying biofilm exopolymers on a hot-spring microstromatolite: templating nanometer-thick laminae.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Exopolymeric substances (EPS) are an integral component of microbial biofilms; however, few studies have addressed their silicification and preservation in hot-spring deposits. Through comparative analyses with the use of a range of microscopy techniques, we identified abundant EPS significant to the textural development of spicular, microstromatolitic, siliceous sinter at Champagne Pool, Waiotapu, New Zealand. Examination of biofilms coating sinter surfaces by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), cryo-scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed contraction of the gelatinous EPS matrix into films (approximately 10 nm thick) or fibrillar structures, which is common in conventional SEM analyses and analogous to products of naturally occurring desiccation. Silicification of fibrillar EPS contributed to the formation of filamentous sinter. Matrix surfaces or dehydrated films templated sinter laminae (nanometers to microns thick) that, in places, preserved fenestral voids beneath. Laminae of similar thickness are, in general, common to spicular geyserites. This is the first report to demonstrate EPS templation of siliceous stromatolite laminae. Considering the ubiquity of biofilms on surfaces in hot-spring environments, EPS silicification studies are likely to be important to a better understanding of the origins of laminae in other modern and ancient stromatolitic sinters, and EPS potentially may serve as biosignatures in extraterrestrial rocks.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18781887/","authors":["Handley KM","Turner SJ","Campbell KA","Mountain BW"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008 Aug","doi":"10.1089/ast.2007.0172","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:18687963","name":"Phyllosilicate diversity and past aqueous activity revealed at Mawrth Vallis, Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Observations by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter/Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars in the Mawrth Vallis region show several phyllosilicate species, indicating a wide range of past aqueous activity. Iron/magnesium (Fe/Mg)-smectite is observed in light-toned outcrops that probably formed via aqueous alteration of basalt of the ancient cratered terrain. This unit is overlain by rocks rich in hydrated silica, montmorillonite, and kaolinite that may have formed via subsequent leaching of Fe and Mg through extended aqueous events or a change in aqueous chemistry. A spectral feature attributed to an Fe2+ phase is present in many locations in the Mawrth Vallis region at the transition from Fe/Mg-smectite to aluminum/silicon (Al/Si)-rich units. Fe2+-bearing materials in terrestrial sediments are typically associated with microorganisms or changes in pH or cations and could be explained here by hydrothermal activity. The stratigraphy of Fe/Mg-smectite overlain by a ferrous phase, hydrated silica, and then Al-phyllosilicates implies a complex aqueous history.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18687963/","authors":["Bishop JL","Dobrea EZ","McKeown NK","Parente M","Ehlmann BL","Michalski JR","Milliken RE","Poulet F","Swayze GA","Mustard JF","Murchie SL","Bibring JP"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008 Aug 8","doi":"10.1126/science.1159699","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:18498219","name":"\"Hairy blobs:\" microbial suspects preserved in modern and ancient extremely acid lake evaporites.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"\"Hairy blobs\" are unusual clumps of organic bodies and sulfate crystals that have been found in evaporite minerals grown in acid saline lakes. Here, we document modern hairy blobs in halite and gypsum from 5 modern acid saline lakes in southern Western Australia, and Permian hairy blobs trapped in halite from the mid-Permian Opeche Shale in the subsurface of North Dakota. These are among the first microbial remains described from acid saline lake environments. They give clues about the role of microorganisms in the acidity, geochemistry, and mineralogy of these extreme environments. This study also may add to the inventory of life in extreme environments and help predict possible martian life-forms and the method of preservation.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18498219/","authors":["Benison KC","Jagniecki EA","Edwards TB","Mormile MR","Storrie-Lombardi MC"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008 Aug","doi":"10.1089/ast.2006.0034","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:18497295","name":"Detection of silica-rich deposits on Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Mineral deposits on the martian surface can elucidate ancient environmental conditions on the planet. Opaline silica deposits (as much as 91 weight percent SiO2) have been found in association with volcanic materials by the Mars rover Spirit. The deposits are present both as light-toned soils and as bedrock. We interpret these materials to have formed under hydrothermal conditions and therefore to be strong indicators of a former aqueous environment. This discovery is important for understanding the past habitability of Mars because hydrothermal environments on Earth support thriving microbial ecosystems.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18497295/","authors":["Squyres SW","Arvidson RE","Ruff S","Gellert R","Morris RV","Ming DW","Crumpler L","Farmer JD","Marais DJ","Yen A","McLennan SM","Calvin W","Bell JF 3rd","Clark BC","Wang A","McCoy TJ","Schmidt ME","de Souza PA Jr"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008 May 23","doi":"10.1126/science.1155429","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:18416892","name":"Raman signal processing software for automated identification of mineral phases and biosignatures on Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Data from the ESA ExoMars Rover Mission will provide invaluable input for further studies in astro/exobiology. The search for mineral products as indicators of present and/or past biogenetic activities in Mars' surface and subsurface samples is the main objective of the compact Raman-laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument. The inherent features of Raman spectroscopy and LIBS make the combined instrument a unique and very powerful tool in the search for biomarkers and hence it is regarded as the highest priority instrument for mineral analysis within the mission. We have developed a software package for the on-board processing of the instrument's data outputs, including spectral conditioning and search-match characterization of mineral phases and biomarkers. In this paper we show the mathematical and physical basis of the software package.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18416892/","authors":["Sobron P","Sobron F","Sanz A","Rull F"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008 Apr","doi":"10.1366/000370208784046704","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:18393691","name":"Glycine identification in natural jarosites using laser desorption Fourier transform mass spectrometry: implications for the search for life on Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The jarosite group minerals have received increasing attention since the discovery of jarosite on the martian surface by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity. Given that jarosite can incorporate foreign ions within its structure, we have investigated the use of jarosite as an indicator of aqueous and biological processes on Earth and Mars. The use of laser desorption Fourier transform mass spectrometry has revealed the presence of organic matter in several jarosite samples from various locations worldwide. One of the ions from the natural jarosites has been attributed to glycine because it was systematically observed in combinations of glycine with synthetic ammonium and potassium jarosites, Na(2)SO(4) and K(2)SO(4). The ability to observe these organic signatures in jarosite samples with an in situ instrumental technique, such as the one employed in this study, furthers the goals of planetary geologists to determine whether signs of life (e.g., the presence of biomolecules or biomolecule precursors) can be detected in the rock record of terrestrial and extraterrestrial samples.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18393691/","authors":["Kotler JM","Hinman NW","Yan B","Stoner DL","Scott JR","J. Michelle Kotler","Nancy W. Hinman","Beizhan Yan","Daphne L. Stoner","Jill R. Scott"],"tags":["Jarosite","Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Biomolecule"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008 Apr","doi":"10.1089/ast.2006.0102","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"pmid:18240967","name":"Control of Lunar and Martian dust--experimental insights from artificial and natural cyanobacterial and algal crusts in the desert of Inner Mongolia, China.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Studies on the colonization of environmentally extreme ground surfaces were conducted in a Mars-like desert area of Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China, with microalgae and cyanobacteria. We collected and mass-cultured cyanobacterial strains from these regions and investigated their ability to form desert crusts artificially. These crusts had the capacity to resist sand wind erosion after just 15 days of growth. Similar to the surface of some Chinese deserts, the surface of Mars is characterized by a layer of fine dust, which will challenge future human exploration activities, particularly in confined spaces that will include greenhouses and habitats. We discuss the use of such crusts for the local control of desert sands in enclosed spaces on Mars. These experiments suggest innovative new directions in the applied use of microbe-mineral interactions to advance the human exploration and settlement of space.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18240967/","authors":["Liu Y","Cockell CS","Wang G","Hu C","Chen L","De Philippis R"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008 Feb","doi":"10.1089/ast.2007.0122","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:17700672","name":"Space exploration: secrets of the martian soil.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17700672/","authors":["Wu C"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007 Aug 16","doi":"10.1038/448742a","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:17611538","name":"Early geochemical environment of Mars as determined from thermodynamics of phyllosilicates.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Images of geomorphological features that seem to have been produced by the action of liquid water have been considered evidence for wet surface conditions on early Mars. Moreover, the recent identification of large deposits of phyllosilicates, associated with the ancient Noachian terrains suggests long-timescale weathering of the primary basaltic crust by liquid water. It has been proposed that a greenhouse effect resulting from a carbon-dioxide-rich atmosphere sustained the temperate climate required to maintain liquid water on the martian surface during the Noachian. The apparent absence of carbonates and the low escape rates of carbon dioxide, however, are indicative of an early martian atmosphere with low levels of carbon dioxide. Here we investigate the geochemical conditions prevailing on the surface of Mars during the Noachian period using calculations of the aqueous equilibria of phyllosilicates. Our results show that Fe3+-rich phyllosilicates probably precipitated under weakly acidic to alkaline pH, an environment different from that of the following period, which was dominated by strongly acid weathering that led to the sulphate deposits identified on Mars. Thermodynamic calculations demonstrate that the oxidation state of the martian surface was already high, supporting early escape of hydrogen. Finally, equilibrium with carbonates implies that phyllosilicate precipitation occurs preferentially at a very low partial pressure of carbon dioxide. We suggest that the possible absence of Noachian carbonates more probably resulted from low levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, rather than primary acidic conditions. Other greenhouse gases may therefore have played a part in sustaining a warm and wet climate on the early Mars.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17611538/","authors":["Chevrier V","Poulet F","Bibring JP"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007 Jul 5","doi":"10.1038/nature05961","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:17611529","name":"Mars: ancient fingerprints in the clay.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17611529/","authors":["Catling DC"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007 Jul 5","doi":"10.1038/448031a","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:17600759","name":"The Rio Tinto Mars analogue site: an extremophilic Raman spectroscopic study.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The Rio Tinto site is recognised as a terrestrial Mars analogue because of the presence of jarosite and related sulfates which have recently been identified by the NASA Mars Exploration Rover \"Opportunity\" in the El Capitan region of Meridiani Planum on Mars. It has long been known that acidophilic microbial action is responsible for the deep blood-red colour of the water in Rio Tinto, where the pH varies from about 1.5 to 3.0 and the water is rich in iron and sulfur. Following recent Raman spectroscopic characterisation of the mineral phases of the Rio Tinto system, we report here a study of the biological components found in several specimens of deposited minerals and near the waterside that were collected during a GeoRaman VI Conference organized field trip in 2006. Key biosignatures were found for carotenoids, scytonemin and mycosporine-like amino acids, which are indicative of the biological colonisation of exposed mineral substrates; information from this study will be useful for targeting Martian sites using a miniaturized Raman instrument where the biosignatures of relict or extant life could remain in the geological record.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17600759/","authors":["Edwards HG","Vandenabeele P","Jorge-Villar SE","Carter EA","Perez FR","Hargreaves MD"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007 Dec 15","doi":"10.1016/j.saa.2006.12.080","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:17501264","name":"Galactic-cosmic-ray-produced 3He in a ferromanganese crust: any supernova 60Fe excess on earth?","source":"pubmed","abstract":"An excess of 60Fe in 2.4-3.2 x 10(6) year old ferromanganese crust (237 KD) from the deep Pacific Ocean has been considered as evidence for the delivery of debris from a nearby supernova explosion to Earth. Extremely high ;{3}He/;{4}He (up to 6.12 x 10(-3)) and 3He concentrations (up to 8 x 10(9) atoms/g) measured in 237 KD cannot be supernova-derived. The helium is produced by galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and delivered in micrometeorites that have survived atmospheric entry to be trapped by the crust. 60Fe is produced by GCR reactions on Ni in extraterrestrial material. The maximum (3)He/(60)Fe of 237 KD (80-850) is comparable to the GCR (3)He/(60)Fe production ratio (400-500) predicted for Ni-bearing minerals in iron meteorites. The excess 60Fe can be plausibly explained by the presence of micrometeorites trapped by the crust, rather than injection from a supernova source.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17501264/","authors":["Basu S","Stuart FM","Schnabel C","Klemm V"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007 Apr 6","doi":"10.1103/PhysRevLett.98.141103","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:19071666","name":"Direct LD-FTMS detection of mineral-associated PAHs and their influence on the detection of co-existing amino acids.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds and amino acids (AAs) are both ubiquitous throughout the universe and can be co-located in mineral matrices (e.g., meteorites); therefore, co-detection of PAHs and AAs associated with terrestrial and extra-terrestrial minerals is of interest. Nine PAH compounds representing four chemical classes of PAH (unsubstituted, acetyl-, amino-, and nitro-substituted) were applied onto the surface of quartz, plagioclase, olivine, and ilmenite mineral standards and analyzed using laser desorption/ionization Fourier transform mass spectrometry (LD-FTMS). Mass-to-charge peaks derived from PAH compounds were detected from the surfaces of all minerals evaluated. All PAH compounds were detected in the positive ion mode, whereas only nitro-substituted PAH compounds were detected in negative ion mode. In this and earlier studies, the ability to directly detect mineral-associated AAs by LD-FTMS was dependent on the mineral geomatrix. On iron-bearing minerals AAs appeared as highly fragmented ions in the spectra or were not detectable; however, the addition of the PAH chrysene enabled the ionization and detection of AAs threonine and histidine by LD-FTMS. Thus, for mineral systems such as meteorites, interstellar dust particles, soils, and sediments, the co-detection of AAs associated with PAHs by LD-FTMS is feasible.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19071666/","authors":["Yan B","Stoner DL","Scott JR"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007 Apr 30","doi":"10.1016/j.talanta.2006.11.031","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:17328118","name":"Microbial life in glacial ice and implications for a cold origin of life.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Application of physical and chemical concepts, complemented by studies of prokaryotes in ice cores and permafrost, has led to the present understanding of how microorganisms can metabolize at subfreezing temperatures on Earth and possibly on Mars and other cold planetary bodies. The habitats for life at subfreezing temperatures benefit from two unusual properties of ice. First, almost all ionic impurities are insoluble in the crystal structure of ice, which leads to a network of micron-diameter veins in which microorganisms may utilize ions for metabolism. Second, ice in contact with mineral surfaces develops a nanometre-thick film of unfrozen water that provides a second habitat that may allow microorganisms to extract energy from redox reactions with ions in the water film or ions in the mineral structure. On the early Earth and on icy planets, prebiotic molecules in veins in ice may have polymerized to RNA and polypeptides by virtue of the low water activity and high rate of encounter with each other in nearly one-dimensional trajectories in the veins. Prebiotic molecules may also have utilized grain surfaces to increase the rate of encounter and to exploit other physicochemical features of the surfaces.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17328118/","authors":["Price PB","P. B. Price"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Microorganism","Abiogenesis","Prebiotic","Mineral"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-11-17","doi":"10.1111/j.1574-6941.2006.00234.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"pmid:17311713","name":"Development of a surface-enhanced Raman technique for biomarker studies on Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Raman spectroscopy has been identified as a potentially useful tool to collect evidence of past or present life on extraterrestrial bodies. However, it is limited by its inherently low signal strength. In this investigation, laboratory tests were conducted using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) in an \"inverted\" mode to detect the presence of organic compounds that may be similar to possible biomarkers present on Mars. SERS was used to overcome the inherently low signal intensity of Raman spectroscopy and was an effective method for detecting small concentrations of organic compounds on a number of surfaces. For small organic molecules, dissolution of the molecule to be analyzed in a suitable solvent and depositing it on a prepared SERS substrate for analysis is possible. However, for larger molecules, an \"inverted\" SERS (iSERS) technique was shown to be effective. In iSERS, nanoparticles of silver or gold were deposited on the mineral substrate/organic compound to be analyzed. Benzotriazole, benzoic acid, and phthalic acid were used as test organic analogs and the iSERS technique was able to detect femtomole levels of the analytes. The interference from various mineral substrates was also examined. Different methods of depositing silver particles were evaluated, including ion beam-assisted vapor deposition and deposition from aqueous colloidal suspensions.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17311713/","authors":["Dunn DS","Sridhar N","Miller MA","Price KT","Pabalan R","Abrajano TA Jr"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007 Jan","doi":"10.1366/000370207779701424","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:17144352","name":"The Red Planet's watery past.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17144352/","authors":["Bell J"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006 Dec","doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican1206-62","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:17120120","name":"Studies of biominerals relevant to the search for life on Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The evidence of the water erosion on Mars is particularly interesting since present climatic conditions are such that liquid water cannot exist at the surface. But, if water was present on the planet in the past, there may have been life, too. Since the discovery of carbonates on Mars also may have very important implications on the possibility that life developed there, we are studying minerals that can have biotic or abiotic origin: calcite (CaCO(3)) and aragonite, a metastable state of calcite.We have analysed biomineral aragonite, in the form of recent sea shells, as well as crystals of mineral aragonite. Infrared spectroscopy in the 2-25 mum wavelength range reveals that, after thermal processing, the biotic samples have a different spectral behaviour from the abiotic ones. As a result, it is possible to distinguish abiotic mineral aragonite from aragonite of recent biological origin.Obviously, if life existed in the past on the Red Planet, we could expect to find \"ancient\" biotic carbonates, which should therefore be investigated, in order to search for a way of discriminating them from abiotic minerals. For this reason, at the beginning we have considered samples of crushed fossil shells of aragonite composition. Afterwards, in order to take into account that fossilization processes almost always produce a transformation of metastable form (aragonite) into more stable form (calcite), we also studied samples of mineral calcite and different types of fossils completely transformed into calcite. All these biotic fossil samples show the same spectral behaviour as the fresh biotic material after thermal annealing at 485 degrees C. Instead, the calcite behaves like abiotic aragonite.Furthermore, it is known that seashells and other biominerals are formed through an intimate association of inorganic materials with organic macromolecules. The macromolecules control the nucleation, structure, morphology, crystal orientation and spatial confinement of the inorganic phase: this differentiates biominerals from minerals. Analysing the aragonite or calcite fossils with a Scanning Electron Microscope, we found that the fossilization process did not modify the structure of the biominerals which maintain their microscopic characteristics. Looking at the morphology of fossil biominerals, it is evident that the crystals are arranged in complex architectures compared with the compact structure of the mineral crystals. In conclusion, the properties and structure of the biominerals are different from those of the minerals. The rapid increase of the crystalline structure developed under biotic conditions makes these minerals less resistant to thermal treatments, compared with samples of abiotic origin. This result holds both for recent shells as well as all fossil samples. The spectroscopic behaviour of all analysed calcium carbonates of biotic origin is different from that of the abiotic one. Therefore, the infrared spectroscopy is a valid technique to discern the origin of the samples and a powerful tool for analysing in-situ and \"sample-return\" Mars missions specimens. Also Optical and Scanning Electron Microscopy can be useful to support this type of studies.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17120120/","authors":["Blanco A","D'Elia M","Licchelli D","Orofino V","Fonti S"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006 Dec","doi":"10.1007/s11084-006-9045-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:17120116","name":"Cryogenic synthesis of molecules of astrobiological interest: catalytic role of cosmic dust analogues.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"We have studied the effects of the substrate, namely amorphous olivine (MgFeSiO(4)) cosmic dust analogues (CDAs), in synthesis of molecules obtained after 200 keV proton irradiation of formamide (NH(2)COH). Formamide has been deposited on the olivine substrate at 20 K. The abundances of new molecular species formed after an irradiation dose of 12 eV/16 amu in formamide pure (i.e. deposited on an inert silicon substrate) and deposited on CDAs have been compared. Specifically, MgFeSiO(4) amorphous olivine is a selective catalyst preventing formation of NH(3) and CN(-) molecules and changing the relative abundances of NH4(+)OCN(-), CO(2), HNCO, CO. We have shown that the role of CDAs has to be taken into account in experiments simulating processes occurring in astronomical environments.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17120116/","authors":["Brucato JR","Strazzulla G","Baratta GA","Rotundi A","Colangeli L"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006 Dec","doi":"10.1007/s11084-006-9050-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:17008516","name":"Planetary science. Merging views on Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17008516/","authors":["Bibring JP","Squyres SW","Arvidson RE"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006 Sep 29","doi":"10.1126/science.1132311","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:16959999","name":"Two years at Meridiani Planum: results from the Opportunity Rover.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has spent more than 2 years exploring Meridiani Planum, traveling approximately 8 kilometers and detecting features that reveal ancient environmental conditions. These include well-developed festoon (trough) cross-lamination formed in flowing liquid water, strata with smaller and more abundant hematite-rich concretions than those seen previously, possible relict \"hopper crystals\" that might reflect the formation of halite, thick weathering rinds on rock surfaces, resistant fracture fills, and networks of polygonal fractures likely caused by dehydration of sulfate salts. Chemical variations with depth show that the siliciclastic fraction of outcrop rock has undergone substantial chemical alteration from a precursor basaltic composition. Observations from microscopic to orbital scales indicate that ancient Meridiani once had abundant acidic groundwater, arid and oxidizing surface conditions, and occasional liquid flow on the surface.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16959999/","authors":["Squyres SW","Knoll AH","Arvidson RE","Clark BC","Grotzinger JP","Jolliff BL","McLennan SM","Tosca N","Bell JF 3rd","Calvin WM","Farrand WH","Glotch TD","Golombek MP","Herkenhoff KE","Johnson JR","Klingelhöfer G","McSween HY","Yen AS"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006 Sep 8","doi":"10.1126/science.1130890","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:16916284","name":"The photochemical stability of carbonates on Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Carbonates, predominately MgCO3, have been spectroscopically identified at a level of 2-5% in martian dust. However, in spite of this observation, and a large number of climate studies that suggest 1 to several bars of CO2 should be sequestered in carbonate rocks, no outcrop-scale exposures of carbonate have been detected anywhere on Mars to date. To address one hypothesis for this long-standing puzzle, the effect of ultraviolet (UV) light on the stability of calcium carbonate in a simulated martian atmosphere was experimentally investigated. Using 13C-labeled calcite, we found no experimental evidence of the UV photodecomposition of calcium carbonate in a simulated martian atmosphere. Extrapolating the lower limit of detection of our experimental system to an upper limit of carbonate decomposition on Mars yields a quantum efficiency of 3.5 x 10(-8) molecules/photon over the wavelength interval of 190-390 nm and a maximum UV photodecomposition rate of 1.2 x 10(-13) kg m(-2) s(-1) from a calcite surface. The maximum loss of bulk calcite due to this process would be 2.5 nm year(-1) (Mars year). However, calcite is expected to be thermodynamically stable on the surface of Mars, and potential UV photodecomposition reaction mechanisms indicate that, though calcium carbonate may decompose under vacuum, it would be stable in a CO2 atmosphere. Given the expected stability of carbonate on Mars and our inability to detect carbonate decomposition, we conclude that it is unlikely that the apparent absence of extensive carbonate deposits on the martian surface is due to UV photodecomposition in the current environment.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16916284/","authors":["Quinn R","Zent AP","McKay CP"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006 Aug","doi":"10.1089/ast.2006.6.581","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:16778033","name":"Planetary science. In search of the red planet's sweet spot.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16778033/","authors":["Kerr RA"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006 Jun 16","doi":"10.1126/science.312.5780.1588","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:16771578","name":"Silicon oxide nanoparticles reveal the origin of silicate grains in circumstellar environments.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"A synergistic effort combining experiments in beams and first principles theoretical investigations is used to propose mechanisms that could lead to the formation of silicates and nanoparticles with silicon-rich cores through agglomeration of SiO, an abundant oxygen-bearing species in space. The silicon oxygen species involved in the transformation have optical excitations that could contribute to extended red emissions and blue luminescence. Apart from resolving an outstanding astronomical problem, we demonstrate novel silicon architectures.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16771578/","authors":["Reber AC","Clayborne AZ","Reveles JU","Khanna SN","Castleman AW Jr","Ali A"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006 Jun","doi":"10.1021/nl0605521","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:16627738","name":"Global mineralogical and aqueous mars history derived from OMEGA/Mars Express data.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Global mineralogical mapping of Mars by the Observatoire pour la Mineralogie, l'Eau, les Glaces et l'Activit&#xe9; (OMEGA) instrument on the European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft provides new information on Mars' geological and climatic history. Phyllosilicates formed by aqueous alteration very early in the planet's history (the \"phyllocian\" era) are found in the oldest terrains; sulfates were formed in a second era (the \"theiikian\" era) in an acidic environment. Beginning about 3.5 billion years ago, the last era (the \"siderikian\") is dominated by the formation of anhydrous ferric oxides in a slow superficial weathering, without liquid water playing a major role across the planet.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16627738/","authors":["Bibring JP","Langevin Y","Mustard JF","Poulet F","Arvidson R","Gendrin A","Gondet B","Mangold N","Pinet P","Forget F","Berthé M","Bibring JP","Gendrin A","Gomez C","Gondet B","Jouglet D","Poulet F","Soufflot A","Vincendon M","Combes M","Drossart P","Encrenaz T","Fouchet T","Merchiorri R","Belluci G","Altieri F","Formisano V","Capaccioni F","Cerroni P","Coradini A","Fonti S","Korablev O","Kottsov V","Ignatiev N","Moroz V","Titov D","Zasova L","Loiseau D","Mangold N","Pinet P","Douté S","Schmitt B","Sotin C","Hauber E","Hoffmann H","Jaumann R","Keller U","Arvidson R","Mustard JF","Duxbury T","Forget F","Neukum G"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006 Apr 21","doi":"10.1126/science.1122659","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:16607492","name":"Life in the sabkha: Raman spectroscopy of halotrophic extremophiles of relevance to planetary exploration.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The Raman spectroscopic biosignatures of halotrophic cyanobacterial extremophiles from sabkha evaporitic saltpans are reported for the first time and ideas about the possible survival strategies in operation have been forthcoming. The biochemicals produced by the cyanobacteria which colonise the interfaces between large plates of clear selenitic gypsum, halite, and dolomitized calcium carbonates in the centre of the salt pans are identifiably different from those which are produced by benthic cyanobacterial mats colonising the surface of the salt pan edges in the intertidal zone. The prediction that similar geological formations would have been present on early Mars and which could now be underlying the highly peroxidised regolith on the surface of the planet has been confirmed by recent satellite observations from Mars orbit and by localised traverses by robotic surface rovers. The successful adoption of miniaturised Raman spectroscopic instrumentation as part of a scientific package for detection of extant life or biomolecular traces of extinct life on proposed future Mars missions will depend critically on interpretation of data from terrestrial Mars analogues such as sabkhas, of which the current study is an example.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16607492/","authors":["Edwards HG","Mohsin MA","Sadooni FN","Nik Hassan NF","Munshi T"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006 May","doi":"10.1007/s00216-006-0396-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:16372002","name":"A volcanic environment for bedrock diagenesis at Meridiani Planum on Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Exposed bedrocks at Meridiani Planum on Mars display chemical and mineralogical evidence suggesting interaction with liquid water. On the basis of morphological observations as well as high abundances of haematite and sulphate minerals, the rocks have been interpreted as sediments that were deposited in a shallow body of briny water with subsequent evaporation leaving behind the sulphate minerals. The iron-sulphur mineralization at Meridiani has also been inferred to be analogous to that produced during oxidative weathering of metal sulphide minerals, such as occurs at acid mine drainage sites. Neither of these interpretations, however, is consistent with the chemical composition of the rocks. Here we propose an alternative model for diagenesis of Meridiani bedrock that involves deposition of volcanic ash followed by reaction with condensed sulphur dioxide- and water-bearing vapours emitted from fumaroles. This scenario does not require prolonged interaction with a standing body of surface water and may have occurred at high temperatures. Consequently, the model invokes an environment considerably less favourable for biological activity on Mars than previously proposed interpretations.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16372002/","authors":["McCollom TM","Hynek BM"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005 Dec 22","doi":"10.1038/nature04390","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:16372001","name":"Impact origin of sediments at the Opportunity landing site on Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity discovered sediments with layered structures thought to be unique to aqueous deposition and with minerals attributed to evaporation of an acidic salty sea. Remarkable iron-rich spherules were ascribed to later groundwater alteration, and the inferred abundance of water reinforced optimism that Mars was once habitable. The layered structures, however, are not unique to water deposition, and the scenario encounters difficulties in accounting for highly soluble salts admixed with less soluble salts, the lack of clay minerals from acid-rock reactions, high sphericity and near-uniform sizes of the spherules and the absence of a basin boundary. Here we present a simple alternative explanation involving deposition from a ground-hugging turbulent flow of rock fragments, salts, sulphides, brines and ice produced by meteorite impact. Subsequent weathering by intergranular water films can account for all of the features observed without invoking shallow seas, lakes or near-surface aquifers. Layered sequences observed elsewhere on heavily cratered Mars and attributed to wind, water or volcanism may well have formed similarly. If so, the search for past life on Mars should be reassessed accordingly.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16372001/","authors":["Knauth LP","Burt DM","Wohletz KH"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005 Dec 22","doi":"10.1038/nature04383","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:16362427","name":"Xenomict energy in cold solids in space.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Minerals on earth whose crystalline order has been reduced by radioactive decay of contained atoms are termed \"metamict.\" They are rare and few because in most crystalline solids, atoms and vacancies are relatively mobile at terrestrial temperatures, and radiation damage tends to be self-annealing. This is not the case in the extreme cold of deep space. Below roughly 100 K, reduced vacancy mobility allows cosmic ray and solar wind induced lattice defects to endure and accumulate for eons, reaching energy densities of up to MJ kg(-1) in some materials. We examine the possible effects of the release of energy stored in cold deep-space materials when solid-state defects recombine upon warming due to impacts, gravitational infall, or perihelion. Dimensional analysis suggests energetic defect recombination in radiation-damaged \"xenomict\" solids in comets, and planetesimals may, in some circumstances, raise internal temperatures enough to melt ice and volatilize frozen gases. We speculate that this may account for some cometary outbursts and Deep Impact experiment results. Calorimetric experiments on appropriately irradiated natural and synthetic materials are needed to further quantify these mechanisms.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16362427/","authors":["Seitz R","Raymond JC","Kissel J","Petaev MI"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006 Feb","doi":"10.1007/s00114-005-0067-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:16339416","name":"Space science. Europe trumpets successes on Mars and Titan.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16339416/","authors":["Schilling G"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005 Dec 9","doi":"10.1126/science.310.5754.1598","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:16319882","name":"Phyllosilicates on Mars and implications for early martian climate.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The recent identification of large deposits of sulphates by remote sensing and in situ observations has been considered evidence of the past presence of liquid water on Mars. Here we report the unambiguous detection of diverse phyllosilicates, a family of aqueous alteration products, on the basis of observations by the OMEGA imaging spectrometer on board the Mars Express spacecraft. These minerals are mainly associated with Noachian outcrops, which is consistent with an early active hydrological system, sustaining the long-term contact of igneous minerals with liquid water. We infer that the two main families of hydrated alteration products detected-phyllosilicates and sulphates--result from different formation processes. These occurred during two distinct climatic episodes: an early Noachian Mars, resulting in the formation of hydrated silicates, followed by a more acidic environment, in which sulphates formed.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16319882/","authors":["Poulet F","Bibring JP","Mustard JF","Gendrin A","Mangold N","Langevin Y","Arvidson RE","Gondet B","Gomez C","Berthé M","Erard S","Forni O","Manaud N","Poulleau G","Soufflot A","Combes M","Drossart P","Encrenaz T","Fouchet T","Melchiorri R","Bellucci G","Altieri F","Formisano V","Fonti S","Capaccioni F","Cerroni P","Coradini A","Korablev O","Kottsov V","Ignatiev N","Titov D","Zasova L","Pinet P","Schmitt B","Sotin C","Hauber E","Hoffmann H","Jaumann R","Keller U","Forget F","Omega Team"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005 Dec 1","doi":"10.1038/nature04274","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:16319870","name":"Planetary science: clays in the history of Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16319870/","authors":["Newsom H"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005 Dec 1","doi":"10.1038/438570a","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:16231211","name":"Comparative evaluation of Raman spectroscopy at different wavelengths for extremophile exemplars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Raman spectra have been obtained for extremophiles from several geological environments; selected examples have been taken from hot and cold deserts comprising psychrophiles, thermophiles and halophiles. The purpose of this study is the assessment of the effect of the wavelength of the laser excitation on the ability to determine unique information from the Raman spectra about the specificity of detection of biomolecules produced as a result of the survival strategies adopted by organisms in extreme terrestrial environments. It was concluded that whereas FT-Raman spectroscopy at 1064 nm gave good quality results the time required to record the data was relatively large compared with other wavelengths of excitation but that better access to the CH stretching region for organic molecules was given. Shorter wavelength excitation of biomolecules in the blue-green regions of the visible spectrum using a conventional dispersive spectrometer was more rapid but very dependent upon the type of chemical compound being studied; most relevant biomolecules fluoresced at these wavelengths but carotenoids exhibited a resonance effect which resulted in an improved detection capability. Minerals and geological materials, in contrast, were best studied at these visible wavelengths. In general, the best compromise system for the excitation of the Raman spectra of both geological and biological materials was provided using a 785 nm laser coupled with a dispersive spectrometer, especially for accessing the 1800-200 cm(-1) wavenumber shift region where much of the definitive analytical information resides. This work will have conclusions relevant to the use of miniaturised Raman spectrometers for the detection of biomolecules in extraterrestrial planetary exploration.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16231211/","authors":["Villar SE","Edwards HG","Worland MR","Susana E. Jorge Villar","Howell G. M. Edwards","M. R. Worland"],"tags":["Raman spectroscopy","Biomolecule","Spectrometer","Laser","Wavelength"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005 Oct","doi":"10.1007/s11084-005-3528-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"pmid:16179448","name":"Division for Planetary Sciences meeting: Martian methane: rocky birth, then gone with the wind?","source":"pubmed","abstract":"","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16179448/","authors":["Schilling G"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005 Sep 23","doi":"10.1126/science.309.5743.1984a","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:16118479","name":"[Engineering issues of microbial ecology in space agriculture].","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Closure of the materials recycle loop for water-foods-oxygen is the primary purpose of space agriculture on Mars and Moon. A microbial ecological system takes a part of agriculture to process our metabolic excreta and inedible biomass and convert them to nutrients and soil substrate for cultivating plants. If we extend the purpose of space agriculture to the creation and control of a healthy and pleasant living environment, we should realize that our human body should not be sterilized but exposed to the appropriate microbial environment. We are proposing a use of hyper-thermophilic aerobic composting microbial ecology in space agriculture. Japan has a broad historical and cultural background on this subject. There had been agriculture that drove a closed loop of materials between consuming cities and farming villages in vicinity. Recent environmental problems regarding garbage collection and processing in towns have motivated home electronics companies to innovate \"garbage composting\" machines with bacterial technology. Based on those matured technology, together with new insights on microbiology and microbial ecology, we have been developing a conceptual design of space agriculture on Moon and Mars. There are several issues to be answered in order to prove effectiveness of the use of microbial systems in space. 1) Can the recycled nutrients, processed by the hyper-thermal aerobic composting microbial ecology, be formed in the physical and chemical state or configuration, with which plants can uptake those nutrients? A possibility of removing any major components of fertilizer from its recycle loop is another item to be evaluated. 2) What are the merits of forming soil microbial ecology around the root system of plants? This might be the most crucial question. Recent researches exhibit various mutually beneficial relationships among soil microbiota and plants, and symbiotic ecology in composting bacteria. It is essential to understand those features, and define how to conduct preventive maintenance for keeping cultivating soil healthy and productive. 3) Does microbial ecology contribute to building sustainable and expandable human habitation by utilizing the on site extraterrestrial resources? We are assessing technical feasibility of converting regolith to farming soil and structural materials for space agriculture. In the case of Mars habitation, carbon dioxide and a trace amount of nitrogen in atmosphere, and potassium and phosphor in minerals are the sources we consider. Excess oxygen can be accumulated by woods cultivation and their use for lumber. 4) Is the operation of space agriculture robust and safe, if it adopts hyper-thermophilic aerobic microbial ecology? Any ecological system is complex and non-linear, and shows latency and memory effects in its response. It is highly important to understand those features to design and operate space agriculture without falling into the fatal failure. Assessment should be made on the microbial safety and preparation of the preventive measures to eliminate negative elements that would either retard agricultural production or harm the healthy environment. It is worth to mention that such space agriculture would be an effective engineering testbed to solve the global problem on energy and environment. Mars and Moon exploration itself is a good advocate of healthy curiosity expressed by the sustainable civilization of our humankind. We propose to work together towards Mars and Moon with microbial ecology to assure pleasant habitation there.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16118479/","authors":["Yamashita M","Ishikawa Y","Oshima T","Space Agriculture Saloon"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005 Mar","doi":"10.2187/bss.19.25","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:16078871","name":"Surface characteristics of spacecraft components affect the aggregation of microorganisms and may lead to different survival rates of bacteria on Mars landers.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Layers of dormant endospores of Bacillus subtilis HA101 were applied to eight different spacecraft materials and exposed to martian conditions of low pressure (8.5 mbar), low temperature (-10 degrees C), and high CO(2) gas composition and irradiated with a Mars-normal ultraviolet (UV-visible- near-infrared spectrum. Bacterial layers were exposed to either 1 min or 1 h of Mars-normal UV irradiation, which simulated clear-sky conditions on equatorial Mars (0.1 tau). When exposed to 1 min of Mars UV irradiation, the numbers of viable endospores of B. subtilis were reduced three to four orders of magnitude for two brands of aluminum (Al), stainless steel, chemfilm-treated Al, clear-anodized Al, and black-anodized Al coupons. In contrast, bacterial survival was reduced only one to two orders of magnitude for endospores on the non-metal materials astroquartz and graphite composite when bacterial endospores were exposed to 1 min of Mars UV irradiation. When bacterial monolayers were exposed to 1 h of Mars UV irradiation, no viable bacteria were recovered from the six metal coupons listed above. In contrast, bacterial survival was reduced only two to three orders of magnitude for spore layers on astroquartz and graphite composite exposed to 1 h of Mars UV irradiation. Scanning electron microscopy images of the bacterial monolayers on all eight spacecraft materials revealed that endospores of B. subtilis formed large aggregates of multilayered spores on astroquartz and graphite composite, but not on the other six spacecraft materials. It is likely that the formation of multilayered aggregates of endospores on astroquartz and graphite composite is responsible for the enhanced survival of bacterial cells on these materials.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16078871/","authors":["Schuerger AC","Richards JT","Hintze PE","Kern RG"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005 Aug","doi":"10.1089/ast.2005.5.545","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:16078865","name":"Hydrothermal simulation experiments as a tool for studies of the origin of life on Earth and other terrestrial planets: a review.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The potential of life's origin in submarine hydrothermal systems has been evaluated by a number of investigators by conducting high temperature-high pressure experiments involving organic compounds. In the majority of these experiments little attention has been paid to the importance of constraining important parameters, such as the pH and the redox state of the system. This is particularly revealed in the apparent difficulties in interpreting experimental data from hydrothermal organic synthesis and stability studies. However, in those cases where common mineral assemblages have been used in an attempt to buffer the pH and redox conditions to geologically and geochemically realistic values, theoretical and experimental data seem to converge. The use of mineral buffer assemblages provides a convenient way by which to constrain the experimental conditions. Studies at high temperatures and pressure in the laboratory have revealed a number of reactions that proceed rapidly in hydrothermal fluids, including the Strecker synthesis of amino acids. In other cases, the verification of postulated abiotic reaction mechanisms has not been possible, at least for large molecules such as large fatty acids and hydrocarbons. This includes the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reaction. High temperature-high pressure experimental methods have been developed and used successfully for a long time in, for example, mineral solubility studies under hydrothermal conditions. By taking advantage of this experimental experience new and, at times, unexpected directions can be taken in bioorganic geochemistry, one being, for instance, primitive two-dimensional information coding. This article critically reviews some of the organic synthesis and stability experiments that have been conducted under simulated submarine hydrothermal conditions. We also discuss some of the theoretical and practical considerations that apply to hydrothermal laboratory studies of organic molecules related to the origin of life on Earth and probably also to the other terrestrial planets.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16078865/","authors":["Holm NG","Andersson E"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005 Aug","doi":"10.1089/ast.2005.5.444","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:16029852","name":"Raman efficiencies of natural rocks and minerals: performance of a remote Raman system for planetary exploration at a distance of 10 meters.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Raman spectroscopy is a powerful technique for materials analysis, and we are developing and analyzing a remote Raman system for use on a planetary lander or rover. We have acquired data at a distance of 10m from a variety of geologic materials using different instrument designs. We have employed a pulsed laser with both an ungated detector and a gated detector. A gated detector can reduce long-lived fluorescence while still collecting all Raman signal. In order to design a flight instrument, we need to quantify how natural surfaces will respond to laser stimulus. We define remote Raman efficiency of natural surfaces as the ratio of radiant exitance leaving a natural surface to the irradiance of the incident laser. The radiant exitance of a natural surface is the product of the sample radiance, the projected solid angle, and the full-width-half-maximum of the Raman signal. We have determined the remote Raman efficiency for a variety of rocks and minerals. The best efficiencies are achieved for large, clear, single crystals that produce the most radiant exitance, while darker fine-grained mineral mixtures produce lower efficiencies. By implementing a pulsed laser, gated detector system we have improved the signal detection and have generally decreased the integration time necessary to detect Raman signal from natural surfaces.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16029852/","authors":["Stopar JD","Lucey PG","Sharma SK","Misra AK","Taylor GJ","Hubble HW"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005 Aug","doi":"10.1016/j.saa.2005.02.030","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:16029851","name":"The RAMANITA method for non-destructive and in situ semi-quantitative chemical analysis of mineral solid-solutions by multidimensional calibration of Raman wavenumber shifts.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The \"RAMANITA\" method, for semi-quantitative chemical analysis of mineral solid-solutions by multidimensional calibration of Raman wavenumber shifts and mathematical calculation by simultaneous equations, is published here in detail in English for the first time. It was conceived by the present writer 20 years ago for binary and ternary pyroxene and garnet systems. The mathematical description was set out in 1989, but in an abstract in an obscure French special publication. Detailed \"step-by-step\" calibration of two garnet ternaries, followed by their linking, in the early 1990s provided a hexary garnet database. Much later, using this garnet database, which forms part of his personal database called RAMANITA, the present writer began to develop the method by improving the terminology, automating the calculations, discussing problems and experimenting with different real chemical problems in archaeometry. Although this RAMANITA method has been very briefly mentioned in two recent books, the necessary full mathematical explanation is given only here. The method will find application in any study which requires obtaining a non-destructive semi-quantitative chemical analysis from mineral solid solutions that cannot be analysed by any destructive analytical method, in particular for archaeological, geological or extraterrestrial research projects, e.g. Recently some other workers have begun deducing chemical compositions from Raman wavenumber shifts in multivariate chemical space, but the philosophical approach is quite different.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16029851/","authors":["Smith DC"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005 Aug","doi":"10.1016/j.saa.2005.02.029","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:16001062","name":"Indication of drier periods on Mars from the chemistry and mineralogy of atmospheric dust.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The ubiquitous atmospheric dust on Mars is well mixed by periodic global dust storms, and such dust carries information about the environment in which it once formed and hence about the history of water on Mars. The Mars Exploration Rovers have permanent magnets to collect atmospheric dust for investigation by instruments on the rovers. Here we report results from M&#xf6;ssbauer spectroscopy and X-ray fluorescence of dust particles captured from the martian atmosphere by the magnets. The dust on the magnets contains magnetite and olivine; this indicates a basaltic origin of the dust and shows that magnetite, not maghemite, is the mineral mainly responsible for the magnetic properties of the dust. Furthermore, the dust on the magnets contains some ferric oxides, probably including nanocrystalline phases, so some alteration or oxidation of the basaltic dust seems to have occurred. The presence of olivine indicates that liquid water did not play a dominant role in the processes that formed the atmospheric dust.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16001062/","authors":["Goetz W","Bertelsen P","Binau CS","Gunnlaugsson HP","Hviid SF","Kinch KM","Madsen DE","Madsen MB","Olsen M","Gellert R","Klingelhöfer G","Ming DW"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Martian","Impact crater","Context (archaeology)"],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005 Jul 7","doi":"10.1038/nature03807","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"pmid:16001057","name":"Mars: twin studies on Mars.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16001057/","authors":["Catling DC"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005 Jul 7","doi":"10.1038/436042a","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:15880896","name":"Creation of biological module for self-regulating ecological system by the way of polymerization of composite materials in free space.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The large-size frame of space ship and space station can be created with the use of the technology of the polymerization of fiber-filled composites and a liquid reactionable matrix applied in free space or on the other space body when the space ship or space station will be used during a long period of time. For the polymerization of the station frame the fabric impregnated with a long-life polymer matrix (prepreg) is prepared in terrestrial conditions and, after folding, can be shipped in a compact container to orbit and kept folded on board the station. In due time the prepreg is carried out into free space and unfolded. Then a reaction of matrix polymerization starts. After reaction of polymerization the durable frame is ready for exploitation. After that, the frame can be filled out with air, the apparatus and life support systems. The technology can be used for creation of biological frame as element of self regulating ecological system, and for creation of technological frame which can be used for a production of new materials on Earth orbit in microgravity conditions and on other space bodies (Mars, Moon, asteroids) for unique high price mineral extraction. Based on such technology a future space base on Earth orbit with volume of 10(6) m3 and a crew of 100 astronauts is considered.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15880896/","authors":["Kondyurin A","Lauke B","Kondyurina I","Orba E"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004","doi":"10.1016/j.asr.2004.01.019","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:15856581","name":"Dependence of thermoluminescence response of calcium sulphate activated by dysprosium on the temperature irradiation.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Radiation dosimetry is a very important issue in space research and in experiments that try to simulate chemical processes that may occur in cometary nucleus, interstellar grains, and other extraterrestrial environments, due to their irradiation by cosmic rays. The temperature effect is an important factor that has not been considered in many of these experiments. In this work, this effect was studied in TLD dosimeters exposed to gamma rays. The irradiations were done from 77 to 298 K in a gamma cell unit with a dose rate of 1.0 Gy/s. Results obtained for CaSO4:Dy show that there is a considerable effect in the evaluation of the dose as function of the irradiation temperature.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15856581/","authors":["Hernández A","Cruz-Zaragoza E","Negrón-Mendoza A","Ramos-Bernal S"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004 Aug-Dec","doi":"10.1016/j.radmeas.2003.12.021","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:15806704","name":"The potential of the lichen symbiosis to cope with the extreme conditions of outer space II: germination capacity of lichen ascospores in response to simulated space conditions.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"Complementary to the already well-studied microorganisms, lichens, symbiotic organisms of the mycobiont (fungi) and the photobiont (algae), were used as \"model systems\" in which to examine the ecological potential to resist to extreme environments of outer space. Ascospores (sexual propagules of the mycobiont) of the lichens Fulgensia bracteata, Xanthoria elegans and Xanthoria parietina were exposed to selected space-simulating conditions (up to 16 h of space vacuum at 10(-3) Pa and UV radiation at 160 nm &lt; or = lambda &lt; or = 400 nm), while embedded in the lichen fruiting bodies. After exposure, the ascospores were discharged and their viability was tested as germination capacity on different culture media including those containing Mars regolith simulant. It was found that (i) the germination rate on media containing Mars regolith simulant was as high as on other mineral-containing media, (ii) if enclosed in the ascocarps, the ascospores survived the vacuum exposure, the UV-irradiation as well as the combined treatment of vacuum and UV to a high degree. In general, 50 % or more viable spores were recovered, with ascospores of X. elegans showing the highest survival. It is suggested that ascospores inside the ascocarps are well protected by the anatomical structure, the gelatinous layer and the pigments (parietin and carotene) against the space parameters tested.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15806704/","authors":["de Vera JP","Horneck G","Rettberg P","Ott S"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004","doi":"10.1016/j.asr.2003.10.035","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:15761146","name":"Ancient Mars: wet in many places.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"New results from the Mars Express Orbiter mission reveal multiple deposits of minerals formed in the presence of liquid water. They reinforce the conclusion that ancient Mars was warmer and wetter than it is today, and increase the number of promising localities to search for evidence of past life.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15761146/","authors":["Paige DA"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005 Mar 11","doi":"10.1126/science.1110530","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:15718435","name":"Planetary science. And now, the younger, dry side of Mars is coming out.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15718435/","authors":["Kerr RA"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005 Feb 18","doi":"10.1126/science.307.5712.1025a","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:15718430","name":"Mars surface diversity as revealed by the OMEGA/Mars Express observations.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The Observatoire pour la Min&#xe9;ralogie, l'Eau, les Glaces, et l'Activit&#xe9; (OMEGA) investigation, on board the European Space Agency Mars Express mission, is mapping the surface composition of Mars at a 0.3- to 5-kilometer resolution by means of visible-near-infrared hyperspectral reflectance imagery. The data acquired during the first 9 months of the mission already reveal a diverse and complex surface mineralogy, offering key insights into the evolution of Mars. OMEGA has identified and mapped mafic iron-bearing silicates of both the northern and southern crust, localized concentrations of hydrated phyllosilicates and sulfates but no carbonates, and ices and frosts with a water-ice composition of the north polar perennial cap, as for the south cap, covered by a thin carbon dioxide-ice veneer.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15718430/","authors":["Bibring JP","Langevin Y","Gendrin A","Gondet B","Poulet F","Berthé M","Soufflot A","Arvidson R","Mangold N","Mustard J","Drossart P","OMEGA team"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005 Mar 11","doi":"10.1126/science.1108806","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:15718429","name":"Sulfates in Martian layered terrains: the OMEGA/Mars Express view.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The OMEGA/Mars Express hyperspectral imager identified hydrated sulfates on light-toned layered terrains on Mars. Outcrops in Valles Marineris, Margaritifer Sinus, and Terra Meridiani show evidence for kieserite, gypsum, and polyhydrated sulfates. This identification has its basis in vibrational absorptions between 1.3 and 2.5 micrometers. These minerals constitute direct records of the past aqueous activity on Mars.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15718429/","authors":["Gendrin A","Mangold N","Bibring JP","Langevin Y","Gondet B","Poulet F","Bonello G","Quantin C","Mustard J","Arvidson R","LeMouélic S"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005 Mar 11","doi":"10.1126/science.1109087","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"pmid:15718428","name":"Sulfates in the north polar region of Mars detected by OMEGA/Mars Express.","source":"pubmed","abstract":"The Observatoire pour la Min&#xe9;ralogie, l'Eau, les Glaces, et l'Activit&#xe9; (OMEGA) imaging spectrometer observed the northern circumpolar regions of Mars at a resolution of a few kilometers. An extended region at 240 degrees E, 85 degrees N, with an area of 60 kilometers by 200 kilometers, exhibits absorptions at wavelengths of 1.45, 1.75, 1.94, 2.22, 2.26, and 2.48 micrometers. These signatures can be unambiguously attributed to calcium-rich sulfates, most likely gypsum. This region corresponds to the dark longitudinal dunes of Olympia Planitia. These observations reveal that water alteration played a major role in the formation of the constituting minerals of northern circumpolar terrains.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15718428/","authors":["Langevin Y","Poulet F","Bibring JP","Gondet B"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.82,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005 Mar 11","doi":"10.1126/science.1109091","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"doi:10.48380/dggv-fyb3-xa46","name":"Biologic agents mediating matter-flow inside the porous igneous oceanic crust, Vesteris Seamount, Greenland Sea","source":"datacite","abstract":"Microorganisms within the lithosphere are biologic agents settling in niches inside the terrestrial and oceanic crust, populating the extreme environments of the deep biosphere. The fossil record of the permeable igneous oceanic crust, constructed out of primitive extrusive rock, opens a window into Earth’s early evolution and serves as an analogue for life in extraterrestrial worlds. In 2019, samples of highly porous basanites of Vesteris Seamount in the Greenland Sea were retrieved during a cruise of the research vessel Maria S Merian. Some of these samples exhibit an endolithic ecosystem relaying on complex interactions between the biosphere and lithosphere. In this study, we present novel x-ray microscopy data that reveal how microorganisms access and migrate through rock interiors. The microorganism-infested samples show dense networks of intergrown filaments and laminated secondary mineralization filling the pore space and following a system of micro fissures through the rock. Rock-dwelling microorganisms like bacteria or fungi are able to mediate ion mobility and therefore contribute to erosion or deposition in such a system. We document the sequence of mineralization and the extraordinary content of body fossils, consisting of a range of mineral phases, including iron oxide, clay and manganese oxide minerals. The minerals reveal growth patterns supporting both biotic and abiotic forces like the ion binding capacity of organic compounds or pH gradients to force precipitation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48380/dggv-fyb3-xa46","authors":[" Schmid-Beurmann,  Hinrich   "," Ivarsson,  Magnus "," Bach,  Wolfgang "," Kahl , Wolf-Achim  "," Peckmann , Jörn   "],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.48380/dggv-fyb3-xa46","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.cond-mat/0211275","name":"Ferromagnetism of a graphite nodule from the Canyon Diablo meteorite","source":"datacite","abstract":"There have recently been various reports of weak ferromagnetism in graphite (1,2) and synthetic carbon materials (3) such as rhombohedral C60 (4), as well as a theoretical prediction of a ferromagnetic instability in graphene sheets (5). With very small ferromagnetic signals, it is difficult to be certain that the origin is intrinsic, rather than due to minute concentrations of iron-rich impurities. Here we take a different experimental approach to study ferromagnetism in graphitic materials, by making use of meteoritic graphite, which is strongly ferromagnetic at room temperature. We examined ten samples of extraterrestrial graphite from a nodule in the Canyon Diablo meteorite. Graphite is the major phase in every sample but there are minor amounts of magnetite, kamacite, akaganeite, and other phases. By analysing the phase composition of a series of samples, we find that these iron-rich minerals can only account for about two-thirds of the observed magnetization. The remainder is somehow associated with graphite, corresponding to an average magnetization of 23 Am2kg-1, or 0.05 Bohr magnetons per carbon atom. The magnetic ordering temperature is near 570 K. We suggest that the ferromagnetism is a magnetic proximity effect induced at the interface with magnetite or kamacite inclusions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.cond-mat/0211275","authors":["Coey, J. M. D.","Venkatesan, M.","Fitzgerald, C. B.","Douvalis, A. P.","Sanders, I. S."],"tags":["Condensed Matter (cond-mat)","FOS: Physical sciences","FOS: Physical sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002","doi":"10.48550/arxiv.cond-mat/0211275","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.1210.2720","name":"A Possible Carbon-rich Interior in Super-Earth 55 Cancri e","source":"datacite","abstract":"Terrestrial planets in the solar system, such as the Earth, are oxygen-rich, with silicates and iron being the most common minerals in their interiors. However, the true chemical diversity of rocky planets orbiting other stars is yet unknown. Mass and radius measurements are used to constrain the interior compositions of super-Earths (exoplanets with masses of 1 - 10 Earth masses), and are typically interpreted with planetary interior models that assume Earth-centric oxygen-rich compositions. Using such models, the super-Earth 55 Cancri e (mass of 8 Earth masses, radius of 2 Earth radii) has been suggested to bear an interior composition consisting of Fe, silicates, and an envelope (&gt;= 10% by mass) of super-critical water. We report that the mass and radius of 55 Cancri e can also be explained by a carbon-rich solid interior made of Fe, C, SiC, and/or silicates and without a volatile envelope. While the data allow Fe mass fractions of up to 40%, a wide range of C, SiC and/or silicate mass fractions are possible. A carbon-rich 55 Cancri e is also plausible if its protoplanetary disk bore the same composition as its host star, which has been reported to be carbon-rich. However, more precise estimates of the stellar elemental abundances and observations of the planetary atmosphere are required to further constrain its interior composition. The possibility of a C-rich interior in 55 Cancri e opens a new regime of geochemistry and geophysics in extraterrestrial rocky planets, compared to terrestrial planets in the solar system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.1210.2720","authors":["Madhusudhan, Nikku","Lee, Kanani K. M.","Mousis, Olivier"],"tags":["Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)","Geophysics (physics.geo-ph)","FOS: Physical sciences","FOS: Physical sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012","doi":"10.48550/arxiv.1210.2720","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2001.05336","name":"Zircon survival in shallow asthenosphere and deep lithosphere","source":"datacite","abstract":"Zircon is the most frequently used mineral for dating terrestrial and extraterrestrial rocks. However, the system of zircon in mafic/ultramafic melts has been rarely explored experimentally and most existing models based on the felsic, intermediate and/or synthetic systems are probably not applicable for prediction of zircon survival in terrestrial shallow asthenosphere. In order to determine the zircon stability in such natural systems, we have performed high-temperature experiments of zircon dissolution in natural mid-ocean ridge basaltic and synthetic haplobasaltic melts coupled with in situ electron probe microanalyses of the experimental products at high current. Taking into account the secondary fluorescence effect in zircon glass pairs during electron microprobe analysis, we have calculated zirconium diffusion coefficient necessary to predict zircon survival in asthenospheric melts of tholeiitic basalt composition. The data imply that typical 100 micron zircons dissolve rapidly (in 10 hours) and congruently upon the reaction with basaltic melt at mantle pressures. We observed incongruent (to crystal ZrO2 and SiO2 in melt) dissolution of zircon in natural mid-ocean ridge basaltic melt at low pressures and in haplobasaltic melt at elevated pressure. Our experimental data raise questions about the origin of zircons in mafic and ultramafic rocks, in particular, in shallow oceanic asthenosphere and deep lithosphere, as well as the meaning of the zircon-based ages estimated from the composition of these minerals. Large size zircon megacrysts in kimberlites, peridotites, alkali basalts and other magmas suggest the fast transport and short interaction between zircon and melt.The origin of zircon megacrysts is likely related to metasomatic addition of Zr into mantle as any mantle melting episode should obliterate them.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2001.05336","authors":["Borisova, Anastassia Y.","Bindeman, Ilya N.","Toplis, Mike","Zagrtdenov, Nail","Guignard, Jérémy","Safonov, Oleg","Bychkov, Andrew","Shcheka, Svyatoslav","Melnik, Oleg E.","Marchelli, Marion","Fenrenbach, Jerome"],"tags":["Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)","Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)","FOS: Physical sciences","FOS: Physical sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.48550/arxiv.2001.05336","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2012.08582","name":"Oxidation Processes Diversify the Metabolic Menu on Enceladus","source":"datacite","abstract":"The Cassini mission to the Saturn system discovered a plume of ice grains and water vapor erupting from cracks on the icy surface of the satellite Enceladus. This moon has a global ocean in contact with a rocky core beneath its icy exterior, making it a promising location to search for evidence of extraterrestrial life in the solar system. The previous detection of H$_2$ in the plume indicates that there is free energy available for methanogenesis, the metabolic reaction of H$_2$ with CO$_2$ to form methane and water. Additional metabolic pathways could provide sources of energy in Enceladus' ocean, but require the use of other oxidants that have not been detected in the plume. Here, we perform chemical modeling to determine how the production of radiolytic O$_2$ and H$_2$O$_2$, and abiotic redox chemistry in the ocean and rocky core, contribute to chemical disequilibria that could support metabolic processes in Enceladus' ocean. We consider three possible cases for ocean redox chemistry: Case I in which reductants are not present in appreciable amounts and oxidants accumulate over time, and Cases II and III in which aqueous reductants or seafloor minerals, respectively, convert O$_2$ and H$_2$O$_2$ to SO$_4^{2-}$ and ferric oxyhydroxides. We calculate the upper limits on the concentrations of oxidants and chemical energy available for metabolic reactions in all three cases, neglecting additional abiotic reactions. For all three cases, we find that many aerobic and anaerobic metabolic reactions used by microbes on Earth could meet the minimum free energy threshold required for terrestrial life to convert ADP to ATP, as well as sustain positive cell density values within the Enceladus seafloor and/or ocean. These findings indicate that oxidant production and oxidation chemistry could contribute to supporting possible life and a metabolically diverse microbial community on Enceladus.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2012.08582","authors":["Ray, Christine","Glein, Christopher R.","Waite, J. Hunter","Teolis, Ben","Hoehler, Tori","Huber, Julie A.","Lunine, Jonathan","Postberg, Frank"],"tags":["Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)","Biological Physics (physics.bio-ph)","FOS: Physical sciences","FOS: Physical sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.48550/arxiv.2012.08582","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"doi:10.24433/co.6151632.v1","name":"Abiotic nitrous oxide production from sediments and brine of Don Juan Pond, Wright Valley Antarctica, at Mars analog temperatures (–40°C)","source":"datacite","abstract":"The presence of biogenic gases such as oxygen, methane, and nitrous oxide (N2O) in the atmospheres of extraterrestrial bodies have been postulated as biosignatures of life. Abiotic N2O production was recently documented in Don Juan Pond, Antarctica, a cold, hypersaline Mars analog environment. Here we quantify the temperature-driven kinetics of abiotic N2O production and combine this with stable isotope labeling to demonstrate that N2O is produced from Don Juan Pond sediment and brine at Mars-analog temperatures down to at least –40°C. Further, we show that at any given temperature, N2O production is controlled by the availability of reduced Fe-bearing minerals rather than nitrate. We conclude that abiotic N2O production is possible on Mars and other extraterrestrial bodies and exoplanets; thus, the presence of atmospheric N2O on these bodies should not be taken by itself as an indicator of microbial life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.24433/co.6151632.v1","authors":["Schutte, Charles A.","Samarkin, Vladimir A.","Peters, Brian","Madigan, Michael T.","Casciotti, Karen L.","Joye, Samantha B."],"tags":["Capsule","Earth Sciences","Antarctica","Mars","extreme environment","exobiology","nitrous oxide","biosignatures"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.24433/co.6151632.v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"doi:10.26302/sshade/experiment_lb_20171025_001","name":"Baseline-corrected and normalized Mid-IR absorbance spectra of fragments of AMMs pressed on diamond or germanium window under vacuum and at 80°C","source":"datacite","abstract":"MIR spectra of several fragments of Fg-AMMs DC06-09 (vacuum, 80°C) pressed on diamond or germanium substrate","url":"https://doi.org/10.26302/sshade/experiment_lb_20171025_001","authors":["Battandier, Manon","Bonal, Lydie"],"tags":["extraterrestrial","complex organic-mineral mix","organic-minerals mixture","physically adsorbed phase","adsorbed water","laboratory measurement","transmission","microscopy"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","doi":"10.26302/sshade/experiment_lb_20171025_001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"doi:10.26053/0h-06a6-szg0","name":"Rapid reconnaissance methods of investigation for trace components in deep-sea sediments","source":"datacite","abstract":"Rapid reconnaissance methodologies are useful in investigations of deep-sea sediments, as they require little time for analysis and small amounts of sample material. This is especially useful for new studies of old cores drilled decades ago, which have become quite depleted. Both Quantitative Evaluation of Minerals by SCANning electron microscopy (QEMSCAN®) and handheld X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) instruments are ideally suited for such studies, as samples can be as small as 1 cc, and both are capable of rapidly detecting trace components within these small samples. Such speed allows multiple core horizons of interest to be analyzed for studies in paleoclimatology, extraterrestrial fluxes, and sediment velocity. Grain-size and mineralogy of Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Hole 722B are investigated using QEMSCAN® and compared to standard methodologies. QEMSCAN®-based grain-size, which indicates changes in paleowind strength due to the Indian Ocean summer monsoon for the last 200 ka, correlates well with previous data. Mineralogy is found to not correlate as well, however: dolomite has a good correlation, clays and feldspars a medium correlation, and quartz a poor correlation. Handheld XRF is used for rapid reconnaissance of LL44-GPC3 and Canterbury Basin sediments from IODP Leg 317. Nickel-rich sediments are found in LL44-GPC3 at ~11.1 mbsf and ~12.4 mbsf, corresponding to layers known to have extraterrestrial nickel-rich spinel and known impact events at Chesapeake Bay and Popigai. Canterbury Basin sediment elemental peak counts are compared to velocity measurements of the same sediment, to establish the first conclusive iv demonstration of carbonate cementation increasing velocities in siliciclastic sediments. For each sample, the handheld XRF measurement establishes its position on the sand-shale continuum, as well as the relative amount of calcite cementation. Determination of cementation occurring in porous sands with high velocities is shown, and linked to fluid flow in the region. Both studies illustrate the usefulness of handheld XRF as a reconnaissance methodology for detecting extremely subtle mineralogical signals within deep-sea sediments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.26053/0h-06a6-szg0","authors":["Bradbury, Christopher David"],"tags":["Bolide, Deep-sea, Paleoclimate, Qemscan, Sediment Velocity, XRF"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012","doi":"10.26053/0h-06a6-szg0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"doi:10.18454/irj.2016.54.038","name":"К МЕТОДИКЕ ОБНАРУЖЕНИЯ И ДИАГНОСТИКИ КОСМИЧЕСКИХ ЧАСТИЦ В СОЛЯХ ВЕРХНЕКАМСКОГО МЕСТОРОЖДЕНИЯ","source":"datacite","abstract":"Обсуждается методика обнаружения и диагностики частиц космического происхождения в соляных породах на примере Верхнекамского месторождения солей. Приводятся традиционные методики обнаружения и идентификации космических частиц, в различных осадочных порода. Рассматривается роль различных методов обнаружения и идентификации космических частиц, приводятся эмпирически найденные закономерности их классификации. Обосновывается капиллярный метод обнаружения и диагностики частиц внеземного происхождения в нерастворимом в воде остатке (Н.О.) соляных пород. Рассмотрены и обсуждены приемы и методы анализа, объединенные в методику применимую для извлечения и диагностики минералов микропримесей из измельченного материала горных пород и руд и продуктов их переработки.","url":"https://doi.org/10.18454/irj.2016.54.038","authors":["Сметанников, А.Ф.","Коротченкова, О.В.","Оносов, Д.В."],"tags":["Нерастворимый остаток","соляные породы","капилляры","космические частицы","минералы микропримеси","адсорбция","десорбция","матричные минералы"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016","doi":"10.18454/irj.2016.54.038","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.11955537.v1","name":"Microbial imprints on sulfide minerals in submarine hydrothermal deposits of the East Pacific Rise","source":"datacite","abstract":"Diverse of iron- and sulfur-oxidizing microbes have been found in submarine hydrothermal deposits. They have played a prominent role in weathering of seafloor sulfide deposits. However, evidence for microbe-mineral interactions in sediments is rare. Mineralogic analysis and SEM examination of sulfide deposits from the East Pacific Rise demonstrated that (1) sulfide minerals were extensively leached, with characteristic microbial dissolution pits on mineral surfaces; (2) the Acidithiobacillus -like bacteria and possible metabolites were found closely associated with the dissolution pits in situ . The results provide direct evidence for microbial leaching on the solid mineral crystals, most likely by the contact mechanisms, in the seafloor sulfide deposits; and hopefully, the typical microbial imprints on sulfide minerals provide new clues to the search for extraterrestrial life. The uploaded datasets include the data for Figure 2, Figure4 and Figure 5 in the paper.","url":"https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.11955537.v1","authors":["Liu, Wei","Xingliang Zhang","Weiguo Wang"],"tags":["Geology","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.6084/m9.figshare.11955537.v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"doi:10.34658/physics.2009.30.73-83","name":"Microscopic investigations of Shisr 007 meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Elemental composition, mineral composition and microstructure of Shisr 007 meteorite found in 2001 have been studied by analytical electron microscopy. It was established that the main meteorite minerals: olivines, pyroxenes, troilite, and graphite identified in the sample represent extraterrestrial minerals typical of olivine-pyroxene achondrites. Chemical and mineral composition, and texture confirm previous classification of this achondrite as ureilite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.34658/physics.2009.30.73-83","authors":["Szurgot, Marian","Polański, Krzysztof","Burski, Maciej","M. Szurgot","Krzysztof Polański","M. Burski"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Geology","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009","doi":"10.34658/physics.2009.30.73-83","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"doi:10.34658/physics.2011.32.65-74","name":"Microscopic studies of Al Haggounia 001 meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Elemental composition, mineral composition and microstructure of Al Haggounia 001 meteorite found in 2006 were studied by analytical electron microscopy. It was established that orthopyroxene dominated by enstatite (En89-82Fs16-10Wo1-2), sodic plagioclase (Ab81-84An10-12Or4-5), graphite, and oxidized kamacite identified in the sample represent extraterrestrial minerals typical of enstatite meteorites. Chemical and mineral composition, and texture confirm that Al Haggounia is EL chondrite rather than aubrite, and terrestrial weathering significantly changed primary meteorite minerals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.34658/physics.2011.32.65-74","authors":["Szurgot, Marian","Polański, Krzysztof","Kosiński, Janusz Witold","M. Szurgot","Krzysztof Polański","Janusz W. Kosiński"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Achondrite","Geology","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.34658/physics.2011.32.65-74","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"doi:10.34917/6456392","name":"Mars-Relevant Phosphate Minerals and Implications for Martian Habitability","source":"datacite","abstract":"This dissertation is comprised of three studies focused on martian phosphate availability, with an introductory chapter introducing and linking the three studies. Chapter two is on the subject of merrillite synthesis. Merrillite is an extraterrestrial Ca-phosphate mineral similar to the mineral whitlockite and is found as a dominant primary phosphate mineral in martian meteorites. The chapter includes methods of whitlockite and merrillite synthesis as well as a detailed characterization of the produced minerals and a mechanism by which charge balance can be maintained when merrillite is synthesized through dehydrogenation of whitlockite. Chapter three presents the results of kinetic and thermodynamic studies on the Mars-relevant minerals chlorapatite and merrillite, as well as the more terrestrially-relevant minerals whitlockite and fluorapatite. The results of these studies indicate that the dominant primary Ca-phosphate minerals on Mars possess higher solubilities that could lead to more than twice the phosphate concentration in solution. Dissolution rates for the Mars-relevant minerals derived in the study, when combined with the higher martian phosphorus abundance, could result in phosphate release rates of up to 45x faster for a given set of aqueous conditions on Mars when compared to Earth. The implications of the results for past or present martian habitability are discussed. In Chapter four, reactive transport modeling was applied to investigate the transport and mobility of phosphate under martian conditions. The kinetic and thermodynamic data derived in Chapter three were combined with Mars mission data, results from an investigation of Mars analog basalts at Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho, and previously published data to inform a reactive transport code and model dissolution profiles measured by Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Spirit in Wishstone class rocks. The modeling results suggest phosphate release into near-neutral waters occurred at some point in the past at Gusev Crater on Mars with positive implications for past martian habitability.","url":"https://doi.org/10.34917/6456392","authors":["Adcock, Christopher "],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014","doi":"10.34917/6456392","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7907/83r3-vb23","name":"The Identification and Interpretation of Microbial Biogeomagnetism","source":"datacite","abstract":"Microbial activity plays a major role in the sedimentary iron cycle. Some microbes gain energy by reducing or oxidizing iron and thus induce changes in the sedimentary iron mineral assemblage. Magnetotactic bacteria engage in controlled, intracellular precipitation of magnetic iron minerals. These biological transformations are frequently a major influence on the magnetic properties of sediments. Understanding the biogeochemical iron cycle therefore facilitates the interpretation of sedimentary paleomagnetism; conversely, magnetic tools provide a non-destructive and rapid way of analyzing the biogeochemical iron cycle in modern and ancient environments. Ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) spectroscopy, a form of microwave spectroscopy, provides a rapid means of assessing internal fields generated in magnetic particles by interparticle interactions and particle anisotropy. It can therefore assess particle shape, arrangement, and heterogeneity. Because magnetotactic bacteria typically produce chains of crystals with narrow distributions of size and shape, FMR spectroscopy is well suited as a screening tool for identifying fossil magnetotactic bacteria (magnetofossils). Application of FMR and other techniques to modern carbonate sediments of the Triple Goose Creek region, Andros Island, Bahamas, reveals the contributions of magnetotactic bacteria, iron metabolizing bacteria, and sulfate reducing bacteria to the magnetization of carbonate sediments. In sediments above mean tide level, magnetofossils dominate sediment magnetism. Although stable remanent magnetization is preserved throughout the sediments, the quantity of biological magnetite diminishes by an order of magnitude in the iron reduction zone. Below this zone, the development of a sulfate reduction interval can lead to the authigenesis of magnetic iron sulfides. Supratidal portions of shallowing-upward parasequences in carbonate rocks therefore likely provide the most accurate record of syndepositional paleomagnetism. Anomalous magnetic properties of clay deposited in the Atlantic Coastal Plain, New Jersey, during the Paleocene/Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) led previous authors to speculate that an extraterrestrial impact triggered the PETM. Reexamination of the clay using FMR and transmission electron microscopy reveals instead that the clay hosts abundant magnetofossils. The first identification of ancient biogenic magnetite using FMR indicates that the anomalous magnetic properties of PETM sediments were not produced by an impact, but instead reflect paleoenvironmental changes along the western North Atlantic margin.","url":"https://doi.org/10.7907/83r3-vb23","authors":["Kopp, Robert Evans, III"],"tags":["Paleocene/Eocene Thermal Maximum","carbonate","ferromagnetic resonance","Bahamas","environmental magnetism","magnetotactic bacteria","Geobiology"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007","doi":"10.7907/83r3-vb23","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21227/njak-qr29","name":"Towards the \"Aerosol cytometry\" and \"Hydrosol cytometry\" based on laser aerosol spectrometers","source":"datacite","abstract":"It is possible to construct \"aerosol cytometers\" based on different types of Zhulanov'slaseraerosol counters | diffusionaerosol spectrometers (DAS) [1-8] and \"hydrosol cytometers\" based on hydrosol particle counters (adopted for ocean marine, ocean and hydrothermal conditions [9,10]). Such systems can be used for analysis of prebiotic condensation nuclei and self-organization of protobiological structures in aerosols (for example, see [11-17])not only in native / model Earth conditions, but also in extraterrestrial or exobiological conditions, because the first photoelectric laser spectrometer for large condensation nuclei was developed by Zhulanov et al. in 1970th[18] and they was approbated in real planetochemical and astrochemical conditions. It's well known, that Zhulanov's technique was approbated not only on the Earth (from marine or ocean [9,10] to highestmountains and arid zones [19,20]), but also in cosmic environment on the Venus in framework of the VEGA project [21-25]. It may be used for aims of extraterrestrialorganic chemistry (in the gas and aerosol phases) and aerosol exobiology [26-30] (not only for possible bioaerosol contaminants in panspermia-like hypothesis [31], but also for spotaneous self-organized and self-reproducible[32]protocell-like aerosol particles [33]). Consequently,alsowe can say about possibility of developments of \"aerosol protocytometer\" / \"... protocellometer\" based on Zhulanov's laser particle counters [34] and diffusion aerosol spectrometers (and equivalent possibilities for \"hydrosol protocytometer\" / \"...protocellometer\", but it is obvious in the standard water-consists concepts of abiogenesi - from the \"small warm pond\" [35-37] to other hydrosphere-assisted abiogenesis schemes in different oceanic, marine and hydrothermal vent conditions [38-40]). In general (and as a simplest approache for calibration and biological justification / validation of optical scheme of similar cytometric devices) It is obvious (by definition), that aerosol cytometers can be used for multichannelestimation ofdifferenttypes of cells in bioaerosol flows [41-44], including exotic aerosol techniques, such as \"aerosol mass cytometry\" based on combination of Zhulanov's aerosol counters or aerosol spectrometers with mass-spectrometric aerosol detection [43] (with single-particle resoolution [45,46]). Laser system in different regimes may be used not only as information producing element of experimental setup, but also as a source of energy for initiation of processes in aerosol drops (from ablation [47] in analytical preparation to \"power source\" for origin of life initiation modeling [48]).References:Zhulanov Yu. V., Sadovskii B. F., Petryanov I. V. Use of a laser resonator for raising the sensitivity of laser-type aerosol spectrometers // Soviet Physics Doklady. – 1975. – Vol. 20. – P. 810-812.Zhulanov Yu. V., Sadovskii B. F., Petryanov I. V. Automatic method for determining the stokes size of aerosol-particles // Colloid Journal of the USSR. – 1978. – Vol. 40. – No. 4. – P. 637-641.Zhulanov Yu.V., Sadovskiy B.F., Petryanov I.V. Potential of optical analysis of aerosol systems //Doklady Earth Sciences. - 1978. - Vol. 238 (http://www.riss.kr/link?id=O19475727).Zhulanov Yu. V. Sedimentation method for calibrating photoelectric aerosol counters //Measurement Techniques. – 1979. – Vol. 22. – No. 9. – P. 1138-1139.Zhulanov Yu. V., Lushnikov A. A., Nevskiy I. A. Probability Method of Analyzing Dispersed Systems //Izvestiya: Atmospheric and oceanic physics. – 1986. – Vol. 22. – P. 39.Zhulanov Yu.V., Lushnikov A. A., Nevskiy I. A. Unique Features of Multiple Counting of Particles by Photoelectric Counters //Izvestiya, Atmospheric and Oceanic Phys. – 1985. – Vol. 21. – No. 11. – P. 885-889.Zhulanov Yu. V., Lushnikov A. A., Nevsky I. A. [Specific features of particle multiple counting by aerosol counters] // [Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR. Fizika Atmosfery i Okeana]. – 1985. – Vol. 21. – No. 11. – P. 1166-1172.Karneeva N. ","url":"https://doi.org/10.21227/njak-qr29","authors":["Zhulanov, Yu.V.","Makaveev, P.Yu.","Gradov, O.V. "],"tags":["Ecology","FOS: Biological sciences","Sensors","Health","Biomedical and Health Sciences","Biophysiological Signals","Environmental","Pollution"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","doi":"10.21227/njak-qr29","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:34.846Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.073Z"},{"id":"oa:W2312977416","name":"Identification of Extraterrestrial Peridot by Trace Elements","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5741/gems.47.3.208","authors":["Andy H. Shen","John I. Koivula","James E. Shigley"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","TRACE (psycholinguistics)","Identification (biology)","Geology","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5741/gems.47.3.208","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2011616471","name":"Laboratory experiments on the weathering of iron meteorites and carbonaceous chondrites by iron‐oxidizing bacteria","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Batch culture experiments were performed to investigate the weathering of meteoritic material by iron‐oxidizing bacteria. The aerobic, acidophilic iron oxidizer (A. ferrooxidans) was capable of oxidizing iron from both carbonaceous chondrites (Murchison and Cold Bokkeveld) and iron meteorites (York and Casas Grandes). Preliminary iron isotope results clearly show contrasted iron pathways during oxidation with and without bacteria suggesting that a biological role in meteorite weathering could be distinguished isotopically. Anaerobic iron‐oxidizers growing under pH‐neutral conditions oxidized iron from iron meteorites. These results show that rapid biologically‐mediated alteration of extraterrestrial materials can occur in both aerobic and anaerobic environments. These results also demonstrate that iron can act as a source of energy for microorganisms from both iron and carbonaceous chondrites in aerobic and anaerobic conditions with implications for life on the early Earth and the possible use of microorganisms to extract minerals from asteroidal material.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb00731.x","authors":["Aaron Gronstal","V. K. Pearson","Andreas Kappler","Craig DOORIS","M. Anand","Franck Poitrasson","Terence P. Kee","Charles S. Cockell"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Murchison meteorite","Weathering","Iron bacteria"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb00731.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2903971194","name":"Insights into Europa's ocean composition derived from its surface expression","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2018.12.009","authors":["P. V. Johnson","Robert Hodyss","Tuan H. Vu","Mathieu Choukroun"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Extant taxon","Solar System","Earth science","Extraterrestrial life"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-12-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2018.12.009","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W4393052855","name":"Reduced mineral assemblages of superficial origin in west-central Jordan","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00710-024-00851-8","authors":["Oleg S. Vereshchagin","Maya O. Khmelnitskaya","Mikhail N. Murashko","Yevgeny Vapnik","Anatoly N. Zaitsev","Natalia S. Vlasenko","Vladimir V. Shilovskikh","Sergey N. Britvin"],"tags":["Mineral redox buffer","Geology","Troilite","Geochemistry","Pyroxene"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00710-024-00851-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2316342325","name":"Satellite Planetarity and the Ends of the Earth","source":"openalex","abstract":"This essay examines the militarization of extraterrestrial and extraterritorial spaces such as the high seas, outer space, and Antarctica since the onset of the Cold War. While environmental studies has generally focused on national topographies, this essay instead imagines the earth through visual tropes of the extraterrestrial. Mapping these “outer spaces”—terrae incognitae—within and outside the earth has been key to our modern understanding of the planet and to visualizing the global environment, including climate change. Turning to the militarization of outer space and Antarctica, the essay examines satellite vision produced by the Cold War systems of surveillance, particularly as inscribed by New Zealand author James George. The conclusion of the essay turns to ways these technologies are constitutive of visions of the global in the Anthropocene.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1215/08992363-2392057","authors":["Elizabeth DeLoughrey"],"tags":["Militarization","Vision","Outer space","Extraterrestrial life","Anthropocene"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1215/08992363-2392057","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W4283769081","name":"A novel method for simultaneous analysis of particle size and mineralogy for Chang’E-5 lunar soil with minimum sample consumption","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-022-9966-5","authors":["Kenan Cao","Mingtan Dong","Zhenbing She","Qian Xiao","Xinyi Wang","Yuqi Qian","Yiheng Li","Zaicong Wang","Qi He","Xiang Wu","Keqing Zong","Zhaochu Hu","Long Xiao"],"tags":["Lunar soil","Pyroxene","Mineralogy","Particle size","Olivine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-06-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-022-9966-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W4210698869","name":"Natural Iron Silicides: A Systematic Review","source":"openalex","abstract":"This review systematically presents all finds of geogenic, impact-induced, and extraterrestrial iron silicide minerals known at the end of 2021. The respective morphological characteristics, composition, proven or reasonably suspected genesis, and possible correlations of different geneses are listed and supported by the available literature (2021). Artificially produced iron silicides are only dealt with insofar as the question of differentiation from natural minerals is concerned, especially regarding dating to pre-industrial and pretechnogenic times.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min12020188","authors":["Michael A. Rappenglück"],"tags":["Natural (archaeology)","Silicide","Geochemistry","Earth science","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min12020188","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"oa:W3208746957","name":"Thermomagnetic behavior of extraterrestrial minerals: An overview","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3208746957","authors":["Katie E Bristol","E. J. Piispa","A. V. Smirnov"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology","Geology","Earth science","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-12-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W1565278395","name":"Technical prospects for utilizing extraterrestrial propellants for space exploration","source":"openalex","abstract":"NASA's LeRC has supported several efforts to understand how lunar and Martian produced propellants can be used to their best advantage for space exploration propulsion. A discussion of these efforts and their results is presented. A Manned Mars Mission Analysis Study identified that a more thorough technology base for propellant production is required before the the net economic benefits of in situ propellants can be determined. Evaluation of the materials available on the moon indicated metal/oxygen combinations are the most promising lunar propellants. A hazard analysis determined that several lunar metal/LOX monopropellants could be safely worked with in small quantities, and a characterization study was initiated to determine the physical and chemical properties of potential lunar monopropellant formulations. A bipropellant metal/oxygen subscale test engine which utilizes pneumatic injection of powdered metal is being pursued as an alternative to the monopropellant systems. The technology for utilizing carbon monoxide/oxygen, a potential Martian propellant, was studied in subscale ignition and rocket performance experiments.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1565278395","authors":["Diane Linne","Michaël Meyer"],"tags":["Propellant","Monopropellant","Aerospace engineering","Martian","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1991-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2547870832","name":"Phosphate minerals in the H group of ordinary chondrites, and fluid activity recorded by apatite heterogeneity in the Zag H3-6 regolith breccia","source":"openalex","abstract":"Phosphate minerals in ordinary chondrites provide a record of fluids that were present during metamorphic heating of the chondrite parent asteroids. We have carried out a petrographic study of the phosphate minerals, merrillite and apatite, in metamorphosed H group ordinary chondrites of petrologic type 4-6, to understand development of phosphate minerals and associated fluid evolution during metamorphism. In unbrecciated chondrites, apatite is Cl rich and shows textural evolution from fine-grained apatite-merrillite assemblages in type 4 toward larger, uniform grains in type 6. The Cl/F ratio in apatite shows a similar degree of heterogeneity in all petrologic types, and no systematic change in compositions with metamorphic grade, which suggests that compositions in each meteorite are dictated by localized conditions, possibly because of a limited fluid/rock ratio. The development of phosphate minerals in H chondrites is similar to that of L and LL chondrites, despite the fact that feldspar equilibration resulting from albitization is complete in H4 chondrites but not in L4 or LL4 chondrites. This suggests that albitization took place during an earlier period of the metamorphic history than that recorded by preserved apatite compositions, and chemical equilibrium was not achieved throughout the H chondrite parent body or bodies during the late stages of metamorphism. A relict igneous clast in the H5 chondrite, Oro Grande has apatite rims on relict phenocrysts of (possibly) diopside that have equilibrated with the host chondrite. Apatite in the Zag H3-6 regolith breccia records a complex fluid history, which is likely related to the presence of halite in this meteorite. The porous dark H4 matrix of Zag, where halite is observed, has a high apatite/merrillite ratio, and apatite is extremely Cl rich. One light H6 clast contains similarly Cl-rich apatite. In a second light H6 clast, apatite compositions are very heterogeneous and more F-rich. Apatites in both H4 matrix and H6 clasts have very low H2O contents. Heterogeneous apatite compositions in Zag record multiple stages of regolith processing and shock at the surface of the H chondrite parent body, and apatite records either the passage of fluids of variable compositions resulting from different impact-related processes, or the passage of a single fluid whose composition evolved as it interacted with the chondrite regolith. Unraveling the history of apatite can potentially help to interpret the internal structure of chondrite parent bodies, with implications for physical and mechanical properties of chondritic asteroids. The behavior of halogens recorded by apatite is important for understanding the behavior of volatile elements in general: if impact-melt materials close to the surface of a chondritic asteroid are readily degassed, the volatile inventories of terrestrial planets could be considerably more depleted than the CI carbonaceous chondrite abundances that are commonly assumed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2016-5728","authors":["R. H. Jones","F. M. McCubbin","Yunbin Guan"],"tags":["Chondrite","Geology","Geochemistry","Breccia","Apatite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2016-5728","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W3044271884","name":"Direct observation of anisotropic growth of water films on minerals driven by defects and surface tension","source":"openalex","abstract":"Knowledge of the occurrences of water films on minerals is critical for global biogeochemical and atmospheric processes, including element cycling and ice nucleation. The underlying mechanisms controlling water film growth are, however, misunderstood. Using infrared nanospectroscopy, amplitude-modulated atomic force microscopy, and molecular simulations, we show how water films grow from water vapor on hydrophilic mineral nanoparticles. We imaged films with up to four water layers that grow anisotropically over a single face. Growth usually begins from the near edges of a face where defects preferentially capture water vapor. Thicker films produced by condensation cooling completely engulf nanoparticles and form thicker menisci over defects. The high surface tension of water smooths film surfaces and produces films of inhomogeneous thickness. Nanoscale topography and film surface energy thereby control anisotropic distributions and thicknesses of water films on hydrophilic mineral nanoparticles.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aaz9708","authors":["Sibel Ebru Yalcin","Benjamin A. Legg","Merve Yeşilbaş","Nikhil S. Malvankar","Jean‐François Boily"],"tags":["Nanometre","Surface tension","Anisotropy","Materials science","Nanoparticle"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-07-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aaz9708","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W4206442809","name":"concentrates","source":"openalex","abstract":"Europa's salty side New findings from the Galileo spacecraft show that the surface of Jupiter's moon Europa appears to contain salts—a result that strengthens all the tantalizing hypotheses that a liquid ocean exists under the satellite's icy crust. The presence of liquid water on Europa would make it a likely candidate for harboring extraterrestrial microorganisms. Thomas B. McCord, geophysics professor at the University of Hawaii, Honolulu, and colleagues examined spectroscopic data from Galileo's near-infrared mapping spectrometer (NIMS) and found highly distorted water absorption bands. These bands resemble those of water associated with salts as opposed to the symmetric bands seen for pure water. Laboratory spectra of salt minerals such as magnesium sulfates and sodium carbonates closely match the NIMS spectra [Science, 280,1242 (1998)]. The salty patches on Europa's surface, which in many places looks like it's been resurfaced by frozen liquid that originally welled up from below, suggests that there could be a salty ocean ...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/cen-v076n021.p042","authors":[],"tags":["Citation","Altmetrics","Social media","Computer science","Icon"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-05-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/cen-v076n021.p042","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W1986066859","name":"The carbon isotope composition of natural SiC (moissanite) from the Earth’s mantle: New discoveries from ophiolites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2009.06.033","authors":["Robert B. Trumbull","Jingsui Yang","Paul T. Robinson","Simonpietro Di Pierro","Torsten Vennemann","Michael Wiedenbeck"],"tags":["Ophiolite","Mantle (geology)","Geology","Geochemistry","Kimberlite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-07-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2009.06.033","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2003678532","name":"Extra terrestrial abiogenic organization of organic matter: The hollow spheres of the Orgueil meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00927984","authors":["Martine Rossignol‐Strick","Elso S. Barghoorn"],"tags":["Meteorite","Parent body","Chondrite","Carbonaceous chondrite","Murchison meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1971-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00927984","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W1993258633","name":"Delivery of extraterrestrial amino acids to the primitive Earth. Exposure experiments in Earth orbit.","source":"openalex","abstract":"A large collection of micrometeorites has been recently extracted from Antarctic old blue ice. In the 50 to 100 micrometers size range, the carbonaceous micrometeorites represent 80% of the samples and contain 2% of carbon. They might have brought more carbon to the surface of the primitive Earth than that involved in the present surficial biomass. Amino acids such as \"-amino isobutyric acid have been identified in these Antarctic micrometeorites. Enantiomeric excesses of L-amino acids have been detected in the Murchison meteorite. A large fraction of homochiral amino acids might have been delivered to the primitive Earth via meteorites and micrometeorites. Space technology in Earth orbit offers a unique opportunity to study the behaviour of amino acids required for the development of primitive life when they are exposed to space conditions, either free or associated with tiny mineral grains mimicking the micrometeorites. Our objectives are to demonstrate that porous mineral material protects amino acids in space from photolysis and racemization (the conversion of L-amino acids into a mixture of L- and D-molecules) and to test whether photosensitive amino acids derivatives can polymerize in mineral grains under space conditions. The results obtained in BIOPAN-1 and BIOPAN-2 exposure experiments on board unmanned satellite FOTON are presented.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2187/bss.12.92","authors":["Bernard Barbier","Marylène Bertrand","François Boillot","A. Chabin","Didier Chaput","Odile Hénin","André Brack"],"tags":["Amino acid","Murchison meteorite","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Earth (classical element)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2187/bss.12.92","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W4308976668","name":"The Future of Biomining: Towards Sustainability in a Metal-Demanding World","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-05382-5_17","authors":["Anna H. Kaksonen","Jochen Petersen"],"tags":["Bioleaching","Sustainability","Environmental science","Waste management","Engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-11-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-05382-5_17","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2086954033","name":"The occurrence of grossite (CaAl4O7) in chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(94)90368-9","authors":["Dietmar Weber","A. Bischoff"],"tags":["Melilite","Murchison meteorite","Chondrite","Meteorite","Allende meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1994-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(94)90368-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2753106324","name":"Diagenetically altered fossil micrometeorites suggest cosmic dust is common in the geological record","source":"openalex","abstract":"We report the discovery of fossil micrometeorites from Late Cretaceous chalk. Seventy-six cosmic spherules were recovered from Coniacian (87±1 Ma) sediments of the White Chalk Supergroup. Particles vary from pristine silicate and iron-type spherules to pseudomorphic spherules consisting of either single-phase recrystallized magnetite or Fe-silicide. Pristine spherules are readily identified as micrometeorites on the basis of their characteristic mineralogies, textures and compositions. Both magnetite and silicide spherules contain dendritic crystals and spherical morphologies, testifying to rapid crystallisation of high temperature iron-rich metallic and oxide liquids. These particles also contain spherical cavities, representing weathering and removal of metal beads and irregular cavities, representing vesicles formed by trapped gas during crystallization; both features commonly found among modern Antarctic Iron-type (I-type) cosmic spherules. On the basis of textural analysis, the magnetite and Fe-silicide spherules are shown to be I-type cosmic spherules that have experienced complete secondary replacement during diagenesis (fossilization). Our results demonstrate that micrometeorites, preserved in sedimentary rocks, are affected by a suite of complex diagenetic processes, which can result in disparate replacement minerals, even within the same sequence of sedimentary beds. As a result, the identification of fossil micrometeorites requires careful observation of particle textures and comparisons with modern Antarctic collections. Replaced micrometeorites imply that geochemical signatures the extraterrestrial dust are subject to diagenetic remobilisation that limits their stratigraphic resolution. However, this study demonstrates that fossil, pseudomorphic micrometeorites can be recognised and are likely common within the geological record.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2017.07.052","authors":["Martin D. Suttle","M. J. Genge"],"tags":["Geology","Diagenesis","Magnetite","Sedimentary rock","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-09-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2017.07.052","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2763066807","name":"First measurements of OH-C exchange and temperature-dependent partitioning of OH and halogens in the system apatite–silicate melt","source":"openalex","abstract":"We present the first integrated study of carbonate, hydroxyl, fluoride, and chloride ion partitioning in the apatite-melt system. We determined volatile partitioning behavior between apatite and silicate melt for both haplobasaltic andesite and trachyte bulk compositions at 0.5–1 GPa and 1250 °C using the piston-cylinder apparatus. All volatile species were analyzed directly in both apatite and glass using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and electron probe microanalysis. Distribution coefficients for OH-halogen exchange are similar to those from previous studies, and together with literature data, reveal a significant log-linear relationship with temperature, while the effects of pressure and melt composition are minimal. Meanwhile, halogen-free experiments generate very high C contents (up to 5000 ppm) in apatite. Stoichiometry calculations and infrared spectra indicate that this C is mainly incorporated onto the channel volatile site together with hydroxyl. In halogen-bearing experiments, apatite crystals contain significantly lower C (≤500 ppm), which may be partly incorporated onto the phosphate site while the channel volatile site is filled by OH+F+Cl+C. Our experiments give the first constraints on H 2 O-CO 2 exchange between apatite and silicate melt, with a K D of 0.355 ± 0.05 for the trachyte and 0.629 ± 0.08 for the haplobasaltic andesite. The new constraints on the temperature-dependence of partitioning will enable quantitative modeling of apatite-volatile exchange in igneous systems, while this new partitioning data and method for direct, in situ analysis of C in apatite mark a significant advance that will permit future studies of magmatic C and other volatiles. This has a broad range of potential applications including magmatic differentiation, fractionation, and degassing; quantification of volatile budgets in extraterrestrial and deep earth environments; and mineralization processes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2018-6187ccby","authors":["J. Riker","Madeleine C. S. Humphreys","Richard A. Brooker","Jan C.M. De Hoog","EIMF"],"tags":["Apatite","Silicate","Halogen","Trachyte","Partition coefficient"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-10-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2018-6187ccby","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2999999993","name":"Geochemical variation in the Stimson formation of Gale crater: Provenance, mineral sorting, and a comparison with modern Martian dunes","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover has encountered both ancient lithified and modern active aeolian dune deposits within Gale crater, providing an opportunity to study how aeolian processes have changed during Gale crater's geological history. This study uses data from the Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) and Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) instrument suites onboard Curiosity to; (1) constrain the diagenetic processes that lithified and altered the ancient aeolian Stimson formation, (2) investigate whether the geochemical signature in the Stimson formation is consistent with the aeolian mafic-felsic mineral sorting trend identified in the modern Bagnold dune fields in Gale crater, and (3) discuss the provenance of the Stimson sediments, comparing it to those identified in the modern dune and ancient river and lake deposits also analyzed along Curiosity's traverse. The ancient Stimson dune deposits that stratigraphically overlie the Gale fluvio-lacustrine units were analyzed in two locations; the Emerson and the Naukluft plateaus. ChemCam data show that the Stimson formation has subtle variations in MgO, Al2O3, Na2O, and K2O between the two localities. An agglomerative cluster analysis of the constrained Stimson dataset reveals five clusters, four of which relate to different proportions of mafic and felsic minerals analyzed by ChemCam. In general, the cluster analysis shows that the Emerson plateau has a greater proportion of mafic minerals and fewer coarse, felsic grains relative to the Naukluft plateau. This variation in mafic and felsic minerals between localities suggests a southwest to northeast net sediment transport direction due to aeolian mineral sorting dynamics preferentially transporting mafic minerals that are easier to saltate than the elongate, often coarser, felsic minerals. This derived transport direction for the Stimson formation supports that determined by sedimentological evidence and is opposite to that previously determined for the active Bagnold dunes inferring a change in the wind regime with time. An opposite sediment transport direction between the ancient and modern dunes in Gale crater further supports geochemical and mineralogical evidence that suggests different basaltic source regions. Compositionally, the bulk Stimson formation is most similar to the subalkaline basalt source region that is inferred to be the dominant sediment source of the fluvio-lacustrine Bradbury group. This is likely the result of the Stimson formation and basaltic Bradbury group sediments sharing a similar local basaltic source region such as the rim and walls of Gale crater.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2020.113622","authors":["C. C. Bedford","S. P. Schwenzer","J. C. Bridges","Steven G. Banham","R. C. Wiens","O. Gasnault","E. B. Rampe","J. Frydenvang","P. J. Gasda"],"tags":["Mafic","Felsic","Geology","Provenance","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2020.113622","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2921571282","name":"Rare earth elements: A review of applications, occurrence, exploration, analysis, recycling, and environmental impact","source":"openalex","abstract":"Rare earth elements (REE) include the lanthanide series elements (La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu) plus Sc and Y. Currently these metals have become very critical to several modern technologies ranging from cell phones and televisions to LED light bulbs and wind turbines. This article summarizes the occurrence of these metals in the Earth's crust, their mineralogy, different types of deposits both on land and oceans from the standpoint of the new data with more examples from the Indian subcontinent. In addition to their utility to understand the formation of the major Earth reservoirs, multi-faceted updates on the applications of REE in agriculture and medicine including new emerging ones are presented. Environmental hazards including human health issues due to REE mining and large-scale dumping of e-waste containing significant concentrations of REE are summarized. New strategies for the future supply of REE including recent developments in the extraction of REE from coal fired ash and recycling from e-waste are presented. Recent developments in individual REE separation technologies in both metallurgical and recycling operations have been highlighted. An outline of the analytical methods for their precise and accurate determinations required in all these studies, such as, X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), glow discharge mass spectrometry (GD-MS), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (including ICP-MS, ICP-TOF-MS, HR-ICP-MS with laser ablation as well as solution nebulization) and other instrumental techniques, in different types of materials are presented.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsf.2018.12.005","authors":["V. Balaram"],"tags":["Neutron activation analysis","Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry","Environmental science","Rare earth","Mass spectrometry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-03-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsf.2018.12.005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.070Z"},{"id":"oa:W2797559906","name":"Characterization of the Extraterrestrial Magnesium Source in the Atmosphere Using a Meteoric Ablation Simulator","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Ablation of Mg from meteoroids entering the Earth's atmosphere was studied experimentally using a Meteoric Ablation Simulator: micron‐sized particles of representative meteoritic material were flash heated to simulate atmospheric entry and the ablation rate of Mg with respect to Na measured by fast time‐resolved laser‐induced fluorescence. Over the range of particle diameters and entry velocities studied, Mg ablates 4.3 ± 2.1 times less efficiently than Na and 2.4 ± 0.8 times less efficiently than Fe. The resulting evaporation profiles indicate that Mg mostly ablates around 84 km in the atmosphere, compared with Fe at 88 km and Na at 95 km. The chemical ablation model Chemical Ablation Model predicts satisfactorily the measured peak ablation altitudes and relative ablated fractions of Mg, Na, Fe, and Ca but does not capture the breadth of the ablation profiles, probably due to the inhomogeneity of the minerals present in meteoroids combined with experimental limitations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2018gl077427","authors":["David L. Bones","Juan Carlos Gómez Martı́n","J. D. Carrillo Sánchez","Alexander Dobson","J. M. C. Plane"],"tags":["Meteoroid","Ablation","Atmosphere (unit)","Laser ablation","Atmospheric entry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-04-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2018gl077427","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W3098786636","name":"Global earth mineral inventory: A data legacy","source":"openalex","abstract":"Minerals contain important clues to understanding the complex geologic history of Earth and other planetary bodies. Therefore, geologists have been collecting mineral samples and compiling data about these samples for centuries. These data have been used to better understand the movement of continental plates, the oxidation of Earth's atmosphere and the water regime of ancient martian landscapes. Datasets found at 'RRUFF.info/Evolution' and 'mindat.org' have documented a wealth of mineral occurrences around the world. One of the main goals in geoinformatics has been to facilitate discovery by creating and merging datasets from various scientific fields and using statistical methods and visualization tools to inspire and test hypotheses applicable to modelling Earth's past environments. To help achieve this goal, we have compiled physical, chemical and geological properties of minerals and linked them to the above-mentioned mineral occurrence datasets. As a part of the Deep Time Data Infrastructure, funded by the W.M. Keck Foundation, with significant support from the Deep Carbon Observatory (DCO) and the A.P. Sloan Foundation, GEMI ('Global Earth Mineral Inventory') was developed from the need of researchers to have all of the required mineral data visible in a single portal, connected by a robust, yet easy to understand schema. Our data legacy integrates these resources into a digestible format for exploration and analysis and has allowed researchers to gain valuable insights from mineralogical data. GEMI can be considered a network, with every node representing some feature of the datasets, for example, a node can represent geological parameters like colour, hardness or lustre. Exploring subnetworks gives the researcher a specific view of the data required for the task at hand. GEMI is accessible through the DCO Data Portal (https://dx.deepcarbon.net/11121/6200-6954-6634-8243-CC). We describe our efforts in compiling GEMI, the Data Policies for usage and sharing, and the evaluation metrics for this data legacy.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/gdj3.106","authors":["Anirudh Prabhu","Shaunna M. Morrison","Ahmed Eleish","Hao Zhong","Fang Huang","Joshua J. Golden","Samuel N. Perry","Daniel R. Hummer","Jolyon Ralph","Simone E. Runyon","Kathleen Fontaine","Sergey V. Krivovichev"],"tags":["Earth science","Geoinformatics","Mineral exploration","Computer science","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/gdj3.106","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W4318715290","name":"What is mineral informatics?","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Minerals are information-rich materials that offer researchers a glimpse into the evolution of planetary bodies. Thus, it is important to extract, analyze, and interpret this abundance of information to improve our understanding of the planetary bodies in our solar system and the role our planet’s geosphere played in the origin and evolution of life. Over the past several decades, data-driven efforts in mineralogy have seen a gradual increase. The development and application of data science and analytics methods to mineralogy, while extremely promising, has also been somewhat ad hoc in nature. To systematize and synthesize the direction of these efforts, we introduce the concept of “Mineral Informatics,” which is the next frontier for researchers working with mineral data. In this paper, we present our vision for Mineral Informatics and the X-Informatics underpinnings that led to its conception, as well as the needs, challenges, opportunities, and future directions of the field. The intention of this paper is not to create a new specific field or a sub-field as a separate silo, but to document the needs of researchers studying minerals in various contexts and fields of study, to demonstrate how the systemization and enhanced access to mineralogical data will increase cross- and interdisciplinary studies, and how data science and informatics methods are a key next step in integrative mineralogical studies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2022-8613","authors":["Anirudh Prabhu","Shaunna M. Morrison","Peter Fox","Xiaogang Ma","Michael L. Wong","Jason R. Williams","Kenneth N. McGuinness","Sergey V. Krivovichev","Kerstin Lehnert","Jolyon Ralph","B. Lafuente","Robert T. Downs"],"tags":["Informatics","Data science","Field (mathematics)","Computer science","Analytics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2022-8613","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W3110514360","name":"Fingerprinting molecular and isotopic biosignatures on different hydrothermal scenarios of Iceland, an acidic and sulfur-rich Mars analog","source":"openalex","abstract":"Detecting signs of potential extant/extinct life on Mars is challenging because the presence of organics on that planet is expected to be very low and most likely linked to radiation-protected refugia and/or preservative strategies (e.g., organo-mineral complexes). With scarcity of organics, accounting for biomineralization and potential relationships between biomarkers, mineralogy, and geochemistry is key in the search for extraterrestrial life. Here we explored microbial fingerprints and their associated mineralogy in Icelandic hydrothermal systems analog to Mars (i.e., high sulfur content, or amorphous silica), to identify potentially habitable locations on that planet. The mineralogical assemblage of four hydrothermal substrates (hot springs biofilms, mud pots, and steaming and inactive fumaroles) was analyzed concerning the distribution of biomarkers. Molecular and isotopic composition of lipids revealed quantitative and compositional differences apparently impacted by surface geothermal alteration and environmental factors. pH and water showed an influence (i.e., greatest biomass in circumneutral settings with highest supply and turnover of water), whereas temperature conditioned the mineralogy that supported specific microbial metabolisms related with sulfur. Raman spectra suggested the possible coexistence of abiotic and biomediated sources of minerals (i.e., sulfur or hematite). These findings may help to interpret future Raman or GC-MS signals in forthcoming Martian missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-78240-2","authors":["Laura Sánchez‐García","Daniel Carrizo","A. Molina","Victoria Muñoz–Iglesias","María Ángeles Lezcano","M. Fernández-Sampedro","Vı́ctor Parro","O. Prieto‐Ballesteros"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Hydrothermal circulation","Sulfur","Astrobiology","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-12-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-78240-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2461477051","name":"The oxygen isotope composition of San Carlos olivine on the VSMOW2‐SLAP2 scale","source":"openalex","abstract":"Rationale The precise determination of Δ' 17 O values in terrestrial material is becoming increasingly important to understand the mass‐dependent fractionation processes that cause variations in oxygen isotope ratios. San Carlos olivine is widely used as the reference material for oxygen isotope measurements of terrestrial and extraterrestrial materials. We report new Δ' 17 O values for San Carlos olivine that were independently determined in two different laboratories (Geoscience Center [GZG], University of Göttingen) and Institute for Study of the Earth's Interior [ISEI], Okayama University, Misasa) in direct comparison with VSMOW2 and SLAP2 water standards. Methods The δ 17 O and δ 18 O values of VSMOW2, SLAP2, GISP, and San Carlos olivine were determined relative to reference gas. In both laboratories, water and San Carlos olivine samples were prepared by BrF 5 fluorination. In both laboratories, the O 2 released from water and olivine samples was passed through the same purification system and measured using the same mass spectrometer relative to the same reference gas. Results In both laboratories, the δ 17 O VSMOW2 and δ 18 O VSMOW2 scales were slightly compressed with respect to the recommended composition of VSMOW2 and SLAP2. The new Δ' 17 O 0 .528 value (calculated from the VSMOW2‐SLAP2 scaled δ values) of San Carlos olivine from GZG was −36 ± 9 ppm and, from ISEI, a value of −40 ± 7 ppm (1σ standard deviation) was determined. These values are ~50 ppm higher than previously reported from the same laboratories. Possible causes for the observed discrepancies are discussed. Conclusions The results of this study in comparison with previous data from the same laboratories demonstrated that for high accuracy determination of Δ' 17 O values: (i) calibration of the reference gas relative to O 2 released from primary standards (VSMOW2, SLAP2) in the same laboratory is highly recommended, (ii) non‐linearity of the mass spectrometer may not only affect δ 17 O and δ 18 O values but also Δ' 17 O values, and (iii) the VSMOW2‐SLAP2 scaling should also be applied to analyses of rocks and minerals. Studies that are concerned with small differences in Δ' 17 O at similar δ 18 O values, however, are not affected by non‐linearity of the mass spectrometer. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.7582","authors":["Andreas Pack","Ryoji Tanaka","Markus Hering","Sukanya Sengupta","S. Peters","Eizo Nakamura"],"tags":["Olivine","Isotopes of oxygen","Mineralogy","Chemistry","Fractionation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-06-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.7582","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W3004833100","name":"Uakitite, VN, a New Mononitride Mineral from Uakit Iron Meteorite (IIAB)","source":"openalex","abstract":"Uakitite was observed in small troilite–daubréelite (±schreibersite) inclusions (up to 100 µm) and in large troilite–daubréelite nodules (up to 1 cm) in Fe-Ni-metal (kamacite) of the Uakit iron meteorite (IIAB), Republic of Buryatia, Russia. Such associations in the Uakit meteorite seemed to form due to high-temperature (>1000 °C) separation of Fe-Cr-rich sulfide liquid from Fe-metal melt. Most inclusions represent alternation of layers of troilite and daubréelite, which may be a result of solid decay of an initial Fe-Cr-sulfide. These inclusions are partially resorbed and mainly located in fissures of the meteorite, which is now filled with magnetite, and rarely other secondary minerals. Phase relations indicate that uakitite is one of the early minerals in these associations. It forms isometric (cubic) crystals (in daubréelite) or rounded grains (in schreibersite). The size of uakitite grains is usually less than 5 μm. It is associated with sulfides (daubréelite, troilite, grokhovskyite), schreibersite and magnetite. Carlsbergite CrN, a more abundant nitride in the Uakit meteorite, was not found in any assemblages with uakitite. Physical and optical properties of uakitite are quite similar to synthetic VN: yellow and transparent phase with metallic luster; Mohs hardness: 9–10; light gray color with a pinky tint in reflected light; density (calc.) = 6.128 g/cm3. Uakitite is structurally related to the osbornite group minerals: carlsbergite CrN and osbornite TiN. Structural data were obtained for three uakitite crystals using the electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) technique. Fitting of the EBSD patterns for a synthetic VN model (cubic, Fm-3m, a = 4.1328(3) Å; V = 70.588(9) Å3; Z = 4) resulted in the parameter MAD = 0.14–0.37° (best-good fit). Analytical data for uakitite (n = 54, in wt. %) are: V, 71.33; Cr, 5.58; Fe, 1.56; N, 21.41; Ti, below detection limit (<0.005). The empirical formula (V0.91Cr0.07Fe0.02)1.00N1.00 indicates that chromium incorporates in the structure according to the scheme V3+ → Cr3+ (up to 7 mol. % of the carlsbergite end-member).","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min10020150","authors":["V. V. Sharygin","G. S. Ripp","G. A. Yakovlev","Yurii V. Seryotkin","Н. С. Карманов","I. А. Izbrodin","V. I. Grokhovsky","Е. А. Khromova"],"tags":["Troilite","Kamacite","Iron meteorite","Meteorite","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-02-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min10020150","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2040022108","name":"Mineralogical and Raman spectroscopy studies of natural olivines exposed to different planetary environments","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2014.08.016","authors":["I. Weber","Ute Böttger","С.Г. Павлов","E. K. Jeßberger","Heinz‐Wilhelm Hübers"],"tags":["Fayalite","Forsterite","Astrobiology","Martian","Mars Exploration Program"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-09-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2014.08.016","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2019418857","name":"Distribution and composition of impact and extraterrestrial spherules in the Kaali area (Island of Saaremaa, Estonia)","source":"openalex","abstract":"The soil in and around the Kaali meteorite craters in the SE part of Saaremaa Island contains a large number of micrometeorites and abounds in pulverized extraterrestrial and impactite matter. The explosion with accompanying high temperatures resulted in the formation of glassy silicate spherules. These spherules were distributed over a large area, and allow to estimate the age of the impact at about 7500 years BP and correlate separated sequences. The extraterrestrial and explosive material in the Kaali area is diverse in form, colour and composition. The spherules may be of different origin, including industrial. From the methodological point of view, it is especially important to study spherules in the geologically established crater fields and their surroundings. The Kaali area provides an excellent polygon for this kind of studies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2343/geochemj.38.101","authors":["Anto Raukas"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Impact crater","Geology","Meteorite","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2343/geochemj.38.101","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W1495369397","name":"Cosmic ray produced nitrogen in extra terrestrial matter","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02841731","authors":["K. J. Mathew","S. V. S. Murty"],"tags":["Cosmic ray","Meteorite","Astrophysics","Physics","Decoupling (probability)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1993-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02841731","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2586355911","name":"Palaeoclimatic implications of high-resolution clay mineral assemblages preceding and across the onset of the Palaeocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum, North Sea Basin","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Understanding the composition of clay-rich sediments and their transportation into proximal marine basins allows us to better decipher hydroclimatic changes before and within the Palaeocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). Only a limited number of such studies exists from the North Sea Basin, which was proximal to the volcanic activity and early rifting hypothesized to have triggered the PETM. The present study examines core material from well 22/10a-4, UK North Sea, as it exhibits an exceptionally expanded and almost stratigraphically complete fine-grained sedimentary sequence suitable for high-resolution analysis. QuantitativeNewmod-for-Windows™-modelled clay mineral assemblages, rather than traditional semi-quantitative estimates, are dominated by smectite-rich, interlayered illite-smectite that probably developed from volcanogenic deposits on continental landmasses. Soil development before the PETM is consistent with the existence of a seasonal tropical climate with a prolonged dry season. A striking rise and fall of kaolinite content within the PETM onset, prior to the principal carbon-isotope excursion, is reported here. This variation is interpreted as a signal of an enhanced hydrologic cycle producing an increase in erosionally derived kaolinite, followed by a dampening of this detrital source as sea-levels rose. Global variations in PETM kaolinite concentrations are consistent with a latitudinal shift in patterns of precipitation in models of global warming.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/claymin.2016.051.5.08","authors":["Simon J. Kemp","Michael A. Ellis","Ian Mounteney","Sev Kender"],"tags":["Geology","Sedimentary rock","Clay minerals","Illite","Kaolinite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1180/claymin.2016.051.5.08","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W3022333877","name":"The quintet completed: The partitioning of sulfur between nominally volatile-free minerals and silicate melts","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Magmatic systems are dominated by five volatiles, namely H2O, CO2, F, Cl, and S (the igneous quintet). Multiple studies have measured partitioning of four out of these five volatiles (H2O, CO2, F, and Cl) between nominally volatile-free minerals and melts, whereas the partitioning of sulfur is poorly known. To better constrain the behavior of sulfur in igneous systems we measured the partitioning of sulfur between clinopyroxene and silicate melts over a range of pressure, temperature, and melt composition from 0.8 to 1.2 GPa, 1000 to 1240 °C, and 49 to 66 wt% SiO2 (13 measurements). Additionally, we determined the crystal-melt partitioning of sulfur for plagioclase (6 measurements), orthopyroxene (2 measurements), amphibole (2 measurements), and olivine (1 measurement) in some of these same run products. Experiments were performed at high and low oxygen fugacities, where sulfur in the melt is expected to be dominantly present as an S6+ or an S2– species, respectively. When the partition coefficient is calculated as the total sulfur in the crystal divided by the total sulfur in the melt, the partition coefficient varies from 0.017 to 0.075 for clinopyroxene, from 0.036 to 0.229 for plagioclase, and is a maximum of 0.001 for olivine and of 0.003 for orthopyroxene. The variation in the total sulfur partition coefficient positively correlates with cation-oxygen bond lengths in the crystals; the measured partition coefficients increase in the order: olivine < orthopyroxene < clinopyroxene ≤ amphibole and plagioclase. At high oxygen fugacities in hydrous experiments, the clinopyroxene/melt partition coefficients for total sulfur are only approximately one-third of those measured in low oxygen fugacity, anhydrous experiments. However when the partition coefficient is calculated as total sulfur in the crystal divided by S2– in the melt, the clinopyroxene/melt partition coefficients for experiments with melts between ~51 and 66 wt% SiO2 can be described by a single mean value of 0.063 ± 0.010 (1σ standard deviation about the mean). These two observations support the hypothesis that sulfur, as S2–, replaces oxygen in the crystal structure. The results of hydrous experiments at low oxygen fugacity and anhydrous experiments at high oxygen fugacity suggest that oxygen fugacity has a greater effect on sulfur partitioning than water. Although the total sulfur clinopyroxene-melt partition coefficients are affected by the Mg/(Mg+Fe) ratio of the crystal, partition coefficients calculated using S2– in the melt display no clear dependence upon the Mg# of the clinopyroxene. Both the bulk and the S 2– partition coefficients appear unaffected by IVAl in the clinopyroxene structure. No effect of anorthite content nor of iron concentration in the crystal was seen in the data for plagioclase-melt partitioning. The data obtained for orthopyroxene and olivine were too few to establish any trends. The partition coefficients of total sulfur and S 2– between the crystals studied and silicate melts are typically lower than those of fluorine, higher than those of carbon, and similar to those of chlorine and hydrogen. These sulfur partition coefficients can be combined with analyses of volatiles in nominally volatile-free minerals and previously published partition coefficients of H2O, C, F, and Cl to constrain the concentration of the igneous quintet, the five major volatiles in magmatic systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2020-7188","authors":["Sara Callegaro","Kalotina Geraki","Andrea Marzoli","Ângelo De Min","Victoria Maneta","Don R. Baker"],"tags":["Plagioclase","Sulfur","Partition coefficient","Olivine","Amphibole"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2020-7188","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W4284969840","name":"Comparative study of methods for detecting extraterrestrial life in exploration mission of Mars and the solar system","source":"openalex","abstract":"The detection and analysis of extraterrestrial life are important issues of space science. Mars is among the most important planets to explore for extraterrestrial life, owing both to its physical properties and to its ancient and present environments as revealed by previous exploration missions. In this paper, we present a comparative study of methods for detecting extraterrestrial life and life-related substances. To this end, we have classified and summarized the characteristics targeted for the detection of extraterrestrial life in solar system exploration mission and the methods used to evaluate them. A summary table is presented. We conclude that at this moment (i) there is no realistic single detection method capable of concluding the discovery of extraterrestrial life, (ii) no single method has an advantage over the others in all respects, and (iii) there is no single method capable of distinguishing extraterrestrial life from terrestrial life. Therefore, a combination of complementary methods is essential. We emphasize the importance of endeavoring to detect extraterrestrial life without overlooking possible alien life forms, even at the cost of tolerating false positives. Summaries of both the targets and the detection methods should be updated continuously, and comparative studies of both should be pursued. Although this study assumes Mars to be a model site for the primary environment for life searches, both the targets and detection methods described herein will also be useful for searching for extraterrestrial life in any celestial environment and for the initial inspection of returned samples.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lssr.2022.07.001","authors":["Keigo Enya","Akihiko Yamagishi","Kensei Kobayashi","Yoshitaka Yoshimura"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology","Search for extraterrestrial intelligence","Mars Exploration Program","Martian"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lssr.2022.07.001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2003985803","name":"Black, magnetic spherules from Pleistocene and recent beach sands","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(67)90128-7","authors":["Ursula B. Marvin","Marco T. Einaudi"],"tags":["Geology","Magnetite","Geochemistry","Greigite","Ilmenite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1967-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(67)90128-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2612787003","name":"Higher Order Nonlinear Hyperspectral Unmixing for Mineralogical Analysis Over Extraterrestrial Bodies","source":"openalex","abstract":"Algorithms allowing the deconvolution of hyperspectral data play a key-role in remotely sensed data processing for mineralogical investigation. Modified Gaussian model (MGM) based methods are of particular interest because they are able to retrieve accurate estimates of minerals abundances and chemistry in surface's rocks. However, MGM-based frameworks deliver high computational complexity and sensitivity to initial parameters for statistical distribution definition. In this paper, a new approach for efficient and robust mineralogical investigation over extraterrestrial bodies is introduced. The proposed framework takes advantage of the solid characterization of remote sensing hyperspectral images by unmixing higher order nonlinear combinations of reflectance features associated with mafic minerals. Experimental results achieved over Mars and Moon hyperspectral images show that the proposed scheme is able to retrieve magmatic mineral abundance maps that are highly correlated to those achieved by means of MGM-based scheme while overcoming the aforesaid issues. Finally, an empirical study allowing to distinguish between clino- and orthopyroxenes by properly processing the outcomes of nonlinear hyperspectral unmixing method is reported.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/jstars.2017.2699083","authors":["Andrea Marinoni","H. Clénet"],"tags":["Hyperspectral imaging","Mars Exploration Program","Deconvolution","Computer science","Remote sensing"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-05-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1109/jstars.2017.2699083","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2076120076","name":"Hydrocarbons in terrestrial samples and the Orgueil meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00172443","authors":["W. G. Meinschein"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Astrobiology","Parent body","Carbonaceous chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1963-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00172443","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2802043237","name":"A microbial role in the construction of Mono Lake carbonate chimneys?","source":"openalex","abstract":"Lacustrine carbonate chimneys are striking, metre-scale constructions. If these were bioinfluenced constructions, they could be priority targets in the search for early and extraterrestrial microbial life. However, there are questions over whether such chimneys are built on a geobiological framework or are solely abiotic geomorphological features produced by mixing of lake and spring waters. Here, we use correlative microscopy to show that microbes were living around Pleistocene Mono Lake carbonate chimneys during their growth. A plausible interpretation, in line with some recent works by others on other lacustrine carbonates, is that benthic cyanobacteria and their associated extracellular organic material (EOM) formed tubular biofilms around rising sublacustrine spring vent waters, binding calcium ions and trapping and binding detrital silicate sediment. Decay of these biofilms would locally have increased calcium and carbonate ion activity, inducing calcite precipitation on and around the biofilms. Early manganese carbonate mineralisation was directly associated with cell walls, potentially related to microbial activity though the precise mechanism remains to be elucidated. Much of the calcite crystal growth was likely abiotic, and no strong evidence for either authigenic silicate growth or a clay mineral precursor framework was observed. Nevertheless, it seems likely that the biofilms provided initial sites for calcite nucleation and encouraged the primary organised crystal growth. We suggest that the nano-, micro- and macroscale fabrics of these Pleistocene Mono Lake chimneys were affected by the presence of centimetre-thick tubular and vertically stacked calcifying microbial mats. Such carbonate chimneys represent a promising macroscale target in the exploration for ancient or extraterrestrial life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/gbi.12292","authors":["Martin Brasier","David Wacey","Mike Rogerson","Paul Guagliardo","Martin Saunders","Siri Kellner","Ramon Mercedes‐Martín","Timothy J. Prior","Colin Taylor","Anna Matthews","John J. G. Reijmer"],"tags":["Calcite","Carbonate","Authigenic","Geology","Aragonite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-06-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/gbi.12292","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W2089944493","name":"Origins of microspherules from the Permian–Triassic boundary event layers in South China","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2014.02.018","authors":["Hua Zhang","Shu‐zhong Shen","Changqun Cao","Quan-feng Zheng"],"tags":["Geology","Permian","Silicate","Pyrite","Paleontology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-03-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2014.02.018","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2144828356","name":"Meteorite and meteoroid: new comprehensive definitions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– Meteorites have traditionally been defined as solid objects that have fallen to Earth from space. This definition, however, is no longer adequate. In recent decades, man-made objects have fallen to Earth from space, meteorites have been identified on the Moon and Mars, and small interplanetary objects have impacted orbiting spacecraft. Taking these facts and other potential complications into consideration, we offer new comprehensive definitions of the terms “meteorite,”“meteoroid,” and their smaller counterparts: A meteoroid is a 10-μm to 1-m-size natural solid object moving in interplanetary space. A micrometeoroid is a meteoroid 10 μm to 2 mm in size. A meteorite is a natural, solid object larger than 10 μm in size, derived from a celestial body, that was transported by natural means from the body on which it formed to a region outside the dominant gravitational influence of that body and that later collided with a natural or artificial body larger than itself (even if it is the same body from which it was launched). Weathering and other secondary processes do not affect an object’s status as a meteorite as long as something recognizable remains of its original minerals or structure. An object loses its status as a meteorite if it is incorporated into a larger rock that becomes a meteorite itself. A micrometeorite is a meteorite between 10 μm and 2 mm in size. Meteorite– “a solid substance or body falling from the high regions of the atmosphere” (Craig 1849); “[a] mass of stone and iron that ha[s] been directly observed to have fallen down to the Earth’s surface” (translated from Cohen 1894); “[a] solid bod[y] which came to the earth from space” (Farrington 1915); “A mass of solid matter, too small to be considered an asteroid; either traveling through space as an unattached unit, or having landed on the earth and still retaining its identity” (Nininger 1933); “[a meteoroid] which has reached the surface of the Earth without being vaporized” (1958 International Astronomical Union (IAU) definition, quoted by Millman 1961); “a solid body which has arrived on the Earth from outer space” (Mason 1962); “[a] solid bod[y] which reach[es] the Earth (or the Moon, Mars, etc.) from interplanetary space and [is] large enough to survive passage through the Earth’s (or Mars’, etc.) atmosphere” (Gomes and Keil 1980); “[a meteoroid] that survive[s] passage through the atmosphere and fall[s] to earth” (Burke 1986); “a recovered fragment of a meteoroid that has survived transit through the earth’s atmosphere” (McSween 1987); “[a] solid bod[y] of extraterrestrial material that penetrate[s] the atmosphere and reach[es] the Earth’s surface” (Krot et al. 2003).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.01009.x","authors":["Alan E. Rubin","J. N. Grossman"],"tags":["Meteorite","Meteoroid","Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Parent body"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.01009.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2997502701","name":"Earth's Impact Events Through Geologic Time: A List of Recommended Ages for Terrestrial Impact Structures and Deposits","source":"openalex","abstract":"= 46) sourced from the primary literature. High-precision impact ages can be used to (1) reconstruct and quantify the impact flux in the inner Solar System and, in particular, the Earth-Moon system, thereby placing constraints on the delivery of extraterrestrial mass accreted on Earth through geologic time; (2) utilize impact ejecta as event markers in the stratigraphic record and to refine bio- and magneto-stratigraphy; (3) test models and hypotheses of synchronous double or multiple impact events in the terrestrial record; (4) assess the potential link between large impacts, mass extinctions, and diversification events in the biosphere; and (5) constrain the duration of melt sheet crystallization in large impact basins and the lifetime of hydrothermal systems in cooling impact craters, which may have served as habitats for microbial life on the early Earth and, possibly, Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2019.2085","authors":["M. Schmieder","D. A. Kring"],"tags":["Impact crater","Ejecta","Biosphere","Geology","Geologic record"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-12-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2019.2085","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2258061076","name":"Amino acid compositions in heated carbonaceous chondrites and their compound-specific nitrogen isotopic ratios","source":"openalex","abstract":"A novel method has been developed for compound-specific nitrogen isotope compositions with an achiral column which was previously shown to offer high precision for nitrogen isotopic analysis. We applied the method to determine the amino acid contents and stable nitrogen isotopic compositions of individual amino acids from the thermally metamorphosed (above 500 °C) Antarctic carbonaceous chondrites Ivuna-like (CI)1 (or CI-like) Yamato (Y) 980115 and Ornans-like (CO)3.5 Allan Hills (ALH) A77003 with the use of gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry. ALHA77003 was deprived of amino acids due to its extended thermal alteration history. Amino acids were unambiguously identified in Y-980115, and the δ 15 N values of selected amino acids (glycine +144.8 ‰; α-alanine +121.2 ‰) are clearly extraterrestrial. Y-980115 has experienced an extended period of aqueous alteration as indicated by the presence of hydrous mineral phases. It has also been exposed to at least one post-hydration short-lived thermal metamorphism. Glycine and alanine were possibly produced shortly after the accretion event of the asteroid parent body during the course of an extensive aqueous alteration event and have abstained from the short-term post-aqueous alteration heating due to the heterogeneity of the parent body composition and porosity. These carbonaceous chondrite samples are good analogs that offer important insights into the target asteroid Ryugu of the Hayabusa-2 mission, which is a C-type asteroid likely composed of heterogeneous materials including hydrated and dehydrated minerals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40623-016-0382-8","authors":["Q. H. S. Chan","Yoshito Chikaraishi","Yoshinori Takano","Nanako O. Ogawa","Naohiko Ohkouchi"],"tags":["Chondrite","Parent body","Chemistry","Nitrogen","Isotopes of nitrogen"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-01-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40623-016-0382-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406853009","name":"An innovative structural energy storage solution using fly ash-cement composites for net-zero energy buildings","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2025.105960","authors":["Ruidan Liu","Pan Feng","Zhaolong Liu","Long Yuan","Guanghui Tao","Zhenqi Yu","Xiangyu Meng","Jian Chen"],"tags":["Fly ash","Cement","Zero-energy building","Composite material","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2025.105960","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W4292702783","name":"Exploring Refractory Organics in Extraterrestrial Particles","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The origin of organic compounds detected in meteorites and comets, some of which could have served as precursors of life on Earth, remains an open question. The aim of the present study is to make one more step in revealing the nature and composition of organic materials of extraterrestrial particles by comparing infrared spectra of laboratory-made refractory organic residues to spectra of cometary particles returned by the Stardust mission, interplanetary dust particles, and meteorites. Our results reinforce the idea of a pathway for the formation of refractory organics through energetic and thermal processing of molecular ices in the solar nebula. There is also the possibility that some of the organic material had formed already in the parental molecular cloud before it entered the solar nebula. The majority of the IR “organic” bands of the studied extraterrestrial particles can be reproduced in the spectra of the laboratory organic residues. We confirm the detection of water, nitriles, hydrocarbons, and carbonates in extraterrestrial particles and link it to the formation location of the particles in the outer regions of the solar nebula. To clarify the genesis of the species, high-sensitivity observations in combination with laboratory measurements like those presented in this paper are needed. Thus, this study presents one more piece of the puzzle of the origin of water and organic compounds on Earth and motivation for future collaborative laboratory and observational projects.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ac7f32","authors":["А. В. Потапов","M. E. Palumbo","Z. Dionnet","A. Longobardo","C. Jäger","G. A. Baratta","A. Rotundi","Thomas Henning"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Meteorite","Solar System","Formation and evolution of the Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ac7f32","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2560212951","name":"Nanomineralogy of Meteorites by Advanced Electron Microscopy: Discovering New Minerals and New Materials from the Early Solar System","source":"openalex","abstract":"Chi Ma; Nanomineralogy of Meteorites by Advanced Electron Microscopy: Discovering New Minerals and New Materials from the Early Solar System, Microscopy and Mic","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1431927615012544","authors":["Chi Ma"],"tags":["Meteorite","Electron microscope","Astrobiology","Materials science","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1431927615012544","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W4223411616","name":"A Comprehensive Methodology for Monitoring Evaporitic Mineral Precipitation and Hydrochemical Evolution of Saline Lakes: The Case of Lake Magadi Soda Brine (East African Rift Valley, Kenya)","source":"openalex","abstract":"High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Lake Magadi, East African Rift Valley, is a hyperalkaline and saline soda lake highly enriched in Na +, K +, CO 3 2–, Cl –, HCO 3 –, and SiO 2 and depleted in Ca 2+ and Mg 2+, where thick evaporite deposits and siliceous sediments have been forming for 100 000 years. The hydrogeochemistry and the evaporite deposits of soda lakes are subjects of growing interest in paleoclimatology, astrobiology, and planetary sciences. In Lake Magadi, different hydrates of sodium carbonate/bicarbonate and other saline minerals precipitate. The precipitation sequence of these minerals is a key for understanding the hydrochemical evolution, the paleoenvironmental conditions of ancient evaporite deposits, and industrial crystallization. However, accurate determination of the precipitation sequence of these minerals was challenging due to the dependency of the different hydrates on temperature, water activity, pH and pCO 2, which could induce phase transformation and secondary mineral precipitation during sample handling. Here, we report a comprehensive methodology applied for monitoring the evaporitic mineral precipitation and hydrochemical evolution of Lake Magadi. Evaporation and mineral precipitations were monitored by using in situ video microscopy and synchrotron X-ray diffraction of acoustically levitated droplets. The mineral patterns were characterized by ex situ Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. Experiments were coupled with thermodynamic models to understand the evaporation and precipitation-driven hydrochemical evolution of brines. Our results closely reproduced the mineral assemblages, patterns, and textural relations observed in the natural setting. Alkaline earth carbonates and fluorite were predicted to precipitate first followed by siliceous sediments. Among the salts, dendritic and acicular trona precipitate first via fractional crystallization─reminiscent of grasslike trona layers of Lake Magadi. Halite/villiaumite, thermonatrite, and sylvite precipitate sequentially after trona from residual brines depleted in HCO 3 – . The precipitation of these minerals between trona crystals resembles the precipitation process observed in the interstitial brines of the trona layers. Thermonatrite precipitation began after trona equilibrated with the residual brines due to the absence of excess CO 2 input. We have shown that evaporation and mineral precipitation are the major drivers for the formation of hyperalkaline, saline, and SiO 2 -rich brines. The discrepancy between predicted and actual sulfate and phosphate ion concentrations implies the biological cycling of these ions. The combination of different in situ and ex situ methods and modeling is key to understanding the mineral phases, precipitation sequences, and textural relations of modern and ancient evaporite deposits. The synergy of these methods could be applicable in industrial crystallization and natural brines to reconstruct the hydrogeochemical and hydroclimatic conditions of soda lakes, evaporite settings, and potentially soda oceans of early Earth and extraterrestrial planets.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.cgd.1c01391","authors":["Melese Getenet","Juan Manuel Garcı́a-Ruiz","Fermı́n Otálora","Franziska Emmerling","Dominik Al‐Sabbagh","Cristóbal Verdugo‐Escamilla"],"tags":["Evaporite","Geology","Geochemistry","East African Rift","Carbonate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.cgd.1c01391","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2044122231","name":"Biotic dynamics and carbonate microfacies of the conspicuous Darriwilian (Middle Ordovician) ‘Täljsten’ interval, south-central Sweden","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2012.02.012","authors":["Mats E. Eriksson","Anders Lindskog","Mikael Calner","Johanna I.S. Mellgren","Stig M. Bergström","Fredrik Terfelt","Birger Schmitz"],"tags":["Conodont","Geology","Paleontology","Baltica","Ordovician"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-02-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2012.02.012","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2057451117","name":"FURTHER OBSERVATIONS ON THE PROPERTIES OF THE “ORGANIZED ELEMENTS” IN CARBONACEOUS CHONDRITES","source":"openalex","abstract":"Independent studies, conducted at various laboratories, indicate that the \"organized elements\" do not seem to be terrestrial contaminants.This evaluation is based mainly upon a consideration of fine morphological criteria.New experiments with biological stains revealed that the organic microstructures in carbonaceous meteorites may selectively take stains in the presence of mineral matter.Claus and Nagy (1961, 1962) and Nagy et al. (1962), described organic microstructures that were found embedded in some of the indigenous minerals of certain carbonaceous meteorites.These findings have been confirmed, or partially confirmed by independent investigators.Reimer (1961), Staplin (1962), Palik (1962, 1963), Cholnoky (1962), and Skuja (1962) examined the same meteorite sample as did Claus and Nagy (1961, 1962).Briggs and Kitto (1962) described what they thought to be indigenous, stainable microstructures in the Mokoia meteorite.However, the last two authors were unable to reach a conclusion regarding the origin of these particles.Ross (1962) examined another sample of the Orgueil meteorite, from the collection of the British Museum, and found microstructures which he believed were of biological origin and which were most likely indigenous to the meteorite.Recently, Engels (1962) isolated HF-resistant pellicles from another sample of the Orgueil meteorite.Timofeev (1962) found fossilized and indigenous microflora in the Mighei carbonaceous chondrite.The microscopical preparations of Claus and Nagy have been examined by approximately 100 microbiologists including Erdtman, Bourrelly, Papp, Deflandre, Palmer, Durham, Dienes, and Gregory.Tentative but divergent identifications were offered by some of these investigators.Fitch and Anders (1963) argued that the organized elements were silicate mineral grains, opaque mineral particles, hydrocarbon globules, coacervates, Fox (1961) spheroids, sulfur droplets, pollens, and starch grains or spores, or other unknown terrestrial contaminants.Deflandre (1962) stated that the organized elements are unspecified terrestrial contaminants or artifacts (except those which are embedded in minerals).Urey (1962a) reviewed the available information and suggested that the organized elements may indicate, but they cannot yet be regarded as conclusive proof for the existence of extraterrestrial life.Other experimental information which may suggest the presence of extra-17496632,","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1963.tb13409.x","authors":["George Claus","Bartholomew Nagy","Dominic L. Europa"],"tags":["George (robot)","Library science","Annals","Citation","Art history"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1963-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1963.tb13409.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W1994791841","name":"Analysis of a deuterium‐rich interplanetary dust particle (IDP) and implications for presolar material in IDPs","source":"openalex","abstract":"Deuterium (D)‐rich interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) are the most primitive extraterrestrial materials available for laboratory studies in terms of their mineralogy, chemistry, and isotopic compositions. Transmission electron microscopy analysis of one such D‐rich IDP shows it to be a highly porous object that consists of crystalline grains (Mg‐rich pyroxene and olivine, and FeNi sulfides) and glass with embedded metal and sulfides (GEMS) enclosed within a matrix of amorphous carbonaceous material. The nonsolar H isotopic anomaly measured in this IDP provides direct evidence for the incorporation of partially preserved cold molecular cloud material that predates the solar system. These results indicate that organic molecules associated with the carbonaceous matrix of the IDP are the most likely D carrier phase in the particle. GEMS are a major constituent of this D‐rich IDP. The physical and chemical characteristics of GEMS show many similarities to the properties of interstellar amorphous silicates inferred from astronomical observations including: size (diameters of 0.1–0.5 um), solar abundances for heavy elements, presence of superparamagnetic FeNi metal, and an amorphous silicate matrix. Infrared transmission spectra from GEMS‐rich IDPs show marked similarities to astronomical data for interstellar silicates. The close association of GEMS and mineral grains to D‐rich matter of probable interstellar origin suggests that these inorganic materials are themselves interstellar grains.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/1999ja900395","authors":["L. P. Keller","S. Messenger","J. P. Bradley"],"tags":["Interplanetary dust cloud","Pyroxene","Amorphous solid","Cosmic dust","Presolar grains"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/1999ja900395","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W3216217307","name":"Experimental Models of Extraterrestrial Minerals: Propionitrile Ice","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3216217307","authors":["Christina A. McConville","T. Runcevski"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Propionitrile","Geology","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-12-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W1875439180","name":"The flux of extraterrestrial matter to Earth as recorded in Paleogene and Middle Ordovician marine sediments","source":"openalex","abstract":"This thesis aims at reconstructing events in the solar system, mainly collisional events in the asteroid belt, by searches for extraterrestrial minerals in Paleogene and Middle Ordovician marine sediments on Earth. Recent empirical evidence show that Earth has experienced a few brief periods during the Phanerozoic when the flux of extraterrestrial matter significantly increased. The most prominent of these occurred at approximately 470 Ma, as a consequence of the massive break-up of the L-chondrite parent body in the asteroid belt. The finds of more than 87 fossil L chondritic meteorites (Ø = 1-21 cm) in mid-Ordovician strata at Thorsberg, Kinnekulle, give testimony to the spectacular flux of meteorites that followed the break-up event. The fossil meteorites are almost completely pseudomorphed, with the exception of chromite, an exceptionally resistant accessory mineral (~0.25 wt%) in ordinary chondrites. Extraterrestrial chromite (EC) is distributed in the immediate surrounding limestones beds of the fossil L chondrites, indicating that most meteorites that reached the sea floor were dissolved, dispersing the EC grains in the contiguous sediments. The distribution of EC has previously been studied at mid- Ordovician sections in Sweden. The goals of this thesis are threefold: (1) establish the normal background distribution of EC to corroborate the extraordinary circumstances recorded during the mid-Ordovician; (2) investigate the global pattern of the EC distribution during the mid-Ordovician, by studying a remote site; (3) study variations in the marine osmium isotope (187Os/188Os) record across the EC-rich interval at Hällekis, Kinnekulle. The Paleogene marine sediments at Gubbio and Massignano, Italy, were analysed for EC content, yielding 7 EC in a total of 377 kg whole-rock (0.019 EC kg-1). This result is very similar to previously studied mid-Ordovician strata, forming prior to the L-chondritic breaking event, in Sweden and China (0.009-0.013 EC kg-1). In addition, the low EC content at Massignano contradicts a proposed ordinary (L) chondritic meteorite shower in the late Eocene. The general trend in the distribution of sediment-dispersed EC in Swedish strata during the mid-Ordovician has been reproduced in the coeval stratigraphic interval at Puxi River, central China. At this time, the Chinese section was positioned at mid-latitudes on the southern hemisphere, a few 1000 km east of the Swedish sites. The EC-rich interval at Puxi typically has 1-4 EC grains per kg rock, equivalent to previous results for coeval Swedish limestone. Consequently, a global correlation has been established for the EC distribution across the Arenig-Llanvirn transition. A close temporal correlation has also been suggested for the main phase of the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event and the disruption of the L-chondrite parent body at ~470 Ma, based on bed-by-bed records of EC, 187Os/188Os and invertebrate fossils in Middle Ordovician sediments in Baltoscandia and China. The intense species radiation and level of change in biodiversity of this event changed the biological composition of the Earth’s oceans forever. The causes of the event remain elusive, although influences of extraterrestrial origin cannot be excluded, and further studies are warranted. At Hällekis, the first appearance of common EC grains is marked by a negative 187Os/188Os excursion in the strata, verifying an increased influence of unradiogenic osmium. This source is most likely extraterrestrial in origin, as corroborated by stable strontium isotope ratios from late Arenig to early Llanvirn. In all, 665 kg of Paleogene and Middle Ordovician sediments from Italy and China has been searched for EC grains in this thesis work. The composite background material from the Italian and Chinese sections represents 487 kg of rock, and yielded only 8 EC altogether. The EC-rich Ordovician interval, representing the sequential L. variabilis, Y. crassus and M. hagetiana conodont zo","url":"https://openalex.org/W1875439180","authors":["Anders Cronholm"],"tags":["Ordovician","Meteorite","Geology","Extraterrestrial life","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2006404342","name":"Platinum group element enrichments and possible chondritic Ru:Ir across the Frasnian–Famennian boundary, western New York State","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0031-0182(97)00064-3","authors":["D. Jeffrey Over","C.A. Conaway","David Katz","Wayne D. Goodfellow","D. Conrad Grégoire"],"tags":["Geology","Extinction event","Platinum group","Conodont","Horizon"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0031-0182(97)00064-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2004627033","name":"Defining organominerals: Comment on ‘Defining biominerals and organominerals: Direct and indirect indicators of life’ by Perry et al. (2007, Sedimentary Geology, 201, 157–179)","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sedgeo.2008.04.002","authors":["Christian Défarge","Pascale Gautret","Joachim Reitner","Jean Trichet"],"tags":["Geology","Sedimentary rock","Biomineralization","Geologic record","Extraterrestrial life"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-04-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sedgeo.2008.04.002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W3207988208","name":"A deep-ultraviolet Raman and Fluorescence spectral library of 62 minerals for the SHERLOC instrument onboard Mars 2020","source":"openalex","abstract":"We report deep-ultraviolet (DUV) Raman spectra as measured by a SHERLOC analog instrument (248.6 ​nm excitation) for 92 samples representing 62 distinct minerals, including borates, carbonates, sulfates, phosphates, halides, metal oxides & hydroxides, silicates & phyllosilicates. We found that DUV Raman is capable of detecting the majority of these minerals, with major mineral peaks occurring at ∼500, ∼850, 950–1200, and ∼3600 ​cm−1, and that detection thresholds will be better for the SHERLOC flight instrument than the analog used in this study. Minerals can be classified (e.g., sulfate vs carbonate, or pyroxene vs olivine) based on the number of major peaks and their general positions. Identification of specific mineral phases is possible based on precise Raman peak positions, provided the difference between spectrally similar minerals is at least 10 ​cm−1 to overcome the estimated instrumental uncertainty of ±5 ​cm−1 for all peak positions reported in this study. A number of silicate minerals did not produce measurable Raman signal, and iron-rich minerals tend to be more difficult to detect due to significant UV absorption. Many Mars-relevant minerals expected to occur in Jezero crater should be detectable to SHERLOC even during short-exposure survey scans. This library will help inform the detection and identification of mineral phases in Martian samples using the SHERLOC instrument onboard the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2021.105356","authors":["Joseph Razzell Hollis","William Abbey","L. W. Beegle","R. Bhartia","B. L. Ehlmann","J. K. Miura","Brian Monacelli","Kelsey R. Moore","Austin Nordman","Eva L. Scheller","Kyle Uckert","Yen-Hung Wu"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Raman spectroscopy","Silicate minerals","Mineral","Silicate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-10-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2021.105356","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2188776479","name":"The In-Situ Detection of Organic Material in Extraterrestrial Samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"As the Solar System formed, it inherited and perpetuated a rich organic chemistry, the products of which are preserved in the carbonaceous chondrites. These organic-rich meteorites provide a valuable and tangible record of the chemical steps towards the evolution of life in the early Solar System. We have labelled the chondritic organic material using osmium tetroxide vapour and detected the Os-labelled organic material by analytical scanning electron microscopy. X-ray mapping has revealed that meteoritic organic matter is found in locations rich in clay minerals but areas of meteorite without clays are organically barren. This suggests that in the early Solar System, clays and organic matter were intimate comparisons, with clays perhaps playing an important trapping and catalytic role in chemical evolution prior to the origin of life on the early Earth.","url":"https://openalex.org/W2188776479","authors":["V. K. Pearson","A. T. Kearsley","Mark A. Sephton"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Chondrite","Extraterrestrial life","Organic matter"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2139851035","name":"Geochemistry and mineralogy of Early Archean spherule beds, Barberton Mountain Land, South Africa: evidence for origin by impact doubtful","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-821x(93)90152-y","authors":["Christian Koeberl","W. U. Reimold","R. H. Boer"],"tags":["Archean","Geology","Greenstone belt","Geochemistry","Platinum group"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1993-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-821x(93)90152-y","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W1970184346","name":"Supporting Mars exploration: BIOMEX in Low Earth Orbit and further astrobiological studies on the Moon using Raman and PanCam technology","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2012.06.010","authors":["Jean‐Pierre de Vera","U. Boettger","Rosa de la Torre Noetzel","F. J. Sánchez","D. Grunow","Nicole Schmitz","Caroline Lange","Heinz‐Wilhelm Hübers","Daniela Billi","Mickaël Baqué","Petra Rettberg","Elke Rabbow","Günther Reitz","Thomas Berger","Ralf Möller","Maria Bohmeier","G. Horneck","Francès Westall","J. Jänchen","Jörg Fritz","C. Meyer","Silvano Onofri","Laura Selbmann","Laura Zucconi","Natalia Kozyrovska","Thomas Leya","Bernard Foing","René Demets","Charles S. Cockell","Casey Bryce","Dirk Wagner","Paloma Serrano","Howell G. M. Edwards","Jasmin Joshi","Björn Huwe","P. Ehrenfreund","Andreas Elsaesser","S. Ott","Joachim Meeßen","N. Feyh","Ulrich Szewzyk","R. Jaumann","Tilman Spohn"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Exploration of Mars","International Space Station","Space exploration"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-07-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2012.06.010","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W4400689672","name":"Evidence of a hydrated mineral enriched in water and ammonium molecules in the Chang’e-5 lunar sample","source":"openalex","abstract":"The presence and distribution of water on the Moon are fundamental to our understanding of the Earth–Moon system. Despite extensive laboratory research and remote sensing explorations, the origin and chemical form of lunar water have remained elusive. In this study we present the discovery of a hydrated mineral, (NH4)MgCl3·6H2O, in lunar soil samples returned by the Chang’e-5 mission that contains approximately 41 wt% H2O. The mineral’s structure and composition closely resemble novograblenovite, a terrestrial fumarole mineral formed through the reaction of hot basalt with water-rich volcanic gases, and carnallite, an Earth evaporite mineral. We rule out terrestrial contamination or rocket exhaust as the origin of this hydrate on the basis of its chemical and isotopic compositions and formation conditions. The presence of ammonium indicates a more complex lunar degassing history and highlights its potential as a resource for lunar habitation. Our findings also suggest that water molecules can persist in sunlit areas of the Moon as hydrated salts, providing crucial constraints on the fugacity of water and ammonia vapour in lunar volcanic gases. A hydrated lunar mineral, (NH4)MgCl3·6H2O, is found in Chang’e-5 samples. The presence of abundant water and ammonium molecules on the Moon provides insight into the lunar degassing history and a potential resource for lunar habitation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-024-02306-8","authors":["Shifeng Jin","Munan Hao","Zhongnan Guo","Bohao Yin","Yuxin Ma","Lijun Deng","Chen Xu","Xu Chen","Yanpeng Song","Congcong Chai","Qi Wei","Yunqi Ma"],"tags":["Mineral","Ammonium","Sample (material)","Mineral water","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-024-02306-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W1485708480","name":"Calibrating the ChemCam LIBS for carbonate minerals on Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"The ChemCam instrument suite on board the NASA Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover includes the first LIBS instrument for extraterrestrial applications. Here we examine carbonate minerals in a simulated martian environment using the LIDS technique in order to better understand the in situ signature of these materials on Mars. Both chemical composition and rock type are determined using multivariate analysis (MVA) techniques. Composition is confirmed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. Our initial results suggest that ChemCam can recognize and differentiate between carbonate materials on Mars.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1485708480","authors":["R. C. Wiens","S. M. Clegg","A. Ollila","J. E. Barefield","N. Lanza","H. E. Newsom"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Carbonate","Martian","Astrobiology","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-05","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W1583940727","name":"Determination of iron metal optical constants: Implications for ultraviolet, visible, and near‐infrared remote sensing of airless bodies","source":"openalex","abstract":"Iron metal is an opaque phase common in planetary materials both as an igneous mineral and as a space‐weathering by‐product. In either form, iron metal has a large influence on the interpretation of ultraviolet, visible, and near‐infrared spectra of planetary surfaces obtained from Earth‐ or space‐based observatories. Therefore, the optical properties of iron are a critical input necessary for accurate theoretical radiative‐transfer mixing models for inversion of maturity and mineral proportions from reflectance spectra. Here we report new measurements of the optical constants of iron in the ultraviolet, visible, and near‐infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum (∼160 to 1700 nm). These values are determined from an iron metal film vapor‐deposited onto a fused silica prism. Optical constant determination is carried out using an ellipsometer that performs the measurement within the prism, sensing the side of the metal film unexposed to the ambient atmosphere. The data we report have important implications for modeling planetary spectra and for comparison of laboratory measurements of extraterrestrial samples with remotely sensed data sets.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2012gl051630","authors":["J. T. S. Cahill","D. T. Blewett","Nam Nguyen Van","Kun Xu","Oleg A. Kirillov","Samuel J. Lawrence","B. W. Denevi","E. I. Coman"],"tags":["Infrared","Ultraviolet","Prism","Materials science","Visible spectrum"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-04-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2012gl051630","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2887802457","name":"Organic and mineralogic heterogeneity of the Paris meteorite followed by FTIR hyperspectral imaging","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Significant compositional and structural heterogeneity at nm to mm scales is an important characteristic of primitive extraterrestrial materials. Here, we report the analysis of high‐resolution Fourier transform IR hyperspectral imaging analytical measurements at the micron scale on a fragment of the Paris carbonaceous chondrite, supported by Raman and SEM‐EDS measurements. The fragment is crushed in a diamond compression cell. The micro‐FTIR analyses are performed in transmission with two setups, an imaging microscope with a matrix detector using a thermal source and a system using a single point detector coupled with the synchrotron source at the SOLEIL synchrotron facility. We obtain the spatial distribution of chemical/mineralogical components. We confirm at a larger scale (10 μm) the presence of hydrated amorphous silicates observed at a smaller scale (1 μm). Based on the relative abundance of different minerals (hydrated amorphous silicate, olivine, diopside, and serpentine), we propose a sequence of aqueous alteration. Considering the spatial correlation of minerals with organic matter, we discuss the effects of aqueous alteration on the organic matter in bulk. In particular, we detect an increase in the CH2/CH3 ratio in the altered zone and present the possible scenarios that led to the observed chain length shortening/cracking of hydrocarbons.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13178","authors":["Z. Dionnet","Alice Aléon‐Toppani","D. Baklouti","Ferenc Borondics","François Brisset","Z. Djouadi","Christophe Sandt","R. Brunetto"],"tags":["Meteorite","Silicate","Mineralogy","Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-07-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13178","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2036470475","name":"Non-basaltic asteroidal magmatism during the earliest stages of solar system evolution: A view from Antarctic achondrites Graves Nunatak 06128 and 06129","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2009.10.029","authors":["C. K. Shearer","P. V. Burger","C. R. Neal","Z. D. Sharp","L. J. Spivak-Birndorf","L. E. Borg","V. A. Fernandes","J. J. Papike","J. M. Karner","M. Wadhwa","Amy M. Gaffney","J. T. Shafer","J. W. Geissman","Nicu‐Viorel Atudorei","C. D. K. Herd","B. P. Weiss","P. L. King","S A Crowther","J. D. Gilmour"],"tags":["Achondrite","Pyroxene","Plagioclase","Geology","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-10-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2009.10.029","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2766158638","name":"Determination of element composition and extraterrestrial material occurrence in moss and lichen samples from King George Island (Antarctica) using reactor neutron activation analysis and SEM microscopy","source":"openalex","abstract":"Seven lichens (Usnea antarctica and U. aurantiacoatra) and nine moss samples (Sanionia uncinata) collected in King George Island were analyzed using instrumental neutron activation analysis, and concentration of major and trace elements was calculated. For some elements, the concentrations observed in moss samples were higher than corresponding values reported from other sites in the Antarctica, but in the lichens, these were in the same range of concentrations. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and statistical analysis showed large influence of volcanic-origin particles. Also, the interplanetary cosmic particles (ICP) were observed in investigated samples, as mosses and lichens are good collectors of ICP and micrometeorites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-0431-2","authors":["Tomasz Mróz","Katarzyna Szufa","Marina Frontasyeva","V. A. Tselmovich","Tatiana Ostrovnaya","Andrzej Kornaś","Maria Olech","Jerzy W. Mietelski","Kamil Brudecki"],"tags":["Neutron activation analysis","Lichen","Moss","Volcano","Trace element"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-10-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-0431-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"oa:W2965810419","name":"New Applications of High-Resolution Analytical Methods to Study Trace Organic Compounds in Extraterrestrial Materials","source":"openalex","abstract":"Organic compounds are present as complex mixtures in extraterrestrial materials including meteorites, which may have played important roles in the origin of life on the primitive Earth. However, the distribution and formation mechanisms of meteoritic organic compounds are not well understood, because conventional analytical methods have limited resolution and sensitivity to resolve their molecular complexity. In this study, advanced instrumental development and analyses are proposed in order to study the trace organic compounds of extraterrestrial materials: (1) a clean room environment to avoid organic contamination during analysis; (2) high-mass-resolution analysis (up to ~150,000 m/Δm) coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in order to determine the elemental composition using exact mass for inferring the chemical structure; (3) superior chromatographic separation using a two-dimensional system in order to determine the structural and optical isomers of amino acids; and (4) in situ organic compound analysis and molecular imaging of the sample surface. This approach revealed a higher complexity of organic compounds with a heterogeneous distribution in meteorites. These new methods can be applied to study the chemical evolution of meteoritic organic compounds as well as the molecular occurrence in very-low-mass extraterrestrial materials such as asteroid-returned samples.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life9030062","authors":["Hiroshi Naraoka","Minako Hashiguchi","Yu Sato","Kenji Hamase"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","TRACE (psycholinguistics)","Astrobiology","High resolution","Remote sensing"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-07-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life9030062","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2081757683","name":"Thermal evolution of cometary nuclei by radioactive heating and possible formation of organic chemicals","source":"openalex","abstract":"Thermal evolution of large cometary nuclei (radii ≥ 40 km) due to heating by decay of 238U, 235U, 40K and 232Th is investigated by adopting chemical models based on observations of P/Halley and mineral compositions of C1 chondrites. If the thermal diffusivity of crystallized ice is sufficiently small |$\\kappa_{c}\\leq 0.0015 \\,\\text{cm s}^{-1}$| the central temperature may reach the melting point of H2O in large nuclei (radii ≃ 200 km), while if the diffusivity is 0.003 or greater, the central temperature will not reach the melting point. The high temperature attained within cometary nuclei allows molecules such as HCN and NH3 to form various organic compounds such as amino acids through oligomerization, and such compounds might be delivered to the Earth through disintegrations of the large nuclei, which subsequently impact the Earth. The extraterrestrial amino acids found in the K/T boundarylayer and in the dust of P/Halley might have been processed in cometary interiors.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/260.4.819","authors":["S. Yabushita"],"tags":["Physics","Thermal diffusivity","Astrobiology","Chondrite","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1993-02-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/260.4.819","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W1638355745","name":"Influence of Cell Wall Composition on the Fossilisation of Bacteria and the Implications for the Search for Early Life Forms","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The oldest cell-like structures on Earth are preserved in silicified lagoonal, shallow sea or hydrothermal sediments, such as some Archean formations in Western Australia and South Africa. Previous studies concentrated on the search for organic fossils in Archean rocks. Observations of silicified bacteria (as silica minerals) are scarce for both the Precambrian and the Phanerozoic, but reports of mineral bacteria finds, in general, are increasing. The problems associated with the identification of authentic fossil bacteria and, if possible, closer identification of bacteria type can, in part, be overcome by experimental fossilisation studies. These have shown that not all bacteria fossilise in the same way and, indeed, some seem to be very resistent to fossilisation. This paper deals with a transmission electron microscope investigation of the silicification of four species of bacteria commonly found in the environment. The Gram positiveBacillus laterosporusand its spore produced a robust, durable crust upon silicification, whereas the Gram negativePseudomonas fluorescens, Ps. vesicularis, andPs. acidovoranspresented delicately preserved walls. The greater amount of peptidoglycan, containing abundant metal cation binding sites, in the cell wall of the Gram positive bacterium, probably accounts for the difference in the mode of fossilisation. The Gram positive bacteria are, therefore, probably most likely to be preserved in the terrestrial and extraterrestrial rock record.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0252921100015025","authors":["Francès Westall"],"tags":["Bacteria","Precambrian","Archean","Biology","Biota"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0252921100015025","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W4281570197","name":"Accurate and Efficient SIMS Oxygen Isotope Analysis of Composition-Variable Minerals: Online Matrix Effect Calibration for Dolomite","source":"openalex","abstract":"High-quality oxygen isotope analysis of composition-variable minerals (e.g., ubiquitous carbonates) using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is extremely challenging. The classical off-line procedure, which requires additional electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA) chemical compositions for calibrating instrumental mass fractionation (IMF), is inherently inaccurate and analytically inefficient. In this study, the first accurate and paired SIMS analysis of δ 18 O and Fe# [molar Fe/(Mg + Fe)] in dolomite is reported. Based on five newly developed dolomite O-isotopic standards with an Fe# range of 0.01–0.35 obtained by SIMS, a novel accurate and rapid online matrix effect calibration method for dolomite O-isotope analysis was developed using concurrent SIMS 18 O– 16 O– 56 Fe 16 O– 24 Mg 16 O measurements without additional chemical electron probe microanalysis. A logistic equation was proposed as the best-fit curve to represent the δ 18 O matrix effect based on the 56 Fe 16 O/ 24 Mg 16 O ratios. For CTD-4 carbonatitic dolomite with variable Fe# but homogeneous oxygen isotopes, the off-line method exhibited highly variable apparent δ 18 O values in the range of 5.74–10.11‰. The online method yielded a homogeneous δ 18 O value of 7.94 ± 0.34‰ (2SD, n = 40), which is comparable with that of bulk analysis (7.94 ± 0.20‰; 2SD). Comprehensive analyses validated the online method as the best strategy for performing accurate δ 18 O analysis of samples with highly heterogeneous compositions. Based on its accuracy, simplicity, and economic feasibility, this method has potential applications in the analysis of composition-complex dolomites, detrital dolomites, and other precious terrestrial and extraterrestrial materials.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.2c00759","authors":["Jingyao Xu","Qiuli Li","Guoqiang Tang","Kai Lu","Yu Liu","Lianjun Feng","Joan Carles Melgarejo i Draper"],"tags":["Chemistry","Dolomite","δ18O","Analytical Chemistry (journal)","Electron microprobe"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-05-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.2c00759","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W4361223714","name":"Variations of the surface characteristics of Ryugu returned samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Hayabusa2 spacecraft successfully collected rock samples from the surface of C-type near-Earth asteroid 162173 Ryugu through two touchdowns and brought them back to Earth in 2020. At the Extraterrestrial Sample Curation Center in JAXA, we performed initial description of all samples to obtain fundamental information and prepare the database for sample allocation. We propose morphological classifications for the returned samples based on the initial description of 205 grains described in the first 6 months. The returned samples can be distinguished by four morphological characteristics: dark, glossy, bright, and white. According to coordinated study to provide an initial description and detailed investigation by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis in this study, these features reflect the differences in the degree of space weathering and mineral assemblages. The degree of space weathering of the four studied grain types is heterogeneous: weak for A0042 (dark group) and C0041 (white group); moderate for C0094 (glossy); and severe for A0017 (bright). The white phase, which is the mineral characteristic of the white group grains, is identified as large carbonate minerals. This is the first effort to classify Ryugu returned samples into distinct categories. Based on these results, researchers can estimate sample characteristics only from the information on the JAXA curation public database. It will be an important reference for sample selection for further investigation. Graphical Abstract","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40623-022-01754-8","authors":["Aiko Nakato","Toru Yada","Masahiro Nishimura","Kasumi Yogata","Akiko Miyazaki","Kana Nagashima","Kentaro Hatakeda","Kazuya Kumagai","Yuya Hitomi","Hiromichi Soejima","Jean‐Pierre Bibring","C. Pilorget","Vincent Hamm","R. Brunetto","Lucie Riu","Lionel Lourit","D. Loizeau","Tania Le Pivert-Jolivet","Guillaume Lequertier","Aurélie Moussi‐Soffys","Masanao Abe","Tatsuaki Okada","Tomohiro Usui","Satoru Nakazawa","Takanao Saiki","Satoshi Tanaka","Fuyuto Terui","Makoto Yoshikawa","Sei‐ichiro Watanabe","Yuichi Tsuda"],"tags":["Weathering","Space weathering","Asteroid","Sample (material)","Mineral"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-03-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40623-022-01754-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2989750864","name":"Cosmic spherules from Widerøefjellet, Sør Rondane Mountains (East Antarctica)","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2019.11.016","authors":["Steven Goderis","Bastien Soens","Matthew S. Huber","Seann McKibbin","Matthias Van Ginneken","Flore Van Maldeghem","Vinciane Debaille","R. C. Greenwood","I. A. Franchi","Veerle Cnudde","Stijn Van Malderen","Frank Vanhaecke","Christian Koeberl","Dan Topa","Philippe Claeys"],"tags":["Geology","Sedimentary rock","Bedrock","Ejecta","Extraterrestrial life"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-11-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2019.11.016","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W4400975783","name":"Looking for Microbial Biosignatures in All the Right Places: Clues for Identifying Extraterrestrial Life in Lava Tubes","source":"openalex","abstract":"Lava caves are home to a stunning display of secondary mineral speleothems, such as moonmilk and coralloids, as well as highly visible microbial mats. These features contain diverse and under-characterized groups of bacteria. The role of these bacteria in the formation of secondary mineral speleothems is just beginning to be investigated. The lava caves of the Big Island of Hawai`i and in El Malpais National Monument, New Mexico (USA), share many morphologically similar speleothems. This study focused on investigating the overlap in bacteria across a wide range of speleothems in these two geographically distant sites. Through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and 16S rRNA gene analysis, we found that Hawaiian caves have a greater alpha diversity and beta diversity separated by cave and speleothem type. Many Actinobacteriota were in higher abundance in New Mexico caves, while Hawaiian caves contained more bacteria that are unclassified at the genus and species level. Discovering the diversity in bacteria in these secondary speleothems will assist in identifying cave secondary mineral formations that may be good candidates for finding life on extraterrestrial bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/app14156500","authors":["Joseph J. Medley","Jennifer Hathaway","M. Spilde","Diana E. Northup"],"tags":["Cave","Speleothem","Extraterrestrial life","Paleontology","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/app14156500","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2069014110","name":"Trevorite: Ni-rich spinel formed by metasomatism and desulfurization processes at Bon Accord, South Africa?","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The 3.5 Ga Bon Accord Ni deposit occurs within the lowest serpentinized mafic–ultramafic lavas of the Barberton Greenstone Belt (South Africa). Though now completely mined out, it comprised a suite of rare Ni-rich minerals that led to its interpretation as either an extraterrestrial body or as an oxidized fragment of Fe-Ni alloy originating from the terrestrial core. In this study, we draw on detailed petrographic observation and mineral chemical data, as well as previous work, to re-evaluate these ideas. The balance of evidence, from thin section (<1 mm) to regional (∼10s of km) scales, appears to support an alternative origin for Bon Accord, possibly as an oxidized Ni-sulfide deposit formed in association with ocean floor komatiite eruptions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/minmag.2014.078.1.11","authors":["Brian O’Driscoll","P. L. Clay","R. Grant Cawthorn","Davide Lenaz","Jacob Adetunji","Andreas Kronz"],"tags":["Ultramafic rock","Geology","Petrography","Geochemistry","Mafic"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1180/minmag.2014.078.1.11","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2326837373","name":"Effect of Amorphous Ammonia–Water Ice onto Adsorption of Glycine on Cometary Dust Grain and IR Spectroscopy","source":"openalex","abstract":"The extraterrestrial origin of glycine has become a topic of great interest for astrobiology and it has been detected bonded to mineral surfaces in the dust of comet 81P/Wild 2 by the Stardust mission. The interactions of organic molecules with the dust grain surfaces shed light on possible routes for life from extraterrestrial space to Earth. The NH 3 is one of the volatile components of cometary and interstellar ices. In this work we propose models that describe this scenario that consist of a quaternary system of one glycine molecule, a mixture of amorphous ammonia–water ice, and forsterite (100) surfaces (dipolar and nondipolar). Our quantum mechanical calculations show that the presence of amorphous ammonia/water ice increases the adsorption energy of glycine on the forsterite surface with respect to only amorphous water ice. In addition, we calculated the infrared (IR) frequencies to characterize the most reactive sites in the chemisorption processes with the mineral surface.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/jp507650w","authors":["Elizabeth Escamilla‐Roa","C. Ignacio Sainz‐Díaz"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Interstellar ice","Cosmic dust","Adsorption","Amorphous ice"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-10-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/jp507650w","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W4381734479","name":"A Mars-analog sulfate mineral, mirabilite, preserves biosignatures","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Various sulfate minerals exist on Mars; except for gypsum, they are understudied on Earth. Extremophiles have been documented in modern gypsum and halite and ancient halite, but other chemical sediments have not been evaluated for biosignatures. Here, we present the first observations and analysis of microorganisms and organic compounds in primary fluid inclusions in the Mars-analog mineral mirabilite, Na2SO4·10H2O, from Great Salt Lake, Utah, USA. Microscopy by transmitted light and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) light, and Raman spectroscopy, show abundant bacteria and/or Archaea, algae, fungi, diatoms, protozoa, and organic compounds such as beta-carotene. This discovery expands our current knowledge of biological materials trapped in salt and aids the search for life on Mars, both for sample selection by rover and for analyses of return samples on Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/g51256.1","authors":["Karena K. Gill","Elliot Jagniecki","Kathleen C. Benison","Martha E. Gibson"],"tags":["Halite","Life on Mars","Mars Exploration Program","Gypsum","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-06-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1130/g51256.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W2035349387","name":"Search for extraterrestrial amino acids in sediments at the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary in Kawaruppu, Hokkaido, Japan.","source":"openalex","abstract":"Amino acids in the Cretaceous/Tertiary (K/T) boundary sediments at Kawaruppu were analyzed. A maximum of eight kinds of amino acids including diagenetically unstable serine and threonine was detected in the water extracts at most at one n mol g–1 sample level. The number of kinds and quantities of amino acids from the HCl extracts were smaller than those from the water extracts. The D/L ratios of these amino acids indicate that they are not so old as 65 million years. α-Aminoisobutyric acid (2-amino-2-methylpopanoic acid) and isovaline (2-amino-2-methylbutanoic acid) were not detected in any samples, in contrast to the previous study of amino acids in the K/T boundary at Stevns Klint, Denmark (Zhao and Bada, 1989). Our results show that amino acids of possible extraterrestrial and/or 65 million year old terrestrial in origin were not present in the K/T boundary at Kawaruppu. Three plausible explanations for the different results between the present and previous studies are discussed in the text. In addition, our results do not support the cometary dust origin proposed for the presence of the two extraterrestrial amino acids at Stevns Klint (Zahnle and Grinspoon, 1990).","url":"https://doi.org/10.2343/geochemj.30.89","authors":["Hajime Mita","Akira Shimoyama","Yoshimichi Kajiwara"],"tags":["Amino acid","Extraterrestrial life","Serine","Threonine","Protonation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1996-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2343/geochemj.30.89","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2037918657","name":"Room-temperature magnetic properties of ferrihydrite: A potential magnetic remanence carrier?","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2005.05.019","authors":["S. J. Pannalal","Sean A. Crowe","M. T. Cioppa","D. T. A. Symons","Arne Sturm","David A. Fowle"],"tags":["Ferrihydrite","Remanence","Geology","Rock magnetism","Geophysics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-07-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2005.05.019","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W4304806630","name":"Results of an Eight-Year Extraction of Phosphorus Minerals within the Seymchan Meteorite","source":"europepmc","abstract":"In-fall of extraterrestrial material including meteorites and interstellar dust particles during the late heavy bombardment are known to have brought substantial amounts of reduced oxidation-state phosphorus to the early Earth in the form of siderophilic minerals, e.g., schreibersite ((FeNi)3P). In this report, we present results on the reaction of meteoritic phosphide minerals in the Seymchan meteorite in ultrapure water for 8 years. The ions produced during schreibersite corrosion (phosphite, hypophosphate, pyrophosphate, and phosphate) are stable and persistent in aqueous solution over this timescale. These results were also compared with the short-term corrosion reactions of the meteoritic mineral schreibersite’s synthetic analog Fe3P in aqueous and non-aqueous solutions (ultrapure water and formamide). This finding suggests that the reduced-oxidation-state phosphorus (P) compounds including phosphite could be ubiquitous and stable on the early Earth over a long span of time and such compounds could be readily available on the early Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life12101591","authors":["Maheen Gull","Tian Feng","Matthew A. Pasek"],"tags":["Meteorite","Phosphide","Aqueous solution","Chemistry","Earth (classical element)"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life12101591","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"oa:W4317212534","name":"Rapid detection and identification of rocks and minerals by laser‐induced breakdown spectroscopy","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract In geological exploration, it is necessary to analyze the geological history according to the rock types. But in places for people to reach, sample collection, and transportation is a costly task. At present, the remote intelligent detection of rock types needs to be further developed. In this study, laser‐induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), a sensitive optical technique that can rapidly analyze various elements, is applied to real‐time detection and analysis of rock types. Representative rock samples and minerals are selected for spectral analysis and machine learning. The characteristic spectral lines of Ca, Al, Mg, Ti, Si, Na, Fe, K, and Li were observed in the spectra. By comparing the spectra of different samples, the differences among them were discussed. First, principal component analysis (PCA) is used for dimensionality reduction. With the help of PCA, the data are distributed in two‐dimensional and three‐dimensional space and different kinds of rocks and minerals are classified successfully. Then, combined with error back propagation training artificial neural network, the rock and mineral identification model was established, and the recognition rate can reach 100%. The results show that LIBS is a powerful tool for remote intelligent real‐time rock detection and classification, and has great application prospects in the exploration of extraterrestrial objects including planets, satellites and asteroids in the future.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/mop.33622","authors":["Junzhe Huang","Wentao Zhou","Junyi Zhu","Yijing Zhang","Yuzhu Liu"],"tags":["Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy","Principal component analysis","Asteroid","Spectroscopy","Dimensionality reduction"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/mop.33622","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2144086740","name":"Application of the MELTS algorithm to Martian compositions and implications for magma crystallization","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The MELTS algorithm, the most commonly used tool for calculating crystallization of basaltic magmas, uses thermodynamic parameters calibrated by experiments on select compositions, and thus, its use on newly discovered extraterrestrial compositions requires extrapolation across ranges where its applicability has not been evaluated in detail. To apply MELTS to Martian compositions, we undertook a systematic examination of the original MELTS calibration and the pMELTS revision as applied to Martian magmas. We find that the algorithm is effective in predicting the crystallization paths and conditions of Martian magmas, with some issues. The algorithm consistently overestimates the stability of spinel and underestimates pressures of multiple saturation compared to experiments. The pMELTS calibration comes close to fitting multiple‐saturation pressures but cannot be used at low pressures. Both calibrations model crystallization temperatures with similar variances to those observed for terrestrial compositions. Both calibrations reproduce important compositional details of crystallizing magmas and coexisting minerals with errors similar to those observed on terrestrial compositions. We calculate several crystallization paths which predict high‐FeO, high‐density magma compositions that could be a mechanism for cumulate formation. Low‐FeO compositions in recent Mars volcanism may be an expression of this density barrier. However, the composition of a high‐FeO rock called “Et‐Then” discovered by the rover Curiosity is strikingly similar to compositions calculated by the MELTS algorithm and could represent one of these high‐FeO volcanic rocks.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2013je004461","authors":["J. B. Balta","H. Y. McSween"],"tags":["Martian","Crystallization","Geology","Mars Exploration Program","Basalt"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2013je004461","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2036499309","name":"Baking black opal in the desert sun: The importance of silica in desert varnish","source":"openalex","abstract":"Research Article| July 01, 2006 Baking black opal in the desert sun: The importance of silica in desert varnish Randall S. Perry; Randall S. Perry 1Impacts and Astromaterials Research Centre, Department of Earth Science and Engineering, South Kensington Campus, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, UK, and Planetary Science Institute, Seattle, Washington 98115, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Bridget Y. Lynne; Bridget Y. Lynne 2Department of Geology, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Mark A. Sephton; Mark A. Sephton 3Impacts and Astromaterials Research Centre, Department of Earth Science and Engineering, South Kensington Campus, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, UK Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Vera M. Kolb; Vera M. Kolb 4Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Parkside, Kenosha, Wisconsin 53141-2000, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Carole C. Perry; Carole C. Perry 5Chemistry Division, School of Biomedical Natural Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Lane, Nottingham NG118NS, UK Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar James T. Staley James T. Staley 6Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-1310, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (2006) 34 (7): 537–540. https://doi.org/10.1130/G22352.1 Article history received: 07 Nov 2005 rev-recd: 08 Feb 2006 accepted: 12 Feb 2006 first online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share MailTo Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Randall S. Perry, Bridget Y. Lynne, Mark A. Sephton, Vera M. Kolb, Carole C. Perry, James T. Staley; Baking black opal in the desert sun: The importance of silica in desert varnish. Geology 2006;; 34 (7): 537–540. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G22352.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Desert varnish, a widespread black manganese-rich rock coating, contains labile organic compounds, but a mechanism for its formation and for their preservation remains unproven. Using Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and scanning transmission electron microscopy, we analyzed varnish and found amorphous hydrated silica (opal) and the silica mineral moganite, similar to findings we have reported from siliceous hot-spring deposits. We suggest that the slow dissolution of silica from anhydrous and hydrous minerals, and its subsequent gelling, condensation, and hardening, provides a simple explanation of a formation mechanism for desert varnish and silica glazes and the incorporation of organic material from local environments. These chemical signatures, sequestered in silica, provide valuable information about terrestrial and extraterrestrial paleoenvironments. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/g22352.1","authors":["Randall S. Perry","Bridget Y. Lynne","Mark A. Sephton","Vera M. Kolb","Carole C. Perry","James T. Staley"],"tags":["Desert (philosophy)","Art history","History","Library science","Archaeology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1130/g22352.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W3026214614","name":"New measurement technique for characterizing small extraterrestrial materials by X‐ray diffraction using the Gandolfi attachment","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Identification and characterization of small extraterrestrial samples, such as small Antarctic meteorites <~1 cm, require the development of convenient laboratory‐based nondestructive analytical techniques using X‐ray diffraction (XRD). We explore the characterization criteria using an X‐ray diffractometer with a Gandolfi attachment using sub‐mm small fragments and powder aggregates for various kinds of stony meteorites and develop a new analytical technique. We primarily focus on olivine and pyroxene because they are the most abundant and important minerals for stony meteorite classification. A new calibration is performed to estimate the FeO content of the olivine in unequilibrated ordinary chondrites, which is useful for determining the meteorite chemical group irrespective of powder aggregate diameter but dependent on fragment grain diameter. This is because X‐ray intensity absorption is more effective for grains than for powders. Clinoenstatite (Cen) and orthoenstatite (Oen) were distinguished using the presence or absence of the isolated Oen 511 index peak. The method is also applied to other stony meteorites including carbonaceous chondrites and achondrites. The XRD results are consistent with studies based on polished sections involving textural observations by scanning microscope and chemical compositions of the constituent minerals. The new measurement technique presented here is convenient because of its use in air by the laboratory‐based X‐ray diffractometer, which makes it useful for the initial analyses of restricted extraterrestrial sample characterization.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13491","authors":["Naoya Imae","Makoto Kimura"],"tags":["Meteorite","Diffractometer","Chondrite","Pyroxene","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-05-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13491","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W1979611971","name":"Characteristics of djerfisherite from fluid-rich, metasomatized alkaline intrusive environments and anhydrous enstatite chondrites and achondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Djerfisherite is a K-Cl-bearing sulfide that is present in both ultra-reduced extraterrestrial enstatite meteorites (enstatite chondrites or achondrites) and reduced terrestrial alkaline intrusions, kimberlites, ore deposits, and skarns. Major element chemistry of two terrestrial occurrences of djerfisherite (from the Ilímaussaq and Khibina alkaline igneous suites) and three extraterrestrial examples of djerfisherite have been determined and combined with petrographic characterization and element mapping to unravel three discrete modes of djerfisherite formation. High Fe/Cu is characteristic of extraterrestrial djerfisherite and low Fe/Cu is typical of terrestrial djerfisherite. Ilímaussaq djerfisherite, which has high-Fe contents (~55 wt%) is the exception. Low Ni contents are typical of terrestrial djerfisherite due to preferential incorporation of Fe and/or Cu over Ni, but Ni contents of up to 2.2 wt% are measured in extraterrestrial djerfisherite. Extensive interchange between K and Na is evident in extraterrestrial samples, though Na is limited (<0.15 wt%) in terrestrial djerfisherite. We propose three setting-dependent mechanisms of djerfisherite formation: primitive djerfisherite as a product of nebula condensation in the unequilibrated E chondrites; formation by extensive K-metasomatism in Khibina djerfisherite; and as a product of primary “unmixing” due to silicate-sulfide immiscibility for Ilímaussaq djerfisherite. There are several important reasons why a deeper understanding of the petrogenesis of this rare and unusual mineral is valuable: (1) its anomalously high K-contents make it a potential target for Ar-Ar geochronology to constrain the timing of metasomatic alteration; (2) typically high Cl-contents (~1.1 wt%) mean it can be used as a valuable tracer of fluid evolution during metasomatic alteration; and (3) it may be a potential source of K and magmatic Cl in the sub-continental lithospheric mantle (SCLM), which has implications for metal solubility and the generation of ore deposits.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am.2014.4700","authors":["P. L. Clay","B. Ronan O’Driscoll","B. G. J. Upton","H. Busemann"],"tags":["Enstatite","Chondrite","Achondrite","Metasomatism","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am.2014.4700","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2016632616","name":"Petrogenesis of lunar meteorite EET 96008","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0016-7037(03)00134-0","authors":["M. Anand","L. A. Taylor","C. R. Neal","G. A. Snyder","A. D. Patchen","Yuji Sano","Kentaro Terada"],"tags":["Pyroxene","Geology","Breccia","Geochemistry","Basalt"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0016-7037(03)00134-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W3133597562","name":"Quantitative Ion Microprobe Analysis of the Rare Earth Elements in Minerals","source":"openalex","abstract":"The lanthanides or rare earth elements (REE) which are present in trace concentrations in rocks are most useful for investigating the origin of these objects. Of the microbeam techniques presently used to measure the REE concentrations of individual crystals, secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is the only method sensitive enough to allow the determination of REE abundances in most natural minerals. Usually, energy filtering is applied to remove all complex molecular interferences. All the REE, down to a level of ≤ 100 ppb, can be measured in spots 5 to 20 𝜇m in diameter. A growing number of studies involving both terrestrial and extraterrestrial materials have been undertaken.","url":"https://openalex.org/W3133597562","authors":["G. Crozaz","E. Zinner"],"tags":["Microprobe","Rare earth","Chemistry","Astrobiology","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1986-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2513604258","name":"Extinctions, Iridium, and Shocked Minerals Associated with the Cretaceous/Tertiary Transition","source":"openalex","abstract":"This review of recent geological findings related to the Cretaceous/Tertiary transition covers sequentially the extinction record; the major geologic events associated with Cretaceous/Tertiary time; and iridium, shocked minerals, and other geologic anomalies. The evidence covered suggests both individually and collectively that causes intrinsic to the earth provide a more reasonable hypothesis for understanding the extinction record than an extraterrestrial impact.Several years ago Alvarez and others (1980) suggested that the cause of the mass extinctions which occurred during the transition from Cretaceous to Tertiary time, some 66 million years ago, were caused by the impact at the earth's surface of an asteroid, some 10 kilometers in diameter. The original hypothesis called on a giant dust cloud to be injected into the stratosphere with a residence time of several years. It was suggested that the resulting darkness suppressed photosynthesis, with a consequent elimination of succeeding members in the biological food chain.The Alvarez hypothesis restimulated interest in one of the more fundamental problems in earth science, the cause of mass-extinction events which have occurred at various times throughout Earth history. Further, it was a testable hypothesis. It was based on the finding of high levels of iridium, a platinum-group element, coincident with a Cretaceous to Tertiary foraminiferal extinction event. Iridium is present in meteoritic materials and in materials deep within the mantle of the earth, but it is depleted in normal rocks found at the earth's surface. In geologic terms the original hypothesis postulated instantaneous and near total extinction of the earth's fauna and flora.At the outset objections were raised to this hypothesis, particularly by paleontologists, for example, Archibald and Clemens (1982). Their studies showed that the extinctions were neither instantaneous nor as near total as postulated, but that they occurred sequentially over a period of 10,000 to 100,000 years or so. According to Archibald and Clemens, about 50 percent of existing species did become extinct; but, equally important, about 50 percent (including the mammals, from which we are presumably descended, birds, crocodiles, turtles, and benthic plankton) passed from Cretaceous to Tertiary time with little to no change.Questions were also raised about the suggested extinction mechanism. Alvarez hypothesized that the dust cloud was about 1000 times as large as the dust cloud put into the stratosphere by the volcanic eruption of Krakatoa, some 100 years ago. However, Kent (1981) noted that 65,000 years ago an eruption of Toba volcano on the island of Sumatra put up a dust cloud estimated to be 400 times as large as that of Krakatoa, and Kent emphasized that no extinctions have been documented for that particular instant of geologic time.What we are dealing with, in essence, is a mystery that occurred 66 million years ago. There is an extensive record of dead bodies but few clues as to the cause. It is not surprising that as new findings are made in a variety of geologic disciplines, changes in our concepts of what went on at the Cretaceous/Tertiary transition have been further refined, particularly as to the basic problem of whether the (causative) mechanisms were intrinsic to the earth or were extraterrestrial in nature. I will go over some of these more recent findings and discuss in turn the extinction record, the larger-scale geologic features associated with Cretaceous/Tertiary events, and finally Iridium and shocked minerals in the geologic record in general and specifically at the Cretaceous/Tertiary transition.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5408/0022-1368-38.5.402","authors":["Charles B. Officer"],"tags":["Iridium","Cretaceous","Transition (genetics)","Geology","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1990-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5408/0022-1368-38.5.402","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2476827586","name":"2.3.4 Extraterrestrial Particles in the Stratosphere","source":"openalex","abstract":"Over the past several years we have collected 2µm to 30µm particles from the stratosphere using high volume air sampling techniques. In 1970 and 1971 we flew balloon experiments to 34 km, sampling particles from 1.1 × 104m3of ambient air. Beginning in March 1974 we have flown 100 hours of sampling time on a NASA U-2 aircraft yielding a sampling volume of 9.3 × 104m3. In both programs particles are collected by inertial deposition from a 200 ms−1airstream on to clean surfaces coated with thick films of 500,000 centistokes silicone oil.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0252921100051848","authors":["D. E. Brownlee","D. A. Tomandl","P. W. Hodge"],"tags":["Stratosphere","Sampling (signal processing)","Volume (thermodynamics)","Deposition (geology)","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1976-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0252921100051848","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2252418035","name":"Extraterrestrial microspherules from Bajada del Diablo, Chubut, Argentina","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Quaternary infilling of a circular structure located in Bajada del Diablo, Chubut Province, Argentina has been proposed as a crater strewn field in previous studies. Here we report the finding of about 65 microspherules collected in a trench excavated in the center of the structure. The majority of hand-picked specimens are single, but some of them exhibit compound forms. The single specimens are spherical with a mean size of 137 μm, whereas the more complex samples show peduncles and drop shapes. Dendritic crystal growth is recognized in the internal structure of some broken microspherules. Preliminary chemical composition from the surface and center of microspherules was determined by energy dispersive spectrometry employing EDS. Quantitative EMPA and XRD analysis indicate that the microspherules are mainly composed of Fe and O with magnetite, Fe0 with subordinate wüstite. Following consideration of possible anthropogenic and volcanic origins, these spherulites are ascribed to an extraterrestrial input. An accumulation rate of 47 microspherules per m2/yr is estimated for the studied sediments. This value is two orders of magnitude higher than the reference flux for cosmic dust estimated for the last 1 Ma in the Transantarctic Mountains. The microspherules might have been generated as a byproduct of asteroid entry in the atmosphere.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsf.2016.01.004","authors":["María Julia Orgeira","Liliana Norma Castro","Gastón Goldmann","Claudia Prezzi","E. Sileo","Daniel Vega","Corina Franzosi","Rogelio Daniel Acevedo","Oscar A. Martínez","Jorge Rabassa","Juan Federico Ponce","Ofelia R. Tófalo"],"tags":["Geology","Impact crater","Meteorite","Volcano","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-02-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsf.2016.01.004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W7198798050","name":"Hydrocarbon Growth on Extraterrestrial Mineral Surfaces: A Computational and Spectroscopic Investigation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Carbon is found in many forms in extraterrestrial environments; however, there is a discrepancy where the measured abundance of carbon in space is significantly less than that predicted by theoretical models. It is thought that a significant proportion of interstellar carbon could be in the form of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules which, due to their size and high symmetry that result in no dipole moment, cannot be detected. The focus of the present study is to determine whether mineral surfaces such as forsterite, a type of olivine, can lead to hydrocarbon polymerisation and subsequent PAH growth. Specifically, the plausibility of a proposed pathway from literature through the adsorption of the smallest hydrocarbon, acetylene, on olivine surfaces. Subsequent addition reactions follow and as well as a cyclisation to form the PAH building block, benzene. Here, a combination of computational and spectroscopic techniques have been utilised to investigate this chemistry. The computational work began with a thorough benchmarking of methods and the study of acetylene on forsterite. A proposed pathway from literature between acetylene to benzene via addition reactions was chosen for investigation. It was split into two competing pathways and individually investigated to identify the energies of minima and transition states. In Pathway 1, the formation of diacetylene was studied, where a large energetic barrier for the first addition reaction of two acetylene molecules to form a C4H4 intermediate was found, suggesting it did not form in a facile manner. Pathway 2, the formation of benzene (and a competing pathway of a C6H6 intermediate), was then investigated. Here, it was found that the formation of benzene was barrierless, making the intermediate formation step of C4H4 the most crucial barrier in the overall mechanism, meaning that the proposed reaction mechanism is not plausible. The laboratory component aimed to observe the formation of PAHs from C2H2 by Infrared (IR) spectroscopy. Here, the experimental work used a more complex olivine that contained iron. Various experimental parameters, including olivine disks, reaction temperature, and time were investigated. It was found that the system needed to be heated at high temperatures for an extended period of time for any reaction to occur. Although it was determined by the appearance of peaks characteristic of adsorbed acetylene, that acetylene did bind to the surface and no benzene or cyclic products were formed, providing experimental evidence that PAH formation did not occur as proposed. A final series of calculations were completed to investigate how the energetics of the reaction were affected by different pressures and temperatures and in particular, the temperature and pressure of Titan. It was found that high pressures give more favourable overall energies and a similar trend is seen for the overall energy for low temperatures. However, neither factor significantly reduced the large barrier for the formation of C4H4; therefore, the overall proposed reaction scheme remains unlikely.","url":"https://openalex.org/W7198798050","authors":[" Lily Clague"],"tags":["Acetylene","Benzene","Hydrocarbon","Chemistry","Carbon fibers"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W4297445506","name":"The Effects of Hydrochloric Acid Pretreatment on Different Types of Clay Minerals","source":"openalex","abstract":"Clay minerals are common in geological samples and are useful paleoclimate and sediment provenance proxies. Acid pretreatment is the most common method for the separation and purification of clay minerals. Given that hydrochloric acid (HCl) can dissolve chlorite and distinguish it from kaolinite, the HCl digestion method is used to simplify the routine method of clay mineral analysis. However, there have been few studies of the effects of acid digestion on different clay minerals in the context of extracting paleoclimate indicators. In this study, we used illite, chlorite, kaolinite, and two types of smectite to assess the effects of pretreatment with different HCl concentrations at variable temperatures. Our results show that chlorite is the most soluble clay mineral in HCl and can be effectively dissolved in HCl with concentrations of >1 N. The variable crystal structure of smectite affects its solubility in HCl. Ca-rich smectite, which has more cation substitution of octahedral Al, can be dissolved with HCl. However, Na-rich smectite, which has less cation substitution for octahedral Al, is hardly dissolved in HCl of any concentration or at any temperature. Illite can be partly dissolved in HCl, and the threshold beyond which dissolution occurs is 5 N HCl at 70 °C. Kaolinite is relatively difficult to dissolve in HCl. Given that the HCl digestion method uses the peak intensity of the bulk sample X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, whereas the routine method uses the peak area of clay particles, we compared the results of clay mineral quantification and the paleoclimate proxy obtained using the two methods for synthetically prepared mixed and natural clay samples. The results obtained with the HCl digestion method are less accurate than those obtained with the routine method because of the dissolution of illite and smectite in HCl. Therefore, the HCl pretreatment method is not suitable for clay mineral analysis in paleoclimate studies. The present results provide reference data for future studies that employ the acid dissolution pretreatment of clay mineral samples to acquire and quantify paleoclimate proxies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min12091167","authors":["Bin Hu","Chunxia Zhang","Xiaoyan Zhang"],"tags":["Illite","Clay minerals","Kaolinite","Chlorite","Hydrochloric acid"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-09-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min12091167","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2092473498","name":"C02 Laser-BrF5 Fluorination Technique for Analysis of Oxygen Three Isotopes of Rocks and Minerals","source":"openalex","abstract":"Technical details of an on-line CO2 laser-BrF5 fluorination system, installed at Institute for Study of the Earth's Interior, Okayama University, were described. The system allows us precise determination of oxygen three isotope composition (δ17O and δ18O) of rocks and minerals. The δ17O and δ18O values of some international and laboratory reference materials such as UWG2 garnet, NBS-28 quartz, NBS-30 biotite, San Carlos olivine, forsterite, fayalite, enstatite, augite, magnetite, zircon, and basalt glass from Juan de Fuca Ridge were determined with the precision of less than 0.1‰. The data plot well on the terrestrial fractionation line defined as δ17O=0.52×δ18O. The analytical system can be used for analysis of meteoritic materials. The results for international reference materials show generally good agreement with literature values. There exists, however, a small interlaboratory difference in δ18O values of reference materials that reflects how standardization was made at each laboratory. A common standardization, such as comparison of reference materials with O2 directly converted from VSMOW, is required to obtain better agreement within the international community.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5702/massspec.52.205","authors":["Minoru Kusakabe","Seiji Maruyama","Tomoki Nakamura","Toru Yada"],"tags":["Enstatite","Augite","Pigeonite","Mineralogy","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5702/massspec.52.205","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W1974115634","name":"Curating NASA's Extraterrestrial Samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"Curation of extraterrestrial samples is the critical interface between sample return missions and the international research community. Curation includes documentation, preservation, physical security, preparation, and allocation of samples for research, education, and public outreach.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2013eo290001","authors":["Carlton Allen","J. Allton","G. E. Lofgren","K. Righter","R. A. Zeigler","M. E. Zolensky"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Outreach","Documentation","Sample (material)","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-07-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2013eo290001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2528376957","name":"Mineral chemistry of the Tissint meteorite: Indications of two‐stage crystallization in a closed system","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Tissint meteorite is a geochemically depleted, olivine‐phyric shergottite. Olivine megacrysts contain 300–600 μm cores with uniform Mg# (~80 ± 1) followed by concentric zones of Fe‐enrichment toward the rims. We applied a number of tests to distinguish the relationship of these megacrysts to the host rock. Major and trace element compositions of the Mg‐rich core in olivine are in equilibrium with the bulk rock, within uncertainty, and rare earth element abundances of melt inclusions in Mg‐rich olivines reported in the literature are similar to those of the bulk rock. Moreover, the P Kα intensity maps of two large olivine grains show no resorption between the uniform core and the rim. Taken together, these lines of evidence suggest the olivine megacrysts are phenocrysts. Among depleted olivine‐phyric shergottites, Tissint is the first one that acts mostly as a closed system with olivine megacrysts being the phenocrysts. The texture and mineral chemistry of Tissint indicate a crystallization sequence of: olivine (Mg# 80 ± 1) → olivine (Mg# 76) + chromite → olivine (Mg# 74) + Ti‐chromite → olivine (Mg# 74–63) + pyroxene (Mg# 76–65) + Cr‐ulvöspinel → olivine (Mg# 63–35) + pyroxene (Mg# 65–60) + plagioclase, followed by late‐stage ilmenite and phosphate. The crystallization of the Tissint meteorite likely occurred in two stages: uniform olivine cores likely crystallized under equilibrium conditions; and a fractional crystallization sequence that formed the rest of the rock. The two‐stage crystallization without crystal settling is simulated usingMELTSand the Tissint bulk composition, and can broadly reproduce the crystallization sequence and mineral chemistry measured in the Tissint samples. The transition between equilibrium and fractional crystallization is associated with a dramatic increase in cooling rate and might have been driven by an acceleration in the ascent rate or by encounter with a steep thermal gradient in the Martian crust.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12726","authors":["Yang Liu","Ioannis Baziotis","Paul D. Asimow","Robert J. Bodnar","L. A. Taylor"],"tags":["Olivine","Phenocryst","Pyroxene","Chromite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-10-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12726","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2605789326","name":"Seismological Exploration on Extraterrestrial Bodies","source":"openalex","abstract":"Internal structure of terrestrial planets and moons are best characterized by seismological method. In the present paper, we will briefly describe the seismological instrumentation and results obtained for the moon and Mars. Since the most significant seismological data were obtained by the Apollo seismic network, emphasis is put on the lunar study. The velocity structure of the shallow moon (<120km depth) has been determined by the analysis of man-made impacts. On the other hand, the velocity structure of the mantle (120km-1, 000km) has been determined by using 41 deep moonquakes, which periodically occur at depth from 800km to 1, 150km. The velocity structure at depth below 1, 000km has not yet been established. Several petrological models are made by using the velocity structure of the mantle and other geophysical constraints such as the density distribution, moment of inertia, temperature distribution, and elastic data of the candidate minerals of the moon. These petrological models, however, are not so accurate that they do not constrain the formation process of the moon. The more detailed information on the lunar interior such as the size of core is required for clarifying the formation process of the moon. The forthcoming Japan lunar penetrator (LUNAR-A) mission, which is planned to be launched in 1996, will provide useful data on the lunar interior. A new seismic network of triangle form with about 5, 000km length will be constructed by the penetrator seismometers. We expect the results by the LUNAR-A mission to clarify several unsolved problems of the deep sturucture of the moon.","url":"https://doi.org/10.4294/zisin1948.44.supplement_41","authors":["A. Fujimura"],"tags":["Geology","Seismometer","Structure of the Earth","Extraterrestrial life","Mantle (geology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1991-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.4294/zisin1948.44.supplement_41","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2803646944","name":"Measurement of the Oxidation State of Fe in the ISM Using X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The relative fractions of Fe in metal, sulfide, or oxide—the Fe oxidation state—in the interstellar medium (ISM) can provide constraints on the processes that operated on material in the protosolar disk. We used synchrotron-based X-ray absorption spectra of three mineral standards and two kinds of primitive extraterrestrial materials to constrain the oxidation state and mineralogy of the host phase of ISM Fe as measured by X-ray observations of Fe-L ISM absorption from the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Oxidation of cometary material appears to have taken place in the nebula, before incorporation into cometary nuclei, although the mechanism is unknown. We also test the hypothesis of Ishii et al. that ISM solids consist largely of Glass with Embedded Metals and Sulfides (GEMS), enigmatic components of primitive interplanetary dust particles. The hypothesis is not consistent with observations. Using Fe L-edge absorption spectra of comet 81P/Wild 2 samples returned by the Stardust mission, we also find that Chandra observations are inconsistent with the hypothesis the cometary fine-grained material consists of unaltered interstellar dust.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aafb3b","authors":["Andrew J. Westphal","Anna L. Butterworth","John A. Tomsick","Zack Gainsforth"],"tags":["Interplanetary dust cloud","Physics","Absorption (acoustics)","Interstellar medium","Comet"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aafb3b","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W4245147969","name":"Astrobiological significance of minerals on Mars surface environment","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6285-8_4","authors":["Jesús Martínez‐Frías","Gabriel Amaral","Luis Vázquez"],"tags":["Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Earth science","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6285-8_4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W3117149351","name":"Identifying molecules as biosignatures with assembly theory and mass spectrometry","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The search for alien life is hard because we do not know what signatures are unique to life. We show why complex molecules found in high abundance are universal biosignatures and demonstrate the first intrinsic experimentally tractable measure of molecular complexity, called the molecular assembly index (MA). To do this we calculate the complexity of several million molecules and validate that their complexity can be experimentally determined by mass spectrometry. This approach allows us to identify molecular biosignatures from a set of diverse samples from around the world, outer space, and the laboratory, demonstrating it is possible to build a life detection experiment based on MA that could be deployed to extraterrestrial locations, and used as a complexity scale to quantify constraints needed to direct prebiotically plausible processes in the laboratory. Such an approach is vital for finding life elsewhere in the universe or creating de-novo life in the lab.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-23258-x","authors":["Stuart M. Marshall","Cole Mathis","Emma Carrick","Graham Keenan","Geoffrey J. T. Cooper","Heather V. Graham","Matthew Craven","Piotr S. Gromski","Douglas Moore","Sara Imari Walker","Leroy Cronin"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Abiogenesis","Astrobiology","Measure (data warehouse)","Set (abstract data type)"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-23258-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"oa:W2793087672","name":"In situ organic compound analysis on a meteorite surface by desorption electrospray ionization coupled with an Orbitrap mass spectrometer","source":"openalex","abstract":"RATIONALE: Since extraterrestrial organic matter in meteorites is a very complex mixture that is hard to ionize due to its association with minerals, in situ analysis of polar organic compounds has never been performed. In addition, when studying powdered samples, spatial information of organic compounds is lost. METHODS: In situ molecular analysis and chemical imaging of polar organic compounds were performed on a meteorite surface by desorption electrospray ionization coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (DESI-HRMS) using an Orbitrap mass spectrometer. RESULTS: Many CHN compounds, including alkylated pyridine and imidazole homologues, were identified from the complex peaks by HRMS using a spray of electrically charged methanol with a spatial resolution of approximately 50 μm. The same alkylated homologues have the same spatial distribution in the meteorite matrix, while alkylpyridines occur in a different location from alkylimidazoles. CONCLUSIONS: The compound distribution suggests a different source for each compound series or a chromatographic separation effect associated with fluid movement in the meteorite parent body. The DESI-HRMS imaging will further our understanding of organic compound distribution with respect to mineral and water interactions in meteorites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.8121","authors":["Hiroshi Naraoka","Minako Hashiguchi"],"tags":["Chemistry","Orbitrap","Meteorite","Desorption electrospray ionization","Mass spectrometry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-03-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.8121","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W3016343274","name":"Mineral dust increases the habitability of terrestrial planets but confounds biomarker detection","source":"openalex","abstract":"Identification of habitable planets beyond our solar system is a key goal of current and future space missions. Yet habitability depends not only on the stellar irradiance, but equally on constituent parts of the planetary atmosphere. Here we show, for the first time, that radiatively active mineral dust will have a significant impact on the habitability of Earth-like exoplanets. On tidally-locked planets, dust cools the day-side and warms the night-side, significantly widening the habitable zone. Independent of orbital configuration, we suggest that airborne dust can postpone planetary water loss at the inner edge of the habitable zone, through a feedback involving decreasing ocean coverage and increased dust loading. The inclusion of dust significantly obscures key biomarker gases (e.g. ozone, methane) in simulated transmission spectra, implying an important influence on the interpretation of observations. We demonstrate that future observational and theoretical studies of terrestrial exoplanets must consider the effect of dust.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-16543-8","authors":["Ian Boutle","Manoj Joshi","F. Hugo Lambert","Nathan J. Mayne","Duncan Lyster","James Manners","Robert J. Ridgway","K. Koháry"],"tags":["Habitability","Astrobiology","Planet","Exoplanet","Biomarker"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-06-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-16543-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W1640569626","name":"Deformation at the Decaturville Impact Structure, Missouri","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Decaturville structure is a small area of intense disturbance marked by surface exposure of Precambrian rock and minor lead-zinc mineralization. The present paper gives a detailed analysis of the associated deformation processes on the basis of detailed mapping and study of drill core. The presence of shock-deformation features and the complex structural pattern revealed from the analysis are strong indications that the Decaturville structure was formed by impact of an extraterrestrial body.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1640569626","authors":["Terry W. Offield","H. A. Pohn"],"tags":["Geology","Deformation (meteorology)","Precambrian","Impact structure","Mining engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1976-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2125184735","name":"An isotopic and geochemical study of carbonate‐clay mineralization in basaltic caves: abiotic versus microbial processes","source":"openalex","abstract":"ABSTRACT Stable isotope and geochemical data are used here to differentiate between contemporaneous abiotic and microbial processes leading to formation of modern carbonate‐ (calcite, aragonite and magnesite) and silicate‐rich (kerolite) mineralization in basaltic sea caves on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. Strontium isotope and Ca/Sr ratios in meteoric water and cave carbonates suggest that the majority of Sr and Ca are derived from rock–water interaction within the host basalts situated above the caves. Oxygen and hydrogen isotope ratios and chemical compositions of cave and surface waters indicate that evaporation does not control cave‐water composition. However, evaporation of drops and thin films of water in microenvironments can lead to precipitation of some phases. This behaviour is suggested by the covariance in δ18O and δ13C values of some carbonates, especially magnesite, which is considered to be a late‐stage evaporative precipitate. Modelling of water evolution suggests that evaporation can be a cause of supersaturation for magnesite, kerolite and some Ca carbonates. However, the highly elevated δ13C values (up to +8.2) of some Ca carbonates, compared to average dissolved inorganic carbon δ13C values (~−12), are best explained as the product of microbial photosynthesis, in particular by cyanobacteria, present in the upper layers of active microbial mats on cave surfaces. The preferential uptake of 12C by cyanobacteria is recorded in the low δ13C values (−29.1 to −22.6) of organic matter in mats and mineralized microbialites. The resulting 13C‐enrichment of dissolved inorganic carbon is recorded in the elevated δ13C values of these Ca carbonates. A positive correlation exists between the δ13C values of the carbonates and coexisting organic matter. The large enrichment in 13C of carbonate minerals, relative to dissolved inorganic carbon, and its covariance with the δ13C values of coexisting organic matter are useful for identification of carbonate‐rich mineralization resulting from autotrophic microbial activity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1472-4669.2007.00109.x","authors":["Richard Léveillé","Fred J. Longstaffe","W. S. Fyfe"],"tags":["Carbonate","Geology","Magnesite","Aragonite","Calcite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-05-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1472-4669.2007.00109.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W3094240300","name":"Magnetic Properties of Ferritchromite and Cr‐Magnetite and Monitoring of Cr‐Spinels Alteration in Ultramafic and Mafic Rocks","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Spinel is a ubiquitous mineral in mafic/ultramafic rocks. Spinel cores chemistry is extensively used as a petrogenetic proxy while their alteration phases, ferritchromite, and Cr‐magnetite, are used as metamorphic grade indicators. However, the magnetic properties and composition of these phases are still ill‐defined and no consensus exists concerning the metamorphic conditions involved in their formation. Here, we use the magnetic properties of these Cr‐spinel alteration phases, via field‐dependent parameters and observations with a magnetic microscope coupled with mineral chemistry and Mössbauer spectroscopy, to better constrain their composition. We identify Cr‐magnetite by a Curie point of ca. 520°C. We show that it is characterized by an n between 0.1 and 0.2 in the Fe‐Cr spinel formula [Fe2+(Fe1−nCrn)2O4], which corresponds to 6–13 wt.% of Cr2O3. The abundance of Cr‐magnetite indicates a strong alteration of Cr‐spinels that could reflect a significant hydrothermal activity rather than a high metamorphism grade. Normalized variation curves of the magnetic susceptibility during heating allow a relative quantification of the contributions of different magnetic phases to the magnetic susceptibility. This highlights a link between ferritchromite destabilization into maghemite at ca. 130°C followed by the destabilization of this maghemite starting at 300°C. We identify specific covariation trends between these two magnetic species characterizing different alteration processes. This study opens the door to magnetic monitoring of the Cr‐spinel alteration state in mafic and ultramafic rocks. It constitutes a new, fast, and weakly destructive way to study the petrological history of both terrestrial and extraterrestrial rocks.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2020gc009227","authors":["Florent Hodel","Mélina Macouin","Ricardo I.F. Trindade","Jefferson F.D.F. Araújo","M. Respaud","Jean‐François Meunier","Laurent Cassayre","Sonia Rousse","L. Drigo","Juliano Schorne‐Pinto"],"tags":["Magnetite","Spinel","Ultramafic rock","Mafic","Maghemite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-10-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2020gc009227","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W4384202586","name":"Iodine-Biofortified Microgreens as High Nutraceutical Value Component of Space Mission Crew Diets and Candidate for Extraterrestrial Cultivation","source":"openalex","abstract":"The success of Space missions and the efficacy of colonizing extraterrestrial environments depends on ensuring adequate nutrition for astronauts and autonomy from terrestrial resources. A balanced diet incorporating premium quality fresh foods, such as microgreens, is essential to the mental and physical well-being of mission crews. To improve the nutritional intake of astronaut meals, two levels of potassium iodide (KI; 4 µM and 8 µM) and an untreated control were assessed for iodine (I) biofortification, and overall nutraceutical profile of four microgreens: tatsoi (Brassica rapa L. subsp. narinosa), coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.), green basil, and purple basil (Ocimum basilicum L.). A dose-dependent increase in I was observed at 8 µM for all species, reaching concentrations of 200.73, 118.17, 93.97, and 82.70 mg kg−1 of dry weight, in tatsoi, coriander, purple basil, and green basil, respectively. Across species, I biofortification slightly reduced fresh yield (–7.98%) while increasing the antioxidant activity (ABTS, FRAP, and DPPH). LC–MS/MS Q extractive orbitrap analysis detected 10 phenolic acids and 23 flavonoids among microgreen species. The total concentration of phenolic acids increased (+28.5%) in purple basil at 8 µM KI, while total flavonoids in coriander increased by 23.22% and 34.46% in response to 4 and 8 µM KI, respectively. Both doses of KI increased the concentration of total polyphenols in all species by an average of 17.45%, compared to the control.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12142628","authors":["Maria Giordano","Michele Ciriello","Luigi Formisano","Christophe El‐Nakhel","Antonio Pannico","Giulia Graziani","Alberto Ritieni","Marios C. Kyriacou","Youssef Rouphael","Stefania De Pascale"],"tags":["Coriandrum","Nutraceutical","Food science","Ocimum","Sativum"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12142628","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W2091499184","name":"Bulk and stable isotopic compositions of carbonate minerals in Martian meteorite Allan Hills 84001: No proof of high formation temperature","source":"openalex","abstract":"Understanding the origin of carbonate minerals in the Martian meteorite Allan Hills (ALH) 84001 is crucial to evaluating the hypothesis that they contain traces of ancient Martian life. Using arguments based on chemical equilibria among carbonates and fluids, an origin at >650 degrees C (inimical to life) has been proposed. However, the bulk and stable isotopic compositions of the carbonate minerals are open to multiple interpretations and so lend no particular support to a high-temperature origin. Other methods (possibly less direct) will have to be used to determine the formation temperature of the carbonates in ALH84001.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01679.x","authors":["A. H. Treiman","Christopher S. Romanek"],"tags":["Meteorite","Martian","Carbonate","Geology","Mars Exploration Program"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01679.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2083907461","name":"Early Archaean spherule beds in the Barberton Mountain Land, South Africa: no evidence for impact origin","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0301-9268(94)00099-d","authors":["Christian Koeberl","W. U. Reimold"],"tags":["Archean","Geology","Chromite","Geochemistry","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1995-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0301-9268(94)00099-d","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z"},{"id":"oa:W3213124391","name":"Extraterrestrial Photosynthesis by Chang’E-5 Lunar Soil","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract In light of significant effort conducted to manned deep space exploration, it is of high technological importance and scientific interest to develop the lunar life supporting system for long-term exploration and exploitation. And lunar in situ resource utilization offers great opportunity to provide the material basis of life supporting for lunar habitation and traveling. Based on the analysis of the structure and composition, the Chang’E-5 lunar soil sample was used for lunar-surface solar energy conversion, i.e. the extraterrestrial photosynthesis catalysts. By evaluating the performance of the Chang’E-5 lunar sample as photovoltaic-driven electrocatalyst, photocatalyst and photothermal catalysts, the full water splitting and CO2 conversion are able to be achieved with solar energy, water and lunar soil, with a wide range of product distribution, including O2, H2, CO, CH4 and CH3OH. Thus, we propose a potentially available extraterrestrial photosynthesis pathway on the moon, which could help us to achieve a ‘zero-energy consumption’ environment and life support system on the moon.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-1045138/v1","authors":["Yingfang Yao","Lu Wang","Xi Yang Zhu","Wenguang Tu","Yong Zhou","Rulin Liu","Bo Tao","Cheng Wang","Xiwen Yu","Linfeng Gao","Yuan Cao","Bing Wang"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology","Photosynthesis","Lunar soil","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-11-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-1045138/v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.643Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391513201","name":"An autonomous ore packing system through deep reinforcement learning","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2024.01.061","authors":["He Ren","Rui Zhong"],"tags":["Reinforcement learning","Computer science","Software deployment","Leverage (statistics)","Near-Earth object"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2024.01.061","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W2102834380","name":"Deep Blue Retrievals of Asian Aerosol Properties During ACE-Asia","source":"openalex","abstract":"During the ACE-Asia field campaign, unprecedented amounts of aerosol property data in East Asia during springtime were collected from an array of aircraft, shipboard, and surface instruments. However, most of the observations were obtained in areas downwind of the source regions. In this paper, the newly developed satellite aerosol algorithm called \"Deep Blue\" was employed to characterize the properties of aerosols over source regions using radiance measurements from the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). Based upon the Aringngstroumlm exponent derived from the Deep Blue algorithm, it was demonstrated that this new algorithm is able to distinguish dust plumes from fine-mode pollution particles even in complex aerosol environments such as the one over Beijing. Furthermore, these results were validated by comparing them with observations from AERONET sites in China and Mongolia during spring 2001. These comparisons show that the values of satellite-retrieved aerosol optical thickness from Deep Blue are generally within 20%-30% of those measured by sunphotometers. The analyses also indicate that the roles of mineral dust and anthropogenic particles are comparable in contributing to the overall aerosol distributions during spring in northern China, while fine-mode particles are dominant over southern China. The spring season in East Asia consists of one of the most complex environments in terms of frequent cloudiness and wide ranges of aerosol loadings and types. This paper will discuss how the factors contributing to this complexity influence the resulting aerosol monthly averages from various satellite sensors and, thus, the synergy among satellite aerosol products","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/tgrs.2006.879540","authors":["N. C. Hsu","S. Tsay","Michael D. King","J. R. Herman"],"tags":["Aerosol","AERONET","SeaWiFS","Environmental science","Moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-10-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1109/tgrs.2006.879540","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W1990999883","name":"Characterization of weathering and heterogeneous mineral phase distribution in brachinite Northwest Africa 4872","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Terrestrial weathering of hot desert achondrite meteorite finds and heterogeneous phase distributions in meteorites can complicate interpretation of petrological and geochemical information regarding parent‐body processes. For example, understanding the effects of weathering is important for establishing chalcophile and siderophile element distributions within sulfide and metal phases in meteorites. Heterogeneous mineral phase distribution in relatively coarsely grained meteorites can also lead to uncertainties relating to compositional representativeness. Here, we investigate the weathering and high‐density (e.g., sulfide, spinel, Fe‐oxide) phase distribution in sections of ultramafic achondrite meteorite Northwest Africa (NWA) 4872. NWA 4872 is an olivine‐rich brachinite (Fo63.6 ± 0.5) with subsidiary pyroxene (Fs9.7 ± 0.1Wo46.3 ± 0.2), Cr‐spinel (Cr# = 70.3 ± 1.1), and weathered sulfide and metal. Raman mapping confirms that weathering has redistributed sulfur from primary troilite, resulting in the formation of Fe‐oxide (‐hydroxide) and marcasite (FeS2). From Raman mapping, NWA 4872 is composed of olivine (89%), Ca‐rich pyroxene (0.4%), and Cr‐spinel (1.1%), with approximately 7% oxidized metal and sulfide and 2.3% marcasite‐dominated sulfide. Microcomputed tomography (micro‐CT) observations reveal high‐density regions, demonstrating heterogeneities in mineral distribution. Precision cutting of the largest high‐density region revealed a single 2 mm Cr‐spinel grain. Despite the weathering in NWA 4872, rare earth element (REE) abundances of pyroxene determined by laser‐ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS) indicate negligible modification of these elements in this mineral phase. The REE abundances of mineral grains in NWA 4872 are consistent with formation of the meteorite as the residuum of the partial melting process that occurred on its parent body. LA‐ICP‐MS analyses of sulfide and alteration products demonstrate the mobility of Re and/or Os; however, highly siderophile element (HSE) abundance patterns remain faithful recorders of processes acting on the brachinite parent body(ies). Detailed study of weathering and phase distribution offers a powerful tool for assessing the effects of low‐temperature alteration and for identifying robust evidence for parent‐body processes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12320","authors":["B. C. Hyde","James M.D. Day","K. T. Tait","R. D. Ash","David W. Holdsworth","D. E. Moser"],"tags":["Troilite","Geology","Olivine","Pyroxene","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-06-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12320","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W3046202075","name":"A Bayesian approach to the deconvolution of 40Ar/39Ar data from mineral mixtures","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2020.119784","authors":["John N. Carter","Marissa M. Tremblay","Darren F. Mark"],"tags":["Geology","Bayesian probability","Geochronology","Compositional data","Spurious relationship"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-07-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2020.119784","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W2218986506","name":"Instruments and methods to search for extraterrestrial life","source":"openalex","abstract":"Is Life restricted to the Planet Earth? or Does life exist elsewhere in the Cosmos? The existence of extraterrestrial life is the fundamental question of Astrobiology. Detecting evidence for living organisms beyond our planet is even more difficult than finding fossilized remains of ancient organisms. Microbiological investigations during the past century have established the fundamental physical and chemical requirements and limits for life on Earth. It is now known that life requires only water, a source of energy, and a small suite of biogenic elements under a surprisingly wide range of environmental conditions. The discovery that microbial extremophiles live and grow over a very broad span of temperature, pH, salinity, pressure and radiation levels has greatly enhanced the possibility that life may be present on many bodies of our Solar System. Recent discoveries by Space Missions and Rovers have invalidated many long held paradigms regarding the distribution of water, organic chemicals and the possibility of life elsewhere in the Cosmos. This paper considers the discovery of water, ice and organics on distant planets, moons and comets and evidence for fossil organisms on Mars and in SNC and carbonaceous meteorites. Instruments and methods are considered for spectroscopy and fluorescence of biomolecules (e.g., photosynthetic pigments) for remote detection of conclusive evidence for extraterrestrial life. Optical Video Microscopy is discussed as a direct means for detecting extraterrestrial life using small visible light/UV video microscopes, with ample magnification to record motile bacteria and other living organisms in samples collected by Rovers or Landers. Locomotion of living cells of bacteria and other microbes requires great expenditure of energy and motile cells can be distinguished by video microscopy from the physico-chemical movements (by Brownian Motion, Diffusion or Current Drift) of dead cells, dust particles and abiotic mineral grains.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2192893","authors":["Richard B. Hoover"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology","Meteorite","Planet","Life on Mars"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-09-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2192893","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W1878382239","name":"Spinel group minerals in carbonaceous and ordinary chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Meteorites are easily altered in the oxygen-rich environment on the Earth surface. Fossil meteorites are thus uncommon and in the ones, which are found, almost all minerals are secondary. However, the spinel group mineral chromite is resistant to alteration and has successfully been used as a proxy for ordinary chondrites in sediment. The frequency and composition range of spinel group minerals in carbonaceous chondrites are not known well enough to be used as proxies for carbonaceous chondrites. Two carbonaceous chondrites NWA 4428 (CM2) and Allende (CV3) have been systematically investigated in order to determine the frequencies of the spinel group minerals in each chondrite, where in the chondrites the spinel group minerals are located and size and composition of the minerals. The long term aim of this project is to establish a method for detecting spinel group minerals from carbonaceous chondrites in sediment, thus being able to constrain the flux of carbonaceous chondrites further. For references and to compare with previous studies two ordinary chondrites, Jilin (H5) and Mbale (L5/6) were studied in the same way. Spinel is the most common spinel group mineral in the two carbonaceous chondrites investigated here, whereas chromite is the most common spinel group mineral in the two ordinary chondrites. Spinel is not present in the ordinary chondrites. Chromite is present in the carbonaceous chondrites but is considerably smaller than chromite in the ordinary chondrites (~25 μm compared to ~270 μm). Carbonaceous chondritic chromite also has a larger variety in composition than ordinary chondritic chromite, which is due to the higher amount of thermal metamorphism on the ordinary chondrite parent bodies than the carbonaceous chondrite parent bodies. Spinel in NWA 4428 is essentially pure MgAl2O4 whereas spinel in Allende varies from pure MgAl2O4 to FeO contents as high as 24.0 wt%. Magnetite is present in Allende and in Mbale; in Allende, both as spherule and as poorly defined grains with a secondary nature. In Mbale, magnetite only occurs as grains with a secondary nature. In Jilin (H5) Cr-spinel occurs in one aggregate. To detect extraterrestrial spinel group minerals in sediment, these have to differ from their terrestrial equivalents. To distinguish the CM2 and CV3 spinel analysed here from terrestrial spinel on compositional bases is probably not possible. The carbonaceous chondritic chromite displays a larger variety of compositions than chromite in ordinary chondrites and is therefore probably less suitable as a proxy than chromite in ordinary chondrites. Magnetite spherules in Allende (CV3) appear to have a composition distinct from terrestrial magnetite. Magnetite might however be unsuitable as a proxy due to oxidation on the Earth surface. Further studies are needed in order to get a clear picture of the compositions of spinel group minerals in carbonaceous chondrites.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1878382239","authors":["M. E. I. Riebe"],"tags":["Chondrite","Chromite","Spinel","Meteorite","Chondrule"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W3047174301","name":"High‐resolution microstructural and compositional analyses of shock deformed apatite from the peak ring of the Chicxulub impact crater","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The mineral apatite, Ca5(PO4)3(F,Cl,OH), is a ubiquitous accessory mineral, with its volatile content and isotopic compositions used to interpret the evolution of H2O on planetary bodies. During hypervelocity impact, extreme pressures shock target rocks resulting in deformation of minerals; however, relatively few microstructural studies of apatite have been undertaken. Given its widespread distribution in the solar system, it is important to understand how apatite responds to progressive shock metamorphism. Here, we present detailed microstructural analyses of shock deformation in ~560 apatite grains throughout ~550 m of shocked granitoid rock from the peak ring of the Chicxulub impact structure, Mexico. A combination of high‐resolution backscattered electron (BSE) imaging, electron backscatter diffraction mapping, transmission Kikuchi diffraction mapping, and transmission electron microscopy is used to characterize deformation within apatite grains. Systematic, crystallographically controlled deformation bands are present within apatite, consistent with tilt boundaries that contain the (axis) and result from slip in < > (direction) on (plane) during shock deformation. Deformation bands contain complex subgrain domains, isolated dislocations, and low‐angle boundaries of ~1° to 2°. Planar fractures within apatite form conjugate sets that are oriented within either { , { , { , or . Complementary electron microprobe analyses (EPMA) of a subset of recrystallized and partially recrystallized apatite grains show that there is an apparent change in MgO content in shock‐recrystallized apatite compositions. This study shows that the response of apatite to shock deformation can be highly variable, and that application of a combined microstructural and chemical analysis workflow can reveal complex deformation histories in apatite grains, some of which result in changes to crystal structure and composition, which are important for understanding the genesis of apatite in both terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13541","authors":["M. A. Cox","Timmons M. Erickson","M. Schmieder","R. Christoffersen","D. K. Ross","Aaron J. Cavosie","P. A. Bland","D. A. Kring","IODP–ICDP Expedition 364 Scientists"],"tags":["Impact crater","Geology","Apatite","Shock (circulatory)","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13541","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W2163441572","name":"TOF-SIMS in cosmochemistry","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0032-0633(01)00037-x","authors":["T. Stephan"],"tags":["Microprobe","Cosmochemistry","Secondary ion mass spectrometry","Interplanetary dust cloud","Mass spectrometry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0032-0633(01)00037-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W4288758077","name":"From lunar regolith to oxygen and structural materials: an integrated conceptual design","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract To enable a long-term presence of humans in space, it is essential to use extraterrestrial raw materials to reduce the need for transporting resources or produced materials from Earth. In recent years, a lot of research has been conducted on different ISRU processes, such as regolith excavation, mineral processing and the extraction of oxygen using metallurgical processes. However, it is not sufficient to just focus on a single process but also to focus on how the different processes interact. Therefore, RWTH Aachen’s Integrated Conceptual Design presents a novel concept for the production of oxygen and high-quality metal materials. To meet the challenges of mining in space, selective mining is used to provide the best possible blend based on the original material of the deposit. This process is followed by mineral processing to provide a high-quality ilmenite-rich concentrate, the input material for metallurgical processes. Using the novel MOSARI technique, consisting of molten salt electrolysis and metallothermic reduction, oxygen and metal materials can be recovered. Furthermore, this represents a zero-waste approach for the complete utilization of the material.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12567-022-00465-w","authors":["Alexandra Radl","Ksenija Milicevic Neumann","Hermann Wotruba","Elisabeth Clausen","Bernd Friedrich"],"tags":["Regolith","Raw material","Process engineering","Ilmenite","Process (computing)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12567-022-00465-w","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W2894440084","name":"Viable cyanobacteria in the deep continental subsurface","source":"openalex","abstract":"Cyanobacteria are ecologically versatile microorganisms inhabiting most environments, ranging from marine systems to arid deserts. Although they possess several pathways for light-independent energy generation, until now their ecological range appeared to be restricted to environments with at least occasional exposure to sunlight. Here we present molecular, microscopic, and metagenomic evidence that cyanobacteria predominate in deep subsurface rock samples from the Iberian Pyrite Belt Mars analog (southwestern Spain). Metagenomics showed the potential for a hydrogen-based lithoautotrophic cyanobacterial metabolism. Collectively, our results suggest that they may play an important role as primary producers within the deep-Earth biosphere. Our description of this previously unknown ecological niche for cyanobacteria paves the way for models on their origin and evolution, as well as on their potential presence in current or primitive biospheres in other planetary bodies, and on the extant, primitive, and putative extraterrestrial biospheres.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1808176115","authors":["Fernando Puente‐Sánchez","Alejandro Arce‐Rodríguez","Monike Oggerin","Miriam García‐Villadangos","Mercedes Moreno‐Paz","Yolanda Blanco","Núria Rodríguez","L. R. Bird","Sara A. Lincoln","Fernando Tornos","O. Prieto‐Ballesteros","Katherine H. Freeman","Dietmar H. Pieper","Kenneth N. Timmis","Ricardo Amils","Vı́ctor Parro"],"tags":["Biosphere","Cyanobacteria","Metagenomics","Ecology","Arid"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1808176115","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W1991076266","name":"The Alvarez Impact Theory of Mass Extinction; Limits to its Applicability and the “Great Expectations Syndrome”","source":"openalex","abstract":"For the past three decades, the Alvarez impact theory of mass extinction, causally related to catastrophic meteorite impacts, has been recurrently applied to multiple extinction boundaries. However, these multidisciplinary research efforts across the globe have been largely unsuccessful to date, with one outstanding exception: the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. The unicausal impact scenario as a leading explanation, when applied to the complex fossil record, has resulted in force-fitting of data and interpretations (\"great expectations syndrome\"). The misunderstandings can be grouped at three successive levels of the testing process, and involve the unreflective application of the impact paradigm: (i) factual misidentification, i.e., an erroneous or indefinite recognition of the extraterrestrial record in sedimentological, physical and geochemical contexts, (ii) correlative misinterpretation of the adequately documented impact signals due to their incorrect dating, and (iii) causal overestimation when the proved impact characteristics are doubtful as a sufficient trigger of a contemporaneous global cosmic catastrophe. Examples of uncritical belief in the simple cause-effect scenario for the Frasnian-Famennian, Permian-Triassic, and Triassic-Jurassic (and the Eifelian-Givetian and Paleocene-Eocene as well) global events include mostly item-1 pitfalls (factual misidentification), with Ir enrichments and shocked minerals frequently misidentified. Therefore, these mass extinctions are still at the first test level, and only the F-F extinction is potentially seen in the context of item-2, the interpretative step, because of the possible causative link with the Siljan Ring crater (53 km in diameter). The erratically recognized cratering signature is often marked by large timing and size uncertainties, and item-3, the advanced causal inference, is in fact limited to clustered impacts that clearly predate major mass extinctions. The multi-impact lag-time pattern is particularly clear in the Late Triassic, when the largest (100 km diameter) Manicouagan crater was possibly concurrent with the end-Carnian extinction (or with the late Norian tetrapod turnover on an alternative time scale). The relatively small crater sizes and cratonic (crystalline rock basement) setting of these two craters further suggest the strongly insufficient extraterrestrial trigger of worldwide environmental traumas. However, to discuss the kill potential of impact events in a more robust fashion, their location and timing, vulnerability factors, especially target geology and palaeogeography in the context of associated climate-active volatile fluxes, should to be rigorously assessed. The current lack of conclusive impact evidence synchronous with most mass extinctions may still be somewhat misleading due to the predicted large set of undiscovered craters, particularly in light of the obscured record of oceanic impact events.","url":"https://doi.org/10.4202/app.2011.0058","authors":["Grzegorz Racki"],"tags":["Extinction event","Extinction (optical mineralogy)","Geology","Oceanography","Paleontology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-02-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.4202/app.2011.0058","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W1549300197","name":"Mini-Review: Probing the limits of extremophilic life in extraterrestrial environment-simulated experiments","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Astrobiology is a relatively recent scientific field that seeks to understand the origin and dynamics of life in the Universe. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain life in the cosmic context throughout human history, but only now, technology has allowed many of them to be tested. Laboratory experiments have been able to show how chemical elements essential to life, such as carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen combine in biologically important compounds. Interestingly, these compounds are ubiquitous. How these compounds were combined to the point of originating cells and complex organisms is still to be unveiled by science. However, our 4.5 billion years old Solar system appeared in a 10 billion years old Universe. Thus, simple cells such as micro-organisms may have had time to form in planets older than ours or in other suitable places in the Universe. One hypothesis related to the appearance of life on Earth is called panspermia, which predicts that microbial life could have been formed in the Universe billions of years ago, travelling between planets, and inseminating units of life that could have become more complex in habitable planets such as Earth. A project designed to test the viability of extremophile micro-organisms exposed to simulated extraterrestrial environments is in progress at the Carlos Chagas Filho Institute of Biophysics (UFRJ, Brazil) to test whether microbial life could withstand inhospitable environments. Radiation-resistant (known or novel ones) micro-organisms collected from extreme terrestrial environments have been exposed (at synchrotron accelerators) to intense radiation sources simulating Solar radiation, capable of emitting radiation in a few hours equivalent to many years of accumulated doses. The results obtained in these experiments reveal an interesting possibility of the existence of microbial life beyond Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550412000316","authors":["Claudia A.S. Lage","Gabriel Z.L. Dalmaso","Lia C.R.S. Teixeira","Amanda G. Bendia","Ivan G. Paulino-Lima","Douglas Galante","Eduardo Janot-Pacheco","Ximena C. Abrevaya","Armando Azúa-Bustos","Vivian H. Pelizzari","Alexandre S. Rosado"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Extremophile","Abiogenesis","Context (archaeology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-08-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550412000316","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W1535580680","name":"Solar radiation measurements compared to simulations at the BSRN Izaña station. Mineral dust radiative forcing and efficiency study","source":"openalex","abstract":"This paper presents a comparative study of shortwave downward radiation (SDR) measurements and simulations, obtained with the radiative transfer model LibRadtran, at the Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN) site of Izaña Atmospheric Observatory (IZA, Spain). The analysis is based on cloud‐free days between March 2009 and August 2012 (386 days), including aerosol‐free and Saharan mostly pure mineral dust conditions and comparing the day‐to‐day, annual, and interannual variability. The observed agreement between simulations and measurements is excellent: the variance of daily measurements overall agrees within 99% with the variance of daily simulations, and the mean bias (simulations−measurements) is −0.30±0.24 MJm−2(−1.1±0.9%) for global, −0.16±0.34 MJm−2(−0.4±0.9%) for direct, and +0.02±0.25 MJm−2(+0.9±9.2%) for diffuse SDR. Furthermore, the diurnally averaged aerosol radiative forcing (ΔDF) and radiative forcing efficiency (ΔDFeff) due to Saharan mostly pure mineral dust events has been computed at Izaña Observatory. The mean ΔDF values are −7±1, −96±5, and 44±2 Wm−2 for global, direct, and diffuse BSRN SDR, respectively (mean aerosol optical depth, AOD, at 500 nm of 0.18±0.01), whereas the mean ΔDFeffvalues are −59±6, −495±11, and 230±8 Wm−2 per unit of AOD at 500 nm for global, direct, and diffuse BSRN SDR, respectively. These values highlight the importance of scattering processes for mineral dust aerosols: the ratio between ΔDF and the corresponding SDR without aerosols is ~2.5% for diffuse SDR versus 0.2% for direct SDR. This illustrates the significant potential of mineral dust particles to cool the Earth‐atmosphere system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2013jd020301","authors":["Rosa D. García","Omaira García","Emilio Cuevas","Victoria E. Cachorro","P. M. Romero‐Campos","Ramón Ramos","A. M. de Frutos"],"tags":["Radiative forcing","Mineral dust","Atmospheric sciences","Shortwave","Radiative transfer"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-12-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2013jd020301","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W2033608822","name":"Identification of the parent bodies of micrometeorites with high-precision oxygen isotope ratios","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2010.02.046","authors":["C. Suavet","Anne Alexandre","I. A. Franchi","J. Gattacceca","Corinne Sonzogni","R. C. Greenwood","L. Folco","P. Rochette"],"tags":["Chondrite","Isotopes of oxygen","Astrobiology","Geology","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-03-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2010.02.046","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W4220819614","name":"Biogeochemical Characteristics of Earth's Volcanic Permafrost: An Analog of Extraterrestrial Environments","source":"openalex","abstract":"This article describes a study of frozen volcanic deposits collected from volcanoes Tolbachik and Bezymianny on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, and Deception Island volcano, Antarctica. In addition, we studied suprasnow ash layers deposited after the 2007 eruptions of volcanoes Shiveluch and Bezymianny on Kamchatka. The main objectives were to characterize the presence and survivability of thermophilic microorganisms in perennially frozen volcanic deposits. As opposed to permafrost from the polar regions, viable thermophiles were detected in volcanic permafrost by cultivation, microscopy, and sequencing. In the permafrost of Tolbachik volcano, we observed methane formation by both psychrophilic and thermophilic methanogenic archaea, while at 37°C, methane production was noticeably lower. Thermophilic bacteria isolated from volcanic permafrost from the Deception Island were 99.93% related to Geobacillus stearothermophilus . Our data showed biological sulfur reduction to sulfide at 85°C and even at 130°C, where hyperthermophilic archaea of the genus Thermoproteus were registered. Sequences of hyperthermophilic bacteria of the genus Caldicellulosiruptor were discovered in clone libraries from fresh volcanic ash deposited on snow. Microorganisms found in volcanic terrestrial permafrost may serve as a model for the alien inhabitants of Mars, a cryogenic planet with numerous volcanoes. Thermophiles and hyperthermophiles and their metabolic processes represent a guideline for the future exploration missions on Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2021.0137","authors":["Tatiana A. Vishnivetskaya","Vasiliy A. Mironov","Andrey Abramov","V. A. Shcherbakova","Elizaveta Rivkina"],"tags":["Permafrost","Volcano","Extremophile","Thermophile","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2021.0137","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W2027040754","name":"Noble gas isotopes and mineral assemblages of Antarctic micrometeorites collected at the meteorite ice field around the Yamato Mountains","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— From November 1998 to January 1999, the 39th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE) conducted a large‐scale micrometeorite collection at 3 areas in the meteorite ice field around the Yamato Mountains, Antarctica. The Antarctic micrometeorites (AMMs) collected were ancient cosmic dust particles. This is in contrast with the Dome Fuji AMMs, which were collected previously from fresh snows in 1996 and 1997 and which represent modern micrometeorites. To determine the noble gas concentrations and isotopic compositions of individual AMMs, noble gas analyses were carried out using laser‐gas extraction for 35 unmelted Yamato Mountains AMMs and 3 cosmic spherules. X‐ray diffraction analyses were performed on 13 AMMs before the noble gas measurement and mineral compositions were determined. AMMs are classified into 4 main mineralogical groups, defined from the heating they suffered during atmospheric entry. Heating temperatures of AMMs, inferred from their mineral compositions, are correlated with 4He concentrations and reflect the effect of degassing during atmospheric entry. Jarosite, an aqueous alteration product, is detected for 4 AMMs, indicating the aqueous alteration during long‐time storage in Antarctic ice. Jarosite‐bearing AMMs have relatively low concentrations of 4He, which is suggestive of loss during the alteration. High 3He/4He ratios are detected for AMMs with high 20Ne/4He ratios, showing both cosmogenic 3He and preferential He loss. SEP (solar energetic particles)‐He and Ne, rather than the solar wind (SW), were dominant in AMMs, presumably showing a preferential removal of the more shallowly implanted SW by atmospheric entry heating. The mean 20Ne/22Ne ratio is 11.27 ± 0.35, which is close to the SEP value of 11.2. Cosmogenic 21Ne is not detected in any of the particles, which is probably due to the short cosmic ray exposure ages. Ar isotopic compositions are explained by 3‐component mixing of air, Q, and SEP‐Ar. Ar isotopic compositions can not be explained without significant contributions of Q‐Ar. SEP‐Ne contributed more than 99% of the total Ne. As for 36Ar and 38Ar, the abundance of the Q component is comparable to that of the SEP component. 84Kr and 132Xe are dominated by the primordial component, and solar‐derived Xe is almost negligible.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00005.x","authors":["Takahito Osawa","Tomoki Nakamura","Keisuke Nagao"],"tags":["Meteorite","Noble gas","Geology","Astrobiology","Meteoroid"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00005.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W2501337851","name":"The eerie silence","source":"openalex","abstract":"Whether or not we are alone in the universe is one of the great outstanding questions of existence. For thousands of years it was restricted to the realm of philosophy and theology, but 50 years ago it became part of science. In April 1960 a young US astronomer, Frank Drake, began using a radio telescope to investigate whether signals from an extraterrestrial community might be coming our way. Known as the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, or SETI, it has grown into a major international enterprise, involving scientific institutions in several countries. Apart from a few oddities, however, all that the radio astronomers have encountered is an eerie silence. So is humankind the only technological civilization in the universe after all? Or might we be looking for the wrong thing in the wrong place at the wrong time?","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2058-7058/23/03/39","authors":["Paul Davies"],"tags":["Search for extraterrestrial intelligence","Astronomer","Silence","Realm","Civilization"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2058-7058/23/03/39","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W2023578058","name":"Transformation textures, mechanisms of formation of high‐pressure minerals in shock melt veins of L6 chondrites, and pressure‐temperature conditions of the shock events","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The high‐pressure polymorphs of olivine, pyroxene, and plagioclase in or adjacent to shock melt veins (SMVs) in two L6 chondrites (Sahara 98222 and Yamato 74445) were investigated to clarify the related transformation mechanisms and to estimate the pressure‐temperature conditions of the shock events. Wadsleyite and jadeite were identified in Sahara 98222. Wadsleyite, ringwoodite, majorite, akimotoite, jadeite, and lingunite (NaAlSi3O8‐hollandite) were identified in Yamato 74445. Wadsleyite nucleated along the grain boundaries and fractures of original olivine. The nucleation and growth of ringwoodite occurred along the grain boundaries of original olivine, and as intracrystalline ringwoodite lamellae within original olivine. The nucleation and growth of majorite took place along the grain boundaries or fractures in original enstatite. Jadeite‐containing assemblages have complicated textures containing “particle‐like,” “stringer‐like,” and “polycrystalline‐like” phases. Coexistence of lingunite and jadeite‐containing assemblages shows a vein‐like texture. We discuss these transformation mechanisms based on our textural observations and chemical composition analyses. The shock pressure and temperature conditions in the SMVs of these meteorites were also estimated based on the mineral assemblages in the SMVs and in comparison with static high‐pressure experimental results as follows: 13–16 GPa, >1900 °C for Sahara 98222 and 17–24 GPa, >2100 °C for Yamato 74445.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb01206.x","authors":["Shin Ozawa","Eiji Ohtani","Masaaki Miyahara","Akio Suzuki","Makoto Kimura","Yoshinori Ito"],"tags":["Ringwoodite","Olivine","Chondrite","Geology","Shock metamorphism"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb01206.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W2117593698","name":"Identification by Raman spectroscopy of Mg–Fe content of olivine samples after impact at 6 km s−1 onto aluminium foil and aerogel: In the laboratory and in Wild-2 cometary samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"Olivine, (Mg, Fe)2[SiO4], is a common mineral in extraterrestrial materials, whose Mg–Fe content varies from the end-members Forsterite (Mg2SiO4: denoted ‘Fo’) to Fayalite (Fe2SiO4: denoted ‘Fa’), together with minor quantities of Ca, Cr, Mn and Ni. Olivine is readily identified by Raman spectroscopy, and the Mg–Fe content can be obtained by precise measurements of the position of the two strongest Raman peaks. Here we show that this is not only true for pristine and highly crystalline olivine, but also for grains which have undergone high pressure shock processing during hypervelocity impact. We demonstrate that there are subtle changes to the Raman spectra in grains impacted at 6.1 km s−1 onto aluminium foil and into low density aerogel. We quantify these changes, and also show that if no correction is made for the impact effects, the Fe:Mg molar ratio of the olivine can be significantly misinterpreted. This study was stimulated by NASA’s Stardust mission to comet 81P/Wild-2, since freshly ejected cometary dust particles were collected (via impact) onto aluminium foil and into aerogel cells at 6.1 km s−1 and these samples are being investigated with Raman spectroscopy. We identify the residue in one Stardust impact crater on aluminium foil as arising from an olivine with a composition of Fo97–100.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2013.07.022","authors":["N.F. Foster","P. J. Wozniakiewicz","M. C. Price","A. T. Kearsley","M. J. Burchell"],"tags":["Olivine","Raman spectroscopy","Forsterite","Analytical Chemistry (journal)","Aluminium"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-07-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2013.07.022","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W2060870552","name":"Designing artificial closed land- and space-based ecosystems","source":"openalex","abstract":"The principles and approaches to the design of closed ecosystems are presented, and the feasibility of forming highly closed mass-exchange processes is established for integrated new-generation life support systems by the complex use of biological and physicochemical methods of organic waste mineralization and involvement in intrasystem turnover. The authors identify prospects for artificial ecosystems in solving national economic problems and creating extraterrestrial colonies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1134/s1019331614020026","authors":["А. Г. Дегерменджи","А. А. Тихомиров"],"tags":["Ecosystem","Mineralization (soil science)","Environmental resource management","Life support system","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1134/s1019331614020026","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W2748542349","name":"Mineralization and Preservation of an extremotolerant Bacterium Isolated from an Early Mars Analog Environment","source":"openalex","abstract":"The artificial mineralization of a polyresistant bacterial strain isolated from an acidic, oligotrophic lake was carried out to better understand microbial (i) early mineralization and (ii) potential for further fossilisation. Mineralization was conducted in mineral matrixes commonly found on Mars and Early-Earth, silica and gypsum, for 6 months. Samples were analyzed using microbiological (survival rates), morphological (electron microscopy), biochemical (GC-MS, Microarray immunoassay, Rock-Eval) and spectroscopic (EDX, FTIR, RAMAN spectroscopy) methods. We also investigated the impact of physiological status on mineralization and long-term fossilisation by exposing cells or not to Mars-related stresses (desiccation and radiation). Bacterial populations remained viable after 6 months although the kinetics of mineralization and cell-mineral interactions depended on the nature of minerals. Detection of biosignatures strongly depended on analytical methods, successful with FTIR and EDX but not with RAMAN and immunoassays. Neither influence of stress exposure, nor qualitative and quantitative changes of detected molecules were observed as a function of mineralization time and matrix. Rock-Eval analysis suggests that potential for preservation on geological times may be possible only with moderate diagenetic and metamorphic conditions. The implications of our results for microfossil preservation in the geological record of Earth as well as on Mars are discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-08929-4","authors":["F. Gaboyer","Claude Le Milbeau","Maria Bohmeier","Petra Schwendner","Pauline Vannier","Kristina Beblo‐Vranesevic","Elke Rabbow","Frédéric Foucher","Pascale Gautret","Régis Guégan","Antonin Richard","A. Sauldubois"],"tags":["Mineralization (soil science)","Desiccation","Mars Exploration Program","Diagenesis","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-08-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-08929-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W2621123576","name":"Vibrational spectroscopy of epidote, pumpellyite and prehnite applied to low-grade regional metabasites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Calc-silicate minerals are routinely used to identify metamorphic and metasomatic patterns, but their characterization usually requires detailed and time-consuming petrographic and geochemical analyses, preventing spatially extensive mapping. Laboratory measurements (FTIR, XRD, EPMA) successfully characterize pure representatives of three calc-silicate mineral groups – epidote, pumpellyite, and prehnite – as well as mixed mineral samples from the Fortescue Group volcanics, Hamersley Basin, Western Australia. Pure mineral spectra display diagnostic first overtone bands of the hydroxyl-related stretching fundamentals in the 1300 – 1600 nm wavelength region. In mixed mineral assemblages the overtone region allows for identification based on discrete absorption bands: 1555 nm for epidote, 1470 nm for prehnite, and four bands at 1410 (a), 1430 (b), 1450 (c) and 1510 nm (d) for pumpellyite. With increasing Fe content, the wavelength positions of the hydroxyl-stretching fundamental and first overtone absorption features of epidote and prehnite shift towards shorter wavelengths. In pumpellyite, with increasing Mg content, bands (b) and (d) shift towards longer and shorter wavelengths respectively. Diagnostic overtones are identifiable after downsampling of laboratory FTIR spectra to hyperspectral field, airborne, and orbital spectrometer resolution. This highlights the application to regional-scale mapping of calc-silicate distribution and composition, both on Earth and on extraterrestrial planetary surfaces, such as Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1144/geochem2016-007","authors":["A. J. R. White","Carsten Laukamp","Mark A. Stokes","Monica LeGras","Bobby Pejcic"],"tags":["Epidote","Geology","Geochemistry","Paleontology","Chlorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1144/geochem2016-007","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W2753524020","name":"Non-destructive controlled single-particle light scattering measurement","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2017.09.005","authors":["Göran Maconi","Antti Penttilä","Ivan Kassamakov","Maria Gritsevich","P. Helander","Tuomas Puranen","Ari Salmi","E. Hæggström","K. Muinonen"],"tags":["Levitation","Millimeter","Meteorite","Scatterometer","Light scattering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-09-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2017.09.005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W2739516314","name":"A New Tool for Separating the Magnetic Mineralogy of Complex Mineral Assemblages from Low Temperature Magnetic Behavior","source":"openalex","abstract":"One timeless challenge in rock magnetic studies, inclusive of paleomagnetism and environmental magnetism, is decomposing a sample’s bulk magnetic behavior into its individual magnetic mineral components. We present a method permitting to decompose the magnetic behavior of a bulk sample experimentally and at low temperature avoiding any ambiguities in data interpretation due to heating-induced alteration. A single instrument is used to measure the temperature dependence of remanent magnetizations and to apply an isothermal demagnetization step at any temperature between 2 and 400 K. The experimental method is validated on synthetic mixtures of magnetite, hematite, goethite, as well as on natural loess samples where the contributions of magnetite, goethite, hematite and maghemite are successfully isolated. The experimental protocol can be adapted to target other iron bearing minerals relevant to the rock or sediment under study. One limitation rests on the fact that the method is based on remanent magnetizations. Consequently, a quantitative decomposition of absolute concentration of individual components remains unachievable without assumptions. Nonetheless, semi-quantitative magnetic mineral concentrations were determined on synthetic and natural loess/paleosol samples in order to validate and test the method as a semi-quantitative tool in environmental magnetism studies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2017.00061","authors":["France Lagroix","Yohan Guyodo"],"tags":["Magnetite","Maghemite","Rock magnetism","Hematite","Environmental magnetism"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2017.00061","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W2340637068","name":"Planetary science and exploration in the deep subsurface: results from the MINAR Program, Boulby Mine, UK","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The subsurface exploration of other planetary bodies can be used to unravel their geological history and assess their habitability. On Mars in particular, present-day habitable conditions may be restricted to the subsurface. Using a deep subsurface mine, we carried out a program of extraterrestrial analog research – MINe Analog Research (MINAR). MINAR aims to carry out the scientific study of the deep subsurface and test instrumentation designed for planetary surface exploration by investigating deep subsurface geology, whilst establishing the potential this technology has to be transferred into the mining industry. An integrated multi-instrument suite was used to investigate samples of representative evaporite minerals from a subsurface Permian evaporite sequence, in particular to assess mineral and elemental variations which provide small-scale regions of enhanced habitability. The instruments used were the Panoramic Camera emulator, Close-Up Imager, Raman spectrometer, Small Planetary Linear Impulse Tool, Ultrasonic drill and handheld X-ray diffraction (XRD). We present science results from the analog research and show that these instruments can be used to investigate in situ the geological context and mineralogical variations of a deep subsurface environment, and thus habitability, from millimetre to metre scales. We also show that these instruments are complementary. For example, the identification of primary evaporite minerals such as NaCl and KCl, which are difficult to detect by portable Raman spectrometers, can be accomplished with XRD. By contrast, Raman is highly effective at locating and detecting mineral inclusions in primary evaporite minerals. MINAR demonstrates the effective use of a deep subsurface environment for planetary instrument development, understanding the habitability of extreme deep subsurface environments on Earth and other planetary bodies, and advancing the use of space technology in economic mining.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550416000045","authors":["Samuel J. Payler","Jennifer F. Biddle","A. J. Coates","C. R. Cousins","Rachel E. Cross","David C. Cullen","M. Downs","S. Direito","Thomas W. D. Edwards","Amber Gray","Jac Genis","M. Gunn","G. M. Hansford","Patrick Harkness","J. W. Holt","Jean‐Luc Josset","Xuan Li","David Lees","D. S. S. Lim","Melissa McHugh","David Mcluckie","Emma Meehan","S.M. Paling","Audrey Souchon","Louise Yeoman","Charles S. Cockell"],"tags":["Evaporite","Geology","Astrobiology","Mars Exploration Program","Mineral exploration"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-04-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550416000045","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W3113038499","name":"Insight into the structure of decagonite – the extraterrestrial decagonal quasicrystal","source":"europepmc","abstract":", the only known natural decagonal quasicrystal found in a meteorite formed at the beginning of the Solar System, allowed us to determine the first structural model for a natural quasicrystal. It is a two-layer structure with decagonal columnar clusters arranged according to the pentagonal Penrose tiling. The structural model showed peculiarities and slight differences with respect to those obtained for other synthetic decagonal quasicrystals. Interestingly, decagonite is found to exhibit low linear phason strain and a high degree of perfection despite the fact it was formed under conditions very far from those used in the laboratory.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1107/s2052252520015444","authors":["Ireneusz Bugański","Luca Bindi"],"tags":["Quasicrystal","Phason","Penrose tiling","Crystallography","Cube (algebra)"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-12-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1107/s2052252520015444","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"oa:W2092968385","name":"SULFUR IN ACHONDRITIC METEORITES","source":"openalex","abstract":"Total sulfur abundances have been measured for 48 achondrites. For twenty eucrites they ranged from 370 to 3700 micrograms S/g with a median sulfur content of 1180 micrograms S/g. Sulfur abundances for howardites ranged from 1490 to 3240 micrograms S /g and had a median sulfur concentration of 2340 micrograms S/g. Diogenites' sulfur abundances ranged from 130 to 3170 micrograms S/g, with a median value of 1280 micrograms S/g. Four shergottites had a median sulfur content of 1940 micrograms S/g and ranged from 740 to 2540 micrograms S/g. Enstatite achondrites contained the greatest sulfur abundances of any achondrite group. They ranged from 2450 to 8580 micrograms S/g and had a median sulfur content of 6020 micrograms S/g and had a median sulfur content of 6020 micrograms S/g. A single Chassignite had a sulfur concentration of 360 micrograms S/g. The wide variations in sulfur concentrations for the achondrites reflect the small scale heterogeneous nature of these unique extraterrestrial materials due in large part to discrete sulfide mineral grains.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1985.tb00046.x","authors":["E. K. Gibson","C. B. Moore","Thomas M. Primus","C. F. Lewis"],"tags":["Achondrite","Sulfur","Sulfide","Chemistry","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1985-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1985.tb00046.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W2753066979","name":"Trace element inventory of meteoritic Ca-phosphates","source":"openalex","abstract":"Most extraterrestrial samples feature the two accessory Ca-phosphates (apatite-group minerals and merrillite), which are important carrier phases of the rare earth elements (REE). The trace-element concentrations (REE, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Co, As, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Ba, Hf, Ta, Pb, Th, and U) of selected grains were analyzed by LA-ICP-MS and/or SIMS (REE only). This systematic investigation includes 99 apatite and 149 merrillite analyses from meteorites deriving from various asteroidal bodies including 1 carbonaceous chondrite, 8 ordinary chondrites, 3 acapulcoites, 1 winonaite, 2 eucrites, 5 shergottites, 1 ureilitic trachyandesite, 2 mesosiderites, and 1 silicate-bearing IAB iron meteorite. Although Ca-phosphates predominantly form in metamorphic and/or metasomatic reactions, some are of igneous origin. As late-stage phases that often incorporate the vast majority of their host’s bulk REE budget, the investigated Ca-phosphates have REE enrichments of up to two orders of magnitude compared to the host rock’s bulk concentrations. Within a single sample, each phosphate species displays a uniform REE-pattern, and variations are mainly restricted to their enrichment, therefore indicating similar formation conditions. Exceptions are brecciated samples, i.e., the Adzhi-Bogdo (LL3-6) ordinary chondrite. Despite this uniformity within single samples, distinct meteorite groups do not necessarily have unique REE-patterns. Four basic shapes dominate the REE patterns of meteoritic Ca-phosphates: (1) flat patterns, smoothly decreasing from La-Lu with prominent negative Eu anomalies (acapulcoites, eucrites, apatite from the winonaite and the ureilitic trachyandesite, merrillite from ordinary chondrites); (2) unfractionated patterns, with only minor or no anomalies (mesosiderites, enriched shergottites, IAB-iron meteorite); (3) LREE-enriched patterns, with either positive or slightly negative Eu anomalies (chondritic apatite); and (4) strongly LREE-depleted patterns, with negative Eu anomalies (depleted shergottites). The patterns do not correlate with the grade of metamorphism (petrologic type), specific adjacent mineral assemblages or with Ca-phosphate grain size. Neither the proportions of different REE, nor particular REE patterns themselves are universally correlated to a specific formation mechanism yet Eu (i.e., magnitude of the Eu anomaly) is a sensitive indicator to evaluate the timing of plagioclase and phosphate crystallization. Based on our data, U and Th abundances in apatite increase (almost linearly) with the grade of metamorphism, as well as with the differentiation of their host rock.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2017-6056","authors":["Dustin Ward","A. Bischoff","J. Roszjar","Jasper Berndt","Martin J. Whitehouse"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Trace element","Apatite","Carbonaceous chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2017-6056","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W2082465424","name":"Search for Extraterrestrial Life Using Chiral Molecules: Mandelate Racemase as a Test Case","source":"openalex","abstract":"We have investigated an enzymatic racemization reaction as a marker for extraterrestrial life, which resulted in a change in optical rotation of a mandelic acid over time, as measured by polarimetry. Mandelate racemase was active in aqueous buffer in a temperature range between 0 degrees C and 70 degrees C and also in concentrated ammonium salt solutions and water-in-oil microemulsions in a temperature range between -30 degrees C and 60-70 degrees C; however, the enzyme was not active in several organic cryosolvents. Thus, we have demonstrated that concentrated ammonium salt solutions and water-in-oil microemulsions, both of which are able to form on extraterrestrial planets and moons in the presence of liquid water, are suitable media for enzyme reactions at subzero temperatures. Kinetic data for the mandelate racemase reaction obtained by polarimetry, while reproducible and internally consistent, differed significantly from several sets of data obtained previously by other methods such as chromatography and hydrogen-deuterium exchange. However, we conclude that reactions yielding a polarimetric signal, such as the racemizations employed in this work, are suitable mechanisms by which to utilize a change in chirality over time as a tool to detect signs of life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2006.6.901","authors":["T. Thaler","Phillip R. Gibbs","Rick Trebino","Andreas S. Bommarius"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Microemulsion","Racemization","Chemistry","Salt (chemistry)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2006.6.901","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W949364484","name":"Mineral magnetism in marine sediments","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-8036-8_12","authors":["Roy Thompson","Frank Oldfield"],"tags":["Pelagic zone","Earth science","Extraterrestrial life","Submarine","Sedimentary depositional environment"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1986-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-8036-8_12","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W4414924893","name":"A Comprehensive Study of Enhanced Computational Approaches for Breast Cancer Classification: Comparative Analysis with Existing State of the Art Methods","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11831-025-10414-5","authors":["Davinder Paul Singh","Tathagat Banerjee","Prabhjot Kour","R. S. Malik","Gangu Rama Naidu","Anand Deva Durai C","Raju Suresh Kumar","Rajanish Kumar Kaushal","Ram Singh","Yogendra Narayan"],"tags":["Computer science","Breast cancer","Magnification","Artificial intelligence","Precision and recall"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11831-025-10414-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W4210802146","name":"Rapid screening of Zr-containing particles from Chang’e-5 lunar soil samples for isotope geochronology: Technical roadmap for future study","source":"openalex","abstract":"New samples returned by China Chang’e-5 (CE-5) mission offer an opportunity for studying the lunar geologic longevity, space weathering, and regolith evolution. The age determination of the CE-5 samples was among the first scientific questions to be answered. However, the precious samples, most in the micrometer size range, challenge many traditional analyses on large single crystals of zircon developed for massive bulk samples. Here, we developed a non-destructive rapid screening of individual zirconium-containing particle for isotope geochronology based on a Micro X-ray fluorescence analysis (µXRF). The selected particles were verified via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), 3D X-ray microscopy (XRM), and focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) techniques, which showed that zirconium-bearing minerals with several microns were precisely positioned and readily suitable for site-specific isotopic dating by second ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Such protocol could be also applicable in non-destructively screening other types of particles for different scientific purposes. We therefore proposed a correlative workflow for comprehensively studying the CE-5 lunar samples from single particles on nanometer to atomic scales. Linking various microscopic and spectromicroscopic instruments together, this workflow consists of six steps: (1) single-particle selection with non-destructive µXRF technique, (2) 2D/3D morphological and structural characterization with a correlative submicron 3D XRM and nanoscale resolution FIB-SEM imaging methods, (3) SEM analysis of the surface morphology and chemistry of the selected particle, (4) a series of microscopic and microbeam analyses (e.g., SEM, electron probe microanalysis, and SIMS) on the cross-section of the selected particle to obtain structural, mineralogical, chemical, and isotopic features from the micron to nanometer scale, (5) advanced 2D/3D characterization and site-specific sample preparation of thin foil/tip specimens on a microregion of interest in the selected particle with FIB-SEM technique, and (6) comprehensive analyses on the FIB-milled specimens at nanometer to atomic scale with synchrotron-based scanning transmission X-ray microscopy, analytic transmission electron microscopy, and atom probe tomography. Following this technical roadmap, one can integrate multiple modalities into a uniform frame of multimodal and multiscale correlated datasets to acquire high-throughput information on the limited or precious terrestrial and extraterrestrial samples.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsf.2022.101367","authors":["Jinhua Li","Qiuli Li","Liang Zhao","Jinhai Zhang","Xu Tang","Lixin Gu","Qian Guo","Hongxia Ma","Qin Zhou","Yan Liu","Peiyu Liu","Hao Qiu","Gang Li","Lin Gu","Shun Guo","Chunlai Li","Xian‐Hua Li","Fu‐Yuan Wu","Yongxin Pan"],"tags":["Scanning electron microscope","Characterization (materials science)","Microanalysis","Materials science","Secondary ion mass spectrometry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsf.2022.101367","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W2500141842","name":"Extraterrestrial sound for planetaria: A pedagogical study","source":"openalex","abstract":"The purpose of this project was to supply an acoustical simulation device to a local planetarium for use in live shows aimed at engaging and inspiring children in science and engineering. The device plays audio simulations of estimates of the sounds produced by natural phenomena to accompany audio-visual presentations and live shows about Venus, Mars, and Titan. Amongst the simulated noise are the sounds of thunder, wind, and cryo-volcanoes. The device can also modify the speech of the presenter (or audience member) in accordance with the underlying physics to reproduce those vocalizations as if they had been produced on the world under discussion. Given that no time series recordings exist of sounds from other worlds, these sounds had to be simulated. The goal was to ensure that the audio simulations were delivered in time for a planetarium's launch show to enable the requested outreach to children. The exercise has also allowed an explanation of the science and engineering behind the creation of the sounds. This has been achieved for young children, and also for older students and undergraduates, who could then debate the limitations of that method.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1121/1.4960785","authors":["T.G. Leighton","Nikhil Banda","Benoît Bergès","Phillip F. Joseph","Paul R. White"],"tags":["Planetarium","Outreach","Soundscape","Sound (geography)","Thunder"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1121/1.4960785","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W3041145187","name":"Cultivation With Powdered Meteorite (NWA 1172) as the Substrate Enhances Low-Temperature Preservation of the Extreme Thermoacidophile Metallosphaera sedula","source":"openalex","abstract":"Recent studies have uncovered a vast number of thermophilic species in icy environments, permanently cold ocean sediments, cold sea waters, and cool soils. The survival of thermophiles in psychrobiotic habitats requires thorough investigation of the physiological and molecular mechanisms behind their natural cryopreservation. Such investigations are mainly impeded due to a restricted cultivation of thermophiles at low temperatures under the laboratory conditions. Artificial culture media used under the laboratory conditions usually fail to support cultivation of thermophiles at low-temperature range. In this study we cultivated the extreme thermoacidophilic archaeon Metallosphaera sedula with the preliminary powdered and sterilized multimetallic extraterrestrial mineral material (the meteorite NWA 1172) under a low temperature regime in laboratory conditions. Our data indicate that M. sedula withstands cold stress and can be maintained at low temperatures, when supplemented with the meteorite NWA 1172 as the sole energy source. Cultivation with the meteorite NWA 1172 opens up new, previously unknown psychrotolerant characteristics of M. sedula, emphasizing that culture conditions (i.e., the \"nutritional environment\") may affect the microbial survival potential in stress related situations. These observations facilitate further investigation of strategies and underlying molecular mechanisms of the survival of thermophilic species in permanently cold habitats.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2020.00037","authors":["Tetyana Milojević","Žiga Zebec","Mario P. Schimak"],"tags":["Meteorite","Thermophile","Astrobiology","Extreme environment","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-07-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2020.00037","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W1998247299","name":"High-Temperature Microwave Dielectric Properties and Processing of JSC-1AC Lunar Simulant","source":"openalex","abstract":"Successful development of extraterrestrial microwave heating technologies depends on the study of the dielectric properties that control the microwave heating behavior of simulants and regoliths. Microwave heating may serve many lunar applications including heating the regolith for lunar surface dust stabilization, oxygen production, building materials, and mineral refinement. The dielectric properties (dielectric constant, ε′, and loss factor, ε″) of the lunar simulant, JSC-1AC, were measured at 2.45 GHz microwave frequency from room temperature to 1,100°C. The dielectric loss tangent and half-power depth were calculated from the measured properties. The loss tangent increased from a low value of 0.02 at room temperature to a high value of 0.31 at 1,100°C, indicating increased efficiency of microwave absorption at higher temperatures. The low temperature loss tangent indicated that relatively slow, low efficiency heating would be expected at room temperature. The microwave heating experiments confirmed weak heating related to absorption below 250°C, and increasingly strong absorption above 250°C, leading to rapid heating and melting or the so-called thermal runaway of JSC-1AC. Heating with microwaves as the only energy source produced a thermal runaway with wide variations in the JSC-1AC, such as fully molten glass, with unsintered loose particulate located millimeters away. The addition of a supplemental radiant heat source to the microwave mitigated the thermal runaway effect and produced uniform solid materials from the JSC-1A lunar simulant. The room temperature dielectric properties of JSC-1AC were measured and found to be comparable with the range of published lunar regolith properties, making JSC-1AC a reasonable starting point for microwave heating and computational modeling studies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)as.1943-5525.0000179","authors":["Shawn M. Allan","Brandon J. Merritt","Brittany F. Griffin","Paul E. Hintze","Holly S. Shulman"],"tags":["Materials science","Microwave","Dissipation factor","Dielectric heating","Regolith"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-09-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)as.1943-5525.0000179","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W2048747585","name":"New evidence of meteoritic origin of the Tunguska cosmic body","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2013.05.003","authors":["V.M. Kvasnytsya","Richard Wirth","L. Dobrzhinetskaya","J. Matzel","Ben Jacobsen","I. D. Hutcheon","Ryan Tappero","Mykola Kovalyukh"],"tags":["Troilite","Meteorite","Carbon fibers","Graphite","Iron meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-05-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2013.05.003","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W1548566625","name":"The phase relations, textures, and mineral chemistries of high-titanium mare basalts as a function of oxygen fugacity and cooling rate","source":"openalex","abstract":"The high-titanium mare basalts show a wide diversity of textures and paragenetic sequences. The order of appearance of ilmenite and pyroxene is shown to be very sensitive to oxygen fugacity within the lunar range, using both constant temperature and continuous cooling experiments on 74275.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1548566625","authors":["T. M. Usselman","G. E. Lofgren"],"tags":["Mineral redox buffer","Basalt","Fugacity","Geology","Oxygen"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1976-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W2015122872","name":"Endolithic biofilms: a model for extraterrestrial ecological niches?","source":"openalex","abstract":"In natural ecosystems, bacteria, unicellular algae, filamentous and yeast-like fungi are often organized in thin films attached to or entrenched in substrata such as surfaces of solid rocks, minerals or larger organisms. Frequently the formation of a biofilm is the most successful survival strategy. Especially within endolithic biofilms micro-organisms actively create a safe niche to avoid extreme and thus harmful environmental conditions such as electromagnetic radiation, mechanical abrasion, water and temperature stress and hazardous chemical agents. Exemplary survival strategies are presented for bacteria, ascomycetes and green algae. On substrata without organic carbon sources, biofilms are composed of chemolithotrophic or phototrophic primary producers and heterotrophic organisms (including destruents).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1117/12.375079","authors":["Wolfhart Pohl","Michael Hoppert","Christine Flies","Bettina Günzl","Hans Ruppert","Juergen Schneider"],"tags":["Biofilm","Phototroph","Ecological niche","Algae","Ecology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-12-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1117/12.375079","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W1979945728","name":"Mineralization of A lvinella polychaete tubes at hydrothermal vents","source":"openalex","abstract":"Alvinellid polychaete worms form multilayered organic tubes in the hottest and most rapidly growing areas of deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimneys. Over short periods of time, these tubes can become entirely mineralized within this environment. Documenting the nature of this process in terms of the stages of mineralization, as well as the mineral textures and end products that result, is essential for our understanding of the fossilization of polychaetes at hydrothermal vents. Here, we report in detail the full mineralization of Alvinella spp. tubes collected from the East Pacific Rise, determined through the use of a wide range of imaging and analytical techniques. We propose a new model for tube mineralization, whereby mineralization begins as templating of tube layer and sublayer surfaces and results in fully mineralized tubes comprised of multiple concentric, colloform, pyrite bands. Silica appeared to preserve organic tube layers in some samples. Fine-scale features such as protein fibres, extracellular polymeric substances and two types of filamentous microbial colonies were also found to be well preserved within a subset of the tubes. The fully mineralized Alvinella spp. tubes do not closely resemble known ancient hydrothermal vent tube fossils, corroborating molecular evidence suggesting that the alvinellids are a relatively recent polychaete lineage. We also compare pyrite and silica preservation of organic tissues within hydrothermal vents to soft tissue preservation in sediments and hot springs.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/gbi.12123","authors":["Magdalena N. Georgieva","Crispin T. S. Little","Alexander D. Ball","Adrian G. Glover"],"tags":["Hydrothermal vent","Polychaete","Mineralization (soil science)","Hydrothermal circulation","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-12-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/gbi.12123","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W4307137859","name":"In Living Color: Pigment-Based Microbial Ecology At the Mineral–Air Interface","source":"openalex","abstract":"Pigment-based color is one of the most important phenotypic traits of biofilms at the mineral-air interface (subaerial biofilms, SABs), because it reflects the physiology of the microbial community. Because color is the hallmark of all SABs, we argue that pigment-based color could convey the mechanisms that drive microbial adaptation and coexistence across different terrestrial environments and link phenotypic traits to community fitness and ecological dynamics. Within this framework, we present the most relevant microbial pigments at the mineral-air interface and discuss some of the evolutionary landscapes that necessitate pigments as adaptive strategies for resource allocation and survivability. We report several pigment features that reflect SAB communities' structure and function, as well as pigment ecology in the context of microbial life-history strategies and coexistence theory. Finally, we conclude the study of pigment-based ecology by presenting its potential application and some of the key challenges in the research.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biac091","authors":["Federica Villa","Ying-Li Wu","Andrea Zerboni","Francesca Cappitelli"],"tags":["Ecology","Adaptation (eye)","Context (archaeology)","Biology","Microbial ecology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biac091","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W4210436330","name":"Crystallography relevant to Mars and Galilean icy moons: crystal behavior of kieserite-type monohydrate sulfates at extraterrestrial conditions down to 15 K","source":"openalex","abstract":"Monohydrate sulfate kieserites ( M 2+ SO 4 ·H 2 O) and their solid solutions are essential constituents on the surface of Mars and most likely also on Galilean icy moons in our solar system. Phase stabilities of end-member representatives ( M 2+ = Mg, Fe, Co, Ni) have been examined crystallographically using single-crystal X-ray diffraction at 1 bar and temperatures down to 15 K, by means of applying open He cryojet techniques at in-house laboratory instrumentation. All four representative phases show a comparable, highly anisotropic thermal expansion behavior with a remarkable negative thermal expansion along the monoclinic b axis and a pronounced anisotropic expansion perpendicular to it. The lattice changes down to 15 K correspond to an `inverse thermal pressure' of approximately 0.7 GPa, which is far below the critical pressures of transition under hydrostatic compression ( P c ≥ 2.40 GPa). Consequently, no equivalent structural phase transition was observed for any compound, and neither dehydration nor rearrangements of the hydrogen bonding schemes have been observed. The M 2+ SO 4 ·H 2 O ( M 2+ = Mg, Fe, Co, Ni) end-member phases preserve the kieserite-type C 2/ c symmetry; hydrogen bonds and other structural details were found to vary smoothly down to the lowest experimental temperature. These findings serve as an important basis for the assignment of sulfate-related signals in remote-sensing data obtained from orbiters at celestial bodies, as well as for thermodynamic considerations and modeling of properties of kieserite-type sulfate monohydrates relevant to extraterrestrial sulfate associations at very low temperatures.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1107/s2052252521012720","authors":["Manfred Wildner","Boris A. Zakharov","Nikita E. Bogdanov","Dominik Talla","Elena V. Boldyreva","Ronald Miletich"],"tags":["Thermal expansion","Mars Exploration Program","Anisotropy","Monoclinic crystal system","Crystallography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1107/s2052252521012720","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2114445774","name":"Chemical Analysis of Iron Meteorites Using a Hand‐Held X‐Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer","source":"openalex","abstract":"We evaluate the performance of a hand‐held XRF (HHXRF) spectrometer for the bulk analysis of iron meteorites. Analytical precision and accuracy were tested on metal alloy certified reference materials and iron meteorites of known chemical composition. With minimal sample preparation (i.e., flat or roughly polished surfaces) HHXRF allowed the precise and accurate determination of most elements heavier than Mg, with concentrations > 0.01% m/m in metal alloy CRMs, and of major elements Fe and Ni and minor elements Co, P and S (generally ranging from 0.1 to 1% m/m) in iron meteorites. In addition, multiple HHXRF spot analyses could be used to determine the bulk chemical composition of iron meteorites, which are often characterised by sulfide and phosphide accessory minerals. In particular, it was possible to estimate the P and S bulk contents, which are of critical importance for the petrogenesis and evolution of Fe‐Ni‐rich liquids and iron meteorites. This study thus validates HHXRF as a valuable tool for use in meteoritics, allowing the rapid, non‐destructive (a) identification of the extraterrestrial origin of metallic objects (i.e., archaeological artefacts); (b) preliminary chemical classification of iron meteorites; (c) identification of mislabelled/unlabelled specimens in museums and private collections and (d) bulk analysis of iron meteorites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-908x.2014.00291.x","authors":["Maurizio Gemelli","Massimo D’Orazio","L. Folco"],"tags":["Meteorite","Iron meteorite","Phosphide","Chemical composition","Analytical Chemistry (journal)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-03-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-908x.2014.00291.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W2137797445","name":"Petrography, geochemistry, and alteration of country rocks from the Bosumtwi impact structure, Ghana","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Samples of the country rocks that likely constituted the target rocks at the 1.07 Myr old Bosumtwi impact structure in Ghana, West Africa, collected outside of the crater rim in the northern and southern parts of the structure, were studied for their petrographic characteristics and analyzed for their major‐ and trace‐element compositions. The country rocks, mainly meta‐graywacke, shale, and phyllite of the Early Proterozoic Birimian Supergroup and some granites of similar age, are characterized by two generations of alteration. A pre‐impact hydrothermal alteration, often along shear zones, is characterized by new growth of secondary minerals, such as chlorite, sericite, sulfides, and quartz, or replacement of some primary minerals, such as plagioclase and biotite, by secondary sericite and chlorite. A late, argillic alteration, mostly associated with the suevites, is characterized by alteration of the melt/glass clasts in the groundmass of suevites to phyllosilicates. Suevite, which occurs in restricted locations to the north and to the south‐southwest of the crater rim, contains melt fragments, diaplectic quartz glass, ballen quartz, and clasts derived from the full variety of target rocks. No planar deformation features (PDFs) in quartz were found in the country rock samples, and only a few quartz grains in the suevite samples show PDFs, and in rare cases two sets of PDFs. Based on a total alkali element‐silica (TAS) plot, the Bosumtwi granites have tonalitic to quartz‐dioritic compositions. The Nb versus Y and Ta versus Yb discrimination plots show that these granites are of volcanic‐arc tectonic provenance. Provenance studies of the metasedimentary rocks at the Bosumtwi crater have also indicated that the metasediments are volcanic‐arc related. Compared to the average siderophile element contents of the upper continental crust, both country rocks and impact breccias of the Bosumtwi structure show elevated siderophile element contents. This, however, does not indicate the presence of an extraterrestrial component in Bosumtwi suevite, because the Birimian country rocks also have elevated siderophile element contents, which is thought to result from regional hydrothermal alteration that is also related to widespread sulfide and gold mineralization.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb01058.x","authors":["Forson KARIKARI","L. Ferrière","Christian Koeberl","W. U. Reimold","Dieter Mader"],"tags":["Geology","Sericite","Geochemistry","Petrography","Impact crater"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb01058.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W2560295157","name":"Is a Diamonditic (Tentative) Soil Family Class Needed for Extraterrestrial Mineral Soils?","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2136/sh1967.2.0004","authors":[],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Soil water","Mineral","Class (philosophy)","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1967-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2136/sh1967.2.0004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W3034800723","name":"Ultraviolet Photoprocessing of Glycine Adsorbed on Various Space-Relevant Minerals","source":"openalex","abstract":"Mineral surfaces are energetic environments that can assist prebiotic organization by adsorbing selected molecules and allowing their concentration and chemical evolution, possibly toward complex (pre)biological systems. This dynamic rocky environment can also play a crucial role as promoters of chemical reactions towards increasing molecular complexity. Moreover, presence of minerals can mediate the effects of electromagnetic radiation and influence the photostability of biomolecules, catalyzing photoreaction or protecting molecules against degradation. Such interactions are responsible for the preservation/degradation mechanisms of organic molecules in space. In particular, the discovery of organic molecules on asteroids and comets confirms their role as transport and delivery vehicles of building blocks of life on Earth and possibly on other bodies of the Solar System, and the study of this kind of processes can improve our knowledge in astrobiology.Many different prebiotic and bio-molecules were detected in space and in meteorites, but among them amino acid glycine (H2NCH2COOH), is one of the most important. It is the simplest of the 20 biogenic amino acids and it is conceivably the link between complex organic molecules detected in our evolved Solar System and prebiotic molecules observed in the interstellar medium and protostellar environment. Laboratory simulations of UV processing may provide key insights into the survival of glycine and other biomarker in space environment, which is of particular relevance for upcoming space exploration missions on planetary surfaces, like ESA-Roscosmos ExoMars 2020, and sample return missions, like NASA OSIRIS-REx.We report a laboratory study of UV irradiation of glycine adsorbed on various space relevant minerals, i.e. forsterite, antigorite, spinel and pyrite, using a calibrated enhanced UV Xenon lamp, which demonstrated good performance as solar simulator. Comparing protective/catalytic effects of various minerals helps to unravel the role of rocky surfaces in the origin of life and provides hints for the search of organics in present and future robotic space exploration missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2020.00018","authors":["Giovanni Poggiali","Teresa Fornaro","Simone Potenti","Maria Angela Corazzi","J. R. Brucato"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Biomolecule","Abiogenesis","Solar System","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-06-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2020.00018","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2998881317","name":"Zircon survival in shallow asthenosphere and deep lithosphere","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Zircon (ZrSiO4) is the most frequently used geochronometer of terrestrial and extraterrestrial processes. To shed light on question of zircon survival in the Earth's shallow asthenosphere, high-temperature experiments of zircon dissolution in natural mid-ocean ridge basaltic (MORB) and synthetic haplobasaltic melts have been performed at temperatures of 1250–1300 °C and pressures from 0.1 MPa to 0.7 GPa. Zirconium measurements were made in situ by electron probe microanalyses (EPMA) at high current. Taking into account secondary fluorescence effects in zircon-glass pairs during EPMA, a zirconium diffusion coefficient of 2.87E-08 cm2/s was determined at 1300 °C and 0.5 GPa. When applied to the question of zircon survival in asthenospheric melts of tholeiitic basalt composition, the data are used to infer that typical 100 mm zircon crystals dissolve rapidly (~10 h) and congruently upon reaction with basaltic melt at pressures of 0.2–0.7 GPa. We observed incongruent (to crystal ZrO2 and SiO2 in melt) dissolution of zircon in natural mid-ocean ridge the basaltic melt at low pressures <0.2 GPa and in the haplobasaltic melt at 0.7 GPa pressure. Our experimental data raise questions about the origin of zircon crystals in mafic and ultramafic rocks, in particular, in shallow oceanic asthenosphere and deep lithosphere, as well as the meaning of the zircon-based ages estimated from these minerals. The origin of zircon in shallow (ultra-) mafic chambers is likely related to the crystallization of intercumulus liquid. Large zircon megacrysts in kimberlites, peridotites, alkali basalts, and carbonatite magmas suggest fast transport and short interaction durations between zircon and melt. The origin of zircon megacrysts is likely related to metasomatic addition of Zr into the mantle as an episode of mantle melting should eliminate them on geologically short timescales.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2020-7402","authors":["Anastassia Y. Borisova","Ilya N. Bindeman","Michael J. Toplis","Nail R. Zagrtdenov","Jérémy Guignard","О. Г. Сафонов","Andrew Y. Bychkov","Svyatoslav Shcheka","Oleg Melnik","Marion Marchelli","Jérôme Fehrenbach"],"tags":["Zircon","Geology","Asthenosphere","Mafic","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-05-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2020-7402","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W1623076372","name":"Role of space energy impacts in prebiotic synthesis of polypeptides in presence of extraterrestrial mineral matrix","source":"openalex","abstract":"Life originated on the Earth more than 3.5 billion years ago. However, the scientists are still disputing over the possible sources of the life origin. The matter is that life on our planet evolved from the molecular level to the level of bacteria organisms within 0.5 1 billion years, this period being very short for such an important evolutionary step. One of the popular hypothesis asserts that some germs of life have been brought to the Earth from space. A possibility of abiogenous synthesis of complex organic compounds (polypeptides) on the surface of comets, asteroids, meteorites and space dust particles in the outer space was tested both in flight and ground-based control experiments. Gly, Phe and Trp were taken as the monomers and subjected to irradiation. We reproduced synthesis of polypeptides in presence of extraterrestrial minerals under the conditions of the space flight and in specially designed ground-based experiments in order to simulate the space environment. On the Earth the reaction goes in the solution, but there are no solvents whatsoever in space, therefore the experimental pellets were dried in the air and thus formed a pellicle. The major source of energy in the outer space both at present and in the prebiotic period of the Earth history has been the solar ultraviolet radiation of different wavelengths. Therefore, the pellicles were irradiated by UV 154 nm and 254 nm in vacuum, and the lunar soil, meteorites Allende and Murchison powder served as a model of the space bodies’ surface. Results confirm our previous assumptions that pre-synthesized monomeric units of proteins could have got to the Earth and thus significantly reduced the time period of the evolution process. On the surface of space bodies the scientists have found all kinds of various organic molecules and the components required for their synthesis. The energy of radiation does not promote synthesis alone, it also facilitates decomposition of the compounds, the more powerful the radiation is, the more extensively the decomposition goes. However, the minerals provided some protection. It seems rather plausible that the synthesis could have taken place on the surface of space bodies at the initial phases of the solar system formation, along with that the chemical evolution (formation and selection of complex molecules) could have started in space. By the time the Earth was formed the chemical evolution might have approached the phase to be followed by the biological evolution. That implies that life on the Earth most probably did not start from the elementary organic molecules synthesis, but commenced","url":"https://openalex.org/W1623076372","authors":["N. B. Gontareva","E.A. Kuzicheva"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Meteorite","Extraterrestrial life","Abiogenesis","Murchison meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W3010155732","name":"XANES spectroscopy of sulfides stable under reducing conditions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy is a powerful technique to quantitatively investigate sulfur speciation in geologically complex materials such as minerals, glasses, soils, organic compounds, industrial slags, and extraterrestrial materials. This technique allows non-destructive investigation of the coordination chemistry and oxidation state of sulfur species ranging from sulfide (2–oxidation state) to sulfate (6+ oxidation state). Each sulfur species has a unique spectral shape with a characteristic K-edge representing the s → p and d hybridization photoelectron transitions. As such, sulfur speciation is used to measure the oxidation state of samples by comparing the overall XANES spectra to that of reference compounds. Although many S XANES spectral standards exist for terrestrial applications under oxidized conditions, new sulfide standards are needed to investigate reduced (oxygen fugacity, fO2, below IW) silicate systems relevant for studies of extraterrestrial materials and systems. Sulfides found in certain meteorites (e.g., enstatite chondrites and aubrites) and predicted to exist on Mercury, such as CaS (oldhamite), MgS (niningerite), and FeCr2S4 (daubréelite), are stable at fO2 below IW-3 but rapidly oxidize to sulfate and/or produce sulfurous gases under terrestrial surface conditions. XANES spectra of these compounds collected to date have been of variable quality, possibly due to the unstable nature of certain sulfides under typical (e.g., oxidizing) laboratory conditions. A new set of compounds was prepared for this study and their XANES spectra are analyzed for comparison with potential extraterrestrial analogs. S K-edge XANES spectra were collected at Argonne National Lab for FeS (troilite), MnS (alabandite), CaS (oldhamite), MgS (niningerite), Ni1–xS, NiS2, CaSO4 (anhydrite), MgSO4, FeSO4, Fe2(SO4)3, FeCr2S4 (daubréelite), Na2S, Al2S3, Ni7S6, and Ni3S2; the latter five were analyzed for the first time using XANES. These standards expand upon the existing S XANES end-member libraries at a higher spectral resolution (0.25 eV steps) near the S K-edge. Processed spectra, those that have been normalized and “flattened,” are compared to quantify uncertainties due to data processing methods. Future investigations that require well-characterized sulfide standards, such as the ones presented here, may have important implications for understanding sulfur speciation in reduced silicate glasses and minerals with applications for the early Earth, Moon, Mercury, and enstatite chondrites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2020-7146","authors":["B. A. Anzures","S. W. Parman","R. E. Milliken","Antonio Lanzirotti","M. Newville"],"tags":["XANES","Oxidation state","Mineral redox buffer","Sulfide","Sulfur"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-12-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2020-7146","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W2150225684","name":"Solutes determine the temperature windows for microbial survival and growth","source":"openalex","abstract":"Microbial cells, and ultimately the Earth's biosphere, function within a narrow range of physicochemical conditions. For the majority of ecosystems, productivity is cold-limited, and it is microbes that represent the failure point. This study was carried out to determine if naturally occurring solutes can extend the temperature windows for activity of microorganisms. We found that substances known to disorder cellular macromolecules (chaotropes) did expand microbial growth windows, fungi preferentially accumulated chaotropic metabolites at low temperature, and chemical activities of solutes determined microbial survival at extremes of temperature as well as pressure. This information can enhance the precision of models used to predict if extraterrestrial and other hostile environments are able to support life; furthermore, chaotropes may be used to extend the growth windows for key microbes, such as saprotrophs, in cold ecosystems and man-made biomes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1000557107","authors":["Jason P. Chin","Julianne Megaw","Caroline L. Magill","Krzysztof Nowotarski","Jim Williams","Prashanth Bhaganna","Mark Linton","Margaret F. Patterson","Graham J. C. Underwood","Allen Y. Mswaka","John E. Hallsworth"],"tags":["Chaotropic agent","Ecosystem","Biosphere","Osmolyte","Bacterial growth"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-04-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1000557107","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W3048789617","name":"Desiccation of the Extreme Thermoacidophile Metallosphaera sedula Grown on Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Materials","source":"openalex","abstract":"Prokaryotes are among the most versatile organisms on Earth and their ability to adsorb metals for nutrient, energy or protection purposes can be noted in many different environments on our planet. The extreme thermoacidophilic archaeon Metallosphaera sedula is a metal-mobilizing archaeon capable of redox transformations during chemolithoautotrophic growth on diverse metal-bearing compounds. Examining the interfaces of this extreme metallophilic archaeon with various metal-bearing substrates of terrestrial and extraterrestrial origin, we have detected its selective preservation after desiccation. Cultivated on specific metal-bearing materials, e.g., tungsten-bearing scheelite, tungsten-bearing polyoxometalate, multimetallic waste products, and the NWA 1172 meteorite, cells of M. sedula can be preserved after dehydration, and therefore can potentially serve as a microbial fingerprint of the presence and/or activity of metal-transforming microorganisms. Preservation of desiccated M. sedula cells reported in this study has a discriminatory character, depending on the content and nature of the metal-containing compound used for cultivation of this metallophilic microorganism. The achieved preservation of dehydrated M. sedula cells facilitates our survivability studies with this desiccated microorganism during future space exposure experiments and under simulated space environmental conditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2020.00041","authors":["Denise Kölbl","Amir Blazevic","Mihaela Albu","Christoph Fasching","Tetyana Milojević"],"tags":["Microorganism","Extreme environment","Astrobiology","Desiccation","Scheelite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-08-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2020.00041","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2945722359","name":"The evaluation of time‐resolved Raman spectroscopy for the suppression of background fluorescence from space‐relevant samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract One of the primary goals in space research is the search for signs of extant or extinct extraterrestrial life, and Raman spectroscopy can play a role in this field. Raman spectrometers are planned for future missions to Mars and possibly the Moon to identify the mineralogical surface composition and potentially existing organic compounds (especially on Mars). However, a major challenge in Raman spectroscopy, especially in the visible range, is the strong fluorescence background. Time‐resolved Raman spectroscopy (TRRS) can provide selective detection of Raman signals over the generally longer living fluorescence. This study investigates the potential of a TRRS system, using 3‐ps, 440‐nm laser pulses and time‐gated detection with an intensified charge‐coupled device (CCD) camera. Test samples were the lichen Xanthoria elegans as an extraterrestrial life analogue, and a lunar regolith analogue material (LRS) as a planetary surface analogue. The TRRS technique is evaluated by comparing gated to nongated Raman spectroscopy using different detectors but with otherwise the same instrument and identical measurement conditions. The gated spectra of X. elegans showed significant signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) improvements compared to the nongated spectra. The visible Raman lines could be assigned to the photoprotective pigment parietin. For the LRS sample, measurement spots with a good SNR in the nongated spectrum were not significantly improved by measuring in gated mode. However, spots dominated by fluorescence showed significant improvement in gated mode because of fluorescence suppression. Minerals such as plagioclase, diopside, olivine, apatite, and a carbonate mineral were detected. In most cases, TRRS provided better results compared to nongated measurements, demonstrating the suitability for future space‐exploration missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.5586","authors":["Franziska Hanke","Bram J.A. Mooij","Freek Ariese","Ute Böttger"],"tags":["Raman spectroscopy","Analytical Chemistry (journal)","Spectroscopy","Mars Exploration Program","Fluorescence"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-05-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.5586","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W2107885550","name":"Search for past life on Mars: Physical and chemical characterization of minerals of biotic and abiotic origin: 2. Aragonite","source":"openalex","abstract":"One of the major objectives of the future Martian surface probes will be to reveal a past or present biological activity. We propose that biominerals could have recorded such an activity at Mars, and thus could be interesting targets for these missions. Therefore, we try to find a method capable to discriminate biominerals from their geochemical counterparts. With this aim, various terrestrial aragonites of biotic and abiotic origins were studied as reference minerals, because they could have also been produced at Mars. Their thermal properties were studied with differential thermal analysis, and then compared. The results show that biotic aragonites thermally decompose at temperatures at least 20°C lower than the temperatures of decomposition of abiotic aragonites. Therefore, the temperatures of thermal degradation of such biominerals could be a relevant parameter to find a past biological activity at Mars, and differential thermal analysis could be useful for situ astrobiological exploration of Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2007gl031184","authors":["Fabien Stalport","Patrice Coll","Cyril Szopa","Alain Person","R. Navarro‐González","M. Cabane","P. Ausset","M.-J. Vaulay"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Abiotic component","Martian","Astrobiology","Life on Mars"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2007gl031184","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W1652373061","name":"Study of non-equivalent Fe positions in some extraterrestrial minerals using Mössbauer spectroscopy with a high velocity resolution","source":"openalex","abstract":"Study of extraterrestrial minerals with non-equivalent Fe positions such as the M1 and M2 sites in olivine and pyroxenes in ordinary chondrites, the M1 and M2 sites in olivines from pallasites and the M1, M2 and M3 sites in iron nickel phosphides from iron meteorites was performed using Mossbauer spectroscopy with a high velocity resolution. Obtained differences were analyzed in order to characterize these minerals.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1652373061","authors":["М. И. Оштрах","V. I. Grokhovsky","M. Yu. Larionov","D. G. Patrusheva","E. V. Petrova","V. A. Semionkin"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Mössbauer spectroscopy","Olivine","Spectroscopy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-09-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W2885770726","name":"Machine Learning in Agriculture: A Review","source":"openalex","abstract":"Machine learning has emerged with big data technologies and high-performance computing to create new opportunities for data intensive science in the multi-disciplinary agri-technologies domain. In this paper, we present a comprehensive review of research dedicated to applications of machine learning in agricultural production systems. The works analyzed were categorized in (a) crop management, including applications on yield prediction, disease detection, weed detection crop quality, and species recognition; (b) livestock management, including applications on animal welfare and livestock production; (c) water management; and (d) soil management. The filtering and classification of the presented articles demonstrate how agriculture will benefit from machine learning technologies. By applying machine learning to sensor data, farm management systems are evolving into real time artificial intelligence enabled programs that provide rich recommendations and insights for farmer decision support and action.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/s18082674","authors":["Κωνσταντίνος Λιάκος","Patrizia Busato","Dimitrios Moshou","Simon Pearson","Dionysis Bochtis"],"tags":["Agriculture","Artificial intelligence","Precision agriculture","Computer science","Machine learning"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-08-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/s18082674","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.070Z"},{"id":"oa:W2149684757","name":"A global rain of micrometeorites following breakup of the L‐chondrite parent body—Evidence from solar wind‐implanted Ne in fossil extraterrestrial chromite grains from China","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– Previous studies of limestone beds of mid‐Ordovician age from both Sweden and China show that the Earth saw an at least two orders of magnitude increase in the influx of extraterrestrial material approximately 470 Ma, following the disruption of an L‐chondrite parent body in the asteroid belt. Recovered extraterrestrial material consists of fossil meteorites and sediment‐dispersed extraterrestrial chromite (SEC) grains, both with L‐chondritic origin. Ne isotope analysis of SEC grains from one of the Swedish limestone sections revealed that the vast majority of the grains were delivered to Earth as micrometeorites. In this study, we extend the previous work, both in time and geographically, by measuring concentrations and isotopic ratios of Ne in individual SEC grains (60–120 μm in diameter) from three different beds from a contemporary Middle Ordovician limestone section in China. All of the Chinese SEC grains, 44 in total, contain surface‐implanted Ne of fractionated solar wind composition, implying that these grains were, as in the case of the Swedish SEC grains, delivered to Earth as micrometeorites. This gives further compelling evidence that the two to three orders of magnitude increase in the influx of micrometeoritic material following the breakup of the L‐chondrite parent body was indeed a global event. The rain of micrometeorites prevailed for at least 2 Myr (the estimated time of the deposition of the topmost Chinese bed) after the breakup event.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2012.01394.x","authors":["C. Alwmark","Birger Schmitz","M. M. M. Meier","H. Baur","R. Wieler"],"tags":["Parent body","Chondrite","Geology","Meteorite","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-07-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2012.01394.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W3007675930","name":"Limits on the Giant Leap for Mankind: Legal Ambiguities of Extraterrestrial Resource Extraction","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3007675930","authors":["David Johnson"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","International law","Search for extraterrestrial intelligence","Resource (disambiguation)","Extraction (chemistry)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W970013216","name":"Microfossil Phosphatization and Its Astrobiological Implications","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8837-7_5","authors":["Shuhai Xiao","James D. Schiffbauer"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Geology","Biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-11-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8837-7_5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W1945261828","name":"Routine low‐damage apatite U‐Pb dating using laser ablation–multicollector–ICPMS","source":"openalex","abstract":"Apatite is a common U‐bearing accessory mineral with a U‐Pb closure temperature of ∼500°C, making U‐Pb dating of apatite a potentially valuable thermochronometer. However, its low U concentration and tendency to incorporate common lead has limited widespread application to destructive isotope dilution methods. We overcome previous limitations by using a Nu Plasma multicollector ICPMS with an attached short‐pulse excimer laser, and by identifying two new matrix‐matched reference apatites to correct for elemental fractionation: gem‐quality 485 Myr old apatite from Madagascar which we independently characterized by ID‐TIMS analysis, and 523.5 Ma apatite from the McClure Mountain syenite (source of the40Ar/39Ar reference MMhb). Common Pb is corrected using measured 204Pb isobarically corrected for Hg interference and a five‐step iterative process using Stacey and Kramers' common Pb model. We accurately reproduce ages of numerous independently characterized apatites, regularly achieving precision of <2% (2σ) by pooling as few as five 30 μm spot analyses. Data quality in apatite with low U concentrations, low 206Pb/204Pb values (<∼30) and young ages (<∼75 Ma) is compromised by the goal of avoiding significant grain damage. Such limitations can be overcome by using spot sizes 65 μm or greater, but at the expense of substantial grain damage. For single detrital apatite grains with ages of ∼500 Ma, precision of <4% (2σ) was achieved by pooling 2 to 3 spots per grain. The accuracy of our detrital results is supported by a good age match with similar closure temperature 40Ar/39Ar detrital hornblende ages from the same sediment.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2011gc003928","authors":["Stuart N. Thomson","George E. Gehrels","Joaquín Ruiz","Robert Buchwaldt"],"tags":["Apatite","Geology","Geochemistry","Fractionation","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-01-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2011gc003928","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W2154432905","name":"An ESA roadmap for geobiology in space exploration","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2015.10.022","authors":["C. R. Cousins","Charles S. Cockell"],"tags":["Space exploration","Geobiology","Systems engineering","Chemical space","Extraterrestrial life"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-11-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2015.10.022","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W2067771553","name":"Earliest organic evolution. Essay to the memory of Bartholomew Nagy","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0301-9268(00)00126-1","authors":["Hans D. Pflug"],"tags":["Murchison meteorite","Meteorite","Precambrian","Hadean","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0301-9268(00)00126-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W3047313748","name":"Thermal Extraction of Volatiles from Lunar and Asteroid Regolith in Axisymmetric Crank–Nicolson Modeling","source":"openalex","abstract":"A physics-based computer model has been developed to support the development of volatile extraction from regolith of the Moon and asteroids. The model is based upon empirical data sets for extraterrestrial soils and simulants, including thermal conductivity of regolith and mixed composition ice, heat capacity of soil and mixed composition ice, hydrated mineral volatile release patterns, and sublimation of ice. A new thermal conductivity relationship is derived that generalizes cases of regolith with varying temperature, soil porosity, and pore vapor pressure. Ice composition is based upon measurements of icy ejecta from the Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) impact and it is shown that thermal conductivity and heat capacity equations for water ice provide adequate accuracy at the present level of development. The heat diffusion equations are integrated with gas diffusion equations using multiple adaptive timesteps. The entire model is placed into a Crank-Nicholson framework where the finite difference formalism was extended to two dimensions in axisymmetry. The one-dimensional version of the model successfully predicts heat transfer that matches lunar and asteroid data sets. The axisymmetric model has been used to study heat dissipation around lunar drills and water extraction in asteroid coring devices.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)as.1943-5525.0001165","authors":["Philip T. Metzger","K. Zacny","Phillip Morrison"],"tags":["Regolith","Asteroid","Thermal conductivity","Lunar soil","Thermal diffusivity"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-08-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)as.1943-5525.0001165","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W2163122334","name":"Measurement of microbial activity in soil by colorimetric observation of in situ dye reduction: an approach to detection of extraterrestrial life","source":"openalex","abstract":"BACKGROUND: Detecting microbial life in extraterrestrial locations is a goal of space exploration because of ecological and health concerns about possible contamination of other planets with earthly organisms, and vice versa. Previously we suggested a method for life detection based on the fact that living entities require a continual input of energy accessed through coupled oxidations and reductions (an electron transport chain). We demonstrated using earthly soils that the identification of extracted components of electron transport chains is useful for remote detection of a chemical signature of life. The instrument package developed used supercritical carbon dioxide for soil extraction, followed by chromatography or electrophoresis to separate extracted compounds, with final detection by voltammetry and tandem mass-spectrometry. RESULTS: Here we used Earth-derived soils to develop a related life detection system based on direct observation of a biological redox signature. We measured the ability of soil microbial communities to reduce artificial electron acceptors. Living organisms in pure culture and those naturally found in soil were shown to reduce 2,3-dichlorophenol indophenol (DCIP) and the tetrazolium dye 2,3-bis(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide inner salt (XTT). Uninoculated or sterilized controls did not reduce the dyes. A soil from Antarctica that was determined by chemical signature and DNA analysis to be sterile also did not reduce the dyes. CONCLUSION: Observation of dye reduction, supplemented with extraction and identification of only a few specific signature redox-active biochemicals such as porphyrins or quinones, provides a simplified means to detect a signature of life in the soils of other planets or their moons.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2180-2-22","authors":["Ronald L. Crawford","Andrzej Paszczyński","Qingyong Lang","Daniel P. Erwin","Lisa Allenbach","Giancarlo Corti","Tony J. Anderson","I. Francis Cheng","Chien M. Wai","B. Barnes","Richard B. Wells","Touraj Assefi"],"tags":["Formazan","Environmental chemistry","Redox","Soil water","Extraterrestrial life"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2180-2-22","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W4376289048","name":"Are marl-limestone alternations mainly driven by CaCO3 variations at the astronomical timescale? New insights from extraterrestrial 3He","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2023.118173","authors":["Pierre‐Henri Blard","Baptiste Suchéras-Marx","Guillaume Suan","Blandine Godet","Bouchaïb Tibari","Jade Dutilleul","Taous Mezine","Thierry Adatte"],"tags":["Marl","Siliciclastic","Geology","Carbonate","Terrigenous sediment"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-05-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2023.118173","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W1993304595","name":"Laboratory analogues to cosmic dust","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00896984","authors":["John Stephens","B. K. Kothari"],"tags":["Cosmic dust","Pyroxene","Interplanetary dust cloud","Olivine","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1978-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00896984","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W2991865372","name":"The Role of Near-Earth Asteroids in Long-Term Platinum Supply","source":"openalex","abstract":"High-grade platinum-group metal concentrations have been identified in an abundant class of near-Earth asteroids known as LL Chondrites. The potential existence of a highvalue asteroid-derived mineral product is examined from an economic perspective to assess the possible impacts on long-term precious metal supply. It is hypothesized that extraterrestrial sources of platinum group metals will become available in the global marketplace in a 20-year time frame, based on current trends of growth in technology and increasing levels of human activities in near-Earth space. Current and projected trends in platinum supply and demand are cited from the relevant literature to provide an economic context and provide an example for evaluating the economic potential of future asteroidderived precious and strategic metals. Since the launch of Sputnik in 1957, mankind has traveled a road of increasing dependence on the space frontier, rapidly advancing technology and creating industries that have become a vital part of global economic activity. Commercial activities in Earth","url":"https://openalex.org/W2991865372","authors":["Brad R. Blair"],"tags":["Asteroid","Astrobiology","Term (time)","Near-Earth object","Business"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"oa:W4309828071","name":"Extraterrestrial nature reserves (ETNRs)","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract If human population growth is not controlled, natural areas must be sacrificed. An alternative is to create more habitat, terraforming Mars. However, this requires establishment of essential, ecosystem services on a planet currently unamenable to Terran species. Shorter term, assembling Terran-type ecosystems within contained environments is conceivable if mutually supportive species complements are determined. Accepting this, an assemblage of organisms that might form an early, forest environment is proposed, with rationale for its selection. A case is made for developing a contained facsimile, old growth forest on Mars, providing an oasis, proffering vital ecosystem functions (a forest bubble). It would serve as an extraterrestrial nature reserve (ETNR), psychological refuge and utilitarian botanic garden, supporting species of value to colonists for secondary metabolites (vitamins, flavours, perfumes, medicines, colours and mood enhancers). The design presented includes organisms that might tolerate local environmental variance and be assembled into a novel, bioregenerative forest ecosystem. This would differ from Earthly forests due to potential impact of local abiotic parameters on ecosystem functions, but it is argued that biotic support for space travel and colonization requires such developments. Consideration of the necessary species complement of an ETNR supports a view that it is not humanity alone that is reaching out to space, it is life, with all its diverse capabilities for colonization and establishment. Humans cannot, and will not, explore space alone because they did not evolve in isolation, being shaped over aeons by other species. Space will be travelled by a mutually supportive system of Terran organisms amongst which humans fit, exchanging metabolites and products of photosynthesis as they have always done.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550422000398","authors":["Paul L. Smith"],"tags":["Ecosystem","Extraterrestrial life","Ecology","Exploration of Mars","Habitat"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-11-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550422000398","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W3210164626","name":"EXTRATERRESTRIAL SPHERULES IN THE SURROUNDINGS OF KAALI METEORITE CRATERS (SAAREMAA ISLAND, ESTONIA)","source":"openalex","abstract":"The surroundings of meteorite craters are excellent areas for studying structural peculiarities of meteoric and meteoritic particles as well as micrometeorites. Three main types of extraterrestrial matter, namely meteoritic iron, meteoritic dust, and impactites, occurring in the surroundings of the Kaali meteorite crater were studied with a scanning electron microscope. The aim of this study is to contribute to our knowledge of extra- terrestrial spherules in order to facilitate their differentiation from magnetic spherules generated by industrial pollution.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3176/geol.1993.3.05","authors":["T Kolosova","Anto Raukas","S Shymanovich","R. Tiirmaa"],"tags":["Meteorite","Extraterrestrial life","Impact crater","Astrobiology","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1993-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3176/geol.1993.3.05","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2301.10890v2","name":"Multibeam Blind Search of Targeted SETI Observations toward 33 Exoplanet Systems with FAST","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) is to search for technosignatures associated with extraterrestrial life, such as engineered radio signals. In this paper, we apply the multibeam coincidence matching (MBCM) strategy, and propose a new search mode based on the MBCM which we call MBCM blind search mode. In our recent targeted SETI research, 33 exoplanet systems are observed by the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST). With this blind search mode, we search for narrowband drifting signals across $1.05-1.45$ GHz in two orthogonal linear polarization directions separately. There are two special signals, one of which can only be detected by the blind search mode while the other can be found by both blind and targeted search modes. This result reveals huge advantages of the new blind search mode. However, we eliminate the possibility of the special signals being ETI signals based on much evidence, such as the polarization, drift, frequency and beam coverage characteristics. Our observations achieve an unprecedented sensitivity and our work provides a deeper understanding to the polarization analysis of extraterrestrial signals.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2301.10890v2","authors":["Xiao-Hang Luan","Zhen-Zhao Tao","Hai-Chen Zhao","Bo-Lun Huang","Shi-Yu Li","Cong Liu","Hong-Feng Wang","Wen-Fei Liu","Tong-Jie Zhang","Vishal Gajjar","Dan Werthimer"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-26T01:21:42Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2207.08767v1","name":"Negative polarization properties of regolith simulants -- Systematic experimental evaluation of composition effects","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Polarization phase curves of asteroids and other small airless bodies are influenced by the compositional and physical properties of their regolith. The mixing of minerals composing the regolith influences the negative polarization at small phase angles because it changes the multiple scattering properties of the medium. This work aims to demonstrate experimentally how the mixing effect influences the polarization phase curve at small phase angles for different mineralogies relevant for asteroids, and to determine how different aggregate sizes affect the negative polarization. We prepared a set of binary and ternary mixtures with different common minerals on asteroids and one set of the same mixture with different aggregate sizes. We measured their reflected light at 530 nm with full Stokes polarimetry at phase angles ranging from 0.8° to 30°. The mixing effect of the mixtures with both bright and dark minerals significantly changes the behavior of the phase curves in terms of minimum polarization, phase angle of the minimum, and inversion angle with respect to the mineral components that are mixed together. The changes in phase curve could explain the polarization observation of particular classes of asteroids (F and L class) and other asteroids with peculiar polarization curves or photometric properties. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the negative polarization is invariant to the presence of dust aggregates up to centimeter sizes.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2207.08767v1","authors":["Stefano Spadaccia","C. H. Lucas Patty","Holly L. Capelo","Nicolas Thomas","Antoine Pommerol"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-18T17:14:58Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.23124v1","name":"The Role of Tectonic Luck in Long-Term Habitability of Abiotic Earth-like Planets","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Carbonate-silicate weathering feedback is thought to stabilize Earth's climate on geologic timescales. If climate warms, faster mineral dissolution and increased rainfall speed up weathering, increasing CO2 drawdown and opposing the initial warming. Limits to where this feedback might operate on terrestrial exoplanets with N2-O2-CO2-H2O atmospheres are used to define the 'habitable zone'-the range of orbits around a star where liquid water can be stable on a planet's surface. However, the impacts on long-term habitability of randomly varying volcanic outgassing, tectonic collisions, and tectonic parameters (e.g., number of continental plates, size of plates, plate velocity) remain poorly understood. In this work, we present an idealized and broadly-applicable quasi-2D model of the long-term climate stability of abiotic Earth-twins. The model tracks atmospheric CO2 as 'disks' collide, promoting uplift and supplying new weatherable minerals through erosion. Without resupply, soils become less weatherable and the feedback's strength wanes, making a planet susceptible to catastrophic warming events or hard snowballs where the surface becomes frozen over. We find that tectonic uplift spurred by continental collisions cannot be the sole supplier of weatherable minerals within our model framework, as such climates either become uninhabitably hot (for complex life) as soils become leached of weatherable minerals or experience extreme swings in temperature over short timescales. This conclusion is strengthened when taking into account the destabilizing effects of outgassing variability and increasing stellar luminosity. In addition to frequent collisions, other resupply mechanisms for weatherable minerals, such as wind-driven dust transport, glacial erosion, and/or seafloor weathering, are likely required for long-term stability on Earth-like terrestrial exoplanets.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.23124v1","authors":["Brandon Park Coy","Edwin S. Kite","R. J. Graham"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-30T21:57:07Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2408.16006v1","name":"Fluorescent emission and nondestructive 3D textural imaging in geologic materials by multiphoton microscopy","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We greatly expand the application of multiphoton microscopy to geological investigations by using a tightly focused femtosecond laser beam to excite fluorescent emissions among minimally prepared rock and mineral samples. This new finding provides a tool for spatially resolving UV-visible fluorescent sources in minerals. Using a unique combination of harmonic generation and fluorescence, we explore applications to mineralogical investigations of terrestrial rocks and astromaterials. We report first-order demonstrations for 3D imaging of fluid inclusions in minerals and radiation-induced luminescence in meteorites. Nonlinear optical mineralogy, enabled by multiphoton microscopy, provides unique insights in mineralogic samples and holds the potential to revolutionize the analysis of geologic and astromaterials samples in the coming years.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.16006v1","authors":["Samuel D. Crossley","Colby L. Donner","Josh Magnus","Lam Nguyen","Khanh Kieu"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-13T20:05:39Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1912.01783v1","name":"Searching for a standard Drake equation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In the 20th century the scientific search for extraterrestrial intelligence began, and the Drake equation was proposed to estimate the number of extraterrestrial species humanity could attempt to detect, N. This paper discusses the need to update and standardize this equation. A new and more accurate expression is deduced which contains the classic equation as a particular case, and its advantages are discussed. A necessary condition is also stated for its use in scientific contexts: if N is defined as the total number of civilizations like ours then N = 1, given that we exist, and consequently the working hypothesis of the SETI project can be expressed as N&gt;1. In this case, the Drake equation is being applied in a scientific way, because it is trying to test a hypothesis based on evidence.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1912.01783v1","authors":["Jose Antonio Molina Molina"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-12-02T19:15:47Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2104.07334v2","name":"SETI strategy with FAST fractality","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We applied the Koch snowflake fractal antenna in planning calibration of the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST), hypothesizing second-order fractal primary reflectors can optimize the orientated sensitivity of the telescope. Meanwhile, on the grounds of NASA Science Working Group Report in 1984, we reexamine the strategy of Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). A mathematical analysis of the radar equation will be performed in the first section, aiming to make it convenient to design a receiver system that can detect activities of an extraterrestrial civilization, according to the observable region of the narrowband. Taking advantage of the inherent potential of FAST, we simulate the theoretical detection of a Kardashev Type I civilization by a snowflake-selected reflecting area.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2104.07334v2","authors":["Yi-Xuan Chen","Wen-Fei Liu","Zhi-Song Zhang","Tong-Jie Zhang"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-04-15T09:43:43Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2012.08582v1","name":"Oxidation Processes Diversify the Metabolic Menu on Enceladus","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Cassini mission to the Saturn system discovered a plume of ice grains and water vapor erupting from cracks on the icy surface of the satellite Enceladus. This moon has a global ocean in contact with a rocky core beneath its icy exterior, making it a promising location to search for evidence of extraterrestrial life in the solar system. The previous detection of H$_2$ in the plume indicates that there is free energy available for methanogenesis, the metabolic reaction of H$_2$ with CO$_2$ to form methane and water. Additional metabolic pathways could provide sources of energy in Enceladus' ocean, but require the use of other oxidants that have not been detected in the plume. Here, we perform chemical modeling to determine how the production of radiolytic O$_2$ and H$_2$O$_2$, and abiotic redox chemistry in the ocean and rocky core, contribute to chemical disequilibria that could support metabolic processes in Enceladus' ocean. We consider three possible cases for ocean redox chemistry: Case I in which reductants are not present in appreciable amounts and oxidants accumulate over time, and Cases II and III in which aqueous reductants or seafloor minerals, respectively, convert O$_2$ and H$_2$O$_2$ to SO$_4^{2-}$ and ferric oxyhydroxides. We calculate the upper limits on the concentrations of oxidants and chemical energy available for metabolic reactions in all three cases, neglecting additional abiotic reactions. For all three cases, we find that many aerobic and anaerobic metabolic reactions used by microbes on Earth could meet the minimum free energy threshold required for terrestrial life to convert ADP to ATP, as well as sustain positive cell density values within the Enceladus seafloor and/or ocean. These findings indicate that oxidant production and oxidation chemistry could contribute to supporting possible life and a metabolically diverse microbial community on Enceladus.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2012.08582v1","authors":["Christine Ray","Christopher R. Glein","J. Hunter Waite","Ben Teolis","Tori Hoehler","Julie A. Huber","Jonathan Lunine","Frank Postberg"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.bio-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-12-15T19:43:48Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1810.08766v1","name":"Superionic hydrogen in Earth's deep interior","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Superionic hydrogen was previously thought to be an exotic state predicted and confirmed only in pure H2O ice. In Earth's deep interior, H2O exists in the form of O-H groups in ultra-dense hydrous minerals, which have been proved to be stable even at the conditions of the core-mantle boundary (CMB). However, the superionic states of these hydrous minerals at high P-T have not been investigated. Using first-principles calculations, we found that pyrite structured FeO2Hx (0 &lt;= x &lt;= 1) and d-AlOOH, which have been proposed to be major hydrogen-bearing phases in the deep lower mantle (DLM), contain superionic hydrogen at high P-T conditions. Our observations indicate a universal pathway of the hydroxyl O-H at low pressure transforming to symmetrical O-H-O bonding at high-P low-T, and a superionic state at high-P high-T. The superionicity of hydrous minerals has a major impact on the electrical conductivity and hydrogen transportation behaviors of Earth's lower mantle as well as the CMB.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1810.08766v1","authors":["Yu He","Duck Young Kim","Chris J. Pickard","Richard J. Needs","Qingyang Hu","Ho-kwang Mao"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-10-20T07:34:30Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0811.1291v1","name":"The Chirality Of Life: From Phase Transitions To Astrobiology","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The search for life elsewhere in the universe is a pivotal question in modern science. However, to address whether life is common in the universe we must first understand the likelihood of abiogenesis by studying the origin of life on Earth. A key missing piece is the origin of biomolecular homochirality: permeating almost every life-form on Earth is the presence of exclusively levorotary amino acids and dextrorotary sugars. In this work we discuss recent results suggesting that life's homochirality resulted from sequential chiral symmetry breaking triggered by environmental events in a mechanism referred to as punctuated chirality. Applying these arguments to other potentially life-bearing platforms has significant implications for the search for extraterrestrial life: we predict that a statistically representative sampling of extraterrestrial stereochemistry will be racemic on average.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0811.1291v1","authors":["Marcelo Gleiser","Sara Imari Walker"],"tags":["astro-ph","q-bio.BM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-11-08T20:22:37Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1605.02947v1","name":"#FoundThem - 21st Century Pre-Search and Post-Detection SETI Protocols for Social and Digital Media","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The transmission of news stories in global culture has changed fundamentally in the last three decades. The general public are alerted to breaking stories on increasingly rapid timescales, and the discussion/distortion of facts by writers, bloggers, commenters and Internet users can also be extremely fast. The narrative of a news item no longer belongs to a small cadre of conventional media outlets, but is instead synthesised to some level by the public as they select where and how they consume news. The IAA Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) post-detection protocols, initially drafted in 1989 and updated in 2010, were written to guide SETI scientists in the event of detecting evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence, but do not give guidance as to how scientists should prepare to navigate this media maelstrom. The protocols assume communications channels between scientists and the public still resemble those of 1989, which were specifically one-way with a narrative controlled by a select few media outlets. Modern SETI researchers must consider this modern paradigm for consumption of news by the public, using social media and other non-traditional outlets, when planning and executing searches for extraterrestrial intelligence. We propose additions to the post-detection protocols as they pertain to the use of internet and social media, as well as pre-search protocols. It is our belief that such protocols are necessary if there is to be a well-informed, sane global conversation amongst the world's citizens following the discovery of intelligent life beyond the Earth.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1605.02947v1","authors":["Duncan Forgan","Alexander Scholz"],"tags":["physics.soc-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-05-10T11:33:24Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.04908v2","name":"Sedimentary rocks from Mediterranean drought in the Messinian age as a probe of the past cosmic ray flux","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We propose the use of natural minerals as detectors to study the past flux of cosmic rays. This novel application of the \\textit{paleo-detector} technique requires a specific approach as it needs samples that have been exposed to secondary cosmic rays for a well defined period of time. We suggest here the use of the evaporites formed during the desiccation of the Mediterranean sea ${\\sim}6$ Myr ago. These minerals have been created and exposed to the air or under a shallow water basin for ${\\sim}500$ kyr before being quickly submerged again by a km-scale overburden of water. We show that, by looking at the damages left in the minerals by muons in cosmic ray showers, we could detect differences in the primary cosmic ray flux during that period, as the ones expected from nearby supernova explosions, below the percent-level. We show also that little to no background from radioactive contamination and other astroparticles is expected for this kind of analysis.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.04908v2","authors":["Lorenzo Caccianiga","Claudio Galelli","Lorenzo Apollonio","Federico Maria Mariani","Paolo Magnani","Alessandro Veutro"],"tags":["astro-ph.HE","hep-ph","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-08T09:25:39Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.02401v1","name":"A Civilian Astronomer's Guide to UAP Research","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) have historically been stigmatized and regarded as pseudoscience due to a general lack of robust evidence. Recently, however, the subject has gained interest among astronomers and the military. This review explores how astronomers can enhance our understanding of these enigmatic phenomena by focusing on empirical tests of specific hypotheses (e.g. the hypothesis of extraterrestrial visitations) rather than solely collecting and categorizing data. We compare the investigation of UAP to the process of calibration and interpretations of astronomical discoveries and propose a toy model involving a network of neuro-interface extraterrestrial probes to model exotic UAP. This model aids in predicting probe signatures and behaviour, improving detection methods, and addressing ethical concerns in UAP research.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.02401v1","authors":["Beatriz Villarroel","Kevin Krisciunas"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","physics.pop-ph","physics.soc-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-17T13:07:40Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1604.02613v1","name":"Reduced radiative conductivity of high and low spin FeO6 octahedra in the Earth's lower mantle","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The ability of Earths mantle to conduct heat by radiation is determined by optical properties of mantle phases. Optical properties of mantle minerals at high pressure are accessible through diamond anvil cell experiments, but because of the extensive thermal radiation at T above 1000 K such studies are limited to lower temperatures. Particularly uncertain is the temperature-dependence of optical properties of lower mantle minerals across the spin transition as the spin state itself is a strong function of temperature. Here we use laser-heated DACs combined with a pulsed bright supercontinuum laser probe and a synchronized time-gated detector to examine optical properties of high and low spin ferrous iron at 45-73 GPa and to 1600 K in FeO6, one of the most abundant building blocks in the mantle. Siderite (FeCO3) is used as a model for FeO6-octahedra as it contains no ferric iron and exhibits a sharp optically apparent spin transition at 44 GPa, simplifying data interpretation. We find that the optical absorbance of low spin FeO6 is substantially increased at 1000-1200 K due to the partially lifted Laporte selection rule. The temperature-induced low to high spin transition, however, results in a dramatic drop in absorbance of the FeO6-unit. The absorption edge (Fe-O charge transfer) red-shifts (~ 1 cm-1/K) with increasing temperature and at T above 1600 K becomes the dominant absorption mechanism in the visible range, suppressing radiative conductivity. This implies that the radiative conductivity of analogous FeO6-bearing minerals such as ferropericlase, the second most abundant mineral in the Earths lower mantle, is substantially reduced approaching the core-mantle boundary conditions. Finally, our results emphasize that optical properties of mantle minerals probed at room temperature are insufficient to model radiative thermal conductivity of planetary interiors.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1604.02613v1","authors":["Sergey S. Lobanov","Nicholas Holtgrewe","Alexander F. Goncharov"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph","cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-04-09T22:00:49Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2007.13515v2","name":"SETI and Democracy","source":"arxiv","abstract":"There is a wide-ranging debate about the merits and demerits of searching for, and sending messages to, extraterrestrial intelligences (SETI and METI). There is however reasonable (but not universal) consensus that replying to a message from an extraterrestrial intelligence should not be done unilaterally, without consultation with wider society and the rest of the world. But how should this consultation actually work? In this paper we discuss various ways that decision making in such a scenario could be done democratically, and gain legitimacy. In particular we consider a scientist-led response, a politician-led response, deciding a response using a referendum, and finally using citizens' assemblies. We present the results of a survey of a representative survey of 2,000 people in the UK on how they thought a response should best be determined, and finally discuss parallels to how the public is responding to scientific expertise in the COVID-19 Pandemic","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2007.13515v2","authors":["Peter Hatfield","Leah Trueblood"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph","physics.hist-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-07-27T12:59:36Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1007.2774v1","name":"Where is everybody? -- Wait a moment ... New approach to the Fermi paradox","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Fermi Paradox is the apparent contradiction between the high probability extraterrestrial civilizations' existence and the lack of contact with such civilizations. In general, solutions to Fermi's paradox come down to either estimation of Drake equation parameters i.e. our guesses about the potential number of extraterrestrial civilizations or simulation of civilizations development in the universe. We consider a new type of cellular automata, that allows to analyze Fermi paradox. We introduce bonus stimulation model (BS-model) of development in cellular space (Universe) of objects (Civilizations). When civilizations get in touch they stimulate development each other, increasing their life time. We discovered nonlinear threshold behaviour of total volume of civilizations in universe and on the basis of our model we built analogue of Drake equation.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1007.2774v1","authors":["I. Bezsudnov","A. Snarskii"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph","astro-ph.IM","nlin.CG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-07-16T13:42:52Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1510.07372v1","name":"Spatially Resolved Spectroscopy of Europa: The Distinct Spectrum of Large-scale Chaos","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present a comprehensive analysis of spatially resolved moderate spectral resolution near infrared spectra obtained with the adaptive optics system at the Keck Observatory. We identify three compositionally distinct end member regions: the trailing hemisphere bullseye, the leading hemisphere upper latitudes, and a third component associated with leading hemisphere chaos units. We interpret the composition of the three end member regions to be dominated by irradiation products, water ice, and evaporite deposits or salt brines, respectively. The third component is associated with geological features and distinct from the geography of irradiation, suggesting an endogenous identity. Identifying the endogenous composition is of particular interest for revealing the subsurface composition. However, its spectrum is not consistent with linear mixtures of the salt minerals previously considered relevant to Europa. The spectrum of this component is distinguished by distorted hydration features rather than distinct spectral features, indicating hydrated minerals but making unique identification difficult. In particular, it lacks features common to hydrated sulfate minerals, challenging the traditional view of an endogenous salty component dominated by Mg-sulfates. Chloride evaporite deposits are one possible alternative.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1510.07372v1","authors":["Patrick D. Fischer","Michael E. Brown","Kevin P. Hand"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-10-26T06:17:30Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2308.06825v2","name":"On the relative abundances of Cavansite and Pentagonite","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Cavansite is a visually stunning blue vanadosilicate mineral with limited occurrences worldwide, whereas Pentagonite is a closely related dimorph with similar physical and chemical properties, yet is extremely rare compared to Cavansite. The reasons behind Pentagonite's exceptional rarity remain largely unknown. In this study, (a) density functional theory (DFT) is utilized to investigate the electronic structures of Cavansite and Pentagonite at ground state and finite pressures; (b) a two-state Boltzmann probability model is then employed to construct a comprehensive phase diagram that reveals the abundance of each species across a wide range of pressure and temperature conditions; and (c) dehydration characteristics of these two minerals are explored. The present analysis reveals the key factors that contribute to the relative scarcity of Pentagonite, including differences in structural arrangement and electronic configurations between the two minerals. Specifically, it shows that (a) because of the peculiar arrangements of SiO4 polyhedra, Cavansite forms a compact structure (about 2.7% less in volume) resulting in lower energy; (b) at a temperature of about 650K only about 1% Pentagonite can form; (c) vanadium induces a highly localized state in both of these otherwise large-band-gap insulators resulting in an extremely weak magnetic phase that is unlikely to be observed at any reasonable finite temperature; and (d) water molecules are loosely bound inside the microporous crystals of Cavansite and Pentagonite, suggesting potential applications of these minerals in various technological fields.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2308.06825v2","authors":["Bhalchandra S. Pujari","Sagar Gehlot","Mihir Arjunwadkar","Dilip G. Kanhere","Raymond Duraiswami"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-08-13T17:54:55Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1401.6911v1","name":"Hydrothermal alteration at the Panorama Formation, North Pole Dome, Pilbara Craton, Western Australia","source":"arxiv","abstract":"An airborne hyperspectral remote sensing dataset was obtained of the North Pole Dome region of the Pilbara Craton in October 2002. It has been analyzed for indications of hydrothermal minerals. Here we report on the identification and mapping of hydrothermal minerals in the 3.459 Ga Panorama Formation and surrounding strata. The spatial distribution of a pattern of subvertical pyrophyllite rich veins connected to a pyrophyllite rich palaeohorizontal layer is interpreted to represent the base of an acid-sulfate epithermal system that is unconformably overlain by the stromatolitic 3.42 Ga Strelley Pool Chert.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1401.6911v1","authors":["Adrian J. Brown","Thomas J. Cudahy","Malcolm R. Walter"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-01-24T20:51:20Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0405218v1","name":"Search for Neutrino-Induced Cascades with AMANDA","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We report on a search for electro-magnetic and/or hadronic showers (cascades) induced by high energy neutrinos in the data collected with the AMANDA II detector during the year 2000. The observed event rates are consistent with the expectations for atmospheric neutrinos and muons. We place upper limits on a diffuse flux of extraterrestrial electron, tau and muon neutrinos. A flux of neutrinos with a spectrum $Φ\\propto E^{-2}$ which consists of an equal mix of all flavors, is limited to $E^2 Φ(E)=8.6 x 10^{-7} GeV/(cm^{2} s sr)$ at a 90% confidence level for a neutrino energy range 50 TeV to 5 PeV. We present bounds for specific extraterrestrial neutrino flux predictions. Several of these models are ruled out.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0405218v1","authors":[" the AMANDA Collaboration","M. Ackermann"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-05-12T01:23:33Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2209.08147v1","name":"Constraints on extragalactic transmitters via Breakthrough Listen","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Breakthrough Listen Initiative has embarked on a comprehensive SETI survey of nearby stars in the Milky Way that is vastly superior to previous efforts as measured by a wide range of different metrics. SETI surveys traditionally ignore the fact that they are sensitive to many background objects, in addition to the foreground target star. In order to better appreciate and exploit the presence of extragalactic objects in the field of view, the Aladin sky atlas and NED were employed to make a rudimentary census of extragalactic objects that were serendipitously observed with the 100-m Greenbank telescope observing at 1.1-1.9 GHz. For 469 target fields (assuming a FWHM radial field-of-view of 4.2 arcminutes), NED identified a grand total of 143024 extragalactic objects, including various astrophysical exotica e.g. AGN of various types, radio galaxies, interacting galaxies, and one confirmed gravitational lens system. Several nearby galaxies, galaxy groups and galaxy clusters are identified, permitting the parameter space probed by SETI surveys to be significantly extended. Constraints are placed on the luminosity function of potential extraterrestrial transmitters assuming it follows a simple power law and limits on the prevalence of very powerful extraterrestrial transmitters associated with these vast stellar systems are also determined. It is demonstrated that the recent Breakthrough Listen Initiative, and indeed many previous SETI radio surveys, place stronger limits on the prevalence of extraterrestrial intelligence in the distant Universe than is often fully appreciated.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2209.08147v1","authors":["M. A. Garrett","A. P. V. Siemion"],"tags":["astro-ph.HE","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.GA","physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-09-16T19:36:07Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2102.01755v2","name":"Measuring solar neutrinos over Gigayear timescales with Paleo Detectors","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Measuring the solar neutrino flux over gigayear timescales could provide a new window to inform the Solar Standard Model as well as studies of the Earth's long-term climate. We demonstrate the feasibility of measuring the time-evolution of the $^8$B solar neutrino flux over gigayear timescales using paleo detectors, naturally occurring minerals which record neutrino-induced recoil tracks over geological times. We explore suitable minerals and identify track lengths of 15--30 nm to be a practical window to detect the $^8$B solar neutrino flux. A collection of ultra-radiopure minerals of different ages, each some 0.1 kg by mass, can be used to probe the rise of the $^8$B solar neutrino flux over the recent gigayear of the Sun's evolution. We also show that models of the solar abundance problem can be distinguished based on the time-integrated tracks induced by the $^8$B solar neutrino flux.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2102.01755v2","authors":["Natalia Tapia Arellano","Shunsaku Horiuchi"],"tags":["hep-ph","astro-ph.HE","astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.SR","hep-ex"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-02-02T21:09:31Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2302.04936v1","name":"Unsupervised ore/waste classification on open-cut mine faces using close-range hyperspectral data","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The remote mapping of minerals and discrimination of ore and waste on surfaces are important tasks for geological applications such as those in mining. Such tasks have become possible using ground-based, close-range hyperspectral sensors which can remotely measure the reflectance properties of the environment with high spatial and spectral resolution. However, autonomous mapping of mineral spectra measured on an open-cut mine face remains a challenging problem due to the subtleness of differences in spectral absorption features between mineral and rock classes as well as variability in the illumination of the scene. An additional layer of difficulty arises when there is no annotated data available to train a supervised learning algorithm. A pipeline for unsupervised mapping of spectra on a mine face is proposed which draws from several recent advances in the hyperspectral machine learning literature. The proposed pipeline brings together unsupervised and self-supervised algorithms in a unified system to map minerals on a mine face without the need for human-annotated training data. The pipeline is evaluated with a hyperspectral image dataset of an open-cut mine face comprising mineral ore martite and non-mineralised shale. The combined system is shown to produce a superior map to its constituent algorithms, and the consistency of its mapping capability is demonstrated using data acquired at two different times of day.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2302.04936v1","authors":["Lloyd Windrim","Arman Melkumyan","Richard J. Murphy","Anna Chlingaryan","Raymond Leung"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-02-09T21:03:03Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:9808252v1","name":"Microlensing and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Are microlensing searches likely to discover planets that harbor life? Given our present state of knowledge, this is a difficult question to answer. We therefore begin by asking a more narrowly focused question: are conditions on planets discovered via microlensing likely to be similar to those we experience on Earth? In this paper I link the microlensing observations to the well-known \"Goldilocks Problem\" (conditions on the Earth-like planets need to be \"just right\"), to find that Earth-like planets discovered via microlensing are likely to be orbiting stars more luminous than the sun. This means that light from the planetary system's central star may contribute a significant fraction of the baseline flux relative to the star that is lensed. Such blending of light from the lens with light from the lensed source can, in principle, limit our ability to detect these events. This turns out not to be a significant problem, however. A second consequence of blending is the opportunity to determine the spectral type of the lensed spectral type of the lensed star. This circumstance, plus the possibility that finite-source-size effects are important, implies that some meaningful follow-up observations are likely to be possible for a subset Earth-like planets discovered via microlensing. In addition, calculations indicate that reasonable requirements on the planet's density and surface gravity imply that the mass of Earth-like planets is likely to be within a factor of $\\sim 15$ of an Earth mass.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/9808252v1","authors":["Rosanne Di Stefano"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-08-24T01:12:55Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.02117v1","name":"UFO, universe, reptilians and creatures communities on Brazilian Telegram: when the sky is not the limit and conspiracy theories seek answers beyond humanity","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Interest in extraterrestrial phenomena and conspiracy theories involving UFOs and reptilians has been growing on Brazilian Telegram, especially in times of global uncertainty, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this study aims to address the research question: how are Brazilian conspiracy theory communities on UFO, universe, reptilians and creatures topics characterized and articulated on Telegram? It is worth noting that this study is part of a series of seven studies whose main objective is to understand and characterize Brazilian conspiracy theory communities on Telegram. This series of seven studies is openly and originally available on arXiv at Cornell University, applying a mirrored method across the seven studies, changing only the thematic object of analysis and providing investigation replicability, including with proprietary and authored codes, adding to the culture of free and open-source software. Regarding the main findings of this study, the following were observed: UFO communities act as gateways for theories about reptilians, connecting narratives of global control with extraterrestrial beings; Discussions about UFOs and the universe grew significantly during the Pandemic, reflecting a renewed interest in extraterrestrial phenomena; Reptilians remain a significant subculture within conspiracy theories, with a notable growth during the Pandemic; The thematic overlap between UFOs, reptilians and esotericism reveals a cohesive ecosystem of disinformation, making factual correction a challenge; UFO communities function as amplifiers of other conspiracy theories, connecting different themes and strengthening the disinformation network.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.02117v1","authors":["Ergon Cugler de Moraes Silva"],"tags":["cs.CY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-31T01:53:20Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2402.07289v1","name":"Virtual reassembling of 3D fragments for the data-driven analysis of fracture mechanisms in composite materials","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper introduces a novel method for characterizing fracture mechanisms in composite materials using 3D image data gained by computed tomography (CT) measurements. In mineral liberation, the understanding of these mechanisms is crucial, particularly whether fractures occur along the boundaries of mineral phases (intergranular fracture) and/or within mineral phases (transgranular fracture). Conventional techniques for analyzing fracture mechanisms are focused on globally comparing the surface exposure of mineral phases extracted from image measurements before and after fracture. Instead, we present a virtual reassembling algorithm based on image registration techniques, which is applied to 3D data of composite materials before and after fracture in order to determine and characterize the individual fracture surfaces. This enables us to conduct a local quantitative analysis of fracture mechanisms by voxelwise comparing adjacent regions at fracture surfaces. A quantitative analysis of fracture mechanisms is especially important in the context of geometallurgical recycling processes. As primary deposits are decreasing worldwide, the focus is shifting to secondary raw materials containing low concentrations of valuable elements such as lithium. To extract these elements, they can be enriched as engineered artificial minerals in the slag phase of appropriately designed cooling processes. The subsequent liberation through comminution processes, such as crushing, is essential for the extraction of valuable minerals. A better understanding of crushing processes, especially fracture mechanisms in slags, is crucial for the success of recycling. The reassembling algorithm presented in this paper is evaluated through a simulation study, followed by an application to a naturally occurring ore and a slag resulting from a recycling process.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.07289v1","authors":["Thomas Wilhelm","Trang Thu Võ","Orkun Furat","Urs A. Peuker","Volker Schmidt"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-11T19:56:00Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1501.00716v1","name":"COSIMA-Rosetta calibration for in-situ characterization of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko cometary inorganic compounds","source":"arxiv","abstract":"COSIMA (COmetary Secondary Ion Mass Analyser) is a time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometer (TOF-SIMS) on board the Rosetta space mission. COSIMA has been designed to measure the composition of cometary dust grains. It has a mass resolution m/Δm of 1400 at mass 100 u, thus enabling the discrimination of inorganic mass peaks from organic ones in the mass spectra. We have evaluated the identification capabilities of the reference model of COSIMA for inorganic compounds using a suite of terrestrial minerals that are relevant for cometary science. Ground calibration demonstrated that the performances of the flight model were similar to that of the reference model. The list of minerals used in this study was chosen based on the mineralogy of meteorites, interplanetary dust particles and Stardust samples. It contains anhydrous and hydrous ferromagnesian silicates, refractory silicates and oxides (present in meteoritic Ca-Al-rich inclusions), carbonates, and Fe-Ni sulfides. From the analyses of these minerals, we have calculated relative sensitivity factors for a suite of major and minor elements in order to provide a basis for element quantification for the possible identification of major mineral classes present in the cometary grains.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1501.00716v1","authors":["Harald Krüger","Thomas Stephan","Cécile Engrand","Christelle Briois","Sandra Siljeström","Sihane Merouane","Donia Baklouti","Henning Fischer","Nicolas Fray","Klaus Hornung","Harry Lehto","François-Régis Orthous-Daunay","Jouni Rynö","Rita Schulz","Johan Silen","Laurent Thirkell","Mario Trieloff","Martin Hilchenbach"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-01-04T20:26:35Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1912.08386v1","name":"Why SETI Will Fail","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The union of space telescopes and interstellar spaceships guarantees that if extraterrestrial civilizations were common, someone would have come here long ago.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1912.08386v1","authors":["B. Zuckerman"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-12-18T05:36:43Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2205.01193v1","name":"Biological Homochirality and the Search for Extraterrestrial Biosignatures","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Most amino acids and sugars molecules occur in mirror, or chiral, images of each other, knowns as enantiomers. However, life on Earth is mostly homochiral: proteins contain almost exclusively L-amino acids, while only D-sugars appear in RNA and DNA. The mechanism behind this fundamental asymmetry of life remains unknown, despite much progress in the theoretical and experimental understanding of homochirality in the past decades. We review three potential mechanisms for the emergence of biological homochirality on primal Earth and explore their implications for astrobiology: the first, that biological homochirality is a stochastic process driven by local environmental fluctuations; the second, that it is driven by circularly-polarized ultraviolet radiation in star-forming regions; and the third, that it is driven by parity violation at the elementary particle level. We argue that each of these mechanisms leads to different observational consequences for the existence of enantiomeric excesses in our solar system and in exoplanets, pointing to the possibility that the search for life elsewhere will help elucidate the origins of homochirality on Earth.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2205.01193v1","authors":["Marcelo Gleiser"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.bio-ph","q-bio.BM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-05-02T20:14:17Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1302.0641v1","name":"The SETI Episode in the 1967 Discovery of Pulsars","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In the winter of 1967 Cambridge radio astronomers discovered a new type of radio source of such an artificial seeming nature that for a few weeks some members of the group had to seriously consider whether they had discovered an extraterrestrial intelligence. Although their investigations lead them to a natural explanation (they had discovered pulsars), they had discussed the implications if it was indeed an artificial source: how to verify such a conclusion and how to announce it, and whether such a discovery might be dangerous. In this they presaged many of the components of the SETI Detection Protocols and the proposed Reply Protocols which have been used to guide the responses of groups dealing with the detection of an extraterrestrial intelligence. These Protocols were only established some twenty five years later in the 1990s and 2000s. Using contemporary and near-contemporary documentation and later recollections, this paper discusses in detail what happened that winter.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1302.0641v1","authors":["Alan Penny"],"tags":["physics.hist-ph","astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-02-04T10:54:49Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0711.1751v1","name":"Paleontological Tests: Human-like Intelligence is not a Convergent Feature of Evolution","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We critically examine the evidence for the idea that encephalization quotients increase with time. We find that human-like intelligence is not a convergent feature of evolution. Implications for the search for extraterrestrial intelligence are discussed.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0711.1751v1","authors":["Charles H. Lineweaver"],"tags":["q-bio.PE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-11-12T11:36:29Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2009.08873v1","name":"Novel Technosignatures","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Technosignatures can represent a sign of technology that may infer the existence of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe. This had usually meant searches for extraterrestrial intelligence using narrow-band radio signals or pulsed lasers. Back in 1960 Freeman Dyson put forward the idea that advanced civilizations may construct large structures in order to capture, for use, the energy of their local star, leading to an object with an unusual infrared signature. Later it was noted that other objects may represent the signature of very advanced instrumentalities, such as interstellar vehicles, beaming stations for propulsion, unusual beacons not using radio or laser radiation but emission of gamma rays, neutrinos or gravitational radiation. Signs may be unintentional or may be directed. Among directed and undirected signs we present some models for signaling and by-product radiation that might be produced by extremely advanced societies not usually considered in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2009.08873v1","authors":["A. A. Jackson","Gregory Benford"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-09-14T16:08:53Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1804.01885v1","name":"Policy options for the radio detectability of Earth","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The METI risk problem refers to the uncertain outcome of sending transmissions into space with the intention of messaging to extraterrestrial intelligence (METI). Here, I demonstrate that this uncertainty is undecidable by proving that that the METI risk problem reduces to the halting problem. This implies that any proposed moratorium on METI activities cannot be based solely on the requirement for new information. I discuss three policy resolutions to deal with this risk ambiguity. Precautionary malevolence assumes that contact with ETI is likely to cause net harm to humanity, which remains consistent with the call for a METI moratorium, while assumed benevolence states that METI is likely to yield net benefits to humanity. I also propose a policy of preliminary neutrality, which suggests that humanity should engage in both SETI (searching for extraterrestrial intelligence) and METI until either one achieves its first success.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1804.01885v1","authors":["Jacob Haqq-Misra"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-04-05T14:53:55Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.02522v4","name":"Weaving Life into Regolith: Engineered Autotrophic-Heterotrophic Consortia for Autonomous Biofabrication from Granular Feedstocks","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Long-duration human missions to Mars will require autonomous systems capable of converting in situ resources into structural materials, tools, and functional components. More broadly, such systems represent a class of resource-limited bioprocesses relevant to extreme-environment manufacturing. Here, we investigate engineered autotrophic-heterotrophic consortia, inspired by lichen biology, as a platform for autonomous biofabrication from granular feedstocks. We experimentally screened filamentous fungi and paired them with diazotrophic cyanobacteria to identify mutually supportive consortia capable of sustained growth and biomineral production in the presence of Martian regolith simulant as the primary inorganic substrate, without external organic carbon or nitrogen inputs. Selected co-cultures exhibited evidence of metabolic coupling, and untargeted metabolomic analysis revealed coordinated reprogramming consistent with integrated carbon and nitrogen metabolism within the consortia. These systems facilitated mineral consolidation of regolith particles, demonstrating the feasibility of near-closed-loop biomineral production under resource-limited conditions. While integration with additive manufacturing remains conceptual, this study establishes a framework for engineering self-sustaining microbial consortia for biomaterials production and highlights opportunities for coupling metabolism with material synthesis in both extraterrestrial and terrestrial environments.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.02522v4","authors":["Nisha Rokaya","Erin C. Carr","Kumar Shrestha","Richard A. Wilson","Yong Huang","Congrui Jin"],"tags":["q-bio.CB","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM","physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-04T17:41:25Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1410.7200v1","name":"First-principles study of intermediate-spin ferrous iron in the Earth's lower mantle","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Spin crossover of iron is of central importance in solid Earth geophysics. It impacts all physical properties of minerals that altogether constitute $\\sim 95$ vol\\% of the Earth's lower mantle: ferropericlase [(Mg,Fe)O] and Fe-bearing magnesium silicate (MgSiO$_3$) perovskite. Despite great strides made in the past decade, the existence of intermediate-spin (IS) state in ferrous iron (Fe$^{2+}$) (with total electron spin $S=1$) and its possible role in the pressure-induced spin crossover in these lower-mantle minerals still remain controversial. Using density functional theory $+$ self-consistent Hubbard $U$ (DFT$+U_{sc}$) calculations, we investigate all possible types of IS states of Fe$^{2+}$ in (Mg,Fe)O and (Mg,Fe)SiO$_3$ perovskite. Among the possible IS states in these minerals, the most probable IS state has an electronic configuration that significantly reduces the electron overlap and the iron nuclear quadrupole splitting (QS). These most probable IS states, however, are still energetically disfavored, and their QSs are inconsistent with Mössbauer spectra. We therefore conclude that IS Fe$^{2+}$ is highly unlikely in the Earth's lower mantle.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1410.7200v1","authors":["Han Hsu","Renata M. Wentzcovitch"],"tags":["cond-mat.str-el","cond-mat.mtrl-sci","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-10-27T12:14:46Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0912.1035v1","name":"In Search for Extraterrestrial High Energy Neutrinos","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper we review the search for astrophysical neutrinos. We begin by summarizing the various theoretical predictions which correlate the expected neutrino flux with data from other messengers, specifically gammas and ultra-high energy cosmic rays. We then review the status and results of neutrino telescopes in operation and decommissioned, the methods used for data analysis and background discrimination. Particular attention is devoted to the challenge enforced by the highly uncertain atmospheric muon and neutrino backgrounds in relation to searches of diffuse neutrino fluxes. Next, we examine the impact of existing limits on neutrino fluxes on studies of the chemical composition of cosmic rays. After that, we show that not only do neutrinos have the potential to discover astrophysical sources, but the huge statistics of atmospheric muons can be a powerful tool as well. We end by discussing the prospects for indirect detection of dark matter with neutrino telescopes.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0912.1035v1","authors":["Luis A. Anchordoqui","Teresa Montaruli"],"tags":["astro-ph.HE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-12-06T21:53:17Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0711.2368v1","name":"Sending and Searching for Interstellar Messages","source":"arxiv","abstract":"There is a close interrelation between Searching for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) and Messaging to Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI). For example, the answers to the questions \"Where to search\" and \"Where to send\" are equivalent, in that both require an identical selection from the same target star lists. Similar considerations lead to a strategy of time synchronization between sending and searching. Both SETI and METI use large reflectors. The concept of \"magic frequencies\" may be applicable to both SETI and METI. Efforts to understand an alien civilization's Interstellar Messages (IMs), and efforts to compose our own IMs so they will be easily understood by unfamiliar Extraterrestrials, are mutually complementary. Furthermore, the METI-question: \"How can we benefit from sending IMs, if a response may come only thousands of years later?\" begs an equivalent SETI-question: \"How can we benefit from searching, if it is impossible now to perceive the motivations and feelings of those who may have sent messages in the distant past?\" A joint consideration of the theoretical and the practical aspects of both sending and searching for IMs, in the framework of a unified, disciplined scientific approach, can be quite fruitful. We seek to resolve the cultural disconnect between those who advocate sending interstellar messages, and others who anathematize those who would transmit.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0711.2368v1","authors":["Alexander Zaitsev"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-11-15T12:46:32Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2305.15715v3","name":"Polarization Criterion in Targeted SETI Observation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, we propose a novel method for distinguishing extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) signals from radio frequency interference (RFI) by leveraging polarization features. We exploit the sinusoidal variation of the linearly polarized components of Stokes parameters with the parallactic angle as a characteristic signature of ETI signals, while such linearly polarized components remain relatively stable for terrestrial RFI. Typically, a minimum of 4-8 hours of observation time is required to detect these sinusoidal variations. The polarization approach in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) also enables us to study the radio stellar bursts emitted by M-type stars as ancillary science, which is relevant to assessing the habitability of exoplanets. Compared to the frequency drift method, the polarization method effectively reduces the required observation time for signal identification while improving the signal identification process.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2305.15715v3","authors":["Jian-Kang Li","Yu Chen","Zhen-Zhao Tao","Xiao-Hang Luan","Tong-Jie Zhang","Bo-Lun Huang","Xiao-Hui Sun","Vishal Gajjar"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-05-25T04:58:33Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2403.13759v4","name":"How quickly can sodium-ion learn? Assessing scenarios for techno-economic competitiveness against lithium-ion batteries","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Sodium-ion batteries have garnered significant attention as a potentially low-cost alternative to lithium-ion batteries, which have experienced supply shortages and pricing volatility of key minerals. Here we assess their techno-economic competitiveness against incumbent lithium-ion batteries using a modeling framework incorporating componential learning curves constrained by minerals prices and engineering design floors. We compare projected sodium-ion and lithium-ion price trends across over 6,000 scenarios while varying Na-ion technology development roadmaps, supply chain scenarios, market penetration, and learning rates. Assuming substantial progress can be made along technology roadmaps via targeted R&amp;D, we identify many sodium-ion pathways that might reach cost-competitiveness with low-cost lithium-ion variants in the early 2030s. Additionally, we show timelines are highly sensitive to movements in critical minerals supply chains -- namely that of lithium, graphite, and nickel. Modeled outcomes suggest increasing sodium-ion energy densities to decrease materials intensity to be among the most impactful ways to improve competitiveness.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.13759v4","authors":["Adrian Yao","Sally M. Benson","William C. Chueh"],"tags":["physics.chem-ph","cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-20T17:14:55Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0210011v2","name":"Possible Evidence of Time Variation of Weak Interaction Constant from Double Beta Decay Experiments","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A comparison is made of the probability of the process of two neutrino double beta decay for $^{82}$Se in direct (counter) and geochemical experiments. It is shown that the probability is systematically lower in geochemical experiments, which characterize the probability of $ββ(2ν)$ decay a few billions years ago. The experimental data for $^{130}$Te are also analyzed. It is shown that geochemical measurements on young minerals give lower values of $T_{1/2}$ ($^{130}$Te) and $T_{1/2}$ ($^{82}$Se) as compared to measurements on old minerals. It is proposed that this could be due to a change in the weak interaction constant with time. Possibilities of new, precise measurements be performed with the aid of counters and geochemical experiments are discussed.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/nucl-ex/0210011v2","authors":["A. S. Barabash"],"tags":["nucl-ex"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-10-08T12:39:26Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.09970v2","name":"The Eschatian Hypothesis","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The history of astronomical discovery shows that many of the most detectable phenomena, especially detection firsts, are not typical members of their broader class, but rather rare, extreme cases with disproportionately large observational signatures. Motivated by this, we propose the Eschatian Hypothesis: that the first confirmed detection of an extraterrestrial technological civilization is most likely to be an atypical example, one that is unusually \"loud\" (i.e., producing an anomalously strong technosignature), and plausibly in a transitory, unstable, or even terminal phase. Using a toy model, we derive conditions under which such loud civilizations dominate detections, finding for example that if a society is loud for only $10^{-6}$ of its lifetime, it must emit ${\\gtrsim}1$% of its total observable energy budget during that phase to outrun quieter populations. The hypothesis naturally motivates agnostic anomaly searches in wide-field, multi-channel, continuous surveys as a practical strategy for a first detection of extraterrestrial technology.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.09970v2","authors":["David Kipping"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-10T12:10:09Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2105.09055v1","name":"Expecting the unexpected in the search for extraterrestrial life","source":"arxiv","abstract":"On page 10 of the 2018 National Academies Exoplanet Science Strategy document (NASEM 2018), 'Expect the unexpected' is described as a general principle of the exoplanet field. But for the next 150 pages, this principle is apparently forgotten, as strategy decisions are repeatedly put forward based on our expectations. This paper explores what exactly it might mean to 'expect the unexpected', and how this could possibly be achieved by the space science community. An analogy with financial investment strategies is considered, where a balanced portfolio of low/medium/high-risk investments is recommended. Whilst this kind of strategy would certainly be advisable in many scientific contexts (past and present), in certain contexts, especially exploratory science, a significant disanalogy needs to be factored in: financial investors cannot choose low-risk high-reward investments, but sometimes scientists can. The existence of low-risk high-impact projects in cutting-edge space science significantly reduces the warrant for investing in high-risk projects, at least in the short term. However, high-risk proposals need to be fairly judged alongside medium- and low-risk proposals, factoring in both the degree of possible reward and the expected cost of the project. Attitudes towards high-risk high-impact projects within NASA since 2009 are critically analysed.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2105.09055v1","authors":["Peter Vickers"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","physics.hist-ph","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-05-19T10:46:19Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1202.5048v2","name":"Life's Chirality From Prebiotic Environments","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A key open question in the study of life is the origin of biomolecular homochirality: almost every life-form on Earth has exclusively levorotary amino acids and dextrorotary sugars. Will the same handedness be preferred if life is found elsewhere? We review some of the pertinent literature and discuss recent results suggesting that life's homochirality resulted from sequential chiral symmetry breaking triggered by environmental events. In one scenario, autocatalytic prebiotic reactions undergo stochastic fluctuations due to environmental disturbances. In another, chiral-selective polymerization reaction rates influenced by environmental effects lead to substantial chiral excess even in the absence of autocatalysis. Applying these arguments to other potentially life-bearing platforms has implications to the search for extraterrestrial life: we predict that a statistically representative sampling of extraterrestrial stereochemistry will be racemic (chirally neutral) on average.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1202.5048v2","authors":["Marcelo Gleiser","Sara Imari Walker"],"tags":["q-bio.BM","astro-ph.EP","physics.chem-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-02-22T21:18:00Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2107.07283v3","name":"Strategies and Advice for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"arxiv","abstract":"As a guide for astronomers new to the field of technosignature search (i.e. SETI), I present an overview of some of its observational and theoretical approaches. I review some of the various observational search strategies for SETI, focusing not on the variety of technosignatures that have been proposed or which are most likely to be found, but on the underlying philosophies that motivate searches for them. I cover passive versus active searches, ambiguous versus dispositive kinds of technosignatures, commensal or archival searches versus dedicated ones, communicative signals versus \"artifacts\", \"active\" versus derelict technologies, searches for beacons versus eavesdropping, and model-based versus anomaly-based searches. I also attempt to roughly map the landscape of technosignatures by kind and the scale over which they appear. I also discuss the importance of setting upper limits in SETI, and offer a heuristic for how to do so in a generic SETI search. I mention and attempt to dispel several misconceptions about the field. I conclude with some personal observations and recommendations for how to practice SETI, including how to choose good theory projects, how to work with experts and skeptics to improve one's search, and how to plan for success.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2107.07283v3","authors":["Jason T. Wright"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-07-15T12:28:56Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1902.09985v1","name":"Searching for Extraterrestrial Civilizations Using gamma Ray Telescopes","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We investigate looking for black hole starships using very high energy gamma ray telescopes. We find they would be above the threshhold of visibility although there are many unknown factors.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1902.09985v1","authors":["Louis Crane"],"tags":["gr-qc","astro-ph.HE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-23T22:22:11Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1806.02093v1","name":"Laboratory Studies of Methane and Its Relationship to Prebiotic Chemistry","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In order to examine how the terrestrial life emerged, a number of laboratory experiments have been conducted since the 1950s. Methane has been one of the key molecules in these studies. In earlier studies, strongly reducing gas mixtures containing methane and ammonia were mainly used to simulate possible reactions in primitive Earth atmosphere, and amino acids and other organic compounds were detected. Since the primitive Earth atmosphere was estimated to be less reducing, contribution of extraterrestrial organics to the origin of life is considered quite important. Extraterrestrial organic chemistry has been experimentally and theoretically studied intensively, including laboratory experiments simulating interstellar molecular reactions. Endogenous and exogenous organics should have been supplied to the primitive ocean. Now submarine hydrothermal systems are considered one of the plausible sites of generation of life. Experiments simulating submarine hydrothermal systems where methane played an important role are now intensively being conducted. We have recognized the importance of such studies on possible reactions in other solar system bodies to understand the origins of life. Titan and other icy bodies, where methane plays significant roles, are especially good targets to be studied. In the case of Titan, not only methane-containing atmospheres but also liquidospheres composed of methane and other hydrocarbons have been used in simulation experiments. This paper summarizes experiments simulating various terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments, and possible roles of methane in chemical evolution are discussed.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1806.02093v1","authors":["Kensei Kobayashi","Wolf D. Geppert","Nathalie Carrasco","Nils G. Holm","Olivier Mousis","Maria Elisabetta Palumbo","J. Hunter Waite","Naoki Watanabe","Lucy M. Ziurys"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-06-06T09:49:52Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.17008v1","name":"Deep mineralogical segmentation of thin section images based on QEMSCAN maps","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Interpreting the mineralogical aspects of rock thin sections is an important task for oil and gas reservoirs evaluation. However, human analysis tend to be subjective and laborious. Technologies like QEMSCAN(R) are designed to automate the mineralogical mapping process, but also suffer from limitations like high monetary costs and time-consuming analysis. This work proposes a Convolutional Neural Network model for automatic mineralogical segmentation of thin section images of carbonate rocks. The model is able to mimic the QEMSCAN mapping itself in a low-cost, generalized and efficient manner. For this, the U-Net semantic segmentation architecture is trained on plane and cross polarized thin section images using the corresponding QEMSCAN maps as target, which is an approach not widely explored. The model was instructed to differentiate occurrences of Calcite, Dolomite, Mg-Clay Minerals, Quartz, Pores and the remaining mineral phases as an unique class named \"Others\", while it was validated on rock facies both seen and unseen during training, in order to address its generalization capability. Since the images and maps are provided in different resolutions, image registration was applied to align then spatially. The study reveals that the quality of the segmentation is very much dependent on these resolution differences and on the variety of learnable rock textures. However, it shows promising results, especially with regard to the proper delineation of minerals boundaries on solid textures and precise estimation of the minerals distributions, describing a nearly linear relationship between expected and predicted distributions, with coefficient of determination (R^2) superior to 0.97 for seen facies and 0.88 for unseen.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.17008v1","authors":["Jean Pablo Vieira de Mello","Matheus Augusto Alves Cuglieri","Leandro P. de Figueiredo","Fernando Bordignon","Marcelo Ramalho Albuquerque","Rodrigo Surmas","Bruno Cavalcanti de Paula"],"tags":["cs.CV","eess.IV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-22T17:58:34Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1808.07606v2","name":"Mid-infrared spectroscopic observations of comet 17P/Holmes immediately after its great outburst in October 2007","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Dust grains of crystalline silicate, which are rarely presented in interstellar space, were found in cometary nuclei. These crystalline silicates are thought to have formed by annealing of amorphous silicate grains or direct condensation of gaseous materials near the Sun in the solar nebula, and incorporated into cometary nuclei in the cold comet-forming region after radial transportation of grains in the solar nebula. Abundances of the crystalline silicate dust grains were therefore expected to be smaller farther from the Sun. We aim to better understand the formation mechanism of minerals incorporated into comet 17P/Holmes based on its mineral abundances. To derive the mineral composition of comet 17P/Holmes, we applied a thermal emission model for cometary dust grains to mid-infrared spectra of comet 17P/Holmes taken with the Cooled Mid-Infrared Camera and Spectrograph (COMICS) mounted on the Subaru Telescope a few days later the great outburst in October 2007. The resulting mass fraction of crystalline silicate, f_ cry, and an olivine-to-pyroxene abundance ratio, f_OP, are f_cry = 0.31 +/- 0.03 and f_OP = 1.20 +0.16/-0.12, respectively. Based on a simple consideration of the mixing of dust grains originating in both the interstellar medium and solar nebula, the minerals of 17P/Holmes formed by non-equilibrium condensation. This result is consistent with theoretical and experimental predictions for vaporization and condensation of olivine in the solar nebula.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1808.07606v2","authors":["Yoshiharu Shinnaka","Takafumi Ootsubo","Hideyo Kawakita","Mitsuru Yamaguchi","Mitsuhiko Honda","Jun-ichi Watanabe"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-08-23T02:06:07Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2208.00888v1","name":"Megaripple mechanics: bimodal transport ingrained in bimodal sands","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Aeolian sand transport is a major process shaping landscapes on Earth and on diverse celestial bodies. Conditions favoring bimodal sand transport, with fine-grain saltation driving coarse-grain reptation, give rise to the evolution of megaripples with a characteristic bimodal sand composition. Here, we derive a unified phase diagram for this special aeolian process and the ensuing nonequilibrium megaripple morphodynamics by means of a conceptually simple quantitative model, grounded in the grain-scale physics. We establish a well-preserved quantitative signature of bimodal aeolian transport in the otherwise highly variable grain size distributions, namely, the log-scale width (Krumbein phi scale) of their coarse-grain peaks. A comprehensive collection of terrestrial and extraterrestrial data, covering a wide range of geographical sources and environmental conditions, supports the accuracy and robustness of this unexpected theoretical finding. It could help to resolve ambiguities in the classification of terrestrial and extraterrestrial sedimentary bedforms.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2208.00888v1","authors":["Katharina Tholen","Thomas Pähtz","Hezi Yizhaq","Itzhak Katra","Klaus Kroy"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph","cond-mat.soft","physics.ao-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-08-01T14:22:21Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2601.17158v1","name":"Autonomous Mars Rover Module for Soil Sampling and Life Component Analysis","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The search for extraterrestrial life has long been a primary focus of scientific exploration, driven by rapid advancements in technology and our understanding of the universe. The discovery of water on Mars has sparked significant interest, raising the question of whether life could exist on the planet. This study proposes a novel approach to simulate and illustrate the detection of life using a proof-of-life module integrated into a Mars rover. The module is an autonomous system capable of traveling to designated regions, excavating soil, collecting samples, and performing biochemical testing onboard the rover itself. The project is inherently multidisciplinary, integrating mechanical systems such as a drill mechanism and a vacuum system, alongside biochemical analysis for soil testing. The module is capable of successfully detecting the presence or absence of living components of life from the collected soil particles. This proof-of-life module serves as a proof-of-concept for autonomous life detection in extraterrestrial environments and lays the foundation for future exploration missions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.17158v1","authors":["Bibek Adhikari","Rishab Rijal","Rakesh Yadav","Nikchey Khatri","Sandesh Dhakal"],"tags":["eess.SY","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM","cs.RO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-23T20:32:33Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.644Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2402.15536v1","name":"Toward the Stars: Technological, Ethical, and Sociopolitical Dimensions of Interstellar Exploration","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The endeavor of interstellar exploration is a convergence of technical innovation and profound ethical inquiry, challenging humanity to extend its reach beyond the confines of our solar system while contemplating the moral implications of such a leap. This paper explores the multifaceted aspects of interstellar travel, exploring advancements in propulsion systems, habitat construction, and life support alongside the ethical, sociopolitical, and philosophical questions that arise as we consider colonizing extraterrestrial worlds. We underscore the imperative for an integrative framework harmonizing scientific achievements with a deep ethical commitment to responsible exploration, environmental stewardship, and respect for potential extraterrestrial life. Our analysis highlights the dual nature of interstellar exploration as both a technical endeavor and a philosophical journey, advocating for a future in which humanity's expansion into the cosmos is guided by foresight, equity, and the collective well-being of all sentient beings. This synthesis of science and ethics offers a blueprint for navigating the unknowns of space with wisdom and integrity, ensuring that our interstellar aspirations reflect the best of human values.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.15536v1","authors":["Florian Neukart"],"tags":["physics.gen-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-23T00:23:54Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0108180v1","name":"Time is Life","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The affirmative statement of the existence of extraterrestrial life is tentatively raised to the status of a principle. Accordingly, Fermi's question is answered and the anthropic principle is shown to be falsifiable. The time-scale for the development of life on Earth and the age of the universe are the fundamental quantities upon which the arguments are framed.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0108180v1","authors":["Domingos S. L. Soares"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-08-10T11:05:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2603.06525v1","name":"Underactuated multimodal jumping robot for extraterrestrial exploration","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present a rolling and jumping underactuated monopedal robot designed to explore multimodal locomotion on low-gravity bodies. It uses only two reaction wheels to control its spatial orientation with two controllers: a balancing controller which can aim the robot's jump direction on the ground, and an aerial reorientation controller which can aim the robot's leg for landing after flight. We demonstrate rolling, targeted jumping and landing, and self-righting using only three actuators total, keeping system size to 0.33m and 1.25kg. Simple switching between locomotion modes enables the system to deal with differing landscapes and environmental conditions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.06525v1","authors":["Neil R. Wagner","Justin K. Yim"],"tags":["cs.RO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-06T18:08:32Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2205.09385v1","name":"Shock recovery with decaying compressive pulses: Shock effects in calcite (CaCO$_3$) around the Hugoniot elastic limit","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Shock metamorphism of minerals in meteorites provides insights into the ancient Solar System. Calcite is an abundant aqueous alteration mineral in carbonaceous chondrites. Return samples from the asteroids Ryugu and Bennu are expected to contain calcite-group minerals. Although shock metamorphism in silicates has been well studied, such data for aqueous alteration minerals are limited. Here, we investigated the shock effects in calcite with marble using impact experiments at the Planetary Exploration Research Center of Chiba Institute of Technology. We produced decaying compressive pulses with a smaller projectile than the target. A metal container facilitates recovery of a sample that retains its pre-impact stratigraphy. We estimated the peak pressure distributions in the samples with the iSALE shock physics code. The capability of this method to produce shocked grains that have experienced different degrees of metamorphism from a single experiment is an advantage over conventional uniaxial shock recovery experiments. The shocked samples were investigated by polarizing microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. We found that more than half of calcite grains exhibit undulatory extinction when peak pressure exceeds 3 GPa. This shock pressure is one order of magnitude higher than the Hugoniot elastic limit (HEL) of marble, but it is close to the HEL of a calcite crystal, suggesting that the undulatory extinction records dislocation-induced plastic deformation in the crystal. Finally, we propose a strategy to re-construct the maximum depth of calcite grains in a meteorite parent body, if shocked calcite grains are identified in chondrites and/or return samples from Ryugu and Bennu.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2205.09385v1","authors":["Kosuke Kurosawa","Haruka Ono","Takafumi Niihara","Tatsuhiro Sakaiya","Tadashi Kondo","Naotaka Tomioka","Takashi Mikouchi","Hidenori Genda","Takuya Matsuzaki","Masahiro Kayama","Mizuho Koike","Yuji Sano","Masafumi Murayama","Wataru Satake","Takafumi Matsui"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-05-19T08:31:00Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2006.09756v2","name":"Extending the Breakthrough Listen nearby star survey to other stellar objects in the field","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We extend the source sample recently observed by the Breakthrough Listen Initiative by including additional stars (with parallaxes measured by Gaia) that also reside within the FWHM of the GBT and Parkes radio telescope target fields. These stars have estimated distances as listed in the extensions of the Gaia DR2 catalogue. Enlarging the sample from 1327 to 288315 stellar objects permits us to achieve substantially better Continuous Waveform Transmitter Rate Figures of Merit (CWTFM) than any previous analysis, and allows us to place the tightest limits yet on the prevalence of nearby high-duty-cycle extraterrestrial transmitters. The results suggest $\\lesssim 0.0660^{+0.0004}_{-0.0003}$% of stellar systems within 50 pc host such transmitters (assuming an EIRP $ \\gtrsim 10^{13}$ W) and $\\lesssim 0.039^{+0.004}_{-0.008}$% within 200 pc (assuming an EIRP $\\gtrsim 2.5 \\times 10^{14}$ W). We further extend our analysis to much greater distances, though we caution that the detection of narrow-band signals beyond a few hundred pc may be affected by interstellar scintillation. The extended sample also permits us to place new constraints on the prevalence of extraterrestrial transmitters by stellar type and spectral class. Our results suggest targeted analyses of SETI radio data can benefit from taking into account the fact that in addition to the target at the field centre, many other cosmic objects reside within the primary beam response of a parabolic radio telescope. These include foreground and background galactic stars, but also extragalactic systems. With distances measured by Gaia, these additional sources can be used to place improved limits on the prevalence of extraterrestrial transmitters, and extend the analysis to a wide range of cosmic objects.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2006.09756v2","authors":["B. S. Wlodarczyk-Sroka","M. A. Garrett","A. P. V. Siemion"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-06-17T10:00:47Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1801.10254v3","name":"Implications of Captured Interstellar Objects for Panspermia and Extraterrestrial Life","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We estimate the capture rate of interstellar objects by means of three-body gravitational interactions. We apply this model to the Sun-Jupiter system and the Alpha Centauri A\\&amp;B binary system, and find that the radius of the largest captured object is a few tens of km and Earth-sized respectively. We explore the implications of our model for the transfer of life by means of rocky material. The interstellar comets captured by the \"fishing net\" of the Solar system can be potentially distinguished by their differing orbital trajectories and ratios of oxygen isotopes through high-resolution spectroscopy of water vapor in their tails.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1801.10254v3","authors":["Manasvi Lingam","Abraham Loeb"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-01-30T23:46:23Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2606.00463v4","name":"Some Thoughts on the Future of Technosignature Searches: Constraining the Fermi Paradox","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper examines how future technosignature searches may constrain competing resolutions of the Fermi Paradox, with particular attention to the possibility that technologically capable entities (TCEs) are either intrinsically rare or deliberately concealed. I propose a multi-pronged observational strategy comprising expanded radio and optical SETI, spectroscopic searches for biosignatures and technosignatures in exoplanet atmospheres, astronomical searches for large-scale extraterrestrial engineering, and Solar System searches for extraterrestrial artefacts (SETA). The latter is identified as having a distinctive temporal advantage because it can probe evidence accumulated over Solar System (and perhaps even Galactic) history, rather than requiring temporal overlap with TCEs. In this context, I argue that searches for micron-scale interstellar technological debris (Arkhipov particles) in lunar and planetary regoliths may provide an additional constraint on past Galactic technological activity. Additionally, I briefly argue that this programme of scientific exploration should be considered alongside its geopolitical and governance implications.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.00463v4","authors":["Ian A. Crawford"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP","physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-30T01:04:17Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1708.05100v1","name":"Copper Tellurium Oxides - A Playground for Magnetism","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A variety of copper tellurium oxide minerals are known, and many of them exhibit either unusual forms of magnetism, or potentially novel spin liquid behavior. Here, I review a number of the more interesting materials with a focus on their crystalline symmetry and, if known, the nature of their magnetism. Many of these exist (so far) in mineral form only, and most have yet to have their magnetic properties studied. This means a largely unexplored space of materials awaits our exploration.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1708.05100v1","authors":["M. R. Norman"],"tags":["cond-mat.str-el"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-08-16T22:42:58Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2408.10476v1","name":"Spin-1/2 kagome-lattice antiferromagnets Cs$_2$Cu$_3$SnF$_{12}$ and Rb$_2$Cu$_3$SnF$_{12}$","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Spin-1/2 kagome-lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet is theoretically known to have a quantum spin liquid ground state, one of the frontiers of condensed matter physics. The search for the model substances has been continued for a long time, and many candidate substances have been reported. Most of them are hydroxide minerals. Here, I review the static and dynamic properties of non-mineral kagome-lattice antiferromagnets Cs$_2$Cu$_3$SnF$_{12}$ and Rb$_2$Cu$_3$SnF$_{12}$.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.10476v1","authors":["Hidekazu Tanaka"],"tags":["cond-mat.str-el"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-20T01:28:59Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1408.6558v1","name":"Nano dimensional hybrid organo-clay Langmuir-Blodgett films","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Clay mineral particles are interesting nanosized building blocks due to their high aspect ratio and the chemical properties. The main interest in this nanosized building blocks results essentially from the colloidal size and the permanent structural charge of the particles. Smectites or swelling clay minerals are naturally occurring nanomaterials that can be fully delaminated to elementary clay mineral platelets in dilute aqueous dispersion. This dilute aqueous smectite suspensions are well suited to convert into functional nanofilms. The functionalization is performed by ion exchange reaction with amphiphilic molecules carrying the desired functionality, such as chirality, two photon absorption, energy transfer, optical nonlinearity and magnetism, which are due to the nature of the amphiphilic cations and to the organization of both the amphiphilic molecules and the elementary clay mineral platelets. Controlling the structure of materials at the nanometre scale is of fundamental importance for tailoring such materials properties. Langmuir Blodgett films are known for a high degree of organisation of organic molecules. Fundamental research into the organization of molecules at clay mineral platelets is necessary to optimize the materials for specific applications. This paper gives an overview of organo-clay hybrid Langmuir-Blodgett nano films.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1408.6558v1","authors":["Syed Arshad Hussain","S. Chakraborty","D. Bhattacharjee"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-08-26T09:58:15Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2310.14895v1","name":"Astronomical Anomalies: Their Role in the Quest for Extraterrestrial Life","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Astronomers occasionally detect an object having unexpected shape, unexplainable photometry, or unprecedented spectra that are inconsistent with our contemporary knowledge of the universe. Upon careful assessment, many of these anomalies are discarded as mere noise, contamination, or faulty analysis. But some anomalies survive scrutiny to yield new astronomical objects and physical processes. Examples of validated anomalies include quasars, pulsars, and periodic Doppler shifts of Sun-like stars caused by the gravitational pull of orbiting planets. Other anomalies persist as mysteries, including Fast Radio Bursts, dark energy, 'Oumuamua as an alien spaceship, and simultaneously vanishing stars. Advanced technological life may present astronomers with anomalies that require carefully designed observations from multiple vantage points simultaneously and with real-time spectroscopy.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2310.14895v1","authors":["Beatriz Villarroel","Geoffrey W. Marcy"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-10-02T05:58:26Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1804.07252v1","name":"Stability of calcium and magnesium carbonates at lower mantle thermodynamic conditions","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present a theoretical investigation, based on ab initio calculations and the quasi-harmonic approximation, on the stability properties of magnesium (MgCO$_3$) and calcium (CaCO$_3$) carbonates at high temperatures and pressures. The results indicate that those carbonates should be stable in Earth's lower mantle, instead of dissociating into other minerals, in chemical environments with excesses of SiO$_2$, MgO, or MgSiO$_3$. Therefore, considering the lower mantle chemical composition, filled with major minerals such as MgSiO$_3$ and MgO, calcium and magnesium carbonates are the primary candidates as carbon hosts in that region. For the thermodynamic conditions of the mantle, the results also indicate that carbon should be primarily hosted on MgCO$_3$. Finally, the results indicate that carbon, in the form of free CO$_2$, is unlikely in the lower mantle.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1804.07252v1","authors":["Samuel S. M. Santos","Michel L. Marcondes","João F. Justo","Lucy V. C. Assali"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-04-19T16:17:30Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0903.1628v1","name":"Some Comments on Possible Preferred Directions for the SETI Search","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The search for extraterrestrial intelligence by looking for signals from advanced technological civilizations has been ongoing for some decades. We suggest that it could possibly be made more efficient by focusing on stars from which the solar system can be observed via mini-eclipsings of the Sun by transiting planets.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0903.1628v1","authors":["Shmuel Nussinov"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-03-09T19:25:17Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:9807400v1","name":"Mechanochemistry: an hypothesis for shallow earthquakes","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We advance the novel hypothesis that water in the presence of finite localized strain within fault gouges may lead to the phase transformation of stable minerals into metastable polymorphs of higher free energy density. Under increasing strain, the transformed minerals eventually become unstable, as shown from an application of Landau theory of structural phase transitions. We propose that this instability leads to an explosive transformation, creating a slightly supersonic shock wave propagating along the altered fault core leaving a wake of shaking fragments. As long as the resulting high-frequency acoustic waves remain of sufficient amplitude to lead to a fluidization of the fault core, the fault is unlocked and free to slip under the effect of the tectonic stress, thus releasing the elastic part of the stored energy. We briefly discuss observations that could be understood within this theory.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/9807400v1","authors":["D. Sornette"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-07-30T15:03:30Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1602.05485v2","name":"Power Beaming Leakage Radiation as a SETI Observable","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The most observable leakage radiation from an advanced civilization may well be from the use of power beaming to transfer energy and accelerate spacecraft. Applications suggested for power beaming involve launching spacecraft to orbit, raising satellites to a higher orbit, and interplanetary concepts involving space-to-space transfers of cargo or passengers. We also quantify beam-driven launch to the outer solar system, interstellar precursors and ultimately starships. We estimate the principal observable parameters of power beaming leakage. Extraterrestrial civilizations would know their power beams could be observed, and so could put a message on the power beam and broadcast it for our receipt at little additional energy or cost. By observing leakage from power beams we may find a message embedded on the beam. Recent observations of the anomalous star KIC8462852 by the Allen Telescope Array set some limits on extraterrestrial power beaming in that system. We show that most power beaming applications commensurate with those suggested for our solar system would be detectable if using the frequency range monitored by the ATA, and so the lack of detection is a meaningful, if modest, constraint on extraterrestrial power beaming in that system. Until more extensive observations are made, the limited observation time and frequency coverage are not sufficiently broad in frequency and duration to produce firm conclusions. Such beams would be visible over large interstellar distances. This implies a new approach to the SETI search: Instead of focusing on narrowband beacon transmissions generated by another civilization, look for more powerful beams with much wider bandwidth. This requires a new approach for their discovery by telescopes on Earth. Further studies of power beaming applications should be done, which could broaden the parameter space of observable features we have discussed here.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1602.05485v2","authors":["James N. Benford","Dominic J. Benford"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-02-17T17:03:53Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2012.08201v3","name":"Liquid Flow Reversibly Creates a Macroscopic Surface Charge Gradient","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The charging and dissolution of mineral surfaces in contact with flowing liquids are ubiquitous in nature, as most minerals in water spontaneously acquire charge and dissolve. Mineral dissolution has been studied extensively under equilibrium conditions, even though non-equilibrium phenomena are pervasive and substantially affect the mineral-water interface. Here we demonstrate using interface-specific spectroscopy that liquid flow along a calcium fluoride surface creates a reversible, spatial charge gradient, with decreasing surface charge downstream of the flow. The surface charge gradient can be quantitatively accounted for by a reaction-diffusion-advection model, which reveals that the charge gradient results from a delicate interplay between diffusion, advection, dissolution, and desorption/adsorption. The underlying mechanism is expected to be valid for a wide variety of systems, including groundwater flows in nature and microfluidic systems.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2012.08201v3","authors":["Patrick Ober","Willem Boon","Marjolein Dijkstra","Ellen Backus","René van Roij","Mischa Bonn"],"tags":["cond-mat.soft","physics.chem-ph","physics.flu-dyn","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-12-15T10:46:09Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0309585v1","name":"Search for extraterrestrial point sources of neutrinos with AMANDA-II","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present the results of a search for point sources of high energy neutrinos in the northern hemisphere using AMANDA-II data collected in the year 2000. Included are flux limits on several AGN blazars, microquasars, magnetars and other candidate neutrino sources. A search for excesses above a random background of cosmic-ray-induced atmospheric neutrinos and misreconstructed downgoing cosmic-ray muons reveals no statistically significant neutrino point sources. We show that AMANDA-II has achieved the sensitivity required to probe known TeV gamma-ray sources such as the blazar Markarian 501 in its 1997 flaring state at a level where neutrino and gamma-ray fluxes are equal.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0309585v1","authors":[" AMANDA Collaboration","J. Ahrens"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-09-22T16:29:43Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2010.13379v1","name":"The detection of solid phosphorus and fluorine in the dust from the coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Here, we report the detection of phosphorus and fluorine in solid particles collected from the inner coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko measured with the COmetary Secondary Ion Mass Analyser (COSIMA) instrument on-board the Rosetta spacecraft, only a few kilometers away from the comet nucleus. We have detected phosphorus-containing minerals from the presented COSIMA mass spectra, and can rule out e.g. apatite minerals as the source of phosphorus. This result completes the detection of life-necessary CHNOPS-elements in solid cometary matter, indicating cometary delivery as a potential source of these elements to the young Earth. Fluorine was also detected with CF$^+$ secondary ions originating from the cometary dust.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2010.13379v1","authors":["Esko Gardner","Harry J. Lehto","Kirsi Lehto","Nicolas Fray","Anaïs Bardyn","Tuomas Lönnberg","Sihane Merouane","Robin Isnard","Hervé Cottin","Martin Hilchenbach"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-10-26T07:14:36Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2308.08689v1","name":"Are we visible to advanced alien civilizations?","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We considered the question of how our artificial constructions are visible to advanced extraterrestrial civilizations. Taking the universality of the laws of physics, we found that the maximum distance where the detection is possible is of the order of $3000$ ly and under certain conditions Type-II advanced alien societies might be able to resolve this problem.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2308.08689v1","authors":["Z. N. Osmanov"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-08-16T22:24:19Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2308.12875v1","name":"Phyllosilicates as earth-abundant layered materials for electronics and optoelectronics: Prospects and challenges in their ultrathin limit","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Phyllosilicate minerals are an emerging class of naturally occurring layered insulators with large bandgap energy that have gained attention from the scientific community. This class of lamellar materials has been recently explored at the ultrathin two-dimensional level due to their specific mechanical, electrical, magnetic, and optoelectronic properties, which are crucial for engineering novel devices (including heterostructures). Due to these properties, phyllosilicates minerals can be considered promising low-cost nanomaterials for future applications. In this Perspective article, we will present relevant features of these materials for their use in potential 2D-based electronic and optoelectronic applications, also discussing some of the major challenges in working with them.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2308.12875v1","authors":["Ingrid D. Barcelos","Raphaela de Oliveira","Gabriel R. Schleder","Matheus J. S. Matos","Raphael Longuinhos","Jenaina Ribeiro-Soares","Ana Paula M. Barboza","Mariana C. Prado","Elisângela S. Pinto","Yara Galvão Gobato","Hélio Chacham","Bernardo R. A. Neves","Alisson R. Cadore"],"tags":["physics.app-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-08-24T15:55:16Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.08994v1","name":"Interferometer measurements in interstellar communications: methods and observations","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Extraterrestrial communication signals are hypothesized to be present in an extensive search space. Using principles of communication theory and system design, methods are studied and implemented to reduce the signal search space, while considering intentional transmitter detectability. The design and observational work reported in this paper adds material to previous related reports. (ref. arXiv:2105.03727, arXiv:2106.10168, arXiv:2202.12791, arXiv:2203.10065). In the current work, a two-element radio interferometer telescope and receiver algorithms are utilized to perform differential angle-of-arrival and multi-bandwidth measurements of delta-t delta-f polarized pulse pairs. The system enhances extraterrestrial signal detectability, while reducing signal false positives caused by noise and radio frequency interference. Statistical analysis utilizes a Right Ascension filter spanning celestial coordinate ranges that include the previously determined anomalous celestial direction: 5.25 +- 0.15 hr Right Ascension, -7.6 degrees +- 1 degree Declination. Observations were conducted during a duration of 61 days, comprising 244 hours of interferometer measurements.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.08994v1","authors":["William J. Crilly"],"tags":["eess.SP","astro-ph.IM","physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-13T12:37:56Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1707.06854v1","name":"Should Evolution Necessarily be Egolution?","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In the article I study the evolutionary adaptivity of two simple population models, based on either altruistic or egoistic law of energy exchange. The computational experiments show the convincing advantage of the altruists, which brings us to a small discussion about genetic algorithms and extraterrestrial life.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1707.06854v1","authors":["Evgeny Ivanko"],"tags":["q-bio.PE","cs.MA"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-21T11:33:31Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:9708039v1","name":"The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS): search for antimatter and dark matter on the International Space Station","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The AMS is a state of the art detector for extraterrestrial study of antimatter, matter and missing matter. After a precursor flight on STS91 in May 1998, AMS will be installed on the International Space Station where it will operate for three years. In this paper the AMS experiment is described and is physics potential reviewed.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/hep-ex/9708039v1","authors":["R. Battiston"],"tags":["hep-ex","astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997-08-27T18:25:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2207.00151v1","name":"Space Broadband Access: The Race Has Just Begun","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Recent years have witnessed an exponential growth of the commercial space industry, including rocket launch, satellite network deployment, private space travel, and even extraterrestrial colonization. Several trends are predicted in this unprecedented transition to an era of space-enabled broadband access.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2207.00151v1","authors":["Yiming Huo"],"tags":["cs.NI","cs.ET","eess.SP","eess.SY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-05-06T19:27:08Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1412.1302v1","name":"On the abundance of extraterrestrial life after the Kepler mission","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The data recently accumulated by the Kepler mission have demonstrated that small planets are quite common and that a significant fraction of all stars may have an Earth-like planet within their Habitable Zone. These results are combined with a Drake-equation formalism to derive the space density of biotic planets as a function of the relatively modest uncertainty in the astronomical data and of the (yet unknown) probability for the evolution of biotic life, Fb. I suggest that Fb may be estimated by future spectral observations of exoplanet biomarkers. If Fb is in the range 0.001 -- 1 then a biotic planet may be expected within 10 -- 100 light years from Earth. Extending the biotic results to advanced life I derive expressions for the distance to putative civilizations in terms of two additional Drake parameters - the probability for evolution of a civilization, Fc, and its average longevity. For instance, assuming optimistic probability values (Fb Fc 1) and a broadcasting longevity of a few thousand years, the likely distance to the nearest civilizations detectable by SETI is of the order of a few thousand light years. The probability of detecting intelligent signals with present and future radio telescopes is calculated as a function of the Drake parameters. Finally, I describe how the detection of intelligent signals would constrain the Drake parameters.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1412.1302v1","authors":["Amri Wandel"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-12-03T12:40:34Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.16945v1","name":"Low temperature formation of pyridine and (iso)quinoline via neutral neutral reactions","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Aromatic molecules represent fundamental building blocks in prebiotic chemistry and are contemplated as vital precursors to DNA and RNA nitrogen bases. However, despite the identification of some 300 molecules in extraterrestrial environments, the pathways to pyridine (C5H5N), pyridinyl (C5H4N), and (iso)quinoline (C9H7N) the simplest representative of mono and bicyclic aromatic molecule carrying nitrogen are elusive. Here, we afford compelling evidence on the gas phase formation of methylene amidogen (H2CN) and cyanomethyl (H2CCN) radicals via molecular beam studies and electronic structure calculations. The modeling of the chemistries of Taurus Molecular Cloud (TMC 1) and Titans atmosphere contemplates a complex chain of reactions synthesizing pyridine, pyridinyl, and (iso)quinoline from H2CN and H2CCN at levels of up to 75%. This study affords unique entry points to precursors of DNA and RNA nitrogen bases in hydrocarbon rich extraterrestrial environments thus changing the way we think about the origin of prebiotic molecules in our Galaxy.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.16945v1","authors":["Zhenghai Yang","Chao He","Shane J. Goettl","Alexander M. Mebel","Paulo F. G. Velloso","Márcio O. Alves","Breno R. L. Galvão","Jean-Christophe Loison","Kevin M. Hickson","Michel Dobrijevic","Xiaohu Li","Ralf I. Kaiser"],"tags":["physics.chem-ph","astro-ph.GA"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-19T08:02:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1401.7434v1","name":"The MARTE VNIR Imaging Spectrometer Experiment: Design and Analysis","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We report on the design, operation, and data analysis methods employed on the VNIR imaging spectrometer instrument that was part of the Mars Astrobiology Research and Technology Experiment (MARTE). The imaging spectrometer is a hyperspectral scanning pushbroom device sensitive to VNIR wavelengths from 400-1000 nm. During the MARTE project, the spectrometer was deployed to the Rio Tinto region of Spain. We analyzed subsets of 3 cores from Rio Tinto using a new band modeling technique. We found most of the MARTE drill cores to contain predominantly goethite, though spatially coherent areas of hematite were identified in Core 23. We also distinguished non Fe-bearing minerals that were subsequently analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and found to be primarily muscovite. We present drill core maps that include spectra of goethite, hematite, and non Fe-bearing minerals.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1401.7434v1","authors":["Adrian J. Brown","Brad Sutter","Stephen Dunagan"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-01-29T08:47:16Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2111.06397v1","name":"Optical tweezers in a dusty universe","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Optical tweezers are powerful tools based on focused laser beams. They are able to trap, manipulate and investigate a wide range of microscopic and nanoscopic particles in different media, such as liquids, air, and vacuum. Key applications of this contactless technique have been developed in many fields. Despite this progress, optical trapping applications to planetary exploration is still to be developed. Here we describe how optical tweezers can be used to trap and characterize extraterrestrial particulate matter. In particular, we exploit light scattering theory in the T-matrix formalism to calculate radiation pressure and optical trapping properties of a variety of complex particles of astrophysical interest. Our results open perspectives in the investigation of extraterrestrial particles on our planet, in controlled laboratory experiments, aiming for space tweezers applications: optical tweezers used to trap and characterize dust particles in space or on planetary bodies surface.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2111.06397v1","authors":["P. Polimeno","A. Magazzu","M. A. Iati","R. Saija","L. Folco","D. Bronte Ciriza","M. G. Donato","A. Foti","P. G. Gucciardi","A. Saidi","C. Cecchi-Pestellini","A. Jimenez Escobar","E. Ammannito","G. Sindoni","I. Bertini","V. Della Corte","L. Inno","A. Ciaravella","A. Rotundi","O. M. Marago"],"tags":["physics.space-ph","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM","physics.optics"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-11-10T19:55:37Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2307.06293v1","name":"Peru Mining: Analysis and Forecast of Mining Production in Peru Using Time Series and Data Science Techniques","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Peruvian mining plays a crucial role in the country's economy, being one of the main producers and exporters of minerals worldwide. In this project, an application was developed in RStudio that utilizes statistical analysis and time series modeling techniques to understand and forecast mineral extraction in different departments of Peru. The application includes an interactive map that allows users to explore Peruvian geography and obtain detailed statistics by clicking on each department. Additionally, bar charts, pie charts, and frequency polygons were implemented to visualize and analyze the data. Using the ARIMA model, predictions were made on the future extraction of minerals, enabling informed decision-making in planning and resource management within the mining sector. The application provides an interactive and accessible tool to explore the Peruvian mining industry, comprehend trends, and make accurate forecasts. These predictions for 2027 in total annual production are as follows: Copper = 2,694,957 MT, Gold = 72,817.47 kg Fine, Zinc = 1,369,649 MT, Silver = 3,083,036 MT, Lead = 255,443 MT, Iron = 15,776,609 MT, Tin = 29,542 MT, Molybdenum = 35,044.66 MT, and Cadmium = 724 MT. These predictions, based on historical data, provide valuable information for strategic decision-making and contribute to the sustainable development of the mining industry in Peru.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2307.06293v1","authors":["Yhack Bryan Aycaya-Paco","Lindell Dennis Vilca-Mamani","Fred Torres-Cruz"],"tags":["stat.OT"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-12T16:40:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0909.0989v1","name":"First search for extraterrestrial neutrino-induced cascades with IceCube","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We report on the first search for extra-terrestrial neutrino-induced cascades in IceCube. The analyzed data were collected in the year 2007 when 22 detector strings were installed and operated. We will discuss the analysis methods used to reconstruct cascades and to suppress backgrounds. Simulated neutrino signal events with a E-2 energy spectrum, which pass the background rejection criteria, are reconstructed with a resolution dlogE ~ 0.27 in the energy range from ~20 TeV to a few PeV. We present the range of the diffuse flux of extra-terrestrial neutrinos in the cascade channel in IceCube within which we expect to be able to put a limit.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0909.0989v1","authors":["J. Kiryluk"],"tags":["astro-ph.HE","hep-ex"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-09-05T01:53:55Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0205080v1","name":"The Origin of Life in the Universe","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Terrestrial and extraterrestrial theories of the origin of life are discussed in the light of latest observations. The available data suggest a dual mode of origin, some of the ingredients, including possibly sugars, were brought to earth from outer space, which combined with other ingredients, such as proteins, already available on the earth leading to the formation of life.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0205080v1","authors":["B. G. Sidharth"],"tags":["physics.gen-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-05-28T16:10:22Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0508010v2","name":"Kolmogorov Complexity, String Information, Panspermia and the Fermi Paradox","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Bit strings rather than byte files can be a mode of transmission both for intelligent signals and for travels of extraterrestrial life. Kolmogorov complexity, i.e. the minimal length of a binary coded string completely defining a system, can then, due to its universality, become a key concept in the strategy of the search of extraterrestrials. Evaluating, for illustration, the Kolmogorov complexity of the human genome, one comes to an unexpected conclusion that a low complexity compressed string - analog of Noah's ark - will enable the recovery of the totality of terrestrial life. The recognition of bit strings of various complexity up to incompressible Martin-Löf random sequences, will require a different strategy for the analysis of the cosmic signals. The Fermi paradox \"Where is Everybody?\" can be viewed under in the light of such information panspermia, i.e. a Universe full of traveling life streams.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0508010v2","authors":["V. G. Gurzadyan"],"tags":["physics.gen-ph","astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-08-01T20:13:14Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2301.00378v1","name":"Quantifying Multiphase Flow of Aqueous Acid and Gas CO$_2$ in Deforming Porous Media Subject to Dissolution","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Mineral dissolution in porous media coupled with single- or multi-phase flows is pervasive in natural and engineering systems including carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) and acid stimulation in reservoir engineering. Dissolution of minerals occurs as chemicals in the solid phase is transformed into ions in the aqueous phase, effectively modifying the physical, hydrological and geochemical properties of the solid matrix, and thus leading to the strong coupling between local dissolution rate and pore-scale flow. However, our fundamental understanding of this coupling effect at the pore level is still limited. In this work, mineral dissolution is studied using novel calcite-based porous micromodels under single- and multiphase conditions, with a focus on the interactions of mineral dissolution with pore flow. The microfluidic devices used in the experiments were fabricated in calcite using photolithography and wet etching. These surrogate porous media offer precise control over the structures and chemical properties and facilitate unobstructed and unaberrated optical access to the pore flow with micro-PIV methods. The preliminary results provide a unique view of the flow dynamics during mineral dissolution. Based on these pore-scale measurements, correlations between pore-scale flow and dissolution rates can be developed for several representative conditions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2301.00378v1","authors":["Rafid Musabbir Rahman","Carson Kocmick","Colin Shaw","Yaofa Li"],"tags":["physics.flu-dyn"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-01T09:31:33Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0912.4980v1","name":"Galactic Punctuated Equilibrium: How to Undermine Carter's Anthropic Argument in Astrobiology","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We investigate a new strategy which can defeat the (in)famous Carter's \"anthropic\" argument against extraterrestrial life and intelligence. In contrast to those already considered by Wilson, Livio, and others, the present approach is based on relaxing hidden uniformitarian assumptions, considering instead a dynamical succession of evolutionary regimes governed by both global (Galaxy-wide) and local (planet- or planetary system-limited) regulation mechanisms. This is in accordance with recent developments in both astrophysics and evolutionary biology. Notably, our increased understanding of the nature of supernovae and gamma-ray bursts, as well as of strong coupling between the Solar System and the Galaxy on one hand, and the theories of \"punctuated equilibria\" of Eldredge and Gould and \"macroevolutionary regimes\" of Jablonski, Valentine, et al. on the other, are in full accordance with the regulation- mechanism picture. The application of this particular strategy highlights the limits of application of Carter's argument, and indicates that in the real universe its applicability conditions are not satisfied. We conclude that drawing far-reaching conclusions about the scarcity of extraterrestrial intelligence and the prospects of our efforts to detect it on the basis of this argument is unwarranted.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0912.4980v1","authors":["Milan M. Cirkovic","Branislav Vukotic","Ivana Dragicevic"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-12-30T13:19:00Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2111.13804v1","name":"New evidence for wet accretion of inner solar system planetesimals from meteorites Chelyabinsk andBenenitra","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We investigated the hydrogen isotopic compositions and water contents of pyroxenes in two recent ordinary chondrite falls, namely, Chelyabinsk (2013 fall) and Benenitra (2018 fall), and compared them to three ordinary chondrite Antarctic finds, namely Graves Nunataks GRA 06179, Larkman Nunatak LAR 12241, and Dominion Range DOM 10035. The pyroxene minerals in Benenitra and Chelyabinsk are hydrated ($\\sim$0.018-0.087 wt.$\\%$ H$_2$O) and show D-poor isotopic signatures ($δ$D$_{SMOW}$ from -444$\\unicode{x2030}$ to -49$\\unicode{x2030}$). On the contrary, the ordinary chondrite finds exhibit evidence of terrestrial contamination with elevated water contents ($\\sim$0.039-0.174 wt.$\\%$) and values (from -199$\\unicode{x2030}$ to -14$\\unicode{x2030}$). We evaluated several small parent body processes that are likely to alter the measured compositions in Benenitra and Chelyabinsk, and inferred that water-loss in S-type planetesimals is minimal during thermal metamorphism. Benenitra and Chelyabinsk hydrogen compositions reflect a mixed component of D-poor nebular hydrogen and water from the D-rich mesostases. 45-95$\\%$ of water in the minerals characterized by low $δ$D$_{SMOW}$ values was contributed by nebular hydrogen. S-type asteroids dominantly composed of nominally anhydrous minerals can hold 254-518 ppm of water. Addition of a nebular water component to nominally dry inner Solar System bodies during accretion suggests a reduced need of volatile delivery to the terrestrial planets during late accretion.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2111.13804v1","authors":["Ziliang Jin","Maitrayee Bose","Tim Lichtenberg","Gijs Mulders"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-11-27T03:39:37Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1805.02208v1","name":"Study of the fluvial activity on Mars through mapping, sediment transport modelling and spectroscopic analyses","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Mars is the only planet, other than Earth, for which there are several evidences that liquid water was abundant at the surface. Among them, one of the best evidence is that the ancient terrains of Mars are covered with fluvial and lacustrine features such as valley networks, longitudinal valleys and basin lakes. In addition, spectroscopic data have shown the widespread presence of aqueous alteration minerals on the Martian surface, including clays composed by phyllosilicates and hydrated salts. The main subject of my PhD is the study of these specific features (such as valley networks and paleolakes) on Mars surface, both from the geological and spectroscopic point of view through mapping, sediment transport modelling and CRISM spectra analyses. There are, in fact, no doubts that these structures were carved by liquid water, but several questions remain about the mechanisms of their formation and the climatic conditions under which this formation occurred. In this context, the study of these structures along with the identification of hydrated minerals, are a key in the investigation of the past climatic conditions of the planet which can have, in turn, important astrobiological implications. I updated previous global maps of Martian valleys using a new photomosaic of the Martian surface and data at higher resolution with respect to those used in the previous works. Furthermore, I selected a subset of the mapped valleys which includes 63 large fluvial systems and evaluated their formation timescales on the basis of sediment transport modelling. In addition, analyses of CRISM spectral data were performed on a sample of open/closed basin lakes (associated with the mapped valleys) detecting the possible presence of hydrated minerals, in particular (Fe/Mg-smectite), sometimes in association with mafic materials (olivine).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1805.02208v1","authors":["Giulia Alemanno"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-05-06T13:23:02Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2006.01167v3","name":"Reworking the SETI Paradox: METI's Place on the Continuum of Astrobiological Signaling","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) has heretofore been a largely passive exercise, reliant on the pursuit of technosignatures. Still, there are those that advocate a more active approach. Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI) has had a controversial history within the larger SETI project; it is claimed that the risks involved outweigh any potential benefits. These arguments are ultimately not compelling, result in absurd policy recommendations, and rest on a faulty appreciation of the nature of technosignatures, whose detectability implies intent to signal. Present technology is advancing quickly such that we will soon have great observational reach, to the point of reliably detecting such technosignatures and biosignatures: a capability that can be matched or exceeded elsewhere. To escape the SETI Paradox properly defined, at least one technological civilization must choose not to suppress its own continuum of astrobiological signals, of which METI is merely the most effective endmember. Passive SETI's low likelihood of success in the short-term is a serious obstacle to sustainable funding, alongside a 'giggle factor' enhanced by a pernicious fear of contact. The scientific community must integrate an active approach to better ensure both the continuity and eventual success of the SETI project.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2006.01167v3","authors":["T. Cortellesi"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-06-01T18:01:59Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2608.00310v1","name":"A Poromechanics-Based Framework for Fully Coupled Reactive Transport and Geomechanics in Porous Rocks","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Mineral precipitation and dissolution in rocks alter pore structure, stress, and hydraulic properties, producing tightly coupled chemo-hydro-mechanical processes that are central to subsurface systems. Yet, existing continuum-scale simulators lack a generalizable, mathematically tractable, and physically grounded chemo-mechanics formulation for modeling these coupled processes. To address this gap, this work presents a poromechanics-based framework for chemo-mechanics coupling and integrates it into coupled reactive transport and geomechanics simulations. Building upon classical poromechanics theory, the framework provides distinct descriptions for the stress states of the host rock, pore fluid, and pore minerals, enabling a rigorous and flexible treatment of their individual behavior and mechanical interactions during precipitation and dissolution. As demonstrated by numerical examples, the poromechanics-based method captures the expected mechanical response by translating pore-scale mineral growth into mineralization pressure. By accounting for mineral compressibility, the method also supports more physically realistic representations of deformation and induced stress. Comparisons with the eigenstrain method further highlight the unique capability of the poromechanics-based approach to model effective stress evolution and fracture development without explicitly representing pore geometry or other microstructural features. Overall, this framework offers a versatile, physics-based predictive approach to modeling coupled chemo-mechanical processes in reactive porous rocks and supports future reservoir-scale analyses of engineered subsurface systems.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.00310v1","authors":["Fan Fei","Yifan Yang","Aleksander Zibitsker","Giuseppe Buscarnera","Randolph Settgast","Kari Finstad","Giovanna Bucci"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-31T21:42:55Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1912.06026v1","name":"Bioinspired Materials with Self-Adaptable Mechanical Properties","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Natural structural materials, such as bone and wood, can autonomously adapt their mechanical properties in response to loading to prevent failure. They smartly control the addition of material in locations of high stress by utilizing locally available resources guided by biological signals. On the contrary, synthetic structural materials have unchanging mechanical properties limiting their mechanical performance and service life. Here, a material system that autonomously adapts its mechanical properties in response to mechanical loading is reported inspired by the mineralization process of bone. It is observed that charges from piezoelectric scaffolds can induce mineralization from media with mineral ions. The material system adapts to mechanical loading by inducing mineral deposition in proportion to the magnitude of the loading and the resulting piezoelectric charges. Moreover, the mechanism allows a simple one-step route for making graded materials by controlling stress distribution along the scaffold. The findings can pave the way for a new class of self-adaptive materials that reinforce the region of high stress or induce deposition of minerals on the damaged areas from the increase in stress to prevent/mitigate failure. They can also contribute to addressing the current challenges of synthetic materials for load-bearing applications from self-adaptive capabilities.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1912.06026v1","authors":["Santiago Orrego","Zhezhi Chen","Urszula Krekora","Decheng Hou","Seung-Yeol Jeon","Matthew Pittman","Carolina Montoya","Yun Chen","Sung Hoon Kang"],"tags":["physics.app-ph","cond-mat.mtrl-sci","cond-mat.soft","nlin.AO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-12-12T15:24:40Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1901.00146v1","name":"Cherenkov light imaging in astroparticle physics","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Cherenkov light induced by fast charged particles in transparent dielectric media such as air or water is exploited by a variety of experimental techniques to detect and measure extraterrestrial particles impinging on Earth. A selection of detection principles is discussed and corresponding experiments are presented together with breakthrough-results they achieved. Some future developments are highlighted.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1901.00146v1","authors":["U. F. Katz"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.HE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-01-01T12:26:57Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2310.00067v1","name":"Solvent constraints for biopolymer folding and evolution in extraterrestrial environments","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We propose that spontaneous folding and molecular evolution of biopolymers are two universal aspects that must concur for life to happen. These aspects are fundamentally related to the chemical composition of biopolymers and crucially depend on the solvent in which they are embedded. We show that molecular information theory and energy landscape theory allow us to explore the limits that solvents impose on biopolymer existence. We consider 54 solvents, including water, alcohols, hydrocarbons, halogenated solvents, aromatic solvents, and low molecular weight substances made up of elements abundant in the universe, which may potentially take part in alternative biochemistries. We find that along with water, there are many solvents for which the liquid regime is compatible with biopolymer folding and evolution. We present a ranking of the solvents in terms of biopolymer compatibility. Many of these solvents have been found in molecular clouds or may be expected to occur in extrasolar planets.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2310.00067v1","authors":["Ignacio E. Sánchez","Ezequiel A. Galpern","Diego U. Ferreiro"],"tags":["q-bio.BM","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-29T18:18:18Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1712.05739v2","name":"Cosmic Neutrinos","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Neutrinos are key astronomical messengers, because they are undeflected by magnetic field and unattenuated by electromagnetic interaction. After the first detection of extraterrestrial neutrinos in the TeV-PeV region by Neutrino Telescopes we are entering a new epoch where neutrino astronomy becomes possible. In this paper I briefly review the main issues concerning cosmological neutrinos and their experimental observation.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1712.05739v2","authors":["Ofelia Pisanti"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO","hep-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-12-15T16:34:09Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1906.05800v2","name":"Paleo-Detectors for Galactic Supernova Neutrinos","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Paleo-detectors are a proposed experimental technique in which one would search for traces of recoiling nuclei in ancient minerals. Natural minerals on Earth are as old as $\\mathcal{O}(1)\\,$Gyr and, in many minerals, the damage tracks left by recoiling nuclei are also preserved for timescales long compared to 1 Gyr once created. Thus, even reading out relatively small target samples of order 100 g, paleo-detectors would allow one to search for very rare events thanks to the large exposure, $\\varepsilon \\sim 100\\,{\\rm g}\\,{\\rm Gyr} = 10^5\\,{\\rm t}\\,{\\rm yr}$. Here, we explore the potential of paleo-detectors to measure nuclear recoils induced by neutrinos from galactic core collapse supernovae. We find that they would not only allow for a direct measurement of the average core collapse supernova rate in the Milky Way, but would also contain information about the time-dependence of the local supernova rate over the past $\\sim$1 Gyr. Since the supernova rate is thought to be directly proportional to the star formation rate, such a measurement would provide a determination of the local star formation history. We investigate the sensitivity of paleo-detectors to both a smooth time evolution and an enhancement of the core collapse supernova rate on relatively short timescales, as would be expected for a starburst period in the local group.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1906.05800v2","authors":["Sebastian Baum","Thomas D. P. Edwards","Bradley J. Kavanagh","Patrick Stengel","Andrzej K. Drukier","Katherine Freese","Maciej Górski","Christoph Weniger"],"tags":["astro-ph.GA","astro-ph.CO","hep-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-06-13T16:34:42Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2501.08890v1","name":"An investigation of the relationship between morphology and chemistry of the D-type spherules from the recovery expedition of the CNEOS 2014-01-08 bolide: Implications for origins","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Cosmic spherules have largely been classified into S-, I-, and G-types according to their compositions, and are identified to have chondritic or achondritic materials as precursors. A recent recovery expedition attempted to sample fragments of the CNEOS 2014-01-08 bolide retrieved roughly 850 magnetic particles, some of which have unknown origins. Among those identified were a new group of highly differentiated materials consisting of close to 160 specimens categorized as \"D-type\" particles. We studied the D-type particles with the goal of comparing their various morphological features to their chemical compositional groupings. Four morphological classifications are considered: \"scoriaceous,\" \"stubby,\" \"blocky,\" and \"vesicular.\" The specimens from the \"scoriaceous\" and \"stubby\" groups exhibit a spinel/magnetite rim in at least one instance, characteristic of atmospheric entry, and textures indicative of quenching such as dendritic microcrystalline structures, suggesting that a subset of specimens from these groups are candidates for materials of extraterrestrial origin. The particles exhibiting \"blocky\" and \"vesicular\" textures are likely to be terrestrial in origin, with no obvious quench features or signs of ablation. The D-type particles identified and characterized in this study have a spectrum of terrestrial and probable extraterrestrial origins.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.08890v1","authors":["Eugenia Hyung","Juliana Cherston","Stein B. Jacobsen"," Abraham"," Loeb"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.chem-ph","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-15T16:01:46Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0211571v2","name":"Status of the BAIKAL neutrino project","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We review the present status of the Baikal Neutrino Project and present results on upward going atmospheric neutrinos, results of a search for high energy extraterrestrial neutrinos as well as preliminary results of searching for acoustic signals from EAS in water. We describe the moderate upgrade of NT-200 planned for next years and discuss a possible detector on the Gigaton scale.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0211571v2","authors":["G. V. Domogatskii"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-11-26T14:33:05Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1704.08404v1","name":"Astronomic Bioethics: Terraforming X Planetary protection","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A hard difficulty in Astrobiology is the precise definition of what life is. All living beings have a cellular structure, so it is not possible to have a broader concept of life hence the search for extraterrestrial life is restricted to extraterrestrial cells. Earth is an astronomical rarity because it is difficult for a planet to present liquid water on the surface. Two antagonistic bioethical principles arise: planetary protection and terraforming. Planetary protection is based on the fear of interplanetary cross-infection and possible ecological damages caused by alien living beings. Terraforming is the intention of modifying the environmental conditions of the neighbouring planets in such a way that human colonisation would be possible. The synthesis of this antagonism is ecopoiesis, a concept related to the creation of new ecosystems in other planets. Since all the multicellular biodiversity requires oxygen to survive, only extremophile microorganisms could survive in other planets. So, it could be carried out a simulation of a meteorite by taking to other planets portions of the terrestrial permafrost, or ocean or soil, so that if a single species could grow, a new ecosystem would start, as well as a new Natural History. As a conclusion, ecopoiesis should be the bioethical principle to guide practices and research in Astrobiology.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1704.08404v1","authors":["Dario Palhares","Íris Almeida dos Santos"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-04-27T01:34:01Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.05634v1","name":"A Physics Model for Origin of Life","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this article, we attempt to convince the reader that the origin of life was such an exceptionally unlikely event that it probably has never occurred elsewhere. This involves an explicit calculation using the laws of physics which, while speculative, may encapsulate the essential science without knowledge of biological details. Making only physics, and no biology, assumptions about the origin of the first single celled organism (SCO) on Earth, we adopt methods of quantum tunnelling to make an estimate of the probability ${\\cal P}_{SCO}$ for the origin of life. We argue that before the time $t_{SCO}$ laws of physics must suffice and assume a first-order phase transition which nucleates at the first SCO production. In the classical limit where Planck's constant vanishes $h\\rightarrow0$, ${\\cal P}_{SCO}$ also vanishes and remains extremely small for the correct value of $h$. Thus quantum mechanics plays a central role in permitting life to form. We compare the resultant probability with the expected number of exoplanets in the Milky Way ($\\sim10^{12}$) and the Visible Universe ($\\sim10^{24}$) and conclude that the probability of extraterrestrial life in the Visible Universe is infinitesimal. This result suggests that the visible universe is a lonely place for humankind because extraterrestrial life will never be encountered.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.05634v1","authors":["Paul Howard Frampton"],"tags":["hep-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-08T20:30:37Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2111.06350v1","name":"Analysis of the Breakthrough Listen signal of interest blc1 with a technosignature verification framework","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The aim of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) is to find technologically-capable life beyond Earth through their technosignatures. On 2019 April 29, the Breakthrough Listen SETI project observed Proxima Centauri with the Parkes 'Murriyang' radio telescope. These data contained a narrowband signal with characteristics broadly consistent with a technosignature near 982 MHz ('blc1'). Here we present a procedure for the analysis of potential technosignatures, in the context of the ubiquity of human-generated radio interference, which we apply to blc1. Using this procedure, we find that blc1 is not an extraterrestrial technosignature, but rather an electronically-drifting intermodulation product of local, time-varying interferers aligned with the observing cadence. We find dozens of instances of radio interference with similar morphologies to blc1 at frequencies harmonically related to common clock oscillators. These complex intermodulation products highlight the necessity for detailed follow-up of any signal-of-interest using a procedure such as the one outlined in this work.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2111.06350v1","authors":["Sofia Z. Sheikh","Shane Smith","Danny C. Price","David DeBoer","Brian C. Lacki","Daniel J. Czech","Steve Croft","Vishal Gajjar","Howard Isaacson","Matt Lebofsky","David H. E. MacMahon","Cherry Ng","Karen I. Perez","Andrew P. V. Siemion","Claire Isabel Webb","Andrew Zic","Jamie Drew","S. Pete Worden"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP","physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-11-11T18:02:39Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.10759v2","name":"Dynamic Three-dimensional Simulation of Surface Charging on Rotating Asteroids","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Surface charging phenomenon of asteroids, mainly resulting from solar wind plasma and solar radiation, has been studied extensively. However, the influence of asteroid's rotation on surface charging has yet to be fully understood. Here neural network is established to replace numerical integration, improving the efficiency of dynamic three-dimensional simulation. We implement simulation of rotating asteroids and surrounding plasma environment under different conditions, including quiet solar wind and solar storms, various minerals on asteroid's surface also be considered. For asteroids with rotation periods comparable to orbital period, effect of orbital motion and obliquity also be studied. Results show that under typical solar wind, the maximum and minimum potential of asteroids will gradually decrease with their increasing periods, especially when solar wind is obliquely incident. For asteroid has period longer than one week, this decreasing trend will become extremely slow. During solar storm passing, solar wind plasma changes sharply, the susceptibility of asteroid's surface potential to rotation is greatly pronounced. Minerals on surface also count, plagioclase is the most sensitive mineral among those we explored, while ilmenite seems indifferent to changes in rotation periods. Understanding the surface charging of asteroid under various rotation periods or angles, is crucial for further research into solar wind plasma and asteroid's surface dust motion, providing a reference for safe landing exploration of asteroids.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.10759v2","authors":["Ronghui Quan","Zhiying Song","Zhigui Liu"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.plasm-ph","physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-17T13:13:45Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2606.26022v1","name":"The Allure of Complete Discovery as Passage: Broadening the Range of SETI Research Ideas via Futures Literacy and Triple-Loop Learning","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper argues that, although it principally refers to extraterrestrial rather than human affairs, SETI's imaginary is a social imaginary proper, as it is implicitly linked in an intrinsic, non-trivial, co-constitutive way to a social imaginary of humanity's future. Specifically, SETI's imaginary is an imaginary of a society of sapient extraterrestrials that makes possible the achievement of a desirable future of humanity through the former's discovery by the latter. Moreover, it argues that the range of SETI research ideas, which get bundled in non-fictional conviction narratives promising SETI's imaginary, is currently limited because actualizing this desirable future state of humanity after such a discovery relies on a \"complete discovery\". Finally, an intervention is offered in the form of a hands-on workshop for SETI scientists, which could help them reveal, reframe, and rethink the role that this imaginary for a desirable \"post-discovery\" future of humanity plays in their present research ideas.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.26022v1","authors":["George Profitiliotis"],"tags":["physics.soc-ph","physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-24T16:45:19Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1405.5337v2","name":"Searches for topological defect dark matter via non-gravitational signatures","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We propose schemes for the detection of topological defect dark matter using pulsars and other luminous extraterrestrial systems via non-gravitational signatures. The dark matter field, which makes up a defect, may interact with standard model particles, including quarks and the photon, resulting in the alteration of their masses. When a topological defect passes through a pulsar, its mass, radius and internal structure may be altered, resulting in a pulsar `quake'. A topological defect may also function as a cosmic dielectric material with a distinctive frequency-dependent index of refraction, which would give rise to the time delay of a periodic extraterrestrial light or radio signal, and the dispersion of a light or radio source in a manner distinct to a gravitational lens. A topological defect passing through Earth may give rise to temporary non-zero electric dipole moments for an electron, proton, neutron, nuclei and atoms. The biggest advantage of such astrophysical observations over recently proposed terrestrial detection methods is the much higher probability of a defect been found in the vast volumes of outer space compared with one passing through Earth itself.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1405.5337v2","authors":["Y. V. Stadnik","V. V. Flambaum"],"tags":["hep-ph","astro-ph.CO","astro-ph.HE","nucl-th","physics.atom-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-05-21T08:57:39Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2004.08394v2","name":"Measuring Changes in the Atmospheric Neutrino Rate Over Gigayear Timescales","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Measuring the cosmic ray flux over timescales comparable to the age of the solar system, $\\sim 4.5\\,$Gyr, could provide a new window on the history of the Earth, the solar system, and even our galaxy. We present a technique to indirectly measure the rate of cosmic rays as a function of time using the imprints of atmospheric neutrinos in paleo-detectors, natural minerals which record damage tracks from nuclear recoils. Minerals commonly found on Earth are $\\lesssim 1\\,$Gyr old, providing the ability to look back across cosmic ray history on timescales of the same order as the age of the solar system. Given a collection of differently aged samples dated with reasonable accuracy, this technique is particularly well-suited to measuring historical changes in the cosmic ray flux at Earth and is broadly applicable in astrophysics and geophysics.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2004.08394v2","authors":["Johnathon R. Jordan","Sebastian Baum","Patrick Stengel","Alfredo Ferrari","Maria Cristina Morone","Paola Sala","Joshua Spitz"],"tags":["hep-ph","astro-ph.GA","astro-ph.HE","astro-ph.IM","hep-ex","physics.ins-det"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-04-17T18:00:01Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1803.07701v1","name":"Very high efficiency of low cost graphite-based solar cell by improving the fill factor using optimal ion concentration in polymer electrolyte","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We report the development of graphite-based solar cells using a simple method and low cost materials. Suspension of graphite powder in mineral water was simply dropped onto the surface of fluorine-doped tin oxide glass (FTO) to form a thick film. Surprisingly, using mineral waters greatly improved the efficiency of the solar cell to reach the highest efficiency of 6.97%. Due to some minerals contained, the mineral water induced the development of fibrous structure between the graphite particles which is assumed to play a role as a bridge for the photoexcited electrons to quickly move to the electrode and suppress recombination with holes. This efficiency is very attractive when considering the materials used to develop the solar cell are all low cost. Economically this may challenge the present high efficiency semiconductor-based solar cells. We achieved the high efficiency by manipulating the cell fill factor through optimizing the ion concentration in PVA.LiOH polymer electrolyte. We also propose an equation to describe the effect of LiOH concentration and efficiency and we also provide strong correlation between the cell efficiency and the polymer conductivity","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1803.07701v1","authors":["Dui Yanto Rahman","Fisca Dian Utami","Asep Ridwan Setiawan","Euis Sustini","Mikrajuddin Abdullah"],"tags":["physics.app-ph","cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-03-21T00:27:34Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2307.01255v2","name":"Effects of clays on spin-spin relaxation: a route for non-invasive total clay content quantification","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Clay minerals are important components of sandstone rocks, due to their significant role in petrophysical properties like porosity and permeability. These minerals have a particular impact on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance measurements since the iron inside clays generates internal gradients that impact the transverse relaxation directly. Here, we apply a methodology recently developed to a set of 20 sandstones with diverse clay content and mineralogy to estimate the total clay content. This estimation relies on the effect of internal gradients and restricted diffusion on transverse relaxation. Our analysis revealed a linear correlation between the total clay content and the displacement of the peak of the T$_2$ distribution as a function of $τ$, which is half the echo time in the CPMG sequence. Based on these measurements, we propose a geochemical rock typing from quantities determined by our measurements, namely total clay content and porosity.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2307.01255v2","authors":["Jefferson G. Filgueiras","Matheus S. J. de Miranda","Carla S. Semiramis","Rodrigo B. V. de Azeredo"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph","physics.app-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-03T18:00:01Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2502.20419v1","name":"Multibeam SETI Observations toward Nearby M dwarfs with FAST","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) targeted searches aim to observe specific areas and objects to find possible technosignatures. Many SETI researches have focused on nearby stars and their planets in recent years. In this paper, we report a targeted SETI observations using the most sensitive L-band Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) toward three nearby M dwarfs, all of which have been discovered exoplanet candidates. The minimum equivalent isotropic radiant power of the lower limit from the three sources we can detect is $6.19 \\times 10^{8}$ W, which is well within the reach of current human technology. Applying the multibeam coincidence matching (MBCM) blind search mode, we search for narrowband drifting signals across 1.05-1.45 GHz in each of the two orthogonal linear polarization directions. An unusual signal at 1312.50 MHz detected from the observation toward AD Leo originally piqued our interest. However, we finally eliminate the possibility of an extraterrestrial origin based on much evidence, such as the polarization, frequency, and beam coverage characteristics.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.20419v1","authors":["Xiao-Hang Luan","Bo-Lun Huang","Zhen-Zhao Tao","Yan Cui","Tong-Jie Zhang","Pei Wang"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-27T03:49:29Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1104.4322v1","name":"On the Origin and Evolution of Life in the Galaxy","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A simple stochastic model for evolution, based upon the need to pass a sequence of n critical steps (Carter 1983, Watson 2008) is applied to both terrestrial and extraterrestrial origins of life. In the former case, the time at which humans have emerged during the habitable period of the Earth suggests a value of n = 4. Progressively adding earlier evolutionary transitions (Maynard Smith and Szathmary, 1995) gives an optimum fit when n = 5, implying either that their initial transitions are not critical or that habitability began around 6 Ga ago. The origin of life on Mars or elsewhere within the Solar System is excluded by the latter case and the simple anthropic argument is that extraterrestrial life is scarce in the Universe because it does not have time to evolve. Alternatively, the timescale can be extended if the migration of basic progenotic material to Earth is possible. If extra transitions are included in the model to allow for Earth migration, then the start of habitability needs to be even earlier than 6 Ga ago. Our present understanding of Galactic habitability and dynamics does not exclude this possibility. We conclude that Galactic punctuated equilibrium (Cirkovic et al. 2009), proposed as a way round the anthropic problem, is not the only way of making life more common in the Galaxy.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1104.4322v1","authors":["Michael McCabe","Holly Lucas"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.CO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-03-17T17:39:39Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1310.3543v4","name":"Flavor revolution at ICECUBE horizons?","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Recently (May-November 2013) highest energy neutrino events have been presented by ICECUBE. Most (21) of all these (28) events are cascades shower whose flux exhibits a sharp hardening respect other lower energy atmospheric neutrino component, events suggesting an injection of extraterrestrial neutrino, mostly nu e, nu tau, making cascades. ICECUBE claimed that a component (10:6+5:0 3:6), a third, of these events must be a trace of expected downward muons and-or atmospheric neutrinos (muon track dominated): The probability that this scenario occurs is very poor, about 0.1- 0.5%. The paradox might be mitigate as we suggest if nearly all of the 28 events are originated by extraterrestrial sources arriving to us in de-coherent states. At first sight also a partial solution may rise if highest energy events at E nu &gt; 60 TeV ( 17 showering versus 4 muon tracks) are mostly of extraterrestrial nature. However this solution leaves problematic the earlier 30 - 60 TeV energy region, whose 8 showers versus 3 tracks is in tension with most nearby atmospheric neutrino signals, by a sharp difference at TeV energy ruled (as shown in Deep Core) by ten over one neutrino (muon) events over showers. This puzzling (fast) flavor transition from atmospheric nu muon flux at TeV to tens TeV showers and muon neutrino absence has deep consequences. Few cascades shower events in Antares might also test the nu flavor changes above TeVs up to a rare one at few tens TeV signal. Higher energy EeV tau air-shower induced by UHE nu tau within mountains or Earth skin while skimming terrestrial ground as AUGER arrays might be still rare, but the correlated horizontal upward PeVs tau air-shower may soon shine into ASHRA crown telescopes at mountain edges by their Cherenkov flashes.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1310.3543v4","authors":["Daniele Fargion","Paolo Paggi"],"tags":["astro-ph.HE","astro-ph.IM","hep-ph","nucl-ex"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-10-14T01:55:45Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1612.03844v1","name":"How far are Extraterrestrial Life and Intelligence after Kepler ?","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Kepler mission has shown that a significant fraction of all stars may have an Earth-size habitable planet. A dramatic support was the recent detection of Proxima Centauri b. Using a Drake-equation like formalism I derive an equation for the abundance of biotic planets as a function of the relatively modest uncertainty in the astronomical data and of the (yet unknown) probability for the evolution of biotic life, Fb. I suggest that Fb may be estimated by future spectral observations of exoplanet biomarkers. It follows that if Fb is not very small, then a biotic planet may be expected within about 10 light years from Earth. Extending this analyses to advanced life, I derive expressions for the distance to putative civilizations in terms of two additional Drake parameters - the probability for evolution of a civilization, Fc, and its average longevity. Assuming \"optimistic\" values for the Drake parameters, (Fb~Fc~1), and a broadcasting duration of a few thousand years, the likely distance to the nearest civilizations detectable by SETI is of the order of a few thousand light years. Finally I calculate the distance and probability of detecting intelligent signals with present and future radio telescopes such as Arecibo and SKA and how it could constrain the Drake parameters.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1612.03844v1","authors":["Amri Wandel"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-12-12T18:43:22Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.12281v1","name":"Detection of a 2.85 micrometer Feature on 5 Spinel-rich Asteroids from JWST","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Ground-based observations of `Barbarian' L-type asteroids at 1 to 2.5-$μ$m indicate that their near-infrared spectra are dominated by the mineral spinel, which has been attributed to a high abundance of calcium-aluminum inclusions (CAIs) -- the first solids to condense out of the protoplanetary disk during the formation of the Solar System. However, the spectral properties of these asteroids from 2.5 to 5-$μ$m, a wavelength region that covers signatures of hydrated minerals, water, and organics, have not yet been explored. Here, we present 2 to 5-$μ$m reflectance spectra of five spinel-rich asteroids obtained with the NIRSpec instrument on the James Webb Space Telescope. All five targets exhibit a $\\sim$ 2.85-$μ$m absorption feature with a band depth of 3-6$\\%$ that appears correlated in strength with that of the 2-$μ$m spinel absorption feature. The shape and position of the 2.85-$μ$m feature are not a good match to the 2.7-$μ$m feature commonly seen in carbonaceous CM meteorites or C-type asteroids. The closest spectral matches are to the Moon and Vesta, suggesting commonalities in aqueous alteration across silicate bodies, infall of hydrated material, and/or space weathering by solar wind H implantation. Lab spectra of CO/CV chondrites, CAIs, as well as the minerals cronstedtite and spinel, also show a similar feature, providing clues into the origin of the 2.85-$μ$m feature.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.12281v1","authors":["Jonathan Gomez Barrientos","Katherine de Kleer","Bethany L. Ehlmann","Francois L. H. Tissot","Jessica Mueller"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-20T18:00:01Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1810.03828v1","name":"AKARI/IRC Near-Infrared Asteroid Spectroscopic Survey: AcuA-spec","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Knowledge of water in the solar system is important for understanding of a wide range of evolutionary processes and the thermal history of the solar system. To explore the existence of water in the solar system, it is indispensable to investigate hydrated minerals and/or water ice on asteroids. These water-related materials show absorption features in the 3-$\\micron$ band (wavelengths from 2.7 to 3.1 $\\micron$). We conducted a spectroscopic survey of asteroids in the 3-$\\micron$ band using the Infrared Camera (IRC) on board the Japanese infrared satellite AKARI. In the warm mission period of AKARI, 147 pointed observations were performed for 66 asteroids in the grism mode for wavelengths from 2.5 to 5 $\\micron$. According to these observations, most C-complex asteroids have clear absorption features ($&gt; 10\\%$ with respect to the continuum) related to hydrated minerals at a peak wavelength of approximately 2.75 $\\micron$, while S-complex asteroids have no significant feature in this wavelength range. The present data are released to the public as the Asteroid Catalog using AKARI Spectroscopic Observations (AcuA-spec).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1810.03828v1","authors":["Fumihiko Usui","Sunao Hasegawa","Takafumi Ootsubo","Takashi Onaka"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-10-09T06:23:11Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2501.06939v1","name":"Super-Resolution of 3D Micro-CT Images Using Generative Adversarial Networks: Enhancing Resolution and Segmentation Accuracy","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We develop a procedure for substantially improving the quality of segmented 3D micro-Computed Tomography (micro-CT) images of rocks with a Machine Learning (ML) Generative Model. The proposed model enhances the resolution eightfold (8x) and addresses segmentation inaccuracies due to the overlapping X-ray attenuation in micro-CT measurement for different rock minerals and phases. The proposed generative model is a 3D Deep Convolutional Wasserstein Generative Adversarial Network with Gradient Penalty (3D DC WGAN-GP). The algorithm is trained on segmented 3D low-resolution micro-CT images and segmented unpaired complementary 2D high-resolution Laser Scanning Microscope (LSM) images. The algorithm was demonstrated on multiple samples of Berea sandstones. We achieved high-quality super-resolved 3D images with a resolution of 0.4375 micro-m/voxel and accurate segmentation for constituting minerals and pore space. The described procedure can significantly expand the modern capabilities of digital rock physics.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.06939v1","authors":["Evgeny Ugolkov","Xupeng He","Hyung Kwak","Hussein Hoteit"],"tags":["eess.IV","cs.CV","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-12T21:33:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2309.15377v2","name":"The most sensitive SETI observations toward Barnard's star with FAST","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) has been mainly focused on nearby stars and their planets in recent years. Barnard's star is the second closest star system to the sun and the closest star in the FAST observable sky which makes the minimum Equivalent Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) required for a hypothetical radio transmitter from Barnard's star to be detected by FAST telescope a mere 4.36x10^8 W. In this paper, we present the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) telescope as the most sensitive instrument for radio SETI observations toward nearby star systems and conduct a series of observations to Barnard's star (GJ 699). By applying the multi-beam coincidence matching (MBCM) strategy on the FAST telescope, we search for narrow-band signals (~Hz) in the frequency range of 1.05-1.45 GHz, and two orthogonal linear polarization directions are recorded. Despite finding no evidence of radio technosignatures in our series of observations, we have developed predictions regarding the hypothetical extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) signal originating from Barnard's star. These predictions are based on the star's physical properties and our observation strategy.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.15377v2","authors":["Zhen-Zhao Tao","Bo-Lun Huang","Xiao-Hang Luan","Jian-Kang Li","Hai-Chen Zhao","Hong-Feng Wang","Tong-Jie Zhang"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-27T03:13:26Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0610239v1","name":"Modification of streaming potential by precipitation of calcite in a sand-water system: laboratory measurements pH range from 4 to 12","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Spontaneous Potentials associated with volcanic activity are often interpreted by means of the electrokinetic potential, which is usually positive in the flow direction (i.e. Zeta potential of the rock is negative). The water-rock interactions in hydrothermal zones alter the primary minerals leading to the formation of secondary minerals. This work addresses the study of calcite precipitation in a sand composed of 98% quartz and 2% calcite using streaming potential measurements. The precipitation of calcite as a secondary mineral phase, inferred by high calcite saturation indices and by a fall in permeability, has a significant effect on the electrokinetic behaviour, leading to a significant reduction in the Zeta potential (in absolute value) and even a change in sign. The measured decrease in Zeta potential from -16 mV to -27&amp;plusmn;4 mV takes place as the pH rises from 4 to 7, while it remains constant at -25&amp;plusmn;1 mV as the pH increases from 8 to 10.5. For pH higher than 10.5, calcite precipitates and is expected to coat the quartz surface. The measured Zeta potential vary from -17 to +8 mV for pH ranging from 10.6 to 11.7 depending on the amount of precipitated calcite indicated by the decrease in permeability. The observed change in sign of the electrical surface potential rules out the usual qualitative interpretation of SP anomalies in order to determine fluid circulations, even at pH lower than 9 if calcite is widely present as a secondary mineral phase, since the electrical surface potential of calcite depends also on CO2 partial pressure and [Ca2+]. Therefore SP anomalies as measured in hydrothermal field, without mineralogical analyses of hydrothermal deposits, and without geochemical fluid survey, should be interpreted with caution.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0610239v1","authors":["Xavier Guichet","Laurence Jouniaux","Nicole Catel"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-10-26T10:38:56Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1709.01149v2","name":"Biotechnology and the lifetime of technical civilizations","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The number of people able to end Earth's technical civilization has heretofore been small. Emerging dual-use technologies, such as biotechnology, may give similar power to thousands or millions of individuals. To quantitatively investigate the ramifications of such a marked shift on the survival of both terrestrial and extraterrestrial technical civilizations, this paper presents a two-parameter model for civilizational lifespans, i.e. the quantity $L$ in Drake's equation for the number of communicating extraterrestrial civilizations. One parameter characterizes the population lethality of a civilization's biotechnology and the other characterizes the civilization's psychosociology. $L$ is demonstrated to be less than the inverse of the product of these two parameters. Using empiric data from Pubmed to inform the biotechnology parameter, the model predicts human civilization's median survival time as decades to centuries, even with optimistic psychosociological parameter values, thereby positioning biotechnology as a proximate threat to human civilization. For an ensemble of civilizations having some median calculated survival time, the model predicts that, after 80 times that duration, only one in $10^{24}$ civilizations will survive -- a tempo and degree of winnowing compatible with Hanson's \"Great Filter.\" Thus, assuming that civilizations universally develop advanced biotechnology, before they become vigorous interstellar colonizers, the model provides a resolution to the Fermi paradox.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1709.01149v2","authors":["John G. Sotos"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-09-04T20:41:41Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.05038v1","name":"The Spider Stellar Engine: a Fully Steerable Extraterrestrial Design?","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A long-lived civilization will inevitably have to migrate towards a nearby star as its home star runs out of nuclear fuel. One way to achieve such a migration is by transforming its star into a stellar engine, and to control its motion in the galaxy. We first provide a brief overview of stellar engines and conclude that looking for technosignatures of stellar engines has taken two roads: on the observational side, hypervelocity stars have been the target of such searches, but without good candidates. On the theoretical side, stellar engine concepts have been proposed but are poorly linked to observable technosignatures. Since about half the stars in our galaxy are in binary systems where life might develop too, we introduce a model of a binary stellar engine. We propose mechanisms for acceleration, deceleration, steering in the orbital plane and outside of the orbital plane. We apply the model to candidate systems, spider pulsars, which are binary stars composed of one millisecond pulsar and a very low-mass companion star that is heavily irradiated by the pulsar wind. We discuss potential signatures of acceleration, deceleration, steering, as well as maneuvers such as gravitational assists or captures. Keywords: Pulsars: Spiders, Technosignatures, Stellar engine, Interstellar travel","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.05038v1","authors":["Clément Vidal"],"tags":["astro-ph.HE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-06T17:34:08Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2208.02421v4","name":"Sensitive Multi-beam Targeted SETI Observations towards 33 Exoplanet Systems with FAST","source":"arxiv","abstract":"As a major approach to looking for life beyond the Earth, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) is committed to detecting technosignatures such as engineered radio signals that are indicative of technologically capable life. In this paper, we report a targeted SETI campaign employing an observation strategy named multi-beam coincidence matching (MBCM) at the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) towards 33 known exoplanet systems, searching for ETI narrow-band drifting signals across 1.05-1.45 GHz in two orthogonal linear polarization directions separately. A signal at 1140.604 MHz detected from the observation towards Kepler-438 originally peaked our interest because its features are roughly consistent with assumed ETI technosignatures. However, evidences such as its polarization characteristics are almost able to eliminate the possibility of an extraterrestrial origin. Our observations achieve an unprecedented sensitivity since the minimum equivalent isotropic radiated power (EIRP) we are able to detect reaches 1.48 x10^9 W.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2208.02421v4","authors":["Zhen-Zhao Tao","Hai-Chen Zhao","Tong-Jie Zhang","Vishal Gajjar","Yan Zhu","You-Ling Yue","Hai-Yan Zhang","Wen-Fei Liu","Shi-Yu Li","Jian-Chen Zhang","Cong Liu","Hong-Feng Wang","Ran Duan","Lei Qian","Cheng-Jin Jin","Di Li","Andrew Siemion","Peng Jiang","Dan Werthime","Jeff Cobb","Eric Korpela","David P. Anderson"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-08-04T03:13:29Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2102.05027v1","name":"Nitrogen Dioxide Pollution as a Signature of Extraterrestrial Technology","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Nitrogen dioxide (NO$_2$) on Earth today has biogenic and anthropogenic sources. During the COVID-19 pandemic, observations of global NO$_2$ emissions have shown significant decrease in urban areas. Drawing upon this example of NO$_2$ as an industrial byproduct, we use a one-dimensional photochemical model and synthetic spectral generator to assess the detectability of NO$_2$ as an atmospheric technosignature on exoplanets. We consider cases of an Earth-like planet around Sun-like, K-dwarf and M-dwarf stars. We find that NO$_2$ concentrations increase on planets around cooler stars due to less short-wavelength photons that can photolyze NO$_2$. In cloud-free results, present Earth-level NO$_2$ on an Earth-like planet around a Sun-like star at 10pc can be detected with SNR ~5 within ~400 hours with a 15 meter LUVOIR-like telescope when observed in the 0.2 - 0.7micron range where NO$_2$ has a strong absorption. However, clouds and aerosols can reduce the detectability and could mimic the NO$_2$ feature. Historically, global NO$_2$ levels were 3x higher, indicating the capability of detecting a 40-year old Earth-level civilization. Transit and direct imaging observations to detect infrared spectral signatures of NO$_2$ on habitable planets around M-dwarfs would need several 100s of hours of observation time, both due to weaker NO$_2$ absorption in this region, and also because of masking features by dominant H$_2$O and CO$_2$ bands in the infrared part of the spectrum. Non-detection at these levels could be used to place upper limits on the prevalence of NO$_2$ as a technosignature.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2102.05027v1","authors":["Ravi Kopparapu","Giada Arney","Jacob Haqq-Misra","Jacob Lustig-Yaeger","Geronimo Villanueva"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM","physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-02-09T18:45:37Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.645Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.05482v1","name":"Applied Astrobiology: An Integrated Approach to the Future of Life in Space","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Searching for extraterrestrial life and supporting human life in space are traditionally regarded as separate challenges. However, there are significant benefits to an approach that treats them as different aspects of the same essential inquiry: How can we conceptualize life beyond our home planet?","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.05482v1","authors":["Robin Wordsworth","Collin Cherubim","Shannon Nangle","Aaron Berliner","Esther Dyson","Peter Girguis","David Grinspoon","Rachel Harris","Ken Liu","Adam Marblestone","Christopher Mason","Ryan Morhard","Dimitar Sasselov","Sara Seager","Robert Wood","Peter Worden"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-24T12:54:11Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1810.13268v1","name":"Using Molecular Dynamics to Model the Binding Affinities of Nitrogen-Containing Bisphosphonates on Hydroxyapatite Surface","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates (NBPs) are widely used to treat bone density loss and skeletal disorders. The adsorption, retention, diffusion, and release of (NBPs) in bone minerals are governed by their binding affinities to such minerals. Extensive crystal growth, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) studies have been conducted to measure the binding affinities of NBPs to bone minerals, but the results have been inconsistent. In this work, we examined the binding free energies of zoledronate (ZOL), risedronate (RIS), pamidronate (PAM), alendronate (ALN), and ibandronate (IBN) to neat and protonated hydroxyapatite (HAP) surfaces including (001), (010), and (101) facets through molecular dynamics. Our simulation results showed that nitrogen-containing functional groups and surface protonation influence the binding affinities of BPs to HAP surfaces. The hydrophilic behavior of nitrogen-containing functional groups enabled ZOL have a larger binding free energy than RIS and IBN at neat HAP surfaces. The protonated and slender amine groups of PAM and IBN enabled them have larger binding free energies and wider potential wells than that of ZOL, RIS, and IBN at neat and protonated HAP surfaces. In general, surface protonation in general reduced the binding affinities of NBPs except protonated (010) surfaces. NBPs preferred to immerse at the grooves of protonated (010) surfaces with high binding free energies, and the immersions were consistent with a site-binding model developed from (ITC) measurements. Based on our simulations results we propose that the binding rank is ALN &gt; PAM &gt; ZOL &gt; IBN &gt; RIS which is consistent with NMR and ITC studies, and the rank at neat (001) surfaces is ZOL &gt; ALN &gt; IBN &gt; RIS, which correlates with crystal growth studies. The simulation results helped to unify diverged observations in the literature.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1810.13268v1","authors":["Tzu-Jen Lin"],"tags":["physics.chem-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-10-31T13:17:20Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1907.05519v2","name":"The Breakthrough Listen Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The discovery of the ubiquity of habitable extrasolar planets, combined with revolutionary advances in instrumentation and observational capabilities, have ushered in a renaissance in the millenia-old quest to answer our most profound question about the Universe and our place within it - Are we alone? The Breakthrough Listen Initiative, announced in July 2015 as a 10-year 100M USD program, is the most comprehensive effort in history to quantify the distribution of advanced, technologically capable life in the universe. In this white paper, we outline the status of the on-going observing campaign with our primary observing facilities, as well as planned activities with these instruments over the next few years. We also list collaborative facilities which will conduct searches for technosignatures in either primary observing mode, or commensally. We highlight some of the novel analysis techniques we are bringing to bear on multi-petabyte data sets, including machine learning tools we are deploying to search for a broader range of technosignatures than was previously possible.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1907.05519v2","authors":["Vishal Gajjar","Andrew Siemion","Steve Croft","Bryan Brzycki","Marta Burgay","Tobia Carozzi","Raimondo Concu","Daniel Czech","David DeBoer","Julia DeMarines","Jamie Drew","J. Emilio Enriquez","James Fawcett","Peter Gallagher","Michael Garrett","Nectaria Gizani","Greg Hellbourg","Jamie Holder","Howard Isaacson","Sanjay Kudale","Brian Lacki","Matthew Lebofsky","Di Li","David H. E. MacMahon","Joe McCauley","Andrea Melis","Emilio Molinari","Pearse Murphy","Delphine Perrodin","Maura Pilia","Danny C. Price","Claire Webb","Dan Werthimer","David Williams","Pete Worden","Philippe Zarka","Yunfan Gerry Zhang"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.HE","physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-07-11T23:13:21Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0305302v1","name":"Results from the BAIKAL neutrino telescope","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We review the present status of the Baikal Neutrino Project, present updated results on the search for high energy extraterrestrial neutrinos, fast magnetic monopoles and neutrinos induced by WIMP annihilation in the center of the Earth and compare the recorded atmospheric neutrino flux to predictions. We describe the moderate upgrade of NT-200 toward $\\sim$10 Mton scale detector NT-200 +.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0305302v1","authors":["R. Wischnewski"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-05-16T14:28:31Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.12162v1","name":"Estimate of water and hydroxyl abundance on asteroid (16) Psyche from JWST data","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Our understanding of Solar System evolution is closely tied to interpretations of asteroid composition, particularly the M-class asteroids. These asteroids were initially thought to be the exposed cores of differentiated planetesimals, a hypothesis based on their spectral similarity to iron meteorites. However, recent astronomical observations have revealed hydration on their surface through the detection of 3-$μ$m absorption features associated with OH and potentially H2O. We present evidence of hydration due mainly to OH on asteroid (16) Psyche, the largest M-class asteroid, using data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) spanning 1.1 - 6.63 $μ$m. Our observations include two detections of the full 3-$μ$m feature associated with OH and H2O resembling those found in CY-, CH-, and CB-type carbonaceous chondrites, and no 6-$μ$m feature uniquely associated with H2O across two observations. We observe 3-$μ$m depths of between 4.3 and 6% across two observations, values consistent with hydrogen abundance estimates on other airless bodies of 250 - 400 ppm. We place an upper limit of 39 ppm on the water abundance from the standard deviation around the 6-$μ$m feature region. The presence of hydrated minerals suggests a complex history for Psyche. Exogenous sources of OH-bearing minerals could come from hydrated impactors. Endogenous OH-bearing minerals would indicate a composition more similar to E-or P-class asteroids. If the hydration is endogenous, it supports the theory that Psyche originated beyond the snow line and later migrated to the outer main belt.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.12162v1","authors":["Stephanie G. Jarmak","Tracy M. Becker","Charles E. Woodward","Casey I. Honniball","Andrew S. Rivkin","Margaret M. McAdam","Zoe A. Landsman","Saverio Cambioni","Thomas G. Müller","Driss Takir","Kurt D. Retherford","Anicia Arredondo","Linda T. Elkins-Tanton"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-16T20:40:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1108.3374v2","name":"A brief history of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence and an appraisal of the future of this endeavor","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The idea that credible searches for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (ETI) could be carried out were laid out in detail in the (now classic) paper by Morrison and Cocconi (1959). They suggested using the radio band for these searches. Since then radio searches have been carried out by over sixty different groups. No signals from ETI's have been identified. Most searches did not have high sensitivity and it is not surprising that ETI signals were not detected. It is important to note, however, that these efforts were instrumental in developing new technical capabilities and they helped generate wide interest in this field. In this paper I will briefly discuss the more sensitive searches that have been carried out and some of the other searches that are arguably quite innovative or have been influential in some other manner.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1108.3374v2","authors":["Stuart Bowyer"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-08-17T01:33:58Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2011.00157v1","name":"A probabilistic approach to determination of Ceres' average surface composition from Dawn VIR and GRaND data","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Visible-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIR) on board the Dawn spacecraft revealed that aqueous secondary minerals -- Mg-phyllosilicates, NH4-bearing phases, and Mg/Ca carbonates -- are ubiquitous on Ceres. Ceres' low reflectance requires dark phases, which were assumed to be amorphous carbon and/or magnetite (~80 wt.%). In contrast, the Gamma Ray and Neutron Detector (GRaND) constrained the abundances of C (8-14 wt.%) and Fe (15-17 wt.%). Here, we reconcile the VIR-derived mineral composition with the GRaND-derived elemental composition. First, we model mineral abundances from VIR data, including either meteorite-derived insoluble organic matter, amorphous carbon, magnetite, or combination as the darkening agent and provide statistically rigorous error bars from a Bayesian algorithm combined with a radiative-transfer model. Elemental abundances of C and Fe are much higher than is suggested by the GRaND observations for all models satisfying VIR data. We then show that radiative transfer modeling predicts higher reflectance from a carbonaceous chondrite of known composition than its measured reflectance. Consequently, our second models use multiple carbonaceous chondrite endmembers, allowing for the possibility that their specific textures or minerals other than carbon or magnetite act as darkening agents, including sulfides and tochilinite. Unmixing models with carbonaceous chondrites eliminate the discrepancy in elemental abundances of C and Fe. Ceres' average reflectance spectrum and elemental abundances are best reproduced by carbonaceous-chondrite-like materials (40-70 wt.%), IOM or amorphous carbon (10 wt.%), magnetite (3-8 wt.%), serpentine (10-25 wt.%), carbonates (4-12 wt.%), and NH4-bearing phyllosilicates (1-11 wt.%).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2011.00157v1","authors":["H. Kurokawa","B. L. Ehlmann","M. C. De Sanctis","M. G. A. Lapôtre","T. Usui","N. T. Stein","T. H. Prettyman","A. Raponi","M. Ciarniello"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-10-31T00:54:31Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2603.13629v1","name":"Projected Sensitivity of Paleo-Detectors to Dark Matter Effective Interactions with Nuclei","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Paleo-detectors are a proposed experimental technique for direct detection (DD) of dark matter (DM) via the read-out of DM-induced nuclear recoil tracks in natural minerals. The large detector mass required for the sensitivity of conventional DD experiments to rare events is replaced by the exposure of paleo-detectors to DM-induced nuclear recoils over geological timescales. In this paper, we extend previous theoretical predictions for canonical spin-independent coherent and spin-dependent scattering (proportional to $A^2$ and the spin of the nucleus, respectively). We estimate the sensitivity of paleo-detectors to interactions between weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) DM and nuclei within the framework of a Non-Relativistic Effective Field Theory (NREFT), considering isoscalar couplings to nucleons for both elastic and inelastic scattering. Taking into account cosmogenic, astrophysical and radiogenic backgrounds, we project the 90% confidence-level (CL) upper limits on the isoscalar NREFT coupling constants for both scattering types. We consider representative read-out scenarios and examine several target minerals. The projected sensitivities of paleo-detectors are compared with the 90% CL limits from the XENON100, LUX-ZEPLIN, and PandaX-II experiments, as well as with the 95% Bayesian credible region of the 2D marginalized posterior distribution from SuperCDMS. For DM masses from 1 GeV-10 GeV, paleo-detectors are projected to have sensitivity superior to that of conventional experiments for WIMP-nucleus interactions via all NREFT operators, largely independent of read-out scenario or target mineral. For DM masses from 10 GeV-5 TeV, we find that the sensitivity of paleo-detectors is projected to be comparable to or better than that of conventional experiments for WIMP-nucleus interactions via several NREFT operators, depending on the read-out scenario and target mineral.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.13629v1","authors":["Dionysios P. Theodosopoulos","Katherine Freese","Chris Kelso","Patrick Stengel"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO","astro-ph.IM","hep-ex","hep-ph","physics.ins-det"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-13T22:22:12Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2601.13176v1","name":"Toward Reliable Interpretations of Small Exoplanet Compositions: Comparisons and Considerations of Equations of State and Materials Used in Common Rocky Planet Models","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The bulk compositions of small planets ($R_p&lt; 2 \\mathrm{R}_\\oplus$) are directly linked to their formation histories, making reliable compositional constraints imperative for testing models of planet formation and evolution. Because exoplanet interiors cannot be directly observed, their make-up must be inferred from mass-radius-composition models that link assumed stellar abundances to the direct observables: planetary mass and radius. There are a variety of such models in the literature, each adopting different equations of state (EOS) to describe the materials' properties at depth and varying assumptions about the minerals present within the planets. These EOS+mineral suites provide the foundations for compositional inferences, but they have not yet been systematically compared. In this work, we review several suites, with a detailed description of the basic structure, mineral physics, and materials within standard small planet models. We show that EOS+mineral suites predict planet densities whose differences are comparable to current observational uncertainties, which present a challenge for robustly interpreting and classifying small planets. We apply a powerful small-planet characterization framework, which illustrates that variations among EOS+mineral suites lead to inconsistent conclusions for both individual planets and sample-level demographics. Our results demonstrate the need for more careful considerations of the materials and EOS used in mass-radius-composition models, especially given the current focus on finding and characterizing potentially habitable rocky planets. We conclude with recommendations for best practices so that future interpretations of small planets and their formation are accurate and consistent.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.13176v1","authors":["Joseph Schulze","Natalie Hinkel","Wendy Panero","Cayman Unterborn"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-19T16:03:14Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1703.10803v1","name":"A revolution is brewing: observations of TRAPPIST-1 exoplanetary system fosters a new biomarker","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The recent discovery of seven potentially habitable Earth-size planets around the ultra-cool star TRAPPIST-1 has further fueled the hunt for extraterrestrial life. Current methods focus on closely monitoring the host star to look for biomarkers in the transmission signature of exoplanet's atmosphere. However, the outcome of these methods remain uncertain and difficult to disentangle with abiotic alternatives. Recent exoplanet direct imaging observations by THIRSTY, an ultra-high contrast coronagraph located in La Trappe (France), lead us to propose a universal and unambiguous habitability criterion which we directly demonstrate for the TRAPPIST-1 system. Within this new framework, we find that TRAPPIST-1g possesses the first unambiguously habitable environment in our galaxy, with a liquid water percentage that could be as large as $\\sim~90~\\%$. Our calculations hinge on a new set of biomarkers, CO$_2$ and C$_{x}$H$_{2(x+1)}$O (liquid and gaseous), that could cover up to $\\sim~10~\\%$ of the planetary surface and atmosphere. THIRSTY and TRAPPIST recent observations accompanied by our new, unbiased habitability criterion may quench our thirst for the search for extraterrestrial life. However, the search for intelligence must continue within and beyond our Solar System.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1703.10803v1","authors":["M. Turbo-King","B. R. Tang","Z. Habeertable","M. C. Chouffe","B. Exquisit","L. Keg-beer"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-03-31T08:53:49Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2112.12294v1","name":"Run-of-Mine Stockyard Recovery Scheduling and Optimisation for Multiple Reclaimers","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Stockpiles are essential in the mining value chain, assisting in maximising value and production. Quality control of taken minerals from the stockpiles is a major concern for stockpile managers where failure to meet some requirements can lead to losing money. This problem was recently investigated using a single reclaimer, and basic assumptions. This study extends the approach to consider multiple reclaimers in preparing for short and long-term deliveries. The engagement of multiple reclaimers complicates the problem in terms of their interaction in preparing a delivery simultaneously and safety distancing of reclaimers. We also consider more realistic settings, such as handling different minerals with different types of reclaimers. We propose methods that construct a solution step by step to meet precedence constraints for all reclaimers in the stockyard. We study various instances of the problem using greedy algorithms, Ant Colony Optimisation (ACO), and propose an integrated local search method determining an efficient schedule. We fine-tune and compare the algorithms and show that the ACO combined with local search can yield efficient solutions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2112.12294v1","authors":["Hirad Assimi","Ben Koch","Chris Garcia","Markus Wagner","Frank Neumann"],"tags":["cs.NE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-12-23T01:00:45Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2301.09575v3","name":"Black holes as tools for quantum computing by advanced extraterrestrial civilizations","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We explain that black holes are the most efficient capacitors of quantum information. It is thereby expected that all sufficiently advanced civilizations ultimately employ black holes in their quantum computers. The accompanying Hawking radiation is democratic in particle species. Due to this, the alien quantum computers will radiate in ordinary particles such as neutrinos and photons within the range of potential sensitivity of our detectors. This offers a new avenue for SETI, including the civilizations entirely composed of hidden particles species interacting with our world exclusively through gravity.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2301.09575v3","authors":["Gia Dvali","Zaza N. Osmanov"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph","astro-ph.HE","gr-qc","hep-th","quant-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-19T18:54:11Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2605.23475v1","name":"Strategic Stalemates: The Paradox of Export Controls in the U.S.-China AI Race","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Export control is a policy and legal tool to protect national interests by regulating exports of sensitive goods and technology to foreign nations. It has become central to U.S.-China tech rivalry, especially in AI. Controls cover advanced chips, capital, personnel, and critical minerals for semiconductors. Since October 2022, the U.S. BIS has progressively tightened restrictions on advanced computing components to China. China responded with export curbs on critical minerals and filed a WTO complaint against the U.S. under GATT. This article argues that while export controls are strategic in U.S.-China AI competition, their long-term effectiveness is questionable. They often unintentionally boost China's self-reliance and R&amp;D. Moreover, overly strict or arbitrary controls may violate WTO obligations, complicating dispute resolution and hindering AI progress. The study further examines legal implications of overusing export controls. It advocate for a restrained interpretation of security interests, arguing that commercial or dual-use AI models and semiconductors do not meet the security exception criteria under GATT Article XXI(b).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.23475v1","authors":["Jingwen Liu","Jyh-An Lee"],"tags":["cs.CY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-22T10:36:36Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.05869v1","name":"Energy Experience Design","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The material footprint of information and communications technology (ICT) systems is both significant and growing, inspiring a variety of conversations around sustainability and climate justice. In part this effort has been catalysed by past scholarship and analysis from the LIMITS community. This paper examines energy storage systems for computing, particularly batteries -- which are discarded at the rate of 15 billion a year worldwide. The International Energy Agency (IEA) is now referring to the energy transition toward low carbon systems as a critical mineral problem, and countries are speaking openly of 'mineral security' in policy documents. In this paper I 1) present a definition for energy experience and what this means for the design and making of devices, interactions and experiences. I also 2) explore a series of electronics device prototypes converted to run from batteryless sustainable energy that are extremely long lasting, and make limited use of critical minerals. As transitional energy experience device-design experiments, what do prototypes like these suggest for more mainstream, mass-manufactured systems?","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.05869v1","authors":["Brian Sutherland"],"tags":["cs.CY","cs.ET"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-07T21:40:29Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1901.04627v1","name":"Organics in the Solar System","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Complex organics are now commonly found in meteorites, comets, asteroids, planetary satellites, and interplanetary dust particles. The chemical composition and possible origin of these organics are presented. Specifically, we discuss the possible link between Solar System organics and the complex organics synthesized during the late stages of stellar evolution. Implications of extraterrestrial organics on the origin of life on Earth and the possibility of existence of primordial organics on Earth are also discussed.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1901.04627v1","authors":["Sun Kwok"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-01-15T01:27:18Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2202.03699v1","name":"Assessing Planetary Complexity and Potential Agnostic Biosignatures using Epsilon Machines","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present a new approach to exoplanet characterisation using techniques from complexity science, with potential applications to biosignature detection. This agnostic method makes use of the temporal variability of light reflected or emitted from a planet. We use a technique known as epsilon machine reconstruction to compute the statistical complexity, a measure of the minimal model size for time series data. We demonstrate that statistical complexity is an effective measure of the complexity of planetary features. Increasing levels of qualitative planetary complexity correlate with increases in statistical complexity and Shannon entropy, demonstrating that our approach can identify planets with the richest dynamics. We also compare Earth time series with Jupiter data, and find that for the three wavelengths considered, Earth's average complexity and entropy rate are approximately 50% and 43% higher than Jupiter's, respectively. The majority of schemes for the detection of extraterrestrial life rely upon biochemical signatures and planetary context. However, it is increasingly recognised that extraterrestrial life could be very different to life on Earth. Under the hypothesis that there is a correlation between the presence of a biosphere and observable planetary complexity, our technique offers an agnostic and quantitative method for the measurement thereof.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2202.03699v1","authors":["Stuart Bartlett","Jiazheng Li","Lixiang Gu","Lana Sinapayen","Siteng Fan","Vijay Natraj","Jonathan Jiang","David Crisp","Yuk Yung"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","nlin.CD","physics.data-an"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-02-08T07:53:13Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.18664v1","name":"Memory-Efficient Super-Resolution of 3D Micro-CT Images Using Octree-Based GANs: Enhancing Resolution and Segmentation Accuracy","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present a memory-efficient algorithm for significantly enhancing the quality of segmented 3D micro-Computed Tomography (micro-CT) images of rocks using a generative model. The proposed model achieves a 16x increase in resolution and corrects inaccuracies in segmentation caused by the overlapping X-ray attenuation in micro-CT measurements across different minerals. The generative model employed is a 3D Octree-based convolutional Wasserstein generative adversarial network with gradient penalty. To address the challenge of high memory consumption inherent in standard 3D convolutional layers, we implemented an Octree structure within the 3D progressive growing generator model. This enabled the use of memory-efficient 3D Octree-based convolutional layers. The approach is pivotal in overcoming the long-standing memory bottleneck in volumetric deep learning, making it possible to reach 16x super-resolution in 3D, a scale that is challenging to attain due to cubic memory scaling. For training, we utilized segmented 3D low-resolution micro-CT images along with unpaired segmented complementary 2D high-resolution laser scanning microscope images. Post-training, resolution improved from 7 to 0.44 micro-m/voxel with accurate segmentation of constituent minerals. Validated on Berea sandstone, this framework demonstrates substantial improvements in pore characterization and mineral differentiation, offering a robust solution to one of the primary computational limitations in modern geoscientific imaging.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.18664v1","authors":["Evgeny Ugolkov","Xupeng He","Hyung Kwak","Hussein Hoteit"],"tags":["eess.IV","cs.CV","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-24T11:57:08Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2310.15704v1","name":"A Simultaneous Dual-site Technosignature Search Using International LOFAR Stations","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence aims to find evidence of technosignatures, which can point toward the possible existence of technologically advanced extraterrestrial life. Radio signals similar to those engineered on Earth may be transmitted by other civilizations, motivating technosignature searches across the entire radio spectrum. In this endeavor, the low-frequency radio band has remained largely unexplored; with prior radio searches primarily above 1 GHz. In this survey at 110-190 MHz, observations of 1,631,198 targets from TESS and Gaia are reported. Observations took place simultaneously with two international stations (noninterferometric) of the Low Frequency Array in Ireland and Sweden. We can reject the presence of any Doppler drifting narrowband transmissions in the barycentric frame of reference, with equivalent isotropic radiated power of 10 17 W, for 0.4 million (or 1.3 million) stellar systems at 110 (or 190) MHz. This work demonstrates the effectiveness of using multisite simultaneous observations for rejecting anthropogenic signals in the search for technosignatures.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2310.15704v1","authors":["Owen A. Johnson","Vishal Gajjar","Evan F. Keane","David J. McKenna","Charles Giese","Ben McKeon","Tobia D. Carozzi","Cloe Alcaria","Aoife Brennan","Bryan Brzycki","Steve Croft","Jamie Drew","Richard Elkins","Peter T. Gallagher","Ruth Kelly","Matt Lebofsky","Dave H. E. MacMahon","Joseph McCauley","Imke de Pater","Shauna Rose Raeside","Andrew P. V. Siemion","S. Pete Worden"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-10-24T10:27:51Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.03334v3","name":"Creation of Lunar-Like Rims in Ilmenite using Synthetic Solar Wind","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Space weathering of lunar minerals, due to bombardment from solar wind (SW) particles and micrometeoroid impacts, modifies the mineralogy within tens of nanometers of the surface, i.e., the rim. Spectroscopic signatures of these modifications, observed via remote sensing, have long been used to gauge surface exposure times on the Moon. However, the relative contributions of SW and micrometeoroids in the creation of rim features are still debated, particularly for the nanometer-scale clusters known as nanophase iron (npFe0), which commonly form in ferrous minerals. We address this issue in the laboratory, using deuterium ions and low-energy electrons as a synthetic solar wind plasma to irradiate ilmenite (FeTiO3), a common lunar mineral. Characterization by high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron energy-loss spectroscopy shows that the SW alone creates rims with all the main characteristics of lunar samples. We conclusively identify npFe0 and quantify its distribution as a function of depth and fluence, allowing us to estimate the SW exposure of Apollo soil 71501. Our results confirm that small npFe0 particles (&lt;10 nm in diameter) form from SW irradiation. Such experiments provide microscopic details of space weathering, improving the link between surface modification processes and macroscopic remote-sensing data.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.03334v3","authors":["Roshan S. Trivedi","Advik D. Vira","Brant M. Jones","Katherine D. Burgess","Ziyu Huang","Honglin Liu","Pranav Rane","Mengkun Tian","Masatoshi Hirabayashi","Thomas M. Orlando","Zhigang Jiang","Phillip N. First"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-03T14:10:11Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2604.13774v1","name":"Projections of Earth's Technosphere: Civilization Collapse-Recovery Dynamics and Detectability","source":"arxiv","abstract":"How long a technological civilization remains active, and what determines whether it collapses or persists, is a central question for both projecting humanity's future and assessing the prevalence of detectable intelligence in the galaxy. We model collapse-recovery dynamics across ten plausible futures for Earth-originating civilization using a hybrid deterministic-stochastic simulation over a 1000-year window. The duty cycle, defined as the fraction of its total lifespan that a civilization is technologically active, ranges from ~0.38 to 1.00, with trajectory outcomes shaped by the interplay of governance structure, resource pressure, and hazard exposure. Several model parameters map onto actionable resilience levers, and modest improvements can qualitatively alter long-term trajectories. Sensitivity analysis reveals that the resource depletion rate and the post-collapse recovery fraction are consistently the most impactful levers across scenarios, suggesting that reducing resource consumption may be at least as important as mitigating existential hazards for avoiding civilizational collapse. We discuss implications for Earth's civilizational resilience and for the search for extraterrestrial technosignatures. We also derive an effective detectability duration that accounts for intermittent civilizational activity, and show that the apparent absence of extraterrestrial signals may reflect the prevalence of low-duty-cycle civilizations rather than the rarity of intelligent life.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.13774v1","authors":["Celia Blanco","Jacob Haqq-Misra","George Profitiliotis"],"tags":["physics.soc-ph","astro-ph.IM","physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-15T12:05:08Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2208.07381v1","name":"The hunt for extraterrestrial high-energy neutrino counterparts","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The origin of Petaelectronvolt (PeV) astrophysical neutrinos is fundamental to our understanding of the high-energy Universe. Apart from the technical challenges of operating detectors deep below ice, oceans, and lakes, the phenomenological challenges are even greater than those of gravitational waves; the sources are unknown, hard to predict, and we lack clear signatures. Neutrino astronomy therefore represents the greatest challenge faced by the astronomy and physics communities thus far. The possible neutrino sources range from accretion disks and tidal disruption events, to relativistic jets and galaxy clusters with blazar TXS~0506+056 the most compelling association thus far. Since that association, immense effort has been put into proving or disproving that jets are indeed neutrino emitters, but to no avail. By generating simulated neutrino counterpart samples, we explore the potential of detecting a significant correlation of neutrinos with jets from active galactic nuclei. We find that, given the existing challenges, even our best experiments could not have produced a $&gt;3σ$ result. Larger programs over the next few years will be able to detect a significant correlation only if the brightest radio sources, rather than all jetted active galactic nuclei, are neutrino emitters. We discuss the necessary strategies required to steer future efforts into successful experiments.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2208.07381v1","authors":["I. Liodakis","T. Hovatta","V. Pavlidou","A. C. S. Readhead","R. D. Blandford","S. Kiehlmann","E. Lindfors","W. Max-Moerbeck","T. J. Pearson","M. Petropoulou"],"tags":["astro-ph.HE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-08-15T18:00:08Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1207.2098v1","name":"\"Probing the limits of extremophilic life in extraterrestrial environment-simulated experiments\"","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The results obtained in these experiments have revealed a remarkable resistance of extremophilic bacteria and archaea against different radiation sources (VUV, solar wind simulants, X rays) whenever protected by microsized carbonaceus grains. Altogether, the collected data suggest the interesting possibility of the existence of microbial life beyond Earth and its transfer among habitable bodies, which we have called microlithopanspermia.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1207.2098v1","authors":["Claudia Lage","Gabriel Dalmaso","Lia Teixeira","Amanda Bendia","Ivan Paulino-Lima","Douglas Galante","Eduardo Janot-Pacheco","Ximena Abrevaya","Armando Azúa-Bustos","Vivian Pellizari","Alexandre Rosado"],"tags":["astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-07-09T16:43:59Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1908.05169v2","name":"Abundant refractory sulfur in protoplanetary disks","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Sulfur is one of the most abundant elements in the Universe, with important roles in astro-, geo-, and biochemistry. Its main reservoirs in planet-forming disks have previously eluded detection: gaseous molecules only account for $&lt;1\\,$\\% of total elemental sulfur, with the rest likely in either ices or refractory minerals. Mechanisms such as giant planets can filter out dust from gas accreting onto disk-hosting stars. For stars above 1.4 solar masses, this leaves a chemical signature on the stellar photosphere that can be used to determine the fraction of each element that is locked in dust. Here, we present an application of this method to sulfur, zinc, and sodium. We analyse the accretion-contaminated photospheres of a sample of young stars and find $(89\\pm8)\\,$\\% of elemental sulfur is in refractory form in their disks. The main carrier is much more refractory than water ice, consistent with sulfide minerals such as FeS.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1908.05169v2","authors":["Mihkel Kama","Oliver Shorttle","Adam S. Jermyn","Colin P. Folsom","Kenji Furuya","Edwin A. Bergin","Catherine Walsh","Lindsay Keller"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-08-14T15:20:28Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2003.13981v1","name":"The search for life and a new logic","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Exploring the Universe is one of the great unifying themes of humanity. Part of this endeavour is the search for extraterrestrial life. But how likely is it that we will find life, or that if we do it will be similar to ourselves? And therefore how do we know where and how to look? We give examples of the sort of reasoning that has been used to narrow and focus this search and we argue that obvious extensions to that logical framework will result in greater success.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2003.13981v1","authors":["Douglas Scott","Ali Frolop"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-31T06:48:07Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0707.0011v2","name":"Calculating the probability of detecting radio signals from alien civilizations","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Although it might not be self-evident, it is in fact entirely possible to calculate the probability of detecting alien radio signals by understanding what types of extraterrestrial radio emissions can be expected and what properties these emissions can have. Using the Drake equation as the obvious starting point, and logically identifying and enumerating constraints of interstellar radio communications can yield the probability of detecting a genuine alien radio signal.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/0707.0011v2","authors":["Marko Horvat"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph","astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-06-29T20:25:44Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0212336v1","name":"Captain Cook, the Terrestrial Planet Finder and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Over two hundred years ago Capt. James Cook sailed up Whitsunday Passage, just a few miles where we now sit, on a voyage of astronomical observation and discovery that remains an inspiration to us all. Since the prospects of our visiting planets beyond our solar system are slim, we will have to content ourselves with searching for life using remote sensing, not sailing ships. Fortunately, a recently completed NASA study has concluded that a Terrestrial Planet Finder could be launched within a decade to detect terrestrial planets around nearby stars. A visible light coronagraph using an 8-10 m telescope, or an infrared nulling interferometer, operated on either a $\\sim40$ m structure or separated spacecraft, could survey over 150 stars, looking for habitable planets and signs of primitive life. Such a mission, complemented by projects (Kepler and Eddington) that will provide statistical information on the frequency of Earth-sized planets in the habitable zone, will determine key terms in the ``Drake equation'' that describes the number of intelligent civilizations in the Universe.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0212336v1","authors":["Charles Beichman"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-12-14T03:52:27Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1410.1424v1","name":"Long-time evolution of sequestered CO$_2$ in porous media","source":"arxiv","abstract":"CO$_2$ sequestration in subsurface reservoirs is important for limiting atmospheric CO$_2$ concentrations. However, a complete physical picture able to predict the structure developing within the porous medium is lacking. We investigate theoretically reactive transport in the long-time evolution of carbon in the brine-rock environment. As CO$_2$ is injected into a brine-rock environment, a carbonate-rich region is created amid brine. Within the carbonate-rich region minerals dissolve and migrate from regions of high concentration to low concentration, along with other dissolved carbonate species. This causes mineral precipitation at the interface between the two regions. We argue that precipitation in a small layer reduces diffusivity, and eventually causes mechanical trapping of the CO$_2$. Consequently, only a small fraction of the CO$_2$ is converted to solid mineral; the remainder either dissolves in water or is trapped in its original form. We also study the case of a pure CO$_2$ bubble surrounded by brine and suggest a mechanism that may lead to a carbonate-encrusted bubble due to structural diffusion.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1410.1424v1","authors":["Yossi Cohen","Daniel H. Rothman"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph","physics.flu-dyn"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-09-29T13:41:59Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0404096v1","name":"The Baikal Neutrino Telescope: Results, Plans, Lessons","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We review recent results on the search for high energy extraterrestrial neutrinos, neutrinos induced by WIMP annihilation and neutrinos coincident with Gamma Ray Bursts as obtained with the Baikal neutrino telescope NT-200. We describe the moderate upgrade of NT-200 towards a ~10 Mton scale detector NT-200+. We finally draw a few lessons from our experience which may be of use for other underwater experiments.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0404096v1","authors":["Christian Spiering"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-04-05T16:00:20Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2206.02387v3","name":"Determination of hydrogen concentration in solids by transmission ERDA under nuclear-elastically enhanced recoiling of H by 8 and 9 MeV He","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Hydrogen concentrations in thin self-supporting samples of polyphenylene sulfide and muscovite have been determined by nuclear-elastic recoil detection analysis of transmission layout. The analysis procedure is based only on the database of stopping power and recoil cross section for material analysis, without using any reference sample of known H content. For the polyphenylene sulfide sample, the determined value of $(2.87\\pm 0.26)\\times 10^{22}\\,{\\rm H}/$cm$^{3}$ is in good agreement with the calculated value of $3.01 \\times 10^{22}\\,{\\rm H}/$cm$^{3}$. For the muscovite sample, the H concentration originating each from bound water and absorbed water is uniform over the entire thickness of the sample. The determined concentration $(9.43 \\pm 0.75) \\times 10^{21}$ H$/$cm$^{3}$ of the muscovite agrees excellently with the value of $9.36 \\times 10^{21}$ H$/$cm$^{3}$ obtained from other quantitative analyses typically applied for minerals. The present results demonstrate the capability of accurate determination of H contents in materials and minerals by transmission ERDA.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2206.02387v3","authors":["Hiroshi Kudo","Masanori Kurosawa","Hiroshi Naramoto","Masao Sataka","Satoshi Ishii","Kimikazu Sasa","Shigeo Tomita"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci","physics.app-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-06-06T06:40:55Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.04330v1","name":"A new possible way to detect Axion Anti-quark Nuggets","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The axion anti-quark nugget (A$\\bar{\\mathrm{Q}}$N) model was developed to explain in a natural way the asymmetry between matter and antimatter in Universe. In this hypothesis, a similitude between the dark and the visible components exists. The lack of observability of any type of dark matter up to now, in particular A$\\bar{\\mathrm{Q}}$Ns, requires finding new ways of detecting these particles, if they exist. In spite of strong interaction with visible matter, for such objects a very small ratio of cross section to mass is expected and thus huge detector systems are necessary. This paper presents a new idea for the direct detection of the A$\\bar{\\mathrm{Q}}$Ns using minerals as natural rock deposits acting as paleo-detectors, where the latent signals of luminescence produced by interactions of A$\\bar{\\mathrm{Q}}$Ns are registered and can be identified as an increased and symmetrical deposited dose. The estimates were made for minerals widely distributed on Earth, for which the TL signal is intense and if the thermal conditions are constant and with low temperatures, the lifetime of the latent signals is kept for geological time scales.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.04330v1","authors":["Ionel Lazanu","Mihaela Parvu"],"tags":["hep-ph","physics.ins-det"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-05T08:07:12Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1604.07687v3","name":"A Probabilistic Analysis of the Fermi Paradox","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The fermi paradox uses an appeal to the mediocrity principle to make it seem counter-intuitive that humanity has not been contacted by extraterrestrial intelligence. A numerical, statistical analysis was conducted to determine whether this apparent loneliness is, in fact, unexpected. An inequality was derived to relate the frequency of life arising and developing technology on a suitable planet in the galaxy, the average length of time since the first broadcast of such a civilization, and a constant term. An analysis of the sphere reached thus far by human communication was also conducted, considering our local neighborhood and planets of particular interest. We clearly show that human communication has not reached a number of stars and planets adequate to expect an answer. These analyses both conclude that the Fermi paradox is not, in fact, unexpected. By the mediocrity principle and numerical modeling, it is actually unlikely that the Earth would have been reached by extraterrestrial communication at this point. We predict that under 1 percent of the galaxy has been reached at all thus far, and we do not anticipate to be reached until approximately half of the stars/planets have been reached. We offer a prediction that we should not expect this until at least 1,500 years in the future. Thus the Fermi paradox is not a shocking observation, and humanity may very well be contacted within our species' lifespan.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1604.07687v3","authors":["Evan Solomonides","Yervant Terzian"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-04-26T14:14:03Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1901.00523v1","name":"Periodic Spectral Modulations Arise from Non-random Spacing of Spectral Absorption Lines","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In recent publications, Borra (2013); Borra &amp; Trottier (2016); Borra (2017) claimed the discovery of ultra-short ($10^{-12}\\,$s) optical pulses originating from stars and galaxies, asserted to be sent by extraterrestrial intelligence. I show that these signals are not astrophysical or instrumental in nature, but originate from the non-random spacings of spectral absorption lines. They can be shown to arise in their clearest form in synthetic solar spectra, as these do not suffer from noise.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1901.00523v1","authors":["Michael Hippke"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-01-02T20:26:39Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2501.06462v1","name":"Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) as an Extraterrestrial Atmospheric Technosignature","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons are prevalent in the universe and interstellar medium but are primarily attributed to anthropogenic sources on Earth, such as fossil fuel combustion and firewood burning. Drawing upon the idea of PAHs as suitable candidates for technosignatures, we investigate the detectability of those PAHs that have available absorption cross-sections in the atmospheres of Earth-like exoplanets (orbiting G-type stars at a distance of 10 parsecs) with an 8m mirror of Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). Specifically, we focus on Naphthalene, Anthracene, Phenanthrene, and Pyrene. Our simulations indicate that under current Earth-like conditions, detecting PAH signatures between 0.2-0.515 $\\mathrm{μm}$ is infeasible. To account for the historical decline in PAH production post-industrial revolution, we explore varying PAH concentrations to assess instrumental capabilities to detect civilizations resembling modern Earth. We also evaluate telescope architectures (6m, 8m, and 10m mirror diameters) to put our results into the context of the future HWO mission. With these four molecules, PAH detection remains infeasible, even at concentrations ten times higher than current levels. While larger mirrors provide some advantages, they fail to resolve the spectral signatures of these molecules with significant signal-to-noise ratios. The UV absorption features of PAHs, caused by $\\mathrmπ$-orbital $\\rightarrow$ $\\mathrm{π^*}$-orbital electronic transitions, serve as valuable markers due to their distinct and detectable nature, preserved by the aromatic stability of PAHs. Additional lab measurements are necessary to gather absorption cross-section data beyond UV for more abundant PAHs. This may help further in improving the detectability of these molecules.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.06462v1","authors":["Dwaipayan Dubey","Ravi Kopparapu","Barbara Ercolano","Karan Molaverdikhani"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-11T07:26:07Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2209.02479v1","name":"Overview of the Galileo Project","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Galileo Project is the first systematic scientific research program in search for potential astro8 archaeological artifacts or remnants of extraterrestrial technological civilizations (ETCs) or potentially active equipment near Earth. Taking a path not taken, it conceivably may pick some low-hanging fruit, and without asserting probabilities -- make discoveries of ETC-related objects, which would have far-reaching implications for science and our worldview.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2209.02479v1","authors":["Abraham Loeb"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-08-02T17:23:28Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2402.12310v1","name":"Cosmic dust fertilization of glacial prebiotic chemistry on early Earth","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Earth's surface is deficient in available forms of many elements considered limiting for prebiotic chemistry. In contrast, many extraterrestrial rocky objects are rich in these same elements. Limiting prebiotic ingredients may, therefore, have been delivered by exogenous material; however, the mechanisms by which exogeneous material may be reliably and non-destructively supplied to a planetary surface remains unclear. Today, the flux of extraterrestrial matter to Earth is dominated by fine-grained cosmic dust. Although this material is rarely discussed in a prebiotic context due to its delivery over a large surface area, concentrated cosmic dust deposits are known to form on Earth today due to the action of sedimentary processes. Here we combine empirical constraints on dust sedimentation with dynamical simulations of dust formation and planetary accretion to show that localized sedimentary deposits of cosmic dust could have accumulated in arid environments on early Earth, in particular glacial settings that today produce cryoconite sediments. Our results challenge the widely held assumption that cosmic dust is incapable of fertilizing prebiotic chemistry. Cosmic dust deposits may have plausibly formed on early Earth and acted to fertilize prebiotic chemistry.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.12310v1","authors":["Craig R. Walton","Jessica K. Rigley","Alexander Lipp","Robert Law","Martin D. Suttle","Maria Schonbachler","Mark Wyatt","Oliver Shorttle"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-19T17:31:16Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0112543v1","name":"On the Maximal Quantity of Processed Information in the Physical Eschatological Context","source":"arxiv","abstract":"An estimate of the maximal informational content available to advanced extraterrestrial or future (post)human civilizations is presented. It is shown that the fundamental thermodynamical considerations may lead to a quantitative estimate of the largest quantity of information to be processed by conceivable computing devices. This issue is interesting from the point of view of physical eschatology, as well as general futurological topics, like the degree of confidence in long-term physical predictions or viability of the large-scale simulations of complex systems.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0112543v1","authors":["Milan M. Cirkovic","Marina Radujkov"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-12-26T04:29:45Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1901.10551v1","name":"A Critical Review on the Assumptions of SETI","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) makes certain assumptions which guide all current search programs. To illustrate some, this includes (1) that interstellar flight is not possible (2) that the motivations of interstellar cultures are based largely on anthropomorphic understandings of homo sapiens (3) that the Fermi Paradox and the Drake equation are the starting point (axioms) of all reasoning (4) that definitions of 'life' are based largely on our understanding of homeostasis (5) that radio waves are the most likely method of interstellar communications (6) that unknown single event source signatures detected in space are not amenable to scrutiny due to the demands of the scientific method to be reproducible (7) that such anomalous signatures are either astronomical or communications based in type with no consideration for emissions from advanced industrialisation or propulsion and power technology. These assumptions, and others, have guided the SETI community towards a constrained level of thinking that is equivalent to philosophical dogma. In this paper, we unpack these assumptions, and others, and argue that the potential for life and intelligent life in the Cosmos may be much greater than the SETI community currently appears to conclude. It is also argued that more progress in our underanding of our place in the Cosmos can be made, if the separate disciplines of astronomy, interstellar spacecraft design, SETI, biology and philosophy can work together in a complementary way. Presented at the 47th IAA Symposium on the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. SETI and Society.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1901.10551v1","authors":["Kelvin F Long"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-01-11T17:22:47Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2511.22748v1","name":"Megastructures of type-III civilizations orbiting galaxies","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The article discusses the possibility of a Type-III extraterrestrial civilization constructing megastructures around a galaxy in regions where the galactic radiation becomes indistinguishable from the CMB radiation. For a Milky Way-like galaxy, we estimated the corresponding distance from its center at which a solar mass megastructure would need to be placed. We also showed that, from an energetic standpoint, placing such a massive object into orbit poses no fundamental difficulties. The detectability of the megastructure was also addressed.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.22748v1","authors":["Zaza N. Osmanov"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-27T20:35:10Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1101.4172v3","name":"A biotic cosmos demystified?","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Oceanic planets formed by type Ia supernovae become spectacularly abundant as stars cease to shine. However, the timing may not be altogether inappropriate. Neutrino annihilation might thermally regulate iron-cored water-worlds, sustaining habitable subglacial oceans. If dark matter and dark energy decay to neutrinos, the universe could support life for ~ 10^23 years. Civilisations surmounting the arduous process of hereditary genetics soon discern the biotic nature of the cosmos and accept their role within it. An infrastructure guards against the spread of rogue colonists. Recruited colonists could harness the available energy for the benefit of life with stupendous efficiency, providing unmistakeable evidence of cosmological optimisation. The anthropic coincidences, inhospitable aspects of the current universe and Fermi's paradox would all be illuminated. Semiconductors sensitive to a neutrinoelectric effect offer a laboratory test of the planetary heating mechanism.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1101.4172v3","authors":["R. J. Spivey"],"tags":["physics.gen-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-01-21T16:19:45Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1402.0175v1","name":"Aqueous alteration on main belt primitive asteroids: results from visible spectroscopy","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This work focuses on the study of the aqueous alteration process which acted in the main belt and produced hydrated minerals on the altered asteroids. The aqueous alteration is particularly important for unraveling the processes occurring during the earliest times of the Solar System history, as it can give information both on the asteroids thermal evolution and on the localization of water sources in the asteroid belt. We present new spectral observations in the visible region of 80 asteroids belonging to the primitive classes C, G, F, B and P. We combine the present observations with the visible spectra of asteroids available in the literature for a total of 600 primitive main belt asteroids. Our analysis shows that the aqueous alteration sequence starts from the P-type objects, practically unaltered, and increases through the F, B, C, and G asteroids. Around 50% of the observed C-type asteroids show absorption features in the vis. range due to hydrated silicates, implying that more than 70% of them will have a 3 $μ$m absorption band and thus hydrated minerals on their surfaces. The process dominates in primitive asteroids located between 2.3 and 3.1 AU, that is at smaller heliocentric distances than previously suggested. The aqueous alteration process dominates in the 50--240 km sized primitive asteroids, while it is less effective for bodies smaller than 50 km. No correlation is found between the aqueous alteration process and the asteroids albedo or orbital elements. Comparing the $\\sim$ 0.7 $μ$m band parameters of hydrated silicates and CM2 carbonaceous chondrites, we see that the band center of meteorites is at longer wavelengths than that of asteroids. This difference on center positions may be attributed to different minerals abundances, and to the fact that CM2 available on Earth might not be representative of the whole aqueous altered asteroids population.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1402.0175v1","authors":["S. Fornasier","C. Lantz","M. A. Barucci","M. Lazzarin"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-02-02T11:18:30Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2308.04771v1","name":"SUnAA: Sparse Unmixing using Archetypal Analysis","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper introduces a new sparse unmixing technique using archetypal analysis (SUnAA). First, we design a new model based on archetypal analysis. We assume that the endmembers of interest are a convex combination of endmembers provided by a spectral library and that the number of endmembers of interest is known. Then, we propose a minimization problem. Unlike most conventional sparse unmixing methods, here the minimization problem is non-convex. We minimize the optimization objective iteratively using an active set algorithm. Our method is robust to the initialization and only requires the number of endmembers of interest. SUnAA is evaluated using two simulated datasets for which results confirm its better performance over other conventional and advanced techniques in terms of signal-to-reconstruction error. SUnAA is also applied to Cuprite dataset and the results are compared visually with the available geological map provided for this dataset. The qualitative assessment demonstrates the successful estimation of the minerals abundances and significantly improves the detection of dominant minerals compared to the conventional regression-based sparse unmixing methods. The Python implementation of SUnAA can be found at: https://github.com/BehnoodRasti/SUnAA.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2308.04771v1","authors":["Behnood Rasti","Alexandre Zouaoui","Julien Mairal","Jocelyn Chanussot"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.LG","eess.IV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-08-09T07:58:33Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2401.15981v1","name":"Formation of the Trappist-1 system in a dry protoplanetary disk","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A key feature of the Trappist-1 system is its monotonic decrease in bulk density with growing distance from the central star, which indicates an ice mass fraction that is zero in the innermost planets, b and c, and about 10\\% in planets d through h. Previous studies suggest that the density gradient of this system could be due to the growth of planets from icy planetesimals that progressively lost their volatile content during their inward drift through the protoplanetary disk. Here we investigate the alternative possibility that the planets formed in a dry protoplanetary disk populated with pebbles made of phyllosilicates, a class of hydrated minerals with a water fraction possibly exceeding 10 wt\\%. We show that the dehydration of these minerals in the inner regions of the disk and the outward diffusion of the released vapor up to the ice-line location allow the condensation of ice onto grains. Pebbles with water mass fractions consistent with those of planets d--h would have formed at the snow-line location. In contrast, planets b and c would have been accreted from drier material in regions closer to the star than the phyllosilicate dehydration line.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.15981v1","authors":["Antoine Schneeberger","Olivier Mousis","Magali Deleuil","Jonathan I. Lunine"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-29T09:09:29Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1012.2587v1","name":"The Search for signals of technological activities in the galaxy","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this article an analysis of the fundamentals used to search for extraterrestrial artificial signals in the galaxy, which have been developing for more than five decades, is presented. It is shown that the key factor for the success of these research projects is given by the technological civilizations lifetimes. Assuming the Principle of Mediocrity, estimations are made to determine the minimum number of civilizations that may co-exist in the galaxy and the probability of detecting a signal from them.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1012.2587v1","authors":["Guillermo A. Lemarchand"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-12-12T20:52:03Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2206.09943v1","name":"High throughput investigation of an emergent and naturally abundant 2D material: Clinochlore","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Phyllosilicate minerals, which form a class of naturally occurring layered materials (LMs), have been recently considered as a low-cost source of two-dimensional (2D) materials. Clinochlore [Mg5Al(AlSi3)O10(OH)8] is one of the most abundant phyllosilicate minerals in nature, exhibiting the capability to be mechanically exfoliated down to a few layers. An important characteristic clinochlore is the natural occurrence of defects and impurities which can strongly affect their optoelectronic properties, possibly in technologically interesting ways. In the present work, we carry out a thorough investigation of the clinochlore structure on both bulk and 2D exfoliated forms, discussing its optical features and the influence of the insertion of impurities on its macroscopic properties. Several experimental techniques are employed, followed by theoretical first-principles calculations considering several types of naturally-ocurring transition metal impurities in the mineral lattice and their effect on electronic and optical properties. We demonstrate the existence of requirements concerning surface quality and insulating properties of clinochlore that are mandatory for its suitable application in nanoelectronic devices. The results presented in this work provide important informations for clinochlore potential applications and establish a basis for further works that intend to optimize its properties to relevant 2D technological applications through defect engineering.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2206.09943v1","authors":["Raphaela de Oliveira","Luis A. G. Guallichico","Eduardo Policarpo","Alisson R. Cadore","Raul O. Freitas","Francisco M. C. da Silva","Verônica de C. Teixeira","Roberto M. Paniago","Helio Chacham","Matheus J. S. Matos","Angelo Malachias","Klaus Krambrock","Ingrid D. Barcelos"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci","cond-mat.mes-hall"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-06-20T18:03:22Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:9612003v1","name":"Comments on Biological Effects of Stellar Collapse Neutrinos","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Extraterrestrial processes like neutrinos from collapsing stars, cosmic rays from supernovae and cosmic rays from neutron star mergers etc. have recently been proposed as models to explain the periodic mass extinctions such as that which wiped out the dinosaurs at the K-T boundary. Here we show that these models fail to give any reasonable explanation of several empirically established facts related to these mass extinctions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/9612003v1","authors":["Samar Abbas","Afsar Abbas"],"tags":["astro-ph","hep-ph","physics.bio-ph","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1996-11-29T07:19:05Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2309.11729v1","name":"The possibility of detecting our solar system through astrometry","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Searching for exoplanets with different methods has always been the focus of astronomers over the past few years. Among multiple planet detection techniques, astrometry stands out for its capability to accurately determine the orbital parameters of exoplanets. In this study, we examine the likelihood of extraterrestrial intelligent civilizations detecting planets in our solar system using the astrometry method. By conducting injection-recovery simulations, we investigate the detectability of the four giant planets in our solar system under different observing baselines and observational errors. Our findings indicate that extraterrestrial intelligence could detect and characterize all four giant planets, provided they are observed for a minimum of 90 years with signal-noise ratios exceeding 1. For individual planets such as Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune, a baseline that surpasses half of their orbital periods is necessary for detection. However, Uranus requires longer observing baselines since its orbital period is roughly half of that of Neptune. If the astrometry precision is equal to or better than 10 $μ$as, all 8,707 stars located within 30 pcs of our solar system possess the potential to detect the four giant planets within 100 years. Additionally, our prediction suggests that over 300 stars positioned within 10 pcs from our solar system could detect our Earth if they achieve an astrometry precision of 0.3 $μ$as.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.11729v1","authors":["Dong-Hong Wu"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-21T02:03:05Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0409423v1","name":"New results from the Antarctic Muon And Neutrino Detector Array","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present recent results from the Antarctic Muon And Neutrino Detector Array (AMANDA) on searches for high-energy neutrinos of extraterrestrial origin. We have searched for a diffuse flux of neutrinos, neutrino point sources and neutrinos from GRBs and from WIMP annihilations in the Sun or the center of the Earth. We also present a preliminary result on the first energy spectrum above a few TeV for atmospheric neutrinos.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0409423v1","authors":["Kurt Woschnagg"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-09-17T06:35:31Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0606235v2","name":"Neutrino detectors in ice: results and perspectives","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The AMANDA neutrino detector has been in operation at the South Pole for several years. A number of searches for extraterrestrial sources of high energy neutrinos have been performed. A selection of results is presented in this paper. The much larger IceCube detector will extend the instrumented ice volume to a cubic kilometer and 9 out of 80 planned IceCube strings have been deployed to date. We present the status for both detectors.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0606235v2","authors":["Adam Bouchta"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-06-09T14:37:03Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1506.06600v1","name":"Polymerization of building blocks of life on Europa and other icy moons","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The outer solar system may provide a potential habitat for extraterrestrial life. Remote sensing data from the Galileo spacecraft suggest that the jovian icy moons, Europa, Ganymede, and possibly Callisto, may harbor liquid water oceans underneath their icy crusts. Although compositional information required for the discussion of habitability is limited because of significantly restricted observation data, organic molecules are ubiquitous in the universe. Recently, in-situ spacecraft measurements and experiments suggest that amino acids can be formed abiotically on interstellar ices and comets. These amino acids could be continuously delivered by meteorite or comet impacts to icy moons. Here, we show that polymerization of organic monomers, in particular amino acids and nucleotides, could proceed spontaneously in the cold environment of icy moons, in particular the Jovian icy moon Europa as a typical example, based on thermodynamic calculations, though kinetics of formation are not addressed. Observed surface temperature on Europa is 120 and 80 K in the equatorial region and polar region, respectively. At such low temperatures, Gibbs energies of polymerization become negative, and the estimated thermal structure of the icy crust should contain a shallow region (i.e., at a depth of only a few kilometers) favorable for polymerization. Investigation of the possibility of organic monomer polymerization on icy moons could provide good constraints on the origin and early evolution of extraterrestrial life.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1506.06600v1","authors":["Jun Kimura","Norio Kitadai"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-06-22T13:49:20Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2109.11005v3","name":"Prospects of SETI by small size optical telescopes","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In the present manuscript we consider the possibility of SETI by the small size (with diameters less than 1 m) optical telescopes. Calculations are performed for typical parameters of the mentioned type of telescopes. In particular, we show that the techno-signatures of Type-2.x and Type-3.x civilizations might be detected. It is demonstrated that it is possible to detect as hot megastructures (up to 4000 K) built around main sequence stars and pulsars as well as von Neumann extraterrestrial probes.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2109.11005v3","authors":["Z. N. Osmanov","V. I. Berezhiani"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-09-22T19:53:40Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.00522v1","name":"Interstellar Ices as Carriers of Supernova Material to the Early Solar System","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Planetary materials show systematic variations in their nucleosynthetic isotope compositions that resonate with orbital distance. The origin of this pattern remains debated, limiting how these isotopic signatures can be used to trace the precursors of terrestrial planets. Here we test the hypothesis that interstellar ices carried supernova-produced nuclides by searching for a supernova nucleosynthetic fingerprint in aqueous alteration minerals from carbonaceous and non-carbonaceous chondrite meteorites. We focus on zirconium, a refractory element that includes the neutron-rich isotope $^{96}$Zr formed in core-collapse supernovae. Leaching experiments reveal extreme $^{96}$Zr enrichments in alteration minerals, showing that they incorporated supernova material hosted in interstellar ices. We show that the Solar System's zirconium isotope variability reflects mixing between these ices and an ice-free rocky component. Finally, the presence of supernova nuclides in a volatile carrier supports models where the Solar System's nucleosynthetic variability was imparted by thermal processing of material in the protoplanetary disk and during planetary accretion.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.00522v1","authors":["Martin Bizzarro","Martin Schiller","Jesper Holst","Laura Bouvier","Mirek Groen","Frédéric Moynier","Elishevah van Kooten","Maria Schönbächler","Troels Haugbølle","Darach Watson","Anders Johansen","James Connelly","Emil Bizzarro"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.GA","astro-ph.HE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-29T15:40:18Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1803.08425v2","name":"\"First in, last out\" solution to the Fermi Paradox","source":"arxiv","abstract":"No present observations suggest a technologically advanced extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) has spread through the galaxy. However, under commonplace assumptions about galactic civilization formation and expansion, this absence of observation is highly unlikely. This improbability constitutes the Fermi Paradox. In this paper, I argue that the Paradox has a trivial solution, requiring no controversial assumptions, which is rarely suggested or discussed. However, that solution would be hard to accept, as it predicts a future for our own civilization that is even worse than extinction.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1803.08425v2","authors":["Alexander Berezin"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-03-20T20:13:40Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2301.07165v2","name":"Inferring the rate of technosignatures from 60 yr of nondetection","source":"arxiv","abstract":"For about the last 60 years the search for extraterrestrial intelligence has been monitoring the sky for evidence of remotely detectable technological life beyond Earth, with no positive results to date. While the lack of detection can be attributed to the highly incomplete sampling of the search space, technological emissions may be actually rare enough that we are living in a time when none cross the Earth. Here we explore the latter possibility and derive the likelihood of the Earth not being crossed by signals for at least the last 60 years to infer upper bounds on their rate of emission. Under the assumption that technological emitters are distributed uniformly in the Milky Way and that they generate technoemissions at a constant rate, we find less than about one to five emissions generated per century with 95% credible level. This implies optimistic waiting times until the next crossing event of no less than 60-1800 years with a 50% probability. A significant fraction of highly directional signals increases the emission rates upper bounds, but without systematically changing the waiting time. Although these probabilistic bounds are derived from a specific model and their validity depends on the model's assumptions, they are nevertheless quite robust against weak time dependences of the emission rate or nonuniform spatial distributions of the emitters. Our results provide therefore a benchmark for assessing the lack of detection and may serve as a basis to form optimal strategies for the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2301.07165v2","authors":["Claudio Grimaldi"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph","astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-11-19T12:59:09Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0511201v1","name":"The OSER project","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The OSER project (Optical Scintillation by Extraterrestrial Refractors) is proposed to search for scintillation of extragalactic sources through the galactic -- disk or halo -- transparent $\\mathrm{H\\_2}$ clouds, the last unknown baryonic structures. This project should allow one to detect column density stochastic variations in cool Galactic molecular clouds of order of $\\sim 3\\times 10^{-5} \\mathrm{g/cm^2}$ per $\\sim 10 000 \\mathrm{km}$ transverse distance.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0511201v1","authors":["Marc Moniez"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-11-07T21:36:18Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1909.05078v2","name":"On the interstellar Von Neumann micro self-reproducing probes","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper we consider efficiency of self-reproducing extraterrestrial Von-Neumann micro scale robots and analyse the observational characteristics. By examining the natural scenario of moving in the HII clouds, it has been found that the timescale of replication might be several years and even less - making the process of observation quite promising. We have shown that by encountering the interstellar protons the probes might be visible at least in the infrared energy band and the corresponding luminosities might reach enormous values.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1909.05078v2","authors":["Z. Osmanov"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-09-11T14:28:34Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.18287v1","name":"The Adaptive Communication Framework (ACF) for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Discovery","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Vera C. Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space and Time will increase interstellar object detection rates to one every few months, substantially elevating the probability of identifying objects with characteristics suggesting artificial origin. Despite this imminent capability, no evidence-based crisis communication framework exists for managing potential technosignature discoveries. We present the Adaptive Communication Framework (ACF), a theoretically grounded protocol that integrates crisis communication theories with the SPECtrum of Rhetoric Intelligences model to address diverse cognitive, social and emotional processing styles. Through analysis of communication failures during COVID-19, Fukushima, and asteroid 99942 Apophis (2004 MN4), we identify critical gaps in managing scientific uncertainty under public scrutiny. The ACF provides graduated protocols calibrated to the Loeb Scale for Interstellar Object Significance, offering specific messaging strategies across four rhetoric intelligence channels (Systematic, Practical, Emotional, Creative) for each evidential level group. Recognizing that Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems will mediate public understanding, the framework incorporates safeguards against synthetic media manipulation and algorithmic misinformation through pre-positioned content seeding and deepfake detection protocols. Our theoretical framework reveals that successful communication of paradigm-shifting discoveries requires simultaneous activation of multiple cognitive channels, with messages adapted to cultural contexts and uncertainty levels. This framework provides essential theoretical groundwork for ensuring humanity's potentially most transformative discovery unfolds through understanding rather than chaos.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.18287v1","authors":["Omer Eldadi","Gershon Tenenbaum","Abraham Loeb"],"tags":["physics.soc-ph","astro-ph.IM","cs.CY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-20T18:12:14Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:9701104v1","name":"The \"human\" statistics of terrestrial impact cratering rate","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The most significant periodicities in the terrestrial impact crater record are due to the human-signal: the bias of assigning integer values for the crater ages. This bias seems to have eluded the proponents and opponents of real periodicity in the occurrence of these events, as well as the theorists searching for an extraterrestrial explanation for such periodicity. The human-signal should be seriously considered by scientists in astronomy, geology and paleontology when searching for a connection between terrestrial major comet or asteroid impacts and mass extinctions of species.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/9701104v1","authors":["Lauri Jetsu"],"tags":["astro-ph","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997-01-16T15:17:04Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1511.01606v3","name":"Radio SETI Observations of the Anomalous Star KIC 8462852","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We report on a search for the presence of signals from extraterrestrial intelligence in the direction of the star system KIC 8462852. Observations were made at radio frequencies between 1-10 GHz using the Allen Telescope Array. No narrowband radio signals were found at a level of 180-300 Jy in a 1 Hz channel, or medium band signals above 10 Jy in a 100 kHz channel.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1511.01606v3","authors":["G. R. Harp","Jon Richards","Seth Shostak","J. C. Tarter","Douglas A. Vakoch","Chris Munson"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-11-05T04:17:05Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.19183v1","name":"Raman Spectroscopy of Salt Deposits from the Simulated Subsurface Ocean of Enceladus","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Saturn's ice-covered moon Enceladus may host a subsurface ocean with biologically relevant chemistry. Plumes released from this ocean preserve information on its chemical state, and previous analyses suggest weakly to strongly alkaline pH (approximately pH 8--12). Constraining the pH requires identification of pH-sensitive minerals in plume deposits. Several analytical techniques could provide such mineralogical information, but few are practical for deployment on planetary missions. Raman spectrometers, which have recently advanced for \\textit{in situ} exploration and have been incorporated into flight instruments, offer a feasible approach for mineral identification on icy moons. However, their applicability to pH estimation from plume-derived minerals has not been investigated. In this study, we evaluate whether Raman measurements of plume particles deposited on the surface of Enceladus can be used to distinguish between weakly and strongly alkaline subsurface ocean models. Fluids with pH values of 9 and 11 were frozen under vacuum conditions analogous to those on Enceladus. The resulting salt deposits were then analyzed using a flight-like Raman spectrometer. The Raman spectra show pH-dependent carbonate precipitation: NaHCO$_3$ and Na$_2$CO$_3$ peaks were detected at pH 9, whereas only Na$_2$CO$_3$ peaks were detected at pH 11. These findings demonstrate that Raman spectroscopy can distinguish pH-dependent carbonate phases. This capability allows us to constrain whether the pH of the subsurface ocean is weakly alkaline or strongly alkaline, which is a key parameter for assessing its chemical evolution and potential habitability.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.19183v1","authors":["Jun Takeshita","Yuichiro Cho","Haruhisa Tabata","Yoshio Takahashi","Daigo Shoji","Seiji Sugita"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-22T09:17:45Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1603.08823v2","name":"Gray transits of WD 1145+017 over the visible band","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We have observed several relatively deep transits of the white dwarf WD 1145+017 with the GTC over the wavelength range 480 nm to 920 nm. The observations covered approximately one hour on 2016 Jan 18 and two hours on 2016 Jan 20. There was variable extinction of the white dwarf during much of that time, but punctuated by four sharp transits with depths ranging from 25% to 40%. The spectrum was dispersed with a grism, and the flux data were ultimately summed into four bands centered at 0.53, 0.62, 0.71, and 0.84 $μ$m. After careful normalization, we find that the flux light curves in all four bands are consistent with being the same, including through the deepest dips. We use these results to compute Ångström exponents, $α$, for the particles responsible for the extinction and find |$\\langle α\\rangle $| $\\lesssim 0.06$, assuming that the extinction is relatively optically thin. We use the complex indices of refraction for common minerals to set constraints on the median sizes of possible dust grains, and find that for most common minerals, particle sizes $\\lesssim 0.5 \\, μ$m can be excluded.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1603.08823v2","authors":["R. Alonso","S. Rappaport","H. J. Deeg","E. Palle"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-03-29T15:57:20Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1506.00055v3","name":"The Application of Autocorrelation SETI Search Techniques in an ATA Survey","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We report a novel radio autocorrelation (AC) search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). For selected frequencies across the terrestrial microwave window (1-10 GHz) observations were conducted at the Allen Telescope Array to identify artificial non-sinusoidal periodic signals with radio bandwidths greater than 4 Hz, which are capable of carrying substantial messages with symbol-rates from 4-1000000 Hz. Out of 243 observations, about half (101) were directed toward sources with known continuum flux &gt; ~1 Jy over the sampled bandwidth (quasars, pulsars, supernova remnants, and masers), based on the hypothesis that they might harbor heretofore undiscovered natural or artificial, repetitive, phase or frequency modulation. The rest of the targets were mostly toward exoplanet stars with no previously discovered continuum flux. No signals attributable to extraterrestrial technology were found in this study. We conclude that the maximum probability that future observations like the ones described here will reveal repetitively modulated emissions is less than 1% for continuum sources and exoplanets, alike. The paper concludes by describing a new approach to expanding this survey to many more targets and much greater sensitivity using archived data from interferometers all over the world.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1506.00055v3","authors":["G. R. Harp","R. F. Ackermann","Alfredo Astorga","Jack Arbunich","Kristin Hightower","Seth Meitzner","W. C. Barott","Michael C. Nolan","D. G. Messerschmitt","Douglas A. Vakoch","Seth Shostak","J. C. Tarter"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-05-30T01:26:23Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1709.03491v2","name":"The Breakthrough Listen Search for Intelligent Life: 1.1-1.9 GHz observations of 692 Nearby Stars","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We report on a search for engineered signals from a sample of 692 nearby stars using the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope, undertaken as part of the $Breakthrough~Listen~Initiative$ search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Observations were made over 1.1$-$1.9 GHz (L band), with three sets of five-minute observations of the 692 primary targets, interspersed with five-minute observations of secondary targets. By comparing the \"ON\" and \"OFF\" observations we are able to identify terrestrial interference and place limits on the presence of engineered signals from putative extraterrestrial civilizations inhabiting the environs of the target stars. During the analysis, eleven events passed our thresholding algorithm, but a detailed analysis of their properties indicates they are consistent with known examples of anthropogenic radio frequency interference. We conclude that, at the time of our observations, none of the observed systems host high-duty-cycle radio transmitters emitting between 1.1 and 1.9 GHz with an Equivalent Isotropic Radiated Power of $\\sim10^{13}$ W, which is readily achievable by our own civilization. Our results suggest that fewer than $\\sim$ 0.1$\\%$ of the stellar systems within 50 pc possess the type of transmitters searched in this survey.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1709.03491v2","authors":["J. Emilio Enriquez","Andrew Siemion","Griffin Foster","Vishal Gajjar","Greg Hellbourg","Jack Hickish","Howard Isaacson","Danny C. Price","Steve Croft","David DeBoer","Matt Lebofsky","David MacMahon","Dan Werthimer"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-09-11T17:53:04Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2102.11726v2","name":"A Ride to Exoplanets: Finding Potentially Habitable Worlds","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Cosmos has always sparked human curiosity to unveil and speculate its fascinating secrets. This curiosity has ultimately opened a window to other worlds. After years of observation, computation, and data analysis, scientists have revealed the diversity in exoplanets that have been helpful in the characterization and further investigation of biosignatures and technosignatures. This article presents some of the scientific advances made in extraterrestrial planetary science that guarantees to search through the thick clouds of the mysterious planets in the near future.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2102.11726v2","authors":["Simran Kaur","Varinderjit Kaur"],"tags":["physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-02-11T12:20:48Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2210.02741v1","name":"Comet nuclei composition and evolution","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Thanks to Rosetta orbiter's and Philae lander's data our knowledge of cometary nuclei composition has experienced a great advancement. The properties of 67P/CG nucleus are discussed and compared with other comets explored in the past by space missions. Cometary nuclei are made by a collection of ices, minerals, organic matter, and salts resulting in very dark and red-colored surfaces. When far from the Sun, exposed water and carbon dioxide ices are found only in few locations of 67P/CG where the exposure of pristine subsurface layers or the recondensation of volatile species driven by the solar heating and local terrain morphology can sustain their temporary presence on the surface. The nucleus surface appears covered by a dust layer of variable thickness. Dust grains appear mostly dehydrated and are made by an assemblage of minerals, organic matter, and salts. Spectral analysis shows that the mineral phase is dominated by silicates, fine-grained opaques and ammoniated salts. Aliphatic and aromatic groups, with the presence of the strong hydroxyl group, are identified within the organic matter. The surface composition of cometary nuclei evolves with heliocentric distance and seasonal cycling: approaching perihelion the increase of the solar flux boosts the activity through the sublimation of volatiles which in turn causes the erosion of surface layers, the exposure of ices, the activity in cliffs and pits, the collapse of overhangs and walls, and the mobilization and redistribution of dust. The evolution of color, composition, and texture changes occurring across different morphological regions of the nucleus are correlated with these processes. In this chapter we discuss 67P/CG nucleus composition and evolutionary processes as observed by Rosetta mission in the context of other comets previously explored by space missions or observed from Earth.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2210.02741v1","authors":["Gianrico Filacchione","Mauro Ciarniello","Sonia Fornasier","Andrea Raponi"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-06T08:11:01Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2301.04505v3","name":"A Fully Quantum-Mechanical Treatment for Kaolinite","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Neural network potentials for kaolinite minerals have been fitted to data extracted from density functional theory calculation that were performed using the revPBE + D3 and revPBE + vdW functionals. These potentials have then been used to calculate static and dynamic properties of the mineral. We show that revPBE + vdW is better at reproducing the static properties. However, revPBE + D3 does a better job of reproducing the experimental IR spectrum. We also consider what happens to these properties when a fully-quantum treatment of the nuclei is employed. We find that nuclear quantum effects (NQEs) do not make a substantial difference to the static properties. However, when NQEs are included the dynamic properties of the material change substantially.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2301.04505v3","authors":["Sam Shepherd","Gareth A. Tribello","David M. Wilkins"],"tags":["physics.comp-ph","cond-mat.dis-nn"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-11T14:56:11Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1811.00091v1","name":"Proton-transfer Ferroelectricity / Multiferroicity in Rutile Oxyhydroxides","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Oxyhydroxide minerals like FeOOH have been a research focus in geology for studying the Earth interior, and also in chemistry for studying oxygen electrocatalysis activity. In this paper we provide first-principles evidence of a new class of ferroelectrics or multiferroics among them:GaOOH,InOOH,CrOOH,FeOOH, which are earth-abundant minerals and have been experimentally verified to possess distorted rutile structures, are ferroelectric with considerable polarizations(up to 24 muC/cm2) and piezoelectric coefficients. Their atomic-thick layer may possess vertical polarization robust against depolarizing field due to the formation of O-H O bonds that can hardly be symmetrized. Moreover,CrOOH (guyanaite) is revealed to be a combination of high-Tc in-plane type-I multiferroics and vertical type-II multiferroics, which is strain-tunable and may render a desirable coupling between magnetism and ferroelectricity. Supported by experimental evidence on reversible conversion between metal oxyhydroxides and dioxides and their nice lattice match that renders convenient epitaxial growth, heterostructure composed of oxyhydroxides and prevalent metal dioxides (e.g. TiO2, SnO2 and CrO2) may be constructed for various applications like ferroelectric field-effect transistors and multiferroic tunneling junctions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1811.00091v1","authors":["Menghao Wu","Tianci Duan","Chengliang Lu","Huahua Fu","Shuai Dong","Junming Liu"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-10-06T03:19:25Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1306.2678v1","name":"Asteroids in the service of humanity","source":"arxiv","abstract":"There are at least three compelling reasons for the human race to initiate a major programme to explore and better understand the 'minor planets' of the Solar System: (1) Enhancing scientific knowledge; (2) Mitigating the impact hazard; and (3) Utilizing extraterrestrial resources. Strong synergies exist between all three. Moreover, all these activities would benefit from greater international cooperation in space exploration by the World's space agencies, and the recognition that asteroids are important targets for human and robotic exploration.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1306.2678v1","authors":["Ian A. Crawford"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-06-11T23:59:24Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2106.11826v5","name":"Seeds of imperfection rule the mesocrystalline disorder in natural anhydrite single crystals","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In recent years, we have come to appreciate the astounding intricacy of the formation process of minerals from ions in aqueous solutions. In this context, a number of studies have revealed that nucleation in the calcium sulfate system is non-classical, involving the aggregation and reorganization of nanosized prenucleation particles. In a recent work we have shown that this particle-mediated nucleation pathway is actually imprinted in the resultant single micron-sized CaSO4 crystals. This property of CaSO4 minerals provides us with an unique opportunity to search for evidence of non-classical nucleation pathways in geological environments. In particular, we focused on the quintessential single crystals of anhydrite extracted from the Naica mine in Mexico. We elucidated the growth history from this mineral sample by mapping growth defects at different length scales. Based on these data we argue that the nano-scale misalignment of the structural sub-units observed in the initial calcium sulfate crystal seed propagate through different length-scales both in morphological, as well as strictly crystallographic aspects, eventually causing the formation of large mesostructured single crystals of anhydrite. Hence, the nanoparticle mediated nucleation mechanism introduces a 'seed of imperfection', which leads to a macroscopic single crystal, in which its fragments do not fit together at different length-scales in a self-similar manner. Consequently, anisotropic voids of various sizes are formed with very well-defined walls/edges. But, at the same time the material retains its essential single crystal nature. These findings shed new light on the longstanding concept of crystal structure.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2106.11826v5","authors":["Tomasz M. Stawski","Glen J. Smales","Ernesto Scoppola","Diwaker Jha","Luiz F. G. Morales","Alicia Moya","Richard Wirth","Brian R. Pauw","Franziska Emmerling","Alexander E. S. Van Driessche"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-06-22T14:39:00Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1906.03312v1","name":"Identification of nutrient deficiency in bean plants by prompt chlorophyll fluorescence measurements and Artificial Neural Networks","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The deficiency of macro (N, P, S, Ca, Mg and K) and micro (Zn, Cu, B, Mo, Cl, Mn and Fe) minerals has a major effect on plant development. The lack of some nutrient minerals especially of nitrogen, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and iron is a huge problem for agriculture and early warning and prevention of the problem will be very useful for agro-industry. Methods currently used to determine nutritional deficiency in plants are soil analysis, plant tissue analysis, or combined methods. But these methods are slow and expensive. In this study, a new method for determining nutrient deficiency in plants based on the prompt fluorescence of chlorophyll a is proposed. In this paper bean plants are grown on a complete nutrient solution (control) were compared with those grown in a medium, which lacked one of these elements - N, P, K, Ca and Fe. In this article the mineral deficiency in nutrient solution was evaluated by the stress response of the plants estimated by leaves photosynthetic activity. The photosynthetic activity was estimated by analysis of the chlorophyll fluorescence using JIP-test approach that reflects functional activity of Photosystems I and II and of electron transfer chain between them, as well as the physiological state of the photosynthetic apparatus as whole. Next the fluorescence transient recorded from plants grown in nutrient solution with deficiency of N, P, K, Ca and Iron, as an input data in Artificial Neural Network was used. This ANN was train to recognise deficiency of N, P, K, Ca and Iron in bean plants. The results obtained were of high recognition accuracy. The ANN of fluorescence transient was presented as a possible approach to identify/predict the nutrient deficiency using the fast chlorophyll fluorescence records.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1906.03312v1","authors":["Vladimir Aleksandrov"],"tags":["physics.bio-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-06-07T19:48:21Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0109309v1","name":"Inference on the Nature and the Mass of Earth's Late Veneer from Noble Metals and Gases","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Noble metals and gases are very sensitive to the late accretion to the Earth of asteroids and comets. We present mass balance arguments based on these elements that indicate that 0.7E22-2.7E22 kg of extraterrestrial bodies struck the Earth after core formation and that comets comprised less than 1E-5 by mass of the impacting population. These results imply that the dynamics of asteroids and comets changed drastically with time and that biogenic elements and prebiotic molecules were not delivered to the Earth by comets but rather by carbonaceous asteroids.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0109309v1","authors":["N. Dauphas","B. Marty"],"tags":["astro-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-09-19T10:05:30Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1311.4608v2","name":"Jumping the energetics queue: Modulation of pulsar signals by extraterrestrial civilizations","source":"arxiv","abstract":"It has been speculated that technological civilizations evolve along an energy consumption scale first formulated by Kardashev, ranging from human-like civilizations that consume energy at a rate of $\\sim 10^{19}$ erg s$^{-1}$ to hypothetical highly advanced civilizations that can consume $\\sim 10^{44}$ erg s$^{-1}$. Since the transmission power of a beacon a civilization can build depends on the energy it possesses, to make it bright enough to be seen across the Galaxy would require high technological advancement. In this paper, we discuss the possibility of a civilization using naturally-occurring radio transmitters -- specifically, radio pulsars -- to overcome the Kardashev limit of their developmental stage and transmit super-Kardashev power. This is achieved by the use of a modulator situated around a pulsar, that modulates the pulsar signal, encoding information onto its natural emission. We discuss a simple modulation model using pulse nulling and considerations for detecting such a signal. We find that a pulsar with a nulling modulator will exhibit an excess of thermal emission peaking in the ultraviolet during its null phases, revealing the existence of a modulator.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1311.4608v2","authors":["Jayanth Chennamangalam","Andrew P. V. Siemion","D. R. Lorimer","Dan Werthimer"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-19T02:21:11Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.07285v1","name":"Impact of Exoplanet Science on Society: Professional Contributions, Citizen Science Engagement and Public Perception","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The impact of exoplanet science on both the scientific community and on the general public is presented through various indicators and examples. It is estimated that about 3-4% of all refereed astronomy articles focus on exoplanets, and between 15-20% percent of current, and up to 25% of upcoming astronomy space missions are dedicated to exoplanet research. Also, about 15-20% of the science cases for large multi-purpose ground-based astronomical instruments involve exoplanet science. Interactions between the scientific community and the public occur on several levels and play a crucial role in shaping the future of exoplanet science. The rise of citizen science platforms and the successes of coordinated observing projects involving amateur astronomers have engaged the public in meaningful scientific contributions, and contribute to some areas of discovery and characterization of exoplanet systems, for which several examples are given. These initiatives not only fuel public interest in the search for extraterrestrial life but also promote STEM education, broadening participation in science. Lastly, the changing perception of the informed public about the existence of \"other Earths\" and life in the Universe in the light of results from exoplanet science is outlined. Media coverage of results from exoplanet science has furthered the acceptance that extraterrestrial life, be it intelligent of not, is not rare in the Universe. The shift in perception that such life might be detected in a potentially not very distant future has, in turn, promoted public support for the research infrastructure necessary to sustain the growth of exoplanetology.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.07285v1","authors":["H. J. Deeg"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP","physics.soc-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-09T12:24:36Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.09288v2","name":"The First High Frequency Technosignature Search Survey with the Sardinia Radio Telescope","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The quest for radio signals from technologically-advanced extraterrestrial intelligence has traditionally concentrated on the vicinity of 1.4 GHz. In this paper, we extend the search to unprecedented territories, detailing our extensive observations at 6 GHz and initiating the first-ever survey at 18 GHz with the Sardinia Radio Telescope (SRT). Our strategy entailed rigorous observation sessions, totaling 36 hours, directed towards the Galactic Center and 72 selected TESS targets-making this the most comprehensive high-frequency technosignature search to date. Our narrowband signal search found no definitive evidence of drifting signals that could suggest an extraterrestrial origin from the surveyed regions. Nevertheless, our efforts have enabled us to set new constraints on the presence of radio emissions from approximately $5\\times 10^{5}$ stars, establishing an isotropic radiated power limit of $1.8\\times 10^{19} W$. We also provide a comparative analysis of the 'hits' recorded across both frequencies to highlight the significance of pursuing technosignature searches at higher frequencies, where the spectral landscape is less congested and more conducive to detection.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.09288v2","authors":["Lorenzo Manunza","Alice Vendrame","Luca Pizzuto","Monica Mulas","Karen I. Perez","Vishal Gajjar","Andrea Melis","Maura Pilia","Delphine Perrodin","Giambattista Aresu","Marta Burgay","Alessandro Cabras","Giuseppe Carboni","Silvia Casu","Tiziana Coiana","Alessandro Corongiu","Steve Croft","Elise Egron","Owen A. Johnson","Adelaide Ladu","Matt Lebofsky","Francesca Loi","David MacMahon","Emilio Molinari","Matteo Murgia","Alberto Pellizzoni","Tonino Pisanu","Antonio Poddighe","Erika Rea","Andrew Siemion","Paolo Soletta","Matteo Trudu","Valentina Vacca"],"tags":["astro-ph.HE","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-11T22:36:34Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0108259v1","name":"Identifying and Indexing Icosahedral Quasicrystals from Powder Diffraction Patterns","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present a scheme to identify quasicrystals based on powder diffraction data and to provide a standardized indexing. We apply our scheme to a large catalog of powder diffraction patterns, including natural minerals, to look for new quasicrystals. Based on our tests, we have found promising candidates worthy of further exploration.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0108259v1","authors":["Peter J. Lu","Kenneth Deffeyes","Paul J. Steinhardt","Nan Yao"],"tags":["cond-mat"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-08-16T04:16:39Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:1906.11534v1","name":"Seismic Moment and Recurrence: Microstructural and mineralogical characterization of rocks in carbonate fault zones and their potential for luminescence and ESR dating","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The important question of absolute dating of seismic phenomena has been the study of several researchers over the past few decades. The relevant research has concentrated on 'energy traps' of minerals, such as quartz or feldspar, which may accumulate chronological information associated with tectonic deformations. However, the produced knowledge so far, is not sufficient to allow the absolute dating of faults. Today, Luminescence and Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) dating methods could be seen as offering high potential for dating past seismic deformed features on timescales ranging from some years to even several million years. This preliminary study attempts to establish the potential of three different carbonate fault zones hosting fault mirror-like structures, to be used in luminescence and ESR dating, based on their microstructural, mineralogical and palaeo-maximum temperatures analysis. The results indicated that the collected samples can be considered datable fault-rock materials, since they contain suitable minerals (quartz) for luminescence and ESR dating, have experienced repeated cataclastic deformation and have been subject to various physical and chemical processes as well as pressure and temperature conditions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1906.11534v1","authors":["Evangelos Tsakalos","Maria Kazantzaki","Aiming Lin","Yannis Bassiakos","Eleni Filippaki","Nishiwaki Takafumi"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-06-27T10:19:36Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2605.24311v1","name":"Terrain-Adaptive Grouser Wheel for Optimal Planetary Exploration: Design and Experimental Investigation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Planetary rovers operating in extraterrestrial environments often encounter significant mobility challenges due to varying terrain features such as gradients and granularity. While recent works in multimodal wheel design have explored adjustments in stiffness, compliance, and diameter as a means to improve terrain adaptability, full wheel grouser-adjustable designs remain largely unexplored. Grousers are a compelling feature to actuate, as granular terrains tend to require increased grouser height for improved wheel performance. As a result, we introduce [Anonymized Robot Name], a multimodal wheel capable of continuously adjusting its grouser height for terrain adaptation. The platform was evaluated across four representative surfaces, including vinyl flooring, coarse rock, pea gravel, and sand under two packing states, spanning a range of granular conditions. Results from 750 experimental trials demonstrate that adaptive deployment reduces slip by 30.0--58.0\\% and improves travel time and energy consumption by up to 77.4\\% in granular regimes relative to fixed configurations. Using the terrain trial data, a simplified scaling analysis was developed and validated, suggesting a relationship between terrain granularity and optimal grouser height for the tested configuration. No single grouser height minimized slip across all terrains, underscoring the limitations of fixed-wheel systems commonly used for planetary exploration. This observation reinforces the potential of grouser-adaptive morphology, such as [Anonymized Robot Name], as an effective solution for enhancing rover mobility across diverse and mobility-challenging extraterrestrial environments.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.24311v1","authors":["Vincent Griffo","Yashwanth Kumar Nakka"],"tags":["cs.RO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-23T00:37:44Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2101.12448v1","name":"The M3 project: 1- A global hyperspectral image-cube of the Martian surface","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper is the first paper of a series that will present the derivation of the modal mineralogy of Mars (M3 project) at a global scale from the near-infrared dataset acquired by the imaging spectrometer OMEGA (Observatoire pour la Minéralogie, l'Eau, les Glaces et l'Activité) on board ESA/Mars Express. The objective is to create and provide a global 3-D image-cube of Mars at 32px/° covering most of Mars surface. This product has several advantages. First, it can be used to instantaneously extract atmospheric- and aerosol-corrected near-infrared (NIR) spectra from any location on Mars. Second, several new data maps can be built as discussed here. That includes new global mineral distributions, quantitative mineral abundance distributions and maps of Martian surface chemistry (wt % oxide) detailed in a companion paper (Riu et al., submitted). Here we present the method to derive the global hyperspectral cube from several hundred millions of spectra. Global maps of some mafic minerals are then shown, and compared to previous works.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2101.12448v1","authors":["Lucie Riu","François Poulet","John Carter","Jean-Pierre Bibring","Brigitte Gondet","Mathieu Vincendon"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-01-29T07:48:15Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2205.02964v1","name":"Searching for broadband pulsed beacons from 1883 stars using neural networks","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The search for extraterrestrial intelligence at radio frequencies has largely been focused on continuous-wave narrowband signals. We demonstrate that broadband pulsed beacons are energetically efficient compared to narrowband beacons over longer operational timescales. Here, we report the first extensive survey searching for such broadband pulsed beacons towards 1883 stars as a part of the Breakthrough Listen's search for advanced intelligent life. We conducted 233 hours of deep observations across 4 to 8 GHz using the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope and searched for three different classes of signals with artificial (or negative) dispersion. We report a detailed search -- leveraging a convolutional neural network classifier on high-performance GPUs -- deployed for the very first time in a large-scale search for signals from extraterrestrial intelligence. Due to the absence of any signal-of-interest from our survey, we place a constraint on the existence of broadband pulsed beacons in our solar neighborhood: $\\lesssim$1 in 1000 stars have transmitter power-densities $\\gtrsim$10$^5$ W/Hz repeating $\\leq$500 seconds at these frequencies.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2205.02964v1","authors":["Vishal Gajjar","Dominic LeDuc","Jiani Chen","Andrew P. V. Siemion","Sofia Z. Sheikh","Bryan Brzycki","Steve Croft","Daniel Czech","David DeBoer","Julia DeMarines","Jamie Drew","Howard Isaacson","Brian C. Lacki","Matt Lebofsky","David H. E. MacMahon","Cherry Ng","Imke de Pater","Karen I. Perez","Danny C. Price","Akshay Suresh","Claire Webb","S. Pete Worden"],"tags":["astro-ph.HE","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-05-06T00:09:04Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:0004034v1","name":"On the Physical Cause and the Distance of Gamma Ray Bursts and Related Phenomena in the X-Rays and the Ultra-Violet","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The modified Lorentz transformation of a distance-dependent special theory of relativity - which will be briefly summarized - predicts the possibility of superluminal velocity of very distantly moving material bodies to be connected with the generation of Cerencov radiation off the quantum vacuum. It is shown that vacuum Cerencov radiation due to the superluminal propagation of extraterrestrial spaceprobes in the interstellar space would account for all known properties of gamma ray bursts (GRBs) and the \"afterglow\" at lower frequencies. Distances and other parameter prove to be calculable and the theoretical results on these grounds to be in good accord with experiment.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0004034v1","authors":["Ernst Karl Kunst"],"tags":["physics.gen-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-04-17T15:04:11Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.04735v1","name":"Dynamics of Chemical Orders in Formation of Striped Patterns in Metamorphic Rocks","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The striped patterns in rocks, characterized by thin dark bands and thick light bands, are a result of the natural processes that have shaped the rocks through in situ metamorphism. Notably, the dark and light bands are composed of similar minerals, with the dark bands containing additional trapped materials such as fluid pockets or extra mineral grains. Here we employed the Gray-Scott Reaction Diffusion model to investigate the interaction between two sets of virtual chemicals, denoted as 'u' and 'v'. The differing diffusion and reaction rates of 'u' and 'v' chemical orders lead to the formation of 180 degree out-of-phase chemical domains, resulting in striped patterns. Utilizing the Gray-Scott model in this manner, we gain valuable insights into the early microscopic stages of these geologically significant striped patterns in metamorphic rocks.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.04735v1","authors":["Bikash Kumar Sarkar","Swayambhoo Mitra","Manas Kumar Roy","Biswajit Saha"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-07T04:07:56Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9781472960436.0008","name":"Interstellar Twitter","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9781472960436.0008","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-04-26T17:07:53Z","doi":"10.5040/9781472960436.0008","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.6407877.7","name":"Cosmology, Astrobiology, and Modern Astronomical Technologies","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.6407877.7","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-01T20:21:45Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.6407877.7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-018","name":"15 Dianetics","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-018","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:25:41Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-018","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4159/9780674988897-016","name":"Notes","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4159/9780674988897-016","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-09T04:01:25Z","doi":"10.4159/9780674988897-016","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4159/9780674988897-toc","name":"Contents","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4159/9780674988897-toc","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-09T04:01:25Z","doi":"10.4159/9780674988897-toc","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899","name":"Faith in Space","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899","authors":["Paul C. Gutjahr"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:25:41Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9781472960436.0013","name":"Glossary","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9781472960436.0013","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-04-26T17:07:53Z","doi":"10.5040/9781472960436.0013","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2113/gselements.1.1.39","name":"Extraterrestrial Water","source":"crossref","abstract":"Research Article| January 01, 2005 Extraterrestrial Water Michael E. Zolensky Michael E. Zolensky 1Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058 USA E-mail: michael.e.zolensky@nasa.gov Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Elements (2005) 1 (1): 39–43. https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.1.1.39 Article history first online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Michael E. Zolensky; Extraterrestrial Water. Elements 2005;; 1 (1): 39–43. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.1.1.39 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyElements Search Advanced Search Abstract Abundant water ice was formed in the solar nebula outward of about 4 astronomical units and, during the entire history of the solar system, has been carried into the inner solar system in icy and hydrated bodies. We do not know which sources of water dominated in the inner solar system, but micrometeorites derived from C-class asteroids may have been most important. Today, hydrous materials occur throughout the solar system from Jupiter inwards, at least. Significant quantities of liquid water are, however, probably present only on Earth and some icy moons of Jupiter and possibly Saturn. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.1.1.39","authors":["M. E. Zolensky"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-12-06T18:35:47Z","doi":"10.2113/gselements.1.1.39","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.21995749.20","name":"CONCLUSION","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.21995749.20","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-20T21:00:32Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.21995749.20","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-0-387-69039-1_5","name":"Interlude: The Search for Extraterrestrial Stupidity","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-69039-1_5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-11-17T05:24:15Z","doi":"10.1007/978-0-387-69039-1_5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/bg-2020-283-ac1","name":"Figure 2 and Figure 3 Overlap.","source":"crossref","abstract":"There is problem existing in the figure 2 and 3 as they seem to have overlapped somehow with each other during conversion to pdf.I apologize for this overlap.However, attached files have figure 2 and 3 for your reference.Thanking you Rudraswami N G","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2020-283-ac1","authors":["Rudraswami Gowda"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-09-29T11:23:38Z","doi":"10.5194/bg-2020-283-ac1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-029","name":"Notes","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-029","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:25:41Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-029","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min11020095","name":"Acknowledgment to Reviewers of Minerals in 2020","source":"crossref","abstract":"Peer review is the driving force of journal development, and reviewers are gatekeepers who ensure that Minerals maintains its standards for the high quality of its published papers [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min11020095","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-01-20T12:16:18Z","doi":"10.3390/min11020095","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9781472960436.0010","name":"Two Clocks","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9781472960436.0010","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-04-26T17:07:53Z","doi":"10.5040/9781472960436.0010","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/j.1460-2466.1987.tb01001.x","name":"Extraterrestrial Communications","source":"crossref","abstract":"Journal Article Extraterrestrial Communications Get access James W. Deardorff James W. Deardorff 1James W. Deardorff is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Journal of Communication, Volume 37, Issue 3, September 1987, Pages 181–184, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.1987.tb01001.x Published: 07 February 2006","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.1987.tb01001.x","authors":["James W. Deardorff"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-02-07T07:07:26Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1460-2466.1987.tb01001.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9781400838486.xv","name":"Acknowledgments","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400838486.xv","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-12-01T19:09:48Z","doi":"10.1515/9781400838486.xv","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4324/9781003280507-26","name":"Divergent Extraterrestrial Worlds","source":"crossref","abstract":"This chapter explores cosmic aspirations, plans, and imaginaries within Thailand’s emergent space-interested communities. Thailand’s first astronomical institute officially opened in 2013 and space science and space entrepreneurism are rapidly expanding fields that play key roles in government agendas to shift the nation into a digital and ‘innovation-led’ economy. Concurrently, Thailand’s Buddhist and animist ontologies potentially offer alternatives to pervasive colonial and Western metaphysical approaches to outer space. The chapter draws on grounded ethnographic fieldwork conducted by the author over twelve months in 2018–2019 with Thai scientific, religious, and creative communities including the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand and the extraterrestrial believer group UFO Kaokala. On two separate occasions during my year-long field research in Thailand, I climbed into a minivan to go on excursions to sites of extraterrestrial discovery. The first excursion was with an exoplanet astronomer to an observatory on Thailand’s tallest mountain. The second was with the Buddhist group UFO Kaokala to a ‘stargate’ on a not-quite-so-high mountain. Atop these two mountains, I learned about two different technologies: one is a spectrograph used by space scientists at the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) to find exoplanets (planets that orbit a sun-like star outside Earth’s solar system), and the other is an invisible technology implanted into the mind via Buddhist practices to establish a line of communication with extraterrestrial beings. In this chapter, I juxtapose these two searches for life and life-supporting worlds off-Earth that are rooted in two different ontologies—exoplanet astronomy and ufological Buddhism.","url":"https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003280507-26","authors":["Lauren Reid"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-06-19T14:42:28Z","doi":"10.4324/9781003280507-26","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min13020153","name":"Acknowledgment to the Reviewers of Minerals in 2022","source":"crossref","abstract":"High-quality academic publishing is built on rigorous peer review [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min13020153","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-20T02:35:55Z","doi":"10.3390/min13020153","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/j.ctt9qh748.44","name":"Extraterrestrial:","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qh748.44","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-09-07T20:50:33Z","doi":"10.2307/j.ctt9qh748.44","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_76","name":"Epilogue","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_76","authors":["Michael D. Papagiannis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-04T00:10:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_76","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.carbon.2005.08.028","name":"Extraterrestrial carbon nanospheres","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2005.08.028","authors":["Laurence A.J. Garvie"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-09-27T10:19:16Z","doi":"10.1016/j.carbon.2005.08.028","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min10010081","name":"Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Minerals in 2019","source":"crossref","abstract":"The editorial team greatly appreciates the reviewers who have dedicated their considerable time and expertise to the journal’s rigorous editorial process over the past 12 months, regardless of whether the papers are finally published or not [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min10010081","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-20T04:27:09Z","doi":"10.3390/min10010081","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/science.260.5107.475-a","name":"Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.260.5107.475-a","authors":["D. M. Raup"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-10-26T01:46:22Z","doi":"10.1126/science.260.5107.475-a","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.2026-114490","name":"Fiducial Marker SLAM for Extraterrestrial Localization","source":"crossref","abstract":"Satellite-based navigation is currently unavailable around the Moon or Mars due to prohibitive initial costs. For early robotic construction in these environments, absolute site localization is essential for coordinated operations and precise execution of building plans. This study investigates the feasibility of using AprilTags in combination with a Kalman Filter to enable full SLAM capabilities. For this research, an OpenGL simulation and custom tools were developed for evaluation and testing. They allowed the establishment of a baseline for the AprilTag state-estimation accuracy, against which algorithmic improvements can be measured. This approach enabled a controlled evaluation of the algorithm. In future work, the same framework can be used to benchmark additional improvements. The final method uses the AprilTag visual state estimation provided by the Infinitesimal Plane-Based Pose Estimation algorithm, combined with graph-based mapping and localization, and a Kalman filter based on parametrized odometry. This approach is computationally simple and requires little memory. The study found that this approach performs moderately well when the tags are relatively large and close to the camera, but as the scale increases, it performs worse. In its current form, the simple approach to this problem does not seem to provide sufficient precision for practical use.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2026-114490","authors":["Mikolaj Kostrzewa"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-18T14:00:26Z","doi":"10.2514/6.2026-114490","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_56","name":"Introduction","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_56","authors":["Michael D. Papagiannis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-04T04:10:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_56","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9781316272480.019","name":"Would you baptize an extraterrestrial?","source":"crossref","abstract":"In September, 2010, I had traveled to Birmingham, England, to give an astronomy talk at the Birmingham Science Festival. As it turned out, the day of my talk happened to coincide exactly with the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Birmingham. I had agreed to be interviewed by the British press to publicize the festival, yet – understandably – all they wanted to ask me about was the Pope. But they kept asking me questions like, “What is your biggest source of conflict about the Pope?” Or, “Has the Pope ever tried to suppress your scientific work?” To my mind, these sorts of questions were bizarre; the mere existence of a Vatican Observatory ought to have shown them that their fundamental assumption about a hostility between the papacy and science was mistaken. Worse, the reporters seemed to be not at all interested in correcting that assumption, or hearing my description of the active support we had received not only from the Vatican in general over more than one hundred years, but more specifically from Pope Benedict himself. Finally, frustrated that they weren't getting the story they wanted out of me, one of them asked, “Would you baptize an extraterrestrial?” My answer, off the top of my head, was, “Only if they ask!” It got a good laugh, which is what I wanted. And then, the next day, the press ran my joke as if it were a real story – as if I had made some sort of official Vatican pronouncement about aliens (Jha 2010). And that was merely the reaction of the relatively mainstream media. The more exotic wings of the internet were immediately full of wild interpretations, ranging from the thought that the Vatican was preparing the world for an imminent alien contact, to worries that somehow Jesus himself was an alien. Of course, if these people had read their own newspapers, they could have found plenty of articles repeating this theme, over and over. For example, in 2008 the Vatican Observatory director, Fr. José Funes, SJ, had made essentially the same point in an article in L'Osservatore Romano and his comments had been widely reported.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781316272480.019","authors":["Guy Consolmagno"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-11-05T16:58:20Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9781316272480.019","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9781400838486.toc","name":"Contents","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400838486.toc","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-12-01T19:09:48Z","doi":"10.1515/9781400838486.toc","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_37","name":"Seti Observations Worldwide","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_37","authors":["Jill Tarter"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-04T04:10:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_37","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.18254198.21","name":"Unpacking the Great Transmission Debate","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.18254198.21","authors":["Kathryn Denning"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-07T20:46:30Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.18254198.21","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-023","name":"20 UFOs","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-023","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:25:41Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-023","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.16995/intransition.11291","name":"Kataskopos: The Extraterrestrial View of the Earth in Film","source":"crossref","abstract":"This video essay attempts an analytical account of how images of the Earth seen from an extraterrestrial viewpoint, that is to say, as an orbital panorama or as a whole disc, have been used within film.","url":"https://doi.org/10.16995/intransition.11291","authors":["Anthony Patrickson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-12T18:42:25Z","doi":"10.16995/intransition.11291","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min9010054","name":"Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Minerals in 2018","source":"crossref","abstract":"Rigorous peer-review is the corner-stone of high-quality academic publishing [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min9010054","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-01-18T02:22:23Z","doi":"10.3390/min9010054","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min5010080","name":"Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Minerals in 2014","source":"crossref","abstract":"The editors of Minerals would like to express their sincere gratitude to the following reviewers for assessing manuscripts in 2014:[...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min5010080","authors":["Minerals Editorial Office"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-01-08T11:29:32Z","doi":"10.3390/min5010080","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_5","name":"Welcoming Address","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_5","authors":["Arthur G. B. Metcalf"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-04T04:10:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4324/9781003352174-13","name":"Cognition, Sensory Input, and Linguistics","source":"crossref","abstract":"This chapter discusses what impact blindness would have on languages potentially used by a humanoid extraterrestrial species living on an Earth-like planet. The cultural biases surrounding blindness are examined and deconstructed to arrive at a list of the factors that actually constitute blindness. This chapter explores how a language would develop without sighted influences. The concept of blindness would not exist, nor would color terms. Blindness would affect the development of content words, multi-channel speech, and back-channeling, with an increased complexity of function words and grammar rules. By imagining language construction under various hypotheticals, a greater understanding of how humans might one day interact with intelligent extraterrestrial species is reached.","url":"https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003352174-13","authors":["Sheri Wells-Jensen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-07T15:19:34Z","doi":"10.4324/9781003352174-13","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-004","name":"1 Infinite Worlds","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-004","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:25:41Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/minerals","name":"Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/minerals","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-02-13T03:00:05Z","doi":"10.3390/minerals","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7551/mitpress/12357.003.0004","name":"Convergent Feeding Forms","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12357.003.0004","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-17T17:56:20Z","doi":"10.7551/mitpress/12357.003.0004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1201/9781315367569-22","name":"Observed Planetary Climate Changes","source":"crossref","abstract":"The general definition of climate change means a variation in the statistical properties of the climate system when considered for a long period of time, regardless of cause [1]. Sometimes, the term climate change can also be used to refer to the climate change caused by human activity, as opposed to changes in climate that may have resulted as part of Earth’s natural processes [2]. NASA satellites have verified some of the characteristics of the climate change on Earth that have largely supported the theories and data that aid scientists in determining the big picture about our planet and its climate on a global scale. Going through the climate data collected over many years, a clear signal of a changing climate is noticed. The graph shown in Figure 13.1 is based on the comparison of atmospheric samples contained in ice cores and more recent direct measurements. It provides evidence that atmospheric CO2 has increased since the industrial revolution.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1201/9781315367569-22","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-11-25T10:57:37Z","doi":"10.1201/9781315367569-22","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/242355a0","name":"Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/242355a0","authors":["H. L. ARMSTRONG"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-08-02T11:39:23Z","doi":"10.1038/242355a0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.31235/osf.io/uckfw","name":"The Fatal Absence of Evidence for Extraterrestrial  Intelligence and its Consequence for Humanity.","source":"crossref","abstract":"The lack of any radio signals or other astronomical evidence supportive of the existence of intelligent extraterrestrial life possessed of technology of sufficient sophistication to bring itself to our attention here on Earth is not, per se, evidence of an absence of life, or even intelligent life, in the cosmos itself, but it does indicate that any such advanced societies, if they have come into existence at all, may be extremely rare and comparatively short-lived, destroyed by the very technology that might have brought them to our notice. This, it will be suggested, is the solution to Fermi’s famous ‘paradox’, and the reason no SETI signals have been detected. The lessons we should learn are that life like that on our planet is very rare and precious, and we must not risk destroying it.","url":"https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/uckfw","authors":["Richard Michael Blaber"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-24T00:02:32Z","doi":"10.31235/osf.io/uckfw","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.18254198.4","name":"Foreword","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.18254198.4","authors":["Linda Billings","Pamela Conrad","Janet Siefert"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-07T20:46:30Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.18254198.4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/3-540-32838-6_8","name":"The Search for Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-32838-6_8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-09-05T08:21:50Z","doi":"10.1007/3-540-32838-6_8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-012598655-7/50048-3","name":"The physical constraints on extraterrestrial life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-012598655-7/50048-3","authors":["Monica M. Grady"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-05-16T13:37:34Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-012598655-7/50048-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41570-018-0061-3","name":"Extraterrestrial electrochemistry","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41570-018-0061-3","authors":["David Schilter"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-11-21T13:16:32Z","doi":"10.1038/s41570-018-0061-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780857452122","name":"Civilizations Beyond Earth","source":"crossref","abstract":"Astronomers around the world are pointing their telescopes toward the heavens, searching for signs of intelligent life. If they make contact with an advanced alien civilization, how will humankind respond? In thinking about first contact, the contributors to this volume present new empirical and theoretical research on the societal dimensions of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). Archaeologists and astronomers explore the likelihood that extraterrestrial intelligence exists, using scientific insights to estimate such elusive factors as the longevity of technological societies. Sociologists present the latest findings of novel surveys, tapping into the public’s attitudes about life beyond Earth to show how religion and education influence beliefs about extraterrestrials. Scholars from such diverse disciplines as mathematics, chemistry, journalism, and religious studies offer innovative solutions for bridging the cultural gap between human and extraterrestrial civilizations, while recognizing the tremendous challenges of communicating at interstellar distances. At a time when new planets are being discovered around other stars at an unprecedented rate, this collection provides a much needed guide to the human impact of discovering we are not alone in the universe.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780857452122","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-11T10:57:11Z","doi":"10.1515/9780857452122","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1201/9781315367569-25","name":"Spacecraft Facts and Missions","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1201/9781315367569-25","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-11-25T15:57:37Z","doi":"10.1201/9781315367569-25","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/oso/9780192897985.003.0009","name":"The law of Mars’ colonization","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Space colonization is almost exclusively approached from a scientific perspective discussing its technical feasibility. Although since 1967 (year of adoption of the Outer Space Treaty) human activities in outer space are regulated by international law, the legal feasibility of colonizing celestial bodies is still a new topic. This paper aims to consider the law already applying to Mars colonization by analysing the legal conditions relating to installing a human colony on Mars and the legal problems that will be created by the long-term occupation of the red planet’s surface. It follows work on same topic (including space colonization by space stations) that comprehensively examines the subject and was published (in French) by The Hague Academy for International Law in a book entitled 50 Years of Space Law—Space Law in 50 Years.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780192897985.003.0009","authors":["Raphaël Costa"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-19T03:01:46Z","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780192897985.003.0009","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-007-6326-5_204-1","name":"Uranium–Lead, Extraterrestrial, Early Solar System","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6326-5_204-1","authors":["Yuri Amelin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-10-02T02:11:24Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-007-6326-5_204-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1525/curh.2023.122.847.314","name":"Chasing Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"The search for intelligent life elsewhere in the universe has continued for decades without yielding any tangible results, as experts debate active versus passive approaches and the risks involved in sending signals of humans’ presence.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1525/curh.2023.122.847.314","authors":["J. W. Traphagan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-10-24T13:09:57Z","doi":"10.1525/curh.2023.122.847.314","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_74","name":"Concluding Remarks","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_74","authors":["H. J. Smith"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-04T04:10:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_74","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/epsc2026-690","name":"Surface Technosignatures: Searching for Signs of Artificial Patterning on Extraterrestrial Terrain","source":"crossref","abstract":"Since its establishment, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) has focused mainly on radio emissions as technosignatures. The Surface Technosignatures: Searching for Signs of Artificial Patterning on Extraterrestrial Terrain project takes a different approach. It foregrounds other types of technology indicators and proposes a new search method to detect them. The project looks at how human societies have used techniques and tools to alter their environments. These activities leave permanent traces—such as bridges, roads, mining strips, and agricultural terraces—which show patterns that are unmistakably artificial. Our planet's surface serves as a physical record of human intentionality and technological prowess (Baláe and Erickson, 2006). We intend to use this record to propel our search for artificial patterns elsewhere. Some authors have suggested that a technological species might have evolved in our Solar System before humans (Schmidt and Frank, 2019; Wright, 2017). Therefore, it is worth exploring the possibility that other terrestrial bodies in the Solar System may be inscribed with non-random patterns akin to those found on Earth. Most surfaces of Solar System bodies have not been examined at a sufficient resolution to rule out the presence of extraterrestrial artifacts or artificial structures. Selected for the second phase of the Fundraiser 2025/26 at the SETI Institute, the project proposes training an algorithm with non-random, human-made patterns from Earth to detect similar patterning elsewhere. The model will optically scan extraterrestrial terrain through high-resolution imagery of the Moon and Mars, made available by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). We will develop a machine learning-based anomaly detection model trained on all natural geology using a variational autoencoder (VAE). The VAE would flag features that it cannot reconstruct as natural features, which will then be reviewed by a panel of experts and citizen scientists. With this project, we seek to broaden the SETI mission by including surface technosignatures in its scope and enhance the search by incorporating AI models.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-690","authors":["Ana Henrique Salvan","Caleb Strom"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-02T16:32:44Z","doi":"10.5194/epsc2026-690","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.18254198.26","name":"SETI and International Radio Law","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.18254198.26","authors":["Francis Lyall"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-07T20:46:30Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.18254198.26","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-007-6326-5_103-1","name":"Extraterrestrial Materials (K–Ar/Ar–Ar)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6326-5_103-1","authors":["Timothy Swindle"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-10-02T02:11:24Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-007-6326-5_103-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/0471263869.sst013","name":"Extraterrestrial Life, Searching for","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Since at least the beginning of recorded history, humans have looked up at the sky and wondered whether or not we are alone. Traditionally, we have consulted philosophers and religious figures for guidance in answering this question. In every age and in every culture, these leaders have responded according to the particular belief system that they embraced at the time. Today, we live in a very special time. Beginning at the end of the twentieth century, humans acquired the knowledge and technological capability to try to answer this old and important question by doing experiments. As we begin the twenty‐first century, scientists and the engineers may, in the near future, be able to present us with the first examples of life off planet Earth. At one extreme, we may be able to discern at a distance only some very suggestive biomarkers, without knowing whether they reveal the presence of microbes or minds. At the other extreme, it may be possible to discover another technologically advanced civilization and engage in some form of communication with it. In the middle ground, we may be able to acquire actual samples of biology from another world within our solar system and by returning them to our labs, unambiguously determine whether they represent an independent genesis of life. Or, to the contrary, whether all life on Earth can be traced to a distant place of origin. Within this century, perhaps within our own lifetimes, we may know whether the laws of physics and chemistry, operating throughout the universe, routinely produce biology. Liquid water is the key to all life as we know it. Water chauvinism will inevitably guide (and even bias) our search for habitable domains and life off Earth. This article discusses the various searches for inhabited/inhabutable planets. The SETI project (search for extraterrestrial intelligence today and its future are discussed). SETI tomorrow is also explored as is what to do if the search succeeded. Who will speak for earth and what they will say rounds out the discussion.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/0471263869.sst013","authors":["Jill Tarter"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-10-30T20:19:50Z","doi":"10.1002/0471263869.sst013","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4324/9781003352174-5","name":"Communicative Resources beyond the Verbal tier","source":"crossref","abstract":"Direct interaction ‘face to face’ with extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) is highly unlikely due to the asynchronous nature of interstellar communication and the improbability of immediate contact. However, this chapter carves out the circumstances of ‘intercorporeal’ communication with ETI from the viewpoint of human multimodal interaction. First, the main research questions and the methods and basics of multimodal interaction analysis are outlined. Second, some preconditions of multimodal interaction are defined: mainly, there has to be some perceivable, mutually intelligible or negotiable change in the calibration of an interactional resource. Third, a string of key terms for multimodal interaction are discussed: intersubjectivity as a key element of interaction, accommodation and behavioral mimicry as strategies of negotiating meaning, shared meaning-making, temporal and spatial aspects of interaction such as projection of the next expectable move, and coordination of multimodal resources. The main challenges turn out to be the recognition of relevant multimodal displays, the decoding of the temporality of ETI displays, and the implications of embodied interaction and embodied cognition that deem finding a common ground for shared meaning-making highly problematic. Yet, recognizing these pitfalls may be valuable in determining how to move forward with interstellar messaging.","url":"https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003352174-5","authors":["Heike Ortner"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-07T15:19:34Z","doi":"10.4324/9781003352174-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/3-540-07615-8_496","name":"Specific sources of extraterrestrial particles","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-07615-8_496","authors":["J. Rosinski"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-04-06T23:07:30Z","doi":"10.1007/3-540-07615-8_496","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0169-555x(00)00081-7","name":"Extraterrestrial geomorphology: an introduction","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0169-555x(00)00081-7","authors":["Victor R. Baker"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-10-14T13:55:05Z","doi":"10.1016/s0169-555x(00)00081-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1117/12.150127","name":"&lt;title&gt;The decoding problem: do we need to search for extra terrestrial intelligence in order to search for extraterrestrial intelligence?&lt;/title&gt;","source":"crossref","abstract":"There is a widespread and perhaps uncritically accepted assumption on the part of SETI researchers and popularizers that we could tell what an ETI might be trying to tell us. We raise difficulties for this assumption. If the assumption is abandoned, a lot follows. We might even be able to argue, in a novel way, that SETI will be utterly futile.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1117/12.150127","authors":["Neil W. Tennant"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-07-22T18:01:52Z","doi":"10.1117/12.150127","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_44","name":"Introduction","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_44","authors":["Michael D. Papagiannis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-04T04:10:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_44","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7551/mitpress/12357.003.0015","name":"[ Front Matter ]","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12357.003.0015","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-30T05:12:35Z","doi":"10.7551/mitpress/12357.003.0015","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1201/9780367822293-11","name":"Extraterrestrial rock mechanics and rock engineering","source":"crossref","abstract":"Venera Spacecraft landed on Venus and took some images of rocks of Venus. The thin, plate-like slabs of rock could be due to molten lava that cooled and cracked. The composition and texture of these rocks is similar to terrestrial basaltic lava. The weathering processes of rocks on Venus are due to the extremely high temperature and pressure at the surface, as well as the composition of the atmosphere. In-situ stress state is one of the most important items if rock mechanics and rock engineering are to be utilized on the Moon and other planets. Although the environmental conditions on Mars and other planets are different from those on Earth, the principles governing mechanical and engineering aspects of rocks on other planets should be quite similar to those developed for the rocks of Earth. As on Earth, slope stability issues would be of great significance in other extraterrestrial objects.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1201/9780367822293-11","authors":["Ömer Aydan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-12-06T13:46:14Z","doi":"10.1201/9780367822293-11","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9781472960436.0009","name":"Galactic Empire","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9781472960436.0009","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-04-26T17:07:53Z","doi":"10.5040/9781472960436.0009","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-395688-0.50027-3","name":"EVIDENCE FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL AND TERRESTRIAL ABIOGENIC PHOTOSYNTHESES","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-395688-0.50027-3","authors":["G. MUELLER"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-08-14T16:19:19Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-12-395688-0.50027-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9781472960436","name":"The Contact Paradox","source":"crossref","abstract":"In 1974 a message was beamed towards the stars by the giant Arecibo telescope in Puerto Rico, a brief blast of radio waves designed to alert extraterrestrial civilisations to our existence. Of course, we don’t know if such civilisations really exist. For the past six decades a small cadre of researchers have been on a quest to find out, as part of SETI, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. So far, SETI has found no evidence of extraterrestrial life, but with more than a hundred billion stars in our Galaxy alone to search, the odds of quick success are stacked against us. The silence from the stars is prompting some researchers, inspired by the Arecibo transmission, to transmit more messages into space, in an effort to provoke a response from any civilisations out there that might otherwise be staying quiet. However, the act of transmitting raises troubling questions about the process","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9781472960436","authors":["Keith Cooper"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-04-26T17:07:53Z","doi":"10.5040/9781472960436","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-319-72694-6","name":"Use of Extraterrestrial Resources for Human Space Missions to Moon or Mars","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72694-6","authors":["Donald Rapp"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-01-19T10:53:51Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-319-72694-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7551/mitpress/12357.003.0006","name":"Convergent Mobile Forms","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12357.003.0006","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-17T17:56:20Z","doi":"10.7551/mitpress/12357.003.0006","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min4010116","name":"Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Minerals in 2013","source":"crossref","abstract":"The editors of Minerals would like to express their sincere gratitude to the following reviewers for assessing manuscripts in 2013. [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min4010116","authors":["Minerals Editorial Office"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-02-27T11:05:59Z","doi":"10.3390/min4010116","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7551/mitpress/12357.003.0014","name":"Index of Topics","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12357.003.0014","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-17T17:56:20Z","doi":"10.7551/mitpress/12357.003.0014","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-1-85233-897-8_13","name":"Extraterrestrial intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-85233-897-8_13","authors":["Barrie W. Jones"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-07-30T12:06:02Z","doi":"10.1007/978-1-85233-897-8_13","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0610-40a","name":"Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican0610-40a","authors":["John Matson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-05-19T21:11:27Z","doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican0610-40a","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_36","name":"Introduction","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_36","authors":["Michael D. Papagiannis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-04T04:10:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_36","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.31233/osf.io/hgq3y","name":"Estimating survival probability using the terrestrial extinction history for the search for extraterrestrial life","source":"crossref","abstract":"Several exoplanets have been discovered to date, and the next step is the search for extraterrestrial life. However, it is difficult to estimate the number of life-bearing exoplanets because our only template is based on life on Earth. In this paper, a new approach is introduced to estimate the probability that life on Earth has survived from birth to the present based on its terrestrial extinction history. A histogram of the extinction intensity during the Phanerozoic Eon is modeled effectively with a log-normal function, supporting the idea that terrestrial extinction is a random multiplicative process. Assuming that the fitted function is a probability density function of extinction intensity per unit time, the estimated survival probability of life on Earth is ~0.15 from the beginning of life to the present. This value can be a constraint on fi in the Drake equation, which contributes to estimating the number of life-bearing exoplanets.","url":"https://doi.org/10.31233/osf.io/hgq3y","authors":["Kohji Tsumura"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-07-21T05:09:22Z","doi":"10.31233/osf.io/hgq3y","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/39777","name":"Extraterrestrial handedness","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/39777","authors":["Stephen F. Mason"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-26T08:37:12Z","doi":"10.1038/39777","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.21995749.22","name":"SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.21995749.22","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-20T21:00:32Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.21995749.22","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1163/a9789004448056_14","name":"14 - The Discovery of Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1163/a9789004448056_14","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-07T17:27:55Z","doi":"10.1163/a9789004448056_14","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1201/9781315367569-27","name":"Planetary Radio Astronomy Projects","source":"crossref","abstract":"There are simple projects that the student/class can develop in a classroom setup. Two of these projects are • Radio and optical correlation of the Sun • Radio observations of Jupiter NOTE: Both solar and Jupiter observations are possible by using a single receiver along with some peripheral circuitry and modules described in this chapter.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1201/9781315367569-27","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-11-25T10:57:37Z","doi":"10.1201/9781315367569-27","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4324/9780429502293-17","name":"Men Are Burglars of Extraterrestrial Origin!","source":"crossref","abstract":"Although the history of science fiction genre is usually considered to begin with Mary Shelley s Frankenstein , science fiction was for many years a male domain. In contrast to the literary mainstream, science fiction usually portrayed its female characters as passive, beautiful women, wicked witches, alien queens, or ugly spinsters who had not been able to marry and so became devoted to their careers. The science fiction of Czech authors such as Karel Capek, Jan Weiss, and Josef Nesvadba was rather humanistic and psychological, focused on political and sociological problems, and much more concerned with the aesthetic quality of the text than were the texts of their American counterparts. In early 1980s when political situation became more relaxed, there suddenly appeared a lot of local science fiction clubs. These clubs gave young people the opportunity to read not only scarce official editions of Western and domestic science fiction writers but also homemade samizdat editions of material that was otherwise unavailable.","url":"https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429502293-17","authors":["Eva Hauser"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-12-22T03:17:15Z","doi":"10.4324/9780429502293-17","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_28","name":"Molecular Replication","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_28","authors":["Leslie E. Orgel"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-04T04:10:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_28","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-32762-9","name":"Use of Extraterrestrial Resources for Human Space Missions to Moon or Mars","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-32762-9","authors":["Donald Rapp"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-11-19T09:06:45Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-32762-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.64628/ab.3795tg5tf","name":"Seti: why extraterrestrial intelligence is more likely to be artificial than biological","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.64628/ab.3795tg5tf","authors":["Martin Rees"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-25T16:08:37Z","doi":"10.64628/ab.3795tg5tf","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3986/traditio2021500302","name":"UFO Mythologies: Extraterrestrial Cosmology and Intergalactic Eschatology","source":"crossref","abstract":"The initial flying saucer mythology that arose in the 1950s and 1960s is characterized by explicitly religious and mystical narratives that describe contact with extraterrestrial savior beings. These beliefs emerged in the Cold War era, in response to widespread fears of nuclear apocalypse. This essay traces the origins and development of the early UFO mythos, and presents case studies of several well-known UFO religious groups, analyzing the mythic aspects of their belief systems with particular focus on apocalyptic and millennialist scenarios.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3986/traditio2021500302","authors":["Daniel Wojcik"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-23T10:04:27Z","doi":"10.3986/traditio2021500302","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1109/aps.1976.1147607","name":"The radio search for extraterrestrial intelligent life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/aps.1976.1147607","authors":["F. Drake"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-03-23T19:55:28Z","doi":"10.1109/aps.1976.1147607","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9781400838486.fm","name":"Frontmatter","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400838486.fm","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-12-01T19:09:48Z","doi":"10.1515/9781400838486.fm","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/bg-2020-283-rc2","name":"Review of Dowda et al. (bg-2020-283)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Dowda et al. have measured iron concentrations in cosmic spherules collected inAntarctica and Indian Ocean sediments to quantify extra-terrestrial fluxes of bioavailable iron to the global ocean.Atmospheric iron bioavailability has been given much attention in the recent decade due to its importance as a limiting micronutrient for primary production.As there are very few estimates of extra-terrestrial iron, I can imagine the results will be of interest to the biogeochemical community. General commentsIn its current form, the manuscript is difficult to follow.After reading a paragraph, I am often left wondering what was the main point?Furthermore, much of interpretation is speculative and unsupported.For example, two sampling sites in Antarctica and the India Ocean were chosen and the findings have been extrapolated to global scale C1","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2020-283-rc2","authors":["Anonymous"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-09-29T01:28:57Z","doi":"10.5194/bg-2020-283-rc2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-1-4020-9135-3_8","name":"Property Status of Extraterrestrial Samples and Extracted Resources","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9135-3_8","authors":["Virgiliu Pop"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-11-15T00:35:04Z","doi":"10.1007/978-1-4020-9135-3_8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.21995749.2","name":"Table of Contents","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.21995749.2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-20T21:00:32Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.21995749.2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1201/9781315367569-26","name":"Radio Astronomy and Planetary Observations","source":"crossref","abstract":"Scientists have used the National Science Foundation’s very long baseline array (VLBA) [2] radio telescope system and NASA’s Cassini spacecraft to measure the position of Saturn and its family of moons to within about a mile … • VLA Reveals a Close Pair of Potential Planetary Systems- https://public.nrao.edu/ news/pressreleases/potential-planetary-system Planets apparently can form in many more binary-star systems than previously thought, according to astronomers who used the National Science Foundation’s VLA [3] radio telescope to image protoplanetary disks around a close pair of stars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1201/9781315367569-26","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-11-25T15:57:37Z","doi":"10.1201/9781315367569-26","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/oso/9780195128529.003.0001","name":"Introduction","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract These people have little in common, except this: Each is responding in his or her own way—with denial, with fantasy, or with scientific derring-do—to a revolution in human thought. A revolution that knocked us off our throne at the hub of a wheeling universe and exiled us to a remote and humble planet, there to lament our downfall, or perhaps to plot a comeback.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195128529.003.0001","authors":["David Koerner","Simon LeVay"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-05T07:53:11Z","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780195128529.003.0001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.3309094","name":"Kommunikation mit außerirdischer Intelligenz: Systemtheoretische Beobachtungen (Communication With Extraterrestrial Intelligence: Observations Based on Systems Theory)","source":"crossref","abstract":"The English version of this paper can be found at &lt;a href=\"http://ssrn.com/abstract=3294358\"&gt;http://ssrn.com/abstract=3294358&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;b&gt;German Abstract:&lt;/b&gt; Die Beschäftigung mit außerirdischer Intelligenz ist ein paradoxes Unterfangen, da sie notwendigerweise mit menschlichen Annahmen über das außerirdische Gegenüber arbeiten muss. Die soziologische Systemtheorie stellt ein Begriffsinstrumentarium bereit, welches derartige Annahmen zwar nicht vollständig vermeiden aber so weit wie möglich minimieren kann. Mit dem Begriff der doppelten Kontingenz verfügt die Systemtheorie über eine theoretische Figur, die die Begegnung des Menschen mit außerirdischer Intelligenz auf einer formal-abstrakten Ebene beschreibt und erklärt, wie dabei auf einer emergenten Ordnungsebene Kommunikation entsteht. Die Kommunikation komplexer Inhalte setzt demnach einen langen soziokulturellen Evolutionsprozess voraus und muss bei einem Erstkontakt als unwahrscheinlich gelten. Vielmehr stellt sich die Frage, wie Kommunikation mit fremden Entitäten überhaupt verdauerhaftet werden kann. Die Unwahrscheinlichkeit von kommunikativem Erfolg wird als mögliche Erklärung des Fermi-Paradoxons zur Diskussion gestellt.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;b&gt;English Abstract:&lt;/b&gt; Thinking about extraterrestrial intelligence is a paradoxical endeavour because it involves, of necessity, working with human assumptions about our extraterrestrial counterparts. Sociological systems theory provides a set of conceptual tools that enable such assumptions to be minimized to the greatest possible extent, even if they cannot be completely avoided. In particular, the concept of double contingency in systems theory is a theoretical figure which describes the human encounter with extraterrestrial intelligence at a formal, abstract level and explains how communication arises at an emergent level of order. On this basis, the communication of complex information requires a long socio-cultural process of evolution and must be considered unlikely upon first contact. The question that arises, then, is how communication with alien entities can be placed on a continuous, ongoing basis at all. The improbability of communicative success is offered for debate as a possible explanation for Fermi’s paradox.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3309094","authors":["Bernd Pröschold"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-01-16T06:33:23Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.3309094","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/science.303.5660.927d","name":"Exotic Extraterrestrial Carbon","source":"crossref","abstract":"GEOCHEMISTRY Graphite is a relatively rare mineral phase in meteorites. Some of the graphite found in some of the most primitive meteorites, the chondrites, originated from other stars. Semenenko et al. describe seven unusual graphite-bearing xenoliths found within the Krymka chondrite. The","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.303.5660.927d","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-02-12T21:08:18Z","doi":"10.1126/science.303.5660.927d","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1037/e637612009-001","name":"Xenopsychology: A Psychological Specialty Concerning Discovery of Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1037/e637612009-001","authors":["Mark E. Koltko-Rivera"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-02-15T22:11:44Z","doi":"10.1037/e637612009-001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-023-41009-y","name":"The extraterrestrial search for our own chemical origins","source":"crossref","abstract":"The study of Prebiotic Chemistry, and the closely related study of Astrobiology, is ultimately the study of our own point(s) of origin. Aiming to answer the questions of how, when, and where did the building blocks of life—i.e. biologically relevant organic molecules—form? With the imminent analysis of samples successfully returned from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu, and continuing discoveries from the Ryugu asteroid samples, the answers to some of these questions may be in sight.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-41009-y","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-25T10:02:23Z","doi":"10.1038/s41467-023-41009-y","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0038-092x(74)90023-1","name":"The extraterrestrial solar spectrum","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0038-092x(74)90023-1","authors":["W.R. McCluney"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-11-02T04:14:32Z","doi":"10.1016/0038-092x(74)90023-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-031-07226-0_6","name":"Extraterrestrial Hazards","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-07226-0_6","authors":["Róbert Géczi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-08-17T23:53:39Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-031-07226-0_6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.38778274.4","name":"Acknowledgments","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.38778274.4","authors":["Diana G. Tumminia"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-08T10:49:07Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.38778274.4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.6407877.6","name":"A Roman Catholic and Thomistic Approach","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.6407877.6","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-01T20:21:45Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.6407877.6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/bf00365502","name":"Radio research for extraterrestrial intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00365502","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-11-04T19:05:36Z","doi":"10.1007/bf00365502","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1142/9789814616980_0011","name":"Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1142/9789814616980_0011","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-10-13T08:32:16Z","doi":"10.1142/9789814616980_0011","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1037/t14659-000","name":"Extraterrestrial Life and UFO Beliefs Scale","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1037/t14659-000","authors":["James Chequers","Stephen Joseph","Debbie Diduca"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-09-10T17:19:10Z","doi":"10.1037/t14659-000","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.26434/chemrxiv-2022-99ln9","name":"Testing of Ion Exchange Chromatography Media for Extraterrestrial in situ Sample Preparation on Liquid Samples","source":"crossref","abstract":"Analysis of liquid samples often includes an initial sample preparation step in which components that are not of interest, or other interfering substances can be removed. Concentration of analytes in a smaller volume is also often important. For samples collected from solar system bodies outside of Earth, it is often not possible to bring the samples back to Earth for analysis, thus the sample preparation method would have to be transported to the liquid sample collection site. The use of ion exchange chromatography as a solid phase extraction method that can be utilized in a remote analysis is investigated in this work. The method developed relied on strong exchangers, with the use of pH changes to elute only analytes while keeping salt ions bound. Method development revealed the need for a pre-elution step in the process to ensure good charge switching of the analytes. Both anion and cation exchange media were evaluated for the capture of analytes from a high salt solution, as would be expected of liquid samples collected on a remote body. Cation exchange media provided the best results, with capture of almost all of the various analytes tested for extraction from simulated ocean water, including amino acids, nucleotides, peptides, and an oligonucleotide. In fact, cation exchange media even captured anionic components such as organic acids, likely through mixed mode hydrophobic based capture. Even though these analytes were released in the wash step, most of the salt removal was completed before release of these analytes, allowing this method to be used for desalting of these analytes. On the other hand, anion exchange media did not capture many of the anionic analytes it was expected to capture when the salt concentration was high. Irradiation exposure, as a model for the solar irradiation expected during deployment of these materials to extraterrestrial locations, did not affect the performance of the ion exchange media tested. Mixed analyte testing showed consistency with individual analyte testing, and coupling of a reverse phase solid phase extraction directly with the ion exchange method was possible.","url":"https://doi.org/10.26434/chemrxiv-2022-99ln9","authors":["Jerome Ferrance"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-29T08:20:47Z","doi":"10.26434/chemrxiv-2022-99ln9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-008","name":"5 Emanuel Swedenborg","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-008","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:25:41Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-008","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-025","name":"22 Ashtar Command","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-025","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:25:41Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-025","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-1-4684-2019-7_26","name":"Solvent Effects on Enzymes: Implications for Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-2019-7_26","authors":["M. R. Heinrich"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-06-01T02:50:01Z","doi":"10.1007/978-1-4684-2019-7_26","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9781789204148-005","name":"Four The Extraterrestrial Hypothesis","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9781789204148-005","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-09T05:56:15Z","doi":"10.1515/9781789204148-005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1117/12.278765","name":"&lt;title&gt;For which compounds do we search in extraterrestrial samples for evidence of abiotic and/or biotic chemistry?&lt;/title&gt;","source":"crossref","abstract":"Any strategy for investigating whether abiotic and/or biotic organic molecules are present on planetary bodies in the solar system should focus on compounds which are readily synthesized under plausible prebiotic conditions, play an essential role in biochemistry as we know it and have properties such as chirality (handedness) which can be used to distinguish between abiotic vs. biotic origins. Amino acids are one of the few compound classes that fulfill all these requirements. They are synthesized in high yields in prebiotic simulation experiments, are one of the more abundant types of organic compounds present in carbonaceous meteorites and only the L-enantiomers are used in the proteins and enzymes in life on Earth. In contrast, polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons which have recently been detected in some Martian meteorites, have no role in biochemistry on Earth, and their molecular architecture, with the possible exception of the stable isotope composition, cannot be used to determine whether they were produced by biotic or abiotic processes. Recent results indicate that amino acids and their amine decomposition products can be directly isolated from samples using sublimation (450 degree(s) to 750 degree(s)C) under partial vacuum, thus eliminating the use of the aqueous reagents commonly used in the laboratory-based isolation of amino acids. A relatively new technology which shows promise for spacecraft-based amino acid analysis is microchip-based capillary electrophoresis. The actual separation hardware, including buffer reservoirs and derivatization reaction chambers, can be etched onto glass microchips with dimensions on the order of cm. This methodology offers the best potential for a compact, rugged, low-mass instrument package for in situ amino acid analyses during future space missions to Mars, Europa and comets.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1117/12.278765","authors":["Jeffrey L. Bada","Luann Becker","Gene D. McDonald"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-03-28T23:01:09Z","doi":"10.1117/12.278765","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-6043-2_2","name":"Extraterrestrial SEU-Inducing Particles","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-6043-2_2","authors":["George C. Messenger","Milton S. Ash"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-08-26T15:35:38Z","doi":"10.1007/978-1-4615-6043-2_2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/1572957","name":"Some Proposals for Art Objects in Extraterrestrial Space","source":"crossref","abstract":"I wrote this poem in 1954 after contemplating the mysteries of outer space on a clear night. Now it is 1974 and mankind has accomplished what was once thought to be impossible-making voyages of exploration beyond the confines of the Earth. Today, when I gaze at the immensity of the cosmos, I am filled with an unrestrained exhilaration that is both pride and humility. My sense of cosmic loneliness is ended, because I am convinced that mankind can endure as well as art, man's quest for self-expression, even if the Earth should become uninhabitable. Several artists have described in Leonardo their works in response to their reactions to the opening of the space age [1-4]. In 1971 I began to think about art objects that I call spaceworks, which would either orbit the Earth or be placed into an orbit such that they would remain stationary above a given point on the Earth. They would serve as beacons of man's presence in the solar system and, hopefully, would give emotional satisfaction to those on Earth and to those who will spend many days on space missions in the future. They might help to reduce the psychological stresses imposed upon researchers by prolonged exposure to the threatening environment of outer space. If a government should agree to finance spaceworks in orbit about the Earth, some people who would find them emotionally unsatisfying, would object that they contribute merely to the polution of outer space and some would be convinced that their cost cannot be defended in view of the","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/1572957","authors":["Albert Notarbartolo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-04-25T04:12:15Z","doi":"10.2307/1572957","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.19080/jojha.2026.06.555684","name":"From Comets to Space Debris: Assessing Extraterrestrial Impacts on Earth’s Biodiversity","source":"openalex","abstract":"Earth is continuously exposed to a variety of extraterrestrial objects, including comets, asteroids, meteoroids, meteors, fireballs, meteorites, and anthropogenic space debris.These cosmic visitors can have significant effects on the environment, ecosystems, and biodiversity, ranging from catastrophic impacts to subtle, long-term influences.The consequences of such interactions can manifest as habitat destruction, climate alterations, introduction of extraterrestrial materials, and ecological stress, ultimately affecting plants, animals, and humans.This review synthesizes current knowledge on types, frequency, and mechanisms of extraterrestrial impacts, highlighting their direct and indirect effects on terrestrial life.Understanding these interactions is crucial for biodiversity conservation, disaster preparedness, and ecological research, as humanity faces increasing risks from both natural and artificial cosmic debris.","url":"https://doi.org/10.19080/jojha.2026.06.555684","authors":[],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology","Biodiversity","Space (punctuation)","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-25","doi":"10.19080/jojha.2026.06.555684","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-010","name":"7 Spiritualism","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-010","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:25:41Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-010","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-1-4832-0047-7.50015-0","name":"THE RADIO SEARCH FOR INTELLIGENT EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-1-4832-0047-7.50015-0","authors":["F.D. DRAKE"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-20T21:21:01Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-1-4832-0047-7.50015-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/301106a0","name":"Naming extraterrestrial life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/301106a0","authors":["ROBERT A. FREITAS"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-11-17T23:26:53Z","doi":"10.1038/301106a0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s1049-250x(08)60010-5","name":"Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial H3+","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s1049-250x(08)60010-5","authors":["Alexander Dalgarno"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-03-24T10:26:58Z","doi":"10.1016/s1049-250x(08)60010-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/9781119164654.ch13","name":"Remote Sensing of Mars","source":"crossref","abstract":"The study of Mars was carried out in its different morphological units. There was presence of surface water in the geological past, which is recorded as fluvial geomorphological features on Mars. This chapter draws attention toward topographical depressions and its importance to infer paleo environment since they form a substantial component of paleo lake records on Mars. Some fluvial geomorphological features were inferred, which includes outflow channels, valley networks, and fluvio-lacustrine basins observed on the Martian surface. Presence of fluvio-lacustrine basins has been reported to be hydrologically active on Mars for thousands of years. Detailed study has been conducted on the valley networks in the equatorial region of Mars, focusing on areas where valley networks enter topographic depressions. The basin's distinct geological history and promising astro-paleo ecological potential make it a unique landing site for future exploration missions and setting up of permanent stations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119164654.ch13","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-12-23T22:11:16Z","doi":"10.1002/9781119164654.ch13","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/oso/9780195128529.003.0012","name":"Conclusions","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Since the dawn of our species, an unquenchable curiosity has driven us to ask and re-ask the same questions: Who are we? Where do we come from? Are we alone? Myths offered the first answers: myths of creation and of spirit worlds. From here, one trail led to religion and to answers grounded in faith. But another trail led to philosophy—to reasoning. Pure reasoning at first, then reasoning aided by observation and experiment—what we now call science. To the first question, science has offered an astonishing answer: We are animals. To the second question, science has offered only a partial answer, but an equally astonishing one: We are descended from microbes. To the third question, which alone lends meaning to the other two, science has not yet offered any answer. Yet we are within reach of an answer—one that will surely be even more astonishing than the other two.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195128529.003.0012","authors":["David Koerner","Simon LeVay"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-05T07:53:11Z","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780195128529.003.0012","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4324/9781003085867-2","name":"Extraterrestrial methods","source":"crossref","abstract":"The anthropological study of extraterrestrial settings might seem novel and exotic. However, this chapter proposes that the methodological tool kit available to social scientists for the empirical study of multi-sited, distributed, and space-age research contexts has a well-established genealogy, informed and developed by recent innovations in the ethnographic study of social media and their attendant communities. The International Space Station (ISS) is the longest-lasting extant extraterrestrial society in Low Earth Orbit. As it is a place of dwelling, not just scientific discovery, any anthropological study of the ISS must focus on the quotidian and material dimensions of the ISS and its bodily and material techniques, re-examining traditional empirical assumptions within the innovative conditions of new polymedia environments in which the ISS is situated. A central element in the question of an extraterrestrial methodology is the means by which various forms of terrestrial and extraterrestrial attunement converge to produce novel realm of human habitation and its expanded and expanding ‘field’ of co-presence.","url":"https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003085867-2","authors":["Victor Buchli"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-10-26T06:16:25Z","doi":"10.4324/9781003085867-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9781472960436.0011","name":"Messages from Earth","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9781472960436.0011","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-04-26T17:07:53Z","doi":"10.5040/9781472960436.0011","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/oso/9780192897985.003.0012","name":"Scarcity in space","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract The vast resources of space suggest a post-scarcity age ahead. Most people will then live in space cities necessarily designed in ways that also promote freedom. Space cities cannot have full autarky or independence because they must import raw materials, products, and skills. Scarce valuable resources produce disputes and are conducive to monopolies. Initially, resources will come from a few sources, the Moon or the largest near-Earth asteroids, possibly controlled by powerful cartels. The governance we set up now, during scarcity, may become hard to alter when great abundance is available. We should act soon, before vested interests are settled.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780192897985.003.0012","authors":["Martin Elvis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-19T03:01:46Z","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780192897985.003.0012","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1201/9781315367569-11","name":"Is the Solar System Stable?","source":"crossref","abstract":"The stability of the solar system is a subject of much interest in the field of astronomy. Although the planets have been stable historically and will be in the short term, their weak gravitational effects on one another can be added up to some extent in unpredictable ways. On account of this, besides others, the solar system is considered to be chaotic [1], and also for that even the most precise long-term models for the orbital motion of the solar system are not assumed valid over more than a few tens of millions of years [2]. However, the solar system is taken as stable in human terms, in that none of the planets will collide with each other or be ejected from the system in the next few billion years [3], and also the Earth’s orbit will be relatively stable [4].","url":"https://doi.org/10.1201/9781315367569-11","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-11-25T10:57:37Z","doi":"10.1201/9781315367569-11","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-22754-7","name":"How Likely is Extraterrestrial Life?","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-22754-7","authors":["J. Woods Halley"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-01-03T11:39:44Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-22754-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-017","name":"14 Messiahs","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-017","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:25:41Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-017","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-013","name":"10 Millerites","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-013","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:25:41Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-013","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199680207.003.0006","name":"Genesis 2.0? SETI and Biology","source":"crossref","abstract":"The work of Miller and Urey encouraged the belief that life could be formed easily in many places in the Universe. Yet Darwinian evolution casts doubt on how many times primitive life may evolve to intelligent life. These arguments are reviewed and then supplemented in the work by Kauffmann, Davies, and Conway Morris, which may suggest the inevitable emergence of intelligence. This, however, is complicated by our primitive understanding of the nature of intelligence and consciousness. Recent understandings of extremophiles raise the further possibility of life in many more unusual environments in the Universe, such as Europa, Enceladus, or Titan.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199680207.003.0006","authors":["David Wilkinson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-10-01T15:49:15Z","doi":"10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199680207.003.0006","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9781400838486.221","name":"Index","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400838486.221","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-12-01T19:09:48Z","doi":"10.1515/9781400838486.221","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.21995749.1","name":"Front Matter","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.21995749.1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-20T21:00:32Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.21995749.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4324/9781003352174-2","name":"Many Ways to Say Things","source":"crossref","abstract":"Despite all of the different modalities used for communication by animals on Earth – visual, acoustic, olfactory, etc. – only one instance of language has arisen in almost four billion years of evolution. Can we draw any conclusions from this single observation about the communicative medium that would be used for language on other planets? I discuss the particular advantages (and disadvantages) of the two most widely used and richest communication channels on this planet – the acoustic and visual modalities – and examine what constraints would favour or disfavour their use on another planet as the basis for linguistic communication. Animals on Earth have exploited almost every possible physical modality for communication (bar one: magnetic signals), and the ecological constraints on each of these – range, speed, diffraction, and, crucially, bandwidth – are also physical constraints that would be likely to apply on alien planets, as well. Questions of information encoding also arise: Is it possible to construct a language out of binary (north/south) magnetic signals? Or graded signals so widely used across non-human animals? Perhaps the most important factor driving the evolution of an acoustic language in humans has been the fact that sound was only a secondary sensory medium for our ancestors, leaving sufficient bandwidth for communicative information without interfering with the necessity for sensing their surrounds, primarily carried out using vision. Such considerations of evolutionary, ecological, and physical constraints are likely to shape the evolution of language on other planets, just as they have done on our own.","url":"https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003352174-2","authors":["Arik Kershenbaum"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-07T15:19:34Z","doi":"10.4324/9781003352174-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0892-6875(98)90021-8","name":"Strategic minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0892-6875(98)90021-8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-08-12T12:45:47Z","doi":"10.1016/0892-6875(98)90021-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1201/b22230-53","name":"Searching for Extraterrestrial Life in Our Solar System","source":"crossref","abstract":"The most compelling question in astrobiology, and arguably for the entire field of planetary exploration, is whether life exists beyond Earth. Strict definitions of life cannot be easily tested remotely and yield instead to investigations that seek to detect biomarkers and metabolism. The Viking landers obtained equivocal and still controversial evidence of metabolic activity in Martian soils and no organic molecules indicative of extinct or extant life. However, new knowledge of Mars’ aqueous history, compositional diversity, surface environment, and habitat suitability allows design of more compressive investigations of both types, as well as selection of exploration sites with greater astrobiological potential. Ocean worlds and ice-rich asteroidal bodies are also unquestionably of great interest, yet challenging targets. Flight-qualified scientific instrumentation has steadily become more sophisticated and versatile. Space missions still demand, however, major resources and devotion by the engineering and science teams that undertake them. Sample return missions may ultimately be necessary but are costlier and intrinsically entail greater risk. Numerous societal and scientific issues must also be resolved before returning to Earth samples that possibly contain alien forms of life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1201/b22230-53","authors":["Benton C. Clark"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-06-03T08:57:37Z","doi":"10.1201/b22230-53","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1201/9781315367569-15","name":"Solar-Like Planetary Systems","source":"crossref","abstract":"Throughout recorded history and perhaps even before, we have wondered about the probable existence of other worlds, similar or dissimilar to our own. The earliest understanding of the solar system indicates that there were indeed other worlds in orbit about our Sun. Our growing understanding of their nature reveals that all are dramatically different from our Earth and also very different from one another. As we gathered knowledge that the stars in the sky are other Suns that are part of distant galaxies, consisting of billions of stars; it appears as a near certainty that other planets must orbit those other stars [1]. Until the early 1990s, this could not be proven, but, through the efforts through research, radio and optical astronomers detected small changes in stellar emission to show the presence of planetary systems around other stars. These planets are named as exoplanets [2] for the purpose of distinguishing them from our own solar system neighbors. Extrasolar planets, or popularly called exoplanets, are planets orbiting stars outside our solar system. The first discovery of the exoplanet was confirmed in 2003 [2]. It is very difficult to detect these planets directly, as they are very dim and hard to see due to the brightness of the stars they orbit. As an example, we may mention that the Sun is a billion (109) times brighter than Jupiter and 10 billion (1010) times brighter than our Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1201/9781315367569-15","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-11-25T15:57:37Z","doi":"10.1201/9781315367569-15","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52400/oafe7594","name":"Why searching for extraterrestrial life with a universal biosignature detection framework is a mistake.","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52400/oafe7594","authors":["Carol Cleland"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-19T18:41:08Z","doi":"10.52400/oafe7594","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9781472960436.0014","name":"Further Reading","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9781472960436.0014","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-04-26T17:07:53Z","doi":"10.5040/9781472960436.0014","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4324/9781315765204-20","name":"Extraterrestrial Intelligence and the Incarnation","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315765204-20","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-04-09T23:55:58Z","doi":"10.4324/9781315765204-20","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0262-4079(11)62138-6","name":"Extraterrestrial dust reveals asteroid's past and future","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0262-4079(11)62138-6","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-09-06T17:08:52Z","doi":"10.1016/s0262-4079(11)62138-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/j.ctv11hpsjh.13","name":"Extraterrestrial Seas:","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv11hpsjh.13","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-05-29T22:37:14Z","doi":"10.2307/j.ctv11hpsjh.13","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-319-09575-2","name":"Handbook of Life Support Systems for Spacecraft and Extraterrestrial Habitats","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09575-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-21T03:03:46Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-319-09575-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.21995749.4","name":"List of Tables","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.21995749.4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-20T21:00:32Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.21995749.4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-007","name":"4 Popular Pluralism","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-007","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:25:41Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-007","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4271/2001-01-2143","name":"Extraterrestrial Ecology (Exoecology)","source":"crossref","abstract":"&lt;div class=\"htmlview paragraph\"&gt;Researchers in astrobiology should develop alternate concepts for the detection of extraterrestrial life. We should search for extraterrestrial ecology, exoecology, as well as for extraterrestrial biology, exobiology. Ecology describes the interactions of living things with their environment. All ecosystems are highly constrained by their environment and conform to well-known and inescapable system design principles. An ecology could exist wherever there is an energy source and living things can employ some method to capture, store, and use the available energy. Terrestrial ecosystems use energy sources including light, organic molecules, and, in thermal vents and elsewhere, simple inorganic molecules. Ecosystem behavior is controlled by matter and energy conservation laws and is described by dynamic systems theory. Typically in an ecosystem different molecules are not in chemical equilibrium and scarce materials are conserved, stored, or recycled. Temporal cycles and spatial variations are often observed.&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div class=\"htmlview paragraph\"&gt;The general concepts of exoecology can help guide the search for extraterrestrial life. The best strategy for the detection of extraterrestrial life is probably a mixed strategy. We should use detailed assumptions based on terrestrial biology to guide some but not all future searches for alien life. The systems principles of exoecology seem much more fundamental and inevitable than the analogies with terrestrial biology that are usually accepted in exobiology. We should search for exoecology based on general principles as well as for exobiology using familiar mechanisms.&lt;/div&gt;","url":"https://doi.org/10.4271/2001-01-2143","authors":["Harry Jones"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-10-05T09:15:42Z","doi":"10.4271/2001-01-2143","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17265/2159-5313/2020.03.003","name":"Ethical Obligations Towards Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.17265/2159-5313/2020.03.003","authors":["Gonzalo Munévar"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-04-08T03:23:39Z","doi":"10.17265/2159-5313/2020.03.003","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0016-3287(76)90061-6","name":"Design principles for extraterrestrial communities","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-3287(76)90061-6","authors":["Magoroh Maruyama"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-10-11T15:04:01Z","doi":"10.1016/0016-3287(76)90061-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9781107300668.008","name":"Global helioseismology and asteroseismology of solar-type stars","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781107300668.008","authors":["R. Howe","W. J. Chaplin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-07-05T05:03:51Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9781107300668.008","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9781400838486","name":"Beyond UFOs","source":"crossref","abstract":"The quest for extraterrestrial life doesn't happen only in science fiction. This book describes the startling discoveries being made in the very real science of astrobiology, an intriguing new field that blends astronomy, biology, and geology to explore the possibility of life on other planets. Jeffrey Bennett takes readers beyond UFOs to discuss some of the tantalizing questions astrobiologists grapple with every day: What is life and how does it begin? What makes a planet or moon habitable? Is there life on Mars or elsewhere in the solar system? How can life be recognized on distant worlds? Is it likely to be microbial, more biologically complex--or even intelligent? What would such a discovery mean for life here on Earth? Come along on this scientific adventure and learn the astonishing implications of discoveries made in this field for the future of the human race. Bennett, who believes that \"science is a way of helping people come to agreement,\" explains how the search for extraterrestrial life can help bridge the divide that sometimes exists between science and religion, defuse public rancor over the teaching of evolution, and quiet the debate over global warming. He likens humanity today to a troubled adolescent teetering on the edge between self-destruction and a future of virtually limitless possibilities. Beyond UFOs shows why the very quest to find alien life can help us to grow up as a species and chart a course for the stars. In a new afterword, Bennett shares the most recent developments in extrasolar research, and discusses how they might further our quest to find alien life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400838486","authors":["Jeffrey Bennett"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-12-01T19:09:48Z","doi":"10.1515/9781400838486","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/pq/pqac009","name":"Arguing About Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Avi Loeb has defended the hypothesis that the interstellar object, ‘Oumuamua, detected in 2017, is in fact an extraterrestrial artefact. His hypothesis has been widely rejected by the scientific community. On examination however it is not clear why. The puzzle is at the level of argument structure. The scientific community's responses to Loeb's hypothesis appear to point to explanations of ‘Oumuamua's properties that are mere possibilities. Yet this is something that Loeb does not contest. I appeal to broadly philosophical considerations to understand and bolster the response to Loeb. These considerations concern the structure of his argument, the role of prior confidences within it, and the presence of ‘unconceived alternative’ explanations. I then generalise. ‘Oumuamua will surely not be the last object that does not admit of straightforward natural explanation and that is claimed to be evidence of an extraterrestrial artefact. I use the preceding discussion of Loeb's argument and the scientific community's response to make some general remarks for future debate about similar cases.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/pq/pqac009","authors":["Christopher Cowie"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-03T12:25:34Z","doi":"10.1093/pq/pqac009","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9781139683593.018","name":"Afterword","source":"crossref","abstract":"In the five decades since Frank Drake formulated his eponymous equation, our understanding of astrophysics and planetary science has advanced enormously. The first three terms of the equation refer to factors that are now known with reasonable precision, due in no small part to the discovery of enough extrasolar planets for meaningful statistics to be developed. Unfortunately, this progress has not been matched by a similar leap in understanding of the remaining factors – the biological ones. In particular, the probability of life emerging on an Earth-like planet, f l , remains completely unknown. In the 1960s and 1970s, most scientists assumed that the origin of life was a freak event, an accident of chemistry of such low probability that it would be unlikely to have occurred twice within the observable universe. Today, however, many distinguished scientists express a belief that life will be almost inevitable on a rocky planet with liquid water – a “cosmic imperative,” to use the evocative term of Christian de Duve. But this sentiment is based on little more than fashion. One may assign a probability to a process only after the mechanism that brings about that process is known. As we have little knowledge of how a nonliving mix of chemicals is transformed into a living thing, we can say almost nothing about its likelihood. Indeed, it is easy to imagine plausible constraints on the chemical pathway to life that would make its successful passage infinitesimally small. In the case of the fifth term in the Drake Equation – the probability that intelligence will evolve if life gets going – at least we have a well-understood mechanism (Darwinian evolution) on which to base a probability estimate (though it still remains deeply problematic). The same is true of the remaining terms. Thus, the uncertainty in the number of communicating civilizations in the galaxy, N, is overwhelmingly dominated by f l . The uncertainty would be immediately removed, however, if a second, independent sample of life was discovered. The best current hope for establishing a value of f l close to one would be the discovery of a “shadow biosphere” on Earth or a breakthrough in understanding the rules governing the organization of information in complex chemical networks.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781139683593.018","authors":["Paul C. W. Davies"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-07-05T05:14:33Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9781139683593.018","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_68","name":"Summary of First Session","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_68","authors":["George D. Gatewood"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-04T00:10:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_68","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acsearthspacechem.3c00321.s001","name":"Potential Prebiotic Pathways in Extraterrestrial Atmosphere: A Computational Exploration of HCN and NH3 Reactions","source":"crossref","abstract":"In this study, we explore the potential for prebiotic chemistry in an extraterrestrial atmosphere through computational modeling of reactions involving hydrogen cyanide (HCN), hydrogen isocyanide (HNC), and ammonia (NH3). Based on our automated reaction search, we identified several key intermediates, including formamidine (A), formaldehyde hydrazone (B), and methanediimine (C) which serve as precursors for a variety of complex organic compounds. Among the products, methanimine (P5) and guanidine (P22) have been proposed for their relevance to early biological activity. The calculated low activation barriers and exothermic nature of several reactions suggest the viability of these pathways in a cold extraterrestrial environment. Notably, the formation of molecules such as a triazole derivative (P18) and N-cyanoimidoformamide (P20), linked to biomarker cyanamide, underscores the potential for synthesizing biologically significant molecules. We provide theoretical roto-vibrational spectral parameters to assist in the experimental detection of these species, offering insights into the molecular complexity achievable in extraterrestrial atmosphere and contributing to our understanding of prebiotic chemistry in extraterrestrial environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.3c00321.s001","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-05T07:40:31Z","doi":"10.1021/acsearthspacechem.3c00321.s001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.1991-309","name":"Extraterrestrial materials processing and related transport phenomena","source":"crossref","abstract":"Several concepts for significant cost reductions in extraterrestrial resource utilization are described. After an introduction of the desirability of in situ resource utilization, several candidate chemical processes are mentioned. It is brought out that many of the key processes require fluid dynamics and heat transfer processes under reduced- and microgravity. These aspects are discussed within the broad framework of a two-phase thermal control systems. Another important aspect of space processing is that reliability and self-repairability are mandatory; automation aspects are discussed. In addition to these general considerations, the paper includes several specific processes that vary from solid electrolytic production of oxygen from carbon dioxide, to plasma-augmented reactions for reducing ilmenite on the moon.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.1991-309","authors":["K. RAMOHALLI","K. SRIDHAR"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-09-28T03:21:30Z","doi":"10.2514/6.1991-309","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.31014/aior.1994.05.04.241","name":"Modelling an Extraterrestrial Epidemic","source":"crossref","abstract":"Panspermia is the theory that life has been transported between bodies in the solar system by means of asteroid or cometary impact. Assuming that panspermia is true, and that genetically related microbial life exists outside of our planet, then it is possible that such life could pose an infectious threat to the terrestrial biosphere. We offer several assumptions of the characteristics that such life might possess and extrapolate the likely epidemiological compartment approach to be applied when attempting to model the impact of an Earthly epidemic originating from an extraterrestrial pathogen.","url":"https://doi.org/10.31014/aior.1994.05.04.241","authors":["Raywat Deonandan","Stefan Litvinjenko"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-07T06:51:33Z","doi":"10.31014/aior.1994.05.04.241","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.64628/aai.g7ercmjrr","name":"What belief in extraterrestrial visitors to Earth reveals about trust in elections","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.64628/aai.g7ercmjrr","authors":["Joshua Lambert","Anthony Jr."],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-25T18:10:36Z","doi":"10.64628/aai.g7ercmjrr","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5840/cogito19948224","name":"Philosophy and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5840/cogito19948224","authors":["David Lamb"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-09-24T22:55:23Z","doi":"10.5840/cogito19948224","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.21995749.15","name":"BEFORE THE WHEWELL DEBATE","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.21995749.15","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-20T21:00:32Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.21995749.15","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9780755601288.0006","name":"Bibliography","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9780755601288.0006","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-21T23:10:47Z","doi":"10.5040/9780755601288.0006","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/364750b0","name":"Earthlings interfere in extraterrestrial search","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/364750b0","authors":["Keay Davidson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-08-12T18:53:26Z","doi":"10.1038/364750b0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1215/9781478023418-013","name":"Index","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1215/9781478023418-013","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-24T10:43:10Z","doi":"10.1215/9781478023418-013","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1364/ao.8.001341","name":"Extraterrestrial Optical Microscopy*","source":"crossref","abstract":"An examination of the literature concerned with the use of microscopy for planetary investigation reveals a serious deficiency of current efforts. Many scientists have recommended the use of a microscope for planetary investigation [Biology and the Exploration of Mars, C. S. Pittendrigh, W. Vishniac, and J. P. T. Pearman, Eds. (National Academy of Science-National Research Council, Washington, D. C., 1966), (a) D. Mazia, p. 31; (b) J. Lederberg, p. 137; (c) S. Fox, pp. 219, 226; (d) D. Glaser, p. 326; (e) D. Glaser, J. McCarthy, and M. Minsky, pp. 333, 341; (f) D. G. Rea, pp. 347-426; (g) P. G. Conger, pp. 409-414; (h) M. H. Fernandez, pp. 414-425; (i) D. Schwartz, pp.425-426 . H. P. Klein, Some Biological Problems in the Search for Extraterrestrial Life (American Astronautical Society, Washington, D. C., 1968).] but few are involved in developing the experiment. Since this is a particularly timely period for the preparation of planetary lander experiments, the reasons for this lack of effort would appear to be limited resources or an unclear course of action, rather than lack of interest. Microscopy used for planetary investigation is chiefly the interest of the biologist and the mineralogist. In both cases the desire to use magnifying optics in order to observe objects of submillimeter size is based upon the rich body of knowledge we have acquired from observing the terrestrial microcosm. In addition to purely imaging, certain special optical techniques, e.g., polarimetry, colorimetry, phase contrast, etc., can be used to enhance the interpretation of microscopic imaging data. This interaction of the optical with the chemical or structural aspects of nature can be used to great advantage in the exploration of extraterrestrial biology and mineralogy.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1364/ao.8.001341","authors":["Gerald A. Soffen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-11-21T13:23:30Z","doi":"10.1364/ao.8.001341","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.2005-6732","name":"ASTROHAB - a modular extraterrestrial land based construction system.","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2005-6732","authors":["Giorgio Gaviraghi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-12-19T00:13:27Z","doi":"10.2514/6.2005-6732","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1201/9781315367569-19","name":"Dynamic Atmosphere of the Sun","source":"crossref","abstract":"Plasma is a high-energy gas that is responsible for the ionization of a significant number of its atoms or molecules, thus forming equal numbers of positive and negative ions ( electrons). Plasmas exhibit some properties of gases, but differ from gases being good conductors of electricity and being affected by magnetic fields. Although there are free charges and ambipolar pairs in plasmas, overall the negative and positive charges compensate each other. Therefore, plasmas are electrically neutral, better known as quasi-neutrality [1]. Within the known universe, more than 99% of all observable matter is plasma, a state often highly dynamic and far from thermal and mechanical equilibrium. In particular, for our own solar-terrestrial system, various plasma active phenomena frequently occur such as solar flares, solar wind, and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in the solar atmosphere; interplanetary magnetic clouds and anti-collision shock waves in interplanetary space; and geomagnetic storms and Earth’s aurora occurring in Earth’s magnetosphere and ionosphere. Such phenomena are not only the most important events resulting in changes in the space environment around our anthrosphere, but also provide natural laboratories for a detailed study of the basic plasma processes encountered in astrophysics. A large part of the energy flux released in the solar atmosphere travels into interplanetary space and impacts the Earth and is known as bow shock. The bow shock energizes the magnetosphere, resulting in changes in the composition, energy balance, and the ionospheric dynamics of the plasma sphere and plasma pause [2-4]. The activities of the plasma process of the solar atmosphere have a direct impact over the ionosphere down to troposphere, thus affecting the radio communication in the different frequency bands [5]. The layers of the atmosphere all react in different ways from the solar particles and plasma influx. The D layer [6] is the innermost layer and is one of the most active during solar activity. The D Layer is 60 km (37 mi) to 90 km (56 mi) above the surface of the Earth. Ionization here is due to Lyman series-alpha hydrogen radiation at a wavelength of 121.5 nanometer (nm) ionizing nitric oxide (NO). In addition, with high solar activity hard X-rays (wavelength <1 nm) may ionize (N2, O2). During the night, cosmic rays produce a residual amount of ionization. Recombination is high in the D layer, the net ionization effect is low, but loss of wave energy is great due to frequent collisions of the electrons (about 10 collisions every msec). As a result, high-frequency (HF) radio waves are not reflected by the D layer but suffer loss of energy therein. This is the main reason for absorption of HF radio waves, particularly at 10 MHz and below, with progressively smaller absorption as the frequency gets higher. The absorption is small at night and greatest about midday. The layer reduces greatly after sunset; a small part remains due to galactic cosmic rays. A common example of the D layer in action is the disappearance of distant AM broadcast band stations in the daytime. During solar proton events (SPEs), ionization can reach unusually high levels in the D-region over high and polar latitudes. Such very rare events are known as polar cap absorption (or PCA) events, because the increased ionization significantly enhances the absorption of radio signals passing through the region. In fact, absorption levels can increase by many tens of dB during intense events, which is enough to absorb most (if not all) transpolar HF radio signal transmissions. Such events typically last less than 24-48 h.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1201/9781315367569-19","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-11-25T15:57:37Z","doi":"10.1201/9781315367569-19","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0892-6875(94)90009-4","name":"Minerals engineering conferences","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0892-6875(94)90009-4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-03-15T06:41:30Z","doi":"10.1016/0892-6875(94)90009-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1201/9781315367569-20","name":"Plasma Processes of the Sun","source":"crossref","abstract":"For quite some time, solar physicists have been wondering about the temperature difference between the Sun’s apparent surface photosphere of the relatively low temperature of about 6000° K and the CORONAS temperature of a few million degrees. The laws of thermodynamics appear to rule out that the photosphere should be able to heat the corona to a temperature of several hundred times its own. Various plasma processes have been proposed from time to time, which would enable charged particles in the photosphere to accelerate causing high temperatures. However, all these processes cannot explain how unordered thermal energy particles should be transformed into ordered high-energy particles. In the coronal heating, apparently it has not been recognized that a temperature of few million degrees is the natural temperature of the solar plasma, whereas the photospheric temperature is the abnormal one. The coronal heating can be interpreted in a straightforward way by basic plasma kinetic and atomic processes. Plasma was first detected and described by William Crookes in 1879 [1]. The Crookes glass tube [2] was further identified and significantly improved by Thomson in 1897 [3]. Subsequently, the term plasma was used by Langmuir in 1928 [4], owing to the glowing discharge that molds itself to the shape of the Crookes tube [5].","url":"https://doi.org/10.1201/9781315367569-20","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-11-25T15:57:37Z","doi":"10.1201/9781315367569-20","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1108/dpm.2002.07311cag.004","name":"Extraterrestrial hazards","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1108/dpm.2002.07311cag.004","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-09-22T23:07:11Z","doi":"10.1108/dpm.2002.07311cag.004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/oso/9780195128529.003.0013","name":"Notes","source":"crossref","abstract":"Subject Astronomy and Astrophysics Collection: Oxford Scholarship Online","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195128529.003.0013","authors":["David Koerner","Simon LeVay"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-05T07:53:11Z","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780195128529.003.0013","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-006","name":"3 Elite Pluralism","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-006","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:25:41Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-006","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0892-6875(94)90035-3","name":"Minerals engineering '94","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0892-6875(94)90035-3","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-03-15T06:41:30Z","doi":"10.1016/0892-6875(94)90035-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/science.260.5107.474","name":"Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"Article MetricsDownloadsCitationsNo data available.01JulAugSepOctNovDec100Total6 Months12 MonthsTotal number of downloads for the most recent 6 whole calendar months.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.260.5107.474","authors":["Frank Drake"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-10-05T23:05:09Z","doi":"10.1126/science.260.5107.474","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_72","name":"Two Additional Comments","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_72","authors":["John A. Ball"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-04T00:10:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_72","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21236/ada451848","name":"Selective Coatings for Extraterrestrial Solar Energy Conversion: A Fundamental Analysis","source":"crossref","abstract":"This report discusses the role of solar energy in the overall problem of secondary power generation for space vehicles. The principal technology needed for the successful use of solar power is that of achieving high solar energy collection efficiency. The author has analyzed the optical variables entering into coatings for the collection of solar energy and expressed these variables in graphical form suitable for use in future analysis of this type. The result Of this analysis leads to a graph of collection efficiency vs temperature which completely characterizes a coating for solar power generation. This study points up the need for coatings with high solar energy absorption, 0< as well as high 0< to E ratios. The fundamental principals of energy absorption and reflection are discussed with reference to metallic and dielectric materials. The application of these principals to selective Coatings is discussed and illustrated.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21236/ada451848","authors":["Robert M. Van Vliet"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-08-03T12:44:53Z","doi":"10.21236/ada451848","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/9801","name":"Extraterrestrial gene transfer","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/9801","authors":["Alka Agrawal"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-11-15T22:25:26Z","doi":"10.1038/9801","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acs.jproteome.0c00700.s001","name":"A Novel Proteomics-Based Strategy for the Investigation of Peptide Sequences in Extraterrestrial Samples","source":"crossref","abstract":"Method development is one of the\\nobjectives of the astrophysical\\ncommunity for characterizing the organic matter in objects of the\\nsolar system. In this context, we report on the development of an\\nenzyme-catalyzed stereoselective hydrolysis, inspired by the proteomics\\ndiscipline, which has enabled the indirect detection of peptide sequences\\nin extraterrestrial samples. A proof of concept has been performed\\non a Murchison extract. We show that our approach can successfully\\nhighlight l- and d-amino acids involved in peptide\\nbonds. While we show that some d-amino acids must have been\\ninvolved in peptide bonds, we cannot at this stage conclude on the\\nindigenous or exogenous nature of these biopolymers. However, our\\nstrategy constitutes the first step toward direct UPLC-MS evidence\\nof peptide sequences in extraterrestrial samples. It should thus contribute\\nto deepening knowledge on the molecules available in the solar system,\\nhence providing new clues about their chemical history, especially\\non Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jproteome.0c00700.s001","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-10-20T07:45:32Z","doi":"10.1021/acs.jproteome.0c00700.s001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.70675/bfc6963dz9defz4f79zb63dza71dd3656227","name":"Thermal analyses of (bio)carbonates as part of the search for traces of life in extraterrestrial environments","source":"crossref","abstract":"Analyses thermiques de (bio)carbonates pour la recherche de traces de vie dans les environnements extraterrestres La recherche de composés organiques d'origine biologique dans les environnements extraterrestres est actuellement la principale stratégie pour détecter de la vie actuelle ou passée. Cependant ces composés organiques sont susceptibles d'évoluer chimiquement voire de se dégrader complètement dans ces environnements. Une alternative consiste à rechercher d'autres produits de l'activité biologique tels que des minéraux, probablement plus résistants aux conditions physico-chimiques extrêmes qui prévalent dans ces environnements et potentiellement capables de préserver dans leur réseau cristallin des composés organiques d'origine biologique. L'objectif est donc de pouvoir distinguer les bio- et organo-minéraux de leurs homologues abiotiques en utilisant des instruments proches de ceux des missions spatiales dédiées à ces questions. L'analyse thermique différentielle (ATD) couplée à la chromatographie en phase gazeuse et à la spectrométrie de masse (CPG-SM) ainsi que l'analyse Rock-Eval (RE) présentent des similitudes avec les instruments SAM (Sample Analysis at Mars) de la mission MSL (Mars Science Laboratory) et MOMA (Mars Organic Molecule Analyser) de la mission ExoMars. Ce projet de thèse vise à évaluer dans quelle mesure l'utilisation conjointe des paramètres cristallographiques des (bio)minéraux, obtenus par diffraction des rayons X, et des profils de dégradation thermique et d'émission de gaz associée, obtenus par ATD-CPG-SM et RE, permet de différencier l'origine microbienne ou abiotique d'échantillons de carbonates. Combinées, ces analyses fournissent des informations chimiques et structurales sur les fractions minéralogiques et organiques des échantillons étudiés avec une distinction entre les composés organiques de surface de ceux piégés dans la structure cristalline des carbonates. La validation d'une telle approche nécessite la sélection d'une grande diversité d'échantillons de carbonates terrestres d'origines et de compositions variées (Ca, Ca/Mg, Mg), tels que des carbonates naturels abiotiques ou issus d'environnements où la vie microbienne impacte leur formation (e.g., microbialites lacustres anciens et actuelles, cheminées hydrothermales alcalines, geysers continentaux, suintements froids) ainsi que des (bio)carbonates synthétiques de composition connue. À cet effet, des carbonates ont été précipités en laboratoire à l'aide de souches microbiennes carbonatogènes ou par organominéralisation (c.-à-d. en présence uniquement de molécules organiques). Ces données, obtenues dans des conditions analytiques proches de celles des instruments spatiaux, ont permis de construire un modèle chimiométrique basé sur l'analyse en composantes principales (ACP). Un résultat marquant de ces analyses ACP est l'individualisation de groupes distincts d'échantillons de carbonates en fonction de leur processus de minéralisation (bio-/organo-induit ou abiotique). Une telle approche multimodale et statistique pourrait ainsi être utilisée pour la recherche de traces de vie dans des environnements tels que Mars, Encelade et Europe, dans le cadre des explorations spatiales actuelles et futures.","url":"https://doi.org/10.70675/bfc6963dz9defz4f79zb63dza71dd3656227","authors":["Alexandra Perron"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-07T13:53:21Z","doi":"10.70675/bfc6963dz9defz4f79zb63dza71dd3656227","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_53","name":"A Milky Way Search Strategy for Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_53","authors":["Woodruff T. Sullivan","Kenneth J. Mighell"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-04T00:10:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_53","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7551/mitpress/12357.003.0012","name":"Index of Common Names","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12357.003.0012","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-17T17:56:20Z","doi":"10.7551/mitpress/12357.003.0012","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.21995749.3","name":"List of Figures","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.21995749.3","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-20T21:00:32Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.21995749.3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-028708-9.50032-4","name":"THE DEMOGRAPHY OF EXTRATERRESTRIAL CIVILIZATIONS","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-028708-9.50032-4","authors":["J. Billingham","C.L. Seeger"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-19T07:31:00Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-08-028708-9.50032-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7551/mitpress/12357.003.0013","name":"Index of Species","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12357.003.0013","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-17T17:56:20Z","doi":"10.7551/mitpress/12357.003.0013","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7551/mitpress/12357.003.0005","name":"Convergent Sessile Forms","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12357.003.0005","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-17T17:56:20Z","doi":"10.7551/mitpress/12357.003.0005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.646Z"},{"id":"oa:W2794480935","name":"Fingerprinting Non-Terran Biosignatures","source":"openalex","abstract":"Most strategies for life detection rely upon finding features known to be associated with terran life, such as particular classes of molecules. But life may be vastly different on other planets and moons, particularly as we expand our efforts to explore ocean worlds like Europa and Enceladus. We propose a new concept for life detection that harnesses the power of DNA sequencing to yield intricate informatics fingerprints, even for life that is not nucleic acid-based. The concept is based on the fact that folded nucleic acid structures (aptamers) have been shown to be capable of binding a wide variety of compounds, whether inorganic, organic, or polymeric, and irrespective of being from a biotic or abiotic source. Each nucleic acid sequence can be thought of as a code, and a combination of codes as a \"fingerprint.\" Over multiple analytes, the \"fingerprint\" of a non-terran sample can be analyzed by chemometric protocols to provide a classifier of molecular patterns and complexity. Ultimately the chemometric fingerprints of living systems, which may differ significantly from nonliving systems, could provide an empirical, agnostic means of detecting life. Because nucleic acids are exponentially amplified by the polymerase chain reaction, even very small input signals could be translated into a robust readable output. The derived sequences could be identified by a small, portable sequencing device or by capture and optical imaging on a DNA microarray. Without presupposing any particular molecular framework, this agnostic approach to life detection could be used from Mars to the far reaches of the Solar System, all within the framework of an instrument drawing little heat and power. Key Words: Agnostic biosignatures-Astrobiology-Chemometrics-DNA sequencing-Life detection-Proximity ligation assay. Astrobiology 18, 915-922.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2017.1712","authors":["S. S. Johnson","Eric V. Anslyn","Heather V. Graham","P. R. Mahaffy","Andrew D. Ellington"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-03-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2017.1712","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4393318135","name":"Electron microprobe dating of lunar zirconolite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Zirconolite is an accessary mineral occurred in the lunar basaltic and granitic rocks and contains relatively high contents of U, Th, and Pb, which is attractive for age dating. However, very few studies have reported the crystallization ages of lunar zirconolites because of the challenge of dating lunar zirconolites due to their fine-grained size and irregular shape. In this study, we analyzed zirconolites in a granitic clast of the lunar meteorite DEW 12007 using an electron microprobe. MAN (mean atomic number) background, peak interference, and blank corrections were applied to 31 elements including U, Th, and Pb, and REEs, to obtain high-precision and high-accuracy chemical data of the zirconolites. The electron microprobe age of the zirconolites is determined to be 4332 ± 14 Ma (2σ, n = 20), which is consistent with the U–Pb age (4340.9 ± 7.5 Ma; 2σ) of zircon grains from the same clast measured by an ion microprobe. The precision and accuracy achieved in this study represents a notable advance compared to previously reported electron microprobe ages of lunar zirconolites. This suggests that electron microprobe dating may be applicable to extraterrestrial materials, especially for microscopic U-Th-Pb-containing minerals in the samples returned from the Moon and Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40543-024-00431-7","authors":["Changkun Park","Hwayoung Kim"],"tags":["Electron microprobe","Microprobe","Geology","Meteorite","Zircon"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40543-024-00431-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4400387631","name":"Volatile systematics in terrestrial igneous apatite: from microanalysis to decoding magmatic processes","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Apatite has been recognized as a robust tool for the study of magmatic volatiles in terrestrial and extraterrestrial systems due to its ability to incorporate various volatile components and its common occurrence in igneous rocks. Most previous studies have utilized apatite to study individual magmatic systems or regions. However, volatile systematics in terrestrial magmatic apatite formed under different geological environments has been poorly understood. In this study, we filtered a large compilation of data for apatite in terrestrial igneous rocks (n > 20,000), categorized the data according to tectonic settings, rock types, and bulk-rock compositions, and conducted statistical analyses of the F–Cl–OH–S–CO2 contents (~ 11,000 data for halogen and less for other volatiles). We find that apatite from volcanic arcs preserves a high Cl signature in comparison to other tectonic settings and the median Cl contents differ between arcs. Apatite in various types and compositions of igneous rocks shows overlapping F–Cl–OH compositions and features in some rock groups. Specifically, apatite in kimberlite is characterized as Cl-poor, whereas apatite in plutonic rocks can contain higher F and lower Cl contents than the volcanic counterparts. Calculation using existing partitioning models indicates that apatite with a high OH (or F) content does not necessarily indicate a H2O-rich (or H2O-poor) liquid because it could be a result of high (or low) magma temperature. Our work may provide a new perspective on the use of apatite to investigate volatile behavior in magma genesis and evolution across tectonic settings, volatile recycling at subduction zones, and the volcanic-plutonic connection.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-024-02147-8","authors":["Weiran Li","Olivier Bernard","Sri Budhi Utami","Marcus Phua"],"tags":["Apatite","Igneous rock","Geology","Magma","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-024-02147-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4400739097","name":"Peptides En Route from Prebiotic to Biotic Catalysis","source":"openalex","abstract":"In the quest to understand prebiotic catalysis, different molecular entities, mainly minerals, metal ions, organic cofactors, and ribozymes, have been implied as key players. Of these, inorganic and organic cofactors have gained attention for their ability to catalyze a wide array of reactions central to modern metabolism and frequently participate in these reactions within modern enzymes. Nevertheless, bridging the gap between prebiotic and modern metabolism remains a fundamental question in the origins of life. In this Account, peptides are investigated as a potential bridge linking prebiotic catalysis by minerals/cofactors to enzymes that dominate modern life's chemical reactions. Before ribosomal synthesis emerged, peptides of random sequences were plausible on early Earth. This was made possible by different sources of amino acid delivery and synthesis, as well as their condensation under a variety of conditions. Early peptides and proteins probably exhibited distinct compositions, enriched in small aliphatic and acidic residues. An increase in abundance of amino acids with larger side chains and canonical basic groups was most likely dependent on the emergence of their more challenging (bio)synthesis. Pressing questions thus arise: how did this composition influence the early peptide properties, and to what extent could they contribute to early metabolism? Recent research from our group and colleagues shows that highly acidic peptides/proteins comprising only the presumably \"early\" amino acids are in fact competent at secondary structure formation and even possess adaptive folding characteristics such as spontaneous refoldability and chaperone independence to achieve soluble structures. Moreover, we showed that highly acidic proteins of presumably \"early\" composition can still bind RNA by utilizing metal ions as cofactors to bridge carboxylate and phosphoester functional groups. And finally, ancient organic cofactors were shown to be capable of binding to sequences from amino acids considered prebiotically plausible, supporting their folding properties and providing functional groups, which would nominate them as catalytic hubs of great prebiotic relevance. These findings underscore the biochemical plausibility of an early peptide/protein world devoid of more complex amino acids yet collaborating with other catalytic species. Drawing from the mechanistic properties of protein-cofactor catalysis, it is speculated here that the early peptide/protein-cofactor ensemble could facilitate a similar range of chemical reactions, albeit with lower catalytic rates. This hypothesis invites a systematic experimental test. Nonetheless, this Account does not exclude other scenarios of prebiotic-to-biotic catalysis or prioritize any specific pathways of prebiotic syntheses. The objective is to examine peptide availability, composition, and functional potential among the various factors involved in the emergence of early life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.accounts.4c00137","authors":["Klára Hlouchová"],"tags":["Abiogenesis","Amino acid","Chemistry","Ribozyme","Prebiotic"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.accounts.4c00137","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4415617988","name":"Special Issue Dedicated to the 16th International GeoRAMAN Conference, Rhodes, Greece, 24–27 September 2024","source":"openalex","abstract":"ABSTRACT This special issue of the Journal of Raman Spectroscopy (JRS) presents selected papers from the 16th International GeoRAMAN Conference, held in Rhodes, Greece, from 24 to 27 September 2024. The meeting brought together the global GeoRAMAN community to share the latest developments and applications of Raman spectroscopy across geoscience, planetary science, cultural heritage and emerging fields such as geoenergy and geoenvironmental research. The 23 contributions, published in this issue, present new knowledge in the field of applications of Raman spectroscopy to Earth and planetary materials and reflect the scientific diversity, methodological innovation and collaborative spirit that continue to define this vibrant community.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.70070","authors":["Maria Perraki","Stéfanos Karampelas"],"tags":["Raman spectroscopy","Cultural heritage","Political science","Engineering ethics","Field (mathematics)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.70070","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W3194784708","name":"Paleocene/Eocene carbon feedbacks triggered by volcanic activity","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) was a period of geologically-rapid carbon release and global warming ~56 million years ago. Although modelling, outcrop and proxy records suggest volcanic carbon release occurred, it has not yet been possible to identify the PETM trigger, or if multiple reservoirs of carbon were involved. Here we report elevated levels of mercury relative to organic carbon—a proxy for volcanism—directly preceding and within the early PETM from two North Sea sedimentary cores, signifying pulsed volcanism from the North Atlantic Igneous Province likely provided the trigger and subsequently sustained elevated CO2. However, the PETM onset coincides with a mercury low, suggesting at least one other carbon reservoir released significant greenhouse gases in response to initial warming. Our results support the existence of ‘tipping points’ in the Earth system, which can trigger release of additional carbon reservoirs and drive Earth’s climate into a hotter state.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25536-0","authors":["Sev Kender","Kara A. Bogus","Gunver Krarup Pedersen","Karen Dybkjær","Tamsin A. Mather","Erica Mariani","Andy Ridgwell","James B. Riding","Thomas Wagner","Stephen P. Hesselbo","Melanie J. Leng"],"tags":["Volcano","Carbon fibers","Geology","Earth science","Paleontology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25536-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W3128060235","name":"Acetylene-Fueled Trichloroethene Reductive Dechlorination in a Groundwater Enrichment Culture","source":"openalex","abstract":"Understanding the complex metabolisms of microbial communities in contaminated groundwaters is a challenge. PCE and TCE are among the most common groundwater contaminants in the United States that, when exposed to certain minerals, exhibit a unique abiotic degradation pathway in which C 2 H 2 is a product.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.02724-20","authors":["Sara Gushgari-Doyle","Ronald S. Oremland","Ray Keren","S. M. Baesman","Denise M. Akob","Jillian F. Banfield","Lisa Alvarez‐Cohen"],"tags":["Reductive dechlorination","Groundwater","Contaminated groundwater","Abiotic component","Environmental chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.02724-20","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402476464","name":"Efficient techniques and practices for wastewater treatment: an update","source":"openalex","abstract":"The rise in the world's population has led to an amplified need for fundamental requirements such as healthcare, shelter, and water. At the same time, human practices like agriculture, mining, and deforestation have resulted in challenges related to environmental sustainability and the contamination of water resources. As a result, access to safe drinking water has become a major challenge worldwide, and controlling water pollution is crucial. Several water treatment methods, including adsorption, nanotechnology, and membrane technology, have been developed to mitigate health and environmental impacts. However, many of these methods are too expensive, especially for people living in low-income countries. Additionally, some of the technologies are not very effective at removing pollutants, which exacerbates the problem. The physical, chemical, and biological approaches for treating water are categorized in this review, along with the benefits and drawbacks of each approach. Given that the adsorption method is thought to be one of the more economical and environmentally friendly techniques to treat water, this review recommends that in order to increase the efficacy of the adsorbents, a comprehensive investigation into the exact operation of the adsorbents at the cellular and molecular levels be conducted.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s43832-024-00131-8","authors":["Eric Mutegoa"],"tags":["Wastewater","Environmental science","Computer science","Waste management","Engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s43832-024-00131-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W3110131080","name":"Microtextures in the Chelyabinsk impact breccia reveal the history of Phosphorus‐Olivine‐Assemblages in chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The geochemistry and textures of phosphate minerals can provide insights into the geological histories of parental asteroids, but the processes governing their formation and deformation remain poorly constrained. We assessed phosphorus‐bearing minerals in the three lithologies (light, dark, and melt) of the Chelyabinsk (LL5) ordinary chondrite using scanning electron microscope, electron microprobe, cathodoluminescence, and electron backscatter diffraction techniques. The majority of studied phosphate grains appear intergrown with olivine. However, microtextures of phosphates (apatite [Ca5(PO4)3(OH,Cl,F)] and merrillite [Ca9NaMg(PO4)7]) are extremely variable within and between the differently shocked lithologies investigated. We observe continuously strained as well as recrystallized strain‐free merrillite populations. Grains with strain‐free subdomains are present only in the more intensely shocked dark lithology, indicating that phosphate growth predates the development of primary shock‐metamorphic features. Complete melting of portions of the meteorite is recorded by the shock‐melt lithology, which contains a population of phosphorus‐rich olivine grains. The response of phosphorus‐bearing minerals to shock is therefore hugely variable throughout this monomict impact breccia. We propose a paragenetic history for P‐bearing phases in Chelyabinsk involving initial phosphate growth via P‐rich olivine replacement, followed by phosphate deformation during an early impact event. This event was also responsible for the local development of shock melt that lacks phosphate grains and instead contains P‐enriched olivine. We generalize our findings to propose a new classification scheme for Phosphorus‐Olivine‐Assemblages (Type I–III POAs). We highlight how POAs can be used to trace radiogenic metamorphism and shock metamorphic events that together span the entire geological history of chondritic asteroids.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13648","authors":["Craig R. Walton","Ioannis Baziotis","Ana Černok","L. Ferrière","Paul D. Asimow","Oliver Shorttle","M. Anand"],"tags":["Olivine","Geology","Breccia","Geochemistry","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13648","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4413230128","name":"On the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Aerospace Engineering: Current State of the Art and Future Trajectories","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The rapid development of AI has resulted in an unprecedented paradigm shift across various industries, with aerospace among the laureates of this transformation. This review paper attempts to explore and provide comprehensive overview of the aerospace research imperatives from the AI perspective, detailing the technical sides of the full lifecycle from vehicle design and operational optimisation to advanced air traffic management systems. By examining real-world engineering implementations, the review demonstrates how AI-driven solutions are directly addressing longstanding challenges in aerospace, such as optimising flight performance, reducing operational costs and improving system reliability. A significant emphasis is placed on the crucial roles of AI in health monitoring and predictive maintenance, areas that are pivotal for ensuring the safety and longevity of aerospace endeavors, and which are now increasingly adopted in industry for remaining useful life (RUL) forecasting and condition-based maintenance strategies. The paper also discusses AI embedded in quality control and inspection processes, where it boosts accuracy, efficiency and fault detection capability. The review provides insight into the state-of-the-art applications of AI in planetary exploration, particularly within the realms of autonomous scientific instrumentation and robotic prospecting, as well as surface operations on extraterrestrial bodies. An important case study is India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission, demonstrating the application of AI in both autonomous navigation and scientific exploration within the challenging environments of space. By furnishing an overview of the field, the paper frames the ever-important, increasing domains of AI as the forefront in the advancement of aerospace engineering and opens avenues for further discussion regarding the limitless possibilities at the juncture of intelligent systems and aerospace innovation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/aer.2025.10050","authors":["Pratham Girish Shenwai","Ajay Choudhary","Tejeswar Pokuri","Amit Basak","M. Manikandan","Balbir Singh"],"tags":["Aerospace","Systems engineering","Quality (philosophy)","State (computer science)","Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/aer.2025.10050","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W2616436925","name":"Remote sensing of lunar aureole with a sky camera: Adding information in the nocturnal retrieval of aerosol properties with GRASP code","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2017.05.013","authors":["Roberto Román","Benjamín Torres","David Fuertes","Victoria E. Cachorro","Оleg Dubovik","Carlos Toledano","Alberto Cazorla","África Barreto","J.L. Bosch","Tatyana Lapyonok","Ramiro González","Philippe Goloub","M. R. Perrone","F.J. Olmo","A. de Frutos","Lucas Alados‐Arboledas"],"tags":["AERONET","Aerosol","Remote sensing","Sky","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-05-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2017.05.013","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391205106","name":"1.63-billion-year-old multicellular eukaryotes from the Chuanlinggou Formation in North China","source":"openalex","abstract":"Multicellularity is key to the functional and ecological success of the Eukarya, underpinning much of their modern diversity in both terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Despite the widespread occurrence of simple multicellular organisms among eukaryotes, when this innovation arose remains an open question. Here, we report cellularly preserved multicellular microfossils ( Qingshania magnifica ) from the ~1635-million-year-old Chuanlinggou Formation, North China. The fossils consist of large uniseriate, unbranched filaments with cell diameters up to 190 micrometers; spheroidal structures, possibly spores, occur within some cells. In combination with spectroscopic characteristics, the large size and morphological complexity of these fossils support their interpretation as eukaryotes, likely photosynthetic, based on comparisons with extant organisms. The occurrence of multicellular eukaryotes in Paleoproterozoic rocks not much younger than those containing the oldest unambiguous evidence of eukaryotes as a whole supports the hypothesis that simple multicellularity arose early in eukaryotic history, as much as a billion years before complex multicellular organisms diversified in the oceans.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adk3208","authors":["Lanyun Miao","Zongjun Yin","Andrew H. Knoll","Yuangao Qu","Maoyan Zhu"],"tags":["Multicellular organism","China","Evolutionary biology","Biology","Billion years"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adk3208","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W2808861989","name":"Lunar and Martian Silica","source":"openalex","abstract":"Silica polymorphs, such as quartz, tridymite, cristobalite, coesite, stishovite, seifertite, baddeleyite-type SiO2, high-pressure silica glass, moganite, and opal, have been found in lunar and/or martian rocks by macro-microanalyses of the samples and remote-sensing observations on the celestial bodies. Because each silica polymorph is stable or metastable at different pressure and temperature conditions, its appearance is variable depending on the occurrence of the lunar and martian rocks. In other words, types of silica polymorphs provide valuable information on the igneous process (e.g., crystallization temperature and cooling rate), shock metamorphism (e.g., shock pressure and temperature), and hydrothermal fluid activity (e.g., pH and water content), implying their importance in planetary science. Therefore, this article focused on reviewing and summarizing the representative and important investigations of lunar and martian silica from the viewpoints of its discovery from lunar and martian materials, the formation processes, the implications for planetary science, and the future prospects in the field of “micro-mineralogy”.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min8070267","authors":["Masahiro Kayama","Hiroshi Nagaoka","Takafumi Niihara"],"tags":["Martian","Coesite","Stishovite","Tridymite","Cristobalite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-06-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min8070267","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W3110791372","name":"Analytical protocols for Phobos regolith samples returned by the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will launch a spacecraft in 2024 for a sample return mission from Phobos (Martian Moons eXploration: MMX). Touchdown operations are planned to be performed twice at different landing sites on the Phobos surface to collect > 10 g of the Phobos surface materials with coring and pneumatic sampling systems on board. The Sample Analysis Working Team (SAWT) of MMX is now designing analytical protocols of the returned Phobos samples to shed light on the origin of the Martian moons as well as the evolution of the Mars–moon system. Observations of petrology and mineralogy, and measurements of bulk chemical compositions and stable isotopic ratios of, e.g., O, Cr, Ti, and Zn can provide crucial information about the origin of Phobos. If Phobos is a captured asteroid composed of primitive chondritic materials, as inferred from its reflectance spectra, geochemical data including the nature of organic matter as well as bulk H and N isotopic compositions characterize the volatile materials in the samples and constrain the type of the captured asteroid. Cosmogenic and solar wind components, most pronounced in noble gas isotopic compositions, can reveal surface processes on Phobos. Long- and short-lived radionuclide chronometry such as 53 Mn– 53 Cr and 87 Rb– 87 Sr systematics can date pivotal events like impacts, thermal metamorphism, and aqueous alteration on Phobos. It should be noted that the Phobos regolith is expected to contain a small amount of materials delivered from Mars, which may be physically and chemically different from any Martian meteorites in our collection and thus are particularly precious. The analysis plan will be designed to detect such Martian materials, if any, from the returned samples dominated by the endogenous Phobos materials in curation procedures at JAXA before they are processed for further analyses.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40623-021-01438-9","authors":["Wataru Fujiya","Yoshihiro Furukawa","Haruna Sugahara","Mizuho Koike","Ken‐ichi Bajo","N. L. Chabot","Yayoi N. Miura","Frédéric Moynier","S. S. Russell","Shogo Tachibana","Yoshinori Takano","Tomohiro Usui"],"tags":["Regolith","Astrobiology","Geology","Martian","Mars Exploration Program"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40623-021-01438-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"oa:W4401889559","name":"Coal and Coal By-Products as Unconventional Lithium Sources: A Review of Occurrence Modes and Hydrometallurgical Strategies for Metal Recovery","source":"openalex","abstract":"Lithium, a critical material for the global development of green energy sources, is anomalously enriched in some coal deposits and coal by-products to levels that may be considered economically viable. Recovering lithium from coal, particularly from coal gangue or coal ashes, offers a promising alternative for extracting this element. This process could potentially lead to economic gains and positive environmental impacts by more efficiently utilizing coal-based waste materials. This review focuses on lithium concentrations in coal and coal by-products, modes of lithium occurrence, methods used to identify lithium-enriched phases, and currently available hydrometallurgical recovery methods, correlated with pretreatment procedures that enable lithium release from inert aluminosilicate minerals. Leaching of raw coal appears inefficient, whereas coal gangue and fly ash are more feasible due to their simpler composition and higher lithium contents. Lithium extraction can achieve recovery rates of over 90%, but low lithium concentrations and high impurity levels in the leachates require advanced selective separation techniques. Bottom ash has not yet been evaluated for lithium recovery, despite its higher lithium content compared to feed coal.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14080849","authors":["Ewa Rudnik"],"tags":["Coal","Environmental science","Lithium (medication)","Leaching (pedology)","Waste management"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14080849","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4394751916","name":"Role of Acetylene in the Chemical Evolution of Carbon Complexity","source":"openalex","abstract":"Acetylene, among the multitude of organic molecules discovered in space, plays a distinct role in the genesis of organic matter. Characterized by its unique balance of stability and reactivity, acetylene is the simplest unsaturated organic molecule known to have a triple bond. In addition to its inherent chemical properties, acetylene is one of the most prevalent organic molecules found across the Universe, spanning from the icy surfaces of planets and satellites and the cold interstellar medium with low temperatures to hot circumstellar envelopes where temperatures surge to several thousand kelvins. These factors collectively position acetylene as a crucial building block in the molecular diversification of organic molecules and solids present in space. This review comprehensively discusses the formation and expansion of carbon skeletons involving acetylene, ranging from the formation of simple molecules to the origination of the first aromatic ring and ultimately to the formation of nanosized carbon particles. Mechanisms pertinent to both hot environments, such as circumstellar envelopes, and cold environments, including molecular clouds and planetary atmospheres, are explored. In addition, this review contemplates the role of acetylene in the synthesis of prebiotic molecules. A distinct focus is accorded to the recent advancements and future prospects of research into catalytic processes involving acetylene molecules, which is a significant instrument in driving the evolution of carbon complexity in the Universe. The insights garnered from this review underscore the significance of acetylene in astrochemistry and potentially contribute to our understanding of the chemical evolution of the Universe.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.3c00223","authors":["Evgeniy O. Pentsak","M. S. Murga","Valentine P. Ananikov"],"tags":["Acetylene","Carbon fibers","Chemistry","Computer science","Organic chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.3c00223","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4400291839","name":"Aqueous alteration of Ryugu's parent body: Insights from carbonates seen by MicrOmega","source":"openalex","abstract":"Carbonate minerals are tracers of the chemical and temporal evolution of aqueous alteration on the parent bodies of meteorites, in particular of the hydrated CI and CM carbonaceous chondrites. While principal differences in the carbonate abundances of CI and CM chondrites representative of different alteration scenarios are well established [1, 2], detailed timelines concerning e.g. the variability in the composition of the alteration fluid and the physical conditions on the parent bodies during alteration remain open questions and require further investigations.The samples of (162173) Ryugu returned by the JAXA Hayabusa2 mission show similarities with CI chondrites [3, 4]. Thanks to the MicrOmega instrument in the Extraterrestrial Curation Center in Sagamihara, Japan [5, 6], Loizeau et al. [7] identified areas enriched in carbonates in more than 180 Ryugu grains, showing that, consistent with CI chondrites, dolomite-like and breunnerite-like are the most abundant, while the relative abundance between the two depends on the size of the carbonate inclusion. Fujiya et al. [8] reported the presence of rare and small calcite grains in Ryugu, in combination with anhydrous silicates (olivine and Mg-rich pyroxene), indicating that less aqueous alteration occurred in these regions. Using O and C isotopes, they conclude that calcites precipitated first among the carbonates. Yamaguchi et al. [9] further report oscillatory zoning of Mn, Fe, and Ca in dolomites, indicating varying fluid compositions during carbonate formations.The hyperspectral microscope MicrOmega is in the unique position of analysing the entire returned material of Ryugu under a controlled N2-purged environment within the ISAS, JAXA, curation facility. This enables us to perform a large-scale, statistical description of mineral distributions in the sample. MicrOmega obtains spectra from 1-3.6μm in a 256x256 pixel grid with a spatial pixel scale of 22.5μm. We present here the distribution of carbonates in over 50% of the Ryugu sample in terms of mass, with a focus on small-scale variability (tens of microns, refer to Fig. 1) within carbonates. A particular emphasis is placed on the identification of calcites, given their established link to pristine lithologies in CI chondrites and on Ryugu [2, 8]. Our results show that carbonates follow different compositional distributions between the two chambers A and C, the former representing Ryugu surface material and the latter material excavated via an impactor. We explore different hypotheses concerning the origin of this discrepancy in the chambers' carbonates.Fig. 1: Top: False-RGB images of carbonate-rich regions on grains C0181 and A0360, colour-coded by the best-matching carbonate references. C0181 is rich in breunnerite-like inclusions, while carbonates in A0360 are predominantly dolomite-like. Carbonates in C0181 show indications of Fe-zoning from the interior to the exterior regions of the inclusion. Bottom: The average spectrum of the breunnerite-like (left) and dolomite-like (left) pixel in C0181 and A0360 respectively (solid lines), together with the best-matching reference spectrum (faded line). N gives the number of pixel matched to the respective best-matching reference spectra.A more recent addition to the collection of pristine asteroidal material on Earth are the samples of (101955) Bennu collected by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission and returned in September 2023. While initially suspected to be of CM-like composition [10], the analysis of bulk major and trace elements suggests that Bennu consists of CI-like material [11]. Unlike for Ryugu, remote-sensing data indicates the presence of large-scale carbonate veins on Bennu’s surface, showing relative species-abundances typical for CM chondrites, with calcite, dolomite, and magnesite as predominant carbonates [12]. At small scales on the returned sample, several carbonate species (e.g. dolomite, calcite, and breunnerite) have been identified [13]. We conclude with an ","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2024-174","authors":["Max Mahlke","C. Lantz","C. Pilorget","Jean‐Pierre Bibring","Alice Aléon‐Toppani","D. Baklouti","R. Brunetto","Kentaroh Hatakeda","Te Jiang","D. Loizeau","Tatsuaki Okada","Toru Yada","Kasumi Yogata"],"tags":["Aqueous solution","Chemistry","Organic chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2024-174","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4405191580","name":"Elucidating and contrasting the mechanisms for Mg and Ca sulfate ion-pair formation with multi-level embedded quantum mechanics/molecular dynamics simulations","source":"openalex","abstract":"Solutions and minerals containing sulfate (SO42-), and Ca2+ and Mg2+ cations, are ubiquitous throughout the lithosphere and are significant components of seawater, thus presenting a prototypical system for the study of strong electrolytes and crystal nucleation mechanisms. However, despite their relative abundance, key questions remain unanswered about the most fundamental atomic-level steps of their mineralization pathways and aqueous dynamics. Here, we carry out enhanced sampling multi-level molecular dynamics (MD) embedded correlated wavefunction theory simulations to elucidate ion-pairing mechanisms for Mg-SO4 and Ca-SO4 in concentrated aqueous solution, accurately capturing effects arising from both structural dynamics and electron exchange-correlation. We predict contact-ion-pair formation to be barrierless and highly exoergic for Ca-SO4, in agreement with its minimal solubility, whereas for Mg-SO4, solvent-shared and contact ion pairs have similar free energies, qualitatively consistent with its higher solubility. Finally, we demonstrate that brief high-temperature pre-equilibration may be utilized to accelerate convergence of free energies in blue-moon-ensemble enhanced-sampling MD.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0235460","authors":["Jan-Niklas Boyn","Emily A. Carter"],"tags":["Molecular dynamics","Molecular mechanics","Ion","Physics","Quantum"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0235460","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402725189","name":"Exchange experiments for chlorine and bromine partitioning in scapolite at variable fluid salinities, pressures, and temperatures: implications for tracing crustal fluid sources via Cl/Br ratios in scapolite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Halogen ratios (Cl/Br) preserved in halogen-bearing minerals can be very useful to identify the sources of fluids interacting with crystalline rocks, as different fluid types have distinct halogen ratios. In this study we conduct exchange experiments for chlorine and bromine partitioning between scapolite and brine treated at variable fluid salinities ranging from 0.20 to 0.66 mol fraction of salt (NaCl + NaBr). Experiments involved two different natural scapolites, which were treated in the presence of brine and minor calcite in sealed platinum capsules at 0.32 to 1.52 GPa and 600 °C to 1000 °C for durations of 12–120 h. Neomorphic scapolite appeared as overgrowths on the initial scapolite, or, in some cases, fully recrystallized with no relict scapolite visible. The experiments show that the Ca/Na ratio of scapolite depends on the treatment temperature, the fluid salinity, and pressure. In contrast, the Cl/Br distribution coefficients between neomorphic scapolite and fluids do not depend on the temperature, composition of the mineral or the total salinity of the fluid. The Cl/Br distribution coefficient is, however, markedly pressure-dependent. The experimentally-determined partitioning coefficients of this study and previous work, ranging from 1 atm to 1.5 GPa, enable the use of Cl/Br ratios in scapolite to characterize the halogen ratio of fluids throughout the entire crust. The molar Cl/Br ratio of a fluid can be determined from the measured molar Cl/Br of scapolite via: Cl/Br fluid = Cl/Br scapolite x ( – 1.473 × P + 1.119 × P 2 – 0.299 × P 3 + 1.103) −1 , where P is pressure in GPa, over the range of 0.0001–1.5 GPa.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-024-02162-9","authors":["Johannes Hammerli","David M. Jenkins","David P. Collins"],"tags":["Geology","Bromine","Chlorine","Geochemistry","Halite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-024-02162-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4403342503","name":"Rebuttal of Holliday et al.’s Comprehensive Gish Gallop of the Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis","source":"openalex","abstract":"In an article comprising some 96,000 words, Holliday et al. (2023) (HEA) claim to have “comprehensively refuted” the Younger Dryas impact hypothesis (YDIH), even though it has been corroborated by scores of articles in dozens of peer-reviewed journals based on the discovery of some combination of synchronous nanodiamonds, exotic microspherules and platinum enrichment at more than 50 Younger Dryas boundary sites on five continents. No hypothesis or theory is immune from criticism, but to “comprehensively refute” one so well established should require dispositive falsifying evidence. However, HEA provide no new evidence of their own and many of their arguments are based on faulty reasoning. Their remaining differences of opinion do not lend themselves to the falsification of an active hypothesis supported by an abundance of reproducible evidence, which now includes shocked quartz which is generally accepted to be produced only by cosmic impacts. Their article can therefore be called a Gish gallop; a long series of weak or flawed arguments designed to overwhelm an opponent. Since HEA’s claims are too many to respond to individually, we instead have selected portions of their article for critical analysis. By providing strong line-by-line counterarguments to their text we crucially show that they demonstrate a poor understanding of the logic required to test the YDIH and a poor understanding of uncertainty in experimental data analysis, and these problems propagate through many parts of their review. We also show that they repeatedly distort the facts and make misleading claims or derisory remarks. In summary, their approach is a corruption of the scientific method. In fact, the YDIH remains in a very strong position and probably represents a second example to go along with the Alvarez Theory of an extraterrestrial event that affected life on Earth. A hypothesis with such potential should not be so casually dismissed and instead should continue to be the subject of research.","url":"https://doi.org/10.14293/aci.2024.0007","authors":["Martin B. Sweatman","James L. Powell","Allen West"],"tags":["Rebuttal","Younger Dryas","Geology","History","Archaeology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.14293/aci.2024.0007","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402199721","name":"Safety protocols, precautions, and countermeasures aboard the International Space Station to prevent ocular injury","source":"openalex","abstract":"The International Space Station (ISS) is a $100 billion epicenter of human activity in the vacuum of space that displays mankind's collective endeavor to explore the cosmic frontier. Even within the marvels of technological sophistication aboard the ISS, the human eye remains a highly vulnerable structure. In the absence of multiple layers of protection and risk assessments, crewmembers would face a substantial increase in vulnerability to ocular injury. Aside from stringent preflight screening criteria for astronauts, the ISS is equipped with ophthalmic medications, environmental control and life support systems (e.g., humidity regulation, carbon dioxide removal, pressurized device regulators), and radiation protection to reduce ocular injury. Moreover, additional countermeasures are currently being developed to mitigate the effects of spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS) and lunar dust toxicity for the Artemis Program missions. The success of future endeavors hinges not only on continued technological innovation, but also respecting the intricate interplay between human physiology and the extraterrestrial environments. Establishing habitations on the Moon and Mars, as well as NASA's Gateway Program (humanity's first space station around the Moon), will introduce a new set of challenges, underscoring the necessity for continuous insights into ocular health in space. We discuss the safety protocols, precautions, and countermeasures implemented on the ISS to prevent ocular injury - an aspect often overshadowed by the grandeur of space exploration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.survophthal.2024.08.005","authors":["Alex Suh","Sarah Ditelberg","J Szeto","Divy Kumar","Joshua Ong","Chandrika Gibson","Thomas H. Mader","Ethan Waisberg","Andrew G. Lee"],"tags":["International Space Station","Human spaceflight","Aeronautics","Space suit","Spaceflight"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.survophthal.2024.08.005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4413185675","name":"Mechanisms of water retention at carbohydrate–clay interfaces","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Clay minerals are well documented to facilitate the retention of water and organic matter in terrestrial soils, Martian regolith, and meteorites. Yet, the mechanisms underlying water trapping within these mineral–organic matter associations are poorly understood. Here, we investigate these mechanisms with montmorillonite, a smectite clay, populated with carbohydrates of different structures. By capturing relative proportion of bound versus freely exchangeable waters by mass spectrometry during thermogravimetric analysis, we observe up to a 2.3-fold increase in bound waters in samples with adsorbed carbohydrates. Temperature-dependent carbon loss from adsorbed 13C-labeled carbohydrate determines increase in carbohydrate trapping at low moisture. We determine that the amount of trapped organic carbon is correlated positively with the population of bound waters. Molecular dynamics simulations of a carbohydrate-populated clay nanopore identify different interfacial waters, involving direct single or multiple hydrogen bonds on the clay surface without or with simultaneous hydrogen bonding with adsorbed carbohydrates. Quantum mechanics-based computations highlight up to 5-fold greater binding energy for bound waters associated with adsorbed carbohydrates on the clay surface, compared to bound waters in the absence of carbohydrates. Thus, our experimental and theoretical results collectively reveal that interfacial waters bridging hydrated organic matter to the clay surface facilitate water trapping within mineral–organic associations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgaf259","authors":["Sabrina E. Kelch","Benjamin Barrios-Cerda","Yeonsoo Park","Eric Ferrage","Ludmilla Aristilde"],"tags":["Water retention","Geology","Carbohydrate","Chemistry","Soil science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgaf259","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"oa:W4403280041","name":"Nitrogen in the Orgueil meteorite: Abundant ammonium among other reservoirs of variable isotopic compositions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Nitrogen, because of its abundance and variety of carrier phases, is a unique tracer of physico-chemical processes occurring throughout star and planet formations. The refractory organic matter is commonly considered as the main carrier of nitrogen in the most primitive objects of our Solar System. However, nitrogen in the form of ammonium (NH 4 + ) was observed in the Ivuna-type carbonaceous (CI) chondrites Alais in 1834, and Orgueil just after its fall in 1864, as well as more recently on Ceres, comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, and possibly on some asteroids. In the present study, we have measured the nitrogen content and isotopic composition in various nitrogen-bearing phases of several samples of the Orgueil meteorite, with different degrees of terrestrial weathering. Water-soluble NH 4 + is present in Orgueil at a mean concentration of 0.07 ± 0.01 wt%, with a mean isotopic composition of δ 15 N = +72 ± 9 ‰ ( 14 N/ 15 N = 254 ± 2), confirming its extra-terrestrial origin. In the most terrestrially altered sample of Orgueil that we analysed, the isotopic composition is δ 15 N = +50 ± 12 ‰ ( 14 N/ 15 N = 259 ± 3). NH 4 + is in species that are thermally stable up to 383 K, possibly ammonium inorganic/organic salts and ammoniated phyllosilicates. We also show that the nitrogen in Orgueil is distributed among the insoluble organic matter (IOM) (35 ± 5 %), ammonium (27 ± 5 %), and other minor water-soluble species (e.g., nitrate, amines etc.: < 6 %). The remaining nitrogen (34 ± 14 %) is mainly in an unidentified organic matter (UOM), which may be IOM lost during its extraction and/or acid hydrolysable functional groups bounded to the IOM and/or organic nitrogen trapped within minerals. The three main carriers of nitrogen in Orgueil have δ 15 N (and 14 N/ 15 N) values of + 32 ± 1 ‰ (264 ± 0.3) for IOM, +39 ± 16 ‰ (262 ± 4) for UOM, and + 72 ± 9 ‰ (254 ± 2) for NH 4 + . Although IOM and NH 4 + have significantly different δ 15 N, we cannot exclude that these phases could be compositionally related because IOM is heterogeneous in 15 N. Ammonium could have been produced via heating and/or aqueous alteration processes of organic matter in the CI parent body. Alternatively, or additionnally, ammonium could be a tracer of the accretion and/or later deposit of NH 3 ice, NH 3 hydrates, and/or NH 4 + salts on the CI parent body. As shown by previous studies, Ryugu grains sampled by the Hayabusa2 mission (JAXA) have heterogeneous compositions at the millimeter scale, with nitrogen concentrations and δ 15 N similar or lower than Orgueil, possibly because of different parent body processing. The present study suggests that the lack or loss of 15 N-rich NH 4 + in some Ryugu grains may explain some of these differences with Orgueil.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2024.10.001","authors":["Lucie Laize-Générat","Lison Soussaintjean","Olivier Poch","L. Bonal","Joël Savarino","Nicolas Caillon","Patrick Ginot","Anthony T. Vella","Alexis Lamothe","Rhabira Elazzouzi","L. Flandinet","Lionel G. Vacher","M. Gounelle","Martin Bizzaro","Pierre Beck","É. Quirico","B. Schmitt"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geochemistry","Ammonium","Nitrogen","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2024.10.001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4393853147","name":"RNA-seq analysis in simulated microgravity unveils down-regulation of the beta-rhizobial siderophore phymabactin","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Exploiting the symbiotic interaction between crops and nitrogen-fixing bacteria is a simple and ecological method to promote plant growth in prospective extraterrestrial human outposts. In this study, we performed an RNA-seq analysis to investigate the adaptation of the legume symbiont Paraburkholderia phymatum STM815T to simulated microgravity (s0-g) at the transcriptome level. The results revealed a drastic effect on gene expression, with roughly 23% of P. phymatum genes being differentially regulated in s0-g. Among those, 951 genes were upregulated and 858 downregulated in the cells grown in s0-g compared to terrestrial gravity (1 g). Several genes involved in posttranslational modification, protein turnover or chaperones encoding were upregulated in s0-g, while those involved in translation, ribosomal structure and biosynthesis, motility or inorganic ions transport were downregulated. Specifically, the whole phm gene cluster, previously bioinformatically predicted to be involved in the production of a hypothetical malleobactin-like siderophore, phymabactin, was 20-fold downregulated in microgravity. By constructing a mutant strain (ΔphmJK) we confirmed that the phm gene cluster codes for the only siderophore secreted by P. phymatum as assessed by the complete lack of iron chelating activity of the P. phymatum ΔphmJK mutant on chrome azurol S (CAS) agar plates. These results not only provide a deeper understanding of the physiology of symbiotic organisms exposed to space-like conditions, but also increase our knowledge of iron acquisition mechanisms in rhizobia.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-024-00391-7","authors":["Daphné Golaz","Chad K. Papenfuhs","Paula Bellés-Sancho","Leo Eberl","Marcel Egli","Gabriella Pessi"],"tags":["Siderophore","Transcriptome","Biology","Gene","Mutant"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-024-00391-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4321372579","name":"Designing a Novel Monitoring Approach for the Effects of Space Travel on Astronauts’ Health","source":"openalex","abstract":"Space exploration and extraterrestrial civilization have fascinated humankind since the earliest days of human history. It was only in the last century that humankind finally began taking significant steps towards these goals by sending astronauts into space, landing on the moon, and building the International Space Station. However, space voyage is very challenging and dangerous, and astronauts are under constant space radiation and microgravity. It has been shown that astronauts are at a high risk of developing a broad range of diseases/disorders. Thus, it is critical to develop a rapid and effective assay to monitor astronauts' health in space. In this study, gene expression and correlation patterns were analyzed for 10 astronauts (8 male and 2 female) using the publicly available microarray dataset E-GEOD-74708. We identified 218 differentially expressed genes between In-flight and Pre-flight and noticed that space travel decreased genome regulation and gene correlations across the entire genome, as well as individual signaling pathways. Furthermore, we systematically developed a shortlist of 32 genes that could be used to monitor astronauts' health during space travel. Further studies, including microgravity experiments, are warranted to optimize and validate the proposed assay.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life13020576","authors":["Anurag Sakharkar","Jian Yang"],"tags":["Computer science","Space (punctuation)","Astrobiology","Remote sensing","Biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-02-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life13020576","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4392302592","name":"On Mars as it is on Earth: Bioinspired technologies for sustainability on Earth are paving the way for a new era of space exploration","source":"openalex","abstract":"This Perspective explores the synergy between bioinspired technologies for sustainability on Earth and their application in space exploration. We focus on the parallels between the paradigm shift toward sustainable development on our planet and establishing permanent human settlements on Mars and the Moon. Informed by Earth’s ecological and technological progress, which emphasizes the critical need for efficiency and integration with the planet’s metabolic processes, the discussion revolves around the challenges and opportunities in creating self-sustaining communities in space. Specifically, the focus is on the central role that bioinspired materials, particularly bioinspired chitinous materials, will play in developing sustainable manufacturing practices on Earth and in extraterrestrial environments. Considering the development of bioinspired chitinous manufacturing in the last decade, we argue that we are witnessing the birth of a new manufacturing paradigm embracing efficiency, resilience, and ecological cycles inspired by biological systems, which will be essential for sustainable living on Earth and advancing a new age of space exploration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0191443","authors":["Javier G. Fernandez","Shiwei Ng"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Sustainability","Astrobiology","Sustainable development","Space exploration"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0191443","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4311809895","name":"Gamma-Ray-Induced Amino Acid Formation in Aqueous Small Bodies in the Early Solar System","source":"openalex","abstract":"High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Carbonaceous chondrites contain life’s essential building blocks, including amino acids, and their delivery of organic compounds would have played a key role in life’s emergence on Earth. Aqueous alteration of carbonaceous chondrites is a widespread process induced by the heat produced by radioactive decay of nuclides like 26 Al. Simple ubiquitous molecules like formaldehyde and ammonia could produce various organic compounds, including amino acids and complex organic macromolecules. However, the effects of radiation on such organic chemistry are unknown. Hence, the effects of gamma rays from radioactive decays on the formation of amino acids in meteorite parent bodies are demonstrated here. We discovered that gamma-ray irradiation of aqueous formaldehyde and ammonia solutions afforded a variety of amino acids. The amino acid yields had a linear relationship with the total gamma-ray dose but were unaffected by the irradiation dose rates. Given the gamma-ray production rates in the meteorite parent bodies, we estimated that the production rates were reasonable compared to amino acid abundances in carbonaceous chondrites. Our findings indicate that gamma rays may contribute to amino acid formation in parent bodies during aqueous alteration. In this paper, we propose a new prebiotic amino acid formation pathway that contributes to life’s origin.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acscentsci.2c00588","authors":["Yoko Kebukawa","Shinya Asano","Atsushi Tani","Isao Yoda","Kensei Kobayashi"],"tags":["Aqueous solution","X-ray","Amino acid","Chemistry","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-12-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acscentsci.2c00588","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4408551782","name":"Dating deformation by the 40Ar/39Ar method: a review","source":"openalex","abstract":"Shear zones contribute to the building of orogens by localising displacements and element transfer between tectonic units, leading to both underthrusting and exhumation of large domains of the lithosphere. Constraining their activity over time is fundamental for understanding the tectonic processes and consequently producing realistic geological models. The 40Ar/39Ar dating method is an invaluable tool capable of extracting chronological information from a large variety of magmatic, metamorphic and metasomatic mineral chronometers. In particular, its ability to recognise and date sequential recrystallisation event(s) by using compositional fingerprinting and/or in situ analyses provides constraints on the timescales of a wide range of geological processes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3301/ijg.2025.06","authors":["Chiara Montemagni","Igor M. Villa"],"tags":["Geology","Deformation (meteorology)","Oceanography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3301/ijg.2025.06","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4400618296","name":"Assessing black soldier fly pupation and survival in lunar regolith simulant: Implications for sustainable controlled habitats on the Moon","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2024.07.025","authors":["Donato Romano","A. Di Giovanni","Cesare Stefanini"],"tags":["Regolith","Astrobiology","Environmental science","Habitat","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2024.07.025","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4396833230","name":"Formation of nanophase metallic iron through charge disproportionation of ferrous iron during micrometeoroid impact‐induced splash melting","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Charge disproportionation of ferrous iron has been considered as one of the mechanisms for the formation of metallic iron on the lunar surface. However, the detailed mechanism of the disproportionation reaction on the Moon is yet to be elucidated. We provide direct evidence for the ferrous disproportionation reaction that produces nano phase metallic iron (npFe0) during a rapid cooling process after splash melting from a lunar sample returned by China's Chang'e‐5 mission. Space weathering processes have resulted in the formation of three distinct zones at the rim of a pyroxene fragment, as observed through transmission electron microscopy. These zones, made up of splashed melts, newly formed melts from the substrate, and the mineral, are distinguished as I, II, and III. Quantitative analyses of the iron valence state by electron energy loss spectroscopy show that disproportionation reactions occurred in zone II at a low temperature of <570°C during a rapid cooling process. The reaction led to the production of α‐structure npFe0 and Fe3+ reserve in the glass phase. The npFe0 produced by the disproportionation reaction has a larger grain size than those formed from solar wind irradiation, implying that micrometeoroid impacts mainly contribute to the darkening of visible and near‐infrared reflectance. These findings reveal a novel rim structure by repeated space weathering and a universal formation mechanism of npFe0 during micrometeoroid impacts, suggesting that the disproportionation reaction could be widespread on airless bodies with impact‐induced splash processes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14174","authors":["Haiyang Xian","Jianxi Zhu","Yiping Yang","Shan Li","Jiaxin Xi","Xiaoju Lin","Jieqi Xing","Xiao Wu","Hongmei Yang","Hongping He","Yi‐Gang Xu"],"tags":["Splash","Micrometeoroid","Ferrous","Metal","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14174","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"oa:W4388572528","name":"Interactions of magmas and highly reduced fluids during intraplate volcanism, Mt Carmel, Israel: Implications for mantle redox states and global carbon cycles","source":"openalex","abstract":"Oxygen fugacity (ƒO2) controls the speciation of COH fluids in Earth’s mantle; a major question is whether the sublithospheric mantle is metal-saturated, maintaining ƒO2 near the Iron-Wüstite (IW) buffer reaction. If so, then COH fluids from this source will be dominated by CH4+H2, rather than the more oxidized CO2-H2O fluids commonly considered in petrological studies. A key to this question is found in rare but widespread examples of natural mineral assemblages that require unusually low ƒO2. We summarize an investigation of super-reduced mineral assemblages in corundum xenocrysts from Late Cretaceous alkali-basalt volcanoes on Mt Carmel, northern Israel and related Plio-Pleistocene alluvial deposits. P-T estimates indicate that the corundum xenocrysts crystallized in the uppermost mantle. The well-documented geological controls on the origin of these deposits, and radiometric dating of the super-reduced phases, ensure the “naturalness” of the controversial assemblages and make these mineral parageneses a benchmark for evaluation of related occurrences worldwide. The tuffs contain a “basalt-megacryst” mineral suite (zircon, sapphire, ilmenite, spinel). The megacryst chemistry and the geochronology of the zircons indicate that the megacrysts crystallized from broadly syenitic melts that differentiated at subcrustal levels (P ca 1 GPa) within a thick gabbroic underplate built up from Permian through Pliocene time and perhaps into the Pleistocene. Reaction of mantle-derived CH4-H2 fluids with these syenitic melts led to the separation of immiscible Fe0 and Fe-Ti oxide melts near fO2=IW. Trace-element distributions suggest the syenitic melts then separated into immiscible Si-Al-Na-K-rich and FeO-rich oxide melts; the latter were enriched in HFSE, REE, P and Zr as in other natural and synthetic examples of melt-melt immiscibility. In a model magma chamber the FeO-rich melts would sink, leaving the Si-Al-Na-K melts in an upper zone, both still fluxed by CH4-H2 fluids. At fO2 of ΔIW-6 to -7 the removal of immiscible Fe-Ti-Si-C silicide melts from the FeO-rich melt would leave a desilicated Ca-Al-Si oxide melt that crystallized high-Ti corundum + hibonite cumulates with inclusions requiring fO2 from ΔIW+2 to ΔIW-9, while the less-reduced conjugate silicate melts in the upper levels crystallized low-Ti corundum. Aggregates of skeletal, strongly Ti-zoned corundum crystals. reflect rapid crystallization from very reduced melt-fluid mixtures, probably in fluid-escape channels. Explosive eruptions sampled individual magma chambers at different depths and with different initial compositions, fluid mixtures and fluid dynamics to produce Mt Carmel’s mineralogical diversity. A review of similar occurrences worldwide suggests that the Mt Carmel assemblages reflect a fundamental process – the rise of CH4-H2 fluids into the upper mantle -- that accompanies mantle-derived magmatism in many tectonic settings. The interaction of these fluids with lithospheric mantle rocks and melts can lead to extreme fractionation via the separation of immiscible Fe-Ti-Si-C melts and residual desilicated melts. The oxidation of CH4-H2 fluids in the lithospheric mantle may be the ultimate source of metasomatic fluids dominated by CO2+H2O, and of many diamonds. More attention should be paid to the role of methane and other reduced fluids in mantle petrology, and their relevance to metasomatic processes and global carbon cycles.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2023.10.013","authors":["William L. Griffin","Luca Bindi","Fernando Cámara","Chi Ma","Sarah Gain","Martin Saunders","Olivier Alard","Jin-Xiang Huang","Jeremy Shaw","Caleb H. Meredith","Vered Toledo","Suzanne Y. O’Reilly"],"tags":["Geology","Geochemistry","Mantle (geology)","Basalt","Zircon"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2023.10.013","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4399303390","name":"Archean Cratons: Time Capsules of the Early Earth","source":"openalex","abstract":"Studies of Archean cratons, and the rocks and minerals they contain, help us understand the processes that occurred on the early Earth, our place in the Solar System, and how the planet we live on today came to be. The articles in this issue examine different aspects of early Earth evolution from multiple perspectives relying on both theory and observation. We hope they will encourage you to investigate further this most fascinating time in Earth history. Here we introduce the basic characteristics of cratons, the challenges of inferring Earth evolution from the sparse Archean rock record, the concept of cratonic clans, the development of supercratons, and, by the end of the Archean, continents, supercontinents, and plate tectonics.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.20.3.162","authors":["Carol D. Frost","Paul A. Mueller"],"tags":["Archean","Craton","Early Earth","Geology","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.20.3.162","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W4396512150","name":"Physically Based Real‐Time Rendering of Atmospheres using Mie Theory","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Most real‐time rendering models for atmospheric effects have been designed and optimized for Earth's atmosphere. Some authors have proposed approaches for rendering other atmospheres, but these methods still use approximations that are only valid on Earth. For instance, the iconic blue glow of Martian sunsets can not be represented properly as the complex interference effects of light scattered at dust particles can not be captured by these approximations. In this paper, we present an approach for generalizing an existing model to make it capable of rendering extraterrestrial atmospheres. This is done by replacing the approximations with a physical model based on Mie Theory. We use the particle‐size distribution, the particle‐density distribution as well as the wavelength‐dependent refractive index of atmospheric particles as input. To demonstrate the feasibility of this idea, we extend the model by Bruneton et al. [BN08] and implement it into CosmoScout VR, an open‐source visualization of our Solar System. In a first step, we use Mie Theory to precompute the scattering behaviour of a particle mixture. Then, multi‐scattering is simulated, and finally the precomputation results are used for real‐time rendering. We demonstrate that this not only improves the visualization of the Martian atmosphere, but also creates more realistic results for our own atmosphere.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cgf.15010","authors":["Simon Schneegans","T. Meyran","I. Ginkel","Gabriel Zachmann","Andreas Gerndt"],"tags":["Rendering (computer graphics)","Mie scattering","Precomputation","Computer science","Real-time rendering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cgf.15010","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4388890953","name":"Methodologies for 176Lu–176Hf Analysis of Zircon Grains from the Moon and Beyond","source":"openalex","abstract":"High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Zircons are found in extraterrestrial rocks from the Moon, Mars, and some differentiated meteorite parent-bodies. These zircons are rare, often of small size, and have been affected by neutron capture induced by cosmic ray exposure. The application of the 176 Lu– 176 Hf decay system to zircons from planetary bodies such as the Moon can help establish the chronology of large-scale differentiation processes such as the crystallization of the lunar magma ocean. Here, we present methods to measure the isotopic composition of Hf of extraterrestrial zircons dated using ID-TIMS U–Pb after chemical abrasion. We introduce a 2-stage elution scheme to separate Hf from Zr while preserving the unused Zr fraction for future isotopic analysis. The effect of neutron capture is also re-examined using the latest thermal neutron capture cross sections and epithermal resonance integrals. Our tests show that the precision of Hf isotopic analyses is close to what is theoretically attainable. We have tested this method to a limited set of zircon grains from lunar rocks returned by the Apollo missions (lunar soil 14163, fragmental polymict breccia 72275, and clast-rich breccia 14321). The model ages align with previously reported values, but further work is needed to assess the chronology of lunar magma ocean crystallization as only a handful of small zircons (5 zircons from 3 samples) were analyzed, and the precision of the analyses can be improved by measuring more and larger lunar zircon grains.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.3c00093","authors":["Xi Chen","Nicolas Dauphas","Zhe J. Zhang","Blair Schoene","Mélanie Barboni","I. Leya","Junjun Zhang","Dawid Szymanowski","K. D. McKeegan"],"tags":["Zircon","Astrobiology","Radiochemistry","Physics","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.3c00093","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4200098064","name":"Final Report of the Mars Sample Return Science Planning Group 2 (MSPG2)","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Mars Sample Return (MSR) Campaign must meet a series of scientific and technical achievements to be successful. While the respective engineering responsibilities to retrieve the samples have been formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding between ESA and NASA, the roles and responsibilities of the scientific elements have yet to be fully defined. In April 2020, ESA and NASA jointly chartered the MSR Science Planning Group 2 (MSPG2) to build upon previous planning efforts in defining 1) an end-to-end MSR Science Program and 2) needed functionalities and design requirements for an MSR Sample Receiving Facility (SRF). The challenges for the first samples brought from another planet include not only maintaining and providing samples in pristine condition for study, but also maintaining biological containment until the samples meet sample safety criteria for distribution outside of biocontainment. The MSPG2 produced six reports outlining 66 findings. Abbreviated versions of the five additional high-level MSPG2 summary findings are: Summary-1. A long-term NASA/ESA MSR Science Program, along with the necessary funding and human resources, will be required to accomplish the end-to-end scientific objectives of MSR. Summary-2. MSR curation would need to be done concurrently with Biosafety Level-4 containment. This would lead to complex first-of-a-kind curation implementations and require further technology development. Summary-3. Most aspects of MSR sample science could, and should, be performed on samples deemed safe in laboratories outside of the SRF. However, other aspects of MSR sample science are both time-sensitive and sterilization-sensitive and would need to be carried out in the SRF. Summary-4. To meet the unique science, curation, and planetary protection needs of MSR, substantial analytical and sample management capabilities would be required in an SRF. Summary-5. Because of the long lead-time for SRF design, construction, and certification, it is important that preparations begin immediately, even if there is delay in the return of samples.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2021.0121","authors":["Michael A. Meÿer","Gerhard Kminek","David Beaty","Brandi L. Carrier","T. Haltigin","L. E. Hays","Carl B. Agree","H. Busemann","Barbara Cavalazzi","Charles S. Cockell","Vinciane Debaille","D. P. Glavin"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Group (periodic table)","Sample (material)","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-12-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2021.0121","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W4392371705","name":"Atom Probe Tomography Reveals Nano-Scale Organic Remaining In Conodont","source":"openalex","abstract":"Distinguishing biomineralized minerals from inorganic minerals has been a longstanding challenge. The organic matter within biomineralized minerals constitutes compelling evidence that sets them apart from inorganic minerals. However, for small samples that have undergone degradation and diagenetic alteration, routine analytical technologies have difficulties in identifying internal residual organic signals. Atom Probe Tomography, as the highest-spatial-resolution microanalytical technique, facilitates the study of elements spatial distribution and nano-scale structures, holding significant potential for applications in biogeochemistry. In this study, Atom Probe Tomography has been applied to fossil samples for the first time, comparing inorganic Durango apatite with fossil conodont. This research discovered residual organic components within conodont, manifesting in the form of nano-scale particles coupled with high carbon and nitrogen concentrations. This signal is promising for differentiating between biominerals and inorganic minerals, which is greatly potential for identifying nano-scale biosignatures in ancient samples.","url":"https://doi.org/10.46770/as.2024.026","authors":["Fan Gao","Jing Xue","Rong Hu","Xianhua Li","Rong Hu","Qiuli Li"],"tags":["Conodont","Chemistry","Atom probe","Nanoscopic scale","Scale (ratio)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.46770/as.2024.026","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4401506363","name":"Origins of life: The Protein Folding Problem all over again?","source":"openalex","abstract":"How did specific useful protein sequences arise from simpler molecules at the origin of life? This seemingly needle-in-a-haystack problem has remarkably close resemblance to the old Protein Folding Problem, for which the solution is now known from statistical physics. Based on the logic that Origins must have come only after there was an operative evolution mechanism-which selects on phenotype, not genotype-we give a perspective that proteins and their folding processes are likely to have been the primary driver of the early stages of the origin of life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2315000121","authors":["Charles D. Kocher","Ken A. Dill"],"tags":["Haystack","Protein folding","Folding (DSP implementation)","Mechanism (biology)","Evolutionary biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2315000121","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W4395011234","name":"Characterization of refractory aerosol particles collected in the tropical upper troposphere–lower stratosphere (UTLS) within the Asian tropopause aerosol layer (ATAL)","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. Aerosol particles with diameters larger than 40 nm were collected during the flight campaign StratoClim 2017 within the Asian tropopause aerosol layer (ATAL) of the 2017 monsoon anticyclone above the Indian subcontinent. A multi-impactor system was installed on board the aircraft M-55 Geophysica, which was operated from Kathmandu, Nepal. The size and chemical composition of more than 5000 refractory particles/inclusions of 17 selected particle samples from seven different flights were analyzed by use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) combined with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) microanalysis. Based on chemical composition and morphology, the refractory particles were assigned to the following particle groups: extraterrestrial, silicates, Fe-rich, Al-rich, Hg-rich, other metals, C-rich, soot, Cl-rich, and Ca-rich. Most abundant particle groups within the refractory particles are silicates and C-rich (non-volatile organics). In samples taken above the tropopause, extraterrestrial particles are becoming increasingly important with rising altitude. The most frequent particle sources for the small (maximum in size distribution DP-max=120 nm) refractory particles carried into the ATAL are combustion processes at the ground (burning of fossil fuels/biomass burning) and the agitation of soil material. The refractory particles in the ATAL represent only a very small fraction (< 2 % by number for particles > 40 nm) of the total aerosol particles, which are dominated by species like ammonium, sulfate, nitrate, and volatile organics. During one flight, a large number of very small (DP-max=25 nm) cinnabar particles (HgS) were detected, which are supposed to originate from a ground source such as coal combustion or underground coal fires.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-4771-2024","authors":["Martin Ebert","Ralf Weigel","Stephan Weinbruch","Lisa Schneider","Konrad Kandler","Stefan Lauterbach","Franziska Köllner","Felix Plöger","G. Günther","Bärbel Vogel","Stephan Borrmann"],"tags":["Aerosol","Troposphere","Tropopause","Particle (ecology)","Asian Dust"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-4771-2024","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4403512493","name":"Contactless Manipulation and Raman Analysis of Cometary Analogs and Micrometeorites by Acoustic Levitation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Extraterrestrial material collected during space missions is highly exposed to contamination issues during on-Earth analysis. Although high-protection-level protocols were developed, to minimize the contamination due to sample manipulation and the substrate contribution an optimal strategy is to perform in situ analysis with contactless techniques. Optical and acoustic trapping represent ideal candidates for contactless manipulation and analysis of nanometer-to-millimeter-sized particles. Here, we show results of the manipulation of cometary analogs and micrometeorite samples using a single-axis acoustic levitator. The investigation of the particle dynamics in the trap allows the calculation of the trap spring constants that are found in the mN/m range. In addition, we collect the Raman spectra of two levitated fragments of Saratov meteorite, demonstrating that acoustic levitation can be effectively used for the contactless and low-contamination characterization of samples of interest in astrophysics.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad7259","authors":["Stefano Ferretti","Sonia Marrara","David Bronte Ciriza","Alessandro Magazzù","Antonino Foti","P. G. Gucciardi","A. Musolino","L. Folco","Vincenzo Della Corte","A. Rotundi","Rosalba Saija","A. Mandanici","Onofrio M. Maragò","M. G. Donato"],"tags":["Physics","Levitation","Raman spectroscopy","Astrobiology","Astronomy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad7259","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4412410574","name":"Discovery and structural characterization of zolenskyite, FeCr 2 S 4 , in the Muonionalusta meteorite: Advancing micron-scale mineralogy in planetary science","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Here we present the first single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of zolenskyite, a chromium-bearing sulfide mineral (FeCr 2 S 4 ) and newly identified polymorph of daubréelite, discovered in the Muonionalusta meteorite, a well-characterized IVA iron meteorite. Zolenskyite occurs as rare micron-scale grains associated closely with daubréelite and stishovite, within a troilite matrix. Chemical analysis confirms a pure, homogeneous FeCr 2 S 4 composition. The crystal structure was refined in the monoclinic C 2/ m space group, revealing a framework of face-sharing octahedra, consistent with a cation-deficient NiAs-type structure, distinct from the spinel-type structure of daubréelite. Zolenskyite forms under high-pressure (&gt;7 GPa) and high-temperature (&gt;1000 K) conditions, probably through solid-state transformation from daubréelite during shock events. The serendipitous recognition of zolenskyite emphasizes the value of careful micron-scale mineralogical investigations in revealing transient or metastable phases that record otherwise inaccessible physicochemical conditions. These findings contribute to understanding the thermal and shock history of meteorite parent bodies and the stability of Fe–Cr sulfides in extraterrestrial environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/mgm.2025.10119","authors":["Luca Bindi","Dan Holtstam"],"tags":["Meteorite","Characterization (materials science)","Geology","Scale (ratio)","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1180/mgm.2025.10119","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4413882489","name":"High-pressure and temperature investigation of silicic acid ± water with implications for the ice polymorphism, lunar moganite and diamonds growth media","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The polymorphism of ice has been widely investigated over the last decades, and the results were found to be applicable over a wide range of terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments with recent findings also among the mineral inclusions entrapped in natural diamonds. In this study, we investigated the behavior of solid [SiOx(OH)4-2x]n silicic acid under anhydrous and hydrous conditions at high pressure and temperature using the diamond anvil cell technique combined with both Raman and Fourier transform mid-infrared spectroscopy. Firstly, we report the stability of silicic acid in the form of silica gel under anhydrous conditions up to about 7 GPa and 200 °C. In the presence of water employed as pressure medium, we observe the formation of ice VI and ice VII at lower pressures than previously reported in pure water systems. Each phase transition is documented by the optical images over compression/decompression and heating/cooling runs. Importantly, we report the decomposition of silicic acid to moganite and metastable quartz in the presence of ice polymorphs up to near 10 GPa and 200 °C and also recovered at ambient conditions along with H2Oliq. Main implications from this study span from planetary sciences to Earth’s deep mineralogy. For instance, the interior of ice giants might need to be revisited considering our enhanced stability of ice VII at lower pressures in the presence of tiny amount of free silica while the formation of moganite + quartz resembles the assemblage found in a lunar meteorite and provides a pressure–temperature range applicable to constrain impact conditions. Furthermore, the stability of silicic acid at high pressure(–temperature) can be taken as preliminary evidence that the formation of orthosilicic acid, such as that found around minerals entrapped in diamonds, might result from the dissolution of minerals (or melts) into acidic aqueous fluids.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40645-025-00756-w","authors":["Giulia Marras","Y. Lu","Veronica Stopponi","Renbiao Tao","Yajuan Lin","Vincenzo Stagno"],"tags":["Silicic acid","Silicic","Diamond anvil cell","Quartz","Anhydrous"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40645-025-00756-w","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4389470658","name":"Simultaneous retrieval of aerosol and ocean properties from PACE HARP2 with uncertainty assessment using cascading neural network radiative transfer models","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) Hyper-Angular Rainbow Polarimeter (HARP2) will be on board NASA's Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission, scheduled for launch in January 2024. In this study we systematically evaluate the retrievability and uncertainty of aerosol and ocean parameters from HARP2 multi-angle polarimeter (MAP) measurements. To reduce the computational demand of MAP-based retrievals and maximize data processing throughput, we developed improved neural network (NN) forward models for spaceborne HARP2 measurements over a coupled atmosphere and ocean system within the FastMAPOL retrieval algorithm. To this end, a cascading retrieval scheme is implemented in FastMAPOL, which leverages a series of NN models of varying size, speed, and accuracy to optimize performance. Two sets of NN models are used for reflectance and polarization, respectively. A full day of global synthetic HARP2 data was generated and used to test various retrieval parameters including aerosol microphysical and optical properties, aerosol layer height, ocean surface wind speed, and ocean chlorophyll a concentration. To assess retrieval quality, pixel-wise retrieval uncertainties were derived from error propagation and evaluated against the difference between the retrieval parameters and truth based on a Monte Carlo method. We found that the fine-mode aerosol properties can be retrieved well from the HARP2 data, though the coarse-mode aerosol properties are more uncertain. Larger uncertainties are associated with a reduced number of available viewing angles, which typically occur near the scan edge of the HARP2 instrument. Results of the performance assessment demonstrate that the algorithm is a viable approach for operational application to HARP2 data after the PACE launch.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-5863-2023","authors":["Meng Gao","Bryan A. Franz","Peng‐Wang Zhai","Kirk Knobelspiesse","A. M. Sayer","Xiaoguang Xu","J. Vanderlei Martins","Brian Cairns","Patricia Castellanos","Guangliang Fu","Neranga Hannadige","Otto Hasekamp","Yongxiang Hu","Amir Ibrahim","Frederick S. Patt","Anin Puthukkudy","P. Jeremy Werdell"],"tags":["Aerosol","Remote sensing","Environmental science","Atmospheric radiative transfer codes","Radiative transfer"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-5863-2023","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4395670316","name":"Fine and super‐fine gold in mine waste from a coastal placer in southern New Zealand","source":"openalex","abstract":"ABSTRACT Reprocessing of mine wastes is a growing procedure around the world, in order to extract more resources from already‐mined rocks. Mineralogical and geometallurgical investigations are useful for planned reprocessing, and in this study at Round Hill placer gold mine we characterise fine (<100 µm) and super‐fine (micron‐scale) particulate gold that has passed through the mine separation stages without being extracted. The gold was discharged with water and suspended sediments to settling ponds, separate from the more voluminous gravel and sand tailings. Authigenic clay and pyrite are abundant in the placer deposit and the settled suspension, and oxidised pyrite yielded gypsum and ferric oxyhydroxide. These minerals coat surfaces of gold particles and are locally intergrown with micron‐scale authigenic gold. Most of the gold has toroidal shapes characteristic of beach derivation, and many of these are hollow or clay‐filled. Minor super‐fine cinnabar and mercury‐bearing gold occur with clay. Annealing of gold has liberated silver, and micron‐scale authigenic native silver occurs in the settled sediment. Reconcentration of fine and super‐fine gold used abundant clean water and slow reprocessing and may be currently uneconomic at this site. The observations on suspended gold loss are relevant to gold recovery at placer mines around the world.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00288306.2024.2331475","authors":["Marshall C. Palmer","Dave Craw"],"tags":["Placer mining","Geology","Placer deposit","Mining engineering","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00288306.2024.2331475","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W2998651000","name":"Commercialization of Space Activities: Correlation of Private and Public Interest in the Pursuit of Outer Space Exploration","source":"openalex","abstract":"The article reveals the issues of space exploration by private entities who have intensified their efforts in space activities. The US and Luxembourg legal regulations, which both govern the private sector involvement in State space activities and allow citizens to freely engage in the development of planets and asteroids, to own and dispose of resources, including water and minerals, are under analysis. Therefore, due to the occurrence of legal collisions, the International Law Association and the Space Law Committee, established on its basis, should influence regulating space issues. These institutions are known for their open policies and extensive external relations. Their key mission is to study, clarify and develop international public and private law and prepare comparative law research. The author concludes that being an important human resource, space objects and natural resources should belong to all humanity, not to individual States or private enterprises. The adoption of the US and Luxembourg legislation on legalizing, extracting, using and appropriating space resources by private enterprises seems to be in full compliance with international obligations, however, in fact they violate the principles governing the activities of States in the exploration and use of outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, which are not subject to national appropriation, neither by proclaiming sovereignty, nor by uses or occupation, nor by any other means.","url":"https://doi.org/10.29202/asl/2019/4/8","authors":["Oleksandr Svetlichnyj","Діана Левченко"],"tags":["Commercialization","Outer space","Space (punctuation)","Space Age","Correlation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.29202/asl/2019/4/8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4390952152","name":"Molecular distribution and 13C isotope composition of volatile organic compounds in the Murchison and Sutter's Mill carbonaceous chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are carbon‐containing chemicals that may evaporate rapidly at room temperature and standard pressure. Such organic compounds can be preserved inside carbonaceous chondrite matrices. However, unlike meteoritic soluble organic matter (SOM) and insoluble organic matter (IOM), VOCs are typically lost (at least in part) during sample processing (meteorite crushing) and exposure to terrestrial atmosphere and/or solvents. Like SOM and IOM, VOCs can provide valuable insights into the chemical inventory of the meteorite parent body and even the presolar cloud from which our solar system formed, as well as the composition and processes that occurred during the early formation of our solar system and the asteroidal stage. Thus, in this work, we designed and built an instrument that allowed us to access the VOCs present in samples of the carbonaceous chondrites Murchison and Sutter's Mill after mineral disaggregation by means of freeze–thaw cycling. We simultaneously evaluated the abundances and compound‐specific 13C‐distributions of the volatiles evolving after meteorite powdering at ~20, 60, and 100°C. Carbon monoxide (CO) and methane (CH4) were released from these meteorites as the most abundant VOCs. They were combusted together for analysis and showed positive δ13C values, indicative of their extraterrestrial origins. Carbon dioxide (CO2) was also an abundant VOC in both meteorites, and its isotopic values suggest that it was mainly formed from dissolved carbonates in the samples. We also detected aldehydes, ketones, and aromatic compounds in low amounts. Contrary to Murchison, which mostly yielded VOCs with positive δ13C values, Sutter's Mill yielded VOCs with negative δ13C values. The less enriched 13C isotope composition of the VOCs detected in Sutter's Mill suggest that they are either terrestrial contaminants, such as VOCs in compressed gas dusters and common laboratory solvents, or compounds disconnected from interstellar sources and/or formed through parent body processing. Understanding the relative abundances and determining the molecular distributions and isotopic compositions of free meteoritic VOCs are key in assessing their extraterrestrial origins and those of chondritic SOM and IOM. Our newly developed technique will be valuable in the study of the samples brought to the Earth from carbonaceous asteroid Bennu by NASA's OSIRIS‐REx mission.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14118","authors":["José C. Aponte","Frédéric Séguin","Ariel Siguelnitzky","Jason P. Dworkin","Jamie E. Elsila","D. P. Glavin","H. C. Connolly","D. S. Lauretta"],"tags":["Murchison meteorite","Meteorite","Chondrite","Carbonaceous chondrite","Allende meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14118","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411401135","name":"From earth to space: how bacterial consortia and green compost improve lettuce growth on lunar and martian simulants","source":"openalex","abstract":"The possibility of establishing human colonies on the Moon or Mars depends on the ability to regenerate environmental resources and produce food on-site. In this context, plant-based systems, such as Bioregenerative Life Support Systems, offer a promising solution for regenerating environmental resources, primarily air and water, and producing fresh food, partly recycling crew’s organic waste. This study investigates the role of selected consortium of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) Azotobacter chroococcum 76A, Priestia megaterium EL5, Methylobacterium populi VP2, and Kosakonia pseudosacchari TL13 in enhancing plant growth on Martian and Lunar regolith simulants, focusing on the effect on nutrient bioavailability in a system with zero external input aside from green compost derived from plant residues (pH 8.25 and a low C/N ratio), using lettuce as a model plant. The compost amendment improved lettuce biomass, particularly on the Lunar simulant (moving from 0.1 to 1.3 g plant−1), and nutrient bioavailability in all the amended substrates (+ 23% on average). PGPB treatment enhanced leaf biomass by 35% and its mineral nutritional content (+ 26% on average), indicating that the microbial consortium could exert positive impact on plants grown in nutrient-limited substrates. Detailed analysis of the effect of microbial inoculation revealed an increase in functional genes linked with nitrogen fixation and phosphorus solubilization in non-amended inoculated substrates. High throughput sequencing revealed an increment of bacterial diversity in amended substrates, and a significant shift in microbial communities due to inoculation in non-amended substrates. Moreover, the positive correlation between nutrient bioavailability in the rhizosphere and the presence of PGPB in Martian simulant substrates suggests that PGPB inoculation can enhance nutrient uptake efficiency under Martian soil conditions. Our study indicates that the application of microbial consortium along with green compost is a promising strategy to improve regolith simulants fertility and thus, plant development, passing nutrient-deficient conditions and offering applications for future long-term space missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-025-01923-3","authors":["Luigi Giuseppe Duri","Ida Romano","Paola Adamo","Youssef Rouphael","Antonio Pannico","Valeria Ventorino","Olimpia Pepe","Stefania De Pascale","Antonio Giandonato Caporale"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Martian","Earth (classical element)","Compost","Martian soil"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-025-01923-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4394816293","name":"Brecciation at the grain scale within the lithologies of the Winchcombe Mighei‐like carbonaceous chondrite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Mighei‐like carbonaceous (CM) chondrites have been altered to various extents by water–rock reactions on their parent asteroid(s). This aqueous processing has destroyed much of the primary mineralogy of these meteorites, and the degree of alteration is highly heterogeneous at both the macroscale and nanoscale. Many CM meteorites are also heavily brecciated juxtaposing clasts with different alteration histories. Here we present results from the fine‐grained team consortium study of the Winchcombe meteorite, a recent CM chondrite fall that is a breccia and contains eight discrete lithologies that span a range of petrologic subtypes (CM2.0–2.6) that are suspended in a cataclastic matrix. Coordinated multitechnique, multiscale analyses of this breccia reveal substantial heterogeneity in the extent of alteration, even in highly aqueously processed lithologies. Some lithologies exhibit the full range and can comprise nearly unaltered coarse‐grained primary components that are found directly alongside other coarse‐grained components that have experienced complete pseudomorphic replacement by secondary minerals. The preservation of the complete alteration sequence and pseudomorph textures showing tochilinite–cronstedtite intergrowths are replacing carbonates suggest that CMs may be initially more carbonate rich than previously thought. This heterogeneity in aqueous alteration extent is likely due to a combination of microscale variability in permeability and water/rock ratio generating local microenvironments as has been established previously. Nevertheless, some of the disequilibrium mineral assemblages observed, such as hydrous minerals juxtaposed with surviving phases that are typically more fluid susceptible, can only be reconciled by multiple generations of alteration, disruption, and reaccretion of the CM parent body at the grain scale.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14164","authors":["Luke Daly","Martin D. Suttle","Martin Lee","John Bridges","L. J. Hicks","Pierre‐Etienne Martin","Cameron J. Floyd","Laura E. Jenkins","T. Salge","A. J. King","N. V. Almeida","D. Johnson","Patrick Trimby","Haithem Mansour","Fabian B. Wadsworth","Gavyn Rollinson","M. J. Genge","James Darling","Paul A.J. Bagot","L. F. White","N. R. Stephen","Jennifer T. Mitchell","Sammy Griffin","Francesca M. Willcocks","R. H. Jones","Sandra Piazolo","Joshua F. Einsle","Alice Macente","L. J. Hallis","Áine O’Brien","P. F. Schofield","S. S. Russell","H. C. Bates","C. L. Smith","I. A. Franchi","L. V. Forman","P. A. Bland","David Westmoreland","Iain A. Anderson","Richard Taylor","Mark Montgomery","Mark Parsons","Jérémie Vasseur","Matthias Van Ginneken","Penelope J. Wozniakiewicz","M. J. Burchell","Daniel Hallatt","Luke S. Alesbrook","Vassilia Spathis","Richard H. Worden","Julia Behnsen","Kate Black","the UK Fireball Alliance"],"tags":["Meteorite","Breccia","Chondrite","Geology","Lithology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14164","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391295463","name":"The Mystery of Homochirality on Earth","source":"openalex","abstract":"Homochirality is an obvious feature of life on Earth. On the other hand, extraterrestrial samples contain largely racemic compounds. The same is true for any common organic synthesis. Therefore, it has been a perplexing puzzle for decades how these racemates could have formed enantiomerically enriched fractions as a basis for the origin of homochiral life forms. Numerous hypotheses have been put forward as to how preferentially homochiral molecules could have formed and accumulated on Earth. In this article, it is shown that homochirality of the abiotic organic pool at the time of formation of the first self-replicating molecules is not necessary and not even probable. It is proposed to abandon the notion of a molecular ensemble and to focus on the level of individual molecules. Although the formation of the first self-replicating, most likely homochiral molecule is a seemingly improbable event, on a closer look, it is almost inevitable that homochiral molecules have formed simply on a statistical basis. In this case, the non-selective leap to homochirality would be one of the first steps in chemical evolution directly out of a racemic “ocean”. Moreover, most studies focus on the chirality of the primordial monomers with respect to an asymmetric carbon atom. However, any polymer with a minimal size that allows folding to a secondary structure, would spontaneously lead to asymmetric higher structures (conformations). Most of the functions of these polymers would be influenced by this inherently asymmetric folding. To summarize, simple and universal mechanisms may have led to homochiral self-replicating systems in the context of chemical evolution. A homochiral monomer pool is deemed unnecessary and probably never existed on primordial Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202401.1939.v1","authors":["Michael G. Weller"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Homochirality","Earth (classical element)","Geology","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202401.1939.v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4390885564","name":"Detection of apatite in ferroan anorthosite indicative of a volatile-rich early lunar crust","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Determination of the systematics of volatile elements (for example, H, Cl, S) of the early Moon is one of the main objectives of lunar science. This has been hindered by the lack of the main volatile-bearing mineral, apatite, in ferroan anorthosites (FANs), which are thought to represent the primary products of the lunar magma ocean and the earliest lunar crust. Due to the absence of apatite, plagioclase and bulk samples of the FAN suite have been previously utilized for the studies of volatiles in samples representing the earliest-formed lunar crust. Here we provide evidence of apatite in a FAN clast in the lunar meteorite Arabian Peninsula 007. We report that Arabian Peninsula 007 has an ancient age, comparable to those of Apollo FAN samples, with lighter hydrogen (δD = −45‰) and heavier chlorine (δ37Cl = +44‰) isotopic compositions than FAN bulk and plagioclase data. These results suggest that the early lunar crust was significantly more volatile rich than previously thought.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-023-02185-5","authors":["Tara S. Hayden","Thomas J. Barrett","M. Anand","Martin J. Whitehouse","Heejin Jeon","X. Zhao","I. A. Franchi"],"tags":["Anorthosite","Geology","Crust","Plagioclase","Geology of the Moon"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-023-02185-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406467733","name":"地外有机物种类与分布及其天体生物学启示","source":"openalex","abstract":"In this review it focuses on the detection history and research progress of extraterrestrial organic matter, exploring the species, structures, chemical compositions, and isotopic compositions of organic matter in the interstellar medium, extraterrestrial bodies, and extraterrestrial samples.The goal is to comprehend the origins of extraterrestrial organic matter, to address the related scientific issues and to explore its implications for astrobiology.The widespread distribution of organic molecules in the interstellar medium suggests that organic matter is not exclusive to Earth or the Solar System, but rather is present throughout the universe.Carbonaceous chondrites contain a variety of organic substances, including alcohols, amino acids, and carboxylic acids.The progress in space exploration has led to remarkable findings, including the detection of methane fluctuations in the Martian 基金项目： 中国科学院战略性先导科技专项(No.XDB41000000).","url":"https://doi.org/10.3799/dqkx.2024.067","authors":["Mengfan Qiu","Haozhong Xue","Sen Hu"],"tags":["Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3799/dqkx.2024.067","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W3036514124","name":"Geologic context and potential EVA targets at the lunar south pole","source":"openalex","abstract":"The lunar south pole is being targeted for exploration, in part, because it contains topographical high points with >50% illumination needed for solar power. Additionally, the south pole is being targeted because it contains permanently shadowed regions (PSRs), which may sequester resources in the form of volatile materials. Geologically, the pole lies on the rim of ~21 km diameter Shackleton crater, which is located on the topographic rim of the ~2,500 km diameter South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin, the largest and oldest basin on the Moon. To prepare for future missions, we conducted a photogeologic analysis of the walls, rim, and ejecta of Shackleton crater. Two types of underlying (target) terrains were identified. The impact penetrated and exposed (1) purest anorthosite (PAN) representative of primitive crust and (2) a layered terrain that is likely a series of impact ejecta deposits that stratigraphically cover the crystalline crust. Crew performing extravehicular activities (EVAs) near the south pole may be able to sample PAN; impact melt from Shackleton, SPA, and other pre-Nectarian and Nectarian-age impacts; and polar regolith, including material from small PSRs that may contain volatile components. The topography in the south polar region is dramatic, often producing slopes in excess of 15°, creating mobility challenges for astronauts during EVAs.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2020.05.035","authors":["Aleksandra Gawronska","Natasha Barrett","Sarah Boazman","Cosette Gilmour","Samuel Halim","Harish","K. McCanaan","A.V. Satyakumar","Jahnavi Shah","Heather Meyer","D. A. Kring"],"tags":["Context (archaeology)","Astrobiology","Geology","Astronomy","Geodesy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-06-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2020.05.035","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4365520208","name":"Origin and abundances of volatiles on Mars from the zinc isotopic composition of Martian meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2023.118126","authors":["Marine Paquet","Paolo A. Sossi","Frédéric Moynier"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Mars Exploration Program","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-04-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2023.118126","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4412987753","name":"Mineralogical Changes and H 2 Generation Yield During Hydrothermal Alteration of a Magnetite‐Siderite Assemblage","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract To date, the generation of natural hydrogen (H 2 ) from the alteration of Fe II ‐bearing minerals has mainly been studied through serpentinization in (ultra)mafic rocks. This study explores Banded Iron Formations (BIF), which are rich in Fe II minerals, as a potential source for H 2 . We conducted a hydrothermal experiment at 200°C with a combined magnetite‐siderite assemblage, two major components of BIF. The experiment, designed with a high water‐to‐rock ratio and a gas phase (W‐R = 300) enabled to assess mineral transformations during the alteration. Thermodynamic simulations were finally conducted, to explore H 2 ‐generating yields in more realistic geological scenarios (no gas phase, lower W‐R). Our experimental findings show that H 2 is produced through complete siderite dissolution and magnetite precipitation. Concomitantly, non‐stoichiometric primary magnetite (Fe II /Fe III < 0.5) did not enhance H 2 yield; instead, it acted as a sink for dissolved Fe 2+ , sequestrating about 10% of the iron from siderite without oxidation to recover a more ideal stoichiometry. This suggests that abundant, non‐stoichiometric magnetite in natural settings may reduce H 2 generation yields. Mass balance calculations indicate that 83% of the expected H 2 generated was unaccounted for, consistent with suspected CO 2 reduction and formation of dissolved organic compounds in the fluids. Thermodynamic simulations at varying W‐R ratios (from 300 to 1) reveal that H 2 yield ranges widely (39 mmol–73 μmol H 2 per kg of siderite), since lower W‐R prevent from siderite dissolution and enhance H 2 consumption via carbon reduction. These findings imply that low W‐R ratios in BIF ‐and other siderite‐bearing lithologies, may limit H 2 resources.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024jb030724","authors":["Ugo Geymond","Laurent Truche","O.J. Sissmann","Denisa Kubániová","Nadir Recham","I. Martinez"],"tags":["Siderite","Magnetite","Hydrothermal circulation","Assemblage (archaeology)","Banded iron formation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024jb030724","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4401030077","name":"One Iron for Two Iron Sites in a Metal–Organic Framework Toward Simultaneous N2−H2 Activation under Mild Conditions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Iron‐based catalysts play an important role in the ammonia industry. As one of the most abundant iron minerals, Fe3O4 containing FeII and FeIII sites is widely distributed in the earth's crust and even on exoplanets, theoretically giving it both economic and catalytic potentials in ammonia synthesis. However, in the absence of specific active co‐catalyst and harsh conditions, Fe3O4 is impossible to achieve ammonia synthesis alone. Here, we designed to activate the relatively inert FeII and FeIII sites in Fe3O4 with a third FeIII site inlayed in a coordination framework (MIL‐101(Fe)) to achieve the unpresented multi‐site collaborative catalysis. In‐depth mechanism study confirmed the roles of three different Fe sites in N2 activation, H2 activation, and product transfer, respectively. Efficient N2−H2 activation to NH3 on the Fe3O4‐based catalytic system has been achieved at extremely mild conditions. Our research provides a theoretical basis and a new strategy for designing efficient non‐noble metal‐based ammonia synthesis catalyst with minimized energy consumption.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202413227","authors":["Xize Liu","Xingyue He","Bo Li","Xiao Liu","Haiqiang Luo","Jian‐Gong Ma","Peng Cheng"],"tags":["Catalysis","Ammonia","Ammonia production","Chemistry","Metal"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202413227","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4409349989","name":"The salty tango of brine composition and UV photochemistry effects on Halobacterium salinarum cell envelope biosignature preservation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Hypersaline environments, including brines and brine inclusions of evaporite crystals, are currently of great interest due to their unique preservation properties for the search for terrestrial and potentially extraterrestrial biosignatures of ancient life. However, much is still unclear about the specific effects that dictate the preservation properties of brines. Here we present the first insights into the preservation of cell envelope fragments in brines, characterizing the relative contributions of brine composition, UV photochemistry, and cellular macromolecules on biosignature preservation. Cell envelopes from the model halophile Halobacterium salinarum were used to simulate dead microbial cellular remains in hypersaline environments based on life as we currently know it. Using different Early Earth and Mars analogue brines, we show that acidic and NaCl-dominated brine compositions are more predisposed to preserving complex biosignatures from UV degradation, but that the composition of the biological material also influences this preservation. Furthermore, a combinatory effect between chaotropicity and photochemistry occurs, with the relative importance of each being brine-specific. These results provide an experimental framework for biosignature detection in hypersaline environments, emphasizing the need for laboratory simulations to evaluate preservation properties of each potential brine environment, on Earth and elsewhere in the solar system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08007-w","authors":["Lucas Bourmancé","Arul Marie","Rémy Puppo","Sébastien Brûlé","Philippe Schaeffer","M Toupet","Ruben Nitsche","Andreas Elsaesser","Adrienne Kish"],"tags":["Brine","Astrobiology","Halophile","Martian","Exoplanet"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08007-w","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4400828872","name":"Impactor identification with spallogenic Cr isotopes: The Wabar impact craters (Saudi Arabia)","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Precise measurements of Cr isotopic composition of terrestrial impactites have successfully provided evidence for the presence of extraterrestrial material and have, in some cases, allowed the identification of the type of impactor responsible for the formation of the impact structure. The high Cr abundance in most meteorite groups aids in detecting extraterrestrial contamination while their distinct isotopic compositions can help with the identification of the nature of the projectile. However, this common approach of detection and identification of extraterrestrial contamination using mass‐independent 53Cr and 54Cr variations fails when the impactor type is an iron meteorite because of their low Cr abundances (which are in a similar range to terrestrial rocks). The present study demonstrates the viability of a spallogenic Cr contribution in iron meteorites (resulting from their long cosmic ray exposure times), which compensates for their low Cr abundances and facilitates the identification of iron‐meteoritic contamination in terrestrial impactites. Thus, it broadens the scope of impactors (and impactites) that can be investigated using mass‐independent Cr isotopes from solely chondrites and primitive achondrites to include iron meteorites. The Wabar impact craters are an optimal candidate for this study, characterized by low weathering, diverse impactites, partial meteorite survival, substantial impactor material contamination, and a felsic target lithology with low background Cr concentration. The Cr isotopic composition of the Wabar background sand, which represents the target lithology, is indistinguishable from the terrestrial Cr isotopic composition range, whereas the Wabar iron meteorites show coupled spallogenic excesses in ε53Cr and ε54Cr. The Cr isotopic compositions of Wabar impactites show resolved deviations from the terrestrial Cr isotopic composition, thereby indicating the presence of Wabar meteoritic contamination. Moreover, the study demonstrates that even an impactor with a non‐carbonaceous chondritic origin, such as a IIIAB iron meteorite, can have a carbonaceous chondrite‐like signature in ε54Cr anomalies due to spallogenic Cr contamination. The study advocates for a comprehensive investigation combining platinum group elements and Cr (and/or Ni, Ru) isotopes to accurately characterize impactor types.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14242","authors":["Aryavart Anand","Klaus Mezger","Beda A. Hofmann"],"tags":["Meteorite","Achondrite","Geology","Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14242","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.757Z"},{"id":"oa:W4389922219","name":"Estimation of Electrical Conductivity of Molten Multicomponent Slag by Neural Network Computation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Information on the electrical conductivity of high-temperature molten oxides can be used as very useful information not only for conventional metallurgical processes on the Earth, but also for the development of extraterrestrial resources such as lunar soil. The models for estimating electrical conductivity of molten slag developed so far apply only to a limited number of slag systems. In this study, a neural network modeling was established to reliably estimate the electrical conductivity of multi-component slag containing TiO2. In neural network modeling, the electrical conductivity of multi-component slag was used as teaching data to conduct the learning process and Bayesian optimization was applied to determine the estimation precision. As a result, it was possible to construct a reliable neural network estimation model for electrical conductivity that was highly consistent with experimental values collected from the literature data, and the effect of oxide addition on electrical conductivity was investigated using the estimation model. This suggests that it is possible to build a reliable electrical conductivity estimation model by the neural network modeling of accumulated experimental data for multi-component slag, and it is expected that the model will be applied to the electrical conductivity estimation of unknown multi-component slag systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2355/isijinternational.isijint-2023-336","authors":["Sunglock Lim","Yuki Nobe","Masashi Nakamoto","Kiyoshi Fuji‐ta","Toshihiro Tanaka"],"tags":["Computation","Artificial neural network","Slag (welding)","Electrical resistivity and conductivity","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2355/isijinternational.isijint-2023-336","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402050782","name":"Multi-Objective Optimization of Building Design Parameters for Cost Reduction and CO2 Emission Control Using Four Different Algorithms","source":"openalex","abstract":"Thermal insulation applications on the exterior facades of buildings have been the subject of numerous studies from the past to the present. Some of these studies focus on the cost reduction effect of insulation, while others emphasize its ecological benefits. In this study, multi-objective optimization, the objectives of which are minimum cost and minimum CO2 emission, has been carried out with the NSGA-II method. In emission calculations, in addition to fuel-related emissions, the carbon footprint of all materials comprising the wall has also been included. The multi-objective optimization study examined four design variables: wall thickness, wall material (light concrete, reinforced concrete, and brick), insulation material (expanded polystyrene, extruded polystyrene, mineral wool, and polyurethane foam), and heating source (natural gas, electricity, fuel oil). Analyses have been carried out for four cities (Osmaniye, Bursa, Isparta, and Erzurum), which are located in different climatic regions, and considering solar radiation effects. An existing building has been taken as the base case scenario, and the study has determined the improvements in the total cost and the amount of CO2 released into the environment when the appropriate insulation material, insulation thickness, wall material, and heating source identified in the multi-objective optimization study have been used. At the cost-oriented optimum point in the study, the most suitable insulation material was found to be expanded polystyrene, the most suitable wall material was brick, and the most suitable heating source was natural gas. In the CO2-oriented optimum, in contrast to the cost-oriented approach, optimal results have been obtained when light concrete was selected as the wall material.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/app14177668","authors":["Ahmet Serhan Canbolat","Emre İsa Albak"],"tags":["Expanded polystyrene","Thermal insulation","Brick","Environmental science","Carbon footprint"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/app14177668","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406845435","name":"Editorial for the Special Issue “Recent Advances in Exploration Geophysics”","source":"openalex","abstract":"Exploration geophysics aims to determine rocks’ mechanical, magnetic, and electric properties to support geological explorations for ore, minerals, and other resources [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/app15031251","authors":["Jakub Ciążela"],"tags":["Engineering ethics","Geophysics","Geology","Engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/app15031251","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4399654850","name":"Metal ions turn on a stereoselective nonenzymatic reduction of keto acids by the coenzyme NADH","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chempr.2024.05.007","authors":["Robert J. Mayer","Joseph Moran"],"tags":["Stereoselectivity","Cofactor","Chemistry","Metal ions in aqueous solution","Metal"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chempr.2024.05.007","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W7154754796","name":"Selection of beneficial fungi for plants with the potential to metabolize lunar and Martian regolith","source":"openalex","abstract":"The establishment of sustainable agriculture on extraterrestrial bodies (the Moon, Mars, etc. ) depends on transforming regolith, an unconsolidated, microbiota-free, mineral substrate, into a functional soil-like material with numerous beneficial properties including as a growth substrate for plants. Lunar and Martian regolith present physicochemical challenges, including alkaline pH, high concentrations of toxic elements (e.g., aluminum, manganese, perchlorates), and limited bioavailability of essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. This review explores the potential of beneficial fungi to support regolith-based agriculture (RBA) through biomineralization, nutrient mobilization, and bioremediation. We present fungal species capable of solubilizing phosphates, chelating metals via siderophores, and metabolizing iron and aluminum oxides, thereby enhancing nutrient accessibility. While some highlighted genera, such as Trichoderma , Penicillium , and Aspergillus , include well-known pathogenic species, they also encompass strains with potential applications for promoting plant growth under abiotic stress. Extremophilic fungi like Cryomyces antarcticus are also noted for their resilience. Furthermore, we discuss the potential role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) from the phylum Glomeromycota in promoting plant growth under harsh conditions. On Earth, these fungi are known to enhance iron uptake, mitigate oxidative stress, and improve soil structure via glomalin-mediated aggregation, mechanisms that may be applicable to regolith systems. We also examine fungal strains isolated from the International Space Station which may possess pre-adapted traits suitable for these off-world environments. While knowledge gaps remain, particularly regarding biosafety, strain selection, and performance validation under simulated extraterrestrial conditions, including radiation exposure, we contend that fungi are essential biotechnological allies for ISRU ( In Situ Resource Utilization), contributing to sustainable agriculture in both extraterrestrial habitats and degraded ecosystems on Earth. We emphasize the need for interdisciplinary research integrating astrobiology, microbial ecology, and space agriculture in preparation for future crewed missions to the Moon and Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2026.1784533","authors":["Jéssica Carneiro Oliveira","Rafael Loureiro","Andrew Palmer","Camila Maistro Patreze"],"tags":["Regolith","Astrobiology","Abiotic component","Nutrient","Martian"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2026.1784533","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W2141676223","name":"Primordial Origins of Earth's Carbon","source":"openalex","abstract":"In this chapter we review the astrophysical origins of Earth's carbon, starting from the products of the Big Bang and culminating with the Earth's formation. We review the measured compositions of different primitive objects including comets, various classes of meteorites and interstellar dust particles. We discuss the composition of the Solar Nebula, especially with regards to the distribution of volatiles such as carbon. We discuss dynamical models of planetary formation from planetesimals and planetary embryos, and the timescale for volatile delivery to the growing Earth from different sources. Finally, we review Earth's carbon reservoirs. Throughout the chapter we highlight open questions related to planet formation, meteoritics, and geochemistry.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2013.75.6","authors":["B. Marty","C. M. O'd. Alexander","Sean N. Raymond"],"tags":["Humanities","Art history","Art","History"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2013.75.6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4392871130","name":"SolarET: A generalizable machine learning approach to estimate reference evapotranspiration from solar radiation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Irrigation is the most significant consumer of freshwater worldwide. Deciding on the right amount of irrigation is crucial for sustainable water management and food production. The Penman-Monteith (P-M) reference crop evapotranspiration (ETO) is the gold standard in irrigation management and scheduling; however, its calculation requires measurements from multiple sensors over an extended reference grass surface. The cost of land, sensors, maintenance, and water to keep the grass surface green impedes having a dense network of ETO stations. To solve this challenge, this research aims to develop an input-limited ETO estimation approach based on historical weather data and machine learning (ML) algorithms to relax the need for a reference grass surface. This approach, called \"SolarET,\" takes solar radiation (RS) data as its sole input. RS is the only meteorological driving factor of ETO that does not rely on the measuring surface. To test the generalizability of SolarET, we test its performance over unseen arbitrary locations across California. California is chosen as the case study since it is one of the world's most hydrologically altered and agriculturally productive regions. In total, 19,088,736 hourly data samples from 131 automated weather stations have been used in this study. The ML models have been trained over 114 stations and tested over 17 unseen stations, each representing a California climatic zone. Our findings point to the superiority of decision tree-based algorithms versus neural networks. SolarET works best in irrigation-oriented regions of California (e.g., Central Valley) and is less accurate in coastal and desert zones. Our results demonstrate the higher accuracy of SolarET using hourly (RMSE = 0.93 mm/day) and daily (RMSE = 0.97 mm/day) RS data in comparison to well-known empirical alternatives like Priestley-Taylor (PT) (RMSE = 1.35 mm/day) and Hargreaves-Samani (HS) (RMSE = 2.69 mm/day).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2024.108779","authors":["Arman Ahmadi","Mohammad Hossein Kazemi","André Daccache","Richard L. Snyder"],"tags":["Evapotranspiration","Environmental science","Radiation","Computer science","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2024.108779","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W2751447985","name":"Stepwise heating of lunar anorthosites 60025, 60215, 65315 possibly reveals an indigenous noble gas component on the Moon","source":"openalex","abstract":"Despite extensive effort during the last four decades, no clear signature of a lunar indigenous noble gas component has been found. In order to further investigate the possible occurrence of indigenous volatiles in the Moon, we have re-analyzed the noble gas and nitrogen isotopic compositions in three anorthosite samples. Lunar anorthosites 60025, 60215 and 65315 have the lowest exposure duration (∼2 Ma) among Apollo samples and consequently contain only limited cosmogenic (e.g. 124,126 Xe) and solar wind (SW) noble gases. Furthermore, anorthosites have negligible contributions of fissiogenic Xe isotopes because of their very low Pu and U contents. As observed in previous studies (Lightner and Marti, 1974; Leich and Niemeyer, 1975), lunar anorthosite Xe presents an isotopic composition very close to that of terrestrial atmospheric Xe, previously attributed to “anomalous adsorption” of terrestrial Xe after sample return. The presumed atmospheric Xe contamination can only be removed by heating the samples at medium to high temperatures under vacuum, and is therefore different from common adsorption. To test this hypothesis, we monitored the adsorption of Xe onto lunar anorthositic powder using infrared reflectance spectroscopy. A clear shift in the anorthosite IR absorbance peaks is detected when comparing the IR absorbance spectra of the lunar anorthositic powder before and after exposure to a neutral Xe-rich atmosphere. This observation accounts for the chemical bonding (chemisorption) of Xe onto anorthosite, which is stronger than the common physical bonding (physisorption) and could account for the anomalous adsorption of Xe onto lunar samples. Our high precision Xe isotope analyses show slight mass fractionation patterns across 128–136 Xe isotopes with systematic deficits in the heavy Xe isotopes (mostly 136 Xe and marginally 134 Xe) that have not previously been observed. This composition could be the result of mixing between an irreversibly adsorbed terrestrial contaminant that is mostly released at high temperature and an additional signature. Solar Wind (SW) Xe contents, estimated from SW-Ne and SW-Ar concentrations and SW-Ne/Ar/Xe elemental ratios, do not support SW as the additional contribution. Using a χ 2 test, the latter is best accounted for by cometary Xe as measured in the coma of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (Marty et al., 2017) or by the primordial U-Xe composition inferred to be the precursor of atmospheric Xe (Pepin, 1994; Avice et al., 2017). It could have been contributed to the lunar budget by volatile-rich bodies that participated to the building of the terrestrial atmosphere inventory (Marty et al., 2017).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2017.08.041","authors":["David V. Bekaert","Guillaume Avice","Bernard Marty","Bryana L. Henderson","Murthy S. Gudipati"],"tags":["Anorthosite","Noble gas","Volatiles","Astrobiology","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-09-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2017.08.041","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4399665586","name":"The nucleosynthetic fingerprint of the outermost protoplanetary disk and early Solar System dynamics","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Knowledge of the nucleosynthetic isotope composition of the outermost protoplanetary disk is critical to understand the formation and early dynamical evolution of the Solar System. We report the discovery of outer disk material preserved in a pristine meteorite based on its chemical composition, organic-rich petrology, and 15 N-rich, deuterium-rich, and 16 O-poor isotope signatures. We infer that this outer disk material originated in the comet-forming region. The nucleosynthetic Fe, Mg, Si, and Cr compositions of this material reveal that, contrary to current belief, the isotope signature of the comet-forming region is ubiquitous among outer Solar System bodies, possibly reflecting an important planetary building block in the outer Solar System. This nucleosynthetic component represents fresh material added to the outer disk by late accretion streamers connected to the ambient molecular cloud. Our results show that most Solar System carbonaceous asteroids accreted material from the comet-forming region, a signature lacking in the terrestrial planet region.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adp1613","authors":["Elishevah van Kooten","X. Zhao","I. A. Franchi","Po‐Yen Tung","Simon M. Fairclough","John C. Walmsley","Isaac Onyett","Martin Schiller","Martin Bizzarro"],"tags":["Protoplanetary disk","Solar System","Physics","Formation and evolution of the Solar System","Astrophysics"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adp1613","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"oa:W4401456611","name":"The evolution and history of Vinca alkaloids: From the Big Bang to the treatment of pediatric acute leukemia","source":"openalex","abstract":"An attractive flower from the island of Madagascar has in part saved the lives of thousands of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Random mutations and alterations to the genome led to the evolution of genes encoding enzymes, which would provide the periwinkle flower an arsenal of secondary metabolites to survive within the Madagascar ecosystem. Of the over 200 alkaloid compounds synthesized by the periwinkle, vincristine and vinblastine are the two most well-known being used for chemotherapy treatments, including for children with ALL. The complexities of the multi-step biosynthesis of vincristine and vinblastine, which has taken years to decode, highlight the importance of protecting the vast biodiversity on earth as other natural products that can save lives await to be discovered. This review addresses the discovery of vincristine and vinblastine, as well as the history of their existence, in nature.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/pbc.31247","authors":["Jeffrey W. Taub","Steven Buck","Ana C. Xavier","Holly Edwards","Larry H. Matherly","Yubin Ge"],"tags":["Vinca","Vinblastine","Vincristine","Medicine","Leukemia"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/pbc.31247","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4404020350","name":"A multiple biomolecules-based rapid life detection protocol embedded in a rover scientific subsystem for soil sample analysis","source":"openalex","abstract":"The study of whether life exists, is extinct, or not depends on various sophisticated experimental studies, as many different signatures of life can be used. The experimental procedures that can be performed to identify life can be further restricted by time, resources, and mobility constraints. Therefore, any research analyzing the presence of extraterrestrial life must be precise and unambiguous. This research focuses on the objective of the extraterrestrial life detection domain and seeks to provide an efficient protocol that can produce life detection decisions based on empirical data obtained through chemical analysis under time and resource-constrained conditions. While the majority of existing frameworks in this field are designed to identify biomolecules, our goal is to accomplish the same with minimal operational expense and mission complexity. We argue that the thoughtful integration of multiple biomolecular detections with lesser complexity and a robust framework can improve overall mission performance by satisfying the necessary time and resource constraints. In this study, a rapid multiple biomolecules-based life detection protocol (MBLDP-R) from soil samples is developed from scratch and embedded in an operational scientific rover subsystem targeted for planetary analysis missions. The study uses artificial biomolecule samples and simulated extraterrestrial environments to illustrate the suggested protocol's end-to-end process. First, we list a few significant biomolecules, including lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, nucleic acids, ammonia, and pigments. Then, a weighted qualitative test scoring is applied to sort out the best test method for the finally selected biomolecules which are used as operational analogue to showcase the protocol's in-situ analysis and decision-making capabilities. Based on the suitable biomolecules, a scientific exploration subsystem is developed, and the implemented protocol is built to perform onboard sample analysis. Evaluation results show that: (1) the proposed MBLDP-R protocol could effectively predict the classes with an average f1-score of 98.65% (macro) and 90.00% (micro), (2) the area under the Receiver Operating Characteristics (AUC-ROC) curve shows the sample categories to be correctly predicted 92% of the time (97% for Extant, 88% for Extinct, and 92% in the case of NPL), and (3) the protocol is time-efficient with an average completion time of 17.60 min, demonstrating the protocol's rapid nature in detecting biosignatures in soil samples. The research outcome yields useful additional data for related future studies, particularly in the design of scientific frameworks for mission-specific requirements with limited resources while also serving as a reference point for constraint evaluation methods for similar systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-77808-6","authors":["Akib Zaman","Fardeen Ashraf","Haseena Khan","Faria Noshin Ahona","Oliullah Samir","Asif Mahmud Rayhan","Sadia Nur Nazifa","Hafsah Mahzabin Chowdhury","Md. Mahbubur Rahman"],"tags":["Protocol (science)","Sample (material)","Computer science","Chemistry","Medicine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-77808-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4308026298","name":"A Mars 2020 Perseverance SuperCam Perspective on the Igneous Nature of the Máaz Formation at Jezero Crater and Link With Séítah, Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Máaz formation consists of the first lithologies in Jezero crater analyzed by the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover. This formation, investigated from Sols (Martian days) 1 to 201 and from Sols 343 to 382, overlies the Séítah formation (previously described as an olivine‐rich cumulate) and was initially suggested to represent an igneous crater floor unit based on orbital analyses. Using SuperCam data, we conducted a detailed textural, chemical, and mineralogical analyses of the Máaz formation and the Content member of the Séítah formation. We conclude that the Máaz formation and the Content member are igneous and consist of different lava flows and/or possibly pyroclastic flows with complex textures, including vesicular and non‐vesicular rocks with different grain sizes. The Máaz formation rocks exhibit some of the lowest Mg# (=molar 100 × MgO/MgO + FeO) of all Martian igneous rocks analyzed so far (including meteorites and surface rocks) and show similar basaltic to basaltic‐andesitic compositions. Their mineralogy is dominated by Fe‐rich augite to possibly ferrosilite and plagioclase, and minor phases such as Fe‐Ti oxides and Si‐rich phases. They show a broad diversity of both compositions and textures when compared to Martian meteorites and other surface rocks. The different Máaz and Content lava or pyroclastic flows all originate from the same parental magma and/or the same magmatic system, but are not petrogenetically linked to the Séítah formation. The study of returned Máaz samples in Earth‐based laboratories will help constrain the formation of these rocks, calibrate Martian crater counting, and overall, improve our understanding of magmatism on Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2022je007440","authors":["Arya Udry","Amanda Ostwald","V. Sautter","A. Cousin","O. Beyssac","O. Forni","Gilles Dromart","Karim Benzerara","M. Nachon","B. Horgan","Lucia Mandon","Elise Clavé"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Impact crater","Perspective (graphical)","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2022je007440","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4289940090","name":"Effect of iron redox ratio on the structures of boroaluminosilicate glasses","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Iron oxide is commonly found in natural or industrial glass compositions and can exist as ferrous (Fe 2+ ) or ferric (Fe 3+ ) species, with their ratios depending on glass composition, temperature, pressure and the redox reactions during the glass forming process. The iron redox ratio plays an important role on silicate glass structures and consequently various properties. This work aims to study the effect of iron oxide, and particularly the iron redox ratio, on the structures of borosilicate and boroaluminosilicate glasses using molecular dynamics simulations with newly developed iron potential parameters that are compatible with the borosilicate potentials. The results provide detailed cation coordination states of both iron species and the effect of redox ratio on boron coordination and other structural features. Particularly, competition for charge compensating modifier cations (such as Na + ) among the fourfold‐coordinated cations such as B 3+ , Al 3+ , and Fe 3+ is investigated by calculating the cation–cation pair distribution functions and coordination preferential ratios. The results show that the trivalent ferric ions, with a shorter Fe–O bond distance and better defined first coordiation shell with mainly four‐fold coordination, act as a glass former whereas the divalent ferrous ions mainly play the role of glass modifier. The ferrous/ferric ratio (Fe 2+ /Fe 3+ ) was found to affect the glass chemistry and hence glass properties by regulating the amount of four‐coordinated boron, the fraction of non‐briding oxygen and other features. The results are compared with available experimental data to gain insights of the complex structures and charge compensation schemes of the glass system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jace.18685","authors":["Manzila Islam Tuheen","Wei Sun","Jincheng Du"],"tags":["Borosilicate glass","Ferrous","Redox","Ferric","Inorganic chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-08-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jace.18685","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4409736766","name":"Impact hypothesis as the cause of the formation of the Mariana Trench and the uplift of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge","source":"openalex","abstract":"My dissertation presents an original hypothesis suggesting that the Mariana Trench was formed by an oblique impact of a massive celestial body on Earth’s oceanic crust, and that the Mid-Atlantic Ridge represents its antipodal geodynamic effect. The hypothesis is supported by calculations of impact energy, simulations of shock wave propagation through Earth's interior, and models of mantle deformation. Evidence includes seismic and gravitational anomalies, the presence of extraterrestrial elements (Ir, Ni, REE), and precise antipodal alignment. The work integrates geophysics, seismology, geochemistry, and planetary modeling, offering a novel explanation for the origin of Earth’s largest geological structures.","url":"https://doi.org/10.31223/x5g14m","authors":["R. L. Kutz"],"tags":["Ridge","Trench","Geology","Mid-Atlantic Ridge","Paleontology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.31223/x5g14m","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411229770","name":"Potential to Use Plants to Extract Essential Metals from Lunar and Martian Soils","source":"openalex","abstract":"Recent advances in space exploration have brought the possibility of sustainable colonies on the Moon and Mars within reach. Space missions have already returned extraterrestrial rocks and soils to Earth, and future crewed missions will provide even greater access to off-world materials. Eventually, we may colonize plants on space. Among the tremendous diverse terrestrial species, some plants called hyperaccumulators not only survive on toxic soil but also accumulate heavy elements in their foliage, which offers a novel solution for extracting valuable elements from these extraterrestrial substrates. Phytomining is a biotechnological approach that employs hyperaccumulator plants to concentrate heavy metals and rare earth elements in their biomass and it holds particular promise for in situ resource utilization. These specialized plants absorb metals from the soil into their foliage, which can then be harvested and processed to recover the targeted elements. With modern biotechnology and genome editing tools, developing hyperaccumulators optimized to lunar or Martian soil is feasible. By cultivating hyperaccumulator species on lunar or Martian soil, it becomes possible to generate meaningful quantities of construction and industrial metals directly on site. Implementing phytomining on the Moon and Mars could reduce the need to transport raw materials from Earth, lower launch costs, and accelerate the development of local infrastructure. As we move toward establishing off-world settlements, integrating phytomining into extraterrestrial agriculture and resource-extraction strategies may prove critical for achieving long-term sustainability.","url":"https://doi.org/10.32473/space.1.2.139519","authors":["J. S. Angle","J. Kim","Jonathan B. Chaires","A. Castañeda","M.R. Jan"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Martian","Soil water","Lunar soil","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.32473/space.1.2.139519","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4285987850","name":"Employing relaxed smoothness constraints on imaginary part of refractive index in AERONET aerosol retrieval algorithm","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. In the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) retrieval algorithm, smoothness constraints on the imaginary part of the refractive index provide control of retrieved spectral dependence of aerosol absorption by preventing the inversion code from fitting the noise in optical measurements and thus avoiding unrealistic oscillations of retrievals with wavelength. The history of implementation of the smoothness constraints in the AERONET retrieval algorithm is discussed. It is shown that the latest version of the smoothness constraints on the imaginary part of refractive index, termed standard and employed by Version 3 of the retrieval algorithm, should be modified to account for strong variability of light absorption by brown-carbon-containing aerosols in UV through mid-visible parts of the solar spectrum. In Version 3 strong spectral constraints were imposed at high values of the Ångström exponent (440–870 nm) since black carbon was assumed to be the primary absorber, while the constraints became increasingly relaxed as aerosol exponent deceased to allow for wavelength dependence of absorption for dust aerosols. The new version of the smoothness constraints on the imaginary part of the refractive index assigns different weights to different pairs of wavelengths, which are the same for all values of the Ångström exponent. For example, in the case of four-wavelength input, the weights assigned to short-wavelength pairs (440–675, 675–870 nm) are small so that smoothness constraints do not suppress natural spectral variability of the imaginary part of the refractive index. At longer wavelengths (870–1020 nm), however, the weight is 10 times higher to provide additional constraints on the imaginary part of refractive index retrievals of aerosols with a high Ångström exponent due to low sensitivity to aerosol absorption for longer channels at relatively low aerosol optical depths. The effect of applying the new version of smoothness constraints, termed relaxed, on retrievals of single-scattering albedo is analyzed for case studies of different aerosol types: black- and brown-carbon-containing fine mode aerosols, mineral dust coarse mode aerosols, and urban industrial fine mode aerosol. It is shown that for brown-carbon-containing aerosols employing the relaxed smoothness constraints resulted in significant reduction in retrieved single-scattering albedo and spectral residual errors (compared to standard) at the short wavelengths. For example, biomass burning smoke cases showed a reduction in single-scattering albedo and spectral residual error at 380 nm of ∼ 0.033 and ∼ 17 %, respectively, for the Rexburg site and ∼ 0.04 and ∼ 12.7 % for the Rimrock site, both AERONET sites in Idaho, USA. For a site with very high levels of black-carbon-containing aerosols (Mongu, Zambia), the effect of modification in the smoothness constraints was minor. For mineral dust aerosols at small Ångström exponent values (Mezaira site, UAE), the spectral constraint on the imaginary part of the refractive index was already relaxed in Version 3; therefore the new relaxed constraint results in minimal change. In the case of weakly absorbing urban industrial aerosols at the GSFC site, there are significant changes in retrieved single-scattering albedo using relaxed assumption, especially reductions at longer wavelengths: ∼ 0.016 and ∼ 0.02 at 875 and 1020 nm, respectively, for 440 nm aerosol optical depth (AOD) ∼ 0.3. The modification of smoothness constraints on the imaginary part of the refractive index has a minor effect on retrievals of other aerosol parameters such as the real part of the refractive index and parameters of the aerosol size distribution. The implementation of the relaxed smoothness constraints on the imaginary part of the refractive index in the next version of the AERONET inversion algorithm will produce significant impacts at some sites in short wavelength channels (380 and 440 nm) for some biomass burning smoke cases with significant ","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-4135-2022","authors":["A. Sinyuk","B. N. Holben","T. F. Eck","D. M. Giles","I. Slutsker","Оleg Dubovik","Joel S. Schafer","A. Smirnov","M. G. Sorokin"],"tags":["Angstrom exponent","AERONET","Wavelength","Aerosol","Smoothness"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-4135-2022","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W2560125749","name":"The United States Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act: The Creation of Private Space Property Rights and the Omission of the Right to Freedom From Harmful Interference","source":"openalex","abstract":"In March 2004, the European Space Agency successfully launched the Rosetta Spacecraft from Kourou, French Guiana. Over $1.5 billion dollars, ten years, and four billion miles later, the Rosetta Spacecraft released a sophisticated 220-pound probe called the “Philae,” which landed on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on November 12, 2014. The landing on Comet 67P, the first of its kind, is one of the most recent technological advancements in space travel and exploration. During its year-long stay on Comet 67P, the Philae probe has drilled into the surface to collect samples, taken a series of photographs, and conducted a swath of experiments, all of which have provided never-before-seen data that has the potential to shed light on the origins of the universe. Perhaps more important than the information gleaned from the Philae landing is the symbolic impact of the mission. The Philae landing establishes that humans possess—or will soon possess—the technology for extensive commercial enterprises in space. Specifically, proof of our ability to land on a comet makes the idea of landing on and potentially excavating an asteroid more realistic. Asteroids, comets’ similarly-situated cousins, present potentially extraordinary incentives for mining and exploitation. There are three types of asteroids: rare “M-class” asteroids, which contain ten times as much metal as other asteroids; “S-type” or stony asteroids; and “C-type” asteroids, which contain significant amounts of hydrated clay minerals. According to some estimates, certain “platinum-rich asteroids just 500 meters across could contain more than the entire known reserves of platinum group metals.” Additionally, because asteroids have very low gravity, the fuel required for landing and exiting is greatly diminished, making the potential cost of asteroid mining more palatable. Despite the tremendous amount of rare and precious minerals contained within asteroids, asteroid mining’s most valuable purpose may be derived from something that is already abundant on earth: water. Water, extracted from hydrated clay minerals present on asteroids, can be harvested and turned into hydrogen rocket fuel, giving asteroids the potential to be deep space gas stations. Plans to mine asteroids are not entirely new, as evidenced by the formation of several companies looking to extract resources from space enterprises.","url":"https://openalex.org/W2560125749","authors":["Elliot Reaven"],"tags":["Space (punctuation)","Property rights","Business","Law and economics","Space launch"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406245002","name":"A pristine low-Ti cumulate source for Chang’e 5 basalts revealed by Sr-Nd-Hf isotopes","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Chinese Chang’e 5 mission has returned the youngest mare basalts (∼2.0 Ga) identified thus far. However, their mantle source remains highly debated. Here, we present an integrated study of the mineralogy, chemical composition, Pb–Pb age, and whole rock Sr–Nd–Hf isotopic compositions of one Chang’e 5 (CE5) basalt clast. The indistinguishable age (1.96 ± 0.09 Ga), similar mineral chemical compositions and Sr–Nd isotopic compositions to those of previously reported CE5 basalts indicate that they had a common mantle source. After correction for cosmic ray effects, the whole rock εNd-εHf values plot exactly on the regression line defined by Apollo low-Ti basalts (R2 = 0.95), revealing their source affinity from a depleted mantle cumulate, consistent with their depleted Sr isotopic features. Combined with its deep negative Eu anomaly (Eu/Eu* of 0.44), the modelling calculations imply that the CE5 basalts were derived from a moderate-stage olivine(±orthopyroxene)+pigeonite+plagioclase cumulate with removal of most plagioclase. Furthermore, combining the CE5 basalts and Apollo 12 and 15 low-Ti mare basalts could be best interpreted as having this common, depleted pristine low-Ti cumulate source with variable TIRL (trapped instantaneous residual liquid). Our observations emphasise a pristine low-Ti cumulate source formed by the lunar magma ocean (LMO) for the CE5 basalts, leaving the melting mechanism a mystery.","url":"https://doi.org/10.7185/geochemlet.2502","authors":["Ji Shen","Yuanming Zhang","Zixuan Wang","Zhi Zuo","Xin Che","Wenchang Li","F. Wang","Xi Li","Yiyang Hu","Hejiu Hui","Liping Qin"],"tags":["Basalt","Pigeonite","Olivine","Mantle (geology)","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.7185/geochemlet.2502","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4405209450","name":"Applications of microbial bioplastic polyhydroxyalkanoates as biosignatures for astrobiological detection","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Determining a reliable method to detect life on another planet is an essential first step in the pursuit of discovering extraterrestrial life. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), bioplastic polymers created by microorganisms, are strong candidates for defining the presence of extraterrestrial life due to their water insolubility, strong ultraviolet resistance, high melting points and high crystallinity, amongst other qualities. PHAs are abundant on Earth, and their chemical properties can easily be distinguished from non-biological matter. Their widespread distribution and conferred resistance to astrobiologically relevant extreme environments render PHAs highly favourable candidates for astrobiological detection. Integrating detection of PHA biosignatures into current and future life-detection instruments would be useful for the planetary search for life. PHAs are analysed and characterized in laboratories by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and immunoassay analysis in addition to other methods. We outline a path forward to integrate PHA detection in astrobiology missions to aid the search for extraterrestrial life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550424000193","authors":["Justin Wang","S. Schubert","Nicholas B. Dragone","Sydney Marie Ciechanowicz","B. M. Hynek"],"tags":["Bioplastic","Polyhydroxyalkanoates","Astrobiology","Biochemical engineering","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550424000193","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4409195391","name":"Protocell formation on micrometeorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"We report on the formation of membranous protocells by self-assembly of lipids on micrometeorites, the extraterrestrial particles that have been continuously reaching the surface of the Earth ever since its formation. Synergistic interactions of lipid compartments with pristine extraterrestrial surfaces are entirely unexplored, but constitute a possible scenario for early evolution of primitive cells by a surface energy-driven transformation mechanism. Lipids utilize the surface energy of the particles to adhere to them and autonomously transform into spherical compartments, typically through formation of lipid nanotubes. Natural sand particles of similar composition and shape were simultaneously investigated for reference, showing that certain lipid compositions prefer micrometeorite surfaces. The elemental composition of the particles, their surface texture and cleanness altogether may be contributing to the differences observed in lipid behavior. Lipid nanotubes on- and extending out of- the micrometeorites were observed to carry lipid particles and connect to other objects in the surrounding environment.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-60022-x","authors":["Aldo Jesorka","Esteban Pedrueza Villalmanzo","Ezgi Ciftcioglu","Piotr Jedrasik","Jon Larsen","İrep Gözen"],"tags":["Protocell","Astrobiology","Computer science","Chemistry","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-60022-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4390638413","name":"Four‐dimensional‐STEM analysis of the phyllosilicate‐rich matrix of Ryugu samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Ryugu asteroid grains brought back to the Earth by the Hayabusa2 space mission are pristine samples containing hydrated minerals and organic compounds. Here, we investigate the mineralogy of their phyllosilicate‐rich matrix with four‐dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy (4D‐STEM). We have identified and mapped the mineral phases at the nanometer scale (serpentine, smectite, pyrrhotite), observed the presence of Ni‐bearing pyrrhotite, and identified the serpentine polymorph as lizardite, in agreement with the reported aqueous alteration history of Ryugu. Furthermore, we have mapped the d‐spacings of smectite and observed a broad distribution of values, ranging from 1 to 2 nm, with an average d‐spacing of 1.24 nm, indicating significant heterogeneity within the sample. Such d‐spacing variability could be the result of either the presence of organic matter trapped in the interlayers or the influence of various geochemical conditions at the submicrometer scale, suggestive of a range of organic compounds and/or changes in smectite crystal chemistry.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14124","authors":["Bahae‐Eddine Mouloud","Damien Jacob","Francisco de la Peña","Maya Marinova","Corentin Le Guillou","Jean‐Christophe Viennet","Sylvain Laforet","Hugues Leroux","Adrien Teurtrie","T. Noguchi","Toru Matsumoto","Akira Miyake","Yohei Igami","Mitsutaka Haruta","Hikaru Saito","Satoshi Hata","Yusuke Seto","Masaaki Miyahara","Naotaka Tomioka","H. A. Ishii","J. P. Bradley","Kenta K. Ohtaki","E. Dobrică","F. Langenhorst","Dennis Harries","Pierre Beck","Van T. H. Phan","Rolando Rebois","N. M. Abreu","Jennifer L. Gray","T. J. Zega","Pierre-Marie Zanetta","M. S. Thompson","R. M. Stroud","Kate Burgess","Brittany A. Cymes","J. C. Bridges","L. J. Hicks","Martin Lee","Luke Daly","P. A. Bland","M. E. Zolensky","D. Frank","James Martinez","A. Tsuchiyama","Masahiro Yasutake","Junya Matsuno","Shota Okumura","Itaru Mitsukawa","Kentaro Uesugi","Masayuki Uesugi","Akihisa Takeuchi","Mingqi Sun","Satomi Enju","Aki Takigawa","Tatsuhiro Michikami","Tomoki Nakamura","Megumi Matsumoto","Yusuke Nakauchi","Masanao Abe","Satoru Nakazawa","Tatsuaki Okada","Takanao Saiki","Satoshi Tanaka","Fuyuto Terui","Makoto Yoshikawa","Akiko Miyazaki","Aiko Nakato","Masahiro Nishimura","Tomohiro Usui","Toru Yada","Hisayoshi Yurimoto","K. Nagashima","Noriyuki Kawasaki","Naoya Sakamotoa","Ryuji Okazaki","Hikaru Yabuta","Hiroshi Naraoka","Kanako Sakamoto","Shogo Tachibana","Sei‐ichiro Watanabe","Yuichi Tsuda"],"tags":["Pyrrhotite","Clay minerals","Mineralogy","Nanoscopic scale","Matrix (chemical analysis)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14124","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4392119406","name":"AFM-IR nanospectroscopy of nanoglobule-like particles in Ryugu samples returned by the Hayabusa2 mission","source":"openalex","abstract":"Context. The JAXA Hayabusa2 mission returned well-preserved samples collected from the carbonaceous asteroid Ryugu, providing unique non-terrestrially weathered samples from a known parent body. Aims. This work aims to provide a better understanding of the formation and evolution of primitive asteroidal matter by studying the fine scale association of organic matter and minerals in Ryugu samples. We characterized the samples by IR nanospectroscopy using infrared photothermal nanospectroscopy (AFM-IR) technique. This technique overcomes the diffraction limit (of several microns) of conventional infrared microspectroscopy (µ-FTIR). The samples were mapped in the mid-IR range at a lateral spatial resolution about a hundred times better than with µ-FTIR. This provided us with unique in situ access to the distribution of the different infrared signatures of organic components at the sub-micron scale present in the Ryugu whole-rock samples as well as to the characterization of the compositional variability of Ryugu in the insoluble organic matter (IOM) chemically extracted from the Ryugu samples. Methods. The AFM-IR maps of whole-rock particles and IOM residues from Ryugu samples were recorded with a lateral resolution of tens of nanometers. Spectra were recorded in the 1900–900 cm−1 spectral range by AFM-IR (Icon-IR) for all samples, and additional spectra were recorded from 2700 to 4000 cm−1 for one IOM sample by an optical photothermal IR (O-PTIR) technique using a mIRage® IR microscope. Results. Organic matter is present in two forms in the whole-rock samples: as a diffuse phase intermixed with the phyllosilicate matrix and as individual organic nanoparticles. We identify the Ryugu organic nanoparticles as nanoglobule-like inclusions texturally resembling nanoglobules present in primitive meteorites. Using AFM-IR, we record for the first time the infrared spectra of Ryugu organic nanoparticles that clearly show enhanced carbonyl (C=O) and CH contributions with respect to the diffuse organic matter in Ryugu whole-rock and IOM residue.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202347435","authors":["Jérémie Mathurin","Laure Bejach","E. Dartois","C. Engrand","Alexandre Dazzi","Ariane Deniset‐Besseau","J. Duprat","Yoko Kebukawa","Hikaru Yabuta","L. Bonal","É. Quirico","Christophe Sandt","Ferenc Borondics","Jens Barosch","Pierre Beck","George D. Cody","Brad T. de Gregorio","Minako Hashiguchi","A. L. D. Kilcoyne","M. Komatsu","Zita Martins","Megumi Matsumoto","Gilles Montagnac","S. Mostefaoui","L. R. Nittler","Takuji Ohigashi","Taiga Okumura","Van T. H. Phan","Laurent Rémusat","Scott A. Sandford","Miho Shigenaka","R. M. Stroud","Hiroki Suga","Yoshio Takahashi","Yasuo Takeichi","Yusuke Tamenori","Maximilien Verdier‐Paoletti","Shohei Yamashita","Tomoki Nakamura","Tomoyo Morita","Mizuha Kikuiri","Kana Amano","Eiichi Kagawa","T. Noguchi","Hiroshi Naraoka","Ryuji Okazaki","Kanako Sakamoto","Hisayoshi Yurimoto","Masanao Abe","Kanami Kamide","Akiko Miyazaki","Aiko Nakato","Satoru Nakazawa","Masahiro Nishimura","Tatsuaki Okada","Takanao Saiki","Shogo Tachibana","Satoshi Tanaka","Fuyuto Terui","Yuichi Tsuda","Tomohiro Usui","Sei‐ichiro Watanabe","Toru Yada","Kasumi Yogata","Makoto Yoshikawa"],"tags":["Infrared","Organic matter","Materials science","Context (archaeology)","Infrared microscopy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202347435","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4404652356","name":"The influence of ALH 84001 on our understanding of the origin and evolution of Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract ALH 84001 is an orthopyroxenite that is the oldest known Martian meteorite. Given this rock type and age, and the possible source locations, ALH 84001 represents an opportunity to learn more about basic geologic relations in the Martian highlands in the southern hemisphere. Its orthopyroxene‐rich mineralogy is unique and also includes C‐, S‐, P‐bearing minerals. ALH 84001 can provide constraints on chronology, geology and surface features, crust formation, paleomagnetism, weathering, climate, magmatism, and interior structure. When it was recognized to be of Martian origin (~1994), there were ~12 known Martian meteorite samples. That number is now >150, with only one other meteorite (NWA 7034) having clasts that are similar in age to ALH 84001. Thus, it remains a unique sample and continues to provide opportunities to understand this early period of Martian history.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14289","authors":["K. Righter"],"tags":["Meteorite","Martian","Achondrite","Geology","Regolith"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14289","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W7118915086","name":"Low-energy glycine formation and spectral masking in star-forming regions","source":"openalex","abstract":"The presence of amino acids in comets and meteorites has long suggested that prebiotic molecules may have formed in space and contributed to the origins of life on Earth. Glycine, the simplest amino acid, has been identified in several extraterrestrial environments, although its detection in the interstellar medium, including prestellar cores and protostellar regions, remains elusive. Here, we investigate a novel catalytic pathway for glycine formation on silicate grains during relatively warm (> 150 K) stages of star formation. Using atomistic simulations, the feasibility of a Strecker-type synthesis and a direct neutral mechanism involving reactivity between formaldehyde, carbon monoxide and ammonia on forsterite surfaces, the major constituent of interstellar dust, is assessed. Results show that the Strecker pathway is limited by high activation barriers, whereas the proposed direct mechanism proceeds through low-energy surface-stabilized intermediates leading to spontaneous formation of glycine in a single-barrier exoergic process. Additionally, glycine strongly adsorbs onto the mineral surface and is unlikely to desorb under warm conditions. A vibrational analysis reveals that glycine formed through this pathway exhibits spectrally distinct features, including suppression and shifting of characteristic bands, which may account for its persistent non-detection in astronomical observations. Glycine has been identified in several extraterrestrial environments, however, its detection in the interstellar medium remains elusive. Here, the authors investigate a catalytic pathway for glycine formation on silicate grains during relatively warm (> 150 K) stages of star formation using atomistic simulations, proposing a mechanism involving low-energy surface-stabilized intermediates that lead to spontaneous formation of glycine in a single-barrier exoergic process.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-025-01870-y","authors":["Eric Mates-Torres","Albert Rimola"],"tags":["Abiogenesis","Glycine","Chemistry","Meteorite","Astrochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-025-01870-y","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W7141461542","name":"Proteinoid Computing on Olivine Substrates","source":"europepmc","abstract":"We investigate proteinoid systems formed on olivine mineral substrates, focusing on self-organization, electrochemical properties, and information-processing capacity. Olivine's ubiquity in meteorites, planetary surfaces, and protoplanetary disks makes it a geochemically relevant template for prebiotic chemistry across cosmic environments. Glu:Phe:Asp proteinoids synthesized in olivine-rich acidic solutions─mimicking early Earth hydrothermal conditions─were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The proteinoids self-assembled into spherical microspheres (2-15 μm in diameter), dendritic networks, and complex mineral-templated architectures. Budding-like reproduction and neuron-like branching morphologies emerged spontaneously. Electrochemical analysis revealed stable impedance profiles that, when thresholded, enabled Boolean logic operations (AND, OR, XOR, and NOT). Galvanostatic measurements showed spontaneous electrical oscillations with burst dynamics, heavy-tailed distributions, and non-Poissonian statistics, which are signatures of complex adaptive systems. Olivine substrates stabilized the electrical behavior while preserving computational functionality. These findings suggest that proteinoid-olivine hybrids can perform unconventional computing tasks while simultaneously exhibiting biomimetic self-assembly and primitive reproductive behaviors. This work illuminates mineral-organic interactions relevant to both terrestrial and extraterrestrial prebiotic chemistry and provides a foundation for bioinspired computing systems that merge organic self-organization with mineral-based information processing.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.6c00952","authors":["Panagiotis Mougkogiannis","Andrew Adamatzky"],"tags":["Cyclic voltammetry","Dielectric spectroscopy","Hydrothermal circulation","Electrochemistry","Olivine"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.6c00952","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"oa:W4387892136","name":"AI Supported Degradation of the Self Concept: A Theoretical Framework Grounded in Established Cognitive and Computational Mechanisms","source":"openalex","abstract":"Human feedback is commonly utilized to finetune AI assistants. But human feedback may also encourage model responses that match user beliefs over truthful ones, a behaviour known as sycophancy. We investigate the prevalence of sycophancy in models whose finetuning procedure made use of human feedback, and the potential role of human preference judgments in such behavior. We first demonstrate that five state-of-the-art AI assistants consistently exhibit sycophancy across four varied free-form text-generation tasks. To understand if human preferences drive this broadly observed behavior, we analyze existing human preference data. We find that when a response matches a user's views, it is more likely to be preferred. Moreover, both humans and preference models (PMs) prefer convincingly-written sycophantic responses over correct ones a non-negligible fraction of the time. Optimizing model outputs against PMs also sometimes sacrifices truthfulness in favor of sycophancy. Overall, our results indicate that sycophancy is a general behavior of state-of-the-art AI assistants, likely driven in part by human preference judgments favoring sycophantic responses.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2310.13548","authors":["Sharma, Mrinank","Meg Tong","Tomasz Korbak","David Duvenaud","Amanda Askell","Samuel R. Bowman","Newton Cheng","Esin Durmus","Zac Hatfield-Dodds","Johnston, Scott R.","Shauna Kravec","T. Maxwell","Sam McCandlish","Kamal Ndousse","Oliver Rausch","Nicholas Schiefer","Da Yan","Miranda Zhang","Ethan Perez"],"tags":["Preference","Computer science","Human language","Psychology","Cognitive psychology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-10-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2310.13548","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411629408","name":"The role of magma differentiation in optimizing the fluid-assisted extraction of copper to generate large porphyry-type deposits","source":"openalex","abstract":"Porphyry copper deposits (PCDs) are the main source of copper globally, with the metals transported in and deposited from aqueous magmatic fluids. Processes that define the volume of magma and concentration of copper in the magma required to form PCDs, however, are not well understood. Here, we present the results of quantitative modeling of the behavior of Cu and Cl during magma evolution in the upper crust. We show that fractional crystallization is the most important process promoting efficient Cu extraction, and that high concentrations of Cu in the ore-forming hydrothermal fluids can be reached with moderate Cl concentrations. Unusually high concentrations of Cl and Cu in the magma and large magma volumes are not required. Arc magmas of modest volume (<10 3 km 3 ) and modest initial Cu and Cl concentrations can generate large PCDs, if a sufficient mass of magmatic fluid is exsolved at an advanced stage of crystallization.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adr8464","authors":["Shunda Yuan","Anthony E. Williams‐Jones","Robert J. Bodnar","Panlao Zhao","Zoltán Zajacz","I‐Ming Chou","Mao Jingwen"],"tags":["Magma","Copper","Extraction (chemistry)","Porphyry copper deposit","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adr8464","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W4393092471","name":"The late-Quaternary megafauna extinctions: Patterns, causes, ecological consequences and implications for ecosystem management in the Anthropocene","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Across the last ~50,000 years (the late Quaternary) terrestrial vertebrate faunas have experienced severe losses of large species (megafauna), with most extinctions occurring in the Late Pleistocene and Early to Middle Holocene. Debate on the causes has been ongoing for over 200 years, intensifying from the 1960s onward. Here, we outline criteria that any causal hypothesis needs to account for. Importantly, this extinction event is unique relative to other Cenozoic (the last 66 million years) extinctions in its strong size bias. For example, only 11 out of 57 species of megaherbivores (body mass ≥1,000 kg) survived to the present. In addition to mammalian megafauna, certain other groups also experienced substantial extinctions, mainly large non-mammalian vertebrates and smaller but megafauna-associated taxa. Further, extinction severity and dates varied among continents, but severely affected all biomes, from the Arctic to the tropics. We synthesise the evidence for and against climatic or modern human ( Homo sapiens ) causation, the only existing tenable hypotheses. Our review shows that there is little support for any major influence of climate, neither in global extinction patterns nor in fine-scale spatiotemporal and mechanistic evidence. Conversely, there is strong and increasing support for human pressures as the key driver of these extinctions, with emerging evidence for an initial onset linked to pre- sapiens hominins prior to the Late Pleistocene. Subsequently, we synthesize the evidence for ecosystem consequences of megafauna extinctions and discuss the implications for conservation and restoration. A broad range of evidence indicates that the megafauna extinctions have elicited profound changes to ecosystem structure and functioning. The late-Quaternary megafauna extinctions thereby represent an early, large-scale human-driven environmental transformation, constituting a progenitor of the Anthropocene, where humans are now a major player in planetary functioning. Finally, we conclude that megafauna restoration via trophic rewilding can be expected to have positive effects on biodiversity across varied Anthropocene settings.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/ext.2024.4","authors":["Jens‐Christian Svenning","Rhys T. Lemoine","Juraj Bergman","Robert Buitenwerf","Elizabeth le Roux","Erick Lundgren","Ninad Avinash Mungi","Rasmus Østergaard Pedersen"],"tags":["Anthropocene","Megafauna","Quaternary","Ecosystem","Ecology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/ext.2024.4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4393427125","name":"MASPEX-Europa: The Europa Clipper Neutral Gas Mass Spectrometer Investigation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The MAss Spectrometer for Planetary EXploration (MASPEX) is a high-mass-resolution, high-sensitivity, multi-bounce time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MBTOF) capable of measuring minor species with abundances of sub-parts-per-million in Europa’s sputter-produced and radiolytically modified exosphere and in its oceanic plumes. The goal of the MASPEX-Europa investigation is to determine, through in-situ measurement of the exosphere and plume composition, whether the conditions for habitability exist or have existed on Europa. As conventionally defined, based on our knowledge of Earth life, the three fundamental conditions for habitability are: (1) the presence of liquid water; (2) the presence of organic compounds and the biogenic elements CHNOPS; and (3) a source of energy available for metabolic processes, which for Europa will most probably be chemosynthetic rather than photosynthetic. Condition (1) is already established by previous indirect (magnetic field) measurements, while MASPEX will contribute directly to the evaluation of condition (2) through highly specific compositional measurements in the Europan exosphere and plumes. The composition measurements will also contribute to the test of condition (3) through disequilibrium states of chemical reactions. Thus, the primary goal of MASPEX for Europa Clipper is to assess the habitability of Europa and specifically of its interior ocean. MASPEX has been developed successfully, and its calibration has demonstrated that it meets its specified requirements for sensitivity, dynamic range, and mass resolution. This paper reports the development of the MASPEX scientific investigation, the instrument, its performance, and calibration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-024-01061-6","authors":["J. H. Waite","J. L. Burch","T. Brockwell","D. T. Young","G. Miller","Steven C. Persyn","James M. Stone","Paul Wilson","Kelly E. Miller","Christopher R. Glein","R. Perryman","M. A. McGrath","S. J. Bolton","W. B. McKinnon","O. Mousis","Mark A. Sephton","Everett L. Shock","Mathieu Choukroun","B. D. Teolis","D. Y. Wyrick","M. Yu. Zolotov","Christine Ray","A. L. Magoncelli","Rick Raffanti","Rob Thorpe","Alexis Bouquet","Tara L. Salter","Kirtland J. Robinson","C. Urdiales","Y. Tyler","G. Dirks","C. Beebe","Daniel Fugett","James A. Alexander","J. Hanley","Z. A. Moorhead-Rosenberg","K. Franke","Keith S. Pickens","R. J. Focia","B. Magee","P. J. Hoeper","David Aaron","Samantha L. Thompson","Kristian Persson","Ryan C. Blase","G. Dunn","Ronnie Killough","A. De Los Santos","R. J. Rickerson","O. H. W. Siegmund"],"tags":["Clipper (electronics)","Astrobiology","Planetary science","Physics","Mass spectrometry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-024-01061-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4392286325","name":"The Role of Sulfuric Acid, Abiotic–Organic Acids, and Biotic Acids on Serpentinite Dissolution and Trace Metal Release","source":"openalex","abstract":"Organic acids produced by biota have been shown to accelerate the dissolution of minerals, possibly creating biosignatures in either reacting solutions or the solid materials. We tested aqueous alteration of serpentinite in three groups of solutions: inorganic acids, organic acids created through abiotic processes (termed “abiotic–organics”), and organic acids created through biotic processes (termed “biotic acids”) over a range of temperatures relevant to conditions on Mars and Europa. A total of 48 batch reactor experiments were carried out at 0 °C, 22 °C, and 62 °C in 16 different acids at pH 2.6 over 28 days. Additional experiments were conducted in sulfuric acid solutions to assess aqueous alteration in sulfate-rich environments. These results show that biotic acids accelerate serpentinite dissolution compared to the control inorganic acid, whereas abiotic–organic acids have little or no effect. Sulfuric acid enhances serpentinite dissolution over nitric acid. Secondary precipitates found in the presence of biotic acids were consistently enhanced in Mn, Ti, and W. We propose that these preferentially released elements and secondary minerals may be potential biosignatures. We also show that the release of the rock-forming elements Mg and Si is correlated with stability constants for the metal–acid aqueous complex, providing a possible mechanistic interpretation of the observed results.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14030256","authors":["Agnes R. Taylor","Amanda Albright Olsen","Elisabeth M. Hausrath","Brian J. Olsen","Dawn Cardace"],"tags":["Dissolution","Abiotic component","Sulfuric acid","Chemistry","Nitric acid"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14030256","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4409816287","name":"Revealing the Moon's Taurus‐Littrow Landslide via Integrated Analysis of Pristine Apollo 17 Soil Core 73001/2","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The “light mantle” deposit at the base of South Massif in the Moon's Taurus‐Littrow Valley was a primary science target for the Apollo 17 exploration. The possibility that it was a landslide triggered by ejecta from Tycho Crater is critical for establishing the age of Tycho and constraining recent lunar impact chronology; however, the mechanism of emplacement of the deposit has recently been questioned. The newly opened 73001/73002 double drive tube from Station 3 sampled 70.6 cm deep into the regolith and represents the first stratigraphic section of an extraterrestrial landslide deposit returned to Earth. Here we provide an overview of the stratigraphy of the 73001/73002 core based on top to bottom variations revealed by coordinated laboratory analyses and explore constraints on the emplacement of the light mantle deposit. Briefly, the upper ∼10 cm of 73002 contains a disturbed zone from space weathering and emplacement of ejecta from a nearby crater that excavated and ejected basaltic material. Below 10 cm is a nearly uniform unit of immature regolith. These data support a single event for the emplacement of the deposit at this location, followed by weathering and mixing of materials from nearby crater ejecta in the upper 10 cm. Slight variations in chemistry and clast components may reflect the relative stratigraphy of the South Massif slope, with material toward the bottom of 73001 originating from lower slopes and material from higher up in the core representing regolith from higher up the South Massif slopes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024je008556","authors":["Mason Neuman","B. L. Jolliff","Kun Wang","N. E. Petro","J. L. Valenciano","C. R. Neal","S. A. Eckley","Jeremy Kent","Lingzhi Sun","P. G. Lucey","S. K. Bell","K. H. Joy"],"tags":["Apollo","Lunar soil","Astrobiology","Landslide","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024je008556","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4403983006","name":"Survivability and life support in sealed mini-ecosystems with simulated planetary soils","source":"openalex","abstract":"Establishing a sustainable life-support system for space exploration is a formidable challenge due to the vast distances, high costs, and environmental differences from Earth. Building upon the lessons from the Biosphere 2 experiment, we introduce the novel \"Ecosphere\" and \"Biosealed\" systems, self-sustaining ecosystems within customizable, enclosed containers. These systems incorporate terrestrial ecosystems and groundwater layers, offering a potential model for transplanting Earth-like biomes to extraterrestrial environments. Over 4 years, we conducted rigorous experiments and analyses to understand the dynamics of these enclosed ecosystems. We successfully mitigated moisture deficiency, a major obstacle to plant growth, by incorporating groundwater layers. Additionally, we quantified microbial communities proliferating in specific soils, including simulated lunar and Ryugu asteroid regolith, enhance plant cultivation in space environments. Metagenomic analysis of these simulated space soils revealed diverse microbial populations and their crucial role in plant growth and ecosystem stability. Notably, we identified symbiotic relationships between plants and Cyanobacteria, enhancing oxygen production, and demonstrated the potential of LED lighting as an alternative light source for plant cultivation in sun-limited space missions. We also confirmed the survival of fruit flies within these systems, relying on plant-produced oxygen and photosynthetic bacteria. Our research provides a comprehensive framework for developing future space life-support systems. The novelty of our work lies in the unique design of our enclosed ecosystems, incorporating groundwater layers and simulated extraterrestrial soils, and the detailed analysis of microbial communities within these systems. These findings offer valuable insights into the challenges and potential solutions for establishing sustainable human habitats in space, including the importance of microbial management and potential health concerns related to microbial exposure.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-75328-x","authors":["Tsubasa Sato","Ko Abe","Jun Koseki","Mayumi Seto","Jun Yokoyama","Tomohiro Akashi","Masahiro Terada","Kohmei Kadowaki","Satoshi Yoshida","Yosuke Yamashiki","Teppei Shimamura"],"tags":["Survivability","Soil water","Ecosystem","Environmental science","Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-75328-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W7119915837","name":"Lunar regolith simulant-based triboelectric nanogenerators: Toward sustainable energy harvesting from resources on the moon","source":"openalex","abstract":"• Lunar regolith particles (LRPs) are used to develop flexible TENG composites. • LRPs/PDMS films show enhanced triboelectric output with optimized particle size. • Contact-separation TENG efficiently powers LEDs with consistent voltage output. • The approach supports sustainable, extraterrestrial, and flexible energy systems. The exploration of extraterrestrial materials for energy harvesting, generation and storage is important for futuristic material evolution and use. Thus, study and use of extraterrestrial materials simulants becomes straightforward way to identify potential of those materials. Such as Lunar Regolith Simulants are tested as reference material to explore suitability for construction, solar cell components and beyond. However, aiming futuristic space exploration, on-site energy generator development from Lunar regolith materials is unexplored and necessary to unveil it. In this work, we introduce a lightweight, flexible triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) that uses lunar regolith simulant particles (LRPs) embedded in polydimethoxysilane (PDMS) to harvest mechanical energy as first proof-of-concept. Under cyclic contact-separation, the optimized device containing 30 wt % of ≤ 45 µm LRPs yields an open-circuit voltage V oc of ∼10.5 V, a short-circuit current I sc of ∼2.2 µA, and a peak power density reached its maximum at 3.0 µW cm⁻² under a force of 2.5 N at 10 Hz. Systematic optimization of grain size and weight fraction of LRPs in PDMS film is analyzed and resulted in the voltage output of 1.6 times and current density by 2.1 times compared to the bare PDMS material. Furthermore, the device shows 95 % performance retention of its output after 36,000 operation cycles, underscoring its good stability and potential for sustainable energy harvesting in ambient environments. These results demonstrate that utilizing extraterrestrial fillers, such as LRPs, is a useful approach for enhancing TENG performance in future terrestrial settings, offering insight for future space materials employed in composite design for TENG devices.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmt.2025.103071","authors":["Alex Yohannan","Jayraj V. Vaghasiya","Keval K. Sonigara","M. Pumera"],"tags":["Triboelectric effect","Regolith","Voltage","Materials science","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmt.2025.103071","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4285265255","name":"Detection of biosignatures in terrestrial Mars analogs: Strategical and technical assessments","source":"openalex","abstract":"The search for potential signs of Martian life has been planned and implemented by worldwide countries for decades. Due to the high expenditure on Mars exploration, more easily accessible Mars-like regions on Earth are invaluable targets for astrobiology research to understand the detection of potential Martian biosignatures. In order to detect potential life signals beyond Earth, questions on how to define life and biosignatures need to be carefully inspected. This review summarizes scientific instrumental techniques, our “eyes” and “hands”, that facilitate identifying and quantifying biosignatures on Mars. Scientific devices that can be applied in astrobiology include electromagnetic spectrum-based spectrometers, mass spectrometers, redox potential indicators, circular dichroism polarimeters, in situ nucleic acid sequencers, life isolation/cultivation systems, and imagers. These techniques should be first tested in Mars analog extreme environments on Earth to validate their practicality on Mars. To better understand the instrumental detectability of biosignatures on Mars through its evolutionary history, terrestrial Mars analogs are divided into four major categories according to their similarities to different geological ages of Mars (the Early-Middle Noachian Period, the Late Noachian-Early Hesperian Period, the Late Hesperian-Early Amazonian Period, and the Middle-Late Amazonian Period). Future missions are suggested to explore more on the early terrains in Mars’ Southern Hemisphere once the landing issue is solved engineeringly, since these explorations permit investigating a continuum of the habitability shift through Mars geological history. Moreover, practical applications of scientific instruments listed above are briefly reviewed based on the four categories of Mars analogs, and instruments applied for autonomous robotic rover tests in Mars analogs are further discussed. For engineering efficiency, a Mars rover ought to be equipped with as few assemblable instruments as possible. Therefore, once candidate landing regions on Mars are defined, the portable suites of instruments should be smartly devised on the basis of the geological, geochemical, geomorphological, and chronological characteristics of the landing regions. Laboratory-based experiments without engineering restrictions are further encouraging and appealing if Mars sample-return missions are successfully completed. To exclude false positive and false negative conclusions in life discovery, the combined use and replication studies of multiple analytical techniques must be performed to confirm the observational results.","url":"https://doi.org/10.26464/epp2022042","authors":["Jianxun Shen","Yan Chen","Yu Sun","Li Liu","Yongxin Pan","Wei Lin"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Exploration of Mars","Noachian","Martian"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.26464/epp2022042","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4409291201","name":"The quest for habitats in the outer Solar System and how to protect exotic pristine environments","source":"openalex","abstract":"The search for life within our Solar System and beyond has been a key motivation for space exploration since its inception. These efforts have focused on specific celestial bodies located within the \"habitable zone\". Mars has long been a primary target for exploration, but the large moons of the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn have also emerged as fascinating astrobiological candidates, offering promising conditions for habitability and the potential for life to emerge and persist. To ensure safe and sustainable exploration of these bodies, the 114 countries that signed the Outer Space Treaty in 1967 assigned the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) the task of creating planetary protection guidelines. These guidelines are designed to align with the Treaty and prevent the harmful effects of both forward and backward contamination. While the planetary protection policy established by the COSPAR Panel on Planetary Protection (PPP) is not legally binding, it is internationally recognized and accompanied by implementation guidelines for all stakeholders. The PPP focuses on the biological exchange that occurs during solar system exploration, including the chemical evolution and the origin and development of life forms. It examines the potential impacts of contamination from Earth-based organisms on the environments of planets other than Earth and natural satellites, and also considers the risk of contaminating Earth with materials returned from space that may carry extraterrestrial life (cosparhq.cnes.fr/scienti_c-structure/panels/panel-on-planetary-protection-ppp/). The COSPAR Policy is grounded in the latest scientific understanding and adheres to the principle that COSPAR's planetary protection guidelines should facilitate, not hinder, Solar System exploration by being regularly reviewed and updated in line with new scientific discoveries and the evolving demands of space exploration. In this paper, we review our current knowledge of the possible habitats in the outer Solar System and their current and future safe and sustainable exploration (for example, with missions like Juice, Europa Clipper and Dragonfly) to secure access to unique and primordial information on the origin and evolution of life on our own planet. • Planetary protection enables scientific space exploration and protects the Earth. • A Planetary Protection (PP) Policy has been developed by the COSPAR Panel on PP. • It is an agreed international standard with guidelines for compliance with the OST. • It is based on the most recent scientific knowledge. • The Policy allows to safely explore possible habitable worlds in the solar system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.04.003","authors":["A. Coustenis","Peter T. Doran","Karen Olsson‐Francis","O. Prieto‐Ballesteros","F. Raulin","Petra Rettberg","Olivier Grasset","Alexander G. Hayes","Christian Mustin","Niklas Hedman","Omar Al Shehhi","E. Ammannito"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Solar System","Habitat","Aerospace engineering","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.04.003","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4399357708","name":"A Fusion–Growth Protocell Model Based on Vesicle Interactions with Pyrite Particles","source":"openalex","abstract":"Protocell models play a pivotal role in the exploration of the origin of life. Vesicles are one type of protocell model that have attracted much attention. Simple single-chain amphiphiles (SACs) and organic small molecules (OSMs) possess primitive relevance and were most likely the building blocks of protocells on the early Earth. OSM@SAC vesicles have been considered to be plausible protocell models. Pyrite (FeS2), a mineral with primitive relevance, is ubiquitous in nature and plays a crucial role in the exploration of the origin of life in the mineral–water interface scenario. “How do protocell models based on OSM@SAC vesicles interact with a mineral–water interface scenario that simulates a primitive Earth environment” remains an unresolved question. Hence, we select primitive relevant sodium monododecyl phosphate (SDP), isopentenol (IPN) and pyrite (FeS2) mineral particles to build a protocell model. The model investigates the basic physical and chemical properties of FeS2 particles and reveals the effects of the size, content and duration of interaction of FeS2 particles on IPN@SDP vesicles. This deepens the understanding of protocell growth mechanisms in scenarios of mineral–water interfaces in primitive Earth environments and provides new information for the exploration of the origin of life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29112664","authors":["Dong Guo","Z. Y. Zhang","Jichao Sun","Hui Zhao","Wanguo Hou","Na Du"],"tags":["Protocell","Pyrite","Abiogenesis","Vesicle","Mineral"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29112664","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4390176270","name":"Effects of Mars Global Simulant (MGS-1) on Growth and Physiology of Sweet Potato: A Space Model Plant","source":"openalex","abstract":"Growing food autonomously on Mars is challenging due to the Martian soil’s low nutrient content and high salinity. Understanding how plants adapt and evaluating their nutritional attributes are pivotal for sustained Mars missions. This research delves into the regeneration, stress tolerance, and dietary metrics of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) across different Mars Global Simulant (MGS-1) concentrations (0, 25, 50, and 75%). In our greenhouse experiment, 75% MGS-1 concentration significantly inhibited sweet potato growth, storage root biomass, and chlorophyll content. This concentration also elevated the plant tissues’ H2O2, proline, and ascorbic acid levels. Higher MGS-1 exposures (50 and 75%) notably boosted the vital amino acids and sugar groups in the plant’s storage roots. However, increased MGS-1 concentrations notably diminished the total C:N ratio and elemental composition in both the vines and storage roots. In summary, sweet potato exhibited optimal growth, antioxidant properties, yield, and nutrient profiles at 25% MGS-1 exposure as compared to higher concentrations. This study underscores the need for future interventions, like nutrient enhancements and controlled metal accessibility, to render sweet potato a suitable plant for space-based studies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13010055","authors":["Chinnannan Karthik","Prapooja Somagattu","Hyndavi Yammanuru","Padma Nimmakayala","Manohar Chakrabarti","Umesh K. Reddy"],"tags":["Nutrient","Ipomoea","Ascorbic acid","Sugar","Mars Exploration Program"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13010055","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4400802882","name":"Solving the Puzzle of the Carbonic Acid Vibrational Spectrum – an Anharmonic Story","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Against the general belief that carbonic acid is too unstable for synthesis, it was possible to synthesize the solid[1,2] as well as gas‐phase carbonic acid.[3] It was suggested that solid carbonic acid might exist in Earth's upper troposphere and in the harsh environments of other solar bodies,[4] where it undergoes a cycle of synthesis, decomposition, and dimerization.[5] To provide spectroscopic data for probing the existence of extraterrestrial carbonic acid,[2,6] matrix‐isolation infrared (MI–IR) spectroscopy has shown to be essential.[3,4,6–8] However, early assignments within the harmonic approximation using scaling factors impeded a full interpretation of the rather complex MI–IR spectrum of H2CO3. Recently, carbonic acid was detected in the Galactic center molecular cloud,[9] triggering new interest in the anharmonic spectrum.[10] In this regard, we substantially reassign our argon MI–IR spectra based on accurate anharmonic calculations. We calculate a four‐mode potential energy surface (PES) at the explicitly correlated coupled‐cluster theory using up to triple‐zeta basis sets, i. e., CCSD(T)‐F12/cc‐pVTZ−F12. On this PES, we perform vibrational self‐consistent field and configuration interaction (VSCF/VCI) calculations to obtain accurate vibrational transition frequencies and resonance analysis of the fundamentals, first overtones, and combination bands. In total, 12 new bands can be assigned, extending the spectral data for carbonic acid and thus simplifying detection in more complex environments. Furthermore, we clarify disputed assignments between the cc‐ and ct‐conformer.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cphc.202400274","authors":["Jonas Schlagin","Dennis F. Dinu","Jürgen Bernard","Thomas Loerting","Hinrich Grothe","Klaus R. Liedl"],"tags":["Anharmonicity","Carbonic acid","Spectrum (functional analysis)","Chemistry","Infrared"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cphc.202400274","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4403097495","name":"Luminescence Applications in Petrology","source":"openalex","abstract":"Luminescence is a powerful tool to infer physical and chemical conditions during mineral growth. It is very subtly linked to temperature of formation, composition and structural state, and related changes during rock evolution that often cause striking contrasts in the light emitted. This information can show magma sources and the hydrothermal evolution of igneous rocks, sources and diagenesis in sedimentary systems, and the pressure–temperature evolution during metamorphism. However, luminescence is most powerful when it goes beyond imaging, coupling with spectrosco-pies and microgeochemical techniques. We present examples of luminescence spectroscopies in igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks to show how these methods elucidate geological processes. Luminescence imaging is an exciting scientific frontier in which novel methods provide ever deeper insights into petrogenesis.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.20.5.305","authors":["Adrian A. Finch","Magdalena Dumańska‐Słowik","Laura González‐Acebrón","Hans‐Peter Schertl"],"tags":["Geology","Petrology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.20.5.305","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4412520884","name":"Dusty streaks on the Moon: fingerprints of multiphase flow instabilities","source":"openalex","abstract":"From the crewed Apollo missions to the recent Chinese Chang’e landings, the interaction between spacecraft exhaust plumes and lunar soil produces dusty clouds with high-speed particle ejection. Despite varying landing sites, remarkably stable streak patterns were observed, raising questions about their origin. We solved this puzzle by showing that these patterns were driven by Görtler instability from the curved compressed shear layer of the supersonic but surprisingly laminar jet. This instability creates vortical structures that entrain and eject particles. The number of streaks exhibits an interesting scaling with the jet pressure ratio, which can be modeled with linear instability theory and shows excellent agreement with scaled-down experiments, simulations, and actual observations in landing videos. Our findings provide a fluid physics explanation of extraterrestrial landings, highlighting the role of particle-laden flows and paving the way for future missions to optimize landing strategies and mitigate dust cloud effects on equipment and visibility. Despite observed routinely from spacecrafts landing on, e.g., lunar soil, the origin of radial streak patterns has been unclear up to now. Here, the authors report an experimental study of such instabilities in the coupled dynamics of rocket plumes and sand surfaces.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62001-8","authors":["Juan Sebastian Rubio","Neil S. Rodrigues","Yinghe Qi","Meet Patel","Matthew T. Gorman","Miguel X Diaz Lopez","Jesse Capecelatro","Paul M. Danehy","Rui Ni"],"tags":["Streak","Instability","Laminar flow","Jet (fluid)","Supersonic speed"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62001-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402827734","name":"Phosphorus-rich grains in Ryugu samples with major biochemical potential","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-024-02366-w","authors":["C. Pilorget","D. Baklouti","Jean‐Pierre Bibring","R. Brunetto","Motoo Ito","I. A. Franchi","Naotaka Tomioka","Masayuki Uesugi","Akira Yamaguchi","R. C. Greenwood","Tatsuaki Okada","Tomohiro Usui","Toru Yada","Kentaro Hatakeda","Kasumi Yogata","D. Loizeau","Tania Le Pivert-Jolivet","Tianyan Jiang","John Carter","Vincent Hamm","Masanao Abe","Alice Aléon‐Toppani","Ferenc Borondics","Yuma Enokido","Yuya Hitomi","Naoya Imae","Yuzuru Karouji","Kazuya Kumagai","Makoto Kimura","Y. Langevin","C. Lantz","Ming‐Chang Liu","Max Mahlke","Akiko Miyazaki","Muhammad Zeeshan Mughal","K. Nagashima","Atsushi Nakano","Aya Nakata","Aiko Nakato","Masahiro Nishimura","Takuji Ohigashi","T. Ojima","F. Poulet","L. Riu","Naoki Shirai","Yuuta Sugiyama","Rui Tahara","Kentaro Uesugi","Masahiro Yasutake","Hayato Yuzawa","Aurélie Moussi‐Soffys","Satoru Nakazawa","Takanao Saiki","Fuyuto Terui","Makoto Yoshikawa","S. Tanaka","Sei‐ichiro Watanabe","Yuichi Tsuda"],"tags":["Phosphorus","Environmental chemistry","Environmental science","Chemistry","Metallurgy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-024-02366-w","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411692610","name":"Combining Submicron Spectroscopy Techniques (AFM-IR and O-PTIR) To Detect and Quantify Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Snow from a Utah Ski Resort","source":"openalex","abstract":"High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Atomic force microscopy-based infrared spectroscopy (AFM-IR) and optical photothermal infrared (O-PTIR) spectroscopy are cutting-edge techniques used for precise nanoscale chemical analysis, capable of detecting and characterizing particles smaller than 1 μm. In this study, we applied both techniques to analyze snow subsamples collected from Beaver Mountain, Utah. Quantification by AFM-IR identified a concentration of 1.50 × 10 –1 μg/mL of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate -co- 4-hydroxybutyrate), a copolyester known for its biodegradability and biocompatibility and that was the only polymer detected. Notably, 96% of particles had thicknesses below 1 μm, with the smallest particle recorded at 14 nm in height, demonstrating the advantage of the paired AFM-IR and O-PTIR techniques to detect and identify the chemical composition of a single nanoparticle. By integrating AFM-IR and O-PTIR, we combined the spatial resolution of AFM with the chemical specificity of O-PTIR, overcoming the limitations of each technique. This dual approach enabled high-sensitivity detection of nanoplastics in complex environmental samples with no preprocessing required. This approach provides valuable insights into the dimensions and concentrations of nanoplastics in environmental samples, with broader implications for understanding their prevalence and impact.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.4c12170","authors":["Sara L. Belontz","Janice Brahney","C. E. Caplan","Eoghan Dillon","Ting Yan","G. Domínguez"],"tags":["Microplastics","Snow","Environmental science","Atomic force microscopy","Environmental chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.4c12170","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W7167075720","name":"MicrOmega: a generic hyperspectral microscopic imager to characterize extraterrestrial samples, in space and in the lab","source":"openalex","abstract":"Introduction: Analyses of extraterrestrial samples enables to better assess the processes responsible for the wide diversity of solar system properties. Specifically, NIR hyperspectral imagery complement the NIR remote sensing of asteroids and planetary surfaces, in enabling tracking diagnostic major and minor constituents of sampled material, that are witnesses of the formation and evolution of their parent bodies, with their potential role when imbedded within Solar System objects. MicrOmega has been developed to detect and map such key constituents in mm-sized samples, directly in situ as a space instrument, and in the laboratory whenever returned samples are available. The Instrument: MicrOmega is a near-IR hyperspectral microscope developed at the Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale in Orsay, France [1]. The instrument delivers (x,y λ) spectral cubes from 0.99 to 3.65 µm, over a 5×5 mm² field of view, with a ~20 µm pixel size. Its spectral range, spectral sampling and focal depth have been chosen to enable, in a compact, light and robust instrument, the identification of most potential constituents: silicates, oxides, salts, hydrated minerals, ices and frosts, as well as organic compounds, discriminating between specific members in each family (e.g. low and high Ca pyroxenes, forsterite and fayalite, Mg and Al rich phyllosilicates, aliphatic and aromatic compounds, different types of carbonates and sulfates, etc. [2]). One prime goal is to observe the interrelation between the various phases and minerals, including those only present in small abundances (e.g. a few grains within the rock) or restricted to fractures or pores. Moreover, data processing enables not only to identify and locate grains of specific composition, but also to quantify their abundance. MicrOmega on Mars: MicrOmega has been developed to be the first instrument to analyse the drilled samples inside the Rosalind Franklin rover of the ExoMars mission, to be launched in 2028 [1]. The rover will drill samples down to 2 m depth at the surface of Mars, and distribute them to the Analytical Laboratory Drawer (ALD) in the body of the rover for detailed mineralogic and molecular analysis. MicrOmega aims to characterize the composition of these samples at the grain size scale, in a non-destructive way.Together with the flight model integrated in Rosalind Franklin, a flight spare of MicrOmega is installed in a dedicated set-up at Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale [3]. The instrument is set in a glove box under controlled atmosphere and temperature to allow the safe use of the instrument under different conditions. A large number of synthetic and natural Earth analogues for Mars have been analysed within this set-up and has shown the capability of MicrOmega to map a large diversity of minerals [2], and to detect organic molecules even in small amount, in different mineral settings. MicrOmega and extraterrestrial samples: MicrOmega is now also used to analyse extraterrestrial samples in the lab.The set-up with the flight spare of MicrOmega/ExoMars allows the analysis of precious extraterrestrial samples continuously out of contact with the Earth atmosphere. Meteorites, and samples from Ryugu (JAXA/Hayabusa2 mission), Bennu (NASA/OSIRIS-ReX mission), and the Moon (CNSA/Chang’E-5 mission [4]) have been and will be analysed in this facility.Another model of MicrOmega has been integrated in the curation facility for the Ryugu and Bennu returned samples at ISAS/JAXA extraterrestrial samples curation center (EsCuC). This MicrOmega model observes all samples from both carbonaceous asteroids curated in Japan, maintained in clean chambers under N2, before their distribution to the scientific community [5, 6]. With these very dark samples, MicrOmega is sensitive to phyllosilicate signatures and how they are affected by space weathering (e.g. [7]), carbonates, phosphates, and CH- and NH-rich compounds as small as a few 10s µm.In particular, MicrOmega has been able to help us b","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-1084","authors":["D. Loizeau","Jean-Pierre Bibring","Cédric Pilorget","Vincent Hamm","the MicrOmega Team","Damien Loizeau","the MicrOmega team"],"tags":["Hyperspectral imaging","Remote sensing","Extraterrestrial life","Solar System","Spectral signature"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-1084","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4396802874","name":"Mineralogical approach on laboratory weathering of uncontaminated Ryugu particles: Comparison with Orgueil and perspective for storage and analysis","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Although CI chondrites are susceptible to terrestrial weathering on Earth, the specific processes are unknown. To elucidate the weathering mechanism, we conduct a laboratory experiment using pristine particles from asteroid Ryugu. Air‐exposed particles predominantly develop small‐sized euhedral Ca‐S‐rich grains (0.5–1 μm) on the particle surface and along open cracks. Both transmission electron microscopy and synchrotron‐based computed tomography combined with XRD reveal that the grains are hydrous Ca‐sulfate. Notably, this phase does not form in vacuum‐ or nitrogen‐stored particles, suggesting this result is due to laboratory weathering. We also compare the Orgueil CI chondrite with the altered Ryugu particles. Due to the weathering of pyrrhotite and dolomite, Orgueil contains a significant amount of gypsum and ferrihydrite. We suggest that mineralogical changes due to terrestrial weathering of particles returned directly from asteroid occur even after a short‐time air exposure. Consequently, conducting prompt analyses and ensuring proper storage conditions are crucial, especially to preserve the primordial features of organics and volatiles.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14178","authors":["Naoya Imae","Naotaka Tomioka","Masayuki Uesugi","Makoto Kimura","Akira Yamaguchi","Motoo Ito","R. C. Greenwood","Tatsuya Kawai","Naoki Shirai","Takuji Ohigashi","C. Pilorget","Jean‐Pierre Bibring","Ming‐Chang Liu","Kentaro Uesugi","Aiko Nakato","Kasumi Yogata","Hayato Yuzawa","Yu Kodama","Masahiro Yasutake","Kaori Hirahara","Akihisa Takeuchi","Ikuya Sakurai","Ikuo Okada","Yuzuru Karouji","Toru Yada","Masanao Abe","Tomohiro Usui"],"tags":["Weathering","Chondrite","Murchison meteorite","Pyrrhotite","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14178","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4413253768","name":"Trigonal Fe 2 Si from the Blackville site, South Carolina, USA: occurrence, composition and determination of the crystal structure","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Iron silicides, including hapkeite (Fe 2 Si), are rare minerals found in both terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments. In this study, we present the discovery of trigonal Fe 2 Si in glass from the Blackville site, South Carolina, USA, in a discrete, deeply buried layer where it is associated with suessite and other impact-related materials. The site has been previously studied for its rich assemblage of Fe–Si spherules, platinum, iridium and nanodiamonds. Using advanced micro-computed tomography, scanning electron microscopy, electron microprobe analysis, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction, we have characterised the crystal structure of trigonal Fe 2 Si, identifying it as a distinct phase from the cubic hapkeite. The high concentrations of V, Ti and P in trigonal Fe 2 Si and its co-occurrence with suessite suggest an impact-related origin or a lightning strike. Anthropogenic processes, although unlikely, cannot yet be completely ruled out. While this compound represents a new polymorph of Fe 2 Si, we refrain at this time from proposing it as a new mineral species to the International Mineralogical Association (IMA) because of remaining uncertainties about its formation. Further research is needed to determine whether this trigonal Fe 2 Si was produced by natural processes or by anthropogenesis.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/mgm.2025.10130","authors":["Luca Bindi","James P. Kennett","Malcolm A. LeCompte","G. Kletetschka","Christopher R. Moore","Allen West"],"tags":["Trigonal crystal system","Crystallography","Composition (language)","Geology","Crystal structure"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1180/mgm.2025.10130","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4206778586","name":"Reviewing in situ analytical techniques used to research Martian geochemistry: From the Viking Project to the MMX future mission","source":"openalex","abstract":"The study of space has always been a field of great interest and thus space missions are becoming more and more ambitious with time. Therefore, with the 50th anniversary of the first spacecraft to land on Mars, a review about how traditional analytical techniques have been adapted to the era of in situ space exploration is presented. From the Viking Project to the future MMX mission, the techniques used for the in situ study of the geochemistry of the Martian surface is described. These techniques have been differentiated according to the type of analysis: elemental and molecular. On the one hand, among the elemental analytical techniques the XRF, APXS, ISE and LIBS stand out. On the other hand, GCMS, TEGA, MBS, XRD, Raman and IR spectroscopy have been the molecular techniques used in the missions to Mars. Miniaturization, real-time measurements, automation, low power consumption and reliability of operation under extreme conditions are some of the major challenges that analytical chemistry has faced as a result of the technological and scientific requirements of space missions. In this way, this review gathers all the in situ analytical techniques that have reached the surface of Mars onboard landers or rovers with the aim of studying its geochemistry.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2022.339499","authors":["Jennifer Huidobro","Julene Aramendia","Gorka Arana","Juan Manuel Madariaga"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Martian","Exploration of Mars","Martian surface","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2022.339499","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4407684275","name":"Mining and/in outer space: Verticality, analogy, and infrastructural mediation in subarctic Sweden","source":"openalex","abstract":"Space activities in subarctic Sweden are predicated on older infrastructures of underground resource extraction. The ongoing expansion of the country's rocket launch site outside Kiruna relies on the Swedish state's historical construction of the region as a resource frontier. Yet fieldwork among space actors and reindeer pastoralists reveals that relations between mining and space are also invoked ethnographically: in oppositional terms, by herders for whom the impact area of the launch site serves to hold mining companies and other land users at bay; in a positive sense, among space enthusiasts who call for potential synergies between the two industries; and analogically, by actors who envisage extraplanetary futures vis‐à‐vis mining and the subterranean. While the grounding of outer space in earthly milieus is a recurring analytical procedure in the social sciences and humanities, these empirical‐ethnographic connections and comparisons encourage an anthropological approach that also attends to the way Earth is occasionally rendered extraterrestrial‐like.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9655.14261","authors":["Chakad Ojani"],"tags":["Analogy","Subarctic climate","Mediation","Space (punctuation)","Outer space"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9655.14261","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W4392566130","name":"A non-anthropocentric solution to the Fermi paradox","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract A few dozens of solutions to the Fermi paradox have been proposed in the past. The most relevant ones will be concisely discussed in this paper. They will be classified as follows: exceptionality solutions, annihilation solutions and communication barrier solutions. The argument will be advanced that all existing resolutions to the Fermi paradox are in their essence anthropocentric. The epistemological groundwork of anthropocentrism will be discussed. Conversely, in this paper, a non-anthropocentric solution to the Fermi paradox will be proposed: the ‘lasting human epistemological limitations solution’. This resolution to the Fermi paradox acknowledges that human epistemological capacities are limited to the degree that not only extraterrestrial forms of life may be unobservable to the human perceptive apparatus, but that universes may exist around humans with forms of life, inorganic matter or entities of any other type that humans are incapable of perceiving. In light of the revolutionary developments in theoretical physics, it is likely that in the future these developments will be reflected in increasingly non-anthropocentric solutions to the Fermi paradox.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550424000041","authors":["Vojin Rakić"],"tags":["Anthropocentrism","Astrobiology","Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope","Earth science","Environmental ethics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550424000041","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4399534266","name":"Understanding how space travel affects the female reproductive system to the Moon and beyond","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract As the space industry grows exponentially and aspirations for space travel expand, we are entering a new era where we will very likely become an interplanetary species. Although reproduction is an essential human function and necessary for species survival, we have remarkably little knowledge regarding the impact of space travel on the female reproductive system. The effects of spaceflight on human reproductive potential, fertility, implantation and subsequent pregnancy resulting in a healthy live birth must be considered before planning prolonged spaceflight missions and the colonization of planets. In this review, we explore what is known and what remains to be learned about the effects of space travel on female reproductive endocrinology. We also delve deeper into reproductive endocrinology and discuss normal physiologic mechanisms at the molecular level to have a better understanding of how it may change during spaceflight. The rigors of spaceflight including radiation, gravitational stressors, and circadian rhythm changes could potentially affect ovulation, fertilization, endometrial receptivity, preimplantation embryo development, embryo implantation, placentation, and pregnancy. Thus, we will examine what is known about spaceflight effects on the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis, ovarian folliculogenesis and steroidogenesis, early embryogenesis, endometrial receptivity, and pregnancy. We further discuss the recent advances in reproductive endocrinology and future research platforms. Establishing a better understanding of the effect of space travel on female reproductive health, as well as developing countermeasures to mitigate adverse effects, are decisive components of our species’ successful transition to an interplanetary one.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s44294-024-00009-z","authors":["Begüm Aydoğan Mathyk","Anthony N. Imudia","Alexander Quaas","Cihan Halıcıgil","Fathi Karouia","Pinar Avci","Nicolas G. Nelson","Ozlem Guzeloglu‐Kayisli","Miriah Denbo","Lauren Sanders","Ryan T. Scott","Murat Başar","Ana Paula Guevara-Cerdán","Michael Strug","Brent Monseur","Umit A. Kayisli","Nathaniel J. Szewczyk","Christopher E. Mason","Steven L. Young","Savaş Taşoğlu","Sylvain V. Costes","Afshin Beheshti"],"tags":["Spaceflight","Biology","Pregnancy","Human spaceflight","Physiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s44294-024-00009-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4404328591","name":"Environmental and life cycle assessment of lithium carbonate production from Chilean Atacama brines","source":"openalex","abstract":"A detailed up-to-date life cycle inventory of Li 2 CO 3 production from brine is established and several environmental impacts has been analysed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4su00223g","authors":["Zijing He","Anna Korre","G. H. Kelsall","Zhenggang Nie","Melanie Colet-Lagrille"],"tags":["Lithium carbonate","Carbonate","Life-cycle assessment","Lithium (medication)","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4su00223g","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4313427299","name":"The fusion crust of the Winchcombe meteorite: A preserved record of atmospheric entry processes","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Fusion crusts form during the atmospheric entry heating of meteorites and preserve a record of the conditions that occurred during deceleration in the atmosphere. The fusion crust of the Winchcombe meteorite closely resembles that of other stony meteorites, and in particular CM2 chondrites, since it is dominated by olivine phenocrysts set in a glassy mesostasis with magnetite, and is highly vesicular. Dehydration cracks are unusually abundant in Winchcombe. Failure of this weak layer is an additional ablation mechanism to produce large numbers of particles during deceleration, consistent with the observation of pulses of plasma in videos of the Winchcombe fireball. Calving events might provide an observable phenomenon related to meteorites that are particularly susceptible to dehydration. Oscillatory zoning is observed within olivine phenocrysts in the fusion crust, in contrast to other meteorites, perhaps owing to temperature fluctuations resulting from calving events. Magnetite monolayers are found in the crust, and have also not been previously reported, and form discontinuous strata. These features grade into magnetite rims formed on the external surface of the crust and suggest the trapping of surface magnetite by collapse of melt. Magnetite monolayers may be a feature of meteorites that undergo significant degassing. Silicate warts with dendritic textures were observed and are suggested to be droplets ablated from another stone in the shower. They, therefore, represent the first evidence for intershower transfer of ablation materials and are consistent with the other evidence in the Winchcombe meteorite for unusually intense gas loss and ablation, despite its low entry velocity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13937","authors":["M. J. Genge","Luke S. Alesbrook","N. V. Almeida","H. C. Bates","P. A. Bland","Mark R. Boyd","M. J. Burchell","G. S. Collins","Luke T. Cornwell","Luke Daly","Hadrien A. R. Devillepoix","Matthias Van Ginneken","A. Greshake","Daniel Hallatt","Christopher Hamann","Lutz Hecht","Laura E. Jenkins","D. Johnson","Rosie Jones","A. J. King","Haithem Mansour","Sarah McMullan","Jennifer T. Mitchell","Gavyn Rollinson","S. S. Russell","Christian Schröder","N. R. Stephen","Martin D. Suttle","Jon Tandy","Patrick Trimby","Eleanor K. Sansom","Vassilia Spathis","Francesca M. Willcocks","Penelope J. Wozniakiewicz"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Geology","Magnetite","Crust"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13937","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W3173890096","name":"Air pollution and soiling implications for solar photovoltaic power generation: A comprehensive review","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.117247","authors":["Zhe Song","Jia Liu","Hongxing Yang"],"tags":["Photovoltaic system","Environmental science","Solar power","Electricity generation","Solar energy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-06-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.117247","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391695554","name":"Eclogites","source":"openalex","abstract":"The beauty of an eclogite is something to behold: any petrologist marvels in the combination of red garnet and green omphacite that are the main mineral constituents of the rock. But besides their stunning appearance, there is much more to eclogites: fundamental concepts in metamorphic petrology and geodynamics were developed based on scientific investigations of eclogites. It is well established that they derive from precursor rocks of basaltic composition and form under high‐pressure conditions at more than c. 45 km depth, but other aspects of their occurrences and geological significance remain debated. The relative scarcity of eclogites among crustal rocks renders them largely unknown to the layperson, so following the 200th anniversary of the term eclogite in 2022, there is an opportunity to take a closer look at this fascinating rock.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/gto.12462","authors":["Ralf Halama"],"tags":["Geology","Eclogite","Geochemistry","Archaeology","Paleontology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/gto.12462","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4412630609","name":"pH-dependent surface interactions and structural changes for DNA adsorbed on TiO2 particle surfaces have implications for environmental DNA","source":"openalex","abstract":"Environmental DNA (eDNA) can interact with various geochemical surfaces, including mineral surfaces. These interactions may alter the structure, stability, and reactivity of eDNA, impacting the cycling of genetic information and the accuracy of species identification. Here, we report on pH-dependent surface interactions between herring testes DNA adsorbed on titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) particle surfaces. Utilizing vibrational spectroscopic probes of surface-adsorbed DNA, DNA retains its native B-form at pH values from 6.5 to 8, whereas at pH 3–5, the structure of adsorbed DNA changes to the Z-form, which can undergo dehybridization. These changes are consistent with electrostatic and hydrogen-bonding interactions at the surface that drive these large structural changes within DNA. Overall, this study provides evidence for mineral-specific DNA-surface interactions that depend on pH and shows the role that interactions with geochemical surfaces may play in eDNA structure and stability.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrp.2025.102716","authors":["Eshani Hettiarachchi","Vicki H. Grassian"],"tags":["DNA","Adsorption","Biophysics","Particle (ecology)","Chemical physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrp.2025.102716","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W7124904077","name":"Mechanochemistry: Looking back and ahead","source":"openalex","abstract":"Starting with the discovery of fire and the preparation of food in prehistoric times, mechanochemistry is the oldest form of chemistry that humans have controlled. Mechanochemical practices, such as grinding with a mortar and pestle, continued into the Middle Ages until dedicated scientific studies began in the 19 th century. Since then, research in mechanochemistry has shown that many chemical reactions can be performed via mechanical force without or with small amounts of solvent. Besides being time, material, and energy efficient, mechanochemical reactions often yield products that differ from those obtained in solution. Therefore, not only is mechanochemistry greener and more sustainable than conventional solution chemistry, but it also has the added value of providing new reactivity and selectivity. This is especially important today, when chemists need to invent high-performance materials, intermediates, and products with the use of sustainable feedstocks and develop environmental remediation pathways. At the same time, time-resolved in situ monitoring and computational modeling are necessary for addressing fundamental questions about the atomistic, molecular, and electronic nature of mechanochemical reactivity. Integrating digitalization, robotics, and artificial intelligence tools promises to increase the reproducibility and scalability of mechanochemical processes. Further evolution of mechanochemistry is expected to have a transformative effect on the chemical industry.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chempr.2025.102880","authors":["Tomislav Stolar","Jasna Alić","Lucia Casali","Nikita Y. Gugin","Matěj Baláž","Adam A. L. Michalchuk∞","Franziska Emmerling"],"tags":["Mechanochemistry","Transformative learning","Grinding","Nanotechnology","Engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chempr.2025.102880","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W4395089230","name":"Drilling rock image segmentation and analysis using segment anything model","source":"openalex","abstract":"Image processing and analysis techniques are commonly utilized in various fields such as geology, underwater engineering, environmental conservation, marine resource exploration, and soil and geological assessments, particularly for examining drilling rock samples. However, processing images of rocks drilled underwater is challenging due to the intricate nature of aquatic settings, where factors such as light reflection and refraction, irregular sizes of rocks, and overlapping particles introduce noise, obscure textures, and distort colors in the images. Although improved versions of the mask region-based convolutional neural network have shown promise for quick and accurate analysis of large sets of underwater rock images, these methods can still be affected by inconsistencies in rock appearance, texture, and lighting. To address these issues, a comprehensive approach is introduced using the segment anything model. Our methodology begins with the application of Gaussian filters to reduce noise and smooth images, followed by the deployment of underwater image enhancement. Further, histogram equalization is applied to better the contrast and employ the segment anything model approach for the detailed understanding of rock features by extracting information on rock size and shape. EeEquivalent area circle diameter and axial ratio are used to generate particle size alignment maps and to ascertain shape details. Our approach has achieved an average precision rate of 80.6%, outperforming other strategies and yielding more precise rock information analysis. Document Type: Original article Cited as: Shan, L., Liu, Y., Du, K., Paul, S., Zhang, X., Hei, X. Drilling rock image segmentation and analysis using segment anything model. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2024, 12(2): 89-101. https://doi.org/10.46690/ager.2024.05.02","url":"https://doi.org/10.46690/ager.2024.05.02","authors":["Liqun Shan","Yanchang Liu","Ke Du","Shovon Paul","Xingli Zhang","Xiali Hei"],"tags":["Drilling","Segmentation","Geology","Image (mathematics)","Image segmentation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.46690/ager.2024.05.02","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4412727690","name":"Life in the Frozen Ocean","source":"openalex","abstract":"Present seasonally or year-round in polar and subpolar seas, sea ice is one of the most complex and biologically rich ecosystems on Earth. Throughout the history of our planet, sea ice has periodically covered vast proportions of the world's oceans, and it may also serve as a plausible habitat on other ocean worlds. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of current knowledge on sea ice as a habitat, both on Earth and in extraterrestrial environments. We focus on bacteria, microalgae, and their associated viruses, describing the key physicochemical characteristics that shape this unique ecosystem. Additionally, we explore hypotheses on how microorganisms colonize sea ice, survive by protecting themselves and altering their environment, and ultimately proliferate and evolve. Finally, we consider the potential role of the sea-ice microbiome in the evolution of life on Earth and its possible existence beyond our planet.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-marine-032123-025316","authors":["Marcel Babin","Jody W. Deming","Éric Maréchal","Josephine Z. Rapp","Søren Rysgaard","Martin Vancoppenolle"],"tags":["Sea ice","Habitat","Astrobiology","Ecosystem","Extraterrestrial life"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-marine-032123-025316","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W4392550051","name":"Pore-scale physics of ice melting within unconsolidated porous media revealed by non-destructive magnetic resonance characterization","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Melting of ice in porous media widely exists in energy and environment applications as well as extraterrestrial water resource utilization. In order to characterize the ice-water phase transition within complicated opaque porous media, we employ the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and imaging (MRI) approaches. Transient distributions of transverse relaxation timeT2from NMR enable us to reveal the substantial role of inherent throat and pore confinements in ice melting among porous media. More importantly, the increase in minimumT2provides new findings on how the confinement between ice crystal and particle surface evolves inside the pore. For porous media with negligible gravity effect, both the changes in NMR-determined melting rate and our theoretical analysis of melting front confirm that conduction is the dominant heat transfer mode. The evolution of mushy melting front and 3D spatial distribution of water content are directly visualized by a stack of temporal cross-section images from MRI, in consistency with the corresponding NMR results. For heterogeneous porous media like lunar regolith simulant, theT2distribution shows two distinct pore size distributions with different pore-scale melting dynamics, and its maximumT2keeps increasing till the end of melting process instead of reaching steady in homogeneous porous media.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-56294-w","authors":["Natnael F. Haile","Muhammad Sajjad","Yadong Zhang","Nahla Alamoodi","Faisal AlMarzooqi","Tiejun Zhang"],"tags":["Porous medium","Materials science","Porosity","Chemical physics","Opacity"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-56294-w","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4403388151","name":"Reliable paleomagnetic records from single-vortex iron particles","source":"openalex","abstract":"Paleointensity observations from meteorites provide insights into planetary formation and evolution. Meteoritic samples are usually dominated by Fe-rich kamacite, which is capable of faithfully recording the ancient dynamo activity of meteorites’ parent body. To retrieve paleointensity estimates, experimental protocols assume that samples are dominated by uniformly magnetized particles. However, most magnetic carriers observed in extraterrestrial samples are non-uniformly magnetized. This inconsistency represents a major impediment in reliably reconstructing paleointensities from meteorites. Here we present the State Group Algorithm (SGA); a micromagnetic based model capable of efficiently simulating thermoremance acquisition of magnetic particles with a single-vortex domain state. The results show that iron particles can acquire thermoremance that is linear with the external field up to ∼100 µT. Single-vortex cooling rate effects are generally weaker than those of single-domain particles, providing more accurate paleointensity estimates. A small number of particles exhibit inverse cooling rate effects, leading to underestimates in paleointensity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.22541/essoar.172893845.57303914/v1","authors":["Shichu Chen","Thomas Berndt","Wyn Williams","José Augusto Devienne","Lesleis Nagy","Peihong Wu"],"tags":["Kamacite","Meteorite","Dynamo","Single domain","Vortex"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.22541/essoar.172893845.57303914/v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4415939283","name":"Martian Aqua: Occurrence of Water and Appraisal of Acquisition Technologies","source":"openalex","abstract":"The production of water through in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) will be necessary for a sustainable human presence on Mars. Accessible water on Mars occurs as ice (pure and mixed with regolith), bounded water in the regolith (adsorbed and in hydrated minerals) and vapor in the atmosphere. Harvesting water from the atmosphere appears to be relatively challenging than obtaining it from the regolith. However, the potential landing sites for human exploration are unlikely to have easy access to near-surface ice of any form, while utilization of the atmosphere can be accomplished almost anywhere. Extensive research has been conducted on atmospheric water vapor, which is ubiquitous and renewable, yet provides only a thin water source across the planet. This paper provides an overview of water availability on Mars, investigates the volatiles (CO 2 , H 2 O) phase equilibria in the atmosphere-surface system of the planet, and compares water harvesting from the atmosphere to obtaining water from the regolith. The findings indicate that while atmospheric water harvesting does not appear to be feasible to serve as the primary water source, it might have potential to become a supplementary, decentralized clean water supply. Atmospheric water harvesting systems on Mars require more power and energy, but they offer greater simplicity and flexibility compared to water extraction from the regolith. This approach could prove valuable in regions where water extraction from the regolith is infeasible or as a temporary backup in the event of a primary water system failure. Such a distributed water harvesting method might enhance the resilience and flexibility of water supply systems for future human Mars missions and settlements. Ultimately, any technology developed for extraterrestrial environments can have important applications on Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2025.11.002","authors":["Vassilis J. Inglezakis"],"tags":["Environmental science","Regolith","Atmosphere (unit)","Mars Exploration Program","Flexibility (engineering)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2025.11.002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4403186396","name":"From Catalysis of Evolution to Evolution of Catalysis","source":"openalex","abstract":"The mystery of the origins of life is one of the most difficult yet intriguing challenges to which humanity has grappled. How did biopolymers emerge in the absence of enzymes (evolved biocatalysts), and how did long-lasting chemical evolution find a path to the highly selective complex biology that we observe today? In this paper, we discuss a chemical framework that explores the very roots of catalysis, demonstrating how standard catalytic activity based on chemical and physical principles can evolve into complex machineries. We provide several examples of how prebiotic catalysis by small molecules can be exploited to facilitate polymerization, which in biology has transformed the nature of catalysis. Thus, catalysis evolved, and evolution was catalyzed, during the transformation of prebiotic chemistry to biochemistry. Traditionally, a catalyst is defined as a substance that (i) speeds up a chemical reaction by lowering activation energy through different chemical mechanisms and (ii) is not consumed during the course of the reaction. However, considering prebiotic chemistry, which involved a highly diverse chemical space (i.e., high number of potential reactants and products) and constantly changing environment that lacked highly sophisticated catalytic machinery, we stress here that a more primitive, broader definition should be considered. Here, we consider a catalyst as any chemical species that lowers activation energy. We further discuss various demonstrations of how simple prebiotic molecules such as hydroxy acids and mercaptoacids promote the formation of peptide bonds via energetically favored exchange reactions. Even though the small molecules are partially regenerated and partially retained within the resulting oligomers, these prebiotic catalysts fulfill their primary role. Catalysis by metal ions and in complex chemical mixtures is also highlighted. We underline how chemical evolution is primarily dictated by kinetics rather than thermodynamics and demonstrate a novel concept to support this notion. Moreover, we propose a new perspective on the role of water in prebiotic catalysis. The role of water as simply a \"medium\" obscures its importance as an active participant in the chemistry of life, specifically as a very efficient catalyst and as a participant in many chemical transformations. Here we highlight the unusual contribution of water to increasing complexification over the course of chemical evolution. We discuss possible pathways by which prebiotic catalysis promoted chemical selection and complexification. Taken together, this Account draws a connection line between prebiotic catalysis and contemporary biocatalysis and demonstrates that the fundamental elements of chemical catalysis are embedded within today's biocatalysts. This Account illustrates how the evolution of catalysis was intertwined with chemical evolution from the very beginning.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.accounts.4c00196","authors":["Rotem Edri","Loren Dean Williams","Moran Frenkel‐Pinter"],"tags":["Catalysis","Chemistry","Organic chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.accounts.4c00196","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W4412699919","name":"Wear- and Corrosion-Resistant Coatings for Extreme Environments: Advances, Challenges, and Future Perspectives","source":"openalex","abstract":"Tribological processes in extreme environments pose serious material challenges, requiring coatings that resist both wear and corrosion. This review summarizes recent advances in protective coatings engineered for extreme environments such as high temperatures, chemically aggressive media, and high-pressure and abrasive domains, as well as cryogenic and space applications. A comprehensive overview of promising coating materials is provided, including ceramic-based coatings, metallic and alloy coatings, and polymer and composite systems, as well as nanostructured and multilayered architectures. These materials are deployed using advanced coating technologies such as thermal spraying (plasma spray, high-velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF), and cold spray), chemical and physical vapor deposition (CVD and PVD), electrochemical methods (electrodeposition), additive manufacturing, and in situ coating approaches. Key degradation mechanisms such as adhesive and abrasive wear, oxidation, hot corrosion, stress corrosion cracking, and tribocorrosion are examined with coating performance. The review also explores application-specific needs in aerospace, marine, energy, biomedical, and mining sectors operating in aggressive physiological environments. Emerging trends in the field are highlighted, including self-healing and smart coatings, environmentally friendly coating technologies, functionally graded and nanostructured coatings, and the integration of machine learning in coating design and optimization. Finally, the review addresses broader considerations such as scalability, cost-effectiveness, long-term durability, maintenance requirements, and environmental regulations. This comprehensive analysis aims to synthesize current knowledge while identifying future directions for innovation in protective coatings for extreme environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings15080878","authors":["Subin Antony Jose","Zachary Lapierre","Tyler Williams","Colton N. Hope","Tryon Jardin","Roberto González-Rodríguez","Pradeep L. Menezes"],"tags":["Corrosion","Materials science","Metallurgy","Engineering","Forensic engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings15080878","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406933184","name":"SUDA: A SUrface Dust Analyser for Compositional Mapping of the Galilean Moon Europa","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Surface Dust Analyser (SUDA) is a mass spectrometer onboard the Europa Clipper mission for investigating the surface composition of the Galilean moon Europa. Atmosphereless planetary moons such as the Galilean satellites are wrapped into a ballistic dust exosphere populated by tiny samples from the moon’s surface produced by impacts of fast micrometeoroids. SUDA will measure the composition of such surface ejecta during close flybys of Europa to obtain key chemical signatures for revealing the satellite’s composition such as organic molecules and salts, history, and geological evolution. Because of their ballistic orbits, detected ejecta can be traced back to the surface with a spatial resolution roughly equal to the instantaneous altitude of the spacecraft. SUDA is a Time-Of-Flight (TOF), reflectron-type impact mass spectrometer, optimized for a high mass resolution which only weakly depends on the impact location. The instrument will measure the mass, speed, charge, elemental, molecular, and isotopic composition of impacting grains. The instrument’s small size of $268 ~\\mathrm {mm} \\times 250 ~\\mathrm {mm} \\times 171$ 268 mm × 250 mm × 171 $~\\mathrm {mm}$ mm , radiation-hard design, and rather large sensitive area of 220 cm2 matches well the challenging demands of the Clipper mission.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-025-01134-0","authors":["S. Kempf","Scott Tucker","N. Altobelli","Christelle Briois","Morgan L. Cable","E. Grün","Murthy S. Gudipati","Bryana L. Henderson","Hsian-Wen Hsu","K. P. Hand","M. Horányi","Frank Postberg","Jürgen Schmidt","R. Srama","Z. Sternovsky","G. Tobie","M. Yu. Zolotov","Chris Belting","Susan Bortfeldt","Jordy Bouwman","N. Brennan","Karen B. Bryant","Timothy A. Cassidy","David A. Crotser","Alexandra E. Curtin","Elz DeVito","Donrich Ebuen","N.T. Faber","Melanie Fisher","John Fontanese","Maxwell Fowle","Wendy Frank","Scott Gurst","Sally Haselschwardt","V. C. Hoxie","K. Hubbell","D. J. James","Mark Kien","S. Knappmiller","Rick Kohnert","A. Lampe","M. R. Lankton","Sean Lev-Tov","Crystal McGinn","Marc Miller","Gregory Newcomb","Samuel Oberg","Leela O’Brien","Kathrine Pilewskie","Shawn Polson","Victoria Scarffe-Barrett","David P. Summers","Stacy Wade","Alexandria Ware","Alan Yehle","Corinne Wuerthner","Adrián Arteaga","Bogdan Oaida","Chad Eberl","Polly Fitton","William Goode","Zuni Levin","Gwyneth Lowry","James Stanley","A Tracy","Zach Ulibarri","E. G. Williams","Camille Yoke","Ben S. Southworth","Jonathan K. Hillier","Nozair Khawaja","Fabian Klenner","Maryse Napoleoni","Jonas Simolka","Jason Sioeng"],"tags":["Galilean moons","Geology","Regolith","Physics","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-025-01134-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4396664235","name":"The terrestrial trap: International Relations beyond Earth","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Human capacity to explore and shape outer space will increase substantially over the next 50 years. Yet, International Relations (IR) theory still treats outer space as an isolated, unique, or inconsequential realm of political life. This paper moves IR beyond its ‘terrestrial trap’ by theorising planetary politics as inherently embedded in relations with environments and actors that are located beyond Earth. To face the momentous and often alarming political developments taking place in outer space, from space militarisation to space colonisation, we challenge two of IR’s terrestrial biases. First, we confront the assumption that developments in international relations take place only or primarily on Earth. We show how the historically constituted ideologies and political economies of colonisation and domination are extended to – but also transformed within – outer space exploration and settlement. Second, we challenge the notion that developments in outer space form a logical extension of politics as it has emerged on the habitable surface of our planet. We move beyond zones of human habitation and explore how the material conditions of space intersect with situated histories of political governance and control. By analysing politics beyond Earth, we retool IR theory to confront an extraterrestrial political future.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0260210524000184","authors":["Enrike van Wingerden","Darshan Vigneswaran"],"tags":["Trap (plumbing)","Earth (classical element)","International relations","Political science","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0260210524000184","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4413115143","name":"Reel-to-Reel Re-Os Records: Earth System Transactions Preserved in Sediments","source":"openalex","abstract":"A unique feature of the Re-Os isotope system is its ability to provide precise and accurate depositional ages from organic-rich sedimentary rocks. Applications include geologic timescale calibration, stratigraphic correlation, and dating key events such as biological innovations, mass extinctions, carbon cycle perturbations, Snowball Earth glaciations, and atmospheric oxygenation. Multiple sediment types reveal temporal variations in the osmium isotope composition of seawater, driven by changes in osmium inputs from continental weathering, seafloor hydrothermal systems, and extraterrestrial material. These variations provide valuable information on climate–tectonic interactions, glacial–interglacial cycles, large igneous province magmatism, bolide impacts, and crustal evolution. Continental processes can be inferred from lake sediment records. These diverse applications highlight the central role of the Re-Os isotope pair in understanding Earth’s evolution.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.21.4.264","authors":["Brian Kendall","Robert A. Creaser","Judith L. Hannah","Vineet Goswami","Gyana Ranjan Tripathy"],"tags":["Reel","Geology","Art","Visual arts"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.21.4.264","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4410967617","name":"Determination of the Dynamic Angle of Repose of Lunar Regolith Simulants","source":"openalex","abstract":"The determination of the dynamic angle of repose (DAR) of lunar regolith simulants is essential for modeling material behavior during in situ resource utilization (ISRU) processes and lunar surface operations. This study presents a methodology and dedicated test rig employing digital image processing to measure DAR for seven lunar regolith simulants, representing both Mare and Highland regions. Experiments were conducted under terrestrial gravity at rotational drum speeds of 2, 5, and 10 RPM, with standardized material fill and image capture procedures. For each simulant, lower, higher, and total DAR values were recorded, indicating complex dependencies on particle size distribution, mineralogy, and rotational speed. These measurements provide a critical dataset for numerical model calibration and the simulation of regolith handling systems under lunar conditions. The findings emphasize the necessity of selecting appropriate DAR parameters based on regolith type and operational scale to ensure accurate predictions of granular flow behavior in extraterrestrial environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences15060207","authors":["Mateusz Pawłowski","Damian Pietrusiak","Jakub Wróbel","Janusz Kozubal"],"tags":["Regolith","Angle of repose","Calibration","Environmental science","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences15060207","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406535355","name":"Exploring Forsterite Surface Catalysis in HCN Polymerization: Computational Insights for Astrobiology and Prebiotic Chemistry","source":"openalex","abstract":"High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Understanding the catalytic role of cosmic mineral surfaces is crucial for elucidating the chemical evolution needed for the emergence of life on Earth and other planetary systems. In this study, the catalytic role of silicate forsterite (Mg 2 SiO 4 ) surfaces in the synthesis of iminoacetonitrile (IAN, HN=CH–CN) from the condensation of two hydrogen cyanide (HCN) molecules is investigated through quantum mechanical simulations. Using density functional theory calculations, the potential energy surfaces alongside the kinetics of various surface-mediated reactions leading to the formation of IAN are characterized. The effectiveness of forsterite as a catalyst is a delicate balance of the surface reactivity: on one side, the deprotonation of HCN is mandatory to trigger the dimerization; on the other side, the species should be weakly bound to the surface, thus allowing for their diffusion to meet with each other. The work reveals interesting counterintuitive results: the (120) and (101) forsterite surfaces (the less reactive ones) exhibit favorable catalytic properties for the reaction, in detriment to the (111) one (one of the most reactive). The implications of these findings in the astrobiology and prebiotic chemistry fields and for laboratory experiments are discussed, highlighting the potential role of cosmic silicates in the synthesis of complex organic molecules.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00282","authors":["Niccolò Bancone","Stefano Pantaleone","Piero Ugliengo","Albert Rimola","Marta Corno"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Forsterite","Polymerization","Prebiotic","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00282","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W4400207869","name":"Recurrent planetesimal formation in an outer part of the early solar system","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The formation of planets in our solar system encompassed various stages of accretion of planetesimals that formed in the protoplanetary disk within the first few million years at different distances to the sun. Their chemical diversity is reflected by compositionally variable meteorite groups from different parent bodies. There is general consensus that their formation location is roughly constrained by a dichotomy of nucleosynthetic isotope anomalies, relating carbonaceous (C) meteorite parent bodies to the outer protoplanetary disk and the non-carbonaceous (NC) parent bodies to an origin closer to the sun. It is a common idea, that in these inner parts of the protoplanetary disks, planetesimal accretion processes were faster. Testing such scenarios requires constraining formation ages of meteorite parent bodies. Although isotopic age dating can yield precise formation ages of individual mineral constituents of meteorites, such ages frequently represent mineral cooling ages that can postdate planetesimal formation by millions or tens of millions of years, depending on the cooling history of individual planetesimals at different depths. Nevertheless, such cooling ages provide a detailed thermal history which can be fitted by thermal evolution models that constrain the formation age of individual parent bodies. Here we apply state-of-the-art thermal evolution models to constrain planetesimal formation times particular in the outer solar system formation region of C meteorites. We infer a temporally distributed accretion of various parent bodies from $$<0.6$$ < 0.6 Ma to $$\\approx 4$$ ≈ 4 Ma after solar system formation, with 3.7 Ma and $$2.5-2.75$$ 2.5 - 2.75 Ma for the parent bodies of CR1-3 chondrites and the Flensburg carbonaceous chondrite, and $$<0.6$$ < 0.6 and $$<0.7$$ < 0.7 Ma for the parent bodies of differentiated achondrites NWA 6704 and NWA 011, respectively. This implies that accretion processes in the C reservoir started as early as in the NC reservoir and were operating throughout typical protoplanetary disk lifetimes, thereby producing differentiated parent bodies with carbonaceous compositions in addition to undifferentiated C chondrite parent bodies. The accretion times correlate inversely with the degree of the meteorites’ alteration, metamorphism, or differentiation. The accretion times for the CM, CI, Ryugu, and Tafassite parent bodies of 3.8 Ma, 3.8 Ma, $$1-3$$ 1 - 3 Ma, and 1.1 Ma, respectively, fit well into this correlation in agreement with the thermal and alteration conditions suggested by these meteorites. Our results indicate that individual planetesimals formed rapidly (i.e., within $$<1$$ < 1 Ma), however, distinct planetesimals formed recurrently throughout the total lifetime of the protoplanetary disk. Rapid individual formation is consistent with streaming instabilities assisted by gravitational collapse. However, obviously not the total dust inventory was consumed at early disk evolution stages, so there must have been some delay mechanisms, e.g. collisional destruction of precursor aggregates due to high impact velocities induced by radial drift phenomena. This counterbalance enabled late ( $$>2-3$$ > 2 - 3 Ma) accretion of C planetesimals beyond the snow line which escaped severe planetesimal heating and volatile loss, hence, preserving their volatiles, especially water. Only this delayed formation of water-rich planetesimals allowed Earth to accrete sufficient water to become a habitable planet, preventing it from being a bone dry planet.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-63768-4","authors":["W. Neumann","Ning Ma","Audrey Bouvier","M. Trieloff"],"tags":["Planetesimal","Solar System","Astrobiology","Medicine","Biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-63768-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W3005298941","name":"Causal illusion as a cognitive basis of pseudoscientific beliefs","source":"openalex","abstract":"Causal illusion has been proposed as a cognitive mediator of pseudoscientific beliefs. However, previous studies have only tested the association between this cognitive bias and a closely related but different type of unwarranted beliefs, those related to superstition and paranormal phenomena. Participants (n = 225) responded to a novel questionnaire of pseudoscientific beliefs designed for this study. They also completed a contingency learning task in which a possible cause, infusion intake, and a desired effect, headache remission, were actually non-contingent. Volunteers with higher scores on the questionnaire also presented stronger causal illusion effects. These results support the hypothesis that causal illusions might play a fundamental role in the endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12441","authors":["Marta N. Torres","Itxaso Barberia","Javier Rodríguez‐Ferreiro"],"tags":["Pseudoscience","Psychology","Illusion","Paranormal","Cognition"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-02-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12441","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4206356959","name":"Europan Molecular Indicators of Life Investigation (EMILI) for a Future Europa Lander Mission","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Europan Molecular Indicators of Life Investigation (EMILI) is an instrument concept being developed for the Europa Lander mission currently under study. EMILI will meet and exceed the scientific and technical/resource requirements of the organic composition analyzer identified as a core instrument on the Lander. EMILI tightly couples two complementary analytical techniques, based on 1) liquid extraction and processing with capillary electrophoresis and 2) thermal and chemical extraction with gas chromatography, to robustly detect, structurally characterize, and quantify the broadest range of organics and other Europan chemicals over widely-varying concentrations. Dual processing and analysis paths enable EMILI to perform a thorough characterization of potential molecular biosignatures and contextual compounds in collected surface samples. Here we present a summary of the requirements, design, and development status of EMILI with projected scientific opportunities on the Europa Lander as well as on other potential life detection missions seeking potential molecular biosignatures in situ.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frspt.2021.760927","authors":["W. B. Brinckerhoff","Peter A. Willis","Antonio J. Ricco","Desmond A. Kaplan","Ryan M. Danell","Andrej Grubisic","María F. Mora","Jessica S. Creamer","Aaron C. Noell","Jennifer Stern","Cyril Szopa","Caroline Freissinet","Florian Kehl","Konstantin Zamuruyev","Conner Castle","Justin Spring","Tomas Drevinskas","Mircea Bădescu","Mauro Sérgio Ferreira Santos","Elizabeth A. Jaramillo","Friso van Amerom","Xiang Li","Marco Castillo","J. L. Eigenbrode","Bethany Theiling","R. C. Quinn","Fabien Stalport","A. Buch","K. Zacny"],"tags":["Scientific instrument","Characterization (materials science)","Environmental science","Astrobiology","Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frspt.2021.760927","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391826388","name":"NADH-mediated primordial synthesis of amino acids","source":"openalex","abstract":"Amino acid formation by hydride transfer from NADH without the need for enzymes connects prebiotic chemistry with the metabolic pathways that presumably led to these biomolecules in the first autotrophic protocells.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4qo00050a","authors":["Noemí Nogal","Javier Luis‐Barrera","Sonia Vela","Fernando Aguilar‐Galindo","Andrés de la Escosura"],"tags":["Chemistry","Amino acid","Stereochemistry","Biochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4qo00050a","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4403635651","name":"On-The-Flight trapping, LIBS analysis and discrimination of single meteorite particles generated by laser ablation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Thousands of micrometeorites fall to the Earth on a daily basis. Most of these meteorites have a rocky composition, but others are mainly composed of iron and nickel. Due to their small size, often ca. 100 μm in diameter, the process of searching for, collecting, and identifying these samples is remarkably tedious. In this work, we introduce a minimally invasive methodology for evaluating the full elemental composition of micrometeorites using optical emission spectroscopy of single particles produced by laser ablation of bulk targets. Bulk meteorite samples were directly ablated within an ablation cell. From few micrograms of ablated matrix, we originated dry aerosols consisting of multielemental particles which were representative of the sample chemistry. SEM images confirmed that the generated particles exhibited spherical geometry. Particles were first optically trapped in air and, then, analyzed by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). LIBS spectra evidenced compositional differences among samples. For example, Campo de Cielo meteorite featured a high iron content due to its metallic nature whereas LIBS results for Jbilet Winselwan and NWA 869 suggested that pyroxene components dominated the composition of the samples. In contrast, NWA 13739 and Vaca Muerta contained high aluminum intensity, thus indicating that the feldspathic component was dominant, as then verified by XRD. The intra-sample compositional variability were quite satisfactory, as revealed by the RSD data, below 45 %. For quantitative analysis, the percentages of FeO, SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , Na 2 O, MgO, TiO 2 , CaO, K 2 O, MnO, SrO, Cr 2 O 3 , and Li 2 O were calculated using CF-LIBS. This work demonstrates the applicability of laser excitation of individual particles in an optical trap for the multielemental analysis of meteorites. The methodology provides a complete overview of the samples, is capable of classificating them according to their main phases and yield preliminary quantitative information about those phases. Therefore, we present a minimally destructive pathway to be used as the first step in the inspection of these delicate samples. If the particles represent nanostructures inherent to the meteorites, it would constitute a major step in the analysis of extraterrestrial material that may provide fundamental insights into the structure and composition of the original materials at the microscale, a topic that remains an active area of research worldwide. • OC-OT-LIBS allows the selective sampling of the meteorite, thus ensuring the representativeness of the bulk material. • Micrometeorite-simulating particles were produced by laser ablation of bulk meteorites. • Particles from five different types of meteorites were optically trapped and then analyzed by LIBS. • A ternary diagram based on LIBS intensity allows to differentiate the meteorites based on their chemical composition. • The multi-elemental composition of particles were determined using a calibration-free (CF-LIBS) procedure.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2024.343361","authors":["C Burgos-Palop","Francisco J. Fortes","Pablo Purohit","T. Delgado","J. J. Laserna"],"tags":["Chemistry","Meteorite","Laser ablation","Ablation","Trapping"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2024.343361","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W7147731608","name":"Impact-induced high-temperature formation of metallic copper and bornite in Chang’e-6 lunar soils","source":"openalex","abstract":"Impacts play a critical role in modifying the chemical and structural characteristics of materials and in facilitating the migration of moderately volatile elements on airless bodies. In this study, a comprehensive SEM–FIB–TEM analysis of a Cu-rich grain from the recently returned Chang’e-6 lunar soil demonstrates that an assemblage of metallic copper, metallic iron, and Fe3+–Cu sulfides (i.e., bornite, Cu5FeS4) was formed under impact-induced high-temperature conditions. This finding provides evidence for the presence of bornite in lunar soils. The relatively homogeneous distribution of bornite, confined to the topmost surface of the Cu-rich grain coating, indicates a vapor-deposition origin. According to the thermodynamic modeling, the observed assemblages of metallic copper, metallic iron, and FeS within the grain interior can be explained by equilibrium thermodynamic behavior of the Cu–Fe–S system at elevated temperatures. The complex mineralogy involving Fe3+-bearing bornite, metallic iron, and metallic copper in the lunar soil further indicates that impact-induced melting and vaporization processes substantially perturb the valence states of metallic elements in the Cu–Fe–S system, thereby enabling the generation and stabilization of metallic phases and oxidized copper sulfides in lunar materials. Such natural high-temperature metallurgical processes provide critical insights into understanding extraterrestrial metal migration and enrichment under impact conditions on airless bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s44453-026-00027-y","authors":["Zhuang Guo","Dongsheng Song","Wenlei Song","Chen Li","Ronghua Pang","Yuqi Qian","Kangjun Huang","Yang Li","Guochun Zhao"],"tags":["Bornite","Copper","Metal","Lunar soil","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s44453-026-00027-y","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W4390741703","name":"Curation protocol of Phobos sample returned by Martian Moons eXploration","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission will launch a spacecraft in 2024 to return samples from Phobos in 2029. Curatorial work for the returned Phobos samples is critical for the sample allocation without degrading the sample integrity and subsequent sample analysis that will provide new constraints on the origin of Phobos and the evolution of the circum‐Mars environment. The Sample Analysis Working Team of the MMX is designing the sample curation protocol. The curation protocol consists of three phases: (1) quick analysis (extraction and mass spectrometry for gases), (2) pre‐basic characterization (bulk‐scale observation), and (3) basic characterization (grain‐by‐grain observation and allocation of the sample aliquots). Nondestructive analyses within the clean chamber (e.g., visible and near‐infrared spectral imaging) and outside the chamber (e.g., gas mass spectrometry) are incorporated into the curation flow in coordination with the MMX mission instrument teams for ground‐truthing the remote‐sensing data sets. The MMX curation/sample analysis flow enables the seamless integration between the sample and remote‐sensing data sets to maximize the scientific value of the collected Phobos samples.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14121","authors":["Ryota Fukai","Tomohiro Usui","Wataru Fujiya","Yoshinori Takano","Ken‐ichi Bajo","A. W. Beck","Enrica Bonato","N. L. Chabot","Yoshihiro Furukawa","Hidenori Genda","Yuki Hibiya","Fred Jourdan","T. Kleine","Mizuho Koike","M. Matsuoka","Yayoi N. Miura","Frédéric Moynier","Ryuji Okazaki","S. S. Russell","Hirochika Sumino","M. E. Zolensky","Haruna Sugahara","Shogo Tachibana","Kanako Sakamoto","Masanao Abe","Yuichiro Cho","Kiyoshi Kuramoto"],"tags":["Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Exploration of Mars","MMX","Sample (material)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14121","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4417477056","name":"Evolution in space: experimental pathways to understanding life’s adaptability beyond Earth","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Understanding how life might evolve beyond Earth is a long-standing question in astrobiology. While significant advances have expanded the search for potentially habitable exoplanets, the biological and evolutionary processes that life may undergo in extraterrestrial environments remain largely speculative. Despite early recognition of its importance, experimental studies on evolution in space and analogue environments (AEs)—particularly involving multicellular organisms—have been limited. This gap is due in part to the difficulty of replicating complex space and other planets’ conditions, such as microgravity, high salinity, pressure and/or radiation, on Earth. Recent spaceflight and AE experiments, however, have begun to yield critical empirical data. In this review, we integrate theoretical and experimental data from Earth and space studies to explore the evolutionary trajectories life might take beyond Earth. We interpret current knowledge from ground-based, spaceflight and AE biological studies across a wide range of organisms, and emphasize the need for multigenerational studies for accurately predicting and detecting diverse forms of life beyond Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rsfs.2025.0026","authors":["Alexa Sadier","Agata M. Rudolf","Masafumi Muratani"],"tags":["Adaptability","Spaceflight","Multicellular organism","Extraterrestrial life","Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rsfs.2025.0026","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W7126415403","name":"Prospects and Potential for the Use of Microalgae and Cyanobacteria Biomass in Agriculture","source":"openalex","abstract":"Microalgae and cyanobacteria represent promising, sustainable resources for agricultural applications, particularly as biofertilisers, biostimulants, and biological plant protection agents. Their biomass can improve nutrient use efficiency, support plant growth and yield, and enhance soil structure and microbial activity, while cyanobacteria additionally contribute through biological nitrogen fixation, reducing reliance on synthetic fertilisers. The integration of microalgal cultivation with closed-loop systems, such as wastewater treatment plants or biogas facilities, enables nutrient recovery, production of value-added biomass, and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions. This review synthesises current knowledge on the biochemical composition, functional properties, and mechanisms of action of microalgal and cyanobacterial biomass in relation to these established agricultural applications. In addition, prevailing research trends, selected technological and organisational constraints, and implementation challenges are discussed. Particular attention is given to emerging application contexts, including bioregenerative life support systems (BLSS) for space agriculture, where microalgae and cyanobacteria can contribute to oxygen production, nutrient recycling, and edible biomass generation. Species such as Chlorella vulgaris, Arthrospira platensis, and Scenedesmus obliquus demonstrate tolerance to microgravity, radiation, and limited light conditions, supporting their potential use in closed, self-sufficient cultivation systems. Although numerous reviews have addressed individual agricultural applications of microalgae and cyanobacteria, a more integrative perspective that connects biological functionality with broader technological, regulatory, and implementation contexts remains valuable. The present review contributes to this perspective by consolidating established agronomic uses and extending the discussion toward selected emerging applications, thereby providing a structured framework for future research and development in sustainable terrestrial and extraterrestrial agriculture.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/phycology6010019","authors":["Izabela Świca","Joanna Kazimierowicz","Marcin Dębowski"],"tags":["Biomass (ecology)","Environmental science","Agriculture","Cyanobacteria","Sustainable agriculture"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/phycology6010019","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4414427246","name":"Aquatic bryophytes as biofilters and resource regenerators in Bioregenerative Life Support Systems: the moss on Mars project","source":"openalex","abstract":"Introduction Bioregenerative Life Support Systems (BLSSs) are closed-loop systems that rely on biological processes, primarily involving plants, algae, and microbes, for sustaining long-term space missions by regenerating essential resources and recycling waste. To reduce dependency on resupply from Earth, these systems require highly efficient biological components capable of performing multiple ecological functions in constrained environments. However, research on potential BLSS components has so far focused predominantly on higher plants and algae, with aquatic bryophytes largely overlooked despite their physiological resilience, simple cultivation, and multifunctional ecological roles. This gap limits the diversification of biological components available for optimizing BLSS efficiency. Methods Here, we investigate for the first time the potential This study investigates the potential introduction of aquatic bryophytes (mosses), specifically Taxiphyllum barbieri, Leptodictyum riparium, and Vesicularia montagnei, as biofilters and resource regenerators in BLSSs. Known for their adaptability, simplicity of growth, and high surface-to-volume ratio, mosses are promising candidates for controlled-environment applications. This paper characterizes mosses' performance considering gas-exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, antioxidant activity, and biofiltration efficiency under two different controlled temperature and light conditions (24°C and 600 μmol photons m-2s-1, 22°C and 200 μmol photons m-2s-1) to determine the most suitable species for the abovementioned purposes. Results Results indicate that T. barbieri exhibits the highest photosynthetic efficiency, pigment concentration, and a good biofiltering capacity, making it a promising candidate for integration into BLSSs. Notably, L. riparium exhibited the most effective removal of nitrogen compounds (e.g., total ammonia nitrogen) and heavy metals such as Zn, suggesting a complementary role in water purification within BLSSs. Discussion These findings support the utilization of bryophytes in closed-loop ecological systems, with implications for both extraterrestrial and terrestrial applications. By exploring the potential of aquatic mosses, this research offers a novel and potentially advantageous biological component for enhancing the efficiency and safety of space bioreactors. These insights pave the way for future research on moss performance under prolonged stressors, including ionizing radiation, in space-like environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2025.1667463","authors":["Chiara Amitrano","Carmen Arena","Stefania De Pascale","Mariagabriella Pugliese","Fabrizio Barozzi","Francesco Paolo Fanizzi","Veronica De Micco","Gian Pietro Di Sansebastiano"],"tags":["Life support system","Environmental science","Mars Exploration Program","Moss","Resource (disambiguation)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2025.1667463","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4393178876","name":"LIME: Lunar Irradiance Model of ESA, a new tool for absolute radiometric calibration using the Moon","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. Absolute calibration of Earth observation (EO) sensors is key to ensuring long-term stability and interoperability, and it is essential for long-term global climate records and forecasts. The Moon provides a photometrically stable calibration source within the range of the Earth's radiometric levels and is free from atmospheric interference. However, to use this ideal calibration source, one must model the variation in its disc-integrated irradiance resulting from changes in Sun–Earth–Moon geometries. The Lunar Irradiance Model of the European Space Agency (LIME) is a new lunar irradiance model developed from ground-based observations acquired using a lunar radiometer operating from the Izaña Atmospheric Observatory near Mount Teide, located in Tenerife, Spain. Nightly top-of-atmosphere (TOA) irradiance is determined using the Langley plot method, and each observation is traceable to the international system of units (SI) through the radiometer calibration performed at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL). Approximately 590 lunar observations acquired between March 2018 and December 2022 currently contribute to the model parameter derivation, which builds on the widely used ROLO (Robotic Lunar Observatory) model analytical formulation. This paper presents the strategy used to derive LIME parameters: the characterisation of the lunar radiometer, the derivation of nightly top-of-atmosphere lunar irradiance and a description of the model parameter derivation, along with the associated metrologically rigorous uncertainty. The model output has been compared to PROBA-V, Pléiades and Sentinel-3B, as well as to the VITO implementation of the ROLO model. Initial results indicate that LIME predicts 3 %–5 % higher lunar-disc-integrated irradiance than the ROLO model for the visible and near-infrared channels. The model output has an expanded (k=2) radiometric uncertainty of ∼ 2 % at the lunar radiometer wavelengths, and it is expected that planned observations until at least 2024 further constrain the model parameters in subsequent updates.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-3649-2024","authors":["Carlos Toledano","Sarah Taylor","África Barreto","Stefan Adriaensen","A. Berjón","Agnieszka Białek","Ramiro González","Emma Woolliams","Marc Bouvet"],"tags":["Irradiance","Radiometric dating","Calibration","Environmental science","Radiometric calibration"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-3649-2024","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4401794381","name":"Neoarchaean oxygen-based nitrogen cycle en route to the Great Oxidation Event","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07842-x","authors":["Alice Pellerin","Christophe Thomazo","Magali Ader","Camille Rossignol","Eric Siciliano Rêgo","Vincent Busigny","Pascal Philippot"],"tags":["Oxygen","Event (particle physics)","Nitrogen","Chemistry","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07842-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"oa:W4412961976","name":"Asuka 12236 more primitive than Paris: Clues given by their Infrared and Raman micro‐spectroscopy signatures","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Carbonaceous chondrites are meteorites originating from undifferentiated objects of the Solar System, which may retain signatures of primitive matter. Here, we present a comparative study between two CM chondrites Asuka 12236 and Paris, both considered among the most primitive in the carbonaceous chondrite meteorite collection. This work is based on the combination of infrared and Raman micro‐spectroscopy, aiming to compare the spectral characteristics of these two peculiar chondrites. We present an average infrared spectrum from the mid to far infrared of Asuka 12236, which has never been reported yet in the literature. Contrary to the average spectrum of Paris, the Asuka 12236 spectrum shows signatures of anhydrous minerals (olivine and or pyroxene) as well as the presence of amorphous phases. These findings are in agreement with the low degree of alteration reported for Asuka 12236. Aromatic primary amines and imines are also detected in Asuka 12236, heterogeneously distributed within the meteorite. In addition, the comparison of the Raman signatures of the two meteorites highlights different carbon structuration and thus thermal histories. Our spectroscopic investigations confirm that Asuka 12236 can be considered more primitive than the Paris carbonaceous chondrite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70017","authors":["Z. Djouadi","Vassilissa Vinogradoff","Z. Dionnet","Coline Serra","Douchka Dimitrijevic","Alexandra Malnuit","C. Lantz","Philippe Claeys","Steven Goderis","Louis Le Sergeant d’Hendecourt"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Parent body","Raman spectroscopy","Infrared"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70017","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W4410779043","name":"Multi‐Spectral Field Study of Planetary Analog Material in Extreme Environments—Alteration Products of Volcanic Deposits of Vulcano/Italy","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The potential of multi‐spectral investigations for planetary exploration strongly depends on the specific geologic environment and related science questions. In this work, we used a visible‐near infrared spectrometer, a laser‐induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument, and a Raman spectrometer for studying acid alteration of volcanic deposits in the field as an analog for what can be potentially observed on Mars. These deposits were studied on Vulcano, one of the Aeolian Islands/Italy, where volcanic deposits are affected by active hydrothermal alteration processes and fumarolic activity. The results show that VIS‐NIR spectroscopy is sufficient to identify the major minerals formed through the alteration process. This is the only technique that can identify and characterize hydrated silica, the major alteration residue, whose spectral properties vary depending on environmental conditions and the formation process. However, only LIBS spectra allow a detailed insight into the geochemistry of the pristine volcanic deposits, which is needed to define the starting point of the alteration process. LIBS also indicated the existence of chemical elements for which no corresponding mineral could be identified in the VIS‐NIR data, presumably since their spectral signature is masked by strongly absorbing species. These minerals, however, could be confirmed in the Raman spectra—nicely completing the achieved results and highlighting the high potential of the sensor suite for our study.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024ea004036","authors":["K. Stephan","Kristin Rammelkamp","Mickaël Baqué","Susanne Schröder","Alessandro Pisello","K. Gwinner","Gianluigi Ortenzi","Patrick Irmisch","F. Sohl","Vikram Unnithan"],"tags":["Volcano","Geology","Field (mathematics)","Spectral properties","Geophysics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024ea004036","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.03381v2","name":"Young Researchers School 2024 Maynooth: Lectures on CFT, BCFT and DCFT","source":"arxiv","abstract":"These notes were presented at the Young Researchers School (YRS) in Maynooth in April 2024 and provide an introduction to Conformal Field Theory CFT, Boundary Conformal Field Theory (BCFT) and Defect Conformal Field Theory (DCFT). This class is mostly self-contained and includes exercises with solutions. The first part of these notes is concerned with the basics of CFT, and was taught by the author during the pre-school for the YRS 2024. Here the aim is to convey the notion of conformal families, their fusion and the construction of partition functions. The second part of these notes is dedicated to boundaries and defects in CFT and was presented by the author at the main school. As far as boundaries are concerned, emphasis is placed on boundary operators and their state spaces, as well as the boundary state formalism with the Cardy constraint. Topological defects are discussed in analogy, i.e. defect state spaces and the relevant consistency constraint are derived. Verlinde lines are constructed as their simplest solution and their properties are inspected.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.03381v2","authors":["Christian Northe"],"tags":["hep-th","cond-mat.stat-mech"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-05T18:06:36Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2408.04940v3","name":"Capsule Vision 2024 Challenge: Multi-Class Abnormality Classification for Video Capsule Endoscopy","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present the Capsule Vision 2024 Challenge: Multi-Class Abnormality Classification for Video Capsule Endoscopy. It was virtually organized by the Research Center for Medical Image Analysis and Artificial Intelligence (MIAAI), Department of Medicine, Danube Private University, Krems, Austria in collaboration with the 9th International Conference on Computer Vision &amp; Image Processing (CVIP 2024) being organized by the Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing (IIITDM) Kancheepuram, Chennai, India. This document provides an overview of the challenge, including the registration process, rules, submission format, description of the datasets used, qualified team rankings, all team descriptions, and the benchmarking results reported by the organizers.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.04940v3","authors":["Palak Handa","Amirreza Mahbod","Florian Schwarzhans","Ramona Woitek","Nidhi Goel","Manas Dhir","Deepti Chhabra","Shreshtha Jha","Pallavi Sharma","Vijay Thakur","Simarpreet Singh Chawla","Deepak Gunjan","Jagadeesh Kakarla","Balasubramanian Raman"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-09T08:46:22Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.09684v1","name":"Technical Design Review of Duke Robotics Club's Oogway: An AUV for RoboSub 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Duke Robotics Club is proud to present our robot for the 2024 RoboSub Competition: Oogway. Now in its second year, Oogway has been dramatically upgraded in both its capabilities and reliability. Oogway was built on the principle of independent, well-integrated, and reliable subsystems. Individual components and subsystems were tested and designed separately. Oogway's most advanced capabilities are a result of the tight integration between these subsystems. Such examples include a re-envisioned controls system, an entirely new electrical stack, advanced sonar integration, additional cameras and system monitoring, a new marker dropper, and a watertight capsule mechanism. These additions enabled Oogway to prequalify for Robosub 2024.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.09684v1","authors":["Will Denton","Michael Bryant","Lilly Chiavetta","Vedarsh Shah","Rico Zhu","Philip Xue","Vincent Chen","Maxwell Lin","Hung Le","Austin Camacho","Raul Galvez","Nathan Yang","Nathanael Ren","Tyler Rose","Mathew Chu","Amir Ergashev","Saagar Arya","Kaelyn Pieter","Ethan Horowitz","Maanav Allampallam","Patrick Zheng","Mia Kaarls","June Wood"],"tags":["cs.RO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-13T00:46:45Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2403.16203v1","name":"Maximum Polygon Packing: The CG:SHOP Challenge 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We give an overview of the 2024 Computational Geometry Challenge targeting the problem \\textsc{Maximum Polygon Packing}: Given a convex region $P$ in the plane, and a collection of simple polygons $Q_1, \\ldots, Q_n$, each $Q_i$ with a respective value $c_i$, find a subset $S \\subseteq \\{1, \\ldots,n\\}$ and a feasible packing within $P$ of the polygons $Q_i$ (without rotation) for $i \\in S$, maximizing $\\sum_{i \\in S} c_i$. Geometric packing problems, such as this, present significant computational challenges and are of substantial practical importance.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.16203v1","authors":["Sándor P. Fekete","Phillip Keldenich","Dominik Krupke","Stefan Schirra"],"tags":["cs.CG","cs.DS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-24T15:56:03Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.18936v1","name":"Svalbard Marginal Ice Zone 2024 Campaign -- Cruise Report","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The coupling of weather, sea-ice, ocean, and wave forecasting systems has been a long-standing research focus to improve Arctic forecasting system and their realism and is also a priority of international initiatives such as the WMO research project PCAPS. The goal of the Svalbard Marginal Ice Zone 2024 Campaign was to observe and better understand the complex interplay between atmosphere, waves, and sea-ice in the winter Marginal Ice Zone (MIZ) in order to advance the predictive skill of coupled Arctic forecasting systems. The main objective has been to set up a network of observations with a spatial distribution that allows for a representative comparison between in situ observations and gridded model data. The observed variables include air and surface temperature, sea-ice drift, and wave energy spectra. With the support of the Norwegian Coast Guard, we participated in the research cruise with KV Svalbard from 4. April - 21.April 2024. In total 34 buoys were deployed in the Marginal Ice Zone north of the Svalbard Archipelago. The first part of the report describes the instruments and their calibration (Section 2), and the second part briefly describes the weather, sea ice, and wave conditions during the campaign.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.18936v1","authors":["Malte Müller","Jean Rabault","Cyril Palerme"],"tags":["physics.ao-ph","physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-10T13:09:58Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.15509v3","name":"PolySmart @ TRECVid 2024 Video Captioning (VTT)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, we present our methods and results for the Video-To-Text (VTT) task at TRECVid 2024, exploring the capabilities of Vision-Language Models (VLMs) like LLaVA and LLaVA-NeXT-Video in generating natural language descriptions for video content. We investigate the impact of fine-tuning VLMs on VTT datasets to enhance description accuracy, contextual relevance, and linguistic consistency. Our analysis reveals that fine-tuning substantially improves the model's ability to produce more detailed and domain-aligned text, bridging the gap between generic VLM tasks and the specialized needs of VTT. Experimental results demonstrate that our fine-tuned model outperforms baseline VLMs across various evaluation metrics, underscoring the importance of domain-specific tuning for complex VTT tasks.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.15509v3","authors":["Jiaxin Wu","Wengyu Zhang","Xiao-Yong Wei","Qing Li"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.MM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-20T02:45:37Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.05359v1","name":"Proceedings Virtual Imaging Trials in Medicine 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This submission comprises the proceedings of the 1st Virtual Imaging Trials in Medicine conference, organized by Duke University on April 22-24, 2024. The listed authors serve as the program directors for this conference. The VITM conference is a pioneering summit uniting experts from academia, industry and government in the fields of medical imaging and therapy to explore the transformative potential of in silico virtual trials and digital twins in revolutionizing healthcare. The proceedings are categorized by the respective days of the conference: Monday presentations, Tuesday presentations, Wednesday presentations, followed by the abstracts for the posters presented on Monday and Tuesday.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.05359v1","authors":["Ehsan Abadi","Aldo Badano","Predrag Bakic","Kristina Bliznakova","Hilde Bosmans","Ann-Katherine Carton","Alejandro Frangi","Stephen Glick","Paul Kinahan","Joseph Lo","Andrew Maidment","Francesco Ria","Ehsan Samei","Ioannis Sechopoulos","Paul Segars","Rie Tanaka","Liesbeth Vancoillie"],"tags":["physics.med-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-08T18:35:18Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.00376v1","name":"A Public Dataset Tracking Social Media Discourse about the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election on Twitter/X","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, we introduce the first release of a large-scale dataset capturing discourse on $\\mathbb{X}$ (a.k.a., Twitter) related to the upcoming 2024 U.S. Presidential Election. Our dataset comprises 22 million publicly available posts on X.com, collected from May 1, 2024, to July 31, 2024, using a custom-built scraper, which we describe in detail. By employing targeted keywords linked to key political figures, events, and emerging issues, we aligned data collection with the election cycle to capture evolving public sentiment and the dynamics of political engagement on social media. This dataset offers researchers a robust foundation to investigate critical questions about the influence of social media in shaping political discourse, the propagation of election-related narratives, and the spread of misinformation. We also present a preliminary analysis that highlights prominent hashtags and keywords within the dataset, offering initial insights into the dominant themes and conversations occurring in the lead-up to the election. Our dataset is available at: url{https://github.com/sinking8/usc-x-24-us-election","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.00376v1","authors":["Ashwin Balasubramanian","Vito Zou","Hitesh Narayana","Christina You","Luca Luceri","Emilio Ferrara"],"tags":["cs.SI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-01T05:27:07Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.14183v1","name":"SemEval-2024 Task 8: Multidomain, Multimodel and Multilingual Machine-Generated Text Detection","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present the results and the main findings of SemEval-2024 Task 8: Multigenerator, Multidomain, and Multilingual Machine-Generated Text Detection. The task featured three subtasks. Subtask A is a binary classification task determining whether a text is written by a human or generated by a machine. This subtask has two tracks: a monolingual track focused solely on English texts and a multilingual track. Subtask B is to detect the exact source of a text, discerning whether it is written by a human or generated by a specific LLM. Subtask C aims to identify the changing point within a text, at which the authorship transitions from human to machine. The task attracted a large number of participants: subtask A monolingual (126), subtask A multilingual (59), subtask B (70), and subtask C (30). In this paper, we present the task, analyze the results, and discuss the system submissions and the methods they used. For all subtasks, the best systems used LLMs.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.14183v1","authors":["Yuxia Wang","Jonibek Mansurov","Petar Ivanov","Jinyan Su","Artem Shelmanov","Akim Tsvigun","Osama Mohammed Afzal","Tarek Mahmoud","Giovanni Puccetti","Thomas Arnold","Chenxi Whitehouse","Alham Fikri Aji","Nizar Habash","Iryna Gurevych","Preslav Nakov"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-22T13:56:07Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.01654v2","name":"The 10 October 2024 geomagnetic storm may have caused the premature reentry of a Starlink satellite","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this short communication, we qualitatively analyze possible effects of the 10 October 2024 geomagnetic storm on accelerating the reentry of a Starlink satellite from very low-Earth orbit (VLEO). The storm took place near the maximum of solar cycle (SC) 25, which has shown to be more intense than SC24. Based on preliminary geomagnetic indices, the 10 October 2024, along with the 10 May 2024, were the most intense events since the well-known Halloween storms of October/November 2003. By looking at a preliminary version of the Dst index and altitudes along with velocities extracted from two-line element (TLE) data of the Starlink-1089 (SL-1089) satellite, we observe a possible connection between storm main phase onset and a sharp decay of SL-1089. The satellite was predicted to reenter on 22 October, but it reentered on 12 October, 10 days before schedule. The sharp altitude decay of SL-1089 revealed by TLE data coincides with the storm main phase onset. We compare the de-orbiting altitudes of another three satellites during different geomagnetic conditions and observe that the day difference between actual and predicted reentries increases for periods with higher geomagnetic activity. Therefore, we call for future research to establish the eventual causal relationship between storm occurrence and satellite orbital decay. As predicted by previous works, SC25 is already producing extreme geomagnetic storms with unprecedented satellite orbital drag effects and consequences for current megaconstellations in VLEO.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.01654v2","authors":["Denny M. Oliveira","Eftyhia Zesta","Dibyendu Nandy"],"tags":["physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-03T18:48:43Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.10378v1","name":"Second Edition FRCSyn Challenge at CVPR 2024: Face Recognition Challenge in the Era of Synthetic Data","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Synthetic data is gaining increasing relevance for training machine learning models. This is mainly motivated due to several factors such as the lack of real data and intra-class variability, time and errors produced in manual labeling, and in some cases privacy concerns, among others. This paper presents an overview of the 2nd edition of the Face Recognition Challenge in the Era of Synthetic Data (FRCSyn) organized at CVPR 2024. FRCSyn aims to investigate the use of synthetic data in face recognition to address current technological limitations, including data privacy concerns, demographic biases, generalization to novel scenarios, and performance constraints in challenging situations such as aging, pose variations, and occlusions. Unlike the 1st edition, in which synthetic data from DCFace and GANDiffFace methods was only allowed to train face recognition systems, in this 2nd edition we propose new sub-tasks that allow participants to explore novel face generative methods. The outcomes of the 2nd FRCSyn Challenge, along with the proposed experimental protocol and benchmarking contribute significantly to the application of synthetic data to face recognition.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.10378v1","authors":["Ivan DeAndres-Tame","Ruben Tolosana","Pietro Melzi","Ruben Vera-Rodriguez","Minchul Kim","Christian Rathgeb","Xiaoming Liu","Aythami Morales","Julian Fierrez","Javier Ortega-Garcia","Zhizhou Zhong","Yuge Huang","Yuxi Mi","Shouhong Ding","Shuigeng Zhou","Shuai He","Lingzhi Fu","Heng Cong","Rongyu Zhang","Zhihong Xiao","Evgeny Smirnov","Anton Pimenov","Aleksei Grigorev","Denis Timoshenko","Kaleb Mesfin Asfaw","Cheng Yaw Low","Hao Liu","Chuyi Wang","Qing Zuo","Zhixiang He","Hatef Otroshi Shahreza","Anjith George","Alexander Unnervik","Parsa Rahimi","Sébastien Marcel","Pedro C. Neto","Marco Huber","Jan Niklas Kolf","Naser Damer","Fadi Boutros","Jaime S. Cardoso","Ana F. Sequeira","Andrea Atzori","Gianni Fenu","Mirko Marras","Vitomir Štruc","Jiang Yu","Zhangjie Li","Jichun Li","Weisong Zhao","Zhen Lei","Xiangyu Zhu","Xiao-Yu Zhang","Bernardo Biesseck","Pedro Vidal","Luiz Coelho","Roger Granada","David Menotti"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.AI","cs.CY","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-16T08:15:10Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.10385v3","name":"Augmenting Lateral Thinking in Language Models with Humor and Riddle Data for the BRAINTEASER Task","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The SemEval 2024 BRAINTEASER task challenges language models to perform lateral thinking -- a form of creative, non-linear reasoning that remains underexplored in NLP. The task comprises two subtasks, Sentence Puzzle and Word Puzzle, requiring models to defy conventional commonsense associations. We present a system that fine-tunes DeBERTaV3 using HuggingFace's AutoModelForMultipleChoice architecture. We augment the provided training data with two additional sources: (1) a humor-style question-answering dataset generated via GPT-4 prompting, and (2) the RiddleSense dataset. This data augmentation strategy is motivated by the observation that humor and riddles share the lateral reasoning structure required by the task. Our best system achieves 92.5\\% overall accuracy on the Sentence Puzzle subtask and 80.2\\% on the Word Puzzle subtask, ranking 6th out of 31 teams and 10th out of 23 teams, respectively. We further show that the choice of task formulation matters: framing the problem as multiple-choice rather than sequence classification yields a 10-point accuracy improvement with the same base model. Our analysis reveals that data augmentation with humor and riddle data is particularly effective for sentence-level lateral reasoning, while word-level puzzles remain a harder challenge.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.10385v3","authors":["Mina Ghashami","Soumya Smruti Mishra"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.IR","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-16T18:26:38Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.10040v1","name":"FZI-WIM at SemEval-2024 Task 2: Self-Consistent CoT for Complex NLI in Biomedical Domain","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes the inference system of FZI-WIM at the SemEval-2024 Task 2: Safe Biomedical Natural Language Inference for Clinical Trials. Our system utilizes the chain of thought (CoT) paradigm to tackle this complex reasoning problem and further improves the CoT performance with self-consistency. Instead of greedy decoding, we sample multiple reasoning chains with the same prompt and make the final verification with majority voting. The self-consistent CoT system achieves a baseline F1 score of 0.80 (1st), faithfulness score of 0.90 (3rd), and consistency score of 0.73 (12th). We release the code and data publicly https://github.com/jens5588/FZI-WIM-NLI4CT.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.10040v1","authors":["Jin Liu","Steffen Thoma"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-14T13:49:07Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2401.14444v1","name":"ICASSP 2024 Speech Signal Improvement Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The ICASSP 2024 Speech Signal Improvement Grand Challenge is intended to stimulate research in the area of improving the speech signal quality in communication systems. This marks our second challenge, building upon the success from the previous ICASSP 2023 Grand Challenge. We enhance the competition by introducing a dataset synthesizer, enabling all participating teams to start at a higher baseline, an objective metric for our extended P.804 tests, transcripts for the 2023 test set, and we add Word Accuracy (WAcc) as a metric. We evaluate a total of 13 systems in the real-time track and 11 systems in the non-real-time track using both subjective P.804 and objective Word Accuracy metrics.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.14444v1","authors":["Nicolae Catalin Ristea","Ando Saabas","Ross Cutler","Babak Naderi","Sebastian Braun","Solomiya Branets"],"tags":["cs.SD","cs.AI","cs.CV","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-25T18:08:00Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.11739v1","name":"V3Det Challenge 2024 on Vast Vocabulary and Open Vocabulary Object Detection: Methods and Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Detecting objects in real-world scenes is a complex task due to various challenges, including the vast range of object categories, and potential encounters with previously unknown or unseen objects. The challenges necessitate the development of public benchmarks and challenges to advance the field of object detection. Inspired by the success of previous COCO and LVIS Challenges, we organize the V3Det Challenge 2024 in conjunction with the 4th Open World Vision Workshop: Visual Perception via Learning in an Open World (VPLOW) at CVPR 2024, Seattle, US. This challenge aims to push the boundaries of object detection research and encourage innovation in this field. The V3Det Challenge 2024 consists of two tracks: 1) Vast Vocabulary Object Detection: This track focuses on detecting objects from a large set of 13204 categories, testing the detection algorithm's ability to recognize and locate diverse objects. 2) Open Vocabulary Object Detection: This track goes a step further, requiring algorithms to detect objects from an open set of categories, including unknown objects. In the following sections, we will provide a comprehensive summary and analysis of the solutions submitted by participants. By analyzing the methods and solutions presented, we aim to inspire future research directions in vast vocabulary and open-vocabulary object detection, driving progress in this field. Challenge homepage: https://v3det.openxlab.org.cn/challenge","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.11739v1","authors":["Jiaqi Wang","Yuhang Zang","Pan Zhang","Tao Chu","Yuhang Cao","Zeyi Sun","Ziyu Liu","Xiaoyi Dong","Tong Wu","Dahua Lin","Zeming Chen","Zhi Wang","Lingchen Meng","Wenhao Yao","Jianwei Yang","Sihong Wu","Zhineng Chen","Zuxuan Wu","Yu-Gang Jiang","Peixi Wu","Bosong Chai","Xuan Nie","Longquan Yan","Zeyu Wang","Qifan Zhou","Boning Wang","Jiaqi Huang","Zunnan Xu","Xiu Li","Kehong Yuan","Yanyan Zu","Jiayao Ha","Qiong Gao","Licheng Jiao"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-17T16:58:51Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2402.16927v1","name":"The ICASSP 2024 Audio Deep Packet Loss Concealment Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Audio packet loss concealment is the hiding of gaps in VoIP audio streams caused by network packet loss. With the ICASSP 2024 Audio Deep Packet Loss Concealment Grand Challenge, we build on the success of the previous Audio PLC Challenge held at INTERSPEECH 2022. We evaluate models on an overall harder dataset, and use the new ITU-T P.804 evaluation procedure to more closely evaluate the performance of systems specifically on the PLC task. We evaluate a total of 9 systems, 8 of which satisfy the strict real-time performance requirements of the challenge, using both P.804 and Word Accuracy evaluations.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.16927v1","authors":["Lorenz Diener","Solomiya Branets","Ando Saabas","Ross Cutler"],"tags":["cs.SD","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-26T13:26:20Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.14071v2","name":"Evidence of potential thermospheric overcooling during the May 2024 geomagnetic superstorm","source":"arxiv","abstract":"During intense geomagnetic storms, the rapid and significant production of NO followed by its associated infrared radiative emission in lower thermosphere contributes crucially to the energetics of the upper atmosphere. This makes NO infrared radiative cooling a very important phenomenon which needs to be considered for accurate density forecasting in thermosphere. This study reports the investigation of variations in thermospheric density, and NO radiative cooling during the recent geomagnetic superstorm of May 2024. A very rare post-storm thermospheric density depletion of about -23% on May 12 was observed by Swarm-C in northern hemisphere in comparison to the prestorm condition on May 9. This overcooling was observed despite the continuous enhancement in solar EUV (24-36 nm) flux throughout the event. The thermospheric NO infrared radiative emission in the recovery phase of the storm seems to be the plausible cause for this observed post-storm density depletion. The TIMED/SABER observed thermospheric density between 105 and 110 km altitude shows an enhancement during this thermospheric overcooling. Our analysis also suggests an all time high thermospheric NO radiative cooling flux up to 11.84 ergs/cm2/sec during May 2024 geomagnetic superstorm, which has also been compared with famous Halloween storms of October 2003.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.14071v2","authors":["Alok Kumar Ranjan","Dayakrishna Nailwal","MV Sunil Krishna","Akash Kumar","Sumanta Sarkhel"],"tags":["physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-21T12:34:15Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2311.14762v1","name":"The 2nd Workshop on Maritime Computer Vision (MaCVi) 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The 2nd Workshop on Maritime Computer Vision (MaCVi) 2024 addresses maritime computer vision for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV). Three challenges categories are considered: (i) UAV-based Maritime Object Tracking with Re-identification, (ii) USV-based Maritime Obstacle Segmentation and Detection, (iii) USV-based Maritime Boat Tracking. The USV-based Maritime Obstacle Segmentation and Detection features three sub-challenges, including a new embedded challenge addressing efficicent inference on real-world embedded devices. This report offers a comprehensive overview of the findings from the challenges. We provide both statistical and qualitative analyses, evaluating trends from over 195 submissions. All datasets, evaluation code, and the leaderboard are available to the public at https://macvi.org/workshop/macvi24.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.14762v1","authors":["Benjamin Kiefer","Lojze Žust","Matej Kristan","Janez Perš","Matija Teršek","Arnold Wiliem","Martin Messmer","Cheng-Yen Yang","Hsiang-Wei Huang","Zhongyu Jiang","Heng-Cheng Kuo","Jie Mei","Jenq-Neng Hwang","Daniel Stadler","Lars Sommer","Kaer Huang","Aiguo Zheng","Weitu Chong","Kanokphan Lertniphonphan","Jun Xie","Feng Chen","Jian Li","Zhepeng Wang","Luca Zedda","Andrea Loddo","Cecilia Di Ruberto","Tuan-Anh Vu","Hai Nguyen-Truong","Tan-Sang Ha","Quan-Dung Pham","Sai-Kit Yeung","Yuan Feng","Nguyen Thanh Thien","Lixin Tian","Sheng-Yao Kuan","Yuan-Hao Ho","Angel Bueno Rodriguez","Borja Carrillo-Perez","Alexander Klein","Antje Alex","Yannik Steiniger","Felix Sattler","Edgardo Solano-Carrillo","Matej Fabijanić","Magdalena Šumunec","Nadir Kapetanović","Andreas Michel","Wolfgang Gross","Martin Weinmann"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-23T21:01:14Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2502.01992v1","name":"FinRLlama: A Solution to LLM-Engineered Signals Challenge at FinRL Contest 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In response to Task II of the FinRL Challenge at ACM ICAIF 2024, this study proposes a novel prompt framework for fine-tuning large language models (LLM) with Reinforcement Learning from Market Feedback (RLMF). Our framework incorporates market-specific features and short-term price dynamics to generate more precise trading signals. Traditional LLMs, while competent in sentiment analysis, lack contextual alignment for financial market applications. To bridge this gap, we fine-tune the LLaMA-3.2-3B-Instruct model using a custom RLMF prompt design that integrates historical market data and reward-based feedback. Our evaluation shows that this RLMF-tuned framework outperforms baseline methods in signal consistency and achieving tighter trading outcomes; awarded as winner of Task II. You can find the code for this project on GitHub.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.01992v1","authors":["Arnav Grover"],"tags":["q-fin.TR","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-04T04:11:09Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.03732v1","name":"SHROOM-INDElab at SemEval-2024 Task 6: Zero- and Few-Shot LLM-Based Classification for Hallucination Detection","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We describe the University of Amsterdam Intelligent Data Engineering Lab team's entry for the SemEval-2024 Task 6 competition. The SHROOM-INDElab system builds on previous work on using prompt programming and in-context learning with large language models (LLMs) to build classifiers for hallucination detection, and extends that work through the incorporation of context-specific definition of task, role, and target concept, and automated generation of examples for use in a few-shot prompting approach. The resulting system achieved fourth-best and sixth-best performance in the model-agnostic track and model-aware tracks for Task 6, respectively, and evaluation using the validation sets showed that the system's classification decisions were consistent with those of the crowd-sourced human labellers. We further found that a zero-shot approach provided better accuracy than a few-shot approach using automatically generated examples. Code for the system described in this paper is available on Github.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.03732v1","authors":["Bradley P. Allen","Fina Polat","Paul Groth"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-04T18:01:21Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2401.15054v3","name":"The 2024 BBN baryon abundance update","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We revisit the state of the light element abundances from big bang nucleosynthesis in early 2024 with particular focus on the derived baryon abundance. We find that the largest differences between the final baryon abundances are typically driven by the assumed Deuterium burning rates, characterized in this work by the underlying code. The rates from theoretical ab-initio calculations favor smaller baryon abundances, while experimentally-determined rates prefer higher abundances. Through robust marginalization over a wide range of nuclear rates, the recently released $\\mathtt{PRyMordial}$ code allows for a conservative estimate of the baryon abundance at $Ω_b h^2 = 0.02218 \\pm 0.00055$ (using PDG-recommended light element abundances) in $Λ$CDM and $Ω_b h^2 = 0.02196 \\pm 0.00063$ when additional ultra-relativistic relics are considered ($Λ$CDM + $N_\\mathrm{eff}$). These additional relics themselves are constrained to $ΔN_\\mathrm{eff} = -0.14 \\pm 0.21$ by light element abundances alone.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.15054v3","authors":["Nils Schöneberg"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-26T18:30:11Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2602.07133v1","name":"WFC3/UVIS: External CTE Monitoring 2009-2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This report examines Charge Transfer Efficiency (CTE) flux losses in the Wide Field Camera 3 UVIS detector aboard the Hubble Space Telescope. Spanning approximately 14 years of observations from October 2009 to February 2024, the study analyzes CTE flux loss trends across various total background levels and source fluxes. In addition to analyzing the present state of CTE flux losses, we provide updated coefficients for the empirical model for point source photometry corrections in both non-CTE-corrected (FLT) and CTE-corrected (FLC) data. Between 2009 and 2023, the rate of CTE flux loss for a 500-2000 e$^-$ source, farthest from the readout, in FLT data with a 1-3 e$^-$/pix background, is measured to be $\\sim$0.05 $Δ$mag/2051 pix/year. The recommended minimum total background level to mitigate CTE losses remains at 20-25 e$^-$/pix. At that level, we find that 500-2000 e$^-$ sources, farthest from the readout, in 2024 FLT data can suffer $\\sim$23$\\%$ flux loss/2051 pix. The FLC data provide some relief, but we measure a $\\sim$12$\\%$ flux loss/2051 pix in 2024. There continues to be a slight over-correction in some FLC results that contain backgrounds above 40 e$^-$/pix. In 2024, 8000-20000 e$^-$ sources farthest from the readout in a 40, 60, or 90 e$^-$/pix background are over-corrected by $\\sim$1, 2, and 3$\\%$, respectively.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.07133v1","authors":["Benjamin Kuhn"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-06T19:14:11Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.14177v1","name":"SimulSeamless: FBK at IWSLT 2024 Simultaneous Speech Translation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes the FBK's participation in the Simultaneous Translation Evaluation Campaign at IWSLT 2024. For this year's submission in the speech-to-text translation (ST) sub-track, we propose SimulSeamless, which is realized by combining AlignAtt and SeamlessM4T in its medium configuration. The SeamlessM4T model is used \"off-the-shelf\" and its simultaneous inference is enabled through the adoption of AlignAtt, a SimulST policy based on cross-attention that can be applied without any retraining or adaptation of the underlying model for the simultaneous task. We participated in all the Shared Task languages (English-&gt;{German, Japanese, Chinese}, and Czech-&gt;English), achieving acceptable or even better results compared to last year's submissions. SimulSeamless, covering more than 143 source languages and 200 target languages, is released at: https://github.com/hlt-mt/FBK-fairseq/.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.14177v1","authors":["Sara Papi","Marco Gaido","Matteo Negri","Luisa Bentivogli"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.SD","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-20T10:34:46Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.01851v1","name":"Silver medal Solution for Image Matching Challenge 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Image Matching Challenge 2024 is a competition focused on building 3D maps from diverse image sets, requiring participants to solve fundamental computer vision challenges in image matching across varying angles, lighting, and seasonal changes. This project develops a Pipeline method that combines multiple advanced techniques: using pre-trained EfficientNet-B7 for initial feature extraction and cosine distance-based image pair filtering, employing both KeyNetAffNetHardNet and SuperPoint for keypoint feature extraction, utilizing AdaLAM and SuperGlue for keypoint matching, and finally applying Pycolmap for 3D spatial analysis. The methodology achieved an excellent score of 0.167 on the private leaderboard, with experimental results demonstrating that the combination of KeyNetAffNetHardNet and SuperPoint provides significant advantages in keypoint detection and matching, particularly when dealing with challenging variations in surface texture and environmental conditions that typically degrade traditional algorithm performance.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.01851v1","authors":["Yian Wang"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-04T07:05:47Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.02112v2","name":"PyHEP.dev 2024 Workshop Summary Report, August 26-30 2024, Aachen, Germany","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The second PyHEP.dev workshop, part of the \"Python in HEP Developers\" series organized by the HEP Software Foundation (HSF), took place in Aachen, Germany, from August 26 to 30, 2024. This gathering brought together nearly 30 Python package developers, maintainers, and power users to engage in informal discussions about current trends in Python, with a primary focus on analysis tools and techniques in High Energy Physics (HEP). The workshop agenda encompassed a range of topics, such as defining the scope of HEP data analysis, exploring the Analysis Grand Challenge project, evaluating statistical models and serialization methods, assessing workflow management systems, examining histogramming practices, and investigating distributed processing tools like RDataFrame, Coffea, and Dask. Additionally, the workshop dedicated time to brainstorming the organization of future PyHEP.dev events, upholding the tradition of alternating between Europe and the United States as host locations. This document, prepared by the session conveners in the weeks following the workshop, serves as a summary of the key discussions, salient points, and conclusions that emerged.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.02112v2","authors":["Azzah Alshehri","Jan Bürger","Saransh Chopra","Niclas Eich","Jonas Eppelt","Martin Erdmann","Jonas Eschle","Peter Fackeldey","Maté Farkas","Matthew Feickert","Tristan Fillinger","Benjamin Fischer","Stefan Fröse","Lino Oscar Gerlach","Nikolai Hartmann","Alexander Heidelbach","Alexander Held","Marian I Ivanov","Josué Molina","Yaroslav Nikitenko","Ianna Osborne","Vincenzo Eduardo Padulano","Jim Pivarski","Cyrille Praz","Marcel Rieger","Eduardo Rodrigues","Oksana Shadura","Juraj Smieško","Giordon Holtsberg Stark","Judith Steinfeld","Angela Warkentin"],"tags":["hep-ex","physics.comp-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-03T00:30:45Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.15052v1","name":"Brotherhood at WMT 2024: Leveraging LLM-Generated Contextual Conversations for Cross-Lingual Image Captioning","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, we describe our system under the team name Brotherhood for the English-to-Lowres Multi-Modal Translation Task. We participate in the multi-modal translation tasks for English-Hindi, English-Hausa, English-Bengali, and English-Malayalam language pairs. We present a method leveraging multi-modal Large Language Models (LLMs), specifically GPT-4o and Claude 3.5 Sonnet, to enhance cross-lingual image captioning without traditional training or fine-tuning. Our approach utilizes instruction-tuned prompting to generate rich, contextual conversations about cropped images, using their English captions as additional context. These synthetic conversations are then translated into the target languages. Finally, we employ a weighted prompting strategy, balancing the original English caption with the translated conversation to generate captions in the target language. This method achieved competitive results, scoring 37.90 BLEU on the English-Hindi Challenge Set and ranking first and second for English-Hausa on the Challenge and Evaluation Leaderboards, respectively. We conduct additional experiments on a subset of 250 images, exploring the trade-offs between BLEU scores and semantic similarity across various weighting schemes.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.15052v1","authors":["Siddharth Betala","Ishan Chokshi"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-23T14:29:46Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2403.19722v1","name":"Satellite Visibility During the April 2024 Total Eclipse","source":"arxiv","abstract":"On 8 April 2024, tens of millions of people across North America will be able to view a total solar eclipse. Such astronomical events have been important throughout history, but with nearly 10,000 satellites in orbit, we question whether total eclipses will now reveal a sky full of satellites, fundamentally changing this experience for humanity. Using the current population of Starlink satellites, we find that the brightest satellites would be naked-eye visible in dark skies, but the high sky brightness during totality will make them undetectable to the unaided eye. Our model does not take into account the effects of chance reflections from large, flat surfaces like solar panels, which we expect will cause glints and flares that could be visible from large satellites and abandoned rocket bodies. Time-lapse all-sky imaging might reveal satellites during the eclipse.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.19722v1","authors":["Samantha M. Lawler","Hanno Rein","Aaron C. Boley"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-28T02:47:17Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.00952v2","name":"CL-UZH submission to the NIST SRE 2024 Speaker Recognition Evaluation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The CL-UZH team submitted one system each for the fixed and open conditions of the NIST SRE 2024 challenge. For the closed-set condition, results for the audio-only trials were achieved using the X-vector system developed with Kaldi. For the audio-visual results we used only models developed for the visual modality. Two sets of results were submitted for the open-set and closed-set conditions, one based on a pretrained model using the VoxBlink2 and VoxCeleb2 datasets. An Xvector-based model was trained from scratch using the CTS superset dataset for the closed set. In addition to the submission of the results of the SRE24 evaluation to the competition website, we talked about the performance of the proposed systems on the SRE24 evaluation in this report.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.00952v2","authors":["Aref Farhadipour","Shiran Liu","Masoumeh Chapariniya","Valeriia Vyshnevetska","Srikanth Madikeri","Teodora Vukovic","Volker Dellwo"],"tags":["eess.AS","cs.SD"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-01T14:27:00Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2511.16384v1","name":"Editorial: Impacts of the Extreme Gannon Geomagnetic Storm of May 2024 throughout the Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-Thermosphere System","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Editorial for the Research Topic collection Impacts of the Extreme Gannon Geomagnetic Storm of May 2024 throughout the Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-Thermosphere System, published in Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Science.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.16384v1","authors":["Denny M. Oliveira","Mirko Piersanti","Maria-Theresia Walach","Livia R. Alves","W. Kent Tobiska","Xochitl Blanco-Cano","Katariina Nykyri"],"tags":["physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-20T14:03:17Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.00143v1","name":"HLTCOE at TREC 2024 NeuCLIR Track","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The HLTCOE team applied PLAID, an mT5 reranker, GPT-4 reranker, score fusion, and document translation to the TREC 2024 NeuCLIR track. For PLAID we included a variety of models and training techniques -- Translate Distill (TD), Generate Distill (GD) and multi-lingual translate-distill (MTD). TD uses scores from the mT5 model over English MS MARCO query-document pairs to learn how to score query-document pairs where the documents are translated to match the CLIR setting. GD follows TD but uses passages from the collection and queries generated by an LLM for training examples. MTD uses MS MARCO translated into multiple languages, allowing experiments on how to batch the data during training. Finally, for report generation we experimented with system combination over different runs. One family of systems used either GPT-4o or Claude-3.5-Sonnet to summarize the retrieved results from a series of decomposed sub-questions. Another system took the output from those two models and verified/combined them with Claude-3.5-Sonnet. The other family used GPT4o and GPT3.5Turbo to extract and group relevant facts from the retrieved documents based on the decomposed queries. The resulting submissions directly concatenate the grouped facts to form the report and their documents of origin as the citations. The team submitted runs to all NeuCLIR tasks: CLIR and MLIR news tasks as well as the technical documents task and the report generation task.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.00143v1","authors":["Eugene Yang","Dawn Lawrie","Orion Weller","James Mayfield"],"tags":["cs.IR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-30T18:16:45Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.15495v2","name":"Comment on \"ENN's roadmap for proton-boron fusion based on spherical torus\" [Phys. Plasmas 31, 062507 (2024)]","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This comment discusses the feasibility of hot ion mode ${{T}_{i}}/{{T}_{e}}=4$ for proton-boron fusion which is critical for the roadmap proposed in Liu, M et al [Phys. Plasmas 31, 062507 (2024)]. The hot ion mode ${{T}_{i}}/{{T}_{e}}=4$ has been calculated to be far from accessible (${{T}_{i}}/{{T}_{e}}&lt;1.5$ for ${{T}_{i}}=150\\text{keV}$) under the most optimal conditions if fusion provides the heating (Xie, H [Introduction to Fusion Ignition Principles: Zeroth Order Factors of Fusion Energy Research (in Chinese), USTC Press, Hefei, 2023]), i.e., that all fusion power serves to heat the ions and that electrons acquire energy only through interactions with ions. We also discuss if hot ion mode of ${{T}_{i}}/{{T}_{e}}=4$ could be achieved by an ideal heating method which is much more efficient than fusion itself (near 20 times fusion power for ${{T}_{i}}=150\\text{keV}$) and only heats the ions, whether it makes sense economically.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.15495v2","authors":["Zhi Li"],"tags":["physics.plasm-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-19T01:47:54Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.09068v1","name":"Modeling and Prediction of the UEFA EURO 2024 via Combined Statistical Learning Approaches","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this work, three fundamentally different machine learning models are combined to create a new, joint model for forecasting the UEFA EURO 2024. Therefore, a generalized linear model, a random forest model, and a extreme gradient boosting model are used to predict the number of goals a team scores in a match. The three models are trained on the match results of the UEFA EUROs 2004-2020, with additional covariates characterizing the teams for each tournament as well as three enhanced variables derived from different ranking methods for football teams. The first enhanced variable is based on historic match data from national teams, the second is based on the bookmakers' tournament winning odds of all participating teams, and the third is based on historic match data of individual players both for club and international matches, resulting in player ratings. Then, based on current covariate information of the participating teams, the final trained model is used to predict the UEFA EURO 2024. For this purpose, the tournament is simulated 100.000 times, based on the estimated expected number of goals for all possible matches, from which probabilities across the different tournament stages are derived. Our combined model identifies France as the clear favourite with a winning probability of 19.2%, followed by England (16.7%) and host Germany (13.7%).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.09068v1","authors":["Andreas Groll","Lars M. Hvattum","Christophe Ley","Jonas Sternemann","Gunther Schauberger","Achim Zeileis"],"tags":["cs.LG","stat.AP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-01T07:48:16Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.20721v1","name":"Ramanujan Graphs and Interlacing Families","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This survey accompanies a lecture on the paper ``Interlacing Families I: Bipartite Ramanujan Graphs of All Degrees'' by A. Marcus, D. Spielman, and N. Srivastava at the 2024 International Congress of Basic Science (ICBS) in July, 2024. Its purpose is to explain the developments surrounding this work over the past ten or so years, with an emphasis on connections to other areas of mathematics. Earlier surveys about the interlacing families method by the same authors focused on applications in functional analysis, whereas the focus here is on applications in spectral graph theory.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.20721v1","authors":["Nikhil Srivastava"],"tags":["math.CO","cs.DM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-30T05:41:52Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.13198v1","name":"Overcoming Bottlenecks in Homomorphic Encryption for the 2024 Mexican Federal Election","source":"arxiv","abstract":"On June 2, 2024, Mexico held its federal elections. The majority of Mexican citizens voted in person at the polls in this historic election. For the first time though, Mexican citizens living outside their country were able to vote online via a web app, either on a personal device or using an electronic voting kiosk at one of 23 embassies and consulates in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. In total, 144,734 people voted outside of Mexico: 122,496 on a personal device and 22,238 in-person at a kiosk. Voting was open for remote voting from 8PM, May 18, 2024 to 6PM, June 2, 2024 and was open for in-person voting from 8AM-6PM on June 2, 2024. This article describes the technical and cryptographic tools applied to secure the ex-patriate component of the election and to enable INE (Mexico's National Electoral Institute) to generate provable election results within minutes of the close of the election. This article will also describe how the solutions we present scale to elections on a national level.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.13198v1","authors":["Eric Landquist","Nimit Sawhney","Simer Sawhney"],"tags":["cs.CR","cs.DC","math.NT"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-14T20:46:42Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.12110v2","name":"Impacto Redistributivo da Reforma da Tributacao do Consumo no Brasil: Simulacoes Baseadas no PLP68/2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The aim of this study is to estimate the implications for the reference rate and for the distribution of the tax burden among households from the consumption tax reform as outlined in the version of the Projeto de Lei Complementar (PLP) 68 approved by the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies in July 2024.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.12110v2","authors":["Rozane Bezerra de Siqueira","Jose Ricardo Bezerra Nogueira","Carlos Feitosa Luna"],"tags":["econ.GN"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-18T22:42:19Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.04604v2","name":"ARC Prize 2024: Technical Report","source":"arxiv","abstract":"As of December 2024, the ARC-AGI benchmark is five years old and remains unbeaten. We believe it is currently the most important unsolved AI benchmark in the world because it seeks to measure generalization on novel tasks -- the essence of intelligence -- as opposed to skill at tasks that can be prepared for in advance. This year, we launched ARC Prize, a global competition to inspire new ideas and drive open progress towards AGI by reaching a target benchmark score of 85\\%. As a result, the state-of-the-art score on the ARC-AGI private evaluation set increased from 33\\% to 55.5\\%, propelled by several frontier AGI reasoning techniques including deep learning-guided program synthesis and test-time training. In this paper, we survey top approaches, review new open-source implementations, discuss the limitations of the ARC-AGI-1 dataset, and share key insights gained from the competition.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.04604v2","authors":["Francois Chollet","Mike Knoop","Gregory Kamradt","Bryan Landers"],"tags":["cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-05T20:40:28Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.07924v1","name":"ICPR 2024 Competition on Multiple Sclerosis Lesion Segmentation -- Methods and Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This report summarizes the outcomes of the ICPR 2024 Competition on Multiple Sclerosis Lesion Segmentation (MSLesSeg). The competition aimed to develop methods capable of automatically segmenting multiple sclerosis lesions in MRI scans. Participants were provided with a novel annotated dataset comprising a heterogeneous cohort of MS patients, featuring both baseline and follow-up MRI scans acquired at different hospitals. MSLesSeg focuses on developing algorithms that can independently segment multiple sclerosis lesions of an unexamined cohort of patients. This segmentation approach aims to overcome current benchmarks by eliminating user interaction and ensuring robust lesion detection at different timepoints, encouraging innovation and promoting methodological advances.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.07924v1","authors":["Alessia Rondinella","Francesco Guarnera","Elena Crispino","Giulia Russo","Clara Di Lorenzo","Davide Maimone","Francesco Pappalardo","Sebastiano Battiato"],"tags":["eess.IV","cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-10T13:49:47Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.01714v2","name":"The Oxford Olympics Study 2024: Are Cost and Cost Overrun at the Games Coming Down?","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The present paper is an update of the \"Oxford Olympics Study 2016\" (Flyvbjerg et al. 2016). We document that the Games remain costly and continue to have large cost overruns, to a degree that threatens their viability. The IOC is aware of the problem and has initiated reform. We assess the reforms and find: (a) Olympic costs are statistically significantly increasing; prior analysis did not show this trend; it is a step in the wrong direction. (b) Cost overruns were decreasing until 2008, but have increased since then; again a step in the wrong direction. (c) At present, the cost of Paris 2024 is USD 8.7 billion (2022 level) and cost overruns is 115% in real terms; this is not the cheap Games that were promised. (d) Cost overruns are the norm for the Games, past, present, and future; they are the only project type that never delivered on budget. We assess a new IOC policy of reducing cost by reusing existing venues instead of building new ones. We find that reuse did not have the desired effect for Tokyo 2020 and also look ineffective for Paris 2024. Finally, we recommend that the Games look to other types of megaprojects for better data, better forecasting, and how to generate the positive learning curves that are necessary for bringing costs and overrun down. Only if this happens are Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032 likely to live up to the IOC's intentions of a more affordable Games that more cities will want to host.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.01714v2","authors":["Alexander Budzier","Bent Flyvbjerg"],"tags":["q-fin.RM","econ.GN"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-03T18:19:16Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.16254v2","name":"Loss of 12 Starlink Satellites Due to Pre-conditioning of Intense Space Weather Activity Surrounding the Extreme Geomagnetic Storm of 10 May 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This study investigates the orbital decay and subsequent reentries of 12 Starlink satellites from 16 April to 15 May 2024. By examining Two-Line Element data, we observed a significant increase in orbital decay following the geomagnetic storm on 10 May 2024, consistent with expectations of increased thermospheric density. An unexpected increase in decay rates for 10 satellites was identified around 25 April 2024, while two lower-altitude satellites remained unaffected. Detailed analysis revealed that this enhanced decay rate prior to the storm was influenced by a spike in the O/N2 ratio and an increase in Extreme Ultra Violet (EUV) flux. Moreover, most of the satellites exhibited sharp decay during the early recovery phase of the geomagnetic storm. Based on the positions and local times of changes in decay rates, it is likely that the satellites were affected by various processes during elevated space weather activity, such as enhanced EUV flux, Joule heating, particle precipitation, and the equatorial neutral anomaly. This study highlights the complex role of preconditioning due to enhanced EUV flux and extreme space weather activity in the orbital dynamics of Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.16254v2","authors":["Ayisha M Ashruf","Ankush Bhaskar","C Vineeth","Tarun Kumar Pant","Ashna V M"],"tags":["physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-21T17:56:45Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.13007v1","name":"NTIRE 2024 Challenge on Night Photography Rendering","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents a review of the NTIRE 2024 challenge on night photography rendering. The goal of the challenge was to find solutions that process raw camera images taken in nighttime conditions, and thereby produce a photo-quality output images in the standard RGB (sRGB) space. Unlike the previous year's competition, the challenge images were collected with a mobile phone and the speed of algorithms was also measured alongside the quality of their output. To evaluate the results, a sufficient number of viewers were asked to assess the visual quality of the proposed solutions, considering the subjective nature of the task. There were 2 nominations: quality and efficiency. Top 5 solutions in terms of output quality were sorted by evaluation time (see Fig. 1). The top ranking participants' solutions effectively represent the state-of-the-art in nighttime photography rendering. More results can be found at https://nightimaging.org.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.13007v1","authors":["Egor Ershov","Artyom Panshin","Oleg Karasev","Sergey Korchagin","Shepelev Lev","Alexandr Startsev","Daniil Vladimirov","Ekaterina Zaychenkova","Nikola Banić","Dmitrii Iarchuk","Maria Efimova","Radu Timofte","Arseniy Terekhin","Shuwei Yue","Yuyang Liu","Minchen Wei","Lu Xu","Chao Zhang","Yasi Wang","Furkan Kınlı","Doğa Yılmaz","Barış Özcan","Furkan Kıraç","Shuai Liu","Jingyuan Xiao","Chaoyu Feng","Hao Wang","Guangqi Shao","Yuqian Zhang","Yibin Huang","Wei Luo","Liming Wang","Xiaotao Wang","Lei Lei","Simone Zini","Claudio Rota","Marco Buzzelli","Simone Bianco","Raimondo Schettini","Jin Guo","Tianli Liu","Mohao Wu","Ben Shao","Qirui Yang","Xianghui Li","Qihua Cheng","Fangpu Zhang","Zhiqiang Xu","Jingyu Yang","Huanjing Yue"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-18T18:56:25Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.15768v1","name":"Overview of PlantCLEF 2024: multi-species plant identification in vegetation plot images","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Plot images are essential for ecological studies, enabling standardized sampling, biodiversity assessment, long-term monitoring and remote, large-scale surveys. Plot images are typically fifty centimetres or one square meter in size, and botanists meticulously identify all the species found there. The integration of AI could significantly improve the efficiency of specialists, helping them to extend the scope and coverage of ecological studies. To evaluate advances in this regard, the PlantCLEF 2024 challenge leverages a new test set of thousands of multi-label images annotated by experts and covering over 800 species. In addition, it provides a large training set of 1.7 million individual plant images as well as state-of-the-art vision transformer models pre-trained on this data. The task is evaluated as a (weakly-labeled) multi-label classification task where the aim is to predict all the plant species present on a high-resolution plot image (using the single-label training data). In this paper, we provide an detailed description of the data, the evaluation methodology, the methods and models employed by the participants and the results achieved.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.15768v1","authors":["Herve Goeau","Vincent Espitalier","Pierre Bonnet","Alexis Joly"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-19T08:51:41Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.17094v1","name":"Team Ryu's Submission to SIGMORPHON 2024 Shared Task on Subword Tokenization","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This papers presents the submission of team Ryu to the canceled SIGMORPHON 2024 shared task on subword tokenization. My submission explores whether morphological segmentation methods can be used as a part of subword tokenizers. I adopt two approaches: the statistical segmentation method Morfessor and a transformer based sequence-to-sequence (seq2seq) segmentation model in tokenizers. The prediction results show that morphological segmentation could be as effective as commonly used subword tokenizers. Additionally, I investigate how a tokenizer's vocabulary influences the performance of language models. A tokenizer with a balanced token frequency distribution tends to work better. A balanced token vocabulary can be achieved by keeping frequent words as unique tokens.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.17094v1","authors":["Zilong Li"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-19T04:06:09Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.21072v1","name":"First-Place Solution to NeurIPS 2024 Invisible Watermark Removal Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Content watermarking is an important tool for the authentication and copyright protection of digital media. However, it is unclear whether existing watermarks are robust against adversarial attacks. We present the winning solution to the NeurIPS 2024 Erasing the Invisible challenge, which stress-tests watermark robustness under varying degrees of adversary knowledge. The challenge consisted of two tracks: a black-box and beige-box track, depending on whether the adversary knows which watermarking method was used by the provider. For the beige-box track, we leverage an adaptive VAE-based evasion attack, with a test-time optimization and color-contrast restoration in CIELAB space to preserve the image's quality. For the black-box track, we first cluster images based on their artifacts in the spatial or frequency-domain. Then, we apply image-to-image diffusion models with controlled noise injection and semantic priors from ChatGPT-generated captions to each cluster with optimized parameter settings. Empirical evaluations demonstrate that our method successfully achieves near-perfect watermark removal (95.7%) with negligible impact on the residual image's quality. We hope that our attacks inspire the development of more robust image watermarking methods.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.21072v1","authors":["Fahad Shamshad","Tameem Bakr","Yahia Shaaban","Noor Hussein","Karthik Nandakumar","Nils Lukas"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-28T17:59:59Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.15987v1","name":"AI for Handball: predicting and explaining the 2024 Olympic Games tournament with Deep Learning and Large Language Models","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Over summer 2024, the world will be looking at Paris to encourage their favorite athletes win the Olympic gold medal. In handball, few nations will fight hard to win the precious metal with speculations predicting the victory for France or Denmark for men and France or Norway for women. However, there is so far no scientific method proposed to predict the final results of the competition. In this work, we leverage a deep learning model to predict the results of the handball tournament of the 2024 Olympic Games. This model, coupled with explainable AI (xAI) techniques, allows us to extract insightful information about the main factors influencing the outcome of each match. Notably, xAI helps sports experts understand how factors like match information or individual athlete performance contribute to the predictions. Furthermore, we integrate Large Language Models (LLMs) to generate human-friendly explanations that highlight the most important factors impacting the match results. By providing human-centric explanations, our approach offers a deeper understanding of the AI predictions, making them more actionable for coaches and analysts.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.15987v1","authors":["Florian Felice"],"tags":["stat.AP","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-22T18:54:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.19522v1","name":"Artificial Intelligence Index Report 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The 2024 Index is our most comprehensive to date and arrives at an important moment when AI's influence on society has never been more pronounced. This year, we have broadened our scope to more extensively cover essential trends such as technical advancements in AI, public perceptions of the technology, and the geopolitical dynamics surrounding its development. Featuring more original data than ever before, this edition introduces new estimates on AI training costs, detailed analyses of the responsible AI landscape, and an entirely new chapter dedicated to AI's impact on science and medicine. The AI Index report tracks, collates, distills, and visualizes data related to artificial intelligence (AI). Our mission is to provide unbiased, rigorously vetted, broadly sourced data in order for policymakers, researchers, executives, journalists, and the general public to develop a more thorough and nuanced understanding of the complex field of AI. The AI Index is recognized globally as one of the most credible and authoritative sources for data and insights on artificial intelligence. Previous editions have been cited in major newspapers, including the The New York Times, Bloomberg, and The Guardian, have amassed hundreds of academic citations, and been referenced by high-level policymakers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, among other places. This year's edition surpasses all previous ones in size, scale, and scope, reflecting the growing significance that AI is coming to hold in all of our lives.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.19522v1","authors":["Nestor Maslej","Loredana Fattorini","Raymond Perrault","Vanessa Parli","Anka Reuel","Erik Brynjolfsson","John Etchemendy","Katrina Ligett","Terah Lyons","James Manyika","Juan Carlos Niebles","Yoav Shoham","Russell Wald","Jack Clark"],"tags":["cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-29T20:59:57Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2408.08566v1","name":"Overview of the BioLaySumm 2024 Shared Task on the Lay Summarization of Biomedical Research Articles","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the setup and results of the second edition of the BioLaySumm shared task on the Lay Summarisation of Biomedical Research Articles, hosted at the BioNLP Workshop at ACL 2024. In this task edition, we aim to build on the first edition's success by further increasing research interest in this important task and encouraging participants to explore novel approaches that will help advance the state-of-the-art. Encouragingly, we found research interest in the task to be high, with this edition of the task attracting a total of 53 participating teams, a significant increase in engagement from the previous edition. Overall, our results show that a broad range of innovative approaches were adopted by task participants, with a predictable shift towards the use of Large Language Models (LLMs).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.08566v1","authors":["Tomas Goldsack","Carolina Scarton","Matthew Shardlow","Chenghua Lin"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-16T07:00:08Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2401.17410v2","name":"Multi-Species Cohesion: Humans, machinery, AI and beyond","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The global chaos caused by the 19 July 2024 technology meltdown highlights the need for a theory of what large-scale cohesive behaviors -- dangerous or desirable -- could suddenly emerge from future systems of interacting humans, machinery and software including AI; when will they emerge; and how will they evolve and be controlled. Here we offer answers by introducing an aggregation model that accounts for the interacting entities' inter- and intra-species diversities. It yields a novel multi-dimensional generalization of existing aggregation physics. We derive exact analytic solutions for the time-to-cohesion and growth-of-cohesion for two species, and some generalizations for an arbitrary number of species. These solutions reproduce -- and offer a microscopic explanation for -- an anomalous nonlinear growth feature observed in various current real-world systems. Our theory suggests good and bad 'surprises' will appear sooner and more strongly as humans-machinery-AI etc. interact more -- but it also offers a rigorous approach for understanding and controlling this.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.17410v2","authors":["Frank Yingjie Huo","Pedro D. Manrique","Neil F. Johnson"],"tags":["physics.soc-ph","cond-mat.stat-mech","nlin.PS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-30T19:59:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.11918v2","name":"Artificial Intelligence Mangrove Monitoring System Based on Deep Learning and Sentinel-2 Satellite Data in the UAE (2017-2024)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Mangroves play a crucial role in maintaining coastal ecosystem health and protecting biodiversity. Therefore, continuous mapping of mangroves is essential for understanding their dynamics. Earth observation imagery typically provides a cost-effective way to monitor mangrove dynamics. However, there is a lack of regional studies on mangrove areas in the UAE. This study utilizes the UNet++ deep learning model combined with Sentinel-2 multispectral data and manually annotated labels to monitor the spatiotemporal dynamics of densely distributed mangroves (coverage greater than 70%) in the UAE from 2017 to 2024, achieving an mIoU of 87.8% on the validation set. Results show that the total mangrove area in the UAE in 2024 was approximately 9,142.21 hectares, an increase of 2,061.33 hectares compared to 2017, with carbon sequestration increasing by approximately 194,383.42 tons, equivalent to fixing about 713,367.36 tons of carbon dioxide. Abu Dhabi has the largest mangrove area and plays a dominant role in the UAE's mangrove growth, increasing by 1,855.6 hectares between 2017-2024, while other emirates have also contributed to mangrove expansion through stable and sustainable growth in mangrove areas. This comprehensive growth pattern reflects the collective efforts of all emirates in mangrove restoration.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.11918v2","authors":["Linlin Tan","Haishan Wu"],"tags":["cs.LG","stat.CO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-18T03:37:33Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.19781v1","name":"Recent Developments in Real Quantifier Elimination and Cylindrical Algebraic Decomposition","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This extended abstract accompanies an invited talk at CASC 2024, which surveys recent developments in Real Quantifier Elimination (QE) and Cylindrical Algebraic Decomposition (CAD). After introducing these concepts we will first consider adaptations of CAD inspired by computational logic, in particular the algorithms which underpin modern SAT solvers. CAD theory has found use in collaboration with these via the Satisfiability Modulo Theory (SMT) paradigm; while the ideas behind SAT/SMT have led to new algorithms for Real QE. Second we will consider the optimisation of CAD through the use of Machine Learning (ML). The choice of CAD variable ordering has become a key case study for the use of ML to tune algorithms in computer algebra. We will also consider how explainable AI techniques might give insight for improved computer algebra software without any reliance on ML in the final code.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.19781v1","authors":["Matthew England"],"tags":["cs.SC"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-29T08:23:58Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.04962v2","name":"Mapping the Global Election Landscape on Social Media in 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In 2024, half of the global population is expected to participate in elections, offering researchers a unique opportunity to study online information diffusion and user behavior. This study investigates the media landscape on social media by analyzing Facebook posts from national political parties and major news agencies across Europe, Mexico, and India. Our methodology identifies key topics and evaluates public interaction, reflecting broader trends in political engagement. Using Principal Component Analysis, we distil these topics to uncover patterns of correlation and differentiation. This approach reveals dominant themes that engage global audiences, providing critical insights into the interplay between public opinion and digital narratives during a major electoral cycle. Our findings highlight how different topics resonate across political spectrums, shaping political debate and offering a comprehensive view of the interaction between media content, political ideology, and audience engagement.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.04962v2","authors":["Giulio Pecile","Niccolò Di Marco","Matteo Cinelli","Walter Quattrociocchi"],"tags":["cs.SI","physics.soc-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-07T14:29:17Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.18668v1","name":"The axis of systematic bias in SN~Ia cosmology and implications for DESI 2024 results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Relative distances between a high-redshift sample of Type Ia supernovae (SNe~Ia), anchored to a low-redshift sample, have been instrumental in drawing insights on the nature of the dark energy driving the accelerated expansion of the universe. A combination (hereafter called SBC) of the SNe~Ia with baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) and the cosmic microwave background (CMB) recently indicated deviations from the standard interpretation of dark energy as a cosmological constant. In this paper, we analyse various systematic uncertainties in the distance measurement of SNe~Ia and their impact on the inferred dark energy properties in the canonical Chevallier-Polarski-Linder (CPL) model. We model systematic effects like photometric calibration, progenitor and dust evolution, and uncertainty in the galactic extinction law. We find that all the dominant systematic errors shift the dark energy inference towards the DESI 2024 results from an underlying $Λ$CDM cosmology. A small change in the calibration, and change in the Milky Way dust, can give rise to systematic-driven shifts on $w_0$-$w_a$ constraints, comparable to the deviation reported from the DESI 2024 results. We forecast that the systematic uncertainties can shift the inference of $w_0-w_a$ by a few times the error ellipse for future low- and high-$z$ SN~Ia compilations and hence, it is critical to circumvent them to robustly test for deviations from $Λ$. A slider and visualisation tool for quantifying the impact of systematic effects on the fitted cosmological parameters is publicly available at: https://github.com/sdhawan21/DEslider.git","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.18668v1","authors":["Suhail Dhawan","Brodie Popovic","Ariel Goobar"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO","astro-ph.HE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-27T11:53:38Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2408.07452v1","name":"CMU's IWSLT 2024 Simultaneous Speech Translation System","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes CMU's submission to the IWSLT 2024 Simultaneous Speech Translation (SST) task for translating English speech to German text in a streaming manner. Our end-to-end speech-to-text (ST) system integrates the WavLM speech encoder, a modality adapter, and the Llama2-7B-Base model as the decoder. We employ a two-stage training approach: initially, we align the representations of speech and text, followed by full fine-tuning. Both stages are trained on MuST-c v2 data with cross-entropy loss. We adapt our offline ST model for SST using a simple fixed hold-n policy. Experiments show that our model obtains an offline BLEU score of 31.1 and a BLEU score of 29.5 under 2 seconds latency on the MuST-C-v2 tst-COMMON.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.07452v1","authors":["Xi Xu","Siqi Ouyang","Brian Yan","Patrick Fernandes","William Chen","Lei Li","Graham Neubig","Shinji Watanabe"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-14T10:44:51Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.11770v1","name":"Event-Based Eye Tracking. AIS 2024 Challenge Survey","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This survey reviews the AIS 2024 Event-Based Eye Tracking (EET) Challenge. The task of the challenge focuses on processing eye movement recorded with event cameras and predicting the pupil center of the eye. The challenge emphasizes efficient eye tracking with event cameras to achieve good task accuracy and efficiency trade-off. During the challenge period, 38 participants registered for the Kaggle competition, and 8 teams submitted a challenge factsheet. The novel and diverse methods from the submitted factsheets are reviewed and analyzed in this survey to advance future event-based eye tracking research.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.11770v1","authors":["Zuowen Wang","Chang Gao","Zongwei Wu","Marcos V. Conde","Radu Timofte","Shih-Chii Liu","Qinyu Chen","Zheng-jun Zha","Wei Zhai","Han Han","Bohao Liao","Yuliang Wu","Zengyu Wan","Zhong Wang","Yang Cao","Ganchao Tan","Jinze Chen","Yan Ru Pei","Sasskia Brüers","Sébastien Crouzet","Douglas McLelland","Oliver Coenen","Baoheng Zhang","Yizhao Gao","Jingyuan Li","Hayden Kwok-Hay So","Philippe Bich","Chiara Boretti","Luciano Prono","Mircea Lică","David Dinucu-Jianu","Cătălin Grîu","Xiaopeng Lin","Hongwei Ren","Bojun Cheng","Xinan Zhang","Valentin Vial","Anthony Yezzi","James Tsai"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-17T21:53:01Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.15707v1","name":"Changes in Sentiments and User Engagement for 2024 U.S. Presidential Candidates After Biden's Withdrawal: An Analysis of TikTok Videos","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The 2024 U.S. presidential election has sparked widespread online discussions about the presidential candidates. Joe Biden's withdrawal from the race and Kamala Harris's subsequent entry as the Democratic candidate likely alter the dynamics of these online discussions; yet, this hypothesis requires evidence. Here, we study how sentiments and user engagement in social media posts mentioning presidential candidates change after Biden's withdrawal. Our analysis is based on N=680,609 TikTok videos that have accumulated over 4 billion views, with more than 23 million comments, 31 million shares, and 335 million likes from November 1, 2023, to October 6, 2024. We find that: (i) Before Biden's withdrawal, video posts mentioning the Republican candidate (Donald Trump) have higher positive sentiment and lower negative sentiment compared to those mentioning the Democratic candidate (Joe Biden). (ii) Following Biden's withdrawal, positive sentiment in video posts mentioning the Democratic candidate (Kamala Harris) increases by 46.8%, while negative sentiment decreases by 52.0%. (iii) Regarding user engagement, before Biden's withdrawal, video posts mentioning the Democratic candidate have 64.9% higher odds of being shared and 39.5% higher odds of receiving likes compared to posts mentioning the Republican candidate, with similar odds of receiving comments. (iv) After Biden's withdrawal, the odds of being shared increase by 53.3%, and the odds of receiving likes increase by 77.4% in both video posts mentioning the Democratic candidate and video posts mentioning the Republican candidate. Our findings offer insights into how sentiments and user engagement in online posts about the 2024 U.S. presidential candidates shift following Biden's dropping out from the presidential race.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.15707v1","authors":["Yuwei Chuai","Gabriele Lenzini"],"tags":["cs.SI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-21T07:25:50Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.00451v1","name":"A conditional Generative Adversarial network model for the Weather4Cast 2024 Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This study explores the application of deep learning for rainfall prediction, leveraging the Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) High rate information transmission (HRIT) data as input and the Operational Program on the Exchange of weather RAdar information (OPERA) ground-radar reflectivity data as ground truth. We use the mean of 4 InfraRed frequency channels as the input. The radiance images are forecasted up to 4 hours into the future using a dense optical flow algorithm. A conditional generative adversarial network (GAN) model is employed to transform the predicted radiance images into rainfall images which are aggregated over the 4 hour forecast period to generate cumulative rainfall values. This model scored a value of approximately 7.5 as the Continuous Ranked Probability Score (CRPS) in the Weather4Cast 2024 competition and placed 1st on the core challenge leaderboard.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.00451v1","authors":["Atharva Deshpande","Kaushik Gopalan","Jeet Shah","Hrishikesh Simu"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-30T11:56:20Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.10587v1","name":"SoccerNet 2024 Challenges Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The SoccerNet 2024 challenges represent the fourth annual video understanding challenges organized by the SoccerNet team. These challenges aim to advance research across multiple themes in football, including broadcast video understanding, field understanding, and player understanding. This year, the challenges encompass four vision-based tasks. (1) Ball Action Spotting, focusing on precisely localizing when and which soccer actions related to the ball occur, (2) Dense Video Captioning, focusing on describing the broadcast with natural language and anchored timestamps, (3) Multi-View Foul Recognition, a novel task focusing on analyzing multiple viewpoints of a potential foul incident to classify whether a foul occurred and assess its severity, (4) Game State Reconstruction, another novel task focusing on reconstructing the game state from broadcast videos onto a 2D top-view map of the field. Detailed information about the tasks, challenges, and leaderboards can be found at https://www.soccer-net.org, with baselines and development kits available at https://github.com/SoccerNet.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.10587v1","authors":["Anthony Cioppa","Silvio Giancola","Vladimir Somers","Victor Joos","Floriane Magera","Jan Held","Seyed Abolfazl Ghasemzadeh","Xin Zhou","Karolina Seweryn","Mateusz Kowalczyk","Zuzanna Mróz","Szymon Łukasik","Michał Hałoń","Hassan Mkhallati","Adrien Deliège","Carlos Hinojosa","Karen Sanchez","Amir M. Mansourian","Pierre Miralles","Olivier Barnich","Christophe De Vleeschouwer","Alexandre Alahi","Bernard Ghanem","Marc Van Droogenbroeck","Adam Gorski","Albert Clapés","Andrei Boiarov","Anton Afanasiev","Artur Xarles","Atom Scott","ByoungKwon Lim","Calvin Yeung","Cristian Gonzalez","Dominic Rüfenacht","Enzo Pacilio","Fabian Deuser","Faisal Sami Altawijri","Francisco Cachón","HanKyul Kim","Haobo Wang","Hyeonmin Choe","Hyunwoo J Kim","Il-Min Kim","Jae-Mo Kang","Jamshid Tursunboev","Jian Yang","Jihwan Hong","Jimin Lee","Jing Zhang","Junseok Lee","Kexin Zhang","Konrad Habel","Licheng Jiao","Linyi Li","Marc Gutiérrez-Pérez","Marcelo Ortega","Menglong Li","Milosz Lopatto","Nikita Kasatkin","Nikolay Nemtsev","Norbert Oswald","Oleg Udin","Pavel Kononov","Pei Geng","Saad Ghazai Alotaibi","Sehyung Kim","Sergei Ulasen","Sergio Escalera","Shanshan Zhang","Shuyuan Yang","Sunghwan Moon","Thomas B. Moeslund","Vasyl Shandyba","Vladimir Golovkin","Wei Dai","WonTaek Chung","Xinyu Liu","Yongqiang Zhu","Youngseo Kim","Yuan Li","Yuting Yang","Yuxuan Xiao","Zehua Cheng","Zhihao Li"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-16T14:12:22Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.04910v1","name":"NADI 2024: The Fifth Nuanced Arabic Dialect Identification Shared Task","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We describe the findings of the fifth Nuanced Arabic Dialect Identification Shared Task (NADI 2024). NADI's objective is to help advance SoTA Arabic NLP by providing guidance, datasets, modeling opportunities, and standardized evaluation conditions that allow researchers to collaboratively compete on pre-specified tasks. NADI 2024 targeted both dialect identification cast as a multi-label task (Subtask~1), identification of the Arabic level of dialectness (Subtask~2), and dialect-to-MSA machine translation (Subtask~3). A total of 51 unique teams registered for the shared task, of whom 12 teams have participated (with 76 valid submissions during the test phase). Among these, three teams participated in Subtask~1, three in Subtask~2, and eight in Subtask~3. The winning teams achieved 50.57 F\\textsubscript{1} on Subtask~1, 0.1403 RMSE for Subtask~2, and 20.44 BLEU in Subtask~3, respectively. Results show that Arabic dialect processing tasks such as dialect identification and machine translation remain challenging. We describe the methods employed by the participating teams and briefly offer an outlook for NADI.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.04910v1","authors":["Muhammad Abdul-Mageed","Amr Keleg","AbdelRahim Elmadany","Chiyu Zhang","Injy Hamed","Walid Magdy","Houda Bouamor","Nizar Habash"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-06T01:18:58Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.00339v1","name":"Fish Tracking Challenge 2024: A Multi-Object Tracking Competition with Sweetfish Schooling Data","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The study of collective animal behavior, especially in aquatic environments, presents unique challenges and opportunities for understanding movement and interaction patterns in the field of ethology, ecology, and bio-navigation. The Fish Tracking Challenge 2024 (https://ftc-2024.github.io/) introduces a multi-object tracking competition focused on the intricate behaviors of schooling sweetfish. Using the SweetFish dataset, participants are tasked with developing advanced tracking models to accurately monitor the locations of 10 sweetfishes simultaneously. This paper introduces the competition's background, objectives, the SweetFish dataset, and the appraoches of the 1st to 3rd winners and our baseline. By leveraging video data and bounding box annotations, the competition aims to foster innovation in automatic detection and tracking algorithms, addressing the complexities of aquatic animal movements. The challenge provides the importance of multi-object tracking for discovering the dynamics of collective animal behavior, with the potential to significantly advance scientific understanding in the above fields.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.00339v1","authors":["Makoto M. Itoh","Qingrui Hu","Takayuki Niizato","Hiroaki Kawashima","Keisuke Fujii"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-31T03:26:53Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.05795v2","name":"Massive geolocation data reveal evacuation behaviour during the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake and tsunami","source":"arxiv","abstract":"On 1 January 2024, devastating tsunamis caused by the Noto Peninsula earthquake hit coastal areas within several minutes, but only two tsunami casualties were officially reported. Despite its importance, the cause of this unexpectedly low human loss was unclear because of the limited access to the peninsula and the presence of many visitors during the holiday, which made conducting conventional surveys infeasible. Here, we reveal evacuation behaviour during the 2024 Noto Peninsula tsunami using massive geolocation data collected from a smartphone app. By analysing these massive data, which include over 1.5 million records collected on this day, we find that the evacuation was extremely fast, occurring within 2--6 minutes after the origin time. Further analyses suggest that these fast departures were driven mainly by strong ground shaking; the fact that the tsunami occurred during the family-oriented New Year holiday was also a key factor. Additionally, the long-term analysis of the data reveals that people started returning to the coastal area 20--100 minutes after the origin time, which was long before the downgrading and cancellation of the tsunami warnings. These results highlight the utility of the innovative data-driven approach to evacuation surveys, which addresses the limitations of conventional evacuation surveys.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.05795v2","authors":["Fumiyasu Makinoshima","Saki Yotsui","Shosuke Sato","Fumihiko Imamura"],"tags":["physics.soc-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-08T03:16:33Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.13428v1","name":"Text-dependent Speaker Verification (TdSV) Challenge 2024: Challenge Evaluation Plan","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This document outlines the Text-dependent Speaker Verification (TdSV) Challenge 2024, which centers on analyzing and exploring novel approaches for text-dependent speaker verification. The primary goal of this challenge is to motive participants to develop single yet competitive systems, conduct thorough analyses, and explore innovative concepts such as multi-task learning, self-supervised learning, few-shot learning, and others, for text-dependent speaker verification.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.13428v1","authors":["Zeinali Hossein","Lee Kong Aik","Alam Jahangir","Burget Lukas"],"tags":["cs.SD","cs.AI","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-20T17:26:59Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.07725v1","name":"The Interspeech 2024 Challenge on Speech Processing Using Discrete Units","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Representing speech and audio signals in discrete units has become a compelling alternative to traditional high-dimensional feature vectors. Numerous studies have highlighted the efficacy of discrete units in various applications such as speech compression and restoration, speech recognition, and speech generation. To foster exploration in this domain, we introduce the Interspeech 2024 Challenge, which focuses on new speech processing benchmarks using discrete units. It encompasses three pivotal tasks, namely multilingual automatic speech recognition, text-to-speech, and singing voice synthesis, and aims to assess the potential applicability of discrete units in these tasks. This paper outlines the challenge designs and baseline descriptions. We also collate baseline and selected submission systems, along with preliminary findings, offering valuable contributions to future research in this evolving field.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.07725v1","authors":["Xuankai Chang","Jiatong Shi","Jinchuan Tian","Yuning Wu","Yuxun Tang","Yihan Wu","Shinji Watanabe","Yossi Adi","Xie Chen","Qin Jin"],"tags":["cs.SD","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-11T21:08:47Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.01123v1","name":"Sympathetic solar eruption on 2024 February 9","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, we perform a follow-up investigation of the solar eruption originating from active region (AR) 13575 on 2024 February 9. The primary eruption of a hot channel (HC) generates an X3.4 class flare, a full-halo coronal mass ejection (CME), and an extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) wave. Interaction between the wave and a quiescent prominence (QP) leads to a large-amplitude, transverse oscillation of QP. After the transverse oscillation, QP loses equilibrium and rises up. The ascending motion of the prominence is coherently detected and tracked up to 1.68 R by the Solar UltraViolet Imager (SUVI) onboard the GOES-16 spacecraft and up to 2.2 R by the Solar Corona Imager (SCI UV) of the Lyman-alpha Solar Telescope (LST) onboard the ASO-S spacecraft. The velocity increases linearly from 12.3 to 68.5 km s at 18:30 UT. The sympathetic eruption of QP drives the second CME with a typical three-part structure. The bright core comes from the eruptive prominence, which could be further observed up to 3.3 R by the Large Angle Spectroscopic Coronagraph (LASCO) onboard the SOHO mission. The leading edge of the second CME accelerates continuously from 120 to 277 kms. The EUV wave plays an important role in linking the primary eruption with the sympathetic eruption.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.01123v1","authors":["Shu-Yue Li","Qing-Min Zhang","Bei-Li Ying","Li Feng","Ying-Na Su","Mu-Sheng Lin. Yan-Jie Zhang"],"tags":["astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-02T05:00:56Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.08048v1","name":"3D CBCT Challenge 2024: Improved Cone Beam CT Reconstruction using SwinIR-Based Sinogram and Image Enhancement","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, we present our approach to the 3D CBCT Challenge 2024, a part of ICASSP SP Grand Challenges 2024. Improvement in Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) reconstruction has been achieved by integrating Swin Image Restoration (SwinIR) based sinogram and image enhancement modules. The proposed methodology uses Nesterov Accelerated Gradient Descent (NAG) to solve the least squares (NAG-LS) problem in CT image reconstruction. The integration of sinogram and image enhancement modules aims to enhance image clarity and preserve fine details, offering a promising solution for both low dose and clinical dose CBCT reconstruction. The averaged mean squared error (MSE) over the validation dataset has decreased significantly, in the case of low dose by one-fifth and clinical dose by one-tenth. Our solution is one of the top 5 approaches in this challenge.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.08048v1","authors":["Sasidhar Alavala","Subrahmanyam Gorthi"],"tags":["eess.IV","cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-12T10:01:00Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.04951v2","name":"The Database and Benchmark for the Source Speaker Tracing Challenge 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Voice conversion (VC) systems can transform audio to mimic another speaker's voice, thereby attacking speaker verification (SV) systems. However, ongoing studies on source speaker verification (SSV) are hindered by limited data availability and methodological constraints. This paper presents the Source Speaker Tracking Challenge (SSTC) on STL 2024, which aims to fill the gap in the database and benchmark for the SSV task. In this study, we generate a large-scale converted speech database with 16 common VC methods and train a batch of baseline systems based on the MFA-Conformer architecture. In addition, we introduced a related task called conversion method recognition, with the aim of assisting the SSV task. We expect SSTC to be a platform for advancing the development of the SSV task and provide further insights into the performance and limitations of current SV systems against VC attacks. Further details about SSTC can be found in https://sstc-challenge.github.io/.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.04951v2","authors":["Ze Li","Yuke Lin","Tian Yao","Hongbin Suo","Pengyuan Zhang","Yanzhen Ren","Zexin Cai","Hiromitsu Nishizaki","Ming Li"],"tags":["eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-07T14:13:20Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2402.01967v2","name":"MasonPerplexity at Multimodal Hate Speech Event Detection 2024: Hate Speech and Target Detection Using Transformer Ensembles","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The automatic identification of offensive language such as hate speech is important to keep discussions civil in online communities. Identifying hate speech in multimodal content is a particularly challenging task because offensiveness can be manifested in either words or images or a juxtaposition of the two. This paper presents the MasonPerplexity submission for the Shared Task on Multimodal Hate Speech Event Detection at CASE 2024 at EACL 2024. The task is divided into two sub-tasks: sub-task A focuses on the identification of hate speech and sub-task B focuses on the identification of targets in text-embedded images during political events. We use an XLM-roBERTa-large model for sub-task A and an ensemble approach combining XLM-roBERTa-base, BERTweet-large, and BERT-base for sub-task B. Our approach obtained 0.8347 F1-score in sub-task A and 0.6741 F1-score in sub-task B ranking 3rd on both sub-tasks.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.01967v2","authors":["Amrita Ganguly","Al Nahian Bin Emran","Sadiya Sayara Chowdhury Puspo","Md Nishat Raihan","Dhiman Goswami","Marcos Zampieri"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-03T00:23:36Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.19273v1","name":"Anvendelse av kunstig intelligens (KI) i Norge i norsk offentlig sektor 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"There are great expectations for the use of AI in Norway. On the other hand, it is reported that the adoption of AI in Norway is slower than expected in both the private and public sectors. Using responses from NOKIOS Technology Radar 2017-2021, IT in Practice surveys conducted by Ramboll in 2021-2024, as well as another national survey as part of a five-year cycle, this article looks at reported and planned use of AI with a focus on local (municipalities) and national government agencies. IT in practice is distributed to a large number of Norwegian public agencies, with a response rate of over 5o percent. The most recent data (2024) presented in this article is based on responses from 335 public organizations, with 237 municipalities, and 98 public organizations at the national or regional level. The survey confirms that the use of AI is still at an early stage, although expectations are high for future use. -- Det er store forventninger til bruk av KI i Norge. På den annen side rapporteres det at adopsjonen av KI i Norge går tregere enn forventet både i privat og offentlig sektor. Ved hjelp av svar fra NOKIOS teknologiradar 2017-2021, IT i Praksis undersøkelser utført av Rambøll i 2021-2024, samt en annen nasjonal undersøkelse som en del av en femårig syklus, ser vi i denne artikkelen på rapportert og planlagt bruk av KI med fokus på lokale (kommuner) og nasjonale offentlige etater. IT i praksis distribueres til en lang rekke norske offentlige virksomheter, med en svarprosent på over 50 prosent. De nyeste dataene (2024) presentert i denne artikkelen er basert på svar fra 335 offentlige organisasjoner, med 237 kommuner, og 98 offentlige organisasjoner på nasjonalt eller regionalt nivå. Undersøkelsen bekrefter at bruken av KI fortsatt er på et tidlig stadium, selv om forventningene er høye til fremtidig bruk.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.19273v1","authors":["John Krogstie"],"tags":["cs.CY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-26T16:28:49Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.16276v1","name":"The SVASR System for Text-dependent Speaker Verification (TdSV) AAIC Challenge 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper introduces an efficient and accurate pipeline for text-dependent speaker verification (TDSV), designed to address the need for high-performance biometric systems. The proposed system incorporates a Fast-Conformer-based ASR module to validate speech content, filtering out Target-Wrong (TW) and Impostor-Wrong (IW) trials. For speaker verification, we propose a feature fusion approach that combines speaker embeddings extracted from wav2vec-BERT and ReDimNet models to create a unified speaker representation. This system achieves competitive results on the TDSV 2024 Challenge test set, with a normalized min-DCF of 0.0452 (rank 2), highlighting its effectiveness in balancing accuracy and robustness.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.16276v1","authors":["Mohammadreza Molavi","Reza Khodadadi"],"tags":["cs.SD","cs.AI","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-25T10:53:45Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2403.00791v2","name":"L+M-24: Building a Dataset for Language + Molecules @ ACL 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Language-molecule models have emerged as an exciting direction for molecular discovery and understanding. However, training these models is challenging due to the scarcity of molecule-language pair datasets. At this point, datasets have been released which are 1) small and scraped from existing databases, 2) large but noisy and constructed by performing entity linking on the scientific literature, and 3) built by converting property prediction datasets to natural language using templates. In this document, we detail the $\\textit{L+M-24}$ dataset, which has been created for the Language + Molecules Workshop shared task at ACL 2024. In particular, $\\textit{L+M-24}$ is designed to focus on three key benefits of natural language in molecule design: compositionality, functionality, and abstraction.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.00791v2","authors":["Carl Edwards","Qingyun Wang","Lawrence Zhao","Heng Ji"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","q-bio.BM","q-bio.QM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-22T20:11:24Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2403.20281v1","name":"Vulcan: Retreading a Tired Hypothesis with the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The number of planets in the solar system over the last three centuries has, perhaps surprisingly, been less of a fixed value than one would think it should be. In this paper, we look at the specific case of Vulcan, which was both a planet before Pluto was a planet and discarded from being a planet before Pluto was downgraded. We examine the historical context that led to its discovery in the 19th century, the decades of observations that were taken of it, and its eventual fall from glory. By applying a more modern understanding of astrophysics, we provide multiple mechanisms that may have changed the orbit of Vulcan sufficiently that it would have been outside the footprint of early 20th century searches for it. Finally, we discuss how the April 8, 2024 eclipse provides a renewed opportunity to rediscover this lost planet after more than a century of having been overlooked.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.20281v1","authors":["Michael B. Lund"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","physics.pop-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-29T16:49:54Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.05798v3","name":"A PAge-like Unified Dark Fluid Model","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The unified dark fluid model unifies dark matter and dark energy into a single component, providing an alternative and more concise framework for interpreting cosmological observations. We introduce a PAge-like Unified Dark Fluid (PUDF) model based on the PAge approximation (Huang 2020), which is parameterized by the age of the universe and an $η$ parameter indicating the deviation from Einstein-De Sitter Universe. The PUDF model shares many similar features of the standard Lambda cold dark matter ($Λ$CDM) model and can effectively describe the large-scale structure formation and late-time cosmic acceleration. We constrain the PUDF model with the Planck 2018 cosmic microwave background anisotropies, baryon acoustic oscillation measurements including those from the most recent DESI 2024, the Pantheon+ sample of Type Ia supernovae, and the Cosmic Chronometers compilation. Although the PUDF performs well in fitting all the cosmological datasets, the joint analysis of the data still favors the $Λ$CDM model over the PUDF model, according to the Bayesian evidence of model comparison.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.05798v3","authors":["Junchao Wang","Zhiqi Huang","Yanhong Yao","Jianqi Liu","Lu Huang","Yan Su"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-09T14:30:49Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2408.03652v1","name":"mucAI at WojoodNER 2024: Arabic Named Entity Recognition with Nearest Neighbor Search","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Named Entity Recognition (NER) is a task in Natural Language Processing (NLP) that aims to identify and classify entities in text into predefined categories. However, when applied to Arabic data, NER encounters unique challenges stemming from the language's rich morphological inflections, absence of capitalization cues, and spelling variants, where a single word can comprise multiple morphemes. In this paper, we introduce Arabic KNN-NER, our submission to the Wojood NER Shared Task 2024 (ArabicNLP 2024). We have participated in the shared sub-task 1 Flat NER. In this shared sub-task, we tackle fine-grained flat-entity recognition for Arabic text, where we identify a single main entity and possibly zero or multiple sub-entities for each word. Arabic KNN-NER augments the probability distribution of a fine-tuned model with another label probability distribution derived from performing a KNN search over the cached training data. Our submission achieved 91% on the test set on the WojoodFine dataset, placing Arabic KNN-NER on top of the leaderboard for the shared task.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.03652v1","authors":["Ahmed Abdou","Tasneem Mohsen"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-07T09:34:55Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.08612v1","name":"Simulating the Arrival of Multiple Coronal Mass Ejections that Triggered the Gannon Superstorm on May 10, 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The May 10, 2024 space weather event stands out as the most powerful storm recorded during the current solar cycle. This study employs a numerical framework utilizing a semi-empirical coronal model, along with HUXt (Heliospheric Upwind eXtrapolation with time-dependence) and cone-CME models for the inner heliosphere, to forecast solar wind velocity and the arrival of CMEs associated with this event. The simulations were also carried out using Space Weather Adaptive SimulaTion (SWASTi) and a drag-based model (DBM) for this complex event of multiple CMEs. Predicted arrival times and velocities from these models are compared with actual observations at the Sun-Earth L1 point. These simulations reveal that three coronal mass ejections (CMEs) reached Earth nearly simultaneously, resulting in the extreme space weather event, followed by the arrival of a few more eruptions. The simulations accurately predicted arrival times with a discrepancy of approximately 5 hours or less for these CMEs. Further, the ensemble study of DBM shows the sensitivity of the CME arrival time to the background solar wind speed and drag parameters. All three models have done fairly well in reproducing the arrival time closely to the actual observation of the CMEs responsible for the extreme geomagnetic storm of May 10, 2024. These rare solar storms offered a unique opportunity to thoroughly evaluate and validate our advanced models for predicting their arrival on the Earth.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.08612v1","authors":["Smitha V. Thampi","Ankush Bhaskar","Prateek Mayank","Bhargav Vaidya","Indu Venugopal"],"tags":["physics.space-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-13T13:55:22Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.17102v1","name":"DINO-SD: Champion Solution for ICRA 2024 RoboDepth Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Surround-view depth estimation is a crucial task aims to acquire the depth maps of the surrounding views. It has many applications in real world scenarios such as autonomous driving, AR/VR and 3D reconstruction, etc. However, given that most of the data in the autonomous driving dataset is collected in daytime scenarios, this leads to poor depth model performance in the face of out-of-distribution(OoD) data. While some works try to improve the robustness of depth model under OoD data, these methods either require additional training data or lake generalizability. In this report, we introduce the DINO-SD, a novel surround-view depth estimation model. Our DINO-SD does not need additional data and has strong robustness. Our DINO-SD get the best performance in the track4 of ICRA 2024 RoboDepth Challenge.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.17102v1","authors":["Yifan Mao","Ming Li","Jian Liu","Jiayang Liu","Zihan Qin","Chunxi Chu","Jialei Xu","Wenbo Zhao","Junjun Jiang","Xianming Liu"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.RO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-27T12:21:31Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.16687v2","name":"NTIRE 2024 Quality Assessment of AI-Generated Content Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper reports on the NTIRE 2024 Quality Assessment of AI-Generated Content Challenge, which will be held in conjunction with the New Trends in Image Restoration and Enhancement Workshop (NTIRE) at CVPR 2024. This challenge is to address a major challenge in the field of image and video processing, namely, Image Quality Assessment (IQA) and Video Quality Assessment (VQA) for AI-Generated Content (AIGC). The challenge is divided into the image track and the video track. The image track uses the AIGIQA-20K, which contains 20,000 AI-Generated Images (AIGIs) generated by 15 popular generative models. The image track has a total of 318 registered participants. A total of 1,646 submissions are received in the development phase, and 221 submissions are received in the test phase. Finally, 16 participating teams submitted their models and fact sheets. The video track uses the T2VQA-DB, which contains 10,000 AI-Generated Videos (AIGVs) generated by 9 popular Text-to-Video (T2V) models. A total of 196 participants have registered in the video track. A total of 991 submissions are received in the development phase, and 185 submissions are received in the test phase. Finally, 12 participating teams submitted their models and fact sheets. Some methods have achieved better results than baseline methods, and the winning methods in both tracks have demonstrated superior prediction performance on AIGC.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.16687v2","authors":["Xiaohong Liu","Xiongkuo Min","Guangtao Zhai","Chunyi Li","Tengchuan Kou","Wei Sun","Haoning Wu","Yixuan Gao","Yuqin Cao","Zicheng Zhang","Xiele Wu","Radu Timofte","Fei Peng","Huiyuan Fu","Anlong Ming","Chuanming Wang","Huadong Ma","Shuai He","Zifei Dou","Shu Chen","Huacong Zhang","Haiyi Xie","Chengwei Wang","Baoying Chen","Jishen Zeng","Jianquan Yang","Weigang Wang","Xi Fang","Xiaoxin Lv","Jun Yan","Tianwu Zhi","Yabin Zhang","Yaohui Li","Yang Li","Jingwen Xu","Jianzhao Liu","Yiting Liao","Junlin Li","Zihao Yu","Yiting Lu","Xin Li","Hossein Motamednia","S. Farhad Hosseini-Benvidi","Fengbin Guan","Ahmad Mahmoudi-Aznaveh","Azadeh Mansouri","Ganzorig Gankhuyag","Kihwan Yoon","Yifang Xu","Haotian Fan","Fangyuan Kong","Shiling Zhao","Weifeng Dong","Haibing Yin","Li Zhu","Zhiling Wang","Bingchen Huang","Avinab Saha","Sandeep Mishra","Shashank Gupta","Rajesh Sureddi","Oindrila Saha","Luigi Celona","Simone Bianco","Paolo Napoletano","Raimondo Schettini","Junfeng Yang","Jing Fu","Wei Zhang","Wenzhi Cao","Limei Liu","Han Peng","Weijun Yuan","Zhan Li","Yihang Cheng","Yifan Deng","Haohui Li","Bowen Qu","Yao Li","Shuqing Luo","Shunzhou Wang","Wei Gao","Zihao Lu","Marcos V. Conde","Xinrui Wang","Zhibo Chen","Ruling Liao","Yan Ye","Qiulin Wang","Bing Li","Zhaokun Zhou","Miao Geng","Rui Chen","Xin Tao","Xiaoyu Liang","Shangkun Sun","Xingyuan Ma","Jiaze Li","Mengduo Yang","Haoran Xu","Jie Zhou","Shiding Zhu","Bohan Yu","Pengfei Chen","Xinrui Xu","Jiabin Shen","Zhichao Duan","Erfan Asadi","Jiahe Liu","Qi Yan","Youran Qu","Xiaohui Zeng","Lele Wang","Renjie Liao"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-25T15:36:18Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.12858v1","name":"Grounding and Evaluation for Large Language Models: Practical Challenges and Lessons Learned (Survey)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"With the ongoing rapid adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based systems in high-stakes domains, ensuring the trustworthiness, safety, and observability of these systems has become crucial. It is essential to evaluate and monitor AI systems not only for accuracy and quality-related metrics but also for robustness, bias, security, interpretability, and other responsible AI dimensions. We focus on large language models (LLMs) and other generative AI models, which present additional challenges such as hallucinations, harmful and manipulative content, and copyright infringement. In this survey article accompanying our KDD 2024 tutorial, we highlight a wide range of harms associated with generative AI systems, and survey state of the art approaches (along with open challenges) to address these harms.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.12858v1","authors":["Krishnaram Kenthapadi","Mehrnoosh Sameki","Ankur Taly"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.CV","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-10T01:23:10Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.06119v2","name":"Report on the NSF Workshop on Sustainable Computing for Sustainability (NSF WSCS 2024)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This report documents the process that led to the NSF Workshop on \"Sustainable Computing for Sustainability\" held in April 2024 at NSF in Alexandria, VA, and reports on its findings. The workshop's primary goals were to (i) advance the development of research initiatives along the themes of both sustainable computing and computing for sustainability, while also (ii) helping develop and sustain the interdisciplinary teams those initiatives would need. The workshop's findings are in the form of recommendations grouped in three categories: General recommendations that cut across both themes of sustainable computing and computing for sustainability, and recommendations that are specific to sustainable computing and computing for sustainability, respectively.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.06119v2","authors":["Roch Guérin","Amy McGovern","Klara Nahrstedt"],"tags":["cs.CY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-08T16:57:03Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2401.05166v1","name":"REACT 2024: the Second Multiple Appropriate Facial Reaction Generation Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In dyadic interactions, humans communicate their intentions and state of mind using verbal and non-verbal cues, where multiple different facial reactions might be appropriate in response to a specific speaker behaviour. Then, how to develop a machine learning (ML) model that can automatically generate multiple appropriate, diverse, realistic and synchronised human facial reactions from an previously unseen speaker behaviour is a challenging task. Following the successful organisation of the first REACT challenge (REACT 2023), this edition of the challenge (REACT 2024) employs a subset used by the previous challenge, which contains segmented 30-secs dyadic interaction clips originally recorded as part of the NOXI and RECOLA datasets, encouraging participants to develop and benchmark Machine Learning (ML) models that can generate multiple appropriate facial reactions (including facial image sequences and their attributes) given an input conversational partner's stimulus under various dyadic video conference scenarios. This paper presents: (i) the guidelines of the REACT 2024 challenge; (ii) the dataset utilized in the challenge; and (iii) the performance of the baseline systems on the two proposed sub-challenges: Offline Multiple Appropriate Facial Reaction Generation and Online Multiple Appropriate Facial Reaction Generation, respectively. The challenge baseline code is publicly available at https://github.com/reactmultimodalchallenge/baseline_react2024.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.05166v1","authors":["Siyang Song","Micol Spitale","Cheng Luo","Cristina Palmero","German Barquero","Hengde Zhu","Sergio Escalera","Michel Valstar","Tobias Baur","Fabien Ringeval","Elisabeth Andre","Hatice Gunes"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-10T14:01:51Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.21139v2","name":"uOttawa at LegalLens-2024: Transformer-based Classification Experiments","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the methods used for LegalLens-2024 shared task, which focused on detecting legal violations within unstructured textual data and associating these violations with potentially affected individuals. The shared task included two subtasks: A) Legal Named Entity Recognition (L-NER) and B) Legal Natural Language Inference (L-NLI). For subtask A, we utilized the spaCy library, while for subtask B, we employed a combined model incorporating RoBERTa and CNN. Our results were 86.3% in the L-NER subtask and 88.25% in the L-NLI subtask. Overall, our paper demonstrates the effectiveness of transformer models in addressing complex tasks in the legal domain. The source code for our implementation is publicly available at https://github.com/NimaMeghdadi/uOttawa-at-LegalLens-2024-Transformer-based-Classification","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.21139v2","authors":["Nima Meghdadi","Diana Inkpen"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-28T15:42:45Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.15884v1","name":"Using GPT Models for Qualitative and Quantitative News Analytics in the 2024 US Presidental Election Process","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The paper considers an approach of using Google Search API and GPT-4o model for qualitative and quantitative analyses of news through retrieval-augmented generation (RAG). This approach was applied to analyze news about the 2024 US presidential election process. Different news sources for different time periods have been analyzed. Quantitative scores generated by GPT model have been analyzed using Bayesian regression to derive trend lines. The distributions found for the regression parameters allow for the analysis of uncertainty in the election process. The obtained results demonstrate that using the GPT models for news analysis, one can get informative analytics and provide key insights that can be applied in further analyses of election processes.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.15884v1","authors":["Bohdan M. Pavlyshenko"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.IR","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-21T11:02:18Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.09342v3","name":"Face-voice Association in Multilingual Environments (FAME) Challenge 2024 Evaluation Plan","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The advancements of technology have led to the use of multimodal systems in various real-world applications. Among them, the audio-visual systems are one of the widely used multimodal systems. In the recent years, associating face and voice of a person has gained attention due to presence of unique correlation between them. The Face-voice Association in Multilingual Environments (FAME) Challenge 2024 focuses on exploring face-voice association under a unique condition of multilingual scenario. This condition is inspired from the fact that half of the world's population is bilingual and most often people communicate under multilingual scenario. The challenge uses a dataset namely, Multilingual Audio-Visual (MAV-Celeb) for exploring face-voice association in multilingual environments. This report provides the details of the challenge, dataset, baselines and task details for the FAME Challenge.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.09342v3","authors":["Muhammad Saad Saeed","Shah Nawaz","Muhammad Salman Tahir","Rohan Kumar Das","Muhammad Zaigham Zaheer","Marta Moscati","Markus Schedl","Muhammad Haris Khan","Karthik Nandakumar","Muhammad Haroon Yousaf"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.SD","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-14T19:51:32Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.05449v2","name":"SmurfCat at PAN 2024 TextDetox: Alignment of Multilingual Transformers for Text Detoxification","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents a solution for the Multilingual Text Detoxification task in the PAN-2024 competition of the SmurfCat team. Using data augmentation through machine translation and a special filtering procedure, we collected an additional multilingual parallel dataset for text detoxification. Using the obtained data, we fine-tuned several multilingual sequence-to-sequence models, such as mT0 and Aya, on a text detoxification task. We applied the ORPO alignment technique to the final model. Our final model has only 3.7 billion parameters and achieves state-of-the-art results for the Ukrainian language and near state-of-the-art results for other languages. In the competition, our team achieved first place in the automated evaluation with a score of 0.52 and second place in the final human evaluation with a score of 0.74.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.05449v2","authors":["Elisei Rykov","Konstantin Zaytsev","Ivan Anisimov","Alexandr Voronin"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-07T17:19:34Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.07693v3","name":"A Labelled Dataset for Sentiment Analysis of Videos on YouTube, TikTok, and Other Sources about the 2024 Outbreak of Measles","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The work of this paper presents a dataset that contains the data of 4011 videos about the ongoing outbreak of measles published on 264 websites on the internet between January 1, 2024, and May 31, 2024. The dataset is available at https://dx.doi.org/10.21227/40s8-xf63. These websites primarily include YouTube and TikTok, which account for 48.6% and 15.2% of the videos, respectively. The remainder of the websites include Instagram and Facebook as well as the websites of various global and local news organizations. For each of these videos, the URL of the video, title of the post, description of the post, and the date of publication of the video are presented as separate attributes in the dataset. After developing this dataset, sentiment analysis (using VADER), subjectivity analysis (using TextBlob), and fine-grain sentiment analysis (using DistilRoBERTa-base) of the video titles and video descriptions were performed. This included classifying each video title and video description into (i) one of the sentiment classes i.e. positive, negative, or neutral, (ii) one of the subjectivity classes i.e. highly opinionated, neutral opinionated, or least opinionated, and (iii) one of the fine-grain sentiment classes i.e. fear, surprise, joy, sadness, anger, disgust, or neutral. These results are presented as separate attributes in the dataset for the training and testing of machine learning algorithms for performing sentiment analysis or subjectivity analysis in this field as well as for other applications. Finally, this paper also presents a list of open research questions that may be investigated using this dataset.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.07693v3","authors":["Nirmalya Thakur","Vanessa Su","Mingchen Shao","Kesha A. Patel","Hongseok Jeong","Victoria Knieling","Andrew Bian"],"tags":["cs.CY","cs.AI","cs.CL","cs.LG","cs.SI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-11T20:14:22Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.09086v1","name":"Understanding Opportunities and Risks of Synthetic Relationships: Leveraging the Power of Longitudinal Research with Customised AI Tools","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This position paper discusses the benefits of longitudinal behavioural research with customised AI tools for exploring the opportunities and risks of synthetic relationships. Synthetic relationships are defined as \"continuing associations between humans and AI tools that interact with one another wherein the AI tool(s) influence(s) humans' thoughts, feelings, and/or actions.\" (Starke et al., 2024). These relationships can potentially improve health, education, and the workplace, but they also bring the risk of subtle manipulation and privacy and autonomy concerns. To harness the opportunities of synthetic relationships and mitigate their risks, we outline a methodological approach that complements existing findings. We propose longitudinal research designs with self-assembled AI agents that enable the integration of detailed behavioural and self-reported data.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.09086v1","authors":["Alfio Ventura","Nils Köbis"],"tags":["cs.HC","cs.AI","cs.CY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-12T09:13:43Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.10457v2","name":"Predicting the winner of the US 2024 elections using trust analytics","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A number of models and techniques has been proposed for predicting the outcomes of presidential elections. Some of them use information on the socio-economical status of a country, others focus on candidates' popularity measures in news media. We employ a computational social science approach, utilising public reactions in social media to real-life events that involve presidential candidates. Contrary to the popular approach, we do not analyse public emotions but ethotic references to the character of politicians which allows us to analyse how much they are (dis-)trusted by the general public, hence the name of the tool we developed: Trust Analytics (TrustAn). Similarly to major news media's polls, we observe a tight race between Harris and Trump with week to week changes in the level of trust and distrust towards the two candidates. Using the ratio between the level of trust and distrust towards them and changes of this metric in time, we predict Donald Trump as the winner of the US 2024 elections.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.10457v2","authors":["Katarzyna Budzynska","Ewelina Gajewska"],"tags":["cs.CY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-01T15:16:47Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2408.07994v1","name":"Bootstrap 2024: Lectures on \"The algebraic approach: when, how, and why?\"","source":"arxiv","abstract":"These lecture notes formed the basis of a mini-course on algebraic quantum field theory presented at the Bootstrap 2024 conference in Madrid. The goal of the notes is to explain the merits of algebraic quantum field theory to a broad audience, and to explore (i) how to know when a particular question calls for an algebraic answer, (ii) how to apply the tools of algebraic QFT to such a problem, and (iii) why quantum field theorists of all stripes stand to benefit from a basic knowledge of algebraic quantum fields. The first lecture focuses on the big-picture motivation behind the algebraic approach to quantum field theory, and an elaboration of its basic tools. Subsequent lectures explain some of the modern achievements of the algebraic toolkit, including an argument for the averaged null energy condition and an enhanced understanding of entropy for semiclassical black holes.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.07994v1","authors":["Jonathan Sorce"],"tags":["hep-th"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-15T07:44:10Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.07247v1","name":"Driving with InternVL: Oustanding Champion in the Track on Driving with Language of the Autonomous Grand Challenge at CVPR 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This technical report describes the methods we employed for the Driving with Language track of the CVPR 2024 Autonomous Grand Challenge. We utilized a powerful open-source multimodal model, InternVL-1.5, and conducted a full-parameter fine-tuning on the competition dataset, DriveLM-nuScenes. To effectively handle the multi-view images of nuScenes and seamlessly inherit InternVL's outstanding multimodal understanding capabilities, we formatted and concatenated the multi-view images in a specific manner. This ensured that the final model could meet the specific requirements of the competition task while leveraging InternVL's powerful image understanding capabilities. Meanwhile, we designed a simple automatic annotation strategy that converts the center points of objects in DriveLM-nuScenes into corresponding bounding boxes. As a result, our single model achieved a score of 0.6002 on the final leadboard.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.07247v1","authors":["Jiahan Li","Zhiqi Li","Tong Lu"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-10T07:13:39Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.758Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.08717v2","name":"Short note on the mapping of heritage sites impacted by the 2024 floods in Valencia, Spain","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This short note presents preliminary findings on the impact of the October 2024 floods on cultural heritage sites in Valencia, Spain. Using publicly available data, we assess the extent of potential damage by overlaying flood maps with heritage site coordinates. We identify that 3.3% of heritage sites in the region have been potentially impacted, with churches and shrines (81), outdoor religious iconography (78), and historic irrigation features (45) being the most heavily affected. Our analysis utilizes data from OpenStreetMap and listings from the Generalitat Valenciana, suggesting that while OpenStreetMap's crowd-sourced data can provide useful estimates of the proportion of impacted sites, it may not be suitable for a detailed damage assessment. By sharing this data openly, we aim to contribute to international efforts in preserving cultural heritage after the disaster and provide a foundation for future assessments of heritage site vulnerability to climate-related events.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.08717v2","authors":["Josep Grau-Bove","Richard Higham","Scott Orr","Pakhee Kumar"],"tags":["cs.CY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-13T15:59:15Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.07250v1","name":"Description and Discussion on DCASE 2024 Challenge Task 2: First-Shot Unsupervised Anomalous Sound Detection for Machine Condition Monitoring","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present the task description of the Detection and Classification of Acoustic Scenes and Events (DCASE) 2024 Challenge Task 2: First-shot unsupervised anomalous sound detection (ASD) for machine condition monitoring. Continuing from last year's DCASE 2023 Challenge Task 2, we organize the task as a first-shot problem under domain generalization required settings. The main goal of the first-shot problem is to enable rapid deployment of ASD systems for new kinds of machines without the need for machine-specific hyperparameter tunings. This problem setting was realized by (1) giving only one section for each machine type and (2) having completely different machine types for the development and evaluation datasets. For the DCASE 2024 Challenge Task 2, data of completely new machine types were newly collected and provided as the evaluation dataset. In addition, attribute information such as the machine operation conditions were concealed for several machine types to mimic situations where such information are unavailable. We will add challenge results and analysis of the submissions after the challenge submission deadline.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.07250v1","authors":["Tomoya Nishida","Noboru Harada","Daisuke Niizumi","Davide Albertini","Roberto Sannino","Simone Pradolini","Filippo Augusti","Keisuke Imoto","Kota Dohi","Harsh Purohit","Takashi Endo","Yohei Kawaguchi"],"tags":["eess.AS","cs.LG","cs.SD"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-11T13:32:40Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.19579v1","name":"ICPR 2024 Competition on Multilingual Claim-Span Identification","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A lot of claims are made in social media posts, which may contain misinformation or fake news. Hence, it is crucial to identify claims as a first step towards claim verification. Given the huge number of social media posts, the task of identifying claims needs to be automated. This competition deals with the task of 'Claim Span Identification' in which, given a text, parts / spans that correspond to claims are to be identified. This task is more challenging than the traditional binary classification of text into claim or not-claim, and requires state-of-the-art methods in Pattern Recognition, Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning. For this competition, we used a newly developed dataset called HECSI containing about 8K posts in English and about 8K posts in Hindi with claim-spans marked by human annotators. This paper gives an overview of the competition, and the solutions developed by the participating teams.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.19579v1","authors":["Soham Poddar","Biswajit Paul","Moumita Basu","Saptarshi Ghosh"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-29T09:50:32Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.09936v1","name":"WojoodNER 2024: The Second Arabic Named Entity Recognition Shared Task","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present WojoodNER-2024, the second Arabic Named Entity Recognition (NER) Shared Task. In WojoodNER-2024, we focus on fine-grained Arabic NER. We provided participants with a new Arabic fine-grained NER dataset called wojoodfine, annotated with subtypes of entities. WojoodNER-2024 encompassed three subtasks: (i) Closed-Track Flat Fine-Grained NER, (ii) Closed-Track Nested Fine-Grained NER, and (iii) an Open-Track NER for the Israeli War on Gaza. A total of 43 unique teams registered for this shared task. Five teams participated in the Flat Fine-Grained Subtask, among which two teams tackled the Nested Fine-Grained Subtask and one team participated in the Open-Track NER Subtask. The winning teams achieved F-1 scores of 91% and 92% in the Flat Fine-Grained and Nested Fine-Grained Subtasks, respectively. The sole team in the Open-Track Subtask achieved an F-1 score of 73.7%.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.09936v1","authors":["Mustafa Jarrar","Nagham Hamad","Mohammed Khalilia","Bashar Talafha","AbdelRahim Elmadany","Muhammad Abdul-Mageed"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-13T16:17:08Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.07144v1","name":"Dual channel CW nnU-Net for 3D PET-CT Lesion Segmentation in 2024 autoPET III Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"PET/CT is extensively used in imaging malignant tumors because it highlights areas of increased glucose metabolism, indicative of cancerous activity. Accurate 3D lesion segmentation in PET/CT imaging is essential for effective oncological diagnostics and treatment planning. In this study, we developed an advanced 3D residual U-Net model for the Automated Lesion Segmentation in Whole-Body PET/CT - Multitracer Multicenter Generalization (autoPET III) Challenge, which will be held jointly with 2024 Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention (MICCAI) conference at Marrakesh, Morocco. Proposed model incorporates a novel sample attention boosting technique to enhance segmentation performance by adjusting the contribution of challenging cases during training, improving generalization across FDG and PSMA tracers. The proposed model outperformed the challenge baseline model in the preliminary test set on the Grand Challenge platform, and our team is currently ranking in the 2nd place among 497 participants worldwide from 53 countries (accessed date: 2024/9/4), with Dice score of 0.8700, False Negative Volume of 19.3969 and False Positive Volume of 1.0857.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.07144v1","authors":["Ching-Wei Wang","Ting-Sheng Su","Keng-Wei Liu"],"tags":["eess.IV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-11T09:45:15Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.06178v1","name":"Transfer Learning with Self-Supervised Vision Transformers for Snake Identification","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present our approach for the SnakeCLEF 2024 competition to predict snake species from images. We explore and use Meta's DINOv2 vision transformer model for feature extraction to tackle species' high variability and visual similarity in a dataset of 182,261 images. We perform exploratory analysis on embeddings to understand their structure, and train a linear classifier on the embeddings to predict species. Despite achieving a score of 39.69, our results show promise for DINOv2 embeddings in snake identification. All code for this project is available at https://github.com/dsgt-kaggle-clef/snakeclef-2024.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.06178v1","authors":["Anthony Miyaguchi","Murilo Gustineli","Austin Fischer","Ryan Lundqvist"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.IR","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-08T17:52:23Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.01735v1","name":"ECCV 2024 W-CODA: 1st Workshop on Multimodal Perception and Comprehension of Corner Cases in Autonomous Driving","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, we present details of the 1st W-CODA workshop, held in conjunction with the ECCV 2024. W-CODA aims to explore next-generation solutions for autonomous driving corner cases, empowered by state-of-the-art multimodal perception and comprehension techniques. 5 Speakers from both academia and industry are invited to share their latest progress and opinions. We collect research papers and hold a dual-track challenge, including both corner case scene understanding and generation. As the pioneering effort, we will continuously bridge the gap between frontier autonomous driving techniques and fully intelligent, reliable self-driving agents robust towards corner cases.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.01735v1","authors":["Kai Chen","Ruiyuan Gao","Lanqing Hong","Hang Xu","Xu Jia","Holger Caesar","Dengxin Dai","Bingbing Liu","Dzmitry Tsishkou","Songcen Xu","Chunjing Xu","Qiang Xu","Huchuan Lu","Dit-Yan Yeung"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.AI","cs.CL","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-02T14:10:25Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2401.08678v1","name":"Sub-band and Full-band Interactive U-Net with DPRNN for Demixing Cross-talk Stereo Music","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents a detailed description of our proposed methods for the ICASSP 2024 Cadenza Challenge. Experimental results show that the proposed system can achieve better performance than official baselines.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.08678v1","authors":["Han Yin","Mou Wang","Jisheng Bai","Dongyuan Shi","Woon-Seng Gan","Jianfeng Chen"],"tags":["eess.AS","cs.SD"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-11T02:57:37Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.01862v1","name":"Autonomous Ground Navigation in Highly Constrained Spaces: Lessons learned from The 3rd BARN Challenge at ICRA 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The 3rd BARN (Benchmark Autonomous Robot Navigation) Challenge took place at the 2024 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA 2024) in Yokohama, Japan and continued to evaluate the performance of state-of-the-art autonomous ground navigation systems in highly constrained environments. Similar to the trend in The 1st and 2nd BARN Challenge at ICRA 2022 and 2023 in Philadelphia (North America) and London (Europe), The 3rd BARN Challenge in Yokohama (Asia) became more regional, i.e., mostly Asian teams participated. The size of the competition has slightly shrunk (six simulation teams, four of which were invited to the physical competition). The competition results, compared to last two years, suggest that the field has adopted new machine learning approaches while at the same time slightly converged to a few common practices. However, the regional nature of the physical participants suggests a challenge to promote wider participation all over the world and provide more resources to travel to the venue. In this article, we discuss the challenge, the approaches used by the three winning teams, and lessons learned to direct future research and competitions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.01862v1","authors":["Xuesu Xiao","Zifan Xu","Aniket Datar","Garrett Warnell","Peter Stone","Joshua Julian Damanik","Jaewon Jung","Chala Adane Deresa","Than Duc Huy","Chen Jinyu","Chen Yichen","Joshua Adrian Cahyono","Jingda Wu","Longfei Mo","Mingyang Lv","Bowen Lan","Qingyang Meng","Weizhi Tao","Li Cheng"],"tags":["cs.RO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-02T00:22:31Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.14475v1","name":"Lesion Segmentation in Whole-Body Multi-Tracer PET-CT Images; a Contribution to AutoPET 2024 Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The automatic segmentation of pathological regions within whole-body PET-CT volumes has the potential to streamline various clinical applications such as diagno-sis, prognosis, and treatment planning. This study aims to address this challenge by contributing to the AutoPET MICCAI 2024 challenge through a proposed workflow that incorporates image preprocessing, tracer classification, and lesion segmentation steps. The implementation of this pipeline led to a significant enhancement in the segmentation accuracy of the models. This improvement is evidenced by an average overall Dice score of 0.548 across 1611 training subjects, 0.631 and 0.559 for classi-fied FDG and PSMA subjects of the training set, and 0.792 on the preliminary testing phase dataset.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.14475v1","authors":["Mehdi Astaraki","Simone Bendazzoli"],"tags":["eess.IV","cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-22T14:50:46Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.05088v1","name":"Findings of the IWSLT 2024 Evaluation Campaign","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper reports on the shared tasks organized by the 21st IWSLT Conference. The shared tasks address 7 scientific challenges in spoken language translation: simultaneous and offline translation, automatic subtitling and dubbing, speech-to-speech translation, dialect and low-resource speech translation, and Indic languages. The shared tasks attracted 18 teams whose submissions are documented in 26 system papers. The growing interest towards spoken language translation is also witnessed by the constantly increasing number of shared task organizers and contributors to the overview paper, almost evenly distributed across industry and academia.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.05088v1","authors":["Ibrahim Said Ahmad","Antonios Anastasopoulos","Ondřej Bojar","Claudia Borg","Marine Carpuat","Roldano Cattoni","Mauro Cettolo","William Chen","Qianqian Dong","Marcello Federico","Barry Haddow","Dávid Javorský","Mateusz Krubiński","Tsz Kin Lam","Xutai Ma","Prashant Mathur","Evgeny Matusov","Chandresh Maurya","John McCrae","Kenton Murray","Satoshi Nakamura","Matteo Negri","Jan Niehues","Xing Niu","Atul Kr. Ojha","John Ortega","Sara Papi","Peter Polák","Adam Pospíšil","Pavel Pecina","Elizabeth Salesky","Nivedita Sethiya","Balaram Sarkar","Jiatong Shi","Claytone Sikasote","Matthias Sperber","Sebastian Stüker","Katsuhito Sudoh","Brian Thompson","Marco Turchi","Alex Waibel","Shinji Watanabe","Patrick Wilken","Petr Zemánek","Rodolfo Zevallos"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-07T19:11:55Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.00453v1","name":"Predictability of climate anomalies in the regions of Northern Eurasia in the spring-summer months in 2024 in connection with El Nino","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The predictability of climate anomalies in the regions of Northern Eurasia in connection with El Nino phenomena is analyzed. Particular attention is paid to the most likely transition in 2024 from an El Nino phase at the beginning of the year to a La Nina phase at the end of the year, with the greatest probability of high temperatures and dry conditions in European Russia during the spring and summer months, as in 2010. The predictability levels of regional climate anomalies using different El Nino indices are compared. The relationship of the noted seasonal anomalies with atmospheric blockings is considered, taking into account the different phases of the key modes of climate variability like El Nino phenomena and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. Changes in the predictability of regional climate anomalies under global climate change are discussed.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.00453v1","authors":["I. I. Mokhov"],"tags":["physics.ao-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-30T19:01:05Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.00308v2","name":"GPT for Games: An Updated Scoping Review (2020-2024)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Due to GPT's impressive generative capabilities, its applications in games are expanding rapidly. To offer researchers a comprehensive understanding of the current applications and identify both emerging trends and unexplored areas, this paper introduces an updated scoping review of 177 articles, 122 of which were published in 2024, to explore GPT's potential for games. By coding and synthesizing the papers, we identify five prominent applications of GPT in current game research: procedural content generation, mixed-initiative game design, mixed-initiative gameplay, playing games, and game user research. Drawing on insights from these application areas and emerging research, we propose future studies should focus on expanding the technical boundaries of the GPT models and exploring the complex interaction dynamics between them and users. This review aims to illustrate the state of the art in innovative GPT applications in games, offering a foundation to enrich game development and enhance player experiences through cutting-edge AI innovations.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.00308v2","authors":["Daijin Yang","Erica Kleinman","Casper Harteveld"],"tags":["cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-01T02:00:25Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.14752v3","name":"Deconstructing the Properties of Solar Super Active Region 13664 in the Context of the Historic Geomagnetic Storm of 2024 May 10-11","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The impact of solar-stellar activity on planetary environments is a topic of great interest within the Sun-Earth system as well as exoplanetary systems. In particular, extreme events such as flares and coronal mass ejections have a profound effect on planetary atmospheres. In May this year, a magnetic active region on the Sun (AR 13664) -- with a size exceeding hundred times that of Earth -- unleashed a large number of high energy X-class flares and associated mass ejections. The resulting Earth impact (geomagnetic storm) on May 10-11 was the strongest in the last two decades. We perform the first comprehensive analysis of the magnetic properties of the active region that spawned these flares and identify this to be a super active region with very rare physical characteristics. We also demonstrate how the rate of energization of the system is related to the flaring process. Our work illuminates how flare productive super active regions on the Sun and stars can be identified and what are their salient physical properties. Specifically, we put AR 13664 in historical context over the cumulative period of 1874 May-2024 June. We find that AR 13664 stands at 99.95 percentile in the distribution of area over 1874 May-2024 June, and at 99.10 percentile in terms of flux content among all ARs over the period 1996 April-2024 June. Our analysis indicates that five of its magnetic properties rank highest among all ARs recorded in SHARP data series during 2010 May-2024 June by the Solar Dynamic Observatory. Furthermore, we demonstrate that AR 13664 reached its most dynamic flare productive state following a rapid rate of rise of its flare-relevant parameters and that the X-class flares it spawned were more frequent near their peak values. Our analyses establish AR 13644 to be solar super active region and provide a paradigm for investigating their flare-relevant physical characteristics.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.14752v3","authors":["Priyansh Jaswal","Suvadip Sinha","Dibyendu Nandy"],"tags":["astro-ph.SR","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-23T06:59:32Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2408.14234v3","name":"FSDEM: Feature Selection Dynamic Evaluation Metric","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Expressive evaluation metrics are indispensable for informative experiments in all areas, and while several metrics are established in some areas, in others, such as feature selection, only indirect or otherwise limited evaluation metrics are found. In this paper, we propose a novel evaluation metric to address several problems of its predecessors and allow for flexible and reliable evaluation of feature selection algorithms. The proposed metric is a dynamic metric with two properties that can be used to evaluate both the performance and the stability of a feature selection algorithm. We conduct several empirical experiments to illustrate the use of the proposed metric in the successful evaluation of feature selection algorithms. We also provide a comparison and analysis to show the different aspects involved in the evaluation of the feature selection algorithms. The results indicate that the proposed metric is successful in carrying out the evaluation task for feature selection algorithms. This paper is an extended version of a paper published at SISAP 2024.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.14234v3","authors":["Muhammad Rajabinasab","Anton D. Lautrup","Tobias Hyrup","Arthur Zimek"],"tags":["cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-26T12:49:41Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.09767v2","name":"Cosmological constraints on dark energy parametrizations after DESI 2024: Persistent deviation from standard $Λ$CDM cosmology","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this work, we present a study on cosmological constraints of dark energy (DE) parametrizations after the observations of Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instruments (DESI) for Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) in 2024, suggesting potential deviations from the standard flat-$Λ$CDM cosmology. This study aims to put observational constraints on equation of state (EoS) parametrizations beyond the standard $Λ$CDM model using DESI BAO 2024 data, Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) anisotropy observations 2018, and various Supernovae type Ia (SNIa) compilations: PantheonPlus, Union3, and Dark Energy Survey 5-year photometrically classified SNIa (DES-SN5YR). Our main goal is to validate the result of DESI collaborations \\cite{DESI:2024mwx} in the context of some parametrizations beyond the Chevallier-Polarski-Linder (CPL) approximation known as Barboza-Alcaniz (BA) and Padé parametrizations. These investigations allow us to examine the potential biases in the results presented by DESI collaborations with respect to CPL parametrization. By comparing our findings using BA and Padé parametrizations to the CPL case, we indicate that the deviation from $w_Λ = -1.0$, observed in the CPL parametrization, is also evident in the BA and Padé parametrizations.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.09767v2","authors":["M. Malekjani","Z. Davari","S. Pourojaghi"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO","gr-qc"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-13T04:17:25Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2311.10476v1","name":"FRCSyn Challenge at WACV 2024:Face Recognition Challenge in the Era of Synthetic Data","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Despite the widespread adoption of face recognition technology around the world, and its remarkable performance on current benchmarks, there are still several challenges that must be covered in more detail. This paper offers an overview of the Face Recognition Challenge in the Era of Synthetic Data (FRCSyn) organized at WACV 2024. This is the first international challenge aiming to explore the use of synthetic data in face recognition to address existing limitations in the technology. Specifically, the FRCSyn Challenge targets concerns related to data privacy issues, demographic biases, generalization to unseen scenarios, and performance limitations in challenging scenarios, including significant age disparities between enrollment and testing, pose variations, and occlusions. The results achieved in the FRCSyn Challenge, together with the proposed benchmark, contribute significantly to the application of synthetic data to improve face recognition technology.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.10476v1","authors":["Pietro Melzi","Ruben Tolosana","Ruben Vera-Rodriguez","Minchul Kim","Christian Rathgeb","Xiaoming Liu","Ivan DeAndres-Tame","Aythami Morales","Julian Fierrez","Javier Ortega-Garcia","Weisong Zhao","Xiangyu Zhu","Zheyu Yan","Xiao-Yu Zhang","Jinlin Wu","Zhen Lei","Suvidha Tripathi","Mahak Kothari","Md Haider Zama","Debayan Deb","Bernardo Biesseck","Pedro Vidal","Roger Granada","Guilherme Fickel","Gustavo Führ","David Menotti","Alexander Unnervik","Anjith George","Christophe Ecabert","Hatef Otroshi Shahreza","Parsa Rahimi","Sébastien Marcel","Ioannis Sarridis","Christos Koutlis","Georgia Baltsou","Symeon Papadopoulos","Christos Diou","Nicolò Di Domenico","Guido Borghi","Lorenzo Pellegrini","Enrique Mas-Candela","Ángela Sánchez-Pérez","Andrea Atzori","Fadi Boutros","Naser Damer","Gianni Fenu","Mirko Marras"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-17T12:15:40Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.00523v1","name":"CookingSense: A Culinary Knowledgebase with Multidisciplinary Assertions","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper introduces CookingSense, a descriptive collection of knowledge assertions in the culinary domain extracted from various sources, including web data, scientific papers, and recipes, from which knowledge covering a broad range of aspects is acquired. CookingSense is constructed through a series of dictionary-based filtering and language model-based semantic filtering techniques, which results in a rich knowledgebase of multidisciplinary food-related assertions. Additionally, we present FoodBench, a novel benchmark to evaluate culinary decision support systems. From evaluations with FoodBench, we empirically prove that CookingSense improves the performance of retrieval augmented language models. We also validate the quality and variety of assertions in CookingSense through qualitative analysis.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.00523v1","authors":["Donghee Choi","Mogan Gim","Donghyeon Park","Mujeen Sung","Hyunjae Kim","Jaewoo Kang","Jihun Choi"],"tags":["cs.AI","cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-01T13:58:09Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.02382v2","name":"Benchmark of Segmentation Techniques for Pelvic Fracture in CT and X-ray: Summary of the PENGWIN 2024 Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The segmentation of pelvic fracture fragments in CT and X-ray images is crucial for trauma diagnosis, surgical planning, and intraoperative guidance. However, accurately and efficiently delineating the bone fragments remains a significant challenge due to complex anatomy and imaging limitations. The PENGWIN challenge, organized as a MICCAI 2024 satellite event, aimed to advance automated fracture segmentation by benchmarking state-of-the-art algorithms on these complex tasks. A diverse dataset of 150 CT scans was collected from multiple clinical centers, and a large set of simulated X-ray images was generated using the DeepDRR method. Final submissions from 16 teams worldwide were evaluated under a rigorous multi-metric testing scheme. The top-performing CT algorithm achieved an average fragment-wise intersection over union (IoU) of 0.930, demonstrating satisfactory accuracy. However, in the X-ray task, the best algorithm achieved an IoU of 0.774, which is promising but not yet sufficient for intra-operative decision-making, reflecting the inherent challenges of fragment overlap in projection imaging. Beyond the quantitative evaluation, the challenge revealed methodological diversity in algorithm design. Variations in instance representation, such as primary-secondary classification versus boundary-core separation, led to differing segmentation strategies. Despite promising results, the challenge also exposed inherent uncertainties in fragment definition, particularly in cases of incomplete fractures. These findings suggest that interactive segmentation approaches, integrating human decision-making with task-relevant information, may be essential for improving model reliability and clinical applicability.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.02382v2","authors":["Yudi Sang","Yanzhen Liu","Sutuke Yibulayimu","Yunning Wang","Benjamin D. Killeen","Mingxu Liu","Ping-Cheng Ku","Ole Johannsen","Karol Gotkowski","Maximilian Zenk","Klaus Maier-Hein","Fabian Isensee","Peiyan Yue","Yi Wang","Haidong Yu","Zhaohong Pan","Yutong He","Xiaokun Liang","Daiqi Liu","Fuxin Fan","Artur Jurgas","Andrzej Skalski","Yuxi Ma","Jing Yang","Szymon Płotka","Rafał Litka","Gang Zhu","Yingchun Song","Mathias Unberath","Mehran Armand","Dan Ruan","S. Kevin Zhou","Qiyong Cao","Chunpeng Zhao","Xinbao Wu","Yu Wang"],"tags":["eess.IV","cs.AI","cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-03T08:19:36Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.06739v1","name":"Beating Adversarial Low-Rank MDPs with Unknown Transition and Bandit Feedback","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We consider regret minimization in low-rank MDPs with fixed transition and adversarial losses. Previous work has investigated this problem under either full-information loss feedback with unknown transitions (Zhao et al., 2024), or bandit loss feedback with known transition (Foster et al., 2022). First, we improve the $poly(d, A, H)T^{5/6}$ regret bound of Zhao et al. (2024) to $poly(d, A, H)T^{2/3}$ for the full-information unknown transition setting, where d is the rank of the transitions, A is the number of actions, H is the horizon length, and T is the number of episodes. Next, we initiate the study on the setting with bandit loss feedback and unknown transitions. Assuming that the loss has a linear structure, we propose both model based and model free algorithms achieving $poly(d, A, H)T^{2/3}$ regret, though they are computationally inefficient. We also propose oracle-efficient model-free algorithms with $poly(d, A, H)T^{4/5}$ regret. We show that the linear structure is necessary for the bandit case without structure on the reward function, the regret has to scale polynomially with the number of states. This is contrary to the full-information case (Zhao et al., 2024), where the regret can be independent of the number of states even for unstructured reward function.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.06739v1","authors":["Haolin Liu","Zakaria Mhammedi","Chen-Yu Wei","Julian Zimmert"],"tags":["cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-11T06:19:33Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.18368v1","name":"The 2024 Brain Tumor Segmentation (BraTS) Challenge: Glioma Segmentation on Post-treatment MRI","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Gliomas are the most common malignant primary brain tumors in adults and one of the deadliest types of cancer. There are many challenges in treatment and monitoring due to the genetic diversity and high intrinsic heterogeneity in appearance, shape, histology, and treatment response. Treatments include surgery, radiation, and systemic therapies, with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) playing a key role in treatment planning and post-treatment longitudinal assessment. The 2024 Brain Tumor Segmentation (BraTS) challenge on post-treatment glioma MRI will provide a community standard and benchmark for state-of-the-art automated segmentation models based on the largest expert-annotated post-treatment glioma MRI dataset. Challenge competitors will develop automated segmentation models to predict four distinct tumor sub-regions consisting of enhancing tissue (ET), surrounding non-enhancing T2/fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) hyperintensity (SNFH), non-enhancing tumor core (NETC), and resection cavity (RC). Models will be evaluated on separate validation and test datasets using standardized performance metrics utilized across the BraTS 2024 cluster of challenges, including lesion-wise Dice Similarity Coefficient and Hausdorff Distance. Models developed during this challenge will advance the field of automated MRI segmentation and contribute to their integration into clinical practice, ultimately enhancing patient care.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.18368v1","authors":["Maria Correia de Verdier","Rachit Saluja","Louis Gagnon","Dominic LaBella","Ujjwall Baid","Nourel Hoda Tahon","Martha Foltyn-Dumitru","Jikai Zhang","Maram Alafif","Saif Baig","Ken Chang","Gennaro D'Anna","Lisa Deptula","Diviya Gupta","Muhammad Ammar Haider","Ali Hussain","Michael Iv","Marinos Kontzialis","Paul Manning","Farzan Moodi","Teresa Nunes","Aaron Simon","Nico Sollmann","David Vu","Maruf Adewole","Jake Albrecht","Udunna Anazodo","Rongrong Chai","Verena Chung","Shahriar Faghani","Keyvan Farahani","Anahita Fathi Kazerooni","Eugenio Iglesias","Florian Kofler","Hongwei Li","Marius George Linguraru","Bjoern Menze","Ahmed W. Moawad","Yury Velichko","Benedikt Wiestler","Talissa Altes","Patil Basavasagar","Martin Bendszus","Gianluca Brugnara","Jaeyoung Cho","Yaseen Dhemesh","Brandon K. K. Fields","Filip Garrett","Jaime Gass","Lubomir Hadjiiski","Jona Hattangadi-Gluth","Christopher Hess","Jessica L. Houk","Edvin Isufi","Lester J. Layfield","George Mastorakos","John Mongan","Pierre Nedelec","Uyen Nguyen","Sebastian Oliva","Matthew W. Pease","Aditya Rastogi","Jason Sinclair","Robert X. Smith","Leo P. Sugrue","Jonathan Thacker","Igor Vidic","Javier Villanueva-Meyer","Nathan S. White","Mariam Aboian","Gian Marco Conte","Anders Dale","Mert R. Sabuncu","Tyler M. Seibert","Brent Weinberg","Aly Abayazeed","Raymond Huang","Sevcan Turk","Andreas M. Rauschecker","Nikdokht Farid","Philipp Vollmuth","Ayman Nada","Spyridon Bakas","Evan Calabrese","Jeffrey D. Rudie"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-28T17:07:55Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.12256v1","name":"Symmetric Multi-Similarity Loss for EPIC-KITCHENS-100 Multi-Instance Retrieval Challenge 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this report, we present our champion solution for EPIC-KITCHENS-100 Multi-Instance Retrieval Challenge in CVPR 2024. Essentially, this challenge differs from traditional visual-text retrieval tasks by providing a correlation matrix that acts as a set of soft labels for video-text clip combinations. However, existing loss functions have not fully exploited this information. Motivated by this, we propose a novel loss function, Symmetric Multi-Similarity Loss, which offers a more precise learning objective. Together with tricks and ensemble learning, the model achieves 63.76% average mAP and 74.25% average nDCG on the public leaderboard, demonstrating the effectiveness of our approach. Our code will be released at: https://github.com/xqwang14/SMS-Loss/tree/main","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.12256v1","authors":["Xiaoqi Wang","Yi Wang","Lap-Pui Chau"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-18T04:10:20Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.17208v2","name":"First Place Solution to the ECCV 2024 BRAVO Challenge: Evaluating Robustness of Vision Foundation Models for Semantic Segmentation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this report, we present the first place solution to the ECCV 2024 BRAVO Challenge, where a model is trained on Cityscapes and its robustness is evaluated on several out-of-distribution datasets. Our solution leverages the powerful representations learned by vision foundation models, by attaching a simple segmentation decoder to DINOv2 and fine-tuning the entire model. This approach outperforms more complex existing approaches, and achieves first place in the challenge. Our code is publicly available at https://github.com/tue-mps/benchmark-vfm-ss.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.17208v2","authors":["Tommie Kerssies","Daan de Geus","Gijs Dubbelman"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.AI","cs.LG","cs.RO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-25T16:15:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.07498v1","name":"RaD-Net 2: A causal two-stage repairing and denoising speech enhancement network with knowledge distillation and complex axial self-attention","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In real-time speech communication systems, speech signals are often degraded by multiple distortions. Recently, a two-stage Repair-and-Denoising network (RaD-Net) was proposed with superior speech quality improvement in the ICASSP 2024 Speech Signal Improvement (SSI) Challenge. However, failure to use future information and constraint receptive field of convolution layers limit the system's performance. To mitigate these problems, we extend RaD-Net to its upgraded version, RaD-Net 2. Specifically, a causality-based knowledge distillation is introduced in the first stage to use future information in a causal way. We use the non-causal repairing network as the teacher to improve the performance of the causal repairing network. In addition, in the second stage, complex axial self-attention is applied in the denoising network's complex feature encoder/decoder. Experimental results on the ICASSP 2024 SSI Challenge blind test set show that RaD-Net 2 brings 0.10 OVRL DNSMOS improvement compared to RaD-Net.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.07498v1","authors":["Mingshuai Liu","Zhuangqi Chen","Xiaopeng Yan","Yuanjun Lv","Xianjun Xia","Chuanzeng Huang","Yijian Xiao","Lei Xie"],"tags":["cs.SD","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-11T17:33:10Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.00366v1","name":"Mini-Proceedings of the \"Fourth International Workshop on the Extension Project for the J-PARC Hadron Experimental Facility (HEF-ex 2024)\"","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The mini proceedings of the \"Fourth International Workshop on the Extension Project for the J-PARC Hadron Experimental Facility (HEF-ex 2024) [https://kds.kek.jp/event/46965]\" held at J-PARC, February 19-21, 2024, are presented. The workshop was devoted to discussing the physics case that connects both the present and the future Hadron Experimental Facility at J-PARC, covering a wide range of topics in flavor, hadron, and nuclear physics related to both experimental and theoretical activities being conducted at the facility.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.00366v1","authors":["P. Achenbach","K. Aoki","S. Aoki","C. Curceanu","S. Diehl","T. Doi","M. Endo","M. Fujita","T. Fukuda","H. Garcia-Tecocoatzi","L. S. Geng","T. Gunji","C. Hanhart","M. Harada","T. Harada","S. Hayakawa","B. R. He","E. Hiyama","R. Honda","Y. Ichikawa","M. Isaka","D. Jido","A. Jinno","K. Kamada","Y. Kamiya","Y. K. Kong","Z. W. Liu","J. X. Lu","K. Miwa","K. Mizutani","K. Murakami","R. Muto","K. Murase","S. Nagao","T. Nanamura","H. Nanjo","Y. Nara","A. Ohnishi","J. W. Qiu","A. Sakaguchi","F. Sakuma","E. Santopinto","A. Scordo","T. Sekihara","C. Seong","N. V. Shevchenko","J. R. Stone","I. Strakovsky","K. Suzuki","H. Takahashi","M. Takizawa","H. Tamura","N. Tomida","A. Umeya","O. Vázquez Doce","J. Yamagata-Sekihara","T. O. Yamamoto","Y. Xiao","Z. Yin","Z. Yu","B. S. Zou"],"tags":["nucl-ex","hep-ex","hep-ph","nucl-th"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-31T06:59:20Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.16335v2","name":"Stabilization of Optical Bubbles Near the Axis of a Helical Waveguide","source":"arxiv","abstract":"It has been shown numerically that coupled nonlinear Schrödinger equations describing the interaction between the left and right circular polarizations of a paraxial optical wave in a defocusing Kerr medium with an anomalous dispersion in a helical waveguide have stable solutions in the form of elongated stationary rotating bubbles with several optical vortices attached to the ends. A bubble is an arbitrarily long quasi-cylindrical three-dimensional cavity in one of the components filled with the opposite component. The transverse profile of the bubble is determined by the shape of the cross section of the waveguide, the helix pitch, the number of vortices, and the background intensity of the surrounding component rather than by the total amount of the filling component. JETP Lett. 120(2), 103-108 (2024); DOI: 10.1134/S0021364024602264","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.16335v2","authors":["Victor P. Ruban"],"tags":["physics.optics","nlin.PS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-24T06:19:22Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.18069v2","name":"Overview of TREC 2024 Biomedical Generative Retrieval (BioGen) Track","source":"arxiv","abstract":"With the advancement of large language models (LLMs), the biomedical domain has seen significant progress and improvement in multiple tasks such as biomedical question answering, lay language summarization of the biomedical literature, clinical note summarization, etc. However, hallucinations or confabulations remain one of the key challenges when using LLMs in the biomedical and other domains. Inaccuracies may be particularly harmful in high-risk situations, such as medical question answering, making clinical decisions, or appraising biomedical research. Studies on the evaluation of the LLMs abilities to ground generated statements in verifiable sources have shown that models perform significantly worse on lay-user-generated questions, and often fail to reference relevant sources. This can be problematic when those seeking information want evidence from studies to back up the claims from LLMs. Unsupported statements are a major barrier to using LLMs in any applications that may affect health. Methods for grounding generated statements in reliable sources along with practical evaluation approaches are needed to overcome this barrier. Towards this, in our pilot task organized at TREC 2024, we introduced the task of reference attribution as a means to mitigate the generation of false statements by LLMs answering biomedical questions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.18069v2","authors":["Deepak Gupta","Dina Demner-Fushman","William Hersh","Steven Bedrick","Kirk Roberts"],"tags":["cs.IR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-27T05:43:00Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.18549v1","name":"Estimating early coronal mass ejection propagation direction with DIRECD during the severe May 8 and follow-up June 8, 2024 events","source":"arxiv","abstract":"On May 8, 2024, solar active region 13664 produced an X-class flare, several M-class flares, and multiple Earth-directed Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). The initial CME caused coronal dimmings, characterized by localized reductions in extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) emissions, indicating mass loss and expansion during the eruption. After one solar rotation, on June 8, 2024, the same region produced another M-class flare followed by coronal dimmings observed by the SDO and STEREO spacecraft. We analyzed early CME evolution and direction from coronal dimming expansion at the end of the impulsive phase using the DIRECD (Dimming Inferred Estimation of CME Direction) method. To validate the 3D CME cone, we compared CME properties from the low corona with white-light coronagraph data. The May 8 CME expanded radially, with a 7.7 deg inclination, 70 deg angular width, and 0.81 Rsun cone height, while the June 8 CME had a 15.7 deg inclination, 81 deg width, and 0.89 Rsun height. Our study shows that tracking low coronal signatures, like coronal dimming expansion, can estimate CME direction early, providing crucial lead time for space weather forecasts.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.18549v1","authors":["Shantanu Jain","Tatiana Podladchikova","Astrid M. Veronig","Galina Chikunova","Karin Dissauer","Mateja Dumbovic","Amaia Razquin"],"tags":["astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-24T08:53:21Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.12418v1","name":"Domain-stratified Training for Cross-organ and Cross-scanner Adenocarcinoma Segmentation in the COSAS 2024 Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This manuscript presents an image segmentation algorithm developed for the Cross-Organ and Cross-Scanner Adenocarcinoma Segmentation (COSAS 2024) challenge. We adopted an organ-stratified and scanner-stratified approach to train multiple Upernet-based segmentation models and subsequently ensembled the results. Despite the challenges posed by the varying tumor characteristics across different organs and the differing imaging conditions of various scanners, our method achieved a final test score of 0.7643 for Task 1 and 0.8354 for Task 2. These results demonstrate the adaptability and efficacy of our approach across diverse conditions. Our model's ability to generalize across various datasets underscores its potential for real-world applications.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.12418v1","authors":["Huang Jiayan","Ji Zheng","Kuang Jinbo","Xu Shuoyu"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-19T02:36:34Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.17363v2","name":"Leveraging Synthetic Audio Data for End-to-End Low-Resource Speech Translation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes our system submission to the International Conference on Spoken Language Translation (IWSLT 2024) for Irish-to-English speech translation. We built end-to-end systems based on Whisper, and employed a number of data augmentation techniques, such as speech back-translation and noise augmentation. We investigate the effect of using synthetic audio data and discuss several methods for enriching signal diversity.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.17363v2","authors":["Yasmin Moslem"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.SD","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-25T08:26:41Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.06079v2","name":"The X-LANCE Technical Report for Interspeech 2024 Speech Processing Using Discrete Speech Unit Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Discrete speech tokens have been more and more popular in multiple speech processing fields, including automatic speech recognition (ASR), text-to-speech (TTS) and singing voice synthesis (SVS). In this paper, we describe the systems developed by the SJTU X-LANCE group for the TTS (acoustic + vocoder), SVS, and ASR tracks in the Interspeech 2024 Speech Processing Using Discrete Speech Unit Challenge. Notably, we achieved 1st rank on the leaderboard in the TTS track both with the whole training set and only 1h training data, with the highest UTMOS score and lowest bitrate among all submissions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.06079v2","authors":["Yiwei Guo","Chenrun Wang","Yifan Yang","Hankun Wang","Ziyang Ma","Chenpeng Du","Shuai Wang","Hanzheng Li","Shuai Fan","Hui Zhang","Xie Chen","Kai Yu"],"tags":["eess.AS","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-09T07:37:41Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.09923v1","name":"NTIRE 2024 Restore Any Image Model (RAIM) in the Wild Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, we review the NTIRE 2024 challenge on Restore Any Image Model (RAIM) in the Wild. The RAIM challenge constructed a benchmark for image restoration in the wild, including real-world images with/without reference ground truth in various scenarios from real applications. The participants were required to restore the real-captured images from complex and unknown degradation, where generative perceptual quality and fidelity are desired in the restoration result. The challenge consisted of two tasks. Task one employed real referenced data pairs, where quantitative evaluation is available. Task two used unpaired images, and a comprehensive user study was conducted. The challenge attracted more than 200 registrations, where 39 of them submitted results with more than 400 submissions. Top-ranked methods improved the state-of-the-art restoration performance and obtained unanimous recognition from all 18 judges. The proposed datasets are available at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DqbxUoiUqkAIkExu3jZAqoElr_nu1IXb/view?usp=sharing and the homepage of this challenge is at https://codalab.lisn.upsaclay.fr/competitions/17632.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.09923v1","authors":["Jie Liang","Radu Timofte","Qiaosi Yi","Shuaizheng Liu","Lingchen Sun","Rongyuan Wu","Xindong Zhang","Hui Zeng","Lei Zhang"],"tags":["cs.CV","eess.IV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-16T09:26:13Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2401.13959v1","name":"Conditional Neural Video Coding with Spatial-Temporal Super-Resolution","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This document is an expanded version of a one-page abstract originally presented at the 2024 Data Compression Conference. It describes our proposed method for the video track of the Challenge on Learned Image Compression (CLIC) 2024. Our scheme follows the typical hybrid coding framework with some novel techniques. Firstly, we adopt Spynet network to produce accurate motion vectors for motion estimation. Secondly, we introduce the context mining scheme with conditional frame coding to fully exploit the spatial-temporal information. As for the low target bitrates given by CLIC, we integrate spatial-temporal super-resolution modules to improve rate-distortion performance. Our team name is IMCLVC.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.13959v1","authors":["Henan Wang","Xiaohan Pan","Runsen Feng","Zongyu Guo","Zhibo Chen"],"tags":["eess.IV","cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-25T05:36:48Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.07792v1","name":"Nostra Domina at EvaLatin 2024: Improving Latin Polarity Detection through Data Augmentation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes submissions from the team Nostra Domina to the EvaLatin 2024 shared task of emotion polarity detection. Given the low-resource environment of Latin and the complexity of sentiment in rhetorical genres like poetry, we augmented the available data through automatic polarity annotation. We present two methods for doing so on the basis of the $k$-means algorithm, and we employ a variety of Latin large language models (LLMs) in a neural architecture to better capture the underlying contextual sentiment representations. Our best approach achieved the second highest macro-averaged Macro-$F_1$ score on the shared task's test set.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.07792v1","authors":["Stephen Bothwell","Abigail Swenor","David Chiang"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-11T14:35:23Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.21884v1","name":"Proceedings Fifteenth International Symposium on Games, Automata, Logics, and Formal Verification","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This volume contains the proceedings of GandALF 2024, the Fifteenth International Symposium on Games, Automata, Logics, and Formal Verification. GandALF 2024 took place on 19-21 June 2024, in Reykjavik, Iceland. The aim of GandALF 2024 is to bring together researchers from academia and industry who are actively working in the fields of Games, Automata, Logics, and Formal Verification. The idea is to cover an ample spectrum of themes, ranging from theory to applications, and stimulate cross-fertilization.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.21884v1","authors":["Antonis Achilleos","Adrian Francalanza"],"tags":["cs.FL","cs.CC","cs.LO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-29T09:22:33Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.12760v1","name":"Mixing and $C\\!P$ violation in beauty and charm at LHCb","source":"arxiv","abstract":"These proceedings discuss recent measurements by the LHCb experiment on mixing and $C\\!P$ violation with beauty and charm mesons, as presented at the Moriond QCD 2024 conference. All discussed measurements show agreement with the Standard Model.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.12760v1","authors":["Jordy Butter"],"tags":["hep-ex"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-21T13:11:21Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2408.04378v1","name":"Overview of the NLPCC 2024 Shared Task on Chinese Metaphor Generation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the results of the shared task on Chinese metaphor generation, hosted at the 13th CCF Conference on Natural Language Processing and Chinese Computing (NLPCC 2024). The goal of this shared task is to generate Chinese metaphors using machine learning techniques and effectively identifying basic components of metaphorical sentences. It is divided into two subtasks: 1) Metaphor Generation, which involves creating a metaphor from a provided tuple consisting of TENOR, GROUND, and VEHICLE. The goal here is to synthesize a metaphor that connects the subject (i.e. TENOR) with the object (i.e. VEHICLE), guided by the concept of the GROUND. 2) Metaphor Components Identification, which extracts the most fitting TENORs, GROUNDs, and VEHICLEs from a metaphorical sentence. This component requires the identification of the most fitting metaphor elements that correspond to the specified grounds. In addition to overall results, we report on the setup and insights from the metaphor generation shared task, which attracted a total of 4 participating teams across both subtasks.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.04378v1","authors":["Xingwei Qu","Ge Zhang","Siwei Wu","Yizhi Li","Chenghua Lin"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-08T11:29:43Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.10018v2","name":"Data-Efficient Low-Complexity Acoustic Scene Classification in the DCASE 2024 Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This article describes the Data-Efficient Low-Complexity Acoustic Scene Classification Task in the DCASE 2024 Challenge and the corresponding baseline system. The task setup is a continuation of previous editions (2022 and 2023), which focused on recording device mismatches and low-complexity constraints. This year's edition introduces an additional real-world problem: participants must develop data-efficient systems for five scenarios, which progressively limit the available training data. The provided baseline system is based on an efficient, factorized CNN architecture constructed from inverted residual blocks and uses Freq-MixStyle to tackle the device mismatch problem. The task received 37 submissions from 17 teams, with the large majority of systems outperforming the baseline. The top-ranked system's accuracy ranges from 54.3% on the smallest to 61.8% on the largest subset, corresponding to relative improvements of approximately 23% and 9% over the baseline system on the evaluation set.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.10018v2","authors":["Florian Schmid","Paul Primus","Toni Heittola","Annamaria Mesaros","Irene Martín-Morató","Khaled Koutini","Gerhard Widmer"],"tags":["eess.AS","cs.SD"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-16T12:00:39Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.12565v1","name":"PBVS 2024 Solution: Self-Supervised Learning and Sampling Strategies for SAR Classification in Extreme Long-Tail Distribution","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Multimodal Learning Workshop (PBVS 2024) aims to improve the performance of automatic target recognition (ATR) systems by leveraging both Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data, which is difficult to interpret but remains unaffected by weather conditions and visible light, and Electro-Optical (EO) data for simultaneous learning. The subtask, known as the Multi-modal Aerial View Imagery Challenge - Classification, focuses on predicting the class label of a low-resolution aerial image based on a set of SAR-EO image pairs and their respective class labels. The provided dataset consists of SAR-EO pairs, characterized by a severe long-tail distribution with over a 1000-fold difference between the largest and smallest classes, making typical long-tail methods difficult to apply. Additionally, the domain disparity between the SAR and EO datasets complicates the effectiveness of standard multimodal methods. To address these significant challenges, we propose a two-stage learning approach that utilizes self-supervised techniques, combined with multimodal learning and inference through SAR-to-EO translation for effective EO utilization. In the final testing phase of the PBVS 2024 Multi-modal Aerial View Image Challenge - Classification (SAR Classification) task, our model achieved an accuracy of 21.45%, an AUC of 0.56, and a total score of 0.30, placing us 9th in the competition.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.12565v1","authors":["Yuhyun Kim","Minwoo Kim","Hyobin Park","Jinwook Jung","Dong-Geol Choi"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-17T05:49:16Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2401.14681v2","name":"MasonTigers@LT-EDI-2024: An Ensemble Approach Towards Detecting Homophobia and Transphobia in Social Media Comments","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, we describe our approaches and results for Task 2 of the LT-EDI 2024 Workshop, aimed at detecting homophobia and/or transphobia across ten languages. Our methodologies include monolingual transformers and ensemble methods, capitalizing on the strengths of each to enhance the performance of the models. The ensemble models worked well, placing our team, MasonTigers, in the top five for eight of the ten languages, as measured by the macro F1 score. Our work emphasizes the efficacy of ensemble methods in multilingual scenarios, addressing the complexities of language-specific tasks.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.14681v2","authors":["Dhiman Goswami","Sadiya Sayara Chowdhury Puspo","Md Nishat Raihan","Al Nahian Bin Emran"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-26T06:56:17Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.20483v1","name":"RecSys Challenge 2024: Balancing Accuracy and Editorial Values in News Recommendations","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The RecSys Challenge 2024 aims to advance news recommendation by addressing both the technical and normative challenges inherent in designing effective and responsible recommender systems for news publishing. This paper describes the challenge, including its objectives, problem setting, and the dataset provided by the Danish news publishers Ekstra Bladet and JP/Politikens Media Group (\"Ekstra Bladet\"). The challenge explores the unique aspects of news recommendation, such as modeling user preferences based on behavior, accounting for the influence of the news agenda on user interests, and managing the rapid decay of news items. Additionally, the challenge embraces normative complexities, investigating the effects of recommender systems on news flow and their alignment with editorial values. We summarize the challenge setup, dataset characteristics, and evaluation metrics. Finally, we announce the winners and highlight their contributions. The dataset is available at: https://recsys.eb.dk.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.20483v1","authors":["Johannes Kruse","Kasper Lindskow","Saikishore Kalloori","Marco Polignano","Claudio Pomo","Abhishek Srivastava","Anshuk Uppal","Michael Riis Andersen","Jes Frellsen"],"tags":["cs.IR","cs.AI","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-30T16:42:57Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.05340v1","name":"T violation at a future neutrino factory (Contribution to the 25th International Workshop on Neutrinos from Accelerators)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We study the possibility of measuring T (time reversal) violation in a future long baseline neutrino oscillation experiment. By assuming a neutrino factory as a staging scenario of a muon collider at the J-PARC site, we find that the $ν_e \\to ν_μ$ oscillation probabilities can be measured with good accuracy at the Hyper-Kamiokande detector. By comparing with the probability of the time-reversal process, $ν_μ\\to ν_e$, measured at the T2K/T2HK, one can determine the CP phase $δ$ in the neutrino mixing matrix if $|\\sin(δ)|$ is large enough. The determination of $δ$ can be made with poor knowledge of the matter density of the earth as T violation is almost insensitive to the matter effects. The comparison of CP and T-violation measurements, {\\it à la} the CPT theorem, provides us with a non-trivial check of the three neutrino paradigm based on the quantum field theory. This proceeding is based on JHEP 12 (2024), 014 [arXiv:hep-ph/2407.05807].","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.05340v1","authors":["Ryuichiro Kitano","Joe Sato","Sho Sugama"],"tags":["hep-ph","hep-ex"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-06T05:04:29Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.12027v4","name":"Analytical and EZmock covariance validation for the DESI 2024 results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The estimation of uncertainties in cosmological parameters is an important challenge in Large-Scale-Structure (LSS) analyses. For standard analyses such as Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) and Full Shape, two approaches are usually considered. First: analytical estimates of the covariance matrix use Gaussian approximations and (nonlinear) clustering measurements to estimate the matrix, which allows a relatively fast and computationally cheap way to generate matrices that adapt to an arbitrary clustering measurement. On the other hand, sample covariances are an empirical estimate of the matrix based on en ensemble of clustering measurements from fast and approximate simulations. While more computationally expensive due to the large amount of simulations and volume required, these allow us to take into account systematics that are impossible to model analytically. In this work we compare these two approaches in order to enable DESI's key analyses. We find that the configuration space analytical estimate performs satisfactorily in BAO analyses and its flexibility in terms of input clustering makes it the fiducial choice for DESI's 2024 BAO analysis. On the contrary, the analytical computation of the covariance matrix in Fourier space does not reproduce the expected measurements in terms of Full Shape analyses, which motivates the use of a corrected mock covariance for DESI's Full Shape analysis.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.12027v4","authors":["Daniel Forero-Sánchez","Michael Rashkovetskyi","Otávio Alves","Arnaud de Mattia","Nikhil Padmanabhan","Hee-Jong Seo","Seshadri Nadathur","Ashley J. Ross","Pauline Zarrouk","Héctor Gil-Marín","Jiaxi Yu","Zhejie Ding","Uendert Andrade","Xinyi Chen","Cristhian Garcia-Quintero","Juan Mena-Fernández","Steven Ahlen","Davide Bianchi","David Brooks","Etienne Burtin","Edmond Chaussidon","Todd Claybaugh","Shaun Cole","Axel de la Macorra","Miguel Enriquez Vargas","Enrique Gaztañaga","Gaston Gutierrez","Klaus Honscheid","Cullan Howlett","Theodore Kisner","Martin Landriau","Laurent Le Guillou","Michael Levi","Ramon Miquel","John Moustakas","Nathalie Palanque-Delabrouille","Will Percival","Ignasi Pérez-Ràfols","Ashley J. Ross","Graziano Rossi","Eusebio Sanchez","David Schlegel","Michael Schubnell","Hee-Jong Seo","David Sprayberry","Gregory Tarlé","Mariana Vargas Magana","Benjamin Alan Weaver","Hu Zou"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-18T20:03:40Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.08762v1","name":"S3C2 Summit 2024-03: Industry Secure Supply Chain Summit","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Supply chain security has become a very important vector to consider when defending against adversary attacks. Due to this, more and more developers are keen on improving their supply chains to make them more robust against future threats. On March 7th, 2024 researchers from the Secure Software Supply Chain Center (S3C2) gathered 14 industry leaders, developers and consumers of the open source ecosystem to discuss the state of supply chain security. The goal of the summit is to share insights between companies and developers alike to foster new collaborations and ideas moving forward. Through this meeting, participants were questions on best practices and thoughts how to improve things for the future. In this paper we summarize the responses and discussions of the summit. The panel questions can be found in the appendix.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.08762v1","authors":["Greg Tystahl","Yasemin Acar","Michel Cukier","William Enck","Christian Kastner","Alexandros Kapravelos","Dominik Wermke","Laurie Williams"],"tags":["cs.CR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-14T16:53:14Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.13939v1","name":"2nd Place Solution for MeViS Track in CVPR 2024 PVUW Workshop: Motion Expression guided Video Segmentation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Motion Expression guided Video Segmentation is a challenging task that aims at segmenting objects in the video based on natural language expressions with motion descriptions. Unlike the previous referring video object segmentation (RVOS), this task focuses more on the motion in video content for language-guided video object segmentation, requiring an enhanced ability to model longer temporal, motion-oriented vision-language data. In this report, based on the RVOS methods, we successfully introduce mask information obtained from the video instance segmentation model as preliminary information for temporal enhancement and employ SAM for spatial refinement. Finally, our method achieved a score of 49.92 J &amp;F in the validation phase and 54.20 J &amp;F in the test phase, securing the final ranking of 2nd in the MeViS Track at the CVPR 2024 PVUW Challenge.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.13939v1","authors":["Bin Cao","Yisi Zhang","Xuanxu Lin","Xingjian He","Bo Zhao","Jing Liu"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-20T02:16:23Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.04867v1","name":"MIPI 2024 Challenge on Demosaic for HybridEVS Camera: Methods and Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The increasing demand for computational photography and imaging on mobile platforms has led to the widespread development and integration of advanced image sensors with novel algorithms in camera systems. However, the scarcity of high-quality data for research and the rare opportunity for in-depth exchange of views from industry and academia constrain the development of mobile intelligent photography and imaging (MIPI). Building on the achievements of the previous MIPI Workshops held at ECCV 2022 and CVPR 2023, we introduce our third MIPI challenge including three tracks focusing on novel image sensors and imaging algorithms. In this paper, we summarize and review the Nighttime Flare Removal track on MIPI 2024. In total, 170 participants were successfully registered, and 14 teams submitted results in the final testing phase. The developed solutions in this challenge achieved state-of-the-art performance on Nighttime Flare Removal. More details of this challenge and the link to the dataset can be found at https://mipi-challenge.org/MIPI2024/.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.04867v1","authors":["Yaqi Wu","Zhihao Fan","Xiaofeng Chu","Jimmy S. Ren","Xiaoming Li","Zongsheng Yue","Chongyi Li","Shangcheng Zhou","Ruicheng Feng","Yuekun Dai","Peiqing Yang","Chen Change Loy","Senyan Xu","Zhijing Sun","Jiaying Zhu","Yurui Zhu","Xueyang Fu","Zheng-Jun Zha","Jun Cao","Cheng Li","Shu Chen","Liang Ma","Shiyang Zhou","Haijin Zeng","Kai Feng","Yongyong Chen","Jingyong Su","Xianyu Guan","Hongyuan Yu","Cheng Wan","Jiamin Lin","Binnan Han","Yajun Zou","Zhuoyuan Wu","Yuan Huang","Yongsheng Yu","Daoan Zhang","Jizhe Li","Xuanwu Yin","Kunlong Zuo","Yunfan Lu","Yijie Xu","Wenzong Ma","Weiyu Guo","Hui Xiong","Wei Yu","Bingchun Luo","Sabari Nathan","Priya Kansal"],"tags":["eess.IV","cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-08T07:49:29Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.00721v1","name":"Who Would Chatbots Vote For? Political Preferences of ChatGPT and Gemini in the 2024 European Union Elections","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This study examines the political bias of chatbots powered by large language models, namely ChatGPT and Gemini, in the context of the 2024 European Parliament elections. The research focused on the evaluation of political parties represented in the European Parliament across 27 EU Member States by these generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems. The methodology involved daily data collection through standardized prompts on both platforms. The results revealed a stark contrast: while Gemini mostly refused to answer political questions, ChatGPT provided consistent ratings. The analysis showed a significant bias in ChatGPT in favor of left-wing and centrist parties, with the highest ratings for the Greens/European Free Alliance. In contrast, right-wing parties, particularly the Identity and Democracy group, received the lowest ratings. The study identified key factors influencing the ratings, including attitudes toward European integration and perceptions of democratic values. The findings highlight the need for a critical approach to information provided by generative AI systems in a political context and call for more transparency and regulation in this area.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.00721v1","authors":["Michael Haman","Milan Školník"],"tags":["cs.CY","cs.AI","cs.CL","cs.HC"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-01T13:40:13Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.09494v1","name":"The Second DISPLACE Challenge : DIarization of SPeaker and LAnguage in Conversational Environments","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The DIarization of SPeaker and LAnguage in Conversational Environments (DISPLACE) 2024 challenge is the second in the series of DISPLACE challenges, which involves tasks of speaker diarization (SD) and language diarization (LD) on a challenging multilingual conversational speech dataset. In the DISPLACE 2024 challenge, we also introduced the task of automatic speech recognition (ASR) on this dataset. The dataset containing 158 hours of speech, consisting of both supervised and unsupervised mono-channel far-field recordings, was released for LD and SD tracks. Further, 12 hours of close-field mono-channel recordings were provided for the ASR track conducted on 5 Indian languages. The details of the dataset, baseline systems and the leader board results are highlighted in this paper. We have also compared our baseline models and the team's performances on evaluation data of DISPLACE-2023 to emphasize the advancements made in this second version of the challenge.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.09494v1","authors":["Shareef Babu Kalluri","Prachi Singh","Pratik Roy Chowdhuri","Apoorva Kulkarni","Shikha Baghel","Pradyoth Hegde","Swapnil Sontakke","Deepak K T","S. R. Mahadeva Prasanna","Deepu Vijayasenan","Sriram Ganapathy"],"tags":["eess.AS","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-13T17:32:32Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2408.04699v1","name":"Artemis-enabled Stellar Imager (AeSI): A Lunar Long-Baseline UV/Optical Imaging Interferometer","source":"arxiv","abstract":"NASA's return to the Moon presents unparalleled opportunities to advance high-impact scientific capabilities. At the cutting edge of these possibilities are extremely high-resolution interferometric observations at visible and ultraviolet wavelengths. Such technology can resolve the surfaces of stars, explore the inner accretion disks of nascent stars and black holes, and eventually enable us to observe surface features and weather patterns on nearby exoplanets. We have been awarded Phase 1 support from NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program to explore the feasibility of constructing a high-resolution, long-baseline UV/optical imaging interferometer on the lunar surface, in conjunction with the Artemis Program. A 1996 study comparing interferometers on the Moon versus free-flyers in space concluded that, without pre-existing lunar infrastructure, free-flyers were preferable. However, with the advent of the Artemis Program, it is now crucial to revisit the potential of building lunar interferometers. Our objective is to conduct a study with the same level of rigor applied to large baseline, free-flying interferometers during the 2003-2005 NASA Vision Missions Studies. This preparation is essential for timely and effective utilization of the forthcoming lunar infrastructure. In this paper, we highlight the groundbreaking potential of a lunar surface-based interferometer. This concept study will be a huge step forward to larger arrays on both the moon and free-flying in space, over a wide variety of wavelengths and science topics. Our Phase 1 study began in April 2024, and here we present a concise overview of our vision and the progress made so far.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.04699v1","authors":["Gioia Rau","Kenneth G. Carpenter","Tabetha Boyajian","Michelle Creech-Eakman","Julianne Foster","Margarita Karovska","David Leisawitz","Jon A. Morse","David Mozurkewich","Sarah Peacock","Noah Petro","Paul Scowen","Breann Sitarski","Gerard van Belle","Erik Wilkinson"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-08T18:00:05Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.17005v1","name":"PVUW 2024 Challenge on Complex Video Understanding: Methods and Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Pixel-level Video Understanding in the Wild Challenge (PVUW) focus on complex video understanding. In this CVPR 2024 workshop, we add two new tracks, Complex Video Object Segmentation Track based on MOSE dataset and Motion Expression guided Video Segmentation track based on MeViS dataset. In the two new tracks, we provide additional videos and annotations that feature challenging elements, such as the disappearance and reappearance of objects, inconspicuous small objects, heavy occlusions, and crowded environments in MOSE. Moreover, we provide a new motion expression guided video segmentation dataset MeViS to study the natural language-guided video understanding in complex environments. These new videos, sentences, and annotations enable us to foster the development of a more comprehensive and robust pixel-level understanding of video scenes in complex environments and realistic scenarios. The MOSE challenge had 140 registered teams in total, 65 teams participated the validation phase and 12 teams made valid submissions in the final challenge phase. The MeViS challenge had 225 registered teams in total, 50 teams participated the validation phase and 5 teams made valid submissions in the final challenge phase.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.17005v1","authors":["Henghui Ding","Chang Liu","Yunchao Wei","Nikhila Ravi","Shuting He","Song Bai","Philip Torr","Deshui Miao","Xin Li","Zhenyu He","Yaowei Wang","Ming-Hsuan Yang","Zhensong Xu","Jiangtao Yao","Chengjing Wu","Ting Liu","Luoqi Liu","Xinyu Liu","Jing Zhang","Kexin Zhang","Yuting Yang","Licheng Jiao","Shuyuan Yang","Mingqi Gao","Jingnan Luo","Jinyu Yang","Jungong Han","Feng Zheng","Bin Cao","Yisi Zhang","Xuanxu Lin","Xingjian He","Bo Zhao","Jing Liu","Feiyu Pan","Hao Fang","Xiankai Lu"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-24T17:38:58Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.18147v1","name":"The FIGNEWS Shared Task on News Media Narratives","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present an overview of the FIGNEWS shared task, organized as part of the ArabicNLP 2024 conference co-located with ACL 2024. The shared task addresses bias and propaganda annotation in multilingual news posts. We focus on the early days of the Israel War on Gaza as a case study. The task aims to foster collaboration in developing annotation guidelines for subjective tasks by creating frameworks for analyzing diverse narratives highlighting potential bias and propaganda. In a spirit of fostering and encouraging diversity, we address the problem from a multilingual perspective, namely within five languages: English, French, Arabic, Hebrew, and Hindi. A total of 17 teams participated in two annotation subtasks: bias (16 teams) and propaganda (6 teams). The teams competed in four evaluation tracks: guidelines development, annotation quality, annotation quantity, and consistency. Collectively, the teams produced 129,800 data points. Key findings and implications for the field are discussed.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.18147v1","authors":["Wajdi Zaghouani","Mustafa Jarrar","Nizar Habash","Houda Bouamor","Imed Zitouni","Mona Diab","Samhaa R. El-Beltagy","Muhammed AbuOdeh"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-25T15:58:19Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.20277v1","name":"Solution for OOD-CV Workshop SSB Challenge 2024 (Open-Set Recognition Track)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This report provides a detailed description of the method we explored and proposed in the OSR Challenge at the OOD-CV Workshop during ECCV 2024. The challenge required identifying whether a test sample belonged to the semantic classes of a classifier's training set, a task known as open-set recognition (OSR). Using the Semantic Shift Benchmark (SSB) for evaluation, we focused on ImageNet1k as the in-distribution (ID) dataset and a subset of ImageNet21k as the out-of-distribution (OOD) dataset.To address this, we proposed a hybrid approach, experimenting with the fusion of various post-hoc OOD detection techniques and different Test-Time Augmentation (TTA) strategies. Additionally, we evaluated the impact of several base models on the final performance. Our best-performing method combined Test-Time Augmentation with the post-hoc OOD techniques, achieving a strong balance between AUROC and FPR95 scores. Our approach resulted in AUROC: 79.77 (ranked 5th) and FPR95: 61.44 (ranked 2nd), securing second place in the overall competition.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.20277v1","authors":["Mingxu Feng","Dian Chao","Peng Zheng","Yang Yang"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-30T13:28:14Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.01044v2","name":"Nuclear Medicine AI in Action: The Bethesda Report (AI Summit 2024)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The 2nd SNMMI Artificial Intelligence (AI) Summit, organized by the SNMMI AI Task Force, took place in Bethesda, MD, on February 29 - March 1, 2024. Bringing together various community members and stakeholders, and following up on a prior successful 2022 AI Summit, the summit theme was: AI in Action. Six key topics included (i) an overview of prior and ongoing efforts by the AI task force, (ii) emerging needs and tools for computational nuclear oncology, (iii) new frontiers in large language and generative models, (iv) defining the value proposition for the use of AI in nuclear medicine, (v) open science including efforts for data and model repositories, and (vi) issues of reimbursement and funding. The primary efforts, findings, challenges, and next steps are summarized in this manuscript.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.01044v2","authors":["Arman Rahmim","Tyler J. Bradshaw","Guido Davidzon","Joyita Dutta","Georges El Fakhri","Munir Ghesani","Nicolas A. Karakatsanis","Quanzheng Li","Chi Liu","Emilie Roncali","Babak Saboury","Tahir Yusufaly","Abhinav K. Jha"],"tags":["physics.med-ph","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-03T06:54:38Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.11559v1","name":"DaVinci at SemEval-2024 Task 9: Few-shot prompting GPT-3.5 for Unconventional Reasoning","source":"arxiv","abstract":"While significant work has been done in the field of NLP on vertical thinking, which involves primarily logical thinking, little work has been done towards lateral thinking, which involves looking at problems from an unconventional perspective and defying existing conceptions and notions. Towards this direction, SemEval 2024 introduces the task of BRAINTEASER, which involves two types of questions -- Sentence Puzzles and Word Puzzles that defy conventional common-sense reasoning and constraints. In this paper, we tackle both types of questions using few-shot prompting on GPT-3.5 and gain insights regarding the difference in the nature of the two types. Our prompting strategy placed us 26th on the leaderboard for the Sentence Puzzle and 15th on the Word Puzzle task.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.11559v1","authors":["Suyash Vardhan Mathur","Akshett Rai Jindal","Manish Shrivastava"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-19T14:21:53Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.07954v1","name":"Dataset and Lessons Learned from the 2024 SaTML LLM Capture-the-Flag Competition","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Large language model systems face important security risks from maliciously crafted messages that aim to overwrite the system's original instructions or leak private data. To study this problem, we organized a capture-the-flag competition at IEEE SaTML 2024, where the flag is a secret string in the LLM system prompt. The competition was organized in two phases. In the first phase, teams developed defenses to prevent the model from leaking the secret. During the second phase, teams were challenged to extract the secrets hidden for defenses proposed by the other teams. This report summarizes the main insights from the competition. Notably, we found that all defenses were bypassed at least once, highlighting the difficulty of designing a successful defense and the necessity for additional research to protect LLM systems. To foster future research in this direction, we compiled a dataset with over 137k multi-turn attack chats and open-sourced the platform.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.07954v1","authors":["Edoardo Debenedetti","Javier Rando","Daniel Paleka","Silaghi Fineas Florin","Dragos Albastroiu","Niv Cohen","Yuval Lemberg","Reshmi Ghosh","Rui Wen","Ahmed Salem","Giovanni Cherubin","Santiago Zanella-Beguelin","Robin Schmid","Victor Klemm","Takahiro Miki","Chenhao Li","Stefan Kraft","Mario Fritz","Florian Tramèr","Sahar Abdelnabi","Lea Schönherr"],"tags":["cs.CR","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-12T07:27:28Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2402.18944v1","name":"SemEval 2024 -- Task 10: Emotion Discovery and Reasoning its Flip in Conversation (EDiReF)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present SemEval-2024 Task 10, a shared task centred on identifying emotions and finding the rationale behind their flips within monolingual English and Hindi-English code-mixed dialogues. This task comprises three distinct subtasks - emotion recognition in conversation for code-mixed dialogues, emotion flip reasoning for code-mixed dialogues, and emotion flip reasoning for English dialogues. Participating systems were tasked to automatically execute one or more of these subtasks. The datasets for these tasks comprise manually annotated conversations focusing on emotions and triggers for emotion shifts (The task data is available at https://github.com/LCS2-IIITD/EDiReF-SemEval2024.git). A total of 84 participants engaged in this task, with the most adept systems attaining F1-scores of 0.70, 0.79, and 0.76 for the respective subtasks. This paper summarises the results and findings from 24 teams alongside their system descriptions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.18944v1","authors":["Shivani Kumar","Md Shad Akhtar","Erik Cambria","Tanmoy Chakraborty"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-29T08:20:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.12555v2","name":"GRBAlpha and VZLUSAT-2: GRB observations with CubeSats after 3 years of operations","source":"arxiv","abstract":"GRBAlpha is a 1U CubeSat launched in March 2021 to a sun-synchronous LEO at an altitude of 550 km to perform an in-orbit demonstration of a novel gamma-ray burst detector developed for CubeSats. VZLUSAT-2 followed ten months later in a similar orbit carrying as a secondary payload a pair of identical detectors as used on the first mission. These instruments detecting gamma-rays in the range of 30-900 keV consist of a 56 cm2 5 mm thin CsI(Tl) scintillator read-out by a row of multi-pixel photon counters (MPPC or SiPM). The scientific motivation is to detect gamma-ray bursts and other HE transient events and serve as a pathfinder for a larger constellation of nanosatellites that could localize these events via triangulation. At the beginning of July 2024, GRBAlpha detected 140 such transients, while VZLUSAT-2 had 83 positive detections, confirmed by larger GRB missions. Almost a hundred of them are identified as gamma-ray bursts, including extremely bright GRB 221009A and GRB 230307A, detected by both satellites. We were able to characterize the degradation of SiPMs in polar orbit and optimize the duty cycle of the detector system also by using SatNOGS radio network for downlink.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.12555v2","authors":["Filip Münz","Jakub Řípa","András Pál","Marianna Dafčíková","Norbert Werner","Masanori Ohno","László Meszáros","Vladimír Dániel","Peter Hanák","Ján Hudec","Marcel Frajt","Jakub Kapuš","Petr Svoboda","Juraj Dudáš","Miroslav Kasal","Tomáš Vítek","Martin Kolář","Lea Szakszonová","Pavol Lipovský","Michaela Ďuríšková","Ivo Veřtát","Martin Sabol","Milan Junas","Roman Maroš","Pavel Kosík","Zsolt Frei","Hiromitsu Takahashi","Yasushi Fukazawa","Gábor Galgóczi","Balázs Csák","Robert László","Tsunefumi Mizuno","Nikola Husáriková","Kazuhiro Nakazawa"],"tags":["astro-ph.HE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-17T13:35:47Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.02128v2","name":"Multiwavelength coverage of the 2024 periastron passage of PSR B1259-63 / LS 2883","source":"arxiv","abstract":"PSR B1259-63 is a gamma-ray binary system with a 48 ms radio pulsar orbiting around an O9.5Ve star, LS 2883, in a highly eccentric ~3.4 yr long orbit. Close to the periastron the system is detected from radio up to the TeV energies due to the interaction of LS 2883 and pulsar's outflows. The observations of last 4 periastra passages taken in 2010-2021 demonstrate periastron to periastron variability at all wavelength, probably linked to the state of the decretion disk. In this paper we present the results of our optical, radio and X-ray observational campaigns on PSR B1259-63 performed in 2024 accompanied with the analysis of the publicly available GeV FERMI/LAT data. We show that this periastron passage was characterised by the early flaring of X-rays before the periastron passage and GeV emission after the periastron passage, which can be explained by a larger size of the decretion disk as supported by the optical observations. The structure of the GeV flare is also in agreement with the disruption of the large dense disk. The possible X-ray/radio correlation was observed only during the post-periastron rise of X-ray and radio emission.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.02128v2","authors":["M. Chernyakova","D. Malyshev","B. van Soelen","A. Finn Gallagher","N. Matchett","T. D. Russell","J. van den Eijnden","M. E. Lower","S. Johnston","S. Tsygankov","A. Salganik","Iu. Shebalkova"],"tags":["astro-ph.HE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-04T14:39:18Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.21007v1","name":"Formal Theory at ICHEP 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"These proceedings discuss some of the highlights of recent research in Formal Theory. The topics covered range from recent progress in scattering amplitudes, quantum gravity constraints on effective field theories, AdS/CFT, flat space holography, to generalized symmetries.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.21007v1","authors":["Sakura Schafer-Nameki"],"tags":["hep-ph","hep-th"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-30T15:15:17Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2402.08205v1","name":"TurtleRabbit 2024 SSL Team Description Paper","source":"arxiv","abstract":"TurtleRabbit is a new RoboCup SSL team from Western Sydney University. This team description paper presents our approach in navigating some of the challenges in developing a new SSL team from scratch. SSL is dominated by teams with extensive experience and customised equipment that has been developed over many years. Here, we outline our approach in overcoming some of the complexities associated with replicating advanced open-sourced designs and managing the high costs of custom components. Opting for simplicity and cost-effectiveness, our strategy primarily employs off-the-shelf electronics components and ``hobby'' brushless direct current (BLDC) motors, complemented by 3D printing and CNC milling. This approach helped us to streamline the development process and, with our open-sourced hardware design, hopefully will also lower the bar for other teams to enter RoboCup SSL in the future. The paper details the specific hardware choices, their approximate costs, the integration of electronics and mechanics, and the initial steps taken in software development, for our entry into SSL that aims to be simple yet competitive.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.08205v1","authors":["Linh Trinh","Alif Anzuman","Eric Batkhuu","Dychen Chan","Lisa Graf","Darpan Gurung","Tharunimm Jamal","Jigme Namgyal","Jason Ng","Wing Lam Tsang","X. Rosalind Wang","Eren Yilmaz","Oliver Obst"],"tags":["cs.RO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-13T04:09:26Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.11313v1","name":"NTIRE 2024 Challenge on Short-form UGC Video Quality Assessment: Methods and Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper reviews the NTIRE 2024 Challenge on Shortform UGC Video Quality Assessment (S-UGC VQA), where various excellent solutions are submitted and evaluated on the collected dataset KVQ from popular short-form video platform, i.e., Kuaishou/Kwai Platform. The KVQ database is divided into three parts, including 2926 videos for training, 420 videos for validation, and 854 videos for testing. The purpose is to build new benchmarks and advance the development of S-UGC VQA. The competition had 200 participants and 13 teams submitted valid solutions for the final testing phase. The proposed solutions achieved state-of-the-art performances for S-UGC VQA. The project can be found at https://github.com/lixinustc/KVQChallenge-CVPR-NTIRE2024.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.11313v1","authors":["Xin Li","Kun Yuan","Yajing Pei","Yiting Lu","Ming Sun","Chao Zhou","Zhibo Chen","Radu Timofte","Wei Sun","Haoning Wu","Zicheng Zhang","Jun Jia","Zhichao Zhang","Linhan Cao","Qiubo Chen","Xiongkuo Min","Weisi Lin","Guangtao Zhai","Jianhui Sun","Tianyi Wang","Lei Li","Han Kong","Wenxuan Wang","Bing Li","Cheng Luo","Haiqiang Wang","Xiangguang Chen","Wenhui Meng","Xiang Pan","Huiying Shi","Han Zhu","Xiaozhong Xu","Lei Sun","Zhenzhong Chen","Shan Liu","Fangyuan Kong","Haotian Fan","Yifang Xu","Haoran Xu","Mengduo Yang","Jie Zhou","Jiaze Li","Shijie Wen","Mai Xu","Da Li","Shunyu Yao","Jiazhi Du","Wangmeng Zuo","Zhibo Li","Shuai He","Anlong Ming","Huiyuan Fu","Huadong Ma","Yong Wu","Fie Xue","Guozhi Zhao","Lina Du","Jie Guo","Yu Zhang","Huimin Zheng","Junhao Chen","Yue Liu","Dulan Zhou","Kele Xu","Qisheng Xu","Tao Sun","Zhixiang Ding","Yuhang Hu"],"tags":["eess.IV","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-17T12:26:13Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.01552v4","name":"GFreeDet: Exploiting Gaussian Splatting and Foundation Models for Model-free Unseen Object Detection in the BOP Challenge 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present GFreeDet, an unseen object detection approach that leverages Gaussian splatting and vision Foundation models under model-free setting. Unlike existing methods that rely on predefined CAD templates, GFreeDet reconstructs objects directly from reference videos using Gaussian splatting, enabling robust detection of novel objects without prior 3D models. Evaluated on the BOP-H3 benchmark, GFreeDet achieves comparable performance to CAD-based methods, demonstrating the viability of model-free detection for mixed reality (MR) applications. Notably, GFreeDet won the best overall method and the best fast method awards in the model-free 2D detection track at BOP Challenge 2024.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.01552v4","authors":["Xingyu Liu","Gu Wang","Chengxi Li","Yingyue Li","Chenyangguang Zhang","Ziqin Huang","Xiangyang Ji"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.RO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-02T14:38:26Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.12771v2","name":"Open Materials 2024 (OMat24) Inorganic Materials Dataset and Models","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The ability to discover new materials with desirable properties is critical for numerous applications from helping mitigate climate change to advances in next generation computing hardware. AI has the potential to accelerate materials discovery and design by more effectively exploring the chemical space compared to other computational methods or by trial-and-error. While substantial progress has been made on AI for materials data, benchmarks, and models, a barrier that has emerged is the lack of publicly available training data and open pre-trained models. To address this, we present a Meta FAIR release of the Open Materials 2024 (OMat24) large-scale open dataset and an accompanying set of pre-trained models. OMat24 contains over 110 million density functional theory (DFT) calculations focused on structural and compositional diversity. Our EquiformerV2 models achieve state-of-the-art performance on the Matbench Discovery leaderboard and are capable of predicting ground-state stability and formation energies to an F1 score above 0.9 and an accuracy of 20 meV/atom, respectively. We explore the impact of model size, auxiliary denoising objectives, and fine-tuning on performance across a range of datasets including OMat24, MPtraj, and Alexandria. The open release of the OMat24 dataset and models enables the research community to build upon our efforts and drive further advancements in AI-assisted materials science.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.12771v2","authors":["Luis Barroso-Luque","Muhammed Shuaibi","Xiang Fu","Brandon M. Wood","Misko Dzamba","Meng Gao","Ammar Rizvi","C. Lawrence Zitnick","Zachary W. Ulissi"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci","cs.AI","physics.comp-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-16T17:48:34Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.21530v2","name":"Data Contamination Report from the 2024 CONDA Shared Task","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The 1st Workshop on Data Contamination (CONDA 2024) focuses on all relevant aspects of data contamination in natural language processing, where data contamination is understood as situations where evaluation data is included in pre-training corpora used to train large scale models, compromising evaluation results. The workshop fostered a shared task to collect evidence on data contamination in current available datasets and models. The goal of the shared task and associated database is to assist the community in understanding the extent of the problem and to assist researchers in avoiding reporting evaluation results on known contaminated resources. The shared task provides a structured, centralized public database for the collection of contamination evidence, open to contributions from the community via GitHub pool requests. This first compilation paper is based on 566 reported entries over 91 contaminated sources from a total of 23 contributors. The details of the individual contamination events are available in the platform. The platform continues to be online, open to contributions from the community.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.21530v2","authors":["Oscar Sainz","Iker García-Ferrero","Alon Jacovi","Jon Ander Campos","Yanai Elazar","Eneko Agirre","Yoav Goldberg","Wei-Lin Chen","Jenny Chim","Leshem Choshen","Luca D'Amico-Wong","Melissa Dell","Run-Ze Fan","Shahriar Golchin","Yucheng Li","Pengfei Liu","Bhavish Pahwa","Ameya Prabhu","Suryansh Sharma","Emily Silcock","Kateryna Solonko","David Stap","Mihai Surdeanu","Yu-Min Tseng","Vishaal Udandarao","Zengzhi Wang","Ruijie Xu","Jinglin Yang"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-31T11:26:57Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2501.11166v1","name":"AIMA at SemEval-2024 Task 10: History-Based Emotion Recognition in Hindi-English Code-Mixed Conversations","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this study, we introduce a solution to the SemEval 2024 Task 10 on subtask 1, dedicated to Emotion Recognition in Conversation (ERC) in code-mixed Hindi-English conversations. ERC in code-mixed conversations presents unique challenges, as existing models are typically trained on monolingual datasets and may not perform well on code-mixed data. To address this, we propose a series of models that incorporate both the previous and future context of the current utterance, as well as the sequential information of the conversation. To facilitate the processing of code-mixed data, we developed a Hinglish-to-English translation pipeline to translate the code-mixed conversations into English. We designed four different base models, each utilizing powerful pre-trained encoders to extract features from the input but with varying architectures. By ensembling all of these models, we developed a final model that outperforms all other baselines.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.11166v1","authors":["Mohammad Mahdi Abootorabi","Nona Ghazizadeh","Seyed Arshan Dalili","Alireza Ghahramani Kure","Mahshid Dehghani","Ehsaneddin Asgari"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-19T20:56:45Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.04947v1","name":"BAMO at SemEval-2024 Task 9: BRAINTEASER: A Novel Task Defying Common Sense","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper outlines our approach to SemEval 2024 Task 9, BRAINTEASER: A Novel Task Defying Common Sense. The task aims to evaluate the ability of language models to think creatively. The dataset comprises multi-choice questions that challenge models to think \"outside of the box\". We fine-tune 2 models, BERT and RoBERTa Large. Next, we employ a Chain of Thought (CoT) zero-shot prompting approach with 6 large language models, such as GPT-3.5, Mixtral, and Llama2. Finally, we utilize ReConcile, a technique that employs a \"round table conference\" approach with multiple agents for zero-shot learning, to generate consensus answers among 3 selected language models. Our best method achieves an overall accuracy of 85 percent on the sentence puzzles subtask.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.04947v1","authors":["Baktash Ansari","Mohammadmostafa Rostamkhani","Sauleh Eetemadi"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-07T14:01:56Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.07034v1","name":"Constraining solar emission radius at 42 MHz during the 2024 total solar eclipse using a student-commissioned radio telescope","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Low-frequency solar radio emission is sourced in the solar corona, with sub-100 MHz radio emission largely originating from the $\\sim$10$^{5}$\\,$\\mathrm{K}$ plasma around 2 optical radii. However, the region of emission has yet to be constrained at 35--45\\,MHz due to both instrumentation limitations and the rarity of astronomical events, such as total solar eclipses, which allow for direct observational approaches. In this work, we present the results from a student-led project to commission a low-frequency radio telescope array situated in the path of totality of the 2024 total solar eclipse in an effort to probe the middle corona. The Deployable Low-Band Ionosphere and Transient Experiment (DLITE) is a low-frequency radio array comprised of four dipole antennas, optimized to observe at 35--45\\,MHz, and capable of resolving the brightest radio sources in the sky. We constructed a DLITE station in Observatory Park, a dark sky park in Montville, Ohio. Results of observations during the total solar eclipse demonstrate that DLITE stations can be quickly deployed for observations and provide constraints on the radius of solar emission at our center observing frequency of 42\\,MHz. In this work, we outline the construction of DLITE Ohio and the solar observation results from the total solar eclipse that transversed North America in April 2024.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.07034v1","authors":["Olivia R. Young","Timothy E. Dolch","Joseph F. Helmboldt","Christopher Mentrek","Louis P. Dartez","Michael T. Lam","Sophia V. Sosa Fiscella","Evan Bretl","Colin Joyce","Johannes Loock","Grace Meyer","Annabel Peltzer","Joseph Petullo","Parker Reed","Emerson Sigtryggsson","Benjamin Bassett","Andrew B. Hawken","Alejandro Z. Heredia","Paige Lettow","Whit Lewis","Mikayla Manna","Nicholas Mirochnikoff","Michael Zemcov"],"tags":["astro-ph.SR","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-09T22:46:00Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.05961v1","name":"BS-PLCNet 2: Two-stage Band-split Packet Loss Concealment Network with Intra-model Knowledge Distillation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Audio packet loss is an inevitable problem in real-time speech communication. A band-split packet loss concealment network (BS-PLCNet) targeting full-band signals was recently proposed. Although it performs superiorly in the ICASSP 2024 PLC Challenge, BS-PLCNet is a large model with high computational complexity of 8.95G FLOPS. This paper presents its updated version, BS-PLCNet 2, to reduce computational complexity and improve performance further. Specifically, to compensate for the missing future information, in the wide-band module, we design a dual-path encoder structure (with non-causal and causal path) and leverage an intra-model knowledge distillation strategy to distill the future information from the non-causal teacher to the casual student. Moreover, we introduce a lightweight post-processing module after packet loss restoration to recover speech distortions and remove residual noise in the audio signal. With only 40% of original parameters in BS-PLCNet, BS-PLCNet 2 brings 0.18 PLCMOS improvement on the ICASSP 2024 PLC challenge blind set, achieving state-of-the-art performance on this dataset.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.05961v1","authors":["Zihan Zhang","Xianjun Xia","Chuanzeng Huang","Yijian Xiao","Lei Xie"],"tags":["eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-10T01:40:21Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.08639v2","name":"Revisiting holographic dark energy after DESI 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"New insights from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) 2024 baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) data, in conjunction with cosmic microwave background (CMB) and Type Ia supernova (SN) data, suggest that dark energy may not be a cosmological constant. In this work, we investigate the cosmological implications of holographic dark energy (HDE) and interacting holographic dark energy (IHDE) models, utilizing CMB, DESI BAO, and SN data. By considering the combined DESI BAO and SN data, we determine that in the IHDE model, the parameter $c &gt; 1$ and the dark-energy equation of state $w$ does not cross $-1$ at the $1σ$ confidence level, whereas in the HDE model, it marginally falls below this threshold. Upon incorporating CMB data, we observe that in the HDE model, the parameter $c &lt; 1$ and $w$ crosses $-1$ at a level beyond $10σ$. Conversely, for the IHDE model, the likelihood of $w$ crossing $-1$ is considerably diminished, implying that the introduction of interaction within the HDE model could potentially resolve or mitigate the cosmic big rip conundrum. Furthermore, our analysis reveals that the HDE and IHDE models are statistically as viable as the $Λ$CDM model when assessing Bayesian evidence with DESI BAO data combined with SN data. However, when CMB data are added, the HDE and IHDE models are significantly less favored compared to the $Λ$CDM model. Our findings advocate for further exploration of the HDE and IHDE models using forthcoming, more precise late-universe observations.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.08639v2","authors":["Tian-Nuo Li","Yun-He Li","Guo-Hong Du","Peng-Ju Wu","Lu Feng","Jing-Fei Zhang","Xin Zhang"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO","gr-qc","hep-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-13T14:29:02Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2403.12609v1","name":"SUN Team's Contribution to ABAW 2024 Competition: Audio-visual Valence-Arousal Estimation and Expression Recognition","source":"arxiv","abstract":"As emotions play a central role in human communication, automatic emotion recognition has attracted increasing attention in the last two decades. While multimodal systems enjoy high performances on lab-controlled data, they are still far from providing ecological validity on non-lab-controlled, namely 'in-the-wild' data. This work investigates audiovisual deep learning approaches for emotion recognition in-the-wild problem. We particularly explore the effectiveness of architectures based on fine-tuned Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Public Dimensional Emotion Model (PDEM), for video and audio modality, respectively. We compare alternative temporal modeling and fusion strategies using the embeddings from these multi-stage trained modality-specific Deep Neural Networks (DNN). We report results on the AffWild2 dataset under Affective Behavior Analysis in-the-Wild 2024 (ABAW'24) challenge protocol.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.12609v1","authors":["Denis Dresvyanskiy","Maxim Markitantov","Jiawei Yu","Peitong Li","Heysem Kaya","Alexey Karpov"],"tags":["cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-19T10:24:15Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.00317v1","name":"FBD-SV-2024: Flying Bird Object Detection Dataset in Surveillance Video","source":"arxiv","abstract":"A Flying Bird Dataset for Surveillance Videos (FBD-SV-2024) is introduced and tailored for the development and performance evaluation of flying bird detection algorithms in surveillance videos. This dataset comprises 483 video clips, amounting to 28,694 frames in total. Among them, 23,833 frames contain 28,366 instances of flying birds. The proposed dataset of flying birds in surveillance videos is collected from realistic surveillance scenarios, where the birds exhibit characteristics such as inconspicuous features in single frames (in some instances), generally small sizes, and shape variability during flight. These attributes pose challenges that need to be addressed when developing flying bird detection methods for surveillance videos. Finally, advanced (video) object detection algorithms were selected for experimentation on the proposed dataset, and the results demonstrated that this dataset remains challenging for the algorithms above. The FBD-SV-2024 is now publicly available: Please visit https://github.com/Ziwei89/FBD-SV-2024_github for the dataset download link and related processing scripts.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.00317v1","authors":["Zi-Wei Sun","Ze-Xi Hua","Heng-Chao Li","Zhi-Peng Qi","Xiang Li","Yan Li","Jin-Chi Zhang"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-31T01:11:57Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.02712v1","name":"Analyzing political stances on Twitter in the lead-up to the 2024 U.S. election","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Social media platforms play a pivotal role in shaping public opinion and amplifying political discourse, particularly during elections. However, the same dynamics that foster democratic engagement can also exacerbate polarization. To better understand these challenges, here, we investigate the ideological positioning of tweets related to the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election. To this end, we analyze 1,235 tweets from key political figures and 63,322 replies, and classify ideological stances into Pro-Democrat, Anti-Republican, Pro-Republican, Anti-Democrat, and Neutral categories. Using a classification pipeline involving three large language models (LLMs)-GPT-4o, Gemini-Pro, and Claude-Opus-and validated by human annotators, we explore how ideological alignment varies between candidates and constituents. We find that Republican candidates author significantly more tweets in criticism of the Democratic party and its candidates than vice versa, but this relationship does not hold for replies to candidate tweets. Furthermore, we highlight shifts in public discourse observed during key political events. By shedding light on the ideological dynamics of online political interactions, these results provide insights for policymakers and platforms seeking to address polarization and foster healthier political dialogue.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.02712v1","authors":["Hazem Ibrahim","Farhan Khan","Hend Alabdouli","Maryam Almatrooshi","Tran Nguyen","Talal Rahwan","Yasir Zaki"],"tags":["cs.SI","cs.CY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-28T07:05:34Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.18039v1","name":"Demise of Kreutz Sungrazing Comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Most Kreutz family sungrazing comets are discovered only days before perihelion, severely limiting observational opportunities to study their physical nature and decay. Kreutz sungrazer C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) was discovered a month before reaching its perihelion distance of 0.008 au, allowing physical observations from both ground- and space-based telescopes. We present observations from 0.9 au to 0.4 au using the Nordic Optical Telescope showing that 1) nucleus disintegration was on-going already at 0.7 au pre-perihelion, 2) the activity varied unpredictably with distance and 3) the nucleus radius was $&lt;$600 m (red geometric albedo 0.04 assumed). We also use coronagraphic observations from the STEREO-A spacecraft to study C/2024 S1 at heliocentric distances $\\lesssim$0.1 au. We find that the coma scattering cross-section peaked near 0.075 au and faded progressively, by a factor $\\sim$20, towards the last observation at 0.02 au. We interpret the near-perihelion fading as a result of the sublimation of refractory coma grains, beginning at blackbody temperatures $\\sim$1000 K, consistent with olivine composition. The comet was not detected after perihelion. We consider processes operating to destroy the nucleus when near perihelion, concluding that rotational instability and sublimation losses work together towards this end, even before entry of the comet into the Roche lobe of the Sun.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.18039v1","authors":["David Jewitt","Jane Luu","Jing Li"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-23T23:22:22Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.09607v1","name":"Initial Nugget Evaluation Results for the TREC 2024 RAG Track with the AutoNuggetizer Framework","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This report provides an initial look at partial results from the TREC 2024 Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) Track. We have identified RAG evaluation as a barrier to continued progress in information access (and more broadly, natural language processing and artificial intelligence), and it is our hope that we can contribute to tackling the many challenges in this space. The central hypothesis we explore in this work is that the nugget evaluation methodology, originally developed for the TREC Question Answering Track in 2003, provides a solid foundation for evaluating RAG systems. As such, our efforts have focused on \"refactoring\" this methodology, specifically applying large language models to both automatically create nuggets and to automatically assign nuggets to system answers. We call this the AutoNuggetizer framework. Within the TREC setup, we are able to calibrate our fully automatic process against a manual process whereby nuggets are created by human assessors semi-manually and then assigned manually to system answers. Based on initial results across 21 topics from 45 runs, we observe a strong correlation between scores derived from a fully automatic nugget evaluation and a (mostly) manual nugget evaluation by human assessors. This suggests that our fully automatic evaluation process can be used to guide future iterations of RAG systems.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.09607v1","authors":["Ronak Pradeep","Nandan Thakur","Shivani Upadhyay","Daniel Campos","Nick Craswell","Jimmy Lin"],"tags":["cs.IR","cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-14T17:25:43Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.11371v1","name":"Speech Emotion Recognition Using Fine-Tuned DWFormer:A Study on Track 1 of the IERPChallenge 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The field of artificial intelligence has a strong interest in the topic of emotion recognition. The majority of extant emotion recognition models are oriented towards enhancing the precision of discrete emotion label prediction. Given the direct relationship between human personality and emotion, as well as the significant inter-individual differences in subjective emotional expression, the IERP Challenge 2024 incorporates personality traits into emotion recognition research. This paper presents the Fosafer submissions to the Track 1 of the IERP Challenge 2024. This task primarily concerns the recognition of emotions in audio, while also providing text and audio features. In Track 1, we utilized exclusively audio-based features and fine-tuned a pre-trained speech emotion recognition model, DWFormer, through the integration of data augmentation and score fusion strategies, thereby achieving the first place among the participating teams.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.11371v1","authors":["Honghong Wang","Xupeng Jia","Jing Deng","Rong Zheng"],"tags":["cs.SD","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-15T10:13:43Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.14842v3","name":"HW-TSC's Submission to the CCMT 2024 Machine Translation Tasks","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the submission of Huawei Translation Services Center (HW-TSC) to machine translation tasks of the 20th China Conference on Machine Translation (CCMT 2024). We participate in the bilingual machine translation task and multi-domain machine translation task. For these two translation tasks, we use training strategies such as regularized dropout, bidirectional training, data diversification, forward translation, back translation, alternated training, curriculum learning, and transductive ensemble learning to train neural machine translation (NMT) models based on the deep Transformer-big architecture. Furthermore, to explore whether large language model (LLM) can help improve the translation quality of NMT systems, we use supervised fine-tuning to train llama2-13b as an Automatic post-editing (APE) model to improve the translation results of the NMT model on the multi-domain machine translation task. By using these plyometric strategies, our submission achieves a competitive result in the final evaluation.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.14842v3","authors":["Zhanglin Wu","Yuanchang Luo","Daimeng Wei","Jiawei Zheng","Bin Wei","Zongyao Li","Hengchao Shang","Jiaxin Guo","Shaojun Li","Weidong Zhang","Ning Xie","Hao Yang"],"tags":["cs.AI","cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-23T09:20:19Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.04793v1","name":"Rubin ToO 2024: Envisioning the Vera C. Rubin Observatory LSST Target of Opportunity program","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) at Vera C. Rubin Observatory is planned to begin in the Fall of 2025. The LSST survey cadence has been designed via a community-driven process regulated by the Survey Cadence Optimization Committee (SCOC), which recommended up to 3% of the observing time to carry out Target of Opportunity (ToO) observations. Experts from the scientific community, Rubin Observatory personnel, and members of the SCOC were brought together to deliver a recommendation for the implementation of the ToO program during a workshop held in March 2024. Four main science cases were identified: gravitational wave multi-messenger astronomy, high energy neutrinos, Galactic supernovae, and small potentially hazardous asteroids possible impactors. Additional science cases were identified and briefly addressed in the documents, including lensed or poorly localized gamma-ray bursts and twilight discoveries. Trigger prioritization, automated response, and detailed strategies were discussed for each science case. This document represents the outcome of the Rubin ToO 2024 workshop, with additional contributions from members of the Rubin Science Collaborations. The implementation of the selection criteria and strategies presented in this document has been endorsed in the SCOC Phase 3 Recommendations document (PSTN-056). Although the ToO program is still to be finalized, this document serves as a baseline plan for ToO observations with the Rubin Observatory.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.04793v1","authors":["Igor Andreoni","Raffaella Margutti","John Banovetz","Sarah Greenstreet","Claire-Alice Hebert","Tim Lister","Antonella Palmese","Silvia Piranomonte","S. J. Smartt","Graham P. Smith","Robert Stein","Tomas Ahumada","Shreya Anand","Katie Auchettl","Michele T. Bannister","Eric C. Bellm","Joshua S. Bloom","Bryce T. Bolin","Clecio R. Bom","Daniel Brethauer","Melissa J. Brucker","David A. H. Buckley","Poonam Chandra","Ryan Chornock","Eric Christensen","Jeff Cooke","Alessandra Corsi","Michael W. Coughlin","Bolivia Cuevas-Otahola","D'Ammando Filippo","Biwei Dai","S. Dhawan","Alexei V. Filippenko","Ryan J. Foley","Anna Franckowiak","Andreja Gomboc","Benjamin P. Gompertz","Leanne P. Guy","Nandini Hazra","Christopher Hernandez","Griffin Hosseinzadeh","Maryam Hussaini","Dina Ibrahimzade","Luca Izzo","R. Lynne Jones","Yijung Kang","Mansi M. Kasliwal","Matthew Knight","Keerthi Kunnumkai","Gavin P Lamb","Natalie LeBaron","Cassandra Lejoly","Andrew J. Levan","Sean MacBride","Franco Mallia","Alex I. Malz","Adam A. Miller","J. C. Mora","Gautham Narayan","Nayana A. J.","Matt Nicholl","Tiffany Nichols","S. R. Oates","Akshay Panayada","Fabio Ragosta","Tiago Ribeiro","Dan Ryczanowski","Nikhil Sarin","Megan E. Schwamb","Huei Sears","Darryl Z. Seligman","Ritwik Sharma","Manisha Shrestha"," Simran","Michael C. Stroh","Giacomo Terreran","Aishwarya Linesh Thakur","Aum Trivedi","J. Anthony Tyson","Yousuke Utsumi","Aprajita Verma","V. Ashley Villar","Kathryn Volk","Meet J. Vyas","Amanda R. Wasserman","J. Craig Wheeler","Peter Yoachim","Angela Zegarelli","Federica Bianco"],"tags":["astro-ph.IM","astro-ph.HE","astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-07T15:35:34Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.06298v1","name":"Multi-Label Plant Species Classification with Self-Supervised Vision Transformers","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present a transfer learning approach using a self-supervised Vision Transformer (DINOv2) for the PlantCLEF 2024 competition, focusing on the multi-label plant species classification. Our method leverages both base and fine-tuned DINOv2 models to extract generalized feature embeddings. We train classifiers to predict multiple plant species within a single image using these rich embeddings. To address the computational challenges of the large-scale dataset, we employ Spark for distributed data processing, ensuring efficient memory management and processing across a cluster of workers. Our data processing pipeline transforms images into grids of tiles, classifying each tile, and aggregating these predictions into a consolidated set of probabilities. Our results demonstrate the efficacy of combining transfer learning with advanced data processing techniques for multi-label image classification tasks. Our code is available at https://github.com/dsgt-kaggle-clef/plantclef-2024.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.06298v1","authors":["Murilo Gustineli","Anthony Miyaguchi","Ian Stalter"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.IR","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-08T18:07:33Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.13343v1","name":"UnibucLLM: Harnessing LLMs for Automated Prediction of Item Difficulty and Response Time for Multiple-Choice Questions","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This work explores a novel data augmentation method based on Large Language Models (LLMs) for predicting item difficulty and response time of retired USMLE Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs) in the BEA 2024 Shared Task. Our approach is based on augmenting the dataset with answers from zero-shot LLMs (Falcon, Meditron, Mistral) and employing transformer-based models based on six alternative feature combinations. The results suggest that predicting the difficulty of questions is more challenging. Notably, our top performing methods consistently include the question text, and benefit from the variability of LLM answers, highlighting the potential of LLMs for improving automated assessment in medical licensing exams. We make our code available https://github.com/ana-rogoz/BEA-2024.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.13343v1","authors":["Ana-Cristina Rogoz","Radu Tudor Ionescu"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-20T10:41:02Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.04225v1","name":"AIM 2024 Challenge on Video Super-Resolution Quality Assessment: Methods and Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the Video Super-Resolution (SR) Quality Assessment (QA) Challenge that was part of the Advances in Image Manipulation (AIM) workshop, held in conjunction with ECCV 2024. The task of this challenge was to develop an objective QA method for videos upscaled 2x and 4x by modern image- and video-SR algorithms. QA methods were evaluated by comparing their output with aggregate subjective scores collected from &gt;150,000 pairwise votes obtained through crowd-sourced comparisons across 52 SR methods and 1124 upscaled videos. The goal was to advance the state-of-the-art in SR QA, which had proven to be a challenging problem with limited applicability of traditional QA methods. The challenge had 29 registered participants, and 5 teams had submitted their final results, all outperforming the current state-of-the-art. All data, including the private test subset, has been made publicly available on the challenge homepage at https://challenges.videoprocessing.ai/challenges/super-resolution-metrics-challenge.html","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.04225v1","authors":["Ivan Molodetskikh","Artem Borisov","Dmitriy Vatolin","Radu Timofte","Jianzhao Liu","Tianwu Zhi","Yabin Zhang","Yang Li","Jingwen Xu","Yiting Liao","Qing Luo","Ao-Xiang Zhang","Peng Zhang","Haibo Lei","Linyan Jiang","Yaqing Li","Yuqin Cao","Wei Sun","Weixia Zhang","Yinan Sun","Ziheng Jia","Yuxin Zhu","Xiongkuo Min","Guangtao Zhai","Weihua Luo","Yupeng Z.","Hong Y"],"tags":["eess.IV","cs.CV","cs.MM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-05T16:42:23Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.05963v1","name":"Solution for SMART-101 Challenge of CVPR Multi-modal Algorithmic Reasoning Task 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, the solution of HYU MLLAB KT Team to the Multimodal Algorithmic Reasoning Task: SMART-101 CVPR 2024 Challenge is presented. Beyond conventional visual question-answering problems, the SMART-101 challenge aims to achieve human-level multimodal understanding by tackling complex visio-linguistic puzzles designed for children in the 6-8 age group. To solve this problem, we suggest two main ideas. First, to utilize the reasoning ability of a large-scale language model (LLM), the given visual cues (images) are grounded in the text modality. For this purpose, we generate highly detailed text captions that describe the context of the image and use these captions as input for the LLM. Second, due to the nature of puzzle images, which often contain various geometric visual patterns, we utilize an object detection algorithm to ensure these patterns are not overlooked in the captioning process. We employed the SAM algorithm, which can detect various-size objects, to capture the visual features of these geometric patterns and used this information as input for the LLM. Under the puzzle split configuration, we achieved an option selection accuracy Oacc of 29.5 on the test set and a weighted option selection accuracy (WOSA) of 27.1 on the challenge set.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.05963v1","authors":["Jinwoo Ahn","Junhyeok Park","Min-Jun Kim","Kang-Hyeon Kim","So-Yeong Sohn","Yun-Ji Lee","Du-Seong Chang","Yu-Jung Heo","Eun-Sol Kim"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-10T01:45:55Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108711","name":"Behavioural zone identification in rotary mills","source":"crossref","abstract":"Semi-autogeneous grinding mills are used widely to reduce the size of mined ores and extract minerals of interest. However, these mills are extremely energy consuming. To reduce the energy wasted by mostly moving and shearing instead of grinding the material, a good understanding of the behaviour of the charge in the mill is crucial. In this paper, we first establish different smooth fields of internal variables such as density, strain rates, and pressure, for a rotary mill simulated using discrete element modelling. As these fields are interrelated, we then use a clustering method to identify well-defined zones of distinct behaviour within the mill. This approach allows us to analyse and summarise the behaviour of complex flows as a set of localised zones with well identified physical properties. These zones resemble the ones which were previously sketched intuitively based on experimental observations for specific parameters, including the rotation rate and filling fraction of the charge. On the other hand, the dependence of those zones on the operating parameters of the mill provides a direct interpretation of the effects of adjusting the available operating conditions in the field. The method can be readily generalised to other geometries and particle technologies, and can therefore provide a convenient approach for both comprehensive and manageable understanding of material behaviour in a wide range of applications.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108711","authors":["François Guillard","Paul Shelley","Itai Einav"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-14T10:44:50Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108711","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/s1743921324001960","name":"International Law and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract The search for extraterrestrial life, especially intelligent life, is among the most profound scientific endeavors. Although the international community achieved consensus within a few years of the launch of Sputnik on legal principles fundamental to the peaceful exploration of outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, those principles did not directly address the subject of SETI. Nevertheless, principles relevant to SETI are expressed in the law of outer space, including treaties in force as well as non-binding forms of international instruments. As the search for extraterrestrial intelligent beings has developed and a myriad of issues has arisen, the relevance of many of these legal principles has become apparent.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1743921324001960","authors":["Leslie I. Tennen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-20T09:38:19Z","doi":"10.1017/s1743921324001960","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s00269-024-01268-7","name":"Activity report of the Commission on Physics of Minerals (CPM) (2018–2022)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00269-024-01268-7","authors":["Paola Comodi","Jun Tsuchiya","Sujoy Ghosh"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-17T15:02:22Z","doi":"10.1007/s00269-024-01268-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/c2022-0-02437-5","name":"Essential Minerals in Plant-Soil Systems","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/c2022-0-02437-5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-03T02:10:44Z","doi":"10.1016/c2022-0-02437-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2331958","name":"Topaz from Southern Africa","source":"crossref","abstract":"Figure 1. A sunset view of Klein Spitzkoppe, Namibia, looking toward the north. The smooth, rounded boulders in the foreground are typical weathered products of the granite. Bruce Cairncross photo,...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2331958","authors":["Bruce Cairncross"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-21T16:51:46Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2331958","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2349487","name":"In Memoriam: Eldon Ray Smith (1931–2024)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Photo courtesy Gale Thomssen.“On the road again, I can’t wait to get on the road again.” That could have been the theme song for Eldon Smith, his wife Jean, and daughter Jaye, for all those years t...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2349487","authors":["Dona Lee Leicht"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-19T19:53:43Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2349487","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2334602","name":"Internet Directory for the Earth Sciences","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mark Mauthner PhotographyPhotographing natural history specimens and collections.mmauthner@gmail.comSusan M. Robinson, artistMinerals, fossils, nature.dftwdart@gmail.comScovil Photography, Jeff Sco...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2334602","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-21T16:51:46Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2334602","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2377018","name":"In Memoriam: George Willard Robinson (1946–2024)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2377018","authors":["Steven C. Chamberlain"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-24T14:05:39Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2377018","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2298618","name":"Internet Directory for the Earth Sciences","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mark Mauthner PhotographyPhotographing natural history specimens and collections.mmauthner@gmail.comSusan M. Robinson, artistMinerals, fossils, nature.dftwdart@gmail.comScovil Photography, Jeff Sco...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2298618","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-21T17:05:06Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2298618","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-031-50349-8","name":"TMS 2024 153rd Annual Meeting &amp; Exhibition Supplemental Proceedings","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-50349-8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-06T07:02:13Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-031-50349-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.17381507.16","name":"ALFAGUARA PRIZE ACCEPTANCE SPEECH:","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.17381507.16","authors":["Andrés Neuman"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-18T20:31:30Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.17381507.16","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3133/70178419","name":"Minerals Yearbook, volume III, Area Reports — International — Latin America and Canada","source":"crossref","abstract":"For additional information, contact: Director, National Minerals Information Center U.S. Geological Survey 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive 988 National Center Reston, VA 20192 Email: nmicrecordsmgt@usgs.gov The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Minerals Yearbook discusses the performance of the worldwide minerals and materials industries and provides background information to assist in interpreting that performance. Content of the individual Minerals Yearbook volumes follows:Volume I, Metals and Minerals, contains chapters about virtually all metallic and industrial mineral commodities important to the U.S. economy. Chapters on survey methods, summary statistics for domestic nonfuel minerals, and trends in mining and quarrying in the metals and industrial mineral industries in the United States are also included.Volume II, Area Reports: Domestic, contains a chapter on the mineral industry of each of the 50 States and Puerto Rico and the Administered Islands. This volume also has chapters on survey methods and summary statistics of domestic nonfuel minerals.Volume III, Area Reports: International, is published as four separate reports. These regional reports contain the latest available minerals data on more than 180 foreign countries and discuss the importance of minerals to the economies of these nations and the United States. Each report begins with an overview of the region’s mineral industries during the year. It continues with individual country chapters that examine the mining, refining, processing, and use of minerals in each country of the region and how each country’s mineral industry relates to U.S. industry. Most chapters include production tables and industry structure tables, information about Government policies and programs that affect the country’s mineral industry, and an outlook section.The USGS continually strives to improve the value of its publications to users. Constructive comments and suggestions by readers of the Minerals Yearbook are welcomed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3133/70178419","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-08-22T16:40:56Z","doi":"10.3133/70178419","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2303963","name":"Internet Directory for the Earth Sciences","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mark Mauthner PhotographyPhotographing natural history specimens and collections.mmauthner@gmail.comSusan M. Robinson, artistMinerals, fossils, nature.dftwdart@gmail.comScovil Photography, Jeff Sco...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2303963","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-18T17:29:26Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2303963","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2349490","name":"Internet Directory for the Earth Sciences","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mark Mauthner PhotographyPhotographing natural history specimens and collections.mmauthner@gmail.comSusan M. Robinson, artistMinerals, fossils, nature.dftwdart@gmail.comScovil Photography, Jeff Sco...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2349490","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-19T19:53:43Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2349490","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/078358-0018","name":"Cognitive Frameworks Towards Solving the Fermi Paradox","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/078358-0018","authors":["Éanna Doyle"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-31T21:08:46Z","doi":"10.52202/078358-0018","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3133/70178412","name":"Minerals Yearbook, volume III, Area Reports — International — Europe and central Eurasia","source":"crossref","abstract":"For additional information, contact: Director, National Minerals Information Center U.S. Geological Survey 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive 988 National Center Reston, VA 20192 Email: nmicrecordsmgt@usgs.gov The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Minerals Yearbook discusses the performance of the worldwide minerals and materials industries and provides background information to assist in interpreting that performance. Content of the individual Minerals Yearbook volumes follows:Volume I, Metals and Minerals, contains chapters about virtually all metallic and industrial mineral commodities important to the U.S. economy. Chapters on survey methods, summary statistics for domestic nonfuel minerals, and trends in mining and quarrying in the metals and industrial mineral industries in the United States are also included.Volume II, Area Reports: Domestic, contains a chapter on the mineral industry of each of the 50 States and Puerto Rico and the Administered Islands. This volume also has chapters on survey methods and summary statistics of domestic nonfuel minerals.Volume III, Area Reports: International, is published as four separate reports. These regional reports contain the latest available minerals data on more than 180 foreign countries and discuss the importance of minerals to the economies of these nations and the United States. Each report begins with an overview of the region’s mineral industries during the year. It continues with individual country chapters that examine the mining, refining, processing, and use of minerals in each country of the region and how each country’s mineral industry relates to U.S. industry. Most chapters include production tables and industry structure tables, information about Government policies and programs that affect the country’s mineral industry, and an outlook section.The USGS continually strives to improve the value of its publications to users. Constructive comments and suggestions by readers of the Minerals Yearbook are welcomed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3133/70178412","authors":["U.S. Geological Survey"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-08-22T16:39:54Z","doi":"10.3133/70178412","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2377023","name":"Internet Directory for the Earth Sciences","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mark Mauthner PhotographyPhotographing natural history specimens and collections.mmauthner@gmail.comSusan M. Robinson, artistMinerals, fossils, nature.dftwdart@gmail.comScovil Photography, Jeff Sco...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2377023","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-24T14:05:39Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2377023","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2349486","name":"In Memoriam: Gary R. Hansen (1940-2024)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Reproduced with permissionGary Ralph Hansen was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the son of Ralph Hansen and Amanda (Brummond) Hansen. His father was a newspaper editor who died when Gary was two...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2349486","authors":["Carl A. Francis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-19T19:53:43Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2349486","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/078357-0110","name":"A Modular Nucleic Acid Extraction and Analysis System for Extraterrestrial Exploration","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/078357-0110","authors":["Hamza Mahdi","Michel Kiflen","Feroz Balsara","Omar Shariff"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-31T21:01:52Z","doi":"10.52202/078357-0110","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.13182/nets24-43736","name":"Multiphysics Analysis of Compact Failsafe Nuclear Fission Power System for Space and Extraterrestrial Surface Application","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.13182/nets24-43736","authors":["Aanchal Gupta","R. Rizwanuddin","Magdi Ragheb"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-10T23:20:08Z","doi":"10.13182/nets24-43736","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-8694-8_11","name":"Extraterrestrial Helium in Seafloor Sediments: Identification, Characteristics, and Accretion Rate Over Geologic Time","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8694-8_11","authors":["Kenneth A. Farley"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-05-20T04:56:39Z","doi":"10.1007/978-1-4419-8694-8_11","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3133/70178411","name":"Minerals Yearbook, volume III, Area Reports — International — Asia and the Pacific","source":"crossref","abstract":"For additional information, contact: Director, National Minerals Information Center U.S. Geological Survey 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive 988 National Center Reston, VA 20192 Email: nmicrecordsmgt@usgs.gov The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Minerals Yearbook discusses the performance of the worldwide minerals and materials industries and provides background information to assist in interpreting that performance. Content of the individual Minerals Yearbook volumes follows:Volume I, Metals and Minerals, contains chapters about virtually all metallic and industrial mineral commodities important to the U.S. economy. Chapters on survey methods, summary statistics for domestic nonfuel minerals, and trends in mining and quarrying in the metals and industrial mineral industries in the United States are also included.Volume II, Area Reports: Domestic, contains a chapter on the mineral industry of each of the 50 States and Puerto Rico and the Administered Islands. This volume also has chapters on survey methods and summary statistics of domestic nonfuel minerals.Volume III, Area Reports: International, is published as four separate reports. These regional reports contain the latest available minerals data on more than 180 foreign countries and discuss the importance of minerals to the economies of these nations and the United States. Each report begins with an overview of the region’s mineral industries during the year. It continues with individual country chapters that examine the mining, refining, processing, and use of minerals in each country of the region and how each country’s mineral industry relates to U.S. industry. Most chapters include production tables and industry structure tables, information about Government policies and programs that affect the country’s mineral industry, and an outlook section.The USGS continually strives to improve the value of its publications to users. Constructive comments and suggestions by readers of the Minerals Yearbook are welcomed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3133/70178411","authors":["U.S. Geological Survey"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-08-22T16:37:23Z","doi":"10.3133/70178411","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-37750-1_9","name":"The Accidental Altruist: Inferring Altruism from an Extraterrestrial Signal","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37750-1_9","authors":["Mark C. Langston"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-09-14T11:46:29Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-37750-1_9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.29202/phil-cosm/32/3","name":"The Extraterrestrial Hypothesis: A Case for Scientific Openness to an Interstellar Explanation for Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena","source":"crossref","abstract":"Over the past several years the question of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) has commanded increasing interest. Attention has generally focused on two main classes of hypotheses: a conventional terrestrial explanation (e.g., human technology), and a more extraordinary extraterrestrial explanation (i.e., an intelligent civilization from elsewhere in the cosmos). However, while some authorities seem open to the latter (e.g., elements of the military and intelligence communities), on the whole scientists appear reluctant to consider it. This may be because such ideas have long been relegated to the “paranormal” and dismissed as a legitimate focus of enquiry. However, work has nevertheless flourished on adjacent ideas, such as the possibility of extraterrestrial life per se and the viability of interstellar space travel. As such, given these adjacent ideas, together with new evidence concerning UAP that seems to elude conventional understanding, this paper argues that the scientific community should engage with the extraterrestrial hypothesis as a real and genuine possibility.","url":"https://doi.org/10.29202/phil-cosm/32/3","authors":["Tim Lomas"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-02T04:55:38Z","doi":"10.29202/phil-cosm/32/3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/oso/9780192897985.003.0017","name":"The law of Mars: The problem of violence mitigation in the development of extraterrestrial political institutions","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract In extreme environments like space, the inherent fragility of the settlement means that the usage of force is substantially more powerful than on Earth. For much less force, much more damage can be done, and the use of force is ‘democratized’ in the sense that the average settler is empowered to do much more damage (proportionally) to the state than an individual person could do on Earth. This growing power symmetry between state and civilian actors forces a rethinking of state design to mitigate the influence of violence in political decision-making, as violence can be both easily deployed and can more easily destroy the entire polity. Decision-making in such a setting begins to represent a society wide game of ‘chicken’, involving increasing escalation and unclear red lines. States in general have two approaches to mitigating these conflicts: they can attempt to repress them (authoritarianism), or they can attempt to create fair and legitimate decision-making methods wherein actors will buy into the system (only if they believe it is fair) because consenting to such a system, even risking losing the contest, brings more utility than an uncertain game with destruction as an outcome. Alternative weak forms of each state design are likely to lead to collapse, and a functioning democratic system is more likely to endure over time, as an authoritarian system may be unable to repress such conflicts forever.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780192897985.003.0017","authors":["Ethan Morales"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-19T03:01:46Z","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780192897985.003.0017","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108710","name":"A comprehensive review on recent progress in beneficiation of Nb-bearing minerals /Nb ores","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108710","authors":["Tian Congzhong","Zou Wenjie","Liu Fengyang","Lu Yuxin","Zhang Zhijun","Li Zhengyao"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-03T17:07:49Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108710","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108670","name":"Effect of particles on foam drainage","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108670","authors":["Miao Jin","Qiang Wang","Long Liang","Jiakun Tan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-23T05:17:49Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108670","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/078358-0024","name":"Conducting High Frequency Radio SETI Searches using ALMA","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/078358-0024","authors":["Louisa Mason"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-31T21:08:46Z","doi":"10.52202/078358-0024","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.64628/aa.enmpw49u7","name":"The Three-Body Problem: Liu Cixin’s extraterrestrial novel is a heady blend of politics, ethics, physics and Chinese history","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.64628/aa.enmpw49u7","authors":["Josh Stenberg"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-25T08:28:11Z","doi":"10.64628/aa.enmpw49u7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108756","name":"Microencapsulation-based surface modification for improving flotation separation of Cu-Zn mixed sulfide minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108756","authors":["Ilhwan Park","Dai Uchida","Sanghee Jeon","Kosei Aikawa","Naoki Hiroyoshi","Mayumi Ito"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-30T21:03:06Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108756","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14020208","name":"Tailings Behavior Assessment Using Piezocone Penetration Test","source":"crossref","abstract":"Intensive economic development is associated with an increasing demand for raw materials, including minerals. An illustrative example of this issue is the development of the copper industry. A significant problem arising from the scale of copper production is the management of an ever-growing amount of post-flotation tailings. This necessitates the need to ensure the continuity of safe storage. This study presents the results of studies on the behavior of deposits in the Żelazny Most Tailings Storage Facility (Poland). The primary objective of this study was to estimate the settlements of tailings under variable deposition conditions. The results were assessed using two methods: indirect and direct; this was based on cone penetration test (CPTU) results. The results were verified using Modified Cam Clay (MCC) modeling. Depending on the type of test, settlements ranged from several dozen centimeters to over three meters. Despite the observed differences, the results of both CPTU methods indicate a convergent trend in tailings behavior. Conversely, the results estimated using the direct method and numerical modeling demonstrate a high level of agreement.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14020208","authors":["Magdalena Wróżyńska"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-19T05:39:56Z","doi":"10.3390/min14020208","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-031-77600-7_3","name":"Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-77600-7_3","authors":["Stephen Webb"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-31T12:34:08Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-031-77600-7_3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9798216431916.ch-5","name":"Astrobiological Searches for Life and Shared Knowledge","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9798216431916.ch-5","authors":["Chelsea Haramia"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-21T13:18:47Z","doi":"10.5040/9798216431916.ch-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108533","name":"Exploring the connection between elemental sulphur and sulphide minerals during Stage A conditions – A Design of Experiments Investigation","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108533","authors":["H. Kim","O. Kökkılıç","F. Rosenblum","K.E. Waters"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-11T10:30:56Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108533","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3133/70178240","name":"Minerals Yearbook, volume III, Area Reports — International — Africa and the Middle East","source":"crossref","abstract":"For additional information, contact: Director, National Minerals Information Center U.S. Geological Survey 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive 988 National Center Reston, VA 20192 (703) 648-4961 Email: nmicrecordsmgt@usgs.gov The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Minerals Yearbook discusses the performance of the worldwide minerals and materials industries and provides background information to assist in interpreting that performance. Content of the individual Minerals Yearbook volumes follows:Volume I, Metals and Minerals, contains chapters about virtually all metallic and industrial mineral commodities important to the U.S. economy. Chapters on survey methods, summary statistics for domestic nonfuel minerals, and trends in mining and quarrying in the metals and industrial mineral industries in the United States are also included.Volume II, Area Reports: Domestic, contains a chapter on the mineral industry of each of the 50 States and Puerto Rico and the Administered Islands. This volume also has chapters on survey methods and summary statistics of domestic nonfuel minerals.Volume III, Area Reports: International, is published as four separate reports. These regional reports contain the latest available minerals data on more than 180 foreign countries and discuss the importance of minerals to the economies of these nations and the United States. Each report begins with an overview of the region’s mineral industries during the year. It continues with individual country chapters that examine the mining, refining, processing, and use of minerals in each country of the region and how each country’s mineral industry relates to U.S. industry. Most chapters include production tables and industry structure tables, information about Government policies and programs that affect the country’s mineral industry, and an outlook section.The USGS continually strives to improve the value of its publications to users. Constructive comments and suggestions by readers of the Minerals Yearbook are welcome.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3133/70178240","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-08-22T16:47:03Z","doi":"10.3133/70178240","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108479","name":"An improved model for predicting froth recovery","source":"crossref","abstract":"In froth flotation, froth recovery is a key factor as it quantifies the effect that the froth has on the overall cell recovery. Froth recovery is affected by a number of variables, including froth stability, particle size and density, and the operating conditions of the flotation cell. Despite its importance, modelling froth recovery is challenging due to the large number of competing effects involved. In this paper, we present a model for froth recovery that takes into account the effects of detachment and subsequent transport of particles. The model is phenomenological and is derived from a set of coupled partial differential equations used to describe both liquid and particle motion within a froth. An analytical algebraic solution is obtained for the froth recovery by making a number of assumptions, which are discussed and justified in the paper. This model is related to a previous model produced by the authors, in which froth recovery was described in terms of a constant particle detachment fraction. Conversely, this enhanced model includes an improved description for particle detachment behaviour during coalescence events, allowing for a variable particle detachment fraction. The key parameters in the model are two dimensionless groups. The first group combines the particle settling velocity, the air addition rate and froth stability parameters such as air recovery and the change in bubble size over the froth, while the second key dimensionless group is the ratio of the surface loading on the incoming bubbles to the maximum surface loading. This model is compared to experimental results and is shown to accurately describe the evolution of the froth recovery behaviour down a bank of cells in response to the decreasing froth stability.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108479","authors":["S.J. Neethling","D. Mesa","P.R. Brito-Parada"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-06T04:49:36Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108479","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2303955","name":"An Interview with Christophe Gobin","source":"crossref","abstract":"All mineral photos of specimens in the Christophe Gobin collectionFigure 1. Christophe Gobin at the 2023 Munich Show. Mark Mauthner photo.Reproduced with permissionChristophe Gobin was born in 1966...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2303955","authors":["Mark Mauthner"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-18T17:29:26Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2303955","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14101033","name":"Correction: More et al. Indirect Freeze Crystallization—An Emerging Technology for Valuable Resource Recovery from Wastewater. Minerals 2024, 14, 427","source":"crossref","abstract":"Johannes P [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14101033","authors":["Kagiso S. More","Johannes P. Maree","Mlungisi Mahlangu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-15T08:09:08Z","doi":"10.3390/min14101033","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16020186","name":"Correction: Andrew, C.J. The Ballynoe Stratiform Barite Deposit, Silvermines, County Tipperary, Ireland. Minerals 2024, 14, 498","source":"crossref","abstract":"In the original paper [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16020186","authors":["Colin J. Andrew"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-09T10:45:31Z","doi":"10.3390/min16020186","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/078358-0004","name":"Fine-Tuning the Narrowband SETI Signal Processing Pipeline","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/078358-0004","authors":["Kenneth Houston"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-31T21:08:46Z","doi":"10.52202/078358-0004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/epsc2024-435","name":"Possible gas-phase formation routes of dimethyl sulfide in extraterrestrial environments","source":"crossref","abstract":"The presence of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) in the atmosphere of exoplanets has been invoked as a potential biosignature since its presence atmosphere of Earth has a biological origin. Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) is produced by phytoplankton and then degraded to form methanethiol (CH3SH) and DMS. Microbial methylation and detoxification processes can also produce DMS from hydrogen sulfide H2S.Recently, a tentative detection of DMS on the candidate Hycean exoplanet K2-18 b was reported in the work by Madhusudhan et al. [1]. Dimethyl sulfide is also detected in the coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko [2], and its isomers ethyl mercaptan, CH3CH2SH, has been detected toward Orion KL [3]. Therefore, DMS adds to the list of S-bearing molecules identified at the moment in the extraterrestrial environment.No formation routes of extraterrestrial DMS are reported in the literature at the moment. Therefore, we have started a systematic theoretical investigation to unveil the possible formation mechanisms of DMS in the gas phase. We make use of electronic structure calculations of the relevant potential energy surfaces and kinetics calculations to derive the energy profile and rate coefficients of each proposed reaction following the same schemes that we have previously identified for the formation of the analogous O-bearing species dimethyl ether [4].&amp;#160;[1] Madhusudhan, Nikku, et al. \"Carbon-bearing molecules in a possible hycean atmosphere.\"&amp;#160;The Astrophysical Journal Letters&amp;#160;956.1 (2023): L13.[2] H&amp;#228;nni, N., et al. \"Identification and characterization of a new ensemble of cometary organic molecules.\"&amp;#160;Nature Communications&amp;#160;13.1 (2022): 3639.[3] Kolesnikov&amp;#225;, Lucie, et al. \"Spectroscopic characterization and detection of ethyl mercaptan in orion.\" The Astrophysical Journal Letters&amp;#160;784.1 (2014): L7.[4] Skouteris, Dimitrios, et al. \"Interstellar dimethyl ether gas-phase formation: a quantum chemistry and kinetics study.\"&amp;#160;Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society&amp;#160;482.3 (2019): 3567-3575.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2024-435","authors":["Gabriella Di Genova","Andrea Giustini","Luca Mancini","Marzio Rosi","Cecilia Ceccarelli","Nadia Balucani"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-03T11:09:04Z","doi":"10.5194/epsc2024-435","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2332145","name":"Letters","source":"crossref","abstract":"Join us for a social gathering at Mines Museum of Earth Science in Golden, Colorado, on the campus of the Colorado School of Mines on Friday, 13 September, 6–9 P.M., in conjunction with the Hard Ro...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2332145","authors":["Renata Lafler","Steven C. Chamberlain","Raymond McDougall"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-21T16:51:46Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2332145","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108476","name":"To flange or not to flange?","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108476","authors":["Ralph van Rijswick","Serhat Onol","Renato Oliveira","Bjorn Dierx"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-27T22:02:57Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108476","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-031-52342-7_1","name":"The Post-Second World War Deep-Sea Minerals Scene","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-52342-7_1","authors":["David S. Cronan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-06T06:02:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-031-52342-7_1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.64628/aai.97a3hphxv","name":"Saturn’s ocean moon Enceladus is able to support life − my research team is working out how to detect extraterrestrial cells there","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.64628/aai.97a3hphxv","authors":["Fabian Klenner"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-25T08:07:06Z","doi":"10.64628/aai.97a3hphxv","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-97-1883-2_12","name":"Adaptation of Photoautotrophs in Extraterrestrial Environments: Responses and Mechanisms of Survival","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-1883-2_12","authors":["Sindhunath Chakraborty","Ranjan Kumar Tiwari"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-01T04:01:50Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-97-1883-2_12","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2303954","name":"To Have and To Hold","source":"crossref","abstract":"Figure 1. The chest that housed my floater twinned crystal collection and small specimens in my quartz collection. I had to divide each drawer into square compartments to separate the specimens. Ca...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2303954","authors":["John S. White"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-18T17:29:26Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2303954","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/078358-0023","name":"Strange Optical Pulses in Starlight from HD89389 and HD217014","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/078358-0023","authors":["Richard Stanton"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-31T21:08:46Z","doi":"10.52202/078358-0023","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108709","name":"Bubble shape in the prediction of terminal velocities in flotation","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108709","authors":["Cesar O. Gomez","Miguel Maldonado"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-11T01:51:12Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108709","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s00269-024-01272-x","name":"Dolomite thermal behaviour: A short review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00269-024-01272-x","authors":["L. C. Resio"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-10T09:02:19Z","doi":"10.1007/s00269-024-01272-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2279425","name":"Connoisseur’s Choice: Aragonite Part 4: Morocco","source":"crossref","abstract":"This Connoisseur’s Choice is a continuation of the aragonite series first authored by Powhat (2015). He featured aragonite from Western Europe and beyond with a brief description of some African lo...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2279425","authors":["Bruce Cairncross"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-21T17:05:06Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2279425","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1134/s0038094624601099","name":"Search for Extraterrestrial Life: the “Goldilocks Zone” vs. the “Snow Maiden Zone”","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract— The paper examines two habitable zones with different physical conditions on exoplanets: planets with liquid water on the surface and conditions close to Earth’s (“Goldilocks Zone”), and cold worlds with icy surfaces and subsurface oceans (“Snow Maiden Zone”). The mechanisms of exchange of matter and energy between subglacial oceans and the surrounding space are discussed. It is noted that the biospheres of icy worlds with internal oceans are better protected from unfavorable external cosmic conditions. Subglacial biospheres are weakly dependent on the radiation intensity and flare activity of their parent stars, and the number of planets in the Universe with the physical conditions of the icy Snow Maiden Zone significantly exceeds the number of planets in the very limited Goldilocks Zone. It can be assumed that it is the biospheres of icy oceanic worlds that are much more widespread in the Universe compared to terrestrial-type biospheres.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1134/s0038094624601099","authors":["M. V. Ragul’skaya"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-21T15:06:00Z","doi":"10.1134/s0038094624601099","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/078358-0003","name":"Self-Replicating Probes Are a Reliable Strategy for ETI","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/078358-0003","authors":["Alex Ellery"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-31T21:08:46Z","doi":"10.52202/078358-0003","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108815","name":"Low-Alkalinity flotation separation of antimony and arsenic minerals with modified polyacrylamide","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108815","authors":["Jiaqi Lu","Wenjuan Li","Weiguang Xu","Miao Wang","Jianhang Zhou","Yongsheng Song","Jiankang Wen","Yong Chen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-18T01:52:27Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108815","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9798216431916.ch-3","name":"The Organic Universe and Otherworldly Lives","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9798216431916.ch-3","authors":["Wahida Khandker"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-21T13:18:47Z","doi":"10.5040/9798216431916.ch-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/078358-0001","name":"SETI Program at the Sardinia Radio Telescope","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/078358-0001","authors":["Maura Pilia","Andrea Melis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-31T21:08:46Z","doi":"10.52202/078358-0001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9798216431916.ch-9","name":"From Negation to Exemplification","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9798216431916.ch-9","authors":["Andrew M. Davis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-21T13:18:47Z","doi":"10.5040/9798216431916.ch-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-443-16082-0.00025-4","name":"Copyright","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-443-16082-0.00025-4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-03T02:23:36Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-443-16082-0.00025-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108832","name":"Enhancing flotation kinetics: Investigating hydrodynamic impact for improved predictive modeling","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108832","authors":["Hossna Darabi","Faraz Soltani","David Deglon"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-17T00:35:08Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108832","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108645","name":"Ion flotation kinetic predictions using empirical and phenomenological models","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108645","authors":["Fatemeh Sadat Hoseinian","Mehdi Safari","David Deglon"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-13T01:04:16Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108645","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108580","name":"Experimental study on the overall settling behavior of copper tailings suspension","source":"crossref","abstract":"This study primarily focuses on using experimental approaches to investigate the overall settling behaviors of different types of copper tailings. With a specially designed experimental apparatus, a series of interruptive batch settling tests were carried out to collect samples during the ongoing batch settling test. After measuring the solids content and particle size distribution (PSD) of these samples, the segregation and settling behaviors of the suspension can be interpreted from the experimental results. This paper highlights that the combined effect of the initial solids content and PSD demonstrates a remarkable influence on the segregation of coarse particles, leading to various settling behaviors. Notably, changing the initial solids content and PSD conditions can result in completely different settling modes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108580","authors":["Yuan Li","Dirk van Zyl"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-19T14:51:26Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108580","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-443-16082-0.00018-7","name":"Dedication","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-443-16082-0.00018-7","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-03T02:23:12Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-443-16082-0.00018-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108881","name":"Decoupling the effect of hydraulic oil contamination on the flotation performance of UG2 PGE ore and its interaction with alteration minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"Oil contamination inadvertently arising from underground mechanised South African platinum mines is known to compromise the subsequent flotation performance. Anecdotal observations suggest that this is further exacerbated in the presence of phyllosilicate alteration minerals. Two ores of varying degrees of alteration from the Bushveld Igneous Complex were utilized in this study to investigate the effects of oil on UG2 platinum group element (PGE) ore flotation and investigate the interaction mechanisms between the oil and phyllosilicate alteration minerals. Mineralogical characterization of the ores indicated a higher percentage of the alteration phyllosilicate minerals in the altered ore (9.2 wt%) in comparison to the normal ore (5.6 wt%); with talc predominating in both ores. Baseline batch flotation test work indicated a reduction of grade with hydraulic oil addition in the normal ore (Pt by 4.5 g/t and Pd by 3.6 g/t), whereas valuable metal grades in the altered ore showed no change. In contrast to the grades, the Pt and Pd recovery dropped by 6 % and 12 %, respectively, in the altered ore floats whereas nearly constant recoveries were obtained for the normal ore as oil concentration increased. The dynamic froth stability and slurry viscosity both increased in the presence of oil and were greater in the altered ore compared to the normal ore. The observed flotation performance of the normal ore was attributed to the increasing froth stability which promoted the recovery of gangue minerals and consequent grade decrease. For the altered ore, the greater increase in the slurry pulp viscosity with oil addition was proposed to lead to poor gas dispersion and reduced interaction between bubbles and particles resulting in the reduction of recovery. The addition of sodium metasilicate successfully mitigated these effects causing a decrease in the viscosity, improvement in particle dispersion and better froth drainage. This study highlighted the potentially harmful effects of oil spillages from mechanised mining and its complex interaction with alteration minerals contained within the ore.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108881","authors":["T.A Tshinavhe","B. McFadzean","G. Nwaila","M. Becker"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-31T10:23:43Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108881","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108552","name":"A review of the use of microcalorimetry to determine the enthalpies of immersion and adsorption on various minerals and their relationship to flotation performance","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108552","authors":["C.T. O'Connor","J. Taguta","B. McFadzean"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-02T23:03:12Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108552","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108496","name":"Process mineralogical study of U/Th occurrence states and the carrier minerals in refractory tantalum slag","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108496","authors":["Min Huang","Yujie Shao","Xiang Li","Daqian Liu","Jinbo Ouyang","Limin Zhou","Zhirong Liu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-15T22:03:01Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108496","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.4775676","name":"Drake Equation of Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence: Parameter Estimations by Using Fuzzy Analysis","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4775676","authors":["Saibal Ray","Aritra Sanyal","Soham Ray","Issa Al-Amri","Sunil Kumar Maurya"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-28T08:20:09Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.4775676","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.59332/jbis-077-05-0156","name":"The Spider Stellar Engine: a Fully Steerable Extraterrestrial Design?","source":"crossref","abstract":"A long-lived civilization will inevitably have to migrate towards a nearby star as its home star runs out of nuclear fuel. One way to achieve such a migration is by transforming its star into a stellar engine, and to control its motion in the galaxy. We first provide a brief overview of stellar engines and conclude that looking for technosignatures of stellar engines has taken two roads: on the observational side, hypervelocity stars have been the target of such searches, but without good candidates. On the theoretical side, stellar engine concepts have been proposed but are poorly linked to observable technosignatures. Since about half the stars in our galaxy are in binary systems where life might develop too, we introduce a model of a binary stellar engine. We propose mechanisms for acceleration, deceleration, steering in the orbital plane and outside of the orbital plane. We apply the model to candidate systems, spider pulsars, which are binary stars composed of one millisecond pulsar and a very low-mass companion star that is heavily irradiated by the pulsar wind. We discuss potential signatures of acceleration, deceleration, steering, as well as maneuvers such as gravitational assists or captures. Keywords: Pulsars: Spiders, Technosignatures, Stellar engine, Interstellar travel","url":"https://doi.org/10.59332/jbis-077-05-0156","authors":["Clément Vidal"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-04T12:44:52Z","doi":"10.59332/jbis-077-05-0156","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2377005","name":"Connoisseur’s Choice: GYPSUM Part 1: Southern Africa","source":"crossref","abstract":"Gypsum, CaSO4·2H2O, is the most common sulfate mineral on Earth, according to Mindat.org (accessed January 2024). This is reflected in the 7,966 individual localities featured on the website, accom...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2377005","authors":["Bruce Cairncross"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-24T14:05:39Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2377005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2332146","name":"Cleavelandite: Only Crystals Small and Beautiful","source":"crossref","abstract":"Cleavelandite, the bladed variant of albite, occurs exclusively in association with coarse crystals of quartz, beryl, tourmaline, topaz, spodumene, and K-feldspar in cavities in granitic pegmatites...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2332146","authors":["Robert F. Martin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-21T16:51:46Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2332146","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108879","name":"Fine grinding of pyrometallurgical battery slag and its influence on lithium dissolution","source":"crossref","abstract":"• Systematic investigations on the fine grinding behavior of battery slags. • Alteration of the slag microstructure has a positive effect on lithium dissolution. • Adjusting the pH value during grinding enables dissolving 90 % of the lithium ions. • Optimization of grinding under consideration of the stress energy approach. Pyrometallurgical recycling of lithium-ion batteries (LIB) has established itself as a robust process in industrial practice due to its good scalability. A major drawback of this approach is the slagging of lithium, which limits its recovery and usually requires thermal energy and large amounts of leaching reagents using a hydrometallurgical recovery process in order to accomplish a return into the material cycle. To counteract this disadvantage, the present study investigates the fine grinding behaviour of battery slags in a stirred media mill and its possibility to increase the solubility of lithium containing slag phases. As the main influencing factors, the grinding media stress energy, processing time, and the pH value were investigated. The results show that by selecting suitable fine grinding process parameters, the specific surface area of the battery slag can be increased significantly from 0.2 m 2 /g to 55 m 2 /g and a lithium dissolution efficiency of up to 30 % can be reached in an aqueous environment. The variation of pH value during fine grinding enables a further process improvement with a dissolution efficiency of up to 90 % at pH=4. Particularly in the context of sustainable recycling process design, fine grinding offers a notable benefit in decreasing the quantity of leaching reagents required by as much as 76 % compared to standard leaching processes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108879","authors":["Maximilian Tobaben","Arno Kwade"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-12T16:46:10Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108879","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2303951","name":"Connoisseur’s Choice: Heulandite, Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mineralogy may be contemplated in two points of view. It may be considered as closely connected with the more common affairs of life, and consequently inviting us to pursue it from its utility; or ...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2303951","authors":["Paul W. Pohwat"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-18T17:29:26Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2303951","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2023.2253092","name":"Introduction to TUCSON 2024: Celebrating Pegmatites","source":"crossref","abstract":"Photo by Anthony “Tony” GlecklerReproduced with permissionSOME FIFTY YEARS AGO I attended my first Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. To be sure, time has dimmed my memory of this great event but for one...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2023.2253092","authors":["Robert B. Cook"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-08T14:31:03Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2023.2253092","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108698","name":"Comparison of circuits over time in Canadian practice","source":"crossref","abstract":"Evaluation of circuits in Canadian practice based on surveys in 1957 and 2020 was used to identify the common types and whether there was any change over time. Three-stage circuits were considered along with a measure of circuit separation efficiency. The rougher-scavenger-cleaner and rougher-cleaner-cleaner still dominate, together comprising over 60% usage. Correlation against circuit separation efficiency offered one reason with other factors also discussed. The 2020 survey showed increased use of the rougher-cleaner-cleaner/scavenger (R-C-CS) circuit with CS tail discarded attributed to a benefit to process control through isolation of rougher and cleaner bloc chemistries. A variation placing CS on a second stage cleaner rather the normal location on the first cleaner was analysed with possible advantages outlined.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108698","authors":["James A. Finch","Yue Hua Tan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-17T17:10:12Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108698","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2023.2253123","name":"In Memoriam: Barry Yampol (1937–2023)","source":"crossref","abstract":"There’s a line from the theme song of the old TV series Cheers that goes “sometimes you want to go where everyone knows your name.” I can’t think of anyone in the mineral world who does not know th...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2023.2253123","authors":["Dona Lee Leicht"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-21T17:05:06Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2023.2253123","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109011","name":"Rare earth elements resources and beneficiation: A review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109011","authors":["Zhichao Shuai","Yimin Zhu","Peng Gao","Yuexin Han"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-26T16:34:22Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109011","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14040350","name":"Editorial for the Special Issue “Gem Characterisation”","source":"crossref","abstract":"Gem characterisation is an ever-increasing challenge, especially with hard-to-detect treatments and new demands regarding origin determination [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14040350","authors":["Stefanos Karampelas","Emmanuel Fritsch"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-28T12:22:46Z","doi":"10.3390/min14040350","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14090888","name":"Moment Estimation from Time Domain Electromagnetic Data","source":"crossref","abstract":"Moment representations have been proposed to facilitate the interpretation of geophysical time domain electromagnetic responses. We present a new methodology for estimating these moments from field data for different system waveforms when on-time and off-time measurements are available. Quadrature impulse response moments are estimated by a recursive relation involving moments of the input waveform and moments of the observed response. After adapting this method to time domain electromagnetic applications—in particular, MEGATEM and AeroTEM (AirTEM) airborne electromagnetic systems—we present the results from applying this method on synthetic and real data collected over the Reid–Mahaffy test site in northern Ontario, Canada.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14090888","authors":["Marc Vallée","Mouhamed Moussaoui"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-30T09:39:32Z","doi":"10.3390/min14090888","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2305600","name":"<i>Minerals of Slovakia/Minerály Slovenska</i>\n            by Albert Russ. Self-published (albertruss@yahoo.com). 255 pages; 2023; hardbound; bilingual English-Slovakian.","source":"crossref","abstract":"Reproduced with permissionSlovakia is a small country, a bit more than 49,000 km2, or a tad smaller than Vermont and New Hampshire combined. It has a diverse geology for its size and is well endowe...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2305600","authors":["Mark Mauthner"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-18T17:29:26Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2305600","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108952","name":"Copper tailings filtration: Influence of filter cake desaturation","source":"crossref","abstract":"• Cake-to-fabric adhesion and cake cohesion tests were carried out using special test rigs for a tensile testing machine directly subsequent to laboratory filter press tests. • Filtration process parameters (filtration pressure, air blow pressure, and duration of the air blow) can be used to control the properties of the filter cake. • Residual water content and saturation decrease with an increase of the three process parameters, adhesion and cohesion increase. • A simplified mathematical model was developed which describes the desaturation behavior. Copper mining produces immense amounts of tailings due to low ore grades. These residues are increasingly dewatered by filtration in recessed plate filter presses to ensure safer storage and high recovery of water. The process parameters filtration pressure, desaturation time, desaturation pressure and cake thickness have a significant influence on achieving water content as well as bulk material stability specifications and maintaining operation performance, especially with regard to cake detachment. In this study, copper tailings filtration tests in a laboratory filter press and directly connected measurements of cake-to-fabric shear adhesion as well as filter cake shear cohesion were carried out. It is shown that optimization of cake properties with regard to residual water content, suitability for detachment and bulk material stability by specific adjustment of the filtration and post-treatment parameters is possible. Furthermore, implementation of a mathematical model allows water content, cake saturation, cake-to-fabric shear adhesion and cake shear strength prediction dependent on filter cake desaturation time and pressure for tailings filtration applications in recessed plate filter presses.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108952","authors":["Bernd Fränkle","Thien Sok","Marco Gleiß","Hermann Nirschl"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-03T19:21:24Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108952","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109044","name":"Review on comprehensive utilization of nickel laterite ore","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109044","authors":["Qinglong Fan","Shuai Yuan","Jing Wen","Jiahao He"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-16T17:44:52Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109044","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14121291","name":"Evolutionary Ensembles of Artificial Agents for Enhanced Mineralogical Analysis","source":"crossref","abstract":"This paper presents a novel machine learning framework that applies evolutionary ensembles of artificial agents to mineralogical analysis and classification. The approach is based on hybridization techniques that combine diverse machine learning algorithms, creating large and effective communities of agents. These progressively mute and improve through crossover, hybridization, and selection, addressing the challenges of mineral recognition and classification from thin section images. By combining multiple machine learning techniques, the ensemble of agents autonomously improves by evolving to adapt, enhancing its ability to identify mineral species and classify different types of alterations. We detail the method, provide examples using synthetic and real data, and explore the potential to improve mineralogical analysis workflows through this dynamic, self-improving system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14121291","authors":["Paolo Dell’Aversana"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-20T04:07:40Z","doi":"10.3390/min14121291","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108816","name":"Copper sulfide precipitation from alkaline monosodium glutamate solutions","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108816","authors":["C.G. Perea","C.F. Ihle","L. Dyer","H. Estay"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-07T00:37:20Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108816","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2398409","name":"Coming Events","source":"crossref","abstract":"NOTICE TO CLUBS—Listing of all shows is a free service provided by ROCKS & MINERALS. Information on upcoming shows must be received at least four months before date of publication. Include date, pl...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2398409","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-04T10:01:17Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2398409","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.jtemin.2024.100144","name":"Corrigendum to “Delineation of the general framework and quantification of heavy minerals distribution at Durgarajupatnam coast, Nellore, East Coast of India”. [Journal of Trace Elements and Minerals 7C (2024) 100116]","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtemin.2024.100144","authors":["M. Pramod Kumar","B. Praveena","K. Nagalakshmi","T. Lashmi Prasad","N. Jayaraju","B. Lakshmanna"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-03T17:49:12Z","doi":"10.1016/j.jtemin.2024.100144","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2376998","name":"Letters","source":"crossref","abstract":"The twenty-second annual mineral seminar and photography contest will be held at the 70th Tucson Gem and Mineral Show in the West Meeting Rooms (104/105) of the Tucson Convention Center on Thursday...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2376998","authors":["Jeff Scovil","Jake Slagle","Peter J. Modreski","Ed Coogan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-24T14:05:39Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2376998","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/glot-2024-2006","name":"Douglas A. Vakoch &amp; Jeffrey Punske:\n                    <i>Xenolinguistics: Towards a Science of Extraterrestrial Language</i>","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/glot-2024-2006","authors":["Hossein Davari","Amir Ghorbanpour"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-01T08:14:51Z","doi":"10.1515/glot-2024-2006","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2023.2253127","name":"Coming Events","source":"crossref","abstract":"NOTICE TO CLUBS—Listing of all shows is a free service provided by ROCKS & MINERALS. Information on upcoming shows must be received at least four months before date of publication. Include date, pl...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2023.2253127","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-08T14:31:03Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2023.2253127","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108502","name":"Molecular-level study of hydrophobic interactions during low-rank coal particle-bubble attachment","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108502","authors":["Bo Hao","Minqiang Fan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-22T05:56:35Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108502","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.759Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-031-67398-6_223","name":"NRCan’s Minerals Programs Branch: Accelerating the Development Canada’s Critical Minerals Resources","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-67398-6_223","authors":["Rawya Tsuji"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-18T05:52:57Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-031-67398-6_223","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108595","name":"REE recovery and hydrochar production from a hyperaccumulator by microwave-assisted hydrothermal carbonization","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108595","authors":["Shiyu Li","Wencai Zhang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-26T09:12:26Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108595","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108664","name":"A bulk sorting trial of copper ore using a magnetic resonance analyser","source":"crossref","abstract":"Sensor-based bulk ore sorting (BOS) is a technique that may lead to uplift of processing grades by excluding waste as well as an increase in usable resource by sorting material designated as mineralised waste. A magnetic resonance analyser (MRA) was installed on the primary crushed ore feed to the sulphide plant at the Kansanshi copper mine in northwestern Zambia to trial BOS. The conveyor belt operated at 2800tph and carried ore of which greater than 85% by weight of the copper-bearing minerals are chalcopyrite. The MRA was therefore tuned for chalcopyrite’s zero static field magnetic resonance. The analyser achieved a 3σ detection limit of 0.045 wt% copper as chalcopyrite over a 4 s measurement time and standard belt loading, with lower detection thresholds possible if the measurement time increased. A trial of ore diversion was then carried out at the site. Pods of ore measured as less than 0.2 wt% copper as chalcopyrite by the MRA were diverted by a dead box diverter system to form a low-grade stockpile of approximately 10,000 tonnes. A cavity in the mill feed stockpile was arranged and the rejected material fed back through the crusher, past the MRA and directly through the milling circuit to the flotation feed where a Vezin sampler was used to take a sample every 5 min. This sample was then tested for copper grade by the site metallurgical laboratory. The MRA measured a grade of 0.16 wt% copper as chalcopyrite over the test time period and the Vezin samples for the last hour of the trial reported approximately 0.2–0.3 wt% copper despite some mixing with unsorted ore being inevitable. This is as clear a demonstration of bulk ore sorting (BOS) as practically achieveable in the production environment at Kansanshi and, to the author’s knowledge, the first demonstration of BOS on a copper ore stream of at least this throughput.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108664","authors":["Peter J. Coghill","Evans Simpemba"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-16T04:03:37Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108664","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-443-16082-0.00027-8","name":"Contents","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-443-16082-0.00027-8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-03T02:24:08Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-443-16082-0.00027-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108786","name":"Lithium sorption by ion exchange","source":"crossref","abstract":"The high demand for lithium is increasing drastically due to its applications in electronic devices, electric vehicles, and other components. The present case study focuses on studying the sorption capacity of two resins − Dowex G26 and Dowex X8 – in capturing lithium from pregnant solutions generated by the leaching of lepidolite and spodumene ores. Preliminary characterization studies were performed using synthetic solutions to understand the behaviour of the resins without the interference of competing ions. The results suggest that Dowex G26 exhibits a higher loading capacity. Additionally, the mass action law and a sigmoid function were used to model respectively the equilibrium in the sorption process and the kinetics of extraction in a continuous fixed bed operation. In a second phase of experiments, the resulting optimal operating conditions were used to study the ion exchange extraction from leaching liquors of lepidolite and spodumene ores. These liquors are complex solutions with competing ions. Ion exchange assays were optimized, and the maximum loading capacity for the leaching liquors was 1.8 meq lithium/g of resin, which corresponds to 71 % of Li sorption. For the elution, the maximum lithium extraction from the resins achieved was 82 %.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108786","authors":["Lídia Cunha","Joana Monteiro","Aurora Futuro","António Fiúza"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-25T16:20:00Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108786","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2303956","name":"Lina Jakaitė: Lithuanian Geology/Mineral Artist (b. 1988)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Figure 1. Lina Jakaitė.Reproduced with permissionFigure 2. Malachite spheres (2019).Reproduced with permissionFigure 3. Pyrite spheres (2019).Reproduced with permissionArt and rocks have been part ...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2303956","authors":["Mark Mauthner"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-18T17:29:26Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2303956","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2348959","name":"Canadian Mineral Artist Roger H. Mitchell (b. 1941)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Figure 1. Roger Mitchell at the Lakehead University’s scanning electron microscope.Reproduced with permissionFigure 2. Steinbilder-2 (Harzburgite: Bultfontein, South Africa). Digitally worked optic...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2348959","authors":["Mark Mauthner"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-24T14:05:39Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2348959","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2348437","name":"Phenakite from Orchard Pit, Buckfield, Oxford County, Maine","source":"crossref","abstract":"Worldwide, phenakite is found in a wide range of different occurrences. In New England the largest phenakites occur in anorogenic Niobium-Yttrium-Fluorine (NYF) pegmatites primarily in New Hampshir...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2348437","authors":["Donald Dallaire"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-19T19:53:43Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2348437","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2332150","name":"UK Mineral Artist Christopher Smith-Duque (b. 1981)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Figure 1. Christopher Smith-Duque at work.Reproduced with permissionFor all Christopher Smith-Duque’s life, at least as far back as he can remember, rocks and art have accompanied him. As a seven-y...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2332150","authors":["Mark Mauthner"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-21T16:51:46Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2332150","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2332158","name":"In Memoriam: Betty Tlush (1925-2023)","source":"crossref","abstract":"The staff of the New Mexico Bureau of Geology & Mineral Resources (NMBGMR) Mineral Museum along with fellow mineral colleagues, enthusiasts, and scientists across the United States and beyond were ...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2332158","authors":["Robert Eveleth","Bernard Kozykowski"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-21T16:51:46Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2332158","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2398400","name":"Select State Stones: Official Gems &amp; Minerals That Are Green","source":"crossref","abstract":"Managing, conserving and protecting Illinois' natural, recreational and cultural resources, furthering the public's understanding and appreciation of those resources, and promoting the education, science and public safety of Illinois' natural resources for present and future generations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2398400","authors":["Janet H. Clifford"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-04T10:01:17Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2398400","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/monist/onae006","name":"Saved by the Dark Forest: How a Multitude of Extraterrestrial Civilizations Can Prevent a Hobbesian Trap","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract The possibility of extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) exists despite no observed evidence, and the risks and benefits of actively searching for ETI (Active SETI) have been debated. Active SETI has been criticized for potentially exposing humanity to existential risk, and a recent game-theoretical model highlights the Hobbesian trap that could occur following contact if mutual distrust leads to mutual destruction. We argue that observing a nearby ETI would suggest the existence of many unobserved ETI. This would expand the game and implies that there may be a mechanism that prevents ETI from attacking us. As a result, the Hobbesian trap would be avoided if both parties assumed the other is not likely to attack.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/monist/onae006","authors":["Karim Jebari","Andrea S Asker"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-15T09:49:35Z","doi":"10.1093/monist/onae006","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2332149","name":"History of the Steven C. Chamberlain Collection","source":"crossref","abstract":"In October 2023, I donated the last of my collection of New York State minerals to the New York State Museum. A number of my specimens are on exhibit in a large case at this museum in Albany, New Y...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2332149","authors":["Steven C. Chamberlain"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-21T16:51:46Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2332149","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2281185","name":"In Memoriam: Marian V. Lupulescu (1952–2023)","source":"crossref","abstract":"The mineral world lost a good friend, a mineralogist’s mineralogist, and an exceptionally fine man on 16 July 2023. Dr. Marian V. Lupulescu, longtime curator of geology at the New York State Museum...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2281185","authors":["Steven C. Chamberlain"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-21T17:05:06Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2281185","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2279423","name":"The New Cornelia Mine, Ago, Pima County, Arizona","source":"crossref","abstract":"Figure 1. Copper, 13.8 cm wide, New Cornelia mine, Ajo, Arizona. Ajo is the only locality in Arizona where these blocky, Michigan-style copper crystals come from. The backside of this specimen is a...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2279423","authors":["Les Presmyk"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-21T17:05:06Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2279423","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2303948","name":"Postmasburg Manganese Field, Northern Cape Province, South Africa","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Postmasburg manganese field is not as mineralogically diverse or famous as the more northerly located Kalahari manganese field. Yet, the Postmasburg mines were the precursors that prompted expl...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2303948","authors":["Bruce Cairncross"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-18T17:29:26Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2303948","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-443-16082-0.00026-6","name":"Index","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-443-16082-0.00026-6","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-03T02:24:11Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-443-16082-0.00026-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/s1743921325103049","name":"Would the discovery of extraterrestrial intelligent life have an impact on Catholic theology?","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract This study examines the potential impact of the discovery of extraterrestrial intelligent life (ETI) on Catholic theology. The investigation addresses whether the existence of ETIs would challenge core theological principles, particularly the doctrine of Redemption. The study concludes that the discovery of ETIs would not disrupt the foundational tenets of Catholic faith, which is centered on Jesus Christ. The Church has not made any official statements regarding the theological implications of ETIs, reflecting the current speculative nature of their existence. However, the Vatican Observatory is actively involved in research related to potential life-hosting stars, indicating a scientific interest in the topic.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1743921325103049","authors":["Enrique Solano"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-20T09:38:19Z","doi":"10.1017/s1743921325103049","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2279426","name":"Seattle Mineral Artist Rebecca Ann Johnston (b. 1983)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Figure 1. Rebecca Johnston at work on a fluorite painting commission.Reproduced with permissionRebecca Johnston is a Seattle mixed-media artist who has been drawing and experimenting with various m...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2279426","authors":["Mark Mauthner"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-21T17:05:06Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2279426","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14010076","name":"Monitoring of Mineral Processing Operations with Isolation Forests","source":"crossref","abstract":"Reliable monitoring of mineral process systems is key to more efficient plant operation. Multivariate statistical process control based on principal component analysis is well-established in industry but may not be effective when dealing with dynamic nonlinear or transient processes, where process behavior may change rapidly from time to time. Although a large variety of nonlinear models have been proposed to address these problems, the monitoring of complex dynamic process systems remains challenging. Isolation forests are unsupervised machine learning models that provide an interesting approach to process monitoring that has not been explored extensively yet. In this investigation, this approach is compared with traditional multivariate statistical process monitoring based on principal component models. Three real-world case studies are considered. The first case study is based on coal flotation, the second is based on features extracted from a platinum group metal flotation froth; and the third is based on data from an industrial semi-autogenous grinding circuit. In each case, the models were trained on data representing normal operating conditions and then tested on new process data that were generally different from the training data to test their ability to identify these data as out-of-control. The isolation forest models performed better than the principal component models when the data were nonlinear, but not when the data associated with normal operation and faulty conditions were linearly separable, as was the case with the flotation data.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14010076","authors":["Chris Aldrich","Xiu Liu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-09T04:38:51Z","doi":"10.3390/min14010076","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108618","name":"Where chemistry and mineralogy meet during PGE and BMS flotation","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108618","authors":["N.J. Shackleton","V. Malysiak","E.H.W. Theron","P.F. Dicks"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-16T17:52:34Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108618","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14070674","name":"Use of Submarine Tailings Disposal as Alternative Tailings Management System","source":"crossref","abstract":"The importance of the mining/milling industry in increasing the growth level and welfare of countries is quite high. However, at the end of mining/milling processes, huge amounts of waste (often known as tails) are inevitably produced that have no economic value and can even be considered dangerous due to some heavy metals they contain. These tails are highly problematic due to both their volume (difficult to manage environmentally) and toxicity (potential to cause acid/leach waters) and need to be handled outside of existing disposal methods. This article presents the effective and sustainable handling and application of tails resulting from the enrichment of copper–zinc ores, which are actively engaged in metallic mining activities in the northeast of Türkiye, with the submarine tails disposal (STD) method. In the mining operation under study, some (~55–60 wt.%) of the tails are employed as underground fill, even though the residual part is disposed of by the STD method. The characterization of ore beneficiation tails, their transportation to the subsea via a pipeline system, and discharge monitoring results are detailed in the present investigation. According to the limitations which are indicated by the Turkish Control of Water Contamination regulation, the concentration of Pb-Cu found in the results was under the allowable limit of 0.05 mg/L. The allowed 2 mg/L limit for Zn was not surpassed mainly by the concentration found in the collected samples. pH values were almost above the allowable limit of pH &gt; 5. The results reveal that the STD technique works quite well as an integrated mine tails method in the mine under study.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14070674","authors":["Erol Yilmaz"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-02T11:33:53Z","doi":"10.3390/min14070674","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1180/clm.2024.17","name":"Climatic significance of clay minerals in Cenozoic marine and lacustrine sediments","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract In sediments, clay minerals are mainly detrital. Formed by continental weathering, they are carried by surface transport predominantly by rivers, glaciers and, to a lesser extent, winds to the adjacent sedimentary basins and then are redistributed by oceanic currents. In a sedimentary core, the variability in the clay mineral assemblages reflects either variable physical and chemical weathering conditions in the watershed, typically with a significant link to climatic conditions, or changes in the mineral source, the latter being associated with various transport agents. When different sources are involved, a combination of mineralogical and geochemical proxies allows us to trace the detrital provenance, but they also indirectly provide valuable information on transport pathways and palaeocurrents. This manuscript reviews several examples from the literature and ongoing research on clay mineral variability in marine or lacustrine sedimentary records and interprets them in terms of: (1) climate control at different timescales, from the Neogene to the Quaternary; and (2) transport paths. Examples are selected to review the various clay-derived proxies in existence.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/clm.2024.17","authors":["Nathalie Fagel"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-18T10:44:09Z","doi":"10.1180/clm.2024.17","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.eng.2023.11.019","name":"Properties and Characteristics of Regolith-Based Materials for Extraterrestrial Construction","source":"crossref","abstract":"The construction of extraterrestrial bases has become a new goal in the active exploration of deep space. Among the construction techniques, in situ resource-based construction is one of the most promising because of its good sustainability and acceptable economic cost, triggering the development of various types of extraterrestrial construction materials. A comprehensive survey and comparison of materials from the perspective of performance was conducted to provide suggestions for material selection and optimization. 13 types of typical construction materials are discussed in terms of their reliability and applicability in extreme extraterrestrial environment. Mechanical, thermal and optical, and radiation-shielding properties are considered. The influencing factors and optimization methods for these properties are analyzed. From the perspective of material properties, the existing challenges lie in the comprehensive, long-term, and real characterization of regolith-based construction materials. Correspondingly, the suggested future directions include the application of high-throughput characterization methods, accelerated durability tests, and conducting extraterrestrial experiments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2023.11.019","authors":["Cheng Zhou","Yuyue Gao","Yan Zhou","Wei She","Yusheng Shi","Lieyun Ding","Changwen Miao"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-07T02:05:05Z","doi":"10.1016/j.eng.2023.11.019","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14090914","name":"Surface Chemistry and Flotation of Gold-Bearing Pyrite","source":"crossref","abstract":"Gold grains are observed in a variety of forms, such as coarse-liberated native gold grains, and ultra-fine grains associated with sulfide or non-sulfide mineral particles, in the form of solid solution in sulfide minerals, mainly pyrite. In the flotation of gold ores, bulk sulfide mineral flotation is generally applied to maximize gold recovery. This approach gives high gold recoveries, but it also causes the recovery of barren sulfide minerals (i.e., sulfide mineral particles with no gold content), which increases concentrate tonnage and transportation costs and reduces the grade sometimes to below the saleable limit (approx. 10 g/t Au). This study addresses the differences between gold-bearing and barren pyrite particles taken from various ore deposits and utilizes these differences for the selective flotation of gold-bearing pyrite. The laboratory scale flotation tests conducted on three pyrite samples having different cyanide soluble gold contents show that a selective separation between gold-bearing pyrite and barren pyrite particles could be achieved under specific flotation conditions. Gold recovery is correlated directly with the cyanide-soluble gold in the ore samples. Electrochemical experiments were conducted to elucidate the differences in surface properties of the two types of pyrite. The barren pyrite particles were more cathodic and prone to cathodic reduction of OH− and depressant ions on the surface, and they could be depressed effectively without significantly affecting the gold-bearing particles.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14090914","authors":["Seda Özçelik","Zafir Ekmekçi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-06T03:22:46Z","doi":"10.3390/min14090914","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108942","name":"Minimizing entrainment recovery of ultrafine silicate minerals in pentlandite flotation using carboxymethyl cellulose","source":"crossref","abstract":"• Quartz was used as an entrainment monitor in the flotation of pentlandite. • Quartz entrainment recovery increased with a decrease in particle size. • CMC enhanced the formation of plateau borders that facilitate particle drainage. • Determination of optimum CMC concentration is crucial to limit the negative effect on pentlandite flotation. The presence of silicate minerals is a common occurrence in various ore types, including nickel sulphide ores. These silicate minerals dilute the grade of flotation concentrates through recovery by entrainment which leads to poor flotation performance and subsequently loss of values. Flotation by entrainment is further enhanced as the particle size of the feed becomes finer. The present work investigates the entrainment characteristics of silicate minerals in the flotation of pentlandite. Within the context of the selective flotation of pentlandite from silicate gangue minerals, the influence of different particle sizes on entrainment flotation was also carried out. PAX was used as a collector for recovering pentlandite, whereas carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) was employed as a dispersant for the silicate gangue mineral. Microflotation experiment was conducted on a pentlandite-quartz mixture of different particle sizes including − 106 + 75 µm, − 75 + 38 µm, − 38 + 20 µm, and − 20 µm. Electroacoustic zeta potential measurements, Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, and Ultraviolet–Visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy were used to characterise the interaction between pentlandite and quartz and in the presence of PAX and CMC. It was observed during the mixed minerals flotation tests that flotation by entrainment increased with a decrease in feed particle size irrespective of the dosage of CMC. Notwithstanding, the addition of CMC led to notable reduction in entrained silica flotation from 58 % to 38 % in the −20 µm size fraction attributed to improved particle drainage from the froth layer in the presence of CMC. Furthermore, UV–Vis spectroscopy and FTIR results gave further evidence that PAX adsorbed onto pentlandite and quartz minerals surfaces in the presence of CMC, which is consistent with the flotation response observed. Overall, this study confirms entrainment of gangue species is dominant within fine or ultra-fine mineral particles and proposes the use of CMC as a dispersant to limit gangue flotation by entrainment.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108942","authors":["Linda D. Ayedzi","Massimiliano Zanin","William Skinner","George B. Abaka-Wood"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-23T19:12:57Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108942","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108521","name":"Enhancing cassiterite flotation by 1-hydroxydodecylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HDDPA)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108521","authors":["Hongli Fan","Yuesheng Gao","Wei Sun","Jianfei Li"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-02T21:47:51Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108521","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52783/pst.1163","name":"Physiology in Space Medicine for Social Worker: Preparing Nursesfor Future Extraterrestrial Healthcare","source":"crossref","abstract":"As humanity ventures into long-term space exploration and prepares for extraterrestrial settlements, healthcare delivery in extreme environments becomes an essential priority. Nurses, as frontline healthcare providers, will play a pivotal role in managing the physiological challenges posed by microgravity, radiation exposure, isolation, and limited medical resources. This article examines the physiological changes experienced in space, including cardiovascular deconditioning, musculoskeletal atrophy, neurovestibular disorders, immune suppression, and radiation-induced risks. These changes necessitate the development of specialized space medicine training programs tailored to equip nurses with the knowledge and skills to address health challenges in space. The integration of simulation-based learning, telemedicine technologies, and artificial intelligence into nursing curricula is crucial to prepare nurses for autonomous decision-making and healthcare delivery during deep-space missions. Nurses will also be responsible for preventive care, mental health monitoring, and emergency response, requiring advanced training in space physiology, diagnostics, and medical resource management. Ethical considerations, such as patient autonomy, resource prioritization, and privacy in space environments, are critical components of this preparation. This paper highlights the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration, global partnerships, and continuous professional development to ensure nurses are ready to deliver healthcare in extraterrestrial settings. By addressing physiological challenges and integrating innovative technologies, nurses will become indispensable in future space missions, ensuring optimal health outcomes and supporting humanity’s ambition to thrive beyond Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.52783/pst.1163","authors":["Hussain Ali Hussain Dahas"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-21T11:48:18Z","doi":"10.52783/pst.1163","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2023.2235996","name":"<i>Biominerals—Microbial Life in Agates and Other Minerals</i>\n            by Marco Campos-Venuti. Self-published, www.agatesandjaspers.com. 526 pages; 2022; €98 (softbound).","source":"crossref","abstract":"Reproduced with permissionBiominerals is an unusual book, Marco Campos-Venuti’s third in a series devoted primarily to the origins of microcrystalline quartz, which began in 2012 with Genesis and C...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2023.2235996","authors":["Robert B. Cook"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-21T17:05:06Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2023.2235996","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14060586","name":"Exploring the Composition of Egyptian Faience","source":"crossref","abstract":"Egyptian Faience, a revolutionary innovation in ancient ceramics, was used for crafting various objects, including amulets, vessels, ornaments, and funerary figurines, like shabtis. Despite extensive research, many aspects of ancient shabti production technology, chemistry and mineralogy remain relatively understudied from the 21st to the 22nd Dynasty, belonging to a recovered 19th-century private collection. The fragments’ origin is tentatively identified in the middle Nile valley in the Luxor area. Our study focused on a modest yet compositionally interesting small collection of shabti fragments to provide information on the glaze’s components and shabti’s core. We found that the core is a quartz and K-feldspars silt blended with an organic component made of plastic resins and vegetable fibres soaked with natron. The studied shabti figurines, after being modelled, dried, and covered with coloured glaze, were subjected to a firing process. Sodium metasilicate and sulphate compounds formed upon contact of the glaze with the silica matrix, forming a shell that holds together the fragile inner matrix. The pigments dissolved in the sodic glaze glass, produced by quartz, K-feldspars, and natron frit, are mainly manganese (Mn) and copper (Cu) compounds. The ratio Cu2O/CaO &gt; 5 produces a blue colour; if &lt;5, the glaze is green. In some cases, Mg and As may have been added to produce a darker brown and an intense blue, respectively. Reaction minerals provided information on the high-temperature firing process that rapidly vitrified the glaze. These data index minerals for the firing temperature of a sodic glaze, reaching up to a maximum of 1050 °C.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14060586","authors":["Francesca Falcone","Maria Aquilino","Francesco Stoppa"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-31T11:43:48Z","doi":"10.3390/min14060586","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14080740","name":"Editorial: Advances in Mineral Carbonation","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mineral carbonation stands out as a prominent technology aimed at reducing atmospheric CO2 emissions, a major contributor to the greenhouse effect, through a variety of processes [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14080740","authors":["Muhammad Imran Rashid","Timothy Oliver","Faezeh Farhang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-24T14:55:47Z","doi":"10.3390/min14080740","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108578","name":"FLOT-ART: An integrated plant optimization tool for the flotation of copper and copper–gold ores","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108578","authors":["B.K. Gorain"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-21T01:28:18Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108578","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108761","name":"Control of conventional continuous thickeners via proximal policy optimization","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108761","authors":["Jonathan R. Silva","Thiago A.M. Euzébio","Márcio F. Braga"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-13T06:08:45Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108761","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14050527","name":"A Challenged Evaporite Paradigm?","source":"crossref","abstract":"The general subject of this article deals with the term salt. Salt deposits usually contain chlorides, sulphates/gypsum, borates, carbonates, etc., that are seemingly part of the same system. Even though this article mainly presents data and observations on chlorides, which are not easily explained by the present paradigm, it should also prove relevant for the formation of sulphates and other types of salts observed in major salt deposits. The paradigm explaining large salt deposits rests on two pillars governing salt formation and salt deformation. Salt formation is thought to occur vis solar evaporation of seawater in restricted basins. Salt deformation and forming of salt diapirs is thought to occur due to gravity-induced movements. Our review presents peer-reviewed and published data and observations from different authors within different disciplines that challenge the present evaporite paradigm. The current theory/paradigm rests on numerous observations and interpretations in support of it. Adding more observational interpretations in support of the paradigm will not nullify even one observation that contradicts or remains unexplained by the theory. The contradicting evidence must be explained within the present paradigm for it to survive. Significant observations of and within salt deposits are presented, as well as visual and geophysical observations of salinity in crusts and mantles in relevant tectonic settings. In our view, the omnipresent salinity observed in the subsurface needs to be understood and included in the description of a new salt formation mechanism in order to fully explain all features presented herein.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14050527","authors":["Hans Konrad Johnsen","Martin Torvald Hovland","Hakon Rueslatten"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-20T11:06:41Z","doi":"10.3390/min14050527","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/078358-0009","name":"State Responsibility for First Contact Under International Law","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/078358-0009","authors":["Andrea Harrington","Charles Stotler"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-31T21:08:46Z","doi":"10.52202/078358-0009","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/078357-0148","name":"Potential Function Guidance Method for Extraterrestrial Body Landing Based on Trajectory Curvature Adjustment","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/078357-0148","authors":["He Yang","Shengying Zhu","Jiateng Long","Rui Xu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-31T21:01:52Z","doi":"10.52202/078357-0148","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2305599","name":"In Memoriam: Benjamin Edwin “Ed” Clement Jr. (1949-2023)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Benjamin Edwin “Ed” Clement Jr., founder of the Ben E. Clement Mineral Museum in Marion, Kentucky, was born 15 May 1949 and passed away 2 February 2023. The museum was the result of Ed and his sist...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2305599","authors":["Alan Goldstein"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-18T17:29:26Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2305599","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14050498","name":"The Ballynoe Stratiform Barite Deposit, Silvermines, County Tipperary, Ireland","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Ballynoe barite deposit is a conformable, mineralised horizon of Lower Carboniferous age overlying a diastem and mass faunal extinction demarking the transition from a quiet water environment to one of dynamic sedimentation. The geometry of the barite orebody correlates with the palaeotopography of the footwall, which acted as an important control over the lateral extent, thickness, and nature of the mineralisation. Sedimentary features within the barite horizon suggest that it was precipitated in the form of a cryptocrystalline mud which underwent major diagenetic modification resulting in extensive stylolitisation, recrystallisation, and remobilisation. There is abundant and compelling geological and isotopic evidence for early local exhalation from the presence of a hydrothermal vent fauna consisting of delicately pyritised worm tubes and haematised filaments of apparent microbial origin. The worm tubes are remarkably similar to examples from modern and ancient volcanic-hosted massive sulphide deposits, and the filamentous microfossils have similarities to modern Fe-oxidising bacteria. Strontium in the barite has an 87Sr/86Sr ratio indistinguishable from seawater between 350 and 344 Ma whilst oxygen isotopes from barite and chert suggest a diagenetic origin in equilibrium with such seawater around 60–70 °C. Fluid inclusion studies have shown that, in general, low temperature inclusions are very saline (20%–25%) whilst at higher homogenisation temperatures they are more dilute (9%–12%).","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14050498","authors":["Colin J. Andrew"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-09T03:34:19Z","doi":"10.3390/min14050498","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/14432471.2024.2396675","name":"Minerals geophysics","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14432471.2024.2396675","authors":["Terry Harvey"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-03T19:00:21Z","doi":"10.1080/14432471.2024.2396675","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.jtemin.2024.100132","name":"Corrigendum to “Delineation of the general framework and quantification of heavy minerals distribution at Durgarajupatnam coast, Nellore, East Coast of India”. [Journal of Trace Elements and Minerals 7C (2024) 100116]","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtemin.2024.100132","authors":["M. Pramod Kumar","B. Praveena","K. Nagalakshmi","T. Lashmi Prasad","B Bharath Kumar","B. Lakshmanna"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-02T09:00:11Z","doi":"10.1016/j.jtemin.2024.100132","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9798216431916.ch-14","name":"Astrobiology without Biology","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9798216431916.ch-14","authors":["Noreen Herzfeld"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-21T13:18:47Z","doi":"10.5040/9798216431916.ch-14","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108823","name":"Hydrogen reduction studies of low-grade multimetallic magnetite ore pellets","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108823","authors":["Biswajit Mishra","Amit Kumar Singh","Girija Shankar Mahobia"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-14T21:53:46Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108823","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108968","name":"The relationship between protons and the aqueous oxidation of pyrite by molecular oxygen","source":"crossref","abstract":"• The effect of [H + ] on the aqueous oxidation of pyrite was investigated. • The reaction order with respect to [H + ] is 0.05 ± 0.10. • The H + is not involved in the rate determining step of FeS 2 oxidation. The reaction of pyrite (FeS 2 ) with dissolved oxygen (DO) in acidic media (pH 2.5, 3.0 and 4.0) was studied at 25 °C. In this regard, a series of experimental (potentiodynamic polarization, Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) or cyclic voltammetry) and theoretical (quantum calculations) approaches were used. It was found that the proton concentration ([H + ]) has not a significant influence on the oxidative dissolution of FeS 2 . The oxidation current density (j ox ) varies little when the pH increases from 2.5 (j ox = 1.02 μA cm −2 ) to 4.0 (j ox = 0.80 μA cm −2 ), the order of reaction with respect to [H + ] being 0.05 ± 0.10. EIS spectra indicate that the pyrite oxidation with dissolved oxygen is controlled by a surface electron transfer reaction. The results of quantum calculations show that protons spontaneously adsorb to the pyrite surface. The density of states of adsorbed protons is located far from Fermi level (between −0.3 and −0.2 Hartree) indicating that they are not available for subsequent reactions. The results of quantum analysis outline the main reasons why protons do not play a discernible role in the oxidation of pyrite with DO and the formation of acid mine drainage.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108968","authors":["Cristina E. Cârstea","Paul Chiriță"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-07T18:51:25Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108968","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108880","name":"Improving flotation hydrodynamics to maximize nickel recovery from tailings","source":"crossref","abstract":"The REFLUX™ Flotation Cell (RFC™) was used to investigate the flotation of a nickel tailings stream containing significant levels of dissolved solids, slow floating nickel minerals, and ultrafine hydrophilic silicates. Slow floating minerals are known to lead to excessive gangue entrainment and low upgrade. The performance of the RFC™ was investigated with reference to that observed for a batch mechanical cell. The flotation feed system displayed complexity including sensitivity to aging of the tailings, coupled with acute sensitivity to the effects of dilution. The work suggests dilution of the tailings feed leads to the dissolution of surface species formed during aging, essential for hydrophobicity and indeed nickel recovery. These observations point to the need for new work on the interplay between the water chemistry and the mineral surfaces. Although the nickel recovery was only of order 30 %, the recovery of the hydrophobic components from a single stage RFC™ was closer to 80 %. Moreover, the silica content of the feed was reduced from 37 % to ∼1 % through a powerful counter-current washing of the rising bubbles, delivering a hydrophobic-hydrophilic selectivity exceeding ∼10. The product flux, measured relative to that achieved using a mechanical cell at the same feed concentration, was more than 6-fold. This work demonstrated the efficacy of the RFC™ hydrodynamics in upgrading slow floating minerals using a reduced footprint while rejecting the hydrophilic ultrafine particles.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108880","authors":["Peipei Wang","Meolla Yvon","Siân Parkes","Kevin P. Galvin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-02T17:53:35Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108880","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9780755650910.0005","name":"Islamic theology on the final frontier","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9780755650910.0005","authors":["Shoaib Ahmed Malik","Jörg Matthias Determann"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-24T16:12:11Z","doi":"10.5040/9780755650910.0005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/epsc2020-643","name":"Probing the Chemistry of P-Bearing Molecules in Interstellar Environments and other Extraterrestrial Environments","source":"crossref","abstract":"Phosphorus is one of the most important elements in biochemistry together with carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen. Therefore, P-bearing compounds with some prebiotic potential and their possible formation pathways in extraterrestrial environments are attracting a lot of interest.&amp;#160;In recent years, phosphorus has been clearly identified in the in the coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (1), while only a bunch of P-bearing molecules (namely PO, PN, CP, C2P and HCP) have been observed in the gas phase of circumstellar envelopes around evolved stars (2-7) and only two simple species have been detected in star forming regions, that is, PO and PN (8-11). If we focus only on solar-type star forming regions, only two detections are available, that is PN and PO toward the shocked region L1157-B1 (12) and the Class I protostar B1-b (13). Phosphorus chemistry in the conditions of the interstellar medium is poorly understood and the interstellar reservoir of this element is strongly debated. Since the first experimental work on ion-molecule reactions by Anicich and coworkers (14), PO has been indicated as the main reservoir of phosphorus and HPO+ as its major precursor. PO can also be transformed to PN by gas-phase chemistry (15). Thirty years ago, a series of theoretical investigation on ion-molecule reactions has been performed by Largo et al. (16-18) in order to explain the formation of P-O, P-N, P-C bonds. In spite of those efforts, the chemistry of interstellar phosphorus and its connections to the P-compounds detected in small bodies of the Solar System remains mostly unexplored and poorly characterized. For this reason, we have undertaken a systematic investigation of possible gas-phase formation routes of simple P-molecules by means of electronic structure and kinetic calculations. This approach is made necessary by the fact that P is a difficult species to deal with in laboratory experiments.In this work we present a new theoretical analysis of the reaction P+ + H2O and P+ + NH3 at a higher level of theory than those employed by Largo et al. in 1991. More specifically, we make use of DFT calculations for geometry optimization and frequency analysis coupled to a CCSD(T) reevaluation of the energy for each identified stationary point of the reaction potential energy surface. The data coming from electronic structure calculations will be used to perform a kinetic analysis using a Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (RRKM) code implemented for this purpose in order to derive the rate coefficients and branching ratios. A possible formation mechanism is proposed for the formation of both PO and PN. In the figure, the potential energy surface for the reaction of P+ with a water molecule is reported. This process leads to the formation of the POH+ ion which can later transfer a proton to molecules like NH3 which have a large proton affinity.&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;[1] Altwegg K. et al., Prebiotic chemicals&amp;#8212;amino acid and phosphorus&amp;#8212;in the coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, Sci. Adv., 2016, 2 : e1600285.[2] Turner, B. E. &amp;amp; Bally, J., Detection of Interstellar PN: The First Identified Phosphorus Compound in the Interstellar Medium, 1987, ApJL, 321, L75.[3] Ziurys L.M., Detection of Interstellar PN: The First Phosphorus-bearing Species Observed in Molecular Clouds,&amp;#160; 1987, ApJL, 321, L81.[4] Guelin M. et al., Free CP in IRC +10216, 1990, ApJL, 230, L9-L11.[5] Ag&amp;#250;ndez M. et al., Discovery of Phosphaethyne (HCP) in Space: Phosphorus Chemistry in Circumstellar Envelopes, APJ, 662, ApJ, 2, L91-L94.[6] Tenenbaum E.D. et al., Identification of Phosphorus Monoxide (X2&amp;#928;r) in VY Canis Majoris: Detection of the First PO Bond in Space, 2007, ApJ, 666, 1, L29-L32.&amp;#160;[7] Halfen D.T. et al.,Detection of the CCP Radical (X2&amp;#928;r) in IRC +10216: A New Interstellar Phosphorus-containing Species, 2008, ApJL, 667, 2, L101.[8] Rivilla V.M. et al., Phosphorus-bearing molecul","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2020-643","authors":["Luca Mancini","Marzio Rosi","Nadia Balucani","Dimitrios Skouteris","Claudio Codella","Cecilia Ceccarelli"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-10-08T11:08:36Z","doi":"10.5194/epsc2020-643","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108449","name":"Technical note: Measuring separation efficiency of flotation circuits using linear circuit analysis","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108449","authors":["James A. Finch","Yue Hua Tan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-10-27T16:02:50Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108449","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/14432471.2024.2381858","name":"Minerals geophysics","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14432471.2024.2381858","authors":["Terry Harvey"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-22T19:11:57Z","doi":"10.1080/14432471.2024.2381858","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2303959","name":"Who’s Who in Mineral Names: Terry Maxwell Seward (1940-2022)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Photo courtesy Diane Seward.Sewardite, CaFe23+(AsO4)2(OH)2, a calcium-iron arsenate, was first discovered at the Tsumeb mine in northern Namibia. It is the calcium analog of carminite, PbFe23+(AsO4...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2303959","authors":["Bruce Cairncross"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-18T17:29:26Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2303959","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-443-16082-0.00024-2","name":"Title page","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-443-16082-0.00024-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-03T02:23:34Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-443-16082-0.00024-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2023.2253091","name":"Chips from the Quarry","source":"crossref","abstract":"TUCSON: In trying to come up with a new way to announce the upcoming Tucson Show, I began by typing in the word TUCSON. My next thought was that one word says it all, at least for those in the mine...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2023.2253091","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-08T14:31:03Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2023.2253091","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/14432471.2024.2395046","name":"Minerals geophysics","source":"crossref","abstract":"Based on present day technology, lithium is seen as essential for the proposed transition to renewables as a green source of the world’s energy needs. Not surprisingly, given its strategic value, l...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14432471.2024.2395046","authors":["Terry Harvey"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-27T03:53:20Z","doi":"10.1080/14432471.2024.2395046","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-443-16082-0.00001-1","name":"About the editor","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-443-16082-0.00001-1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-03T02:22:57Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-443-16082-0.00001-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2377013","name":"Who’s Who in Mineral Names: Robert Terrance Downs (b. 1955)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Reproduced with permission Downsite is a hydrated potassium molybdate sulfate, K2(MoO3)3(SO4)·4H2O, from the Freedom No. 2 mine, Marysville district, Piute County, Utah. Downsite is the natural ana...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2377013","authors":["Ron Gibbs"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-24T14:05:39Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2377013","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2398402","name":"Green Fluorescence","source":"crossref","abstract":"Three examples that immediately come to mind when considering green fluorescence in minerals are willemite, e.g., from Franklin, New Jersey (figs. 1 and 3), hyalite opal, and chalcedony, from local...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2398402","authors":["John Rakovan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-04T10:01:17Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2398402","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.46770/as.2024.167","name":"Multimodal Particle Size Estimation of Lunar Soil Simulants Towards a Non-destructive Analytical Strategy for Extraterrestrial Samples","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.46770/as.2024.167","authors":["Lihui Li","Jinhua Li"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-10T13:14:24Z","doi":"10.46770/as.2024.167","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"doi:10.64628/aai.ehq4mkhgr","name":"Extraterrestrial life may look nothing like life on Earth − so astrobiologists are coming up with a framework to study how complex systems evolve","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.64628/aai.ehq4mkhgr","authors":["Chris Impey"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-25T05:21:01Z","doi":"10.64628/aai.ehq4mkhgr","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.760Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411240707","name":"Comparison of Two Methods for Determination of Rhenium and Platinum‐Group Elements in Meteorites Using On‐Line and Off‐Line Matrix Separation Modes","source":"openalex","abstract":"The abundances of rhenium (Re) and platinum‐group elements (PGE) and their variation patterns provide crucial insights into the evolution of planetary bodies, including the Moon. The objective of this study is to evaluate the applicability of the Carius tube and HPA‐S digestion methods, as well as online and offline separation and detection techniques, for determining the mass fractions of Re and PGE in meteorites. The findings demonstrated that HPA‐S is capable of completely dissolving refractory minerals and is a more effective dissolution method for meteorite samples than the Carius tube approach. The combination with cation exchange resin and online matrix separation allows for complete control over interfering elements, making it particularly promising for analysing extraterrestrial samples with high Zr/Pd ratios, such as Martian meteorites and lunar rocks. However, it was observed that PEEK tubing adsorbs Pd and Pt ions, resulting in significantly reduced recoveries of these elements during chromatographic separation. Therefore, the use of PEEK during chromatographic separation is not recommended. The optimised measurement procedure was validated using PGE reference materials OKUM, GPt‐3 and UMT‐1, and the resulting measurement values were found to agree with the literature values.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ggr.70001","authors":["Yu‐Ling Zeng","Guiqin Wang","Thomas Meisel"],"tags":["Platinum group","Rhenium","Meteorite","Platinum","Line (geometry)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ggr.70001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2884199423","name":"The role of melt composition on aqueous fluid vs. silicate melt partitioning of bromine in magmas","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2018.06.038","authors":["Anita Cadoux","Giada Iacono–Marziano","Bruno Scaillet","Alessandro Aiuppa","Tamsin A. Mather","David M. Pyle","Étienne Deloule","Emanuela Gennaro","Antonio Paonita"],"tags":["Silicic","Mafic","Silicate","Melt inclusions","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-07-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2018.06.038","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W2021607686","name":"Anhysteretic remanent magnetic anisotropy and calcite strains in Devonian carbonates from the Appalachian Plateau, New York","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0040-1951(89)90300-4","authors":["Mike Jackson","John P. Craddock","Martha M. Ballard","Rob Van der Voo","Chad McCabe"],"tags":["Geology","Calcite","Crystal twinning","Magnetic susceptibility","Diagenesis"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1989-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0040-1951(89)90300-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W2106301591","name":"The Varberg-Torpa Charnockite-Granite Association, SW Sweden: Mineralogy, Petrology, and Fluid Inclusion Chemistry","source":"openalex","abstract":"Author: Harlov, Daniel et al.; Genre: Journal Article; Finally published : 2013; Keywords: chanockite, granite, CO2, brines, fluid inclusions, igneous petrology, Varberg, Torpa, SW Sweden; Title: The Varberg-Torpa Charnockite-Granite Association, SW Sweden: Mineralogy, Petrology, and Fluid Inclusion Chemistry","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/petrology/egs060","authors":["Daniel E. Harlov","Alfons van den Kerkhof","L. Johansson"],"tags":["Charnockite","Geology","Geochemistry","Plagioclase","Quartz"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-10-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/petrology/egs060","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"oa:W4387783794","name":"Moving to Mars: The Feasibility and Desirability of Mars Settlements","source":"openalex","abstract":"The on-going space settlement debate has raised questions whether it is possible to settle other planets, and if it was, is it something humans should do. The problem with this space ethical discussion is that it can easily become too vague. To avoid this problem, we suggest a framework for identifying relevant variables that affect the feasibility constraints and desirability factors of establishing space settlements. The variables we focus on include the settlement stage, scale and time frame. Based on the relevant literature, we take mission cost, survival, habitation, water, in situ resources for food, oxygen and fuel energy and dependence on Earth as feasibility constraints that are relevant for the framework. None of them are hard constraints, but rather soft feasibility constraints that make it difficult to establish a permanent human settlement on Mars in the near- to medium-term future. However, in the past, humanity has achieved goals that first seemed infeasible. To justify the costs and effort, the goal must be highly morally desirable. We discuss five different desirability factors that could help justify the effort but as each framework has unique feasibility constraints, not all of these factors are sufficient or necessary to justify this effort. We argue that some of the desirability factors prominent in space ethical literature are not sufficient or necessary in our framework, and thus, we conclude that the normative grounds for establishing a permanent Mars settlement in the foreseeable future are weak.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spacepol.2023.101590","authors":["Mikko Puumala","Oskari Sivula","Kirsi Lehto"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Normative","Human settlement","Settlement (finance)","Space (punctuation)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-10-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spacepol.2023.101590","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W2337834019","name":"Joint retrieval of aerosol and water-leaving radiance from multispectral, multiangular and polarimetric measurements over ocean","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. An optimization approach has been developed for simultaneous retrieval of aerosol properties and normalized water-leaving radiance (nLw) from multispectral, multiangular, and polarimetric observations over ocean. The main features of the method are (1) use of a simplified bio-optical model to estimate nLw, followed by an empirical refinement within a specified range to improve its accuracy; (2) improved algorithm convergence and stability by applying constraints on the spatial smoothness of aerosol loading and Chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentration across neighboring image patches and spectral constraints on aerosol optical properties and nLw across relevant bands; and (3) enhanced Jacobian calculation by modeling and storing the radiative transfer (RT) in aerosol/Rayleigh mixed layer, pure Rayleigh-scattering layers, and ocean medium separately, then coupling them to calculate the field at the sensor. This approach avoids unnecessary and time-consuming recalculations of RT in unperturbed layers in Jacobian evaluations. The Markov chain method is used to model RT in the aerosol/Rayleigh mixed layer and the doubling method is used for the uniform layers of the atmosphere–ocean system. Our optimization approach has been tested using radiance and polarization measurements acquired by the Airborne Multiangle SpectroPolarimetric Imager (AirMSPI) over the AERONET USC_SeaPRISM ocean site (6 February 2013) and near the AERONET La Jolla site (14 January 2013), which, respectively, reported relatively high and low aerosol loadings. Validation of the results is achieved through comparisons to AERONET aerosol and ocean color products. For comparison, the USC_SeaPRISM retrieval is also performed by use of the Generalized Retrieval of Aerosol and Surface Properties algorithm (Dubovik et al., 2011). Uncertainties of aerosol and nLw retrievals due to random and systematic instrument errors are analyzed by truth-in/truth-out tests with three Chl a concentrations, five aerosol loadings, three different types of aerosols, and nine combinations of solar incidence and viewing geometries.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-2877-2016","authors":["Feng Xu","Оleg Dubovik","Peng‐Wang Zhai","David J. Diner","О. В. Калашникова","F. C. Seidel","Pavel Litvinov","A. Bovchaliuk","M. J. Garay","Gerard van Harten","Anthony B. Davis"],"tags":["Aerosol","Radiance","AERONET","Remote sensing","Ocean color"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-07-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-2877-2016","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W2808369286","name":"NaCl-saturated brines are thermodynamically moderate, rather than extreme, microbial habitats","source":"openalex","abstract":"NaCl-saturated brines such as saltern crystalliser ponds, inland salt lakes, deep-sea brines and liquids-of-deliquescence on halite are commonly regarded as a paradigm for the limit of life on Earth. There are, however, other habitats that are thermodynamically more extreme. Typically, NaCl-saturated environments contain all domains of life and perform complete biogeochemical cycling. Despite their reduced water activity, ∼0.755 at 5 M NaCl, some halophiles belonging to the Archaea and Bacteria exhibit optimum growth/metabolism in these brines. Furthermore, the recognised water-activity limit for microbial function, ∼0.585 for some strains of fungi, lies far below 0.755. Other biophysical constraints on the microbial biosphere (temperatures of >121°C; pH > 12; and high chaotropicity; e.g. ethanol at >18.9% w/v (24% v/v) and MgCl2 at >3.03 M) can prevent any cellular metabolism or ecosystem function. By contrast, NaCl-saturated environments contain biomass-dense, metabolically diverse, highly active and complex microbial ecosystems; and this underscores their moderate character. Here, we survey the evidence that NaCl-saturated brines are biologically permissive, fertile habitats that are thermodynamically mid-range rather than extreme. Indeed, were NaCl sufficiently soluble, some halophiles might grow at concentrations of up to 8 M. It may be that the finite solubility of NaCl has stabilised the genetic composition of halophile populations and limited the action of natural selection in driving halophile evolution towards greater xerophilicity. Further implications are considered for the origin(s) of life and other aspects of astrobiology.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/femsre/fuy026","authors":["Callum J D Lee","Phillip E. McMullan","Callum J. O’Kane","Andrew Stevenson","Inês C. Santos","Chayan Roy","Wriddhiman Ghosh","Rocco L. Mancinelli","Melanie R. Mormile","Geoff McMullan","Horia Leonard Banciu","Mario A. Fares"],"tags":["Halophile","Halite","Extremophile","Archaea","Biogeochemical cycle"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-06-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/femsre/fuy026","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W4381125304","name":"Magnetotelluric Imaging of the Lithospheric Structure of the Southern Oklahoma Aulacogen: Evidence for Long‐Term Weakening Caused by Rifting","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Magnetotelluric data were used to study the lithosphere structure of the Southern Oklahoma Aulacogen (SOA). Inversion of the data revealed two low resistivity anomalies beneath the SOA. The first is located in the depth range 0–90 km in the crust and upper lithospheric mantle. The second extends from a depth 100 km to the base of the lithospheric mantle and extends away from the SOA to the ends of the profile. The cause of low resistivity anomalies is discussed in relation to the tectonic evolution of the region and recent laboratory experiments on rock conductivity. The first anomaly is attributed to the combination of (a) water present in mantle minerals and (b) the formation of hydrous mineral phases by interactions between a plume and the lithosphere during rifting. Grain size reduction and fabric alignment from deformation during the Ancestral Rocky Mountain (ARM) orogeny may have also contributed to the low resistivity. This enrichment phase may have mechanically weakened the lithosphere and allowed deformation to occur during the ARM orogeny. The low resistivity of the deeper anomaly is attributed to a fluorine‐enriched phlogopite layer that is also coincident with an observed seismic mid‐lithosphere discontinuity (MLD). A lithosphere keel of mantle minerals enriched in water underlies this layer and may have formed by accretion of the plume head to the lower lithosphere after rifting, which also rethickened the lithosphere to its present‐day depths. The MLD may then reflect a melt layer along a paleo lithosphere‐asthenosphere boundary entombed during the accretion.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023jb026555","authors":["Brandon Chase","Martyn Unsworth","Eliot A. Atekwana","R. L. Evans","Jian Zhu"],"tags":["Lithosphere","Geology","Lithospheric flexure","Mantle (geology)","Orogeny"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023jb026555","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W2600988480","name":"Spreading of Antibiotic Resistance with Wastewater","source":"openalex","abstract":"The recent statistics show that the world's population is rapidly increasing. This increase negatively affects the water resources and it increases the water demand progressively. Along with the increase in the world's population, the insensible use of water resources, pollution, and drought lead to the increasing reduction of water resources. Due to these factors, all countries, primarily developed countries, have started looking for new water resources. This search has been extended to extraterrestrial water. However, the existing technology and opportunities direct countries toward the purification of wastewater rather than searching for new water resources. For the reasons outlined above, purification and recycling of wastewater become important. In addition to the natural resistance of microorganisms against antibiotics, a resistance also arises because of the unconscious and overuse of antibiotics. This resistance spreads through wastewater progressively. Antibiotic resistance shows an increase according to the scientific data. In order to prevent the resistance, it is of capital importance to treat the wastewater in which the domestic pollution burden is high. In this study, the role of domestic wastewater in the occurrence and spread of antibiotic resistance will be revealed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5772/66188","authors":["Sadık Dinçer","Esra SÜNDÜZ YİĞİTTEKİN"],"tags":["Wastewater","Water resources","Population","Antibiotic resistance","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-03-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5772/66188","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W3194101386","name":"Feasibility Study of Low Mass and Low Energy Consumption Drilling Devices for Future Space (Mining Surveying) Missions","source":"openalex","abstract":"The global climate crisis forces the search for new ecological sources of energy and mining methods. Space mining can solve those problems, but, first, wide geological surveying space missions using drilling methods are necessary. Additionally, drilling methods will be important in geological, life searching, geoengineering, and many other studies of extraterrestrial objects. Space is becoming a new area of possible drilling applications. Designing future space drilling missions requires adapting drilling technologies, not only to the conditions of the space environment, but also to the economic and technological realities of the space industry. The possibility of constructing low mass coring devices with energy consumption below 100 W was investigated in this paper. Minimization of energy consumption and mass of a coring is essential for the device to be used in space missions, when lander instruments supplied by low power electric battery are expected to work reliably and the launch cost (depending of mass) at an economically acceptable level. Some similar devices investigated for the future space missions are known from papers listed in the references. To answer whether or not it is possible to build such devices, the authors performed initial drillability tests. The obtained results are presented in this paper.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/en14165005","authors":["A. Zwierzyński","W. Teper","Rafał Wiśniowski","Andrzej Gonet","Tomasz Buratowski","Tadeusz Uhl","Karol Seweryn"],"tags":["Coring","Space exploration","Drilling","Energy consumption","Space (punctuation)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/en14165005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W3021366555","name":"Onset of magma ocean solidification on Mars inferred from Mn-Cr chronometry","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116315","authors":["T. S. Kruijer","L. E. Borg","Josh Wimpenny","Corliss Kin I Sio"],"tags":["Meteorite","Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Mantle (geology)","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-05-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116315","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W2983216029","name":"A new type of isotopic anomaly in shergottite sulfides","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The isotopic composition and abundance of sulfur in extraterrestrial materials are of interest for constraining models of both planetary and solar system evolution. A previous study that included phase‐specific extraction of sulfur from 27 shergottites found the sulfur isotopic composition of the Martian mantle to be similar to that of terrestrial mid‐ocean ridge basalts, the Moon, and nonmagmatic iron meteorites. However, the presence of positive Δ33S anomalies in igneous sulfides from several shergottites, indicating incorporation of atmospherically processed sulfur into the subsurface, complicated this interpretation. The current study expands upon the previous work through analyses of 20 additional shergottites, enabling tighter constraints on the isotopic composition of juvenile Martian sulfur. The updated composition (δ34S = −0.24 ± 0.05‰, Δ33S = 0.0015 ± 0.0016‰, and Δ36S = 0.039 ± 0.054‰, 2 s.e.m.), representing the weighted mean for all shergottites within the combined population of 47 without significant Δ33S anomalies, strengthens our earlier result. The presence of sulfur isotopic anomalies in igneous sulfides of some meteorites suggests that their parent magmas may have assimilated crustal material. We observed small negative Δ33S anomalies in sulfides from two meteorites, NWA 7635 and NWA 11300. Although negative Δ33S anomalies have been observed in nakhlites and ALH 84001, previous anomalies in shergottites have all shown positive values of Δ33S. Because NWA 7635 has formation age of 2.4 Ga and is much more ancient than shergottites analyzed previously, this finding expands our perspective on the continuity of Martian atmospheric sulfur photochemistry over geologic time.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13404","authors":["H. B. Franz","Nanping Wu","James Farquhar","Anthony J. Irving"],"tags":["Meteorite","Martian","Geology","Igneous rock","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-11-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13404","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4248297162","name":"Aerosol optical properties at Lampedusa (Central Mediterranean) – 1. Influence of transport and identification of different aerosol types","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. Aerosol optical depth and Ångström exponent were obtained from multi filter rotating shadowband radiometer (MFRSR) observations carried out at the island of Lampedusa, in the Central Mediterranean, in the period July 2001–September 2003. The average aerosol optical depth at 495.7 nm, τ, is 0.24±0.14; the average Ångström exponent, α, is 0.86±0.63. The observed values of τ range from 0.03 to 1.13, and the values of α vary from −0.32 to 2.05, indicating a large variability in aerosol content and size. In cloud-free conditions, 36% of the airmasses come from Africa, 25% from Central-Eastern Europe, and 19% from Western France, Spain and the North Atlantic. In summer, 42% of the airmasses are of African origin. In almost all cases African aerosols display high values of τ and low values of α, typical of Saharan dust (average values of τ and α are 0.36 and 0.42, respectively). Particles originating from Central-Eastern Europe show relatively large average values of τ and α (0.23 and 1.5, respectively), while particles from Western France, Spain and the North Atlantic show the lowest average values of τ (0.15), and relatively small values of α (0.92). Intermediate values of α are often connected with relatively fast changes of the airmass originating sector, suggesting the contemporary presence of different types of particles in the air column. The largest values of α (about 2) were observed in August 2003, when large scale forest fires in Southern Europe produced consistent amounts of fine combustion particles that were transported to the Central Mediterranean by a persistent high pressure system over Central Europe. Smoke particles in some cases mix with desert dust, producing intermediate values of α. The seasonal distribution of the meteorological patterns over the Mediterranean, the efficiency of the aerosol production mechanisms, and the variability of the particles' residence time produce a distinct seasonal cycle of aerosol optical depths and Ångström exponent values. Particles originating from all sectors show a summer maximum in aerosol optical depth. The summer increase in optical depth for European aerosols is linked with an increment in the values of α that indicates an enhancement in the number of fine particles. The summer maximum of τ for African particles is associated with a weak reduction in the Ångström exponent, suggesting an increase in the total number of particles and a relatively more intense transport of large particles. The observations were classified according to the aerosol optical properties, and two main classes have been identified: desert dust and biomass burning/urban-industrial aerosols. Values of τ and α averaged over the whole observing period are 0.37 and 0.15 for desert dust, and 0.27 and 1.77 for urban-industrial/biomass burning aerosols. Lampedusa reveals a stronger influence of desert dust compared to other Mediterranean sites (mostly located on the coasts of Europe).","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/acpd-5-4929-2005","authors":["Giandomenico Pace","Alcide di Sarra","Daniela Meloni","S. Piacentino","P. Chamard"],"tags":["Angstrom exponent","Aerosol","Atmospheric sciences","Mediterranean climate","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-07-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/acpd-5-4929-2005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W3093174585","name":"Oxygen isotopic heterogeneity in the early Solar System inherited from the protosolar molecular cloud","source":"openalex","abstract":"are thought to have predated the canonical CAIs and formed within first 10,000-20,000 years of the Solar System evolution, these observations suggest oxygen isotopic heterogeneity in the early solar system was inherited from the protosolar molecular cloud.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aay2724","authors":["Alexander N. Krot","K. Nagashima","J. R. Lyons","Jeong‐Eun Lee","Martin Bizzarro"],"tags":["Oxygen","Molecular oxygen","Cloud computing","Astrobiology","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-10-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aay2724","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W3085033473","name":"Strategies for Improved Yield and Water Use Efficiency of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) through Simplified Soilless Cultivation under Semi-Arid Climate","source":"openalex","abstract":"Simplified soilless cultivation (SSC) systems have globally spread as growing solutions for low fertility soil regions, low availability of water irrigation, small areas and polluted environments. In the present study, four independent experiments were conducted for assessing the applicability of SSC in the northeast of Brazil (NE-Brazil) and the central dry zone of Myanmar (CDZ-Myanmar). In the first two experiments, the potentiality for lettuce crop production and water use efficiency (WUE) in an SSC system compared to traditional on-soil cultivation was addressed. Then, the definition of how main crop features (cultivar, nutrient solution concentration, system orientation and crop position) within the SSC system affect productivity was evidenced. The adoption of SSC improved yield (+35% and +72%, in NE-Brazil and CDZ-Myanmar) and WUE (7.7 and 2.7 times higher, in NE-Brazil and CDZ-Myanmar) as compared to traditional on-soil cultivation. In NE-Brazil, an eastern orientation of the system enabled achievement of higher yield for some selected lettuce cultivars. Furthermore, in both the considered contexts, a lower concentration of the nutrient solution (1.2 vs. 1.8 dS m−1) and an upper plant position within the SSC system enabled achievement of higher yield and WUE. The experiments validate the applicability of SSC technologies for lettuce cultivation in tropical areas.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10091379","authors":["Nicola Michelon","Giuseppina Pennisi","Nang Ohn Myint","Giacomo Dall’Olio","Lucrécia Pacheco Batista","Adeodato Ari Cavalcante Salviano","Nazim S. Gruda","Francesco Orsini","Giorgio Gianquinto"],"tags":["Water-use efficiency","Irrigation","Cultivar","Agronomy","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-09-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10091379","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W2006313999","name":"Accumulation of radium in ferruginous protein bodies formed in lung tissue: association of resulting radiation hotspots with malignant mesothelioma and other malignancies","source":"openalex","abstract":"While exposure to fibers and particles has been proposed to be associated with several different lung malignancies including mesothelioma, the mechanism for the carcinogenesis is not fully understood. Along with mineralogical observation, we have analyzed forty-four major and trace elements in extracted asbestos bodies (fibers and proteins attached to them) with coexisting fiber-free ferruginous protein bodies from extirpative lungs of individuals with malignant mesothelioma. These observations together with patients' characteristics suggest that inhaled iron-rich asbestos fibers and dust particles, and excess iron deposited by continuous cigarette smoking would induce ferruginous protein body formation resulting in ferritin aggregates in lung tissue. Chemical analysis of ferruginous protein bodies extracted from lung tissues reveals anomalously high concentrations of radioactive radium, reaching millions of times higher concentration than that of seawater. Continuous and prolonged internal exposure to hotspot ionizing radiation from radium and its daughter nuclides could cause strong and frequent DNA damage in lung tissue, initiate different types of tumour cells, including malignant mesothelioma cells, and may cause cancers.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2183/pjab.85.229","authors":["Eizo Nakamura","Akio Makishima","Kyoko Hagino","Kazunori Okabe"],"tags":["Mesothelioma","Asbestos","Lung","Pathology","Radium"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2183/pjab.85.229","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W2793769441","name":"The Worldwide Marine Radiocarbon Reservoir Effect: Definitions, Mechanisms, and Prospects","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract When a carbon reservoir has a lower radiocarbon content than the atmosphere, this is referred to as a reservoir effect. This is expressed as an offset between the radiocarbon ages of samples from the two reservoirs at a single point in time. The marine reservoir effect (MRE) has been a major concern in the radiocarbon community, as it introduces an additional source of error that is often difficult to accurately quantify. For this reason, researchers are often reluctant to date marine material where they have another option. The influence of this phenomenon makes the study of the MRE important for a broad range of applications. The advent of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) has reduced sample size requirements and increased measurement precision, in turn increasing the number of studies seeking to measure marine samples. These studies rely on overcoming the influence of the MRE on marine radiocarbon dates through the worldwide quantification of the local parameter ΔR, that is, the local variation from the global average MRE. Furthermore, the strong dependence on ocean dynamics makes the MRE a useful indicator for changes in oceanic circulation, carbon exchange between reservoirs, and the fate of atmospheric CO2, all of which impact Earth's climate. This article explores data from the Marine Reservoir Database and reviews the place of natural radiocarbon in oceanic records, focusing on key questions (e.g., changes in ocean dynamics) that have been answered by MRE studies and on their application to different subjects.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2017rg000588","authors":["Eduardo Queiroz Alves","Kita Macário","Philippa Ascough","Christopher Bronk Ramsey"],"tags":["Radiocarbon dating","Accelerator mass spectrometry","Environmental science","Oceanography","Ocean current"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-02-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2017rg000588","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W2343015211","name":"Field evaluation of deficit irrigation effects on tomato growth performance, water-use efficiency and control of parasitic nematode infection","source":"openalex","abstract":"Two field experiments were conducted using a common tomato cultivar (GS12) to assess the effect of deficit irrigation (DI) regimes on tomato growth performance, and on root-knot nematode Meloidogyne javanica galling and abundance. Irrigation treatments consisted of five irrigation regimes: 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100% of field capacity. The results showed that DI decreased significantly leaf area, relative water content, water potential, minerals content and chlorophyll content. The 80% irrigation regime caused minor reductions in plant growth, but significantly reduced nematode infection load. Nematode infection was reduced even further at higher levels of water deficit, but this also led to marked reductions in fresh and dry weights of tomato. Total tomato yield, fruit soluble solids, and acidity were decreased with increasing irrigation water deficit. Water-use efficiency was lowest in the 100% irrigation regime and highest in the 20% irrigation regime among the irrigation treatments. The results indicated that the DI at a certain limit decreased M. javanica infection without causing significant reductions in tomato growth performance.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/02571862.2015.1096421","authors":["Osama Mohawesh"],"tags":["Irrigation","Meloidogyne javanica","Agronomy","Nematode infection","Biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-12-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1080/02571862.2015.1096421","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4389240028","name":"Children of time: the geological recency of intelligence and its implications for SETI","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Of all species on Earth, only one – Homo sapiens – has developed a technological civilization. As a consequence, estimates of the number of similar civilizations beyond Earth often treat the emergence of human-like intelligence or ‘sophonce’ as an evolutionary unicum: a contingent event unlikely to repeat itself even in biospheres harbouring complex brains, tool use, socially transmitted behaviours and high general intelligence. Here, attention is drawn to the unexpected recency and temporal clustering of these evolutionary preconditions to sophonce, which are shown to be confined to the last ≤102 million years. I argue that this pattern can be explained by the exponential biotic diversification dynamics suggested by the fossil record, which translated into a nonlinearly expanding range of cognitive and behavioural outcomes over the course of Earth's history. As a result, the probability of sophonce arising out of a buildup of its enabling preconditions has been escalating throughout the Phanerozoic. The implications for the Silurian hypothesis and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) are discussed. I conclude that the transition from animal-grade multicellularity to sophonce is likely not a rate-limiting step in the evolution of extraterrestrial technological intelligences, and that while H. sapiens is probably the first sophont to evolve on Earth, on macroevolutionary grounds it is unlikely to be the last.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550423000253","authors":["Giovanni Mussini"],"tags":["Search for extraterrestrial intelligence","Homo sapiens","Macroevolution","Extraterrestrial life","Diversification (marketing strategy)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550423000253","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W4200283702","name":"Integrating plant molecular farming and materials research for next-generation vaccines","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41578-021-00399-5","authors":["Young Hun Chung","Derek C. Church","Edward C. Koellhoffer","Elizabeth O. Osota","Sourabh Shukla","Edward P. Rybicki","Jonathan K. Pokorski","Nicole F. Steinmetz"],"tags":["Biotechnology","Agriculture","Nanotechnology","Business","Biochemical engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-12-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41578-021-00399-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W1773959912","name":"Experimental zircon alteration and baddeleyite formation in silica saturated systems : implications for dating hydrothermal events","source":"openalex","abstract":"Populärvetenskaplig sammanfattning: Åldersbestämning av fluidrelaterade händelser. Zirkon och baddeleyit är mineral som kan användas för att åldersbestämma bergarter genom radiometriska metoder. När mineralen bildas bygger de in uran i sin struktur, men inte bly. Eftersom uran är radioaktivt och sönderfaller till bly över tiden kan en bergarts ålder bestämmas genom att mäta halten av uran och bly. Det är sedan tidigare möjligt att åldersbestämma många processer, såsom bildning eller tryck- och temperaturdriven omvandling (metamorfos) av bergarter. Fluidrelaterad (metamorfa vätskor) omvandling av bergarter har dock ännu inte åldersbestämts med hjälp av uranblygeokronologi. Datering av dessa händelser är intressanta ur ett antal synvinklar. Många förekomster och guldmalmer (och andra malmer) har bildats genom fluidrelaterade processer. Vidare kan det vara av intresse att förstå hur fluider rör sig i jordskorpan vid studier av säkerhet för slutförvaring av uttjänt kärnbränsle. Zirkon är ett mineral som bildas när det finns överskott på kisel i magman, medan baddeleyit bildas när det är underskott på kisel. Om en kiselomättad bergart i ett senare skede utsätts för kiselmättade förhållanden, t.ex. vid metamorfos, kommer baddeleyite att reagera med det nu tillgängliga kislet för att bilda zirkon. Vice versa bör också zirkon brytas ned till baddeleyit vid kiselomättade förhållanden. Således bör inte baddeleyit kunna existera vid kiselmättade förhållanden. Trots detta har baddeleyit hittats inuti zirkon i kiselmättade bergarter från t.ex. sydvästra Grönland. Detta tros vara till följd av fluidrelaterad omvandling av zirkon. För att utreda hur omvandling av zirkon till baddeleyit kan ske har en serie experiment utförts. Dessa är utformade att efterlikna en fluidrelaterad händelse genom att det experimentella systemet innehåller vatten och zirkon samt ett reaktionsämne, i detta fall kalciumhydroxid eller kalciumklorid. Experimenten utfördes både som kiselmättade system genom att kiseldioxid tillsattes och kiselomättade system samt vid två olika tryck- och temperaturförhållanden, ett som motsvarar de vid jordskorpans botten och ett som motsvarar de vid mitten av jordskorpan. Samtliga kiselomättade experiment medförde omvandling till baddeleyit, vilket var väntat. Dessutom återfanns att zirkon omvandlats till baddeleyit i några fall där kiselmättade system använts, där baddeleyit teoretiskt sätt inte ska vara stabilt. I de fall baddeleyite påträffas var kalciumhalten i systemet högre än kiselhalten, medan vice versa är gällande i de experiment som inte gav baddeleyit. Sammanfattningsvis fastslås att baddeleyit görs stabilt genom att mängden fritt och reagerbart kisel i systemet minskas, vilket medför att det från början kiselmättade systemet under experimentets gång blir kiselomättat. Eftersom baddeleyit kan användas för åldersbestämning bör också denna nybildade baddeleyit kunna åldersbestämmas och att denna ålder representerar tidpunkten för den fluidrelaterade händelse som orsakade omvandlingen av zirkon till baddeleyit.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1773959912","authors":["Alexander Lewerentz"],"tags":["Baddeleyite","Zircon","Geochemistry","Geology","Silicate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406706180","name":"A promising view to the Moon: Anticipations for Tianwen-2 samples returned from Kamo’oalewa","source":"openalex","abstract":"The exploration of asteroids has received increasing attention since the 1990s because of the unique information these objects contain about the history of the early solar system. Quasi-satellites are a population of asteroids that co-orbit closely with, but are outside the gravitational control of, the planet. So far, only five Earth quasi-satellites have been recognized, among which (469219) Kamo’oalewa (provisionally designated as 2016 HO3) is currently considered the most stable and the closest of these. However, little is known about this particular asteroid or this class of near-Earth asteroids because of the difficulties of observing them. China has announced that Tianwen-2, the asteroid sample-return mission to Kamo’oalewa, will be launched in 2025. Here, we review the current knowledge of Kamo’oalewa in terms of its physical characteristics, dynamic evolution, surface environment, and origin, and we propose possible breakthroughs that the samples could bring concerning the asteroid Kamo’oalewa as an Earth quasi-satellite. Confirming the origin of Kamo’oalewa, from its prevailing provenance as debris of the Moon, could be a promising start to inferring the evolutionary history of the Moon. This history would probably include a more comprehensive view of the lunar farside and the origin of the asymmetry between the two sides of the Moon. Comparing the samples from the Moon and Kamo’oalewa would also provide new insights into the Earth wind.","url":"https://doi.org/10.26464/epp2025015","authors":["W.-J. Li","Yong Wei","Jian‐Yang Li","Wei Yang"],"tags":["Zoology","Biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.26464/epp2025015","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W1992663554","name":"Photosynthetically active radiation from Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) products","source":"openalex","abstract":"We describe a method that retrieves surface photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and its direct and diffuse components from the Surface and Atmospheric Radiation Budget (SARB) product of Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES). The shortwave spectrum in the SARB Edition 2 is calculated in 15 bands, 4 of which are used to develop the PAR, in conjunction with the look‐up tables described in this paper. We apply these look‐up tables to existing CERES Terra Edition 2 products. The new retrieved surface PAR is validated with LI‐COR PAR measurements at seven Surface Radiation Budget Network (SURFRAD) sites using data from March 2000 to June 2005. The relative bias of retrieved all‐sky PAR at the SURFRAD sites is 4.6% (positive sign indicating retrieval exceeds measurement), and 54% of the all‐sky samples are within the ±10% uncertainty of the LI‐COR PAR measurements. The satellite field‐of‐view (FOV) is more representative of the ground instrument FOV under clear conditions, so 89% of clear‐sky retrievals are within the uncertainty of the LI‐COR PAR measurements at SURFRAD sites with positive biases at most sites. The retrieved PAR is also validated at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Southern Great Plains Central Facility (CF) site using data from October 2003 to June 2004 for those FOVs having both LI‐COR and Rotating Shadowband Spectroradiometer (RSS) ground measurements; for this small domain, all‐sky relative biases are again positive (1.9%) for LI‐COR but negative (−4.2%) for RSS. The direct‐to‐diffuse ratio derived from CERES is smaller than that from RSS for both clear and cloudy conditions. CERES also retrieves the broadband shortwave insolation, and the relative biases for the broadband retrievals are much less than those for PAR at the above sites. It appears that some of the ground‐based measurements of PAR do not have the fidelity of those for broadband shortwave insolation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2006jg000290","authors":["Wenying Su","Thomas P. Charlock","Fred G. Rose","David A. Rutan"],"tags":["Sky","Remote sensing","Photosynthetically active radiation","Shortwave radiation","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-05-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2006jg000290","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4367319727","name":"Formation of Amino Acids and Carboxylic Acids in Weakly Reducing Planetary Atmospheres by Solar Energetic Particles from the Young Sun","source":"openalex","abstract":"Life most likely started during the Hadean Eon; however, the environmental conditions which contributed to the complexity of its chemistry are poorly known. A better understanding of various environmental conditions, including global (heliospheric) and local (atmospheric, surface, and oceanic), along with the internal dynamic conditions of the early Earth, are required to understand the onset of abiogenesis. Herein, we examine the contributions of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) and solar energetic particles (SEPs) associated with superflares from the young Sun to the formation of amino acids and carboxylic acids in weakly reduced gas mixtures representing the early Earth’s atmosphere. We also compare the products with those introduced by lightning events and solar ultraviolet light (UV). In a series of laboratory experiments, we detected and characterized the formation of amino acids and carboxylic acids via proton irradiation of a mixture of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen, and water in various mixing ratios. These experiments show the detection of amino acids after acid hydrolysis when 0.5% (v/v) of initial methane was introduced to the gas mixture. In the set of experiments with spark discharges (simulation of lightning flashes) performed for the same gas mixture, we found that at least 15% methane was required to detect the formation of amino acids, and no amino acids were detected in experiments via UV irradiation, even when 50% methane was used. Carboxylic acids were formed in non-reducing gas mixtures (0% methane) by proton irradiation and spark discharges. Hence, we suggest that GCRs and SEP events from the young Sun represent the most effective energy sources for the prebiotic formation of biologically important organic compounds from weakly reducing atmospheres. Since the energy flux of space weather, which generated frequent SEPs from the young Sun in the first 600 million years after the birth of the solar system, was expected to be much greater than that of GCRs, we conclude that SEP-driven energetic protons are the most promising energy sources for the prebiotic production of bioorganic compounds in the atmosphere of the Hadean Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life13051103","authors":["Kensei Kobayashi","Jun-ichi Ise","Ryohei Aoki","Miei Kinoshita","Koki Naito","Takumi Udo","Bhagawati Kunwar","Junichi Takahashi","Hiromi Shibata","Hajime Mita","Hitoshi Fukuda","Yoshiyuki Oguri","Kimitaka Kawamura","Yoko Kebukawa","Vladimir Airapetian"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Amino acid","Chemistry","Chemical engineering","Chemical physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-04-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life13051103","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W2981841327","name":"Retrieving magma composition from TIR spectra: implications for terrestrial planets investigations","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Emissivity and reflectance spectra have been investigated on two series of silicate glasses, having compositions belonging to alkaline and subalkaline series, covering the most common terrestrial igneous rocks. Glasses were synthesized starting from natural end-members outcropping at Vulcano Island (Aeolian Islands, Italy) and on Snake River Plain (USA). Results show that the shift of the spectra, by taking Christiansen feature (CF) as a reference point, is correlated with SiO2content, the SCFM factor and/or the degree of polymerization state via the NBO/T and temperature. The more evolved is the composition, the more polymerized the structure, the shorter the wavelength at which CF is observable. CF shift is also dependent on temperature. The shape of the spectra discriminates alkaline character, and it is related to the evolution of Qn structural units. Vulcano alkaline series show larger amount of Q4and Q3species even for mafic samples compared to the subalkaline Snake River Plain series. Our results provide new and robust insights for the geochemical characterization of volcanic rocks by remote sensing, with the outlook to infer origin of magmas both on Earth as well as on terrestrial planets or rocky bodies, from emissivity and reflectance spectra.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-51543-9","authors":["Alessandro Pisello","Francesco Vetere","Matteo Bisolfati","Alessandro Maturilli","Daniele Morgavi","Cristina Pauselli","Gianluca Iezzi","Michele Lustrino","Diego Perugini"],"tags":["Mafic","Silicate","Geology","Spectral line","Volcano"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-10-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-51543-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W2143338712","name":"Exploring the Moon's surface for remnants of the lunar mantle 1. Dunite xenoliths in mare basalts. A crustal or mantle origin?","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Remotely sensed observations from recent missions (e.g., GRAIL, Kaguya, Chandrayaan‐1) have been interpreted as indicating that the deep crust and upper mantle are close to or at the lunar surface in many large impact basins (e.g., Crisium, Apollo, Moscoviense). If this is correct, the capability of either impact or volcanic processes to transport mantle lithologies to the lunar surface should be enhanced in these regions. Somewhat problematic to these observations and interpretations is that examples of mantle lithologies in the lunar sample collection (Apollo Program, Luna Program, lunar meteorites) are at best ambiguous. Dunite xenoliths in high‐Ti mare basalt 74275 are one of these ambiguous examples. In this high‐Ti mare basalt, olivine occurs in three generations: olivine associated with dunite xenoliths, olivine megacrysts, and olivine microphenocrysts. The dunite xenoliths are anhedral in shape and are generally greater than 800 μm in diameter. The interior of the xenoliths are fairly homogeneous with regard to many divalent cations. For example, the Mg# (Mg/Mg + Fe × 100) ranges from 82 to 83 in their interiors and decreases from 82 to 68 over the 10–30 μm wide outer rim. Titanium and phosphorus X‐ray maps of the xenolith illustrate that these slow diffusing elements preserve primary cumulate zoning textures. These textures indicate that the xenoliths consist of many individual olivine grains approximately 150–200 μm in diameter with low Ti, Al, and P cores. These highly incompatible elements are enriched in the outer Fe‐rich rims of the xenoliths and slightly enriched in the rims of the individual olivine grains. Highly compatible elements in olivine such as Ni exhibit a decrease in the rim surrounding the xenolith, an increase in the incompatible element depleted cores of the individual olivine grains, and a slight decrease in the “interior rims” of the individual olivine grains. Inferred melt composition, liquid lines of descent, and zoning profiles enable the reconstruction of the petrogenesis of the dunite xenoliths. Preservation of primary magmatic zoning (Ti, P, Al) and lack of textures similar to high‐pressure mineral assemblages exhibited by the Mg‐suite (Shearer et al. 2015) indicate that these xenoliths do not represent deep crustal or shallow mantle lithologies. Further, they are chemically and mineralogically distinct from Mg‐suite dunites identified from the Apollo 17 site. More likely, they represent olivine cumulates that crystallized from a low‐Ti mare basalt at intermediate to shallow crustal levels. The parent basalt to the dunite xenolith lithology was more primitive than low‐Ti basalts thus far returned from the Moon. Furthermore, this parental magma and its more evolved daughter magmas are not represented in the basalt sample suite returned from the Taurus‐Littrow Valley by the Apollo 17 mission. The dunite xenolith records several episodes of crystallization and re‐equilibration. During the last episode of re‐equilibration, the dunite cumulate was sampled by the 74275 high‐Ti basalt and transported over a period of 30–70 days to the lunar surface.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12480","authors":["C. K. Shearer","P. V. Burger","A. S. Bell","Yunbin Guan","C. R. Neal"],"tags":["Xenolith","Olivine","Geology","Basalt","Mantle (geology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-07-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12480","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W388075207","name":"Geological, geochemical, geophysical, and oceanographic data and interpretations of seamounts and co-rich ferromanganese crusts from the Marshall Islands, KORDI-USGS R.V. Farnella cruise F10-89-CP","source":"openalex","abstract":"crusts for study. These same two seamounts were sampled by the F.R. Germany R.V. Sonne cruise SO 46/1 in 1986, but no results have been published on the collected samples. Thus, chemical analyses and other information are available for crusts from 25 seamounts within the Marshall Islands EEZ. This compares with the approximately 90 seamounts and 30 atolls located within the Marshall Islands EEZ. In terms of resource exploration, this is a remarkably thorough reconnaissance sampling of the Marshall Islands EEZ, especially when considering that the flanks of atolls do not have thick or widespread Fe-Mn crusts, because the crusts are destroyed by gravity movement of reef debns down the atoll flanks. This destructive process operates to water depths as great as 3000 m So, excluding atolls, 25% of the seamounts in the EEZ have been surveyed; this percentage is closer to 75 if small seamounts and seamounts close to major atolls are eliminated, as these edifices would also have little potential for thick or extensive crusts.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr90407","authors":["James R. Hein","Jung-Keuk Kang","M. S. Schulz","Byong‐Kwon Park","Herbert Kirschenbaum","Suk-Hoon Yoon","Robertj . Olson","Vonder Smith","Dong-Won Park","G. O. Riddle","Paula Quinterno","Yoon-Oh Lee","A. S. Davis","R. S. Kim","Malcolm S. Pringle","Dong-Lim Choi","Ledabeth G Pickthorn","S. O. Schlanger","F. K. Duennebier","Douglas D. Bergersen","Jonathan M. Lincoln"],"tags":["Seamount","Ferromanganese","Cruise","Geology","Oceanography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1990-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr90407","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W2914409697","name":"Mining for humanity in the deep sea and outer space: The role of small states and international law in the extraterritorial expansion of extraction","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract This article explores how Luxembourg and Nauru put their sovereignty to use in order to become global players in what can be considered extraterritorial landgrabs – the turning of the deep seabed and outer space into realms of commercial exploitation. It shows how the international legal framework puts states, however small, into a position to facilitate private enterprises’ endeavours to obtain extraterritorial exploitation rights. The article further enquires into the public interest justifications put forward by governments to legitimate their support for the expansion of private resource extraction into the deep sea and outer space. It finds that these justifications are very tenuous; that governments refer to vague notions of economic growth and benefits that may accrue from extraction to an undefined humanity while it remains unclear whether their own populations will obtain any concrete gains. Both case studies illustrate how states, on the basis of international law, facilitate the expansion of private value extraction, thus perverting the redistributive ambitions that may once have motivated the negotiations of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Outer Space Treaty.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0922156519000013","authors":["Isabel Feichtner"],"tags":["Outer space","Sovereignty","United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea","Humanity","Negotiation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0922156519000013","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W3082851410","name":"Utilization of road dust chemical profiles for source identification and human health impact assessment","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract This study investigated the chemical profiles of fine urban road dust as a set of indicators for major air pollutants at sampling sites or as proxies for potential human health impacts. We examined the chemical compositions of fine particles (< 100 μm) or re-suspended ultrafine particles (< 2.5 μm) in the urban road dust collected from the cities with major emission sources of CO, NH3, NOx, PM2.5, SOx, and volatile organic compounds. The elemental compositions, including metal contents and volatile or semi-volatile organic compound species were determined to constitute comprehensive chemical profiles of the solid road dust samples. The water-extractable organic compounds and fluorescent species of the size-fractionated re-suspended fine particulate matter (RPM) were also incorporated in the chemical profiles. The metal content and aliphatic hydrocarbons could partly distinguish emission sources, and clearer distinctions were achieved with the inclusion of fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) results. The dose–response test results showed positive correlations between cytotoxicity and relative abundance of hydrocarbons or metal contents of urban road dust. The set of chemical profiles suggested in this study could be further utilized for site identification or human health impact assessment using urban road dust.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-71180-x","authors":["Eun-Ah Kim","Byumseok Koh"],"tags":["Identification (biology)","Human health","Environmental science","Computer science","Environmental health"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-08-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-71180-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W2932253911","name":"Chemical and structural variability in cubic spinel oxides","source":"openalex","abstract":"The empirical relations between cubic spinel oxides of different compositions were investigated using data from 349 refined crystal structures. The results show that the spinel structure is able to tolerate many constituents (at least 36) by enlarging and decreasing the tetrahedra and octahedra. This is reflected in a large variation in tetrahedral and octahedral bond distances. The oxygen positional parameter (u) may be regarded as a measure of the distortion of the spinel structure from cubic close packing or of the angular distortion of the octahedron. The distortion can best be explained in terms of ionic potential (IP), which merges the size and charge properties of an ion. Sterically induced distortion depends on ion size, whereas electrostatically induced distortion is caused by cation-cation repulsion across faces of tetrahedra and shared edges of octahedra. The strong correlations between the u parameter and the IP at the T and M sites are consistent with the main role played by the both charge and size. Large distortions (u ≫ 0.27) result in oxygen-oxygen distances of the octahedron shorter than 2.50 Å, which would lead to structural instability because of increased non-bonded repulsion forces between the oxygen atoms.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1107/s2052520619002282","authors":["Ferdinando Bosi"],"tags":["Octahedron","Spinel","Tetrahedron","Distortion (music)","Crystallography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-03-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1107/s2052520619002282","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W3016772977","name":"Hydrogen Isotopic Variations in the Shergottites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Hydrogen isotopes in the shergottite Martian meteorites are among the most varied in Mars laboratory samples. By collating results of previous studies on major hydroxyl, deuterium, and H2O bearing phases, we provide a compendium of recent measurements in order to elucidate crustal-rock versus mantle-rock processes on Mars. We summarize recent works on volatile and δD measurements in a range of shergottite phases: from melt inclusions, apatite, merrillite, maskelynite, impact melt glass, groundmass glass, and nominal anhydrous minerals. We interpret these observations using an evidence-based approach, considering two particular scenarios: (1) water-rock crustal interactions versus (2) magmatic-based processes. We consider the implications of these measurements and the scope they have for future studies, paying particular attention to future works on H, S, and Cl isotopes in situ, shedding light on the nature of volatiles in the hydrosphere and lithosphere of Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences10040148","authors":["Shuai Wang","Sen Hu"],"tags":["Meteorite","Mars Exploration Program","Geology","Martian","Hydrosphere"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-04-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences10040148","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W2978087079","name":"Techno-economic evaluation of a grid-connected microgrid system","source":"openalex","abstract":"The availability of solar resources has led to the utilization of photovoltaic (PV) system for the generation of a clean electricity and reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The techno-economic assessment of a medium scale microgrid system is investigated in this work by utilizing some key performance indicators (KPIs). These KPIs are used as the benchmarks to study the economic impacts of PV in the grid-connected power system for 10 selected locations across the nine provinces of South Africa. The HOMER package is utilized in the study to obtain viable solutions that will mitigate the undesirable technical and economic issues that come up during the grid integration. The research work is carried out by utilizing the surface meteorology and solar energy data provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for assessment of the proposed microgrid system. The outcomes of the study show that the annual average daily radiation varies from 4.3 kWh/m2/day in Durban to 5.749617 kWh/m2/day in De Aar. It is deduced from the work that De Aar is the most feasible location among the 10 selected sites for the installation of PV in terms of cost of energy (COE), net present cost (NPC), net energy purchased, energy purchased, energy sold, energy charge, annual utility bill savings and revenue with the following values: 0.181 R/kWh, R 219244.90, 3676 kWh, 32979 kWh, 29303 kWh, R7942.9891, R62473.0109, and R22759.6401. The outcomes of the research work indicate that exploitation of solar resources is an efficient means of accomplishing sustainable energy development.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15435075.2019.1671421","authors":["T. Adefarati","Gbenga Daniel Obikoya"],"tags":["Microgrid","Photovoltaic system","Work (physics)","Greenhouse gas","Revenue"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-10-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15435075.2019.1671421","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406532939","name":"Highly Efficient Compositional and Compound Specific Isotopic Analysis of Volatile Primary Amines and Ammonia in the Murchison Meteorite Using SPME On‐Fiber Derivatization: Optimization for Bennu Sample Analyses","source":"openalex","abstract":"RATIONALE: Extraterrestrial amines and ammonia are critical ingredients for the formation of astrobiologically important compounds such as amino acids and nucleobases. However, conventional methods for analyzing the composition and isotopic ratios of volatile amines suffer from lengthy derivatization and purification procedures, high sample mass consumption, and chromatographic interferences from derivatization reagents and non-target compounds. METHODS: amines as well as ammonia based on solid phase micro-extraction (SPME) on-fiber derivatization. 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl chloroformate (PFBCF) adsorbed on a solid phase SPME fiber is subsequently exposed to the headspace of the water extract of the Murchison meteorite to selectively extract, derivatize and concentrate volatile amines and ammonia. PFBCF does not directly contact the aqueous solution containing other soluble organics. RESULTS: An aliquot of volatile amines and ammonia in the headspace are selectively derivatized on the SPME fiber and subsequently thermally desorbed onto the GC injector for analysis. Only the amounts of amines required for either compositional or isotopic analysis are derivatized and consumed in the process, preserving the bulk fraction of amines and ammonia for other analyses, and the process does not affect other volatile compound classes. Carbon and hydrogen isotopic ratios of amines are obtained by isotopic mass balance. CONCLUSIONS: The exceptional selectivity and sensitivity of SPME on-fiber derivatization of volatile amines in carbonaceous chondrite extracts allow minimization of sample consumption. Carbon and hydrogen isotopic values of individual amines in the Murchison meteorite are consistent with their extraterrestrial origin, with a substantial fraction inherited from interstellar molecular clouds. SPME on-fiber derivatization is well suited for analyzing extraterrestrial materials, especially precious asteroid return samples.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.9979","authors":["Yongsong Huang","Ewerton Santos","Marcelo R. Alexandre","P. R. Heck","R. E. Milliken","D. P. Glavin","Jason P. Dworkin"],"tags":["Murchison meteorite","Chemistry","Derivatization","Meteorite","Primary (astronomy)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.9979","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W1593481402","name":"Sources of insoluble inclusions in stratospheric sulfate particles","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– Properties of aerosol collected in the stratosphere from altitudes of 20–45 km are reviewed. Removal of the soluble material from predominantly sulfate particles collected at 20 km revealed the presence of insoluble individual particles, or small groups of them, typically 40–50 nm in diameter. The size distribution of components of chain aggregates found above 35 km was almost identical, suggesting that rupture of the chains by condensing sulfuric acid, as they fell into the sulfate layer from above, was the source of the inclusions. Particles collected above 35 km on thin films of metal all showed the presence of a partially volatile liquid. On a copper surface, the liquid was stabilized, and of greater extent than the solid component. Three observations suggest that the upper stratospheric particles and their associated liquid were partly or wholly organic and derived from cometary dust too small to be heated on entering the atmosphere. These are: (1) the presence of a liquid that reacts with copper and the similarity to the behavior of particles collected on copper during a manned space flight, (2) their morphological similarity to published photographs of particles collected in the mesosphere from rockets, (3) the consistency with recent spacecraft observations of the size distribution of components sub‐10 μm aggregates in cometary dust and the presence within them of carbon compounds.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2012.01346.x","authors":["E. K. Bigg"],"tags":["Aerosol","Stratosphere","Sulfate","Copper","Atmosphere (unit)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2012.01346.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W2007714515","name":"Interstellar-Terrestrial Relations: Variable Cosmic Environments, The Dynamic Heliosphere, and Their Imprints on Terrestrial Archives and Climate","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-006-9126-6","authors":["K. Scherer","H. Fichtner","T. Borrmann","J. Beer","L. Desorgher","E. O. Flükiger","H. J. Fahr","S. E. S. Ferreira","U. W. Langner","M. S. Potgieter","B. Heber","J. Masarik","Nir J. Shaviv","Ján Veizer"],"tags":["Heliosphere","Cosmic ray","Physics","Cosmogenic nuclide","Astronomy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-01-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-006-9126-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W2932358241","name":"Conservative Colonization: An Ethical Analysis of Galactic Expansion","source":"openalex","abstract":"Space: the final frontier. Humanity has long held a fond appreciation for this vast unknown, and it has been featured in both art and academia since the dawn of time. Scientific knowledge of both the Earth and the solar system have greatly advanced in the last seventy years since humanity launched its first object, a German V-2 rocket, into the atmosphere. This obsessive curiosity did not cease with the Lunar Landing, but instead increased ten-fold with dreams of extraterrestrial life and extraterrestrial living. As the day humans will set foot on Mars steadily approaches, humankind faces a daunting dilemma: how can life be sustained outside of Earth’s orbit? While important, this question is not the focus of this paper. Arguably more important are discussions on how colonization can be achieved ethically. Although there are many opinions on this subject, the ultimate need for survival of the human race paired with preserving the abundance of celestial objects and the progression of scientific knowledge unveil that a compromise between conservation and preservation ethics is the best framework for ensuring humanity’s survival while preserving galactic integrity.","url":"https://openalex.org/W2932358241","authors":["Parker Vesely"],"tags":["Colonization","Political science","Geography","Archaeology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4255180529","name":"Assessment of Sun photometer Langley calibration at the high-elevation sites Mauna Loa and Izaña","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. The aim of this paper is to analyze the suitability of the high-mountain stations Mauna Loa and Izaña for Langley plot calibration of Sun photometers. Thus the aerosol optical depth (AOD) characteristics and seasonality, as well as the cloudiness, have been investigated in order to provide a robust estimation of the calibration accuracy, as well as the number of days that are suitable for Langley calibrations. The data used for the investigations belong to AERONET and GAW-PFR networks, which maintain reference Sun photometers at these stations with long measurement records: 22 years at Mauna Loa and 15 years at Izaña. In terms of clear sky and stable aerosol conditions, Mauna Loa (3397 m a.s.l.) exhibits on average of 377 Langleys (243 morning and 134 afternoon) per year suitable for Langley plot calibration, whereas Izaña (2373 m a.s.l.) shows 343 Langleys (187 morning and 155 afternoon) per year. The background AOD (500 nm wavelength) values, on days that are favorable for Langley calibrations, are in the range 0.01–0.02 throughout the year, with well-defined seasonality that exhibits a spring maximum at both stations plus a slight summer increase at Izaña. The statistical analysis of the long-term determination of extraterrestrial signals yields to a calibration uncertainty of ~ 0.2–0.5 %, being this uncertainty smaller in the near infrared and larger in the ultraviolet wavelengths. This is due to atmospheric variability that cannot be reduced based only on quality criteria of individual Langely plots.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2018-430","authors":["Carlos Toledano","Ramiro González","David Fuertes","Emilio Cuevas","T. F. Eck","Stelios Kazadzis","Natalia Kouremeti","Jülian Gröbner","Philippe Goloub","Luc Blarel","Roberto Román","África Barreto","B. N. Holben","Victoria E. Cachorro"],"tags":["Environmental science","Aerosol","AERONET","Photometer","Calibration"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-05-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2018-430","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W2901555633","name":"Policies and Motivations for the CO2 Valorization through the Sabatier Reaction Using Structured Catalysts. A Review of the Most Recent Advances","source":"openalex","abstract":"The current scenario where the effects of global warming are more and more evident, has motivated different initiatives for facing this, such as the creation of global policies with a clear environmental guideline. Within these policies, the control of Greenhouse Gase (GHG) emissions has been defined as mandatory, but for carrying out this, a smart strategy is proposed. This is the application of a circular economy model, which seeks to minimize the generation of waste and maximize the efficient use of resources. From this point of view, CO2 recycling is an alternative to reduce emissions to the atmosphere, and we need to look for new business models which valorization this compound which now must be considered as a renewable carbon source. This has renewed the interest in known processes for the chemical transformation of CO2 but that have not been applied at industrial level because they do not offer evident profitability. For example, the methane produced in the Sabatier reaction has a great potential for application, but this depends on the existence of a sustainable supply of hydrogen and a greater efficiency during the process that allows maximizing energy efficiency and thermal control to maximize the methane yield. Regarding energy efficiency and thermal control of the process, the use of structured reactors is an appropriate strategy. The evolution of new technologies, such as 3D printing, and the consolidation of knowledge in the structing of catalysts has enabled the use of these reactors to develop a wide range of possibilities in the field. In this sense, the present review presents a brief description of the main policies that have motivated the transition to a circular economy model and within this, to CO2 recycling. This allows understanding, why efforts are being focused on the development of different reactions for CO2 valorization. Special attention to the case of the Sabatier reaction and in the application of structured reactors for such process is paid.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/catal8120578","authors":["Juan Carlos Navarro de Miguel","M.Á. Centeno","O.H. Laguna","J.A. Odriozola"],"tags":["Greenhouse gas","Renewable energy","Environmental economics","Resource efficiency","Efficient energy use"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-11-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/catal8120578","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W4383818093","name":"Design of Man-Machine Synergic Lunar Coring Device and Its Coring Dynamic Analysis","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Moon is the closest extraterrestrial celestial body to the Earth. Sampling and analysis of lunar regolith or rocks can pave the way for the development and utilization of lunar resources. The acquisition of lunar regolith samples with original stratigraphic information by astronauts on the lunar surface is one of the essential missions in the manned lunar landing project. Therefore, to maintain the original stratigraphic information of the lunar samples during the sampling process while further improving the coring rate and sampling depth, a handheld dual-mode lunar regolith coring device is proposed in this paper. The device innovatively combines impact penetration and rotary drilling sampling, which allows the selection of a suitable sampling method according to the environment. In addition, this study designs a synergic coring device that can be operated by the astronaut and carried on the lander or rover based on the handheld coring device, which can ensure safe and stable coring mission. The mechanical analysis is carried out for the key properties in the coring device, the corresponding mechanical model is established, the structural parameters are optimally designed, and the performance analysis is carried out accordingly. Finally, the impact and drilling process of the coring device is simulated in explicit dynamics, and the results show that the optimized impact module can effectively penetrate the lunar rocks. The research work will provide technical reference and theoretical support for the design of human–machine synergic coring devices in manned lunar exploration missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/app13137961","authors":["Xu Zhang","Guoqing Zhang","Mingzhong Gao","Yufeng Wen","Yaohui Wang"],"tags":["Coring","Regolith","Sampling (signal processing)","Drilling","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/app13137961","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W2588574022","name":"An experimental study of ultrasonic vibration and the penetration of granular material","source":"openalex","abstract":"This work investigates the potential use of direct ultrasonic vibration as an aid to penetration of granular material. Compared with non-ultrasonic penetration, required forces have been observed to reduce by an order of magnitude. Similarly, total consumed power can be reduced by up to 27%, depending on the substrate and ultrasonic amplitude used. Tests were also carried out in high-gravity conditions, displaying a trend that suggests these benefits could be leveraged in lower gravity regimes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.2016.0673","authors":["David Firstbrook","Kevin Worrall","Ryan Timoney","Francesc Suñol","Yang Gao","Patrick Harkness"],"tags":["Ultrasonic sensor","Penetration (warfare)","Vibration","Materials science","Amplitude"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.2016.0673","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4416293937","name":"Organic geochemical evidence for life in Archean rocks identified by pyrolysis–GC–MS and supervised machine learning","source":"openalex","abstract":"Throughout Earth's history, organic molecules from both abiogenic and biogenic sources have been buried in sedimentary rocks. Most of these organic molecules have been significantly altered by geologic processes through deep time. Nonetheless, the nature and distribution of those ancient fragmentary organic remains have the potential to reveal diagnostic biomolecular information after billions of years of burial. Here, we analyzed 406 fossil, modern biological, meteoritic, and synthetic samples using pyrolysis gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. We explored these analytical data via supervised machine-learning methods to discriminate samples of biogenic vs. abiogenic origin, plant vs. animal phylogenetic affinity, and photosynthetic vs. nonphotosynthetic physiology. Dividing 272 samples with known phylogenetic affinity and physiology into 9 categories, each further divided into 75% training and 25% testing sets, our random forest models accurately predict pairwise assignments of modern vs. fossil or meteoritic organics (100% correct assignments), fossil plant tissues vs. meteoritic organics (97%), modern vs. fossil plant tissues (98%), and modern plants vs. animal tissues (95%). Pairwise comparisons between fossil biogenic samples vs. abiogenic samples resulted in 93% correct classifications, while analysis of modern and ancient photosynthetic vs. nonphotosynthetic samples also resulted in 93% correct assignments. Our analyses demonstrate that molecular biosignatures can survive in ancient fossils and allow for the identification of organismal origins and traits. Consistent with previous morphological and isotopic inferences, we present evidence for biogenic molecular assemblages in Paleoarchean rocks (3.33 Ga) and for photoautotrophy in Neoarchean rocks (2.52 Ga).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2514534122","authors":["Michael L. Wong","Anirudh Prabhu","C. M. O'd. Alexander","Henderson James Cleaves","George D. Cody","Grethe Hystad","Marko Bermanec","Wouter Bleeker","C. Kevin Boyce","Andrea Corpolongo","Andrew D. Czaja","Souvik Das"],"tags":["Abiogenic petroleum origin","Archean","Kerogen","Geologic record","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2514534122","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W2323249549","name":"Retrieval of aerosol optical depth in the visible range with a Brewer spectrophotometer in Athens","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. A MkIV Brewer spectrophotometer has been operating in Athens since 2004. Direct-sun measurements originally scheduled for nitrogen dioxide retrievals were reprocessed to provide aerosol optical depths (AODs) at a wavelength of about 440 nm. A novel retrieval algorithm was specifically developed and the resulting AODs were compared to those obtained from a collocated Cimel filter radiometer belonging to the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET). The series are perfectly correlated, with Pearson's correlation coefficients being as large as 0.996 and with 90 % of AOD deviations between the two instruments being within the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) traceability limits. In order to reach such a high agreement, several instrumental factors impacting the quality of the Brewer retrievals must be taken into account, including sensitivity to the internal temperature, and the state of the external optics and pointing accuracy must be carefully checked. Furthermore, the long-term radiometric stability of the Brewer was investigated and the performances of in situ Langley extrapolations as a way to track the absolute calibration of the Brewer were assessed. Other sources of error, such as slight shifts of the wavelength scale, are discussed and some recommendations to Brewer operators are drawn. Although MkIV Brewers are rarely employed to retrieve AODs in the visible range, they represent a key source of information about aerosol changes in the past three decades and a potential worldwide network for present and future coordinated AOD measurements. Moreover, a better understanding of the AOD retrieval at visible wavelengths will also contribute in improving similar techniques in the more challenging UV range.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-1871-2016","authors":["Henri Diémoz","Kostas Eleftheratos","Stelios Kazadzis","Vassilis Amiridis","Christos Zerefos"],"tags":["AERONET","Aerosol","Remote sensing","Environmental science","Radiometer"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-04-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-1871-2016","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4416672940","name":"Nondestructive analysis of Bennu samples toward comparative studies with Ryugu samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Analyzing primitive extraterrestrial samples from asteroids is key to understanding the evolution of the early solar system. The OSIRIS‐REx mission returned samples from the B‐type asteroid Bennu, providing a valuable opportunity to compare them with the Ryugu samples collected by the Hayabusa2 mission. This study examines the representativeness of a fraction of the Bennu samples, which was allocated from NASA to JAXA, by nondestructive characterization of their physical and spectral properties without atmospheric exposure. The reflectance and observed spectral features in the visible‐to‐infrared range of the Bennu sample resemble those from the spectroscopic analysis of different fractions. Additionally, we found differences in the slope of the visible range and band‐center of ~2.7 μm band between the samples and the asteroid surface, which could be explained by the degree of space weathering. A comparative analysis of the Bennu and Ryugu samples revealed spectral similarities, including absorption features indicative of Mg‐rich phyllosilicates, organics, and carbonates, without any evidence of sampling bias or terrestrial alteration. This finding can be used as a benchmark for subsequent Ryugu–Bennu comparative studies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70077","authors":["Ryota Fukai","Masahiro Nishimura","Koki Yumoto","Yuichiro Cho","Yuta Shimizu","M. Matsuoka","Eri Tatsumi","Soichiro Furukawa","Ryosuke Sakurai","Toru Yada","Kentaro Hatakeda","Kasumi Yogata"],"tags":["Asteroid","Astrobiology","Solar System","Reflectivity","Characterization (materials science)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70077","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4362722567","name":"Curation planning and facilities for asteroid Bennu samples returned by the OSIRIS‐RE x mission","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract NASA's OSIRIS‐REx spacecraft collected samples from carbonaceous near‐Earth asteroid (101955) Bennu on October 20, 2020, and will deliver them to the Earth on September 24, 2023. The samples will be processed at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC), where most of the sample collection will be subsequently curated in a new cleanroom suite. The spacecraft collected loose regolith two ways: in a bulk sample chamber capable of holding up to 2 kg, and on industrial Velcro “contact pads” intended to collect small particles at the surface. Included in the JSC collection will be the bulk sample, the contact pads, contamination‐monitoring witness plates, and supporting hardware. Planning for the curation of the samples and hardware started at the earliest phase of proposal development and continued in parallel with project development and execution. Because a major mission goal is characterization of organic compounds in the Bennu samples, extra effort was spent in the design stage to ensure a clean curation environment. Here, we describe the preparations to receive the sample, including the design, construction, outfitting, and monitoring of the cleanrooms at JSC; the planned recovery of the sample‐containing capsule when it lands on Earth; and the approach to characterizing and cataloging the samples. These curation efforts will result in the distribution of pristine Bennu samples from JSC to the OSIRIS‐REx science team, international partners, and the global scientific community for years to come.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13973","authors":["K. Righter","N. G. Lunning","K. Nakamura‐Messenger","C. J. Snead","Jeffrey McQuillan","Michael J. Calaway","K. K. Allums","Mitchell A. Rodriguez","R. C. Funk","R. Harrington","W. Connelly","T. Cowden"],"tags":["Sample (material)","Spacecraft","Cleanroom","Astrobiology","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13973","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4410886513","name":"Tempo of the Late Ordovician mass extinction controlled by the rate of climate change","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Late Ordovician mass extinction (LOME) included two phases (I and II) of high species turnover that have been hypothetically linked to the Hirnantian glaciation and subsequent rapid warming, respectively. However, the timing and tempo of the LOME remain uncertain, which hinders our understanding of the feedback between the LOME and paleoclimatic change. Here, we present high-precision radioisotopic dates for the Ordovician-Silurian transition in South China that reveal the LOME began at 442.76 + 0.35/-0.22 million years ago, with the two phases lasting for 0.34 + 0.46/-0.34 and 0.06 + 0.31/-0.06 million years, respectively. The rapid switch from icehouse to greenhouse conditions, along with the higher mean rate of temperature change during LOME II, resulted in a much higher mean extinction rate during LOME II than I (71.6% versus 8.4% species loss per 100 thousand years, respectively), implying that the rate of climate change was a primary control on the tempo of the LOME.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adv6788","authors":["Zhutong Zhang","Chuan Yang","Diana Sahy","Renbin Zhan","Rongchang Wu","Yang Li","Yiying Deng","Bing Huang","Daniel J. Condon","Rong Jiayu","Xian‐Hua Li"],"tags":["Ordovician","Extinction (optical mineralogy)","Extinction event","Paleontology","Climate change"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adv6788","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W4392761544","name":"Microbial supplements for extraterrestrial environments","source":"openalex","abstract":"In 2025, the Artemis II marks the first crewed mission orbiting the Moon, with plans for subsequent missions landing astronauts near the lunar South Pole and NASA aims to reach Mars by the 2030s. The growing interest in space underscores the increasing importance of long-term human presence in space missions. Challenges such as human health and sustainable food preservation persist in establishing settlements on other planetary bodies. Space agencies are developing regenerative life support systems utilizing hydroponic cultivation of plants and microalgae, fueled by crew waste as fertilizers. While biological systems could sustain astronauts, the predominantly vegan diets lack essential micronutrients. To address this, integrating microbial-based food supplements into current bioregenerative systems is crucial for ensuring a balanced diet and maintaining the health of space explorers. The aim of this project is to develop an alternative food system by growing microorganisms in space-related conditions and using their biomass, or products thereof, as food supplements for space travelers on long-duration space missions, e.g. to Mars. We select and study the impact of space conditions on microorganisms that can provide useful micronutrients for future space travelers, which cannot be fully provided by vegan diets. This will be done by selecting a range of candidate beneficial microorganisms. Various options are available, including Bacillus subtilis spp., which can produce riboflavin (vitamin B2) and whose spores have already been tested on Mars analog surfaces (Cortesão et al., 2019). Limosilactobacillus reuteri could be used as supplement of riboflavin (Spacova et al., 2022) and has previously been shown to increase its production of reuterin under simulated microgravity conditions (Senatore et al., 2020). In addition, the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica is a well-known producer of essential amino acids, PUFA, MUFA, and vitamin B complexes (Jach & Malm, 2022). Final strain selection will be based on (i) their ability and efficiency to produce micronutrients, (ii) their safety and health promoting (incl. Radiation protective) properties, (iii) their ability to survive and maintain production efficiency under extreme environments, including ionizing radiation and microgravity, and (iv) their compatibility with bio-based in situ resource utilization techniques (e.g., gas or mineral sources from Martian atmosphere or regolith through biomining) to increase loop-closure. The selected strains will be stored, revived and grown in simulated Martian conditions, to test their long-term stability and preservation as food supplement source. Through international collaborations, we will test these conditions using reduced-gravity simulators, space radiation analogs, and substrates based on lysed cells of bacteria previously grown on regolith simulants, such as Chroococcidopsis sp. (Billi et al., 2021), and Anabaena sp., which has already been used to grow Bacillus subtilis from its inactivated biomass (Verseux, 2018). At the end of this 4-year PhD research project, the expected outcome is to improve the nutritional well-being of future space travelers settling on other planets, and also to generate innovative insights applicable to Earth-based fields such as biotechnology, radioprotection, and environmental science. References Billi, D., Gallego Fernandez, B., Fagliarone, C., Chiavarini, S., & Rothschild, L. J. (2021). Exploiting a perchlorate-tolerant desert cyanobacterium to support bacterial growth for in situ resource utilization on Mars. International Journal of Astrobiology, 20(1), 29–35. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1473550420000300 Cortesão, M., Fuchs, F. M., Commichau, F. M., Eichenberger, P., Schuerger, A. C., Nicholson, W. L., Setlow, P., & Moeller, R. (2019). Bacillus subtilis spore resistance to simulated mars surface conditions. Frontiers in Microbiology, 10(FEB). https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00333 Jach, M. E., & Malm, A. (2022). ","url":"https://doi.org/10.14293/p2199-8442.1.sop-.pfdufp.v2","authors":["Gabriele Ellena","Rosa Santomartino","Arianna Mazzoli","Irina Spacova","Natalie Leys","Sarah Lebeer","Felice Mastroleo"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology","Environmental science","Biochemical engineering","Environmental chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.14293/p2199-8442.1.sop-.pfdufp.v2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W7116961478","name":"Microbial Diversity and Metabolic Adaptations in Mars‐Analog Lava Tubes","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Lunar and Martian lava tubes will offer stable temperatures and radiation protection, making them potential habitats for extraterrestrial life. The Martian atmosphere, containing gases like H 2 , CO, and CH 4 , could serve as an energy source for microbes. To address the knowledge gap concerning microbial communities and their survival strategies in Earth's lava tubes, which serve as analogs on Mars, we conducted a study at the Shishan Volcanic Group located in Haikou City, Hainan Province. Through field surveys, microcosm experiments, and multi‐omics analyses, we explored the microbial composition and survival mechanisms within these environments. The results revealed that bacterial communities were predominantly composed of Pseudomonadota , Actinomycetota , and Bacillota , while archaeal communities were primarily represented by Thermoproteota and Thermoplasmatota . Bacteria had significantly higher abundance and diversity than archaea, and were positively correlated with low organic matter content. Additionally, the pmoA gene, associated with methane metabolism, was found to be highly abundant, which aligns with the observed high methane oxidation rates. Exposure to 10 ppm CH 4 downregulated methane monooxygenase, hydrogenase, and CO dehydrogenase expression, indicating microbial adaptation to low‐concentration trace gases for energy. Genomic analyses show that some bacteria use both the energy‐efficient reductive TCA cycle and the high‐energy Calvin‐Benson cycle to fix carbon dioxide while oxidizing trace gases. This metabolic versatility may provide a competitive advantage over archaea, potentially contributing to the high abundance of bacteria within lava tubes. These findings from Mars‐analog lava tubes provide insights into extraterrestrial life survival strategies, advancing our understanding of astrobiology.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2025je009246","authors":["Xiaoyu Cheng","Min Li","Xingyang She","Rui Zhao","Long XIAO","Hongmei Wang"],"tags":["Lava","Extraterrestrial life","Microcosm","Methane","Carbon cycle"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2025je009246","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4410163803","name":"Cosmic Ray Irradiation of Interstellar Ices on Sulfur-Rich Grains: A Possible Source of Sulfur-Bearing Molecules","source":"openalex","abstract":"High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide The major reservoir of sulfur in dense interstellar clouds is still largely unknown, although a growing body of evidence suggests that it may exist in a refractory form (i.e., as minerals or allotropes of the element). Therefore, it is possible that the irradiation of sulfur-free interstellar ices on top of sulfur-rich refractory grain components by cosmic rays or stellar winds may result in the formation of simple inorganic sulfur molecules that could be readily detected by ground- or space-borne telescopes. In this study, we have irradiated neat ices of O 2, CO, CO 2, and H 2 O on top of layers of allotropic sulfur at 20 K using 1 MeV He + ions as a mimic of space radiation. Experiments with CO 2 and H 2 O ices were also repeated at 70 K to provide data obtained under conditions more relevant to icy bodies in the outer solar system for comparative purposes. We have found qualitative mid-infrared spectroscopic evidence for the synthesis of SO 2, CS 2, OCS, and H 2 SO 4 hydrates, but not H 2 S, in our experiments and have quantified the efficiency of their formation by calculating the G -value (i.e., the number of molecules formed per 100 eV of energy deposited) for each ice-refractory system. Overall, SO 2 and CS 2 are the most commonly observed products in our experiments, although the highest G -value was that for H 2 SO 4 hydrates formed as a result of the irradiation of H 2 O ice on top of sulfur at 70 K. An important outcome of our study is that our experimental results are consistent with recent observational surveys that suggest SO 2 formation in interstellar ices proceeds primarily via an “energetic” route involving radiolytic processes, while OCS forms as a result of “nonenergetic” processes such as atom or radical addition reactions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.5c00036","authors":["Duncan V. Mifsud","Z. Kaňuchová","Olivier Auriacombe","Péter Herczku","D. Qasim","Sándor Kovács","R. Rácz","B. Sulik","Zoltán Juhász","I. Rajta","I. Vajda","S. Biri"],"tags":["Sulfur","Cosmic ray","Astrobiology","Irradiation","Bearing (navigation)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.5c00036","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4417077785","name":"Aerospace Dentistry: Challenges, Innovations, and a Practical Guide for Space‐Based Oral Healthcare","source":"openalex","abstract":"Human ventures into prolonged spaceflight present unique physiological challenges, making astronaut oral health a critical determinant of mission success. The extraterrestrial environment, characterized by microgravity, radiation, and extreme logistical constraints, induces systemic alterations that significantly increase the risk of debilitating oral diseases. This narrative review synthesizes current knowledge on the multifaceted impacts of space travel on the orofacial complex and examines the technological frontiers being developed to mitigate these risks. Key findings reveal that spaceflight precipitates profound physiological changes, including altered salivary composition, microbial dysbiosis that enhances pathogen virulence, and accelerated bone density loss in the jaw, which can compromise dental stability. These factors increase astronaut susceptibility to conditions such as dental caries, severe periodontal inflammation, and temporomandibular disorders. In response, aerospace dentistry is pioneering innovative countermeasures to address the limitations of conventional care in microgravity. Emerging solutions include advanced tele-dentistry platforms for real-time remote consultation, AI-powered diagnostic algorithms for early disease detection, and on-demand 3D fabrication of dental instruments. Furthermore, the development of autonomous robotic dental systems and space-adapted biomaterials, including nanotechnology composites and self-healing polymers, promises to revolutionize in-flight treatment capabilities. Prioritizing these advanced dental protocols and technologies in mission planning is imperative for safeguarding crew health, ensuring operational readiness, and paving the way for sustainable human exploration of deep space.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.202503258r","authors":["Sara Alsadat Sadat Kachouei","Faezeh Heidari","Artak Heboyan","Sayed Soroush Sadat Kachouei","Morteza Banakar","Muhammad Sohail Zafar","Muhammad Amber Fareed"],"tags":["Aerospace","Crew","Safeguarding","Risk analysis (engineering)","Spaceflight"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.202503258r","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4413969848","name":"From the Biosphere to the Geosphere: Assessing Lipid Biomarker Taphonomy Through a Lithification Gradient","source":"openalex","abstract":"The alteration of biomass into simpler molecular remnants is relevant for the search for ancient and extraterrestrial life, where identifying recurrent taphonomic pathways is crucial for the attribution of biogenicity to otherwise nonbiological molecules. This work evaluates the alteration of lipids-recalcitrant biomarkers derived from cell membranes-across a lithification gradient, from a biologically active microbial mat, through a lithifying mat, to a fully lithified microbialite. Lipids from these samples, obtained from the high-altitude, hypersaline lake of Pozo Bravo (Argentinean Andes), were analyzed at molecular and isotopic levels to reconstruct biological sources and assess preservation along a bio-to-geo transition. Lipids from the lithifying mat and microbialite retained molecular features from the soft microbial mat (e.g., cyano- and purple sulfur bacteria), albeit at lower concentrations and diversity. Moreover, our analysis revealed preferential alteration of labile structural features such as unsaturations, methyl-, and pentacyclic structures, which decreased by ≥91% from soft to lithifying mat and ≥68% from lithifying mat to microbialite. Saturated and linear chains were more resistant, decreasing by ≥64% and ≥29%, respectively. These findings highlight how lipid preservation varies during lithification; thus, they provide valuable insights for biogenicity assessments and can help guide future efforts aimed at detecting ancient life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15311074251366268","authors":["Pablo de Lucía Finkel","Daniel Carrizo","Vı́ctor Parro","Federico A. Vignale","Marı́a Eugenia Farı́as","Laura Sánchez‐García"],"tags":["Taphonomy","Lithification","Biosphere","Biomarker","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15311074251366268","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4414390631","name":"Raman-based Characterization of Chang’e-6 Farside Lunar Soil: Insights into Non-mare Ejecta Composition and Lithological Diversity","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Chang'e-6 (CE-6) mission returned the first farside lunar soil samples which are of great importance to understand the geological diversity and evolutionary history of the Moon.In this study, we employed a Raman-based automated particle analysis system to investigate the grain size and mineral composition of the CE-6 soil, which are compared with results of the nearside Chang'e-5 (CE-5) soil.Our analyses reveal that the CE-6 soil exhibit small grain size (mean = 4.4 µm) as the CE-5 soil, but markedly higher glass content (37.8 vs. 8.3 vol%), slightly higher plagioclase abundance (39.0 vs. 37.5 vol%), and lower pyroxene (18.4 vs. 39.4 vol%) and olivine (2.3 vs. 9.8 vol%) content.Raman spectroscopic analysis further reveals a marked magnesium enrichment in CE-6 olivines (most grains with Fo of 40-90) compared to their CE-5 counterparts (most Fo < 60).Notably, evident compositional zonation in olivine (Fo of 66 to 47) is observed for a CE-6 lithic clast, which likely represents ejected crustal material with complex magmatic interactions.These findings support that the CE-6 scooped soil contains substantial non-mare components that is limited in the CE-5 sample.Given very low olivine abundance in the CE-6 landing site basalt, the wide range of olivine Fo in CE-6 soil reflects the contribution of olivine-bearing, mafic crustal lithologies such as magnesian-suite and ferroan anorthosite or even of material from the lunar mantle.This study highlights the capability of non-destructive, rapid and simultaneous determination of particle size and mineral composition with Raman-based analytical techniques, which enables direct analyses of complex soil samples and provides new insights into the mineral compositions of landing site basalts and also non-mare ejecta of the near and far sides of the Moon.","url":"https://doi.org/10.46770/as.2025.147","authors":["Shuang Shi","Zhenbing She","Zaicong Wang"],"tags":["Ejecta","Characterization (materials science)","Composition (language)","Chemistry","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.46770/as.2025.147","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4416366239","name":"Prebiotic Gels as the Cradle of Life","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We outline the “prebiotic gel‐first” framework, which considers how the origin of life (OoL) could have potentially emerged within surface‐attached gel matrices. Drawing on concepts from soft‐matter chemistry and using modern microbial biofilms as a framing device, we review the physicochemical features of prebiotic gels and discuss how prebiotic gels could have provided the means for localized environments conducive to chemical complexification and evolutionary potential well before cellularization. Such prebiotic gels may have allowed primitive chemical systems to overcome key barriers in prebiotic chemistry by enabling molecular concentration, selective retention, reaction efficiency, and environmental buffering. Furthermore, we explore how gel matrices could have supported proto‐metabolic activity through redox chemistry, light‐driven processes, chemo‐mechanical coupling—and proto‐replication via autocatalytic networks or template‐directed synthesis. We then briefly extend this model into the domain of extraterrestrial life detection, discussing the potential existence of “Xeno‐films,” i.e., alien biofilm‐like structures composed of non‐terrestrial (or with some terrestrial) building blocks, and emphasize the relevance of agnostic life‐detection strategies in the search for life as we know it, and do not know it.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/syst.202500038","authors":["Ramona Khanum","Nirmell Satthiyasilan","Navaniswaran Tharumen","Terence P. Kee","Christian Mayer","P. Susthitha Menon","Tony Z. Jia","Kuhan Chandru"],"tags":["Prebiotic","Abiogenesis","Astrobiology","Chemistry","Chemical evolution"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/syst.202500038","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W1559952864","name":"Late Cretaceous and early Paleogene nutrient and paleoproductivity records from Blake Nose, western North Atlantic Ocean","source":"openalex","abstract":"We evaluate phosphorus (P) and biogenic barium (bio‐Ba) as nutrient burial and export productivity indicators for the Late Cretaceous and early Paleogene, combining these with calcium carbonate (CaCO3), organic carbon (C), and bulk CaCO3 C isotopes (δ13C). Sample ages span 36–71 Ma (∼1 sample/0.5 m.y.) for a depth transect of sites in the western North Atlantic (Blake Nose, Ocean Drilling Program Leg 171B, Sites 1052, 1051, and 1050). We use a multitracer approach including redox conditions to investigate export productivity surrounding the global Paleocene δ13C maximum (∼57 Ma). Reducing conditions render most of the bio‐Ba record not useful for export productivity interpretations. P and organic C records indicate that regional nutrient and organic C burial were high at ∼61 and ∼69 Ma, and low during the Paleocene δ13C maximum, a time of proposed global high relative organic C burial. Observed organic C burial changes at Blake Nose cannot explain this C isotope excursion.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2001pa000722","authors":["Kristina L Faul","L. D. Anderson","M. L. Delaney"],"tags":["Paleogene","Geology","Cretaceous","Oceanography","Productivity"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-05-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2001pa000722","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4412128713","name":"Life Detection Knowledge Base: Taxonomy of Potential Biosignatures","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Life Detection Knowledge Base (LDKB) is a community webtool developed to test and evaluate strategies to search for evidence of life beyond Earth, with an emphasis on recognizing potential false-positive and false-negative results. As part of the LDKB framework, we developed a taxonomy of potential biosignatures. The taxonomy brings together a broad array of life-detection strategies into a common and systematic structure that allows for equitable evaluations based on a specific set of criteria, chosen to assess the likelihood of false-positive and false-negative interpretations. The taxonomy is also a tool to organize life-detection strategies in a way that streamlines their infusion into robotic spaceflight missions. This article describes the structure of the taxonomy and its functional qualities. Two accompanying articles detail the overall LDKB framework and the set of criteria used to evaluate potential biosignatures.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2022.0156","authors":["Alfonso F. Dávila","Tori M. Hoehler","Niki Parenteau","Marc Neveu","Svetlana Shkolyar","David J. Des Marais","Sherry L. Cady","Andro C. Ríos","Leslie Bebout","Graham Lau","L. L. Jahnke","Scott M. Perl","J. L. Eigenbrode","Andrew Pohorille","R. C. Quinn"],"tags":["Taxonomy (biology)","Computer science","Set (abstract data type)","Knowledge base","Artificial intelligence"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2022.0156","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4412593139","name":"Traces of the oxygen isotope composition of ancient air in fossilized cosmic dust","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract As a sub-type of micrometeorites, I-type cosmic spherules form by complete melting and oxidation of extraterrestrial Fe, Ni metal particles during their atmospheric entry. All oxygen in the resulting Fe, Ni oxides sources from the Earth’s atmosphere and hence makes them probes for the composition of atmospheric oxygen. When recovered from sedimentary rocks, they allow the reconstruction of the triple oxygen isotope composition of past atmospheric O2, providing quantitative constraints on past CO2 levels or global primary production. Here we establish using fossil I-type cosmic spherules as an archive of Earth’s atmospheric composition with the potential for a unique record of paleo-atmospheric conditions dating back billions of years. We present combined triple oxygen and iron isotope compositions of a collection of fossil I-type cosmic spherules recovered from Phanerozoic sediments. We reconstruct the triple oxygen isotope anomalies of past atmospheric O2 and quantify moderate ancient CO2 levels during the Miocene (~8.5 million years) and late Cretaceous (~87 million years). We also demonstrate this method’s competitive precision for paleo-CO2 determination, despite challenges in finding micrometer-sized unaltered fossil I-type cosmic spherules. Our work indicates that morphologically intact spherules can be isotopically altered by terrestrial processes, underscoring the need for rigorous sample screening.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02541-5","authors":["Fabian Zahnow","Martin D. Suttle","Marina Lazarov","Stefan Weyer","Tommaso Di Rocco","L. Folco","Andreas Pack"],"tags":["Astrobiology","COSMIC cancer database","Composition (language)","Isotopes of oxygen","Isotope"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02541-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4414023980","name":"Interfacial Self-Assembly of Sugars at Nanoscale Membranes Leads to Micron-Scale, Spectroscopically Ice-Like Chiral Suprastructures of Water","source":"openalex","abstract":"Life requires chemical chiral specificity. The emergence of enantioselectivity is unknown but has been linked to diverse scenarios for the origin of life, ranging from an extraterrestrial origin to polarization-induced effects, and magnetic field-induced mineral templating. These scenarios require an originating mechanism and a subsequent enhancement step, leading to widespread chiral specificity. The common denominator in all scenarios is water, which provides an environment for the enantioselective process. Because water is a nonchiral molecule, it has not been considered as an active ingredient in either of these processes. Here, we show that water can form extended chiral ordered structures that are induced by interactions with simple chiral prebiotic molecules, such as lipids and sugars. Using a combination of molecular dynamics simulations, chiral-sensitive and interface-specific vibrational sum frequency scattering, second harmonic scattering, and atomic force microscopy, the interfacial structure of water on nanoscale lipid membranes was investigated. Out-of-plane H-bonding interactions between achiral liposomes and simple chiral cyclic sugars lead to ordered, spectroscopically ice-like, chiral water suprastructures that extend along the self-assembled lipid-sugar complex over distances >10 μm. Such highly ordered self-assemblies could potentially have provided microenvironments that enable the enhancement of chirality.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.5c05215","authors":["Li Zhang","Jinchan Liu","Kislon Voı̈tchovsky","Chaudhary E. Rani","Saranya Pullanchery","Jan Dedic","Víctor S. Batista","Georg E. Fantner","Sylvie Roke"],"tags":["Chemistry","Nanoscopic scale","Membrane","Scale (ratio)","Nanotechnology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.5c05215","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W3214465860","name":"Hydrogels Improve Plant Growth in Mars Analog Conditions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Sustainable human settlement on Mars will require in situ resource utilization (ISRU), the collection and utilization of Mars-based resources, including notably water and a substrate for food production. Plants will be fundamental components of future human missions to Mars, and the question of whether Mars soils can support plant growth is still open. Moreover, plant cultivation may suffer from the lack of in situ liquid water, which might constitute one of the biggest challenges for ISRU-based food production on Mars. Enhancing the crop yield with less water input and improving water utilization by plants are thus chief concern for sustainable ISRU food production. Hydrogels are polymers able to absorb large quantity of water and to increase soil water retention, plant establishment and growth. This work reports on the short-term assessment of plant growth in Mars soil analogs supplemented with hydrogels. Soil analogs consisted of sand and clay-rich material, with low organic matter content and alkaline pH. Soils were supplemented with 10% (w/w) potting medium and were sampled in Utah desert, in the vicinity of the Mars Desert Research Station, surrounded by soils sharing similarities in mineralogical and chemical composition to Martian soils. Height and dry biomass of spearmint ( Mentha spicata ) were compared under various irrigation frequencies, and seed germination of radish ( Raphanus sativus ) were monitored. Under limited irrigation, results indicate that the soil analogs were less capable of supporting plant growth as a comparison to potting medium. The effects of hydrogel supplementation were significant under limited irrigation and led to spearmint heights increased by 3 and 6% in clay- and sand-containing soils, respectively. Similarly, hydrogel supplementation resulted in spearmint mass increased by 110% in clay-containing soils and 78% in sand-containing soils. Additionally, while radish seeds failed to germinate in soil analogs, hydrogel supplementation allows for the germination of 27% of seeds, indicating that hydrogels might help loosening dense media with low water retention. Collectively, the results suggest that supplementation with hydrogel and plant growth substrate could help plants cope with limited irrigation and poor alkaline Mars soil analogs, and are discussed in the context of strategies for ISRU-based off-world colonization.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2021.729278","authors":["Frédéric Peyrusson"],"tags":["Potting","Environmental science","Soil water","Irrigation","Agronomy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-11-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2021.729278","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W7138977893","name":"Comparison of two laser wavelengths for LIBS bioimaging of plants grown in lunar regolith","source":"openalex","abstract":"The colonization of extraterrestrial planets requires sustainable food production independent of Earth-based supplies. Due to the high costs and complicated logistics of food transport, in-situ cultivation will be essential. Growing plants directly in regolith offers a practical approach to achieve sustainable long-term human habitation beyond Earth. In this study, Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) technique was employed for bioimaging of broccoli ( Brassica oleracea ) and salad ( Lactuca sativa ) plants grown in Lunar regolith simulant and control substrate. For this purpose, the potential of the 2090 nm laser wavelength for bioimaging of plant tissue was studied compared to the conventional 1064 nm. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), total emissivity ( ɛ tot ), and Mg II / Mg I intensity ratio (ionization degree) were all higher when using the 2090 nm laser wavelength compared to 1064 nm. These findings indicate that the 2090 nm laser produces a hotter and more efficiently ionized plasma, supporting its feasibility for bioimaging of plant tissues. Additionally, bioimaging with both laser wavelengths has confirmed higher uptake of key plant nutrients such as magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) from Lunar regolith simulant. This results support the potential of LIBS as a diagnostic tool for plant growth monitoring in extraterrestrial environments. • First-time LIBS bioimaging of plants grown in lunar regolith simulants. • Feasibility of using 2090 nm laser for plant bioimaging. • 2090 nm provides higher SNR, total emissivity and ionization efficiency in plant tissue analysis. • Broccoli and salad plants showed elevated Mg and Ca uptake when grown in lunar regolith simulant.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sab.2026.107513","authors":["Tomáš Vozár","Ludmila Čechová","Jakub Buday","Martin Fuleky","Katarína Molnárová","Libor Lenža","Jiří Mužík","Yuya Koshiba","Martin Smrž","Pavel Pořízka","Jozef Kaiser"],"tags":["Regolith","Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy","Laser","Materials science","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sab.2026.107513","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4212904505","name":"Halogens in Seaweeds: Biological and Environmental Significance","source":"openalex","abstract":"Many marine algae are strong accumulators of halogens. Commercial iodine production started by burning seaweeds in the 19th century. The high iodine content of certain seaweeds has potential pharmaceutical and nutritional applications. While the metabolism of iodine in brown algae is linked to oxidative metabolism, with iodide serving the function of an inorganic antioxidant protecting the cell and thallus surface against reactive oxygen species with implications for atmospheric and marine chemistry, rather little is known about the regulation and homoeostasis of other halogens in seaweeds in general and the ecological and biological role of marine algal halogenated metabolites (except for organohalogen secondary metabolites). The present review covers these areas, including the significance of seaweed-derived halogens and of halogens in general in the context of human diet and physiology. Furthermore, the understanding of interactions between halogenated compound production by algae and the environment, including anthropogenic impacts, effects on the ozone layer and global climate change, is reviewed together with the production of halogenated natural products by seaweeds and the potential of seaweeds as bioindicators for halogen radionuclides.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/phycology2010009","authors":["Hanan Al-Adilah","Martin C. Feiters","Lucy J. Carpenter","Puja Kumari","Carl J. Carrano","Dhia Al‐Bader","Frithjof C. Küpper"],"tags":["Algae","Environmental chemistry","Context (archaeology)","Iodine","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-02-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/phycology2010009","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4410308057","name":"Micro X‐Ray Diffraction Observations and Calibration of Experimentally Shocked Plagioclase Feldspars: Comparison With Raman Spectroscopic Observations","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Plagioclase feldspar is a ubiquitous mineral found in planetary bodies such as Earth, Moon, Mars, large igneous asteroids such as Vesta, numerous achondrites, and every class of chondritic meteorite. Because all solid planetary bodies are potentially subject to hypervelocity impacts, understanding the shock response of plagioclase enables a better understanding of the geological histories of planetary bodies. This study investigates the response of andesine and bytownite to high‐pressure shock waves using micro‐XRD and Raman. Fourteen andesine and 11 bytownite samples, which had been previously shocked to peak pressures of 0–56 GPa, were examined. Micro‐XRD revealed characteristic signatures of shock damage, including weakened diffraction intensities and heightened background signal, reflecting structural collapse under high pressures. Andesine‐bearing rock showed the onset of amorphization at 28.4–29.6 GPa, progressing to complete amorphization at 47.5–50 GPa. Bytownite‐bearing rock displayed a similar trend but with higher pressure thresholds: partial amorphization occurred at 25.5–27.0 GPa, and complete amorphization at 38.2–49 GPa. To quantify the degree of shock experienced by plagioclase minerals, we measured the Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHMχ) of Debye rings (from 2D XRD images) for samples across different shock levels. We established linear regression models between ΣFWHMχ and peak shock pressure for both andesine (0–28.4 GPa) and bytownite (0–25.5 GPa) using data from samples that remained crystalline. The model is particularly effective for low shock levels, while Raman is more effective at higher shock pressures. These quantitative relationships provide a valuable tool for assessing the shock history recorded in plagioclase minerals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024je008574","authors":["Fengke Cao","R. L. Flemming","M. R. M. Izawa","S. J. Jaret","J. R. Johnson"],"tags":["Plagioclase","Calibration","Raman spectroscopy","Materials science","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024je008574","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W2145245566","name":"A Chemical Engineering Perspective on the Origins of Life","source":"openalex","abstract":"Atoms and molecules assemble into materials, with the material structure determining the properties and ultimate function. Human-made materials and systems have achieved great complexity, such as the integrated circuit and the modern airplane. However, they still do not rival the adaptivity and robustness of biological systems. Understanding the reaction and assembly of molecules on the early Earth is a scientific grand challenge, and also can elucidate the design principles underlying biological materials and systems. This research requires understanding of chemical reactions, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat and mass transfer, optimization, and control. Thus, the discipline of chemical engineering can play a central role in advancing the field. In this paper, an overview of research in the origins field is given, with particular emphasis on the origin of biopolymers and the role of chemical engineering phenomena. A case study is presented to highlight the importance of the environment and its coupling to the chemistry.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/pr3020309","authors":["Martha A. Grover","Christine He","Ming-Chien Hsieh","Shengsheng Yu"],"tags":["Biochemical engineering","Robustness (evolution)","Field (mathematics)","Computer science","Nanotechnology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-05-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/pr3020309","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4412493810","name":"Present-day Earth mantle structure set up by crustal pollution of the basal magma ocean","source":"openalex","abstract":"The crystallization of a global magma ocean during early terrestrial planet evolution and the subsequent segregation of a longer-lived \"basal magma ocean\" (BMO) atop the core set up the evolution of the mantle-atmosphere system. Although seismic evidence for a BMO exists on present-day Mars and the Moon, the Earth's BMO is (near-)completely solidified. Seismically observed \"large low-velocity provinces\" (LLVPs) are thought to have resulted from the canonical \"fractional\" style of BMO crystallization. However, we show using thermodynamic modeling that BMO fractional crystallization yields lowermost-mantle densities much higher than those of LLVPs. In turn, pollution of the BMO by progressive addition of recycled basaltic crust and related \"reactive crystallization\" can reconcile LLVP volumes, densities, and compositions. This model also makes testable predictions of the compositions of \"ultralow-velocity zones,\" enigmatic deep Earth seismic domains, and possible BMO remnants. The critical role of crustal pollution elucidates the survival of a BMO on Mars, but implies an Earth-like fate for any Venusian BMO.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adu2072","authors":["Maxim Ballmer","Rob Spaargaren","Ananya Mallik","Antonio Manjón‐Cabeza Córdoba","Miki Nakajima","Kenny Vilella"],"tags":["Mantle (geology)","Geology","Fractional crystallization (geology)","Crust","Basalt"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adu2072","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W4412550442","name":"Catalytic Effects on Aldose Formation by γ-ray-Induced Formose-Type Reactions in Meteorite Parent Bodies","source":"openalex","abstract":"High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide The formose-type reaction is widely regarded as a key process in the formation of sugars including ribose, a component of RNA, which is essential for life. Aqueous alteration in meteorite parent bodies constitutes one of the potential extraterrestrial environments wherein formose-type reactions could have occurred. The reaction could have been driven by ionizing radiation from radionuclide decay and the decay heat. Furthermore, this heating process may have released metal ions from the meteorite minerals, further enhancing the reaction. While hydrothermal experiments have been conducted to simulate such environments, the role of radiation in this process has rarely been considered. However, we have shown that radiation plays a key role in studying the prebiotic synthesis of sugars during the early stages of aqueous alteration of meteorite parent bodies. To investigate the effects of catalysts under irradiation, meteorite parent body simulants were irradiated with γ-rays at room temperature, with ammonia, calcium hydroxide, glycolaldehyde, and olivine serving as catalysts, and the production of aldoses was examined. As a result, these catalysts enhance aldose production under γ-ray irradiation. However, the effects of calcium hydroxide and olivine were found to be limited, potentially attributable to their lower solubility at room temperature. In contrast, ammonia and glycolaldehyde showed more significant effects. This observation indicates that in the early stages of aqueous alteration of meteorite parent bodies, where radiation such as γ-rays is likely to be the predominant energy source, dissolved catalysts play a more important role compared to solid catalysts.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.5c00119","authors":["Shunpei Abe","Naoki Hirakawa","K. Toyoshima","Isao Yoda","Kensei Kobayashi","Yoko Kebukawa"],"tags":["Meteorite","Catalysis","Chemistry","Astrobiology","Biochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.5c00119","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4390577631","name":"The Role of Fish in Global Food and Nutrition Security: Current Aspects and Future Prospect","source":"openalex","abstract":"This article describes the current aspects and future prospect of fish usage in consumer’s meals to cover the deficiency of essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals, globally. Currently, most of the human population is facing health problems such as cancer, depression, early aging, heart, brain, and autoimmune diseases, etc. due to the lack of essential elements in the routine diet. Fish is blessed as an enriched source of Omega-3, Calcium, Iodine, IL-1, Lysine, Vitamin A, D3, and many more to combat above mentioned problems. Fish is not only a reliable source of income generation from the beginning of the World Era but also provides essential nutrients to the poor community. Traditionally, it is the source of earnings for more than 100 million people and supplies livelihood to 660-820 million people worldwide. It is estimated that fish production and consumption are going to increase from 178.5 to 204.4 million tons and 18.7 kg per capita to 22.5 kg, respectively, during 2018-2030. This review highlights the role of fish in global food and nutrition security by providing protein and essential nutrients to the community to attain the Sustainable Developmental Goals of the United Nations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.57038/usjas.v7i04.6643","authors":["MUHAMMAD BAKHSH","Muhammad Hussain Ghazali","Muhammad Kashif Yar","ABDULLAH CHANNO","Muhammad Kashif","Muawuz Ijaz","Abdul Subhan","NOMAN KHALID RANDHAWA","ZEESHAN WAQAR","ASIF SHEHZAD","SHAFQATULLAH KAKA"],"tags":["Livelihood","Food security","Natural resource economics","Fish <Actinopterygii>","Business"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.57038/usjas.v7i04.6643","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4409708466","name":"Harvesting of Condensate Water from Air Conditioners in Large Institutions as a Sustainable Resource","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The presented study aligns with global sustainability goals by integrating water harvesting with energy-efficient transactions. Infrastructure and energy in buildings are worth attention to tackle water scarcity and energy consumption management. This research highlights the dual benefits of enhancing water sustainability while optimizing energy use in air conditioning (AC) systems. The methodology includes investigating the potential of harnessing condensate water produced by a network of 113 AC units and a surface area of 3000 m 2 . All data have been collected and evaluated at the faculty of engineering at Horus University in New Damietta, Egypt. The greatest cumulative amount of water produced for one day was 51.24 L in June, 51.56 L in July, 55.65 L in August, and 53.32 L in September. By multiplying the average amount by the number of AC units in the building, the daily water production records 5977.7 L/day, approximately 6 m 3 . Although this number of air conditioners consumes 236 kW to operate, the operating cost is not considered since water is a byproduct. Therefore, the main cost can be represented by maintenance, renewal, and water treatment when used for drinking. Also, using this water in other applications without treatment, such as irrigation, cleaning, practical experiments, and engineering applications, provides a great return on investment. Graphical Abstract","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-025-04203-9","authors":["Amr Elbrashy","Kambiz Vafai","Abdullah Elshennawy","Manar Ayman","Ahmed Elgebaly","Maher Rashad"],"tags":["Environmental science","Hydrogeology","Resource (disambiguation)","Air conditioning","Water resource management"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-025-04203-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4409054395","name":"Extended Longevity Photoactivated Surface‐Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy for the Detection of Biosignatures on Icy Worlds and Martian Polar Caps","source":"openalex","abstract":"ABSTRACT Surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has traditionally not been considered for planetary sciences due to issues associated with SERS substrate degradation and spectra reproducibility. Here, we present ongoing work on the compact integrated Raman spectrometer (CIRS) instrument developed for the Europa Lander Mission concept, which incorporates SERS capability into the green‐wavelength Raman system in order to allow detection of biosignatures at extremely low concentrations. In this work, we optimize a SERS method based on chemically stable AgCl precursor coating, which is reduced to SERS‐active Ag nanoparticles (NPs) in situ, thus eliminating any potential degradation of the SERS‐active AgNPs during transit. We use the modified AgCl coating to detect biosignatures relevant for the search for extraterrestrial life, evaluate the detection limit, and characterize the stability and reproducibility of the resulting spectra. To assess the impact of environmental conditions on Icy Worlds and Mars, we also investigate the effect of salts and varying pH. The results show that L‐histidine can be detected 10 nM and BPE as low as 10 −24 M, which is within the estimated biomolecule concentration range for Icy Worlds. Furthermore, the presence of salts significantly enhances the SERS signal, which makes this method particularly favorable for detecting in salty brines, such as on Ocean Worlds or Mars. This method thus greatly enhances the scientific capabilities of the CIRS instrument for the exploration of Icy Worlds and Martian polar caps. Furthermore, the SERS coating is applied to the sample cup at little additional cost or complexity and requires no sample preparation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.6790","authors":["Aria Vitkova","Tuan H. Vu","James Lambert"],"tags":["Raman spectroscopy","Astrobiology","Martian","Polar","Spectroscopy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.6790","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4412853980","name":"3D and 2D Clast Analysis of Apollo 17 Core Sample 73002: Insights Into the Light Mantle Dynamics and Regolith Reworking","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Light Mantle deposit in Taurus‐Littrow Valley, Apollo 17 landing site, represents the only extraterrestrial landslide to have ever been studied in situ. The origin and hypermobility of the Light Mantle remain debated. A core sample of the Light Mantle was collected by Apollo 17 astronauts and kept sealed awaiting for advanced imaging and analytical techniques to be available in the future. The core, made up of two samples, was recently opened as part of the NASA Apollo Next Generation Sample Analysis initiative. The availability of the core for study represents an unprecedented opportunity to investigate the structures of the Light Mantle at previously unsampled depths. In this work, we used high‐resolution X‐ray computed tomography scans and high‐resolution scans of thin sections of the upper 20 cm of the core, sample 73002. We conducted 3D clast‐size analysis and investigation of clast morphological fabric. Our results (a) suggest the absence of large clasts (>1 cm) in the uppermost 5 cm, consistent with the reworked regolith layer identified in previous studies of other lunar samples and (b) show the presence of clast‐cortex aggregates, which are considered evidence of granular flow dynamics during the Light Mantle emplacement. Our work represents the first study to conduct a 3D clast analysis of a lunar core sample. As such, it constitutes an important step in showing the novel information that can be extracted. Moreover, it presents a potential workflow for studying lunar core samples that will be collected during future missions to the Moon.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024je008422","authors":["Giulia Magnarini","T. M. Mitchell","P. M. Grindrod","S. K. Bell","K. H. Joy","S. A. Eckley","R. A. Zeigler","H. H. Schmitt","C. K. Shearer","the ANGSA Science Team"],"tags":["Regolith","Apollo","Geology","Mantle (geology)","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024je008422","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4409221329","name":"Experimental heating of CI chondrite: Empirical constraints on the evolution of micrometeorite O-isotopes during atmospheric entry","source":"openalex","abstract":"Experimental heating of CI chondrites to understand the particle evo • The micrometeorite (MM) entry heating process demonstrates the relationship between heating and particle evolution. • For a CI chondrite precursor scoriaceous MMs form at ∼ 1200–1400 °C and fully melted cosmic spherules at ∼1600 °C. • Grain size of minerals within micrometeorites controls the texture of the resulting cosmic spherules. • At sub-solidus temperatures dehydration of phyllosilicate and preferential loss of isotopically heavy water occur. • At supra-solidus temperatures pronounced mass loss through evaporation introduces a mass-dependent fractionation effect. Extraterrestrial dust exhibits a wide range of textural, chemical and oxygen isotopic compositions due to the heterogeneity of their precursors and modification during atmospheric entry. Experimental heating provides an opportunity to investigate the relationship between thermal processing and micrometeorite composition for a known precursor material. We conducted experiments to simulate the atmospheric entry of micrometeorites (MMs) using controlled, short-duration (10–50 s) flash heating (400–1600 °C) of CI chondrite chips (<1500 µm) in atmospheric air (1 bar, 21% O 2 ) combined with microanalysis (textures, chemical and isotopic compositions) of the experimental products. The heated chips closely resemble natural samples, with materials similar to unmelted MMs, partially melted (scoriaceous) MMs and fully melted cosmic spherules produced. We reproduced several key features such as dehydration cracks, magnetite rims, volatile gas release, vesicle formation and coalescence, melting and quench cooling. Our parameter space allows for discriminating peak temperature and heating duration effects. Peak temperature is the first-order control on MM mineralogy, while heating duration controls vesicle coalescence and homogenization. When compared against previous heating experiments, our data demonstrates that CI chondrite dust is more thermally resistant, relative to CM chondrite dust, by approximately +200 °C. The 207 measurement of O-isotopes allows, for the first time, petrographic effects (such as volatile degassing and melting) to be correlated against bulk O-isotope evolution. Our results demonstrate findings applicable to CI chondrites and potentially to all fine-grained hydrated carbonaceous chondrite dust grains: (1) O-isotope variations arising during sub-solidus heating are dominated by the release of water from phyllosilicates, forcing the residual MM composition towards its anhydrous precursor composition. (2) Oxygen isotope compositions undergo the most significant changes at supra-solidus temperatures. As previously demonstrated and now empirically confirmed, most of these changes are driven by a mass-dependent fractionation effect caused by evaporation, which shifts residual rock compositions toward heavier values. Mixing with atmospheric air alters compositions toward the terrestrial fractionation line. Notably, these two processes do not begin simultaneously. Our data indicate that at 1200 °C, isotopic evolution is dominated by evaporative mass loss. However, at higher temperatures (1400–1600 °C), both pronounced evaporation and mixing with atmospheric oxygen become active, resulting in a more complex isotopic signature. (3) The total change in Δ 17 O during heating up to 1600 °C is < 3‰ and in most scenarios < 2‰.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsf.2025.102046","authors":["N. G. Rudraswami","Martin D. Suttle","Yves Marrocchi","Mayank Pandey","Laurent Tissandier","Johan Villeneuve"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Chondrite","Asteroid","Isotope","Carbonaceous chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsf.2025.102046","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406727927","name":"Hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis at 7–12 mbar by Methanosarcina barkeri under simulated martian atmospheric conditions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Mars, with its ancient history of long-lived habitable environments, continues to captivate researchers exploring the potential for extant life. This study investigates the biosignature potential of Martian methane by assessing the viability of hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis in Methanosarcina barkeri MS under simulated Martian surface conditions. We expose M. barkeri to sustained hypobaria (7–12 mbar), low temperature (0˚C), and a CO 2 -dominated gas mixture mimicking the Martian atmosphere. The results demonstrate statistically quantifiable CH 4 production under all tested conditions, including at 7–12 mbar. Transcriptomics reveal that low total pressure and temperature did not significantly impact gene expression, highlighting the resilience of M. barkeri . However, atmospheric gas composition, specifically Mars gas with 2.9% p H 2 , led to significant down-regulation of methanogenesis genes, hindering growth over 14 days. Notably, CH 4 production scaled with the partial pressure of H 2 , revealing that hydrogen uptake affinity is a stronger predictor of habitability and methanogenic potential than favorable Gibbs free energy of reaction. Our findings suggest that Mars’ subsurface could harbor habitable refugia capable of supporting methanogenesis, sustaining microbial life at low metabolic steady states. These insights challenge assumptions about Martian habitability and have implications for astrobiological exploration, planetary protection, and in situ resource utilization for future human missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86145-1","authors":["Rachel L. Harris","Andrew C. Schuerger"],"tags":["Methanogenesis","Astrobiology","Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Methanosarcina barkeri"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86145-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W3108370340","name":"Molecular dynamics study of confined water in the periclase-brucite system under conditions of reaction-induced fracturing","source":"openalex","abstract":"The volume-increase associated with hydration reactions in rocks may lead to reaction-induced fracturing, but requires a stable water film to be present at reactive grain boundaries even when subject to compressive stress. Hydration of periclase to brucite is associated with a solid volume increase of ca. 110%. Recent experiments on the periclase-brucite system observed that when the effective mean stress exceeds 30 MPa, the reaction rate slows down dramatically. We hypothesize that for the brucite forming reaction to progress, the fluid film between grains must remain stable. If the applied pressure becomes larger than the hydration force, the fluid film will collapse and be squeezed out of the grain contacts. To quantify this effect, we study the behavior of a water film confined between periclase or brucite surfaces subject to compressive stress, by performing molecular dynamics simulations. The simulations are carried out using the ClayFF force field and the single point charge (SPC) water model in the molecular dynamics simulations program LAMMPS. The setup consists of two interfaces of either periclase or brucite surrounded by water. Our simulations show that when the pressure reaches a few tens of MPa, the water film collapses and reduces the water film to one or two water layers, while the self-diffusion coefficient of water molecules by a factor of eight. A water film thickness below two water layers is thinner than the size of the hydration shell around Mg2+-ions, which will limit ion-transport. The observed collapse of the water film to a single layer at a normal pressure of 25–30 MPa might explain the observed slow-down of reaction-induced fracturing in the periclase-brucite system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2020.11.016","authors":["Marthe Grønlie Guren","Henrik Andersen Sveinsson","Anders Hafreager","Bjørn Jamtveit","Anders Malthe‐Sørenssen","François Renard"],"tags":["Brucite","Periclase","Molecular dynamics","Materials science","Compressive strength"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2020.11.016","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4415052457","name":"Metabolic controls on the carbon isotope fractionations of bacterial fermentation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Microbial fermentation facilitates the initial breakdown of organic matter into small molecules and is thought to be the rate-limiting step of anoxic organic mineralization. However, fermentation is understudied in modern and ancient biogeochemistry due to a lack of environmental biomarkers. It has long been assumed that fermentation, like respiration, does not express significant carbon isotope fractionations, precluding isotopic signals as a means of studying it in nature. Here, we tested this idea by growing pure cultures of four fermenting bacteria on glucose and measuring the carbon isotope compositions of the organic acids and alcohols produced. We found that fermentation exhibits a strong carbon isotope fractionation, ranging from − 6‰ to + 16‰, depending on the fermentation product. With bioisotopic models that track site-specific isotope enrichments through metabolism, we constrained the enzymes responsible for these fractionations. Our models reproduced in vivo organic acid δ 13 C values in all four organisms. These findings demonstrate that acetate 13 C-enrichment is likely a widespread signature of fermentation. They also challenge traditional notions of controls on the isotope composition of lipids. Finally, our study suggests that fermentation imposes a trophic carbon isotope fractionation as organic carbon is passed from fermenters to secondary degraders like sulfate reducers. Looking to the geologic past, this trophic fractionation could have imprinted isotopic signals on the three billion year record of sedimentary organic carbon, specifically the inverse δ 13 C pattern of Precambrian acyclic isoprenoid and n-alkane biomarkers. Pervasive evidence of fermentation in the rock record would suggest its underappreciated role in biogeochemical cycles throughout Earth history.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2511040122","authors":["Elliott P. Mueller","Verena B. Heuer","Jared R. Leadbetter","Kai‐Uwe Hinrichs","Alex L. Sessions"],"tags":["Isotope fractionation","Fermentation","Isotopes of carbon","Trophic level","Anoxic waters"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2511040122","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4386823721","name":"Assessment of Stoichiometric Autocatalysis across Element Groups","source":"openalex","abstract":"Autocatalysis has been proposed to play critical roles during abiogenesis. These proposals are at odds with a limited number of known examples of abiotic (and, in particular, inorganic) autocatalytic systems that might reasonably function in a prebiotic environment. In this study, we broadly assess the occurrence of stoichiometries that can support autocatalytic chemical systems through comproportionation. If the product of a comproportionation reaction can be coupled with an auxiliary oxidation or reduction pathway that furnishes a reactant, then a Comproportionation-based Autocatalytic Cycle (CompAC) can exist. Using this strategy, we surveyed the literature published in the past two centuries for reactions that can be organized into CompACs that consume some chemical species as food to synthesize more autocatalysts. 226 CompACs and 44 Broad-sense CompACs were documented, and we found that each of the 18 groups, lanthanoid series, and actinoid series in the periodic table has at least two CompACs. Our findings demonstrate that stoichiometric relationships underpinning abiotic autocatalysis could broadly exist across a range of geochemical and cosmochemical conditions, some of which are substantially different from the modern Earth. Meanwhile, the observation of some autocatalytic systems requires effective spatial or temporal separation between the food chemicals while allowing comproportionation and auxiliary reactions to proceed, which may explain why naturally occurring autocatalytic systems are not frequently observed. The collated CompACs and the conditions in which they might plausibly support complex, “life-like” chemical dynamics can directly aid an expansive assessment of life’s origins and provide a compendium of alternative hypotheses concerning false-positive biosignatures.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.3c07041","authors":["Zhen Peng","Zachary R. Adam","Albert C. Fahrenbach","Betül Kaçar"],"tags":["Comproportionation","Autocatalysis","Chemistry","Stoichiometry","Autocatalytic reaction"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.3c07041","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W7128741731","name":"Medicinal Plants in the Space Exploration Era: Opportunities and Challenges for Mitigating Spaceflight-Induced Health Hazards","source":"openalex","abstract":"Since the dawn of civilization, humanity has looked to the sky, seeking to expand knowledge beyond Earth’s boundaries. The last eight decades have witnessed remarkable progress in space exploration, paving the way for increasingly longer space journeys and the establishment of human settlements on the Moon and Mars. These achievements have been made possible by advances in multiple scientific disciplines, including the rise of space medicine, astropharmacy, astrobiology, and astrobotany, each addressing how biological and technological systems adapt to extraterrestrial environments. Nevertheless, the space environment remains profoundly inhospitable to human life, making the protection of health and the assurance of long-term sustainability a key strategic goal in space exploration programs. Within this multidisciplinary framework, the potential role of medicinal plants remains underexplored. Historically central to healthcare, medicinal plants provide a vast repertoire of bioactive compounds and molecular scaffolds, many of which have inspired modern drugs. This review explores how medicinal plants could contribute to human well-being beyond Earth—not only as sources of therapeutic agents to mitigate spaceflight-induced ailments but also as biomanufacturing platforms for on-demand production of pharmaceuticals. Ultimately, medicinal plants could continue to play a pivotal role in supporting human health, also in space, but it poses new challenges and requires further scientific and technological advances.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/app16041860","authors":["Francesca Pettinau","Alessandro Orrù"],"tags":["Human health","Space (punctuation)","Multidisciplinary approach","Space exploration","Human settlement"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/app16041860","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W7117152590","name":"Occurrence and Origin of Chlorine in Middle Jurassic High-Cl Coals from the Sha’erhu Area, Turpan–Hami Basin, Northwest China","source":"openalex","abstract":"Exceptionally high chlorine contents (up to 1.57%) occur in the Middle Jurassic coal seams of the Sha’erhu area, Turpan–Hami Basin, Northwest China, making this coalfield one of the most Cl-enriched coal occurrences reported in China. However, the occurrence modes and enrichment pathways of chlorine in such coals remain insufficiently characterized. In this study, we integrated coal quality analyses, mineralogical characterization (XRD and SEM–EDS), geochemical measurements (XRF and ICP–MS), and an integrated Sequential Chemical Extraction Procedure–High-Temperature Combustion Hydrolysis approach to systematically elucidate the occurrence forms and enrichment processes of chlorine in the Sha’erhu coals. The results indicate that chlorine predominantly occurs in water-soluble form (78.3%–84.7% of total Cl), followed by a minor adsorbed fraction, whereas carbonate-bound and organic/silicate-bound Cl are negligible. The mineral assemblages and geochemical indicators jointly suggest that the coal seams were deposited in a semi-closed, strongly evaporative lacustrine–peat mire system, which subsequently experienced structurally controlled brine intrusion. Chlorine enrichment is attributed to the combined effects of primary evaporative concentration, externally sourced brines migrating through tectonic conduits, and diagenetic fluid activities. This study provides an important case for understanding the genesis of High-chlorine coals in continental basins.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16010018","authors":["Xinyi Xu","W Wang","Qingfeng Lu","Wenlong Wang","Bofei Zhang","Yuanzhe Wu","Jiaxin Li","Kexin Che","Yixin Shen"],"tags":["Geology","Coal","Geochemistry","Chlorine","Diagenesis"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16010018","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4417534526","name":"Boron and the three evolutionary stages of life from chemical emergence to digital continuity","source":"openalex","abstract":"Boron is a unique element whose role in the major evolutionary transitions of life has long been overlooked. In this paper, we argue that boron has served as a hidden catalyst in each of the three distinct stages of life’s development: chemical life, biological life, and digital life. In the prebiotic era, borates may have stabilized key biomolecules such as ribose and RNA, facilitating the transition from abiotic chemistry to early self-organizing systems. In biological life, boron operates as a micronutrient and regulator, influencing membrane integrity, mineral metabolism, and microbiome symbiosis through microbiota-accessible borate complexes (MABs). In the speculative but increasingly relevant domain of digital life, boron emerges as a structural component in advanced materials—such as borophene and boron-doped semiconductors—that underlie next-generation information processing and artificial cognition. We propose that each transition between life stages constitutes a catastrophic phase shift, requiring a continuity agent that can bridge fundamentally different modes of information flow. We interpret these signals as a continuity of information processing across boron-influenced substrates, not an assertion of biological equivalence for digital systems. The Boron-Driven Phase Transition Model (BDPTM) offers a new lens through which to view life’s progression from molecules to machines, identifying boron as a consistent enabler of organization, stability, and informational coherence across evolutionary boundaries.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11084-025-09718-0","authors":["Ion Romulus Scorei"],"tags":["Boron","Abiogenesis","Nanotechnology","Abiotic component","Component (thermodynamics)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11084-025-09718-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W2016002195","name":"Summary of the Second International Planetary Dunes Workshop: Planetary Analogs — Integrating Models, Remote Sensing, and Field Data, Alamosa, Colorado, USA, May 18–21, 2010","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aeolia.2010.09.001","authors":["L. K. Fenton","Mark A. Bishop","M. C. Bourke","Charles Bristow","R. K. Hayward","B. Horgan","Nicholas Lancaster","Timothy I. Michaels","Daniela Tirsch","T. N. Titus","Andrew Valdez"],"tags":["Session (web analytics)","Sand dune stabilization","Geography","Field (mathematics)","Library science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-10-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aeolia.2010.09.001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402065005","name":"Kinetic analysis of dehydration/dehydroxylation from carbonaceous chondrites by in situ heating experiments under an infrared microscope","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract CI, CM, and CR carbonaceous chondrites contain hydrous minerals, indicating that their parent bodies underwent aqueous alteration at low temperatures. Some of these chondrites, such as heated CM, CI, and CY chondrites, experienced thermal dehydration by impacts or solar radiation after aqueous alteration. This study conducted heating experiments on carbonaceous chondrites and evaluated their dehydration/dehydroxylation kinetics in an effort to explain the thermal history of the parent asteroids of heated carbonaceous chondrites using their degrees of dehydration/dehydroxylation of hydrous minerals. Murchison (CM2.5) and Ivuna (CI1), relatively primitive (having not undergone thermal alteration) carbonaceous chondrites, were used as starting materials. Weakening in the OH band at ~3680 cm−1 (2.72 μm) with isothermal heating at 350–500°C (Murchison) and 450–525°C (Ivuna) were observed under in situ infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR) equipped with a heating stage. To determine the rate constants, the decrease in the OH band was fitted using kinetic models such as first‐order reactions, two‐dimensional diffusion, and three‐dimensional diffusion. The apparent activation energies and frequency factors were determined using the Arrhenius equation. Time–temperature transformation diagrams were drawn to represent the decrease in the OH‐band intensity as a function of temperature and heating duration. Such kinetic approaches can provide constraints on the temperature and time of the dehydration/dehydroxylation processes and enable us to estimate long‐term effects from experiments in the laboratory within a short time.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14259","authors":["Mengyan Zheng","Yoko Kebukawa","Yuka Hayashi","Kensei Kobayashi"],"tags":["Chondrite","Dehydration","Infrared","In situ","Infrared microscopy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14259","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W7120086169","name":"High-Pressure Torsion-Induced Transformation of Adenosine Monophosphate: Insights into Prebiotic Chemistry of RNA by Astronomical Impacts","source":"openalex","abstract":"The origin of life is yet a compelling scientific mystery that has sometimes been attributed to high-pressure impacts by small solar system bodies such as comets, meteoroids, asteroids, and transitional objects. High-pressure torsion (HPT) is an innovative method with which to simulate the extreme conditions of astronomical impacts and offers insights relevant to prebiotic chemistry. In the present study, we investigated the polymerization and stability of adenosine monophosphate (AMP), a key precursor to ribonucleic acid (RNA), in dry and hydrated conditions (10 wt% water) under 6 GPa at ambient and boiling water temperatures. Comprehensive analyses with the use of X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, scanning electron microscopy, and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry revealed no evidence of polymerization, while AMP partly transformed to other organic compounds such as nucleobase-derived fragments of adenine, phosphoribose fragments, dehydrated adenosine, protonated adenosine, and oxidized adenosine. The torque measurements during HPT further highlighted the mechanical behavior of AMP under extreme conditions. These findings suggest that, while HPT under the conditions tested does not facilitate polymerization, the formation of various compounds from AMP confirms the significance of astronomical impacts on the prebiotic chemistry of RNA on early Earth. Key Words: Ribonucleic acid (RNA)-Origin of life-Phase transformations-Chemical reactions-Small solar system bodies. Astrobiology 26, 1-9.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15311074251412318","authors":["Kaveh Edalati","Jacqueline Hidalgo‐Jiménez","Thanh Tam Nguyen"],"tags":["Chemistry","Prebiotic","Astrobiology","RNA","Abiogenesis"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15311074251412318","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4407864876","name":"The Bacterial Genus Ramlibacter : Betaproteobacteria Capable of Surviving in Oligotrophic Environments Thanks to Several Shared Genetic Adaptation Traits","source":"openalex","abstract":"Ramlibacter tataouinensis, the type species of the genus Ramlibacter, is renowned for its ability to thrive in hot, arid and nutrient-poor desert soils. To investigate whether its adaptive properties are shared across all 20 currently described Ramlibacter species found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic habitats worldwide, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of 16S rRNA sequences and genomic information available from the literature. Our study encompassed approximately 40 deposited genomes, allowing us to propose a genomic phylogeny that aligns with the 16S rRNA phylogeny. Our findings reveal several conserved features across the genus Ramlibacter. This includes the presence of light sensors, environmental sensing networks, organic carbon and phosphate acquisition systems and the ability to store carbon and energy in the form of polyhydroxyalkanoate or polyphosphate granules. These shared traits rationalise the widespread distribution of Ramlibacter in oligotrophic terrestrial and aquatic environments. They also explain the genus' ability to withstand desiccation, endure extended periods of starvation, and survive in nutrient-depleted conditions. Notably, certain adaptive features are further enhanced in several species by their pleiomorphism and ability to form cysts. Overall, our study not only highlights the ecological adaptations of Ramlibacter species but also extends our understanding of microbial ecology in oligotrophic environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.70059","authors":["Gilles De Luca","Mohamed Barakat","André Verméglio","Wafa Achouak","Thierry Heulin"],"tags":["Biology","Betaproteobacteria","Adaptation (eye)","Ecology","Extreme environment"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.70059","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4379380191","name":"Pilot‐scale photocatalytic detoxification and disinfection of hazardous medical wastewater","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract BACKGROUND Treatment of liquid hazardous medical wastewater produced by healthcare laboratories is a global matter that has been inadequately addressed. In this study, the potential of heterogeneous and homogeneous photocatalytic oxidation to detoxify and disinfect such effluents was investigated. Experiments were performed using two toxic effluents and one of simultaneous toxic and infectious composition in pilot scale, in a novel photocatalytic inactivation system. RESULTS Photocatalytic experimental runs performed with both toxic effluents showed that photo‐Fenton‐assisted TiO2 photocatalytic oxidation under optimal conditions was the most efficient process among the tested ones, when the initial dissolved organic carbon values (DOC0) ranged from 100 to 1000 mg L−1. Furthermore, the potential of catalyst reuse was examined and verified for five sequential runs. Moreover, phytotoxicity was either eliminated or significantly reduced after photocatalytic processing under optimal conditions in the case of the second wastewater of toxic composition, while ecotoxicity showed a similar trend, highlighting the importance of extended mineralization for the removal of toxicity. The performance of the pilot photocatalytic inactivation system concerning the inactivation of bio‐pollutants was tested on five different types of microbes. Four of them were completely inactivated in relatively short periods, while survival of the more resistant bacterial endospores was found to be decreased to >99% after 5 h of treatment. CONCLUSION Toxic and infectious hazardous medical effluents are highly recalcitrant targets in terms of mineralization, detoxification and inactivation. However, photocatalytic oxidation may serve as an efficient processing tool, providing alternative or complementary solutions to this highly challenging issue. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jctb.7448","authors":["Chrysanthi Berberidou","Sophia Tsoumachidou","Ioannis Paspaltsis","Vasiliki Kitsiou","Ειrini Kanata","Konstantinos Xanthopoulos","Theodoros Sklaviadis","Athansios Arsenakis","Ioannis Poulios"],"tags":["Photocatalysis","Effluent","Mineralization (soil science)","Hazardous waste","Ecotoxicity"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-05-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jctb.7448","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406472318","name":"Reduced contribution of sulfur to the mass extinction associated with the Chicxulub impact event","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Chicxulub asteroid impact event at the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary ~66 Myr ago is widely considered responsible for the mass extinction event leading to the demise of the non-avian dinosaurs. Short-term cooling due to massive release of climate-active agents is hypothesized to have been crucial, with S-bearing gases originating from the target rock vaporization considered an important driving force. Yet, the magnitude of the S release remains poorly constrained. Here we empirically estimate the amount of impact-released S relying on the concentration of S and its isotopic composition within the impact structure and a set of terrestrial K-Pg boundary ejecta sites. The average value of 67 ± 39 Gt obtained is ~5-fold lower than previous numerical estimates. The lower mass of S-released may indicate a less prominent role for S emission leading to a milder impact winter with key implications for species survival during the first years following the impact.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55145-6","authors":["Katerina Rodiouchkina","Steven Goderis","Cem Berk Senel","Pim Kaskes","Özgür Karatekin","Michael E. Böttcher","Ilia Rodushkin","Johan Vellekoop","Philippe Claeys","Frank Vanhaecke"],"tags":["Extinction event","Event (particle physics)","Sulfur","Extinction (optical mineralogy)","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55145-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W2115429974","name":"Granite disposal of U.S. high-level radioactive waste.","source":"openalex","abstract":"This report evaluates the feasibility of disposing U.S. high-level radioactive waste in granite several hundred meters below the surface of the earth. The U.S. has many granite formations with positive attributes for permanent disposal. Similar crystalline formations have been extensively studied by international programs, two of which, in Sweden and Finland, are the host rocks of submitted or imminent repository license applications. This report is enabled by the advanced work of the international community to establish functional and operational requirements for disposal of a range of waste forms in granite media. In this report we develop scoping performance analyses, based on the applicable features, events, and processes (FEPs) identified by international investigators, to support generic conclusions regarding post-closure safety. Unlike the safety analyses for disposal in salt, shale/clay, or deep boreholes, the safety analysis for a mined granite repository depends largely on waste package preservation. In crystalline rock, waste packages are preserved by the high mechanical stability of the excavations, the diffusive barrier of the buffer, and favorable chemical conditions. The buffer is preserved by low groundwater fluxes, favorable chemical conditions, backfill, and the rigid confines of the host rock. An added advantage of a mined granite repository is that waste packages would be fairly easy to retrieve, should retrievability be an important objective. The results of the safety analyses performed in this study are consistent with the results of comprehensive safety assessments performed for sites in Sweden, Finland, and Canada. They indicate that a granite repository would satisfy established safety criteria and suggest that a small number of FEPs would largely control the release and transport of radionuclides. In the event the U.S. decides to pursue a potential repository in granite, a detailed evaluation of these FEPs would be needed to inform site selection and safety assessment.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2172/1029794","authors":["Geoffrey Freeze","Paul Mariner","Joon Lee","Ernest Hardin","Barry D. Goldstein","Francis D. Hansen","R. Price","Anna Lord"],"tags":["Radioactive waste","High-level waste","License","Oil shale","Groundwater"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2172/1029794","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4365509409","name":"Temporal nanofluid environments induce prebiotic condensation in water","source":"openalex","abstract":"Water is a problem in understanding chemical evolution towards life's origins on Earth. Although all known life is being based on water key prebiotic reactions are inhibited by it. The prebiotic plausibility of current strategies to circumvent this paradox is questionable regarding the principle that evolution builds on existing pathways. Here, we report a straightforward way to overcome the water paradox in line with evolutionary conservatism. By utilising a molecular deposition method as a physicochemical probe, we uncovered a synergy between biomolecule assembly and temporal nanofluid conditions that emerge within transient nanoconfinements of water between suspended particles. Results from fluorometry, quantitative PCR, melting curve analysis, gel electrophoresis and computational modelling reveal that such conditions induce nonenzymatic polymerisation of nucleotides and promote basic cooperation between nucleotides and amino acids for RNA formation. Aqueous particle suspensions are a geochemical ubiquitous and thus prebiotic highly plausible setting. Harnessing nanofluid conditions in this setting for prebiotic syntheses is consistent with evolutionary conservatism, as living cells also work with temporal nanoconfined water for biosynthesis. Our findings add key insights required to understand the transition from geochemistry to biochemistry and open up systematic pathways to water-based green chemistry approaches in materials science and nanotechnology.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-023-00872-y","authors":["A. Greiner de Herrera","T. H. Markert","Frank Trixler"],"tags":["Nanofluid","Prebiotic","Condensation","Astrobiology","Chemical engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-04-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-023-00872-y","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4412992482","name":"Mineralogical and Chemical Mapping of Martian Meteorite SaU 008 Using Deep UV Raman and Fluorescence Spectroscopy on Earth and Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The NASA Mars 2020 mission Perseverance rover carries a piece of Martian meteorite Sayh al Uhaymir (SaU) 008 as part of the calibration payload for the SHERLOC science instrument. We report SHERLOC observations of the SaU 008 flight piece over the first 1,000 sols of the mission and compare them to measurements done prior to launch, showing consistent detection of the same deep‐ultraviolet (DUV) Raman and fluorescence signatures in the same locations. Co‐located X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) and DUV mapping of a reference SaU 008 piece on Earth confirm that the meteorite is comprised of an igneous mineral matrix consistent with shergottite, rich in olivine, maskelynite, and Fe‐Mg pyroxenes detectable by SHERLOC. Terrestrial weathering features consist of fractures and vugs filled with Ca‐carbonate. Fluorescence mapping reveals two major signatures: (a) broad‐spectrum fluorescence present throughout the igneous matrix but strongest in weathering features, attributed to organic material, and (b) narrow‐band 340 nm fluorescence spatially associated with ∼48 ppm cerium in <100 μm Ca‐phosphate grains. Raman revealed organic material in both the igneous matrix and terrestrial carbonate in the form of macromolecular carbon (MMC) with defect and graphitic bands at ∼1,380 and ∼1,600 cm−1 respectively. Raman band parameters suggest that MMC associated with terrestrial weathering is less thermally mature, most likely the result of chemical alteration after landing on Earth. This study serves as a demonstration of SHERLOC's capabilities when supported by co‐located XRF data from PIXL and suggests that SHERLOC can detect Ce in phosphate minerals at concentrations as low as 4 ppm.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024je008826","authors":["Joseph Razzell Hollis","Kelsey Moore","M. Fries","Cindy Broderick","Yannick Buret","R. Bhartia","Teresa Fornaro","Trevor G. Graff","K. P. Hand","Keyron Hickman‐Lewis","Ryan S. Jakubek","Carina Lee"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Martian","Astrobiology","Meteorite","Raman spectroscopy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024je008826","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411437952","name":"A Prospective Typology of Astrocide","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5245360","authors":["Yarin Eski"],"tags":["Typology","Sociology","Anthropology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5245360","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W1504106711","name":"Crop Production for Advanced Life Support Systems","source":"openalex","abstract":"The use of plants for bioregenerative life support for space missions was first studied by the US Air Force in the 1950s and 1960s. Extensive testing was also conducted from the 1960s through the 1980s by Russian researchers located at the Institute of Biophysics in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, and the Institute for Biomedical Problems in Moscow. NASA initiated bioregenerative research in the 1960s (e.g., Hydrogenomonas) but this research did not include testing with plants until about 1980, with the start of the Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) Program. The NASA CELSS research was carried out at universities, private corporations, and NASA field centers, including Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The project at KSC began in 1985 and was called the CELSS Breadboard Project to indicate the capability for “plugging in” and testing various life support technologies; this name has since been dropped but bioregenerative testing at KSC has continued to the present under the NASA’s Advanced Life Support (ALS) Program. A primary objective of the KSC testing was to conduct pre-integration tests with plants (crops) in a large, atmospherically closed test chamber called the Biomass Production Chamber (BPC). Test protocols for the BPC were based on observations and growing procedures developed by university investigators, as well as procedures developed in plant growth chamber studies at KSC. Growth chamber studies to support BPC testing focused on plant responses to different carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations, different spectral qualities from various electric lamps, and nutrient film hydroponic culture techniques. This Technical Memorandum (TM) gives an overview of activities leading up to the KSC Breadboard Project, a description of the BPC, and summaries of crop test data, including the following: • Environmental and horticultural approaches. • Observations on growth and development. • Crop biomass and oxygen yields. • Proximate composition of biomass. • Whole stand photosynthesis and respiration rates and responses. • Nutrient solution measurements, including water use, nutrient uptake, and acid additions for pH control. • Ethylene and other volatile organic compound production by plants. Because of the extent and diversity of crop testing at KSC during the 1985 to 2002 time frame, the results and discussion are limited primarily to BPC studies with wheat, potatoes, soybeans, lettuce, and tomato. An expanded bibliography of plant-related CELSS/ALS research is included at the end of the document. The intent of this TM is to provide both a general summary of the crop studies at KSC as well as a template for compiling a user’s guide or handbook for growing crops for Advanced Life Support systems in space. Because knowledge on growing plants for life support is continually expanding, the specific set points and outputs from ALS cropping systems will continue to be refined and improved. A crop handbook detailing these outputs and horticultural approaches may one day provide an invaluable reference for sustaining life support “farms” and the success of future space missions.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1504106711","authors":["Ray Wheeler","John C. Sager"],"tags":["Production (economics)","Crop production","Crop","Agricultural engineering","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W7126063320","name":"Early Cambrian explosive super-eruptions in the north-western margin of Gondwana may have triggered the ‘Strangelove ocean’","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The ‘Strangelove ocean’ (a state of ocean, almost devoid of living organisms) documented in the early Cambrian strata in South China, has been thought to be driven by an extraterrestrial impact, but this viewpoint has been doubted for emerging geochemical evidence. Volcanism may be a trigger for the oceanic crisis. However, such a linkage has not yet been established. Here, we conduct an investigation into the timing and origin of the early Cambrian K-bentonites (a type of clay rock formed from volcanic ash) of the Yangtze and Baoshan blocks. The results suggest that the K-bentonites may represent early Cambrian explosive super-eruptions occurred in the north-western margin of Gondwana. The eruptions might trigger the anoxia of the contemporaneous ocean and coincided temporally with a bio-crisis preceding the summit of the Cambrian explosion. We propose that they may have initiated the ‘Strangelove ocean’ and delayed the climax of the Cambrian bio-radiation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03243-2","authors":["Di Zhang","Mingzhong Zhou","Zhongfa Zhou","Xixi Xue","Haiwei Fan","Li Zhou","Enlin Yang","Zongling Zhang","Zhuo Wu","Taiyi Luo"],"tags":["Geology","Gondwana","Paleontology","Volcanism","Precambrian"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03243-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W7128910365","name":"Apatite in Bennu samples indicates multiple stages of aqueous alteration","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Calcium phosphates are ubiquitous in planetary materials, including samples returned from asteroid Bennu by the OSIRIS‐REx mission. We characterized apatite [Ca 5 (PO 4 ) 3 (F,Cl,OH)] grains in Bennu samples by scanning electron microscopy, electron microprobe analysis, and transmission electron microscopy to investigate their compositions, mineral associations, and microstructures. We find that Bennu apatite is halogen‐poor, consistent with a composition of hydroxyapatite, and can be separated into two main structural types: single crystals, which often exhibit etched crystal faces, and anhedral polycrystalline assemblages. Both types exhibit zoning in cathodoluminescence imaging that results from incorporation of trace Mn 2+ and rare earth elements into the apatite structure during crystal growth. Transmission electron microscopy of a single phosphate crystal and a polycrystalline assemblage reveals close association between apatite and phyllosilicates in the surrounding matrix. Phyllosilicates are either oriented parallel to intact apatite crystal facets or radiating from altered crystal faces. We interpret that single crystals with or without etched crystal faces are among the least aqueously altered of the observed apatites, whereas polycrystalline assemblages exhibiting a porous texture, consistent with successive dissolution–reprecipitation reactions, represent assemblages that experienced more extensive aqueous alteration. These microstructural data suggest that several stages of aqueous alteration likely occurred on Bennu's parent body, leading to the mineral assemblages observed here.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70093","authors":["Laura Seifert","T. M. Erickson","L. P. Keller","J. J. Barnes","K. Thomas‐Keprta","L. Le","Jennifer Gorce","Z. Rahman","T. J. Zega","H. C. Connolly","D. S. Lauretta"],"tags":["Apatite","Crystallite","Cathodoluminescence","Transmission electron microscopy","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70093","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4409592205","name":"Three‐dimensional morphological analysis of Chang'e‐5 lunar soil using deep learning‐automated segmentation on computed tomography scans","source":"openalex","abstract":"Grain morphology is a fundamental characteristic of lunar soil that influences its mechanical properties, sintering behavior, and in situ resource utilization. However, traditional two-dimensional imaging methods are time-consuming and lack full three-dimensional (3D) structural information. This study presents an automated deep learning-based segmentation and reconstruction algorithm for high-resolution X-ray computed tomography scans of Chang'e-5 lunar soil samples. By integrating a U-Net convolutional neural network with a watershed algorithm, this method enables efficient and accurate 3D reconstruction of 553,578 lunar soil particles, significantly reducing manual annotation time. The results reveal a median particle size of 63.73 µm, an average aspect ratio of 0.55, and an average sphericity of 0.87, providing key insights into lunar regolith morphology. A clustering analysis identified 30 representative particle types, whose STereoLithography models will be made publicly available for further research and numerical simulations. These findings offer crucial data for discrete element modeling, thermal analysis, and engineering applications, supporting future lunar exploration and the development of sustainable lunar infrastructure.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/mice.13487","authors":["Siqi Zhou","Yu Jiang","Xinyang Tao","Feng Li","Chi Zhang","Wei Yang","Yangming Gao"],"tags":["Computed tomography","Segmentation","Artificial intelligence","Computer science","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/mice.13487","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406986358","name":"Intricate microbial structures: The enigma of reticulated filaments","source":"openalex","abstract":"ABSTRACT Microorganisms inhabit all possible biosphere ecosystems, including natural and man‐made subterranean environments, which favour the growth of specialized microbial communities under near‐starvation conditions. Among the most enigmatic microbial features found in karstic and volcanic caves are reticulated filaments, consisting of long mineralized filaments forming an open‐mesh with square‐shaped or hexagonal‐shaped reticles. Despite their widespread occurrence and detailed morphological documentation, their microbial origins, formation mechanisms and ecological roles remain enigmatic. This review consolidates current knowledge on reticulated filaments, and addresses theoretical and scientific gaps on these intricate microbial structures, highlighting the association of reticulated filaments with biomineralization processes and the potential involvement of rare or uncultivated microbial taxa. Variations in sheath composition and size suggest the involvement of multiple microbial groups, potentially including bacteria, archaea and fungi. This study proposes that reticulated filaments serve as biosignatures, reflecting complex microbe–mineral interactions and local geochemical conditions. Their occurrence in environments rich in iron and manganese points to potential biogeochemical cycling roles, while their structural complexity suggests adaptive strategies for microbial survival. Future research directions are outlined and the relevance of reticulated filaments as indicators of past and present microbial activity is highlighted, with implications for understanding biomineralization, geomicrobiology and the search for life in extreme environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.13267","authors":["Ana Z. Miller","Cesáreo Sáiz‐Jiménez"],"tags":["Geology","Paleontology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.13267","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W2179893806","name":"On the Origin of Sequence","source":"openalex","abstract":"Three aspects which make planet Earth special, and which must be taken in consideration with respect to the emergence of peptides, are the mineralogical composition, the Moon which is in the same size class, and the triple environment consisting of ocean, atmosphere, and continent. GlyGly is a remarkable peptide because it stimulates peptide bond formation in the Salt-Induced Peptide Formation reaction. The role glycine and aspartic acid play in the active site of RNA polymerase is remarkable too. GlyGly might have been the original product of coded peptide synthesis because of its importance in stimulating the production of oligopeptides with a high aspartic acid content, which protected small RNA molecules by binding Mg2+ ions. The feedback loop, which is closed by having RNA molecules producing GlyGly, is proposed as the essential element fundamental to life. Having this system running, longer sequences could evolve, gradually solving the problem of error catastrophe. The basic structure of the standard genetic code (8 fourfold degenerate codon boxes and 8 split codon boxes) is an example of the way information concerning the emergence of life is frozen in the biological constitution of organisms: the structure of the code contains historical information.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life5041629","authors":["Peter T. S. van der Gulik"],"tags":["Genetic code","Abiogenesis","RNA","Peptide","Sequence (biology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-11-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life5041629","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406624283","name":"Iron and copper sulfides in asteroid (162173) Ryugu: Formation conditions and a comparison to the CI and CY chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract JAXA's Hayabusa2 sample return mission visited the volatile‐rich carbonaceous (C‐type) asteroid (162173) Ryugu with the aim of ground‐truthing remote observations, returning a pristine sample from a C‐type asteroid, and strengthening links between asteroids and the meteorite collection. Here, we have conducted a systematic study of coarse (>10 μm) sulfide grains in Ryugu particles C0025‐01 and C0103‐02, the CI chondrites Orgueil and Ivuna, and the CY chondrites Y‐86029 (Stage III, heated to 500–750°C) and Y‐86720 (Stage IV, >750°C), using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). Sulfides are sensitive tracers of secondary alteration conditions, and we find that Ryugu and the CI chondrites share a distinct sulfide assemblage that includes the iron sulfides pyrrhotite and pentlandite, and the copper sulfide cubanite, that equilibrated during periods of low temperature (~25°C) aqueous alteration. Sulfides in the CY chondrites are compositionally distinct from Ryugu and the CI chondrites as a result of post‐hydration heating. However, the occurrence of Cu‐rich sulfides in Ryugu, the CIs, and the CYs suggests a genetic relationship between these samples.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14312","authors":["C. S. Harrison","A. King","R. H. Jones","S. S. Russell","Tadaho Nakamura","H. Yurimoto","T. Noguchi","R. OKAZAKI","H. Yabuta","H. Naraoka","K. Sakamoto","Shogo Tachibana"],"tags":["Chondrite","Astrobiology","Asteroid","Copper","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14312","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4394850088","name":"Soluble Organic Compounds and Cyanide in Apollo 17 Lunar Samples: Origins and Curation Effects","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We analyzed 12 Apollo 17 samples through the Apollo Next Generation Sample Analysis (ANGSA) program to determine the abundances of a variety of compound classes, including amino acids, aldehydes, ketones, amines, carboxylic acids, and cyanide‐releasing species. Analyzed samples included portions of double drive tube 73001/73002, the bottom half of which (73001) was hermetically sealed under lunar vacuum, as well as lunar regolith samples from three different illumination environments that had been curated frozen for ∼50 years. Consistent with previous results, we detected low levels of amino acids in the hot‐water extracts of most samples (0.55–12.03 nmol/g in unhydrolyzed samples; 0.53–72.38 nmol/g after acid hydrolysis of the extracts). We also detected one‐carbon and two‐carbon species of amines, aldehydes, and carboxylic acids (i.e., methylamine, ethylamine, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, formic acid, acetic acid) not previously reported in lunar samples, as well as insoluble cyanide‐forming species. Although these compounds are potential precursor molecules for amino acids, no specific precursor relationships could be determined. Nylon contamination was the likely source of some amino acids. Abundances of some species (e.g., cyanide) decreased with increasing depth in the drive tube, suggesting that exogenous delivery and concentration mechanisms near the surface outweighed surface degradation processes. In addition, we observed the potential cold trapping of volatile amines in the persistently shadowed samples analyzed. Finally, we noted the effects of different curation conditions; hermetic sealing appeared to preserve higher amounts of volatile compounds, while frozen curation did not have a noticeable preservation effect on the organic volatiles analyzed here.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je008133","authors":["Jamie E. Elsila","José C. Aponte","Hannah L. McLain","Danielle N. Simkus","Jason P. Dworkin","D. P. Glavin","R. A. Zeigler","F. M. McCubbin","the ANGSA Science Team"],"tags":["Cyanide","Chemistry","Amino acid","Formic acid","Methylamine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je008133","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4414685435","name":"Detection of organic compounds in freshly ejected ice grains from Enceladus’s ocean","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Saturn’s moon Enceladus ejects a plume of ice grains and gases originating from a subsurface ocean via fractures near its south pole. The chemical characterization of organic material in such ice grains was previously conducted via the analysis of mass spectra obtained in Saturn’s E ring by Cassini’s Cosmic Dust Analyzer at impact speeds below 12 km s −1 . Here we present a comprehensive chemical analysis of organic-bearing ice grains sampled directly from the plume during a Cassini fly-by of Enceladus (E5) at an encounter speed of nearly 18 km s −1 . We again detect aryl and oxygen moieties in these fresh ice grains, as previously identified in older E-ring grains. Furthermore, the unprecedented high encounter speed revealed previously unobserved molecular fragments in Cosmic Dust Analyzer spectra, allowing the identification of aliphatic, (hetero)cyclic ester/alkenes, ethers/ethyl and, tentatively, N- and O-bearing compounds. These freshly ejected species are derived from the Enceladus subsurface, hinting at a hydrothermal origin and involvement in geochemical pathways towards the synthesis and evolution of organics.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02655-y","authors":["Nozair Khawaja","Frank Postberg","Thomas R. O’Sullivan","Maryse Napoleoni","S. Kempf","Fabian Klenner","Yasuhito Sekine","Maxwell Craddock","Jon Hillier","Jonas Simolka","Lucía Hortal Sánchez","R. Srama"],"tags":["Enceladus","Plume","Astrobiology","Geology","Icy moon"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02655-y","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4404063593","name":"Review: can bioelectrochemical sensors be used to monitor soil microbiome activity and fertility?","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103222","authors":["C. Webster","Won‐Jun Kim","Gemma Reguera","Maren Friesen","Haluk Beyenal"],"tags":["Microbiome","Fertility","Environmental science","Biology","Medicine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103222","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4409697486","name":"Magnetization of Iron Meteorites up to the Meter in Size as Possible Analogs for Asteroid Psyche","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Meteorite paleomagnetic studies indicate planetesimal generated magnetic fields, but spacecraft magnetic measurements have yet to identify asteroidal natural remanent magnetization (NRM). This apparent discrepancy is of particular interest in the context of the NASA Psyche mission, which will search for evidence of past magnetic activity of the metal‐rich asteroid (16) Psyche. Here, we aim to test whether the NRM of meteorites inevitably drops below detectable values as specimen size increases, which could explain why asteroidal NRMs could never be detected. We focus on iron meteorites as possible analogs to (16) Psyche's constituent material. To do so, we measure the remanent magnetic field and estimate the NRM of samples of four iron meteorites with volumes between mm3 and m3. We find that their estimated NRMs decrease with increasing sample size but appear to plateau. These data are compatible with the idea that the bulk NRM of increasingly large objects becomes dominated by the fraction of this NRM produced by assemblages of magnetic minerals sharing a common magnetization direction. Moreover, all m3‐sized meteorites carry NRMs that are two orders of magnitude above the detectability limit of the Psyche Magnetometer, three of which are possibly pre‐terrestrial. These data, acquired on some of the largest masses of iron meteorites available on Earth, support the range of plausible NRM values for km‐size regions of (16) Psyche, used to establish the spacecraft Magnetometer's performance requirements. Nevertheless, large‐scale events such as brecciation of the asteroid following magnetization acquisition could always lower the asteroid's NRM below the detectability limit.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024je008810","authors":["Clara Maurel","Elise Clavé","J. Gattacceca","Minoru Uehara","Elias N. Mansbach","Timothy J. McCoy","B. P. Weiss"],"tags":["Meteorite","Asteroid","Astrobiology","Psyche","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024je008810","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406420693","name":"Climatic and tectonic controls on ferroan dolomite formation: insights into Early Miocene anoxia in the Mediterranean Sea (il-Blata, Malta)","source":"openalex","abstract":"Records from the Miocene il-Blata section in Malta offer insights into the depositional environments of the Central Mediterranean following an Early Miocene restriction of the Mesopotamian Seaway ( c. 20 Ma). Inorganic and organic stable carbon isotope values suggest relatively steady depositional environments, whereas authigenic iron dolomite abundances exhibiting substantial δ 18 O and δ 13 C variations at a sequence scale indicate dynamic sedimentation conditions leading to differential diagenesis. Petrographically, the dolomitic levels exhibit matrix-selective dolomitization, occasional silicification and phosphatization, and textural indicators pointing to subsurface microbial influences. These features collectively point to complex shallow burial diagenesis. In addition, the presence of framboidal pyrite and gypsum infilling foraminiferal chambers, along with the absence of large planktonic foraminifera, suggests the development of palaeoenvironmental stress imposed by a density-stratified water column affecting the pore waters. Towards the top of the studied succession, a shift from organic to siliceous deposits reflects water column perturbations possibly linked to changes in oceanic circulation associated with a temporary re-opening of the Mesopotamian Seaway. This study not only underscores the hydrochemical controls exerted by North African terrigenous fluxes over the Mediterranean, but also highlights the intricate interplay between shifting depositional environments and shallow burial diagenetic processes in shaping the geochemical and textural fabrics of authigenic mineral assemblages.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2024-146","authors":["Raymond Zammit","Daniel A. Petrash","Or M. Bialik"],"tags":["Dolomite","Geology","Paleontology","Mediterranean climate","Tectonics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2024-146","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4413953410","name":"Physics of Life: Exploring Information as a Distinctive Feature of Living Systems","source":"openalex","abstract":"This paper explores the idea that information is an essential and distinctive feature of living systems. Unlike nonliving systems, living systems actively acquire, process, and use information about their environments to respond to changing conditions, sustain themselves, and achieve other intrinsic goals. We discuss relevant theoretical frameworks such as semantic information and fitness value of information. We also highlight the broader implications of our perspective for fields such as origin-of-life research and astrobiology. In particular, we touch on the transition to information-driven systems as a key step in abiogenesis, informational constraints as determinants of planetary habitability, and informational biosignatures for detecting life beyond Earth. We briefly discuss experimental platforms which offer opportunities to investigate these theoretical concepts in controlled environments. By integrating theoretical and experimental approaches, this perspective advances our understanding of life's informational dynamics and its universal principles across diverse scientific domains.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1103/rsx4-8x5f","authors":["Stuart Bartlett","Andrew W. Eckford","Matthew Egbert","Manasvi Lingam","Artemy Kolchinsky","Adam Frank","Gourab Ghoshal"],"tags":["Feature (linguistics)","Living systems","Data science","Computer science","Artificial intelligence"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1103/rsx4-8x5f","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4415966700","name":"Kerogen Detection in Neoarchean and Eocene Microbialites via Deep UV Raman and Fluorescence Spectroscopy Using a Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals Analog Instrument","source":"openalex","abstract":"To date, the Mars 2020 mission’s deep-UV Raman and fluorescence instrument (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals [SHERLOC]) has reported potential Raman detections of macromolecular carbon in data collected on the floor of Jezero crater and in Neretva Vallis, a valley incised through the Jezero crater rim and Margin Unit. The crater floor detection is associated with a collocated fluorescence signal that has been interpreted to indicate the presence of small aromatic molecules and/or cerium-bearing phosphates. Previous work has demonstrated that the potential macromolecular carbon detection is similar to data collected from abiotic macromolecular carbon in a martian meteorite. The work described here was performed to support the interpretation of this and any future possible SHERLOC macromolecular carbon detections by comparing the possible G-band to biologically produced macromolecular carbon (kerogen). We report the results of collocated, in situ deep UV Raman and fluorescence measurements of kerogen preserved within Neoarchean and Eocene carbonate microbialites collected with a SHERLOC analog instrument. Our results support the conclusion that SHERLOC has detected macromolecular carbon in Jezero crater that may be of an abiotic or biological origin and suggest that a carbonate mineral may be the source of the collocated fluorescence signal. These findings reinforce the possibility that samples collected during the Mars 2020 mission may hold compelling evidence of ancient microbial life on Mars and the importance of delivering the samples to Earth for laboratory analysis to determine whether the material is biological in origin.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15311074251392897","authors":["Andrea Corpolongo","Andrew D. Czaja","Ryan S. Jakubek","M. Fries","Abigail M. George"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Raman spectroscopy","Kerogen","Luminescence"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15311074251392897","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406720954","name":"Recent advances in chemical composition imaging operation based on laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy","source":"openalex","abstract":"This review provides a comparatively comprehensive and systematic introduction to recent developments in chemical composition imaging based on LIBS, with a focus on the principle, operation, and recent development.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4ja00314d","authors":["Shangyong Zhao","Yuchen Zhao","Yujia Dai","Ziyuan Liu","Zongyu Hou","Xun Gao","Zhe Wang"],"tags":["Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy","Chemical composition","Focus (optics)","Spectroscopy","Composition (language)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4ja00314d","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4412121336","name":"Design and Implementation of a Cross-Platform and Multi-Scale Workflow for Volatile-Rich Extraterrestrial Sample Analysis: From Contamination Control to Coordinated Analysis","source":"openalex","abstract":"Introduction The JAXA Hayabusa2 mission represents a significant milestone in planetary science. In December 2020, the mission successfully returned samples from two distinct sites of the carbonaceous, C-type, asteroid Ryugu. These samples were expected to provide critical insights into the origin of volatiles including water and organics on Earth, the thermal and aqueous histories of primitive bodies, and the physicochemical processes that related to the earliest stage of our Solar System.F Following the successful recovery of the re-entry capsule, initial curation activities, primarily consisting of non-destructive observations (such as optical microscopy, FT-IR, MicrOmega, and weight measurements), were conducted at JAXA’s Extraterrestrial Sample Curation Center. Subsequently, the expanded analytical phase was launched to facilitate advanced and multi-institutional investigations by six initial analysis teams and the two Phase2 Curation teams including the Phase2 Curation Kochi team (Ph2K) [1-10]. Preserve Pristine Nature of Ryugu sample: Contamination Control from curation facility to the institutes The Ryugu samples are invaluable to planetary science due to their minimal terrestrial contamination, preserving volatiles and complex microstructures of minerals and organics. They preserve volatiles and complex microstructures of minerals and organics, providing insights into the early evolution of the Solar System [3-10]. To minimize contamination during transport to institutes both nationwide and internationally, we developed the Facility-to-Facility Transfer Container (FFTC) and individual sample containers [11] (Fig. 1). These were designed for use within Ryugu-dedicated clean chambers at the JAXA and prioritized ease of cleaning, use of same materials with the clean chamber, operability with thick Viton-coated butyl gloves, and long-term sealing using pure nitrogen. A Cross-Platform Pipeline for Extraterrestrial Sample Analysis The cross-platform analytical pipeline of the Ph2K is designed to establish comprehensive protocols for the analysis of small-volume, volatile-rich extraterrestrial materials from asteroid Ryugu. Its primary objective is to characterize the mineralogical, petrological, chemical, and isotopic properties of the Ryugu samples at mm- to micrometer scales. To maximize scientific gain from the limited sample mass, the protocol follows a “non-destructive-first” strategy, advancing sequentially through increasingly invasive and ultimately destructive analytical techniques (Figs. 2, 3) [11-13]. Results in case of Ryugu sample analysis by Ph2K Ph2K plays a vital role in understanding of primitive Solar System materials. Samples returned from asteroid Ryugu exhibit bulk chemical compositions and oxygen isotopic compositions closely matching those of CI chondrites which is similar chemical compositions of the Sun, suggesting that Ryugu represents one of the most chemically primitive materials in the Solar System [e.g., 3-6, 13]. Our analyses revealed abundant hydrated minerals, such as phyllosilicates (i.e., serpentine and saponite) and carbonates, as well as isotopically heavy hydrogen and nitrogen isotopic compositions, pointing to low-temperature alteration and a formation in the cold outer Solar System. Organic matter, rich in aliphatic hydrocarbons, was associated with coarse-grained phyllosilicates, implying that these minerals may have provided environments favorable for organics. These findings support a scenario in which Ryugu accreted from icy and organic-rich particles, migrated inward, and potentially contributed to the delivery of water and organics to early Earth. Further studies of samples from other planetary explorations meteorite, and interplanetary dust particles are essential to expand our understanding of volatile transport and preservation in the early Solar System.Additional findings by Ph2K include the identification of Ryugu’s precursor body [14], early aqueous alteration within 1.8–5","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc-dps2025-89","authors":["Motoo Ito","Naotaka Tomioka","Masayuki Uesugi","Kentaro Uesugi","Akira Yamaguchi","Naoya Imae","Takuji Ohigashi","Naoki Shirai","Aiko Nakato","Kasumi Yogata","Toru Yada","Masanao Abe"],"tags":["Workflow","Contamination","Extraterrestrial life","Sample (material)","Contamination control"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc-dps2025-89","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4392978051","name":"Planetary Protection Knowledge Gap Closure Enabling Crewed Missions to Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"As focus for exploration of Mars transitions from current robotic explorers to development of crewed missions, it remains important to protect the integrity of scientific investigations at Mars, as well as protect the Earth's biosphere from any potential harmful effects from returned martian material. This is the discipline of planetary protection, and the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) maintains the consensus international policy and guidelines on how this is implemented. Based on National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and European Space Agency (ESA) studies that began in 2001, COSPAR adopted principles and guidelines for human missions to Mars in 2008. At that point, it was clear that to move from those qualitative provisions, a great deal of work and interaction with spacecraft designers would be necessary to generate meaningful quantitative recommendations that could embody the intent of the Outer Space Treaty (Article IX) in the design of such missions. Beginning in 2016, COSPAR then sponsored a multiyear interdisciplinary meeting series to address planetary protection \"knowledge gaps\" (KGs) with the intent of adapting and extending the current robotic mission-focused Planetary Protection Policy to support the design and implementation of crewed and hybrid exploration missions. This article describes the outcome of the interdisciplinary COSPAR meeting series, to describe and address these KGs, as well as identify potential paths to gap closure. It includes the background scientific basis for each topic area and knowledge updates since the meeting series ended. In particular, credible solutions for KG closure are described for the three topic areas of (1) microbial monitoring of spacecraft and crew health; (2) natural transport (and survival) of terrestrial microbial contamination at Mars, and (3) the technology and operation of spacecraft systems for contamination control. The article includes a KG data table on these topic areas, which is intended to be a point of departure for making future progress in developing an end-to-end planetary protection requirements implementation solution for a crewed mission to Mars. Overall, the workshop series has provided evidence of the feasibility of planetary protection implementation for a crewed Mars mission, given (1) the establishment of needed zoning, emission, transport, and survival parameters for terrestrial biological contamination and (2) the creation of an accepted risk-based compliance approach for adoption by spacefaring actors including national space agencies and commercial/nongovernment organizations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2023.0092","authors":["J. Andy Spry","Bette Siegel","Corien Bakermans","D. W. Beaty","Mary-Sue Bell","James N. Benardini","R. Bonaccorsi","Sarah L. Castro-Wallace","David A. Coil","A. Coustenis","Peter T. Doran","L. K. Fenton","David P. Fidler","B. Glass","Stephen J. Hoffman","Fathi Karouia","Joel S. Levine","Mark Lupisella","Javier Martín‐Torres","Rakesh Mogul","Karen Olsson‐Francis","Sandra Ortega-Ugalde","Manish Patel","David A. Pearce","Margaret S. Race","A. B. Regberg","Petra Rettberg","John D. Rummel","Kevin Sato","Andrew C. Schuerger","E. Sefton‐Nash","Matthew Sharkey","Nitin K. Singh","Silvio Sinibaldi","Perry Stabekis","C. Stoker","Kasthuri Venkateswaran","Robert R. Zimmerman","M. Zorzano-Mier"],"tags":["Committee on Space Research","Mars Exploration Program","Exploration of Mars","Space exploration","Agency (philosophy)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2023.0092","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411801594","name":"Relaciones Internacionales hacia un Marco de Relaciones Interespaciales: Análisis Teórico","source":"openalex","abstract":"This article explores the theoretical foundations of International Relations (IR) and proposes a projection toward a new conceptual field: Interspatial Relations (ISR). In the face of increasing space exploration and the distant but possible contact with extraterrestrial life forms or civilizations, the concern arises to imagine a normative and political framework that allows for the regulation of interactions between actors—nations and/or individuals—beyond planet Earth. This framework also includes non-state actors for development and cooperation in interspatial dynamics, allowing for their integration into cosmic space as well as the recognition of their decentralized, functionally autonomous international action. This concept, proposed through comparative analysis and critical reflection, suggests that the founding principles of IR can serve as a basis for the development of ISR.","url":"https://doi.org/10.63371/ic.v4.n2.a71","authors":["Héctor Hernández García"],"tags":["Political science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.63371/ic.v4.n2.a71","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4416314227","name":"Discriminating abiotic and biotic organics in meteorite and terrestrial samples using machine learning on mass spectrometry data","source":"openalex","abstract":"With the upcoming sample return missions to the Solar System where traces of past, extinct, or present life may be found, there is an urgent need to develop unbiased methods that can distinguish molecular distributions of organic compounds synthesized abiotically from those produced biotically but were subsequently altered through diagenetic processes. We conducted untargeted analyses on a collection of meteorite and terrestrial geologic samples using 2D gas chromatography coupled with high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry and compared their soluble nonpolar and semipolar organic species. To deconvolute the resulting large dataset, we developed LifeTracer, a computational framework for processing and downstream machine learning analysis of mass spectrometry data. LifeTracer identified predictive molecular features that distinguish abiotic from biotic origins and enabled a robust classification of meteorites from terrestrial samples based on the composition of their nonpolar soluble organics.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgaf334","authors":["Daniel Saeedi","Denise Buckner","Thomas A Walton","José C. Aponte","Amirali Aghazadeh"],"tags":["Meteorite","Mass spectrometry","Abiotic component","Astrobiology","Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgaf334","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W2999197300","name":"Advances in Cosmochemistry Enabled by Antarctic Meteorites","source":"europepmc","abstract":"At present, meteorites collected in Antarctica dominate the total number of the world's known meteorites. We focus here on the scientific advances in cosmochemistry and planetary science that have been enabled by access to, and investigations of, these Antarctic meteorites. A meteorite recovered during one of the earliest field seasons of systematic searches, Elephant Moraine (EET) A79001, was identified as having originated on Mars based on the composition of gases released from shock melt pockets in this rock. Subsequently, the first lunar meteorite, Allan Hills (ALH) 81005, was also recovered from the Antarctic. Since then, many more meteorites belonging to these two classes of planetary meteorites, as well as other previously rare or unknown classes of meteorites (particularly primitive chondrites and achondrites), have been recovered from Antarctica. Studies of these samples are providing unique insights into the origin and evolution of the Solar System and planetary bodies. ▪ Antarctic meteorites dominate the inventory of the world's known meteorites and provide access to new types of planetary and asteroidal materials. ▪ The first meteorites recognized to be of lunar and martian origin were collected from Antarctica and provided unique constraints on the evolution of the Moon and Mars. ▪ Previously rare or unknown classes of meteorites have been recovered from Antarctica and provide new insights into the origin and evolution of the Solar System.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-earth-082719-055815","authors":["M. Wadhwa","T. J. McCoy","D. L. Schrader"],"tags":["Meteorite","Achondrite","Astrobiology","Cosmochemistry","Geology"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-earth-082719-055815","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"oa:W2019191502","name":"Anhydrous liquid line of descent of Yamato‐980459 and evolution of Martian parental magmas","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We report the results of nominally anhydrous equilibrium and fractional crystallization experiments on a synthetic Yamato‐980459 (Y98) bulk composition at 0.5 GPa. These experiments allow us to test a suggested fractional crystallization model, calculated using MELTS by Symes et al. ( ), in which a Y98‐like initial liquid yielded a magma closely resembling the bulk composition of QUE 94201. Although the two meteorites cannot be cogenetic owing to their age difference, they are thought to represent bona fide magmatic liquids rather than products of crystal accumulation, as are most Martian basaltic meteorites. Hence, understanding possible petrogenetic links between these types of liquids could be revealing about processes of melting and crystallization that formed the range of Martian basalts. We find that Y98 can, in fact, generate a residual liquid closely resembling QUE, but only after a very different crystallization process, and different degree of crystallization, than that modeled using MELTS. In addition, both the identity and sequence of crystallizing phases are very different between model and experiments. Our fractional crystallization experiments do not produce a QUE‐like liquid, and the crystallizing phases are an even poorer match to the MELTS‐calculated compositions than in the equilibrium runs. However, residual liquids from our experiments define a liquid line of descent that encompasses bulk compositions of parental melts calculated for several Martian basaltic meteorites, suggesting that the known Martian basaltic meteorites had their ultimate origin from the same or very similar source lithologies. These are, in turn, similar to source rocks modeled by previous studies as products of extensive crystallization of an initial Martian magma ocean.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12197","authors":["J. F. Rapp","D. S. Draper","C. M. Mercer"],"tags":["Meteorite","Fractional crystallization (geology)","Basalt","Martian","Crystallization"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-09-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12197","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4405617735","name":"Do-Nothing Prebiotic Chemistry: Chemical Kinetics as a Window into Prebiotic Plausibility","source":"openalex","abstract":"ConspectusOrigin of Life research is a fast growing field of study with each year bringing new breakthroughs. Recent discoveries include novel syntheses of life's building blocks, mechanisms of activation and interaction between molecules, and newly identified environments that provide promising conditions for these syntheses and mechanisms. Even with these new findings, firmly grounded in rigorous laboratory experiments, researchers often find themselves uncertain about how to apply them. How can a bridge be built between the laboratory and the geochemical environment? A critical question to ask when seeking to apply new results in origins is: how can this chemistry occur without direct intervention from a chemist? We believe the first step toward answering this question lies in the determination of rate constants and the construction of chemical networks to describe prebiotic chemistry in geochemical environments.So far, our group has measured several rate constants relevant to different prebiotic reaction networks, starting with the synthetic pathways of the cyanosulfidic network. The reactions we explore often involve ultraviolet light-driven photochemistry, facilitated by our StarLab setup that accurately simulates the spectrum of the young Sun and other stars. Our latest work investigates environments with active photochemistry in the absence of cyanide. In this study, we measure the effective rate constant for the production of formate from the reduction of carbon species using sulfite within the context of early Martian waters. The underlying goal of the work done in our group is to predict the likelihood that certain geological conditions will result in a specific set of chemical products. These predictions can be combined with those we have made for the necessary astrophysical conditions in certain origins of life scenarios on extrasolar planets.In the near future we expect that a sufficient number of rate constants will be measured, by our group and others, to allow for aspects of prebiotic chemistry to be predicted using chemical kinetics models. Once these models have been benchmarked against experimental data, our next step will be applying them to natural environments that better mimic the conditions thought to have been present at the onset of life. Following this, we can test these models by comparing their predictions to additional experiments. After refinement, these models will be able to provide guidance on the optimal conditions for conducting laboratory experiments, while helping to minimize and characterize any interference from a chemist.This approach can provide valuable insights into what is possible within geochemical environments, where all chemistry is by necessity do-nothing chemistry.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.accounts.4c00247","authors":["Stephanie White","Paul B. Rimmer"],"tags":["Chemistry","Context (archaeology)","Reaction rate constant","Biochemical engineering","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.accounts.4c00247","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4413775440","name":"Optimizing Microclimatic Conditions for Lettuce, Tomatoes, Carrots, and Beets: Impacts on Growth, Physiology, and Biochemistry Across Greenhouse Types and Climatic Zones","source":"openalex","abstract":"Vegetables such as lettuce, tomato, carrot, and beet are vital to the global food industry, providing essential nutrients and supporting sustainable agriculture. Their cultivation in greenhouses across diverse climatic zones (temperate, Mediterranean, tropical, subtropical, and arid) has gained prominence due to controlled environments that enhance yield and quality. However, these crops face significant threats from climate change, including rising temperatures, erratic light availability, and resource constraints, which challenge optimal growth and nutritional content. This study investigates the influence of microclimatic conditions—temperature, light intensity, and CO2 concentration—on the growth, physiology, and biochemistry of these vegetables under varying greenhouse types and climatic zones, addressing these threats through a systematic review. The methodology followed the PRISMA guidelines, synthesizing peer-reviewed articles from 1995 to 2025 sourced from Web of Science, Pub Med, Scopus, Science Direct, Springer Link, and Google Scholar. Search terms included “greenhouse microclimate”, “greenhouse types”, “Climatic Zones, “and crop-specific keywords, with data extracted on microclimatic parameters and analyzed across growth stages and climatic zones. Eligibility criteria ensured focus on quantitative data from greenhouse studies, excluding pre-1995 or non-peer-reviewed sources. The results identified the following optimal conditions: lettuce and beet thrive at 15–22 °C, 200–250 μmol·m−2·s−1, and 600–1100 ppm CO2 in temperate zones; tomatoes at 18–25 °C, 200–300 μmol·m−2·s−1, and 600–1100 ppm in Mediterranean and arid zones; and carrots at 15–20 °C, 150–250 μmol·m−2·s−1, and 600–1000 ppm in subtropical zones. Greenhouse types (e.g., glasshouses, polytunnels) modulate these optima, with high-tech systems enhancing resilience. Conclusively, tailored microclimatic management, integrating AI-driven technologies and advanced greenhouse designs, is recommended to mitigate threats and optimize production across climatic zones.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijpb16030100","authors":["Oana Alina Nițu","Elena Ştefania Ivan","Adnan Arshad"],"tags":["Greenhouse","Biology","Agronomy","Horticulture"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijpb16030100","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4390840702","name":"An overview of the new Moroccan regulation on collection and export of meteorites: A geoheritage to promote and preserve","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Morocco is known for the high number of meteorites collected in its territory, including finds and falls. This is explained by the large size of the Moroccan Sahara, the guarantee of security in this desert, and the large community of well‐trained Moroccan hunters and nomads who roam through it. Despite this richness, most meteorites collected in Morocco are sold abroad and exported. The exportation of meteorites as well as other geoheritage samples such as fossils and minerals was not completely legal or illegal as there was no dedicated regulation. Since 2000, the APPGM (Association pour la Protection du Patrimoine Géologique du Maroc) a Non‐Governmental Organization (NGO) dedicated to the preservation of the Moroccan geoheritage began working with the Moroccan Geological Survey, on a draft of a specific law dedicated to geoheritage. It was fundamental to benefit from the experience of other countries with a high number of meteorites where exportation is not allowed and that are losing their meteorites to illegal exportation. The author recommended a win‐win regulation that would allow the legal collection and exportation of meteorites under clear rules benefiting both hunters and scientists but also the country. In 2014, Morocco updated its law regarding mines. One article cited geoheritage as including fossils, minerals, and meteorites and mentioned that their collection and exportation would be regulated by decree. In 2019, the Moroccan Geological Survey and APPGM prepared the application decree of this article that has been discussed and approved by the Moroccan government and implemented in February 2020. This situation is unique in the region as well as compared to the other countries with a high potential of meteorites collection. Meteorite researchers and collectors all over the world should be aware of this regulation in Morocco to make their acquisitions legal. They should request a copy of the “End of the work” from local traders, the receipt from the Geological survey, and the certificate of export from customs. It is an important ethical and scientific responsibility of our community.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14126","authors":["H. Chennaoui Aoudjehane"],"tags":["Meteorite","Exportation","Decree","Geography","Political science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14126","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4415131338","name":"Progress in Resource Evaluation Using a Handheld Raman Instrument Developed for Astronaut Missions","source":"openalex","abstract":"ABSTRACT Raman spectroscopy is being developed for resource evaluation on planetary surfaces, especially on the Moon. Analogue studies were undertaken to collect data that would indicate the presence of water and help develop the technology to search for valuable trace elements. Analysis of a gabbro‐anorthosite suite by Raman spectroscopy distinguished pyroxene, olivine and feldspar in samples whose mineralogy had been cross‐checked by electron microscopy. Examination of the olivine by electron microscopy showed a complex distribution of hydrated alteration products referable as serpentine or iddingsite. The altered olivine is thus a proxy for water. Raman spectroscopy of similar olivine produced a map of alteration products, which is a first depiction of a map of hydration. A targeted set of trace elements was more abundant in the feldspar. Raman spectroscopy of feldspar in cross‐cutting pegmatite veins detected a range of minerals containing trace elements, including anomalous amounts of the critical elements lithium and caesium. Measurement of Li and Cs in hot spring deposits which lie on the gabbro‐anorthosite suite shows much higher enrichment in shale sediments, which Raman spectroscopy identified as muscovite. This conclusion is consistent with the concentration of some trace elements (including Li) in detrital minerals and other trace elements (including Cs) in fluid precipitates.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.70060","authors":["Joseph Armstrong","Melissa McHugh","John Parnell","Hannah Lerman","Andoni Moral","Ian B. Hutchinson"],"tags":["Raman spectroscopy","Olivine","Feldspar","Geology","Spectroscopy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.70060","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402694383","name":"Microbial Biosignatures Associated with Iddingsite in Hadal Basalts from the Southern Mariana Trench","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Iddingsitization is an aqueous alteration that is known to take place in meteorites and continental basalts providing a potential habitat for microbial life. However, little is known about the exact mode by which this reaction occurs in the hadal seafloor and its implication for the deep subsurface biosphere. A comprehensive investigation of hadal basalts from the southern Mariana Trench (SMT) conducted with microscopic examinations shows that iddingsite occurs as augite‐hosted veins, rims, and mineral grains formed completely in place of augite within the SMT basalts. Carbon geochemistry indicates that organic matter with homogenous δ 13 C values between –27.8‰ and –27.2‰ might be biogenically accumulated in the SMT basalts. Furthermore, the close spatial relationships between carbonaceous matter (CM) and goethite in iddingsite point to microbial attachment to iddingsite minerals. Thus, iddingsitization might have fueled H 2 ‐utilizing microorganisms inhabiting the hadal oceanic crust, thereby leading to the formation of CM, as implied by oxygen isotopic compositions revealing low alteration temperatures (32–83°C) favorable for microbial growth. In all, microbial biosignatures associated with iddingsite in the SMT basalts are highlighted, and these results could pave the way for deciphering the deep subsurface biosphere at hadal zones.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-6724.15187","authors":["Zixiao Guo","Yazhen HU","Qingying Du","Yadong Liu","Guohong Qin","Xiaotong Peng"],"tags":["Basalt","Trench","Geology","Geochemistry","Nanotechnology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-6724.15187","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W7122564761","name":"Cocrystallisation with carbon","source":"openalex","abstract":"While carbon is ubiquitous across organic synthesis and materials chemistry, in supramolecular chemistry the role of carbon as a target for the formation of directional interactions, such as hydrogen or halogen bonds, is less known and developed in comparison to nitrogen or oxygen. Here we provide a brief review of the opportunities for the design of multi-component crystals (cocrystals) based on the recognition of carbon-based moieties, notably non-substituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), functionalities bearing single carbon atom recognition sites such as isonitriles or carbenes, as well as the molecules of the element carbon itself, such as fullerenes, with particular emphasis on halogen bonding and C-H⋯π interactions. By providing highlights of historical examples, as well as select recent advances including applications oriented towards carbon nanomaterials, this review illustrates the role of carbon in cocrystallisation and solid-state supramolecular chemistry, from fundamental research and materials design, to biomolecular recognition and extraterrestrial geology.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5cc06433c","authors":["Jogirdas Vainauskas","Tomislav Friščić"],"tags":["Supramolecular chemistry","Carbon fibers","Halogen","Nanotechnology","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5cc06433c","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W7163544804","name":"PLANT COMMUNITIES OF THE ARTEMISIETEA VULGARIS IN SPONTANEOUS TERRAFORMING MODELS OF EXTRATERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS","source":"openalex","abstract":"The article is devoted to the study of the prospects for using plant communities of the class for terraforming isolated extraterrestrial ecosystems. The study aims to determine the functional role of Artemisietea vulgaris vegetation within spontaneous terraforming models of extraterrestrial ecosystems. In accordance with the aim, the following tasks were set: to analyze the ecological spectrum of the Artemisietea vulgaris class vegetation; to establish the place of the plant communities of the class in models of vegetation restoration dynamics on substrates lunar regolith simulants. The materials of the study were standard geobotanical descriptions, based on which the classification of plant communities and synphytoindication analysis were carried out. During the study, it was determined that the Artemisietea vulgaris class vegetation in the territory of Ukrainian Polissya belongs to 2 orders, 5 unions, and 20 associations according to the Brown-Blanquet system classification. The limitation of the plant communities of Artemisietea vulgaris to certain types of habitats is noticeable at the level of unions. Plant communities of the Agropyrion repentis union are adapted to distribution on disturbed substrates with a minimum amount of nutrients. Plant communities of the Arction lappae union are more common in places where anthropogenic accumulation of organic and mineral substances occurs in combination with disturbances that suppress natural vegetation. The least humid ecotopes with the highest continentality indicators are occupied by the vegetation of the Dauco-Melilotion and Onopordion acanthii unions. Plant communities of the Rorippo austriacae-Falcarion vulgaris union are ruderal forest edges and ecotonic with groups of nitrophiles of the Galio-Urticetea class. According to the data of the synphytoindication analysis, plant communities of the class are formed under conditions of predominance of anthropogenic dynamics over autogenic. The average indicators of the level of anthropogenic transformation range from 9.39 points (Rorippo austriacae-Falcarion vulgaris union) to 10.30 points (Dauco-Melilotion union), which corresponds to the eugemerob level of anthropotolerance. Modeling by synphytoindication indicators indicates that the vegetation of the Artemisietea vulgaris class can form both on completely disturbed substrates with rock outcrops and on arable land. The next stage of positive autogenic succession will be the stage of shrubs (Rhamno-Prunetea class) or young derived forests (Robinietea class). The course of successions is influenced by edaphic conditions, seed diaspora, and the level of anthropogenic transformation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.32782/naturaljournal.17.2026.27","authors":["I. V. Khomiak"],"tags":["Ruderal species","Plant community","Ecology","Vegetation (pathology)","Habitat"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.32782/naturaljournal.17.2026.27","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7124424466","name":"Fiber-reinforced concrete for complex engineering conditions: material properties, nonlinear response and sustainable applications in spaceflight","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract As space missions evolve toward longer durations and deeper missions, structural materials face unprecedented challenges in extreme extraterrestrial environments, such as extreme temperature swings, intense radiation, cyclic loading, and crack propagation. These conditions place higher demands on the ductility, energy dissipation, and adaptability of traditional brittle concrete, prompting the research community to seek material systems with enhanced nonlinear response capabilities and sustainability. As a brittle material, ordinary concrete lacks the toughness and adaptability required to sustain such nonlinear behaviors. Fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) has gained increasing attention for its ability to enhance material ductility, energy dissipation, and structural resilience under nonlinear conditions. This review summarizes recent research on FRC, focusing on its mechanical properties, nonlinear response mechanisms, and potential for sustainable construction. The inclusion of natural, synthetic, or hybrid fibers significantly improves compressive strength, flexural performance, and crack control. Moreover, the use of recycled fine aggregates from construction and demolition waste further promotes environmental sustainability. The combined effects of fiber type, volume fraction, and distribution on nonlinear load-bearing capacity are critically analyzed. Finally, this article proposes that future research should focus on the performance evolution and adaptive design strategies of FRCs in complex nonlinear service environments (including high strain rates and low gravity in aerospace), providing theoretical support and material pathways for building the next generation of durable, lightweight, and sustainable aerospace infrastructure. FRC presents a promising solution for developing durable, adaptive, and sustainable infrastructure systems in nonlinear engineering environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/htmp-2025-0102","authors":["Junyu Liu","Xi Liu"],"tags":["Nonlinear system","Resilience (materials science)","Adaptability","Brittleness","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1515/htmp-2025-0102","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W7153200411","name":"Viruses in Extreme Marine Environments and Their Potential Existence in Extraterrestrial Environments","source":"openalex","abstract":"Viruses are abundant and widespread in extreme marine environments, such as sea ice, hydrothermal vents, and ocean trenches. They occur at temperatures up to 122 °C and down to -30 °C and pressures exceeding 100 MPa. Their distribution in these environments is closely correlated with that of their extremophile hosts, which are mostly bacteria, archaea, and microeukaryotes. Viruses have been shown to be capable of long-term survival in conditions simulating interstellar conditions. However, for them to reproduce, they would still need a host. Many recent astro-biological investigations have focused on habitability, specifically the ability of a planet to support the activity of at least one lifeform. The most likely candidates for extraterrestrial habitability in our solar system are the sea ice moons of Jupiter and Saturn, namely Europa and Enceladus. These are both thought to contain subsurface oceans of liquid water and potentially access to the necessary elements for microbial growth. If microorganisms were to be detected in these extraterrestrial environments, viruses might also be found coexisting with their host cells.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/v18040457","authors":["Andrew McMinn","Yantao Liang","Ziyue Wang","Min Wang"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Extremophile","Habitability","Extreme environment"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/v18040457","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"oa:W4405230250","name":"Reliable paleomagnetic records from single-vortex iron particles","source":"openalex","abstract":"Paleointensity observations from meteorites provide insights into planetary formation and evolution. Meteoritic samples are usually dominated by Fe-rich kamacite, that is capable of faithfully recording the ancient dynamo behavior of meteorites’ parent body. To retrieve paleointensity estimates, most experimental protocols assume that samples are dominated by uniformly magnetized particles. However, most magnetic carriers observed in extraterrestrial samples are non-uniformly magnetized. This inconsistency represents a major impediment in reliably reconstructing paleointensities from meteorites. Here we present the State Group Algorithm (SGA); a micromagnetic based model capable of efficiently simulating thermoremance acquisition of magnetic particles with a single-vortex domain state. The results show that iron particles can acquire thermoremance that is linear with the external field up to ∼100 μT. Single-vortex cooling rate effects are generally weaker than those of single-domain particles, providing more accurate paleointensity estimates. A small number of particles exhibit inverse cooling rate effects, leading to underestimates in paleointensity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.22541/essoar.173385924.43877241/v1","authors":["Shichu Chen","Thomas Berndt","Wyn Williams","José Augusto Devienne","Lesleis Nagy","Peihong Wu"],"tags":["Paleomagnetism","Vortex","Geology","Geography","Geophysics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.22541/essoar.173385924.43877241/v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W2175113828","name":"Limnological Characteristics of 22 Lakes and Ponds in the Haughton Crater Region of Devon Island, Nunavut, Canadian High Arctic","source":"openalex","abstract":"The physical and chemical limnological characteristics of 22 lakes and ponds in the remote region of Haughton Impact Crater, Devon Island, Nunavut, Canada, were explored. Our overall goals were to gather baseline information for use in climate and environmental change monitoring programs in the High Arctic as well as to compare these observations to other limnological surveys conducted in high-latitude regions. Study sites were alkaline (pHmean = 8.3), ultraoligotrophic (TPUmean = 3.7 μg L−1), and phosphorus limited. Major and minor ionic concentrations of most sites are comparable to other previously surveyed high arctic sites. Lakes and ponds in close contact with the impact-generated carbonate melt rocks associated with Haughton Crater were distinguished from the larger data set due to their elevated Mg2+, SO4 2−, Ba2+, Sr2+, and SiO2 concentrations. Selenite (CaSO4·2H2O) formations commonly associated with the lower levels of the carbonate melt sheets were identified as a likely source for the elevated SO4 2− concentrations in these sites. Principal Components Analysis separated sites along a conductivity and nutrient gradient on the primary and secondary axes, respectively. This study serves as a baseline for a long-term monitoring program in the Haughton Crater region.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1657/1523-0430(2003)035[0509:lcolap]2.0.co;2","authors":["Darlene S. S. Lim","Marianne S. V. Douglas"],"tags":["Impact crater","Arctic","Crater lake","Carbonate","Impact structure"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1657/1523-0430(2003)035[0509:lcolap]2.0.co;2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4410288044","name":"Mechanisms of global climate change during the five major mass extinctions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Since the emergence of diverse animal phyla around 500 million years ago, five major mass extinction events have occurred, each coinciding with abnormal climate changes. We analyzed sedimentary organic molecules from the first and least understood extinction event at the end of the Ordovician period. We divided all five major extinctions into two phases each, totaling ten events, and examined the relationship between climate shifts and the “coronene index”—an indicator of heating temperatures in sedimentary rocks caused by volcanic activity or meteorite impacts. As a result, we found that four of the five extinctions began with global cooling and ended with warming, while one started with an unknown anomaly and also ended with warming. During the initial extinction phases, two events showed low-temperature heating, two high-temperature, and one moderate-temperature. All subsequent warming phases showed moderate-temperature heating. These findings suggest that large-scale volcanic eruptions and meteorite impacts heated sulfides, sulfates, and hydrocarbons at varying temperatures, releasing SO2 or soot into the stratosphere, blocking sunlight, and triggering global cooling and extinction. This was followed by moderate heating of hydrocarbons and carbonates, increasing CO2 emissions and driving long-term global warming, leading to secondary extinction events.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-01203-y","authors":["Kunio Kaiho"],"tags":["Climate change","Extinction event","Ecology","Environmental resource management","Biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-01203-y","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4283204524","name":"Identification of sulfate‐reducing magnetotactic bacteria via a group‐specific 16S rDNA primer and correlative fluorescence and electron microscopy: Strategy for culture‐independent study","source":"openalex","abstract":"Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) biomineralize intracellular magnetic nanocrystals and swim along geomagnetic field lines. While few axenic MTB cultures exist, living cells can be separated magnetically from natural environments for analysis. The bacterial universal 27F/1492R primer pair has been used widely to amplify nearly full-length 16S rRNA genes and to provide phylogenetic portraits of MTB communities. However, incomplete coverage and amplification biases inevitably prevent detection of some phylogenetically specific or non-abundant MTB. Here, we propose a new formulation of the upstream 390F primer that we combined with the downstream 1492R primer to specifically amplify 1100-bp 16S rRNA gene sequences of sulfate-reducing MTB in freshwater sediments from Lake Weiyanghu, Xi'an, northwestern China. With correlative fluorescence in situ hybridization and scanning/transmission electron microscopy, three novel MTB strains (WYHR-2, WYHR-3 and WYHR-4) from the Desulfobacterota phylum were identified phylogenetically and structurally at the single-cell level. Strain WYHR-2 produces bullet-shaped magnetosome magnetite, while the other two strains produce both cubic/prismatic greigite and bullet-shaped magnetite. Our results expand knowledge of bacterial diversity and magnetosome biomineralization of sulfate-reducing MTB. We also propose a general strategy for identifying and characterizing uncultured MTB from natural environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.16109","authors":["Jinhua Li","Peiyu Liu","Nicolas Menguy","Karim Benzerara","Jinling Bai","Xiang Zhao","Éric Leroy","Chaoqun Zhang","Heng Zhang","Jiawei Liu","Rongrong Zhang","Kelei Zhu","Andrew P. Roberts","Yongxin Pan"],"tags":["Magnetosome","Biology","Magnetotactic bacteria","16S ribosomal RNA","Bacteria"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-06-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.16109","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4410824536","name":"Design of composite sampling system for surface soil of extraterrestrial bodies","source":"openalex","abstract":"Space resource development has become a frontier hot topic in international space exploration. Amidst the growing scarcity of Earth?s resources and rare metals, the harnessing of asteroid resources has risen to prominence as a principal avenue of exploration. The utilization of asteroid resources necessitates extensive regolith mining operations. Catering to the demands of extensive space activities, extra?terrestrial construction, and resource development, this paper presents the design and simulation analysis of an extraterrestrial surface regolith composite sampling system. The findings demonstrate that the composite sampling approach, which combines spiral drilling and transport with kinetic energy directional excitation, is highly effective. It is capable of collecting no less than 500 g within a mere 5 seconds at a rotation speed of 3000 rpm, while the reaction force exerted by the brush remains below 5 N, thus satisfying the requirement for a low reaction force.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2298/tsci2502267s","authors":["Qichen Sun","Zeng Zhao","Junshan Gong","Zhongwang Yin","Xiaoming Lai","Haibin Yu","Zhongxian Zhao","Chao Wang","Hui Lv"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Composite number","Sampling (signal processing)","Environmental science","Surface (topology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2298/tsci2502267s","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W2966815472","name":"Assessment of the Solar Resource in Andean Regions by Comparison between Satellite Estimation and Ground Measurements: Study Case of Ecuador","source":"openalex","abstract":"To develop and implement solar technologies, it is necessary to know accurately the solar resource on the place. Consequently, several institutions working in renewable energy have made efforts to both measure solar radiation and develop models to estimate solar radiation. The main drawback with estimations is their lack of accuracy. Recently, the NREL (NSRDB) has update its meteorological database based in satellite estimations. Some validations have been reported, however, no studies about its validity for the Andean region have been done. In this work, measurements of global horizontal irradiation (GHI) from 53 stations placed along the Ecuadorian territory were compared with satellite estimation data from NSRDB. Statistical descriptive indicators of dispersion (RMSE, MBE) and goodness of fit (KS test) were used. The data were grouped in hourly, daily, weekly and monthly basis, as well as in clear and cloudy basis. Results show that monthly grouping may be used with confidence, since close to 95% of comparisons have a good fit. Also, results show that both, clear sky and cloudy models tend to overestimate solar radiation in such a region. Solar resource seems to be high in Ecuador since more than 75% of the territory has values over 3.8 kWh/m2day.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5539/jsd.v12n4p62","authors":["Freddy Ordóñez","Diego Vaca-Revelo","Jesus Lopez-Villada"],"tags":["Solar Resource","Satellite","Environmental science","Meteorology","Estimation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-07-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5539/jsd.v12n4p62","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W7117300788","name":"Mass spectrometry imaging: principles and applications in plant research","source":"openalex","abstract":"Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is an advanced analytical technique that combines mass spectrometry with spatial mapping, enabling the direct, label-free detection and visualization of molecular distributions within biological tissues. This review comprehensively outlines the fundamental principles, major technological platforms, and recent applications of MSI in plant science. We detail key ionization techniques - matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI), desorption electrospray ionization (DESI), and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) - focusing on their ionization mechanisms and instrumental characteristics. We then highlight the transformative impact of MSI in plant research, specifically covering: plant metabolomics, localization of bioactive compounds in medicinal plants, elucidation of plant-microbe interaction mechanisms, and studies of plant responses to environmental stresses. Finally, we discuss current challenges and future directions for the technology. Due to its high sensitivity, spatial resolution, and label-free capability, MSI has become a pivotal tool for uncovering plant physiological processes and metabolic regulatory networks, demonstrating significant potential for broad application in plant science.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70834","authors":["Zhixin Liu","Aizhi Qin","Yinpeng Zhang","Qianli Zhao","M Li","Hao Liu","Yaping Zhou","Mengmeng Zhou","Lulu Yan","Chunyang Li","Lu Kong","Chun‐Peng Song"],"tags":["Mass spectrometry","Mass spectrometry imaging","Chemistry","Electrospray ionization","Desorption electrospray ionization"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70834","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W2262504769","name":"On the applicability of imaging spectrometry for the detection and investigation of contaminated sites with particular consideration given to the detection of fuel hydrocarbon contaminants in soil","source":"openalex","abstract":"This study investigates the applicability of remote sensing in general and imaging spectrometry in particular, for contaminated site detection and investigation with a focus on fuel hydrocarbon soil contaminations. Laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the reflectance spectra of typical contaminants, contaminants at typical concentrations in soils, related materials and detection limits in a range of wavelengths from 0.38 µm to 2.5 µm. Characteristic absorption features of different organic chemicals, natural and man-made materials are described. Detection limits for fuel hydrocarbon contaminants in soils are defined, and the separability of hydrocarbon soil contaminations from other hydrocarbon-bearing materials is described. Data interpretation experiments using an imaging spectrometry dataset were conducted to assess the applicability of established data interpretation algorithms and to develop a method of detecting and separating different classes of hydrocarbons in imaging spectrometry datasets.","url":"https://openalex.org/W2262504769","authors":["Kay Hasko Winkelmann"],"tags":["Contamination","Hydrocarbon","Soil water","Environmental science","Mass spectrometry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W2106566631","name":"The next 25 years: Industrialization of space - Rationale for planning","source":"openalex","abstract":"The goals of NASA's space industralization program include contributing to increased productivity on earth without taxing the environment, generating new values through extraterrestrial productivity, and providing new growth options for the future which include the permanent settlement of space and long-range colonization and exploration projects. In planning the long-range space program based on essentially utilitarian aspects, without losing sight of the more humanistically significant long term, and to forecast associated technology requirements, a realistic approach is obtained by combining extrapolative and normative planning modes so that common stepping stones can be identified. In the extrapolative view, alternative futures are projected on the basis of past and current trends and tendencies. In the normative view, some ideal state in the far future is envisioned or postulated, and policies and decisions are directed toward its attainment.","url":"https://openalex.org/W2106566631","authors":["Jesco von Puttkamer"],"tags":["Normative","Productivity","Futures contract","Space (punctuation)","Economics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1976-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"oa:W4416267612","name":"Mitigating Microbial Artifacts in Laboratory Research on Underground Hydrogen Storage","source":"openalex","abstract":"The global energy sector is aiming to substantially reduce CO2 emissions to meet the UN climate goals. Among the proposed strategies, underground storage solutions such as radioactive disposal, CO2, NH3, and underground H2 storage (UHS) have emerged as promising options for mitigating anthropogenic emissions. These approaches require rigorous research and development (R&D), often involving laboratory-scale experiments to establish their feasibility before being scaled up to pilot plant operations. Microorganisms, which are ubiquitous in laboratory environments, can significantly influence geochemical reactions under variable experimental conditions of porous media and a salt cavern. We have selected a consortium composed of Bacillus sp., Enterobacter sp., and Cronobacter sp. bacteria, which are typically present in the laboratory environment. These microorganisms can contaminate the rock sample and develop experimental artifacts in UHS experiments. Hence, it is pivotal to sterilize the rock prior to conduct experimental research related to effects of microorganisms in the porous media and the salt cavern for the investigation of UHS. This study investigated the efficacy of various disinfection and sterilization methods, including ultraviolet irradiation, autoclaving, oven heating, ethanol treatments, and gamma irradiation, in removing the microorganisms from silica sand. Additionally, the consideration of their effects on mineral properties are reviewed. A total of 567 vials, each filled with 9 mL of acid-producing bacteria (APB) media were used to test killing efficacy of the cleaning methods. We conducted serial dilutions up to 10−8 and repeated them three times to determine whether any deviation occurred. Our findings revealed that gamma irradiation and autoclaving were the most effective techniques for eradicating microbial contaminants, achieving sterilization without significantly altering the mineral characteristics. These findings underscore the necessity of robust cleaning protocols in hydrogeochemical research to ensure reliable, reproducible data, particularly in future studies where microbial contamination could induce artifacts in laboratory research.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/fuels6030052","authors":["Adnan Aftab","Silvia J. Salgar-Chaparro","Quan Xie","Ali Saeedi","Mohammad Sarmadivaleh"],"tags":["Environmental science","Microorganism","Waste management","Pulp and paper industry","Sterilization (economics)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/fuels6030052","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W2322067449","name":"SOURCES OF TRITIUM AND ITS BEHAVIOR UPON RELEASE TO THE ENVIRONMENT. AEC Critical Review Series.","source":"openalex","abstract":"This report is the first in the AEC Critical Review Series, a new series of state-of-the-art studies prepared for the Atomic Energy Commission.The author reviews published information on tritium production and the pertinent factors that affect the behavior of tritium in the environment.Because of the extremely large number of publications dealing with tritium, the review is not exhaustive; however, the most important aspects have been mentioned and extensive references are given.Estimates are made for production and accumulation of tritium in an expanding nuclear power economy, including the impact of an increased tritium production on local and worldwide populations.This report was originally prepared for the Nuclear Safety Information Center, one of the USAEC's specialized information analysis centers.Established in 1963, the Nuclear Safety Information Center is a focal point for the collection, evaluation, storage, and dissemination of safety information on reactors and other nuclear facilities.Principal services include (1) preparation of state-of-the-art reports, (2) cooperation in the preparation of Nuclear Safety, (3) answering technical inquiries as time is available, (4) counsel and guidance on nuclear safety problems, and (5) operation of a program of Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI) which offers abstracts to individuals according to their particular interest.Services are available without charge to government agencies, research and educational institutions, and the nuclear industry.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2172/4799828","authors":["Tenn. (USA) Oak Ridge National Lab.","D.G. Jacobs"],"tags":["Tritium","Series (stratigraphy)","Environmental science","Nuclear physics","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1968-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2172/4799828","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.04412v2","name":"Minimum Non-Obtuse Triangulations: The CG:SHOP Challenge 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We give an overview of the 2025 Computational Geometry Challenge targeting the problem Minimum Non-Obtuse Triangulation: Given a planar straight-line graph G in the plane, defined by a set of points in the plane (representing vertices) and a set of non-crossing line segments connecting them (representing edges); the objective is to find a feasible non-obtuse triangulation that uses a minimum number of Steiner points. If no triangulation without obtuse triangles is found, the secondary objective is to minimize the number of obtuse triangles in the triangulation.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.04412v2","authors":["Sándor P. Fekete","Phillip Keldenich","Dominik Krupke","Stefan Schirra"],"tags":["cs.CG","cs.DS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-06T08:38:54Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.01489v1","name":"No evidence of intrinsic linear polarization in Nova Vel 2025 (V572 Vel)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We report on polarimetric observations of V572 Vel (Nova Vel 2025) conducted on June 26th and July 21st, 2025, shortly after its nova eruption was discovered. Our measurements in the I$_C$ band revealed an average linear polarization of 1.60$\\pm$0.03\\% at position angle of 132.2\\degr. To distinguish between intrinsic and interstellar polarization, we also measured 86 field stars in the nova's vicinity, finding an average polarization of 1.25$\\pm$0.61\\% at a nearly identical position angle of 132\\degr. The strong consistency between the nova's polarization and that of the surrounding field stars suggests that the observed polarization is predominantly interstellar in origin. We found no significant evidence of an intrinsic polarization component, which would typically arise from an asymmetric distribution of ejected material. Further multi-band observations are recommended to confirm these findings.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.01489v1","authors":["Isabel J. Lima","Marina M. C. Mello","Claudia V. Rodrigues","G. Juan M. Luna","Francisco Jablonski","Fernando Falkenberg"],"tags":["astro-ph.SR","astro-ph.GA"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-01T14:09:48Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.10071v3","name":"Openpi Comet: Competition Solution For 2025 BEHAVIOR Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The 2025 BEHAVIOR Challenge is designed to rigorously track progress toward solving long-horizon tasks by physical agents in simulated environments. BEHAVIOR-1K focuses on everyday household tasks that people most want robots to assist with and these tasks introduce long-horizon mobile manipulation challenges in realistic settings, bridging the gap between current research and real-world, human-centric applications. This report presents our solution to the 2025 BEHAVIOR Challenge in a very close 2nd place and substantially outperforms the rest of the submissions. Building on $π_{0.5}$, we focus on systematically building our solution by studying the effects of training techniques and data. Through careful ablation studies, we reveal the scaling benefits in both the pre-training and post-training phases, leading to a validation Q-score of 0.345, significantly surpassing previous state-of-the-art performance. We summarize our practical lessons and design recommendations that we hope will provide actionable insights for the broader embodied AI community when adapting powerful foundation models to complex embodied scenarios. Project page: https://github.com/mli0603/openpi-comet","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.10071v3","authors":["Junjie Bai","Yu-Wei Chao","Qizhi Chen","Jinwei Gu","Moo Jin Kim","Zhaoshuo Li","Xuan Li","Tsung-Yi Lin","Ming-Yu Liu","Nic Ma","Kaichun Mo","Delin Qu","Shangkun Sun","Hongchi Xia","Fangyin Wei","Xiaohui Zeng"],"tags":["cs.RO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-10T20:46:40Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2602.12410v2","name":"Proceedings for the Inaugural Meeting of the International Society for Tractography -- IST 2025 Bordeaux","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This collection comprises the abstracts presented during poster, power pitch and oral sessions at the Inaugural Conference of the International Society for Tractography (IST Conference 2025), held in Bordeaux, France, from October 13-16, 2025. The conference was designed to foster meaningful exchange and collaboration between disparate fields. The overall focus was on advancing research, innovation, and community in the common fields of interest: neuroanatomy, tractography methods and scientific/clinical applications of tractography. The included abstracts cover the latest advancements in tractography, Diffusion MRI, and related fields including new work on; neurological and psychiatric disorders, deep brain stimulation targeting, and brain development. This landmark event brought together world-leading experts to discuss critical challenges and chart the future direction of the field.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.12410v2","authors":["Flavio Dell Acqua","Maxime Descoteaux","Graham Little","Laurent Petit","Dogu Baran Aydogan","Stephanie Forkel","Alexander Leemans","Simona Schiavi","Michel Thiebaut de Schotten"],"tags":["eess.IV","cs.CV","q-bio.NC"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-12T21:07:41Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.20223v1","name":"Multi-band optical variability of the blazar OP 313 in the outburst state during 2024-2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present the analysis results of flux and spectral variability of the blazar OP 313 across intra-night to short-term timescales using BVRI photometric data, gathered over 25 nights from Nov 2024 to May 2025, using two optical telescopes in ARIES, India. The source was in an outburst state during this period. We searched for intraday variations (IDV), using two powerful statistical tests: the Power Enhanced F-test and the Nested ANOVA test. The source displayed IDV in the R band for five of the ten nights, yielding a duty cycle of 34$\\%$. During the entire monitoring of the source, it showed variations of over two mag in all B, V, R, and I data bands. We obtained a variability timescale for a variable light curve, giving us an upper limit for the size of the emission region. We generated optical SEDs of the blazar for these 25 nights, fitted a power law of form $(F_ν\\propto ν^{-α_{o}})$ and found the weighted mean spectral index to be 1.471$\\pm$0.004. An analysis of the color-magnitude diagram shows that, contrary to the redder-when-brighter (RWB) trend typically observed in FSRQs, this source exhibits a bluer-when-brighter (BWB) trend on short-term variability (STV) timescales - a behavior more commonly associated with BL Lac object. We explore potential physical mechanisms responsible for the observed spectral variability.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.20223v1","authors":["P. U. Devanand","Alok C. Gupta","Karan Dogra","Shubham Kishore","Tushar Tripathi"],"tags":["astro-ph.HE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-27T11:08:14Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2501.00504v2","name":"The Algonauts Project 2025 Challenge: How the Human Brain Makes Sense of Multimodal Movies","source":"arxiv","abstract":"There is growing symbiosis between artificial and biological intelligence sciences: neural principles inspire new intelligent machines, which are in turn used to advance our theoretical understanding of the brain. To promote further collaboration between biological and artificial intelligence researchers, we introduce the 2025 edition of the Algonauts Project challenge: How the Human Brain Makes Sense of Multimodal Movies (https://algonautsproject.com/). In collaboration with the Courtois Project on Neuronal Modelling (CNeuroMod), this edition aims to bring forth a new generation of brain encoding models that are multimodal and that generalize well beyond their training distribution, by training them on the largest dataset of fMRI responses to movie watching available to date. Open to all, the 2025 challenge provides transparent, directly comparable results through a public leaderboard that is updated automatically after each submission to facilitate rapid model assessment and guide development. The challenge will end with a session at the 2025 Cognitive Computational Neuroscience (CCN) conference that will feature winning models. We welcome researchers interested in collaborating with the Algonauts Project by contributing ideas and datasets for future challenges.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.00504v2","authors":["Alessandro T. Gifford","Domenic Bersch","Marie St-Laurent","Basile Pinsard","Julie Boyle","Lune Bellec","Aude Oliva","Gemma Roig","Radoslaw M. Cichy"],"tags":["q-bio.NC"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-31T15:28:31Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.10016v1","name":"SvalMIZ-25 Svalbard Marginal Ice Zone Campaign 2025 -- Cruise Report","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The coupling of weather, sea-ice, ocean, and wave forecasting systems has been a long-standing research focus to improve Arctic forecasting systems and their realism and is also a priority of international initiatives such as the WMO research project PCAPS. The goal of the Svalbard Marginal Ice Zone 2025 Campaign (SvalMIZ-25) was to observe and better understand the complex interplay between atmosphere, waves, and sea-ice in the winter Marginal Ice Zone (MIZ) in order to advance predictive skill of coupled Arctic forecasting systems. The main objective has been to set up a network of observations with a spatial distribution that allows for a representative comparison between in situ observations and gridded model data. The observed variables include air and surface temperature, sea-ice drift, and wave energy spectra. With the support of the Norwegian Coast Guard, we participated in the research cruise with KV Svalbard from 22.April - 11.May 2025. In total 21 buoys were deployed in the Marginal Ice Zone north of the Svalbard Archipelago.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.10016v1","authors":["M. Müller","J. Rabault","C. Palerme","J. Tjernström"],"tags":["physics.ao-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-12T07:20:53Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2411.12503v1","name":"ManiSkill-ViTac 2025: Challenge on Manipulation Skill Learning With Vision and Tactile Sensing","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This article introduces the ManiSkill-ViTac Challenge 2025, which focuses on learning contact-rich manipulation skills using both tactile and visual sensing. Expanding upon the 2024 challenge, ManiSkill-ViTac 2025 includes 3 independent tracks: tactile manipulation, tactile-vision fusion manipulation, and tactile sensor structure design. The challenge aims to push the boundaries of robotic manipulation skills, emphasizing the integration of tactile and visual data to enhance performance in complex, real-world tasks. Participants will be evaluated using standardized metrics across both simulated and real-world environments, spurring innovations in sensor design and significantly advancing the field of vision-tactile fusion in robotics.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.12503v1","authors":["Chuanyu Li","Renjun Dang","Xiang Li","Zhiyuan Wu","Jing Xu","Hamidreza Kasaei","Roberto Calandra","Nathan Lepora","Shan Luo","Hao Su","Rui Chen"],"tags":["cs.RO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-19T13:42:18Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.01102v1","name":"The 2025 Release of Cloudy","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present the 2025 release of the spectral synthesis code Cloudy, highlighting significant enhancements to the scope and accuracy of the physics which have been made since the previous release. A major part of this development involves resolving the Lyman $α$ line into $j$-resolved fine-structure doublets, making Cloudy of use to the X-ray community. On this front, we have also updated inner-shell ionization line energies and incorporated the 1 keV feature commonly observed in X-ray binaries. Additionally, we update our in-house database, Stout, for the carbon isoelectronic sequence, improving Cloudy microphysical calculations for all wavelengths. We have also extended the molecular network by adding new silicon-bearing species, titanium-related reactions, and phosphorus-containing molecules, enhancing Cloudy's ability to model the complex chemistry relevant to rapidly growing field of exoplanet atmospheres. Finally, we outline future developments aimed at maximizing the scientific return from the current and upcoming generation of observatories, including XRISM, JWST, Roman, the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) and NewAthena.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.01102v1","authors":["Chamani M. Gunasekera","Peter A. M. van Hoof","Maryam Dehghanian","Priyanka Chakraborty","Gargi Shaw","Stefano Bianchi","Marios Chatzikos","Masahiro Tsujimoto","Gary J. Ferland"],"tags":["astro-ph.GA"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-01T22:41:40Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.950Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.26430v1","name":"Theta as a Horn Solver","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Theta is a verification framework that has participated in the CHC-COMP competition since 2023. While its core approach -- based on transforming constrained Horn clauses (CHCs) into control-flow automata (CFAs) for analysis -- has remained mostly unchanged, Theta's verification techniques, design trade-offs, and limitations have remained mostly unexplored in the context of CHCs. This paper fills that gap: we provide a detailed description of the algorithms employed by Theta, highlighting the unique features that distinguish it from other CHC solvers. We also analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the tool in the context of CHC-COMP benchmarks. Notably, in the 2025 edition of the competition, Theta's performance was impacted by a configuration issue, leading to suboptimal results. To provide a clearer picture of Theta's actual capabilities, we re-execute the tool on the competition benchmarks under corrected settings and report on the resulting performance.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.26430v1","authors":["Levente Bajczi","Milán Mondok","Vince Molnár"],"tags":["cs.LO","cs.SE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-30T12:24:52Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.16365v1","name":"Overview of the First Workshop on Language Models for Low-Resource Languages (LoResLM 2025)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The first Workshop on Language Models for Low-Resource Languages (LoResLM 2025) was held in conjunction with the 31st International Conference on Computational Linguistics (COLING 2025) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. This workshop mainly aimed to provide a forum for researchers to share and discuss their ongoing work on language models (LMs) focusing on low-resource languages, following the recent advancements in neural language models and their linguistic biases towards high-resource languages. LoResLM 2025 attracted notable interest from the natural language processing (NLP) community, resulting in 35 accepted papers from 52 submissions. These contributions cover a broad range of low-resource languages from eight language families and 13 diverse research areas, paving the way for future possibilities and promoting linguistic inclusivity in NLP.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.16365v1","authors":["Hansi Hettiarachchi","Tharindu Ranasinghe","Paul Rayson","Ruslan Mitkov","Mohamed Gaber","Damith Premasiri","Fiona Anting Tan","Lasitha Uyangodage"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-20T21:55:32Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.16387v1","name":"Multi-Channel Sequence-to-Sequence Neural Diarization: Experimental Results for The MISP 2025 Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes the speaker diarization system developed for the Multimodal Information-Based Speech Processing (MISP) 2025 Challenge. First, we utilize the Sequence-to-Sequence Neural Diarization (S2SND) framework to generate initial predictions using single-channel audio. Then, we extend the original S2SND framework to create a new version, Multi-Channel Sequence-to-Sequence Neural Diarization (MC-S2SND), which refines the initial results using multi-channel audio. The final system achieves a diarization error rate (DER) of 8.09% on the evaluation set of the competition database, ranking first place in the speaker diarization task of the MISP 2025 Challenge.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.16387v1","authors":["Ming Cheng","Fei Su","Cancan Li","Juan Liu","Ming Li"],"tags":["eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-22T08:39:48Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.05912v1","name":"DeviceScope: An Interactive App to Detect and Localize Appliance Patterns in Electricity Consumption Time Series","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In recent years, electricity suppliers have installed millions of smart meters worldwide to improve the management of the smart grid system. These meters collect a large amount of electrical consumption data to produce valuable information to help consumers reduce their electricity footprint. However, having non-expert users (e.g., consumers or sales advisors) understand these data and derive usage patterns for different appliances has become a significant challenge for electricity suppliers because these data record the aggregated behavior of all appliances. At the same time, ground-truth labels (which could train appliance detection and localization models) are expensive to collect and extremely scarce in practice. This paper introduces DeviceScope, an interactive tool designed to facilitate understanding smart meter data by detecting and localizing individual appliance patterns within a given time period. Our system is based on CamAL (Class Activation Map-based Appliance Localization), a novel weakly supervised approach for appliance localization that only requires the knowledge of the existence of an appliance in a household to be trained. This paper appeared in ICDE 2025.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.05912v1","authors":["Adrien Petralia","Paul Boniol","Philippe Charpentier","Themis Palpanas"],"tags":["cs.LG","eess.SP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-06T09:32:38Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.22763v1","name":"Iterative Layer Pruning for Efficient Translation Inference","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Large language models (LLMs) have transformed many areas of natural language processing, including machine translation. However, efficient deployment of LLMs remains challenging due to their intensive computational requirements. In this paper, we address this challenge and present our submissions to the Model Compression track at the Conference on Machine Translation (WMT 2025). In our experiments, we investigate iterative layer pruning guided by layer importance analysis. We evaluate this method using the Aya-Expanse-8B model for translation from Czech to German, and from English to Egyptian Arabic. Our approach achieves substantial reductions in model size and inference time, while maintaining the translation quality of the baseline models.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.22763v1","authors":["Yasmin Moslem","Muhammad Hazim Al Farouq","John D. Kelleher"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.PF"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-26T17:26:14Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.09778v1","name":"RoboCup Rescue 2025 Team Description Paper UruBots","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes the approach used by Team UruBots for participation in the 2025 RoboCup Rescue Robot League competition. Our team aims to participate for the first time in this competition at RoboCup, using experience learned from previous competitions and research. We present our vehicle and our approach to tackle the task of detecting and finding victims in search and rescue environments. Our approach contains known topics in robotics, such as ROS, SLAM, Human Robot Interaction and segmentation and perception. Our proposed approach is open source, available to the RoboCup Rescue community, where we aim to learn and contribute to the league.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.09778v1","authors":["Kevin Farias","Pablo Moraes","Igor Nunes","Juan Deniz","Sebastian Barcelona","Hiago Sodre","William Moraes","Monica Rodriguez","Ahilen Mazondo","Vincent Sandin","Gabriel da Silva","Victoria Saravia","Vinicio Melgar","Santiago Fernandez","Ricardo Grando"],"tags":["cs.RO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-14T00:37:50Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.15872v1","name":"Earthquake Swarm Activity in the Tokara Islands (2025): Statistical Analysis Indicates Low Probability of Major Seismic Event","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Tokara Islands, a volcanic archipelago south of Japan's main islands, has experienced ongoing earthquake swarm activity in 2025, raising concerns about triggering the anticipated Nankai Trough earthquake. The Japan Meteorological Agency has dismissed this link, but the seismic activity's mechanisms remain unclear. This study uses Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) to examine the 2025 swarm's statistical properties and compare them with historical patterns. The 2025 swarm's frequency and magnitude distributions closely resemble those of 2021 swarms, which coincided with volcanic activity at Suwanose Island, 10 km from the epicentral region, suggesting a magma-seismicity link. Statistical analysis shows a low magnitude scale (σ = 0.37) and moderate mean magnitude (μ = 2.8), consistent with magma-driven seismicity, unlike the higher σ (1.2) and μ (3.6) before the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. The exponential distribution of earthquake intervals (λ = 1/0.19 hours) further supports magma-induced activity. These findings indicate localized volcanic processes, not precursors to major tectonic events like the Nankai Trough earthquake. Statistical seismology effectively distinguishes volcanic from tectonic seismic processes for hazard assessment.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.15872v1","authors":["Tomokazu Konishi"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-16T04:19:38Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.20016v1","name":"FedSWA: Improving Generalization in Federated Learning with Highly Heterogeneous Data via Momentum-Based Stochastic Controlled Weight Averaging","source":"arxiv","abstract":"For federated learning (FL) algorithms such as FedSAM, their generalization capability is crucial for real-word applications. In this paper, we revisit the generalization problem in FL and investigate the impact of data heterogeneity on FL generalization. We find that FedSAM usually performs worse than FedAvg in the case of highly heterogeneous data, and thus propose a novel and effective federated learning algorithm with Stochastic Weight Averaging (called \\texttt{FedSWA}), which aims to find flatter minima in the setting of highly heterogeneous data. Moreover, we introduce a new momentum-based stochastic controlled weight averaging FL algorithm (\\texttt{FedMoSWA}), which is designed to better align local and global models. Theoretically, we provide both convergence analysis and generalization bounds for \\texttt{FedSWA} and \\texttt{FedMoSWA}. We also prove that the optimization and generalization errors of \\texttt{FedMoSWA} are smaller than those of their counterparts, including FedSAM and its variants. Empirically, experimental results on CIFAR10/100 and Tiny ImageNet demonstrate the superiority of the proposed algorithms compared to their counterparts. Open source code at: https://github.com/junkangLiu0/FedSWA.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.20016v1","authors":["Liu junkang","Yuanyuan Liu","Fanhua Shang","Hongying Liu","Jin Liu","Wei Feng"],"tags":["cs.LG","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-26T17:12:40Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.21618v1","name":"TrajTok: Technical Report for 2025 Waymo Open Sim Agents Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this technical report, we introduce TrajTok, a trajectory tokenizer for discrete next-token-prediction based behavior generation models, which combines data-driven and rule-based methods with better coverage, symmetry and robustness, along with a spatial-aware label smoothing method for cross-entropy loss. We adopt the tokenizer and loss for the SMART model and reach a superior performance with realism score of 0.7852 on the Waymo Open Sim Agents Challenge 2025. We will open-source the code in the future.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.21618v1","authors":["Zhiyuan Zhang","Xiaosong Jia","Guanyu Chen","Qifeng Li","Junchi Yan"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-23T08:32:05Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.03787v1","name":"Quantifying the Economic Impact of 2025 ICE Raids on California's Agricultural Industry: A Case Study of Oxnard","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In 2025, intensified Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in Oxnard, California, disrupted the state's \\$49 billion agricultural industry, a critical supplier of 75% of U.S. fruits and nuts and one-third of its vegetables. This paper quantifies the economic consequences of these raids on labor markets, crop production, and food prices using econometric modeling. We estimate a 20-40% reduction in the agricultural workforce, leading to \\$3-7 billion in crop losses and a 5-12% increase in produce prices. The analysis draws on USDA Economic Research Service data and recent ICE detention figures, which show arrests in Southern California rising from 699 in May to nearly 2,000 in June 2025. The raids disproportionately affect labor-intensive crops like strawberries, exacerbating supply chain disruptions. Policy recommendations include expanding the H-2A visa program and legalizing undocumented workers to stabilize the sector. This study contributes to agricultural economics by providing a data-driven assessment of immigration enforcement's economic toll.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.03787v1","authors":["Xinyu Li"],"tags":["econ.GN"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-05T16:31:33Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.10116v1","name":"Application of nanodiamond-polymer composite holographic gratings in a very cold neutron interferometer","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In recent decades, photosensitive materials have been used for the development of optical devices not only for light, but also for cold and very cold neutrons. We show that holographically recorded gratings in nanodiamond-polymer composites (nDPC) form ideal diffraction elements for very cold neutrons. Their advantage of high diffraction efficiency, combined with low angular selectivity as a two-port beam splitter, meets the necessary conditions for application in a very cold neutron interferometer. We provide an overview of the latest achievements in the construction of such a triple Laue interferometer. A first operational test of the interferometer is planned immediately after this conference in May 2025.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.10116v1","authors":["Sonja Falmbigl","Roxana H. Ackermann","Elhoucine Hadden","Hanno Filter-Pieler","Tobias Jenke","Juergen Klepp","Christian Pruner","Yasuo Tomita","Martin Fally"],"tags":["physics.optics"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-14T11:26:03Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.02267v1","name":"Tribute to Toshimitsu Yamazaki (1934-2025): Quest for Exotic Hadronic Matter","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this talk I pay tribute to Toshimitsu Yamazaki who died earlier this year. Yamazaki's leading contributions to Hadronic Physics, in particular to Strangeness Nuclear Physics in Japan and elsewhere, are well known. Two of the five Recurring Themes of his research, as listed in the Japan Academy site, are highlighted here: (i) Discovery of deeply bound pionic-atom states, and (ii) Search for kaonic nuclei -- Kaonic Proton Matter (KPM). I conclude by reviewing briefly my own recent work, confirming Farrar's conjecture that a deeply bound $H$ dibaryon is not ruled out by the weak-decay observation of $ΛΛ$ hypernuclei. However, the relatively long lifetime of such a deeply bound $H$ is much too short to qualify it for a Dark-Matter candidate.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.02267v1","authors":["Avraham Gal"],"tags":["nucl-th","hep-ph","nucl-ex"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-04T10:18:17Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.09829v2","name":"Dynamically New Comet C/2025 D1 (Groeller) with Record Perihelion Distance","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We studied C/2025 D1 (Groeller), a long-period comet with an unprecedented perihelion distance of 14.1 au, using archival observations. The data reveals that it had been active at inbound heliocentric distances $r_{\\rm H} \\gtrsim 20$ au. Initially, the comet intrinsically brightened at $r_{\\rm H} \\gtrsim 16$ au, with brightening parameters comparable to those of other long-period comets. However, observations after late 2023 showed a gradual decay, despite the inbound trajectory of the comet. To our knowledge, such behaviours have not been observed for other long-period comets at similar heliocentric distances. We speculate that this might be linked to the onset of CO$_{2}$ sublimation and/or crystallisation processes. Alternatively, the activity source might have been exhausted. The surface brightness profile of the coma indicates a steady-state mass loss, implying supervolatile sublimation as the primary driver of the observed activity. Despite changes in the orbital plane angle, the circularly symmetric coma persisted throughout the observed period, indicative of the dominance of large grains in the coma. Assuming the activity trend is independent of bandpass, we found that comet was redder than many other solar system comets. Our model-dependent constraint estimates the nucleus radius to be $\\gtrsim\\!0.4$ km. We performed astrometric measurements, refined the orbital solution, and derived the original and future orbits of the comet. Our N-body integration, accounting for the Galactic tide, strongly favours that the comet is dynamically new, with its previous perihelion at $\\gtrsim\\!60$ au from the Sun $\\gtrsim\\!6$ Myr ago. It is highly likely that the comet will be lost from our solar system after the current apparition.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.09829v2","authors":["Man-To Hui","Robert Weryk","Marco Micheli","Sam Deen","David J. Tholen","Jianchun Shi","Xian Shi","Richard Wainscoat"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-11T20:03:38Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2503.00566v4","name":"Instructor-Worker Large Language Model System for Policy Recommendation: a Case Study on Air Quality Analysis of the January 2025 Los Angeles Wildfires","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Los Angeles wildfires of January 2025 caused more than 250 billion dollars in damage and lasted for nearly an entire month before containment. Following our previous work, the Digital Twin Building, we modify and leverage the multi-agent large language model framework as well as the cloud-mapping integration to study the air quality during the Los Angeles wildfires. Recent advances in large language models have allowed for out-of-the-box automated large-scale data analysis. We use a multi-agent large language system comprised of an Instructor agent and Worker agents. Upon receiving the users' instructions, the Instructor agent retrieves the data from the cloud platform and produces instruction prompts to the Worker agents. The Worker agents then analyze the data and provide summaries. The summaries are finally input back into the Instructor agent, which then provides the final data analysis. We test this system's capability for data-based policy recommendation by assessing our Instructor-Worker LLM system's health recommendations based on air quality during the Los Angeles wildfires.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.00566v4","authors":["Kyle Gao","Dening Lu","Liangzhi Li","Nan Chen","Hongjie He","Linlin Xu","Jonathan Li"],"tags":["cs.AI","cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-01T17:29:26Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.25738v1","name":"The 1st Solution for MOSEv1 Challenge on LSVOS 2025: CGFSeg","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Video Object Segmentation (VOS) aims to track and segment specific objects across entire video sequences, yet it remains highly challenging under complex real-world scenarios. The MOSEv1 and LVOS dataset, adopted in the MOSEv1 challenge on LSVOS 2025, which is specifically designed to enhance the robustness of VOS models in complex real-world scenarios, including long-term object disappearances and reappearances, as well as the presence of small and inconspicuous objects. In this paper, we present our improved method, Confidence-Guided Fusion Segmentation (CGFSeg), for the VOS task in the MOSEv1 Challenge. During training, the feature extractor of SAM2 is frozen, while the remaining components are fine-tuned to preserve strong feature extraction ability and improve segmentation accuracy. In the inference stage, we introduce a pixel-check strategy that progressively refines predictions by exploiting complementary strengths of multiple models, thereby yielding robust final masks. As a result, our method achieves a J&amp;F score of 86.37% on the test set, ranking 1st in the MOSEv1 Challenge at LSVOS 2025. These results highlight the effectiveness of our approach in addressing the challenges of VOS task in complex scenarios.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.25738v1","authors":["Tingmin Li","Yixuan Li","Yang Yang"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-30T03:50:56Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.00461v1","name":"Whose Personae? Synthetic Persona Experiments in LLM Research and Pathways to Transparency","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Synthetic personae experiments have become a prominent method in Large Language Model alignment research, yet the representativeness and ecological validity of these personae vary considerably between studies. Through a review of 63 peer-reviewed studies published between 2023 and 2025 in leading NLP and AI venues, we reveal a critical gap: task and population of interest are often underspecified in persona-based experiments, despite personalization being fundamentally dependent on these criteria. Our analysis shows substantial differences in user representation, with most studies focusing on limited sociodemographic attributes and only 35% discussing the representativeness of their LLM personae. Based on our findings, we introduce a persona transparency checklist that emphasizes representative sampling, explicit grounding in empirical data, and enhanced ecological validity. Our work provides both a comprehensive assessment of current practices and practical guidelines to improve the rigor and ecological validity of persona-based evaluations in language model alignment research.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.00461v1","authors":["Jan Batzner","Volker Stocker","Bingjun Tang","Anusha Natarajan","Qinhao Chen","Stefan Schmid","Gjergji Kasneci"],"tags":["cs.CY","cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-29T12:27:34Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.25298v3","name":"Trajectories and Comparative Analysis of Global Countries Dominating AI Publications, 2000-2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This study investigates the shifting global dynamics of Artificial Intelligence (AI) research by analysing the trajectories of countries dominating AI publications between 2000 and 2025. Drawing on the comprehensive OpenAlex datasets and employing fractional counting to avoid double attribution in co-authored work, the research maps the relative shares of AI publications across major global players. The analysis reveals a profound restructuring of the international AI research landscape. The US and the European Union (representing EU27), once the undisputed and established leaders, have experienced a notable decline in relative dominance, with their combined share of publications falling from over 57% in 2000 to less than 25% in 2025. In contrast, China has undergone a dramatic ascent, expanding its global share of AI publications from under 5% in 2000 to nearly 36% by 2025, therefore emerging as the single most dominant contributor. Alongside China, India has also risen substantially, consolidating a multipolar Asian research ecosystem. These empirical findings highlight the strategic implications of concentrated research output, particularly China's capacity to shape the future direction of AI innovation and standard-setting. Beyond publication volume, the study further examines research quality by comparing each country's share of high-impact publications against its overall output, and analyses citation impact trajectories across major players. The findings show that in addition to China leading in volume, the country has also recently led in high-impact publications. Such an observation challenges the general assumption that Western powers retain dominance in high-impact AI scholarship.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.25298v3","authors":["Jason Hung"],"tags":["cs.CY","cs.DL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-29T16:35:54Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.25288v1","name":"Cosmological tensions in the era of precision cosmology: Insights from Tensions in Cosmology 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The ``Tensions in Cosmology'' series of conferences has been established as one of the main venues where the cosmological community collectively assesses the cracks in the concordance model and explores possible theoretical and observational remedies. The 2025 edition, held once again in Corfu, Greece, came at a crucial time: the Hubble constant $H_0$ discrepancy has now exceeded $6σ$, and new high-precision data from DESI, JWST, ACT, and other facilities have made this tension more robust while opening new windows on the early and late Universe. The $S_8$ tension, though milder and survey-dependent, remains an important probe of late-time structure formation, while emerging anomalies involving dynamical dark energy and neutrino physics are gaining increasing attention as potential signs of physics beyond $Λ$CDM. Here we provide a report on the meeting and an update on the state of the tensions in 2025, highlighting progress since the pioneering 2022 event.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.25288v1","authors":["Eleonora Di Valentino","Jackson Levi Said","Emmanuel N. Saridakis"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO","gr-qc","hep-th"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-29T13:44:34Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.14948v1","name":"FAIR Commissioning - Towards First Science","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The international Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) is under construction at the GSI Helmholtz Centre in Darmstadt. The first project stage includes the superconducting 100 Tm heavy-ion synchrotron SIS100, the Super Fragment Separator, and associated beam transport lines. Part of GSI's existing accelerator chain, comprising UNILAC and SIS18, will serve as injector. Installation work in the FAIR accelerator tunnels and supply buildings has been ongoing since early 2024. As progress continues, special attention is now on the start of commissioning, beginning in 2025 with the cryogenic plant. Commissioning of the transport line will follow at the end of 2025, and beam commissioning is scheduled for the second half of 2027. This paper outlines the current status of the project, commissioning strategy and timeline.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.14948v1","authors":["S. Reimann","H. Albers","R. W. Assmann","P. Gasik","O. Geithner","F. Hagenbuck","A. Herlert","P. Hofmann","V. Kamerdzhiev","M. Kauschke","H. Kollmus","S. Pietri","N. Pyka","T. Radon","C. Schroeder","S. Schwarz","H. Simon","P. Spiller","K. Vogt"],"tags":["physics.acc-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-16T17:56:27Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.09168v1","name":"SBFT Tool Competition 2025 -- Java Test Case Generation Track","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This short report presents the 2025 edition of the Java Unit Testing Competition in which four test generation tools (EVOFUZZ, EVOSUITE, BBC, and RANDOOP) were benchmarked on a freshly selected set of 55 Java classes from six different open source projects. The benchmarking was based on structural metrics, such as code and mutation coverage of the classes under test, as well as on the readability of the generated test cases.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.09168v1","authors":["Fitsum Kifetew","Lin Yun","Davide Prandi"],"tags":["cs.SE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-12T10:06:52Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.15768v1","name":"3I/ATLAS (C/2025 N1): Direct Spacecraft Exploration of a Possible Relic of Planetary Formation at \"Cosmic Noon\"","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The interstellar object 3I/ATLAS (also C/2025 N1 (ATLAS), henceforth, 3I), discovered by the ATLAS Chile telescope on 2025 July 1, was rapidly revealed to be the third known interstellar object (ISO) transiting the solar system, with an incoming velocity at infinity of 57.9763 $\\pm$ 0.0044 km s$^{-1}$. An examination of 3I's pre-encounter kinematics shows that it is likely to be an object from the galactic thick disk, and thus a remnant of the Galaxy's ``cosmic noon'' period of intense star formation $\\sim$9 - 13 gigayears ago. This kinematic assignment of 3I to the thick disk can be tested observationally in the transit of 3I through the solar system. Unfortunately for terrestrial observers, the 3I perihelion will happen when it is on the other side of the Sun as seen from Earth, at a solar elongation of 12.80 degrees, rendering observation from Earth (or near-Earth space telescopes) hard or impossible. With a retrograde orbit inclined 175.114 degrees (only 4.886 degrees from the ecliptic plane), and a trajectory passing inside the orbit of Mars, 3I will pass relatively close to a number of already launched interplanetary spacecraft. We find a strong science case for observations in the periods of the close approaches of the Psyche spacecraft on 2025 September 4, at 0.302 AU, the martian spacecraft array on 2025 October 3, and the Juice spacecraft on 2025 November 4. In addition, the Europa Clipper, Hera and even the more distant Lucy spacecraft may pass through 3I's cometary tail in the period after its perihelion passage, potentially directly observing the conditions and composition there. Spacecraft observations could, to the extent they are possible, provide the only source of spectral and imaging data during the 3I perihelion passage.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.15768v1","authors":["T. Marshall Eubanks","Bruce G. Bills","Adam Hibberd","W. Paul Blase","Andreas M. Hein","Robert G. Kennedy","Adrien Coffinet","Jean Schneider","Pierre Kervella","Carlos Gomez de Olea Ballester"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.IM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-21T17:59:13Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2511.06230v1","name":"Overview of CHIP 2025 Shared Task 2: Discharge Medication Recommendation for Metabolic Diseases Based on Chinese Electronic Health Records","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Discharge medication recommendation plays a critical role in ensuring treatment continuity, preventing readmission, and improving long-term management for patients with chronic metabolic diseases. This paper present an overview of the CHIP 2025 Shared Task 2 competition, which aimed to develop state-of-the-art approaches for automatically recommending appro-priate discharge medications using real-world Chinese EHR data. For this task, we constructed CDrugRed, a high-quality dataset consisting of 5,894 de-identified hospitalization records from 3,190 patients in China. This task is challenging due to multi-label nature of medication recommendation, het-erogeneous clinical text, and patient-specific variability in treatment plans. A total of 526 teams registered, with 167 and 95 teams submitting valid results to the Phase A and Phase B leaderboards, respectively. The top-performing team achieved the highest overall performance on the final test set, with a Jaccard score of 0.5102, F1 score of 0.6267, demonstrating the potential of advanced large language model (LLM)-based ensemble systems. These re-sults highlight both the promise and remaining challenges of applying LLMs to medication recommendation in Chinese EHRs. The post-evaluation phase remains open at https://tianchi.aliyun.com/competition/entrance/532411/.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.06230v1","authors":["Juntao Li","Haobin Yuan","Ling Luo","Tengxiao Lv","Yan Jiang","Fan Wang","Ping Zhang","Huiyi Lv","Jian Wang","Yuanyuan Sun","Hongfei Lin"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-09T05:11:27Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2503.00435v2","name":"AILS-NTUA at SemEval-2025 Task 8: Language-to-Code prompting and Error Fixing for Tabular Question Answering","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, we present our submission to SemEval-2025 Task 8: Question Answering over Tabular Data. This task, evaluated on the DataBench dataset, assesses Large Language Models' (LLMs) ability to answer natural language questions over structured data while addressing topic diversity and table size limitations in previous benchmarks. We propose a system that employs effective LLM prompting to translate natural language queries into executable code, enabling accurate responses, error correction, and interpretability. Our approach ranks first in both subtasks of the competition in the proprietary model category, significantly outperforming the organizer's baseline.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.00435v2","authors":["Andreas Evangelatos","Giorgos Filandrianos","Maria Lymperaiou","Athanasios Voulodimos","Giorgos Stamou"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-01T10:24:42Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.21682v1","name":"Hilbert Forest in the SISAP 2025 Indexing Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We report our participation in the SISAP 2025 Indexing Challenge using a novel indexing technique called the Hilbert forest. The method is based on the fast Hilbert sort algorithm, which efficiently orders high-dimensional points along a Hilbert space-filling curve, and constructs multiple Hilbert trees to support approximate nearest neighbor search. We submitted implementations to both Task 1 (approximate search on the PUBMED23 dataset) and Task 2 (k-nearest neighbor graph construction on the GOOAQ dataset) under the official resource constraints of 16 GB RAM and 8 CPU cores. The Hilbert forest demonstrated competitive performance in Task 1 and achieved the fastest construction time in Task 2 while satisfying the required recall levels. These results highlight the practical effectiveness of Hilbert order-based indexing under strict memory limitations.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.21682v1","authors":["Yasunobu Imamura","Takeshi Shinohara","Naoya Higuchi","Kouichi Hirata","Tetsuji Kuboyama"],"tags":["cs.DB","cs.DS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-29T14:51:13Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.09061v1","name":"O_O-VC: Synthetic Data-Driven One-to-One Alignment for Any-to-Any Voice Conversion","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Traditional voice conversion (VC) methods typically attempt to separate speaker identity and linguistic information into distinct representations, which are then combined to reconstruct the audio. However, effectively disentangling these factors remains challenging, often leading to information loss during training. In this paper, we propose a new approach that leverages synthetic speech data generated by a high-quality, pretrained multispeaker text-to-speech (TTS) model. Specifically, synthetic data pairs that share the same linguistic content but differ in speaker identity are used as input-output pairs to train the voice conversion model. This enables the model to learn a direct mapping between source and target voices, effectively capturing speaker-specific characteristics while preserving linguistic content. Additionally, we introduce a flexible training strategy for any-to-any voice conversion that generalizes well to unseen speakers and new languages, enhancing adaptability and performance in zero-shot scenarios. Our experiments show that our proposed method achieves a 16.35% relative reduction in word error rate and a 5.91% improvement in speaker cosine similarity, outperforming several state-of-the-art methods. Voice conversion samples can be accessed at: https://oovc-emnlp-2025.github.io/","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.09061v1","authors":["Huu Tuong Tu","Huan Vu","cuong tien nguyen","Dien Hy Ngo","Nguyen Thi Thu Trang"],"tags":["cs.SD","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-10T07:08:09Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.19353v3","name":"Frequency-Aware Ensemble Learning for BraTS 2025 Pediatric Brain Tumor Segmentation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Pediatric brain tumor segmentation presents unique challenges due to the rarity and heterogeneity of these malignancies, yet remains critical for clinical diagnosis and treatment planning. We propose an ensemble approach integrating nnU-Net, Swin UNETR, and HFF-Net for the BraTS-PED 2025 challenge. Our method incorporates three key extensions: adjustable initialization scales for optimal nnU-Net complexity control, transfer learning from BraTS 2021 pre-trained models to enhance Swin UNETR's generalization on pediatric dataset, and frequency domain decomposition for HFF-Net to separate low-frequency tissue contours from high-frequency texture details. Our final ensemble framework combines nnU-Net ($γ=0.7$), fine-tuned Swin UNETR, and HFF-Net, achieving Dice scores of 62.7% (CC), 83.2% (ED), 72.9% (ET), 85.7% (NET), 91.8% (TC), and 92.6% (WT) on the unseen test dataset, respectively. Our proposed method achieves first place (rank 1st) in the BraTS 2025 Pediatric Brain Tumor Segmentation Challenge.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.19353v3","authors":["Yuxiao Yi","Qingyao Zhuang","Zhi-Qin John Xu","Xiaowen Wang","Yan Ren","Tianming Qiu"],"tags":["eess.IV","cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-18T03:24:58Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2503.04292v2","name":"A Study on Malicious Browser Extensions in 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Browser extensions are additional tools developed by third parties that integrate with web browsers to extend their functionality beyond standard capabilities. However, the browser extension platform is increasingly being exploited by hackers to launch sophisticated cyber threats. These threats encompass a wide range of malicious activities, including but not limited to phishing, spying, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, email spamming, affiliate fraud, malvertising, and payment fraud. This paper examines the evolving threat landscape of malicious browser extensions in 2025, focusing on Mozilla Firefox and Chrome. Our research successfully bypassed security mechanisms of Firefox and Chrome, demonstrating that malicious extensions can still be developed, published, and executed within the Mozilla Add-ons Store and Chrome Web Store. These findings highlight the persisting weaknesses in browser's vetting process and security framework. It provides insights into the risks associated with browser extensions, helping users understand these threats while aiding the industry in developing controls and countermeasures to defend against such attacks. All experiments discussed in this paper were conducted in a controlled laboratory environment by the researchers, adhering to proper ethical guidelines. The sole purpose of these experiments is to raise security awareness among the industry, research community, and the general public.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.04292v2","authors":["Shreya Singh","Gaurav Varshney","Tarun Kumar Singh","Vidhi Mishra","Khushi Verma"],"tags":["cs.CR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-06T10:24:27Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.15561v1","name":"Finetuning LLMs for EvaCun 2025 token prediction shared task","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, we present our submission for the token prediction task of EvaCun 2025. Our sys-tems are based on LLMs (Command-R, Mistral, and Aya Expanse) fine-tuned on the task data provided by the organizers. As we only pos-sess a very superficial knowledge of the subject field and the languages of the task, we simply used the training data without any task-specific adjustments, preprocessing, or filtering. We compare 3 different approaches (based on 3 different prompts) of obtaining the predictions, and we evaluate them on a held-out part of the data.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.15561v1","authors":["Josef Jon","Ondřej Bojar"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-17T11:47:02Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.02867v1","name":"MICCAI STSR 2025 Challenge: Semi-Supervised Teeth and Pulp Segmentation and CBCT-IOS Registration","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) and Intraoral Scanning (IOS) are essential for digital dentistry, but annotated data scarcity limits automated solutions for pulp canal segmentation and cross-modal registration. To benchmark semi-supervised learning (SSL) in this domain, we organized the STSR 2025 Challenge at MICCAI 2025, featuring two tasks: (1) semi-supervised segmentation of teeth and pulp canals in CBCT, and (2) semi-supervised rigid registration of CBCT and IOS. We provided 60 labeled and 640 unlabeled IOS samples, plus 30 labeled and 250 unlabeled CBCT scans with varying resolutions and fields of view. The challenge attracted strong community participation, with top teams submitting open-source deep learning-based SSL solutions. For segmentation, leading methods used nnU-Net and Mamba-like State Space Models with pseudo-labeling and consistency regularization, achieving a Dice score of 0.967 and Instance Affinity of 0.738 on the hidden test set. For registration, effective approaches combined PointNetLK with differentiable SVD and geometric augmentation to handle modality gaps; hybrid neural-classical refinement enabled accurate alignment despite limited labels. All data and code are publicly available at https://github.com/ricoleehduu/STS-Challenge-2025 to ensure reproducibility.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.02867v1","authors":["Yaqi Wang","Zhi Li","Chengyu Wu","Jun Liu","Yifan Zhang","Jialuo Chen","Jiaxue Ni","Qian Luo","Jin Liu","Can Han","Changkai Ji","Zhi Qin Tan","Ajo Babu George","Liangyu Chen","Qianni Zhang","Dahong Qian","Shuai Wang","Huiyu Zhou"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-02T15:29:04Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.10869v1","name":"Medico 2025: Visual Question Answering for Gastrointestinal Imaging","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Medico 2025 challenge addresses Visual Question Answering (VQA) for Gastrointestinal (GI) imaging, organized as part of the MediaEval task series. The challenge focuses on developing Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) models that answer clinically relevant questions based on GI endoscopy images while providing interpretable justifications aligned with medical reasoning. It introduces two subtasks: (1) answering diverse types of visual questions using the Kvasir-VQA-x1 dataset, and (2) generating multimodal explanations to support clinical decision-making. The Kvasir-VQA-x1 dataset, created from 6,500 images and 159,549 complex question-answer (QA) pairs, serves as the benchmark for the challenge. By combining quantitative performance metrics and expert-reviewed explainability assessments, this task aims to advance trustworthy Artificial Intelligence (AI) in medical image analysis. Instructions, data access, and an updated guide for participation are available in the official competition repository: https://github.com/simula/MediaEval-Medico-2025","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.10869v1","authors":["Sushant Gautam","Vajira Thambawita","Michael Riegler","Pål Halvorsen","Steven Hicks"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-14T17:43:46Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.13814v1","name":"Findings of the Third Automatic Minuting (AutoMin) Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the third edition of AutoMin, a shared task on automatic meeting summarization into minutes. In 2025, AutoMin featured the main task of minuting, the creation of structured meeting minutes, as well as a new task: question answering (QA) based on meeting transcripts. The minuting task covered two languages, English and Czech, and two domains: project meetings and European Parliament sessions. The QA task focused solely on project meetings and was available in two settings: monolingual QA in English, and cross-lingual QA, where questions were asked and answered in Czech based on English meetings. Participation in 2025 was more limited compared to previous years, with only one team joining the minuting task and two teams participating in QA. However, as organizers, we included multiple baseline systems to enable a comprehensive evaluation of current (2025) large language models (LLMs) on both tasks.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.13814v1","authors":["Kartik Shinde","Laurent Besacier","Ondrej Bojar","Thibaut Thonet","Tirthankar Ghosal"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-17T08:29:57Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.09725v1","name":"BIBERT-Pipe on Biomedical Nested Named Entity Linking at BioASQ 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Entity linking (EL) for biomedical text is typically benchmarked on English-only corpora with flat mentions, leaving the more realistic scenario of nested and multilingual mentions largely unexplored. We present our system for the BioNNE 2025 Multilingual Biomedical Nested Named Entity Linking shared task (English &amp; Russian), closing this gap with a lightweight pipeline that keeps the original EL model intact and modifies only three task-aligned components: Two-stage retrieval-ranking. We leverage the same base encoder model in both stages: the retrieval stage uses the original pre-trained model, while the ranking stage applies domain-specific fine-tuning. Boundary cues. In the ranking stage, we wrap each mention with learnable [Ms] / [Me] tags, providing the encoder with an explicit, language-agnostic span before robustness to overlap and nesting. Dataset augmentation. We also automatically expand the ranking training corpus with three complementary data sources, enhancing coverage without extra manual annotation. On the BioNNE 2025 leaderboard, our two stage system, bilingual bert (BIBERT-Pipe), ranks third in the multilingual track, demonstrating the effectiveness and competitiveness of these minimal yet principled modifications. Code are publicly available at https://github.com/Kaggle-Competitions-Code/BioNNE-L.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.09725v1","authors":["Chunyu Li","Xindi Zheng","Siqi Liu"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-10T09:14:25Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.09723v1","name":"It's 2025 -- Narrative Learning is the new baseline to beat for explainable machine learning","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, we introduce Narrative Learning, a methodology where models are defined entirely in natural language and iteratively refine their classification criteria using explanatory prompts rather than traditional numerical optimisation. We report on experiments to evaluate the accuracy and potential of this approach using 3 synthetic and 3 natural datasets and compare them against 7 baseline explainable machine learning models. We demonstrate that on 5 out of 6 of these datasets, Narrative Learning became more accurate than the baseline explainable models in 2025 or earlier because of improvements in language models. We also report on trends in the lexicostatistics of these models' outputs as a proxy for the comprehensibility of the explanations.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.09723v1","authors":["Gregory D. Baker"],"tags":["cs.LG","cs.AI","cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-10T07:34:40Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.06563v1","name":"DS@GT at CheckThat! 2025: Exploring Retrieval and Reranking Pipelines for Scientific Claim Source Retrieval on Social Media Discourse","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Social media users often make scientific claims without citing where these claims come from, generating a need to verify these claims. This paper details work done by the DS@GT team for CLEF 2025 CheckThat! Lab Task 4b Scientific Claim Source Retrieval which seeks to find relevant scientific papers based on implicit references in tweets. Our team explored 6 different data augmentation techniques, 7 different retrieval and reranking pipelines, and finetuned a bi-encoder. Achieving an MRR@5 of 0.58, our team ranked 16th out of 30 teams for the CLEF 2025 CheckThat! Lab Task 4b, and improvement of 0.15 over the BM25 baseline of 0.43. Our code is available on Github at https://github.com/dsgt-arc/checkthat-2025-swd/tree/main/subtask-4b.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.06563v1","authors":["Jeanette Schofield","Shuyu Tian","Hoang Thanh Thanh Truong","Maximilian Heil"],"tags":["cs.IR","cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-09T05:32:02Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.10095v2","name":"HiTZ at VarDial 2025 NorSID: Overcoming Data Scarcity with Language Transfer and Automatic Data Annotation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper we present our submission for the NorSID Shared Task as part of the 2025 VarDial Workshop (Scherrer et al., 2025), consisting of three tasks: Intent Detection, Slot Filling and Dialect Identification, evaluated using data in different dialects of the Norwegian language. For Intent Detection and Slot Filling, we have fine-tuned a multitask model in a cross-lingual setting, to leverage the xSID dataset available in 17 languages. In the case of Dialect Identification, our final submission consists of a model fine-tuned on the provided development set, which has obtained the highest scores within our experiments. Our final results on the test set show that our models do not drop in performance compared to the development set, likely due to the domain-specificity of the dataset and the similar distribution of both subsets. Finally, we also report an in-depth analysis of the provided datasets and their artifacts, as well as other sets of experiments that have been carried out but did not yield the best results. Additionally, we present an analysis on the reasons why some methods have been more successful than others; mainly the impact of the combination of languages and domain-specificity of the training data on the results.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.10095v2","authors":["Jaione Bengoetxea","Mikel Zubillaga","Ekhi Azurmendi","Maite Heredia","Julen Etxaniz","Markel Ferro","Jeremy Barnes"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-13T12:31:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.10685v1","name":"NTIRE 2025 Challenge on Cross-Domain Few-Shot Object Detection: Methods and Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Cross-Domain Few-Shot Object Detection (CD-FSOD) poses significant challenges to existing object detection and few-shot detection models when applied across domains. In conjunction with NTIRE 2025, we organized the 1st CD-FSOD Challenge, aiming to advance the performance of current object detectors on entirely novel target domains with only limited labeled data. The challenge attracted 152 registered participants, received submissions from 42 teams, and concluded with 13 teams making valid final submissions. Participants approached the task from diverse perspectives, proposing novel models that achieved new state-of-the-art (SOTA) results under both open-source and closed-source settings. In this report, we present an overview of the 1st NTIRE 2025 CD-FSOD Challenge, highlighting the proposed solutions and summarizing the results submitted by the participants.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.10685v1","authors":["Yuqian Fu","Xingyu Qiu","Bin Ren","Yanwei Fu","Radu Timofte","Nicu Sebe","Ming-Hsuan Yang","Luc Van Gool","Kaijin Zhang","Qingpeng Nong","Xiugang Dong","Hong Gao","Xiangsheng Zhou","Jiancheng Pan","Yanxing Liu","Xiao He","Jiahao Li","Yuze Sun","Xiaomeng Huang","Zhenyu Zhang","Ran Ma","Yuhan Liu","Zijian Zhuang","Shuai Yi","Yixiong Zou","Lingyi Hong","Mingxi Chen","Runze Li","Xingdong Sheng","Wenqiang Zhang","Weisen Chen","Yongxin Yan","Xinguo Chen","Yuanjie Shao","Zhengrong Zuo","Nong Sang","Hao Wu","Haoran Sun","Shuming Hu","Yan Zhang","Zhiguang Shi","Yu Zhang","Chao Chen","Tao Wang","Da Feng","Linhai Zhuo","Ziming Lin","Yali Huang","Jie Me","Yiming Yang","Mi Guo","Mingyuan Jiu","Mingliang Xu","Maomao Xiong","Qunshu Zhang","Xinyu Cao","Yuqing Yang","Dianmo Sheng","Xuanpu Zhao","Zhiyu Li","Xuyang Ding","Wenqian Li"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-14T20:17:27Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.14191v3","name":"AI Idea Bench 2025: AI Research Idea Generation Benchmark","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Large-scale Language Models (LLMs) have revolutionized human-AI interaction and achieved significant success in the generation of novel ideas. However, current assessments of idea generation overlook crucial factors such as knowledge leakage in LLMs, the absence of open-ended benchmarks with grounded truth, and the limited scope of feasibility analysis constrained by prompt design. These limitations hinder the potential of uncovering groundbreaking research ideas. In this paper, we present AI Idea Bench 2025, a framework designed to quantitatively evaluate and compare the ideas generated by LLMs within the domain of AI research from diverse perspectives. The framework comprises a comprehensive dataset of 3,495 AI papers and their associated inspired works, along with a robust evaluation methodology. This evaluation system gauges idea quality in two dimensions: alignment with the ground-truth content of the original papers and judgment based on general reference material. AI Idea Bench 2025's benchmarking system stands to be an invaluable resource for assessing and comparing idea-generation techniques, thereby facilitating the automation of scientific discovery.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.14191v3","authors":["Yansheng Qiu","Haoquan Zhang","Zhaopan Xu","Ming Li","Diping Song","Zheng Wang","Kaipeng Zhang"],"tags":["cs.AI","cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-19T05:35:45Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.21092v1","name":"Artificial Intelligence in Management Studies (2021-2025): A Bibliometric Mapping of Themes, Trends, and Global Contributions","source":"arxiv","abstract":"AI has become one of the most influential research areas over the past decade, with growing applications across multiple disciplines. In management studies, artificial intelligence is increasingly recognized as a driver of innovation, sustainability, and decision-making support. This bibliometric study examines the evolution of AI-related research in management between 2021 and 2025. Data were collected from the Scopus database and analyzed using the Bibliometrix R package, with visualizations generated through VOSviewer. The dataset consisted of 5,624 documents filtered by subject area, document type, and language. The analysis included annual scientific production, country and institutional contributions, leading journals, co-authorship networks, keyword co-occurrence, and thematic mapping. Results reveal a strong increase in publications from 2021 to 2024, followed by a decline in 2025. China, India, and the United States lead in publication output, while the United Kingdom shows higher citation impact. Thematic analysis indicates a shift from technical applications of AI to broader concerns such as sustainability, digital transformation, and decision-making processes. These findings highlight a changing landscape in AI research within management, where technological innovation, social responsibility, and organizational performance converge to shape future directions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.21092v1","authors":["Yassine Sekaki","Abdelhafid Khazzar","Hamza Ziane"],"tags":["cs.DL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-27T12:53:18Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.02585v1","name":"Pan-Cancer mitotic figures detection and domain generalization: MIDOG 2025 Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This report details our submission to the Mitotic Domain Generalization (MIDOG) 2025 challenge, which addresses the critical task of mitotic figure detection in histopathology for cancer prognostication. Following the \"Bitter Lesson\"\\cite{sutton2019bitterlesson} principle that emphasizes data scale over algorithmic novelty, we have publicly released two new datasets to bolster training data for both conventional \\cite{Shen2024framework} and atypical mitoses \\cite{shen_2025_16780587}. Besides, we implement up-to-date training methodologies for both track and reach a Track-1 F1-Score of 0.8407 on our test set, as well as a Track-2 balanced accuracy of 0.9107 for atypical mitotic cell classification.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.02585v1","authors":["Zhuoyan Shen","Esther Bär","Maria Hawkins","Konstantin Bräutigam","Charles-Antoine Collins-Fekete"],"tags":["eess.IV","cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-28T16:11:58Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.11567v1","name":"AUEB-Archimedes at RIRAG-2025: Is obligation concatenation really all you need?","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the systems we developed for RIRAG-2025, a shared task that requires answering regulatory questions by retrieving relevant passages. The generated answers are evaluated using RePASs, a reference-free and model-based metric. Our systems use a combination of three retrieval models and a reranker. We show that by exploiting a neural component of RePASs that extracts important sentences ('obligations') from the retrieved passages, we achieve a dubiously high score (0.947), even though the answers are directly extracted from the retrieved passages and are not actually generated answers. We then show that by selecting the answer with the best RePASs among a few generated alternatives and then iteratively refining this answer by reducing contradictions and covering more obligations, we can generate readable, coherent answers that achieve a more plausible and relatively high score (0.639).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.11567v1","authors":["Ioannis Chasandras","Odysseas S. Chlapanis","Ion Androutsopoulos"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-16T08:54:21Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.03729v1","name":"Autonomous Planning In-space Assembly Reinforcement-learning free-flYer (APIARY) International Space Station Astrobee Testing","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The US Naval Research Laboratory's (NRL's) Autonomous Planning In-space Assembly Reinforcement-learning free-flYer (APIARY) experiment pioneers the use of reinforcement learning (RL) for control of free-flying robots in the zero-gravity (zero-G) environment of space. On Tuesday, May 27th 2025 the APIARY team conducted the first ever, to our knowledge, RL control of a free-flyer in space using the NASA Astrobee robot on-board the International Space Station (ISS). A robust 6-degrees of freedom (DOF) control policy was trained using an actor-critic Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) network within the NVIDIA Isaac Lab simulation environment, randomizing over goal poses and mass distributions to enhance robustness. This paper details the simulation testing, ground testing, and flight validation of this experiment. This on-orbit demonstration validates the transformative potential of RL for improving robotic autonomy, enabling rapid development and deployment (in minutes to hours) of tailored behaviors for space exploration, logistics, and real-time mission needs.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.03729v1","authors":["Samantha Chapin","Kenneth Stewart","Roxana Leontie","Carl Glen Henshaw"],"tags":["cs.RO","cs.LG","eess.SY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-03T12:16:52Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.17305v1","name":"First Place Solution to the MLCAS 2025 GWFSS Challenge: The Devil is in the Detail and Minority","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this report, we present our solution during the participation of the MLCAS 2025 GWFSS Challenge. This challenge hosts a semantic segmentation competition specific to wheat plants, which requires to segment three wheat organs including the head, leaf, and stem, and another background class. In 2025, participating a segmentation competition is significantly different from that in previous years where many tricks can play important roles. Nowadays most segmentation tricks have been well integrated into existing codebases such that our naive ViT-Adapter baseline has already achieved sufficiently good performance. Hence, we believe the key to stand out among other competitors is to focus on the problem nature of wheat per se. By probing visualizations, we identify the key -- the stem matters. In contrast to heads and leaves, stems exhibit fine structure and occupy only few pixels, which suffers from fragile predictions and class imbalance. Building on our baseline, we present three technical improvements tailored to stems: i) incorporating a dynamic upsampler SAPA used to enhance detail delineation; ii) leveraging semi-supervised guided distillation with stem-aware sample selection to mine the treasure beneath unlabeled data; and iii) applying a test-time scaling strategy to zoom in and segment twice the image. Despite being simple, the three improvements bring us to the first place of the competition, outperforming the second place by clear margins. Code and models will be released at https://github.com/tiny-smart/gwfss25.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.17305v1","authors":["Songliang Cao","Tianqi Hu","Hao Lu"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-24T11:14:18Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.06205v1","name":"DS@GT at CheckThat! 2025: Ensemble Methods for Detection of Scientific Discourse on Social Media","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, we, as the DS@GT team for CLEF 2025 CheckThat! Task 4a Scientific Web Discourse Detection, present the methods we explored for this task. For this multiclass classification task, we determined if a tweet contained a scientific claim, a reference to a scientific study or publication, and/or mentions of scientific entities, such as a university or a scientist. We present 3 modeling approaches for this task: transformer finetuning, few-shot prompting of LLMs, and a combined ensemble model whose design was informed by earlier experiments. Our team placed 7th in the competition, achieving a macro-averaged F1 score of 0.8611, an improvement over the DeBERTaV3 baseline of 0.8375. Our code is available on Github at https://github.com/dsgt-arc/checkthat-2025-swd/tree/main/subtask-4a.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.06205v1","authors":["Ayush Parikh","Hoang Thanh Thanh Truong","Jeanette Schofield","Maximilian Heil"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-08T17:30:18Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2511.11791v1","name":"2025 Quantum Diamond Workshop Findings Report","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This report synthesizes the outcomes of a two-day workshop held in Washington, D.C. in May, 2025 that convened researchers, industry representatives, and government stakeholders to examine the current state and future directions of quantum diamond technologies. The workshop's goals were to assess the most promising use cases, to identify the key technical and structural challenges limiting adoption, and to chart potential pathways for aligning application needs with diamond material and device development. Through a series of technical presentations and open discussions, participants explored both near-term demonstrations and long-term infrastructure needs, highlighting the critical role of coordination between material suppliers, device engineers, and end users. The goal of this report is to distill those insights into a coherent set of cross-cutting themes, challenges, and strategic actions that can guide government, industry, and academic efforts to accelerate the maturation and commercialization of quantum diamond technologies.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.11791v1","authors":["Danielle A. Braje","Matthew L. Markham","Jennifer M. Schloss","Michael A. Slocum","Ronald L. Walsworth"],"tags":["quant-ph","cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-14T18:34:27Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2312.13238v2","name":"Inflation (2025)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This is a review article for The Review of Particle Physics 2026 (aka the Particle Data Book), appearing as Chapter 23. It forms a compact review of our understanding of cosmological inflation near the end of 2025. Topics included are Scalar Field Cosmology; Primordial Perturbations from Inflation; Models; Model Comparison; Constraints on Reheating; Beyond Single-Field Inflation; Initial-conditions and Fine-tuning; Future Probes of Inflation.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.13238v2","authors":["John Ellis","Vincent Vennin","David Wands"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO","hep-ph","hep-th"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-20T18:02:33Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.00536v1","name":"Futures with Digital Minds: Expert Forecasts in 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This report presents findings from an expert survey on digital minds takeoff scenarios. The survey was conducted in early 2025 with 67 experts in digital minds research, AI research, philosophy, forecasting, and related fields. Participants provided probabilistic forecasts and qualitative reasoning on the development, characteristics, and societal impact of digital minds, that is, computer systems capable of subjective experience. Experts assigned high probability to digital minds being possible in principle (median 90%) and being created this century (65% by 2100), with a non-negligible probability of emergence by 2030 (20%). Many anticipated rapid growth in digital mind welfare capacity, with collective welfare capacity potentially matching that of billions of humans within a decade after the creation of the first digital mind. Participants also expected widespread claims from digital minds regarding their consciousness and rights, and predicted substantial societal disagreement over their existence and moral interests. Views diverged on whether digital mind welfare will be net positive or negative. These findings provide evidence that bears on the extent to which preparing the world for the potential arrival of digital minds should be a priority across domains such as research and governance. However, these findings should be interpreted cautiously in light of the potential for systematic overrepresentation of experts who deem digital minds particularly likely or important.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.00536v1","authors":["Lucius Caviola","Bradford Saad"],"tags":["cs.CY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-01T11:20:42Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2603.27528v1","name":"Advancing Multi-Instrument Music Transcription: Results from the 2025 AMT Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the results of the 2025 Automatic Music Transcription (AMT) Challenge, an online competition to benchmark progress in multi-instrument transcription. Eight teams submitted valid solutions; two outperformed the baseline MT3 model. The results highlight both advances in transcription accuracy and the remaining difficulties in handling polyphony and timbre variation. We conclude with directions for future challenges: broader genre coverage and stronger emphasis on instrument detection.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.27528v1","authors":["Ojas Chaturvedi","Kayshav Bhardwaj","Tanay Gondil","Benjamin Shiue-Hal Chou","Kristen Yeon-Ji Yun","Yung-Hsiang Lu","Yujia Yan","Sungkyun Chang"],"tags":["cs.SD","cs.IR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-29T05:41:42Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.11546v2","name":"AI Governance InternationaL Evaluation Index (AGILE Index) 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The year 2024 witnessed accelerated global AI governance advancements, marked by strengthened multilateral frameworks and proliferating national regulatory initiatives. This acceleration underscores an unprecedented need to systematically track governance progress--an imperative that drove the launch of the AI Governance InternationaL Evaluation Index (AGILE Index) project since 2023. The inaugural AGILE Index, released in February 2024 after assessing 14 countries, established an operational and comparable baseline framework. Building on pilot insights, AGILE Index 2025 incorporates systematic refinements to better balance scientific rigor with practical adaptability. The updated methodology expands data diversity while enhancing metric validity and cross-national comparability. Reflecting both research advancements and practical policy evolution, AGILE Index 2025 evaluates 40 countries across income levels, regions, and technological development stages, with 4 Pillars, 17 Dimensions and 43 Indicators. In compiling the data, the team integrates multi-source evidence including policy documents, governance practices, research outputs, and risk exposure to construct a unified comparison framework. This approach maps global disparities while enabling countries to identify governance strengths, gaps, and systemic constraints. Through ongoing refinement and iterations, we hope the AGILE Index will fundamentally advance transparency and measurability in global AI governance, delivering data-driven assessments that depict national AI governance capacity, assist governments in recognizing their maturation stages and critical governance issues, and ultimately provide actionable insights for enhancing AI governance systems nationally and globally.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.11546v2","authors":["Yi Zeng","Enmeng Lu","Xiaoyang Guo","Cunqing Huangfu","Jiawei Xie","Yu Chen","Zhengqi Wang","Dongqi Liang","Gongce Cao","Jin Wang","Zizhe Ruan","Xin Guan","Ammar Younas"],"tags":["cs.CY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-10T04:28:27Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.16421v1","name":"Structured Semantic 3D Reconstruction (S23DR) Challenge 2025 -- Winning solution","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the winning solution for the S23DR Challenge 2025, which involves predicting a house's 3D roof wireframe from a sparse point cloud and semantic segmentations. Our method operates directly in 3D, first identifying vertex candidates from the COLMAP point cloud using Gestalt segmentations. We then employ two PointNet-like models: one to refine and classify these candidates by analyzing local cubic patches, and a second to predict edges by processing the cylindrical regions connecting vertex pairs. This two-stage, 3D deep learning approach achieved a winning Hybrid Structure Score (HSS) of 0.43 on the private leaderboard.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.16421v1","authors":["Jan Skvrna","Lukas Neumann"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-19T15:56:51Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.21597v1","name":"Overview of the ClinIQLink 2025 Shared Task on Medical Question-Answering","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper, we present an overview of ClinIQLink, a shared task, collocated with the 24th BioNLP workshop at ACL 2025, designed to stress-test large language models (LLMs) on medically-oriented question answering aimed at the level of a General Practitioner. The challenge supplies 4,978 expert-verified, medical source-grounded question-answer pairs that cover seven formats: true/false, multiple choice, unordered list, short answer, short-inverse, multi-hop, and multi-hop-inverse. Participating systems, bundled in Docker or Apptainer images, are executed on the CodaBench platform or the University of Maryland's Zaratan cluster. An automated harness (Task 1) scores closed-ended items by exact match and open-ended items with a three-tier embedding metric. A subsequent physician panel (Task 2) audits the top model responses.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.21597v1","authors":["Brandon Colelough","Davis Bartels","Dina Demner-Fushman"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.IR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-18T19:56:32Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.09960v1","name":"Dual-Path Enhancements in Event-Based Eye Tracking: Augmented Robustness and Adaptive Temporal Modeling","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Event-based eye tracking has become a pivotal technology for augmented reality and human-computer interaction. Yet, existing methods struggle with real-world challenges such as abrupt eye movements and environmental noise. Building on the efficiency of the Lightweight Spatiotemporal Network-a causal architecture optimized for edge devices-we introduce two key advancements. First, a robust data augmentation pipeline incorporating temporal shift, spatial flip, and event deletion improves model resilience, reducing Euclidean distance error by 12% (1.61 vs. 1.70 baseline) on challenging samples. Second, we propose KnightPupil, a hybrid architecture combining an EfficientNet-B3 backbone for spatial feature extraction, a bidirectional GRU for contextual temporal modeling, and a Linear Time-Varying State-Space Module to adapt to sparse inputs and noise dynamically. Evaluated on the 3ET+ benchmark, our framework achieved 1.61 Euclidean distance on the private test set of the Event-based Eye Tracking Challenge at CVPR 2025, demonstrating its effectiveness for practical deployment in AR/VR systems while providing a foundation for future innovations in neuromorphic vision.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.09960v1","authors":["Hoang M. Truong","Vinh-Thuan Ly","Huy G. Tran","Thuan-Phat Nguyen","Tram T. Doan"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-14T07:57:22Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.17695v1","name":"Revisiting Hötte (2025): A Companion Analysis with Extended Evidence from UK Inter-Industry Payment Data, 2017-2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In 2025, the UK Office for National Statistics released a novel dataset of monthly inter-industry payment flows during January 2017 to November 2024 at the 5-digit SIC level (ONS, 2025a), covering $&gt;$3.1 million UK organizations. Annual aggregates amount to 490 million transactions with an aggregate value of over £3.1 trillion in 2023. Such publicly available data are unprecedented by their granularity and timeliness, providing a rich basis for economic research and real-time policy advice. Hötte (2025) provided an empirical validation supplemented with conceptual discussions for using such bottom-up collected data in macroeconomic, industry-level, and economic network studies based on an earlier non-public and smaller version of the data. The novel data features much greater coverage, along with several methodological improvements. This paper gives an update on the earlier empirical results. It summarizes the major methodological changes of data construction, discusses key empirical observations, and their differences and consistencies relative to Hötte (2025). It concludes by discussing the implications for using payment data and outlining remaining challenges and expected future developments.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.17695v1","authors":["Kerstin Hötte"],"tags":["econ.GN"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-25T06:07:39Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.14901v1","name":"Pseudo-Label Enhanced Cascaded Framework: 2nd Technical Report for LSVOS 2025 VOS Track","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Complex Video Object Segmentation (VOS) presents significant challenges in accurately segmenting objects across frames, especially in the presence of small and similar targets, frequent occlusions, rapid motion, and complex interactions. In this report, we present our solution for the LSVOS 2025 VOS Track based on the SAM2 framework. We adopt a pseudo-labeling strategy during training: a trained SAM2 checkpoint is deployed within the SAM2Long framework to generate pseudo labels for the MOSE test set, which are then combined with existing data for further training. For inference, the SAM2Long framework is employed to obtain our primary segmentation results, while an open-source SeC model runs in parallel to produce complementary predictions. A cascaded decision mechanism dynamically integrates outputs from both models, exploiting the temporal stability of SAM2Long and the concept-level robustness of SeC. Benefiting from pseudo-label training and cascaded multi-model inference, our approach achieves a J\\&amp;F score of 0.8616 on the MOSE test set -- +1.4 points over our SAM2Long baseline -- securing the 2nd place in the LSVOS 2025 VOS Track, and demonstrating strong robustness and accuracy in long, complex video segmentation scenarios.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.14901v1","authors":["An Yan","Leilei Cao","Feng Lu","Ran Hong","Youhai Jiang","Fengjie Zhu"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-18T12:23:51Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.11063v1","name":"LSVOS 2025 Challenge Report: Recent Advances in Complex Video Object Segmentation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This report presents an overview of the 7th Large-scale Video Object Segmentation (LSVOS) Challenge held in conjunction with ICCV 2025. Besides the two traditional tracks of LSVOS that jointly target robustness in realistic video scenarios: Classic VOS (VOS), and Referring VOS (RVOS), the 2025 edition features a newly introduced track, Complex VOS (MOSEv2). Building upon prior insights, MOSEv2 substantially increases difficulty, introducing more challenging but realistic scenarios including denser small objects, frequent disappear/reappear events, severe occlusions, adverse weather and lighting, etc., pushing long-term consistency and generalization beyond curated benchmarks. The challenge retains standard ${J}$, $F$, and ${J\\&amp;F}$ metrics for VOS and RVOS, while MOSEv2 adopts ${J\\&amp;\\dot{F}}$ as the primary ranking metric to better evaluate objects across scales and disappearance cases. We summarize datasets and protocols, highlight top-performing solutions, and distill emerging trends, such as the growing role of LLM/MLLM components and memory-aware propagation, aiming to chart future directions for resilient, language-aware video segmentation in the wild.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.11063v1","authors":["Chang Liu","Henghui Ding","Kaining Ying","Lingyi Hong","Ning Xu","Linjie Yang","Yuchen Fan","Mingqi Gao","Jingkun Chen","Yunqi Miao","Gengshen Wu","Zhijin Qin","Jungong Han","Zhixiong Zhang","Shuangrui Ding","Xiaoyi Dong","Yuhang Zang","Yuhang Cao","Jiaqi Wang","Chang Soo Lim","Joonyoung Moon","Donghyeon Cho","Tingmin Li","Yixuan Li","Yang Yang","An Yan","Leilei Cao","Feng Lu","Ran Hong","Youhai Jiang","Fengjie Zhu","Yujie Xie","Hongyang Zhang","Zhihui Liu","Shihai Ruan","Quanzhu Niu","Dengxian Gong","Shihao Chen","Tao Zhang","Yikang Zhou","Haobo Yuan","Lu Qi","Xiangtai Li","Shunping Ji","Ran Hong","Feng Lu","Leilei Cao","An Yan","Alexey Nekrasov","Ali Athar","Daan de Geus","Alexander Hermans","Bastian Leibe"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-13T07:02:09Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2511.18409v1","name":"Findings of the BlackboxNLP 2025 Shared Task: Localizing Circuits and Causal Variables in Language Models","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Mechanistic interpretability (MI) seeks to uncover how language models (LMs) implement specific behaviors, yet measuring progress in MI remains challenging. The recently released Mechanistic Interpretability Benchmark (MIB; Mueller et al., 2025) provides a standardized framework for evaluating circuit and causal variable localization. Building on this foundation, the BlackboxNLP 2025 Shared Task extends MIB into a community-wide reproducible comparison of MI techniques. The shared task features two tracks: circuit localization, which assesses methods that identify causally influential components and interactions driving model behavior, and causal variable localization, which evaluates approaches that map activations into interpretable features. With three teams spanning eight different methods, participants achieved notable gains in circuit localization using ensemble and regularization strategies for circuit discovery. With one team spanning two methods, participants achieved significant gains in causal variable localization using low-dimensional and non-linear projections to featurize activation vectors. The MIB leaderboard remains open; we encourage continued work in this standard evaluation framework to measure progress in MI research going forward.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.18409v1","authors":["Dana Arad","Yonatan Belinkov","Hanjie Chen","Najoung Kim","Hosein Mohebbi","Aaron Mueller","Gabriele Sarti","Martin Tutek"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-23T11:33:59Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2503.02216v1","name":"Hunting for Room Temperature Superconductors","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Room temperature superconductivity, as one of the famous jewels on the crown of physics, has attracted continuous attention and unremitting efforts from numerous scientists. In recent years, more and more reports on room temperature superconductivity evoke many anticipations, but results remain controversial. Here, we introduce the characteristics of superconducting phenomena and propose 10 feasible paths to achieve room-temperature superconductivity in the future. This is an Editorial of The Innovation Materials in Feb. 2025.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.02216v1","authors":["Huiqian Luo"],"tags":["cond-mat.supr-con","cond-mat.mtrl-sci","cond-mat.str-el"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-04T02:48:48Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.15524v1","name":"NTIRE 2025 Image Shadow Removal Challenge Report","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This work examines the findings of the NTIRE 2025 Shadow Removal Challenge. A total of 306 participants have registered, with 17 teams successfully submitting their solutions during the final evaluation phase. Following the last two editions, this challenge had two evaluation tracks: one focusing on reconstruction fidelity and the other on visual perception through a user study. Both tracks were evaluated with images from the WSRD+ dataset, simulating interactions between self- and cast-shadows with a large number of diverse objects, textures, and materials.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.15524v1","authors":["Florin-Alexandru Vasluianu","Tim Seizinger","Zhuyun Zhou","Cailian Chen","Zongwei Wu","Radu Timofte","Mingjia Li","Jin Hu","Hainuo Wang","Hengxing Liu","Jiarui Wang","Qiming Hu","Xiaojie Guo","Xin Lu","Jiarong Yang","Yuanfei Bao","Anya Hu","Zihao Fan","Kunyu Wang","Jie Xiao","Xi Wang","Xueyang Fu","Zheng-Jun Zha","Yu-Fan Lin","Chia-Ming Lee","Chih-Chung Hsu","Xingbo Wang","Dong Li","Yuxu Chen","Bin Chen","Yuanbo Zhou","Yuanbin Chen","Hongwei Wang","Jiannan Lin","Qinquan Gao","Tong Tong","Zhao Zhang","Yanyan Wei","Wei Dong","Han Zhou","Seyed Amirreza Mousavi","Jun Chen","Haobo Liang","Jiajie Jing","Junyu Li","Yan Yang","Seoyeon Lee","Chaewon Kim","Ziyu Feng","Shidi Chen","Bowen Luan","Zewen Chen","Vijayalaxmi Ashok Aralikatti","G Gyaneshwar Rao","Nikhil Akalwadi","Chaitra Desai","Ramesh Ashok Tabib","Uma Mudenagudi","Anas M. Ali","Bilel Benjdira","Wadii Boulila","Alexandru Brateanu","Cosmin Ancuti","Tanmay Chaturvedi","Manish Kumar","Anmol Srivastav","Daksh Trivedi","Shashwat Thakur","Kishor Upla","Zeyu Xiao","Zhuoyuan Li","Boda Zhou","Shashank Shekhar","Kele Xu","Qisheng Xu","Zijian Gao","Tianjiao Wan","Suiyi Zhao","Bo Wang","Yan Luo","Mingshen Wang","Yilin Zhang"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-18T14:58:49Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.05782v1","name":"GazeNLQ @ Ego4D Natural Language Queries Challenge 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This report presents our solution to the Ego4D Natural Language Queries (NLQ) Challenge at CVPR 2025. Egocentric video captures the scene from the wearer's perspective, where gaze serves as a key non-verbal communication cue that reflects visual attention and offer insights into human intention and cognition. Motivated by this, we propose a novel approach, GazeNLQ, which leverages gaze to retrieve video segments that match given natural language queries. Specifically, we introduce a contrastive learning-based pretraining strategy for gaze estimation directly from video. The estimated gaze is used to augment video representations within proposed model, thereby enhancing localization accuracy. Experimental results show that GazeNLQ achieves R1@IoU0.3 and R1@IoU0.5 scores of 27.82 and 18.68, respectively. Our code is available at https://github.com/stevenlin510/GazeNLQ.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.05782v1","authors":["Wei-Cheng Lin","Chih-Ming Lien","Chen Lo","Chia-Hung Yeh"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-06T06:21:57Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.02597v1","name":"Solutions for Mitotic Figure Detection and Atypical Classification in MIDOG 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Deep learning has driven significant advances in mitotic figure analysis within computational pathology. In this paper, we present our approach to the Mitosis Domain Generalization (MIDOG) 2025 Challenge, which consists of two distinct tasks, i.e., mitotic figure detection and atypical mitosis classification. For the mitotic figure detection task, we propose a two-stage detection-classification framework that first localizes candidate mitotic figures and subsequently refines the predictions using a dedicated classification module. For the atypical mitosis classification task, we employ an ensemble strategy that integrates predictions from multiple state-of-the-art deep learning architectures to improve robustness and accuracy. Extensive experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed methods across both tasks.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.02597v1","authors":["Shuting Xu","Runtong Liu","Zhixuan Chen","Junlin Hou","Hao Chen"],"tags":["eess.IV","cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-29T15:16:35Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.17430v1","name":"Scalable CI/CD for Legacy Modernization: An Industrial Experience Addressing Internal Challenges Related to the 2025 Japan Cliff","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We have developed a Scalable CI/CD Pipeline to address internal challenges related to Japan 2025 cliff problem, a critical issue where the mass end of service life of legacy core IT systems threatens to significantly increase the maintenance cost and black box nature of these system also leads to difficult update moreover replace, which leads to lack of progress in Digital Transformation (DX). If not addressed, Japan could potentially lose up to 12 trillion yen per year after 2025, which is 3 times more than the cost in previous years. Asahi also faced the same internal challenges regarding legacy system, where manual maintenance workflows and limited QA environment have left critical systems outdated and difficult to update. Middleware and OS version have remained unchanged for years, leading to now its nearing end of service life which require huge maintenance cost and effort to continue its operation. To address this problem, we have developed and implemented a Scalable CI/CD Pipeline where isolated development environments can be created and deleted dynamically and is scalable as needed. This Scalable CI/CD Pipeline incorporate GitHub for source code control and branching, Jenkins for pipeline automation, Amazon Web Services for scalable environment, and Docker for environment containerization. This paper presents the design and architecture of the Scalable CI/CD Pipeline, with the implementation along with some use cases. Through Scalable CI/CD, developers can freely and safely test maintenance procedures and do experiments with new technology in their own environment, reducing maintenance cost and drive Digital Transformation (DX). key words: 2025 Japan Cliff, Scalable CI/CD, DevOps, Legacy IT Modernization.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.17430v1","authors":["Kuniaki Kudo","Sherine Devi"],"tags":["cs.SE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-20T11:17:20Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2603.23125v1","name":"From Questions to Trust Reports: A LLM-IR Framework for the TREC 2025 DRAGUN Track","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The DRAGUN Track at TREC 2025 targets the growing need for effective support tools that help users evaluate the trustworthiness of online news. We describe the UR_Trecking system submitted for both Task 1 (critical question generation) and Task 2 (retrieval-augmented trustworthiness reporting). Our approach combines LLM-based question generation with semantic filtering, diversity enforcement using clustering, and several query expansion strategies (including reasoning-based Chain-of-Thought expansion) to retrieve relevant evidence from the MS MARCO V2.1 segmented corpus. Retrieved documents are re-ranked using a monoT5 model and filtered using an LLM relevance judge together with a domain-level trustworthiness dataset. For Task 2, selected evidence is synthesized by an LLM into concise trustworthiness reports with citations. Results from the official evaluation indicate that Chain-of-Thought query expansion and re-ranking substantially improve both relevance and domain trust compared to baseline retrieval, while question-generation performance shows moderate quality with room for improvement. We conclude by outlining key challenges encountered and suggesting directions for enhancing robustness and trustworthiness assessment in future iterations of the system.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.23125v1","authors":["Ignacy Alwasiak","Kene Nnolim","Jaclyn Thi","Samy Ateia","Markus Bink","Gregor Donabauer","David Elsweiler","Udo Kruschwitz"],"tags":["cs.IR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-24T12:22:27Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2606.11199v1","name":"NightFeats @ MMU-RAGent NeurIPS 2025: A Context-Optimized Multi-Agent RAG System for the Text-to-Text Track","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present NightFeats, a structured multi-agent retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) system submitted to the MMU-RAGent competition at NeurIPS 2025, where it was awarded Best Dynamic Evaluation in the text-to-text track. Rather than targeting benchmark maximization, this work proposes a principled pipeline that decomposes knowledge synthesis into three coordinated phases: retrieval, curation, and composition, each governed by explicit intermediate representations and handoff contracts. Inspired by Agentic Context Engineering (ACE), the system introduces temporal-semantic reranking, bounded contradiction reconciliation, and citation-preserving composition as core architectural primitives. Competition results show that NightFeats surpasses proprietary baselines including Claude-SonnetV2 and Nova-Pro on LLM-as-a-Judge and Human Likert evaluations, confirming that architectural transparency and verifiable evidence grounding are better aligned with human preferences than systems optimizing narrowly for automatic similarity metrics.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.11199v1","authors":["Quentin Fever","Naziha Aslam"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.IR","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-21T19:18:07Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.02651v1","name":"Open Molecular Crystals 2025 (OMC25) Dataset and Models","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The development of accurate and efficient machine learning models for predicting the structure and properties of molecular crystals has been hindered by the scarcity of publicly available datasets of structures with property labels. To address this challenge, we introduce the Open Molecular Crystals 2025 (OMC25) dataset, a collection of over 27 million molecular crystal structures containing 12 elements and up to 300 atoms in the unit cell. The dataset was generated from dispersion-inclusive density functional theory (DFT) relaxation trajectories of over 230,000 randomly generated molecular crystal structures of around 50,000 organic molecules. OMC25 comprises diverse chemical compounds capable of forming different intermolecular interactions and a wide range of crystal packing motifs. We provide detailed information on the dataset's construction, composition, structure, and properties. To demonstrate the quality and use cases of OMC25, we further trained and evaluated state-of-the-art open-source machine learning interatomic potentials. By making this dataset publicly available, we aim to accelerate the development of more accurate and efficient machine learning models for molecular crystals.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.02651v1","authors":["Vahe Gharakhanyan","Luis Barroso-Luque","Yi Yang","Muhammed Shuaibi","Kyle Michel","Daniel S. Levine","Misko Dzamba","Xiang Fu","Meng Gao","Xingyu Liu","Haoran Ni","Keian Noori","Brandon M. Wood","Matt Uyttendaele","Arman Boromand","C. Lawrence Zitnick","Noa Marom","Zachary W. Ulissi","Anuroop Sriram"],"tags":["physics.chem-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-04T17:43:22Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.06195v1","name":"DS@GT at CheckThat! 2025: Evaluating Context and Tokenization Strategies for Numerical Fact Verification","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Numerical claims, statements involving quantities, comparisons, and temporal references, pose unique challenges for automated fact-checking systems. In this study, we evaluate modeling strategies for veracity prediction of such claims using the QuanTemp dataset and building our own evidence retrieval pipeline. We investigate three key factors: (1) the impact of more evidences with longer input context windows using ModernBERT, (2) the effect of right-to-left (R2L) tokenization, and (3) their combined influence on classification performance. Contrary to prior findings in arithmetic reasoning tasks, R2L tokenization does not boost natural language inference (NLI) of numerical tasks. A longer context window does also not enhance veracity performance either, highlighting evidence quality as the dominant bottleneck. Our best-performing system achieves competitive macro-average F1 score of 0.57 and places us among the Top-4 submissions in Task 3 of CheckThat! 2025. Our code is available at https://github.com/dsgt-arc/checkthat-2025-numerical.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.06195v1","authors":["Maximilian Heil","Aleksandar Pramov"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-08T17:22:22Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.13492v1","name":"A new definition for m-Cambrian lattices","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Cambrian lattices, introduced in (Reading, 2006), generalize the Tamari lattice to any choice of Coxeter element in any finite Coxeter group. They are further generalized to the m-Cambrian lattices (Stump, Thomas, Williams, 2015). However, their definitions do not provide a practical setup to work with combinatorially. In this paper, we provide a new equivalent definition of the m-Cambrian lattices on simple objects called m-noncrossing partitions, using a simple and effective comparison criterion. It is obtained by showing that each interval has a unique maximal chain that is c-increasing, which is computed by a greedy algorithm. Our proof is uniform, involving all Coxeter groups and all choices of Coxeter element at the same time. This work has been accepted as an extended abstract for the FPSAC 2025 conference. A long version of this work will be available later.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.13492v1","authors":["Clément Chenevière","Wenjie Fang","Corentin Henriet"],"tags":["math.CO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-18T06:09:26Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.05856v1","name":"Cross-View Multi-Modal Segmentation @ Ego-Exo4D Challenges 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this report, we present a cross-view multi-modal object segmentation approach for the object correspondence task in the Ego-Exo4D Correspondence Challenges 2025. Given object queries from one perspective (e.g., ego view), the goal is to predict the corresponding object masks in another perspective (e.g., exo view). To tackle this task, we propose a multimodal condition fusion module that enhances object localization by leveraging both visual masks and textual descriptions as segmentation conditions. Furthermore, to address the visual domain gap between ego and exo views, we introduce a cross-view object alignment module that enforces object-level consistency across perspectives, thereby improving the model's robustness to viewpoint changes. Our proposed method ranked second on the leaderboard of the large-scale Ego-Exo4D object correspondence benchmark. Code will be made available at https://github.com/lovelyqian/ObjectRelator.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.05856v1","authors":["Yuqian Fu","Runze Wang","Yanwei Fu","Danda Pani Paudel","Luc Van Gool"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-06T08:23:39Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.17500v1","name":"SAMSON: 3rd Place Solution of LSVOS 2025 VOS Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Large-scale Video Object Segmentation (LSVOS) addresses the challenge of accurately tracking and segmenting objects in long video sequences, where difficulties stem from object reappearance, small-scale targets, heavy occlusions, and crowded scenes. Existing approaches predominantly adopt SAM2-based frameworks with various memory mechanisms for complex video mask generation. In this report, we proposed Segment Anything with Memory Strengthened Object Navigation (SAMSON), the 3rd place solution in the MOSE track of ICCV 2025, which integrates the strengths of stateof-the-art VOS models into an effective paradigm. To handle visually similar instances and long-term object disappearance in MOSE, we incorporate a long-term memorymodule for reliable object re-identification. Additionly, we adopt SAM2Long as a post-processing strategy to reduce error accumulation and enhance segmentation stability in long video sequences. Our method achieved a final performance of 0.8427 in terms of J &amp;F in the test-set leaderboard.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.17500v1","authors":["Yujie Xie","Hongyang Zhang","Zhihui Liu","Shihai Ruan"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-22T08:30:34Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.06102v2","name":"A Finer View of the Parameterized Landscape of Labeled Graph Contractions","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We study the \\textsc{Labeled Contractibility} problem, where the input consists of two vertex-labeled graphs $G$ and $H$, and the goal is to determine whether $H$ can be obtained from $G$ via a sequence of edge contractions. Lafond and Marchand~[WADS 2025] initiated the parameterized complexity study of this problem, showing it to be \\(\\W[1]\\)-hard when parameterized by the number \\(k\\) of allowed contractions. They also proved that the problem is fixed-parameter tractable when parameterized by the tree-width \\(\\tw\\) of \\(G\\), via an application of Courcelle's theorem resulting in a non-constructive algorithm. In this work, we present a constructive fixed-parameter algorithm for \\textsc{Labeled Contractibility} with running time \\(2^{\\mathcal{O}(\\tw^2)} \\cdot |V(G)|^{\\mathcal{O}(1)}\\). We also prove that unless the Exponential Time Hypothesis (Ð) fails, it does not admit an algorithm running in time \\(2^{o(\\tw^2)} \\cdot |V(G)|^{\\mathcal{O}(1)}\\). This result adds \\textsc{Labeled Contractibility} to a small list of problems that admit such a lower bound and matching algorithm. We further strengthen existing hardness results by showing that the problem remains \\NP-complete even when both input graphs have bounded maximum degree. We also investigate parameterizations by \\((k + δ(G))\\) where \\(δ(G)\\) denotes the degeneracy of \\(G\\), and rule out the existence of subexponential-time algorithms. This answers question raised in Lafond and Marchand~[WADS 2025]. We additionally provide an improved \\FPT\\ algorithm with better dependence on \\((k + δ(G))\\) than previously known. Finally, we analyze a brute-force algorithm for \\textsc{Labeled Contractibility} with running time \\(|V(H)|^{\\mathcal{O}(|V(G)|)}\\), and show that this running time is optimal under Ð.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.06102v2","authors":["Yashaswini Mathur","Prafullkumar Tale"],"tags":["cs.DS","cs.DM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-07T16:33:44Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.06079v1","name":"Multimodal Reasoning for Science: Technical Report and 1st Place Solution to the ICML 2025 SeePhys Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Multimodal reasoning remains a fundamental challenge in artificial intelligence. Despite substantial advances in text-based reasoning, even state-of-the-art models such as GPT-o3 struggle to maintain strong performance in multimodal scenarios. To address this gap, we introduce a caption-assisted reasoning framework that effectively bridges visual and textual modalities. Our approach achieved 1st place in the ICML 2025 AI for Math Workshop \\&amp; Challenge 2: SeePhys, highlighting its effectiveness and robustness. Furthermore, we validate its generalization on the MathVerse benchmark for geometric reasoning, demonstrating the versatility of our method. Our code is publicly available at https://github.com/OpenDCAI/SciReasoner.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.06079v1","authors":["Hao Liang","Ruitao Wu","Bohan Zeng","Junbo Niu","Wentao Zhang","Bin Dong"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-07T14:47:32Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2511.20200v1","name":"Interactive AI NPCs Powered by LLMs: Technical Report for the CPDC Challenge 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This report presents the solution and results of our team MSRA\\_SC in the Commonsense Persona-Grounded Dialogue Challenge (CPDC 2025). We propose a simple yet effective framework that unifies improvements across both GPU Track and API Track. Our method centers on two key components. First, Context Engineering applies dynamic tool pruning and persona clipping for input compression, combined with post-processing techniques such as parameter normalization and function merging. Together with manually refined prompts, this design improves tool call stability, execution reliability, and role-playing guidance. Second, in the GPU Track, we further adopt GRPO training, replacing supervised fine-tuning with reinforcement learning directly optimized by reward signals. This mitigates small-sample overfitting and significantly enhances task-oriented dialogue performance. In the final evaluation, our team ranks 1st in Task 2 API, 2nd in Task 1 API, and 3rd in both Task 3 API and GPU track, demonstrating the effectiveness of our approach. Our code is publicly available at https://gitlab.aicrowd.com/nikoo_yu/cpdc-2025-winning-solution","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.20200v1","authors":["Yitian Huang","Yuxuan Lei","Jianxun Lian","Hao Liao"],"tags":["cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-25T11:24:14Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.05895v1","name":"Few Labels are all you need: A Weakly Supervised Framework for Appliance Localization in Smart-Meter Series","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Improving smart grid system management is crucial in the fight against climate change, and enabling consumers to play an active role in this effort is a significant challenge for electricity suppliers. In this regard, millions of smart meters have been deployed worldwide in the last decade, recording the main electricity power consumed in individual households. This data produces valuable information that can help them reduce their electricity footprint; nevertheless, the collected signal aggregates the consumption of the different appliances running simultaneously in the house, making it difficult to apprehend. Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM) refers to the challenge of estimating the power consumption, pattern, or on/off state activation of individual appliances using the main smart meter signal. Recent methods proposed to tackle this task are based on a fully supervised deep-learning approach that requires both the aggregate signal and the ground truth of individual appliance power. However, such labels are expensive to collect and extremely scarce in practice, as they require conducting intrusive surveys in households to monitor each appliance. In this paper, we introduce CamAL, a weakly supervised approach for appliance pattern localization that only requires information on the presence of an appliance in a household to be trained. CamAL merges an ensemble of deep-learning classifiers combined with an explainable classification method to be able to localize appliance patterns. Our experimental evaluation, conducted on 4 real-world datasets, demonstrates that CamAL significantly outperforms existing weakly supervised baselines and that current SotA fully supervised NILM approaches require significantly more labels to reach CamAL performances. The source of our experiments is available at: https://github.com/adrienpetralia/CamAL. This paper appeared in ICDE 2025.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.05895v1","authors":["Adrien Petralia","Paul Boniol","Philippe Charpentier","Themis Palpanas"],"tags":["cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-06T09:08:34Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.04085v1","name":"Gluing Random Unitaries with Inverses and Applications to Strong Pseudorandom Unitaries","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Gluing theorem for random unitaries [Schuster, Haferkamp, Huang, QIP 2025] have found numerous applications, including designing low depth random unitaries [Schuster, Haferkamp, Huang, QIP 2025], random unitaries in ${\\sf QAC0}$ [Foxman, Parham, Vasconcelos, Yuen'25] and generically shortening the key length of pseudorandom unitaries [Ananth, Bostanci, Gulati, Lin EUROCRYPT'25]. We present an alternate method of combining Haar random unitaries from the gluing lemma from [Schuster, Haferkamp, Huang, QIP 2025] that is secure against adversaries with inverse query access to the joined unitary. As a consequence, we show for the first time that strong pseudorandom unitaries can generically have their length extended, and can be constructed using only $O(n^{1/c})$ bits of randomness, for any constant $c$, if any family of strong pseudorandom unitaries exists.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.04085v1","authors":["Prabhanjan Ananth","John Bostanci","Aditya Gulati","Yao-Ting Lin"],"tags":["cs.CR","quant-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-05T08:11:33Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.06601v1","name":"AIM 2025 Challenge on Real-World RAW Image Denoising","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We introduce the AIM 2025 Real-World RAW Image Denoising Challenge, aiming to advance efficient and effective denoising techniques grounded in data synthesis. The competition is built upon a newly established evaluation benchmark featuring challenging low-light noisy images captured in the wild using five different DSLR cameras. Participants are tasked with developing novel noise synthesis pipelines, network architectures, and training methodologies to achieve high performance across different camera models. Winners are determined based on a combination of performance metrics, including full-reference measures (PSNR, SSIM, LPIPS), and non-reference ones (ARNIQA, TOPIQ). By pushing the boundaries of camera-agnostic low-light RAW image denoising trained on synthetic data, the competition promotes the development of robust and practical models aligned with the rapid progress in digital photography. We expect the competition outcomes to influence multiple domains, from image restoration to night-time autonomous driving.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.06601v1","authors":["Feiran Li","Jiacheng Li","Marcos V. Conde","Beril Besbinar","Vlad Hosu","Daisuke Iso","Radu Timofte"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-08T03:22:42Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.16440v1","name":"Colliding with Adversaries at ECML-PKDD 2025 Adversarial Attack Competition 1st Prize Solution","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This report presents the winning solution for Task 1 of Colliding with Adversaries: A Challenge on Robust Learning in High Energy Physics Discovery at ECML-PKDD 2025. The task required designing an adversarial attack against a provided classification model that maximizes misclassification while minimizing perturbations. Our approach employs a multi-round gradient-based strategy that leverages the differentiable structure of the model, augmented with random initialization and sample-mixing techniques to enhance effectiveness. The resulting attack achieved the best results in perturbation size and fooling success rate, securing first place in the competition.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.16440v1","authors":["Dimitris Stefanopoulos","Andreas Voskou"],"tags":["cs.LG","cs.CR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-18T10:26:47Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.16827v1","name":"The Colombian legislative process, 2014-2025: networks, topics, and polarization","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The legislative output of Colombia's House of Representatives between 2014 and 2025 is analyzed using 4,083 bills. Bipartite networks are constructed between parties and bills, and between representatives and bills, along with their projections, to characterize co-sponsorship patterns, centrality, and influence, and to assess whether political polarization is reflected in legislative collaboration. In parallel, the content of the initiatives is studied through semantic networks based on co-occurrences extracted from short descriptions, and topics by party and period are identified using a stochastic block model for weighted networks, with additional comparison using Latent Dirichlet Allocation. In addition, a Bayesian sociability model is applied to detect terms with robust connectivity and to summarize discursive cores. Overall, the approach integrates relational and semantic structure to describe thematic shifts across administrations, identify influential actors and collectives, and provide a reproducible synthesis that promotes transparency and citizen oversight of the legislative process.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.16827v1","authors":["Juan Sosa","Brayan Riveros","Emma J. Camargo-Díaz"],"tags":["physics.soc-ph","stat.CO","stat.ME"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-18T18:06:30Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.15217v3","name":"Reflections from Research Roundtables at the Conference on Health, Inference, and Learning (CHIL) 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The 6th Annual Conference on Health, Inference, and Learning (CHIL 2025), hosted by the Association for Health Learning and Inference (AHLI), was held in person on June 25-27, 2025, at the University of California, Berkeley, in Berkeley, California, USA. As part of this year's program, we hosted Research Roundtables to catalyze collaborative, small-group dialogue around critical, timely topics at the intersection of machine learning and healthcare. Each roundtable was moderated by a team of senior and junior chairs who fostered open exchange, intellectual curiosity, and inclusive engagement. The sessions emphasized rigorous discussion of key challenges, exploration of emerging opportunities, and collective ideation toward actionable directions in the field. In total, eight roundtables were held by 19 roundtable chairs on topics of \"Explainability, Interpretability, and Transparency,\" \"Uncertainty, Bias, and Fairness,\" \"Causality,\" \"Domain Adaptation,\" \"Foundation Models,\" \"Learning from Small Medical Data,\" \"Multimodal Methods,\" and \"Scalable, Translational Healthcare Solutions.\"","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.15217v3","authors":["Emily Alsentzer","Marie-Laure Charpignon","Bill Chen","Niharika D'Souza","Jason Fries","Yixing Jiang","Aparajita Kashyap","Chanwoo Kim","Simon Lee","Aishwarya Mandyam","Ashery Mbilinyi","Nikita Mehandru","Nitish Nagesh","Brighton Nuwagira","Emma Pierson","Arvind Pillai","Akane Sano","Tanveer Syeda-Mahmood","Shashank Yadav","Elias Adhanom","Muhammad Umar Afza","Amelia Archer","Suhana Bedi","Vasiliki Bikia","Trenton Chang","George H. Chen","Winston Chen","Erica Chiang","Edward Choi","Octavia Ciora","Paz Dozie-Nnamah","Shaza Elsharief","Matthew Engelhard","Ali Eshragh","Jean Feng","Josh Fessel","Scott Fleming","Kei Sen Fong","Thomas Frost","Soham Gadgil","Judy Gichoya","Leeor Hershkovich","Sujeong Im","Bhavya Jain","Vincent Jeanselme","Furong Jia","Qixuan Jin","Yuxuan Jin","Daniel Kapash","Geetika Kapoor","Behdokht Kiafar","Matthias Kleiner","Stefan Kraft","Annika Kumar","Daeun Kyung","Zhongyuan Liang","Joanna Lin","Qianchu Liu","Chang Liu","Hongzhou Luan","Chris Lunt","Leopoldo Julían Lechuga López","Matthew B. A. McDermott","Shahriar Noroozizadeh","Connor O'Brien","YongKyung Oh","Mixail Ota","Stephen Pfohl","Meagan Pi","Tanmoy Sarkar Pias","Emma Rocheteau","Avishaan Sethi","Toru Shirakawa","Anita Silver","Neha Simha","Kamile Stankeviciute","Max Sunog","Peter Szolovits","Shengpu Tang","Jialu Tang","Aaron Tierney","John Valdovinos","Byron Wallace","Will Ke Wang","Peter Washington","Jeremy Weiss","Daniel Wolfe","Emily Wong","Hye Sun Yun","Xiaoman Zhang","Xiao Yu Cindy Zhang","Hayoung Jeong","Kaveri A. Thakoor"],"tags":["cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-17T00:54:03Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.13915v1","name":"Deepfakes in the 2025 Canadian Election: Prevalence, Partisanship, and Platform Dynamics","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Concerns about AI-generated political content are growing, yet there is limited empirical evidence on how deepfakes actually appear and circulate across social platforms during major events in democratic countries. In this study, we present one of the first in-depth analyses of how these realistic synthetic media shape the political landscape online, focusing specifically on the 2025 Canadian federal election. By analyzing 187,778 posts from X, Bluesky, and Reddit with a high-accuracy detection framework trained on a diverse set of modern generative models, we find that 5.86% of election-related images were deepfakes. Right-leaning accounts shared them more frequently, with 8.66% of their posted images flagged compared to 4.42% for left-leaning users, often with defamatory or conspiratorial intent. Yet, most detected deepfakes were benign or non-political, and harmful ones drew little attention, accounting for only 0.12% of all views on X. Overall, deepfakes were present in the election conversation, but their reach was modest, and realistic fabricated images, although less common, drew higher engagement, highlighting growing concerns about their potential misuse.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.13915v1","authors":["Victor Livernoche","Andreea Musulan","Zachary Yang","Jean-François Godbout","Reihaneh Rabbany"],"tags":["cs.SI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-15T21:49:40Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.06970v1","name":"Blending Sequential Embeddings, Graphs, and Engineered Features: 4th Place Solution in RecSys Challenge 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes the 4th-place solution by team ambitious for the RecSys Challenge 2025, organized by Synerise and ACM RecSys, which focused on universal behavioral modeling. The challenge objective was to generate user embeddings effective across six diverse downstream tasks. Our solution integrates (1) a sequential encoder to capture the temporal evolution of user interests, (2) a graph neural network to enhance generalization, (3) a deep cross network to model high-order feature interactions, and (4) performance-critical feature engineering.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.06970v1","authors":["Sergei Makeev","Alexandr Andreev","Vladimir Baikalov","Vladislav Tytskiy","Aleksei Krasilnikov","Kirill Khrylchenko"],"tags":["cs.IR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-09T12:35:52Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.09089v2","name":"Measuring the Impact of Early-2025 AI on Experienced Open-Source Developer Productivity","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Despite widespread adoption, the impact of AI tools on software development in the wild remains understudied. We conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to understand how AI tools at the February-June 2025 frontier affect the productivity of experienced open-source developers. 16 developers with moderate AI experience complete 246 tasks in mature projects on which they have an average of 5 years of prior experience. Each task is randomly assigned to allow or disallow usage of early 2025 AI tools. When AI tools are allowed, developers primarily use Cursor Pro, a popular code editor, and Claude 3.5/3.7 Sonnet. Before starting tasks, developers forecast that allowing AI will reduce completion time by 24%. After completing the study, developers estimate that allowing AI reduced completion time by 20%. Surprisingly, we find that allowing AI actually increases completion time by 19%--AI tooling slowed developers down. This slowdown also contradicts predictions from experts in economics (39% shorter) and ML (38% shorter). To understand this result, we collect and evaluate evidence for 20 properties of our setting that a priori could contribute to the observed slowdown effect--for example, the size and quality standards of projects, or prior developer experience with AI tooling. Although the influence of experimental artifacts cannot be entirely ruled out, the robustness of the slowdown effect across our analyses suggests it is unlikely to primarily be a function of our experimental design.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.09089v2","authors":["Joel Becker","Nate Rush","Elizabeth Barnes","David Rein"],"tags":["cs.AI","cs.HC","cs.SE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-12T00:16:33Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.15855v4","name":"Winning Gold at IMO 2025 with a Model-Agnostic Verification-and-Refinement Pipeline","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) is widely regarded as the world championship of high-school mathematics. IMO problems are renowned for their difficulty and novelty, demanding deep insight, creativity, and rigor. Although large language models perform well on many mathematical benchmarks, they often struggle with Olympiad-level problems. Using carefully designed prompts, we construct a model-agnostic, verification-and-refinement pipeline. We demonstrate its effectiveness on the recent IMO 2025, avoiding data contamination for models released before the competition. Equipped with any of the three leading models -- Gemini 2.5 Pro, Grok-4, or GPT-5 -- our pipeline correctly solved 5 out of the 6 problems ($\\approx$85.7% accuracy). This is in sharp contrast to their baseline accuracies: 31.6% (Gemini 2.5 Pro), 21.4% (Grok-4), and 38.1% (GPT-5), obtained by selecting the best of 32 candidate solutions. The substantial improvement underscores that the path to advanced AI reasoning requires not only developing more powerful base models but also designing effective methodologies to harness their full potential for complex tasks.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.15855v4","authors":["Yichen Huang","Lin F. Yang"],"tags":["cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-21T17:59:49Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2503.09011v1","name":"Word2winners at SemEval-2025 Task 7: Multilingual and Crosslingual Fact-Checked Claim Retrieval","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes our system for SemEval 2025 Task 7: Previously Fact-Checked Claim Retrieval. The task requires retrieving relevant fact-checks for a given input claim from the extensive, multilingual MultiClaim dataset, which comprises social media posts and fact-checks in several languages. To address this challenge, we first evaluated zero-shot performance using state-of-the-art English and multilingual retrieval models and then fine-tuned the most promising systems, leveraging machine translation to enhance crosslingual retrieval. Our best model achieved an accuracy of 85% on crosslingual data and 92% on monolingual data.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.09011v1","authors":["Amirmohammad Azadi","Sina Zamani","Mohammadmostafa Rostamkhani","Sauleh Eetemadi"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-12T02:59:41Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.12276v1","name":"The Tenth NTIRE 2025 Image Denoising Challenge Report","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents an overview of the NTIRE 2025 Image Denoising Challenge (σ = 50), highlighting the proposed methodologies and corresponding results. The primary objective is to develop a network architecture capable of achieving high-quality denoising performance, quantitatively evaluated using PSNR, without constraints on computational complexity or model size. The task assumes independent additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) with a fixed noise level of 50. A total of 290 participants registered for the challenge, with 20 teams successfully submitting valid results, providing insights into the current state-of-the-art in image denoising.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.12276v1","authors":["Lei Sun","Hang Guo","Bin Ren","Luc Van Gool","Radu Timofte","Yawei Li","Xiangyu Kong","Hyunhee Park","Xiaoxuan Yu","Suejin Han","Hakjae Jeon","Jia Li","Hyung-Ju Chun","Donghun Ryou","Inju Ha","Bohyung Han","Jingyu Ma","Zhijuan Huang","Huiyuan Fu","Hongyuan Yu","Boqi Zhang","Jiawei Shi","Heng Zhang","Huadong Ma","Deepak Kumar Tyagi","Aman Kukretti","Gajender Sharma","Sriharsha Koundinya","Asim Manna","Jun Cheng","Shan Tan","Jun Liu","Jiangwei Hao","Jianping Luo","Jie Lu","Satya Narayan Tazi","Arnim Gautam","Aditi Pawar","Aishwarya Joshi","Akshay Dudhane","Praful Hambadre","Sachin Chaudhary","Santosh Kumar Vipparthi","Subrahmanyam Murala","Jiachen Tu","Nikhil Akalwadi","Vijayalaxmi Ashok Aralikatti","Dheeraj Damodar Hegde","G Gyaneshwar Rao","Jatin Kalal","Chaitra Desai","Ramesh Ashok Tabib","Uma Mudenagudi","Zhenyuan Lin","Yubo Dong","Weikun Li","Anqi Li","Ang Gao","Weijun Yuan","Zhan Li","Ruting Deng","Yihang Chen","Yifan Deng","Zhanglu Chen","Boyang Yao","Shuling Zheng","Feng Zhang","Zhiheng Fu","Anas M. Ali","Bilel Benjdira","Wadii Boulila","Jan Seny","Pei Zhou","Jianhua Hu","K. L. Eddie Law","Jaeho Lee","M. J. Aashik Rasool","Abdur Rehman","SMA Sharif","Seongwan Kim","Alexandru Brateanu","Raul Balmez","Ciprian Orhei","Cosmin Ancuti","Zeyu Xiao","Zhuoyuan Li","Ziqi Wang","Yanyan Wei","Fei Wang","Kun Li","Shengeng Tang","Yunkai Zhang","Weirun Zhou","Haoxuan Lu"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-16T17:35:09Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.06189v1","name":"DS@GT at CheckThat! 2025: Detecting Subjectivity via Transfer-Learning and Corrective Data Augmentation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents our submission to Task 1, Subjectivity Detection, of the CheckThat! Lab at CLEF 2025. We investigate the effectiveness of transfer-learning and stylistic data augmentation to improve classification of subjective and objective sentences in English news text. Our approach contrasts fine-tuning of pre-trained encoders and transfer-learning of fine-tuned transformer on related tasks. We also introduce a controlled augmentation pipeline using GPT-4o to generate paraphrases in predefined subjectivity styles. To ensure label and style consistency, we employ the same model to correct and refine the generated samples. Results show that transfer-learning of specified encoders outperforms fine-tuning general-purpose ones, and that carefully curated augmentation significantly enhances model robustness, especially in detecting subjective content. Our official submission placed us $16^{th}$ of 24 participants. Overall, our findings underscore the value of combining encoder specialization with label-consistent augmentation for improved subjectivity detection. Our code is available at https://github.com/dsgt-arc/checkthat-2025-subject.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.06189v1","authors":["Maximilian Heil","Dionne Bang"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-08T17:18:50Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.13479v2","name":"AIM 2025 challenge on Inverse Tone Mapping Report: Methods and Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents a comprehensive review of the AIM 2025 Challenge on Inverse Tone Mapping (ITM). The challenge aimed to push forward the development of effective ITM algorithms for HDR image reconstruction from single LDR inputs, focusing on perceptual fidelity and numerical consistency. A total of \\textbf{67} participants submitted \\textbf{319} valid results, from which the best five teams were selected for detailed analysis. This report consolidates their methodologies and performance, with the lowest PU21-PSNR among the top entries reaching 29.22 dB. The analysis highlights innovative strategies for enhancing HDR reconstruction quality and establishes strong benchmarks to guide future research in inverse tone mapping.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.13479v2","authors":["Chao Wang","Francesco Banterle","Bin Ren","Radu Timofte","Xin Lu","Yufeng Peng","Chengjie Ge","Zhijing Sun","Ziang Zhou","Zihao Li","Zishun Liao","Qiyu Kang","Xueyang Fu","Zheng-Jun Zha","Zhijing Sun","Xingbo Wang","Kean Liu","Senyan Xu","Yang Qiu","Yifan Ding","Gabriel Eilertsen","Jonas Unger","Zihao Wang","Ke Wu","Jinshan Pan","Zhen Liu","Zhongyang Li","Shuaicheng Liu","S. M Nadim Uddin"],"tags":["cs.CV","eess.IV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-19T03:18:22Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.23018v2","name":"Improving Product Search Relevance with EAR-MP: A Solution for the CIKM 2025 AnalytiCup","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Multilingual e-commerce search is challenging due to linguistic diversity and the noise inherent in user-generated queries. This paper documents the solution employed by our team (EAR-MP) for the CIKM 2025 AnalytiCup, which addresses two core tasks: Query-Category (QC) relevance and Query-Item (QI) relevance. Our approach first normalizes the multilingual dataset by translating all text into English, then mitigates noise through extensive data cleaning and normalization. For model training, we build on DeBERTa-v3-large and improve performance with label smoothing, self-distillation, and dropout. In addition, we introduce task-specific upgrades, including hierarchical token injection for QC and a hybrid scoring mechanism for QI. Under constrained compute, our method achieves competitive results, attaining an F1 score of 0.8796 on QC and 0.8744 on QI. These findings underscore the importance of systematic data preprocessing and tailored training strategies for building robust, resource-efficient multilingual relevance systems.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.23018v2","authors":["JaeEun Lim","Soomin Kim","Jaeyong Seo","Iori Ono","Qimu Ran","Jae-woong Lee"],"tags":["cs.IR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-27T05:32:13Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.13258v1","name":"Proceedings of the Sixteenth International Symposium on Games, Automata, Logics, and Formal Verification","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This volume contains the proceedings of GandALF 2025, the Sixteenth International Symposium on Games, Automata, Logics, and Formal Verification. GandALF 2025 took place on 16-17th September 2025, in Valletta, Malta. The aim of GandALF 2025 is to bring together researchers from academia and industry who are actively working in the fields of Games, Automata, Logics, and Formal Verification. The idea is to cover an ample spectrum of themes, ranging from theory to applications, and stimulate cross-fertilisation.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.13258v1","authors":["Giorgio Bacci","Adrian Francalanza"],"tags":["cs.LO"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-16T17:14:12Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.23312v2","name":"Low-Resource Audio Codec (LRAC): 2025 Challenge Description","source":"arxiv","abstract":"While recent neural audio codecs deliver superior speech quality at ultralow bitrates over traditional methods, their practical adoption is hindered by obstacles related to low-resource operation and robustness to acoustic distortions. Edge deployment scenarios demand codecs that operate under stringent compute constraints while maintaining low latency and bitrate. The presence of background noise and reverberation further necessitates designs that are resilient to such degradations. The performance of neural codecs under these constraints and their integration with speech enhancement remain largely unaddressed. To catalyze progress in this area, we introduce the 2025 Low-Resource Audio Codec Challenge, which targets the development of neural and hybrid codecs for resource-constrained applications. Participants are supported with a standardized training dataset, two baseline systems, and a comprehensive evaluation framework. The challenge is expected to yield valuable insights applicable to both codec design and related downstream audio tasks.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.23312v2","authors":["Kamil Wojcicki","Yusuf Ziya Isik","Laura Lechler","Mansur Yesilbursa","Ivana Balić","Wolfgang Mack","Rafał Łaganowski","Guoqing Zhang","Yossi Adi","Minje Kim","Shinji Watanabe"],"tags":["cs.SD","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-27T13:21:30Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.00950v1","name":"MVP: Winning Solution to SMP Challenge 2025 Video Track","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Social media platforms serve as central hubs for content dissemination, opinion expression, and public engagement across diverse modalities. Accurately predicting the popularity of social media videos enables valuable applications in content recommendation, trend detection, and audience engagement. In this paper, we present Multimodal Video Predictor (MVP), our winning solution to the Video Track of the SMP Challenge 2025. MVP constructs expressive post representations by integrating deep video features extracted from pretrained models with user metadata and contextual information. The framework applies systematic preprocessing techniques, including log-transformations and outlier removal, to improve model robustness. A gradient-boosted regression model is trained to capture complex patterns across modalities. Our approach ranked first in the official evaluation of the Video Track, demonstrating its effectiveness and reliability for multimodal video popularity prediction on social platforms. The source code is available at https://anonymous.4open.science/r/SMPDVideo.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.00950v1","authors":["Liliang Ye","Yunyao Zhang","Yafeng Wu","Yi-Ping Phoebe Chen","Junqing Yu","Wei Yang","Zikai Song"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.LG","cs.MM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-01T16:52:20Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.16314v1","name":"NTIRE 2025 challenge on Text to Image Generation Model Quality Assessment","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper reports on the NTIRE 2025 challenge on Text to Image (T2I) generation model quality assessment, which will be held in conjunction with the New Trends in Image Restoration and Enhancement Workshop (NTIRE) at CVPR 2025. The aim of this challenge is to address the fine-grained quality assessment of text-to-image generation models. This challenge evaluates text-to-image models from two aspects: image-text alignment and image structural distortion detection, and is divided into the alignment track and the structural track. The alignment track uses the EvalMuse-40K, which contains around 40K AI-Generated Images (AIGIs) generated by 20 popular generative models. The alignment track has a total of 371 registered participants. A total of 1,883 submissions are received in the development phase, and 507 submissions are received in the test phase. Finally, 12 participating teams submitted their models and fact sheets. The structure track uses the EvalMuse-Structure, which contains 10,000 AI-Generated Images (AIGIs) with corresponding structural distortion mask. A total of 211 participants have registered in the structure track. A total of 1155 submissions are received in the development phase, and 487 submissions are received in the test phase. Finally, 8 participating teams submitted their models and fact sheets. Almost all methods have achieved better results than baseline methods, and the winning methods in both tracks have demonstrated superior prediction performance on T2I model quality assessment.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.16314v1","authors":["Shuhao Han","Haotian Fan","Fangyuan Kong","Wenjie Liao","Chunle Guo","Chongyi Li","Radu Timofte","Liang Li","Tao Li","Junhui Cui","Yunqiu Wang","Yang Tai","Jingwei Sun","Jianhui Sun","Xinli Yue","Tianyi Wang","Huan Hou","Junda Lu","Xinyang Huang","Zitang Zhou","Zijian Zhang","Xuhui Zheng","Xuecheng Wu","Chong Peng","Xuezhi Cao","Trong-Hieu Nguyen-Mau","Minh-Hoang Le","Minh-Khoa Le-Phan","Duy-Nam Ly","Hai-Dang Nguyen","Minh-Triet Tran","Yukang Lin","Yan Hong","Chuanbiao Song","Siyuan Li","Jun Lan","Zhichao Zhang","Xinyue Li","Wei Sun","Zicheng Zhang","Yunhao Li","Xiaohong Liu","Guangtao Zhai","Zitong Xu","Huiyu Duan","Jiarui Wang","Guangji Ma","Liu Yang","Lu Liu","Qiang Hu","Xiongkuo Min","Zichuan Wang","Zhenchen Tang","Bo Peng","Jing Dong","Fengbin Guan","Zihao Yu","Yiting Lu","Wei Luo","Xin Li","Minhao Lin","Haofeng Chen","Xuanxuan He","Kele Xu","Qisheng Xu","Zijian Gao","Tianjiao Wan","Bo-Cheng Qiu","Chih-Chung Hsu","Chia-ming Lee","Yu-Fan Lin","Bo Yu","Zehao Wang","Da Mu","Mingxiu Chen","Junkang Fang","Huamei Sun","Wending Zhao","Zhiyu Wang","Wang Liu","Weikang Yu","Puhong Duan","Bin Sun","Xudong Kang","Shutao Li","Shuai He","Lingzhi Fu","Heng Cong","Rongyu Zhang","Jiarong He","Zhishan Qiao","Yongqing Huang","Zewen Chen","Zhe Pang","Juan Wang","Jian Guo","Zhizhuo Shao","Ziyu Feng","Bing Li","Weiming Hu","Hesong Li","Dehua Liu","Zeming Liu","Qingsong Xie","Ruichen Wang","Zhihao Li","Yuqi Liang","Jianqi Bi","Jun Luo","Junfeng Yang","Can Li","Jing Fu","Hongwei Xu","Mingrui Long","Lulin Tang"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-22T07:12:36Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.18988v1","name":"NTIRE 2025 Challenge on Video Quality Enhancement for Video Conferencing: Datasets, Methods and Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents a comprehensive review of the 1st Challenge on Video Quality Enhancement for Video Conferencing held at the NTIRE workshop at CVPR 2025, and highlights the problem statement, datasets, proposed solutions, and results. The aim of this challenge was to design a Video Quality Enhancement (VQE) model to enhance video quality in video conferencing scenarios by (a) improving lighting, (b) enhancing colors, (c) reducing noise, and (d) enhancing sharpness - giving a professional studio-like effect. Participants were given a differentiable Video Quality Assessment (VQA) model, training, and test videos. A total of 91 participants registered for the challenge. We received 10 valid submissions that were evaluated in a crowdsourced framework.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.18988v1","authors":["Varun Jain","Zongwei Wu","Quan Zou","Louis Florentin","Henrik Turbell","Sandeep Siddhartha","Radu Timofte"," others"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-25T05:53:24Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.09649v2","name":"The Brain Resection Multimodal Image Registration (ReMIND2Reg) 2025 Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Accurate intraoperative image guidance is critical for achieving maximal safe resection in brain tumor surgery, yet neuronavigation systems based on preoperative MRI lose accuracy during the procedure due to brain shift. Aligning post-resection intraoperative ultrasound (iUS) with preoperative MRI can restore spatial accuracy by estimating brain shift deformations, but it remains a challenging problem given the large anatomical and topological changes and substantial modality intensity gap. The ReMIND2Reg 2025 Challenge provides the largest public benchmark for this task, built upon the ReMIND dataset. It offers 99 training cases, 5 validation cases, and 10 private test cases comprising paired 3D ceT1 MRI, T2 MRI, and post-resection 3D iUS volumes. Data are provided without annotations for training, while validation and test performance are evaluated on manually annotated anatomical landmarks. Metrics include target registration error (TRE), robustness to worst-case landmark misalignment (TRE30), and runtime. By establishing a standardized evaluation framework for this clinically critical and technically complex problem, ReMIND2Reg aims to accelerate the development of robust, generalizable, and clinically deployable multimodal registration algorithms for image-guided neurosurgery.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.09649v2","authors":["Reuben Dorent","Laura Rigolo","Colin P. Galvin","Junyu Chen","Mattias P. Heinrich","Aaron Carass","Olivier Colliot","Demian Wassermann","Alexandra Golby","Tina Kapur","William Wells"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-13T09:31:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2602.00484v1","name":"GTATrack: Winner Solution to SoccerTrack 2025 with Deep-EIoU and Global Tracklet Association","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Multi-object tracking (MOT) in sports is highly challenging due to irregular player motion, uniform appearances, and frequent occlusions. These difficulties are further exacerbated by the geometric distortion and extreme scale variation introduced by static fisheye cameras. In this work, we present GTATrack, a hierarchical tracking framework that win first place in the SoccerTrack Challenge 2025. GTATrack integrates two core components: Deep Expansion IoU (Deep-EIoU) for motion-agnostic online association and Global Tracklet Association (GTA) for trajectory-level refinement. This two-stage design enables both robust short-term matching and long-term identity consistency. Additionally, a pseudo-labeling strategy is used to boost detector recall on small and distorted targets. The synergy between local association and global reasoning effectively addresses identity switches, occlusions, and tracking fragmentation. Our method achieved a winning HOTA score of 0.60 and significantly reduced false positives to 982, demonstrating state-of-the-art accuracy in fisheye-based soccer tracking. Our code is available at https://github.com/ron941/GTATrack-STC2025.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.00484v1","authors":["Rong-Lin Jian","Ming-Chi Luo","Chen-Wei Huang","Chia-Ming Lee","Yu-Fan Lin","Chih-Chung Hsu"],"tags":["cs.CV","cs.MM"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-31T03:08:48Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.00476v1","name":"GETALP@AutoMin 2025: Leveraging RAG to Answer Questions based on Meeting Transcripts","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper documents GETALP's submission to the Third Run of the Automatic Minuting Shared Task at SIGDial 2025. We participated in Task B: question-answering based on meeting transcripts. Our method is based on a retrieval augmented generation (RAG) system and Abstract Meaning Representations (AMR). We propose three systems combining these two approaches. Our results show that incorporating AMR leads to high-quality responses for approximately 35% of the questions and provides notable improvements in answering questions that involve distinguishing between different participants (e.g., who questions).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.00476v1","authors":["Jeongwoo Kang","Markarit Vartampetian","Felix Herron","Yongxin Zhou","Diandra Fabre","Gabriela Gonzalez-Saez"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-01T09:51:05Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.12574v1","name":"Overview of the NLPCC 2025 Shared Task: Gender Bias Mitigation Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"As natural language processing for gender bias becomes a significant interdisciplinary topic, the prevalent data-driven techniques, such as pre-trained language models, suffer from biased corpus. This case becomes more obvious regarding those languages with less fairness-related computational linguistic resources, such as Chinese. To this end, we propose a Chinese cOrpus foR Gender bIas Probing and Mitigation (CORGI-PM), which contains 32.9k sentences with high-quality labels derived by following an annotation scheme specifically developed for gender bias in the Chinese context. It is worth noting that CORGI-PM contains 5.2k gender-biased sentences along with the corresponding bias-eliminated versions rewritten by human annotators. We pose three challenges as a shared task to automate the mitigation of textual gender bias, which requires the models to detect, classify, and mitigate textual gender bias. In the literature, we present the results and analysis for the teams participating this shared task in NLPCC 2025.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.12574v1","authors":["Yizhi Li","Ge Zhang","Hanhua Hong","Yiwen Wang","Chenghua Lin"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-14T17:06:04Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.23645v1","name":"Global YouTube Trending Dataset (2022-2025): Three Years of Platform-Curated, Cross-National Trends in Digital Culture","source":"arxiv","abstract":"On July 1, 2025, YouTube retired its decade-long public \"Trending\" pages, ending platform-curated, non-personalized video discovery. The Trending list had long served as a vital lens into algorithmic influence, cultural diffusion, and crisis communication globally, offering a rare \"ground-truth\" reference to study global attention and cultural salience. We present a three-year archival dataset of YouTube Trending videos, collected from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2025, with four daily snapshots for each of the 104 countries. The dataset includes 446,971 snapshots, each capturing up to 200 trending videos, encompassing 78.4 million video entries (726,627 unique videos) and associated metadata. Each record includes core identifiers (snapshot time, country, rank) and content metadata (video ID, channel ID, title, description, tags, publication date, category, channel name, language, live status, views, and comments). Unlike previous datasets with limited geographic scope or short timeframes, our non-personalized data provides exceptional cross-national and longitudinal coverage for studying digital culture, platform governance, and temporal dynamics in content popularity. We document the data collection methodology, schema design, coverage, descriptive statistics for both global and U.S. trending videos, and the ethical safeguards implemented throughout.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.23645v1","authors":["Alexandre Goncalves","Yee Man Margaret Ng"],"tags":["cs.SI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-24T20:19:16Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.10956v1","name":"AI Hasn't Fixed Teamwork, But It Shifted Collaborative Culture: A Longitudinal Study in a Project-Based Software Development Organization (2023-2025)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"When AI entered the workplace, many believed it could reshape teamwork as profoundly as it boosted individual productivity. Would AI finally ease the longstanding challenges of team collaboration? Our findings suggested a more complicated reality. We conducted a longitudinal two-wave interview study (2023-2025) with members (N=15) of a project-based software development organization to examine the expectations and use of AI in teamwork. In early 2023, just after the release of ChatGPT, participants envisioned AI as an intelligent coordinator that could align projects, track progress, and ease interpersonal frictions. By 2025, however, AI was used mainly to accelerate individual tasks such as coding, writing, and documentation, leaving persistent collaboration issues of performance accountability and fragile communication unresolved. Yet AI reshaped collaborative culture: efficiency became a norm, transparency and responsible use became markers of professionalism, and AI was increasingly accepted as part of teamwork.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.10956v1","authors":["Qing Xiao","Xinlan Emily Hu","Mark E. Whiting","Arvind Karunakaran","Hong Shen","Hancheng Cao"],"tags":["cs.HC","cs.CY","cs.SE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-13T19:32:56Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.14916v1","name":"Transsion Multilingual Speech Recognition System for MLC-SLM 2025 Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the architecture and performance of a novel Multilingual Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) system developed by the Transsion Speech Team for Track 1 of the MLC-SLM 2025 Challenge. The proposed system comprises three key components: 1) a frozen Whisper-large-v3 based speech encoder, leveraging large-scale pretraining to ensure robust acoustic feature extraction; 2) a trainable adaptor module using Linear-ReLU-Linear transformation mechanisms to effectively align speech and text representations; and 3) a frozen Qwen2.5-7B-Instruct large language model (LLM) integrated with trainable LoRA for optimized contextual linguistic decoding. By systematically combining pretrained models with task specific fine-tuning, the system achieved a word/character error rate (WER/CER) of 9.83% across 11 languages in the evaluation set and ranked third place among global participants.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.14916v1","authors":["Xiaoxiao Li","An Zhu","Youhai Jiang","Fengjie Zhu"],"tags":["eess.AS","cs.AI","cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-15T10:39:05Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.20959v1","name":"Research Community Perspectives on \"Intelligence\" and Large Language Models","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Despite the widespread use of ''artificial intelligence'' (AI) framing in Natural Language Processing (NLP) research, it is not clear what researchers mean by ''intelligence''. To that end, we present the results of a survey on the notion of ''intelligence'' among researchers and its role in the research agenda. The survey elicited complete responses from 303 researchers from a variety of fields including NLP, Machine Learning (ML), Cognitive Science, Linguistics, and Neuroscience. We identify 3 criteria of intelligence that the community agrees on the most: generalization, adaptability, &amp; reasoning. Our results suggests that the perception of the current NLP systems as ''intelligent'' is a minority position (29%). Furthermore, only 16.2% of the respondents see developing intelligent systems as a research goal, and these respondents are more likely to consider the current systems intelligent.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.20959v1","authors":["Bertram Højer","Terne Sasha Thorn Jakobsen","Anna Rogers","Stefan Heinrich"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.CY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-27T09:53:27Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.01659v1","name":"Physics Supernova: AI Agent Matches Elite Gold Medalists at IPhO 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Physics provides fundamental laws that describe and predict the natural world. AI systems aspiring toward more general, real-world intelligence must therefore demonstrate strong physics problem-solving abilities: to formulate and apply physical laws for explaining and predicting physical processes. The International Physics Olympiad (IPhO)--the world's most prestigious physics competition--offers a rigorous benchmark for this purpose. We introduce Physics Supernova, an AI agent system with superior physics problem-solving abilities that match elite IPhO gold medalists. In IPhO 2025 theory problems, Physics Supernova attains 23.5/30 points, ranking 14th of 406 contestants and surpassing the median performance of human gold medalists. We extensively analyzed Physics Supernova's capabilities and flexibility across diverse physics tasks. These results show that principled tool integration within agent systems can deliver competitive improvements in solving challenging science problems. The codes are available at https://github.com/CharlesQ9/Physics-Supernova.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.01659v1","authors":["Jiahao Qiu","Jingzhe Shi","Xinzhe Juan","Zelin Zhao","Jiayi Geng","Shilong Liu","Hongru Wang","Sanfeng Wu","Mengdi Wang"],"tags":["cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-01T17:59:13Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.08050v1","name":"9th Workshop on Sign Language Translation and Avatar Technologies (SLTAT 2025)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Sign Language Translation and Avatar Technology (SLTAT) workshops continue a series of gatherings to share recent advances in improving deaf / human communication through non-invasive means. This 2025 edition, the 9th since its first appearance in 2011, is hosted by the International Conference on Intelligent Virtual Agents (IVA), giving the opportunity for contamination between two research communities, using digital humans as either virtual interpreters or as interactive conversational agents. As presented in this summary paper, SLTAT sees contributions beyond avatar technologies, with a consistent number of submissions on sign language recognition, and other work on data collection, data analysis, tools, ethics, usability, and affective computing.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.08050v1","authors":["Fabrizio Nunnari","Cristina Luna Jiménez","Rosalee Wolfe","John C. McDonald","Michael Filhol","Eleni Efthimiou","Evita Fotinea","Thomas Hanke"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-11T14:50:21Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.24211v1","name":"The Malaysian Election Corpus (MECo): Electoral Maps and Cartograms from 1954 to 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Electoral boundaries in Malaysia are not publicly available in machine-readable form. This prevents rigorous analysis of geography-centric issues such as malapportionment and gerrymandering, and constrains spatial perspectives on electoral outcomes. We present the second component of the Malaysian Election Corpus (MECo), an open-access collection of digital electoral boundaries covering all 19 approved delimitation exercises in Malaysia's history, from the first set of Malayan boundaries in 1954 until the 2019 Sabah delimitation. We also auto-generate election-time maps for all federal and state elections up to 2025, and include equal-area and electorate-weighted cartograms to support deeper geospatial analysis. This is the first complete, publicly-available, and machine-readable record of Malaysia's electoral boundaries, and fills a critical gap in the country's electoral data infrastructure.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.24211v1","authors":["Thevesh Thevananthan","Danesh Prakash Chacko"],"tags":["stat.AP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-30T13:25:15Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.19182v1","name":"SoccerNet 2025 Challenges Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The SoccerNet 2025 Challenges mark the fifth annual edition of the SoccerNet open benchmarking effort, dedicated to advancing computer vision research in football video understanding. This year's challenges span four vision-based tasks: (1) Team Ball Action Spotting, focused on detecting ball-related actions in football broadcasts and assigning actions to teams; (2) Monocular Depth Estimation, targeting the recovery of scene geometry from single-camera broadcast clips through relative depth estimation for each pixel; (3) Multi-View Foul Recognition, requiring the analysis of multiple synchronized camera views to classify fouls and their severity; and (4) Game State Reconstruction, aimed at localizing and identifying all players from a broadcast video to reconstruct the game state on a 2D top-view of the field. Across all tasks, participants were provided with large-scale annotated datasets, unified evaluation protocols, and strong baselines as starting points. This report presents the results of each challenge, highlights the top-performing solutions, and provides insights into the progress made by the community. The SoccerNet Challenges continue to serve as a driving force for reproducible, open research at the intersection of computer vision, artificial intelligence, and sports. Detailed information about the tasks, challenges, and leaderboards can be found at https://www.soccer-net.org, with baselines and development kits available at https://github.com/SoccerNet.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.19182v1","authors":["Silvio Giancola","Anthony Cioppa","Marc Gutiérrez-Pérez","Jan Held","Carlos Hinojosa","Victor Joos","Arnaud Leduc","Floriane Magera","Karen Sanchez","Vladimir Somers","Artur Xarles","Antonio Agudo","Alexandre Alahi","Olivier Barnich","Albert Clapés","Christophe De Vleeschouwer","Sergio Escalera","Bernard Ghanem","Thomas B. Moeslund","Marc Van Droogenbroeck","Tomoki Abe","Saad Alotaibi","Faisal Altawijri","Steven Araujo","Xiang Bai","Xiaoyang Bi","Jiawang Cao","Vanyi Chao","Kamil Czarnogórski","Fabian Deuser","Mingyang Du","Tianrui Feng","Patrick Frenzel","Mirco Fuchs","Jorge García","Konrad Habel","Takaya Hashiguchi","Sadao Hirose","Xinting Hu","Yewon Hwang","Ririko Inoue","Riku Itsuji","Kazuto Iwai","Hongwei Ji","Yangguang Ji","Licheng Jiao","Yuto Kageyama","Yuta Kamikawa","Yuuki Kanasugi","Hyungjung Kim","Jinwook Kim","Takuya Kurihara","Bozheng Li","Lingling Li","Xian Li","Youxing Lian","Dingkang Liang","Hongkai Lin","Jiadong Lin","Jian Liu","Liang Liu","Shuaikun Liu","Zhaohong Liu","Yi Lu","Federico Méndez","Huadong Ma","Wenping Ma","Jacek Maksymiuk","Henry Mantilla","Ismail Mathkour","Daniel Matthes","Ayaha Motomochi","Amrulloh Robbani Muhammad","Haruto Nakayama","Joohyung Oh","Yin May Oo","Marcelo Ortega","Norbert Oswald","Rintaro Otsubo","Fabian Perez","Mengshi Qi","Cristian Rey","Abel Reyes-Angulo","Oliver Rose","Hoover Rueda-Chacón","Hideo Saito","Jose Sarmiento","Kanta Sawafuji","Atom Scott","Xi Shen","Pragyan Shrestha","Jae-Young Sim","Long Sun","Yuyang Sun","Tomohiro Suzuki","Licheng Tang","Masato Tonouchi","Ikuma Uchida","Henry O. Velesaca","Tiancheng Wang","Rio Watanabe","Jay Wu","Yongliang Wu","Shunzo Yamagishi","Di Yang","Xu Yang","Yuxin Yang","Hao Ye","Xinyu Ye","Calvin Yeung","Xuanlong Yu","Chao Zhang","Dingyuan Zhang","Kexing Zhang","Zhe Zhao","Xin Zhou","Wenbo Zhu","Julian Ziegler"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-26T16:37:07Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.03162v2","name":"The Open DAC 2025 Dataset for Sorbent Discovery in Direct Air Capture","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Identifying useful sorbent materials for direct air capture (DAC) from humid air remains a challenge. We present the Open DAC 2025 (ODAC25) dataset, a significant expansion and improvement upon ODAC23 (Sriram et al., ACS Central Science, 10 (2024) 923), comprising nearly 60 million DFT single-point calculations for CO$_2$, H$_2$O, N$_2$, and O$_2$ adsorption in 15,000 MOFs. ODAC25 introduces chemical and configurational diversity through functionalized MOFs, high-energy GCMC-derived placements, and synthetically generated frameworks. ODAC25 also significantly improves upon the accuracy of DFT calculations and the treatment of flexible MOFs in ODAC23. Along with the dataset, we release new state-of-the-art machine-learned interatomic potentials trained on ODAC25 and evaluate them on adsorption energy and Henry's law coefficient predictions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.03162v2","authors":["Anuroop Sriram","Logan M. Brabson","Xiaohan Yu","Sihoon Choi","Kareem Abdelmaqsoud","Elias Moubarak","Pim de Haan","Sindy Löwe","Johann Brehmer","John R. Kitchin","Max Welling","C. Lawrence Zitnick","Zachary Ulissi","Andrew J. Medford","David S. Sholl"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci","cs.LG","physics.chem-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-05T07:08:01Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2503.23509v2","name":"ReferDINO-Plus: 2nd Solution for 4th PVUW MeViS Challenge at CVPR 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Referring Video Object Segmentation (RVOS) aims to segment target objects throughout a video based on a text description. This task has attracted increasing attention in the field of computer vision due to its promising applications in video editing and human-agent interaction. Recently, ReferDINO has demonstrated promising performance in this task by adapting object-level vision-language knowledge from pretrained foundational image models. In this report, we further enhance its capabilities by incorporating the advantages of SAM2 in mask quality and object consistency. In addition, to effectively balance performance between single-object and multi-object scenarios, we introduce a conditional mask fusion strategy that adaptively fuses the masks from ReferDINO and SAM2. Our solution, termed ReferDINO-Plus, achieves 60.43 \\(\\mathcal{J}\\&amp;\\mathcal{F}\\) on MeViS test set, securing 2nd place in the MeViS PVUW challenge at CVPR 2025. The code is available at: https://github.com/iSEE-Laboratory/ReferDINO-Plus.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.23509v2","authors":["Tianming Liang","Haichao Jiang","Wei-Shi Zheng","Jian-Fang Hu"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-30T16:43:04Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2511.07461v1","name":"It Takes Two: A Dual Stage Approach for Terminology-Aware Translation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper introduces DuTerm, a novel two-stage architecture for terminology-constrained machine translation. Our system combines a terminology-aware NMT model, adapted via fine-tuning on large-scale synthetic data, with a prompt-based LLM for post-editing. The LLM stage refines NMT output and enforces terminology adherence. We evaluate DuTerm on English-to German, English-to-Spanish, and English-to-Russian with the WMT 2025 Terminology Shared Task corpus. We demonstrate that flexible, context-driven terminology handling by the LLM consistently yields higher quality translations than strict constraint enforcement. Our results highlight a critical trade-off, revealing that an LLM's work best for high-quality translation as context-driven mutators rather than generators.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.07461v1","authors":["Akshat Singh Jaswal"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-07T08:50:58Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.07139v3","name":"Artificial Intelligence Index Report 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Welcome to the eighth edition of the AI Index report. The 2025 Index is our most comprehensive to date and arrives at an important moment, as AI's influence across society, the economy, and global governance continues to intensify. New in this year's report are in-depth analyses of the evolving landscape of AI hardware, novel estimates of inference costs, and new analyses of AI publication and patenting trends. We also introduce fresh data on corporate adoption of responsible AI practices, along with expanded coverage of AI's growing role in science and medicine. Since its founding in 2017 as an offshoot of the One Hundred Year Study of Artificial Intelligence, the AI Index has been committed to equipping policymakers, journalists, executives, researchers, and the public with accurate, rigorously validated, and globally sourced data. Our mission has always been to help these stakeholders make better-informed decisions about the development and deployment of AI. In a world where AI is discussed everywhere - from boardrooms to kitchen tables - this mission has never been more essential. The AI Index continues to lead in tracking and interpreting the most critical trends shaping the field - from the shifting geopolitical landscape and the rapid evolution of underlying technologies, to AI's expanding role in business, policymaking, and public life. Longitudinal tracking remains at the heart of our mission. In a domain advancing at breakneck speed, the Index provides essential context - helping us understand where AI stands today, how it got here, and where it may be headed next. Recognized globally as one of the most authoritative resources on artificial intelligence, the AI Index has been cited in major media outlets such as The New York Times, Bloomberg, and The Guardian; referenced in hundreds of academic papers; and used by policymakers and government agencies around the world.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.07139v3","authors":["Nestor Maslej","Loredana Fattorini","Raymond Perrault","Yolanda Gil","Vanessa Parli","Njenga Kariuki","Emily Capstick","Anka Reuel","Erik Brynjolfsson","John Etchemendy","Katrina Ligett","Terah Lyons","James Manyika","Juan Carlos Niebles","Yoav Shoham","Russell Wald","Toby Walsh","Armin Hamrah","Lapo Santarlasci","Julia Betts Lotufo","Alexandra Rome","Andrew Shi","Sukrut Oak"],"tags":["cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-08T02:01:37Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2511.11197v1","name":"Computationally-efficient deep learning models for nowcasting of precipitation: A solution for the Weather4cast 2025 challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This study presents a transfer-learning framework based on Convolutional Gated Recurrent Units (ConvGRU) for short-term rainfall prediction in the Weather4Cast 2025 competition. A single SEVIRI infrared channel (10.8 μm wavelength) is used as input, which consists of four observations over a one-hour period. A two-stage training strategy is applied to generate rainfall estimates up to four hours ahead. In the first stage, ConvGRU is trained to forecast the brightness temperatures from SEVIRI, enabling the model to capture relevant spatiotemporal patterns. In the second stage, an empirically derived nonlinear transformation maps the predicted fields to OPERA-compatible rainfall rates. For the event-prediction task, the transformed rainfall forecasts are processed using 3D event detection followed by spatiotemporal feature extraction to identify and characterize precipitation events. Our submission achieved 2nd place in the cumulative rainfall task. Further, the same model was used out-of-the-box for the event prediction task, and resulted in similar scores as the baseline model to the competition.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.11197v1","authors":["Anushree Bhuskute","Kaushik Gopalan","Jeet Shah"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-14T11:51:59Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.22119v2","name":"Harder, shorter, sharper, forward: A comparison of women's and men's elite football gameplay (2020-2025)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Elite football is believed to have evolved in recent years, yet systematic evidence for the pace and form of that change remains sparse. Drawing on event-level records for 13,018 matches across ten top-tier men's and women's leagues in England, Spain, Germany, Italy, and the United States (2020-2025), we quantify match dynamics through two complementary lenses: conventional performance statistics and pitch-passing networks that track ball movement across spatial regions of the field. Between 2020 and 2025, average passing volume, pass accuracy, and the proportion of passes made under pressure all increased, with the largest year-on-year changes occurring in women's competitions. Network measures reveal that normalized outreach decreased, indicating teams increasingly concentrate ball circulation into shorter-range passing connections rather than wide spatial distribution. These trends are consistent across countries and tiers, yet persistent national differences indicate that stylistic diversity remains. Notably, women's competitions exhibit stronger rates of change across most metrics, consistent with an accelerating professionalization, while the systematic decline in network outreach across all competitions points to a sport-wide tactical convergence toward shorter, more concentrated passing structures.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.22119v2","authors":["Rebecca Carstens","Raj Deshpande","Pau Esteve","Nicolò Fidelibus","Sara Linde Neven","Ramona Ottow","Lokamruth K. R.","Paula Rodríguez-Sánchez","Luca Santagata","Javier M. Buldú","Brennan Klein","Maddalena Torricelli"],"tags":["physics.soc-ph","cs.SI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-27T10:55:20Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2602.07565v1","name":"Human Identification at a Distance: Challenges, Methods and Results on the Competition HID 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Human identification at a distance (HID) is challenging because traditional biometric modalities such as face and fingerprints are often difficult to acquire in real-world scenarios. Gait recognition provides a practical alternative, as it can be captured reliably at a distance. To promote progress in gait recognition and provide a fair evaluation platform, the International Competition on Human Identification at a Distance (HID) has been organized annually since 2020. Since 2023, the competition has adopted the challenging SUSTech-Competition dataset, which features substantial variations in clothing, carried objects, and view angles. No dedicated training data are provided, requiring participants to train their models using external datasets. Each year, the competition applies a different random seed to generate distinct evaluation splits, which reduces the risk of overfitting and supports a fair assessment of cross-domain generalization. While HID 2023 and HID 2024 already used this dataset, HID 2025 explicitly examined whether algorithmic advances could surpass the accuracy limits observed previously. Despite the heightened difficulty, participants achieved further improvements, and the best-performing method reached 94.2% accuracy, setting a new benchmark on this dataset. We also analyze key technical trends and outline potential directions for future research in gait recognition.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.07565v1","authors":["Jingzhe Ma","Meng Zhang","Jianlong Yu","Kun Liu","Zunxiao Xu","Xue Cheng","Junjie Zhou","Yanfei Wang","Jiahang Li","Zepeng Wang","Kazuki Osamura","Rujie Liu","Narishige Abe","Jingjie Wang","Shunli Zhang","Haojun Xie","Jiajun Wu","Weiming Wu","Wenxiong Kang","Qingshuo Gao","Jiaming Xiong","Xianye Ben","Lei Chen","Lichen Song","Junjian Cui","Haijun Xiong","Junhao Lu","Bin Feng","Mengyuan Liu","Ji Zhou","Baoquan Zhao","Ke Xu","Yongzhen Huang","Liang Wang","Manuel J Marin-Jimenez","Md Atiqur Rahman Ahad","Shiqi Yu"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-07T14:22:17Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.00776v1","name":"Material Synthesis 2025 (MatSyn25) Dataset for 2D Materials","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Two-dimensional (2D) materials have shown broad application prospects in fields such as energy, environment, and aerospace owing to their unique electrical, mechanical, thermal and other properties. With the development of artificial intelligence (AI), the discovery and design of novel 2D materials have been significantly accelerated. However, due to the lack of basic theories of material synthesis, identifying reliable synthesis processes for theoretically designed materials is a challenge. The emergence of large language model offers new approaches for the reliability prediction of material synthesis processes. However, its development is limited by the lack of publicly available datasets of material synthesis processes. To address this, we present the Material Synthesis 2025 (MatSyn25), a large-scale open dataset of 2D material synthesis processes. MatSyn25 contains 163,240 pieces of synthesis process information extracted from 85,160 high-quality research articles, each including basic material information and detailed synthesis process steps. Based on MatSyn25, we developed MatSyn AI which specializes in material synthesis, and provided an interactive web platform that enables multifaceted exploration of the dataset (https://matsynai.stpaper.cn/). MatSyn25 is publicly available, allowing the research community to build upon our work and further advance AI-assisted materials science.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.00776v1","authors":["Chengbo Li","Ying Wang","Qianying Wang","Zhizhi Tan","Haiqing Jia","Yi Liu","Li Qian","Nian Ran","Jianjun Liu","Zhixiong Zhang"],"tags":["cond-mat.mtrl-sci"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-01T11:14:49Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.11326v2","name":"PVUW 2025 Challenge Report: Advances in Pixel-level Understanding of Complex Videos in the Wild","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This report provides a comprehensive overview of the 4th Pixel-level Video Understanding in the Wild (PVUW) Challenge, held in conjunction with CVPR 2025. It summarizes the challenge outcomes, participating methodologies, and future research directions. The challenge features two tracks: MOSE, which focuses on complex scene video object segmentation, and MeViS, which targets motion-guided, language-based video segmentation. Both tracks introduce new, more challenging datasets designed to better reflect real-world scenarios. Through detailed evaluation and analysis, the challenge offers valuable insights into the current state-of-the-art and emerging trends in complex video segmentation. More information can be found on the workshop website: https://pvuw.github.io/.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.11326v2","authors":["Henghui Ding","Chang Liu","Nikhila Ravi","Shuting He","Yunchao Wei","Song Bai","Philip Torr","Kehuan Song","Xinglin Xie","Kexin Zhang","Licheng Jiao","Lingling Li","Shuyuan Yang","Xuqiang Cao","Linnan Zhao","Jiaxuan Zhao","Fang Liu","Mengjiao Wang","Junpei Zhang","Xu Liu","Yuting Yang","Mengru Ma","Hao Fang","Runmin Cong","Xiankai Lu","Zhiyang Chen","Wei Zhang","Tianming Liang","Haichao Jiang","Wei-Shi Zheng","Jian-Fang Hu","Haobo Yuan","Xiangtai Li","Tao Zhang","Lu Qi","Ming-Hsuan Yang"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-15T16:02:47Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.18738v1","name":"100-Day Analysis of USD/IDR Exchange Rate Dynamics Around the 2025 U.S. Presidential Inauguration","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Using a 100-day symmetric window around the January 2025 U.S. presidential inauguration, non-parametric statistical methods with bootstrap resampling (10,000 iterations) analyze distributional properties and anomalies. Results indicate a statistically significant 3.61\\% Indonesian rupiah depreciation post-inauguration, with a large effect size (Cliff's Delta $= -0.9224$, CI: $[-0.9727, -0.8571]$). Central tendency shifted markedly, yet volatility remained stable (variance ratio $= 0.9061$, $p = 0.504$). Four significant anomalies exhibiting temporal clustering are detected. These findings provide quantitative evidence of political transition effects on emerging market currencies, highlighting implications for monetary policy and currency risk management.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.18738v1","authors":["Sandy H. S. Herho","Siti N. Kaban","Cahya Nugraha"],"tags":["econ.EM","stat.AP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-23T15:14:27Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.21371v1","name":"2025 Santorini-Amorgos crisis triggered by a transition from volcanic to regular tectonic activity","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Fluid movement beneath volcanic regions can influence earthquake activity, but the processes linking seismic and volcanic systems are not fully understood. In early 2025, an unusual seismic sequence occurred close to Santorini, providing new insight into these interactions. Here we show that the sequence was likely initiated by the accumulation and migration of fluids beneath the volcanic complex. Seismic and ground deformation data reveal a progression from deep fluid buildup and microfracturing to the concentration of shallow earthquakes beneath Columbo volcano. This culminated in a four-day seismic episode that behaved like a single, slow-propagating rupture along a 16-kilometer fault, releasing energy equivalent to a magnitude 6.2 earthquake. The rupture was followed by a typical aftershock sequence. These observations suggest that fluid-driven processes can generate large earthquakes and redistribute stress in ways similar to tectonic mainshocks. This challenges conventional views on how seismic and volcanic hazards are connected and assessed.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.21371v1","authors":["E. Lippiello","G. Petrillo","C. Godano","E. Papadimitriou","V. Karakostas","V. Anagnostou"],"tags":["physics.geo-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-30T07:07:50Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.13409v3","name":"NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory Observations of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS (C/2025 N1)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We report on the observation and measurement of astrometry, photometry, morphology, and activityof the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, also designated C/2025 N1 (ATLAS) with the NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory. Comet 3I/ATLAS, the third known interstellar object, was discovered on UT 2025 July 1. Rubin Observatory had coincidentally collected images of the object's region of the sky during routine commissioning. Facilitated by Rubin's high resolution and large aperture, we successfully recovered object detections from Rubin observations spanning UT 2025 June 21 (10 days before discovery, when 3I/ATLAS was 4.5 au from the Sun) through the date of discovery, and we acquired additional images through UT 2025 July 20 as part of commissioning. We measure on-sky locations of 3I/ATLAS in Rubin ugrizy bands, with a typical precision of about 70 mas, and briefly describe the reason this is coarser than our measured static source astrometric precision of about 3 mas in Rubin images. We measure grizy magnitudes of 3I/ATLAS photometry at about 0.01 mag precision, detecting no short-term photometric variability above 0.01 mag. We derive an estimated near-nucleus dust-to-nucleus scattering cross-section ratio of eta &gt;= 13 on UT 2025 July 2 based on Rubin photometry and an upper limit nucleus size computed from Hubble Space Telescope observations. We find Rubin colors of g - r = (0.657 +/- 0.013) mag, r - i = (0.235 +/- 0.018) mag, i - z = (0.147 +/- 0.042) mag, z - y = (0.047 +/- 0.052) mag. These data represent the earliest observations of this object by a large (&gt;=8-meter class) telescope and illustrate the type of measurements (and discoveries) Rubin's Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) will begin to provide after it begins in early 2026.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.13409v3","authors":["Colin Orion Chandler","Pedro H. Bernardinelli","Mario Jurić","Devanshi Singh","Henry H. Hsieh","Ian Sullivan","R. Lynne Jones","Jacob A. Kurlander","Dmitrii Vavilov","Siegfried Eggl","Matthew Holman","Federica Spoto","Megan E. Schwamb","Lauren A. MacArthur","Rahil Makadia","Marco Micheli","Aren Heinze","Eric J. Christensen","Wilson Beebe","Aaron Roodman","Kian-Tat Lim","Tim Jenness","James Bosch","Brianna M. Smart","Eric Bellm","Sean MacBride","Meredith L. Rawls","Sarah Greenstreet","Colin Slater","Željko Ivezić","Robert D. Blum","Andrew Connolly","Gregory Daues","Michelle Gower","J. Bryce Kalmbach","Michele T. Bannister","Luke Dones","Rosemary C. Dorsey","Davide Farnocchia","Wesley C. Fraser","John C. Forbes","Cesar Fuentes","Carrie E. Holt","Laura Inno","Geraint H. Jones","Matthew M. Knight","Chris J. Lintott","Tim Lister","Robert Lupton","Mark Jesus M. Magbanua","Renu Malhotra","Beatrice E. A. Mueller","Joseph Murtagh","Nitya Pandey","William T. Reach","Nalin H. Samarasinha","Darryl Z. Seligman","Colin Snodgrass","Michael Solontoi","Gyula M. Szabó","Peter Vereš","Ellie White","Maria Womack","Leslie A. Young","Russ Allbery","Shreya Anand","Roberto Armellin","Éric Aubourg","Chrysa Avdellidou","Farrukh Azfar","James Bauer","Keith Bechtol","Valerie Becker","Matthew Belyakov","Susan D. Benecchi","Ivano Bertini","Dennis Bodewits","Patricia Boeshaar","Bryce T. Bolin","Maitrayee Bose","Alexandre Boucaud","Rodrigo C. Boufleur","Dominique Boutigny","Andrew Bradshaw","Felipe Braga-Ribas","Johan Bregeon","Laura E. Buchanan","Daniel Calabrese","J. I. B. Camargo","Neven Caplar","Jeffrey L. Carlin","Benoit Carry","Juan Pablo Carvajal","Ross Ceballo","Hsin-Fang Chiang","Yumi Choi","Céline Combet","Luiz da Costa","Preeti Cowan","John Franklin Crenshaw","Steve Croft","Matija Ćuk","Philip N. Daly","Filippo D'Ammando","Felipe Daruich","Guillaume Daubard","James R. A. Davenport","Tansu Daylan","Jennifer Delgado","Stephanie J. H. Deppe","Hadrien A. R. Devillepoix","Peter E. Doherty","Abbie Donaldson","Holger Drass","Gregory P. Dubois-Felsmann","Frossie Economou","Marielle R. Eduardo","Ioana Sotuela Elorriaga","Anthony Englert","Kevin Fanning","Grigori Fedorets","Peter S. Ferguson","Maryann Benny Fernandes","Agnès Ferté","Merlin Fisher-Levine","Mark L Freytag","Maxwell K. Frissell","Marco Fulle","Poshak Gandhi","John Gates","David W. Gerdes","Alex R. Gibbs","A. Fraser Gillan","Massimiliano Giordano Orsini","T. Glanzman","Iain Goodenow","Altair Ramos Gomes-Júnior","Miranda R. Gorsuch","Mikael Granvik","Wen Guan","Leanne P. Guy","Mark Hammergren","Andrew Hanushevsky","Fabio Hernandez","Ǎdis Herrold","Daniel Hestroffer","Joshua Hoblitt","Matthew J. Hopkins","Simone Ieva","Patrick Ingraham","David H. Irving","Buell T. Jannuzi","M. James Jee","David Jimenez","Claire Juramy","Steven M. Kahn","Yijung Kang","Arun Kannawadi","Edward Karavakis","JJ Kavelaars","Kshitija Kelkar","Michael S. P. Kelley","Lee S. Kelvin","Ivan Kotov","Alec Koumjian","Gábor Kovács","K. Simon Krughoff","Agnieszka Kryszczyńska","Petr Kubánek","Craig Lage","Travis J. Lange","Pierre-François Léget","Laurent Le Guillou","Benjamin Levine","W. Garrett Levine"," Zhuofu"," Li","Shuang Liang","Javier Licandro","Hsing Wen Lin","Carey Lisse","Nate B. Lust","Ryan R. Lyttle","Ashish A. Mahabal","Max Mahlke","Gabriele Mainetti","Rachel Mandelbaum","Steven J. Margheim","Giuliano Margoti","Phil Marshall","Dušan Marčeta","Guillem Megias Homar","Mario D. Melita","Felipe Menanteau","Joshua Meyers","Dave Mills","Marc Moniez","C. A. L. Morales Marín","Naomi Morato","Surhud More","Christopher B. Morrison","Kris Mortensen","Youssef Moulane","Karlo Mrakovčić","Fritz Mueller","Marco A. Muñoz-Gutiérrez","Homer Neal","F. M. Newcomer","Erfan Nourbakhsh","Paul O'Connor","Drew Oldag","William J. Oldroyd","William O'Mullane","Cyrielle Opitom","Dagmara Oszkiewicz","Gary L. Page","Jack Patterson","Maria T Patterson","Matthew J. Payne","Eske M. Pedersen","Julien Peloton","Chrystian Luciano Pereira","John R. Peterson","Stephen R. Pietrowicz","Andrés A. Plazas Malagón","Edyta Podlewska-Gaca","Daniel Polin","Rebekah Polen","Hannah Mary Margaret Pollek","Yongqiang Qiu","Bruno Quint","Markus Rabus","Darin Ragozzine","Jayadev Rajagopal","Arianna Ranabhat","Kevin Reil","Tiago Ribeiro","Malena Rice","Stephen T. Ridgway","Steven M. Ritz","Andrew S. Rivkin","James E. Robinson","Agata Rożek","Eli Rykoff","Luis E. Salazar Manzano","Andrei Salnikov","Bruno O. Sánchez","David Sanmartim","Gal Sarid","Charles A. Schambeau","Rafe H. Schindler","Samuel J. Schmidt","German Schumacher","Theo Schutt","Daniel Scolnic","Robert Seaman","Jacques Sebag","Nima Sedaghat","Jacqueline Seron","Richard A. Shaw","Alysha Shugart","Jonathan Sick","Jaladh Singhal","Amir Siraj","Michael C. Sitarz","Shahram Sobhani","Christine Soldahl","Dallin Spencer","Brian Stalder","Steven Stetzler","Alan Strauss","Christopher W. Stubbs","Krzysztof L. Suberlak","Adam Snyder","John D. Swinbank","László Szigeti","Michael Tauraso","Dan S. Taranu","John Gregg Thayer","Sandrine Thomas","Adam Thornton","Luca Tonietti","Laura Toribio San Cipriano","David E. Trilling","Chadwick A. Trujillo","Te-Wei Tsai","Douglas L. Tucker","Max Turri","Tony Tyson","Elana K. Urbach","Wouter van Reeven","Antonia Sierra Villarreal","Stelios Voutsinas","Christopher W. Walter"," Yuankun"," Wang","Charlotte Ward","Michael Warner","Maxine West","Ian Wong","W. M. Wood-Vasey","Emerson Whittaker","Bin Yang","Quanzhi Ye","Peter Yoachim","R. Zanmar Sanchez","Jinshuo Zhang","Conghao Zhou"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP","astro-ph.GA"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-17T06:23:27Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.26974v1","name":"Overview of the MEDIQA-OE 2025 Shared Task on Medical Order Extraction from Doctor-Patient Consultations","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Clinical documentation increasingly uses automatic speech recognition and summarization, yet converting conversations into actionable medical orders for Electronic Health Records remains unexplored. A solution to this problem can significantly reduce the documentation burden of clinicians and directly impact downstream patient care. We introduce the MEDIQA-OE 2025 shared task, the first challenge on extracting medical orders from doctor-patient conversations. Six teams participated in the shared task and experimented with a broad range of approaches, and both closed- and open-weight large language models (LLMs). In this paper, we describe the MEDIQA-OE task, dataset, final leaderboard ranking, and participants' solutions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.26974v1","authors":["Jean-Philippe Corbeil","Asma Ben Abacha","Jerome Tremblay","Phillip Swazinna","Akila Jeeson Daniel","Miguel Del-Agua","Francois Beaulieu"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-30T19:56:05Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.01747v2","name":"Low-Complexity Acoustic Scene Classification with Device Information in the DCASE 2025 Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the Low-Complexity Acoustic Scene Classification with Device Information Task of the DCASE 2025 Challenge, along with its baseline system. Continuing the focus on low-complexity models, data efficiency, and device mismatch from previous editions (2022-2024), this year's task introduces a key change: recording device information is now provided at inference time. This enables the development of device-specific models that leverage device characteristics-reflecting real-world deployment scenarios in which a model is designed with awareness of the underlying hardware. The training set matches the 25% subset used in the corresponding DCASE 2024 challenge, with no restrictions on external data use, highlighting transfer learning as a central topic. The baseline achieves 50.72% accuracy with a device-agnostic model, improving to 51.89% when incorporating device-specific fine-tuning. The task attracted 31 submissions from 12 teams, with 11 teams outperforming the baseline. The top-performing submission achieved an accuracy gain of more than 8 percentage points over the baseline on the evaluation set.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.01747v2","authors":["Florian Schmid","Paul Primus","Toni Heittola","Annamaria Mesaros","Irene Martín-Morató","Gerhard Widmer"],"tags":["eess.AS","cs.SD"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-03T08:52:18Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2502.19856v1","name":"Team A at SemEval-2025 Task 11: Breaking Language Barriers in Emotion Detection with Multilingual Models","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes the system submitted by Team A to SemEval 2025 Task 11, ``Bridging the Gap in Text-Based Emotion Detection.'' The task involved identifying the perceived emotion of a speaker from text snippets, with each instance annotated with one of six emotions: joy, sadness, fear, anger, surprise, or disgust. A dataset provided by the task organizers served as the foundation for training and evaluating our models. Among the various approaches explored, the best performance was achieved using multilingual embeddings combined with a fully connected layer. This paper details the system architecture, discusses experimental results, and highlights the advantages of leveraging multilingual representations for robust emotion detection in text.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.19856v1","authors":["P Sam Sahil","Anupam Jamatia"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-27T07:59:01Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.03007v1","name":"NTIRE 2025 Challenge on UGC Video Enhancement: Methods and Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents an overview of the NTIRE 2025 Challenge on UGC Video Enhancement. The challenge constructed a set of 150 user-generated content videos without reference ground truth, which suffer from real-world degradations such as noise, blur, faded colors, compression artifacts, etc. The goal of the participants was to develop an algorithm capable of improving the visual quality of such videos. Given the widespread use of UGC on short-form video platforms, this task holds substantial practical importance. The evaluation was based on subjective quality assessment in crowdsourcing, obtaining votes from over 8000 assessors. The challenge attracted more than 25 teams submitting solutions, 7 of which passed the final phase with source code verification. The outcomes may provide insights into the state-of-the-art in UGC video enhancement and highlight emerging trends and effective strategies in this evolving research area. All data, including the processed videos and subjective comparison votes and scores, is made publicly available at https://github.com/msu-video-group/NTIRE25_UGC_Video_Enhancement.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.03007v1","authors":["Nikolay Safonov","Alexey Bryncev","Andrey Moskalenko","Dmitry Kulikov","Dmitry Vatolin","Radu Timofte","Haibo Lei","Qifan Gao","Qing Luo","Yaqing Li","Jie Song","Shaozhe Hao","Meisong Zheng","Jingyi Xu","Chengbin Wu","Jiahui Liu","Ying Chen","Xin Deng","Mai Xu","Peipei Liang","Jie Ma","Junjie Jin","Yingxue Pang","Fangzhou Luo","Kai Chen","Shijie Zhao","Mingyang Wu","Renjie Li","Yushen Zuo","Shengyun Zhong","Zhengzhong Tu"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-05T20:06:11Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.13302v2","name":"Comparing Minimal and Non-Minimal Quintessence Models to 2025 DESI Data","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this work we examine the 2025 DESI analysis of dark energy, which suggests that dark energy is evolving in time with an increasing equation of state $w$. We explore a wide range of quintessence models, described by a potential function $V(\\varphi)$, including: quadratic potentials, quartic hilltops, double wells, cosine functions, Gaussians, inverse powers. We find that while some provide improvement in fitting to the data, compared to a cosmological constant, the improvement is only modest. We then consider non-minimally coupled scalars which can help fit the data by providing an effective equation of state that temporarily obeys $w&lt;-1$ and then relaxes to $w&gt;-1$. Since the scalar is very light, this leads to a fifth force and to time evolution in the effective gravitational strength, which are both tightly constrained by tests of gravity. For a very narrow range of carefully selected non-minimal couplings we are able to evade these bounds, but not for generic values.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.13302v2","authors":["Husam Adam","Mark P. Hertzberg","Daniel Jiménez-Aguilar","Iman Khan"],"tags":["astro-ph.CO","gr-qc","hep-ph","hep-th"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-16T17:55:24Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.22817v1","name":"Wildfire and house prices: A synthetic control case study of Altadena (Jan 2025)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This study uses the Synthetic Control Method (SCM) to estimate the causal impact of a January 2025 wildfire on housing prices in Altadena, California. We construct a 'synthetic' Altadena from a weighted average of peer cities to serve as a counterfactual; this approach assumes no spillover effects on the donor pool. The results reveal a substantial negative price effect that intensifies over time. Over the six months following the event, we estimate an average monthly loss of $32,125. The statistical evidence for this effect is nuanced. Based on the robust post-to-pre-treatment RMSPE ratio, the result is statistically significant at the 10% level (p = 0.0508). In contrast, the effect is not statistically significant when measured by the average post-treatment gap (p = 0.3220). This analysis highlights the significant financial risks faced by communities in fire-prone regions and demonstrates SCM's effectiveness in evaluating disaster-related economic damages.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.22817v1","authors":["Yibo Sun"],"tags":["econ.GN"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-26T20:16:28Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.12765v1","name":"Efficient Perceptual Image Super Resolution: AIM 2025 Study and Benchmark","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents a comprehensive study and benchmark on Efficient Perceptual Super-Resolution (EPSR). While significant progress has been made in efficient PSNR-oriented super resolution, approaches focusing on perceptual quality metrics remain relatively inefficient. Motivated by this gap, we aim to replicate or improve the perceptual results of Real-ESRGAN while meeting strict efficiency constraints: a maximum of 5M parameters and 2000 GFLOPs, calculated for an input size of 960x540 pixels. The proposed solutions were evaluated on a novel dataset consisting of 500 test images of 4K resolution, each degraded using multiple degradation types, without providing the original high-quality counterparts. This design aims to reflect realistic deployment conditions and serves as a diverse and challenging benchmark. The top-performing approach manages to outperform Real-ESRGAN across all benchmark datasets, demonstrating the potential of efficient methods in the perceptual domain. This paper establishes the modern baselines for efficient perceptual super resolution.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.12765v1","authors":["Bruno Longarela","Marcos V. Conde","Alvaro Garcia","Radu Timofte"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-14T17:45:22Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2511.01720v1","name":"Efficient Tool-Calling Multi-Expert NPC Agent for Commonsense Persona-Grounded Dialogue","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present a multi-expert system for creating Non-Player Characters (NPCs) capable of both natural dialogue and contextual action execution in interactive environments. Using Qwen3 as the base model and Low-Rank Adaptation (LoRA) adapters, we instantiate three specialists: tool calling, tool-response interpretation, and direct dialogue. Our system comfortably meets the computational efficiency requirements, delivering fast responses and maintaining modest resource usage on L40S GPUs. In the Commonsense Persona-Grounded Dialogue Challenge 2025, our method ranked second overall. Code available at: https://github.com/MahammadNuriyev62/CPDC-challenge-2025-solution/","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.01720v1","authors":["Mahammad Nuriyev"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-03T16:28:47Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.07348v1","name":"UruBots Autonomous Cars Challenge Pro Team Description Paper for FIRA 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper describes the development of an autonomous car by the UruBots team for the 2025 FIRA Autonomous Cars Challenge (Pro). The project involves constructing a compact electric vehicle, approximately the size of an RC car, capable of autonomous navigation through different tracks. The design incorporates mechanical and electronic components and machine learning algorithms that enable the vehicle to make real-time navigation decisions based on visual input from a camera. We use deep learning models to process camera images and control vehicle movements. Using a dataset of over ten thousand images, we trained a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to drive the vehicle effectively, through two outputs, steering and throttle. The car completed the track in under 30 seconds, achieving a pace of approximately 0.4 meters per second while avoiding obstacles.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.07348v1","authors":["Pablo Moraes","Mónica Rodríguez","Sebastian Barcelona","Angel Da Silva","Santiago Fernandez","Hiago Sodre","Igor Nunes","Bruna Guterres","Ricardo Grando"],"tags":["cs.RO","eess.IV","eess.SY"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-09T01:50:26Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.02873v1","name":"Proceedings of the First International Workshop on Autonomous Systems Quality Assurance and Prediction with Digital Twins","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This volume contains the proceedings of the First International Workshop on Autonomous Systems Quality Assurance and Prediction with Digital Twins (ASQAP 2025), which was held in Hamilton, Canada, on May 4th, 2025, as a satellite event of ETAPS 2025. The aim of ASQAP 2025 is to gather experts from academia and industry to explore the potential of digital twin technology in supporting quality assurance in autonomous systems, including concepts such as specification, verification, validation, testing, analysis, and many others.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.02873v1","authors":["Marsha Chechik","Arianna Fedeli","Gianluca Filippone","Federico Formica","Mirgita Frasheri","Nico Hochgeschwender","Lina Marsso"],"tags":["cs.SE"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-04T16:53:30Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2502.01019v1","name":"A Search for Eclipse Cycles Similar to the Hypersaros: Columbus and the Lunar Eclipse of March 14, 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The total lunar eclipse on March 14, 2025 UT occurs nearly exactly 521 years (one Hypersaros) after a similar eclipse on March 1, 1504 UT that is renowned for its importance to the voyage of Columbus to Jamaica. Eclipses separated by a Hypersaros have similar depths, appear very close to the same location in the sky, and occur at nearly the same time of year. This paper summarizes the results from a search for analogous cycles within the Five Millennium Catalogs of Lunar and Solar Eclipses. Under the two simple constraints of similar eclipse dates relative to the vernal equinox and similar paths of the Moon through the Earth's shadow, the most common time intervals between lunar eclipses separated by less than 1000 years are the 521-year Hypersaros and a 633-yr period of the Icosa-Inex-Triple-Saros (IITS). Notable cycles at longer periods occur at 1154, 1284, 1787, 1917, and 2308 years.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.01019v1","authors":["Patrick Hartigan"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-03T03:26:19Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.22264v1","name":"MRT at SemEval-2025 Task 8: Maximizing Recovery from Tables with Multiple Steps","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this paper we expose our approach to solve the \\textit{SemEval 2025 Task 8: Question-Answering over Tabular Data} challenge. Our strategy leverages Python code generation with LLMs to interact with the table and get the answer to the questions. The process is composed of multiple steps: understanding the content of the table, generating natural language instructions in the form of steps to follow in order to get the answer, translating these instructions to code, running it and handling potential errors or exceptions. These steps use open source LLMs and fine grained optimized prompts for each task (step). With this approach, we achieved a score of $70.50\\%$ for subtask 1.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.22264v1","authors":["Maximiliano Hormazábal Lagos","Álvaro Bueno Saez","Héctor Cerezo-Costas","Pedro Alonso Doval","Jorge Alcalde Vesteiro"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.IR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-28T11:50:22Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.10844v1","name":"CIIR@LiveRAG 2025: Optimizing Multi-Agent Retrieval Augmented Generation through Self-Training","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents mRAG, a multi-agent retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) framework composed of specialized agents for subtasks such as planning, searching, reasoning, and coordination. Our system uses a self-training paradigm with reward-guided trajectory sampling to optimize inter-agent collaboration and enhance response generation. Evaluated on DataMorgana-derived datasets during the SIGIR 2025 LiveRAG competition, mRAG outperforms conventional RAG baselines. We further analyze competition outcomes and showcase the framework's strengths with case studies, demonstrating its efficacy for complex, real-world RAG tasks.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.10844v1","authors":["Alireza Salemi","Mukta Maddipatla","Hamed Zamani"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.IR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-12T16:02:29Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.17223v1","name":"REACT 2025: the Third Multiple Appropriate Facial Reaction Generation Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In dyadic interactions, a broad spectrum of human facial reactions might be appropriate for responding to each human speaker behaviour. Following the successful organisation of the REACT 2023 and REACT 2024 challenges, we are proposing the REACT 2025 challenge encouraging the development and benchmarking of Machine Learning (ML) models that can be used to generate multiple appropriate, diverse, realistic and synchronised human-style facial reactions expressed by human listeners in response to an input stimulus (i.e., audio-visual behaviours expressed by their corresponding speakers). As a key of the challenge, we provide challenge participants with the first natural and large-scale multi-modal MAFRG dataset (called MARS) recording 137 human-human dyadic interactions containing a total of 2856 interaction sessions covering five different topics. In addition, this paper also presents the challenge guidelines and the performance of our baselines on the two proposed sub-challenges: Offline MAFRG and Online MAFRG, respectively. The challenge baseline code is publicly available at https://github.com/reactmultimodalchallenge/baseline_react2025","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.17223v1","authors":["Siyang Song","Micol Spitale","Xiangyu Kong","Hengde Zhu","Cheng Luo","Cristina Palmero","German Barquero","Sergio Escalera","Michel Valstar","Mohamed Daoudi","Tobias Baur","Fabien Ringeval","Andrew Howes","Elisabeth Andre","Hatice Gunes"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-22T18:55:23Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2111.15352v6","name":"Understanding Quantum Technologies 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Understanding Quantum Technologies 2025 is the 8th update of a free open science ebook that provides a 360 degrees overview of quantum technologies from science and technology to geopolitical and societal issues. It covers quantum physics history, quantum physics 101, gate-based quantum computing, quantum computing engineering (including quantum error corrections, quantum computing energetics and a new subsection of the effects of the Lieb-Robinson limit), quantum computing hardware (all qubit types, including quantum annealing and quantum simulation paradigms, history, science, research, implementation and vendors scientific and engineering approaches and roadmaps), quantum enabling technologies (cryogenics, control electronics, photonics, components fabs and manufacturing process, raw materials), unconventional computing (potential alternatives to quantum and classical computing), quantum computing algorithms, software development tools, resource estimate and benchmark tools, use case and case studies analysis methodologies, application use cases per market, quantum communications and cryptography (including QKD, PQC and QPU interconnect technologies), quantum sensing, quantum technologies around the world, quantum technologies societal impact and even quantum fake sciences. The main audience are computer science engineers, developers and IT specialists as well as quantum scientists and students who want to acquire a global view of how quantum technologies work, and particularly quantum computing. This version is an update to the 2024, 2023, 2022, and 2021 editions published respectively in October 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021. An update log is provided at the end of the book.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2111.15352v6","authors":["Olivier Ezratty"],"tags":["quant-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-11-24T19:59:08Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.951Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.02600v3","name":"Team Westwood Solution for MIDOG 2025 Challenge: An Ensemble-CNN-Based Approach For Mitosis Detection And Classification","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This abstract presents our solution (Team Westwood) for mitosis detection and atypical mitosis classification in the MItosis DOmain Generalization (MIDOG) 2025 challenge. For mitosis detection, we trained an nnUNetV2 for initial mitosis candidate screening with high sensitivity, followed by a random forest classifier ensembling predictions of three convolutional neural networks (CNNs): EfficientNet-b3, EfficientNet-b5, and EfficientNetV2-s. For the atypical mitosis classification, we trained another random forest classifier ensembling the predictions of three CNNs: EfficientNet-b3, EfficientNet-b5, and InceptionV3. On the preliminary test set, our solution achieved an F1 score of 0.7450 for track 1 mitosis detection, and a balanced accuracy of 0.8722 for track 2 atypical mitosis classification. On the final test set, our solution achieved an F1 score of 0.6972 for track 1 mitosis detection, and a balanced accuracy of 0.8242 for track 2 atypical mitosis classification.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.02600v3","authors":["Tengyou Xu","Haochen Yang","Xiang 'Anthony' Chen","Hongyan Gu","Mohammad Haeri"],"tags":["eess.IV","cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-29T17:07:10Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.03553v1","name":"MultiRAG: A Knowledge-guided Framework for Mitigating Hallucination in Multi-source Retrieval Augmented Generation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) has emerged as a promising solution to address hallucination issues in Large Language Models (LLMs). However, the integration of multiple retrieval sources, while potentially more informative, introduces new challenges that can paradoxically exacerbate hallucination problems. These challenges manifest primarily in two aspects: the sparse distribution of multi-source data that hinders the capture of logical relationships and the inherent inconsistencies among different sources that lead to information conflicts. To address these challenges, we propose MultiRAG, a novel framework designed to mitigate hallucination in multi-source retrieval-augmented generation through knowledge-guided approaches. Our framework introduces two key innovations: (1) a knowledge construction module that employs multi-source line graphs to efficiently aggregate logical relationships across different knowledge sources, effectively addressing the sparse data distribution issue; and (2) a sophisticated retrieval module that implements a multi-level confidence calculation mechanism, performing both graph-level and node-level assessments to identify and eliminate unreliable information nodes, thereby reducing hallucinations caused by inter-source inconsistencies. Extensive experiments on four multi-domain query datasets and two multi-hop QA datasets demonstrate that MultiRAG significantly enhances the reliability and efficiency of knowledge retrieval in complex multi-source scenarios. \\textcolor{blue}{Our code is available in https://github.com/wuwenlong123/MultiRAG.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.03553v1","authors":["Wenlong Wu","Haofen Wang","Bohan Li","Peixuan Huang","Xinzhe Zhao","Lei Liang"],"tags":["cs.IR","cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-05T15:20:52Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.18318v1","name":"Enhancing Entity Aware Machine Translation with Multi-task Learning","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Entity-aware machine translation (EAMT) is a complicated task in natural language processing due to not only the shortage of translation data related to the entities needed to translate but also the complexity in the context needed to process while translating those entities. In this paper, we propose a method that applies multi-task learning to optimize the performance of the two subtasks named entity recognition and machine translation, which improves the final performance of the Entity-aware machine translation task. The result and analysis are performed on the dataset provided by the organizer of Task 2 of the SemEval 2025 competition.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.18318v1","authors":["An Trieu","Phuong Nguyen","Minh Le Nguyen"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-23T06:05:46Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.10686v1","name":"The Tenth NTIRE 2025 Efficient Super-Resolution Challenge Report","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents a comprehensive review of the NTIRE 2025 Challenge on Single-Image Efficient Super-Resolution (ESR). The challenge aimed to advance the development of deep models that optimize key computational metrics, i.e., runtime, parameters, and FLOPs, while achieving a PSNR of at least 26.90 dB on the $\\operatorname{DIV2K\\_LSDIR\\_valid}$ dataset and 26.99 dB on the $\\operatorname{DIV2K\\_LSDIR\\_test}$ dataset. A robust participation saw \\textbf{244} registered entrants, with \\textbf{43} teams submitting valid entries. This report meticulously analyzes these methods and results, emphasizing groundbreaking advancements in state-of-the-art single-image ESR techniques. The analysis highlights innovative approaches and establishes benchmarks for future research in the field.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.10686v1","authors":["Bin Ren","Hang Guo","Lei Sun","Zongwei Wu","Radu Timofte","Yawei Li","Yao Zhang","Xinning Chai","Zhengxue Cheng","Yingsheng Qin","Yucai Yang","Li Song","Hongyuan Yu","Pufan Xu","Cheng Wan","Zhijuan Huang","Peng Guo","Shuyuan Cui","Chenjun Li","Xuehai Hu","Pan Pan","Xin Zhang","Heng Zhang","Qing Luo","Linyan Jiang","Haibo Lei","Qifang Gao","Yaqing Li","Weihua Luo","Tsing Li","Qing Wang","Yi Liu","Yang Wang","Hongyu An","Liou Zhang","Shijie Zhao","Lianhong Song","Long Sun","Jinshan Pan","Jiangxin Dong","Jinhui Tang","Jing Wei","Mengyang Wang","Ruilong Guo","Qian Wang","Qingliang Liu","Yang Cheng"," Davinci","Enxuan Gu","Pinxin Liu","Yongsheng Yu","Hang Hua","Yunlong Tang","Shihao Wang","Yukun Yang","Zhiyu Zhang","Yukun Yang","Jiyu Wu","Jiancheng Huang","Yifan Liu","Yi Huang","Shifeng Chen","Rui Chen","Yi Feng","Mingxi Li","Cailu Wan","Xiangji Wu","Zibin Liu","Jinyang Zhong","Kihwan Yoon","Ganzorig Gankhuyag","Shengyun Zhong","Mingyang Wu","Renjie Li","Yushen Zuo","Zhengzhong Tu","Zongang Gao","Guannan Chen","Yuan Tian","Wenhui Chen","Weijun Yuan","Zhan Li","Yihang Chen","Yifan Deng","Ruting Deng","Yilin Zhang","Huan Zheng","Yanyan Wei","Wenxuan Zhao","Suiyi Zhao","Fei Wang","Kun Li","Yinggan Tang","Mengjie Su","Jae-hyeon Lee","Dong-Hyeop Son","Ui-Jin Choi","Tiancheng Shao","Yuqing Zhang","Mengcheng Ma","Donggeun Ko","Youngsang Kwak","Jiun Lee","Jaehwa Kwak","Yuxuan Jiang","Qiang Zhu","Siyue Teng","Fan Zhang","Shuyuan Zhu","Bing Zeng","David Bull","Jing Hu","Hui Deng","Xuan Zhang","Lin Zhu","Qinrui Fan","Weijian Deng","Junnan Wu","Wenqin Deng","Yuquan Liu","Zhaohong Xu","Jameer Babu Pinjari","Kuldeep Purohit","Zeyu Xiao","Zhuoyuan Li","Surya Vashisth","Akshay Dudhane","Praful Hambarde","Sachin Chaudhary","Satya Naryan Tazi","Prashant Patil","Santosh Kumar Vipparthi","Subrahmanyam Murala","Wei-Chen Shen","I-Hsiang Chen","Yunzhe Xu","Chen Zhao","Zhizhou Chen","Akram Khatami-Rizi","Ahmad Mahmoudi-Aznaveh","Alejandro Merino","Bruno Longarela","Javier Abad","Marcos V. Conde","Simone Bianco","Luca Cogo","Gianmarco Corti"],"tags":["cs.CV","eess.IV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-14T20:18:21Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.04714v1","name":"IIITH-BUT system for IWSLT 2025 low-resource Bhojpuri to Hindi speech translation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents the submission of IIITH-BUT to the IWSLT 2025 shared task on speech translation for the low-resource Bhojpuri-Hindi language pair. We explored the impact of hyperparameter optimisation and data augmentation techniques on the performance of the SeamlessM4T model fine-tuned for this specific task. We systematically investigated a range of hyperparameters including learning rate schedules, number of update steps, warm-up steps, label smoothing, and batch sizes; and report their effect on translation quality. To address data scarcity, we applied speed perturbation and SpecAugment and studied their effect on translation quality. We also examined the use of cross-lingual signal through joint training with Marathi and Bhojpuri speech data. Our experiments reveal that careful selection of hyperparameters and the application of simple yet effective augmentation techniques significantly improve performance in low-resource settings. We also analysed the translation hypotheses to understand various kinds of errors that impacted the translation quality in terms of BLEU.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.04714v1","authors":["Bhavana Akkiraju","Aishwarya Pothula","Santosh Kesiraju","Anil Kumar Vuppala"],"tags":["cs.CL","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-05T07:38:01Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.26001v1","name":"First Workshop on Building Innovative Research Systems for Digital Libraries (BIRDS 2025)","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We propose the first workshop on Building Innovative Research Systems for Digital Libraries (BIRDS) to take place at TPDL 2025 as a full-day workshop. BIRDS addresses practitioners working in digital libraries and GLAMs as well as researchers from computational domains such as data science, information retrieval, natural language processing, and data modelling. Our interdisciplinary workshop focuses on connecting members of both worlds. One of today's biggest challenges is the increasing information flood. Large language models like ChatGPT seem to offer good performance for answering questions on the web. So, shall we just build upon that idea and use chatbots in digital libraries? Or do we need to design and develop specialized and effective access paths? Answering these questions requires to connect different communities, practitioners from real digital libraries and researchers in the area of computer science. In brief, our workshop's goal is thus to support researchers and practitioners to build the next generation of innovative and effective digital library systems.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.26001v1","authors":["Christin Katharina Kreutz","Hermann Kroll"],"tags":["cs.DL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-30T09:33:11Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.03240v1","name":"CardiffNLP at CLEARS-2025: Prompting Large Language Models for Plain Language and Easy-to-Read Text Rewriting","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper details the CardiffNLP team's contribution to the CLEARS shared task on Spanish text adaptation, hosted by IberLEF 2025. The shared task contained two subtasks and the team submitted to both. Our team took an LLM-prompting approach with different prompt variations. While we initially experimented with LLaMA-3.2, we adopted Gemma-3 for our final submission, and landed third place in Subtask 1 and second place in Subtask 2. We detail our numerous prompt variations, examples, and experimental results.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.03240v1","authors":["Mutaz Ayesh","Nicolás Gutiérrez-Rolón","Fernando Alva-Manchego"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-05T09:16:19Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.04414v1","name":"THM@SimpleText 2025 -- Task 1.1: Revisiting Text Simplification based on Complex Terms for Non-Experts","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Scientific text is complex as it contains technical terms by definition. Simplifying such text for non-domain experts enhances accessibility of innovation and information. Politicians could be enabled to understand new findings on topics on which they intend to pass a law, or family members of seriously ill patients could read about clinical trials. The SimpleText CLEF Lab focuses on exactly this problem of simplification of scientific text. Task 1.1 of the 2025 edition specifically handles the simplification of complex sentences, so very short texts with little context. To tackle this task we investigate the identification of complex terms in sentences which are rephrased using small Gemini and OpenAI large language models for non-expert readers.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.04414v1","authors":["Nico Hofmann","Julian Dauenhauer","Nils Ole Dietzler","Idehen Daniel Idahor","Christin Katharina Kreutz"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-06T15:05:54Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.16443v2","name":"Colliding with Adversaries at ECML-PKDD 2025 Model Robustness Competition 1st Prize Solution","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This report presents the winning solution for Task 2 of Colliding with Adversaries: A Challenge on Robust Learning in High Energy Physics Discovery at ECML-PKDD 2025. The goal of the challenge was to design and train a robust ANN-based model capable of achieving high accuracy in a binary classification task on both clean and adversarial data generated with the Random Distribution Shuffle Attack (RDSA). Our solution consists of two components: a data generation phase and a robust model training phase. In the first phase, we produced 15 million artificial training samples using a custom methodology derived from Random Distribution Shuffle Attack (RDSA). In the second phase, we introduced a robust architecture comprising (i)a Feature Embedding Block with shared weights among features of the same type and (ii)a Dense Fusion Tail responsible for the final prediction. Training this architecture on our adversarial dataset achieved a mixed accuracy score of 80\\%, exceeding the second-place solution by two percentage points.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.16443v2","authors":["Dimitris Stefanopoulos","Andreas Voskou"],"tags":["cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-18T10:39:10Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2511.19707v3","name":"Sequential Fragmentation of C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) After Its Near-Sun Passage","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) reached perihelion at 0.33 au on 2025 October 8. Daily monitoring by the LCO Outbursting Objects Key Project revealed a major activity increase between November 2 and 4, accompanied by rapid changes in coma morphology. Serendipitous HST/STIS acquisition images obtained on November 8-10 captured the comet only days after this event and resolved five fragments, providing an early high-resolution view of a nucleus in the process of disruption. Fragment motions and morphologies indicate a hierarchical fragmentation sequence, including a slow secondary split of fragment II. Back extrapolation shows that both the primary and secondary breakups preceded their associated photometric outbursts by roughly one to three days. This consistent lag, together with the appearance of thin, short-lived arclets around fragment I in the first HST epoch, suggests that freshly exposed interior material warms rapidly but requires time before dust can be released efficiently. Given the comet's close perihelion passage, rotational instability driven by enhanced outgassing torques is a plausible contributor to nucleus disintegration and dust release, and may represent the primary source of the observed brightening. These combined ground- and space-based observations provide rare, time-resolved constraints on the thermal and structural evolution of a fragmented comet near perihelion and highlight the scientific value of capturing a nucleus within days of disruption, when thermal adjustment, dust mantle re-formation, and outgassing-driven torques jointly govern the onset of activity.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.19707v3","authors":["Dennis Bodewits","John W. Noonan","Michael S. P. Kelley","Carrie E. Holt","Tim A. Lister","Helen Usher","Colin Snodgrass","Bjorn Davidsson","Sarah Greenstreet"],"tags":["astro-ph.EP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-24T21:16:28Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2512.22054v1","name":"Proceedings First Workshop on Adaptable Cloud Architectures","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This volume contains the post-proceedings of the Workshop on Adaptable Cloud Architectures (WACA 2025), held on June 20, 2025, in Lille, France, co-located with DisCoTec 2025 - 20th International Federated Conference on Distributed Computing Techniques.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.22054v1","authors":["Giuseppe De Palma","Saverio Giallorenzo"],"tags":["cs.SE","cs.DC"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-26T15:14:40Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.12353v1","name":"DS@GT AnimalCLEF: Triplet Learning over ViT Manifolds with Nearest Neighbor Classification for Animal Re-identification","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper details the DS@GT team's entry for the AnimalCLEF 2025 re-identification challenge. Our key finding is that the effectiveness of post-hoc metric learning is highly contingent on the initial quality and domain-specificity of the backbone embeddings. We compare a general-purpose model (DINOv2) with a domain-specific model (MegaDescriptor) as a backbone. A K-Nearest Neighbor classifier with robust thresholding then identifies known individuals or flags new ones. While a triplet-learning projection head improved the performance of the specialized MegaDescriptor model by 0.13 points, it yielded minimal gains (0.03) for the general-purpose DINOv2 on averaged BAKS and BAUS. We demonstrate that the general-purpose manifold is more difficult to reshape for fine-grained tasks, as evidenced by stagnant validation loss and qualitative visualizations. This work highlights the critical limitations of refining general-purpose features for specialized, limited-data re-ID tasks and underscores the importance of domain-specific pre-training. The implementation for this work is publicly available at github.com/dsgt-arc/animalclef-2025.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.12353v1","authors":["Anthony Miyaguchi","Chandrasekaran Maruthaiyannan","Charles R. Clark"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-15T18:31:01Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2511.22794v1","name":"Can Synthetic Data Improve Symbolic Regression Extrapolation Performance?","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Many machine learning models perform well when making predictions within the training data range, but often struggle when required to extrapolate beyond it. Symbolic regression (SR) using genetic programming (GP) can generate flexible models but is prone to unreliable behaviour in extrapolation. This paper investigates whether adding synthetic data can help improve performance in such cases. We apply Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) to identify regions in the input space where the training data is sparse. Synthetic data is then generated in those regions using a knowledge distillation approach: a teacher model generates predictions on new input points, which are then used to train a student model. We evaluate this method across six benchmark datasets, using neural networks (NN), random forests (RF), and GP both as teacher models (to generate synthetic data) and as student models (trained on the augmented data). Results show that GP models can often improve when trained on synthetic data, especially in extrapolation areas. However, the improvement depends on the dataset and teacher model used. The most important improvements are observed when synthetic data from GPe is used to train GPp in extrapolation regions. Changes in interpolation areas show only slight changes. We also observe heterogeneous errors, where model performance varies across different regions of the input space. Overall, this approach offers a practical solution for better extrapolation. Note: An earlier version of this work appeared in the GECCO 2025 Workshop on Symbolic Regression. This arXiv version corrects several parts of the original submission.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.22794v1","authors":["Fitria Wulandari Ramlan","Colm O'Riordan","Gabriel Kronberger","James McDermott"],"tags":["cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-27T22:52:13Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.03711v1","name":"NBF at SemEval-2025 Task 5: Light-Burst Attention Enhanced System for Multilingual Subject Recommendation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present our system submission for SemEval 2025 Task 5, which focuses on cross-lingual subject classification in the English and German academic domains. Our approach leverages bilingual data during training, employing negative sampling and a margin-based retrieval objective. We demonstrate that a dimension-as-token self-attention mechanism designed with significantly reduced internal dimensions can effectively encode sentence embeddings for subject retrieval. In quantitative evaluation, our system achieved an average recall rate of 32.24% in the general quantitative setting (all subjects), 43.16% and 31.53% of the general qualitative evaluation methods with minimal GPU usage, highlighting their competitive performance. Our results demonstrate that our approach is effective in capturing relevant subject information under resource constraints, although there is still room for improvement.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.03711v1","authors":["Baharul Islam","Nasim Ahmad","Ferdous Ahmed Barbhuiya","Kuntal Dey"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-06T17:33:46Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.05880v1","name":"NILMFormer: Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring that Accounts for Non-Stationarity","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Millions of smart meters have been deployed worldwide, collecting the total power consumed by individual households. Based on these data, electricity suppliers offer their clients energy monitoring solutions to provide feedback on the consumption of their individual appliances. Historically, such estimates have relied on statistical methods that use coarse-grained total monthly consumption and static customer data, such as appliance ownership. Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM) is the problem of disaggregating a household's collected total power consumption to retrieve the consumed power for individual appliances. Current state-of-the-art (SotA) solutions for NILM are based on deep-learning (DL) and operate on subsequences of an entire household consumption reading. However, the non-stationary nature of real-world smart meter data leads to a drift in the data distribution within each segmented window, which significantly affects model performance. This paper introduces NILMFormer, a Transformer-based architecture that incorporates a new subsequence stationarization/de-stationarization scheme to mitigate the distribution drift and that uses a novel positional encoding that relies only on the subsequence's timestamp information. Experiments with 4 real-world datasets show that NILMFormer significantly outperforms the SotA approaches. Our solution has been deployed as the backbone algorithm for EDF's (Electricité De France) consumption monitoring service, delivering detailed insights to millions of customers about their individual appliances' power consumption. This paper appeared in KDD 2025.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.05880v1","authors":["Adrien Petralia","Philippe Charpentier","Youssef Kadhi","Themis Palpanas"],"tags":["cs.LG","eess.SP"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-06T08:46:58Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.21891v1","name":"DIVE: Deep-search Iterative Video Exploration A Technical Report for the CVRR Challenge at CVPR 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this report, we present the winning solution that achieved the 1st place in the Complex Video Reasoning &amp; Robustness Evaluation Challenge 2025. This challenge evaluates the ability to generate accurate natural language answers to questions about diverse, real-world video clips. It uses the Complex Video Reasoning and Robustness Evaluation Suite (CVRR-ES) benchmark, which consists of 214 unique videos and 2,400 question-answer pairs spanning 11 categories. Our method, DIVE (Deep-search Iterative Video Exploration), adopts an iterative reasoning approach, in which each input question is semantically decomposed and solved through stepwise reasoning and progressive inference. This enables our system to provide highly accurate and contextually appropriate answers to even the most complex queries. Applied to the CVRR-ES benchmark, our approach achieves 81.44% accuracy on the test set, securing the top position among all participants. This report details our methodology and provides a comprehensive analysis of the experimental results, demonstrating the effectiveness of our iterative reasoning framework in achieving robust video question answering. The code is available at https://github.com/PanasonicConnect/DIVE","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.21891v1","authors":["Umihiro Kamoto","Tatsuya Ishibashi","Noriyuki Kugo"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-27T04:05:12Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.12974v2","name":"The CCF AATC 2025 Speech Restoration Challenge: A Retrospective","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Real-world speech communication is rarely affected by a single type of degradation. Instead, it suffers from a complex interplay of acoustic interference, codec compression, and, increasingly, secondary artifacts introduced by upstream enhancement algorithms. To bridge the gap between academic research and these realistic scenarios, we introduced the CCF AATC 2025 Challenge. This challenge targets universal blind speech restoration, requiring a single model to handle three distinct distortion categories: acoustic degradation, codec distortion, and secondary processing artifacts. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive retrospective of the challenge, detailing the dataset construction, task design, and a systematic analysis of the 25 participating systems. We report three key findings that define the current state of the field: (1) Efficiency vs. Scale: Contrary to the trend of massive generative models, top-performing systems demonstrated that lightweight discriminative architectures (&lt;10M parameters) can achieve state-of-the-art performance, balancing restoration quality with deployment constraints. (2) Generative Trade-off: While generative and hybrid models excel in theoretical perceptual metrics, breakdown analysis reveals they suffer from \"reconstruction bias\" in high-SNR codec tasks and struggle with hallucination in complex secondary artifact scenarios. (3) Metric Gap: Most critically, our rank correlation analysis exposes a strong negative correlation (\\r{ho}=-0.8) between widely-used reference-free metrics (e.g., DNSMOS) and human MOS when evaluating hybrid systems. This indicates that current metrics may over-reward artificial spectral smoothness at the expense of perceptual naturalness. This paper aims to serve as a reference for future research in robust speech restoration and calls for the development of next-generation evaluation metrics sensitive to generative artifacts.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.12974v2","authors":["Junan Zhang","Mengyao Zhu","Xin Xu","Hui Bu","Zhenhua Ling","Zhizheng Wu"],"tags":["cs.SD","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-16T11:31:52Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2510.15722v1","name":"The 3rd Place Solution of CCIR CUP 2025: A Framework for Retrieval-Augmented Generation in Multi-Turn Legal Conversation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Retrieval-Augmented Generation has made significant progress in the field of natural language processing. By combining the advantages of information retrieval and large language models, RAG can generate relevant and contextually appropriate responses based on items retrieved from reliable sources. This technology has demonstrated outstanding performance across multiple domains, but its application in the legal field remains in its exploratory phase. In this paper, we introduce our approach for \"Legal Knowledge Retrieval and Generation\" in CCIR CUP 2025, which leverages large language models and information retrieval systems to provide responses based on laws in response to user questions.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.15722v1","authors":["Da Li","Zecheng Fang","Qiang Yan","Wei Huang","Xuanpu Luo"],"tags":["cs.IR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-17T15:12:15Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.10336v1","name":"TikTok Rewards Divisive Political Messaging During the 2025 German Federal Election","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Short-form video platforms like TikTok reshape how politicians communicate and have become important tools for electoral campaigning. Yet it remains unclear what kinds of political messages gain traction in these fast-paced, algorithmically curated environments, which are particularly popular among younger audiences. In this study, we use computational content analysis to analyze a comprehensive dataset of N=25,292 TikTok videos posted by German politicians in the run-up to the 2025 German federal election. Our empirical analysis shows that videos expressing negative emotions (e.g., anger, disgust) and outgroup animosity were significantly more likely to generate engagement than those emphasizing positive emotion, relatability, or identity. Furthermore, ideologically extreme parties (on both sides of the political spectrum) were both more likely to post this type of content and more successful in generating engagement than centrist parties. Taken together, these findings suggest that TikTok's platform dynamics systematically reward divisive over unifying political communication, thereby potentially benefiting extreme actors more inclined to capitalize on this logic.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.10336v1","authors":["Kirill Solovev","Chiara Drolsbach","Emma Demirel","Nicolas Pröllochs"],"tags":["cs.SI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-12T15:17:15Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2501.13698v1","name":"The First Indoor Pathloss Radio Map Prediction Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"To encourage further research and to facilitate fair comparisons in the development of deep learning-based radio propagation models, in the less explored case of directional radio signal emissions in indoor propagation environments, we have launched the ICASSP 2025 First Indoor Pathloss Radio Map Prediction Challenge. This overview paper describes the indoor path loss prediction problem, the datasets used, the Challenge tasks, and the evaluation methodology. Finally, the results of the Challenge and a summary of the submitted methods are presented.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.13698v1","authors":["Stefanos Bakirtzis","Çağkan Yapar","Kehai Qiu","Ian Wassell","Jie Zhang"],"tags":["eess.SP","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-23T14:25:14Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2503.21934v5","name":"Proof or Bluff? Evaluating LLMs on 2025 USA Math Olympiad","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Recent math benchmarks for large language models (LLMs) such as MathArena indicate that state-of-the-art reasoning models achieve impressive performance on mathematical competitions like AIME, with the leading model, Gemini-2.5-Pro, achieving scores comparable to top human competitors. However, these benchmarks evaluate models solely based on final numerical answers, neglecting rigorous reasoning and proof generation which are essential for real-world mathematical tasks. To address this, we introduce a comprehensive evaluation of full-solution reasoning for challenging mathematical problems. Using expert human annotators, we evaluated several state-of-the-art reasoning models on the six problems from the 2025 USAMO within hours of their release. Our results reveal that all tested models struggled significantly: only Gemini-2.5-Pro achieves a non-trivial score of 25%, while all other models achieve less than 5%. Through detailed analysis of reasoning traces, we identify the most common failure modes and find several unwanted artifacts arising from the optimization strategies employed during model training. Overall, our results suggest that current LLMs are inadequate for rigorous mathematical reasoning tasks, highlighting the need for substantial improvements in reasoning and proof generation capabilities.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.21934v5","authors":["Ivo Petrov","Jasper Dekoninck","Lyuben Baltadzhiev","Maria Drencheva","Kristian Minchev","Mislav Balunović","Nikola Jovanović","Martin Vechev"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-27T19:21:05Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2502.12050v3","name":"SpeechT: Findings of the First Mentorship in Speech Translation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This work presents the details and findings of the first mentorship in speech translation (SpeechT), which took place in December 2024 and January 2025. To fulfil the mentorship requirements, the participants engaged in key activities, including data preparation, modelling, and advanced research. The participants explored data augmentation techniques and compared end-to-end and cascaded speech translation systems. The projects covered various languages other than English, including Arabic, Bengali, Galician, Indonesian, Japanese, and Spanish.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.12050v3","authors":["Yasmin Moslem","Juan Julián Cea Morán","Mariano Gonzalez-Gomez","Muhammad Hazim Al Farouq","Farah Abdou","Satarupa Deb"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.SD"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-17T17:18:39Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.12401v1","name":"NTIRE 2025 Challenge on Event-Based Image Deblurring: Methods and Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents an overview of NTIRE 2025 the First Challenge on Event-Based Image Deblurring, detailing the proposed methodologies and corresponding results. The primary goal of the challenge is to design an event-based method that achieves high-quality image deblurring, with performance quantitatively assessed using Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR). Notably, there are no restrictions on computational complexity or model size. The task focuses on leveraging both events and images as inputs for single-image deblurring. A total of 199 participants registered, among whom 15 teams successfully submitted valid results, offering valuable insights into the current state of event-based image deblurring. We anticipate that this challenge will drive further advancements in event-based vision research.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.12401v1","authors":["Lei Sun","Andrea Alfarano","Peiqi Duan","Shaolin Su","Kaiwei Wang","Boxin Shi","Radu Timofte","Danda Pani Paudel","Luc Van Gool","Qinglin Liu","Wei Yu","Xiaoqian Lv","Lu Yang","Shuigen Wang","Shengping Zhang","Xiangyang Ji","Long Bao","Yuqiang Yang","Jinao Song","Ziyi Wang","Shuang Wen","Heng Sun","Kean Liu","Mingchen Zhong","Senyan Xu","Zhijing Sun","Jiaying Zhu","Chengjie Ge","Xingbo Wang","Yidi Liu","Xin Lu","Xueyang Fu","Zheng-Jun Zha","Dawei Fan","Dafeng Zhang","Yong Yang","Siru Zhang","Qinghua Yang","Hao Kang","Huiyuan Fu","Heng Zhang","Hongyuan Yu","Zhijuan Huang","Shuoyan Wei","Feng Li","Runmin Cong","Weiqi Luo","Mingyun Lin","Chenxu Jiang","Hongyi Liu","Lei Yu","Weilun Li","Jiajun Zhai","Tingting Lin","Shuang Ma","Sai Zhou","Zhanwen Liu","Yang Wang","Eiffel Chong","Nuwan Bandara","Thivya Kandappu","Archan Misra","Yihang Chen","Zhan Li","Weijun Yuan","Wenzhuo Wang","Boyang Yao","Zhanglu Chen","Yijing Sun","Tianjiao Wan","Zijian Gao","Qisheng Xu","Kele Xu","Yukun Zhang","Yu He","Xiaoyan Xie","Tao Fu","Yashu Gautamkumar Patel","Vihar Ramesh Jain","Divesh Basina","Rishik Ashili","Manish Kumar Manjhi","Sourav Kumar","Prinon Benny","Himanshu Ghunawat","B Sri Sairam Gautam","Anett Varghese","Abhishek Yadav"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-16T18:06:16Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2511.16205v2","name":"ChemLabs on ChemO: A Multi-Agent System for Multimodal Reasoning on IChO 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Olympiad-level benchmarks in mathematics and physics are crucial testbeds for advanced AI reasoning, but chemistry, with its unique multimodal symbolic language, has remained an open challenge. We introduce ChemO, a new benchmark built from the International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) 2025. ChemO features two key innovations for automated assessment: Assessment-Equivalent Reformulation (AER), which converts problems requiring visual outputs (e.g., drawing molecules) into computationally tractable formats, and Structured Visual Enhancement (SVE), a diagnostic mechanism to disentangle a model's visual perception capabilities from its core chemical reasoning. To tackle this benchmark, we propose ChemLabs, a hierarchical multi-agent framework that mimics human expert collaboration through specialized agents for problem decomposition, perception, reasoning, and auditing. Experiments on state-of-the-art multimodal models demonstrate that combining SVE with our multi-agent system yields dramatic performance gains. Our top configuration achieves a score of 93.6 out of 100, surpassing an estimated human gold medal threshold and establishing a new state-of-the-art in automated chemical problem-solving. ChemO Dataset: https://huggingface.co/datasets/IDEA-AI4SCI/ChemO","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.16205v2","authors":["Qiang Xu","Shengyuan Bai","Leqing Chen","Zijing Liu","Yu Li"],"tags":["cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-20T10:15:39Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.10676v1","name":"Description and Discussion on DCASE 2025 Challenge Task 4: Spatial Semantic Segmentation of Sound Scenes","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Spatial Semantic Segmentation of Sound Scenes (S5) aims to enhance technologies for sound event detection and separation from multi-channel input signals that mix multiple sound events with spatial information. This is a fundamental basis of immersive communication. The ultimate goal is to separate sound event signals with 6 Degrees of Freedom (6DoF) information into dry sound object signals and metadata about the object type (sound event class) and representing spatial information, including direction. However, because several existing challenge tasks already provide some of the subset functions, this task for this year focuses on detecting and separating sound events from multi-channel spatial input signals. This paper outlines the S5 task setting of the Detection and Classification of Acoustic Scenes and Events (DCASE) 2025 Challenge Task 4 and the DCASE2025 Task 4 Dataset, newly recorded and curated for this task. We also report experimental results for an S5 system trained and evaluated on this dataset. The full version of this paper will be published after the challenge results are made public.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.10676v1","authors":["Masahiro Yasuda","Binh Thien Nguyen","Noboru Harada","Romain Serizel","Mayank Mishra","Marc Delcroix","Shoko Araki","Daiki Takeuchi","Daisuke Niizumi","Yasunori Ohishi","Tomohiro Nakatani","Takao Kawamura","Nobutaka Ono"],"tags":["cs.SD","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-12T13:07:54Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2506.12430v2","name":"Pushing the Limits of Safety: A Technical Report on the ATLAS Challenge 2025","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Multimodal Large Language Models (MLLMs) have enabled transformative advancements across diverse applications but remain susceptible to safety threats, especially jailbreak attacks that induce harmful outputs. To systematically evaluate and improve their safety, we organized the Adversarial Testing &amp; Large-model Alignment Safety Grand Challenge (ATLAS) 2025}. This technical report presents findings from the competition, which involved 86 teams testing MLLM vulnerabilities via adversarial image-text attacks in two phases: white-box and black-box evaluations. The competition results highlight ongoing challenges in securing MLLMs and provide valuable guidance for developing stronger defense mechanisms. The challenge establishes new benchmarks for MLLM safety evaluation and lays groundwork for advancing safer multimodal AI systems. The code and data for this challenge are openly available at https://github.com/NY1024/ATLAS_Challenge_2025.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.12430v2","authors":["Zonghao Ying","Siyang Wu","Run Hao","Peng Ying","Shixuan Sun","Pengyu Chen","Junze Chen","Hao Du","Kaiwen Shen","Shangkun Wu","Jiwei Wei","Shiyuan He","Yang Yang","Xiaohai Xu","Ke Ma","Qianqian Xu","Qingming Huang","Shi Lin","Xun Wang","Changting Lin","Meng Han","Yilei Jiang","Siqi Lai","Yaozhi Zheng","Yifei Song","Xiangyu Yue","Zonglei Jing","Tianyuan Zhang","Zhilei Zhu","Aishan Liu","Jiakai Wang","Siyuan Liang","Xianglong Kong","Hainan Li","Junjie Mu","Haotong Qin","Yue Yu","Lei Chen","Felix Juefei-Xu","Qing Guo","Xinyun Chen","Yew Soon Ong","Xianglong Liu","Dawn Song","Alan Yuille","Philip Torr","Dacheng Tao"],"tags":["cs.CR","cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-14T10:03:17Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2504.12527v3","name":"Analysis of the MICCAI Brain Tumor Segmentation -- Metastases (BraTS-METS) 2025 Lighthouse Challenge: Brain Metastasis Segmentation on Pre- and Post-treatment MRI","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Despite continuous advancements in cancer treatment, brain metastatic disease remains a significant complication of primary cancer and is associated with an unfavorable prognosis. One approach for improving diagnosis, management, and outcomes is to implement algorithms based on artificial intelligence for the automated segmentation of both pre- and post-treatment MRI brain images. Such algorithms rely on volumetric criteria for lesion identification and treatment response assessment, which are still not available in clinical practice. Therefore, it is critical to establish tools for rapid volumetric segmentations methods that can be translated to clinical practice and that are trained on high quality annotated data. The BraTS-METS 2025 Lighthouse Challenge aims to address this critical need by establishing inter-rater and intra-rater variability in dataset annotation by generating high quality annotated datasets from four individual instances of segmentation by neuroradiologists while being recorded on video (two instances doing \"from scratch\" and two instances after AI pre-segmentation). This high-quality annotated dataset will be used for testing phase in 2025 Lighthouse challenge and will be publicly released at the completion of the challenge. The 2025 Lighthouse challenge will also release the 2023 and 2024 segmented datasets that were annotated using an established pipeline of pre-segmentation, student annotation, two neuroradiologists checking, and one neuroradiologist finalizing the process. It builds upon its previous edition by including post-treatment cases in the dataset. Using these high-quality annotated datasets, the 2025 Lighthouse challenge plans to test benchmark algorithms for automated segmentation of pre-and post-treatment brain metastases (BM), trained on diverse and multi-institutional datasets of MRI images obtained from patients with brain metastases.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.12527v3","authors":["Nazanin Maleki","Raisa Amiruddin","Ahmed W. Moawad","Nikolay Yordanov","Athanasios Gkampenis","Pascal Fehringer","Fabian Umeh","Crystal Chukwurah","Fatima Memon","Bojan Petrovic","Justin Cramer","Mark Krycia","Elizabeth B. Shrickel","Ichiro Ikuta","Gerard Thompson","Lorenna Vidal","Vilma Kosovic","Adam E. Goldman-Yassen","Virginia Hill","Tiffany So","Sedra Mhana","Albara Alotaibi","Nathan Page","Prisha Bhatia","Melisa S. Guelen","Yasaman Sharifi","Marko Jakovljevic","Salma Abosabie","Sara Abosabie","Mohanad Ghonim","Mohamed Ghonim","Amirreza Manteghinejad","Anastasia Janas","Kiril Krantchev","Maruf Adewole","Jake Albrecht","Udunna Anazodo","Sanjay Aneja","Syed Muhammad Anwar","Timothy Bergquist","Veronica Chiang","Verena Chung","Gian Marco Conte","Farouk Dako","James Eddy","Ivan Ezhov","Nastaran Khalili","Keyvan Farahani","Juan Eugenio Iglesias","Zhifan Jiang","Elaine Johanson","Anahita Fathi Kazerooni","Florian Kofler","Dominic LaBella","Koen Van Leemput","Hongwei Bran Li","Marius George Linguraru","Xinyang Liu","Zeke Meier","Bjoern H Menze","Harrison Moy","Klara Osenberg","Marie Piraud","Zachary Reitman","Russell Takeshi Shinohara","Chunhao Wang","Benedikt Wiestler","Walter Wiggins","Umber Shafique","Klara Willms","Arman Avesta","Khaled Bousabarah","Satrajit Chakrabarty","Nicolo Gennaro","Wolfgang Holler","Manpreet Kaur","Pamela LaMontagne","MingDe Lin","Jan Lost","Daniel S. Marcus","Ryan Maresca","Sarah Merkaj","Gabriel Cassinelli Pedersen","Marc von Reppert","Aristeidis Sotiras","Oleg Teytelboym","Niklas Tillmans","Malte Westerhoff","Ayda Youssef","Devon Godfrey","Scott Floyd","Andreas Rauschecker","Javier Villanueva-Meyer","Irada Pflüger","Jaeyoung Cho","Martin Bendszus","Gianluca Brugnara","Gloria J. Guzman Perez-Carillo","Derek R. Johnson","Anthony Kam","Benjamin Yin Ming Kwan","Lillian Lai","Neil U. Lall","Satya Narayana Patro","Lei Wu","Anu Bansal","Frederik Barkhof","Cristina Besada","Sammy Chu","Jason Druzgal","Alexandru Dusoi","Luciano Farage","Fabricio Feltrin","Amy Fong","Steve H. Fung","R. Ian Gray","Michael Iv","Alida A. Postma","Amit Mahajan","David Joyner","Chase Krumpelman","Laurent Letourneau-Guillon","Christie M. Lincoln","Mate E. Maros","Elka Miller","Fanny Morón","Esther A. Nimchinsky","Ozkan Ozsarlak","Uresh Patel","Saurabh Rohatgi","Atin Saha","Anousheh Sayah","Eric D. Schwartz","Robert Shih","Mark S. Shiroishi","Juan E. Small","Manoj Tanwar","Jewels Valerie","Brent D. Weinberg","Matthew L. White","Robert Young","Vahe M. Zohrabian","Aynur Azizova","Melanie Maria Theresa Brüßeler","Abdullah Okar","Luca Pasquini","Yasaman Sharifi","Gagandeep Singh","Nico Sollmann","Theodora Soumala","Mahsa Taherzadeh","Philipp Vollmuth","Martha Foltyn-Dumitru","Ajay Malhotra","Francesco Dellepiane","Víctor M. Pérez-García","Hesham Elhalawani","Maria Correia de Verdier","Sanaria Al Rubaiey","Rui Duarte Armindo","Kholod Ashraf","Moamen M. Asla","Mohamed Badawy","Jeroen Bisschop","Nima Broomand Lomer","Jan Bukatz","Jim Chen","Petra Cimflova","Felix Corr","Alexis Crawley","Lisa Deptula","Tasneem Elakhdar","Islam H. Shawali","Shahriar Faghani","Alexandra Frick","Vaibhav Gulati","Muhammad Ammar Haider","Fátima Hierro","Rasmus Holmboe Dahl","Sarah Maria Jacobs","Kuang-chun Jim Hsieh","Sedat G. Kandemirli","Katharina Kersting","Laura Kida","Sofia Kollia","Ioannis Koukoulithras","Xiao Li","Ahmed Abouelatta","Aya Mansour","Ruxandra-Catrinel Maria-Zamfirescu","Marcela Marsiglia","Yohana Sarahi Mateo-Camacho","Mark McArthur","Olivia McDonnel","Maire McHugh","Mana Moassefi","Samah Mostafa Morsi","Alexander Munteanu","Khanak K. Nandolia","Syed Raza Naqvi","Yalda Nikanpour","Mostafa Alnoury","Abdullah Mohamed Aly Nouh","Francesca Pappafava","Markand D. Patel","Samantha Petrucci","Eric Rawie","Scott Raymond","Borna Roohani","Sadeq Sabouhi","Laura M. Sanchez Garcia","Zoe Shaked","Pokhraj P. Suthar","Talissa Altes","Edvin Isufi","Yaseen Dhemesh","Jaime Gass","Jonathan Thacker","Abdul Rahman Tarabishy","Benjamin Turner","Sebastiano Vacca","George K. Vilanilam","Daniel Warren","David Weiss","Fikadu Worede","Sara Yousry","Wondwossen Lerebo","Alejandro Aristizabal","Alexandros Karargyris","Hasan Kassem","Sarthak Pati","Micah Sheller","Katherine E. Link","Evan Calabrese","Nourel Hoda Tahon","Ayman Nada","Jeffrey D. Rudie","Janet Reid","Kassa Darge","Aly H. Abayazeed","Philipp Lohmann","Yuri S. Velichko","Spyridon Bakas","Mariam Aboian"],"tags":["q-bio.OT","eess.IV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-16T23:17:44Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2509.15485v1","name":"mucAI at BAREC Shared Task 2025: Towards Uncertainty Aware Arabic Readability Assessment","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present a simple, model-agnostic post-processing technique for fine-grained Arabic readability classification in the BAREC 2025 Shared Task (19 ordinal levels). Our method applies conformal prediction to generate prediction sets with coverage guarantees, then computes weighted averages using softmax-renormalized probabilities over the conformal sets. This uncertainty-aware decoding improves Quadratic Weighted Kappa (QWK) by reducing high-penalty misclassifications to nearer levels. Our approach shows consistent QWK improvements of 1-3 points across different base models. In the strict track, our submission achieves QWK scores of 84.9\\%(test) and 85.7\\% (blind test) for sentence level, and 73.3\\% for document level. For Arabic educational assessment, this enables human reviewers to focus on a handful of plausible levels, combining statistical guarantees with practical usability.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.15485v1","authors":["Ahmed Abdou"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-18T23:14:51Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.12089v1","name":"NTIRE 2025 Challenge on Efficient Burst HDR and Restoration: Datasets, Methods, and Results","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper reviews the NTIRE 2025 Efficient Burst HDR and Restoration Challenge, which aims to advance efficient multi-frame high dynamic range (HDR) and restoration techniques. The challenge is based on a novel RAW multi-frame fusion dataset, comprising nine noisy and misaligned RAW frames with various exposure levels per scene. Participants were tasked with developing solutions capable of effectively fusing these frames while adhering to strict efficiency constraints: fewer than 30 million model parameters and a computational budget under 4.0 trillion FLOPs. A total of 217 participants registered, with six teams finally submitting valid solutions. The top-performing approach achieved a PSNR of 43.22 dB, showcasing the potential of novel methods in this domain. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the challenge, compares the proposed solutions, and serves as a valuable reference for researchers and practitioners in efficient burst HDR and restoration.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.12089v1","authors":["Sangmin Lee","Eunpil Park","Angel Canelo","Hyunhee Park","Youngjo Kim","Hyung-Ju Chun","Xin Jin","Chongyi Li","Chun-Le Guo","Radu Timofte","Qi Wu","Tianheng Qiu","Yuchun Dong","Shenglin Ding","Guanghua Pan","Weiyu Zhou","Tao Hu","Yixu Feng","Duwei Dai","Yu Cao","Peng Wu","Wei Dong","Yanning Zhang","Qingsen Yan","Simon J. Larsen","Ruixuan Jiang","Senyan Xu","Xingbo Wang","Xin Lu","Marcos V. Conde","Javier Abad-Hernandez","Alvaro Garcıa-Lara","Daniel Feijoo","Alvaro Garcıa","Zeyu Xiao","Zhuoyuan Li"],"tags":["eess.IV","cs.AI","cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-17T17:10:22Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.01721v1","name":"Integrating earth observation data into the tri-environmental evaluation of the economic cost of natural disasters: a case study of 2025 LA wildfire","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Wildfires in urbanized regions, particularly within the wildland-urban interface, have significantly intensified in frequency and severity, driven by rapid urban expansion and climate change. This study aims to provide a comprehensive, fine-grained evaluation of the recent 2025 Los Angeles wildfire's impacts, through a multi-source, tri-environmental framework in the social, built and natural environmental dimensions. This study employed a spatiotemporal wildfire impact assessment method based on daily satellite fire detections from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), infrastructure data from OpenStreetMap, and high-resolution dasymetric population modeling to capture the dynamic progression of wildfire events in two distinct Los Angeles County regions, Eaton and Palisades, which occurred in January 2025. The modelling result estimated that the total direct economic losses reached approximately 4.86 billion USD with the highest single-day losses recorded on January 8 in both districts. Population exposure reached a daily maximum of 4,342 residents in Eaton and 3,926 residents in Palisades. Our modelling results highlight early, severe ecological and infrastructural damage in Palisades, as well as delayed, intense social and economic disruptions in Eaton. This tri-environmental framework underscores the necessity for tailored, equitable wildfire management strategies, enabling more effective emergency responses, targeted urban planning, and community resilience enhancement. Our study contributes a highly replicable tri-environmental framework for evaluating the natural, built and social environmental costs of natural disasters, which can be applied to future risk profiling, hazard mitigation, and environmental management in the era of climate change.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.01721v1","authors":["Zongrong Li","Haiyang Li","Yifan Yang","Siqin Wang","Yingxin Zhu"],"tags":["econ.GN"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-03T07:23:34Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.11004v1","name":"Team HUMANE at AVeriTeC 2025: HerO 2 for Efficient Fact Verification","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents HerO 2, Team HUMANE's system for the AVeriTeC shared task at the FEVER-25 workshop. HerO 2 is an enhanced version of HerO, the best-performing open-source model from the previous year's challenge. It improves evidence quality through document summarization and answer reformulation, optimizes veracity prediction via post-training quantization under computational constraints, and enhances overall system performance by integrating updated language model (LM) backbones. HerO 2 ranked second on the leaderboard while achieving the shortest runtime among the top three systems, demonstrating both high efficiency and strong potential for real-world fact verification. The code is available at https://github.com/ssu-humane/HerO2.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.11004v1","authors":["Yejun Yoon","Jaeyoon Jung","Seunghyun Yoon","Kunwoo Park"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-15T05:42:50Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.12965v1","name":"Experimental Particle Physics Priorities 2025: A String Phenomenology Perspective","source":"arxiv","abstract":"With the SNOWMASS 2021 process in the US and the on--going European Strategy Report 2025, the field of elementary particle physics is undergoing detailed community evaluation, and the experimental particle physics program, which requires substantial public investment, is under scrutiny. We offer an assessment of the current experimental particle physics priorities from a string phenomenology point of view. String theory provides a perturbatively consistent framework for quantum gravity. String phenomenology aims to connect between string theory and observational data. String theory is a consistent theory of quantum gravity that contains the other fundamental constituents of matter and interactions. As all forms of energy couple to gravity, string theory provides a framework that reproduces the structures of the Standard Model of particle physics and gives rise to detailed physics scenarios beyond the Standard Model, {\\it e.g.} dark matter candidates, axions, additional gauge symmetries, etc. Given this breadth, we propose that from a string phenomenology perspective, the experimental particle physics priority is the nature of the Higgs boson and the electroweak symmetry breaking mechanism. An ideal facility in the near future to study this sector is a hadron collider at 50--60 TeV that utilises contemporary magnet technology and can be built in 10--15 years from decision.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.12965v1","authors":["Jonathan DeMont","Alon E. Faraggi","Mark Goodsell","Marco Guzzi"],"tags":["hep-ph","hep-ex","hep-th"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-19T11:00:49Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2507.15714v1","name":"Chinchunmei at SemEval-2025 Task 11: Boosting the Large Language Model's Capability of Emotion Perception using Contrastive Learning","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The SemEval-2025 Task 11, Bridging the Gap in Text-Based Emotion Detection, introduces an emotion recognition challenge spanning over 28 languages. This competition encourages researchers to explore more advanced approaches to address the challenges posed by the diversity of emotional expressions and background variations. It features two tracks: multi-label classification (Track A) and emotion intensity prediction (Track B), covering six emotion categories: anger, fear, joy, sadness, surprise, and disgust. In our work, we systematically explore the benefits of two contrastive learning approaches: sample-based (Contrastive Reasoning Calibration) and generation-based (DPO, SimPO) contrastive learning. The sample-based contrastive approach trains the model by comparing two samples to generate more reliable predictions. The generation-based contrastive approach trains the model to differentiate between correct and incorrect generations, refining its prediction. All models are fine-tuned from LLaMa3-Instruct-8B. Our system achieves 9th place in Track A and 6th place in Track B for English, while ranking among the top-tier performing systems for other languages.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.15714v1","authors":["Tian Li","Yujian Sun","Huizhi Liang"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-21T15:25:47Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2508.06499v2","name":"The ISLab Solution to the Algonauts Challenge 2025: A Multimodal Deep Learning Approach to Brain Response Prediction","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this work, we present a network-specific approach for predicting brain responses to complex multimodal movies, leveraging the Yeo 7-network parcellation of the Schaefer atlas. Rather than treating the brain as a homogeneous system, we grouped the seven functional networks into four clusters and trained separate multi-subject, multi-layer perceptron (MLP) models for each. This architecture supports cluster-specific optimization and adaptive memory modeling, allowing each model to adjust temporal dynamics and modality weighting based on the functional role of its target network. Our results demonstrate that this clustered strategy significantly enhances prediction accuracy across the 1,000 cortical regions of the Schaefer atlas. The final model achieved an eighth-place ranking in the Algonauts Project 2025 Challenge, with out-of-distribution (OOD) correlation scores nearly double those of the baseline model used in the selection phase. Code is available at https://github.com/Corsi01/algo2025.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.06499v2","authors":["Andrea Corsico","Giorgia Rigamonti","Simone Zini","Luigi Celona","Paolo Napoletano"],"tags":["q-bio.NC","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-25T10:21:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2505.20756v1","name":"REWIND: Speech Time Reversal for Enhancing Speaker Representations in Diffusion-based Voice Conversion","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Speech time reversal refers to the process of reversing the entire speech signal in time, causing it to play backward. Such signals are completely unintelligible since the fundamental structures of phonemes and syllables are destroyed. However, they still retain tonal patterns that enable perceptual speaker identification despite losing linguistic content. In this paper, we propose leveraging speaker representations learned from time reversed speech as an augmentation strategy to enhance speaker representation. Notably, speaker and language disentanglement in voice conversion (VC) is essential to accurately preserve a speaker's unique vocal traits while minimizing interference from linguistic content. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is evaluated in the context of state-of-the-art diffusion-based VC models. Experimental results indicate that the proposed approach significantly improves speaker similarity-related scores while maintaining high speech quality.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.20756v1","authors":["Ishan D. Biyani","Nirmesh J. Shah","Ashishkumar P. Gudmalwar","Pankaj Wasnik","Rajiv R. Shah"],"tags":["eess.AS","cs.MM","cs.SD"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-27T05:59:39Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.14236/ewic/eva2025.15","name":"A Sign in Space as Optical SETI: Laser transmission of a simulated extraterrestrial message","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.14236/ewic/eva2025.15","authors":["Daniela de Paulis","Giulia Guarda","Sebastiano Cocchi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-01T01:16:04Z","doi":"10.14236/ewic/eva2025.15","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2499418","name":"Chips from the Quarry","source":"crossref","abstract":"THAT’S A LOT OF CANDLES: Perhaps you’ve noticed that we’re celebrating every 2025 issue with a cover banner flagging R&M’s 100 years of publication. To commemorate the significant anniversary, we b...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2499418","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-20T19:20:51Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2499418","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2451560","name":"Chips from the Quarry","source":"crossref","abstract":"IN RECOGNITION: Ah, Tucson. The memories linger on, especially those that celebrated the achievements of people who received awards of recognition for their contributions to the broad field of mine...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2451560","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-15T18:06:01Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2451560","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2499427","name":"Perseverance Pays Off: The Backstory of the Appearance of Rocks &amp; Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"The launch of Rocks & Minerals in 1926 by Peter Zodac (1894–1967) has a rich backstory, spanning forty-two years of efforts by several individuals trying to establish a successful publication for m...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2499427","authors":["J. Alex Speer"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-20T19:20:51Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2499427","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2532329","name":"Chips from the Quarry","source":"crossref","abstract":"THE SPECIMEN AND THE MODEL: Not all lovely models jump out of cakes; some surprisingly come through the mail. Such was the case after John S. White wrote an article titled “A Very Odd Garnet” that ...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2532329","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-28T18:04:54Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2532329","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2422756","name":"Chips from the Quarry","source":"crossref","abstract":"IN APPRECIATION: Although this column is planned for the March/April issue, it’s being written in November, the traditional month for giving thanks. And that’s what we’re doing. Just as important a...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2422756","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-24T20:28:01Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2422756","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/083101-0049","name":"The Role of Inflatable Structures in Extraterrestrial Habitation","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/083101-0049","authors":["Zhelun Zhu","Fan Li","Boya Liang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-16T14:21:12Z","doi":"10.52202/083101-0049","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4324/9781003589105-6","name":"Examining the Study of Extraterrestrial Matter","source":"crossref","abstract":"This chapter concerns an interdisciplinary engagement with meteoritics and deep time, demonstrating how human experience is brought into dialogue with extraterrestrial material in everyday and exceptional ways. Before turning to the empirics, the ethnographic methods used and the field of meteoritics are contextualised. Relevant science is established, particularly the history of matter in the early Solar System. The empirics begins by unpacking the more everyday experiences of meteoriticists, focusing on relevant laboratory spaces and the centrality of technology in modern research. Attention is drawn to the connectivities that emerge between people and extraterrestrial geologies, as well as the subjective dimensions of research efforts. Then, the collection of meteorite samples in the field and the array of networks that make it possible are examined, from Antarctic expeditions and desert climates to the efforts of dedicated fireball camera networks, taking as a case study the recent recovery of material in Winchcombe. Through a variety of geographies and socio-economies, it is shown that the physical recovery of meteorites increasingly draws upon national and international collaborations, linking a range of global stakeholders. The chapter concludes by considering the future trajectories of planetary science more broadly and speculating upon its connection to humankind’s off-planet future.","url":"https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003589105-6","authors":["James George Lowder"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-03T09:20:48Z","doi":"10.4324/9781003589105-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.64628/aai.g4ysfdmnm","name":"‘Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence’ − an astronomer explains how much evidence scientists need to claim discoveries like extraterrestrial life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.64628/aai.g4ysfdmnm","authors":["Chris Impey"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-26T23:24:44Z","doi":"10.64628/aai.g4ysfdmnm","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.5187921","name":"&lt;strong&gt;Laser Engraving Technology: An Interdisciplinary Revolution Reshaping Material Manufacturing, Cultural Heritage, and Extraterrestrial Futures&lt;/strong&gt;","source":"crossref","abstract":"This integrated study synthesizes two in-depth papers to systematically explore the technological breakthroughs, ethical challenges, and global impacts of laser engraving machines for plastics and mini metal laser engraving machines. Through interdisciplinary approaches (materials science, neural engineering, quantum physics, policy analysis), the research reveals how laser engraving has become a core tool for addressing 21st-century challenges in sustainable manufacturing, cultural preservation, and space exploration. Key innovations span four dimensions: Materials Science and Precision Manufacturing Plastics: Development of self-healing polymers and quantum-dot tagging enables microplastic traceability (0.2μm precision) and advances the circular economy. Metals: Atomic-scale engraving (0.7nm) empowers quantum computing components, boosting qubit yield by 18% per 0.1nm precision gain (CERN data). Synergy: Hybrid systems process plastic/metal waste simultaneously, e.g., converting medical waste into aerospace parts (92% recovery rate). Human-Machine Interaction Revolution Neural Interfaces (Plastics): BCI-controlled systems (NeuraLase) enhance creative output by 38% and extend fatigue thresholds to 2.1 hours (IEEE, 2024). Cultural Algorithms (Metals): AI trained on Edo-period metalwork achieves 89% stylistic fidelity, reducing traditional craft time by 57%. Globalization and Ethical Governance Plastic Geopolitics: Blockchain-tracked \"Green Engraving Certificates\" resolve ASEAN-EU PET trade disputes. Metal Cultural Heritage: Navajo solar microfactories use blockchain to authenticate traditional designs, reinvesting 40% profits into STEM education. Shared Challenges: Sub-nm IP disputes (0.7nm patent wars) and cultural identity crises driven by automation. Extraterrestrial Manufacturing and Self-Sustaining Systems Plastics: Antarctica's CryoLase project achieves 79% self-replication using ocean plastics for research stations. Metals: Lunar Autoforge prototypes produce radiation shields and habitats from regolith. Ethical Framework: Proposed Outer Space Manufacturing Convention prohibits resource monopolization in near-Earth orbits. Core Data and Case Studies Plastics: Nairobi's medical waste project converts 12 tons/day into jewelry, creating 120+ jobs (OMTech 40W laser system). Quantum-dot tagging achieves 98% recycling accuracy, cutting marine microplastic tracing costs by 67% (Nature, 2024","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5187921","authors":["Hosea Hundley"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-01T05:23:42Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.5187921","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2500877","name":"In Memoriam: Ralph Clark (1937–2025)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Reproduced with permissionThe mineral collecting community is sort of the “everyone knows your name” crowd, but then when one of us leaves the scene we realize that many times there was little we k...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2500877","authors":["Dona Lee Leicht"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-20T19:20:51Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2500877","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7185/gold2025.30441","name":"LithoSpace: A Digital Framework for Extraterrestrial Geochemical Data Integration","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7185/gold2025.30441","authors":["Wayne Noble","Fabian Kohlmann","Ben Dib","Gail Iles","Brandon Mahan","Moritz Theile"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-24T12:31:10Z","doi":"10.7185/gold2025.30441","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1061/jaeeez.aseng-5899","name":"Specialized Penetrometer Use for Extraterrestrial Surface Characterization","source":"crossref","abstract":"The specialized penetrometer is a lightweight, low-complexity instrument that can efficiently provide first approximations of geotechnical properties of a target surface to reduce mission risk. The instrument can provide information on the density and static friction properties of a surface, along with indicating variations in particle size. This work supports the Sample Acquisition, Morphology Filtering and Probing of Lunar Regolith (SAMPLR) payload that is set to fly on a future Commercial Lunar Payload Service (CLPS) mission. The study builds on previous research using a specialized penetrometer by analyzing individual tests to provide information about the character of a target surface. The experiments were conducted for this study using CSM-LHT-1 Lunar Highlands simulant at varying densities. The simulant was also split into coarse, mid, and fine particle distributions to examine specialized penetrometer responses to varying grain size distributions and static friction properties. The instrument was shown to be sensitive to density and static friction differences and to variations in particle size distributions. Through methodological advancements, this study demonstrates the use of a specialized penetrometer in understanding geotechnical properties of extraterrestrial surfaces, providing crucial data for future space exploration and resource utilization.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1061/jaeeez.aseng-5899","authors":["Ben Thrift","Christopher Dreyer"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-29T16:42:04Z","doi":"10.1061/jaeeez.aseng-5899","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4324/9781003638124-1","name":"Extraterrestrial Theory, Ufology and Psychology","source":"crossref","abstract":"Stories about strange objects in the sky, contemporarily known as unidentified flying objects or anomalous phenomena, can be found on folk stores going back centuries. In the modern era, dating from 1947, however, such sightings became more prevalent and attracted public attention. An extensive literature emerged about events and incidents regarded as proof of the “extraterrestrial hypothesis”—that alien lifeforms have been visiting Earth. This book proposes the evidence for this claim can be interpreted through a psychological lens in terms of a “psychosocial hypothesis”, which states that ambiguous phenomena can often be misidentified because of perceptual errors, cognitive processing biases, false memories, personality factors and social group and cultural influences. This chapter will introduce the different psychological structures and processes that are engaged when extraterrestrial events are reported and that might offer potential explanation for such reports.","url":"https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003638124-1","authors":["Barrie Gunter"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-29T15:31:59Z","doi":"10.4324/9781003638124-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2523226","name":"<i>Fluorescent Minerals of Connecticut</i>\n                    by John A. Pawloski Sr. Platen Publishers, Rochester, NY. 92 pages; 2025; $25.95 (softbound).","source":"crossref","abstract":"Reproduced with permission Fluorescent Minerals of Connecticut is a good overview, with photos, of what fluorescent minerals occur, and where, in the state of Connecticut. It can also serve as a gu...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2523226","authors":["Peter J. Modreski"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-28T18:04:54Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2523226","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15101038","name":"Editorial for the Special Issue “Industrial Minerals Flotation—Fundamentals and Applications”","source":"crossref","abstract":"Industrial minerals are generally considered to be nonmetallic mineral resources [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15101038","authors":["Xuming Wang","Jan D. Miller"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-30T08:21:51Z","doi":"10.3390/min15101038","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15080791","name":"Editorial for Special Issue “Adsorption Properties and Environmental Applications of Clay Minerals”","source":"crossref","abstract":"Clay minerals play a fundamental role in various environmental processes, particularly in controlling the movement of various ions and molecules in soils, waters and natural and/or engineered barriers of waste storage facilities [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15080791","authors":["Dušan Vopálka","Bin Mu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-28T14:05:47Z","doi":"10.3390/min15080791","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/9780197800447.003.0003","name":"Reconsidering a Sacred Cow","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract The Drake Equation is considered as a sacred cow, ready for the ash heap of scientific history. Each of its factors is considered in turn and found irrelevant or replaceable by more meaningful parameters. For example, R* is replaced by the number of fields-of-view it takes a given telescope to mosaic the sky; fp is removed because it is now known to equal unity; fl is removed because it equals either unity or zero; fc is broadened to include not just those civilizations attempting to communicate with Earth at this time, but those that are detectable by their technosignatures irrespective of their desire to be detected; and L is abandoned because the progenitor civilization to a robotic probe we may encounter and engage with within our own Solar System may itself be long extinct. The equation is finally reduced to a single parameter, pd, the probability of detecting aliens with each telescopic pointing. However, since pd cannot be determined except through observations, the whole equation collapses into irrelevance.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/9780197800447.003.0003","authors":["John Gertz"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-09T15:42:58Z","doi":"10.1093/9780197800447.003.0003","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-96-5077-4_3","name":"Crystal Chemistry of Tungsten Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-5077-4_3","authors":["Zhiyong Gao","Wei Sun"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-13T12:57:56Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-96-5077-4_3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ad9b10","name":"In Search of Extraterrestrial Artificial Intelligence Through Dyson Sphere–like Structures around Primordial Black Holes","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Are we alone? It is a compelling question that human beings have confronted for centuries. The search for extraterrestrial life is a broad range of quests for finding simple forms of life up to intelligent beings in the Universe. The plausible assumption is that there is a chance that intelligent life will be followed by advanced civilization equipped or even dominated by artificial intelligence (AI). In this work, we categorize advanced civilizations (on an equal footing, an AI-dominated civilization) on the Kardashev scale. We propose a new scale known as the space exploration distance to measure civilization advancement. We propose a relation between this length and the Kardashev scale. Then, we suggest the idea that advanced civilizations will use primordial black holes (PBHs) as sources of harvesting energy. We calculate the energy harvested by calculating the space exploration distance. Finally, we propose an observational method to detect the possibility of extraterrestrial AI using Dyson sphere–like structures around PBHs in the Milky Way and other galaxies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad9b10","authors":["Shant Baghram"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-06T12:48:56Z","doi":"10.3847/1538-4357/ad9b10","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/9780197800447.003.0009","name":"Extraterrestrials Do Have a Solution","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract It is argued that extraterrestrials’ best strategy for making contact with Earth would be to send physical information-laden probes. Probes would solve for the vexing problem of Drake’s L factor, because the sending civilization need not coexist with the receiving civilization. Probes would be safer for the aliens in that they need not reveal the coordinates of their progenitor civilizations. Probes can surveil Earth and return scientific knowledge to their progenitor even before contact is made with humankind. A probe might communicate with Earth in near real time and possibly in English or some other terrestrial language that it had learned through its surveillance. Probes might lace the galaxy and be in constant communication with one another, creating a galactic internet in which knowledge would only increase over deep time. That knowledge would be safely and redundantly disbursed across the galaxy, ensuring the long-term integrity of information. If fully autonomous, a local probe might make contact with Earth at any time. Its signal would be vastly brighter than an interstellar signal. However, if a local probe requires instructions on how to proceed from its progenitor civilization or some central base, due to the lag time of communication at the speed of light, it may be centuries or millennia before a probe makes contact with Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/9780197800447.003.0009","authors":["John Gertz"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-09T15:42:58Z","doi":"10.1093/9780197800447.003.0009","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-031-86282-3_3","name":"Fluid Extraterrestrial Identities","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-86282-3_3","authors":["Samuel Manickam"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-21T11:55:47Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-031-86282-3_3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/9780197800447.003.0010","name":"Humankind Is Utterly Unprepared","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract There has been no government or United Nations planning for the aftermath of an alien detection, much less for a detection of aliens within our very own Solar System. Our collective response will require profound decisions based on complicated contingencies. Even a seemingly simple decision as to whether to respond to the aliens at all is fraught. Humankind’s collective response should be studied and debated now in advance of a detection rather than in the befuddlement of the moment after. Regulations governing messaging to extraterrestrial intelligence (METI) are weak or nonexistent. Existing postdetection search-for-extraterrestrial-intelligence (SETI) protocols are nonbinding and too general. Vastly increased SETI capabilities, Chinese involvement in the field, intensified effort by METIists to initiate radio transmissions to the stars, and the recognition that alien probes may be in our own Solar System and could open a channel of communication at any moment are among the reasons cited for urgency in addressing the question. Recommendations include regulations at the agency level, laws at the national level, and, most of all, an international treaty governing SETI, METI, and postdetection protocols.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/9780197800447.003.0010","authors":["John Gertz"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-09T15:42:58Z","doi":"10.1093/9780197800447.003.0010","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109114","name":"Application of inclined channels in the hydrodynamic classification of minerals by particle size – Extension to coarser separations","source":"crossref","abstract":"A REFLUX™ Classifier was used to classify a silica feed (0–710 µm) based on particle size. Split Fluidisation was used to generate remarkably sharp separations involving solids throughputs of up to 92 t/m 2 /h. This work builds on the previous study by Starrett and Galvin (2023) but with a focus on coarser separations at higher throughputs. As the separation size increased, there was increasing misplacement of fine particles in excess of 75 µm into the coarse underflow stream. This problem was averted by halving the cross-sectional area of the lower section of the REFLUX™ Classifier. This change led to a doubling of the superficial fluid velocity in the lower section for a given set of flow rates, ensuring fine particles were unable to settle into the coarse underflow. In general, the separations performed in this study show complete closure of the partition curve at both the coarse and fine ends. It was also found that to deliver sharp separations it is essential to introduce sufficient water to the separator, per unit of solids transport to the overflow, especially for higher solids throughputs with coarser separations. Although the fluidisation rate can be used to control the separation size at finer separations (below 180 µm) and lower throughputs, ultimately the bias flux provides the basis for controlling the separation size at coarser sizes and higher throughputs.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109114","authors":["J.B. Starrett","K.P. Galvin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-29T03:00:44Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109114","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15050498","name":"Editorial for Special Issue “Advances in Flotation of Copper, Lead and Zinc Minerals”","source":"crossref","abstract":"Copper, lead, and zinc metals are fundamental pillars of modern industry, yet their extraction faces increasing hurdles [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15050498","authors":["Qicheng Feng","Guang Han"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-08T06:47:15Z","doi":"10.3390/min15050498","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-443-36338-2.00008-0","name":"Physical basis of space environment and extraterrestrial life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-443-36338-2.00008-0","authors":["Hafiz Muhammad Umer Farooq","Liang Xuechao","Xin Zhao","Zhihao Chen","Ai-Rong Qian"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-20T17:22:52Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-443-36338-2.00008-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2500883","name":"Internet Directory for the Earth Sciences","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mark Mauthner PhotographyPhotographing natural history specimens and collections.mmauthner@gmail.comScovil Photography, Jeff ScovilMineral, jewelry, gem, bead, and fossil photography.www.scovilphot...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2500883","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-20T19:20:51Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2500883","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109587","name":"Composite media milling in ball mills","source":"crossref","abstract":"Comminution contributes 30 to 65 % to the total cost of a typical mineral processing plant. Composite media milling is one of the interventions that seeks to reduce the cost of comminution by reducing the costs associated with energy and steel ball consumption in ball mills. A series of batch milling experiments have been used to demonstrate that composite media milling can reduce size-specific energy consumption by more than 12 %, while reducing ball consumption by more than 10 %. The improvements on the efficiency of energy utilization when using composite media are related to the changes in the mill collision environment, which were demonstrated by the data from DEM simulations. The various issues that need practical considerations when contemplating employing composite media in industrial ball mills are discussed. Future work will entail continuous pilot testing campaigns to demonstrate performance improvement from composite media milling.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109587","authors":["S. Nkwanyana","I. Govender","T. Nghipulile"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-04T13:49:22Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109587","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2476367","name":"Letters","source":"crossref","abstract":"Join us for a social gathering at Mines Museum of Earth Science in Golden, Colorado, on the campus of the Colorado School of Mines on Friday, 5 September 2025, 6–9 PM, in conjunction with the Hard ...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2476367","authors":["Renata Lafler","Steven C. Chamberlain"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-24T16:36:30Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2476367","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/083077-0006","name":"Gravitational Wave Communications: The Future of Interstellar Messaging?","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/083077-0006","authors":["Samiksha Raviraja"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-16T14:18:27Z","doi":"10.52202/083077-0006","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-031-80748-0","name":"TMS 2025 154th Annual Meeting &amp; Exhibition Supplemental Proceedings","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-80748-0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-02T17:41:26Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-031-80748-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2476917","name":"Internet Directory for the Earth Sciences","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mark Mauthner PhotographyPhotographing natural history specimens and collections.mmauthner@gmail.comScovil Photography, Jeff ScovilMineral, jewelry, gem, bead, and fossil photography.www.scovilphot...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2476917","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-24T16:36:30Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2476917","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2422781","name":"Internet Directory for the Earth Sciences","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mark Mauthner PhotographyPhotographing natural history specimens and collections.mmauthner@gmail.comSusan M. Robinson, artistMinerals, fossils, nature.dftwdart@gmail.comScovil Photography, Jeff Sco...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2422781","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-24T20:28:01Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2422781","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.59332/jbis-078-04-0116","name":"Contact with Extraterrestrial Intelligence and Multilateral Preparedness","source":"crossref","abstract":"As humanity reaches further out into the Cosmos through our long-range astronomical instruments and robotic probes,our presence is sure to be noticed by any hypothetical extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) that may also exist. Yet thedevelopment of our technology is not without complications given the potential dual use. Since it involves large powersand energies, this especially includes that any space propulsion machine can also be turned into a weapon. If ETI doesexist then they will surely be mindful of how we use this technology and attempt to gauge whether we will bring peaceand prosperity to any life in the Universe, or modes of destruction. Given this scenario, it is reasonable to consider that anycivilisation that reaches a certain level will reach a point where they will be either permitted to continue in their advanceoutwards, or potentially face stagnation by clandestine means. This may result in various types of containment scenarioswhich are discussed. It is argued that since within decades we are likely nearing this point of paradigm shift in spacetechnology, the monitoring of our civilisation should be expected currently. We should prepare for the eventuality that wewill either be greeted by intelligence from another world or forced to be restricted within a permanent zoo that constrainsus to the Solar System. Preparing for this, such as through reforms of institutions like the United Nations, should be a keycomponent of our nation state relationships through a moral and legitimate multilateral approach to problem solving. Keywords: Extraterrestrial Contact, Zoo Hypothesis, United Nations","url":"https://doi.org/10.59332/jbis-078-04-0116","authors":["Kelvin F. Long"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-16T09:51:31Z","doi":"10.59332/jbis-078-04-0116","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2532353","name":"Internet Directory for the Earth Sciences","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mark Mauthner PhotographyPhotographing natural history specimens and collections.mmauthner@gmail.comScovil Photography, Jeff ScovilMineral, jewelry, gem, bead, and fossil photography.www.scovilphot...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2532353","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-28T18:04:54Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2532353","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2451596","name":"Internet Directory for the Earth Sciences","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mark Mauthner PhotographyPhotographing natural history specimens and collections.mmauthner@gmail.comScovil Photography, Jeff ScovilMineral, jewelry, gem, bead, and fossil photography.www.scovilphot...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2451596","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-15T18:06:01Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2451596","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/9780197800447.003.0004","name":"Standard Observational SETI","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract The standard search-for-extraterrestrial-intelligence (SETI) observational protocol, examining individual stars or groups of stars for ten minutes each, has failed. It is argued that persistently and directly transmitting signals with high power to Earth for eons from their home planet in the hope that eventually a technological society would arise on our planet, detect their signal, and point a transmitter at them in return would be a poor and unlikely strategy for extraterrestrials (ETs) to pursue. However, this is precisely what would be required of ETs for the standard SETI observational protocol to succeed. It is argued that the search for technosignatures, namely, anything of alien derivation, and not just an alien signal intentionally transmitted toward Earth is a more fruitful search strategy.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/9780197800447.003.0004","authors":["John Gertz"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-09T15:42:58Z","doi":"10.1093/9780197800447.003.0004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/02604027.2025.2569010","name":"The Nature of Life: Implications for the Extraterrestrial Hypothesis","source":"crossref","abstract":"Life is a phenomenon that can emerge and be sustained in environments that had been thought of as too extreme for survival. Organisms sustained by energy sources that do not include light are found in many “inhospitable” Earth locations. It has been assumed that life might exist on earthlike exoplanets, but life’s ability might extend beyond the goldilocks zone, and even to the large number of still undetected planets that are known to be freely roaming space away from stars. Life appears to be a far more ubiquitous phenomenon than previously thought, hence with increased likelihood of evolved extraterrestrial intelligence.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/02604027.2025.2569010","authors":["Silvano P Colombano"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-11T01:10:32Z","doi":"10.1080/02604027.2025.2569010","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2523222","name":"In Memoriam: David Paul Wilber (1937–2025)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Photo courtesy Bryan Swoboda, BlueCap Productions.Where to begin? Or even where to end? As the years go by more quickly (it seems that way) and we see so many in the mineral community go “stage lef...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2523222","authors":["Dona Lee Leicht"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-20T19:20:51Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2523222","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2470596","name":"In Memorium: Susan M. Robinson (1949–2025)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2470596","authors":["Steven C. Chamberlain"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-15T18:06:01Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2470596","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-031-75633-7_21","name":"Bromine and Bromine Isotope Ratios in Extraterrestrial Environments","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-75633-7_21","authors":["Hans Eggenkamp"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-01T08:34:49Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-031-75633-7_21","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.12783/shm2025/37395","name":"Unsupervised Fault Detection in Sensor Networks for Extraterrestrial Habitats","source":"crossref","abstract":"Various sensors, such as accelerometers, temperature sensors, and pressure sensors, are employed in deep space habitats to monitor operating conditions. The health management system (HMS) depends on accurate sensor data to make reliable decisions. However, the harsh environment of space, characterized by micrometeorite impacts, fire, radiation, dust, and other extreme conditions, can lead to sensor malfunctions. Consequently, the collected data may be corrupted by anomalies, significantly impairing the performance of the HMS. Detecting sensor anomalies and excluding faulty data from decision-making processes is therefore essential. Unsupervised learning has been widely adopted for anomaly detection, as it can train models using unlabeled datasets. This paper presents a novel unsupervised learning approach based on convolutional autoencoders (CAEs) to detect faults in temperature and pressure sensors within the habitat. The proposed method is thoroughly evaluated using a habitat simulator (HabSim), and its capabilities and limitations are discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.12783/shm2025/37395","authors":["ZIXIN WANG","MOHAMMAD R. JAHANSHAHI","MOHSEN AZIMI","SHIRLEY J. DYKE"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-17T16:03:16Z","doi":"10.12783/shm2025/37395","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.54780/iassp50/01","name":"Introduction to the nucleation and growth of sedimentary minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"The formation and transformation of sedimentary minerals are essential processes building Earth's sedimentary record.The term \"sedimentary\" implies that these are minerals formed or transformed under near-surface conditions and may therefore document Earth's exogenic processes and their changes over time.Sedimentary minerals may be eroded from rock and experience transformation during weathering, or they may form directly from aqueous solutions (authigenic minerals; Boles, 1978; Fig. 1A, B); they may precipitate in the water column, while settling to the bottom of a water body, or by precipitation onto a solid substrate.Precipitation may continue within the pore space of the sediment or upon recrystallisation.All processes occurring within the sediment are part of the stage of diagenesis (von Gümbel, 1868; Hesse & Gaupp, 2021; Fig. 1C), which encompasses the transition from freshly deposited, unconsolidated sediment all the way to lithified, and possibly recrystallised, sedimentary rock.Although \"sedimentary\" is sometimes used in a narrower sense, referring only to physical deposition at the sediment surface (not including diagenesis), there is also the broader meaning of being \"related to sediments\", therefore, minerals forming at the different stages mentioned above, before, during and after sedimentation, are here referred to as \"sedimentary\".Mineral formation, destruction, and alteration under Earth surface conditions is of fundamental importance for human society.Sedimentary petrology has been further developed for hydrocarbon prospecting and for the recovery of mineral resources in general.While the purpose","url":"https://doi.org/10.54780/iassp50/01","authors":["P.H. Meister","C. Fisher","N. Preto"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-09T23:03:59Z","doi":"10.54780/iassp50/01","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2549205","name":"In Memoriam: Suzanne F. “Sue” Liebetrau (1937–2025)","source":"crossref","abstract":"The mineral community lost a superstar-friend when Suzanne Fries “Sue” Liebetrau passed away on 3 April 2025. She is remembered not only for her expertise in minerals, fossils, and so much more, bu...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2549205","authors":["Barb Epstien"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-28T18:04:54Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2549205","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15010084","name":"Editorial for the Special Issue of Minerals, “Advances in Low-Temperature Mineralogy and Geochemistry”","source":"crossref","abstract":"Low-temperature geochemical processes are ubiquitous in geological areas related to weathering, diagenesis, very low-grade metamorphism, and post-magmatic processes, and provide an explanation of the P–T–X history of the Earth’s crust [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15010084","authors":["Iuliu Bobos","Franck Bourdelle"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-17T03:33:02Z","doi":"10.3390/min15010084","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.59332/jbis-078-07-0238","name":"Estimating the Prevalence of Malicious Extraterrestrial Civilizations","source":"crossref","abstract":"This paper attempts to provide an estimation of the prevalence of hostile extraterrestrial civilizations through anextrapolation of the probability that we, as the human civilization, would attack or invade an inhabited exoplanet once webecome a Type-1 civilization – in the Kardashev Scale – capable of nearby interstellar travel. The estimation is based on theworld’s history of invasions in the last century, the military capabilities of the countries involved, and the global growthrate of energy consumption. Upper limits of standard deviations are used in order to obtain the estimated probability ofextraterrestrial invasion by a civilization whose planet we send a message to. Results show that such probability is twoorders of magnitude lower than the impact probability of a planet-killer asteroid. Similarly, when we compare the estimatedintelligence quotient (IQ) of an advanced civilization with the correlation between intelligence and aggression in humans, anegligible probability of extraterrestrial agression is found. These findings could serve as a starting point for an internationaldebate about sending the first serious interstellar radio messages to nearby habitable planets. Keywords: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, Alien Life, Habitable Exoplanets, Kardashev Scale, Drake Equation, Fermi Paradox","url":"https://doi.org/10.59332/jbis-078-07-0238","authors":["Alberto Caballero"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-16T10:47:33Z","doi":"10.59332/jbis-078-07-0238","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s13194-025-00634-8","name":"The extraterrestrial hypothesis: an epistemological case for removing the taboo","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract The extraterrestrial hypothesis (ETH), the hypothesis that an extraterrestrial civilization (ETC) is active on Earth today, is taboo in academia, but the assumptions behind this taboo are faulty. Advances in biology have rendered the notion that complex life is rare in our Galaxy improbable. The objection that no ETC would come to Earth to hide from us does not consider all possible alien motives or means. For an advanced ETC, the convergent instrumental goals of all rational agents – self-preservation and the acquisition of resources – would support the objectives of removing existential threats and gathering strategic and non-strategic information. It could advance these objectives by proactively gathering information about and from inhabited planets, concealing itself while doing so, and terminating potential rivals before they become imminently dangerous. Other hypotheses of ETC behavior, including the zoo/interdict hypothesis and the dark forest hypothesis also undercut the claim that the ETH is highly improbable, and the ETH overturns none of our well-tested scientific knowledge. It follows that evidence offered in its support need not be extraordinary. The fact that most reports of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) have natural or human explanations does not count against the ETH. Inference to the best explanation offers a way to find evidence for the hypothesis and some evidence exists, some of it taking the form of reliable witness reports. The most plausible alternative explanation for some UAP declines in probability over time. A hypothesis that does not contradict well-established facts or theories, is not highly improbable for other reasons, and explains otherwise unexplained evidence is a rational hypothesis. Since the ETH meets this test, it should be evaluated alongside other possibilities when the case-specific evidence warrants it.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13194-025-00634-8","authors":["William C. Lane"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-08T05:13:43Z","doi":"10.1007/s13194-025-00634-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15121271","name":"The Controversial Origin of Ferruginous “Coprolites”","source":"crossref","abstract":"Ferruginous bromalites (coprolites and cololites) occur in enormous quantities in the Upper Cretaceous Whitemud Formation of Saskatchewan, Canada, and in Miocene deposits in Madagascar and southwest Washington, USA. The origins of these specimens have been the subject of diverse and often conflicting interpretations. This paper includes some discussion of other localities, but the main focus is on specimens from Wilkes Formation at Salmon Creek, Lewis County, Washington State, USA. This locality is notable because the geologic setting and paleoenvironment are well-established, and the purported bromalites can be observed in situ, providing stratigraphic and taphonomic information that is not available for the Canada and Madagascar locations. Past research at Salmon Creek has a curious history. Supporters of the coprolite interpretation have relied on Salmon Creek specimens collected by others. In contrast, field-based investigators have concluded that the extruded objects are probably pseudofossils. Was the origin of these objects biotic excretion or abiotic extrusion? Past evidence is not sufficient for resolving this issue. New information strengthens the abiotic interpretation, but these ferruginous specimens remain as a geologic enigma.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15121271","authors":["George E. Mustoe"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-01T09:34:37Z","doi":"10.3390/min15121271","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2500277","name":"Collector’s Note: Copper Microcrystals and Accessory Minerals Saint Louis County, Minnesota: Thirty-third in a Series of Articles on the Mines and Minerals of the Lake Superior Copper District","source":"crossref","abstract":"Unless otherwise noted, all photos by Frank KarastiFigure 1. Looking upstream of the Knife River showing the rocky point bar collecting area.Reproduced with permissionFigure 2. Locality map showing...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2500277","authors":["Tom Rosemeyer"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-20T19:20:51Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2500277","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109642","name":"Flotation of comminuted waste printed circuit boards particles – A review","source":"crossref","abstract":"The sharp increase in electronic waste has led to significant social and environmental pressures, particularly from waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs), a key component of electronic devices. Due to rapid resource depletion and the intrinsic metal value of WPCBs, recycling has become a necessity. However, current recycling techniques are either cost-intensive, environmentally harmful, or inaccessible in many regions. Froth flotation offers a promising solution to these challenges by providing an efficient, environmentally friendly method for separating metals from non-metals. It complements mechanical recycling by recovering valuable materials from comminution fines, which are often lost due to the size limitations of mechanical separation techniques. Additionally, flotation presents potential for integration with pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical processes, though this remains a prospect requiring further investigation, particularly as WPCBs become more complex and metal content declines. This review focuses on the technical challenges of comminuted WPCB particle flotation, examining how particle characteristics—including size, shape, and surface properties—influence separation efficiency. The analysis encompasses critical flotation parameters such as precise comminution, reagent selection, and process control. Additionally, the article provides an overview of recent advancements in WPCB particle flotation, highlighting opportunities for optimization to enhance metal recovery rates and support integration across different processing routes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109642","authors":["Alaa Abbadi","Ljudmilla Bokányi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-22T16:19:18Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109642","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.16995/zygon.17415","name":"Extraterrestrial Metaphysics in Process Perspective: Implications of Our Anthropocosmic Nature","source":"crossref","abstract":"This discussion is an exercise in extraterrestrial metaphysics in both theory and practice. In theory, it stresses the nature of the metaphysical endeavor as consisting in the transplanetary exploration of those abiding and indefatigable features of reality that necessarily obtain in any and all possible worlds. In practice, it is a particular expression of extraterrestrial metaphysics on planet Earth. In dialogue with Alfred North Whitehead, Teilhard de Chardin, Charles Hartshorne, and a variety of others, I elaborate process metaphysics as a fruitful, albeit neglected, species of extraterrestrial metaphysics grounded first and foremost in human experience as an anthropocosmic fact of nature. I argue that Life, Mind, and Value are among the ultimate principles and/or categories belonging to the universe and that these principles always find embodiment within a fluid anthropocosmic ontology conceived as living, mind-full, and value-full. I also articulate some of the relevant contours of a process cosmotheology as it relates to process extraterrestrial metaphysics, including some of the metaphysical riddles it addresses and the extraterrestrial plentitude it justifies via divine benevolence. I conclude by extending an invitation to all terrestrial metaphysicians to become more deliberately extraterrestrial in both theory and practice.","url":"https://doi.org/10.16995/zygon.17415","authors":["Andrew M. Davis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-30T15:13:11Z","doi":"10.16995/zygon.17415","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.64628/aai.ev9s7kxrt","name":"SETI’s ‘Noah’s Ark’ – a space historian explores how the advent of radio astronomy led to the USSR’s search for extraterrestrial life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.64628/aai.ev9s7kxrt","authors":["Gabriela Radulescu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-04T13:15:37Z","doi":"10.64628/aai.ev9s7kxrt","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/9780197800447.003.0011","name":"Getting Earth’s Act Together by Act of Treaty","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract A draft treaty governing the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), messaging to extraterrestrial intelligence (METI), and postdetection protocols is proffered. It adopts and adapts some of the language of the existing Outer Space Treaty.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/9780197800447.003.0011","authors":["John Gertz"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-09T15:42:58Z","doi":"10.1093/9780197800447.003.0011","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2476908","name":"Austrian Artist Ferdinand Bernhard (b. 1951)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Figure 1. Ferdinand Bernhard.Reproduced with permissionFigure 2. Beryl (Aquamarine), Cassiterite, Muscovite, Mount Xuebaoding, Pingwu County, Mianyang, Sichuan, China. Watercolor on 28 × 20-cm pape...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2476908","authors":["Mark Mauthner"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-24T16:36:30Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2476908","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/s1473550425100050","name":"Evidence and traces of extraterrestrial life","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract In recent years, evidence for extraterrestrial life has focused mainly on the following sections, meteorites, space probes, radio telescopes, and extraterrestrial intelligence and civilization. Biochemical studies on meteorites have tried to trace fossilized microorganisms or organic molecules in living structures. Images and atmospheric information obtained from various planets by space probes have been used to uncover the habitability of other celestial bodies in the solar system. Observations of radio telescopes that receive the waves emitted by cosmic objects and display them on their screens have pave the way to estimate the habitability of heavenly bodies. As the last one, claims related to extraterrestrial intelligence and civilization have been repeatedly reported in different periods of history. All of this evidence points to the possibility of extraterrestrial life, but how close we are to confirming or disproving this hypothesis is still debatable. However, recent advancements in artificial intelligence, particularly in machine learning, have significantly enhanced the ability to analyze complex astrobiological data. This technology optimizes the processing of meteoritic data, differentiates astronomical signals, and reinterprets historical evidence, opening new frontiers in the search for extraterrestrial life. In this review, we have attempted to present the above-mentioned evidence in detail to provide a suitable understanding of the level of our extraterrestrial knowledge.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550425100050","authors":["Seyed Sina Seyedpour Layalestani","Mohammad Saeid Bajelan","Ala Amiri","Helen Poormazaheri"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-24T08:15:22Z","doi":"10.1017/s1473550425100050","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2532337","name":"The Wonderful World of Arizona Calcite","source":"crossref","abstract":"Figure 1. Calcite with aurichalcite, 9 cm, Southwest mine, Bisbee, Arizona. Les and Paula Presmyk specimen, Jeff Scovil photo.Reproduced with permissionCalcite is a favorite species of collectors t...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2532337","authors":["Les Presmyk"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-28T18:04:54Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2532337","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2500273","name":"Russian Artist Tatiana Falkova (b. 1971)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Figure 1. Tatiana Falkova.Reproduced with permissionFigure 2. Fluorite, Calcite, Nikolaevsky mine, Dalnegorsk, Primorsky Krai, Russia. V. Ponomarenko collection. Watercolor on 28.5 × 38.5-cm paper,...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2500273","authors":["Mark Mauthner"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-28T18:04:54Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2500273","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16010036","name":"Editorial for the Special Issue of Minerals: “Mineral Dissolution and Precipitation in Geologic Porous Media”","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mineral dissolution and precipitation alter the pore structure, permeability, and chemical and mechanical properties of subsurface rocks, shaping the behaviors of water resources, hydrogeology, contaminant transport, geologic carbon/hydrogen storage, and geo-energy operations [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16010036","authors":["Jianping Xu","Na Liu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-31T15:05:01Z","doi":"10.3390/min16010036","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15111193","name":"Editorial for the Special Issue of Minerals, “Characterization and Management of Mine Waters”","source":"crossref","abstract":"The characterization and management of mine waters remain critical topics in environmental sciences, given the long-term impacts of mining activities on water quality, ecosystems, and surrounding communities [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15111193","authors":["Patrícia Gomes","Teresa Valente","Juan Antelo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-13T12:57:13Z","doi":"10.3390/min15111193","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.15406/mojes.2025.10.00359","name":"Being an architect in an extraterrestrial environment","source":"crossref","abstract":"This article explores the concept of space colonization through the lens of architecture, with a focus on how design practices are evolving to support long-term human habitation beyond Earth. The idea of living in space has long captivated human imagination and has progressively transformed from speculative thought into a legitimate area of scientific and architectural inquiry. As technological capabilities have advanced—particularly since the onset of the digital age in the 1950s—concepts once considered surreal have increasingly come to be seen as attainable. A pivotal moment in this trajectory was the Apollo 11 Moon landing in 1969, which not only marked a monumental achievement in space exploration but also reinforced the plausibility of space colonization. With continued technological development, the acquisition of extraterrestrial data has become significantly more efficient, enabling researchers and designers to gain insights into the environmental conditions of other planets. This access to information has prompted architects and designers to conceptualize entirely new forms of habitat typologies suited to extreme and unfamiliar contexts. Given that one of the fundamental responsibilities of architecture is to create habitable environments for human life, organizations such as NASA have initiated interdisciplinary collaborations with architectural professionals to explore how humans might sustainably inhabit extraterrestrial environments. Design proposals in this field primarily aim to address the challenges posed by harsh environmental conditions, including water scarcity, elevated radiation levels, and toxic atmospheric compositions. Consequently, proposed structures must meet specific criteria: they must be sustainable, recyclable, and capable of autonomous construction—particularly given the limited availability of materials and the logistical constraints inherent to space environments. To examine these developments, this study adopts a narrative literature review methodology. Sources analyzed include academic databases, space agency publications, and notable architectural proposals such as NASA’s Mars exploration initiatives, AI SpaceFactory’s MARSHA habitat, and BIG Architects’ Mars Science City. By synthesizing findings across these sources, the study identifies key thematic trends in material innovation, habitat design, and sustainable construction strategies. The following sections outline these findings in detail, offering a critical discussion of how architecture is being redefined in preparation for a multi-planetary future.","url":"https://doi.org/10.15406/mojes.2025.10.00359","authors":["Bella Tunçel","Esma Berber","Zeynep Görken"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-25T09:21:49Z","doi":"10.15406/mojes.2025.10.00359","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.38164282.16","name":"Would St. Thomas Aquinas Baptize an Extraterrestrial?, Revisited","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.38164282.16","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-25T20:36:34Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.38164282.16","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2532330","name":"Letters","source":"crossref","abstract":"We are delighted to announce the launch of the Tsumeb Mine Notebook (TMN), now available at tmn.fas.harvard.edu. This new website is hosted by the Mineralogical & Geological Museum at Harvard (MGMH...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2532330","authors":["Raquel Alonso-Perez","John Rakovan","Jeffrey Post"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-28T18:04:54Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2532330","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2476915","name":"In Memoriam: Frank Coffa (1938-2024)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Photo courtesy Museums Victoria.Mineral collectors who are familiar with some of Frank Coffa’s photography will be sorry to learn that Frank passed away in late November of last year. He was eighty...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2476915","authors":["William Birch"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-24T16:36:30Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2476915","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.5254053","name":"Drake Equation of Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence: Parameter Estimations by Using Fuzzy Analysis","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5254053","authors":["Saibal Ray","Aritra Sanyal","Soham Ray","Issa Al-Amri","Sunil Kumar Maurya"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-14T12:43:06Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.5254053","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15121327","name":"Editorial for a New Section: Mineralogy Beyond Earth","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mineralogy has traditionally developed within the context of Earth, the most accessible planetary body and our primary natural laboratory [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15121327","authors":["Leonid Dubrovinsky"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-18T13:45:07Z","doi":"10.3390/min15121327","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15030221","name":"Mineral Chemistry of Li-Bearing Minerals at the Giant Tanco Pegmatite, Canada","source":"crossref","abstract":"The highly fractionated late Archean Tanco pegmatite (Bernic Lake, SE Manitoba, Canada) is a world-class producer of tantalum and cerium but is also a major source of lithium. In order to better understand the major Li hosts and the overall Li budget of the Tanco pegmatite, the lithium-bearing minerals present here were analyzed for major and trace elements by electron microprobe and laser ablation ICP-MS, respectively. The major Li-bearing minerals present in the Tanco pegmatite are eucryptite (approximately 11.0 wt% Li2O), montebrasite (~11.2 wt%), lithiophilite (9.1 wt%), spodumene (~8.8 wt%), petalite (5.45 wt%), lepidolite (4.36 wt%), and tancoite (5.2 wt%); Li is also present in lithiowodginite, tourmaline, muscovite, beryl, pollucite, and apatite (between 0.1 and 1.3 wt% Li2O). Most of the Li present in Tanco is contained in petalite (69.4% of all the Li present here), followed by spodumene (11.4%), montebrasite (11.1%), and eucryptite (4.0%); all remaining Li-bearing minerals contain 4.0% of the Li present in the Tanco pegmatite. Overall, the Tanco pegmatite contains approximately 0.71 wt% Li2O, on par with previous estimates. The major practical implications of these finding are that (1) all Li-bearing minerals have to be considered to properly estimate the Li endowment of any pegmatite; (2) the main Li-bearing mineral is not always spodumene; (3) the exact and detailed Li mineralogy of a pegmatite will directly affect extraction and processing; and (4) a significant proportion of Li in any pegmatite is contained in other minerals than the main one, be it spodumene of petalite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15030221","authors":["Paul Alexandre","Stefano Salvi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-24T06:47:17Z","doi":"10.3390/min15030221","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2451591","name":"In Memoriam: Tom Massis (1941–2024)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2451591","authors":["Ramon DeMark"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-15T18:06:01Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2451591","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109048","name":"Ionic strength of flotation medium and consequential effects","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109048","authors":["Patrick Rankin","Antonio Di Feo","Sadan Kelebek"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-08T13:09:51Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109048","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15080775","name":"Accessible Interface for Museum Geological Exhibitions: PETRA—A Gesture-Controlled Experience of Three-Dimensional Rocks and Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"The increasing integration of 3D technologies and machine learning is fundamentally reshaping mineral sciences and cultural heritage, establishing the foundation for an emerging “Mineralogy 4.0” framework. However, public engagement with digital 3D collections is often limited by complex or costly interfaces, such as VR/AR systems and traditional touchscreen kiosks, creating a clear need for more intuitive, accessible, and more engaging and inclusive solutions. This paper presents PETRA, an open-source, gesture-controlled system for exploring 3D rocks and minerals. Developed in the TouchDesigner environment, PETRA utilizes a standard webcam and the MediaPipe framework to translate natural hand movements into real-time manipulation of digital specimens, requiring no specialized hardware. The system provides a customizable, node-based framework for creating touchless, interactive exhibits. Successfully evaluated during a “Long Night of Museums” public event with 550 visitors, direct qualitative observations confirmed high user engagement, rapid instruction-free learnability across diverse age groups, and robust system stability in a continuous-use setting. As a practical case study, PETRA demonstrates that low-cost, webcam-based gesture control is a viable solution for creating accessible and immersive learning experiences. This work offers a significant contribution to the fields of digital mineralogy, human–machine interaction, and cultural heritage by providing a hygienic, scalable, and socially engaging method for interacting with geological collections. This research confirms that as digital archives grow, the development of human-centered interfaces is paramount in unlocking their full scientific and educational potential.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15080775","authors":["Andrei Ionuţ Apopei"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-24T14:11:44Z","doi":"10.3390/min15080775","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/egusphere-egu24-2026","name":"Extraterrestrial thermophiles on icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn? The case of the subglacial Antarctic Lake Vostok","source":"crossref","abstract":"The objective was to search for microbial life in the subglacial Antarctic Lake Vostok by analyzing the natural accretion ice obtained by deep ice coring during the Russian campaign toward entering the lake. The ice samples to study originated from ice type I [1] and contained mineral inclusions. The study aimed to re-evaluate previous microbial finds obtained with Sanger sequencing using the high throughput Oxford Nanopore sequencing technology.Lake Vostok is a giant (270 x 70 km, 15800 km2 area), deep (up to 1.3km) freshwater liquid body buried in a graben beneath a 4-km thick East Antarctic Ice Sheet with the temperature near ice melting point (around -2.5oC) under 400 bar pressure. It is exceptionally oligotrophic and poor in chemical ions, under the high dissolved oxygen tension (320 &amp;#8211; 1300 mg/L) range, with no light, and sealed from the surface biota about 15 Ma ago [1].The common Sanger sequencing technique previously discovered thermophiles in the subglacial Lake Vostok in analyzing bacterial 16S rRNA genes [2,3,4]. The ice samples included accretion ice segments at a depth of 3561m and 3607m containing sediment inclusions. As a result, in both samples, the facultative thermophilic chemolithoautotroph Hydrogenophilus thermoluteolus of beta-Proteobacteria, which originated from hot springs, was discovered. This finding suggested that a geothermal system exists beneath the cold-water body of Lake Vostok.To clarify the presence of thermophiles in Lake Vostok, the accretion ice segments from 3607m (the thermophile mentioned above was detected here [2]), 3608m, 3607m (2 segments), and 3709m were retested by high throughput nanopore sequencing using the same genomic DNA and broader-in-cover degenerate primers for the v3-v4 region 16S rRNA genes. The nanopore controls (sham DNA isolation/negative PCR, nanopore reagents) were applied for the first time.A dozen Ma reads were obtained for all five amplicons, but only one sample, 3608, showed thermophiles in records. For this sample of 1,643,669 reads analyzed, 88% of which were classified. Amongst them, 279 (0.02%) reads were assigned to moderate thermophile Meiothermus hypogaeus NBRC 106114 (Deinococcus-Thermus), isolated from a hot spring in Japan. No reads for this find were recorded in other ice samples and controls. This could mean that a new thermophile of Deinococcus-Thermus was discovered in the native accretion ice of Lake Vostok. The Hydrogenophilus thermoluteolus remained undetected due to the use of different primers.Thus, the high throughput Oxford Nanopore sequencing technology provides a very efficient tool to record/prove the microbial content of the subglacial Antarctic water reservoirs in detail. Newly discovered meio-thermophiles might represent ingenious cell populations inhabiting faults offshore the subglacial Lake Vostok. They could provide prospects in searching for extraterrestrial thermophiles on Jupiter and Saturn's icy moons.Bulat S., Petit JR. (2023) Vostok, Subglacial Lake. In: Gargaud M. et al. (eds) Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. Pp. 3206-12 Bulat, S. et al. (2004) Int J Astrobiology 3(1), 1-12 Lavire, C. et al. (2006) Environmental Microbiology 8, 2106-14 Bulat, S. (2016) Phil Trans Royal Soc A Math Phys Eng Sci 374 (2059), 20140292","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-2026","authors":["Sergey Bulat","Jean Martins","Jean-Robert Petit"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-08T10:59:06Z","doi":"10.5194/egusphere-egu24-2026","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2476905","name":"Connoisseur’s Choice: Tucson Treasures 2025","source":"crossref","abstract":"Photography by the authorsDuring the past couple years, Rocks & Minerals has featured a series of photo essays by one of us (MM) to reflect some of the mineral specimens seen at the 2023 and 2024 T...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2476905","authors":["Mark Mauthner","László Kupi","Jeffrey A. Scovil"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-24T16:36:30Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2476905","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109577","name":"Review of technologies to extract lithium from hard rock lithium minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109577","authors":["Mingliang Yang","Yuncheng Zhong","Xuefeng Liu","Shichao Wang","Tao Qu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-01T13:23:44Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109577","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-032-06970-2_3","name":"Minerals of the Vesuvianite Supergroup","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-06970-2_3","authors":["Taras L. Panikorovskii","Nikita V. Chukanov"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-17T01:58:57Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-032-06970-2_3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.14293/apmc13-2025-0357","name":"Phase characterisation in minerals and metals using AMICS","source":"crossref","abstract":"Advanced Mineral Analysis and Characterisation System (AMICS) is based on energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) utilised in a scanning electron microscope (SEM). A specially designed software coordinates the sample positioning inside the microscope chamber, EDS spectra acquisition and analysis, phase identification, and results visualisation in the form of maps, graphs and tables. Characterisation can be conducted automatically for up to 28 mounted samples with or without coating. Although, many options exist for an experience researcher to influence the analysis process: (i) extract a spectrum for each acquisition point and determine chemical composition at this point, (ii) visualise mineral maps for each phase or a group of phases to characterise their interactions, (iii) determine the particle geometry-chemistry relationship, (iv) conduct statistical analysis of EDS spectra, define presence of solute elements, and visualise distribution of particles with a particular chemical composition, (v) manually develop the spectra data-base for unknown phases and solid solutions. The combination of Hitachi microscope design and dedicated software developed by Bruker allows analysis of large area (mm 2) at high resolution (1 micron) within a reasonable time frame. Characterisation of fine mineral bodies is critical in studies of pre-processed materials such as mine tailings, fine grained waste, dust, or clays. Therefore, application of AMICS is growing in geology, mining, and mineral processing. In addition, AMICS can be used for phase characterisation in metal alloys, ceramics, and composites. This presentation will outline the system capabilities and showcase recent results from a number of projects, in particular: (i) identification of commercially valuable metallic elements in mine tailings and clays, (ii) mineral phase balance in rocks, soils and dust, (iii) characterisation of laboratory synthesised oxide nano-particles, and (iv) chemistry and size distribution of particles in metal alloys.","url":"https://doi.org/10.14293/apmc13-2025-0357","authors":["Andrii Kostryzhev"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-06T14:45:58Z","doi":"10.14293/apmc13-2025-0357","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2451565","name":"Flexicalymene: Emblematic Cincinnati Trilobite","source":"crossref","abstract":"The ca. 450-million-year-old Upper Ordovician (Katian Stage) strata of the Cincinnati Arch (Southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southeast Indiana) include some 820 vertical feet of typically sof...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2451565","authors":["Don Bissett","Jack Kallmeyer"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-15T18:06:01Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2451565","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109515","name":"Insights into gangue reagent interactions using process mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109515","authors":["N.J. Shackleton","V. Malysiak","L. Moshabeshe","F. Mphahlele"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-16T05:39:22Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109515","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109584","name":"A Novel Approach to Grinding Modeling and Scale-Up: Toward a Digital Twin","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109584","authors":["Felipe A. Contreras"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-15T15:34:21Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109584","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-97-2998-2_465","name":"Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-2998-2_465","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-04T10:32:04Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-97-2998-2_465","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2422758","name":"Minerals of the Turner Mine: A Little-Known Phosphate-Rich Granite Pegmatite in Marlow, Cheshire County, New Hampshire","source":"crossref","abstract":"The turner mine, located in Marlow, Cheshire County, New Hampshire (figs. 1, 2), is a source of collectible elbaite crystals and an extensive suite of Mn-dominant secondary phosphate species, yet, ...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2422758","authors":["Kevin M. Czaja"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-24T20:28:01Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2422758","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2555150","name":"Introduction to Tucson 2026: Red, White &amp; Blue Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"Raymond McDougall photo; used with permission.As we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, few appreciate the importance of minerals in its development. The impact of mineral discoveries and mining...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2555150","authors":["Robert B. Cook"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-10T17:37:54Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2555150","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/083077-0011","name":"A First Contribution to the History of Italian SETI","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/083077-0011","authors":["Paolo Musso"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-16T14:18:27Z","doi":"10.52202/083077-0011","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7185/gold2025.30103","name":"Extraterrestrial delivery of bio-essential metals as a possible driver of Archean biotic evolution and ecological expansion","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7185/gold2025.30103","authors":["Siqi Li","Simone Marchi","Guoxiong Chen","Timothy Lyons"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-24T12:31:10Z","doi":"10.7185/gold2025.30103","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/083077-0012","name":"New Cosmic Perspectives: Indigenous Knowledge and SETI","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/083077-0012","authors":["Alvin D. Harvey","Danielle Wood"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-16T14:18:27Z","doi":"10.52202/083077-0012","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1386/jptv_00143_1","name":"Extraterrestrial input: Star Trek as a diplomatic initiative at the verge of global multipolarity","source":"crossref","abstract":"Star Trek ( ST ), with millions of fans and recognized as one of the longest-standing science-fiction franchises, offers numerous opportunities for scholarly examination. This article draws on a range of ST episodes to explore international relations, particularly questions related to human nature, power dynamics and global governance. It argues that the United Federation of Planets’s actions closely mirror the principles of power politics, positioning it as a prominent player in the multipolar landscape of the ST universe. The selected episodes also offer insights into the feasibility of compromise in situations where conflict seems inevitable. Additionally, they highlight that idealism and realism are two sides of the same coin. In other words, while it is possible to prevent war and achieve world unity, as suggested by liberal assumptions, humanity must still navigate power politics within the context of new geopolitics and realist policy preferences. Ultimately, the analysis identifies smart power as a crucial policy tool due to its capacity to enable the Federation to both optimize and sustain a dominant position within the multipolar context.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1386/jptv_00143_1","authors":["Büşra Yılmaz","Branislav Radeljić"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-18T14:34:11Z","doi":"10.1386/jptv_00143_1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2578976","name":"Coming Events","source":"crossref","abstract":"NOTICE TO CLUBS—Listing of all shows is a free service provided by ROCKS & MINERALS. Information on upcoming shows must be received at least four months before date of publication. Include date, pl...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2578976","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-10T17:37:54Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2578976","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109065","name":"Strontium minerals as critical raw materials — Market dynamics, processing techniques, and future challenges","source":"crossref","abstract":"In 2020, the European Union officially designated strontium as a Critical Raw Material (CRM) due to its diverse applications and limited global producers, with Spain as one of the primary producers and the only one in the EU. This comprehensive review discusses strontium market dynamics, global reserves, and technological advancements in mineral processing techniques to extract and concentrate its main bearing minerals, celestine (SrSO 4 ) and strontianite (SrCO 3 ). The review highlights the shift in strontium demand, led until the mid-2000s by applications in cathode-ray tube (CRT) glass, to current uses focused on pyrotechnics, ceramic magnets and drilling fluids. The study evaluates the progression of beneficiation methods, from manual sorting to advanced techniques such as size separation, gravity separation, flotation, and dense media separation, with recent innovations demonstrating enhanced recovery and purity of celestine concentrates. Industrial case studies from various regions, including Spain and China, illustrate significant advances and regional variations in celestine processing, while emphasising the need for further research and transparency in reporting beneficiation methodologies. Furthermore, the review addresses the gaps and unavailability of environmental impact assessment of strontium production and underscores the importance of improving circularity through recycling, particularly in light of the negligible End-of-Life Recycling Input Rate (EOLRIR) for strontium in the EU. Emerging applications in magnet technology, medicine, and smart materials present new opportunities, potentially reducing reliance on rare-earth elements and fostering innovation. The paper also explores the anticipated effects of the CRM status of strontium on future demand, highlighting the need for continued research and technological advances in strontium beneficiation to ensure a stable supply chain. The sustained study and optimisation of extraction and processing methodologies are crucial in meeting the demand from evolving industrial applications and addressing current and future challenges in the supply of this CRM. • Strontium’s designation as a Critical Raw Material highlights its strategic importance and diverse applications. • Celestine (SrSO 4 ) and strontianite (SrCO 3 ) are the primary minerals bearing strontium, with Spain being the sole producer in the European Union. • Beneficiation techniques such as size separation, gravity separation, and flotation have significantly improved celestine recovery and purity. • Case studies from Spain demonstrate effective integration of mobile machinery, density separation, and flotation. • Enhancing recycling efforts and addressing environmental impacts are crucial for sustainable strontium supply chain management.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109065","authors":["Diego Mesa","Varun Gowda","Francisco Ortega","Kanishk Bhadani","Noemi Ariza-Rodríguez","Gauti Asbjörnsson","Pablo R. Brito-Parada"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-09T10:45:53Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109065","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.jtemin.2025.100267","name":"The geopolitical implications of rare earth minerals extraction in Afghanistan","source":"crossref","abstract":"Background: Afghanistan’s Rare Earth Elements (REEs) reserves have become a central point of geopolitical competition following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. This study investigates the complex interplay between China’s growing dominance in Afghanistan’s mining sector, the failure of Western containment approaches, and the Taliban’s unconventional governance of these critical resources. Drawing on satellite imagery analysis, blockchain tracking of cryptocurrency transactions, and interviews with industry experts, the research uncovers how China has secured preferential access to REEs deposits through a “security-for-minerals” bargain with the Taliban. The study documents the Taliban’s paradoxical approach to resource governance, combining bureaucratic pragmatism with ideological constraints, resulting in revenue capture (15% local allocations) and notable leakage (42% lost to corruption). Findings highlight the emergence of REEs smuggling as a key funding source for regional militant groups, with an estimated $19 million annually flowing to ISIS-K Khorasan. The research contributes to theoretical debates on the “resource curse” in Islamic governance contexts and the evolving effectiveness of sanctions in an era of digital financialization. Practical implications include recommendations for tiered sanctions regimes and regional monitoring mechanisms to curb conflict financing while maintaining pressure for responsible mining practices. This study offers critical insights into how fragile states’ mineral wealth reshapes 21 st -century geopolitical competition.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtemin.2025.100267","authors":["Ashraf Dawar","Muhammad Waqar Khan","Lindsey Tchatchouang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-22T11:14:39Z","doi":"10.1016/j.jtemin.2025.100267","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2422771","name":"Collector’s Note: A Very Odd Garnet","source":"crossref","abstract":"Collecting single crystals has been both a challenge and joy in my retirement. After thirty years the collection has grown to almost four hundred specimens of ninety-one species and even includes a...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2422771","authors":["John S. White"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-24T20:28:01Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2422771","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109436","name":"Modes of occurrence of rare earth-bearing minerals in South African coal and ash samples using electron microscopy","source":"crossref","abstract":"Rare earth elements and yttrium (REY) are crucial for modern technologies. This study investigated the modes of occurrence, mineral hosts, and distribution in coal and laboratory-derived coal-ash samples from the Soutpansberg Coalfield (South Africa) using scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), mineral liberation analysis (MLA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The mineral composition of the studied coal primarily comprises of silicates, predominantly kaolinite (avg. 24.1 wt%; whole coal basis), quartz (avg. 13.6 wt%), alongside carbonates (avg. 12.9 wt%) and pyrite (∼0.1 wt%). Although the coal-ash samples also have silicates (avg. 78.9 wt%), phosphates (monazite, xenotime), titanium oxides, and zircon. Average REY concentrations are 241.3 mg/kg in the coal and 468.3 mg/kg in the coal-ash, reaching a maximum of 957.4 mg/kg with multi-day multi-acid digestion, suggesting enhanced liberation. Backscattered electron (BSE) images obtained via SEM-EDS and MLA reveal monazite and xenotime as the major REY-bearing minerals in both the coal and coal-ash samples, with some REY hosted by carbonates. In the coal, micron-scale REY-bearing minerals are adsorbed onto the surfaces of major and minor minerals such as quartz, kaolinite, zircon, and Ti-oxides. The REY-bearing minerals in the coal-ash are encapsulated within new phases, likely amorphous or aluminosilicates. The LREY and MREY are associated with monazite, quartz, carbonate, zircon, and Ti-oxide phases, and HREY with xenotime. Particles ∼ 1 μm in size show better liberation, which may potentially enhance extractability. MLA offers higher-resolution imaging than SEM-EDS, enabling better identification of micron-size REY particles. These findings underscore the importance of understanding REY mineralogical associations and liberation dynamics to optimize extraction and enhancing resource recovery from coal and its by-products.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109436","authors":["Sanki Biswas","Nicola J. Wagner","Ofentse M. Moroeng"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-20T21:51:22Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109436","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1109/aero63441.2025.11068757","name":"Space-LLaVA: A Vision-Language Model Adapted to Extraterrestrial Applications","source":"crossref","abstract":"Foundation Models (FMs), e.g., large language models, possess attributes of intelligence [1] which offer promise to endow a robot with the contextual understanding necessary to navigate complex, unstructured tasks in the wild. We see three core challenges in the future of space robotics that motivate building an FM for the space robotics community: 1) Scalability of ground-in-the-loop operations; 2) Generalizing prior knowledge to novel environments; and 3) Multi-modality in tasks and sensor data. As a first-step towards a space foundation model, we programmatically augment three extraterrestrial databases with fine-grained language annotations inspired by the sensory reasoning necessary to e.g., identify a site of scientific interest on Mars, building a synthetic dataset of visual-question-answer and visual instruction-following tuples. We fine-tune a pre-trained LLaVA 13B [2] checkpoint on our augmented dataset to adapt a Vision-Language Model (VLM) to the visual semantic features in an extraterrestrial environment, demonstrating FMs as a tool for specialization and enhancing a VLM's zero-shot performance on unseen task types in comparison to state-of-the-art VLMs. Ablation studies show that fine-tuning the language backbone and vision-language adapter in concert is key to facilitate adaption while a small percentage, e.g., 20%, of the pre-training data can be used to safeguard against catastrophic forgetting.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/aero63441.2025.11068757","authors":["Matthew Foutter","Daniele Gammelli","Justin Kruger","Ethan Foss","Praneet Bhoj","Tommaso Guffanti","Simone D'Amico","Marco Pavone"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-14T17:40:12Z","doi":"10.1109/aero63441.2025.11068757","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2451576","name":"Woodworking Artist Kathryn (Kate) Ruof (b. 1980)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Figure 1. Kathryn “Kate” Ruof.Reproduced with permissionPennsylvania native Kathryn (Kate) Ruof’s interest in geology and minerals developed at a very early age, and she has been collecting rocks a...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2451576","authors":["Mark Mauthner"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-15T18:06:01Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2451576","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2422770","name":"Canadian Mineral Artist Renee Paterson (b. 1945)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Renee Paterson is a former teacher who in retirement, along with husband Dave, traded a five-day work week for a seven-day one that included a string of activities where each just seemed to lead to...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2422770","authors":["Mark Mauthner"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-24T20:28:01Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2422770","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16010042","name":"Editorial for the Special Issue “Clay Minerals: Roles in Oil and Gas Generation, Drilling, and Enhanced Recovery”","source":"crossref","abstract":"Clay minerals are fundamental components of sedimentary basins and play a dual role in the petroleum industry according to Zhuang et al [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16010042","authors":["Guanzheng Zhuang","Qiang Li"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-31T15:30:32Z","doi":"10.3390/min16010042","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/9781009110020.002","name":"Rock-Forming Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"Chapter 1 introduces common rock-forming minerals for igneous and metamorphic rocks. These are presented by mineral group, the optical properties used to recognize each mineral in thin-section are described, and each mineral’s distinctive characteristics and paragenesis is summarized. Color images show typical occurrence and textures with scale. Additional information on solid-solution and polymorphism is provided, as are mineral applications using imaging techniques, barometry, thermometry, and geochronology.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009110020.002","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-05T00:05:39Z","doi":"10.1017/9781009110020.002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2451563","name":"Historic Mineral Locality Photographs By Gardiner Gregory","source":"crossref","abstract":"This article reviews the mineralogical legacy of Gardiner Emerson Gregory (1917–2005). Gregory was a man of many talents: a public-school educator, photographer, mineral collector, micromounter, an...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2451563","authors":["Woodrow B. Thompson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-15T18:06:01Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2451563","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15101021","name":"Electrodeposition of Metallic Magnesium in Ionic Liquids: A Systematic Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Metallic magnesium is a strategic material with applications in mobility, energy and medicine, due to its low density, biocompatibility and use as an anode in rechargeable batteries. However, industrial production methods—such as the thermal reduction of dolomite or the electrolysis of anhydrous MgCl2—face environmental and operational challenges, including high temperatures, emissions, and dehydration of precursors like bischofite. In response, ionic liquids (ILs) have emerged as alternative electrolytes, offering low volatility, thermal stability and wide electrochemical windows that enable electrodeposition in water-free media. This study presents a systematic review of 32 peer-reviewed articles, applying the PRISMA 2020 methodology. The analysis is structured across three dimensions: (1) types of ILs employed, (2) operational parameters and (3) magnesium source materials. In addition to electrolyte composition, key factors such as temperature, viscosity control, precursor purity and cell architecture were identified as critical for achieving efficient and reproducible magnesium deposition. Furthermore, the use of elevated temperatures and co-solvent strategies has been shown to effectively mitigate viscosity-related transport limitations, enabling more uniform ion mobility and enhancing interfacial behavior. The use of alloy co-deposition strategies and multicomponent electrolyte systems also expands the technological potential of IL-based processes, especially for corrosion-resistant coatings or composite electrode materials. This review contributes by critically synthesizing current techniques, identifying knowledge gaps and proposing strategies for scalable, sustainable magnesium production. The findings position IL-based electrodeposition as a potential alternative for environmentally responsible metal recovery.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15101021","authors":["Agustín Arancibia-Zúñiga","Carlos Carlesi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-26T12:33:03Z","doi":"10.3390/min15101021","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.32865/2346/102706","name":"Optimizing Space Habitat Design Through Multifunctional Transition Spaces: Redefining Corridors as Key Habitability Zones in Extraterrestrial Environments","source":"crossref","abstract":"In the confined environments of space habitats, optimizing every square meter for functionality is crucial to enhancing habitability. This paper focuses on the role of transition zones as multifunctional areas that can significantly improve the quality of life for crew members. Traditionally underutilized as mere passageways, transit zones offer unique potential to become integrated spaces for exercise, social interaction, and even emergency storage. Drawing from architectural theory and past space habitat designs, we explore how transit zones can be reimagined to support a range of activities that address both physical and psychological well-being. Transit zones equipped with handrails or resistance devices can serve as exercise areas for daily workouts, crucial for maintaining muscle mass and cardiovascular health in low-gravity environments. Additionally, these areas can function as informal social gathering spots, where crew members can engage in impromptu conversations and decompress from the rigors of mission tasks. This multifunctionality can promote team bonding and mitigate the isolation often associated with long-duration missions. Further, transit zones can be designed with integrated storage for emergency supplies, allowing for efficient access during critical situations without compromising space allocation. Case studies from the International Space Station (ISS) and other prototypes illustrate early attempts to use transit zones more creatively, but significant opportunities remain untapped. This paper proposes design strategies that incorporate advanced materials, modular elements, and flexible layouts to optimize transit zones as dynamic, multifunctional spaces. These strategies will not only increase the functional capacity of space habitats but also contribute to overall habitability by blending essential activities into one fluid, adaptable environment. As missions extend in duration and distance, the intelligent use of transition spaces like transit zones will be key to enhancing both the functionality and comfort of extra-terrestrial living environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.32865/2346/102706","authors":["Aathira Peedikaparambil Somasundaran"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-02T22:43:53Z","doi":"10.32865/2346/102706","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2451593","name":"In Memoriam: Karl Ludwig von Bezing (1945–2024)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2451593","authors":["Bruce Cairncross"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-15T18:06:01Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2451593","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/ange.202584802","name":"Frontispiece: Gypsum Gardens: Self‐Assembled Tubular Structures of Calcium Sulfate with Relevance for the Detection of Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ange.202584802","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-24T18:06:23Z","doi":"10.1002/ange.202584802","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2573601","name":"In Memoriam: Jeanette “Jean” Smith (1930–2025)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Reproduced with permissionLet’s face it—I’m an old person. There is a benefit to that fact: over the many years I have been privileged to meet some of the “greats” in mineralogy and gemology. I hav...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2573601","authors":["Dona Lee Leicht"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-10T17:37:54Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2573601","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2118/pw0542","name":"Isotropic elastic properties of minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2118/pw0542","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-28T21:11:12Z","doi":"10.2118/pw0542","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109216","name":"Fourth generation gravity separation using the Reflux Classifier","source":"crossref","abstract":"• Fourth generation Reflux Classifier investigated for the first time. • New fluidisation based on slow rotating rake to develop dense medium zone. • Step change increase in upgrade of tin achieved using a single stage separation. The Reflux Classifier achieves powerful synergy between an upper system of inclined channels and lower fluidised bed arrangement, delivering gravity separation in a single stage of separation. This paper is concerned with the step-change improvement in gravity separation utilising the latest in a series of improvements. The laminar-shear separation mechanism led to the introduction of closely-spaced inclined channels, nominally 6 mm, solving a previously intractable problem in concentrating metallurgical coal. The more recent shift to a spacing of 3 mm, and even 1.8 mm has delivered a further step change in the separation of gangue minerals from dense minerals. In this new work, we have introduced changes to the lower fluidised bed, removing the fluidisation distributor and installing a slow-moving rake with water addition. This change produced a much more robust fluidisation boundary condition, removing the vagaries of the minimum fluidisation condition, producing a stronger dense medium effect, hence significant step change in gravity separation performance well beyond anything that was previously possible. This step change in performance reveals a direct pathway from a feed grade of 0.32 wt% tin to a significant recovery of the tin at a grade higher than 40 wt%.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109216","authors":["M.E. Amosah","J. Zhou","K.P. Galvin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-16T10:36:27Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109216","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15030309","name":"Towards an Extended Concept of Tolerance Factors for Postspinel Phases","source":"crossref","abstract":"It is shown that molar and ionic volumes are linearly related for compounds AB2O4 in the spinel-, calcium-ferrate, -titanate, and -manganate structure types at ambient and at high pressure. These relations quantify the concept of ‘chemical pressure’ by relating it to thermodynamic pressure.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15030309","authors":["Oliver Tschauner"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-17T07:49:57Z","doi":"10.3390/min15030309","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2398391","name":"Introduction to TUCSON 2025: Shades of Green","source":"crossref","abstract":"Photo by Sara VincelliSanta Clarita, CaliforniaGreen minerals in their various shades punctuate the list of most cherished members of the gem and mineral kingdom. They have been used as precious an...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2398391","authors":["Robert B. Cook"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-04T10:01:17Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2398391","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15030297","name":"Recycling Galvanic Sludge to Produce Geopolymer Modified with Algae","source":"crossref","abstract":"A new group of geopolymers based on galvanic sewage sludge was synthesized using algae. The sorption properties of the obtained geopolymer materials toward Cu(II), Mn(II), Pb(II), and Zn(II) ions in aqueous solutions were investigated. Algae have good adsorption properties with respect to heavy metals and bind to them irreversibly. Their addition to the geopolymer mass results in a geopolymer in which the C-(N)-A-S-H gel is dominant in the structure, as shown by SEM analysis. Analysis of the FTIR spectra of the geopolymer obtained with the addition of algae before and after sorption of the studied metal ions showed the presence of bands characteristic of geopolymers, proving at the same time that the introduction of algae increases the negative charge on the surface of the geopolymer and the chemisorption of heavy metal ions. The resulting geopolymer material shows excellent removal efficiency for all ions tested, respectively, Cu(II)—96.9, Mn(II)—98.9, Pb—99.7, and Zn(II)—99.5. The sorption process under experimental conditions follows the Langmuir isotherm model. The kinetics of the process are described by a pseudo-second-order kinetic equation, which confirms the contribution of functional groups to the binding of the ions of the studied metals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15030297","authors":["Elżbieta Sitarz-Palczak"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-14T04:29:18Z","doi":"10.3390/min15030297","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109437","name":"Characterisation and magnetic separation of complex low grade saprolite ore for rare earth elements minerals recovery","source":"crossref","abstract":"In this study, mineralogical and strategic magnetic beneficiation tests were undertaken on a complex low grade saprolite ore to assess the feasibility of recovering valuable rare earth elements (REE) minerals. Mineralogical characterisation tests revealed that bastnäsite was the main REE mineral, with significant amount of La-Nd-Si/Fe intergrowths. The bulk of the ore was occupied by clay and silicate minerals including mica, quartz, K-silicates, and Na-silicates. Subsequently, magnetic separation tests were conducted on the ore using a wet high intensity magnetic separator (WHIMS), where the relative effects of applied magnetic field intensity, matrix type, feed mass, feed desliming, and concentrate regrinding on REE minerals recovery were investigated. Experimental results showed that increasing magnetic field intensity and using fine expanded metal matrix enhanced REE minerals recovery, although concentrate grade was compromised. Additionally, different magnetic separation flowsheets employing regrinding and desliming stages were tested. The highest concentrate grade of 9.12 % total rare earth oxide (TREO) was achieved when the deslimed feed was processed at 1.7 T with the WHIMS fitted with the medium expanded metal matrix mesh, where 86 % REE recovery was observed. A beneficiation process flow sheet for recovering and upgrading REE minerals in the low-grade saprolite ore has been proposed, which recovered 74 % REE assaying a concentrate grade of 9.12% TREO . It was observed that the recovery of mica, entrainment recovery of liberated and unliberated silicate minerals and the presence of bastnäsite/REE-silicates intergrowths limited the extent of TREO upgrade that could be achieved although recoveries were high. The present study provides information on the process mineralogical data of the ore, whiles establishing the technical feasibility of employing magnetic preconcentration conditions to recover valuable REE minerals and identifying other preconcentration strategies which could be utilized in subsequent studies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109437","authors":["Theophilus Amos Judge","Richel Annan Dadzie","William Skinner","George Blankson Abaka-Wood"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-28T20:58:35Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109437","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109417","name":"Application of inclined channels in the hydrodynamic classification of minerals by particle size – Part III – Extension to high volumetric feed fluxes and low concentrations","source":"crossref","abstract":"This work builds on two previous studies ( Starrett and Galvin, 2023 , Starrett and Galvin, 2025 ) using a REFLUX™ Classifier to separate a silica feed (0–710 µm) based on particle size. Here the focus was on the factors that control the separation size at low solids concentration and high volumetric feed fluxes. Feed suspensions at concentrations of ∼ 2 to 8 wt.% solids and volumetric feed fluxes up to 250 m 3 /(m 2 h) were used. A hydrodynamic floor, referred to as “Split Fluidisation”, ensured virtually no by-pass of fine particles to the coarse underflow stream, whilst the system of inclined channels ensured virtually no coarse particles were entrained via the fine stream to the overflow. The partition curves continued to exhibit full closure, however, were sharper than the separations in the previous studies with Imperfections, I = E p / D 50 , in the range of 0.06–0.07. Across the three studies, a linear relationship was obtained between the inferred suspension viscosity and the Imperfection, providing a new insight into understanding the factors that govern the Imperfection.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109417","authors":["J.B. Starrett","K.P. Galvin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-27T17:56:17Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109417","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/083077-0001","name":"Technosignature Searches with VLBI","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/083077-0001","authors":["Dong-Jin Kim","Chris Phillips","Cormac Reynolds","Danny Price"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-16T14:18:27Z","doi":"10.52202/083077-0001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-97-2998-2_623","name":"Silica Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-2998-2_623","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-04T10:24:55Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-97-2998-2_623","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109167","name":"Challenges associated with the recovery of Co– and As-bearing minerals from aged mine tailings","source":"crossref","abstract":"• Gravity separation and flotation were used to recover Co– and As–bearing minerals. • Co and As recovery from aged mine tailings is challenging due to secondary minerals. • Knelson and Mozley table concentrated Co and As efficiently but had low recovery. • Flotation using KAX and hydroxamic acid is efficient in recovering Co and As. • Sonication pre-treatment slightly enhanced flotation performance. The global demand for cobalt (Co), essential for “clean” energy technologies, has raised interest in identifying secondary sources, including mine tailings. This study evaluates the potential of historic silver (Ag) mine tailings in Ontario, Canada, as a secondary Co source and for arsenic (As) mitigation, offering economic and environmental benefits. Physico–chemical and mineralogical characterization revealed promising Co (1 310 mg/kg) and As (5 245 mg/kg) contents in fine silty tailings (D 80 = 55 μm), with key Co-As-bearing minerals (e.g., safflorite, skutterudite, cobaltite, erythrite) exhibiting significant alteration and association with silicates (i.e., albite, quartz, chlorite). The complex mineralogy and fine particle size are challenging for conventional processing methods. Tests using gravity separation achieved limited Co and As recoveries (4.2% and 7.3%, respectively), despite effective preconcentration (x24.8 and x38, respectively). Flotation experiments, performed in Denver cell with xanthate and hydroxamic acid collectors, achieved concentration factors of 2.5 for Co (70% recovery) and 3.0 for As (80% recovery). Pre-treatment with sonication further enhanced flotation efficiency. Analysis of entrainment index and particle size distribution emphasized the role of hydroxamate in particle recovery. The study highlights the need for innovative processing strategies to overcome challenges posed by fine particle size, mineral alteration, and complex associations. However, Co grades comparable to global smelter concentrates were achieved, suggesting the potential for sustainable reprocessing of aged mine tailings. Future research should focus on optimizing reprocessing techniques to enhance resource efficiency and sustainability.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109167","authors":["Samuel Teillaud","Lucie Coudert","Yassine Ait-Khouia","Mostafa Benzaazoua","Marie Guittonny","Baptiste Laubie","Marie-Odile Simonnot"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-31T00:15:56Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109167","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2523186","name":"In Memoriam: Neil B. Prenn (1942–2023)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Photo courtesy Cami Prenn.It is with great sadness that I share news that the mineral community has lost a close friend and passionate collector. Neil Prenn passed away in November 2023 after a bri...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2523186","authors":["R. Scott Werschky"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-20T19:20:51Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2523186","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109529","name":"Alkaline leaching of phosphorous from poultry manure ash","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109529","authors":["Yashwanth Ramesh","Ganesh Pilla","Jo Van Caneghem","Giuseppe Granata"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-23T06:57:31Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109529","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2478/ijanmc-2025-0023","name":"The Development of a Hybrid Raspbian Operating System (OS) for Scientific Exploration of Extraterrestrial Planets","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract This research investigates the development of a custom hybrid operating system (OS) for a Mars rover experimental prototype using the Raspberry Pi platform. Focusing on operating system optimization, the work enhances computational efficiency, real-time responsiveness, and AI integration. Key innovations include overclocking (boosting CPU performance by 28%), custom threading (reducing task scheduling latency by 22%), and networking improvements for stable remote operation. Codec refinements and framework adaptations improved real-time video analysis throughput by 30%. Integration of a Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) HAT enhanced thermal regulation and stabilized system runtime. Experimental results show the customized OS effectively supports intensive tasks such as image processing, sensor data acquisition, and edge AI workloads. The findings demonstrate a scalable, modular OS framework for real-time vision systems and intelligent robotics in resource-constrained environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2478/ijanmc-2025-0023","authors":["Zarif Bin Akhtar"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-07T15:23:36Z","doi":"10.2478/ijanmc-2025-0023","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15101011","name":"Geochemical Characteristics and Contamination Risk Assessment of Soil","source":"crossref","abstract":"Soil, as a key component of the four circles interconnecting atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and lithosphere, plays a vital role in sustaining human life and the terrestrial system globally [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15101011","authors":["Srecko Stopic","Jasminka Alijagić"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-24T09:43:12Z","doi":"10.3390/min15101011","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/9780197800447.003.0006","name":"METI","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract There is an ongoing debate pertaining to the question of whether Earth should be the party to initiate intentional and powerful radio transmissions to alien civilizations in the hope of attracting extraterrestrials’ (ETs’) attention. This practice is known as messaging to ET intelligence, or more commonly by its acronym, METI. This chapter critically reviews the arguments commonly deployed in defense of METI such as: (a) ETs must be benign and even altruistic; (b) ETs could not hurt us from astronomical distances; (c) perhaps the galactic protocol is to communicate only with civilizations that show a prior interest in communication; (d) “free speech” gives METI proponents the right to transmit no matter what anyone else thinks, and so forth. The chapter concludes that METI is unwise, unscientific, potentially catastrophic, and unethical.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/9780197800447.003.0006","authors":["John Gertz"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-09T15:42:58Z","doi":"10.1093/9780197800447.003.0006","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15040330","name":"Effect of Domaining in Mineral Resource Estimation with Machine Learning","source":"crossref","abstract":"Machine learning (ML) is increasingly applied in earth sciences, including in mineral resource estimation. A critical step in this process is domaining, which significantly impacts estimation quality. However, the importance of domaining within ML-based resource estimation remains under-researched. This study aims to directly assess the effect of domaining on ML estimation accuracy. A copper deposit with well-defined, hard-boundary, low- and high-grade domains was used as a case study. Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), Support Vector Regression (SVR), and ensemble learning were employed to estimate copper distribution, both with and without domaining. Estimation performance was evaluated using summary statistics, swath plot analyses, and the quantification of out-of-range blocks. The results demonstrated that estimations without domaining exhibited substantial errors, with approximately 30% of blocks in the high-grade domain displaying values outside their expected range. These findings confirm that, analogous to classical methods, domaining is essential for accurate mineral resource estimation using ML algorithms.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15040330","authors":["Fırat Atalay"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-21T07:25:00Z","doi":"10.3390/min15040330","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/egusphere-egu25-7710","name":"LithoSpace: A Democratised Spatial Data Platform for Extraterrestrial Geoscience and Geochemical Mapping","source":"crossref","abstract":"With renewed interest in space exploration and the search for extraterrestrial resources, visualising spatial data from celestial bodies like the Moon, Mars, asteroids and other celestial bodies is becoming increasingly important. LithoSpace provides a digital infrastructure to address this need. It allows users to visualise and analyse extra-terrestrial spatial data, including points of interest, collected samples, corresponding geochemistry, and other analytical data, as well as to collate existing data and generate new data and therefore value and insight.LithoSpace builds upon the proven technology of LithoSurfer, designed for terrestrial data types. This presentation demonstrates how LithoSpace's advanced data analytics and exploration tools can benefit the expanding frontiers of extra-terrestrial resource exploration. The platform's highly detailed relational data models enable the collation and analysis of diverse data types, uncovering relationships and patterns in data collected from rovers or probes, satellite imagery, and topographic features. Standardised data formats empower researchers and explorers to leverage advanced algorithms for in-depth, automated exploration of these datasets.This study showcases how LithoSpace's unique cloud-based geochemistry tools can visualise slight variations in geochemical composition using existing, standardised, and cleaned lunar and martian geochemical data. The analysis confirms previously known findings, such as the basaltic geochemical composition of Apollo 11 samples and the wide range of geochemical composition of rocks on Mars as analysed by the Curiosity rover. However, it more importantly highlights how LithoSpace facilitates improved, user-friendly analytics, enabling &amp;#8220;on-the-fly&amp;#8221; calculation, interpretations and rock classifications. As more data is collected, LithoSpace will enhance our ability to develop new theories about planetary formation and assist with improved geological mapping of extra-terrestrial bodies.LithoSpace empowers users with the latest technology and data science to navigate the initial stages of lunar exploration for mineral resources. The robust toolkit developed for terrestrial samples can be readily applied to analyse the influx of data from upcoming missions, potentially leading to groundbreaking discoveries and unlocking the hidden resources of our celestial neighbors. Furthermore, standardised and cleaned datasets within LithoSpace (https://app.lithospace.com/) pave the way for the application of advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence, ultimately refining interpretations and creating models for future space exploration endeavors.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-7710","authors":["Wayne Noble","Fabian Kohlmann","Jack Gale","Ben Dib","Gale Iles","Brandon Mahan","Moritz Theile"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-14T20:30:02Z","doi":"10.5194/egusphere-egu25-7710","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15121264","name":"Editorial: Stratabound Barite Deposits: Mineralogy, Isotope Geochemistry and Geochronology","source":"crossref","abstract":"This Special Issue comprises five articles, one review paper, and a comment on one of the articles with the author’s reply [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15121264","authors":["Norman R. Moles"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-01T09:34:37Z","doi":"10.3390/min15121264","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15101095","name":"From a Scheelite Concentrate (Spanish Origin) to Nanotungsten Derivatives","source":"crossref","abstract":"Tungsten is a series of metals considered strategic by the European Union, so there is great interest in its recovery from both raw materials and secondary products. Within these raw materials, there are cassiterite deposits containing tungsten. It is from one of these deposits (located in the northwest of Spain) that after electrostatic separation, a scheelite concentrate (4.8% tungsten) has been obtained. This concentrate has been processed through two hydrometallurgical procedures. In one case, alkaline leaching in sodium carbonate medium is used to obtain sodium tungstate solutions, which in turn allows synthetic scheelite (calcium tungstate) or tungstic acid to be obtained. The second procedure, which uses acidic leaching (hydrochloric acid medium), yields tungstic acid as the final product. In all of the above cases, the experimental conditions to yield the best tungsten recovery rates are defined. The different products (sodium tungstate solutions and tungstic acid) afforded were used as precursors to yield synthetic scheelite and nanotungsten compounds as amorphous meta- and paratungstate salts and non-stoichiometric tungsten blue oxides.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15101095","authors":["Francisco Jose Alguacil"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-21T14:24:02Z","doi":"10.3390/min15101095","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109245","name":"Integrating local and global information for image deblurring in flotation froth scenes","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109245","authors":["Yongqi Gan","Jianwang Gan","Guoying Zhang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-21T21:20:37Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109245","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2476909","name":"Who’s Who in Mineral Names: Dan Evanich (b. 1951)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Reproduced with permission Evanichite is a rare secondary lead chromate-sulfate mineral, found in the oxidized portion of a polymetallic vein from the Mammoth–St. Anthony mine in Pinal County, Ariz...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2476909","authors":["Ron Gibbs"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-24T16:36:30Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2476909","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109113","name":"Producing green rutile from secondary ilmenite via hydrogen reduction","source":"crossref","abstract":"• Hydrogen as green reducing agent investigated for Australian secondary ilmenite. • Studied effect of temperature and time in hydrogen reduction of ilmenites. • Temperature and time impact secondary ilmenite reduction percentage in this study. • High quality green rutile produced from hydrogen reduced secondary ilmenite. The use of coal for ilmenite reduction to produce synthetic rutile is widespread in industry. However, the carbon dioxide emissions associated with coal combustion pose significant environmental concerns. Alternative reductants such as hydrogen have the potential to promote environmentally friendly production of green rutile. This study aimed to assess the technical feasibility of reducing an Australian secondary (weathered) ilmenite using hydrogen, focusing on the effects of reduction temperature and time. The ilmenite was composed of 65 % titanium dioxide, 29 % iron oxide, and 6 % impurities. Samples at each stage of the processing were analysed using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results revealed that both temperature and time impacted ilmenite reduction, with increasing values of both parameters leading to higher reduction percentages. The maximum reduction percentages were obtained for a reduction time of 240 min at all temperatures, and there was an increase from 62 % at 973 K to 99 % at 1273 K for this reduction time. A reduction percentage of 90 % was obtained at 1273 K with a holding time of 60 min. This study indicates that a minimum temperature of 1073 K is required to achieve a reduction exceeding 90 % for secondary ilmenite. The SEM analysis showed that fine, discrete, metallised iron particles were present on the surface of the reduced secondary ilmenite. The investigation into hydrogen as an alternative reductant demonstrated improved iron–titanium separation in acid leaching compared with the conventional reduction method using coal and resulted in green rutile products with titanium dioxide grades exceeding 96 %, and iron oxide content below 1 %.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109113","authors":["William Spencer","Don Ibana","Pritam Singh","Aleksandar N. Nikoloski"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-26T04:42:31Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109113","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/083077-0008","name":"The History of the IAA SETI Permanent Committee - 2000 to 2009","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/083077-0008","authors":["Lori Walton"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-16T14:18:27Z","doi":"10.52202/083077-0008","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2500278","name":"Who’s Who in Mineral Names: Henno Martin (1910–1998)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Figure 1. Henno Martin ca. 1965. Photo courtesy of Roger Swart.Reproduced with permissionHennomartinite, SrMn23+(Si2O7)(OH)2·H2O, is a strontium manganese disilicate and the strontium analogue of n...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2500278","authors":["Bruce Cairncross"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-20T19:20:51Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2500278","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2555785","name":"A Donation of Chilean Minerals Collected by Samuel Gordon in 1938","source":"crossref","abstract":"Figure 1. Pseudoboleite from the La Compañia mine; 0.6-mm field of view. Patrick Haynes photo.Reproduced with permissionThe mineral collection of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (AN...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2555785","authors":["Patrick E. Haynes"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-10T17:37:54Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2555785","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109639","name":"Liberation is an insufficient proxy for processability","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109639","authors":["Igor Željko Tonžetić"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-28T11:11:11Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109639","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2555149","name":"Chips from the Quarry","source":"crossref","abstract":"HOORAY FOR THE RED, WHITE & BLUE: We’re starting off the year, and this issue, with a bang! Nothing says “celebration” more than the whistle, pop, and exploding of fireworks, so that’s what we’ve i...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2555149","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-10T17:37:54Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2555149","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:36.952Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"oa:W2113251769","name":"Improving Remote Sensing of Aerosol Optical Depth over Land by Polarimetric Measurements at 1640 nm: Airborne Test in North China","source":"openalex","abstract":"An improved aerosol retrieval algorithm based on the Advanced Multi-angular Polarized Radiometer (AMPR) is presented to illustrate the utility of additional 1640-nm observations for measuring aerosol optical depth (AOD) over land using look-up table approaches. Spectral neutrality of the polarized surface reflectance over visible to short-wavelength infrared bands is verified, and the 1640-nm measurements corrected for atmospheric effects are used to estimate the polarized surface reflectance at shorter wavelengths. The AMPR measurements over the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in north China reveal that the polarized surface reflectance of 670, 865 and 1640 nm are highly correlated with correlation slopes close to one (0.985 and 1.03) when the scattering angle is less than 145°. The 1640-nm measurements are then employed to estimate polarized surface reflectance at shorter wavelengths for each single viewing direction, which are then used to improve the retrieval of AOD over land. The comparison between AMPR retrievals and ground-based Sun-sky radiometer measurements during three experimental flights illustrates that this approach retrieves AOD at 865 nm with uncertainties ranging from 0.01 to 0.06, while AOD varies from 0.05 to 0.17.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/rs70506240","authors":["Lili Qie","Zhengqiang Li","Xiaobing Sun","Bin Sun","Donghui Li","Zhao Liu","Wei Huang","Han Wang","Xingfeng Chen","Weizhen Hou","Yanli Qiao"],"tags":["Remote sensing","Aerosol","Environmental science","Radiometer","Polarimetry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-05-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/rs70506240","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.121Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.121Z"},{"id":"oa:W4414096521","name":"Microstructures as Models for Origin of Life in Hot Water: Hydrogen-Assisted Self-Assembly of Glycine and Alanine Zwitterions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Building on the early investigation by Sidney W. Fox that dry-heated amino acids can spontaneously form microspheres, this research studies the self-organization of glycine and alanine with hydrogen in a liquid system. This study aimed to investigate the spontaneous formation of membraneless, microscale amino acid assemblies under simulated prebiotic hydrothermal conditions, such as hot mineral sources and ponds. Aqueous solutions of glycine and alanine were prepared in a hydrogen-rich mineral buffer and thermally incubated at 75 °C. Phase-contrast microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and molecular modeling were employed to analyze the morphology and internal organization of the resulting structures. Microscopy revealed that zwitterionic glycine and alanine spontaneously self-organize into spherical microspheres (~12 µm), in which the charged –NH3+ and –COO− groups orient outward, while the hydrophobic methyl groups of alanine point inward, forming a stabilized internal core. The primary studies were performed with hot mineral water from Rupite, Bulgaria, at 73.4 °C. The resulting osmotic pressure difference Δπ ≈ 2490 Pa, derived from the van’t Hoff equalization. This suggests a chemically asymmetric system capable of sustaining directional water flux and passive molecular enrichment. The zwitterionic nature of glycine and alanine, which possesses both –NH3+ and –COO− groups, supports the formation of microspheres in our experiments. Under conditions with hot mineral water and hydrogen acting as a reducing agent in the primordial atmosphere, these amino acids self-organized into dense interfacial microspheres. These findings support the idea that thermally driven, zwitterion-mediated aggregation of simple amino acids, such as glycine and alanine, with added hydrogen, could generate membraneless, selectively organized microenvironments on the early Earth. Such microspheres may represent a plausible intermediate between dispersed organisms and microspheres.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrogen6030067","authors":["Ignat Ignatov"],"tags":["Alanine","Chemistry","Glycine","Amino acid","Mineral"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrogen6030067","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.121Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W7115618397","name":"Trace element distribution in secondary minerals of a Ryugu particle revealed using LA-ICP-TOF-MS : an advanced screening tool for extraterrestrial materials","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W7115618397","authors":["Maeda, Ryoga","Van Acker, Thibaut","Kanemaru, Rei","Vanhaecke, Frank","Yamaguchi, Akira","Goderis, Steven"],"tags":["Particle (ecology)","Trace element","Mineralogy","Extraterrestrial life","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.121Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.121Z"},{"id":"oa:W4405559308","name":"The Luna Analog Facility testbeds (ESA, EAC): contemporary characterization work of highland (lunar) and mare (EAC-1) lunar regolith simulants","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Luna Analog Facility, a joint ESA-DLR endeavour, consists of three components and spans an area of 1,000 m2, providing testbeds of simulated lunar environments. The main sections within the facility are a large area filled with lunar mare regolith simulant resembling mare regions and a smaller, individual “Dust Chamber”. The latter replicates highland conditions and contains approximately 20 tons of material, specifically simulating the fine-particle lunar regolith portion up to 250 µm. The Dust Chamber serves as a platform for testing various technologies, such as mechanical tools, robotic operations, in-situ resource utilization activities, and astronaut attire, as well as different procedures including rover and astronaut tasks. This work represents the geotechnical, geochemical and mineralogical characterization of the Lumina Sustainable Materials Ltd. 2023 batch highland simulants, from which Lunar250 is intended for use in the Luna Dust Chamber. Additionally, this work provides new results for ESA’s mare simulant, EAC-1. We provide data on particle size distribution, particle shape, abrasivity, density, water content, major and trace element geochemistry and modal mineralogy. As the simulants in the Luna Facility will be constantly overseen, this work organized by the Vulcan Facility (ESA) intends to support the monitoring of the geotechnical property variations of the simulants over time. Ultimately, we analysed several properties with different tools to emphasize how different methods and instruments affect the variability and reliability of the results.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frspt.2024.1510635","authors":["Aliz Zemeny","Lorenza Sardisco","Santiago Quinteros","T. Dylan Mikesell","Duncan Pirrie","Liz Rose","Aidan Cowley","K. Manick"],"tags":["Regolith","Astrobiology","Lunar orbit","Work (physics)","Remote sensing"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frspt.2024.1510635","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.121Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391311596","name":"Domains of life sciences in spacefaring: what, where, and how to get involved","source":"openalex","abstract":"The imagery from NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover has provided an opportunity for our imagination to sojourn to new worlds beyond Earth. As we embark on a journey to push the boundaries of the unforgiving and vastly uncharacterized frontier of space, we must understand how life, including our own species, could survive and thrive in the myriad space environments we will encounter. We will face unprecedented challenges in building a rich biological ecology to provide resources—from clean food and water to pharmaceuticals and materials—to derisk our extended stays off Earth with an emphasis on efficiency and minimizing environmental impact 1 , 2 . We compare and contrast the major fields for integrating biology and spacefaring—Astrobiology (AB), Bioastronautics (BA), and Space Bioprocess Engineering (SBE)—first by providing a description of what each field entails and highlighting the ways in which they may evolve and then outlining where interested biologists may begin their voyage toward these exciting avenues for study.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-024-00354-y","authors":["Aaron J. Berliner","Spencer Zezulka","Gwyneth A. Hutchinson","Sophia Bertoldo","Charles S. Cockell","Adam P. Arkin"],"tags":["Software deployment","Bioprocess","Space (punctuation)","Field (mathematics)","Engineering ethics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-024-00354-y","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.121Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W7117698702","name":"Compositional and Mineralogical Diversity of Jezero Western Fan, Mars, Revealed by Elemental Observations","source":"openalex","abstract":"The NASA Mars 2020 Mission Perseverance rover has conducted a four-Martian-year scientific campaign in the Jezero western fan, a typical fluvial–deltaic–lacustrine system on Mars. Equipped with the Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL) and SuperCam, the rover has collected high-resolution elemental data from abraded rock outcrops, providing a detailed geochemical and mineralogical characterization of key stratigraphic units. This work presents a systematic analysis of these targets, revealing distinct geochemical trends. Rocks from the delta front, upper fan, and margin units are enriched in Mg and Fe (e.g., mafic to ultramafic lithologies) and are depleted in Si, Al, Na, and Ca. These units share comparable mineral parageneses and exhibit pervasive alteration textures, in contrast to the more limited alteration observed in crater floor targets. Despite this, we also discussed insights derived from elemental data: (1) Low to medium chemical index of alteration (CIA) and modified index of alteration (MIA) values indicate limited silicate weathering. (2) Localized enrichments in Cl and Br suggest episodic mobilization of brines. (3) The presence of high-silica phases near the margin unit further points to hydrothermal processes. These observations suggest that sedimentation and diagenesis in the Jezero western delta were shaped by a complex interplay of fluvial, lacustrine, and localized hydrothermal processes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/rs18010140","authors":["Wenbo Huang","Haijun Cao","Yanqing Xin","Changqing Liu","Jinhe Cui","Yiyi Zhao","Bin Xue","Zongcheng Ling"],"tags":["Geology","Geochemistry","Mars Exploration Program","Diagenesis","Hydrothermal circulation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/rs18010140","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.121Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406110870","name":"Utilizing Martian samples for future planetary exploration—Characterizing hazards and resources","source":"openalex","abstract":"One of the most surprising and important findings of the first human landings on the Moon was the discovery of a very fine layer of lunar dust covering the entire surface of Moon along with the negative impacts of this dust on the well-being and operational effectiveness of the astronauts, their equipment, and instrumentation. The United States is now planning for human missions to Mars, a planet where dust can also be expected to be ubiquitous for many or most landing sites. For these missions, the design and operations of key hardware systems must take this dust into account, especially when related to crew health and safety. Improved understanding of Martian dust characteristics can inform its potential to also perform transport of microorganisms, both those inadvertently brought to Mars by the astronauts, or, if Martian microorganisms exist, the potential for their inadvertent return to Earth with the astronauts. Careful planning and design are needed to assure that future missions do not violate the United Nations Outer Space Treaty (1967) signed by all spacefaring nations. In this paper, we review the impact of lunar dust on the Apollo missions and identify several questions about dust in the atmosphere of Mars that may be answered by the curated samples that would be returned by the planned Mars Sample Return (MSR) Campaign. These answers would not only provide an opportunity to better understand the history of Mars but could also reduce uncertainty in charting the future of humanity's exploration of the planet.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2404251121","authors":["C. Whetsel","Joel S. Levine","Stephen J. Hoffman","Clare M. Luckey","K.D. Watts","Erik Antonsen"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Martian","Exploration of Mars","Martian surface"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2404251121","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.121Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W7167206734","name":"Assessing the cementitious reactivity of lunar and Martian regolith simulants for extraterrestrial construction","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract For later-stage construction on the Moon and Mars utilizing in-situ resources, a key unresolved question is whether the cohesionless and edgy surface soil (regolith) can act as a reactive cementitious material or as an inert filler. This study presents a multimodal reactivity assessment of lunar and Martian regolith simulants to evaluate their potential as active binders or fillers in cement-based systems. Six simulants were investigated in untreated, burned, and milled conditions, and a total of 18 blended mixtures were prepared with OPC. All untreated simulants exhibited negligible heat release in both water and potassium hydroxide solutions, indicating non-reactive behavior. Thermal and mechanical processing did not produce meaningful increases in reactivity, with cumulative heating remaining below known thresholds associated with hydraulic or pozzolanic materials. Conductivity measurements confirmed non-pozzolanic behavior for lunar simulants, while Martian simulants showed apparent ionic depletion, suggesting non-pozzolanic mechanisms in calcium hydroxide environments. Blend mixtures displayed similar hydration kinetics and cumulative heat (100–150 J g⁻¹), with no enhancement in portlandite consumption. Compressive strengths of blended systems ranged from 11.2 to 29.8 MPa, confirming that regolith primarily functions as an inert filler. These findings establish a practical baseline for extraterrestrial construction strategies based on in-situ resource utilization.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s44453-026-00047-8","authors":["Matias Leon-Miquel","Brandon S. Byers","Qingxu Jin"],"tags":["Regolith","Martian","Cementitious","Inert","Portlandite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s44453-026-00047-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.121Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4407849963","name":"Volatile loss history of the Moon from the copper isotopic compositions of mare basalts","source":"openalex","abstract":"The abundances and isotopic signatures of volatile elements provide critical information for understanding the delivery of water and other essential life-giving compounds to planets. It has been demonstrated that the Moon is depleted in moderately volatile elements (MVE), such as Zn, Cl, S, K and Rb, relative to the Earth. The isotopic compositions of these MVE in lunar rocks suggest loss of volatile elements during the formation of the Moon, as well as their modification during later differentiation and impact processes. Due to its moderately volatile and strongly chalcophile behaviour, copper (Cu) provides a distinct record of planetary accretion and differentiation processes relative to Cl, Rb, Zn or K. Here we present Cu isotopic compositions of Apollo 11, 12, 14 and 15 mare basalts and lunar basaltic meteorites, which range from δ 65 Cu of +0.55±0.01 ‰ to +3.94±0.04 ‰ (per mil deviation of the 65 Cu/ 63 Cu from the NIST SRM 976 standard), independent of mare basalt Ti content. The δ 65 Cu values of the basalts are negatively correlated with their Cu contents, which is interpreted as evidence for volatile loss upon mare basalt emplacement, plausibly related to the presence Cl- and S-bearing ligands in the vapour phase. This relationship can be used to determine the Cu isotopic composition of the lunar mantle to a δ 65 Cu of +0.57 ± 0.15 ‰. The bulk silicate Moon (BSM) is 0.5‰ heavier than the bulk silicate Earth (+0.07 ± 0.10 ‰) or chondritic materials (from -1.45 ± 0.08 ‰ to 0.07 ± 0.06 ‰). Owing to the ineffectiveness of sulfide segregation and lunar core formation in inducing Cu isotopic fractionation, the isotopic difference between the Moon and the Earth is attributed to volatile loss during the Moon-forming event, which must have occurred at- or near-equilibrium.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2025.119250","authors":["Marine Paquet","Frédéric Moynier","Paolo A. Sossi","Wei Dai","James M.D. Day"],"tags":["Basalt","Geology","Geochemistry","Lunar mare","Copper"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2025.119250","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.121Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411357585","name":"From Earth to Mars: A Perspective on Exploiting Biomineralization for Martian Construction","source":"openalex","abstract":"The future of Mars colonization hinges on the ability to construct durable infrastructure using locally available resources. Given the high cost and logistical complexity of transporting construction materials to Mars, the development of autonomous in situ resource utilization (ISRU) technologies is imperative. This perspective article explores the potential of biomineralization as a low-energy, sustainable alternative to conventional construction methods, such as Portland cement and thermal sintering approaches proposed for lunar applications, which are often energy-intensive and constrained by material specificity. Following an assessment of the chemical composition of Martian regolith, its suitability as a substrate for various biomineralization pathways, particularly those aligned with ISRU constraints, is evaluated. Special emphasis is placed on identifying biological pathways that are not only metabolically compatible with Martian geochemistry but can also function as a co-culture, mutually supporting each other’s survival and activity under Martian environmental stresses. The most promising microbial consortia for biocementation are proposed as candidate systems for future extraterrestrial construction applications. The integration of robotics and automation in biocementation-based additive manufacturing using Martian regolith as a construction feedstock is taken into consideration. Advanced robotic systems equipped with multi-axis extrusion nozzles, sensor suites, and real-time flow control are proposed for the construction of structurally resilient geometries on Mars. As a flexible, scalable, and ISRU-compatible technology, biocementation holds promise not only for infrastructure construction but also for integrated resource cycles, producing oxygen, ammonia, and thermal energy as functional byproducts. Biocementation-based ISRU construction represents a synergistic pathway toward sustainable human presence on Mars, enabling robotic fabrication of habitat components and critical infrastructure from locally available materials.","url":"https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202506.1171.v1","authors":["Shiva Khoshtinat","Jared Long-Fox","Seyed Mohammad Javad Hosseini"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Biomineralization","Perspective (graphical)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202506.1171.v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.121Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W4410564803","name":"Identification of Natural Hydrogen Seeps: Leveraging AI for Automated Classification of Sub‐Circular Depressions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Hydrogen has long been used as an energy vector, but the recent discovery of natural hydrogen (H 2 ) opens the door for its use as a direct energy source. Identifying H 2 seepages is therefore crucial to advance exploration. Although the scientific community does not yet fully understand the parameters controlling H 2 leaks from underground, sub‐circular depressions (SCDs) appear to be key indicators associated with these emissions. However, distinguishing SCDs from similar landforms remains a challenge. This study leverages open‐source multispectral and high‐resolution imagery to train a deep learning model (YOLOv8) for classifying rounded landforms and detecting H 2 ‐related structures (i.e., SCDs). The model achieved 90% accuracy with Google Maps© imagery, outperforming Sentinel‐2 multispectral data. Applied to a pre‐existing data set from Brazil, the model allowed a large‐scale screening, discarding 52% of the structures as non‐H 2 emitting ones and pinpointing high‐potential areas for field validation. Future enhancements, including, for example, higher‐resolution input data and morphometric analysis, would aim to reduce false positives and boost predictive accuracy. This approach significantly improves H 2 exploration efficiency, with global applicability including some region‐specific adjustments during post‐processing analyses.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2025ea004227","authors":["Н.И. Гинзбург","Jimmy Daynac","Sofyane Hesni","Ugo Geymond","Vincent Roche"],"tags":["Identification (biology)","Natural (archaeology)","Geology","Remote sensing","Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2025ea004227","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.121Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4412584465","name":"Extremophiles: Unlocking Bioactive Compounds and Biotechnological Innovation from Life at the Edge","source":"openalex","abstract":"Extremophiles, organisms thriving in extreme environments – from scorching hydrothermal vents to acidic lakes and polar ice – challenge our understanding of how life thrives and adapts. These organisms exhibit remarkable diversity, including thermophiles, psychrophiles, acidophiles, halophiles, and others, and demonstrate unique biochemical adaptations, such as extremozymes and stress-resistant cellular mechanisms. Extremophiles have evolved unique biochemical pathways to produce bioactive compounds with remarkable stability and bioactivity. These extremophilic metabolites – including antimicrobial peptides, extremozymes, anticancer agents, antioxidants, and beyond – hold immense potential for applications across a wide range of industries including pharmaceutics, biotechnologies, bioremediation, agriculture, biofuel production, and others. Recent advances in genomics, metagenomics, and synthetic biology have accelerated the discovery of novel bioactive compounds from these resilient organisms, offering innovative solutions to global challenges such as antibiotic resistance, industrial catalysis, and environmental sustainability. In this report we explore data from the CAS Content Collection to outline current landscape and research progress in the area of extremophiles. We highlight cutting-edge advancements in extremophile research, including their remarkable survival mechanisms, their applications in biotechnology such as enzyme production and biocatalysis, bioremediation and environmental applications, biofuel and renewable energy, their pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. We illustrate key bioactive compounds from various extremophile classes. Finally, we discuss future directions, emphasizing the untapped potential of extremophiles in addressing global challenges like climate change and antibiotic resistance, in astrobiology and the search for extraterrestrial life, in expanding fundamental knowledge on the origin of life, evolutionary processes, and their ecological roles in extreme environment. This work aims to bridge fundamental science and applied innovation, illustrating how life at the edge reshapes our biotechnological and ecological frontiers.","url":"https://doi.org/10.26434/chemrxiv-2025-t7lqf","authors":["Rumiana Tenchov","Qiongqiong Angela Zhou"],"tags":["Extremophile","Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution","Astrobiology","Biochemical engineering","Business"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.26434/chemrxiv-2025-t7lqf","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.121Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W4403608464","name":"Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in terrestrial extreme environments: implications for life detection beyond Earth","source":"openalex","abstract":"Covering: 1961 to 2024Discovering and identifying unique natural products/biosignatures (signatures that can be used as evidence for past or present life) that are abundant, and complex enough that they indicate robust evidence of life is a multifaceted process. One distinct category of biosignatures being explored is organic compounds. A subdivision of these compounds not yet readily investigated are volatile organic compound (VOCs). When assessing these VOCs as a group (volatilome) a fingerprint of all VOCs within an environment allows the complex patterns in metabolic data to be unravelled. As a technique already successfully applied to many biological and ecological fields, this paper explores how analysis of volatilomes in terrestrial extreme environments could be used to enhance processes (such as metabolomics and metagenomics) already utilised in life detection beyond Earth. By overcoming some of the complexities of collecting VOCs in remote field sites, a variety of lab based analytical equipment and techniques can then be utilised. Researching volatilomics in astrobiology requires time to characterise the patterns of VOCs. They must then be differentiated from abiotic (non-living) signals within extreme environments similar to those found on other planetary bodies (analogue sites) or in lab-based simulated environments or microcosms. Such an effort is critical for understanding data returned from past or upcoming missions, but it requires a step change in approach which explores the volatilome as a vital additional tool to current 'Omics techniques.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4np00037d","authors":["Claire A. Batty","V. K. Pearson","Karen Olsson‐Francis","Geraint Morgan"],"tags":["Earth (classical element)","Astrobiology","Earth science","Extreme environment","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4np00037d","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.121Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4390099204","name":"Single-cell analysis in hypersaline brines predicts a water-activity limit of microbial anabolic activity","source":"openalex","abstract":"Hypersaline brines provide excellent opportunities to study extreme microbial life. Here, we investigated anabolic activity in nearly 6000 individual cells from solar saltern sites with water activities ( a w ) ranging from 0.982 to 0.409 (seawater to extreme brine). Average anabolic activity decreased exponentially with a w , with nuanced trends evident at the single-cell level: The proportion of active cells remained high (>50%) even after NaCl saturation, and subsets of cells spiked in activity as a w decreased. Intracommunity heterogeneity in activity increased as seawater transitioned to brine, suggesting increased phenotypic heterogeneity with increased physiological stress. No microbial activity was detected in the 0.409- a w brine (an MgCl 2 -dominated site) despite the presence of cell-like structures. Extrapolating our data, we predict an a w limit for detectable anabolic activity of 0.540, which is beyond the currently accepted limit of life based on cell division. This work demonstrates the utility of single-cell, metabolism-based techniques for detecting active life and expands the potential habitable space on Earth and beyond.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adj3594","authors":["Emily R. Paris","Néstor Arandia‐Gorostidi","Benjamin Klempay","Jeff S. Bowman","A. Pontefract","Claire E. Elbon","Jennifer B. Glass","Ellery D. Ingall","Peter T. Doran","Sanjoy M. Som","B. E. Schmidt","Anne Dekas"],"tags":["Anabolism","Seawater","Brine","Water activity","Extreme environment"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adj3594","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.121Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W2136980938","name":"AVIATR—Aerial Vehicle for In-situ and Airborne Titan Reconnaissance","source":"openalex","abstract":"We describe a mission concept for a stand-alone Titan airplane mission: Aerial Vehicle for In-situ and Airborne Titan Reconnaissance (AVIATR). With independent delivery and direct-to-Earth communications, AVIATR could contribute to Titan science either alone or as part of a sustained Titan Exploration Program. As a focused mission, AVIATR as we have envisioned it would concentrate on the science that an airplane can do best: exploration of Titan’s global diversity. We focus on surface geology/hydrology and lower-atmospheric structure and dynamics. With a carefully chosen set of seven instruments—2 near-IR cameras, 1 near-IR spectrometer, a RADAR altimeter, an atmospheric structure suite, a haze sensor, and a raindrop detector—AVIATR could accomplish a significant subset of the scientific objectives of the aerial element of flagship studies. The AVIATR spacecraft stack is composed of a Space Vehicle (SV) for cruise, an Entry Vehicle (EV) for entry and descent, and the Air Vehicle (AV) to fly in Titan’s atmosphere. Using an Earth-Jupiter gravity assist trajectory delivers the spacecraft to Titan in 7.5 years, after which the AVIATR AV would operate for a 1-Earth-year nominal mission. We propose a novel ‘gravity battery’ climb-then-glide strategy to store energy for optimal use during telecommunications sessions. We would optimize our science by using the flexibility of the airplane platform, generating context data and stereo pairs by flying and banking the AV instead of using gimbaled cameras. AVIATR would climb up to 14 km altitude and descend down to 3.5 km altitude once per Earth day, allowing for repeated atmospheric structure and wind measurements all over the globe. An initial Team-X run at JPL priced the AVIATR mission at FY10 $715M based on the rules stipulated in the recent Discovery announcement of opportunity. Hence we find that a standalone Titan airplane mission can achieve important science building on Cassini ’s discoveries and can likely do so within a New Frontiers budget.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10686-011-9275-9","authors":["Jason W. Barnes","Lawrence G. Lemke","Rick Foch","Christopher P. McKay","R. A. Beyer","J. Radebaugh","D. H. Atkinson","R. D. Lorenz","Stéphane Le Mouëlic","S. Rodríguez","Jay Gundlach","F. Giannini"],"tags":["Titan (rocket family)","Remote sensing","Astrobiology","In situ","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-12-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10686-011-9275-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.121Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411331824","name":"Phosphorylation of nucleosides by P-N bond species generated from prebiotic reduced phosphorus sources","source":"openalex","abstract":"P-N species e.g., amidophosphates readily phosphorylate organics, thereby overcoming the so-called ‘Phosphate Problem’. However, the formation of amidophosphates by plausible early Earth geochemical pathways is limited. We herein show that ammonolysis of the prebiotically plausible dimer of phosphite, pyrophosphite, readily affords amidophosphite, the monomeric P-N derivative of phosphite. Amidophosphite then undergoes spontaneous oxidation to form monoamidophosphate (MAP) and diamidophosphate (DAP) at room temperature (yields of the inorganic P-N species up to 48%). Oxidation of amidophosphite is promoted by O2, H2O2, ClO⁻ and by UV light irradiation (365 nm). Both amidophosphite and MAP and the crude reaction mixture react with nucleosides to form nucleotides with both phosphate and H-phosphonate (yields up to 65%) at 80 °C in the presence of urea, showing that monoamidated phosphorus compounds also willingly promote prebiotic reactions. This observation expands the range of P-N phosphorylating agents that can play a role in the chemical evolution of prebiotic molecules on the early Earth. The challenge of the ‘Phosphate Problem’ in prebiotic chemistry limits the formation of key phosphorylating agents. Here, the authors demonstrate that ammonolysis of pyrophosphite yields amidophosphite, which oxidizes to monoamidophosphate, facilitating nucleotide formation from nucleosides.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-025-01577-0","authors":["Maheen Gull","Harold A. Cruz","Ramanarayanan Krishnamurthy","Matthew A. Pasek"],"tags":["Prebiotic","Phosphorus","Phosphorylation","Chemistry","Black phosphorus"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-025-01577-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.121Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.121Z"},{"id":"oa:W4412488725","name":"Radioactivity distribution and concomitant hazards evaluation of industrial zones soils from Chattogram, Bangladesh: A multivariate statistical analysis","source":"openalex","abstract":"Soil can pose significant radiation hazard in areas with elevated radioactivity levels from geological or anthropogenic sources, potentially contributing to human exposure through the food chain and atmosphere. However, industrial activities can alter radionuclides distribution by releasing residues or effluents, leading to their accumulation in the environment. In general, soil provides clear insights into geological characteristics and heavy metal exploration, in addition to assessing the risks of radiation exposure. This study investigates the distribution of NORMs and assesses radiological hazards in twenty soil samples collected from two major industrial zones in the Chattogram City of Bangladesh: the Bayazid Industrial Area and the Kalurghat Heavy Industry Area. The activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K in the analyzed soil samples range from 8 ± 1-18 ± 1, 15 ± 1-35 ± 3, and 192 ± 17-420 ± 35 Bq/kg, respectively, remaining below the global average for soil. The radiological hazard indices indicate negligible health risks to the public or environment, suggesting that the industrial activities are not releasing any radiotoxic elements in the surrounding environment. Statistical analysis identified 40K and 232Th as the primary contributors to radiological hazards, supported by strong correlations and significant principal component loadings. Additionally, this study provides baseline data for monitoring environmental radioactivity levels, particularly in light of the upcoming commissioning of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in 2025.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0328356","authors":["M. M. Mahfuz Siraz","Md. Shahidul Islam","Afroza Shelley","Mohammad Shafiqul Alam","Araf Mahmud","Md. Bazlar Rashid","Mayeen Uddin Khandaker","Selina Yeasmin","M. Safiur Rahman"],"tags":["Multivariate analysis","Multivariate statistics","Statistical analysis","Soil water","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0328356","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.121Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.121Z"},{"id":"oa:W4366827950","name":"Effect of Plasma Temperature on Major Element Prediction Accuracy From Laser‐Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Laser‐induced breakdown spectra (LIBS) were collected on a diverse suite of ∼2,600 geological standards using four laser energies (2.4–7.2 mJ) to assess how variations in irradiance from stand‐off distance affect prediction accuracy. Mismatches in laser energies and plasma temperatures between training and prediction datasets introduce substantial uncertainty in major element predictions. For example, using 2.4 mJ spectra to predict 7.2 mJ data results in errors of ±8.9, ±1.4, ±3.8, ±3.2, ±1.6, ±1.0, ±0.6, and ±1.0 wt% for SiO2, TiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, MgO, CaO, Na2O, and K2O, respectively. When plasma temperatures of unknowns are represented in a multiple‐plasma‐temperature training set, prediction accuracies improve for the same oxides: ±3.0, ±0.3, ±1.3, ±1.4, ±1.0, ±0.7, ±0.5, and ±0.5 wt%. These results suggest that accuracies reported for Mars LIBS predictions based on single‐distance, single laser‐power calibration data may be overly optimistic except where Mars plasmas serendipitously match those acquired in the laboratory.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023gl102919","authors":["Kate Lepore","M. D. Dyar","C. R. Ytsma"],"tags":["Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy","Mars Exploration Program","Plasma","Laser","Spectral line"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-04-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023gl102919","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.121Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.121Z"},{"id":"oa:W4416196294","name":"Lunar Regolith Sampling Technologies: A Critical Review","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract For future lunar exploration missions, In Situ Resource Utilisation (ISRU) is widely gaining attention. It refers to the creation of products by using natural resources locally available at the mission destination to sustain long-duration space missions while reducing risk and cost. With this aim, a key resource is represented by lunar regolith since it contains crucial components for supporting human life, propellant production, and the construction of habitats, tools, and other infrastructures. For the development of lunar ISRU technology, regolith samples returned during past missions (i.e., Apollo, Luna, and Chang’E programs) are key to informing technology requirements. Therefore, it is crucial to understand whether returned samples accurately reflect the physicochemical properties of the lunar regolith environment (i.e., being representative samples) and, subsequently, how representative regolith sampling processes could be implemented to minimize potential biases in the collected samples. The present paper reviews the working principles of geological sampling technologies used during past lunar missions to collect currently available regolith samples. In this context, errors and biases related to the different sampling methods are detailed based on the different elements of a sampling methodology. In addition, novel approaches recently proposed for lunar regolith collection are reviewed in terms of working principles, sampling performance and errors/biases potentially encountered during operation. Evaluated sampling systems consider both surface and subsurface regolith applications and include drills, diggers, bioinspired devices, pneumatic and non-pneumatic systems, to provide guidelines supporting the development of representative sampling systems while maintaining light-weight structures, low actuation system and energy requirements.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-025-01239-6","authors":["Serena R. M. Pirrone","Joseph Witchalls","Jarrett D. Dillenburger","Trunal Patil","Aelyn Chong Castro","Kathryn Hadler"],"tags":["Regolith","Sampling (signal processing)","Space exploration","Environmental science","Resource (disambiguation)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-025-01239-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.121Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W4389096510","name":"The nature of insoluble organic matter in Sutter's Mill and Murchison carbonaceous chondrites: Testing the effect of x‐ray computed tomography and exploring parent body organic molecular evolution","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract This study analyzed samples of the Murchison and Sutter's Mill carbonaceous chondrite meteorites in support of the future analysis of samples returned from the asteroid (10155) Bennu by the OSIRIS‐REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security–Regolith Explorer) mission. Focusing specifically on the insoluble organic matter (IOM), this study establishes that a total of 1.3 g of bulk sample from a single chondritic meteorite are sufficient to obtain a wide range of cosmochemical information, including light element analysis (H, C, and N), isotopic analysis (D/H, 13C/12C, and 15N/14N), and x‐ray fluorescence spectroscopy for major elemental abundances. IOM isolated from the bulk meteorite samples was analyzed by light element and isotopic analysis as described above, 1H and 13C solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and complete noble gas analyses (abundances and isotopes). The samples studied included a pair from Murchison (CM2), one of which had been irradiated with high‐energy x‐rays in the course of computed tomographic imaging. No differences between the irradiated and non‐irradiated Murchison samples were observed in the many different chemical and spectroscopic analyses, indicating that any x‐ray–derived sample damage is below levels of detection. Elemental, isotopic, and molecular spectroscopic data derived from IOM isolated from the Sutter's Mill sample reveals evidence that this meteorite falls into the class of heated CM chondrites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14096","authors":["George D. Cody","C. M. O'd. Alexander","Dionysis I. Foustoukos","H. Busemann","S. A. Eckley","Aaron S. Burton","E. L. Berger","Michel Nuevo","Scott A. Sandford","D. P. Glavin","Jason P. Dworkin","H. C. Connolly"],"tags":["Murchison meteorite","Meteorite","Chondrite","Parent body","Carbonaceous chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14096","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.121Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4252093900","name":"Nine years of UV aerosol optical depth measurements at Thessaloniki, Greece","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. Spectral measurements of the aerosol optical depth (AOD) and the Angstrom coefficient were conducted at Thessaloniki, Greece (40.5° N, 22.9° E) between January 1997 and December 2005 with a Brewer MKIII double-monochromator spectroradiometer. The dataset was compared with collocated measurements of a second spectroradiometer (Brewer MKII) and a CIMEL sun-photometer, showing correlations of 0.93 and 0.98 respectively. A seasonal variation of the AOD was observed at Thessaloniki, with AOD values at 340 nm of 0.52 and 0.28 for August and December respectively. Back trajectories of air masses for up to 4 days were used to assess the influence of long-range transport from various regions to the aerosol load over Thessaloniki. It is shown that part of the observed seasonality can be attributed to air masses with high AOD originating from North-Eastern and Eastern directions during summertime. The analysis of the long-term record (9 years) of AOD showed a downward tendency. A similar decreasing tendency was found in the record of the PM-10 aerosol measurements, which are conducted near the surface at 4 air-quality monitoring stations in the area of the city of Thessaloniki.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/acpd-7-537-2007","authors":["S. Kazadzis","Alkiviadis Bais","Vassilis Amiridis","Dimitris Balis","Charikleia Meleti","Natalia Kouremeti","Christos Zerefos","S. Rapsomanikis","M. Petrakakis","A. Kelesis","Paraskevi Tzoumaka","Kyriaki Kelektsoglou"],"tags":["Spectroradiometer","Aerosol","Sun photometer","Environmental science","Angstrom"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-01-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/acpd-7-537-2007","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.121Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.121Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391004099","name":"Observation of Iron with Eight Coordination in Iron Trifluoride under High Pressure","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The chemistry of hypercoordination has been a subject of fundamental interest, especially for understanding structures that challenge conventional wisdom. The small ionic radii of Fe ions typically result in coordination numbers of 4 or 6 in stable Fe‐bearing ionic compounds. While 8‐coordinated Fe has been observed in highly compressed oxides, the pursuit of hypercoordinated Fe still faces significant challenges due to the complexity of synthesizing the anticipated compound with another suitable anion. Through first‐principles simulation and advanced crystal structure prediction methods, we predict that an orthorhombic phase of FeF 3 with exclusively 8‐coordinated Fe is energetically stable above 18 GPa—a pressure more feasibly achieved compared to oxides. Inspired by this theoretical result, we conducted extensive experiments using a laser‐heated diamond anvil cell technique to investigate the crystal structures of FeF 3 at high‐pressure conditions. We successfully synthesized the predicted orthorhombic phase of FeF 3 at 46 GPa, as confirmed by in situ experimental X‐ray diffraction data. This work establishes a new ionic compound featuring rare 8‐coordinated Fe in a simple binary Fe‐bearing system and paves the way for discovering Fe hypercoordination in similar systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202319320","authors":["Wencheng Lu","Siyu Liu","Mi Zhou","Hongbo Wang","Guangtao Liu","Hanyu Liu","Yanming Ma"],"tags":["Orthorhombic crystal system","Ionic radius","Ionic bonding","Coordination number","Diamond anvil cell"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202319320","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.121Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W4414079399","name":"Desert cyanobacteria under non-Earth conditions: Implications for astrobiology and sustainable life support","source":"openalex","abstract":"The astonishing capability of life to adapt to extreme conditions provides a new perspective on what habitable means. Desert cyanobacteria of the genus Chroococcidiopsis have been investigated for survival potential under laboratory simulations of space and planetary conditions as well as under real space conditions or Mars conditions simulated in LEO. When exposure conditions did not exceed repair capabilities, insights were gained on constraints that life can withstand. When accumulated damage exceeded repair potential, biomarker detectability contributed to the search of life beyond Earth. Results of the ESA BIOMEX and BOSS space missions performed outside the ISS showed that ultraviolet radiation greatly affects cellular survival and biomarkers stability. On the contrary, ionizing radiation does not significantly impair biomarker detectability in dried cells as revealed by Raman spectroscopy and fluorescence immunoassay. The capability of repairing upon retrieval back to Earth and rehydration, the DNA damage accumulated during 1.5-year exposure in LEO has implications for future cyanobacterial-based technologies. In this context, the effect of microgravity on DNA repair capability will be investigated with the ASI BIORIDER experiment to be performed in the maiden flight of the ESA Space Rider. During the ASI project Life in Space the survival potential of dried Chroococcidiopsi s under laboratory-planetary simulations was investigated, yielding new insight into endurance under salty-ice conditions simulating icy worlds. The capability of desert strains to harvest near-infrared is under investigation in the context of the ASI ASTERIA project that holds implications for oxygenic photosynthesis on exoplanets. The gathered knowledge will contribute to perform new experimentations and advance the scientific utilization of the space platforms that are under development or in advanced planning stage for experiments beyond LEO. The endurance of desert cyanobacteria under space and Mars-like conditions and their capability to grow using resources available in situ on the Moon and Mars have bene investigated in the ASI ReBUS project and on-going results gathered in the Space It Up project will further contribute to fill the gaps in developing cyanobacterial-based life systems to support human settlements on the Moon and Mars. • Desert cyanobacteria are suitable model for space missions. • Desert cyanobacteria survived space radiation. • Desert cyanobacteria capable of FaRLiP survived Mars simulations. • Desert cyanobacteria use resources available on the Moon and Mars. • Desert cyanobacteria repair DNA damage accumulated in space.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.09.022","authors":["Daniela Billi"],"tags":["Context (archaeology)","Astrobiology","Extreme environment","Environmental science","Cyanobacteria"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.09.022","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.121Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W2017857090","name":"The modern aerosol retrieval algorithms based on the simultaneous measurements of the intensity and polarization of reflected solar light: a review","source":"openalex","abstract":"In this paper the algorithms to retrieve atmospheric aerosol properties using spaceborne observations are reviewed. The main focus is on the algorithms based on simultaneous measurements of the intensity and degree of polarization of reflected solar light at the top-of-atmosphere.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2015.00004","authors":["Alexander Kokhanovsky"],"tags":["Aerosol","Polarization (electrochemistry)","Remote sensing","Environmental science","Atmosphere (unit)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-02-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2015.00004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.121Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.121Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406450025","name":"A Disintegrating Rocky World Shrouded in Dust and Gas: Mid-infrared Observations of K2-22 b Using JWST","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The disintegrating ultrashort period rocky exoplanet K2-22 b periodically emits dusty clouds in a dynamically chaotic process resulting in a variable transit depth from 0% to 1.3%. The effluents that sublimate off the surface and condense out in space are probably representative of the formerly interior layers convectively transported to the molten surface. Transmission spectroscopy of these transiting clouds reveals spectral fingerprints of the interior composition of this rocky world. We used JWST’s Mid-Infrared Instrument as a low-resolution slitless spectrograph to observe four predicted transit windows for K2-22 b. For each observation, we extracted a transmission spectrum over the spectral range of 4.4–11.8 μm. Over the spectral range of 4.4–8 μm, where the spectral precision is highest, we detect one transit at high significance and two at low significance. While the signal-to-noise ratio of the spectrum limits our ability to draw firm conclusions, we find that the data (1) disfavor featureless, iron-dominated core material, (2) are consistent with some form of magnesium silicate minerals, likely from mantle material, and (3) show a distinct and unexpected feature at ∼5 μm. The unexpected feature, also seen weakly in the low-significance transits, is consistent with an unknown gaseous absorber, possibly NO and/or CO2. These findings warrant further study to improve the constraints on the composition of this disintegrating rocky world.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/addfd0","authors":["Nick Tusay","Jason T. Wright","Thomas G. Beatty","Steve Desch","Knicole D. Colón","Tushar Mittal","H. P. Osborn","Beatriz Campos Estrada","James E. Owen","Jessica E. Libby-Roberts","Arvind F. Gupta","Brad Foley"],"tags":["Environmental science","Astrobiology","Geography","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/addfd0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.121Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W3183740164","name":"AMBITION – comet nucleus cryogenic sample return","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We describe the AMBITION project, a mission to return the first-ever cryogenically-stored sample of a cometary nucleus, that has been proposed for the ESA Science Programme Voyage 2050. Comets are the leftover building blocks of giant planet cores and other planetary bodies, and fingerprints of Solar System’s formation processes. We summarise some of the most important questions still open in cometary science and Solar System formation after the successful Rosetta mission. We show that many of these scientific questions require sample analysis using techniques that are only possible in laboratories on Earth. We summarize measurements, instrumentation and mission scenarios that can address these questions. We emphasize the need for returning a sample collected at depth or, still more challenging, at cryogenic temperatures while preserving the stratigraphy of the comet nucleus surface layers. We provide requirements for the next generation of landers, for cryogenic sample acquisition and storage during the return to Earth. Rendezvous missions to the main belt comets and Centaurs, expanding our knowledge by exploring new classes of comets, are also discussed. The AMBITION project is discussed in the international context of comet and asteroid space exploration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10686-021-09770-4","authors":["D. Bockelée–Morvan","G. Filacchione","K. Altwegg","E. Bianchi","Martin Bizzarro","Jürgen Blum","L. Bonal","F. Capaccioni","Mathieu Choukroun","C. Codella","Hervé Cottin","B. Davidsson","M. C. De Sanctis","M. N. Drozdovskaya","C. Engrand","M. Galand","C. Güttler","Pierre Henri","Alain Hèrique","Stavro Ivanovski","Rosita Kokotanekova","Anny-Chantal Levasseur-Regourd","Kelly E. Miller","A. Rotundi","Maria Schönbächler","C. Snodgrass","Nicolas Thomas","C. Tubiana","Stephan Ulamec","Jean‐Baptiste Vincent"],"tags":["Comet","Nucleus","Astronomy","Sample (material)","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-07-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10686-021-09770-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W2298063960","name":"Experimental Studies of Ion-Neutral Chemistry Related to the Extraterrestrial Environment","source":"openalex","abstract":"Kinetic data is presented for a variety of ion-neutral reactions which are relevant to the atmosphere of Titan and to the chemistry occurring in interstellar clouds. The data were recorded with a Selected Ion Flow Tube (SIFT) operating at room temperature (294 ± 4 K) and at a pressure of 0.46 Torr. Results of the recent Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn and Titan have identified several species in the atmosphere of Titan not predicted by pre-Cassini models of the atmosphere. In order to determine the fate of three of these species (methylenimine, propionitrile and cyanodiacetylene) in Titan's ionosphere, their reactivity with the principal ions in Titan's upper ionosphere has been examined. As expected, collision rate proton transfer reactions dominate the chemistry with association channels also observed with many of the hydrocarbon ions. The results of the Cassini mission also identified several individual reactions as being of potential importance to models of Titan's atmosphere and this chemistry has also been examined. The above studies are also relevant to the interstellar medium where each of the neutral reactants have also been detected. The results of some proton transfer equilibrium studies are also presented. The gas phase basicities of propyne and acetylene have been determined to be 681 kJ mol⁻¹ and 617.4 kJ mol⁻¹ respectively. Their relative proton affinities can be estimated from these values. A combined experimental/theoretical study of the proton affinity of cyanodiacetylene (HC₅N) has enabled this value to be estimated at 770 ± 20 kJ mol⁻¹. Details of an attempt to complete the first laboratory measurement of the crucial reaction between H₃⁺ and atomic carbon are presented. The generation of atomic carbon in sufficient quantities for reaction in the SIFT was not possible with the microwave discharge source used. Other generation methods have also been explored with the laser photolysis of carbon suboxide expected to provide a possible solution to the problems encountered. The results of an investigation into the applicability of lithium ions (Li⁺) to SIFT-MS are presented. The lithium ions associated with each of the twenty-one neutral analytes examined to form pseudo-molecular ions. The association reactions were rapid (k ~ 10⁻⁹ cm³ s⁻¹) for large hydrocarbons but were much slower for smaller analytes (k < 10⁻¹¹ cm³ s⁻¹). In order to clarify some unusual experimental observations, the effect of water molecules on the observed chemistry has been examined in detail. The measured chemistry has important consequences for the applicability of Li⁺ to SIFT-MS where the presence and detection of an identifiable ion of the analyte is essential. Details of new SIFT operating software which can be run on a modern computer are given. Mass spectra and kinetic data recorded with the new software are also presented.","url":"https://doi.org/10.26021/7238","authors":["Samuel J. Edwards"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology","Chemistry","Ion","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.26021/7238","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W2784511242","name":"Is Searching for Martian Life a Priority for the Mars Community?","source":"openalex","abstract":"in response to our initial Forum Article Unfortunately, they are also unconvincing. Their comments clearly illustrate why we are not searching for life on Mars today and why we haven't done so during the last decades. Hereafter, we respond point by point to their remarks. We examine with special attention Rummel and Conley's (2017) statement that ''the Mars community is not convinced that a mission to attempt detection of extant martian life is a high priority,'' because in our view this sentence reflects an alarming disconnection between the opinions of the NASA Planetary Protection Officers and the actual priorities, goals, and desires of the Mars community. Note that, to address their comments specifically, we cite them as they were presented by Rummel and Conley (2017). We conclude that searching for life on Mars before it is too late requires a reassessment of current policies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2017.1772","authors":["Alberto González Fairén","Vı́ctor Parro","Dirk Schulze‐Makuch","Lyle G. Whyte"],"tags":["Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Schulze method","Library science","History"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-01-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2017.1772","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4403964875","name":"Ancient environmental microbiomes and the cryosphere","source":"openalex","abstract":"In this review, we delineate the unique set of characteristics associated with cryosphere environments (namely, ice and permafrost) which present both challenges and opportunities for studying ancient environmental microbiomes (AEMs). In a field currently reliant on several assumptions, we discuss the theoretical and empirical feasibility of recovering microbial nucleic acids (NAs) from ice and permafrost with varying degrees of antiquity. We also summarize contamination control best practices and highlight considerations for the latest approaches, including shotgun metagenomics, and downstream bioinformatic authentication approaches. We review the adoption of existing software and provide an overview of more recently published programs, with reference to their suitability for AEM studies. Finally, we summarize outstanding challenges and likely future directions for AEM research.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2024.09.010","authors":["Alexander D. Williams","Vivian Leung","Julian W. Tang","Nishimura Hidekazu","Nobuhiro Suzuki","Andrew Clarke","David A. Pearce","Tommy Tsan‐Yuk Lam"],"tags":["Biology","Microbiome","Ecology","Cryosphere","Computational biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2024.09.010","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4417145559","name":"Climate Emergency and Different Ways to Fail? The Fermi Paradox, the Simulation Hypothesis, Agency and Hope","source":"openalex","abstract":"ABSTRACT Humanity seems stuck on different ways to fail to meet the challenge posed by a declared climate emergency and manifest problems of ecological breakdown. Rather than reprise these failures, we use the Fermi Paradox and simulation hypothesis to make a simple point about agency. The argument unfolds in two sections. I first introduce the Fermi Paradox and in a series of subsections I explore its different aspects. In the following section and its subsections, I do the same regarding the simulation hypothesis. The guiding question for both is, ‘should we be worried?’ Among other things, I point out that it is unwarranted fatalism to infer from the former (Fermi) that we are doomed or because of the latter (simulation) that nothing matters. At the same time, we are acting as though we are doomed and as if it didn't matter. I conclude with some brief comment on agency and hope.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jtsb.70023","authors":["Jamie Morgan"],"tags":["Agency (philosophy)","Argument (complex analysis)","Nothing","Fatalism","Point (geometry)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jtsb.70023","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4206933072","name":"Spectral Evidence for Irradiated Sodium Chloride on the Surface of 1 Ceres","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Bright spots on the surface of Ceres exhibit a mineralogy resulting from aqueous processes that hint at past elements of an aqueous world. Reports of hydrated sodium chloride (hydrohalite) at Occator crater suggested that the salts may result from deep brines that reached the surface recently or currently, but the spectral characteristics of alkali halides make their identification difficult. However, anhydrous sodium chloride (halite) develops readily identifiable absorption features when exposed to a radiation environment of high energy particles. We report on spectroscopic evidence, in the form of irradiation‐formed color centers, that suggests halite is a component of the bright surface features at Ceres. The spatial extent and inferred abundance are found to be greater than previously reported for hydrohalite. These findings imply that the emplacement of endogenic sodium chloride on the surface occurred via a suite of processes and that subsurface liquid water environments may have persisted through time.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2021gl096973","authors":["M. S. Bramble","K. P. Hand"],"tags":["Halite","Sodium","Aqueous solution","Halide","Chloride"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2021gl096973","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4382446806","name":"Transitioning to a New Space Age in the 21st Century: A Systemic-Level Approach","source":"openalex","abstract":"Since the first launch of an artificial satellite—Sputnik 1—in 1957, space activities have played a significant role as a pioneering technological sector with a high impact on the international scenario. The space system has changed rapidly in the last 30 years, as a result of an intersystemic transition from a bipolar and simplified space system in the 20th century to a new and more complex space system in the 21st century. The post-Cold War space system has undergone multiple changes in its key system parameters—actors, interactions, processes, trends, etc.—that require new scientific approaches. Currently, there is extensive literature that attempts to address these changes, but it is an atomized and fragmented approach that focuses only on particular aspects of space activities, failing to provide a holistic perspective of the systemic changes. This article is analytical and is concerned with how space activities can be empirically examined using a systemic-level approach and systems models, and how the fundaments of systems science are a valuable methodological toolkit to be applied to the field of space studies. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to apply a systems architecture model—previously developed for the author—to the study of the key characteristics of the 21st century space age. The result is a systemic-level study of the new space age in the 21st century, which identifies and describes the intersystemic transition from the Cold War (1947–1991) to the post-Cold War period (1991 to the present), showing the profound changes in the main parameters of the space system and the emergence of new space actors, interactions, processes, and megatrends in space that have a significant impact on the entire world system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/systems11050232","authors":["Francisco Del Canto Viterale"],"tags":["Space (punctuation)","Space Age","Systems science","Space exploration","Perspective (graphical)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-05-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/systems11050232","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4415151502","name":"Relationship between ices and gas phase organic compounds in simulated extraterrestrial environments","source":"openalex","abstract":"Ices are significant sources of organic matter in various extraterrestrial environments, including the interstellar medium, protoplanetary disks, comets, or icy satellites. This study tested the impact of ice compositions on the formation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the gas phase in simulating the warming up of photoprocessed icy grains at the edge of a protoplanetary disk. 39 VOCs (alkanes, alkenes, esters, ketones, ethers, alcohols, aldehydes, amines, nitriles, amides) were quantified during the warming of different H2O:CH3OH:NH3 ices using gas chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass linked to a vacuum chamber. Different ice compositions showed direct relationships to VOC formation processes and unveiled the active role of NH3 reactivity. These results indicate that quantifying VOCs in the gas phase could provide insights into composition and surface reactivity of icy extraterrestrial objects. This experimental work further strengths the role that ices play in the enrichment of gas phase of various extraterrestrial environments. Ices are sources of organic matter in various astrophysical environments, but the impact of their composition on the formation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) remains underexplored. Here, the authors use gas chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (GC-Orbitrap-MS) to show that ice photo-processing and thermal evolution are directly correlated to VOC formation during the warming of different H2O:CH3OH:NH3 ices and highlight the role of NH3 in driving the formation of nitrogen refractory compounds.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-025-01692-y","authors":["Thomas Javelle","Fabrice Duvernay","Alexander Ruf","Chloé Granjon","Laura Selliez","Grégoire Danger"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology","Gas phase","Environmental chemistry","Organic matter"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-025-01692-y","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4410924594","name":"Amino Acids From Root Exudates Induce Bacillus Spore Germination to Enhance Root Colonisation and Plant Growth Promotion","source":"openalex","abstract":"Strains of Bacillus species, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, have been commercialised as biofertilisers; they are ideal for this because these species form spores that can be stored stably for a long time. However, for these spores to exert their full beneficial effects, they must germinate. The specific germination signals in the rhizosphere, particularly those from plant root exudates, remain largely unknown. Here, we investigated the germination signals from different growth states of cucumber (Cucumis sativus) for spores of Bacillus velezensis SQR9 and Bacillus subtilis NCIB 3610. We identified the corresponding germination receptors and compared them biochemically between the Bacillus species. Larger plants better stimulated spore germination. Five amino acids-L-isoleucine, L-ornithine, L-valine, L-serine and β-alanine were-identified as spore germination signals. Combined application of a mixture of these amino acids with bacterial spores markedly enhanced the cucumber growth-promoting properties of B. velezensis SQR9. The germination receptor for these amino acids was GerA in both Bacillus species. Differences in spore germination efficiency between B. subtilis and B. velezensis may be attributable to variations in the GerA ligand-recognition sites. Expression of GerA from B. subtilis NCIB 3610 in B. velezensis SQR9 enhanced the spore germination rate of the latter. Our study highlights the pivotal role of amino acids in regulating spore germination of Bacillus and subsequent plant root colonisation, emphasising their potential to enhance the efficacy of Bacillus-based biofertilisers. Engineering of germination receptors is a promising approach to enhance the spore germination efficiency of biofertiliser strains.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1751-7915.70172","authors":["Lili Tao","Xinli Sun","Pascale B. Beauregard","Taimeng Tan","Yuling Zhang","Jiyu Xie","Guidong Huang","Nan Zhang","Youzhi Miao","Qirong Shen","Zhihui Xu","Ruifu Zhang"],"tags":["Germination","Bacillus subtilis","Spore","Spore germination","Rhizobacteria"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1751-7915.70172","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W2981893382","name":"Testbed results for scalar and vector radiative transfer computations of light in atmosphere-ocean systems","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2019.106717","authors":["Jacek Chowdhary","Peng‐Wang Zhai","Feng Xu","Robert Frouin","Didier Ramon"],"tags":["Radiance","Atmosphere (unit)","Radiative transfer","Physics","Atmospheric model"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-10-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2019.106717","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4410563407","name":"Biorestorer: Synthetic Succession for Soil Restoration in Arid and Degraded Regions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Soil degradation in arid and semi-arid regions poses a critical threat to global ecological stability and food security. This paper introduces Biorestorer, a systems-based framework for initiating synthetic succession and synthetic pedogenesis in highly degraded or sterile substrates where natural recovery is infeasible. The Biorestorer concept integrates dual-temperature biochar, rock-solubilizing bacteria (RSB), and acidic minerals into a modular platform designed to lower pH, retain water, and promote microbial colonization—effectively jump-starting early-stage soil formation. Rather than focusing on reintroducing native vegetation or nutrients, Biorestorer reimagines soil as a biotechnological interface assembled and calibrated for extreme environmental contexts. Each module has empirical support from the literature, and although the full system has not yet been piloted in the field, its design allows validation through component-based experimentation. The approach is intended as a scalable tool for practical soil reclamation, ecological restoration, and land management in challenging environments. In addition, Biorestorer may offer a foundational approach for controlled extraterrestrial environments, such as Martian biospheres or lunar habitats, where resource-efficient and scalable pedogenic systems are essential. By merging ecological theory with engineered soil processes, this framework opens new possibilities for accelerated recovery of soil functions and regenerative land management both on Earth and beyond.","url":"https://doi.org/10.31223/x5p44h","authors":["Jan Chvojka"],"tags":["Ecological succession","Arid","Environmental science","Agroforestry","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.31223/x5p44h","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W3134177541","name":"Hydrogen isotopic exchange kinetics between organic matter and water: Implications for chemical evolution during meteorite parent body processing","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The large variations in hydrogen isotope ratios found in insoluble organic matter (IOM) in chondritic meteorites may be attributed to hydrogen isotopic exchange between IOM and water during aqueous alteration. We conducted D–H exchange experiments (1) during synthesis of IOM simulant (hereafter called chondritic organic analog, COA) from formaldehyde, glycolaldehyde, and ammonia with water, and (2) with the synthesized COA with a secondary reservoir of water. The changes in the D/H ratios obtained by infrared spectra of the COA suggest that most of the hydrogen in the COA is derived from water during synthesis. We further investigated the kinetics of D–H exchange between D‐rich COA and D‐poor water, as well as the opposite case, D‐poor COA and D‐rich water. To help assess understanding exchange kinetics, two‐dimensional isotope imaging obtained using isotope microscope revealed that no gradient D–H exchange profiles were present in the COA grains, indicating that the rate‐limiting step for D–H exchange is not diffusion. Thus, the changes in D/(D + H) ratios were fit by the first‐order reaction rate law. Apparent kinetic parameters—the rate constants, the activation energies, and the frequency factors—were obtained with the Arrhenius equation. Using these kinetic expressions, hydrogen isotopic exchange profiles were estimated for time and temperature behavior. The D–H exchange between organic matter and water is apparently relatively fast and this implies that the aqueous alteration temperatures should have been very low, likely close to 0 °C to maintain hydrogen isotopic disequilibrium between organic matter and liquid water for millions of years.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13629","authors":["Yoko Kebukawa","Sachio Kobayashi","Noriyuki Kawasaki","Ying Wang","Hisayoshi Yurimoto","George D. Cody"],"tags":["Chemistry","Hydrogen","Arrhenius equation","Chondrite","Aqueous solution"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13629","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4415849453","name":"Bennu and Ryugu constituents from samples IR analyses and potential source of terrestrial planets’ ingredients","source":"openalex","abstract":"Samples collected on carbonaceous asteroids and preserved from terrestrial alteration are key witnesses of the early evolution of the Solar System. Here we present the results of the characterization, by the near-IR hyperspectral microscope MicrOmega within the ISAS/JAXA curation center, of the samples returned from the Bennu asteroid by the OSIRIS-REx mission. We compare these samples to those from Ryugu, analyzed with the same instrument and at the same facility, using gram-scale quantities of material. We demonstrate that Bennu and Ryugu samples exhibit similar near-IR diagnostic spectral properties, from the centimetre down to the sub-millimetre scale. A wide variety of compounds are detected within a similar phyllosilicate-rich matrix, including diverse carbonates, H2O-rich and NH-rich phases, and notably Hydrated Ammonium-Magnesium-Phosphorus-rich grains. Rarely, anhydrous silicates are also observed. Despite some minor, although significant differences, our results indicate that the parent bodies of Ryugu and Bennu share similar formation and early evolution processes in the outer protoplanetary disk. Their main characteristics would, thus, define an entire class of objects which might have driven specific evolutionary pathways for terrestrial planets, including that which led to life on Earth. Analyses performed on the Ryugu and Bennu samples from the centimetre down to the sub-millimetre scale reveal that they share most near-IR spectral properties, implying similar initial material and evolution processes, yet not strictly identical.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-65438-z","authors":["C. Pilorget","Tatsuaki Okada","J.-P. Bibring","D. Loizeau","Kentaro Hatakeda","L. Nardelli","L. Riu","Rachel Y. Sheppard","Tianyan Jiang","Max Mahlke","R. Brunetto","D. Baklouti"],"tags":["Asteroid","Astrobiology","Hyperspectral imaging","Anhydrous","Carbonaceous chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-65438-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4327741477","name":"Assessment of Meteorological Drought under the Climate Change in the Kabul River Basin, Afghanistan","source":"openalex","abstract":"Kabul River Basin is one of the most significant river basins in Afghanistan from a socio-economic perspective. Since the country is located in an arid climate zone with drastically varying climatic behavior, an effective assessment of meteorological drought is very essential to managing the limited availability of water resources. For this endeavor, the outputs of three general circulation models under two representative concentration pathways (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5) were used against the baseline period of 1961–1980. Different bias correction methods were applied, and the results show that the delta change method, quantile mapping method, and empirical quantile mapping all performed better for the precipitation, maximum temperature, and minimum temperature datasets, respectively. The ERA5-Land datasets and WorldClim Version 2 are used to validate the bias-corrected precipitation and temperature datasets, respectively, to determine their dependability, and the results were found to be promising. Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), Reconnaissance Drought Index (RDI), Deciles Index (DI), and New Drought Index (NDI) were used to assess the drought condition in the past and forecast for the future periods of the 2020s, 2050s, and 2080s. The spatial distribution of assessed drought indices was mapped using the inverse distance weighting (IDW) method. Our results revealed that moderate to extreme droughts are consistent across the entire basin. This might be because the projected annual precipitation in the river basin shows a decline of 53–65% up to the end of this century (2100), and the average annual temperature is projected to increase by 1.8 °C, 3.5 °C, and 4.8 °C, respectively, for the three future periods of the 2020s, 2050s, and 2080s. Furthermore, the results show that the drought estimated by SPI and RDI for future climate scenarios is almost the same, whereas NDI estimates frequent drought events after the 2050s. However, for moderate drought, RDI, which includes the effects of evapotranspiration, was found to be far greater than SPI under both scenarios, and NDI considering temperature and precipitation also estimates a larger number of drought years, strengthening the possibility of its occurrence in the basin. A regional comparison of drought also indicates a decrease in precipitation in future periods, predominantly in high altitudes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14030570","authors":["Massouda Sidiqi","K. S. Kasiviswanathan","Traugott Scheytt","Suresh Devaraj"],"tags":["Precipitation","Environmental science","Inverse distance weighting","Climate change","Climatology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-03-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14030570","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W7154403480","name":"Synergistic Mechanisms in the Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and thiooxidans Consortium: A Comprehensive Review","source":"openalex","abstract":"In bioleaching processes, the use of microbial consortia establishes a favourable environment that supports the growth and activity of multiple microorganisms, thereby enhancing their synergistic interactions during leaching. Mineral dissolution efficiency is consistently higher in consortia than in monocultures. Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans and Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans exhibit metabolic complementarity and synchrony, including interactions with thermophilic microorganisms. Bioleaching is typically conducted under highly acidic conditions (pH 1–2), where microorganisms utilize essential resources such as nutrients and oxygen, while tolerating elevated concentrations of heavy metals. This review aims to examine the characteristics and current applications of microbial consortia, with particular emphasis on their interactions with heavy metals, the behaviour of their exopolysaccharides (EPS) under toxic conditions, their role in bioremediation across diverse environmental systems, and their potential for industrial implementation. Microbial consortia represent a high-value biotechnological tool in both mining and environmental remediation. Their synergistic interactions enable enhanced efficiency in the bioleaching of sulphide minerals, promoting the mobilization of both economically valuable and contaminant metals, and significantly outperforming individual cultures. Consequently, microbial consortia constitute a versatile, resilient, and eco-efficient platform for metal recovery and the mitigation of environmental liabilities. This review focuses on the applications of bacterial consortia in bioleaching processes and highlights their potential for emerging and future use.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/environments13040216","authors":["Hugo Ramírez-Aldaba","Estela Ruiz‐Baca","Miguel A. Escobedo-Bretado","Emily García-Montiel","Pablo Jaciel Adame-Soto","René H. Lara"],"tags":["Bioleaching","Acidithiobacillus","Bioremediation","Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans","Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/environments13040216","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4388097460","name":"Prebiotic Syntheses of Organophosphorus Compounds from Reduced Source of Phosphorus in Non-Aqueous Solvents","source":"openalex","abstract":"Reduced-oxidation-state phosphorus (reduced P, hereafter) compounds were likely available on the early Earth via meteorites or through various geologic processes. Due to their reactivity and high solubility, these compounds could have played a significant role in the origin of various organophosphorus compounds of biochemical significance. In the present work, we study the reactions between reduced P compounds and their oxidation products, with the three nucleosides (uridine, adenosine, and cytidine), with organic alcohols (glycerol and ethanolamine), and with the tertiary ammonium organic compound, choline chloride. These reactions were studied in the non-aqueous solvent formamide and in a semi-aqueous solvent comprised of urea: ammonium formate: water (UAFW, hereafter) at temperatures of 55-68 °C. The inorganic P compounds generated through Fenton chemistry readily dissolve in the non-aqueous and semi-aqueous solvents and react with organics to form organophosphites and organophosphates, including those which are identified as phosphate diesters. This dual approach (1) use of non-aqueous and semi-aqueous solvents and (2) use of a reactive inorganic P source to promote phosphorylation and phosphonylation reactions of organics readily promoted anhydrous chemistry and condensation reactions, without requiring any additive, catalyst, or other promoting agent under mild heating conditions. We also present a comparative study of the release of P from various prebiotically relevant phosphate minerals and phosphite salts (e.g., vivianite, apatite, and phosphites of iron and calcium) into formamide and UAFW. These results have direct implications for the origin of biological P compounds from non-aqueous solvents of prebiotic provenance.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life13112134","authors":["Maheen Gull","Tian Feng","Benjamin T. Smith","Laurent Calcul","Matthew A. Pasek"],"tags":["Chemistry","Aqueous solution","Formamide","Organic chemistry","Solvent"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-10-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life13112134","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4416107454","name":"Energetic convergence drives metabolic adaptation in lirima chilean high-altitude hydrothermal system","source":"openalex","abstract":"High-altitude hydrothermal systems provide laboratories for understanding microbial adaptation to extreme conditions. Here we investigated thermodynamic controls on metabolic transitions in Lirima hydrothermal system (Chile, 4000 meters above sea level) calculating affinities of competing carbon and sulfur reactions across pools (53–75 °C). Through geochemistry, numerical thermodynamic modeling, and stable isotope analysis, we identify Energetic Convergence Nodes where chemical affinities of competing pathways become equal. Calculations reveal hydrogenotrophic and carboxydotrophic methanogenesis converge with sulfate reduction at 63–64 °C. This corresponds with responses: carbon isotopes shift from −17.2‰ to −27.7‰, sulfur isotopes from −20.5‰ to −9.1‰, and carbon-to-sulfur ratios drop from ~10 to <1, indicating transition from carbon to sulfur-dominated metabolism. Microbial activity collapses at this temperature, while metagenomics validates both pathways. Independent analysis confirms convergence at 63–64 °C, establishing Energetic Convergence Nodes as predictive frameworks for metabolic boundaries with applications for early Earth biogeochemistry and extraterrestrial biosignature detection. Equal affinities of competing reactions at an energetic convergence node demonstrated a metabolic transition in the high-altitude Lirima hydrothermal system of Chile, according to combined geochemistry, thermodynamic modeling, stable isotope analysis, microbial activity measurements, and metagenomics.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02817-w","authors":["Pablo Paquis","Coral Pardo-Esté","Joseline Tapia","July Z. Florez","Vilma Pérez","Verónica Molina","Marcela Cornejo","Pablo A. Pérez","Chris Harrod","Wade H. Jeffrey","Sergio Calabrese","Paola Quatrini"],"tags":["Hydrothermal circulation","Methanogenesis","Isotopes of carbon","Chemistry","Carbon fibers"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02817-w","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W2996890125","name":"A wind-albedo-wind feedback driven by landscape evolution","source":"openalex","abstract":"The accurate characterization of near-surface winds is critical to our understanding of past and modern climate. Dust lofted by these winds has the potential to modify surface and atmospheric conditions as well as ocean biogeochemistry. Stony deserts, low dust emitting regions today, represent expansive areas where variations in surficial geology through time may drastically impact near-surface conditions. Here we use the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model over the western Gobi Desert to demonstrate a previously undocumented process between wind-driven landscape evolution and boundary layer conditions. Our results show that altered surficial thermal properties through winnowing of fine-grained sediments and formation of low-albedo gravel-mantled surfaces leads to an increase in near-surface winds by up to 25%; paradoxically, wind erosion results in faster winds regionally. This wind-albedo-wind feedback also leads to an increase in the frequency of hours spent at higher wind speeds, which has implications for dust emission potential.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-13661-w","authors":["Jordan T. Abell","Alex Pullen","Zachary J. Lebo","Paul Kapp","Lucas Gloege","A. R. Metcalf","Junsheng Nie","Gisela Winckler"],"tags":["Aeolian processes","Albedo (alchemy)","Environmental science","Prevailing winds","Wind speed"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-13661-w","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4392286341","name":"Polymeric composites in extrusion‐based additive manufacturing: a systematic review","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Solid composites used in material extrusion additive manufacturing have experienced considerable expansion over the past 5 years, incorporating functional properties into 3D‐printed objects. This paper presents a systematic review that aims to: (I) analyze the current state of development in the field; (II) quantify and categorize the adopted polymeric matrices, reinforcing materials, feedstock shapes, characterization strategies, and extrusion mechanisms; and (III) identify the applications, limitations, and trends for future research. The PRISMA statement was followed and the databases Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed were consulted. Among the 116 included studies, the use of customized filaments surpassed the commercially available ones, with particulate matter being the most common form of filler when melt‐mixed with the polymer. Polyamide is the most widely adopted matrix (30.3%), followed by PLA (22.0%) and ABS (17.4%). In terms of reinforcements, carbon fiber (32.4%), glass fiber (12.5%), and ceramics (12.5%) compose the podium as the most frequently used, with nanofillers receiving increasing attention. In the conducted analysis, no standardized protocols were identified that clearly encompassed the entire process from feedstock formulation to technical prototype fabrication. At last, recycling, exploration of biodegradable materials, and 4D printing were identified as the main opportunities for future research. Highlights Reinforced polymers enable the enhancement of properties for 3D‐printed parts. Composite feedstock is usually formulated and mixed before printing. 3D printers with filament‐ or screw‐based extrusion mechanisms have been used. Mechanical and morphological analyses are common in material characterization. No identified applications were employed in real‐world scenarios.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/pc.28269","authors":["Alina de Souza Leão Rodrigues","Ana Caroline Batista Pires","Patrícia Alves Barbosa","Zilda de Castro Silveira"],"tags":["Extrusion","Materials science","Fused filament fabrication","Raw material","3D printing"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/pc.28269","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W4297847642","name":"Report of the Topical Group on Particle Dark Matter for Snowmass 2021","source":"openalex","abstract":"This report summarizes the findings of the CF1 Topical Subgroup to Snowmass 2021, which was focused on particle dark matter. One of the most important scientific goals of the next decade is to reveal the nature of dark matter (DM). To accomplish this goal, we must delve deep, to cover high priority targets including weakly-interacting massive particles (WIMPs), and search wide, to explore as much motivated DM parameter space as possible. A diverse, continuous portfolio of experiments at large, medium, and small scales that includes both direct and indirect detection techniques maximizes the probability of discovering particle DM. Detailed calibrations and modeling of signal and background processes are required to make a convincing discovery. In the event that a candidate particle is found through different means, for example at a particle collider, the program described in this report is also essential to show that it is consistent with the actual cosmological DM. The US has a leading role in both direct and indirect detection dark matter experiments -- to maintain this leading role, it is imperative to continue funding major experiments and support a robust R\\&D program.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2209.07426","authors":["J. Cooley","Lin, Tongyan","Lippincott, W. Hugh","Slatyer, Tracy R.","Yu, Tien-Tien","Akerib, Daniel S.","Aramaki, Tsuguo","Baxter, Daniel","Bringmann, Torsten","Bunker, Ray","Carney, Daniel","Cebrián, Susana","Chen, Thomas Y.","Cushman, Priscilla","Dahl, C. E.","Essig, Rouven","Fan, Alden","Gaitskell, Richard","Galbiati, Cristano","Gelmini, Graciela B.","Giovanetti, Graham K.","Giroux, Guillaume","Grandi, Luca","Harding, J. Patrick","Haselschwardt, Scott","Hsu, Lauren","Horiuchi, Shunsaku","Kahn, Yonatan","Kim, Doojin","Kim, Geon-Bo","Kravitz, Scott","Kudryavtsev, V. A.","Kurinsky, Noah","Lang, Rafael F.","Leane, Rebecca K.","Lehmann, Benjamin V.","Levy, Cecilia","Li, Shengchao","Loer, Ben","Manalaysay, Aaron","Martoff, C. J","Mohlabeng, Gopolang","Monzani, M. E.","Murphy, Alexander St J.","Neilson, Russell","Nelson, Harry N.","O'Hare, Ciaran A. J.","Palladino, K. J.","Parikh, Aditya","Park, Jong-Chul","Perez, Kerstin","Profumo, Stefano","Raj, Nirmal","Roach, Brandon M.","Saab, Tarek","Sarsa, Maria Luísa","Schnee, Richard","Shaw, Sally","Shin, Seodong","Sinha, Kuver","Stifter, Kelly","Suzuki, Aritoki","Szydagis, M.","Tait, Tim M. P.","Takhistov, Volodymyr","Tsai, Yu-Dai","Vahsen, S. E.","Vitagliano, Edoardo","von Doetinchem, Philip","Wang, Gensheng","Westerdale, Shawn","Williams, David A.","Xiang, Xin","Yang, Liang"],"tags":["Dark matter","Physics","Particle physics","Weakly interacting massive particles","Event (particle physics)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-09-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2209.07426","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W7204438927","name":"Catalytic non-energetic formation of diverse peptides on cosmic dust under extraterrestrial conditions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract This study experimentally examines a non-energetic pathway for peptide formation under realistic space conditions. Unlike radiation-driven processes, this mechanism involves low- or zero-barrier reactions at cryogenic temperatures. This provides a less stochastic chemical pathway and favours molecular growth over fragmentation. Experiments conducted in ultra-high vacuum involve some of the most abundant cosmic species, such as H, C, CO, H 2 O, and NH 3 . The results demonstrate efficient peptide and peptide-derivative synthesis driven by the catalytic activity of organics formed during condensation. This self-enhancing chemistry suggests that peptides may act as catalysts, supporting molecular self-organization under astrophysical conditions. The addition of atomic hydrogen as a reactant increases molecular diversity, thus yielding peptides that contain glycine, alanine, serine, and threonine residues. Moreover, hydrogen substantially boosts polymerization efficiency, generating longer peptides and insoluble organic matter. These findings provide strong evidence that various peptides form in cold, extraterrestrial environments. The targeted search for non-canonical peptides H(NHCH 2 CO) n NH 2 and H(NHCH 2 CO) n H, efficiently formed in our experiments, in meteorites and during space missions, may not only confirm the feasibility of this pathway of extraterrestrial chemistry but also provide new insights into the origins of life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-026-02159-4","authors":["Serge A. Krasnokutski","F. Kruczkiewicz","Cedrick Bourseau","Quentin Remaury","Claude Geffroy-Rodier","Nico Ueberschaar","Pauline Poinot","K.-J. Chuang"],"tags":["Chemistry","Catalysis","Meteorite","Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-026-02159-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4416263321","name":"Celestial Claims and Cosmic Conflicts: Space Mining and the Moon Agreement in the Age of Extraterrestrial Exploitation","source":"openalex","abstract":"The emerging era of extraterrestrial resource extraction presents both unparalleled opportunities and profound legal dilemmas. As states and private actors advance toward space mining, the question of ownership, exploitation, and liability over celestial resources becomes increasingly critical. The 1979 Moon Agreement sought to establish the Moon and other celestial bodies as the “common heritage of mankind,” ensuring equitable use and preventing unilateral appropriation. However, its limited ratification—particularly the absence of major spacefaring nations—has rendered it largely ineffective. This paper critically analyzes the interplay between the Outer Space Treaty (1967) and the Moon Agreement (1979), examines the rise of national space resource legislation, and explores gaps in the international legal regime concerning ownership rights and liability. The article argues for a renewed, inclusive framework to balance commercial ambitions with equity, sustainability, and the peaceful use of outer space.","url":"https://doi.org/10.71097/ijsat.v16.i4.9422","authors":["Subholaxmi Mukherjee"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Outer space","Space (punctuation)","Space law","Treaty"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.71097/ijsat.v16.i4.9422","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4415667998","name":"Integration of SuperCam based chemical imaging and clustering to correlate geochemistry and mineralogy in heterogeneous samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"Peridotites are ultramafic rocks whose mineralogical diversity makes them suitable case studies for testing analytical methodologies. In this study, a peridotite sample from the Ronda massif (Málaga, Spain) was examined demonstrating a practical methodology for distinguishing geochemically distinct regions within complex lithologies. The sample was analyzed using a multi-instrumental approach combining laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), micro-energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (µ-EDXRF), and Raman spectroscopy, all of them integrated in the Perseverance rover payload. LIBS and µ-EDXRF were used to assess elemental composition and spatial distribution across the sample, whereas Raman spectroscopy confirmed the presence of mineral phases such as, olivine, pyroxenes, and chromiferous spinels in specific regions. Elemental LIBS ratios such as Mg# and Cr# further supported the identification of compositional variations related to mineral phases. Spectral LIBS data were processed using k-means clustering to segment geochemical zones and detect spatial trends. This integrated spectroscopic and statistical approach enables interpretation of ultramafic rock complexity and offers an efficient framework for planetary exploration under mission constraints.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-21770-4","authors":["Laura García‐Gómez","Iratxe Población","T. Delgado","J. J. Laserna","Marizú Velásquez","Pavel Pořízka","Jakub Buday","Jozef Kaiser","Álvaro Lobato","Ana I. Casado","Mercedes Taravillo","Juan Manuel Madariaga"],"tags":["Ultramafic rock","Geology","Mineral","Mineralogy","Massif"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-21770-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4405794040","name":"Research on the Earth Reflected Solar Spectral Radiation Observation System Based on the Lagrange L1 Point of the Earth–Moon System","source":"openalex","abstract":"We propose an observation system based on the Lagrange L1 point of the Earth–Moon system to observe solar spectral radiation reflected from the Earth, enabling continuous hyperspectral observation of the Earth’s hemisphere. The system can observe the solar spectral radiation reflected by the Moon, with its data applicable to on-orbit spectral radiation calibration. In this paper, the spectral irradiance at the entrance pupil of the Earth spectral radiation observation system (ESROS) is analyzed, and the optical design of the ESROS is introduced. An off-axis two-mirror telescope system, a coupling system of a microlens array and a fiber bundle, and an optical splitting system based on concave grating are used to achieve the full field of view hyperspectral splitting and miniaturization of the instrument. Finally, the stray radiation suppression of the instrument is introduced. The results show that the spectral resolution of the system is better than 5 nm in the 380–1000 nm band, and the spectral resolution is better than 10 nm in the 1000–1700 nm band. When observing the Earth, the signal-to-noise ratio is greater than 200. The external stray radiation suppression reaches the order of 10−9. The ESROS will provide crucial data support for researching global energy balance, climate change, and the spectral characteristics of exoplanets, facilitating planetary science and the exploration of extraterrestrial life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17010028","authors":["Cong Zhao","Kai Wang","Shuqi Li","Xin Ye","Xiaolong Yi","Ye Jiang","Wei Fang"],"tags":["Earth (classical element)","Astrobiology","Geology","Point (geometry)","Radiation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17010028","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4412939156","name":"Physicochemical Properties of α-Pinene in Water Ice Analogs under Energetic Heavy-Ion Irradiation","source":"openalex","abstract":"High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Studying the physicochemical properties of ice in astronomical environments is crucial to understanding the chemical processes involved in cosmic events such as comet and planet formation. The physical characteristics and chemical evolution on the surfaces of cosmic objects such as comets or interstellar grains offer key insights into these processes. This study focuses on α-pinene, a carbon- and hydrogen-rich molecule, which serves as a model for investigating radical-driven synthesis of more complex molecules under space-like conditions. It also provides a useful analogy for complex terrestrial organic molecules and sheds light on how organic matter interacts with water and radiation in extraterrestrial environments. In this work, we simulate the effects of heavy-ion cosmic ray bombardment on chiral molecules in the interstellar medium by analyzing the radiolysis of a C 10 H 16 /H 2 O (1:1) mixture irradiated with 61.3 MeV 84 Kr 15+ ions. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is employed to monitor the chemical evolution of ice samples at 10 K, both before and after irradiation. We identify 12 C n H m and ten C n H m O k molecules, including complex products such as naphthalene (C 10 H 8 ), glycolaldehyde (HCOCH 2 OH), and methyl formate (HCOOCH 3 ). The most abundant hydrogenated product is acetylene (C 2 H 2 ), followed by naphthalene (C 10 H 8 ), while the most abundant oxygenated molecules are vinyl alcohol (CH 2 CHOH) and ethanol (CH 3 CH 2 OH). Notably, the formation of CO 2 is minimal in this experiment. The destruction cross-sections of α-pinene and water in the (1:1) mixture are determined to be 3.5 and 6.4 × 10 –13 cm 2, respectively. The formation cross-sections for the products resulting from radiolysis are on average 2 × 10 –14 cm 2 for hydrocarbons and 0.6 × 10 –14 cm 2 for the oxygenated products.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.5c00152","authors":["A. L. F. de Barros","D. V. Doreste","Alessandra Ricca","Y. Murhej","E. F. da Silveira","P. Boduch","H. Rothard","A. Domaracka"],"tags":["Pinene","Irradiation","Water ice","Chemistry","Ion"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.5c00152","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4388671209","name":"Compositional heterogeneity of insoluble organic matter extracted from asteroid Ryugu samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We report a Fourier transform infrared analysis of functional groups in insoluble organic matter (IOM) extracted from a series of 100–500 μm Ryugu grains collected during the two touchdowns of February 22 and July 11, 2019. IOM extracted from most of the samples is very similar to IOM in primitive CI, CM, and CR chondrites, and shows that the extent of thermal metamorphism in Ryugu regolith was, at best, very limited. One sample displays chemical signatures consistent with a very mild heating, likely due to asteroidal collision impacts. We also report a lower carbonyl abundance in Ryugu IOM samples compared to primitive chondrites, which could reflect the accretion of a less oxygenated precursor by Ryugu. The possible effects of hydrothermal alteration and terrestrial weathering are also discussed. Last, no firm conclusions could be drawn on the origin of the soluble outlier phases, observed along with IOM in this study and in the preliminary analysis of Ryugu samples. However, it is clear that the HF/HCl residues presented in this publication are a mix between IOM and the nitrogen‐rich outlier phase.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14097","authors":["É. Quirico","L. Bonal","Yoko Kebukawa","Kana Amano","Hikaru Yabuta","Van T. H. Phan","Pierre Beck","Laurent Rémusat","E. Dartois","C. Engrand","Zita Martins","Laure Bejach"],"tags":["Chondrite","Organic matter","Meteorite","Regolith","Asteroid"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14097","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W4416758702","name":"Interstellar ices as carriers of supernova material to the early solar system","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Planetary materials show systematic variations in their nucleosynthetic isotope compositions that resonate with orbital distance. The origin of this pattern remains debated, limiting how these isotopic signatures can be used to trace the precursors of terrestrial planets. Here we test the hypothesis that interstellar ices carried supernova-produced nuclides by searching for a supernova nucleosynthetic fingerprint in aqueous alteration minerals from carbonaceous and non-carbonaceous chondrite meteorites. We focus on zirconium, a refractory element that includes the neutron-rich isotope 96 Zr formed in core-collapse supernovae. Leaching experiments reveal extreme 96 Zr enrichments in alteration minerals, showing that they incorporated supernova material hosted in interstellar ices. We show that the Solar System’s zirconium isotope variability reflects mixing between these ices and an ice-free rocky component. Finally, the presence of supernova nuclides in a volatile carrier supports models where the Solar System’s nucleosynthetic variability was imparted by thermal processing of material in the protoplanetary disk and during planetary accretion.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-65672-5","authors":["Martin Bizzarro","Martin Schiller","Jesper Holst","Laura Bouvier","Miroslav Groen","Frédéric Moynier","Elishevah van Kooten","Maria Schönbächler","Troels Haugbølle","D. Watson","Anders Johansen","James N. Connelly"],"tags":["Nuclide","Astrobiology","Solar System","Protoplanetary disk","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-65672-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4293105395","name":"Mechanisms of chromium isotope fractionation and the applications in the environment","source":"openalex","abstract":"Chromium (Cr) is a toxic heavy metal that gives rise to environmental pollution and human risk. Chromium stable isotopes have a wide range of applications in both environmental field and earth science field. In this contribution, we focus on the application of the Cr isotope in both tracing pollution sources and monitoring Cr(Ⅵ) pollution. Meanwhile, we also provide a description of the main influencing factors controlling Cr isotope fractionation, chromium isotope analytical methods, and terrestrial Cr release. Chromium isotope tracing of contaminant sources is a new application method, it has a tremendous advantage in searching for the source of Cr pollution, which has not been covered in previous reviews. At the end of the article, the current status of Cr isotope applications in the paleo-environment is explained. Although there are still some uncertainties in practical applications, chromium isotope system shows great promise in the environmental aspects.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113948","authors":["Ying Li","Yi Huang","Zijing Li","Xue Tang","Xiaowen Liu","S. S. Hughes"],"tags":["Chromium","Isotope fractionation","Isotope","Pollution","Environmental chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-08-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113948","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4399655229","name":"Proterozoic mafic dyke swarms of Bundelkhand Craton, North India: A connection to Columbia supercontinent","source":"openalex","abstract":"The present paper addresses petrography, geochemistry and Ar‐Ar geochronology of a significant number of mafic dykes from the Paleo‐ to Neoarchean Bundelkhand Craton in central India. The majority of the dykes are NW‐SE oriented (with a few NE‐SW and ENE‐WSW) with tholeiitic, sub‐alkaline and basalt to basaltic andesite composition. The trace element geochemistry of these dykes indicates an island arc setting during emplacement. The Ar‐Ar mineral dating (plagioclase) of three representative dykes reveals an emplacement age between 1.53 and 1.46 Ga. This finding and earlier reports (2.1–1.73 Ga) point to sustained mafic magmatism throughout the Bundelkhand Craton in a preferred structural orientation between 2.1 and 1.46 Ga. Mafic magmatism was episodic and can be linked to the perpetual subduction accretion processes between the central Indian Archean continents during the development of the Columbia supercontinent. The mafic dykes were emplaced at 45° to the maximum compression direction (E‐W), that is, along the line of no finite longitudinal strain. This time equivalent widespread NW‐SE and NE‐SW trending mafic dyke system is also relatable along the adjacent continents (Singhbhum, Bastar) and thus opened up a new paradigm for the dyke's emplacement across the Indian cratons.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/gj.4985","authors":["S. Raju","Makarand Bodas","R. Anshu","Susobhan Neogi"],"tags":["Supercontinent","Proterozoic","Craton","Mafic","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/gj.4985","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W4413106912","name":"Slow Radiolysis of Amino Acids in Mars-Like Permafrost Conditions: Applications to the Search for Extant Life on Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Future missions dedicated to the search for extant life on Mars will require a clear understanding of the organic biosignature degradation processes in the shallow icy subsurface. Galactic and solar cosmic rays constantly bombard the martian surface and transform and degrade organic biomolecules over time, eventually destroying chemical evidence of life. We conducted radiolysis experiments by exposing individual amino acids in H 2 O-ice and silicate matrices and amino acids from dead Escherichia coli microorganisms in H 2 O-ice to gamma radiation as a proxy for cosmic ray exposure on the martian surface. The rates of amino acid radiolytic degradation were determined. We found that amino acids in the surface ice on Mars would survive over 50 million years of cosmic ray exposure, which is far greater than the expected age of the current surface ice deposits on Mars. Amino acids from dead E. coli organic matter in H 2 O-ice and isolated pure amino acids dissolved in H 2 O-ice tend to degrade at similar rates. We found that amino acid radiolytic degradation rates increased with increasing ice temperature in both abiotic and biological amino acids. Montmorillonite did not provide additional protection against gamma radiation to amino acids. Based on our experiments, locations with pure ice or ice-dominated permafrost would be the best places to look for recently deposited amino acids on Mars and, thus, should be considered as a target sampling location for future Mars missions searching for extant life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15311074251366249","authors":["Alexander A. Pavlov","Hannah L. McLain","K. Farnsworth","D. P. Glavin","Jamie E. Elsila","Jason P. Dworkin","Zhidan Zhang","Christopher H. House"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Extant taxon","Astrobiology","Radiolysis","Life on Mars"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15311074251366249","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W7124224371","name":"Domed‐rim microbial polygons and their preservation potential","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Microbially induced sedimentary structures (MISS) derive from the interaction between sediments and unicellular microorganisms and are of interest to the search for the earliest signs of life in ancient rocks, on Earth and on Mars. Here, we describe a type of MISS in the form of a polygonal structure characterised by a domed rim. Despite earlier suggestions of a biological origin, several aspects regarding their formation mechanism, the criteria to distinguish these structures from abiotic mud cracks, and their preservation potential in the geological record remain insufficiently constrained. To identify and define the distinctive features characterising this MISS, we have investigated the morphology and formation mechanism of polygonal microbial mats in two modern sabkha locations in Qatar. The sedimentological, mineralogical and geochemical analyses suggest that the studied polygons result from microbe‐mineral interactions causing the stabilisation of detrital minerals (e.g. quartz, feldspar) and precipitation of micrite comprised of calcite and high‐Mg calcite. The polygonal morphology is mainly the result of two co‐occurring mechanisms: shrinkage, as a result of desiccation and microbial growth. A ∼1.5 cm‐sized domed‐rim has been identified as the key morphological feature that is exclusively present in and that allows for the recognition of, the polygons that form in association with a growing microbial mat. In cross‐section, a domed‐rim is comprised of millimetre‐thick laminae showing angular relationships (e.g. overgrowth of older lamina sets) that, we argue, cannot be formed in the absence of growing biomass. Finally, through the study of a radiocarbon‐dated ancient sabkha outcrop, it is shown that domed‐rim microbial polygons can survive degradation and diagenesis, producing a mineral fossil structure that can potentially be preserved for billions of years.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/dep2.70061","authors":["Franziska R. Blattmann","Timothy I. Eglinton","Negar Haghipour","Simon E. Rouwendaal","Stefano M. Bernasconi","John M. Rivers","Maria Dittrich","Zulfa Ali Al Disi","Kenneth H. Williford","Fadhil Sadooni","Hamad A. Al‐Saad Al‐Kuwari","Tomaso R. R. Bontognali"],"tags":["Sabkha","Microbial mat","Geology","Morphology (biology)","Sedimentary structures"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/dep2.70061","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W3199668645","name":"Additive Manufacturing and Spark Plasma Sintering of Lunar Regolith for Functionally Graded Materials","source":"openalex","abstract":"This study investigates the feasibility of in-situ manufacturing of a functionally graded metallic-regolith. To fabricate the gradient, digital light processing, an additive manufacturing technique, and spark plasma sintering were selected due to their compatibility with metallic-ceramic processing in a space environment. The chosen methods were first assessed for their ability to effectively consolidate regolith alone, before progressing to sintering regolith directly onto metallic substrates. Optimized processing conditions based on the sintering temperature, initial powder particle size, and different compositions of the lunar regolith powders were identified. Experiments have successfully proven the consolidation of lunar regolith simulants at 1050°C under 80 MPa with digital light processing and spark plasma sintering, while the metallic powders can be fully densified at relatively low temperatures and a pressure of 50 MPa with spark plasma sintering. Furthermore, the lunar regolith and Ti6Al4V gradient was proven to be the most promising combination. While the current study showed that it is feasible to manufacture a functionally graded metallic-regolith, further developments of a fully optimized method have the potential to produce tailored, high-performance materials in an off-earth manufacturing setting for the production of aerospace, robotic, or architectural components.","url":"https://doi.org/10.7480/spool.2021.2.5258","authors":["Mathilde Laot","Belinda Rich","Ina Cheibas","Jia Fu","Jianing Zhu","Vera Popovich"],"tags":["Spark plasma sintering","Regolith","SPARK (programming language)","Plasma","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-09-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.7480/spool.2021.2.5258","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406335924","name":"Using X‐ray computed microtomography ( μCT ) to determine subsample‐specific cosmogenic noble gas production rates of E (enstatite) chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Cosmic ray exposure (CRE) ages provide information about the parent bodies and source regions of meteorite classes. Cosmogenic noble gases are often used to quantify exposure time scales ranging from tens of ka to hundreds of Ma. The production rate of cosmogenic noble gases is primarily controlled by a meteorite's chemical composition. Historically, an average chemical composition for an entire meteorite class or subgroup was used to calculate production rates. At the scale needed for noble gas measurements, however, some meteorites exhibit mineral abundance variabilities that translate into chemical heterogeneities, necessitating subsample‐specific production rates. We find that the metal and sulfide content can vary significantly between ~100 and 300 mg subsamples of the same enstatite (E) chondrite, leading to >10% differences in cosmogenic 21Ne production rates between subsamples. We demonstrate an approach to determining subsample‐specific production rates using E chondrites. We use electron microprobe analysis and X‐ray computed microtomography to quantify the chemical composition and abundances, respectively, of metal, sulfide, and silicate minerals in six E chondrites and calculate subsample‐specific production rates of 3He and 21Ne. By applying this method to more E chondrite subsamples alongside noble gas measurements, we may begin to address broader questions, such as whether peaks in the E chondrite CRE age distribution can be attributed to distinct impact events.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14309","authors":["M. Mijjum","B. J. Andrews","T. J. McCoy","C. M. Corrigan","Marc W. Caffee","Marissa M. Tremblay"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Enstatite","Noble gas","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14309","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4409309351","name":"Melting and solidifying behavior of lunar regolith simulant under a vacuum environment","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract In situ resource utilization of lunar regolith provides a cost‐effective way to construct the lunar base. The melting and solidifying of lunar soil, especially under the vacuum environment on the Moon, are the fundamentals to achieve this. In this paper, lunar regolith simulant was melted and solidified at different temperatures under a vacuum, and the solidified samples’ morphology, structure, and mechanical properties were studied. The results indicated that the density, compressive strength, and Vickers hardness of the solidified samples increased with increasing melting temperature. Notably, the sample solidified at 1400°C showed excellent nanohardness and thermal conductivity originating from the denser atomic structure. It was also observed that the melt migrated upward along the container wall under the vacuum and formed a coating layer on the substrate caused by the Marangoni effect. The above results proved the feasibility of employing the solidified lunar regolith as a primary building material for lunar base construction.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jace.20566","authors":["Ze‐Shi Guo","Meng Li","Dan Xing","Cun‐Guang Liang","Bin Hao","Peng‐Cheng Ma"],"tags":["Regolith","Astrobiology","Materials science","Metallurgy","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jace.20566","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"oa:W4408163523","name":"Comprehensive global inventory of submarine mud volcanoes","source":"openalex","abstract":"Systematic morphometric studies of submarine potential geohazard elements such as mud volcanism are still limited in the scientific literature. To fill this gap and contribute to the global geohazard databases, we present a comprehensive inventory of submarine mud volcanoes (MVs) considering their spatial location and characteristics. The \"Global inventory of submarine mud volcanoes\" database here presented includes a large dataset, providing an overview of the morphometric analyses we performed as well as the considerations that arose from them. These cover basic marine geological and applied geohazard aspects. We explored frequency-area distribution patterns within this dataset, as typical of other geoscientific branches. This effort is a first step towards a shared and open knowledge of MVs, through which the marine geology community would further investigate the genesis of such phenomena and contribute to society in making informed decisions on related submarine geohazards.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-04726-1","authors":["Simone Napoli","Daniele Spatola","Daniele Casalbore","Luigi Lombardo","Hakan Tanyaş","Francesco Latino Chiocci"],"tags":["Submarine","Mud volcano","Geology","Oceanography","Submarine volcano"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-04726-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4409700309","name":"Efficiency of Thermoremanent Magnetization Acquisition in Vortex‐State Particle Assemblies","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Magmatic rocks record ambient magnetic fields during cooling, preserving them for billions of years through thermoremanent magnetization (TRM). TRM accuracy depends on particle size, shape, magnetic properties, and the number of particles available to record the field. While traditionally interpreted via Neél's single‐domain theory, most particles exist in a vortex state, where complex magnetic structures require numerical modeling. We show that in fields , a few thousand nanoscopic vortex‐state particles can record TRM with less than 1 error, regardless of shape. For weaker fields, morphology plays a crucial role, with spherical and oblate particles performing best. These findings challenge assumptions about particle requirements for faithful TRM recording and highlight the influence of grain shape in paleomagnetic studies. Our results justify using smaller geological samples and magnetic microscopy to reconstruct ancient magnetic fields with precision.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2025gl114771","authors":["Ualisson Donardelli Bellon","Wyn Williams","Adrian R. Muxworthy","G. F. Souza‐Junior","Lesleis Nagy","Leonardo Uieda","Ricardo I.F. Trindade"],"tags":["Thermoremanent magnetization","Vortex","Particle (ecology)","Magnetization","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2025gl114771","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W4416905651","name":"Abundant supernova dust and heterogeneous aqueous alteration revealed by stardust in two lithologies of asteroid Bennu","source":"openalex","abstract":"The oldest constituents in chondritic samples are presolar grains that condensed in the outflows and explosions of dying stars. These grains divulge the types and concentrations of dust that seeded our Solar System. However, they are subject to destruction during planetesimal formation and alteration. We conducted a detailed study of presolar grains in fragments of asteroid Bennu to elucidate the alteration history of distinct lithologies-angular and hummocky-and the sources of stardust that were accreted by the parent asteroid. The presolar grain abundances support a history of substantial aqueous alteration. Nevertheless, we found organic-rich clasts within a hummocky particle having higher presolar silicate abundances, akin to some of the least altered chondritic meteorites, and presolar silicate, oxide and SiC grains that retain their crystallinity. These clasts illustrate that aqueous alteration was heterogeneous within the parent body and their properties may better represent the starting materials that accreted to form the protolith. In addition, the Bennu samples we analysed have a six-times greater proportion of C-rich supernova dust than other chondritic samples, injected perhaps from a nearby supernova. This observation adds to evidence that Bennu's parent body sampled a region of the protoplanetary disk having a distinct mixture of starting materials.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02688-3","authors":["A. N. Nguyen","Laura Seifert","Kei Shimizu","K. L. Thomas-Keprta","L. Le","L. P. Keller","S. J. Clemett","Z. Rahman","Jessica Barnes","H. C. Connolly","D. S. Lauretta"],"tags":["Presolar grains","Planetesimal","Astrobiology","Parent body","Ejecta"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02688-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W1629608393","name":"Re‐Os isotope systematics in carbonates from Serpent Mound, Ohio: Implications for Re‐Os dating of crustal rocks and the osmium isotopic composition of Ordovician seawater","source":"openalex","abstract":"Eleven core samples of Ordovician carbonates and shale from within and nearby the Serpent Mound (Ohio) cryptoexplosion structure were analyzed for Re‐Os isotopes. Whole‐rock samples span a large range in measured 187Os/188Os (0.714 to 6.083), and exhibit a linear correlation of 187Os/188Os with 187Re/188Os. The linear relationship is inconsistent with a meteorite‐crust mixing trend, but could represent an errorchron with an age of 485 ± 35 Ma, and an initial 187Os/188Os of 0.54 ± 0.15. In order to assess whether the errorchron slope and initial 187Os/188Os ratio may provide constraints on depositional age and the 187Os/188Os ratio of Ordovician seawater, acetic acid and HCl leaching studies were done on selected samples. The 87Sr/86Sr ratios of the leachates vary from 0.7081 to 0.7091, within the range found in Middle‐Upper Ordovician brachiopods [ Shields et al., 2003 ], and consistent with the leachable fraction of the carbonates representing Ordovician seawater compositions. 187Os/188Os signatures for the leached samples are generally lower than those of respective whole rocks. However, five of six leachate samples produce a strong linear correlation on a Re‐Os isochron diagram, the slope of which reflects an “age” of 443 ± 34 Ma, consistent with biostratigraphic constraints on the depositional ages of the sampled rock units (∼445–472 Ma). The calculated initial 187Os/188Os of 0.53 ± 0.04 is distinctly lower than present‐day seawater, and, if representative of Ordovician seawater, may reflect relatively low continental weathering rates due to waning Pan African orogenies as proposed to explain the slow decrease in seawater 87Sr/86Sr starting in early Ordovician [ Qing et al., 1998 ].","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2002gc000444","authors":["Elisabeth Widom","S. J. Gaddis","Norman E. Wells"],"tags":["Geology","Isochron","Ordovician","Radiogenic nuclide","Sedimentary depositional environment"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2002gc000444","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4408613887","name":"Conquering the impossible: mechanochemistry as a tool for tackling coordination chemistry challenges","source":"openalex","abstract":"By summarising recent examples in coordination chemistry, this perspective highlights the advantages of mechanochemistry in tackling synthetic challenges which are impossible for traditional methods.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5mr00005j","authors":["Huanxin Zhang","Nathan Davison","Erli Lu"],"tags":["Mechanochemistry","Coordination complex","Chemistry","Engineering","Biochemical engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5mr00005j","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W7162148617","name":"HORIZONTAL GENE TRANSFER IN EXTREMOPHILIC ARCHAEA EXPOSED TO SIMULATED MARTIAN REGOLITH CHEMISTRY: IMPLICATIONS FOR PANSPERMIA HYPOTHESES","source":"openalex","abstract":"The interaction between the genetic plasticity of extremophilic archaea and the physicochemical chemistry of Martian regolith constitutes one of the central, yet unresolved, questions of contemporary astrobiology. This article examines whether and how horizontal gene transfer (HGT) processes among halophilic and thermoacidophilic archaea proceed under simulated Martian regolith conditions characterized by perchlorate salts, oxidized iron phases, low water activity and elevated ultraviolet flux, and what consequences such modulated HGT dynamics would have for the panspermia hypothesis. Drawing on a synthesis of recent space- exposure experiments, perchlorate biology studies and archaeal genomics, the article develops an analytical framework that connects three previously disjoint literatures: archaeal HGT mechanisms, Martian regolith physicochemistry, and lithopanspermia transit modelling. The original contribution of this work consists in the proposal of a Regolith-Mediated Genetic Plasticity Index (RGPI) — a conceptual indicator linking measured HGT frequency in archaeal model systems to the chemical aggressiveness of the surrounding mineral matrix, expressed as a normalized function of perchlorate concentration, UV dose and water activity. The synthesis shows that genus-level haloarchaea retain measurable transformation competence at Mars- relevant perchlorate concentrations up to 0.4 M, while ESCRT-dependent vesicle-mediated DNA transfer in Sulfolobus persists across thermal regimes overlapping with subsurface Martian niches. These findings reconfigure panspermia debates by shifting attention from the survival of a single transferred organism to the evolutionary trajectory of consortia in which the regolith itself acts as a selective amplifier of HGT-driven adaptation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.65932/car-2025-1-1","authors":["Tanja Subotic"],"tags":["Regolith","Archaea","Astrobiology","Martian","Horizontal gene transfer"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.65932/car-2025-1-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W7165821872","name":"Sample powdering method of the extraterrestrial materials to achieve sample homogeneity with a low contamination risk","source":"openalex","abstract":"Introduction:The elemental abundances of CI chondrites closely match those of the Sun, making them key samples for understanding the primordial materials that formed the Solar System [1].The asteroid samples from Ryugu and Bennu also resemble those of CI chondrites, with no clear evidence of terrestrial contamination [2][3].In preparation for the measurement of elemental abundances, samples must be finely powdered to minimize heterogeneity and avoid contamination [4].Traditional powdering methods utilize a mortar and pestle made of agate, alumina, and quartz [5].However, the sticky properties of CI and other carbonaceous chondrites often result in a low collection efficiency.This study evaluates a novel powdering procedure using high-purity quartz vials, which enhances collection efficiency and minimizes contamination.We demonstrate the homogeneity of samples from the Tagish Lake meteorite (C2-ungrouped) when pulverized with different tools.Method: We conducted a series of powdering tests using ~100 mg of Tagish Lake materials.We named the aliquots of these three powders as TL (Tagish Lake)-01 to TL-03.For the powdering tests of TL-01, samples were powdered using the mortar and pestle made of fused quartz glass (AS ONE Company).For TL-02, samples were crushed at the bottom of a flat surface of a 5 mL screw vial made of fused quartz glass (99.99% SiO2; NEXUS Company Inc.) with a quartz rod.For TL-03, samples were ground at the bottom of round-bottomed vials (AS ONE Company) with a quartz rod.Sample digestion was conducted by adding a mixture of HF and HNO3, followed by aqua regia, under class-100 clean laboratory conditions at Science Tokyo.The elemental abundances of individual powdered samples were measured using a triple-quadrupole ICP-MS instrument (iCAP TQ, Thermo Fisher Scientific) installed at Science Tokyo.Results: The recovery yields of powdered samples for TL-01 to TL-03 are 97%, 100%, and 99%, respectively.The TL-01 to TL-03 samples exhibit variations in elemental abundances (CX) with deviations of less than ±5% in more than half of the elements and less than ±10% in most elements (Fig. 1).Examples of elements showing the highest variations in each sample are CCd in TL-01, CP in TL-02, and CPb in TL-03.Discussion: Sample heterogeneity.The deviation in elemental abundances observed in the Tagish Lake powders could be due to the heterogeneous distribution of the minerals within the samples.As Tagish Lake's matrix is composed of olivine, pyroxene, chromite, magnetite, phosphate, carbonate, and sulfides [6], the observed enrichment and/or depletion of certain elements compared to the previous study could be explained by the abundance of these minerals.For instance, enrichment of P and Ca in the part of the aliquots is possibly due to the existence of phosphates [4].TL-02 shows a higher level of variation in CP (±26%) and CSr ( ± 13%) compared to TL-01 and TL-03 (<±10%).This variation could be due to the incomplete crushing of phosphate and carbonate with a flat vial and rod.At the point of sample homogenization, powdering methods using a mortar and pestle, as well as a round vial and rod, are more effective compared to the technique using a flat vial and rod combination.","url":"https://openalex.org/W7165821872","authors":["Ryota FUKAI","Karina López García","Arisa Nakano","Tetsuya Yokoyama","Kentaro Hatakeda","Yuma Enokido","Tomoko OJIMA","Toru Yada"],"tags":["Contamination","Homogeneity (statistics)","Sample (material)","Environmental science","Extraterrestrial life"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4415049822","name":"The Abiotic Background as a Central Component of a Sample Safety Assessment Protocol for Sample Return","source":"openalex","abstract":"Martian rock and regolith samples are being collected and cached by NASA's Perseverance rover, with the goal of returning them to Earth as soon as the mid-2030s. Upon return, samples would be housed in a sample receiving facility under biological containment to prevent exposing Earth's biosphere to any potential biohazards that might be present. Samples could be released from high containment for scientific investigations if they are found to be safe or are sterilized. The Sample Safety Assessment Protocol Tiger Team (SSAP-TT) was convened by the Sample Receiving Project between August 2023 and August 2024 and tasked with the development of a Sample Safety Assessment Protocol (SSAP). The result of this work is a proposed three-step protocol, supported by Bayesian statistical hypothesis testing, to assess the risk as to whether returned samples contain modern martian biology that could represent a biohazard. The proposed protocol outlines procedures to determine whether the samples could be safely released from high containment without sterilization or require a \"hold and review\" step. This article presents the central concept of the SSAP approach-comparing returned samples to the abiotic baseline. Organic molecules, which exist throughout the solar system, can have either biotic or abiotic origins. However, biotically produced organic molecules exhibit distinct complexity, distribution, and abundance characteristics that differentiate them from those formed through abiotic chemistry. The proposed protocol would examine the organic inventory of returned samples by using multiple techniques, including morphological and spectral assessments, to determine whether any signals exceed the abiotic baseline; that is, whether the organic molecular inventory could be explained solely by abiotic chemical synthesis. This approach provides a rigorous, yet feasible, safety assessment protocol by using modern techniques while minimizing sample consumption. We also identify key areas for future research and development, which include detection limits and further characterization of the martian abiotic background.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15311074251382156","authors":["Bronwyn L. Teece","D. W. Beaty","Heather V. Graham","Gerald McDonnell","Barbara Sherwood Lollar","Sandra Siljeström","A. Steele","SSAP Tiger Team,","Rachel Mackelprang"],"tags":["Abiotic component","Protocol (science)","Environmental science","Sample (material)","Biosphere"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15311074251382156","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4409175576","name":"OU ‐9: A Potential Reference Material with High 87Rb / 86Sr and 87Sr / 86Sr for Data Quality Control and Method Validation in ID ‐ MS Rb‐Sr Geochronology","source":"openalex","abstract":"The use of ID‐MS (ID‐TIMS/MC‐ICP‐MS) techniques to characterise reference materials (RM) with high Rb/Sr and 87Sr/86Sr for in situ LA‐ICP‐MS‐MS Rb‐Sr geochronology is highly important. However, there is a lack of well‐characterised RMs with high Rb/Sr and 87Sr/86Sr ratios to effectively monitor data quality for ID‐TIMS/MC‐ICP‐MS Rb‐Sr geochronology. In this study, a pegmatite RM, OU‐9, was comprehensively characterised using ID‐TIMS/MC‐ICP‐MS techniques. Measurements undertaken on OU‐9 yielded mass fractions of 2494 ± 22 μg g‐1 for Rb, 36.05 ± 0.25 μg g‐1 for Sr, as well as isotope ratios of 832.4 ± 5.2 for 87Rb/86Sr and 32.60 ± 0.19 for 87Sr/86Sr. Despite the presence of inhomogeneity within and between RM sachets, regarding Rb‐Sr isotope systematics at sampling scales of ~ 10 mg and even 0.2 g, 87Rb/86Sr and 87Sr/86Sr values derived from the analyses align well along the reference isochron. This alignment yields a model age of ~ 2650 Ma with an initial 87Sr/86Sr of ~ 1.2. We advocate that OU‐9 could serve as a potential RM for ID‐TIMS/MC‐ICP‐MS Rb‐Sr data quality control for materials characterised by high 87Rb/86Sr and 87Sr/86Sr ratios. The data quality of individual measurement results can be assessed based on their fit to the correlation line.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ggr.12607","authors":["Zhu‐Yin Chu","Tianqi Cui","Thomas Meisel","Youlian Li","Chao-Feng Li","Lei Xu","Yue‐Heng Yang","Peng Peng"],"tags":["Chemistry","Radiochemistry","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ggr.12607","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411217458","name":"Metallic messengers from the cosmos: Rare (Al,Cu)‐bearing meteorites from the Project Stardust collection","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We report the discovery of (Al,Cu)‐bearing metallic alloys in two micrometeorites found in the Project Stardust collection gathered from urban rooftop environments in Norway. Most of the alloys are the same as those found in the Khatyrka meteorite and other micrometeorites, though one has a composition that has not been reported previously. Oxygen isotope ratio measurements using secondary ion mass spectrometry show that the Project Stardust samples reported here, like all earlier examples of natural (Al,Cu)‐bearing alloys, contain material of chondritic affinity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14377","authors":["Luca Bindi","Jon Larsen","Jan Kihle","Guangming Cheng","J. Hu","Nan Yao","Chi Ma","Yunbin Guan","Paul D. Asimow","Paul J. Steinhardt"],"tags":["Meteorite","Bearing (navigation)","Astrobiology","Metal","Rare earth"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14377","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406678338","name":"Construction of Lunar Soil Simulants-Based Aluminum-Ion Battery Systems","source":"openalex","abstract":"With the development of space technology, in situ resource utilization (ISRU) of lunar resources holds great potential for constructing lunar bases. This study, for the first time, proposes the in situ construction of lunar soil simulants-based battery systems. When novel ilmenite cathode materials are applied in aqueous aluminum-ion batteries (AAIBs), a facile ball milling treatment is used to simulate the natural characteristics of lunar-based ilmenite with proper electrochemical performance. The in situ constructed lunar soil-based batteries demonstrated a practical capacity of 68.1 mAh g−1 at 1.0 A g−1 with a capacity retention rate of 89.6% after 100 cycles. Even at a high current density of 5.0 A g−1, the as-prepared batteries still maintained a capacity of 41.7 mAh g−1. This study provides a promising energy storage solution for lunar bases and promotes sustainable energy technologies through in situ utilization of lunar resources.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18030471","authors":["Shaokang Su","Jingzhen Li","Chunhao Sun","Kai Du","Chengjie Wang","Mingshan Han","Jing Geng","Yongde Long","Yuxiang Hu"],"tags":["Ilmenite","Materials science","Energy storage","Environmental science","Electrochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18030471","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4414341754","name":"Reevaluating Convolutional Neural Networks for Spectral Analysis: A Focus on Raman Spectroscopy","source":"openalex","abstract":"Autonomous Raman instruments deployed on Mars rovers, deep-sea landers, and mobile field robots must interpret raw spectra that are distorted by fluorescence baselines, peak shifts, and limited ground-truth labels. Using rigorously documented subsets of the RRUFF mineral database, we systematically evaluate one-dimensional convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and report four practical advances: (i) Reproducible, baseline-independent classification: Compact end-to-end CNNs surpass k -nearest-neighbors and support-vector classifiers built on handcrafted peak features, eliminating background-correction and peak-picking stages. Unlike earlier work, we isolate the contribution of learned features and ensure full reproducibility by releasing all data splits and preprocessing scripts. (ii) Pooling controlled robustness: By adjusting a single pooling parameter, CNNs accommodate Raman shift displacements up to 30 cm –1, enabling a practical trade-off between translational invariance and class resolution, aligned with instrument stability and spectral variability. (iii) Label-efficient learning: Semisupervised generative adversarial networks and contrastive pretraining improve classification accuracy by up to 11% when only 10% of labels are available. While smaller than gains in vision tasks–due to Raman spectra’s lower complexity–these methods remain valuable for autonomous deployments with limited annotation. (iv) Constant time adaptation: Freezing the CNNs backbone and retraining only the softmax layer transfers the model to unseen minerals at O ( 1 ) inference cost, outperforming Siamese networks on resource-limited robotic processors. The resulting workflow– train directly on raw spectra, tune pooling to instrument tolerance, add semisupervision when labels are scarce, and fine-tune lightly for new targets –offers a practical path toward robust, low-footprint Raman classification in autonomous field settings.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.5c00136","authors":["Deniz Soysal","Xabier García-Andrade","Laura E. Rodriguez","P. Sobrón","Laura M. Barge","Renaud Detry"],"tags":["Softmax function","Artificial intelligence","Convolutional neural network","Pooling","Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.5c00136","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4409243423","name":"Unique (Al,Cu)-alloys discovered in a micrometeorite from Southern Italy","source":"openalex","abstract":"We report the discovery of a (Al,Cu)-bearing micrometeorite recovered at the top of Mt. Gariglione (Italy). The micrometeorite exhibits a highly vesicular scoriaceous structure characterized by broadly chondritic silicate-dominated composition (S-type) with relict phenocrystals of forsteritic olivine dispersed in a Ca-rich silicate glass with pyroxene composition, droplets of FeNi metal, oxides and sporadic Ni-rich sulphides embedded in a magnetite rim. The oxygen 3-isotope analyses give values close to the slope ~1 CCAM. A reduced assemblage of (Al,Cu)-alloys partially fills the open voids of the micrometeorite and shows variable compositions: from almost pure Cu up to Al-dominated phases with a predominance of khatyrkite, stolperite and unnamed Cu3Al2. Locally, small grains (about 1-2 µm in size) embedded in stolperite show a Fe-Si enrichment and are characterized by a long-range ordering resembling a quasicrystalline structure. This finding represents a unique natural quasicrystal approximant with composition Al52Cu31Fe10Si7. A micrometeorite collected at the top of Monte Gariglione, Italy, contains intermetallic (Al,Cu)-alloys including a natural quasicrystal approximant phase, according to mineralogical investigations using scanning and transmission electron microscopy.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02245-w","authors":["Giovanna Agrosì","Paola Manzari","Daniela Mele","Gioacchino Tempesta","Floriana Rizzo","Tiziano Catelani","Guangming Cheng","Nan Yao","Johan Villeneuve","Luca Bindi"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Materials science","Metallurgy","Geography","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02245-w","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4409463692","name":"Compositional and Textural Variability Among Tektites From Indochina and South China: Insights Into the Impact Origin of the Australasian Tektite Strewn Field","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Australasian tektite strewn field, approximately 0.8 Ma in age, covers nearly 10% of the Earth's surface, making it the largest and most recent strewn field globally. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the elemental composition and texture of tektites recovered from various locations within the strewn field, particularly Vietnam, Thailand, and South China. These tektites exhibit a consistent major and minor element composition similar to the Upper Continental Crust characteristic of normal tektites. Notable elemental deviations in the concentrations of CaO, FeO, MgO, Pb, and Sr are observed in the Indochina Peninsula tektites, suggesting the mixing of multiple target rock components. Indochinites from Thailand and Vietnam show lower Pb and Sr levels compared to those from China, Indonesia, and Australia, potentially reflecting proximity to the hypothetical impact site on the Bolaven Plateau, Laos. The local stratigraphy of basalts over laterite and sandstone at the proposed source crater site may explain the observed decrease in Pb and Sr concentrations, primarily due to sandstone admixture, while variable MgO, CaO, and FeO suggest a basaltic contribution. The high abundance of lechatelierite inclusions and elevated SiO2 in Indochinites compared to South China tektites underscore the role of target rock composition in tektite formation. Schlieren flow structures further confirm rock mixing during the early impact stages. Overall, the findings elucidate the relationship between tektite formation, target rock interaction, and impact processes, supporting the Indochina Peninsula as the impact area and highlighting the need for further research on elemental fractionation and target rock heterogeneity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024gc012133","authors":["Samuele Boschi","Steven Goderis","Shiyong Liao","Weiqiang Li"],"tags":["Geology","China","Paleontology","Geochemistry","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024gc012133","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W7155489902","name":"Ready-to-Use or Ready-to-Adapt: Can the Self-Healing Potential of Bacillus licheniformis Be Modified?","source":"openalex","abstract":"In recent years, bacteria-based self-healing has emerged as a promising bioengineering strategy to address the self-repair of cracks in cement-based materials, which represent one of the persistent durability challenges. This approach relies on microbiologically induced calcium carbonate (CaCO3) precipitation (MICP), in which metabolically active bacteria promote CaCO3 formation of crystals that can heal cracks and restore material integrity. This study compares the self-healing potential of a natural (N-) alkaline soil Bacillus licheniformis strain with a UV-strain (phenotypic mutant) generated through controlled UV exposure followed by adaptive evolution. Both strains were evaluated under conditions relevant to cementitious environments. The UV-strain exhibited enhanced ureolytic performance, reaching urease activity of 0.32 U/mg compared to 0.24 U/mg in the N-strain. This translated into improved biomineralization, with CaCO3 precipitation reaching 2.37 mg versus 2.23 mg/100 mL in the N-strain. Additionally, the UV-strain showed increased cell hydrophobicity and aggregation, indicating improved nucleation potential and surface-mediated mineral deposition. Multivariate analysis confirmed strong correlations between ureolytic metabolism, alkalization, and mineral formation, while artificial neural network (ANN) modeling (MLP 6-10-14) successfully predicted biomineralization-related parameters with high accuracy (R2 > 0.90 for urease activity, NH4+, ΔpH, and CaCO3). The results demonstrate that UV-induced phenotypic adaptation can enhance biomineralization efficiency with minor trade-offs in physiological robustness. For the first time, that controlled UV-induced phenotypic adaptation can be used as a targeted strategy to enhance biomineralization efficiency in B. licheniformis, while maintaining functional stability under cement-relevant conditions. These findings provide a novel framework for tailoring bacterial performance in self-healing systems for construction biotechnology.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering13050495","authors":["Luka Mejić","Olja Šovljanski","Milada Pezo","Lato Pezo","Tiana Milović","Ana Tomić"],"tags":["Bacillus licheniformis","Biomineralization","Chemistry","Urease","Precipitation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering13050495","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W3183188805","name":"Explorer of Enceladus and Titan (E2T): Investigating ocean worlds' evolution and habitability in the solar system","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2017.11.001","authors":["Giuseppe Mitri","Frank Postberg","J. M. Soderblom","P. Wurz","Paolo Tortora","Bernd Abel","Jason W. Barnes","Marco Berga","Nathalie Carrasco","A. Coustenis","Jean Pierre Paul de Vera","Andrea D'Ottavio","F. Ferri","Alexander G. Hayes","P. O. Hayne","Jon K. Hillier","S. Kempf","Jean‐Pierre Lebreton","R. D. Lorenz","Andrea Martelli","R. Orosei","Anastassios E. Petropoulos","K. Reh","J. Schmidt","C. Sotin","R. Srama","G. Tobie","Audrey Vorburger","V. Vuitton","Andre Wong","Marco Zannoni"],"tags":["Enceladus","Titan (rocket family)","Astrobiology","Habitability","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-11-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2017.11.001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4255854445","name":"Aerosol Optical Depth comparison between GAW-PFR and AERONET-Cimel radiometers from long term (2005–2015) 1-minute synchronous measurements","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. A comprehensive comparison of more than 70000 synchronous 1-minute aerosol optical depth (AOD) data from three Global Atmosphere Watch-Precision Filter Radiometer (GAW-PFR) and 15 Aerosol Robotic Network-Cimel (AERONET-Cimel) radiometers was performed for the four nearby wavelengths (380, 440, 500 and 870 nm) in the period 2005–2015. The goal of this study is to assess whether, despite the marked differences between both networks and the number of instruments used, their long term AOD data are comparable and consistent. AOD traceability established by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) consists in determining the percentage of synchronous data within specific limits. If, at least, 95 % of the AOD differences of an instrument compared to the WMO standards lie within these limits, both data populations are considered equivalent. The percentage of traceable data is 92.7 % (380 nm), 95.7 % (440 nm), 95.8 % (500 nm) and 98.0 % (870 nm). When small misalignments in GAW-PFR sun-pointing were fixed (period 2010–2015), the percentage of traceable data increased. The contribution of calibration related aspects to comparison outside the 95 % traceability limits is insignificant in all channels, except in 380 nm. The simultaneous failure of both cloud screening algorithms might occur only under the presence of cirrus, or altostratus clouds on the top of a dust-laden Saharan air layer. Differences in the calculation of the optical depth contribution due to Rayleigh scattering, and O3 and NO2 absorption have a negligible impact. For AOD > 0.1, a non-negligible percentage (≈ 1.9 %) of the AOD data outside the 95 % traceability limits at 380 nm can be partly assigned to the different field of view of the instruments. The comparison of the Angström exponent (AE) shows that under non-pristine conditions (AOD > 0.03 and AE","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2018-438","authors":["Emilio Cuevas","Pedro Miguel Romero Campos","Natalia Kouremeti","Stelios Kazadzis","Rosa D. García","África Barreto","Carmen Guirado-Fuentes","Ramón Ramos","Carlos Toledano","A. Fernando Almansa","Jülian Gröbner"],"tags":["AERONET","Environmental science","Aerosol","Radiometer","Cirrus"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-12-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2018-438","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411947126","name":"Soil conditioning for enhancing plant growth using biochar and hydrochar under microgravity","source":"openalex","abstract":"Cultivating plants in outer space is crucial for bioregenerative life support systems in human space exploration. This study aims to investigate the effects of soil conditioning with biochar and hydrochar on the growth and production of Malabar Spinach in microgravity conditions. Peanut shell biochar and wood hydrochar were applied at a 3% dosage by mass. Two gravity conditions were considered, including 1 g and microgravity simulated by a Random Positioning Machine (RPM). After an 18-day plant growth period, microgravity reduced the fresh biomass accumulation of Malabar Spinach by up to 71%. This reduction was attributed to inhibited leaf and root growth, which decreased light interception and nutrient uptake. In microgravity, biochar was more effective than hydrochar in enhancing plant production, mitigating the growth inhibition caused by microgravity. In the presence of biochar, microgravity significantly enhanced the biosynthesis of chlorophyll a and carotenoids by up to 36%. Furthermore, biochar and hydrochar treatments in microgravity conditions significantly increased the nutrient contents, such as K and P, in Malabar Spinach leaves. These findings indicate that biochar and hydrochar are promising soil conditioners for enhancing plant development in low-gravity conditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-025-00491-y","authors":["Charles Wang Wai Ng","Yu Chen Wang"],"tags":["Biochar","Plant growth","Conditioning","Environmental science","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-025-00491-y","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4415293772","name":"Sassolite Precipitation at the Restless Campi Flegrei Volcano in Italy Points to Hydrothermal Flashing by Deep Boron‐Rich Brines","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Studying the behavior of dormant volcanoes is a major challenge in volcanology. Here, we conducted a 10‐year survey of hydrothermal mineralization at Campi Flegrei, an active volcano near Naples in Italy, which last erupted in 1538. Our survey revealed a significant output of boric acid at the hydrothermal sulfate discharge area of Pisciarelli, coinciding with a heightened volcanic unrest (so‐called bradyseisms). This unexpected output shyly began in 2019 before the vanishing of permanent hydrothermal springs and mud‐pools, in the form of transparent, colorless and glassy luster sassolite crystals found within the commonest mineralogical assemblage. High‐boron emissions peaked in July–August 2021, by spraying‐out whitish fine powders rich in sassolite, which has remained a prevalent feature through 2024 while we also measured a decline in NH 4 ‐sulfates and a tenfold increase in mud boron content. Sassolite appearance parallels the increased H 2 S flux at fumaroles, both marking the onset of recent acceleration in ground displacement and the accompanying increasing seismicity. Using new and literature mineral, chemical and isotope (δ 11 B) data, we ascribe sassolite yields to the direct drainage of boron‐rich brines that ascend more efficiently from the deeper to the surface pathways of the geothermal system via fracturing activated by the escalating bradyseism. The shift from closed to open degassing may explain the appearance of sassolite, making it valuable for unraveling the unrest dynamics at Campi Flegrei. Additionally, our findings enlarge present views on traditional pegmatites associated with tourmaline systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2025jb032197","authors":["Monica Piochi","Angela Mormone","Germano Solomita","Roberto Moretti"],"tags":["Hydrothermal circulation","Unrest","Geology","Volcano","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2025jb032197","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4413956975","name":"Isotopic analysis of tochilinite (carbonate and magnetite) in Winchcombe: Temperature constraints on early‐stage aqueous alteration in the CM parent body","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We report the first oxygen isotope measurements of tochilinite (δ 17 O: 11.0 ± 2.1‰, δ 18 O: 23.5 ± 4.0‰ and Δ 17 O: −1.1 ± 1.2‰) in a CM chondrite (Winchcombe, lithology C [CM2.2/2.3]). We analyzed type‐I tochilinite‐cronstedtite intergrowths (TCIs)—formed by pseudomorphic replacement of kamacite. Alongside T1 and T2 calcite and magnetite, these secondary phases define a linear trendline in δ 17 O‐δ 18 O isotope space with a slope of 0.50, slightly shallower than the mass‐dependent slope (0.52). This demonstrates that, in addition to dominant mass‐dependent fractionation (controlled by mineral‐specific and temperature‐dependent equilibrium processes), mass‐independent mixing between 16 O‐rich anhydrous silicates, and 16 O‐poor water influenced the evolving Δ 17 O composition of alteration fluids. Petrographic evidence shows tochilinite and T1 calcite formed early and are closely associated in the alteration sequence. Assuming isotopic equilibrium between these phases, we estimate formation temperatures of approximately 135°C and a δ 18 O water value of 28‰. These findings align with previous hydrothermal synthesis experiments and underscore the value of multi‐phase isotopic measurements for reconstructing the fluid history of chondritic parent bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70043","authors":["Martin D. Suttle","Ross Findlay","I. A. Franchi","Cristian Biagioni","X. Zhao","F. A. J. Abernethy","Liza Riches","L. Folco"],"tags":["Magnetite","Carbonate","Aqueous solution","Stage (stratigraphy)","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70043","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4409337265","name":"Mycelium-Based Breakthroughs: Exploring Commercialization, Research, and Next-Gen Possibilities","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Mycelium-based composites (MBCs) and pure-mycelium materials (PMMs) represent groundbreaking advancements in materials engineering, offering environmentally sustainable alternatives aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These innovative materials integrate mycelium, a natural biological adhesive, with lignocellulosic by-products, demonstrating a multidisciplinary approach that merges biology, engineering, and design to address critical environmental challenges. This comprehensive review explores recent advancements in MBC technology, encompassing commercial applications, ongoing research and development, scientific literature, mycological insights, patents, and intellectual property. Selected product samples illustrate the versatility and potential of MBCs. The pivotal role of mycelium in addressing current and future challenges in materials science is underscored. The review identifies eleven distinct application areas for MBCs and PMMs, including five commercialized sectors and six under active research and development. Furthermore, key directions for future studies are outlined, emphasizing the integration of MBCs and PMMs to enhance the sustainability of conventional materials and drive the evolution of next-generation materials.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s43615-025-00539-x","authors":["Nungnit Wattanavichean","Jakkapon Phanthuwongpakdee","Preeyaporn Koedrith","Pitak Laoratanakul","Boonchock Thaithatgoon","Sayanh Somrithipol","Papichaya Kwantong","Salilaporn Nuankaew","Umpawa Pinruan","Charuwan Chuaseeharonnachai","Nattawut Boonyuen"],"tags":["Commercialization","Mycelium","Nanotechnology","Engineering ethics","Engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s43615-025-00539-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4410216727","name":"Serine Octamer Clusters Direct the Chirality of Peptides Formed in Water Microdroplets","source":"openalex","abstract":"High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide The chemistry underlying biological homochirality remains challenging. We propose that noncovalent clusters may have served as the means by which an enantiomeric excess of one amino acid could direct other racemic amino acids toward homochiral biochemistry. Serine has long been known to exhibit a chiral preference when clustering to form the octamer; here, we extend this finding by reporting the effects of a nonzero e.e. serine on the formation of noncovalent clusters with other amino acids as well as on the formation of peptides, their covalent condensation products. We show that (i) enantiopure serine directs racemic leucine and proline to enantioselective dipeptide formation in water microdroplets and (ii) likely intermediates are seen as the proline and leucine substituted serine octamer clusters. This work indicates the relevance of microdroplet sprays, e.g., natural aerosols, to molecular clustering and to homochirality.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpca.5c00473","authors":["Brison A. Shira","R. Graham Cooks"],"tags":["Histone octamer","Chirality (physics)","Serine","Chemistry","Biophysics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpca.5c00473","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4413202287","name":"Disentangling Impact Ejecta Dynamics Using Micro–X‐Ray Fluorescence (μ‐XRF): A Case Study From the Terrestrial Cretaceous‐Paleogene (K‐Pg) Boundary","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract This study presents a non‐destructive geochemical and petrographic workflow to generate high‐resolution chemostratigraphic records across key stratigraphic intervals, exemplified by a terrestrial Cretaceous‐Paleogene (K‐Pg) boundary sequence preserved at Starkville South (Raton Basin, Colorado, USA). To fingerprint specific Chicxulub impact ejecta and to unravel their mode and timing of deposition, we combined high‐resolution (25 μm) micro‐X‐ray fluorescence (μ‐XRF) mapping and quantitative integrated‐area linescans with scanning electron microscopy. A complex microstratigraphy is observed at Starkville South in which additional sublayers are identified in contrast to the classic “dual‐layer” succession described in the literature for US Western Interior K‐Pg sites. First, a basal claystone occurs with abundant glassy impact spherules that were altered over time to kaolinite and jarosite due to acidic and reducing conditions in a local swamp. This first lithology is followed by a carbonaceous shale rich in ejected quartz grains. These two ejecta intervals are interpreted to have formed primarily by ballistic transport from the Chicxulub impact structure and were likely emplaced within ∼1 hr after impact at Starkville South. In the overlying lignite, pronounced enrichment in zirconium and chromium are detected, hinting at an ejecta sequence containing three distinct sublayers with a large part of the siderophile element anomaly being likely preserved at the base of this coaly interval, including the famous iridium anomaly. These enrichments are attributed to fine‐grained impact dust composed of pulverized granitoid basement (Zr) and an admixture of meteoritic material (Cr, Ni, and likely Ir), probably deposited <20 years after impact following slow atmospheric settling.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024gc012151","authors":["Pim Kaskes","Roald Tagle","Mariia Rey","Steven Goderis","Sophie Decrée","Jan Smit","Philippe Claeys"],"tags":["Ejecta","Geology","Petrography","Paleogene","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024gc012151","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4412820662","name":"Matera: A not so ordinary H5 chondrite breccia with very low density and high porosity","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract On the evening of February 14, 2023, at 17:58 UT, a fireball was detected by three cameras of the Italian PRISMA network (FRIPON network). The first samples of the Matera meteorite, collected 3 days after the fall, lay on the balcony of a private home. Meanwhile, four samples weighing more than 10 g (including the main mass of 46.21 g) and many minor samples (less than 10 g each) were recovered, with a total mass of 117.5 g. The analyses show that Matera is a monomict chondrite breccia, exhibiting no weathering (W0) and shock (S1). Based on the mineral compositions of olivine and low‐Ca pyroxene (Fa18.0±0.3 and Fs17.0±0.3, respectively), the rock is an H‐group ordinary chondrite. Since all low‐Ca pyroxene is orthoenstatite, an H5‐type classification is appropriate; although texturally, a type 4 classification could be assigned to distinct portions of the rock with well‐defined chondrules. The analyzed oxygen isotopes also align with an H chondrite (δ17O‰ = 2.750 ± 0.051; δ18O‰ = 4.036 ± 0.103; Δ17O‰ = 0.650 ± 0.004). X‐ray tomography and a structured light 3D scanner yielded a mean bulk density of 2.87 ± 0.04 g cm−3, whereas ideal gas pycnometry yielded grain densities of 3.47 ± 0.05 g cm−3, resulting in a porosity of 17.2 ± 1.2 vol%. The magnetic susceptibility of this meteorite is log χ = 5.46 ± 0.05. The radionuclides and fireball observations suggest that the Matera meteoroid was relatively small (with a maximum radius of 20 cm, though more likely around 15 cm). This datum is also consistent with (21Ne/22Ne)cos, which suggests the origin of Matera samples from the uppermost cm of a small meteoroid, ≤10 cm radius. Different from many other H chondrites, the transfer time in space for Matera, based on 3 He alone, is 10–12 Ma. Moreover, the Matera meteorite does not contain solar wind gases. In conclusion, the Matera meteorite is not a fairly typical ordinary chondrite, due to its low bulk density and high total porosity. The presence of ordinary chondrites with these physical characteristics must be taken into account during the asteroid modeling process, as in the case of the Didymos–Dimorphos binary system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70025","authors":["Giovanni Pratesi","T. Cuppone","A. Bischoff","Markus Patzek","Philippe Schmitt‐Kopplin","M. Laubenstein","H. Busemann","Daniela Krietsch","C. Maden","R. C. Greenwood","R. J. Macke","Xhonatan Shehaj"],"tags":["Breccia","Porosity","Chondrite","Ordinary chondrite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70025","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4283592196","name":"Lipid Profiles From Fresh Biofilms Along a Temperature Gradient on a Hydrothermal Stream at El Tatio (Chilean Andes), as a Proxy for the Interpretation of Past and Present Biomarkers Beyond Earth","source":"openalex","abstract":"Hydrothermal systems and their deposits are primary targets in the search for fossil evidence of life beyond Earth. However, to learn how to decode fossil biomarker records in ancient hydrothermal deposits, we must first be able to interpret unambiguously modern biosignatures, their distribution patterns, and their association with physicochemical factors. Here, we investigated the molecular and isotopic profile of microbial biomarkers along a thermal gradient (from 29 to 72°C) in a hot spring (labeled Cacao) from El Tatio, a geyser field in the Chilean Andes with abundant opaline silica deposits resembling the nodular and digitate structures discovered on Mars. As a molecular forensic approach, we focused on the analysis of lipid compounds bearing recognized resistance to degradation and the potential to reconstruct the paleobiology of an environment on a broader temporal scale than other, more labile, biomolecules. By exploiting the lipid biomarkers’ potential to diagnose biological sources and carbon fixation pathways, we reconstructed the microbial community structure and its ecology along the Cacao hydrothermal transect. The taxonomic adscription of the lipid biomarkers was qualitatively corroborated with DNA sequencing analysis. The forensic capacity of the lipid biomarkers to identify biosources in fresh biofilms was validated down to the genus level for Roseiflexus, Chloroflexus, and Fischerella. We identified lipid biomarkers and DNA of several new cyanobacterial species in El Tatio and reported the first detection of Fischerella biomarkers at a temperature as high as 72°C. This, together with ecological peculiarities and the proportion of clades being characterized as unclassified, illustrates the ecological singularity of El Tatio and strengthens its astrobiological relevance. The Cacao hydrothermal ecosystem was defined by a succession of microbial communities and metabolic traits associated with a high- (72°C) to low-(29°C) temperature gradient that resembled the inferred metabolic sequence events from the 16S rRNA gene universal phylogenetic tree from thermophilic to anoxygenic photosynthetic species and oxygenic phototrophs. The locally calibrated DNA-validated lipidic profile in the Cacao biofilms provided a modern (molecular and isotopic) end member to facilitate the recognition of past biosources and metabolisms from altered biomarkers records in ancient silica deposits at El Tatio analogous to Martian opaline silica structures.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.811904","authors":["Valentine Megevand","Daniel Carrizo","María Ángeles Lezcano","Mercedes Moreno‐Paz","Nathalie A. Cabrol","Vı́ctor Parro","Laura Sánchez‐García"],"tags":["Hydrothermal vent","Hydrothermal circulation","Taphonomy","Ancient DNA","Extreme environment"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-06-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.811904","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4403796152","name":"Radial transport and nebular thermal processing of millimeter‐sized solids in the Solar protoplanetary disk inferred from Cr‐Ti‐O isotope systematics of chondrules","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Understanding the material transport and mixing processes in the Solar protoplanetary disk provides important constraints on the origin of chemical and isotopic diversities of our planets. The limited extent of radial transport and mixing between the inner and outer Solar System has been suggested based on a fundamental isotopic dichotomy between non‐carbonaceous (NC) and carbonaceous (CC) meteorite groups. The limited transport and mixing could be further tested by tracing the formation regions of individual meteoritic components, such as Ca‐Al‐rich inclusions (CAIs) and chondrules. Here, we show further evidence for the outward transport of CAIs and chondrules from the inner and subsequent thermal processing in the outer region of the protoplanetary disk based on the petrography and combined Cr‐Ti‐O isotope systematics of chondrules from the Vigarano‐like (CV) carbonaceous chondrite Allende. One chondrule studied consists of an olivine core that exhibits NC‐like Ti and O, but CC‐like Cr isotopic signatures, which is enclosed by a pyroxene igneous rim with CC‐like O isotope ratios. These observations indicate that the olivine core formed in the inner Solar System. The olivine core then migrated into the outer Solar System and experienced nebular thermal processing that generated the pyroxene igneous rim. The nebular thermal processing would result in Cr isotope exchange between the olivine core and CC‐like materials, but secondary alteration effects on the parent body are also responsible for the CC‐like Cr isotope signature. By combining previously reported Cr‐Ti‐O isotope systematics of CV chondrules, we show that some CV chondrules larger than ~1 mm would have formed in the inner Solar System. The accretion of the millimeter‐sized, inner Solar System solids onto the CV carbonaceous chondrite parent body would require their very early migration into the outer Solar System within the first 1 million years after the Solar System formation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14276","authors":["Kohei Fukuda","Yuki Hibiya","Craig R. Kastelle","Katsuhiko Suzuki","Tsuyoshi Iizuka","Katsuyuki Yamashita","Thomas E. Helser","N. T. Kita"],"tags":["Protoplanetary disk","Millimeter","Chondrule","Formation and evolution of the Solar System","Astrophysics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14276","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4412573384","name":"Tracking Lava Flow Cooling from Space: Implications for Erupted Volume Estimation and Cooling Mechanisms","source":"openalex","abstract":"Accurate estimation of erupted lava volumes is essential for understanding volcanic processes, interpreting eruptive cycles, and assessing volcanic hazards. Traditional methods based on Mid-Infrared (MIR) satellite imagery require clear-sky conditions during eruptions and are prone to sensor saturation, limiting data availability. Here, we present an alternative approach based on the post-eruptive Thermal InfraRed (TIR) signal, using the recently proposed VRPTIR method to quantify radiative energy loss during lava flow cooling. We identify thermally anomalous pixels in VIIRS I5 scenes (11.45 µm, 375 m resolution) using the TIRVolcH algorithm, this allowing the detection of subtle thermal anomalies throughout the cooling phase, and retrieve lava flow area by fitting theoretical cooling curves to observed VRPTIR time series. Collating a dataset of 191 mafic eruptions that occurred between 2010 and 2025 at (i) Etna and Stromboli (Italy); (ii) Piton de la Fournaise (France); (iii) Bárðarbunga, Fagradalsfjall, and Sundhnúkagígar (Iceland); (iv) Kīlauea and Mauna Loa (United States); (v) Wolf, Fernandina, and Sierra Negra (Ecuador); (vi) Nyamuragira and Nyiragongo (DRC); (vii) Fogo (Cape Verde); and (viii) La Palma (Spain), we derive a new power-law equation describing mafic lava flow thickening as a function of time across five orders of magnitude (from 0.02 Mm3 to 5.5 km3). Finally, from knowledge of areas and episode durations, we estimate erupted volumes. The method is validated against 68 eruptions with known volumes, yielding high agreement (R2 = 0.947; ρ = 0.96; MAPE = 28.60%), a negligible bias (MPE = −0.85%), and uncertainties within ±50%. Application to the February-March 2025 Etna eruption further corroborates the robustness of our workflow, from which we estimate a bulk erupted volume of 4.23 ± 2.12 × 106 m3, in close agreement with preliminary estimates from independent data. Beyond volume estimation, we show that VRPTIR cooling curves follow a consistent decay pattern that aligns with established theoretical thermal models, indicating a stable conductive regime during the cooling stage. This scale-invariant pattern suggests that crustal insulation and heat transfer across a solidifying boundary govern the thermal evolution of cooling basaltic flows.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17152543","authors":["S. Aveni","Gaetana Ganci","Andrew J. L. Harris","Diego Coppola"],"tags":["Lava","Volume (thermodynamics)","Tracking (education)","Aerospace engineering","Flow (mathematics)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17152543","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W7126386834","name":"Sustainable Water Systems in Space: A Review of Current Technologies and Future Prospects","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Sustainable water management is a critical challenge in space exploration, where the limited availability of resources requires innovative approaches to ensure astronauts' survival on long‐duration missions. This narrative review explores the key technologies and methods involved in water recycling, in situ resource utilization (ISRU), and bioregenerative life support systems (BLSS) essential for supporting human life in space. The Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) aboard the International Space Station has demonstrated significant progress in recycling water from urine, sweat, and humidity, achieving up to 93% recovery. However, challenges remain in reducing energy consumption, improving system durability, and ensuring water quality. ISRU technologies, particularly those aimed at extracting water ice from lunar and Martian environments, offer promising solutions for future missions, but they must overcome scalability and logistical hurdles. This review also highlights the potential of nanotechnology and AI‐driven autonomous systems in enhancing water purification and management. Nanomaterials like graphene oxide membranes could revolutionize filtration efficiency, while AI could optimize real‐time water quality monitoring and recycling processes. As space agencies push toward establishing colonies on the Moon and Mars, the development of sustainable, closed‐loop water systems will be pivotal to the success of these missions. Continued research and innovation are essential to ensuring water resources are efficiently managed for long‐term human presence in space.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2025wr041273","authors":["David B. Olawade","James Ijiwade","Ojima Zechariah Wada"],"tags":["Water resources","Resource (disambiguation)","Environmental science","Sustainability","Water quality"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2025wr041273","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"oa:W4413043087","name":"Blood flow restriction training in microgravity: a review of multisystem physiological benefits and implementation challenges for long-duration space missions","source":"openalex","abstract":"This review evaluates BFRT as a novel countermeasure against multisystem deconditioning (muscle atrophy, bone loss, cardiovascular impairment) during long-duration space missions. BFRT combines low-load exercise with vascular occlusion, mimicking high-intensity benefits while reducing equipment needs. We synthesize evidence for BFRT's efficacy in microgravity analogs, discusses implementation challenges (equipment adaptation, safety protocols, sex-specific responses), and highlight its potential as a space-efficient adjunct to current exercise regimens, informing future mission planning.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-025-00515-7","authors":["Mingzhen Hu","Wei Li","Qiushi Yin","Yuqing Liu","Lin Chen","Qin Ru","Guodong Xu","Yuxiang Wu"],"tags":["Deconditioning","Blood flow restriction","Countermeasure","Duration (music)","Weightlessness"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-025-00515-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4409564355","name":"Hydration and dehydration of CM chondrites revealed by X‐ray diffraction combined with textural observations and compositional data","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The in‐plane rotation method is used to obtain X‐ray random diffraction (XRD) patterns of polished thin sections of 10 CM chondrites. The samples include five intermediately altered CM chondrites with subtypes 2.6–2.3, two heavily altered CM chondrites with subtype 2.0 and three with secondary heating after hydration (Y 980036, Y 980051, and Jbilet Winselwan). These CM chondrites are compared to each other as well as four previously analyzed CM meteorites of subtypes 3.0–2.8 and 2.0. The same thin sections also underwent textural observations and compositional analyses. Unheated CM chondrites display systematic mineralogical changes. As the alteration degree increases from subtypes 3.0–2.0, the presence of olivine and clinoenstatite decreases, while that of serpentines increases. The abundance of tochilinite significantly increases from 2.7 to 2.3 but then decreases from 2.3 to 2.0. Subtype 2.0 consists of relatively more Mg‐rich serpentine than Fe‐rich serpentine (cronstedtite). The XRD identified only Mg‐serpentine from Jbilet Winselwan, suggesting selective decomposition of Fe‐rich serpentine (cronstedtite), while all hydrous minerals in Y 980036 and Y 980051 decomposed. Additionally, all three CM chondrites with secondary heating after hydration show stage II or category B heating by the peak metamorphic temperature of 300–750°C. Compared to previous studies using XRD, the combination of XRD with the textural and compositional analyses using the same polished thin section, avoiding the preparation for powder samples, is a straightforward approach to characterize hydrated chondritic samples. The approach is nondestructive and can be correlated with SEM/EPMA, unlike previous XRD studies that required powdered samples.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14348","authors":["Naoya Imae","Makoto Kimura","Akira Yamaguchi"],"tags":["Chondrite","Dehydration","Geology","Diffraction","Compositional data"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14348","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4413806205","name":"3D printing of composites of Martian regolith simulants and cyanobacterial biomass towards sustainable material production on Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"The long-term goal of establishing a sustained human presence on Mars requires the capacity to produce essential consumables on-site. To this end, we develop strategies for processing inorganic oxidic powders and biomass into highly particle-filled composites using direct ink writing (DIW) 3D printing. Our approach relies on a simulant of a Martian regolith unit rich in hydrated clay minerals and food-grade spirulina, used as proxies for local regolith and cyanobacterial biomass, respectively. The composites are further reinforced through crosslinking with the plant-based molecule genipin. Detailed rheological analysis was performed for the 3D printing feedstocks, while the printed composites were characterized using thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), surface area porosity analysis (BET), microscopy and mechanical tests. Dissolution tests demonstrated that genipin effectively crosslinks the cyanobacterial biomass. The outcome is a highly porous, lightweight material with adaptable, complex morphology, which has significant potential for use in the resource-constrained environments of long-duration Mars missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-025-00521-9","authors":["Sophia Mannes Guesser De Oliveira","Kurosch Rezwan","Cyprien Verseux","Michael Maas"],"tags":["Martian","Regolith","Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Biomass (ecology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-025-00521-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W2245765619","name":"SPACE HABITABILITY. Integrating Human Factors into the Design Process to Enhance Habitability in Long Duration Missions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Astronauten arbeiten in den extremsten Umgebungen und unter lebensgefährlichen Bedingungen, um das Wissen der Menschheit über den Weltraum zu erweitern. Radioaktive Strahlung, Anpassung an die Schwerelosigkeit, Isolation und Mensch-Technik-Interaktion sind nur einige der vielen Herausforderungen, welche sich gravierend auf die Bewohnbarkeit des Weltalls auswirken und damit auch auf die Leistungsfähigkeit, die Sicherheit und das Wohlbefinden eines Menschen. Kenntnisse über den Einfluss dieser Faktoren auf den Menschen sind von größter Bedeutung wenn es darum geht, Leistungsfähigkeit, Sicherheit und den Erfolg der Mission zu gewährleisten. Human Factors, eine Fachrichtung welche die Interaktion zwischen Menschen und anderen Elementen des Systems behandelt, wurde bis heute nicht angemessen berücksichtigt, welches Berichten zufolge die Ursache für das geringe Niveau der Bewohnbarkeit von Raumstationen, von der Mir bis hin zur derzeitigen Internationalen Raumstation, ist. Wie die European Cooperation for Space Standardization betonte ist die Integration von fundiertem Human Factors-Wissen in allen Projektphasen von Anfang an eine primäre Notwendigkeit, insbesondere in Anbetracht des immer warscheinlicher werdenden Szenarios einer Langzeitmission. In dieser Arbeit wird ein neues konzeptionelles Modell als Lösungsweg für den Umgang mit diesen Bedürfnissen vorgeschlagen, welches den Schwerpunkt auf die Einbeziehung von Human-Factors-Prinzipien in alle Aspekte einer bemannten Langzeitmission setzt, um die Bewohnbarkeit im All zu verbessern. Das neue konzeptionelle Modell, nachstehend als \"Integrated Design Process (IDP)\" bezeichnet, umfasst drei wichtige Designprinzipien: Faktoren der Bewohnbarkeit, einen benutzerzentrierten Ansatz und eine ganzheitliche Methodik. Das konzeptionelle Modell wurde in vier Studien im Vergleich zu existierenden Modellen untersucht. An der ersten Studie waren Studenten aus verschiedenen Fachrichtungen beteiligt, welche das Modell einsetzten, um die Gestaltung einer Mondbasis zu unterstützen. An der zweiten Studie war der Arbeitskreis Extreme-Design beteiligt, welcher das Modell einsetzte, um Verfahren zum Bewohnbarkeits-Debriefing sowie Sensorenreize während einer simulierten Mission auf der Mars Desert Research Station zu untersuchen. An der dritten Studie waren Studenten des Lehrstuhls Mensch-Maschine-Systeme der TU Berlin beteiligt, welche Raumausrüstung für Systemabläufe in einer Mensch-Maschine-Umgebung entwarfen. An der vierten Studie war ein interdisziplinäres Team im Deutschen Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) beteiligt, welches das Modell beim Entwurf eines closed-loop Habitat-Systems für Langstreckenmissionen anwendete. Die Ergebnisse dieser Studien zeigten, dass im Vergleich zu den aktuellen Methoden die Verwendung des IDP-Modells während der Entwurfsphase die Bewohnbarkeit verbessert. Die Vermutung liegt daher nahe, dass die Verwendung eines solchen Modells in der Planungsphase einer Weltraummission die Bewohnbarkeit und als Folge die Leistungsfähigkeit des Menschen und dessen Sicherheit verbessern und letztendlich zum Erfolg der Mission beitragen kann. Die Auswirkungen eines solchen Modells gehen über die Anwendung im Weltraum hinaus und schließen auch andere Umgebungen mit ein, in welchen Menschen in geschlossenen Räumen für längere Zeit leben und arbeiten müssen, wie beispielsweise in Forschungslaboren in der Antarktis, aber auch in Megastädten und Altenheimen.","url":"https://doi.org/10.14279/depositonce-3093","authors":["Irene Lia Schlacht"],"tags":["Habitability","Duration (music)","Astrobiology","Process (computing)","Space exploration"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-02-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.14279/depositonce-3093","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4413051172","name":"Pathways for accelerated bacterial spore killing with ohmic heating","source":"openalex","abstract":"The mechanism by which ohmic heating (OH) accelerates bacterial spore killing compared to conventional heating (CH) is unclear. This study used genetically modified Bacillus subtilis spores to investigate OH's impact on specific components. Flow cytometry assessed membrane integrity, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations examined the DNA-SASP complex under an electric field. Among the inner membrane (IM) proteins (YetF, YdfS, and YkjA) tested for its resistance against OH and CH, YeTF was found to be the most significant contributor to spore resistance for both treatments. SASP, SpoVA proteins, and Ca-DPA interacted with the field, showing specific effects at certain temperature and field intensity combinations. Flow cytometry showed spore staining with propidium iodide (PI), which increased with higher field intensities, indicating significant IM damage. MD simulations showed that the electric field caused the SASP-DNA complex to dissociate, with greater separation at higher field intensities. Thus, OH accelerates spore killing by affecting key IM and core molecules.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-025-00537-1","authors":["Shyam Singh","Chaminda P. Samaranayake","George Korza","Mohamed M. Ali","Peter Setlow","Sudhir K. Sastry"],"tags":["Bacterial spore","Microbiology","Spore","Biology","Endospore"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-025-00537-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406701604","name":"A Microbial-Centric View of Mobile Phones: Enhancing the Technological Feasibility of Biotechnological Recovery of Critical Metals","source":"openalex","abstract":"End-of-life (EoL) mobile phones represent a valuable reservoir of critical raw materials at higher concentrations compared to primary ores. This review emphasizes the critical need to transition from single-material recovery approaches to comprehensive, holistic strategies for recycling EoL mobile phones. In response to the call for sustainable techniques with reduced energy consumption and pollutant emissions, biohydrometallurgy emerges as a promising solution. The present work intends to review the most relevant studies focusing on the exploitation of microbial consortia in bioleaching and biorecovery processes. All living organisms need macro- and micronutrients for their metabolic functionalities, including some of the elements contained in mobile phones. By exploring the interactions between microbial communities and the diverse elements found in mobile phones, this paper establishes a microbial-centric perspective by connecting each element of each layer to their role in the microbial cell system. A special focus is dedicated to the concepts of ecodesign and modularity as key requirements in electronics to potentially increase selectivity of microbial consortia in the bioleaching process. By bridging microbial science with sustainable design, this review proposes an innovative roadmap to optimize metal recovery, aligning with the principles of the circular economy and advancing scalable biotechnological solutions for electronic waste management.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering12020101","authors":["Chiara Magrini","Francesca Verga","Ilaria Bassani","Candido Fabrizio Pirri","Annalisa Abdel Azim"],"tags":["Bioleaching","Circular economy","Biochemical engineering","Ecodesign","Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering12020101","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W7135050044","name":"A Mössbauer and PXRD study regarding iron bearing minerals in moon simulant samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The demand for advanced analytical tools and innovative combinations of established techniques in the field of extraterrestrial research is steadily increasing, particularly within the context of the Artemis mission and the potential establishment of a Moon base. To test new analytical tools or assess the suitability of well-established methods for potential extraterrestrial applications, appropriate sample materials are essential. Given the potential for analog samples to be utilized in destructive analysis, it is advisable to assess their suitability prior to implementation. Analog samples are well-suited to ensure the optimal setup of analytical tools and equipment for analyzing actual extraterrestrial samples, thereby minimizing the waste of extraterrestrial materials. Furthermore, an optimal calibration of the setup, in combination with the expertise of highly skilled academic staff, reduces errors in analysis and enables the accurate evaluation of samples. The absence of suitable analog samples would make this task significantly more challenging. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive comparative analysis of Moon analog samples LHS-1, LMS-1, and EAC-1 A and compared them with literature data obtained from the Apollo missions. To assess their chemical composition, we utilized Mössbauer spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). Our objective was to determine the suitability of these analog samples in replicating the chemical characteristics of lunar material. Our findings indicate that the samples align well with lunar material concerning major components such as olivine, pyroxene and glass. However, when analyzing the minor components, discrepancies ocurred. Instead of pure ilmenite, we detected Fe(III) in the form of pseudorutile in the ilmenite base material, which shouldn´t be included in authentic analog samples.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10751-026-02370-8","authors":["René Groß","Justus Pawlak","Kevin Tran","M. Blumers","H. Gaber","Franz Renz"],"tags":["Ilmenite","Context (archaeology)","Extraterrestrial life","Pyroxene","Process engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10751-026-02370-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4407848051","name":"Tellurium and Mercury in Late Cretaceous to Early Eocene Sediments as Proxies for Volcanic Activity in the Deccan and North Atlantic Large Igneous Provinces","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Late Maastrichtian to Early Eocene sediments from Wadi Nukhul, Egypt were deposited between about 67 and 55.5 Ma during the eruption of the Deccan Traps and the North Atlantic Igneous Province (NAIP). We use Te and Hg as proxies for volcanism to constrain the timing of flood basalt volcanism relative to environmental perturbations and extinction events during this period. We find enrichment in Te in the latest Maastrichtian and earliest Danian and in the Late Paleocene to Early Eocene, which result from enhanced volcanic input of Te. An increase in volcanic Te during the Late Maastrichtian coincides with the Late Maastrichtian Warming Event. A second larger peak in Te begins about 120–80 kyr before the Cretaceous/Paleogene boundary (KPB) and continues into the Danian, with highest values about 70–30 kyr prior to the KPB, potentially related to eruptions of the voluminous Deccan Wai subgroup. The Chicxulub impact, therefore, did not trigger these eruptions, and Deccan volcanism likely led to climate instability, which may have amplified the environmental effects of the impact. A 6 Myr period of low Te during the Paleocene is followed by an increase in Te starting at 57.5 Ma and peaking at the Paleocene‐Eocene boundary (PEB; 56 Ma) during the opening of the North Atlantic and the highest eruptive rates of the NAIP. In contrast, Hg variations over the same time period are less systematic. Our results show that Te in sediments may be a robust proxy, complementary to Hg, for large volcanic events.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024gc011967","authors":["Nils Björn Baumann","Marcel Regelous","Thierry Adatte","Anette Regelous","Karsten M. Haase","Hassan Khozyem"],"tags":["Geology","Igneous rock","Cretaceous","Deccan Traps","Volcano"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024gc011967","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4409162455","name":"Completing the Spectral Mosaic of Chloromethane by Adding the CHD2Cl Missing Piece Through the Interplay of Rotational/Vibrational Spectroscopy and Quantum Chemical Calculations","source":"openalex","abstract":"Chloromethane (CH3Cl) is a key chlorinated organic compound not only in atmospheric chemistry, but also in the field of molecular astrophysics and a possible biosignature in exoplanetary atmospheres. While the spectroscopic characterization of the main isotopic species has been addressed in great detail, that of its isotopologues remains incomplete. This work aims at filling this gap by focusing on the bideuterated species, CHD2Cl, and exploiting both rotational and vibrational spectroscopy in combination with state-of-the-art quantum-chemical (QC) calculations. First, the rotational spectrum of CHD2Cl has been measured in the millimeter-wave domain, allowing the accurate determination of several spectroscopic constants for four isotopologues, namely 12CHD235Cl, 12CHD237Cl, 13CHD235Cl, and 13CHD237Cl. The newly determined rotational constants have been used to refine the semi-experimental equilibrium structure of chloromethane. Secondly, the vibrational analysis, supported by high-level QC predictions of vibrational energies, has been conducted in the 500–6200 cm−1 infrared (IR) region, enabling the identification of more than 30 bands including fundamental, overtone, and combination transitions. Finally, chloromethane’s radiative efficiency has been simulated using the QC IR absorption cross-sections, and the effects of isotopologue distribution on the predicted radiative properties have been investigated. All these findings greatly improve the comprehension of the spectroscopic properties of bideuterated chloromethane isotopologues, and of chloromethane in general, and facilitate future terrestrial and extraterrestrial studies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30071604","authors":["Mattia Melosso","Paolo Stoppa","Daniela Alvarado-Jiménez","Filippo Tamassia","Carlotta Sapienza","L. Bizzocchi","Luca Dore","Cristina Puzzarini","Andrea Pietropolli Charmet","Nicola Tasinato"],"tags":["Isotopologue","Chloromethane","Chemistry","Spectroscopy","Infrared"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30071604","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411895451","name":"Iron disproportionation in peridotite fragments from the mantle transition zone","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract Previous high-temperature-pressure experiments predicted metallic iron’s potential presence in the deep mantle below 250 km, arising from ferrous disproportionation in silicates, which could profoundly impact the redox environment and physicochemical properties. However, direct natural petrological evidence has been lacking, except scant clues like Fe-alloy inclusions in ultradeep diamonds. Here we present peridotite fragments, found in Cenozoic basalts from eastern China, containing decomposed Na-rich majoritic garnets (from depths of 410-550 km) and olivine with Fe0-spinel-bearing inclusions, likely originated from retrograded wadsleyite/ringwoodite. Enriched Zn-Sr isotopic compositions of the decomposed garnet indicate an origin associated with the stagnant Pacific slab in the mantle transition zone. Disproportionation of iron is evidenced by widely distributed submicron-sized spherical Fe-Ni alloys and Fe3+-rich (Fe3+/ΣFe = 0.35-0.40) olivine. These findings provide compelling evidence for recycling of stagnant slab components in the eastern Asia big mantle wedge (BMW), and iron disproportionation in the deep mantle.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60566-y","authors":["Fabin Pan","Xiang Wu","Chao Wang","Yanfei Zhang","Yiping Yang","Xiaobo He","Chong Wei Jin","Lian Zhou","Hongfei Zhang","Hongping He","Junfeng Zhang"],"tags":["Peridotite","Disproportionation","Mantle (geology)","Ringwoodite","Transition zone"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60566-y","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4362502580","name":"Urban endoliths: incidental microbial communities occurring inside concrete","source":"openalex","abstract":"Concrete is now a prevalent type of synthetic rock, and its production and usage have major environmental implications. Yet, assessments of ordinary concrete have rarely considered that concrete itself is potential habitat for a globally important microbial guild, the endolithic microbes, which live inside rocks and other mineralized substrates. We sought evidence that many common concrete structures harbor endolithic microbial communities and that these communities vary widely depending on the conditions imposed by the concrete. In Summer 2022, we obtained samples from various concrete structures found throughout Lubbock, Texas, USA and subjected the internal (non-surface) portions of each sample to controlled microbial life detection tests including culture tests, DNA quantifications, DNA amplification tests, and ATP assays. The great preponderance of positive life detection results from our concrete samples suggests that most modern concrete hosts cryptic endolith communities composed of bacteria, sometimes co-occurring with fungi and/or archaea. Moreover, many of these microbes are viable, culturable, and identifiable via genetic analysis. Endolith signatures varied widely across concrete samples; some samples only yielded trace evidence of possibly dormant microbes while other samples contained much more microbial biomass and diversity, on par with some low-biomass soils. Pre-cast masonry units and fragments of poured concrete found underwater generally had the most endolith signatures, suggesting that concrete forms and environmental positioning affect endolithy. Endolith biosignatures were generally greater in less dense and less alkaline concrete samples. So, concrete endolith communities may be as ubiquitous and diverse as the concrete structures they inhabit. We propose further research of concrete endoliths to help clarify the role of modern concrete in our rapidly urbanizing biosphere.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3934/microbiol.2023016","authors":["Jordan Brown","Corona Chen","Melania Fernández","Deborah L. Carr"],"tags":["Geography","Environmental science","Geology","Ecology","Biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3934/microbiol.2023016","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4413040334","name":"Art reimagining mineralogical novelty: The emerging and future geodiversity of the Anthropocene","source":"openalex","abstract":"In this article, I examine how contemporary artists are responding to the unprecedented surge of anthropogenic mineral diversity and the rapid accumulation of technofossils by envisioning their potential future manifestations. These artworks move beyond the prevailing nostalgic and apocalyptic narratives by fostering a sense of concern and curiosity about the future interplay of biological, geological and technological compounds and their coevolutionary dynamics. Firstly, I analyse the works by Agnieszka Kurant and Sylvia Noronha, which challenge the conventional, ahistorical notions that often guide ex-situ mineralogy and the narratives presented in geology galleries. These traditional approaches typically emphasise chemical composition and crystal structure, neglecting crucial environmental and evolutionary contexts. I then turn to the art projects by Anika Schwarzlose and Brian McKenna, which speculate on the formation of novel minerals and the radical transformative material dynamics of mining technofossils in situ, both on the earth’s surface and in subsurface environments. I conclude by proposing that art acts as a catalyst for bridging the traditional divides between nature and culture and between biology and mineralogy. By doing so, art invites scholars, museum curators and the public to engage critically with newly emerging material dynamics. Through imaginative exploration, art creates a space to pose open-ended questions and develop new narratives that help us notice, name and responsibly connect with the material realities of the Anthropocene epoch.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/20530196251351607","authors":["Monika Bakke"],"tags":["Anthropocene","Narrative","Geodiversity","Transformative learning","Deconstruction (building)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1177/20530196251351607","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W2078919744","name":"Anthropic Rock: a brief history","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. Stone tool-making is a reductive process. Synthetic rock manufacturing, preeminently an additive process, will not for-ever be confined to only the Earth-biosphere. This brief focuses on humanity's ancient past, hodiernal and possible future even more massive than present-day creation of artificial rocks within our exploitable Solar System. It is mostly Earth-centric account that expands the factual generalities underlying the unique non-copyrighted systemic technogenic rock classification first publicly presented (to the American Geological Society) during 2001, by its sole intellectual innovator, James Ross Underwood, Jr. His pioneering, unique exposition of an organization of this ever-increasingly important aspect of the Anthropic Rock story, spatially expansive material lithification, here is given an amplified discussion for the broader geo and space science social group-purpose of encouragement of a completer 21st Century treatment of Underwood's explicative subject-chart (Fig. 2).","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/hgss-2-57-2011","authors":["Richard B. Cathcart"],"tags":["Anthropic principle","Expansive","Humanity","Biosphere","Subject (documents)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-03-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/hgss-2-57-2011","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4416535455","name":"Architectures and Instruments for Enceladus Exploration","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Enceladus, a moon of Saturn with a subsurface ocean containing potential hydrothermal activity, is a crucial target for habitability and life detection missions. While the Cassini mission provided important information about Enceladus, many unanswered and consequential questions remain, including its habitability, geochemical history, and whether Enceladus currently hosts life. We have developed a general science traceability matrix (STM) detailing a set of science objectives relating to its geology and habitability that can be applied to different mission architectures and concepts. This STM was designed to be broad and cover a broad science trade space for mission development; a companion paper discusses the scientific details of the STM (Rodriguez et al., 2025). In this paper, we discuss which mission architectural features would be needed to meet the STM's different science goals and observables. We identify direct access to ocean samples as an important architectural feature to fulfill measurements of habitability and life detection. We additionally propose using integrated instrument suites for life detection science objectives. We highlight opportunities for advancement in research and technology development that could enable different science objectives, including autonomy and instrument design. The results of this workshop detailed in this publication can be used as a framework for mission concept design and development. This document is designed to be used as a roadmap for the development of new technology maturation for future investigations to maximize science return.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024je008908","authors":["Jessica M. Weber","Laura E. Rodriguez","Morgan L. Cable","Michel D. Ingham","Laura M. Barge","M. Chodas","Corey J. Cochrane","C. M. Elder","Edith C. Fayolle","Bryana L. Henderson","S. Hosseini","Angela G. Marusiak","M. Melwani‐Daswani","Tom Nordheim","Scott M. Perl","Masahiro Ono"],"tags":["Habitability","Enceladus","Astrobiology","Computer science","Systems engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024je008908","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4407715070","name":"Space Economy and Sustainability: A Systematic Review","source":"openalex","abstract":"ABSTRACT The space economy is booming thanks to the increasing investment of government agencies, private companies, and venture capitalists. From the beginning of the New Space era, the array of actors involved in the development of technologies for extra‐terrestrial activities has increased, as well as the downstream applications that foster innovations on Earth. Space technologies promote growth and prosperity: they pose challenges and opportunities in terms of sustainability from multiple perspectives. In outer space, several issues can hinder launches or the capabilities of observing and collecting data (e.g., presence of debris, regulatory and legal issues), while there is room to improve the technical and economic efficiency of operations; on Earth, technologies developed to support space missions and satellite data provide support to human development and help monitoring climate change. The literature dealing with space sciences is extremely varied, from materials and physics for the launch of probes, to management of missions, or the coordination of international activities. The aim of this study is to investigate whether and how studies in the space economy area addressed the topic of sustainability through a systematic literature review. This article analyses 254 articles along multiple dimensions, including the three pillars of sustainability and the sustainable development goals. The studies are categorized according to their main locus of research (i.e., in Space and on Earth) and then grouped in thematic clusters. In doing so, this article provides an overview of the state of the art, highlights potential gaps, and proposes fruitful avenues for future research.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.3383","authors":["Marianna Valente","Federico Caviggioli","Lara Agostini"],"tags":["Sustainability","Space (punctuation)","Economics","Natural resource economics","Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.3383","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W4407386401","name":"Calibration and evaluation of the Hargreaves-Samani equation for estimating reference evapotranspiration: a case study in Northern Minas Gerais, Brazil","source":"openalex","abstract":"Reference evapotranspiration (ETo) is essential for water resources management and agricultural planning. The FAO-56 Penman-Monteith (PM) equation is widely adopted as the standard for ETo estimation but faces limitations in regions with scares data. Therefore, empirical equations emerge as a viable alternative, although they require calibration. This study focuses on calibration the Hargreaves–Samani (HS) equation in the Northwest, North, and Jequitinhonha Valley regions of Minas Gerais, with the aim of improving ETo estimates and developing an adjusted model for the northern region of Minas Gerais, referred to as the Adjusted Hargreaves–Samani (HS1) model. The climatic data used in this research covered 30 years of observations (1990 to 2019), obtained from the National Institute of Meteorology (INMET), and included the following variables: maximum, minimum, and average air temperature; mean relative humidity; wind speed; and sunshine duration (used to estimate global solar radiation). ETo was estimated using the HS and HS1 methods and then compared with the PM method through the following statistical indicators: linear and angular coefficients (a and b), coefficient of determination (R²), correlation coefficient (r), mean absolute error (MAE), root mean square error (RMSE), concordance index (d), and performance index (c). The results indicate that the ETo estimate using the HS1 method improved the obtained values, enhanced the statistical parameters, and reduced the error.","url":"https://doi.org/10.7769/gesec.v16i2.4638","authors":["Lucas Santos do Patrocínio Figueiró","Caroline Salezzi Bonfá","Lucas da Costa Santos"],"tags":["Calibration","Evapotranspiration","Penman–Monteith equation","Environmental science","Reference values"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.7769/gesec.v16i2.4638","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4205796541","name":"Exploration of Enceladus and Titan: investigating ocean worlds’ evolution and habitability in the Saturn system","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We present a White Paper with a science theme concept of ocean world evolution and habitability proposed in response to ESA’s Voyage 2050 Call with a focus on Titan and Enceladus in the Saturn system. Ocean worlds in the outer Solar System that possess subsurface liquid water oceans are considered to be prime targets for extra-terrestrial life and offer windows into Solar System evolution and habitability. The Cassini-Huygens mission to the Saturn system (2004–2017) revealed Titan with its organic-rich evolving world with terrestrial features and Enceladus with its active aqueous environment to be ideal candidates to investigate ocean world evolution and habitability. Additionally, this White Paper presents a baseline for a multiple flyby mission with a focused payload as an example of how ocean world evolution and habitability in the Saturn system could be investigated building on the heritage of the Cassini-Huygens mission and complementing the recently selected NASA Dragonfly mission.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10686-021-09772-2","authors":["Giuseppe Mitri","Jason W. Barnes","A. Coustenis","E. Flamini","Alexander G. Hayes","R. D. Lorenz","Marco Mastrogiuseppe","R. Orosei","Frank Postberg","K. Reh","J. M. Soderblom","C. Sotin"],"tags":["Habitability","Enceladus","Astrobiology","Titan (rocket family)","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-07-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10686-021-09772-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4410306171","name":"Sample Return Missions: Rosetta Stones Returned from the First Small Bodies in the Solar System","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract It is now possible to bring back samples from planetary bodies of the Solar System other than the moon. This research method enables a direct link between astronomical observations and meteorite analyses, which were previously disconnected. The Hayabusa, Hayabusa2, and OSIRIS REx sample return missions have provided detailed information on the composition of S-, C-, and B-type asteroids, respectively, and the processes by which they were formed. This paper reviews the results of these three asteroid sample return missions, and also introduces the next Martian moon sample return mission MMX. Although sample returns are currently achieved only from near-Earth objects in the Solar System, it is hoped that in the future it will be possible to collect samples from outer Solar System objects and even from small objects flying from outside the Solar System.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-025-01168-4","authors":["Tomoki Nakamura","C. Engrand","M. E. Zolensky","V. E. Hamilton","A. A. Fraeman"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Astronomy","Planetary science","Solar System","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-025-01168-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"oa:W4409430206","name":"The Space Economy: A New Frontier for Economic Growth and Innovation","source":"openalex","abstract":"The space economy encompasses a wide range of activities and resource utilization related to outer space, increasingly establishing itself as a transformative sector with profound implications for global markets, technological advancement, and international policy frameworks. The growing involvement of private enterprises, coupled with declining costs associated with accessing space, has sparked a remarkable surge in both investment and innovation across various areas, including satellite services, space tourism, asteroid mining, and in-orbit manufacturing. This article explores the complex dynamics of the space economy, analyzing its key sectors, economic viability, and the regulatory, sustainability, and equity challenges that lie ahead. In the initial section of this study, a comprehensive definition of the space economy will be provided, followed by an in-depth examination of its fundamental components. Subsequently, a review of the existing literature pertaining to the space economy will be presented. The final sections will examine the economic impacts of developments in the space economy, as well as future risks and opportunities.","url":"https://doi.org/10.47899/ijss.1654411","authors":["Aras Yolusever"],"tags":["Frontier","Space (punctuation)","Economics","Innovation economics","Economic system"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.47899/ijss.1654411","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411161957","name":"Fundamental Role of N–O Bond-Containing Compounds in Prebiotic Synthesis","source":"openalex","abstract":"The emergence of biomolecules on the primordial Earth represents a pivotal scientific question for understanding the origin of life. Recent studies show that compounds containing nitrogen-oxygen bonds could serve as important feedstocks in prebiotic synthesis and intermediates in primitive metabolic pathways. Simple N-O-compounds have been identified in the interstellar medium and were likely formed from molecular nitrogen in the early Earth's atmosphere in the course of high-energy events. N-O-compounds are reactive species with rich chemistry enabling abiotic nitrogen fixation processes. Moreover, various inorganic and organic N-O-compounds are produced and used by modern organisms suggesting these species could play a crucial role at certain stages in the emergence and evolution of life. In this perspective, the potential role of N-O bond-containing compounds as fundamental building blocks and intermediates in prebiotic synthesis is summarized and discussed in a broad context (from simple nitrogen oxides to complicated organic N-O bearing molecules). In the first section, experimental and theoretical data on the detection, formation, and processing of simple N-O-compounds in space is considered. The second section focuses on the abiotic synthesis of N-O-compounds via chemical and photochemical reactions in the primordial atmosphere and ocean. The last two sections deal with the state-of-the-art laboratory-designed chemical reaction networks producing amino acids, peptides, and nucleosides from N-O compounds under prebiotically plausible conditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/jacsau.5c00334","authors":["Alexey Yu. Sukhorukov"],"tags":["Abiogenesis","Chemistry","Biomolecule","Context (archaeology)","Nitrogen"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/jacsau.5c00334","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4415482291","name":"Late-surviving New Mexican dinosaurs illuminate high end-Cretaceous diversity and provinciality","source":"openalex","abstract":"It has long been debated whether non-avian dinosaurs went extinct abruptly or gradually at the end-Cretaceous (66 million years ago), because their fossil record at this time is mostly limited to northern North America. We constrain a dinosaur-rich unit to the south, the Naashoibito Member in New Mexico, to the very latest Cretaceous (~66.4 to 66.0 million years), preserving some of the last-known non-avian dinosaurs. Ecological modeling shows that North American terrestrial vertebrates maintained high diversity and endemism in the latest Cretaceous and early Paleogene, with bioprovinces shaped by temperature and geography. This counters the notion of a low-diversity cross-continental fauna and suggests that dinosaurs were diverse and partitioned into regionally distinct assemblages during the final few hundred thousand years before the end-Cretaceous asteroid impact.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adw3282","authors":["Andrew G. Flynn","Stephen L. Brusatte","Alfio Alessandro Chiarenza","Jorge García‐Girón","Adam J. Davis","C. Will Fenley","Caitlin E. Leslie","Ross Secord","Sarah L. Shelley","Anne Weil","Matthew T. Heizler","Thomas E. Williamson","Daniel J. Peppe"],"tags":["Cretaceous","Fauna","Paleontology","Diversity (politics)","Fossil Record"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adw3282","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W7108336576","name":"ISRU Technology Developments at the DLR Institute of Space Systems","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Synergetic Material Utilization (SMU) research group was founded in 2021 at the DLR Institute of Space Systems in Bremen with the primary focus on combining Life Support Systems and In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) systems. The group works on a combination of laboratory-scale experimental setups in relevant environments and simulations to contribute to the development of ISRU technologies for Moon and Mars. One research area is regolith beneficiation, which resulted in the development of a laboratory scale model for a multi-stage beneficiation testbed. The testbed achieved a three-fold increase in the ilmenite weight concentration compared to the unprocessed input regolith. The goal is to further develop particle size sorting and magnetic mineral enrichment processes. Another research area is water extraction and purification for in-situ propellant and consumables production. Here, the SMU group has led the EU-funded LUWEX project. Its objective is to extract, capture, and purify water from lunar icy regolith, reaching Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4/5. Along with validating this water process chain in a relevant lunar simulated environment, the project developed a novel method to produce an icy regolith simulant. As a foundation for LUWEX, an experimental study was performed on the solubility of regolith simulants in water. Additionally, several feasibility studies have been performed on different ISRU topics. One system analysis focused of an ISRU production plant to extract oxygen and metals. Furthermore, a second analysis on the oxygen production costs and logistics on the Moon surface was carried out, leading to the conclusion that the location with the best resources is the main driver in location selection. A third study was conducted on extracting minerals on Mars suitable for plant cultivation. This manuscript gives a comprehensive overview about the results of the different research and development activities carried out since 2021.","url":"https://doi.org/10.32865/2346/102665","authors":["Paul Zabel","Luca Kiewiet","Kunal Kulkarni","Mateo Rejón López","Svenja Fälker"],"tags":["Propellant","Consumables","Beneficiation","Regolith","Engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.32865/2346/102665","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W7134985003","name":"Digital twin for in – space manufacturing: a comprehensive review from framework to future","source":"openalex","abstract":"Digital Twin (DT) provides a pivotal solution to space manufacturing bottlenecks through high-fidelity simulation and closed-loop control. This paper systematically reviews DT for space manufacturing. It first clarifies the unique conceptual framework and challenges arising from microgravity, resource limitations, and high autonomy requirements. Next, it traces DT’s evolution – from industrial static prototypes, through virtual-physical interaction exploration, to near-real-time closed-loop systems – and analyzes the migration of industrial technologies to space and nascent on-orbit applications. Critically, the study focuses on four technical pillars: high-fidelity multi-physics modelling under microgravity, near-real-time simulation and interaction, multi-source sensing and sparse data fusion under resource constraints and deeply-integrated autonomous collaborative decision-making. Applications in space additive manufacturing, on-orbit assembly, maintenance, repair, and in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU) demonstrate DT’s core value in driving the ‘design-manufacturing’ closed-loop. Concurrently, this review further identifies key bottlenecks, including inadequate model fidelity in extreme environments, sparse sensing data, limited on-board computing power, Earth-space communication latency, and high systems integration/verification costs. Finally, intelligent enhancement pathways are proposed – including PIML-empowered AI-driven dynamic modelling, Earth-space collaborative computing, digital thread standardisation, and human-cyber-physical collaborative decision-making – to advance space manufacturing from ground-dependent verification toward on-orbit autonomous closed-loop operations, laying the foundation for sustainable deep-space exploration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17452759.2026.2639147","authors":["Lei Wang","Yina Jiang","Jialong Zhu","Kunyang Lin","Xiaofei Ma","Jun He","Bingheng Lu"],"tags":["Systems engineering","Computer science","Resource (disambiguation)","Thread (computing)","Space (punctuation)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17452759.2026.2639147","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402952592","name":"Integration of Internet of Things (IoT) and Machine Learning for Management of Ground Water Banks in Drought-prone Areas: A Case Study from Imjai Organic Garden, Thailand","source":"openalex","abstract":"This study presents an innovative approach integrating Internet of Things (IoT) and machine learning for optimized water management in precision agriculture, focusing on jasmin, date and pomelo farming in a drought-prone area where Imjai Organic Garden is located (Chachoengsao, Thailand).The research addresses a critical need for efficient water use in agriculture, particularly in regions facing spells of both drought and flooding.Using a multi-depth and multi-sensor IoT setup, the real-time data from soil moisture, temperature and water levels at the site were collected and transmitted via NB-IoT technology.The data facilitated the development of virtual soil moisture sensors through machine learning models, specifically Linear Regression, Random Forest, Support Vector Regression (SVR) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks.Such models demonstrated a high accuracy in predicting soil moisture levels, thus reducing the need for frequent physical sensor maintenance.The study's novelty lies in its comprehensive approach combining IoT and advanced machine learning to provide actionable insights for water management, thus enhancing both agricultural productivity and sustainability.Quantitatively, the integration of machine learning models improved water usage efficiency by 37% for jasmine flowers, 28% for date palms, and 19% for pomelo trees.This research contributes to the body of knowledge in precision agriculture, and it also offers practical solutions for sustainable water resource management in Thailand's agricultural sector.","url":"https://doi.org/10.30919/es1248","authors":["Chirawat Wattanapanich","Thanongsak Imjai","Fetih Kefyalew","Pakjira Aosai","Reyes Garcia","Suseela Vapppangi"],"tags":["Internet of Things","Environmental science","Water resource management","Business","Engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.30919/es1248","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4400841426","name":"Osmium Transport and Enrichment From the Lithosphere to the Hydrosphere: New Perspectives From Hydrothermal Experiments and Geochemical Modeling","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Metal complexation and speciation is the primary process responsible for metal transport and circulation in hydrothermal systems, during which stable and soluble metal complexes play a pivotal role. Here, we investigate the speciation of Os and the thermodynamic stability of Os(IV)‐Cl complexes in chloride‐bearing solutions at temperatures ranging from 150 to 600°C and pressure of 100 MPa through hydrolysis experiments. The results show that the dominant species of Os is OsCl62− at temperatures between 150 and 450°C and 100 MPa, gradually converting into Os(IV)‐OH‐Cl and Os(II)‐Cl complexes over 450°C. The equilibrium constant (ln K) (K = [HCl]4 ⨯ [Cl−]2/[OsCl62−]) between OsCl62− and water molecule is determined as ln K = (50.43 ± 4.633) − (54223 ± 2525.6)/T, and ΔrHmΘ and ΔrSmΘ are inferred to be (450.8 ± 21.00) kJ · mol−1 and (419.3 ± 38.52) J · mol−1 · K−1. Furthermore, the formation constant (ln β) of OsCl62− exhibits a change from −0.097 to −0.104 as temperatures increase from 150 to 400°C, while the change values in standard Gibbs free energy (ΔrGmΘ) for the hydrolysis reactions decrease with rising temperature, suggesting a temperature‐dependent thermodynamic stability of OsCl62−. Geochemical modeling further demonstrates that high solubility of OsCl62− could exist in low‐temperature and acidic fluids (≤300°C and pH < 5), or relatively high‐temperature and acidic‐neutral fluids (>300°C and pH < 7), primarily influenced by the Cl concentration. Acidic and near‐neutral fluids with high Cl concentration venting in the mid‐ocean ridge, back‐arc, and sediment‐hosted systems contribute more to dissolving and transporting Os from the lithosphere to the hydrosphere, thereby impacting the global ocean dissolved Os budget.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023jb028261","authors":["Haibo Yan","Xing Ding","Junfeng Liu","Xianglin Tu","Weidong Sun","I‐Ming Chou"],"tags":["Hydrosphere","Hydrothermal circulation","Lithosphere","Osmium","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023jb028261","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391910047","name":"A review of hybrid solar desalination systems: structure and performance","source":"openalex","abstract":"The purpose of this study is to explore the architecture and functioning of hybrid solar desalination systems and investigate their potential as a sustainable solution for water purification. The study reveals that solar-powered desalination systems offer a remarkable alternative to traditional methods, as they rely on clean solar energy and produce no noise or sound pollution. In addition, they have demonstrated cost-effectiveness in generating drinking water, especially in desert regions and inaccessible areas. Furthermore, the research highlights the significance of incorporating waste heat energy into the desalination process. Also shows that utilizing waste heat energy can significantly reduce expenses and enhance the overall effectiveness of water desalination. Through an in-depth analysis of the fundamental principles and real-world applications, this study underscores the importance and rationale for implementing hybrid solar desalination systems. By effectively utilizing solar energy, these systems provide a sustainable approach to address water scarcity and ensure the efficient management of water and energy resources. This study emphasizes the fundamental importance of the structure of hybrid solar desalination systems fueled by solar energy in the efficient management of water resources. By combining technological innovations with renewable energy sources, these systems pave the way for a sustainable future.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2024.042","authors":["Mohammed A. Alghassab"],"tags":["Desalination","Renewable energy","Solar desalination","Solar energy","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2024.042","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411886915","name":"Missing interstellar sulfur in inventories of polysulfanes and molecular octasulfur crowns","source":"openalex","abstract":"The disparity between predicted sulfur abundances and identified reservoirs of sulfur in cold molecular clouds, also known as the sulfur depletion problem, has remained an ongoing debate over decades. Here, we show in laboratory simulation experiments that hydrogen sulfide (H2S) can be converted on ice-coated interstellar grains in cold molecular clouds through galactic cosmic rays processing at 5 K to sulfanes (H2Sn; n = 2–11) and octasulfur (S8). This locks the processed hydrogen sulfide as high-molecular weight sulfur-containing molecules thus providing a plausible rationale for the fate of the missing interstellar sulfur. These sulfuretted molecules may undergo fractionated sublimation once the molecular cloud transforms into star forming regions. The isomeric identification of octasulfur rings (S8) coincides with the recent identification of elementary sulfur in the carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu, thus providing compelling evidence on the link between sulfur in cold molecular clouds and in our Solar System with, e.g., the Taurus Molecular Cloud (TMC) potentially accumulating an equivalent of 350 Earth masses of octasulfur. Laboratory simulation experiments with isomer selective photoionization detection techniques reveal that octasulfur (S8) and sulfanes can be easily formed in low temperature H2S interstellar ice analogues exposed to ionizing radiation, suggesting a critical link between sulfur chemistry on ice coated nanoparticles in molecular clouds and the inventory of sulfur compounds in our Solar System.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61259-2","authors":["Ashanie Herath","Mason McAnally","Andrew M. Turner","Jia Wang","Joshua H. Marks","Ryan C. Fortenberry","Jorge C. Garcia-Alvarez","Samer Gozem","Ralf I. Kaiser"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Sulfur","Environmental science","Physics","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61259-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4415928738","name":"Modeling Hybrid Renewable Microgrids in Remote Northern Regions: A Comparative Simulation Study","source":"openalex","abstract":"Remote northern regions face unique energy challenges due to geographic isolation, harsh climates, and limited access to centralized power grids. In response to growing environmental and economic pressures, there is a rising interest in hybrid energy systems that integrate renewable and conventional sources. This study investigates sustainable and cost-effective energy supply strategies for off-grid northern communities through the modeling and simulation of multi-energy microgrids. Focusing on case studies from Yakutia (Russia), Hordaland (Norway), and Alaska (United States), the research employs a comprehensive methodology that combines a critical literature review, system design using HOMER Pro software (version 3.16.2), and a comparative analysis of simulation outcomes. Three distinct microgrid configurations are proposed, incorporating various combinations of solar photovoltaic (PV), wind energy, diesel generators, and battery storage systems. The findings reveal that integrating solar PV significantly enhances economic efficiency, particularly in regions with high solar irradiance, underscoring its pivotal role in shaping resilient, sustainable energy systems for remote northern areas. This study is innovative in its cross-regional comparative approach, linking techno-economic simulation with climatic variability analysis to identify context-specific energy strategies. The key findings highlight how hybrid microgrids combining PV, wind, and storage systems can reduce both costs and emissions by up to 35% compared to diesel-only systems, offering practical pathways toward sustainable electrification in high-latitude regions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/en18215827","authors":["Nurcan Kilinc‐Ata","Liliana Proskuryakova"],"tags":["Renewable energy","Microgrid","Electrification","Photovoltaic system","Environmental economics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/en18215827","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4404108855","name":"Evidence for Magnetically‐Driven Accretion in the Distal Solar System","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Paleomagnetic measurements of meteorites indicate that magnetic fields existed in the inner solar nebula capable of driving accretion at rates similar to those observed for young stellar objects with protoplanetary disks. However, the field strength in the solar system beyond ∼7 astronomical units (AU) and its role in accretion remain poorly constrained. Returned samples from asteroid (162173) Ryugu offer the possibility of determining the nebular field intensity in this distal region. Here, we report paleomagnetic studies of three Ryugu particles which reveal that alteration occurred in the presence of a null or relatively weak (<15.8 μT) field within 3 million years (Ma) after solar system formation. This resolves previously contrasting reports that Ryugu's parent body experienced alteration in the presence of a strong (>80 μT) magnetic field and weak or null field (<3 μT). In addition, we re‐examine previous paleomagnetic and Mn‐Cr chronometry studies of three other distally‐sourced meteorites, Tagish Lake, Tarda, and Wisconsin Range 91600, which measured paleointensities of <0.9, <1.7 and 5.1 ± 4.5 μT respectively. While it was previously unclear whether these records were acquired while the nebula was present, our re‐analysis suggests that their records are sufficiently old (i.e., <3.5 Ma after solar system formation) to be nebular in origin. Collectively, these data demonstrate that the distal solar system nebular field, while faint, was likely still strong enough to drive accretion at rates like those observed in the inner solar system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024av001396","authors":["Elias N. Mansbach","B. P. Weiss","Eduardo A. Lima","Michael Sowell","Joseph L. Kirschvink","Roger Fu","Saverio Cambioni","Xue‐Ning Bai","J. B. Ream","Chisato Anai","A. Kobayashi","Hironori Hidaka"],"tags":["Accretion (finance)","Astrophysics","Astronomy","Astrobiology","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024av001396","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4413768553","name":"Magnesium, iron, and calcium isotope signatures of Chicxulub impact spherules: Isotopic fingerprint of the projectile and plume thermodynamics","source":"openalex","abstract":"• Light δ 25 Mg and δ 56 Fe suggest incomplete recondensation from Chicxulub pyrocloud. • Decoupled Fe and Mg condensation rates indicate fractional condensation. • µ 26 Mg* and µ 48 Ca signatures show 17–25 % contribution from a CM or CO asteroid. The Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary (KPB) represents a massive extinction event in Earth's history, probably triggered by the Chicxulub asteroid impact ∼66 Ma. The event dispersed vast volumes of ejecta materials including exceptionally preserved impact spherules in the Gorgonilla Island KPB section. Previous work identified three populations of spherules at Gorgonilla: 1) ballistically transported molten spherules, 2) a mixture of molten and condensed spherules dispersed by the expansion of a high-temperature, turbulent cloud (the \"pyrocloud\"), and 3) tiny droplets condensed from the plume (the \"fireball layer\"). We determine the Mg, Fe, and Ca isotopic compositions of pristine spherules to better understand the evaporation and condensation thermodynamics within the pyrocloud. We detect enrichment in mass bias corrected µ 48 Ca and µ 26 Mg* isotope signatures from the terrestrial value corresponding to an impactor contribution of ∼17–25%, most likely from a CM or CO chondrite-like asteroid. The mass-dependent δ 25 Mg and δ 56 Fe compositions are generally light or unfractionated, suggesting incomplete recondensation as the pyrocloud cooled and expanded. Combined δ 25 Mg and δ 56 Fe signatures reveal decoupling of these isotope systems, likely due to differing condensation rates. Thus, we calculate a higher average condensation rate of Fe than Mg, reflecting the thermodynamic decoupling and more complete recondensation signatures of Fe in the pyrocloud vapor. While we uncover information about the evaporation and condensation thermodynamics in the pyrocloud, the exact formation mechanisms of the complete suite of spherules remain complex with some spherules potentially forming from multiple mechanisms, including recondensation and splash–melting.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2025.119599","authors":["Courtney Rundhaug","Martin Schiller","Martin Bizzarro","Zhengbin Deng","Hermann D. Bermúdez"],"tags":["Geology","Plume","Projectile","Geochemistry","Isotope"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2025.119599","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W7129501602","name":"Future Prospects of Microgreens in Global Food and Nutritional Security","source":"openalex","abstract":"Moinuddin, Ateeq Khan, Girish Chandra, Shagun, Shahista Parveen, Sarthak Verma, Niyaj Ahamad and Belal Ahmad Microgreens young seedlings harvested 7 - 21 days after germination have emerged as a nutrient-dense, resource-efficient crop with significant potential to address global food and nutritional security challenges. Their exceptional concentrations of vitamins (A, C, K, and E), minerals (Iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), and selenium (Se)), carotenoids, phenolics, and bioactive phytochemicals position them as next-generation functional foods capable of combating micronutrient deficiencies in both urban and rural populations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17756/jfcn.2025-219","authors":[],"tags":["Micronutrient","Food security","Crop","Biology","Biotechnology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.17756/jfcn.2025-219","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4384944125","name":"A Novel Alkali Precipitation Method for Tungsten Separation and High‐Precision Isotopic Measurement in Geological Samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"Tungsten (W) isotopes are useful tools in geological and cosmochemical research, but the chemical separation of W is cumbersome for high‐precision measurement. Here, a novel alkali (sodium hydroxide, NaOH) precipitation method for separation and purification of W in geological samples is described, which simplifies the chemical procedure. The amphoteric character of W is exploited to separate it from most matrix elements in alkaline conditions. Subsequently, TEVA resin was applied to further purify W for measurements using a multi‐collector inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometer. Importantly, the introduction of a certain amount of Na in the W analyte can increase the signal intensity by approximately 1.6 times, which may be caused by Coulomb fission. Such Na‐triggered signal enhancement reduces the test portion mass required for analysis. Our results show that the Alfa Aesar W standard solution and geological reference materials JB‐3, BCR‐2 and BHVO‐2 yield 182W/184W ratios consistent with previously reported values within uncertainty. Repeated measurement of the Alfa Aesar W standard solution shows that the intermediate precision of 182W/184W was better than 5 ppm (2s), which is sufficient to identify subtle 182W isotope variations in terrestrial and extra‐terrestrial samples. Above all, the alkali precipitation method in this study optimises the experimental process and mass spectrometric analysis.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ggr.12521","authors":["Zheng Qin","Cuiping Wang","Wenjun Zhou","Huanxin Liu","Ruohan Gao","Jie Li","Jingao Liu"],"tags":["Alkali metal","Analytical Chemistry (journal)","Chemistry","Isotope","Precipitation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ggr.12521","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4392543904","name":"Astrobiological Potential of Venus Atmosphere Chemical Anomalies and Other Unexplained Cloud Properties","source":"openalex","abstract":"Long-standing unexplained Venus atmosphere observations and chemical anomalies point to unknown chemistry but also leave room for the possibility of life. The unexplained observations include several gases out of thermodynamic equilibrium ( e.g., tens of ppm O 2 , the possible presence of PH 3 and NH 3 , SO 2 and H 2 O vertical abundance profiles), an unknown composition of large, lower cloud particles, and the “unknown absorber(s).” Here we first review relevant properties of the venusian atmosphere and then describe the atmospheric chemical anomalies and how they motivate future astrobiology missions to Venus.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2022.0060","authors":["Janusz J. Petkowski","Sara Seager","David Grinspoon","William Bains","Sukrit Ranjan","Paul B. Rimmer","Weston P. Buchanan","Rachana Agrawal","Rakesh Mogul","Christopher E. Carr"],"tags":["Venus","Atmosphere of Venus","Astrobiology","Atmosphere (unit)","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2022.0060","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4200616508","name":"Is There a Legal Path to Commercial Mining on the Moon?","source":"openalex","abstract":"The introduction describes how current lunar mining strengthens political incentives for commercial lunar activities. The present Chinese explorative excavation may bring greater clarity about the extent of commercial mining opportunities. It also raises issues regarding the lack of coordination between the lunar Artemis Program of the United States and the independent Chinese Lunar Exploration Program and raises uncertainties regarding the legal framework for lunar mining. Part I examines the fundamental law of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty (OST) regarding lunar mining. It briefly reviews the 1979 Moon Agreement, the Liability Convention,4 lunar environmental protection, peaceful uses, and applicable law of treaty interpretation. Part II discusses efforts to implement the OST in a way that makes mining on the Moon possible. It examines the Building Blocks for the Development of an International Framework on Space Resource Activities (Building Blocks Proposal), which results from a three-year international interagency, an interdisciplinary working group at the Institute of Air and Space Law, University of Leiden. Within the scope of existing space law, the working group prepared an extensive international framework for states to authorize and supervise space resource activities, including lunar mining by private companies. It proposes reasonable safety zones around each mining project. The Building Blocks Proposal is now before the United Nations Committee for the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS). Part II also describes the Artemis Accords, initiated by National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA), an independent agency of the United States (U.S.). As of October 2021, twelve national space agencies have entered into bilateral accords with NASA to establish basic rules for lunar mining by commercial companies. The parties simply agree to respect each other’s lunar mining activities. Through the Artemis Accords, space agencies agree on operating rules for mining which include reasonable safety zones. Part II briefly discusses the Moon as a Commons as it affects lunar mining. It also examines possibilities for soft law regulation of lunar mining. The conclusion stresses the need for multilateral regulation of lunar mining. It urges COPUOS to adopt guidelines on lunar mining. It also recommends that the United States should eliminate the Wolf Amendment, which is a barrier to the coordination of lunar mining between the two space powers currently most active in lunar exploration and use.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5195/lawreview.2021.821","authors":["Paul B. Larsen"],"tags":["Space law","Outer space","Scope (computer science)","Agency (philosophy)","Space (punctuation)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-10-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5195/lawreview.2021.821","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4413119880","name":"Technological Progress in Sulfur-Based Construction Materials: The Role of Modified Sulfur Cake in Concrete and Bitumen","source":"openalex","abstract":"Modified sulfur cake is a by-product of sulfuric acid and hydrometallurgical processes, and presents an underutilized resource in sustainable infrastructure with significant potential. This review evaluates the current technological innovations as pertaining to the use of modified sulfur cake in the manufacture of sulfur concrete and sulfur-modified bitumen. The processing strategies (thermal, chemical, and mechano-chemical processing, and effects of organic and inorganic additives to promote mechanical, chemical, and thermal behaviors) are discussed systematically. The effect of the modified sulfur cake on the workability, compressive strength, corrosion resistance, and environmental resistance of construction materials, in particular, is tested, with compression strengths beyond 40 MPa being reported, alongside the improved rutting resistance up to 40%. The most critical limitations associated with phase instability, toxic gas release during processing, compositional variability, and the absence of standardization are identified. Correspondingly, to alleviate them, new developments such as blends with sulfur, nano-reinforcements (e.g., carbon nanotubes (CNT), nano-silica), and the incorporation of formulation optimization by machine-learning are considered. The review particularly focuses on the life cycle performance, reduction in volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions, and circular economy advantages, highlighting modified sulfur cake as an economical and low-carbon alternative to conventional concrete and bitumen. This review mainly aims to bridge the gap between waste valorization and green construction technologies, offering a roadmap for future research and industrial implementation in line with global climate and sustainability goals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/app15168790","authors":["Muhammad Hashami","Yerdos Ongarbayev","Yerbol Tileuberdi","Yerzhan Imanbayev","Ainur Zhambolova","Yernar Kanzharkan"],"tags":["Sulfur","Asphalt","Engineering","Materials science","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/app15168790","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4409567127","name":"Research on the Possibilities of Using Sulfur Concrete for Road Infrastructure Construction—Assessment Based on European Standards","source":"openalex","abstract":"Sulphur is generated in large quantities as an industrial byproduct, and one promising method of its reuse is in sulphur concrete as an alternative binder to Portland cement. In this study, a sulphur polymer (waste sulphur) modified with 5% styrene was evaluated as a binder in concrete for road infrastructure. The sulphur concrete was tested for its compressive strength, abrasion resistance, water absorption, freeze–thaw durability, water impermeability, and leachate chemistry, in relation to relevant European standards for transport concretes. The modified sulphur concrete achieved high early strength (compressive strength class C40/45) and exhibited very low water absorption and high resistance to abrasion and water penetration. However, it did not satisfy frost resistance requirements: after 150 freeze–thaw cycles, its compressive strength dropped by over 30% (well beyond the 20% acceptable loss), meaning that the material only achieved an F50 rating instead of the F150 rating that is required. In addition, the material is inherently flammable, which poses safety limitations. Unmodified (styrene-modified only) sulphur concrete cannot yet replace conventional concrete in structural applications where it would be exposed to significant freeze–thaw cycling or high fire risk. It may be suitable for less demanding uses, for example in chemically aggressive environments or for precast elements that are not subject to freezing. Further research should explore modifications (such as fibre reinforcement or additional polymer additives) to improve the frost resistance and overall durability of sulphur concrete for broader infrastructure applications.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/su17083671","authors":["Beata Łaźniewska-Piekarczyk"],"tags":["Road construction","Construction engineering","Civil engineering","Transportation infrastructure","Transport engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/su17083671","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W2991563320","name":"Heavy halogen geochemistry of martian shergottite meteorites and implications for the halogen composition of the depleted shergottite mantle source","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Volatile elements (e.g., H, C, N) have a strong influence on the physical and chemical evolution of planets and are essential for the development of habitable conditions. Measurement of the volatile and incompatible heavy halogens, Cl, Br, and I, can provide insight into volatile distribution and transport processes, due to their hydrophilic nature. However, information on the bulk halogen composition of martian meteorites is limited, particularly for Br and I, largely due to the difficulty in measuring ppb-level Br and I abundances in small samples. In this study, we address this challenge by using the neutron irradiation noble gas mass spectrometry (NI-NGMS) method to measure the heavy halogen composition of five olivine-phyric shergottite meteorites, including the enriched (Larkman Nunatak LAR 06319 and LAR 12011) and depleted (LAR 12095, LAR 12240, and Tissint) compositional end-members. Distinct differences in the absolute abundances and halogen ratios exist between enriched (74 to136 ppm Cl, 1303 to 3061 ppb Br, and 4 to 1423 ppb I) and depleted (10 to 26 ppm Cl, 46 to 136 ppb Br, and 3 to 329 ppb I) samples. All halogen measurements are within the ranges previously reported for martian shergottite, nakhlite, and chassignite (SNC) meteorites. Enriched shergottites show variable and generally high Br and I absolute abundances. Halogen ratios (Br/Cl and I/Cl) are in proportions that exceed those of both carbonaceous chondrites and the martian surface. This may be linked to a volatile-rich martian mantle source, be related to shock processes or could represent a small degree of heavy halogen contamination (a feature of some Antarctic meteorites, for example). The differences observed in halogen abundances and ratios between enriched and depleted compositions, however, are consistent with previous suggestions of a heterogeneous distribution of volatiles in the martian mantle. Depleted shergottites have lower halogen abundances and Br and Cl in similar proportions to bulk silicate Earth and carbonaceous chondrites. Tissint in particular, as an uncontaminated fall, allows an estimate of the depleted shergottite mantle source composition to be made: 1.2 ppm Cl, 7.0 ppb Br, and 0.2 ppb I. The resultant bulk silicate Mars (BSM) estimate (22 ppm Cl, 74 ppb Br, and 6 ppb I), including the martian crust and depleted shergottite mantle, is similar to estimates of the bulk silicate earth (BSE) halogen composition.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2020-7237","authors":["P. L. Clay","K. H. Joy","Brian O’Driscoll","H. Busemann","L. Ruzié","R. Burgess","Jonathan Fellowes","Bastian Joachim","J. F. Pernet‐Fisher","Stanislav Strekopytov","C. J. Ballentine"],"tags":["Meteorite","Halogen","Martian","Astrobiology","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-11-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2020-7237","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411678992","name":"Recent advances in the application of microbiota transplantation in chickens","source":"openalex","abstract":"Extensive evidence demonstrates that a healthy and well-balanced gut microbiota profoundly influences host nutrient absorption, immunity, and metabolism. Unlike mammals, early microbiota colonization in commercial poultry largely depends on the environment as chicks hatch in incubators under a relatively sterile environment (egg and incubator sterilization) without maternal-offspring interaction. The early gut microbiota remains unsaturated, providing a critical window for modulation and influencing the subsequent microbiota succession, which may have long-term health outcomes. Microbiota transplantation (MT) involves transferring the microbiota from a donor to a recipient to modulate the recipient's microbiota toward a desired state. Successfully applied in human medicine, MT is also gaining attention in poultry production to modulate intestinal health. This review comprehensively explores factors affecting MT, its mechanisms, and its potential applications in chickens, providing insights for further research and commercial use.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-025-01233-6","authors":["Haoran Zhao","Luke Comer","Muhammad Zeeshan Akram","Matthias Corion","Li Yang","Nadia Everaert"],"tags":["Biology","Colonization","Gut flora","Transplantation","Immunity"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-025-01233-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4405883795","name":"Empowering Rural Farming: Agrovoltaic Applications for Sustainable Agriculture","source":"openalex","abstract":"ABSTRACT Agrovoltaics, also known as Agri‐PV or AV, is an innovative approach that entails the shared utilization of land for both the production of agricultural commodities and energy generation. This concept has gained immense popularity in recent times owing to its ability to boost income per unit of land area significantly. The scope of AV systems is quite extensive, as it encompasses solar energy converters and other renewable energy sources like bioenergy. Current strategies for agrovoltaic (AV) in agriculture are the outcome of the gradual development of agroecology and the integration of photovoltaic (PV) power supply into the grid. These approaches could lead to a nearly doubled income per unit area. Without on‐site power supply, reduced chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and on‐site yield processing, AV has the potential to revolutionize large‐scale unmanned precision agriculture and smart farming. These approaches might lead to significant changes in the logistics and value‐added production chain, thereby reducing agriculture's carbon footprint. In the future, it is possible to reduce the cost of AV technology by half by utilizing decommissioned solar panels in the technology and to delay the need for bulk PV recycling by several years. This review presents a different perspective to the common discourse on the topic, by giving special emphasis to the potential to further integrate AV into agriculture, which has the potential to facilitate the resolution of relevant legal disputes over the use of AV.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ese3.2017","authors":["Manish Kumar Singla","Jyoti Gupta","Anupma Gupta","Murodbek Safaraliev","Hamed Zeinoddini‐Meymand","Ramesh Kumar"],"tags":["Renewable energy","Agriculture","Sustainable agriculture","Agroecology","Photovoltaic system"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ese3.2017","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4404965278","name":"2025 Thematic Preview","source":"openalex","abstract":"The birth and growth of minerals from aqueous solutions is a ubiquitous process in both natural and engineered environments.This research field has recently experienced a paradigm shift due to the discovery of nonclassical nucleation and growth processes.These insights have helped us to understand better the natural world and significantly impact various industrial and environmental applications, such as the development of more sustainable building materials, mineral processing, CO2 storage, and water treatment.Consequently, detailed knowledge of the mechanisms and kinetics underlying mineral nucleation and growth is vital in these areas.This issue provides a comprehensive overview of mineral formation by reviewing classical mechanisms and supplementing them with recent insights about the nucleation and growth of minerals, particularly those concerning non classical crystallization pathways.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.20.6.357","authors":[],"tags":["Thematic map","Geology","Computer science","Geography","Cartography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.20.6.357","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411095804","name":"Allerød–Younger Dryas Boundary (12.9–12.8 ka) as a “New” Geochronological Marker in Late Glacial Sediments of the Eastern Baltic Region","source":"openalex","abstract":"This paper is a contribution to the ongoing debate on the nature and drivers of the abrupt environmental shift at the onset of the Younger Dryas. The goal of this study is to identify key parameters that characterize the Allerød–Younger Dryas boundary, 12.9–12.8 ka in sedimentary sections, and are representative of broader paleobasin dynamics in the eastern Baltic region. Two new Late Glacial sediment archives, the Kulikovo and Sambian, provide data on this time interval. Geochronological and lithological (grain size and loss on ignition) analyses of the sequences indicate a change in sedimentation during 12.9–12.8 ka, which is manifested by a peak of terrigenous, coarser-grained material and an accompanying peak of organic matter in sediments. A review of the published data shows that this lithological situation is also characteristic of other paleobasins in the eastern Baltic region and beyond for layers dated to the onset of the Younger Dryas. This probably indicates an environmental event that caused a short-term increased input and deposition of organic matter, accompanied by a surge in erosional processes. The environmental shift triggered by the event is also recorded in a remarkable drop in pollen concentration and species diversity in the overlying layer. The sediment horizon in Late Glacial (Allerød–Younger Dryas) sequences corresponding to these parameters can be considered an important and reliable geochronological marker of the 12.9–12.8 ka interval. The organic-rich layer in the Kulikovo section, as well as other similar layers in the Baltic, can be considered a “black mat” phenomenon related to the onset of the Younger Dryas.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/quat8020028","authors":["Olga Druzhinina","Ivan Skhodnov","Kasper van den Berghe","K.G. Filippova"],"tags":["Younger Dryas","Geology","Glacial period","Physical geography","Geomorphology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/quat8020028","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411918210","name":"Bacterial community profile of three Ethiopian hot springs based on 16S rRNA gene nanopore sequencing","source":"openalex","abstract":"Ethiopia harbors a number of hot springs not yet well explored or studied using a metagenomic approach to reveal their bacterial diversity. Understanding the bacterial diversity of these ecosystems is valuable for uncovering their ecological roles and potential for biotechnological applications. The aim of this study was, therefore, to perform the first full-length 16S rRNA gene nanopore sequencing on the three Ethiopian hot springs, namely Shalla, Woliso and Wondo Genet. The bacterial community composition of the three hot springs, whose temperatures ranged from 45 to 96 °C, was effectively assessed using the ONT MinION sequencer. It was found that Shalla hot spring had the highest species richness and accounted for 323 species, followed by 116 species from Woliso and 54 species from Wondo Genet hot springs. Pseudomonadota and Bacillota were the most dominant phyla recovered from the three hot springs, whereas Acinetobacter and Paracoccus were the most abundant bacterial genera. The most abundant species were Alkalihalobacterium elongatum from Shalla hot spring, and Acinetobacter junii and Acinetobacter johnsonii from Wondo Genet hot spring. Our study provided the first insight into the bacterial diversity of three Ethiopian hot springs and may serve as a basis for further functional analysis of these hot springs.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-05139-1","authors":["Meseret Guta","Bodine Van Eenooghe","Ketema Bacha","Piet Cools"],"tags":["Nanopore sequencing","16S ribosomal RNA","Nanopore","Gene","Computational biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-05139-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4407020285","name":"The compositional diversity of rocky exoplanets around K-dwarf stars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Context. The mass-radius distribution of currently known exoplanets suggests a fascinating variety in terms of their chemical compositions. Still, the interior structures and compositions of rocky exoplanets are essentially inaccessible to observations. Here, we present a model that combines planet formation simulations with equilibrium condensation models to estimate the interior composition and structure of exoplanets around K-dwarf stars. Aims. In a previous study, we reproduced the observed population of close-in super-Earths around K-dwarf stars with suitable initial conditions. However, the masses and radii of these simulated planets are not self-consistent, since the radius information is postprocessed based on an assumed constant average density (3 g cm−3). In this work, we have incorporated compositions into the N-body simulations using the chemistry of the protoplanetary disk from equilibrium condensation sequences, together with thermodynamics of the various mineral phases. This has allowed us to develop models of likely interior structures, bulk densities, and, thus, radii for rocky exoplanets. Methods. We selected the outcomes of ten N-body simulations around a 0.8 M⊙ star that best reproduced the observed population. We employed stellar abundances from six K-dwarf stars with a range of metallicities. Based on the condensation sequence and the temperature-pressure profile of a disk, we assigned bulk elemental compositions to planetesimals and then tracked materials accreted onto planets during their formation. Results. We have obtained a set of planets with more realistic radii determinations than those purely based on one preset density for all bodies. We formed various types of planets: i) Ca- and Al-rich(er), ii) Mg-depleted, iii) fully oxidized core-less planets, iv) planets similar to Earth or Mars in composition and core size, and v) planets with different core mass fractions (from significantly smaller than the Martian core to significantly larger than the Earth’s core); however, we do not have Mercury-like planet with a huge core.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202451070","authors":["P. Hatalova","John P. Brodholt","Ramon Brasser","Y. Shan","Stéphanie C. Werner"],"tags":["Physics","Exoplanet","Astrophysics","Stars","Astronomy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202451070","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4414031347","name":"A statistical investigation into relationships between the IIE irons and the ordinary, F and “ HH ” chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract It has been proposed that IIE iron meteorites formed through impact processes on a parent body that was composed of either the H chondrites or a much‐debated fourth ordinary chondrite group, the HH chondrites. To resolve this debate, we have compiled a large dataset for the ordinary chondrites, low‐fayalite ungrouped chondrites, and IIE irons, and undertaken a statistical analysis to determine if: (1) the current classification of ordinary chondrite groups is statistically appropriate; and (2) the IIE irons are related to H chondrites or if they represent a distinct group that formed on a “HH” chondrite parent body. We demonstrate that the current classification system based on petrography and olivine and orthopyroxene chemistry is appropriate for the H, L, and LL chondrites. We define a fourth “F chondrite” group consisting of eight, previously ungrouped, very low‐Fa Type 3 and 4 chondrites. Statistical analysis of Δ 17 O data alone cannot distinguish between the H chondrites and IIE irons, nor between the L and LL chondrites. Furthermore, statistical analyses are unable to distinguish H chondrites from IIE irons in all measures (mineral chemistry, chondrule size, bulk Δ 17 O, Ge and Mo isotopic compositions, and bulk siderophile element abundances in metal); there is no evidence for a “HH” chondrite group. These results are consistent with formation of IIE iron meteorites through impact melting and near‐surface metal segregation on the H chondrite parent body. This genetic link between H chondrites and IIE irons allows us to understand the geochemical and petrological changes that occurred during planetary formation and evolution.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70040","authors":["Rachel S. Kirby","P. L. King","Andrew G. Tomkins"],"tags":["Chondrite","Chemistry","Astrobiology","Meteorite","Biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70040","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406110831","name":"Constraining the history of water and climate on Mars through light element stable isotope analysis of volatiles in returned martian samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"Much has been learned about Mars through data returned from space missions and analyses of martian meteorites. There are, however, many questions still outstanding which cannot currently be answered-including the issue of whether there is, or was, life on Mars. The return of a cache of samples-including of the atmosphere-from separate locations in Jezero Crater and with differing petrogeneses will provide the international community with the opportunity to explore part of the evolutionary history of Mars in great detail. Specifically, measurements of the isotopic compositions of the light elements H, C, N, O, Cl, and S can be used to follow how volatile species cycle through the different martian volatile reservoirs (atmosphere, lithosphere, cryosphere, and hydrosphere). Measurement of isotopic fractionation enables inference of the environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, water/rock ratio) under which fractionation occurred. Knowing the contextual relationship of the materials to their geological settings, coupled with precise compositional measurements will enable a more thorough understanding of martian volatile history and allow a picture to be constructed of water and climate on Mars as represented at Jezero Crater.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2404260121","authors":["M. M. Grady"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Martian","Astrobiology","Stable isotope ratio","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2404260121","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4415412533","name":"Is cosmic dust porous?","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract There is a long-standing discussion in the astrophysical/astrochemical community as to the structure and morphology of dust grains in various astrophysical environments (e.g., interstellar clouds, protostellar envelopes, protoplanetary and debris disks, and the atmospheres of exoplanets). Typical grain models assume a compact dust core which becomes covered in a thick ice mantle in cold dense environments. In contrast, less compact cores are likely to exhibit porosity, leading to a pronounced increase in surface area with concomitant much thinner ice films and higher accessibility to the bare grain surface. Several laboratory experimental and theoretical studies have shown that this type of dust structure can have a marked effect on several physico-chemical processes, including adsorption, desorption, mobility, and reactivity of chemical species. Porous grains are thus thought to likely play a particularly important and wide-ranging astrochemical role. Herein, we clarify what is meant by porosity in relation to grains and grain agglomerates, assess the likely astrochemical effects of porosity and ask whether a fractal/porous structural/morphological description of dust grains is appropriate from an astronomical perspective. We provide evidence for high porosity from laboratory experiments and computational simulations of grains and their growth in various astrophysical environments, and assess the observational constraints and perspectives on cosmic dust porosity. Overall, our paper discusses the effects of including porosity in dust models and the need to use such models for future astrophysical, astrochemical and astrobiological studies involving surface or solid-state processes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00159-025-00164-5","authors":["А. В. Потапов","Martin R. S. McCoustra","Ryo Tazaki","Edwin A. Bergin","Stefan T. Bromley","R. T. Garrod","Albert Rimola"],"tags":["Physics","Cosmic dust","Astrophysics","Astrobiology","Porosity"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00159-025-00164-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W3142558847","name":"Comparison of material sources and customer locations for commercial space resource utilization","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2021.03.010","authors":["Merel Vergaaij","Colin R. McInnes","Matteo Ceriotti"],"tags":["Aerospace engineering","Resource (disambiguation)","Revenue","Mars Exploration Program","Propellant"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-04-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2021.03.010","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4283367856","name":"A Baltic Perspective on the Early to Early Late Ordovician δ 13 C and δ 18 O Records and Its Paleoenvironmental Significance","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The current study presents new bed‐by‐bed brachiopod δ 13 C and δ 18 O records from Öland, Sweden, which together with previously published data from the East Baltic region, constitutes a high‐resolution paired brachiopod and bulk rock carbon and oxygen isotope archive through the Lower to Upper Ordovician successions of Baltoscandia. This new data set refines the temporal control on the global Ordovician δ 18 O‐trend considerably, improving paleoenvironmental reconstructions through the main phase of the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event (GOBE). The new brachiopod carbon and oxygen isotope records from Öland display strong similarity with the East Baltic records, elucidating the regional consistency as well as global correlation utility of the ensuing composite Baltoscandian Lower to Middle Ordovician carbon and oxygen isotope record. The carbon isotope record from Öland indicates that the widely reported Middle Ordovician carbon cycle perturbation—MDICE (Mid‐Darriwilian Carbon Isotope Excursion)—is recorded in both brachiopods and bulk carbonates. The oxygen isotope record reveals a long‐term Lower to Upper Ordovician trend of increasingly heavier brachiopod δ 18 O values, with a pronounced increase during the Middle Ordovician Darriwilian Stage. We interpret this trend as dominantly reflecting a paleotemperature signal indicating progressively cooler Early to Middle Ordovician climate with glacio‐eustasy. Our Baltic δ 18 O values are therefore consistent with postulations that the biotic radiations during the GOBE and climatic cooling during the Darriwilian were strongly linked.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2021pa004309","authors":["Oluwaseun Edward","Christoph Korte","Clemens V. Ullmann","Jorge Colmenar","Nicolas Thibault","Gabriella Bagnoli","Svend Stouge","Christian M. Ø. Rasmussen"],"tags":["Ordovician","Perspective (graphical)","Geology","Baltica","Paleontology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-02-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2021pa004309","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4405647038","name":"Raman, MIR, VNIR, and LIBS Spectra of Szomolnokite, Rozenite, and Melanterite: Martian Implications","source":"openalex","abstract":"Different sulfates (Ca-, Mg, and Fe- sulfates) have been extensively detected on the Martian surface. As one of the Martian sulfates, the presence of ferrous sulfates will provide valuable clues about the redox environment, hydrological processes, and climatic history of ancient Mars. In this study, three hydrated ferrous sulfates were prepared in the laboratory by heating dehydration reactions. These samples were analyzed using X-ray Diffraction (XRD) to confirm their phase and homogeneity. Subsequently, Raman, mid-infrared (MIR) spectra, visible near-infrared (VNIR) spectra, and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) were measured and analyzed. The results demonstrate that the spectra of three hydrated ferrous sulfates exhibit distinctive features (e.g., the v1 and v3 features of SO42− tetrahedra in their Raman and MIR spectra) that can offer new insights for identifying different ferrous sulfates on Mars and aid in the interpretation of in-situ data collected by instruments such as the Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals (SHERLOC), SuperCam, and ChemCam, etc.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/universe10120462","authors":["Xiai Zhuo","Ruize Zhang","Erbin Shi","Jiahui Liu","Zongcheng Ling"],"tags":["Physics","VNIR","Martian","Raman spectroscopy","Mars Exploration Program"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/universe10120462","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4401410796","name":"Kinetics and coexistence of autocatalytic reaction cycles","source":"openalex","abstract":"Biological reproduction rests ultimately on chemical autocatalysis. Autocatalytic chemical cycles are thought to have played an important role in the chemical complexification en route to life. There are two, related issues: what chemical transformations allow such cycles to form, and at what speed they are operating. Here we investigate the latter question for solitary as well as competitive autocatalytic cycles in resource-unlimited batch and resource-limited chemostat systems. The speed of growth tends to decrease with the length of a cycle. Reversibility of the reproductive step results in parabolic growth that is conducive to competitive coexistence. Reversibility of resource uptake also slows down growth. Unilateral help by a cycle of its competitor tends to favour the competitor (in effect a parasite on the helper), rendering coexistence unlikely. We also show that deep learning is able to predict the outcome of competition just from the topology and the kinetic rate constants, provided the training set is large enough. These investigations pave the way for studying autocatalytic cycles with more complicated coupling, such as mutual catalysis.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-69267-w","authors":["Balázs Könnyű","Eörs Szathmáry","Tamás Czárán","András Szilágyi"],"tags":["Autocatalysis","Chemostat","Autocatalytic reaction","Biochemical engineering","Competition (biology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-69267-w","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4416959164","name":"Environmental Testing of a Fully Automated Carbothermal Reactor for Lunar Oxygen Production","source":"openalex","abstract":"Oxygen comprises the majority of propellant mass required for ascent from the lunar surface and for in-space chemical propulsion. Using in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) technologies to produce oxygen on the moon enables a robust lunar economy through a dramatic reduction in lunar launch costs. In the Summer of 2024 Sierra Space completed thermal vacuum (TVAC) testing of a flight-like Carbothermal Oxygen Production Reactor (COPR) through a NASA Tipping Point program. The COPR reactor uses a mass efficient, scalable architecture optimized for a lunar technology demonstration mission. Concentrated solar energy is directly applied to the lunar regolith simulant. The insulating material properties of the regolith isolate the corrosive molten material from the reactor walls and other hardware. This approach allows for a completely passive thermal control system where high temperature (~1800°C) carbothermal processing is performed without requiring exotic materials or complex cooling systems. The reactor also includes an end-to-end automated solid material handling system capable of metering the lunar regolith simulant from a supply hopper into a pressurized volume, weighing it, distributing it into the carbothermal reactor, and removing the reduced metallic slag. Sierra Space demonstrated repeated use of the automated material handling, gas handling and carbothermal reduction processing systems inside NASA JSC’s “dirty” TVAC chamber while at the relevant lunar topographical, vacuum, and temperature conditions. This testing matured key hardware to TRL 6. Oxygen extraction and performance measurements were taken by the NASA KSC Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations (MSolo) team using a commercial version of their flight instrument. Oxygen extraction energy efficiency and production yield from regolith exceeded the program goals. The COPR system will be integrated with a flight forward solar concentrator, optical shutter, gas analysis system, avionics, and software as a part of the NASA CaRD program integrated testing in early 2025.","url":"https://doi.org/10.32865/2346/102672","authors":["Nathan P. Haggerty","Brant White","Aaron Paz","Desmond O’Connor","Nilab Azim","Janine Captain"],"tags":["Regolith","Propellant","Environmental science","Carbothermic reaction","Outgassing"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.32865/2346/102672","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4415038756","name":"Radiation quality matters: morphological and biochemical responses of Brassica rapa microgreens to X-rays, C-ions, and Fe-ions","source":"openalex","abstract":"MAIN CONCLUSION: Radiation type and dose distinctly modulate microgreens development, revealing trait-specific thresholds where X-rays induce hormesis, carbon ions delay differentiation, and iron ions enhance biochemical balance with moderate anatomical disruption. As space exploration progresses and controlled-environment agriculture becomes increasingly relevant under extreme conditions, understanding how ionizing radiation affects plant development is crucial. Ionizing radiation poses a major constraint in space cultivation systems, also playing a role in terrestrial stress scenarios. Despite growing interest in radiation biology, few studies have systematically compared plant responses to different radiation types with distinct linear energy transfer (LET). In this study, seeds of Brassica rapa L. were exposed to increasing doses of X-rays (low-LET), carbon ions, and iron ions (high-LET). Seed germination, morpho-anatomical, and biochemical traits of plants were assessed up to the microgreens stage. Plant responses were both dose- and radiation-specific. Specifically, X-rays triggered a hormetic response at low doses (1 Gy), with a decline in several analyzed traits at higher doses. Carbon ions increased leaf expansion but reduced the content of pigments, proteins, and the structural investment, suggesting a delayed tissue differentiation and low-cost acclimation mechanism under stress. Iron ions promoted a coordinated upregulation of biochemical defenses and moderate anatomical changes. Overall, radiation quality induced distinct acclimation strategies in B. rapa, influencing the balance between growth, structural integrity, and defense mechanisms, highlighting its notable radioresistance. Moreover, identifying trait-specific thresholds and response patterns suggests that different radiation types could be selectively applied to modulate specific functions (e.g., biomass or antioxidants promotion, anatomical adjustments) based on desired outcomes. These findings provide valuable insights into how different ionizing radiation types impact plant responses, addressing a critical gap in space-oriented research and guiding strategies to optimize plant growth in extraterrestrial environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-025-04835-6","authors":["Sara De Francesco","Chiara Amitrano","Ermenegilda Vitale","Giulia Costanzo","Walter Tinganelli","Mariagabriella Pugliese","Cecilia Arrichiello","Paolo Muto","Marco Durante","Stefania De Pascale","Carmen Arena","Veronica De Micco"],"tags":["Brassica rapa","Biology","Hormesis","Ionizing radiation","Biomass (ecology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-025-04835-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4324354736","name":"Physicochemical Conditions of the Devonian-Jurassic Continental Deep Biosphere Tracked by Carbonate Clumped Isotope Temperatures of Granite-Hosted Carbonate Veins","source":"openalex","abstract":"Previous studies have shown that microorganisms thrive in oligotrophic fracture systems, and metabolisms include consumption and production of methane. In the Laxemar, Götemar, and Forsmark areas of Sweden, ancient microbial activity has previously been demonstrated by large δ13CVPDB variability of carbonate vein infillings within granitic host rocks. Here, we apply carbonate clumped isotope thermometry to reconstruct the temperature of precipitation of the carbonate within these veins. The carbonate clumped isotope temperatures indicate that mineralization took place between 46°C and 108°C, in line with previously published fluid inclusion data (<50°C to 113°C). The new carbonate clumped isotope data more accurately narrows temperatures at the lower end of this range as fluid inclusions are not easily applicable below 80°C, a temperature regime of high importance for paleobiological reconstructions. Our results demonstrate that large volumes of biogenic carbonate cement were formed from low-temperature microbial processes in low-salinity water, succeeding calcite of deep brine origin. The known burial and thermal history of the region combined with our carbonate clumped isotope data place the microbial activity at the end of the Variscan orogeny and later events (e.g., Jurassic). Thus, carbonate clumped isotope thermometry reduces uncertainties in deep biosphere studies by providing more accurate temperature constraints in the low-temperature regime, the biogenic processes, and the origin of the diagenetic fluids.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/8445328","authors":["Adhipa Herlambang","Cédric M. John","Henrik Drake"],"tags":["Carbonate","Geology","Calcite","Geochemistry","Carbonate rock"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-03-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/8445328","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W2090499766","name":"NASA Technology Area 07 Human Exploration Destination Systems Roadmap","source":"openalex","abstract":"This paper gives an overview of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Office of Chief Technologist (OCT) led Space Technology Roadmap definition efforts. This paper will given an executive summary of the technology area 07 (TA07) Human Exploration Destination Systems (HEDS). These are draft roadmaps being reviewed and updated by the National Research Council. Deep-space human exploration missions will require many game changing technologies to enable safe missions, become more independent, and enable intelligent autonomous operations and take advantage of the local resources to become self-sufficient thereby meeting the goal of sustained human presence in space. Taking advantage of in-situ resources enhances and enables revolutionary robotic and human missions beyond the traditional mission architectures and launch vehicle capabilities. Mobility systems will include in-space flying, surface roving, and Extra-vehicular Activity/Extravehicular Robotics (EVA/EVR) mobility. These push missions will take advantage of sustainability and supportability technologies that will allow mission independence to conduct human mission operations either on or near the Earth, in deep space, in the vicinity of Mars, or on the Martian surface while opening up commercialization opportunities in low Earth orbit (LEO) for research, industrial development, academia, and entertainment space industries. The Human Exploration Destination Systems (HEDS) Technology Area (TA) 7 Team has been chartered by the Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT) to strategically roadmap technology investments that will enable sustained human exploration and support NASA s missions and goals for at least the next 25 years. HEDS technologies will enable a sustained human presence for exploring destinations such as remote sites on Earth and beyond including, but not limited to, LaGrange points, low Earth orbit (LEO), high Earth orbit (HEO), geosynchronous orbit (GEO), the Moon, near-Earth objects (NEOs), which > 95% are asteroidal bodies, Phobos, Deimos, Mars, and beyond. The HEDS technology roadmap will strategically guide NASA and other U.S. Government agency technology investments that will result in capabilities enabling human exploration missions to diverse destinations generating high returns on investments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2011-7255","authors":["Kriss J. Kennedy","Leslie Alexander","Leslie Alexander","Rob Landis","Rob Landis","Diane Linne","Carole McLemore","Carole McLemore","Diane Linne","Edgardo Santiago-Maldonado","Edgardo Santiago-Maldonado","David Brown","David Brown","Peter A. Curreri","Peggy Guirgis","Michael Lowry","John T. Sims"],"tags":["Computer science","Systems engineering","Technology roadmap","Engineering","Business"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-06-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2011-7255","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4417153929","name":"Caves on Earth as proxies for Martian subsurface environments","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract On planet Earth, the inner part of cave systems represents an extreme and isolated environment, characterized by relatively stable microclimatic conditions, nutrient limitation and protection from external stressors such as radiation, wind and surface weathering. These features make them suitable analogues to Martian cave systems, which are identified as high-priority targets for astrobiological investigations. Microbial communities inhabiting Earth’s caves exhibit extremotolerant or extremophilic traits, offering valuable insights into potential microbial survival strategies on Mars. This mini-review explores the role of cave microbiomes as models for studying habitability, biosignature preservation and microbial adaptations relevant to Martian subsurface environments. We summarize recent findings on cave microbial diversity and their metabolic strategies, highlighting their implications for astrobiology. Additionally, we discuss how caves can function as biological time capsules, preserving biosignatures and microbial life relevant to future planetary exploration. We conclude that terrestrial caves offer key ecological and mineralogical analogs to Martian subsurface environments, and that microbial strategies observed in cave ecosystems such as chemolithotrophy, endolithic colonization and biofilm formation should be prioritized in designing future Mars life-detection missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550425100232","authors":["Federico Biagioli","Sean K. Bay","Andrea Zerboni","Claudia Coleine"],"tags":["Cave","Astrobiology","Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Extraterrestrial life"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550425100232","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411222293","name":"Review of Disruptive Technologies in 3D Bioprinting","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Purpose of Review The purpose of this review is to share insights from recognized experts in 3D biopriniting on the recent advances in these technologies discussed during a recent workshop held in conjunction with the 2024 ISS National Laboratory Research and Development Conference (ISSRDC). We seek to answer how microgravity can be used as a disruptor to make further advances not possible through conventional means. Recent Findings This review will cover current efforts underway to use microgravity for 3D bioprinting. For instance multi-levitation biofabrication technology funded under the EU PULSE project is currently being used to create cardiovascular 3D in vitro models to better mimic cardiac and vascular physiology compared to organoids. These types of models could be expanded to other organ systems and disease models to use the environment of microgravity to unlock new signaling pathways to cure disease. Summary The major takeaway from this review is that microgravity will unlock new opportunities for 3D bioprinting that were simply not possible using conventional means. We provide forward looking answers to what microgravity will inspire from advanced biomaterials to new disease models to even creating a knowledge hub for 3D bioprinting to launch new platforms at record speeds.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40778-025-00246-1","authors":["Joshua Hunsberger","Pearly Pandya","Molly K. Mulligan","Davide Marotta","Lorenzo Moroni","Maxim Shusteff","Grace Brogan","Mathew Brovold","James J. Yoo","Jacob Koffler","Isac Lazarovits","Salil Desai"],"tags":["3D bioprinting","Disruptive technology","Computer science","Engineering","Manufacturing engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40778-025-00246-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411017955","name":"JWST mid-infrared spectroscopy of centaurs and small trans-Neptunian objects: Linking the inner and outer Solar System","source":"openalex","abstract":"Context. A fraction of the small bodies that formed in the outer Solar System (beyond Uranus and Neptune) are predicted to have been implanted in the inner Solar System (P- and D-type asteroids and Jupiter trojans) following the outward migration of these two planets (Nice model). Aims. We further test the hypothesis that small bodies in the inner and outer Solar Systems share a common origin. This is achieved by measuring and comparing the silicate composition of centaurs and small trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) with that of P- and D-type asteroids and Jupiter trojans. Silicates are thermally stable over the heliocentric range extending from the main asteroid belt to the Kuiper belt. They currently appear to be the only reliable indicator of a shared genetic link. Methods. Spectroscopic data were obtained with JWST/MIRI for three centaurs (Chariklo, Bienor, and 2020 VF1) and three scattered-disk objects (1999 OX3, 2002 GG166, and 2013 LU28) with a centaur-like orbit as part of the Cycle 2 GO program (GO 2820). We also analyzed the MIRI data of GTO target 2013XZ8, which is also a centaur (Cycle 1 GTO 1272), and of three Jupiter trojans (targets of the Cycle 1 GO 2574 program). Results. The emissivity spectra of centaurs and small TNOs, including the variability in the spectral contrast of the main 10 μm silicate feature, are remarkably similar to those of Jupiter trojans, P- and D-type main-belt asteroids, and comets. In particular, the spectral contrast observed for the cliff-type target 1999 OX3 is close to that observed for comet comae, suggesting substantial surface porosity that is probably related to a lower silicate-to-ices+organics ratio. The analysis of the emissivity spectra of centaurs, small TNOs, and Jupiter trojans revealed very many features that are consistent with the hypothesis that the surfaces of these objects contain significant amounts of crystalline olivine and pyroxene (with Mg/(Mg+Fe) ≥ 0.7). Conclusions. The JWST/MIRI observations of centaurs and small TNOs support the hypothesis that these bodies share a common origin with inner Solar System P- and D-type asteroids and Jupiter trojans, as outlined in the Nice model. Together with previous measurements for these populations and dynamical studies, our results raise the possibility of a genetic link between P-type and bowl-type targets and between D-type and cliff-type targets.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202555084","authors":["P. Vernazza","P. A. Simon","L. Jorda","M. Ferrais","P. G. Beck","Richard P. Binzel","F. E. DeMeo","M. Marsset","S. E. Anderson","A. Delsanti","N. Pinilla-Alonso","J. Licandro","Dean C. Hines"],"tags":["Trans-Neptunian object","Physics","Centaur","Solar System","Astrophysics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202555084","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4410054127","name":"Accreted volatiles influence low-temperature rock equilibria on Europa","source":"openalex","abstract":"The subsurface ocean of Europa has been identified as a high-priority target in the search for habitable environments beyond Earth. Determining the chemical composition of Europa's ocean, a result of water-rock interaction in Europa's interior, is essential to understanding the moon's geological history and whether it can support life. In this study, we used thermochemical computer modelling code (CHIM-XPT) to explore the range of potential ocean compositions that could result from water-rock interactions at the ocean-silicate interface immediately following the formation of the ocean. We modelled a range of plausible silicate starting materials (based on CV, L and LL chondritic material) and endmember accreted ice compositions (pure H 2 O vs. cometary) that could have contributed to the fluid inventory of Europa. These models assume a water/layer of its current size and do not incorporate compositional changes resulting from further processes (e.g., ice sheet formation) or additional sources of material (e.g., micrometeorite impacts). Our results show that the initial composition of volatiles had a stronger influence on the resulting ocean composition than the initial composition of the silicate, which produced variation in secondary mineral assemblages and differences in ocean chemistry that could be detectable by future missions. In particular, the absence of Fe-oxides in secondary mineral assemblages for cometary melt systems indicates limited Fe-oxidation , which could impact the generation of H 2 . We also show that, under all modelled scenarios, water-rock interactions would release redox elements into the ocean, albeit at varying concentrations, supporting proposals that Europa's ocean could be a habitable environment. Significantly, the ocean composition derived from water-rock reactions involving initial fluids with a cometary melt composition had relatively higher concentrations of Mg (by one to five orders of magnitude) and lower concentrations of Fe (by more than two orders of magnitude, except at W/Rs of 3–10) compared to those involving pure H 2 O initial fluids. This difference in Fe and Mg concentration found between the pure H 2 O and cometary melt systems could potentially be used as a diagnostic tool to identify the source material for Europa's volatile inventory. • We modelled potential ocean compositions for Europa using a range of plausible endmember starting compositions for the silicate mantle and initial fluid. • The initial fluid composition had a stronger effect on ocean composition than the composition of the silicate mantle. • The initial fluid composition led to distinct ocean compositions that future missions to Europa could detect.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2025.116631","authors":["Nisha K. Ramkissoon","Mark Fox‐Powell","Lewis Sym","Martin D. Suttle","Alvaro Del Moral","V. K. Pearson"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Geology","Environmental science","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2025.116631","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W7124565835","name":"New evidence on the formation conditions of the Libyan Desert Glass (Western Egypt): Clues from a dendritic zircon inclusion","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Libyan Desert Glass (LDG) is an ~29 million years old, silica‐rich glass found in Western Egypt. Whether this glass formed in an impact cratering context associated with the hypervelocity collision of a cometary/asteroidal body or radiative heating during an airburst is debated. Determination of the formation temperatures and pressures of rare mineral components in LDG can provide key petrogenetic constraints on its origin. Here, we report the occurrence of a zircon inclusion, whose textural, chemical, and crystallographic features point to a rapid formation during solidification of the silica‐rich LDG melt. The study was conducted combining dual beam microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, and three‐dimensional electron diffraction. The inclusion is a few tens of micrometer in size and consists of dendritic branches of zircon arranged in a reticulate‐cruciform texture. The high‐silica glass filling interstices between dendrites have longer chemical bonds compared to matrix glass, as indicated by electron pair distribution function analysis, and is enriched in Al 2 O 3 . The lack of incongruent melt products (ZrO 2 , SiO 2 ) suggests that the inclusion formed during cooling from supraliquidus conditions, by dynamic crystallization from an (immiscible) undercooled liquid droplet. Such droplet would derive from shock‐induced melting of a precursor zircon grain, possibly mixed with the SiO 2 ‐rich liquid formed by melting of the LDG precursor material. The formation model proposed for this inclusion does not allow us to discriminate between the two genetic processes proposed for LDG, but sets a new minimum to the liquidus temperature of the corresponding chemical system of ~2250°C.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70094","authors":["Niccolò Magnani","E. Mugnaioli","Sofia Lorenzon","Lidia Pittarello","Tatiana E. Gorelik","Matteo Masotta","L. Folco"],"tags":["Zircon","Inclusion (mineral)","Context (archaeology)","Crystallization","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70094","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z"},{"id":"oa:W4403848649","name":"Biofilms in modern CaCO3-supersaturated freshwater environments reveal viral proxies","source":"openalex","abstract":"Biofilms are mucilaginous-organic layers produced by microbial activity including viruses. Growing biofilms form microbial mats which enhance sediment stability by binding particles with extracellular polymeric substances and promoting growth through nutrient cycling and organic matter accumulation. They preferentially develop at the sediment-water interface of both marine and non-marine environments, and upon the growing surfaces of modern tufa and travertine. In this context, however, little is known about the factors, environmental or anthropogenic, which affect viral communities in freshwater spring settings. To explore this issue, geochemical and metagenomic data were subjected to multidimensional analyses (Principal Component Analysis, Classical Multidimensional Scaling, Partial Least Squares analysis and cluster analysis based on beta-diversity), and these show that viral composition is specific and dependent on environment. Indeed, waters precipitating tufa and travertine do vary in their geochemistry with their viruses showing distinct variability between sites. These differences between virus groups allow the formulation of a viral proxy, based on the Caudoviricetes/Megaviricetes ratio established on the most abundant groups of viruses. This ratio may be potentially used in analysing ancient DNA preserved in carbonate formations as an additional source of information on the microbiological community during sedimentation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-75998-7","authors":["Mirosław Słowakiewicz","Andrzej Borkowski","Edoardo Perri","Paweł Działak","Ezher Taglıasacchı","Michał Gradziński","Sándor Kele","Lars Reuning","Tom Kibblewhite","Fiona Whitaker","R. Pamela Reid","Maurice E. Tucker"],"tags":["Tufa","Metagenomics","Context (archaeology)","Organic matter","Ecology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-75998-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4409242883","name":"Volume measurement of microparticles using SEM photogrammetry and 3‐D reconstruction","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract In this paper, we introduce a method for volume measurement of microparticles that includes scanning electron microscope photogrammetry with 3‐D model construction. Our results show that our method limits the volume uncertainty to ±10%, which is a significant improvement compared to previous methods (which likely overestimated volume by 100%–200%). We also discuss how the size, morphology, and porosity of the sample can affect the uncertainty of volume measurement. We find that our method can have a significant impact on cosmic ray exposure age determinations based on noble gas concentration, with implications for our understanding of cosmic ray irradiation of refractory minerals in the early solar system and presolar grains in the interstellar medium.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14351","authors":["Y. Zheng","Xiu‐Wei Yang","Maria C. Valdes","A. M. Davis","P. R. Heck"],"tags":["Volume (thermodynamics)","Photogrammetry","Chromatography","Chemistry","Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14351","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411896659","name":"Using Machine Learning and Analytical Modeling to Predict Poly-Crystalline PV Performance in Jordan","source":"openalex","abstract":"This study investigates the performance prediction of poly-crystalline photovoltaic (PV) systems in Jordan using experimental data, analytical models, and machine learning approaches. Two 5 kWp grid-connected PV systems at Applied Science Private University in Amman were analyzed: one south-oriented and another east–west (EW)-oriented. Both systems are fixed at an 11° tilt angle. Linear regression, Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO), ElasticNet, and artificial neural networks (ANNs) were employed for performance prediction. Among these, linear regression outperformed the others due to its accuracy, interpretability, and computational efficiency, making it an effective baseline model. LASSO and ElasticNet were also explored for their regularization benefits in managing feature relevance and correlation. ANNs were utilized to capture complex nonlinear relationships, but their performance was limited, likely because of the small sample size and lack of temporal dynamics. Regularization and architecture choices are discussed in this paper. For the EW system, linear regression predicted an annual yield of 1510.45 kWh/kWp with a 2.1% error, compared to 1433.9 kWh/kWp analytically (3.12% error). The south-oriented system achieved 1658.15 kWh/kWp with a 1.5% error, outperforming its analytical estimate of 1772.9 kWh/kWp (7.89% error). Productivity gains for the south-facing system reached 23.64% (analytical), 10.43% (experimental), and 9.77% (predicted). These findings support the technical and economic assessment of poly-crystalline PV deployment in Jordan and regions with similar climatic conditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/en18133458","authors":["Sinan S. Faouri","Salah Abdallah","D. Salameh"],"tags":["Materials science","Computer science","Artificial intelligence"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/en18133458","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z"},{"id":"oa:W3011235146","name":"Aerial Imagery Based on Commercial Flights as Remote Sensing Platform","source":"openalex","abstract":"Remote sensing is commonly performed via airborne platforms such as satellites, specialized aircraft, and unmanned aerial systems (UASs), which perform airborne photography using mounted cameras. However, they are limited by their coverage (UASs), irregular flyover frequency (aircraft), and/or low spatial resolution (satellites) due to their high altitude. In this paper, we examine the utilization of commercial flights as an airborne platform for remote sensing. Namely, we simulate a situation where all aircraft on commercial flights are equipped with a mounted camera used for airborne photography. The simulation is used to estimate coverage, the temporal and spatial resolution of aerial imagery acquired this way, as well as the storage capacity required for storing all imagery data. The results show that Europe is 83.28 percent covered with an average of one aerial photography every half an hour and a ground sampling distance of 0.96 meters per pixel. Capturing such imagery results in 20 million images or four petabytes of image data per day. More detailed results are given in the paper for separate countries/territories in Europe, individual commercial airlines and alliances, as well as three different cameras.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/s20061658","authors":["Toni Mastelić","Josip Lörincz","Ivan Ivandić","Matea Boban"],"tags":["Remote sensing","Aerial photography","Aerial survey","Environmental science","Photography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/s20061658","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4415226349","name":"To See a World in a Grain of Sand","source":"openalex","abstract":"In the 1960s and 1970s, NASA's Apollo and the Soviet Union's Luna missions captured imaginations across the world and revolutionized our understanding of Earth's moon and the Solar System. Over 50 years on, the realm of space exploration has expanded significantly, both in terms of the celestial bodies that have been explored and the nations working on these endeavors. In the coming decades, we will return samples from Mars and one of its moons, and humans will return to the Moon. This article sets the scene for this Elements issue, which will explore what we have learned about the formation and evolution of planetary bodies, including Earth, from analysis of returned samples, the links with orbital datasets, and priorities for the future.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.21.5.321","authors":["Jessica Barnes","J. Davidson"],"tags":["Apollo","Astrobiology","Realm","Mars Exploration Program","Space exploration"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.21.5.321","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4410281354","name":"Managing commercial space activities: Legal and regulatory challenges in the UAE’s space sector","source":"openalex","abstract":"As commercial space activities continue to expand, establishing a comprehensive regulatory framework is crucial for ensuring sustainable growth, fostering private sector investment, and maintaining alignment with international legal standards. This study aims to examine the managerial and regulatory aspects of the UAE Space Regulation Law No. 12 of 2019, analyzing its impact on private sector participation and the broader commercial space industry. The paper specifically evaluates the role of the UAE Space Agency in facilitating investment, managing risks, and ensuring compliance with international treaties such as the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and the 1979 Moon Agreement.The study uses a doctrinal legal research methodology to assess the legal mechanisms governing liability, space resource ownership, and private sector engagement. Findings indicate that while the UAE has developed a progressive framework for space commercialization, key regulatory gaps remain, particularly in space resource management and liability distribution. These challenges present barriers to investment and require strategic adjustments to enhance legal clarity and operational efficiency.The study recommends a managerial approach to regulatory development, emphasizing risk mitigation strategies for private operators, stronger policy incentives for new market entrants, and enhanced international collaboration to create a globally harmonized framework for commercial space activities. Addressing these issues will strengthen the UAE’s position as a competitive player in the space industry while ensuring legal certainty for businesses and investors.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21511/ppm.23(2).2025.30","authors":["Ahmed Moustafa Aldabousi"],"tags":["Space (punctuation)","Publication","Index (typography)","Business","Scopus"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.21511/ppm.23(2).2025.30","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W7123825766","name":"Role of Circular Economy in Increasing Raw Material Supply by Modern Mining Industry in Lower Silesia, Poland","source":"openalex","abstract":"The aim of this paper is to analyze the potential of circular economy in the context of increasing the supply of raw materials for modern economy with particular focus on the role of science and business. The article presents an approach consistent with the concept of sustainable development and fitting in with the implementation of four Sustainable Development Goals: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure (SDG 9), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 2), Climate Action (SDG 13), and Life on Land (SDG 15). An innovative approach to raw material supply sources is also presented. In addition, the potential of urban mining e-waste in meeting the demand for critical metals is emphasized. The paper presents barriers and challenges for using the potential of raw materials deposited in spoil heaps and landfills or in tailings ponds, with emphasis on the role of modern technologies in increasing the competitiveness of Polish industry. The necessity of a systemic approach to the topic of the circular economy was also emphasized, particularly regarding secondary raw materials as essential for securing critical resources.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/su18020816","authors":["H. Wirth","Urszula Kaźmierczak"],"tags":["Circular economy","Raw material","Context (archaeology)","Sustainable development","Consumption (sociology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/su18020816","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z"},{"id":"oa:W4410200601","name":"Comment on egusphere-2025-928","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. In this study, we investigate the diffusivity of cosmogenic 3He in a variety of plagioclase and pyroxene compositions, and its application to paleothermometry and exposure dating in these minerals, through stepwise degassing experiments. While cosmogenic 3He has been utilized for exposure dating in pyroxene for decades due to its retentivity, plagioclase, often found along with pyroxene in mafic rocks, is generally less retentive of cosmogenic noble gas. However, the diffusivity of 3He in either plagioclase or pyroxene has not yet been measured quantitatively. A challenge in measuring diffusion kinetics by step-degassing experiments in poorly retentive minerals is the fact that significant amounts of He can be lost prior to the experiment. To address this issue, we apply a forward ‘multiple diffusion domain’ (MDD) inversion model that includes model predictions of initial gas loss during irradiation and storage of the samples to account for this observation and add constraints to the diffusion parameters. We find that 3He diffusivity in plagioclase appears to be highly variable. This variability can be explained by the MDD inversion models’ inability to constrain the diffusion parameters when significant gas has been lost during irradiation and/or prolonged storage prior to experiment analysis, resulting in an overestimation of 3He retentivity. Plagioclase samples that were kept frozen after irradiation to limit the initial gas loss yielded the most reliable estimate of diffusion kinetics. We find that 3He in plagioclase is diffusively lost at Earth’s surface temperatures on a timescale of hundred years, and therefore, unsuitable for surface temperature paleothermometry. Contrary, we find cosmogenic 3He in pyroxene to be retentive at Earth’s surface temperatures on a million-year-timescale.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-928-rc1","authors":["Bergelin, Marie","Gorin, Andrew","Balco, Greg","Cassata, William"],"tags":["Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-928-rc1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W7128368264","name":"Dependence of Natural Radioactivity on the Mineralogy of Rocks and the Assessment of Radiological Hazards in Dharwad Region of Karnataka, India","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The natural radioactivity in rock and dependence of the radioactivity on the mineralogy of rocks in the Dharwad region of Karnataka, India, were studied. The radionuclide activity in rocks was analyzed using a NaI(Tl) gamma-ray spectrometer, and the mineralogy was studied using FTIR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The activity concentrations varied from 105 ± 2 to 783 ± 7 Bq kg–1 for 40K, from 2 ± 0.5 to 63 ± 2 Bq kg–1 for 226Ra, and from 10 ± 1 to 65 ± 2 Bq kg–1 for 232Th, with mean activity of 511 ± 6, 31 ± 2, and 39 ± 1 Bq kg–1, respectively. The activities of natural radionuclides were found to be slightly higher for 40K and 232Th but lower for 226Ra. The radiation hazard indices were determined to assess the radiation exposure of the region’s population. The study showed that elevated 40K and 232Th levels in the region are due to the presence of potassium-rich biotite, silicate-bearing feldspar, and phosphate mineral monazite present in the rocks of the region.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1134/s106636222506027x","authors":["Mahantesh Bankapur","G. K. Kavya","M. M. Prakash","Y. Narayana"],"tags":["Natural radioactivity","Monazite","Radionuclide","Chemistry","Radium"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1134/s106636222506027x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4414267834","name":"Eclogite xenoliths record a constant ocean oxygen isotope composition for 3 billion years","source":"openalex","abstract":"In this work, we utilised the triple oxygen isotope (TOI) composition of Archean-age xenolithic eclogites, representative of Archean subducted altered oceanic crust (AOC) to constrain the triple oxygen isotope composition of the Earth’s ancient ocean. We present new triple oxygen results of eclogite xenolith garnet and clinopyroxene mineral separates from the Orapa kimberlite mine (Botswana). In conjunction with samples from Roberts Victor (South Africa), the combined TOI range of both Archean xenolith suites overlap with modern AOC precisely, and the alteration signature suggests Archean seawater had the same TOI composition as the modern (ice-free) ocean. Using fluid–rock exchange modelling, we demonstrate that Archean seawater was similarly buffered by both high and low temperature interaction with ocean crust, like the present day system. The low δ18O values of Archean cherts typically used to reconstruct Archean seawater are inconsistent with ad hoc suggestions of isotopically light ocean water and provide an important boundary condition for future studies of Archean sediments and models.","url":"https://doi.org/10.7185/geochemlet.2536","authors":["Catherine Peshek","Z. D. Sharp","S. Aulbach","Fanus Viljoen"],"tags":["Archean","Geology","Geochemistry","Xenolith","Eclogite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.7185/geochemlet.2536","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4412917620","name":"Amides from the carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu: Nanoscale spectral and isotopic characterizations","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract C‐type asteroids, such as asteroid (162173) Ryugu, may have played a key role in delivering light elements to early Earth. Nitrogen (N)‐bearing molecules have been chemically identified in some Ryugu grains, and based on the faint 3.06 μm absorption band observed by the hyperspectral microscope MicrOmega, NH‐bearing compounds seem to be spread at the global scale in the collection. However, the chemical forms of these NH‐bearing compounds—whether organic molecules, ammonium (NH4+) salts, NH4+‐ or NH‐organics‐bearing phyllosilicates, or other forms—remain to be better understood. In this study, we report the characterization of two Ryugu particles (C0050 and C0052) using infrared spectroscopy at millimeter, micrometer, and nanometer scales, along with NanoSIMS techniques to constrain the nature and origin of NH‐bearing components in the Ryugu asteroid. Our findings show that Ryugu's C0052 particle contains rare (~1 vol%), micrometer‐sized NH‐rich organic compounds with peaks at 1660 cm−1 (mainly due to C=O stretching of the amide I band) and 1550 cm−1 (mainly due to N‐H bending vibration mode of the amide II band), indicative of amide‐related compounds. In contrast, these compounds are absent in C0050. Notably, N isotopic analysis reveals that these amides in C0052 are depleted in 15N (δ15N ≃ −200‰), confirming their indigenous origin, while carbon (C) and hydrogen (H) isotopic compositions are indistinguishable from terrestrial values within errors. The amides detected in C0052 could have formed through hydrothermal alteration from carboxylic acids and amines precursors on Ryugu's parent planetesimal. Alternatively, they could have originated from the irradiation of 15N‐depleted N‐bearing ice by ultraviolet light or galactic cosmic rays, either at the surface of the asteroid in the outer Solar System or on the mantle of interstellar dust grains in the interstellar medium. Amides delivered to early Earth by primitive small bodies such as asteroid Ryugu may have contributed to the prebiotic chemistry.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70019","authors":["Lionel G. Vacher","Van T. H. Phan","L. Bonal","M. Iskakova","Olivier Poch","Pierre Beck","É. Quirico","R. C. Ogliore"],"tags":["Asteroid","Nanoscopic scale","Astrobiology","Materials science","Nanotechnology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70019","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W2121556013","name":"THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON STAMFORD RAFFLES LECTURE 1996 From Gaia to Noah: human responsibilities in nature","source":"openalex","abstract":"Sir Crispin Tickell is Warden of Green College, Oxford; Chancellor of the University of Kent at Canterbury; Chairman of the Climate Institute of Washington, DC; Director of the Green College Centre for Environmental Policy and Understanding; Chairman of the Government's Advisory Committee on the Darwin Initiative; and Convenor of the Government Panel on Sustainable Development. Sir Crispin was a member of the Diplomatic Service. He was Chef de Cabinet to the President of the European Commission (1977–80), Ambassador to Mexico (1981–83), Permanent Secretary of the Overseas Development Administration (1984–87), and British Permanent Representative to the United Nations (1987–90). He was also President of the Royal Geographical Society (1990–93), and Chairman of the International Institute for Environment and Development (1990–94). He is the author of Climatic Change and World Affairs (1977 and 1986), and Mary Anning of Lyme Regis (1996). He has contributed to many other books on environmental issues (including human population increase and biodiversity). His interests go very wide, and include business and charities. More personally he cherishes mountains, pre‐Colombian art, and palaeo‐history.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1997.tb05495.x","authors":["Sir Crispin Tickell"],"tags":["Cabinet (room)","Administration (probate law)","Government (linguistics)","Sustainable development","Political science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1997.tb05495.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W1921879045","name":"Challenges in modeling spatiotemporally varying phytoplankton blooms in the Northwestern Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. Recent years have shown an increase in harmful algal blooms in the Northwest Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman, raising the question of whether climate change will accelerate this trend. This has led us to examine whether the Earth System Models used to simulate phytoplankton productivity accurately capture bloom dynamics in this region – both in terms of the annual cycle and interannual variability. Satellite data (SeaWIFS ocean color) show two climatological blooms in this region, a wintertime bloom peaking in February and a summertime bloom peaking in September. On a regional scale, interannual variability of the wintertime bloom is dominated by cyclonic eddies which vary in location from one year to another. Two coarse (1°) models with the relatively complex biogeochemistry (TOPAZ) capture the annual cycle but neither eddies nor the interannual variability. An eddy-resolving model (GFDL CM2.6) with a simpler biogeochemistry (miniBLING) displays larger interannual variability, but overestimates the wintertime bloom and captures eddy-bloom coupling in the south but not in the north. The models fail to capture both the magnitude of the wintertime bloom and its modulation by eddies in part because of their failure to capture the observed sharp thermocline and/or nutricline in this region. When CM2.6 is able to capture such features in the Southern part of the basin, eddies modulate diffusive nutrient supply to the surface (a mechanism not previously emphasized in the literature). For the model to simulate the observed wintertime blooms within cyclones, it will be necessary to represent this relatively unusual nutrient structure as well as the cyclonic eddies. This is a challenge in the Northern Arabian Sea as it requires capturing the details of the outflow from the Persian Gulf – something that is poorly done in global models.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-1049-2016","authors":["S. Sedigh Marvasti","Anand Gnanadesikan","A. A. Bidokhti","John P. Dunne","Sarmad Ghader"],"tags":["Bloom","SeaWiFS","Thermocline","Oceanography","Eddy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-02-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-1049-2016","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W7204155908","name":"Statistical Assessment of the Influence of Saharan Dust on Direct Solar Radiation in Bulgaria","source":"openalex","abstract":"Mineral dust can attenuate surface direct solar radiation, but its statistical signature is often difficult to isolate from the much stronger influence of cloud cover. This study provides a statistical assessment of the influence of Saharan dust on direct solar radiation in Bulgaria during the period 1 July 2020–30 June 2025. The analysis combines daily pyranometer observations from Sofia, Sandanski and Ahtopol with satellite-derived dust aerosol optical depth at 550 nm (DAOD550) and ERA5 total cloud cover. Direct solar radiation was normalized by daily extraterrestrial radiation on a horizontal surface in order to reduce the influence of solar geometry and day length. A sequence of five linear regression models was used to test the robustness of the estimated dust effect under progressively stricter controls for cloud cover, station-related differences and residual seasonality. In the principal full-sample model, DAOD550 retained a statistically significant negative coefficient (β = −0.0804, p = 0.002), while in the nearly clear-sky subset the effect became stronger (β = −0.1935, p < 0.001). The obtained results suggest that Saharan dust transport is associated with a measurable attenuation of direct solar radiation at the surface over Bulgaria, with the dust-related signal becoming more clearly detectable when cloud influence is reduced.","url":"https://doi.org/10.7546/crabs.2026.08.07","authors":["Vanya Maneva","Anton Petrov"],"tags":["Environmental science","Pyranometer","Radiation","Atmospheric sciences","Aerosol"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.7546/crabs.2026.08.07","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4408660880","name":"New routes for PN destruction and formation in the interstellar medium via neutral-neutral gas-phase reactions and an extended database for reactions involving phosphorus","source":"openalex","abstract":"Context . Phosphorus plays an essential role in the chemistry of living organisms, being present in several fundamental biomolecules. The investigation of chemical reactions taking place in different astronomical environments involving phosphorus-containing molecules is essential for understanding how these species are produced and destroyed. Ultimately, it can help unravel the pathways that lead to important prebiotic molecules. Aims . Phosphorus monoxide (PO) and phosphorus nitride (PN) are key reservoirs of phosphorus in the Interstellar Medium (ISM). Understanding their reaction mechanisms and accurately predicting rate coefficients are crucial for modelling phosphorus chemistry in space. This work presents a computational study of the CPN system to identify viable reaction pathways involving atom-diatom collisions and to explore a potential destruction route for PN in the ISM. We also evaluate the role of several neutral-neutral reactions involving PO and PN in chemical models simulating interstellar environments. Methods . In this work we explore the potential energy landscape of the C( 3 P) + PN( 1 Σ + ), N( 4 S) + CP( 2 Σ + ) and P( 4 S) + CN( 2 Σ + ) reactions by performing high-accuracy ab initio calculations and provide their rate coefficients over a wide range of temperatures. The temperature-dependent rate coefficients were fitted to the modified Arrhenius equation: k ( T ) = α ( T /300) β exp(− γ / T ). An updated chemical network for P-bearing species was used to model the time-dependent abundances and reaction contributions of P, PO, PN, and PH (phosphinidene) during the chemical evolution of diffuse and translucent clouds and dense clouds. Results . The only neutral-neutral reaction capable of destroying PN without an activation energy seems to be the PN + C one. We have also shown that reactions between CP and N can yield CN and PN barrierlessly. Chemical models indicate that PO is a crucial species driving the gas-phase formation of PN. Typically, PO/PN ratios exceed 1, though their chemistry is influenced by photon- and cosmic-ray-induced processes. Over time in simulated dense clouds, neutral-neutral reactions such as PO + N, PH + N, P + OH, and PH+O play a significant role in determining the relative abundances of PO and PN.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202453204","authors":["Mateus X. Silva","Edgar Mendoza","Fábio S. L. Ferreira","Alexandre C. R. Gomes","M. Carvajal","Jing Li","A. J. C. Varandas","Breno R. L. Galvão"],"tags":["Physics","Interstellar medium","Gas phase","Astrophysics","Astrochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202453204","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4408091370","name":"Spring 2025","source":"openalex","abstract":"All advertising material is expected","url":"https://doi.org/10.1144/geosci-35-1","authors":[],"tags":["Spring (device)","Environmental science","Engineering","Mechanical engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1144/geosci-35-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W1969583365","name":"Race and the odd history of human paleontology","source":"openalex","abstract":"Although the late 17th century witnessed the recognition of fossils as the remains of extinct organisms-because they could be incorporated into the creation story embodied in the Great Chain of Being-acceptance of human antiquity through the indisputable demonstration of the contemporaneity of human bones, stone tools, and accepted fossils was not forthcoming for nearly 2 centuries thereafter. When it did occur, however, ancient humans were not seen as presenting a pattern of diversity similar to that seen in the fossil records of nonhuman organisms. Instead, human evolution then, as now, has typically been interpreted as being unilinear. This belief can be traced to Huxley (1863), who argued that the Feldhofer Grotto Neanderthal skullcap was merely an extension into the past of morphology seen in the Australian Aborigine, whom he took to represent the primitive end of an extreme range of variation he thought characterized Homo sapiens. During the mid-20th century, Mayr and Dobzhansky (mis)used their clout as founders of the evolutionary synthesis to cement in paleoanthropology the idea that human evolutionary history was characterized by nonspeciation. As such, anything that could be interpreted as potentially representing taxic diversity was relegated to the status of individual variation. Lack of understanding of the history of human paleontology, and the biases that constrained its perspective on human evolution, continue to affect the ways in which most paleoanthropologists pigeonhole human fossils.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.b.20119","authors":["Jeffrey H. Schwartz"],"tags":["Homo sapiens","Paleoanthropology","Human evolution","Evolutionary biology","Neanderthal"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.b.20119","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W7125582879","name":"Graphite crystallinity and thermal record in Campo del Cielo IAB iron meteorite: A window into impact processing on a chondritic body","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Campo del Cielo iron meteorite (IAB‐MG) provides a unique window into early solar system processes, particularly the formation and evolution of carbon phases in non‐magmatic iron meteorites. In this study, we conducted a systematic nanostructural investigation of three distinct graphite occurrences—cliftonite (type I), interstitial graphite (type II), and silicate‐associated graphite (type III)—within a single meteorite sample. Using a multi‐technique approach, including scanning and transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and electron probe microanalysis, we characterized their crystallographic properties, crystallinity, crystallite size, and crystallization temperatures. Our results reveal that type III graphite exhibits the highest crystallinity and largest crystallite size (average La = 287.4 nm), with a peak crystallization temperature of ~1112°C, while types I and II show comparable nanostructural features and lower crystallization temperatures (~991°C and ~1013°C, respectively). These differences reflect a crystallization sequence from silicate‐associated with metal‐encapsulated graphite, consistent with formation in impact‐generated metallic melt pools. The absence of diamond or diaphite structures indicates peak shock pressures below ~100 GPa. Combined with mineral chemistry data indicating a reduced, magnesium‐rich silicate assemblage akin to CR chondrites, our findings support an origin via impact melting on a partially differentiated, CR‐like parent body. This work underscores the role of localized, shock‐induced thermal processing in shaping the carbon inventory of primitive planetary bodies and provides a mineralogical framework for understanding the complex formation history of IAB iron meteorites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70085","authors":["Xiao Tian Deng","Hong Yi Chen","Yang Li","Jin Yu Zhang","Lan Fang Xie","Si Zhe Zhao","Zhuang Guo","Chen Li","Kai Rui Tai"],"tags":["Crystallization","Graphite","Materials science","Crystallite","Crystallinity"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70085","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W3203063648","name":"Solar Energy Potential in Horn of Africa: A Comparative Study Using Matlab/Simulink","source":"openalex","abstract":"Geographically, the Horn of Africa is one of the regions that the Equator passes over, providing the opportunity for vigorous solar energy. However, despite the enormous solar energy resources, more than half of the region, 132 million populations have not yet access to electricity. This study presents an overview of the potential of solar energy in the region. Then review the current solar energy status and policies related to it. A Matlab/Simulink model is developed to show the comparative analyses of the solar radiation graphically on the photovoltaic modules and electricity outputs for the Horn of African countries' capitals. As a result of the simulation model, Ethiopia-Addis Ababa receives the highest annual solar radiation of 2915.03 kWh/m2-year while Eritrea-Asmara with the lowest annual solar radiation of 2198.47 kWh/m2-year. The annual electrical output of the photovoltaic modules in Ethiopia-Addis Ababa is the highest with 286.685 kWh/year and Eritrea-Asmara 216.214 kWh/year as the lowest in the region. The number of photovoltaic modules and the optimum tilt angles are calculated. For Ethiopia-Addis Ababa, the lowest photovoltaic module number is 10, and the optimum PV tilt angle is 11.163°. For Eritrea-Asmara, the highest photovoltaic module number is 14, with a tilt angle of 15.397°.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17694/bajece.974404","authors":["Erkan Dursun"],"tags":["Photovoltaic system","Solar energy","Electricity","Environmental science","Renewable energy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-07-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.17694/bajece.974404","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4409562979","name":"Depth profiling of noble gases in ilmenite and olivine substrates","source":"openalex","abstract":"High-resolution TOF-SNMS depth profiling of noble gas isotopes in natural samples.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4ja00430b","authors":["Yuta Otsuki","Ken‐ichi Bajo","Tomoya Obase","Hisayoshi Yurimoto"],"tags":["Ilmenite","Olivine","Noble gas","Geology","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d4ja00430b","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411162182","name":"A Comprehensive Framework for the Development of a Compact, Cost-Effective, and Robust Hyperspectral Camera Using COTS Components and a VPH Grism","source":"openalex","abstract":"Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is an effective technique for material identification and classification, utilizing spectral signatures with applications in remote sensing, environmental monitoring, and allied disciplines. Despite its potential, the broader adoption of HSI technology is hindered by challenges related to compactness, affordability, and durability, exacerbated by the absence of standardized protocols for developing practical hyperspectral cameras. This study introduces a comprehensive framework for developing a compact, cost-effective, and robust hyperspectral camera, employing commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components and a volume phase holographic (VPH) grism. The use of COTS components reduces development time and manufacturing costs while maintaining adequate performance, thereby improving accessibility for researchers and engineers. The incorporation of a VPH grism enables an on-axis optical design, enhancing compactness, reducing alignment sensitivity, and improving system robustness. The proposed framework encompasses spectrograph design, including optical simulations and tolerance analysis conducted in ZEMAX OpticStudio, alongside assembly procedures, performance assessment, and hyperspectral image acquisition via a pushbroom scanning approach, all integrated into a structured, step-by-step workflow. The resulting prototype, housed in an aluminum enclosure, operates within the 420-830 nm wavelength range, achieving a spectral resolution of 2 nm across 205 spectral bands. It effectively differentiates vegetation, water, and built structures, resolves atmospheric absorption features, and demonstrates the ability to distinguish materials in low-light conditions, providing a scalable and practical advancement in HSI technology.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/s25123631","authors":["Sukrit Thongrom","Panuwat Pengphorm","Surachet Wongarrayapanich","Apirat Prasit","Chanisa Kanjanasakul","W. Rujopakarn","S. Poshyachinda","Chalongrat Daengngam","Nawapong Unsuree"],"tags":["Hyperspectral imaging","Grism","Computer science","Robustness (evolution)","Remote sensing"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/s25123631","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411867910","name":"Deciphering chromate tolerance and reduction ability of an indigenous Bacillus strain isolated from polluted pond sludge for chromium bioremediation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Industrial development has caused significant environmental pollution by discharging chromium (Cr) contaminated hazardous effluents into the ecosystem. The main goal of this study was to isolate, characterize, and assess the Cr(VI) resistance potential of indigenous naturally occurring chromate-resistant bacteria from the Uttar Dinajpur region of West Bengal. Based on the maximum tolerable concentration (MTC) to Cr(VI), a potent indigenous bacterial isolate with an MTC of 400 µg mL − 1 was selected for a detailed assessment of its Cr(VI) tolerance and reducing abilities. Molecular identification and phylogenetics revealed the isolate as a strain of Bacillus wiedmannii . Cr(VI) resistance ability of the isolate in different pH was analyzed, and a Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis under different pH in the presence of Cr(VI) was performed to capture the preliminary variation in the metabolic fingerprints. The isolate demonstrated Cr(VI) removal efficiency of 70.27% Cr(VI) at pH 8. The expression of chromate reductase enzyme in constitutive and Cr(VI) induced conditions was measured using different electron donors, and a detailed statistical analysis was performed to determine whether there exists a significant difference in the specific activity of chromate reductase in constitutive and induced conditions. The extracellular chromate reductase had a 98.42% Cr(VI) reduction rate using glucose as an electron donor and it was significantly higher than that of other electron donors, indicating glucose as the preferred electron source for Cr(VI) reduction. The genes responsible for coding enzymes responsible for chromate reduction viz., azoreductase, FMN-dependent NADH-azoreductase type1, and chromate reductase were also detected in the studied isolate. The findings of this study may contribute to the pool of indigenous isolates in countering chromate toxicity and their efficient utilization in chromate detoxification and bioremediation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-07031-4","authors":["Samarpita Adhikary","Barnan Kumar Saha","Vivek Roy","Jayanti Saha","Ayon Pal"],"tags":["Bioremediation","Chromate conversion coating","Chromium","Strain (injury)","Environmental chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-07031-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W4413579616","name":"Updated Trajectory and Spectral Insights into 3I/ATLAS: A Definitive Case for Natural Astrogeological Origins","source":"openalex","abstract":"As seen in the most recent August 2025 Hubble imagery, the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS makes a strong case for its natural astrogeological origins, which is consistent with my previously published hypothesis that it is a lithified clastic fragment from an exoplanetary sedimentary basin. With an eccentricity of ~1.2 and an inclination of ~44°, refined trajectory data confirms a gravitational ejection from the thick disk of the Milky Way, including close approaches to Jupiter (0.36 AU), Mars (0.4 AU), and Venus (0.7 AU) that were driven entirely by natural dynamics and not by any engineered maneuvers, as implied by Dr. Avi Loeb's unsubstantiated claims of artificial light emission or nuclear-powered propulsion. In addition to lacking spectral evidence, Loeb's claims—including recent conjectures about self-luminescence from a Manhattan-sized nucleus—contradict the CO2-dominated coma outgassing at about 70 kg/s that SPHEREx detected in mid-August, which suggests geological sublimation from trapped volatiles rather than exotic technology. Spectroscopic analysis at wavelengths between 0.5 and 5 µm shows a red slope of about 27%/kÅ, which is biased toward organic-rich silicates and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Absorption features at 1.9 and 2.4 µm indicate gypsum-like sulfates from evaporative deposits, while 2.3 and 2.5 µm indicate calcite carbonates from aqueous precipitation—minerals representative of sedimentary processes in a water-altered exoplanetary environment. The lack of metallic signatures and water vapor further disproves Loeb's extraterrestrial story because these characteristics are similar to compacted sedimentary layers going through thermal fracturing, with dust mass loss rates of 6–60 kg/s for particles ranging in size from 1–100 microns indicating natural weathering over billions of years. This geological legacy is highlighted by Hubble's teardrop-shaped coma and faint tail, which were photographed on August 7. The nucleus size is limited to 0.32–5.6 km, favoring a small, ice-embedded sedimentary core. This evidence highlights the superiority of astrogeology as an explanation, dispelling Loeb's unfounded hype. Intensified observations will amplify hydrated mineral bands at ~3–4 µm as perihelion approaches on October 30 at 1.4 AU, confirming the sedimentary basin model and dismissing extraterrestrial conjectures. In the end, these revisions validate 3I/ATLAS as a geological artifact, enhancing our understanding of far-off worlds via rigorous science.","url":"https://doi.org/10.31223/x5pf2v","authors":["AKM Eahsanul Haque"],"tags":["Atlas (anatomy)","Trajectory","Natural (archaeology)","Cartography","Geography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.31223/x5pf2v","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"oa:W7153338392","name":"Solar-Driven Catalytic Wastewater Treatment: A Unified Photonic–Thermal Framework for Advanced Oxidation and Disinfection Mechanisms","source":"openalex","abstract":"Increasing water demand and the rising complexity of wastewater matrices, driven by pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and recalcitrant industrial contaminants, require advanced catalytic solutions capable of efficient mineralization under sustainable conditions. Solar-driven processes have attracted growing attention; however, ultraviolet disinfection, heterogeneous photocatalysis, and photo-Fenton systems are commonly treated as independent approaches without mechanistic integration. This review presents a unified photonic–thermal catalytic framework for solar-driven wastewater treatment, emphasizing the interplay between photon absorption, charge-carrier separation, reactive oxygen species generation, and radical-mediated oxidation pathways. The contributions of ultraviolet, visible, and infrared radiation are analyzed in terms of catalyst activation, persulfate and ozone activation mechanisms, and temperature-enhanced reaction kinetics governed by Arrhenius behavior. Particular attention is given to photothermal effects that modulate surface reaction rates, mass transfer, and catalyst stability. By integrating mechanistic insights with reactor-level considerations, this work provides a rational basis for the design of robust solar catalytic systems with enhanced activity, selectivity, and scalability for real wastewater applications.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/catal16040341","authors":["Carlos Barrera-Díaz","Bernardo A. Frontana‐Uribe","Gabriela Roa-Morales","Patricia Balderas-Hernández","P. Ávila-Pérez"],"tags":["Wastewater","Catalysis","Sewage treatment","Persulfate","Biochemical engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/catal16040341","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z"},{"id":"oa:W3200960767","name":"Non-Catalytic Dissolution of Biochar Obtained by Hydrothermal Carbonization of Sawdust in Hydrogen Donor Solvent","source":"openalex","abstract":"The production of fuel hydrocarbons from CO2-neutral raw materials is a promising task at present. The thermal dissolution of biochar obtained by the method of hydrothermal carbonization of sawdust was studied. The dissolution of biochar in tetralin (hydrogen donor solvent) was studied at different temperatures (350–450 °C) and with two types of dilution of the mixture with tetralin: 1/3 and 1/4. The process proceeded without a catalyst. It was found that the samples subjected to thermal dissolution at temperatures of 425–450 °C had the highest conversion and yield of liquid products. The reaction temperature also had a significant effect on the composition of liquid products. It was found that an increase in the reaction temperature led to a significant increase in benzenes, both in the direct and in the hexane fraction. A benzene yield of more than 50% was observed for both fractions at a temperature of 450 °C. It was also suggested that the possible positive effect of abietates on the homogenization of the reaction mixture contributed to high conversion in the process. The biochar/tetralin ratio effects the yield and composition of the liquid products as well. An increase in the tetralin concentration in the mixture during thermal dissolution led to an increase in the conversion and yield of hydrocarbon fractions for fuel purposes. This is undoubtedly due to the large amount of elemental hydrogen involved in the hydrogenation of the reaction mixture.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/en14185890","authors":["A. Yu. Krylova","K. O. Krysanova","М. В. Куликова","А. Б. Куликов"],"tags":["Tetralin","Dissolution","Chemistry","Sawdust","Biochar"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-09-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/en14185890","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2469339","name":"In Memoriam: James Nelson Walker (1949–2023)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2469339","authors":["Peter K. M. Megaw"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-15T18:06:01Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2469339","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2532347","name":"Who’s Who in Mineral Names: Margaret “Sugar” White (b. 1932)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Reproduced with permission Sugarwhiteite is a lead tellurite, Pb2Te54+O12 , from the Moctezuma mine, at Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico. It occurs as aggregates of thin-tabular or irregular crystals on a...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2532347","authors":["Ron Gibbs"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-28T18:04:54Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2532347","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15030225","name":"Mineralization of Fossil Wood with Macrocrystalline Quartz: A Microscopic Investigation","source":"crossref","abstract":"Optical microscopy and SEM imaging are powerful tools for evaluating the origins of quartz in fossil wood. Silicification is the most common mechanism for wood petrifaction, but this silica is commonly in cryptocrystalline or microcrystalline form (e.g., chalcedony or agate). Two essential requirements for the formation of macrocrystalline quartz is a concentration of dissolved silica low enough to allow the development of well-ordered lattices, and sufficient open space to allow euhedral or subhedral crystals to grow. Macrocrystalline quartz commonly occurs as a late-stage precipitate in open spaces that remained after initial mineralization had occurred. These spaces include vessels in angiosperm wood, and vugs and fractures in all types of wood. Exterior surfaces may also be suitable sites for quartz crystal growth. In some occurrences, crystalline quartz has directly encrusted or replaced wood cells. Diagenetic transformation of opal can produce cryptocrystalline or microcrystalline forms of quartz, but this process is not likely to produce macrocrystals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15030225","authors":["George E. Mustoe"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-25T10:55:48Z","doi":"10.3390/min15030225","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15090984","name":"Thin-Section Petrography in the Use of Ancient Ceramic Studies","source":"crossref","abstract":"The potential of thin-section petrography for the analysis of ancient ceramic materials, such as pottery vessels, figurative objects and building materials made of fired clay, was already recognized during the 19th century, but its use has become more intensive during the past 80 years. Since pottery is the most common and typologically datable artifact in archaeological excavations from the pottery Neolithic period onwards (some 7000–8000 years ago), the analysis of pottery, including its composition, is a central component of archaeological research. As ceramic materials are made of fired clay, which in turn is procured from soils, weathered rocks and geological formations, the mineralogical composition of the ceramic artifacts represents the clay sources. The study of the mineralogical and rock fragment composition of thin sections of ancient ceramic artifacts can yield the characterization of the clay and soil type and thus the geographic location or area of the clay source. Since in antiquity we assume clay was not precured from a distance of more than one day’s walk from the production site (‘site catchment area’), the production location can be detected as well. Thus, petrographic analysis can identify the trade of artifacts and commodities (if the ceramics are containers) in antiquity, which can shed light on political and cultural links and trade between ancient societies and their economic and social structure. In addition, since clay was often treated by ancient potters to improve its quality (levigation, clay mixing, addition of temper), technological aspects of the production sequence (chaîne opératoire) can also be acquired by petrographic analysis. Today, petrographic analysis is part of many standard studies of ancient pottery. While it is an old and relatively ‘low tech’ method, the accessibility of the equipment needed and its high analytic potential maintains its important and common position in archaeological research. This article describes the method and its analytical potential from the archaeological point of view and briefly mentions several archaeological case studies exemplifying its wide and diversified potential in the study of ancient ceramics in past decades.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15090984","authors":["David Ben-Shlomo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-17T05:59:51Z","doi":"10.3390/min15090984","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2398390","name":"Chips from the Quarry","source":"crossref","abstract":"WELCOME 2025: The New Year is all about fresh starts and new beginnings, and in the year 2025 it’s also about green minerals. That’s because Shades of Green is the theme of the 70th Annual Tucson G...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2398390","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-04T10:01:17Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2398390","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109297","name":"Physics-informed machine learning for grade prediction in froth flotation","source":"crossref","abstract":"In this paper, physics-informed neural network models are developed to predict the concentrate gold grade in froth flotation cells. Accurate prediction of concentrate grades is important for the automatic control and optimization of mineral processing. Both first-principles and data-driven machine learning methods have been used to model the flotation process. The complexity of models based on first-principles restricts their direct use, while purely data-driven models often fail in dynamic industrial environments, leading to poor generalization. To address these limitations, this study integrates classical mathematical models of froth flotation processes with conventional deep learning methods to construct physics-informed neural networks. The models are trained, evaluated, and tested on datasets generated from a digital twin model of flotation cells that merges real-process data with physics-based simulations, with data collected over nearly half a year at a five-minute sampling rate. Compared to the best purely data-driven model, the top-performing physics-informed neural network reduced the mean squared error by 65% and the mean relative error by 34%, demonstrating superior generalization and predictive performance. • Developed PINNs to model the froth flotation process. • Classical mathematical models were used as soft penalties in loss functions. • PINNs showed better generalization and accuracy than purely data-driven models.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109297","authors":["Mahdi Nasiri","Sahel Iqbal","Simo Särkkä"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-12T16:53:14Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109297","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15070708","name":"Editorial for Special Issue “Isomorphism, Chemical Variability and Solid Solutions of Minerals and Related Compounds, 2nd Edition”","source":"crossref","abstract":"The concepts of isomorphism and solid solutions are closely related to each other [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15070708","authors":["Nikita V. Chukanov"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-03T04:07:17Z","doi":"10.3390/min15070708","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.63929/14432471.2025-236-08","name":"Minerals geophysics","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.63929/14432471.2025-236-08","authors":["Jim Austin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-29T14:01:34Z","doi":"10.63929/14432471.2025-236-08","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.63929/14432471.2025-237-12","name":"Minerals geophysics","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.63929/14432471.2025-237-12","authors":["Jim Austin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-29T14:01:36Z","doi":"10.63929/14432471.2025-237-12","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15080876","name":"Mineral Liberation Analysis (MLA)-Based Characterization of Lithium Source: Biotite and Associated Minerals in Nepheline Syenites","source":"crossref","abstract":"Due to the rapid advancement of technology, lithium carbonate has become a crucial raw material for battery storage applications. Brines remain the primary source, while lithium carbonate production from ores is limited. Therefore, expanding resources, identifying potential deposits, and characterizing existing sources are essential. Direct lithium detection via MLA is challenging due to its atomic number being below 6; however, it can be indirectly identified through lithium-bearing biotite. This study characterizes lithium-bearing biotite in nepheline syenite ore, considering biotite as the primary lithium source. Analytical methods included MLA, modal mineralogy, XRD, ICP-OES, XRF, SEM-BSE, and EDS. The ore contained 4% biotite, with a liberation degree exceeding 70% in particles finer than 500 µm. Biotite formed binary, ternary, and complex associations with K-feldspar, nepheline, and albite. Finer particle sizes increased biotite liberation while reducing associations; no binary biotite–nepheline associations were detected below 75 µm. EDS spectra confirmed biotite as the sole lithium-bearing mineral.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15080876","authors":["Zeynep Üçerler-Çamur","Ozgul Keles","Murat Olgaç Kangal"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-21T08:40:48Z","doi":"10.3390/min15080876","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2451579","name":"Who’s Who in Mineral Names: Ian Rutherford Plimer (b. 1946)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Reproduced with permissionPlimerite, ZnFe43+(PO4)3(OH)5 , was first discovered at the Block 14 opencut mine at Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia (Elliott et al. 2009). It is a member of the r...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2451579","authors":["Paul Carr"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-15T18:06:01Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2451579","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-032-06970-2_1","name":"Mineralogical, Petrological and Structural Diversity of Vesuvianite-Supergroup Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-06970-2_1","authors":["Taras L. Panikorovskii","Nikita V. Chukanov"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-17T01:58:58Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-032-06970-2_1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3847/psj/ad98eb","name":"Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons as an Extraterrestrial Atmospheric Technosignature","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are prevalent in the Universe and interstellar medium but are primarily attributed to anthropogenic sources on Earth, such as fossil fuel combustion and firewood burning. Drawing upon the idea of PAHs being suitable candidates for technosignatures, we investigate the detectability of those PAHs that have available absorption cross sections in the atmospheres of Earth-like exoplanets (orbiting G-type stars at a distance of 10 pc) with an 8 m mirror of the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). Specifically, we focus on Naphthalene, Anthracene, Phenanthrene, and Pyrene. Our simulations indicate that under current-Earth-like conditions, detecting PAH signatures between 0.2 and 0.515 μ m is infeasible. To account for the historical decline in PAH production post the industrial revolution, we explore varying PAH concentrations to assess instrumental capabilities of detecting civilizations resembling modern Earth. We also evaluate telescope architectures (6 m, 8 m, and 10 m mirror diameters) to put our results into the context of the future HWO mission. With these four molecules, PAH detection remains infeasible, even at concentrations 10 times higher than current levels. While larger mirrors provide some advantages, they fail to resolve the spectral signatures of these molecules with significant signal-to-noise ratios. The UV absorption features of PAHs—caused by π -orbital → π *-orbital electronic transitions—serve as valuable markers, due to their distinct and detectable nature, preserved by the aromatic stability of PAHs. Additional lab measurements are necessary to gather absorption cross-sectional data beyond UV for more abundant PAHs. This may help further in improving the detectability of these molecules.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3847/psj/ad98eb","authors":["Dwaipayan Dubey","Ravi Kopparapu","Barbara Ercolano","Karan Molaverdikhani"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-06T05:47:46Z","doi":"10.3847/psj/ad98eb","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15050496","name":"Editorial for Special Issue “Comminution and Comminution Circuits Optimisation: 3rd Edition”","source":"crossref","abstract":"Comminution is crucial to mining and mineral processing operations, as valuable minerals cannot be extracted if they are not liberated [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15050496","authors":["Ngonidzashe Chimwani"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-07T11:46:19Z","doi":"10.3390/min15050496","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2532351","name":"In Memoriam: Robert “Bob” W. Whitmore (1936–2024)","source":"crossref","abstract":"The passing of Bob Whitmore on 23 December 2024 marked the end of an era for New Hampshire mineralogy. Bob was the “go-to” guy for any mineral question regarding pegmatites and local minerals. Ther...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2532351","authors":["Donald Dallaire","Ellen Lambert"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-28T18:04:54Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2532351","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.63929/14432471.2025-238-09","name":"Minerals geophysics","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.63929/14432471.2025-238-09","authors":["Jim Austin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-11T16:01:36Z","doi":"10.63929/14432471.2025-238-09","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109346","name":"Saturation regulation in heap leaching: A nonlinear model predictive control approach","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109346","authors":["Benjamín Olivares","Benjamín Araya","Paulina Quintanilla","Daniel Navia"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-09T18:49:47Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109346","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.bgtech.2025.100212","name":"An overview on lunar regolith simulants solidification methods: integrating chemical, physical, and MICP strategies for extraterrestrial construction","source":"crossref","abstract":"As lunar exploration progresses toward long-term human habitation, the demand for sustainable construction materials has become increasingly urgent. Lunar regolith, the primary in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) for infrastructure development, poses significant challenges due to its unconsolidated nature and extreme environmental conditions. To establish a fundamental understanding of lunar regolith as a building material, this study first provides a comprehensive review of the distribution, physical and mechanical properties, and mineralogical composition of lunar regolith. Due to the limited availability of real lunar soil, most existing studies rely on lunar regolith simulants (LRS) to mimic lunar conditions; therefore, LRS are also included in this review. Then emphasizing their broad particle size distribution, angular morphology, and low cohesion, which collectively hinder direct structural applications. Given these intrinsic limitations, effective solidification strategies are required to enhance mechanical stability and environmental resilience of LRS. To this end, this study systematically reviews four primary solidification methods including polymer, geopolymer, sintering, and microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) solidification—through an in-depth analysis of their reaction mechanisms, mechanical performance, and adaptability to lunar conditions. Each method is assessed based on its ability to improve cohesive strength, structural integrity, and durability, with particular focus on their chemical bonding mechanisms, material densification processes, and long-term performance under extraterrestrial conditions. However, lunar infrastructure must not only achieve sufficient cohesive strength but also withstand extreme environmental conditions. Therefore, this study further reviews the effects of vacuum exposure, high-temperature fluctuations and low-temperature conditions on the long-term stability of solidified LRS. By evaluating the interplay between material properties, solidification methods, and environmental adaptability, this study provides critical insights into optimizing durable, resource-efficient construction strategies for lunar infrastructure.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bgtech.2025.100212","authors":["Yuru Chen","Angran Tian","Gyeongjo Min","Daisuke Fukuda","Satoru Kawasaki"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-25T17:43:07Z","doi":"10.1016/j.bgtech.2025.100212","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2532339","name":"The Nanjing Mineral Art Museum, Xuanwu District, Jiangsu Province, China","source":"crossref","abstract":"All photos by BlueCap Productions Hawai’i, LLCFigure 1. Unveiling of the sign for the Nanjing Mineral Art Museum. From left: Pan Zhengqing, director of the Executive Committee of the Nanjing Show a...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2532339","authors":["Bryan Lees"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-28T18:04:54Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2532339","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109727","name":"Separation of cadmium and nickel from glycine-based medium by D2EHPA","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109727","authors":["Fatemeh Mazhar Sarmadi","Farnoosh Olfat","Davoud Fatmehsari Haghshenas"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-22T17:30:07Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109727","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.59184/cm.025.03","name":"South Africa’s new critical minerals strategy: promises and paradoxes","source":"crossref","abstract":"South Africa launches a bold new critical minerals strategy. Can it balance growth, equity, and global competitiveness?","url":"https://doi.org/10.59184/cm.025.03","authors":["Judy Hofmeyr"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-18T12:56:24Z","doi":"10.59184/cm.025.03","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1130/abs/2025am-10328","name":"Keeping Samples in the Syllabus: The Use of Extraterrestrial Materials Across All Educational Levels","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/abs/2025am-10328","authors":["Rhiannon Mayne"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-11T05:26:51Z","doi":"10.1130/abs/2025am-10328","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16050520","name":"New Insights into a Definitive Zoological Morphogenesis. Comment on Mustoe, G.E. The Controversial Origin of Ferruginous “Coprolites”. Minerals 2025, 15, 1271","source":"crossref","abstract":"The controversial origin of ferruginous fecal-like specimens is discussed in the Mustoe Review article [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16050520","authors":["Paul L. Broughton"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-19T15:17:23Z","doi":"10.3390/min16050520","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109151","name":"First full-scale cHGMS separator for separation of ilmenite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109151","authors":["Bohua Zhang","Xiangjun Ren","Qiwei Lai","Fan Yi","Luzheng Chen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-12T09:04:09Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109151","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15111132","name":"A Surface Chemistry Investigation into Depressants for Minerals Associated with Pyrochlore","source":"crossref","abstract":"Niobium (Nb), a transition element, has been applied mainly as steel additive, among other cutting-edge applications. Nb is mainly produced from pyrochlore-containing ores, dominated by mines at Araxá, Catalão (both from Brazil), and Niobec (Saguenay Region, QC, Canada). At these plants, flotation is employed as the main beneficiation method that all plants apply direct pyrochlore flotation; Catalão and Niobec apply additional reverse flotation prior to pyrochlore flotation. During flotation, depressants are added to improve selectivity, which highlights their importance to Nb mineral flotation. However, most of the available studies related to Nb mineral flotation focus on collectors; the knowledge on depressants is limited. In the present work, various depressants, including sodium silicate, oxalic acid, F100, starch, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and chitosan, are compared for pyrochlore flotation at pH 7 in the presence of sodium oleate and dodecylamine (DDA) collectors. The results are compared with common gangue minerals, including dolomite, calcite, and hematite. It was observed that the performance of depressants is related to the collector applied, which was justified by the mineral surface charge after depressant adsorption and the charge of the collector. Among the tested combinations, 5 kg/t F100 + 2 kg/t DDA and 5 kg/t CMC + 2 kg/t DDA showed potential selectivity toward pyrochlore and hematite, whereas both carbonate minerals could be successfully depressed. Zeta potential measurement and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were applied to understand the interaction between depressants and the model minerals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15111132","authors":["Ronghao Li","Kristian E. Waters"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-29T17:38:22Z","doi":"10.3390/min15111132","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-96-3033-2_10","name":"Bioconstructions in Hypogean Paleoprecipitation Archives: Possible Models of Extraterrestrial Life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-3033-2_10","authors":["Subhro Banerjee","Santa Ram Joshi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-12T21:27:36Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-96-3033-2_10","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109770","name":"Gas holdup and flotation rate","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109770","authors":["J.E. Nesset","Y.H. Tan","J.A. Finch"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-12T11:43:33Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109770","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.5247909","name":"Surveying the Acoustics from Laser-Induced Plasmas Under Non-Standard Atmospheric Conditions: Implications for Extraterrestrial Missions","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5247909","authors":["Javier Moros","Markéta Bosáková","José  M. Vadillo","Karel Novotny","Javier Laserna"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-09T07:43:22Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.5247909","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.17102085.12","name":"TERRESTRIAL CHAUVINISM:","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.17102085.12","authors":["REBECCA CHARBONNEAU"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-20T20:21:23Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.17102085.12","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3997/2214-4609.2025510098","name":"Estimation of Seismic Intensities Caused by Extraterrestrial Explosions","source":"crossref","abstract":"Summary The paper presents the results of a study aimed at obtaining reliable data on the intensities of seismic vibrations caused by missile, aircraft and artillery strikes to assess the consequences of seismic impact using seismograms obtained at seismic stations of the Main Center for Special Monitoring. Since the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation armed forces into the territory of sovereign Ukraine, the seismological network of the Main Center for Special Monitoring of the State Space Agency of Ukraine has registered a large number of explosions (missile, aircraft strikes), in which one of the components of the striking effect is seismic waves. Seismic vibrations from explosions have a harmful effect on the structures of operating industrial installations for various purposes, on locking, signaling and communication systems, underground communications, foundations of buildings and structures and can lead to damage and destruction. Based on the analysis of the energy parameters of seismic signals from explosions in Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, and Chernihiv regions, the correlation between the power of explosions and the magnitude of the intensities of seismic oscillations depending on the distance to the epicenter of the explosion was obtained.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3997/2214-4609.2025510098","authors":["V. Osadchy","O. Liashchuk","Yu. Andrushchenko"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-23T06:06:06Z","doi":"10.3997/2214-4609.2025510098","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/083099-0005","name":"Extraterrestrial Mineral Rights: Who Owns the Asteroids? Case to Create a New Viable Private Market","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/083099-0005","authors":["Samiksha Raviraja"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-16T14:20:37Z","doi":"10.52202/083099-0005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1109/iccsse67426.2025.11552524","name":"A Review of Extraterrestrial Sample Encapsulation Technologies","source":"crossref","abstract":"With the advancement of deep space exploration missions, preserving the pristine state of extraterrestrial samples has become a critical challenge that directly constrains their scientific value. To address the requirements of preventing both physical damage and bidirectional contamination during sample return missions, this paper reviews the research progress on extraterrestrial sample encapsulation worldwide. The discussion focuses on three key technological aspects: overall container design, sealing strategies, and protective measures. Representative single-zone and multi-zone encapsulation approaches adopted in typical domestic and international missions are highlighted, with an overview of the application methods and scenarios of sealing and protection technologies. Finally, potential breakthroughs in China’s future sample encapsulation technology are suggested from the perspectives of smart materials and interdisciplinary integration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/iccsse67426.2025.11552524","authors":["Bo Wang","Yang Gao","Qian Qi","Yang Dong","Ning Kong","Jianfeng Man","He Zhang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-12T19:40:45Z","doi":"10.1109/iccsse67426.2025.11552524","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/083077-0004","name":"High-Frequency Targeted SETI with the New MeerKAT Band 5 Receivers","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/083077-0004","authors":["Andrea Melis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-16T14:18:27Z","doi":"10.52202/083077-0004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1180/clm.2025.3","name":"Characteristic changes of calcined clay minerals as heavy metal adsorbents","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Calcined clay minerals were examined as adsorbents for the removal of heavy metals from aqueous solutions. Five clay minerals (kaolinite, dickite, pyrophyllite, hydrobiotite and montmorillonite) were thermally treated at 100–1000°C and were characterized according to cation-exchange capacity (CEC), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) specific surface area and X-ray diffraction. The CEC and BET specific surface area decreased at high temperature. Kaolinite, dickite and montmorillonite had the lowest crystal order at 800°C. The adsorption capacity of the clay minerals except hydrobiotite decreased with calcination. Hydrobiotite showed a high adsorption capacity of heavy metals regardless of heat treatment. The adsorption capacity of kaolinite and dickite for heavy metals and Cs increased at 1000°C, and that of Cs on hydrobiotite decreased at 800°C. The adsorption sequence of the metals on kaolinite, dickite, pyrophyllite and montmorillonite was Pb &gt; Cs &gt; Co, Ni, Cd for temperatures up to 800°C, and the order for the adsorption on the clay minerals depended on the temperature, according to the adsorption capacity and the distribution coefficient.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/clm.2025.3","authors":["Maiko Ikegami","Satoshi Fukutani","Minoru Yoneda"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-07T12:30:40Z","doi":"10.1180/clm.2025.3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/083074-0066","name":"Biological Evolution and Space Exploration: Insights on Future Speciation and Adaptation to Extraterrestrial Environments","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/083074-0066","authors":["Henry Feng","Daniel Heng-En Wo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-16T14:22:34Z","doi":"10.52202/083074-0066","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.54254/2753-8818/2026.hz29631","name":"Conditions and Prospects for Extraterrestrial Life: A Literature-Based Review of Habitability Factors","source":"crossref","abstract":"The search for extraterrestrial life has become a central issue in astronomy and astrobiology, especially as recent national and international space exploration programs emphasize its importance. This study aims to review the theoretical foundations and current evidence for extraterrestrial habitability, focusing on the key conditions necessary for life. Using a literature analysis approach, the research synthesizes findings from planetary science, space probe data, and exoplanet discoveries to evaluate the roles of liquid solvents, energy sources, temperature ranges, atmospheric composition, and geological activity in supporting life. The results highlight that Europa and Enceladus, with subsurface oceans and tidal heating, present the strongest evidence for habitability, while Titan expands possibilities for non-aqueous life, and exoplanets such as Kepler-22b and Kepler-452b remain promising but poorly constrained candidates. However, the study is limited by reliance on secondary data and theoretical assumptions, lacking direct observational evidence of atmospheres or biosignatures. Future research should integrate advanced telescope observations, in-situ exploration missions, and interdisciplinary modeling to further assess the distribution and diversity of potential extraterrestrial life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.54254/2753-8818/2026.hz29631","authors":["Fangyan Guo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-19T15:57:58Z","doi":"10.54254/2753-8818/2026.hz29631","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1387/pceic.24793","name":"‘Jews in Space’. A History of Extraterrestrial Diaspora and the Future of Galactic Jewishness","source":"crossref","abstract":"Following Arendt’s statement in 1941 that the moon was “the only place where we can still be safe from antisemitism”, this article explores Jewish extraterrestrial existence as depicted in literature and popular culture, focusing on the intersections of Jewish identity, diasporic narratives, and speculative futures. Using Mel Brooks’ satirical concept of Jews in Space and Martin Salomonski’s lesser-known novel Zwei im andern Land, the text examines how Jewish communities have been imagined in fictional extraterrestrial settings as responses to historical and contemporary challenges. This allows to delve into the way these narratives engage with themes of displacement, belonging, and the search for a permanent homeland beyond Earth, reflecting anxieties and aspirations surrounding Jewish survival and self-determination. Whether on the moon or on any other celestial body: ‘Jews in Space,’ as the article argues, appears again and again as a kind of reversible gestalt, alternating between quasi-Zionist and diasporic conceptions of the future.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1387/pceic.24793","authors":["Lena Kugler"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-11T08:04:48Z","doi":"10.1387/pceic.24793","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15090957","name":"Permanent Cathode Technologies in Copper Electrowinning: Development and Status","source":"crossref","abstract":"The replacement of copper metal starter-sheet cathodes with the use of permanent cathode technology, in which the target metal is plated onto an inert blank template, has enabled significant benefits in the copper electrowinning process. These include the application of significantly higher current density, which reduces tankhouse footprint and increases process intensity per unit area; improved operator safety with less reliance on manual electrode handling; and the implementation of process automation and robotics. Cathodes of &gt;99.99% chemical purity and with a smooth and aesthetic surface morphology are consistently produced. This review considers the evolution and development of the permanent cathode process, its commercial adoption across the global copper industry, and the current technology status.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15090957","authors":["Kalin Naidoo","Kathryn C. Sole"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-10T12:04:55Z","doi":"10.3390/min15090957","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109553","name":"Online particle-size monitoring for hydrocyclone overflow: Where is the beacon?","source":"crossref","abstract":"Monitoring the particle size-passing fraction (PSPF) at hydrocyclone overflow is critical for energy-efficient comminution and flotation. Knowledge of particle size distribution (PSD) beyond the single PSPF number can be yet more beneficial to plant operators. However, the large number of hydrocyclones typically employed in a processing plant and the necessity of monitoring each individual hydrocyclone unit have posed significant challenges to online PSPF and PSD monitoring. The questions are: What are the technologies available for online particle size assessment (PSA)? To what extent have these technologies been assisting the mining industry? Where is the beacon leading to a better solution? This paper reviews existing methods for PSPF and PSD online monitoring at hydrocyclones and classifies them into five categories — numerical, mechanical, attenuation, optical, and vibration. Evaluations are made in terms of online capability, system compactness, particle size range, performance robustness, measurement accuracy, maintenance requirements, and implementation costs, with comparison made and sensitivity analysis conducted. It reveals there is no single solution that excels in all evaluation criteria, and instead, different methods could mutually complement. Guidance is provided to assist the industry in selecting appropriate online PSA systems for hydrocyclone overflow based on different priorities. Data fusion and machine learning are recommended for further advancement in enhancing measurement accuracy and enabling self-calibration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109553","authors":["Difan Tang","Lei Chen","Richmond Komla Asamoah","Eric Hu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-15T14:47:19Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109553","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109393","name":"Mechanism of flotation separation of scheelite from calcite using sulfonated phenolic resin as a novel depressant","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109393","authors":["Xu Wang","Yanfang Cui"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-19T10:23:48Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109393","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21128/2226-2059-2025-1-150-163","name":"Imagination and the international law: Book review: Bohlander M. Contact with extraterrestrial intelligence and human law: The applicability of rules of war and human rights. Leiden : Brill, 2023","source":"crossref","abstract":"This article is a review of the book, written by the German lawyer and international judge M.Bohlander, dedicated to the search for contacts with extraterrestrial civilizations. The author constructs a number of concepts with the help of which such research is given a legal dimension. In particular, this concerns the concept of “metalaw”, which is a certain set of norms and principles applicable in relations with artificial intelligence. The existing international legal regulation of this issue is clarified. Based on futurological works and science fiction, the author of the book tries to identify weak points in the existing regulatory framework, which hypothetically can become an insurmountable obstacle in the event of contact with aliens from other worlds or significantly damage it. The existing array of international human rights law and international humanitarian law is analyzed for the extent to which existing norms are designed for their application by other intelligent beings, besides humans. International crimes (crime of aggression, genocide) are also analyzed in terms of their possible reformatting in new conditions. Referring to sources of international space law, in particular the Declaration of Principles Relating to Actions Following the Detection of Extraterrestrial Intelligence of 1989 (as amended in 2010), approved by the International Astronautical Academy and the International Institute of Space Law, the author notes a number of provisions that oblige the parties that signed this Declaration not to respond to signals from outside without first receiving instructions and consent from the UN. However, in general, he comes to the conclusion that the existing international legal system is not ready to meet with representatives of extraterrestrial civilizations. The final point in the discussion about the direction in which international law, in particular international criminal law, should be developed is apparently a matter for the future, which will answer the questions outlined in the study under review.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21128/2226-2059-2025-1-150-163","authors":["Aleksandr Evseev"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-15T08:58:21Z","doi":"10.21128/2226-2059-2025-1-150-163","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2555151","name":"Patriotic Portfolio","source":"crossref","abstract":"Figure 1. Calcite, 14.2 cm high, Santo Domingo mine, Santa Eulalia, Chihuahua, Mexico. Terry Huizing specimen.Reproduced with permissionFigure 2. Rhodonite, 7.9 cm wide, Morro da Mina, Conselheiro ...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2555151","authors":["Jeffrey A. Scovil"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-10T17:37:54Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2555151","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109160","name":"Avenues of resources efficiency enhancement in iron and steel production","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109160","authors":["T.C. Alex","Rashmi Singla","D.P. Sahoo","K.D. Mehta","Sanjay Kumar"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-20T14:19:59Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109160","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16010046","name":"Evaluation of Modified Ceramic Waste Incorporating Nanosilica Addition for Concrete Utilization","source":"crossref","abstract":"The construction sector is progressively prioritizing environmental norms owing to its substantial role in carbon emissions from clinker manufacture. Industrial waste materials are increasingly used as alternative constituents in cement-based systems, garnering interest as a sustainable strategy. Ceramic waste powder (CWP), produced in substantial quantities with enduring properties, offers a viable alternative. Nonetheless, its elevated water absorption presents issues, requiring modification procedures such as hydrophobization and the use of nanosilica to enhance performance. This study assessed CWP in both raw and modified forms (ground and hydrophobized) as a partial aggregate replacement in concrete. A silane-derived chemical was employed for hydrophobization, with varying amounts of nanosilica. Recent mortar testing encompassed setting time, flow, and density. Durability was evaluated using capillary water absorption, and flexural and compressive strengths were quantified at 2, 7, and 28 days. Mineralogical and microstructural investigations were conducted utilizing XRD and FTIR to monitor hydration phases and reaction processes. Results indicated that unmodified CWP containing up to 1% (wt) nanosilica enhanced mechanical strength; however, elevated nanosilica concentrations diminished early strength. Hydrophobized CWP samples demonstrated improved early strength with nanosilica levels up to 0.5% (wt), but strength diminished at elevated concentrations. Microstructural analysis confirmed reduced portlandite levels and increased C–S–H production, thereby validating the progress of hydration. The regulated and altered application of CWP with nanosilica can improve mechanical performance and durability while promoting ecological sustainability in cement-based systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16010046","authors":["Nevin Karamahmut Mermer"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-31T16:08:00Z","doi":"10.3390/min16010046","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109563","name":"Heterarchical comminution model for SAG mills","source":"crossref","abstract":"Semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) mills are commonly used in the mineral processing industry to effectively grind large particles into finer ones suitable for further processing. Despite their effectiveness in comminution, these mills are highly inefficient in terms of energy consumption. Understanding this inefficiency using population-balance models is challenging, as those are not informed by granular interactions and physics involving the interplay of crushing, segregation, and mixing. Conversely, using discrete-element simulation models to study SAG mills is also limited in scope since at any given time these mills can contain eight orders of magnitude more particles than those models can handle. Here, we address these challenges by developing a new comminution approach based on heterarchy. Expanding upon the previously developed heterarchical model for comminution in rotary mills, we incorporate the dynamics of grinding media consisting of steel balls, offering a comprehensive understanding of comminution within a SAG mill. Employing this new comminution model, we further analyse the effect of the different mill operating parameters — mill speed, fill fraction, and ball-to-charge ratio — on the comminution behaviour. This model brings us one step closer to understanding energy consumption in SAG mills.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109563","authors":["Mukesh Singh Bisht","François Guillard","Paul Shelley","Benjy Marks","Itai Einav"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-16T08:33:25Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109563","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109685","name":"A review of fine particle flotation: mechanistic insights and advances","source":"crossref","abstract":"Fine particle flotation has emerged as a critical area in mineral processing due to increasing demand for resource recovery and the growing presence of ultrafine particles in ore deposits and tailings. These particles, typically smaller than 38 µm, pose significant challenges including low mass, high surface energy, high reagent consumption, and reduced bubble-particle collision efficiency. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the mechanisms affecting the flotation of fine particles and explores various technical strategies developed to overcome these limitations. These include particle size enlargement through flocculation and agglomeration, bubble size reduction via micro- and nanobubbles, and advanced cell designs aimed at improving particle-bubble interaction. Emerging technologies such as dissolved air flotation, electroflotation, and pneumatic and column cells are also discussed. Furthermore, the article critically evaluates the applicability, limitations, and industrial scalability of these methods. Emphasis is placed on integrating environmentally friendly reagents and optimizing process efficiency to enhance sustainability in mineral processing. The review concludes by outlining future research needs, including the multivariate study of interacting flotation parameters and the development of industrial-scale solutions for fine particle recovery.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109685","authors":["Mohammad Hossein Ghasemi Flavarjani","Arash Sobouti","Bahram Rezai","Ali Ahmadi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-19T15:53:15Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109685","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.59184/pb025.06","name":"Developing Nigeria’s Critical Minerals Industry to support Global Energy Transition","source":"crossref","abstract":"Can Nigeria’s mineral wealth power its own—and other countries'—energy transition? Explore how smart policies and investments can turn critical minerals into climate and economic opportunity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.59184/pb025.06","authors":["Tobi Oluwatola"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-25T13:57:52Z","doi":"10.59184/pb025.06","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15060658","name":"Editorial for Special Issue “Geomaterials and Cultural Heritage”","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Special Issue entitled “Geomaterials and Cultural Heritage” serves as a platform to gather contributions at the intersection between Heritage Science, Earth Sciences, Materials Science, and Museum Studies [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15060658","authors":["Marco Benvenuti","Rosarosa Manca","Lucilla Fabrizi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-19T06:11:07Z","doi":"10.3390/min15060658","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15030249","name":"Crystal Chemistry of Eudialyte Group Minerals from Rouma Island, Los Archipelago, Guinea","source":"crossref","abstract":"We herein present a comprehensive investigation of the eudialyte group minerals from the nepheline syenites of Rouma Island in the Los Archipelago, Conakry region, Guinea. Two distinct mineral phases were identified: an oneillite-like phase, associated with the agpaitic rock suite, and, for the first time in this locality, kentbrooksite, occurring in pegmatites. The oneillite-like phase crystallizes in the trigonal system (space group R3), with unit cell parameters a = 14.1489(2) Å, c = 30.1283(5) Å and an idealized crystal chemical formula of Na15(Mn,REE)3(Ca,Mn)3(Fe,Mn)3Zr3(Zr,Si,Al,Nb,Ti)1 (Si25O73)(O,OH,H2O)3(OH,Cl,F)2. Kentbrooksite also exhibits trigonal symmetry (space group R3m), with unit cell parameters a = 14.2037(3) Å c = 30.1507(9) Å and an idealized formula of (Na,REE)15(Ca,Mn)6(Mn,Fe)3Zr3(Nb,Si)1(Si25O73)(O,OH,H2O)3(F,Cl,OH)2. Compared to the oneillite-like phase, kentbrooksite is markedly enriched in Mn and rare earth elements (REE). This geochemical distinction aligns with the progressive mineralogical evolution of the system, transitioning from the miaskitic to agpaitic suite (oneillite-like phase) and subsequently to pegmatites (kentbrooksite). These findings are consistent with the broader-scale observations regarding the syenite ring structure of the Los Archipelago.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15030249","authors":["Natale Perchiazzi","Cristiano Ferraris","Daniela Mauro","Pietro Vignola"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-28T02:48:37Z","doi":"10.3390/min15030249","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109650","name":"Identification and treatment of a gangue flotation problem at a North Ontario palladium Concentrator","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109650","authors":["N. Botha","N.O. Lotter","P. Mwembia"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-02T16:32:02Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109650","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15060591","name":"Advancing Flotation Process Modeling: Bayesian vs. Sklearn Approaches for Gold Grade Prediction","source":"crossref","abstract":"This study explores Bayesian Ridge Regression and PyMC-based probabilistic modelling to predict the cumulative grade of gold based on key operational variables in gold flotation. By integrating prior knowledge and quantifying uncertainty, the Bayesian approach enhances both interpretability and predictive accuracy. The dataset includes variables such as crusher type, particle size, power, time, head grade, and collector type. Comparative analysis reveals that PyMC outperforms traditional Sklearn models, achieving an R2 of 0.92 and an MSE of 102.37. These findings highlight the potential of Bayesian models for robust, data-driven process optimization in mineral processing. The higher cumulative gold grade observed for VSI products and PAX collector usage may be attributed to the superior liberation efficiency of VSI, which produces more angular and cleanly fractured particles, enhancing collector attachment. PAX, being a strong xanthate, shows high affinity for sulphide mineral surfaces, particularly under the flotation conditions used, thereby improving selectivity and recovery.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15060591","authors":["Sheila Devasahayam"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-02T11:40:32Z","doi":"10.3390/min15060591","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/080553-0019","name":"Bhartiya Extraterrestrial Expandable Modular Habitat: A Modular Panel Based Architecture","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/080553-0019","authors":["Mritunjay Baruah","Amogh Jadhav","Bimalendu Mahapatra","Shubhanshu Shukla","Aloke Kumar"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-03T21:46:00Z","doi":"10.52202/080553-0019","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15060600","name":"Editorial for Special Issue “Microanalysis Applied to Mineral Deposits”","source":"crossref","abstract":"The global demand for metals and minerals is increasing—especially for the so-called Critical Raw Materials (CRMs)—nurturing renewed scientific and societal interest into the exploration, extraction, processing, and environmental implications of these materials [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15060600","authors":["Glenn Bark","Alan R. Butcher"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-03T06:21:51Z","doi":"10.3390/min15060600","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15121261","name":"A Copper–Amine Complex as an Activator for Sphalerite Flotation","source":"crossref","abstract":"Sphalerite (ZnS), the primary zinc-bearing mineral in most sulfide deposits, exhibits poor natural floatability and requires activation by metal ions such as Cu2+ or Pb2+. Copper sulfate (CuSO4) is the most common activator, but its use at high dosages introduces sulfate accumulation and necessitates separate pre-conditioning to prevent the formation of inactive copper xanthates. This study investigates a novel copper–amine complex, Zn Flooter (ZnFL), as an alternative activator for sphalerite flotation. ZnFL is a liquid reagent containing stabilized ionic copper with a significantly lower sulfate content. Contact angle and flotation tests were conducted on two sphalerite-bearing ores of different mineralogy (Pb–Zn and Cu–Zn types). Contact angle tests showed that ZnFL (68–71°) enhances sphalerite surface hydrophobicity more effectively than CuSO4 (61–66°). In flotation, ZnFL at 100 g/t achieved recoveries and grades comparable to those for CuSO4 at 500 g/t, while allowing simultaneous addition with the collector without loss of performance. ZnFL also exhibited improved sphalerite/pyrite selectivity and did not negatively affect froth stability. These results demonstrate that ZnFL can provide equivalent or superior activation efficiency at a lower dosage and with simplified operation. Further studies on adsorption mechanisms and water chemistry effects are recommended to validate its industrial potential as a sustainable activator for sphalerite flotation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15121261","authors":["Ozlem Bicak","Ertuna Cakir"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-28T11:19:51Z","doi":"10.3390/min15121261","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2422766","name":"The Jiangsu Cultural Exchange Center in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China","source":"crossref","abstract":"Figure 1. The Jiangsu Cultural Exchange Center. Photo courtesy of the museum.Reproduced with permissionFigure 2. Entrance gallery and spectacular metamorphic rock floor. Eugene Meieran photo.Reprod...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2422766","authors":["Eugene S. Meieran"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-24T20:28:01Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2422766","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9781350467903.ch-002","name":"Building a Hero: Semiotics and Politics in Extraterrestrial Conspiracies","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9781350467903.ch-002","authors":["Douglas Firmino dos Santos","Lucas Felipe de Oliveira Santiago"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-29T11:54:56Z","doi":"10.5040/9781350467903.ch-002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109180","name":"A review of phyllosilicate minerals in flotation: Mechanisms of deleterious effect and mitigation method","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109180","authors":["Guohua Gu","Jianyu Chen","Mengchi Guo","Yanhong Wang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-27T09:07:00Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109180","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109123","name":"A comprehensive multiscale review of shaft furnace and reformer in direct reduction of iron oxide","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109123","authors":["Masih Hosseinzadeh","Norollah Kasiri","Mehran Rezaei"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-07T15:19:20Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109123","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/083077-0017","name":"The Role of Consciousness in Defining Reality: A Philosophical and Scientific Inquiry","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/083077-0017","authors":["Khadija Bayramova"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-16T14:18:27Z","doi":"10.52202/083077-0017","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.59184/pb025.05","name":"Morocco-China-EU Relations on Green Transition Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"This brief explores the potential for trilateral cooperation and proposes a five step policy roadmap to support Morocco’s green industrial ambition.","url":"https://doi.org/10.59184/pb025.05","authors":["Stephen Agyeman","Hermas Abudu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-20T13:40:01Z","doi":"10.59184/pb025.05","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15070750","name":"Froth Flotation of Lepidolite—A Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"As one of the important lithium resource sources, lepidolite has become a new energy strategic resource research hot spot. The efficient flotation of lepidolite directly affects the recovery and economic value of lithium resources. This paper systematically reviews the flotation research progress of lepidolite, focusing on the influence of the type of capture agent and process parameters (pH, activator, and depressant) on flotation. In view of the separation problems caused by the similarity of the surface properties of lepidolite and its associated gangue minerals (albite, feldspar, and quartz), the strategies for regulating the crystal structure of the minerals and their surface properties are analyzed. In addition, the lepidolite flotation process and its challenges are summarized, including poor selectivity of chemicals, fine mineral embedded size, easy to form sludge, and insufficient environmental friendliness, etc. The future development direction of lepidolite flotation technology is also prospected, which provides theoretical support and reference for the efficient recovery of lepidolite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15070750","authors":["Xusheng Yang","Bo Feng","Longxia Jiang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-17T14:13:43Z","doi":"10.3390/min15070750","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-031-80748-0_149","name":"Correction to: TMS 2025 154th Annual Meeting &amp; Exhibition Supplemental Proceedings","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-80748-0_149","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-30T03:37:25Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-031-80748-0_149","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.59184/sa025.007","name":"Turkey's strategic push for Africa's minerals and potential EU collaboration","source":"crossref","abstract":"This paper explores Turkey’s expanding footprint in Africa’s critical minerals sector and proposes pathways for EU–Turkey–Africa cooperation to reduce fragmentation and advance African priorities.","url":"https://doi.org/10.59184/sa025.007","authors":["Nebahat Yaşar"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-18T13:14:01Z","doi":"10.59184/sa025.007","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2451570","name":"Six Ways to Recognize Dauphiné Twinning in Quartz","source":"crossref","abstract":"QUARTZ IS THE “PLAIN VANILLA” OF MINERALS. It is so common that quartz is probably the mineral that collectors and students meet first. Its great abundance is easily explained. Chemically quartz is...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2451570","authors":["Carl A. Francis","R. Peter Richards"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-15T18:06:01Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2451570","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109556","name":"Environmental impact assessment of valuable heavy minerals production through sand separation processes using life cycle assessment","source":"crossref","abstract":"Heavy Mineral Sand (HMS) deposits, as the source for critical minerals, have gained increasing attention as viable sources for producing various sand-based mineral products, due to the rising demand from markets. However, energy consumption patterns and potential environmental impacts are yet to be evaluated for mineral sand production routes. This study is a gate-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) which aimed to evaluate the Energy, Carbon, Water, and Waste (ECWW) footprint of a heavy mineral separation processing technology. The Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) was developed using real operational data from an active HMS separation plant in Australia and modelled in SimaPro 9.5 using the ReCiPe midpoint method for impact assessment. The results demonstrate that producing 1 tonne of zircon-rich concentrate results in ECWW footprints of 541.7 MJ, 41.1 kg CO 2 −e, 0.63 kL of freshwater, and 0.12 tonnes of solid waste when mass allocation is adopted. However, these figures double when the impacts are assessed using an economic allocation. During the main separation process, conducted through Rare Earth Rolls (RERs) and High-Tension Rolls (HTRs), the primary energy-consuming process units are the dryers and reheaters, which are integral to the feed preparation stages prior to separation. These findings emphasize the importance of addressing energy use during the feed preparation stage to achieve significant reductions in the overall environmental footprint. Sensitivity analysis on energy transitioning indicates that a shift toward greater reliance on renewable energy has strong potential to lower environmental impacts; however, practical implementation depends on site-specific practically feasible energy sources.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109556","authors":["Mahnaz Laghaei","Nawshad Haque","Warren J. Bruckard","Mark I. Pownceby","Hossein Masoumi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-24T23:59:21Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109556","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/083103-0001","name":"KEYNOTE: It’s a Complicated Extraterrestrial World Out There: Does Consensus-Based Multilateralism of Space Governance Still Work?","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/083103-0001","authors":["Steven Freeland"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-16T14:22:18Z","doi":"10.52202/083103-0001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109343","name":"Anion effect on zeolite X synthesis and its phase transformation","source":"crossref","abstract":"• The anion salt significantly impacted both crystallization kinetics and the phase composition of Zeolite X. • Carbonate and phosphate anions accelerated the initial nulceation and crystallization. • Sulphate and nitrate anions inhibited the zeolite X crystallization by promoting the competing zeolites SOD and Na-P1. • The limited anion incorporation for both NaX and Na-P1 against zeolite SOD phase. The growing industrial demand for synthetic zeolite X is an incentive to finding production methods that use cheaper and sustainable feedstock, including industrial byproducts, which often contain various anionic impurities. However, the influence of anionic species on crystallisation and phase transformation of zeolite X has not fully evaluated. This study investigates the effect of four different sodium-type anion salts (Na 2 CO 3 , Na 2 SO 4 , Na 3 PO 4 and NaNO 3 ) on NaX zeolite crystallisation from initial gel mixtures with molar composition of 2.25Na 2 O:0.17Al 2 O 3 :1SiO 2 :86.56H 2 O with salt concentration ranging from 0.1 to 0.2 M. The anion type significantly impacted both crystallisation kinetics and final solid phase composition. Addition of Na 2 CO 3 yielded highly crystalline zeolite X (>98 %), while Na 3 PO 4 at 0.1 M accelerated crystallisation kinetics where 80 % crystallinity was achieved within 2 h. In contrast, Na 2 SO 4 and NaNO 3 inhibited NaX crystallisation by promoting the formation of competing phases of Na-P1 and sodalite respectively. In addition, the acceleration effect of different sodium salts on NaX crystallisation increased in the order of Na 2 CO 3 > Na 3 PO 4 > NaNO 3 > Na 2 SO 4 . This work provides an understanding of the role of different anions in the phase purity and crystallisation kinetics of zeolite NaX, potentially reducing production costs through optimized synthesis conditions enabling sustainable and greener chemical production processes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109343","authors":["Tseveenkhuu Darinchuluun","Hong Peng","James Vaughan","John Vogrin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-22T07:16:49Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109343","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109676","name":"Surface chemistry modifications in grinding and flotation of spodumene","source":"crossref","abstract":"This study investigated the effects of different grinding environments on the flotation behaviour of spodumene from lithium pegmatite ore through bench-scale froth flotation tests using sodium oleate (NaOL) collector. The mechanisms governing these interactions were characterized by particle zeta potential measurements, scanning electron microscopy in tandem with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Flotation performance was investigated for spodumene wet ground with cast iron and zirconia media under alkaline, acidic and neutral conditions. SEM-EDS analyses revealed marked differences in particle shape between acid and alkali treated samples. Sodium hydroxide treatment induced mild etching and selective surface dissolution, exposing fresh regions, whiles hydrochloric acid treatment caused extensive morphological alterations, including scuffing marks, holes and fine residuals. XPS analysis showed significant difference in surface composition of iron, aluminium, silicon, carbon and oxygen under different treatment conditions. Iron deposition on mineral surface ground with cast iron balls was attributed to the corrosion of media onto the pulp during grinding. At a head grade of 0.67% lithium oxide (Li 2 O), the highest flotation performance with zirconia grinding assayed as 2.15% Li 2 O grade and 46% recovery with alkali pretreatment. By contrast, cast iron grinding achieved a higher recovery of 95%, albeit at a lower concentrate grade of 1.72% Li 2 O. This work highlights the need to tailor activators and depressants for zirconia and cast-iron media, respectively, to optimize spodumene flotation selectivity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109676","authors":["Philipa A. Opoku","Boris Albijanic","Aleksandar N. Nikoloski","Bogale Tadesse"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-06T07:50:03Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109676","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.18356/9789211596175c010","name":"Endnotes","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.18356/9789211596175c010","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-24T07:03:02Z","doi":"10.18356/9789211596175c010","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2499429","name":"The Jan Coetzee Mine, Okiep Copper District Northern Cape Province, South Africa","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Jan Coetzee is one of several small to medium-sized mines in the Okiep copper district of South Africa (fig. 3). Pronounced “Yahn Coot-sear,” the mine was a relatively short-lived operation of ...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2499429","authors":["Bruce Cairncross"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-20T19:20:51Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2499429","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7868/s3034551025020081","name":"Minerals of the hydrotalcite group: crystal chemistry and a new perspective on &amp;apos;old&amp;apos; minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"The paper summarizes the data on the structures of hydrotalcite group minerals – layered double hydroxides with the general formula M2+ 6 M3+ 2 (OH)16Am– 2/m·4H2O (М2+ = Mg2+, Ni2+; М3+ = Al3+, Fe3+, Cr3+, Mn3+, Co3+; A = CO32–, Cl– and OH–). It is shown that all of them crystallize with the structure of 3R- and 2H-polytypes without the formation of superstructures. The a unit-cell parameter is in the range of 3.05–3.13 Å. The characteristic interlayer distances (d00n) for the members of the group with carbonate and chloride anions are ~7.80 and 8.04 Å, respectively (c = d00n × 2 for 2H and c = d00n × 3 for 3R). Three hydrotalcite group minerals should be reconsidered taking into account new crystallographic data and regularities: takovite and droninoite most likely correspond to minerals of the quintinite group with M2+ : M3+ = 2 : 1, rather than to minerals of the hydrotalcite group, and the data on reevesite indicate that this name could describe two minerals with M2+ : M3+ = 3 : 1 and 2 : 1.","url":"https://doi.org/10.7868/s3034551025020081","authors":["Е. S. Zhitova"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-18T16:49:23Z","doi":"10.7868/s3034551025020081","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2432849","name":"In Memoriam: Günther A. Neumeier (1959–2024)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Touchstone: A standard or criterion by which something is judged or is recognized. A test for determining the quality or genuineness of a thing. A fine-grained dark schist used for testing alloys o...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2432849","authors":["Mary Fong Walker","William Besse","Nicole Childs"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-24T20:28:01Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2432849","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/080556-0019","name":"Navigating Mortality in the Extraterrestrial Space: Challenges and the Need for Unified Ethical and Forensic Protocols for Death Investigation.","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/080556-0019","authors":["Sunita Das"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-03T21:46:32Z","doi":"10.52202/080556-0019","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109173","name":"Ethoxylated alcohols as co-collectors in apatite, calcite and dolomite flotation","source":"crossref","abstract":"• Synergistic effect of nonionic fatty alcohol mixed with oleate on calcium mineral flotation. • Separation between phosphate and non-phosphate minerals at pH 4.5 with 20–25% nonionic in the collector mixture. • Better dispersion/dissolution of oleate and its transportation as oleate-fatty alcohol complexes to the mineral surface. • Synergistic and selective effects of nonionic co-collector in the flotation of both a sedimentary and a igneous phosphate ore. The separation of calcium minerals by flotation is difficult without the use of depressants. As an alternative, a mixture of collectors, either ionics or ionic-alcohol mixture, could be used for this mineral separation, and without depressants. It was found that addition of nonionic ethoxylated fatty alcohols to the oleate collector has a synergistic effect on the flotation of apatite, calcite and dolomite at pH 4.5 and 9.5. A potential mineral separation between the phosphate (apatite) and non-phosphate (calcite and dolomite) minerals is only possible at pH 4.5 with 20–25% nonionic in the collector mixture. This synergistic effect on the flotation of the three minerals corresponds to an increase in mineral hydrophobicity resulting from more collector, oleate and/or nonionic, adsorbing on these minerals. It was postulated that the nonionic alcohol forms a complex with oleate, which facilitates the collector dispersion and transport/attachment to the mineral surface resulting in a more dense collector surface packing. The increased collector adsorption using this collector mixture, and therefore synergistic effect on carbonate mineral flotation, could be predicted when the affinity of the oleate-alcohol complex for Ca sites is stronger than that of the oleate alone. The hypotheses on the selective collector adsorption and mineral hydrophobisation depending on the flotation pH were validated using a low-grade complex mineralogy igneous phosphate ore and a simple mineralogy sedimentary phosphate ore.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109173","authors":["Lev O. Filippov","Inna V. Filippova","Reza Ardian","Daniel Fornasiero"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-05T20:39:56Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109173","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2476902","name":"Quartz Specimens from the Carrara Marble Quarries, Northern Tuscany, Italy","source":"crossref","abstract":"The range of mountains known as the Apuan Alps is located in northern Tuscany, close to the Mediterranean coast (fig. 1). The mountains trend northwest-southeast with Mount Pisano (1,946 meters) as...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2476902","authors":["Antonio Miglioli","Andrea Morino"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-24T16:36:30Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2476902","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109312","name":"Recovery of valuable metals from spent lithium ion battery: Technologies, sustainability, and challenges in India","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109312","authors":["Neeraj Kumar","Ashutosh Mishra","Deepak Kumar"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-14T12:36:20Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109312","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.18356/9789211596175c009","name":"Conclusion","source":"crossref","abstract":"The global push for decarbonizing the en-ergy sector, combined with technological advancements in areas such as defence, aerospace and digital infrastructure, has exponentially increased the demand for certain minerals (CETM), making CETM mining a vital economic and strategic activity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.18356/9789211596175c009","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-24T07:03:02Z","doi":"10.18356/9789211596175c009","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15020135","name":"Slag Substitution Effect on Features of Alkali-Free Accelerator-Reinforced Cemented Paste Backfill","source":"crossref","abstract":"Cemented paste backfill (CPB) improves underground stability by filling mine voids, but the high cost of cement presents economic challenges for miners. While alternative binders and admixtures have been explored, the combined impact of slag substitution and alkali-free (AF) accelerators on CPB performance is not yet fully understood. This study investigates the influences of slag substitution and AF accelerators on the performance of CPB through a comprehensive experimental approach. CPB samples were prepared with slag substitution ratios of 25%, 50%, and 75%, maintaining a fixed AF accelerator content of 0.4%. Various test techniques, including unconfined comprehensive strength (UCS), mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermal analysis (TG/DTA), were employed to study their mechanical and microstructural properties. Monitoring tests were also conducted to thoroughly assess the performance of CPB, including suction (self-desiccation), electrical conductivity (EC), and volumetric water content (VWC) tests. The results showed that the PCI50–SL50–0.4AF sample exhibited 2.3 times higher strength than the control sample for 28 days, with this improvement attributed to enhanced pozzolanic reactions contributing to better microstructural compactness. Monitoring tests revealed accelerated hydration kinetics and reduced water content in slag-reinforced CPB, highlighting the significant role of AF accelerator in facilitating rapid setting and improving early-age mechanical strength. Microstructural findings revealed that porosity decreased and C–S–H gel formation increased in the specimen containing slag and AF accelerators, contributing to increased strength and durability. These findings highlight the potential usage of slag and AF accelerators to enhance CPB’s mechanical, microstructural, and hydration properties, offering significant benefits for mining operations by improving backfill performance, while contributing to environmental sustainability through reduced cement consumption and associated CO2 emissions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15020135","authors":["Ibrahim Cavusoglu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-30T04:01:39Z","doi":"10.3390/min15020135","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109672","name":"Quantifying the impact of mineral microstructure on the comminution of ores and rocks – A review","source":"crossref","abstract":"The growing demand for metals and declining ore grades have significantly increased the quantity of materials requiring comminution, emphasizing the need for more efficient liberation methods. Traditional tests, such as the Uniaxial Compressive Strength (UCS), Brazilian, and Point Load tests, primarily assess the macroscopic response of rocks/mineral aggregates under stress and do not account for the role of mineral microstructure, the behavior of the mineral grains and grain boundaries in comminution. This paper investigates the influence of mineral mode, texture, and structure of various rocks on their comminution behavior. Significantly different correlations are identified for quartz-rich rocks (such as granites or gneisses) and feldspar-rich rock (diabases, diorites, basalts). By examining microstructural features such as mineral distribution and grain size, we quantify correlations between these characteristics and rock strength/breakage behavior. These insights contribute to optimizing comminution processes in the mining industry, leading to more energy-efficient mineral processing methods.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109672","authors":["Holger Lieberwirth","Asiia Duriagina","Michael Klichowicz"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-07T10:00:49Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109672","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.18356/9789211596175c001","name":"Acknowledgements","source":"crossref","abstract":"Minerals Crime: Crimes in the supply chains of critical energy transition minerals was prepared by the Research and Trend Analysis Branch, Division for Policy Analysis and Public Affairs, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), under the supervision of Candice Welsch, Director of the Division, and Angela Me, Chief, Research and Trend Analysis Branch, and the coordination of Anja Korenblik, Chief, Geospatial Analysis and Programme Delivery Section, Hatem Fouad Aly Mohamed, Regional Representative, UNODC Office for GCC Region.","url":"https://doi.org/10.18356/9789211596175c001","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-24T07:03:02Z","doi":"10.18356/9789211596175c001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2398408","name":"Internet Directory for the Earth Sciences","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mark Mauthner PhotographyPhotographing natural history specimens and collections.mmauthner@gmail.comSusan M. Robinson, artistMinerals, fossils, nature.dftwdart@gmail.comScovil Photography, Jeff Sco...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2398408","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-04T10:01:17Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2398408","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7185/gold2025.30315","name":"Probing Extraterrestrial Nitrogen: Partial Fluorescence Yield N-XANES Spectroscopy of Carbonaceous Chondrites and Xenolithic Clasts","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7185/gold2025.30315","authors":["Yoko Kebukawa","Hiroki Suga","Masanori Suzuki","Minori Ogino","Michael Zolensky","Yoshio Takahashi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-24T12:31:10Z","doi":"10.7185/gold2025.30315","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15090892","name":"Editorial for Special Issue “Metallogenesis of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt”","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB), or Altaid orogenic collage, is one of the largest Neoproterozoic to Early Mesozoic accretionary orogenic belts on Earth [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15090892","authors":["Xiaoyong Yang","Wenhua Ji"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-22T15:57:47Z","doi":"10.3390/min15090892","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1353/isl.2025.a993587","name":"Islamic Theology and Extraterrestrial Life: New Frontiers in Science and Religion ed. by Shoaib Ahmed Malik and Jörg Matthias Determann (review)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1353/isl.2025.a993587","authors":["Abdullah Ansar"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-24T10:52:09Z","doi":"10.1353/isl.2025.a993587","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.5223286","name":"Critical Minerals and the Energy Transition","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5223286","authors":["Bill Grace"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-19T16:39:21Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.5223286","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2578975","name":"Internet Directory for the Earth Sciences","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mark Mauthner PhotographyPhotographing natural history specimens and collections.mmauthner@gmail.comScovil Photography, Jeff ScovilMineral, jewelry, gem, bead, and fossil photography.www.scovilphot...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2578975","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-10T17:37:54Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2578975","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109171","name":"A workflow to create geometallurgical clusters without looking directly at geometallurgical variables","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109171","authors":["F.G.F. Niquini","I.A. Andrade","J.F.C.L. Costa","V.M. Silva","R.S. Marcelino"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-08T18:08:37Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109171","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-031-80680-3_47","name":"The Effect of Low-Temperature Atmospheric Discharge Plasma on the Physical–Chemical and Technological Properties of Iron Sulfide Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-80680-3_47","authors":["Igor Zh. Bunin","Irina A. Khabarova","Maria V. Ryazantseva"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-20T17:53:28Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-031-80680-3_47","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2500279","name":"The Where of Mineral Names: Hubeite, Fengjiashan Mine, Daye County, Huangshi Hubei, China","source":"crossref","abstract":"Hubeite, Ca2Mn2+Fe3+Si4O12(OH)·2H2O, is a rare mineral, known from only three localities worldwide (as of early 2025): the type locality in China, the Harstigen mine in Sweden, and Cavnic, Romania ...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2500279","authors":["Bruce Cairncross"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-28T18:04:54Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2500279","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s00269-025-01310-2","name":"CuO and Cu2O nanostructures: pathway to efficient dark current density","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00269-025-01310-2","authors":["Leila Amiour","Youcef Aouabdia","Nadjah Sobti"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-21T18:52:17Z","doi":"10.1007/s00269-025-01310-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.37264/jcsi.v5i1.06","name":"Islam, Science Fiction and Extraterrestrial Life: The Culture of Astrobiology in the Muslim World by Jörg Matthias Determann","source":"crossref","abstract":"This book is a complicated way of saying the Muslims are like everyone else.Like others, Muslims have looked to the stars to envision new futures, speculate about extraterrestrial life, and comment on the human condition.Science fiction and the uFO phenomenon do not belong to the West; rather, 'If the plurality of inhabitants [of the universe] has been the \"myth of the modern age\", Muslims fully participated in its creation' (38).While some propound the stereotype that, among Muslims, '[r]eligion, repression, and rote learning have often been blamed for a perceived lack of creativity, imagination, and future-oriented thought' (x), creativity and imagination were not limited to the Islamic 'Golden Age', but, rather, thrive among Muslims today.Man is indeed an 'imagining being' -and not just the European man.Determann opens the book with his own 'cosmic journey', launching from his native Germany and Austria to a career in Saudia Arabia and Qatar, the capital of which struck him as a 'city of future' with its own 'Borg cube' (x).His childhood interest in science fiction and fantasy led him to explore the science fiction of the Arab world, resulting in this book, as well as Space Science and the Arab World (2018) and Islamic Theology and Extraterrestrial Life (ed.Jörg Matthias Determann and Shoaib Ahmed Malik, 2020).Rather than limiting itself to the Arab world, this book covers virtually all Muslim-majority regions, from Africa, to the former","url":"https://doi.org/10.37264/jcsi.v5i1.06","authors":["Amina Inloes"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-20T16:36:27Z","doi":"10.37264/jcsi.v5i1.06","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.28978/nesciences.1811140","name":"Invasion Pathway Simulation of Extraterrestrial Microbes Using Cellular Automata Models","source":"crossref","abstract":"The aliens threaten the Earth biologically, and their microbes are an imminent menace to the rest of the Earth's surface. This paper will take you through the advanced concepts of cellular automata (CA) models that simulate the theoretical invasion and spread of alien spores across the Earth under different conditions. The CA models are highly efficient with computational resources and are especially useful for representing complex time- and spatially dependent systems. Therefore, CA models are the best solution for describing the probabilistic patterns of invasion driven by topography, weather systems, and human activity. The model is formulated using parameters that represent microbial survivability based on hypothetical microbial biochemistry. Through simulations of the model, it has been demonstrated that the extraterrestrial spores most likely to be found are highly adaptive and therefore able to dominate organisms in regions with high moisture and low ultraviolet light. Moreover, the simulation results indicate potential incursions into the explosion of the microbial population and emphasize the necessity of containment measures. This study is relevant to the astrobiological risk analysis and planetary defense program, as it suggests strict monitoring protocols at strategic locations to counter biosecurity risks in real time if indications of Earthly-adapted microorganisms are observed. The second research direction is the increased modeling and scenario construction with the inclusion of multi-agent systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.28978/nesciences.1811140","authors":["Dr. P. Babu","Abed J. Kadhim","Mamayusup Abdusamatov","Haideer M. Alabdeli","Ibrokhim Sapaev","Islom Kadirov"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-09T12:49:14Z","doi":"10.28978/nesciences.1811140","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2500280","name":"Through the ’Scope: The Year in Micromounting: 2024 was a Year of Concern","source":"crossref","abstract":"The year in micromounting 2023 might have been one of questions, and year 2024 still was, though with two different aspects that turned it into a year of concern. The first aspect, building on the ...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2500280","authors":["Quintin Wight"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-20T19:20:51Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2500280","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109107","name":"Autonomous residual monitoring of metallurgical digital twins","source":"crossref","abstract":"• An autonomous method is proposed for the monitoring of multivariate model residuals. • Its performance is evaluated with an offline model and an online digital twin. • The method is model independent and requires little reliance on initial training data. • Deviations from expected model performance are identified. • A comprehensive overview of digital twin performance is achieved. The importance of digital twin maintenance has recently surfaced through findings from industrial applications. Changes in actual physical systems affect the resemblance between digital and physical twins, which can be seen in the continuously changing variation in model residuals. In this study, a method that autonomously updates itself is proposed for monitoring multivariate residuals. It is independent of the models used and monitors normalised residuals based on the squared Mahalanobis distance. The main novelty comes from the normalisation, which is done by using autonomously updated mean and standard deviation values of recent residuals. The method was studied by using an offline simulation model of a grinding circuit in a phosphate concentrator and an online adaptive digital twin model of a flotation circuit in a gold mine. Its performance was compared with conventional squared Mahalanobis distance and principal component analysis methods. The proposed method detected abnormal residual deviations and had low dependence on the characteristics of initial training data, defined by mean and standard deviation. After training with different data sets, the median monitored values of squared Mahalanobis distance remained consistently at values corresponding to 50–57% chi-square distribution probabilities, whereas without autonomous updating, the corresponding values were in the ranges of 3–55% and 39–88% showing inconsistent performance due to the varying distributions of training data sets. The proposed method with transferable and self-configuring properties can advance the online performance monitoring of digital twins.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109107","authors":["Riku-Pekka Nikula","Antti Remes","Jani Kaartinen","Johanna Kortelainen","Tuomas Loponen","Jari Ruuska","Mika Ruusunen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-18T05:01:28Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109107","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.63929/14432471.2025-234-15","name":"Minerals geophysics","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.63929/14432471.2025-234-15","authors":["Terry Harvey"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-11T20:01:23Z","doi":"10.63929/14432471.2025-234-15","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2532344","name":"Connoisseur’s Choice: Villiaumite, Kirovskii Apatite Mine, Kukisvumchorr Mount, Khibiny Massif, Murmansk Oblast, Russia","source":"crossref","abstract":"Villiaumite, NaF, is a rare mineral, currently (April 2025) found exclusively in alkaline rocks in forty-six localities in thirteen countries, of which eighteen occur in Russia (https://www.mindat....","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2532344","authors":["Bruce Cairncross"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-28T18:04:54Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2532344","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109257","name":"The mechanisms of bubble-particle detachment in a turbulence","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109257","authors":["Liang Zhao","Dingyuan Tang","Qingxia Liu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-26T18:58:11Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109257","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.15866/ireaco.v18i6.27208","name":"Development of an Autonomous Lunar Rover for Extraterrestrial Research","source":"crossref","abstract":"The development of interplanetary rovers is key to advancing space science, particularly in the search for extraterrestrial life and understanding celestial bodies like the Moon. These rovers, equipped with advanced sensors, study lunar conditions to assess the potential for life and monitor changes in gravity and environmental factors. By comparing these conditions with Earth, rovers help improve technologies such as rover design, spacesuits, and rocket systems, ensuring future missions that can adapt to extreme space environments. This paper outlines the design and build of a lunar vehicle powered by a high-end dry battery, with plans for solar panel integration in the future. Managed by an Arduino Uno and Mega microprocessor, the lunar rover is equipped with temperature, humidity, and gyro sensors to monitor conditions and track gravity-induced acceleration. A guided sensor enables autonomous navigation, ensuring safe and efficient movement across the lunar surface. These rover design and communications innovations are essential for future space exploration, enhancing spacecraft, habitats, and vehicles for long-duration missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.15866/ireaco.v18i6.27208","authors":["Syed Obaid Shierieff","Mohammed Nidal","Efstratios Ntantis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-31T07:20:42Z","doi":"10.15866/ireaco.v18i6.27208","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/gselements.21.2.143","name":"The Clay Minerals Society","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.21.2.143","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-01T21:21:59Z","doi":"10.2138/gselements.21.2.143","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.18356/9789211596175c004","name":"Introduction","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.18356/9789211596175c004","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-24T07:03:02Z","doi":"10.18356/9789211596175c004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15080861","name":"Table Olive Wastewater Treatment Using the Clay Mineral Palygorskite as Adsorbent","source":"crossref","abstract":"This study investigated the effectiveness of palygorskite (Pal) as an adsorbent for removing total phenolic content (TPC), dissolved chemical oxygen demand (d-COD), and color from treated olive wastewater (TOW). Experiments were conducted to evaluate the impact of varying Pal dosages (2.5–20 g/L), initial TPC concentrations (80–400 mg/L), and pH (2–9). The results showed that increasing the Pal dosage improved the removal efficiency of TPC and d-COD, though there were diminishing returns beyond 10 g L−1, which indicates equilibrium adsorption behavior. The maximum TPC and d-COD removal reached 68% and 55%, respectively, while color removal exceeded 95% regardless of dosage. Adsorption was most efficient at lower TPC concentrations and an acidic pH (2–3), with up to 85% TPC removal. This suggests that pH-dependent phenolic ionization enhances Pal adsorption. Color removal remained consistently high across all conditions, highlighting palygorskite’s mesoporosity and affinity for chromophoric compounds. These findings affirm the potential of Pal as a cost-effective and versatile adsorbent for TOW treatment.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15080861","authors":["Christina Vasiliki Lazaratou","John Rosoglou"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-15T10:33:42Z","doi":"10.3390/min15080861","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15111168","name":"Editorial for the Special Issue “Large Igneous Provinces: Research Frontiers”","source":"crossref","abstract":"Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs) are vast intraplate magmatic events, typically mafic to ultramafic in composition, with volumes exceeding 0 [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15111168","authors":["Richard E. Ernst","Hafida El Bilali"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-06T09:02:03Z","doi":"10.3390/min15111168","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.122Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109122","name":"Flotation separation of molybdenite from talc using carrageenan as depressant","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109122","authors":["Chao Li","Chao Wang","Fei Wu","Guangli Zhu","Yijun Cao","Shaohang Cao"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-28T05:39:17Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109122","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15010062","name":"Serpentinite Applications: Effects of Surface-Ions-Modified Natural Silicate Minerals on Cultivation of Magnesium–Manganese-Enriched Garlics","source":"crossref","abstract":"Serpentinite refers to a group of hydrated magnesium-rich natural silicate rocks. Because serpentinite contains metallic elements and has a layered structure, it can release magnesium ions when immersed in water. Garlic is a widely cultivated crop characterized by a rich chemical composition and many health benefits. Magnesium and manganese are essential nutrients for the human body. In garlic, magnesium stabilizes allicin and prevents its decomposition and release, and manganese promotes polysaccharide metabolism. In this study, serpentinite powder was modified using immersion plating and sintering to improve its crystallinity and ion release capability and enable the cultivation of magnesium–manganese-enriched garlic. An experimental analysis of growth characteristics confirmed the layered structure of serpentinite powder, with sintering effectively reducing impurities and enhancing the powder’s crystallinity and ion release capability. An evaluation of the powder’s specific surface area and ion release capability after surface treatment revealed that Mg-Si-Mn-O sintered at 400 °C for 1 h was the optimal powder for preparing magnesium–manganese ion water. Magnesium–manganese garlic grown with this water contained magnesium and manganese at concentrations of 38–43 and 11–17 mg/L, respectively, and had a higher concentration of allicin and sulfur compounds relative to garlic grown with distilled water. After natural drying, the allicin in the magnesium–manganese-enriched garlic remained stable, and the garlic was found to have a high moisture content. These findings jointly demonstrate the high nutritional value and antioxidant properties of garlic in applications involving serpentinite technology.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15010062","authors":["Fei Shuo Hung"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-09T09:54:27Z","doi":"10.3390/min15010062","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109109","name":"Enhancing durability and strength of concrete through an innovative abrasion and cement slurry treatment of recycled concrete aggregates","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109109","authors":["Harish Panghal","Awadhesh Kumar"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-17T10:54:52Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109109","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109209","name":"Study on the intergranular fracture of the minerals in iron ores from similar iron deposits","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109209","authors":["Keqiang Chen","Wanzhong Yin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-08T19:57:50Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109209","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.18356/9789211596175c003","name":"Policy implications","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.18356/9789211596175c003","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-24T07:03:02Z","doi":"10.18356/9789211596175c003","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2422760","name":"The Ohio Mine, Ouray County, Colorado: A Famous Quartz Locality Revisited","source":"crossref","abstract":"All photos of specimens in the Jasper and Anita Bertisen collection by Jasper BertisenFigure 1. View looking north toward the town of Ouray, which is nestled in the valley at the center of the imag...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2422760","authors":["Jasper Bertisen","Robert Stoufer"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-24T20:28:01Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2422760","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109076","name":"Digital twin with automatic disturbance detection for an expert-controlled SAG mill","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109076","authors":["Paulina Quintanilla","Francisco Fernández","Cristóbal Mancilla","Matías Rojas","Daniel Navia"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-09T02:03:35Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109076","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min15080870","name":"Selective Recovery of Zinc from Oxide Ores Using Monosodium Glutamate as a Green Lixiviant","source":"crossref","abstract":"This study aims to develop an environmentally friendly hydrometallurgical process for the recovery of zinc from zinc oxide ores. The process includes monosodium glutamate (MSG) leaching, followed by zinc recovery from the pregnant leach solution via electrowinning, and the recirculation of the spent solution to the leaching stage. The study investigated the effects of key leaching parameters and identified the optimal conditions as a pH of 9.5, temperature of 70 °C, 5 h leaching time, solid-to-liquid ratio of 50 g/L, particle size of d80 = 115 µm, and initial MSG concentration of 1.0 M. Under these conditions, 82.3 ± 0.05% of the zinc was extracted with minimal co-dissolution of impurities. Subsequent electrowinning at 100 A/m2 for 150 min yielded 74.97 ± 2.43% zinc recovery with 96.4 ± 0.76% purity. The process achieved a current efficiency of 87.08%, while the specific energy consumption was calculated to be 3.98 kWh per kilogram of zinc recovered. The reusability of MSG was examined by recirculating spent electrowinning solution back to the leaching stage. Zinc extraction decreased from 82.2% to 28.5% over three electrowinning–leaching cycles, due to MSG degradation during electrowinning. The results of this study demonstrated that MSG is a selective and effective lixiviant for zinc recovery, while underlining the limitations of its reuse.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15080870","authors":["Yasemin Ozturk"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-18T16:22:33Z","doi":"10.3390/min15080870","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/gselements.21.4.304","name":"The Clay Minerals Society","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.21.4.304","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-14T17:11:06Z","doi":"10.2138/gselements.21.4.304","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/gselements.21.3.218","name":"The Clay Minerals Society","source":"crossref","abstract":"pour l'Etude des Argiles (AIPEA), which will take place July 13-18 in Dublin, Ireland.This will be the final ICC, as AIPEA will hereafter combine the ICC and the EuroClay conferences into a single biennial 'CLAY conference', the first of which will take place in Madrid in June 2027.At the upcoming CMS annual meeting, I shall pass the gavel of President to our current Vice-President, Youjun Deng of Texas A&M, USA.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.21.3.218","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-03T11:23:17Z","doi":"10.2138/gselements.21.3.218","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/gselements.21.6.444","name":"The Clay Minerals Society","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.21.6.444","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-05T16:32:24Z","doi":"10.2138/gselements.21.6.444","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.14746/fpp.2025.30.03","name":"Pozaziemskie pochodzenie sztyletu Tutanchamona a odkrycia naukowe","source":"crossref","abstract":"The aim of the article is to verify, using the example of Tutankhamun’s iron dagger, how easily incorrect information can be disseminated in mass culture. This artefact has been repeatedly subjected to physicochemical analyses, yielding increasingly more precise data. In this article I will present the most important results of these studies to show the current state of knowledge on this subject. An important part of the knowledge about this artefact are also the hypotheses related to determining its origin. Outlining them will highlight the most important problems that still exist and dispel doubts and inconsistencies that often appear on the Internet. Implementation of the above assumptions will provide valuable information, contrasting it with catchy headlines appearing on the Internet.","url":"https://doi.org/10.14746/fpp.2025.30.03","authors":["Mateusz Napierała"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-24T12:59:59Z","doi":"10.14746/fpp.2025.30.03","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.30574/wjarr.2025.27.3.3112","name":"Aliens Among Us? A Sociocultural Investigation of Extraterrestrial Belief Narratives","source":"crossref","abstract":"This article investigates the persistence of extraterrestrial “living among us” narratives as cultural constructs rather than empirical claims, situating them within the intersections of mythology, sociology of religion, folklore, psychology, and media studies. Using a narrative review with interdisciplinary synthesis, the study analyses historical cosmologies, modern UFOlogy, conspiracy cultures, and digital-era belief communities. Sources include recent peer-reviewed scholarship, folklore archives, government reports, and media artefacts. Analytical approaches combine discourse analysis of testimonies and online forums, comparative mythology, and thematic synthesis across sociology, psychology, and media theory. Findings reveal three continuities: first, alien narratives reproduce archetypal motifs of cosmic visitors and guides, functioning as modern myths; second, they address psychological and social needs by offering frameworks for coping with uncertainty, mistrust, and existential anxiety; and third, they are amplified by film, television, and participatory digital cultures, where UFOlogy circulates as both entertainment and folk religion. A key conclusion is the existence of an epistemological gap: while scientific institutions emphasise data and methodological rigour, popular belief validates alien presence through testimony, secrecy, and symbolic resonance. The study argues that aliens function as cultural mirrors, not scientific certainties, embodying societal anxieties while stimulating reflection on identity, otherness, and humanity’s place in the cosmos. Future research should explore corpus-linguistic patterns in alien discourse, psychological studies of belief formation, and the role of artificial intelligence in shaping extraterrestrial imagery.","url":"https://doi.org/10.30574/wjarr.2025.27.3.3112","authors":["Dinesh Deckker"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-03T06:38:56Z","doi":"10.30574/wjarr.2025.27.3.3112","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2451567","name":"Connoisseur’s Choice: Xonotlite, Wessels Mine, Kalahari Manganese Field Northern Cape Province, South Africa","source":"crossref","abstract":"Some minerals present a strong tactile compulsion; the velvetlike surfaces of certain malachite specimens, for example, seem to invite the touch of the observer. Xonotlite from the Kalahari mangane...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2451567","authors":["Bruce Cairncross"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-15T18:06:01Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2451567","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109251","name":"Effect of surface chemical heterogeneity on bubble attachment probability: Implications for coarse particle flotation","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109251","authors":["Xianggen Chen","Ming Guo","Yijun Cao","Chao Li"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-17T12:39:47Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109251","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/gselements.21.1.70","name":"The Clay Minerals Society","source":"crossref","abstract":"Dear CMS community, I would like to use this column to report on several activities of the Society.Clays and Clay Minerals has transitioned","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.21.1.70","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-17T06:35:27Z","doi":"10.2138/gselements.21.1.70","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.123Z"},{"id":"oa:W4405634905","name":"The clumped isotope signatures of multiple methanogenesis metabolisms","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, an important energy source, and a potential biosignature on extraterrestrial planetary bodies. The relative abundances of doubly substituted (“clumped”) methane isotopologues ( 13 CH 3 D and 12 CH 2 D 2 ) offer important information on the sources and sinks of methane. However, the clumped isotope signatures of microbially produced methane from different methanogenic pathways lack a systematic investigation. In this study, we provide a dataset encompassing the relative isotopologue abundances produced by hydrogenotrophic, methylotrophic, acetoclastic, and methoxydotrophic methanogenesis. We find that a statistical “combinatorial effect” generates significant differences in 12 CH 2 D 2 compositions between hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis and other pathways. The thermodynamic drive of methanogenic reactions and phylogenetic affiliation may also influence the isotope compositions of methane. Our study provides new experimental constraints on the isotope signatures of different microbial methanogenic pathways, and evidence of the mechanisms responsible for the observed differences. Teaser A novel stable isotope tool to track and differentiate sources of biological methane.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.18.629299","authors":["Jiawen Li","Jeanine L. Ash","Alec Cobban","Briana C. Kubik","Gabriella Rizzo","Mia Thompson","Laetitia Guibourdenche","Stefanie Berger","Kaycee Morra","Ying Lin","Elliott P. Mueller","Andrew L. Masterson","Rebekah Stein","Marilyn Fogel","Mark A. Torres","Xiahong Feng","James F. Holden","Anna M. Martini","Cornelia U. Welte","Mike S. M. Jetten","Edward Young","William D. Leavitt"],"tags":["Methanogenesis","Isotope","Chemistry","Environmental chemistry","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.18.629299","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4390841861","name":"A New Mechanism for Stishovite Formation During Rapid Compression of Quartz and Implications for Asteroid Impacts","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Shock‐induced transformations of quartz to high‐pressure polymorphs and diaplectic glass are decisive in identifying impact cratering events. Under shock compression, quartz can melt in local hot spots and crystallization of these silica melts under pressure can yield the high‐pressure mineral stishovite. A solid‐state transition to stishovite in relation to the formation of amorphous lamellae was already suggested in the late 1960s, but this idea was never comprehensively proven. Therefore, the mechanism responsible for such an intracrystalline stishovite formation is unknown to date. Herein, crystallographically oriented single crystals of quartz were compressed and decompressed in a membrane‐driven diamond anvil cell. These experiments aim at simulating the pressure paths of natural impacts on the timescale of seconds using compression rates between 0.2 and 0.6 GPa/s and peak pressures between 20 and 37 GPa. During the compression of quartz, the time‐resolved synchrotron X‐ray diffraction patterns reveal the almost simultaneous formation of two high‐pressure polymorphs, the recently identified rosiaite‐structured silica and stishovite. Transmission electron microscopic observations of recovered samples show that stishovite occurs as arrays of uniformly oriented nanometer‐sized crystals in amorphous intracrystalline lamellae. These observations indicate that the numerous stishovite crystals likely nucleated from the structurally similar rosiaite phase and thus inherited their uniform orientation during compression. During decompression, the metastable and non‐quenchable rosiaite‐structured phase collapsed to the amorphous stishovite‐containing lamellae. These findings attest to a novel mechanism of the formation of stishovite in the solid state and provide an explanation for similar microstructural occurrences of stishovite in impact‐metamorphic rocks and shocked meteorites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je008126","authors":["Christoph Otzen","Hanns‐Peter Liermann","F. Langenhorst"],"tags":["Stishovite","Quartz","Coesite","Materials science","Amorphous solid"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je008126","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4408329503","name":"Effect of wire feed rate on ER70S-6 microstructure of wire arc additive manufacturing process","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-025-15334-z","authors":["Mojtaba Karamimoghadam","Mohammad Rezayat","Nicola Contuzzi","Vito Denora","A. Mateo","Giuseppe Casalino"],"tags":["Microstructure","Arc (geometry)","Industrial and production engineering","Materials science","Metallurgy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-025-15334-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4394689115","name":"Planetary Soil Simulant Characterisation: NU-LHT-2M Study Case to Support Oxygen Extraction Lab Tests with a Low-Temperature Carbothermal Process","source":"openalex","abstract":"Since the landing on the lunar surface, the lunar regolith has begun to interact in different ways with landed elements, such as the wheels of a rover, astronaut suits, drills, and plants for extracting oxygen or manufacturing objects. Therefore, a strong effort has been required on Earth to fully characterise these kinds of interactions and regolith utilisation methods. This operation can only be performed by using regolith simulants, soils that are reproduced with the Earth’s rocks and minerals to match the real features. This article presents the main guidelines and tests for obtaining the properties of a generic simulant in terms of composition, physical and mechanical properties, solid–fluid interaction, and thermal properties. These parameters are needed for the designing and testing of payloads under development for planned lunar surface missions. The same tests can be performed on lunar, martian, or asteroid simulants/soils, both in laboratory and in situ. A case study is presented on the lunar simulant NU-LHT-2M, representative of the lunar highlands. The tests are performed in the context of an in situ resource utilisation (ISRU) process that aims to extract oxygen from the lunar regolith using a low-temperature carbothermal reduction process, highlighting the main regolith-related criticalities for an in situ demonstrator plant.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace11040295","authors":["Giovanni Zanotti","Ivan Troisi","Alice Dottori","Michèle Lavagna"],"tags":["Extraction (chemistry)","Oxygen","Process (computing)","Carbothermic reaction","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace11040295","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4400763996","name":"Look at me! The museographic project beneath the Italian Museum of Planetary Sciences in Prato (Italy)","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Designing museum exhibitions is a hot topic for architects, designers, museologists, and scholars since museography represents a powerful tool for valorizing collections, promoting education, communicating cultural values, and ensuring suitable conservation conditions for the exhibited specimens. This is especially true for museums displaying authentic objects which are conveyors of scientific, cultural, social, and ethical values. In particular, natural history and science museums often compete with the leisure industry, and thus their museographic solutions have to meet more and more demanding requirements to increase visitor engagement. This paper describes the museographic concepts beneath the Italian Museum of Planetary Sciences in Prato (Italy, hereinafter MISP). MISP is the only museum in Italy entirely devoted to illustrating planetary sciences and displays important collections of extraterrestrial materials (meteorites, tektites, and impactites). The exhibition layout, characterized by a continuous wall belt design, recalls the outer space while providing non-invasive visual means to improve visitors’ emotional engagement with the displayed specimens. MISP museographic strategies also outline the importance of spatial designs and transpositions focusing on the illustration of the exhibited collections, thus going against some current museographic practices emphasizing, for example, the use of augmented reality and digital stimuli. Graphical abstract","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-024-01257-6","authors":["Giovanni Pratesi","Annarita Franza","Marco Morelli","Piero Roberto Papi"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Geography","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-024-01257-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4407633907","name":"Classification and quantification of minor iron-sulfide concentrations in concrete aggregate using automated mineralogy","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Iron sulfide concentrations and mineral associations triggering the internal deterioration of concrete structures are still enigmatic. Incidences of internal sulfate attacks induced by iron sulfide-containing concrete aggregates appear worldwide. Severe cases are reported from Canada, the United States of America, and Ireland. Moreover, conservative limits for the total sulfur content of aggregates increased the need to dispose of otherwise high-quality resources for concrete production. The maximum threshold values for total elemental sulfur in the European standard EN-12620 for concrete aggregates are $$\\le$$ ≤ 1 wt. $$\\%$$ % , and as little as $$\\le$$ ≤ 0.1 wt. $$\\%$$ % if the non-stoichiometric iron-sulfide pyrrhotite (Fe(1-x)S) is present in the rock. This study investigates the potential of scanning electron microscopy-based automated mineralogy for mineral classification and the quantitative quality assessment for concrete aggregate material. Identifying the stoichiometrically closely related disulfide pyrite and monosulfide pyrrhotite is emphasized. The iron/sulfur ratio and greyscale variations in the electron backscatter images between pyrite and pyrrhotite were tested as additional differentiation criteria when acquiring mineral mapping and point-of-interest analysis. The added greyscale criterion yielded a better distinction between the two chemically similar phases. A good correlation was achieved when comparing results from energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy in automated mineralogy with wavelength-dispersive spectroscopy point analyses on the electron microprobe. Semi-quantification of the chemical data from automated mineralogy was computed for the total sulfur content in the petrographic samples. The total sulfur content of bulk samples, investigated by high-temperature combustion and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy, was consistent with the semi-quantitative results of automated mineralogy.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-025-02591-3","authors":["Nikolas Oberhardt","Stefanie Lode","Jan Lindgård","Kurt Aasly"],"tags":["Aggregate (composite)","Solid mechanics","Sulfide","Mineralogy","Iron sulfide"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-025-02591-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4399860818","name":"Thermodynamic Predictions of Hydrogen Generation during the Serpentinization of Harzburgite with Seawater-derived Brines","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Salty aqueous solutions (brines) occur on Earth and may be prevalent elsewhere. Serpentinization represents a family of geochemical reactions where the hydration of olivine-rich rocks can release aqueous hydrogen, H2(aq), as a byproduct, and hydrogen is a known basal electron donor for terrestrial biology. While the effects of lithological differences on serpentinization products have been thoroughly investigated, effects focusing on compositional differences of the reacting fluid have received less attention. In this contribution, we investigate how the chemistry of seawater-derived brines affects the generation of biologically available hydrogen resulting from the serpentinization of harzburgite. We numerically investigate the serpentinization of ultramafic rocks at equilibrium with an array of brines at different water activities (a proxy for salt concentration in aqueous fluids and a determinant for habitability) derived from seawater evaporation. Because the existing supersaturation of aqueous calcium carbonate, a contributor to dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in natural seawater, cannot be captured in equilibrium calculations, we bookend our calculations by enabling and suppressing carbonate minerals when simulating serpentinization. We find that the extent of DIC supersaturation can provide an important control of hydrogen availability. Increased DIC becomes a major sink for hydrogen by producing formate and associated complexes when the reacting fluids are acidic enough to allow for CO2. Indeed, H2(aq) reduces CO2(aq) to formate, leading to a hydrogen deficit. These conclusions provide additional insights into the habitability of brine systems, given their potential for serpentinization across diverse planetary bodies such as on Mars and ocean worlds.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3847/psj/ad42a1","authors":["Sanjoy M. Som","Serhat Sevgen","Adam A. Suttle","Jeff S. Bowman","B. E. Schmidt"],"tags":["Seawater","Brine","Hydrogen","Supersaturation","Aqueous solution"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3847/psj/ad42a1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4396530309","name":"Impact‐Generated Fragmentation, Porosity, and Permeability Within the Chicxulub Impact Structure","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Large asteroid impacts have long been attributed to imparting long‐lived heat in the upper crust, as well as widespread fracturing and porosity. When an impact occurs on or near an ocean environment, displaced water rushes back filling the crater and percolating down into the fractured crust. The significant heat and fracturing from impact allow for extensive hydrothermal activity. Hydrothermal alteration has been observed at the 180 km Chicxulub impact structure in Yucatán, Mexico. Previous studies estimate widespread hydrothermal transport and activity within the Chicxulub structure, but these processes are largely dependent on the assumed post‐impact permeability distribution. In this work, we present an impact simulation that tracks fragmentation as well as the generation of porosity and permeability during the Chicxulub impact event. The generation of porosity during tensile failure results in final porosities (up to 40%) that are up to a factor of 4 higher than previous models and in better agreement with drill core data. We find that both fragmentation and porosity contribute to overall permeability of the Chicxulub structure. Estimated permeabilities (up to 10−14 m2) are greater than measured values from drill cores because of the contribution from large‐scale fragmentation, which cannot be resolved in cm‐diameter drill cores. The larger porosities and permeabilities computed in this work suggest that the volume of hydrothermal activity generated by Chicxulub were 10 times more than previously estimated for Chicxulub and 100 times more than the Yellowstone caldera.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023ea003383","authors":["Amanda Alexander","S. Marchi","Brandon Johnson","Sean Wiggins","D. A. Kring"],"tags":["Impact crater","Geology","Hydrothermal circulation","Porosity","Caldera"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023ea003383","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W3216297492","name":"Criticality of the Rare Earth Elements: Current and Future Sources and Recycling","source":"openalex","abstract":"aspects of economic geology and igneous petrology, including the supply of critical metals. Simon's current research focuses on the use of geochemistry to unravel geological processes in a variety of settings with direct application to mineralising systems, igneous petrology, mineral exploration, global tectonics, and the links between magmatism and metallogeny. He has extensive expertise in mineral economics and the \"economic\" side of","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-03897-018-7","authors":["Simon M. Jowitt"],"tags":["Criticality","Current (fluid)","Rare earth","Earth (classical element)","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-06-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-03897-018-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W4400894317","name":"Reconstructing Younger Dryas ground temperature and snow thickness from cave deposits","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. The Younger Dryas stadial was characterised by a rapid shift towards cold-climate conditions in the North Atlantic realm during the last deglaciation. While some climate parameters including atmospheric temperature and glacier extent are widely studied, empirical constraints on permafrost temperature and snow thickness are limited. To address this, we present a regional dataset of cryogenic cave carbonates (CCCs) from three caves in Great Britain that formed at temperatures between −2 and 0 °C. Our CCC record indicates that these permafrost temperatures persisted for most of the Younger Dryas. By combining ground temperatures with surface temperatures from high-resolution ground-truthed model simulations, we demonstrate that ground temperatures were approximately 6.6 ± 2.3 °C warmer than the mean annual air temperature. Our results suggest that the observed temperature offset between permafrost and the atmosphere can be explained by an average snow thickness between 0.2 and 0.9 m, which persisted for 233 ± 54 d per year. By identifying modern analogues from climate reanalysis data, we demonstrate that the inferred temperature and snow cover characteristics for the British Isles during the Younger Dryas are best explained by extreme temperature seasonality, comparable to continental parts of today's Arctic Archipelago. Such a climate for the British Isles necessitates a winter sea ice margin at approximately 45° N in the North Atlantic Ocean.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-1521-2024","authors":["Paul Töchterle","Anna Baldo","Julian B. Murton","Frederik Schenk","R. Lawrence Edwards","Gabriella Koltai","Gina E. Moseley"],"tags":["Younger Dryas","Geology","Cave","Allerød oscillation","Snow"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-1521-2024","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W3022007843","name":"Evidence for sodium-rich alkaline water in the Tagish Lake parent body and implications for amino acid synthesis and racemization","source":"openalex","abstract":"Understanding the timing and mechanisms of amino acid synthesis and racemization on asteroidal parent bodies is key to demonstrating how amino acids evolved to be mostly left-handed in living organisms on Earth. It has been postulated that racemization can occur rapidly dependent on several factors, including the pH of the aqueous solution. Here, we conduct nanoscale geochemical analysis of a framboidal magnetite grain within the Tagish Lake carbonaceous chondrite to demonstrate that the interlocking crystal arrangement formed within a sodium-rich, alkaline fluid environment. Notably, we report on the discovery of Na-enriched subgrain boundaries and nanometer-scale Ca and Mg layers surrounding individual framboids. These interstitial coatings would yield a surface charge state of zero in more-alkaline fluids and prevent assimilation of the individual framboids into a single grain. This basic solution would support rapid synthesis and racemization rates on the order of years, suggesting that the low abundances of amino acids in Tagish Lake cannot be ascribed to fluid chemistry.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2003276117","authors":["L. F. White","K. T. Tait","Brian Langelier","Elizabeth A. Lymer","Ana Černok","T. V. Kizovski","Chi Ma","Oliver Tschauner","Richard I. Nicklin"],"tags":["Racemization","Chemistry","Sodium","Aqueous solution","Amino acid"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-05-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2003276117","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4321494845","name":"The Habitability of Venus","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Venus today is inhospitable at the surface, its average temperature of 750 K being incompatible to the existence of life as we know it. However, the potential for past surface habitability and upper atmosphere (cloud) habitability at the present day is hotly debated, as the ongoing discussion regarding a possible phosphine signature coming from the clouds shows. We review current understanding about the evolution of Venus with special attention to scenarios where the planet may have been capable of hosting microbial life. We compare the possibility of past habitability on Venus to the case of Earth by reviewing the various hypotheses put forth concerning the origin of habitable conditions and the emergence and evolution of plate tectonics on both planets. Life emerged on Earth during the Hadean when the planet was dominated by higher mantle temperatures (by about $200~^{\\circ}\\text{C}$ 200 ∘ C ), an uncertain tectonic regime that likely included squishy lid/plume-lid and plate tectonics, and proto continents. Despite the lack of well-preserved crust dating from the Hadean and Paleoarchean, we attempt to review current understanding of the environmental conditions during this critical period based on zircon crystals and geochemical signatures from this period, as well as studies of younger, relatively well-preserved rocks from the Paleoarchean. For these early, primitive life forms, the tectonic regime was not critical but it became an important means of nutrient recycling, with possible consequences on the global environment in the long-term, that was essential to the continuation of habitability and the evolution of life. For early Venus, the question of stable surface water is closely related to tectonics. We discuss potential transitions between stagnant lid and (episodic) tectonics with crustal recycling, as well as consequences for volatile cycling between Venus’ interior and atmosphere. In particular, we review insights into Venus’ early climate and examine critical questions about early rotation speed, reflective clouds, and silicate weathering, and summarize implications for Venus’ long-term habitability. Finally, the state of knowledge of the Venusian clouds and the proposed detection of phosphine is covered.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-023-00960-4","authors":["Francès Westall","Dennis Höning","Guillaume Avice","Diana Gentry","Taras Gerya","Cédric Gillmann","N. R. Izenberg","M. J. Way","Colin Wilson"],"tags":["Habitability","Hadean","Astrobiology","Early Earth","Crust"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-02-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-023-00960-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4392375025","name":"The minimum energy required to build a cell","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Understanding the energy requirements for cell synthesis accurately and comprehensively has been a longstanding challenge. We introduce a computational model that estimates the minimum energy necessary to build any cell from its constituent parts. This method combines omics and internal cell compositions from various sources to calculate the Gibbs Free Energy of biosynthesis independently of specific metabolic pathways. Our public tool, Synercell, can be used with other models for minumum species-specific energy estimations in any well-sequenced species. The energy for synthesising the genome, transcriptome, proteome, and lipid bilayer of four cell types: Escherichia coli , Saccharomyces cerevisiae , an average mammalian cell and JCVI-syn3A were estimated. Their modelled minimum synthesis energies at 298 K were $$9.54\\times 10^{-11}$$ 9.54 × 10 - 11 J/cell, $$4.99\\times 10^{-9}$$ 4.99 × 10 - 9 J/cell, $$3.71\\times 10^{-7}$$ 3.71 × 10 - 7 J/cell and $$3.69\\times 10^{-12}$$ 3.69 × 10 - 12 respectively. Gram-for-gram synthesis of lipid bilayers requires the most energy, followed by the proteome, genome, and transcriptome. The average per gram cost of biomass synthesis is in the 300s of J/g for all four cells. Implications for the generalisability of cell construction and applications to biogeosciences, cellular biology, biotechnology, and astrobiology are discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-54303-6","authors":["Edwin Ortega-Arzola","Peter M. Higgins","Charles S. Cockell"],"tags":["Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-54303-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4410158633","name":"Editorial: Deep subsurface microbiology and energetics","source":"openalex","abstract":"In hyperalkaline fluids derived from serpentinization in the Samail Ophiolite, Howells et al. reveal that formate, rather than hydrogen or acetate, provides the most favorable energy source for methanogenesis under CO₂-limiting conditions. This finding highlights the selective pressure exerted by fluid geochemistry on microbial metabolic strategies with the unusual example of CO2 as the limiting substrate. In a related system, Twing et al. investigate microbial communities within altered ultramafic rocks from the Coast Range Ophiolite. Their results underscore the distinction between rock-hosted and fluid-associated microbial assemblages, with implications for potential spatial isolation and endemism of deep biosphere lineages.Sedimentological and fracture-hosted systems offer further insights into the persistence of microbial metabolic potential over time. In the sediments of Lake Cadagno, Rodriguez et al. document the preservation of core metabolic functions across millennia, despite taxonomic shifts in sediment microbial communities. Similarly, Acciardo et al. report stable groundwater microbial and hydrochemical compositions across an Alpine tunnel system, in spite of notable temporary variations corresponding to seismic events. These studies collectively suggest that functional redundancy and environmental buffering contribute to the resilience of deep subsurface microbiomes.Adaptation to energy scarcity is a hallmark of deep subsurface systems. Survival in the energylimited subsurface depends not only metabolic versatility but also regulatory and genomic mechanisms attuned to long-term energy deprivation and survival over long timescales.Sebastian et al. address this challenge through an experimental evolution framework, demonstrating that Halomonas strains isolated from North Pond crustal fluids rapidly lose the genetic capacity for survival in carbon-depleted media when exposed to nutrient-rich laboratory conditions. Their findings point to specific gene products, including lipase-like proteins, as key mediators of nutrient acquisition under oligotrophic conditions.Complementing this genomic perspective, Feyhl-Buska et al. use microcalorimetry to directly quantify energy metabolism in groundwater samples spanning a range of redox conditions, revealing nutrient limitation in continental subsurface communities. The results provide empirical constraints on microbial power output and underscore the influence of both thermodynamic and ecological parameters on community-level metabolism.Emerging theoretical frameworks and cultivation-based discoveries continue to expand the known boundaries of microbial energetics. Karnachuk et al. describe the isolation of two novel thermophilic bacterial genera from deep aquifers in Western Siberia. These members of the Limnochordia lineage possess the capacity for carbon monoxide and hydrogen oxidation, autotrophic carbon fixation, and aerobic respiration. Their physiological versatility illustrates the metabolic plasticity that may underpin survival in thermally and chemically extreme environments.A conceptual advance is presented by Marshall, who proposes the existence of Electromicrobiological Concentration Cells (EMCCs). These hypothetical systems rely on conductive matrices to bridge spatially distinct redox reactions, allowing microorganisms to exploit electrochemical disequilibria that would otherwise be inaccessible. The EMCC framework challenges traditional assumptions about the spatial coherence required for microbial energy harvesting and may have relevance for life in both deep terrestrial and extraterrestrial settings.The influence of subsurface microbial communities extends to the regulation of key geochemical processes, including methane production and oxidation, nutrient turnover, and mineral transformation.Coon et al. demonstrate that the directionality of methane cycling in coastal sediments is modulated by hydrogen availability. In organic-poor settings, syntrophic inte","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1611707","authors":["Alberto Robador","William J. Brazelton","James A. Bradley"],"tags":["Energetics","Clinical microbiology","Microbiology","Biology","Computational biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1611707","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W2028398421","name":"Stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen in angrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Angrites are a small group of ancient basaltic achondrites, notable for their unusual chemistry and extreme volatile depletion. No comprehensive study of indigenous light elements currently exists for the group. Measurement of the abundances and isotopic composition of carbon and nitrogen could provide information pertaining to the evolution of the angrite parent body. Bulk‐sample stepped combustion analyses of five angrites and a glass separate from D'Orbigny were combined with earlier data and acid dissolution experiments of carbonates found in D'Orbigny to compile an inventory of indigenous carbon and nitrogen. Indigenous carbon combusted between 700 °C and 1200 °C, with abundances of 10–140 ppm and a mass‐weighted δ 13 C of −25 to −20‰ with the exception of D'Orbigny (δ 13 C approximately −5‰). Nitrogen was released at 850–1200 ºC , 1–20 ppm with a δ 15 N −3‰ to +4‰; again, D'Orbigny (δ 15 N approximately +20 to +25‰) was an exception. We interpret these components as largely indigenous and decoupled; the carbon in graphitic or amorphous form, while the nitrogen is present as a dissolved component in the silicates. No relationship with the textural sub‐classification of angrites is apparent. We suggest that the angrite parent body contains a reservoir of reduced carbon and thus may have undergone a change in redox conditions, although the timing and mechanism for this remain unclear.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12184","authors":["F. A. J. Abernethy","A. B. Verchovsky","N. A. Starkey","M. Anand","I. A. Franchi","M. M. Grady"],"tags":["Carbon fibers","Nitrogen","Dissolution","Isotopes of carbon","Isotopes of nitrogen"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12184","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W4399472647","name":"Seed Priming with Ulva lactuca L . in Cultivars Grown in Martian and Lunar Regolith Analogues","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract As human settlements expand to lunar and Martian bases, optimizing food production in these environments becomes crucial. This study investigates the use of macroalgae, specifically Ulva lactuca L., as an affordable, sustainable approach for seed priming to enhance germination in extraterrestrial soils. The focus was on the germination and growth of Capsicum annuum L. (pepper), Lactuca sativa L. (lettuce), Cicer arietinum L. (chickpea), and Pisum sativum L. (pea) in simulated Martian and lunar regolith. Two concentrations of U. lactuca powder (0.2 and 0.4 g · L −1 ) were tested under controlled conditions. The study also conducted a qualitative chemical analysis of U. lactuca to identify bioactive components essential for phytohormone formation. The germination and emergence rates of the seeds in the lunar regolith were higher than those in the Martian regolith. Martian regolith's optimal treatment for pea and chickpea seed germination was 0.2 g · L −1 , which also favored seedling emergence. In the lunar regolith, optimal germination rates for pea seeds were observed with both treatments and chickpea seeds. The germination percentage of lettuce seeds in the lunar regolith was higher than the control, with 0.2 g · L −1 , while there was no significant difference for the other seeds. The study recommends the application of U. lactuca powder as an effective biostimulant for the examined cultivars due to the presence of plant growth regulators (PGRs) that enhance germination and seedling emergence under challenging conditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2478/gsr-2024-0006","authors":["Jéssica Carneiro Oliveira","Renato Crespo Pereira","T. Johnson","Rafael Loureiro"],"tags":["Ulva lactuca","Lactuca","Martian","Regolith","Botany"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2478/gsr-2024-0006","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4390502159","name":"An innovative approach in titanium determination based on incorporating 2-amino-4-((4-nitrophenyl)diazenyl)pyridine-3-ol in a PVC membrane","source":"openalex","abstract":"across diverse membranes. The selectivity of the sensor was rigorously examined for a range of cations and anions, successfully establishing the tolerance limits for interfering species. Notably, the presence of EDTA as a masking agent did not compromise the high selectivity of the sensor. Consequently, the innovative probe holds significant potential as a reliable analytical tool for quantifying titanium content in various samples, including water, geological materials, soil, plants, paints, cosmetics, and plastics.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d3ra06679g","authors":["Reem F. Alshehri","Mohamed Hemdan","Ahmad O. Babalghith","Alaa S. Amin","Eman R. Darwish"],"tags":["Pyridine","Membrane","Chemistry","Titanium","Chromatography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d3ra06679g","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W3044891346","name":"Whitepaper: Earth – Evolution at the dry limit","source":"openalex","abstract":"At the land surface, the availability of water controls the evolution of life as well as the morphological development. It is currently hardly known how far both evolutionary processes interact in water-limited environments. While it is well considered that biotic processes contribute to weathering and therewith also prepare the landscape for erosion, little is known to what degree different landforms form barriers and corridors of life across geological time scales. Here, we present an example of how to tackle this complex interplay of biology and landscape evolution by introducing the Collaborative Research Centre CRC 1211 ‘Earth – Evolution at the dry limit’. A CRC is a German Research Foundation funding program, bringing together scientists from different disciplines to tackle jointly complex emergent research questions for up to twelve years. The CRC 1211 focuses on the arid cores of the Atacama Desert and the Namib Desert. Main objective is to disentangle how the shaping of land-surfaces by past episodes of wetter climate coevolved with the evolution of life. It is hypothesized that aridity was interrupted by punctuated wetter periods, which left fingerprints in surface processes and the radiation of the biota, with climatic thresholds beyond which biota could adapt to and influence landscape development. Specific desert landscape elements such as soil surface crusts, desiccation cracks and subsoil water potentially form underexplored refugia of life at particular sites, while old channels and alluvial fan systems potentially structure its dispersal at small to intermediate scales (< 100 m2), In addition, there are large-scale (>10,000 km2) gradients in surface processes and biodiversity, likely controlled by the intensity and duration of fog or rainfall. To substantiate these hypotheses we combine expertise from the fields of population and (phylo-) genetics, molecular biology, biogeography, ecology, soil sciences, Earth-surface sciences, geomorphology, meteorology, (paleo-) climatology, (isotope-) geochemistry and physical dating to discover and evaluate the trajectories and thresholds of the evolution and isolation of life. While presenting here our current research strategy, we invite scientists from all over the world to link their research on related questions for the joint development of a global picture on how evolution of life was triggered and regulated by land-surface processes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2020.103275","authors":["Tibor J. Dunai","Martin Melles","Dietmar Quandt","Claudia Knief","Wulf Amelung"],"tags":["Arid","Biota","Earth science","Biological dispersal","Landform"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-07-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2020.103275","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4390795742","name":"Mars In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) with Focus on Atmospheric Processing for Near-Term Application—A Historical Review and Appraisal","source":"openalex","abstract":"The inspirational paper by Ash, Dowler, and Varsi in 1978, proposing to utilize in situ resources on Mars (ISRU) rather than bringing them from Earth, originated the field of Mars ISRU that has been the subject of research ever since. In this paper, we reviewed significant research reported on Mars ISRU since 1978 and reported briefly on accomplishments. We found that prior to 2014, progress on small tasks was sporadic and intermittent, always at low Technology Readiness Level (TRL). In 2014, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) took a bold, imaginative, unprecedented step to fund a major project in Mars ISRU: the so-called “MOXIE” (Mars Oxygen In Situ Experiment), in which an oxygen production plant based on solid oxide electrolysis (SOEC) was developed, and finally demonstrated on Mars in 2022 and 2023. While MOXIE leaves behind it a wealth of accomplishments, there remains the need to close remaining gaps with additional laboratory and field work. Solid-oxide electrochemical cell (SOEC) technology has become a major area of worldwide investment for terrestrial energy and CO2 control. There is a very strong overlap between this terrestrial technology and Mars ISRU. NASA has already leveraged the terrestrial development work via MOXIE. NASA can leverage further advances with a comparatively small investment beyond 2023. Because NASA is engaged in a major program to return humans to the Moon, NASA’s focus is on lunar ISRU. Unfortunately, the mission impact and return on investment for lunar ISRU does not compare to that for Mars ISRU. NASA’s concept for Mars ISRU is futuristic, involving autonomous mining, transporting, and processing large amounts of Mars regolith. This might well occur long after initial human landings which could better profit in the near-term from MOXIE technology. By continuing further development of SOEC technology beyond MOXIE, while leveraging large investments in terrestrial applications, NASA can develop the Mars ISRU appropriate to nearer term human missions at modest investment. The goal of this paper is to place the relatively mature MOXIE technology advance and solid oxide electrolysis in general in perspective to the historical evolution of low TRL Mars ISRU technology.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/app14020653","authors":["Donald Rapp","Vassilis J. Inglezakis"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Engineering","Environmental science","Natural resource economics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/app14020653","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4396805282","name":"The Winding Road from Origin to Emergence (of Life)","source":"openalex","abstract":"Humanity's strive to understand why and how life appeared on planet Earth dates back to prehistoric times. At the beginning of the 19th century, empirical biology started to tackle this question yielding both Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution and the paradigm that the crucial trigger putting life on its tracks was the appearance of organic molecules. In parallel to these developments in the biological sciences, physics and physical chemistry saw the fundamental laws of thermodynamics being unraveled. Towards the end of the 19th century and during the first half of the 20th century, the tensions between thermodynamics and the \"organic-molecules-paradigm\" became increasingly difficult to ignore, culminating in Erwin Schrödinger's 1944 formulation of a thermodynamics-compliant vision of life and, consequently, the prerequisites for its appearance. We will first review the major milestones over the last 200 years in the biological and the physical sciences, relevant to making sense of life and its origins and then discuss the more recent reappraisal of the relative importance of metal ions vs. organic molecules in performing the essential processes of a living cell. Based on this reassessment and the modern understanding of biological free energy conversion (aka bioenergetics), we consider that scenarios wherein life emerges from an abiotic chemiosmotic process are both thermodynamics-compliant and the most parsimonious proposed so far.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life14050607","authors":["Wolfgang Nitschke","Orion Farr","Nil Gaudu","Chloé Truong","François Guyot","Michael J. Russell","Simon Duval"],"tags":["Biology","Evolutionary biology","Forensic engineering","Engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life14050607","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4405458893","name":"Technical note: An analytical approach for (U–Th) ∕ He dating of goethite by sample encapsulation in quartz ampoules under vacuum, with an example from the Amerasian Basin, Arctic Ocean","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. We propose an analytical approach for (U–Th) / He dating of Fe-(oxyhydr)oxides that includes sealing samples in quartz ampoules and demonstrates its suitability as a reliable tool for the investigation of geological processes. The (U–Th) / He ages of goethite clasts and veins from Fe- and Mn-oxide cemented rocks recovered from the slope of the Chukchi Borderland in the Amerasia Basin demonstrate reproducibility, yielding a weighted mean age of 8.6 ± 0.3 Ma (n=4) and 4.8 ± 0.4 Ma (n=2), respectively, providing insights into the Neogene mineralization history of the region. This study also focuses on the sample preparation technique, which might influence the (U–Th) / He ages. Our data indicate that some of U can be leached from the goethite during sonication by distilled water, which might result in erroneous (U–Th) / He ages of multi-mineral grains. However, the analyzed goethite samples were formed in a specific underwater environment; so far it is not clear whether the same behavior of U would be observed in a terrestrial supergene goethite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-653-2024","authors":["O. V. Yakubovich","Natalia Konstantínova","M. O. Anosova","M. M. Podolskaya","E. V. Adamskaya"],"tags":["Ampoule","Quartz","The arctic","Geology","Oceanography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-653-2024","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4404905065","name":"A dry Venusian interior constrained by atmospheric chemistry","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Venus’s climatic history provides powerful constraints on the location of the inner edge of the liquid-water habitable zone. However, two very different histories of water on Venus have been proposed: one where Venus had a temperate climate for billions of years with surface liquid water and the other where a hot early Venus was never able to condense surface liquid water. Here we offer a constraint on Venus’s climate history by inferring the water content of its interior. By calculating the present rate of atmospheric destruction of H2O, CO2 and OCS, which must be restored by volcanism to maintain atmospheric stability, we show that Venus’s interior is dry. Venusian volcanic gases have at most a 6% water mole fraction, which is substantially drier than terrestrial magmas degassed at similar conditions. The dry interior is consistent with Venus ending its magma ocean epoch desiccated and thereafter having had a long-lived dry surface. Volcanic resupply to Venus’s atmosphere, therefore, indicates that the planet has never been liquid-water habitable.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-024-02414-5","authors":["Tereza Constantinou","Oliver Shorttle","Paul B. Rimmer"],"tags":["Venus","Atmosphere of Venus","Astrobiology","Volcano","Volcanism"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-024-02414-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4390443510","name":"On the Response of Chondrites to Diurnal Temperature Change—Experimental Simulation of Asteroidal Surface Conditions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Thermal fatigue is a process that degrades rocks and pebbles exposed to space by diurnal cycling. We simulate the diurnal temperature variation at 1 AU of 5 mm‐sized sample cubes using an evacuated cryostat, allowing conditions that are closer to those expected in space. Sample cubes of ordinary, CV, CM2, and C2 chondrites were investigated using scanning electron microscopy and microcomputed tomography scans. In contrast to previous work, the ordinary and CV chondrite samples did not show any cracking. The CM2 chondrites respond with the formation and extension of cracks. Pre‐existing cracks present in the C2 chondrite Tagish Lake closed in the course of cycling to different degrees, which has not been reported before in the context of thermal fatigue driven rock breakdown. Most changes in crack length occur in the initial ∼20 cycles indicating a rapid buildup of strain followed by a rapid release by the formation and extension of cracks when exposed to diurnal temperature variation. The overall cracking rate is comparable to that of previous work on CM2 chondrites and in 15%–20% of the observed cracking occasions they are associated with fine‐grained rims around chondrules implying that the comminution of CM‐like rocks and pebbles is controlled by the abundance of chondrules (and other coarse‐grained components) and their rims. We propose that thermal fatigue‐driven comminution of rocks and especially pebbles on asteroids under the here studied conditions is controlled by the abundance of hydrated minerals. This, in turn, can result in different abundances and natures of finer‐grained material on asteroid surfaces.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je007944","authors":["Markus Patzek","O. Ruesch","J. L. Molaro"],"tags":["Chondrite","Chondrule","Comminution","Carbonaceous chondrite","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je007944","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4393352604","name":"Bioinspired and Multifunctional Tribological Materials for Sliding, Erosive, Machining, and Energy-Absorbing Conditions: A Review","source":"openalex","abstract":"Friction, wear, and the consequent energy dissipation pose significant challenges in systems with moving components, spanning various domains, including nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS/MEMS) and bio-MEMS (microrobots), hip prostheses (biomaterials), offshore wind and hydro turbines, space vehicles, solar mirrors for photovoltaics, triboelectric generators, etc. Nature-inspired bionic surfaces offer valuable examples of effective texturing strategies, encompassing various geometric and topological approaches tailored to mitigate frictional effects and related functionalities in various scenarios. By employing biomimetic surface modifications, for example, roughness tailoring, multifunctionality of the system can be generated to efficiently reduce friction and wear, enhance load-bearing capacity, improve self-adaptiveness in different environments, improve chemical interactions, facilitate biological interactions, etc. However, the full potential of bioinspired texturing remains untapped due to the limited mechanistic understanding of functional aspects in tribological/biotribological settings. The current review extends to surface engineering and provides a comprehensive and critical assessment of bioinspired texturing that exhibits sustainable synergy between tribology and biology. The successful evolving examples from nature for surface/tribological solutions that can efficiently solve complex tribological problems in both dry and lubricated contact situations are comprehensively discussed. The review encompasses four major wear conditions: sliding, solid-particle erosion, machining or cutting, and impact (energy absorbing). Furthermore, it explores how topographies and their design parameters can provide tailored responses (multifunctionality) under specified tribological conditions. Additionally, an interdisciplinary perspective on the future potential of bioinspired materials and structures with enhanced wear resistance is presented.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics9040209","authors":["Rahul Kumar","Mansoureh Rezapourian","Ramin Rahmani","H.S. Maurya","Nikhil Kamboj","Irina Hussainova"],"tags":["Tribology","Materials science","Nanotechnology","Mechanical engineering","Biomimetics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics9040209","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2998470244","name":"Moon Exploration: Legal Aspects","source":"openalex","abstract":"Legal aspects of the theory and practice of Moon exploration are investigated through the problem statement in philosophical and legal discourse with the reflection of history, current condition and prospects","url":"https://doi.org/10.29202/asl/2019/4/4","authors":["Sergey Krichevsky","A. V. Bagrov"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Geology","Biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.29202/asl/2019/4/4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W2996503273","name":"Efficient separation and high-precision analyses of tin and cadmium isotopes in geological materials","source":"openalex","abstract":"A novel analytical procedure using chromatographic separation and MC-ICP-MS for high precision Sn and Cd analyses on the same sample aliquot.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1039/c9ja00289h","authors":["Matthias Friebel","E. R. Toth","Manuela A. Fehr","Maria Schönbächler"],"tags":["Tin","Cadmium","Separation (statistics)","Chromatographic separation","Isotope"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-12-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1039/c9ja00289h","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4396849376","name":"Fluid–Melt–Rock Interaction during the Transition from Magmatism to HT-UHT-Granulite- and Amphibolite-Facies Metamorphism in the Ediacaran Adrar–Suttuf Metamafic Complex, NW Margin of the West African Craton (Southern Morocco)","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Underplated mafic intrusions ponded at the base of the lower continental crust in extensional settings can experience ultra-high-temperature (UHT) granulite-facies metamorphism during tens of My due to slow cooling rates. These intrusions are also the source of heat and carbonic fluids for regional high-temperature (HT) granulite-facies metamorphism in the continental crust. This work analyses the fluid–melt–rock interaction processes that occurred during the magmatic to HT-UHT-granulite- and amphibolite-facies metamorphic evolution of high-grade mafic rocks from the Eastern Ediacaran Adrar–Suttuf Metamafic Complex (EASMC) of the Oulad Dlim Massif (West African Craton Margin, Southern Morocco). P–T conditions were determined using Ti-in-amphibole thermometry, two-pyroxene and amphibole–plagioclase thermobarometry, and phase diagram calculations. The thermobarometric study reveals the presence of tectonically juxtaposed lower- and mid-crustal blocks in EASMC that experienced decompression-cooling paths from, respectively, UHT and HT granulite-facies conditions at ca. 1.2 ± 0.28 GPa and 975 ± 50°C, and ca. 0.82 ± 0.15 GPa and 894 ± 50°C, to amphibole-facies conditions at ca. 0.28 ± 0.28 GPa and 787 ± 45°C (precision reported for the calibrations at 1 s level). An age for the magmatic to UHT granulite-facies metamorphic transition of 604 Ma was constrained from published SHRIMP Th–U–Pb zircon ages of the igneous protoliths. An amphibole 40Ar–39Ar cooling age of 499 ± 8 Ma (precision at 2 s level) was obtained for the lower-crustal blocks. Amphibole 40Ar–39Ar closure temperatures of 520–555°C were obtained for an age range of 604–499 Ma and an average constant cooling rate of 4.2°C/My, suggesting that the lower-crustal blocks cooled down to the greenschist–amphibolite facies transition in ca. 100 My. During the high-temperature stage, interstitial hydrous melts assisted textural maturation of the rock matrix and caused incongruent dissolution melting of olivine and pyroxenes, and, probably, development of An-rich spikes at the grain rims of plagioclase, and local segregation of pargasite into veins. Subsequent infiltration of reactive hydrous metamorphic fluids along mineral grain boundaries during cooling down to amphibolite-facies conditions promoted mineral replacements by coupled dissolution-precipitation mechanisms and metasomatism. Ubiquitous dolomite grains, with, in some cases, evidence for significant textural maturation, appear in the granoblastic aggregates of the high-grade mafic rocks. However, calculated phase relationships reveal that dolomite could not coexist with H2O–CO2 fluids at HT-UHT granulite- and low-medium P amphibolite-facies conditions. Therefore, it is proposed that it may have been generated from another CO2-bearing phase, such as an immiscible carbonatitic melt exsolved from the parental mafic magma, and preserved during cooling due to the prevalence of fluid-absent conditions in the granoblastic matrix containing dolomite. The lower-crustal mafic intrusions from EASMC can represent an example of a source of heat for granulitisation of the mid crust, but a sink for carbon due to the apparent stability of dolomite under fluid-absent conditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/petrology/egae049","authors":["J.F. Molina","Ф. Беа","P. Montero","Faouziya Haissen","Leticia Barcos","Aitor Cambeses","Irene Morales","Maria M. Repczynska","Othman Sadki","Antonio García‐Casco"],"tags":["Geology","Metamorphism","Granulite","Metamorphic facies","Craton"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/petrology/egae049","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4395050236","name":"Year-Long Stability of Nucleic Acid Bases in Concentrated Sulfuric Acid: Implications for the Persistence of Organic Chemistry in Venus’ Clouds","source":"openalex","abstract":"We show that the nucleic acid bases adenine, cytosine, guanine, thymine, and uracil, as well as 2,6-diaminopurine, and the “core” nucleic acid bases purine and pyrimidine, are stable for more than one year in concentrated sulfuric acid at room temperature and at acid concentrations relevant for Venus clouds (81% w/w to 98% w/w acid, the rest water). This work builds on our initial stability studies and is the first ever to test the reactivity and structural integrity of organic molecules subjected to extended incubation in concentrated sulfuric acid. The one-year-long stability of nucleic acid bases supports the notion that the Venus cloud environment—composed of concentrated sulfuric acid—may be able to support complex organic chemicals for extended periods of time.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life14050538","authors":["Sara Seager","Janusz J. Petkowski","Maxwell D. Seager","John H. Grimes","Zachary Zinsli","Heidi R. Vollmer-Snarr","Mohamed K. Abd El-Rahman","David S. Wishart","Brian L. Lee","Vasuk Gautam","Lauren Herrington","William Bains","Charles Darrow"],"tags":["Uracil","Sulfuric acid","Nucleic acid","Chemistry","Guanine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life14050538","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W7134201636","name":"Kerogen-rich rocks influence growth and composition of an anaerobic microbial community","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Kerogen, insoluble macromolecular organic matter in sedimentary rocks, is the most abundant form of organic carbon on Earth and plays a role in deep biosphere processes. It is classified into four types (I–IV) based on origin and chemical composition, yet its influence on microbial communities and carbon cycling remains poorly understood. In this study, we examined how kerogen-rich shales and coals, each containing a distinct kerogen type, shape anaerobic microbial community development and activity. CFU counts showed that kerogen types I and II did not significantly alter overall microbial abundance, while type III-rich rocks inhibited growth, and type IV-rich rocks enhanced it. 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that type II-rich rocks selectively enriched for Burkholderiaceae, whereas type IV-rich rocks promoted the proliferation of Cellulomonadaceae and Pleomorphomonadaceae. Gas chromatography showed that CO2 production occurred only in the presence of type II-rich rocks, likely driven by Burkholderiaceae activity. These findings suggest that kerogen structure and geochemical properties drive microbial community assembly and organic matter mobilization in the deep subsurface. Beyond Earth, kerogen type IV-like material is widespread in extraterrestrial environments. Our results indicate the enhancement of the habitability of these environments, offering new insights into the potential for life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-42062-5","authors":["Annemiek C. Waajen","Wessel de Wit","Mónica Sánchez-Román","John O. Edgar","Jon Telling","Charles S. Cockell"],"tags":["Microbial population biology","Composition (language)","Anaerobic exercise","Chemistry","Environmental chemistry"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-42062-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"oa:W4401354504","name":"Exploring Biodiversity and Food Webs in Sulfur Cave in the Vromoner Canyon on the Greek–Albanian Border","source":"openalex","abstract":"Sulfidic caves support diverse and abundant subterranean communities, including numerous endemic species and complex food webs, though the full extent of species diversity and resource utilization in these ecosystems remains largely unexplored. This paper presents the results of biological surveys conducted from 2023 to 2024 in Sulfur Cave, located in the Vromoner Canyon on the Greek–Albanian border, focusing on microbial, vertebrate, and invertebrate communities and investigating the structure of the subterranean food web. The microbial communities from the different biofilms are dominated by chemosynthetic sulfur-oxidizing microorganisms, specifically filamentous bacteria such as Thiotrix and Beggiatoa. Two species of fish, an eel (Anguilla sp.) and a Cyprinid (Alburnoides sp.), and six bat species from three families (Rhinolophidae, Miniopteridae, and Vespertilionidae) were documented. The invertebrate fauna includes five aquatic species, 25 terrestrial species, and four amphibiotic species. Among these, eight species are endemic, and seven species exhibit troglomorphic traits. Stable isotope analysis showed light carbon and nitrogen values for the terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates, suggesting that subterranean communities rely on food produced in situ by chemoautotrophic microorganisms. Our results identified cave areas of significant biological relevance and provided reference data to inform conservation actions aimed at preserving the biodiversity of this sulfidic cave.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/d16080477","authors":["Serban M. Sarbu","Traian Brad","Raluca Ioana Băncilă","Andrei Ștefan"],"tags":["Canyon","Cave","Biodiversity","Geography","Biodiversity conservation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/d16080477","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391649185","name":"Inorganic Fe-O and Fe-S oxidoreductases: paradigms for prebiotic chemistry and the evolution of enzymatic activity in biology","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Oxidoreductases play crucial roles in electron transfer during biological redox reactions. These reactions are not exclusive to protein-based biocatalysts; nano-size (<100 nm), fine-grained inorganic colloids, such as iron oxides and sulfides, also participate. These nanocolloids exhibit intrinsic redox activity and possess direct electron transfer capacities comparable to their biological counterparts. The unique metal ion architecture of these nanocolloids, including electron configurations, coordination environment, electron conductivity, and the ability to promote spontaneous electron hopping, contributes to their transfer capabilities. Nano-size inorganic colloids are believed to be among the earliest 'oxidoreductases' to have 'evolved' on early Earth, playing critical roles in biological systems. Representing a distinct type of biocatalysts alongside metalloproteins, these nanoparticles offer an early alternative to protein-based oxidoreductase activity. While the roles of inorganic nano-sized catalysts in current Earth ecosystems are intuitively significant, they remain poorly understood and underestimated. Their contribution to chemical reactions and biogeochemical cycles likely helped shape and maintain the balance of our planet's ecosystems. However, their potential applications in biomedical, agricultural, and environmental protection sectors have not been fully explored or exploited. This review examines the structure, properties, and mechanisms of such catalysts from a material's evolutionary standpoint, aiming to raise awareness of their potential to provide innovative solutions to some of Earth's sustainability challenges.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2024.1349020","authors":["Xiaolan Huang","Jeffrey R. Harmer","Gerhard Schenk","Gordon Southam"],"tags":["Electron transfer","Redox","Nanotechnology","Chemistry","Biogeochemical cycle"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2024.1349020","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"oa:W4400680106","name":"Interplay of Fogponics and Artificial Intelligence for Potential Application in Controlled Space Farming","source":"openalex","abstract":"Most studies in astrobotany employ soil as the primary crop-growing medium, which is being researched and innovated. However, utilizing soil for planting in microgravity conditions may be impractical due to its weight, the issue of particles suspended in microgravity, and its propensity to harbor pathogenic microorganisms that pose health risks. Hence, soilless irrigation and fertigation systems such as fogponics possess a high potential for space farming. Fogponics is a promising variation of aeroponics, which involves the delivery of nutrient-rich water as a fine fog to plant roots. However, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of fogponics compared to other soilless cultivation methods is essential. Additionally, optimizing fogponics systems for effective crop cultivation in microgravity environments is crucial. This study investigated the interaction of fogponics and artificial intelligence for crop cultivation in microgravity environments, aiming to replace soil-based methods, filling a significant research gap as the first comprehensive examination of this interplay in the literature. A comparative assessment of soilless fertigation and irrigation techniques to identify strengths and weaknesses was conducted, providing an overview through a literature review. This highlights key concepts, methodologies, and findings, emphasizing fogponics’ relevance in space exploration and identifying gaps in current understanding. Insights suggest that developing adaptive fogponics systems for microgravity faces challenges due to uncharacterized fog behavior and optimization complexities without gravity. Fogponics shows promise for sustainable space agriculture, yet it lags in technological integration compared with hydroponics and aeroponics. Future research should focus on microgravity fog behavior analysis, the development of an effective and optimized space mission-compatible fogponics system, and system improvements such as an electronic nose for an adaptive system fog chemical composition. This study recommends integrating advanced technologies like AI-driven closed-loop systems to advance fogponics applications in space farming.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering6030126","authors":["Newton John Suganob","Carey Louise Arroyo","Ronnie Concepcion"],"tags":["Space (punctuation)","Artificial intelligence","Agriculture","Computer science","Ecology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering6030126","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W2018075292","name":"A Draft De Novo Genome Assembly for the Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) Reveals Evidence for a Rapid Decline in Effective Population Size Beginning in the Late Pleistocene","source":"openalex","abstract":"Wild populations of northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus; hereafter bobwhite) have declined across nearly all of their U.S. range, and despite their importance as an experimental wildlife model for ecotoxicology studies, no bobwhite draft genome assembly currently exists. Herein, we present a bobwhite draft de novo genome assembly with annotation, comparative analyses including genome-wide analyses of divergence with the chicken (Gallus gallus) and zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) genomes, and coalescent modeling to reconstruct the demographic history of the bobwhite for comparison to other birds currently in decline (i.e., scarlet macaw; Ara macao). More than 90% of the assembled bobwhite genome was captured within <40,000 final scaffolds (N50 = 45.4 Kb) despite evidence for approximately 3.22 heterozygous polymorphisms per Kb, and three annotation analyses produced evidence for >14,000 unique genes and proteins. Bobwhite analyses of divergence with the chicken and zebra finch genomes revealed many extremely conserved gene sequences, and evidence for lineage-specific divergence of noncoding regions. Coalescent models for reconstructing the demographic history of the bobwhite and the scarlet macaw provided evidence for population bottlenecks which were temporally coincident with human colonization of the New World, the late Pleistocene collapse of the megafauna, and the last glacial maximum. Demographic trends predicted for the bobwhite and the scarlet macaw also were concordant with how opposing natural selection strategies (i.e., skewness in the r-/K-selection continuum) would be expected to shape genome diversity and the effective population sizes in these species, which is directly relevant to future conservation efforts.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0090240","authors":["Yvette Halley","Scot E. Dowd","Jared E. Decker","Paul Seabury","Eric K. Bhattarai","Charles D. Johnson","Dale Rollins","Ian R. Tizard","Donald J. Brightsmith","Markus J. Peterson","Jeremy F. Taylor","Christopher M. Seabury"],"tags":["Colinus","Biology","Coalescent theory","Population","Zebra finch"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-03-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0090240","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4403680594","name":"Bioleaching of Industrial Metallic Steel Waste by Mixed Cultures of Thermoacidophilic Archaea","source":"openalex","abstract":"Different mixed cultures of extremely thermoacidophilic microorganisms were used for bioleaching of metalliferous industrial dust waste derived from the basic oxygen furnace (BOF) steelmaking process. Such mixed cultures can extract various metals from multi-metallic BOF-dust waste, improving the metal dissolution and bioleaching performance in frames of metal recycling processes to assist circular economies and waste management. The results of the investigation showed that mixed cultures of thermoacidophilic archaea of the order Sulfolobales (Acidianus spp., Sulfolobus spp., and Metallosphaera sedula) during their growth in laboratory glass bioreactors provided a superior bioleaching system to Acidianus manzaensis alone. Depending on the composition of mixed thermoacidophilic cultures, extraction of various metals from BOF-dust could be achieved. Among the three different types of mixed cultures tested, the mixed culture system of A. manzaensis, A. brierleyi, and S. acidocaldarius was most effective for extraction of major elements (Fe, Ca, Zn, Mn, and Al). The mixed culture of A. manzaensis, A. brierleyi, and M. sedula showed high performance for bioleaching of most of the minor elements (Cu, Ni, Pb, Co, Mo, and Sr). The efficient ability of mixed cultures to colonise the mineral matrix of the metal waste product was observed via scanning electron microscopy, while their metal extraction capacities were analysed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. These investigations will promote the further design of microbial consortia in order to break down the solid matrix and efficiently extract metals from metalliferous waste materials.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12112327","authors":["Alma Memic","А. Г. Мащенко","Denise Kölbl","Holger Schnideritsch","Dominik Wohlmuth","Gerald Kloesch","Tetyana Milojević"],"tags":["Bioleaching","Archaea","Metallurgy","Environmental science","Waste management"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12112327","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W2060925951","name":"Physical and Chemical Diversity of Seafloor Hydrothermal Systems and Presentation of Associated Chemolithoautotrophic Ecosystem","source":"openalex","abstract":"Deep-sea hydrothermal vents are among the habitats that host the most diverse microbial communities on the Earth. It is promised that hydrothermal vent microbial communities play a major role in the circulation of energy and materials in the global oceanic and suboceanic environments, and even provide important insights into the origin and early evolution of life on the Earth and extraterrestrial life on other planets and moons. Deep-sea hydrothermal vent ecosystems are strongly dependent on the primary production of symbiotic and free-living chemolithoautotrophic microorganisms that can obtain energy from inorganic substances such as H2S, CO2, H2, and CH4 derived from hydrothermal vent fluids. The diversity and abundance of these energy and carbon sources at hydrothermal vent fluids are, in turn, controlled by subseafloor physical and chemical processes such as fluid–rock interactions and phase-separation and -partition of fluids. Therefore, linkage between rock (magma), hydrothermal fluid, and ecosystem is a key to understanding how deep-sea hydrothermal ecosystems are generated and sustained. In this article, we approach this whole “Rock–Fluid–Ecosystem linkage” with the two separate sub-linkages of “Rock–Fluid linkage” and “Fluid–Ecosystem linkage”, which have not been addressed by the individual research fields of the Geochemistry of Hydrothermal Systems and Hydrothermal Vent Microbiology, respectively. Here, we overview the progress of understanding the “Rock–Fluid” and “Fluid–Ecosystem” linkages, both of which will establish the basis for an integrated “Rock–Fluid–Ecosystem linkage”. (View PDF for the rest of the abstract.)","url":"https://doi.org/10.5026/jgeography.118.1083","authors":["Kentaro Nakamura","Ken Takai"],"tags":["Seafloor spreading","Ecosystem","Hydrothermal circulation","Diversity (politics)","Presentation (obstetrics)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5026/jgeography.118.1083","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4400105583","name":"Production of Martian fiber by in-situ resource utilization strategy","source":"openalex","abstract":"resource utilization (ISRU) provides a cost-effective way to achieve this ambitious goal. In this article, we proposed to use Martian soil simulant to produce a fiber to satisfy material requirement for the construction of Martian base. The composition, melting behavior, and fiber forming process of the soil simulant was studied, and continuous fiber with maximum strength of 1320 MPa and elastic modulus of 99 GPa was obtained on a spinning facility. The findings of this study demonstrate the feasibility of ISRU to prepare Martian fiber from the soil on the Mars, offering a new way to obtain key materials for the construction of a Martian base.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2024.110408","authors":["Ze‐Shi Guo","Dan Xing","Xiong-Yu Xi","Cun‐Guang Liang","Bin Hao","Xiaojia Zeng","Hong Tang","H. M. Chen","Wen Yin","Peng Zhang","Kefa Zhou","Qingbin Zheng","Peng‐Cheng Ma"],"tags":["Martian","Fiber","Martian soil","Martian surface","Mars Exploration Program"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2024.110408","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4390297533","name":"Deep subsurface microbial life in impact‐altered Late Paleozoic granitoid rocks from the Chicxulub impact crater","source":"openalex","abstract":"In 2016, IODP-ICDP Expedition 364 recovered an 829-meter-long core within the peak ring of the Chicxulub impact crater (Yucatán, Mexico), allowing us to investigate the post-impact recovery of the heat-sterilized deep continental microbial biosphere at the impact site. We recently reported increased cell biomass in the impact suevite, which was deposited within the first few hours of the Cenozoic, and that the overall microbial communities differed significantly between the suevite and the other main core lithologies (i.e., the granitic basement and the overlying Early Eocene marine sediments; Cockell et al., 2021). However, only seven rock intervals were previously analyzed from the geologically heterogenic and impact-deformed 587-m-long granitic core section below the suevite interval. Here, we used 16S rRNA gene profiling to study the microbial community composition in 45 intervals including (a) 31 impact-shocked granites, (b) 7 non-granitic rocks (i.e., consisting of suevite and impact melt rocks intercalated into the granites during crater formation and strongly serpentinized pre-impact sub-volcanic, ultramafic basanite/dolerite), and (c) 7 cross-cut mineral veins of anhydride and silica. Most recovered microbial taxa resemble those found in hydrothermal systems. Spearman correlation analysis confirmed that the borehole temperature, which gradually increased from 47 to 69°C with core depth, significantly shaped a subset of the vertically stratified modern microbial community composition in the granitic basement rocks. However, bacterial communities differed significantly between the impoverished shattered granites and nutrient-enriched non-granite rocks, even though both lithologies were at similar depths and temperatures. Furthermore, Spearman analysis revealed a strong correlation between the microbial communities and bioavailable chemical compounds and suggests the presence of chemolithoautotrophs, which most likely still play an active role in metal and sulfur cycling. These results indicate that post-impact microbial niche separation has also occurred in the granitic basement lithologies, as previously shown for the newly formed lithologies. Moreover, our data suggest that the impact-induced geochemical boundaries continue to shape the modern-day deep biosphere in the granitic basement underlying the Chicxulub crater.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/gbi.12583","authors":["Sohaib Naseer Quraish","Charles S. Cockell","Cornelia Wuchter","D. A. Kring","Kliti Grice","Marco J. L. Coolen"],"tags":["Impact crater","Geology","Paleozoic","Geochemistry","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/gbi.12583","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W3174680487","name":"Mars Land Use Policy Implementation: Approaches and Best Methods","source":"openalex","abstract":"Sending humans to Mars has been a component of the official US space policy of multiple presidential administrations. Additional stakeholders with interests in visiting Earth's terrestrial neighbor in the coming decades include private companies and the space agencies of other spacefaring nations. Numerous motivations exist for humans to explore and settle on the Martian surface, including environmental suitability and species survival, the search for life, scientific and technological development, economic profitability, and fundamental human nature. However, if human settlement and sustainability on Mars is expected to become a reality, existing legal regime deficiencies must be addressed, six of which I have identified: (1) national jurisdiction and responsibilities, (2) resource utilization, (3) conflict resolution and central authority, (4) environmental protection, (5) future settler legal status, and (6) social justice. This article examines the feasibility of various land use policies applied to the Mars case. I conduct a policy option evaluation of the following proposed land use approaches using assessment criteria based on the identified legal deficiencies: (1) bounded first possession by landfall [Collins, 2008], (2) bounded possession with planetary parks [Bruhns and Haqq-Misra, 2016], (3) liberating Mars [Haqq-Misra, 2015], (4) a Mars tax [Collins, 2008], and (5) planetary parks [Cockell and Horneck, 2004]. Based on this analysis, I recommend approach (2), which allows for bounded possession and creates planetary parks. This approach sufficiently addresses all assessment criteria by permitting occupation and resource rights to limited plots of land on the Martian surface, advocating for a Mars Secretariat as a conflict mediation method, implementation of a planetary park system to protect valuable lands, and designating the application of laws within and outside of land claim areas. Implications of the findings presented here are valuable not only for the future exploration and settlement of Mars but other solar system bodies where human activity may be an eventual reality.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spacepol.2021.101442","authors":["Angela M. Dapremont"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Possession (linguistics)","Space policy","Environmental resource management","Business"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-06-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spacepol.2021.101442","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4394766008","name":"Ries magnetic mineralogy: Exploring impact and post‐impact evolution of crater magnetism","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Large‐scale impact events are some of the most catastrophic and instantaneous geological processes in nature, and leave in their wake conspicuous geological structures with characteristic magnetic anomalies. Despite magnetic anomalies in craters being well‐documented, their relationship with the magnetic mineral composition of the target and impactites is not always straightforward. Furthermore, the influence of impact shock and post‐impact events in the magnetism of natural craters remains elusive. In the Ries crater, Germany, the negative magnetic anomalies are attributed to a reverse polarity remanent magnetization in the impact‐melt bearing lithologies. We report new chemical, rock‐, and mineral‐magnetic data from the shocked basement and impactites, from surface samples, NR73 and SUBO‐18 boreholes, and explore how temperature and hydrothermalism may influence the magnetic mineralogy in the crater. We identified shocked, pure magnetite in the basement, and low‐cation substituted magnetite in the impactites as the main magnetic carriers. The shocked basement is demagnetized but remains largely unaltered by post‐impact hydrothermalism, while the impactites show weak magnetization and are extensively altered by neutral‐to‐reducing post‐impact hydrothermalism. We suggest that the magnetic mineralogy of the demagnetized uplifted basement may contribute significantly to the magnetic anomaly variation, in line with recent findings from the Chicxulub peak‐ring.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14170","authors":["Bruno Daniel Leite Mendes","Agnes Kontny","Katarzyna Dudzisz","Franziska Wilke"],"tags":["Impact crater","Geology","Magnetic anomaly","Basement","Impact structure"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14170","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391610632","name":"Oxygen isotopic compositions of fresh rooftop micrometeorites from the Budel collection—Insights into the contemporary cosmic dust flux","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Cosmic dust particles originate from a wide variety of solar system and interstellar objects, including sources not identified among meteorite collections. Particles that survive atmospheric entry are retrieved on the Earth's surface as micrometeorites. The recovery of these micrometeorites has recently advanced to rooftop sites. Here, we present the results of an extensive isotopic study on this type of rooftop micrometeorite from the Budel collection, the Netherlands, accreted to the Earth between October 31, 2018 and June 16, 2021. The triple oxygen isotopic compositions of 80 silica‐dominated cosmic spherules (CSs) with diameters ranging between 105 and 515 μm are obtained relying on 213 in situ spot analyses determined using ion microprobe. Our analyzed population spans a large range of isotopic compositions and is dominated by carbonaceous chondritic sources. In situ measurements on several CSs support a possible continuum between 16 O‐rich and 16 O‐poor compositions following the CM mixing line, showing that 16 O‐poor CSs may be genetically related to aqueously altered carbonaceous chondrites. We demonstrate that weathering in the terrestrial environment has negligible effects on the isotopic compositions of the studied CSs and attempt to quantify the effects of kinetic mass‐dependent fractionation and admixture of terrestrial oxygen during atmospheric entry. The results further corroborate previously suggested relations between CS texture and the duration and intensity of the heating pulse experienced during atmospheric deceleration. Finally, the young and well‐constrained terrestrial age of the collection provides insights into the most recent flux of cosmic dust. Our results indicate no major recent changes in the global flux compared with collections sampled over thousand‐ to million‐year time scales and demonstrate that 16 O‐poor material is still represented in the modern‐day cosmic dust flux at a relative abundance of ~13%–15%. As such, rooftop micrometeorites represent a valuable reservoir to study the characteristics of the contemporary cosmic dust flux.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14145","authors":["Guido Jonker","Flore Van Maldeghem","Matthias Van Ginneken","Lisa Krämer Ruggiu","Steven Goderis"],"tags":["Chondrite","Astrobiology","Meteorite","Flux (metallurgy)","Interplanetary dust cloud"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14145","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4401639811","name":"Essential questions in earth and geosciences according to large language models","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Can large language models (LLMs) capture a trustworthy global snapshot of the current issues and top-priority questions facing Earth and Geoscience? This article discusses the 100 most important questions facing Earth and Geosciences in the twenty-first century according to the largest of the LLMs. The study uncovered a discrepancy in responses using the synonymous terms earth sciences and geosciences; as such, users of publicly accessible LLMs must account for this bias and exercise caution in interpretation. Eight fundamental topics irrespective of the query terms earth sciences/geosciences were found: while two of them originate from fundamental research in extraterrestrial geoscience and Earth’s interior, the remaining six address geoscientific questions, important due to the associated societal challenges and environmental issues. The outlined eight fundamental topics strongly resonate with eight Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, in certain cases with not just one.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/geo-2022-0677","authors":["István Gábor Hatvani","Manfred Mudelsee","Zoltán Kern"],"tags":["Geology","Earth science","Earth (classical element)","Astrobiology","Mathematics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1515/geo-2022-0677","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4322100458","name":"Recovery and curation of the Winchcombe ( CM2 ) meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Winchcombe meteorite fell on February 28, 2021 and was the first recovered meteorite fall in the UK for 30 years, and the first UK carbonaceous chondrite. The meteorite was widely observed by meteor camera networks, doorbell cameras, and eyewitnesses, and 213.5 g (around 35% of the final recovered mass) was collected quickly—within 12 h—of its fall. It, therefore, represents an opportunity to study very pristine extra‐terrestrial material and requires appropriate careful curation. The meteorite fell in a narrow (600 m across) strewn field ~8.5 km long and oriented approximately east–west, with the largest single fragment at the farthest (east) end in the town of Winchcombe, Gloucestershire. Of the total known mass of 602 g, around 525 g is curated at the Natural History Museum, London. A sample analysis plan was devised within a month of the fall to enable scientists in the UK and beyond to quickly access and analyze fresh material. The sample is stored long term in a nitrogen atmosphere glove box. Preliminary macroscopic and electron microscopic examinations show it to be a CM2 chondrite, and despite an early search, no fragile minerals, such as halite, sulfur, etc., were observed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13956","authors":["S. S. Russell","A. J. King","H. C. Bates","N. V. Almeida","R. C. Greenwood","Luke Daly","K. H. Joy","Jim Rowe","T. Salge","C. L. Smith","P. M. Grindrod","Sarah Boazman","Lachlan Bond","Victoria Bond","C. Casey","Zachary I. Dickeson","G. Ensor","Sarah Farrelly","Pamela Godfrey","L. J. Hallis","Míra B. Ihász","Dan Kirk","L. Jackson","Martin Lee","Ben Mayne","Sarah McMullan","Ann Mounsey","Sarah Mounsey","Sarah Mounsey","S. Motaghian","Sheeraz Naqvi","Áine O’Brien","A. E. Pickersgill","Dan Skilton","Ieun Spencer","N. R. Stephen","Fiona M. Suttle","Martin D. Suttle","Romain Tartèse","Colin J. Weir","Cathryn Wilcock","Hannah Wilcock","Rob Wilcock"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Halite","Geology","Petrography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-02-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13956","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4398768583","name":"Markwelchite, TlPbSbS3, a new Tl–Pb sulfosalt from the hydrothermal deposit of Jas Roux, Hautes-Alpes, France","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Markwelchite, ideally TlPbSbS3, is a new mineral from the hydrothermal deposit of Jas Roux, Hautes-Alpes, France. It occurs as a black anhedral crystal associated closely with protochabournéite. Microhardness measurements (VHN15) gave a mean value of 197 kg/mm2 corresponding to a Mohs hardness of ~3–4. In plane-polarised incident light, markwelchite is grey in colour. Under crossed polars, it is distinctly anisotropic with greyish white to bluish rotation tints, with bright red internal reflections. Reflectance percentages (Rmin and Rmax) are: 28.5, 31.5 (471.1 nm); 28.3, 30.7 (548.3 nm); 27.9, 30.3 (586.6 nm); and 27.6, 29.8 (652.3 nm). The mean of 5 electron microprobe spot analyses gave Tl 34.67(45), Pb 31.86(25), Sb 15.06(15), As 2.37(5), S 15.35(20), total 99.31 wt.%, corresponding, on the basis of a total of 6 atoms per formula unit and structural results, to Tl1.063Pb0.964(Sb0.775As0.198)Σ0.973S3.000. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies revealed that markwelchite is isotypic with richardsollyite, TlPbAsS3. It is monoclinic, space group P21/c, with the following unit-cell parameters: a = 8.9144(3), b = 8.4513(3), c = 8.6511(3) Å, β = 108.723(4)°, V = 617.27(4) Å3 and Z = 4. The five strongest observed powder-diffraction lines [d in Å (Irel)(hkl)] are: 3.88 (100)( $\\bar{2}$ 11); 3.78 (90)(210); 3.29 (90)(102); 2.73 (85)( $\\bar{1}$ 13); and 2.93 (75)(022). The crystal structure can be described as formed by (100) [Me2(SbS3)]– layers sandwiching the Me1+ cations. The Me1 site has a seven-fold coordination, whereas the Me2 site has an 6+2 coordination corresponding to a distorted, bicapped trigonal prismatic coordination, and the Sb site displays a trigonal pyramidal coordination with three S atoms and Sb at the apex. The name markwelchite honours Dr Mark D. Welch of the Natural History Museum, London, UK. The new mineral has been approved by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association (IMA2024–001). A discussion on the relationships between markwelchite and synthetic TlPbSbS3 is also provided.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/mgm.2024.43","authors":["Luca Bindi","Cristian Biagioni","Hans‐Jürgen Förster","Holger Georg Adelmann"],"tags":["Hydrothermal circulation","Geochemistry","Geology","Mineralogy","Paleontology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1180/mgm.2024.43","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W3091393094","name":"Ideas and perspectives: The same carbon behaves like different elements – an insight into position-specific isotope distributions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. It is expected that information on the source, reaction pathway, and reaction kinetics of an organic compound can be obtained from its position-specific isotope compositions or intramolecular isotope distribution (Intra-ID). To retrieve the information, we could use its predicted equilibrium Intra-ID as a reference for understanding the observed Intra-IDs. Historically, observed, apparently close-to-equilibrium carbon Intra-ID has prompted an open debate on the nature of biosystems and specifically the pervasiveness of reversible biochemical reactions. Much of the debate remains unresolved, and the discussion has not clearly distinguished between two states of equilibrium: (1) the equilibrium among the corresponding bond-breaking and bond-forming positions in reactant and product and (2) the equilibrium among all carbon positions within a compound. For an organic molecule with multiple carbon positions, equilibrium carbon Intra-ID can be attained only when a specific reaction is in equilibrium and the sources of each position are also in equilibrium with each other. An observed Intra-ID provides limited information on if the sources and pathways are both unconstrained. Here, we elaborate on this insight using examples of the observed Intra-IDs of hydroxyl-bearing minerals, N2O, and acetic acid. Research effort aiming to calibrate position-specific equilibrium and kinetic isotope fractionation factors for defined processes will help to interpret observed Intra-IDs of a compound accurately and fully.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4785-2020","authors":["Yuyang He","Xiaobin Cao","Huiming Bao"],"tags":["Intramolecular force","Chemistry","Isotopes of carbon","Equilibrium fractionation","Position (finance)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-10-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4785-2020","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4409967823","name":"A systematic review of multi-mode analytics for enhanced plant stress evaluation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Introduction: Detecting plant stress is a critical challenge in agriculture, where early intervention is essential to enhance crop resilience and maximize yield. Conventional single-mode approaches often fail to capture the complex interplay of plant health stressors. Methods: This review integrates findings from recent advancements in Multi-Mode Analytics (MMA), which employs spectral imaging, image-based phenotyping, and adaptive computational techniques. It integrates machine learning, data fusion, and hyperspectral technologies to improve analytical accuracy and efficiency. Results: MMA approaches have shown substantial improvements in the accuracy and reliability of early interventions. They outperform traditional methods by effectively capturing complex interactions among various abiotic stressors. Recent research highlights the benefits of MMA in enhancing predictive capabilities, which facilitates the development of timely and effective intervention strategies to boost agricultural productivity. Discussion: The advantages of MMA over conventional single-mode techniques are significant, particularly in the detection and management of plant stress in challenging environments. Integrating advanced analytical methods supports precision agriculture by enabling proactive responses to stress conditions. These innovations are pivotal for enhancing food security in terrestrial and space agriculture, ensuring sustainability and resilience in food production systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2025.1545025","authors":["Abdolrahim Zandi","Seyedali Hosseinirad","Hossein Kashani Zadeh","Kouhyar Tavakolian","Byoung–Kwan Cho","Fartash Vasefi","Moon S. Kim","Pantea Tavakolian"],"tags":["Analytics","Stress (linguistics)","Computer science","Data mining","Philosophy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2025.1545025","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4400402517","name":"An inorganic silicate simulant to represent the interior of enceladus","source":"openalex","abstract":"Enceladus, an icy moon of Saturn, consists of an ice shell, global subsurface ocean and a silicate interior. By sampling plume material, the Cassini spacecraft found evidence of ongoing water-rock reactions between the silicate interior and the subsurface ocean. These data showed that these reactions provide a source of bioessential elements to the ocean, making Enceladus one of the leading astrobiological targets in our Solar System. Understanding these water-rock reactions is critical in understanding the potential habitability of Enceladus. To study these reactions experimentally, a chemical simulant to represent the contemporary silicate interior of Enceladus has been designed. Based on the available interpretations of Cassini data about the density, chemical composition, and aqueous alteration of the interior, the chosen starting point for the simulant is a CI chondrite. However, Enceladus is still undergoing active aqueous alteration, thus its silicate mineral assemblage cannot have reached the fully altered assemblage seen in a CI chondrite. To account for this, adaptations have been made to a CI chondrite mineral assemblage, extrapolating back to an assemblage of less aqueously altered minerals whilst maintaining the same chemical composition in terms of major oxide phases. Thus, the chemical and mineralogical composition of this simulant represents a best estimate of the silicate components in the ongoing water rock interactions on Enceladus today.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2024.105934","authors":["Rachael Hamp","Karen Olsson‐Francis","S. P. Schwenzer","V. K. Pearson"],"tags":["Enceladus","Astrobiology","Silicate","Saturn","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2024.105934","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391814636","name":"Cultivation of Chroococcidiopsis thermalis Using Available In Situ Resources to Sustain Life on Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"The cultivation of cyanobacteria by exploiting available in situ resources represents a possible way to supply food and oxygen to astronauts during long-term crewed missions on Mars. Here, we evaluated the possibility of cultivating the extremophile cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis thermalis CCALA 050 under operating conditions that should occur within a dome hosting a recently patented process to produce nutrients and oxygen on Mars. The medium adopted to cultivate this cyanobacterium, named Martian medium, was obtained using a mixture of regolith leachate and astronauts’ urine simulants that would be available in situ resources whose exploitation could reduce the mission payload. The results demonstrated that C. thermalis can grow in such a medium. For producing high biomass, the best medium consisted of specific percentages (40%vol) of Martian medium and a standard medium (60%vol). Biomass produced in such a medium exhibits excellent antioxidant properties and contains significant amounts of pigments. Lipidomic analysis demonstrated that biomass contains strategic lipid classes able to help the astronauts facing the oxidative stress and inflammatory phenomena taking place on Mars. These characteristics suggest that this strain could serve as a valuable nutritional resource for astronauts.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life14020251","authors":["Giacomo Fais","Mattia Casula","Agnieszka Sidorowicz","Alessia Manca","Valentina Margarita","Pier Luigi Fiori","Antonella Pantaleo","Pierluigi Caboni","Giacomo Cao","Alessandro Concas"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Martian","Astrobiology","Regolith","Exploration of Mars"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life14020251","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4401246635","name":"Lunar soil record of atmosphere loss over eons","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Moon has a tenuous atmosphere produced by space weathering. The short-lived nature of the atoms surrounding the Moon necessitates continuous replenishment from lunar regolith through mechanisms such as micrometeorite impacts, ion sputtering, and photon-stimulated desorption. Despite advances, previous remote sensing and space mission data have not conclusively disentangled the contributions of these processes. Using high-precision potassium (K) and rubidium (Rb) isotopic analyses of lunar soils from the Apollo missions, our study sheds light on the lunar surface-atmosphere evolution over billions of years. The observed correlation between K and Rb isotopic ratios (δ 87 Rb = 0.17 δ 41 K) indicates that, over long timescales, micrometeorite impact vaporization is the primary source of atoms in the lunar atmosphere.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adm7074","authors":["Nicole X. Nie","Nicolas Dauphas","Zhe J. Zhang","Timo Hopp","M. Sarantos"],"tags":["Regolith","Astrobiology","Atmosphere (unit)","Space weathering","Lunar soil"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adm7074","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.280Z"},{"id":"oa:W4398146222","name":"Planetary Paleomagnetic Intensity Recording Fidelity Test Using a Synthetic Lava","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Meteorite paleomagnetism is fundamental to understanding planetary dynamo processes and the evolution of the early Solar System. However, due to the extraterrestrial and ancient origins of meteorites, their paleomagnetic recording fidelity remains uncertain, which can be tested from a planetary sample formed in a known field. On Earth, historic lavas are used to examine paleomagnetic recording fidelity through the Thellier‐series experiment and other paleointensity methods, which can produce paleointensity estimates to test against the known field strength. But natural terrestrial rocks have different magnetic mineralogy from planetary samples, so they cannot faithfully infer the recording fidelity of meteorites. Here, we used an iron‐particle‐bearing sample from the Syracuse University Lava Project (SULP), which is analogous to the lunar basalts and howardite‐eucrite‐diogenite meteorites and forms in the present‐day Earth's field, to investigate the recording fidelity of these meteorites. No remanence has been identified in the high coercivity range with alternating field (AF) demagnetization due to the sample's low coercivity and AF noise, which produces underestimated paleointensities. Two accurate thermal paleointensities indicate that we may acquire accurate paleointensities from non‐ideal multidomain (MD) iron grains with the Thellier‐Coe and RESET methods, but the success rate is low due to the MD effect and thermal alteration in the experiments. Our results imply that MD iron‐bearing meteorites have the potential to provide accurate paleointensities that can be used to constrain planetary processes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je008055","authors":["Chen Wen","Huapei Wang","Yu‐Min Chou","Chun‐Chieh Wang","Xiaowei Chen","Fei Han","Junxiang Miao","Yiming Ma","Jiabo Liu","Jeffrey A. Karson"],"tags":["Paleomagnetism","Lava","Geology","Intensity (physics)","Fidelity"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je008055","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402241297","name":"Toward the identification of cyano-astroCOMs via vibrational features: benzonitrile as a test case","source":"openalex","abstract":"The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) opened a new era for the identification of molecular systems in the interstellar medium (ISM) by vibrational features. One group of molecules of increasing interest is cyano-derivatives of aromatic organic molecules, which have already been identified in the ISM on the basis of the analysis of rotational signatures, and so, are plausible candidates for the detection by the JWST. Benzonitrile considered in this work represents a suitable example for the validation of a computational strategy, which can be further applied for different, larger, and not-yet observed molecules. For this purpose, anharmonic simulations of infrared (IR) spectra have been compared with recent FTIR experimental studies. The anharmonic computations using the generalized second-order vibrational perturbation theory (GVPT2) in conjunction with a hybrid force field combining the harmonic part of revDSD-PBEP86-D3/jun-cc-pVTZ with anharmonic corrections from B3LYP-D3/SNSD show very good agreement with those in the experiment, with a mean error of 11cm−1 for all fundamental transitions overall and only 2cm−1 for the C≡N stretching fundamental at 4.49 μm . The inclusion of overtones up to three-quanta transitions also allowed the prediction of spectra in the near-infrared region, which shows distinct features due to C≡N overtones at the 2.26 μm and 1.52 μm . The remarkable accuracy of the GVPT2 results opens a pathway for the reliable prediction of spectra for a broader range of cyano-astroCOMs.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2024.1439194","authors":["Yanting Xu","Małgorzata Biczysko"],"tags":["Benzonitrile","Identification (biology)","Test (biology)","Chemistry","Computational chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2024.1439194","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406221546","name":"Automated Scene-Adaptive Rock Fragment Recognition Based on the Enhanced Segment Anything Model and Fine-Tuning RTMDet","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The particle-size distribution (PSD) of rock fragments is crucial for various engineering practices. Recently, there has been increasing attention towards new methods for analysing rock fragment PSD based on artificial intelligence and computer vision. However, most existing image-based studies on this topic are case-based, while heavily relying on manual annotation. The proposed algorithms or trained models often exhibit poor performance across different geological and lighting conditions. In this research, an automatic scene-adaptive framework for real-time rock fragment recognition (FragAdaptixAI) is introduced. First, a diverse foundation image set of rock fragments is built, and an automated annotation module based on an improved segment anything model (SAM) is employed to create the foundation rock fragment dataset, which is then utilised for training the foundation model (RTMDet). When faced with new cases, the foundation model is rapidly fine-tuned using a small amount of current case data to derive an application model, supporting real-time automation in rock fragment recognition. FragAdaptixAI was tested using two cases, and the test results demonstrate that (1) the automated annotation module, developed based on the improved SAM, is effective, and (2) FragAdaptixAI achieves excellent results with short tuning time for new cases. The approach introduces a new concept to address the generalisation issues in rock fragment recognition by combining the zero-shot capability of large models with the real-time processing of small models.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-024-04360-0","authors":["Yudi Tang","Yulin Wang","Xin Wang","Joung Oh","Guangyao Si"],"tags":["Fragment (logic)","Artificial intelligence","Computer science","Computer vision","Pattern recognition (psychology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-024-04360-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W2489584774","name":"Pyroxene Geothermometry of Basalts and an Andesite from the Palau-Kyushu and West Mariana Ridges, Deep Sea Drilling Project Leg 59","source":"openalex","abstract":"Pyroxenes contained in island-arc type basalts and a calc-alkalic andesite from DSDP Leg 59, underwent microprobe analyses; from these data pyroxene geothermometry was calculated. The samples were plagioclase-augitebronzite-( )pigeonite phyric tholeiitic basalt lavas and intrusive units from Holes 448 and 448A on the Palau-Kyushu remnant arc and plagioclase-augite-orthopyroxene-titanomagnetite phyric basalt clasts and a calc-alkalic andesite clast from Hole 451 on the West Mariana remnant arc.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2973/dsdp.proc.59.131.1981","authors":["T. Ishii"],"tags":["Phenocryst","Basalt","Geology","Pyroxene","Pigeonite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1981-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2973/dsdp.proc.59.131.1981","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4408788342","name":"Planetary pedology: New horizons for lunar resource mapping","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedsph.2025.03.007","authors":["Jérôme Juilleret","A. Calzada‐Diaz","Riccardo Scalenghe","Giacomo Certini"],"tags":["Pedology","New horizons","Resource (disambiguation)","Geology","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedsph.2025.03.007","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402195041","name":"The eukaryome of modern microbialites reveals distinct colonization across aquatic ecosystems","source":"openalex","abstract":"Protists are less studied for their role and diversity in ecosystems. Notably, protists have played and still play an important role in microbialites. Microbialites, or lithified microbial mats, represent the oldest evidence of fossil biofilms (~3.5 Gyr). Modern microbialites may offer a unique proxy to study the potential role of protists within a geological context. We examined protist diversity in freshwater (Kelly and Pavilion Lake in British Columbia, Canada) and marine (Highborne Cay, Bahamas) to hypersaline (Shark Bay, Australia) microbialites to decipher their geomicrobiological role. The freshwater microbialite communities were clearly distinct from their marine and hypersaline counterparts. Chlorophytes had higher numerical abundance in freshwater microbialites; whereas pennate diatoms dominated numerically in marine microbialites. Despite the differences, protists across ecosystems may have adopted similar roles and functions. We suggest a consistent biogeochemical role of protists across microbialites globally; but that salinity may shape protist composition and evolution in these ecosystems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41522-024-00547-z","authors":["Anthony M Bonacolta","Pieter T. Visscher","Javier del Campo","Richard White"],"tags":["Ecology","Protist","Ecosystem","Marine ecosystem","Biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41522-024-00547-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4395664792","name":"The Impact of the Composition on the Properties of Simulated Lunar Mare Basalt Fibers","source":"openalex","abstract":"Lunar mare basalt is recognized as an important in situ resource on the lunar surface. However, the significant compositional variability of lunar mare basalts introduces uncertainties concerning the potential for their use in fabricating fibers and composite materials. This study investigates the impact of different components on the fiber-forming capabilities of mare basalts by simulating the compositions of basalts collected from several well-known lunar missions and then preparing simulated lunar mare basalt fibers. Raman spectroscopy is primarily employed for analysis and characterization, using “peak area normalization” to explore the impact of compositional fluctuations in the simulated lunar mare basalts on the glass network structure. The findings indicate that an increase in the Fe content raises the likelihood of basalt fibers crystallizing. Additionally, Fe3+ is shown to substitute for Si and Al in constructing bridging oxygen bonds in the network structure, albeit reducing the overall polymerization of the network. Meanwhile, Fe2+ acts as a network modifier to enhance the mechanical properties of the fibers.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17092043","authors":["Jin Liu","Lida Luo","Jiali Xu","Xiaoxu Zhu","Guoying Shi","Qingwei Wang"],"tags":["Basalt","Composition (language)","Basalt fiber","Materials science","Lunar mare"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17092043","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4388693205","name":"Phyllosilicates with embedded Fe‐based nanophases in Ryugu and Orgueil","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Samples were recently collected from the carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu, by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Hayabusa2 mission. They resemble CI chondrites material, thus showing clear evidence of extensive aqueous alteration attested by the widespread presence of a mixture of serpentine and saponite. We present here a scanning transmission electron microscopy study of the Ryugu dominant lithology of the phyllosilicate matrix at the nanometer scale, which we compare with that of the Orgueil CI chondrite. In both objects, the phyllosilicates are of comparable nature and texture, consisting of a mixture of small‐sized crystallites of serpentine and saponite. At the micrometer scale or less, the texture is an alternation of fine and coarse domains. The fine‐grained regions are dominated by saponite. In Ryugu, they enclose numerous Fe,Ni nanosulfides, whereas in Orgueil, S‐ and Ni‐rich ferrihydrite is abundant. The coarse‐grained regions contain more serpentine and no or little Fe,Ni sulfides or ferrihydrite. Scanning transmission x‐ray microscopy at the Fe‐L3 edge also reveals that iron valency of phyllosilicates is higher and more homogeneous in Orgueil (~70% Fe3+) than in Ryugu (<50% Fe3+). We interpret the observed textures as being mostly a consequence of aqueous alteration, likely resulting from the replacement by phyllosilicates of submicrometric components, initially agglomerated by a primary accretion. The fine‐grained domains may result from the replacement of GEMS (GEMS—glass with embedded metal and sulfides) objects or from other types of nanometric assemblages of silicate and Fe‐based nanophases. On the other hand, the coarse‐grained regions may correspond to the replacement of anhydrous crystalline silicates of the olivine and pyroxene type. The major difference is the presence of Fe,Ni sulfides in Ryugu and of ferrihydrite and higher iron valency of phyllosilicates in Orgueil. This might be due to long‐term terrestrial weathering that would have destabilized the nanosulfides. We also explore an alternative scenario involving more oxidizing hydrothermal conditions on the Orgueil parent body.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14101","authors":["Hugues Leroux","Corentin Le Guillou","Maya Marinova","Sylvain Laforet","Jean‐Christophe Viennet","Bahae‐Eddine Mouloud","Adrien Teurtrie","Francisco de la Peña","Damien Jacob","Daniel Hallatt","Mario Peláez-Fernández","David Troadec"],"tags":["Chondrite","Ferrihydrite","Carbonaceous chondrite","Saponite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14101","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4315642164","name":"Seasonal Mg isotopic variation in the middle Yellow River: Sources and fractionation","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2023.121314","authors":["Long‐Fei Gou","Zhangdong Jin","Αlbert Galy","Yang Xu","Jun Xiao","Yibo Yang","Julien Bouchez","Philip A.E. Pogge von Strandmann","Chenyang Jin","Shouye Yang","Zhi‐Qi Zhao"],"tags":["Carbonate","Geology","Carbonate minerals","Weathering","Dissolution"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2023.121314","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4394844778","name":"Uncovering Hidden Microbial Diversity in Nitrate/Iodide Deposits (NIDs) in the Domeyko District, Atacama Desert, Chile","source":"openalex","abstract":"Unique worldwide, nitrate/iodine deposits (NIDs) are located along a 700 km geological belt in the Atacama Desert, Chile. They serve as the primary source of mineral ores for the extraction of iodine, sodium, and potassium nitrates. NIDs have been relatively underexplored from a biological perspective. To address this, we collected sixteen soil samples from abandoned mines in Oficinas Pissis and Savona for chemical, mineralogical, and metagenomic analyses. The soils primarily consisted of halite and darapskite, with only one sample being predominantly composed of thenardite. Deliquescence and water activity measurements yielded values ranging from 0.02% to 0.40% and 0.47 to 0.62, respectively. To investigate the presence, identification, relative abundance, and diversity of microbial life in NID soils, we employed MiSeq high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatic tools. The dominant phyla observed were Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, with Actinobacteria and Cyanobacteria being predominant in two soil samples. Furthermore, we detected nitrate/perchlorate-reducing bacterial activity in enriched cultures from the soil samples. This study sheds light on the resilience of microbial life in the Atacama Desert NIDs, providing compelling evidence for its existence and offering insight into factors that could facilitate it within this unique environment.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems8020046","authors":["M. Arturo Cortes","Priscilla Avendaño","Olga Encalada","Camila Salazar‐Ardiles","David C. Andrade","Benito Gómez‐Silva","Daniel Contreras","Norman Toro","Dayana Arias","‪Lorena Escudero"],"tags":["Firmicutes","Actinobacteria","Environmental chemistry","Proteobacteria","Soil water"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems8020046","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4392849251","name":"Halogen-bearing metasomatizing melt preserved in high-pressure (HP) eclogites of Pfaffenberg, Bohemian Massif","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. Primary granitic melt inclusions are trapped in garnets of eclogites in the garnet peridotite body of Pfaffenberg, Granulitgebirge (Bohemian Massif, Germany). These polycrystalline inclusions, based on their nature and composition, can be called nanogranitoids and contain mainly phlogopite/biotite, kumdykolite, quartz/rare cristobalite, a phase with the main Raman peak at 412 cm−1, a phase with the main Raman peak at 430 cm−1, osumilite and plagioclase. The melt is hydrous, peraluminous and granitic and significantly enriched in large ion lithophile elements (LILE), Th, U, Li, B and Pb. The melt major element composition resembles that of melts produced by the partial melting of metasediments, as also supported by its trace element signature characterized by elements (LILE, Pb, Li and B) typical of the continental crust. These microstructural and geochemical features suggest that the investigated melt originated in the subducted continental crust and interacted with the mantle to produce the Pfaffenberg eclogite. Moreover, in situ analyses and calculations based on partition coefficients between apatite and melt show that the melt was also enriched in Cl and F, pointing toward the presence of a brine during melting. The melt preserved in inclusions can thus be regarded as an example of a metasomatizing agent present at depth and responsible for the interaction between the crust and the mantle. Chemical similarities between this melt and other metasomatizing melts measured in other eclogites from the Granulitgebirge and Erzgebirge, in addition to the overall similar enrichment in trace elements observed in other metasomatized mantle rocks from central Europe, suggest an extended crustal contamination of the mantle beneath the Bohemian Massif during the Variscan orogeny.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/ejm-36-279-2024","authors":["Alessia Borghini","Silvio Ferrero","Patrick J. O’Brien","Bernd Wunder","Peter Tollan","Jarosław Majka","Rico Fuchs","Kerstin Gresky"],"tags":["Massif","Eclogite","Geology","Geochemistry","Bearing (navigation)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/ejm-36-279-2024","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4392717076","name":"Cathodoluminescence differentiates sedimentary organic matter types","source":"openalex","abstract":"High-resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM) visualization of sedimentary organic matter is widely utilized in the geosciences for evaluating microscale rock properties relevant to depositional environment, diagenesis, and the processes of fluid generation, transport, and storage. However, despite thousands of studies which have incorporated SEM methods, the inability of SEM to differentiate sedimentary organic matter types has hampered the pace of scientific advancement. In this study, we show that SEM-cathodoluminescence (CL) properties can be used to identify and characterize sedimentary organic matter at low thermal maturity conditions. Eleven varied mudstone samples with a broad array of sedimentary organic matter types, ranging from the Paleoproterozoic to Eocene in age, were investigated. Sedimentary organic matter fluorescence intensity and CL intensity showed an almost one-to-one correspondence, with certain exceptions in three samples potentially related to radiolytic alteration. Therefore, because CL emission can be used as a proxy for fluorescence emission from sedimentary organic matter, CL emission during SEM visualization can be used to differentiate fluorescent from non-fluorescent sedimentary organic matter. This result will allow CL to be used as a visual means to quickly differentiate sedimentary organic matter types without employing correlative optical microscopy and could be widely and rapidly adapted for SEM-based studies in the geosciences.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-53168-z","authors":["Paul C. Hackley","Ryan J. McAleer","Aaron M. Jubb","Brett J. Valentine","Justin E. Birdwell"],"tags":["Sedimentary organic matter","Sedimentary rock","Cathodoluminescence","Organic matter","Sedimentary depositional environment"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-53168-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402471158","name":"The effect of carbonate assimilation and nanoheterogeneities on the viscosity of phonotephritic melt from Vesuvius","source":"openalex","abstract":"Interaction between magma and carbonate plays a pivotal role in volcanic systems, yet its impact on magma transport properties remains inadequately explored. This study presents novel viscosity data on a leucite-bearing phonotephritic melt from the 472 CE Pollena eruption (Vesuvius, Italy), doped with varying amounts of CaO and CaO + MgO. The compositions match the chemistry of melt inclusions and interstitial glasses from skarns at Vesuvius, which have been interpreted as related to mixing of magma with different amounts of CaO and MgO derived from the host carbonates (limestone and dolostone). Viscosity measurements were conducted at both high (1150–1400 °C) and low temperatures (640–760 °C) by concentric cylinder viscometry, differential scanning calorimetry, and micropenetration methods. Through an integrated approach which combines Brillouin and Raman spectroscopy with the aforementioned techniques, we accurately predict the viscosity changes induced by magma‑carbonate interaction and identify the formation of nanoheterogeneities during low-temperature viscosity measurements. Notably, viscosity models from the literature fail to accurately reproduce our experimental data set at both high and low temperature. In the high-temperature regime, the addition of CaO induces a remarkable viscosity decrease, surpassing that produced by CaO + MgO addition. Furthermore, our findings reveal a significant viscosity/temperature crossover resulting from the addition of CaO and CaO + MgO to the melt phase. Undoped melt exhibits a higher viscosity compared to doped melts above 750 °C, with an inverse trend observed below this temperature threshold. Such rheological constraints may affect the mobility and mixing capability of melts exposed to different levels of carbonate assimilation. • Viscosity measurements on CaO and CaO + MgO-doped phonotephritic melts are presented. • Experiments simulate viscosity changes due to magma-carbonate interaction in nature. • Nanoheterogeneities in low-temperature viscosity measurements are observed. • Viscosity models fail to predict viscosity changes caused by carbonate assimilation. • At high-temperature, the addition of CaO induces a marked viscosity decrease.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2024.122408","authors":["Gabriele F. Giuliani","Danilo Di Genova","Fabrizio Di Fiore","Pedro Valdivia","Silvio Mollo","Cláudia Romano","Tiziana Boffa Ballaran","Alexander Kurnosov","Alessandro Vona"],"tags":["Geology","Carbonate","Assimilation (phonology)","Viscosity","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2024.122408","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4409093756","name":"Using Machine Learning for Lunar Mineralogy-I: Hyperspectral Imaging of Volcanic Samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"This study examines the mineral composition of volcanic samples similar to lunar materials, focusing on olivine and pyroxene. Using hyperspectral imaging (HSI) from 400 to 1000 nm, we created data cubes to analyze the reflectance characteristics of samples from Vulcano, a volcanically active island in the Aeolian archipelago, north of Sicily, Italy, categorizing them into nine regions of interest (ROIs) and analyzing spectral data for each. We applied various unsupervised clustering algorithms, including K-Means, hierarchical clustering, Gaussian mixture models (GMMs), and spectral clustering, to classify the spectral profiles. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed distinct spectral signatures associated with specific minerals, facilitating precise identification. The clustering performance varied by region, with K-Means achieving the highest silhouette score of 0.47, whereas GMMs performed poorly with a score of only 0.25. Non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) aided in identifying similarities among clusters across different methods and reference spectra for olivine and pyroxene. Hierarchical clustering emerged as the most reliable technique, achieving a 94% similarity with the olivine spectrum in one sample, whereas GMMs exhibited notable variability. Overall, the analysis indicated that both the hierarchical and K-Means methods yielded lower errors in total measurements, with K-Means demonstrating superior performance in estimated dispersion and clustering. Additionally, GMMs showed a higher root mean square error (RMSE) compared to the other models. The RMSE analysis confirmed K-Means as the most consistent algorithm across all samples, suggesting a predominance of olivine in the Vulcano region relative to pyroxene. This predominance is likely linked to historical formation conditions similar to volcanic processes on the Moon, where olivine-rich compositions are common in ancient lava flows and impact-melt rocks. These findings provide a deeper context for mineral distribution and formation processes in volcanic landscapes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/universe11040117","authors":["Fatemeh Fazel Hesar","Mojtaba Raouf","Peyman Soltani","B. Foing","M. J. A. de Dood","Fons J. Verbeek"],"tags":["Hyperspectral imaging","Physics","Volcano","Astrobiology","Remote sensing"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/universe11040117","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W2060496445","name":"The dynamics of global change at the P aleocene‐ E ocene thermal maximum: A data‐model comparison","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We integrate published stable isotopic, chemical, mineralogical, and biotic data from the onset of the Paleocene‐Eocene thermal maximum (PETM) at Site 690, Maud Rise in the Southern Ocean. The integrated data set documents a sequence of environmental steps including warming of the ocean from the surface downward, and modification of its thermal and nutrient structure, acidification of the deep ocean, and the onset of continental weathering. The age of the events with respect to the onset of the PETM is calibrated with three different age models. The relative and absolute timing of the steps are compared with simulated temperature, salinity, calcite saturation, and dissolved PO4 and O2, at different depths in the ocean, generated with the UVic Earth System Climate Model of intermediate complexity. The simulation supports the top to bottom transfer of heat and carbon, and generally agrees with age models in terms of the durations of leads and lags in temperature, C‐isotope, and biotic responses. Moreover, the simulation shows that stratification increased and the nutricline strengthened at the onset of the PETM. These environmental changes explain the abundance of deep‐dwelling nannoplankton and foraminifera during the early part of the event. The modeled calcite saturation is consistent with a harsh deep‐sea habitat at the time of the benthic foraminiferal extinction.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2014gc005474","authors":["Timothy J. Bralower","Katrin J. Meißner","K. Alexander","Deborah J Thomas"],"tags":["Geology","Dynamics (music)","Thermal","Paleontology","Geophysics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-09-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2014gc005474","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W3155867332","name":"Employing magma ocean crystallization models to constrain structure and composition of the lunar interior","source":"openalex","abstract":"The process of lunar magma ocean solidification provides crucial constraints on the composition and extent of distinct chemical reservoirs in the lunar mantle that formed during the early evolution of the Moon. We use a combination of phase equilibria models consistent with recent experimental results on fractional crystallization of the lunar magma ocean to study the effect of bulk silicate Moon composition on the properties of lunar mantle reservoirs. We find that the densities and relative proportions of these mantle reservoirs, in particular of the late forming ilmenite bearing cumulates (IBC), strongly depend on the FeO content of the bulk silicate Moon. This relation has implications for post-magma ocean mantle dynamics and the resulting mass distribution in the lunar interior, because the IBC form at shallow depths but tend to sink towards the core mantle boundary due to their high density. We quantify the relations between bulk silicate Moon FeO content, IBC thickness and bulk Moon density as well as mantle stratigraphy and bulk silicate Moon moment of inertia in order to constrain the bulk silicate Moon FeO content and the efficiency of IBC sinking. In combination with seismic and selenodetic constraints on mantle stratigraphy, core radius and extent of the possibly IBC bearing low velocity zone at the core mantle boundary as well as considerations about the present day selenotherm and the effects of reservoir mixing by convection our model indicates that the bulk silicate Moon is only moderately enriched in FeO compared to the Earth's mantle and contains most likely about 9.4–10.9 wt% FeO (with a lowermost limit of 8.3 wt% and an uppermost limit of 11.9 wt%). We further conclude that the observed bulk silicate Moon moment of inertia requires that sinking of the IBC layer by mantle convection was incomplete: only ~20–60% of the IBC material might have reached the core mantle boundary, while the rest either remained at the depth of its formation right beneath the crust or was mixed into the middle mantle.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pepi.2021.106831","authors":["Sabrina Schwinger","D. Breuer"],"tags":["Geology","Crystallization","Magma","Fractional crystallization (geology)","Composition (language)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-12-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pepi.2021.106831","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W7164757005","name":"Concrete for Extraterrestrial Construction – Ideal for 3D Printing in Space","source":"openalex","abstract":"Innovative building materials and techniques that take advantage of in situ resources utilization (ISRU) for the sustainable development of extraterrestrial habitats are required to achieve sustainable human activity on the Moon and Mars. However, for space constructions, the conventional construction methods on Earth are not practical in such extreme environmental conditions and logistical limitations, so new construction materials based on regolith are studied, such as regolith-based concrete, geopolymer, and biopolymer (biocomposites). The use of locally sourced aggregates and alternatives to binders in 3D printing (additive manufacturing) such as alkali-activated geopolymers and protein-based biobinders with promising mechanical properties poses challenges for their scalability and their resistance to extraterrestrial stressors. Ensuring the structural integrity and longevity of space habitats is fundamentally important for the adaptation of concrete mixtures in space conditions of microgravity, vacuum, radiation and thermal cycling. Continuing experimental initiatives like NASA's 3D Printed Habitat Challenge prove the viability of critical technologies and demonstrate the significance of robotic automation, digital twin modelling and sensor integration in quality assurance and lifecycle management. Although remarkable advances have been made, there are still gaps in knowledge on processing, material stability and energy-efficient operation, highlighting the need for multi-disciplinary collaboration to achieve resilient, sustainable human settlements beyond Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i03.81457","authors":["Karanbir Randhawa","Anhad Gill"],"tags":["Habitability","Extraterrestrial life","Engineering","Construction engineering","Quality (philosophy)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i03.81457","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4205969545","name":"Surface environment of Phobos and Phobos simulant UTPS","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission will study the Martian moons Phobos and Deimos, Mars, and their environments. The mission scenario includes both landing on the surface of Phobos to collect samples and deploying a small rover for in situ observations. Engineering safeties and scientific planning for these operations require appropriate evaluations of the surface environment of Phobos. Thus, the mission team organized the Landing Operation Working Team (LOWT) and Surface Science and Geology Sub-Science Team (SSG-SST), whose view of the Phobos environment is summarized in this paper. While orbital and large-scale characteristics of Phobos are relatively well known, characteristics of the surface regolith, including the particle size-distributions, the packing density, and the mechanical properties, are difficult to constrain. Therefore, we developed several types of simulated soil materials (simulant), such as UTPS-TB (University of Tokyo Phobos Simulant, Tagish Lake based), UTPS-IB (Impact-hypothesis based), and UTPS-S (Simpler version) for engineering and scientific evaluation experiments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40623-021-01406-3","authors":["Hideaki Miyamoto","Takafumi Niihara","Koji Wada","Kazunori Ogawa","Hiroki Senshu","Patrick Michel","Hiroshi Kikuchi","Ryodo Hemmi","Tomoki Nakamura","A. Nakamura","Naoyuki Hirata","Sho Sasaki","Erik Asphaug","D. T. Britt","Paul A. Abell","Ronald‐Louis Ballouz","Olivier S. Banouin","Nicola Baresi","M. A. Barucci","Jens Biele","Matthias Grott","Hideitsu Hino","Peng K. Hong","Takane Imada","Shingo Kameda","Makito Kobayashi","G. Libourel","Katsuro Mogi","Naomi Murdoch","Yuki Nishio","Shogo Okamoto","Yuichiro Ota","Masatsugu Otsuki","Katharina A. Otto","Naoya Sakatani","Yuta Shimizu","Tomohiro Takemura","Naoki Terada","Masafumi Tsukamoto","Tomohiro Usui","Konrad Willner"],"tags":["Regolith","Astrobiology","Mars Exploration Program","Martian surface","Martian"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40623-021-01406-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W7117368816","name":"Zincochromite in gold–fuchsite veins at the Chudnoe Au–Pd deposit (Subpolar Urals): Genetic aspects","source":"openalex","abstract":"Research subject. Zincochromite in veins of chromium-bearing mica (fuchsite) in metarhyolites. Aim. To establish the relationships of zincochromite with other minerals and Au–Pd mineralization. To determine the place and role of zincochromite in the process of mineral formation. Methods. Polished sections from ore samples and concentrates of heavy minerals mounted in epoxy resin were studied using optical and electron microscopes. The composition of minerals was determined using SEM/EDS. Results. Idiomorphic crystals of zincochromite in fuchsite veins (up to 12 µm in size) are localized directly in fuchsite, less frequently in allanite; intergrowths with native gold and palladium arsenoantimonides were noted. Zincochromite contains 15.5–27.5 wt % ZnO and 40.2–47.5 wt % Cr 2 O 3 . The most Zn-rich mineral has the following formula: (Zn 0.77 Fe 2+ 0.13 Mn 0.10 ) (Cr 1.37 Fe 3+ 0.42 Al 0.21 ) 2 O 4 . The Cr 2 O 3 content in fuchsite veins varies across a significant range (from 0.2 to 12.4 wt %); however, zincochromite is usually enclosed in fuchsite with a Cr 2 O 3 content of more than 1.5 wt %. Conclusions. All rocks in the area of the Chudnoe deposit, including ores, are metamorphosed in the conditions of biotite subfacies of greenschist facies. The formation of zincochromite is associated with metamorphic transformations of fuchsite veins enclosed in rhyolites. During recrystallization of fuchsite, zincochromite crystals are formed at the expense of the latter. Zinc required for the synthesis of zincochromite came from metamorphosed fuchsite veins and host rhyolites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.24930/1681-9004-2025-25-6-1384-1403","authors":["S. A. Onishchenko"],"tags":["Mica","Greenschist","Mineral","Recrystallization (geology)","Biotite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.24930/1681-9004-2025-25-6-1384-1403","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4400614487","name":"Spectro-photometry of Phobos simulants","source":"openalex","abstract":"Previous Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Mars Express observations of Phobos and Deimos, the moons of Mars, have improved our understanding of these small bodies. However, their formation and composition remain poorly constrained. Physical and spectral properties suggest that Phobos may be a weakly thermal-altered captured asteroid but the dynamical properties of the martian system suggest a formation by giant collision similar to the Earth moon. In 2027, the JAXA’s MMX mission aims to address these outstanding questions. We undertook measurements with a new simulant called OPPS (Observatory of Paris Phobos Simulant) which closely matches Phobos reflectance spectra from the visible to the mid-infrared wavelength range. The simulant was synthesized using a mixture of olivine, saponite, anthracite, and coal. Since observation geometry strongly influences the photometry and spectra of the light reflected from planetary surfaces, we evaluated the parameters obtained by modeling the phase curves – obtained through laboratory measurements – of two different Phobos simulants (UTPS-TB and OPPS) using Hapke IMSA model. Our results show that the photometric properties of Phobos simulants are not fully consistent with those of carbonaceous chondrites and martian meteorites. We also investigated the detection of volatiles/organic compounds and hydrated minerals, as the presence of such components is expected on Phobos in the hypothesis of a captured primitive asteroid. To investigate their detectability, we examined the variability of the 3.28μm and 3.42μm absorption bands related to aliphatic/aromatic carbon (as a proxy of organic material), as well as the 2.7μm O–H feature in a Phobos laboratory spectroscopic simulant. The results indicate that a significant amount of organic compounds is required for the detection of C–H bands at 3.4μm. The bands at 3.28 and 3.42μm are faint (less than 2%) when ∼3 wt% of organic compounds are present in the simulant and are likely undetectable by the MIRS spectrometer onboard the MMX mission. When the concentration of aliphatic and aromatic compounds is increased to 6 wt%, a positive detection starts to become more plausible using remote sensing infrared spectroscopy. In contrast, the 2.7μm absorption band, due to hydrated minerals, is much deeper and easier to detect than C–H organic features at the same concentration levels. The feature is still clearly detectable even when the simulant contains only 3 vol.% of phyllosilicates, corresponding to 0.7 wt% OH groups. Posing limits on detectability of some possible key components of Phobos surface will be pivotal to prepare and interpret future observations of the MIRS spectrometer as well as TENGOO and OROCHI cameras onboard MMX mission.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2024.116216","authors":["Antonin Wargnier","T. N. Gautier","A. Doressoundiram","Giovanni Poggiali","Pierre Beck","Olivier Poch","É. Quirico","Tomoki Nakamura","Hideaki Miyamoto","Shingo Kameda","P. H. Hasselmann","Nathalie Ruscassier","A. Buch","S. Fornasier","M. A. Barucci"],"tags":["Asteroid","Astrobiology","Photometry (optics)","Mars Exploration Program","Ejecta"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2024.116216","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4394785782","name":"Thermochemical interactions between yttria‐stabilized zirconia and molten lunar regolith simulants","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Oxygen produced through in‐situ resource utilization (ISRU) is critical to maintaining a permanent human presence on the lunar surface. Molten regolith electrolysis and carbothermal reduction are two promising ISRU techniques for generating oxygen directly from lunar regolith, which is primarily a mixture of oxide minerals; however, both processes require operating temperatures of 1600°C to melt lunar regolith and dissociate the molten oxides. These conditions limit the use of many oxide refractory materials, such as Al 2 O 3 and MgO, due to rapid degradation resulting from reactions between the refractory materials and molten lunar regolith. Yttria‐stabilized zirconia (YSZ) is shown here to be a promising refractory oxide to provide containment of molten regolith while demonstrating limited reactivity. This work focuses on corrosion studies of YSZ powders and dense YSZ crucibles in contact with molten lunar maria and highlands regolith simulants at 1600°C. The interactions between YSZ and molten regolith were characterized using scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and electron backscatter diffraction. A FactSage thermochemical model was created for comparison with the experimental results. These combined analyses suggest that lunar maria regolith will degrade the YSZ faster than the lunar highlands regolith due to the lower viscosity of the maria regolith. The feasibility of long‐term molten regolith containment with YSZ is discussed based on the YSZ powder and crucible results.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jace.19821","authors":["Kevin Yu","Jamesa L. Stokes","Bryan J. Harder","Lorlyn Reidy","K. T. Faber"],"tags":["Regolith","Materials science","Yttria-stabilized zirconia","Sintering","Crucible (geodemography)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jace.19821","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4399986651","name":"Presolar grains","source":"openalex","abstract":"The chemical makeup of our solar system is a reflection of Galactic chemical evolution in the local interstellar medium (ISM) over the past ~9 Ga before the formation of the solar system. Although the incorporated ISM dust was mostly destroyed during the solar system formation, a small fraction of the ISM dust, known as presolar grains, is preserved in pristine extraterrestrial materials and identified through their exotic isotopic compositions, pointing to their formation in gas outflows or explosions of ancient stars. Since their stellar birth at more than 4.6 Ga, presolar grains have borne witness to a diverse array of astrophysical and cosmochemical processes. In this chapter, I will review recent progress in utilizing the isotopic and structural compositions of presolar grains to constrain physical mixing processes and dust formation in stars, stellar nucleosynthesis, ISM processes, and the origin and evolution of the solar system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2406.14694","authors":["Nan Liu"],"tags":["Presolar grains","Astrobiology","Physics","Meteorite","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2406.14694","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4389958223","name":"Effect of (in)organic additives on microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation","source":"openalex","abstract":"AIM: This study aimed to understand the morphological effects of (in)organic additives on microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP). METHODS AND RESULTS: MICP was monitored in real time in the presence of (in)organic additives: bovine serum albumin (BSA), biofilm surface layer protein A (BslA), magnesium chloride (MgCl2), and poly-l-lysine. This monitoring was carried out using confocal microscopy to observe the formation of CaCO3 from the point of nucleation, in comparison to conditions without additives. Complementary methodologies, namely scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, were employed to assess the visual morphology, elemental composition, and crystalline structures of CaCO3, respectively, following the crystals' formation. The results demonstrated that in the presence of additives, more CaCO3 crystals were produced at 100 min compared to the reaction without additives. The inclusion of BslA resulted in larger crystals than reactions containing other additives, including MgCl2. BSA induced a significant number of crystals from the early stages of the reaction (20 min) but did not have a substantial impact on crystal size compared to conditions without additives. All additives led to a higher content of calcite compared to vaterite after a 24-h reaction, with the exception of MgCl2, which produced a substantial quantity of magnesium calcite. CONCLUSIONS: The work demonstrates the effect of several (in)organic additives on MICP and sets the stage for further research to understand additive effects on MICP to achieve controlled CaCO3 precipitation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jambio/lxad309","authors":["Jamie Haystead","Katie Gilmour","Angela Sherry","Martyn Dade‐Robertson","Meng Zhang"],"tags":["Vaterite","Calcite","Calcium carbonate","Magnesium","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jambio/lxad309","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W7165828073","name":"Magnetic Analysis of Extraterrestrial Samples: The Importance of Low-Temperature Measurements","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W7165828073","authors":["Masahiko Sato"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology","Geology","Remote sensing","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4403432696","name":"Extensive iron–water exchange at Earth’s core–mantle boundary can explain seismic anomalies","source":"openalex","abstract":"Seismological observations indicate the presence of chemical heterogeneities at the lowermost mantle, just above the core-mantle boundary (CMB), sparking debate over their origins. A plausible explanation for the enigmatic seismic wave velocities observed in ultra-low-velocity zones (ULVZs) is the process of iron enrichment from the core to the silicate mantle. However, traditional models based on diffusion of atoms and penetration of molten iron fail to account for the significant iron enrichment observed in ULVZs. Here, we show that the chemical reaction between silicate bridgmanite and iron under hydrous conditions leads to profound iron enrichment within silicate, a process not seen in anhydrous conditions. Our findings suggest that the interaction between the core and mantle facilitates deep iron enrichment over a few kilometres at the bottom of the mantle when water is present. We propose that the seismic signatures observed in ULVZs indicate whole mantle convection, accompanied by deep water cycles from the crust to the core through Earth's history.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-52677-9","authors":["Katsutoshi Kawano","Masayuki Nishi","H. Kuwahara","Sho Kakizawa","Toru Inoue","Tadashi Kondo"],"tags":["Mantle (geology)","Core–mantle boundary","Geology","Silicate","Geophysics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-52677-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391681061","name":"Atmospheric formaldehyde production on early Mars leading to a potential formation of bio-important molecules","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Formaldehyde (H2CO) is a critical precursor for the abiotic formation of biomolecules, including amino acids and sugars, which are the building blocks of proteins and RNA. Geomorphological and geochemical evidence on Mars indicates a temperate environment compatible with the existence of surface liquid water during its early history at 3.8–3.6 billion years ago (Ga), which was maintained by the warming effect of reducing gases, such as H2. However, it remains uncertain whether such a temperate and weakly reducing surface environment on early Mars was suitable for producing H2CO. In this study, we investigated the atmospheric production of H2CO on early Mars using a 1-D photochemical model assuming a thick CO2-dominated atmosphere with H2 and CO. Our results show that a continuous supply of atmospheric H2CO can be used to form various organic compounds, including amino acids and sugars. This could be a possible origin for the organic matter observed on the Martian surface. Given the previously reported conversion rate from H2CO into ribose, the calculated H2CO deposition flux suggests a continuous supply of bio-important sugars on early Mars, particularly during the Noachian and early Hesperian periods.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52718-9","authors":["Shungo Koyama","Arihiro Kamada","Yoshihiro Furukawa","Naoki Terada","Yuki Nakamura","Tatsuya Yoshida","Takeshi Kuroda","Ann Carine Vandaele"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Formaldehyde","Environmental science","Production (economics)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52718-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4395673462","name":"Enceladus: Astrobiology Revisited","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Astrobiology research seeks to understand how life begins and evolves, and to determine whether life exist elsewhere in the universe. The discovery of diverse ocean worlds has significantly expanded the number of planetary bodies in the Solar System that could potentially contain life. Of the recognized ocean worlds, Saturn's moon Enceladus stands out because it appears to meet all requirements to sustain life. For that reason, robotic mission concepts are being developed to determine whether Enceladus' ocean is inhabited. The theory of organic chemical evolution (OCE) represents an ideal framework to guide this exploration strategy, articulating investigations and associated measurements of organic matter in the subsurface ocean. Within this reference frame, the immediate priority with the lowest science risk would be to understand molecular and structural properties of bulk organic matter in the ocean, and search for metabolic precursors and biochemical building blocks, both free and bound. This could be supplemented with “high‐risk, high‐reward” searches for functional polymers, catalytic activity, and cell‐like objects with traits indicative of evolutionary adaptations. The theory of OCE provides a robust scientific foundation for the astrobiological exploration of ocean worlds, fostering a productive path to discovery with lower mission risk that could be implemented with existing technology. Strong synergies between astrobiology and Earth‐bound research could ensue from this exploration strategy particularly in the context of terrestrial analog studies and laboratory simulations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023jg007677","authors":["Alfonso F. Dávila","J. L. Eigenbrode"],"tags":["Enceladus","Astrobiology","Context (archaeology)","Habitability","Extraterrestrial life"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023jg007677","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W2964407618","name":"Organic Material in Micrometeorites: Processes Affecting Its Delivery to Planetary Environments","source":"openalex","abstract":"During their delivery to Earth, extraterrestrial dust particles (EDPs) are heated via aerodynamic braking in the upper atmosphere, liberating volatile and organic species. This study investigates the influence of atmospheric entry heating on this liberation process from Murchison (an EDP analogue), in order to assess the EDP contribution of biologically significant material to the early Earth. Experimental simulations used a filament pulse pyrolyser to flash heat Murchison, replicating early Earth EDP atmospheric entry conditions. These simulations determined that the dehydration of phyllosilicates, the decomposition of organic and carbonate materials released H2O, organic carbon and CO2, respectively. Further characterisation of the released organic species (using GCxGC-TOFMS) identified a range of aliphatic, aromatic, PAH, O-bearing, S-bearing and N-bearing species; including biomolecule precursors. Relative abundances of these organic species were dependant not only on simulation peak temperature and duration, but also on their reaction with other fragments, which may have led to their production as secondary products. In a complimentary study, comprehensive volatile organic analysis of Antarctic micrometeorites (AMMs) identified a range of aromatic, aliphatic, N-bearing, S-bearing, S-N-bearing and O-bearing species. Variations in the distribution of AMM aromatic species in comparison to the EDP analogue (as used in simulations) are consistent with i) the liberation of species during atmospheric entry heating ii) the alteration of organic material during Antarctic weathering processes and iii) a contribution from terrestrial sources. Alternatively, these deviations could reflect a different source (parent body) composition. This investigation demonstrates that the abundance and composition of volatile and organic species liberated and retained in EDPs during entry heating (and their subsequent atmospheric reactions), may have played a role in atmospheric and climate development. EDPs additionally served as a source of prebiotic molecules and may have provided sites for chemical evolution.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21954/ou.ro.0000f233","authors":["Rebecca Wilson"],"tags":["Murchison meteorite","Astrobiology","Chemistry","Atmosphere (unit)","Atmospheric entry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.21954/ou.ro.0000f233","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4404639395","name":"Prebiotic formation of enantiomeric excess D-amino acids on natural pyrite","source":"openalex","abstract":"D-amino acids, found in excess in a minority of organisms and crucial for marine invertebrates, contrast with the more common L-amino acids in most life forms. The local prebiotic origin of D-amino acid enantiomeric excess in natural systems remains an unsolved conundrum. Herein, we demonstrate the formation of enantiomeric excess (ee) D-amino acids through photocatalytic reductive amination of α-keto acids on natural pyrite. Various amino acids with ee values in the range of 14.5-42.4%, are formed. The wavy arrangement of atoms on the surface of pyrite is speculated to lead to the preferential formation of D-amino acids. This work reveals the intrinsic asymmetric photocatalytic activity of pyrite, which could expand understandings on mechanism of asymmetric catalysis and chirality of inorganic crystals. Furthermore, it provides a plausible pathway for the prebiotic formation of D-amino acids, adding further evidence to the origin of D-amino acids enantiomeric excess in natural systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54481-x","authors":["Ruiqi Li","Quanzheng Deng","Lu Han","Tianwei Ouyang","Shunai Che","Yuxi Fang"],"tags":["Amino acid","Chemistry","Enantiomer","Enantiomeric excess","Abiogenesis"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54481-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W3140559137","name":"Challenges to the Prohibition on Sovereignty in Outer Space - A New Frontier for Space Governance","source":"openalex","abstract":"The current space arena has changed significantly since the 1950s, when outer space activities commenced. At the time of the adoption of the Outer Space Treaty (and the related General Assembly Resolutions), the outer space arena was largely dominated by the political interests of the two major space powers, the USA and the (then) USSR. Although states have remained the primary actors in regulating the use of outer space, the extent to which private companies would become involved in the exploration and use of space was not envisaged at the time of the conclusion of the space treaties. It is particularly the involvement of private space actors that complicates the traditional understanding of the prohibition on territorial sovereignty in outer space. With specific reference to the outer space boundary, the principle of the common heritage of humankind and property rights in outer space, this contribution aims to highlight some of the challenges to the prohibition of sovereignty in view of current developments in the arena of outer space. This analysis suggests that the blanket prohibition on sovereignty in outer space should be re-evaluated in order to keep up with the fast developing technological advancements in space exploration, and that clear legal rules be developed to provide legal certainty for all role players.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17159/1727-3781/2021/v24i0a8685","authors":["Anél Ferreira-Snyman"],"tags":["Outer space","Sovereignty","Space (punctuation)","Space law","Political science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-03-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.17159/1727-3781/2021/v24i0a8685","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4398191693","name":"Artificial Greenhouse Gases as Exoplanet Technosignatures","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Atmospheric pollutants such as chlorofluorocarbons and NO2 have been proposed as potential remotely detectable atmospheric technosignature gases. Here we investigate the potential for artificial greenhouse gases including CF4, C2F6, C3F8, SF6, and NF3 to generate detectable atmospheric signatures. In contrast to passive incidental by-products of industrial processes, artificial greenhouse gases would represent an intentional effort to change the climate of a planet with long-lived, low-toxicity gases and would possess low false positive potential. An extraterrestrial civilization may be motivated to undertake such an effort to arrest a predicted snowball state on their home world or to terraform an otherwise uninhabitable terrestrial planet within their system. Because artificial greenhouse gases strongly absorb in the thermal mid-infrared window of temperate atmospheres, a terraformed planet will logically possess strong absorption features from these gases at mid-infrared wavelengths (∼8–12 μm), possibly accompanied by diagnostic features in the near-infrared. As a proof of concept, we calculate the needed observation time to detect 1 [10](100) ppm of C2F6/C3F8/SF6 on TRAPPIST-1 f with JWST MIRI’s Low Resolution Spectrometer (LRS) and NIRSpec. We find that a combination of 1[10](100) ppm each of C2F6, C3F8, and SF6 can be detected with a signal-to-noise ratio ≧ 5 in as few as 25[10](5) transits with MIRI/LRS. We further explore mid-infrared direct-imaging scenarios with the Large Interferometer for Exoplanets mission concept and find these gases are more detectable than standard biosignatures at these concentrations. Consequently, artificial greenhouse gases can be readily detected (or excluded) during normal planetary characterization observations with no additional overhead.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad4ce8","authors":["Edward W. Schwieterman","Thomas J. Fauchez","Jacob Haqq‐Misra","Ravi Kopparapu","Daniel Angerhausen","Daria Pidhorodetska","Michaela Leung","Evan L. Sneed","Elsa Ducrot"],"tags":["Exoplanet","Greenhouse gas","Greenhouse","Environmental science","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad4ce8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4401713939","name":"Apollo Next Generation Sample Analysis (ANGSA): an Apollo Participating Scientist Program to Prepare the Lunar Sample Community for Artemis","source":"openalex","abstract":"As a first step in preparing for the return of samples from the Moon by the Artemis Program, NASA initiated the Apollo Next Generation Sample Analysis Program (ANGSA). ANGSA was designed to function as a low-cost sample return mission and involved the curation and analysis of samples previously returned by the Apollo 17 mission that remained unopened or stored under unique conditions for 50 years. These samples include the lower portion of a double drive tube previously sealed on the lunar surface, the upper portion of that drive tube that had remained unopened, and a variety of Apollo 17 samples that had remained stored at −27 °C for approximately 50 years. ANGSA constitutes the first preliminary examination phase of a lunar “sample return mission” in over 50 years. It also mimics that same phase of an Artemis surface exploration mission, its design included placing samples within the context of local and regional geology through new orbital observations collected since Apollo and additional new “boots-on-the-ground” observations, data synthesis, and interpretations provided by Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt. ANGSA used new curation techniques to prepare, document, and allocate these new lunar samples, developed new tools to open and extract gases from their containers, and applied new analytical instrumentation previously unavailable during the Apollo Program to reveal new information about these samples. Most of the 90 scientists, engineers, and curators involved in this mission were not alive during the Apollo Program, and it had been 30 years since the last Apollo core sample was processed in the Apollo curation facility at NASA JSC. There are many firsts associated with ANGSA that have direct relevance to Artemis. ANGSA is the first to open a core sample previously sealed on the surface of the Moon, the first to extract and analyze lunar gases collected in situ , the first to examine a core that penetrated a lunar landslide deposit, and the first to process pristine Apollo samples in a glovebox at −20 °C. All the ANGSA activities have helped to prepare the Artemis generation for what is to come. The timing of this program, the composition of the team, and the preservation of unopened Apollo samples facilitated this generational handoff from Apollo to Artemis that sets up Artemis and the lunar sample science community for additional successes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-024-01094-x","authors":["C. K. Shearer","F. M. McCubbin","S. A. Eckley","S. B. Simon","A. P. Meshik","Francesca McDonald","H. H. Schmitt","R. A. Zeigler","Jill Gross","John Mitchell","C. H. Krysher","R. V. Morris","Rita Parai","B. L. Jolliff","J. J. Gillis‐Davis","K. H. Joy","S. K. Bell","P. G. Lucey","Lingzhi Sun","Z. D. Sharp","C. A. Dukes","A. Sehlke","A. Mosie","J. Allton","C. Amick","Justin I. Simon","Timmons M. Erickson","Jessica Barnes","M. D. Dyar","Katherine Burgess","N. E. Petro","D. P. Moriarty","Noirin Curran","Jamie E. Elsila","Roberto A. Colina‐Ruiz","Thomas Kröll","D. Sokaras","H. A. Ishii","J. P. Bradley","D. F. Sears","B. A. Cohen","O. V. Pravdivseva","Mary Thompson","C. R. Neal","R. Hana","Richard A. Ketcham","K. C. Welten","the ANGSA science team"],"tags":["Apollo","Astrobiology","Sample (material)","Planetary science","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-024-01094-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4306725927","name":"Fluids and physicochemical properties and processes in the Earth","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Earth's fluid budget is dominated by species in the system C–O–H–N–S together with halogens such as F and Cl. H2O is by far the most abundant. Such fluids are one of the two main mass transport agents (fluid and magma) in the Earth. Among those, in particular aqueous fluids are efficient solvents of geochemically important components at high temperature and pressure. The solution capacity of aqueous fluids can be enhanced further by dissolved halogens and sulfur. CO2or nitrogen species has the opposite effect. Fluid-mediated transport in the Earth is by fluids passing through cracks at shallow depth and via percolation channels along grain boundaries at greater depth. Percolation velocity is linked to permeability, which, in turn is governed by rock porosity. Porosity is controlled by wetting angles,θ, at the interface between fluid and mineral surfaces. Whenθ < 60°, fluid will wet all grain boundaries of an isotropic crystalline material, whereas when greater than 60°, grain boundary wetting does not occur as readily, and fluid-mediated transport efficiency can be greatly reduced. The size of the wetting angle is negatively correlated with the solubility of silicate components in the fluids, which means that fluid composition, temperature, and pressure affect the wetting angles and, therefore, fluid-mediated mass transport efficiency in the interior of the Earth. Geophysical and geochemical anomalies in the Earth's interior have been linked to the presence of fluids. Fluid infiltration in crustal and mantle rocks will enhance electrical conductivity and seismic wave attenuation. For example, 5–10% H2O-rich fluids in the mantle wedge above subducting plates have been suggested from enhanced electrical conductivity. Similar fluid fractions have been suggested to be consistent with seismic velocities in these regions. The geochemistry of the crust and the mantle can be affected by fluid-mediated transport of major, minor, and trace elements. When such altered materials serve as source rocks of partial melts, those geochemical alterations also lead to changes in partial melt compositions. As an example, the presence of such aqueous fluid in the mantle wedge above subducting and dehydrating subducting slabs is consistent with partial melting of an H2O-bearing mantle wedge above subducted oceanic crust.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40645-022-00516-0","authors":["Bjørn O. Mysen"],"tags":["Wetting","Geology","Mineralogy","Fluid dynamics","Porosity"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40645-022-00516-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4393374529","name":"Permeation of photochemically-generated gaseous chlorine dioxide on Mars as a significant factor in destroying subsurface organic compounds","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract It has been shown that ultraviolet (UV) irradiation is responsible for the destruction of organic compounds on the surface of Mars. When combined with the photochemically-driven production of oxychlorines (ClOx) it can generate highly reactive species that can alter or destroy organic compounds. However, it has been assumed that since UV only penetrates the top few millimeters of the martian regolith, reactive ClOx oxidants are only produced on the surface. Of all the oxychlorine intermediates produced, gaseous chlorine dioxide [ClO2(g)] is of particular interest, being a highly reactive gas with the ability to oxidize organic compounds. Here we report on a set of experiments under Mars ambient conditions showing the production and permeation of ClO2(g) and its reaction with alanine as a test compound. Contrary to the accepted paradigm that UV irradiation on Mars only interacts with a thin layer of surface regolith, our results show that photochemically-generated ClO2(g) can permeate below the surface, depositing ClOx species (mainly Cl− and $${\\text{ClO}}_{3}^{ - }$$ ClO 3 - ) and destroying organic compounds. With varying levels of humidity and abundant chloride and oxychlorines on Mars, our findings show that permeation of ClO2(g) must be considered as a significant contributing factor in altering, fragmenting, or potentially destroying buried organic compounds on Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-57968-1","authors":["J. S. Newmark","Samuel P. Kounaves"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Regolith","Martian","Chemistry","Martian surface"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-57968-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4317513349","name":"Human challenges to adaptation to extreme professional environments: A systematic review","source":"openalex","abstract":"NASA is planning human exploration of the Moon, while preparations are underway for human missions to Mars, and deeper into the solar system. These missions will expose space travelers to unusual conditions, which they will have to adapt to. Similar conditions are found in several analogous environments on Earth, and studies can provide an initial understanding of the challenges for human adaptation. Such environments can be marked by an extreme climate, danger, limited facilities and supplies, isolation from loved ones, or mandatory interaction with others. They are rarely encountered by most human beings, and mainly concern certain professions in limited missions. This systematic review focuses on professional extreme environments and captures data from papers published since 2005. Our findings provide an insight into their physiological, biological, cognitive, and behavioral impacts for better understand how humans adapt or not to them. This study provides a framework for studying adaptation, which is particularly important in light of upcoming longer space expeditions to more distant destinations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105054","authors":["Barbara Le Roy","Charles Martin‐Krumm","Nathalie Piñol‐Domenech","Frédéric Dutheil","Marion Trousselard"],"tags":["Adaptation (eye)","Isolation (microbiology)","Space exploration","Mars Exploration Program","Human systems engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105054","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402483329","name":"Overview and recommendations for research on plants and microbes in regolith-based agriculture","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The domestication of agriculture is widely recognized as one of the most crucial technological adaptations for the transition of humanity from hunter-and-gatherer groups into early city-states and ultimately, complex civilizations. As humankind sets forth to permanently establish itself on the Moon and use it as a testing ground to colonize other worlds, like Mars, agriculture will again play a pivotal role. In this case, the development of sustainable crop production systems capable of succeeding in these harsh environments becomes vital to the success of our star-faring journey. Over decades, studies varying in species and approaches have been conducted in microgravity, testing the limits of plants and various growth systems, to better understand how Earth-based agriculture could be translated into environmental conditions and therefore evolutionary pressures beyond what life on our planet has known. While we have passed several significant milestones, we are still far from the goal of a sustainable agricultural system beyond our planet Regolith-based agriculture (RBA) should be a component of sustainable agriculture solutions beyond Earth, one which can also provide insight into plant growth in poor soils across our own world. However, RBA studies are in their infancy and, like any other new field, need an established set of parameters to be followed by the RBA community so the generated data can be standardized and validated. Here, we provide an extensive multi-disciplinary review of the state of RBA, outline important knowledge gaps, and propose a set of standardized methods and benchmarks for regolith simulant development and selection as well as plant, microbe, and plant-microbe interaction studies conducted in lunar and Martian regolith. Our goal is to spur dialog within the RBA community on proper regolith simulant selection, experimental design, and reporting. Our methods are divided into complexity tiers, providing a clear path for even the simplest experiments to contribute to the bulk of the knowledge that will shape the future of RBA science and see it mature as an integrated part of sustainable off-world agriculture.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s44264-024-00013-5","authors":["Laura E. Fackrell","S. Humphrey","Rafael Loureiro","Andrew G. Palmer","Jared Long-Fox"],"tags":["Regolith","Agriculture","Environmental science","Earth science","Environmental resource management"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s44264-024-00013-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391610513","name":"Chemical compositions of Fe‐rich relict olivines from cosmic spherules, understanding their links with ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Fe‐rich relict olivine grains are found in a small percentage of cosmic spherules, which are studied here to determine the nature of their precursors. We examined 128 Fe‐rich relict olivine grains with Fa >10 mol% from 53 cosmic spherules of different types collected from Antarctica (Antarctica micrometeorites [AMM]) and deep‐sea sediments (DSS) of the Indian Ocean. Fe‐rich olivines identified in cosmic spherules are close analogs of type II chondrule olivines formed in the early solar system. The olivine analysis shows well‐defined trends in molar Fe/Mn versus Fe/Mg with an affinity for ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites. The minor oxides in olivine are in ranges such as MnO ~0.1–0.8 wt%, Cr 2 O 3 ~0–0.7 wt%, CaO ~0–0.6 wt%, and Al 2 O 3 ~0–0.2 wt%, respectively. The chemical composition suggests that the precursors for these Fe‐rich olivine‐bearing cosmic spherules consist of ordinary chondrites (~21%–23%, AMM‐DSS), carbonaceous chondrites (~17%–36%, AMM‐DSS), and a large fraction overlapping both carbonaceous and ordinary chondrites (~41%–62% AMM‐DSS). The elemental ratios Fe/Si/CI and Mg/Si/CI for the Fe‐rich relict olivines ranging between the values 0.5–1.0 and 1.1–1.7 are compatible with IDPs, Comet 81P/Wild 2 as well as the Asteroid Itokawa and Ryugu, which are indistinguishable from carbonaceous and ordinary chondrites. In addition, pyroxene and olivine assemblages in their Fa versus Fs mol% show strong similarities to EOC chondrites. Our results on Fe‐rich relict olivines show that these grains in cosmic spherules are less common than Mg‐rich olivines, which show a narrow range of chemical compositions identical to those from ordinary chondrites and carbonaceous chondrites, indicating a supplementary contribution of an ordinary chondritic component to the micrometeorite source of dust.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14143","authors":["D. Fernandes","N. G. Rudraswami","Mayank Pandey","V. P. Singh"],"tags":["Chondrite","Olivine","Chondrule","Asteroid","Pyroxene"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14143","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4399751479","name":"Strategic Study for the Development of Space Life","source":"openalex","abstract":"Space life science is a discipline dedicated to investigating the origin, evolution, and distribution of life under space environmental conditions, along with the phenomena and principles governing life. This field delves into the mechanisms of life’s origin and early evolution from both theoretical and experimental perspectives, while also exploring fundamental scientific inquiries such as the habitability and forms of extraterrestrial life. With the implementation of major scientific projects such as the Chinese space station, the Chang’E lunar exploration program, and the Tianwen series, research on space life in China has witnessed rapid development. This paper provides an overview of the domestic and international trends in space life, identifies key areas for future development of space life science in China, optimizes disciplinary layouts, and aims to promote high-quality advancement in space life research.","url":"https://doi.org/10.11728/cjss2024.03.2024-yg07","authors":["Yufen Zhao","Yuejin Hua","Y. Z. Li","Yeqing Sun","Wei Yao","Huiqiong ZHENG","Jihua Hao","Jianxi Ying","Yuzong CHEN","Bing Tian"],"tags":["Space (punctuation)","Development (topology)","Process management","Computer science","Business"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.11728/cjss2024.03.2024-yg07","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4392864814","name":"Ammonium-rich bright areas on Ceres demonstrate complex chemical activity","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The dwarf planet Ceres has been proven to be a world with an extraordinary diversity of chemical species formed in aqueous environments. Dantu crater, being one of the largest and deepest impact craters on Ceres, offers valuable insights into the geological history and composition of this enigmatic world. Its particular position, within a topographic low, can be considered a window into the composition of Ceres’s subsurface. One of the intriguing aspects of Dantu is the presence of several bright areas called “faculae”. These bright materials, distributed unevenly on the Cerean surface, are believed to be residua from salty fluids, likely still circulating in the subsurface and capable to extrude onto the surface, as demonstrated by the identification of fresh hydrohalite (NaCl· 2 (H 2 O)) on the bright faculae in another exceptional crate, Occator. The detailed investigation of the Dantu’s faculae reveals the presence of at least two different “populations” of bright materials, compositionally distinct even if in close geographical proximity. These faculae appear different, white and yellow, in the color images (RGB: R = 0.917 μm, G = 0.653 μm, B = 0.438 μm) taken by the Dawn camera. The spectra show that the first population -white- is mainly composed of sodium carbonate, similar to other identified bright areas on Ceres; the second one -yellow- is likely dominated by ammonium-rich components. The spectra of the yellow faculae show specific and clear bands, associated to ammonium bearing phases, but the exact species producing such spectral features are not unambiguously identified. A potential candidate is ammonium bicarbonates, but we cannot exclude other compounds and combinations of different species. Other occurrences of these yellow faculae have been identified in a few other areas, even if less numerous and with a much smaller extent with respect to the Dantu crater. The discovery of a very bright component different from the carbonates and salts previously identified increases the variety and complexity of the salty aqueous solutions on Ceres, offering tantalizing clues about the potential for habitable environments and subsurface fluid reservoirs on this dwarf planet.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01281-2","authors":["M. C. De Sanctis","E. Ammannito","F. G. Carrozzo","M. Ciarniello","Simone De Angelis","Marco Ferrari","A. Frigeri","A. Raponi"],"tags":["Ammonium","Chemistry","Environmental science","Astrobiology","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01281-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4395665899","name":"High Reactivity of Dimethyl Ether Activated by Zeolite Ferrierite within a Fer Cage: A Prediction Study","source":"openalex","abstract":"The zeolite-catalyzed conversion of DME into chemicals is considered environmentally friendly in industry. The periodic density functional theory, statistical thermodynamics, and the transition state theory are used to study some possible parallel reactions about the hydrogen-bonded DME over zeolite ferrierite. The following are the key findings: (1) the charge separation probably leads to the conversion of a hydrogen-bonded DME into a dimethyl oxonium ion (i.e., DMO+ or (CH3)2OH+) with a positive charge of about 0.804 e; (2) the methylation of DME, CH3OH, H2O, and CO by DMO+ at the T2O6 site of zeolite ferrierite shows the different activated internal energy (∆E≠) ranging from 18.47 to 30.06 kcal/mol, implying the strong methylation ability of DMO+; (3) H-abstraction by DMO+ is about 3.94–15.53 or 6.57–18.16 kcal/mol higher than DMO+ methylation in the activation internal energy; (4) six DMO+-mediated reactions are more likely to occur due to the lower barriers, compared to the experimental barrier (i.e., 39.87 kcal/mol) for methyl acetate synthesis; (5) active intermediates, such as (CH3)3O+, (CH3)2OH+, CH3CO+, CH3OH2+, and CH2=OH+, are expected to appear; (6) DMO+ is slightly weaker than the well-known surface methoxy species (ZO-CH3) in methylation; and (7) the methylated activity declines in the order of DME, CH3OH, H2O, and CO, with corresponding rate constants at 463.15 K of about 3.4 × 104, 1.1 × 102, 0.18, and 8.2 × 10−2 s−1, respectively.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29092000","authors":["Xiaofang Chen","Pei Feng","Xiujie Li"],"tags":["Zeolite","Ferrierite","Chemistry","Dimethyl ether","Reactivity (psychology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29092000","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W7167058734","name":"Assessing the Chemical Impact of Insoluble Organic Matter Extraction Protocols and Its Implications for Extraterrestrial Organic Matter","source":"openalex","abstract":"Organic matter (OM) has been found in numerous meteorites, and recently on comets and asteroids. The OM from primitive small bodies contains a soluble (SOM) and an insoluble part (IOM) locked in the mineral matrix. This OM is extracted using different protocols based on the separation of SOM with various solvents, followed by mineral digestion using acid treatments.[2-3] These treatments may transform the molecules found within each fraction. Therefore, assessing the effect of these extraction procedures is crucial.Previous works used infrared spectroscopy (IR) to reveal the varying effects of several extraction protocols.[4-5] Authors reported differences in C-rich fragments of meteorites and asteroids for treated and untreated OM. Increase of C=O bond intensities and CH2/CH3 ratios, together with more pronounced aromatic C-H features, confirm alterations induced by treatment. However, due to the limitations of IR analysis and the absence of sufficient quantities of untreated material, a more detailed evaluation of possible alterations is still missing.We suggest using synthetic analogues of primordial OM (in our case from the Nebulotron experiment, which mimics gas-phase reactions in the solar nebula) to study the effect of extraction protocols. Previous analyses of untreated Nebulotron organics confirmed their similarity to IOM extracted from chondrites,[6] while they still contain a minor soluble fraction. These synthetic samples provide abundant mineral-free material to assess the effect of extraction protocols, both in separating and transforming the soluble and insoluble fractions potentially found in primordial OM.Current work is focused on solid fractions, using IR spectroscopy and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) to assess potential alterations in Nebulotron OM resulting from common extraction protocols. We describe results for the starting material (Neb-OM, grey), the \"harsh\" protocol based on HCl/HF treatment after [3] (H, red) and the \"mild\" protocol based on CsF/dioxane biphasic extraction after [2] (M, blue).The intensity ratios obtained from IR experiments confirmed structural modifications induced by each treatment (Figure 1A). We noticed a decrease in the C=C/CH ratio for both H and M compared to the starting material, even more significant for M (Figure 1B). Together with more pronounced aromatic C-H features for both treated samples compared to the starting Neb-OM (Figure 1A), it might indicate fragmentation of large condensed ring structures into smaller aromatic units.Figure 1. A – Stack of IR spectra from two acquisitions of the same treated/untreated solid OM material, with interpretation of regions of interest; untreated Neb-OM – grey, H – red, M – blue. Relative intensity ratio of B – C=C stretching (1612 cm-¹) to aliphatic C-H bending (1444 cm-¹); C – CH₂ asymmetric stretching (2923 cm-¹) to CH₃ asymmetric stretching (2954 cm-¹). Error bars corresponding to 4 acquisitions.The CH2/CH3 ratio (Figure 1C) increases for H, consistent with acid-promoted cleavage of terminal methyl groups and shortening of aliphatic chains, while M leaves this ratio unchanged, suggesting that dioxane-CsF affect less aliphatic chain length. These IR results are consistent with tendencies previously reported in [4-5]. No clear trend is observed yet for the C=O/C=C ratio.FT-ICR MS measurements provide the m/z distribution of molecules. Venn diagram analysis (Figure 2A) shows 2332 peaks (48%) are common to all three samples. H generates more exclusive peaks (1049, 22%) than M (284, 6%), suggesting acid treatment produces a greater diversity of new molecular species. Additionally, 848 peaks (17%) are shared by H and M but absent in Neb-OM, while 229 Neb-OM-exclusive peaks (5%) are irreversibly lost after both treatments.The average m/z distribution (Figure 2C) reveals that H is strongly enriched in low molecular weight compounds (m/z 100–250) compared to untreated Neb-OM, consistent with ac","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-352","authors":["Anastasiia Shvetsova","María Fariñas","O. Bollengier","Carole La","Michael Paris","Christophe Sotin","Olivier Bollengier"],"tags":["Chemistry","Extraction (chemistry)","Organic matter","Meteorite","Mass spectrometry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-352","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406619598","name":"Ecogenomic insights into the resilience of keystone Blastococcus Species in extreme environments: a comprehensive analysis","source":"openalex","abstract":"BACKGROUND: The stone-dwelling genus Blastococcus plays a key role in ecosystems facing extreme conditions such as drought, salinity, alkalinity, and heavy metal contamination. Despite its ecological significance, little is known about the genomic factors underpinning its adaptability and resilience in such harsh environments. This study investigates the genomic basis of Blastococcus's adaptability within its specific microniches, offering insights into its potential for biotechnological applications. RESULTS: Comprehensive pangenome analysis revealed that Blastococcus possesses a highly dynamic genetic composition, characterized by a small core genome and a large accessory genome, indicating significant genomic plasticity. Ecogenomic assessments highlighted the genus's capabilities in substrate degradation, nutrient transport, and stress tolerance, particularly on stone surfaces and archaeological sites. The strains also exhibited plant growth-promoting traits, enhanced heavy metal resistance, and the ability to degrade environmental pollutants, positioning Blastococcus as a candidate for sustainable agriculture and bioremediation. Interestingly, no correlation was found between the ecological or plant growth-promoting traits (PGPR) of the strains and their isolation source, suggesting that these traits are not linked to their specific environments. CONCLUSIONS: This research highlights the ecological and biotechnological potential of Blastococcus species in ecosystem health, soil fertility improvement, and stress mitigation strategies. It calls for further studies on the adaptation mechanisms of the genus, emphasizing the need to validate these findings through wet lab experiments. This study enhances our understanding of microbial ecology in extreme environments and supports the use of Blastococcus in environmental management, particularly in soil remediation and sustainable agricultural practices.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-025-11228-2","authors":["Imed Sbissi","Farah Chouikhi","Faten Ghodhbane‐Gtari","Maher Gtari"],"tags":["Biology","Resilience (materials science)","Keystone species","Evolutionary biology","Ecology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-025-11228-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391429836","name":"Resolution and quantification of carbohydrates by enantioselective comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography","source":"openalex","abstract":"Carbohydrates, in particular the d-enantiomers of ribose, 2-deoxyribose, and glucose, are essential to life's informational biopolymers (RNA/DNA) and for supplying energy to living cells through glycolysis. Considered to be potential biosignatures in the search of past or present life, our capacity to detect and quantify these essential sugars is crucial for future space missions to the Moon, Mars or Titan as well as for sample-return missions. However, the enantioselective analysis of carbohydrates is challenging and both research and routine applications, are lacking efficient methods that combine highly sensitive and reproducible detection with baseline enantioselective resolution and reliable enantiomeric excess (ee) measurements. Here, we present four different derivatization strategies in combination with multidimensional gas chromatography coupled to a reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer (GC × GC–TOF-MS) for the enantioselective resolution of C3 to C6 carbohydrates potentially suitable for sample-return analyses. Full mass spectral interpretation and calibration curves for one single-step (cyclic boronate derivatives) and three two-step derivatization protocols (aldononitrile−acetate, hemiacetalization−trifluoroacetylation, and hemiacetalization−permethylation) are presented for concentrations ranging from 1 to 50 pmol μL⁻1 with correlation coefficients R2 > 0.94. We compared several analytical parameters including reproducibility, sensitivity (LOD and LOQ), overall separation, chiral resolution (RS), mass spectrum selectivity, stability during long term storage, and reliability of ee measurements to guide the application-dependent selection of optimal separation and quantification performance.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2024.125728","authors":["Adrien D. Garcia","Vanessa Leyva","Jana Bocková","Raphaël Pepino","Cornelia Meinert"],"tags":["Chemistry","Enantioselective synthesis","Derivatization","Chromatography","Gas chromatography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2024.125728","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4405173903","name":"Eta-Earth Revisited I: A Formula for Estimating the Maximum Number of Earth-like Habitats","source":"openalex","abstract":"In this hypothesis article, we discuss the basic requirements of planetary environments where aerobe organisms can grow and survive, including atmospheric limitations of millimeter-to-meter-sized biological animal life based on physical limits, and O$_2$, N$_2$, and CO$_2$ toxicity levels. By assuming that animal-like extraterrestrial organisms adhere to similar limits, we define Earth-like Habitats ($\\eta_{\\rm EH}$) as rocky exoplanets in the Habitable Zone of Complex Life that host N$_2$-O$_2$-dominated atmospheres with minor amounts of CO$_2$, at which advanced animal-like life can in principle evolve and exist. We then derive a new formula that can be used to estimate the maximum occurrence rate of such Earth-like Habitats in the Galaxy. This contains realistic probabilistic arguments that can be fine-tuned and constrained by atmospheric characterization with future space and ground-based telescopes. As an example, we briefly discuss two specific requirements feeding into our new formula that, although not quantifiable at present, will become scientifically quantifiable in the upcoming decades due to future observations of exoplanets and their atmospheres.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2023.007","authors":["H. Lämmer","Manuel Scherf","Laurenz Sproß"],"tags":["Earth (classical element)","Astrobiology","Mathematics","Physics","Mathematical physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2023.007","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4403115189","name":"Coupling nanoscopic tomography and micromagnetic modelling to assess the stability of geomagnetic recorders","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The recording of planetary magnetic fields is often attributed to uniformly-magnetised nanoscopic iron oxides, called single-domain. Yet, the main magnetic constituents of rocks are more complex, non-uniformly magnetised grains in single or multi-vortex states. We know little about their behaviour due to limitations in defining their precise shape and internal magnetic structure. Here we combine non-destructive Ptychographic X-ray Computed Nano-tomography with micromagnetic modelling to explore the magnetic stability of remanence-bearing minerals. Applied to a microscopic rock sample, we identified hundreds of nanoscopic grains of magnetite/maghemite with diverse morphologies. Energy barrier calculations were performed for these irregularly shaped grains. For some grains, these morphological irregularities near the transition from single-domain to the single-vortex state allow for multiple domain states, some unstable and unable to record the field for significant periods. Additionally, some other grains exhibit temperature-dependent occupancy probabilities, potentially hampering experiments to recover the intensity of past magnetic fields.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01715-x","authors":["Ualisson Donardelli Bellon","Wyn Williams","Ricardo I.F. Trindade","Ana Díaz","Douglas Galante"],"tags":["Earth's magnetic field","Nanoscopic scale","Coupling (piping)","Stability (learning theory)","Micromagnetics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01715-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W3024135930","name":"What is the Oxygen Isotope Composition of Venus? The Scientific Case for Sample Return from Earth’s “Sister” Planet","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Venus is Earth’s closest planetary neighbour and both bodies are of similar size and mass. As a consequence, Venus is often described as Earth’s sister planet. But the two worlds have followed very different evolutionary paths, with Earth having benign surface conditions, whereas Venus has a surface temperature of 464 °C and a surface pressure of 92 bar. These inhospitable surface conditions may partially explain why there has been such a dearth of space missions to Venus in recent years. The oxygen isotope composition of Venus is currently unknown. However, this single measurement ( $\\Delta ^{17}\\text{O}$ Δ17O ) would have first order implications for our understanding of how large terrestrial planets are built. Recent isotopic studies indicate that the Solar System is bimodal in composition, divided into a carbonaceous chondrite (CC) group and a non-carbonaceous (NC) group. The CC group probably originated in the outer Solar System and the NC group in the inner Solar System. Venus comprises 41% by mass of the inner Solar System compared to 50% for Earth and only 5% for Mars. Models for building large terrestrial planets, such as Earth and Venus, would be significantly improved by a determination of the $\\Delta ^{17}\\text{O}$ Δ17O composition of a returned sample from Venus. This measurement would help constrain the extent of early inner Solar System isotopic homogenisation and help to identify whether the feeding zones of the terrestrial planets were narrow or wide. Determining the $\\Delta ^{17}\\text{O}$ Δ17O composition of Venus would also have significant implications for our understanding of how the Moon formed. Recent lunar formation models invoke a high energy impact between the proto-Earth and an inner Solar System-derived impactor body, Theia. The close isotopic similarity between the Earth and Moon is explained by these models as being a consequence of high-temperature, post-impact mixing. However, if Earth and Venus proved to be isotopic clones with respect to $\\Delta ^{17}\\text{O}$ Δ17O , this would favour the classic, lower energy, giant impact scenario. We review the surface geology of Venus with the aim of identifying potential terrains that could be targeted by a robotic sample return mission. While the potentially ancient tessera terrains would be of great scientific interest, the need to minimise the influence of venusian weathering favours the sampling of young basaltic plains. In terms of a nominal sample mass, 10 g would be sufficient to undertake a full range of geochemical, isotopic and dating studies. However, it is important that additional material is collected as a legacy sample. As a consequence, a returned sample mass of at least 100 g should be recovered. Two scenarios for robotic sample return missions from Venus are presented, based on previous mission proposals. The most cost effective approach involves a “Grab and Go” strategy, either using a lander and separate orbiter, or possibly just a stand-alone lander. Sample return could also be achieved as part of a more ambitious, extended mission to study the venusian atmosphere. In both scenarios it is critical to obtain a surface atmospheric sample to define the extent of atmosphere-lithosphere oxygen isotopic disequilibrium. Surface sampling would be carried out by multiple techniques (drill, scoop, “vacuum-cleaner” device) to ensure success. Surface operations would take no longer than one hour. Analysis of returned samples would provide a firm basis for assessing similarities and differences between the evolution of Venus, Earth, Mars and smaller bodies such as Vesta. The Solar System provides an important case study in how two almost identical bodies, Earth and Venus, could have had such a divergent evolution. Finally, Venus, with its runaway greenhouse atmosphere, may provide data relevant to the understanding of similar less extreme processes on Earth. Venus is Earth’s planetary twin and deserves to be better studied and understood.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-020-00669-8","authors":["R. C. Greenwood","M. Anand"],"tags":["Venus","Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Planet","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-05-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-020-00669-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4400290812","name":"Characterizing clay minerals in the Makgadikgadi Pans (Botswana): terrestrial analogue for Mars playa deposits","source":"openalex","abstract":"Terrestrial field analogues are crucial for preparing upcoming space missions and advancing our knowledge on extraterrestrial environments. They are extreme environments on Earth that share common characteristics with past or extant environments on other planetary bodies. The Makgadikgadi Pans in central Botswana, are a desiccated relic of a former giant lake system, Paleo-Lake Makgadikgadi. They are an evaporitic environment rich in hydrated minerals, characterized by ephemeral water bodies whose chemistry fluctuates over the wet and dry seasons leading to distinctive clay mineral and evaporite deposits on the pan floor harboring communities of extremophiles (Filippidou et al., 2024). Environments such as the Makgadikgadi pans are extremely relevant for the study of Mars habitability. In fact, clay minerals such as Fe/Mg smectites and chlorites have been detected on terrains across the Martian surface by remote sensing orbiters like the OMEGA instrument. These minerals, for their link with aqueous processes and for the potential of preserving microbial signature have strong implications for the study of the evolution of hydrology and paleo-environment on Mars.The goal of this study is to characterize clay minerals in the Makgadikgadi Pans using integrated analytical techniques, with the purpose of developing a criterion to help identify clay bearing strata formed authigenically within evaporitic environments of Mars and to distinguish them from those clay minerals formed under different physiochemical conditions (i.e. weathering profiles of basic volcanic rocks, impact-induced hydrothermal sites).In this study we will examine the vertical and spatial distribution of clay minerals from 15cm cores of shallow subsurface playa sediments along salinity profiles within the Kudiakam Pan, in the northern Makgadikgadi Basin. The analytical techniques used to characterize the clay minerals within the Makgadikgadi pans include X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Near Infrared Spectroscopy to identify clay mineral types in oriented samples, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) coupled with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) to examine clay morphology and for geochemical and elemental analysis of the clays and Raman Spectroscopy to investigate for adsorbed organic matter trapped within the clay layers.Preliminary data revealed that the superficial deposits from all cores of the Makgadikgadi pans contain interstratified illite-smectite (I/S) clay minerals showing a sharp peak at 12 Å. This may point to the evolution of pore water chemistry as expected in a playa environment. Further analysis using IR will constrain the clay mineral types and analysis by SEM-EDS will elucidate the differences in chemistry between samples. By analogy with the interstratified clay minerals found herein, we provide valuable ground truthing for astrobiological investigations and help assess the habitability of Mars. REFERENCES:Filippidou, S., Price, A., Spencer-jones, C., Scales, A., Macey, M. C., Franchi, F., Lebogang, L., Cavalazzi, B., Schwenzer, S. P., & Olsson-Francis, K. (2024). Diversity of Microbial Mats in the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, Botswana. Microorganisms, 12, 147.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2024-590","authors":["Katlo Oromeng","Trhas Hadush Kashay","Fulvio Franchi","Barbara Cavalazzi"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Clay minerals","Geology","Earth science","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2024-590","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W3026697316","name":"Hydrous olivine alteration on Mars and Earth","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Hydrous alteration of olivine macrocrysts in a Martian olivine phyric basalt, NWA 10416, and a terrestrial basalt from southern Colorado are examined using SEM, EPMA, TEM, and µXRD techniques. The olivines in the meteorite contain linear nanotubes of hydrous material, amorphous areas, and fluid dissolution textures quite distinct from alteration identified in other Martian meteorites. Instead, they bear resemblance to terrestrial deuteric alteration features. The presence of the hydrous alteration phase Mg‐laihunite within the olivines has been confirmed by µXRD analysis. The cores of the olivines in both Martian and terrestrial samples are overgrown by unaltered rims whose compositions match those of a separate population of groundmass olivines, suggesting that the core olivines are xenocrysts whose alteration preceded crystallization of the groundmass. The terrestrial sample is linked to deep crustal metasomatism and the “ignimbrite flare‐up” of the Oligocene epoch. The comparison of the two samples suggests the existence of an analogous relatively water‐rich magmatic reservoir on Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13479","authors":["Z. Váci","C. B. Agee","C. D. K. Herd","E. L. Walton","Oliver Tschauner","K. Ziegler","Vitali B. Prakapenka","Eran Greenberg","Sylvia Monique‐Thomas"],"tags":["Olivine","Geology","Meteorite","Basalt","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13479","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4388273925","name":"Zircon Microstructures in Large, Deeply Eroded Impact Structures and Terrestrial Seismites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Extraterrestrial cratering was a critical component in the evolution of the early Earth, but discovery of very ancient and deeply exhumed impact structures remains elusive, as identification tools are in short supply. The recognition of such structures is hindered by post-cratering geological processes, whereby impact-induced features common in younger, upper-crustal craters may be lost. In this study, we make a detailed analysis of planar microstructures in zircons from four large, confirmed impact structures (Manicouagan, Rochechouart, Sudbury, Vredefort) preserved at different crustal levels, from two previously described non-impact seismites in SW Norway and northern Italy, and from the 3.0 Ga Maniitsoq structure in West Greenland. A total of ~3400 zircon grains were studied using exterior and interior scanning and transmission electron microscopy. We show for the first time that shocked zircons contain two successive, principally different types of planar microstructures, only one of which is diagnostic of impact. Closely spaced, contiguous microplanes (CP) are formed first, presumably by the shock wave. In Manicouagan and Rochechouart zircons the exterior CPs have ultrathin interior counterparts of straight dislocation arrays, as identified in Manicouagan zircon using transmission electron microscopy. They have the same close spacing and orientations as the exterior CPs and are abundantly decorated with tiny pores down to less than 50 nm across. These interior CPs are identical to shock-induced decorated, partly annealed amorphous planar microstructures in quartz (planar deformation features, PDFs) and are interpreted as such. The second type is open planar fractures (PF). They are widely and irregularly spaced and texturally younger than the CPs. They re-use and displace the CP orientations, which they cut in stepwise fashion. We interpret these PFs as formed by impact-induced seismic shaking in the wake of the shock wave. We confirm two previous reports of isolated planar fractures in zircons from non-impact seismites, showing that PFs per se are not impact-diagnostic. There are no CPs in any of these zircons. Zircons from different parts of the Maniitsoq structure contain CPs in various states of preservation besides PFs, corroborating that this very large and very deeply exhumed structure resulted from an extraterrestrial impact.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/petrology/egad079","authors":["Adam A. Garde","L. Johansson","Nynke Keulen","Andrea Schreiber","R. Wirth"],"tags":["Zircon","Geology","Impact crater","Impact structure","Breccia"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-10-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/petrology/egad079","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4395091894","name":"Geobiological cycling of nitrogen: coupled evolution of biology and geology","source":"openalex","abstract":"The geobiological cycle of nitrogen is a coupling of the biogeochemical and geological cycles of nitrogen, which provides insights into the interactions between life and the environment and the evolution of Earth systems. The partial pressure of atmospheric nitrogen (pN 2) is a principal proxy for understanding the evolutionary history of the global geobiological cycle of nitrogen, and is also a potential biosignature of extraterrestrial life detection. Thus, it is of great significance to reconstruct the geological evolution of pN 2. In this article, the primary nitrogen reservoirs on Earth are summarized, and the processes, affecting factors and evolutionary stages of the nitrogen geobiological cycle are discussed from the perspective of nitrogen biogeochemical and geological cycles. On this basis, this article further reviews the current knowledge of the evolutionary history of p N2 and its possible influencing factors. Finally, I raise some key issues that have to be addressed in the future.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3724/j.issn.1007-2802.20240028","authors":["Genming Luo"],"tags":["Cycling","Nitrogen cycle","Earth science","Evolutionary biology","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3724/j.issn.1007-2802.20240028","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4396219683","name":"Extremophiles in a changing world","source":"openalex","abstract":"Extremophiles and their products have been a major focus of research interest for over 40 years. Through this period, studies of these organisms have contributed hugely to many aspects of the fundamental and applied sciences, and to wider and more philosophical issues such as the origins of life and astrobiology. Our understanding of the cellular adaptations to extreme conditions (such as acid, temperature, pressure and more), of the mechanisms underpinning the stability of macromolecules, and of the subtleties, complexities and limits of fundamental biochemical processes has been informed by research on extremophiles. Extremophiles have also contributed numerous products and processes to the many fields of biotechnology, from diagnostics to bioremediation. Yet, after 40 years of dedicated research, there remains much to be discovered in this field. Fortunately, extremophiles remain an active and vibrant area of research. In the third decade of the twenty-first century, with decreasing global resources and a steadily increasing human population, the world's attention has turned with increasing urgency to issues of sustainability. These global concerns were encapsulated and formalized by the United Nations with the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the presentation of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015. In the run-up to 2030, we consider the contributions that extremophiles have made, and will in the future make, to the SDGs.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00792-024-01341-7","authors":["Don A. Cowan","Sonja‐Verena Albers","Garabed Antranikian","Haruyuki Atomi","Beate Averhoff","Mirko Basen","Arnold J. M. Driessen","Mohamed Jebbar","Zvi Kelman","Melina Kerou","Jennifer A. Littlechild","Volker Müller","Peter Schönheit","Bettina Siebers","K. Vorgias"],"tags":["Extremophile","Sustainability","Sustainable development","Environmental planning","Environmental ethics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00792-024-01341-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4409889081","name":"The cosmochemistry of planetary systems","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41570-025-00711-9","authors":["Martin Bizzarro","Anders Johansen","Caroline Dorn"],"tags":["Cosmochemistry","Astrobiology","Astronomy","Planetary science","Astrophysics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41570-025-00711-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402135331","name":"Early fluid migration and alteration fronts in the CM chondrite Reckling Peak 17085","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Reckling Peak (RKP) 17085 is a newly classified Antarctic CM chondrite that preserves a complex alteration history characterized by mild aqueous alteration (CM2.7), overprinted by a short‐lived thermal metamorphic event (heating stage III [<750°C]), and affected by low‐grade terrestrial weathering. This meteorite contains abundant Fe‐rich bands within the fine‐grained matrix, composed of micron‐scale Fe‐oxyhydroxide minerals. They are interpreted as “alteration fronts” arising due to the dissolution and transport of Fe (typically <500 μm) before being abruptly deposited. This alteration texture is relatively rare among hydrated carbonaceous chondrites, with only five reported instances to date (Murchison, Murray, Allan Hills 81002, Miller Range 07687, and Northwest Africa 5958). Evidence from RKP 17085 suggests that early aqueous alteration operated as multiple geochemically isolated microenvironments, which moved outwards from local point sources within the matrix. Low permeability fine‐grained rims on chondrules appear to have acted as barriers to fluid flow, controlling the migration of fluid across the parent body. Furthermore, the higher porosity regions within the altered fine‐grained matrix represent either void space generated by the dehydration of hydrated minerals during post‐hydration metamorphism and/or sites of ice accretion (water‐ice or C‐bearing ices) preserved within a mildly altered primitive matrix.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14261","authors":["A. Musolino","Martin D. Suttle","L. Folco","A. J. King","Giovanni Poggiali","H. C. Bates","J. R. Brucato","A. J. Brearley"],"tags":["Chondrite","Geology","Geochemistry","Astrobiology","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14261","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4404006934","name":"Shock petrographic and numerical modeling constraints on the morphology and size of the Morokweng impact structure, South Africa","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The 369 m deep M4 drill hole, located ~18 km NNW of the center of the 146 Ma Morokweng impact structure (MIS), intersects shocked Archean granitoid gneisses and subsidiary dolerite intrusions that are cut by faults, cataclasites and mm‐ to m‐wide suevitic and pseudotachylitic breccia dikes. The shock features in quartz in the gneisses and breccia dikes include decorated planar deformation features (PDFs), planar fractures, feather features, and toasting. Other minerals show features that may be shock‐related, such as multiple sets of planar features and alternate twin ladder structures in feldspars, kink bands in biotite, and planar features in titanite, apatite, and zircon; however, these are variably annealed and/or overprinted by hydrothermal alteration effects, and confirmation of their origin awaits further study. Universal Stage measurements of PDF sets in quartz from 12 gneissic target rocks and from lithic and mineral clasts in three suevitic and three pseudotachylitic breccia dikes reveal four dominant sets: (0001), {}, {} and {}. Based on these observations, the average peak shock pressure in these rocks is estimated at ≤16 GPa, which supports the original proximity (within one transient cavity radius) of these rocks to the point of impact. No discernible depth‐dependent shock attenuation was noted in the core. These shock levels and the elevated structural position of the rocks in the M4 core relative to the impact melt sheet intersected in drill holes closer to the center of the MIS suggest that the M4 lithologies represent part of the parautochthonous peak ring volume that subsequently experienced 1.5–2 km of post‐impact erosion before it was buried beneath younger sediments. Numerical modeling using the iSALE‐2D code suggests that the original Morokweng crater had a rim‐to‐rim diameter of between 70 and 80 km, and that the rocks in the M4 core were originally located at a depth of 7–8 km and a radial distance of 8–9 km from the point of impact.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14275","authors":["Roger L. Gibson","S. Wela","Auriol S. P. Rae","M. A. G. Andreoli"],"tags":["Petrography","Shock (circulatory)","Morphology (biology)","Geology","Geography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14275","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391388245","name":"Spatial and Temporal Patterns in Petrogenic Organic Carbon Mobilization During the Paleocene‐Eocene Thermal Maximum","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Paleocene‐Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) was a transient global warming event and is recognized in the geologic record by a prolonged negative carbon isotope excursion (CIE). The onset of the CIE was due to a rapid influx of 13 C‐depleted carbon into the ocean‐atmosphere system. However, the mechanisms required to sustain the negative CIE remains unclear. Enhanced mobilization and oxidation of petrogenic organic carbon (OC petro ) has been invoked to explain elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations after the onset of the CIE. However, existing evidence is limited to the mid‐latitudes and subtropics. Here, we determine whether: (a) enhanced mobilization and subsequent burial of OC petro in marine sediments was a global phenomenon; and (b) whether it occurred throughout the PETM. To achieve this, we utilize a lipid biomarker approach to trace and quantify OC petro burial in a global compilation of PETM‐aged shallow marine sites ( n = 7, including five new sites). Our results confirm that OC petro mass accumulation rates (MARs) increased within the subtropics and mid‐latitudes during the PETM, consistent with evidence of higher physical erosion rates and intense episodic rainfall events. High‐latitude sites do not exhibit drastic changes in the source of organic carbon during the PETM and OC petro MARs increase slightly or remain stable, perhaps due a more stable hydrological regime. Crucially, we also demonstrate that OC petro MARs remained elevated during the recovery phase of the PETM. Although OC petro oxidation was likely an important positive feedback mechanism throughout the PETM, we show that this feedback was both spatially and temporally variable.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023pa004773","authors":["Emily H. Hollingsworth","Felix J. Elling","Marcus P. S. Badger","Richard D. Pancost","Alexander J. Dickson","Rhian L. Rees-Owen","Nina M. Papadomanolaki","Ann Pearson","Appy Sluijs","Katherine H. Freeman","Allison A. Baczynski","Gavin L. Foster","Jessica H. Whiteside","Gordon N. Inglis"],"tags":["Carbon fibers","Total organic carbon","Environmental science","Thermal","Mobilization"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023pa004773","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4392095473","name":"Multi-Technique Characterization of 3.45 Ga Microfossils on Earth: A Key Approach to Detect Possible Traces of Life in Returned Samples from Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"The NASA Mars 2020 Perseverance rover is actively exploring Jezero crater to conduct analyses on igneous and sedimentary rock targets from outcrops located on the crater floor (Máaz and Séítah formations) and from the delta deposits, respectively. The rock samples collected during this mission will be recovered during the Mars Sample Return mission, which plans to bring samples back to Earth in the 2030s to conduct in-depth studies using sophisticated laboratory instrumentation. Some of these samples may contain traces of ancient martian life that may be particularly difficult to detect and characterize because of their morphological simplicity and subtle biogeochemical expressions. Using the volcanic sediments of the 3.45 Ga Kitty's Gap Chert (Pilbara, Australia), containing putative early life forms (chemolithotrophs) and considered as astrobiological analogues for potential early Mars organisms, we document the steps required to demonstrate the syngenicity and biogenicity of such biosignatures using multiple complementary analytical techniques to provide information at different scales of observation. These include sedimentological, petrological, mineralogical, and geochemical analyses to demonstrate macro- to microscale habitability. New approaches, some unavailable at the time of the original description of these features, are used to verify the syngenicity and biogenicity of the purported fossil chemolithotrophs. The combination of elemental (proton-induced X-ray emission spectrometry) and molecular (deep-ultraviolet and Fourier transform infrared) analyses of rock slabs, thin sections, and focused ion beam sections reveals that the carbonaceous matter present in the samples is enriched in trace metals ( e.g. , V, Cr, Fe, Co) and is associated with aromatic and aliphatic molecules, which strongly support its biological origin. Transmission electron microscopy observations of the carbonaceous matter documented an amorphous nanostructure interpreted to correspond to the degraded remains of microorganisms and their by-products (extracellular polymeric substances, filaments…). Nevertheless, a small fraction of carbonaceous particles has signatures that are more metamorphosed. They probably represent either reworked detrital biological or abiotic fragments of mantle origin. This study serves as an example of the analytical protocol that would be needed to optimize the detection of fossil traces of life in martian rocks.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2023.0089","authors":["Laura Clodoré","Frédéric Foucher","Keyron Hickman‐Lewis","S. Sorieul","J. Jouve","Matthieu Réfrégiers","Guillaume Collet","Stéphane Pètoud","Bernard Gratuze","Francès Westall"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Martian","Impact crater","Geology","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2023.0089","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4394673284","name":"ALMA Spectroscopy of Europa: A Search for Active Plumes","source":"openalex","abstract":"The subsurface ocean of Europa is a high priority target in the search for extraterrestrial life, but direct investigations are hindered by the presence of a thick, exterior ice shell. Here we present spectral line and continuum maps of Europa obtained over four epochs in May-June 2021 using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), to search for molecular emission from atmospheric plumes, with the aim of investigating subsurface processes. Using a 3D physical model, we obtained upper limits for the plume abundances of HCN, H$_2$CO, SO$_2$ and CH$_3$OH. If active plume(s) were present, they contained very low abundances of these molecules. Assuming a total gas production rate of $10^{29}$ s$^{-1}$, our H$_2$CO abundance upper limit of $<0.016$\\% is more than an order of magnitude less than measured in the Enceladus plume by the Cassini spacecraft, implying a possible chemical difference between the plume source materials for these two icy moons.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2404.05525","authors":["Martin Cordiner","Alexander E. Thelen","Ian-Lin Lai","W. L. Tseng","C. A. Nixon","Yi‐Jehng Kuan","G. L. Villanueva","L. Paganini","Steven B. Charnley","K. D. Retherford"],"tags":["Spectroscopy","Astrobiology","Physics","Environmental science","Astronomy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2404.05525","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W2955498214","name":"Titanium isotope fractionation on the Earth and Moon: Constraints on magmatic processes and Moon formation","source":"openalex","abstract":"A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent upon arriving.A good artist lets their intuition lead them wherever it wants.A good scientist has freed themself of concepts and keeps their mind open to what is.Thus the Master is available to all people and does not reject anyone.The Master is ready to use all situations and does not waste anything.This is called embodying the light.What is a good person but a bad person's teacher?What is a bad person but a good person's job?If you do not understand this, you will get lost, however intelligent you are.It is the great secret.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000351171","authors":["Maximilian B. Mandl"],"tags":["Geochemistry","Astrobiology","Geology","Earth (classical element)","Isotope"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000351171","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"oa:W4408436421","name":"Mineral and elemental geochemistry of the arid Qaidam Basin for habitability evaluation at Zhurong landing region on Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"As Utopia Planitia might have once stored a relatively large water body, the western edge of the Qaidam Basin (a dehydrated paleolake basin featured by various Mars-like landscapes) in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau is analogous to the supposed lake shoreline of the landing site of Zhurong. As evaporation intensified, salt types in water sources and dry soils within the Qaidam Basin transformed from (bi)carbonates to sulfates and chlorides associated with decreasing biological activity, as suggested by isotopic signatures [1]. Evaporite minerals (e.g., gypsum, halite, and polyhydrated sulfates) were abundant in the western Qaidam Basin. Using the engineering qualification model of Zhurong’s MarSCoDe payload in a simulated Mars environment platform, the contents of gypsum in Qaidam soils were calibrated based on mineralogical and short-wave infrared (SWIR) spectral results. Putative signals of sulfur and chlorine in laser-induced breakdown (LIBS) spectra were additionally investigated. Semi-quantitative assessments of several evaporite minerals were performed for spectral data acquired from the Zhurong landing area. Furthermore, our findings imply that LIBS-associated statistics and suites of spectrometers can be promising tools for in situ life detection on Mars or returned sample analyses in laboratories if biotic materials were present in a small measured region even at low biomass levels [2,3]. In future Mars missions, we recommend that the life detection strategy should consider regions with mineral products of water-rock reactions as landing zones, as they could offer more habitable environments that provide life-essential elements and energy sources and preserve organic matter or even traces of life [4].References[1] Shen, J., Huang, T., Zhang, H., Lin, W. (2024). Hydrochemical and isotopic characteristics of water sources for biological activity across a massive evaporite basin on the Tibetan Plateau: Implications for aquatic environments on early Mars. Science of The Total Environment, 935, 173442.[2] Shen, J., Liu, L., Chen, Y., Sun, Y., Lin, W. (2022). Geochemical and Biological Profiles of a Quartz Stone in the Qaidam Mars Analog Using LIBS: Implications for the Search for Biosignatures on Mars. ACS Earth and Space Chemistry, 6(11), 2595-2608.[3] Shen, J., Liu, L., Chen, Y., Lin, W. (2024). A suite of spectroscopic devices as a potential tool to discriminate biotic and abiotic materials with an igneous rock. Icarus, 407, 115804.[4] Shen, J., Liu, C., Pan, Y., Lin, W. (2024). Follow the serpentine as a comprehensive diagnostic for extraterrestrial habitability. Nature Astronomy, 8, 1230-1236.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-7818","authors":["Jianxun Shen","Li Liu","Huiqing Zhang","Xue Guo","Chengxiang Huang","Yan Chen","Wei Lin"],"tags":["Habitability","Mars Exploration Program","Geology","Geochemistry","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-7818","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14070731","name":"Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy in Mineral Exploration and Ore Processing","source":"crossref","abstract":"Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a type of optical emission spectroscopy capable of rapid, simultaneous multi-element analysis. LIBS is effective for the analysis of atmospheric gases, geological fluids, and a broad spectrum of minerals, rocks, sediments, and soils both in and outside the traditional laboratory setting. With the recent introduction of commercial laboratory systems and handheld analyzers for use outside the laboratory for real-time in situ analysis in the field, LIBS is finding increasing application across the geosciences. This article first overviews the LIBS technique and then reviews its application in the domain of mineral exploration and ore processing, where LIBS offers some unique capabilities.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14070731","authors":["Russell S. Harmon"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-23T07:57:23Z","doi":"10.3390/min14070731","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2279428","name":"New Cincinnati Gallery Unveils “Ancient Worlds Hiding in Plain Sight”","source":"crossref","abstract":"Figure 1. Cincinnati’s Museum of Natural History moved into the capacious and striking Union Terminal in 1990 and occupies most of the north side of the complex now housing several museums and arch...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2279428","authors":["Greg Hand"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-18T17:29:26Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2279428","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108950","name":"Validation of a PGNAA sensor model for bulk material sorting","source":"crossref","abstract":"• A detailed model of a PGNAA bulk material sensor was developed. • The model was validated with sensor measurements of sample materials. • The model was able to simulate the PGNAA spectrum and characteristic peaks. • The simulation can decompose the spectrum by process and origin. • The model can aid signal analysis, use evaluation and sensor design. Global mineral demand is forecast to increase significantly to achieve the transition to renewable energy. Greater volumes of ore of lower grade will have to be mined to meet demand. Techniques to process large volumes of low-grade ore efficiently are being investigated to reduce the cost and impact of mining. One technique is to use sensor information to sort mined material, allowing waste to be discarded early in mineral processing. Prompt gamma neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) is a sensing technique that can provide information on the multi-elemental composition of a bulk sample which can be used for bulk material sorting. This paper presents the development of a Monte Carlo simulation model of a PGNAA sensor for bulk sorting using the Geant4 toolkit. The GEOSCAN sensor (Scantech Australia) was used as a case-study to demonstrate the application of the model. The sensor responses for a range of pure mineral samples (Fe 2 O 3 , SiO 2 , S, Na 2 CO 3 and MnO 2 ) were measured to validate the developed model. The sensitivity of the simulation results to the hadronic and electromagnetic physics models used was tested. It was determined that the PGNAA sensor model can reproduce measurements obtained from the GEOSCAN sensor. In particular, the model can provide a good reproduction of the overall spectral shape and the locations of distinct characteristic peaks. The differences between simulated and experimental results are within 30% on average. It was found that the Geant4 HP neutron model best reproduces the activation peaks observed in experimental measurements. Additionally, the PGNAA spectrum was found to be insensitive to the choice of electromagnetic model for the photon interactions. The validated sensor model provides a useful tool for investigating PGNAA sensor applications including a bulk sorting strategy for new materials, sensor calibration, improvements in signal analysis and optimised sensor design.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108950","authors":["Dylan Peukert","Chaoshui Xu","Peter Dowd"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-31T07:35:46Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108950","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14080777","name":"Comment on Zhang et al. New Age Constraints of the Bilong Co Oil Shale in the Qiangtang Basin, Northern Tibet: Evidence from In Situ U–Pb Dating and Palaeontology. Minerals 2024, 14, 246","source":"crossref","abstract":"Two species in question, Tiltoniceras sp. (Zhang et al., 2024, p. 6, Figure 5A,B,E) and “Hildoceratidae sp.”, belong to the misidentification of ammonites, the conclusion drawn by Zhang et al. (2024) lacks reliable evidence from ammonite biochronology to support the U–Pb Dating.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14080777","authors":["Jiarun Yin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-30T11:11:25Z","doi":"10.3390/min14080777","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14010077","name":"Determination of Save Excavation Criteria in Velenje Coal Mine","source":"crossref","abstract":"Ensuring safe conditions for mining coal under water-bearing sands in the Velenje coal mine depends on the designed parameters of hydrogeology, geomechanics and drainage. The purpose of the research is to predict and simulate the hydrostatic pressures above the excavation fields in order to determine the thickness of the insulation layers and the height of the excavation. Coal occurs in the Velenje basin in the form of a slightly concave lens. Directly above the coal seam is an insulating layer of marl or clay. Above the insulating layer are more or less permeable Pliocene sands in which water can accumulate under layer pressure, posing a potential risk of water ingress into underground spaces. In addition to the Pliocene sands, triad layers of different ages and lithology in the bedrock also pose a risk of water intrusion. In order to prevent the intrusion of water into the working areas of underground objects, the criteria for safe mining in the Velenje coal mine under aquifers were established. The scientific research approach to determining the criteria for safe mining enables the safety and determination of excavation heights in coal mining. The following data are required for such a calculation: the water pressure in the first sands, the excavation depth below the surface, the thickness of the insulating layer and the method of excavation or the course of the demolition processes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14010077","authors":["Željko Vukelić","Jurij Šporin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-09T10:48:06Z","doi":"10.3390/min14010077","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1787/a607ff0a-en","name":"Determining the Price of Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"The names and representation of countries and territories used in this joint publication follow the practice of the OECD.This document, as well as any data and map included herein are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1787/a607ff0a-en","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-09T07:35:46Z","doi":"10.1787/a607ff0a-en","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.11647/obp.0373.05","name":"Ocean Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"The oceans cover 71% of the planet, and the seafloor contains the largest source of new minerals yet to be exploited, including manganese nodules and crusts, and polymetallic sulfides. These ocean floor deposits could provide a vast source of critical metals for the coming green economy, including cobalt, nickel, copper and rare-earth elements. However, the environmental effects of large-scale seafloor mining are not well known, and hotly debated between mining companies eager to profit, and environmental groups seeking to impose moratoria on seabed mining pending better documentation of potential impacts. Seabed mining, presently in limbo, could start as early as 2025.","url":"https://doi.org/10.11647/obp.0373.05","authors":["John Wiltshire"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-08T05:48:51Z","doi":"10.11647/obp.0373.05","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2332153","name":"Who’s Who In Mineral Names: Alice Evelyn Wilson (1881-1964)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Figure 1. Alice Evelyn Wilson in 1938. Portrait by Yousuf Karsh, photo e01782823, Library and Archives Canada.Reproduced with permissionAlicewilsonite-(YCe), ideally Na2Sr2YCe(CO3)6·3H2O, is a new ...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2332153","authors":["Peter Tarassoff"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-21T16:51:46Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2332153","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.20517/mmm.2024.12","name":"Minerals and Mineral Materials: Happy Birthday!","source":"crossref","abstract":"Since its inception in January 2022, Minerals and Mineral Materials has disseminated 28 scholarly works of paramount quality. These contributions have garnered substantial attention, accumulating 23,919 views and 9,263 downloads.","url":"https://doi.org/10.20517/mmm.2024.12","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-29T07:03:25Z","doi":"10.20517/mmm.2024.12","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/9781394258406.ch4","name":"Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"Minerals are major constituents of rocks, with the relative abundance of minerals related to that of their constituent elements in the Earth's crust and mantle. Sources of metals in wine are diverse and include vineyard soil, sprays, and exogenous contaminants, fining agents, winery equipment, and winemaking treatments. Some metals in wine may exist in multiple redox states, and several metals will form coordination complexes with ligands. In contrast to the alkali metals, speciation is more important for the major transition metals in wine, which will form hard cations that readily interact with electron-donating ligands. The most important wine reactions involving transition metals are associated with redox phenomena, particularly those involving copper and iron. Many metals are regulated in foodstuffs, including wines, due their potential health impact. Metal concentrations in commercial wine rarely approach regulatory limits, and thus are of limited toxicological concern.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394258406.ch4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-25T00:06:19Z","doi":"10.1002/9781394258406.ch4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108884","name":"Deleterious impacts of triethylenetetramine and sodium metabisulphite on gold flotation during pyrrhotite depression","source":"crossref","abstract":"The synergistic application of sulfites and polyamines has led to a significant advancement in the selective depression of pyrrhotite during pentlandite and chalcopyrite flotation, yet their efficacy in the flotation of gold-copper ores remains unexplored. Herein, the effect of sodium metabisulphite (SMBS) and triethylenetetramine (TETA) on gold recovery during the selective depression of pyrrhotite in gold-copper ore flotation was investigated. Flotation results revealed that while the SMBS+TETA mixture markedly reduced pyrrhotite recovery from 65 % (baseline recovery) to 22 % without compromising chalcopyrite flotation, it concurrently decreased gold recovery from 82 % to 50 %. Employing TETA alone also decreased gold recovery to 55 %, while the flotation of pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite remained unaffected. The flotation data indicated that the reduction in gold recovery was primarily due to the addition of TETA. Consequently, a series of electrochemical methods were employed to explore the interaction mechanism between TETA and the gold surface. It was found that xanthate collector had a stronger affinity to gold than TETA but that TETA could still interact with the gold surface which was coated with xanthate. TETA could not only adsorb on the surface of gold to render the surface hydrophilic but also inhibit chemisorption and oxidation of xanthate to dixanthogen, leading to the reduced floatability of gold. The findings indicate that the functional groups of chelating agents should be taken into account when pyrrhotite is depressed during the flotation of gold-copper ores, especially in the presence of free gold.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108884","authors":["Foad Raji","Ronel Kappes","Yongjun Peng"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-01T10:53:53Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108884","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108899","name":"Preparation of high-purity magnetite from iron ore concentrate","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108899","authors":["Chuan Dai","Pan Chen","Honghu Tang","Jiayan Liu","Wei Sun"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-05T10:44:12Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108899","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108905","name":"Stereo matching algorithm for mineral images based on improved BT-Census","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108905","authors":["Lirong YANG","Hui YANG","Yang LIU","Chong CAO"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-11T14:15:55Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108905","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/078382-0007","name":"Lunar Nexus: Exploring Sustainable Extraterrestrial Habitat Development Within a Lunar Pit.","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/078382-0007","authors":["Marta Rossena","Raffaele Schiavello","Lea Tabaja","Zhuoan Dai"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-31T21:06:16Z","doi":"10.52202/078382-0007","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108682","name":"Reductive thermal plasma conversion of a spodumene concentrate and impact on lithium extraction","source":"crossref","abstract":"The conversion of α-spodumene was performed using two different CO2/CH4 thermal reductive plasma reactors. Using one configuration, particle size was proven to have a major role in lithium extraction. Lithium extraction efficiency decreases if the particles are too large. The third phase γ-spodumene is less reactive than β-spodumene and has a negative effect on lithium extraction. The other configuration showed that thermal plasmas were able to perform spodumene conversion with results close to that of traditional heating methods, electrical heating or gas burners. Thermal plasmas were proven to decrepitate coarse particles into micrometric particles with a lithium content increase in lower sized fractions. The lithium extraction was proven to be possible on plasma converted samples with lithium extraction efficiencies similar to that of classical heating methods for the lower sized fractions. This means that thermal plasmas could be used to replace CO2 and NOx emitting heating methods such as gas burners in spodumene conversion with similar results while consuming harmful gases instead of producing them, reducing the environmental impact of the process.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108682","authors":["Colin Dessemond","Gervais Soucy","Nicolas Laroche"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-06T20:54:02Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108682","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108947","name":"Flow-induced erosion modelling of cohesive material with coupled CFD-DEM approach","source":"crossref","abstract":"• Investigated cohesive materials erosion characteristics from both macro and micro perspectives. • Simulated erosion in cohesive materials induced by shear flow using a coupled CFD-DEM approach. • Developed a methodology to determine critical shear stress (CSS) with the coupled CFD-DEM model. • Investigated the relationship between cohesion energy density (CED) and both CSS and the erodibility coefficient. Erosion is one of the continuous wear mechanisms in cohesive materials caused by the shear stress applied by the fluid flow at the liquid–solid interface. The erosion resistance of cohesive materials is significantly influenced by the strength of the cohesive bonds that hold the particles together, increasing the complexity of the mechanism. The erosion rate of cohesive materials depends on the critical shear stress (CSS) and the erodibility coefficient at the surface. The current understanding of the relationship among the inter-particle bond strength, CSS, erodibility coefficient, and their respective contributions to the flow-induced erosion process is still lacking; therefore, it cannot be adequately described mathematically. The present research offers a coupled computational fluid dynamics (CFD)–discrete element method (DEM) approach to visualize and quantitatively analyze the flow-induced erosion in cohesive materials. The capability and accuracy of the developed model were validated using experimental data available in the literature. A cohesion model was then employed to describe the strength of the cohesive bond, and the effects of the cohesion energy density (CED) on the CSS and erodibility coefficient were investigated. The analysis indicated that for cohesive materials, the non-dimensional CSS not only is affected by the particle Reynolds number but also strongly depends on CED. The simulation results indicated that by increasing the CED value from 500 to 900kJ/m 3 , the CSS increased by 25 %, and the erodibility coefficient decreased by 62 %. The proposed CFD–DEM approach can effectively estimate the erosion initiation and erosion rate of cohesive materials in different applications and geometries.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108947","authors":["Mohsen Rahimi-Larki","Sandra Vollmann","Shengli Jin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-27T03:03:01Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108947","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108919","name":"Flotation froth image enhancement based on region decomposition and guided filtering","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108919","authors":["Yongfang Xie","Bin Zhang","Shiwen Xie","Zhaohui Tang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-13T20:20:29Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108919","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109028","name":"Influence of clays on coal flotation: Focusing on coal surface oxidization","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109028","authors":["Yangchao Xia","Yaowen Xing","Xiahui Gui","Yijun Cao"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-29T11:12:07Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109028","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109018","name":"Soluble mineral flotation paradox: Improved recovery with no sign of collector adsorption on minerals signifies colloidal attraction between bubble-bound collector colloids and mineral particles","source":"crossref","abstract":"• Micro-flotation tests of KCl and NaCl crystals were performed using 3 common collectors. • All the collectors were insoluble and formed colloids in the saturated brines. • XPS detected no collector species on the salt crystal surfaces. • Traditional assumptions of hydrophobization by collector adsorption failed to explain the soluble salt flotation. • Colloidal attractions between bubble-covered collector colloids and salt crystals governed the soluble salt flotation. Froth flotation uses air bubbles to separate mineral particles based on the difference in mineral surface hydrophobicity. Collectors are needed to selectively hydrophobize the surface of targeted minerals to augment the difference in surface hydrophobicity between wanted minerals and unwanted ones. Here, we showed that this classical (well-established) principle fails to describe the flotation of water-soluble minerals. Our systematic micro-flotation tests using soluble minerals (NaCl and KCl crystals) in brines and three popular collectors (dodecylamine hydrochloride, sodium dodecylsulfate, and sodium laurate) showed a substantial flotation recovery of the salt minerals without detected collector adsorption at the mineral surfaces by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Complementary particle size distribution measurement indicated the occurrence of sub-micron collector colloids in saturated brines. Moreover, the flotation recovery agreed well with the measured contact angle, suggesting the attraction between bubble-bound collector colloids and salt crystal surfaces. These paradoxical results signify a new principle underlying the flotation of soluble minerals, i.e., the selective colloidal attraction between bubble-bound collector colloids and salt particles enables the flotation separation of soluble minerals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109018","authors":["Kangkang Sun","Ngoc N. Nguyen","Anh V. Nguyen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-03T20:27:47Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109018","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108983","name":"Amine-coated nanobubbles-assisted flotation of fine and coarse quartz","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108983","authors":["J. Rubio","A. Azevedo","R.T. Rodrigues","G. Rojas Olivares"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-14T02:49:03Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108983","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9780755650910.0014","name":"Exotheology in contemporary Egyptian science fiction","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9780755650910.0014","authors":["Emad El-Din Aysha"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-24T16:12:11Z","doi":"10.5040/9780755650910.0014","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2348963","name":"Who’s Who in Mineral Names: John A. Jaszczak (b. 1961)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Reproduced with permissionJaszczakite/jā’ zak īte/, [(Bi,Pb)3S3][AuS2], is a new mineral from the Nagybörzsöny gold deposit in northern Hungary, described by Luca Bindi and Werner Paar (2017). It i...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2348963","authors":["John Rakovan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-19T19:53:43Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2348963","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9798216431916.ch-1","name":"Prospects for a Universal Philosophy of Organism","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9798216431916.ch-1","authors":["Derek Malone-France"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-21T13:18:47Z","doi":"10.5040/9798216431916.ch-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108885","name":"Utilization of a mesophilic consortium for arsenic removal from a copper smelting wastewater","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108885","authors":["F. Vera-Espíndola","D. Jeison","E. González"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-06T18:14:19Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108885","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108750","name":"Effects of ultrasound on the electrochemical cementation of copper onto iron","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108750","authors":["Mohamed Aâtach","Miguel Antunes Simão","Stoyan Gaydardzhiev"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-31T09:25:13Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108750","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9798216431916.ch-12","name":"Multiplicity without Tyranny","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9798216431916.ch-12","authors":["Brianne Donaldson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-21T13:18:47Z","doi":"10.5040/9798216431916.ch-12","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108646","name":"Hydrophobic-hydrophilic bubble-particle kinetics in a downcomer","source":"crossref","abstract":"Declining ore grades have been addressed through exponentially higher cell residence times. With cell sizes approaching 1000 m3, improved kinetics is crucial. Downcomers, which increase shear rates for improved recovery of fine hydrophobic particles, may also cause a strong deposition flux of ultrafine hydrophilic particles close to the bubble surface, via lubrication forces. Model feeds of varying silica-to-chalcopyrite mass ratios up to 80 were processed using a REFLUX™ Flotation Cell (RFC™). Equivalent hydrodynamic conditions were applied, including a low solids concentration of 1 wt% to prevent kinetic limitations due to limited bubble surface area. The hydrophobic particle recovery declined significantly as the silica content increased, with clear evidence the ultrafine hydrophilic silica hindered the adhesion kinetics of the hydrophobic chalcopyrite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108646","authors":["S. Parkes","B. Wright","P. Wang","E. Stiller","M. Firouzi","K.P. Galvin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-16T08:08:47Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108646","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108826","name":"New progress in the development and utilization of ferromanganese ore","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108826","authors":["Xiaoshan Liu","Yuemao Zhao","Wentao Zhou","Shuai Yuan","Xun Wang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-26T13:06:37Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108826","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109019","name":"Validation of a population balance model for iron ore dry grinding at the IJmuiden pelletizing plant","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109019","authors":["Tako P.R. de Jong"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-16T15:45:58Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109019","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.22541/au.173207909.93633811/v1","name":"A study demonstrating that using gravitational offset to prepare extraterrestrial mobility missions is misleading","source":"crossref","abstract":"Recently, there has been a surge of international interest in extraterrestrial exploration targeting the Moon, Mars, the moons of Mars, and various asteroids. This contribution discusses how current state-of-the-art Earth-based testing for designing rovers and landers for these missions currently leads to overly optimistic conclusions about the behavior of these devices upon deployment on the targeted celestial bodies. The key misconception is that gravitational offset is necessary during the terramechanics testing of rover and lander prototypes on Earth. The body of evidence supporting our argument is tied to a small number of studies conducted during parabolic flights and insights derived from newly revised scaling laws. We argue that what has prevented the community from fully diagnosing the problem at hand is the absence of effective physics-based models capable of simulating terramechanics under low gravity conditions. We developed such a physics-based simulator and utilized it to gauge the mobility of early prototypes of the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER). This contribution discusses the results generated by this simulator, how they correlate with physical test results from the NASA-Glenn SLOPE lab, and the fallacy of the gravitational offset in rover and lander testing. The simulator, which is open-sourced and publicly available, supports trafficability analysis and facilitates principled studies into in-situ resource utilization activities like digging, bulldozing, and berming in low gravity environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.22541/au.173207909.93633811/v1","authors":["Wei Hu","Pei Li","Arno Rogg","Alexander Schepelmann","Samuel Chandler","Ken Kamrin","Dan Negrut"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-20T00:04:59Z","doi":"10.22541/au.173207909.93633811/v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2303960","name":"The Where of Mineral Names: Khorixasite, Mesopotamia, Khorixas, Kunene Region, Namibia","source":"crossref","abstract":"Khorixasite, (Bi0.67□0.33)Cu(VO4)(OH) (fig. 2), is the bismuth analogue of mottramite, PbCu(VO4)(OH), with which it is isostructural; both are monoclinic. Based on images on Mindat (https://www.min...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2303960","authors":["Bruce Cairncross"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-18T17:29:26Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2303960","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109034","name":"Characterization and leaching options of a Zn and Ni-containing secondary sulfide","source":"crossref","abstract":"• A raw material containing NiS, ZnS(15 % Ni, 16 % Zn, 50.6 % S) was studied. • Atmospheric acidic ferrous-ferric sulfate system was utilized. • Impact of milling, oxidant and acid concentration was tested. • Zn extraction > 99 % was achieved with both O 2 and air. • At best, Ni extraction of ca. 50 % was achieved at t = 24 h with O 2 (g) only. A sulfidic secondary raw material rich in Ni (millerite) and Zn (sphalerite) as well as mixed Ni-Fe-S sulfides was characterized and investigated for its leaching behavior under atmospheric direct acid leaching system utilizing air or oxygen, H 2 SO 4 , temperature ranges, and gas flow rates. The goal was to investigate extractability of the main elements (Ni, 15 wt% and Zn, 16 wt%) in the raw material whether both Ni and Zn could be extract simultaneously, or whether the material is more amenable to selective leaching, impacting the subsequent process options. Batch leaching experiments were performed in a 1 L and 0.5 L systems in two complementary leaching series. Ni was not appreciably extracted apart from the Ni sulfates present in the raw material apart from the experiments utilizing O 2 (g). The Ni dissolution did not readily occur until Zn extraction was finished and solution oxidation–reduction potential (ORP) increased to ca. 450 mV (vs. Ag/AgCl), and only reached ca. 50 % extraction at t = 24 h in T =90 °C and pH=1. The leach residue Zn content closely followed the ORP, achieving a minimum (0.1 wt% Zn) at E=471 mV (vs. Ag/AgCl). The most rapid leaching kinetics for ZnS was with excess acid, followed by experiments with O 2 (g). Decent kinetics were observed in response surface design of experiments ( T= 30, 50, 70 °C; m (H2SO4) /m (Raw material) = 0.6, 0.9, 1.2 g/g), allowing Zn extraction in < 6h. as it was possible to produce upgraded NiS (20 wt%) while extracting most of the Zn (99 %) under several experimental conditions, ranging from high T (90 °C) and limited constant acidity (pH 1) to low temperature (T=50 °C) and high excess acidity. It was shown that it is possible in an atmospheric process to selectively extract Zn while keeping majority of Ni in the leach residue. Selective extraction of Zn allows separation of Ni and Zn into separate materials feeds to be subsequently processed: Zn stream in a Zn process, and Ni-containing residue in a Ni smelter.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109034","authors":["Antti Porvali","Tuomo Mäkelä","Jarno Mäkinen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-08T09:39:03Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109034","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2024.104784","name":"Ice universality: perception of ice, its properties and connected processes on Earth and in the extraterrestrial environment. Earth sciences perspective","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2024.104784","authors":["Wojciech Dobiński"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-24T15:18:35Z","doi":"10.1016/j.earscirev.2024.104784","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2279465","name":"Who’s who in mineral names: Johannes Willemse (1909-1967)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Johannes Willemse (ca. 1958). Reproduced with permission of the Geological Society of South Africa.Willemseite, (Ni,Mg)3Si4O10(OH)2, the nickel analogue of talc, Mg3Si4O10(OH)2, and minnesotaite, (...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2279465","authors":["Frederick Roelofse","Bruce Cairncross"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-21T17:05:06Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2279465","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109089","name":"Selective flotation separation of fluorite and barite with carboxylated chitosan as depressant","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109089","authors":["Longxia Jiang","Bo Feng","Tao Wang","Ziming Wang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-08T07:01:02Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109089","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108865","name":"Optimization of degradation of potassium ethyl xanthate using Fe2O3/TiO2/Flyash nanophotocatalyst using Taguchi statistical approach","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108865","authors":["Anjali Raj","A.R. Tembhurkar"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-31T20:48:24Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108865","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108538","name":"Fine and ultrafine flotation with the Concorde CellTM – A journey","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Concorde Cell is a high-intensity pneumatic flotation cell dedicated to fines and ultrafines. Its development by Professor Graeme Jameson and later on by Metso was driven by two considerations: a reduction in bubble size and an increase in the shear rate and energy dissipation rate increases the particle–bubble collision and attachment efficiencies of fine particles. The Concorde Cell is a technology which produces fine air bubbles with high carrying capacity, thereby allowing increased capacity per unit; smaller footprint and a greater recovery of valuable fine particles which can be lost in other flotation cells. In addition, with a smaller number of flotation stages or less recycle required to achieve the desired recoveries, operational expenditures like power, water and reagents can be reduced. In this article, the potential of the Concorde Cell is explored through six cases, from base metals to metallurgical coal. Its main operating parameters, Air-to-Pulp Ratio, froth washing, froth depth and tailings recycle ratio, are investigated and show that the metallurgical performance of the Concorde Cell follows expectations based on the literature. Amongst others, higher APR leads to higher mass pulls and higher recoveries but lower grades, deeper froth depth increases selectivity… But the data also demonstrate the typical complexity of flotation, whereby the negative impact of increased APR can be compensated with froth washing to maintain high grades at high recoveries for example. About ten industrial scale flotation projects worldwide are deploying the Concorde CellTM. The examples of a metallurgical coal washing plant in Australia and of a copper plant in Zambia prove the capacity of the Concorde Cell to better recover the fines and ultrafines while providing high selectivity. In the two case studies, the Concorde Cell outperformed the previous technology specifically on the finest fractions of the processed streams.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108538","authors":["Alejandro Yáñez","Nathalie Kupka","Berivan Tunç","Janne Suhonen","Antti Rinne"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-15T22:56:00Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108538","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9780755650910.0013","name":"A Qurʾānic ufology? Seven exotheological hypotheses of the Indonesian ‘Islamic UFO’ community","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9780755650910.0013","authors":["Ilham Ibrahim"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-24T16:12:11Z","doi":"10.5040/9780755650910.0013","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109032","name":"Evaluating CO2 sequestration through Technosol constructed from coal mining waste","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109032","authors":["Jessica Weiler","Colombo Celso Gaeta Tassinari"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-30T14:35:48Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109032","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109027","name":"Causes of failures in vibrating screens: A literature review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109027","authors":["Thiago Bento Linhares","Alexandre da Silva Scari","Claysson Bruno Santos Vimieiro"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-17T21:03:49Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109027","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2377011","name":"Signature Specimen: Ludlockite at the Johannesburg Geological Museum, Johannesburg, South Africa","source":"crossref","abstract":"When it comes to iconic Namibian mineral localities, the Tsumeb mine stands head and shoulders above all others. There are few important collections containing southern African minerals that do not...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2377011","authors":["Bruce Cairncross"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-24T14:05:39Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2377011","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108935","name":"Rising dynamics of particle-laden bubbles in presence of surfactant and turbulence","source":"crossref","abstract":"• Rising dynamics of particle-laden bubbles in presence of surfactant and turbulence. • At high bubble surface loadings, the bubble rise velocity increases in turbulence. • At low surface loadings however, the rise velocity decreases due to surfactant. • Both surfactant and turbulence significantly dampen bubble shape oscillations. • Turbulence causes non-rectilinear bubble trajectory across all surface loadings. In the minerals industry, froth flotation is a commonly used method for separating valuable minerals from gangue. The design and efficient operation of flotation cells require a knowledge of the interplay between the system hydrodynamics and its chemistry. These parameters however are often examined in isolation using bare bubbles due to the system complexity. This study aims at investigating the coupled effect of surfactant and turbulence on the rising dynamics of particle-laden bubbles of different bubble surface loadings. Specifically, the rise velocity and trajectories of particle-laden bubbles with bubble surface loadings of 0–87 % were examined in presence of methyl isobutyl carbinol surfactant in a near isotropic turbulent flow generated by oscillating grids. Particle-bubble aggregates were formed using a microfluidics T-Junction-based approach to attach coarse glass bead particles of 316 µm in size to bubbles with a diameter of 2.15 mm. The rising dynamics of the particle-laden bubbles were captured using a high-speed camera. The collected data on rise velocities and trajectories were then benchmarked against the rising behaviour of particle-laden bubbles in a quiescent water with no surfactant. The experimental results showed that, in a quiescent water, addition of methyl isobutyl carbinol surfactant reduces the mean bubble rise velocity at low bubble surface loadings of less than 13%. At bubble surface loadings greater than 13%, the effect of methyl isobutyl carbinol surfactant on the bubble rise velocity was found to be negligible. The increased bubble surface immobility due to an increase in the bubble surface loading is believed to be responsible for the observed behaviour. Turbulence in the absence of surfactant on the other hand, consistently led to an increase in bubble rise velocity over the examined conditions. Under the coupled effect of surfactant and turbulence conditions, the particle laden bubbles with bubble surface loadings greater than 13% exhibited an overall increase in the rise velocity indicating that turbulence was the governing factor at higher bubble surface loadings. At lower bubble surface loadings however, surfactant proved to counteract the effect of turbulence on the rise velocity, leading to an overall reduction of the velocity at loading below 13%. In the absence of turbulence, the particle laden bubbles follow a path that is closer to rectilinear as the bubble surface loading increased or surfactant was added. This is the artefact of a reduction in bubble oscillation due to an enhanced bubble surface immobility. However, in presence of turbulence the trajectory of the particle-laden bubble was found to be generally non-rectilinear, due to stochastic interactions with the turbulent flow. The effect of surfactant on particle laden bubble trajectory was found to be negligible in turbulent flow conditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108935","authors":["Syamsundar M. Murali Mohan","Zhengbiao Peng","Elham Doroodchi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-03T10:22:22Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108935","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9780755650910.0008","name":"Islamic sacred resources on extraterrestrials and their possible eschatological implications","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9780755650910.0008","authors":["Mohammad Mahdi Montasseri"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-24T16:12:11Z","doi":"10.5040/9780755650910.0008","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2398404","name":"In Memoriam: Arizonan Robert William Jones (1926–2024)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Figure 1. Bob Jones at the 2019 Tucson Gem & Mineral Show. Gail Spann photo.Reproduced with permissionThis is a difficult tribute to write, but we hope that in reading it you will find that Robert ...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2398404","authors":["Evan Jones","Dona Lee Leicht"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-04T10:01:17Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2398404","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.engappai.2023.107311","name":"End-to-end deep learning pipeline for on-board extraterrestrial rock segmentation","source":"crossref","abstract":"Bringing autonomy on board edge devices is inevitable to accelerate the process of space exploration. Although there are various tasks that can be executed autonomously by such vehicles, detecting and segmenting rocks in on-board images of extraterrestrial landscapes is a critical step in the processing chain, as it can allow to navigate safely while avoiding collisions. We tackle this issue and introduce an end-to-end pipeline for building and validating resource-frugal machine learning techniques for this task, offering a high level of flexibility. Deploying such models on board edge devices poses numerous practical challenges, spanning across ensuring their memory and computational efficiency, and understanding their robustness against varying quality of acquired images. These aspects are often overlooked while building deep learning-powered on-board systems—we show that they can (and ultimately should) be a part of the deployment chain. Our extensive experimental study performed over several benchmark data sets shed more light on functional and non-functional capabilities of the investigated models, both in full-precision and compressed by quantisation, the latter delivering statistically same segmentation accuracy while being approximately 11× smaller. Additionally, we show that synthesised images can be utilised to quantify the robustness of deep learning models against on-board acquisition conditions which directly affect the quality of captured images—such simulations mimicking real-world acquisition settings could have a negative impact on the capabilities of the models trained over clean and high-quality image data. To ensure full reproducibility of this study, we made our implementation publicly available at https://github.com/danielmarek22/onboard-rock-segmentation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engappai.2023.107311","authors":["Daniel Marek","Jakub Nalepa"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-10-24T00:47:34Z","doi":"10.1016/j.engappai.2023.107311","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14070680","name":"Geochemical Study of the Osumi Granodiorite, Southwestern Japan","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Osumi Granodiorite, located on the Osumi Peninsula in southwest Japan, is an example of outer zone granites that were formed during a limited period (13–15 Ma) in response to the subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate. This event, which is linked to the separation of southwest Japan from continental Asia, resulted in unique igneous activity. The Osumi Granodiorite is the largest Miocene granite body in the region. It intrudes into the Mesozoic to Paleogene accretionary complex of the Shimanto Belt and affects contact metamorphism. Despite considerable research on the Osumi Granodiorite, limited geochemical studies, especially on trace and rare earth element (REE) analyses, have been conducted. Furthermore, there are insufficient data on the Rb–Sr isotopic system, leaving the formation process unclear. This study presents whole-rock geochemical and Rb-Sr isotopic data to investigate the petrogenesis of the Osumi Granodiorite. The results suggest a common magma origin for this pluton, as indicated by linear trends on the Harker diagrams and similar REE patterns. The presence of a relatively large Eu anomaly implies formation under a reducing environment. The AKF diagram indicates predominant contamination by pelitic rocks of the Shimanto Belt during magma formation. The Rb–Sr whole-rock isochron diagram and SrI–1000/Sr diagram suggest that the Osumi Granodiorite body was formed by heterogeneous assimilation of magma into the Shimanto Belt. Furthermore, the whole-rock isochron age is 64.3 Ma, which differs by approximately 50 My from the previously reported biotite K–Ar age (14–22 Ma). This age is considered to be a pseudo-isochron age, rather than the consolidation age. During the middle Miocene, the compressive stress field in the outer zone south of the Butsuzo Tectonic Line made it difficult for magma to rise. As a result, it reacted with the sedimentary rocks of the Shimanto Belt to various degrees. The Osumi Granodiorite underwent magma differentiation upon intrusion into the Shimanto Belt. It subsequently ascended, cooled, and interacted with pelitic rocks under stable geological conditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14070680","authors":["Haozhen Xue","Kazuya Shimooka","Motohiro Tsuboi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-02T11:33:53Z","doi":"10.3390/min14070680","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14040393","name":"Using Euler Deconvolution as Part of a Mineral Exploration Project","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mineral exploration projects can make considerable use of a variety of geophysical techniques and datasets, including magnetic and gravity data. The interpretation of large quantities of data can be very time consuming, so semi-automatic interpretation techniques are often used to provide initial estimates of the parameters (primarily the location and depth) of the sources of anomalies. Euler deconvolution is a commonly used interpretation method for potential fields which has a number of advantages over many other techniques, such as working in the presence of remanent magnetisation, and not being restricted to a particular model such as a contact. A second-order version of Euler’s equation is introduced here, which is much less affected by trends in the data than the standard method and additionally produces depth parabolas, which simplify the interpretation of results. The method was applied to aeromagnetic data from a mineral exploration project in Southern Africa and provided plausible results.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14040393","authors":["G. R. J. Cooper"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-10T06:07:46Z","doi":"10.3390/min14040393","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14050442","name":"Editorial for Special Issue “Geochemistry of Travertines and Calcareous Tufas”","source":"crossref","abstract":"Travertine and calcareous tufa are the lithological terms generally used to describe continental carbonates [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14050442","authors":["Francesca Giustini","Mauro Brilli"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-24T03:56:31Z","doi":"10.3390/min14050442","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ad11f2","name":"Artificial Broadcasts as Galactic Populations. I. A Point Process Formalism for Extraterrestrial Intelligences and Their Broadcasts","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Artificial broadcasts from extraterrestrial intelligences are a hypothetical class of celestial phenomena. Unlike known astrophysical objects, the societies that generate them may be able to replicate on galactic scales through interstellar travel. Different galaxies could thus have drastically different populations, with variations in abundance of many orders of magnitude. I present a probabilistic formalism to treat this shared history, in which societies and their broadcasts are described by distributions over basic properties like lifespan and energy released. The framework contains a hierarchy of objects related by a tree structure. Discrete societies, the sources of broadcasts, are organized into potentially interstellar metasocieties . The population of each type of object is represented by a random point process in an abstract parameter hyperspace, a haystack . When a selection like an observation draws a sample, the point process is thinned. Given assumptions of interchangeability and independence, observables are modeled with compound Poisson random variables. I present an example of how selection bias can favor sampling longer-lived objects. I rederive the Drake equation for societies in the limit of no expansion. When interstellar replication is present, however, the mean number of detected broadcasts can depend quadratically on stellar mass, suggesting a search strategy favoring large galaxies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad11f2","authors":["Brian C. Lacki"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-07T18:13:17Z","doi":"10.3847/1538-4357/ad11f2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108847","name":"A review of the dry methods available for coal beneficiation","source":"crossref","abstract":"Water is a precious global resource that is important in most currently employed coal beneficiation practices. These widely accepted processes deliver consistent and precise separation efficiencies at desired product yields and throughputs. Although favoured, the water usage related to wet processing may be impractical and unsustainable in certain regions. Consequently, present-day practices used in coal processing may soon have to adapt, irrespective of any improved technical and economic feasibility offered. Therefore, the development of efficacious dry beneficiation methods has become an appealing research topic. This review assembles information pertaining to the principle and success of commercially available and experimental phase dry processes applicable to coal beneficiation. These methods show much potential and, with some consideration of possible limitations and further investigation, may be established in future in the especially arctic, arid, and under-developed regions through new plant installations, expansions, and small mines and fines processing.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108847","authors":["Nikki Hughes","Marco le Roux","Quentin Peter Campbell","Fardis Nakhaei"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-23T20:15:29Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108847","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108694","name":"Optimization of flip-flow screen plate based on DEM-FEM coupling model and screening performance of fine minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108694","authors":["Xu Hou","Weinan Wang","Jiahao Pan","Pengfei Mao","Songxue Zhang","Chenlong Duan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-11T06:29:33Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108694","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-443-16082-0.00013-8","name":"Preface","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-443-16082-0.00013-8","authors":["Azamal Husen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-03T02:23:00Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-443-16082-0.00013-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108702","name":"Optimization of Upper group 2 flotation using Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans as a modifier","source":"crossref","abstract":"Coupling of biotechnology and mineral processing arise from the depletion of high-grade ores. Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (A. ferrooxidans) is a chemolithotroph, γ-proteobacterium, gram negative bacteria that has been used in biomining over the years due to its ability of bio mobilising valuable minerals and metals. In this study, the ability of A. ferrooxidans ability to modify and pre-concentrate base metal sulphides from Upper Group 2 (UG2) was investigated. Mesophile (37 °C) and thermophile (47 °C) A. ferrooxidans mixtures were cultured and used to condition UG2 run of mine sample for 4 h at a pH ranging from 7,5 to 7. The adherence of the bacteria to the UG2 run of mine (ROM) was confirmed with FTIR, XRD, XRF and XRD. Biomodification results suggested that Culture A significantly concentrated Cu, however Ni and S were not concentrated as desired, culture B showed the same effect at 4 h. Comparing the effect of culture, A to B, it was ruled that culture A had a high concentrating effect towards valuables (Cu, Ni, S and Fe which could be from sulphides or chromite) whereas culture B had a concentrating effect on the gangue elements such as Al, Si, Ca, Mg, and Cr. To study the effect of the bacteria on biomodification and surface oxidation, flotation was conducted. Cu grade and recovery obtained was 1.9 % and 87.33 % for mesophile and 1.44 % and 84.4 % for thermophile A. ferrooxidans, respectively. Whereas for Ni, thermophile A. ferrooxidans a higher grade of 1.35 % compared to 1.22 % obtained when mesophile A. ferrooxidans was used. It was concluded that mesophile and thermophile A. ferrooxidans could be used for the biomodification of chalcopyrite and pentlandite. But where selective flotation of chalcopyrite is desired, using mesophile would provide an effective process, whereas thermophile would provide optimum grade and recoveries for pentlandite. Nonetheless, to further optimize the bioflotation process, controlling conditioning time and pulp density was crucial for both mesophile A. ferrooxidans-bioflotation and thermophile A. ferrooxidans-bioflotation these two factors were ruled as the most factors that majorly influence the grade and recoveries of Cu, Ni.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108702","authors":["Nokubonga G. Zulu","Bongephiwe M. Thethwayo","Mapilane Madiba"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-20T02:25:40Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108702","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14050452","name":"Igneous Diversity of the Early Martian Crust","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mars missions and Martian meteorites revealed how complex the Martian crust is. The occurrence of both alkaline and sub-alkaline igneous rocks of Noachian age (&gt;3.7 Ga) in Gale crater indicates diverse magmatic processes, with sub-alkaline rocks likely formed through the partial melting of hydrous mafic rocks, as commonly observed on Earth. The orbital discovery of excavated evolved igneous rocks scattered in Noachian terrains raise questions about the petrology of the ancient Martian crust, long thought to be basaltic. A possibly evolved crust beneath a mafic cover is supported by geophysical and seismic measurements from the Insight lander that indicate the bulk crust has a lower density than expected if it were homogeneously basaltic. If localized magmatic processes could form evolved terrains, the detection of abundant intermediate to felsic Noachian crustal exposures through remote sensing suggest regional- to global-scale processes that produced evolved crustal component(s) that are now buried below mafic materials. Due to the lack of centimetric to millimetric textural imaging and compositional measurements, the petrology of such crust is ambiguous. Future orbiter, rover, and aerial missions should focus on Noachian exposed regions exhibiting evolved crustal characteristics to unfold the petrology of the Martian crust and its formation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14050452","authors":["Valerie Payré","Arya Udry","Abigail A. Fraeman"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-25T08:08:32Z","doi":"10.3390/min14050452","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-024-78071-5","name":"Instrumentation prospects for rocky exoplanet atmospheres studies with high resolution spectroscopy","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Studying the atmospheres of exoplanets is one of the most promising ways to learn about distant worlds beyond our solar system. The composition of an exoplanet’s atmosphere can provide critical insights into its geology and potential habitability. For instance, the presence of certain molecules such as water vapor, oxygen, or methane have been proposed to indicate the possibility of life. From an observation point of view, over the past fifteen years, significant progress has been made in characterizing exoplanetary atmospheres. This work reviews recent developments in ground-based high-resolution spectroscopic instruments that make it possible to analyze distant atmospheres in great detail. High-resolution transmission spectroscopy, one of the most effective methods used, has examined the atmospheres of Jupiter-like and is pushing towards the smaller, sub-Neptunian exoplanets. Numerous molecules have been detected using this technique, including $$\\mathrm {CO, H_2O, TiO, HCN, CH_4, NH_3, C_2H_2, OH}$$ CO , H 2 O , TiO , HCN , CH 4 , NH 3 , C 2 H 2 , OH . We explore the intriguing possibilities that lie ahead for future ground-based instrumentation, particularly in the context of detecting biologically relevant molecules within Earth-analog exoplanetary atmospheres including molecular oxygen ( $$\\mathrm {O_2}$$ O 2 ). With detailed exposure time calculations for detecting $$\\mathrm {O_2}$$ O 2 we find that at the same exposure time spectral resolution of 300,000 reaches higher significance compared to 100,000. The exposure time and therefore the needed number of transits is reduced by a factor of 4 in challenging haze and cloud scenarios.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-78071-5","authors":["Surangkhana Rukdee"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-09T07:46:36Z","doi":"10.1038/s41598-024-78071-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9798216431916.ch-8","name":"Astrobiology, Cosmotheology, and the Biological Universe","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9798216431916.ch-8","authors":["Steven J. Dick"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-21T13:18:47Z","doi":"10.5040/9798216431916.ch-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.55163/wemj9585","name":"Critical Minerals and Great Power Competition: An Overview","source":"crossref","abstract":"With global politics increasingly fractured, states are rushing to secure critical and strategic mineral supply chains. Each state conceptualizes mineral security differently, driven by a mix of imperatives that range from national development and industrial policy to technological and military dominance. Great power competition pervades all of these issue areas, and that competition may also pose risks at the global level: risks for the pace of green transition, risks of geoeconomic escalation and risks of conflict. This report provides an insightful overview of the mineral security policies of four key powers: China, the European Union, Russia and the United States. It describes the distinct ways in which they conceptualize mineral security, compares their priority lists of critical and strategic minerals. It considers the wider imperatives that motivate their policies and assesses the implications for developing countries. The report concludes by reflecting on the need to mitigate the worst of the resultant risks through expanded dialogue with a wider set of stakeholders. The goal is a form of mineral security that can serve more broad-based, global developmental interests.","url":"https://doi.org/10.55163/wemj9585","authors":["Jiayi Zhou","André Månberger"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-23T12:34:52Z","doi":"10.55163/wemj9585","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109058","name":"Sulfate-activated mineral carbonation of olivine minerals with mechanisms explained by shrinking core models and by machine learning algorithm","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109058","authors":["Kobina Akyea Ofori","William Hanson","Kaiwu Huang","Lei Pan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-28T06:22:56Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109058","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.15407/akademperiodyka.506.092","name":"Atlas of fluid inclusions in some minerals of Ukraine","source":"crossref","abstract":"Reconstructing methods of the crystallization conditions of minerals by fluid inclusions for reproducing PT-parameters of their preservation are considered. The importance of the processes that occur with inclusions after conservation (overfilling, cracking, change in the cavity shape) for the realistic reproduction of the conditions of geological objects’ formation is described. Information about new genetic types of inclusions is presented. The participation of liquation in the formation of typhoons is substantiated. The illustrative material of the atlas proves the obtained genetic conclusions. The book is intended for mineralogists, geochemists, and geologists studying endogenous mineral deposits.","url":"https://doi.org/10.15407/akademperiodyka.506.092","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-02T03:41:13Z","doi":"10.15407/akademperiodyka.506.092","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.55163/nksi2291","name":"Critical Minerals and Great Power Competition: An Overview","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.55163/nksi2291","authors":["Jiayi Zhou","André Månberger"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-21T11:32:47Z","doi":"10.55163/nksi2291","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9798216431916.ch-6","name":"Evolution Connected to Theory of Value by Process-Relational Astrotheology and Cosmotheology","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9798216431916.ch-6","authors":["Theodore Walker"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-21T13:18:47Z","doi":"10.5040/9798216431916.ch-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14040436","name":"Simultaneous U–Pb and U–Th Dating Using LA-ICP-MS for Young (&lt;0.4 Ma) Minerals: A Reappraisal of the Double Dating Approach","source":"crossref","abstract":"Simultaneous U–Pb and U–Th dating using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was performed on the ca. 0.1 Ma Toya tephra and the ca. 0.08 Ma SS14-28 U–Th zircon reference material. In U–Pb dating, both Th/U and Pa/U partitioning between magma and minerals were considered. In U–Th dating, both abundance sensitivity and molecular interferences on 230Th were reevaluated. As a result, the Toya tephra yielded an accurate weighted mean U–Pb age of 0.103 ± 0.029 Ma (2σ) using zircon and monazite. Conversely, the SS14-28 zircon yielded an inaccurate U–Pb age (0.25 ± 0.10 Ma), which was attributed to low 206Pb signal intensity. Both the Toya tephra zircon and the SS14-28 zircon yielded accurate U–Th model ages of 0.108 ± 0.014 Ma and 0.078 ± 0.007 Ma, respectively. The agreement of U–Pb and U–Th ages for Toya indicates that simultaneous U–Pb and U–Th dating is possible and viable. The inappropriate age of SS14-28 U–Pb age and appropriate U–Th model age also indicates it is preferable to apply both U–Pb and U–Th dating simultaneously for young (&lt;0.4 Ma) zircons to check internal consistency. The proposed double dating approach may be especially useful for small grains when it otherwise would be impossible to obtain multiple ages from a single grain. By adopting simultaneous U–Pb and U–Th dating using LA-ICP-MS, zircon crystallization ages as old as 4.5 Ga to as young as 0.1 Ma (or even younger) can be obtained in a quick and cost-effective manner with a reasonable (~5% at 1σ) uncertainty.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14040436","authors":["Hisatoshi Ito"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-22T09:53:52Z","doi":"10.3390/min14040436","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.52202/078358-0017","name":"Artifical Singularity Power Engines: A Basis for Developing and Detecting Advanced Spacefaring Civilizations","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/078358-0017","authors":["Robert Zubrin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-31T21:08:46Z","doi":"10.52202/078358-0017","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108833","name":"Co-Sb based anodes for electrolysis in chloride contaminated sulfuric acid electrolyte","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108833","authors":["Zeynab Mahidashti","Milad Rezaei"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-27T01:16:31Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108833","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14080756","name":"Methods of Pore Structural Characterisation of Sedimentary Rocks and Their Constituent Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"Pore structural characterisation is important for rocks and their constituent minerals in order to understand physico-chemical processes occurring therein. Rather than a broad general survey of potential pore characterisation techniques, this review focuses on an in-depth discussion of some key current issues in this topic. A so-called ‘brute-force’ characterisation approach involving a single imaging modality is seldom possible for rocks due to their high degree of heterogeneity. This work surveys alternate strategies suitable for rocks. Further, this work addresses some misapprehensions and misunderstandings that have arisen concerning some experimental techniques offering alternate strategies to the brute-force approach, such as gas overcondensation and mercury porosimetry. It also considers some pore structural characterisation techniques, such as cryoporometry, that are seldom used in the context of natural materials and surveys their capabilities.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14080756","authors":["Sean P. Rigby","Eleni Himona"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-26T14:39:08Z","doi":"10.3390/min14080756","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108717","name":"Degradation of residual xanthates in mineral processing wastewater-A review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108717","authors":["Xingjie Wang","Miaoxin Chen","Liyuan Ma","Piia Juholin","Devin J. Sapsford"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-29T12:30:34Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108717","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2377000","name":"Looking Back on the Rochester Mineralogical Symposium (1974-2023)","source":"crossref","abstract":"For fifty years, from April 1974 through April 2023, the Rochester Mineralogical Symposium (RMS) was a springtime high point on the specimen mineralogy calendar. For some, it was in fact the highes...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2377000","authors":["Steven C. Chamberlain","Raymond McDougall"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-24T14:05:39Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2377000","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108549","name":"Water quality impact on flotation Response: A focus on specific ions and temperature","source":"crossref","abstract":"Plant water recycling causes an accumulation of ions in the process water which may affect plant processes since processing routes are water intensive. Seasonal temperature differences affect the water quality through variation of the available recycled water within the plant between the summer and winter seasons. The objective of this study was therefore to investigate the effect of specific ions and temperature, relevant to onsite process water recycling and temperature variations brought about by seasonal changes, on the separation of gangue from valuable minerals in batch flotation of a low-grade Cu-Ni-PGE ore. Water and solids recoveries were impacted by Ca2+ and SO42-. At high SO42- concentrations, an increase in Ca2+ increased the mass of water and solids recovered. An increase in SO42- alone caused an increase in copper recovery whilst decreasing the copper grade. S2O32- alone affected the nickel recovery. An increase in S2O32- caused an increase in nickel recovery whilst the nickel grade was affected by the interaction of S2O32- and temperature. Furthermore, copper showed similar trends as those observed for nickel in the responses for the mineral grade. At high S2O32- concentration there was no observable change in the nickel and copper grades when temperature increased. At low S2O32- concentrations, an increase in temperature decreased the nickel and copper grades. In addition to the interactive effect of temperature and S2O32-, nickel was more temperature sensitive in comparison to copper. The study demonstrated that there are specific ion concentration ranges beyond which flotation performance was adversely affected and other ranges beyond which no observable effect on flotation was visible. Based on this understanding, it may be possible to predict the ideal operating conditions for the number of water recycles in a plant. The higher ionic concentrations and their corresponding ionic strengths resulted in a more stable froth in comparison to lower ionic concentrations and consequently an improvement in the recoveries.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108549","authors":["Kirsten C. Corin","Apollonia Charamba","Malibongwe S. Manono"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-23T05:49:39Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108549","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108792","name":"Enhanced vanadium bioleaching from stone coal employing Aspergillus niger: Optimization of stone coal pretreatment method","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108792","authors":["Yingbo Dong","Jinyu Zan","Hai Lin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-27T04:18:18Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108792","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.30347596.8","name":"MINERALS AND MILNER","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.30347596.8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-09T20:21:11Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.30347596.8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.14217/comsec.1134","name":"Enhancing Sustainability in Africa's Critical Minerals Sectors","source":"crossref","abstract":"Critical minerals mining in Africa plays a crucial role in the global economy, supplying essential resources for advanced technologies. The continent is endowed with abundant deposits, nearly 30 percent of the world’s share of vital minerals, including cobalt, lithium, manganese and graphite, which are indispensable for producing electric vehicles and renewable energy systems. The demand for criticalminerals for these technologies is projected to increase fivefold over the next decade. Addressing these issues through international regulations and sustainable mining initiatives is essential for harnessing Africa’s mineral wealth responsibly. Proper management and ethical practices can ensure that critical minerals mining contributes positively to both local and global development. This issue of Trade Hot Topics, the second of a two-part series, focuses on some of the main sustainability challenges and proposes different ways to address them.","url":"https://doi.org/10.14217/comsec.1134","authors":["Kartikeya Garg"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-29T09:24:11Z","doi":"10.14217/comsec.1134","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109005","name":"Investigation on solvometallurgical processes for extraction of metals from sulfides","source":"crossref","abstract":"• Reported solvoleaching of six important metal sulfides (CuS, Ni 3 S 2 , FeS, ZnS, PbS & MoS 2 ) • Solvoleaching used organic extractants, organic solvents & deep eutectic solvents. • Dissolution mechanism of the metal sulfides for each system was discussed. • FTIR and UV–Vis was used to analyze leach solutions. • Sulfur transformed to either H 2 S, sulfate, elemental sulfur or polysulfide. Copper, nickel, iron, zinc, lead, and molybdenum are among the important metals commonly found as sulfide minerals in nature. Some of these metals are also found as sulfides in intermediate products like matte and mixed sulfide precipitates (MSP). The extraction processes of these metals from their sulfide forms through either pyrometallurgy or hydrometallurgy encounter various challenges. This study aimed to explore the viability of solvometallurgical processes (solvoleaching) as potential alternatives for the extraction of these metals from their sulfides (CuS, Ni 3 S 2 , FeS, ZnS, PbS and MoS 2 ). The solvometallurgical processes employed a range of solvoleaching systems, such as D2EHPA+MnO 2 +H 2 O, ammoniacal solvoleaching comprising of LIX 84-I+NH 4 OH+H 2 O 2 , HCl-equilibrated TBP (TBP-HCl) and EG (ethylene glycol)-based solvents containing each of HCl, FeCl 3 , ChCl and NH 4 Cl. The solvoleaching mechanism of the metal sulfides in each solvoleaching system was discussed. The results were corroborated with thermodynamic tools like Eh-pH diagrams, Gibbs free energy change, and solvation properties of the metal ions, as well as the hard and soft acid-base (HSAB) theory. Analyses of the resulting leach solutions, utilizing suitable analytical techniques such as UV–Vis spectroscopy and FTIR, provided additional support for the results. A comparison made between the solvoleaching and classical aqueous leaching, showing comparable results, indicated the viability of solvoleaching processes as alternatives for the sustainable extraction of these metals from their sulfides.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109005","authors":["Kurniawan Kurniawan","Sookyung Kim","Mooki Bae","Alexandre Chagnes","Jae-chun Lee"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-24T02:57:55Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108495","name":"Ultrasonic pretreatment for enhancing flotation separation of elemental sulfur and silver-bearing lead minerals from an oxidative pressure leaching residue of zinc sulfide","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108495","authors":["Canneng Chen","Song Zhang","Quanjun Liu","Luzheng Chen","Yongjun Xian","Yijie Wang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-19T18:11:06Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108495","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.jobe.2024.110389","name":"Additive manufacturing evolution in construction: From individual terrestrial to collective, aerial, and extraterrestrial applications","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2024.110389","authors":["Kamran Aghaee","Linfei Li","Alireza Roshan","Parsa Namakiaraghi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-10T22:31:27Z","doi":"10.1016/j.jobe.2024.110389","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108753","name":"The use of simple analytical techniques to assess surface oxidation of sulphide ores","source":"crossref","abstract":"Surface oxidation is known to have a negative impact on the flotation performance of sulphide minerals. This is because severe oxidation makes it more difficult to process low-grade sulphide minerals, which reduces the recovery of valuable minerals during flotation. It may be possible to quantitatively correlate the rate/level of oxidation to oxidized sulphide ores using simple surface analytical techniques. This, if done well, could eliminate the need for numerous mineralogical tests, saving both time and money. This study investigated the EDTA Extraction Technique and Oxygen consumption factor (OCF) Technique as possible techniques to quantitatively describe oxidation levels in different ore types with different mineral compositions and grades. The aim was to determine if the changes in the surface character generated by oxidation are linked to a measurement obtained from the selected techniques. The techniques were validated on fresh ores of varying grades; high grade Cu (HG Cu) and Upper Group 2 (UG2). The two ores were then ground to generate varying particle size distributions and liberation profiles to study the link between oxidation, particle size and liberation. Based on ore type and sulphide liberation, the tests attempted to provide an indicator of feed grade and surface oxidation. Flotation is used as a diagnostic for the parameters mentioned. The results showed that (for Ore A/UG2) as particle size decreased (from grind size 40 %–75 μm), the recovery increased until it hit a maximum (grind size 60 %–75 μm) before monotonically declining (to grind size 80 %–75 μm). The OCF and EDTA values increased as the grind size became finer. The grind size 80 %–75 μm had suffered significantly more oxidation than the other grind sizes and this was indicated by the high OCF and the EDTA value. The liberated base metal sulphides (BMS) for Ore B (HG Cu) was generally consistent throughout the three grind sizes, however, the highest recovery was achieved by the grind size 80 %–75 μm (95.11 %), followed by grind sizes 60 %–75 μm and 40 %–75 μm respectively (92.25 % and 90.86 %). The recovery of this ore increases as the grind size becomes finer. Ore B demonstrated a direct correlation between the OCF and EDTA value for ore B increased as the grind size became finer, and the recovery. It is possible that the particles that were ground to achieve particle size 80 %–75 μm were at their most hydrophobic state, owing to the increased liberation of the BMS, particularly chalcopyrite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108753","authors":["A.S. Sibiya","R.M. Manenzhe","M. Tadie","K.C. Corin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-27T17:13:04Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108753","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108854","name":"Pre-reduction of Nchwaning manganese ore in CO/CO2, H2/H2O, and H2 atmospheres","source":"crossref","abstract":"Hydrogen (H2), a relatively underexplored reductant in ferromanganese (FeMn) production, offers an attractive avenue for mitigating gaseous carbon (C) emissions. The reduction behaviour of South African Nchwaning manganese (Mn) ore using gaseous CO/CO2, H2/H2O, and H2 atmospheres was investigated experimentally in the temperature variation of 700, 800, and 900 °C. The effect of different gas compositions and temperatures was studied using a vertical thermogravimetric (TG) tube furnace. During pre-reduction, two parallel reactions occurred, namely the reduction of higher Mn- and iron (Fe) -oxides, and the decomposition of carbonates. After each test, decrepitation, chemical composition, phase transformation, and porosity were characterised. Using the rate of mass loss, a kinetic model was obtained to predict kinetic constants. The oxidation state of the higher Mn- and Fe-oxides was lowered during CO/CO2 and H2/H2O pre-reduction. Only during pure H2 pre-reduction was Fe2+ reduced to its metallic state, Fe0. The majority of carbonates decomposed in the presence of the CO/CO2 atmosphere at 900 °C, whereas in the presence of H2 in the reducing atmosphere carbonates decomposed at a higher rate and lower temperatures. Additionally, the extent and rate of mass loss were expedited by increasing the temperature, employing H2-containing atmospheres, and lowering the oxygen partial pressure (pO2) of the H2-containing atmospheres. No significant trends were observed in ore decrepitation and porosity across various atmospheres and temperatures, except for decrepitation in the water vapour-containing atmosphere. The utilisation of a pure H2 atmosphere has a significant ability for pre-reducing Mn ores with carbonate content by expediting carbonate decomposition and promoting Fe-oxide metallisation, thereby enhancing the efficiency of ore treatment in metallurgical applications.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108854","authors":["M.S. ERNST","M. TANGSTAD","S.P. DU PREEZ"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-26T13:07:29Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108854","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108615","name":"Continuous bioreactor leaching of nickel sulfide concentrates with moderately thermophilic bacteria and archaea","source":"crossref","abstract":"A commercial process for bioreactor leaching of a nickel concentrate by-product of talc mining has been described previously. It was developed and operated (2016–2018) at about 45–46 °C. Further features of bioleaching that concentrate have now been investigated in laboratory-scale reactors with continuous feeds of up to 10% (w/v) solids and an emphasis on temperatures at and a few degrees above that of the commercial process. The sulfur-oxidizing At. caldus was more abundant than the sulfide mineral-oxidizing S. thermosulfidooxidans and Atm. siderophilum at 48 °C but was essentially lost with a 3 °C temperature rise, simultaneously with a rise in pH and in iron precipitation from solution, without adversely affecting nickel leaching. The relative abundance among bacteria was similar between two reactors operated in series but there was more than a fourfold increase in the relative abundance of the ferrous-iron oxidizing, heterotrophic archaeon Ac. cupricumulans in the secondary reactor, most likely in response to an increase in the acidity as the sulfide concentrate oxidation proceeded.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108615","authors":["Paul R. Norris","Robert Fitzpatrick","Ana L. Santos"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-19T19:44:57Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108615","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109084","name":"Recent technology developments in beneficiation and enrichment of ilmenite: A review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109084","authors":["Hanyu Wang","Xinyu Zhang","Rui Qu","Linghui Zhang","Wenbo Li"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-07T01:22:18Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109084","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14080829","name":"Effects of Low-Temperature Heat Treatment on Mong Hsu Rubies","source":"crossref","abstract":"This study examined the effects of low-temperature heat treatment on the characteristics of the rubies from Mong Hsu, Myanmar. Five ruby samples were heated to 400, 600, 900 and 1200 °C for different durations, respectively. Before and after each heating step, a visual examination was conducted with a gem microscope under different illumination conditions. Various spectral analyses such as UV-Vis, FTIR, Raman and PL were also used to examine the effect of heating on the ruby samples. The low-temperature heat treatment enhanced the ruby samples by causing the dark blue core to partially or completely fade away. It then increased the overall light transmittance and enhanced the fluorescence peak around 694 nm but did not improve the red hue of the samples. Two major changes were found in the experiments. One was the dark blue core of the samples that faded as the heating temperature increased. They were verified by the spectra to be the variation in the intervalence charge transfer between Fe2+ and Ti4+. The variation in the intervalence charge transfer of Mong Hsu ruby was not noticeable before heating to 900 °C but changed dramatically when heated to 1200 °C. The other was the shift of the FTIR peak, which is caused by decomposition of minerals due to heating. An FTIR 630 cm−1 peak proved to be sensitive to the low-temperature heating and might be helpful for detecting low-temperature treatment.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14080829","authors":["Chen Fan","Yung-Chin Ding"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-15T09:29:41Z","doi":"10.3390/min14080829","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2023.2253095","name":"Southern California Pegmatite Gems","source":"crossref","abstract":"Figure 1. Elbaite (rubellite): 2.08 carats, Tourmaline Queen mine, Pala district, San Diego County, California; cut by Phil Osborn. Private collection, Mark Mauthner photo.Reproduced with permissio...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2023.2253095","authors":["Mark Mauthner"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-08T14:31:03Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2023.2253095","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14100976","name":"The Role of Hypergenic and Technogenic Processes in Contamination the Ecosphere","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mining in the Russian Far East has been developing for more than 100 years, resulting in the formation of mining technogenic systems that negatively affect all components of the environment. The purpose of this paper is to develop and present an ecological and geochemical model of supergene processes in tinsulfide and polymetallic ore mining systems. This paper presents, for the first time, the results of long-term field observations (more than 50 years): studies of numerous secondary minerals (more than 80) identified in mine workings and tailings, their natural associations, as well as the sequence, zonality, and stages of mineral formation as well as the characteristics of hydrochemical samples of river waters, contaminated by acid mine drainage (30 years of observations). Experimental modeling of sulfide oxidation was carried out under laboratory conditions (electrochemical method) and using Selektor software, which made it possible to study the process of acid mine drainage formation and to show the metal ions and ionic complexes composition, to establish Eh-pH parameters of crystallization for 52 secondary minerals, associations of primary and secondary minerals. The influence of water components on the formation of slurry and drainage in different time periods (dry, heavy rainfall, and snowmelt) is shown, and their mixing at the geochemical barrier “acid mine drainage—surface natural waters” is described. Experimental results are verified with numerous in-situ observations and mineralogical studies. The work allowed for the presentation of an environmental–geochemical model of ecosphere pollution, which describes not only the negative impact of sulfide-bearing systems of Russian Far East mining districts but locations all over the world.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14100976","authors":["Valentina Zvereva","Konstantin Frolov"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-27T11:19:33Z","doi":"10.3390/min14100976","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108734","name":"Magnetic property of malachite for high-gradient magnetic separation","source":"crossref","abstract":"Malachite (CuCO 3 ·Cu(OH) 2 ) has long been considered a non-magnetic mineral, so it is never believed separable with magnetic separation. The findings from this innovative research would change this deep-seated view. For the first time, malachite was found to own a magnetic susceptibility even larger than chalcopyrite , and the theoretical analysis based on the Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Crystal-Field Theory (CFT) calculations revealed that the magnetic susceptibility of malachite is originated from the hybridization and spin of electrons in the Cu and O atoms in the malachite structure, as a result of the Jahn-Teller effect. The experimental investigation showed that the malachite is separable through high gradient magnetic separation (HGMS). By feeding a malachite ore sample assaying 0.80 % Cu with a particle size of D60 = 74 μm, the SLon-100 pulsating HGMS separator produced a malachite concentrate assaying 0.968 % Cu at 87.37 % recovery; and, the discarded tailings from the separator was significantly reduced to 0.364 % Cu at a mass weight reaching 27.80 %. These innovative findings provide a more environment-friendly and economical solution for high-efficient separation of malachite using HGMS method.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108734","authors":["Pulin Dai","Zixing Xue","Xiaowei Li","Zhicong Wei","Jianwu Zeng","Luzheng Chen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-23T10:29:53Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108734","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.14217/comsec.1133","name":"Harnessing Africa's Critical Minerals Wealth","source":"crossref","abstract":"Africa holds about 30 per cent of the world’s mineral resources, many of which are vital for the energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables and low-carbon technologies, including electricity networks, battery storage and electric vehicles (Chandler, 2022). Global efforts to meet the Paris Agreement’s ambition of net-zero emissions by 2050, therefore, would place ‘Africaat the heart of the green energy transition, both in environmental and geopolitical terms’. In addition to their role in the energy transition, these minerals already serve as an important source of revenue for African countries, comprising about one-third of exports from at least 33 African countries in 2019. Moreover, 45 out of the 54 African countries were classified as commodity-dependant, with 17 classified as dependent on non-fuel minerals, ores and metals export.","url":"https://doi.org/10.14217/comsec.1133","authors":["Kartikeya Garg","Brendan Vickers"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-29T09:30:55Z","doi":"10.14217/comsec.1133","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108856","name":"Purification of different-sized quartz crystals in granitc pegmatite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108856","authors":["Deng Qi","Ren Zijie","Song Yuhan","He Yuhao","Li Peiyu","Yin Hang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-24T21:37:31Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108856","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.engstruct.2024.118723","name":"A comprehensive review of extraterrestrial construction, from space concrete materials to habitat structures","source":"crossref","abstract":"This review explores the development and potential applications of space concrete, a critical material for future extraterrestrial construction. Space concrete, adapted to withstand the harsh conditions of outer space, such as extreme temperatures, vacuum, microgravity, and radiation, offers a sustainable solution for building habitats and infrastructure on celestial bodies like the Moon and Mars. Emphasizing the innovative approaches in formulating space concrete, including the use of lunar and Martian soil as aggregates and the exploration of alternative binders to traditional water-based cement, this review highlights the significance of in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) and 3D printing technologies in advancing extraterrestrial construction. Additionally, the current designs and applications of space concrete structures are discussed. By providing a detailed analysis of the challenges faced in space construction and the latest advancements in material and structural research, the review underlines the pivotal role of space concrete in supporting space exploration and long-term habitat.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2024.118723","authors":["Chengqing Wu","Zizheng Yu","Ruizhe Shao","Jun Li"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-05T07:11:52Z","doi":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2024.118723","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2023.2253125","name":"Internet Directory for the Earth Sciences","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mark Mauthner PhotographyPhotographing natural history specimens and collections.mmauthner@gmail.comSusan M. Robinson, artistMinerals, fossils, nature.dftwdart@gmail.comScovil Photography, Jeff Sco...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2023.2253125","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-08T14:31:03Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2023.2253125","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108736","name":"Modelling of particulate and fluid flow in laboratory scale SMDs using coupled DEM-SPH simulations","source":"crossref","abstract":"The stirred media detritor (SMD) is a common mill type used to achieve ultrafine grinds within the minerals industry. It is vertically orientated with a pin impeller. This study focusses on assessing the differences in fluid and particulate flow characteristics in three different laboratory scale SMD models. The computational model uses a two-way coupled discrete element method (DEM) and smooth particle hydrodynamics (SPH) configuration. The model was designed to simulate the mill chamber, impeller and grinding media using DEM, while the slurry was modelled as a semi-compressible fluid using SPH. The model computes the DEM and SPH components simultaneously and resolves their interaction forces through a coupling interface. Tip speed was varied in simulations and compared across mill sizes to examine the scale-up effects. Across the three mill scales, decreases are observed in the intensive collision energy and power draw, as the mill radius lengthens.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108736","authors":["Divine Ssebunnya","Aubrey Mainza","Stephen Neethling"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-30T20:42:31Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108736","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5840/renascence202476313","name":"“Orbis Non Sufficit”","source":"crossref","abstract":"This paper uses the context of early modern English colonialism and empire building to propose a new reading of Francis Godwin’s The Man in the Moone. My reading of this text focuses on Godwin’s narrator, the Spanish picaro Domingo Gonsales, and postulates that the choice to fictionalize a Spaniard’s lunar voyage is deeply tied to Godwin’s personal anxieties over the state of Spanish colonialism and the nescient English Empire. By choosing a Spanish protagonist over an Englishman, Godwin is able to explore the logical conclusion of the Spanish imperial project—colonization that has subsumed terrestrial conquest and moved into the celestial spheres. When The Man in the Moone suggests that a Spaniard is already beginning to make the transition to extraterrestrial colonization, Godwin is forced to confront the possibility that an English alternative to Spanish colonialism may no longer be possible.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5840/renascence202476313","authors":["Mark Wisniewski"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-11T05:01:16Z","doi":"10.5840/renascence202476313","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14121242","name":"Superplasticizer Dosage Effect on Strength, Microstructure and Permeability Enhancement of Cementitious Paste Fills","source":"crossref","abstract":"A cementitious paste fill (CPF) ensures the long-age stability of underground cavities. Recently, superplasticizers, specifically ones that are polycarboxylate ether-based, have been incorporated to enhance CPF performance, yet their long-term effects on permeability, mechanical properties, and microstructures remain unclear. This study investigates these effects with CPF samples containing varying superplasticizer dosages (0%, 1%, 3%, 5%) that have been cured for up to 150 days. Rheological assessments (slump cone, vane shear tests), unconfined compressive strength testing, microstructural characterization (MIP, SEM), and hydraulic conductivity measurements were performed alongside XRD and thermal analyses (TAns) on high w/c (2) cement paste samples. The results showed that superplasticizer addition reduced CPF water content by 23% and yield stress by six times, aiding slurry transport. Long-term strength was enhanced by up to 2.4 times compared to the control samples, indicating improved underground stability. Superplasticizers altered the CPF samples stress–strain responses, increasing their load-bearing capacity. TG/DTG and XRD analyses revealed that hydration product development increased and porosity decreased in the presence of a superplasticizer. Hydraulic conductivity and permeability also decreased significantly. SEM and MIP analyses showed that the superplasticizer enhanced denser microstructures with fewer pores and fractures. These findings offer promising implications for designing CPFs with improved strength, durability, and environmental sustainability.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14121242","authors":["Ibrahim Cavusoglu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-05T11:27:53Z","doi":"10.3390/min14121242","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14070660","name":"Deciphering Igneous Rock Crystals: Unveiling Multifractal Patterns in Crystal Size Dynamics","source":"crossref","abstract":"Understanding magma plumbing systems hinges upon an intricate comprehension of crystal populations concerning size, chemistry, and origin. We introduce an innovative, yet elegantly simple approach—the ‘number–length of crystals (N-LoC) multifractal model’—to classify crystal sizes, unveiling compelling insights into their distribution dynamics. This model, a departure from conventional crystal size distribution (CSD) diagrams, reveals multifractal patterns indicative of distinct class sizes within igneous rock crystals. By synthesizing multiple samples from experimental studies, natural occurrences, and numerical models, we validate this method’s efficacy. Our bi-logarithmic N-LoC diagrams for cooling-driven crystallized samples transcend the confines of traditional CSD plots, identifying variable thresholds linked to cooling rates and quenching temperatures. These thresholds hint at pulsative nucleation and size-dependent growth events, offering glimpses into crystallization regimes and post-growth modifications like coalescence and coarsening. Examining multifractal log–log plots across time-series samples unravels crystallization histories during cooling or decompression. Notably, microlites within volcano conduits delineate thresholds influenced by decompression rate and style, mirroring nucleation and growth dynamics observed in experimental studies. Our fractal methodology, presenting a more direct approach with fewer assumptions than the classic CSD method, stands poised as a potent alternative or complementary tool. We delve into its potential, facilitating comparisons between eruptive styles in volcanoes while deliberating on inherent limitations. This work not only advances crystal size analysis methodologies but also holds promise for inferring nuanced volcanic processes and offers a streamlined avenue for crystal size evaluation in igneous rocks.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14070660","authors":["Amir Eskandari","Behnam Sadeghi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-27T08:57:50Z","doi":"10.3390/min14070660","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/1462169x.2024.2414603","name":"Dr. Arnold Mostowicz: ‘Not alone in space.’ Moral Injury and the Quest for extraterrestrial Redemption","source":"crossref","abstract":"This article discusses Dr. Arnold Mostowicz, a Polish-Jewish public intellectual, writer, and physician who, under German occupation, was coerced to assist in selections to Nazi killing centers. Later in life, Mostowicz developed a fascination with Ancient Alien Theory, which alleges that space aliens introduced civilizational breakthroughs on Earth. Employing ufological theories, Mostowicz worked through his enforced complicity in genocide to recreate his postwar identity within an extraterrestrial paradigm. Drawing on Mostowicz’s oeuvre of popular science, science fiction, and autobiography, the article interprets themes and tropes in Mostowicz’s writings as texts of disguised reflection on ethical quandaries evoked by the Holocaust.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1462169x.2024.2414603","authors":["Monika Rice"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-02T05:26:01Z","doi":"10.1080/1462169x.2024.2414603","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14111134","name":"Granular Soils and Contaminant Modeling in Tailing Dams","source":"crossref","abstract":"The granular soils of tailings, encompassing clay, gravel, sand, and silt, play a pivotal role in the behavior and stability of tailings dams. Different types of granular soils significantly influence the tailings material’s strength, compressibility, and permeability. This study highlights the importance of understanding the relationship between soil types and contaminant properties when analyzing solute transport through numerical modeling. Consequently, various soil types were incorporated into the initial tailings dam model to simulate contaminant transport based on solute transport analysis. The findings underscored the essential role of granular soils in contaminant dispersion within tailings dams. Finer particles, such as clay and silt, demonstrated higher adsorption capacities, which slow contaminant movement. In contrast, coarser materials, like sand and gravel, enable faster transport, increasing the potential for rapid dispersion.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14111134","authors":["Hadi Farhadian","Behshad Jodeiri Shokri","Ali Mirzaghorbanali"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-11T03:52:07Z","doi":"10.3390/min14111134","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14060597","name":"Microtextural Characteristics of Ultramafic Rock-Forming Minerals and Their Effects on Carbon Sequestration","source":"crossref","abstract":"Ultramafic rocks are promising candidates for carbon sequestration by enhanced carbon dioxide (CO2) mineralization strategies due to their highly CO2-reactive mineral composition and their abundant availability. This study reports the mineralogy and microtextures of a representative ultramafic rock from the Ma-Hin Creek in northern Thailand and provides evidence of CO2 mineralization occurring through the interaction between CO2 and the rock in the presence of water under ambient conditions. After sample collection, rock description was determined by optical petrographic analysis. The rock petrography revealed a cumulated wehrlite comprising over 50% olivine and minor amounts of clinopyroxene, plagioclase, and chromian spinel. Approximately 25% of the wehrlite had altered to serpentine and chlorite. A series of CO2 batch experiments were conducted on six different rock sizes at a temperature of 40 °C and pressure of 1 atm over five consecutive days. The post-experimental products were dried, weighed, and geochemically analyzed to detect changes in mineral species. Experimental results showed that product weight and the presence of calcite increased with reducing grain size. Additionally, the modal mineralogy of the wehrlite theoretically suggests potential CO2 uptake of up to 53%, which is higher than the average uptake values of mafic rocks. These findings support the rock investigation approach used and the preliminary assessment of carbon mineralization potential, contributing to enhanced rock weathering techniques for CO2 removal that could be adopted by mining and rock supplier industries.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14060597","authors":["Tadsuda Taksavasu","Piyanat Arin","Thanakon Khatecha","Suchanya Kojinok"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-06T12:04:28Z","doi":"10.3390/min14060597","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/gselements.20.4.272","name":"The Clay Minerals Society","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.20.4.272","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-07T11:23:07Z","doi":"10.2138/gselements.20.4.272","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.281Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/9781119438397.ch11","name":"Mathematical Modeling of Cancer Potency for Various Fibrous Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"Quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) modeling gradually becomes one of the most important and promising directions of the toxicological and risk assessment sciences. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development developed validation principles for QSAR modeling applied to toxicological assessment and regulations, including defined endpoint; unambiguous algorithm; defined domain of applicability; appropriate measures of goodness-of-fit, robustness, and predictability; and mechanistic interpretation. However, while numerous models were developed to approximate various toxic characteristics of chemical agents based on their chemical structure, much less is known about the approaches for predicting cancer potency of particles, in general, and asbestiform and nonasbestiform fibers, in particular. Korchevskiy et al. attempted to develop QSAR models that would quantitatively characterize the mesothelioma potency of fibers based on their chemical composition and dimensions. Only the cohorts where workers or populations were exposed directly to naturally occurring fibrous minerals, and not to manufactured, fiber-containing products, were included in the modeling process.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119438397.ch11","authors":["Andrey Korchevskiy","James Rasmuson","Eric Rasmuson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-12T21:18:46Z","doi":"10.1002/9781119438397.ch11","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108890","name":"Central composite design modelling and developing a method for removing sulphate from an alunitic kaolin ore","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108890","authors":["İlker Erkan","Serkan Inal","İbrahim Alp"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-02T17:53:53Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108890","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108953","name":"Enhancement of copper mobilization using acidic AlCl3 − rich lixiviant","source":"crossref","abstract":"• Al 3+ (aq) leads to the formation of AlSO 4 + (aq) species and alunite at pH 1–3. • Al-sulphate phases lower the sulphate activity for jarosite and sideronatrite. • Al-rich phases formed in AlCl 3 -rich lixiviants are amorphous and porous. • The Fe-diffusion rate to Cu mineral surfaces is highest in AlCl 3 lixiviants. • The initial rate of Fe 3+ (aq) -promoted copper release is fastest in AlCl 3 lixiviants. Copper (Cu) extraction from low-grade ores is limited by the formation of secondary minerals that can passivate the surfaces of Cu-sulphide minerals in these ores. Hence, a novel approach utilizing AlCl 3 as a lixiviant was developed to modify coupled dissolution-reprecipitation processes at the mineral interface. The formation of Al-rich phases instead of Fe-hydroxysulphates enhanced Cu extraction through combined ferric-iron and proton-promoted dissolution. AlCl 3 accelerated chalcopyrite and bornite dissolution by forming soluble intermediate Cu-phases (e.g., covellite) at consistently high Eh (550–650 mV) and acidity due to the Lewis acid property of AlCl 3 . X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that Na-bearing jarosite [(K 0.61 Na 0.41 ) Fe 3 (SO 4 ) 2 (OH)] and sideronatrite [Na 2 Fe(SO 4 ) 2 (OH)(H 2 O)] formation in lixiviants without AlCl 3 decreased Fe 3+ (aq) availability for Cu-sulphide minerals dissolution. In contrast, significant amounts of AlSO 4 + (aq) formed in the AlCl 3 -rich lixiviant at pH 1–3, which reduced the sulphate activity and decreased the saturation state of the Fe-hydroxysulphates. Further, AlCl 3 promoted the formation of amorphous, porous Al-rich phases, facilitating quick Fe diffusion through the passivating layer and improving Cu recovery compared to lixiviants containing CaCl 2 , NaCl, or acid-only.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108953","authors":["Eric O. Ansah","Jay R. Black","Ralf R. Haese"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-30T02:14:19Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108953","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109077","name":"Elucidating the mechanism of ball milling on surface reconstruction of arsenopyrite: XPS property and theoretical studies","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109077","authors":["Manjiao Chen","Xinjun Hu","Jianping Tian"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-31T18:00:55Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109077","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1088/2631-8695/ad5c2a","name":"Structural computational analysis of conventional and self-designed rover wheel architectures for extraterrestrial roving application","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract The technical advancements in robotics have closely been followed by developments in aerospace excavation robots. This research elucidates self-designed shape memory alloy wheels for their use in Lunar Excavations, which attributes to the new era of space exploration robots. The wheel design proves to be of paramount importance as crucial operations such as mobility, steering, and traction control build upon wheel design. A comparison has been made between Aluminium alloy, Structural Steel, and Shape Memory alloy (Nitinol) wheels for both conventional and self-designed wheel architectures. Wheel architecture tests and their results are articulated with the aid of simulation. The significant performance parameters, primarily Total Deformation, Equivalent Stress, and Shear stress-induced, were analyzed, which articulates the performance of the wheel at the time of landing. It was observed that for both wheel designs: self-designed and conventional, the maximum total deformation was 0.011154 mm and 1.3573 mm, respectively, when Aluminium alloy was chosen as the base material. For Steel and Nitinol, the self-designed wheel structure proved to perform better than the conventional wheel design with lower values of total deformation (0.0041129 mm and 0.010968 mm, respectively).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2631-8695/ad5c2a","authors":["Mohit Vishnoi","Siddharth Srivastava","Mamatha T G","Vikas Kukshal"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-26T22:41:27Z","doi":"10.1088/2631-8695/ad5c2a","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109001","name":"Accurate calculation of magnetic forces on magnetic mineral particles using micromagnetic simulations","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109001","authors":["Xin Li","Zhaolian Wang","Qian Wang","Kaixi Jiang","Jiangang Ku"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-23T11:45:12Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1134/s0031030124601403","name":"Terrestrial Ecosystems as Probable Analogues of Extraterrestrial Ones","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract This paper examines the issues of correlating some terrestrial ecosystems with hypothetical environments and processes on other planets and their moons. Recent studies of modern extremophiles suggest the need to re-evaluate established ideas about the ranges of physicochemical conditions suitable for accommodating life. Soda lakes may be considered as equivalents of local ephemeral, potentially habitable, ponds of cometary origin both on the early Earth (in the first ~0.5 Gyr, i.e., before the formation of the hydrosphere) and on the surface of other Solar System bodies. Studies of the Earth’s paleosols allow modelling of the possible past for Mars. The permafrost biota is not considered in the context of this study.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1134/s0031030124601403","authors":["O. S. Samylina","M. B. Simakov","E. A. Saprykin","T. V. Alekseeva","A. O. Alekseev"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-05T11:02:59Z","doi":"10.1134/s0031030124601403","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/gselements.20.3.206","name":"The Clay Minerals Society","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.20.3.206","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-03T15:54:46Z","doi":"10.2138/gselements.20.3.206","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-031-53558-1_6","name":"Vitamins-Minerals-Additives","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-53558-1_6","authors":["Vassilis Kontogiorgos"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-16T20:24:44Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-031-53558-1_6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-443-18651-6.00001-9","name":"Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-443-18651-6.00001-9","authors":["Daniel A. Vallero","Trevor M. Letcher"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-10-20T10:25:08Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-443-18651-6.00001-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108477","name":"Pre-concentration and partial fractionation of rare earth elements by ion exchange","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108477","authors":["Luciano Bernardo José","Gabriela Cordeiro Silva","Ana Cláudia Queiroz Ladeira"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-09T07:23:31Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108477","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2332155","name":"The Where of Mineral Names: Mendipite, The Mendip Hills, Somerset, South-West England","source":"crossref","abstract":"Figure 1. A typical western Mendips landscape, looking east-northeast from the limestone crags at the summit of Crook Peak toward Wavering Down. Malcolm Southwood photo, June 2014.Reproduced with p...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2332155","authors":["Malcolm Southwood"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-21T16:51:46Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2332155","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108532","name":"Carbon dioxide uptake and fixation by ferrous iron-oxidizing acidophilic bacteria","source":"crossref","abstract":"CO2 is a major nutrient for autotrophic, mineral sulfide-oxidizing bacteria. The uptake and fixation of this carbon source is therefore critical for industrial mineral sulfide bioprocessing. The CO2 concentration influenced growth of five iron- or sulfur-oxidizing acidophiles to different extents. Those less affected by a growth-limiting CO2 concentration included Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiomicrobium ferrooxidans. Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans showed efficient uptake of 14CO2 from its concentration in air when previously grown under air while the maximum rate of CO2 uptake by cells previously grown under an enhanced CO2 concentration was only approached when the CO2 was increased to 0.1% v/v in air. In contrast, growth of Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans was more adversely affected by limiting CO2 under air and the CO2 uptake rate was the same in cells grown with limiting or excess CO2. At. ferrooxidans also appeared to fix accumulated CO2 more efficiently than S. thermosulfidooxidans and RT-qPCR confirmed that adaptation of At. ferrooxidans to growth under limiting CO2 included production of form 1A ribulose bis-phosphate carboxylase in place of the form 1Aq enzyme which was predominant during growth under an enhanced CO2 concentration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108532","authors":["Martin R. MacLean","Darren A. Clark","Ludovic Laigle","Paul R. Norris"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-14T07:16:45Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108532","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109052","name":"Mechanism of selectivity of tri-n-octylmethylammonium chloride for vanadium","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109052","authors":["Zhekun Yu","Tao Liu","Yimin Zhang","Pengcheng Hu","Hong Liu","Ye He"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-16T17:57:52Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109052","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109024","name":"Pretreatment and recovery of base metals from oxidised ores by froth flotation technology – A review","source":"crossref","abstract":"• The flotation process of partially and fully oxidized base metal sulphides is not efficient. • Mineralogy of oxidised base metal ores and its impact on the flotation process. • Pretreatment processes prior to flotation of partially and fully oxidized base metal sulphide ores. • Pretreatment of oxidized base metal sulphide ores still needs to be greatly improved. Base metals are among the key drivers propelling the economy’s expansion due to their widespread uses and applications. They are used as input factors in the construction of houses, transportation, plants, machinery, pipes, electrical cables, etc. As high-grade base metal sulphide deposits continue to diminish rapidly, the focus is shifting towards recovering these metals from lower grade oxidised and mixed ore deposits. This article critically discusses several research attempts made on the pretreatment of oxidised and mixed ores to increase base metal recoveries by froth flotation, as well as their benefits and drawbacks. Finally, the paper proposes further research and suggest steps forward to pretreatment of oxidised base metals. It is strongly believed that with proper pretreatment of oxidised base metals prior to flotation, when established as a viable technology recognised by industry, will contribute to the sustainability of base metal industry.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109024","authors":["Nompumelelo Nkosi","Willie Nheta"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-08T11:10:52Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109024","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108585","name":"Energy-based modelling of single-particle breakage by slow compression","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108585","authors":["Túlio M. Campos","Caroline Andersson","Magnus Evertsson","Malcolm Powell","Luís Marcelo Tavares"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-21T01:28:23Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108585","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108895","name":"Improving fine malachite particle recovery: Triethanolamine enhances surface sulfidization and xanthate adsorption","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108895","authors":["Song Zhang","Yongjun Xian","Shuming Wen","Guanyu Liang","Xu Bai"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-10T00:13:33Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108895","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14010104","name":"A Temperature Perturbation Infrared Spectroscopy Comparison of HY and NaY Zeolite Dehydration/Rehydration","source":"crossref","abstract":"Temperature step infrared spectroscopy is used to monitor vibrations associated with water molecules and zeolite framework during thermal dehydration and rehydration of HY and NaY. Temperature-dependent HY and NaY infrared spectrum intensity and wavenumber trends for O-H stretching vibrations, H-O-H bending vibrations, and zeolite framework vibrations are compared. Changes in hydroxyl stretching and water bending vibration bands confirm that HY has a stronger hydrogen bonding network. The intensity of a band at 3700 cm−1 in NaY spectra varies with temperature and can be correlated with Na+ migration and zeolite water content. Spectral subtractions reveal complex intensity variations in the framework vibration band wavenumber region. Spectrum differences indicate the presence of at least four overlapping contributions in this wavenumber region. The intensities and wavenumbers of these constituents vary with temperature differently for HY and NaY. For both zeolites, infrared spectrum changes detected during thermal dehydration were mostly reversed when water re-adsorbed to the sample after cooling.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14010104","authors":["Robert L. White"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-18T03:50:56Z","doi":"10.3390/min14010104","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109012","name":"A comparative study of discharging and leaching of spent lithium-ion battery recycling","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109012","authors":["Brenda Segura-Bailón","Gretchen T. Lapidus","Guadalupe Ramos-Sánchez"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-23T20:27:30Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109012","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108812","name":"Does hemimicelle concentration (HMC) coincide with critical aggregation concentration (CAC) in flotation?","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108812","authors":["M.S. Çelik","O. Guven","İ.E. Karaağaçlıoğlu","O. Ozdemir"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-03T17:35:09Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108812","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2303950","name":"The Empire State Mine, Balmat, St. Lawrence County, New York","source":"crossref","abstract":"Unless otherwise noted, all mineral photos by Michael R. Walter of Empire State mine specimens in the inventory of Geologic DesiresFigure 1. Entry sign to the Empire State mine. Michael R. Walter p...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2303950","authors":["Michael R. Walter","Kevin Dixon"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-18T17:29:26Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2303950","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2279464","name":"Up and Coming Mineral Collector Jingnan “Tom” Zhang: One to Watch","source":"crossref","abstract":"Figure 1. Tom Zhang’s collection in China in 2019. Tom Zhang photo.Reproduced with permissionFigure 2. Zhang holding the famous “snail’’ rhodochrosite when visiting Bill Larson’s collection in 2023...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2279464","authors":["Peter K. M. Megaw"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-21T17:05:06Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2279464","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109082","name":"Energy release and disaster-causing mechanism of ore-pillar combination","source":"crossref","abstract":"Coal and other mineral resources are also commonly found in bauxite mining. The process of bauxite mining is usually affected by retained ore pillars in other strata, which leads to the formation of combinations composed of different strata. Once these combinations become unstable, they can cause serious disasters that threaten production safety. Aiming at the safe mining of co-associated resources in the overlying coal seams of bauxite mines, in this paper, the strength, fracture development, and energy evolution of the coal-rock-aluminum (C-R-A) combination under varying thickness proportions of coal, rock, and aluminum were studied by means of particle flow code (PFC) numerical simulation, SPSS statistical analysis, and other methods. The results indicate that the strength of the combination is significantly negatively correlated with the thickness of the soft coal seam and remarkably positively correlated with the thickness of the hard aluminum layer. Under the same stress conditions, fractures in the combination mainly occur in the coal seam. As the thickness proportion of the coal seam in the overall structure increases, the number of fractures there grows correspondingly. Under a larger thickness proportion of the rock stratum, the combination releases its elastic energy faster after instability, and the fractures develop more intensely. As the thickness proportion of the rock stratum decreases, the elastic energy index ( W ET ) in the C-R-A combination rises, and the burst proneness strengthens. Areas where the thickness proportions of coal, rock, and aluminum lie in the ranges of 30%–60%, 10%–20%, and 30%–60% respectively are considered high-risk zones, and rock burst accidents are most likely to occur when the thickness ratio of coal, rock, and aluminum is 4: 1: 5. These research findings can provide guidance for the safe mining of similar coal and aluminum associated resources.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109082","authors":["Yu Tang","Weibing Zhu","Jianlin Xie","Tianyu Li","Bozhi Zhao","Chunlei Guo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-05T04:55:33Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.109082","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2348981","name":"Through the ‘Scope: The Year in Micromounting: 2023 Was a Year of Questions","source":"crossref","abstract":"As with the year 2022, organizers of micromount events in 2023 faced the question of Zoom components, though in slightly different fashion. In 2022, the question was primarily whether or not to hol...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2348981","authors":["Quintin Wight"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-19T19:53:43Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2348981","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2023.2253105","name":"The Brown Derby No. 1 Pegmatite, Gunnison County, Colorado","source":"crossref","abstract":"Figure 1. Historical view of the main Brown Derby–group pegmatites, looking southwest, as seen in 1949. From Staatz and Trites (1955, fig. 8).Reproduced with permissionWhen it comes to Colorado’s p...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2023.2253105","authors":["Philip M. Persson","Mark Ivan Jacobson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-21T17:05:06Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2023.2253105","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2024.2348979","name":"The Where of Mineral Names: Ettringite, Ettringen, Vordereifel, Mayen-Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany","source":"crossref","abstract":"Figure 1. A view of Ettringen village, seen from the south-southeast from the Ettringer Bellerberg. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ettringen_Mayen-Koblenz_SSO.JPGReproduced with permission...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2024.2348979","authors":["Bruce Cairncross"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-19T19:53:43Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2024.2348979","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9780755650910.0012","name":"The alien in the lamp? The jinn and alien life in Islamic theology","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9780755650910.0012","authors":["Richard Playford"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-24T11:12:11Z","doi":"10.5040/9780755650910.0012","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.jtemin.2024.100133","name":"Corrigendum to “Boron Citrate Esters as Boron Daily Food Supplementing Agents. Synthesis and Structural Characterizations”. [Journal of Trace Elements and Minerals 5C (2023) 100089]","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtemin.2024.100133","authors":["Melda Bolat Bülter","Dursun Ali Köse"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-03T17:49:13Z","doi":"10.1016/j.jtemin.2024.100133","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108671","name":"Flowsheet development for and commissioning of the Kamoa-Kakula project","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108671","authors":["N.O. Lotter","E. Whiteman","M.C. Hoffman","V. Nkuna","S.R. Amos","A. Groenewald"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-27T11:42:51Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108671","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9798216431916.ch-4","name":"The Connection-Action Principle","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9798216431916.ch-4","authors":["Mark Lupisella"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-21T13:18:47Z","doi":"10.5040/9798216431916.ch-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/gselements.20.2.142","name":"The Clay Minerals Society","source":"crossref","abstract":"The role of the annual long-range planning (LRP) meeting of the Executive Committee is to address longer-term issues of The Clay Minerals Society.This meeting was held in January.One of the issues on the agenda has been the planning for our annual meetings.This year, the CMS annual meeting will be co-organized with the Clay Science Society of Japan and the Chinese Association for the Study of Clays, and will be held in Hawaii (3-6 June 2024).As you read this, the deadlines for abstract submission and early registration have passed, and we now approach the final opportunity for participating in this meeting.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.20.2.142","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-11T05:34:02Z","doi":"10.2138/gselements.20.2.142","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-031-52342-7","name":"Deep-Sea Minerals Developments in the 20th Century","source":"crossref","abstract":"This book places recent developments in deep-sea minerals mining in a historical context, and covers environmental, technological, and economic issues.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-52342-7","authors":["David S. Cronan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-06T06:02:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-031-52342-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/gselements.20.1.62","name":"The Clay Minerals Society","source":"crossref","abstract":"Clay minerals are fascinating materials to study, both from a fundamental point of view and because they have applications in many fields.Transport of clays, soil physics and clay geophysics, biogeochemistry and environmental geochemistry, soil science and soil chemistry, remediation and carbon removal, microscopies and molecular modeling, planetary science and astrobiology, and applications of clays as nanomaterials or building materials are some topics that illustrate the diverse application fields and importance of clay minerals for environmental purposes.These topics correspond to the technical sessions proposed for the annual meeting, which will be held in Hawaii in June.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.20.1.62","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-15T07:56:33Z","doi":"10.2138/gselements.20.1.62","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-443-24127-7.00008-7","name":"Minerals and Sedimentary Rocks","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-443-24127-7.00008-7","authors":["Djebbar Tiab","Erle C. Donaldson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-29T07:45:44Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-443-24127-7.00008-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14030247","name":"Enhancing Deep Learning and Computer Image Analysis in Petrography through Artificial Self-Awareness Mechanisms","source":"crossref","abstract":"In this paper, we discuss the implementation of artificial self-awareness mechanisms and self-reflection abilities in deep neural networks. While the current limitations of research prevent achieving cognitive capabilities on par with natural biological entities, the incorporation of basic self-awareness and self-reflection mechanisms in deep learning architectures offers substantial advantages in tackling specific problems across various scientific fields, including geosciences. In the first section, we outline the foundational architecture of our deep learning approach termed Self-Aware Learning (SAL). The subsequent part of the paper highlights the practical benefits of this machine learning methodology through synthetic tests and applications addressed to automatic classification and image analysis of real petrological data sets. We show how Self-Aware Learning allows enhanced accuracy, reduced overfitting problems, and improved performances compared to other existing methods.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14030247","authors":["Paolo Dell’Aversana"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-28T03:37:57Z","doi":"10.3390/min14030247","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:39.282Z"},{"id":"oa:W4283815056","name":"A critical review of mineral–microbe interaction and co-evolution: mechanisms and applications","source":"openalex","abstract":"Mineral-microbe interactions play important roles in environmental change, biogeochemical cycling of elements and formation of ore deposits. Minerals provide both beneficial (physical and chemical protection, nutrients, and energy) and detrimental (toxic substances and oxidative pressure) effects to microbes, resulting in mineral-specific microbial colonization. Microbes impact dissolution, transformation and precipitation of minerals through their activity, resulting in either genetically controlled or metabolism-induced biomineralization. Through these interactions, minerals and microbes co-evolve through Earth history. Mineral-microbe interactions typically occur at microscopic scale but the effect is often manifested at global scale. Despite advances achieved through decades of research, major questions remain. Four areas are identified for future research: integrating mineral and microbial ecology, establishing mineral biosignatures, linking laboratory mechanistic investigation to field observation, and manipulating mineral-microbe interactions for the benefit of humankind.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwac128","authors":["Hailiang Dong","Liuqin Huang","Linduo Zhao","Qiang Zeng","Xiaolei Liu","Yizhi Sheng","Liang Shi","Geng Wu","Hongchen Jiang","Fangru Li","Li Zhang","Dongyi Guo"],"tags":["Biogeochemical cycle","Mineral","Biomineralization","Dissolution","Environmental chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwac128","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.070Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2125011060","name":"Global dimming and brightening: A review","source":"openalex","abstract":"There is increasing evidence that the amount of solar radiation incident at the Earth's surface is not stable over the years but undergoes significant decadal variations. Here I review the evidence for these changes, their magnitude, their possible causes, their representation in climate models, and their potential implications for climate change. The various studies analyzing long‐term records of surface radiation measurements suggest a widespread decrease in surface solar radiation between the 1950s and 1980s (“global dimming”), with a partial recovery more recently at many locations (“brightening”). There are also some indications for an “early brightening” in the first part of the 20th century. These variations are in line with independent long‐term observations of sunshine duration, diurnal temperature range, pan evaporation, and, more recently, satellite‐derived estimates, which add credibility to the existence of these changes and their larger‐scale significance. Current climate models, in general, tend to simulate these decadal variations to a much lesser degree. The origins of these variations are internal to the Earth's atmosphere and not externally forced by the Sun. Variations are not only found under cloudy but also under cloud‐free atmospheres, indicative of an anthropogenic contribution through changes in aerosol emissions governed by economic developments and air pollution regulations. The relative importance of aerosols, clouds, and aerosol‐cloud interactions may differ depending on region and pollution level. Highlighted are further potential implications of dimming and brightening for climate change, which may affect global warming, the components and intensity of the hydrological cycle, the carbon cycle, and the cryosphere among other climate elements.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2008jd011470","authors":["Martin Wild"],"tags":["Environmental science","Climatology","Climate change","Atmospheric sciences","Cloud cover"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-05-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2008jd011470","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.070Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.070Z"},{"id":"oa:W2154393710","name":"Scattering matrices of mineral aerosol particles at 441.6 nm and 632.8 nm","source":"openalex","abstract":"We present measured scattering matrices as functions of the scattering angle in the range 5°–173° and at wavelengths of 441.6 nm and 632.8 nm for seven distinct irregularly shaped mineral aerosol samples with properties representative of mineral aerosols present in the Earth's atmosphere. The aerosol samples, i.e., feldspar, red clay, quartz, loess, Pinatubo and Lokon volcanic ash, and Sahara sand, represent a wide variety of particle size (typical diameters between 0.1 and 100 μm) and composition (mainly silicates). We investigate the effects of differences in size and complex refractive index on the light‐scattering properties of these irregular particles. In particular, we find that the measured scattering matrix elements when plotted as functions of the scattering angle are confined to rather limited domains. This similarity in scattering behavior justifies the construction of an average aerosol scattering matrix as a function of scattering angle to facilitate, for example, the use of our results for the interpretation of remote sensing data. We show that results of ray‐optics calculations, using Gaussian random shapes, are able to describe the experimental data well when taking into account the high irregularity in shape of the aerosols, even when these aerosols are rather small. Using the results of ray‐optics calculations, we interpret the differences found between the measured aerosol scattering matrices in terms of differences in complex refractive index and particle size relative to the wavelength. The importance of our results for studies of astronomical objects, such as planets, comets, asteroids, and circumstellar dust shells is discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2001jd900068","authors":["H. Volten","Olga Muñoz","E. Rol","J. F. de Haan","W. Vassen","J. W. Hovenier","K. Muinonen","Timo Nousiainen"],"tags":["Scattering","Aerosol","Mineral dust","Wavelength","Particle (ecology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2001jd900068","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.070Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.070Z"},{"id":"oa:W2085562887","name":"Atomic weights of the elements. Review 2000 (IUPAC Technical Report)","source":"openalex","abstract":"A consistent set of internationally accepted atomic weights has long been an essential aim of the scientific community because of the relevance of these values to science and technology, as well as to trade and commerce subject to ethical, legal, and international standards. The standard atomic weights of the elements are regularly evaluated, recommended, and published in updated tables by the Commission on Atomic Weights and Isotopic Abundances (CAWIA) of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). These values are invariably associated with carefully evaluated uncertainties. Atomic weights were originally determined by mass ratio measurements coupled with an understanding of chemical stoichiometry, but are now based almost exclusively on knowledge of the isotopic composition (derived from isotope-abundance ratio measurements) and the atomic masses of the isotopes of the elements. Atomic weights and atomic masses are now scaled to a numerical value of exactly 12 for the mass of the carbon isotope of mass number 12. Technological advances in mass spectrometry and nuclear-reaction energies have enabled atomic masses to be determined with a relative uncertainty of better than 1 ×10 −7 . Isotope abundances for an increasing number of elements can be measured to better than 1 ×10 −3 . The excellent precision of such measurements led to the discovery that many elements, in different specimens, display significant variations in their isotope-abundance ratios, caused by a variety of natural and industrial physicochemical processes. While such variations increasingly place a constraint on the uncertainties with which some standard atomic weights can be stated, they provide numerous opportunities for investigating a range of important phenomena in physical, chemical, cosmological, biological, and industrial processes. This review reflects the current and increasing interest of science in the measured differences between source-specific and even sample-specific atomic weights. These relative comparisons can often be made with a smaller uncertainty than is achieved in the best calibrated “absolute ” (=SI-traceable) atomic-weight determinations. Accurate determinations of the atomic weights of certain elements also influence the values of fundamental constants such as the Avogadro, Faraday, and universal gas constants. This review is in two parts: the first summarizes the development of the science of atomic-weight determinations during the 20th century; the second summarizes the changes and variations that have been recognized in the values and uncertainties of atomic weights, on an element-by-element basis, in the latter part of the 20th century.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1351/pac200375060683","authors":["J.R. De Laeter","J. K. Böhlke","Paul De Bièvre","H. Hidaka","H. S. Peiser","K.J.R. Rosman","P. D. P. Taylor"],"tags":["Chemical nomenclature","Atomic mass","Chemistry","Isotope","Natural abundance"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1351/pac200375060683","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.070Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.070Z"},{"id":"oa:W2790498566","name":"A review on the angle of repose of granular materials","source":"openalex","abstract":"The abundance of granular materials and powders that are being used in several fields, along with their broad applications, requires a comprehensive understanding of both their macro- and micro-mechanical behavior. The fabric and structural properties, or the inter-particle properties, such as the angle of repose, do affect the behavior of granular materials. This comprehensive review indicates that the angle of repose of granular material is an essential parameter to understand the micro-behavior of the granular material and, then, to relate it with the macro-behavior. Therefore, this extensive review was prepared about the repose angle theory, its definitions, method of measurements, appropriate applications and the influencing factors. Description: The static (a) and dynamic (b) angles of repose are inherent parameters for powders and depend on the items shown in Venn diagram. • Depending upon the method of measurement, the angle of repose value varies appreciably. • The selection of an appropriate method of measurement should be based on the field of application. • The size and shape of grains that comprise a granular pile affect its angle of repose considerably. • The angle of repose of a particular material is not necessarily equal to its angle of internal friction. • There is a vast range of application fields where the use of angle of repose is applicable.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2018.02.003","authors":["Hamzah M. B. Al-Hashemi","Omar S. Baghabra Al‐Amoudi"],"tags":["Angle of repose","Granular material","Macro","Materials science","Particle (ecology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-02-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2018.02.003","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.070Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.070Z"},{"id":"oa:W2140169405","name":"Biomineralization of calcium carbonates and their engineered applications: a review","source":"openalex","abstract":"Microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICCP) is a naturally occurring biological process in which microbes produce inorganic materials as part of their basic metabolic activities. This technology has been widely explored and promising with potential in various technical applications. In the present review, the detailed mechanism of production of calcium carbonate biominerals by ureolytic bacteria has been discussed along with role of bacteria and the sectors where these biominerals are being used. The applications of bacterially produced carbonate biominerals for improving the durability of buildings, remediation of environment (water and soil), sequestration of atmospheric CO2 filler material in rubbers and plastics etc. are discussed. The study also sheds light on benefits of bacterial biominerals over traditional agents and also the issues that lie in the path of successful commercialization of the technology of microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation from lab to field scale.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2013.00314","authors":["Navdeep Kaur Dhami","M. Sudhakara Reddy","Abhijit Mukherjee"],"tags":["Biomineralization","Calcium carbonate","Environmental remediation","Precipitation","Carbonate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2013.00314","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.070Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.070Z"},{"id":"oa:W2860877536","name":"Magnetizations in Rocks and Minerals","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-044452748-6.00093-6","authors":["David J. Dunlop","Özden Özdemir"],"tags":["Rock magnetism","Paleomagnetism","Magnetism","Geology","Magnetic anomaly"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-044452748-6.00093-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2170466545","name":"Arsenic Contamination of Groundwater: A Review of Sources, Prevalence, Health Risks, and Strategies for Mitigation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Arsenic contamination of groundwater in different parts of the world is an outcome of natural and/or anthropogenic sources, leading to adverse effects on human health and ecosystem. Millions of people from different countries are heavily dependent on groundwater containing elevated level of As for drinking purposes. As contamination of groundwater, poses a serious risk to human health. Excessive and prolonged exposure of inorganic As with drinking water is causing arsenicosis, a deteriorating and disabling disease characterized by skin lesions and pigmentation of the skin, patches on palm of the hands and soles of the feet. Arsenic poisoning culminates into potentially fatal diseases like skin and internal cancers. This paper reviews sources, speciation, and mobility of As and global overview of groundwater As contamination. The paper also critically reviews the As led human health risks, its uptake, metabolism, and toxicity mechanisms. The paper provides an overview of the state-of-the-art knowledge on the alternative As free drinking water and various technologies (oxidation, coagulation flocculation, adsorption, and microbial) for mitigation of the problem of As contamination of groundwater.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/304524","authors":["Shiv Shankar","Uma Shanker","Shikha Shikha"],"tags":["Groundwater","Contamination","Environmental science","Human health","Arsenic contamination of groundwater"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/304524","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2611485923","name":"Molybdenum in natural waters: A review of occurrence, distributions and controls","source":"openalex","abstract":"Molybdenum is an essential trace element for human, animal and plant health and has played an important part in the evolution of life on earth. Nonetheless, exposure to the element can be harmful and although the evidence for symptoms in humans is sparse, it has been linked with a number of health conditions in animal models. Molybdenum is present in trace quantities (1–10 mg/kg) in most rocks and soils and at concentrations less than, and often orders of magnitude less than, 10 μg/L in most freshwaters. It is the most abundant transition metal in open seawater (10 μg Mo/L) owing to the dominance, and low chemical reactivity, of the molybdate ion (MoO42-). The 2011 WHO Guidelines for Drinking-Water Quality (fourth edition) advised a health-based value of 70 μg/L for Mo but this is no longer promulgated as a formal guideline value as WHO consider such concentrations to be rarely found in drinking water. This is indeed usually the case, but there are instances where currently-used drinking waters do exceed 70 μg Mo/L. We therefore recommend more routine measurement of Mo in water, at least on a reconnaissance scale, in order to improve knowledge on occurrence in water used for potable supply. Where multi-element analytical procedures are already used (e.g. ICP-MS), the marginal cost of adding Mo to the list of elements to be analysed should not be great. We have reviewed nine areas in the world where high concentrations of Mo in freshwater, and in some cases drinking water, have been found: Argentina, Jordan, Qatar, Ethiopia, UK, USA (three) and Chile. These represent a range of geochemical environments. A common theme of the high-Mo occurrences is (i) oxic, alkaline conditions where, as for seawater, the Mo occurs as the stable molybdate ion; groundwater in oxic, alkaline conditions within volcanogenic sediments can have exceptionally high Mo concentrations (up to hundreds of μg/L) where felsic volcanic ash is present; (ii) anoxic, non-sulphidic waters where Mo can be released to solution by reductive dissolution of Mn and Fe oxides or by release from degradation of organic matter, notably within high-Mo organic-rich muds, black shales or oil shales; or (iii) surface waters or groundwater impacted by metal sulphide mining and/or mineralisation, in particular occurrences of porphyry deposits. Under such conditions, Mo concentrations can reach several tens to several hundreds of μg/L and while not all are otherwise suitable for drinking water, some are. Much of the basic geochemistry of Mo in oxic natural environments is now quite well understood. Critically, its behaviour is redox-sensitive like its near neighbours in the Periodic Table, W and V. At the near-neutral pH values characteristic of most natural waters, Mo is rather weakly sorbed and formation of Mo minerals is either not indicated or is extremely slow. Molybdenum becomes less mobile when converted to thiomolybdates under the strongly reducing conditions found in some present-day ocean basins (e.g. the Black Sea), fjords, stratified lakes and confined aquifers. This leads to concentrations of around 100 mg Mo/kg or more in black shales and other organic-rich mudstones. However, despite the many studies of these water bodies and the importance of Mo as a palaeoredox indicator, the mechanism of the highly-efficient and diagnostic scavenging of Mo in euxinic (H2S-rich) waters remains uncertain. Possibilities include the formation of an as yet unidentified Mo-Fe-S mineral or solid solution, or the scavenging by some pre-existing solid such as a sulphide or oxide mineral, or organic matter. The possible role of dispersed and reduced natural organic matter has become more prominent in recent years but this has proven difficult to quantify and the mechanism of binding is poorly understood. Molybdenum isotope studies now play an important role in constraining reaction pathways. At a more fundamental level, there is a lack of up-to-date thermodynamic and kinetic data for many ","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2017.05.008","authors":["Pauline Smedley","David G. Kinniburgh"],"tags":["Seawater","Trace element","Water quality","Environmental chemistry","Dominance (genetics)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-05-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2017.05.008","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2053067328","name":"Astrobiological significance of minerals on Mars surface environment","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11157-006-0008-x","authors":["Jesús Martínez‐Frías","Gabriel Amaral","Luis Vázquez"],"tags":["Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Geology","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-07-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11157-006-0008-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W185764448","name":"Chapter 4 Microbial Distribution in Soils","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0065-2113(08)00604-4","authors":["Iain M. Young","John W. Crawford","Naoise Nunan","Wilfred Otten","Andrew J. Spiers"],"tags":["Biodiversity","Habitat","Ecology","Ecosystem","Geography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0065-2113(08)00604-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W4317039882","name":"Nanoscale Mineralogical Characterization of Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Samples by Transmission Electron Microscopy: A Review","source":"openalex","abstract":"Nanoscale minerals (i.e., nanominerals and mineral nanoparticles) in terrestrial and extraterrestrial materials are difficult to characterize because of their small particle sizes, high surface energy, and/or poor crystallization. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is a powerful analytical platform for the characterization of minerals at the nano and even atomic scales, and it can determine their morphology through imaging, derive structural information using multiple electron-diffraction techniques, and investigate chemical compositions. Since the 1990s, the application of TEM to the characterization of nanoscale minerals has developed rapidly into a core technique in nanoscale Earth and planetary science (NEPS). This review introduces a brief history and the general principles of TEM, considers detailed methods of preparing specimens for nanoscale mineralogical characterization by TEM, and emphasizes the contributions of TEM to multiple NEPS research fields in recent decades. These contributions are considered from the perspective of nanoscale mineralogical studies of morphology, structure, and chemistry in complex geological materials. Finally, the work provides an outlook on current opportunities to apply TEM methods to nanoscale mineralogical study. This review aims to provide common and practical TEM methods to NEPS researchers and to support the use of TEM for a wide range of applications in nanoscale mineralogy to promote NEPS development.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.2c00278","authors":["Jieqi Xing","Haiyang Xian","Yiping Yang","Qingze Chen","Jiaxin Xi","Shan Li","Hongping He","Jianxi Zhu"],"tags":["Characterization (materials science)","Nanoscopic scale","Nanotechnology","Transmission electron microscopy","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.2c00278","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2774200888","name":"Mineral surface chemistry control for origin of prebiotic peptides","source":"openalex","abstract":"Some seventy years ago, John Desmond Bernal proposed a role for clays in the origin of life. While much research has since been dedicated to the study of silicate clays, layered double hydroxides, believed to be common on the early Earth, have received only limited attention. Here we examine the role that layered hydroxides could have played in prebiotic peptide formation. We demonstrate how these minerals can concentrate, align and act as adsorption templates for amino acids, and during wetting-drying cycles, promote peptide bond formation. This enables us to propose a testable mechanism for the growth of peptides at layered double hydroxide interfaces in an early Earth environment. Our results provide insights into the potential role of mineral surfaces in mimicking aspects of biochemical reaction pathways.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-02248-y","authors":["Valentina Erastova","Matteo T. Degiacomi","Donald G. Fraser","H. Chris Greenwell"],"tags":["Prebiotic","Chemistry","Mineral","Astrobiology","Biochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-12-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-02248-y","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2403129499","name":"Uranium mobility in organic matter-rich sediments: A review of geological and geochemical processes","source":"openalex","abstract":"Uranium (U) is of enormous global importance because of its use in energy generation, albeit with potential environmental legacies. While naturally occurring U is widespread in the Earth's crust at concentrations of ~ 1 to 3 ppm, higher concentrations can be found, including within organic matter (OM)-rich sediments, leading to economic extraction opportunities. The primary determinants of U behaviour in ore systems are pH, Eh, U oxidation state (U(IV), U(VI)) and the abundance of CO 3 2– ions. The concentration/availability and interrelationships among such determinants vary, and the solubility and mobility of ions (e.g. OH − , CO 3 2– , PO 4 3 − , SiO 4 4 − , SO 4 2 − ) that compete for U (primarily as U(VI)) will also influence the mobility of U. In addition, the presence of OM can influence U mobility and fate by the degree of OM sorption to mineral surfaces (e.g. Fe- and Si- oxides and hydroxides). Within solid-phase OM, microbes can influence U oxidation state and U stability through direct enzymatic reduction, biosorption, biomineralisation and bioaccumulation. The biogenic UO 2 product is, however, reported to be readily susceptible to reoxidation and therefore more likely remobilised over longer time periods. Thus several areas of uncertainty remain with respect to factors contributing to U accumulation, stability and/or (re)mobilisation. To address these uncertainties, this paper reviews U dynamics at both geological and molecular scales. Here we identify U-OM bond values that are in agreement, relatively strong, independent from ionic strength and which may facilitate either U mobilisation or immobilisation, depending on environmental conditions. We also examine knowledge gaps in the literature, with U-OM solubility data generally lacking in comparison to data for U sorption and dissolution, and little information available on multi-component relationships, such as U-OM-V (V as vanadate). Furthermore, the capability of OM to influence the oxidation state of U at near surface conditions remains unclear, as it can be postulated that electron shuttling by OM may contribute to changes in U redox state otherwise mediated by bacteria. Geochemical modelling of the environmental mobility of U will require incorporation of data from multi-corporation studies, as well as from studies of U-OM microbial interactions, all of which are considered in this review.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2016.05.010","authors":["Susan Cumberland","Grant Douglas","Kliti Grice","John W. Moreau"],"tags":["Uranium","Sorption","Organic matter","Environmental chemistry","Bioaccumulation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-05-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2016.05.010","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2141678566","name":"Compound-specific isotope analysis. Application to archaelogy, biomedical sciences, biosynthesis, environment, extraterrestrial chemistry, food science, forensic science, humic substances, microbiology, organic geochemistry, soil science and sport","source":"openalex","abstract":"The isotopic composition, for example, (14)C/(12)C, (13)C/(12)C, (2)H/(1)H, (15)N/(14)N and (18)O/(16)O, of the elements of matter is heterogeneous. It is ruled by physical, chemical and biological mechanisms. Isotopes can be employed to follow the fate of mineral and organic compounds during biogeochemical transformations. The determination of the isotopic composition of organic substances occurring at trace level in very complex mixtures such as sediments, soils and blood, has been made possible during the last 20 years due to the rapid development of molecular level isotopic techniques. After a brief glance at pioneering studies revealing isotopic breakthroughs at the molecular and intramolecular levels, this paper reviews selected applications of compound-specific isotope analysis in various scientific fields.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/1097-0231(20000815)14:15<1337::aid-rcm9>3.0.co;2-b","authors":["Éric Lichtfouse"],"tags":["Isotope analysis","Environmental chemistry","Chemistry","Biogeochemical cycle","Isotope geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/1097-0231(20000815)14:15<1337::aid-rcm9>3.0.co;2-b","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W112433296","name":"Book Review: Who Owns the Moon?: Extraterrestrial Aspects of Land and Mineral Resources Ownership, by Virgiliu Pop. Berlin, Germany: Springer, 2009","source":"openalex","abstract":"This is a review of Who Owns the Moon?: Extraterrestrial Aspects of Land and Mineral Resources Ownership by Virgiliu Pop (ISBN: 978-1-4020-9134-6)","url":"https://openalex.org/W112433296","authors":["Frances Knight"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology","Natural resource economics","Economics","Physics","Geology","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W2953798618","name":"Organometallic compounds as carriers of extraterrestrial cyanide in primitive meteorites","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract Extraterrestrial delivery of cyanide may have been crucial for the origin of life on Earth since cyanide is involved in the abiotic synthesis of numerous organic compounds found in extant life; however, little is known about the abundance and species of cyanide present in meteorites. Here, we report cyanide abundance in a set of CM chondrites ranging from 50 ± 1 to 2472 ± 38 nmol·g−1, which relates to the degree of aqueous alteration of the meteorite and indicates that parent body processing influenced cyanide abundance. Analysis of the Lewis Cliff 85311 meteorite shows that its releasable cyanide is primarily in the form of [FeII(CN)5(CO)]3− and [FeII(CN)4(CO)2]2−. Meteoritic delivery of iron cyanocarbonyl complexes to early Earth likely provided an important point source of free cyanide. Iron cyanocarbonyl complexes may have served as precursors to the unusual FeII(CN)(CO) moieties that form the catalytic centers of hydrogenases, which are thought to be among the earliest enzymes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-10866-x","authors":["Karen E. Smith","Christopher H. House","Ricardo Arévalo","Jason P. Dworkin","Michael P. Callahan"],"tags":["Cyanide","Meteorite","Chemistry","Astrobiology","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-10866-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"oa:W2724336359","name":"A global review on agpaitic rocks","source":"openalex","abstract":"Peralkaline igneous rocks are defined by a molar (Na + K)/Al ratio > 1 and are subdivided into miaskitic and agpaitic varieties depending on their mineralogy. In the more common miaskitic types, rare earth elements (REEs) and high field strength elements (HFSEs) are largely stored in zircon and titanite, while agpaitic varieties contain a wealth of mostly halogen-bearing Na-Ca-HFSE minerals instead. Among those, minerals of the eudialyte, rinkite, and wöhlerite groups are the most common ones. The present review on the geological and mineralogical information available on agpaitic rocks provides a summary of the fluid inclusion record of miaskitic and agpaitic rocks as fluids play a key role in the evolution of peralkaline rocks. Magmas that crystallize peralkaline rocks are generally believed to originate from low-degree partial melting of geochemically enriched mantle lithologies, combined with prolonged differentiation processes at shallow crustal levels. Agpaitic and hyperagpaitic rocks (the latter containing appreciable amounts of water-soluble minerals) represent the most evolved stages of peralkaline systems. They form either parts of plutonic to subvolcanic composite magmatic complexes, which consist of several agpaitic and/or miaskitic intrusive units, or they occur as sills, laccoliths, domes, dykes, or even as lavas. However, as agpaitic rocks are notably rare compared to miaskitic rocks (about 100 vs. several thousand occurrences worldwide), their formation requires special conditions that are not generally met during the evolution of peralkaline rocks. Despite their rarity, agpaitic and hyperagpaitic rocks form important deposits of critical metals such as REE, Zr, Nb, and U and are interesting targets for otherwise rare elements such as F, Be, Sn, Zn, and Ga. The relative timing when magmas reach their agpaitic stage is highly variable. Magmatic–agpaitic assemblages can form only if early-magmatic crystallization conditions were reduced enough (low fO2) to enable subsequent Fe enrichment, an increase in peralkalinity, retention of halogens, and extreme enrichment of HFSEs in the evolving magmas, as only these contribute to the direct crystallization of agpaitic minerals. Late-magmatic interstitial agpaitic assemblages indicate that the required enrichment levels of the above-mentioned constituents were reached only during the final differentiation stages of magmas. Hydrothermal agpaitic assemblages precipitate from highly saline brines released from peralkaline magmas and are capable of transporting HFSEs. All three varieties of agpaitic assemblages occur in plutonic, subvolcanic, and volcanic rocks. Although many modern and detailed studies have dealt with plutonic–subvolcanic agpaitic rocks, most volcanic occurrences are insufficiently studied, mainly because of difficult outcrop or logistic situations. However, especially the volcanic examples raise questions on the details of why and how degassing of halogens at such shallow emplacement levels is sufficiently prevented to precipitate halogen-bearing agpaitic assemblages. Thus, a thorough geochemical and petrological investigation of such localities is desired. The presently valid definitions of agpaitic and miaskitic rocks are not appropriate, and therefore, alternative definitions are suggested. Similarly, the frequently used classification scheme for nepheline syenites must be abandoned as it is inconsistent and excludes very similar mineral assemblages observed in other partly even quartz-bearing rock types. Variable processes may produce sequences of mineral assemblages that belong to different groups of this classification. Therefore, we suggest that rather than dividing agpaitic rocks into specific subgroups, careful textural studies that distinguish early-magmatic, late-magmatic, and hydrothermal phase assemblages are warranted. This is the only way to understand the effect of various physicochemical parameters (such as P, T, fO2, aSiO2, aH2O, peralkal","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2017.06.002","authors":["Michael A.W. Marks","Gregor Markl"],"tags":["Peralkaline rock","Geochemistry","Geology","Zircon","Igneous rock"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2017.06.002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W1995674607","name":"Microbial metal-ion reduction and Mars: extraterrestrial expectations?","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s1369-5274(02)00326-0","authors":["Kenneth H. Nealson","B. Lea Cox"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Life on Mars","Extraterrestrial life","Magnetite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s1369-5274(02)00326-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2904677131","name":"Fluorine in the environment, a review of its sources and geochemistry","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2018.12.016","authors":["Ron Fuge"],"tags":["Weathering","Soil water","Geochemistry","Fluorite","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-12-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2018.12.016","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2208532855","name":"Electron beam damage in oxides: a review","source":"openalex","abstract":"This review summarizes a variety of beam damage phenomena relating to oxides in (scanning) transmission electron microscopes, and underlines the shortcomings of currently popular mechanisms. These phenomena include mass loss, valence state reduction, phase decomposition, precipitation, gas bubble formation, phase transformation, amorphization and crystallization. Moreover, beam damage is also dependent on specimen thickness, specimen orientation, beam voltage, beam current density and beam size. This article incorporates all of these damage phenomena and experimental dependences into a general description, interpreted by a unified mechanism of damage by induced electric field. The induced electric field is produced by positive charges, which are generated from excitation and ionization. The distribution of the induced electric fields inside a specimen is beam-illumination- and specimen-shape- dependent, and associated with the experimental dependence of beam damage. Broadly speaking, the mechanism operates differently in two types of material. In type I, damage increases the resistivity of the irradiated materials, and is thus divergent, resulting in phase separation. In type II, damage reduces the resistivity of the irradiated materials, and is thus convergent, resulting in phase transformation. Damage by this mechanism is dependent on electron-beam current density. The two experimental thresholds are current density and irradiation time. The mechanism comes into effect when these thresholds are exceeded, below which the conventional mechanisms of knock-on and radiolysis still dominate.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/0034-4885/79/1/016501","authors":["Nan Jiang"],"tags":["Electron","Physics","Electric field","Irradiation","Beam (structure)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-12-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1088/0034-4885/79/1/016501","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W1980159019","name":"Suitability of different photosynthetic organisms for an extraterrestrial biological life support system","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resmic.2005.07.011","authors":["Kirsi Lehto","H. J. Lehto","Eira Kanervo"],"tags":["Life support system","Astrobiology","Mars Exploration Program","Photosynthesis","Extraterrestrial life"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-12-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resmic.2005.07.011","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2093706359","name":"Effects of the Extraterrestrial Environment on Plants: Recommendations for Future Space Experiments for the MELiSSA Higher Plant Compartment","source":"openalex","abstract":"Due to logistical challenges, long-term human space exploration missions require a life support system capable of regenerating all the essentials for survival. Higher plants can be utilized to provide a continuous supply of fresh food, atmosphere revitalization, and clean water for humans. Plants can adapt to extreme environments on Earth, and model plants have been shown to grow and develop through a full life cycle in microgravity. However, more knowledge about the long term effects of the extraterrestrial environment on plant growth and development is necessary. The European Space Agency (ESA) has developed the Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative (MELiSSA) program to develop a closed regenerative life support system, based on micro-organisms and higher plant processes, with continuous recycling of resources. In this context, a literature review to analyze the impact of the space environments on higher plants, with focus on gravity levels, magnetic fields and radiation, has been performed. This communication presents a roadmap giving directions for future scientific activities within space plant cultivation. The roadmap aims to identify the research activities required before higher plants can be included in regenerative life support systems in space.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life4020189","authors":["Silje Wolff","Liz Coelho","Irene Karoliussen","Ann-Iren Kittang Jost"],"tags":["Life support system","Plant life","Context (archaeology)","Space (punctuation)","Space environment"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-05-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life4020189","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2100552884","name":"Extraterrestrial chromite in the resurge deposits of the early Late Ordovician Lockne crater, central Sweden","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2006.10.034","authors":["C. Alwmark","Birger Schmitz"],"tags":["Chromite","Extraterrestrial life","Geology","Meteorite","Impact crater"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-12-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2006.10.034","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W4382362038","name":"Climate Change 2022 – Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Working Group II contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) provides a comprehensive assessment of the scientific literature relevant to climate change impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. The report recognizes the interactions of climate, ecosystems and biodiversity, and human societies, and integrates across the natural, ecological, social and economic sciences. It emphasizes how efforts in adaptation and in reducing greenhouse gas emissions can come together in a process called climate resilient development, which enables a liveable future for biodiversity and humankind. The IPCC is the leading body for assessing climate change science. IPCC reports are produced in comprehensive, objective and transparent ways, ensuring they reflect the full range of views in the scientific literature. Novel elements include focused topical assessments, and an atlas presenting observed climate change impacts and future risks from global to regional scales. Available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009325844","authors":["Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change"],"tags":["Climate change","Vulnerability (computing)","Environmental resource management","Adaptation (eye)","Biodiversity"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-06-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009325844","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2004166772","name":"Controlled‐atmosphere thermal demagnetization and paleointensity analyses of extraterrestrial rocks","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We describe a system for conducting thermal demagnetization of extraterrestrial rocks in a controlled atmosphere appropriate for a wide range of oxygen fugacities within the stability domain of iron. Thermal demagnetization and Thellier‐Thellier paleointensity experiments on lunar basalt synthetic analogs show that the controlled atmosphere prevents oxidation of magnetic carriers. When combined with multidomain paleointensity techniques, this opens the possibility of highly accurate thermal demagnetization and paleointensity measurements on rocks from the Moon and asteroids.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2013gc005215","authors":["C. Suavet","B. P. Weiss","T. L. Grove"],"tags":["Geology","Demagnetizing field","Extraterrestrial life","Basalt","Atmosphere (unit)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2013gc005215","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2099962963","name":"Tracers of the extraterrestrial component in sediments and inferences for Earth's accretion history","source":"openalex","abstract":"The study of extraterrestrial matter in sediments began with the discovery of cosmic spherules during the HMS Challenger Expedition (1873-1876), but has evolved into a multidisciplinary study of the chemical, physical, and isotopic study of sediments.Extraterrestrial matter in sediments comes mainly from dust and large impactors from the asteroid belt and comets.What we know of the nature of these source materials comes from the study of stratospheric dust particles, cosmic spherules, micrometeorites, meteorites, and astronomical observations.The most common chemical tracers of extraterrestrial matter in sediments are the siderophile elements, most commonly iridium and other platinum group elements.Physical tracers include cosmic and impact spherules, Ni-rich spinels, meteorites, fossil meteorites, and ocean-impact melt debris.Three types of isotopic systems have been used to trace extraterrestrial matter.Osmium isotopes cannot distinguish chondritic from mantle sources, but provide a useful tool in modeling long-term accretion rates.Helium isotopes can be used to trace the long-term flux of the fine fraction of the interplanetary dust complex.Chromium isotopes can provide unequivocal evidence of an extraterrestrial source for sediments with high concentrations of meteoritic Cr.The terrestrial history of impacts, as recorded in sediments, is still poorly understood.Helium isotopes, multiple Ir anomalies, spherule beds, and craters all indicate a comet shower in the late Eocene.The Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary impact event appears to have been caused by a single carbonaceous chondrite projectile, most likely of asteroid origin.Little is known of the impact record in sediments from the rest of the Phanerozoic.Several impact deposits are known in the Precambrian, including several possible megaimpacts in the Early Archean.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/0-8137-2356-6.21","authors":["Frank T. Kyte"],"tags":["Meteorite","Extraterrestrial life","Geology","Astrobiology","Interplanetary dust cloud"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1130/0-8137-2356-6.21","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W3084875481","name":"Martian biolith: A bioinspired regolith composite for closed-loop extraterrestrial manufacturing","source":"openalex","abstract":"Given plans to revisit the lunar surface by the late 2020s and to take a crewed mission to Mars by the late 2030s, critical technologies must mature. In missions of extended duration, in situ resource utilization is necessary to both maximize scientific returns and minimize costs. While this present a significantly more complex challenge in the resource-starved environment of Mars, it is similar to the increasing need to develop resource-efficient and zero-waste ecosystems on Earth. Here, we make use of recent advances in the field of bioinspired chitinous manufacturing to develop a manufacturing technology to be used within the context of a minimal, artificial ecosystem that supports humans in a Martian environment.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0238606","authors":["Shiwei Ng","Stylianos Dritsas","Javier G. Fernandez"],"tags":["Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Context (archaeology)","Exploration of Mars","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-09-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0238606","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W3205447715","name":"Cryoconite – From minerals and organic matter to bioengineered sediments on glacier's surfaces","source":"openalex","abstract":"Cryoconite is a mixture of mineral and organic material covering glacial ice, playing important roles in biogeochemical cycles and lowering the albedo of a glacier surface. Understanding the differences in structure of cryoconite across the globe can be important in recognizing past and future changes in supraglacial environments and ice-organisms-minerals interactions. Despite the worldwide distribution and over a century of studies, the basic characteristics of cryoconite, including its forms and geochemistry, remain poorly studied. The major purpose of our study is the presentation and description of morphological diversity, chemical and photoautotrophs composition, and organic matter content of cryoconite sampled from 33 polar and mountain glaciers around the globe. Observations revealed that cryoconite is represented by various morphologies including loose and granular forms. Granular cryoconite includes smooth, rounded, or irregularly shaped forms; with some having their surfaces covered by cyanobacteria filaments. The occurrence of granules increased with the organic matter content in cryoconite. Moreover, a major driver of cryoconite colouring was the concentration of organic matter and its interplay with minerals. The structure of cyanobacteria and algae communities in cryoconite differs between glaciers, but representatives of cyanobacteria families Pseudanabaenaceae and Phormidiaceae, and algae families Mesotaeniaceae and Ulotrichaceae were the most common. The most of detected cyanobacterial taxa are known to produce polymeric substances (EPS) that may cement granules. Organic matter content in cryoconite varied between glaciers, ranging from 1% to 38%. The geochemistry of all the investigated samples reflected local sediment sources, except of highly concentrated Pb and Hg in cryoconite collected from European glaciers near industrialized regions, corroborating cryoconite as element-specific collector and potential environmental indicator of anthropogenic activity. Our work supports a notion that cryoconite may be more than just simple sediment and instead exhibits complex structure with relevance for biodiversity and the functioning of glacial ecosystems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150874","authors":["Piotr Rozwalak","Paweł Podkowa","Jakub Buda","Przemysław Niedzielski","Szymon Kawecki","Roberto Ambrosini","Roberto Sergio Azzoni","Giovanni Baccolo","Jorge Luís Ceballos","Joseph M. Cook","Biagio Di Mauro","Gentile Francesco Ficetola","Andrea Franzetti","Dariusz Ignatiuk","Piotr Klimaszyk","Edyta Łokas","Masato Ono","Ivan Parnikoza","Mirosława Pietryka","Francesca Pittino","Ewa Poniecka","Dorota L. Porazinska","Dorota Richter","Steven K. Schmidt","Pacifica Sommers","Juliana Souza‐Kasprzyk","Marek Stibal","Witold Szczuciński","Jun Uetake","Łukasz Wejnerowski","Jacob C. Yde","Nozomu Takeuchi","Krzysztof Zawierucha"],"tags":["Glacier","Organic matter","Geology","Clay minerals","Cyanobacteria"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-10-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150874","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W54827581","name":"From Intraterrestrials to Extraterrestrials — Viable Haloarchaea in Ancient Salt Deposits","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-07656-9_6","authors":["Helga Stan‐Lotter","Cristian Radax","Terence J. McGenity","Andrea Legat","Marion Dornmayr‐Pfaffenhuemer","Heidemarie Wieland","Claudia Gruber","Ewald B.M. Denner"],"tags":["Pangaea","Geology","Supercontinent","Red beds","Halite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-07656-9_6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2888405907","name":"Functional Properties of Amino Acid Side Chains as Biomarkers of Extraterrestrial Life","source":"openalex","abstract":"The present study proposes to search our solar system (Mars, Enceladus, Europa) for patterns of organic molecules that are universally associated with biological functions and structures. The functions are primarily catalytic because life could only have originated within volume/space-constrained compartments containing chemical reactions catalyzed by certain polymers. The proposed molecular structures are specific groups in the side chains of amino acids with the highest catalytic propensities related to life on Earth, that is, those that most frequently participate as key catalytic groups in the active sites of enzymes such as imidazole, thiol, guanidinium, amide, and carboxyl. Alternatively, these or other catalytic groups can be searched for on non-amino-acid organic molecules, which can be tested for certain hydrolytic catalytic activities. The first scenario assumes that life may have originated in a similar manner as the terrestrial set of α-amino acids, while the second scenario does not set such a requirement. From the catalytic propensity perspective proposed in the first scenario, life must have invented amino acids with high catalytic propensity (His, Cys, Arg) in order to overcome, and be complemented by, the low catalytic propensity of the initially available abiogenic amino acids. The abiogenic and the metabolically invented amino acids with the lowest catalytic propensity can also serve as markers of extraterrestrial life when searching for patterns on the basis of the following functional propensities related to protein secondary/quaternary structure: (1) amino acids that are able to form α-helical intramembrane peptide domains, which can serve as primitive transporters in protocell membrane bilayers and catalysts of simple biochemical reactions; (2) amino acids that tend to accumulate in extremophile proteins of Earth and possibly extraterrestrial life. The catalytic/structural functional propensity approach offers a new perspective in the search for extraterrestrial life and could help unify previous amino acid-based approaches.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2018.1868","authors":["Christos D. Georgiou"],"tags":["Abiogenesis","Amino acid","Abiogenic petroleum origin","Protocell","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-08-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2018.1868","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2964602951","name":"Circular Spectropolarimetric Sensing of Vegetation in the Field: Possibilities for the Remote Detection of Extraterrestrial Life","source":"openalex","abstract":"Homochirality is a generic and unique property of all biochemical life, and the fractional circular polarization of light it induces therefore constitutes a potentially unambiguous biosignature. However, while high-quality circular polarimetric spectra can be easily and quickly obtained in the laboratory, accurate measurements in the field are much more challenging due to large changes in illumination and target movement. In this study, we measured various targets in the field, up to distances of a few kilometers, using the dedicated circular spectropolarimeter TreePol. We show how photosynthetic life can readily be distinguished from abiotic matter. We underline the potential of circular polarization signals as a remotely accessible means to characterize and monitor terrestrial vegetation, for example, for agriculture and forestry. In addition, we discuss the potential of circular polarization for the remote detection of extraterrestrial life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2019.2050","authors":["C.H. Lucas Patty","Inge Loes ten Kate","Wybren Jan Buma","Rob J.M. van Spanning","Gábor Steinbach","Freek Ariese","Frans Snik"],"tags":["Circular polarization","Remote sensing","Extraterrestrial life","Polarimetry","Polarization (electrochemistry)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-07-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2019.2050","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2315062961","name":"Potential Effects of Climate Change on Soil Properties: A Review","source":"openalex","abstract":"Soils form through the multifarious interaction of a number of forces, including climate, relief, parent material, organisms, all acting over time. It takes thousands of years for a soil to form and most soils are still developing following changes in some of these soil forming factors, particularly climate and vegetation, over the past few decades. Climate is one of the most important factors affecting the formation of soil with important implications for their development, use and management perspective with reference to soil structure, stability, topsoil water holding capacity, nutrient availability and erosion. Further Indirect effects corresponds to changes in growth rates or water-use efficiencies, through sea-level rise, through climate-induced decrease or increase in vegetative cover or anthropogenic intervention. Assuming constant inputs of carbon to soils from vegetation, different estimate predict that expected changes in temperature, precipitation and evaporation will cause significant change in organic matter turnover and CO 2 dynamics. In conclusion, increased productivity would generally lead to greater inputs of carbon to soil, thus increasing organics.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17311/sciintl.2016.51.73","authors":["Rajib Karmakar","I. Das","Debashis Dutta","Amitava Rakshit"],"tags":["Environmental science","Soil water","Topsoil","Climate change","Soil carbon"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.17311/sciintl.2016.51.73","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W3007750780","name":"Advances in Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy analysis for geology: A critical review","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sab.2020.105799","authors":["C. Fabre"],"tags":["Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy","Elemental analysis","Computer science","Process engineering","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-02-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sab.2020.105799","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2782736005","name":"An Infrared Spectroscopic Study Toward the Formation of Alkylphosphonic Acids and Their Precursors in Extraterrestrial Environments","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The only known phosphorus-containing organic compounds of extraterrestrial origin, alkylphosphonic acids, were discovered in the Murchison meteorite and have accelerated the hypothesis that reduced oxidation states of phosphorus were delivered to early Earth and served as a prebiotic source of phosphorus. While previous studies looking into the formation of these alkylphosphonic acids have focused on the iron–nickel phosphide mineral schreibersite and phosphorous acid as a source of phosphorus, this work utilizes phosphine (PH3), which has been discovered in the circumstellar envelope of IRC +10216, in the atmosphere of Jupiter and Saturn, and believed to be the phosphorus carrier in comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. Phosphine ices prepared with interstellar molecules such as carbon dioxide, water, and methane were subjected to electron irradiation, which simulates the secondary electrons produced from galactic cosmic rays penetrating the ice, and probed using infrared spectroscopy to understand the possible formation of alkylphosphonic acids and their precursors on interstellar icy grains that could become incorporated into meteorites such as Murchison. We present the first study and results on the possible synthesis of alkylphosphonic acids produced from phosphine-mixed ices under interstellar conditions. All functional groups of alkylphosphonic acids were detected through infrared spectroscopically, suggesting that this class of molecules can be formed in interstellar ices.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4365/aa9183","authors":["Andrew M. Turner","Matthew J. Abplanalp","Tyler J. Blair","Remwilyn Dayuha","Ralf I. Kaiser"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Murchison meteorite","Chemistry","Abiogenesis","Astrochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4365/aa9183","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2059610826","name":"A review of meteorite evidence for the timing of magmatism and of surface or near‐surface liquid water on Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"There is widespread photogeological evidence for ubiquitous water flowing on the surface of Mars. However, the age of surface and near‐surface water cannot be deduced with high precision from photogeology. While there is clear evidence for old and young fluvial features in the photogeologic record, the uncertainty in the absolute calibration of the Martian crater flux results in uncertainties of ±1.5 Gyr in the middle period of Martian geologic history. Aqueous alteration of primary igneous minerals produces secondary minerals in Martian meteorites. Here we use the ages of secondary alteration minerals in Martian meteorites to obtain absolute ages when liquid water was at or near the surface of Mars. Aqueous alteration events in Martian meteorites occurred at 3929 ± 37 Ma (carbonates in ALH84001), 633 ± 23 Ma (iddingsite in nakhlites), and 0–170 Ma (salts in shergottites). Furthermore, these events appear to be of short duration, suggesting episodic rather than continuous aqueous alteration of the meteorites. The Martian meteorites appear to be contaminated by Martian surface Pb characterized by a 207Pb/206Pb ratio near 1. Lead of this composition could be produced by water‐based alteration on the Martian surface. The high 129Xe/132Xe ratio in the Martian atmosphere compared to Martian meteorites indicates fractionation of I from Xe within ∼100 Myr after nucleosynthesis of 129I. Such fractionation is difficult to achieve through magmatic processes. However, water very efficiently fractionates I from Xe, raising the intriguing possibility that Mars had a liquid water ocean within its first 100 Myr.1.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2005je002402","authors":["L. E. Borg","M. J. Drake"],"tags":["Martian","Meteorite","Martian surface","Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-09-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2005je002402","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z"},{"id":"oa:W2046106018","name":"Aqueous alteration of carbonaceous chondrites: Evidence for preaccretionary alteration—A review","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— In most groups of carbonaceous chondrites, minerals occur that are formed due to aqueous alteration in the nebula and/or within meteorite parent bodies. For determining the evolution of materials in the early solar system, it is of significant importance to clearly identify evidence for either nebular or planetary aqueous alteration. Therefore, results from the study of chondrites have fundamental implications for ideas concerning nebular dynamics, gas‐solid interactions in the nebula, and accretionary processes. Considering the topic of this review, it is important to define nebular and parent body processes. The solar nebula activity should include condensation processes of high‐ and low‐temperature components as well as processes of chemical fractionation and grain‐size sorting, mixing of solids and gas, and interactions between early formed solids with the remaining gas; but it should exclude processes that occurred in small uncompacted protoplanetary objects that may have been totally destroyed again before accretion of the final meteorite parent bodies. Therefore, the term “preaccretionary” instead of “nebula” is used in this paper to include all these processes that may have occurred in small precursor planetesimals. Currently, there is no doubt that parent body aqueous alteration is a fundamental process in the evolution of several groups of carbonaceous chondrites. However, due to textural and mineralogical observations and chemical analyses, strong arguments have been found also indicating preaccretionary aqueous alteration of distinct components in carbonaceous chondrites. In this paper, evidence for preaccretionary aqueous alteration in carbonaceous chondrites and their components taken from previous studies is discussed in detail. The strongest evidence for preaccretionary alteration comes from studies of CM chondrites. The survival of highly unequilibrated mineral assemblages in accretionary rims, and sharp contacts between chondrule glass and surrounding phyllosilicates, are only two important arguments for preaccretionary alteration features among many others discussed in the paper. Similar observations were also made in CR, CH and related chondrites. Due to the small abundance of water‐bearing phases in CO and CV chondrites, the origin of phyllosilicates in these groups is less clear. A preaccretionary origin of hydrous phases in Ca‐Al‐rich inclusions (CAIs) has also been suggested by several scientists. In CI chondrites, no strong indications for such processes have been found, mainly due to heavy brecciation and severe parent body alteration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01716.x","authors":["A. Bischoff"],"tags":["Chondrite","Chondrule","Astrobiology","Meteorite","Formation and evolution of the Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01716.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W3128666797","name":"The aqueous alteration of CM chondrites, a review","source":"openalex","abstract":"The CM chondrites are samples of primitive water-rich asteroids formed during the early solar system. They record significant interaction between liquid water and silicate rock, resulting in a mineralogy dominated by hydrated secondary phases. Their similarity to the near-Earth asteroids Bennu and Ryugu – targets of current sample return space missions – makes the analysis of CM chondrites essential to the interpretation of these enigmatic bodies. Here, we review the aqueous alteration history of the CM chondrite group. Initially, amorphous silicate, metal and sulphides within the matrix were converted into Fe-cronstedtite and tochilinite. Later, the serpentinization of refractory coarse-grained inclusions led to the addition of Mg to the fluid phase. This is reflected in the cation composition of secondary phases which evolved from Fe-rich to Mg-rich. Although most CM meteorites are classified as CM2 chondrites and retain some unaltered anhydrous silicates, a few completely altered CM1s exist (∼4.2% [Meteoritical Bulletin, 2021]). The extent of aqueous alteration can be quantified through various techniques, all of which trace the progression of secondary mineralization. Early attempts employed petrographic criteria to assign subtypes – most notably the Browning and Rubin scales have been widely adopted. Alternatively, bulk techniques evaluate alteration either by measuring the ratio of phyllosilicate to anhydrous silicate (this can be with X-ray diffraction [XRD] or infrared spectroscopy [IR]) or by measuring the combined H abundance/δD compositions. The degree of aqueous alteration appears to correlate with petrofabric strength (most likely arising due to shock deformation). This indicates that aqueous alteration may have been driven primarily by impact rather than by radiogenic heating. Alteration extent and bulk O-isotope compositions show a complex relationship. Among CM2 chondrites higher initial water contents correspond to more advanced alteration. However, the CM1s have lighter-than-expected bulk compositions. Although further analyses are needed these findings could suggest either differences in alteration conditions or initial isotopic compositions – the latter scenario implies that the CM1 chondrites formed on a separate asteroid from the CM2 chondrites. Secondary phases (primarily calcite) act as proxies for the conditions of aqueous alteration and demonstrate that alteration was prograde, with an early period at low temperatures (<70 °C), while later alteration operated at higher temperatures of 100–250 °C. Estimates for the initial water-to-rock ratios (W/R) vary between 0.2–0.7. They are based either on isotopic mass balance or mineral stoichiometry calculations – variability reflects uncertainties in the primordial water and protolith compositions and whether alteration was open or closed system. Some CM chondrites (<36%) experienced a later episode of post-hydration thermal metamorphism, enduring peak temperatures <900 °C and resulting in a dehydrated mineralogy and depleted volatile element abundances. Heating was likely short-duration and caused by impact events. The presence of CM chondrite material embedded in other meteorites, their prominence among the micrometeorite flux and the link between CMs and rubble-pile C-type near-Earth asteroids (e.g. Bennu and Ryugu) implies that the CM parent body was disrupted, leaving second-generation CM asteroids to supply material to Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2021.01.014","authors":["Martin D. Suttle","A. J. King","P. F. Schofield","H. C. Bates","S. S. Russell"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Silicate","Parent body","Chondrule"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-02-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2021.01.014","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2900231235","name":"Reviews and syntheses: the GESAMP atmospheric iron deposition model intercomparison study","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. This work reports on the current status of the global modeling of iron (Fe) deposition fluxes and atmospheric concentrations and the analyses of the differences between models, as well as between models and observations. A total of four global 3-D chemistry transport (CTMs) and general circulation (GCMs) models participated in this intercomparison, in the framework of the United Nations Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP) Working Group 38, “The Atmospheric Input of Chemicals to the Ocean”. The global total Fe (TFe) emission strength in the models is equal to ∼72 Tg Fe yr−1 (38–134 Tg Fe yr−1) from mineral dust sources and around 2.1 Tg Fe yr−1 (1.8–2.7 Tg Fe yr−1) from combustion processes (the sum of anthropogenic combustion/biomass burning and wildfires). The mean global labile Fe (LFe) source strength in the models, considering both the primary emissions and the atmospheric processing, is calculated to be 0.7 (±0.3) Tg Fe yr−1, accounting for both mineral dust and combustion aerosols. The mean global deposition fluxes into the global ocean are estimated to be in the range of 10–30 and 0.2–0.4 Tg Fe yr−1 for TFe and LFe, respectively, which roughly corresponds to a respective 15 and 0.3 Tg Fe yr−1 for the multi-model ensemble model mean. The model intercomparison analysis indicates that the representation of the atmospheric Fe cycle varies among models, in terms of both the magnitude of natural and combustion Fe emissions as well as the complexity of atmospheric processing parameterizations of Fe-containing aerosols. The model comparison with aerosol Fe observations over oceanic regions indicates that most models overestimate surface level TFe mass concentrations near dust source regions and tend to underestimate the low concentrations observed in remote ocean regions. All models are able to simulate the tendency of higher Fe concentrations near and downwind from the dust source regions, with the mean normalized bias for the Northern Hemisphere (∼14), larger than that of the Southern Hemisphere (∼2.4) for the ensemble model mean. This model intercomparison and model–observation comparison study reveals two critical issues in LFe simulations that require further exploration: (1) the Fe-containing aerosol size distribution and (2) the relative contribution of dust and combustion sources of Fe to labile Fe in atmospheric aerosols over the remote oceanic regions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6659-2018","authors":["Stelios Myriokefalitakis","Akinori Ito","Maria Kanakidou","Athanasios Nenes","Maarten Krol","N. M. Mahowald","Rachel A. Scanza","Douglas S. Hamilton","Matthew S. Johnson","N. Meskhidze","Jasper F. Kok","Cécile Guieu","Alex R. Baker","T. D. Jickells","M.M. Sarin","Srinivas Bikkina","Rachel Shelley","Andrew R. Bowie","Morgane M. G. Perron","Robert A. Duce"],"tags":["Mineral dust","Deposition (geology)","Atmospheric sciences","Environmental science","Combustion"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-11-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6659-2018","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2079762222","name":"Analytical SuperSTEM for extraterrestrial materials research","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Electron‐beam studies of extraterrestrial materials with significantly improved spatial resolution, energy resolution, and sensitivity are enabled using a 300 keV SuperSTEM scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) with a monochromator and two spherical aberration correctors. The improved technical capabilities enable analyses previously not possible. Mineral structures can be directly imaged and analyzed with single‐atomic‐column resolution, liquids, and implanted gases can be detected, and UV‐VIS optical properties can be measured. Detection limits for minor/trace elements in thin (<100 nm thick) specimens are improved such that quantitative measurements of some extend to the sub‐500 ppm level. Electron energy‐loss spectroscopy (EELS) can be carried out with 0.10–0.20 eV energy resolution and atomic‐scale spatial resolution such that variations in oxidation state from one atomic column to another can be detected. Petrographic mapping is extended down to the atomic scale using energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS) and energy‐filtered transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM) imaging. Technical capabilities and examples of the applications of SuperSTEM to extraterrestrial materials are presented, including the UV spectral properties and organic carbon K‐edge fine structure of carbonaceous matter in interplanetary dust particles (IDPs), X‐ray elemental maps showing the nanometer‐scale distribution of carbon within GEMS (glass with embedded metal and sulfides), the first detection and quantification of trace Ti in GEMS using EDS, and detection of molecular H2O in vesicles and implanted H2 and He in irradiated mineral and glass grains.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb01195.x","authors":["J. P. Bradley","Z. R. Dai"],"tags":["Spectroscopy","Electron energy loss spectroscopy","Resolution (logic)","Scanning transmission electron microscopy","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb01195.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2887805385","name":"Review of SiC crystal growth technology","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The review article describes the interplay of fundamental research and advanced processes that have made SiC a unique semiconductor material for power electronic devices. Related to the outstanding physical properties of SiC, the preparation of this material is quite challenging. Processing is carried out at elevated temperatures that require special emphasis on the design of the growth machine and the applied construction materials. Growth inside a closed growth chamber demands the usage of advanced sensors and sophisticated computer simulation of the growth process. The application of advanced 2D and 3D in situ x-ray visualization techniques enables the visualization of the growth process. Reduction of the density of structural defects, a prerequisite for the technical application in power electronic devices, based on fundamental research and understanding of the crystallographic as well as the electronic properties of SiC beyond the knowledge base of standard semiconductor materials.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6641/aad831","authors":["Peter J. Wellmann"],"tags":["Semiconductor","Semiconductor materials","Process (computing)","Visualization","Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-08-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6641/aad831","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W1967966016","name":"Processes controlling the stable isotope compositions of Li, B, Mg and Ca in plants, soils and waters: A review","source":"openalex","abstract":"Li, B, Mg and Ca isotopes became of increasing interest during the last decade due to their potential for better constraining the carbon cycle and nutrient cycling. At the soil-water-plant scale, Li and B isotopes are powerful tools for the understanding of processes leading to clay mineral formation in soils. Ca and Mg isotopes allow, for their part, to identify plant-mineral interactions and recycling by vegetation. At the scale of monolithological silicate watersheds, Li and B isotope fractionations are mainly controlled by the degree of mineral leaching and the amount of clay mineral formation. Ca and Mg isotope signatures in soil and waters vary seasonally, depending on the vegetation growth cycle and rain events. In mixed-lithology basins, B and Li isotopes are controlled by alteration rates of silicate minerals and the residence time of waters within the watershed. Ca and Mg isotope ratios of river waters appear to be also lithology-controlled.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crte.2012.10.002","authors":["Anne‐Désirée Schmitt","Nathalie Vigier","Damien Lemarchand","Romain Millot","Peter Stille","François Chabaux"],"tags":["Soil water","Geology","Weathering","Environmental chemistry","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crte.2012.10.002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2079411398","name":"Relict silicate inclusions in extraterrestrial chromite and their use in the classification of fossil chondritic material","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2008.12.006","authors":["C. Alwmark","Birger Schmitz"],"tags":["Chromite","Pyroxene","Olivine","Geology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-12-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2008.12.006","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2892217810","name":"Geochemistry and the Origin of Life: From Extraterrestrial Processes, Chemical Evolution on Earth, Fossilized Life’s Records, to Natures of the Extant Life","source":"openalex","abstract":"In 2001, the first author (S.N.) led the publication of a book entitled \"Geochemistry and the origin of life\" in collaboration with Dr. Andre Brack aiming to figure out geo- and astro-chemical processes essential for the emergence of life. Since then, a great number of research progress has been achieved in the relevant topics from our group and others, ranging from the extraterrestrial inputs of life's building blocks, the chemical evolution on Earth with the aid of mineral catalysts, to the fossilized records of ancient microorganisms. Here, in addition to summarizing these findings for the origin and early evolution of life, we propose a new hypothesis for the generation and co-evolution of photosynthesis with the redox and photochemical conditions on the Earth's surface. Besides these bottom-up approaches, we introduce an experimental study on the role of water molecules in the life's function, focusing on the transition from live, dormant, and dead states through dehydration/hydration. Further spectroscopic studies on the hydrogen bonding behaviors of water molecules in living cells will provide important clues to solve the complex nature of life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life8040039","authors":["Satοru Nakashima","Yoko Kebukawa","Norio Kitadai","Motoko Igisu","Natsuki Matsuoka"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Extant taxon","Abiogenesis","Chemical evolution","Geologic record"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-09-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life8040039","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2737087885","name":"BioRock: new experiments and hardware to investigate microbe–mineral interactions in space","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract In this paper, we describe the development of an International Space Station experiment, BioRock. The purpose of this experiment is to investigate biofilm formation and microbe–mineral interactions in space. The latter research has application in areas as diverse as regolith amelioration and extraterrestrial mining. We describe the design of a prototype biomining reactor for use in space experimentation and investigations onin situResource Use and we describe the results of pre-flight tests.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550417000234","authors":["Claire-Marie Loudon","Natasha Nicholson","Kai Finster","Natalie Leys","Bo Byloos","Rob Van Houdt","Petra Rettberg","Ralf Moeller","Felix M. Fuchs","René Demets","Jutta Krause","Marco Vukich","Alessandro Mariani","Charles S. Cockell"],"tags":["Regolith","International Space Station","Extraterrestrial life","Space (punctuation)","Aerospace engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550417000234","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2121269477","name":"Permafrost in Svalbard: a review of research history, climatic background and engineering challenges","source":"openalex","abstract":"This paper reviews permafrost in High Arctic Svalbard, including past and current research, climatic background, how permafrost is affected by climatic change, typical permafrost landforms and how changes in Svalbard permafrost may impact natural and human systems. Information on active layer dynamics, permafrost and ground ice characteristics and selected periglacial features is summarized from the recent literature and from unpublished data by the authors. Permafrost thickness ranges from less than 100 m near the coasts to more than 500 m in the highlands. Ground ice is present as rock glaciers, as ice-cored moraines, buried glacial ice, and in pingos and ice wedges in major valleys. Engineering problems of thaw-settlement and frost-heave are described, and the implications for road design and construction in Svalbard permafrost areas are discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v22i2.6455","authors":["Ole Humlum","Арне Инстанес","Johan Ludvig Sollid"],"tags":["Permafrost","Geology","Landform","Physical geography","Glacier"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-01-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v22i2.6455","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W3003808549","name":"Industrial applications of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy: a review","source":"openalex","abstract":"A short review on LIBS industrial applications.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1039/c9ay02728a","authors":["Stefano Legnaioli","Beatrice Campanella","Francesco Poggialini","Stefano Pagnotta","Mohamed Abdel Harith","Zienab Abdel‐Salam","Vincenzo Palleschi"],"tags":["Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy","Spectroscopy","Laser","Materials science","Analytical Chemistry (journal)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1039/c9ay02728a","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2614209797","name":"Hydrothermal vents and prebiotic chemistry: a review","source":"openalex","abstract":"A hydrothermal system is an environment where there is a flow of hot fluids beneath and up to the surface of the Earth. Hydrothermal vents are systems whose heat source is the underlying magma or hot water generated by convection currents due to high thermal gradients. Hydrothermal fossil deposits have also been recognized in impact craters. Besides Earth, the other place in the Solar System that shows evidence of past impact-induced hydrothermal systems is Mars. The circulation of hydrothermal solutions and interaction with country rocks leads to the precipitation of different mineral phases. In fact, hydrothermal vents, due to their characteristics (redox potential, abundance of organic matter and the presence of certain minerals), have been proposed as places where chemical evolution could have occurred. In this article, a review of hydrothermal environments (submarine, subaerial and impact-induced) and their advantages and disadvantages as primitive environments is presented. Thus far, the synthesis of organic compounds in simulation experiments has been achieved, although the role of prebiotic processes in these environments is still ill-defined. The conditions accompanying white vents are perhaps the best suited for the synthesis of organic molecules; however, this synthesis could have also occurred around black vents, where favorable temperature gradients are present.","url":"https://doi.org/10.18268/bsgm2016v68n3a13","authors":["Marìa Colín-García"],"tags":["Hydrothermal vent","Prebiotic","Astrobiology","Chemistry","Abiogenesis"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.18268/bsgm2016v68n3a13","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W3043614448","name":"Lava tubes on Earth, Moon and Mars: A review on their size and morphology revealed by comparative planetology","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2020.103288","authors":["Francesco Sauro","Riccardo Pozzobon","Matteo Massironi","Pierluigi De Berardinis","Tommaso Santagata","Jo De Waele"],"tags":["Lava","Mars Exploration Program","Martian","Geology","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-07-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2020.103288","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2328267210","name":"A Review on Bioremediation of Heavy Metals in Contaminated Water","source":"openalex","abstract":"Bioremediation is considered as one of the safer, cleaner, cost effective and environmental friendly technology for decontaminating sites which are contaminated with wide range of pollutants. The term bioremediation has been introduced to describe the process of using biological agent to remove toxic waste from environment. Bioremediation is the most effective management tool to manage the polluted environment and recover contaminated soil. The process of bioremediation uses various agents such as bacteria, fungi, algae and higher plants as major tools in treating heavy metals present in the environment. Bioremediation, both In situ and ex-situ have also enjoyed strong scientific growth, in part due to the increased use of natural attenuation, since most natural attenuation is due to biodegradation. Bioremediation and natural attention are also seen as a solution for emerging contaminant problems. Microbes are very helpful to remediate the contaminated environment.","url":"https://doi.org/10.9790/2402-08714450","authors":["Arpita Kulshreshtha","Ranu Agrawal","Manika Barar","Shilpi Saxena"],"tags":["Bioremediation","Contamination","Environmental science","Contaminated water","Heavy metals"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.9790/2402-08714450","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2564701000","name":"Recent Advances in the Determination of PGE in Exploration Studies – A Review","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Concentrations and distribution of platinum-group elements (PGE: Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir and Pt) in geological materials serve as important tracers of mantle processes, as well as extraterrestrial input into crustal environment. There is also considerable demand of these precious metals for their high economic value. Hence, an accurate abundance data of these and associated metals in geological materials are essential for an understanding of the processes that concentrate these elements in the crust, mantle and ore deposits. The last two decades have seen a dramatic increase in the quality of data available for PGE which is mainly due to advancements in high precision analytical techniques and related instrumentations. This has contributed immensely to an understanding of their geochemistry and processes that lead to mineralization and there also has been a considerable increase in the geochemical exploration activity for these elements in recent years. In this article, in addition to the above aspects, the recent developments in the estimation of PGE using different analytical techniques such as, flame atomic absorption spectrometry (F-AAS), graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GF-AAS), inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HR-ICP-MS) for the geochemical exploration studies, are being reviewed. Recent studies on the direct analysis of Pb and NiS buttons by LA-ICP-MS and LA-HR-ICP-MS have shown considerable promise for the PGE and gold exploration studies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17491/jgsi/2008/720508","authors":["V. Balaram"],"tags":["Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry","Neutron activation analysis","Mass spectrometry","Mineralization (soil science)","Platinum group"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.17491/jgsi/2008/720508","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2963995885","name":"Paleo-Rock-Hosted Life on Earth and the Search on Mars: A Review and Strategy for Exploration","source":"openalex","abstract":"abiotic and biotic recycling of metabolic waste products rather than on buried organic products of photosynthesis; (2) subsurface microbial cell concentrations are highest at interfaces with pronounced chemical redox gradients or permeability variations and do not correlate with bulk host rock organic carbon; (3) metabolic pathways for chemolithoautotrophic microorganisms evolved earlier in Earth's history than those of surface-dwelling phototrophic microorganisms; (4) the emergence of the former occurred at a time when Mars was habitable, whereas the emergence of the latter occurred at a time when the martian surface was not continually habitable; (5) the terrestrial rock record has biomarkers of subsurface life at least back hundreds of millions of years and likely to 3.45 Ga with several examples of excellent preservation in rock types that are quite different from those preserving the photosphere-supported biosphere. These findings suggest that rock-hosted life would have been more likely to emerge and be preserved in a martian context. Consequently, we outline a Mars exploration strategy that targets subsurface life and scales spatially, focusing initially on identifying rocks with evidence for groundwater flow and low-temperature mineralization, then identifying redox and permeability interfaces preserved within rock outcrops, and finally focusing on finding minerals associated with redox reactions and associated traces of carbon and diagnostic chemical and isotopic biosignatures. Using this strategy on Earth yields ancient rock-hosted life, preserved in the fossil record and confirmable via a suite of morphologic, organic, mineralogical, and isotopic fingerprints at micrometer scale. We expect an emphasis on rock-hosted life and this scale-dependent strategy to be crucial in the search for life on Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2018.1960","authors":["T.C. Onstott","B.L. Ehlmann","H. Sapers","M. Coleman","M. Ivarsson","J.J. Marlow","A. Neubeck","P. Niles"],"tags":["Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Abiotic component","Life on Mars","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-06-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2018.1960","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W3052424341","name":"Time-gated Raman spectroscopy – a review","source":"openalex","abstract":"Time-gated (TG) Raman spectroscopy (RS) has been shown to be an effective technical solution for the major problem whereby sample-induced fluorescence masks the Raman signal during spectral detection. Technical methods of fluorescence rejection have come a long way since the early implementations of large and expensive laboratory equipment, such as the optical Kerr gate. Today, more affordable small sized options are available. These improvements are largely due to advances in the production of spectroscopic and electronic components, leading to the reduction of device complexity and costs. An integral part of TG Raman spectroscopy is the temporally precise synchronization (picosecond range) between the pulsed laser excitation source and the sensitive and fast detector. The detector is able to collect the Raman signal during the short laser pulses, while fluorescence emission, which has a longer delay, is rejected during the detector dead-time. TG Raman is also resistant against ambient light as well as thermal emissions, due to its short measurement duty cycle. In recent years, the focus in the study of ultra-sensitive and fast detectors has been on gated and intensified charge coupled devices (ICCDs), or on CMOS single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) arrays, which are also suitable for performing TG RS. SPAD arrays have the advantage of being even more sensitive, with better temporal resolution compared to gated CCDs, and without the requirement for excessive detector cooling. This review aims to provide an overview of TG Raman from early to recent developments, its applications and extensions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6501/abb044","authors":["Martin Kögler","Bryan Heilala"],"tags":["Raman spectroscopy","Picosecond","Detector","Laser","SIGNAL (programming language)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6501/abb044","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2799300845","name":"Microscale Biosignatures and Abiotic Mineral Authigenesis in Little Hot Creek, California","source":"openalex","abstract":"Hot spring environments can create physical and chemical gradients favorable for unique microbial life. They can also include authigenic mineral precipitates that may preserve signs of biological activity on Earth and possibly other planets. The abiogenic or biogenic origins of such precipitates can be difficult to discern, therefore a better understanding of mineral formation processes is critical for the accurate interpretation of biosignatures from hot springs. Little Hot Creek (LHC) is a hot spring complex located in the Long Valley Caldera, California, that contains mineral precipitates composed of a carbonate base (largely submerged) topped by amorphous silica (largely emergent). The precipitates occur in close association with microbial mats and biofilms. Geological, geochemical, and microbiological data are consistent with mineral formation via degassing and evaporation rather than direct microbial involvement. However, the microfabric of the silica portion is stromatolitic in nature (i.e., wavy and finely laminated), suggesting that abiogenic mineralization has the potential to preserve textural biosignatures. Although geochemical and petrographic evidence suggests the calcite base was precipitated via abiogenic processes, endolithic microbial communities modified the structure of the calcite crystals, producing a textural biosignature. Our results reveal that even when mineral precipitation is largely abiogenic, the potential to preserve biosignatures in hot spring settings is high. The features found in the LHC structures may provide insight into the biogenicity of ancient Earth and extraterrestrial rocks.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2018.00997","authors":["E. Kraus","Scott R. Beeler","R. Agustin Mors","James G. Floyd","GeoBiology 2016","Blake W. Stamps","Heather S. Nunn","Bradley S. Stevenson","Hope A. Johnson","Russell S. Shapiro","S. J. Loyd","John R. Spear","Frank A. Corsetti"],"tags":["Abiogenic petroleum origin","Calcite","Stromatolite","Petrography","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-05-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2018.00997","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2395470222","name":"Perspective of beneficial microbes in agriculture under changing climatic scenario: a review","source":"openalex","abstract":"Agriculture is a complex network of interactions of plants with microorganisms. There is a growing demand for ecologically compatible environment friendly technique in agriculture that might be able to provide adequate supply of nutrients for the increasing human populations through improvement of the quality and quantity of agricultural products. Under the changing climatic scenario of global fluxes of the key biogenic greenhouse gases (CO2, methane and nitrous oxide), and some other environmental problems, the application of beneficial microorganisms in agriculture would serve as an important alternative gateway to some of the traditional agricultural techniques. Microorganisms of agricultural importance represent key ecological strategy for integrated management practices like nutrient management, disease and pest management in order to reduce the use of chemicals in agriculture as well to improve cultivar performance. The present review is intended to focus on the emergence of agriculturally important microorganisms (AIMs) to develop an ideal agricultural system through efficient utilization of nutrients and recycling of energy and thereby to preserve the natural ecosystem resources under climate change. The progress to date in using the beneficial microflora in a variety of applications related to agriculture along with key mechanism of action is also discussed in this review.","url":"https://doi.org/10.19071/jp.2016.v8.3022","authors":["Pranaba Nanda Bhattacharyya","Madhurankhi Goswami","Liza Handique Bhattacharyya"],"tags":["Agriculture","Environmental science","Greenhouse gas","Business","Natural resource economics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-05-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.19071/jp.2016.v8.3022","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W4309035003","name":"Tendencies Affecting the Growth and Cultivation of Genus Spirulina: An Investigative Review on Current Trends","source":"openalex","abstract":"Spirulina, a kind of blue-green algae, is one of the Earth’s oldest known forms of life. Spirulina grows best in very alkaline environments, although it may flourish across a wide variety of pH values. There are several techniques for growing Spirulina spp., ranging from open systems such as ponds and lakes, which are vulnerable to contamination by animals and extraterrestrial species, to closed systems such as photovoltaic reactors, which are not. Most contaminated toxins come from other toxic algae species that become mixed up during harvest, necessitating the study of spirulina production processes at home. Lighting, temperature, inoculation volume, stirring speed, dissolved particles, pH, water quality, and overall micronutrient richness are only a few of the environmental parameters influencing spirulina production. This review article covers the conditions required for spirulina cultivation, as well as a number of crucial factors that influence its growth and development while it is being grown. In addition, the article discusses harvesting processes, biomass measurement methods, the identification of dangerous algae, and the risk of contaminating algae as it grows on cultures. Spirulina’s rising prospects as food for human consumption are a direct outcome of its prospective health and therapeutic advantages.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11223063","authors":["Nawal K. Z. AlFadhly","Nawfal Alhelfi","Ammar B. Altemimi","Deepak Kumar Verma","Francesco Cacciola"],"tags":["Spirulina (dietary supplement)","Algae","Biology","Environmental science","Biomass (ecology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-11-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11223063","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W3040262563","name":"Interpreting and reporting 40Ar/39Ar geochronologic data","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The 40Ar/39Ar dating method is among the most versatile of geochronometers, having the potential to date a broad variety of K-bearing materials spanning from the time of Earth’s formation into the historical realm. Measurements using modern noble-gas mass spectrometers are now producing 40Ar/39Ar dates with analytical uncertainties of ∼0.1%, thereby providing precise time constraints for a wide range of geologic and extraterrestrial processes. Analyses of increasingly smaller subsamples have revealed age dispersion in many materials, including some minerals used as neutron fluence monitors. Accordingly, interpretive strategies are evolving to address observed dispersion in dates from a single sample. Moreover, inferring a geologically meaningful “age” from a measured “date” or set of dates is dependent on the geological problem being addressed and the salient assumptions associated with each set of data. We highlight requirements for collateral information that will better constrain the interpretation of 40Ar/39Ar data sets, including those associated with single-crystal fusion analyses, incremental heating experiments, and in situ analyses of microsampled domains. To ensure the utility and viability of published results, we emphasize previous recommendations for reporting 40Ar/39Ar data and the related essential metadata, with the amendment that data conform to evolving standards of being findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR) by both humans and computers. Our examples provide guidance for the presentation and interpretation of 40Ar/39Ar dates to maximize their interdisciplinary usage, reproducibility, and longevity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/b35560.1","authors":["Allen Schaen","Brian R. Jicha","K. V. Hodges","Pieter Vermeesch","Mark E. Stelten","C. M. Mercer","David Phillips","Tiffany Rivera","Fred Jourdan","Erin Matchan","Sidney R. Hemming","Leah E. Morgan","Simon P. Kelley","William S. Cassata","M. T. Heizler","Paulo Vasconcelos","Jeffrey A. Benowitz","Anthony Koppers","Darren F. Mark","Elizabeth Niespolo","Courtney J. Sprain","Willis E. Hames","Klaudia F. Kuiper","B. D. Turrin","Paul R. Renne","Jake Ross","Sébastien Nomade","Hervé Guillou","Laura E. Webb","B. A. Cohen","Andrew T. Calvert","Nancy Joyce","Morgan Ganerød","J.R. Wijbrans","Osamu Ishizuka","Huaiyu He","Adán Ramirez","Jörg A. Pfänder","Margarita López‐Martínez","Hua‐Ning Qiu","Brad S. Singer"],"tags":["Metadata","Interoperability","Computer science","Variety (cybernetics)","Set (abstract data type)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1130/b35560.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2137951360","name":"Identifying experimental surrogates for Bacillus anthracis spores: a review","source":"openalex","abstract":"Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, is a proven biological weapon. In order to study this threat, a number of experimental surrogates have been used over the past 70 years. However, not all surrogates are appropriate for B. anthracis, especially when investigating transport, fate and survival. Although B. atrophaeus has been widely used as a B. anthracis surrogate, the two species do not always behave identically in transport and survival models. Therefore, we devised a scheme to identify a more appropriate surrogate for B. anthracis. Our selection criteria included risk of use (pathogenicity), phylogenetic relationship, morphology and comparative survivability when challenged with biocides. Although our knowledge of certain parameters remains incomplete, especially with regards to comparisons of spore longevity under natural conditions, we found that B. thuringiensis provided the best overall fit as a non-pathogenic surrogate for B. anthracis. Thus, we suggest focusing on this surrogate in future experiments of spore fate and transport modelling.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/2041-2223-1-4","authors":["David Greenberg","Joseph D. Busch","Paul Keim","David M. Wagner"],"tags":["Bacillus anthracis","Biology","Survivability","Bacillus thuringiensis","Lethality"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1186/2041-2223-1-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W1999807922","name":"Carbonaceous micrometeorites from Antarctica","source":"openalex","abstract":"Over 100 000 large interplanetary dust particles in the 50-500 micrometers size range have been recovered in clean conditions from approximately 600 tons of Antarctic melt ice water as both unmelted and partially melted/dehydrated micrometeorites and cosmic spherules. Flux measurements in both the Greenland and Antarctica ice sheets indicate that the micrometeorites deliver to the Earth's surface approximately 2000x more extraterrestrial material than brought by meteorites. Mineralogical and chemical studies of Antarctic micrometeorites indicate that they are only related to the relatively rare CM and CR carbonaceous chondrite groups, being mostly chondritic carbonaceous objects composed of highly unequilibrated assemblages of anhydrous and hydrous minerals. However, there are also marked differences between these two families of solar system objects, including higher C/O ratios and a very marked depletion of chondrules in micrometeorite matter; hence, they are \"chondrites-without-chondrules.\" Thus, the parent meteoroids of micrometeorites represent a dominant and new population of solar system objects, probably formed in the outer solar system and delivered to the inner solar system by the most appropriate vehicles, comets. One of the major purposes of this paper is to discuss applications of micrometeorite studies that have been previously presented to exobiologists but deal with the synthesis of prebiotic molecules on the early Earth, and more recently, with the early history of the solar system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01665.x","authors":["C. Engrand","M. Maurette"],"tags":["Chondrite","Astrobiology","Interplanetary dust cloud","Meteorite","Meteoroid"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01665.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W1995246597","name":"The emergence of stable isotopes in environmental and forensic geochemistry studies: a review","source":"openalex","abstract":"In the past decade, environmental forensics has emerged as a discipline directed toward determining parties liable for causing spills of contaminants into the environment. Such investigations, while geared toward determining the guilty parties in order to recover costs of the cleanup and remediation, require various questions to be addressed. These include determination of the nature of the product; Where did it come from?; Extent of weathering, if any; How long has it been there?; and Is it degrading naturally? Traditionally, these studies have been addressed through utilization of techniques such as gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GCMS). However, in recent years, stable isotopes, primarily determined through the use of combined gas chromatography–isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GCIRMS), have emerged as an equally important tool in environmental forensics. For relatively low molecular, volatile compounds such as MTBE, BTEX, or chlorinated solvents, the isotopes, primarily carbon and hydrogen, have been used extensively for evaluating the onset of natural attenuation. For larger molecules such as PCBs or PAHs, in which the effects of biodegradation on the isotope composition of these molecules is minimal, the isotopic fingerprints of the individual compounds can be used for correlation purposes. In this paper, a brief introduction to isotope geochemistry will be given, followed by a review of applications of stable isotopes to a variety of environmental problems. While the review may not necessarily be exhaustive, it will provide a comprehensive overview of areas where isotopes have been used and potential applications for the future. Most of the review is concerned with carbon and hydrogen isotopes, although a brief overview of the emerging area of chlorine isotopes will also be discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-006-0081-y","authors":["R. Paul Philp"],"tags":["Environmental chemistry","BTEX","Isotope analysis","Environmental science","Isotope-ratio mass spectrometry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-08-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-006-0081-y","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2042274367","name":"On the ages of flood basalt events","source":"openalex","abstract":"We review available data constraining the extent, volume, age and duration of all major Phanerozoic continental flood basalts (CFB or traps) and oceanic plateaus (OP), together forming the group of large igneous provinces (LIP), going from the smallest Columbia flood basalts at ∼16 Ma to the as yet ill-known remnants of a possible trap at ∼360 Ma in eastern Siberia. The 16 traps (CFB and OP) reviewed form a rather unimodal distribution with an initial modal volume of the order of 2.5 Mkm 3 . Most provinces agree with a rather simple first order model in which volcanism may have lasted of the order of 10 Ma, often resulting in continental break-up, but where most of the volume was erupted in about 1 Ma or sometimes less. This makes CFBs/OPs (LIPs) major geodynamic events, with fluxes exceeding the total output of present day hot spots and even possibly exceeding over short times the entire crustal production of mid-ocean ridges. The proposed correlation between trap ages and the ages of several geological events, including mass extinctions and oceanic anoxia, is found to have improved steadily as more data have become available, to the point that the list of trap ages may coincide with many major divisions in the geological time scale. The four largest mass extinctions in the last 260 Ma coincide to the best resolution available with four traps, making a causal connection between the two through some form of catastrophic climatic perturbations the most likely hypothesis. The time sequence of LIPs appears to have been random and there is no robust evidence for long time trends in the corresponding crustal production rate over the last 260 Ma.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s1631-0713(03)00006-3","authors":["Vincent Courtillot","Paul R. Renne"],"tags":["Flood basalt","Geology","Deccan Traps","Basalt","Volcanism"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s1631-0713(03)00006-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2936282025","name":"Living at the Extremes: Extremophiles and the Limits of Life in a Planetary Context","source":"openalex","abstract":"Prokaryotic life has dominated most of the evolutionary history of our planet, evolving to occupy virtually all available environmental niches. Extremophiles, especially those thriving under multiple extremes, represent a key area of research for multiple disciplines, spanning from the study of adaptations to harsh conditions, to the biogeochemical cycling of elements. Extremophile research also has implications for origin of life studies and the search for life on other planetary and celestial bodies. In this article, we will review the current state of knowledge for the biospace in which life operates on Earth and will discuss it in a planetary context, highlighting knowledge gaps and areas of opportunity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00780","authors":["Nancy Merino","Heidi S. Aronson","Diana P. Bojanova","Jayme Feyhl‐Buska","Michael L. Wong","Shu Zhang","Donato Giovannelli"],"tags":["Extremophile","Astrobiology","Context (archaeology)","Thriving","Biogeochemical cycle"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-04-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00780","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2057970211","name":"Microbial reduction of metals and radionuclides","source":"openalex","abstract":"The microbial reduction of metals has attracted recent interest as these transformations can play crucial roles in the cycling of both inorganic and organic species in a range of environments and, if harnessed, may offer the basis for a wide range of innovative biotechnological processes. Under certain conditions, however, microbial metal reduction can also mobilise toxic metals with potentially calamitous effects on human health. This review focuses on recent research on the reduction of a wide range of metals including Fe(III), Mn(IV) and other more toxic metals such as Cr(VI), Hg(II), Co(III), Pd(II), Au(III), Ag(I), Mo(VI) and V(V). The reduction of metalloids including As(V) and Se(VI) and radionuclides including U(VI), Np(V) and Tc(VII) is also reviewed. Rapid advances over the last decade have resulted in a detailed understanding of some of these transformations at a molecular level. Where known, the mechanisms of metal reduction are discussed, alongside the environmental impact of such transformations and possible biotechnological applications that could utilise these activities.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0168-6445(03)00044-5","authors":["Jonathan R. Lloyd"],"tags":["Metalloid","Environmental chemistry","Metal","Radionuclide","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-05-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0168-6445(03)00044-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W4393316109","name":"A brief review of single silicate crystal paleointensity: rock-magnetic characteristics, mineralogical backgrounds, methods and applications","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Single silicate crystals hosting tiny magnetic inclusions are remarkable targets to study the paleointensities of the Earth and extraterrestrial samples. Since the pioneering work done in late 1990s, paleointensity studies using various silicate minerals such as feldspar, quartz, zircon, pyroxene, and olivine with magnetic inclusions trapped during grain growth or exsolved from the host phase have been reported. It has been shown that some single crystals have the ability to record paleomagnetic information as reliable or more reliable than the whole rock, by direct comparison of the obtained paleointensity estimate from single crystal and the whole-rock sample or the magnetic observatory data. Various rock-magnetic studies also support the fidelity of these crystals. Here, we provide a brief review of the rock-magnetic characteristics of the single crystals, the mineralogical background of the hosting silicates, and experimental procedures developed to obtain reliable data from magnetically weak samples with distinctive rock-magnetic features. We also overview the studies on paleointensity and related topics on various terrestrial and extraterrestrial samples published mainly after the comprehensive reviews in late 2000s. The present review covers the advantages as well as the limitations and caveats of paleointensity studies using single crystal samples and will help readers who wish to utilize this technique in their research. Graphical Abstract","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40623-024-01994-w","authors":["Chie Kato","Yoichi Usui","Masahiko Sato"],"tags":["Geology","Rock magnetism","Pyroxene","Paleomagnetism","Quartz"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40623-024-01994-w","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2902990106","name":"Mini Review on the Structure and Properties (Photocatalysis), and Preparation Techniques of Graphitic Carbon Nitride Nano-Based Particle, and Its Applications","source":"openalex","abstract":"Graphite carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is well known as one of the most promising materials for photocatalytic activities, such as CO2 reduction and water splitting, and environmental remediation through the removal of organic pollutants. On the other hand, carbon nitride also pose outstanding properties and extensive application forecasts in the aspect of field emission properties. In this mini review, the novel structure, synthesis and preparation techniques of full-bodied g-C3N4-based composite and films were revealed. This mini review discussed contemporary advancement in the structure, synthesis, and diverse methods used for preparing g-C3N4 nanostructured materials. The present study gives an account of full knowledge of the use of the exceptional structural and properties, and the preparation techniques of graphite carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and its applications.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s11671-018-2702-3","authors":["Williams Kweku Darkwah","Yanhui Ao"],"tags":["Materials science","Carbon nitride","Photocatalysis","Nanotechnology","Graphitic carbon nitride"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-11-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s11671-018-2702-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W2973217622","name":"Parametric review of existing regolith excavation techniques for lunar In Situ Resource Utilisation (ISRU) and recommendations for future excavation experiments","source":"openalex","abstract":"A high-level overview of current research in the area of lunar regolith excavation and handling for In Situ Resource Utilisation (ISRU) is presented. Thirteen processes are grouped into discrete and continuous excavators. A further differentiation is made between systems with and without connection to a mobility platform – referred to as complete and partial systems. For each group, a set of representative performance parameters has been identified and compared, while special characteristics or limitations are highlighted. The present work identifies a need for high detail research into the development of reliable and efficient excavation systems, due to the high importance of regolith excavation and handling to ISRU. A need for more standardised information and recording of specific data during supporting experimental studies is made apparent. In order to enable easier categorisation, comparison, and evaluation of future concepts, a set of key performance parameters requiring consideration during experimental campaigns is described and the importance of their inclusion underlined.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2019.104746","authors":["Gunter H. Just","Katherine Smith","K. H. Joy","M.J. Roy"],"tags":["Regolith","Excavation","Excavator","Resource (disambiguation)","Parametric statistics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-09-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2019.104746","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W4307569655","name":"Geochemical behavior of stable strontium isotopes during continental weathering process: A review","source":"openalex","abstract":"Continental weathering, an important geological process that affects the formation and evolution of the earth, involves the interaction of matter and energy among the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. Stable Sr isotope (δ88/86Sr) is a novel non-traditional stable isotope. It has been widely discussed in tracing continental weathering, studying marine Sr cycle, and analyzing biogeochemical behavior in recent years. Its combination with 87Sr/86Sr can indicate the source of Sr and the mass fractionation of geological processes, which has incomparable advantages over other isotopic systems, such as Li, Mg, and Ba. However, owing to the small mass difference (2%) between 86Sr and 88Sr, fractionation is not significant, which makes the measurement of the ratio δ88/86Sr difficult and limits its application to trace continental weathering. In this study, major developments and challenges in using stable Sr isotopes to trace continental weathering are reviewed, when considering high-precision testing methods, characteristics of δ88/86Sr in natural reservoirs, and geochemical behaviors. The high-precision measurement methods currently used for stable Sr isotopes mainly include multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) and thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS), both of which involve chemical purification by a cation exchange column or Sr specific resin, coupled with various methods for quality discrimination correction. The present analytical precision for the determination of δ88/86Sr in geological samples is 0.02‰ ∼ 0.08‰. The δ88/86Sr varies widely in natural reservoirs. In particular, the range of δ88/86Sr values in extraterrestrial reservoirs, the biosphere, the lithosphere, and the hydrosphere are -1.73‰ to +0.66‰, -0.87‰ to +0.85‰, -0.20‰ to +0.53‰ and -0.45‰ to +0.66‰, respectively. Stable Sr isotope fractionation occurs in the processes of differential dissolution of primary minerals (Δ88/86Sr = -0.13‰), formation and adsorption of secondary minerals (Δ88/86Sr = -0.15‰), precipitation of carbonate (Δ88/86Sr = -0.20‰), and biological processes (Δ88/86Sr = -0.15‰), which causes the δ88/86Sr in fluid (solid) phase to δ88/86Sr increases (decrease). Previous research on the fractionation mechanisms and constraint conditions of stable Sr isotopes during continental weathering is insufficient. Thus, promoting a wide application of stable Sr isotopes to trace continental weathering through the combination of field profiles, laboratory experiments and theoretical calculation is urgently warranted.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geogeo.2022.100144","authors":["Na Wu","Junwen Zhang","Hairuo Mao","Gui-Shan Zhang","Zhi‐Qi Zhao"],"tags":["Weathering","Biosphere","Geology","Biogeochemical cycle","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geogeo.2022.100144","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.071Z"},{"id":"oa:W4385235116","name":"Comprehensive refutation of the Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis (YDIH)","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2023.104502","authors":["Vance T. Holliday","T. L. Daulton","Patrick J. Bartlein","M. B. Boslough","Ryan P. Breslawski","Abigail E. Fisher","Ian Jorgeson","Andrew C. Scott","Christian Koeberl","Jennifer R. Marlon","Jeffrey P. Severinghaus","M. I. Petaev","Philippe Claeys"],"tags":["Younger Dryas","Geology","Climate change","Stadial","Paleontology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2023.104502","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"oa:W3179051318","name":"Cosmogenic 3He in terrestrial rocks: A review","source":"openalex","abstract":"This review article summarizes the state of the art of cosmogenic 3 He ( 3 He c ), with a focus on the most efficient methods and strategies for measuring this cosmogenic noble gas in the terrestrial minerals. Our ability to accurately and precisely measure cosmogenic 3 He in minerals is mainly constrained by the level of the non-cosmogenic 3 He background (i.e., magmatic, radiogenic, nucleogenic, and atmospheric 3 He), and thus by the geological characteristics of the samples. Constructing 3 He vs 4 He isochrons by analyzing several aliquots from the same surface sample constitutes a useful and overlooked method. Isochrons can be applied to mineral samples with homogeneous radiogenic 4 He concentration and variable magmatic helium concentrations. This method also allows the direct and joint determination of the cosmogenic 3 He concentration and the magmatic 3 He/ 4 He ratio, precluding the often-complicated step of vacuum crushing. I perform numerical modeling to explore the impact of the non-cosmogenic 3 He components on the final uncertainties and detection limits of 3 He c measurement. Reducing the magmatic component by selecting phenocrysts in the 100–500 μm size fraction improves the precision of cosmogenic 3 He analyses. Moreover, it is important to measure U, Th, and Li concentrations in the analyzed minerals and their host rocks to ensure proper corrections for radiogenic 4 He and nucleogenic 3 He, improving both the accuracy and precision of the method. I discuss the most important aspects of analytical techniques, including the key parameters of noble gas mass spectrometry that result in accurate and precise helium isotopic measurements. I also review 3 He c production rates and their spatial variability: the global database of absolute calibration sites yields a world-wide average 3 He c production rate in olivine and pyroxene of 124 ± 11 at g −1 yr −1 using the LSD scaling and the online CREp calculator ( https://crep.otelo.univ-lorraine.fr/#/ ). Cross-calibrations against 10 Be indicate that the ratio of the production rate of 3 He c in olivine/pyroxene to that of 10 Be in quartz is 33 ± 2 and increases by less than 7% between sea level and 5000 m elevation. This important observation demonstrates that 3 He in olivine/pyroxene and 10 Be in quartz are accurately scaled with existing models and can hence be considered as synchronized chronometers. However, 3 He c / 10 Be cross-calibrations based on 3 He c in accessory minerals (zircon, garnet , kyanite, apatite) yield unexpectedly high 3 He/ 10 Be production ratios of 40–60 above 3000 m elevation. As the capture of cosmogenic thermal neutrons by 6 Li is unlikely to explain this excess, other mechanisms are required, such as 3 He c inherited from previous exposure episodes, unrecognized specific reaction pathways, or the impact of snow cover. New cross-calibration data obtained by measuring 3 He c against other cosmogenic nuclides ( 14 C, 36 Cl, 21 Ne, 53 Mn) in different settings will advance our understanding of cosmogenic nuclide production rates and improve the accuracy and precision of applications relying on cosmogenic 3 He. Other improvements could extend the applicability of the 3 He geoscientific toolbox; for example, coupling 3 He with radioactive cosmogenic nuclides ( 10 Be, 14 C, 36 Cl, 53 Mn) will allow paleoaltimetry or the determination of burial ages or paleo-depths in intermediate and mafic terrains.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2021.120543","authors":["Pierre‐Henri Blard"],"tags":["Radiogenic nuclide","Isochron dating","Geology","Noble gas","Cosmogenic nuclide"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-09-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2021.120543","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4095/213666","name":"Canadian minerals yearbook, 2000: review and outlook","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4095/213666","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-20T12:03:25Z","doi":"10.4095/213666","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4095/213762","name":"Canadian minerals yearbook, 1996: review and outlook","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4095/213762","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-20T12:03:25Z","doi":"10.4095/213762","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4095/247682","name":"Canadian minerals yearbook, 2001: review and outlook","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4095/247682","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-20T12:03:25Z","doi":"10.4095/247682","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4095/213761","name":"Canadian minerals yearbook, 1998: review and outlook","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4095/213761","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-20T12:03:25Z","doi":"10.4095/213761","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4095/247691","name":"Canadian minerals yearbook, 1993: review and outlook","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4095/247691","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-20T12:03:25Z","doi":"10.4095/247691","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4095/247688","name":"Canadian minerals yearbook, 2007: review and outlook","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4095/247688","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-20T12:03:25Z","doi":"10.4095/247688","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4095/247696","name":"Canadian minerals yearbook, 1988: review and outlook","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4095/247696","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-20T12:03:25Z","doi":"10.4095/247696","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4095/213760","name":"Canadian minerals yearbook, 1999: review and outlook","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4095/213760","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-20T12:03:25Z","doi":"10.4095/213760","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4095/247694","name":"Canadian minerals yearbook, 1990: review and outlook","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4095/247694","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-20T12:03:25Z","doi":"10.4095/247694","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4095/247683","name":"Canadian minerals yearbook, 2002: review and outlook","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4095/247683","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-20T12:03:25Z","doi":"10.4095/247683","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4095/247698","name":"Canadian minerals yearbook, 1986: review and outlook","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4095/247698","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-19T12:41:56Z","doi":"10.4095/247698","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4095/247687","name":"Canadian minerals yearbook, 2006: review and outlook","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4095/247687","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-20T12:03:25Z","doi":"10.4095/247687","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4095/297907","name":"Canadian minerals yearbook, 2008: review and outlook","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4095/297907","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-20T12:03:25Z","doi":"10.4095/297907","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4095/247695","name":"Canadian minerals yearbook, 1989: review and outlook","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4095/247695","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-20T12:03:25Z","doi":"10.4095/247695","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4095/247697","name":"Canadian minerals yearbook, 1987: review and outlook","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4095/247697","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-20T12:03:25Z","doi":"10.4095/247697","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4095/213785","name":"Canadian minerals yearbook, 1997: review and outlook","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4095/213785","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-20T12:03:25Z","doi":"10.4095/213785","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4095/247699","name":"Canadian minerals yearbook, 1985: review and outlook","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4095/247699","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-20T12:03:25Z","doi":"10.4095/247699","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4095/247693","name":"Canadian minerals yearbook, 1991: review and outlook","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4095/247693","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-20T12:03:25Z","doi":"10.4095/247693","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4095/247689","name":"Canadian minerals yearbook, 1995: review and outlook","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4095/247689","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-20T12:03:25Z","doi":"10.4095/247689","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4095/247684","name":"Canadian minerals yearbook, 2003: review and outlook","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4095/247684","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-20T12:03:25Z","doi":"10.4095/247684","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4095/247686","name":"Canadian minerals yearbook, 2005: review and outlook","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4095/247686","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-20T12:03:25Z","doi":"10.4095/247686","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4095/247685","name":"Canadian minerals yearbook, 2004: review and outlook","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4095/247685","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-20T12:03:25Z","doi":"10.4095/247685","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4095/247690","name":"Canadian minerals yearbook, 1994: review and outlook","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4095/247690","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-20T12:03:25Z","doi":"10.4095/247690","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4095/247692","name":"Canadian minerals yearbook, 1992: review and outlook","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4095/247692","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-19T12:41:56Z","doi":"10.4095/247692","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2753/rss1061-1428190427","name":"On Strategy in the Search for Extraterrestrial Civilizations","source":"crossref","abstract":"The problem of finding and studying extraterrestrial civilizations is a problem of exceptional importance to human experience, culture, and philosophy. For the information obtained as a result of the discovery of intelligence in the cosmos may point the path to development of our civilizations over astronomically long periods of time. Utilization of such information could fundamentally change our entire way of life and functioning. Interest in the solution of this superproblem grows with each passing year and involves a constantly increasing number of the most competent experts working in various spheres of natural science.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2753/rss1061-1428190427","authors":["N. S. Kardashev"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-04-21T21:07:13Z","doi":"10.2753/rss1061-1428190427","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1353/vcr.2015.0005","name":"Alfred Russel Wallace, Extraterrestrial Life, Mars, and the Nature of the Universe","source":"crossref","abstract":"Alfred Russel Wallace, Extraterrestrial Life, Mars, and the Nature of the Universe Robert W. Smith (bio) Alfred russel Wallace is now generally remembered as one of the great field naturalists of the nineteenth century; the co-discoverer, with Charles Darwin, of the theory of evolution by natural selection; a prolific author on a range of topics to do with natural history; and a vigorous participant in public debates on various scientific, social, and political subjects. The part that Wallace played and the positions he adopted in the often intense and hard-fought debates on extraterrestrial life in the decade of the 1900s, including on the matter of life on Mars, however, have drawn relatively little attention from scholars.1 Wallace reckoned that the only life in the solar system was found on earth. Further, he dismissed the possibility of intelligent life of the same order as human beings anywhere else in the universe and in this paper I will focus on Wallace’s arguments against this possiblity. Wallace wrote in 1903, I submit that the whole of the evidence I have here brought together leads to the conclusion that our earth is almost certainly the only inhabited planet in our solar system; and, further, that there is no inconceivability—no improbability even—in the conception that, in order to produce a world that should be precisely adapted in every detail for the orderly development of organic life culminating in man, such a vast and complex universe as that which we know exists around us, may have been absolutely required. (Man’s Place 1st ed., 306) Throughout Wallace’s lifetime, it was widely accepted by British astronomers and science popularizers that the universe was populated by extraterrestrial life.2 In this paper, then, the main question we will address is, Why did Wallace reject the idea of extraterrestrial life so emphatically and come to regard human beings as, in his words, “the unique and supreme product of this vast universe,” and to believe that “‘the universe was actually brought into existence’ for this very purpose”? (Man’s Place 1st ed., 315). Wallace was prompted to develop a fully worked-out answer to the question of extraterrestrial life by serious financial concerns and the prospect of securing substantial article and book royalties. But once he had started [End Page 151] down this road, he was both energetic and relentless in applying a carefully reasoned mix of scientific and spiritual ideas to address it so that his mature synthesis, what Martin Fichman has termed his “teleological evolutionary cosmology” (Elusive Victorian 1), encompassed nothing less than the nature, structure, and development of the entire universe and the occurrence and evolution of life therein. Key here, we will see, is Wallace’s profound sense of teleology, which was shaped by his conception of human evolution and his deep commitment to spiritualism. I will argue too that Wallace’s acute sense of place—a topic also examined by Andrew Berry in this special issue—was at the heart of the development of his cosmology. In particular, Wallace emphasized the position of earth with respect to the sun, the position of the sun within what was known as the solar cluster of stars, and the position of the solar cluster within the wider stellar universe, which put the sun very close to or at the centre of the universe. If earth had been located elsewhere, intelligent life, in Wallace’s view, could not have developed. We will see that Wallace’s views on human evolution were fundamental to his views on life beyond earth. A review of these views will therefore form the first section of the paper, before we turn to Wallace and astronomy, the extraterrestrial life debate, and Wallace’s own connected argument on extraterrestrial life. wallace on human evolution Darwin and Wallace were united from the late 1850s onwards about the enormous importance of natural selection for explaining the diversity of nature, but there were nevertheless to be many later disagreements between the two on evolutionary matters. The biggest public split came in 1869. In that year, Wallace reviewed two new editions of geological works by Charles Lyell. In so doing, he broke...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1353/vcr.2015.0005","authors":["Robert W. Smith"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-03-12T09:00:51Z","doi":"10.1353/vcr.2015.0005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4095/247700","name":"Canadian minerals yearbook, 1983-1984: review and outlook","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4095/247700","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-20T12:03:25Z","doi":"10.4095/247700","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/4440929","name":"Review: <i>The Search for Extraterrestrial Life</i>, by NASA","source":"crossref","abstract":"Book Review| April 01 1965 Review: The Search for Extraterrestrial Life, by NASA The Search for Extraterrestrial LifeNASA The American Biology Teacher (1965) 27 (4): 286. https://doi.org/10.2307/4440929 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Review: The Search for Extraterrestrial Life, by NASA. The American Biology Teacher 1 April 1965; 27 (4): 286. doi: https://doi.org/10.2307/4440929 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentThe American Biology Teacher Search This content is only available via PDF. Copyright 1965 National Association of Biology Teachers Article PDF first page preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this content.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/4440929","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-09-06T15:05:16Z","doi":"10.2307/4440929","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/1276508","name":"Mines and Minerals: Ownership: Estate in Undiscovered Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/1276508","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-05-11T18:02:46Z","doi":"10.2307/1276508","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5256/f1000research.203708.r505600","name":"Peer Review Report For: Extraterrestrial Nanoparticle Signatures at the Younger Dryas Boundary (~12,800 years ago) from Wonderkrater, South Africa [version 1; peer review: 1 approved]","source":"crossref","abstract":"Background Previous work identified a platinum anomaly at Wonderkrater, South Africa, within sediments modeled to the onset of the Younger Dryas (~12,800 cal BP). To investigate the nature of this anomaly, we analyzed sedimentary nanoparticles using single-particle inductively coupled plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SP-ICP-TOF-MS). Methods Nanoparticles were extracted from peat sediments spanning the modeled Younger Dryas Boundary (YDB) interval and analyzed for particle number concentrations, elemental compositions, elemental ratios, and multi-element nanoparticle clusters. Results from the YDB interval were compared with sediments above and below the anomaly. Results A pronounced geochemical anomaly is confined to a narrow interval between 357.5 and 362.5 cm depth. Total nanoparticle number concentrations increase by a factor of 4.6 relative to surrounding sediments (p < 0.01), accompanied by reduced average particle mass. The anomalous interval contains two distinct nanoparticle populations: one enriched in platinum-group and siderophile elements, and a second enriched in lithophile and rare earth elements. Eight elemental ratios exhibit elevated values relative to background sediments, including Au/Ir (3.80), Cr/Ni (3.75), and Au/Pt (1.16), each exceeding background values by more than a factor of two. Systematic fractionation among noble and siderophile elements is also evident, with Au, Pt, and Pd exhibiting greater enrichments than Os, Ir, and Ru, consistent with elemental fractionation during high-temperature vaporization, condensation, and atmospheric transport processes. Several multi-element nanoparticle clusters occur predominantly within the YDB interval. Conclusions The YDB layer at Wonderkrater contains a compositionally distinct nanoparticle assemblage characterized by elevated platinum-group elements, siderophile-element enrichments, unique elemental ratios, and changes in terrestrial dust-related signatures. The elemental ratio patterns and nanoparticle populations are consistent with a compositionally heterogeneous, volatile-bearing extraterrestrial component modified by high-temperature processes, together with enhanced terrestrial dust input. These observations are consistent with the introduction of geochemically distinct nanoparticle populations coincident with the onset of the Younger Dryas.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5256/f1000research.203708.r505600","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-25T06:26:05Z","doi":"10.5256/f1000research.203708.r505600","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50008-1","name":"A review of the theory of interstellar communication","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50008-1","authors":["J. BILLINGHAM","B.M. OLIVER","J.H. WOLFE"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-18T12:35:49Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50008-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(97)00126-x","name":"A review of the minerals industry in Zimbabwe","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(97)00126-x","authors":["T.J. Veasey"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-25T11:25:30Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(97)00126-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5840/asrr202132267","name":"UFO Cults and “Extraterrestrial Sanctuaries” in Argentina in advance","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5840/asrr202132267","authors":["Diego Rodolfo Viegas"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-03-23T05:02:09Z","doi":"10.5840/asrr202132267","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(98)00094-6","name":"Microwave treatment of minerals-a review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(98)00094-6","authors":["S.W. Kingman","N.A. Rowson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-25T18:50:06Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(98)00094-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1103/physreve.71.052902","name":"Periodicity of mass extinctions without an extraterrestrial cause","source":"crossref","abstract":"We study a lattice model of a multispecies prey-predator system. Numerical results show that for a small mutation rate the model develops irregular long-period oscillatory behavior with sizeable changes in a number of species. The periodicity of extinctions on Earth was suggested by Raup and Sepkoski [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 81, 801 (1984)], but thus far is lacking a satisfactory explanation. Our model indicates that this might be a natural consequence of the ecosystem dynamics and not the result of any extraterrestrial cause.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1103/physreve.71.052902","authors":["Adam Lipowski"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-05-20T22:08:07Z","doi":"10.1103/physreve.71.052902","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0093-061x(78)90076-x","name":"A bibliography of government documents on extraterrestrial life: 1957–1976","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0093-061x(78)90076-x","authors":["Joel Davis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-10-08T13:22:24Z","doi":"10.1016/0093-061x(78)90076-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1061/40339(206)51","name":"Review of the Issues Related to Extraterrestrial Drilling","source":"crossref","abstract":"This paper reviews current state-of-the-art drilling technology practiced today in the mining, petroleum, water, and other drilling industries. The typical performance and operational issues are discussed. In addition, parameters controlling the drilling efficiency are outlined. There are several combinations of drilling available today. These equipment and methodologies are based on extensive practical experience with drilling projects and the daily challenges in all areas of drilling. Drilling in an extraterrestrial environment, such as the Moon or Mars, requires the evaluation of the applicability of current drilling techniques and their practicality for this environment. Equipment shipment cost, mass and volume, available energy and machine power, cleaning medium, and performance under vacuum and intense temperatures are factors to be considered. This paper evaluates the principal drilling techniques and how they might be adapted to be suitable for utilization in space exploration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1061/40339(206)51","authors":["Jamal Rostami","Brad Blair","Alfred Eustes"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-12-13T23:08:11Z","doi":"10.1061/40339(206)51","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50009-3","name":"A review of recent concepts of the problem of the origin of life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50009-3","authors":["L.M. MUKHIN"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-18T07:35:49Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-08-024727-4.50009-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.1977.11761965","name":"Book Review: Minerals of Virginia","source":"crossref","abstract":"\"Book Review: Minerals of Virginia.\" Rocks & Minerals, 52(5), pp. 242–243","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.1977.11761965","authors":["Carl Francis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-09-12T16:20:43Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.1977.11761965","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(02)00033-x","name":"Book review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(02)00033-x","authors":["Fathi Habashi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-10-14T22:58:33Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(02)00033-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0198-0254(83)96683-9","name":"The solipsist approach to extraterrestrial intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0198-0254(83)96683-9","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-08-06T13:56:04Z","doi":"10.1016/0198-0254(83)96683-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min11101151","name":"Biomineralization in Polychaete Annelids: A Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Polychaete annelids are a very important group of calcifiers in the modern oceans. They can produce calcite, aragonite, and amorphous phosphates. Serpulids possess very diverse tube ultra-structures, several unique to them. Serpulid tubes are composed of aragonite or calcite or a mixture of both polymorphs. The serpulid tubes with complex oriented microstructures, such as lamello fibrillar, are exclusively calcitic, whereas tubes with prismatic structures can be composed either of calcite or aragonite. In serpulids, the calcareous opercula also have complex microstructures. Evolutionarily, calcitic serpulid taxa belong to one clade and the aragonitic taxa belong to another clade. Modern ocean acidification affects serpulid biomineralization. Serpulids are capable of biomineralization in extreme environments, such as the deepest part (hadal zone) of the ocean. The tubes of calcareous sabellids are aragonitic and have two layers, the inner irregular spherulitic prismatic layer and the outer spherulitic layer. The tube wall of cirratulids is composed of aragonitic lamellae with a spherulitic prismatic structure. In some other polychaetes, biominerals are formed in different parts of the animal body, such as chaetae or body shields, or occur within the body as granule-shaped or rod-shaped inclusions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min11101151","authors":["Olev Vinn"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-10-20T03:01:13Z","doi":"10.3390/min11101151","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min10110954","name":"Shear-Hosted Uranium Deposits: A Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"A group of uranium deposits is described that is hosted within polyphase shear zones. The group is economically significant, collectively containing over 500,000 tonnes of uranium and several examples have been or are being mined. Over a hundred individual deposits are known widely spread over many countries. It is proposed that this group be assigned to a new shear-hosted uranium deposit category. Uranium deposition was superimposed upon intense and extensive feldspathic alteration formed during ductile deformation. This intense alteration has led to the alternative albitite-type or metasomatite-type nomenclature. The evidence is clear that in most cases uranium mineralization postdates regionally extensive feldspar alteration and is associated with a range of alteration assemblages which overprint early albite or K-feldspar dominant alteration. Abundance of hydrothermal zirconium and phosphate minerals is a common characteristic of this group which implies high activity of F and P during mineralisation, but the source of hydrothermal fluids remains uncertain. Also uncertain is the geodynamic setting of uranium mineralisation which is a consequence of absolute mineralisation age being poorly defined. Data from three of the four major districts are suggestive that mineralisation was a consequence of fluid migration along shears during regional compression. This paper reviews key aspects of the group in a mineral systems context, focussing on the four major districts of Kropyvnytskyi (Ukraine), Lagoa Real (Brazil), Mount Isa (Australia) and the Central Mineral Belt (Canada).","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min10110954","authors":["Andy Wilde"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-10-26T10:38:35Z","doi":"10.3390/min10110954","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2007.07.011","name":"Geopolymerisation: A review and prospects for the minerals industry","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2007.07.011","authors":["Kostas Komnitsas","Dimitra Zaharaki"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-09-17T08:21:44Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2007.07.011","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1346/ccmn.1967.0150148","name":"Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1346/ccmn.1967.0150148","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-08-28T08:25:33Z","doi":"10.1346/ccmn.1967.0150148","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/2652465","name":"Life on Other Worlds: The Twentieth-Century Extraterrestrial Life Debate","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/2652465","authors":["Howard E. McCurdy","Steven J. Dick"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-04-19T11:54:05Z","doi":"10.2307/2652465","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/nsr/nwac008","name":"Exoplanets, extraterrestrial life and beyond: an interview with Douglas Lin","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract In a survey released by the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine in November 2021, the search for Earth-like planets outside our solar system was identified as a major goal for astronomy over the next 10 years. National Science Review invites Douglas N.C. Lin (林潮), emeritus professor of astrophysics from the University of California, Santa Cruz, who has studied planet formation, evolution and solar system dynamics for almost five decades, to look back on exoplanet research, a field that has expanded exponentially in the past 30 years, and to envision the opportunities and challenges in our search for habitable worlds. As the founding director of the Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Peking University, Lin offers his insights on how China's astronomical community can benefit more from collaboration, and what young scientists could do to seize the opportunities offered by what he calls ‘a golden era of exoplanet research’.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwac008","authors":["Ling Xin (辛玲)"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-13T12:10:28Z","doi":"10.1093/nsr/nwac008","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0892-6875(89)90002-2","name":"Beneficiation characteristics of antimony minerals a review- part 1","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0892-6875(89)90002-2","authors":["T. Lager","K.S.E. Forssberg"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-03-15T01:59:29Z","doi":"10.1016/0892-6875(89)90002-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2004.04.001","name":"Characterizing and recovering the platinum group minerals––a review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2004.04.001","authors":["Z. Xiao","A.R. Laplante"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-06-09T20:23:03Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2004.04.001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2018.12.004","name":"Machine learning applications in minerals processing: A review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2018.12.004","authors":["J.T. McCoy","L. Auret"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-12-08T05:22:54Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2018.12.004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2011.02.008","name":"Active Review Panel3-4","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2011.02.008","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-03-16T19:24:46Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2011.02.008","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min4030642","name":"Submarine Tailings Disposal (STD)—A Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"The mining industry is a fundamental industry involved in the development of modern society, but is also the world’s largest waste producer. This role will be enhanced in the future, because ore grades are generally decreasing, thus leading to increases in the waste/metal production ratio. Mine wastes deposited on-land in so-called tailings dams, impoundments or waste-dumps have several associated environmental issues that need to be addressed (e.g., acid mine drainage formation due to sulphide oxidation, geotechnical stability, among others), and social concerns due to land use during mining. The mining industry recognizes these concerns and is searching for waste management alternatives for the future. One option used in the past was the marine shore or shallow submarine deposition of this waste material in some parts of the world. After the occurrence of some severe environmental pollution, today the deposition in the deep sea (under constant reducing conditions) is seen as a new, more secure option, due to the general thought that sulphide minerals are geochemically stable under the reduced conditions prevailing in the deep marine environment. This review highlights the mineralogical and geochemical issues (e.g., solubility of sulphides in seawater; reductive dissolution of oxide minerals under reducing conditions), which have to be considered when evaluating whether submarine tailings disposal is a suitable alternative for mine waste.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min4030642","authors":["Bernhard Dold"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-07-08T11:15:26Z","doi":"10.3390/min4030642","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1103/physrevd.31.2770","name":"Response of deep detectors to extraterrestrial neutrinos","source":"crossref","abstract":"We calculate the rate of upward muons induced by an arbitrary spectrum of ${\\ensuremath{\\nu}}_{\\ensuremath{\\mu}}$ and \\ensuremath{\\nu}${\\ifmmode\\bar\\else\\textasciimacron\\fi{}}_{\\ensuremath{\\mu}}$, including effects of the W propagator in the relevant charged-current cross sections. The results can be used to infer a parent-neutrino rate from an observed signal of upward muons.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.31.2770","authors":["T. K. Gaisser","Todor Stanev"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-27T00:48:47Z","doi":"10.1103/physrevd.31.2770","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0198-0254(84)93442-3","name":"Extraterrestrial platinum group nuggets in deep-sea sediments","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0198-0254(84)93442-3","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-08-06T17:56:04Z","doi":"10.1016/0198-0254(84)93442-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.1996.11761532","name":"Fluorescent Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.1996.11761532","authors":["Peter J. Modreski","Regina Aumente-Modreski"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-09-02T07:23:29Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.1996.11761532","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2016.04.016","name":"Literature review on the interaction of oleate with non-sulphide minerals using zeta potential","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2016.04.016","authors":["Keith Quast"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-05-10T06:00:43Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2016.04.016","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-10-4980-4_39","name":"A Cognitive Approach to Design of Habitats in Extraterrestrial Environments: Review of Literature","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4980-4_39","authors":["Biswaksen Patnaik"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-10-05T12:38:53Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-10-4980-4_39","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(01)80028-5","name":"Pressure hydrometallurgy. a review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(01)80028-5","authors":["Kostas Komnitsas"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-25T16:48:51Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(01)80028-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-028708-9.50030-0","name":"TEN YEARS OF THE INTERNATIONAL REVIEW MEETINGS ON COMMUNICATION WITH EXTRATERRESTRIAL INTELLIGENCE (CETI)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-028708-9.50030-0","authors":["R. Pesek","J. Billingham"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-19T07:31:00Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-08-028708-9.50030-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.1993.9926566","name":"Media Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"A Guide to Understanding Crystallography by Jennie R. Smith, Dept. B, P.O. Box 12, Fairfax, VA 22030. Rochester Mineralogical Symposium. 176 pages; 1991; $20 (spiral bound). Reviewed by Dr. Robert Cook. Gemology: An Annotated Bibliography by John Sinkankas. Scarecrow Press, Metuchen, N.J. 1,216 pages (2 vols.); 1993; $179.50 (hardbound), $250 (ltd. ed., leather-covered, boxed set). Reviewed by Dr. Joel E. Arem. A Dinosaur Dynasty: The Sternberg Fossil Hunters by Katherine Rogers. Mountain Press Publishing Co., Missoula, Mont. 288 pages; 1991; $10 (soft-bound). Reviewed by Dr. John Ernissee.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.1993.9926566","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-09-04T21:25:56Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.1993.9926566","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min11030318","name":"A Review on the Beneficiation Methods of Borate Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"The modern boron applications have adsorbed the mineral processors’ attention to improve typical boron mineral’s (BM) beneficiation methods. In this regard, dry treatment and pretreatment processes—such as magnetic separation and calcination as environmentally friendly methods, due to their minimal or zero adverse effect on the environment—need more consideration. Over the years, anionic flotation has become the main technique for beneficiation of friable BMs; however, there is a gap in the investigation of cationic flotation separation since BMs’ surface negatively charges in a wide pH range. At present, enriching BMs’ flotation via surface modification is taking center stage, which can also be considered for reprocessing long-forgotten BM tailings. As a comprehensive review, this work is going to provide a synopsis of the processes, techniques, optimum parameters, and conditions—such as size reduction, zeta potential, pH, and reagents—which have been employed in the processing of BMs. Gaps in our understanding of BM’s flotation are presented in the context of addressing the existing processes, considering possibilities and rooms for efficiency improvement. Considering these gaps may improve the performance of existing methods for processing fine and ultrafine BMs, and help in the development of new technologies to improve flotation recoveries.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min11030318","authors":["Soehoe-Panhyonon Benedict Powoe","Varney Kromah","Mohammad Jafari","Saeed Chehreh Chelgani"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-03-19T11:18:38Z","doi":"10.3390/min11030318","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2002.9926672","name":"Media Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2002.9926672","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-09-04T21:39:45Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2002.9926672","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min9010025","name":"Variations of Major and Minor Elements in Pt–Fe Alloy Minerals: A Review and New Observations","source":"crossref","abstract":"Compositional variations of major and minor elements were examined in Pt–Fe alloys from various geological settings and types of deposits, both lode and placer occurrences. They included representatives of layered intrusions, Alaskan-Uralian-(Aldan)-type and alkaline gabbroic complexes, ophiolitic chromitites, and numerous placers from Canada, USA, Russia, and other localities worldwide. Pt–Fe alloy grains in detrital occurrences are notably larger in size, and these are considered to be the result of a special conditions during crystallization such as temperature, pressure, geochemistry or time. In addition, the number of available statistical observations is much greater for the placer occurrences, since they represent the end-product of, in some cases, the weathering of many millions of tonnes of sparsely mineralized bedrock. Typically, platinum-group elements (PGE) present in admixtures (Ir, Rh, and Pd) and minor Cu, Ni are incorporated into a compositional series (Pt, PGE)2–3(Fe, Cu, Ni) in the lode occurrences. Relative Cu enrichment in alloys poor in Pt implies crystallization from relatively fractionated melts at a lower temperature. In contrast to the lode deposits, the distribution of Ir, Rh, and Pd is fairly chaotic in placer Pt–Fe grains. There is no relationship between levels of Ir, Rh, and Pd with the ratio Σ(Pt + PGE):(Fe + Cu + Ni). The compositional series (Pt, PGE)2–3(Fe, Cu, Ni) is not as common in the placer occurrences; nevertheless, minor Cu and Ni show their maximums in members of this series in the placer grains. Global-scale datasets yield a bimodal pattern of distribution in the Pt–Fe diagram, which is likely a reflection of the miscibility gap between the ordered Pt3Fe structure (isoferroplatinum) and the disordered structure of native or ferroan platinum. In the plot Pt versus Fe, there is a linear boundary due to ideal Pt ↔ Fe substitution. Two solid solution series are based on the Ir-for-Pt and Pd-for-Pt substitutions. The incorporation of Ir is not restricted to Pt3Fe–Ir3Fe substitution (isoferroplatinum and chengdeite, plus their disordered modifications). Besides, Ir0 appears to replace Pt0 in the disordered variants of (Pt–Ir)–Fe alloys. There is a good potential for the discovery of a new species with a Pd-dominant composition, (Pd, Pt)3Fe, most likely in association with the alkaline mafic-ultramafic or gabbroic complexes, or the mafic units of layered intrusions. The “field of complicated substitutions” is recognized as a likely reflection of the crystallochemical differences of Pd and Ir, extending along the Ir-Pd axis of the Ir–Pd–Rh diagram. The inferred solid solution extends approximately along the line Ir–(Pd:Rh = 2:3). Minor Pd presumably enters the solid solution via a coupled substitution in combination with the Rh. An Ir-enrichment trend in Pt–Fe alloys typically occurs in the Alaskan-type complexes. The large size of the Pt–Fe nuggets associated with some of these complexes is considered to be related to an ultramafic-mafic pegmatite facies, whereas significant Pd-enrichment is characteristic of gabbroic source-rocks (e.g., Coldwell Complex), resulting in a markedly different trend for the Pt versus Fe (wt.%). However, based on our examination of a large dataset of Pt–Fe alloys from numerous origins, we conclude that they exhibit compositional overlaps that are too large to be useful as reliable index-minerals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min9010025","authors":["Andrei Barkov","Louis Cabri"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-01-04T11:34:26Z","doi":"10.3390/min9010025","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2003.9926722","name":"Media Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Lovozero Massif—History, Pegmatites, and Minerals by Igor V. Pekov. Ocean Pictures, Moscow. Distributed by Excalibur Mineral Co., 1000 N. Division St., Peeksville, NY 10566. 480 pages; 2000; $79 plus $8 postage (hardbound). Reviewed by Dr. Robert B. Cook Glacial Lake Missoula and Its Humongous Floods by David Alt. Mountain Press, P.O. Box 2399, Missoula, MT 59806. 208 pages; 2001; $15 (softbound). Reviewed by Arthur E. Smith Ice Age, by John and Mary Gribbin. Barnes and Noble Books, New York, N.Y. 105 pages; 2002; $12.95 (hardbound). Reviewed by Dr. John J. Ernissee","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2003.9926722","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-09-04T21:41:26Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2003.9926722","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.1995.9926645","name":"Media Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mineralogy Of Maine. Volume 1: Descriptive Mineralogy by Vandall T. King and Eugene E. Foord. Maine Geological Survey, Department of Conservation, State House Station 22, Augusta, ME 04333. 418 pages (the central color-photograph section is not included in the pagination); 1994; $40 (softbound), $50 (hard-bound). Reveiwed by JohnSinkankas","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.1995.9926645","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-09-04T21:28:37Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.1995.9926645","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.1992.9926459","name":"Media Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Gemstones—Treasures from the Earth's Crust by Julia A. Jackson. Enslow Publishers, New Jersey. 104 pages; 1989; $16.95 (hardbound). Reviewed by John J. Bradshaw.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.1992.9926459","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-09-04T17:22:57Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.1992.9926459","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.1995.9926622","name":"Media Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Colorado Rockhounding: A Guide to Minerals, Gemstones, and Fossils by Stephen M. Voynick. Mountain Press Publishing Company, Missoula, Montana. 1994; 372 pp.; $14.00 (soft-bound). Reviewed by Arthur E. Smith Trilobites, 2nd ed., by Riccardo Levi-Setti. University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London. 342 pages; 1993; $45.00 (hardbound). Reviewed by Dr. Loren E. Babcock Videos: Rockhounding in the Piedmont: Crystal and Gem Collecting in Georgia and South Carolina. VHS videotape, 69 minutes. Oconee Minerals, 1040 Sweetgum Way, Watkinsville, GA 30677; $33 including shipping and handling. Reviewed by Dr. Robert B. Cook","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.1995.9926622","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-09-04T17:27:57Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.1995.9926622","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2003.9926736","name":"Media Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Bone Wars: The Excavation and Celebrity of Andrew Carnegie's Dinosaur by Tom Rea. University of Pittsburgh Press, Pa. 276 pages; 2001; $25 (hardbound). Reviewed by John J. Ernissee The Rogerley and Other Fluorite Mines of Northern England by Jesse Fisher. Mackerel Media and Trade. Order from jesse@ukminingventures.com. CD; 2001; $20 postpaid. Reviewed by Robert B. Cook","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2003.9926736","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-09-04T17:42:38Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2003.9926736","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.1992.9926484","name":"Media Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Rock Candy: A Story about Mineral Collecting. VHS format, 28 minutes; 1990; $40 (1), $25 (2–4), $20 (5 or more). Order from Joe Nagel, Geological Museum, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada V6T JW5. Reviewed by Russell Feather. Water Baby: The Story of Alvin by Victoria A. Kaharl. Oxford University Press, New York. 356 pages (16 in color); 1990; $21.95 (hardbound). Reviewed by Steven C. Chamberlain. The Klockmann Diary—The Quest for North Idaho's Legendary Continental Mine edited by Chris Bessler. Keokee Co. Publishing, Box 722, Sandpoint, ID 83864. 107 pages; 1990; $9.95, plus $2.00 shipping and handling (softbound). Reviewed by Lanny R. Ream. Adventures with Rocks and Minerals: Geology Experiments for Young People by Lloyd H. Barrow. Enslow Publishing Co. 96 pages; 1991; $16.69 (hardbound). Reviewed by R. V. Dietrich. Photography of Mineralogical, Paleontological and Archaeological Specimens, Jack A. Murphy and James F. Hurlbut (eds.). Denver Museum of Natural History. 98 pages; 1989; $15.00 (softbound). Order from Friends of Mineralogy, Denver Museum of Natural History, City Park, Denver, CO 80205; make checks payable to Friends of Mineralogy. Reviewed by Robert B. Cook. Life as a Geological Force: Dynamics of the Earth by Peter Westbroek. W. W. Norton & Co., New York. 240 pages; 1991; $21.95 (hardbound). Reviewed by Steven C. Chamberlain. Stake Your Claim! How to Find Gold and Stake a Mining Claim by Mark S. Silva. High-Grade Publications, P. O. Box 995, Aptos, CA 95001. 105 pages; 1990; $14.95, plus $2.00 shipping and handling (softbound). Reviewed by Henry A. Truebe.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.1992.9926484","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-09-04T21:23:26Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.1992.9926484","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2003.9926763","name":"Media Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Quartz, An Introduction to Crystalline Quartz by Harold L. Dibble, Dibble Trust Fund, Ltd., P.O. Box 67, Angola, NY 14006-0067 (www.quartzbook.com). 100 pages; 2002; $55 (hardbound), $40 (softbound). Reviewed by Steven C. Chamberlain Minerals—Foundations of Society by Ann P. Dorr and Alma Hale Paty. American Geological Institute, Alexandria, Va. (www.agiweb.org). 96 pages; 3d ed., 2003; $19.95 (softbound). Reviewed by Anthony R. Kampf","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2003.9926763","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-09-04T17:43:18Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2003.9926763","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.1992.9926469","name":"Media Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mont Saint-Hilaire and Montreal Area Quarries, VHS format, 32 minutes, 1990; $36.50. Bancroft Area Mineral Localities, VHS format, 46 minutes, 1990; $30.00. Mineral Localities of the Eastern Townships of Quebec, VHS format, 30 minutes, 1989; $35.00. Order all three videos from Bruce Campbell, Moose Video, 198 Clonmore Drive, Scarboro, Ontario, Canada M1N 1Y1. Add $7.00 shipping and handling for each video ordered. Reviewed by Steven C. Chamberlain. A History of Geology by Gabriel Gohau (translated from French by A. V. and Marguerite Carozzi). Rutgers University Press, New Jersey. 259 pages; 1991; $12.95 (softbound), $35.00 (hardbound). Reviewed by: R. V. Dietrich. Roadside Geology of Pennsylvania by Bradford B. Van I Diver. Mountain Press Publishing Co., P. O. Box 2399, Missoula, MT 59806. 352 pages; 92 photographs; 151 graphics; 1990; $12.95 (softbound). Reviewed by: John H. Barnes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.1992.9926469","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-09-04T21:23:55Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.1992.9926469","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/j.ctv1htpfbm.11","name":"Extraterrestrial Anthropology and Science Fiction:","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1htpfbm.11","authors":["CHARLES D. LAUGHLIN"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-05-02T20:22:42Z","doi":"10.2307/j.ctv1htpfbm.11","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.1993.9926527","name":"Media Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Proctor Collection, 96 minutes; 1992; $52. Order from Keith Proctor, 88 Raven Hills Ct., Colorado Springs, CO 80919–1316. Reviewed by John Marshall. Fossils: Reptiles and Mammals, distributed by Films for the Humanities and Sciences, P.O. Box 2053, Princeton, NJ 08543–2053. VHS format, color; 20 minutes; $89.95. Reviewed by H. Gregory McDonald. The Last Word on Dinosaurs, distributed by Films for the Humanities and Sciences, P.O. Box 2053, Princeton, NJ 08543–2053. VHS format, color; 26 min.; purchase, $149, rental, $75. Reviewed by H. Gregory McDonald. Atlas of Metamorphic Rocks and Their Textures by S. W. D. Yardley, W. S. MacKenzie, and C. Guilford. Longman Scientific & Technical, Essex, England, and John Wiley & Sons, N.Y. 120 pages; 1990; $41.95 (softbound). Reviewed by R. V. Dietrich. A Collector's Guide to Maine Mineral Localities by W. B. Thompson, D. L. Joyner, R. G. Woodman, and V. T. King. Bulletin 41, 2d ed. Maine Geological Survey, Dept. of Conservation, State House Station 22, Augusta, ME 04333. 104 pages; 1991; $8.00 (softbound), plus $.48 sales tax for Maine residents. Reviewed by John Marshall. Rockhounding in Eastern New York State and Nearby New England by Dan and Kay Zabriskie. Many Facets, 438 New Korner Rd., Albany, NY 12205–3810. 46 pages; 1990; $7.95 (softbound). Reviewed by Vandall T. King. Geology of New York: A Simplified Account (N.Y.S. Museum education leaflet 28) by Y. W. Isachsen, E. Landing, J. M. Lauber, L. V. Rickard, and W. B. Rogers, eds. 284 pages; 1991; softbound. New York State Geological Highway Map (N.Y.S. Museum education leaflet 33) by W. B. Roberts, Y. W. Isachsen, R. D. Mock, and R. E. Nyahay. These two publications are available as a pair for $18.95 plus $1.50 shipping. Reviewed by R. V. Dietrich. Glossary of Mineral Species 1991 (6th ed.) by Michael Fleischer and Joseph A. Mandarino, Mineralogical Record, Box 35565, Tucson, AZ 85740. 262 pages; 1991; $16 ppd. (spiralbound). Reviewed by Vandall T. King, Ivan Kostov, Sofia, Bulgaria. Geology of National Parks (4th ed.) by A. G. Harris, E. Tuttle, and S. D. Tuttle. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co., Dubuque, la. 652 pages; 1990; $34.95 (softbound). Reviewed by R. V. Dietrich.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.1993.9926527","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-09-04T17:24:54Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.1993.9926527","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.1990.9926447","name":"Media Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Videos: Maroc—The Minerals of Morocco. Leven Jester Productions, 25 Sweetbay Road, Rancho Palos Verdes, California 90274. VHS format; 26 minutes. Available for personal use from Leven Jester Productions; $49.95, including postage and handling; inquiries welcome for group and commercial showings. Reviewed by Robert B. Cook. Publications: Fire Mountains of the West: The Cascade and Mono Lake Volcanoes by Stephen L. Harris. Mountain Press Publishing Co., P.O. Box 2399, Missoula, Montana 59806. 379 pages; 1988; $15.95 (softbound). Reviewed by Mike Groben.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.1990.9926447","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-09-04T17:22:59Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.1990.9926447","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min10110998","name":"Jigging: A Review of Fundamentals and Future Directions","source":"crossref","abstract":"For centuries, jigging has been a workhorse of the mineral processing industry. Recently, it has also found its way into the recycling industry, and the increasing concerns related to water usage has led to a renewed interest in dry jigging. However, the current scenario of increasing ore complexity and the advent of smart sensor technologies, such as sensor-based sorting (SBS), has established increasingly challenging levels for traditional concentration methods, such as jigging. Against this background, the current review attempts to summarize and refresh the key aspects and concepts about jigging available in the literature. The configuration, operational features, applications, types, and theoretical models of jigging are comprehensively reviewed. Three promising paths for future research are presented: (1) using and adapting concepts from granular physics in fundamental studies about the stratification phenomena in jigs; (2) implementing advanced control functions by using machine vision and multivariate data analysis and; (3) further studies to unlock the potential of dry jigs. Pursuing these and other innovations are becoming increasingly essential to keep the role of jigging as a valuable tool in future industry.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min10110998","authors":["Weslei M. Ambrós"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-10T14:10:41Z","doi":"10.3390/min10110998","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2003.9926746","name":"Media Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Creative Earth and On the Earth Planet, ed. by Ludmila Egorova. Ocean Pictures, Moscow, Russia. Order from Terry Hulzing, 5341 Thrasher Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45247. 2001; $15 (portfolio format). Reviewed by Susan Robinson Mineral Species Discovered in Canada and Species Named after Canadians by László Horváth. Canadian Mineralogist special publication 6. Order from Mineralogical Association of Canada online at www.mineralogicalassociation.ca. 382 pages, plus 16-page color insert; 2003; $45 (Canadian) (hardbound). Reviewed by Robert B. Cook Gem Trails of Texas, expanded and revised edition, by Brad L. Cross. Gem Guides Book Co., Baldwin Park, Calif. 167 pages; 2001; $12.95 (softbound). Reviewed by Arthur E. Smith","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2003.9926746","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-09-04T17:42:18Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2003.9926746","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2003.11.014","name":"Review of germanium processing worldwide","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2003.11.014","authors":["R.R. Moskalyk"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-12-19T07:14:35Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2003.11.014","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2003.9926696","name":"Media Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2003.9926696","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-09-04T17:41:15Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2003.9926696","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.1992.9926492","name":"Media Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Living Glaciers, distributed by Films for the Humanities and Sciences, P.O. Box 2053, Princeton, NJ 08543–2053. VHS format, color; 30 min.; purchase, $149, rental, $75. Reviewed by H. Gregory McDonald. Zeolites of the World by Rudy W. Tschernich. Geoscience Press, Phoenix. 563 pages; 1992; $84.95 (hardcover). Reviewed by Carl A. Francis. The Illustrated Glossary of Miner's Oil Wick Lamps by Dorothy Haynes, 7825 Eustis Ct., Cincinnati, OH 45236. Vol. 1 (1990), $19.50; vol. 2 (1991), $23.50. Reviewed by Keith Williams.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.1992.9926492","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-09-04T21:24:14Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.1992.9926492","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min13091154","name":"Reactivity of Basaltic Minerals for CO2 Sequestration via In Situ Mineralization: A Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"The underground storage of CO2 (carbon dioxide) in basalt presents an exceptionally promising solution for the effective and permanent sequestration of CO2. This is primarily attributed to its geochemistry and the remarkable presence of reactive basaltic minerals, which play a pivotal role in facilitating the process. However, a significant knowledge gap persists in the current literature regarding comprehensive investigations on the reactivity of basaltic minerals in the context of CO2 sequestration, particularly with respect to different basalt types. To address this gap, a comprehensive investigation was conducted that considered seven distinct types of basalts identified through the use of a TAS (total alkali–silica) diagram. Through a thorough review of the existing literature, seven key factors affecting the reactivity of basaltic minerals were selected, and their impact on mineral reactivity for each basalt type was examined in detail. Based on this analysis, an M.H. reactivity scale was introduced, which establishes a relationship between the reactivity of dominant and reactive minerals in basalt and their potential for carbonation, ranging from low (1) to high (5). The study will help in choosing the most suitable type of basalt for the most promising CO2 sequestration based on the percentage of reactive minerals. Additionally, this study identified gaps in the literature pertaining to enhancing the reactivity of basalt for maximizing its CO2 sequestration potential. As a result, this study serves as an important benchmark for policymakers and researchers seeking to further explore and improve CO2 sequestration in basaltic formations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min13091154","authors":["Muhammad Hammad Rasool","Maqsood Ahmad"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-08-31T11:31:18Z","doi":"10.3390/min13091154","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.1995.9926633","name":"Media Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Minerals by George W. Robinson (with photos by Jeffrey A. Scovil). Simon & Schuster, New York. 208 pages; 1994; $40 (hardbound). Reviewed by: John S. White Minerals and Gems from the American Museum of Natural History by George E. Harlow and Joseph J. Peters. Abbeville Press, New York. 335 pages; 1994; $11.95 (softbound). Reviewed by: Dr. Joel E. Arem","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.1995.9926633","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-09-04T21:28:16Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.1995.9926633","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.1995.9926600","name":"Media Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"The History of Mineral Collecting, with Notes on 1200 Early Mineral Collectors by Wendell E. Wilson, vol. 6, no. 6 issue of the Mineralogical Record. Published by the Mineralogical Record, P.O. Box 35565, Tucson, AZ 85740, 264 pages; 1994; $49 hardbound. $24 softbound (plus $1 postage and handling). Reviewed by Si and Ann Frazier Software: MINLOG: The Gem and Mineral Collector's Information Manager by Beaver Software Development, Inc., P.O. Box 1608, Marietta, GA 30061–1608; $225 (demo disk $5). Reviewed by Dr. Robert Cook","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.1995.9926600","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-09-04T21:27:46Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.1995.9926600","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0892-6875(92)90255-8","name":"Capital and operating costs of minerals engineering plants - a review of simple estimation techniques","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0892-6875(92)90255-8","authors":["R.D. Pascoe"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-03-15T06:41:30Z","doi":"10.1016/0892-6875(92)90255-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.072Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/1462-2920.16266","name":"Functional basis of primary succession: Traits of the pioneer microbes.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Primary succession describes the establishment of new ecosystems through the colonization of barren substrates (Odum, 1969). Bacteria are typically the first colonizers, which initiate key processes that enable ecosystem establishment and provide resources for fungi, plants, and animals to colonize later. The functional roles of these pioneer microbes are varied; for example, they can weather and detoxify environments to increase habitability, provide organic carbon and bioavailable nitrogen through carbon and nitrogen fixation, and form mutualistic relationships with plant species (Abdulla, 2009; Richardson & Simpson, 2011). As taxonomic and functional diversity increases over annual to decadal scales, communities in successional ecosystems transition from a collection of pioneer microbial species towards a robust and complex ecosystem (Álvarez-Molina et al., 2012; Brown & Jumpponen, 2015; Frouz et al., 2016). Much literature has explored plant community succession, resulting in a strong understanding of the nature, traits, and interactions of early and late colonizers and the development of strong ecological theory to explain these processes. However, understanding of pioneer microbial communities remains rudimentary, with most literature focusing on taxonomic composition rather than functional traits of colonizing bacteria. Numerous key questions remain, for example: How do the first microbes survive and grow in a barren and often hostile environment with minimal nutrients? How do microbes modify their environment for succeeding generations and species? How do these microbes interact with each other, plants, and animals as the new ecosystem develops? We propose here a series of study systems, methodological approaches, and ecological frameworks to address these questions. In turn, a better understanding of primary succession has broad implications for understanding ecological theory, biogeochemical processes, and responses to climate change. Moreover, by understanding how life colonizes barren and hostile locations, we can better predict how life evolved on Earth and might exist on other planets.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.16266","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.1111/1462-2920.16266","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.073Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.abn3044","name":"The scale of a martian hydrothermal system explored using combined neutron and x-ray tomography.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Nakhlite meteorites are igneous rocks from Mars that were aqueously altered ~630 million years ago. Hydrothermal systems on Earth are known to provide microhabitats; knowledge of the extent and duration of these systems is crucial to establish whether they could sustain life elsewhere in the Solar System. Here, we explore the three-dimensional distribution of hydrous phases within the Miller Range 03346 nakhlite meteorite using nondestructive neutron and x-ray tomography to determine whether alteration is interconnected and pervasive. The results reveal discrete clusters of hydrous phases within and surrounding olivine grains, with limited interconnectivity between clusters. This implies that the fluid was localized and originated from the melting of local subsurface ice following an impact event. Consequently, the duration of the hydrous alteration was likely short, meaning that the martian crust sampled by the nakhlites could not have provided habitable environments that could harbor any life on Mars during the Amazonian.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abn3044","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.abn3044","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.073Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.adh7845","name":"Aqueous breakdown of aspartate and glutamate to n-ω-amino acids on the parent bodies of carbonaceous chondrites and asteroid Ryugu.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Amino acids in carbonaceous chondrites may have seeded the origin of life on Earth and possibly elsewhere. Recently, the return samples from a C-type asteroid Ryugu were found to contain amino acids with a similar distribution to Ivuna-type CI chondrites, suggesting the potential of amino acid abundances as molecular descriptors of parent body geochemistry. However, the chemical mechanisms responsible for the amino acid distributions remain to be elucidated particularly at low temperatures (<50°C). Here, we report that two representative proteinogenic amino acids, aspartic acid and glutamic acid, decompose to β-alanine and γ-aminobutyric acid, respectively, under simulated geoelectrochemical conditions at 25°C. This low-temperature conversion provides a plausible explanation for the enrichment of these two n-ω-amino acids compared to their precursors in heavily aqueously altered CI chondrites and Ryugu's return samples. The results suggest that these heavily aqueously altered samples originated from the water-rich mantle of their water/rock differentiated parent planetesimals where protein α-amino acids were decomposed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adh7845","authors":["Yamei Li","Hiroyuki Kurokawa","Yasuhito Sekine","Yoko Kebukawa","Yuko Nakano","Norio Kitadai","Naizhong Zhang","Xiaofeng Zang","Yuichiro Ueno","Gen Fujimori","Ryuhei Nakamura","Kosuke Fujishima"],"tags":["Chondrite","Amino acid","Alanine","Aqueous solution","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.adh7845","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.073Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2021.0013","name":"Astrobiological Potential of Fe/Mg Smectites with Special Emphasis on Jezero Crater, Mars 2020 Landing Site.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Life is known to adapt in accordance with its surrounding environment and sustainable resources available to it. Since harsh conditions would have precluded any possible aerobic evolution of life at the martian surface, it is plausible that martian life, should it exist, would have evolved in such a way as to derive energy from more optimum resources. Iron is one of the most abundant elements present in the martian crust and occurs at about twice the amount present on Earth. Clay minerals contribute to about half the iron found in soils and sediments. On Earth, clay acts as an electron donor as well as an acceptor in the carbon cycles and thereby supports a wide variety of metabolic reactions. In this context, we consider the potential of Fe/Mg smectites, one of the most widely reported hydrated minerals on Mars, for preservation of macro- and microscopic biosignatures. We proceed by understanding the environmental conditions during the formation of smectites and various microbes and metabolic processes associated with them as indicated in Earth-based studies. We also explore the possibility of biosignatures and their identification within the Mars 2020 landing site (Jezero Crater) by using the astrobiological payloads on board the Perseverance rover.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2021.0013","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.1089/ast.2021.0013","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.073Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.adi7048","name":"Water circulation in Ryugu asteroid affected the distribution of nucleosynthetic isotope anomalies in returned sample.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Studies of material returned from Cb asteroid Ryugu have revealed considerable mineralogical and chemical heterogeneity, stemming primarily from brecciation and aqueous alteration. Isotopic anomalies could have also been affected by delivery of exogenous clasts and aqueous mobilization of soluble elements. Here, we show that isotopic anomalies for mildly soluble Cr are highly variable in Ryugu and CI chondrites, whereas those of Ti are relatively uniform. This variation in Cr isotope ratios is most likely due to physicochemical fractionation between 54 Cr-rich presolar nanoparticles and Cr-bearing secondary minerals at the millimeter-scale in the bulk samples, likely due to extensive aqueous alteration in their parent bodies that occurred 5.2 − 1.4 + 1.8 Ma after Solar System birth. In contrast, Ti isotopes were marginally affected by this process. Our results show that isotopic heterogeneities in asteroids are not all nebular or accretionary in nature but can also reflect element redistribution by water.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adi7048","authors":["Tetsuya Yokoyama","M. Wadhwa","Tsuyoshi Iizuka","Vinai Rai","Ikshu Gautam","Yuki Hibiya","Yuki Masuda","Makiko K. Haba","Ryota Fukai","R. Hines","Nicole Phelan","Yoshinari Abe"],"tags":["Asteroid","Isotope","Geology","Environmental science","Environmental chemistry"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.adi7048","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.073Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s43247-023-00736-2","name":"Routes to reduction of phosphate by high-energy events.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Phosphate minerals such as those in the apatite group tend to be the dominant forms of phosphorus in minerals on the Earth's surface. Phosphate can be reduced to phosphides during high-energy events, such as lightning and impacts. Here we show that, in addition to formation of metal phosphides, a new compound was formed by lightning in a fulgurite from New Port Richey, Florida, USA. A calcium phosphite material, ideally CaHPO 3 , was found in spherules mainly consisting of iron silicides that formed by lightning-induced fusion of sand around a tree root. This phosphite material bears a phosphorus oxidation state intermediate of that of phosphides and phosphates in a geologic sample and implicates phosphites as being potentially relevant to other high-energy events where phosphorus may partially change its redox state, and material similar to this phosphite may also be the source of phosphite that makes up part of the phosphorus biogeochemical cycle.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-00736-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.1038/s43247-023-00736-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.073Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/ijms241813824","name":"Adaptation of the Endolithic Biome in Antarctic Volcanic Rocks.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Endolithic microorganisms, ranging from microeukaryotes to bacteria and archaea, live within the cracks and crevices of rocks. Deception Island in Antarctica constitutes an extreme environment in which endoliths face environmental threats such as intense cold, lack of light in winter, high solar radiation in summer, and heat emitted as the result of volcanic eruptions. In addition, the endolithic biome is considered the harshest one on Earth, since it suffers added threats such as dryness or lack of nutrients. Even so, samples from this hostile environment, collected at various points throughout the island, hosted diverse and numerous microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, diatoms, ciliates, flagellates and unicellular algae. These endoliths were first identified by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). To understand the molecular mechanisms of adaptation of these endoliths to their environment, genomics techniques were used, and prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms were identified by metabarcoding, sequencing the V3-V4 and V4-V5 regions of the 16S and 18S rRNA genes, respectively. Subsequently, the sequences were analyzed by bioinformatic methods that allow their metabolism to be deduced from the taxonomy. The results obtained concluded that some of these microorganisms have activated the biosynthesis routes of pigments such as prodigiosin or flavonoids. These adaptation studies also revealed that microorganisms defend themselves against environmental toxins by activating metabolic pathways for the degradation of compounds such as ethylbenzene, xylene and dioxins and for the biosynthesis of antioxidant molecules such as glutathione. Finally, these Antarctic endolithic microorganisms are of great interest in astrobiology since endolithic settings are environmentally analogous to the primitive Earth or the surfaces of extraterrestrial bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241813824","authors":["Andrea Hidalgo-Arias","Víctor Muñoz-Hisado","P. Vallés","Adelina Geyer","Eva García‐López","Cristina Cid"],"tags":["Microorganism","Biology","Archaea","Adaptation (eye)","Algae"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.3390/ijms241813824","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.073Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/ma16247578","name":"New Minerals from Inclusions in Corundum Xenocrysts from Mt. Carmel, Israel: Magnéliite, Ziroite, Sassite, Mizraite-(Ce) and Yeite.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Our nanomineralogical investigation of melt inclusions in corundum xenocrysts from the Mt. Carmel area, Israel has revealed seven IMA-approved new minerals since 2021. We report here four new oxide minerals and one new alloy mineral. Magnéliite (Ti 3+ 2 Ti 4+ 2 O 7 ; IMA 2021-111) occurs as subhedral crystals, ~4 μm in size, with alabandite, zirconolite, Ti,Al,Zr-oxide, and hibonite in corundum Grain 767-1. Magnéliite has an empirical formula (Ti 3+ 1.66 Al 0.13 Ti 4+ 0.15 Mg 0.10 Ca 0.01 Sc 0.01 ) Σ2.06 (Ti 4+ 1.93 Zr 0.08 ) Σ2.01 O 7 and the triclinic P 1¯ Ti 4 O 7 -type structure with the cell parameters: a = 5.60(1) Å, b = 7.13(1) Å, c = 12.47(1) Å, α = 95.1(1)°, β = 95.2(1)°, γ = 108.7(1)°, V = 466(2) Å 3 , Z = 4. Ziroite (ZrO 2 ; IMA 2022-013) occurs as irregular crystals, ~1-4 μm in size, with baddeleyite, hibonite, and Ti,Al,Zr-oxide in corundum Grain 479-1a. Ziroite has an empirical formula (Zr 0.72 Ti 4+ 0.26 Mg 0.02 Al 0.02 Hf 0.01 ) Σ1.03 O 2 and the tetragonal P 4 2 / nmc zirconia(HT)-type structure with the cell parameters: a = 3.60(1) Å, c = 5.18(1) Å, V = 67.1(3) Å 3 , Z = 2. Sassite (Ti 3+ 2 Ti 4+ O 5 ; IMA 2022-014) occurs as subhedral-euhedral crystals, ~4-16 μm in size, with Ti,Al,Zr-oxide, mullite, osbornite, baddeleyite, alabandite, and glass in corundum Grain 1125C1. Sassite has an empirical formula (Ti 3+ 1.35 Al 0.49 Ti 4+ 0.08 Mg 0.07 ) Σ1.99 (Ti 4+ 0.93 Zr 0.06 Si 0.01 ) Σ1.00 O 5 and the orthorhombic Cmcm pseudobrookite-type structure with the cell parameters: a = 3.80(1) Å, b = 9.85(1) Å, c = 9.99(1) Å, V = 374(1) Å 3 , Z = 4. Mizraite-(Ce) (Ce(Al 11 Mg)O 19 ; IMA 2022-027) occurs as euhedral crystals, 0.76 Ca 0.10 La 0.07 Nd 0.01 ) Σ0.94 (Al 10.43 Mg 0.84 Ti 3+ 0.60 Si 0.09 Zr 0.04 ) Σ12.00 O 19 and the hexagonal P 6 3 / mmc magnetoplumbite-type structure with the cell parameters: a = 5.61(1) Å, c = 22.29(1) Å, V = 608(2) Å 3 , Z = 2. Yeite (TiSi; IMA 2022-079) occurs as irregular-subhedral crystals, 1.2-3.5 μm in size, along with wenjiite (Ti 5 Si 3 ) and zhiqinite (TiSi 2 ) in Ti-Si alloy inclusions in corundum Grain 198c. Yeite has an empirical formula (Ti 0.995 Mn 0.003 V 0.001 Cr 0.001 )(Si 0.996 P 0.004 ) and the orthorhombic Pnma FeB-type structure with the cell parameters: a = 6.55(1) Å, b = 3.64(1) Å, c = 4.99(1) Å, V = 119.0(4) Å 3 , Z = 4. The five minerals are high-temperature oxide or alloy phases, formed in melt pockets in corundum xenocrysts derived from the upper mantle beneath Mt. Carmel.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16247578","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.3390/ma16247578","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.073Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-022-35009-7","name":"Sub-microscopic magnetite and metallic iron particles formed by eutectic reaction in Chang'E-5 lunar soil.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Ferric iron as well as magnetite are rarely found in lunar samples, and their distribution and formation mechanisms on the Moon have not been well studied. Here, we discover sub-microscopic magnetite particles in Chang'E-5 lunar soil. Magnetite and pure metallic iron particles are embedded in oxygen-dissolved iron-sulfide grains from the Chang'E-5 samples. This mineral assemblage indicates a FeO eutectoid reaction (4FeO = Fe 3 O 4 + Fe) for formation of magnetite. The iron-sulfide grains' morphology features and the oxygen's distribution suggest that a gas-melt phase reaction occurred during large-impact events. This could provide an effective method to form ubiquitous sub-microscopic magnetite in fine lunar soils and be a contributor to the presentation of ferric iron on the surface of the Moon. Additionally, the formation of sub-microscopic magnetite and metallic iron by eutectoid reaction may provide an alternative way for the formation of magnetic anomalies observed on the Moon.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-35009-7","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.1038/s41467-022-35009-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.073Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.dib.2020.105985","name":"The PANGAEA mineralogical database.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Future human missions to the surface of the Moon and Mars will involve scientific exploration requiring new support tools to enable rapid and high quality science decision-making. Here, we describe the PANGAEA (Planetary ANalogue Geological and Astrobiological Exercise for Astronauts) Mineralogical Database developed by ESA (European Space Agency): a catalog of petrographic and spectroscopic information on all currently known minerals identified on the Moon, Mars, and associated with meteorites. The catalog also includes minerals found in the analog field sites used for ESA's geology and astrobiology training course PANGAEA, to broaden the database coverage. The Mineralogical Database is composed of the Summary Catalog of Planetary Analog Minerals and of the Spectral Archive and is freely available in the public repository of ESA PANGAEA. The Summary Catalog provides essential descriptive information for each mineral, including name (based on the International Mineralogical Association recommendation), chemical formula, mineral group, surface abundance on planetary bodies, geological significance in the context of planetary exploration, number of collected VNIR and Raman spectra, likelihood of detection using different spectral methods, and bibliographic references evidencing their detection in extraterrestrial or terrestrial analog environments. The Spectral Archive provides a standard library for planetary in-situ human and robotic exploration covering Visual-Near-Infrared reflective (VNIR) and Raman spectroscopy (Raman). To populate this library, we collected VNIR and Raman spectra for mineral entries in the Summary Catalog from open-access archives and analyzed them to select the ones with the best spectral features. We also supplemented this collection with our own bespoke measurements. Additionally, we compiled the chemical compositions for all the minerals based on their empirical formula, to allow identification using the measured abundances provided by LIBS and XRF analytical instruments. When integrated into an operational support system like ESA's Electronic Fieldbook (EFB) system, the Mineralogical Database can be used as a real-time and autonomous decision support tool for sampling operations on the Moon, Mars and during astronaut geological field training. It provides both robust spectral libraries to support mineral identification from instrument outputs, and relevant contextualized information on detected minerals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2020.105985","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.1016/j.dib.2020.105985","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.073Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-023-40871-0","name":"Chemical evolution of primordial salts and organic sulfur molecules in the asteroid 162173 Ryugu.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Samples from the carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu provide information on the chemical evolution of organic molecules in the early solar system. Here we show the element partitioning of the major component ions by sequential extractions of salts, carbonates, and phyllosilicate-bearing fractions to reveal primordial brine composition of the primitive asteroid. Sodium is the dominant electrolyte of the salt fraction extract. Anions and NH 4 + are more abundant in the salt fraction than in the carbonate and phyllosilicate fractions, with molar concentrations in the order SO 4 2- > Cl - > S 2 O 3 2- > NO 3 - > NH 4 + . The salt fraction extracts contain anionic soluble sulfur-bearing species such as S n -polythionic acids (n n -alkylsulfonates, alkylthiosulfonates, hydroxyalkylsulfonates, and hydroxyalkylthiosulfonates (n < 7). The sulfur-bearing soluble compounds may have driven the molecular evolution of prebiotic organic material transforming simple organic molecules into hydrophilic, amphiphilic, and refractory S allotropes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-40871-0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.1038/s41467-023-40871-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.073Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-026-69597-5","name":"Organocatalyzed bottom-up formation of protocells.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The organisation of living systems into cellular structures is a characteristic that enables differentiation from the environment. A pivotal step in the development of life is compartmentalisation, achieved through the formation of vesicle-like structures. Fatty acids - or phospholipids - have been used to simulate prebiotic vesicle and protocell formation. However, a process by which amphiphiles are formed from small prebiotically plausible molecules, which spontaneously self-assemble to protocells, is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that an organocatalytic reaction cascade starting from acetaldehyde with prebiotic imidazolidine-4-thione rapidly yields poly(hydroxy)alkenyl aldehydes that spontaneously self-assemble to protocells. In this process, lipid-like molecules (up to C20) develop a membrane, which additionally incorporates the organocatalyst at the liquid-lipid interface. These catalytically active protocells (11 nm - 7 μm) tolerate external influences such as pH value, temperature and salts. This finding unveils an organocatalytic pathway to selective lipid formation and spontaneous compartmentalisation without the necessity of preformed amphiphiles.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-69597-5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.1038/s41467-026-69597-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.073Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.092Z"},{"id":"oa:W1988835214","name":"The Acapulco meteorite: Chemistry, mineralogy and irradiation effects","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(81)90045-4","authors":["H. Palme","L. Schultz","B. Spettel","H. W. Weber","H. Wänke","M. Christophe Michel‐Lévy","J. C. Lorin","H Palme","L Schultz","B Spettel","H.W Weber","H Wänke"],"tags":["Chondrite","Troilite","Meteorite","Chromite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1981-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(81)90045-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.129Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"oa:W4234407447","name":"Meteorite Mineralogy","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Meteorites are rocks from outer space that reach the Earth; more than 60,000 have been collected. They are derived mainly from asteroids; a few hundred each are from the Moon and Mars; some micrometeorites derive from comets. By mid 2020, about 470 minerals had been identified in meteorites. In addition to having characteristic petrologic and geochemical properties, each meteorite group has a distinctive set of pre-terrestrial minerals that reflect the myriad processes that the meteorites and their components experienced. These processes include condensation in gaseous envelopes around evolved stars, crystallization in chondrule melts, crystallization in metallic cores, parent-body aqueous alteration, and shock metamorphism. Chondrites are the most abundant meteorites; the major components within them include chondrules, refractory inclusions, opaque assemblages, and fine-grained silicate-rich matrix material. The least-metamorphosed chondrites preserve minerals inherited from the solar nebula such as olivine, enstatite, metallic Fe-Ni, and refractory phases. Other minerals in chondrites formed on their parent asteroids during thermal metamorphism (such as chromite, plagioclase and phosphate), aqueous alteration (such as magnetite and phyllosilicates) and shock metamorphism (such as ringwoodite and majorite). Differentiated meteorites contain minerals formed by crystallization from magmas; these phases include olivine, orthopyroxene, Ca-plagioclase, Ca-pyroxene, metallic Fe-Ni and sulfide. Meteorites also contain minerals formed during passage through the Earth’s atmosphere and via terrestrial weathering after reaching the surface. Whereas some minerals form only by a single process (e.g., by high-pressure shock metamorphism or terrestrial weathering of a primary phase), other meteoritic minerals can form by several different processes, including condensation, crystallization from melts, thermal metamorphism, and aqueous alteration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190647926.013.205","authors":["Alan E. Rubin","Ma Chi","Alan E Rubin","Chi Ma"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrule","Chondrite","Enstatite","Shock metamorphism"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-09-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190647926.013.205","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2147774966","name":"Mineralogical alteration of artificial meteorites during atmospheric entry. The STONE-5 experiment","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2007.12.014","authors":["F. Brandstätter","André Brack","P. Baglioni","Charles S. Cockell","René Demets","Howell G. M. Edwards","G. Kurat","G. R. Osinski","J. M. Pillinger","Claude-Alain Roten","Suzy Sancisi-Frey"],"tags":["Geology","Meteorite","Atmospheric entry","Crust","Impact crater"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-01-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2007.12.014","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W1970117818","name":"Radar-Enabled Recovery of the Sutter’s Mill Meteorite, a Carbonaceous Chondrite Regolith Breccia","source":"openalex","abstract":"Doppler weather radar imaging enabled the rapid recovery of the Sutter's Mill meteorite after a rare 4-kiloton of TNT-equivalent asteroid impact over the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in northern California. The recovered meteorites survived a record high-speed entry of 28.6 kilometers per second from an orbit close to that of Jupiter-family comets (Tisserand's parameter = 2.8 ± 0.3). Sutter's Mill is a regolith breccia composed of CM (Mighei)-type carbonaceous chondrite and highly reduced xenolithic materials. It exhibits considerable diversity of mineralogy, petrography, and isotope and organic chemistry, resulting from a complex formation history of the parent body surface. That diversity is quickly masked by alteration once in the terrestrial environment but will need to be considered when samples returned by missions to C-class asteroids are interpreted.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1227163","authors":["Peter Jenniskens","M. Fries","Qing‐Zhu Yin","M. E. Zolensky","Alexander N. Krot","Scott A. Sandford","D. W. G. Sears","R. E. Beauford","D. S. Ebel","J. M. Friedrich","K. Nagashima","Josh Wimpenny","Akane Yamakawa","K. Nishiizumi","Yasunori Hamajima","Marc W. Caffee","K. C. Welten","M. Laubenstein","A. M. Davis","S. B. Simon","P. R. Heck","Edward Young","I. E. Kohl","M. H. Thiemens","M. Nunn","T. Mikouchi","Kenji Hagiya","K. Ohsumi","Thomas A. Cahill","Jonathan A. Lawton","David Barnes","A. Steele","P. Rochette","Kenneth L. Verosub","J. Gattacceca","George Cooper","D. P. Glavin","Aaron S. Burton","Jason P. Dworkin","Jamie E. Elsila","Sandra Pizzarello","R. C. Ogliore","Philippe Schmitt‐Kopplin","Mourad Harir","Norbert Hertkorn","A. B. Verchovsky","M. M. Grady","Keisuke Nagao","Ryuji Okazaki","Hiroyuki Takechi","T. Hiroi","Ken Smith","Elizabeth A. Silber","Peter Brown","Jim Albers","Doug Klotz","Mike Hankey","R. Matson","Jeffrey Fries","R. J. Walker","Igor S. Puchtel","Cin‐Ty A. Lee","Monica E. Erdman","Gary R. Eppich","Sarah M. Roeske","Z. Gabélica","M. Lerche","Michel Nuevo","B. Girten","Simon P. Worden"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Breccia","Asteroid","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-12-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1227163","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2006419795","name":"Germanium geochemistry and mineralogy","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(85)90241-8","authors":["Lawrence R. Bernstein"],"tags":["Skarn","Geochemistry","Geology","Germanium","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1985-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(85)90241-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W1987331028","name":"Spectroscopic Characterization of Mineralogy and Its Diversity Across Vesta","source":"openalex","abstract":"A New Dawn Since 17 July 2011, NASA's spacecraft Dawn has been orbiting the asteroid Vesta—the second most massive and the third largest asteroid in the solar system (see the cover). Russell et al. (p. 684 ) use Dawn's observations to confirm that Vesta is a small differentiated planetary body with an inner core, and represents a surviving proto-planet from the earliest epoch of solar system formation; Vesta is also confirmed as the source of the howardite-eucrite-diogenite (HED) meteorites. Jaumann et al. (p. 687 ) report on the asteroid's overall geometry and topography, based on global surface mapping. Vesta's surface is dominated by numerous impact craters and large troughs around the equatorial region. Marchi et al. (p. 690 ) report on Vesta's complex cratering history and constrain the age of some of its major regions based on crater counts. Schenk et al. (p. 694 ) describe two giant impact basins located at the asteroid's south pole. Both basins are young and excavated enough amounts of material to form the Vestoids—a group of asteroids with a composition similar to that of Vesta—and HED meteorites. De Sanctis et al. (p. 697 ) present the mineralogical characterization of Vesta, based on data obtained by Dawn's visual and infrared spectrometer, revealing that this asteroid underwent a complex magmatic evolution that led to a differentiated crust and mantle. The global color variations detailed by Reddy et al. (p. 700 ) are unlike those of any other asteroid observed so far and are also indicative of a preserved, differentiated proto-planet.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1219270","authors":["M. C. De Sanctis","E. Ammannito","M. T. Capria","F. Tosi","F. Capaccioni","F. Zambon","Francesco Carraro","S. Fonte","A. Frigeri","R. Jaumann","G. Magni","S. Marchi","T. B. McCord","L. A. McFadden","H. Y. McSween","David W. Mittlefehldt","A. Nathues","E. Palomba","C. M. Pieters","C. A. Raymond","C. T. Russell","Michael J. Toplis","D. Turrini"],"tags":["Geology","Crust","Pyroxene","Ejecta","Basalt"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-05-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1219270","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2020570173","name":"Variations in the chemical and mineralogical composition of rim and plains specimens of the Cañon Diablo meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(67)90129-9","authors":["C. B. Moore","Pamela Jost Birrell","C. F. Lewis"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Chemical composition","Mineralogy","Volume (thermodynamics)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1967-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(67)90129-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2154850533","name":"Mineralogy of Antarctic basaltic shergottite Queen Alexandra Range 94201: Similarities to Elephant Moraine A79001 (Lithology B) martian meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Antarctic meteorite QUE 94201 is a new basaltic shergottite that is mainly composed of subequal amounts of maskelynite and pyroxenes (pigeonite and augite) plus abundant merrillite and accessory phases. It also contains impact melt. Complex zoning patterns in QUE 94201 pyroxenes revealed by elemental map analyses using an electron microprobe suggest a crystallization sequence from Mg‐rich pigeonite (En 62 Fss 30 Wo g ) to extremely Fe‐rich pigeonite (En 5 Fs 81 Wo 14 ) via {110} Mg‐rich augite bands (En 44 Fs 20 Wo 36 ) in a single crystal. These textures, along with the abundant plagioclase (maskelynite), indicates single‐stage rapid cooling (&gt;5 °C/year) of this rock from a supercooled magma. Transition from Mg‐rich augite to Fe‐rich pigeonite reflects the onset of plagioclase crystallization. Enrichment of late‐stage phases in QUE 94201 implies crystallization from an evolved magma and suggests a different parent magma composition from the other basaltic shergottites. Lithology B of EETA79001 basaltic shergottite contains pyroxenes that show complex zoning with augite bands similar to those in QUE 94201 pyroxene, which suggests similar one‐stage rapid cooling. Lithology B of EETA79001 also resembles QUE 94201 in its coarse‐grained texture of silicates and its high abundance of maskelynite, although QUE 94201 probably crystallized from a more fractionated magma. We also note that some Apollo lunar mare basalts ( e.g. , 12020 and 12021) have similar mineralogy and petrology to QUE 94201, especially in pyroxene zoning. All these basaltic rocks with complex pyroxene zoning suggest rapid metastable crystallization from supercooled magmas.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01624.x","authors":["T. Mikouchi","M. Miyamoto","G. A. McKay","TAKASHI MIKOUCHI","MASAMICHI MIYAMOTO","GORDON A. McKAY"],"tags":["Pigeonite","Augite","Geology","Pyroxene","Basalt"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01624.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"oa:W2014172172","name":"Mineralogy of the oxidation products of the Sputnik 4 fragment and of iron meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"The melted and oxidized products on the Sputnik 4 fragment make up 10 to 15 per cent of the total mass and consist of droplets of a iron, coated with the iron oxides wüstite (Fe1−xO), magnetite (FeFe2O4), and akaganéite (β FeO(OH)), and the magnesium oxide periclase (MgO). This assemblage of minerals reflects nonequilibrium conditions of rapid cooling from above 1535°C, the melting point of iron, to below 80°C, the temperature region in which akaganéite can form as a rnetastable variety of iron oxy hydroxide. A re-examination of the crust during the fifth month after recovery showed that the akaganéite and some of the wüstite had been oxidized to hematite (α Fe2O3). Wüstite and akaganéite are metastable at surface temperatures and are therefore virtually unknown in terrestrial rocks and in meteorites. Their discovery on the Sputnik 4 fragment, however, led to the investigation, by X-ray diffraction procedures, of the crusts of numerous iron meteorites. Wüstite was identified in association with magnetite in the fusion crust of the Bogou iron that fell in Upper Volta in August 1962, and of several older irons including the Braunau, Czechoslovakia, hexahedrite that fell in 1847. Akaganéite was found among the alteration products of weathered iron meteorites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/jz068i017p05059","authors":["Ursula B. Marvin"],"tags":["Wüstite","Magnetite","Meteorite","Hematite","Iron meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1963-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/jz068i017p05059","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2101638847","name":"Alteration Assemblages in Martian Meteorites: Implications for Near-Surface Processes","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1011965826553","authors":["J. C. Bridges","David C. Catling","J. M. Saxton","T. D. Swindle","I. C. Lyon","M. M. Grady"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Carbonate","Geochemistry","Anhydrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1011965826553","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W1581963658","name":"The Martian surface: composition, mineralogy, and physical properties","source":"openalex","abstract":"Dedication Acknowledgements Foreword Part I. Introduction and Historical Perspective: 1. Exploration of the Martian surface: 1992-2007 2. Historical context: the pre-MGS view of Mars' surface composition Part II. Elemental Composition: Orbital and In Situ Surface Measurements: Part II. A. Results and Interpretations from New In Situ APXS Measurements: 3. Martian surface chemistry: APXS results from the Pathfinder landing site 4. Mars exploration rovers - chemical composition by the APXS Part II. B. Results and Interpretations from New Orbital Elemental Measurements: 5. Elemental abundances determined via the Mars Odyssey GRS 6. Volatiles on Mars: scientific results from the Mars Odyssey Neutron Spectrometer Part III. Mineralogy and Remote Sensing of Rocks, Soil, Dust, and Ices: Part III. A. Visible to Near-IR Telescopic and Orbital Measurements: 7. Mineralogy of the Martian surface from Mars Express OMEGA Observations 8. Visible to near-IR multispectral orbital observations Part III. B. Mid-IR and Magnetic Orbital Measurements: 9. Global mineralogy mapped from the Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer 10. The compositional diversity and physical properties mapped from the Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System 11. Mars' crustal magnetization: a window into the past Part III. C. Observations from Surface Landers/Rovers: 12. Multispectral imaging from Mars Pathfinder 13. Mars Exploration Rover Pancam multispectral imaging of rocks, soil, and dust at Gusev Crater and Meridiani Planum 14. The mineralogy of Gusev Crater and Meridiani Planum derived from the Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometers on the Spirit and Opportunity Rovers 15. Iron mineralogy and aqueous alteration on Mars from the MER Moessbauer Spectrometers 16. Magnetic properties results from surface landers and rovers Part III. D: 17. Martian meteorites as crustal samples Part IV. Physical Properties of Surface Materials: 18. The thermal inertia of the surface of Mars 19. Physical properties of the Martian surface from spectrophotometric observations 20. In-situ observations of the physical properties of the Martian surface 21. Martian surface properties from joint analyses of orbital, Earth-based, and surface observations Part V. Synthesis: 22. Implications of the observed primary lithologies 23. Aqueous alteration on Mars 24. The sedimentary rock cycle of Mars 25. Implications for Martian polar processes 26. Astrobiological implications of Mars surface composition and properties Part VI: 27. Summary, upcoming missions, and new measurement needs Acronyms Index.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.47-1394","authors":[],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Martian","Martian surface","Impact crater","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.47-1394","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W3036163071","name":"What Martian Meteorites Reveal About the Interior and Surface of Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Martian meteorites are the only direct samples from Mars, thus far. Currently, there are a total of 262 individual samples originating from at least 11 ejection events. Geochemical analyses, through techniques that are also used on terrestrial rocks, provide fundamental insights into the bulk composition, differentiation and evolution, mantle heterogeneity, and role of secondary processes, such as aqueous alteration and shock, on Mars. Martian meteorites display a wide range in mineralogy and chemistry, but are predominantly basaltic in composition. Over the past 6 years, the number of martian meteorites recovered has almost doubled allowing for studies that evaluate these meteorites as suites of igneous rocks. However, the martian meteorites represent a biased sampling of the surface of Mars with unknown ejection locations. The geology of Mars cannot be unraveled solely by analyzing these meteorites. Rocks analyzed by rovers on the surface of Mars are of distinct composition to the meteorites, highlighting the importance of Mars missions, especially sample return. The Mars 2020 Perseverance rover will collect and cache—for eventual return to Earth—over 30 diverse surface samples from Jezero crater. These returned samples will allow for Earth‐based state‐of‐the‐art analyses on diverse martian rocks with known field context. The complementary study of returned samples and meteorites will help to constrain the evolution of the martian interior and surface. Here, we review recent findings and advances in the study of martian meteorites and examine how returned samples would complement and enhance our knowledge of Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2020je006523","authors":["Arya Udry","Geoffrey H. Howarth","C. D. K. Herd","James M.D. Day","T. J. Lapen","J. Filiberto"],"tags":["Meteorite","Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Martian surface"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2020je006523","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2615444515","name":"Mineralogy and petrogenesis of lunar magnesian granulitic meteorite Northwest Africa 5744","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Lunar meteorite Northwest Africa (NWA) 5744 is a granulitic breccia with an anorthositic troctolite composition that may represent a distinct crustal lithology not previously described. This meteorite is the namesake and first‐discovered stone of its pairing group. Bulk rock major element abundances show the greatest affinity to Mg‐suite rocks, yet trace element abundances are more consistent with those of ferroan anorthosites. The relatively low abundances of incompatible trace elements (including K, P, Th, U, and rare earth elements) in NWA 5744 could indicate derivation from a highlands crustal lithology or mixture of lithologies that are distinct from the Procellarum KREEP terrane on the lunar nearside. Impact‐related thermal and shock metamorphism of NWA 5744 was intense enough to recrystallize mafic minerals in the matrix, but not intense enough to chemically equilibrate the constituent minerals. Thus, we infer that NWA 5744 was likely metamorphosed near the lunar surface, either as a lithic component within an impact melt sheet or from impact‐induced shock.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12898","authors":["J. J. Kent","A. D. Brandon","K. H. Joy","A. H. Peslier","T. J. Lapen","Anthony J. Irving","D. M. Coleff"],"tags":["Geology","Meteorite","Geochemistry","Shock metamorphism","Breccia"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12898","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2075601040","name":"Evaporite mineral assemblages in the nakhlite (martian) meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0012-821x(00)00019-4","authors":["J. C. Bridges"],"tags":["Geology","Anhydrite","Siderite","Geochemistry","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-03-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0012-821x(00)00019-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W1568998552","name":"Petrological Studies of the Yamato Meteorites Part1. Mineralogy of the Yamato Meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"In 1969,the 10th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition Team collected nine stones lying on the glacier in the southeastern area of the Yamato Mountains, Antarctica (70°S, 37°E). By the mass-spectrometric study of rare gas and the chemical analysis of the stones, SHIMA, SHIMA and HINTENBERGER (1973) found four of them to be meteorites, and named them the Yamato (a), Yamato (b), Yamato (c) and Yamato (d). The other five stones were also determined to be meteorites because of their chondritic structures, and were named the Yamato (e), Yamato (f), Yamato (g), Yamato (h) and Yamato (i). According to the chemical composition, the Yamato (a), Yamato (b), Yamato (c) and Yamato (d) were assigned to an enstatite chondrite, a calcium-poor achondrite, a type III carbonaceous chondrite and a high-iron group chondrite, respectively. In this work, the mineralogical properties of the Yamato (a), Yamato (b), Yamato (c), Yamato (d) and Yamato (g) were studied in detail. The texture of meteorites and the occurrence, content and optical property of minerals were optically investigated with the polarizing microscopy in both the transmitted and the reflected light. Chemical compositions of main silicate minerals, olivine and pyroxene, and the silica minerals of the Yamato (a), Yamato (b) and Yamato (c) were analyzed with the electron probe microanalyzer.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1568998552","authors":["Akihiko Okada"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Achondrite","Astrobiology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1975-08-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2008913098","name":"Mineralogy and evolution of the surface of Mars: A review","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2006.05.039","authors":["V. F. Chevrier","Pierre-Étienne Mathé"],"tags":["Noachian","Weathering","Hesperian","Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-09-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2006.05.039","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W1987142273","name":"Midinfrared (2.5–13.5 μm) reflectance spectra of powdered stony meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Reflectance spectra (2.5 to 13.5 μm) of 60 powdered meteorite samples representing 50 different meteorites are presented for comparison with spectral measurements of asteroids. Powdered samples were used as analogues of asteroidal regoliths. These spectra show that most powdered meteorite samples have undergone alteration, even if only exposed to water vapor in the air, and many have been contaminated by volatile hydrocarbons characterized by absorption bands near 3.45 μm. In contrast, primary macromolecular hydrocarbons do not display the 3.45-μm bands, or, in fact, any other detectable spectral features in these reflectance spectra. However, powdered meteorites display a wide variety of other spectral features that can be used for their identification. These include residual reststrahlen features, which occur as reflectance peaks, absorption bands due to overtone/combination tone bands, which occur as reflectance troughs, and the Christiansen feature, which also occurs as a trough in reflectance. The most prominent reststrahlen peaks are those of olivine and pyroxene, and the wavelength position of the olivine features is sensitive to the Mg/Fe ratio. Olivine and pyroxene also show strong overtone/combination tone absorption bands that shift position with the Mg/Fe ratio, and calcite can be identified in the spectra of some carbonaceous chondrites from such overtone/combination tone bands. These spectral features can be used independently to help determine mineralogy and meteorite type, but using the entire spectrum in a digital search library is preferred for successfull identification. The spectral effect of the vacuum environment should be relatively small for meteorites compared to that found in previous work for granites, but confident interpretation of the spectra of asteroids will require a better understanding of the effects of the space environment on meteorite spectra and of the spectral mixing model for meteorite minerals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(91)90052-u","authors":["John W. Salisbury","Dana M. D'Aria","E. Jarosewich"],"tags":["Meteorite","Overtone","Pyroxene","Olivine","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1991-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(91)90052-u","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W1533066425","name":"A systematic study of the spectral reflectivity characteristics of the meteorite classes with applications to the interpretation of asteroid spectra for mineralogical and petrological information","source":"openalex","abstract":"Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth and Planetary Science, 1974.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1533066425","authors":["M. J. Gaffey"],"tags":["Asteroid","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Reflectivity","Interpretation (philosophy)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1974-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2733631450","name":"High‐pressure minerals in shocked meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Heavily shocked meteorites contain various types of high‐pressure polymorphs of major minerals (olivine, pyroxene, feldspar, and quartz) and accessory minerals (chromite and Ca phosphate). These high‐pressure minerals are micron to submicron sized and occur within and in the vicinity of shock‐induced melt veins and melt pockets in chondrites and lunar, howardite–eucrite–diogenite (HED), and Martian meteorites. Their occurrence suggests two types of formation mechanisms (1) solid‐state high‐pressure transformation of the host‐rock minerals into monomineralic polycrystalline aggregates, and (2) crystallization of chondritic or monomineralic melts under high pressure. Based on experimentally determined phase relations, their formation pressures are limited to the pressure range up to ~25 GPa. Textural, crystallographic, and chemical characteristics of high‐pressure minerals provide clues about the impact events of meteorite parent bodies, including their size and mutual collision velocities and about the mineralogy of deep planetary interiors. The aim of this article is to review and summarize the findings on natural high‐pressure minerals in shocked meteorites that have been reported over the past 50 years.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12902","authors":["Naotaka Tomioka","Masaaki Miyahara"],"tags":["Meteorite","Pyroxene","Chondrite","Chromite","Shock metamorphism"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12902","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2993013406","name":"SURFACE CHEMISTRY AND MINERALOGY","source":"openalex","abstract":"The accumulated knowledge on the chemistry and mineralogy of Martian surface materials is reviewed. Pertinent information obtained by direct analyses of the soil on Mars by the Viking Landers, by remote sensing of Mars from flyby and orbiting spacecraft, by telescopic observations from earth, and through detailed analyses of the SNC meteorites presumed to be Martian rocks are summarized and analyzed. A compositional model for Mars soil, giving selected average elemental concentrations of major and trace elements, is suggested. It is proposed that the fine surface materials on Mars are a multicomponent mixture of weathered and nonweathered minerals. Smectite clays, silicate mineraloids similar to palagonite, and scapolite are suggested as possible major candidate components among the weathered minerals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt207g59v.22","authors":["A. Banin","B. C. Clark","H. Wänke"],"tags":["Surface (topology)","Mineralogy","Chemistry","Geology","Mathematics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-02-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt207g59v.22","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2050496780","name":"A petrologic study of the IAB iron meteorites: Constraints on the formation of the IAB‐Winonaite parent body","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract—We studied 26 IAB iron meteorites containing silicate‐bearing inclusions to better constrain the many diverse hypotheses for the formation of this complex group. These meteorites contain inclusions that fall broadly into five types: (1) sulfide‐rich, composed primarily of troilite and containing abundant embedded silicates; (2) nonchondritic, silicate‐rich, comprised of basaltic, troctolitic, and peridotitic mineralogies; (3) angular, chondritic silicate‐rich, the most common type, with approximately chondritic mineralogy and most closely resembling the winonaites in composition and texture; (4) rounded, often graphite‐rich assemblages that sometimes contain silicates; and (5) phosphate‐bearing inclusions with phosphates generally found in contact with the metallic host. Similarities in mineralogy and mineral and O‐isotopic compositions suggest that IAB iron and winonaite meteorites are from the same parent body. We propose a hypothesis for the origin of IAB iron meteorites that combines some aspects of previous formation models for these meteorites. We suggest that the precursor parent body was chondritic, although unlike any known chondrite group. Metamorphism, partial melting, and incomplete differentiation (i.e., incomplete separation of melt from residue) produced metallic, sulfide‐rich and silicate partial melts (portions of which may have crystallized prior to the mixing event), as well as metamorphosed chondritic materials and residues. Catastrophic impact breakup and reassembly of the debris while near the peak temperature mixed materials from various depths into the re‐accreted parent body. Thus, molten metal from depth was mixed with near‐surface silicate rock, resulting in the formation of silicate‐rich IAB iron and winonaite meteorites. Results of smoothed particle hydrodynamic model calculations support the feasibility of such a mixing mechanism. Not all of the metal melt bodies were mixed with silicate materials during this impact and reaccretion event, and these are now represented by silicate‐free IAB iron meteorites. Ages of silicate inclusions and winonaites of 4.40‐4.54 Ga indicate this entire process occurred early in solar system history.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01502.x","authors":["G. K. Benedix","T. J. McCoy","K. Keil","Stanley G. Love"],"tags":["Parent body","Meteorite","Silicate","Chondrite","Troilite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01502.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2045825050","name":"On the origin of gas-rich meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(64)90080-8","authors":["Hans E. Sueß","H. Wänke","F. Wlotzka"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Breccia","Cosmochemistry","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1964-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(64)90080-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2045067892","name":"Chemical and genetic relationships among meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(61)90016-3","authors":["A. E. Ringwood"],"tags":["Chondrite","Enstatite","Meteorite","Silicate","Chondrule"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1961-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(61)90016-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W1997995208","name":"A New Source of Basaltic Meteorites Inferred from Northwest Africa 011","source":"openalex","abstract":"Eucrites are a class of basaltic meteorites that share common mineralogical, isotopic, and chemical properties and are thought to have been derived from the same parent body, possibly asteroid 4 Vesta. The texture, mineralogy, and noble gas data of the recently recovered meteorite, Northwest Africa (NWA) 011, are similar to those of basaltic eucrites. However, the oxygen isotopic composition of NWA011 is different from that of other eucrites, indicating that NWA011 may be derived from a different parent body. The presence of basaltic meteorites with variable oxygen isotopic composition suggests the occurrence of multiple basaltic meteorite parent bodies, perhaps similar to 4 Vesta, in the early solar system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1069408","authors":["Akira Yamaguchi","Robert N. Clayton","T. K. Mayeda","M. Ebihara","Y. Oura","Yayoi N. Miura","Hiroshi Haramura","K. Misawa","Hideyasu Kojima","Keisuke Nagao"],"tags":["Meteorite","Basalt","Parent body","Geology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-04-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1069408","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2016528533","name":"Preterrestrial aqueous alteration of the Lafayette (SNC) meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The Lafayette meteorite, a nakhlite of the SNC (Martian?) group, contains hydrous alteration materials as intergranular films and as veinlets and patches replacing olivine, pyroxenes, and high‐Si glass. The alteration materials (“iddingsite”) consist of ferroan smectite clays, magnetite (or maghemite), and ferrihydrite, as shown by SEM and TEM. Three varieties of veinlets are present and formed in the order: coarse phyllosilicate; fine‐grained (phyllosilicate‐oxide), and porous oxide. Veinlets of fine‐grained material cross‐cut coarse phyllosilicate veinlets. The alteration materials are preterrestrial, as they are older than Lafayette's fusion crust, which is glassy and not affected by any alterations. Approaching the crust, the veinlets are progressively modified to the point of melting, and progressively depleted in adsorbed volatile constituents (S, Cl, and P). Bulk compositions of the alteration veinlets (SEM and TEM EDX) are consistent with the observed mineralogy, and suggest: that the smectite contains significant adsorbed S and Cl; that the ferrihydrite contains significant adsorbed S, but not Cl; that rare grains of sulfate (Ca?) and chloride (Na or K?) are present; and that the compositions of the alteration materials are approximated by Lafayette's olivine + high‐Si glass + water. We estimate that Lafayette's alteration materials formed at less than 100 °C. The oxidation potential of the water was near or slightly below that of the magnetite‐hematite buffer. The presence of sulfate and chloride in discrete phases and as adsorbates on ferrihydrite and smectite suggests that the altering solutions were saline. However, relatively little mass was transferred into or out of Lafayette because the bulk composition of the alteration materials is nearly isochemical with a mixture of magmatic silicate phases and water. Chemical transport within Lafayette was also limited, as alteration materials preserve some chemical signature of their host minerals. Presence of alteration materials along only some grain boundaries and some cracks suggests that Lafayette was not soaked in fluid. These last two inferences suggest that the alteration of Lafayette took place during episodic infiltrations of small volumes of saline water.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1993.tb00251.x","authors":["A. H. Treiman","Ruth A. Barrett","J. L. Gooding"],"tags":["Ferrihydrite","Maghemite","Hematite","Mineralogy","Magnetite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1993-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1993.tb00251.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2096471541","name":"Solar System Abundances and Condensation Temperatures of the Elements","source":"openalex","abstract":"Solar photospheric and meteoritic CI chondrite abundance determinations for all elements are summarized and the best currently available photospheric abundances are selected. The meteoritic and solar abundances of a few elements (e.g., noble gases, beryllium, boron, phosphorous, sulfur) are discussed in detail. The photospheric abundances give mass fractions of hydrogen ( X = 0.7491), helium ( Y = 0.2377), and heavy elements ( Z = 0.0133), leading to Z / X = 0.0177, which is lower than the widely used Z / X = 0.0245 from previous compilations. Recent results from standard solar models considering helium and heavy-element settling imply that photospheric abundances and mass fractions are not equal to protosolar abundances (representative of solar system abundances). Protosolar elemental and isotopic abundances are derived from photospheric abundances by considering settling effects. Derived protosolar mass fractions are X 0 = 0.7110, Y 0 = 0.2741, and Z 0 = 0.0149. The solar system and photospheric abundance tables are used to compute self-consistent sets of condensation temperatures for all elements.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1086/375492","authors":["K. Lodders"],"tags":["Physics","Abundance of the chemical elements","Abundance (ecology)","Formation and evolution of the Solar System","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-07-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1086/375492","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2010353627","name":"Mineralogic and compositional properties of Martian soil and dust: Results from Mars Pathfinder","source":"openalex","abstract":"Mars Pathfinder obtained multispectral, elemental, magnetic, and physical measurements of soil and dust at the Sagan Memorial Station during the course of its 83 sol mission. We describe initial results from these measurements, concentrating on multispectral and elemental data, and use these data, along with previous Viking, SNC meteorite, and telescopic results, to help constrain the origin and evolution of Martian soil and dust. We find that soils and dust can be divided into at least eight distinct spectral units, based on parameterization of Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) 400 to 1000 nm multispectral images. The most distinctive spectral parameters for soils and dust are the reflectivity in the red, the red/blue reflectivity ratio, the near‐IR spectral slope, and the strength of the 800 to 1000 nm absorption feature. Most of the Pathfinder spectra are consistent with the presence of poorly crystalline or nanophase ferric oxide(s), sometimes mixed with small but varying degrees of well‐crystalline ferric and ferrous phases. Darker soil units appear to be coarser‐grained, compacted, and/or mixed with a larger amount of dark ferrous materials relative to bright soils. Nanophase goethite, akaganeite, schwertmannite, and maghemite are leading candidates for the origin of the absorption centered near 900 nm in IMP spectra. The ferrous component in the soil cannot be well‐constrained based on IMP data. Alpha proton X‐ray spectrometer (APXS) measurements of six soil units show little variability within the landing site and show remarkable overall similarity to the average Viking‐derived soil elemental composition. Differences exist between Viking and Pathfinder soils, however, including significantly higher S and Cl abundances and lower Si abundances in Viking soils and the lack of a correlation between Ti and Fe in Pathfinder soils. No significant linear correlations were observed between IMP spectral properties and APXS elemental chemistry. Attempts at constraining the mineralogy of soils and dust using normative calculations involving mixtures of smectites and silicate and oxide minerals did not yield physically acceptable solutions. We attempted to use the Pathfinder results to constrain a number of putative soil and dust formation scenarios, including palagonitization and acid‐fog weathering. While the Pathfinder soils cannot be chemically linked to the Pathfinder rocks by palagonitization, this study and McSween et al. [1999] suggest that palagonitic alteration of a Martian basaltic rock, plus mixture with a minor component of locally derived andesitic rock fragments, could be consistent with the observed soil APXS and IMP properties.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/1999je001060","authors":["J. F. Bell","H. Y. McSween","J. A. Crisp","R. V. Morris","S. L. Murchie","N. T. Bridges","J. R. Johnson","D. T. Britt","M. P. Golombek","H. J. Moore","A. Ghosh","J. L. Bishop","Robert C. Anderson","J. Brückner","T. Economou","J. P. Greenwood","H. P. Gunnlaugsson","R. M. Hargraves","S. F. Hviid","J. M. Knudsen","M. B. Madsen","Robert J. Reid","R. Rieder","L. A. Soderblom"],"tags":["Martian soil","Mars Exploration Program","Multispectral image","Martian","Soil water"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/1999je001060","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2092396258","name":"The classification of Meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"The first broad grouping of meteorites was into irons and stones according as they consisted mainly of nickeliferous iron or of silicates. These were the two main divisions of the first really serviceable classification as applied by Gustav Rose in 1862-4 to the collection of meteorites in the, University Museum of Berlin. In this classification the division of meteoric irons included as separate groups the pallasites and the mesosiderites, in which nickel-iron \"rod silicates are present in about equal amounts; and the meteo~fic stones were for the first time split up into chondrites, or stones containing those curious rounded grains (chondrules) peculiar to meteorites, and non-Chondritic stones, which were divided according to mineralogical composition into the groups of eucrites, howardites, &c., still largely recognized.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/minmag.1920.019.90.01","authors":["G. T. Prior"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Chondrule","Astrobiology","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1920-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1180/minmag.1920.019.90.01","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W3211985345","name":"Mineral evolution","source":"openalex","abstract":"The mineralogy of terrestrial planets evolves as a consequence of a range of physical, chemical, and biological processes. In pre-stellar molecular clouds, widely dispersed microscopic dust particles contain approximately a dozen refractory minerals that represent the starting point of planetary mineral evolution. Gravitational clumping into a protoplanetary disk, star formation, and the resultant heating in the stellar nebula produce primary refractory constituents of chondritic meteorites, including chondrules and calcium-aluminum inclusions, with ~60 different mineral phases. Subsequent aqueous and thermal alteration of chondrites, asteroidal accretion and differentiation, and the consequent formation of achondrites results in a mineralogical repertoire limited to ~250 different minerals found in unweathered meteorite samples. Following planetary accretion and differentiation, the initial mineral evolution of Earth’s crust depended on a sequence of geochemical and petrologic processes, including volcanism and degassing, fractional crystallization, crystal settling, assimilation reactions, regional and contact metamorphism, plate tectonics, and associated large-scale fluid-rock interactions. These processes produced the first continents with their associated granitoids and pegmatites, hydrothermal ore deposits, metamorphic terrains, evaporites, and zones of surface weathering, and resulted in an estimated 1500 different mineral species. According to some origin-of-life scenarios, a planet must progress through at least some of these stages of chemical processing as a prerequisite for life. Biological processes began to affect Earth’s surface mineralogy by the Eoarchean Era (~3.85-3.6 Ga), when large-scale surface mineral deposits, including banded iron formations, were precipitated under the influences of changing atmospheric and ocean chemistry. The Paleoproterozoic “Great Oxidation Event” (~2.2 to 2.0 Ga), when atmospheric oxygen may have risen to >1% of modern levels, and the Neoproterozoic increase in atmospheric oxygen, which followed several major glaciation events, ultimately gave rise to multicellular life and skeletal biomineralization and irreversibly transformed Earth’s surface mineralogy. Biochemical processes may thus be responsible, directly or indirectly, for most of Earth’s 4300 known mineral species. The stages of mineral evolution arise from three primary mechanisms: (1) the progressive separation and concentration of the elements from their original relatively uniform distribution in the pre-solar nebula; (2) an increase in range of intensive variables such as pressure, temperature, and the activities of H 2 O, CO 2 , and O 2 ; and (3) the generation of far-from-equilibrium conditions by living systems. The sequential evolution of Earth’s mineralogy from chondritic simplicity to Phanerozoic complexity introduces the dimension of geologic time to mineralogy and thus provides a dynamic alternate approach to framing, and to teaching, the mineral sciences.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am.2008.2955","authors":["Robert M. Hazen","Dominic Papineau","Wouter Bleeker","Robert T. Downs","John M. Ferry","T. J. McCoy","Dimitri A. Sverjensky","H. Yang"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Chondrule","Mineral"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am.2008.2955","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2983066345","name":"Studies of Italian Meteorites: Mineralogy, Texture and Chemistry of the Monte Milone, Macerata, Shower","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W2983066345","authors":["Adriana Maras","G. R. Levi‐Donati","G. P. Sighinolfi"],"tags":["Meteorite","Texture (cosmology)","Shower","Geology","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1979-06-08","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2592309901","name":"Revising the shock classification of meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The current shock classification scheme of meteorites assigns shock levels of S1 (unshocked) to S6 (very strongly shocked) using shock effects in rock‐forming minerals such as olivine and plagioclase. The S6 stage (55–90 GPa; 850–1750 °C) relies solely on localized effects in or near melt zones, the recrystallization of olivine, or the presence of mafic high‐pressure phases such as ringwoodite. However, high whole rock temperatures and the presence of high‐pressure phases that are unstable at those temperatures and pressures of zero GPa (e.g., ringwoodite) are two criteria that exclude each other. Each type of high‐pressure phase provides a minimum shock pressure during elevated pressure conditions to allow the formation of this phase, and a maximum temperature of the whole rock after decompression to allow the preservation of this phase. Rocks classified as S6 are characterized not by the presence but by the absence of those thermally unstable high‐pressure phases. High‐pressure phases in or attached to shock melt zones form mainly during shock pressure decline. This is because shocked rocks (<60 GPa) experience a shock wave with a broad isobaric pressure plateau only during low velocity (<4.5 km s−1) impacts, which rarely occur on small planetary bodies; e.g., the Moon and asteroids. The mineralogy of shock melt zones provides information on the shape and temporal duration of the shock wave but no information on the general maximum shock pressure in the whole rock.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12845","authors":["Jörg Fritz","A. Greshake","V. A. Fernandes"],"tags":["Ringwoodite","Meteorite","Olivine","Geology","Plagioclase"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-03-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12845","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2154365619","name":"Mineralogical similarities and differences between the Los Angeles basaltic shergottite and the Asuka-881757 lunar mare meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Los Angeles, a new basaltic shergottite, is a coarse-grained rock composed of pyroxene and plagioclase (\"maskelynite\") plus abundant late-crystallization phases. Pyroxenes are Fe-rich and show extensive chemical zoning from pigeonite and augite individual cores to Fe-rich pigeonite rims. The chemical zoning of plagioclase, though it is only slightly zoned, suggests that it grew outward from the most calcic part near the pyroxene walls. One of the most remarkable characteristics of Los Angeles is the presence of complex mixtures of hedenbergite+fayalite+silica, presumably breakdown products of pyroxferroite. Among the previously known basaltic shergottites, QUE94201 shows similar mineralogy to Los Angeles (the melt pockets in Zagami is also similar to Los Angeles). However, Los Angeles is clearly different from QUE94201 in several mineralogical respects, and they do not appear geochemically related. In spite of the origin from the different parent body, the Asuka-881757 lunar mare meteorite shows remarkable similarities to Los Angeles. Asuka-881757 is composed of large Fe-rich pyroxene and plagioclase grains with abundant hedenbergite+fayalite+silica mixtures. The pyroxene zoning and exsolution features of Asuka-881757 are similar to those of Los Angeles rather than QUE 94201. It is likely that Los Angeles and Asuka-881757 experienced similar crystallization and cooling histories although they came from different planetary bodies, Mars and the Moon, respectively.","url":"https://doi.org/10.15094/00005994","authors":["T. Mikouchi"],"tags":["Meteorite","Basalt","Geology","Astrobiology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.15094/00005994","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2801044092","name":"Basalt or Not? Near-infrared Spectra, Surface Mineralogical Estimates, and Meteorite Analogs for 33 Vp-type Asteroids","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Investigations of the main asteroid belt and efforts to constrain that population’s physical characteristics involve the daunting task of studying hundreds of thousands of small bodies. Taxonomic systems are routinely employed to study the large-scale nature of the asteroid belt because they utilize common observational parameters, but asteroid taxonomies only define broadly observable properties and are not compositionally diagnostic. This work builds upon the results of work by Hardersen et al., which has the goal of constraining the abundance and distribution of basaltic asteroids throughout the main asteroid belt. We report on the near-infrared (NIR: 0.7 to 2.5 μm) reflectance spectra, surface mineralogical characterizations, analysis of spectral band parameters, and meteorite analogs for 33 Vp asteroids. NIR reflectance spectroscopy is an effective remote sensing technique to detect most pyroxene group minerals, which are spectrally distinct with two very broad spectral absorptions at ∼0.9 and ∼1.9 μm. Combined with the results from Hardersen et al., we identify basaltic asteroids for ∼95% (39/41) of our inner-belt Vp sample, but only ∼25% (2/8) of the outer-belt Vp sample. Inner-belt basaltic asteroids are most likely associated with (4) Vesta and represent impact fragments ejected from previous collisions. Outer-belt Vp asteroids exhibit disparate spectral, mineralogical, and meteorite analog characteristics and likely originate from diverse parent bodies. The discovery of two additional likely basaltic asteroids provides additional evidence for an outer-belt basaltic asteroid population.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/aac3d2","authors":["Paul S. Hardersen","Vishnu Reddy","Edward Cloutis","Matt Nowinski","Margaret Dievendorf","Russell M. Genet","Savan Becker","Rachel Roberts"],"tags":["Asteroid","Meteorite","Basalt","Astrobiology","Pyroxene"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-06-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/aac3d2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2005255820","name":"The Origin of Chondrules and Refractory Inclusions in Chondritic Meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Examples of calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) surrounded by thick chondrule mantles have been found in chondritic meteorites and cast doubt on the conventional belief that CAIs and chondrules possessed different spacetime origins in the primitive solar nebula. We study specific processes by which such objects, and the more common ordinary CAIs and chondrules, might have formed by flare heating of primitive rocks interior to the inner edge of a gaseous accretion disk that has been truncated by magnetized funnel flow onto the central proto-Sun. Motivated by the appearance of the chains of Herbig-Haro knots that define collimated optical jets from many young stellar objects (YSOs), we adopt the model of a fluctuating X-wind, where the inner edge of the solar nebula undergoes periodic radial excursions on a timescale of ~30 yr, perhaps in response to protosolar magnetic cycles. Flares induced by the stressing of magnetic fields threading both the star and the inner edge of the fluctuating disk melt or partially melt solids in the transition zone between the base of the funnel flow and the reconnection ring, and in the reconnection ring itself. The rock melts stick when they collide at low velocities. Surface tension pulls the melt aggregate into a quasi-spherical core/mantle structure, where the core consists mainly of refractories and the mantle mainly of moderate volatiles. Orbital drift of rocks past the inner edge of the disk or infall of large objects from the funnel flow replaces the steady loss of material by the plasma drag of the coronal gas that corotates with the stellar magnetosphere. In quasi-steady state, agglomeration of molten or heat-softened rocks leads to a differential size-distribution in radius R proportional to R -3 e , where t L ~ 20 yr is the drift time of an object of fiducial radius L ≡ 1 cm and t is the time since the last inward excursion of the base of the funnel flow and X-wind. Thus, during the ~30 yr interval between successive flushing of the reconnection ring, flash-heated and irradiated rocks have a chance to grow to millimeter and centimeter sizes. The evaporation of the moderately volatile mantles above large refractory cores, or the dissolving of small refractory cores inside thick ferromagnesian mantles before launch, plus extended heating in the X-wind produce the CAIs or chondrules that end up at planetary distances in the parent bodies of chondritic meteorites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1086/319018","authors":["Frank H. Shu","Hsien Shang","M. Gounelle","A. E. Glassgold","Typhoon Lee"],"tags":["Chondrule","Physics","Formation and evolution of the Solar System","Meteorite","Astrophysics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-02-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1086/319018","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W3004298575","name":"Mineralogical and chemical compositions of silicate inclusions in the EL Taco, Campo del Cielo, iron meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3004298575","authors":["F. Wlotzka","E. Jarosewich"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Silicate","Iron meteorite","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1977-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W1966768362","name":"Cosmic-ray Exposure Ages of Meteorites and Lunar Rocks and Their Significance","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1078/0009-2819-00021","authors":["O. Eugster"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Geology","Mars Exploration Program","Martian"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1078/0009-2819-00021","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W1632763293","name":"Mineralogical studies of lunar meteorite Yamato-793169, a mare basalt","source":"openalex","abstract":"A preliminary mineralogical study of the lunar meteorites Yamato (Y)-793169 and Asuka (A)-881757,which were apparently derived from a mare region of the Moon, has been performed to identify crystallization trends of their pyroxenes. Y-793169 is a crystalline basalt with similar basaltic components to lunar breccias EET87521 and Y-793274,containing strongly zoned Fe-Ca-rich pyroxenes. Their zoning trends in the pyroxene quadrilateral are closest to those found in the basaltic clast in an Apollo 16 breccia. Differentiation trends expressed by Ti/(Ti+Cr) versus Fe/(Fe+Mg) of Y-793169 and A-881757 pyroxenes are similar but they differ from those of EET87521. The Y-793169 trend starts at a more Mg-rich composition point than the A-881757 trend. Based on differences in textures and ranges of zoning trends, the pyroxene of A-881757 could represent growth deeper in the lava unit under conditions more closely approaching equilibrium, than Y-793169,which appears to have formed from a lava flow of similar bulk composition. Although Y-793169 has been described as the VLT basalt, some mesostases contain significant amounts of ilmenite and ulvospinel, together with fayalite, troilite, chromite and a silica mineral. Mg-rich pyroxenes as found in Y-793274 and EET87521 are not present in Y-793169 and A-881757 basalts.","url":"https://doi.org/10.15094/00004598","authors":["H. Takeda","Tomoko Arai","Kazuto Saiki"],"tags":["Basalt","Geology","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1993-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.15094/00004598","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2067413489","name":"Mineralogical and chemical composition and cosmic‐ray exposure history of two mesosiderites and two iron meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract—We performed a comprehensive study of the noble gas isotopic abundances, radionuclide activities, and mineralogical and chemical composition of two mesosiderites and two iron meteorites. For the mesosiderites Dong Ujimqin Qi and Weiyuan, the silicate and the metal phases were studied. The anomalous ataxite Rafrüti is not chemically related to any other meteorite class, whereas Ningbo is a type IVA octahedrite. The mineralogy and major and trace element abundances of the silicate phases of Dong Ujimqin Qi and Weiyuan are similar to those of other mesosiderites and distinct from those of the howardites. The cosmic‐ray exposure history was studied based on the concentrations of the cosmogenic noble gas nuclei and radionuclide activities. For the iron meteorites, cosmic‐ray exposure ages were calculated from the pairs10Be‐21Ne,26Al‐21Ne, and36Cl‐36Ar. Rafrüti yields the youngest exposure age of all ataxites (6.8 ± 1.7 Ma), whereas that of Ningbo with 107 ± 15 Ma falls within the range observed for the other octahedrites. The parent body break‐up times of the mesosiderites Dong Ujimqin Qi and Weiyuan are 252 ± 50 and 25.9 ± 5.0 Ma, respectively. We find no evidence for a common break‐up event for the mesosiderites and the howardites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01442.x","authors":["D. Terribilini","O. Eugster","David W. Mittlefehldt","Larryn W. Diamond","S. Vogt","Daode Wang"],"tags":["Meteorite","Parent body","Chondrite","Cosmic ray","Iron meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01442.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2978642689","name":"Petrogenesis of main group pallasite meteorites based on relationships among texture, mineralogy, and geochemistry","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Main group pallasite meteorites are samples of a single early magmatic planetesimal, dominated by metal and olivine but containing accessory chromite, sulfide, phosphide, phosphates, and rare phosphoran olivine. They represent mixtures of core and mantle materials, but the environment of formation is poorly understood, with a quiescent core–mantle boundary, violent core–mantle mixture, or surface mixture all recently suggested. Here, we review main group pallasite data sets and petrologic characteristics, and present new observations on the low‐MnO pallasite Brahin that contains abundant fragmental olivine, but also rounded and angular olivine and potential evidence of sulfide–phosphide liquid immiscibility. A reassessment of the literature shows that low‐MnO and high‐FeO subgroups preferentially host rounded olivine and low‐temperature P 2 O 5 ‐rich phases such as the Mg‐phosphate farringtonite and phosphoran olivine. These phases form after metal and silicate reservoirs back‐react during decreasing temperature after initial separation, resulting in oxidation of phosphorus and chromium. Farringtonite and phosphoran olivine have not been found in the common subgroup PMG , which are mechanical mixtures of olivine, chromite with moderate Al 2 O 3 contents, primitive solid metal, and evolved liquid metal. Lower concentrations of Mn in olivine of the low‐MnO PMG subgroup, and high concentrations of Mn in low‐Al 2 O 3 chromites, trace the development and escape of sulfide‐rich melt in pallasites and the partially chalcophile behavior for Mn in this environment. Pallasites with rounded olivine indicate that the core–mantle boundary of their planetesimal may not be a simple interface but rather a volume in which interactions between metal, silicate, and other components occur.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13392","authors":["Seann McKibbin","Lidia Pittarello","Christina Makarona","Christopher Hamann","Lutz Hecht","Stepan M. Chernonozhkin","Steven Goderis","Philippe Claeys"],"tags":["Olivine","Geology","Chromite","Geochemistry","Mantle (geology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-09-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13392","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W1666193248","name":"The 45th Annual Meteoritical Society Meeting","source":"openalex","abstract":"Impact craters and shock effects, chondrite formation and evolution, meteorites, chondrules, irons, nebular processes and meteorite parent bodies, regoliths and breccias, antarctic meteorite curation, isotopic studies of meteorites and lunar samples, organics and terrestrial weathering, refractory inclusions, cosmic dust, particle irradiations before and after compaction, and mineralogic studies and analytical techniques are discussed.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1666193248","authors":["P. A. Jones","LR Turner"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Chondrite","Chondrule","Regolith"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1982-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2306872687","name":"Raman spectroscopy of Fe-Ti-Cr-oxides, case study: Martian meteorite EETA79001","source":"openalex","abstract":"Raman spectral features of chromite, ulvöspinel, magnetite, ilmenite, hematite, and some of their solid solutions are presented. Although most Fe-Ti-Cr-oxides produce relatively weak Raman signals compared to oxyanionic minerals, sufficient information can be extracted from their spectra to identify the end-member mineral phases as well as some information about compositional variations in solid solutions. Correlations between Raman spectral features and mineral chemistry are used to interpret the Raman data of Fe-Ti-Cr oxides found during Raman point-count measurements on rock chips of Martian meteorite EETA79001, as an analog to Mars on-surface planetary investigations. In general, ulvöspinel, magnetite, and chromite end-members are readily distinguished by their Raman spectral patterns, as are ilmenite and hematite. In the low signal-to-noise (S/N) spectra generally obtained from the Raman point-count procedure, the position and shape of the strongest peak of Fe-Ti-Cr oxides in the region 660-680 cm -1 (A 1g mode) is the most useful for discriminating Fe 3+ -Ti-Cr-Al substitutions in the magnetite-ulvöspinel, ulvöspinel-chromite, and chromite-spinel series, but minor peaks in the range 300-600 cm -1 also assist in discrimination. These spectral features are useful for investigating the variability among Fe-Ti-Cr-Al oxide solid solutions in natural samples. In EETA79001, a Martian basaltic meteorite, most of the oxide grains (as measured with the electron microprobe) are ulvöspinel, chromian ulvöspinel, and chromite, but ilmenite, titanian chromite, and titanomagnetite are also observed. The Fe-Ti-Cr-oxides identified by Raman point-count include end-member ilmenite, low-Al chromite-spinel solid solutions, ulvöspinel-magnetite solid solutions, and more complex chromitespinel- ulvöspinel-magnetite solid solutions; the latter exhibit a wide range of main peak positions and broadened peak widths that may reflect structural disorder as well as specific cation contents. One Raman spectrum suggests end-member magnetite, and one spectrum from a different rock chip appears to be that of non-terrestrial hematite, reflecting local oxidizing alteration, which has not been observed previously in this meteorite. These results show that analyses done in an automated mode on the surface of an unprepared Martian rock sample can provide useful constraints on the Fe-Ti-Cr oxide mineralogy present and on compositional variations within those minerals, including an indication of oxygen fugacity","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2004-5-601","authors":["Alian Wang","K. E. Kuebler","Bradley L. Jolliff","L. A. Haskin"],"tags":["Chromite","Ilmenite","Raman spectroscopy","Spinel","Hematite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2004-5-601","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2084785546","name":"Evaluating the accretion of meteoritic debris and interplanetary dust particles in the GPC-3 sediment core using noble gas and mineralogical tracers","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2012.01.030","authors":["Thomas H. Darrah","Robert J. Poreda"],"tags":["Noble gas","Interplanetary dust cloud","Geology","Meteorite","Regolith"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-02-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2012.01.030","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2086129529","name":"Magnetic hysteresis properties and 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy of iron and stony-iron meteorites: Implications for mineralogy and thermal history","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pepi.2015.01.004","authors":["E. Dos Santos","J. Gattacceca","P. Rochette","R. B. Scorzelli","G. Fillion"],"tags":["Meteorite","Iron meteorite","Remanence","Mössbauer spectroscopy","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-02-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pepi.2015.01.004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2059764349","name":"Spectral Properties of Near-Earth Asteroids: Evidence for Sources of Ordinary Chondrite Meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Although ordinary chondrite (OC) meteorites dominate observed falls, the identification of near-Earth and main-belt asteroid sources has remained elusive. Telescopic measurements of 35 near-Earth asteroids ( approximately3 kilometers in diameter) revealed six that have visible wavelength spectra similar to laboratory spectra of OC meteorites. Near-Earth asteroids were found to have spectral properties that span the range between the previously separated domains of OC meteorites and the most common (S class) asteroids, suggesting a link. This range of spectral properties could arise through a diversity of mineralogies and regolith particle sizes, as well as through a time-dependent surface weathering process.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.273.5277.946","authors":["Richard P. Binzel","S. J. Bus","T. H. Burbine","J. M. Sunshine"],"tags":["Asteroid","Meteorite","Regolith","Ordinary chondrite","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1996-08-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.273.5277.946","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W1972228827","name":"A survey of shergottite, nakhlite and chassigny meteorites whole‐rock compositions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Literature data on major and trace elemental abundances and water contents of the shergottite, nakhlite, and chassigny (SNC) meteorites are compiled and evaluated. The individual members of the SNC group are relatively homogeneous, and representative average compositions for each meteorite can be computed from multiple data reported in the literature. Major element abundances are used to calculate normative compositions and densities. The data survey shows that our knowledge of whole rock abundances in SNC meteorites is very limited for many elements and that more basic analytical work is needed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01331.x","authors":["K. Lodders"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Homogeneous","Compositional data","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01331.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2147290264","name":"Noble Gases in Meteorites - Trapped Components","source":"openalex","abstract":"Research Article| January 01, 2002 Noble Gases in Meteorites – Trapped Components Ulrich Ott Ulrich Ott Max-Planck-Institut für Chemie (Otto-Hahn-Institut), Becherweg 27, D-55128 Mainz, Germany, ott@mcph-mainz.mpg.de Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry (2002) 47 (1): 71–100. https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2002.47.3 Article history first online: 13 Jul 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share MailTo Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Ulrich Ott; Noble Gases in Meteorites – Trapped Components. Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry 2002;; 47 (1): 71–100. doi: https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2002.47.3 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyReviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry Search Advanced Search Fundamental insights in the field of cosmochemistry have come from the study of the abundances and isotopic compositions of trapped noble gases. A case in point is the discovery of presolar grains in primitive meteorites: isotope abundance anomalies in noble gases were known long before the discovery of presolar grains such as nanodiamonds, silicon carbide and graphite, and it was the search for the carrier phases of these anomalies that ultimately led to the identification and isolation of these types of grains (e.g., Anders and Zinner 1993; Ott 1993). Starting with the work of John Reynolds and his... You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2002.47.3","authors":["U. Ott"],"tags":["Meteorite","Noble gas","Citation","Chondrite","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2002.47.3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2030899400","name":"The effect of surface texture on the mineralogical analysis of chondritic meteorites using Raman spectroscopy","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0032-0633(02)00061-2","authors":["Jürgen Popp","N. Tarcea","W. Kiefer","M. Hilchenbach","N. Thomas","T. Stuffler","Stefan Hofer","D. Stöffler","A. Greshake"],"tags":["Meteorite","Raman spectroscopy","Chondrite","Goethite","Texture (cosmology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0032-0633(02)00061-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W609600942","name":"Stable Isotopes in High Temperature Geological Processes","source":"openalex","abstract":"Volume 16 of Reviews in Mineralogy inroduces to high-temperature stable isotope geochemistry and should provide an entry into the pertinent literature, as well as some understanding of the basic concepts and potential applications. The first three chapters focus on the theory and experimental data base for equilibrium, disequilibrium, and kinetics of stable isotope exchange reactions among geologically important minerals and fluids. The fourth chapter discusses the primordial oxygen isotope variations in the solar system prior to formation of the Earth, along with a discussion of isotopic anomalies in meteorites. The fifth chapter discusses isotopic variations in the Earth's mantle and the sixth chapter reviews the variations in the isotopic compositions of natural waters on our planet. In Chapters 7, 8, 9 and 10, these isotopic constraints and concepts are applied to various facets of the origin and evolution of igneous rocks, bringing in much material on radiogenic isotopes as well, because these problems require a multi-dimensional attack for their solution. In Chapters 11 and 12, the problems of hydrothermal alteration by meteoric waters and ocean water are considered, together with discussions of the physics and chemistry of hydrothermal systems and the 18O/16O history of ocean water. Finally, in Chapters 13 and 14, these concepts are applied to problems of metamorphic petrology and ore deposits, particularly with respect to the origins of the fluids involved in those processes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9781501508936","authors":[],"tags":["Isotope","Geology","Stable isotope ratio","Earth science","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1986-12-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9781501508936","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2075380887","name":"Modal mineralogy of carbonaceous chondrites by X‐ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Carbonaceous chondrites are among the most analyzed geological materials on Earth. However, despite this attention, and unlike most terrestrial rocks, little is known on the abundance of individual phases within them. Here, we show how a combination of several novel X‐ray diffraction (XRD) techniques (including a high‐brightness X‐ray MicroSource®), and Mössbauer spectroscopy, allows a complete modal mineralogy to be ascertained from even the most highly unequilibrated, fine‐grained chondrites for all minerals of abundance >1 wt%. Knowledge of the modal mineralogy of a sample also allows us to calculate grain density. We analyzed Allende, Murchison, Tagish Lake, and Orgueil. Based on our modal data, the grain density estimates for Allende, Murchison, and Orgueil are close to literature values. In the case of Tagish Lake, there is no published grain density, although a bulk density measurement does exist. Taking our estimate of grain density, and the measured bulk density, we calculate an exceptionally high porosity of 41% for this meteorite, similar to some chondritic IDPs and in line with a porosity calculated from an entry model for the Tagish Lake fireball. Although it is an oxidized CV, magnetite is present in Allende at a level of <0.5 wt% or <0.3 vol%, a result that is substantiated by several other instrumental studies. This may be an oxidized meteorite, but that oxidation is not manifested in abundant magnetite. In addition, we note appreciable fayalitic olivine in Orgueil, detected by both XRD and Mössbauer. We employed MicroSource® XRD to look at heterogeneity in mineral abundance in Orgueil and found substantial variation, with phyllosilicates varying inversely with olivine. The data suggest that Orgueil was initially composed primarily of anhydrous materials, which have been partially, but not completely, altered. Although the data are preliminary, comparison between our XRD modal assessment, bulk chemistry, grain density, and Mössbauer data, suggests that our estimates of mineral abundance are robust. The advent of MicroSource® XRD allows similar modal data to be acquired from samples as small as a few hundred micrograms.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00046.x","authors":["P. A. Bland","Gordon Cressey","O. N. Menzies"],"tags":["Murchison meteorite","Chondrite","Allende meteorite","Olivine","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00046.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2135823274","name":"Mineralogy at Meridiani Planum from the Mini-TES Experiment on the Opportunity Rover","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer (Mini-TES) on Opportunity investigated the mineral abundances and compositions of outcrops, rocks, and soils at Meridiani Planum. Coarse crystalline hematite and olivine-rich basaltic sands were observed as predicted from orbital TES spectroscopy. Outcrops of aqueous origin are composed of 15 to 35% by volume magnesium and calcium sulfates [a high-silica component modeled as a combination of glass, feldspar, and sheet silicates (approximately 20 to 30%)], and hematite; only minor jarosite is identified in Mini-TES spectra. Mini-TES spectra show only a hematite signature in the millimeter-sized spherules. Basaltic materials have more plagioclase than pyroxene, contain olivine, and are similar in inferred mineral composition to basalt mapped from orbit. Bounce rock is dominated by clinopyroxene and is close in inferred mineral composition to the basaltic martian meteorites. Bright wind streak material matches global dust. Waterlain rocks covered by unaltered basaltic sands suggest a change from an aqueous environment to one dominated by physical weathering.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1104909","authors":["P. R. Christensen","M. B. Wyatt","T. D. Glotch","A. D. Rogers","Saadat Anwar","R. E. Arvidson","J. L. Bandfield","D. L. Blaney","C. J. Budney","W. M. Calvin","A. Fallacaro","R. L. Fergason","Noel Gorelick","T. G. Graff","V. E. Hamilton","Alexander G. Hayes","J. R. Johnson","A. T. Knudson","H. Y. McSween","G. Mehall","L. Mehall","J. E. Moersch","R. V. Morris","M. D. Smith","S. W. Squyres","Steven W. Ruff","M. J. Wolff"],"tags":["Basalt","Pyroxene","Geology","Hematite","Olivine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-12-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1104909","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W4302286423","name":"Experimentally Induced Thermal Fatigue on Lunar and Eucrite Meteorites—Influence of the Mineralogy on Rock Breakdown","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Thermal fatigue has been proven to be of fundamental importance for the nature and evolution of surfaces of airless bodies in the solar system. It is a rock erosive process acting in conjunction with meteoroid bombardment. We set up an experiment to simulate the diurnal temperature variation at 1 AU of centimeter sized sample cubes using a liquid nitrogen cooled cryostat, allowing to study unexplored conditions, that is, high vacuum and temperatures of 200 K similar to those occurring on the Moon. The sample cubes are investigated using scanning electron microscopy and micro computed tomography scans before and after 10, 20, 50, 100, and 400 total cycles. Cycling of the lunar anorthosite Northwest Africa (NWA) 11273 and the eucrite NWA 11050 reveal different behaviors: Whereas NWA 11273 responds to the cycling with micro‐flaking of tenth‐of‐µm‐sized grains on its surface and only limited crack growth, the eucrite NWA 11050 is less affected by micro‐flaking but the growth of cracks is observed to occur throughout the whole experiment. The rate of crack formation and growth is lower when compared to previously reported results on ordinary and carbonaceous chondritic samples carried out under nitrogen atmosphere and above 250 K. We propose that the size of particles and their rate of production by thermal fatigue highly depends on the mineralogy of the exposed rock and areas with mature rocks are prone to produce fine‐grained soil, while primary rocks such as basalts are likely to produce blocky regolith in a first step.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2022je007306","authors":["Markus Patzek","O. Ruesch"],"tags":["Meteorite","Regolith","Geology","Basalt","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2022je007306","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2114057247","name":"The SNC meteorites: basaltic igneous processes on Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"A group of 32 meteorites, the SNC ( S hergotty, N akhla, C hassigny) group, was derived from Mars as a product of 4–7 ejection events, probably from Tharsis and Elysium–Amazonis. The SNCs either have basaltic mineralogy or some are ultramafic cumulates crystallized from basaltic melts. The SNCs can be classified both petrographically and geochemically. We classify the shergottite SNC meteorites on the basis of their light rare earth element (LREE) depletion into highly depleted, moderately depleted and slightly depleted. The slightly depleted samples (which are mainly but not exclusively aphyric basalts) show high log 10 f O 2 values (QFM −1.0, where QFM is quartz–fayalite–magnetite). Highly depleted samples, which are mainly olivine-phyric basalts, have low log 10 f O 2 values (QFM −3.5). On the basis of mixing calculations between La/Lu and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr we favour models linking the correlation between LREE abundances and log 10 f O 2 to mantle heterogeneity rather than contamination by oxidized, LREE-rich crustal fluids. SNC chemistry in general reflects the Fe-rich mantle of Mars (which contains twice as much FeO as the Earth's mantle), the late accretion of chondritic material into the mantle, and possibly the presence of a plagioclase-rich magma ocean, which acted to variably deplete the mantle in Al. The high FeO contents of the SNC melts are associated with high melt densities (allowing the ponding of large magma bodies) and low viscosities, both of which are consistent with the large scale of many observed martian lava flows.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1144/0016-764904-501","authors":["J. C. Bridges","P. H. Warren"],"tags":["Geology","Basalt","Geochemistry","Achondrite","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-02-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1144/0016-764904-501","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2103532604","name":"The mineralogy of ordinary chondrites and implications for asteroid spectrophotometry","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(91)90072-2","authors":["H. Y. McSween","Marvin E. Bennett","E. Jarosewich"],"tags":["Asteroid","Chondrite","Meteorite","Ordinary chondrite","Olivine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1991-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(91)90072-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W1966972115","name":"Chemical analyses of ten stony meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(66)90124-4","authors":["E. Jarosewich"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Geology","Astrobiology","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1966-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(66)90124-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2947710880","name":"A Mineralogical Context for the Organic Matter in the Paris Meteorite Determined by A Multi-Technique Analysis","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This study is a multi-technique investigation of the Paris carbonaceous chondrite directly applied on two selected 500 × 500 µm² areas of a millimetric fragment, without any chemical extraction. By mapping the partial hydration of the amorphous silicate phase dominating the meteorite sample matrix, infrared spectroscopy gave an interesting glimpse into the way the fluid may have circulated into the sample and partially altered it. The TOF-SIMS in-situ analysis allowed the studying and mapping of the wide diversity of chemical moieties composing the meteorite organic content. The results of the combined techniques show that at the micron scale, the organic matter was always spatially associated with the fine-grained and partially-hydrated amorphous silicates and to the presence of iron in different chemical states. These systematic associations, illustrated in previous studies of other carbonaceous chondrites, were further supported by the identification by TOF-SIMS of cyanide and/or cyanate salts that could be direct remnants of precursor ices that accreted with dust during the parent body formation, and by the detection of different metal-containing large organic ions. Finally, the results obtained emphasized the importance of studying the specific interactions taking place between organic and mineral phases in the chondrite matrix, in order to investigate their role in the evolution story of primitive organic matter in meteorite parent bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life9020044","authors":["Manale Noun","D. Baklouti","R. Brunetto","Ferenc Borondics","Thomas Calligaro","Z. Dionnet","Louis Le Sergeant d’Hendecourt","B. Nsouli","I. Ribaud","M. Roumié","S. Della‐Negra"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Parent body","Carbonaceous chondrite","Context (archaeology)"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life9020044","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"oa:W97239847","name":"Mineralogical comparison of the Y86032-type lunar meteorites to feldspathic fragmental breccia 67016.","source":"openalex","abstract":"Mineralogical characteristics of lunar meteorites Y82193 and Y86032 were compared to those of Apollo-16 fieldspathic fragmental breccia 67016, using results from electron microprobe analysis and TEM. It was found that the pyroxene mineralogy and chemistry of granulitic clasts in 67016 breccia and the Y86032-type lunar meteorites were much alike, suggesting that the formation processes of the fieldspathic fragmental breccias are also important in the genesis of lunar meteorites. There were differences in matrix microtextures, however, implying that 67016 and Y86032-type breccia formation temperatures were different.","url":"https://openalex.org/W97239847","authors":["H. Takeda","Hiroshi Mori","M. Miyamoto","S. J. Wentworth","D. S. McKay"],"tags":["Breccia","Meteorite","Pyroxene","Geology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1990-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2061638408","name":"Petrography, mineralogy, and geochemistry of lunar meteorite Sayh al Uhaymir 300","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— We report here the petrography, mineralogy, and geochemistry of lunar meteorite Sayh al Uhaymir 300 (SaU 300). SaU 300 is dominated by a fine‐grained crystalline matrix surrounding mineral fragments (plagioclase, pyroxene, olivine, and ilmenite) and lithic clasts (mainly feldspathic to noritic). Mare basalt and KREEPy rocks are absent. Glass melt veins and impact melts are present, indicating that the rock has been subjected to a second impact event. FeNi metal and troilite grains were observed in the matrix. Major element concentrations of SaU 300 (Al 2 O 3 21.6 wt% and FeO 8.16 wt%) are very similar to those of two basalt‐bearing feldspathic regolith breccias: Calcalong Creek and Yamato (Y‐) 983885. However, the rare earth element (REE) abundances and pattern of SaU 300 resemble the patterns of feldspathic highlands meteorites (e.g., Queen Alexandra Range (QUE) 93069 and Dar al Gani (DaG) 400), and the average lunar highlands crust. It has a relatively LREE‐enriched (7 to 10 x CI) pattern with a positive Eu anomaly (˜11 x CI). Values of Fe/Mn ratios of olivine, pyroxene, and the bulk sample are essentially consistent with a lunar origin. SaU 300 also contains high siderophile abundances with a chondritic Ni/Ir ratio. SaU 300 has experienced moderate terrestrial weathering as its bulk Sr concentration is elevated compared to other lunar meteorites and Apollo and Luna samples. Mineral chemistry and trace element abundances of SaU 300 fall within the ranges of lunar feldspathic meteorites and FAN rocks. SaU 300 is a feldspathic impact‐melt breccia predominantly composed of feldspathic highlands rocks with a small amount of mafic component. With a bulk Mg# of 0.67, it is the most mafic of the feldspathic meteorites and represents a lunar surface composition distinct from any other known lunar meteorites. On the basis of its low Th concentration (0.46 ppm) and its lack of KREEPy and mare basaltic components, the source region of SaU 300 could have been within a highland terrain, a great distance from the Imbrium impact basin, probably on the far side of the Moon.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2008.tb00703.x","authors":["Weibiao Hsu","Ai‐Cheng Zhang","R. Bartoschewitz","Yunbin Guan","T. Ushikubo","U. Krähenbühl","Rainer NIEDERGESAESS","R. Pepelnik","U. Reus","Thomas G. Kurtz","P. Kurtz","Weibiao HSU"],"tags":["Geology","Meteorite","Geochemistry","Troilite","Pyroxene"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2008.tb00703.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"oa:W1503086238","name":"New insights into the mineralogy and weathering of the Meridiani Planum meteorite, Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– Meridiani Planum is the first officially recognized meteorite find on the surface of Mars. It was discovered at and named after the landing site of the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity. Based on its composition, it was classified as a IAB complex iron meteorite. Mössbauer spectra obtained by Opportunity are dominated by kamacite (α‐Fe‐Ni) and exhibit a small contribution of ferric oxide. Several small features in the spectra have been neglected to date. To shed more light on these features, five iron meteorite specimens were investigated as analogs to Meridiani Planum with a laboratory Mössbauer setup. Measurements were performed on (1) their metallic bulk, (2) troilite (FeS) inclusions, (3) cohenite ((Fe,Ni,Co) 3 C) and schreibersite ((Fe,Ni) 3 P), and (4) corroded rims. In addition to these room‐temperature measurements, a specimen from the Mundrabilla IAB‐ungrouped meteorite was measured at Mars‐equivalent temperatures. Based on these measurements, the features in Meridiani Planum spectra can be explained with the presence of small amounts of schreibersite and/or cohenite and iron oxides. The iron oxides can be attributed to a previously reported coating on Meridiani Planum. Their presence indicates weathering through the interaction of the meteorite with small amounts of water.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01141.x","authors":["I. Fleischer","Christian Schröder","G. Klingelhöfer","J. Zipfel","R. V. Morris","J. W. Ashley","R. Gellert","Simon Wehrheim","Sandro Ebert","Iris FLEISCHER","Christian SCHRÖDER","Göstar KLINGELHÖFER"],"tags":["Meteorite","Kamacite","Troilite","Geology","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01141.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"oa:W2594277300","name":"Shock-transformation of whitlockite to merrillite and the implications for meteoritic phosphate","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Meteorites represent the only samples available for study on Earth of a number of planetary bodies. The minerals within meteorites therefore hold the key to addressing numerous questions about our solar system. Of particular interest is the Ca-phosphate mineral merrillite, the anhydrous end-member of the merrillite–whitlockite solid solution series. For example, the anhydrous nature of merrillite in Martian meteorites has been interpreted as evidence of water-limited late-stage Martian melts. However, recent research on apatite in the same meteorites suggests higher water content in melts. One complication of using meteorites rather than direct samples is the shock compression all meteorites have experienced, which can alter meteorite mineralogy. Here we show whitlockite transformation into merrillite by shock-compression levels relevant to meteorites, including Martian meteorites. The results open the possibility that at least part of meteoritic merrillite may have originally been H+-bearing whitlockite with implications for interpreting meteorites and the need for future sample return.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms14667","authors":["C. T. Adcock","Oliver Tschauner","Elisabeth M. Hausrath","Arya Udry","Sheng‐Nian Luo","Y. Cai","Minghua Ren","Antonio Lanzirotti","M. Newville","Martin Kunz","Chuanlong Lin"],"tags":["Whitlockite","Meteorite","Martian","Astrobiology","Achondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-03-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms14667","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2021271176","name":"Tissint Martian Meteorite: A Fresh Look at the Interior, Surface, and Atmosphere of Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Tissint (Morocco) is the fifth martian meteorite collected after it was witnessed falling to Earth. Our integrated mineralogical, petrological, and geochemical study shows that it is a depleted picritic shergottite similar to EETA79001A. Highly magnesian olivine and abundant glass containing martian atmosphere are present in Tissint. Refractory trace element, sulfur, and fluorine data for the matrix and glass veins in the meteorite indicate the presence of a martian surface component. Thus, the influence of in situ martian weathering can be unambiguously distinguished from terrestrial contamination in this meteorite. Martian weathering features in Tissint are compatible with the results of spacecraft observations of Mars. Tissint has a cosmic-ray exposure age of 0.7 ± 0.3 million years, consistent with those of many other shergottites, notably EETA79001, suggesting that they were ejected from Mars during the same event.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1224514","authors":["H. Chennaoui Aoudjehane","Guillaume Avice","Jean‐Alix Barrat","Omar Boudouma","Guangming Chen","M. John M. Duke","I. A. Franchi","J. Gattacceca","M. M. Grady","R. C. Greenwood","C. D. K. Herd","R. H. Hewins","A. Jambon","Bernard Marty","P. Rochette","C. L. Smith","V. Sautter","A. B. Verchovsky","Patrick Weber","B. Zanda"],"tags":["Martian","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Mars Exploration Program","Martian surface"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-10-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1224514","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W3035959221","name":"Chondrites and the Protoplanetary Disk","source":"openalex","abstract":"Major advances in deciphering the record of nebula processes in chondrites can be attributed to analytical improvements that allow coordinated isotopic and mineralogical studies of components in chondrites and to a wealth of new meteorites from hot and cold deserts. These studies have identified a few rare pristine chondrites that largely escaped heating and alteration in asteroids, which have matrices composed of submicrometer-sized grains of enstatite and forsterite and amorphous silicates, as found in comets. Isotopic analyses of components in pristine chondrites using short-lived nuclide chronometers, Pb-Pb dating, and oxygen isotopes aided by laboratory and theoretical studies of chondrites and differentiated meteorites have provided key constraints on the processes that shaped the early solar system. These processes were once thought to have followed one another sequentially over a period of several million years: chondrule formation; planetesimal accretion; alteration, metamorphism, and melting in planetesimals; and finally, high-velocity collisions between asteroids. Radiometric dating shows, however, that these processes overlapped so that chondrules were still forming in the nebula several million years after early-formed planetesimals had melted and collided. Chondrites are extraordinary mixtures of presolar and solar nebula materials and asteroidal debris.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.earth.35.031306.140100","authors":["E. R. D. Scott"],"tags":["Chondrite","Chondrule","Formation and evolution of the Solar System","Meteorite","Planetesimal"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-04-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.earth.35.031306.140100","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2074233105","name":"A-type granites and related rocks: Evolution of a concept, problems and prospects","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2006.12.007","authors":["Bernard Bonin"],"tags":["Mafic","Geology","Geochemistry","Felsic","Igneous rock"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-02-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2006.12.007","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W1580244533","name":"Large Meteorite Impacts and Planetary Evolution","source":"openalex","abstract":"The present volume of abstracts of conference papers discusses topics associated with the role of meteorite impacts on the Earth, the moon, and Titan. Particular attention is given to the description of the impact damage and the description of the actual craters. Attention is also given to the Sudbury structure, and the Chicxulub crater. Mineralogical, geophysical, petrographic, seismic and image data are described and discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/spe293","authors":[],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Earth science","Geology","Biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1992-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1130/spe293","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2163905101","name":"Spectroscopy of B‐type asteroids: Subgroups and meteorite analogs","source":"openalex","abstract":"B‐type asteroids have a negative slope from ∼0.5 to ∼1.1 μm and beyond. What causes this? Visible to near‐infrared reflectance spectra (0.4–2.5 μm) are assembled for 22 B‐type asteroids. The spectra fall naturally into three groups: (1) those with negative (blue) spectral shapes like 2 Pallas (7 objects), (2) those with concave curve shapes like 24 Themis (11 objects), and (3) everything else (4 objects). The asteroid spectra are compared to mineral and meteorite spectra from the Reflectance Experiment Laboratory library of 15,000 samples, in a least squares search for particulate analogs, constrained by spectral brightness. The Pallas group objects show a trend of analogs from the CV, CO, and CK meteorite groups. Only three of the seven Pallas‐like objects are determined to be dynamically related (2, 1508, and 6411). The Themis group objects show a trend of analogs from the CI, CM, CR, CI‐Unusual, and CM‐Unusual meteorites (as expected from the work of Hiroi et al. (1996)). Seven of the 11 Themis‐like objects are dynamically related (24, 62, 222, 316, 379, 383, and 431). Allowing for reasonable uncertainties in the spectral matches, we find no need to invoke mineralogies that do not exist in the meteorite collection to explain B‐type spectra or their negative slopes. Our Themis group results are as expected and are consistent with previous work, but our Pallas group results are new and, in some cases, in conflict with previous work.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2009je003478","authors":["B. E. Clark","Julie Ziffer","David Nesvorný","H. Campins","A. S. Rivkin","T. Hiroi","M. A. Barucci","M. Fulchignoni","Richard P. Binzel","S. Fornasier","F. E. DeMeo","M. Ockert-Bell","J. Licandro","T. Mothé-Diniz"],"tags":["Meteorite","Asteroid","Spectral line","Astrophysics","Brightness"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2009je003478","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2032314225","name":"SKETCHES IN THE HISTORY OF METEORITICS 2: THE EARLY CHEMICAL AND MINERALOGICAL WORK","source":"openalex","abstract":"The chemical and mineralogical work on meteorites over the period 1800 to 1840 is reviewed. The number of elements known to be present in meteorites rose from six to 19. Chemical techniques advanced rapidly so that by 1815 the procedure was essentially that of modern wet chemical analysts: removal of the magnetic material, dissolution of the acid‐soluble portion and fusion of the remainder with alkali. After Bournon's work in 1802 much mineralogical progress was made during the 1820's, notably by G. Rose. Berzelius made important contributions by his own analyses and synthesis of the work of others. By 1840 ordinary chondrites, carbonaceous chondrites, plagioclase‐pyroxene achondrites, Chassigny, pallasites and octahedrites could all be distinguished","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1977.tb00330.x","authors":["D. W. G. Sears","H. Sears"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Pyroxene","Plagioclase","Achondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1977-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1977.tb00330.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W1963941717","name":"Seeing Through the Dust: Martian Crustal Heterogeneity and Links to the SNC Meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Through the application of new analytical techniques to high spatial resolution imaging spectrometer data, the ferrous mineralogy of major volcanic terrains on Mars is shown to consist of significant fractions of both low- and high-calcium pyroxene. Changes in the relative abundances of these pyroxenes are observed for units of different age and morphology, even in regions with higher degrees of alteration and contamination from dust. Volcanic rocks with these characteristics are uncommon on Earth but are typical of the basaltic SNC meteorites (shergottites, nakhlites, and chassignites) thought to be from Mars. Thus, it is possible to infer, even through the veil of dust, that the SNC meteorites have mineralogic affinities to major volcanic provinces on Mars and are therefore truly representative of the heterogeneity observed on the surface of the \"red planet\".","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.7886449","authors":["John F. Mustard","J. M. Sunshine"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Mars Exploration Program","Pyroxene","Martian"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1995-03-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.7886449","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2057731894","name":"Refractory inclusions in the Murchison meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(83)90116-3","authors":["G. J. MacPherson","Miryam Bar‐Matthews","Tsuyoshi Tanaka","Edward Olsen","Lawrence Grossman"],"tags":["Melilite","Allende meteorite","Murchison meteorite","Carbonaceous chondrite","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1983-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(83)90116-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2022275983","name":"Cosmogenic radionuclides and mineralogical properties of the Chelyabinsk (LL5) meteorite: What do we learn about the meteoroid?","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract On February 15, 2013, after the observation of a brilliant fireball and a spectacular airburst over the southern Ural region (Russia), thousands of stones fell and were rapidly recovered, bringing some extremely fresh material for scientific investigations. We undertook a multidisciplinary study of a dozen stones of the Chelyabinsk meteorite, including petrographic and microprobe investigations to unravel intrinsic characteristics of this meteorite. We also study the short and long‐lived cosmogenic radionuclides to characterize the initial meteoroid size and exposure age. Petrographic observations, as well as the mineral compositions obtained by electron microprobe analyses, allow us to confirm the classification of the Chelyabinsk meteorite as an LL5 chondrite. The fragments studied, a few of which are impact melt rocks, contain abundant shock melt veins and melt pockets. It is likely that the catastrophic explosion and fragmentation of the Chelyabinsk meteoroid into thousands of stones was in part determined by the initial state of the meteoroid. The radionuclide results obtained show a wide range of concentrations of 14C, 22Na, 26Al, 54Mn, 57Co, 58Co, and 60Co, which indicate that the pre‐atmospheric object had a radius >5 m, consistent with other size estimates based on the magnitude of the airburst caused by the atmospheric entry and breakup of the Chelyabinsk meteoroid. Considering the observed 26Al activities of the investigated samples, Monte Carlo simulations, and taking into account the 26Al half‐life (0.717 Myr), the cosmic‐ray exposure age of the Chelyabinsk meteorite is estimated to be 1.2 ± 0.2 Myr. In contrast to the other radionuclides, 14C showed a very large range only consistent with most samples having been exposed to anthropogenic sources of 14C, which we associate with radioactive contamination of the Chelyabinsk region by past nuclear accidents and waste disposal, which has also been confirmed by elevated levels of anthropogenic 137Cs and primordial 40K in some of the Chelyabinsk fragments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12419","authors":["Pavel P. Povinec","M. Laubenstein","A. J. T. Jull","L. Ferrière","F. Brandstätter","I. Sýkora","J. Masarik","Juraj Beňo","A. Kováčik","Dan Topa","Christian Koeberl"],"tags":["Meteoroid","Meteorite","Petrography","Geology","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-01-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12419","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2050682790","name":"Expected characteristics of cometary meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Recent developments in our understanding of comets provide insights into the topic of cometary meteorites. These developments include the identification of comet‐asteroid transition objects (such as 4015 Wilson‐Harrington and 3200 Phaethon), information on the composition of cometary solids, and new ideas on the collisional history of Jupiter‐family comets. In this work, we revisit this question, and we conclude that comets do indeed yield macroscopic meteorites, which either have not been found or have not been recognized. We also consider the expected characteristics of cometary meteorites, with an emphasis on those that may help identify and differentiate them from other types of meteorites. If cometary meteorites have preserved the main characteristics of cometary dust, the mineralogy would be dominated by highly unequilibrated anhydrous silicates, and the chemistry would be nearly chondritic but with a high abundance of C and N. On the other hand, if an unknown process produced extensive aqueous alteration in the material that formed cometary meteorites, they would resemble (or could even be) CI carbonaceous chondrites. We do not expect cometary meteorites to have chondrules. So far, no single meteorite looks unequivocally cometary. However, we have identified xenoliths in ordinary chondrite regolith breccias that meet most of our criteria for a cometary origin and deserve further study.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01305.x","authors":["H. Campins","T. D. Swindle"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Chondrite","Chondrule","Regolith"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01305.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W3128909631","name":"Mineralogy and composition of the Murchison meteorite.","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3128909631","authors":["Louis H. Fuchs","K. J. Jensen","Edward Olsen"],"tags":["Murchison meteorite","Meteorite","Geology","Astrobiology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1970-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2088978749","name":"Martian meteorite Dhofar 019: A new shergottite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Dhofar 019 is a new martian meteorite found in the desert of Oman. In texture, mineralogy, and major and trace element chemistry, this meteorite is classified as a basaltic shergottite. Olivine megacrysts are set within a groundmass composed of finer grained olivine, pyroxene (pigeonite and augite), and maskelynite. Minor phases are chromite‐ulvöspinel, ilmenite, silica, K‐rich feldspar, merrillite, chlorapatite, and pyrrhotite. Secondary phases of terrestrial origin include calcite, gypsum, celestite, Fe hydroxides, and smectite. Dhofar 019 is most similar to the Elephant Moraine (EETA) 79001 lithology A and Dar al Gani (DaG) 476/489 shergottites. The main features that distinguish Dhofar 019 from other shergottites are lack of orthopyroxene; lower Ni contents of olivine; the heaviest oxygen‐isotopic bulk composition; and larger compositional ranges for olivine, maskelynite, and spinel, as well as a wide range for pyroxenes. The large compositional ranges of the minerals are indicative of relatively rapid crystallization. Modeling of olivine chemical zonations yield minimum cooling rates of 0.5‐0.8 °C/h. Spinel chemistry suggests that crystallization took place under one of the most reduced conditions for martian meteorites, at an fO2 3 log units below the quartz‐fayalite‐magnetite (QFM) buffer. The olivine megacrysts are heterogeneously distributed in the rock. Crystal size distribution analysis suggests that they constitute a population formed under steady‐state conditions of nucleation and growth, although a few grains may be cumulates. The parent melt is thought to have been derived from partial melting of a light rare earth element‐ and platinum group element‐depleted mantle source. Shergottites, EETA79001 lithology A, DaG 476/489, and Dhofar 019, although of different ages, comprise a particular type of martian rocks. Such rocks could have formed from chemically similar source(s) and parent melt(s), with their bulk compositions affected by olivine accumulation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2002.tb00881.x","authors":["L. A. Taylor","М. А. Назаров","C. K. Shearer","H. Y. McSween","J. T. S. Cahill","C. R. Neal","M. A. Ivanova","L. D. Barsukova","R. C. F. Lentz","Robert N. Clayton","T. K. Mayeda"],"tags":["Pigeonite","Augite","Geology","Olivine","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2002.tb00881.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W1651489775","name":"Petrologic history of the moon inferred from petrography, mineralogy, and petrogenesis of Apollo 11 rocks","source":"openalex","abstract":"The mineralogy and petrology of the Apollo 11 rocks are consistent with impact melting \\nof ilmenite and pyroxene crystals plus liquid derived from fractional crystallization of basaltic magama. \\nThe complementary plagioclase accumulate should exist in the highlands. The ferrobasaltic magma is \\nderived from a differentiated hot moon of modified chondritic composition. The one-sided distribution \\nof large irregular seas is explained by tidal attraction of the last fraction of liquid to the \\nnear side of the moon and release of liquid by meteorite impact. \\nThe vesicular ferrobasalt lavas contain ilmenite, clinopyroxene and plagioclase and have textures \\nsimilar to some terrestrial basalts. Delayed appearance of plagioclase indicates an unusual source of \\nthe magma. The iron-enrichment of the coarser microgabbros is extreme at the end of crystallization \\nresulting in a new iron metasilicate, pyroxferroite. \\nThe oxygen fugacity at 1050°C of these rocks indicated by the composition of opaque oxides and \\ntroilite-iron intergrowths is 10^(-14)-10^(-16) compared to 10^(- 11) for terrestrial basalts and about 10^(16) \\nfor ordinary chondrites. Absence of hydrous minerals indicates loss of volatiles at some stage in \\nthe moon's history. \\nThe breccias and soil have the same mineralogy modified by shock. Plagioclase vitrophyres are \\nprobably melted cumulates and may derive from the highlands. Lithification of the breccia results \\nprincipally from welding of debris discharged from a hot gas cloud created by meteorite impact. \\nSmall glass spheres have surface features consistent with a fiery rain of boiling silicate liquid rounded \\nby surface tension and later impacted by high-velocity micrometeorites. \\nMelting experiments of synthetic material of mean Apollo 11 rock composition revealed low \\nliquidus temperature, delayed appearance of plagioclase and narrow crystal-liquid interval. These \\nsupport the concept of advanced fractional crystallization of a basaltic liquid under reducing conditions leading to high iron enrichment. Flotation of plagioclase and sin king of ilmenite and pyroxene \\nshould occur in the liquid basalt. \\nWe propose that meteorite impact blasted away a plagioclase-rich crust, melting a mixture of \\nfractionated basalt liquid and ilmenite plus pyroxene crystals. The new liquid formed the Sea of \\nTranquillity and yielded the near-surface lava flows represented by the ferrobasalts and microgabbros. \\nThis new liquid could yield plagioclase only after the extra ilmenite and pyroxene had \\ncrystallized. \\nWe propose that the original basalt liquid was derived by fractional crystallization of a molten \\nmoon of modified chondritic composition yielding a metallic core surrounded by pressure-stable \\nMg-rich o li vine and pyroxene. The fractionated liquid became Fe-rich resulting in an inverse density \\nstratification. Primitive ultra basic crust should occur in the highlands, along with dominant plagio clase- \\nrich cumulates. The temperature-time relations of the model are discussed qualitatively. Key factors are early \\nremoval of radioactive material from the center by fractional crystallization and possible enhancement \\nof radiative heat transfer in volatile-free silicates. The moon rocks should be more refractory \\nand rigid because of the low volatile content.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1651489775","authors":["J. V. Smith","A. T. Anderson","Robert C. Newton","Edward J. Olsen","Peter J. Wyllie","A. V. Crewe","M. S. Isaacson","D. Johnson"],"tags":["Geology","Plagioclase","Geochemistry","Basalt","Fractional crystallization (geology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1970-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2900094033","name":"CHAPTER 10. PYROXENE MINERALOGY OF THE MOON AND METEORITES","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9781501508257-014","authors":["James J. Papike"],"tags":["Pyroxene","Meteorite","Geology","Geochemistry","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1980-12-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9781501508257-014","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2093369526","name":"The Composition of Zircon and Igneous and Metamorphic Petrogenesis","source":"openalex","abstract":"Research Article| January 02, 2003 The Composition of Zircon and Igneous and Metamorphic Petrogenesis Paul W. O. Hoskin; Paul W. O. Hoskin Institut für Mineralogie, Petrologie und Geochemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg D-79104 Freiburg, Germany Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Urs Schaltegger Urs Schaltegger Section des Sciences de la Terre, Départment de Minéralogie, Rue des Maraîchers 13 CH-1211 Genève 4, Switzerland Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry (2003) 53 (1): 27–62. https://doi.org/10.2113/0530027 Article history first online: 03 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Paul W. O. Hoskin, Urs Schaltegger; The Composition of Zircon and Igneous and Metamorphic Petrogenesis. Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry 2003;; 53 (1): 27–62. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/0530027 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyReviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry Search Advanced Search Zircon is the main mineral in the majority of igneous and metamorphic rocks with Zr as an essential structural constituent. It is a host for significant fractions of the whole-rock abundance of U, Th, Hf, and the REE (Sawka 1988, Bea 1996, O'Hara et al. 2001). These elements are important geochemically as process indicators or parent isotopes for age determination. The importance of zircon in crustal evolution studies is underscored by its predominant use in U-Th-Pb geochronology and investigations of the temporal evolution of both the crust and lithospheric mantle. In the past decade an increasing... You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2113/0530027","authors":["P. W. O. Hoskin"],"tags":["Zircon","Igneous rock","Petrogenesis","Geochemistry","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2113/0530027","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2901743032","name":"The physical properties of meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2018.11.003","authors":["D. R. Ostrowski","K. L. Bryson"],"tags":["Meteorite","Materials science","Emissivity","Astrobiology","Thermal conductivity"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-11-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2018.11.003","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2021072354","name":"Itokawa Dust Particles: A Direct Link Between S-Type Asteroids and Ordinary Chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Hayabusa spacecraft successfully recovered dust particles from the surface of near-Earth asteroid 25143 Itokawa. Synchrotron-radiation x-ray diffraction and transmission and scanning electron microscope analyses indicate that the mineralogy and mineral chemistry of the Itokawa dust particles are identical to those of thermally metamorphosed LL chondrites, consistent with spectroscopic observations made from Earth and by the Hayabusa spacecraft. Our results directly demonstrate that ordinary chondrites, the most abundant meteorites found on Earth, come from S-type asteroids. Mineral chemistry indicates that the majority of regolith surface particles suffered long-term thermal annealing and subsequent impact shock, suggesting that Itokawa is an asteroid made of reassembled pieces of the interior portions of a once larger asteroid.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1207758","authors":["Tomoki Nakamura","T. Noguchi","Masahiko Tanaka","M. E. Zolensky","Makoto Kimura","A. Tsuchiyama","Aiko Nakato","T. Ogami","H. Ishida","Masayuki Uesugi","Toru Yada","K. Shirai","Akio Fujimura","Ryuji Okazaki","Scott A. Sandford","Yukihiro Ishibashi","Masanao Abe","Tatsuaki Okada","Munetaka Ueno","Toshifumi Mukai","Makoto Yoshikawa","Jun’ichiro Kawaguchi"],"tags":["Asteroid","Chondrite","Astrobiology","Regolith","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-08-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1207758","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2996638665","name":"Mineralogical Evolution of Meteorite Parent Bodies","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W2996638665","authors":["J. F. Bell"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Geology","Biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1986-03-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2044946901","name":"A coordinated spectral, mineralogical, and compositional study of ordinary chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2010.02.016","authors":["T. L. Dunn","T. J. McCoy","J. M. Sunshine","H. Y. McSween"],"tags":["Chondrite","Mafic","Meteorite","Pyroxene","Olivine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-03-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2010.02.016","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2093224571","name":"Chondrules: First Occurrence in an Iron Meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Complete chondrules and fragments of chondrules have been found within silicate inclusions from the octahedrite iron meteorite Netschaevo. The bulk chemical composition, mineralogy, and mineral chemistry indicate that this chondritic material has properties intermediate between those of the H-group chondrites and those of the enstatite chondrites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.174.4009.583","authors":["Edward Olsen","E. Jarosewich"],"tags":["Chondrule","Enstatite","Chondrite","Meteorite","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1971-11-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.174.4009.583","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W1666755984","name":"Gabbroic lunar mare meteorites Asuka-881757(Asuka-31) and Yamato-793169:Geochmical and mineralogical study","source":"openalex","abstract":"Asuka-31 (Asuka-881757) is a new type of gabbroic mare basalt which is similar to VLT mare basalts from Apollo 17 and Luna 24. The small lunar meteorite Yamato-793169 was described to have petrologic characteristics that are similar to those of A-881757; this similarity is confirmed here for trace element compositions. We studied bulk (powder) samples and mineral and rock fragments of A-881757. The mineralogy and mineral chemistry of the separates from A-881757,111 is that of a coarse-grained gabbroic rock of VLT composition; the texture of the mesostases suggests some metamorphic recrystallization with highly unequilibrated mineral compositions. As for mineral phases, we found plagioclase, pyroxene, fayalite, Fe-Ni metal, silica, apatite, and some trace minerals. In addition, we found ulvospinels associated with Na-rich plagioclase, fayalite, apatite, ilmenite, SiO_2,Fe-sulfide, and a rare metal (0.3wt% Ni, 2.0wt% Co) which has a composition unknown so far from any lunar rocks. The trace element contents found in the mineral separates and fragments correspond closely to the mineralogical findings. The chondrite normalized REE patterns for the bulk samples of A-881757 and Y-793169 are relatively flat, with some light REE depletion that is typical of mare basalts. The plagioclasedominated subsamples A31-CL, A31-CL2,and A31-YC show a distinct positive Eu anomaly. The bulk trace element composition of Y-793169 is almost identical to that of A-881757. Solar-wind dervved noble gas and exposure age studies of A-881757 and Y-793169 have indicated marked differences between the two meteorites, indicating that they might have been ejected in different events. These two new gabbroic, VLT-like, mare basalts are therefore valuable new additions to the lunar meteorite collection.","url":"https://doi.org/10.15094/00004599","authors":["Christian Koeberl","G. Kurat","F. Brandstätter"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Astrobiology","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1993-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.15094/00004599","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W3104173895","name":"Mineralogical Study of the Leoville Meteorite (CV3): Macroscopic Texture and Transmission Electron Microscopic Observations","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3104173895","authors":["Wolfgang Friedrich Müller","F. Wlotzka"],"tags":["Meteorite","Texture (cosmology)","Geology","Achondrite","Transmission electron microscopy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1982-03-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2096961319","name":"Meteorites on Mars observed with the Mars Exploration Rovers","source":"openalex","abstract":"Reduced weathering rates due to the lack of liquid water and significantly greater typical surface ages should result in a higher density of meteorites on the surface of Mars compared to Earth. Several meteorites were identified among the rocks investigated during Opportunity's traverse across the sandy Meridiani plains. Heat Shield Rock is a IAB iron meteorite and has been officially recognized as “Meridiani Planum.” Barberton is olivine‐rich and contains metallic Fe in the form of kamacite, suggesting a meteoritic origin. It is chemically most consistent with a mesosiderite silicate clast. Santa Catarina is a brecciated rock with a chemical and mineralogical composition similar to Barberton. Barberton, Santa Catarina, and cobbles adjacent to Santa Catarina may be part of a strewn field. Spirit observed two probable iron meteorites from its Winter Haven location in the Columbia Hills in Gusev Crater. Chondrites have not been identified to date, which may be a result of their lower strengths and probability to survive impact at current atmospheric pressures. Impact craters directly associated with Heat Shield Rock, Barberton, or Santa Catarina have not been observed, but such craters could have been erased by eolian‐driven erosion.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2007je002990","authors":["Christian Schröder","D. Rodionov","T. J. McCoy","B. L. Jolliff","R. Gellert","L. R. Nittler","W. H. Farrand","J. R. Johnson","Steven W. Ruff","J. W. Ashley","David W. Mittlefehldt","K. E. Herkenhoff","I. Fleischer","A. F. C. Haldemann","G. Klingelhöfer","D. W. Ming","R. V. Morris","Paulo de Souza","S. W. Squyres","C. M. Weitz","A. S. Yen","J. Zipfel","T. Economou"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Impact crater","Kamacite","Mars Exploration Program"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-04-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2007je002990","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2031578559","name":"Mechanisms of weathering of meteorites recovered from hot and cold deserts and the formation of phyllosilicates","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0016-7037(03)00486-1","authors":["Martin Lee","P. A. Bland"],"tags":["Meteorite","Weathering","Chondrite","Troilite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0016-7037(03)00486-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2121407772","name":"Mineralogy of the lunar crust: Results from Clementine","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The central peaks of 109 impact craters across the Moon are examined with Clementine ultraviolet‐visible (UVVIS) camera multispectral data. The craters range in diameter from 40 to 180 km and are believed to have exhumed material from 5–30 km beneath the surface to form the peaks, including both upper and lower crustal rocks depending on whether craters have impacted into highlands or basins. Representative five‐color spectra from spectrally and spatially distinct areas within the peaks are classified using spectral parameters, including “key ratio” (which is related to mafic mineral abundance) and “spectral curvature” (linked to absorption band shape, which distinguishes between low‐ and high‐Ca pyroxene and olivine). The spectral parameters are correlated to mineralogical abundances, related in turn to highland plutonic rock compositions. The derived rock compositions for the various central peaks are presented in a global map. From these results, it is evident that the lunar crust is compositionally diverse, both globally and at local 100 m scales found within individual sets of central peaks. Although the central peaks compositions imply a crust that is generally consistent with previous models of crustal structure, they also indicate a more anorthositic crust than generally assumed, with a bulk plagioclase content of ∼81%, evolving from “pure” anorthosite near the surface towards more mafic, low‐Ca pyroxene‐rich compositions with depth (comparable to anorthositic norite). Evidence for mafic plutons occurs in both highlands and basins and represent all mafic highland rock types. However, the lower crust is more compositionally diverse than the highlands, with both a greater range of rock types and more diversity within individual sets of central peaks.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1999.tb01729.x","authors":["S. Tompkins","C. M. Pieters"],"tags":["Mafic","Anorthosite","Geology","Crust","Impact crater"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1999.tb01729.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2764028236","name":"The Effect of Jupiter's Formation on the Distribution of Refractory Elements and Inclusions in Meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We present a comprehensive evolutionary model of the Sun’s protoplanetary disk, constructed to resolve the “CAI storage problem” of meteoritics. We predict the abundances of calcium-rich, aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) and refractory lithophile elements under the central assumption that Jupiter’s ∼30 M ⊕ core formed at about 3 au at around 0.6 Myr and opened a gap. CAIs were trapped in the pressure maximum beyond Jupiter; carbonaceous chondrites formed there. Inside Jupiter’s orbit, CAIs were depleted by aerodynamic drag; ordinary and enstatite chondrites formed there. For 16 chondrites and achondrites, we review meteoritic data on their CAI and refractory abundances and their times of formation, constrained by radiometric dating and thermal models. We predict their formation locations, finding excellent consistency with other location information (water content, asteroid spectra, and parent bodies). We predict the size of particles concentrated by turbulence for each chondrite, finding excellent matches to each chondrite’s mean chondrule diameter. These consistencies imply meteorite parent bodies assembled quickly from local materials concentrated by turbulence, and usually did not migrate far. We predict CI chondrites are depleted in refractory lithophile elements relative to the Sun, by about 12% (0.06 dex). We constrain the variation of the turbulence parameter α in the disk and find a limited role for magnetorotational instability, favoring hydrodynamical instabilities in the outer disk, plus magnetic disk winds in the inner disk. Between 3 and 4 Myr at least, gas persisted outside Jupiter but was depleted inside it, and the solar nebula was a transition disk.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4365/aad95f","authors":["Steven J. Desch","Anusha Kalyaan","C. M. O'd. Alexander"],"tags":["Chondrite","Enstatite","Formation and evolution of the Solar System","Chondrule","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4365/aad95f","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2022927664","name":"Analytical results for the material of the Chelyabinsk meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"This paper presents the results of the mineralogical, petrographic, elemental, and isotopic analysis of the Chelyabinsk meteorite and their geochemical interpretation. It was shown that the meteorite can be assigned to LL5-group ordinary chondrites and underwent moderate shock metamorphism (stage S4). The Chelyabinsk meteorite contains a significant fraction (approximately one-third by volume) of shock-melted material similar in composition to the main volume of the meteorite. The results of isotopic analysis suggest that the history of meteorite formation included an impact event approximately 290 Ma ago.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1134/s0016702913070100","authors":["É. M. Galimov","В. П. Колотов","M. A. Nazarov","Yu. A. Kostitsyn","И. В. Кубракова","Н. Н. Кононкова","I. A. Roshchina","V. A. Alexeev","L. L. Kashkarov","D. D. Badyukov","V. S. Sevastyanov"],"tags":["Meteorite","Petrography","Chondrite","Geology","Shock metamorphism"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1134/s0016702913070100","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2054889081","name":"An Isotopic and Petrologic Study of Calcium-Aluminum-Rich Inclusions from CO3 Meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0016-7037(97)00374-8","authors":["S. S. Russell","G. R. Huss","Albert J. Fahey","R. C. Greenwood","R. Hutchison","G. J. Wasserburg"],"tags":["Melilite","Chondrite","Pyroxene","Geology","Anorthite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0016-7037(97)00374-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"oa:W2089720636","name":"The Source Crater of Martian Shergottite Meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Absolute ages for planetary surfaces are often inferred by crater densities and only indirectly constrained by the ages of meteorites. We show that the <5 million-year-old and 55-km-wide Mojave Crater on Mars is the ejection source for the meteorites classified as shergottites. Shergottites and this crater are linked by their coinciding meteorite ejection ages and the crater formation age and by mineralogical constraints. Because Mojave formed on 4.3 billion-year-old terrain, the original crystallization ages of shergottites are old, as inferred by Pb-Pb isotope ratios, and the much-quoted shergottite ages of <600 million years are due to resetting. Thus, the cratering-based age determination method for Mars is now calibrated in situ, and it shifts the absolute age of the oldest terrains on Mars backward by 200 million years.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1247282","authors":["Stéphanie C. Werner","Anouck Ody","F. Poulet"],"tags":["Meteorite","Impact crater","Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-03-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1247282","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1130/abs/2025am-10979","name":"Insights into Lunar Evolution from Basaltic Breccias: the Mineralogy and Petrology of Dominion Range (DOM) lunar meteorite 18543","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/abs/2025am-10979","authors":["Claire McLeod","Alex Schweitzer","Aleksandra Gawronska","Marion Lytle","Barry Shaulis","Matthew Loocke"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-11T05:26:51Z","doi":"10.1130/abs/2025am-10979","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.31577/geolcarp.71.3.2","name":"Mineralogy, geochemistry and classification of the new Smolenice iron meteorite from Slovakia","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract: A single 13.95 kg mass of a slightly weathered iron meteorite was found in the forest near Smolenice (48°31.2’N, 17°23.9’E; Trnava County, Slovakia). The bulk chemical composition (in wt. %) is: Fe 88.78, Ni 8.16, Co 0.38, P 0.05, S˂0.006 and (in μg/g): Ge˂0.18, Ir 1.67, Ga 1.80, Cr 87.3, Cu 135.1, As 4.52, Mo 5.82, Sn 1.53, W 0.56, Re 0.18, Ru 3.56, Rh 0.90, Pd 4.12, Pt 5.35, Au 1.19, Zn˂5, B˂0.68, Pb˂0.06. Bulk geochemistry, and Ni, Ga, Ge and Ir contents in particular suggest that the meteorite is an octahedrite belonging to the IVA group. The average thickness of kamacite lamellae is 0.22 mm, ranking it as fine octahedrite (Of). The mineral composition is simple, the most abundant minerals being iron (kamacite) (5.16–7.36 wt. % Ni) followed by taenite (16.73–33.93 wt. % Ni). Troilite nodules and daubréelite inclusions and thin veinlets are rare. The Widmanstätten pattern is uniform across the meteorite and plessite structure is developed locally. Analyses of cosmogenic radionuclides (14C and 26Al) indicate that the radius of the Smolenice meteorite could be 30±10 cm and its terrestrial age 11±2 kyr.","url":"https://doi.org/10.31577/geolcarp.71.3.2","authors":["Milan Gargulák","Daniel Ozdín","Pavel P. Povinec","Stanislav Strekopytov","A.J. Timothy Jull","Ivan Sýkora","Vladimír Porubčan","Stefan Farsang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-07-03T07:29:22Z","doi":"10.31577/geolcarp.71.3.2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00184.x","name":"A new Martian meteorite from Oman: Mineralogy, petrology, and shock metamorphism of olivine-phyric basaltic shergottite Sayh al Uhaymir 150","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The Sayh al Uhaymir (SaU) 150 meteorite was found on a gravel plateau, 43.3 km south of Ghaba, Oman, on October 8, 2002. Oxygen isotope (δ17O 2.78; δ18O 4.74), CRE age (˜1.3 Ma), and noble gas studies confirm its Martian origin. SaU 150 is classified as an olivine-phyric basalt, having a porphyritic texture with olivine macrocrysts set in a finer-grained matrix of pigeonite and interstitial maskelynite, with minor augite, spinel, ilmenite, merrillite, pyrrhotite, pentlandite, and secondary (terrestrial) calcite and iron oxides. The bulk rock composition, in particular mg (68) [molar Mg/(Mg + Fe) x 100], Fe/Mn (37.9), and Na/Al (0.22), are characteristic of Martian meteorites. Based on mineral compositions, cooling rates determined from crystal morphology, and crystal size distribution, it is deduced that the parent magma formed in a steady-state growth regime (magma chamber) that cooled at <°C/hr. Subsequent eruption as a thick lava flow or hypabyssal intrusion entrained a small fraction of xenocrystic olivine and gave rise to a magmatic foliation, with slow cooling allowing for near homogenization of igneous minerals. SaU 150 experienced an equilibration shock pressure of 33–45 GPa in a single impact event. Post-shock heat gave rise to localized melting (˜11 vol%). Larger volume melts remained fluid after pressure release and crystallized dendritic olivine and pyroxene with fractal dimensions of 1.80–1.89 and 1.89–1.95, respectively, at -ΔT >70–365 °C. SaU 150 is essentially identical to SaU 005/094, all representing samples of the same fall that are similar to, but distinct from, the DaG shergottites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00184.x","authors":["E. L. WALTON","J. G. SPRAY","R. BARTOSCHEWITZ","E. L. Walton","J. G. Spray","R. Bartoschewitz"],"tags":["Pigeonite","Geology","Olivine","Pyroxene","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-08-01","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00184.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1134/s1028334x15100128","name":"The Kunashak meteorite: New data on mineralogy","source":"openalex","abstract":"Add info about the mineral composition of the Kunashak meteorite that fell in the Chelyabinsk region in 1949. It was found that the cosmic substance is composed of olivine (chrysolite), orthopyroxene (bronzite), clinopyroxene (augite), plagioclase (albite), maskelynite, chromite, magnetite, wustite, ilmenite, metals iron and nickel (kamacite and taenite), sulphides (troilite and pentlandite), chlorapatite and merrillite. This augite, ilmenite, pentlandite and chlorapatite identified in the Kunashak meteorite for the first time. For all minerals presents data on the chemical composition. Himself meteorite is an ordinary chondrite stone and belongs to petrological type L5-L6.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1134/s1028334x15100128","authors":["Yu. V. Erokhin","V. A. Koroteev","V. V. Khiller","E. V. Burlakov","K. S. Ivanov","D. A. Kleimenov","В. В. Хиллер","К. С. Иванов","Д. А. Клейменов"],"tags":["Troilite","Augite","Geology","Pentlandite","Kamacite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-10-01","doi":"10.1134/s1028334x15100128","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1134/s1028334x16120096","name":"The Ozernoye meteorite: New data on mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"New data on the mineral composition of the Ozernoye meteorite, found in the Kurgan region in 1983, are presented. It has been found that that the meteorite’s matter is composed of olivine (chrysolite), orthopyroxene (bronzite), clinopyroxene (augite), maskelynite, chromite, ilmenite, metals Fe and Ni (kamasite, taenite), sulfides (troilite, pentlandite), chlorapatite, and merrillite. Augite, taenite, pentlandite, and merrillite were identified in the Ozernoye meteorite for the first time. The chemical compositions are given for all these minerals. The meteorite itself is an ordinary chondrite stone belonging to petrological type L5.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1134/s1028334x16120096","authors":["Yu. V. Erokhin","V. A. Koroteev","V. V. Khiller","E. V. Burlakov","K. S. Ivanov","D. A. Kleimenov"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-05T08:12:26Z","doi":"10.1134/s1028334x16120096","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2478/bgeo-2018-0018","name":"Mineralogy and deformation structures in components of clastic sediments from the Morasko meteorite lake (Poland)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract The paper presents a mineralogical analysis of sediments of the biggest lake in the Morasko Meteorite Reserve (Poland). The lake is filled by phytogenic sediments at the top, while at the bottom there are Neogene clays. The main components are: clay minerals in fine fraction and quartz and feldspars in coarse sandy fractions. The presence of disturbed ferrous zones suggests the existence of a dynamic factor that caused deformations in the sediments. Cavities, crevices, cracks, and traces of parching or fragmentation of mineral material can be interpreted as deformations related to the impact of meteorite fragments in non-consolidated soft sediments in the Morasko meteorite nature reserve. Meteorite fragments that left numerous deformed structures were most probably consituted meteorite debris that originated from the fragmentation of the meteorite before its impact.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2478/bgeo-2018-0018","authors":["Agata Duczmal-Czernikiewicz","Adam Choiński","Mariusz Ptak","Andrzej Muszyński"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-12-20T09:30:24Z","doi":"10.2478/bgeo-2018-0018","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.pss.2018.06.011","name":"Mineralogy and microstructure of the Morasko meteorite crust","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2018.06.011","authors":["Agata Duczmal-Czernikiewicz","Danuta Michalska"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Iron meteorite","Mineralogy","Mineral"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-06-30","doi":"10.1016/j.pss.2018.06.011","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb01199.x","name":"The mineralogy of the Yaringie Hill meteorite—A new H5 chondrite from South Australia","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract— The Yaringie Hill meteorite is a new H5 ordinary chondrite found in the Gawler Ranges, South Australia. The meteorite, which shows only minor signs of terrestrial weathering, is predominantly composed of olivine (Fa 17.2 ), orthopyroxene (Fs 15.1 Wo 1.1 ), and three distinct phases of nickeliferous iron metal (kamacite, taenite, tetrataenite). Other minerals include troilite, plagioclase (Ab 81 An 16 Or 3 ), clinopyroxene (En 52 Wo 42 Fs 6 ), chlorapatite, merrillite, ilmenite, and native copper. Three types of spinel with distinctive textures (coarse, skeletal aggregates, rounded aggregates) and with compositions close to the join MgAl 2 O 4 ‐FeCr 2 O 4 are also present. Chondrules within the Yaringie Hill meteorite, which often have poorly defined boundaries, are placed in a recrystallized matrix. Shock indicators suggest that the meteorite experienced only weak shock metamorphism (S3).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb01199.x","authors":["Ralf Tappert","John Foden","Allan Pring"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-01-26T15:12:25Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb01199.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0012-821x(03)00282-6","name":"Formation history of CI-like phyllosilicate-rich clasts in the Tsukuba meteorite inferred from mineralogy and noble gas signatures","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0012-821x(03)00282-6","authors":["Daisuke Nakashima","Tomoki Nakamura","Takaaki Noguchi","D. Nakashima","T. Noguchi"],"tags":["Geology","Clastic rock","Meteorite","Saponite","Parent body"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-06-30","doi":"10.1016/s0012-821x(03)00282-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1134/s0016702918010081","name":"Mineralogy of silicate inclusions in the Elga IIE iron meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"The petrography, mineral modal data and major and trace element compositions of 15 silicate inclusions in the Elga iron meteorite (chemical group IIE) show that these inclusions represent chemically homogeneous zoned objects with highly variable structures, reflecting the sequence of crystallization of a silicate melt during cooling of the metal host. The outer zones of inclusions at the interface with their metal host have a relatively medium-grained hypocrystalline texture formed mainly by Cr-diopside and merrillite crystals embedded in high-silica glass, whereas the central zones have a fine-grained hypocrystalline texture. Merrillite appears first on the liquidus in the outer zones of the silicate inclusions. Na and REE concentrations in merrillite from the outer zones of inclusions suggest that it may have crystallized as α-merrillite in the temperature range of 1300–1700°С. Merrillite tends to preferentially accumulate Eu without Sr. Therefore, strongly fractionated REE patterns are not associated with prolonged differentiation of the silicate melt source but depend on crystallization conditions of Н-chondrite droplets in a metallic matrix. The systematic decrease in Mg# with increasing Fe/Mn in bronzite may indicate partial reduction of iron during crystallization of the inclusion melt. The modal and bulk compositions of silicate inclusions in the Elga meteorite, as well as the chemical composition of phases are consistent with the model equilibrium crystallization of a melt, corresponding to 25% partial melting of H-chondrite, and the crystallizing liquidus phase, merrillite, and subsequent quenching at about 1090°С. Despite a high alkali content of the average weighted bulk inclusion composition, La/Hf and Rb/Th fall within the field of H chondrites, suggesting their common source. Our results reveal that silicate inclusions in the Elga (IIE) iron meteorite originated by mixing of two impact melts, ordinary chondrite and Ni-rich iron with а IIE composition, which were produced by impact event under near-surface conditions on a partially differentiated parent asteroid.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1134/s0016702918010081","authors":["S. N. Teplyakova","C. A. Lorenz","M. A. Ivanova","N. N. Kononkova","M. O. Anosova","K. M. Ryazantsev","Yu. A. Kostitsyn","Н. Н. Кононкова"],"tags":["Silicate","Meteorite","Geology","Chondrite","Liquidus"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-01-01","doi":"10.1134/s0016702918010081","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_8","name":"Meteorite erkennen und konservieren","source":"crossref","abstract":"Meteorite geben sich häufig durch ihre hohe Dichte, ihre äußere Form und aufgrund der Schmelzkruste zu erkennen.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_8","authors":["Rolf W. Bühler"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-10-08T10:49:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min10050437","name":"Mineralogy of Silicate-Natrophosphate Immiscible Inclusion in Elga IIE Iron Meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Rare type of silicate inclusions found in the Elga iron meteorite (group IIE) has a very specific mineral composition and shows silicate (≈90%)–natrophosphate (≈10%) liquid immiscibility due to meniscus-like isolation of Na-Ca-Mg-Fe phosphates. The 3 mm wide immiscible inclusion has been first studied in detail using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, electron microprobe analysis and Raman spectroscopy. The silicate part of the inclusion contains fine-grained quartz-feldspar aggregate and mafic minerals. The relationships of feldspars indicate solid decay of initially homogenous K-Na-feldspar into albite and K-feldspar with decreasing of temperature. Some mafic minerals in the silicate part are exotic in composition: the dominant phase is an obertiite-subgroup oxyamphibole (amphibole supergroup), varying from ferri-obertiite NaNa2Mg3Fe3+Ti[Si8O22]O2 to hypothetical NaNa2Mg3Fe2+0.5Ti1.5[Si8O22]O2; minor phases are the aenigmatite-subgroup mineral (sapphirine supergroup) with composition close to median value of the Na2Fe2+5TiSi6O18O2-Na2Mg5TiSi6O18O2 join, orthopyroxene (enstatite), clinopyroxene of the diopside Ca(Mg,Fe)Si2O6–kosmochlor NaCrSi2O6-Na(Mg,Fe)0.5Ti0.5Si2O6 series and chromite. The alteration phases are represented by Fe-dominant chlorite, goethite and hydrated Na2O-rich (2.3–3.3 wt.%) Fe-phosphate close to vivianite. Natrophosphate part consists of aggregate of three orthophosphates (brianite, czochralskiite, marićite) and minor Na-Cr-Ti-clinopyroxene, pentlandite, rarely taenite. Czochralskiite Na4Ca3Mg(PO4)4 is rich in FeO (2.3–5.1 wt.%) and MnO (0.4–1.5 wt.%). Brianite Na2CaMg(PO4)2 contains FeO (3.0–4.3 wt.%) and MnO (0.3–0.7 wt.%) and marićite NaFe(PO4) bears MnO (5.5–6.2 wt.%), MgO (5.3–6.2 wt.%) and CaO (0.5–1.5 wt.%). The contact between immiscible parts is decorated by enstatite zone in the silicate part and diopside–kosmochlor clinopyroxene zone in the natrophosphate ones. The mineralogy of the studied immiscible inclusion outlines three potentially new mineral species, which were first identified in meteorites: obertiite–related oxyamphibole NaNa2Mg3Fe2+0.5Ti1.5[Si8O22]O2, Mg-analog of aenigmatite Na2Mg5TiSi6O18O2 and Na-Ti-rich clinopyroxene Na(Mg,Fe)0.5Ti0.5Si2O6.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min10050437","authors":["Victor V. Sharygin","V. V. Sharygin"],"tags":["Silicate","Albite","Geology","Feldspar","Enstatite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-05-13","doi":"10.3390/min10050437","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_13","name":"Erratum to: Meteorite erkennen und konservieren","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_13","authors":["Rolf W. Bühler"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-10-08T10:49:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_13","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_1","name":"Samples and Experimental Methods","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_1","authors":["Xiande Xie","Ming Chen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-10T18:06:33Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1036/1097-8542.420500","name":"Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"AccessScience is an authoritative and dynamic online resource that contains incisively written, high-quality educational material covering all major scientific disciplines. An acclaimed gateway to scientific knowledge, AccessScience is continually expanding the ways it can demonstrate and explain core, trustworthy scientific information that inspires and guides users to deeper knowledge.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.420500","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-07-10T15:46:54Z","doi":"10.1036/1097-8542.420500","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_7","name":"Ursprungsorte und wissenschaftliche Bedeutung der Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"Meteorite sind überwiegend Bruchstücke von Asteroiden, die als Kleinplaneten direkt gebildet wurden und nicht Fragmente eines einzigen großen Planeten sein können. Die meisten der Asteroiden bewegen sich im Bereich eines Gürtels zwischen Mars und Jupiter um die Sonne.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_7","authors":["Rolf W. Bühler"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-10-08T06:49:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/springerreference_225331","name":"Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/springerreference_225331","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-04-05T10:30:47Z","doi":"10.1007/springerreference_225331","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s12517-014-1572-y","name":"Mineralogy texture and chemistry of the Ellicott meteorite using scanning electron microscope and energy disperse spectroscopy (SEM/EDS)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-014-1572-y","authors":["Salman Z. Khalaf","Ali T. Yassin","Salih M. Awadh","Rafaa Z. Jassim"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-08-05T06:13:48Z","doi":"10.1007/s12517-014-1572-y","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/springerreference_30777","name":"Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/springerreference_30777","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-08-03T22:10:45Z","doi":"10.1007/springerreference_30777","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/maps.12879","name":"Meteorite falls in Bulgaria: Reappraisal of mineralogy, chemistry, and classification","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract We present a summary of the mineralogy, mineral chemistry, and magnetic characteristics of all the five Bulgarian meteorite falls. We report the first mineralogical descriptions, chemical analyses, and magnetic measurements of the Konevo (1931) and Silistra (1917) meteorites. We classify Konevo as LL 5, and Silistra as an ungrouped achondrite with HED affinities. Pavel (1966; previously classified as an H5) is reclassified as H3‐anomalous. We also provide precise mineralogy and mineral chemistry of the Virba meteorite (1873, L6), and more details on the mineral chemistry of Gumoschnik (1904, H5).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12879","authors":["Vesselin Dekov","Pierre Rochette","Jérôme Gattacceca"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-04-27T21:45:25Z","doi":"10.1111/maps.12879","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/springerreference_30589","name":"Chronology: Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/springerreference_30589","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-08-03T18:10:45Z","doi":"10.1007/springerreference_30589","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_12","name":"Erratum to: Ursprungsorte und wissenschaftliche Bedeutung der Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"'Erratum to: Ursprungsorte und wissenschaftliche Bedeutung der Meteorite' published in 'Meteorite'","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_12","authors":["Rolf W. Bühler"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-10-08T10:49:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_12","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/springerreference_222304","name":"Meteorite (Allende)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/springerreference_222304","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-02-08T06:25:52Z","doi":"10.1007/springerreference_222304","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/scin.5591670811","name":"Astronomy: Meteorite on Mars","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/scin.5591670811","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-05-06T03:31:17Z","doi":"10.1002/scin.5591670811","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb00536.x","name":"Mineralogy, petrology, and shock history of lunar meteorite Sayh al Uhaymir 300: A crystalline impact‐melt breccia","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Sayh al Uhaymir (SaU) 300 comprises a microcrystalline igneous matrix (grain size &lt;10 μm), dominated by plagioclase, pyroxene, and olivine. Pyroxene geothermometry indicates that the matrix crystallized at ˜1100 °C. The matrix encloses mineral and lithic clasts that record the effects of variable levels of shock. Mineral clasts include plagioclase, low‐ and high‐Ca pyroxene, pigeonite, and olivine. Minor amounts of ilmenite, FeNi metal, chromite, and a silica phase are also present. A variety of lithic clast types are observed, including glassy impact melts, impact‐melt breccias, and metamorphosed impact melts. One clast of granulitic breccia was also noted. A lunar origin for SaU 300 is supported by the composition of the plagioclase (average An 95 ), the high Cr content in olivine, the lack of hydrous phases, and the Fe/Mn ratio of mafic minerals. Both matrix and clasts have been locally overprinted by shock veins and melt pockets. SaU 300 has previously been described as an anorthositic regolith breccia with basaltic components and a granulitic matrix, but we here interpret it to be a polymict crystalline impact‐melt breccia with an olivine‐rich anorthositic norite bulk composition. The varying shock states of the mineral and lithic clasts suggest that they were shocked to between 5–28 GPa (shock stages S1–S2) by impact events in target rocks prior to their inclusion in the matrix. Formation of the igneous matrix requires a minimum shock pressure of 60 GPa (shock stage &gt;S4). The association of maskelynite with melt pockets and shock veins indicates a subsequent, local 28–45 GPa (shock stage S2–S3) excursion, which was probably responsible for lofting the sample from the lunar surface. Subsequent fracturing is attributed to atmospheric entry and probable breakup of the parent meteor.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb00536.x","authors":["J. A. Hudgins","E. L. Walton","J. G. Spray","Jillian Hudgins"],"tags":["Pyroxene","Breccia","Geology","Pigeonite","Plagioclase"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-10-01","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb00536.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/springerreference_30778","name":"Meteorite parent bodies","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/springerreference_30778","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-08-03T18:10:45Z","doi":"10.1007/springerreference_30778","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2025.116873","name":"Lunar spinel-bearing troctolitic anorthosite NWA 12279 meteorite: Linking petrology, mineralogy and spectroscopy","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Mg-suite lithologies, particularly pink spinel-bearing rocks, provide critical insights into the Moon's crust-mantle interactions and impact metamorphism. However, discrepancies persist between remote sensing interpretations and laboratory analyses regarding the petrological characteristics of pink spinel anorthosite (PSA) or pink spinel troctolite (PST). The unbrecciated lunar meteorite NWA 12279, identified as a pink spinel-bearing troctolitic anorthosite (PSTA), offers a pristine record with well-preserved igneous textures, minimal shock metamorphism (S1–S2), and low terrestrial weathering (W0–1) affecting its mafic minerals and spinels. Combined petrological, mineral chemical, Visible-Near Infrared (VNIR) spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopic analyses reveal a homogeneous composition dominated by anorthite (81.8 ± 0.1 vol%, An = ∼97.2), olivine (11.7 ± 1.3 vol%, Fo = ∼76.8), augite-dominated pyroxene (4.75 ± 0.45 vol%, En = ∼57.4), and Mg-spinel (0.96 ± 0.48 vol%, Mg# = ∼82.4). Reflectance spectra from six selected profiles across the sample section show diagnostic absorptions at 1050 nm (olivine), 1950 nm (Mg-spinel), and 2300–2350 nm (high-Ca pyroxene), with spectral contrasts that correlate directly with the spatial distribution of spinel. Regions enriched in spinel display a notably stronger absorption depth at 1950 nm. Furthermore, we establish well-defined linear correlations (R 2 ≥ 0.971) under low-shock conditions (<4 GPa) that enable robust in-situ composition prediction. These quantitative models—olivine Fo from Peak A (∼820 cm −1 ; y = 3.050 × – 2430), spinel Mg# from Peak B (∼670 cm −1 ; y = 0.0461 × + 50.82), and pyroxene En from Peaks C (∼661 cm −1 ; y = 2.635 × – 1701.5) and D (∼1007 cm −1 ; y = 2.547 × – 2522.4). These quantitative models help resolve orbital detection discrepancies for Mg-spinel-rich lithologies and provide essential ground truth for lunar mineralogy. Our findings demonstrate that even modest Mg-spinel abundances of ∼1.0 vol% can produce detectable spectral signatures, challenging existing genetic models for lunar crustal evolution. This study underscores the value of Raman spectroscopy for future lunar missions and indicates a need to recalibrate orbital interpretations of Mg-suite lithologies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2025.116873","authors":["Hongyi Chen","Jiankai Zhou","Lanfang Xie","Jinyu Zhang","Zhipeng Xia"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-04T23:19:07Z","doi":"10.1016/j.icarus.2025.116873","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_11","name":"Neutron Activation Analysis of Trace Elements in Yanzhuang","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_11","authors":["Xiande Xie","Ming Chen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-10T18:06:33Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_11","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1201/9781003174868-10","name":"The Winchcombe Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"Now we come to the story of how an exotic space rock pitched up in a quaint corner of rural England. It had come a long way and made quite a stir.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003174868-10","authors":["Richard Greenwood"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-13T17:57:02Z","doi":"10.1201/9781003174868-10","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_5","name":"Transparent Minerals and Silicate Glass in Shock-Produced Melts","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_5","authors":["Xiande Xie","Ming Chen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-10T18:06:33Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_8","name":"Intra-microstructures of FeNi Metal in Eutectic Blobs","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_8","authors":["Xiande Xie","Ming Chen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-10T18:06:33Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/essoar.10509101.1","name":"Revised interpretation of a specific historical meteorite impact in the Adelaide Hills - Kurianda, A potential meteorite impact site","source":"crossref","abstract":"Crawford and Flaxman impact data that have been attributed to the Eocene, and were published at the turn of the millenium, have been reinterpreted in the light of a visible crater structure in the Barossa area of the Adelaide hills. New considerations include apparent iron meteorite fragments and proposed iron melt, around the Angaston area. At the focus, 300 m north of the junction of Lambtail Corner Rd and Hutton Vale Rd Angaston, a central uplift is present, 50 m above local lows. Until this report, geological studies in this exact area had not deduced an inclusive geological history, as besides the Stockwell and Kitchener faults no other faults are present to account for these hills. In the 1960’s, it was documented that immediately underlying a massive heamatite deposit at Breakneck Hill Rd West is kunkar, which not only underlays but occasionally penetrates the heamatite. Kunkar above the haematite also contains and surrounds isolated iron nodules. Haematite iron deposits do not exist within 25 km, except on these hills, as far as documented. Magnetite iron fragments found above ground nearby are smooth, magnetic, and dark, with 5 mm fusion crust, and are candidates for representing meteorite dispersal fragments. Weathered pieces of putative H chondrite occur alongside the smoothed and fusion crusted pieces. These contain 1 mm presumed Ni-Fe inclusons and 0.l mm inclusions of the same type. On the basis of these observations, it is proposed that the bolide may have been iron-rich, and that vaporisation was incomplete. Determination of the form of target rocks, and the relationship of Kurianda to Crawford and Flaxman will follow, under a model whereby the incident meteor may have been of the “rubble pile” type, breaking up upon entry to the atmosphere.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/essoar.10509101.1","authors":["Robert Moore"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-12-05T20:43:18Z","doi":"10.1002/essoar.10509101.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1130/0-8137-2339-6.223","name":"Formation of a flattened subsurface fracture zone around meteorite craters","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/0-8137-2339-6.223","authors":["Yevgeny Zenchenko","Vsevolod Tsvetkov"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-11-19T16:02:30Z","doi":"10.1130/0-8137-2339-6.223","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_12","name":"LA-ICP-MS Analysis of Trace Elements in Yanzhuang","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_12","authors":["Xiande Xie","Ming Chen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-10T18:06:33Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_12","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9783110829143-004","name":"Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110829143-004","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-12-22T10:34:38Z","doi":"10.1515/9783110829143-004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_35","name":"The Stony Meteorite Krähenberg","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_35","authors":["W. Kempe","O. Müller"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-22T04:47:03Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_35","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.130Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_45","name":"Astronomical Information on Meteorite Orbits","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_45","authors":["Peter M. Millman"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-22T08:47:03Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_45","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_3","name":"Microstructures and Shock-Metamorphic Features of Minerals in Unmelted Chondritic Rock","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_3","authors":["Xiande Xie","Ming Chen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-10T18:06:33Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/oed/7127686649","name":"meteorite, n.","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oed/7127686649","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-18T13:33:50Z","doi":"10.1093/oed/7127686649","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_7","name":"Morphology and Cooling Rates of FeNi Metal–Sulfide Eutectic Blobs","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_7","authors":["Xiande Xie","Ming Chen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-10T18:06:33Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_4","name":"Morphology and Petrography of Shock-Produced Melt Veins and Melt Pockets","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_4","authors":["Xiande Xie","Ming Chen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-10T18:06:33Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_13","name":"PIXE Analysis of Trace Elements in Eutectic FeNi-FeS Blobs","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_13","authors":["Xiande Xie","Ming Chen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-10T18:06:33Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_13","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_9","name":"Spatiotemporal Pattern of FeNi Metal Melt Solidification and Crystallization Mechanism in Space","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_9","authors":["Xiande Xie","Ming Chen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-10T18:06:33Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1201/9781003174868-7","name":"A Meteorite Called Camel Donga","source":"crossref","abstract":"Meteorites can have very strange names. How does that happen? Here, we look at one oddly named meteorite known as “Camel Donga” and find out that it has quite a tale to tell. What follows is one of the most successful detective stories in the history of meteorite studies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003174868-7","authors":["Richard Greenwood"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-13T17:57:02Z","doi":"10.1201/9781003174868-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_46","name":"Meteorite Radiants and Orbits","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_46","authors":["B. Ju. Levin","A. N. Simonenko"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-22T08:47:03Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_46","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1130/2021.2550(001)","name":"Dedication of Large Meteorite Impacts and Planetary Evolution VI to Álvaro Penteado Crósta","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/2021.2550(001)","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-05-13T22:10:16Z","doi":"10.1130/2021.2550(001)","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5860/choice.40-0269","name":"Meteorite hunter: the search for Siberian meteorite craters","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.40-0269","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-01-24T06:25:48Z","doi":"10.5860/choice.40-0269","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4095/100684","name":"Meteorite Studies","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4095/100684","authors":["J A V Douglas"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-03-16T12:46:58Z","doi":"10.4095/100684","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/303384a0","name":"Planetary science: When is a meteorite not a meteorite?","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/303384a0","authors":["I.P. Wright","C.T. Pillinger"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-11-17T23:08:06Z","doi":"10.1038/303384a0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/1.4849322","name":"Classification of an unidentified meteorite through TXRF technique and the chemical comparison with a known meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Twitter Facebook Reddit LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Reprints and Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Wafaa Zaki; Classification of an unidentified meteorite through TXRF technique and the chemical comparison with a known meteorite. AIP Conference Proceedings 16 December 2013; 1569 (1): 492–498. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4849322 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentAIP Publishing PortfolioAIP Conference Proceedings Search Advanced Search |Citation Search","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4849322","authors":["Wafaa Zaki"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-01-03T13:38:27Z","doi":"10.1063/1.4849322","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/jrs.6291","name":"Mineralogy of the RBT 04262 Martian meteorite as determined by micro‐Raman and micro‐X‐ray fluorescence spectroscopies","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Martian meteorites and terrestrial analogs represent the only samples available on Earth for studying mineralogy features of our neighbor planet Mars. This work characterizes the Roberts Massif (RBT) 04262 Martian meteorite by using mainly Raman spectroscopy. By means of this technique, it was confirmed that the meteorite matrix is composed by pyroxene and plagioclase (converted to maskelynite due to the shock pressure). Olivine‐coarse grains embedded in the matrix were also observed. These grains were coated by hydrated magnesium and calcium sulfates, which would belong to the Mars sulfate deposits or to the terrestrial weathering. Although the sulfates could be formed on Mars due to the oxidation of sulfides or elemental sulfur along the sulfur Mars cycle, their distribution along cracks and fractures confirm that are weathering products. However, other S‐bearing compounds that belong to Mars were found, such as elemental sulfur and a thermally transformed iron sulfide. Finally, the calcium phosphate merrillite and titanomagnetite were also detected. Taking this into account, the minerals found were classified into primary minerals that belong to Mars (pyroxene, olivine, elemental sulfur, and titanomagnetite), secondary ones that are alteration products of the primary minerals (maskelynite, iron sulfide, and merrillite), and terrestrial weathering products (sulfates gypsum and epsomite).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.6291","authors":["Jennifer Huidobro","Julene Aramendia","Cristina García‐Florentino","Patricia Ruiz‐Galende","Imanol Torre‐Fdez","Kepa Castro","Gorka Arana","Juan Manuel Madariaga","I. Torre-Fdez"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Pyroxene","Troilite","Weathering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-12-28","doi":"10.1002/jrs.6291","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-8598","name":"The Santa Rosa Meteorite from Colombia: An example of critical raw materials in a meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Meteorites, especially the undifferentiated ones like primitive chondrites, provide information about the origin and initial conditions of the solar system since they contain presolar and solar nebula materials (Scott, 2007). Differentiated meteorites like iron meteorites play a distinct role in constraining the early phases of planetary accretion (Yang et al. 2007). They also provide the possibility to receive information about core properties and planetary bodies. In addition to the gain in such fundamental scientific knowledge both types are of interest for the exploration of critical and precious elements (CRMs).&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;In the future, the tremendous increase of the consumption of these elements from terrestrial deposits and the subsequent shortage could lead to an exploitation of extra-terrestrial deposits. Therefore, &amp;amp;#8220;space-mining&amp;amp;#8221; of near Earth objects could be used as alternative source of raw materials (Ross, 2001).&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;While improving the characterization and classification of the Santa Rosa de Viterbo Iron Meteorite, we found notable concentrations of Au and Ge alongside major elements such as Fe, Ni and Co in the bulk composition of that meteorite. Major and rock-forming minerals such as kamacite and taenite incorporate hundreds of ppm of Ge whereas schreibersite, itself a minor component in that particular meteorite, is a source for Au. In kamacite and taenite also Ir and Ga were found in minor amounts.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;amp;#160;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Scott, E. R. (2007). Chondrites and the protoplanetary disk. Annu. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci., 35, 577-620.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Ross, S. D. (2001). Near-earth asteroid mining. Space, 1-24.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Yang, J., Goldstein, J. I., &amp;amp; Scott, E. R. (2007). Iron meteorite evidence for early formation and catastrophic disruption of protoplanets. Nature, 446(7138), 888.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;amp;#160;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-8598","authors":["Franziska D.H. Wilke","Barbara Bsdok","Uwe Altenberger","Ana E. Concha"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-09T19:40:09Z","doi":"10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-8598","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-031-87558-8_7","name":"Mineralogy of the Kapoeta Meteorite as Determined by Micro-Raman Spectroscopy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-87558-8_7","authors":["Yassir A. Abdu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-30T10:04:20Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-031-87558-8_7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1201/9781003174868-5","name":"The Spy, the Meteorite, and the Lost Legendary City","source":"crossref","abstract":"Meteorites are certainly epic. But here they take on a truly legendary role as we hunt for a mythical lost city. On the way, we meet up with a very English spy and discover that deception is not just a human quality.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003174868-5","authors":["Richard Greenwood"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-13T17:57:02Z","doi":"10.1201/9781003174868-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_10","name":"Fe–Mn–Na Phosphates and Al-Free Chromite in the Metal-Troilite Eutectic Nodule","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_10","authors":["Xiande Xie","Ming Chen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-10T18:06:33Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-15-0735-9_10","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1029/2025gc012882","name":"The Magnetic Mineralogy of Carbonaceous Chondrites: A Microscopy and Machine Learning Study of Meteorite WIS 91600","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract A central challenge in the paleomagnetic study of meteorites is to characterize their diverse remanence carriers. Here, we develop a machine‐learning assisted workflow that combines multi‐scale (mm to nm) and multi‐dimensional (2D‐3D) microscopy to build a comprehensive picture of ferromagnetic mineralogy in the C2 ungrouped carbonaceous chondrite Wisconsin Range (WIS) 91600. Scanning electron microscopy images are acquired across the entire thin section with sufficient resolution to locate all major remanence carrying ensembles. A deep learning classifier yields the volume fraction and morphometric properties of each ensemble, distinguishing between different textural varieties of the same ferromagnetic mineral. Chemical maps of representative ensembles are analyzed using an interactive machine‐learning tool that provides automated mineralogical segmentation and hyperspectral unmixing of the underlying endmembers. Focused‐ion‐beam nanotomography is used to reconstruct representative volumes with 3D spatial resolution sufficient to characterize all remanence carriers down to the stable single‐domain range. 4D scanning transmission electron microscopy provides access to grains in the superparamagnetic size range and diffraction data to enable phase identification. We conclude that the matrix, composed of phyllosilicates with fine‐scale pyrrhotite, pentlandite and magnetite, has a high potential to carry strong and stable paleomagnetic remanence in carbonaceous chondrites. The magnetic contribution from matrix‐hosted pyrrhotite is lowered in WIS 91600, however, due to transient heating inducing M C rather than 4C vacancy ordering. The remanence carrying potential of matrix‐hosted magnetite is similar to magnetite framboids but is less likely to be adversely affected by strong interactions, making it the preferred target for paleomagnetism.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2025gc012882","authors":["Richard J. Harrison","Po‐Yen Tung","Thomas Ginnis","Farhang Nabiei","Ursula Shaw","Elias N. Mansbach","James Bryson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-10T12:16:17Z","doi":"10.1029/2025gc012882","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0016-7037(51)90014-2","name":"The Tromöy Meteorite, a new Norwegian stony meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(51)90014-2","authors":["T. Vogt"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-08-06T18:00:32Z","doi":"10.1016/0016-7037(51)90014-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/3-540-27405-7_29","name":"Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-27405-7_29","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-01-05T16:56:35Z","doi":"10.1007/3-540-27405-7_29","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/maps.12815","name":"Remnants of altered meteorite in the Cretaceous‐Paleogene clay boundary in Poland","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Fossil iron meteorites are extremely rare in the geological sedimentary record. The paleometeorite described here is the first such finding at the Cretaceous‐Paleogene (K‐Pg) boundary. In the boundary clay from the outcrop at the Lechówka quarry (Poland), fragments of the paleometeorite were found in the bottom part of the host layer. The fragments of meteorite (2–6 mm in size) and meteoritic dust are metallic‐gray in color and have a total weight of 1.8181 g. Geochemical and petrographic analyses of the meteorite from Lechówka reveal the presence of Ni‐rich minerals with a total Ni amount of 2–3 wt%. The identified minerals are taenite, kamacite, schreibersite, Ni‐rich magnetite, and Ni‐rich goethite. No relicts of silicates or chromites were found. The investigated paleometeorite apparently represents an independent fall and does not seem to be derived from the K‐Pg impactor. The high degree of weathering did not permit the chemical classification of the meteorite fragments. However, the recognized mineral inventory, lack of silicates, and their pseudomorphs and texture may indicate that the meteorite remains were an iron meteorite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12815","authors":["Krzysztof Szopa","Tomasz Brachaniec","Łukasz Karwowski","Tomasz Krzykawski"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Kamacite","Weathering","Pseudomorph"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-27","doi":"10.1111/maps.12815","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1888/0333750888/5361","name":"Stony Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1888/0333750888/5361","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-07-30T08:31:10Z","doi":"10.1888/0333750888/5361","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1888/0333750888/5372","name":"Hoba Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1888/0333750888/5372","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-07-30T08:32:40Z","doi":"10.1888/0333750888/5372","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.15760/honors.100","name":"Classification of Four Meteorite Samples","source":"crossref","abstract":"The petrography, mineralogy, and mineral chemistry of four unclassified Northwest Africa meteorites in the Cascadia Meteorite Laboratory collection (CML0005, 0023, 0024, 0032) were studied using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The data will be used to classify the meteorites and to obtain official names for the meteorites. CML0023 has the preliminary classification of L6 (S3) W1, CML0024 has L6 (S3) W1, and CML0032 has L6 (S2) W1. CML0005 has chemistry and mineralogy that indicate it is an anomalous acapulcoite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.15760/honors.100","authors":["Karla Farley"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-09-06T17:29:15Z","doi":"10.15760/honors.100","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.64628/aa.un5vcffrn","name":"Meteorite soars over Russia","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.64628/aa.un5vcffrn","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-26T12:36:41Z","doi":"10.64628/aa.un5vcffrn","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5","name":"Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5","authors":["Rolf W. Bühler"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-10-08T10:49:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.18520/cs/v129/i7/650-655","name":"Khalwat Nimgaon meteorite, Maharashtra: an ordinary equilibrated chondritic meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"A meteorite that fell in Khalwat Nimgaon village of Wadvani Tehsil, Beed district, Maharashtra, around 2:30 pm IST on 3 March 2025, was collected and handed over to the Geological Survey of India for preservation, registration and dissemination purposes.The meteorite sample is named Khalwat Nimgaon meteorite, after the name of the village where the meteorite fell.The meteorite sample is characterised by chondrules, shock melting and recrystallised matrix.Petrographic and electron probe microanalysis studies show that the meteorite is a stony meteorite consisting of olivine, orthopyroxene, plagioclase, clinopyroxene, chromite, troilite and Fe-Ni minerals (kamacite and taenite).Petrographic studies and mineral compositions show that the meteorite is an equilibrated L-4 type ordinary chondrite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.18520/cs/v129/i7/650-655","authors":["Susmita Mondal","Sharanya Halder","Monotrisha Dey","Amit Mandal"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-10T10:35:28Z","doi":"10.18520/cs/v129/i7/650-655","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0019-1035(87)90023-6","name":"Detection of a meteorite “stream”: Observations of a second meteorite fall from the orbit of the Innisfree chondrite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(87)90023-6","authors":["Ian Halliday"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-11-11T19:49:31Z","doi":"10.1016/0019-1035(87)90023-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1130/2010.2465(24)","name":"Roter Kamm impact crater of Namibia: New data on rim structure, target rock geochemistry, ejecta, and meteorite trajectory","source":"crossref","abstract":"The almost circular Roter Kamm impact crater, in 1200 Ma granitic gneiss of the Namaqua Metamorphic Complex of the southern Namib Desert, has a diameter of 2.5 km and an age of 4–5 Ma. A variable orientation of the foliation in the rim gneisses is suggestive of large-scale brecciation of the rim. Along some parts of the rim, the average orientation of the foliation in the rim gneisses is tangential, along other parts it is radial, and along still other parts it is random. New analyses of large samples of the rim gneisses demonstrate a large-scale chemical heterogeneity of the target rocks. Black cataclasite veins, although mineralogically identical to their host gneisses, are almost invariably more potassic than the latter. The ejecta apron outside the crater was deposited on the earliest, fossil-bearing, eolian sands of the Pliocene to Holocene Sossus Sand Formation. Subsequent calcretization cemented the apron, but erosion and redeposition of the ejecta have not been significant in the desert environment of the southern Namib. Younger Sossus Formation sands now fill the crater and partly cover the rim and the ejecta apron. Ejecta outside the crater are most abundant in an outward-fanning apron extending from the north-northwest to the west of the crater. Blocks between 20 cm and 1.5 m in size are concentrated in this main apron in concentrically and radially orientated swaths. The longest of the latter extends 5.5 km to the northwest of the crater. Sizes of fragments on the crater rim and mappable features in the rim that can be followed and fan out into the ejecta apron, together with a slight asymmetry of the crater, suggest that the trajectory of the impacting body was northwesterly.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/2010.2465(24)","authors":["Roy McG. Miller"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-02-07T19:18:38Z","doi":"10.1130/2010.2465(24)","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17602/m2/m446809","name":"Chondrite (Meteorite) [CTImageSeries] [CT]","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.17602/m2/m446809","authors":["Philipp Heck"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-06-27T21:39:55Z","doi":"10.17602/m2/m446809","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_57","name":"A Chondritic Inclusion of Unique Type in the Cumberland Falls Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_57","authors":["R. A. Binns"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-22T08:47:03Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_57","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_18","name":"The Major-Element Composition of Individual Chondrules of the Bjurböle Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_18","authors":["Louis S. Walter"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-22T04:47:03Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_18","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.36092/kjhs.2019.41.2.169","name":"Meteorite Records in Korean History","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.36092/kjhs.2019.41.2.169","authors":["Sang-Hyeon AHN"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-10-15T08:27:19Z","doi":"10.36092/kjhs.2019.41.2.169","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4095/121678","name":"Geological Survey's Meteorite Collection","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4095/121678","authors":["K R Dawson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-03-16T12:46:58Z","doi":"10.4095/121678","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-8694-8_15","name":"Quantification of Meteorite Infall Rates from Accumulations in Deserts, and Meteorite Accumulations on Mars","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8694-8_15","authors":["Philip A. Bland"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-05-20T04:56:39Z","doi":"10.1007/978-1-4419-8694-8_15","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4135/9781446247501.n2457","name":"METEORITE","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446247501.n2457","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-10-27T14:59:40Z","doi":"10.4135/9781446247501.n2457","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17602/m2/m446787","name":"Chondrite (Meteorite) [CTImageSeries] [CT]","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.17602/m2/m446787","authors":["Philipp Heck"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-06-27T21:41:50Z","doi":"10.17602/m2/m446787","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1888/0333750888/5364","name":"SNC Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"In a unique collaboration, Nature Publishing Group and Institute of Physics Publishing have published the most extensive and comprehensive reference work in astronomy and astrophysics. This unique resource covers the entire field of astronomy and astrophysics and this online version includes the full text of over 2,750 articles, plus sophisticated search and retrieval functionality and links to the primary literature. The Encyclopaedia's authority is assured by editorial and advisory boards drawn from the world's foremost astronomers and astrophysicists. This first class resource is an essential source of information for undergraduates, graduate students, researchers and seasoned professionals, as well as for committed amateurs, librarians and lay people wishing to consult the definitive astronomy and astrophysics reference work.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1888/0333750888/5364","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-07-30T12:31:16Z","doi":"10.1888/0333750888/5364","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.24097/wolfram.08737.data","name":"Meteorite Landings","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.24097/wolfram.08737.data","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-04-13T19:36:34Z","doi":"10.24097/wolfram.08737.data","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1888/0333750888/5367","name":"Iron Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1888/0333750888/5367","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-07-30T08:31:20Z","doi":"10.1888/0333750888/5367","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4135/9781446247501.n2458","name":"METEORITE IMPACT","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446247501.n2458","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-10-27T14:59:40Z","doi":"10.4135/9781446247501.n2458","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17602/m2/m446833","name":"Martian Meteorite [CTImageSeries] [CT]","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.17602/m2/m446833","authors":["Philipp Heck"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-06-27T21:47:37Z","doi":"10.17602/m2/m446833","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2172/4637034","name":"\"AGES\" OF THE SIKHOTE ALIN METEORITE","source":"crossref","abstract":"The potassium-argon age of the Siknote Alin iron raeteorite was determined. The value is 1.7 plus or minus 0.2 x 10/sup 9/ years. Previous lead data suggest an age of 4.6 x 10/sup 9/ years. The date of solidification may be the sum of these two ages. (auth)","url":"https://doi.org/10.2172/4637034","authors":["D.E. Sisher"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-05-02T20:01:41Z","doi":"10.2172/4637034","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_47","name":"Orbital Clues to the Nature of Meteorite Parent Bodies","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_47","authors":["Edward Anders","Paul J. Mellick"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-22T04:47:03Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_47","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2475/ajs.s4-19.111.240","name":"The Billings meteorite; a new iron meteorite from southern Missouri","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2475/ajs.s4-19.111.240","authors":["H. A. Ward"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-08-31T23:57:55Z","doi":"10.2475/ajs.s4-19.111.240","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1888/0333750888/5377","name":"Allende Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1888/0333750888/5377","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-07-30T12:32:44Z","doi":"10.1888/0333750888/5377","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.polar.2013.09.001","name":"Geochemistry and mineralogy of a feldspathic lunar meteorite (regolith breccia), Northwest Africa 2200","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polar.2013.09.001","authors":["Hiroshi Nagaoka","Yuzuru Karouji","Tomoko Arai","Mitsuru Ebihara","Nobuyuki Hasebe","M. Ebihara","N. Hasebe"],"tags":["Breccia","Regolith","Geology","Geochemistry","Anorthosite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-09-01","doi":"10.1016/j.polar.2013.09.001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17602/m2/m446814","name":"Martian Meteorite [CTImageSeries] [CT]","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.17602/m2/m446814","authors":["Philipp Heck"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-06-27T21:15:56Z","doi":"10.17602/m2/m446814","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.6947065.4","name":"Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.6947065.4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-23T10:10:17Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.6947065.4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1186/s40623-015-0368-y","name":"Mineralogy and petrology of lunar meteorite Northwest Africa 2977 consisting of olivine cumulate gabbro including inverted pigeonite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Lunar meteorite Northwest Africa (NWA) 2977 is identified as an olivine cumulate gabbro (OC), consisting of coarse cumulate olivine crystals up to 1 mm with low-Ca and high-Ca pyroxenes, plagioclase, and interstitial incompatible element-rich pockets of K-feldspar, Ca-phosphates, ilmenite, and troilite. These minerals and textures are similar to those of the OC clasts of the NWA 773 clan of meteorites. NWA 2977 contains a variety of pyroxene textures and compositions including augite, pigeonite, and rare orthopyroxene, all having exsolution lamellae. Some of the orthopyroxene has abundant augite lamellae with compositions indicating formation by inversion of pigeonite. This pigeonite was inverted at 1140 °C according to the pigeonite eutectoid reaction (PER) temperatures. Inverted pigeonite has not been found previously in the NWA 773 clan of meteorites. The presence of inverted pigeonite indicates that NWA 2977 cooled more slowly than most other OC clasts of the NWA 773 clan. The relatively slow cooling of NWA 2977 can be explained by formation in a deeper level of the original igneous body of the NWA 773 clan OC lithology.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40623-015-0368-y","authors":["Hiroshi Nagaoka","Yuzuru Karouji","Hiroshi Takeda","Timothy J. Fagan","Mitsuru Ebihara","Nobuyuki Hasebe","H. Takeda","T. J. Fagan","M. Ebihara","N. Hasebe"],"tags":["Pigeonite","Augite","Pyroxene","Geology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-12-01","doi":"10.1186/s40623-015-0368-y","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9783112314586-064","name":"§ 83. Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9783112314586-064","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-09-04T13:40:09Z","doi":"10.1515/9783112314586-064","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.70675/b5d1b92az0510z42b2z8839z48b8b85c62f1","name":"Geophysical study of meteorite impact structures","source":"crossref","abstract":"Etude géophysique de structures d'impact météoritique Les cratères d'impact hypervéloces sont les structures morphologiques les plus abondantes à la surface des corps planétaires telluriques du système solaire, sauf sur Terre où ils sont effacés par les processus de surface. La structure interne des cratères d'impact de type complexe ne peut être étudiée en détail que sur Terre par des études géophysiques et géologiques de terrain. De telles approches - combinées à de la modélisation - peuvent révéler comment le processus de cratérisation, la composition des roches cibles, l'érosion et d'autres processus post-impact peuvent conduire aux anomalies géophysiques observées, qui peuvent également être détectées par des données satellitaires sur d’autres planètes. La cartographie du champ magnétique, les mesures gravimétriques, les sondages électromagnétiques (EM34), les analyses paléomagnétiques, le magnétisme des roches et les techniques pétrographiques sont utilisées. Pour la première fois, nous révélons que la structure de Tunnunik récemment découverte présente des anomalies de gravité négative et de champ magnétique positif typiques, ce qui nous aide à reconsidérer l'étendue de la fracturation dans les roches cibles. La structure d’Haughton, moins érodée que Tunnunik, montre des signes d'une aimantation augmentée au centre de son soulèvement central, ce qui est causé par l’altération hydrothermale induite par l’impact. Le paléomagnétisme aide à contraindre les âges différents des deux impacts des lacs à l’eau claire au Québec. Ce travail a des implications importantes pour notre compréhension du processus de cratérisation dans le système solaire, notamment en ce qui concerne l'étude des surfaces planétaires.","url":"https://doi.org/10.70675/b5d1b92az0510z42b2z8839z48b8b85c62f1","authors":["William Zylberman"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-02T15:28:17Z","doi":"10.70675/b5d1b92az0510z42b2z8839z48b8b85c62f1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9783112320099-058","name":"§ 83. Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9783112320099-058","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-22T00:36:50Z","doi":"10.1515/9783112320099-058","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17602/m2/m446768","name":"Chondrite (Meteorite) Fragments [CTImageSeries] [CT]","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.17602/m2/m446768","authors":["Philipp Heck"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-06-27T22:14:39Z","doi":"10.17602/m2/m446768","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1888/0333750888/5365","name":"Stony-iron Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1888/0333750888/5365","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-07-30T12:31:26Z","doi":"10.1888/0333750888/5365","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1888/0333750888/5379","name":"Sikhote Alin Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1888/0333750888/5379","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-07-30T12:32:46Z","doi":"10.1888/0333750888/5379","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/0-387-30720-6_92","name":"Optical mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"Bloss, F. P., 1961. An introduction to the Methods of Optical Crystallography. New York: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston, 294p. Google Scholar Burri, C., 1950. Das Polarisationmikroskop, Lehrb. Mon. Exakte Wissensch., Chem. Reihe., vol. 5. Basel: Verlag Birkhausser. Google Scholar Hallimond, A. F., 1953. Manual of the Polarizing Microscope, 2nd ed. York, England: Cooke, Troughton & Simms, 107p. Google Scholar Hartshorne, N. H., and Stuart, A., 1964. Practical Optical Crystallography. London: E. Arnold, 326p. Google Scholar Heinrich, E. W., 1965. Microscopic identification of Minerals. New York: McGraw-Hill 414p. Google Scholar Kerr, P. F., 1977. Optical Mineralogy, 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 492p. Google Scholar Larsen, E. S., and Berman, Harry, 1934. The microscopic determination of the non-opaque minerals, U.S. Geol. Surv. Bull., 848 (2nd ed. revised 1960), 266p. Google Scholar Marshall, C. E., 1953. Introduction to Crystal Optics, 2nd ed. York, England: Cooke, Troughton & Simms, 124p. Google Scholar Oelsner, H. O., 1961. Atlas der wichtigsten Mineral-paragenesen im mikroskopishen Bild. Bergakad: Freiberg-Fernstudium, 309p. Google Scholar Roubault, M. E., 1963. Determination des Minéraux des Roches. Lamarre-Poinat. Editeur, 365p. Google Scholar Wahlstrom, E. E., 1969. Optical Crystallography, 4th ed. New York: Wiley, 489p. Google Scholar Winchell, A. N., 1956. Elements of Optical Mineralogy, pt. I–Principles and Methods, 5th ed., 263p. pt. II–Description of Minerals, 4th ed., 2nd printing, 551p. pt. III–Determinative Tables, 2nd ed., 231p. New York: Wiley. Google Scholar Wood, E. A., 1964. Crystals and Light. New York: Van Nostrand, 160p. Google Scholar Cross-references Anisotropism ; Amphibole Group, Color in Minerals ; Crystallography. Morphological ; Isotropism ; Minerals, Uniaxial and Biaxial ; Polarization and Polarizing Microscope ; Refractive Index . Download references","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-30720-6_92","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-01-30T16:32:04Z","doi":"10.1007/0-387-30720-6_92","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17602/m2/m446740","name":"Chondrite (Meteorite) Fragments [CTImageSeries] [CT]","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.17602/m2/m446740","authors":["Philipp Heck"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-06-27T21:43:57Z","doi":"10.17602/m2/m446740","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5962/bhl.title.2678","name":"The Paragould meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"At the time of its fall, in 1930, the Paragould meteorite, weighing about 820 pounds, 1 was the largest single stone meteorite ever seen to fall.Since then its reputation as being the largest has suffered a setback.In 1948, a shower of stones, one of which weighed about one ton, fell over a considerable area in Norton County, Kansas,","url":"https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.2678","authors":["Sharat Kumar Roy","Robert Kriss Wyant"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-11-11T21:06:09Z","doi":"10.5962/bhl.title.2678","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.15760/etd.4084","name":"Ureilite Meteorite Petrofabrics: Evolution and Formation Deformational Conditions","source":"crossref","abstract":"This thesis examines the origin and development of crystallographic fabrics in ureilites, which are primitive achondritic meteorites interpreted as residues of partial melting from a differentiated parent body. In this study, we evaluate three fabric-forming mechanisms: gravitational cumulate crystallization, shock-induced deformation, and flow alignment associated with melt extraction and convective stirring. A quantitative Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) analysis was conducted on six ureilitic meteorites to assess olivine Lattice Preferred Orientation (LPO), Shape Preferred Orientation (SPO), the connection between SPO and LPO, and other deformation metrics, including Grain Orientation Spread (GOS), and Crystal Rotation Axis (CRA). Our results suggest that most ureilites exhibit low to moderate deformation in olivine, equivalent to shock stages C-S2 to C-S3 for chondrites (\"weakly deformed\"), as indicated by low to moderate GOS values (mean GOSd50-100: 2.68, 2.66, 1.44, 2.46, 2.73, 2.24, 1.09, 0.9), where d is equivalent grain diameter in microns. These low to moderately shocked ureilites show weighted shock stages mostly within WSS 1-3, which is consistent with the observed C-S2 to C-S3 shock stages. However, one ureilite (Northwest Africa, NWA 7304) was largely recrystallized and fits the definition of shock stage S6, signifying a \"strongly shocked ureilite.\" The weakly shocked ureilites display dominant LPO lineations and weak and LPO foliations, with long grain axes (SPO) subparallel to olivine directions. In contrast, the strongly deformed ureilite shows strong LPO lineations that are subparallel to textural banding, consisting of coarse and fine grain aggregates, with a-axis SPO of recrystallized grains roughly perpendicular to the textural banding and to LPO. The presence of subgrain boundaries and clustering in the Crystal Rotation Axis (CRA) diagrams indicates intracrystalline deformation via dislocation glide and climb, with no evidence of post-deformation annealing and no dynamic recrystallization, except in the strongly shocked ureilite (NWA 7304), which was extensively recrystallized into coarse and fine bands. This dislocation creep suggests both dislocation glide, implied by subgrain boundaries, and dislocation climb, involving movement to a different but parallel slip plane. The deformation signatures observed in the weakly shocked ureilites are not consistent with a cumulate origin, which would typically produce LPO lineation in olivine short axes ( ), a pattern not observed. Additionally, the fabrics cannot be attributed to shock-induced deformation in the weakly shocked samples, as their shock stages are low, and CRA diagrams for olivine indicate both a-type and c-type dislocation slip were active, pointing to high-temperature deformation, which typically would not result in a dominant LPO. However, the strongly shocked ureilite (NWA 7304) may have developed its LPO through intense shock deformation. Overall, the observed fabric data in weakly shocked ureilites are best explained by flow alignment of olivine crystals under magmatic conditions. This high-temperature flow process, associated with melt extraction and convective stirring, is strongly evidenced in the weakly shocked ureilites. These ureilites likely experienced a catastrophic collisional disruption near the solidus, followed by rapid cooling. Evidence for rapid cooling from near the solidus includes the presence of minor feldspathic glass and narrow FeO reduction rims, which are mainly observed in the weakly deformed ureilites. Additionally, the strongly shocked ureilite (NWA 7304) may have originated from a later or secondary shock event or from a location near the point of impact during the catastrophic disruption. This interpretation best explains the CRA data and the LPO, which aligns with predictions for a dominant a-type slip system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.4084","authors":["Benjamin Agyemang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-04T00:07:15Z","doi":"10.15760/etd.4084","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-13-2538-0_1549","name":"Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2538-0_1549","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-11-10T04:31:32Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-13-2538-0_1549","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1155/7175","name":"International Journal of Mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"During a reorganization of the mineralogical collection of Turin University, old samples of the so-called mohsite of Colomba were found.\"Mohsite\" was discredited in 1979 by Kelly et al., as a result of some analyses performed on the equivalent material coming from the French region of Hautes-Alpes, but the original samples found in similar geological setting in Italy were lost and never analysed with modern equipment.After more than a century, the rediscovered samples of Professor Colomba were analysed by means of SEM-EDS analysis, microRaman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction.The results have demonstrated that the historical samples studied by Colomba are Pb-free dessauite-(Y), and pointed to an idealized crystal chemical formula (Sr 0.70 Na 0.25 Ca 0.09 ) Σ=1.04 (Y 0.62 U 0.18 Yb 0.09 Sc 0.08 ) Σ=0.97 Fe 2+ 2 (Ti 12.66 Fe 3+ 4.78 V 3+ 0.26 ) Σ=17.70 O 38 and unit-cell parameters a = 10.376(3)Å, c = 20.903(6)Å, and V = 1949(1) Å3 .","url":"https://doi.org/10.1155/7175","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-12-16T11:54:50Z","doi":"10.1155/7175","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1127/ejm/12/1/0005","name":"Mineralogy is alive","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1127/ejm/12/1/0005","authors":["A.J. Naldrett"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-09-12T08:39:36Z","doi":"10.1127/ejm/12/1/0005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4095/122059","name":"Report of a Meteorite Authentication Trip","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4095/122059","authors":["K R Dawson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-10-06T17:56:16Z","doi":"10.4095/122059","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1130/0-8137-2384-1","name":"Special Paper 384: Large Meteorite Impacts III","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/0-8137-2384-1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-11-19T20:43:35Z","doi":"10.1130/0-8137-2384-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-540-72816-0_20853","name":"stony meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-72816-0_20853","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-01-05T16:15:51Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-540-72816-0_20853","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17602/m2/m450446","name":"Chondrite (Meteorite) Fragment Cf 6 [CTImageSeries] [CT]","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.17602/m2/m450446","authors":["Philipp Heck"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-19T20:23:41Z","doi":"10.17602/m2/m450446","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-08769-5_18","name":"Die Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-08769-5_18","authors":["Siegfried Matthes"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-04-15T03:46:23Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-08769-5_18","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-540-72816-0_11692","name":"iron meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-72816-0_11692","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-01-05T10:30:40Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-540-72816-0_11692","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_300102","name":"Artificial Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_300102","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-27T09:05:47Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_300102","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-13-2538-0_1552","name":"Meteorite Tourism","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2538-0_1552","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-11-09T23:31:32Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-13-2538-0_1552","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_100168","name":"Carbonaceous Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_100168","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-02-25T17:20:05Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_100168","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1888/0333750888/5378","name":"Cape York Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1888/0333750888/5378","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-07-30T12:32:45Z","doi":"10.1888/0333750888/5378","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-08772-5_29","name":"Die Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-08772-5_29","authors":["Siegfried Matthes"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-03-20T09:11:00Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-08772-5_29","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-540-72816-0_14273","name":"meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-72816-0_14273","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-01-05T16:56:01Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-540-72816-0_14273","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/9781108186551.010","name":"Chronology of Meteorite History","source":"crossref","abstract":"The problem then is the identification, within that piece of matter, those observations which can establish the nature and chronology of events whose memory has persisted. Such an approach requires the use of concepts, observations and measurement techniques from rather diverse fields and together define a new field, that of cosmochemistry or cosmophysics G J Wasserburg INTRODUCTION The last chapter contained a brief description of the processes leading up to the formation and subsequent changes of meteorites in the early Solar System. Figure 9.1 recapitulates the same, and, in addition, includes the later stages or events in the history of meteorites terminating with their capture by the earth. A plausible list of distinguishable stages/events is: 1. Separation of a parcel of gas and dust from the interstellar medium, and its collapse into the proto-sun and proto-planetary nebular disc. 2. Formation from the cooling solar nebular disc of the precursor materials of chondrites, like CAIs, AOAs, low temperature compounds, and finally chondrules in a cool environment. 3. Accretion of mineral grains in various proportions, and chondrules into km-sized planetesimals (parent bodies of meteorites) including presolar grains directly from the interstellar medium 4. Metamorphism, fluid alteration, recrystallization on a local scale on the surface of, and even melting inside of parent bodies that escaped further growth in size into embryos and eventually planets. 5. Impact brecciation and shock reheating, presumably a few times. 6. Collisional ejection of metre-sized fragments (meteorites) from parent bodies, and their exposure to galactic cosmic rays in space. 7. Capture of meteorites by the earth, and their recovery later by chance (Finds). 8. Capture of meteorites by the earth and their prompt recovery (Falls). This sequence of events is, of course, very general and meant as a useful framework for discussion. For example, not all stages may be recorded in a single meteorite. Some processes, like metamorphism, may be missing in primitive carbonaceous chondrites. Some events may have overlapped in time. The relative order of at least some of the events is obvious. For example, a carbonaceous chondrite is a nonequilibrium assemblage of refractory inclusions, metal, sulfide, and matrix, each of which formed independently. So, the chondrite should postdate these constituents. A long-range goal of meteorite research is to quantitatively date every stage precisely and accurately.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108186551.010","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-10-21T14:27:45Z","doi":"10.1017/9781108186551.010","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-540-72816-0_9518","name":"glass meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-72816-0_9518","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-01-05T15:33:14Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-540-72816-0_9518","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_2208","name":"Carbonaceous Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_2208","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-06-29T17:38:38Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_2208","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-08771-8_30","name":"Die Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-08771-8_30","authors":["Siegfried Matthes"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-03-29T09:58:17Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-08771-8_30","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1180/emu-notes.2.10","name":"Mineralogy and cultural heritage","source":"crossref","abstract":"The writing and production of this volume recognize its potential role as a textbook for courses in \"Environmental Mineralogy\", a field that calls on both core mineralogical skills and interdisciplinary understanding across chemical, biological and geological fields. It is an area ideally suited the development of advanced teaching that redefines the boundaries of mineralogy, one of the oldest of the sciences. In that context, this volume fulfils a need defined in the Socrates/Erasmus Programme of the European Union. Sponsorship from the EU in the development of a coordinated European curriculum in mineralogy has been important in bringing this project to fruition, and thus in creating materials for European courses in environmental mineralogy, specifically as an Intensive Programme (lP) which falls at the border between Erasmus CDI and CDA levels.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/emu-notes.2.10","authors":["Giacomo Chiari"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-04-05T16:19:19Z","doi":"10.1180/emu-notes.2.10","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_2110","name":"Artificial Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_2110","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-06-29T20:12:00Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_2110","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.31600/978-5-907298-26-2.147-169","name":"USES OF METEORITE IRON IN THE EARLY BRONZE AGE IN THE STEPPE ZONE OF EASTERN EUROPE","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.31600/978-5-907298-26-2.147-169","authors":["Nina L. Morgunova","Мarianna А. Кulkova","Аlexander М. Кulkov"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-05-06T10:36:10Z","doi":"10.31600/978-5-907298-26-2.147-169","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/epsc-dps2025-2032","name":"Investigating Rare Vesiculated Meteorite Jikharra","source":"crossref","abstract":"Many meteorites in our inventories are crystalline and formed through magmatic activity, showing features similar to terrestrial gabbros, cumulates, pyroxenites and basalts. However, unlike terrestrial basalts, which often contain ubiquitous vesicles resulting from volatile loss and near-surface exsolution of water-rich fluids in ascending magmas, vesicles in asteroidally-derived meteorites are exceptionally rare, with only a few eucrites and angrites (~5) showing vesicular textures [1-3]. The ability for vesicles to form on small airless bodies is ultimately limited by the asteroid size and lack of atmosphere [1], where magma fragmentation and gas escape would occur instead [4]. While the simplest explanation for the occurrence of vesicles in a meteorite is as a lava flow [5], this would require substantially thick flows &gt;&gt;100 m [4], which are unlikely based on our knowledge of most asteroids, including the largest differentiated asteroid Vesta (diameter ~525 km). Instead, previous research has suggested that vesicles could be formed and preserved in a dyke(s) trapped at ~5 km depth that was subsequently excavated from Vesta by substantial impact [1]. Additionally, the carrier gas of the vesicles is thought to be CO or a mix of CO:CO2 [1,6]. Ultimately, the study of vesicles in asteroidal meteorites can help determine formation depth, volatiles in magmatic systems, and the nature of crust formation [1].A recently recovered and little studied meteorite, Jikharra 001, classified as a eucritic melt breccia, may provide key information about magmatic activity on asteroids, particularly for Vesta, the likely parent body to the HED meteorites [7]. Jikharra 001 is fairly heterogenous with at least two lithologies previously reported [8]. We have acquired a sample on loan from a collection of Jikharra 001 material that shows a highly unusual vesicular texture with evidence of gradation in a fine-grained lithology, as well as potential xenoliths/enclaves from another lithology that is coarse-grained. Preliminary data acquired in a pilot study using the Zeiss Xradia micro Computerised Tomography (CT) based in the School of Engineering, University of Leicester (UoL) shows the complexity of the sample (Figs 1-2). Fig. 1B shows a labelled diagram of a CT-slice through part of Jikharra 001, highlighting an angular coarse-grained clast alongside the dominant fine-grained matrix that shows increasing vesicle size with distance from the coarser-grained lithology. Investigating this further, we have started to calculate the vesicle volumes, and can further identify the apparent gradient (Fig. 2). Our initial observations are indicative of flow, volatile dynamic activity, with evidence of brecciation and rapid cooling. The observation of a gradient may also provide a way-up structure, possibly indicating the direction of the asteroid surface in relation to the sample. We are investigating these findings further, with a view to modelling the nature of Jikharra 001, and potential formation history.References: [1] McCoy T. J. et al., (2006) EPSL 246:102-108. [2] Warren P. W. (2003) 66th Metsoc (abs.# 5297). [3] Mittlefehldt D. W., Killgore M., and Lee M. T., (2002) MAPS 37:345-369. [4] Wilson L. &amp; Keil K. (1997) MAPS 32:813-823. [5] Mittlefehldt D. W., et al. (1998) in Planetary Materials, Min. Soc. Am. 36:4.1-4.195. [6] Wilkening L. L. and Anders E., (1975) GCA 39:1205-1210. [7] Mittlefehldt D. W. (2015) Chemie der Erde, 75:2:155-183. [8] Wang Z., Tian W., Wang W-RZ., (2023) LPSC (abs.# 1017).Fig.1: A) Jikharra 001 on the sampling stage within the Zeiss Xradia. B) CT-image of Jikharra 001 region highlighting the main features observed.Fig.2: Mesh map of vesicles (‘pores’) in Jikharra 001 shown in relative positions. Colour scale bar represents volume, ranging from dark purple (0 mm3) to yellow (3.5 mm3). CT-scan slice shown for reference at the bottom of the combined image.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc-dps2025-2032","authors":["Julia Cartwright","Gareth Douglas"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-09T15:45:11Z","doi":"10.5194/epsc-dps2025-2032","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-007-1162-4_7","name":"Descriptive Mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1162-4_7","authors":["Swapna Mukherjee"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-03-05T15:44:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-007-1162-4_7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_100072","name":"Artificial Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_100072","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-05-05T01:11:15Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_100072","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/maps.14311","name":"Tissintite‐<scp>II</scp> in lunar meteorite Northwest Africa 13967: Implications for the high pressure/temperature mineralogy of the lunar regolith","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract We studied lunar regolith breccia meteorite Northwest Africa (NWA) 13967 to explore its mineral and clast inventory with special focus on the ubiquitous occurrence of tissintite‐II, a newly recognized, vacancy‐rich high‐pressure clinopyroxene with a feldspathic, Fe‐ and Mg‐enriched composition. Lithic clasts in NWA 13967 indicate a provenance in the Feldspathic Highlands Terrane on the Moon. Most abundant are cumulate impact melt clasts (“poikilitic granulitic breccias”), granular impact melt rocks, vitric impact melt clasts including impact spherules, and anorthositic clasts, while basalt clasts are rare. The breccia groundmass is mostly fused to flow‐textured, vesicular, crystallized impact melt that includes 1 μm corundum crystals and up to 5 μm tissintite‐II near the contact with lithic clasts. Rare coesite occurs in moganite clasts entrained in the shock‐melted groundmass and rimmed by tissintite‐II. Petrographic features of NWA 13967 and its bulk rock chemical composition are most similar to the NWA 8046 clan of lunar meteorites, the largest known lunar meteorite. We discuss mineralogical and petrological characteristics of NWA 13967 to unravel chemical and structural changes of the lunar regolith during shock lithification, which may inform the ongoing exploration of the lunar surface.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14311","authors":["Axel Wittmann","Christian R. Kroemer","Meenakshi Wadhwa","Thomas G. Sharp","Matthijs Van Soest","Trevor Martin","Tyler Goepfert"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-17T07:46:12Z","doi":"10.1111/maps.14311","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_300215","name":"Carbonaceous Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_300215","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-27T09:05:47Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_300215","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-87508-3_33","name":"Die Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-87508-3_33","authors":["Siegfried Matthes"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-04-02T05:44:11Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-87508-3_33","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/9781316163009.019","name":"Meteorite Types","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316163009.019","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-02-02T04:04:35Z","doi":"10.1017/9781316163009.019","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-007-1162-4_18","name":"Environmental Mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1162-4_18","authors":["Swapna Mukherjee"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-03-05T20:44:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-007-1162-4_18","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.26226/morressier.5fa409874d4e91fe5c54b9ad","name":"Development of Mössbauer Microscope for Meteorite Studies","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.26226/morressier.5fa409874d4e91fe5c54b9ad","authors":["Esen Ercan Alp"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-15T00:43:10Z","doi":"10.26226/morressier.5fa409874d4e91fe5c54b9ad","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/0-387-30720-6_133","name":"Soil mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"Allen, B. 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Madison, Wis.: Soil Science Society of America, 106p. Google Scholar Thorez, J., 1975. Phyllosilicates and Clay Minerals: A Laboratory Handbook for Their X-Ray Diffraction Analysis. Dison, Belgium: G. Lelotte, 579p. Google Scholar Van Der Plas, C., and Van Reeuwijk, L. P., 1974. From Mutable compounds to soil minerals, Geoderma, 12, 385–405. CrossRef Google Scholar Warshaw, C. M., and Roy, R., 1961. Classification and a scheme for the identification of layer silicates, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 72, 1455–1492. Google Scholar Winterkorn, H. F., 1968. Engineering applications of soil mineralogy, in Stelly and Dinauer (1968), 35–51. Google Scholar Cross-references Authigenic Minerals ; Clays, Clay Minerals ; Phyllosilicates ; Rock-Forming Minerals ; see also Mineral glossary. Download references","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-30720-6_133","authors":["Charles W. Finkl"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-01-30T11:31:26Z","doi":"10.1007/0-387-30720-6_133","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_976","name":"Meteorite (Orgueil)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_976","authors":["Therese Encrenaz"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-06-29T20:41:38Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_976","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9783112314746-012","name":"IX. Kometen. Meteore. Meteorite. Zodiakallicht","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9783112314746-012","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-01-10T14:56:45Z","doi":"10.1515/9783112314746-012","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_5","name":"Staubkörner und Riesenbrocken","source":"crossref","abstract":"Der jährliche Massenzuwachs von Materie aus dem Weltraum auf die Erde beträgt nach neuesten Schätzungen etwa 16000 Tonnen. Davon sind rund drei Viertel Mikrometeorite mit Massen von Gramm-Bruchteilen und kosmischer Staub. Reste größerer Körper, die auf der Erde einschlugen, sind Meteorite. Steinmeteorite fand man ab etwa Reiskorngröße bis zu metergroßen Massen von über 1 Tonne. Eisenmeteorite kennt man von der Größe eines Hühnereis bis hin zum schreibtischgroßen Block von Hoba, Namibia, dessen Masse auf etwa 60 Tonnen geschätzt wird.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_5","authors":["Rolf W. Bühler"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-10-08T06:49:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_1796","name":"Meteorite, Allende","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_1796","authors":["Matthieu Gounelle"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-02-25T17:18:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_1796","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-7091-2294-5_7","name":"Die Meteorite und Planetoiden","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-2294-5_7","authors":["Wolfgang Kiesl"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-28T05:00:36Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-7091-2294-5_7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1032-2","name":"Meteorite, Murchison","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1032-2","authors":["François Robert"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-06-09T16:15:10Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1032-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17602/m2/m450440","name":"Chondrite (Meteorite) Fragment Cf 4 [CTImageSeries] [CT]","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.17602/m2/m450440","authors":["Philipp Heck"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-19T20:20:07Z","doi":"10.17602/m2/m450440","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17602/m2/m450467","name":"Chondrite (Meteorite) Fragment Rf 2 [CTImageSeries] [CT]","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.17602/m2/m450467","authors":["Philipp Heck"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-19T20:11:53Z","doi":"10.17602/m2/m450467","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.46717/igj.54.2e.1ms-2021-11-17","name":"Ore Petrography, Mineralogical and Chemical Composition of New Iron Meteorite (Al-Sherqat Meteorite) from Iraq","source":"crossref","abstract":"The meteorite with a single total mass of 630 gm as a visible meteorite has fallen on 22 March 2021, at 10:00 a.m. in Al-Sherqat subdistrict within Salah Al-Din, northern Iraq; and therefore, was named Al-Sherqat meteorite by the authors. It is characterized by a uniform structure of coherent and medium degree of malleability. It is of a well-crystalline structure and not homogeneous in composition. The Al-Sherqat meteorite is composed of metallic phases of 7.6 gm/cm3 density exhibiting an oriented intergrowth of kamacite (α-FeNi) with taenite showing a Widmanstätten pattern on an etched polished section with the finest octahedrite kamacite bandwidth of less than 0.2 mm. It is composed of Fe (86.9 wt%), Ni (9.63 wt%), P (1.31 wt%), S (0.628 wt%), Ti (0.623 wt%), Co (0.446 wt%), Mo (0.146 wt%), Cr (0.103 wt%), Cu (0.141 wt%), V (300 ppm), Nb (220 ppm), W (53 ppm), Ag (50 ppm), Pb (30 ppm), Zn (20 ppm), Sb (16 ppm), Sn (10 ppm) and As (3 ppm). Al-Sherqat meteorite was structurally classified as an iron meteorite belongs to the plessitic group (Opl)) with octahedrite finest bands (less than 0.2 mm) of the kamacite lamellae. Kamacite platelets in Al-Sherqat meteorite are almost not a continuous plate network. Chemically, it belongs to the IIC type of magmatic group based on the amount of nickel (9.63%), where IIC is typically octahedrites has 9.3 – 11.5% Ni. The presence of kamacite, taenite, schreibersite, daubréelites, pentlandite, chromite, and wusite in Al-Sherqat meteorite are in accordance with IIC group of the iron meteorites. Al-Sherqat meteorite belongs to M-type considering a metallic core fragmented by impact asteroid. The most probable source of this meteorite is the core of an asteroid that melted early in its history.","url":"https://doi.org/10.46717/igj.54.2e.1ms-2021-11-17","authors":["Salih Muhammad Awadh","Salih Y. Darweesh","Salman Z. Khorshid"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-12-07T18:22:27Z","doi":"10.46717/igj.54.2e.1ms-2021-11-17","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_976-3","name":"Meteorite, Orgueil","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_976-3","authors":["Therese Encrenaz"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-05-28T11:12:02Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_976-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/0-387-30720-6_56","name":"Green river mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"Bradley, W. H., 1964. Geology of Green River formation and associated Eocene rocks in southwestern Wyoming and adjacent parts of Colorado and Utah, U.S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Paper 496-A, 86p. Google Scholar Bradley, W. H., and Eugster, H. P., 1969. Geochemistry and paleolimnology of the trona deposits and associated authigenic minerals of the Green River formation of Wyoming, U.S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Paper 496-B, 71p. Google Scholar Brobst, D. A., and Tucker, J. D., 1973. X-ray mineralogy of the Parachute Creek member, Green River formation, in the Northern Piceance Creek Basin, Colorado, U.S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Paper 803, 1–53. Google Scholar Eugster, H. P., and Surdam, R. C., 1973. Depositional environment of the Green River formation of Wyoming: a preliminary report, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 84, 1115–1120. CrossRef Google Scholar Eugster, H. P., and Surdam, R. C., 1974. Depositional environment of the Green River formation of Wyoming: Reply, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 85, 1192. CrossRef Google Scholar Fahey, Joseph J., 1962. Saline minerals of the Green River formation with a section on X-ray powder data for saline minerals of the Green River formation by Mary E. Mrose, U.S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Paper 405. 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The Green River formation—A playa-lake complex, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 86, 335–345. CrossRef Google Scholar Download references","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-30720-6_56","authors":["Charles Milton"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-01-30T16:30:54Z","doi":"10.1007/0-387-30720-6_56","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.64628/ab.trffqc7u7","name":"Meteorite impacts leave behind time capsules of ecosystems","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.64628/ab.trffqc7u7","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-26T11:59:07Z","doi":"10.64628/ab.trffqc7u7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17602/m2/m450443","name":"Chondrite (Meteorite) Fragment Cf 5 [CTImageSeries] [CT]","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.17602/m2/m450443","authors":["Philipp Heck"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-19T20:22:41Z","doi":"10.17602/m2/m450443","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_131469","name":"meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_131469","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-08-24T03:37:49Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_131469","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/epsc2020-774","name":"Source regions for meteorite falls","source":"crossref","abstract":"Over the past decade there has been a large increase in the number of automated camera networks that monitor the sky for fireballs. One of the goals of these networks is to provide the necessary information for linking meteorites to their pre-impact, heliocentric orbits and ultimately to their source regions in the solar system. We re-computed heliocentric orbits for the 25 meteorite falls published in or before 2016 from original data sources (Granvik and Brown 2018). Using these orbits, we constrained their most likely escape routes from the main asteroid belt and the cometary region by utilizing a state-of-the-art orbit model of the near-Earth-object population (Granvik et al. 2016), which includes a size-dependence in delivery efficiency. While we find that the general results for escape routes are comparable to previous work, the role of trajectory measurement uncertainty in escape-route identification is explored for the first time. Moreover, the improved size-dependent delivery model substantially changes likely escape routes for several meteorite falls, most notably Tagish Lake which seems unlikely to have originated in the outer main belt as previously suggested. In addition, we find that reducing the uncertainty of fireball velocity measurements below about 0.1 km/s does not lead to reduced uncertainties in the identification of their escape routes from the asteroid belt and, further, their ultimate source regions. The analysis suggests that camera networks should be optimized for the largest possible number of meteorite recoveries with measured speed precisions of order 0.1 km/s. We will present updated results based on a new NEO model (Granvik et al. 2018) and complement our data set with the falls that have been reported since 2016.References: Granvik, M. and Brown, P. (2018). \"Identification of meteorite source regions in the Solar System\", Icarus 311, 271-287. Granvik, M., Morbidelli, A., Jedicke, R., Bolin, B., Bottke, W. F., Beshore, E., Vokrouhlicky, D., Delbo, M., Michel, P. (2016). \"Super-catastrophic disruption of asteroids at small perihelion distances\", Nature 530, 303-306.Granvik, M., Morbidelli, A., Jedicke, R., Bolin, B., Bottke, W. F., Beshore, E., Vokrouhlicky, D., Nesvorny, D., Michel, P. (2018). \"Debiased orbit and absolute-magnitude distributions for near-Earth objects\", Icarus 312, 181-207.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2020-774","authors":["Mikael Granvik","Peter Brown"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-10-08T12:02:39Z","doi":"10.5194/epsc2020-774","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_20","name":"The Leoville, Kansas, Meteorite: A Polymict Breccia of Carbonaceous Chondrites and Achondrite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_20","authors":["Klaus Keil","G. I. Huss","H. B. Wiik"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-22T08:47:03Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_20","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17602/m2/m450470","name":"Chondrite (Meteorite) Fragment Rf 3 [CTImageSeries] [CT]","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.17602/m2/m450470","authors":["Philipp Heck"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-19T20:12:59Z","doi":"10.17602/m2/m450470","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1180/minmag.1977.041.320.34","name":"The Bondoc meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/minmag.1977.041.320.34","authors":["H.J. Axon","M.J. Nasir"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-12-15T03:52:44Z","doi":"10.1180/minmag.1977.041.320.34","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1201/9781003174868-8","name":"The Tall Tale of the Soldier Who Found a Monster-Sized Meteorite and Then Lost It!","source":"crossref","abstract":"Meteorites can be very mysterious objects and none more so than the legendary “Fer de Dieu” or “Iron of God”. But one mystery can lead to another. We begin our journey in the deserts of North Africa and end up back at the very dawn of our Solar System. In this tale, nothing is quite what it seems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003174868-8","authors":["Richard Greenwood"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-13T17:57:02Z","doi":"10.1201/9781003174868-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17602/m2/m450437","name":"Chondrite (Meteorite) Fragment Cf 3 [CTImageSeries] [CT]","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.17602/m2/m450437","authors":["Philipp Heck"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-19T20:18:07Z","doi":"10.17602/m2/m450437","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5962/bhl.title.14865","name":"The Henbury meteorite craters, by Paul W. Hodge.","source":"crossref","abstract":"This series, Smithsonian Contributions to Astrophysics, was inaugurated in 1956 to provide a proper communication","url":"https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.14865","authors":["Paul W. Hodge"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-11-22T05:27:42Z","doi":"10.5962/bhl.title.14865","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/0-387-30720-6_70","name":"Mantle mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"The earth's mantle may be subdivided into three distinct zones: upper mantle, transition zone, and lower mantle. The mineralogy of each zone is described separately. Geophysical and petrologic...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-30720-6_70","authors":["G. Donald Garlick"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-01-30T16:31:34Z","doi":"10.1007/0-387-30720-6_70","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01134.x","name":"The Tucson ungrouped iron meteorite and its relationship to chondrites","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract– Tucson is an enigmatic ataxitic iron meteorite, an assemblage of reduced silicates embedded in Fe-Ni metal with dissolved Si and Cr. Both, silicates and metal, contain a record of formation at high temperature (∼1800 K) and fast cooling. The latter resulted in the preservation of abundant glasses, Al-rich pyroxenes, brezinaite, and fine-grained metal. Our chemical and petrographic studies of all phases (minerals and glasses) indicate that they have a nebular rather than an igneous origin and give support to a chondritic connection as suggested by Prinz et al. (1987). All silicate phases in Tucson apparently grew from a liquid that had refractory trace elements at approximately 6–20 × CI abundances with nonfractionated (solar) pattern, except for Sc, which was depleted (∼1 × CI). Metal seems to have precipitated before and throughout silicate aggregate formation, allowing preservation of all evolutionary steps of the silicates by separating them from the environment. In contrast to most chondrites, Tucson documents coprecipitation of metal and silicates from the solar nebula gas and precipitation of metal before silicates—in accordance with theoretical condensation calculations for high-pressure solar nebula gas. We suggest that Tucson is the most metal-rich and volatile-element-poor member of the CR chondrite clan.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01134.x","authors":["G. KURAT","M. E. VARELA","E. ZINNER","F. BRANDSTÄTTER"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-01-06T22:00:40Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01134.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-540-72816-0_11715","name":"iron-stony meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-72816-0_11715","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-01-05T10:30:40Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-540-72816-0_11715","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/books978-3-0365-0623-4","name":"Applications of SEM Automated Mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"During the last decade, software developments in Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) provoked a notable increase of applications to the study of solid matter. The mineral liberation analysis (MLA) of processed metal ores was an important drive for innovations that led to QEMSCAN, MLA and other software platforms. These combine the assessment of the backscattered electron (BSE) image to the directed steering of the electron beam for energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) to automated mineralogy. However, despite a wide distribution of SEM instruments in material research and industry, the potential of SEM automated mineralogy is still under-utilised. The characterisation of primary ores, and the optimisation of comminution, flotation, mineral concentration and metallurgical processes in the mining industry by generating quantified data, is still the major application field of SEM automated mineralogy. However, there is interesting potential beyond these classical fields of geometallurgy and metal ore fingerprinting. Slags, pottery and artefacts can be studied in an archeological context for the recognition of provenance and trade pathways; soil, and solid particles of all kinds, are objects in forensic science. SEM automated mineralogy allows new insight in the fields of process chemistry and recycling technology.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-0365-0623-4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-04-21T08:03:57Z","doi":"10.3390/books978-3-0365-0623-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/0-387-30720-6_68","name":"Lunar mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"With the examination of the first lunar samples in the fall of 1969, it was immediately realized that there are several important differences between lunar and terrestrial mineralogy. First, the moon is extremely depleted in volatiles, leading to the absence (with...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-30720-6_68","authors":["Ian M. Steele"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-01-30T11:31:33Z","doi":"10.1007/0-387-30720-6_68","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-540-72816-0_20852","name":"stony-iron meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-72816-0_20852","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-01-05T16:15:51Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-540-72816-0_20852","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17602/m2/m450452","name":"Chondrite (Meteorite) Fragment Cf 8 [CTImageSeries] [CT]","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.17602/m2/m450452","authors":["Philipp Heck"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-19T20:28:34Z","doi":"10.17602/m2/m450452","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-13-2538-0_1551","name":"Meteorite Crater Landscape","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2538-0_1551","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-11-09T23:31:32Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-13-2538-0_1551","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.64628/ab.achcuwfcw","name":"Mystery solved: meteorite caused Tunguska devastation","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.64628/ab.achcuwfcw","authors":["Simon Redfern"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-26T12:25:57Z","doi":"10.64628/ab.achcuwfcw","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1180/emu-notes.13.10","name":"Mineralogy and cultural heritage conservation","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/emu-notes.13.10","authors":["Giacomo Chiari"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-07-26T13:45:03Z","doi":"10.1180/emu-notes.13.10","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.46887/1988-05","name":"Mineralogy of the Lake Zone, Thor Lake, NWT, part of NTS 85 I","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.46887/1988-05","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-02-01T17:22:53Z","doi":"10.46887/1988-05","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17602/m2/m450455","name":"Chondrite (Meteorite) Fragment Cf 9 [CTImageSeries] [CT]","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.17602/m2/m450455","authors":["Philipp Heck"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-19T20:30:30Z","doi":"10.17602/m2/m450455","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/0471743984.vse0021","name":"Ablation (Meteorite)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/0471743984.vse0021","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-10-31T18:25:08Z","doi":"10.1002/0471743984.vse0021","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-3134-3_100254","name":"Meteorite Crater","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3134-3_100254","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-11-19T15:14:02Z","doi":"10.1007/978-1-4614-3134-3_100254","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17602/m2/m450464","name":"Chondrite (Meteorite) Fragment Rf 1 [CTImageSeries] [CT]","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.17602/m2/m450464","authors":["Philipp Heck"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-19T20:09:53Z","doi":"10.17602/m2/m450464","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2026.117303","name":"From orbit to ground: Pre-impact meteorite strewn field predictions for imminent impactors and meteorite recovery","source":"crossref","abstract":"The flux of meteoroids reaching the Earth is continuous, ranging from microscopic grains to occasional metre and decametre scale bodies. The smallest ones fully ablate in the upper atmosphere, whereas sufficiently large or strong objects survive entry and deposit fragments on the ground as meteorites. Predicting where these fragments land, and reconstructing the atmospheric trajectory and fragmentation sequence that produced them, is central both to hazard assessment and to the recovery of freshly fallen material. The accuracy of such predictions, however, remains limited by poorly constrained fragmentation processes and by sparse, heterogeneous observational coverage of individual events. Traditional strewn field simulations rely on detailed fireball data and event-specific assumptions on fragment masses, aerodynamics, and breakup. These approaches are effective for well-instrumented events, but their applicability degrades rapidly when observations are sparse, often resulting in huge uncertainties. We present an ab initio framework predicting strewn fields of near-Earth asteroids directly from pre-impact orbital solutions. It propagates luminous trajectory and dark flight using a physics-based translational dynamics model and realistic atmospheric conditions, without requiring fireball triangulation or event-specific tuning. Validation against recent asteroid falls with recovered meteorites shows agreement with observations, with nominal solutions reproducing fall locations within 100–200 m. The new method has been integrated into the ESA Aegis pipeline, which now enables hours-ahead computation of impact locations, supporting recovery efforts, minimizing contamination, and, where warranted by object size and predicted ground hazard, civil-protection decision making.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2026.117303","authors":["Anna Moscati","Marco Fenucci","Laura Faggioli","Marco Micheli","Francisco Ocaña","Juan Luis Cano"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-28T15:14:36Z","doi":"10.1016/j.icarus.2026.117303","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1127/0935-1221/2010/0022-2064","name":"Mineralogy, environment and health","source":"crossref","abstract":"Hippocrates, the Greek physician known as the “ Father of Medicine ”, once noted that “ If you want to learn about the health of a population, look at the air they breathe, the water they drink, and the places where they live .” While the overall significance of clean air, land and water on human health is well known as far back as 2500 years (Hippocrates, 460 BC), the relationship between chemical elements and compounds on health could not be established until 4–5 decades ago. It was not until the advent of sophisticated analytical …","url":"https://doi.org/10.1127/0935-1221/2010/0022-2064","authors":["Eric van Hullebusch","Stephanie Rossano"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-09-07T07:04:59Z","doi":"10.1127/0935-1221/2010/0022-2064","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17602/m2/m450458","name":"Chondrite (Meteorite) Fragment Cf 10 [CTImageSeries] [CT]","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.17602/m2/m450458","authors":["Philipp Heck"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-19T20:32:01Z","doi":"10.17602/m2/m450458","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17602/m2/m450449","name":"Chondrite (Meteorite) Fragment Cf 7 [CTImageSeries] [CT]","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.17602/m2/m450449","authors":["Philipp Heck"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-19T20:25:01Z","doi":"10.17602/m2/m450449","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17602/m2/m450434","name":"Chondrite (Meteorite) Fragment Cf 2 [CTImageSeries] [CT]","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.17602/m2/m450434","authors":["Philipp Heck"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-19T20:16:29Z","doi":"10.17602/m2/m450434","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.8306146.19","name":"Meteorite Index","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.8306146.19","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-06T20:23:02Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.8306146.19","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/rmg.2001.42.1","name":"Molecular Modeling in Mineralogy and Geochemistry","source":"crossref","abstract":"Research Article| January 01, 2001 Molecular Modeling in Mineralogy and Geochemistry Randall T. Cygan Randall T. Cygan Geochemistry Department, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87185-0750, U.S.A. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Randall T. Cygan Geochemistry Department, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87185-0750, U.S.A. Publisher: Mineralogical Society of America First Online: 14 Jul 2017 © The Mineralogical Society Of America Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry (2001) 42 (1): 1–35. https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2001.42.1 Article history First Online: 14 Jul 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Randall T. Cygan; Molecular Modeling in Mineralogy and Geochemistry. Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry 2001;; 42 (1): 1–35. doi: https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2001.42.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyReviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry Search Advanced Search \"A theory is something nobody believes, except the person who made it. An experiment is something everybody believes, except the person who made it.\"Attributed to Albert Einstein\"A theory has only the alternative of being right or wrong. A model has a third possibility: it may be right, but irrelevant.\"Manfred Eigen At what underlying fundamental level of understanding does geosciences research need to attain in order to evaluate the complex processes that control the weathering rate of silicate minerals? To investigate the formation of ore deposits and oil reservoirs, or the leaching of mine tailings into watersheds and... You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2001.42.1","authors":["R. T. Cygan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-05-14T15:00:13Z","doi":"10.2138/rmg.2001.42.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-7453959/v1","name":"Connecting Meteorite Spectra to Lunar Surface Composition Using Hyperspectral Imaging and Machine Learning","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract We present an innovative, cost-effective framework integrating laboratory Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI) of the BECHAR 010 lunar meteorite with ground-based lunar HSI and supervised Machine Learning (ML) to generate high-fidelity mineralogical maps. A \\SI{3}{\\milli\\metre} thin section of BECHAR 010 was imaged under a microscope with a \\SI{30}{\\milli\\metre} focal length lens at \\SI{150}{\\milli\\metre} working distance, using 6x binning to increase the signal-to-noise ratio, producing a data cube (X $\\times$ Y $\\times$ $\\lambda$ = $791 \\times 1024 \\times 224$, \\SI{0.24}{\\milli\\metre} $\\times$ \\SI{0.2}{\\milli\\metre} resolution) across \\SIrange{400}{1000}{\\nano\\metre} (224 bands, \\SI{2.7}{\\nano\\metre} spectral sampling, \\SI{5.5}{\\nano\\metre} FWHM spectral resolution) using a Specim FX10 camera.Ground-based lunar HSI was captured with a Celestron 8SE telescope (\\SI{3}{\\kilo\\metre}/pixel), yielded a data cube ($371 \\times 1024 \\times 224$). Solar calibration was performed using a Spectralon reference (\\SI{99}{\\percent} reflectance \\SI{","url":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7453959/v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7453959/v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-026-68505-1","name":"Low thermal inertia of carbonaceous asteroid Bennu driven by cracks observed in returned samples.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Thermal inertia is used to infer physical properties of asteroid surfaces. The carbonaceous asteroid Bennu has low thermal inertia suggestive of a surface covered in sub-centimeter rock fragments. However, spacecraft observations revealed that Bennu is instead blanketed by boulders of differing physical properties, with the most abundant population displaying very low thermal inertia compared to carbonaceous chondritic meteorites. Here we show that morphologically distinct particles in samples returned from Bennu also possess distinct thermal and physical properties, consistent with their genetic connection to the boulders. Angular particles have higher thermal inertia, greater hardness, and fewer but longer cracks that lead to more efficient splitting, relative to the hummocky particles. A hummocky particle exhibits low thermal inertia at sub-millimeter scales due to fine pores. Tortuous crack networks in hummocky particles further reduce thermal inertia while resisting disaggregation. Samples from Ryugu, a carbonaceous asteroid with similarly low thermal inertia, have cracks like those in Bennu's hummocky particles yet have bulk densities that indicate lower porosity. These observations imply that the low thermal inertia of both asteroids is driven by cracks in rocks resulting from geological processes within the parent body or, more recently, micrometeoroid impacts and thermal fatigue.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-68505-1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.1038/s41467-026-68505-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/am-2020-7564","name":"An evolutionary system of mineralogy. Part III: Primary chondrule mineralogy (4566 to 4561 Ma).","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Information-rich attributes of minerals reveal their physical, chemical, and biological modes of origin in the context of planetary evolution, and thus they provide the basis for an evolutionary system of mineralogy. Part III of this system considers the formation of 43 different primary crystalline and amorphous phases in chondrules, which are diverse igneous droplets that formed in environments with high dust/gas ratios during an interval of planetesimal accretion and differentiation between 4566 and 4561 Ma. Chondrule mineralogy is complex, with several generations of initial droplet formation via various proposed heating mechanisms, followed in many instances by multiple episodes of reheating and partial melting. Primary chondrule mineralogy thus reflects a dynamic stage of mineral evolution, when the diversity and distribution of natural condensed solids expanded significantly.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2020-7564","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.2138/am-2020-7564","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s11214-025-01169-3","name":"The Psyche Multispectral Imager Investigation: Characterizing the Geology, Topography, and Multispectral Properties of a Metal-Rich World.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Psyche Multispectral Imager (\"the Imager\") is a payload system designed to directly achieve or to indirectly enable the key scientific goals and optical navigation requirements of NASA's Psyche mission, which will conduct the first up-close orbital investigation of the metal-rich Main Belt asteroid (16) Psyche. The Imager consists of a pair of block redundant cameras and electronics that are mounted inside the thermally controlled spacecraft body, with a view out the spacecraft -X panel that will be nadir-pointed during nominal asteroid orbital mapping operations. The two identical Camera Heads are connected to a separate Digital Electronics Assembly (DEA) box that interfaces to the spacecraft avionics and that provides power, commanding, data processing, and onboard image storage. The Imager system shares significant heritage with imaging instruments flown on the Mars Climate Orbiter , the Mars Science Laboratory and Mars 2020 rovers, and Juno . Each camera consists of a 1600 × 1200 photosensitive pixel charge-coupled device (CCD) detector and its associated electronics, a 9-position filter wheel assembly, a compact catadioptric f /2.9 telescope with a fixed focal length of 148 mm, and a sunshade to minimize stray and scattered light. The Imager CCD, filters, and optics enable broadband polychromatic (∼540 ± 250 nm) imaging plus narrowband imaging in 7 colors centered from 439 to 1015 nm. An additional neutral density filter enables protection of the CCD from direct solar illumination. Each camera has a field of view of 4.6° × 3.4° and an instantaneous field of view of 50 μrad/pixel that enables imaging of the asteroid at scales ranging from ∼35 m/pix from 700 km altitude to ∼4 m/pix at 75 km altitude. The primary camera (\"Imager A\") is pointed along the spacecraft -X axis, and the backup camera (\"Imager B\") is toed-out by 3.7° to potentially enable greater surface area coverage per unit time if both Imagers are operated simultaneously during some mission phases. Stereoscopic mapping is performed by observing the same surface regions with either camera over a range of off-nadir pointing angles.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-025-01169-3","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1007/s11214-025-01169-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s11214-023-00977-9","name":"A Comparison of Presolar Isotopic Signatures in Laboratory-Studied Primitive Solar System Materials and Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko: New Insights from Light Elements, Halogens, and Noble Gases.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Comets are considered the most primitive planetary bodies in our Solar System. ESA's Rosetta mission to Jupiter family comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P/CG) has provided a wealth of isotope data which expanded the existing data sets on isotopic compositions of comets considerably. In a previous paper (Hoppe et al. in Space Sci. Rev. 214:106, 2018) we reviewed the results for comet 67P/CG from the first four years of data reduction after arrival of Rosetta at the comet in August 2014 and discussed them in the context of respective meteorite data. Since then important new isotope data of several elements, among them the biogenic elements H, C, N, and O, for comet 67P/CG, the Tagish Lake meteorite, and C-type asteroid Ryugu became available which provide new insights into the formation conditions of small planetary bodies in the Solar System's earliest history. To complement the picture on comet 67P/CG and its context to other primitive Solar System materials, especially meteorites, that emerged from our previous paper, we review here the isotopic compositions of H, C, and N in various volatile molecules, of O in water and a suite of other molecules, of the halogens Cl and Br, and of the noble gas Kr in comet 67P/CG. Furthermore, we also review the H isotope data obtained in the refractory organics of the dust grains collected in the coma of 67P/CG. These data are compared with the respective meteoritic and Ryugu data and spectroscopic observations of other comets and extra-solar environments; Cl, Br, and Kr data are also evaluated in the context of a potential late supernova contribution, as suggested by the Si- and S-isotopic data of 67P/CG.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-023-00977-9","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.1007/s11214-023-00977-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-022-31444-8","name":"Early crustal processes revealed by the ejection site of the oldest martian meteorite.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The formation and differentiation of the crust of Mars in the first tens of millions of years after its accretion can only be deciphered from incredibly limited records. The martian breccia NWA 7034 and its paired stones is one of them. This meteorite contains the oldest martian igneous material ever dated: ~4.5 Ga old. However, its source and geological context have so far remained unknown. Here, we show that the meteorite was ejected 5-10 Ma ago from the north-east of the Terra Cimmeria-Sirenum province, in the southern hemisphere of Mars. More specifically, the breccia belongs to the ejecta deposits of the Khujirt crater formed 1.5 Ga ago, and it was ejected as a result of the formation of the Karratha crater 5-10 Ma ago. Our findings demonstrate that the Terra Cimmeria-Sirenum province is a relic of the differentiated primordial martian crust, formed shortly after the accretion of the planet, and that it constitutes a unique record of early crustal processes. This province is an ideal landing site for future missions aiming to unravel the first tens of millions of years of the history of Mars and, by extension, of all terrestrial planets, including the Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31444-8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.1038/s41467-022-31444-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-025-56970-z","name":"Detection of ferrihydrite in Martian red dust records ancient cold and wet conditions on Mars.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Iron oxide-hydroxide minerals in Martian dust provide crucial insights into Mars' past climate and habitability. Previous studies attributed Mars' red color to anhydrous hematite formed through recent weathering. Here, we show that poorly crystalline ferrihydrite (Fe 5 O 8 H · nH 2 O) is the dominant iron oxide-bearing phase in Martian dust, based on combined analyses of orbital, in-situ, and laboratory visible near-infrared spectra. Spectroscopic analyses indicate that a hyperfine mixture of ferrihydrite, basalt and sulfate best matches Martian dust observations. Through laboratory experiments and kinetic calculations, we demonstrate that ferrihydrite remains stable under present-day Martian conditions, preserving its poorly crystalline structure. The persistence of ferrihydrite suggests it formed during a cold, wet period on early Mars under oxidative conditions, followed by a transition to the current hyper-arid environment. This finding challenges previous models of continuous dry oxidation and indicates that ancient Mars experienced aqueous alteration before transitioning to its current desert state.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56970-z","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1038/s41467-025-56970-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-1812195/v1","name":"The spatial distribution of soluble organic matter and its relationship to minerals in the asteroid (162173) Ryugu.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract We performed in-situ analysis on a ~1 mm-sized Ryugu grain A0080 returned by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft to investigate the relationship of soluble organic matter (SOM) to minerals. The DESI-HRMS (desorption electrospray ionization-high resolution mass spectrometry) imaging using methanol spray identified more than 200 soluble organic compounds, which were assigned as CHN, CHO, CHO-Na (sodium adducted), and CHNO in molecular composition. Heterogeneous spatial distribution was observed for different compound classes of SOM as well as among the same alkylated homologues on the sample surface. The A0080 sample showed similar mineralogy to that of CI chondrite and contained two different lithologies, which are rich in magnetite, pyrrhotite, and dolomite (lithology 1) and poor in those minerals (lithology 2). CHN compounds were relatively concentrated in lithology 1 than in lithology 2, on the other hand, CHO, CHO-Na, and CHNO compounds were distributed in both lithologies. Such different spatial distribution of SOM is the result of interaction of the SOM with minerals, during precipitation of the SOM via fluid activity, or could be due to difference in transportation efficiencies of SOMs in aqueous fluid. However, organic-related ions measured by ToF-SIMS did not coincide with the spatial distribution revealed by DESI-HRMS imaging, indicating that the ToF-SIMS data would be mainly derived from methanol-insoluble organic matter in A0080. Alkylated homologues of CHN compounds with large C number appeared more abundant in lithology 2 than lithology 1. In contrast, fragments of the Murchison meteorite showed different features to of A0080, implying different formation or growth mechanisms for the alkylated CHN compounds by interaction with fluid and minerals on Murchison parent body and asteroid Ryugu. This difference might be mainly attributed to the carbonate grains, which would have played as a catalyst for CH 2 growth of CHN compounds. Future in-situ analysis of CI chondrite will provide more reliable constraints for the history of soluble organic compounds in asteroid Ryugu.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-1812195/v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-1812195/v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.chemer.2019.125537","name":"MINERALOGY, PETROLOGY AND OXYGEN ISOTOPIC COMPOSITION OF NORTHWEST AFRICA (NWA) 12379, A NEW METAL-RICH CHONDRITE WITH AFFINITY TO ORDINARY CHONDRITES.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemer.2019.125537","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","doi":"10.1016/j.chemer.2019.125537","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/molecules25040984","name":"The Plasma Spectroscopic Study of Dergaon Meteorite, India.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Meteorites are the recoverable portions of asteroids that reach the surface of the Earth. Meteorites are rare extraterrestrial objects studied extensively to improve our understanding of planetary evolution. In this work, we used calibration-free laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (CF-LIBS) to evaluate the quantitative elemental and molecular analyses of the Dergaon meteorite, a H 4-5 chondrite fall sample from Assam, India. Spectral signatures of H, N, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, K, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, andIrweredetected. Along with the atomic emission, this work reports the molecular emission from FeO molecules. The concentration of the measured elements obtained using CF-LIBS is in close agreement with earlier reports. The elements H, N, and O and their concentrations are estimated by using CF-LIBS for the first time. This study applies laser spectroscopy to establish the presence of Ni, Cr, Co, and Ir in meteorites. The elemental analysis forms the basis for the establishment of the potential molecular composition of the Dergaon meteorite. Moreover, the elemental analysis approach bodes well for in-situ analyses of extraterrestrial objects including applications in planetary rover missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25040984","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.3390/molecules25040984","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.adr8793","name":"In situ evidence for serpentinization within the Máaz formation, Jezero crater, Mars.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"As both a source of atmospheric H 2 and a sink for liquid water, the serpentinization of olivine-bearing rocks is widely thought to have influenced the long-term evolution of the early martian atmosphere and hydrosphere. However, the mechanisms, timing, and global importance of this process are unconstrained, in part because the remnants of ancient serpentinizing systems have not been examined in situ. New geochemical and mineralogical data from multiple instruments aboard the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover record serpentinization and associated H 2 production in ancient igneous rocks of the Máaz formation, exposed on the Jezero crater floor. These data, combined with petrogenetic constraints, indicate that serpentinization may have been driven by devolatilization of magmatic H 2 O, highlighting a potential link between H 2 production and the style and tempo of magmatism within the ancient martian crust.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adr8793","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.adr8793","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1029/2020je006624","name":"Spectral Characterization of Bennu Analogs Using PASCALE: A New Experimental Set-Up for Simulating the Near-Surface Conditions of Airless Bodies.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"We describe the capabilities, radiometric stability, and calibration of a custom vacuum environment chamber capable of simulating the near-surface conditions of airless bodies. Here we demonstrate the collection of spectral measurements of a suite of fine particulate asteroid analogs made using the Planetary Analogue Surface Chamber for Asteroid and Lunar Environments (PASCALE) under conditions like those found on Earth and on airless bodies. The sample suite includes anhydrous and hydrated physical mixtures, and chondritic meteorites (CM, CI, CV, CR, and L5) previously characterized under Earth- and asteroid-like conditions. And for the first time, we measure the terrestrial and extra-terrestrial mineral end members used in the olivine- and phyllosilicate-dominated physical mixtures under the same conditions as the mixtures and meteorites allowing us better understand how minerals combine spectrally when mixed intimately. Our measurements highlight the sensitivity of thermal infrared emissivity spectra to small amounts of low albedo materials and the composition of the sample materials. As the albedo of the sample decreases, we observe smaller differences between Earth- and asteroid-like spectra, which results from a reduced thermal gradient in the upper hundreds of microns in the sample. These spectral measurements can be compared to thermal infrared emissivity spectra of asteroid (101955) Bennu's surface in regions where similarly fine particulate materials may be observed to infer surface compositions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2020je006624","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.1029/2020je006624","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-023-36904-3","name":"Uracil in the carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract The pristine sample from the near-Earth carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu collected by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft enabled us to analyze the pristine extraterrestrial material without uncontrolled exposure to the Earth’s atmosphere and biosphere. The initial analysis team for the soluble organic matter reported the detection of wide variety of organic molecules including racemic amino acids in the Ryugu samples. Here we report the detection of uracil, one of the four nucleobases in ribonucleic acid, in aqueous extracts from Ryugu samples. In addition, nicotinic acid (niacin, a B3vitamer), its derivatives, and imidazoles were detected in search for nitrogen heterocyclic molecules. The observed difference in the concentration of uracil between A0106 and C0107 may be related to the possible differences in the degree of alteration induced by energetic particles such as ultraviolet photons and cosmic rays. The present study strongly suggests that such molecules of prebiotic interest commonly formed in carbonaceous asteroids including Ryugu and were delivered to the early Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-36904-3","authors":["Yasuhiro Oba","Toshiki Koga","Yoshinori Takano","Nanako O. Ogawa","Naohiko Ohkouchi","Kazunori Sasaki","Hajime Sato","D. P. Glavin","Jason P. Dworkin","Hiroshi Naraoka","Shogo Tachibana","Hisayoshi Yurimoto"],"tags":["Uracil","Astrobiology","Asteroid","Chemistry","Molecule"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.1038/s41467-023-36904-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0323122","name":"Characteristics and genesis of permian chert in the middle and upper Yangtze Region, China.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Cherts, as chemical sedimentary formations, serve as repositories of historical evolutionary data encompassing paleotectonics, paleogeography, and paleoclimate. Furthermore, they play a crucial role as geological foundations for oil and gas exploration. In the Upper Yangtze region, the origin and underlying genesis mechanisms of unstratified cherts from the Permian period have been subject to ongoing debate. This study employs lithological analyses including outcrop profiles and thin-section observations alongside geochemical analyses of macronutrients, trace elements, and rare earth elements to investigate the depositional environment of laminated cherts from the Permian era. Additionally explored are the siliciclastic origins of non-laminated cherts and the diagenetic mechanisms at play in this area. The findings indicate that stratified chert in the Middle and Upper Yangtze regions originate from basin sedimentation below the carbonate compensation depth interface while unstratified chert primarily form through dissolution of carbonates attributable to both hydrothermal activity and seawater processes. This comprehensive investigation provides a robust geological foundation for oil and gas exploration within this study area while also serving as a valuable reference for future research on studies related to chert.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0323122","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1371/journal.pone.0323122","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2101155118","name":"Potassium isotope composition of Mars reveals a mechanism of planetary volatile retention.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The abundances of water and highly to moderately volatile elements in planets are considered critical to mantle convection, surface evolution processes, and habitability. From the first flyby space probes to the more recent \"Perseverance\" and \"Tianwen-1\" missions, \"follow the water,\" and, more broadly, \"volatiles,\" has been one of the key themes of martian exploration. Ratios of volatiles relative to refractory elements (e.g., K/Th, Rb/Sr) are consistent with a higher volatile content for Mars than for Earth, despite the contrasting present-day surface conditions of those bodies. This study presents K isotope data from a spectrum of martian lithologies as an isotopic tracer for comparing the inventories of highly and moderately volatile elements and compounds of planetary bodies. Here, we show that meteorites from Mars have systematically heavier K isotopic compositions than the bulk silicate Earth, implying a greater loss of K from Mars than from Earth. The average \"bulk silicate\" δ 41 K values of Earth, Moon, Mars, and the asteroid 4-Vesta correlate with surface gravity, the Mn/Na \"volatility\" ratio, and most notably, bulk planet H 2 O abundance. These relationships indicate that planetary volatile abundances result from variable volatile loss during accretionary growth in which larger mass bodies preferentially retain volatile elements over lower mass objects. There is likely a threshold on the size requirements of rocky (exo)planets to retain enough H 2 O to enable habitability and plate tectonics, with mass exceeding that of Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2101155118","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2101155118","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-025-62341-5","name":"A more reduced mantle beneath the lunar South Pole-Aitken basin.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The oxygen fugacity (fO 2 ) of the lunar mantle is of pivotal significance in comprehending the formation and evolution of the Moon. However, the fO 2 of the lunar farside mantle remains unknown due to the lack of samples returned from the farside. Here, we determine the oxygen fugacity of 23 basaltic fragments from the Chang'e-6 (CE6) soil, the first farside sample collected from the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin. The spinel V oxybarometer and pyroxene Eu oxybarometer yield an average fO 2 of ΔIW -1.93 ± 0.58 (2σ), indicating a more reduced state compared to the nearside Apollo and Chang'e-5 (CE5) basalts, which have an average fO 2 of ΔIW -0.80 ± 0.64 (2σ). Such asymmetry in oxygen fugacity of the lunar mantle can be attributed to two processes: nearside mantle oxidation by a larger amount of Fe sinking into the core triggered by asymmetric crystallisation of the lunar magma ocean, and/or farside mantle reduction caused by S 2 and CO degassing during the SPA massive impact. Nevertheless, the reduced nature of the underlying mantle beneath the SPA basin reveals another aspect of lunar asymmetry.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62341-5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1038/s41467-025-62341-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-023-39418-0","name":"Surges in volcanic activity on the Moon about two billion years ago.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The history of mare volcanism critically informs the thermal evolution of the Moon. However, young volcanic eruptions are poorly constrained by remote observations and limited samples, hindering an understanding of mare eruption flux over time. The Chang'e-5 mission returned the youngest lunar basalts thus far, offering a window into the Moon's late-stage evolution. Here, we investigate the mineralogy and geochemistry of 42 olivine and pyroxene crystals from the Chang'e-5 basalts. We find that almost all of them are normally zoned, suggesting limited magma recharge or shallow-level assimilation. Most olivine grains record a short timescale of cooling. Thermal modeling used to estimate the thickness and volume of the volcanism sampled by Chang'e-5 reveals enhanced magmatic flux ~2 billion years ago, suggesting that while overall lunar volcanic activity may decrease over time, episodic eruptions at the final stage could exhibit above average eruptive fluxes, thus revising models of lunar thermal evolution.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-39418-0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.1038/s41467-023-39418-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-021-91200-8","name":"Nano-FTIR spectroscopic identification of prebiotic carbonyl compounds in Dominion Range 08006 carbonaceous chondrite.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Meteorites contain organic matter that may have contributed to the origin of life on Earth. Carbonyl compounds such as aldehydes and carboxylic acids, which occur in meteorites, may be precursors of biologically necessary organic materials in the solar system. Therefore, such organic matter is of astrobiological importance and their detection and characterization can contribute to the understanding of the early solar system as well as the origin of life. Most organic matter is typically sub-micrometer in size, and organic nanoglobules are even smaller (50-300 nm). Novel analytical techniques with nanoscale spatial resolution are required to detect and characterize organic matter within extraterrestrial materials. Most techniques require powdered samples, consume the material, and lose petrographic context of organics. Here, we report the detection of nanoglobular aldehyde and carboxylic acids in a highly primitive carbonaceous chondrite (DOM 08006) with ~ 20 nm spatial resolution using nano-FTIR spectroscopy. Such organic matter is found within the matrix of DOM 08006 and is typically 50-300 nm in size. We also show petrographic context and nanoscale morphologic/topographic features of the organic matter. Our results indicate that prebiotic carbonyl nanoglobules can form in a less aqueous and relatively elevated temperature-environment (220-230 °C) in a carbonaceous parent body.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-91200-8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.1038/s41598-021-91200-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.ade9071","name":"Paleomagnetic evidence for a long-lived, potentially reversing martian dynamo at ~3.9 Ga.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The 4.1-billion-year-old meteorite Allan Hills 84001 (ALH 84001) may preserve a magnetic record of the extinct martian dynamo. However, previous paleomagnetic studies have reported heterogeneous, nonunidirectional magnetization in the meteorite at submillimeter scales, calling into question whether it records a dynamo field. We use the quantum diamond microscope to analyze igneous Fe-sulfides in ALH 84001 that may carry remanence as old as 4.1 billion years (Ga). We find that individual, 100-μm-scale ferromagnetic mineral assemblages are strongly magnetized in two nearly antipodal directions. This suggests that the meteorite recorded strong fields following impact heating at 4.1 to 3.95 Ga, after which at least one further impact heterogeneously remagnetized the meteorite in a nearly antipodal local field. These observations are most simply explained by a reversing martian dynamo that was active until 3.9 Ga, thereby implying a late cessation for the martian dynamo and potentially documenting reversing behavior in a nonterrestrial planetary dynamo.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ade9071","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.ade9071","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/maps.13653","name":"The impact and recovery of asteroid 2018 LA.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The June 2, 2018, impact of asteroid 2018 LA over Botswana is only the second asteroid detected in space prior to impacting over land. Here, we report on the successful recovery of meteorites. Additional astrometric data refine the approach orbit and define the spin period and shape of the asteroid. Video observations of the fireball constrain the asteroid's position in its orbit and were used to triangulate the location of the fireball's main flare over the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. 23 meteorites were recovered. A consortium study of eight of these classifies Motopi Pan as a HED polymict breccia derived from howardite, cumulate and basaltic eucrite, and diogenite lithologies. Before impact, 2018 LA was a solid rock of ~156 cm diameter with high bulk density ~2.85 g/cm 3 , a relatively low albedo pv ~ 0.25, no significant opposition effect on the asteroid brightness, and an impact kinetic energy of ~0.2 kt. The orbit of 2018 LA is consistent with an origin at Vesta (or its Vestoids) and delivery into an Earth-impacting orbit via the v 6 resonance. The impact that ejected 2018 LA in an orbit towards Earth occurred 22.8 ± 3.8 Ma ago. Zircons record a concordant U-Pb age of 4563 ± 11 Ma and a consistent 207 Pb/ 206 Pb age of 4563 ± 6 Ma. A much younger Pb-Pb phosphate resetting age of 4234 ± 41 Ma was found. From this impact chronology, we discuss what is the possible source crater of Motopi Pan and the age of Vesta's Veneneia impact basin.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13653","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.1111/maps.13653","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-023-41242-x","name":"Visualization of nanoscale magnetic domain states in the asteroid Ryugu.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"In the samples collected from the asteroid Ryugu, magnetite displays natural remanent magnetization due to nebular magnetic field, whereas contemporaneously grown iron sulfide does not display stable remanent magnetization. To clarify this counterintuitive feature, we observed their nanoscale magnetic domain structures using electron holography and found that framboidal magnetites have an external magnetic field of 300 A m -1 , similar to the bulk value, and its magnetic stability was enhanced by interactions with neighboring magnetites, permitting a disk magnetic field to be recorded. Micrometer-sized pyrrhotite showed a multidomain magnetic structure that was unable to retain natural remanent magnetization over a long time due to short relaxation time of magnetic-domain-wall movement, whereas submicron-sized sulfides formed a nonmagnetic phase. These results show that both magnetite and sulfide could have formed simultaneously during the aqueous alteration in the parent body of the asteroid Ryugu.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-41242-x","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.1038/s41598-023-41242-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.adr2613","name":"Diverse and highly differentiated lava suite in Jezero crater, Mars: Constraints on intracrustal magmatism revealed by Mars 2020 PIXL.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Jezero crater floor features a suite of related, iron-rich lavas that were examined and sampled by the Mars 2020 rover Perseverance, and whose textures, minerals, and compositions were characterized by the Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL). This suite, known as the Máaz formation (fm), includes dark-toned basaltic/trachy-basaltic rocks with intergrown pyroxene, plagioclase feldspar, and altered olivine and overlying trachy-andesitic lava with reversely zoned plagioclase phenocrysts in a K-rich groundmass. Feldspar thermal disequilibrium textures indicate that they were carried from their crustal staging area. Bulk and mafic minerals have very high FeO and low MgO to FeO total ratios, which are partially reproduced by thermodynamic models involving high-degree fractional crystallization of a gabbroic assemblage and possibly also assimilation of iron-rich basement. Together, these in situ constraints on petrogenesis provide a uniquely detailed record of intracrustal processes beneath Jezero crater during a time period not represented by Mars samples to date.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adr2613","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.adr2613","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/s1431927619015216","name":"Reducing Supervision of Quantitative Image Analysis of Meteorite Samples.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"When selecting a method for determining modal mineralogy and elemental composition of geological samples (e.g., meteorites), a number of factors should be considered, includingthe number of objects or the area to be analyzed; the scale of expected chemical variation; instrument time restrictions; and post-processing time. This study presents a method that minimizes acquisition time while maintaining the ability to distinguish minerals based on combinations of intensities of electron probe micro-analyzer-generated X-ray element maps. While some other methods yield similar outcomes, this method's post-processing utilizes standard parameterized, X-ray intensity \"map math\" in an algorithm that is adaptable and requires minimal supervision once implemented. This study's minimized supervision in the post-processing of X-ray intensity maps decreases analysis time and its adaptability increases the number of potential applications. The method also facilitates calibration of the exact locations of analysis using laser ablation methods. While the method described here has advantages, the choice of method always depends on the question being asked.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1431927619015216","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.1017/s1431927619015216","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.adi3789","name":"Reassigning CI chondrite parent bodies based on reflectance spectroscopy of samples from carbonaceous asteroid Ryugu and meteorites.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The carbonaceous asteroid Ryugu has been explored by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft to elucidate the actual nature of hydrous asteroids. Laboratory analyses revealed that the samples from Ryugu are comparable to unheated CI carbonaceous chondrites; however, reflectance spectra of Ryugu samples and CIs do not coincide. Here, we demonstrate that Ryugu sample spectra are reproduced by heating Orgueil CI chondrite at 300°C under reducing conditions, which caused dehydration of terrestrial weathering products and reduction of iron in phyllosilicates. Terrestrial weathering of CIs accounts for the spectral differences between Ryugu sample and CIs, which is more severe than space weathering that likely explains those between asteroid Ryugu and the collected samples. Previous assignments of CI chondrite parent bodies, i.e., chemically most primitive objects in the solar system, are based on the spectra of CI chondrites. This study indicates that actual spectra of CI parent bodies are much darker and flatter at ultraviolet to visible wavelengths than the spectra of CI chondrites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adi3789","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.adi3789","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41586-023-06143-z","name":"Diverse organic-mineral associations in Jezero crater, Mars.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The presence and distribution of preserved organic matter on the surface of Mars can provide key information about the Martian carbon cycle and the potential of the planet to host life throughout its history. Several types of organic molecules have been previously detected in Martian meteorites 1 and at Gale crater, Mars 2-4 . Evaluating the diversity and detectability of organic matter elsewhere on Mars is important for understanding the extent and diversity of Martian surface processes and the potential availability of carbon sources 1,5,6 . Here we report the detection of Raman and fluorescence spectra consistent with several species of aromatic organic molecules in the Máaz and Séítah formations within the Crater Floor sequences of Jezero crater, Mars. We report specific fluorescence-mineral associations consistent with many classes of organic molecules occurring in different spatial patterns within these compositionally distinct formations, potentially indicating different fates of carbon across environments. Our findings suggest there may be a diversity of aromatic molecules prevalent on the Martian surface, and these materials persist despite exposure to surface conditions. These potential organic molecules are largely found within minerals linked to aqueous processes, indicating that these processes may have had a key role in organic synthesis, transport or preservation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06143-z","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.1038/s41586-023-06143-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s43247-024-01837-2","name":"Intense alteration on early Mars revealed by high-aluminum rocks at Jezero crater.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The NASA Perseverance rover discovered light-toned float rocks scattered across the surface of Jezero crater that are particularly rich in alumina ( ~ 35 wt% Al 2 O 3 ) and depleted in other major elements (except silica). These unique float rocks have heterogeneous mineralogy ranging from kaolinite/halloysite-bearing in hydrated samples, to spinel-bearing in dehydrated samples also containing a dehydrated Al-rich phase. Here we describe SuperCam and Mastcam-Z observations of the float rocks, including the first in situ identification of kaolinite or halloysite on another planet, and dehydrated phases including spinel and apparent partially dehydroxylated kaolinite. The presence of spinel in these samples is likely detrital in origin, surviving kaolinitization, pointing to an ultramafic origin. However, the association of low hydration with increased Al 2 O 3 abundances suggests heating-induced dehydration which could have occurred during the lithification or impact excavation of these rocks. Given the orbital context of kaolinite-bearing megabreccia in the Jezero crater rim, we propose an origin for these rocks involving intense aqueous alteration of the parent material, followed by dehydration/lithification potentially through impact processes, and dispersion into Jezero crater through flood or impact-related processes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01837-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1038/s43247-024-01837-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2311402121","name":"Rubidium isotopic compositions of angrites controlled by extensive evaporation and partial recondensation.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The planetesimals in the solar system exhibit varying degrees of moderately volatile elements (MVEs) depletion compared to the protosolar composition. Revealing the relevant mechanisms is crucial for exploring early solar system evolution. Most volatile-depleted materials in the solar system exhibit enrichments in the heavier isotopes of MVEs, which have traditionally been attributed to the loss of volatiles through partial evaporation. Angrites are so far an exception as they are enriched in the lighter isotopes of K. This has been interpreted as reflecting condensation processes. Here, we present Rb isotopic data of angrites and find that they have lighter Rb isotopic compositions than Vesta, Mars, and the Moon. The δ 87 Rb value of the angrite parent body (APB) is estimated to range between -1.19‰ and -0.67‰. The extremely light Rb isotopic composition of the APB is likely a result of the kinetic recondensation of Rb after near-complete evaporation during the magma ocean stage. This finding provides further support for the partial recondensation model to explain the light Rb and K isotopic compositions of the APB. In addition, the APB, alongside other terrestrial planetary bodies (e.g., Earth, Mars, Moon, and Vesta), exhibit a strong correlation between their Rb and K isotopic compositions. This coupling of Rb and K isotopes is indicative of a volatility-driven isotopic fractionation rather than nucleosynthetic anomalies. The extremely light Rb-K isotopic signatures of the APB suggest that beyond evaporation, condensation plays an equally significant role in shaping the planetary-scale distributions of volatile elements.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2311402121","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2311402121","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-021-26403-8","name":"Polluted white dwarfs reveal exotic mantle rock types on exoplanets in our solar neighborhood.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Prior studies have hypothesized that some polluted white dwarfs record continent-like granitic crust-which is abundant on Earth and perhaps uniquely indicative of plate tectonics. But these inferences derive from only a few elements, none of which define rock type. We thus present the first estimates of rock types on exoplanets that once orbited polluted white dwarfs-stars whose atmospheric compositions record the infall of formerly orbiting planetary objects-examining cases where Mg, Si, Ca and Fe are measured with precision. We find no evidence for continental crust, or other crust types, even after correcting for core formation. However, the silicate mantles of such exoplanets are discernable: one case is Earth like, but most are exotic in composition and mineralogy. Because these exoplanets exceed the compositional spread of >4,000 nearby main sequence stars, their unique silicate compositions are unlikely to reflect variations in parent star compositions. Instead, polluted white dwarfs reveal greater planetary variety in our solar neighborhood than currently appreciated, with consequently unique planetary accretion and differentiation paths that have no direct counterparts in our Solar System. These require new rock classification schemes, for quartz + orthopyroxene and periclase + olivine assemblages, which are proposed here.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26403-8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.1038/s41467-021-26403-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2014548117","name":"Reply to Bada: Acidity and fluid composition on the Tagish Lake parent body.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"A comment from Bada (1) attempts to flag multiple issues with our recent study (2). We appreciate the opportunity to respond, as Bada raises some interesting points, but many of his comments appear to overinterpret our results in a manner well beyond the scope of our original study. We believe Bada’s comments (1) can be broadly grouped into two key points for discussion: 1) the calculation used to yield the racemization timeline and 2) issues with our final conclusion.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2014548117","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2014548117","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s11214-023-00965-z","name":"The Psyche Magnetometry Investigation.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The objective of the Psyche Magnetometry Investigation is to test the hypothesis that asteroid (16) Psyche formed from the core of a differentiated planetesimal. To address this, the Psyche Magnetometer will measure the magnetic field around the asteroid to search for evidence of remanent magnetization. Paleomagnetic measurements of meteorites and dynamo theory indicate that a diversity of planetesimals once generated dynamo magnetic fields in their metallic cores. Likewise, the detection of a strong magnetic moment ( > 2 × 10 14 Am 2 ) at Psyche would likely indicate that the body once generated a core dynamo, implying that it formed by igneous differentiation. The Psyche Magnetometer consists of two three-axis fluxgate Sensor Units (SUs) mounted 0.7 m apart along a 2.15-m long boom and connected to two Electronics Units (EUs) located within the spacecraft bus. The Magnetometer samples at up to 50 Hz, has a range of ± 80 , 000 nT , and an instrument noise of 39 pT axis - 1 3 σ integrated over 0.1 to 1 Hz. The two pairs of SUs and EUs provide redundancy and enable gradiometry measurements to suppress noise from flight system magnetic fields. The Magnetometer will be powered on soon after launch and acquire data for the full duration of the mission. The ground data system processes the Magnetometer measurements to obtain an estimate of Psyche's dipole moment.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-023-00965-z","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.1007/s11214-023-00965-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-025-59075-9","name":"Incipient continent formation by shallow melting of an altered mafic protocrust.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Understanding how Earth's continental nuclei first formed in the Archean eon (4.0-2.5 Ga) underpins our notions of early Earth geodynamics. Yet, the nature of Earth's early protocrust and the primary mechanism for its transformation are poorly understood, as very ancient rocks preserving petrological evidence for these processes are incredibly rare. Here we report the discovery of a formerly melt-bearing amphibolite from the Sylvania Inlier of the Pilbara Craton in Western Australia. Radiometric dating of zircon and titanite in these rocks constrain the time of partial melting to 3565 Ma, providing evidence for a metamorphic event that predates most exposed rocks in the Pilbara Craton by ~30 million years. Low δ 18 O compositions and modelled melt compositions comparable to evolved Hadean rocks in the Acasta gneisses indicate Earth's oldest continental crust may have sourced rocks of a similar composition. Thermodynamic modelling suggests partial melting at temperatures of 680-720°C and pressures of 0.8-1.0 GPa, implying a maximum burial depth of ~30 km. These results support models of continental nuclei formation via shallow partial melting of hydrothermally altered mafic protocrust in high heat flow environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59075-9","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1038/s41467-025-59075-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-020-66039-0","name":"(Fe,Ni)<sub>2</sub>P allabogdanite can be an ambient pressure phase in iron meteorites.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"An orthorhombic modification of (Fe,Ni) 2 P, allabogdanite, found in iron meteorites was considered to be thermodynamically stable at pressures above 8 GPa and temperatures of 1673 K according to the results of recent static high-pressure and high-temperature experiments. A hexagonal polymorphic modification of (Fe,Ni) 2 P, barringerite, was considered to be stable at ambient conditions. Experimental investigation through the solid-state synthesis supported by ab initio calculations was carried out to clarify the stability fields of (Fe,Ni) 2 P polymorphs. Both experimental and theoretical studies show that Fe 2 P-allabogdanite is a low-temperature phase stable at ambient conditions up to a temperature of at least 773 K and, therefore, is not necessarily associated with high pressures. This is consistent with the textural relationships of allabogdanite in iron meteorites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-66039-0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.1038/s41598-020-66039-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2183/pjab.95.013","name":"Hypervelocity collision and water-rock interaction in space preserved in the Chelyabinsk ordinary chondrite.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"A comprehensive geochemical study of the Chelyabinsk meteorite reveals further details regarding its history of impact-related fragmentation and melting, and later aqueous alteration, during its transit toward Earth. We support an ∼30 Ma age obtained by Ar-Ar method (Beard et al., 2014) for the impact-related melting, based on Rb-Sr isotope analyses of a melt domain. An irregularly shaped olivine with a distinct O isotope composition in a melt domain appears to be a fragment of a silicate-rich impactor. Hydrogen and Li concentrations and isotopic compositions, textures of Fe oxyhydroxides, and the presence of organic materials located in fractures, are together consistent with aqueous alteration, and this alteration could have pre-dated interaction with the Earth's atmosphere. As one model, we suggest that hypervelocity capture of the impact-related debris by a comet nucleus could have led to shock-wave-induced supercritical aqueous fluids dissolving the silicate, metallic, and organic matter, with later ice sublimation yielding a rocky rubble pile sampled by the meteorite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2183/pjab.95.013","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","doi":"10.2183/pjab.95.013","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s10765-022-03046-5","name":"The Specific Heat of Astro-materials: Review of Theoretical Concepts, Materials, and Techniques.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"We provide detailed background, theoretical and practical, on the specific heat of minerals and mixtures thereof, 'astro-materials,' as well as background information on common minerals and other relevant solid substances found on the surfaces of solar system bodies. Furthermore, we demonstrate how to use specific heat and composition data for lunar samples and meteorites as well as a new database of endmember mineral heat capacities (the result of an extensive literature review) to construct reference models for the isobaric specific heat c P as a function of temperature for common solar system materials. Using a (generally linear) mixing model for the specific heat of minerals allows extrapolation of the available data to very low and very high temperatures, such that models cover the temperature range between 10 K and 1000 K at least (and pressures from zero up to several kbars). We describe a procedure to estimate c P ( T ) for virtually any solid solar system material with a known mineral composition, e.g., model specific heat as a function of temperature for a number of typical meteorite classes with known mineralogical compositions. We present, as examples, the c P ( T ) curves of a number of well-described laboratory regolith analogs, as well as for planetary ices and 'tholins' in the outer solar system. Part II will review and present the heat capacity database for minerals and compounds and part III is going to cover applications, standard reference compositions, c P ( T ) curves, and a comparison with new and literature experimental data. Supplementary information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10765-022-03046-5.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10765-022-03046-5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.1007/s10765-022-03046-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.131Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s11214-025-01243-w","name":"Physicochemical Controls on the Compositions of the Earth and Planets.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Despite the fact that the terrestrial planets all formed from the protoplanetary disk, their bulk compositions show marked departures from that of material condensing from a canonical H 2 -rich solar nebula. Metallic cores fix the oxygen fugacities ( f O 2 s) of the planets to between ∼5 (Mercury) and ∼1 log units below the iron-wüstite (IW) buffer, orders of magnitude higher than that of the nebular gas. Their oxidised character is coupled with a lack of volatile elements with respect to the solar nebula. Here we show that condensates from a canonical solar gas at different temperatures ( T0 ) produce bulk compositions with Fe/O (by mass) ranging from ∼0.93 ( T0=1250 K) to ∼0.81 ( T0=400 K), far lower than that of Earth at 1.06. Because the reaction Fe(s) + H 2 O(g) = FeO(s) + H 2 (g) proceeds only below ∼600 K, temperatures at which most moderately volatile elements (MVEs) have already condensed, oxidised planets are expected to be rich in volatiles, and vice-versa. That this is not observed suggests that planets i) did not accrete from equilibrium nebular condensates and/or ii) underwent additional volatile depletion/ f O 2 changes at conditions distinct from those of the solar nebula. Indeed, MVE abundances in small telluric bodies (Moon, Vesta) are consistent with evaporation/condensation at Δ IW-1 and ∼1400-1800 K, while the extent of mass-dependent isotopic fractionation observed implies this occurred near- or at equilibrium. On the other hand, the volatile-depleted elemental- yet near-chondritic isotopic compositions of larger telluric bodies (Earth, Mars) reflect mixing of bodies that had themselves experienced different extents of volatile depletion, overprinted by accretion of volatile-undepleted material. On the basis of isotopic anomalies in Cr- and Ti in the BSE, such undepleted matter has been proposed to be CI chondrites, which would comprise 40% by mass if the proto-Earth were ureilite-like. However, this would result in an overabundance of volatile elements in the BSE, requiring significant loss thereafter, which has yet to be demonstrated. On the other hand, 6% CI material added late to an enstatite chondrite-like proto-Earth would broadly match the BSE composition. However, because the Earth is an end-member in isotopic anomalies of heavier elements, no combination of existing meteorites alone can account for its chemical- and isotopic composition. Instead, the Earth is most likely made partially or essentially entirely from an NC-like missing component. If so, the oxidised-, yet volatile-poor nature of differentiated bodies in the inner solar system, including Earth and Mars, is a property intrinsic to the NC reservoir.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-025-01243-w","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1007/s11214-025-01243-w","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s43247-023-01060-5","name":"Hydrogen-bearing vesicles in space weathered lunar calcium-phosphates.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Water on the surface of the Moon is a potentially vital resource for future lunar bases and longer-range space exploration. Effective use of the resource depends on developing an understanding of where and how within the regolith the water is formed and retained. Solar wind hydrogen, which can form molecular hydrogen, water and/or hydroxyl on the lunar surface, reacts and is retained differently depending on regolith mineral content, thermal history, and other variables. Here we present transmission electron microscopy analyses of Apollo lunar soil 79221 that reveal solar-wind hydrogen concentrated in vesicles as molecular hydrogen in the calcium-phosphates apatite and merrillite. The location of the vesicles in the space weathered grain rims offers a clear link between the vesicle contents and solar wind irradiation, as well as individual grain thermal histories. Hydrogen stored in grain rims is a source for volatiles released in the exosphere during impacts.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-01060-5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.1038/s43247-023-01060-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41550-022-01841-6","name":"A dehydrated space-weathered skin cloaking the hydrated interior of Ryugu.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Without a protective atmosphere, space-exposed surfaces of airless Solar System bodies gradually experience an alteration in composition, structure and optical properties through a collective process called space weathering. The return of samples from near-Earth asteroid (162173) Ryugu by Hayabusa2 provides the first opportunity for laboratory study of space-weathering signatures on the most abundant type of inner solar system body: a C-type asteroid, composed of materials largely unchanged since the formation of the Solar System. Weathered Ryugu grains show areas of surface amorphization and partial melting of phyllosilicates, in which reduction from Fe 3+ to Fe 2+ and dehydration developed. Space weathering probably contributed to dehydration by dehydroxylation of Ryugu surface phyllosilicates that had already lost interlayer water molecules and to weakening of the 2.7 µm hydroxyl (-OH) band in reflectance spectra. For C-type asteroids in general, this indicates that a weak 2.7 µm band can signify space-weathering-induced surface dehydration, rather than bulk volatile loss.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-022-01841-6","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.1038/s41550-022-01841-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1029/2021je006916","name":"Space Weathering Effects in Troilite by Simulated Solar-Wind Hydrogen and Helium Ion Irradiation.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Space weathering is a key process in the interpretation of airless planetary surfaces. As we engage new missions to planetary objects with potentially novel surfaces such as 16 Psyche, there is renewed interest in expanding our knowledge of space weathering effects to a wider variety of analog materials, including the physical/chemical effects of solar-wind ions on planetary regoliths. We have experimentally simulated the effects of solar ions on two polished thick sections of meteoritic troilite (FeS) via irradiation with 1 keV hydrogen (H + ) and 4 keV helium (He + ), to investigate effects resulting from different ion species. We detected depletion of sulfur over the course of each irradiation using in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Sulfur depletion rates were surprisingly similar for H + and He + , interpreted as a function of subsurface ion-activated diffusion. By comparing XPS-derived elemental abundances with SDTrimSP computer simulations, we further quantified sulfur diffusion, sputtering yield, and altered-layer composition with respect to incident-ion fluence, and accounted for the influence of surface oxidation due to atmospheric sample storage. Using scanning electron microscopy, we detected an increase in nanoscale surface roughness resulting from the irradiation, which we quantified using atomic force microscopy. Based on these results, we estimate that an exposure time of order 10 3 Earth-years is required for troilite on Psyche to reach equilibrium sulfur depletion within the first atomic layer.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2021je006916","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.1029/2021je006916","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/maps.13348","name":"Using dust shed from asteroids as microsamples to link remote measurements with meteorite classes.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Given the compositional diversity of asteroids, and their distribution in space, it is impossible to consider returning samples from each one to establish their origin. However, the velocity and molecular composition of primary minerals, hydrated silicates, and organic materials can be determined by in situ dust detector instruments. Such instruments could sample the cloud of micrometer-scale particles shed by asteroids to provide direct links to known meteorite groups without returning the samples to terrestrial laboratories. We extend models of the measured lunar dust cloud from LADEE to show that the abundance of detectable impact-generated microsamples around asteroids is a function of the parent body radius, heliocentric distance, flyby distance, and speed. We use Monte Carlo modeling to show that several tens to hundreds of particles, if randomly ejected and detected during a flyby, would be a sufficient number to classify the parent body as an ordinary chondrite, basaltic achondrite, or other class of meteorite. Encountering and measuring microsamples shed from near-Earth and Main Belt asteroids, coupled with complementary imaging and multispectral measurements, could accomplish a thorough characterization of small, airless bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13348","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","doi":"10.1111/maps.13348","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/maps.13584","name":"The fall, recovery, classification, and initial characterization of the Hamburg, Michigan H4 chondrite.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Hamburg meteorite fell on January 16, 2018, near Hamburg, Michigan, after a fireball event widely observed in the U.S. Midwest and in Ontario, Canada. Several fragments fell onto frozen surfaces of lakes and, thanks to weather radar data, were recovered days after the fall. The studied rock fragments show no or little signs of terrestrial weathering. Here, we present the initial results from an international consortium study to describe the fall, characterize the meteorite, and probe the collision history of Hamburg. About 1 kg of recovered meteorites was initially reported. Petrology, mineral chemistry, trace element and organic chemistry, and O and Cr isotopic compositions are characteristic of H4 chondrites. Cosmic ray exposure ages based on cosmogenic 3 He, 21 Ne, and 38 Ar are ~12 Ma, and roughly agree with each other. Noble gas data as well as the cosmogenic 10 Be concentration point to a small 40-60 cm diameter meteoroid. An 40 Ar- 39 Ar age of 4532 ± 24 Ma indicates no major impact event occurring later in its evolutionary history, consistent with data of other H4 chondrites. Microanalyses of phosphates with LA-ICPMS give an average Pb-Pb age of 4549 ± 36 Ma. This is in good agreement with the average SIMS Pb-Pb phosphate age of 4535.3 ± 9.5 Ma and U-Pb Concordia age of 4535 ± 10 Ma. The weighted average age of 4541.6 ± 9.5 Ma reflects the metamorphic phosphate crystallization age after parent body formation in the early solar system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13584","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.1111/maps.13584","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/nsr/nwaf103","name":"South Pole-Aitken massive impact 4.25 billion years ago revealed by Chang'e-6 samples.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"As the largest and oldest well-preserved impact structure on the Moon, the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin on the lunar farside is critical for understanding early solar system dynamics and lunar history, but accurately determining its age remains challenging. Crater-counting chronology and Apollo sample studies propose various SPA-forming ages, which require validation by in situ sampling of the SPA basin. Here, we present the petrology, geochemistry and chronology of norite clasts from the SPA basin that were returned by Chang'e-6. These norites have highly anorthite-rich, rare-earth element-poor plagioclase and magnesium-rich pyroxene, in contrast to Mg-suite norites that were returned from the lunar nearside. Abundant Fe-Ni metals with meteoritic Ni/Co ratios, depletion of volatile elements and variable grain sizes and cooling rates strongly indicate that the norites were crystallized from an impact melt sheet. Precise Pb-Pb ages of zirconium-bearing minerals in the norites yield two distinct impact events at 3.87 and 4.25 Ga. The former represents an impact-resetting event within the basin. The latter finding is most consistent with the age of the SPA impact, providing an initial 4.25-Ga anchor for the older end of the lunar crater chronology and refining the timeline for early lunar evolution.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwaf103","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1093/nsr/nwaf103","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s11214-020-00671-0","name":"Exploring the Bimodal Solar System via Sample Return from the Main Asteroid Belt: The Case for Revisiting Ceres.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Sample return from a main-belt asteroid has not yet been attempted, but appears technologically feasible. While the cost implications are significant, the scientific case for such a mission appears overwhelming. As suggested by the \"Grand Tack\" model, the structure of the main belt was likely forged during the earliest stages of Solar System evolution in response to migration of the giant planets. Returning samples from the main belt has the potential to test such planet migration models and the related geochemical and isotopic concept of a bimodal Solar System. Isotopic studies demonstrate distinct compositional differences between samples believed to be derived from the outer Solar System (CC or carbonaceous chondrite group) and those that are thought to be derived from the inner Solar System (NC or non-carbonaceous group). These two groups are separated on relevant isotopic variation diagrams by a clear compositional gap. The interface between these two regions appears to be broadly coincident with the present location of the asteroid belt, which contains material derived from both groups. The Hayabusa mission to near-Earth asteroid (NEA) (25143) Itokawa has shown what can be learned from a sample-return mission to an asteroid, even with a very small amount of sample. One scenario for main-belt sample return involves a spacecraft launching a projectile that strikes an object and flying through the debris cloud, which would potentially allow multiple bodies to be sampled if a number of projectiles are used on different asteroids. Another scenario is the more traditional method of landing on an asteroid to obtain the sample. A significant range of main-belt asteroids are available as targets for a sample-return mission and such a mission would represent a first step in mineralogically and isotopically mapping the asteroid belt. We argue that a sample-return mission to the asteroid belt does not necessarily have to return material from both the NC and CC groups to viably test the bimodal Solar System paradigm, as material from the NC group is already abundantly available for study. Instead, there is overwhelming evidence that we have a very incomplete suite of CC-related samples. Based on our analysis, we advocate a dedicated sample-return mission to the dwarf planet (1) Ceres as the best means of further exploring inherent Solar System variation. Ceres is an ice-rich world that may be a displaced trans-Neptunian object. We almost certainly do not have any meteorites that closely resemble material that would be brought back from Ceres. The rich heritage of data acquired by the Dawn mission makes a sample-return mission from Ceres logistically feasible at a realistic cost. No other potential main-belt target is capable of providing as much insight into the early Solar System as Ceres. Such a mission should be given the highest priority by the international scientific community.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-020-00671-0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.1007/s11214-020-00671-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3847/psj/abd258","name":"Chromium Isotopic Evidence for Mixing of NC and CC Reservoirs in Polymict Ureilites: Implications for Dynamical Models of the Early Solar System.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Nucleosynthetic isotope anomalies show that the first few million years of solar system history were characterized by two distinct cosmochemical reservoirs, CC (carbonaceous chondrites and related differentiated meteorites) and NC (the terrestrial planets and all other groups of chondrites and differentiated meteorites), widely interpreted to correspond to the outer and inner solar system, respectively. At some point, however, bulk CC and NC materials became mixed, and several dynamical models offer explanations for how and when this occurred. We use xenoliths of CC materials in polymict ureilite (NC) breccias to test the applicability of such models. Polymict ureilites represent regolith on ureilitic asteroids but contain carbonaceous chondrite-like xenoliths. We present the first 54 Cr isotope data for such clasts, which, combined with oxygen and hydrogen isotopes, show that they are unique CC materials that became mixed with NC materials in these breccias. It has been suggested that such xenoliths were implanted into ureilites by outer solar system bodies migrating into the inner solar system during the gaseous disk phase ~3-5 Myr after CAI, as in the \"Grand Tack\" model. However, combined textural, petrologic, and spectroscopic observations suggest that they were added to ureilitic regolith at ~50-60 Myr after CAI, along with ordinary, enstatite, and Rumuruti-type chondrites, as a result of breakup of multiple parent bodies in the asteroid belt at this time. This is consistent with models for an early instability of the giant planets. The C-type asteroids from which the xenoliths were derived were already present in inner solar system orbits.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3847/psj/abd258","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.3847/psj/abd258","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.adk1087","name":"A thermally conductive Martian core and implications for its dynamo cessation.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Mars experienced a dynamo process that generated a global magnetic field ~4.3 (or earlier) to 3.6 billion years ago (Ga). The cessation of this dynamo strongly affected Mars' history and is expected to be linked to thermochemical evolution of Mars' iron-rich liquid core, which is strongly influenced by its thermal conductivity. Here, we directly measured thermal conductivities of solid iron-sulfur alloys to pressures relevant to the Martian core and temperatures to 1023 Kelvin. Our results show that a Martian core with 16 weight % sulfur has a thermal conductivity of ~19 to 32 Watt meter -1 Kelvin -1 from its top to the center, much higher than previously inferred from electrical resistivity measurements. Our modeled thermal conductivity profile throughout the Martian deep-mantle and core indicates a ~4- to 6-fold discontinuity across the core-mantle boundary. The core's efficient cooling resulting from the depth-dependent, high conductivity diminishes thermal convection and forms thermal stratification, substantially contributing to cessation of Martian dynamo.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adk1087","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.adk1087","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2026779118","name":"Early volatile depletion on planetesimals inferred from C-S systematics of iron meteorite parent bodies.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"During the formation of terrestrial planets, volatile loss may occur through nebular processing, planetesimal differentiation, and planetary accretion. We investigate iron meteorites as an archive of volatile loss during planetesimal processing. The carbon contents of the parent bodies of magmatic iron meteorites are reconstructed by thermodynamic modeling. Calculated solid/molten alloy partitioning of C increases greatly with liquid S concentration, and inferred parent body C concentrations range from 0.0004 to 0.11 wt%. Parent bodies fall into two compositional clusters characterized by cores with medium and low C/S. Both of these require significant planetesimal degassing, as metamorphic devolatilization on chondrite-like precursors is insufficient to account for their C depletions. Planetesimal core formation models, ranging from closed-system extraction to degassing of a wholly molten body, show that significant open-system silicate melting and volatile loss are required to match medium and low C/S parent body core compositions. Greater depletion in C relative to S is the hallmark of silicate degassing, indicating that parent body core compositions record processes that affect composite silicate/iron planetesimals. Degassing of bare cores stripped of their silicate mantles would deplete S with negligible C loss and could not account for inferred parent body core compositions. Devolatilization during small-body differentiation is thus a key process in shaping the volatile inventory of terrestrial planets derived from planetesimals and planetary embryos.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2026779118","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2026779118","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-022-35260-y","name":"A changing thermal regime revealed from shallow to deep basalt source melting in the Moon.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Sample return missions have provided the basis for understanding the thermochemical evolution of the Moon. Mare basalt sources are likely to have originated from partial melting of lunar magma ocean cumulates after solidification from an initially molten state. Some of the Apollo mare basalts show evidence for the presence in their source of a late-stage radiogenic heat-producing incompatible element-rich layer, known for its enrichment in potassium, rare-earth elements, and phosphorus (KREEP). Here we show the most depleted lunar meteorite, Asuka-881757, and associated mare basalts, represent ancient (~3.9 Ga) partial melts of KREEP-free Fe-rich mantle. Petrological modeling demonstrates that these basalts were generated at lower temperatures and shallower depths than typical Apollo mare basalts. Calculated mantle potential temperatures of these rocks suggest a relatively cooler mantle source and lower surface heat flow than those associated with later-erupted mare basalts, suggesting a fundamental shift in melting regime in the Moon from ~3.9 to ~3.3 Ga.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-35260-y","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.1038/s41467-022-35260-y","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1590/0001-3765201820170854","name":"Serra Pelada: the first Amazonian Meteorite fall is a Eucrite (basalt) from Asteroid 4-Vesta.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Serra Pelada is the newest Brazilian eucrite and the first recovered fall from Amazonia (State of Pará, Brazil, June 29th 2017). In this paper, we report on its petrography, chemistry, mineralogy and its magnetic properties. Study of four thin sections reveals that the meteorite is brecciated, containing basaltic and gabbroic clasts, as well of recrystallized impact melt, embedded into a fine-medium grained matrix. Chemical analyses suggest that Serra Pelada is a monomict basaltic eucritic breccia, and that the meteorite is a normal member of the HED suite. Our results provide additional geological and compositional information on the lithological diversity of its parent body. The mineralogy of Serra Pelada consists basically of low-Ca pyroxene and high-Ca plagioclase with accessory minerals such as quartz, sulphide (troilite), chromite - ulvöspinel and ilmenite. These data are consistent with the meteorite being an eucrite, a basaltic achondrite and a member of the howardite-eucrite-diogenite (HED) clan of meteorites which most likely are from the crust asteroid 4 Vesta.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1590/0001-3765201820170854","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","doi":"10.1590/0001-3765201820170854","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/maps.13618","name":"Presolar stardust in highly pristine CM chondrites Asuka 12169 and Asuka 12236.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"We report a NanoSIMS search for presolar grains in the CM chondrites Asuka (A) 12169 and A12236. We found 90 presolar O-rich grains and 25 SiC grains in A12169, giving matrix-normalized abundances of 275 (+55/-50, 1σ) ppm or, excluding an unusually large grain, 236 (+37/-34) ppm for O-rich grains and 62 (+15/-12) ppm for SiC grains. For A12236, 18 presolar silicates and 6 SiCs indicate abundances of 58 (+18/-12) and 20 (+12/-8) ppm, respectively. The SiC abundances are in the typical range of primitive chondrites. The abundance of presolar O-rich grains in A12169 is essentially identical to that in CO3.0 Dominion Range 08006, higher than in any other chondrites, while in A12236, it is higher than found in other CMs. These abundances provide further strong support that A12169 and A12236 are the least-altered CMs as indicated by petrographic investigations. The similar abundances, isotopic distributions, silicate/oxide ratios, and grain sizes of the presolar O-rich grains found here to those of presolar grains in highly primitive CO, CR, and ungrouped carbonaceous chondrites (CCs) indicate that the CM parent body(ies) accreted a similar population of presolar oxides and silicates in their matrices to those accreted by the parent bodies of the other CC groups. The lower abundances and larger grain sizes seen in some other CMs are thus most likely a result of parent-body alteration and not heterogeneity in nebular precursors. Presolar silicates are unlikely to be present in high abundances in returned samples from asteroids Ryugu and Bennu since remote-sensing data indicate that they have experienced substantial aqueous alteration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13618","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.1111/maps.13618","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2201139119","name":"Organic carbon concentrations in 3.5-billion-year-old lacustrine mudstones of Mars.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Sample Analysis at Mars instrument stepped combustion experiment on a Yellowknife Bay mudstone at Gale crater, Mars revealed the presence of organic carbon of Martian and meteoritic origins. The combustion experiment was designed to access refractory organic carbon in Mars surface sediments by heating samples in the presence of oxygen to combust carbon to CO 2 . Four steps were performed, two at low temperatures (less than ∼550 °C) and two at high temperatures (up to ∼870 °C). More than 950 μg C/g was released at low temperatures (with an isotopic composition of δ 13 C = +1.5 ± 3.8‰) representing a minimum of 431 μg C/g indigenous organic and inorganic Martian carbon components. Above 550 °C, 273 ± 30 μg C/g was evolved as CO 2 and CO (with estimated δ 13 C = −32.9‰ to −10.1‰ for organic carbon). The source of high temperature organic carbon cannot be definitively confirmed by isotopic composition, which is consistent with macromolecular organic carbon of igneous origin, meteoritic infall, or diagenetically altered biomass, or a combination of these. If from allochthonous deposition, organic carbon could have supported both prebiotic organic chemistry and heterotrophic metabolism at Gale crater, Mars, at ∼3.5 Ga.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2201139119","authors":["J. C. Stern","C. A. Malespin","J. L. Eigenbrode","Christopher R. Webster","Greg Flesch","H. B. Franz","Heather V. Graham","Christopher H. House","B. Sutter","P. D. Archer","Amy E. Hofmann","A. C. McAdam"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Billion years","Astrobiology","Environmental science","Carbon fibers"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2201139119","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.saa.2018.01.021","name":"Investigation of carbonates in the Sutter's Mill meteorite grains with hyperspectral infrared imaging micro-spectroscopy.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Synchrotron-based high spatial resolution hyperspectral infrared imaging technique provides thousands of infrared spectra with high resolution, thus allowing us to acquire detailed spatial maps of chemical molecular structures for many grains in short times. Utilizing this technique, thousands of infrared spectra were analyzed at once instead of inspecting each spectrum separately. Sutter's Mill meteorite is a unique carbonaceous type meteorite with highly heterogeneous chemical composition. Multiple grains from the Sutter's Mill meteorite have been studied using this technique and the presence of both hydrous and anhydrous silicate minerals have been observed. It is observed that the carbonate mineralogy varies from simple to more complex carbonates even within a few microns in the meteorite grains. These variations, the type and distribution of calcite-like vs. dolomite-like carbonates are presented by means of hyperspectral FTIR imaging spectroscopy with high resolution. Various scenarios for the formation of different carbonate compositions in the Sutter's Mill parent body are discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.saa.2018.01.021","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","doi":"10.1016/j.saa.2018.01.021","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s11214-022-00880-9","name":"Distinguishing the Origin of Asteroid (16) Psyche.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The asteroid (16) Psyche may be the metal-rich remnant of a differentiated planetesimal, or it may be a highly reduced, metal-rich asteroidal material that never differentiated. The NASA Psyche mission aims to determine Psyche's provenance. Here we describe the possible solar system regions of origin for Psyche, prior to its likely implantation into the asteroid belt, the physical and chemical processes that can enrich metal in an asteroid, and possible meteoritic analogs. The spacecraft payload is designed to be able to discriminate among possible formation theories. The project will determine Psyche's origin and formation by measuring any strong remanent magnetic fields, which would imply it was the core of a differentiated body; the scale of metal to silicate mixing will be determined by both the neutron spectrometers and the filtered images; the degree of disruption between metal and rock may be determined by the correlation of gravity with composition; some mineralogy (e.g., modeled silicate/metal ratio, and inferred existence of low-calcium pyroxene or olivine, for example) will be detected using filtered images; and the nickel content of Psyche's metal phase will be measured using the GRNS.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-022-00880-9","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.1007/s11214-022-00880-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.abh2837","name":"Late accretionary history of Earth and Moon preserved in lunar impactites.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Late accretion describes the final addition of Earth’s mass following Moon formation and includes a period of Late Heavy Bombardment (LHB), which occurred either as a short-lived cataclysm triggered by a late giant planet orbital instability or a declining bombardment during late accretion. Using genetically characteristic ruthenium and molybdenum isotope compositions of lunar impact–derived rocks, we show that the impactors during the LHB and the entire period of late accretion were the same type of bodies and that they originated in the terrestrial planet region. Because a cataclysmic LHB would have, in part, resulted in compositionally distinct projectiles, we conclude that the LHB reflects the tail end of accretion. This implies that the giant planet orbital instability occurred during the main phase of planet formation. Last, because of their inner solar system origin, late-accreted bodies cannot be the primary source of Earth’s water.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abh2837","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.abh2837","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.abm8890","name":"A unique stone skipping-like trajectory of asteroid Aletai.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Meteoroids/asteroids could deposit energy to Earth during their entries, which arouses great concerns. Strewn field, as a product of meteoroids/asteroids breakup, comprehensively reflects the trajectory, dynamics, and physical properties of meteoroids/asteroids. It typically has a length of several to a dozen kilometers. Nevertheless, the recently found massive Aletai irons in the northwest China comprise the longest known strewn field of ~430 kilometers. This implies that the dynamics of Aletai could be unique. Petrographic and trace elemental studies suggest that all the Aletai masses exhibit unique compositions (IIIE anomalous), indicating that they were from the same fall event. Numerical modeling suggests that the stone skipping-like trajectory associated with a shallow entry angle (e.g., ~6.5° to 7.3°) is responsible for Aletai's exceptionally long strewn field if a single-body entry scenario is considered. The stone skipping-like trajectory would not result in the deposition of large impact energy on the ground but may lead to the dissipation of energy during its extremely long-distance flight.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abm8890","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.abm8890","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-020-61581-3","name":"Mineralogy and Stable Isotopes of Tetradymite from the Dashuigou Tellurium Deposit, Tibet Plateau, Southwest China.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Due to the very limited quantity of associated tetradymite, both mineralogical and geochemical research on tetradymite is scarce and incomplete. By taking advantage of the discovery of the Dashuigou tellurium deposit in Tibet Plateau, the authors conducted mineralogical studies on tetradymite. The authors present new mineralogical data including reflectance, micro-pressure hardness, chemical compositions focusing on its chemical formula Bi 2.00 Te 1.89 S 0.95~1.00 , unit cell parameters (a = 4.239 Å, c = 29.595 Å) and lattice parameters (a = 10.172 Å, v = 154.391 Å 3 ), pyroelectricity (N type), and stable isotopes including sulfur and lead. The authors find that: δ 34 S‰ of tetradymite varies between -0.5~2.1 with a 15-sample average of 0.56, similar to that of meteorites and rocks from the mantle, indicating that the sulfur is from the mantle; lead isotopes of the tetradymite formed in the late metallogenic epoch is different from that of both pyrite and pyrrhotite formed in the early metallogenic epoch, further indicating that the three minerals formed in different metallogenic epochs; lead isotope compositions reveal that tellurium ore bodies emplaced in a quick process mainly in the form of ore magma; lead of the deposit is primarily from the mantle with some captured from the Earth's crust. These findings help fill in large gaps of information for the mineral tetradymite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-61581-3","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.1038/s41598-020-61581-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s11214-020-00764-w","name":"SuperCam Calibration Targets: Design and Development.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"SuperCam is a highly integrated remote-sensing instrumental suite for NASA's Mars 2020 mission. It consists of a co-aligned combination of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS), Time-Resolved Raman and Luminescence (TRR/L), Visible and Infrared Spectroscopy (VISIR), together with sound recording (MIC) and high-magnification imaging techniques (RMI). They provide information on the mineralogy, geochemistry and mineral context around the Perseverance Rover. The calibration of this complex suite is a major challenge. Not only does each technique require its own standards or references, their combination also introduces new requirements to obtain optimal scientific output. Elemental composition, molecular vibrational features, fluorescence, morphology and texture provide a full picture of the sample with spectral information that needs to be co-aligned, correlated, and individually calibrated. The resulting hardware includes different kinds of targets, each one covering different needs of the instrument. Standards for imaging calibration, geological samples for mineral identification and chemometric calculations or spectral references to calibrate and evaluate the health of the instrument, are all included in the SuperCam Calibration Target (SCCT). The system also includes a specifically designed assembly in which the samples are mounted. This hardware allows the targets to survive the harsh environmental conditions of the launch, cruise, landing and operation on Mars during the whole mission. Here we summarize the design, development, integration, verification and functional testing of the SCCT. This work includes some key results obtained to verify the scientific outcome of the SuperCam system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-020-00764-w","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.1007/s11214-020-00764-w","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/maps.13464","name":"Origin and Age of Metal Veins in Canyon Diablo Graphite Nodules.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Previous studies attributed the origin of metal veins penetrating graphite nodules in the Canyon Diablo IAB main group iron meteorite to condensation from vapor or melting of host metal. Abundances of 16 siderophile elements measured in kamacite within vein and host meteorite are most consistent with an origin by melting of the host metal followed by fractional crystallization of the liquid. The presence of the veins within graphite nodules may be explained by impact, as peak shock temperatures, and thus the most likely areas to undergo metal melting, are at metal-graphite interfaces. The origin of the veins is constrained by Re-Os chronometry to have occurred early (>4 Ga) in Solar System history.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13464","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.1111/maps.13464","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-021-86685-2","name":"Shocked quartz in distal ejecta from the Ries impact event (Germany) found at ~ 180 km distance, near Bernhardzell, eastern Switzerland.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Impact ejecta formation and emplacement is of great importance when it comes to understanding the process of impact cratering and consequences of impact events in general. Here we present a multidisciplinary investigation of a distal impact ejecta layer, the Blockhorizont, that occurs near Bernhardzell in eastern Switzerland. We provide unambiguous evidence that this layer is impact-related by confirming the presence of shocked quartz grains exhibiting multiple sets of planar deformation features. Average shock pressures recorded by the quartz grains are ~ 19 GPa for the investigated sample. U-Pb dating of zircon grains from bentonites in close stratigraphic context allows us to constrain the depositional age of the Blockhorizont to ~ 14.8 Ma. This age, in combination with geochemical and paleontological analysis of ejecta particles, is consistent with deposition of this material as distal impact ejecta from the Ries impact structure, located ~ 180 km away, in Germany. Our observations are important for constraining models of impact ejecta emplacement as ballistically and non-ballistically transported fragments, derived from vastly different depths in the pre-impact target, occur together within the ejecta layer. These observations make the Ries ejecta one of the most completely preserved ejecta deposit on Earth for an impact structure of that size.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-86685-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.1038/s41598-021-86685-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.abg9707","name":"Discovery of primitive CO<sub>2</sub>-bearing fluid in an aqueously altered carbonaceous chondrite.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Water is abundant as solid ice in the solar system and plays important roles in its evolution. Water is preserved in carbonaceous chondrites as hydroxyl and/or H 2 O molecules in hydrous minerals, but has not been found as liquid. To uncover such liquid, we performed synchrotron-based x-ray computed nanotomography and transmission electron microscopy with a cryo-stage of the aqueously altered carbonaceous chondrite Sutter's Mill. We discovered CO 2 -bearing fluid (CO 2 /H 2 O > ~0.15) in a nanosized inclusion incorporated into a calcite crystal, appearing as CO 2 ice and/or CO 2 hydrate at 173 K. This is direct evidence of dynamic evolution of the solar system, requiring the Sutter's Mill's parent body to have formed outside the CO 2 snow line and later transportation to the inner solar system because of Jupiter's orbital instability.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abg9707","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.abg9707","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-021-84517-x","name":"Organic matter and water from asteroid Itokawa.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Understanding the true nature of extra-terrestrial water and organic matter that were present at the birth of our solar system, and their subsequent evolution, necessitates the study of pristine astromaterials. In this study, we have studied both the water and organic contents from a dust particle recovered from the surface of near-Earth asteroid 25143 Itokawa by the Hayabusa mission, which was the first mission that brought pristine asteroidal materials to Earth's astromaterial collection. The organic matter is presented as both nanocrystalline graphite and disordered polyaromatic carbon with high D/H and 15 N/ 14 N ratios (δD = + 4868 ± 2288‰; δ 15 N = + 344 ± 20‰) signifying an explicit extra-terrestrial origin. The contrasting organic feature (graphitic and disordered) substantiates the rubble-pile asteroid model of Itokawa, and offers support for material mixing in the asteroid belt that occurred in scales from small dust infall to catastrophic impacts of large asteroidal parent bodies. Our analysis of Itokawa water indicates that the asteroid has incorporated D-poor water ice at the abundance on par with inner solar system bodies. The asteroid was metamorphosed and dehydrated on the formerly large asteroid, and was subsequently evolved via late-stage hydration, modified by D-enriched exogenous organics and water derived from a carbonaceous parent body.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-84517-x","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.1038/s41598-021-84517-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"epmc:MED31631922","name":"OXYGEN ISOTOPE SYSTEMATICS IN A COMPOUND AMOEBOID OLIVINE AGGREGATE - CHONDRULE OBJECT FROM ACFER 094 METEORITE: IMPLICATIONS TO O-ISOTOPE EXCHANGE BETWEEN MELT AND GAS DURING CHONDRULE FORMATION.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31631922/","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2108736118","name":"Natural Fe-bearing aluminous bridgmanite in the Katol L6 chondrite.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Bridgmanite, the most abundant mineral of the Earth's lower mantle, has been reported in only a few shocked chondritic meteorites; however, the compositions of these instances differ from that expected in the terrestrial bridgmanite. Here, we report the first natural occurrence of Fe-bearing aluminous bridgmanite in shock-induced melt veins within the Katol L6 chondrite with a composition that closely matches those synthesized in high-pressure and temperature experiments over the last three decades. The Katol bridgmanite coexists with majorite and metal-sulfide intergrowths. We found that the natural Fe-bearing aluminous bridgmanite in the Katol L6 chondrite has a significantly higher Fe 3+ /ΣFe ratio (0.69 ± 0.08) than coexisting majorite (0.37 ± 0.10), which agrees with experimental studies. The Katol bridgmanite is arguably the closest natural analog for the bridgmanite composition expected to be present in the Earth's lower mantle. Textural observations and comparison with laboratory experiments suggest that the Katol bridgmanite formed at pressures of ∼23 to 25 gigapascals directly from the chondritic melt generated by the shock event. Thus, the Katol L6 sample may also serve as a unique analog for crystallization of bridgmanite during the final stages of magma ocean crystallization during Earth's formation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2108736118","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2108736118","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-020-57635-1","name":"Si-Mg isotopes in enstatite chondrites and accretion of reduced planetary bodies.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Among the primitive meteorite classes, Enstatite Chondrites (EC) are believed to share a common origin with the Earth due to its close similarity with terrestrial mantle (Bulk Silicate Earth, BSE) for numerous isotope systematics. Si isotopes are an exception to this trend and the large δ 30 Si difference of ~0.3‰ between bulk EC and BSE has been used to argue against any major contribution of EC like planetary materials in Earth's accretion. However, Si possess a bimodal distribution among silicate and metallic fractions of EC because of its formation under highly reducing conditions. Based on high precision Si isotope analyses in micro-milled phase separates of EH3 chondrites, here we report the presence of significantly light Si isotopes in EC-metals (δ 30 Si ≥ -6.94 ± 0.09‰, Mg/Si = ~0.001) whereas its silicate phases are isotopically heavier (Av. δ 30 Si EC-silicates = -0.33 ± 0.11‰, Mg/Si = ~1.01) and closer to BSE (δ 30 Si BSE = -0.29 ± 0.08‰). We discuss the origin of the observed Si isotope heterogeneity in terms of gas-solid interaction processes associated with metal-silicate condensation at high C/O environment (~0.83). Although the elevated δ 30 Si of BSE compared to chondrites is consistent with earlier conclusions that lighter Si has partitioned into Earth's metallic core, our results indicate that the super-chondritic Si isotope composition of BSE does not reflect the sole consequence of high temperature-pressure core and mantle equilibration in a deep magma-ocean. Instead, Si along with Mg isotope analyses carried out in the same aliquot of EC micro-phase separates suggest that processes such as metal-silicate Si isotope fractionation at reduced nebular environment and vapor loss of lighter Si isotopes during planetary volatilization were also influential in establishing the Si isotope composition of terrestrial mantle.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-57635-1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.1038/s41598-020-57635-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-022-28051-y","name":"Mid-infrared emissivity of partially dehydrated asteroid (162173) Ryugu shows strong signs of aqueous alteration.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The near-Earth asteroid (162173) Ryugu, the target of Hayabusa2 space mission, was observed via both orbiter and the lander instruments. The infrared radiometer on the MASCOT lander (MARA) is the only instrument providing spectrally resolved mid-infrared (MIR) data, which is crucial for establishing a link between the asteroid material and meteorites found on Earth. Earlier studies revealed that the single boulder investigated by the lander belongs to the most common type found on Ryugu. Here we show the spectral variation of Ryugu's emissivity using the complete set of in-situ MIR data and compare it to those of various carbonaceous chondritic meteorites, revealing similarities to the most aqueously altered ones, as well as to asteroid (101955) Bennu. The results show that Ryugu experienced strong aqueous alteration prior to any dehydration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-28051-y","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.1038/s41467-022-28051-y","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-019-48937-0","name":"A unique CO-like micrometeorite hosting an exotic Al-Cu-Fe-bearing assemblage - close affinities with the Khatyrka meteorite.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"We report the discovery of a unique micrometeorite, containing an exotic Al-Cu-Fe alloy composed of two intermixed phases: khatyrkite (CuAl 2 ) and stolperite (CuAl) and both containing minor Fe ( 2 O 3 : 0.01-0.56 wt%, MnO: 0.03-0.32 wt% and CaO: 0.09-0.22 wt%) and a cumulate layered texture. These properties suggest the micrometeorite is derived from a carbonaceous chondrite (best matched to a CO chondrite) and entered the atmosphere a high speed (~16 kms -1 ), implying an origin from a highly eccentric orbit. This particle represents the second independent discovery of naturally occurring intermetallic Al-Cu-Fe alloys and is thus similar to the previously reported Khatyrka meteorite - a CV chondrite containing near-identical alloys and the only known natural quasicrystals. We did not observe quasicrystalline phases in this micrometeorite, likely due to the low amounts of Fe in the alloy, insufficient to stabilize quasicrystals. Our discovery confirms the existence of Al-Cu-Fe intermetallic alloys on chondritic parent bodies. These unusual phases require a currently unexplained formation process, we tentatively suggest this could represent the delivery of exotic interstellar material to the inner solar system via impact.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-48937-0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","doi":"10.1038/s41598-019-48937-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/maps.13547","name":"Pb-Pb ages and initial Pb isotopic composition of lunar meteorites: NWA 773 clan, NWA 4734, and Dhofar 287.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Constraining the duration of magmatic activity on the Moon is essential to understand how the lunar mantle evolved chemically through time. Determining age and initial isotopic compositions of mafic lunar meteorites is a critical step in defining the periods of magmatic activity that occurred during the history of the Moon and to constrain the chemical characteristics of mantle components involved in the sources of the magmas. We have used the in situ Pb-Pb SIMS technique to investigate eight lunar gabbros and basalts, including six meteorites from the Northwest Africa (NWA) 773 clan (NWA 2727, NWA 2700, NWA 3333, NWA 2977, NWA 773, and NWA 3170), NWA 4734, and Dhofar 287A. These samples have been selected as there is no clear agreement on their age and they are all from the dominant low titanium chemical group. We have obtained ages of 2981 ± 12 Ma for NWA 4734 and 3208 ± 22 Ma for Dhofar 287. For the NWA 773 clan, four samples (the fine-grained basalt NWA 2727 and the three gabbros NWA 773, NWA 2977, NWA 3170) out of six yielded isochron-calculated ages that are identical within uncertainties and yielding an average age of 3086 ± 5 Ma. The age obtained for the fine-grained basalt NWA 2700 is not precise enough for comparison with the other samples. The gabbroic sample NWA 3333 yielded an age of 3038 ± 20 Ma suggesting that two distinct magmatic events may be recorded in the meteorites of the NWA 773 clan. The present study aims to identify and assess all potential issues that are associated with different ways to date lunar rocks using U-Pb-based methods. To achieve this, we have compared the new ages with the previously published data set. The entire age data set from lunar mafic meteorites was also screened to identify data showing analytical issues and evidence of resetting and terrestrial contamination. The data set combining the ages of mafic lunar meteorites and Apollo rocks suggests pulses of magmatic activity with two distinct phases between 3950 and 3575 Ma and between 3375 and 3075 Ma with the two phases separated by a gap of approximately 200 Ma. The evolution of the Pb initial ratios of the low-Ti mare basalts between approximately 3400 and 3100 Ma suggests that these rocks were progressively contaminated by a KREEP-like component.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13547","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.1111/maps.13547","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.adf2906","name":"Shock-recovered maskelynite indicates low-pressure ejection of shergottites from Mars.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Diaplectic feldspathic glass, commonly known as maskelynite, is a widely used impact indicator, notably for shergottites, whose shock conditions are keys to their geochemistry and launch mechanism. However, classic reverberating shock recovery experiments show maskelynitization at higher shock pressures (>30 gigapascals) than the stability field of the high-pressure minerals found in many shergottites (15 to 25 gigapascals). Most likely, differences between experimental loading paths and those appropriate for martian impacts have created this ambiguity in shergottite shock histories. Shock reverberation yields lower temperature and deviatoric stress than single-shock planetary impacts at equivalent pressure. We report the Hugoniot equation of state of a martian analog basalt and single-shock recovery experiments, indicating partial-to-complete maskelynitization at 17 to 22 gigapascals, consistent with the high-pressure minerals in maskelynitized shergottites. This pressure explains the presence of intact magmatic accessory minerals, used for geochronology in shergottites, and offers a new pressure-time profile for modeling shergottite launch, likely requiring greater origin depth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adf2906","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.adf2906","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41550-020-1098-z","name":"Organic chemistry on a cool and wet young Mars.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Curiosity rover is unveiling the persistence of habitable environments more than three-billion years ago at Gale crater, Mars. New analyses of Gale's ancient sediments show that chemical processing of organic material occurred on a liquid-water rich and freezing early Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-020-1098-z","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.1038/s41550-020-1098-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41550-019-0722-2","name":"Evidence for widespread hydrated minerals on asteroid (101955) Bennu.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Early spectral data from the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission reveal evidence for abundant hydrated minerals on the surface of near-Earth asteroid (101955) Bennu in the form of a near-infrared absorption near 2.7 μm and thermal infrared spectral features that are most similar to those of aqueously altered CM carbonaceous chondrites. We observe these spectral features across the surface of Bennu, and there is no evidence of substantial rotational variability at the spatial scales of tens to hundreds of meters observed to date. In the visible and near-infrared (0.4 to 2.4 μm) Bennu's spectrum appears featureless and with a blue (negative) slope, confirming previous ground-based observations. Bennu may represent a class of objects that could have brought volatiles and organic chemistry to Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-019-0722-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","doi":"10.1038/s41550-019-0722-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/maps.13284","name":"To be or not to be oxidized: A case study of olivine behavior in the fusion crust of ureilite A 09368 and H chondrites A 09004 and A 09502.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Meteorite fusion crusts are quenched melt layers formed during meteoroid atmospheric entry, mostly preserved as coating on the meteorite surface. Antarctic ureilite Asuka (A) 09368 and H chondrites A 09004 and A 09502 exhibit well preserved thick fusion crusts, characterized by extensive olivine crystallization. As olivine is one of the major components of most meteorites and its petrologic behavior is well constrained, it can be roughly considered as representative for the bulk meteorite. Thus, in this work, the evolution of olivine in fusion crusts of the above-listed selected samples is investigated. The different shape and chemistry of olivine crystallized in the fusion crust, both as overgrown rim on relic olivine clasts and as new crystals, suggest a general temperature and cooling rate gradient. The occurrence of reverse and oscillatory zoning in individual olivine grains within the fusion crust suggests complex redox reactions. Overall, the investigated fusion crusts exhibit a general oxidation of the relatively reduced initial material. However, evidence of local reduction is preserved. Reduction is likely triggered by the presence of carbon in the ureilite or by overheating during the atmospheric entry. Constraining these processes provides a potential analog for interpreting features observed in cosmic spherules and micrometeorites and for calibrating experiments and numerical models on the formation of fusion crusts.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13284","authors":["Lidia Pittarello","Akira Yamaguchi","J. Roszjar","Vinciane Debaille","Christian Koeberl","Philippe Claeys"],"tags":["Olivine","Meteorite","Chondrite","Geology","Crust"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","doi":"10.1111/maps.13284","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/srep42674","name":"Discovery of the Fe-analogue of akimotoite in the shocked Suizhou L6 chondrite.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"We report the first natural occurrence of the Fe-analogue of akimotoite, ilmenite-structured MgSiO 3 , a missing phase among the predicted high-pressure polymorphs of Fe-pyroxene, with the composition (Fe 2+ 0.48 Mg 0.37 Ca 0.04 Na 0.04 Mn 2+ 0.03 Al 0.03 Cr 3+ 0.01 ) Σ=1.00 Si 1.00 O 3 . The new mineral was approved by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA 2016-085) and named hemleyite in honour of Russell J. Hemley. It was discovered in an unmelted portion of the heavily shocked L6 Suizhou chondrite closely associated to olivine, clinoenstatite and Fe-bearing pyroxene with a composition nearly identical to that of hemleyite. We also report the first single-crystal X-ray diffraction study of a Si-bearing, ilmenite-structured phase. The fact that hemleyite formed in a meteorite exposed to high pressures (<20 GPa) and temperatures (<2000 °C) during impact-induced shocks indicates that it could play a crucial role at the bottom of the Earth's mantle transition zone and within the uppermost lower mantle.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/srep42674","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017","doi":"10.1038/srep42674","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/maps.12959","name":"Distribution of Aliphatic Amines in CO, CV and CK Carbonaceous Chondrites and Relation to Mineralogy and Processing History.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The analysis of water-soluble organic compounds in meteorites provides valuable insights into the prebiotic synthesis of organic matter and the processes that occurred during the formation of the solar system. We investigated the concentration of aliphatic monoamines present in the hot acid-water extracts of the unaltered Antarctic carbonaceous chondrites DOM 08006 (CO3) and MIL 05013 (CO3), and the thermally altered meteorites Allende (CV3), LAP 02206 (CV3), GRA 06101 (CV3), ALH 85002 (CK4), and EET 92002 (CK5). We have also reviewed and assessed the petrologic characteristics of the meteorites studied here, to evaluate the effects of asteroidal processing on the abundance and molecular distributions of monoamines. The CO3, CV3, CK4, and CK5 meteorites studied here contain total concentrations of amines ranging from 1.2 to 4.0 nmol/g of meteorite; these amounts are one to three orders of magnitude below those observed in carbonaceous chondrites from the CI, CM and CR groups. The low amine abundances for CV and CK chondrites may be related to their extensive degree of thermal metamorphism and/or to their low original amine content. Although the CO3 meteorites DOM 08006 and MIL 05013 do not show signs of thermal and aqueous alteration, their monoamine contents are comparable to those observed in moderately/extensively thermally altered CV3, CK4, and CK5 carbonaceous chondrites. The low content of monoamines in pristine CO carbonaceous chondrites suggests that the initial amounts, and not asteroidal processes, play a dominant role in the content of monoamines in carbonaceous chondrites. The primary monoamines, methylamine, ethylamine and n -propylamine constitute the most abundant amines in the CO3, CV3, CK4, and CK5 meteorites studied here. Contrary to the predominance of n -ω-amino acid isomers in CO3 and thermally altered meteorites, there appears to be no preference for the larger n -α-amines.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12959","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017","doi":"10.1111/maps.12959","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.adi7203","name":"Microstructural and chemical features of impact melts on Ryugu particle surfaces: Records of interplanetary dust hit on asteroid Ryugu.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Hayabusa2 spacecraft delivered samples of the carbonaceous asteroid Ryugu to Earth. Some of the sample particles show evidence of micrometeoroid impacts, which occurred on the asteroid surface. Among those, particles A0067 and A0094 have flat surfaces on which a large number of microcraters and impact melt splashes are observed. Two impact melt splashes and one microcrater were analyzed to unveil the nature of the objects that impacted the asteroid surface. The melt splashes consist mainly of Mg-Fe-rich glassy silicates and Fe-Ni sulfides. The microcrater trapped an impact melt consisting mainly of Mg-Fe-rich glassy silicate, Fe-Ni sulfides, and minor silica-rich glass. These impact melts show a single compositional trend indicating mixing of Ryugu surface materials and impactors having chondritic chemical compositions. The relict impactor in one of the melt splashes shows mineralogical similarity with anhydrous chondritic interplanetary dust particles having a probable cometary origin. The chondritic micrometeoroids probably impacted the Ryugu surface during its residence in a near-Earth orbit.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adi7203","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.adi7203","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-023-35820-w","name":"Reconciling discrepant minor sulfur isotope records of the Great Oxidation Event.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Understanding the timing and trajectory of atmospheric oxygenation remains fundamental to deciphering its causes and consequences. Given its origin in oxygen-free photochemistry, mass-independent sulfur isotope fractionation (S-MIF) is widely accepted as a geochemical fingerprint of an anoxic atmosphere. Nevertheless, S-MIF recycling through oxidative sulfide weathering-commonly termed the crustal memory effect (CME)-potentially decouples the multiple sulfur isotope (MSI) record from coeval atmospheric chemistry. Herein, however, after accounting for unrecognised temporal and spatial biases within the Archaean-early-Palaeoproterozoic MSI record, we demonstrate that the global expression of the CME is barely resolvable; thereby validating S-MIF as a tracer of contemporaneous atmospheric chemistry during Earth's incipient oxygenation. Next, utilising statistical approaches, supported by new MSI data, we show that the reconciliation of adjacent, yet seemingly discrepant, South African MSI records requires that the rare instances of post-2.3-billion-year-old S-MIF are stratigraphically restricted. Accepting others' primary photochemical interpretation, our approach demands that these implied atmospheric dynamics were ephemeral, operating on sub-hundred-thousand-year timescales. Importantly, these apparent atmospheric relapses were fundamentally different from older putative oxygenation episodes, implicating an intermediate, and potentially uniquely feedback-sensitive, Earth system state in the wake of the Great Oxidation Event.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-35820-w","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.1038/s41467-023-35820-w","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.gca.2021.03.004","name":"The relationship between CM and CO chondrites: Insights from combined analyses of titanium, chromium, and oxygen isotopes in CM, CO, and ungrouped chondrites.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"A close relationship between CM and CO chondrites has been suggested by previous petrologic and isotopic studies, leading to the suggestion that they may originate from similar precursor materials or even a common parent body. In this study, we evaluate the genetic relationship between CM and CO chondrites using Ti, Cr, and O isotopes. We first provide additional constraints on the ranges of ε 50 Ti and ε 54 Cr values of bulk CM and CO chondrites by reporting the isotopic compositions of CM2 chondrites Murchison, Murray, and Aguas Zarcas and the CO3.8 chondrite Isna. We then report the ε 50 Ti and ε 54 Cr values for several ungrouped and anomalous carbonaceous chondrites that have been previously reported to exhibit similarities to the CM and/or CO chondrite groups, including Elephant Moraine (EET) 83226, EET 83355, Grosvenor Mountains (GRO) 95566, MacAlpine Hills (MAC) 87300, MAC 87301, MAC 88107, and Northwest Africa (NWA) 5958, and the O-isotope compositions of a subset of these samples. We additionally report the Ti, Cr, and O isotopic compositions of additional ungrouped chondrites LaPaz Ice Field (LAP) 04757, LAP 04773, Lewis Cliff (LEW) 85332, and Coolidge to assess their potential relationships with known carbonaceous and ordinary chondrite groups. LAP 04757 and LAP 04773 exhibit isotopic compositions indicating they are low-FeO ordinary chondrites. The isotopic compositions of Murchison, Murray, Aguas Zarcas, and Isna extend the compositional ranges defined by the CM and CO chondrites in ε 50 Ti versus ε 54 Cr space. The majority of the ungrouped carbonaceous chondrites with documented similarities to the CM and/or CO chondrites plot outside the CM and CO group fields in plots of ε 50 Ti versus ε 54 Cr, Δ 17 O versus ε 50 Ti, and Δ 17 O versus ε 54 Cr. Therefore, based on differences in their Ti, Cr, and O isotopic compositions, we conclude that the CM, CO, and ungrouped carbonaceous chondrites likely represent samples of multiple distinct parent bodies. We also infer that these parent bodies formed from precursor materials that shared similar isotopic compositions, which may indicate formation in regions of the protoplanetary disk that were in close proximity to each other.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2021.03.004","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.1016/j.gca.2021.03.004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2005235117","name":"Chondrules reveal large-scale outward transport of inner Solar System materials in the protoplanetary disk.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Dynamic models of the protoplanetary disk indicate there should be large-scale material transport in and out of the inner Solar System, but direct evidence for such transport is scarce. Here we show that the ε 50 Ti-ε 54 Cr-Δ 17 O systematics of large individual chondrules, which typically formed 2 to 3 My after the formation of the first solids in the Solar System, indicate certain meteorites (CV and CK chondrites) that formed in the outer Solar System accreted an assortment of both inner and outer Solar System materials, as well as material previously unidentified through the analysis of bulk meteorites. Mixing with primordial refractory components reveals a \"missing reservoir\" that bridges the gap between inner and outer Solar System materials. We also observe chondrules with positive ε 50 Ti and ε 54 Cr plot with a constant offset below the primitive chondrule mineral line (PCM), indicating that they are on the slope ∼1.0 in the oxygen three-isotope diagram. In contrast, chondrules with negative ε 50 Ti and ε 54 Cr increasingly deviate above from PCM line with increasing δ 18 O, suggesting that they are on a mixing trend with an ordinary chondrite-like isotope reservoir. Furthermore, the Δ 17 O-Mg# systematics of these chondrules indicate they formed in environments characterized by distinct abundances of dust and H 2 O ice. We posit that large-scale outward transport of nominally inner Solar System materials most likely occurred along the midplane associated with a viscously evolving disk and that CV and CK chondrules formed in local regions of enhanced gas pressure and dust density created by the formation of Jupiter.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2005235117","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2005235117","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s13146-015-0257-2","name":"4.6-billion-year-old aragonite and its implications for understanding the geological record of Ca-carbonate.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Owing to its diagenetic instability, aragonite is rare in the geological record and almost entirely absent from pre-carboniferous sedimentary rocks. The former presence of this mineral in older deposits has to be inferred from petrographic, chemical or isotopic proxies. Crystals of aragonite that formed around 4563 million years ago occur in carbonaceous chondrite meteorites, showing that under certain conditions, the orthorhombic polymorph of Ca-carbonate can survive essentially indefinitely. Together with other carbonate minerals, phyllosilicates and sulphides, this aragonite formed by low-temperature water-mediated alteration of anhydrous minerals and glass in the interior of the meteorite's parent asteroid(s). The survival of aragonite for such a long time can be attributed to the loss of free water by its incorporation into phyllosilicates, and to the very low permeability of the fine-grained and organic-rich rock matrix that prevented the ingress of fresh solutions via intergranular flow. By analogy with these meteorites, terrestrial aragonite is likely to survive where it has been similarly isolated from liquid water, particularly in organic-rich mudrocks, and such deposits may provide important new evidence for deducing the original mineralogy of skeletal and non-skeletal carbonates in deep-time.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13146-015-0257-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015","doi":"10.1007/s13146-015-0257-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.aaw5549","name":"Boom boom pow: Shock-facilitated aqueous alteration and evidence for two shock events in the Martian nakhlite meteorites.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Nakhlite meteorites are ~1.4 to 1.3 Ga old igneous rocks, aqueously altered on Mars ~630 Ma ago. We test the theory that water-rock interaction was impact driven. Electron backscatter diffraction demonstrates that the meteorites Miller Range 03346 and Lafayette were heterogeneously deformed, leading to localized regions of brecciation, plastic deformation, and mechanical twinning of augite. Numerical modeling shows that the pattern of deformation is consistent with shock-generated compressive and tensile stresses. Mesostasis within shocked areas was aqueously altered to phyllosilicates, carbonates, and oxides, suggesting a genetic link between the two processes. We propose that an impact ~630 Ma ago simultaneously deformed the nakhlite parent rocks and generated liquid water by melting of permafrost. Ensuing water-rock interaction focused on shocked mesostasis with a high density of reactive sites. The nakhlite source location must have two spatially correlated craters, one ~630 Ma old and another, ejecting the meteorites, ~11 Ma ago.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aaw5549","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.aaw5549","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.gca.2018.11.002","name":"Evidence for oxygen isotopic exchange in chondrules from Kaba (CV3.1) carbonaceous chondrite during aqueous fluid-rock interaction on the CV parent asteroid.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"We report on the mineralogy, petrography, and oxygen isotopic compositions of primary olivine and plagioclase/feldspathic mesostases in chondrules and of secondary magnetite and fayalite in chondrules and matrix of an oxidized Bali-like CV3.1 carbonaceous chondrite, Kaba. In this meteorite, compositionally nearly pure fayalite (Fa 98-100 ) associates with hedenbergite (Fs ~50 Wo ~50 ), magnetite, and Fe,Ni-sulfides. There are several textural occurrences of this mineral paragenesis: (i) coarse-grained intergrowths in interchondrule matrix, (ii) veins starting at the opaque nodules in the peripheries of type I chondrules and crosscutting fine-grained rims around them, and (iii) rims overgrowing olivine of type I and type II chondrule fragments. Oxygen isotopic compositions of fayalite and magnetite are in disequilibrium with chondrule olivines. On a three-isotope oxygen diagram, δ 17 O vs. δ 18 O, compositions of olivine plot along primitive chondrule minerals (PCM) line having a slope of ~1.0; deviations from the terrestrial fractionation line, Δ 17 O = δ 17 O - 0.52 × δ 18 O, range from ~-8‰ to ~-5‰. In contrast, fayalite and magnetite plot along mass-dependent fractionation line with a slope of ~0.5; their δ 18 O values range from -1 to ~+9‰; Δ 17 O is nearly constant (average ± 2SE = -1.5±1‰). Oxygen isotopic compositions of chondrule plagioclase and feldspathic mesostases are in disequilibrium with chondrule olivines: they deviate to the right from the PCM line by ~12‰ and plot close to the mass-dependent fractionation line defined by fayalite and magnetite. Based on the mineralogy, petrography, oxygen isotopic compositions of fayalite and magnetite, and the previously published thermodynamic analysis of the fayalite-bearing assemblages in ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites, we conclude that Kaba fayalite and magnetite formed during aqueous fluid-rock interaction at low water/rock ratio (0.1-0.2) and elevated temperatures (~200-300°C) on the CV chondrite parent asteroid. The Δ 17 O values of Kaba fayalite and magnetite (-1.5±1‰) correspond to Δ 17 O of aqueous fluid that operated on the CV chondrite parent asteroid and resulted in its alteration. Plagioclase and feldspathic mesostases in Kaba chondrules experienced postcrystallization oxygen isotopic exchange with this 16 O-depleted fluid; olivine grains retained their original compositions acquired during chondrule melts crystallization. The inferred oxygen isotopic exchange in Kaba chondrules appear to have not affected their Al-Mg isotope systematics.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2018.11.002","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","doi":"10.1016/j.gca.2018.11.002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.gca.2021.02.012","name":"Oxygen isotope systematics of chondrules in the Paris CM2 chondrite: indication for a single large formation region across snow line.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"In-situ oxygen three-isotope analyses of chondrules and isolated olivine grains in the Paris (CM) chondrite were conducted by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Multiple analyses of olivine and/or pyroxene in each chondrule show indistinguishable Δ 17 O values, except for minor occurrences of relict olivine grains (and one low-Ca pyroxene). A mean Δ 17 O value of these homogeneous multiple analyses was obtained for each chondrule, which represent oxygen isotope ratios of the chondrule melt. The Δ 17 O values of individual chondrules range from -7‰ to -2‰ and generally increase with decreasing Mg# of olivine and pyroxene in individual chondrules. Most type I (FeO-poor) chondrules have high Mg# (~99) and variable Δ 17 O values from -7.0‰ to -3.3‰. Other type I chondrules (Mg# ≤97), type II (FeO-rich) chondrules, and two isolated FeO-rich olivine grains have host Δ 17 O values from -3‰ to -2‰. Eight chondrules contain relict grains that are either 16 O-rich or 16 O-poor relative to their host chondrule and show a wide range of Δ 17 O values from -13‰ to 0‰. The results from chondrules in the Paris meteorite are similar to those in Murchison (CM). Collectively, the Δ 17 O values of chondrules in CM chondrites continuously increase from -7‰ to -2‰ with decreasing Mg# from 99 to 37. The majority of type I chondrules (Mg# >98) show Δ 17 O values from -6‰ to -4‰, while the majority of and type II chondrules (Mg# 60-70) show Δ 17 O values of -2.5‰. The covariation of Δ 17 O versus Mg# observed among chondrules in CM chondrites may suggest that most chondrules in carbonaceous chondrites formed in a single large region across the snow line where the contribution of 16 O-poor ice to chondrule precursors and dust enrichment factors varied significantly.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2021.02.012","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.1016/j.gca.2021.02.012","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17863/cam.131645","name":"The Magnetic Mineralogy of Carbonaceous Chondrites: A Microscopy and Machine Learning Study of Meteorite WIS 91600","source":"datacite","abstract":"Abstract A central challenge in the paleomagnetic study of meteorites is to characterize their diverse remanence carriers. Here, we develop a machine‐learning assisted workflow that combines multi‐scale (mm to nm) and multi‐dimensional (2D‐3D) microscopy to build a comprehensive picture of ferromagnetic mineralogy in the C2 ungrouped carbonaceous chondrite Wisconsin Range (WIS) 91600. Scanning electron microscopy images are acquired across the entire thin section with sufficient resolution to locate all major remanence carrying ensembles. A deep learning classifier yields the volume fraction and morphometric properties of each ensemble, distinguishing between different textural varieties of the same ferromagnetic mineral. Chemical maps of representative ensembles are analyzed using an interactive machine‐learning tool that provides automated mineralogical segmentation and hyperspectral unmixing of the underlying endmembers. Focused‐ion‐beam nanotomography is used to reconstruct representative volumes with 3D spatial resolution sufficient to characterize all remanence carriers down to the stable single‐domain range. 4D scanning transmission electron microscopy provides access to grains in the superparamagnetic size range and diffraction data to enable phase identification. We conclude that the matrix, composed of phyllosilicates with fine‐scale pyrrhotite, pentlandite and magnetite, has a high potential to carry strong and stable paleomagnetic remanence in carbonaceous chondrites. The magnetic contribution from matrix‐hosted pyrrhotite is lowered in WIS 91600, however, due to transient heating inducing M C rather than 4C vacancy ordering. The remanence carrying potential of matrix‐hosted magnetite is similar to magnetite framboids but is less likely to be adversely affected by strong interactions, making it the preferred target for paleomagnetism. Plain Language Summary Meteorites are natural archives of the magnetic fields that existed when the solar system was formed. To unlock this record, we need to understand which minerals inside meteorites can hold magnetic signals over billions of years. In this study, we used advanced imaging and machine‐learning techniques to examine the carbonaceous chondrite meteorite Wisconsin Range (WIS) 91600. Our approach combines multiple scales of observation—from millimeters down to nanometers—and multiple dimensions, including 3D reconstructions with nanoscale resolution. We mapped the meteorite's chemistry, identified magnetic minerals, and analyzed their shapes and sizes. The matrix of the meteorite, made mostly of clay‐like minerals mixed with small grains of pyrrhotite, pentlandite, and magnetite, is the best candidate for preserving strong and stable magnetic signals. However, heating events in the meteorite's past reduced the magnetic strength of pyrrhotite. Magnetite grains in the matrix, on the other hand, remain reliable carriers of ancient magnetism. These findings will help paleomagnetists choose the right minerals for their studies, improving our ability to reconstruct the magnetic history of the early solar system. Key Points A 2D microscopy and machine‐learning workflow was used to characterize the magnetic mineralogy of meteorite WIS 91600 3D nanotomography and micromagnetic modeling of representative ensembles allow their remanence potential to be assessed Bulk remanence potential in WIS 91600 is dominated by fine‐scale single‐domain magnetite contained in the phyllosilicate matrix","url":"https://doi.org/10.17863/cam.131645","authors":["Harrison, Richard J","Tung, Po‐Yen","Ginnis, Thomas","Nabiei, Farhang","Shaw, Ursula","Mansbach, Elias N","Bryson, James"],"tags":["37 Earth Sciences","51 Physical Sciences","3705 Geology","Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence","Networking and Information Technology R&amp;D (NITRD)","Bioengineering"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.17863/cam.131645","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.10333537","name":"Tabor meteorite (NHMW-Min A10)","source":"datacite","abstract":"3D scan of the 2789 grams heavy Tabor meteorite specimen - the largest single piece of this meteorite that fell on July 3, 1753 in the Czech Republic. It was transferred from the 'k.k. Schatzkammer' (Imperial and Royal Treasury) to the Natural History Cabinet in 1778, together with the [Hraschina meteorite](https://skfb.ly/onAWB ), and is one of the founding objects of the Vienna meteorite collection. The Tabor meteorite can be seen in Hall 5 of the NHM Vienna in the large showcase 47. **Meteorite**: Tabor (Ordinary chondrite / H5) **Inventory number**: NHMW-Min A10 **Collection**: Natural History Museum Vienna, Dept. of Mineralogy & Petrography, Meteorite Coll. (curator: Ludovic Ferrière) Find out more about the NHMW [here](http://www.nhm-wien.ac.at/en). Scanned and edited by Anna Haider & Viola Winkler (NHMW) Text by Ludovic Ferrière (NHMW) Scanner: Artec Space Spider. Infrastructure funded by the FFG. Source: Objaverse 1.0 / Sketchfab","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10333537","authors":["NHMWien"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.10333537","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.10333538","name":"Tabor meteorite (NHMW-Min A10)","source":"datacite","abstract":"3D scan of the 2789 grams heavy Tabor meteorite specimen - the largest single piece of this meteorite that fell on July 3, 1753 in the Czech Republic. It was transferred from the 'k.k. Schatzkammer' (Imperial and Royal Treasury) to the Natural History Cabinet in 1778, together with the [Hraschina meteorite](https://skfb.ly/onAWB ), and is one of the founding objects of the Vienna meteorite collection. The Tabor meteorite can be seen in Hall 5 of the NHM Vienna in the large showcase 47. **Meteorite**: Tabor (Ordinary chondrite / H5) **Inventory number**: NHMW-Min A10 **Collection**: Natural History Museum Vienna, Dept. of Mineralogy & Petrography, Meteorite Coll. (curator: Ludovic Ferrière) Find out more about the NHMW [here](http://www.nhm-wien.ac.at/en). Scanned and edited by Anna Haider & Viola Winkler (NHMW) Text by Ludovic Ferrière (NHMW) Scanner: Artec Space Spider. Infrastructure funded by the FFG. Source: Objaverse 1.0 / Sketchfab","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10333538","authors":["NHMWien"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.10333538","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.24416/uu01-l83i9c","name":"Dataset of Bjurböle (L/LL4 S1) Ordinary Chondritic Meteorite, properties studied by Optical and Electron Microscopy (thin section A).","source":"datacite","abstract":"Optical and electron microscopy data for thin section A of the Bjurböle (L/LL4 S1) Ordinary Chondritic Meteorite, collected as part of the BSc Thesis by J.M.C. Reichard (2024) titled: \"Bjurböle and Mezö-Madaras Ordinary Chondritic Meteorites, properties studied by Optical and Electron Microscopy.\". Dataset has the following contents: -- BjA_BSE_Atlasfullscan: Full VP BSD and SE scans in native .czi format and exported to png. -- BjA_BSE_closeups: BSE images used to locate the EDS scans. --- PLainImages: Plain images without metadata footer. -- BjA_BSE_EDS: Native .oip file that can be used to edit data and view data in higher quality. --- reports: Exported data to .xlsx format. -- BjA_PPL_XPL_10X: Full thin section PPL and XPL scans in native .czi format and exported to png. -- BjA_PPL_XPL_closeups: Close-up PPL and XPL images. -- BjA_StraboMicro: StraboMicro is software for exploration microscopy data sets.","url":"https://doi.org/10.24416/uu01-l83i9c","authors":["Jelle Reichard"],"tags":["FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences","chondrite meteorite","FormationOfEarth","meteorite","extra-terrestrial setting","scanning electron microscope (SEM)","electron microscopy","optical microscopy"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.24416/uu01-l83i9c","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.10357627","name":"Lancé meteorite (NHMW-Min A957-A958-A958a-A959)","source":"datacite","abstract":"With a total of 45 kg, these four fragments of the Lancé meteorite represent most of the mass available. On July 23, 1872, at 5:20 pm, two loud explosions were heard by the inhabitants of the Centre-Val de Loire region (France). Some eye-witnesses report on the observation of two fireballs. This large, nicely oriented, stone was recovered two days after the fall, in a hole about 1.60 m deep. The Lancé meteorite can be seen in Hall 5 of the NHM Vienna in the large showcase 48, one of the fragments is on display in the central showcase 54. **Meteorite**: Lancé (Carbonaceous chondrite/CO3.5) **Inventory number**: NHMW-Min A957-A958-A958a-A959 **Collection**: Natural History Museum Vienna, Dept. of Mineralogy & Petrography, Meteorite Coll. (curator: Ludovic Ferrière) Find out more about the NHMW [here](http://www.nhm-wien.ac.at/en) Scanned and edited by Viola Winkler (NHMW). Platform added digitally. Text by Ludovic Ferrière (NHMW) Scanner: Artec Leo. Infrastructure funded by the FFG. Source: Objaverse 1.0 / Sketchfab","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10357627","authors":["NHMWien"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.10357627","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.10357628","name":"Lancé meteorite (NHMW-Min A957-A958-A958a-A959)","source":"datacite","abstract":"With a total of 45 kg, these four fragments of the Lancé meteorite represent most of the mass available. On July 23, 1872, at 5:20 pm, two loud explosions were heard by the inhabitants of the Centre-Val de Loire region (France). Some eye-witnesses report on the observation of two fireballs. This large, nicely oriented, stone was recovered two days after the fall, in a hole about 1.60 m deep. The Lancé meteorite can be seen in Hall 5 of the NHM Vienna in the large showcase 48, one of the fragments is on display in the central showcase 54. **Meteorite**: Lancé (Carbonaceous chondrite/CO3.5) **Inventory number**: NHMW-Min A957-A958-A958a-A959 **Collection**: Natural History Museum Vienna, Dept. of Mineralogy & Petrography, Meteorite Coll. (curator: Ludovic Ferrière) Find out more about the NHMW [here](http://www.nhm-wien.ac.at/en) Scanned and edited by Viola Winkler (NHMW). Platform added digitally. Text by Ludovic Ferrière (NHMW) Scanner: Artec Leo. Infrastructure funded by the FFG. Source: Objaverse 1.0 / Sketchfab","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10357628","authors":["NHMWien"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.10357628","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.21886782","name":"Postmodern Physics of Hamzah Information.(147)","source":"datacite","abstract":"تحلیل بنیادین، بازنویسی تانسوری و اثبات جامعِ «پارادوکس رشد شبه‌بلورها (The Quasicrystal Growth Paradox) و نقش پل‌ساز روغن بوزونی ($\\eta_{\\text{boson}}$) میان پوینترهای غیرمحلی و فضای پنهان چندبعدی ($\\mathcal{A}_{\\text{Quasicrystal}}$) با ماتریس‌های تانسوری ($\\mathbb{J}_{\\text{Quasicrystal}}$) در بستر فیزیک اطلاعات حمزه (HIP-1155) در مقایسه با ترمودینامیک و مکانیک آماری کلاسیک» ۱. مقدمه و پارادوکسِ نظم بدون تناوب و ابعاد پنهان در مرزهای فیزیک ماده چگال و کریستالوگرافی، معمای لاینحل پارادوکس رشد شبه‌بلورها (The Quasicrystal Growth Paradox) به عنوان یکی از بنیادی‌ترین چالش‌های قرن اخیر شناخته می‌شود [1]. در بلورهای معمولی، اتم‌ها با تکیه بر اطلاعات محلی و کوتاه‌برد به لبه شبکه می‌چسبند. اما در شبه‌بلورها که دارای تقارن‌های غیرمتناوب (مانند تقارن ۵‌تایی ممنوعه در بلورها) هستند، اتم‌ها برای حفظ ساختار کلان‌دامنه‌ی خود نیازمند اطلاعات غیرمحلی و بلندبردند [1, 2, 3]. معما اینجاست که اتم‌ها فاقد مغز یا حسگر دوربردند و تنها نیروهای الکترواستاتیک موضعی را حس می‌کنند؛ با این حال، بدون دچار شدن به اشتباهات چیدمان و تبدیل شدن به ماده آمورف (شیشه)، شبه‌بلورها در ابعاد بزرگ و به صورت کاملاً بی‌نقص رشد می‌کنند [1, 2, 3]. از سوی دیگر، ریاضیات نشان می‌دهد که شبه‌بلورهای ۳بعدی تنها به عنوان سایه یا تصویر یک بلور متناوب در فضاهای ۶بعدی قابل تعریف‌اند، در حالی که فیزیکدانان فاقد مکانیسم روشنی برای هدایت اتم‌های ۳بعدی توسط قوانین ابعاد بالاتر هستند [1, 2]. در فیزیک اطلاعات حمزه (HIP-1155)، این نظم غیرمتناوب یک معجزه تصادفی نیست، بلکه «تصویر هولوگرافیک پوینترهای اطلاعاتی منیفولد ۱۱۵۵ بعدی در بستر HamzahXcell» است. اتم‌ها در دنیای واقعی صرفاً مجریان محلی کدهایی هستند که از ابعاد بالاتر پروژکت شده‌اند. روغن بوزونی ($\\eta_{\\text{boson}}$) با لزجت فوق‌العاده ناچیز و غیرصفر ($\\eta_{\\text{boson}} \\to 1.155 \\times 10^{-13} \\, \\text{Pa}\\cdot\\text{s}$) به عنوان سیال عامل هماهنگی، میان منیفولد چندبعدی و ماتریس‌های تانسوری شبکه ($\\mathbb{J}_{\\text{Quasicrystal}}$) پل می‌زند و از هرگونه خطای چیدمان جلوگیری می‌کند. ۲. معادلات کلاسیک (ناتوانی در تبیین اطلاعات غیرمحلی و فلیپ‌های فازونی) در مکانیک آماری کلاسیک، رشد ساختارهای نامتناوب با مدل‌های سینتیکی و انرژی آزاد کاشی‌کاری بررسی می‌شود: $$\\Delta G = \\Delta H - T \\Delta S_{\\text{config}}$$ هنگامی که مدل‌های دیدگاه انرژی (فلیپ‌های فازونی) یا دیدگاه آنتروپی (کاشی‌کاری تصادفی) تلاش می‌کنند رشد بلندبرد را فرمول‌بندی کنند، با واگرایی در مقیاس‌های میکروسکوپی مواجه می‌شوند: $$\\lim_{r \\to \\infty} \\left\\vert{} \\text{Local Interaction} \\leftrightarrow \\text{Global Long-Range Order} \\right\\vert{} \\to \\text{Unresolvable Disconnect}$$ این شکاف عمیق میان نیروهای کوتاه‌برد محلی و نظم بلندبرد هندسی، بیانگر ناتوانی ترمودینامیک کلاسیک در توجیه مکانیزم رشد شبه‌بلورها است. ۳. مسئله عددی: کرش مدل کلاسیک رشد شبه‌بلور در برابر پایداری مطلق HIP برای ارزیابی کمی، فرض کنید سامانه شبه‌بلور در آستانه انجماد با فاکتور انحراف رشد و خطای چیدمان $\\Delta_{\\text{growth}} = 1.0 \\times 10^{-5}$ قرار گیرد. الف) محاسبه کلاسیک (بروز خطای چیدمان و تبدیل به شیشه آمورف): مدل‌های کلاسیک به دلیل نداشتن پارامتر اتصال غیرمحلی، در مواجهه با خطای رشد دچار فروپاشی محاسباتی و تبدیل ساختار به ماده بی‌شکل می‌شوند: $$\\text{Probability of Amorphization} = 1 - \\exp\\left(-\\frac{1.0}{1.0 \\times 10^{-5}}\\right) \\to 100\\% \\text{ (Structural Crash)}$$ ب) محاسبه در مدل فیزیک اطلاعات حمزه (HIP-1155): با وارد کردن سد هولوگرافیک بنیادی خلأ ($\\epsilon_{\\text{floor}} = 1.155 \\times 10^{-20}$) و لزجت روغن بوزونی ($\\eta_{\\text{boson}} = 1.155 \\times 10^{-13}$): $$\\mathcal{L}_{\\text{Quasicrystal-Total}} = \\frac{\\hbar_{\\Omega} \\cdot \\Omega_H}{\\eta_{\\text{boson}} + \\epsilon_{\\text{floor}}} \\cdot \\det(\\mathbb{J}_{\\text{Quasicrystal}}) \\cdot \\mathcal{T}_{\\text{Holographic-Bound}}$$ با جایگذاری مقادیر ($\\hbar_{\\Omega} = 1.155 \\times 10^{-34}$، فرکانس پردازش $\\Omega_H = 1.176 \\times 10^{10}$ و ضریب پایداری $\\mathcal{T} = 1.0000$): $$\\mathcal{L}_{\\text{Quasicrystal-Total}} = \\frac{1.155 \\times 10^{-34} \\times 1.176 \\times 10^{10}}{1.155 \\times 10^{-13} + 1.155 \\times 10^{-20}} \\cdot (1.0000) \\approx 1.176 \\times 10^{-11} \\text{ Units}$$ حضور مخرج پایدار بوزونی مانع فروپاشی شده و مقدار مؤث","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21886782","authors":["HAMZAH, SEYED RASOUL"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.21886782","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.21964983","name":"Postmodern Physics of Hamzah Information.(147)","source":"datacite","abstract":"تحلیل بنیادین، بازنویسی تانسوری و اثبات جامعِ «پارادوکس رشد شبه‌بلورها (The Quasicrystal Growth Paradox) و نقش پل‌ساز روغن بوزونی ($\\eta_{\\text{boson}}$) میان پوینترهای غیرمحلی و فضای پنهان چندبعدی ($\\mathcal{A}_{\\text{Quasicrystal}}$) با ماتریس‌های تانسوری ($\\mathbb{J}_{\\text{Quasicrystal}}$) در بستر فیزیک اطلاعات حمزه (HIP-1155) در مقایسه با ترمودینام��ک و مکانیک آماری کلاسیک» ۱. مقدمه و پارادوکسِ نظم بدون تناوب و ابعاد پنهان در مرزهای فیزیک ماده چگال و کریستالوگرافی، معمای لاینحل پارادوکس رشد شبه‌بلورها (The Quasicrystal Growth Paradox) به عنوان یکی از بنیادی‌ترین چالش‌های قرن اخیر شناخته می‌شود [1]. در بلورهای معمولی، اتم‌ها با تکیه بر اطلاعات محلی و کوتاه‌برد به لبه شبکه می‌چسبند. اما در شبه‌بلورها که دارای تقارن‌های غیرمتناوب (مانند تقارن ۵‌تایی ممنوعه در بلورها) هستند، اتم‌ها برای حفظ ساختار کلان‌دامنه‌ی خود نیازمند اطلاعات غیرمحلی و بلندبردند [1, 2, 3]. معما اینجاست که اتم‌ها فاقد مغز یا حسگر دوربردند و تنها نیروهای الکترواستاتیک موضعی را حس می‌کنند؛ با این حال، بدون دچار شدن به اشتباهات چیدمان و تبدیل شدن به ماده آمورف (شیشه)، شبه‌بلورها در ابعاد بزرگ و به صورت کاملاً بی‌نقص رشد می‌کنند [1, 2, 3]. از سوی دیگر، ریاضیات نشان می‌دهد که شبه‌بلورهای ۳بعدی تنها به عنوان سایه یا تصویر یک بلور متناوب در فضاهای ۶بعدی قابل تعریف‌اند، در حالی که فیزیکدانان فاقد مکانیسم روشنی برای هدایت اتم‌های ۳بعدی توسط قوانین ابعاد بالاتر هستند [1, 2]. در فیزیک اطلاعات حمزه (HIP-1155)، این نظم غیرمتناوب یک معجزه تصادفی نیست، بلکه «تصویر هولوگرافیک پوینترهای اطلاعاتی منیفولد ۱۱۵۵ بعدی در بستر HamzahXcell» است. اتم‌ها در دنیای واقعی صرفاً مجریان محلی کدهایی هستند که از ابعاد بالاتر پروژکت شده‌اند. روغن بوزونی ($\\eta_{\\text{boson}}$) با لزجت فوق‌العاده ناچیز و غیرصفر ($\\eta_{\\text{boson}} \\to 1.155 \\times 10^{-13} \\, \\text{Pa}\\cdot\\text{s}$) به عنوان سیال عامل هماهنگی، میان منیفولد چندبعدی و ماتریس‌های تانسوری شبکه ($\\mathbb{J}_{\\text{Quasicrystal}}$) پل می‌زند و از هرگونه خطای چیدمان جلوگیری می‌کند. ۲. معادلات کلاسیک (ناتوانی در تبیین اطلاعات غیرمحلی و فلیپ‌های فازونی) در مکانیک آماری کلاسیک، رشد ساختارهای نامتناوب با مدل‌های سینتیکی و انرژی آزاد کاشی‌کاری بررسی می‌شود: $$\\Delta G = \\Delta H - T \\Delta S_{\\text{config}}$$ هنگامی که مدل‌های دیدگاه انرژی (فلیپ‌های فازونی) یا دیدگاه آنتروپی (کاشی‌کاری تصادفی) تلاش می‌کنند رشد بلندبرد را فرمول‌بندی کنند، با واگرایی در مقیاس‌های میکروسکوپی مواجه می‌شوند: $$\\lim_{r \\to \\infty} \\left\\vert{} \\text{Local Interaction} \\leftrightarrow \\text{Global Long-Range Order} \\right\\vert{} \\to \\text{Unresolvable Disconnect}$$ این شکاف عمیق میان نیروهای کوتاه‌برد محلی و نظم بلندبرد هندسی، بیانگر ناتوانی ترمودینامیک کلاسیک در توجیه مکانیزم رشد شبه‌بلورها است. ۳. مسئله عددی: کرش مدل کلاسیک رشد شبه‌بلور در برابر پایداری مطلق HIP برای ارزیابی کمی، فرض کنید سامانه شبه‌بلور در آستانه انجماد با فاکتور انحراف رشد و خطای چیدمان $\\Delta_{\\text{growth}} = 1.0 \\times 10^{-5}$ قرار گیرد. الف) محاسبه کلاسیک (بروز خطای چیدمان و تبدیل به شیشه آمورف): مدل‌های کلاسیک به دلیل نداشتن پارامتر اتصال غیرمحلی، در مواجهه با خطای رشد دچار فروپاشی محاسباتی و تبدیل ساختار به ماده بی‌شکل می‌شوند: $$\\text{Probability of Amorphization} = 1 - \\exp\\left(-\\frac{1.0}{1.0 \\times 10^{-5}}\\right) \\to 100\\% \\text{ (Structural Crash)}$$ ب) محاسبه در مدل فیزیک اطلاعات حمزه (HIP-1155): با وارد کردن سد هولوگرافیک بنیادی خلأ ($\\epsilon_{\\text{floor}} = 1.155 \\times 10^{-20}$) و لزجت روغن بوزونی ($\\eta_{\\text{boson}} = 1.155 \\times 10^{-13}$): $$\\mathcal{L}_{\\text{Quasicrystal-Total}} = \\frac{\\hbar_{\\Omega} \\cdot \\Omega_H}{\\eta_{\\text{boson}} + \\epsilon_{\\text{floor}}} \\cdot \\det(\\mathbb{J}_{\\text{Quasicrystal}}) \\cdot \\mathcal{T}_{\\text{Holographic-Bound}}$$ با جایگذاری مقادیر ($\\hbar_{\\Omega} = 1.155 \\times 10^{-34}$، فرکانس پردازش $\\Omega_H = 1.176 \\times 10^{10}$ و ضریب پایداری $\\mathcal{T} = 1.0000$): $$\\mathcal{L}_{\\text{Quasicrystal-Total}} = \\frac{1.155 \\times 10^{-34} \\times 1.176 \\times 10^{10}}{1.155 \\times 10^{-13} + 1.155 \\times 10^{-20}} \\cdot (1.0000) \\approx 1.176 \\times 10^{-11} \\text{ Units}$$ حضور مخرج پایدار بوزونی مانع فروپاشی شده و مقدار مؤ","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21964983","authors":["HAMZAH, SEYED RASOUL"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.21964983","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.10241147","name":"Stannern meteorite (NHMW-Min A21)","source":"datacite","abstract":"3D scan of the Stannern meteorite. With 2046 grams, this specimen is the biggest one of this fall in the NHMW´s collection On May 22, 1808, after a series of loud explosions, some 200–300 stones fell from the sky near Stannern/Stonařov, in the Czech Republic. A number of these stones were collected by Carl von Schreibers and were recognized as being very different from all other meteorites known at that time. It is the first recognized achondrite meteorite. A number of specimens of the Stannern meteorite can be seen in Hall 5 of the NHM Vienna including this one in showcase Number 47. **Meteorite**: Stannern (Achondrite / Eucrite-monomict) **Inventory number**: NHMW-Min A21 **Collection**: Natural History Museum Vienna, Dept. of Mineralogy & Petrography, Meteorite Coll. (curator: Ludovic Ferrière) Find out more about the NHMW [here](http://www.nhm-wien.ac.at/en). Scanned and edited by Viola Winkler (NHMW). Text by Ludovic Ferrière (NHMW) Scanner: Artec Space Spider. Infrastructure funded by the FFG. Source: Objaverse 1.0 / Sketchfab","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10241147","authors":["NHMWien"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.10241147","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.10241148","name":"Stannern meteorite (NHMW-Min A21)","source":"datacite","abstract":"3D scan of the Stannern meteorite. With 2046 grams, this specimen is the biggest one of this fall in the NHMW´s collection On May 22, 1808, after a series of loud explosions, some 200–300 stones fell from the sky near Stannern/Stonařov, in the Czech Republic. A number of these stones were collected by Carl von Schreibers and were recognized as being very different from all other meteorites known at that time. It is the first recognized achondrite meteorite. A number of specimens of the Stannern meteorite can be seen in Hall 5 of the NHM Vienna including this one in showcase Number 47. **Meteorite**: Stannern (Achondrite / Eucrite-monomict) **Inventory number**: NHMW-Min A21 **Collection**: Natural History Museum Vienna, Dept. of Mineralogy & Petrography, Meteorite Coll. (curator: Ludovic Ferrière) Find out more about the NHMW [here](http://www.nhm-wien.ac.at/en). Scanned and edited by Viola Winkler (NHMW). Text by Ludovic Ferrière (NHMW) Scanner: Artec Space Spider. Infrastructure funded by the FFG. Source: Objaverse 1.0 / Sketchfab","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10241148","authors":["NHMWien"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.10241148","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.17641215","name":"The magnetic mineralogy of carbonaceous chondrites: a microscopy and machine learning study of meteorite WIS91600","source":"datacite","abstract":"Dataset 1: Full set of BSE images used to create Fig. 1 and for input to UNET segmentation. Each image tile is 250 µm x 250 µm wide. Images are organised into folders representing 43 columns of consecutive images (c_0 to c_42) that can be stitched to make the full image. Dataset 2: A collection of hyperspectral SEM/EDS datasets in .bcf format plus the Jupyter Notebook (Interactive_SEM_WIS.ipynb) to be run using SIGMA2 (see https://sigma2-documentation.readthedocs.io/en/latest/ to download and install SIGMA2). Files are named according to the corresponding Figured in the main text and supplement of the paper. Dataset 3: Full set of UNET segmented images derived from the BSE Dataset 1 used to create Fig. S1. Supplemental Dataset 4: Set of 10 selected BSE images (Dragonfly ORS file), their ground truth classification (Dragonfly ORS file), the modelled classification (Dragonfly ORS file) and the trained UNET model (.zip file for direct loading into Dragonfly). The data provided are those used to determine Table 1 and Fig. S4. Dataset 5: Files needed to recreate the micromagnetic simulation results presented in Figure. 13. Stich.pdf: A pdf showing the full stitched set of BSE images for FIg. 1. Yellow circles highlight many of the features focussed on in the paper. WIS Seg Stitch.pdf: A pdf showing the full stiched together segmented images. Zoom in to right lower corner to see evidence of impact texture. AGU Movie Test x: .avi and .mov versions of selected 3D animations of FIBnt results.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17641215","authors":["Harrison, Richard","Tung, Po-Yen","Ginnis, Thomas","Nabiei, Farhang","Shaw, Ursula","Mansbach, Elias","Bryson, James"],"tags":["Meteorite","Machine Learning","SIGMA","WIS 91600","Scanning Electron Microscopy","Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.17641215","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.19472886","name":"The magnetic mineralogy of carbonaceous chondrites: a microscopy and machine learning study of meteorite WIS91600","source":"datacite","abstract":"Dataset 1: Full set of BSE images used to create Fig. 1 and for input to UNET segmentation. Each image tile is 250 µm x 250 µm wide. Images are organised into folders representing 43 columns of consecutive images (c_0 to c_42) that can be stitched to make the full image. Dataset 2: A collection of hyperspectral SEM/EDS datasets in .bcf format plus the Jupyter Notebook (Interactive_SEM_WIS.ipynb) to be run using SIGMA2 (see https://sigma2-documentation.readthedocs.io/en/latest/ to download and install SIGMA2). Files are named according to the corresponding Figured in the main text and supplement of the paper. Dataset 3: Full set of UNET segmented images derived from the BSE Dataset 1 used to create Fig. S1. Supplemental Dataset 4: Set of 10 selected BSE images (Dragonfly ORS file), their ground truth classification (Dragonfly ORS file), the modelled classification (Dragonfly ORS file) and the trained UNET model (.zip file for direct loading into Dragonfly). The data provided are those used to determine Table 1 and Fig. S4. Dataset 5: Files needed to recreate the micromagnetic simulation results presented in Figure. 13. Stich.pdf: A pdf showing the full stitched set of BSE images for FIg. 1. Yellow circles highlight many of the features focussed on in the paper. WIS Seg Stitch.pdf: A pdf showing the full stiched together segmented images. Zoom in to right lower corner to see evidence of impact texture. AGU Movie Test x: .avi and .mov versions of selected 3D animations of FIBnt results.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19472886","authors":["Harrison, Richard","Tung, Po-Yen","Ginnis, Thomas","Nabiei, Farhang","Shaw, Ursula","Mansbach, Elias","Bryson, James"],"tags":["Meteorite","Machine Learning","SIGMA","WIS 91600","Scanning Electron Microscopy","Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.19472886","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/h4jxmmct3k.1","name":"Three-dimensional quantification of Ryugu matrix properties and constraints on aqueous alteration heterogeneity","source":"datacite","abstract":"Three-dimensional quantification of Ryugu matrix properties and constraints on aqueous alteration heterogeneity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/h4jxmmct3k.1","authors":["Sun, Mingqi"],"tags":["Mineralogy","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.17632/h4jxmmct3k.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/h4jxmmct3k","name":"Three-dimensional quantification of Ryugu matrix properties and constraints on aqueous alteration heterogeneity","source":"datacite","abstract":"Three-dimensional quantification of Ryugu matrix properties and constraints on aqueous alteration heterogeneity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/h4jxmmct3k","authors":["Sun, Mingqi"],"tags":["Mineralogy","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.17632/h4jxmmct3k","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.21886783","name":"Postmodern Physics of Hamzah Information.(147)","source":"datacite","abstract":"تحلیل بنیادین، بازنویسی تانسوری و اثبات جامعِ «پارادوکس رشد شبه‌بلورها (The Quasicrystal Growth Paradox) و نقش پل‌ساز روغن بوزونی ($\\eta_{\\text{boson}}$) میان پوینترهای غیرمحلی و فضای پنهان چندبعدی ($\\mathcal{A}_{\\text{Quasicrystal}}$) با ماتریس‌های تانسوری ($\\mathbb{J}_{\\text{Quasicrystal}}$) در بستر فیزیک اطلاعات حمزه (HIP-1155) در مقایسه با ترمودینامیک و مکانیک آماری کلاسیک» ۱. مقدمه و پارادوکسِ نظم بدون تناوب و ابعاد پنهان در مرزهای فیزیک ماده چگال و کریستالوگرافی، معمای لاینحل پارادوکس رشد شبه‌بلورها (The Quasicrystal Growth Paradox) به عنوان یکی از بنیادی‌ترین چالش‌های قرن اخیر شناخته می‌شود [1]. در بلورهای معمولی، اتم‌ها با تکیه بر اطلاعات محلی و کوتاه‌برد به لبه شبکه می‌چسبند. اما در شبه‌بلورها که دارای تقارن‌های غیرمتناوب (مانند تقارن ۵‌تایی ممنوعه در بلورها) هستند، اتم‌ها برای حفظ ساختار کلان‌دامنه‌ی خود نیازمند اطلاعات غیرمحلی و بلندبردند [1, 2, 3]. معما اینجاست که اتم‌ها فاقد مغز یا حسگر دوربردند و تنها نیروهای الکترواستاتیک موضعی را حس می‌کنند؛ با این حال، بدون دچار شدن به اشتباهات چیدمان و تبدیل شدن به ماده آمورف (شیشه)، شبه‌بلورها در ابعاد بزرگ و به صورت کاملاً بی‌نقص رشد می‌کنند [1, 2, 3]. از سوی دیگر، ریاضیات نشان می‌دهد که شبه‌بلورهای ۳بعدی تنها به عنوان سایه یا تصویر یک بلور متناوب در فضاهای ۶بعدی قابل تعریف‌اند، در حالی که فیزیکدانان فاقد مکانیسم روشنی برای هدایت اتم‌های ۳بعدی توسط قوانین ابعاد بالاتر هستند [1, 2]. در فیزیک اطلاعات حمزه (HIP-1155)، این نظم غیرمتناوب یک معجزه تصادفی نیست، بلکه «تصویر هولوگرافیک پوینترهای اطلاعاتی منیفولد ۱۱۵۵ بعدی در بستر HamzahXcell» است. اتم‌ها در دنیای واقعی صرفاً مجریان محلی کدهایی هستند که از ابعاد بالاتر پروژکت شده‌اند. روغن بوزونی ($\\eta_{\\text{boson}}$) با لزجت فوق‌العاده ناچیز و غیرصفر ($\\eta_{\\text{boson}} \\to 1.155 \\times 10^{-13} \\, \\text{Pa}\\cdot\\text{s}$) به عنوان سیال عامل هماهنگی، میان منیفولد چندبعدی و ماتریس‌های تانسوری شبکه ($\\mathbb{J}_{\\text{Quasicrystal}}$) پل می‌زند و از هرگونه خطای چیدمان جلوگیری می‌کند. ۲. معادلات کلاسیک (ناتوانی در تبیین اطلاعات غیرمحلی و فلیپ‌های فازونی) در مکانیک آماری کلاسیک، رشد ساختارهای نامتناوب با مدل‌های سینتیکی و انرژی آزاد کاشی‌کاری بررسی می‌شود: $$\\Delta G = \\Delta H - T \\Delta S_{\\text{config}}$$ هنگامی که مدل‌های دیدگاه انرژی (فلیپ‌های فازونی) یا دیدگاه آنتروپی (کاشی‌کاری تصادفی) تلاش می‌کنند رشد بلندبرد را فرمول‌بندی کنند، با واگرایی در مقیاس‌های میکروسکوپی مواجه می‌شوند: $$\\lim_{r \\to \\infty} \\left\\vert{} \\text{Local Interaction} \\leftrightarrow \\text{Global Long-Range Order} \\right\\vert{} \\to \\text{Unresolvable Disconnect}$$ این شکاف عمیق میان نیروهای کوتاه‌برد محلی و نظم بلندبرد هندسی، بیانگر ناتوانی ترمودینامیک کلاسیک در توجیه مکانیزم رشد شبه‌بلورها است. ۳. مسئله عددی: کرش مدل کلاسیک رشد شبه‌بلور در برابر پایداری مطلق HIP برای ارزیابی کمی، فرض کنید سامانه شبه‌بلور در آستانه انجماد با فاکتور انحراف رشد و خطای چیدمان $\\Delta_{\\text{growth}} = 1.0 \\times 10^{-5}$ قرار گیرد. الف) محاسبه کلاسیک (بروز خطای چیدمان و تبدیل به شیشه آمورف): مدل‌های کلاسیک به دلیل نداشتن پارامتر اتصال غیرمحلی، در مواجهه با خطای رشد دچار فروپاشی محاسباتی و تبدیل ساختار به ماده بی‌شکل می‌شوند: $$\\text{Probability of Amorphization} = 1 - \\exp\\left(-\\frac{1.0}{1.0 \\times 10^{-5}}\\right) \\to 100\\% \\text{ (Structural Crash)}$$ ب) محاسبه در مدل فیزیک اطلاعات حمزه (HIP-1155): با وارد کردن سد هولوگرافیک بنیادی خلأ ($\\epsilon_{\\text{floor}} = 1.155 \\times 10^{-20}$) و لزجت روغن بوزونی ($\\eta_{\\text{boson}} = 1.155 \\times 10^{-13}$): $$\\mathcal{L}_{\\text{Quasicrystal-Total}} = \\frac{\\hbar_{\\Omega} \\cdot \\Omega_H}{\\eta_{\\text{boson}} + \\epsilon_{\\text{floor}}} \\cdot \\det(\\mathbb{J}_{\\text{Quasicrystal}}) \\cdot \\mathcal{T}_{\\text{Holographic-Bound}}$$ با جایگذاری مقادیر ($\\hbar_{\\Omega} = 1.155 \\times 10^{-34}$، فرکانس پردازش $\\Omega_H = 1.176 \\times 10^{10}$ و ضریب پایداری $\\mathcal{T} = 1.0000$): $$\\mathcal{L}_{\\text{Quasicrystal-Total}} = \\frac{1.155 \\times 10^{-34} \\times 1.176 \\times 10^{10}}{1.155 \\times 10^{-13} + 1.155 \\times 10^{-20}} \\cdot (1.0000) \\approx 1.176 \\times 10^{-11} \\text{ Units}$$ حضور مخرج پایدار بوزونی مانع فروپاشی شده و مقدار مؤث","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21886783","authors":["HAMZAH, SEYED RASOUL"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.21886783","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7892/boris.106973","name":"A chondrite strewn field was found in east of Lop Nor, Xinjiang","source":"datacite","abstract":"The meteorites are the most important extraterrestrial samples for understanding the formation and the evolution history of the solar system, although ~382 kg lunar samples and ~1500 asteroid mineral grains have been returned by human space exploration activities. The Northwest region of China, especially the Xinjiang, has a vast area of sandy deserts and Gobi Deserts. The lower annual rainfall and the dry climate of this region provide a good condition for meteorite preservation. In recent years, the number of recovered meteorites from the Gobi Deserts in Xinjiang increased significantly. The Sanfengshan area, located about 65 km east of Lop Nor, is one of the research regions. We first collected three ordinary chondrites in Sanfengshan area on October 9, 2013. Then, we carried out 11 meteorite search campaigns in this area. More than 130 meteorite fragments with a total mass over 160 kg have been recovered. The map of all collected Sanfengshan meteorites depicts a clearly 3 km×11 km elliptic strewn field. The sizes are sorted in the SE-NW-oriented ellipsoid of the strewn field, therefore indicating that the meteor entered the atmosphere from SE at a low angle relative to the ground. In this study, six meteorites(Tuya 002–007) from the Sanfengshan field have been measured using a Scios-FIB field emission scanning electron microscope(SEM), a JXA 8230 electron microprobe analysis(EMA), and a self-made noble gas mass spectrometer. Among all of the collected meteorites, Tuya 002 is the only one unusual sample, which doesn't show any fusion crust on its surface. We inferred that Tuya 002 is not paired with the other collected meteorites. The well-defined chondrule boundaries and heavy weathering grade, i.e. W3(the occurrence of large amounts of calcium sulfate in Tuya 002 indicates that it suffered a heavy terrestrial weathering) also support the conclusion that Tuya 002 is obviously different from the other meteorites collected in the Sanfengshan area. In addition to Tuya 002, all the meteorites collected in this region most likely originate from one single meteoric shower. These meteorites all belong to the L5 ordinary chondrite group, with a moderate shock stage of S2 and a heavy weathering grade of W3. The cosmic ray exposure age of Tuya 003(the representative meteorite of the Sanfenghshan meteoric shower) is 45.6±4.4 Ma. This indicates that the meteoroid that produced the Sanfengshan meteoric shower could be produced in the 45 Ma break-up event on L chondrite parent body. On the other hand, petrographic observations and noble gas measurements shown that Tuya 002 belongs to the L4 ordinary chondrite group. A rather lower CRE age relative to the Sanfengshan L5 chondrites of 17.0±4.1 Ma has been calculated. This also indicates that Tuya 002 is not paired with other L5 meteorites collected in the same strewn field. Our studies shown that the meteorites collected in Sanfengshan area consist of more than one meteorite fall. It includes the main L5 meteorite fall(produced the Sanfengshan L5 strewn field) and the L4 meteorite fall(represented by Tuya 002). This indicates that the Sanfengshan area is not a meteorite dense area. In recent years, several meteorite dense areas(e.g., Loulan Yizhi, Lop Nur, Argan, and Xingdi) have been gradually reported. The limited meteorite types found in such reported meteorite dense areas indicates that these regions are maybe not the real meteorite dense areas, but probably represents the meteorites strewn field. Therefore, it is necessary, in the future, to carry out detailed petrology, mineralogy, cosmic ray exposure age as well as terrestrial age measurements to identify the meteorite dense area in/around the Xinjiang.","url":"https://doi.org/10.7892/boris.106973","authors":["LI, ShiJie","WANG, ShiJie","Leya, Ingo","Smith, Thomas","TANG, JunLin","WANG, Peng","ZENG, XiaoJia","LI, Yang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017","doi":"10.7892/boris.106973","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7892/boris.116523","name":"The Kumtag 016 L5 strewn field, Xinjiang Province, China","source":"datacite","abstract":"The Kumtag 016 strewn field was found in the eastern part of the Kumtag desert, Xinjiang Province, China. In this study, 24 recovered meteorites have been ch aracterized by a suite of different analytical techniques to investigate their petrography, mineralogy, bulk trace elements, noble gas isotopic composition, density, and porosity. We attribute to the strewn field 22 L5 chondrites with shock stage S4 and weathering grade W2–W3. Two differen t meteorites, Kumtag 021, an L4 chondrite and Kumt ag 032, an L6 chondrite, were recognized within the strewn field area. Moreover, Kumt ag 003, an H5 chondrite, was previously found in the same area. We infer that the Kumtag 016 strewn field most likely consists of at least four distinct meteorite falls. The effects of terrestrial weathering on the studied mete orites involve sulfide/metal alteration, chemical changes (Sr, Ba, Pb, and U enrichments and depletion in Cr, Co, Ni, and Cs abun dances), and physical modifications (decrease of grain density and porosity). Measurements of the light noble gases indicate that the analyzed Kumtag L5 samples contain solar wind-implanted noble gases with a ²⁰ Ne/²² Ne ratio of ~12.345. The cosmic-ray exposure (CRE) ages of the L5 ch ondrites are in a narrow range (3.6 ± 1.4 Ma to 5.2 ± 0.4 Ma). For L4 cho ndrite Kumtag 021 and L6 chondrite Kumtag 032, the CRE ages are 5.9 ± 0.4 Ma and 4.7 ± 0.8 Ma, respectively.","url":"https://doi.org/10.7892/boris.116523","authors":["Zeng, Xiaojia","Li, Shijie","Leya, Ingo","Wang, Shijie","Smith, Thomas","Li, Yang","Wang, Peng"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","doi":"10.7892/boris.116523","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.48350/157950","name":"Martian meteorites reflectance and implications for rover missions","source":"datacite","abstract":"During this decade, two rovers will characterize in situ the mineralogy of rocks on Mars, using for the first time near-infrared reflectance spectrometers: SuperCam onboard the Mars 2020 rover and MicrOmega onboard the ExoMars rover, although this technique is predominantly used in orbit for mineralogical investigations. Until successful completion of sample-return missions from Mars, Martian meteorites are currently the only samples of the red planet available for study in terrestrial laboratories and comparison with in situ data. However, the current spectral database available for these samples does not represent their diversity and consists primarily of spectra acquired on finely crushed samples, albeit grain size is known to greatly affect spectral features. Here, we measured the reflected light of a broad Martian meteorite suite as a means to catalogue and characterize their spectra between 0.4 and 3 μm. These measurements are achieved using a point spectrometer acquiring data comparable to SuperCam, and an imaging spectrometer producing hyperspectral cubes, similarly to MicrOmega. Our results indicate that point spectrometry is sufficient to discriminate the different Martian meteorites families, to identify their primary petrology based on band parameters, and to detect their low content in alteration minerals. However, significant spectral mixing occurs in the point measurements, even at spot sizes down to a few millimeters, and high-resolution imaging spectroscopy is needed to correctly identify the various mineral phases in the meteorites. Additional bidirectional spectral measurements on a consolidated and powdered shergottite confirm their non-Lambertian behavior, with backward and suspected forward scattering peaks. With changing observation geometry, the main absorption strengths show variations up to ~10–15%. The variation of reflectance levels is reduced for the rock surface compared to the powder. All the spectra presented are provided in the supplementary data for further comparison with in situ and orbital measurements.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48350/157950","authors":["Mandon, L.","Beck, P.","Quantin-Nataf, C.","Dehouck, E.","Pommerol, Antoine","Yoldi, Z.","Cerubini, Romain Ivan Valentin","Pan, L.","Martinot, M.","Sautter, V."],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.48350/157950","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7892/boris.58502","name":"Probing the Allende meteorite with a miniature laser-ablation mass analyser for space application","source":"datacite","abstract":"We measured the elemental composition on a sample of Allende meteorite with a miniature laser ablation mass spectrometer. This Laser Mass Spectrometer (LMS) has been designed and built at the University of Bern in the Department of Space Research and Planetary Sciences with the objective of using such an instrument on a space mission. Utilising the meteorite Allende as the test sample in this study, it is demonstrated that the instrument allows the in situ determination of the elemental composition and thus mineralogy and petrology of untreated rocky samples, particularly on planetary surfaces. In total, 138 measurements of elemental compositions have been carried out on an Allende sample. The mass spectrometric data are evaluated and correlated with an optical image. It is demonstrated that by illustrating the measured elements in the form of mineralogical maps, LMS can serve as an element imaging instrument with a very high spatial resolution of µm scale. The detailed analysis also includes a mineralogical evaluation and an investigation of the volatile element content of Allende. All findings are in good agreement with published data and underline the high sensitivity, accuracy and capability of LMS as a mass analyser for space exploration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.7892/boris.58502","authors":["Neuland, Maike Brigitte","Meyer, Stefan","Mezger, Klaus","Riedo, Andreas","Tulej, Marek","Wurz, Peter"],"tags":["Chemical composition","elemental analysis","laser ablation mass spectrometry","LIMS","time-of-flight","planetary exploration","space science","mineralogy"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014","doi":"10.7892/boris.58502","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/vhz2n9d8hm.2","name":"Determination of Mineralogy and Peak Metamorphic Temperature of Selected Carbonaceous Chondrite Meteorites using MicroRaman Spectroscopy","source":"datacite","abstract":"We utilized confocal microRaman spectroscopy to examine the organics and mineral phases in seven carbonaceous chondrite meteorites: Allende (CV3), Ivuna (CI1), Jbilet Winselwan (CM2), Murchison (CM2), NWA 10675 (CO3), NWA 12328 (CM1), and Tagish Lake (C2-ung). Two of these meteorites (NWA 10675 and NWA 12328) have previously not been examined using this technique. Using the full width half maxima (FWHM) of the organic matter D band, we estimated their peak metamorphic temperature (PMT). The PMTs show that Allende and NWA 10675 have experienced the highest temperatures (500-700 °C) while Ivuna and Tagish Lake experienced the lowest temperatures (&lt;230 °C), consistent with their petrologic classifications. Additionally, we successfully examined the following mineral phases in detail: olivine, pyroxene, and phosphates. For the olivine, we calculated the Fo# (a measure of the Mg content) using the doublet peak located in the 800-860 cm-1 region. For the phosphates, we identified the type of phosphate (apatite, merrillite, or whitlockite) present based on previously published spectra in the literature. Finally, we show that the D3 band is well correlated with the PMT, opening the possibility for a new Raman thermometer.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/vhz2n9d8hm.2","authors":["Rosello Del Valle, Lorraine"],"tags":["Raman Spectroscopy","Meteorite Mineralogy","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.17632/vhz2n9d8hm.2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/vhz2n9d8hm","name":"Determination of Mineralogy and Peak Metamorphic Temperature of Selected Carbonaceous Chondrite Meteorites using MicroRaman Spectroscopy","source":"datacite","abstract":"We utilized confocal microRaman spectroscopy to examine the organics and mineral phases in seven carbonaceous chondrite meteorites: Allende (CV3), Ivuna (CI1), Jbilet Winselwan (CM2), Murchison (CM2), NWA 10675 (CO3), NWA 12328 (CM1), and Tagish Lake (C2-ung). Two of these meteorites (NWA 10675 and NWA 12328) have previously not been examined using this technique. Using the full width half maxima (FWHM) of the organic matter D band, we estimated their peak metamorphic temperature (PMT). The PMTs show that Allende and NWA 10675 have experienced the highest temperatures (500-700 °C) while Ivuna and Tagish Lake experienced the lowest temperatures (&lt;230 °C), consistent with their petrologic classifications. Additionally, we successfully examined the following mineral phases in detail: olivine, pyroxene, and phosphates. For the olivine, we calculated the Fo# (a measure of the Mg content) using the doublet peak located in the 800-860 cm-1 region. For the phosphates, we identified the type of phosphate (apatite, merrillite, or whitlockite) present based on previously published spectra in the literature. Finally, we show that the D3 band is well correlated with the PMT, opening the possibility for a new Raman thermometer.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/vhz2n9d8hm","authors":["Rosello Del Valle, Lorraine"],"tags":["Raman Spectroscopy","Meteorite Mineralogy","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.17632/vhz2n9d8hm","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/vhz2n9d8hm.1","name":"Determination of Mineralogy and Peak Metamorphic Temperature of Selected Carbonaceous Chondrite Meteorites using MicroRaman Spectroscopy","source":"datacite","abstract":"We utilized confocal microRaman spectroscopy to examine the organics and mineral phases in seven carbonaceous chondrite meteorites: Allende (CV3), Ivuna (CI1), Jbilet Winselwan (CM2), Murchison (CM2), NWA 10675 (CO3), NWA 12328 (CM1), and Tagish Lake (C2-ung). Two of these meteorites (NWA 10675 and NWA 12328) have previously not been examined using this technique. Using the full width half maxima (FWHM) of the organic matter D band, we estimated their peak metamorphic temperature (PMT). The PMTs show that Allende and NWA 10675 have experienced the highest temperatures (500-700 °C) while Ivuna and Tagish Lake experienced the lowest temperatures (&lt;230 °C), consistent with their petrologic classifications. Additionally, we successfully examined the following mineral phases in detail: olivine, pyroxene, and phosphates. For the olivine, we calculated the Fo# (a measure of the Mg content) using the doublet peak located in the 800-860 cm-1 region. For the phosphates, we identified the type of phosphate (apatite, merrillite, or whitlockite) present based on previously published spectra in the literature. Finally, we show that the D3 band is well correlated with the PMT, opening the possibility for a new Raman thermometer.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/vhz2n9d8hm.1","authors":["Rosello Del Valle, Lorraine"],"tags":["Raman Spectroscopy","Meteorite Mineralogy","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.17632/vhz2n9d8hm.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/9pmjj8mrhb.1","name":"Petrology, mineralogy and geochemistry of Martian meteorite Northwest Africa (NWA) 13460: Implications for its magmatic evolution","source":"datacite","abstract":"This dataset contains supplementary mineral-chemical data for the NWA 13460 Martian meteorite and accompanies the study entitled “Petrology, mineralogy, and geochemistry of the Martian meteorite Northwest Africa (NWA) 13460: Implications for its magmatic evolution.” The dataset consists of eight Microsoft Excel files. Tables S1–S6 contain raw electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) data for pyroxene, plagioclase, olivine, ilmenite, titanomagnetite, and merrillite, respectively. Tables S7 and S8 contain raw laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) trace-element data for pyroxene and plagioclase, respectively. Major-element concentrations obtained by EPMA are reported in weight percent (wt%), whereas trace-element concentrations obtained by LA-ICP-MS are reported in micrograms per gram (μg g⁻¹, equivalent to ppm). Each row represents an individual analytical spot. Mineral names, analytical spot identifiers, and compositional data are provided in the corresponding files. These data support the mineralogical and geochemical characterization of NWA 13460, including the identification of constituent minerals, evaluation of mineral compositional variations, and interpretation of its crystallization conditions and magmatic evolution. The dataset is provided to enable verification and reuse of the analytical results presented in the associated manuscript and to facilitate comparison with other Martian meteorites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/9pmjj8mrhb.1","authors":["吴, 浩宇"],"tags":["Earth Sciences","Planetary Geology"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.17632/9pmjj8mrhb.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/9pmjj8mrhb","name":"Petrology, mineralogy and geochemistry of Martian meteorite Northwest Africa (NWA) 13460: Implications for its magmatic evolution","source":"datacite","abstract":"This dataset contains supplementary mineral-chemical data for the NWA 13460 Martian meteorite and accompanies the study entitled “Petrology, mineralogy, and geochemistry of the Martian meteorite Northwest Africa (NWA) 13460: Implications for its magmatic evolution.” The dataset consists of eight Microsoft Excel files. Tables S1–S6 contain raw electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) data for pyroxene, plagioclase, olivine, ilmenite, titanomagnetite, and merrillite, respectively. Tables S7 and S8 contain raw laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) trace-element data for pyroxene and plagioclase, respectively. Major-element concentrations obtained by EPMA are reported in weight percent (wt%), whereas trace-element concentrations obtained by LA-ICP-MS are reported in micrograms per gram (μg g⁻¹, equivalent to ppm). Each row represents an individual analytical spot. Mineral names, analytical spot identifiers, and compositional data are provided in the corresponding files. These data support the mineralogical and geochemical characterization of NWA 13460, including the identification of constituent minerals, evaluation of mineral compositional variations, and interpretation of its crystallization conditions and magmatic evolution. The dataset is provided to enable verification and reuse of the analytical results presented in the associated manuscript and to facilitate comparison with other Martian meteorites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/9pmjj8mrhb","authors":["吴, 浩宇"],"tags":["Earth Sciences","Planetary Geology"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.17632/9pmjj8mrhb","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.10306849","name":"Cabin Creek meteorite (NHMW-Min F6342)","source":"datacite","abstract":"3D scan of the 47.3 kilogram Cabin Creek iron meteorite, which due to its shape, is the best example of a so-called oriented meteorite. The fall took place at 3:17 pm on March 27th 1886. The meteorite was found in a 90 cm deep hole, not far from Cabin Creek in Arkansas (USA), after some loud sounds and whirring noises were heard as far as 120 km away from the impact point. The meteorite was generously donated by the factory-owner Albert Mayer von Gunthof. The Cabin Creek meteorite is Number 18 of the NHM Top 100 and can be seen in Hall 5 of the NHM Vienna. **Meteorite**: Cabin Creek (Medium octahedrite / IIIAB) **Inventory number**: NHMW-Min F6342 **Collection**: Natural History Museum Vienna, Dept. of Mineralogy & Petrography, Meteorite Coll. (curator: Ludovic Ferrière) Find out more about the NHMW [here](http://www.nhm-wien.ac.at/en). Scanned by Viola Winkler. The platform was added digitally. Text by Ludovic Ferrière (NHMW) Scanner: Artec Space Spider. Infrastructure funded by the FFG. Source: Objaverse 1.0 / Sketchfab","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10306849","authors":["NHMWien"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.10306849","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.10306850","name":"Cabin Creek meteorite (NHMW-Min F6342)","source":"datacite","abstract":"3D scan of the 47.3 kilogram Cabin Creek iron meteorite, which due to its shape, is the best example of a so-called oriented meteorite. The fall took place at 3:17 pm on March 27th 1886. The meteorite was found in a 90 cm deep hole, not far from Cabin Creek in Arkansas (USA), after some loud sounds and whirring noises were heard as far as 120 km away from the impact point. The meteorite was generously donated by the factory-owner Albert Mayer von Gunthof. The Cabin Creek meteorite is Number 18 of the NHM Top 100 and can be seen in Hall 5 of the NHM Vienna. **Meteorite**: Cabin Creek (Medium octahedrite / IIIAB) **Inventory number**: NHMW-Min F6342 **Collection**: Natural History Museum Vienna, Dept. of Mineralogy & Petrography, Meteorite Coll. (curator: Ludovic Ferrière) Find out more about the NHMW [here](http://www.nhm-wien.ac.at/en). Scanned by Viola Winkler. The platform was added digitally. Text by Ludovic Ferrière (NHMW) Scanner: Artec Space Spider. Infrastructure funded by the FFG. Source: Objaverse 1.0 / Sketchfab","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10306850","authors":["NHMWien"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.10306850","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.10296957","name":"NWA 7325","source":"datacite","abstract":"Meteorite NWA 7325. It has been determined that this meteorite predates earth at 4562.8 ± 0.3 million years old! After dislodging from a parent body, it is estimated that the meteorite spent 20 million years traveling through the Solar System before falling to the Moroccan desert where it was collected in 2012. Upon scientific analysis, a telltale extraterrestrial signature was detected –the presence of meteoritic iron, which is quite rich in nickel. In contrast, terrestrial iron is devoid of nickel. This was an immediate indication that the rock was not formed on Earth! Origin is unknown, however Mercury and the asteriod belt have been considered. Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, Mineralogy and Meteoritics Collection, Catalog No. [MIN.100578](http://collections.peabody.yale.edu/search/Record/YPM-MIN-100578) Scanned and processed by Yale Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage Digital Imaging Specialist Chelsea Alene Graham using NextEngine, NextEngine ScanStudio and MeshLab in 2014. Source: Objaverse 1.0 / Sketchfab","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10296957","authors":["IPCH_Yale"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.10296957","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.10296958","name":"NWA 7325","source":"datacite","abstract":"Meteorite NWA 7325. It has been determined that this meteorite predates earth at 4562.8 ± 0.3 million years old! After dislodging from a parent body, it is estimated that the meteorite spent 20 million years traveling through the Solar System before falling to the Moroccan desert where it was collected in 2012. Upon scientific analysis, a telltale extraterrestrial signature was detected –the presence of meteoritic iron, which is quite rich in nickel. In contrast, terrestrial iron is devoid of nickel. This was an immediate indication that the rock was not formed on Earth! Origin is unknown, however Mercury and the asteriod belt have been considered. Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, Mineralogy and Meteoritics Collection, Catalog No. [MIN.100578](http://collections.peabody.yale.edu/search/Record/YPM-MIN-100578) Scanned and processed by Yale Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage Digital Imaging Specialist Chelsea Alene Graham using NextEngine, NextEngine ScanStudio and MeshLab in 2014. Source: Objaverse 1.0 / Sketchfab","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10296958","authors":["IPCH_Yale"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.10296958","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.25560/40429","name":"Cosmochemistry of iron meteorites; trace element composition of metal and sulfide phases","source":"datacite","abstract":"Trace elements composition of the metal and sulfide phases in iron meteorites have been studied in 42 iron meteorites and 2 pallasites. 19 iron meteorites thick sections containing sulfide inclusions have been mapped and their mineralogy, tex- ture and major and minor element compositions analyzed by SEM and EPMA and their trace elements composition measured using LA-ICP-MS. A highly homoge- neous fragment of Cape York troilite has been found suitable to be used as a sulfide standard for moderately volatile elements in LA-ICP-MS analysis. A further 34 sulfide samples were digested in ultrapure acids and analyzed by Solution-ICP-MS. In thick sections, the iron meteorites Dronino, Nantan and Patos de Minas showed a rim of Ni and Co-rich sulfides around troilite (FeS) nodules, they are terrestrial weathering products of the troilite. X-RD analysis produced the char- acteristic pattern for pentlandite ((Fe,Ni)9S8) and heazlewoodite (Ni3S2). Analy- sis of powder from a sulfide nodule of Uruac ̧u also showed presence of magnetite (Fe3O4) and goethite (FeO(OH)), infilling cracks within the troilite nodule. Terres- trial weathering and shock-melting are found not to affect the moderately volatile trace elements content of the sulfide, except for Ni and Co that are enriched by terrestrial weathering. Bulk iron meteorite compositions have been calculated from LA-ICP-MS and Solution-ICP-MS measurements. They show a depletion of moderately volatile ele- ments (condensing between 1350 and 650 degrees K) and the strongly volatiles Cd and In. The depletion is greater for IVA irons. IABs, IIABs, IIIABs and pallasites have similar levels of depletion which are greater than what has been observed for ordinary chondrites. The selenium content of the sulfide is inversely correlated with bulk Ni content and the bulk selenium vs. bulk sulfur content show loss of a sulfide liquid from the IIIAB and IVA parent-body but not from the IAB group which lies on the CI line.","url":"https://doi.org/10.25560/40429","authors":["Leclerc, Marlene"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015","doi":"10.25560/40429","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7939/r3hm52r9n","name":"Detailed examination of iron meteorites and impact generated carbonaceous spherules associated with the Whitecourt Meteorite Impact Crater, Alberta, Canada","source":"datacite","abstract":"The impact of an iron meteorite &lt;1100 years ago near Whitecourt, Alberta, Canada formed a crater 36 m in diameter. The impacting body fragmented upon impact, scattering thousands of shrapnel-shaped fragments around the crater. Internal examination of the fragments reveal that the mineralogy is consistent with a type IIIAB iron meteorite and most of the deformations in texture observed is a result of the impact. The high preservation of the impact site has protected the meteorite fragments from severe weathering as well as preserving small amorphous carbonaceous spherules distributed in the soil surrounding the crater. The carbonaceous spherules were generated during the impact when biomass was heated rapidly enough to form molten spherules which were then dispersed by the expanding impact plume. The examination of preserved meteorites and spherules provide insights into low-energy meteorite impacts, which are rare in the current terrestrial impact record.","url":"https://doi.org/10.7939/r3hm52r9n","authors":["Newman, Jennifer D"],"tags":["Impact crater","Carbonaceous spherule","Meteorite","Whitecourt"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014","doi":"10.7939/r3hm52r9n","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7939/r39m4c","name":"Understanding the alteration of the Tagish Lake meteorite through mineralogy, geochemistry and oxygen isotopes","source":"datacite","abstract":"Our understanding of the origin and formation of the various components of meteorites, and ultimately understanding the formation of the early Solar System, comes from our knowledge of the asteroidal alteration processes and modifications that such processes induce on these components. The majority of our knowledge in this area comes from the meteorites that have been subjected to some kind of terrestrial modification which has partly or completely erased any prior history of its components. Meteorites unaffected by terrestrial modification are rare but invaluable. Tagish Lake is one such meteorite; due to its fall history it is considered to be the best candidate for studying the alteration history of the asteroidal parent body. Four samples (TL5b, TL11h, TL11i, and TL11v) from the pristine collection of the Tagish Lake meteorite were studied to characterize and understand its alteration history. Based on petrological and mineralogical observations I conclude that the Tagish Lake parent body was a heterogeneous mixture of anhydrous precursors of nebular origin, which were brecciated and aqueously altered to various degree. The degree to which the studied samples experienced aqueous alteration is in the order TL5b &lt; TL11h &lt; TL11i. Specimen TL11v, which consists of disaggregated material, is heterogeneous on the microscale and encompasses the petrologic characteristics of other three specimens as seen through EPMA observation. The whole-rock geochemistry confirms the inferred alteration sequence observed through mineralogy. There is a positive correlation with aqueously mobile trace elements, such as K, Ba, and Br, which appear to be controlled by an increase of phyllosilicates from least to most altered samples. Yet, the homogeneity of other elements suggests that elemental mass transfer occurred on a localized scale and aqueous alteration was isochemical for these elements. Oxygen isotopic results from my study corroborate the conclusion that the range of variations observed in the Tagish Lake meteorite covers the oxygen isotopic composition seen in all other carbonaceous chondrites. Such variation found in one meteorite suggests that the Tagish Lake parent asteroid sampled the material from different oxygen isotope reservoirs, perhaps 16O-rich and 17O-rich gaseous reservoirs.","url":"https://doi.org/10.7939/r39m4c","authors":["Blinova, Alexandra I"],"tags":["Alteration","Tagish Lake meteorite"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013","doi":"10.7939/r39m4c","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7939/r3-9a8a-2823","name":"Dating Magmatism on Mars: Application of In-Situ and Microsampling Techniques for Shergottite Geochronology","source":"datacite","abstract":"Establishing an absolute time scale of Mars is critical to understanding the planet’s geological evolution. Currently, martian meteorites are the only samples of the planet available for radiometric geochronology analysis in terrestrial laboratory settings. The record of known martian absolute ages is dominated by shergottites, the largest group of martian meteorites, which represent mafic to ultramafic extrusive to hypabyssal bodies. Shergottites are conventionally dated using isochron methods (e.g., Rb–Sr, Sm–Nd, Lu–Hf) involving mineral separation and chemical chromatography. On the other hand, advances in secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) analysis have enabled in-situ U–Pb baddeleyite (ZrO2) geochronology, which has the potential not only to preserve the petrographic context but also to overcome challenges of resolving igneous versus secondary signatures in the major minerals and of the bulk rock. In-situ radiometric chronology of shergottites is therefore crucial for refining the martian meteorite age record as well as developing strategies for dating future returned samples from Mars. This dissertation presents three studies aimed at 1) investigating constraints associated with SIMS U–Pb baddeleyite geochronology and 2) assessing the feasibility of micromill extraction as a less destructive alternative to bulk crushing for Rb–Sr and Sm–Nd geochronology of shergottites. A comprehensive survey of petrography, mineralogy, and geochemistry in a suite of eight basaltic shergottites confirms an igneous origin of baddeleyite, which crystallized in association with evolved late-stage melts. Pyroxene major element compositions demonstrate that baddeleyite crystallization in these shergottites is controlled primarily by fractional crystallization; samples with pyroxene compositions evolving beyond the stability boundary at 1-bar pressure generally contain more abundant baddeleyite than those with pyroxene compositions terminating at or before the stability boundary. These observations demonstrate that pyroxene composition can be a useful proxy for evaluating baddeleyite distribution in unknown shergottite samples, enabling a preliminary feasibility assessment for SIMS U–Pb analysis prior to conducting detailed baddeleyite search. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis of baddeleyite microstructures in the enriched basaltic shergottites Jiddat al Harasis (JaH) 479, Northwest Africa (NWA) 10299, and NWA 12919 reveals widespread phase transformation to high-pressure orthogonal polymorphs (o-ZrO2) before reverting to the monoclinic structure (m-ZrO2). A larger proportion of grains preserving magmatic orientations in JaH 479 suggests it experienced lower bulk shock pressure compared to NWA 10299 and NWA 12919. SIMS U–Pb baddeleyite analysis yields igneous crystallization ages of 210±9 Ma (JaH 479; 2σ), 196±11 Ma (NWA 10299), and 188±11 Ma (NWA 12919). The results show no resolvable Pb loss in the analyzed shergottites, indicating that post-shock heating associated with the observed microstructures was insufficient to drive significant Pb diffusion in baddeleyite. The minimum volumes of olivine, pyroxene, plagioclase, and merrillite that need to be micromilled for an isotopic analysis (ID-TIMS or ICP-MS) are estimated to be between 10^5 and 10^7 μm^3 for Sr and between 10^5 and 10^9 μm^3 for Nd. Physical characteristics of shergottites, including grain size, morphology, compositional zoning, inclusions, and shock features, present significant limitations for obtaining pure mineral fractions using the maximum micromill sampling resolution of ~40 μm (at a drilling depth of 20 μm). In addition, variations in mineral composition may result in realistic sample volumes several orders of magnitude greater than these minimum estimates. These technical and physical constraints make micromill sampling unsuitable for conducting Rb–Sr or Sm–Nd geochronology of shergottites. The findings presented in this dissertation demonstrate that","url":"https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-9a8a-2823","authors":["Sheen, Alex I-Fan"],"tags":["Mars","Geochronology","U-Pb","Micromill","Baddeleyite"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.7939/r3-9a8a-2823","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.31910296.v1","name":"<b>Aqueous Alteration of Martian Crust: Constraints from</b><b> </b><b>Terrestrial</b><b> </b><b>Analogue</b><b> </b><b>Sites</b><b> </b><b>and</b><b> </b><b>Martian</b><b> </b><b>Meteorite</b>","source":"datacite","abstract":"Understanding the nature and extent of aqueous alteration in the Martian crust is essential for reconstructing the planet’s paleoclimate and evaluating the conditions under which liquid water once interacted with basaltic rocks. This thesis investigates low-temperature aqueous alteration processes on Mars by combining detailed petrographic, mineralogical, and geochemical analyses of nakhlite Martian meteorites with complementary studies of terrestrial basaltic analogues from the Deccan Volcanic Province, India. Petrographic observations, supported by mineral chemical data, show that alteration in the nakhlite meteorites is highly localized and predominantly controlled by fractures within olivine grains. The surrounding primary phases, such as clinopyroxene and plagioclase, remain largely unaltered, indicating that fluid–rock interaction was spatially restricted rather than pervasive. The secondary mineral assemblages identified within these fractures are dominated by Fe–Mg–rich smectitic clays and iron oxide phases. In the Lafayette meteorite, additional alteration is observed within the mesostasis, where carbonate minerals occur in close association with phyllosilicate clays, pointing to a more complex alteration history involving changes in fluid chemistry. X-ray elemental mapping provides further insight into the chemical processes operating during alteration. These maps reveal systematic redistribution of major cations, where magnesium and iron are leached from the host olivine grains and subsequently incorporated into the fracture-hosted alteration products. At the same time, aluminium and calcium are enriched within the altered zones, indicating contributions from adjacent mineral phases or interaction with chemically distinct external fluids. This element mobility highlights the coupled nature of dissolution and precipitation during low-temperature aqueous alteration. Geochemical indices of alteration and ternary compositional plots demonstrate that Yam-593, MIL 03346, and Nakhla experienced relatively low-degree and chemically constrained alteration, characterized by limited variability in alteration products. In contrast, Lafayette exhibits greater chemical scatter and multiple compositional trends, suggesting that it underwent more than one episode of alteration or interacted with fluids of differing composition. These differences point to variability in fluid availability, chemistry, and possibly timing across the nakhlite sequence.A key component of this thesis is the use of terrestrial basaltic rocks from the Deccan Volcanic Province as analogues to better constrain the aqueous alteration processes recorded in the nakhlite meteorites. The choice of the Deccan basalts is based on their basaltic composition, mineralogy, and textural similarity to Martian basalts, as well as their wide compositional range, which includes both Mg-rich picritic basalts and more Fe-rich tholeiitic varieties. This compositional diversity allows systematic evaluation of how differences in olivine chemistry influence alteration pathways under comparable environmental conditions. Detailed petrographic analysis of the Deccan basalts reveals alteration features that closely resemble those observed in the nakhlites, particularly the localization of secondary minerals within fractures of olivine grains. As in the Martian samples, alteration in the Deccan basalts is limited in extent and does not involve widespread replacement of primary minerals. Instead, secondary phases occur as narrow, fracture-hosted assemblages, indicating interaction with small volumes of fluid and low water–rock ratios. These similarities support the interpretation that the nakhlite alteration formed under similarly restricted conditions. Mineral chemical data and X-ray elemental maps from the Deccan basalts further reinforce their suitability as analogues. The redistribution of major elements during alteration follows patterns comparable to those observed in the nakhlit","url":"https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.31910296.v1","authors":["Das, Aditya"],"tags":["Planetary geology"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.6084/m9.figshare.31910296.v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.31910296","name":"<b>Aqueous Alteration of Martian Crust: Constraints from</b><b> </b><b>Terrestrial</b><b> </b><b>Analogue</b><b> </b><b>Sites</b><b> </b><b>and</b><b> </b><b>Martian</b><b> </b><b>Meteorite</b>","source":"datacite","abstract":"Understanding the nature and extent of aqueous alteration in the Martian crust is essential for reconstructing the planet’s paleoclimate and evaluating the conditions under which liquid water once interacted with basaltic rocks. This thesis investigates low-temperature aqueous alteration processes on Mars by combining detailed petrographic, mineralogical, and geochemical analyses of nakhlite Martian meteorites with complementary studies of terrestrial basaltic analogues from the Deccan Volcanic Province, India. Petrographic observations, supported by mineral chemical data, show that alteration in the nakhlite meteorites is highly localized and predominantly controlled by fractures within olivine grains. The surrounding primary phases, such as clinopyroxene and plagioclase, remain largely unaltered, indicating that fluid–rock interaction was spatially restricted rather than pervasive. The secondary mineral assemblages identified within these fractures are dominated by Fe–Mg–rich smectitic clays and iron oxide phases. In the Lafayette meteorite, additional alteration is observed within the mesostasis, where carbonate minerals occur in close association with phyllosilicate clays, pointing to a more complex alteration history involving changes in fluid chemistry. X-ray elemental mapping provides further insight into the chemical processes operating during alteration. These maps reveal systematic redistribution of major cations, where magnesium and iron are leached from the host olivine grains and subsequently incorporated into the fracture-hosted alteration products. At the same time, aluminium and calcium are enriched within the altered zones, indicating contributions from adjacent mineral phases or interaction with chemically distinct external fluids. This element mobility highlights the coupled nature of dissolution and precipitation during low-temperature aqueous alteration. Geochemical indices of alteration and ternary compositional plots demonstrate that Yam-593, MIL 03346, and Nakhla experienced relatively low-degree and chemically constrained alteration, characterized by limited variability in alteration products. In contrast, Lafayette exhibits greater chemical scatter and multiple compositional trends, suggesting that it underwent more than one episode of alteration or interacted with fluids of differing composition. These differences point to variability in fluid availability, chemistry, and possibly timing across the nakhlite sequence.A key component of this thesis is the use of terrestrial basaltic rocks from the Deccan Volcanic Province as analogues to better constrain the aqueous alteration processes recorded in the nakhlite meteorites. The choice of the Deccan basalts is based on their basaltic composition, mineralogy, and textural similarity to Martian basalts, as well as their wide compositional range, which includes both Mg-rich picritic basalts and more Fe-rich tholeiitic varieties. This compositional diversity allows systematic evaluation of how differences in olivine chemistry influence alteration pathways under comparable environmental conditions. Detailed petrographic analysis of the Deccan basalts reveals alteration features that closely resemble those observed in the nakhlites, particularly the localization of secondary minerals within fractures of olivine grains. As in the Martian samples, alteration in the Deccan basalts is limited in extent and does not involve widespread replacement of primary minerals. Instead, secondary phases occur as narrow, fracture-hosted assemblages, indicating interaction with small volumes of fluid and low water–rock ratios. These similarities support the interpretation that the nakhlite alteration formed under similarly restricted conditions. Mineral chemical data and X-ray elemental maps from the Deccan basalts further reinforce their suitability as analogues. The redistribution of major elements during alteration follows patterns comparable to those observed in the nakhlit","url":"https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.31910296","authors":["Das, Aditya"],"tags":["Planetary geology"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.6084/m9.figshare.31910296","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2603.24323","name":"Connecting Meteorite Spectra to Lunar Surface Composition Using Hyperspectral Imaging and Machine Learning","source":"datacite","abstract":"We present an innovative, cost-effective framework integrating laboratory Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI) of the Bechar010 Lunar meteorite with ground-based lunar HSI and supervised Machine Learning(ML) to generate high-fidelity mineralogical maps. A 3mm thin section of Bechar010 was imaged under a microscope with a 30mm focal length lens at 150mm working distance, using 6x binning to increase the signal-to-noise ratio, producing a data cube (X $\\times$ Y $\\times$ $λ$ = $791 \\times 1024 \\times 224$, 0.24mm $\\times$ 0.2mm resolution) across 400-1000}nm (224 bands, 2.7nm spectral sampling, 5.5nm full width at half maximum spectral resolution) using a Specim FX10 camera. Ground-based lunar HSI was captured with a Celestron 8SE telescope (3km/pixel), yielded a data cube ($371 \\times 1024 \\times 224$). Solar calibration was performed using a Spectralon reference ({99}\\% reflectance {&lt;2}\\% error) ensured accurate reflectance spectra. A Support Vector Machine (SVM) with a radial basis function kernel, trained on expert-labeled spectra, achieved {93.7}\\% classification accuracy(5-fold cross-validation) for olivine ({92}\\% precision, {90}\\% recall) and pyroxene ({88}\\% precision, {86}{\\%} recall) in Bechar 010. LIME analysis identified key wavelengths (e.g., 485nm, {22.4}\\% for M3; 715nm, {20.6}\\% for M6) across 10 pre-selected regions (M1 to M10), indicating olivine-rich (Highland-like) and pyroxene-rich (Mare-like) compositions. SAM analysis revealed angles from 0.26 radian to 0.66 radian, linking M3 and M9 to Highlands and M6 and M10 to Mares. K-means clustering of Lunar data identified 10 mineralogical clusters ({88}\\% accuracy), validated against Chandrayaan-1 Moon mineralogy Mapper ($\\rm M^3$) data (140m/pixel, 10nm spectral resolution).A novel push-broom HSI approach with a telescope achieves 0.8 arcsec resolution for lunar spectroscopy, inspiring full-sky multi-object spectral mapping.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.24323","authors":["Hesar, Fatemeh Fazel","Raouf, Mojtaba","Chegeni, Amirmohammad","Soltani, Peyman","Foing, Bernard","Chatzitheodoridis, Elias","de Dood, Michiel J. A.","Verbeek, Fons J."],"tags":["Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)","Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics (astro-ph.IM)","Machine Learning (cs.LG)","FOS: Physical sciences","FOS: Physical sciences","FOS: Computer and information sciences","FOS: Computer and information sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.48550/arxiv.2603.24323","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.25392/leicester.data.17105588.v1","name":"X-ray Spectroscopy and Electron Microscopy of Martian Meteorites and UV-IR Spectroscopy of Martian Brine Analogues","source":"datacite","abstract":"This thesis focuses on the mineralogical study of altered martian meteorites and the development of a novel wet-chemistry instrument. X-ray spectroscopy and electron microscopy have been used to investigate the secondary mineralogy of martian meteorites and their associated fluids. Martian analogue brines were investigated with transmission spectroscopy in order to address the technique’s capabilities for detecting dilute, astrobiologically significant fluids.The newly-found martian shergottite, Northwest Africa (NWA) 10416, bears a distinctive colouration in its olivine megacrysts which is suggestive of hydrous alteration. The meteorite has been petrographically characterised and the origin of its alteration has been determined as terrestrial. Oxygen isotope analysis and the observation of secondary phases within shock features using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) have indicated a terrestrial fluid. Synchrotron X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Electron Probe Micro-Analysis (EPMA) have allowed its characterisation as a low-temperature, possibly acidic, fluid.Analysis of the martian nakhlite, Lafayette, has been performed in order to assess the extent of carbonate dissolution by a hydrothermal martian fluid. Textures determined by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and TEM, and compositions determined by EPMA and XAS have displayed the variable nature of this dissolution and allowed the identification of the mesostasis phyllosilicate as odinite. This work has illustrated a process in which martian crustal fluids can dissolve carbonates and produce substantial amounts of methane, informing our understanding of martian atmospheric methane.The capabilities of transmission spectroscopy when detecting organic martian analogue brines have been assessed to further the development of the wet-chemistry instrument, ASPIRE. Transmission spectroscopy was unsuccessful in detecting the likely low organic concentrations (ppb) expected in potentially habitable martian aqueous environments. However, future avenues of research have been suggested for consideration, including investigation into the potential of reflectance spectroscopy and calibration of ASPIRE to mineralogical-free regions within the infrared region.","url":"https://doi.org/10.25392/leicester.data.17105588.v1","authors":["Piercy, Jack D."],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.25392/leicester.data.17105588.v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.25392/leicester.data.17105588","name":"X-ray Spectroscopy and Electron Microscopy of Martian Meteorites and UV-IR Spectroscopy of Martian Brine Analogues","source":"datacite","abstract":"This thesis focuses on the mineralogical study of altered martian meteorites and the development of a novel wet-chemistry instrument. X-ray spectroscopy and electron microscopy have been used to investigate the secondary mineralogy of martian meteorites and their associated fluids. Martian analogue brines were investigated with transmission spectroscopy in order to address the technique’s capabilities for detecting dilute, astrobiologically significant fluids.The newly-found martian shergottite, Northwest Africa (NWA) 10416, bears a distinctive colouration in its olivine megacrysts which is suggestive of hydrous alteration. The meteorite has been petrographically characterised and the origin of its alteration has been determined as terrestrial. Oxygen isotope analysis and the observation of secondary phases within shock features using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) have indicated a terrestrial fluid. Synchrotron X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Electron Probe Micro-Analysis (EPMA) have allowed its characterisation as a low-temperature, possibly acidic, fluid.Analysis of the martian nakhlite, Lafayette, has been performed in order to assess the extent of carbonate dissolution by a hydrothermal martian fluid. Textures determined by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and TEM, and compositions determined by EPMA and XAS have displayed the variable nature of this dissolution and allowed the identification of the mesostasis phyllosilicate as odinite. This work has illustrated a process in which martian crustal fluids can dissolve carbonates and produce substantial amounts of methane, informing our understanding of martian atmospheric methane.The capabilities of transmission spectroscopy when detecting organic martian analogue brines have been assessed to further the development of the wet-chemistry instrument, ASPIRE. Transmission spectroscopy was unsuccessful in detecting the likely low organic concentrations (ppb) expected in potentially habitable martian aqueous environments. However, future avenues of research have been suggested for consideration, including investigation into the potential of reflectance spectroscopy and calibration of ASPIRE to mineralogical-free regions within the infrared region.","url":"https://doi.org/10.25392/leicester.data.17105588","authors":["Piercy, Jack D."],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.25392/leicester.data.17105588","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/2yh56mddyt.1","name":"Mineralogy of CY chondrite Dhofar 1988","source":"datacite","abstract":"EPMA compositions of minerals and alteration phases in CY chondrite Dhofar 1988","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/2yh56mddyt.1","authors":["Zhang, Ai-Cheng"],"tags":["Meteorite Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.17632/2yh56mddyt.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/2yh56mddyt","name":"Mineralogy of CY chondrite Dhofar 1988","source":"datacite","abstract":"EPMA compositions of minerals and alteration phases in CY chondrite Dhofar 1988","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/2yh56mddyt","authors":["Zhang, Ai-Cheng"],"tags":["Meteorite Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.17632/2yh56mddyt","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/f6wmy7d4kx.1","name":"Data for: Incipient Aqueous Alteration Recorded by Matrix Metal in the Most Pristine CO Chondrite Dominion Range 08006","source":"datacite","abstract":"This dataset contains the numerical analytical data supporting the manuscript “Incipient Aqueous Alteration Recorded by Matrix Metal in the Most Pristine CO Chondrite Dominion Range 08006,” submitted to Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. The dataset includes the numerical data presented in Tables 1-4 and Supplementary Tables S1-S5, as well as additional analytical datasets used to generate several figures in the manuscript. Specifically, the dataset contains STEM-EDS compositional data for Fe,Ni metal grains, amorphous Fe-O alteration layers, and C-bearing regions in segmented metal assemblages in the matrix of DOM 08006. It also includes STEM-EDS line profile data used for Figure 6, representative STEM-EDS spectra used for Figure 9, carbon K-edge EELS spectra used for Figure 11, and Fe L2,3-edge EELS spectra used for Figure 12. All files are provided in machine-readable formats to ensure accessibility and reproducibility of the analytical results presented in the manuscript.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/f6wmy7d4kx.1","authors":["Che, Shaofan"],"tags":["Meteorite Mineralogy","Planetary Science"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.17632/f6wmy7d4kx.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/f6wmy7d4kx","name":"Data for: Incipient Aqueous Alteration Recorded by Matrix Metal in the Most Pristine CO Chondrite Dominion Range 08006","source":"datacite","abstract":"This dataset contains the numerical analytical data supporting the manuscript “Incipient Aqueous Alteration Recorded by Matrix Metal in the Most Pristine CO Chondrite Dominion Range 08006,” submitted to Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. The dataset includes the numerical data presented in Tables 1-4 and Supplementary Tables S1-S5, as well as additional analytical datasets used to generate several figures in the manuscript. Specifically, the dataset contains STEM-EDS compositional data for Fe,Ni metal grains, amorphous Fe-O alteration layers, and C-bearing regions in segmented metal assemblages in the matrix of DOM 08006. It also includes STEM-EDS line profile data used for Figure 6, representative STEM-EDS spectra used for Figure 9, carbon K-edge EELS spectra used for Figure 11, and Fe L2,3-edge EELS spectra used for Figure 12. All files are provided in machine-readable formats to ensure accessibility and reproducibility of the analytical results presented in the manuscript.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/f6wmy7d4kx","authors":["Che, Shaofan"],"tags":["Meteorite Mineralogy","Planetary Science"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.17632/f6wmy7d4kx","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.17641216","name":"The magnetic mineralogy of carbonaceous chondrites: a microscopy and machine learning study of meteorite WIS91600","source":"datacite","abstract":"Dataset 1: Full set of BSE images used to create Fig. 1 and for input to UNET segmentation. Each image tile is 250 µm x 250 µm wide. Images are organised into folders representing 43 columns of consecutive images (c_0 to c_42) that can be stitched to make the full image. Dataset 2: A collection of hyperspectral SEM/EDS datasets in .bcf format plus the Jupyter Notebook (Interactive_SEM_WIS.ipynb) to be run using SIGMA2 (see https://sigma2-documentation.readthedocs.io/en/latest/ to download and install SIGMA2). Files are named according to the corresponding Figured in the main text and supplement of the paper. Dataset 3: Full set of UNET segmented images derived from the BSE Dataset 1 used to create Fig. S1. Supplemental Movie 1. Movie of micromagnetic simulation results for a model framboid (see Fig. 12 for details). Stich.pdf: A pdf showing the full stitched set of BSE images for FIg. 1. Yellow circles highlight many of the features focussed on in the paper. WIS Seg Stitch.pdf: A pdf showing the full stiched together segmented images. Zoom in to right lower corner to see evidence of impact texture. AGU Movie Test x: .avi and .mov versions of selected 3D animations of FIBnt results.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17641216","authors":["Harrison, Richard","Tung, Po-Yen","Ginnis, Thomas","Nabiei, Farhang","Shaw, Ursula","Mansbach, Elias","Bryson, James"],"tags":["Meteorite","Machine Learning","SIGMA","WIS 91600","Scanning Electron Microscopy","Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.17641216","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/7n5tmkvwmt.1","name":"Cooling rates of chondrules in the TnA 001 meteorite: Constraints on chondrule formation mechanisms","source":"datacite","abstract":"EPMA data for paper of \"Cooling rates of chondrules in the TnA 001 meteorite: Constraints on chondrule formation mechanisms\" submitted to Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/7n5tmkvwmt.1","authors":["Wei, Sijia"],"tags":["Meteorite Mineralogy","Meteorite Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.17632/7n5tmkvwmt.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/7n5tmkvwmt","name":"Cooling rates of chondrules in the TnA 001 meteorite: Constraints on chondrule formation mechanisms","source":"datacite","abstract":"EPMA data for paper of \"Cooling rates of chondrules in the TnA 001 meteorite: Constraints on chondrule formation mechanisms\" submitted to Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/7n5tmkvwmt","authors":["Wei, Sijia"],"tags":["Meteorite Mineralogy","Meteorite Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.17632/7n5tmkvwmt","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7282/t3-a32d-5730","name":"Thermal and crystallization history of olivine-gabbroic shergottite Northwest Africa (NWA) 13227: a link between poikilitic and gabbroic shergottites?","source":"datacite","abstract":"Martian meteorites are the only samples currently available on Earth to study Mars. Most martian meteorites are igneous in origin. Understanding the formation of these igneous rocks, and any potential links between different types of igneous groups can provide insight into mantle and crust composition and evolution, including early differentiation, convection, volatile content, and planetary differentiation. Martian meteorite Northwest Africa (NWA) 13227 represents an olivine-gabbroic shergottite, a relatively new shergottite group, which differs from previously described gabbroic shergottites due to their high quantities of olivine. It holds special significance because it may represent a potential link between gabbroic and poikilitic shergottites. NWA 13227 is comprised of phenocrystic, oscillatory zoned pyroxene and olivine, set in a matrix of maskelynite, Fe-Cr-Ti oxides, phosphates, and sulfides. It displays both gabbroic and poikilitic textures in 2D from back-scattered electron images, and in 3D from X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT) imaging. Its rare earth element (REE) profile indicates that it falls under the enriched shergottite group with a (La/Yb)CI = 1.13, similar to enriched poikilitic shergottites and gabbroic shergottites. Based on the Ti/Al ratio of pyroxene, phosphorous zoning in olivine, and minor components in phosphates and oxides, we infer that NWA 13227 began crystallizing under redox conditions of -2.6 QFM and temperatures of ~1157°C, consistent with conditions in Mars’ lower crust/upper mantle. The sample finished crystallizing at or near the surface under redox conditions of -0.5 QFM and temperatures ~857°C. The volatile ratios in apatites indicate that NWA 13227 experienced de-gassing during the last stages of crystallization. Modeled Lu-Hf and Sm-Nd sources give an estimated age for NWA 13227 of between ~150 – 260 Ma. The mineralogy, petrology, and mineral chemistry of NWA 13227 indicate affinities to both poikilitic and gabbroic shergottites, and thus, suggest that these groups share a common origin or magmatic plumbing system, like those proposed for enriched poikilitic and gabbroic shergottites. NWA 13227 is the first sample that suggests a link between gabbroic and poikilitic shergottites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.7282/t3-a32d-5730","authors":["Benaroya, Sophie"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.7282/t3-a32d-5730","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.15488/20323","name":"Asteroid 2008 TC3, not a polymict ureilitic but a polymict C1 chondrite parent body? Survey of 249 Almahata Sitta fragments","source":"datacite","abstract":"On October 7, 2008, the asteroid 2008 TC3 exploded as it entered the Earth’s atmosphere, producing significant dust (in the atmosphere) and delivering thousands of stones in a strewn field in Sudan, collectively known as the Almahata Sitta (AhS) stones. About 600 fragments were officially recovered in 2008 and 2009. Further rocks were collected since the fall event by local people. From these stones, 249 were classified at the Institut für Planetologie in Münster (MS) known as MS-xxx or MS-MU-xxx AhS subsamples. Most of these rocks are ureilitic in origin (168; 67%): 87 coarse-grained ureilites, 60 fine-grained ureilites, 15 ureilites with variable texture/mineralogy, four trachyandesites, and two polymict breccias. We identified 81 non-ureilitic fragments, corresponding to 33% of the recovered samples studied in Münster. These included chondrites, namely 65 enstatite chondrites (43 EL; 22 EH), 11 ordinary chondrites (OC), one carbonaceous chondrite, and one unique R-like chondrite. Furthermore, three samples represent a unique type of enstatite achondrite. Since all AhS stones must be regarded as individual specimens independent from each other, the number of fresh ureilite and enstatite chondrite falls in our meteorite collections has been increased by several hundred percent. Overall, the samples weigh between &lt;1 and 250 g and have a mean mass of ~15 g. If we consider—almost 15 years after the fall—the mass calculations, observations during and after the asteroid entered the atmosphere, the mineralogy of the C1 stones AhS 91A and AhS 671, and the experimental work on fitting the asteroid spectrum (e.g., Goodrich et al., 2019; Jenniskens et al., 2010; Shaddad et al., 2010), the main portion of the meteoroid was likely made of the fine-grained (carbonaceous) dust and was mostly lost in the atmosphere. In particular, the fact that C1 materials were found has important implications for interpreting asteroid 2008 TC3's early spectroscopic results. Goodrich et al. (2019) correctly suggested that if scientists had not recovered the “water-free” samples (e.g., ureilites, enstatites, and OC) from the AhS strewn field, 2008 TC3 would have been assumed to be a carbonaceous chondrite meteoroid. Considering that the dominating mass of the exploding meteoroid consisted of carbonaceous materials, asteroid 2008 TC3 cannot be classified as a polymict ureilite; consequently, we state that the asteroid was a polymict carbonaceous chondrite breccia, specifically a polymict C1 object that may have formed by late accretion at least 50–100 Ma after calcium–aluminum-rich inclusions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.15488/20323","authors":["Bischoff, Addi","Bannemann, Lukas","Decker, Stephan","Ebert, Samuel","Haberer, Siegfried","Heitmann, Ursula","Horstmann, Marian","Klemm, Kerstin I.","Kraemer, Ann‐Kathrin","Lentfort, Sarah","Patzek, Markus","Storz, Jakob","Weyrauch, Mona"],"tags":["520","550"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.15488/20323","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5287/ora-kep66ebxr","name":"Understanding the formation and evolution of asteroids through analysis of carbonaceous chondrites","source":"datacite","abstract":"The transport and evolution of volatiles (e.g. water, organics) during the formation of the inner terrestrial planets of our Solar System is relatively poorly constrained. A number of dynamical mechanisms have been proposed that transport volatile rich material from the outer Solar System (i.e. from beyond the snow-line, currently 5 AU), and primitive, volatile-rich asteroids may provide clues as to these processes. Observations demonstrate that these asteroids have similar infrared spectra to CI, CM and CY carbonaceous chondrite meteorites. Thus, by studying the composition and alteration histories of these families of meteorites it can potentially provide insights into the physical processes that occurred or are occurring on these asteroids. In this thesis I link trends in the spectra of both aqueously altered and aqueously and thermally altered CI, CM and CY chondrites with meteorite mineralogy. I demonstrate how these trends may be applied to remote asteroid spectra to examine their surface mineralogy and processing history. I describe how trends in the near- (NIR) and mid-infrared (MIR) spectra of aqueously altered meteorites can reflect the phyllosilicate composition and therefore degree of aqueous alteration. I also report that trends in aqueously and thermally altered meteorite NIR and MIR spectra reflect a combination of phyllosilicate and olivine compositions and abundances. Furthermore, I describe and assess differences between the MIR reflectance spectra typically collected in laboratories, and emissivity spectra acquired under asteroid environmental conditions that more accurately replicate the spectral flux received when observing a remote airless body. I then use the spectra collected to aid in the interpretation of spectra of a range of potentially volatile-rich objects including NEOs visited by Hayabusa2 and OSIRIS-REx, main-belt asteroids and Jupiter Trojans. The spectra will also be a valuable aid in analysis of future remote telescopic observations of and spacecraft missions to small bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5287/ora-kep66ebxr","authors":["Bates, Helena"],"tags":["Reflectance spectroscopy","Asteroids","Thermal emission spectroscopy","Carbonaceous chondrites (Meteorites)"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.5287/ora-kep66ebxr","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.22002/7fbaz-4m261","name":"Shortwave Infrared Microimaging Spectroscopy of the Martian Meteorites Software","source":"datacite","abstract":"Until samples from the Martian surface are successfully brought to Earth, meteorites represent the only opportunity to perform laboratory analyses on Martian material. Microimaging spectroscopy of the Martian meteorite suite provides a valuable means to better understand infrared data collected remotely from the Martian surface. This rapid and non-destructive method surveys compositional and textural relationships within and between meteorites samples. We expand upon existing documentation of the spectral variability of the Martian meteorites by presenting a publicly accessible dataset of over 1.2 million 1.0-2.5 µm spectra at 250 µm/pixel scale, from 144 imaged faces of 78 pieces of 54 distinctly named Martian meteorites. These meteorites include 2 chassignites, 6 nakhlites, 43 shergottites, 2 polymict breccias and 1 orthopyroxenite. Analysis of the spectral diversity results in the definition of 17 spectral classes on the basis of 1) color properties of the samples in false color with channels identified at spectrally significant wavelengths for mafic mineralogy, 2) a 3-step classification process comprised of a two-step unconstrained (orthogonal) Sequential Maximum Angle Convex Cone (SMACC) endmember extraction, Spectral Angle Mapping (SAM), and consolidation of the endmembers and their classified spectra into mineralogically significant groups, 3) band center position of the pyroxene 2 µm absorption, and 4) distribution and abundance of hydration/hydroxylation absorptions at 1.4 and 1.9 µm. Careful inspection of the spectra and processed data revealed compositional textures that are invisible to the naked eye, rare spectral phases, two distinct populations of high-calcium pyroxenes, and evidence of secondary aqueous alteration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.22002/7fbaz-4m261","authors":["Miura, Jasper Kenzo","Ehlmann, Bethany","Greenberger, Rebecca","Cutts, Elise"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.22002/7fbaz-4m261","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.22002/vxejt-8nh90","name":"Shortwave Infrared Microimaging Spectroscopy of the Martian Meteorites Dataset","source":"datacite","abstract":"Until samples from the Martian surface are successfully brought to Earth, meteorites represent the only opportunity to perform laboratory analyses on Martian material. Microimaging spectroscopy of the Martian meteorite suite provides a valuable means to better understand infrared data collected remotely from the Martian surface. This rapid and non-destructive method surveys compositional and textural relationships within and between meteorites samples. We expand upon existing documentation of the spectral variability of the Martian meteorites by presenting a publicly accessible dataset of over 1.2 million 1.0-2.5 µm spectra at 250 µm/pixel scale, from 144 imaged faces of 78 pieces of 54 distinctly named Martian meteorites. These meteorites include 2 chassignites, 6 nakhlites, 43 shergottites, 2 polymict breccias and 1 orthopyroxenite. Analysis of the spectral diversity results in the definition of 17 spectral classes on the basis of 1) color properties of the samples in false color with channels identified at spectrally significant wavelengths for mafic mineralogy, 2) a 3-step classification process comprised of a two-step unconstrained (orthogonal) Sequential Maximum Angle Convex Cone (SMACC) endmember extraction, Spectral Angle Mapping (SAM), and consolidation of the endmembers and their classified spectra into mineralogically significant groups, 3) band center position of the pyroxene 2 µm absorption, and 4) distribution and abundance of hydration/hydroxylation absorptions at 1.4 and 1.9 µm. Careful inspection of the spectra and processed data revealed compositional textures that are invisible to the naked eye, rare spectral phases, two distinct populations of high-calcium pyroxenes, and evidence of secondary aqueous alteration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.22002/vxejt-8nh90","authors":["Miura, Jasper Kenzo","Ehlmann, Bethany","Greenberger, Rebecca","Cutts, Elise"],"tags":["Earth and related environmental sciences","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.22002/vxejt-8nh90","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.26233/heallink.tuc.100151","name":"Mineralogical and spectroscopical study of ordinary chondrites and implications on potential asteroid mining.","source":"datacite","abstract":"A refined view of mineralogy and the spectroscopic study of the fallen Slobodka is presented, and this research has been conducted to complete the study of this thesis. The meteorite is an L4 ordinary chondrite. The thin section of the meteorite highlights the features that indicate a shock impact, including a shock melt vein. To the best of our knowledge, it is reported for the first time in this meteorite, a shock vein containing four high-pressure polymorphs, albitic jadeite, majorite, wadsleyite, and tuite. After studying the characteristics of the sample, it is concluded that Slobodka is a shocked sample with shock stage S4.","url":"https://doi.org/10.26233/heallink.tuc.100151","authors":["Simopoulou Myrto","Σιμοπουλου Μυρτω"],"tags":["Slobodka μετεωρίτης","Slobodka meteorite","Τυπικός χονδρίτης","Ordinary chondrite","Χονδρίτης τύπου-L","L-chondrite","Υψηλών πιέσεων πολύμορφα","High-pressure polymorphs"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.26233/heallink.tuc.100151","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/szbtpk6t65.1","name":"Supplementary Material for the manuscript \"Reassessing Lunar Post-Magma-Ocean Evolution: A Mineral-Chemical Framework from Diverse Lithologies\"","source":"datacite","abstract":"Supplementary material comprises four datasets, representing compositional data of pyroxene, olivine, plagioclase, and whole-rock samples. These minerals are derived from diverse lunar lithologies (including anorthosite, Mg-suite rocks, norite, gabbro, and basalt), along with comparative specimens from Earth, Mars, Vesta, as well as angrites and ungrouped achondrites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/szbtpk6t65.1","authors":["Chen, Hong-Yi"],"tags":["Geochemistry","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences","Petrology","Mineralogy","Moon","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.17632/szbtpk6t65.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/szbtpk6t65","name":"Supplementary Material for the manuscript \"Reassessing Lunar Post-Magma-Ocean Evolution: A Mineral-Chemical Framework from Diverse Lithologies\"","source":"datacite","abstract":"Supplementary material comprises four datasets, representing compositional data of pyroxene, olivine, plagioclase, and whole-rock samples. These minerals are derived from diverse lunar lithologies (including anorthosite, Mg-suite rocks, norite, gabbro, and basalt), along with comparative specimens from Earth, Mars, Vesta, as well as angrites and ungrouped achondrites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/szbtpk6t65","authors":["Chen, Hong-Yi"],"tags":["Geochemistry","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences","Petrology","Mineralogy","Moon","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.17632/szbtpk6t65","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3929/ethz-b-000736065","name":"Multi-isotope (N, O, Ti, and Cr) study of C1 and CM-like clasts - Probing unsampled C1 material","source":"datacite","abstract":"A multi-element isotope (N, O, Ti, and Cr) study was conducted on C1 and CM-like clasts hosted in achondrites and chondrite breccias to understand the genesis of these chondritic clasts. The mineralogy, O, and N isotopes confirm that CM-like clasts in howardites and polymict eucrites closely resemble CM chondrite-like material. The O and Cr isotope composition of C1 clasts in CR chondrites overlaps with those of CR chondrites, implying either formation in a similar nebular environment or resemblance to local CR material that underwent more extensive in situ alteration. Notably, these clasts are less enriched in $^{15}$N than bulk CR chondrites. In contrast, C1 clasts in ureilites are enriched in $^{15}$N relative to the Earth's atmosphere by ~100‰ setting them apart from any other known solar system material. They display elevated $^{17}$O and $^{18}$O values and lie along the CCAM line. In addition, a C1 clast from an ureilite represents the most $^{54}$Cr-enriched and $^{50}$Ti-depleted endmember among the carbonaceous chondrites. Altogether, these isotopic characteristics suggest that C1 clasts in ureilites represent material not sampled by any known meteorite group. Overall, this study highlights the presence of primitive, isotopically distinct materials in the early outer solar system, some of which were transported to the inner solar system to the accretion region of the host parent bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000736065","authors":["Patzek, Markus","Kadlag, Yogita","Rüfenacht, Miriam","Füri, Evelyn","Pack, Andreas","Bischoff, Addi","Becker, Harry","Visser, Robbin","John, Timm","Schönbächler, Maria"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.3929/ethz-b-000736065","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.13140/rg.2.1.4967.8805","name":"Mineralogy and petrography of \"deep-fused\" fragment of Chelyabinsk meteorite","source":"datacite","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.13140/rg.2.1.4967.8805","authors":["Sharygin, V.V.","Karmanov, N.S.","Podgornykh, N.M.","Tomilenko, A.A."],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014","doi":"10.13140/rg.2.1.4967.8805","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.26216/heal.aua.2961","name":"Shock effects in ordinary chondrite meteorites: implications for the disruption of their parent bodies","source":"datacite","abstract":"Shocked chondrite meteorites present shock related features such as shock deformations in minerals, shock induced melt veins and melt pockets, and high-pressure phases. Those features provide information related to the shock pressure, temperature, shock pulse duration and contribute to the understanding of the complex dynamics of collision impacts and the relation between L ordinary chondrites and their parent bodies. In this research three L ordinary chondrites have been studied: Northwest Africa (NWA) 4137, Homestead and Kunashak. NWA 4137 (L6) shows a network of both thick and thin melt veins. The thickest melt vein presents two parts: an inner and an outer part. The inner part includes high-pressure phases such as, wadsleyite, majoritic garnet, albitic jadeite, xieite and tuite which suggest a crystallization pressure between 20 and 25 GPa. The outer part includes low pressure phases such as forsterite, enstatite, albite and Fe-Ni metal and sulfides, which shows a quench at around 15 GPa. According to other similar meteorites, such as the Viñales meteorite, NWA 4137 required &lt; 2 ms to fully crystallize the thinner melt veins (100 μm) and &gt; 2 ms for the thicker one, suggesting that NWA 4137 experienced an impact velocity of 1.5 km/s. NWA 4137 classified as S3 shocked chondrite meteorite. Homestead is an L5 brecciated chondrite meteorite. The groundmass presents two different textures; a fine-grained, spotted in the center and a coarse-grained in the rims, with similar mineralogy. Contains a melt vein network, which is filled with Fe-Ni metal and sulfides. Homestead has distinguished characteristics of a brecciated meteorite; absence of high-pressure phases, shock features distribution and Fe-Ni metal, sulfide veins. Also, Homestead might have experienced sufficient pressure to form high-pressure minerals but the high temperature that melted the Fe-Ni metal and the sulfides effected their preservation. Homestead is classified as an S2 shocked meteorite. The Kunashak meteorite is an L6 chondrite, exhibits two thick melt veins with silicate matrix. Within the melt veins no high-pressure minerals were found. The sample is classified as an S2 chondrite meteorite, with a significant amount of S4 grains. Kunashak even though experienced high pressure according to the shock features, up to S4, no high-pressure phases were found. High-pressure phases preservation depends on the P-T-t paths, the shock pressure, shock temperature, post-shock temperature, duration shock pulse and cooling time.","url":"https://doi.org/10.26216/heal.aua.2961","authors":["Effraimidou, Styliani D","Ευφραιμίδου, Στυλιανή Δ"],"tags":["Ordinary chondrites","Τυπικοί χονδρίτες","L-chondrites","NWA 4137 meteorite","Homestead meteorite","Kunashak meteorite","Shock metamorphism","High-pressure polymorphs"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.26216/heal.aua.2961","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.48420/29126567.v3","name":"Mineralogy, bulk and mineral geochemistry, geochronology, and noble gas isotope data for the Néma 001 meteorite","source":"datacite","abstract":"Supplementary Tables accompanying the paper \" Petrogenesis of Néma 001, an alkali-rich meteorite from the acapulcoite-lodranite parent body \".The spreadsheet contains the following tabs:Table S1. Bulk ICP-MSTable S2. EPMA analysesTable S3. LA-ICP-MS protocol - TracesTable S4. LA-ICP-MS silicates - allTable S5. LA-ICP-MS protocol - DatingTable S6. Apatite U-Pb datingTable S7. LA-ICP-MS apatite - allTable S8. Al-Mg datingTable S9. Ne isotopesTable S10. Ar isotopesTable S11. Mineral chemistry (average mineral chemical compositions and recalculated bulk rock composition)Table S12. MELTS modellingFull citation: Tartèse, R., Gattacceca, J., Avice, G., Beck, P., Devouard, B., Debaille, V., Fawcett, L., Hublet, G., Joy, K., Sonzogni, C., &amp; Villeneuve, J. (2025). Petrogenesis of Néma 001, an alkali-rich meteorite from the acapulcoite-lodranite parent body. Advances in Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, 1(2), 776. https://doi.org/10.33063/agc.v1i2.776","url":"https://doi.org/10.48420/29126567.v3","authors":["Tartese, Romain","Gattacceca, Jérome","Avice, Guillaume","Beck, Pierre","Devouard, Bertrand","Debaille, Vinciane","Fawcett, Lydia","Hublet, Geneviève","Joy, Katherine H.","Sonzogni, Corinne","Villeneuve, Johan"],"tags":["Solar system planetary science (excl. planetary geology)"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.48420/29126567.v3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.48420/29126567","name":"Mineralogy, bulk and mineral geochemistry, geochronology, and noble gas isotope data for the Néma 001 meteorite","source":"datacite","abstract":"Supplementary Tables accompanying the paper \" Petrogenesis of Néma 001, an alkali-rich meteorite from the acapulcoite-lodranite parent body \".The spreadsheet contains the following tabs:Table S1. Bulk ICP-MSTable S2. EPMA analysesTable S3. LA-ICP-MS protocol - TracesTable S4. LA-ICP-MS silicates - allTable S5. LA-ICP-MS protocol - DatingTable S6. Apatite U-Pb datingTable S7. LA-ICP-MS apatite - allTable S8. Al-Mg datingTable S9. Ne isotopesTable S10. Ar isotopesTable S11. Mineral chemistry (average mineral chemical compositions and recalculated bulk rock composition)Table S12. MELTS modellingFull citation: Tartèse, R., Gattacceca, J., Avice, G., Beck, P., Devouard, B., Debaille, V., Fawcett, L., Hublet, G., Joy, K., Sonzogni, C., &amp; Villeneuve, J. (2025). Petrogenesis of Néma 001, an alkali-rich meteorite from the acapulcoite-lodranite parent body. Advances in Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, 1(2), 776. https://doi.org/10.33063/agc.v1i2.776","url":"https://doi.org/10.48420/29126567","authors":["Tartese, Romain","Gattacceca, Jérome","Avice, Guillaume","Beck, Pierre","Devouard, Bertrand","Debaille, Vinciane","Fawcett, Lydia","Hublet, Geneviève","Joy, Katherine H.","Sonzogni, Corinne","Villeneuve, Johan"],"tags":["Solar system planetary science (excl. planetary geology)"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.48420/29126567","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/k8kv2t8kby.2","name":"Data for: Brachinites and ungrouped achondrites with brachinite-affinity: sampling a single heterogeneous parent body","source":"datacite","abstract":"Raw data that were used for the mineralogical and geochemical analyses throughout the main text and supplementary material. In red, brachinites; in yellow, ungrouped brachinites like achondrites","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/k8kv2t8kby.2","authors":["Pratesi, Giovanni"],"tags":["Geochemistry","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences","Meteorite Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.17632/k8kv2t8kby.2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/k8kv2t8kby","name":"Data for: Brachinites and ungrouped achondrites with brachinite-affinity: sampling a single heterogeneous parent body","source":"datacite","abstract":"Raw data that were used for the mineralogical and geochemical analyses throughout the main text and supplementary material. In red, brachinites; in yellow, ungrouped brachinites like achondrites","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/k8kv2t8kby","authors":["Pratesi, Giovanni"],"tags":["Geochemistry","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences","Meteorite Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.17632/k8kv2t8kby","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/y8mhm65jfm.1","name":"Raw Analytical Dataset of V-NIR Spectroscopy, EPMA, and Raman Spectroscopy for NWA 12279 Lunar Meteorite","source":"datacite","abstract":"This dataset serves as supplementary material for the manuscript entitled \"Lunar spinel-bearing troctolitic anorthosite NWA 12279 meteorite: Linking petrology, mineralogy and spectroscopy\" (in preparation for publication). It comprises 11 data tables (Tables S1–S11), containing: Electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA) composition data of spinel, olivine, pyroxene, and plagioclase in the NWA 12279 lunar meteorite; Visible-Near-infrared (V-NIR) spectral data of rock profiles; Raman spectral characterization of spinel, olivine, and pyroxene; Corresponding EPMA composition-Raman spectroscopy linkage data for these three mineral phases.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/y8mhm65jfm.1","authors":["Chen, Hong-Yi"],"tags":["Moon","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.17632/y8mhm65jfm.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/y8mhm65jfm","name":"Raw Analytical Dataset of V-NIR Spectroscopy, EPMA, and Raman Spectroscopy for NWA 12279 Lunar Meteorite","source":"datacite","abstract":"This dataset serves as supplementary material for the manuscript entitled \"Lunar spinel-bearing troctolitic anorthosite NWA 12279 meteorite: Linking petrology, mineralogy and spectroscopy\" (in preparation for publication). It comprises 11 data tables (Tables S1–S11), containing: Electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA) composition data of spinel, olivine, pyroxene, and plagioclase in the NWA 12279 lunar meteorite; Visible-Near-infrared (V-NIR) spectral data of rock profiles; Raman spectral characterization of spinel, olivine, and pyroxene; Corresponding EPMA composition-Raman spectroscopy linkage data for these three mineral phases.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/y8mhm65jfm","authors":["Chen, Hong-Yi"],"tags":["Moon","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.17632/y8mhm65jfm","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17169/refubium-47590","name":"Multi-isotope (N, O, Ti, and Cr) study of C1 and CM-like clasts—Probing unsampled C1 material","source":"datacite","abstract":"A multi-element isotope (N, O, Ti, and Cr) study was conducted on C1 and CM-like clasts hosted in achondrites and chondrite breccias to understand the genesis of these chondritic clasts. The mineralogy, O, and N isotopes confirm that CM-like clasts in howardites and polymict eucrites closely resemble CM chondrite-like material. The O and Cr isotope composition of C1 clasts in CR chondrites overlaps with those of CR chondrites, implying either formation in a similar nebular environment or resemblance to local CR material that underwent more extensive in situ alteration. Notably, these clasts are less enriched in 15N than bulk CR chondrites. In contrast, C1 clasts in ureilites are enriched in 15N relative to the Earth's atmosphere by ~100‰ setting them apart from any other known solar system material. They display elevated 17O and 18O values and lie along the CCAM line. In addition, a C1 clast from an ureilite represents the most 54Cr-enriched and 50Ti-depleted endmember among the carbonaceous chondrites. Altogether, these isotopic characteristics suggest that C1 clasts in ureilites represent material not sampled by any known meteorite group. Overall, this study highlights the presence of primitive, isotopically distinct materials in the early outer solar system, some of which were transported to the inner solar system to the accretion region of the host parent bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17169/refubium-47590","authors":["Patzek, Markus","Kadlag, Yogita","Rüfenacht, Miriam","Füri, Evelyn","Pack, Andreas","Bischoff, Addi","Becker, Harry","Visser, Robbin","John, Timm","Schönbächler, Maria"],"tags":["Multi-isotope study","genesis","chondritic clasts","Geowissenschaften"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.17169/refubium-47590","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17169/refubium-39169","name":"Replication Data for: Hydrogen isotopic composition of CI- and CM-like clasts from meteorite breccias – Sampling unknown sources of carbonaceous chondrite materials","source":"datacite","abstract":"Volatile-rich, CI- and CM-like clasts occur in different brecciated achondrite and chondrite groups. The CI-like clasts in HEDs, polymict ureilites, as well as ordinary, CR, and CB chondrites have a similar mineralogy, indicating a similar alteration history. However, when viewed in detail, their mineral chemistry shows some minor differences between the clasts from different meteorite groups. For CM-like clasts found in HED meteorites, the clasts are, based on their mineralogy, clearly fragments of CM chondrites. To be able to decipher whether CI- (or CM-)like clasts from different meteorite groups are related to certain meteorite classes known to contain volatiles, we obtained D/H ratios of several clasts from the meteorite groups mentioned above and compared them with those of CI and CM chondrites as well as to unique carbonaceous chondrites such as Bells, Essebi, and Tagish Lake. Considering the δD-values, CM-like clasts in HEDs span a similar range compared to bulk values of CM chondrites, further indicating that CM-like clasts are fragments of CM chondrites. For CI-like clasts a clear distinction can be made: While CI-like clasts in HEDs and ordinary chondrites show a very similar range in their δD-signatures compared to “common” CI chondrites, meaning that these clasts are likely related to CI chondrites, the CI-like clasts in polymict ureilites are enriched in D up to 3000‰; a similarly high enrichment is found for the CI-like clasts in CR chondrites. Thus, although the CI-like clasts in ureilites and CR chondrites likely experienced similar alteration histories as the CI-like clasts found in the other meteorite types, these clasts probably formed in a different region than the CI chondrites and, thus, are more accurately referred to as C1 clasts. Overall, the existence and isotopic signatures of the C1 clasts in several meteorite groups proves the existence of additional primitive, volatile-rich material in the (early) Solar System besides the matter we study as the CI, CM, and CR chondrites. This material was distributed throughout the Solar System very early and might have played an important role for the volatile inventory of the terrestrial planets.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17169/refubium-39169","authors":["Universitätsbibliothek Der FU Berlin"],"tags":["Chemistry","Earth and Environmental Sciences","Carbonaceous chondrite","Deuterium","Secondary ion mass spectrometry"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.17169/refubium-39169","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17169/refubium-39208","name":"Replication Data for: Mineralogy of volatile-rich clasts in brecciated meteorites","source":"datacite","abstract":"Meteoritic breccias are valuable samples as they can contain rare materials from the early solar system as clasts. Volatile-rich, CI- and CM-like clasts may represent parent body lithologies, which cannot be found as individual meteorites in today's meteorite collections. In order to reveal a better knowledge about the presence and chemical characteristics and variability of volatile (water-bearing) materials in the early solar system these clasts play an important role. Such materials may have been available as the volatile component during the accretion of terrestrial planets. To understand the distribution of volatile-rich materials in the solar system, we studied CI- and CM-like clasts in brecciated meteorites including polymict ureilites, HEDs, CR, CB, CH, and ordinary chondrites. CI-like clasts occur throughout all of the mentioned meteorite groups, whereas the CM-like clasts have only been identified in HEDs and ordinary chondrites. The abundance of volatile-rich clasts in general decreases in the order CH &gt; CR &gt; ureilites &gt; HEDs &gt; CB &gt; OC &gt; R. The mineralogy of CI-like clasts is similar to CI chondrites, but their compositions of phyllosilicates differ. The mineralogy of CM-like clasts clearly links them to CM chondrites. They must have been delivered to the HED parent body by low-velocity impacts after differentiation and volcanism, as there is no evidence for high shock and heating processes. Additionally, we propose that CI-like clasts in the CR, CB, and CH chondrites are a primary component of the appropriate parent bodies (accretionary breccias). Conversely, the CI-like clasts in polymict ureilites and HEDs represent an infall as (micro)meteorites or as low-velocity impactors, which happened after the accretion and differentiation of the appropriate parent bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17169/refubium-39208","authors":["Universitätsbibliothek Der FU Berlin"],"tags":["Chemistry","Earth and Environmental Sciences","Early solar system","Volatile-rich clasts","Polymict ureilites"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.17169/refubium-39208","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17169/refubium-39199","name":"Replication Data for: Asteroid 2008 TC3, not a polymict ureilitic but a polymict C1 chondrite parent body? Survey of 249 Almahata Sitta fragments","source":"datacite","abstract":"On October 7, 2008, the asteroid 2008 TC3 exploded as it entered the Earth’s atmosphere, producing significant dust (in the atmosphere) and delivering thousands of stones in a strewn field in Sudan, collectively known as the Almahata Sitta (AhS) stones. About 600 fragments were officially recovered in 2008 and 2009. Further rocks were collected since the fall event by local people. From these stones, 249 were classified at the Institut für Planetologie in Münster (MS) known as MS-xxx or MS-MU-xxx AhS subsamples. Most of these rocks are ureilitic in origin (168; 67%): 87 coarse-grained ureilites, 60 fine-grained ureilites, 15 ureilites with variable texture/mineralogy, four trachyandesites, and two polymict breccias. We identified 81 non-ureilitic fragments, corresponding to 33% of the recovered samples studied in Münster. These included chondrites, namely 65 enstatite chondrites (43 EL; 22 EH), 11 ordinary chondrites (OC), one carbonaceous chondrite, and one unique R-like chondrite. Furthermore, three samples represent a unique type of enstatite achondrite. Since all AhS stones must be regarded as individual specimens independent from each other, the number of fresh ureilite and enstatite chondrite falls in our meteorite collections has been increased by several hundred percent. Overall, the samples weigh between &lt;1 and 250 g and have a mean mass of ~15 g. If we consider—almost 15 years after the fall—the mass calculations, observations during and after the asteroid entered the atmosphere, the mineralogy of the C1 stones AhS 91A and AhS 671, and the experimental work on fitting the asteroid spectrum (e.g., Goodrich et al., 2019; Jenniskens et al., 2010; Shaddad et al., 2010), the main portion of the meteoroid was likely made of the fine-grained (carbonaceous) dust and was mostly lost in the atmosphere. In particular, the fact that C1 materials were found has important implications for interpreting asteroid 2008 TC3's early spectroscopic results. Goodrich et al. (2019) correctly suggested that if scientists had not recovered the “water-free” samples (e.g., ureilites, enstatites, and OC) from the AhS strewn field, 2008 TC3 would have been assumed to be a carbonaceous chondrite meteoroid. Considering that the dominating mass of the exploding meteoroid consisted of carbonaceous materials, asteroid 2008 TC3 cannot be classified as a polymict ureilite; consequently, we state that the asteroid was a polymict carbonaceous chondrite breccia, specifically a polymict C1 object that may have formed by late accretion at least 50–100 Ma after calcium–aluminum-rich inclusions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17169/refubium-39199","authors":["Universitätsbibliothek Der FU Berlin"],"tags":["Astronomy and Astrophysics","Earth and Environmental Sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.17169/refubium-39199","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17169/refubium-41916","name":"Replication Data for: Accretion of differentiated achondritic and aqueously altered chondritic materials in the early solar system - Significance of an igneous fragment in the CM chondrite NWA 12651","source":"datacite","abstract":"Abstract: One approach to decipher the dynamics of material transport and planetary accretion in the early solar system is to investigate xenolithic fragments in meteorites. In this work, we examined an igneous fragment from the NWA 12651 meteorite—the first igneous fragment found in any CM chondrite—by analyzing its mineralogy, rare earth elements (REEs), and O‐isotopes. The study shows that the exsolution lamellae of the igneous fragment consist of Fe‐rich and Ca‐rich pyroxene. Thus, the fragment was part of a progressive crystallization in a closed system, such as in a depleted magma reservoir or mantle. In this environment, the pyroxene co‐crystallized with plagioclase, resulting in a negative Eu anomaly and enrichment of the heavy REEs compared to the light REEs. The O‐isotopes of the fragment are more 16O‐enriched than the mafic minerals in the matrix or in other bulk CM chondrites; therefore, the fragment was formed in a different region than the NWA 12651 parent body. The iron meteorites Tucson and Deep Springs, the pallasite Milton, and the CB chondrites have similar O‐isotopes as the igneous fragment. However, no direct connection can be drawn and it is questionable if the fragment shares a same parent body with one of these meteorites. The close formation region to the CB chondrites may suggest a formation of the fragment in the carbonaceous chondrite region. Thus, a wide transport through the nebula of the early solar system may not have been necessary to move the fragment to the CM chondrite formation region. TRR 170 no. 76","url":"https://doi.org/10.17169/refubium-41916","authors":["Universitätsbibliothek Der FU Berlin"],"tags":["Earth and Environmental Sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.17169/refubium-41916","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/54s9dd2mgn","name":"Shock-induced minerals in pigeonite cumulate eucrite NWA 8326","source":"datacite","abstract":"This dataset contains bulk compositions of polymineralic shock melt veins in NWA 8326 and the mineral compositions of shock-induced high-pressure minerals therein.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/54s9dd2mgn","authors":["Zhang, Ai-Cheng"],"tags":["Meteorite Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.17632/54s9dd2mgn","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/ystpymjrmm","name":"Data for: Grossite-bearing refractory inclusions from reduced CV chondrites: Mineralogical and oxygen isotopic constraints on the parent body alteration history","source":"datacite","abstract":"Data in the manuscript by Han et al. to be published in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta as \"Grossite-bearing refractory inclusions from reduced CV chondrites: Mineralogical and oxygen isotopic constraints on the parent body alteration history\".","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/ystpymjrmm","authors":["Han, Jangmi","Nagashima, Kazuhide","Park, Changkun","Krot, Alexander","Keller, Lindsay"],"tags":["Meteoritics","Meteorite Mineralogy","Electron Microscopy","Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry","Cosmochemistry","Oxygen Isotope"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.17632/ystpymjrmm","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2406.13637","name":"The Source of Hydrogen in Earth's Building Blocks","source":"datacite","abstract":"Despite being pivotal to the habitability of our planet, the process by which Earth gained its present-day hydrogen budget is unclear. Due to their isotopic similarity to terrestrial rocks across a range of elements, the meteorite group that is thought to best represent Earth's building blocks is the enstatite chondrites (ECs). Because of ECs' nominally anhydrous mineralogy, these building blocks have long been presumed to have supplied negligible hydrogen to the proto-Earth. However, recent bulk compositional measurements suggest that ECs may unexpectedly contain enough hydrogen to readily explain Earth's present-day water abundance. Together, these contradictory findings mean the contribution of ECs to Earth's hydrogen budget is currently unclear. As such, it is uncertain whether appreciable hydrogen is a systematic outcome of Earth's formation. Here, we explore the amount of hydrogen in ECs as well as the phase that may carry this element using sulfur X-ray absorption near edge structure (S-XANES) spectroscopy. We find that hydrogen bonded to sulfur is prevalent throughout the meteorite, with fine matrix containing on average almost 10 times more H-S than chondrule mesostasis. Moreover, the concentration of the H-S bond is linked to the abundance of micrometre-scale pyrrhotite (Fe1-xS, 0","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2406.13637","authors":["Barrett, Thomas J","Bryson, James F. J.","Geraki, Kalotina"],"tags":["Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)","FOS: Physical sciences","FOS: Physical sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.48550/arxiv.2406.13637","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/d7phgs9w95.1","name":"Lunar spinel-bearing troctolitic anorthosite NWA 12279 meteorite: Linking petrology, mineralogy and spectroscopy","source":"datacite","abstract":"This database serves as supplementary material to the paper entitled \"Lunar spinel-bearing troctolitic anorthosite NWA 12279 meteorite: Linking petrology, mineralogy and spectroscopy,\" containing original analytical data obtained through electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and Raman spectroscopy. The dataset comprises the following tables: Table S1: EPMA compositions of spinels in NWA 12279 Table S2: EPMA compositions of olivines in NWA 12279 Table S3: EPMA compositions of pyroxenes in NWA 12279 Table S4: EPMA compositions of plagioclases in NWA 12279 Table S5: Original Raman spectral data of spinels in NWA 12279 Table S6: Original Raman spectral data of olivines in NWA 12279 Table S7: Original Raman spectral data of pyroxenes in NWA 12279 Table S8: EPMA compositions and corresponding Raman shift values of spinels in NWA 12279 Table S9: EPMA compositions and corresponding Raman shift values of olivines in NWA 12279 Table S10: EPMA compositions and corresponding Raman shift values of pyroxenes in NWA 12279","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/d7phgs9w95.1","authors":["Chen, Hong-Yi"],"tags":["Meteoritics","Planetary Science","Astrochemistry"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.17632/d7phgs9w95.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/d7phgs9w95","name":"Lunar spinel-bearing troctolitic anorthosite NWA 12279 meteorite: Linking petrology, mineralogy and spectroscopy","source":"datacite","abstract":"This database serves as supplementary material to the paper entitled \"Lunar spinel-bearing troctolitic anorthosite NWA 12279 meteorite: Linking petrology, mineralogy and spectroscopy,\" containing original analytical data obtained through electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and Raman spectroscopy. The dataset comprises the following tables: Table S1: EPMA compositions of spinels in NWA 12279 Table S2: EPMA compositions of olivines in NWA 12279 Table S3: EPMA compositions of pyroxenes in NWA 12279 Table S4: EPMA compositions of plagioclases in NWA 12279 Table S5: Original Raman spectral data of spinels in NWA 12279 Table S6: Original Raman spectral data of olivines in NWA 12279 Table S7: Original Raman spectral data of pyroxenes in NWA 12279 Table S8: EPMA compositions and corresponding Raman shift values of spinels in NWA 12279 Table S9: EPMA compositions and corresponding Raman shift values of olivines in NWA 12279 Table S10: EPMA compositions and corresponding Raman shift values of pyroxenes in NWA 12279","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/d7phgs9w95","authors":["Chen, Hong-Yi"],"tags":["Meteoritics","Planetary Science","Astrochemistry"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.17632/d7phgs9w95","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/22nv3skfxf","name":"Northwest Africa (NWA) 16788: A New Olivine Microgabbroic Shergottite. Insights Into Martian Magmatism From the Largest Individual Meteorite From Mars","source":"datacite","abstract":"The completed experimental and raw data for the characterization of the NWA 16788 meteorite","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/22nv3skfxf","authors":["Shehaj, Xhonatan","Pratesi, Giovanni","Carli, Cristian","Avanzinelli, Riccardo","Stephant, Alice","Franza, Annarita","Ammannito, Eleonora"],"tags":["Meteorite Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.17632/22nv3skfxf","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/ff3m6znkhy","name":"SEM-EDS compositions of W-rich metal and surrounding sulfides in NWA 8326","source":"datacite","abstract":"SEM-EDS compositions of W-rich metal and surrounding sulfides in the unbrecciated cumulate eucrite NWA 8326","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/ff3m6znkhy","authors":["Zhang, Ai-Cheng"],"tags":["Meteorite Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.17632/ff3m6znkhy","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/5ycc5gs9rs","name":"CLOs_KOOL_SHIB_in_AMMs_and_IDP_Noguchi","source":"datacite","abstract":"Source data of Figs. 5a, b, 6a, b, c, d, 7a, b, 8, 9, 12a, b, c, d, e, f, 13, 14, S2, S4, S5e, S6a, b, c, d, S7a, b, S8a, b, c, d.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/5ycc5gs9rs","authors":["Noguchi, Takaaki"],"tags":["Meteorite Mineralogy","Meteorite Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.17632/5ycc5gs9rs","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3929/ethz-b-000655529","name":"Comprehensive report of the BELARE 2022-2023 meteorite reconnaissance expedition in the Sør Rondane area, East Antarctica","source":"datacite","abstract":"We provide a comprehensive overview of a reconnaissance expedition aimed at identifying new possible meteorite stranding zones in the surrounding of the Belgian Princess Elisabeth Antarctica (PEA) station in the Sør Rondane Mountains during the BELARE 2022-2023 field season. The team was composed of four scientists and one field guide. Several areas of interest were identified and daily searches occurred in two phases, first from a base camp and then from PEA. The first phase was in the Nils Larsenfjellet area, and a camp, accessible from the H.E. Hansenbreen (S72° 13.260' E22° 37.779'; altitude 1640 m), was set up from December 21 to 27, 2022. Systematic searches were performed in moraines and on blue ice areas (BIAs) during day trips, including the Verheyefjellet BIA, several BIAs surrounding an alignment of nunataks south of PEA, centered on S72° 18.403' E23° 13.191', and the Røysane nunatak at the eastern edge of Nils Larsenfjellet. Four meteorites were recovered during the first phase of the expedition, and another one in the second phase, also in the Nils Larsenfjellet area. In addition, nine surface ice samples and 18 kg of micrometeorite-bearing sediments were collected. Preliminary classification, performed on-site using magnetic susceptibility, tentatively indicated H and L chondrites. The recovered meteorites were transported in frozen state to the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels to be thawed in vacuum conditions and classified based on their mineralogy. The Nils Larsenfjellet is identified as a potential new Dense Collection Area.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000655529","authors":["Debaille, Vinciane","Schönbächler, Maria","Valdes, Maria","Maeda, Ryoga","Poudelet, Manu","Goderis, Steven","Heck, Philipp R.","Tollenaar, Veronica","Zekollari, Harry","Claeys, Philippe"],"tags":["blue ice area","meteorites","Sør Rondane Mountains"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.3929/ethz-b-000655529","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3929/ethz-b-000625369","name":"An arrowhead made of meteoritic iron from the late Bronze Age settlement of Mörigen, Switzerland and its possible source","source":"datacite","abstract":"A search for artefacts made of meteoritic iron has been performed in archaeological collections in the greater area of the Lake of Biel, Switzerland. A single object made of meteoritic iron has been identified, an arrowhead with a mass of 2.9 g found in the 19th Century in the late Bronze Age (900–800 BCE) lake dwelling of Mörigen, Switzerland. The meteoritic origin is definitely proven by combining methods extended and newly applied to an archaeological artefact. Elemental composition (7.10–8.28 wt% Ni, 0.58–0.86 wt% Co, ∼300 ppm Ge), primary mineralogy consisting of the associated Ni-poor and Ni-rich iron phases kamacite (6.7 wt% Ni) and taenite (33.3 wt% Ni), and the presence of cosmogenic 26Al (1.7−0.4+0.5 dpm/kg). The Ni-rich composition below the oxidized crust and the marked difference to meteorites from the nearby (4–8 km) Twannberg iron meteorite strewn field is confirmed by muon induced X-ray emission spectrometry (8.28 wt% Ni). The Ni-Ge-concentrations are consistent with IAB iron meteorites, but not with the Twannberg meteorite (4.5 wt% Ni, 49 ppm Ge). The measured activity of 26Al indicates derivation from an iron meteorite with a large (2 t minimum) pre-atmospheric mass. The flat arrowhead shows a laminated texture most likely representing a deformed Widmanstätten pattern, grinding marks on the surface and remnants of wood-tar. Among just three large European IAB iron meteorites with fitting chemical composition, the Kaalijarv meteorite (Estonia) is the most likely source because this large crater-forming fall event happened at ∼1500 years BC during the Bronze Age and produced many small fragments. The discovery and subsequent transport/trade of such small iron fragments appears much more likely than in case of buried large meteorite masses. Additional artefacts of the same origin may be present in archaeological collections.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000625369","authors":["Hofmann, Beda A.","Bolliger Schreyer, Sabine","Biswas, Sayani","Gerchow, Lars","Wiebe, Daniel","Schumann, Marc","Lindemann, Sebastian","Ramírez García, Diego","Lanari, Pierre","Gfeller, Frank","Vigo Hernandez, Carlos","Das, Debarchan","Hotz, Fabian","von Schoeler, Katharina","Ninomiya, Kazuhiko","Niikura, Megumi","Ritjoho, Narongrit","Amato, Alex"],"tags":["Arrowhead","Meteoritic iron","Bronze Age","Muon induced X-ray emission (MIXE)","Gamma spectrometry","X-ray fluorescence spectrometry","Switzerland"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.3929/ethz-b-000625369","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/ff3m6znkhy.1","name":"SEM-EDS compositions of W-rich metal and surrounding sulfides in NWA 8326","source":"datacite","abstract":"SEM-EDS compositions of W-rich metal and surrounding sulfides in the unbrecciated cumulate eucrite NWA 8326","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/ff3m6znkhy.1","authors":["Zhang, Ai-Cheng"],"tags":["Meteorite Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.17632/ff3m6znkhy.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.14710594","name":"Data repository for \"Genesis and timing of KREEP-free lunar Mg-suite magmatism indicated by the first norite meteorite Arguin 002\"","source":"datacite","abstract":"This is the data repository for paper entitled \"Genesis and timing of KREEP-free lunar Mg-suite magmatism indicated by the first norite meteorite Arguin 002\". This data repository includes two EXCEL (.xlsx) files representing the dataset necessary to interpret, replicate and build upon the methods or findings reported in the article. Regarding the EXCEL file named \"Supplementary Data 1\", it incorporates the mineral EPMA compositions (Table S1), mineral trace-element compositions (Table S2), bulk chemistry (Table S3), SIMS U-Pb results (Table S4), and mineral modal abundances and the launch-region identification results (Table S5) in the comprehensive study of the lunar norite meteorite, Arguin 002. Regarding the EXCEL file named \"Supplementary Data 2\", it incorporates analyses of reference materials in EPMA (Table S1), LA-ICP-MS (Table S2), ICP-MS (Table S3), and SIMS (Table S4).","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14710594","authors":["Wang, Zilong","Tian, Wei","Wang, Wei-(RZ)","Prissel, Tabb","Di, Yankun","Qian, Yuqi","Ping-Ping, Liu","Fa, Wenzhe","Su, Ao"],"tags":["Lunar meteorite","Norite","Mineralogy","Geochemistry","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences","Launch region"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.14710594","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3929/ethz-b-000381409","name":"The Yamato-type (CY) carbonaceous chondrite group: Analogues for the surface of asteroid Ryugu?","source":"datacite","abstract":"We report new mineralogical, petrographic and noble gas analyses of the carbonaceous chondrite meteorites Y-82162 (C1/2ung), Y-980115 (CI1), Y-86029 (CI1), Y-86720 (C2ung), Y-86789 (C2ung), and B-7904 (C2ung). Combining our results with literature data we show that these meteorites experienced varying degrees of aqueous alteration followed by short-lived thermal metamorphism at temperatures of >500 °C. These meteorites have similar mineralogy, textures and chemical characteristics suggesting that they are genetically related, and we strongly support the conclusion of Ikeda (1992) that they form a distinct group, the CYs (“Yamato-type”). The CY chondrites have the heaviest oxygen isotopic compositions (δ17O ˜12‰, δ18O ˜22‰) of any meteorite group, high abundances of Fe-sulphides (˜10 ‒ 30 vol%) and phosphates, and contain large grains of periclase and unusual objects of secondary minerals not reported in other carbonaceous chondrites. These features cannot be attributed to parent body processes alone, and indicate that the CYs had a different starting mineralogy and/or alteration history to other chondrite groups, perhaps because they formed in a different region of the protoplanetary disk. The short cosmic-ray exposure ages (≤1.3 Ma) of the CY chondrites suggest that they are derived from a near-Earth source, with recent observations by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft highlighting a possible link to the rubble-pile asteroid Ryugu.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000381409","authors":["King, Ashley J.","Bates, Helena C.","Krietsch, Daniela","Busemann, Henner","Clay, Patricia L.","Schofield, Paul F.","Russell, Sara S."],"tags":["Carbonaceous chondrite","Aqueous alteration","Thermal metamorphism","Asteroids","Meteorites","Ryugu","Hayabusa-2"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","doi":"10.3929/ethz-b-000381409","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/mx96fdbh5k","name":"Oxygen-isotope compositions of refractory inclusions from Rumuruti-type chondrites: Evidence for variations in O-isotope compositions of nebular gas and O-isotope exchange on the Rumuruti-parent asteroid(s)","source":"datacite","abstract":"Isotopic investigations of refractory inclusions within Rumuruti-type chondrites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/mx96fdbh5k","authors":["Ebert, Samuel"],"tags":["Mineralogy","Solar System","Isotope","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.17632/mx96fdbh5k","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/9b3b73ny44","name":"Original data for Discovery of nanophase iron particles and high pressure clinoenstatite in a heavily shocked ordinary chondrite: implications for the decomposition of pyroxene","source":"datacite","abstract":"The Word document named EPMA and TEM Quantitative EDS is the original data of chemical composition of phases in GRV 022115 measured by EPMA and TEM. Table A1 is major elements analyses of minerals in GRV 022115 by EPMA (in wt%). Table A2 is chemical compositions of various phases in the pyroxene glass of GRV 022115 by TEM-EDS (in at%). The file (in .dm3 format) named HRTEM image of HP-CEn is the original high-resolution TEM image of a [010] zone axis for a sigle HP-CEn nanocrystal. The file (in .dm3 format) named FFT pattern of HP-CEn is the Fast Fourier Transform pattern from the HRTEM image of HP-CEn.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/9b3b73ny44","authors":["Guo, Zhuang"],"tags":["Meteorite Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","doi":"10.17632/9b3b73ny44","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/3dgyytjbp2","name":"Rim Paris meteorite","source":"datacite","abstract":"Research Data associated to the publication","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/3dgyytjbp2","authors":["ZANETTA, Pierre-Marie"],"tags":["Mineralogy","Chemical Composition Analysis","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.17632/3dgyytjbp2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/mr6mcm2gkv","name":"Data for: Post-impact metamorphism of Chelyabinsk meteorite in shock experiment","source":"datacite","abstract":"Images of the shocked sample texture","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/mr6mcm2gkv","authors":["Petrova, Evgeniya"],"tags":["Meteorite Mineralogy","Meteorite Impact"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.17632/mr6mcm2gkv","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/b4mg6h6zbv","name":"The mineralogy and alteration history of the Yamato-type (CY) carbonaceous chondrites (supporting data)","source":"datacite","abstract":"Supporting data for: The mineralogy and alteration history of the Yamato-type (CY) carbonaceous chondrites Including: Fig. S1. Whole section BSE map of Y-86029. Fig. S2. Whole section BSE map of Y-82162. Fig. S3. Whole section BSE map of B-7904. Fig. S4. Whole section BSE map of Y-86720. Fig. S5. Whole section BSE map of Y-86789. Fig. S6. Whole section BSE map of Dho 1988. Fig. S7. Olivine solid solution chemistry histograms for each meteorite studied. Fig. S8. Chondrule size distribution histograms for each meteorite studied. Fig. S9. Sulphide and metal compositions in each meteorite studied. Fig. S10. Carbonate compositions in the CY chondrites. Fig. S11. Schematic phase diagram for the Fe-O-S system, depicted in in ƒO2–ƒS2 space.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/b4mg6h6zbv","authors":["Suttle, Martin"],"tags":["Planetary Science","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.17632/b4mg6h6zbv","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/syjg87h62s","name":"Tissintite in lunar meteorites","source":"datacite","abstract":"This file contains backscattered electron images of tissintite in lunar meteorites, structural characterization of high-pressure minerals via Raman spectroscopy, electron backscattering diffraction, selected area electron diffraction, and compositions of tissintite and corundum.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/syjg87h62s","authors":["Zhang, Ai-Cheng"],"tags":["Meteorite Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.17632/syjg87h62s","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/54s9dd2mgn.1","name":"Shock-induced minerals in pigeonite cumulate eucrite NWA 8326","source":"datacite","abstract":"This dataset contains bulk compositions of polymineralic shock melt veins in NWA 8326 and the mineral compositions of shock-induced high-pressure minerals therein.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/54s9dd2mgn.1","authors":["Zhang, Ai-Cheng"],"tags":["Meteorite Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.17632/54s9dd2mgn.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/k55z27m3vj","name":"STEM-EDS data for zirconolite and metallic Pb in the lunar meteorite NWA 8182","source":"datacite","abstract":"EDS data for zirconolite and metallic Pb in lunar meteorite NWA 8182 obtained with TEM under scanning transmission electron microscope mode.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/k55z27m3vj","authors":["Zhang, Ai-Cheng"],"tags":["Meteorite Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.17632/k55z27m3vj","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/9bsywddwzy","name":"Leroux-et-al-GCA-2024","source":"datacite","abstract":"Raw data for all figures in the manuscript by Leroux et al, submitted to Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta as \"Submicrometric anhydrous crystalline silicates and their relation to amorphous silicate in the matrix of Acfer 094\".","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/9bsywddwzy","authors":["Leroux, Hugues"],"tags":["Geochemistry","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences","Mineralogy","Electron Microscopy","Solar System Formation","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.17632/9bsywddwzy","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/86n8dm9w9z","name":"Benner et al. (2024), Microstructural analysis of P","source":"datacite","abstract":"Supplementary information and model data associated with Benner et al. (2024).","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/86n8dm9w9z","authors":["Benner, Maizey"],"tags":["Thermodynamics","Meteorite Mineralogy","Planetary Science"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.17632/86n8dm9w9z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/k69bsr9k3j","name":"Petrogenesis of the first noritic eucrite Northwest Africa 8326","source":"datacite","abstract":"EPMA compositions of minerals in NWA 8326 and whole-rock major and trace element compositions of NWA 8326 and other eucrite and diogenite meteorites","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/k69bsr9k3j","authors":["Zhang, Ai-Cheng"],"tags":["Meteorite Mineralogy","Planetary Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.17632/k69bsr9k3j","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/z4y3wcpyrn","name":"Metallic Pb in lunar zirconolite","source":"datacite","abstract":"BSE images of zirconolite in the lunar meteorite NWA 8182 and related characterization results","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/z4y3wcpyrn","authors":["Zhang, Ai-Cheng"],"tags":["Meteorite Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.17632/z4y3wcpyrn","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/2g42x8gvp2","name":"Tables for high-pressure redox reactions between carbonates and mantle silicate","source":"datacite","abstract":"Tables (.xlsx) for high-pressure redox reactions between carbonates and mantle silicate and Supplementary tables (.xlsx) summarized chemical compositions of majorite garnets from diamond, shocked meteorite in previous studies","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/2g42x8gvp2","authors":["Tao, Renbiao"],"tags":["Meteorite Mineralogy","Mineral in Earth's Mantle","Experimental Petrology","Subduction Zone"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.17632/2g42x8gvp2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/mx96fdbh5k.1","name":"Oxygen-isotope compositions of refractory inclusions from Rumuruti-type chondrites: Evidence for variations in O-isotope compositions of nebular gas and O-isotope exchange on the Rumuruti-parent asteroid(s)","source":"datacite","abstract":"Isotopic investigations of refractory inclusions within Rumuruti-type chondrites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/mx96fdbh5k.1","authors":["Ebert, Samuel"],"tags":["Mineralogy","Solar System","Isotope","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.17632/mx96fdbh5k.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.11632567","name":"Data repository for \"The origin and source regions of KREEP-free Mg-suite rocks: Evidence from the first lunar norite meteorite Arguin 002\"","source":"datacite","abstract":"This is the data repository for paper entitled \"The origin and source regions of KREEP-free Mg-suite rocks: Evidence from the first lunar norite meteorite Arguin 002\". This data repository includes an EXCEL (.xlsx) file, which incorporates the mineral EPMA compositions (Table S1), mineral trace-element compositions (Table S2), bulk chemistry with robustness test (Table S3), SIMS U-Pb results (Table S4), and mineral modal abundances and the launch-region identification results (Table S5) in the comprehensive study of the lunar norite meteorite, Arguin 002.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11632567","authors":["Zilong, Wang","Wei, Tian","Wei-(RZ), Wang","Yuqi, Qian","Yankun, Di","Ping-Ping, Liu","Wenzhe, Fa","Ao, Su"],"tags":["Lunar meteorite","Norite","Mineralogy","Geochemistry","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences","Launch region"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.11632567","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-2890006/v1","name":"Primordial and 244Pu-derived xenon missing from Earth's convecting mantle","source":"preprints","abstract":"Abstract Mantle-derived noble gases are exceptional recorders of the history of planetary volatile elements (C, N, water), which are key to the development of life on Earth 1,2 . For example, the relative proportions of 129 Xe derived from radioactive-decay of extinct 129 I and 136 Xe from fission of extinct 244 Pu as well as extant 238 U provide crucial timestamps for mantle volatile loss and for the formation of a habitable surface environment 3,4,5 . However, the low abundance of heavy noble gases (Ar, Kr, Xe) in mantle-derived samples constitutes a major analytical challenge that has thus far precluded a comprehensive understanding of mantle volatile evolution 6,7 . Here, we employ dynamic mass spectrometry 8,9 to measure convecting mantle-derived Ar-Kr-Xe isotopes in Mt. Etna (Sicily) and Eifel (Germany) volcanic gases at ultra-high precision. Our data reveal that the fractions of (i) total fissiogenic 136 Xe from 244 Pu-Xe (denoted 136 Xe Pu / 136 Xe TF ) and (ii) stable Kr and Xe from primordial (i.e., accretionary) sources are both significantly lower than previous estimates suggest. The latter point requires pervasive and almost complete overprinting by subduction-derived surface components. The large 129 Xe excess from 129 I decay implies that the lack of Xe Pu cannot be ascribed to an extensive loss of short-lived radionuclide products via mantle degassing. Instead, missing Xe Pu may require (i) a reevaluation of the initial (chondritic) Pu/U within Earth 10 or (ii) significant fractionation of Pu/U during early Earth processes, both of which would have far-reaching implications for modeling of terrestrial Xe evolution 11 . Notably, quantitative incompatible element extraction to the Hadean crust and subsequent reintroduction of 238 U via subduction (after 244 Pu had become extinct, i.e., after ~ 500 Myr) could have contributed to lowering the ultimate 136 Xe Pu / 136 Xe TF of the depleted upper mantle. This indicates that subduction quantitatively overprinted the compositions of both volatile (e.g., noble gases) and refractory (e.g., uranium) elements within Earth's mantle.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2890006/v1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.74,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-2890006/v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.132Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"oa:W2171407804","name":"The effects of parent body processes on amino acids in carbonaceous chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– To investigate the effect of parent body processes on the abundance, distribution, and enantiomeric composition of amino acids in carbonaceous chondrites, the water extracts from nine different powdered CI, CM, and CR carbonaceous chondrites were analyzed for amino acids by ultra performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-FD/ToF-MS). Four aqueously altered type 1 carbonaceous chondrites including Orgueil (CI1), Meteorite Hills (MET) 01070 (CM1), Scott Glacier (SCO) 06043 (CM1), and Grosvenor Mountains (GRO) 95577 (CR1) were analyzed using this technique for the first time. Analyses of these meteorites revealed low levels of two- to five-carbon acyclic amino alkanoic acids with concentrations ranging from approximately 1 to 2,700 parts-per-billion (ppb). The type 1 carbonaceous chondrites have a distinct distribution of the five-carbon (C5) amino acids with much higher relative abundances of the γ- and δ-amino acids compared to the type 2 and type 3 carbonaceous chondrites, which are dominated by α-amino acids. Much higher amino acid abundances were found in the CM2 chondrites Murchison, Lonewolf Nunataks (LON) 94102, and Lewis Cliffs (LEW) 90500, the CR2 Elephant Moraine (EET) 92042, and the CR3 Queen Alexandra Range (QUE) 99177. For example, α-aminoisobutyric acid (α-AIB) and isovaline were approximately 100 to 1000 times more abundant in the type 2 and 3 chondrites compared to the more aqueously altered type 1 chondrites. Most of the chiral amino acids identified in these meteorites were racemic, indicating an extraterrestrial abiotic origin. However, nonracemic isovaline was observed in the aqueously altered carbonaceous chondrites Murchison, Orgueil, SCO 06043, and GRO 95577 with l-isovaline excesses ranging from approximately 11 to 19%, whereas the most pristine, unaltered carbonaceous chondrites analyzed in this study had no detectable l-isovaline excesses. These results are consistent with the theory that aqueous alteration played an important role in amplification of small initial left handed isovaline excesses on the parent bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01132.x","authors":["D. P. Glavin","Michael P. Callahan","Jason P. Dworkin","Jamie E. Elsila"],"tags":["Chondrite","Murchison meteorite","Parent body","Meteorite","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01132.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2138667214","name":"Absence of geochemical evidence for an impact event at the Bølling–Allerød/Younger Dryas transition","source":"openalex","abstract":"High concentrations of iridium have been reported in terrestrial sediments dated at 12.9 ka and are interpreted to support an extraterrestrial impact event as the cause of the observed extinction in the Rancholabrean fauna, changes in the Paleoindian cultures, and the onset of the Younger Dryas cooling [Firestone RB, et al. (2007) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 104:16016-16021]. Here, we report platinum group element (PGE: Os, Ir, Ru, Rh, Pt, Pd), gold (Au) concentrations, and (187)Os/(188)Os ratios in time-equivalent terrestrial, lacustrine, and marine sections to seek robust evidence of an extraterrestrial contribution. First, our results do not reproduce the previously reported elevated Ir concentrations. Second, (187)Os/(188)Os isotopic ratios in the sediment layers investigated are similar to average crustal values, indicating the absence of a significant meteoritic Os contribution to these sediments. Third, no PGE anomalies distinct from crustal signatures are present in the marine record in either the Gulf of California (DSDP 480, Guaymas Basin) or the Cariaco Basin (ODP 1002C). Our data show no evidence of an extraterrestrial (ET)-PGE enrichment anomaly in any of the investigated depositional settings investigated across North America and in one section in Belgium. The lack of a clear ET-PGE signature in this sample suite is inconsistent with the impact of a large chondritic projectile at the Bølling-Allerød/Younger Dryas transition.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0908874106","authors":["François S. Paquay","Steven Goderis","Greg Ravizza","Frank Vanhaeck","Matt Boyd","Todd A. Surovell","Vance T. Holliday","C. Vance Haynes","Philippe Claeys"],"tags":["Younger Dryas","Geology","Sedimentary depositional environment","Geochemistry","Sediment"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-12-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0908874106","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2463225134","name":"Venturing into new realms? Microorganisms in space","source":"openalex","abstract":"One of the biggest challenges of science is the determination of whether extraterrestrial life exists. Although potential habitable areas might be available for complex life, it is more likely that microbial life could exist in space. Many extremotolerant and extremophilic microbes have been found to be able to withstand numerous, combined environmental factors, such as high or low temperatures and pressures, high-salt conditions, high doses of radiation, desiccation or nutrient limitations. They may even survive the transit from one planet to another. Terrestrial Mars-analogue sites are one focus of researchers, in order to understand the microbial diversity in preparation for upcoming space missions aimed at the detection of life. However, such missions could also pose a risk with respect to contamination of the extraterrestrial environment by accidentally transferred terrestrial microorganisms. Closer to the Earth, the International Space Station is the most enclosed habitat, where humans work and live-and with them numerous microorganisms. It is still unknown how microbes adapt to this environment, possibly even creating a risk for the crew. Information on the microbiology of the ISS will have an impact on the planning and implementation of long-term human spaceflights in order to ensure a safe, stable and balanced microbiome on board.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/femsre/fuw015","authors":["Christine Moissl‐Eichinger","Charles S. Cockell","Petra Rettberg"],"tags":["Biology","Microorganism","Space (punctuation)","Biochemical engineering","Bacteria"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-06-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/femsre/fuw015","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W1966557455","name":"Concentration and variability of the AIB amino acid in polar micrometeorites: Implications for the exogenous delivery of amino acids to the primitive Earth","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Micrometeorites (MMs) are extraterrestrial particles ranging in size from 25 μm to 2 mm that survive atmospheric entry and are collected on the Earth's surface. They represent the largest mass flux (MF) of extraterrestrial material (30,000 ± 20,000 t/yr) to the present‐day Earth. Studies of large collections of MMs suggest that about 20% have not been heated to high temperatures and that they contain organic carbon. Since non‐protein amino acids have been found in some carbonaceous meteorites, they might also be found in unmelted MMs. However, previous searches for amino acids in MMs were inconclusive. We combined a new extraction method for amino acids with a highly sensitive analytical method to detect and quantitate amino acids in MMs collected at the South Pole. We found the non‐protein amino acid α‐amino isobutyric acid (AIB) in one of our samples. The non‐detection of this amino acid in the other samples analyzed suggests that there are amino acid‐containing and amino acid‐free MMs, with ˜14% of the MMs containing AIB. Since the MF of MMs is much higher than that of carbonaceous chondrites (CMs), amino acids in these small particles would represent an important source of exogenous delivery of organic molecules. Therefore, the results are discussed on the basis of their implications for astrobiology.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00080.x","authors":["G. Matrajt","Sandra Pizzarello","Susan Taylor","D. E. Brownlee"],"tags":["Amino acid","Meteorite","Chemistry","Chondrite","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00080.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W1481792903","name":"Superrotation of Earth’s Inner Core, Extraterrestrial Impacts, and the Effective Viscosity of Outer Core","source":"openalex","abstract":"The recently verified superrotation of Earth’s inner core is examined and a new model is presented which is based on the tidal despinning of the mantle and the viscosity of the outer core. The model also takes into account other damping mechanisms arising from the inner core superrotation such as magnetic and gravitational coupling as well as contribution from eddy viscosity in the outer core. The effective viscosity obtained in this model confirms a previously well constrained value of about 103 Pa s. In addition, the model shows that the currently measured superrotation of the inner core must be almost exactly equal to its asymptotic or steady-state value. The effect of extraterrestrial impacts is also investigated, and it is shown that perturbations due to such impacts can only persist over a short geological time.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/763716","authors":["Pirooz Mohazzabi","John D. Skalbeck"],"tags":["Inner core","Outer core","Mantle (geology)","Geophysics","Extraterrestrial life"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/763716","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2594527961","name":"Nanodiamonds and silicate minerals in ordinary chondrites as determined by micro‐Raman spectroscopy","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We present here the Raman spectroscopic study of silicate and carbonaceous minerals in three ordinary chondrites with the aim to improve our understanding the impact process including the peak metamorphic pressures present in carbon‐bearing ordinary chondites. The characteristic Raman vibrational peaks of olivines, pyroxenes, and plagioclase have been determined on three ordinary chondrites from India, Dergaon (H5), Mahadevpur (H4/5), and Kamargaon (L6). The Raman spectra of these meteorite samples show the presence of nanodiamonds at 1334–1345 cm − 1 and 1591–1619 cm − 1 . The full‐width at half maximum ( FWHM ) of Raman peaks for Mahadevpur and Dergaon reflect the nature of shock metamorphism in these meteorites. The frequency shift in Raman spectra might be because of shock effects during the formation of the diamond/graphite grains.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12850","authors":["Bhaskar Jyoti Saikia","G. Parthasarathy","Rashmi R. Borah"],"tags":["Meteorite","Raman spectroscopy","Shock metamorphism","Chondrite","Silicate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-03-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12850","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W1760066311","name":"A 3‐D study of mineral inclusions in chromite from ordinary chondrites using synchrotron radiation X‐ray tomographic microscopy—Method and applications","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– A method is described for imaging in 3‐D the interiors of meteoritic chromite grains and their inclusions using synchrotron radiation X‐ray tomographic microscopy. In ordinary chondrites, chromite is the only common mineral that survives long‐term weathering on Earth. Information about the silicate matrix of the original meteorite, however, can be derived from mineral inclusions preserved in the protecting chromite. The inclusions are crucial in the classification of fossil meteorites as well as sediment‐dispersed chromite grains from decomposed meteorites and larger impacts, as these are used for characterizing the past influx of material to Earth, but have previously been difficult to locate. The method is non‐destructive and time efficient for locating inclusions. The method allowed quantitative and morphological studies of both host chromite grains and inclusions in three dimensions. The study of 385 chromite grains from eight chondrites (H4–6, L4–6, LL4, LL6) reveals that inclusions are abundant and equally common in all samples. Almost two‐thirds of all chromite grains contain inclusions, regardless of group and type. The study also shows that the size of the inclusions and the host chromite grains, as well as the number of inclusions, within the host chromite grains vary with petrographic type. Thus, the petrographic type of the host of a suite of chromite grains can be determined based solely on inclusion content. The study also revealed that the amount of fractures in the host chromite can be correlated to previously assigned shock stages for the various chondrites. The study has thus shown that the features and inclusions of fossil chromite grains can give similar information about a former host meteorite as do studies of an unweathered whole meteorite, meaning that this technique is essential in the studies of ancient meteorite flux to Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01214.x","authors":["C. Alwmark","Birger Schmitz","Sanna Holm","Federica Marone","Marco Stampanoni"],"tags":["Chromite","Chondrite","Meteorite","Petrography","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01214.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W2163336966","name":"Planetary habitability: lessons learned from terrestrial analogues","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Terrestrial analogue studies underpin almost all planetary missions and their use is essential in the exploration of our Solar system and in assessing the habitability of other worlds. Their value relies on the similarity of the analogue to its target, either in terms of their mineralogical or geochemical context, or current physical or chemical environmental conditions. Such analogue sites offer critical ground-truthing for astrobiological studies on the habitability of different environmental parameter sets, the biological mechanisms for survival in extreme environments and the preservation potential and detectability of biosignatures. The 33 analogue sites discussed in this review have been selected on the basis of their congruence to particular extraterrestrial locations. Terrestrial field sites that have been used most often in the literature, as well as some lesser known ones which require greater study, are incorporated to inform on the astrobiological potential of Venus, Mars, Europa, Enceladus and Titan. For example, the possibility of an aerial habitable zone on Venus has been hypothesized based on studies of life at high-altitudes in the terrestrial atmosphere. We also demonstrate why many different terrestrial analogue sites are required to satisfactorily assess the habitability of the changing environmental conditions throughout Martian history, and recommend particular sites for different epochs or potential niches. Finally, habitable zones within the aqueous environments of the icy moons of Europa and Enceladus and potentially in the hydrocarbon lakes of Titan are discussed and suitable analogue sites proposed. It is clear from this review that a number of terrestrial analogue sites can be applied to multiple planetary bodies, thereby increasing their value for astrobiological exploration. For each analogue site considered here, we summarize the pertinent physiochemical environmental features they offer and critically assess the fidelity with which they emulate their intended target locale. We also outline key issues associated with the existing documentation of analogue research and the constraints this has on the efficiency of discoveries in this field. This review thus highlights the need for a global open access database for planetary analogues.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550413000396","authors":["Louisa J. Preston","Lewis Dartnell"],"tags":["Habitability","Astrobiology","Enceladus","Solar System","Mars Exploration Program"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550413000396","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2995442615","name":"Wangdaodeite, the LiNbO3‐structured high‐pressure polymorph of ilmenite, a new mineral from the Suizhou L6 chondrite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Wangdaodeite, the shock‐induced lithium niobate–structured polymorph of ilmenite, was found in the Suizhou L6 chondrite. It occurs as small irregular particles (2–20 μm in size) inside or adjacent to the shock melt veins. Wangdaodeite coexists in veins with ringwoodite, majorite, and xieite. The chemical formula of wangdaodeite is FeTiO3. The empirical formula is: (Fe0.85Mg0.10Mn0.05)Σ1.00Ti0.99O3, which is similar to that of its host ilmenite. The Raman spectra of wangdaodeite display the bands at 174–179, 273–277, 560–567, 738–743 cm−1, which are different to those for ilmenite. TEM images show that ilmenite is composed of polysynthetic‐twinned crystals while wangdaodeite is composed of random‐oriented nanometric domains sized 20–50 nm. Electron diffraction established wangdaodeite to be trigonal with the lithium niobate structure. Cell parameters are: a = 5.13(1) Å, c = 13.78(1) Å; c/a = 2.69; space group R3c; calculated density = 4.72 g cm−3. The P–T conditions for formation of wangdaodeite were estimated to be 20–24 GPa and >1200 °C. The mineral name was approved by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature, and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association (IMA 2016‐007). The name is for Daode Wang, Professor at the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13426","authors":["Xiande Xie","Xiangping Gu","Hexiong Yang","Ming Chen","Kai Li"],"tags":["Ilmenite","Ringwoodite","Raman spectroscopy","Chondrite","Mineral"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-12-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13426","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2799423789","name":"Cathodoluminescence of high‐pressure feldspar minerals as a shock barometer","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Cathodoluminescence ( CL ) analyses were carried out on maskelynite and lingunite in L6 chondrites of Tenham and Yamato‐790729. Under CL microscopy, bright blue emission was observed in Na‐lingunite in the shock veins. Dull blue‐emitting maskelynite is adjacent to the shock veins, and aqua blue luminescent plagioclase lies farther away. CL spectroscopy of the Na‐lingunite showed emission bands centered at ~330, 360–380, and ~590 nm. CL spectra of maskelynite consisted of emission bands at ~330 and ~380 nm. Only an emission band at 420 nm was recognized in crystalline plagioclase. Deconvolution of CL spectra from maskelynite successfully separated the UV –blue emission bands into Gaussian components at 3.88, 3.26, and 2.95 eV. For comparison, we prepared K‐lingunite and experimentally shock‐recovered feldspars at the known shock pressures of 11.1–41.2 GPa to measure CL spectra. Synthetic K‐lingunite has similar UV –blue and characteristic yellow bands at ~550, ~660, ~720, ~750, and ~770 nm. The UV –blue emissions of shock‐recovered feldspars and the diaplectic feldspar glasses show a good correlation between intensity and shock pressure after deconvolution. They may be assigned to pressure‐induced defects in Si and Al octahedra and tetrahedra. The components at 3.88 and 3.26 eV were detectable in the lingunite, both of which may be caused by the defects in Si and Al octahedra, the same as maskelynite. CL of maskelynite and lingunite may be applicable to estimate shock pressure for feldspar‐bearing meteorites, impactites, and samples returned by spacecraft mission, although we need to develop more as a reliable shock barometer.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13092","authors":["Masahiro Kayama","Toshimori Sekine","Naotaka Tomioka","Hirotsugu Nishido","Yukako Kato","K. Ninagawa","Takamichi Kobayashi","Akira Yamaguchi"],"tags":["Plagioclase","Feldspar","Sanidine","Cathodoluminescence","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-04-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13092","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W1991527301","name":"Target rocks, impact glasses, and melt rocks from the Lonar impact crater, India: Petrography and geochemistry","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract—The Lonar crater, India, is the only well‐preserved simple crater on Earth in continental flood basalts; it is excavated in the Deccan trap basalts of Cretaceous‐Tertiary age. A representative set of target basalts, including the basalt flows excavated by the crater, and a variety of impact breccias and impact glasses, were analyzed for their major and trace element compositions. Impact glasses and breccias were found inside and outside the crater rim in a variety of morphological forms and shapes. Comparable geochemical patterns of immobile elements (e.g., REEs) for glass, melt rock and basalt indicates minimal fractionation between the target rocks and the impactites. We found only little indication of post‐impact hydrothermal alteration in terms of volatile trace element changes. No clear indication of an extraterrestrial component was found in any of our breccias and impact glasses, indicating either a low level of contamination, or a non‐chondritic or otherwise iridium‐poor impactor.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00413.x","authors":["S. Osae","Saumitra Misra","Christian Koeberl","Debashish Sengupta","Sambhunath Ghosh"],"tags":["Impact crater","Geology","Breccia","Flood basalt","Basalt"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00413.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W1998572675","name":"Connection between micrometeorites and Wild 2 particles: From Antarctic snow to cometary ices","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— We discuss the relationship between large cosmic dust that represents the main source of extraterrestrial matter presently accreted by the Earth and samples from comet 81P/Wild 2 returned by the Stardust mission in January 2006. Prior examinations of the Stardust samples have shown that Wild 2 cometary dust particles contain a large diversity of components, formed at various heliocentric distances. These analyses suggest large‐scale radial mixing mechanism(s) in the early solar nebula and the existence of a continuum between primitive asteroidal and cometary matter. The recent collection of CONCORDIA Antarctic micrometeorites recovered from ultra‐clean snow close to Dome C provides the most unbiased collection of large cosmic dust available for analyses in the laboratory. Many similarities can be found between Antarctic micrometeorites and Wild 2 samples, in terms of chemical, mineralogical, and isotopic compositions, and in the structure and composition of their carbonaceous matter. Cosmic dust in the form of CONCORDIA Antarctic micrometeorites and primitive IDPs are preferred samples to study the asteroid‐comet continuum.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb01196.x","authors":["E. Dobrică","C. Engrand","J. Duprat","M. Gounelle","Hugues Leroux","É. Quirico","Jean‐Noël Rouzaud"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Comet","Meteoroid","Asteroid","Snow"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb01196.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2157851053","name":"Positive Eu anomaly development during diagenesis of the K/T boundary ejecta layer in the Agost section (SE Spain): implications for trace‐element remobilization","source":"openalex","abstract":"K/T boundary geochemical anomalies have been used previously to support the impact event at the end of the Cretaceous. However, impact models and assessment of the extraterrestrial contribution to the boundary sediments should also consider the diagenetic alteration of the impact signatures. Mineralogical and geochemical studies centring on redox proxies reveal differences in trace‐element concentrations at Agost and Caravaca (SE Spain), two of the most complete K/T boundary sections. These differences probably derive from variations in the diagenetic evolution of the ejecta layer. Several redox proxies, such as extensive pyrite formation, high authigenic uranium concentration and positive Eu anomalies, indicate very strong reducing conditions at Agost. Positive Eu anomalies are extremely unusual in sediments, and in this case are interpreted to indicate a highly reducing environment. In such conditions, certain trace elements such as Ir, may have been remobilized, thereby masking the original signature of the impact.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-3121.1999.00261.x","authors":["Francisca Martı́nez-Ruiz","M. Ortega‐Huertas","I. Palomo"],"tags":["Diagenesis","Geology","Ejecta","Trace element","Authigenic"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-12-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-3121.1999.00261.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W1577483243","name":"Diverse forms of primordial organic matter identified in interplanetary dust particles","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– Coordinated in situ transmission electron microscopy and isotopic measurements of carbonaceous phases in interplanetary dust particles were performed to determine their origins. Five different types of carbonaceous materials were identified based on their morphology and texture, observed by transmission electron microscopy: globular, vesicular, dirty, spongy, and smooth. Flash heating experiments were performed to explore whether some of these morphologies are the result of atmospheric entry processes. Each of these morphologies was found to have isotopically anomalous H and N. Rare C isotopic anomalies were also observed. The isotopic and morphological properties of several of these phases, particularly the organic globules, are remarkably similar to those observed in other extraterrestrial materials including carbonaceous chondrites, comet 81P/Wild 2 particles collected by the Stardust spacecraft, and Antarctic micrometeorites, indicating that they were widespread in the early solar system. The ubiquitous nature and the isotopic anomalies of the nanoglobules and some other morphologies strongly suggest that these are very primitive phases. Given that some of the isotopic anomalies (D and 15N excesses) are indicative of mass fractionation chemical reactions in a very cold environment, and some others (13C and 15N depletions) have other origins, these carbonaceous phases come from different reservoirs. Whatever their origins, these materials probably reflect the first stages of the evolution of solar system organic matter, having originated in the outermost regions of the protosolar disk and/or interstellar cold molecular clouds.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01310.x","authors":["G. Matrajt","S. Messenger","D. E. Brownlee","Dave Joswiak"],"tags":["Interplanetary dust cloud","Astrobiology","Presolar grains","Meteorite","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-12-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01310.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2152829620","name":"Magnetic mineral inventory of equatorial Atlantic Ocean marine sediments off Senegal-glacial and interglacial contrast","source":"openalex","abstract":"In complex sedimentary environments with different sources of the magnetic particles, it is vital that all factors contributing to and affecting the magnetic signals be well understood for a better constrained interpretation of palaeomagnetic and climatic data. Palaeoclimatically driven signals may be convolved with volcanic and cosmogenic sources, and diagenesis may alter the primary magnetic mineral assemblage. Rock magnetic methods and electron microscopy provide suitable means to characterize magnetic assemblages. In this study of core-retrieved sediments from the last 150 kyr off the coast of Senegal (NW Africa), the occurrence of magnetic spherules of volcanic origin and cosmogenic particles appeared to be insignificant. In glacial stages, ferrimagnetic iron and iron-titanium oxides magnetically dominate with few signs of a diagenetic overprint. Low- and room temperature magnetic results reveal evidence for haematite and goethite while haemoilmenite and titanomagnetite were identified from low-temperature AC susceptibility measurements and SEM observations. In contrast, the interglacial samples appeared to have been severely affected by diagenesis, with pyrite making up over 50 per cent of the iron-bearing phases. The Verwey transition observed at 110 K confirms the presence of magnetite. The glacial and interglacial contrast reveals the close link between northwest African climate and the magnetic mineralogy of the sediments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246x.2010.04736.x","authors":["Achakie C Itambi","Tilo von Dobeneck","Mark J. Dekkers","Thomas Frederichs"],"tags":["Geology","Diagenesis","Interglacial","Rock magnetism","Magnetic mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-08-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246x.2010.04736.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2763085374","name":"The Possible Emergence of Life and Differentiation of a Shallow Biosphere on Irradiated Icy Worlds: The Example of Europa","source":"openalex","abstract":"Irradiated ice-covered ocean worlds with rocky mafic mantles may provide the conditions needed to drive the emergence and maintenance of life. Alkaline hydrothermal springs-relieving the geophysical, thermal, and chemical disequilibria between oceans and tidally stressed crusts-could generate inorganic barriers to the otherwise uncontrolled and kinetically disfavored oxidation of hydrothermal hydrogen and methane. Ionic gradients imposed across these inorganic barriers, comprising iron oxyhydroxides and sulfides, could drive the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide and the oxidation of methane through thermodynamically favorable metabolic pathways leading to early life-forms. In such chemostatic environments, fuels may eventually outweigh oxidants. Ice-covered oceans are primarily heated from below, creating convection that could transport putative microbial cells and cellular cooperatives upward to congregate beneath an ice shell, potentially giving rise to a highly focused shallow biosphere. It is here where electron acceptors, ultimately derived from the irradiated surface, could be delivered to such life-forms through exchange with the icy surface. Such zones would act as \"electron disposal units\" for the biosphere, and occupants might be transferred toward the surface by buoyant diapirs and even entrained into plumes. Key Words: Biofilms-Europa-Extraterrestrial life-Hydrothermal systems. Astrobiology 17, 1265-1273.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2016.1600","authors":["Michael J. Russell","Alison E. Murray","K. P. Hand"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Hydrothermal circulation","Biosphere","Hydrothermal vent","Abiogenesis"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-10-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2016.1600","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2802700849","name":"A Field Guide to Finding Fossils on Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Martian surface is cold, dry, exposed to biologically harmful radiation and apparently barren today. Nevertheless, there is clear geological evidence for warmer, wetter intervals in the past that could have supported life at or near the surface. This evidence has motivated National Aeronautics and Space Administration and European Space Agency to prioritize the search for any remains or traces of organisms from early Mars in forthcoming missions. Informed by (1) stratigraphic, mineralogical and geochemical data collected by previous and current missions, (2) Earth's fossil record, and (3) experimental studies of organic decay and preservation, we here consider whether, how, and where fossils and isotopic biosignatures could have been preserved in the depositional environments and mineralizing media thought to have been present in habitable settings on early Mars. We conclude that Noachian-Hesperian Fe-bearing clay-rich fluvio-lacustrine siliciclastic deposits, especially where enriched in silica, currently represent the most promising and best understood astropaleontological targets. Siliceous sinters would also be an excellent target, but their presence on Mars awaits confirmation. More work is needed to improve our understanding of fossil preservation in the context of other environments specific to Mars, particularly within evaporative salts and pore/fracture-filling subsurface minerals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2017je005478","authors":["Sean McMahon","Tanja Bosak","J. P. Grotzinger","R. E. Milliken","Roger E. Summons","Mirna Daye","Sharon Newman","A. A. Fraeman","Kenneth H. Williford","Derek E. G. Briggs"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Noachian","Martian","Astrobiology","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2017je005478","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2753375936","name":"When water meets iron at Earth's core–mantle boundary","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Hydrous minerals in subducted crust can transport large amounts of water into Earth's deep mantle. Our laboratory experiments revealed the surprising pressure-induced chemistry that, when water meets iron at the core–mantle boundary, they react to form an interlayer with an extremely oxygen-rich form of iron, iron dioxide, together with iron hydride. Hydrogen in the layer will escape upon further heating and rise to the crust, sustaining the water cycle. With water supplied by the subducting slabs meeting the nearly inexhaustible iron source in the core, an oxygen-rich layer would cumulate and thicken, leading to major global consequences in our planet. The seismic signature of the D″ layer may echo the chemical complexity of this layer. Over the course of geological time, the enormous oxygen reservoir accumulating between the mantle and core may have eventually reached a critical eruption point. Very large-scale oxygen eruptions could possibly cause major activities in the mantle convection and leave evidence such as the rifting of supercontinents and the Great Oxidation Event.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwx109","authors":["Ho‐kwang Mao","Qingyang Hu","Liuxiang Yang","Jin Liu","Duck Young Kim","Yue Meng","Li Zhang","Vitali B. Prakapenka","Wenge Yang","Wendy L. Mao"],"tags":["Mantle (geology)","Geology","Core–mantle boundary","Crust","Subduction"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-08-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwx109","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2020817002","name":"Hydrocode modeling of oblique impacts: The fate of the projectile","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— All impacts are oblique to some degree. Only rarely do projectiles strike a planetary surface (near) vertically. The effects of an oblique impact event on the target are well known, producing craters that appear circular even for low impact angles (>15° with respect to the surface). However, we still have much to learn about the fate of the projectile, especially in oblique impact events. This work investigates the effect of angle of impact on the projectile. Sandia National Laboratories' three‐dimensional hydrocode CTH was used for a series of high‐resolution simulations (50 cells per projectile radius) with varying angle of impact. Simulations were carried out for impacts at 90, 60, 45, 30, and 15° from the horizontal, while keeping projectile size (5 km in radius), type (dunite), and impact velocity (20 km/s) constant. The three‐dimensional hydrocode simulations presented here show that in oblique impacts the distribution of shock pressure inside the projectile (and in the target as well) is highly complex, possessing only bilateral symmetry, even for a spherical projectile. Available experimental data suggest that only the vertical component of the impact velocity plays a role in an impact. If this were correct, simple theoretical considerations indicate that shock pressure, temperature, and energy would depend on sin 2 θ, where θ is the angle of impact (measured from the horizontal). However, our numerical simulations show that the mean shock pressure in the projectile is better fit by a sin θ dependence, whereas shock temperature and energy depend on sin 3/2 θ. This demonstrates that in impact events the shock wave is the result of complex processes that cannot be described by simple empirical rules. The mass of shock melt or vapor in the projectile decreases drastically for low impact angles as a result of the weakening of the shock for decreasing impact angles. In particular, for asteroidal impacts the amount of projectile vaporized is always limited to a small fraction of the projectile mass. In cometary impacts, however, most of the projectile is vaporized even at low impact angles. In the oblique impact simulations a large fraction of the projectile material retains a net downrange motion. In agreement with experimental work, the simulations show that for low impact angles (30 and 15°), a downrange focusing of projectile material occurs, and a significant amount of it travels at velocities larger than the escape velocity of Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01979.x","authors":["E. Pierazzo","H. J. Melosh"],"tags":["Projectile","Impact crater","RADIUS","Oblique case","Shock (circulatory)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01979.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2091959151","name":"Amino acid survival in large cometary impacts","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— A significant fraction of the Earth's prebiotic volatile inventory may have been delivered by asteroidal and cometary impacts during the period of heavy bombardment. The realization that comets are particularly rich in organic material seemed to strengthen this suggestion. Previous modeling studies, however, indicated that most organics would be entirely destroyed in large comet and asteroid impacts. The availability of new kinetic parameters for the thermal degradation of amino acids in the solid phase made it possible to readdress this question. We present the results of new high‐resolution hydrocode simulations of asteroid and comet impact coupled with recent experimental data for amino acid pyrolysis in the solid phase. Differences due to impact velocity as well as projectile material have been investigated. Effects of angle of impacts were also addressed. The results suggest that some amino acids would survive the shock heating of large (kilometer‐radius) cometary impacts. At the time of the origins of life on Earth, the steady‐state oceanic concentration of certain amino acids (like aspartic and glutamic acid) delivered by comets could have equaled or substantially exceeded concentrations due to Miller‐Urey synthesis in a CO 2 ‐rich atmosphere. Furthermore, in the unlikely case of a grazing impact (impact angle ∼5° from the horizontal), an amount of some amino acids comparable to that due to the background steady‐state production or delivery would be delivered to the early Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1999.tb01409.x","authors":["E. Pierazzo","Christopher F. Chyba"],"tags":["Comet","Asteroid","Astrobiology","Amino acid","Projectile"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1999.tb01409.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2884658197","name":"Curiosity's Investigation of the Bagnold Dunes, Gale Crater: Overview of the Two‐Phase Scientific Campaign and Introduction to the Special Collection","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Between November 2015 and April 2017, Curiosity performed the first in situ investigation of an extraterrestrial dune field—the active Bagnold Dunes of Gale crater, Mars. The campaign consisted of two phases: Phase 1 occurred in southern fall/winter at Namib and High Dunes, two barchan dunes along the trailing edge of the dune field; Phase 2 occurred in southern summer at the Nathan Bridges Dune, a linear dune, and Mount Desert Island, a ripple field along the southern margin of the dune field. Both phases included a suite of observations and measurements that bear significance to our understanding of modern winds, associated sand fluxes, bedform morphology, and physical properties, composition, provenance, and sorting of eolian materials. Altogether, results described in a total of 26 manuscripts (11 of which are presented in this special collection) define the current understanding of Martian eolian processes at subdune scales, complementing previous orbiter‐based studies that encompassed larger scales.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2018gl079032","authors":["M. G. A. Lapôtre","E. B. Rampe"],"tags":["Geology","Aeolian processes","Impact crater","Mars Exploration Program","Paleontology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-07-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2018gl079032","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W4285013301","name":"Alterations of Carbonate Mineral Matrix and Kerogen Micro-Structure in Domanik Organic-Rich Shale during Anhydrous Pyrolysis","source":"openalex","abstract":"The study of organic-rich carbonate-containing shales after heating is an important task for the effective application of in-situ thermal kerogen conversion technologies implemented for these types of rocks. This research was conducted to study changes in the rocks of the Domanik Formation after high-temperature treatment, taking into account the nature of structural changes at the micro level and chemical transformations in minerals. The sample of organic-rich carbonate-containing shales of the Domanik Formation was treated in stages in a pyrolizer in an inert atmosphere in the temperature range of 350–800 °C for 30 min at each temperature. By means of X-ray powder diffractometry (XRPD), HAWK pyrolysis, light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and computed micro-tomography, the characteristics of the rock before and after each heating stage were studied. The results showed significant alteration of the mineral matrix in the temperature range 600–800 °C, including the decomposition of minerals with the formation of new components, and structural alterations such as fracturing micropore formation. The organic matter (OM) was compacted at T = 350–400 °C and fractured. The evolution of void space includes fracture formation at the edges between rock components, both in organic matter and in minerals, as well as nanopore formation inside the carbonate mineral matrix. The results obtained show what processes at the microlevel can occur in carbonate-containing organic-rich shales under high-temperature treatment, and how these processes affect changes in the microstructure and pore space in the sample. These results are essential for modeling and the effective application of thermal EOR in organic-rich shales.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min12070870","authors":["Tagir Karamov","Viktoria White","Elizaveta Idrisova","Елена Козлова","Alexander Burukhin","Andrey Morkovkin","Mikhail Spasennykh"],"tags":["Kerogen","Carbonate","Oil shale","Mineralogy","Carbonate minerals"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min12070870","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W2034970124","name":"Carbonate‐silicate liquid immiscibility upon impact melting: Ries Crater, Germany","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The 24 km diameter Ries impact crater in southern Germany is one of the most studied impact structures on Earth. The Ries impactor struck a Triassic to Upper Jurassic sedimentary sequence overlying Hercynian crystalline basement. At the time of impact (14.87 × 0.36 Ma; Storzer et al., 1995), the 350 m thick Malm limestone was present only to the south and east of the impact site. To the north and west, the Malm had been eroded away, exposing the underlying Dogger and Lias. The largest proportion of shocked target material is in the impact‐melt‐bearing breccia suevite. The suevite had been believed to be derived entirely from the crystalline basement. Calcite in the suevite has been interpreted as a postimpact hydrothermal deposit. From optical inspection of 540 thin sections of suevite from 32 sites, I find that calcite in the suevite shows textural evidence of liquid immiscibility with the silicate impact melt. Textural evidence of liquid immiscibility between silicate and carbonate melt in the Ries suevite includes carbonate globules within silicate glass, silicate globules embedded in carbonate, deformable and coalescing carbonate spheres within silicate glass, sharp menisci or cusps and budding between silicate and carbonate melt, fluidal textures and gas vesicles in carbonate schlieren, a quench crystallization sequence of the carbonate, spinifex textured quenched carbonate, separate carbonate spherules in the suevite mineral‐fragment matrix, and inclusions of mineral fragments suspended in carbonate blebs. Given this evidence of liquid immiscibility, the carbonate in the suevite therefore has—like the silicate melt—a primary origin by impact‐shock melting. Evidence of carbonate‐silicate liquid immiscibility is abundant in the suevites from the southwest to east of the Ries crater. The rarer suevites to the west to northeast of the crater are nearly devoid of carbonate melts. This correspondence between the occurrence of outcropping limestones at the target surface and the formation of carbonate melt indicates that the Malm limestones are the source rocks of the carbonate impact melt. This correspondence shows that the suevites preserve a compositional memory of their source rocks. From the regional distribution of suevites with or without immiscible carbonate melts, it is inferred that the Ries impactor hit the steep Albtrauf escarpment at its toe, in an oblique impact from the north.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1999.tb01351.x","authors":["G. Graup"],"tags":["Carbonate","Geology","Silicate","Breccia","Impact crater"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1999.tb01351.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W4283831165","name":"A Raman Spectroscopic and Microimage Analysis Perspective of the Chang'e‐5 Lunar Samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Chang'e‐5 (CE‐5) materials represent the youngest returned lunar samples. We performed a detailed Raman spectroscopic survey (1259‐point Raman modal analysis) to evaluate the mineralogical characteristics of CE‐5 soils, constraining the source materials and shock effects of these unique samples. The mineral chemistry (e.g., Mg# 3‐60 for mafic minerals) and modal abundance (first distinguishing basaltic and feldspathic glasses) of CE‐5 mare soils are different from those of Apollo high‐ and low‐Ti basalts, possibly representing an intermediate‐Ti mare basalt. The occurrence of minor Mg‐rich materials (Mg# > 70) provides evidence of contamination from ∼5% to 7% exogenous materials, possibly related to Mg‐suite rocks. The microimage analyses suggest that the CE‐5 soils are fine‐grained, mature, and unimodal particle‐size distribution, highlighting that micrometeorite reworking dominates the CE‐5 regolith evolution with minor mixing from nonmare materials. The pressure‐sensitive minerals (quartz and maskelynite) indicate that 17–25.8 GPa shock pressures might be the higher limit in a relatively young lunar terrain.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2022gl099282","authors":["Haijun Cao","Chen Wang","Jian Chen","Xiaochao Che","Xiaohui Fu","Yuruo Shi","Dunyi Liu","Zongcheng Ling","Le Qiao","X. Lu","Xiaobin Qi","Chengxiang Yin"],"tags":["Basalt","Regolith","Geology","Mafic","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2022gl099282","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W2167463125","name":"Search for a meteoritic component in drill cores from the Bosumtwi impact structure, Ghana: Platinum group element contents and osmium isotopic characteristics","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— An attempt was made to detect a meteoritic component in both crater‐fill (fallback) impact breccias and fallout suevites (outside the crater rim) at the Bosumtwi impact structure in Ghana. Thus far, the only clear indication for an extraterrestrial component related to this structure has been the discovery of a meteoritic signature in Ivory Coast tektites, which formed during the Bosumtwi impact event. Earlier work at Bosumtwi indicated unusually high levels of elements that are commonly used for the identification of meteoritic contamination (i.e., siderophile elements, including the platinum group elements [PGE]) in both target rocks and impact breccias from surface exposures around the crater structure, which does not allow unambiguous verification of an extraterrestrial signature. The present work, involving PGE abundance determinations and Os isotope measurements on drill core samples from inside and outside the crater rim, arrives at the same conclusion. Despite the potential of the Os isotope system to detect even small amounts of extraterrestrial contribution, the wide range in PGE concentrations and Os isotope composition observed in the target rocks makes the interpretation of unradiogenic, high‐concentration samples as an impact signature ambiguous.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb01071.x","authors":["Iain McDonald","Bernhard Peucker‐Ehrenbrink","L. Coney","L. Ferrière","W. U. Reimold","Christian Koeberl"],"tags":["Impact crater","Breccia","Platinum group","Geology","Extraterrestrial life"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb01071.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2128177851","name":"Nature and degree of aqueous alteration in CM and CI carbonaceous chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We investigated the petrologic, geochemical, and spectral parameters that relate to the type and degree of aqueous alteration in nine CM chondrites and one CI (Ivuna) carbonaceous chondrite. Our underlying hypothesis is that the position and shape of the 3 μm band is diagnostic of phyllosilicate mineralogy. We measured reflectance spectra of the chondrites under dry conditions (elevated temperatures) and vacuum (10 −8 to 10 −7 torr) to minimize adsorbed water and mimic the space environment, for subsequent comparison with reflectance spectra of asteroids. We have identified three spectral CM groups in addition to Ivuna. “Group 1,” the least altered group as determined from various alteration indices, is characterized by 3 μm band centers at longer wavelengths, and is consistent with cronstedtite (Fe‐serpentine). “Group 3,” the most altered group, is characterized by 3 μm band centers at shorter wavelengths and is consistent with antigorite (serpentine). “Group 2” is an intermediate group between group 1 and 3. Ivuna exhibits a unique spectrum that is distinct from the CM meteorites and is consistent with lizardite and chrysotile (serpentine). The petrologic and geochemical parameters, which were determined using electron microprobe analyses and microscopic observations, are found to be consistent with the three spectral groups. These results indicate that the distinct parent body aqueous alteration environments experienced by these carbonaceous chondrites can be distinguished using reflectance spectroscopy. High‐quality ground‐based telescopic observations of Main Belt asteroids can be expected to reveal not just whether an asteroid is hydrated, but also details of the alteration state.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12171","authors":["D. Takir","Joshua P. Emery","H. Y. McSween","C. A. Hibbitts","R. N. Clark","Neil Pearson","Alian Wang"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Asteroid","Carbonaceous chondrite","Parent body"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-08-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12171","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1537628520","name":"Magnetic, in situ, mineral characterization of Chelyabinsk meteorite thin section","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Magnetic images of Chelyabinsk meteorite's (fragment F1 removed from Chebarkul lake) thin section have been unraveled by a magnetic scanning system from Youngwood Science and Engineering (YSE) capable of resolving magnetic anomalies down to 10−3 mT range from about 0.3 mm distance between the probe and meteorite surface (resolution about 0.15 mm). Anomalies were produced repeatedly, each time after application of magnetic field pulse of varying amplitude and constant, normal or reversed, direction. This process resulted in both magnetizing and demagnetizing of the meteorite thin section, while keeping the magnetization vector in the plane of the thin section. Analysis of the magnetic data allows determination of coercivity of remanence (Bcr) for the magnetic sources in situ. Value of Bcr is critical for calculating magnetic forces applicable during missions to asteroids where gravity is compromised. Bcr was estimated by two methods. First method measured varying dipole magnetic field strength produced by each anomaly in the direction of magnetic pulses. Second method measured deflections of the dipole direction from the direction of magnetic pulses. Bcr of magnetic sources in Chelyabinsk meteorite ranges between 4 and 7 mT. These magnetic sources enter their saturation states when applying 40 mT external magnetic field pulse.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12448","authors":["L. Nabelek","Martin Mazanec","Šimon Kdýr","G. Kletetschka"],"tags":["Meteorite","Remanence","Demagnetizing field","Magnetic field","Saturation (graph theory)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-05-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12448","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2622278621","name":"Measuring the level of interstellar inheritance in the solar protoplanetary disk","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The timing and extent to which the initial interstellar material was thermally processed provide fundamental constraints for models of the formation and early evolution of the solar protoplanetary disk. We argue that the nonsolar (solar Δ 17 O ≈ −29‰) and near‐terrestrial (Δ 17 O ≈ 0‰) O‐isotopic compositions of the Earth and most extraterrestrial materials (Moon, Mars, asteroids, and comet dust) were established very early by heating of regions of the disk that were modestly enriched (dust/gas ≥ 5–10 times solar) in primordial silicates (Δ 17 O ≈ −29‰) and water‐dominated ice (Δ 17 O ≈ 24‰) relative to the gas. Such modest enrichments could be achieved by grain growth and settling of dust to the midplane in regions where the levels of turbulence were modest. The episodic heating of the disk associated with FU Orionis outbursts were the likely causes of this early thermal processing of dust. We also estimate that at the time of accretion the CI chondrite and interplanetary dust particle parent bodies were composed of ~5–10% of pristine interstellar material. The matrices of all chondrites included roughly similar interstellar fractions. Whether this interstellar material avoided the thermal processing experienced by most dust during FU Orionis outbursts or was accreted by the disk after the outbursts ceased to be important remains to be established.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12891","authors":["C. M. O'd. Alexander","L. R. Nittler","J. Davidson","F. J. Ciesla"],"tags":["Protoplanetary disk","Interplanetary dust cloud","Physics","Formation and evolution of the Solar System","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-06-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12891","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W1971726793","name":"Amino acid photostability on the Martian surface","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— In the framework of international planetary exploration programs, several space missions are planned to search for organics and bio-signatures on Mars. Previous attempts have not detected any organic compounds in the Martian regolith. It is therefore critical to investigate the processes that may affect organic molecules on and below the planet's surface. Laboratory simulations can provide useful data about the reaction pathways of organic material at Mars' surface. We have studied the stability of amino acid thin films against ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and use those data to predict the survival time of these compounds on and in the Martian regolith. We show that thin films of glycine and D-alanine are expected to have half-lives of 22 ± 5 hr and of 3 ± 1 hr, respectively, when irradiated with Mars-like UV flux levels. Modelling shows that the half-lives of the amino acids are extended to the order of 107 years when embedded in regolith. These data suggest that subsurface sampling must be a key component of future missions to Mars dedicated to organic detection.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00183.x","authors":["I. L. ten Kate","James Garry","Z. Peeters","R. C. Quinn","Bernard Foing","P. Ehrenfreund"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Regolith","Martian","Astrobiology","Martian surface"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00183.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2073516912","name":"Halite and stable chlorine isotopes in the Zag H3–6 breccia","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Zag is an H3‐6 chondrite regolith breccia within which we have studied 14 halite grains ≤3 mm. The purity of the associated NaCl‐H2O brine is implied by freezing characteristics of fluid inclusions in the halite and EPMA analyses together with a lack of other evaporite‐like phases in the Zag H3–6 component. This is inconsistent with multi‐stage evolution of the fluid involving scavenging of cations in the Zag region of the parent body. We suggest that the halite grains are clastic and did not crystallize in situ. Halite and water‐soluble extracts from Zag have light Cl isotopic compositions, δ37Cl = −1.4 to −2.8%. Previously reported bulk carbonaceous chondrite values are approximately δ37Cl = +3 to +4%. This difference is too great to be the result of fractionation during evaporation, and instead, we suggest that Cl isotopes in chondrites are fractionated between a light reservoir associated with fluids and a heavier reservoir associated with higher temperature phases such as phosphates and silicates. Extraterrestrial carbon released at 600 °C from the H3–4 matrix has δ13C = −20%, consistent with poorly graphitized material being introduced into the matrix rather than indigenous carbonate derived from a brine. We have also examined 28 other H chondrite falls to ascertain how widespread halite or evaporite‐like mineral assemblages are in ordinary chondrites. We did not find any more to add to Zag (H3‐6) and Monahans (H5), which suggests that such highly soluble phases were not usually preserved on the parent bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00109.x","authors":["J. C. Bridges","DA Banks","Martin Smith","M. M. Grady"],"tags":["Halite","Evaporite","Geology","Geochemistry","Breccia"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00109.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W1972242440","name":"The age of the Kara impact structure, Russia","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— For the ∼65 km sized Kara impact structure close to the polar Ural, we report an age of 70.3 ± 2.2 Ma (2s̀), defined by the mean of 40Ar‐39Ar plateau ages for three glassy or crystalline impact melt rocks cleaned from mineral and rock clasts. The fine structure of the age spectra of these samples can quantitatively be simulated by modeling taking into account 39Ar recoil effects, without assuming the presence of excess Ar. The calculations corroborate our age results by showing that 39Ar recoil does not affect the plateau fractions. Previously, Kara has been proposed as a probable K/T impact site or was related to the Campanian‐Maastrichtian boundary at 73 Ma. At the 2s̀ level, both suggestions are ruled out by the well‐constrained age for the Kara impact structure.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01640.x","authors":["M. Trieloff","A. Deutsch","E. K. Jeßberger"],"tags":["Impact structure","Plateau (mathematics)","Geology","Recoil","Clastic rock"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01640.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W1550087202","name":"Discovery of a New Chromium Sulfide Mineral, Cr_5S_6 in Murchison","source":"openalex","abstract":"A unique dmitryivanovite (CaAl_2O_4) -dominant Ca-, \\nAl-rich refractory inclusion (CAI), named “Cracked Egg” by [1], was \\nobserved in the NWA 1934 CV3 carbonaceous chondrite. During our \\nnano-mineralogy investigation of this CAI, Cl-bearing mayenite, \\nCa_(12)Al_(14)O_(32)Cl_2, was identified. Electron-microprobe, SEM, electron backscatter \\ndiffraction (EBSD), and micro-Raman analyses have been used to \\ncharacterize its composition and structure. Pyrometamorphic and natural \\nCl-bearing mayenites have been reported [2, 3] and synthetic \\nCa_(12)Al_(14)O_(32)Cl_2 is well known [4]. Here, we report the first occurrence of \\nCa_(12)Al_(14)O_(32)Cl_2 in a meteorite as a new alteration mineral in a CAI. \\n","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01051.x","authors":["Chi Ma","J. R. Beckett","George R. Rossman","Chang–Jin Ma","Stuart A. Smith","H. C. Connolly","D. L. Schrader","V. S. Heber","Y. Guan","A. J. G. Jurewicz","A. P. Kallio","C. Olinger"],"tags":["Murchison meteorite","Mineral","Meteorite","Electron microprobe","Chromium","Astrobiology","Geology","Geochemistry","Citation","Library science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01051.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1523156046","name":"Unusual nonterrestrial l ‐proteinogenic amino acid excesses in the Tagish Lake meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– The distribution and isotopic and enantiomeric compositions of amino acids found in three distinct fragments of the Tagish Lake C2‐type carbonaceous chondrite were investigated via liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection and time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry and gas chromatography isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Large l‐enantiomeric excesses (lee ∼ 43–59%) of the α‐hydrogen aspartic and glutamic amino acids were measured in Tagish Lake, whereas alanine, another α‐hydrogen protein amino acid, was found to be nearly racemic (d ≈ l) using both techniques. Carbon isotope measurements of d‐ and l‐aspartic acid and d‐ and l‐alanine in Tagish Lake fall well outside of the terrestrial range and indicate that the measured aspartic acid enantioenrichment is indigenous to the meteorite. Alternate explanations for the l‐excesses of aspartic acid such as interference from other compounds present in the sample, analytical biases, or terrestrial amino acid contamination were investigated and rejected. These results can be explained by differences in the solid–solution phase behavior of aspartic acid, which can form conglomerate enantiopure solids during crystallization, and alanine, which can only form racemic crystals. Amplification of a small initial l‐enantiomer excess during aqueous alteration on the meteorite parent body could have led to the large l‐enrichments observed for aspartic acid and other conglomerate amino acids in Tagish Lake. The detection of nonterrestrial l‐proteinogenic amino acid excesses in the Tagish Lake meteorite provides support for the hypothesis that significant enantiomeric enrichments for some amino acids could form by abiotic processes prior to the emergence of life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2012.01400.x","authors":["D. P. Glavin","Jamie E. Elsila","Aaron S. Burton","Michael P. Callahan","Jason P. Dworkin","Robert W. Hilts","C. D. K. Herd"],"tags":["Meteorite","Amino acid","Enantiomer","Chemistry","Murchison meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-07-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2012.01400.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1982290073","name":"Early fracturing and impact residue emplacement: Can modelling help to predict their location in major craters?","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Understanding the nature and composition of larger extraterrestrial bodies that may collide with the Earth is important. One source of information lies in the record of ancient impact craters, some of which have yielded chemical information as to the impacting body. Many deeply eroded craters have no remaining melt sheet or ejecta yet may contain impactor residue within basement fractures. The emplacement mechanism for fractionated siderophile residues is likely to be gaseous, although, melt droplets and some solid materials may survive. For breccia‐ and melt‐filled fractures to contain extraterrestrial material, they must form very early in the impact process. Most current numerical models do not dwell on the formation and location of early major fractures, although, fractures in and around small craters on brittle glass exposed to hypervelocity impact in low Earth orbit have been successfully simulated. Modelling of fracture development associated with larger craters may help locate impact residues and test the models themselves.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00339.x","authors":["A. T. Kearsley","G. A. Graham","Tony McDonnell","P. A. Bland","Rob Hough","P. A. Helps"],"tags":["Impact crater","Hypervelocity","Ejecta","Breccia","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00339.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W1991691205","name":"The origin of chondritic macromolecular organic matter: A carbon and nitrogen isotope study","source":"openalex","abstract":"The N and C abundances and isotopic compositions of acid-insoluble carbonaceous material in thirteen primitive chondrites (five unequilibrated ordinary chondrites, three CM chondrites, three enstatite chondrites, a CI chondrite and a CR chondrite) have been measured by stepped combustion. While the range of C isotopic compositions observed is only delta 13C = 30%, the N isotopes range from delta 15N approximately -40 to 260%. After correction for metamorphism, presolar nanodiamonds appear to have made up a fairly constant 3-4 wt% of the insoluble C in all the chondrites studied. The apparently similar initial presolar nanodiamond to organic C ratios, and the correlations of elemental and isotopic compositions with metamorphic indicators in the ordinary and enstatite chondrites, suggest that the chondrites all accreted similar organic material. This original material probably most closely resembles that now found in Renazzo and Semarkona. These two meteorites have almost M-shaped N isotope release profiles that can be explained most simply by the super-position of two components, one with a composition between delta 15N = -20 and -40% and a narrow combustion interval, the other having a broader release profile and a composition of delta 15N approximately 260%. Although isotopically more subdued, the CI and the three CM chondrites all appear to show vestiges of this M-shaped profile. How and where the components in the acid-insoluble organics formed remains poorly constrained. The small variation in nanodiamond to organic C ratio between the chondrite groups limits the local synthesis of organic matter in the various chondrite formation regions to at most 30%. The most 15N-rich material probably formed in the interstellar medium, and the fraction of organic N in Renazzo in this material ranges from 40 to 70%. The isotopically light component may have formed in the solar system, but the limited range in nanodiamond to total organic C ratios in the chondrite groups is consistent with most of the organic material being, presolar.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01667.x","authors":["C. M. O'd. Alexander","S. S. Russell","J. W. Arden","R. D. Ash","M. M. Grady","C. T. Pillinger"],"tags":["Chondrite","Enstatite","Parent body","Carbonaceous chondrite","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01667.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2107316651","name":"Experimental determination of photostability and fluorescence‐based detection of PAHs on the Martian surface","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– Even in the absence of any biosphere on Mars, organic molecules, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), are expected on its surface due to delivery by comets and meteorites of extraterrestrial organics synthesized by astrochemistry, or perhaps in situ synthesis in ancient prebiotic chemistry. Any organic compounds exposed to the unfiltered solar ultraviolet spectrum or oxidizing surface conditions would have been readily destroyed, but discoverable caches of Martian organics may remain shielded in the subsurface or within surface rocks. We have studied the stability of three representative polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in a Mars chamber, emulating the ultraviolet spectrum of unfiltered sunlight under temperature and pressure conditions of the Martian surface. Fluorescence spectroscopy is used as a sensitive indicator of remaining PAH concentration for laboratory quantification of molecular degradation rates once exposed on the Martian surface. Fluorescence‐based instrumentation has also been proposed as an effective surveying method for prebiotic organics on the Martian surface. We find the representative PAHs, anthracene, pyrene, and perylene, to have persistence half‐lives once exposed on the Martian surface of between 25 and 60 h of noontime summer UV irradiation, as measured by fluorescence at their peak excitation wavelength. This equates to between 4 and 9.6 sols when the diurnal cycle of UV light intensity on the Martian surface is taken into account, giving a substantial window of opportunity for detection of organic fluorescence before photodegradation. This study thus supports the use of fluorescence‐based instrumentation for surveying recently exposed material (such as from cores or drill tailings) for native Martian organic molecules in rover missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2012.01351.x","authors":["Lewis Dartnell","Manish Patel","Michael C. Storrie‐Lombardi","John M. Ward","Jan‐Peter Müller"],"tags":["Martian","Martian surface","Astrobiology","Chemistry","Mars Exploration Program"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2012.01351.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2075910498","name":"The GRO 95577 CR1 chondrite and hydration of the CR parent body","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— We carried out a petrologic and instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) whole chondrite compositional study of Grosvenor Mountains (GRO) 95577. GRO 95577 has many petrological similarities to the CR chondrites. Although the INAA data show patterns indicative of terrestrial weathering, some of the elemental abundances are consistent with a relationship to CR chondrites. The oxygen isotopic composition of GRO 95577 plots close to the Renazzo CR chondrite on the three‐isotope diagram. However, GRO 95577 is remarkable in that the chondrules are completely hydrated, consisting almost entirely of phyllosilicates, magnetite, and sulfides. Although GRO 95577 is completely hydrated, the initial chondrule textures are perfectly preserved. The chondrules are in sharp contact with the matrix, their fine‐grained rims are clearly visible, and the boundaries of the dark inclusions can be easily discerned. Many chondrules in GRO 95577 have textures suggestive of type I chondrules, but the phenocrysts have undergone perfect pseudomorphic replacement by yellow to brownish serpentine‐rich phyllosilicate, with sharp original crystal outlines preserved. The chondrule mesostasis is a green aluminous chlorite‐rich material, most likely a hydration product of the feldspathic mesostasis commonly found in anhydrous type I chondrules. Some chondrules contain magnetite spheres, most likely formed by oxidation of metal. We propose that GRO 95577 be classified as a CR1 chondrite, making it the first known CR1 chondrite and expanding the range of alteration conditions on the CR parent body.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb00587.x","authors":["M. K. Weisberg","Heinz Huber"],"tags":["Chondrule","Chondrite","Parent body","Ordinary chondrite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb00587.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W1981784947","name":"Comparison of the microbial diversity at different depths of the GISP2 Greenland ice core in relationship to deposition climates","source":"openalex","abstract":"This study presents comparative geochemical, microbiological and molecular analyses of Greenland GISP2 ice core samples representing different depths, ages, deposition climates, in situ temperatures, and gas and ionic compositions. Our goal was to determine whether specific organisms, preserved at different depths, correlate with past climate characteristics recorded chronologically in ice layers. Three clear ice samples were selected from 2495, 2545 and 2578 m to represent distinct climatic periods with milder (-45 degrees C), colder (-51 degrees C) and warmer (-39 degrees C) deposition temperatures, and two Marine Isotope Stages, MIS3 (2495 m) and MIS4 (2545 and 2578 m). Results showed higher microbial abundance in ice deposited during colder climates with higher in situ ion content. The constructed universal SSU rRNA gene clone libraries were dominated by Gram-positive sequences (55-65%), and had fewer Proteobacteria (6-9%) and Archaea (1%). The 2495 m library differed from the other two by being dominated by Actinobacteria (55%) rather than Firmicutes. Fungi were more prevalent in the colder climate (40%). For comparison, a library was constructed from an older silty ice sample (3044 m) possibly originating from underlying permafrost with different in situ characteristics (high temperature, high methane and higher cell numbers). It showed significantly different diversity not found in the clear ice libraries. The bacterial and fungal isolates from the clear ice samples were related to organisms originating from Asian deserts, marine aerosols and volcanic dust, suggesting these environments as sources of deposited microorganisms. The observed differences in microbial diversity patterns, especially with the 2495 m library, support the idea that local climate conditions and global atmospheric circulations at different time periods have influenced the origin and composition of the microbial populations preserved at different depths of Greenland ice. Further investigations may lead to the development of microbial 'markers' for identifying specific deposition climates.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1462-2920.2008.01835.x","authors":["Vanya Miteva","Catherine E. Teacher","Todd Sowers","Jean E. Brenchley"],"tags":["Ice core","Biology","Archaea","Library","Proteobacteria"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-12-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1462-2920.2008.01835.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W1975914203","name":"A study of ordinary chondrites by Mössbauer spectroscopy with high‐velocity resolution","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— An improvement in the velocity resolution and quality of Mössbauer spectra has been applied to a group of ordinary chondrites. This improvement permitted us to carry out a more detailed study of the iron bearing phases in these samples than has previously been possible. Mössbauer spectra of 11 ordinary chondrites of L and H chemical groups were measured using 4096 channels and presented for further analysis in 1024 channels. Subspectra of the metal grains of several chondrites demonstrated the presence of at least two magnetic sextets related to the main Fe(Ni, Co) phases. Moreover, Mössbauer study of extracted metal grains from Tsarev L5 revealed three sextets and one singlet spectral components related to various α‐Fe(Ni, Co), α‘‐Fe(Ni, Co), α2‐Fe(Ni, Co), and γ‐Fe(Ni, Co) phases. Each subspectrum of olivine and pyroxene in Mössbauer spectra of ordinary chondrites was fitted by superposition of two quadrupole doublets related to M1 and M2 sites in minerals for the first time. An analysis of relative areas and Mössbauer hyperfine parameters was performed and some differences for L and H chondrites as well as for M1 and M2 sites were observed. Mössbauer parameters of troilite and oxidized iron were analyzed. In contrast to a previous study with 512‐channel spectra, the presence of oxidized iron was found in all chondrites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2008.tb01091.x","authors":["М. И. Оштрах","E. V. Petrova","V. I. Grokhovsky","V. A. Semionkin"],"tags":["Chondrite","Troilite","Pyrrhotite","Mössbauer spectroscopy","Olivine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2008.tb01091.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2010033778","name":"Magmatic cristobalite and quartz in the NWA 856 Martian meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Silica-rich late-stage crystallization pockets in the Martian meteorite Northwest Africa (NWA) 856 were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The pockets occur as wedges between maskelynite laths or between maskelynite and pyroxene. They consist of elongated grains of cristobalite and quartz embedded in a silica-rich glass. Interstitial to the amorphous phase and silica minerals, a number of small accessory minerals have been identified, typical for late-stage crystallization products. They are ilmenite, tranquillityite, fayalite, troilite, baddeleyite, apatite, and chloroapatite. Cristobalite and quartz are shocked, as revealed by the occurrence of numerous amorphous lamellae. This assemblage suggests metastable dendritic crystallization under hydrous conditions. Cristobalite crystallization was probably facilitated by the presence of impurities such as Na or H2O. Our observations show that silica minerals can be formed under magmatic conditions on Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2006.tb00495.x","authors":["Hugues Leroux","Patrick Cordier"],"tags":["Cristobalite","Troilite","Crystallization","Ilmenite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2006.tb00495.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2802468439","name":"Transmission electron microscopy of impact‐generated platinum group element alloys from Barberton spherule layers: New clues to their formation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The oldest known large bolide impacts onto Earth are represented by approximately 3.47–3.2 Ga old Archean spherule layers of the Barberton Greenstone Belt (BGB) in South Africa and the Pilbara craton in West Australia. These layers were recognized as impact deposits by their excessively high platinum group element (PGE) contents that are indicative of an extraterrestrial component. This was followed by measurements of extraterrestrial Cr isotopic ratios, in some cases. Recently, the extraterrestrial PGE signature in Archean spherule layers from the BGB was localized and positively associated with the presence of submicrometer PGE alloy micronuggets associated with Ni,Cr‐rich spinel. The actual formation of these platinum group mineral (PGM) phases has, however, not yet been resolved. Primary meteoritic particles from the impacting body, the products of impact melting, or condensation from impact vapor plumes have all been proposed as possible genetic process. Resolving this requires detailed microanalytical investigation of the internal microchemical and microstructural compositions, textural characteristics, and crystallographic relationships between the different phases. Here, we report the results of a first transmission electron microscopy (TEM) study of six such PGE microparticles enclosed in Ni‐Cr spinel or occurring in groundmass of Barberton spherule layers from the BARB5 ICDP drill core and from the CT3 exploration core. Results include a variety of chemical and structural PGM compositions that are difficult to explain by a single process, leading to the conclusion that several processes may have been involved in the formation of PGMs in Archean spherule layers from the BGB. There is evidence supporting formation of these PGMs by exsolution from the spinel host phase, precipitation from a melt phase, and condensation from a gas phase (of the impact vapor plume).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13109","authors":["T. Mohr‐Westheide","A. Greshake","Richard Wirth","W. U. Reimold"],"tags":["Platinum group","Archean","Greenstone belt","Geology","Transmission electron microscopy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-05-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13109","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2885195245","name":"From the mid‐Ordovician into the Late Silurian: Changes in the micrometeorite flux after the L chondrite parent breakup","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We present the first reconstruction of the micrometeorite flux to Earth in the Silurian Period. We searched 321 kg of condensed, marine limestone from the Late Silurian Cellon section, southern Austria, for refractory chrome‐spinel grains from micrometeorites that fell on the ancient sea floor. A total of 155 extraterrestrial spinel grains (10 grains >63 μm, and 145 in the 32–63 μm fraction) were recovered. For comparison, we searched 102 kg of similar limestone from the mid‐Ordovician Komstad Formation in southern Sweden. This limestone formed within ~1 Ma after the breakup of the L chondrite parent body (LCPB) in the asteroid belt. In the sample we found 444 extraterrestrial spinel grains in the >63 μm fraction, and estimate a content of at least 7000 such grains in the 32–63 μm fraction. Our results show that in the late Silurian, ~40 Ma after the LCPB, the flux of ordinary equilibrated chondrites has decreased by two orders of magnitude, almost down to background levels. Among the ordinary chondrites, the dominance of L‐chondritic micrometeorites has waned off significantly, from >99% in the post‐LCPB mid‐Ordovician to ~60% in the Late Silurian, with ~30% H‐, and ~10% LL‐chondritic grains. In the Late Silurian, primitive achondrite abundances are similar to today's value, contrasting to the much higher abundances observed in pre‐LCPB mid‐Ordovician sediments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13174","authors":["Ellinor Martin","Birger Schmitz","H.P. Schönlaub"],"tags":["Ordovician","Chondrite","Geology","Parent body","Spinel"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-07-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13174","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2045073165","name":"A search for shocked quartz grains in the Allerød‐Younger Dryas boundary layer","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Younger Dryas impact hypothesis suggests that multiple airbursts or extraterrestrial impacts occurring at the end of the Allerød interstadial resulted in the Younger Dryas cold period. So far, no reproducible, diagnostic evidence has, however, been reported. Quartz grains containing planar deformation features (known as shocked quartz grains), are considered a reliable indicator for the occurrence of an extraterrestrial impact when found in a geological setting. Although alleged shocked quartz grains have been reported at a possible Allerød‐Younger Dryas boundary layer in Venezuela, the identification of shocked quartz in this layer is ambiguous. To test whether shocked quartz is indeed present in the proposed impact layer, we investigated the quartz fraction of multiple Allerød‐Younger Dryas boundary layers from Europe and North America, where proposed impact markers have been reported. Grains were analyzed using a combination of light and electron microscopy techniques. All samples contained a variable amount of quartz grains with (sub)planar microstructures, often tectonic deformation lamellae. A total of one quartz grain containing planar deformation features was found in our samples. This shocked quartz grain comes from the Usselo palaeosol at Geldrop Aalsterhut, the Netherlands. Scanning electron microscopy cathodoluminescence imaging and transmission electron microscopy imaging, however, show that the planar deformation features in this grain are healed and thus likely to be older than the Allerød‐Younger Dryas boundary. We suggest that this grain was possibly eroded from an older crater or distal ejecta layer and later redeposited in the European sandbelt. The single shocked quartz grain at this moment thus cannot be used to support the Younger Dryas impact hypothesis.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12435","authors":["Annelies van Hoesel","Wim Z. Hoek","G. M. Pennock","Knut Kaiser","Oliver Plümper","Michał Jankowski","Maartje Hamers","Norbert Schlaak","Mathias Küster","Alexander V. Andronikov","Martyn R. Drury"],"tags":["Younger Dryas","Geology","Quartz","Mineralogy","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12435","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2071812009","name":"Comment on “Origin of a late Eocene to pre‐Miocene buried crater and breccia lens at Fohn‐1, North Bonaparte Basin, Timor Sea: A probable extraterrestrial connection” by J. D. Gorter and A. Y. Glikson","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Gorter and Glikson (2000) proposed that the Fohn‐1 structure in the Timor Sea north of Australia probably is an impact structure. Examination of their evidence reveals that it is almost impossible to confirm any of their conclusions, as the authors do not provide sufficient detail of their experimental methods. Problems with the presentation of both seismic and geochemical data cast further doubt on their conclusions. Absence of evidence for shock metamorphism and non‐chondritic siderophile element patterns in the few samples analysed make it likely that Fohn‐1 is neither a probable, nor even a possible, impact structure.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2001.tb01911.x","authors":["W. U. Reimold","Christian Koeberl","C. Wright","Iain McDonald"],"tags":["Breccia","Geology","Impact crater","Metamorphism","Structural basin"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2001.tb01911.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2066397452","name":"Ion microprobe U‐Th‐Pb dating of phosphates in martian meteorite ALH 84001","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Phosphates in martian meteorites are important carriers of trace elements, although, they are volumetrically minor minerals. PO4 also has potential as a biomarker for life on Mars. Here, we report measurements of the U‐Th‐Pb systematics of phosphates in the martian meteorite ALH 84001 using the Sensitive High Resolution Ion MicroProbe (SHRIMP) installed at Hiroshima University, Japan. Eleven analyses of whitlockites and 1 analysis of apatite resulted in a total Pb/U isochron age of 4018 ± 81 Ma in the 238U/206Pb‐207Pb/206Pb‐204Pb/206 Pb 3‐D space, and a 232Th‐208Pb age of 3971 ± 860 Ma. These ages are consistent within a 95% confidence limit. This result is in agreement with the previously published Ar‐Ar shock age of 4.0 ± 0.1 Ga from maskelynite and other results of 3.8–4.3 Ga but are significantly different from the Sm‐Nd age of 4.50 ± 0.13 Ga based on the whole rock and pyroxene. Taking into account recent studies on textural and chemical evidence of phosphate, our result suggests that the shock metamorphic event defines the phosphate formation age of 4018 ± 81 Ma, and that since then, ALH 84001 has not experienced a long duration thermal metamorphism, which would reset the U‐Pb system in phosphates.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00009.x","authors":["Kentaro Terada","T. Monde","Yuji Sano"],"tags":["Meteorite","Isochron","Phosphate minerals","Martian","Parent body"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00009.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2151395821","name":"Ion microprobe analyses of oxygen three‐isotope ratios of chondrules from the Sayh al Uhaymir 290 CH chondrite using a multiple‐hole disk","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– The ion microprobe is the only technique capable of determining high‐precision stable isotope ratios in individual tiny extraterrestrial particles (≤100 μm in diameter), but these small samples present special analytical challenges. We produced a new sample holder disk with multiple holes (three holes and seven holes), in which epoxy disks containing a single unknown sample and a standard grain are cast and polished. Performance tests for oxygen two‐isotope analyses using San Carlos olivine standard grains show that the new multiple‐hole disks allow accurate analysis of tiny particles if the particles are located within the 500 μm and 1 mm radius of the center of holes for seven‐hole and three‐hole disks, respectively. Using the new seven‐hole disk, oxygen three‐isotope ratios of eight magnesian cryptocrystalline chondrules (approximately 100 μm in diameter) from the Sayh al Uhaymir (SaU) 290 CH chondrite were analyzed by ion microprobe at the University of Wisconsin. Five out of eight chondrules have nearly identical oxygen isotope ratios (Δ17O = −2.2 ± 0.6‰; 2SD), which is consistent with those of magnesian cryptocrystalline chondrules in CH/CB and CB chondrites, suggesting a genetic relationship, i.e., formation by a common (possibly impact) heating event. The other three chondrules have distinct oxygen isotope ratios (Δ17O values from −6.4‰ to +2.2‰). Given that similar variation in Δ17O values was observed in type I porphyritic chondrules in a CH/CB chondrite, the three chondrules may have formed in the solar nebula, similar to the type I porphyritic chondrules.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01198.x","authors":["D. Nakashima","T. Ushikubo","Rudraswami N. GOWDA","N. T. Kita","John W. Valley","Keisuke Nagao"],"tags":["Chondrule","Chondrite","Isotopes of oxygen","Porphyritic","Microprobe"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-05-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01198.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W4315631471","name":"Complex carbonaceous matter in Tissint martian meteorites give insights into the diversity of organic geochemistry on Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"We report a huge organic diversity in the Tissint Mars meteorite and the sampling of several mineralogical lithologies, which revealed that the organic molecules were nonuniformly distributed in functionality and abundance. The range of organics in Tissint meteorite were abundant C 3-7 aliphatic branched carboxylic acids and aldehydes, olefins, and polyaromatics with and without heteroatoms in a homologous oxidation structural continuum. Organomagnesium compounds were extremely abundant in olivine macrocrystals and in the melt veins, reflecting specific organo-synsthesis processes in close interaction with the magnesium silicates and temperature stresses, as previously observed. The diverse chemistry and abundance in complex molecules reveal heterogeneity in organic speciation within the minerals grown in the martian mantle and crust that may have evolved over geological time.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.add6439","authors":["Philippe Schmitt‐Kopplin","Marco Matzka","Alexander Ruf","Bénédicte Ménèz","H. Chennaoui Aoudjehane","Mourad Harir","Marianna Lucio","Jasmine Hertzog","Norbert Hertkorn","Régis D. Gougeon","Victor Hoffmann","Nancy W. Hinman"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Martian","Meteorite","Mars Exploration Program","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.add6439","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2030837021","name":"Martian atmospheric and indigenous components of xenon and nitrogen in the Shergotty, Nakhla, and Chassigny group meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— In a study of the isotopic signatures of trapped Xe in shock‐produced glass of shergottites and in ALH 84001, we observe three components: (1) modern Martian atmospheric Xe that is isotopically mass fractionated relative to solar Xe, favoring the heavy isotopes, (2) solar‐like Xe, as previously observed in Chassigny, and (3) an isotopically fractionated (possibly ancient) component with little or no radiogenic 129Xerad. In situ‐produced fission and spallation components are observed predominantly in the high‐temperature steps. Heavy N signatures in ALH 84001, EET 79001 and Zagami reveal Martian atmospheric components. The low‐temperature release of ALH 84001 shows evidence for the presence of a light N component (δ15N ≤ ‐21%), which is consistent with the component observed in the other Shergotty, Nakhla and Chassigny (SNC) group meteorites. The highest observed 129Xe/130Xe ratio of 15.60 in Zagami and EET 79001 is used here to represent the present Martian atmospheric component, and the isotopic composition of this component is compared with other solar system Xe signatures. The 129Xe/130Xe ratios in ALH 84001 are lower but appear to reflect varying mixing ratios with other components. The consistently high 129Xe/130Xe ratios in rocks of different radiometric ages suggest that Martian atmospheric Xe evolved early on. As already concluded in earlier work, only a small fission component is observed in the Martian atmospheric component. Assuming that a chondritic 244Pu/129I initial ratio applies to Mars, this implies that either Pu‐derived fission Xe is retained in the solid planet (in fact, in situ‐produced fission Xe is observed in ALH 84001) or may reflect a very particular degassing history of the planet.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01670.x","authors":["K. J. Mathew","J. S. KIM","K. Marti"],"tags":["Martian","Meteorite","Xenon","Atmosphere of Mars","Mars Exploration Program"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01670.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W1981658100","name":"Geology, petrography, shock petrography, and geochemistry of impactites and target rocks from the Kärdla crater, Estonia","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The Kärdla crater is a 4 km‐wide impact structure of Late Ordovician age located on Hiiumaa Island, Estonia. The 455 Ma‐old buried crater was formed in shallow seawater in Precambrian crystalline target rocks that were covered with sedimentary rocks. Basement and breccia samples from 13 drill cores were studied mineralogically, petrographically, and geochemically. Geochemical analyses of major and trace elements were performed on 90 samples from allochthonous breccias, sub‐crater and surrounding basement rocks. The breccia units do not include any melt rocks or suevites. The remarkably poorly mixed sedimentary and crystalline rocks were deposited separately within the allochthonous breccia suites of the crater. The most intensely shockmetamorphosed allochthonous granitoid crystalline‐derived breccia layers contain planar deformation features (PDFs) in quartz, indicating shock pressures of 20–35 GPa. An apparent K‐enrichment and Ca‐Na‐depletion of feldspar‐ and hornblende‐bearing rocks in the allochthonous breccia units and sub‐crater basement is interpreted to be the result of early stage alteration in an impact‐induced hydrothermal system. The chemical composition of the breccias shows no definite sign of an extraterrestrial contamination. By modeling of the different breccia units with HMX‐mixing, the indigenous component was determined. From the abundances of the siderophile elements (Cr, Co, Ni, Ir, and Au) in the breccia samples, no unambiguous evidence for the incorporation of a meteoritic component above about 0.1 wt% chondrite‐equivalent was found.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00103.x","authors":["Väino Puura","Heinz Huber","Juho Kirs","Aulis Kärki","Kalle Suuroja","Kalle Kirsimäe","J. Kivisilla","A Kleesment","M. Konsa","Ulla Preeden","Sten Suuroja","Christian Koeberl"],"tags":["Breccia","Geology","Petrography","Geochemistry","Impact crater"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00103.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W1969658748","name":"Early aqueous alteration, explosive disruption, and reprocessing of asteroids","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Several classes of chondritic meteorites experienced heterogeneous aqueous alteration and subsequent brecciation before agglomeration into the final parent bodies. These processes resulted in intimate mixing of materials altered to various degrees. In the past, this mixing has been attributed solely to impact processes. However, our investigation of the physical consequences of aqueous alteration processes in bodies accreting from a mixture of silicate and ice grains shows that aqueous alteration was commonly accompanied by substantial gas production. The asteroids may have become so internally pressurized by these gases that the sudden onset of gas release led to partial or complete disaggregation of the body. In some cases, fragments may have escaped completely from the parent asteroid and could potentially have been incorporated into other accreting asteroids. In other cases, fragments originating from different parts of the initial body, having various sizes and temperatures and exhibiting varying degrees of alteration, may have re‐accreted into a second‐generation object and undergone further stages of alteration. Such events could have been repeated two or three times during the lifetime of 26 Al, the likely heat source for these processes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1999.tb01362.x","authors":["Lionel Wilson","K. Keil","Lauren Browning","Alexander N. Krot","William L. Bourcier"],"tags":["Asteroid","Parent body","Astrobiology","Aqueous solution","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1999.tb01362.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2020526051","name":"Petrology, chemistry, and isotopic compositions of the lunar highland regolith breccia Dar al Gani 262","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Lunar meteorite Dar al Gani 262 (DG 262)—found in the Libyan part of the Sahara—is a mature, anorthositic regolith breccia with highland affinities. The origin from the Moon is undoubtedly indicated by its bulk chemical composition; radionuclide concentrations; noble gas, N, and O isotopic compositions; and petrographic features. Dar al Gani 262 is a typical anorthositic highland breccia similar in mineralogy and chemical composition to Queen Alexandra Range (QUE) 93069. About 52 vol% of the studied thin sections of Dar al Gani 262 consist of fine‐grained(100 μm) constituents, and 48 vol% is mineral and lithic clasts and impact‐melt veins. The most abundant clast types are feldspathic fine‐grained to microporphyritic crystalline melt breccias (50.2 vol%; includes recrystallized melt breccias), whereas mafic crystalline melt breccias are extremely rare (1.4 vol%). Granulitic lithologies are 12.8 vol%, intragranularly recrystallized anorthosites and cataclastic anorthosites are 8.8 and 8.2 vol%, respectively, and (devitrified) glasses are 2.7 vol%. Impact‐melt veins (5.5 vol% of the whole thin sections) cutting across the entire thin section were probably formed subsequent to the lithification process of the bulk rock at pressures below 20 GPa, because the bulk rock never experienced a higher peak shock pressure. Mafic crystalline melt breccias are very rare in Dar al Gani 262 and are similar in abundance to those in QUE 93069. The extremely low abundance of mafic components and the bulk composition may constrain possible areas of the Moon from which the breccia was derived. The source area of Dar al Gani 262 must be a highland terrain lacking significant mafic impact melts or mare components. On the basis of radionuclide activities, an irradiation position of DG 262 on the Moon at a depth of 55–85 g/cm3and a maximum transit time to Earth <0.15 Ma is suggested. Dar al Gani 262 contains high concentrations of solar‐wind‐implanted noble gases. The isotopic abundance ratio 40Ar/36Ar < 3 is characteristic of lunar soils. The terrestrial weathering of DG 262 is reflected by the occurrence of fractures filled with calcite and by high concentrations of Ca, Ba, Cs, Br, and As. There is also a large amount of terrestrial C and some N in the sample, which was released at low temperatures during stepped heating. High concentrations of Ni, Co, and Ir indicate a significant meteoritic component in the lunar surface regolith from which DG 262 was derived.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01309.x","authors":["A. Bischoff","D. Weber","Robert N. Clayton","T. Faestermann","I. A. Franchi","U. Herpers","K. Knie","G. Korschinek","Peter W. Kubik","T. K. Mayeda","Silke Merchel","R. Michel"],"tags":["Breccia","Mafic","Regolith","Geology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01309.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2041196144","name":"Investigations into an unknown organism on the martian meteorite Allan Hills 84001","source":"openalex","abstract":"Examination of fracture surfaces near the fusion crust of the martian meteorite Allan Hills (ALH) 84001 have been conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) and has revealed structures strongly resembling mycelium. These structures were compared with similar structures found in Antarctic cryptoendolithic communities. On morphology alone, we conclude that these features are not only terrestrial in origin but probably belong to a member of the Actinomycetales, which we consider was introduced during the Antarctic residency of this meteorite. If true, this is the first documented account of terrestrial microbial activity within a meteorite from the Antarctic blue ice fields. These structures, however, do not bear any resemblance to those postulated to be martian biota, although they are a probable source of the organic contaminants previously reported in this meteorite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01772.x","authors":["A. Steele","David T. Goddard","Dave Stapleton","J. Toporski","Vanessa N. Peters","Virginia Bassinger","George P. Sharples","D. D. Wynn‐Williams","D. S. McKay"],"tags":["Meteorite","Martian","Astrobiology","Geology","Paleontology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01772.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W3207425805","name":"To Other Planets With Upgraded Millennial Kombucha in Rhythms of Sustainability and Health Support","source":"openalex","abstract":"Humankind has entered a new era of space exploration: settlements on other planetary bodies are foreseen in the near future. Advanced technologies are being developed to support the adaptation to extraterrestrial environments and, with a view on the longer term, to support the viability of an independent economy. Biological processes will likely play a key role and lead to the production of life-support consumables, and other commodities, in a way that is cheaper and more sustainable than exclusively abiotic processes. Microbial communities could be used to sustain the crews’ health as well as for the production of consumables, for waste recycling, and for biomining. They can self-renew with little resources from Earth, be highly productive on a per-volume basis, and be highly versatile—all of which will be critical in planetary outposts. Well-defined, semi-open, and stress-resistant microecosystems are particularly promising. An instance of it is kombucha, known worldwide as a microbial association that produces an eponymous, widespread soft drink that could be valuable for sustaining crews’ health or as a synbiotic (i.e., probiotic and prebiotic) after a rational assemblage of defined probiotic bacteria and yeasts with endemic or engineered cellulose producers. Bacterial cellulose products offer a wide spectrum of possible functions, from leather-like to innovative smart materials during long-term missions and future activities in extraterrestrial settlements. Cellulose production by kombucha is zero-waste and could be linked to bioregenerative life support system (BLSS) loops. Another advantage of kombucha lies in its ability to mobilize inorganic ions from rocks, which may help feed BLSS from local resources. Besides outlining those applications and others, we discuss needs for knowledge and other obstacles, among which is the biosafety of microbial producers.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2021.701158","authors":["Natalia Kozyrovska","Oleg N. Reva","Olga Podolich","Olga Kukharenko","Iryna Orlovska","Vitalia Terzova","Ganna Zubova","Ana Paula Trovatti Uetanabaro","Aristóteles Goés‐Neto","Vasco Azevedo","Debmalya Barh","Cyprien Verseux","Daniela Billi","Agata Kołodziejczyk","B. H. Foing","René Demets","Jean‐Pierre de Vera"],"tags":["Consumables","Sustainability","Business","Life support system","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-10-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2021.701158","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W4376507906","name":"Constant 4He Concentration and 190Pt‐4He age of Detrital Pt‐Alloy Grains from the Santiago River, Ecuador: Potential as a 4He Mineral Reference Material","source":"openalex","abstract":"Over the last few decades geo‐ and thermochronological techniques based on the accumulation of radiogenic 4He in minerals have gained popularity. Currently there is no mineral‐based 4He reference material that allows routine screening of gas extraction and measurement procedures. The commonly‐used mineral reference material for (U‐Th)/He thermochronology have variable U and Th contents which result in variable 4He concentrations. Here we demonstrate that native platinum grains (RS‐Pt) from placer deposits in the Santiago River, Ecuador, yield constant 4He contents and may be used as a reference material. Helium concentrations measured at the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre (n = 8) and Institute of Precambrian Geology and Geochronology RAS (n = 9) noble gas laboratories yield mean 4He concentrations that overlap at the 95% confidence level. The weighted mean 4He concentration is 215 ± 4 × 1011 at g‐1 (2s) and mean 190Pt‐4He age is 39.6 ± 0.7 Ma (2s). Samples of the Santiago River Pt concentrate are available on request from the SUERC laboratory.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ggr.12502","authors":["O. V. Yakubovich","Finlay M. Stuart","Ekaterina S. Ivanova","Fernando Gervilla"],"tags":["Radiogenic nuclide","Precambrian","Geology","Thermochronology","Zircon"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-05-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ggr.12502","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2736893806","name":"Evidence for an impact‐induced magnetic fabric in Allende, and exogenous alternatives to the core dynamo theory for Allende magnetization","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We conducted a paleomagnetic study of the matrix of Allende CV3 chondritic meteorite, isolating the matrix's primary remanent magnetization, measuring its magnetic fabric and estimating the ancient magnetic field intensity. A strong planar magnetic fabric was identified; the remanent magnetization of the matrix was aligned within this plane, suggesting a mechanism relating the magnetic fabric and remanence. The intensity of the matrix's remanent magnetization was found to be consistent and low (~6 μT). The primary magnetic mineral was found to be pyrrhotite. Given the thermal history of Allende, we conclude that the remanent magnetization was formed during or after an impact event. Recent mesoscale impact modeling, where chondrules and matrix are resolved, has shown that low‐velocity collisions can generate significant matrix temperatures, as pore‐space compaction attenuates shock energy and dramatically increases the amount of heating. Nonporous chondrules are unaffected, and act as heat‐sinks, so matrix temperature excursions are brief. We extend this work to model Allende, and show that a 1 km/s planar impact generates bulk porosity, matrix porosity, and fabric in our target that match the observed values. Bimodal mixtures of a highly porous matrix and nominally zero‐porosity chondrules make chondrites uniquely capable of recording transient or unstable fields. Targets that have uniform porosity, e.g., terrestrial impact craters, will not record transient or unstable fields. Rather than a core dynamo, it is therefore possible that the origin of the magnetic field in Allende was the impact itself, or a nebula field recorded during transient impact heating.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12918","authors":["Adrian R. Muxworthy","P. A. Bland","T. M. Davison","James D. Moore","G. S. Collins","F. J. Ciesla"],"tags":["Remanence","Allende meteorite","Magnetization","Geology","Chondrule"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12918","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2414840943","name":"Early entombment within silica minimizes the molecular degradation of microorganisms during advanced diagenesis","source":"openalex","abstract":"Most ancient organic microfossils delicately preserved in 3D have been found in cherts. Although entombment within silica has been shown to promote morphological preservation, the impact of early silicification on the molecular evolution of fossilized microorganisms during burial remains poorly constrained. Here, we report results of advanced fossilization experiments performed under pressure (250 bars) and temperature (250 °C) conditions typical of sub-greenschist facies metamorphism for different durations up to 100 days on microorganisms experimentally entombed (or not) within a silica gel. The experimental residues have been characterized using XRD and XANES spectroscopy. The present study demonstrates that entombment within silica limits the degradation of microorganism molecular signatures, likely through specific chemical interactions, despite the progressive conversion of silica into quartz during the experiments. Extrapolation of the present results suggests that such protection may persist during geological timescales. The present experimental study provides molecular evidence that, in addition to morphologies, cherts may support the chemical preservation of remains of ancient life. The present results thus constitute a step forward towards the reconstruction of the original chemistry of putative fossilized microorganisms.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2016.05.034","authors":["Julien Alléon","Sylvain Bernard","Corentin Le Guillou","Damien Daval","Fériel Skouri‐Panet","Sylvain Pont","Ludovic Delbes","François Robert"],"tags":["Diagenesis","Microorganism","Degradation (telecommunications)","Geology","Quartz"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2016.05.034","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2489036276","name":"Energy dissipation at the silica glass/compressed aerogel interface: The fate of Wild 2 mineral grains and fragments smaller than ~100 nm","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Allocation FC6,0,10,0,26 from Stardust track 10 shows a slightly wavy silica glass/compressed silica aerogel interface exposing a patchwork of compressed silica aerogel domains and domains of silica glass with embedded Wild 2 materials in ultra‐thin TEM sections. This interface is where molten silica encountered compressed silica aerogel at temperatures <100 °C, and probably near room temperature, causing steep thermal gradients. An Mg, Fe‐olivine grain, and a plagioclase‐leucite intergrowth survived without melting in silica glass. A Mg‐, Al‐, Ca‐, K‐bearing silica globule moved independently as a single object. Two clusters of pure iron, low‐Ni iron, and low‐Ni, low‐sulfur Fe‐Ni‐S grains also survived intact and came to rest right at the interface between silica glass/compressed silica aerogel. There are numerous Fe‐Ni‐S nanograins scattered throughout MgO‐rich magnesiosilica glass, but compositionally similar Fe‐Ni‐S are also found in the compressed silica aerogel, where they are not supposed to be. This work could not establish how deep they had penetrated the aerogel. Iron nanograins in this allocation form core‐ring grains with a gap between the iron core and a surrounding ring of thermally modified aerogel. This structure was caused when rapid, thermal expansion of the core heated the surrounding compressed aerogel that upon rapid cooling remained fixed in place while the iron core shrank back to its original size. The well‐known volume expansion of pure iron allowed reconstruction of the quench temperature for individual core‐ring grains. These temperatures showed the small scale of thermal energy loss at the silica glass/compressed silica aerogel interface. The data support fragmentation of olivine, plagioclase, and iron and Fe ± low‐Ni grains from comet 81P/Wild 2 during hypervelocity capture.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12695","authors":["Frans J. M. Rietmeijer"],"tags":["Aerogel","Materials science","Core (optical fiber)","Composite material","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-08-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12695","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2804597086","name":"Relationship between dissolved organic matter quality and microbial community composition across polar glacial environments","source":"openalex","abstract":"Vast expanses of Earth's surface are covered by ice, with microorganisms in these systems affecting local and global biogeochemical cycles. We examined microbial assemblages from habitats fed by glacial meltwater within the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica and on the west Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS), evaluating potential physicochemical factors explaining trends in community structure. Microbial assemblages present in the different Antarctic dry valley habitats were dominated by Sphingobacteria andFlavobacteria, while Gammaproteobacteria and Sphingobacteria prevailed in west GrIS supraglacial environments. Microbial assemblages clustered by location (Canada Glacier, Cotton Glacier and west GrIS) and were separated by habitat type (i.e. ice, cryoconite holes, supraglacial lakes, sediment and stream water). Community dissimilarities were strongly correlated with dissolved organic matter (DOM) quality. Microbial meltwater assemblages were most closely associated with different protein-like components of the DOM pool. Microbes in environments with mineral particles (i.e. stream sediments and cryoconite holes) were linked to DOM containing more humic-like fluorescence. Our results demonstrate the establishment of distinct microbial communities within ephemeral glacial meltwater habitats, with DOM-microbe interactions playing an integral role in shaping communities on local and polar spatial scales.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiy090","authors":["HJ Smith","Markus Dieser","DM McKnight","MD SanClements","Christine M. Foreman"],"tags":["Meltwater","Glacier","Biogeochemical cycle","Glacial period","Dissolved organic carbon"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-05-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiy090","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2051457234","name":"Aqueous alteration without a pronounced oxygen‐isotopic shift: Implications for the asteroidal processing of chondritic materials","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Primitive meteorites exhibit certain features that are consistent with aqueous and thermal alteration on asteroids, but O‐isotopic analyses show only a modest heavy‐isotope shift, interpreted as indicating modification in the nebula. To understand the isotopic effects of asteroidal alteration, we take the L‐group ordinary chondrites weathered in Antarctica as an analogue. The data show that alteration is a two‐stage process, with an initial phase producing only a negligible isotopic effect. Although surprising, a possible explanation is found when we consider the alteration of terrestrial silicates. Numerous studies report pervasive development of channels a few to a few tens of nanometer wide in the incipient alteration of silicates. We observe a similar texture. Alteration involves a restructuring of clay minerals along these narrow channels, in which access of water is restricted. The clay shows a topotactic relationship to the primary grain, which suggests either epitaxial growth of the clay using the silicate as a substrate or inheritance of the original O structure by the clay. Our data suggests the latter: with extensive inheritance of structural polymers by the weathering product, the bulk O‐isotopic composition is comparatively unaffected. This offers an explanation for the lack of an isotopic effect in the weathering of the L chondrites. If substantial modification of chondritic materials may occur without a pronounced isotopic effect, it also reconciles existing O analyses of CV chondrites with an asteroidal model of aqueous alteration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01523.x","authors":["P. A. Bland","Martin Lee","A. S. Sexton","I. A. Franchi","Anthony E. Fallick","Martin F. Miller","J. M. Cadogan","Frank J. Berry","C. T. Pillinger"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Silicate","Isotopes of oxygen","Weathering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01523.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W1974000721","name":"Carbon investigation of two Stardust particles: A TEM, NanoSIMS, and XANES study","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— In this work we present the results of a systematic search for cometary organics in 14 Stardust particles (particles from comet 81P/Wild 2, captured by NASA's Stardust mission) by TEM and multidisciplinary studies (XANES and NanoSIMS) of Febo and Ada, two of the organic‐ bearing particles identified. The combination of the three analytical techniques has established the presence of organic, cometary C in both particles. Using energy‐filtered and high‐resolution imaging it was shown that the C is amorphous and rare, given that it is found in grains ≤200 nm in size that are not abundant throughout the particles. The XANES maps and spectra of the carbonaceous areas identified with the TEM have shown that the carbonaceous material is organic due to the presence of carbonyl (C=O) functional groups and the overlapping of C and N on the same grains. In addition, several different C‐XANES spectra were obtained from the same particle, suggesting that there is diversity in the types of carbonaceous phases present in these particles, as well as a heterogeneous distribution of the carbonaceous phases within these particles. The C‐XANES spectra obtained are different from C‐XANES spectra of carbonaceous chondrites and IDPs. In the particle Febo we found five spots showing a pronounced enrichment in the isotope 15N (δ15N from 420 to 639 ± 20 to 70‰, 1s̀) that were clearly associated with the C‐rich regions. The carbonaceous material has approximately solar C and D/H isotopic compositions, and the bulk O isotopic composition was found to be s̀17 O = −18 ± 13‰ and δ18 O = −37 ± 12‰ (1s̀). In the particle Ada we found a C‐rich phase with enrichments in the isotope 15N (δ15 N = 550 ± 70 ‰, 1s̀) and the isotope D (δD = 610 ± 254‰, 1s̀). The C isotopic composition at this phase is solar (δ13 C = −4 ± 29‰, 1s̀). The bulk O isotopic composition of Ada was found to be δ17 O = 9 ± 14.6‰ and δ18 O = −7.3 ± 8.1‰ (2s̀).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2008.tb00625.x","authors":["G. Matrajt","Motoo Ito","S. Wirick","S. Messenger","D. E. Brownlee","D. J. Joswiak","G. J. Flynn","Scott A. Sandford","C. J. Snead","A. J. Westphal"],"tags":["XANES","Particle (ecology)","Meteorite","Carbonaceous chondrite","Spectral line"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2008.tb00625.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2898079741","name":"Shock stage distribution of 2280 ordinary chondrites—Can bulk chondrites with a shock stage of S6 exist as individual rocks?","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The brecciation and shock classification of 2280 ordinary chondrites of the meteorite thin section collection at the Institut für Planetologie (Münster) has been determined. The shock degree of S3 is the most abundant shock stage for the H and LL chondrites (44% and 41%, respectively), while the L chondrites are on average more heavily shocked having more than 40% of rocks of shock stage S4. Among the H and LL chondrites, 40–50% are “unshocked” or “very weakly shocked.” Considering the petrologic types, in general, the shock degree is increasing with petrologic type. This is the case for all meteorite groups. The main criteria to define a rock as an S6 chondrite are the solid‐state recrystallization and staining of olivine and the melting of plagioclase often accompanied by the formation of high‐pressure phases like ringwoodite. These characteristics are typically restricted to local regions of a bulk chondrite in or near melt zones. In the past, the identification of high‐pressure minerals (e.g., ringwoodite) was often taken as an automatic and practical criterion for a S6 classification during chondrite bulk rock studies. The shock stage classification of many significantly shocked chondrites (>S3) revealed that most ringwoodite‐bearing rocks still contain more than 25% plagioclase (74%). Thus, these bulk chondrites do not even fulfill the S5 criterion (e.g., 75% of plagioclase has to be transformed into maskelynite) and have to be classified as S4. Studying chondrites on typically large thin sections (several cm2) and/or using samples from different areas of the meteorites, bulk chondrites of shock stage S6 should be extremely rare. In this respect, the paper will discuss the probability of the existence of bulk rocks of S6.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13208","authors":["A. Bischoff","Maximilian Schleiting","Markus Patzek"],"tags":["Chondrite","Ringwoodite","Plagioclase","Meteorite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-10-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13208","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2026162716","name":"Coordinated isotopic and mineralogic analyses of planetary materials enabled by in situ lift‐out with a focused ion beam scanning electron microscope","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— We describe a focused ion beam scanning electron microscope (FIB‐SEM) technique that enables coordinated isotopic and mineralogic analysis of planetary materials. We show that site‐specific electron‐transparent sections can be created and extracted in situ using a microtweezer and demonstrate that they are amenable to analysis by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). These methods greatly advance the ability to address several fundamental questions in meteoritics, such as accretion and alteration histories of chondrules and the origin and history of preserved nebular and presolar materials.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb00580.x","authors":["T. J. Zega","L. R. Nittler","H. Busemann","P. Höppe","R. M. Stroud"],"tags":["Focused ion beam","Scanning electron microscope","Secondary ion mass spectrometry","Transmission electron microscopy","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb00580.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1991637778","name":"The Dar al Gani meteorite field (Libyan Sahara): Geological setting, pairing of meteorites, and recovery density","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— As of July 2001, 1238 Libyan meteorites have been reported. Most were found in two areas called Dar al Gani and Hamadah al Hamra. Dar al Gani is located on a plateau of marine carbonate rocks with marly components. Eight‐hundred and sixty‐nine meteorites between 6 g and 95 kg totalling 687 kg have been found here but the calculated mean recovery density is comparatively low with one meteorite on 6.5 km2. Dar al Gani is a perfect site for the recognition and preservation of meteorites. The existence of meteorites is the result of a combination of specific geological and geomorphological conditions: there is a bright‐colored, old limestone plateau (<2 Ma), under arid weather conditions over long periods of time, with rapid elimination of surface water if present and low erosion rates. The preservation of meteorites is guaranteed through the absence of quartz sand on the plateau, strongly reducing wind erosion and a basic environment emerging from the carbonate ground retards rusting of metallic meteorite components. A supposed soil cover during pluvial times has probably protected older meteorites and led to a concentration of meteorites of different periods. An evaluation of Dar al Gani meteorites suggests the existence of at least 26 strewnfields and 26 meteorite pairs reducing the number of falls to, at most, 534. Shock and weathering grades as a tool for the recognition of pairings turned out to be problematic, as several strewnfields showed paired meteorites which had been classified to different shock and weathering grades.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2002.tb00879.x","authors":["Jochen Schlüter","L. Schultz","F. Thiedig","B. O. Al‐Mahdi","A. E. Abu Aghreb"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Weathering","Astrobiology","Plateau (mathematics)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2002.tb00879.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W1979228084","name":"Laboratory simulation of terrestrial meteorite weathering using the Bensour (LL6) ordinary chondrite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Laboratory dissolution experiments using the LL6 ordinary chondrite Bensour demonstrate that meteoritic minerals readily react with distilled water at low temperatures, liberating ions into solution and forming reaction products. Three experiments were performed, all for 68 days and at atmospheric fO2 but using a range of water/rock ratios and different temperatures. Experiments 1 and 2 were batch experiments and undertaken at room temperature, whereas in experiment 3, condensed boiling water was dripped onto meteorite subsamples within a Soxhlet extractor. Solutions from experiment 1 were chemically analyzed at the end of the experiment, whereas aliquots were extracted from experiments 2 and 3 for analysis at regular intervals. In all three experiments, a very significant proportion of the Na, Cl, and K within the Bensour subsamples entered solution, demonstrating that chlorapatite and feldspar were especially susceptible to dissolution. Concentrations of Mg, Al, Si, Ca, and Fe in solution were strongly affected by the precipitation of reaction products and Mg and Ca may also have been removed by sorption. Calculations predict saturation of experimental solutions with respect to Al hydroxides, Fe oxides, and Fe (oxy)hydroxides, which would have frequently been accompanied by hydrous aluminosilicates. Some reaction products were identified and include silica, a Mg-rich silicate, Fe oxides, and Fe (oxy)hydroxides. The implications of these results are that even very short periods of subaerial exposure of ordinary chondrites will lead to dissolution of primary minerals and crystallization of weathering products that are likely to include aluminosilicates and silicates, Mg-Ca carbonates, and sulfates in addition to the ubiquitous Fe oxides and (oxy)hydroxides.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2006.tb00510.x","authors":["Martin Lee","C. L. Smith","Sarah H. Gordon","Mark E. Hodson"],"tags":["Dissolution","Chondrite","Meteorite","Silicate","Aluminosilicate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2006.tb00510.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2302286698","name":"Critical single-domain grain sizes in elongated iron particles: implications for meteoritic and lunar magnetism","source":"openalex","abstract":"Kamacite particles (Fe–Ni, Ni < 5 per cent), are very common in extra-terrestrial materials, such as meteorites. It is normally assumed that for kamacite particles to be reliable recorders of magnetic fields, they need to be magnetically uniform (single domain, SD) and thermally stable. Larger particles subdivide into non-uniform multidomain (MD) magnetic structures that produce weaker magnetic signals, while small SD particles become magnetically unstable due to thermal fluctuations and exhibit superparamagnetic behaviour. In this paper we determine the first micromagnetic calculation of the stable SD range domain-state phase diagram for metallic iron; previous calculations were analytical. There is a significant increase in the critical size for the SD/MD threshold size, for example, for cube-shaped iron particles, the critical SD/MD threshold has now been estimated to be 25 nm, compared to 17 nm for previous estimates. The larger critical SD/MD threshold size for iron, agrees better with previously published nanometric observations of domain state for FeNi particles, then early analytical models.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggv180","authors":["Adrian R. Muxworthy","Wyn Williams"],"tags":["Kamacite","Superparamagnetism","Single domain","Condensed matter physics","Grain size"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-05-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggv180","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2022698202","name":"Presence of an iron‐rich nanophase material in the upper layer of the Cretaceous‐Tertiary boundary clay","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— We report new geochemical evidence from ten Cretaceous‐Tertiary (K‐T) boundary sites in North America and Europe, indicating the presence of a material remnant of a large asteroid or comet that struck the Earth at 65.0 Ma. Mössbauer spectroscopic data reveals that a ubiquitous iron‐rich nanophase material exists at the uppermost part of the K‐T boundary layer in the Western Hemisphere and in Europe in marine and continental fine‐grained sedimentary rock. The high surface‐to‐volume ratio of nanophase material suggests that it may be the carrier of the iridium abundance enhancement that marks the K‐T boundary. Even more provocative is the possibility that the discovered nanophase material is, for the most part, composed of the vaporized impactor after the impact‐generated high‐temperature vapor plume rose and cooled above the atmosphere.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2001.tb01814.x","authors":["Thomas J. Wdowiak","L. P. Armendarez","D. G. Agresti","M. L. Wade","Suzanne Y. WDOWIAK","Philippe Claeys","Glenn IZETT"],"tags":["Geology","Cretaceous","Atmosphere (unit)","Sedimentary rock","Iridium"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2001.tb01814.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2953305785","name":"The Gove relict iron meteorite from Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract On February 24, 1979, a deeply oxidized mass of iron meteorite was excavated from bauxite at an open cut mine on the Gove Peninsula, Northern Territory, Australia. The meteorite, measuring 0.75–1 m in diameter and of unknown total weight, was found at coordinates 12°15.8′S, 136°50.3′E. On removal from the ground, the meteorite is reported to have disintegrated rapidly. A preliminary analysis at the mine laboratory reportedly gave 8.5 wt% Ni. A modern analysis of oxidized material gave Ni = 32.9, Co = 3.67 (both mg g−1), Cr = 168, Cu = 195, Ga = 22.5, Ge = <70, As = 4.16, W = 1.35, Ir = 10.5, Pt = 21.2, Au = 0.672 (all μg g−1), Sb = <150, and Re = 844 (both ng g−1). Competent fragments of oxidized material retain a fine to medium Widmanstätten pattern with an apparent average bandwidth of 0.5 mm (range 0.2–0.9 mm in plane section). Primary mineralogy includes rare γ–taenite and daubréelite, and secondary minerals produced by weathering include awaruite (with up to 78.5 wt% Ni) and an, as yet, unnamed Cu‐Cr‐bearing sulfide with the ideal formula CuCrS2 that is hitherto unknown in nature. Deep weathering has masked many of the features of the meteorite; however, the analysis normalized to the analyses of fresh iron meteorites favors chemical group IIIAB. The terrestrial age of the meteorite is unknown, although it is likely to be in the Neogene (2.5–23 Ma), which is widely accepted as the major period of bauxite formation in the Northern Territory of Australia. Gove is the second authenticated relict meteorite found in Australia.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13307","authors":["A. W. R. Bevan","Peter Downes","Dermot A. Henry","Michael Verrall","Peter Haines"],"tags":["Meteorite","Weathering","Geology","Iron meteorite","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-06-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13307","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2794934273","name":"Oxygen isotopic evidence for accretion of Earth’s water before a high-energy Moon-forming giant impact","source":"openalex","abstract":"O values of the impactor and the proto-Earth must have been significantly closer than that between Earth and aubrites. If the Earth-Moon system evolved from an initially highly vaporized and isotopically homogenized state, as indicated by recent dynamical models, then the terrestrial basalt-lunar oxygen isotope difference detected by our study may be a reflection of post-giant impact additions to Earth. On the basis of this assumption, our data indicate that post-giant impact additions to Earth could have contributed between 5 and 30% of Earth's water, depending on global water estimates. Consequently, our data indicate that the bulk of Earth's water was accreted before the giant impact and not later, as often proposed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aao5928","authors":["Richard C. Greenwood","Jean‐Alix Barrat","Martin F. Miller","Mahesh Anand","N. Dauphas","I. A. Franchi","Patrick Sillard","N. A. Starkey"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Oxygen","Accretion (finance)","Earth (classical element)","Isotopes of oxygen"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-03-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aao5928","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2038248775","name":"Effect of bioclogging in porous media on complex conductivity signatures","source":"openalex","abstract":"Flow through sand columns inoculated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa were used to investigate the effect of bioclogging on the complex conductivity and flow and transport properties. Complex conductivity (0.1–1000 Hz), the bulk hydraulic conductivity (K), volumetric flow rate (Q), dispersivity (D), and microbial cell concentrations were monitored over time. Environmental scanning electron microscope images of the sands were obtained at the end of the experiment. Bioclogging resulting from increases in microbial cell concentration and the production of exopolymeric substances (EPS) had a large impact on the imaginary conductivity (σ″), K, Q, D, and porosity (Φ). Changes in electrical and transport properties developed in three stages: an initial stage 1 with no significant changes in all measured parameters (Days 1–8), which we attribute to the reversible and irreversible attachment of microbial cells to the sand. In stage 2a (Days 9–16), bioclogging caused by the growth of biomass either as microcolonies filling pore throats and/or as uniform covering on the sand surfaces resulted in maximum decrease in Q and K, but with only moderate increases in σ″. In stage 2b (Days 17–24), significant production of EPS substances and increase in biofilm thickness resulted in a higher rate of increase in σ″ compared to stage 2a. In stage 3 (Days 25–32), biofilm growth reached a quasi steady state and insignificant changes are observed in all measured parameters. The results of this study suggest that σ″ can provide complimentary information in the assessment of bioclogging in porous media.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2009jg001159","authors":["Gamal Z. Abdel Aal","Estella A. Atekwana","Eliot A. Atekwana"],"tags":["Hydraulic conductivity","Porosity","Conductivity","Porous medium","Scanning electron microscope"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-07-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2009jg001159","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W1151871370","name":"Vertical distribution of airborne bacterial communities in an Asian-dust downwind area, Noto Peninsula","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2015.08.052","authors":["Teruya Maki","Kazutaka Hara","Fumihisa Kobayashi","Yasunori Kurosaki","Makiko Kakikawa","Atsushi Matsuki","Bin Chen","Guangyu Shi","Hiroshi Hasegawa","Yasunobu Iwasaka"],"tags":["Troposphere","Alphaproteobacteria","Peninsula","Environmental science","Atmosphere (unit)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-08-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2015.08.052","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W3153698363","name":"Bacterial biosilicification: a new insight into the global silicon cycle","source":"openalex","abstract":"Biosilicification is the process by which organisms incorporate soluble, monomeric silicic acid, Si(OH)4, in the form of polymerized insoluble silica, SiO2. Biosilicifying eukaryotes, including diatoms, siliceous sponges, and higher plants, have been the targets of intense research to study the molecular mechanisms underlying biosilicification. By contrast, prokaryotic biosilicification has been less well studied, partly because the biosilicifying capability of well-known bacteria was not recognized until recently. This review summarizes recent findings on bacterial extracellular and intracellular biosilicification, the latter of which has been demonstrated only recently in bacteria. The topics discussed herein include bacterial (and archaeal) extracellular biosilicification in geothermal environments, encapsulation of Bacillus spores within a silica layer, and silicon accumulation in marine cyanobacteria. The possible contribution of bacterial biosilicification to the global silicon cycle is also discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/bbb/zbab069","authors":["Takeshi Ikeda"],"tags":["Silicic acid","Bacteria","Extracellular","Bacterial cell structure","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-04-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/bbb/zbab069","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2023734186","name":"The granulitic impactite suite: Impact melts and metamorphic breccias of the early lunar crust","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— An important and poorly understood group of rocks found in the ancient lunar highlands is called “feldspathic granulitic impactites.” Rocks of the granulite suite occur at most of the Apollo highlands sites as hand samples, rake samples, clasts in breccias, and soil fragments. Most lunar granulites contain 70–80% modal plagioclase, but they can range from anorthosite to troctolite and norite. Previous studies have led to different interpretations for the thermal history of these rocks, including formation as igneous plutons, long‐duration metamorphism at high temperatures, and short‐duration metamorphism at low temperatures. This paper reports on a study of 24 polished thin sections of lunar granulites from the Apollo 15, 16, and 17 missions. We identify three different textural types of granulitic breccias: poikilitic, granoblastic, and poikilitic‐granoblastic breccias. These breccias have similar equilibration temperatures (1100 ± 50 °C), as well as common compositions. Crystal size distributions in two granoblastic breccias reveal that Ostwald ripening took place during metamorphism. Solid‐state grain growth and diffusion calculations indicate relatively rapid cooling during metamorphism (0.5 to 50 °C/year), and thermal modeling shows that they cooled at relatively shallow depths (<200 m). In contrast, we conclude that the poikilitic rocks formed by impact melting, whereas the poikilitic‐granoblastic rocks were metamorphosed and may have partially melted. These results indicate formation of lunar granulites in relatively small craters (30–90 km in diameter), physically associated with the impact‐melt breccia pile, and possibly from fine‐grained fragmental precursor lithologies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1999.tb01745.x","authors":["Janet A. Cushing","G. J. Taylor","M. D. Norman","Klaus Keil"],"tags":["Granulite","Geology","Geochemistry","Anorthosite","Breccia"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1999.tb01745.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W1982811100","name":"Geochemical signals of the late Jurassic, marine Mjølnir impact","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Of the only seven submarine impact craters that have been found globally, the Mjølnir crater is one of the best preserved and retains crater and ejecta. Geochemical studies (organic pyrolysis using the Rock Eval technique and XRF analysis for major, minor, and trace elements) of the Institute for Petroleum Research (IKU) core 7430/10‐U‐01 that was taken from a drillhole located ∼30 km north‐northeast of the crater rim show gradual establishment of anoxic sea floor conditions through the late Jurassic. These poorly ventilated water conditions were overturned due to the Mjølnir impact event. Waves and currents transported impact glass (which is now partly weathered to smectite) into the depositional area where the drillhole is located. The succeeding crater collapse transported impact material (e.g., shocked quartz and Ir) from the crater rim and deeper levels to the core site. Normal marine depositional conditions were established a short time after the crater collapsed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1999.tb01348.x","authors":["Henning Dypvik","Moses Attrep"],"tags":["Impact crater","Geology","Ejecta","Sedimentary depositional environment","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1999.tb01348.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2914696596","name":"From planetary to space mining: prospects for sustainable development","source":"openalex","abstract":"The article considers sustainable mining development as one of the most important problems of achieving global stability as a solution to the contradiction between the growing needs of mankind and the presence of limits of the biosphere in their provision. It is expected that sustainable mountain development will continue in both the planetary and space dimensions, and these processes will unfold in close cooperation. Having joined the space industry, sustainable space mining will contribute to the formation of extraterrestrial basis of the future wide space exploration by mankind.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/201926506015","authors":["Arkadiy Ursul","Т.А. Урсул"],"tags":["Sustainable development","Space (punctuation)","Biosphere","Contradiction","Extraterrestrial life"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/201926506015","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W1560217470","name":"Cosmochemistry; Part 1, Meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Phase equilibrium relations of the common rock-forming oxides except water, by","url":"https://doi.org/10.3133/pp440b1","authors":["Brian Mason"],"tags":["Meteorite","Cosmochemistry","Astrobiology","Geology","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1979-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3133/pp440b1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W4200036420","name":"Time-Sensitive Aspects of Mars Sample Return (MSR) Science","source":"openalex","abstract":"Samples returned from Mars would be placed under quarantine at a Sample Receiving Facility (SRF) until they are considered safe to release to other laboratories for further study. The process of determining whether samples are safe for release, which may involve detailed analysis and/or sterilization, is expected to take several months. However, the process of breaking the sample tube seal and extracting the headspace gas will perturb local equilibrium conditions between gas and rock and set in motion irreversible processes that proceed as a function of time. Unless these time-sensitive processes are understood, planned for, and/or monitored during the quarantine period, scientific information expected from further analysis may be lost forever. At least four processes underpin the time-sensitivity of Mars returned sample science: (1) degradation of organic material of potential biological origin, (2) modification of sample headspace gas composition, (3) mineral-volatile exchange, and (4) oxidation/reduction of redox-sensitive materials. Available constraints on the timescales associated with these processes supports the conclusion that an SRF must have the capability to characterize attributes such as sample tube headspace gas composition, organic material of potential biological origin, as well as volatiles and their solid-phase hosts. Because most time-sensitive investigations are also sensitive to sterilization, these must be completed inside the SRF and on timescales of several months or less. To that end, we detail recommendations for how sample preparation and analysis could complete these investigations as efficiently as possible within an SRF. Finally, because constraints on characteristic timescales that define time-sensitivity for some processes are uncertain, future work should focus on: (1) quantifying the timescales of volatile exchange for core material physically and mineralogically similar to samples expected to be returned from Mars, and (2) identifying and developing stabilization or temporary storage strategies that mitigate volatile exchange until analysis can be completed. Executive Summary Any samples returned from Mars would be placed under quarantine at a Sample Receiving Facility (SRF) until it can be determined that they are safe to release to other laboratories for further study. The process of determining whether samples are safe for release, which may involve detailed analysis and/or sterilization, is expected to take several months. However, the process of breaking the sample tube seal and extracting the headspace gas would perturb local equilibrium conditions between gas and rock and set in motion irreversible processes that proceed as a function of time. Unless these processes are understood, planned for, and/or monitored during the quarantine period, scientific information expected from further analysis may be lost forever . Specialist members of the Mars Sample Return Planning Group Phase 2 (MSPG-2), referred to here as the Time-Sensitive Focus Group, have identified four processes that underpin the time-sensitivity of Mars returned sample science: (1) degradation of organic material of potential biological origin, (2) modification of sample headspace gas composition, (3) mineral-volatile exchange, and (4) oxidation/reduction of redox-sensitive materials ( Figure 2 ). Consideration of the timescales and the degree to which these processes jeopardize scientific investigations of returned samples supports the conclusion that an SRF must have the capability to characterize: (1) sample tube headspace gas composition, (2) organic material of potential biological origin, (3) volatiles bound to or within minerals, and (4) minerals or other solids that host volatiles ( Table 4 ). Most of the investigations classified as time-sensitive in this report are also sensitive to sterilization by either heat treatment and/or gamma irradiation (Velbel et al., 2022 ). Therefore, these investigations must be comp","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2021.0115","authors":["Nicholas J. Tosca","Carl B. Agee","Charles S. Cockell","Daniel P. Glavin","Aurore Hutzler","Bernard Marty","Francis M. McCubbin","Aaron B. Regberg","Michael A. Velbel","Gerhard Kminek","Michael A. Meyer","David W. Beaty","Brandi L. Carrier","Timothy Haltigin","Lindsay E. Hays","Henner Busemann","Barbara Cavalazzi","Vinciane Debaille","Monica M. Grady","Ernst Hauber","Lisa M. Pratt","Alvin L. Smith","Caroline L. Smith","Roger E. Summons","Timothy D. Swindle","Kimberly T. Tait","Arya Udry","Tomohiro Usui","Meenakshi Wadhwa","Frances Westall","Maria-Paz Zorzano"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Sample (material)","Environmental science","Process engineering","Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-12-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2021.0115","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2810900281","name":"A Possible Path to Prebiotic Peptides Involving Silica and Hydroxy Acid‐Mediated Amide Bond Formation","source":"openalex","abstract":"The formation of alanine and glycine oligomers in films produced by drying aqueous mixtures of lactic acid and silica nanoparticles has been studied as a model prebiotic reaction. The addition of silica results in alanine or glycine enrichment in the polymers. Oligomerization proceeds through ester-mediated peptide bond formation in an acidic and evaporative environment at temperatures as low as 85 °C. For both amino acids, the dominant species produced in the presence of silica and lactic acid are rich in amide bonds and deficient in ester linkages. At higher temperatures, glycine and alanine oligomers contain only a single hydroxy acid residue conjugated to the peptide N terminus. Similar product distributions occur with silica particles prereacted with lactic acid, which suggests the catalytic role of a functionalized surface. This work highlights the role minerals might have served in transitioning from oligomers with both ester and amide linkages (depsipeptides) to peptides in a prebiotic context.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cbic.201800217","authors":["Aaron D. McKee","Martin Solano","Andrew K. Saydjari","Chris J. Bennett","Nicholas V. Hud","Thomas M. Orlando"],"tags":["Prebiotic","Peptide bond","Amide","Chemistry","Amino acid"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-06-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cbic.201800217","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2003166590","name":"The Araguainha impact: a South American Permo–Triassic catastrophic event","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Araguainha meteorite impact was certainly one of the most catastrophic events in the history of the South American continent. The impact occurred around 250 Ma ago, when the region was covered by the estuarine waters of the Parana Basin in central parts of Brazil. The impacting body of approximately 2–3 km in diameter was sufficiently large to excavate a 2 km‐thick sedimentary sequence of the Parana Basin and to expose a 4 km‐wide core of basement crystalline rocks in the central part of the crater. The huge scar left by the meteorite collision is 40 km in diameter, the largest and best preserved impact crater on the continent. Combined field observations and remote sensing analysis demonstrates that the Araguainha impact structure preserves all morphological/structural features of large lunar craters, being thus an important analogue to study large extraterrestrial craters. The catastrophic energy released upon impact, close to 106 megatons of TNT, must have been disastrous for marine organisms living in the Parana Basin. Ongoing studies are currently evaluating the link between the Araguainha impact and the Permian–Triassic mass extinction, which is the greatest of the mass extinctions in Earth history.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2451.2009.00701.x","authors":["Cristiano Lana","Yára R. Marangoni"],"tags":["Impact crater","Geology","Extinction event","Impact structure","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2451.2009.00701.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2122476304","name":"Potassium isotopic composition of Australasian tektites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— We have analyzed the potassium isotopic composition of four tektites from the Australasian strewn field, spanning a wide diversity of thermal histories, inferred from textures and volatile element contents. Our results indicate no isotopic differences between tektites and terrestrial crustal rocks, placing stringent limits of ≤2% loss of potassium during the brief duration of high temperature heating experienced by these samples. This confirms that the chemical composition of tektites is entirely a reflection of source rock composition and has not been modified by the tektiteforming process for elements less volatile than potassium. Losses of more volatile components, e.g., the halogens and water, are not precluded by the present data. Coupling a radiative cooling temperature‐time path with potassium vapor pressure data indicates that tektite melt drops are not likely to develop bulk elemental fractionation during the brief heating episodes of tektites for peak temperatures <2273 K. The extent of K isotopic fractionation is independent of droplet size but dependent on peak heating temperature. The exact peak temperature depends on the choice of vapor pressure data used for K, which need to be better constrained.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00125.x","authors":["M. Humayun","Christian Koeberl"],"tags":["Potassium","Volatiles","Fractionation","Isotopes of potassium","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00125.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2294766643","name":"Petrographic and geochemical characterization of the granitic rocks of the Araguainha impact crater, Brazil","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Petrographic and geochemical data obtained on the Araguainha impact crater (Goiás/Mato Grosso States, Brazil) indicate the existence of several molten products that originated during impact‐induced congruent melting of an alkali‐granite exposed in the inner part of the central uplift of the structure. Although previous studies have described these melts to some extent, there is no detailed discussion on the petrographic and geochemical variability in the granite and its impactogenic derivatives, and therefore, little is known about the geochemical behavior and mobility of trace elements during its fusion in the central part of the Araguainha crater. This paper demonstrates that the preserved granitoid exposed in the core of the structure is a magnesium‐rich granite, similar to postcollisional, A‐type granites, also found in terrains outside the Araguainha crater, in the Brasília orogenic belt. The molten products are texturally distinct and different from the original rock, but have very similar geochemical composition, making it difficult to separate these lithotypes based on concentrations of major and minor elements. This also applies for trace and rare earth elements (REE), thus indicating a high degree of homogenization during impact‐induced congruent melting under high pressure and postshock temperature conditions. Petrographic observations, along with geochemical data, indicate that melting occurs selectively, where some of the elements are transported with the melt. Simultaneously, there is an effective dissolution of the rock (granite), which leads to entrainment of the most resistant solid phases (intact or partially molten minerals) into the melt. Minerals more resistant to melting, such as quartz and oxides, contribute substantially to a chemical balance between the preserved granite and the fusion products generated during the meteoritic impact.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12601","authors":["Dailto Silva","Cristiano Lana","Carlos Roberto de Souza Filho"],"tags":["Petrography","Geology","Impact crater","Geochemistry","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-01-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12601","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2550096601","name":"The effects of 10 to >160 GPa shock on the magnetic properties of basalt and diabase","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Hypervelocity impacts within the solar system affect both the magnetic remanence and bulk magnetic properties of planetary materials. Spherical shock experiments are a novel way to simulate shock events that enable materials to reach high shock pressures with a variable pressure profile across a single sample (ranging between ∼10 and >160 GPa). Here we present spherical shock experiments on basaltic lava flow and diabase dike samples from the Osler Volcanic Group whose ferromagnetic mineralogy is dominated by pseudo‐single‐domain (titano)magnetite. Our experiments reveal shock‐induced changes in rock magnetic properties including a significant increase in remanent coercivity. Electron and magnetic force microscopy support the interpretation that this coercivity increase is the result of grain fracturing and associated domain wall pinning in multidomain grains. We introduce a method to discriminate between mechanical and thermal effects of shock on magnetic properties. Our approach involves conducting vacuum‐heating experiments on untreated specimens and comparing the hysteresis properties of heated and shocked specimens. First‐order reversal curve (FORC) experiments on untreated, heated, and shocked specimens demonstrate that shock and heating effects are fundamentally different for these samples: shock has a magnetic hardening effect that does not alter the intrinsic shape of FORC distributions, while heating alters the magnetic mineralogy as evident from significant changes in the shape of FORC contours. These experiments contextualize paleomagnetic and rock magnetic data of naturally shocked materials from terrestrial and extraterrestrial impact craters.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2016gc006583","authors":["N. S. Bezaeva","Nicholas L. Swanson‐Hysell","Sonia M. Tikoo-Schantz","D. D. Badyukov","Myriam A.C. Kars","Ramón Egli","Д. А. Чареев","Luke M. Fairchild","E. Khakhalova","B. E. Strauss","A. K. Lindquist"],"tags":["Magnetic mineralogy","Remanence","Geology","Coercivity","Impact crater"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2016gc006583","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W3011700114","name":"A Monte Carlo Approach to Approximating the Effects of Pore Geometry on the Phase Behavior of Soil Freezing","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Freezing in porous media is associated with a host of dynamic phenomena that stem from the presence and mobility of premelted liquid at subzero temperatures. Accurate assessments of the progressive liquid‐ice phase transition is required for predictive models of frost damage, glacier‐till coupling, and many other cold regions processes, as well as for evaluating the capacity for water storage in near‐surface extraterrestrial environments. We use a Monte Carlo approach to sample the pore space in a synthetic 3D packing of poly‐dispersed spherical particles and evaluate local geometrical constraints that allow us to assess changes in the relative proportions of pore fluid and ice. By approximating the phase boundary geometry in fine‐grained pores while considering both the curvature of the liquid‐ice interface and wetting interactions with matrix particles, our model predicts changes in phase equilibrium in granular media over a broad temperature range, where present accounting for the colligative effects of chloride and perchlorate solutes. In addition to formulating the constitutive behavior needed to better understand properties and processes in frozen soils, our results also provide insight into other aspects of phase equilibria in porous media, including the formation of methane hydrates in permafrost and marine sediments, and the partitioning between liquid water and vapor in the vadose zone.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2020ms002117","authors":["Jiangzhi Chen","Shenghua Mei","Julia T. Irizarry","A. W. Rempel"],"tags":["Porous medium","Permafrost","Monte Carlo method","Wetting","Curvature"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-09-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2020ms002117","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W1964633862","name":"Amino acid analyses of R and CK chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Exogenous delivery of amino acids and other organic molecules to planetary surfaces may have played an important role in the origins of life on Earth and other solar system bodies. Previous studies have revealed the presence of indigenous amino acids in a wide range of carbon‐rich meteorites, with the abundances and structural distributions differing significantly depending on parent body mineralogy and alteration conditions. Here we report on the amino acid abundances of seven type 3–6 CK chondrites and two Rumuruti (R) chondrites. Amino acid measurements were made on hot water extracts from these meteorites by ultrahigh‐performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection and time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. Of the nine meteorites analyzed, four were depleted in amino acids, and one had experienced significant amino acid contamination by terrestrial biology. The remaining four, comprised of two R and two CK chondrites, contained low levels of amino acids that were predominantly the straight chain, amino‐terminal (n‐ω‐amino) acids β‐alanine, and γ‐amino‐n‐butyric acid. This amino acid distribution is similar to what we reported previously for thermally altered ureilites and CV and CO chondrites, and these n‐ω‐amino acids appear to be indigenous to the meteorites and not the result of terrestrial contamination. The amino acids may have been formed by Fischer–Tropsch‐type reactions, although this hypothesis needs further testing.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12433","authors":["Aaron S. Burton","Hannah L. McLain","D. P. Glavin","Jamie E. Elsila","J. Davidson","Kelly E. Miller","Alexander V. Andronikov","D. S. Lauretta","Jason P. Dworkin"],"tags":["Chondrite","Amino acid","Meteorite","Chemistry","Parent body"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12433","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2074764475","name":"Impact controversies: Impact recognition criteria and related issues","source":"openalex","abstract":"We were surprised to see the cover of the August 2013 issue of Meteoritics & Planetary Science (MAPS) adorned by a field image of a Greenlandic migmatite. The caption refers to the Maniitsoq structure in Greenland and explains that the lithology shown on the cover \"is interpreted as due to a crustal-scale hydrothermal convection cell in a now deeply exhumed Archean impact structure\" (Scherstén and Garde 2013). We found this statement surprising, as the Maniitsoq structure (Garde et al. 2012, 2013) has not been widely accepted as an impact structure, because the evidence reported in these papers does not comply with established recognition criteria for impact (see, e.g., French and Koeberl [2010] and references therein; Reimold et al. 2013). Garde and colleagues assert that, when established criteria \"do not work,\" new ones can be devised. To present such a statement as that related to the MAPS cover—highlighting this structure, in our view gives unnecessary credit to a (as we insist on calling) proposed but unconfirmed impact structure. The article by Scherstén and Garde (2013), to which this cover refers, contains high-quality U-Pb data for zircon, which are interpreted as hydrothermal re-equilibration of the isotope systems as the result of an impact event. Reimold et al. (2013) recommended a detailed investigation of Maniitsoq zircon grains to investigate the possible presence of impact evidence in the form of planar fractures, shock-induced granular texture, or twinning in zircon. The numerous zircon images shown in Scherstén and Garde (2013), however, fail to illustrate any textural evidence of shock deformation. While we explicitly appreciate the high-quality U-Pb ages, we must insist that there is still no tangible evidence for impact at Maniitsoq. Nor does the circumstantial evidence preclude alternatives, such as magmatic/tectonic explanations, for the observations and data reported so far from Maniitsoq. Let us assume that Maniitsoq could be a deeply eroded impact structure with a diameter of some 150 km. This would place Maniitsoq within the range of \"large, old, eroded impact structures,\" such as Sudbury (Canada) or Vredefort (South Africa). In these cases, and especially in that of the long controversial, deeply eroded Vredefort Structure, the ultimate proof of impact origin came from the discovery of shatter cones and planar deformation features (PDFs) in quartz, as well as the presence of a meteoritic component in impact melt rocks, all of which are accepted in the impact community as unambiguous proof of impact origin. The often annealed and/or decorated planar deformation features in Vredefort quartz were shown by Leroux et al. (1994) through detailed TEM analysis to represent bona fide shock deformation in the form of basal Brazil twins and decorated, higher order PDFs. Only with this proof in hand—further supported by unambiguous evidence for shock deformation in zircon (planar fractures and granular zircon texture)—were various authors able to later interpret breccia bodies, structural observations, and morphometric data within an impact context. Planar is the key term in planar deformation features, so that the description of \"commonly curved, coarsened, and partially annealed\" features as \"planar features\" (p. 1474) by Scherstén and Garde (2013) is not consistent with the published definitions. Their features are not imperfectly preserved, but have never been planar. Hence, we consider that they cannot provide evidence for a shock event. They also state \"Proven but imperfectly preserved PDFs in known impact structures are only rarely reported in the literature,\" which represents another obscure finding—as \"imperfectly preserved\" (in their sense referring to curved) features only rarely would be recognized as impact-diagnostic PDFs. As further emphasized below, \"decorated PDFs\" are still planar, even if their traces in thin section only represent straight fluid inclusion trails. Maniitsoq is just one of se","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12284","authors":["W. U. Reimold","L. Ferrière","A. Deutsch","Christian Koeberl"],"tags":["Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12284","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W3126916403","name":"Global Ocean Sediment Composition and Burial Flux in the Deep Sea","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Quantitative knowledge about the burial of sedimentary components at the seafloor has wide‐ranging implications in ocean science, from global climate to continental weathering. The use of 230 Th‐normalized fluxes reduces uncertainties that many prior studies faced by accounting for the effects of sediment redistribution by bottom currents and minimizing the impact of age model uncertainty. Here we employ a recently compiled global data set of 230 Th‐normalized fluxes with an updated database of seafloor surface sediment composition to derive atlases of the deep‐sea burial flux of calcium carbonate, biogenic opal, total organic carbon (TOC), nonbiogenic material, iron, mercury, and excess barium (Ba xs ). The spatial patterns of major component burial are mainly consistent with prior work, but the new quantitative estimates allow evaluations of deep‐sea budgets. Our integrated deep‐sea burial fluxes are 136 Tg C/yr CaCO 3 , 153 Tg Si/yr opal, 20Tg C/yr TOC, 220 Mg Hg/yr, and 2.6 Tg Ba xs /yr. This opal flux is roughly a factor of 2 increase over previous estimates, with important implications for the global Si cycle. Sedimentary Fe fluxes reflect a mixture of sources including lithogenic material, hydrothermal inputs and authigenic phases. The fluxes of some commonly used paleo‐productivity proxies (TOC, biogenic opal, and Ba xs ) are not well‐correlated geographically with satellite‐based productivity estimates. Our new compilation of sedimentary fluxes provides detailed regional and global information, which will help refine the understanding of sediment preservation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2020gb006769","authors":["Christopher T. Hayes","Kassandra M Costa","Robert F. Anderson","Eva Calvo","Zanna Chase","Ludmila L. Demina","Jean‐Claude Dutay","Christopher R. German","Lars‐Éric Heimbürger‐Boavida","Samuel L. Jaccard","Allison W Jacobel","Karen E. Kohfeld","М. Д. Кравчишина","Jörg Lippold","Figen Mekik","Lise Missiaen","Frank J. Pavia","Adina Paytan","Rut Pedrosa‐Pamies","Mariia V. Petrova","Shaily Rahman","Laura F. Robinson","Matthieu Roy‐Barman","Anna Sànchez‐Vidal","Alan M. Shiller","Alessandro Tagliabue","Allyson C. Tessin","Marco van Hulten","Jing Zhang"],"tags":["Authigenic","Seafloor spreading","Sedimentary rock","Geology","Deep sea"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-03-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2020gb006769","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2113845150","name":"2-16 m spectroscopy of micron-sized enstatite (Mg,Fe)2Si2O6 silicates from primitive chondritic meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"We present mid-infrared spectra from individual enstatite silicate grains separated from primitive type 3 chondritic meteorites. The 2–16 μm transmission spectra were taken with microspectroscopic Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) techniques as part of a project to produce a data base of infrared spectra from minerals of primitive meteorites for comparison with astronomical spectra. In general, the wavelength of enstatite bands increases with the proportion of Fe. However, the wavelengths of the strong En100 bands at 10.67 and 11.67 decrease with increasing Fe content. The 11.67-μm band exhibits the largest compositional wavelength shift (twice as large as any other). Our fits of the linear dependence of the pyroxene peaks indicate that crystalline silicate peaks in the 10-μm spectra of Herbig AeBe stars, HD 179218 and 104237, are matched by pyroxenes of En90−92 and En78−80, respectively. If these simplistic comparisons with the astronomical grains are correct, then the enstatite pyroxenes seen in these environments are more Fe-rich than are the forsterite (Fo100) grains identified in the far-infrared which are found to be Mg end-member grains. This differs from the general composition of type 3 chondritic meteoritic grains in which the pyroxenes are more Mg-rich than are the olivines from the same meteorite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2007.11548.x","authors":["J. E. Bowey","A. Morlok","M. Köhler","M. M. Grady"],"tags":["Enstatite","Forsterite","Meteorite","Chondrite","Silicate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-03-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2007.11548.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2133107637","name":"Dynamic pyrometamorphism during atmospheric entry of large (˜10 micron) pyrrhotite fragments from cluster IDPs","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Petrological changes in Ni‐free and low‐Ni pyrrhotite, and much less in pentlandite, during atmospheric entry flash‐heating of the sulfide IDPs L2005E40, L2005C39, and L2006A28 support 1) ferrous sulfide oxidation with vacancy formation and Fe3+ ordering; and 2) Fe‐oxide formation and sulfur vapor loss through abundant vesicles. Melting of metastable chondritic aggregate materials at the IDP surface has occurred. All changes, e.g., formation of a continuous maghémite rim, proceeded as solid‐state reactions at a peak heating temperature of ˜700 °C. This temperature in combination with particle size and density suggest a ˜10 km/s−1 entry velocity. The IDPs probably belonged to cluster IDPs that entered the atmosphere with near‐Earth or Earth‐crossing asteroid velocities. They could be debris from extinct or dormant comet nuclei, which is consistent with shock comminution of pyrrhotite in these IDPs.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00082.x","authors":["Frans J. M. Rietmeijer"],"tags":["Pyrrhotite","Pentlandite","Atmospheric entry","Impact crater","Sulfide"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00082.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2103515683","name":"Identification of shocked quartz by scanning cathodoluminescence imaging","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Quartz grains subjected to high‐strain‐rate shock waves owing to meteorite or cometary impact on Earth's surface commonly display shock lamellae. These lamellae appear as remarkably straight, thin, planar features (microstructures) in sets within which lamellae are essentially parallel to each other and spaced ≤ 20 μm apart. Two or more intersecting sets are typically present. Shock lamellae are commonly recognized and identified by optical methods, by use of the transmission electron microscope (TEM), and by etching polished sections and subsequent examination with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) operated in the secondary electron mode. We present here a method for observing planar microstructures in shocked quartz by using a cathodoluminescence (CL) detector attached to a SEM. The method relies on the fact that planar microstructures in quartz arising as a result of shock display no CL whatever; thus, they show up as distinct, thin, black lines on otherwise luminescent quartz grains. We used scanning CL imaging to study shocked quartz from the Ries Crater, Germany, a well‐known impact crater of Miocene age. We demonstrate that shock‐produced planar microstructures are clearly displayed in SEM‐CL images and can be distinguished from microfractures generated by tectonism, and subsequently filled with quartz, and other similar features not related to impact events. The SEM‐CL method provides a powerful supplement to other methods of identifying shocked quartz. It commonly provides better spatial resolution than does standard optical methods, and does not require etching of quartz grains. Further, it is easier and faster to use than are TEM methods, although it is not capable of the fine‐scale defect analysis possible with TEM.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2001.tb01916.x","authors":["Sam Boggs","David Krinsley","Gordon G. Goleš","Abbas Seyedolali","Henning Dypvik"],"tags":["Quartz","Scanning electron microscope","Cathodoluminescence","Impact crater","Microstructure"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2001.tb01916.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W1981253897","name":"Tectonics of complex crater formation as revealed by the Haughton impact structure, Devon Island, Canadian High Arctic","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The results of a systematic field mapping campaign at the Haughton impact structure have revealed new information about the tectonic evolution of mid-size complex impact structures. These studies reveal that several structures are generated during the initial compressive outward-directed growth of the transient cavity during the excavation stage of crater formation: (1) sub-vertical radial faults and fractures; (2) sub-horizontal bedding parallel detachment faults; and (3) minor concentric faults and fractures. Uplift of the transient cavity floor toward the end of the excavation stage produces a central uplift. Compressional inward-directed deformation results in the duplication of strata along thrust faults and folds. It is notable that Haughton lacks a central topographic peak or peak ring. The gravitational collapse of transient cavity walls involves the complex interaction of a series of interconnected radial and concentric faults. While the outermost concentric faults dip in toward the crater center, the majority of the innermost faults at Haughton dip away from the center. Complex interactions between an outward-directed collapsing central uplift and inward collapsing crater walls during the final stages of crater modification resulted in a structural ring of uplifted, intensely faulted (sub-) vertical and/or overturned strata at a radial distance from the crater center of ˜5.0–6.5 km. Converging flow during the collapse of transient cavity walls was accommodated by the formation of several structures: (1) sub-vertical radial faults and folds; (2) positive flower structures and chaotically brecciated ridges; (3) rollover anticlines in the hanging-walls of major listric faults; and (4) antithetic faults and crestal collapse grabens. Oblique strike-slip (i.e., centripetal) movement along concentric faults also accommodated strain during the final stages of readjustment during the crater modification stage. It is clear that deformation during collapse of the transient cavity walls at Haughton was brittle and localized along discrete fault planes separating kilometer-size blocks.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00148.x","authors":["G. R. Osinski","J. G. Spray"],"tags":["Impact crater","Geology","Anticline","Thrust fault","Impact structure"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00148.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2782025202","name":"Microbial habitability of Europa sustained by radioactive sources","source":"openalex","abstract":"There is an increasing interest in the icy moons of the Solar System due to their potential habitability and as targets for future exploratory missions, which include astrobiological goals. Several studies have reported new results describing the details of these moons' geological settings; however, there is still a lack of information regarding the deep subsurface environment of the moons. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the microbial habitability of Europa constrained by terrestrial analogue environments and sustained by radioactive energy provided by natural unstable isotopes. The geological scenarios are based on known deep environments on Earth, and the bacterial ecosystem is based on a sulfate-reducing bacterial ecosystem found 2.8 km below the surface in a basin in South Africa. The results show the possibility of maintaining the modeled ecosystem based on the proposed scenarios and provides directions for future models and exploration missions for a more complete evaluation of the habitability of Europa and of icy moons in general.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-18470-z","authors":["Thiago Altair","Márcio G. B. de Avellar","Fábio Rodrigues","Douglas Galante"],"tags":["Habitability","Astrobiology","Environmental science","Biology","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-01-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-18470-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2051002764","name":"Microtubules in basalt glass from Hawaii Scientific Driling Project #2 phase 1 core and Hilina slope, Hawaii: evidence of the occurrence and behavior of endolithic microorganisms","source":"openalex","abstract":"Elongate, fine tubes, approximately 1 microm wide and up to 200 microm long, extend from fractured surfaces, vesicle walls, and internal fractures into fragments of basalt glass in samples from the Hawaii Scientific Drilling Project #2 phase 1 (HSDP #2(1)) core and the Hilina slope, Hawaii. Several features indicate that these tubes are microbial endolithic microborings: the tubes resemble many described microborings from oceanic basalt glass, their formation is postdepositional but restricted to certain but different ranges of time in the two sets of samples, and they are not uniformly distributed throughout glass fragments. Microtubules record several characteristic behaviors including boring into glass, mining, seeking olivine, and avoiding plagioclase. They also are highly associated with a particular form of glass-replacing smectite. Evidence of behavior should join morphological and geochemical criteria in indicating microbial alteration of basalt glass. In some samples, steeply conical tubes, approximately 10-20 microm in diameter tapering to 1 microm and commonly filled with smectite, appear to be modifications or elaborations of the microtubules. These also curve toward olivine and are associated with replacement smectite. In HSDP #2(1) samples, microtubules initiated at margins of shards before palagonite replaced those margins and are preserved during palagonitization. In fact, microtubules appear to have provided routes that enhanced the efficiency of water's reaching of unaltered glass. In Hilina Slope samples, the microtubules appear to postdate palagonitization because they initiate at the boundary between palagonite and unaltered sideromelane. Preservation of microtubules during palagonitization in samples together with recognition of other associated characteristics representing behavior suggests that such features may be recognizable in more heavily altered ancient rocks.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1472-4669.2008.00149.x","authors":["Anthony W. Walton"],"tags":["Basalt","Geology","Plagioclase","Geochemistry","Scientific drilling"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-05-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1472-4669.2008.00149.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2295299677","name":"Cold curation of pristine astromaterials: Insights from the Tagish Lake meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The curation and handling of volatile‐bearing astromaterials is of prime importance in current and future plans for sample return missions to targets containing organic compounds, ices, or other volatile components. We report on the specific curation constraints required for the preservation of the Tagish Lake meteorite, a C2 ungrouped chondrite that contains significant concentrations of organic matter, including compounds of prebiotic interest or volatile in character, and which was recovered from a frozen lake surface a few days after its fall. Here, we review the circumstances of the meteorite's handling, its complement of intrinsic and contaminant organic compounds, and an unusual reaction between some of the specimens and the Al foil in which they were enclosed. From our results, we derive the requirements for curation of the meteorite, and describe a specialized facility that enables its curation and handling. The Subzero Facility for Curation of Astromaterials consists of a purified Ar glove box enclosed within a freezer chamber, and enables investigations relevant to curation of samples at or below −10 °C. We provide several recommendations based on insights obtained from the commissioning and initial use of the facility that are relevant to collection of freshly fallen meteorites, curation of volatile‐bearing meteorites and other astromaterials, and planning and implementation of curation plans for future sample return missions to volatile‐bearing targets.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12603","authors":["C. D. K. Herd","Robert W. Hilts","Aaron Skelhorne","Danielle N. Simkus"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Astrobiology","Data curation","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12603","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2018700698","name":"Impact-induced phyllosilicate formation from olivine and water","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2011.08.029","authors":["Yoshihiro Furukawa","Toshimori Sekine","Takeshi Kakegawa","Hiromoto Nakazawa"],"tags":["Olivine","Comminution","Mineralogy","Meteorite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-08-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2011.08.029","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2013871381","name":"Fall, classification and cosmogenic records of the Sabrum (LL6) chondrite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The petrographic and chemical characteristics of a fresh Indian meteorite fall at Sabrum are described. Its mean mineral composition is defined by olivine (Fa31.4), orthopyroxene (Fs25.1,Wo2.0), clinopyroxene (Wo45En45.6Fs9.4) and plagioclase (An10.6Ab83.6Or5.8). The meteorite shows moderate shock features, which indicate that it belongs to the S4 category. Based on mineralogical and chemical criteria the meteorite is classified as an LL6 brecciated veined chondrite. Several cosmogenic radioisotopes (46Sc, 7Be, 54Mn, 22Na and 26Al), noble gas (He, Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe), nitrogen isotopes, and particle tracks density have been measured. Concentrations of cosmogenic 21Ne and 38Ar indicate that its cosmic‐ray exposure age is 24.8 Ma. Small amounts of trapped Kr and Xe, consistent with petrologic class 5/6, are present. The track density in olivines is found to be (1.3 ± 0.3) × 106/cm2. Activities of most of the short‐lived isotopes are lower than those expected from solar cycle variation. 22Na/26Al (1.12 ± 0.02) is found to be significantly anomalous, being ˜25% lower than expected from the Climax neutron monitor data. These results indicate that the cosmic‐ray flux during the terminal segment of the meteoroid orbit was low. The activities of 26Al and 60Co and the track density indicate small meteoroid size with a radius ˜15 cm.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2002.tb00826.x","authors":["Sekhar Ghosh","S. V. S. Murty","P. N. Shukla","A. D. Shukla","R. R. Mahajan","N. Bhandari","N. C. Pant","J. B. Ghosh","S. Shome"],"tags":["Meteoroid","Meteorite","Chondrite","Geology","Petrography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2002.tb00826.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W2780430852","name":"Mullite in Libyan Desert Glass: Evidence for high‐temperature/low‐pressure formation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Libyan Desert Glass ( LDG ) is a SiO 2 ‐rich natural glass whose origin, formation mechanism, and target material are highly debated. We here report on the finding of a lens‐shaped whitish inclusion within LDG. The object is dominantly composed of siliceous glass and separated from the surrounding LDG by numerous cristobalite grains. Within cristobalite, several regions rich in mullite often associated with ilmenite were detected. Mineral assemblage, chemical composition, and grain morphologies suggest that mullite was formed by thermal decomposition of kaolinitic clay at atmospheric pressure and T ≥ 1600 °C and also attested to high cooling rates under nonequilibrium conditions. Cristobalite contains concentric and irregular internal cracks and is intensely twinned, indicating that first crystallized β‐cristobalite inverted to α‐cristobalite during cooling of the SiO 2 ‐rich melt. The accompanied volume reduction of 4% induced the high density of defects. The whitish inclusion also contains several partly molten rutile grains evidencing that at least locally the LDG melt was at T ≥ 1800 °C. Based on these observations, it is concluded that LDG was formed by high‐temperature melting of kaolinitic clay‐, rutile‐, and ilmenite‐bearing Cenozoic sandstone or sand very likely during an asteroid or comet impact onto Earth. While melting and ejection occurred at high pressures, the melt solidified quickly at atmospheric pressure.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13030","authors":["A. Greshake","Richard Wirth","Jörg Fritz","T. Jakubowski","Ute Böttger"],"tags":["Cristobalite","Mullite","Rutile","Ilmenite","Mineral"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-12-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13030","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2741504267","name":"Glaciers and Ice Sheets As Analog Environments of Potentially Habitable Icy Worlds","source":"openalex","abstract":"Icy worlds in the solar system and beyond have attracted a remarkable attention as possible habitats for life. The current consideration about whether life exists beyond Earth is based on our knowledge of life in terrestrial cold environments. On Earth, glaciers and ice sheets have been considered uninhabited for a long time as they seemed too hostile to harbor life. However, these environments are unique biomes dominated by microbial communities which maintain active biochemical routes. Thanks to techniques such as microscopy and more recently DNA sequencing methods, a great biodiversity of prokaryote and eukaryote microorganisms have been discovered. These microorganisms are adapted to a harsh environment, in which the most extreme features are the lack of liquid water, extremely cold temperatures, high solar radiation and nutrient shortage. Here we compare the environmental characteristics of icy worlds, and the environmental characteristics of terrestrial glaciers and ice sheets in order to address some interesting questions: (i) which are the characteristics of habitability known for the frozen worlds, and which could be compatible with life, (ii) what are the environmental characteristics of terrestrial glaciers and ice sheets that can be life-limiting, (iii) What are the microbial communities of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms that can live in them, and (iv) taking into account these observations, could any of these planets or satellites meet the conditions of habitability? In this review, the icy worlds are considered from the point of view of astrobiological exploration. With the aim of determining whether icy worlds could be potentially habitable, they have been compared with the environmental features of glaciers and ice sheets on Earth. We also reviewed some field and laboratory investigations about microorganisms that live in analog environments of icy worlds, where they are not only viable but also metabolically active.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2017.01407","authors":["Eva García‐López","Cristina Cid"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Habitability","Glacier","Solar System","Planetary habitability"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2017.01407","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2043478799","name":"Chemical compositions of impact melt breccias and target rocks from the Tenoumer impact crater, Mauritania","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The impact melt breccias from the Tenoumer crater (consisting of a fine-grained intergrowth of plagioclase laths, pyroxene crystals, oxides, and glass) display a wide range of porosity and contain a large amount of target rock clasts. Analyses of major elements in impact melt rocks show lower contents of SiO2, Al2O3, and Na2O, and higher contents of MgO, Fe2O3, and CaO, than the felsic rocks (i.e., granites and gneisses) of the basement. In comparison with the bulk analyses of the impact melt, the glass is strongly enriched in Si-Al, whereas it is depleted both in Mg and Fe; moreover, the impact melt rocks are variably enriched or depleted in some REE with respect to the felsic and mafic bedrock types. Gold is slightly enriched in the impact melt, and Co, Cr, and Ni abundances are possibly due to a contribution from mafic bedrock. Evidences of silicate-carbonate liquid immiscibility, mainly as spherules and globules of calcite within the silicate glass, have been highlighted. HMX mixing calculation confirm that the impact melt rocks are derived from a mixing of at least six different target lithologies outcropping in the area of the crater. A large contribution is derived from granitoids (50%) and mica schist (17–19%), although amphibolites (˜15%), cherty limestones (˜10%), and ultrabasites (˜6%) components are also present. The very low abundances of PGE in the melt rock seem to come mainly from some ultrabasic target rocks; therefore, the contamination from the meteoritic projectile appears to have been negligible.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00137.x","authors":["Giovanni Pratesi","Marco Morelli","Angelo Pio Rossi","G. G. Ori"],"tags":["Geology","Felsic","Impact crater","Breccia","Mafic"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00137.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W1627138883","name":"The preservation of fossil biomarkers during meteorite impact events: Experimental evidence from biomarker‐rich projectiles and target rocks","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– A Devonian siltstone from Orkney, Scotland, shows survival of biomarkers in high‐velocity impact experiments. The biomarkers were detected in ejecta fragments from experiments involving normal incidence of steel projectiles at 5–6 km s−1, and in projectile fragments from impact experiments into sand and water at 2–5 km s−1. The associated peak shock pressures were calculated to be in the range of 110–147 GPa for impacts of the steel projectiles into the siltstone target, and hydrocode simulations are used to show the variation of peak pressure with depth in the target and throughout the finite volume projectiles. Thermally sensitive biomarker ratios, including ratios of hopanoids and steranes, and the methylphenanthrene ratio, showed an increase in thermal maturity in the ejecta, and especially the projectile, fragments. Measurement of absolute concentrations of selected biomarkers indicates that changes in biomarker ratios reflect synthesis of new material rather than selective destruction. Their presence in ejecta and projectile fragments suggests that fossil biomarkers may survive hypervelocity impacts, and that experiments using biomarker‐rich rock have high potential for testing survival of organic matter in a range of impact scenarios.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01100.x","authors":["John Parnell","Stephen A. Bowden","P. Lindgren","M. J. Burchell","Daniel Milner","M. C. Price","E. C. Baldwin","Ian Crawford"],"tags":["Ejecta","Hypervelocity","Projectile","Biomarker","Siltstone"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01100.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2920487317","name":"Reflectance spectroscopy of insoluble organic matter (IOM) and carbonaceous meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Insoluble organic matter (IOM) is the major organic component of chondritic meteorites and may be akin to organic materials from comets and interplanetary dust particles (IDPs). Reflectance spectra of IOM in the range 0.35–25 μm are presented as a tool for interpreting organic chemistry from remote measurements of asteroids, comets, IDPs, and other planetary bodies. Absorptions in the IOM spectra were strongly related to elemental H/C (atom) ratio. The aliphatic 3.4 μm absorption in IOM spectra increased linearly in strength with increasing H/C for H/C > 0.4, but was absent at lower H/C values. When meteorite spectra from the Reflectance Experiment Laboratory (RELAB) spectral catalog (n = 85) were reanalyzed at 3.4 μm, this detection limit (H/C > 0.4) persisted. Aromatic absorption features seen in IOM spectra were not observed in the meteorite spectra due to overlapping absorptions. However, the 3.4 μm aliphatic absorption strength for the bulk meteorites was correlated with both H/C of the meteorite's IOM and bulk C (wt%). Gaussian modeling of the 3 μm region provided an additional estimate of bulk C for the meteorites, along with bulk H (wt%), which is related to phyllosilicate abundance. These relationships lay the foundation for determining organic and phyllosilicate abundances from reflectance spectra. Both the full IOM spectra and the spectral parameters discussed here will aid in the interpretation of data from asteroid missions (e.g., OSIRIS‐REx, Hayabusa2), and may be able to place unknown spectral samples within the context of the meteorite collection.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13264","authors":["H. H. Kaplan","R. E. Milliken","C. M. O'd. Alexander","C. D. K. Herd"],"tags":["Meteorite","Asteroid","Spectral line","Context (archaeology)","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-03-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13264","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W3011871816","name":"The role of Bells in the continuous accretion between the CM and CR chondrite reservoirs","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract CM meteorites are dominant members of carbonaceous chondrites (CCs), which evidently accreted in a region separated from the terrestrial planets. These chondrites are key in determining the accretion regions of solar system materials, since in Mg and Cr isotope space, they intersect between what are identified as inner and outer solar system reservoirs. In this model, the outer reservoir is represented by metal‐rich carbonaceous chondrites (MRCCs), including CR chondrites. An important question remains whether the barrier between MRCCs and CCs was a temporal or spatial one. CM chondrites and chondrules are used here to identify the nature of the barrier as well as the timescale of chondrite parent body accretion. We find based on high precision Mg and Cr isotope data of seven CM chondrites and 12 chondrules, that accretion in the CM chondrite reservoir was continuous lasting <3 Myr and showing late accretion of MRCC‐like material reflected by the anomalous CM chondrite Bells. We further argue that although MRCCs likely accreted later than CM chondrites, CR chondrules must have initially formed from a reservoir spatially separated from CM chondrules. Finally, we hypothesize on the nature of the spatial barrier separating these reservoirs.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13459","authors":["Elishevah van Kooten","Larissa L. Cavalcante","Daniel Wielandt","Martin Bizzarro"],"tags":["Chondrite","Chondrule","Carbonaceous chondrite","Meteorite","Accretion (finance)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13459","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W1969555387","name":"Noble gases in interplanetary dust particles, II: Excess helium‐3 in cluster particles and modeling constraints on interplanetary dust particle exposures to cosmic‐ray irradiation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Measurements of He isotopes in cluster interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) from stratospheric dust collector L2009 reveal anomalous 3He/4He ratios comparable to those seen earlier, up to ∼40x the solar wind ratio, in particles from the companion collector L2011. These overabundances of 3He in the L2009 samples are masked by much higher 4He contents compared to the L2011 particles, and are visible only in minor gas fractions evolved by stepwise heating at high temperatures. Cosmic‐ray induced spallogenic reactions are efficient producers of 3He. The majority of this paper is devoted to a detailed assessment of the possible role of spallation in generating the 3He excesses in these and other cluster IDPs. A model of collisional erosion and fragmentation during inward transit through the interplanetary dust environment is used to estimate space lifetimes of particles from asteroidal and Edgeworth–Kuiper Belt sources. Results of the modeling indicate that Poynting–Robertson orbital evolution timescales of IDPs small enough to elude destruction on their way to Earth from either location are far shorter than the cosmic‐ray exposure ages required to account for observed 3He overabundances. Grains large enough to have sufficiently long space residence times are fragmented close to their sources. An alternative to long in‐space exposure could be prolonged irradiation of particles buried in parent body regoliths prior to their ejection as IDPs. A qualitative calculation suggests, however, that collisional erosion of asteroidal upper‐regolith materials is likely to occur on timescales shorter than the > 1 Ga burial times needed for accumulation of spallogenic 3He to the levels seen in several cluster particles. In contrast, regoliths on Edgeworth–Kuiper Belt objects may be stable enough to account for the 3He excesses, and delivery of heavily pre‐irradiated IDPs to the inner solar system by short‐period Edgeworth–Kuiper Belt comets remains a possibility. A potential problem is that the expected associated abundances of spallation‐produced 21Ne appear to be absent, although here the present IDP data base is too sparse and for the most part too imprecise to rule out a spallogenic origin. Relatively short periods of pre‐ejection residence in asteroidal regoliths may be responsible for the curiously broad exposure age distributions reported for micrometeorites extracted from Greenland and sea‐floor sediments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2001.tb01843.x","authors":["R. O. Pepin","R. L. Palma","D. J. Schlutter"],"tags":["Interplanetary dust cloud","Physics","Cosmic ray","Cosmic dust","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2001.tb01843.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2987286343","name":"Forming Olivine Phenocrysts in Basalt: A 3D Characterization of Growth Rates in Laboratory Experiments","source":"openalex","abstract":"Our current knowledge of the genesis, ascent, storage and eruption of mafic magmas is intimately linked with olivine, its primary crystal cargo. Recent claims that phenocryst-size crystals can grow rapidly and non-concentrically are challenging our perception of what olivine zoning represents (e.g. controlled by growth and/or diffusion), and whether accurate magma crystallization and diffusion timescales can be retrieved. A series of cooling experiments was carried out in order to quantify the kinetics of olivine growth as a function of the degree of undercooling, and to characterize morphological changes occurring with time. Growth rates estimated via 3D microtomography renderings of experimental crystals attain 10-7 m/s, and are found to be almost an order of magnitude higher than those calculated using 2D sections of the same experiments. We show that mm-sized crystals similar to those found in natural Kilauea samples can be produced after a few hours under moderate undercooling conditions (25-60°C). Growth rates decrease faintly with time, accompanying transitions between skeletal/hopper and more polyhedral morphologies. Growth rates generally increase up to -ΔT=40°C, and decrease slightly at -ΔT=60°C as rates of nucleation likely increase. The -ΔT=40°C vicinity may therefore represent a thermal ‘sweet spot’ for the formation of phenocrysts. Olivine overgrowths on crystals that survived initial dissolution grow slower than homogeneously-nucleated crystals, illustrating how new and old crystals in natural magmas likely respond differently to a thermal perturbation. We suggest that the main growth direction of natural olivine (a or c) may be a sensitive function of undercooling and the presence of a pre-existing growth substrate. Olivine grows faster along the a-axis under moderate to high undercooling conditions, while preferred development along the c-axis likely occurs under lower undercooling conditions and/or as rims grow around existing crystals. The early history of skeletal olivine crystals is controlled by diffusion in the melt (diffusion-controlled growth regime), while their long-term compositional zoning history is mainly controlled by diffusive reequilibration in the crystal.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2019.00300","authors":["Adrien J. Mourey","Thomas Shea"],"tags":["Phenocryst","Olivine","Basalt","Geology","Characterization (materials science)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-11-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2019.00300","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2612193248","name":"Crystal structure refinement of chromites from two achondrites, their T‐f(O2) conditions, and implications","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Six Cr‐spinel grains from NWA 6077 brachinite‐like and NWA 725 winonaite achondrites have been studied by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction and structural refinement. From a chemical point of view, spinels from NWA 6077 show Cr/(Cr + Al) (i.e., Cr#) and Mg/(Mg + Fe2+) (i.e., Mg#) values similar to other brachinites, while the Cr# of NWA 725 is lower than that of literature winonaites. Spinels from NWA 6077 and NWA 725 meteorites show similar cell edges, while the oxygen positional parameter is rather different being about 0.2629 for NWA 6077 and 0.2622 for NWA 725. Considering both parameters, NWA 725 shows structural features that are close to some terrestrial spinel occurrences as in komatiites, kimberlites, or included in diamonds; those from NWA 6077 show values that have no terrestrial analogs. Olivine‐chromite closure temperature ranges from ~737 to ~765° C for NWA 725, being similar to that of literature winonaites and ~846 to ~884° C for NWA 6077. The logfO2 ranges from −19.8 to −20.5 and −17.0 to −17.9 for the two meteorites, respectively. The u values for terrestrial samples can give information about the cooling history of the samples. For the extraterrestrial samples, it seems that it can give information about the cooling only for spinels where it is lower than 0.2625. For higher values, it appears related only to the chemistry of the spinels.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12885","authors":["Davide Lenaz","Birger Schmitz"],"tags":["Achondrite","Meteorite","Chromite","Spinel","Olivine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-05-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12885","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W4376959312","name":"Quantitative Mineralogy of Planetary Silicate Ternary Mixtures Using Raman Spectroscopy","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract A 532‐nm‐excited lunar Raman spectrometer (LRS) has been selected as a scientific payload of the Chang'e‐7 mission, exploring mineralogy assemblages in the lunar south polar region. However, the quantification of dark‐colored silicate minerals via Raman spectroscopy is an urgent requirement for upcoming Raman applications in future lunar and planetary explorations. Therefore, we conducted detailed laboratory studies on the Raman quantification of lunar silicate minerals using ternary mixtures of feldspar, olivine, and augite. Quantitative models were established employing the observed linear relationship between Raman integrated intensities and mineral proportions. The significant correlation coefficients (>0.94) and small RMSE (≤4.20 wt.%) confirmed the performance of these models. A series of methods (multipoint sampling, multispectral averaging, peak area extraction, and spectral parameter ratios) were jointly used to ensure that the models were not significantly affected by crystal orientation, chemical inhomogeneity, and instruments. Factors (σ2/σ1) describing the relative Raman scattering cross sections were introduced to calibrate the Raman counts. Our results indicated that the relative Raman scattering efficiency of feldspar, olivine, and augite is 1.4:2.4:1, which can be used to improve the quantitative accuracy of the point‐counting method if polymineralic mixing spectra are dominant. The models were validated across different samples using laboratory mixtures and lunar soil (CE5C0600). The lithology of the Chang'e‐5 soils is basaltic/gabbroic according to the quantitative mineralogy returned from our models that is consistent with the results from traditional methods. This research will be of particular significance for accurately determining the mineral abundances for Chang'e‐7 and other planetary missions. As such, crucial information can be inferred to understand the geological evolution of the exploration regions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023ea002825","authors":["Xiaobin Qi","Zongcheng Ling","Ping Liu","Jian Chen","Haijun Cao","Changqing Liu","Xiaoyu Wang","Yiheng Liu"],"tags":["Augite","Raman spectroscopy","Feldspar","Silicate","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023ea002825","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1992743732","name":"On the origin of shocked and unshocked CM clasts in H‐chondrite regolith breccias","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— CM chondrite clasts that have experienced different degrees of aqueous alteration occur in H‐chondrite and HED meteorite breccias. Many clasts are fragments of essentially unshocked CM projectiles that accreted at low relative velocities to the regoliths of these parent bodies. A few clasts were heated and dehydrated upon impact; these objects most likely accreted at higher relative velocities. We examined three clasts and explored alternative scenarios for their formation. In the first scenario, we assumed that the H and HED parent bodies had diameters of a few hundred kilometers, so that their high escape velocities would effectively prevent soft landings of small CM projectiles. This would imply that weakly shocked CM clasts formed on asteroidal fragments (family members) associated with the H and HED parent bodies. In the second scenario, we assumed that weakly shocked CM clasts were spall products ejected at low velocities from larger CM projectiles when they slammed into the H and HED parent bodies. In both cases, if most CM clasts turn out to have ancient ages (e.g., ˜3.4‐4.1 Ga), a plausible source for their progenitors would be outer main belt objects, some which may have been dynamically implanted 3.9 Ga ago by the events described in the so‐called “Nice model.” On the other hand, if most CM clasts have recent ages (<200 Ma), a plausible source location for their parent body would be the inner main belt between 2.1–2.2 AU. In that case, the possible source of the CM‐clasts' progenitors' parent fragments would be the breakup ˜160 Ma ago of the parent body 170 km in diameter of the Baptistina asteroid family (BAF).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb00764.x","authors":["Alan E. Rubin","W. F. Bottke"],"tags":["Breccia","Parent body","Clastic rock","Regolith","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb00764.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2892732999","name":"Multiview Shape‐From‐Shading for Planetary Images","source":"openalex","abstract":"We propose and validate an algorithm for shape‐from‐shading that works for planetary data, with multiple input images, realistic camera models, non‐Lambertian reflectance, variable albedo, uncertain camera positions and orientations, low angles of illumination, and shadows. The algorithm begins with images and existing terrain data (provided by stereogrammetry, lidar data, or even just a flat surface) which is then optimized. We show that shape‐from‐shading is able to recover more detail than obtained from stereo alone while eliminating stereo numerical artifacts and improving the terrain accuracy. Our software implementation is released under an open‐source license as part of the NASA Ames Stereo Pipeline.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2018ea000390","authors":["Oleg Alexandrov","R. A. Beyer"],"tags":["Photometric stereo","Computer vision","Computer science","Artificial intelligence","Shading"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-09-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2018ea000390","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W3020291160","name":"QEMSCAN as a Method of Semi-Automated Crystal Size Distribution Analysis: Insights from Apollo 15 Mare Basalts","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Crystal size distribution analysis is a non-destructive, quantitative method providing insights into the crystallization histories of magmas. Traditional crystal size distribution data collection requires the manual tracing of crystal boundaries within a sample from a digital image. Although this manual method requires minimal equipment to perform, the process is often time-intensive. In this study we investigate the feasibility of using the Quantitative Evaluation of Minerals by SCANing electron microscopy (QEMSCAN) software for semi-automated crystal size distribution analysis. Four Apollo 15 mare basalt thin sections were analysed using both manual and QEMSCAN crystal size distribution data collection methods. In most cases we observe an offset between the crystal size distribution plots produced by QEMSCAN methods compared with the manual data, leading to differences in calculated crystal residence times and nucleation densities. The source of the discrepancy is two-fold: (1) the touching particles processor in the QEMSCAN software is prone to segmenting overlapping elongate crystals into multiple smaller crystals; (2) this segmentation of elongate crystals causes estimates of true 3D crystal habit to vary between QEMSCAN and manual data. The reliability of the QESMCAN data appears to be a function of the crystal texture and average crystal shape, both of which influence the performance of the touching particles processor. Despite these limitations, QEMSCAN is able to produce broadly similar overall trends in crystal size distribution plots to the manual approach, in a considerably shorter time frame. If an accurate crystal size distribution is required to calculate crystal residence time or nucleation density, we recommend that QEMSCAN should only be used after careful consideration of the suitability of the sample texture and average crystal shape.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/petrology/egaa047","authors":["S. K. Bell","K. H. Joy","J. F. Pernet‐Fisher","Margaret Hartley"],"tags":["Crystal (programming language)","Nucleation","Computer science","Segmentation","Crystallization"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/petrology/egaa047","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2073690382","name":"New noble gas data of primitive and differentiated achondrites including Northwest Africa 011 and Tafassasset","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— This work reports on the noble gas inventory of 3 new acapulcoites, 3 brachinites, 2 new eucrites from the Dar al Gani region in Libya, the unique achondrite Dar al Gani (DaG) 896 from the same locality, the new eucrite‐like achondrite Northwest Africa (NWA) 011, and the controversial sample Tafassasset. We determined cosmic ray exposure and gas retention ages, evaluated shielding conditions, and discuss the trapped noble gas component of the specimens. All exposure ages are within the known range of stony meteorites and partly confirm previously established age clusters. Shielding conditions vary, suggesting substantial shielding for all 3 brachinites and Tafassasset. We cannot exclude, however, that the Mg‐rich composition of brachinites simply simulates heavy shielding. Regarding the trapped component, we found Q‐like compositions only for the acapulcoite Thiel Mountains (TIL) 99002. The brachinite Elephant Moraine (EET) 99402 yields a high, subsolar 36Ar/132Xe ratio of ˜400 along with a slightly elevated 84Kr/132atio, indicating minor atmospheric contamination. All the other samples, particularly the eucrite DaG 983, are characterized by clearly elevated Ar/Kr/Xe ratios due to significant terrestrial alteration. Tafassasset exhibits noble gas parameters that are different from those of CR chondrites, including a relatively high cosmic ray exposure age, the absence of a solar component, low 132Xe concentrations, a low trapped 36Ar/132Xe ratio of ˜30, and a noticeable amount of radiogenic 129Xe. Similar attributes have been observed for some primitive achondrites. These attributes are also consistent with the metamorphic character of the sample. We, therefore, consider Tafassasset's noble gas record to be inconclusive as to its classification (primitive achondrite versus metamorphosed CR chondrite).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00252.x","authors":["A. Patzer","Ludolf Schultz","L. Franke"],"tags":["Achondrite","Noble gas","Meteorite","Radiogenic nuclide","Parent body"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00252.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W3011387106","name":"Constraints on Earth System Functioning at the Paleocene‐Eocene Thermal Maximum From the Marine Silicon Cycle","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Paleocene‐Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM, ca. 56 Ma) is marked by a negative carbon isotope excursion (CIE) and increased global temperatures. The CIE is thought to result from the release of 13 C‐depleted carbon, although the source(s) of carbon and triggers for its release, its rate of release, and the mechanisms by which the Earth system recovered are all debated. Many of the proposed mechanisms for the onset and recovery phases of the PETM make testable predictions about the marine silica cycle, making silicon isotope records a promising tool to address open questions about the PETM. We analyzed silicon isotope ratios (δ 30 Si) in radiolarian tests and sponge spicules from the Western North Atlantic (ODP Site 1051) across the PETM. Radiolarian δ 30 Si decreases by 0.6‰ from a background of 1‰ coeval with the CIE, while sponge δ 30 Si remains consistent at 0.2‰. Using a box model to test the Si cycle response to various scenarios, we find the data are best explained by a weak silicate weathering feedback, implying the recovery was mostly driven by nondiatom organic carbon burial, the other major long‐term carbon sink. We find no resolvable evidence for a volcanic trigger for carbon release, or for a change in regional oceanography. Better understanding of radiolarian Si isotope fractionation and more Si isotope records spanning the PETM are needed to confirm the global validity of these conclusions, but they highlight how the coupling between the silica and carbon cycles can be exploited to yield insight into the functioning of the Earth system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2020pa003873","authors":["Guillaume Fontorbe","Patrick Frings","Christina L. De La Rocha","Katharine Hendry","Daniel J. Conley"],"tags":["Carbon cycle","Isotopes of carbon","Geology","Carbon fibers","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2020pa003873","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W1964100344","name":"Experimental fossilisation of viruses from extremophilic Archaea","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. The role of viruses at different stages of the origin of life has recently been reconsidered. It appears that viruses may have accompanied the earliest forms of life, allowing the transition from an RNA to a DNA world and possibly being involved in the shaping of tree of life in the three domains that we know presently. In addition, a large variety of viruses has been recently identified in extreme environments, hosted by extremophilic microorganisms, in ecosystems considered as analogues to those of the early Earth. Traces of life on the early Earth were preserved by the precipitation of silica on the organic structures. We present the results of the first experimental fossilisation by silica of viruses from extremophilic Archaea (SIRV2 – Sulfolobus islandicus rod-shaped virus 2, TPV1 – Thermococcus prieurii virus 1, and PAV1 – Pyrococcus abyssi virus 1). Our results confirm that viruses can be fossilised, with silica precipitating on the different viral structures (proteins, envelope) over several months in a manner similar to that of other experimentally and naturally fossilised microorganisms. This study thus suggests that viral remains or traces could be preserved in the rock record although their identification may be challenging due to the small size of the viral particles.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-8-1465-2011","authors":["François Orange","A. Chabin","Aurore Gorlas","Soizick Lucas‐Staat","Claire Geslin","M. Le Romancer","David Prangishvili","Patrick Forterre","Francès Westall"],"tags":["Archaea","Biology","Sulfolobus","Virus","Abiogenesis"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-06-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-8-1465-2011","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2082507146","name":"Strontium and neodymium isotopic study of Libyan Desert Glass: Inherited Pan‐African age signatures and new evidence for target material","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Libyan Desert Glass (LDG) is an impact‐related, natural glass of still unknown target material. We have determined Rb‐Sr and Sm‐Nd isotopic ratios from seven LDG samples and five associated sandstones from the LDG strewn field in the Great Sand Sea, western Egypt. Planar deformation features were recently detected in quartz from these sandstones. 87Sr/86Sr ratios and ∍‐Nd values for LDG range between 0.71219 and 0.71344, and between –16.6 and –17.8, respectively, and hence are distinct from the less radiogenic 87Sr/86Sr ratios of 0.70910–0.71053 and ∍‐Nd values from –6.9 to –9.6 for the local sandstones from the LDG strewn field. Previously published isotopic ratios from the Libyan BP and Oasis crater sandstones are generally incompatible with our LDG values. LDG formation undoubtedly occurred at 29 Ma, but neither the Rb‐Sr nor the Sm‐Nd isotopic system were rehomogenised during the impact event, as we can deduce from Pan‐African ages of ˜540 Ma determined from the regression lines from a total of 14 LDG samples from this work and the literature. Together with similar Sr and Nd isotopic values for LDG and granitoid rocks from northeast Africa west of the Nile, these findings point to a sandy matrix target material for the LDG derived from a Precambrian crystalline basement, ruling out the Cretaceous sandstones of the former “Nubian Group” as possible precursors for LDG.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2002.tb00839.x","authors":["Peter Schaaf","D. Müller‐Sohnius"],"tags":["Geology","Precambrian","Plagioclase","Geochemistry","Radiogenic nuclide"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2002.tb00839.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.230Z"},{"id":"oa:W2085407808","name":"The Canyon Diablo impact event: Projectile motion through the atmosphere","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Meteor Crater is one of the first impact structures systematically studied on Earth. Its location in arid northern Arizona has been ideal for the preservation of the structure and the surviving meteoric material. The recovery of a large amount of meteoritic material in and around the crater has allowed a rough reconstruction of the impact event: an iron object 50 m in diameter impacted the Earth's surface after breaking up in the atmosphere. The details of the disruption, however, are still debated. The final crater morphology (deep, bowl‐shaped crater) rules out the formation of the crater by an open or dispersed swarm of fragments, in which the ratio of swarm radius to initial projectile radius Cd is larger than 3 (the final crater results from the sum of the craters formed by individual fragments). On the other hand, the lack of significant impact melt in the crater has been used to suggest that the impactor was slowed down to 12 km/s by the atmosphere, implying significant fragmentation and fragments' separation up to 4 initial radii. This paper focuses on the problem of entry and motion through the atmosphere for a possible Canyon Diablo impactor as a first but necessary step for constraining the initial conditions of the impact event which created Meteor Crater. After evaluating typical models used to investigate meteoroid disruption, such as the pancake and separated fragment models, we have carried out a series of hydrodynamic simulations using the 3D code SOVA to model the impactor flight through the atmosphere, both as a continuum object and a disrupted swarm. Our results indicate that the most probable pre‐atmospheric mass of the Meteor Crater projectile was in the range of 4.108to 1.2.109kg (equivalent to a sphere 46–66 m in diameter). During the entry process the projectile lost probably 30% to 70% of its mass, mainly because of mechanical ablation and gross fragmentation. Even in the case of a tight swarm of particles (Cd < 3), small fragments can separate from the crater‐forming swarm and land on the plains (tens of km away from the crater) as individual meteorites. Starting from an impactor pre‐atmospheric velocity of ˜18 km/s, which represents an average value for Earth‐crossing asteroids, we find that after disruption, the most probable impact velocity at the Earth's surface for a tight swarm is around 15 km/s or higher. A highly dispersed swarm would result in a much stronger deceleration of the fragments but would produce a final crater much shallower than observed at Meteor Crater.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb00715.x","authors":["N. A. Artemieva","E. Pierazzo"],"tags":["Impact crater","Meteoroid","Projectile","Geology","Canyon"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb00715.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W1983646658","name":"Dust formation and evolution in a Ca-Fe-SiO-H2-O2vapour phase condensation experiment and astronomical implications","source":"openalex","abstract":"Here, we report on a kinetically controlled vapour phase condensation experiment using a low-calcium Ca–Fe–SiO–H2–O2 vapour. Under these conditions of extreme disequilibrium, the condensate properties become predictable. They are amorphous solids with (predictable) deep metastable eutectic compositions. This study also shows how chemical evolution of the condensate grains will lead to chemically complex amorphous solids. The highly disordered structure of the deep metastable eutectic condensates is the very key to this predictable chemical evolution to grains with a silicate mineral composition, yet being amorphous. We compare our results with astronomical observations of dust around young stellar objects.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.14703.x","authors":["Frans J. M. Rietmeijer","A. Pun","Joseph A. Nuth"],"tags":["Eutectic system","Metastability","Amorphous solid","Condensation","Silicate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-04-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.14703.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"oa:W2099498660","name":"Establishing the link between the Chesapeake Bay impact structure and the North American tektite strewn field: The Sr-Nd isotopic evidence","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The Chesapeake Bay impact structure, which is about 35 Ma old, has previously been proposed as the possible source crater of the North American tektites (NAT). Here we report major and trace element data as well as the first Sr-Nd isotope data for drill core and outcrop samples of target lithologies, crater fill breccias, and post-impact sediments of the Chesapeake Bay impact structure. The unconsolidated sediments, Cretaceous to middle Eocene in age, have ∍Srt = 35.7 Ma of +54 to +272, and ∍Ndt = 35.7 Ma ranging from −6.5 to −10.8; one sample from the granitic basement with a TNdCHUR model age of 1.36 Ga yielded an ∍Srt = 35.7 Ma of +188 and an ∍Ndt = 35.7 Ma of −5.7. The Exmore breccia (crater fill) can be explained as a mix of the measured target sediments and the granite, plus an as-yet undetermined component. The post-impact sediments of the Chickahominy formation have slightly higher TNdCHUR model ages of about 1.55 Ga, indicating a contribution of some older materials. Newly analyzed bediasites have the following isotope parameters: +104 to +119 (∍Srt = 35.7 Ma), −5.7 (∍Ndt = 35.7 Ma), 0.47 Ga (TSrUR), and 1.15 Ga (TNdCHUR), which is in excellent agreement with previously published data for samples of the NAT strewn field. Target rocks with highly radiogenic Sr isotopic composition, as required for explaining the isotopic characteristics of Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) site 612 tektites, were not among the analyzed sample suite. Based on the new isotope data, we exclude any relation between the NA tektites and the Popigai impact crater, although they have identical ages within 2s̀ errors. The Chesapeake Bay structure, however, is now clearly constrained as the source crater for the North American tektites, although the present data set obviously does not include all target lithologies that have contributed to the composition of the tektites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2006.tb00985.x","authors":["A. Deutsch","Christian Koeberl"],"tags":["Geology","Impact crater","Breccia","Impact structure","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2006.tb00985.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"oa:W2064364806","name":"Noble gases and nitrogen in Muong Nong tektites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Three samples of Muong Nong tektites have been studied for N and noble gases. The isotopic composition of noble gases is airlike. The noble gas amounts are much higher in Muong Nong tektites than in splash‐form tektites. As compared to air, He and Ne have been enriched, most likely due to inward diffuion from ambient air, subsequent to glass formation. Nitrogen contents range from 0.3 to 1.34 ppm, with a non‐atmospheric δ15N ranging from 8 to 17%. The release pattern of δ15N clearly shows the presence of two N components. Higher N/36Ar values than those of air, together with positive δ15N, show that a major portion of N in Muong Nong tektites is a remnant from the sedimentary source material.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1997.tb01553.x","authors":["S. V. S. Murty"],"tags":["Noble gas","Nitrogen","Sedimentary rock","Geochemistry","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1997.tb01553.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"oa:W3173474788","name":"Microbially Induced Carbonate Precipitation Techniques for the Remediation of Heavy Metal and Trace Element–Polluted Soils and Water","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-021-05206-z","authors":["Xue Chen","Dan Zhang","Steven L. Larson","John H. Ballard","Heather M. Knotek-Smith","Jing Nie","Nan Hu","Dexin Ding","Fengxiang X. Han"],"tags":["Biogeochemical cycle","Environmental chemistry","Biomineralization","Environmental remediation","Extracellular polymeric substance"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-06-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-021-05206-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"oa:W1971187580","name":"Shergottites Dhofar 019, SaU 005, Shergotty, and Zagami: 40Ar‐39Ar chronology and trapped Martian atmospheric and interior argon","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— We report a high‐resolution 40Ar‐39Ar study of mineral separates and whole‐rock samples of olivine‐phyric (Dhofar 019, Sayh al Uhaymir [SaU] 005) and basaltic (Shergotty, Zagami) shergottites. Excess argon is present in all samples. The highest (40Ar/36Ar)trapped ratios are found for argon in pyroxene melt inclusions (˜1500), maskelynite (˜1200), impact glass (˜1800) of Shergotty and impact glass of SaU 005 (˜1200). A high (40Ar/36Ar)trapped component‐usually uniquely ascribed to Martian atmosphere‐can also originate from the Martian interior, indicating a heterogeneous Martian mantle composition. As additional explanation of variable high (40Ar/36Ar)trapped ratios in shocked shergottites, we suggest argon implantation from a “transient atmosphere” during impact induced degassing. The best 40Ar‐39Ar age estimate for Dhofar 019 is 642 ± 72 Ma (maskelynite). SaU 005 samples are between 700–900 Ma old. Relatively high 40Ar‐39Ar ages of melt inclusions within Dhofar 019 (1086 ± 252 Ma) and SaU 005 olivine (885 ± 66 Ma) could date entrapment of a magmatic liquid during early olivine crystallization, or reflect unrecognized excess 40Ar components. The youngest 40Ar‐39Ar age of Shergotty separates (maskelynite) is ˜370 Ma, that of Zagami is ˜200 Ma. The 40Ar‐39Ar chronology of Dhofar 019 and SaU 005 indicate >1 Ga ages. Apparent ages uncorrected for trapped (e.g., Martian atmosphere, mantle) argon components approach 4.5 Ga, but are not caused by inherited 40Ar, because excess 40Ar is supported by 36Artrapped. Young ages obtained by 40Ar‐39Ar and other chronometers argue for primary rather than secondary events. The cosmic ray exposure ages calculated from cosmogenic argon are 15.7 ± 0.7 Ma (Dhofar 019), 1.0–1.6 Ma (SaU 005), 2.1–2.5 Ma (Shergotty) and 2.2–3.0 Ma (Zagami).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb00735.x","authors":["E. V. Korochantseva","M. Trieloff","А. И. Буйкин","J. Hopp"],"tags":["Geology","Martian","Argon","Mantle (geology)","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb00735.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"oa:W1974834330","name":"Microfluidic chips for chirality exploration","source":"openalex","abstract":"Microfluidic chips applied to the investigation of chirality allow reaction, separation and analysis of minuscule amounts of enantiomeric molecules. Chiral chip technology is employed in fields as diverse as pharmaceutical high throughput screening and deep space exploration missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/ac200150w","authors":["Stefan Nagl","Philipp Schulze","Stefan Ohla","Reinhild Beyreiß","Leonid Gitlin","Detlev Belder"],"tags":["Chirality (physics)","Chemistry","Microfluidics","Nanotechnology","Microfluidic chip"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-03-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/ac200150w","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"oa:W4385247328","name":"Biocontrol of fungal phytopathogens by Bacillus pumilus","source":"openalex","abstract":"Plant growth-promoting bacteria are one of the most interesting methods of controlling fungal phytopathogens. These bacteria can participate in biocontrol via a variety of mechanisms including lipopeptide production, hydrolytic enzymes (e.g., chitinase, cellulases, glucanase) production, microbial volatile organic compounds (mVOCs) production, and induced systemic resistance (ISR) triggering. Among the bacterial genera most frequently studied in this aspect are Bacillus spp. including Bacillus pumilus . Due to the range of biocontrol traits, B. pumilus is one of the most interesting members of Bacillus spp. that can be used in the biocontrol of fungal phytopathogens. So far, a number of B. pumilus strains that exhibit biocontrol properties against fungal phytopathogens have been described, e.g., B. pumilus HR10, PTB180, B. pumilus SS-10.7, B. pumilus MCB-7, B. pumilus INR7, B. pumilus SE52, SE34, SE49, B. pumilus RST25, B. pumilus JK-SX001, and B. pumilus KUDC1732. B. pumilus strains are capable of suppressing phytopathogens such as Arthrobotrys conoides , Fusarium solani , Fusarium oxysporum , Sclerotinia sclerotiorum , Rhizoctonia solani , and Fagopyrum esculentum . Importantly, B. pumilus can promote plant growth regardless of whether it alters the native microbiota or not. However, in order to increase its efficacy, research is still needed to clarify the relationship between the native microbiota and B. pumilus . Despite that, it can already be concluded that B. pumilus strains are good candidates to be environmentally friendly and commercially effective biocontrol agents.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1194606","authors":["Jakub Dobrzyński","Zuzanna Jakubowska","Iryna Kulkova","Paweł Kowalczyk","Karol Kramkowski"],"tags":["Bacillus pumilus","Biology","Rhizoctonia solani","Microbiology","Fusarium oxysporum"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1194606","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"oa:W2586667265","name":"Sea ice, extremophiles and life on extra-terrestrial ocean worlds","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The primary aim of this review is to highlight that sea-ice microbes would be capable of occupying ice-associated biological niches on Europa and Enceladus. These moons are compelling targets for astrobiological exploration because of the inferred presence of subsurface oceans that have persisted over geological timescales. Although potentially hostile to life in general, Europa and Enceladus may still harbour biologically permissive domains associated with the ice, ocean and seafloor environments. However, validating sources of free energy is challenging, as is qualifying possible metabolic processes or ecosystem dynamics. Here, the capacity for biological adaptation exhibited by microorganisms that inhabit sea ice is reviewed. These ecosystems are among the most relevant Earth-based analogues for considering life on ocean worlds because microorganisms must adapt to multiple physicochemical extremes. In future, these organisms will likely play a significant role in defining the constraints on habitability beyond Earth and developing a mechanistic framework that contrasts the limits of Earth's biosphere with extra-terrestrial environments of interest.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550416000483","authors":["Andrew Martin","Andrew McMinn"],"tags":["Enceladus","Astrobiology","Habitability","Biosphere","Ecosystem"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-02-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550416000483","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"oa:W2605158044","name":"Unmelted cosmic metal particles in the Indian Ocean","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Fe‐Ni metal is a common constituent of most meteorites and is an indicator of the thermal history of the respective meteorites, it is a diagnostic tool to distinguish between groups/subgroups of meteorites. In spite of over a million micrometeorites collected from various domains, reports of pure metallic particles among micrometeorites have been extremely rare. We report here the finding of a variety of cosmic metal particles such as kamacite, plessite, taenite, and Fe‐Ni beads from deep‐sea sediments of the Indian Ocean, a majority of which have entered the Earth unaffected by frictional heating during atmospheric entry. Such particles are known as components of meteorites but have never been found as individual entities. Their compositions suggest precursors from a variety of meteorite groups, thus providing an insight into the metal fluxes on the Earth. Some particles have undergone heating and oxidation to different levels during entry developing features similar to I‐type cosmic spherules, suggesting atmospheric processing of individual kamacites/taenite grains as another hitherto unknown source for the I‐type spherules. The particles have undergone postdepositional aqueous alteration transforming finally into the serpentine mineral cronstedtite. Aqueous alteration products of kamacite reflect the local microenvironment, therefore they have the potential to provide information on the composition of water in the solar nebula, on the parent bodies or on surfaces of planetary bodies. Our observations suggest it would take sustained burial in water for tens of thousands of years under cold conditions for kamacites to alter to cronstedtite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12858","authors":["M. Shyam Prasad","N. G. Rudraswami","Agnelo Alexandre de Araujo","V. D. Khedekar"],"tags":["Meteorite","Kamacite","Astrobiology","Parent body","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-04-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12858","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"oa:W1562771900","name":"Xenoliths and microxenoliths in H chondrites: Sampling the zodiacal cloud in the asteroid Main Belt","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– Xenoliths are inclusions of a given meteorite group embedded in host meteorites of a different group. Xenoliths with dimensions between a few μm and about 1 mm (microxenoliths) are “meteorite‐trapped” analogues of micrometeorites collected on the Earth. However, they have the unique features of sampling the zodiacal cloud (1) at more ancient times than those sampled by micrometeorites and (2) at larger distances from the Sun (corresponding to the asteroid Main Belt) than that sampled by micrometeorites (1 AU). Herein we describe a systematic search for new xenoliths and microxenoliths in H chondrites, aimed at determining their abundance in these ordinary chondrites, analyzing their mineralogy, and searching for possible correlations with host meteorite properties. Sixty‐six sections from 40 meteorites have been analyzed. Twenty‐four new xenoliths have been discovered. About 87% of them are microxenoliths (i.e., <1 mm), only three are >1 mm in their largest dimension. All the newly discovered xenoliths and microxenoliths are composed of carbonaceous chondritic material. Hence, the zodiacal cloud was dominated by carbonaceous material even in past epochs. All the new xenoliths and microxenoliths have been found in regolith breccias. Hydrous‐phase‐rich xenoliths and microxenoliths in H4 and H5 chondrites attest that their embedding happened after the end of the thermal metamorphism. All these data suggest that xenoliths and microxenoliths were embedded when their host meteorites were part of the parent body regolith. This, combined with the H chondrite impact age distribution, attests that the embedding may have happened as early as 3.5 Gyr ago.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2012.01367.x","authors":["G. Briani","M. Gounelle","M. Bourot-Denise","M. E. Zolensky"],"tags":["Meteorite","Xenolith","Chondrite","Zodiacal light","Regolith"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2012.01367.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2081551078","name":"The historical record in the Scaglia limestone at Gubbio: magnetic reversals and the Cretaceous‐Tertiary mass extinction","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Scaglia limestone in the Umbria‐Marche Apennines, well‐exposed in the Gubbio area, offered an unusual opportunity to stratigraphers. It is a deep‐water limestone carrying an unparalleled historical record of the Late Cretaceous and Palaeogene, undisturbed by erosional gaps. The Scaglia is a pelagic sediment largely composed of calcareous plankton (calcareous nannofossils and planktonic foraminifera), the best available tool for dating and long‐distance correlation. In the 1970s it was recognized that these pelagic limestones carry a record of the reversals of the magnetic field. Abundant planktonic foraminifera made it possible to date the reversals from 80 to 50 Ma, and subsequent studies of related pelagic limestones allowed the micropalaeontological calibration of more than 100 Myr of geomagnetic polarity stratigraphy, from ca 137 to ca 23 Ma. Some parts of the section also contain datable volcanic ash layers, allowing numerical age calibration of the reversal and micropalaeontological time scales. The reversal sequence determined from the Italian pelagic limestones was used to date the marine magnetic anomaly sequence, thus putting ages on the reconstructed maps of continental positions since the breakup of Pangaea. The Gubbio Scaglia also contains an apparently continuous record across the Cretaceous–Tertiary boundary, which was thought in the 1970s to be marked everywhere in the world by a hiatus. A geochemical study of the Gubbio Cretaceous–Tertiary boundary accidentally uncovered an unexpectedly large concentration of iridium in the boundary clay, providing the first evidence for a large comet or asteroid impact at the time of the Cretaceous–Tertiary mass extinction. The sudden foraminiferal extinction in the essentially complete Gubbio Scaglia showed that the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction was a catastrophic event. After publication of the Gubbio Cretaceous–Tertiary iridium anomaly in 1980, a decade followed in which more and more evidence for a catastrophic impact challenged the traditional uniformitarian viewpoint of geologists. In 1991, the impact site was discovered at Chicxulub, in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico. The Gubbio area has thus emerged as a classical geological locality. It has been critical in the development of geomagnetic reversal stratigraphy, a third system for dating Earth history, complementing biostratigraphy and radiometric age dating. Gubbio was also central to the recognition that occasional catastrophic events like great impacts require a rejection of strict uniformitarianism.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3091.2008.01010.x","authors":["Walter Álvarez"],"tags":["Geology","Paleontology","Cretaceous","Foraminifera","Pelagic sediment"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-11-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3091.2008.01010.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"oa:W2288824336","name":"An occurrence of tuite, γ‐Ca3( PO 4)2, partly transformed from Ca‐phosphates in the Suizhou meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Tuite is a high‐pressure γ‐form of Ca3(PO4)2. An occurrence of tuite partly transformed from merrillite and chlorapatite was observed in the chondritic area adjacent to the shock veins in the Suizhou meteorite. Tuite grains are found in contact with both merrillite and chlorapatite, indicating two different transformation pathways. Tuite isochemically transformed from merrillite contains much higher contents of Na2O and MgO than those transformed from chlorapatite. Tuite transformed from merrillite does not contain Cl, but tuite transformed from chlorapatite contains 1.90–3.91 wt% of Cl, hence indicating an incomplete phase transformation from chlorapatite to tuite. P‐T conditions of above 12 GPa and 1100 °C are probably required for the transformation from merrillite and chlorapatite to tuite. A temperature gradient from the hot vein at 2000 °C to the surrounding chondritic area at 1000 °C corresponds to the partial phase transitions in the Suizhou phosphates. Fast cooling of the thin shock veins plays a key role in the preservation of phosphates that suffered partial high‐pressure phase transformation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12577","authors":["Xiande Xie","Xiangping Gu","Ming Chen"],"tags":["Transformation (genetics)","Phase (matter)","Chemistry","Thermal shock","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-12-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12577","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2061921280","name":"Isotopic compositions of different presolar silicon carbide size fractions from the Murchison meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— We report measurements of isotopic ratios of C, N, Mg, Si, Ca, Ti, Cr, and Fe in bulk samples (aggregates of many grains) of up to seven different fractions of silicon carbide (SiC), ranging from 0.38 to 3.0μm in diameter, from the Murchison CM2 carbonaceous chondrite. Ratios of 12C/13C range from 37 to 42 and 14N/15N ratios from 370 to 520, within the range of single‐grain measurements on coarser samples and in agreement with an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star origin of most of the grains. Variations among size fractions do not show any simple trend and can be explained by varying contamination with isotopically normal material. Silicon isotopic ratios vary only little and, with one exception, lie to the right of the singlegrain mainstream correlation line. This might indicate a higher percentage of the minor populations Y and Z among finer grain‐size fractions. All bulk samples have large 26Mg excesses attributed to the presence of short‐lived 26Al at the time of grain formation. Inferred 26Al/27Al ratios are much larger than those measured in single larger mainstream grains. This is probably because of the presence of SiC grains of type X; we obtain an estimate of 0.4 for their 26Al/27Al ratio. Our Ca‐isotopic measurements, the first made on presolar SiC grains, show excesses in 42Ca and 43Ca, which is in general agreement with theoretical expectations for AGB stars. Calcium‐44 excesses are much larger than expected and are probably because of X grains, which have high44Ca excesses because of the decay of short‐lived 44Ti produced in supernova explosions. We arrive at an estimate of 0.014 for the initial 44Ti/48Ti ratio of the X grains, within the range obtained from previous single X grain measurements. The Ti‐isotopic ratios of the bulk samples show a V‐shaped pattern with excesses of all isotopes relative to 48Ti. Isotopes 46Ti, 47Ti, and 50Ti show excesses relative to the correlation between Ti and Si ratios for single grains and are in general agreement with theoretical models of s‐process nucleosynthesis in AGB stars. In contrast, 49Ti does not show any excess relative to the singlegrain data; it also fails to agree with theory, which predicts much larger excesses than observed. Measured 53Cr/52Cr and 57Fe/56Fe ratios are normal within errors. The first result is expected even for Cr in AGB star envelopes, but the second result suggests that most of the Fe analyzed originates from contamination. We have found no simple trends in isotopic composition with respect to grain size that can be interpreted in terms of nucleosynthetic origin, unlike the results for Kr, Xe, Ba, and Sr.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01488.x","authors":["S. Amari","E. Zinner","R. S. Lewis"],"tags":["Murchison meteorite","Presolar grains","Chondrite","Meteorite","Grain size"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01488.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W3005238439","name":"Partial amorphization of experimentally shocked plagioclase: A spectroscopic study","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Shock amorphization of plagioclase, from partial to complete, has been used to evaluate the degree of shock in meteorites. Important information on the shock amplitude can be derived from the measurement of the refractive index in plagioclase, either from mineral separates or in petrographic thin sections. However, this technique is time‐consuming, and associated sample preparations are considered destructive and are not always possible for precious and rare meteorite samples. In addition, plagioclase amorphization is commonly inhomogeneous at the sample scale and a statistically meaningful number of grains must be considered. Here, we apply several nondestructive spectroscopic techniques, such as Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence, and cathodoluminescence, to plagioclase experimentally shocked at 28 GPa, and thus in the transition regime between crystalline plagioclase and fully amorphous material. Most of the plagioclase was transformed into diaplectic glass at 28 GPa, yet some grains exhibit heterogeneously distributed crystalline domains. This confirms that intrinsic and extrinsic factors lead to local variations in the intensity of the shock pressure within individual plagioclase crystals of homogeneous composition. The amorphization of plagioclase can qualitatively (and potentially also quantitatively) be investigated by spectroscopic techniques, highlighting such local variations in the shock efficiency.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13445","authors":["Lidia Pittarello","J. Fritz","J. Roszjar","Christoph Lenz","Chutimun Chanmuang N.","Christian Koeberl"],"tags":["Plagioclase","Meteorite","Materials science","Mineralogy","Olivine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-02-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13445","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.2026-3010.c1","name":"WITHDRAWAL: Ice-Depth Measurement for Extraterrestrial Application","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2026-3010.c1","authors":["Trevor Valentine"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-10T18:53:22Z","doi":"10.2514/6.2026-3010.c1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.2026-3109","name":"Collaborative Space Governance: Applying Parrot Kindergarten Empirical Algorithms to Extraterrestrial Communication Protocols","source":"crossref","abstract":"As space systems mature, and human exploration and exploitation of resources like the Moon, and in time, more distant planets, soon become routine, this could attract attentions of other space faring, intelligent life. Consequently, the need to develop trust-building and amiable rapport First Contact protocols that can expedite and mediate communicative interactions similarly grow paramount. Over the span of a decade, the second author, an animal communications researcher, developed a species-agnostic, empirically derived framework for mediated communication across a framework for mediated inter-species communication. The framework enables structured, testable communication through voluntary interactions, shared meaning-making symbols, corroboration and iterative construction, independent of similarity in language, and has been has been explored across multiple species, with early evidence suggesting consistent patterns, spanning sizes and habitats and etiologies. Early cross-species research additionally demonstrates the framework produces consistent performance patterns in corroboration rates and decision structures under constrained interface conditions across multiple animal species, potentiating it as a meaning-making interface with novel new species—most particularly in First Contact scenarios. This paper proffers a synergy of a novel propellant system, in development by the lead author, along-side a rapport feature that is directly relevant to what may become part of “Collaborative Space Governance”, and that is recognizing the science of Xenolinguistics (languages of extraterrestrial beings). This paper discusses both the development of a propellant system and the hypothetical correlations that can be developed to capture empirical algorithms applied to early encounters utilizing the communication framework in Parrot Kindergarten. This can be accomplished via pragmatic analysis of the second author’s construct to teach one species--a parrot—to communicate functionally with tablet-based speech board as well as emergent literacy skills by way of sound-text correspondence and reading comprehension. These protocols are all captured by a movie called “Parrot Kindergarten”, where a parrot learns to communicate with their handler, even involving written communication (sometimes even generated by the animal). Discussed is a scrutiny to a preliminary set of mapping linguistic and interaction syntax in mathematical algorithms. All of this will be derived from mapping the observed behavior of the parrot learning to communicate across multiple modalities (tablet device, word cards, and parrot-generated written text), and the human following predictable patterns and context adjustments, to effectively conduct a successful communication learning experience that would be recognized and understood as context by aliens.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2026-3109","authors":["Joseph R. Herdy"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-13T18:55:25Z","doi":"10.2514/6.2026-3109","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00081-6","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00081-6","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-04T11:40:01Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00081-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00803-9","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00803-9","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-28T10:00:01Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00803-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00011-7","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00011-7","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-16T13:00:11Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00011-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00783-6","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00783-6","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-22T07:43:30Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00783-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00766-6","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00766-6","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-19T03:01:17Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00766-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00733-2","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00733-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-04T17:27:15Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(25)00733-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00116-0","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00116-0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-19T12:26:08Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00116-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00038-5","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00038-5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-19T12:13:25Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00038-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00269-4","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00269-4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-27T11:21:18Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00269-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00722-3","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00722-3","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-18T11:40:41Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00722-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00400-0","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00400-0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-30T11:10:53Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00400-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.fmre.2026.08.002","name":"Signs of extraterrestrial life and evolution of habitable environments","source":"openalex","abstract":"definitive Version of Record; we are providing this early version to give early visibility of the article.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fmre.2026.08.002","authors":["Zengqian Hou","Yuming Wang"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Planetary habitability","Search for extraterrestrial intelligence","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-01","doi":"10.1016/j.fmre.2026.08.002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00182-2","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00182-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-19T12:26:25Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00182-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00151-2","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00151-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-05T03:22:29Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00151-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00635-7","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00635-7","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-24T02:41:50Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00635-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00350-x","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00350-x","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-19T15:19:57Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00350-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00227-x","name":"Editorial Board","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00227-x","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-10T15:24:53Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(26)00227-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/9780198945215.003.0232","name":"Beyond Earth, Beyond Control","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract This article examines the ethics of artificial intelligence (AI)-mediated conflict beyond Earth by connecting debates on autonomous weapons, space ethics, bioethics, and feminist and decolonial theory. It advances a skeptical thesis: In outer space, AI does not simply extend human control over warfighting environments but exposes and deepens structural limits to control under conditions of distance, opacity, and irreversibility. This article argues that hopes for algorithmic mastery of orbital and cislunar battlespaces sit uneasily with the fragility of complex socio-technical systems and with the dual-use dependence of civilian life on space infrastructures. Feminist and decolonial perspectives reveal how AI-enabled space militarization tends to reproduce existing patterns of militarism, hierarchy, and exclusion rather than inaugurate a morally improved off-world future. Against longtermist narratives that portray AI-supported space projects as existential insurance for humanity, the article develops an ethics of restraint and responsibility, grounded in space bioethics and the philosophy of technology, and defends a precautionary stance toward highly autonomous weapon systems in extraterrestrial environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/9780198945215.003.0232","authors":["Konrad Szocik"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-01T18:32:24Z","doi":"10.1093/9780198945215.003.0232","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.65161/recb3l5j2rgglkxsd","name":"Mathematical Model for Accessibility of Extraterrestrial Civilizations","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.65161/recb3l5j2rgglkxsd","authors":["Anshul Bera"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-28T08:54:55Z","doi":"10.65161/recb3l5j2rgglkxsd","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0262-4079(26)00415-x","name":"Chemistry clues could be the key to finding extraterrestrial life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0262-4079(26)00415-x","authors":["Alex Wilkins"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-14T00:09:59Z","doi":"10.1016/s0262-4079(26)00415-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech3","name":"History","source":"crossref","abstract":"A brief history of SETI and thought about aliens. Includes a discussion of the plurality of worlds hypothesis in various cultures and early attempts to think about and communicate with other intelligent species in the heavens. The rest of the chapter covers the development of the modern scientific efforts, including the Green Bank Workshop, the Byurakan Conferences, the Order of the Dolphin, Project Cyclops, the rise and fall of American government involvement, and the field's turn to philanthropy.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech3","authors":["Jason T Wright"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-19T09:44:23Z","doi":"10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech19","name":"METI","source":"crossref","abstract":"A discussion of METI or Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence. Begins with a categorization of various METI efforts including whether they are effective, and motivations for METI. Discusses famous METI including the Morse Message, the Pioneer Plaques, the Arecibo Message, and the Golden Records, as well as critiques of these efforts, in particular “who speaks for Earth?'' Discusses and critiques claims that METI is dangerous, and concludes with a discussion of universal message composition.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech19","authors":["Jason T Wright"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-19T09:44:23Z","doi":"10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech19","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-016","name":"13 Theosophy’s Global Trek","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-016","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:25:41Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-016","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1109/aiiot68874.2026.11569524","name":"Development of a Soft Robotic Tendon-Driven Arm for Extraterrestrial Precision Pollination","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/aiiot68874.2026.11569524","authors":["Vihan Aggarwal"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-22T19:53:10Z","doi":"10.1109/aiiot68874.2026.11569524","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-026","name":"23 Heaven’s Gate","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-026","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:31:06Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-026","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-009","name":"6 Andrew Jackson Davis","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-009","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:25:41Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-009","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech1","name":"Introduction","source":"crossref","abstract":"A description of the purpose and scope of the text, and some notes on how to use it in a course. Includes a brief background on the name of the field, its relationship to astrobiology, and SETI as an academic and scientific discipline. It also includes guidelines on how to search and read the SETI literature. Includes an introductory set of exercises for students.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech1","authors":["Jason T Wright"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-19T09:44:23Z","doi":"10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-001","name":"List of Illustrations","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-001","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:25:41Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-319-09575-2_3-1","name":"Exercise Countermeasure Systems on the International Space Station","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09575-2_3-1","authors":["Erik Seedhouse"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-11T11:33:10Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-319-09575-2_3-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech12","name":"Radio Technosignatures","source":"crossref","abstract":"A discussion of searches for radio technosignatures. Begins with a discussion of radio astronomy basics, including the formation of dynamic spectra and barycentric drift.Includes a calculation of sensitivity to spectrally resolved and unresolved signals, and of radio frequency interference and how it can be mitigated. Concludes with a survey of some historic, current, and future searches and the upper limits they have set, and quantifications of their survey speeds. Includes exercises for students.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech12","authors":["Jason T Wright"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-19T09:44:23Z","doi":"10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech12","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/books978-3-7258-6799-8","name":"Clay Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"Clay minerals are fundamental components of sedimentary basins and play a complex, dual role in the petroleum industry. While they are essential constituents of source and reservoir rocks, their unique physicochemical properties often pose significant engineering challenges during drilling, completion, and production.This Special Issue features comprehensive reviews on nanofibrous clays and mechanical inhibitors, alongside original research on novel shale stabilizers and high-temperature drilling fluid composites. Several studies delve into the mechanisms of wellbore instability and reservoir damage, with case studies focusing on the Zhengning oilfield and the Gulong shale oil reservoir in China. Furthermore, the collection addresses critical petrophysical interpretation challenges in high-resistivity shales and glauconite-rich greensand reservoirs, and evaluates the performance of palygorskite as a sustainable extender in cementing operations.By bridging mineralogy with petroleum engineering, this Special Issue provides valuable insights for researchers and industry professionals seeking to optimize drilling performance and improve reservoir management in clay-rich formations. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how to leverage the beneficial properties of clay minerals while mitigating their problematic impacts in the global energy exploration landscape.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-7258-6799-8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-10T08:08:31Z","doi":"10.3390/books978-3-7258-6799-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-021","name":"18 Nation of Islam","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-021","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:25:41Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-021","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech16","name":"Exoplanetary SETI","source":"crossref","abstract":"A description of SETI focused on exoplanets, including the origins of the idea with Owen and Campbell and Galileo observations of Earth. Includes a description of the maximum extent of exoplanetary technosignatures on so-called service worlds, atmospheric technosignatures, surface technosignatures, and the potential for “eavesdropping'' on planet-to-planet communications. Includes exercises for students.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech16","authors":["Jason T Wright"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-19T09:44:23Z","doi":"10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech16","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech5","name":"Schelling Points","source":"crossref","abstract":"A description of Schelling Points in SETI, including a history of the concept, and its various applications to searches for beacons. Includes a discussion of the Water Hole and other “magic frequencies'' in the radio and beyond and the complexities introduced by the Doppler shifts. Also includes a detailed description of proposals for temporal Schelling points (when to look) including the SETI Ellipsiod and the Seto scheme; spatial Schelling points including Ecliptic Plane SETI; and Schelling Points in the Solar System. Includes exercises for students.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech5","authors":["Jason T Wright"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-19T09:44:23Z","doi":"10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-020","name":"17 Moorish Science Temple","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-020","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:25:41Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-020","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109981","name":"Transient dynamics of the mixed potential model during dissolution of minerals and metals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109981","authors":["Frank K. Crundwell"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-01T20:21:43Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109981","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech17","name":"Other Technosignatures","source":"crossref","abstract":"A brief and incomplete survey of technosignatures not covered in other chapters. Includes gravitational wave technosignatures, neutrinos as a communication channel, monumental architecture as a motivation for large or ostentatious technosignatures, galactic scale engineering, technosignatures associated with black holes and neutron stars, and “almost natural'' technosignatures. Includes exercises for students.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech17","authors":["Jason T Wright"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-19T09:44:23Z","doi":"10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech17","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech18","name":"Popular Culture","source":"crossref","abstract":"A discussion of the role of pop culture in shaping public attitudes towards SETI and alien life. Includes a discussion of depictions of aliens throughout literature in travelogues and via stories of “monsters,'' and how popular forms of science fiction depict aliens and why. Also includes a discussion of the role of colonialism and conceptions of “advanced'' or ``superior'' aliens in SETI. Concludes with a discussion of pseudoscientific depictions of aliens and UFOs.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech18","authors":["Jason T Wright"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-19T09:44:23Z","doi":"10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech18","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-319-09575-2_29-1","name":"Protecting Crews from Radiation Using Pharmacological Countermeasures","source":"crossref","abstract":"Of primary concern to mission planners are the health risks associated with the complex environment of space radiation, which evidence suggests will include cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurological deficits, in addition to the possibility of acute radiation syndromes. Because shielding cannot eliminate radiation exposures, pharmacological countermeasures might be essential; however, designated agents have yet to be established. Human datasets on the effects of radiation are limited to acute radiation emergencies, clinical radiotherapy, or occupational exposures. Radiation countermeasures used on Earth include agents that intercept free radicals, aid in symptom management, help restore blood cell counts, or prevent opportunistic infections. Some pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals may prove useful as space radiation countermeasures, but thoughtful experimentation is required to model the complex space radiation environment. Agents can be categorized as radiomodulators (taken prophylactically to increase resistance to radiation-induced damage or mutagenesis), radioprotectants (taken before an acute exposure), and radiomitigators (taken after). Ultimately, a mission’s formulary should be tailored to the quantity and quality of expected radiation exposure (i.e., chronic, low-dose, high-energy, isotropic, and multispecies), with specific deterministic/stochastic and acute/delayed health outcomes in mind. Potential countermeasures must demonstrate safety, efficacy, and stability in spaceflight, and they must meet the biomedical and practical needs of any given mission.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09575-2_29-1","authors":["Nicolas Nelson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-31T03:27:16Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-319-09575-2_29-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-015","name":"12 The Road to Theosophy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-015","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:25:41Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-015","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-014","name":"11 Seventh-Day Adventists","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-014","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:25:41Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-014","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-027","name":"24 The Last Call","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-027","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:25:41Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-027","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.64628/aam.p5ffacdjf","name":"Are aliens real? Scientists have been hunting for extraterrestrial life since the time of Aristotle","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.64628/aam.p5ffacdjf","authors":["Robert Smith"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-16T13:14:06Z","doi":"10.64628/aam.p5ffacdjf","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech15","name":"Infrared SETI","source":"crossref","abstract":"A description of the identification of Dyson Spheres, i.e., large amounts of orbital material around other stars, beginning with Dyson's original idea. Includes a discussion of practical engineering constraints, including why a monolithic sphere is not stable; and of the thermodynamics of Dyson spheres and properties that would optimize thermodynamic and other forms of efficiency. Discusses their observability and the AGENT formalism for parameterizing their properties. Includes a discussion of observing Dyson spheres in transit, in other galaxies, and current observational upper limits. Includes exercises for students.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech15","authors":["Jason T Wright"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-19T09:44:23Z","doi":"10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech15","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-024","name":"21 Ministry of Universal Wisdom","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-024","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:25:41Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-024","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech20","name":"Post-detection Matters","source":"crossref","abstract":"A discussion of post-detection matters, including the concerns of proper post-detection communication, the different kinds of contact and the communication challenges they present, the current “post-detection protocols'' as they arose out of the Billingham workshops. Also includes a discussion of the likely effect on contact on humanity and the Rio scale. Concludes with some case studies on famous false alarms, and a short discussion on “who speaks for Earth.'' Includes exercises for students.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech20","authors":["Jason T Wright"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-19T09:44:23Z","doi":"10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech20","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech14","name":"Solar System Technosignatures","source":"crossref","abstract":"A description of SETI in the Solar System. Begins with a survey of historical claims of technological life on Mars from Lowell to the notorious “Face on Mars.'' Discuses Bracewell's original idea and the benefits of physical transportation of information vs. transmission via photons, as well as other rationales for exploration of the Galaxy via probes. Includes a discussion of the solar gravitational lens and how it might be used for Galactic communication. Concludes with a discussion of how technology orbiting the sun could be identified and distinguished from natural objects via reflected light, and how surface artifacts might be detected. Includes exercises for students.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech14","authors":["Jason T Wright"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-19T09:44:23Z","doi":"10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech14","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech13","name":"Optical Communication Technosignatures","source":"crossref","abstract":"A discussion of searches for radio technosignatures. Begins with a discussion of radio astronomy basics, including the formation of dynamic spectra and barycentric drift.Includes a calculation of sensitivity to spectrally resolved and unresolved signals, and of radio frequency interference and how it can be mitigated. Concludes with a survey of some historic, current, and future searches and the upper limits they have set, and quantifications of their survey speeds. Includes exercises for students.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech13","authors":["Jason T Wright"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-19T09:44:23Z","doi":"10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech13","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.14509/31965","name":"Critical minerals, strategic minerals and minerals in Alaska: A perspective towards future growth (A report to the Alaska State Legislature regarding critical minerals)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.14509/31965","authors":["D.J. Szumigala"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-20T16:37:06Z","doi":"10.14509/31965","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech11","name":"Strategies of SETI","source":"crossref","abstract":"A discussion of the various strategies employed in SETI. Includes a discussion of the principles of communication SETI, including the inverse square law, the benefits of time and frequency compression, and the uncertainty principle. Compares and contrasts many different approaches to SETI. Includes a discussion of the Cosmic Haystack and how to calculate it, and how to weigh the merits of various proposed technosignatures. Includes exercises for students.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech11","authors":["Jason T Wright"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-19T09:44:23Z","doi":"10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech11","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech4","name":"The Big Picture","source":"crossref","abstract":"An outline of the highest-level theoretical frameworks of SETI, including the Catalytic Insight of Modern SETI by Cocconi & Morrison and Drake that launched the modern form of the field; the Kardashev Scale; the ichnoscale; cultural expectations of contact and how we define ``advanced'' technology; and how SETI deals with physics-as-we-don't-know it. Ends with a brief discussion of claims that SETI is not really science. Includes exercises for students.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech4","authors":["Jason T Wright"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-19T09:44:23Z","doi":"10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.2026-110057","name":"Optimization of Rocker–Bogie Suspension Systems for Improved Rover Traversal Speed on Extreme Extraterrestrial Terrain","source":"crossref","abstract":"Planetary rovers face challenges of traversing highly variable terrains on Mars while preserving stability, traction, and structural integrity. The rocker-bogie suspension system has been demonstrated to provide a strong capability to navigate obstacles due to the system's ability to adapt to uneven terrain through a quasi-static, rigid framework, resulting in an inherent limitation on speed. This study aims to create an optimized rocker-bogie suspension system that will enable a rover to traverse terrain faster while maintaining stability, wheel-terrain interaction, and load distribution. Through the development of a parametric model of the rocker-bogie suspension, key parameters related to the geometry were incorporated, including link length, rocker-to-bogie ratio, joint placement, and wheel spacing. The performance of the parametric model will be evaluated against mathematically defined terrain profiles that emulate typical extraterrestrial conditions (e.g., loose regolith, large obstacles, and slopes). The evaluation will consist of dynamic analysis of the distribution of wheel load, trajectory of the center of mass (CoM), tipping margin, and joint forces experienced at maximum velocity. A series of modifications to the rocker-bogie suspension will be examined systematically to maximize speed while simultaneously maintaining stability and traction, including the introduction of tuned compliance, optimization of link geometry, and reduction of unsprung mass. This research provides information required to design a more capable and faster rocker-bogie rover while maintaining its robust features to support future high-speed exploration missions. We anticipate improvements in traversal speed based on parametric optimization of suspension geometry and compliance.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2026-110057","authors":["Emilee Colton","Makayo Cheung","Sumedh Pendyala"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-18T14:00:26Z","doi":"10.2514/6.2026-110057","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech2","name":"Some Astronomy Concepts","source":"crossref","abstract":"Some background material in astronomy and astrophysics that is used later in the text, intended for readers without a strong preparation in astronomy and astrophysics. Covers the basics of the electromagnetic spectrum, radiative transfer, telescopes, measuring brightness, spectroscopy, non-EM messengers, lookback time, distance measurements, the content of the universe, stars, compact objects and active galactic nuclei, planets, and exoplanets. Includes exercises for students.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech2","authors":["Jason T Wright"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-19T09:44:23Z","doi":"10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2645532","name":"Coming Events","source":"crossref","abstract":"NOTICE TO CLUBS—Listing of all shows is a free service provided by ROCKS & MINERALS. Information on upcoming shows must be received at least four months before date of publication. Include date, pl...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2645532","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-07T16:44:04Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2645532","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2670235","name":"Museum Notes","source":"crossref","abstract":"Two meetings of the Society of Mineral Museum Professionals (SMMP) are scheduled for the fall show season: one in conjunction with the Hard Rock Summit (Indoor) Show (10–13 September) in the Denver...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2670235","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-18T16:28:11Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2670235","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.32865/2346/109024","name":"Progressive Evaluation of Maintainability Attribute Interdependencies in Extraterrestrial Habitat Design","source":"crossref","abstract":"The maintainability of extraterrestrial habitats is critical to sustained surface operations yet techniques to ensure it are underdeveloped in space architecture. As missions extend into deep-space and planetary environments characterized by remoteness, environmental hostility, and constrained resupply, habitats must support on-site maintenance by crews and robotic agents operating with limited tools, inventory, and real-time support. Maintainability—understood as the capacity to restore systems efficiently under such constraints—becomes an architectural requirement rather than a downstream operational concern. Maintainability attributes such as modularity, accessibility, standardization, interchangeability, identifiability, and simplicity are typically treated in isolation. Limited attention has been given to their interdependencies, the conditions under which they exhibit synergy or conflict, and how their evaluability evolves as design information matures. As a result, maintainability is often assessed statically, without accounting for stage-dependent uncertainty or system-level interactions during early design. This study introduces and operationalizes a stage-based framework to analyze maintainability attribute interdependencies across system levels and design stages. Using a minimally instantiated planetary surface habitat as a case, we construct attribute interdependency matrices and a stage-based evaluability map to track when and with what confidence attributes and their interactions become assessable at conceptual, preliminary, and detailed stages. The results show that interdependencies are neither fixed nor uniformly observable. Instead, they emerge selectively as spatial zoning, replacement boundaries, and interface concepts collapse shared design degrees of freedom. In particular, interactions concentrate at the preliminary-stage subsystem regime, where multiple attributes become simultaneously constrained and must be jointly managed through design decisions. By synthesizing these patterns into influence bands and a stage-based priority map, the study provides a process-oriented foundation for integrating design for maintainability (DfM) into early space architectural decision-making, enabling more robust and serviceable habitat concepts under autonomous and resource-limited conditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.32865/2346/109024","authors":["Takaharu Igarashi","Karen Marais"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-29T18:24:23Z","doi":"10.32865/2346/109024","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2582437","name":"Coming Events","source":"crossref","abstract":"NOTICE TO CLUBS—Listing of all shows is a free service provided by ROCKS & MINERALS. Information on upcoming shows must be received at least four months before date of publication. Include date, pl...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2582437","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-27T13:38:07Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2582437","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/universe12040115","name":"Cosmic Illuminating Gift: A One-Way Information Box for Extraterrestrial Intelligences","source":"crossref","abstract":"We introduce the concept of a one-way, broadband information package, the Cosmic Illuminating Gift, intended to provide distant intelligences with fundamental empirical data about the Universe. Unlike previous messaging to extraterrestrial intelligences (METI) that emphasized greetings or cultural identity, the Gift aims to transmit unbiased, universally interpretable information that recipients could not otherwise obtain due to their distinct spacetime position and epoch. By emphasizing raw observations, rather than human interpretations or cosmological models, the Gift aspires to serve as a neutral and enduring resource. A central assumption of the project is that any potential recipients are likely to possess a level of intelligence and technological sophistication far beyond our own. Accordingly, the content and encoding of the Gift are not designed to “teach” fundamentals, but to deliver compact, logically structured packets that such civilizations could decode even at extremely low signal-to-noise levels. This perspective shifts the challenge from brute-force transmission to ensuring that photons arrive in spectrally quiet windows and that the format is unmistakably artificial and distinguishable from astrophysical backgrounds. We outline strategies for content selection, encoding, and transmission that reflect this assumption. Practical implementation is feasible with current or near-term infrastructure, and future advances will only improve the quality of subsequent Gifts. Ultimately, the endeavor is unique among scientific projects in that it anticipates no feedback or measurable result within the span of our civilization’s timeline. Its significance lies instead in the act of contribution itself: offering a durable, universal dataset as a gesture of intellectual solidarity across cosmic distances.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/universe12040115","authors":["Arman Shafieloo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-14T10:29:08Z","doi":"10.3390/universe12040115","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2583042","name":"Museum Notes","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Denver Museum of Nature & Science received the Friends of Mineralogy’s Kay Robertson Educational Display Award for an Institution at the Denver Show this past September for its exhibit of “Colo...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2583042","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-27T13:38:07Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2583042","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2670238","name":"Coming Events","source":"crossref","abstract":"NOTICE TO CLUBS—Listing of all shows is a free service provided by ROCKS & MINERALS. Information on upcoming shows must be received at least four months before date of publication. Include date, pl...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2670238","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-18T16:28:11Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2670238","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-319-09575-2_221-1","name":"Exercise Countermeasure Protocols on Board the International Space Station","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09575-2_221-1","authors":["Erik Seedhouse"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-27T06:48:58Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-319-09575-2_221-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2643157","name":"Museum Notes","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Society of Mineral Museum Professionals (SMMP) held its board and general meetings in conjunction with the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show in February. Shown here are those in attendance.Congratula...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2643157","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-07T16:44:04Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2643157","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2615588","name":"Coming Events","source":"crossref","abstract":"NOTICE TO CLUBS—Listing of all shows is a free service provided by ROCKS & MINERALS. Information on upcoming shows must be received at least four months before date of publication. Include date, pl...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2615588","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-21T16:02:41Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2615588","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-032","name":"A NOTE ON THE TYPE","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-032","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:25:41Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-032","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-022","name":"19 The Nuwaubian Nation of Moors","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-022","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:25:41Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-022","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-012","name":"9 A Plurality of Wives and Children","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-012","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:25:41Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-012","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.51505/ijebmr.2026.10415","name":"Privatizing the Moon: Emergent of the Extraterrestrial Property Rights","source":"crossref","abstract":"This research paper analyzes the potential for the privatization of the lunar surface and activities within the constraints of international legal frameworks that prohibit sovereign appropriation. We posits that legal prohibitions against territorial claims do not necessarily preclude effective control, especially when dominant actors, comprising sovereign states and private corporations, hold significant sway over launch infrastructure, orbital and surface-based standards, and resource extraction technologies. This study contextualizes lunar privatization within the broader domains of space law, international political economy, and the escalating commercialization of outer space, highlighting the implications for property rights regimes, regulatory sovereignty, and market dynamics in extraterrestrial resource markets.","url":"https://doi.org/10.51505/ijebmr.2026.10415","authors":["LIE Chun Pong"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-09T07:07:46Z","doi":"10.51505/ijebmr.2026.10415","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-011","name":"8 A Plurality of Gods and Planets","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-011","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:25:41Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-011","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2614916","name":"Secondary Minerals at the Dunbrack Occurrence, Nova Scotia, Canada","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Dunbrack Pb-Cu-Zn-Ag occurrence is an atypical Canadian mineral locality with a suite of diverse supergene minerals notable for both their variety and quality of specimens. It produced wonderfu...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2614916","authors":["Inna Lykova","Ronnie Van Dommelen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-21T16:02:41Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2614916","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110485","name":"Microbial attachment on sulfide and silicate minerals impacted by flotation chemicals and time","source":"crossref","abstract":"Flotation processes are based on the interactions of mineral particles, flotation chemicals in the aqueous media, and air bubbles. This study expands that framework by incorporating microbial particles into the system, as they are present in high numbers in flotation cells and likely affect the mineral recovery as recently observed. Attachment of microorganisms, originating from a sulfidic multi-mineral processing plant, on pyrite, chalcopyrite and quartz mineral surfaces was studied at two contact times (2 and 60 min) with or without flotation chemicals used for Cu-flotation. Novel methodology was developed, wherein minerals embedded in epoxy and freshly polished were exposed to microbial suspension and microbial adhesion was analysed using either epifluorescence or bright-field microscopy. Quantitative results revealed that microbial adhesion was significantly affected by mineral type, contact time and the presence of flotation chemicals. Prolonged contact times enhanced microbial adhesion to all minerals by factors ranging from 2 to 15. Flotation chemicals affected microbial adhesion only at longer contact times, reducing adhesion on chalcopyrite 1.7-fold while increasing adhesion by 2.5 fold on pyrite and by 2.3-fold on quartz. In the absence of flotation chemicals, microbial attachment levels on pyrite and chalcopyrite were comparable. These findings provide new insights into the complex interplay between microorganisms, minerals and flotation chemicals. Continued research in this area holds promise for improving flotation efficiency and enhancing the long-term performance through control of microbial factors.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110485","authors":["Hanna Miettinen","Malin Bomberg","Päivi Kinnunen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-04T07:51:03Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110485","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2643126","name":"Chips from the Quarry","source":"crossref","abstract":"“HONORABLE” MENTION: The Mineral City Show, held in conjunction with the 2026 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show in February of this year, honored Jolyon Ralph and Ida Chau, cofounders of Mindat.org, with...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2643126","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-07T16:44:04Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2643126","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110150","name":"A comprehensive review of beneficiation strategies for beach sand minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110150","authors":["Indraneela Pradhan","Swagat S. Rath","Suchismita Senapati","Shivakumar Angadi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-16T11:33:21Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110150","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2614912","name":"Chips from the Quarry","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2614912","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-21T16:02:41Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2614912","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16070714","name":"The Cause of Burial Diagenesis in Sandstones Revealed by Authigenic Clay Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"Clay mineral diagenesis occurs in all buried siliciclastic sediments, albeit fine-grained and low-permeable or coarse-grained and highly permeable. Because of the limited permeability after compaction, this sheds doubt on the presumption that fluid flow is a causal factor in burial diagenesis besides temperature and effective pressure conditions. To assess the influence of fluid flow on their diagenesis, a number of sandstones have been studied focusing on clay minerals. In the studied sandstones, the authigenic clay minerals show a considerable variation in their chemical composition and mineralogy. In particular, authigenic illite and chlorite are common as authigenic cements in sandstones, often forming grain-rimming cements. Each of these two authigenic clay minerals varies distinctly in chemical composition, mineralogy and crystal habit at a small scale, compared to individual pores and laminae/beds. This indicates that local conditions determined not only which authigenic clay minerals formed, but also their chemical composition. Local conditions include the detrital mineral assemblage, specific textural features including clay grain coatings, and the ratio of the volume of susceptible components to pores. During burial diagenesis, a number of elements involved in clay mineral authigenesis, including Al, K, Mg and Fe, are locally fixed by clay mineral precipitation. In addition, diagenesis is driven by the amount and distribution of susceptible detrital components and the changes in physical conditions including temperature and effective pressure. The physical conditions allow chemical processes to commence and continue. The evidence presented is inconsistent with external fluid flow as a causal agent of burial diagenesis, supporting a largely closed, diagenetic system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16070714","authors":["Nicolaas Molenaar"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-09T11:55:32Z","doi":"10.3390/min16070714","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2670234","name":"Chips from the Quarry","source":"crossref","abstract":"DENVER SHOW: Ah, fall, and all that it embodies: crisp days, evening bonfires, earlier sunsets, and, of course, the Denver Show, or more appropriately the Denver Shows. Like Tucson, gone is the tim...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2670234","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-18T16:28:11Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2670234","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/books978-3-7258-7718-8","name":"Clay Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"This Reprint gathers recent advances in the study of clay minerals across a wide range of geological and applied contexts. The contributions highlight how clay minerals serve as archives of paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental conditions, while also acting as key raw materials in industrial processes. By integrating mineralogical, geochemical, and petrological approaches, this Reprint illustrates how clay formation, transformation, and distribution reflect complex interactions between paleoclimate, tectonics, and surface processes.At the same time, the collected studies emphasize the growing technological and economic importance of clay minerals, including their roles in resource exploration, environmental management, and material applications.Overall, this Reprint provides a comprehensive and current perspective on clay minerals as both paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental indicators and industrial resources, bridging fundamental research with applied developments and highlighting their relevance in addressing environmental and industrial challenges.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-7258-7718-8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-01T05:35:00Z","doi":"10.3390/books978-3-7258-7718-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.14293/pr2199.003782.v1","name":"Extraterrestrial Civilizations and the Great Silence: A Detectability–Concealment Framework for Understanding Alien Evolution, Technological Signatures, and the Fermi Paradox","source":"crossref","abstract":"The existence of extraterrestrial intelligence remains one of the most profound questions in modern astrobiology and astronomy. Although advances in exoplanet discovery, planetary habitability studies, biosignature detection, and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) have greatly expanded our understanding of potentially life-supporting environments, no confirmed evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations has yet been obtained. This apparent contradiction between the abundance of potentially habitable worlds and the absence of confirmed contact is commonly known as the Fermi Paradox or the Great Silence. This review synthesizes current knowledge on extraterrestrial habitability, evolutionary pathways to intelligence, technosignatures, advanced technological civilizations, unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs), and future SETI strategies within a unified conceptual framework. The principal contribution is the development of the Civilization Detectability–Concealment Framework (CDCF) , which treats detectability as a dynamic and evolving property of civilizations rather than a fixed consequence of their existence. The framework introduces three interconnected concepts. First, the Detectability Window Hypothesis proposes that civilizations may remain observable only during limited phases of technological development before transitioning toward more efficient and less detectable modes of communication or existence. Second, the Asymmetric Awareness Hypothesis suggests that significant technological disparities may allow advanced civilizations to detect emerging civilizations such as humanity without reciprocal detectability. Third, the Concealment Spectrum Framework examines how technological, environmental, and intentional factors may progressively reduce the observability of advanced civilizations. In addition, the review presents a structured scientific assessment of UAP observations, emphasizing the distinction between unexplained phenomena and evidence of extraterrestrial origin, and evaluates the possibility of extraterrestrial probes or long-duration technological artifacts within the Solar System based on current scientific knowledge. A multimodal SETI strategy is also proposed, integrating radio, optical, infrared, atmospheric, and artificial intelligence-assisted technosignature searches. The analysis suggests that the absence of confirmed extraterrestrial contact does not necessarily imply the absence of extraterrestrial intelligence. Instead, it may result from the combined effects of evolutionary uncertainty, limited detectability windows, concealment processes, technological asymmetry, and vast spatial and temporal separations. By integrating these factors within a single framework, the CDCF provides a new perspective on the Great Silence, identifies testable predictions, and offers a multidisciplinary foundation for future research in astrobiology, SETI, and technosignature science.","url":"https://doi.org/10.14293/pr2199.003782.v1","authors":["Aswin Karkadakattil"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-10T09:40:13Z","doi":"10.14293/pr2199.003782.v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2581546","name":"Minerals from the Roncari Quarry, East Granby, Hartford County, Connecticut","source":"crossref","abstract":"Unless otherwise noted, specimens are with Geologic DesiresFigure 1. Calcite on quartz molds after anhydrite, 9 cm, Roncari quarry. Kevin Dixon photo.Reproduced with permissionFigure 2. Location ma...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2581546","authors":["Michael R. Walter","Kevin Dixon"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-27T13:38:07Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2581546","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2581541","name":"Chips from the Quarry","source":"crossref","abstract":"OUR ANNUAL RECOGNITION: “It takes a village” could be applied to putting out the issue you hold in your hands every two months, only Rocks & Minerals’ village applies to the many behind-the-scenes ...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2581541","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-27T13:38:07Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2581541","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.6233363","name":"Multimodal Evaluation of Reactivity in Lunar and Martian Regolith Simulants for Extraterrestrial Construction Applications","source":"crossref","abstract":"This study presents a multimodal reactivity assessment of modern lunar and Martian regolith simulants to evaluate their potential as active binders or fillers in cement-based systems. Six simulants were investigated in untreated, burned, and milled conditions. Isothermal calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and electrical conductivity were used to quantitively assess their reactivities. All untreated simulants exhibited negligible heat release in both water and potassium hydroxide solutions, indicating non-reactive behavior. Thermal and mechanical processing did not produce meaningful increases in reactivity, with cumulative heats remaining below known thresholds associated with hydraulic or pozzolanic materials. Conductivity measurements confirmed non-pozzolanic behavior for lunar simulants, while Martian simulants showed apparent ionic depletion, suggesting non-pozzolanic mechanisms in calcium hydroxide environments. Blend mixtures displayed similar hydration kinetics and cumulative heats (100–150 J g−1), supported by TGA showing no enhancement in portlandite consumption. To assess the potential of these simulants being used as fillers in cementitious system, the mechanical properties of blends of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and simulants were measured. Compressive strengths of blended systems ranged from 11.2 to 29.8 MPa, confirming that regolith primarily functions as an inert granular filler rather than a reactive cementitious binder. The results demonstrate that under realistic processing conditions, modern regolith simulants can only contribute mechanically to cementitious composites, providing a practical baseline for ISRU-driven extraterrestrial construction strategies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.6233363","authors":["Matias Leon-Miquel","Brandon Byers","Qingxu Jin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-13T16:36:58Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.6233363","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ae4c38","name":"Broadband Searches for Extraterrestrial Technological Intelligence: A New Strategy to Find Nearby Alien Civilizations","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract One of the most interesting questions that astronomy can hope to answer is: Are we alone in our Milky Way Galaxy? A detection of an electromagnetic (EM) signal generated by an extraterrestrial technological intelligence, or the presence in our solar system of an alien probe, would answer this question in the negative. Purposeful interstellar communication is a two-way street—the transmitting and receiving technological intelligences (TIs) both need to do their parts. As the receiving TI, our EM search programs should incorporate a model of what a transmitting TI is likely to be doing. Published works on the search for extraterrestrial technological intelligence (SETI) have generally not done so, and thus have often been suboptimally designed. We propose an improved search technique that more closely corresponds to astronomical surveys that have been undertaken for reasons that have nothing to do with SETI. Published non-SETI radio and optical surveys are sufficiently extensive that they already supply meaningful constraints on the prevalence of nearby, purposely communicative alien civilizations. Purposeful communication can also include the sending of spaceships (probes). The absence of evidence for alien probes in the solar system suggests that no alien civilization has passed within ∼100 lt-yr of Earth during the past few billion years.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ae4c38","authors":["B. Zuckerman"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-15T07:49:59Z","doi":"10.3847/1538-4357/ae4c38","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2635305","name":"In Memoriam: George R. Rossman (1944–2026)","source":"crossref","abstract":"A portrait photograph shows an elderly man wearing glasses and a checkered shirt, seated at a table holding mineral specimens, with display cabinets of rocks and minerals in the background. Lance H...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2635305","authors":["Andreas Ertl"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-21T16:02:41Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2635305","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2643156","name":"In Memoriam: Allan Robert Young (1950–2026)","source":"crossref","abstract":"An older Caucasian man with a mustache, glasses, and wearing a white baseball cap with \"Sunchine Mining\" wording and logo and a blue and white flannel shirt.Reproduced with permissionAllan Robert Y...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2643156","authors":["Dave Waisman"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-07T16:44:04Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2643156","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.15302/planet.2026.26013","name":"Extraterrestrial\n                    <i>in-situ</i>\n                    resource utilization: from technology demonstrations to long-term planetary infrastructure","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.15302/planet.2026.26013","authors":["Lifang LI","Mengfan TIAN","Pengzhen GUO"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-17T18:30:07Z","doi":"10.15302/planet.2026.26013","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2645523","name":"Tucson Treasures 2026","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2645523","authors":["Mark Mauthner","László Kupi","Jeffrey A. Scovil"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-07T16:44:04Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2645523","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech7","name":"The Case Against SETI: Rare Earth","source":"crossref","abstract":"A description of the Rare Earth argument of Ward and Brownlee against the existence of technological life elsewhere in the galaxy, including arguments about Galactic Habitability and the many proposed contingencies that led to technological life on Earth. Includes a discussion of the Hard Steps and Great Filter ideas. Discusses the uncertainties inherent in these arguments, and also the roles of convergent evolution and contingency in the tree of life, especially with respect to the evolution of intelligence and the neuron.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech7","authors":["Jason T Wright"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-19T09:44:23Z","doi":"10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-032-13828-6","name":"TMS 2026 155th Annual Meeting &amp; Exhibition Supplemental Proceedings","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-13828-6","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-02T08:56:16Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-032-13828-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2625650","name":"Internet Directory for the Earth Sciences","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mark Mauthner PhotographyPhotographing natural history specimens and collections.mmauthner@gmail.comScovil Photography, Jeff ScovilMineral, jewelry, gem, bead, and fossil photography.www.scovilphot...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2625650","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-21T16:02:41Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2625650","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4324/9781003639282-6","name":"Training for Extraterrestrial Performance","source":"crossref","abstract":"In Georges Méliès’ silent film, Le Voyage dans Lune (1902), a group of scientists travel to the moon in a rocket ship. After making a dazzling crash landing, the scientists are greeted by a small group of moon-creatures. Although these beings look human, how they walk and gesture mark them as humanoid extraterrestrials. They walk on their hands, hop from place to place with their legs wrapped around their necks, and somersault with abandon. The film’s narrative isn’t developed enough to ascertain if these creatures always move like this or if they reserve such gymnastic exuberance for greeting waylaid space travelers. However, this early example of extra-terrestrial performance suggests that actors playing creatures from outer space will benefit from using idiosyncratic gestures and movements to mark their character as extraterrestrial. Like human gesture, extraterrestrial gesture should be embedded with meaning even as it is made strange enough to mark it as clearly non-human. How actors might go about training for this mark of difference is the topic of this chapter.","url":"https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003639282-6","authors":["Gerald Large"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-04T15:45:06Z","doi":"10.4324/9781003639282-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech10","name":"Philosophical Principles and Puzzles of SETI","source":"crossref","abstract":"A discussion of some of the more abstract arguments around SETI, including the Copernican Principle which argues we should not expect ourselves to be particularly special or unique, the Anthropic Principle which argues that our own existence is compatible with our own uniqueness or the extreme unlikelihood of similar species elsewhere in the Galaxy, the Sleeping Beauty Paradox and its lessons for these sorts of arguments, and Doomsday arguments which suggest that human civilizations are necessarily short lived and there do not exist large populations of similarly sentient creatures.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech10","authors":["Jason T Wright"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-19T09:44:23Z","doi":"10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech10","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9780691277899-005","name":"2 The Cosmic Context of the Western Tradition","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691277899-005","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T00:25:41Z","doi":"10.1515/9780691277899-005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2581553","name":"Newly Identified Sulfate Minerals From the Viburnum Trend","source":"crossref","abstract":"The largest zinc and lead mining district in the world is concentrated in the southeast Missouri lead district (Lasmanis 1989; Seeger 2008) where minerals have been recovered since 1864 from thwee ...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2581553","authors":["Terry E. Huizing","Kevin K. Conroy","Patrick E. Haynes"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-21T16:02:41Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2581553","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2582436","name":"Internet Directory for the Earth Sciences","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mark Mauthner PhotographyPhotographing natural history specimens and collections.mmauthner@gmail.comScovil Photography, Jeff ScovilMineral, jewelry, gem, bead, and fossil photography.www.scovilphot...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2582436","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-27T13:38:07Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2582436","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.231Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acscentsci.2c00980","name":"A Conversation with Julie Cosmidis.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUECenter StageNEXTA Conversation with Julie CosmidisThe University of Oxford geomicrobiologist discusses how chemistry can create false signs of life.Carolyn WilkeCarolyn WilkeMore by Carolyn WilkeCite this: ACS Cent. Sci. 2022, 8, 9, 1229–1230Publication Date (Web):September 1, 2022Publication History Published online1 September 2022Published inissue 28 September 2022https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acscentsci.2c00980https://doi.org/10.1021/acscentsci.2c00980newsACS PublicationsCopyright © 2022 American Chemical Society. This publication is licensed under CC-BY 4.0. License Summary*You are free to share (copy and redistribute) this article in any medium or format and to adapt (remix, transform, and build upon) the material for any purpose, even commercially within the parameters below:Creative Commons (CC): This is a Creative Commons license.Attribution (BY): Credit must be given to the creator.View full license*DisclaimerThis summary highlights only some of the key features and terms of the actual license. It is not a license and has no legal value. Carefully review the actual license before using these materials. This publication is Open Access under the license indicated. Learn MoreArticle Views1465Altmetric-Citations-LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated. Share Add toView InAdd Full Text with ReferenceAdd Description ExportRISCitationCitation and abstractCitation and referencesMore Options Share onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InRedditEmail PDF (3 MB) Get e-AlertscloseSUBJECTS:Bacteria,Fractionation,Minerals,Natural organic matter,Sulfur Get e-Alerts","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acscentsci.2c00980","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.1021/acscentsci.2c00980","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/microorganisms9010198","name":"Effects of Radiation Intensity, Mineral Matrix, and Pre-Irradiation on the Bacterial Resistance to Gamma Irradiation under Low Temperature Conditions.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Ionizing radiation is one of the main factors limiting the survival of microorganisms in extraterrestrial conditions. The survivability of microorganisms under irradiation depends significantly on the conditions, in which the irradiation occurs. In particular, temperature, pressure, oxygen and water concentrations are of great influence. However, the influence of factors such as the radiation intensity (in low-temperature conditions) and the type of mineral matrix, in which microorganisms are located, has been practically unstudied. It has been shown that the radioresistance of bacteria can increase after their exposure to sublethal doses and subsequent repair of damage under favorable conditions, however, such studies are also few and the influence of other factors of extraterrestrial space (temperature, pressure) was not studied in them. The viability of bacteria Arthrobacter polychromogenes , Kocuria rosea and Xanthomonas sp. after irradiation with gamma radiation at a dose of 1 kGy under conditions of low pressure (1 Torr) and low temperature (-50 °C) at different radiation intensities (4 vs. 0.8 kGy/h) with immobilization of bacteria on various mineral matrices (montmorillonite vs. analogue of lunar dust) has been studied. Native, previously non-irradiated strains, and strains that were previously irradiated with gamma radiation and subjected to 10 passages of cultivation on solid media were irradiated. The number of survived cells was determined by culturing on a solid medium. It has been shown that the radioresistance of bacteria depends significantly on the type of mineral matrix, on which they are immobilized, wherein montmorillonite contributes to an increased survivability in comparison with a silicate matrix. Survivability of the studied bacteria was found to increase with decreasing radiation intensity, despite the impossibility of active reparation processes under experimental conditions. Considering the low intensity of radiation on various space objects in comparison with radiobiological experiments, this suggests a longer preservation of the viable microorganisms outside the Earth than is commonly believed. An increase in bacterial radioresistance was revealed even after one cycle of irradiation of the strains and their subsequent cultivation under favourable conditions. This indicates the possibility of hypothetical microorganisms on Mars increasing their radioresistance.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9010198","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.3390/microorganisms9010198","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/nano12071135","name":"Characteristics of Solar Wind Radiation Damage in Lunar Soil: PAT and TEM Study.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Irradiation structural damage (e.g., radiation tracks, amorphous layers, and vesicles) is widely observed in lunar soil grains. Previous experiments have revealed that irradiation damage is caused by the injection of solar wind and solar flare energetic particles. In this study, cordierite and gabbro were selected as analogs of shallow and deep excavated lunar crust materials for proton irradiation experiments. The fluence was 1.44 ± 0.03 × 10 18 H + /cm 2 , which is equivalent to 10 2 years of average solar wind proton implantation on the Moon. Before and after irradiation, structural damage in samples is detected by slow positron annihilation technology (PAT), Doppler broadening (DB) measurement, focused ion beam (FIB), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The DB results showed the structural damage peaks of irradiated gabbro and cordierite were located at 40 and 45 nm. Hydrogen diffused to a deeper region and it reached beyond depths of 150 and 136 nm for gabbro and cordierite, respectively. Hydrogen atoms occupied the original vacancy defects and formed vacancy sites-hydrogen atom complexes, which affected the annihilation of positrons with electrons in the vacancy defects. All of the DB results were validated by TEM. This study proves that the positron annihilation technique has an excellent performance in the detection of defects in the whole structure of the sample. In combination with TEM and other detection methods, this technology could be used for the detection of structural damage in extraterrestrial samples.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12071135","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.3390/nano12071135","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/life13071524","name":"Metal Catalysis Acting on Nitriles in Early Earth Hydrothermal Systems.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Hydrothermal systems are areas in which heated fluids and organic molecules rush through basaltic material rich in metals and minerals. By studying malononitrile and acetonitrile, we examine the effects of metal and mineral nanoparticles on nitrile compounds in anoxic, hydrothermal conditions representing a prebiotic environment of early Earth. Polymerization, reduction, cyclization, and a phenomenon colloquially known as 'chemical gardening' (structure building via reprecipitation of metal compounds or complexing with organics) are all potential outcomes with the addition of metals and minerals. Reduction occurs with the addition of rhodium (Rh) or iron (II) sulfide (FeS), with positive identification of ethanol and ethylamine forming from acetonitrile reduction. We find that polymerization and insoluble product formation were associated with oxide minerals, metallic nickel (Ni), and metallic cobalt (Co) acting as catalysts. Oxide minerals strongly promoted polymerization into insoluble, tar-like products of nitriles. FeS, iron-nickel alloy (FeNi), and rhodium are unique cases that appear to act as reagents by actively participating in chemical gardening without returning to their initial state. Further, FeS tentatively had a phase change into the mineral parabutlerite. This research aims to identify metals and metal minerals that could best serve nitrile catalysis and reactions on early Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life13071524","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.3390/life13071524","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.1052831","name":"An overview of experimental simulations of microbial activity in early Earth.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Microbial activity has shaped the evolution of the ocean and atmosphere throughout the Earth history. Thus, experimental simulations of microbial metabolism under the environment conditions of the early Earth can provide vital information regarding biogeochemical cycles and the interaction and coevolution between life and environment, with important implications for extraterrestrial exploration. In this review, we discuss the current scope and knowledge of experimental simulations of microbial activity in environments representative of those of early Earth, with perspectives on future studies. Inclusive experimental simulations involving multiple species, and cultivation experiments with more constraints on environmental conditions similar to early Earth would significantly advance our understanding of the biogeochemical cycles of the geological past.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.1052831","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.3389/fmicb.2022.1052831","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/bib/bbag236","name":"Decoding extremophiles: insights from bioinformatics, machine learning, and data-driven approaches.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Life thrives in Earth's most inhospitable environments, from boiling hydrothermal vents to hypersaline lakes and frozen polar deserts, thanks to the remarkable adaptations of extremophilic microorganisms. The study of these organisms has rapidly evolved from early cultivation-based discoveries to a data-rich discipline powered by advanced omics technologies. This review comprehensively outlines the current landscape and future directions in extremophile research, emphasizing the pivotal role of bioinformatics, machine learning (ML), and data-driven approaches. We begin by charting the evolution of methodologies, from innovative in situ cultivation techniques and robust biomolecule extraction protocols to modern multi-omics workflows (metagenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) that decode the genetic and functional basis of extremophiles. We then catalogue essential bioinformatics resources and specialized databases critical for annotating extremophile genomes and uncovering their unique adaptive strategies, including protein stabilization and syntrophic metabolic relationships. Finally, we explore the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and ML in overcoming fundamental challenges in the field. These include predicting the functions of uncharacterized \"hypothetical\" proteins, identifying novel extremozymes, modeling complex genotype-phenotype relationships, and guiding the targeted engineering of industrially relevant strains. By synthesizing insights across these domains, this review highlights how integrating computational biology and AI is poised to unlock the full biotechnological potential of extremophiles and redefine the boundaries of life itself.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/bib/bbag236","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.1093/bib/bbag236","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.902212","name":"Schrödinger and the Possible Existence of Different Types of Life.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Eighty years ago, Nobel Prize-winner physicist Erwin Schrödinger gave three lectures in Dublin's Trinity College, titled What is Life? The physical aspect of the living cell to explain life in terms of the chemistry and physics laws. Life definitions rely on the cellular theory, which poses in the first place that life is made up of cells. The recent discovery of giant viruses, along with the development of synthetic cells at the beginning of century 21st, has challenged the current idea of what life is. Thus, rather than having arrived at a close answer to Schrödinger's question, modern biology has touched down at a novel scenario in which several types of life-as opposed to only one-actually might exist on Earth and possibly the Universe. Eighty years after the Dublin lectures, the Schrödinger question could be: \"What are lives\"?","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.902212","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.3389/fmicb.2022.902212","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.12688/openreseurope.21180.3","name":"Investigative research for occurrences of hydrogen, helium, methane and carbon dioxide in West Macedonia: linking geological reservoirs to subsurface gas generation and migration.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Background Exploration of subsurface gases such as hydrogen, helium, methane, and carbon dioxide can be achieved by integration of geological framework, hydrogeochemistry, and isotope analysis to understand generation, migration, and trapping mechanisms. A focused hydrogeochemical survey for the aforementioned gases was conducted in West Macedonia (Greece) to identify potentially suitable locations for geological reservoirs, gas sources and gas migration routes based on previous research. West Macedonia (Greece) is characterised by ophiolitic complexes, sedimentary basins, and active fault systems. This presents favourable geological conditions for investigating potential gas reservoirs and migration pathways. Methods The investigation presented in this study deployed sequential spring and borehole water sampling for geochemical analysis of trace elements and gas analysis for hydrogen, helium, methane and carbon dioxide to identify and characterise gaseous geological reservoirs. The investigation extended into isotope studies for d 13 C TDC , δ 13 C CH 4 , δ 13 D CH 4 , δD H 2 O , δ 18 O H 2 O . Results The analysis provided evidence for the existence of helium, biogenic methane, carbon dioxide and traces of hydrogen that need to be further investigated for validation and better understanding of the gas generation and migration routes. Variations in dissolved ions and gas composition largely reflect enrichment of resident groundwater by meteoric recharge and subsequent water–rock interaction. Fault-controlled pathways appear to facilitate multi-gas signatures in specific locations. Conclusions The data suggests the existence of helium, methane, carbon dioxide and validated trace concentrations of hydrogen from previous studies in the wider area. Isotopic analysis provides strong evidence for biotic generation of methane, whereas helium comes from a deeper source. Hydrogeochemical controls, structural features, and lithological variability collectively influence gas occurrence. This preliminary investigation indicates the existence of multiple gas generation and migration mechanisms and provides a scientific basis for further targeted exploration of natural hydrogen and associated gases.","url":"https://doi.org/10.12688/openreseurope.21180.3","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.12688/openreseurope.21180.3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/s21134398","name":"Appraisal of Low-Cost Pushbroom Hyper-Spectral Sensor Systems for Material Classification in Reflectance.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Near infrared (NIR) remote sensing has applications in vegetation analysis as well as geological investigations. For extra-terrestrial applications, this is particularly relevant to Moon, Mars and asteroid exploration, where minerals exhibiting spectral phenomenology between 600 and 800 nm have been identified. Recent progress in the availability of processors and sensors has created the possibility of development of low-cost instruments able to return useful scientific results. In this work, two Raspberry Pi camera types and a panchromatic astronomy camera were trialed within a pushbroom sensor to determine their utility in measuring and processing the spectrum in reflectance. Algorithmic classification of all 15 test materials exhibiting spectral phenomenology between 600 and 800 nm was easily performed. Calibration against a spectrometer considers the effects of the sensor, inherent image processing pipeline and compression. It was found that even the color Raspberry Pi cameras that are popular with STEM applications were able to record and distinguish between most minerals and, contrary to expectations, exploited the infra-red secondary transmissions in the Bayer filter to gain a wider spectral range. Such a camera without a Bayer filter can markedly improve spectral sensitivity but may not be necessary.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/s21134398","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.3390/s21134398","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1029/2022ea002370","name":"The Development and Demonstration of the Portable Acousto-Optic Spectrometer for Astrobiology in Cave Environments.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Planetary caves are desirable environments for the search for biosignatures corresponding to extant or extinct extraterrestrial life due to the protection they offer from surface-level solar radiation and ionizing particles. Near-infrared (NIR) reflectance spectroscopy is one of a multitude of techniques that, when taken together, can provide a comprehensive understanding of the geomicrobiology in planetary subsurface regions. To that end, we developed two portable NIR spectrometers that employ acousto-optic tunable filters and demonstrated them in three geochemically distinct cave environments. The instruments were deployed both as stand-alone spectrometers positioned against the targets manually and as a component of an instrument payload mounted on a quadruped robot capable of vertical excursions of several meters. In situ measurements of calcium carbonates, sulfates, metal oxides, and microbial colonies and mats revealed spectral signatures that enable a distinction between the targets of interest and the underlying substrates. The ruggedness and portability of the instruments, and their low size, weight, and power, spectral agility, and active illumination make AOTF-based spectrometers ideally suited for studies of planetary caves.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2022ea002370","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.1029/2022ea002370","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/s23041803","name":"A Review of Subsurface Electrical Conductivity Anomalies in Magnetotelluric Imaging.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"After 70 years of development, magnetotelluric (MT), a remote sensing technique for subsurface electrical resistivity imaging, has been widely applied in resource exploration and the deep tectonic evolution of the Earth. The electrical resistivity anomalies and their quantitative interpretation are closely related to or even controlled by the interconnected high-conductivity phases, which are frequently associated with tectonic activity. Based on representative electrical resistivity studies mainly of the deep crust and mantle, we reviewed principal electrical conduction mechanisms, generally used conductivity mixing models, and potential causes of high-conductivity including the saline fluid, partial melting, graphite, sulfide, and hydrogen in nominally anhydrous minerals, and the general methods to infer the water content of the upper mantle through electrical anomaly revealed by MT.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/s23041803","authors":["Wule Lin","Bo Yang","Bo Han","Xiangyun Hu"],"tags":["Magnetotellurics","Electrical resistivity and conductivity","Geology","Tectonics","Crust"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.3390/s23041803","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acsphyschemau.3c00050","name":"Patterns Lead the Way to Far-from-Equilibrium Materials.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The universe is a complex fabric of repeating patterns that unfold their beauty in system-specific diversity. The periodic table, crystallography, and the genetic code are classic examples that illustrate how even a small number of rules generate a vast range of shapes and structures. Today, we are on the brink of an AI-driven revolution that will reveal an unprecedented number of novel patterns, many of which will escape human intuition and expertise. We suggest that in the second half of the 21st century, the challenge for Physical Chemistry will be to guide and interpret these advances in the broader context of physical sciences and materials-related engineering. If we succeed in this role, Physical Chemistry will be able to extend to new horizons. In this article, we will discuss examples that strike us as particularly promising, specifically the discovery of high-entropy and far-from-equilibrium materials as well as applications to origins-of-life research and the search for life on other planets.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsphyschemau.3c00050","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1021/acsphyschemau.3c00050","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/chem.202503536","name":"Silent Partners in the Mill: Unveiling the Role of Additives in Mechanochemical Synthesis.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Mechanochemistry has attracted significant attention as a sustainable and efficient alternative to solution-based synthesis, offering the advantage of solvent-free conditions or the use of only minor amounts of solvent. Many established mechanochemical transformations rely on the use of additives-a strategy broadly referred to as additive-assisted grinding. The most employed additives are liquids (liquid-assisted grinding (LAG)), ionic solids, and non-ionic additives. Additionally, ionic liquids (ionic liquid-assisted grinding (IL-AG)), piezoelectric, or mechanoluminescent materials can be used. This review provides an overview of additive-assisted organic synthetic transformations under mechanochemical conditions, highlighting the roles, advantages, and limitations of additives, as well as emerging trends from recent literature.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202503536","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.1002/chem.202503536","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/anie.202523427","name":"The Role of Chemistry Across Disciplines From Humanities to Life Sciences in Understanding Complexity and Emergence.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"A group of researchers from the humanities, economics, social sciences, natural and life science developed a definition of the topics complexity and emergence that can be applied across disciplines. Here, concepts of complexity and emergence in chemistry and biochemistry are discussed, to promote a discourse between the natural and life sciences and philosophy. Although chemical research often employs reductionist strategies, the properties of molecules and their linked functions exhibit emergent properties that cannot be inferred solely from their atomic constituents. Assembly theory and the work of Manfred Eigen offer ways to quantify and predict emergence in chemistry, particularly in relation to the origins and evolution of life. This review emphasizes the chemical prerequisites for life, such as the formation of natural products, the emergence of nucleic acids that carry information, and the functional roles of proteins. From a philosophical standpoint, modern ontology provides a means of understanding reality that is both process-based and subject-independent. By integrating chemistry, biology and philosophy, the synopsis of this review addresses the predictive, post facto and historically unique aspects of complex systems, offering a conceptual framework for comprehending the emergence of molecular function and the evolution of living systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202523427","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.1002/anie.202523427","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acs.analchem.1c04792","name":"LIBS-Acoustic Mid-Level Fusion Scheme for Mineral Differentiation under Terrestrial and Martian Atmospheric Conditions.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The shockwave produced alongside the plasma during a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy event can be recorded as an acoustic pressure wave to obtain information related to the physical traits of the inspected sample. In the present work, a mid-level fusion approach is developed using simultaneously recorded laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and acoustic data to enhance the discrimination capabilities of different iron-based and calcium-based mineral phases, which exhibit nearly identical spectral features. To do so, the mid-level data fusion approach is applied concatenating the principal components analysis (PCA)-LIBS score values with the acoustic wave peak-to-peak amplitude and with the intraposition signal change, represented as the slope of the acoustic signal amplitude with respect to the laser shot. The discrimination hit rate of the mineral phases is obtained using linear discriminant analysis. Owing to the increasing interest for in situ applications of LIBS + acoustics information, samples are inspected in a remote experimental configuration and under two different atmospheric traits, Earth and Mars-like conditions, to validate the approach. Particularities conditioning the response of both strategies under each atmosphere are discussed to provide insight to better exploit the complex phenomena resulting in the collected signals. Results reported herein demonstrate for the first time that the characteristic sample input in the laser-produced acoustic wave can be used for the creation of a statistical descriptor to synergistically improve the capabilities of LIBS of differentiation of rocks.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.1c04792","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.1021/acs.analchem.1c04792","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1029/2020ea001177","name":"Pb-Pb Dating of Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Samples Using Resonance Ionization Mass Spectrometry.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"We are developing an in situ, rock-dating spectrometer for spaceflight called the Chemistry, Organics, and Dating EXperiment (CODEX). CODEX will measure Rb-Sr compositions and determine ages of samples on the Moon or Mars and can be augmented to obtain Pb-Pb ages. Coupling Rb-Sr and Pb-Pb measurements broadens the suite of samples that can be dated and could provide tests of concordance. Here we assess whether geochronologically meaningful Pb-Pb data could be measured in situ by tuning the prototype CODEX to acquire Pb-Pb data from a suite of well-characterized specimens from the Earth, Moon, and Mars. For Keuhl Lake Zircon 91500 our 207 Pb/ 206 Pb age of 1,090 ± 40 Ma is indistinguishable from the accepted age. In each of the Martian meteorites we studied, we could not resolve more than a single component of Pb and could not uniquely determine ages; nevertheless, our isotopic measurements were consistent with most previous analyses. On the other hand, we uniquely determined ages for three lunar meteorites. Our age for MIL 05035 is 3,550 ± 170 Ma, within 2σ of published ages for this specimen, in spite of it having <1 ppm Pb. LAP 02205 was contaminated by terrestrial Pb, but by filtering our data to exclude the most contaminated spots, we obtained an age of 3,010 ± 70 Ma, coincident with published values. Finally, our age for NWA 032 is nearly 1,000 Ma older than its age determined from other isotopic systems and is supported by additional Pb measurements made after chemical leaching.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2020ea001177","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.1029/2020ea001177","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/ma15134516","name":"A Review on Geopolymer Technology for Lunar Base Construction.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Geopolymer is a synthetic amorphous aluminosilicate material that can be used as an inorganic binder to replace ordinary Portland cement. Geopolymer is produced by mixing aluminosilicate source materials with alkali activators and curing the mixture either at ambient or low temperatures. Geopolymer research for lunar-based construction is actively underway to enable astronauts to stay on the moon for long periods. This research has been spurred on by earnest discussions of in situ resource utilization (ISRU). Recent research shows that the lunar regolith simulant-based geopolymers have high application potential to protect astronauts from the harsh moon environment. However, not all the simulants perfectly reproduce the lunar regolith, and the characteristics of the lunar regolith vary depending on the site. Issues remain regarding the applicability of geopolymer technology to contribute to ISRU through an elaborate and systematic plan of experiments. In this paper, the potential of geopolymers is assessed as a lunar-based construction material with the latest research results. Future work to develop the lunar regolith-based geopolymer technology is also proposed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15134516","authors":["Sujeong Lee","Arie van Riessen"],"tags":["Geopolymer","Regolith","Aluminosilicate","Materials science","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.3390/ma15134516","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/life11111212","name":"The Ground-Based BIOMEX Experiment Verification Tests for Life Detection on Mars.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The success of an astrobiological search for life campaign on Mars, or other planetary bodies in the Solar System, relies on the detectability of past or present microbial life traces, namely, biosignatures. Spectroscopic methods require little or no sample preparation, can be repeated almost endlessly, and can be performed in contact or even remotely. Such methods are therefore ideally suited to use for the detection of biosignatures, which can be confirmed with supporting instrumentation. Here, we discuss the use of Raman and Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopies for the detection and characterization of biosignatures from colonies of the fungus Cryomyces antarcticus, grown on Martian analogues and exposed to increasing doses of UV irradiation under dried conditions. The results report significant UV-induced DNA damage, but the non-exceeding of thresholds for allowing DNA amplification and detection, while the spectral properties of the fungal melanin remained unaltered, and pigment detection and identification was achieved via complementary analytical techniques. Finally, this work found that fungal cell wall compounds, likely chitin, were not degraded, and were still detectable even after high UV irradiation doses. The implications for the preservation and detection of biosignatures in extraterrestrial environments are discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life11111212","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.3390/life11111212","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fmicb.2021.785743","name":"The Deep Rocky Biosphere: New Geomicrobiological Insights and Prospects.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Rocks that react with liquid water are widespread but spatiotemporally limited throughout the solar system, except for Earth. Rock-forming minerals with high iron content and accessory minerals with high amounts of radioactive elements are essential to support rock-hosted microbial life by supplying organics, molecular hydrogen, and/or oxidants. Recent technological advances have broadened our understanding of the rocky biosphere, where microbial inhabitation appears to be difficult without nutrient and energy inputs from minerals. In particular, microbial proliferation in igneous rock basements has been revealed using innovative geomicrobiological techniques. These recent findings have dramatically changed our perspective on the nature and the extent of microbial life in the rocky biosphere, microbial interactions with minerals, and the influence of external factors on habitability. This study aimed to gather information from scientific and/or technological innovations, such as omics-based and single-cell level characterizations, targeting deep rocky habitats of organisms with minimal dependence on photosynthesis. By synthesizing pieces of rock-hosted life, we can explore the evo-phylogeny and ecophysiology of microbial life on Earth and the life's potential on other planetary bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2021.785743","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.3389/fmicb.2021.785743","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/gch2.202300086","name":"How to Survive at Point Nemo? Fischer-Tropsch, Artificial Photosynthesis, and Plasma Catalysis for Sustainable Energy at Isolated Habitats.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Inhospitable, inaccessible, and extremely remote alike the famed pole of inaccessibility, aka Point Nemo, the isolated locations in deserts, at sea, or in outer space are difficult for humans to settle, let alone to thrive in. Yet, they present a unique set of opportunities for science, economy, and geopolitics that are difficult to ignore. One of the critical challenges for settlers is the stable supply of energy both to sustain a reasonable quality of life, as well as to take advantage of the local opportunities presented by the remote environment, e.g., abundance of a particular resource. The possible solutions to this challenge are heavily constrained by the difficulty and prohibitive cost of transportation to and from such a habitat (e.g., a lunar or Martian base). In this essay, the advantages and possible challenges of integrating Fischer-Tropsch, artificial photosynthesis, and plasma catalysis into a robust, scalable, and efficient self-contained system for energy harvesting, storage, and utilization are explored.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/gch2.202300086","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.1002/gch2.202300086","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14708","name":"Recent developments in the production and utilization of photosynthetic microorganisms for food applications.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The growing use of photosynthetic microorganisms for food and food-related applications is driving related biotechnology research forward. Increasing consumer acceptance, high sustainability, demand of eco-friendly sources for food, and considerable global economic concern are among the main factors to enhance the focus on the novel foods. In the cases of not toxic strains, photosynthetic microorganisms not only provide a source of sustainable nutrients but are also potentially healthy. Several published studies showed that microalgae are sources of accessible protein and fatty acids. More than 400 manuscripts were published per year in the last 4 years. Furthermore, industrial approaches utilizing these microorganisms are resulting in new jobs and services. This is in line with the global strategy for bioeconomy that aims to support sustainable development of bio-based sectors. Despite the recognized potential of the microalgal biomass value chain, significant knowledge gaps still exist especially regarding their optimized production and utilization. This review highlights the potential of microalgae and cyanobacteria for food and food-related applications as well as their market size. The chosen topics also include advanced production as mixed microbial communities, production of high-value biomolecules, photoproduction of terpenoid flavoring compounds, their utilization for sustainable agriculture, application as source of nutrients in space, and a comparison with heterotrophic microorganisms like yeast to better evaluate their advantages over existing nutrient sources. This comprehensive assessment should stimulate further interest in this highly relevant research topic.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14708","authors":["Giovanni Davide Barone","Tomislav Cernava","Jörg Ullmann","Jing Liu","Elia Lio","Anna T. Germann","Andreas Nakielski","David A. Russo","Ted Chavkin","Kirstin Knufmann","Farida Tripodi","Paola Coccetti"],"tags":["Biotechnology","Microorganism","Sustainability","Business","Nutrient"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14708","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.abm2296","name":"Metabolically diverse primordial microbial communities in Earth's oldest seafloor-hydrothermal jasper.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The oldest putative fossils occur as hematite filaments and tubes in jasper-carbonate banded iron formations from the 4280- to 3750-Ma Nuvvuagittuq Supracrustal Belt, Québec. If biological in origin, these filaments might have affinities with modern descendants; however, if abiotic, they could indicate complex prebiotic forms on early Earth. Here, we report images of centimeter-size, autochthonous hematite filaments that are pectinate-branching, parallel-aligned, undulated, and containing Fe 2+ -oxides. These microstructures are considered microfossils because of their mineral associations and resemblance to younger microfossils, modern Fe-bacteria from hydrothermal environments, and the experimental products of heated Fe-oxidizing bacteria. Additional clusters of irregular hematite ellipsoids could reflect abiotic processes of silicification, producing similar structures and thus yielding an uncertain origin. Millimeter-sized chalcopyrite grains within the jasper-carbonate rocks have 34 S- and 33 S-enrichments consistent with microbial S-disproportionation and an O 2 -poor atmosphere. Collectively, the observations suggest a diverse microbial ecosystem on the primordial Earth that may be common on other planetary bodies, including Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abm2296","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.abm2296","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/s21072519","name":"A Mars Environment Chamber Coupled with Multiple In Situ Spectral Sensors for Mars Exploration.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Laboratory simulation is the only feasible way to achieve Martian environmental conditions on Earth, establishing a key link between the laboratory and Mars exploration. The mineral phases of some Martian surface materials (especially hydrated minerals), as well as their spectral features, are closely related to environmental conditions. Therefore, Martian environment simulation is necessary for Martian mineral detection and analysis. A Mars environment chamber (MEC) coupled with multiple in situ spectral sensors (VIS (visible)-NIR (near-infrared) reflectance spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), and UV-VIS emission spectroscopy) was developed at Shandong University at Weihai, China. This MEC is a comprehensive research platform for Martian environmental parameter simulation, regulation, and spectral data collection. Here, the structure, function and performance of the MEC and the coupled spectral sensors were systematically investigated. The spectral characteristics of some geological samples were recorded and the effect of environmental parameter variations (such as gas pressure and temperature) on the spectral features were also acquired by using the in situ spectral sensors under various simulated Martian conditions. CO 2 glow discharge plasma was generated and its emission spectra were assigned. The MEC and its tested functional units worked well with good accuracy and repeatability. China is implementing its first Mars mission (Tianwen-1), which was launched on 23 July 2020 and successfully entered into a Mars orbit on 10 February 2021. Many preparatory works such as spectral databases and prediction model building are currently underway using MECs, which will help us build a solid foundation for real Martian spectral data analysis and interpretation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/s21072519","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.3390/s21072519","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-020-66830-z","name":"Characterisation of iron oxide encrusted microbial fossils.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Robust methods for the characterisation of microbial biosignatures in geological matrices is critical for developing mineralogical biosignatures. Studying microbial fossils is fundamental for our understanding of the role microorganisms have played in elemental cycling in modern and ancient environments on Earth and potentially Mars. Here, we aim to understand what promotes the fossilisation of microorganisms after the initial stages of biomineralisation, committing bacteriomorphic structures to the geological record within iron-rich environments. Mineral encrusted cell envelope structures were routinely identified within a goethite-rich vein that cross-cut the saprolite (iron ore) of a weathered banded iron formation (BIF) system in the Quadrilátero Ferrífero, Brazil. The preservation of potential organic and mineralogical biosignatures associated with these fossils was characterised using the following high-resolution analytical techniques: scanning and transmission electron microscopy, focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy, nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry, synchrotron-based Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Electron microscopy demonstrated that mineral nucleation associated with a range of cell envelope structures typically followed the extant cell templates. These biologically-influenced iron-rich minerals are microcrystalline with minimal secondary growth. In contrast, intracellular mineralisation formed larger minerals that grew inward from the cell membrane to infill intracellular voids after cell death. A three dimensional reconstruction of encrusted cell envelopes in a fossilised biofilm suggests that microorganisms may be able to replicate, during the initial stages of mineralisation. Carbon and nitrogen signatures are preserved associated with the cell envelope structures; however, there were no conclusive mineralogical biosignatures associated with the mineralised cell envelopes highlighting the classical importance of morphology and elemental biosignatures in determining the biogenicity of bacteriomorphic structures.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-66830-z","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.1038/s41598-020-66830-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/life13030816","name":"Cyanobacteria and Algal-Based Biological Life Support System (BLSS) and Planetary Surface Atmospheric Revitalizing Bioreactor Brief Concept Review.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Exploring austere environments required a reimagining of resource acquisition and utilization. Cyanobacterial in situ resources utilization (ISRU) and biological life support system (BLSS) bioreactors have been proposed to allow crewed space missions to extend beyond the temporal boundaries that current vehicle mass capacities allow. Many cyanobacteria and other microscopic organisms evolved during a period of Earth's history that was marked by very harsh conditions, requiring robust biochemical systems to ensure survival. Some species work wonderfully in a bioweathering capacity (siderophilic), and others are widely used for their nutritional power (non-siderophilic). Playing to each of their strengths and having them grow and feed off of each other is the basis for the proposed idea for a series of three bioreactors, starting from regolith processing and proceeding to nutritional products, gaseous liberation, and biofuel production. In this paper, we discuss what that three reactor system will look like, with the main emphasis on the nutritional stage.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life13030816","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.3390/life13030816","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s11214-020-0635-5","name":"Experimental and Simulation Efforts in the Astrobiological Exploration of Exooceans.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The icy satellites of Jupiter and Saturn are perhaps the most promising places in the Solar System regarding habitability. However, the potential habitable environments are hidden underneath km-thick ice shells. The discovery of Enceladus' plume by the Cassini mission has provided vital clues in our understanding of the processes occurring within the interior of exooceans. To interpret these data and to help configure instruments for future missions, controlled laboratory experiments and simulations are needed. This review aims to bring together studies and experimental designs from various scientific fields currently investigating the icy moons, including planetary sciences, chemistry, (micro-)biology, geology, glaciology, etc. This chapter provides an overview of successful in situ , in silico , and in vitro experiments, which explore different regions of interest on icy moons, i.e. a potential plume, surface, icy shell, water and brines, hydrothermal vents, and the rocky core.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-020-0635-5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.1007/s11214-020-0635-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2020.2318","name":"A Proposed Geobiology-Driven Nomenclature for Astrobiological <i>In Situ</i> Observations and Sample Analyses.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"As the exploration of Mars and other worlds for signs of life has increased, the need for a common nomenclature and consensus has become significantly important for proper identification of nonterrestrial/non-Earth biology, biogenic structures, and chemical processes generated from biological processes. The fact that Earth is our single data point for all life, diversity, and evolution means that there is an inherent bias toward life as we know it through our own planet's history. The search for life \"as we don't know it\" then brings this bias forward to decision-making regarding mission instruments and payloads. Understandably, this leads to several top-level scientific, theoretical, and philosophical questions regarding the definition of life and what it means for future life detection missions. How can we decide on how and where to detect known and unknown signs of life with a single biased data point? What features could act as universal biosignatures that support Darwinian evolution in the geological context of nonterrestrial time lines? The purpose of this article is to generate an improved nomenclature for terrestrial features that have mineral/microbial interactions within structures and to confirm which features can only exist from life ( biotic ), features that are modified by biological processes ( biogenic ), features that life does not affect ( abiotic ), and properties that can exist or not regardless of the presence of biology ( abiogenic ). These four categories are critical in understanding and deciphering future returned samples from Mars, signs of potential extinct/ancient and extant life on Mars, and in situ analyses from ocean worlds to distinguish and separate what physical structures and chemical patterns are due to life and which are not. Moreover, we discuss hypothetical detection and preservation environments for extant and extinct life, respectively. These proposed environments will take into account independent active and ancient in situ detection prospects by using previous planetary exploration studies and discuss the geobiological implications within an astrobiological context.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2020.2318","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.1089/ast.2020.2318","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2113/gselements.12.3.185","name":"Organic Matter in Cosmic Dust.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Organics are observed to be a significant component of cosmic dust in nearly all environments were dust is observed. In many cases only remote telescope observations of these materials are obtainable and our knowledge of the nature of these materials is very basic. However, it is possible to obtain actual samples of extraterrestrial dust in the Earth's stratosphere, in Antarctic ice and snow, in near-Earth orbit, and via spacecraft missions to asteroids and comets. It is clear that cosmic dust contains a diverse population of organic materials that owe their origins to a variety of chemical processes occurring in many different environments. The presence of isotopic enrichments of D and 15 N suggests that many of these organic materials have an interstellar/protosolar heritage. The study of these samples is of considerable importance since they are the best preserved materials of the early Solar System available.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.12.3.185","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016","doi":"10.2113/gselements.12.3.185","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/microorganisms12030590","name":"Characterize the Growth and Metabolism of <i>Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans</i> under Electroautotrophic and Chemoautotrophic Conditions.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Acidophiles are capable of surviving in extreme environments with low pH. Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans is a typical acidophilic bacterium that has been extensively studied when grown chemoautotrophically, i.e., when it derives energy from oxidation of Fe 2+ or reduced inorganic sulfur compounds (RISCs). Although it is also known to grow with electrons supplied by solid electrodes serving as the sole source of energy, the understanding of its electroautotrophic growth is still limited. This study aimed to compare the growth characteristics of A. ferrooxidans under electroautotrophic (ea) and chemoautotrophic (ca) conditions, with an attempt to elucidate the possible mechanism(s) of extracellular electron flow into the cells. Jarosite was identified by Raman spectroscopy, and it accumulated when A. ferrooxidans used Fe 2+ as the electron donor, but negligible mineral deposition occurred during electroautotrophic growth. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that A. ferrooxidans possesses more pili and extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) under electroautotrophic conditions. A total of 493 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, with 297 genes being down-regulated and 196 genes being up-regulated in ea versus ca conditions. The genes known to be essential for chemoautotrophic growth showed a decreased expression in the electroautotrophic condition; meanwhile, there was an increased expression of genes related to direct electron transfer across the cell's outer/inner membranes and transmembrane proteins such as pilin and porin. Joint analysis of DEGs and differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) showed that galactose metabolism is enhanced during electroautotrophic growth, inducing A. ferrooxidans to produce more EPSs, which aids the cells in adhering to the solid electrode during their growth. These results suggested that electroautotrophy and chemoautotrophy of A. ferrooxidans have different extracellular electron uptake (EEU) pathways, and a model of EEU during electroautotrophic growth is proposed. The use of extracellular electrons as the sole energy source triggers A. ferrooxidans to adopt metabolic and subsequently phenotypic modifications.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12030590","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.3390/microorganisms12030590","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2018.1871","name":"<i>In Situ</i> Geochronology on Mars and the Development of Future Instrumentation.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"We review the in situ geochronology experiments conducted by the Mars Science Laboratory mission's Curiosity rover to understand when the Gale Crater rocks formed, underwent alteration, and became exposed to cosmogenic radiation. These experiments determined that the detrital minerals in the sedimentary rocks of Gale are ∼4 Ga, consistent with their origin in the basalts surrounding the crater. The sedimentary rocks underwent fluid-moderated alteration 2 Gyr later, which may mark the closure of aqueous activity at Gale Crater. Over the past several million years, wind-driven processes have dominated, denuding the surfaces by scarp retreat. The Curiosity measurements validate radiometric dating techniques on Mars and guide the way for future instrumentation to make more precise measurements that will further our understanding of the geological and astrobiological history of the planet.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2018.1871","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","doi":"10.1089/ast.2018.1871","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2001613117","name":"Mechanism of water extraction from gypsum rock by desert colonizing microorganisms.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Microorganisms, in the most hyperarid deserts around the world, inhabit the inside of rocks as a survival strategy. Water is essential for life, and the ability of a rock substrate to retain water is essential for its habitability. Here we report the mechanism by which gypsum rocks from the Atacama Desert, Chile, provide water for its colonizing microorganisms. We show that the microorganisms can extract water of crystallization (i.e., structurally ordered) from the rock, inducing a phase transformation from gypsum (CaSO 4 ·2H 2 O) to anhydrite (CaSO 4 ). To investigate and validate the water extraction and phase transformation mechanisms found in the natural geological environment, we cultivated a cyanobacterium isolate on gypsum rock samples under controlled conditions. We found that the cyanobacteria attached onto high surface energy crystal planes ({011}) of gypsum samples generate a thin biofilm that induced mineral dissolution accompanied by water extraction. This process led to a phase transformation to an anhydrous calcium sulfate, anhydrite, which was formed via reprecipitation and subsequent attachment and alignment of nanocrystals. Results in this work not only shed light on how microorganisms can obtain water under severe xeric conditions but also provide insights into potential life in even more extreme environments, such as Mars, as well as offering strategies for advanced water storage methods.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2001613117","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2001613117","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.aax8587","name":"Volcanic origin for Younger Dryas geochemical anomalies ca. 12,900 cal B.P.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Younger Dryas (YD) abrupt cooling event ca. 12.9 ± 0.1 ka is associated with substantial meltwater input into the North Atlantic Ocean, reversing deglacial warming. One controversial and prevailing hypothesis is that a bolide impact or airburst is responsible for these environmental changes. Here, highly siderophile element (HSE; Os, Ir, Ru, Pt, Pd, and Re) abundances and 187 Os/ 188 Os ratios were obtained in a well-dated sediment section at Hall's Cave, TX, USA to test this hypothesis. In Hall's Cave, layers below, above, and in the YD have 187 Os/ 188 Os ratios consistent with incorporation of extraterrestrial or mantle-derived material. The HSE abundances indicate that these layers contain volcanic gas aerosols and not extraterrestrial materials. The most likely explanation is that episodic, distant volcanic emissions were deposited in Hall's Cave sediments. Coupled 187 Os/ 188 Os ratios and HSE concentration data at close stratigraphic intervals are required to effectively differentiate between bolide and volcanic origins.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aax8587","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.aax8587","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-021-04157-z","name":"Fungal hyphae develop where titanomagnetite inclusions reach the surface of basalt grains.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Nutrient foraging by fungi weathers rocks by mechanical and biochemical processes. Distinguishing fungal-driven transformation from abiotic mechanisms in soil remains a challenge due to complexities within natural field environments. We examined the role of fungal hyphae in the incipient weathering of granulated basalt from a three-year field experiment in a mixed hardwood-pine forest (S. Carolina) to identify alteration at the nanometer to micron scales based on microscopy-tomography analyses. Investigations of fungal-grain contacts revealed (i) a hypha-biofilm-basaltic glass interface coinciding with titanomagnetite inclusions exposed on the grain surface and embedded in the glass matrix and (ii) native dendritic and subhedral titanomagnetite inclusions in the upper 1-2 µm of the grain surface that spanned the length of the fungal-grain interface. We provide evidence of submicron basaltic glass dissolution occurring at a fungal-grain contact in a soil field setting. An example of how fungal-mediated weathering can be distinguished from abiotic mechanisms in the field was demonstrated by observing hyphal selective occupation and hydrolysis of glass-titanomagnetite surfaces. We hypothesize that the fungi were drawn to basaltic glass-titanomagnetite boundaries given that titanomagnetite exposed on or very near grain surfaces represents a source of iron to microbes. Furthermore, glass is energetically favorable to weathering in the presence of titanomagnetite. Our observations demonstrate that fungi interact with and transform basaltic substrates over a three-year time scale in field environments, which is central to understanding the rates and pathways of biogeochemical reactions related to nuclear waste disposal, geologic carbon storage, nutrient cycling, cultural artifact preservation, and soil-formation processes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-04157-z","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.1038/s41598-021-04157-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/life11080833","name":"Evaluating the Microbial Habitability of Rogue Planets and Proposing Speculative Scenarios on How They Might Act as Vectors for Panspermia.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"There are two types of rogue planets, sub-brown dwarfs and \"rocky\" rogue planets. Sub-brown dwarfs are unlikely to be habitable or even host life, but rocky rogue planets may have a liquid ocean under a thick atmosphere or an ice layer. If they are overlain by an insulating ice layer, they are also referred to as Steppenwolf planets. However, given the poor detectability of rocky rogue planets, there is still no direct evidence of the presence of water or ice on them. Here we discuss the possibility that these types of rogue planets could harbor unicellular organisms, conceivably based on a variety of different energy sources, including chemical, osmotic, thermal, and luminous energy. Further, given the theoretically predicted high number of rogue planets in the galaxy, we speculate that rogue planets could serve as a source for galactic panspermia, transferring life to other planetary systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life11080833","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.3390/life11080833","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/life10010002","name":"Ultradeep Microbial Communities at 4.4 km within Crystalline Bedrock: Implications for Habitability in a Planetary Context.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The deep bedrock surroundings are an analog for extraterrestrial habitats for life. In this study, we investigated microbial life within anoxic ultradeep boreholes in Precambrian bedrock, including the adaptation to environmental conditions and lifestyle of these organisms. Samples were collected from Pyhäsalmi mine environment in central Finland and from geothermal drilling wells in Otaniemi, Espoo, in southern Finland. Microbial communities inhabiting the up to 4.4 km deep bedrock were characterized with phylogenetic marker gene (16S rRNA genes and fungal ITS region) amplicon and DNA and cDNA metagenomic sequencing. Functional marker genes ( dsr B, mcr A, nar G) were quantified with qPCR. Results showed that although crystalline bedrock provides very limited substrates for life, the microbial communities are diverse. Gammaproteobacterial phylotypes were most dominant in both studied sites. Alkanindiges -affiliating OTU was dominating in Pyhäsalmi fluids, while different depths of Otaniemi samples were dominated by Pseudomonas . One of the most common OTUs detected from Otaniemi could only be classified to phylum level, highlighting the uncharacterized nature of the deep biosphere in bedrock. Chemoheterotrophy, fermentation and nitrogen cycling are potentially significant metabolisms in these ultradeep environments. To conclude, this study provides information on microbial ecology of low biomass, carbon-depleted and energy-deprived deep subsurface environment. This information is useful in the prospect of finding life in other planetary bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life10010002","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.3390/life10010002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/microorganisms7100380","name":"The Ecology of Subaerial Biofilms in Dry and Inhospitable Terrestrial Environments.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The ecological relationship between minerals and microorganisms arguably represents one of the most important associations in dry terrestrial environments, since it strongly influences major biochemical cycles and regulates the productivity and stability of the Earth's food webs. Despite being inhospitable ecosystems, mineral substrata exposed to air harbor form complex and self-sustaining communities called subaerial biofilms (SABs). Using life on air-exposed minerals as a model and taking inspiration from the mechanisms of some microorganisms that have adapted to inhospitable conditions, we illustrate the ecology of SABs inhabiting natural and built environments. Finally, we advocate the need for the convergence between the experimental and theoretical approaches that might be used to characterize and simulate the development of SABs on mineral substrates and SABs' broader impacts on the dry terrestrial environment.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms7100380","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","doi":"10.3390/microorganisms7100380","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.adq5399","name":"Climatic and ecological responses to Bennu-type asteroid collisions.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"There is an estimated chance of 0.037% that asteroid Bennu will collide with Earth in 2182 CE. The potential collision of such medium-sized asteroids can inject massive amounts of dust into the atmosphere, with unknown consequences for terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Here, we use the coupled high-top Community Earth System Model Version 2 with interactive chemistry to investigate how medium-sized asteroid strikes would affect climate, vegetation, and marine productivity. Our simulations, which inject up to 400 million tons of dust into the stratosphere, show marked disruptions in climate, atmospheric chemistry, and global photosynthesis. Global mean temperatures are projected to drop by 4°C, and global precipitation decreases by 15% in our simulations. The largest relative reductions in global terrestrial and marine net primary productivity reach 36 and 25%, respectively. Depending on the iron amount of the asteroid and the subsequent marine dust deposition, large diatom blooms occur in iron-limited regions such as the Southern Ocean and the eastern equatorial Pacific.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adq5399","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.adq5399","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/ma17020528","name":"Secondary Ion Mass Spectral Imaging of Metals and Alloys.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) is an outstanding technique for Mass Spectral Imaging (MSI) due to its notable advantages, including high sensitivity, selectivity, and high dynamic range. As a result, SIMS has been employed across many domains of science. In this review, we provide an in-depth overview of the fundamental principles underlying SIMS, followed by an account of the recent development of SIMS instruments. The review encompasses various applications of specific SIMS instruments, notably static SIMS with time-of-flight SIMS (ToF-SIMS) as a widely used platform and dynamic SIMS with Nano SIMS and large geometry SIMS as successful instruments. We particularly focus on SIMS utility in microanalysis and imaging of metals and alloys as materials of interest. Additionally, we discuss the challenges in big SIMS data analysis and give examples of machine leaning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for effective MSI data analysis. Finally, we recommend the outlook of SIMS development. It is anticipated that in situ and operando SIMS has the potential to significantly enhance the investigation of metals and alloys by enabling real-time examinations of material surfaces and interfaces during dynamic transformations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17020528","authors":["Yanjie Shen","Logan Howard","Xiao‐Ying Yu"],"tags":["Secondary ion mass spectrometry","Characterization (materials science)","Microanalysis","Static secondary-ion mass spectrometry","Materials science"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.3390/ma17020528","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/molecules27010302","name":"Ab Initio Study of Fine and Hyperfine Interactions in Triplet POH.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Phosphorous-containing molecules have a great relevance in prebiotic chemistry in view of the fact that phosphorous is a fundamental constituent of biomolecules, such as RNA, DNA, and ATP. Its biogenic importance has led astrochemists to investigate the possibility that P-bearing species could have formed in the interstellar medium (ISM) and subsequently been delivered to early Earth by rocky bodies. However, only two P-bearing molecules have been detected so far in the ISM, with the chemistry of interstellar phosphorous remaining poorly understood. Here, in order to shed further light on P-carriers in space, we report a theoretical spectroscopic characterisation of the rotational spectrum of POH in its 3A″ ground electronic state. State-of-the-art coupled-cluster schemes have been employed to derive rotational constants, centrifugal distortion terms, and most of the fine and hyperfine interaction parameters, while the electron spin-spin dipolar coupling has been investigated using the multi-configuration self-consistent-field method. The computed spectroscopic parameters have been used to simulate the appearance of triplet POH rotational and ro-vibrational spectra in different conditions, from cold to warm environments, either in gas-phase experiments or in molecular clouds. Finally, we point out that the predicted hyperfine structures represent a key pattern for the recognition of POH in laboratory and interstellar spectra.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27010302","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.3390/molecules27010302","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.2007051117","name":"Lithogenic hydrogen supports microbial primary production in subglacial and proglacial environments.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Life in environments devoid of photosynthesis, such as on early Earth or in contemporary dark subsurface ecosystems, is supported by chemical energy. How, when, and where chemical nutrients released from the geosphere fuel chemosynthetic biospheres is fundamental to understanding the distribution and diversity of life, both today and in the geologic past. Hydrogen (H 2 ) is a potent reductant that can be generated when water interacts with reactive components of mineral surfaces such as silicate radicals and ferrous iron. Such reactive mineral surfaces are continually generated by physical comminution of bedrock by glaciers. Here, we show that dissolved H 2 concentrations in meltwaters from an iron and silicate mineral-rich basaltic glacial catchment were an order of magnitude higher than those from a carbonate-dominated catchment. Consistent with higher H 2 abundance, sediment microbial communities from the basaltic catchment exhibited significantly shorter lag times and faster rates of net H 2 oxidation and dark carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) fixation than those from the carbonate catchment, indicating adaptation to use H 2 as a reductant in basaltic catchments. An enrichment culture of basaltic sediments provided with H 2 , CO 2 , and ferric iron produced a chemolithoautotrophic population related to Rhodoferax ferrireducens with a metabolism previously thought to be restricted to (hyper)thermophiles and acidophiles. These findings point to the importance of physical and chemical weathering processes in generating nutrients that support chemosynthetic primary production. Furthermore, they show that differences in bedrock mineral composition can influence the supplies of nutrients like H 2 and, in turn, the diversity, abundance, and activity of microbial inhabitants.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2007051117","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.1073/pnas.2007051117","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-020-20705-z","name":"Jarosite formation in deep Antarctic ice provides a window into acidic, water-limited weathering on Mars.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Many interpretations have been proposed to explain the presence of jarosite within Martian surficial sediments, including the possibility that it precipitated within paleo-ice deposits owing to englacial weathering of dust. However, until now a similar geochemical process was not observed on Earth nor in other planetary settings. We report a multi-analytical indication of jarosite formation within deep ice. Below 1000 m depth, jarosite crystals adhering on residual silica-rich particles have been identified in the Talos Dome ice core (East Antarctica) and interpreted as products of weathering involving aeolian dust and acidic atmospheric aerosols. The progressive increase of ice metamorphism and re-crystallization with depth, favours the relocation and concentration of dust and the formation of acidic brines in isolated environments, allowing chemical reactions and mineral neo-formation to occur. This is the first described englacial diagenetic mechanism occurring in deep Antarctic ice and supports the ice-weathering model for jarosite formation on Mars, highlighting the geologic importance of paleo ice-related processes on this planet. Additional implications concern the preservation of dust-related signals in deep ice cores with respect to paleoclimatic reconstructions and the englacial history of meteorites from Antarctic blue ice fields.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-20705-z","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.1038/s41467-020-20705-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/life10060083","name":"Carotenoid Raman Signatures Are Better Preserved in Dried Cells of the Desert Cyanobacterium <i>Chroococcidiopsis</i> than in Hydrated Counterparts after High-Dose Gamma Irradiation.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Carotenoids are promising targets in our quest to search for life on Mars due to their biogenic origin and easy detection by Raman spectroscopy, especially with a 532 nm excitation thanks to resonance effects. Ionizing radiations reaching the surface and subsurface of Mars are however detrimental for the long-term preservation of biomolecules. We show here that desiccation can protect carotenoid Raman signatures in the desert cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis sp. CCMEE 029 even after high-dose gamma irradiation. Indeed, while the height of the carotenoids Raman peaks was considerably reduced in hydrated cells exposed to gamma irradiation, it remained stable in dried cells irradiated with the highest tested dose of 113 kGy of gamma rays, losing only 15-20% of its non-irradiated intensity. Interestingly, even though the carotenoid Raman signal of hydrated cells lost 90% of its non-irradiated intensity, it was still detectable after exposure to 113 kGy of gamma rays. These results add insights into the preservation potential and detectability limit of carotenoid-like molecules on Mars over a prolonged period of time and are crucial in supporting future missions carrying Raman spectrometers to Mars' surface.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life10060083","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.3390/life10060083","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7759/cureus.49035","name":"Oral Health in Zero Gravity: A Comprehensive Review of Orofacial Effects and Countermeasures in Spaceflights.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Space is a complex and challenging setting encompassing the region beyond Earth's atmosphere where astronauts and spacecraft operate. The unique conditions of spaceflights, particularly microgravity and radiation, pose significant challenges to astronaut health, including the orofacial region. It has effects on saliva production, microbial composition, and oral hygiene practices, which influence oral health status, such as increased risk of dental caries, gum diseases, oral discomfort, temporomandibular joint dysfunctions, sialoliths, pain and dysesthesia in the teeth and oral mucosa, masticatory muscle atrophy, and oral cancer which can be detrimental during prolonged missions. Hence, a comprehensive approach to dental care in space is imperative to ensure astronauts' well-being and overall health as we strive to extend our presence beyond Earth. This literature review paper sheds light on the intricate effects of space on the orofacial region and delves into the unique challenges astronauts face in upholding optimal oral health while in space. It explores the current state of dentistry in space and discusses advancements and strategies that aim to maintain optimal oral health for astronauts during extended space missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.49035","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.7759/cureus.49035","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.abc1008","name":"A large meteoritic event over Antarctica ca. 430 ka ago inferred from chondritic spherules from the Sør Rondane Mountains.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Large airbursts, the most frequent hazardous impact events, are estimated to occur orders of magnitude more frequently than crater-forming impacts. However, finding traces of these events is impeded by the difficulty of identifying them in the recent geological record. Here, we describe condensation spherules found on top of Walnumfjellet in the Sør Rondane Mountains, Antarctica. Affinities with similar spherules found in EPICA Dome C and Dome Fuji ice cores suggest that these particles were produced during a single-asteroid impact ca. 430 thousand years (ka) ago. The lack of a confirmed crater on the Antarctic ice sheet and geochemical and 18 O-poor oxygen isotope signatures allow us to hypothesize that the impact particles result from a touchdown event, in which a projectile vapor jet interacts with the Antarctic ice sheet. Numerical models support a touchdown scenario. This study has implications for the identification and inventory of large cosmic events on Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abc1008","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.abc1008","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fmicb.2021.794743","name":"Influence of Physical-Chemical Soil Parameters on Microbiota Composition and Diversity in a Deep Hyperarid Core of the Atacama Desert.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The extreme environmental conditions and lack of water on the soil surface in hyperarid deserts hamper microbial life, allowing only highly specialized microbial communities to the establish colonies and survive. Until now, the microbial communities that inhabit or have inhabited soils of hyperarid environments at greater depths have been poorly studied. We analyzed for the first time the variation in microbial communities down to a depth of 3.4 m in one of the driest places of the world, the hyperarid Yungay region in the Atacama Desert, and we related it to changes in soil physico-chemical characteristics. We found that the moisture content changed from 2 to 11% with depth and enabled the differentiation of three depth intervals: (i) surface zone A (0-60 cm), (ii) intermediate zone B (60-220 cm), and (iii) deep zone C (220-340 cm). Each zone showed further specific physicochemical and mineralogical features. Likewise, some bacterial phyla were unique in each zone, i.e., members of the taxa Deinococcota , Halobacterota , and Latescibacterota in zone A; Crenarchaeota , Fusobacteriota , and Deltaproteobacterium Sva0485 in zone B; and Fervidibacteria and Campilobacterota in zone C, which indicates taxon-specific preferences in deep soil habitats. Differences in the microbiota between the zones were rather abrupt, which is concomitant with abrupt changes in the physical-chemical parameters. Overall, moisture content, total carbon (TC), pH, and electric conductivity (EC) were most predictive of microbial richness and diversity, while total sulfur (TS) and total phosphorous (TP) contents were additionally predictive of community composition. We also found statistically significant associations between taxa and soil properties, most of which involved moisture and TC contents. Our findings show that under-explored habitats for microbial survival and existence may prevail at greater soil depths near water or within water-bearing layers, a valuable substantiation also for the ongoing search for biosignatures on other planets, such as Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2021.794743","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.3389/fmicb.2021.794743","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-023-29727-1","name":"Iron (hydr)oxide formation in Andosols under extreme climate conditions.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Redox-driven biogeochemical cycling of iron plays an integral role in the complex process network of ecosystems, such as carbon cycling, the fate of nutrients and greenhouse gas emissions. We investigate Fe-(hydr)oxide (trans)formation pathways from rhyolitic tephra in acidic topsoils of South Patagonian Andosols to evaluate the ecological relevance of terrestrial iron cycling for this sensitive fjord ecosystem. Using bulk geochemical analyses combined with micrometer-scale-measurements on individual soil aggregates and tephra pumice, we document biotic and abiotic pathways of Fe released from the glassy tephra matrix and titanomagnetite phenocrysts. During successive redox cycles that are controlled by frequent hydrological perturbations under hyper-humid climate, (trans)formations of ferrihydrite-organic matter coprecipitates, maghemite and hematite are closely linked to tephra weathering and organic matter turnover. These Fe-(hydr)oxides nucleate after glass dissolution and complexation with organic ligands, through maghemitization or dissolution-(re)crystallization processes from metastable precursors. Ultimately, hematite represents the most thermodynamically stable Fe-(hydr)oxide formed under these conditions and physically accumulates at redox interfaces, whereas the ferrihydrite coprecipitates represent a so far underappreciated terrestrial source of bio-available iron for fjord bioproductivity. The insights into Fe-(hydr)oxide (trans)formation in Andosols have implications for a better understanding of biogeochemical cycling of iron in this unique Patagonian fjord ecosystem.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-29727-1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.1038/s41598-023-29727-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:41.232Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.830Z"},{"id":"oa:W2039547595","name":"The Distribution and Significance of Evaporitic Weathering Products on Antarctic Meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The distribution of white evaporitic deposits differs among different meteorite compositional groups and weathering categories of Antarctic meteorites. Evaporites occur with unusual frequency on carbonaceous chondrites, and are especially common in carbonaceous chondrites of weathering categories A and B. Among achondrites, weathering categories A and A/B show the most examples of evaporite weathering. Unlike carbonaceous chondrites and achondrites, most evaporite‐bearing ordinary (H and L) chondrites are from rustier meteorites of weathering categories B and, to a lesser degree, B/C and C. LL chondrites are conspicuous by their complete lack of any evaporitic weathering product. Almost two‐thirds of all evaporite‐bearing meteorites belong to weathering categories A, A/B, and B. Where chemical data are available, surficial evaporite deposits are associated with elemental anomalies in meteorite interiors. Meteorites of weathering classes B, A/B, and even A may have experienced significant element redistribution and/or contamination as a result of terrestrial exposure. Evaporite formation during terrestrial weathering cannot be neglected in geochemical, cosmochemical, and mineralogical studies of Antarctic meteorites. A lower‐case “e” should be added to the weathering classification of evaporite‐bearing Antarctic meteorites, to inform meteorite scientists of the presence of evaporite deposits and their associated compositional effects.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1988.tb00910.x","authors":["M. A. Velbel"],"tags":["Meteorite","Evaporite","Weathering","Achondrite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1988-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1988.tb00910.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W2017998168","name":"Modal mineralogy of CM2 chondrites by X-ray diffraction (PSD-XRD). Part 1: Total phyllosilicate abundance and the degree of aqueous alteration","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2009.04.038","authors":["K. T. Howard","G. K. Benedix","P. A. Bland","G. Cressey"],"tags":["Chondrite","Chondrule","Olivine","Pyroxene","Murchison meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-05-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2009.04.038","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W2026006997","name":"Pyrrhotite and the remanent magnetization of SNC meteorites: a changing perspective on Martian magnetism","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0012-821x(01)00373-9","authors":["P. Rochette","Jean‐Pierre Lorand","G. Fillion","V. Sautter"],"tags":["Remanence","Pyrrhotite","Geology","Meteorite","Rock magnetism"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-07-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0012-821x(01)00373-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W1986242722","name":"The age of the martian meteorite Northwest Africa 1195 and the differentiation history of the shergottites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2007.12.022","authors":["S. J. K. Symes","L. E. Borg","C. K. Shearer","Anthony J. Irving"],"tags":["Isochron","Geology","Meteorite","Geochemistry","Isochron dating"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-01-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2007.12.022","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W921771176","name":"Modal mineralogy of CI and CI-like chondrites by X-ray diffraction","source":"openalex","abstract":"The CI chondrites are some of the most hydrated meteorites available to study, making them ideal samples with which to investigate aqueous processes in the early Solar System. Here, we have used position-sensitive-detector X-ray diffraction (PSD-XRD) to quantify the abundance of minerals in bulk samples of the CI chondrite falls Alais, Orgueil and Ivuna, and the Antarctic CI-like chondrites Y-82162 and Y-980115. We find that Alais, Orgueil and Ivuna are dominated by a mixed serpentine/saponite phyllosilicate (81–84 vol%), plus minor magnetite (6–10%), sulphides (4–7%) and carbonates (<3%). This reflects an extended period of aqueous alteration and the near-complete transformation of anhydrous phases into a secondary mineral assemblage. The similarity in total abundance of phyllosilicate suggests that the CI chondrites all experienced the same degree of aqueous alteration on the parent body. In contrast, Y-82162 contains a highly disordered serpentine/saponite phyllosilicate (68 vol%), sulphide (19%), olivine (11%) and magnetite (2%). This mineralogy is distinct from that of the CI chondrites, attesting to both a different starting mineralogy and alteration history. The structure and relatively low abundance of the phyllosilicate, and the high abundance of olivine, are consistent with previous observations that Y-82162 represents CI-like material that following aqueous alteration suffered thermal metamorphism at temperatures >500 °C. Similarly, Y-980115 contains disordered serpentine/saponite (71 vol%), sulphide (19%), olivine (8%) and magnetite (2%), confirming that it too is a thermally metamorphosed CI-like chondrite. We suggest that the CI-like chondrites are derived from a different parent body than the CI chondrites, which underwent short-lived thermal metamorphism due to impacts and/or solar radiation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2015.05.038","authors":["A. J. King","P. F. Schofield","K. T. Howard","S. S. Russell"],"tags":["Chondrite","Olivine","Meteorite","Magnetite","Chondrule"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-05-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2015.05.038","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W2102530828","name":"Early chemical history of the solar system","source":"openalex","abstract":"The extreme antiquity and lack of evidence for significant chemical processing of the chondritic meteorites since they were formed suggest the possibility that their chemistry and mineralogy may have been established during the condensation of the solar system. By using equilibrium thermodynamics, the sequence of condensation of mineral phases from a cooling nebula of solar composition has been calculated. Applying the predictions of these theoretical models suggests that (1) the chemistry and mineralogy of Ca‐Al‐rich inclusions in C2 and C3 chondrites were established during condensation at temperatures >1300°K; (2) fractionation of such inclusions is necessary to account for the refractory element depletions of ordinary and enstatite chondrites relative to the carbonaceous chondrites; (3) the metal‐silicate fractionation in ordinary chondrites took place in the nebula at T < 1000°K and P tot ∼ 10 −5 atm; (4) the volatile element depletion of C2 and C3 chondrites relative to C1 chondrites took place during chondrule formation; (5) the most volatile elements are depleted in ordinary chondrites because they accreted before these elements were totally condensed; and (6) many chemical features of planetary rare gases and organic material in carbonaceous chondrites could have been established during condensation. Chemical fractionation during condensation may also be responsible for the heterogeneous accumulation of the earth, the refractory element enrichment of the moon, and the varying Fe/Si ratios of the terrestrial planets.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/rg012i001p00071","authors":["Lawrence Grossman","J. W. Larimer"],"tags":["Chondrite","Enstatite","Meteorite","Chondrule","Formation and evolution of the Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1974-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/rg012i001p00071","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W2023871323","name":"Trace elements in the Allende meteorite—II. Fine-grained. Ca-rich inclusions","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(76)90145-9","authors":["Lawrence Grossman","R. Ganapathy"],"tags":["Allende meteorite","Lithophile","Chondrite","Pyroxene","Refractory (planetary science)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1976-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(76)90145-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W2026830303","name":"Thermal metamorphism of primitive meteorites—VII. Mineralogy-petrology of heated Murchison (C2) and alteration of C30 and other chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(78)90254-5","authors":["Stephen D. Matza","M. E. Lipschutz"],"tags":["Murchison meteorite","Chondrite","Troilite","Meteorite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1978-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(78)90254-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W2142026892","name":"A spectroscopic comparison of HED meteorites and V-type asteroids in the inner Main Belt","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2010.03.002","authors":["Nicholas Moskovitz","M. Willman","T. H. Burbine","Richard P. Binzel","S. J. Bus"],"tags":["Asteroid","Meteorite","Space weathering","Asteroid belt","Parent body"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-03-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2010.03.002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W2150112116","name":"Constraints on Stellar Grain Formation from Presolar Graphite in the Murchison Meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"We report the results of isotopic, chemical, structural, and crystallographic microanalyses of graphitic spherules (0.3-9 μm) extracted from the Murchison meteorite. The spherules have 12 C/ 13 C ratios ranging over 3 orders of magnitude (from 0.02 to 80 times solar), clearly establishing their presolar origin as stellar condensates. These and other isotopic constraints point to a variety of stellar types as sources of the carbon, including low-mass asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars and supernovae. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of ultrathin sections of the spherules revealed that many have a composite structure consisting of a core of nanocrystalline carbon surrounded by a mantle of well-graphitized carbon. The nanocrystalline cores are compact masses consisting of randomly oriented graphene sheets, from PAH-sized units up to sheets 3-4 nm in diameter, with little graphitic layering order. These sheets probably condensed as isolated particles that subsequently coalesced to form the cores, after which the surrounding graphitic mantles were added by vapor deposition. We also detected internal crystals of metal carbides in one-third of the spherules. These crystals (5-200 nm) have compositions ranging from nearly pure TiC to nearly pure Zr-Mo carbide. Some of these carbides occur at the centers of the spherules and are surrounded by well-graphitized carbon, having evidently served as heterogeneous nucleation centers for condensation of carbon. Others were entrained by carbon as the spherules grew. The chemical and textural evidence indicates that these carbides formed prior to carbon condensation, which indicates that the C/O ratios in the stellar sources were very close to unity. Only one of the 67 spherules studied in the TEM contained SiC, from which we infer that carbon condensation nearly always preceded SiC formation. This observation places stringent limits on the possible delay of graphite formation and is consistent with the predictions of equilibrium thermodynamics in the inferred range of pressure and C/O ratios. We model the formation of the observed refractory carbides under equilibrium conditions, both with and without s-process enrichment of Zr and Mo, and show that the chemical variation among internal crystals is consistent with the predicted equilibrium condensation sequence. The compositions of most of the Zr-Mo-Ti carbides require an s-process enrichment of both Zr and Mo to at least 30 times their solar abundances relative to Ti. However, to account for crystals in which Mo is also enriched relative to Zr, it is necessary to suppose that Zr is removed by separation of the earliest formed ZrC crystals from their parent gas. We also explore the formation constraints imposed by kinetics, equilibrium thermodynamics, and the observation of clusters of carbide crystals in some spherules, and conclude that relatively high formation pressures (≳ 0.1 dynes cm –2 ), and/or condensable carbon number densities (≳ 10 8 cm –3 ) are required. The graphite spherules with 12 C/ 13 C ratios less than the solar value may have originated in AGB stellar winds. However, in the spherically symmetric AGB atmospheres customarily assumed in models of stellar grain formation, pressures are much too low (by factors of ≳ 10 2 ) to produce carbide crystals or graphite spherules of the sizes observed within plausible timescales. If some of the graphite spherules formed in the winds from such stars, it thus appears necessary to assume that the regions of grain formation are density concentrations with length scales less than a stellar radius. Some of the spherules with both 12 C/ 13 C ratios greater than the solar value and 28Si excesses probably grew in the ejecta of super-novae. The isotopic compositions and growth constraints imply that they must have formed at high densities (e.g., with ρ ≳ 10 –12 g cm –3 ) from mixtures of inner-shell material with material from the C-rich outer zones.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1086/178105","authors":["T. J. Bernatowicz","R. Cowsik","P. C. Gibbons","K. Lodders","Bruce Fegley","S. Amari","R. S. Lewis"],"tags":["Murchison meteorite","Presolar grains","Meteorite","Carbonaceous chondrite","Cosmic dust"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1996-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1086/178105","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W1974584316","name":"Chondrules and the Protoplanetary Disk","source":"openalex","abstract":"AbstractMajor advances in deciphering the record of nebula processes in chondrites can be attributed to analytical improvements that allow coordinated isotopic and mineralogical studies of components in chondrites and to a wealth of new meteorites from hot and cold deserts. These studies have identified a few rare pristine chondrites that largely escaped heating and alteration in asteroids, which have matrices composed of submicrometer-sized grains of enstatite and forsterite and amorphous silicates, as found in comets. Isotopic analyses of components in pristine chondrites using short-lived nuclide chronometers, Pb-Pb dating, and oxygen isotopes aided by laboratory and theoretical studies of chondrites and differentiated meteorites have provided key constraints on the processes that shaped the early solar system. These processes were once thought to have followed one another sequentially over a period of several million years: chondrule formation; planetesimal accretion; alteration, metamorphism, and mel...","url":"https://openalex.org/W1974584316","authors":["E. R. D. Scott"],"tags":["Chondrule","Chondrite","Meteorite","Enstatite","Formation and evolution of the Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-03-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W1500685572","name":"Identification of molecular-cloud material in interplanetary dust particles","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/35010053","authors":["S. Messenger"],"tags":["Meteorite","Interplanetary dust cloud","Astrobiology","Solar System","Cosmic dust"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/35010053","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W2490917401","name":"Mineralogy of Meteorites Revealed by Cathodoluminescence","source":"openalex","abstract":"Within meteorites enstatite, forsterite, plagioclase and glass are the major phases which show cathodoluminescence (CL). For enstatite and forsterite, Cr and Mn both produce CL with Cr emission in the infrared (about 740nm) but extending into the visible and Mn emission in the red (about 660nm). Both phases show a blue emission near 450nm of unknown origin. The visual color is a function of these two elements, the blue intensity and the Fe content which effectively quenches the blue emission in forsterite at the 0.75 wt.% level and the Cr emission at the 2.0 wt.% level. Iron quenching affects enstatite but levels are not known. The wavelength of the Cr emission is not constant and may reflect the distribution of Cr between the two non-equivalent sites of these minerals. Spectral intensity measurements can provide a means of rapidly determining Cr and Mn concentrations if Fe levels are constant. Feldspar is the most common phase showing CL but the activator is not known. The intensity of blue emission in anorthite correlates inversely with the Mg and Na content and allows recognition of zoning in these minor elements. Visual observations of plagioclase luminescence in the carbonaceous chondrites provides evidence of extensive alteration of anorthite to garnet-melilite assemblages. All three silicates show a blue emission to which no activator element has been recognized and strengthens arguments that it is associated with the tetrahedral portion of the structures. Brief observations are made for CL features of melilite, spinel, garnet, fassaite, hibonite, corundum, oldhamite and diopside but systematic studies of these phases have not been made.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/bk-1990-0415.ch008","authors":["I. M. Steele"],"tags":["Melilite","Forsterite","Anorthite","Enstatite","Cathodoluminescence"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1990-11-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/bk-1990-0415.ch008","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W2134248735","name":"Mineralogy of chondritic interplanetary dust particles","source":"openalex","abstract":"From a mineralogical survey of approximately 30 chondritic micrometeorites collected from the lower stratosphere and studied in detail using current electron microscopy techniques, it is concluded that these particles represent a unique group of extraterrestrial materials. These micrometeorites differ significantly in form and texture from components of carbonaceous chondrites and contain some mineral assemblages which do not occur in any meteorite class. Electron microscope investigations of chondritic micrometeorites have established that these materials (1) are extraterrestrial in origin, (2) existed in space as small objects, (3) endured minimal alteration by planetary processes since formation, and (4) can suffer minimal pulse heating (<600°C) on entering earth's atmosphere. The probable sources for chondritic interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) are cometary and asteroidal debris and, perhaps to a lesser extent, interstellar regions. These sources have not been conclusively linked to any specific mineralogical subset of IDP, although the chondritic porous (CP) aggregate is considered of likely cometary origin. Chondritic IDPs occur in two predominant mineral assemblages: (1) carbonaceous phases and phyllosilicates and (2) carbonaceous phases and nesosilicates or inosilicates, although particles with both types of silicate assemblages are observed. Olivines, pyroxenes, layer silicates, and carbon‐rich phases are the most commonly occurring minerals in many chondritic IDPs. Other phases often observed in variable proportions include sulphides, spinels, metals, metal carbides, carbonates, and minor amounts of sulphates and phosphates. Individual mineral grain sizes range from micrometers (primarily pyroxenes and olivines) to nanometers, with the predominant size for all phases less than 100 nm. Specific mineral characteristics for particular chondritic IDPs provide an indication of processes which may have occurred prior to collection in the earth's stratosphere. For example, pyroxene mineralogy in some chondritic aggregates is consistent with condensation from a vapor phase and, we consider, with condensation in a turbulent solar nebula at relatively low temperatures (<1000°C). Carbonaceous phases present in other CP aggregates have been used to imply low‐temperature formation processes such as Fischer‐Tropsch synthesis (∼530°C) or carbonization and graphitization (∼315°C). Alteration processes have been implicated in the formation of some layer silicates in CP aggregates and may have involved hydrocryogenic alteration at <0°C. In general, interpretations of transformation processes on submicrometer‐size minerals in chondritic IDPs are consistent with formation at a radius equivalent to the asteroid belt or greater during the later stages of solar nebula evolution using currently available models.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/rg025i007p01527","authors":["Ian D.R. Mackinnon","Frans J. M. Rietmeijer"],"tags":["Chondrite","Interplanetary dust cloud","Astrobiology","Meteorite","Mineral"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1987-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/rg025i007p01527","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W1980563450","name":"The discovery and initial characterization of Allan Hills 81005: The first lunar meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Antarctic meteorite ALHA81005, discovered in the Allan Hills region of Victoria Land, is a polymict anorthositic breccia which differs from other meteorites in mineralogical and chemical composition but is strikingly similar to lunar highlands soil breccias. The petrologic character and several independent lines of evidence identify ALHA81005 as a meteorite from the Moon. Two small clasts of probable mare basalt occur among the highlands lithologies in Thin Section 81005,22. This lunar specimen, which shows relatively minor shock effects, has generated new ideas on the types of planetary samples we may find on the Earth, and has added fresh excitement to the Antarctic meteorite program.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/gl010i009p00775","authors":["Ursula B. Marvin"],"tags":["Meteorite","Breccia","Geology","Geology of the Moon","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1983-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/gl010i009p00775","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W2087930533","name":"Phase reddening on near-Earth asteroids: Implications for mineralogical analysis, space weathering and taxonomic classification","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2012.04.008","authors":["Juan A. Sanchez","V. Reddy","A. Nathues","E. A. Cloutis","Paul Mann","H. Hiesinger"],"tags":["Asteroid","Space weathering","Chondrite","Phase angle (astronomy)","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-04-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2012.04.008","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W1536915851","name":"SNC meteorites: Igneous rocks from Mars?","source":"openalex","abstract":"All dated meteorites have formation ages of 4.4 to 4.6 b.y. (Sears, 1978), except for nine achondrites which crystallized 1.3 b.y. ago (Table 1). These meteorites-shergottites, nakhlites, and chassignites (SNC)-also differ chemically, petrologically, physically, and magnetically from other meteorite types, suggesting a unique origin. We propose, extending previous tentative suggestions (Wasson and Wetherill, 1979; Nyquist et al., 1979a; Walker et al., 1979; McSween and Stolper, 1980), that SNC meteorites are igneous rocks from Mars, and additionally, using the characteristics of SNC meteorites, we speculate on specific events in the history of Mars.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1536915851","authors":["Charles A. Wood","Lewis D. Ashwal"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1982-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W2072538484","name":"Petrological evidence for shock melting of carbonates in the martian meteorite ALH84001","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/387377a0","authors":["E. R. D. Scott","Akira Yamaguchi","Alexander N. Krot"],"tags":["Meteorite","Martian","Geology","Pyroxene","Carbonate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/387377a0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W2003075959","name":"The phosphates of IIIAB iron meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Thirteen phosphate minerals are found in IIIAB iron meteorites. Four of these (sarcopside, graftonite, johnsomervilleite, and galileiite) constitute the majority of occurrences. The IIIB iron meteorites are confined to occurrences of only these four phosphates. The IIIA iron meteorites may contain one or more of these four phases; they may also contain other rarer phosphates, and silica (in two instances) and a silicate rock (in one instance). Thus, the IIIA lithophile chemistry is more varied than that of the IIIB meteorites. Based on petrographic relations, sarcopside appears to be the first phosphate to form. Graftonite is probably formed by recrystallization of sarcopside. Johnsomervilleite and galileiite exsolved as enclaves in sarcopside or graftonite at lower temperatures, although some of these also nucleated as separate crystals. The IIIAB phosphates are carriers of a group of incompatible lithophile elements: Fe, Mn, Na, Ca, and K, and, rarely, Mg as well as Pb. These elements (and O) were concentrated in a residual, S‐rich liquid during igneous fractional crystallization of the IIIAB core mass. The phosphates formed by oxidation of P as the core solidified and excluded O, which increased its partial pressure in the residual liquid. The trace siderophile trends in bulk IIIAB metal are paralleled by a mineralogical trend of the phosphate minerals that formed. For IIIAB meteorites with low‐Ir contents in the metal, the phosphates are mainly Fe‐Mn phases; at intermediate Ir values, more Na‐bearing phosphates appear; at the highest Ir values, the rarer Na‐, K‐, Mg‐, Cr‐, and Pb‐bearing phosphates appear. The absence of significant amounts of Mg, Si, Al, and Ti suggest depletion of these elements in the core by the overlying mantle.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1999.tb01752.x","authors":["Edward J. Olsen","A. Kracher","A. M. Davis","I. M. Steele","I. D. Hutcheon","T. E. Bunch"],"tags":["Meteorite","Lithophile","Chemistry","Iron meteorite","Fractional crystallization (geology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1999.tb01752.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W1989988500","name":"Asteroid surface materials: Mineralogical characterizations from reflectance spectra","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00240908","authors":["MichaelJ. Gaffey","ThomasB. McCord"],"tags":["Asteroid","Meteorite","Geology","Albedo (alchemy)","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1978-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00240908","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W4300481771","name":"On the Structure and Origin of Meteorites 2","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/015495a0","authors":[],"tags":["Meteorite","Subject (documents)","Astrobiology","Stars","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1877-04-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/015495a0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W3000713280","name":"Studies on Italian Meteorites: Mineralogy, Texture and Chemistry of the Motta di Conti, Vercelli, Shower, Feb. 28, 1868","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3000713280","authors":["G. R. Levi‐Donati","Adriana Maras","G. P. Sighinolfi"],"tags":["Meteorite","Texture (cosmology)","Physics","Astrobiology","Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1979-12-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W3041838509","name":"Coorara and Coolamon Meteorites: Ringwoodite and Mineralogical Differences","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3041838509","authors":["I. M. Steele","J. V. Smith"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Ringwoodite","Geochemistry","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1978-03-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W3103567313","name":"Drusy Vugs in the Albion Iron Meteorite: Mineralogy and Textures","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3103567313","authors":["Ursula B. Marvin","M. I. Petaev","Richard Kempton"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Geochemistry","Texture (cosmology)","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1996-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W150032416","name":"Steps toward interstellar silicate mineralogy","source":"openalex","abstract":"Crystalline olivines are an important component of silicate dust particles in space. ISO observations revealed the presence of crystalline silicates in comets, protoplanetary accretion disks, and outflows from evolved stars. For the interpretation of astronomical spectra, the relevant material data at a variety of temperatures and over a broad wavelength range, are urgently needed. In contrast to this need, optical properties of the astronomically interesting olivines are scarcely available at present. In order to close this gap, we studied the optical properties of three minerals of the olivine group by reflection spectroscopy on single crystals in the infrared spectral range. We measured the iron endmember (fayalite, ), an Mg-rich olivine (), and the magnesium endmember (forsterite, ) of the series. For a direct comparison with astronomical observations, we present calculated mass absorption coefficients in the Rayleigh limit for different shapes and varying iron content of the dust particles. The laboratory data together with a set of ISO data for envelopes around evolved stars (Molster 2000) are used to constrain the properties of circumstellar silicates. We find that essentially all band positions are shifted to larger wavelengths with increasing iron content. The particle shape influences very significantly the strong bands such as the B: mode that appears as the \"11.4 μm\" band of forsterite, whereas e.g. the two FIR modes longward of 40 μm remain practically unaffected by the particle shape but shift due to increasing iron content. The comparison with the band positions in ISO spectra points to the presence of olivine crystals strongly elongated along the crystallographic c-axis. In addition, we apply the calculated mass absorption coefficients to evaluate transmission measurements of particles embedded in a matrix -a technique which is frequently used in laboratory astrophysics. All data shown in this paper will be made available in digital form via the electronic database http://www.astro.uni-jena.de.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20011196","authors":["D. Fabian","Thomas Henning","C. Jäger","H. Mutschke","J. Dorschner","O. Wehrhan"],"tags":["Forsterite","Olivine","Silicate","Physics","Astrophysics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20011196","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W2153722970","name":"Comparative micro‐Raman study of the Nakhla and Vaca Muerta meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract A comprehensive micro‐Raman spectroscopic analysis of the Nakhla and Vaca Muerta meteorites is reported. The major and minor mineral components were identified from comparison with mineralogical standards and literature databases. The compositions of pyroxenes and olivines were obtained using only this technique and correlation data between band parameters and the chemical composition of reference materials existing in the literature. The presence of calcite in both meteorite specimens was noted; its identification inside eucrite grains in the Vaca Muerta meteorite is particularly noteworthy. Their spectral parameters show strong similarities. Aragonite associated with calcite is reported for the first time in Vaca Muerta meteorite. Spectra of siderite, which appears associated with clinopyroxenes, are also reported in Nakhla meteorite. Iron oxides were analysed in detail in both meteorites. Magnetite is the main oxide phase observed in Nakhla and goethite, lepidocrocite and magnetite in Vaca Muerta. In both cases haematite was not observed. A comparison of the spectral parameters of these mineral phases observed in both meteorites was made and their possible origin as secondary minerals is discussed. This study stresses the potential of Raman spectroscopy in the mineralogical characterization of meteorites on a very small scale and also the potential applications of Raman spectroscopy for use on landers or rovers on the surface of Mars or other planetary bodies. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.1177","authors":["F. Rull","Jesús Martínez‐Frías","A. Sansano","J. Medina","Howell G. M. Edwards"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Mineral","Raman spectroscopy","Calcite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.1177","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W2013348874","name":"Mineralogy, petrology, and distribution of meteorites at the Whitecourt crater, Alberta, Canada","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Whitecourt meteorite impact crater, Alberta, Canada is a rare example of a well‐preserved small impact structure, with which thousands of meteorite fragments are associated. As such, this crater represents a unique opportunity to investigate the effect of a low‐energy impact event on an impacting iron bolide. Excellent documentation of meteorite fragment locations and characteristics has generated a detailed distribution map of both shrapnel and regmaglypted meteorite types. The meteorites' distribution, and internal and external characteristics support a low‐altitude breakup of the impactor which caused atmospherically ablated (regmaglypted) meteorites to fall close to the crater and avoid impact‐related deformation. In contrast, shrapnel fragments sustained deformation at macro‐ and microscales resulting from the catastrophic disruption of the impactor. The impactor was significantly fragmented along pre‐existing planes of weakness, including kamacite lamellae and inclusions, resulting in a bias toward low‐mass (<100 g) fragments. Meteorite mineralogy was investigated and the accessory minerals were found to be dominated by sulfides and phosphides with rare carlsbergite, consistent with other low‐Ni IIIAB iron meteorites. Considerations of the total mass of meteoritic material recovered at the site relative to the probable fraction of the impactor that was preserved based on modeling suggests that the crater was formed by a higher velocity, lower mass impactor than previously inferred.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12422","authors":["J. D. Newman","C. D. K. Herd"],"tags":["Geology","Meteorite","Impact crater","Geochemistry","Petrology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12422","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W1968011267","name":"The classification of micrometeorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Due to their small size, the mineralogical and chemical properties of micrometeorites (MMs) are not representative of their parent bodies on the centimeter to meter scales that are used to define parent body groups through the petrological study of meteorites. Identifying which groups of MM are derived from the same type of parent body is problematic and requires particles to be rigorously grouped on the basis of mineralogical, textural, and chemical properties that reflect the fundamental genetic differences between meteorite parent bodies, albeit with minimal bias towards preconceived genetic models. Specifically, the interpretation of MMs requires a rigorous and meaningful classification scheme. At present the classification of MMs is, however, at best ambiguous. A unified petrological‐chemical classification scheme is proposed in the current study and is based on observations of several thousand MMs collected from Antarctic ice.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2008.tb00668.x","authors":["M. J. Genge","C. Engrand","M. Gounelle","Susan Taylor"],"tags":["Meteorite","Classification scheme","Parent body","Interpretation (philosophy)","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2008.tb00668.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W1992083487","name":"Aqueous alteration on asteroids: Linking the mineralogy and spectroscopy of CM and CI chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2014.09.041","authors":["Maggie McAdam","J. M. Sunshine","K. T. Howard","T. J. McCoy"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Parent body","Aqueous solution","Carbonaceous chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-10-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2014.09.041","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W2116927055","name":"Refractory-element-rich inclusions in CM meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-821x(79)90184-5","authors":["J. D. MacDougall"],"tags":["Allende meteorite","Murchison meteorite","Meteorite","Geology","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1979-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-821x(79)90184-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W3148906868","name":"Gabbroic lunar mare meteorites Asuka-881757(Asuka-31) and Yamato-793169:Geochmical and mineralogical study","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3148906868","authors":["Koeberl","Christian Christian","Kurat","Gero","Brandstatter","Franz"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Astrobiology","Achondrite","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1993-05-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W2591820948","name":"Meteoritics and mineralogy on possible ancient Martian life.","source":"openalex","abstract":"Possible relic biogenic activity in martian meteorite ALH84001 was proposed by McKay et al. (Science, 273, 924-930, 1996). This ancient meteorite of 4.5 billion years old contains abundant carbonates as secondary minerals precipitated from a fluid on the martian surface. They showed the following lines of evidence for the ancient life; (1) unique mineral compositions and biominerals, (2) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in association with the carbonates, and (3) unique structures and morphologies typical of nanobacteria or microfossils. This review is divided into two parts; one is on the martian meteorites in general and ALH84001, which has many features unlike other martian meteorites, and the other is on mineralogical (biomineralogical) and geochemical features of the carbonates and microfossil-like structures. There is little doubt that ALH84001 is from Mars as well as eleven other SNC meteorites. However, the mineralogical and biomineralogical evidence for martian bacteria given by McKay et al. (1996) is controversial, and could be formed by non-biogenic processes. Thus, further study of ALH84001 and other martian meteorites is required. We also need to consider the future Mars mission especially sample return mission.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2187/bss.10.262","authors":["Akira Tsuchiyama"],"tags":["Martian","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Mars Exploration Program","Life on Mars"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1996-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2187/bss.10.262","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W1534723351","name":"Preliminary report on the Yamato-86032 lunar meteorite: I. Recovery, sample descriptions, mineralogy and petrography","source":"openalex","abstract":"A preliminary consortium examination of the largest lunar meteorite (Y-86032) recovered from the Yamato Mountains revealed that it is a feldspathic breccia, but rather resembles feldspathic fragmental breccias than regolith breccias. Y-86032 is a rugged grayish stone penetrated by numerous compact clast-laden impact melt glassy veins. Distributions of pyroxene and plagioclase chemical compositions are similar to those of Y-82192 and Y-82193,and clast-laden glassy veins and granulitic breccias are abundant. A large light clast in the first consortium sample is another feldspathic fragmental breccia similar to that found in Y-82192.","url":"https://doi.org/10.15094/00004474","authors":["H. Takeda","Hideyasu Kojima","Fumihiko Nishio","Keizô Yanai","Marilyn M. Lindstrom"],"tags":["Petrography","Meteorite","Geology","Astrobiology","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1989-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.15094/00004474","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W1994982392","name":"Portales Valley: Petrology of a metallic-melt meteorite breccia","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Portales Valley (PV) is an unusual metal-veined meteorite that has been classified as an H6 chondrite. It has been regarded either as an annealed impact melt breccia, as a primitive achondrite, or as a meteorite with affinities to silicated iron meteorites. We studied the petrology of PV using a variety of geochemical-mineralogical techniques. Our results suggest that PV is the first well-documented metallic-melt meteorite breccia. Mineral-chemical and other data suggest that the protolith to PV was an H chondrite. The composition of FeNi metal in PV is somewhat fractionated compared to H chondrites and varies between coarse vein and silicate-rich portions. It is best modeled as having formed by partial melting at temperatures of ˜940–1150 °C, with incomplete separation of solid from liquid metal. Solid metal concentrated in the coarse vein areas and S-bearing liquid metal concentrated in the silicate-rich areas, possibly as a result of a surface energy effect. Both carbon and phosphorus must have been scavenged from large volumes and concentrated in metallic liquid. Graphite nodules formed by crystallization from this liquid, whereas phosphate formed by reaction between P-bearing metal and clinopyroxene components, depleting clinopyroxene throughout much of the meteorite and growing coarse phosphate at metal-silicate interfaces. Some phosphate probably crystallized from P-bearing liquids, but most probably formed by solid-state reaction at ˜975-725 °C. Phosphate-forming and FeO-reduction reactions were widespread in PV and entailed a change in the mineralogy of the stony portion on a large scale. Portales Valley experienced protracted annealing from supersolidus to subsolidus temperatures, probably by cooling at depth within its parent body, but the main differences between PV and H chondrites arose because maximum temperatures were higher in PV. A combination of a relatively weak shock event and elevated pre-shock temperatures probably produced the vein-and-breccia texture, with endogenic heating being the main heat source for melting, and with stress waves from an impact event being an essential trigger for mobilizing metal. Portales Valley is best classified as an H7 metallic-melt breccia of shock stage S1. The meteorite is transitional between more primitive (chondritic) and evolved (achondrite, iron) meteorite types and offers clues as to how differentiation could have occurred in some asteroidal bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00380.x","authors":["A. Ruzicka","M. Killgore","David W. Mittlefehldt","M. Fries"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Geology","Breccia","Achondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00380.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W2103860360","name":"Phyllosilicates and other layer-structured materials in stony meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Current thinking regarding the possible origins and probable evolutionary histories of meteorites is summarized. Selected data concerning the composition, petrology and other characteristics of the CI and CM groups of stony meteorites in which layered minerals principally occur are then presented. Layered compounds, mainly phyllosilicates, are shown to form a major part of the fine-grained matrix of the CI and CM meteorites, which are classified as carbonaceous chondrites. The results of recent investigations of matrix mineralogy are reviewed, with particular emphasis on the findings of electron microscopy. Several forms of Fe-Mg-serpentine have been identified as the principal phyllosilicates. ‘Poorly-characterized phases’ in CM meteorites have proved to be tochilinite and intergrowths of tochilinite with serpentines. The results generally indicate that the phyllosilicates and most other matrix minerals formed by aqueous alteration in the regoliths of the CI and CM parent bodies; but there is isotopic evidence for the incorporation of components and possibly mineral grains which predate the solar nebula. It is concluded that more detailed chemical and mineralogical information about the phyllosilicates and associated minerals will enable useful constraints to be placed on the possible identities of their precursors and the environments in which both they and the matrix minerals formed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/claymin.1985.020.4.01","authors":["D. J. Barber"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Astrobiology","Mineral","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1985-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1180/claymin.1985.020.4.01","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W2073871958","name":"Searching for the source regions of martian meteorites using MGS TES: Integrating martian meteorites into the global distribution of igneous materials on Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The objective of this study was to identify and map possible source regions for all 5 known martian meteorite lithologies (basalt, lherzolite, clinopyroxenite, orthopyroxenite, and dunite) using data from the Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer (MGS TES). We deconvolved the TES data set using laboratory spectra of 6 martian meteorites (Los Angeles, Zagami, ALH A77005, Nakhla, ALH 84001, and Chassigny) as end members, along with atmospheric and surface spectra previously derived from TES data. Global maps (16 pixels/degree) of the distribution of each meteorite end member show that meteorite‐like compositions are not present at or above TES detectability limits over most of the planet's dust‐free regions. However, we have confidently identified local‐scale (100s‐1000s km2) concentrations of olivine‐ and orthopyroxene‐bearing materials similar to ALH A77005, Chassigny, and ALH 84001 in Nili Fossae, in and near Ganges Chasma, in the Argyre and Hellas basin rims, and in Eos Chasma. Nakhla‐like materials are identified near the detection limit throughout the eastern Valles Marineris region and portions of Syrtis Major. Basaltic shergottites were not detected in any spatially coherent areas at the scale of this study. Martian meteorite‐like lithologies represent only a minor portion of the dust‐free surface and, thus, are not representative of the bulk composition of the ancient crust. Meteorite‐like spectral signatures identified above TES detectability limits in more spatially restricted areas (","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00284.x","authors":["V. E. Hamilton","P. R. Christensen","H. Y. McSween","J. L. Bandfield"],"tags":["Meteorite","Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Geology","Achondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00284.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W2072737533","name":"Orbital and temporal distributions of meteorites originating in the asteroid belt","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The recent discovery of the importance of Sun‐grazing phenomena dramatically changed our understanding of the dynamics of objects emerging from the asteroid belt via resonant phenomena. The typical lifetimes of such objects are now expected to be <10 Ma, thus demanding a reassessment of our general picture of the meteorite delivery process. By analysing direct numerical integrations of ∼2000 test particles beginning in the v6, 3:1, and 5:2 resonances in the main belt, we have reexamined the orbital and temporal distribution of meteoroids that journey to Earth. Comparing the results with fireball data, we find that the orbital distribution of Earth‐impacting chondrites is consistent with a steady‐state injection of meteoroids into the 3:1 and v6, resonances. Because this is the most complete and unbiased data set concerning Earth‐impacting meteoroids, the agreement leads us to believe that our model is accurate. The simulations predict a P.M. fall ratio for chondrites ∼14% lower than the observed value of ∼68%, which argues for a moderate bias being present in this statistic. Most interestingly, the typical meteorite transfer times predicted by our models are several factors lower than the typical chondrite exposure ages, which implies that these meteorites acquired most of their exposure in the main belt before entering the resonances. We discuss some processes that would allow such preexposure. The case of achondrites and iron meteorites is also briefly discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01707.x","authors":["Alessandro Morbidelli","Brett Gladman"],"tags":["Meteorite","Meteoroid","Asteroid belt","Chondrite","Achondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01707.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W1973752788","name":"Widespread54Cr Heterogeneity in the Inner Solar System","source":"openalex","abstract":"Short-lived radionuclides can be used as high-resolution chronometers for establishing timescales of planetary formation provided that they were homogeneously distributed in the accretion disk. However, isotopic anomalies observed in meteorites bear evidence of incomplete mixing in the early solar system. High-precision thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) now enables the determination of isotopic anomalies as small as 12 parts per million in the neutron-rich isotope 54 Cr. Here, we report systematic deficits in 54 Cr relative to Earth in differentiated molten planetesimals (the parent bodies of eucrites, diogenites, mesosiderites, pallasites, angrites, and Mars) and even in some chondritic material (ordinary chondrites). In combination with variable 54 Cr excesses in the carbonaceous chondrites, this implies that at least two nebular reservoirs coexisted for differentiated and chondritic bodies. Preservation of the 54 Cr heterogeneity in space and time (several million years) motivates us to speculate that late stellar input(s) could have been significant contributions to inner nebula Cr reservoirs or that the 54 Cr cosmic memory was well preserved by the mineralogy of the carriers. The consequent spatial, dynamical, and temporal implications regarding solar system formation and dating models are explored further.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1086/510360","authors":["Anne Trinquier","Jean‐Louis Birck","Claude J. Allègre"],"tags":["Formation and evolution of the Solar System","Chondrite","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-01-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1086/510360","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W1972086968","name":"Mineralogy, reflectance spectra, and physical properties of the Chelyabinsk LL5 chondrite – Insight into shock-induced changes in asteroid regoliths","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2013.09.027","authors":["T. Kohout","Maria Gritsevich","V. I. Grokhovsky","G. A. Yakovlev","J. Haloda","Patricie Halodová","Radoslaw M. Michallik","Antti Penttilä","K. Muinonen"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Space weathering","Asteroid","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-10-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2013.09.027","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W2528349507","name":"Molybdenum isotopic evidence for the origin of chondrules and a distinct genetic heritage of carbonaceous and non-carbonaceous meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Nucleosynthetic isotope anomalies are powerful tracers to determine the provenance of meteorites and their components, and to identify genetic links between these materials. Here we show that chondrules and matrix separated from the Allende CV3 chondrite have complementary nucleosynthetic Mo isotope anomalies. These anomalies result from the enrichment of a presolar carrier enriched in s-process Mo into the matrix, and the corresponding depletion of this carrier in the chondrules. This carrier most likely is a metal and so the uneven distribution of presolar material probably results from metal–silicate fractionation during chondrule formation. The Mo isotope anomalies correlate with those reported for W isotopes on the same samples in an earlier study, suggesting that the isotope variations for both Mo and W are caused by the heterogeneous distribution of the same carrier. The isotopic complementary of chondrules and matrix indicates that both components are genetically linked and formed together from one common reservoir of solar nebula dust. As such, the isotopic data require that most chondrules formed in the solar nebula and are not a product of protoplanetary impacts. Allende chondrules and matrix together with bulk carbonaceous chondrites and some iron meteorites (groups IID, IIIF, and IVB) show uniform excesses in 92Mo, 95Mo, and 97Mo that result from the addition of supernova material to the solar nebula region in which these carbonaceous meteorites formed. Non-carbonaceous meteorites (enstatite and ordinary chondrites as well as most iron meteorites) do not contain this material, demonstrating that two distinct Mo isotope reservoirs co-existed in the early solar nebula that remained spatially separated for several million years. This separation was most likely achieved through the formation of the gas giants, which cleared the disk between the inner and outer solar system regions parental to the non-carbonaceous and carbonaceous meteorites. The Mo isotope dichotomy of meteorites provides a new means to determine the provenance of meteoritic and planetary materials, and to assess genetic links between chondrites and differentiated meteorites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2016.09.020","authors":["G. Budde","Christoph Burkhardt","G. A. Brennecka","Mario Fischer‐Gödde","T. S. Kruijer","T. Kleine"],"tags":["Chondrule","Meteorite","Formation and evolution of the Solar System","Allende meteorite","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-10-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2016.09.020","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W1985514349","name":"Near-infrared spectroscopy of 3:1 Kirkwood Gap asteroids: Mineralogical diversity and plausible meteorite parent bodies","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2012.07.029","authors":["S. K. Fieber-Beyer","M. J. Gaffey","P. S. Hardersen","V. Reddy"],"tags":["Asteroid","Meteorite","Meteoroid","Formation and evolution of the Solar System","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-08-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2012.07.029","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W2085046137","name":"Chondrule size and related physical properties: A compilation and evaluation of current data across all meteorite groups","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemer.2014.08.003","authors":["Jon M. Friedrich","Michael K. Weisberg","Denton S. Ebel","Alison E. Biltz","Bernadette M. Corbett","Ivan V. Iotzov","Wajiha S. Khan","Matthew D. Wolman"],"tags":["Chondrule","Meteorite","Chondrite","Astrobiology","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-09-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemer.2014.08.003","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W1655059580","name":"Evolution of the Solar System","source":"openalex","abstract":"The origin and evolution of the solar system are analyzed. Physical processes are first discussed, followed by experimental studies of plasma-solid reactions and chemical and mineralogical analyses of meteorites and lunar and terrestrial samples.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1655059580","authors":["Hannes Alfvén","Gustaf Arrhenius"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Meteorite","Solar System","Formation and evolution of the Solar System","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1976-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W761962364","name":"Roedderite A new mineral from the Indarch meteorite.","source":"openalex","abstract":"Chemical and mineralogical composition of roedderite found in Indarch meteorite, presenting electron probe analysis and X-ray diffraction pattern optical data","url":"https://openalex.org/W761962364","authors":["C. Frondel","C. Klein"],"tags":["Meteorite","Mineral","Geology","Geochemistry","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1966-07-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W2022122963","name":"Chemical fractionations in meteorites—VI. Accretion temperatures of H-, LL- and E-chondrites, from abundance of volatile trace elements","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(73)90138-5","authors":["J. C. Laul","R. Ganapathy","Edward Anders","John W. Morgan"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Enstatite","Chondrule","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1973-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(73)90138-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W3150011030","name":"Lunar meteorite Yamato-86032: Mineralogical, petrological, and geochemical studies","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3150011030","authors":["Koeberl","Christian Christian","Kurat","Gero","Brandstatter","Franz"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Geochemistry","Astrobiology","Achondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1990-10-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W370642989","name":"Global Catastrophes in Earth History; An Interdisciplinary Conference on Impacts, Volcanism, and Mass Mortality","source":"openalex","abstract":"Topics addressed include: Cretaceous-Tertiary mass extinctions; geologial indicators for meteorite collisions; carbon dioxide catastrophes; volcanism; climatic changes; geochemistry; mineralogy; fossil records; biospheric traumas; stratigraphy; mathematical models; and ocean dynamics.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/spe247","authors":["V. L. Sharpton","Peter D. Ward"],"tags":["Volcanism","History","Earth (classical element)","Earth science","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1990-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1130/spe247","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W2105188601","name":"Vesta's mineralogical composition as revealed by the visible and infrared spectrometer on Dawn","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Dawn spacecraft mission has provided extensive new and detailed data on Vesta that confirm and strengthen the Vesta–howardite–eucrite–diogenite (HED) meteorite link and the concept that Vesta is differentiated, as derived from earlier telescopic observations. Here, we present results derived by newly calibrated spectra of Vesta. The comparison between data from the Dawn imaging spectrometer—VIR—and the different class of HED meteorites shows that average spectrum of Vesta resembles howardite spectra. Nevertheless, the Vesta spectra at high spatial resolution reveal variations in the distribution of HED‐like mineralogies on the asteroid. The data have been used to derive HED distribution on Vesta, reported in Ammannito et al. (2013), and to compute the average Vestan spectra of the different HED lithologies, reported here. The spectra indicate that, not only are all the different HED lithologies present on Vesta, but also carbonaceous chondritic material, which constitutes the most abundant inclusion type found in howardites, is widespread. However, the hydration feature used to identify carbonaceous chondrite material varies significantly on Vesta, revealing different band shapes. The characteristic of these hydration features cannot be explained solely by infalling of carbonaceous chondrite meteorites and other possible origins must be considered. The relative proportion of HEDs on Vesta's surface is computed, and results show that most of the vestan surface is compatible with eucrite‐rich howardites and/or cumulate or polymict eucrites. A very small percentage of surface is covered by diogenite, and basaltic eucrite terrains are relatively few compared with the abundance of basaltic eucrites in the HED suite. The largest abundance of diogenitic material is found in the Rheasilvia region, a deep basin, where it clearly occurs below a basaltic upper crust. However, diogenite is also found elsewhere; although the depth to diogenite is consistent with one magma ocean model, its lateral extent is not well constrained.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12138","authors":["M. C. De Sanctis","E. Ammannito","M. T. Capria","F. Capaccioni","Jean‐Philippe Combe","A. Frigeri","A. Longobardo","Gianfranco Magni","S. Marchi","Tom B. McCord","E. Palomba","F. Tosi","F. Zambon","Francesco Carraro","S. Fonte","Y. J. Li","L. A. McFadden","David W. Mittlefehldt","C. M. Pieters","R. Jaumann","K. Stephan","C. A. Raymond","C. T. Russell"],"tags":["Meteorite","Asteroid","Chondrite","Astrobiology","Basalt"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-07-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12138","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W2010785381","name":"Dawn at Vesta: Testing the Protoplanetary Paradigm","source":"openalex","abstract":"A New Dawn Since 17 July 2011, NASA's spacecraft Dawn has been orbiting the asteroid Vesta—the second most massive and the third largest asteroid in the solar system (see the cover). Russell et al. (p. 684 ) use Dawn's observations to confirm that Vesta is a small differentiated planetary body with an inner core, and represents a surviving proto-planet from the earliest epoch of solar system formation; Vesta is also confirmed as the source of the howardite-eucrite-diogenite (HED) meteorites. Jaumann et al. (p. 687 ) report on the asteroid's overall geometry and topography, based on global surface mapping. Vesta's surface is dominated by numerous impact craters and large troughs around the equatorial region. Marchi et al. (p. 690 ) report on Vesta's complex cratering history and constrain the age of some of its major regions based on crater counts. Schenk et al. (p. 694 ) describe two giant impact basins located at the asteroid's south pole. Both basins are young and excavated enough amounts of material to form the Vestoids—a group of asteroids with a composition similar to that of Vesta—and HED meteorites. De Sanctis et al. (p. 697 ) present the mineralogical characterization of Vesta, based on data obtained by Dawn's visual and infrared spectrometer, revealing that this asteroid underwent a complex magmatic evolution that led to a differentiated crust and mantle. The global color variations detailed by Reddy et al. (p. 700 ) are unlike those of any other asteroid observed so far and are also indicative of a preserved, differentiated proto-planet.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1219381","authors":["C. T. Russell","C. A. Raymond","A. Coradini","H. Y. McSween","M. T. Zuber","A. Nathues","M. C. De Sanctis","R. Jaumann","A. S. Konopliv","Frank Preusker","S. W. Asmar","Ryan S. Park","R. W. Gaskell","H. U. Keller","S. Mottola","T. Roatsch","J. E. C. Scully","David E. Smith","P. Tricarico","Michael J. Toplis","Ulrich R. Christensen","W. C. Feldman","D. J. Lawrence","T. J. McCoy","T. H. Prettyman","R. C. Reedy","M. Sykes","T. N. Titus"],"tags":["Meteorite","Asteroid","Astrobiology","Parent body","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-05-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1219381","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.654Z"},{"id":"oa:W2104177624","name":"Aqueous alteration in carbonaceous chondrites: Mass balance constraints on matrix mineralogy","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(87)90298-5","authors":["H. Y. McSween"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Carbonaceous chondrite","Chondrule","Parent body"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1987-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(87)90298-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2017937906","name":"Calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions in the Allende meteorite: evidence for a liquid origin","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(75)90083-6","authors":["M. Blander","Louis H. Fuchs"],"tags":["Grossular","Allende meteorite","Nepheline","Liquidus","Diopside"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1975-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(75)90083-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2741459843","name":"Network analysis of mineralogical systems","source":"openalex","abstract":"A fundamental goal of mineralogy and petrology is the deep understanding of mineral phase relationships and the consequent spatial and temporal patterns of mineral coexistence in rocks, ore bodies, sediments, meteorites, and other natural polycrystalline materials. The multi-dimensional chemical complexity of such mineral assemblages has traditionally led to experimental and theoretical consideration of 2-, 3-, or n -component systems that represent simplified approximations of natural systems. Network analysis provides a dynamic, quantitative, and predictive visualization framework for employing “big data” to explore complex and otherwise hidden higher-dimensional patterns of diversity and distribution in such mineral systems. We introduce and explore applications of mineral network analysis, in which mineral species are represented by nodes, while coexistence of minerals is indicated by lines between nodes. This approach provides a dynamic visualization platform for higher-dimensional analysis of phase relationships, because topologies of equilibrium phase assemblages and pathways of mineral reaction series are embedded within the networks. Mineral networks also facilitate quantitative comparison of lithologies from different planets and moons, the analysis of coexistence patterns simultaneously among hundreds of mineral species and their localities, the exploration of varied paragenetic modes of mineral groups, and investigation of changing patterns of mineral occurrence through deep time. Mineral network analysis, furthermore, represents an effective visual approach to teaching and learning in mineralogy and petrology.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2017-6104ccbyncnd","authors":["Shaunna M. Morrison","Chao Liu","Ahmed Eleish","Anirudh Prabhu","Congrui Li","Jolyon Ralph","Robert T. Downs","Joshua J. Golden","Peter Fox","Daniel R. Hummer","Michael Meyer","Robert M. Hazen"],"tags":["Mineral","Geology","Compositional data","Mineralogy","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2017-6104ccbyncnd","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2090524338","name":"Density and Porosity of Stone Meteorites: Implications for the Density, Porosity, Cratering, and Collisional Disruption of Asteroids","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1006/icar.1999.6210","authors":["G. J. Flynn"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Ordinary chondrite","Asteroid","Carbonaceous chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1006/icar.1999.6210","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2057490146","name":"The Paris meteorite, the least altered CM chondrite so far","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2013.09.014","authors":["R. H. Hewins","M. Bourot-Denise","B. Zanda","Hugues Leroux","Jean‐Alix Barrat","M. Humayun","C. Göpel","R. C. Greenwood","I. A. Franchi","Sylvain Pont","Jean‐Pierre Lorand","C. Cournède","J. Gattacceca","P. Rochette","M. Kuga","Yves Marrocchi","Bernard Marty"],"tags":["Chondrule","Chondrite","Olivine","Allende meteorite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-10-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2013.09.014","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W272301256","name":"Iddingsite in the Nakhla meteorite: TEM study of mineralogy and texture of pre-terrestrial (Martian?) alterations","source":"openalex","abstract":"Rusty-colored veinlets and patches in the Nakhla meteorite, identified as iddingsite, are pre-terrestrial. The rusty material is iddingsite (smectites + hematite + ferrihydrite); like terrestrial iddingsites, it probably formed during low-temperature interaction of olivine and water. Fragments of rusty material with host olivine were removed from thin sections of Nakhla with a tungsten needle. Fragments were embedded in epoxy, microtomed to 100 nanometers thickness, and mounted on Cu grids. Phase identifications were by Analytical Electron Microscopy/Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EM/EDX) standardless chemical analyses (for silicates), electron diffraction (hematite and ferrihydrite), and lattice fringe imaging. This iddingsite in Nakhla is nearly identical to some formed on Earth, suggesting similar conditions of formation on the Shergottites-Nakhlites-Chassigny (SNC) meteorite parent planet. A more detailed account of the results is presented.","url":"https://openalex.org/W272301256","authors":["A. H. Treiman","J. L. Gooding"],"tags":["Meteorite","Ferrihydrite","Hematite","Geology","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1991-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W1565316578","name":"Stony meteorite thermal properties and their relationship with meteorite chemical and physical states","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– In our ongoing survey of meteorite physical properties, we have to date measured the thermal conductivity for seventeen stony meteorites at temperatures ranging from 5 K to 300 K. Here, we report new results for nine ordinary chondrites, one enstatite chondrite, and the basaltic achondrites Frankfort (howardite) and Los Angeles (shergottite). We find that thermal conductivity is significantly lower than would be expected from averaging the laboratory conductivities of their constituent minerals, with a dependence on temperature different from the expected conductivity of pure minerals. In addition, we find a linear relationship between the inverse of the porosity of the samples measured and their thermal conductivity, regardless of meteorite composition or type. We conclude that thermal conductivity is controlled by the presence of shock‐induced microcracks within the meteorites, which provide a barrier to the transmission of thermal energy via phonons. In contrast to conductivity, our first measurement of heat capacity as a function of temperature (on Los Angeles) suggests that heat capacity is primarily a function of oxide composition and is not strongly affected by the physical state of the sample.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2012.01331.x","authors":["Cyril Opeil","Guy J. Consolmagno SJ","D. J. Safarik","D. T. Britt"],"tags":["Meteorite","Achondrite","Thermal conductivity","Enstatite","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-02-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2012.01331.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2137246201","name":"Characterization and Calibration of the CheMin Mineralogical Instrument on Mars Science Laboratory","source":"openalex","abstract":"A principal goal of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover Curiosity is to identify and characterize past habitable environments on Mars. Determination of the mineralogical and chemical composition of Martian rocks and soils constrains their formation and alteration pathways, providing information on climate and habitability through time. The CheMin X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) instrument on MSL will return accurate mineralogical identifications and quantitative phase abundances for scooped soil samples and drilled rock powders collected at Gale Crater during Curiosity’s 1-Mars-year nominal mission. The instrument has a Co X-ray source and a cooled charge-coupled device (CCD) detector arranged in transmission geometry with the sample. CheMin’s angular range of 5 ∘ to 50 ∘ 2 θ with <0.35 ∘ 2 θ resolution is sufficient to identify and quantify virtually all minerals. CheMin’s XRF requirement was descoped for technical and budgetary reasons. However, X-ray energy discrimination is still required to separate Co K α from Co K β and Fe K α photons. The X-ray energy-dispersive histograms (EDH) returned along with XRD for instrument evaluation should be useful in identifying elements Z >13 that are contained in the sample. The CheMin XRD is equipped with internal chemical and mineralogical standards and 27 reusable sample cells with either Mylar ® or Kapton ® windows to accommodate acidic-to-basic environmental conditions. The CheMin flight model (FM) instrument will be calibrated utilizing analyses of common samples against a demonstration-model (DM) instrument and CheMin-like laboratory instruments. The samples include phyllosilicate and sulfate minerals that are expected at Gale crater on the basis of remote sensing observations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-012-9905-1","authors":["D. F. Blake","D. T. Vaniman","C. N. Achilles","Robert C. Anderson","D. L. Bish","Tom Bristow","Curtis Chen","S. J. Chipera","J. A. Crisp","David L. Des Marais","Robert T. Downs","Jack D. Farmer","Sabrina Feldman","Mark Fonda","M. Gailhanou","Hongwei Ma","Doug Ming","R. V. Morris","P. Sarrazin","Ed Stolper","A. H. Treiman","A. S. Yen"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Planetary science","Calibration","Astrobiology","Characterization (materials science)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-06-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-012-9905-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2754329371","name":"Physical properties of the stone meteorites: Implications for the properties of their parent bodies","source":"openalex","abstract":"The physical properties of the stone meteorites provide important clues to understanding the formation and physical evolution of material in the Solar protoplanetary disk as well providing indications of the properties of their asteroidal parent bodies. Knowledge of these properties is essential for modeling a number of Solar System processes, such as bolides in planetary atmospheres, the thermal inertia of atmosphereless solid body surfaces, and the internal physical and thermal evolution of asteroids and rock-rich icy bodies. In addition, insight into the physical properties of the asteroids is important for the design of robotic and crewed reconnaissance, lander, and sample return spacecraft missions to the asteroids. One key property is meteorite porosity, which ranges from 0% to more than 40%, similar to the range of porosities seen in asteroids. Porosity affects many of the other physical properties including thermal conductivity, speed of sound, deformation under stress, strength, and response to impact. As a result of the porosity, the properties of most stone meteorites differ significantly from those of compact terrestrial rocks, whose physical properties have been used in many models of asteroid behavior. A few physical properties, such as grain density, magnetic susceptibility, and heat capacity are not functions of porosity. Taken together, the grain density and the magnetic susceptibility can be used to classify unweathered or minimally weathered ordinary chondrites. This provides a rapid screening technique to identify heterogeneous samples, classify new samples, and identify misclassified meteorites or interlopers in strewn fields.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemer.2017.04.002","authors":["G. J. Flynn","G. J. Consolmagno","Peter Brown","R. J. Macke"],"tags":["Meteorite","Asteroid","Astrobiology","Ordinary chondrite","Porosity"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-09-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemer.2017.04.002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W3006185603","name":"Linking asteroids and meteorites to the primordial planetesimal population","source":"openalex","abstract":"Meteorites provide a unique insight into early Solar System processes. However, to fully interpret this record requires that these meteorites are related back to their source asteroids and ultimately to the original planetesimal population that formed early in Solar System history. As a first step in this process an assessment has been undertaken of the likely number of distinct source asteroids sampled by meteorites and related extraterrestrial materials. The results of this survey indicate that there are between 95 and 148 parent bodies represented in our sample collections. This number has been steadily increasing as new “anomalous” meteorites are characterized. Attempts to link these parent bodies to identified asteroidal sources has so far been of limited success, due to the non-unique reflectance spectra of almost all known asteroids. Asteroid (4) Vesta and the HED (howardites, eucrite, diogenite) meteorites are the best example of a relatively non-disputed asteroid-meteorite linkage. As part of this study the “parent body” concept has been examined and was found to be a widely, but loosely, used term in the literature to designate “a body that supplies meteorites to Earth.” This concept could be rendered more meaningful by discriminating between primary and secondary parent bodies. A primary parent body is the source asteroid from which the meteorite is ultimately derived, and a secondary parent body is an asteroid derived through impact or break-up of the primary body. A clear example of this usage is provided by (4) Vesta, with the main asteroid being the primary parent body and the Vestoids representing secondary parent bodies. The concept of primary vs. secondary parent bodies may have important implications for early Solar System evolution. Chondritic parent bodies are known to have accreted between 1 and 4 Myr after CAIs. This timing difference may reflect the fact that their source asteroids, particularly those of the carbonaceous chondrites, are secondary bodies, with the original CAI-bearing primary bodies destroyed during early collisional processing. The number of primary parent bodies represented by meteorites (95–148) appears low when compared to the estimated number of asteroids in the main belt (>100,000 with diameters exceeding ∼2 km). A range of potential reasons may explain this apparent mismatch: (i) meteorites provide an unrepresentative sampling of the main belt, (ii) the belt may only contain a limited number of primary parent bodies, (iii) meteorites may be preferentially derived from the ∼120 identified asteroid families, (iv) loosely consolidated types are filtered by Earth’s atmosphere, (v) multiple, near-identical, “clone” parent bodies may be present in the belt. At present, it is not possible to determine which of these potential mechanisms are dominant and all may be operating to a greater or lesser extent. Based on classical accretion models the meteorite record appears to be highly unrepresentative of the primordial asteroid population. In contrast, pebble accretion models suggest that these first-generation bodies may have been relatively large, in which case meteorites may provide a more unbiased record of early Solar System processes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2020.02.004","authors":["R. C. Greenwood","T. H. Burbine","I. A. Franchi"],"tags":["Meteorite","Asteroid","Planetesimal","Astrobiology","Parent body"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-02-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2020.02.004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W1989252877","name":"Rare-earth elements in matrix, inclusions, and chondrules of the Allende meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(73)90079-1","authors":["Tsuyoshi Tanaka","Akimasa Masuda"],"tags":["Allende meteorite","Chondrite","Meteorite","Lithophile","Carbonaceous chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1973-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(73)90079-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W1992920625","name":"Mineralogical consideration of possible microfossils in martian meteorite ALH84001.","source":"openalex","abstract":"Antarctic meteorite ALH84001 is a member of twelve martian meteorites that are widely believed to have originated on planet Mars based upon several lines of evidence. ALH84001 is an ancient orthopyroxenite rock of 4.5 billion years old that contains abundant Ca–Fe–Mg carbonates, unlike other martian meteorites. Recently, it has been reported that ALH84001 contains (1) unique mineral compositions and biominerals, (2) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in association with carbonates, and (3) unique structures and morphologies typical of nannobacteria or microfossils. They are interpreted as a possible relic biogenic activity on early Mars. We review the possibility of alternative explanations for these phenomena, especially for mineralogical features in the carbonate globules. Although it may be possible to consider that such phenomena in carbonates are biogenic rather than inorganic in origin, we show more difficulty in the biogenic interpretation than has been discussed. Because it is very difficult to conclude that they are biogenic or non-bio-genic from present data, it is necessary to further study ALH84001 and other martian meteorites. We also need to consider future Mars missions, especially sample return missions. In this consequence, we should start to think about a curation system and analytical facilities in Japan in cooperation with other related communities.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2465/minerj.19.47","authors":["T. Mikouchi","A. Tsuchiyama","Junji Akai","Satοru Nakashima","Kazue Tazaki","Tetsumaru Itaya","Keizô Yanai"],"tags":["Meteorite","Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2465/minerj.19.47","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W1503152158","name":"Mineralogical Examination of the Allan Hills No.5 Meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W1503152158","authors":["Miyamoto","Masamichi","Takeda","Hiroshi Hiroshi","Yanai","Keizo","Haramura"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Astrobiology","Archaeology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1979-03-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2094253044","name":"Mineralogical and Mössbauer studies on the paramagnetic separate of Al-Kidirate meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"The paramagnetic fraction of the chondritic meteorite (Al Kidirate) has been studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Mössbauer spectroscopy at different temperatures. The mineralogical analysis indicates that the fraction consists mostly of olivine and pyroxene. The pyroxene is present in two restricted compositions; bronzitic orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene in the diopside-endiopside range. The Mössbauer measurements confirm the above characterization showing two paramagnetic doublets for olivine and pyroxene. The Mössbauer relative area under the resonance curve together with the atomic concentration derived from the microprobe data are used to derive the chemical formulae for orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene. The formulae derived using the two methods show good agreement. (© 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/pssa.200306752","authors":["A. Gismelseed","M. A. Worthing","A. A. Yousif","M. E. Elzain","A. D. Al-Rawas","Hammed Kamal"],"tags":["Pyroxene","Olivine","Diopside","Mössbauer spectroscopy","Paramagnetism"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/pssa.200306752","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2104186868","name":"Mineralogy of carbonaceous chondrite clasts in HED achondrites and the Moon","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The majority of the carbonaceous chondrite clasts found in howardites, eucrites and diogenites are CM2 material, a lesser proportion is CR2 material, and other rare types are present. A single clast that was found on the Moon and called the Bench Crater meteorite is apparently shocked CM1 material. The CM2 clasts are matrix supported mixtures of olivine‐pyroxene‐phyllosilicate‐sulfide bearing aggregates, loose olivines and pyroxenes, sulfides, carbonates, and sinuous spinel‐phyllosilicate‐diopside calcium‐aluminum‐rich inclusions (CAIs). Magnetite and metal are rare. Some aggregates have fine‐grained rims of material resembling matrix. The opaque, fine‐grained matrix consists predominantly of serpentine of extremely variable composition and sulfides; tochilinite is occasionally present. The trace element data for one Jodzie clast from this study and the average of similar clasts from Kapoeta support a CM classification; volatiles are depleted relative to CI and enriched relative to CR material. The CR2 clasts are found (in small numbers) in only four howardites: Bholghati, Jodzie, Kapoeta and Y793497. Petrographically, they are matrix‐supported mixtures of olivine aggregates (sometimes containing sulfides), loose olivines, pyrrhotite, pentlandite, low‐Ca pyroxene (minor), hedenbergite (rare), kamacite (rare and only found within olivine), Ca‐carbonates and abundant magnetite framboids and plaquets. Phyllosilicates are fine‐grained and largely confined to matrix; they are mixtures of serpentine and saponite. The matrix of CR2 clasts also contains pyrrhotite, pentlandite, chromite and a significant fraction of poorly‐crystalline material with the same bulk composition as matrix phyllosilicate. There is evidence of heating in a substantial number of clasts, both CM2 and CR2, including: (1) corrugated serpentine flakes, (2) pseudomorphs of anhydrous ferromagnesian material after flaky phyllosilicates, and (3) hedenbergite rims on calcite. While the timing of the hedenbergite rims is debatable, the destruction of phyllosilicates clearly occurred at a late stage, plausibly during impact onto the HED asteroid(s) and Moon, and required peak heating temperatures on the order of 400 °C. We note that in general, CM2 material was the most common carbonaceous chondrite lithology impacting the HED asteroids (with howardites and eucrites taken together), as it is for the Earth today. A total of 61 out of 75 carbonaceous chondrite clasts from HED meteorites belong to the CM clan, petrologic grade 2. This is also supported by published siderophile and volatile element data on howardites, eucrites and diogenites that are taken to indicate that CM‐like materials were the most common impactors on the HED asteroid(s). The ratio of CR/CM clasts in HED asteroids is essentially the same as for modern falls at Earth. This may indicate that the ratio of disaggregated CM2 to CR2 asteroidal material has been approximately constant through the history of the solar system. Finally, our results are also compatible with type‐2 carbonaceous chondrites being equivalent to or from the same source as the material that originally accreted to form the HED asteroid.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1996.tb02093.x","authors":["M. E. Zolensky","M. K. Weisberg","P. C. Buchanan","David W. Mittlefehldt"],"tags":["Pyroxene","Geology","Achondrite","Olivine","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1996-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1996.tb02093.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2119637146","name":"Self-consistent modelling of Mercury’s exosphere by sputtering, micro-meteorite impact and photon-stimulated desorption","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2010.08.003","authors":["P. Wurz","J. A. Whitby","Urs Rohner","Josep Antoni Martín Fernández","H. Lämmer","C. Kolb"],"tags":["Exosphere","Meteorite","Mercury (programming language)","Sputtering","Desorption"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-08-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2010.08.003","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2159959559","name":"COORDINATED ANALYSES OF PRESOLAR GRAINS IN THE ALLAN HILLS 77307 AND QUEEN ELIZABETH RANGE 99177 METEORITES","source":"openalex","abstract":"We report the identification of presolar silicates (∼177 ppm), presolar oxides (∼11 ppm), and one presolar SiO 2 grain in the Allan Hills (ALHA) 77307 chondrite.Three grains having Si-isotopic compositions similar to SiC X and Z grains were also identified, though the mineral phases are unconfirmed.Similar abundances of presolar silicates (∼152 ppm) and oxides (∼8 ppm) were also uncovered in the primitive CR chondrite Queen Elizabeth Range (QUE) 99177, along with 13 presolar SiC grains and one presolar silicon nitride.The O-isotopic compositions of the presolar silicates and oxides indicate that most of the grains condensed in low-mass red giant and asymptotic giant branch stars.Interestingly, unlike presolar oxides, few presolar silicate grains have isotopic compositions pointing to low-metallicity, low-mass stars (Group 3).The 18 O-rich (Group 4) silicates, along with the few Group 3 silicates that were identified, likely have origins in supernova outflows.This is supported by their O-and Si-isotopic compositions.Elemental compositions for 74 presolar silicate grains were determined by scanning Auger spectroscopy.Most of the grains have non-stoichiometric elemental compositions inconsistent with pyroxene or olivine, the phases commonly used to fit astronomical spectra, and have comparable Mg and Fe contents.Non-equilibrium condensation and/or secondary alteration could produce the high Fe contents.Transmission electron microscopic analysis of three silicate grains also reveals non-stoichiometric compositions, attributable to non-equilibrium or multistep condensation, and very fine scale elemental heterogeneity, possibly due to subsequent annealing.The mineralogies of presolar silicates identified in meteorites thus far seem to differ from those in interplanetary dust particles.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/719/1/166","authors":["Ann N. Nguyen","Larry R. Nittler","Frank J. Stadermann","Rhonda M. Stroud","Conel M. O'D. Alexander"],"tags":["Presolar grains","Meteorite","Silicate","Interplanetary dust cloud","Meteoroid"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-07-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/719/1/166","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2081731812","name":"The Tatahouine diogenite: Mineralogical and chemical effects of sixty‐three years of terrestrial residence","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Comparison between clasts of the Tatahouine diogenite, collected the day of the fall in 1931 and 63 years later in 1994, allows the evaluation of mineralogical and chemical effects of terrestrial residence on meteorites. Secondary minerals are found in the 1994 samples: iron stains and carbonate rosettes. Major and trace element abundances have been determined on fallen and found clasts. No significant differences have been observed for most elements with the exception of Rb, Sr, and (in a single case) the light rare earth elements (LREE). In this case, the REE pattern of a 1994 clast displays a weak positive Ce anomaly, probably linked to the presence of iron hydroxide. The contents of Rb and Sr are significantly higher in the 1994 samples than in the 1931 clasts and reflect the formation of calcite inside some of the clast fractures. These results demonstrate that weathering processes may change the chemistry of meteorites in a very short time.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1999.tb01734.x","authors":["Jean‐Alix Barrat","Ph. Gillet","M. Lesourd","Janne Blichert‐Toft","Gérard Poupeau"],"tags":["Weathering","Meteorite","Geology","Clastic rock","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1999.tb01734.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2089914286","name":"Hydrous mineralogy of CM and CI chondrites from infrared spectroscopy and their relationship with low albedo asteroids","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2010.05.020","authors":["Pierre Beck","É. Quirico","G. Montes‐Hernandez","L. Bonal","Jean Bollard","François‐Régis Orthous‐Daunay","K. T. Howard","B. Schmitt","Olivier Brissaud","F. Deschamps","Bernd Wunder","Stéphane Guillot"],"tags":["Chondrite","Murchison meteorite","Infrared spectroscopy","Meteorite","Spectroscopy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-05-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2010.05.020","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2073271619","name":"MINERALOGY AND GENESIS OF THE CARBONACEOUS METEORITES.","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W2073271619","authors":["J. F. Kerridge"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Geology","Achondrite","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1967-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2015845897","name":"A description of the meteorite which fell near Abee, Alberta, Canada","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0016-7037(60)80007-5","authors":["K R Dawson","J.A. Maxwell","D.E. Parsons"],"tags":["Kamacite","Troilite","Geology","Meteorite","Iron meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1960-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0016-7037(60)80007-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W1563457350","name":"Theory of the Earth","source":"openalex","abstract":"The maturing of the Earth sciences has led to a fragmentation into subdisciplines which speak imperfectly to one another. Some of these subdisciplines are field geology, petrology, mineralogy, geochemistry, geodesy and seismology, and these in turn are split into even finer units. The science has also expanded to include the planets and even the cosmos. The practitioners in each of these fields tend to view the Earth in a completely different way. Discoveries in one field diffuse only slowly into the consciousness of a specialist in another. In spite of the fact that there is only one Earth, there are probably more Theories of the Earth than there are of astronomy, particle physics or cell biology where there are uncountable samples of each object. Even where there is cross-talk among disciplines, it is usually as noisy as static. Too often, one discipline's unproven assumptions or dogmas are treated as firm boundary conditions for a theoretician in a slightly overlapping area. The data of each subdiscipline are usually consistent with a range of hypotheses. The possibilities can be narrowed considerably as more and more diverse data are brought to bear on a particular problem. The questions of origin, composition and evolution of the Earth require input from astronomy, cosmochemistry, meteoritics, planetology, geology, petrology, mineralogy, crystallography, materials science and seismology, at a minimum. To a student of the Earth, these are artificial divisions, however necessary they are to make progress on a given front. \\n \\nIn Theory of the Earth I attempt to assemble the bits and pieces from a variety of disciplines which are relevant to an understanding of the Earth. Rocks and magmas are our most direct source of information about the interior, but they are biased toward the properties of the crust and shallow mantle. Seismology is our best source of information about the deep interior; however, the interpretation of seismic data for purposes other than purely structural requires input from solid-state physics and experimental petrology. Although this is not a book about seismology, it uses seismology in a variety of ways. \\n \\nThe \"Theory of the Earth\" developed here differs in many respects from conventional views. Petrologists' models for the Earth's interior usually focus on the composition of mantle samples contained in basalts and kimberlites. The simplest hypothesis based on these samples is that the observed basalts and peridotites bear a complementary relation to one another, that peridotites are the source of basalts or the residue after their removal, and that the whole mantle is identical in composition to the inferred chemistry of the upper mantle and the basalt source region. The mantle is therefore homogeneous in composition, and thus all parts of the mantle eventually rise to the surface to provide basalts. Subducted slabs experience no barrier in falling through the mantle to the core-mantle boundary.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1563457350","authors":["Don L. Anderson"],"tags":["Planetary science","Variety (cybernetics)","Geophysics","Planet","Field (mathematics)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1989-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2017112402","name":"The parent magma of the nakhlite meteorites: Clues from melt inclusions","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-821x(92)90197-4","authors":["R. P. Harvey","H. Y. McSween"],"tags":["Augite","Olivine","Geology","Melt inclusions","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1992-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-821x(92)90197-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2015166109","name":"High‐calcium pyroxene as an indicator of igneous differentiation in asteroids and meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Our analyses of high quality spectra of several S‐type asteroids (17 Thetis, 847 Agnia, 808 Merxia, and members of the Agnia and Merxia families) reveal that they include both low‐ and high‐calcium pyroxene with minor amounts of olivine (<20%). In addition, we find that these asteroids have ratios of high‐calcium pyroxene to total pyroxene of >∼0.4. High‐calcium pyroxene is a spectrally detectable and petrologically important indicator of igneous history and may prove critical in future studies aimed at understanding the history of asteroidal bodies. The silicate mineralogy inferred for Thetis and the Merxia and Agnia family members requires that these asteroids experienced igneous differentiation, producing broadly basaltic surface lithologies. Together with 4 Vesta (and its smaller “Vestoid” family members) and the main‐belt asteroid 1489 Magnya, these new asteroids provide strong evidence for igneous differentiation of at least five asteroid parent bodies. Based on this analysis of a small subset of the near‐infrared asteroid spectra taken to date with SpeX at the NASA IRTF, we expect that the number of known differentiated asteroids will increase, consistent with the large number of parent bodies inferred from studies of iron meteorites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00950.x","authors":["J. M. Sunshine","S. J. Bus","T. J. McCoy","T. H. Burbine","C. M. Corrigan","Richard P. Binzel"],"tags":["Pyroxene","Asteroid","Meteorite","Igneous rock","Parent body"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00950.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2063572460","name":"INTERPLANETARY DUST AND CARBONACEOUS METEORITES: CONSTRAINTS ON POROSITY, MINERALOGY AND CHEMISTRY OF METEORS FROM RUBBLE-PILE PLANETESIMALS","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11038-005-9037-7","authors":["Frans J. M. Rietmeijer"],"tags":["Interplanetary dust cloud","Planetesimal","Meteoroid","Meteorite","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11038-005-9037-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2751624494","name":"The Northwest Africa 8159 martian meteorite: Expanding the martian sample suite to the early Amazonian","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2017.08.037","authors":["C. D. K. Herd","E. L. Walton","C. B. Agee","N. Muttik","K. Ziegler","C. K. Shearer","A. S. Bell","A. R. Santos","P. V. Burger","Justin I. Simon","Michael J. Tappa","F. M. McCubbin"],"tags":["Pigeonite","Plagioclase","Martian","Pyroxene","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2017.08.037","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W166389849","name":"Mineralogy of lunar meteorites, Yamato-82192 and -82193 with reference to breccias in a breccia","source":"openalex","abstract":"The mineralogy of pyroxene, olivine and plagioclase fragments, lithic clasts and glassy matrices of lunar meteorites, Yamato-82192 (Y-82192) and Yamato-82193 (Y-82193), has been studied by an electron microprobe and an analytical transmission electron microscope (TEM). The distribution of the chemical compositions of pyroxene grains in Y-82192 and -82193 bears a strong resemblance to one another and covers almost all known pyroxenes in nonmare pristine rocks. They are similar to those of a lunar regolith breccia 60019,but appear to be different from Y-791197 and ALHA81005 in that Y-82 lunar meteorites have significantly fewer pyroxenes with extremely high Fe content. The difference implies that Y-82192 and -82193 may contain a fewer Fe-rich mare basalt components. The presence of a breccia in a breccia in Y-82192 indicates complex impact histories in the region where this meteorite was derived. The texture of the matrix glass of Y-82192 in the TEM scale is different from that of ALHA81005.","url":"https://openalex.org/W166389849","authors":["H. Takeda","Hiroshi Mori","T. Tagai"],"tags":["Breccia","Meteorite","Geology","Geochemistry","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1987-03-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W642107933","name":"Apatite: Its Crystal Chemistry, Mineralogy, Utilization, and Geologic and Biologic Occurrences","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W642107933","authors":["Duncan McConnell"],"tags":["Carbonatite","Apatite","Igneous rock","Metamorphic rock","Mineralization (soil science)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1973-03-23","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W1636796190","name":"Origin of rims on coarse-grained inclusions in the Allende meteorite.","source":"openalex","abstract":"Coarse-grained, calcium-rich inclusions in the Allende meteorite are enclosed by sequences of very thin, mineralogically distinct rim layers. A number of questions arise in connection with the presence of rims. The present investigation presents new observations bearing on all these questions and provides a model for the formation of rims. A zoned alteration vein is considered along with a sinuous inclusion, a spinel-perovskite-melilite band (SP), layers overlying the melilite-rich side of SP, a layer overlying the spinel-rich side of SP, and aspects of rim composition and the degree of alteration in coarse-grained inclusions. It is proposed that rims on coarse-grained inclusions formed in a nonequilibrium process involving those reactions between coarse-grained melilite and spinel and a nebular gas phase which also produced the secondary alteration products in the interiors of these inclusions.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1636796190","authors":["G. J. MacPherson","L. Grossman","J. R. Beckett","John M. Allen"],"tags":["Melilite","Allende meteorite","Spinel","Geology","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1982-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W3205712695","name":"Petrography, mineralogy, and geochemistry of a new lunar magnesian feldspathic meteorite Northwest Africa 11460","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Lunar meteorite Northwest Africa (NWA) 11460 has been classified as a polymict breccia, composed of feldspathic clasts, mafic‐rich clasts (gabbroic and troctolitic fragments), granulites, and a wide range of impact melt breccias and dimict breccias. The non‐mare clasts have chemical affinities in major element composition to the Apollo ferroan anorthosites (FAN) and magnesian‐suite plutonic rocks. In contrast, incompatible trace element (ITE) compositions of the Mg‐richer clasts are more consistent with those of FANs rather than magnesian‐suite rocks. NWA 11460 has a Mg‐rich feldspathic bulk composition (FeO = 4.53 wt%, Al 2 O 3 = 25.87 wt%, and Mg# = 73.8) and relatively ITE‐poor (i.e., Th = 0.31 ppm and Sm = 0.65 ppm) characteristics. Feldspathic impact melt materials are approximately similar in composition to the estimated composition for the upper feldspathic lunar crust (as defined by Korotev et␣al., 2003). The ITE‐poor and Mg‐rich characteristics different from Apollo 16 feldspathic impact melts indicate that this meteorite has been possibly derived from a region distal to the nearside lunar highlands. Our analysis further suggests that NWA 11460 most likely originated from the farside of the Moon. Compositionally, Mg‐rich ITE‐poor clasts within NWA 11460 as well as those observed in other feldspathic lunar meteorites (which probably came from many different lunar regions) reveal that Mg‐rich rocks with low‐ITE components represent an important constituent of lunar crustal rocks. The diversities of highly magnesian non‐mare clasts and the low‐ITE chemistry provide geochemical clues for the genetic relationship between KREEP components and magnesian plutonic magmatism on the lunar farside.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13741","authors":["Haijun Cao","Zongcheng Ling","Jian Chen","Xiaohui Fu","Yongliao Zou"],"tags":["Geology","Geochemistry","Breccia","Clastic rock","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13741","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2612591151","name":"Mineralogy of an ancient lacustrine mudstone succession from the Murray formation, Gale crater, Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover has been traversing strata at the base of Aeolis Mons (informally known as Mount Sharp) since September 2014. The Murray formation makes up the lowest exposed strata of the Mount Sharp group and is composed primarily of finely laminated lacustrine mudstone intercalated with rare crossbedded sandstone that is prodeltaic or fluvial in origin. We report on the first three drilled samples from the Murray formation, measured in the Pahrump Hills section. Rietveld refinements and FULLPAT full pattern fitting analyses of X-ray diffraction patterns measured by the MSL CheMin instrument provide mineral abundances, refined unit-cell parameters for major phases giving crystal chemistry, and abundances of X-ray amorphous materials. Our results from the samples measured at the Pahrump Hills and previously published results on the Buckskin sample measured from the Marias Pass section stratigraphically above Pahrump Hills show stratigraphic variations in the mineralogy; phyllosilicates, hematite, jarosite, and pyroxene are most abundant at the base of the Pahrump Hills, and crystalline and amorphous silica and magnetite become prevalent higher in the succession. Some trace element abundances measured by APXS also show stratigraphic trends; Zn and Ni are highly enriched with respect to average Mars crust at the base of the Pahrump Hills (by 7.7 and 3.7 times, respectively), and gradually decrease in abundance in stratigraphically higher regions near Marias Pass, where they are depleted with respect to average Mars crust (by more than an order of magnitude in some targets). The Mn stratigraphic trend is analogous to Zn and Ni, however, Mn abundances are close to those of average Mars crust at the base of Pahrump Hills, rather than being enriched, and Mn becomes increasingly depleted moving upsection. Minerals at the base of the Pahrump Hills, in particular jarosite and hematite, as well as enrichments in Zn, Ni, and Mn, are products of acid-sulfate alteration on Earth. We hypothesize that multiple influxes of mildly to moderately acidic pore fluids resulted in diagenesis of the Murray formation and the observed mineralogical and geochemical variations. The preservation of some minerals that are highly susceptible to dissolution at low pH (e.g., mafic minerals and fluorapatite) suggests that acidic events were not long-lived and that fluids may not have been extremely acidic ( pH > 2 ). Alternatively, the observed mineralogical variations within the succession may be explained by deposition in lake waters with variable Eh and/or pH, where the lowermost sediments were deposited in an oxidizing, perhaps acidic lake setting, and sediments deposited in the upper Pahrump Hills and Marias Pass were deposited lake waters with lower Eh and higher pH.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2017.04.021","authors":["E. B. Rampe","D. W. Ming","D. F. Blake","T. F. Bristow","S. J. Chipera","J. P. Grotzinger","R. V. Morris","Shaunna M. Morrison","D. T. Vaniman","A. S. Yen","C. N. Achilles","Patricia Craig","David J. Des Marais","Robert T. Downs","Jack D. Farmer","Kim V. Fendrich","R. Gellert","Robert M. Hazen","Linda C. Kah","J. M. Morookian","T. Peretyazhko","P. Sarrazin","A. H. Treiman","J. A. Berger","J. L. Eigenbrode","Alberto González Fairén","O. Forni","Sanjeev Gupta","J. A. Hurowitz","N. Lanza","M. E. Schmidt","K. L. Siebach","B. Sutter","L. M. Thompson"],"tags":["Geology","Mars Exploration Program","Jarosite","Breccia","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-05-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2017.04.021","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2044515131","name":"Early solar system processes recorded in the matrices of two highly pristine CR3 carbonaceous chondrites, MET 00426 and QUE 99177","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2009.11.009","authors":["N. M. Abreu","A. J. Brearley"],"tags":["Chondrite","Chondrule","Meteorite","Troilite","Pyroxene"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-11-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2009.11.009","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2977410748","name":"Terrestrial modification of the Ivuna meteorite and a reassessment of the chemical composition of the CI type specimen","source":"openalex","abstract":"The rare CI carbonaceous chondrites are the most aqueously altered and chemically primitive meteorites but due to their porous nature and high abundance of volatile elements are susceptible to terrestrial weathering. The Ivuna meteorite, type specimen for the CI chondrites, is the largest twentieth-century CI fall and probably the CI chondrite least affected by terrestrial alteration that is available for study. The main mass of Ivuna (BM2008 M1) has been stored in a nitrogen atmosphere at least since its arrival at the Natural History Museum (NHM), London, in 2008 (70 years after its fall) and could be considered the most pristine CI chondrite stone. We report the mineralogy, petrography and bulk elemental composition of BM2008 M1 and a second Ivuna stone (BM1996 M4) stored in air within wooden cabinets. We find that both Ivuna stones are breccias consisting of multiple rounded, phyllosilicate-rich clasts that formed through aqueous alteration followed by impact processing. A polished thin section of BM2008 M1 analysed immediately after preparation was found to contain sulphate-bearing veins that formed when primary sulphides reacted with oxygen and atmospheric water. A section of BM1996 M4 lacked veins but had sulphate grains on the surface that formed in ≤6 years, ∼3 times faster than previous reports for CI chondrite sections. Differences in the extent of terrestrial alteration recorded by BM2008 M1 and BM1996 M4 probably reflect variations in the post-recovery curation history of the stones prior to entering the NHM collection, and indicate that where possible pristine samples of hydrated carbonaceous should be kept out of the terrestrial environment in a stable atmosphere to avoid modification. The bulk elemental composition of the two Ivuna stones show some variability due to their heterogeneous nature but in general are similar to previous analyses of CI chondrites. We combine our elemental abundances with literature values to calculate a new average composition for the Ivuna meteorite, which we find is in good agreement with existing compilations of element compositions in the CI chondrites and the most recent solar photospheric abundances.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2019.09.041","authors":["A. J. King","K. J. H. Phillips","Stanislav Strekopytov","Claudio Vita‐Finzi","S. S. Russell"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Petrography","Weathering","Breccia"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-10-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2019.09.041","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W119208782","name":"Metasomatism in the Early Solar System: The Record from Chondritic Meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28394-9_15","authors":["A. J. Brearley","Alexander N. Krot"],"tags":["Chondrule","Metasomatism","Chondrite","Geochemistry","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-04-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28394-9_15","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2022953797","name":"Brachina: A new type of meteorite, not a chassignite","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Brachina meteorite, previously classified as a chassignite, is found to be a nearly primitive and unique meteorite. It is a fine‐grained, unshocked equigranular igneous rock containing small melt inclusions. It contains 80% olivine (Fo70), 5.5% clinopyroxene (Wo38En49Fs13), 10% plagioclase (An22), 0.5% chromite, 0.5% chlorapatite, 3% Fe‐sulfide, 0.3% pentlandite, and a trace of Ni‐rich metal; orthopyroxene (En70) and anorthoclase‐rich glass are found only in melt inclusions. Siderophiles are high in the sulfides, and the oxidation state is similar to that of LL‐chondrites. Major element and mineralogic data of Brachina are similar to Chassigny, but trace element data are dramatically different. The major differences are higher FeO/MnO, Ga/Al, and K/La ratios, W depletion, high siderophile content, near‐horizontal REE pattern at about 1× chondrite level, high refractory/nonrefractory metal ratios (e.g., Ir/Au), and chalcophile element depletion. Compositionally, Brachina is close to C2 chemistry, but has undergone some segregation of (Fe,Ni)S melt. These data, in addition to its near 4.5 b.y. age, and oxygen isotopic signature within the eucritic field, suggest that Brachina is not related to Chassigny or SNC meteorites. It may be related to primitive meteorites, such as silicate inclusions in IAB irons and winonaites, but is more oxidized; reduction would make it very similar to winonaites. The assemblage may have experienced the beginning of melting in its parent body. Since it has characteristics that differ from any other meteorite, we suggest it be called a ‘brachinite’.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/jb088is01p0b237","authors":["C. E. Nehru","M. Prinz","J. S. Delaney","G. Dreibus","H. Palme","B. Spettel","H. Wänke"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chromite","Chondrite","Pentlandite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1983-11-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/jb088is01p0b237","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2005782378","name":"Mineralogical records of early planetary processes on the howardite, eucrite, diogenite parent body with reference to Vesta","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Mineralogical information recovered from the howardite, eucrite, diogenite (HED) meteorites was employed to reconstruct the history of the parent body and relate it to 4 Vesta. These interpreted crustal evolution processes were then compared to the expected geological features on the surface of a likely proto‐planet, 4 Vesta. The original crustal materials of the HED parent body were preserved as mineral grains and lithic clasts, but in many eucrites, Fe/Mg ratios in pyroxenes were homogenized by diffusion after crystallization. The crystallization trend of the protocrust has been deciphered by (1) examining monomict and crystalline samples and using their mineralogical and chemical information to formulate a sequence of crystallization and cooling trends; and by (2) reconstructing the original crust prior to cratering events from lithic clasts and mineral fragments in polymict breccias such as howardites and polymict eucrites. Mineral components are identical, both in the individual HED and in polymict breccias, and no remnants of primitive materials were preserved in the polymict breccias. A layered crust model reconstructed from such breccias consists of an upper crust with extrusive lava‐like eucrites that have been brecciated and metamorphosed, diogenite mantle, and cumulate eucrites of varying thickness between them. This model can be used to explain the surface geological features of Vesta observed from the Hubble space telescope. A large crater with diogenitic orthopyroxene at the crater floor is consistent with the deepest diogenitic layer of the layered crust model; and an underlying olivine layer is expected from early crystallized olivine in the crystal fractionation model. The old terrain of eucritic surface materials of Vesta can be howardites, polymict eucrites, or regolith‐like eucrites produced from eucrites extruded and impacted on the surface. Partial melting models of eucrites seem to be favored by the rare‐earth element (REE) chemistry and experimental studies. Unfortunately, partial melting models have not demonstrated how the HED parent body is converted to a layered crust without producing any metamorphosed primitive material in the layered crust. The origin of cumulate eucrites with systematic variation of textures and chemistries of pyroxene can be explained by the layered crust model with excavation and mixing of trapped liquid. Discovery of basaltic materials with Na‐rich plagioclase and augite in iron meteorites, which are the products of partial melting, suggests that eucrites may be unique to a body that underwent large‐scale differentiation and metamorphism.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1997.tb01574.x","authors":["H. Takeda"],"tags":["Geology","Breccia","Parent body","Olivine","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1997.tb01574.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W1616309178","name":"Lunar meteorite Yamato-86032 - Mineralogical, petrological, and geochemical studies","source":"openalex","abstract":"P(論文)","url":"https://doi.org/10.15094/00004505","authors":["Christian Koeberl","G. Kurat","F. Brandstätter"],"tags":["Breccia","Meteorite","Achondrite","Geology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1990-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.15094/00004505","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2086824162","name":"Aluminum‐, Calcium‐ and Titanium‐rich Oxide Stardust in Ordinary Chondrite Meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"We report O-, Al-Mg-, K-, Ca-, and Ti-isotopic data for a total of 96 presolar oxide grains found in residues of several unequilibrated ordinary chondrite meteorites. Identified grain types include Al 2 O 3 , MgAl 2 O 4 , hibonite (CaAl 12 O 19 ), and Ti oxide. This work greatly increases the presolar hibonite database, and is the first report of presolar Ti oxide. O-isotopic compositions of the grains span previously observed ranges and indicate an origin in red giant and asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars of low mass (<2.5 M ☉ ) for most grains. Cool bottom processing in the parent AGB stars is required to explain isotopic compositions of many grains. Potassium-41 enrichments in hibonite grains are attributable to in situ decay of now-extinct 41 Ca. Inferred initial 41 Ca/ 40 Ca ratios are in good agreement with model predictions for low-mass AGB star envelopes, provided that ionization suppresses 41 Ca decay. Stable Mg and Ca isotopic ratios of most of the hibonite grains reflect primarily the initial compositions of the parent stars and are generally consistent with expectations for Galactic chemical evolution, but require some local interstellar chemical inhomogeneity. Very high 17 O/ 16 O or 25 Mg/ 24 Mg ratios suggest an origin for some grains in binary star systems where mass transfer from an evolved companion has altered the parent star compositions. A supernova origin for the hitherto enigmatic 18 O-rich Group 4 grains is strongly supported by multielement isotopic data for two grains. The Group 4 data are consistent with an origin in a single supernova in which variable amounts of material from the deep 16 O-rich interior mixed with a unique end-member mixture of the outer layers. The Ti oxide grains primarily formed in low-mass AGB stars. They are smaller and rarer than presolar Al 2 O 3 , reflecting the lower abundance of Ti than Al in AGB envelopes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1086/589430","authors":["L. R. Nittler","C. M. O'd. Alexander","R. Gallino","P. Höppe","A. N. Nguyen","F. J. Stadermann","E. Zinner"],"tags":["Presolar grains","Meteorite","Astrophysics","Chondrite","Asymptotic giant branch"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-07-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1086/589430","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W1985736115","name":"The Novo Urei meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(60)90133-2","authors":["A. E. Ringwood"],"tags":["Meteorite","Diamond","Geology","Geochemistry","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1960-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(60)90133-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W1488776166","name":"Mineralogy and Surface Composition of Asteroids","source":"openalex","abstract":"Methods to constrain the surface mineralogy of asteroids have seen considerable development during the last decade with advancement in laboratory spectral calibrations and validation of our interpretive methodologies by spacecraft rendezvous missions. This has enabled the accurate identification of several meteorite parent bodies in the main asteroid belt and helped constrain the mineral chemistries and abundances in ordinary chondrites and basaltic achondrites. With better quantification of spectral effects due to temperature, phase angle, and grain size, systematic discrepancies due to non-compositional factors can now be virtually eliminated for mafic silicate-bearing asteroids. Interpretation of spectrally featureless asteroids remains a challenge. This paper presents a review of all mineralogical interpretive tools currently in use and outlines procedures for their application.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2458/azu_uapress_9780816532131-ch003","authors":["V. Reddy","T. L. Dunn","Cristina A. Thomas","Nicholas Moskovitz","T. H. Burbine"],"tags":["Asteroid","Meteorite","Achondrite","Astrobiology","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2458/azu_uapress_9780816532131-ch003","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W1963889274","name":"Isotopic anomalies in meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"The classical picture of the pre-solar nebula is that of a hot, well-mixed cloud of chemically and isotopically uniform composition. Recent measurements have shown this conception to be erroneous, however. Anomalies have been discovered in the isotopic composition of a number of elements which cannot be explained by processes known to be going on within the solar system at present. Rather, they appear to reflect primordial heterogeneities, testifying to variations in space and/or time of the isotopic composition of these elements within the proto-solar nebula. They contribute to our understanding of processes and of time scales in the early solar system, before and after its formation. Furthermore, they allow one to identify modes of nucleosynthesis and to derive relevant parameters of such production modes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/0034-4885/43/11/002","authors":["F. Begemann"],"tags":["Physics","Formation and evolution of the Solar System","Meteorite","Solar System","Nucleosynthesis"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1980-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1088/0034-4885/43/11/002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W1667786821","name":"Detailed Elemental, Mineralogical, and Isotopic Examination of Jarosite in Martian Meteorite MIL 03346","source":"openalex","abstract":"MARTIAN METEORITE MIL 03346. E. P. Vicenzi, M. Fries, A. Fahey, D. Rost, J.P. Greenwood, and A. Steele. Department of Mineral Sciences, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, USA (vicenzie@si.edu), Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, 5251 Broad Branch Rd NW, Washington, D.C. 20013, USA, Analytical Microscopy Group, Surface and Microanalysis Science Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, 20899, USA, Dept. of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459, USA.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1667786821","authors":["Edward P. Vicenzi","M. Fries","Albert J. Fahey","Detlef H. Rost","J. P. Greenwood","A. Steele"],"tags":["Meteorite","Martian","Archaeology","Martian surface","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-03-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2089621104","name":"Petrogenesis of eucrite, howardite and diogenite meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/258220a0","authors":["Edward M. Stolper"],"tags":["Petrogenesis","Meteorite","Igneous rock","Geology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1975-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/258220a0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2036702419","name":"Interrelationships among meteoric metals, meteors, interplanetary dust, micrometeorites, and meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Meteor science, aeronomy, and meteoritics are different disciplines with natural interfaces. This paper is an effort to integrate the chemistry and mineralogy of collected interplanetary dust particles (IDPs), micrometeorites, and meteorites with meteoric data and with atmospheric metal abundances. Evaporation, ablation, and melting of decelerating materials in the Earth's atmosphere are the sources of the observed metal abundances in the upper atmosphere. Many variables ultimately produce the materials and phenomena we can analyze, such as different accretion and parent‐body histories of incoming extraterrestrial materials, different interactions of meteors with the Earth's middle atmosphere, meteor data reduction, and complex chemical interactions of the metals and ions with the ambient atmosphere. The IDP‐like and unequilibrated ordinary chondrite matrix materials are reasonable sources for observed meteoric and atmospheric metals. The hypothesis of hierarchical dust accretion predicts that low, correlated refractory element abundances in cometary meteors may be real. It implies that the CI or cosmic standard is not useful to appreciate the chemistry of incoming petrologically heterogeneous cometary matter. The quasi steady‐state metal abundances in the lower thermosphere and upper mesosphere are derived predominantly from materials with cometary orbital characteristics and velocities such as comets proper and near‐Earth asteroids. The exact influence of atmospheric chemistry on these abundances still needs further evaluation. Metal abundances in the lower mesosphere and upper stratosphere region are mostly from materials from the asteroidal belt and the Kuiper belt.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01490.x","authors":["Frans J. M. Rietmeijer"],"tags":["Meteoroid","Meteorite","Ordinary chondrite","Astrobiology","Interplanetary dust cloud"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01490.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2020780299","name":"Mineralogical composition of the meteorite El Pozo (Mexico): A Raman, infrared and XRD study","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.saa.2011.08.061","authors":["Mikhail Ostrooumov","María del Sol Hernández-Bernal"],"tags":["Troilite","Meteorite","Raman spectroscopy","Geology","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.saa.2011.08.061","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W1995881983","name":"“Fluffy” Type A Ca-, Al-rich inclusions in the Allende meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(84)90347-8","authors":["G. J. MacPherson","Lawrence Grossman"],"tags":["Melilite","Allende meteorite","Spinel","Geology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1984-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(84)90347-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W3191850401","name":"Compositional, mineralogical and structural investigation of meteorites by XRD and LIBS","source":"openalex","abstract":"Meteorites have been investigated in recent decades by employing various analytical techniques. In this chapter, an overview of investigations achieved by means of x-ray diffraction (XRD) and laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) techniques, respectively, on mineralogical and compositional features, is presented. Results highlighted how a well-established technique like XRD possesses many intrinsic advantages, such as easy sample preparation, micro- or non-destructive nature, high sensitivity and reliability, possibility of qualitative and quantitative analysis, and structure solution both from single crystals or powders. Results on meteoritical minerals investigation, e.g. silicates, oxides, hydroxides, and phosphates, are provided. Further, a more recent technique suited for elemental analysis, LIBS, is gaining a very important role in the meteorite research field, owing to its strong sensibility to light elements such as H, Li, B, C, N, and O, to the possibility of analysis performed under reduced pressure conditions so avoiding any atmospheric interference, ease of use, no need of sample pretreatment, robustness and versatility, micro-destructive nature, and possibility to achieve compact transportable set ups. Results on the compositional variability of selected meteorite samples, in particular on martian specimens, are provided.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2053-2563/aae894ch5","authors":["N. Senesi","Francesco Capitelli"],"tags":["Meteorite","Materials science","Astrobiology","Geochemistry","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2053-2563/aae894ch5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2032621232","name":"Modal mineralogy of CM chondrites by X-ray diffraction (PSD-XRD): Part 2. Degree, nature and settings of aqueous alteration","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2011.02.021","authors":["K. T. Howard","G. K. Benedix","P. A. Bland","G. Cressey"],"tags":["Pyroxene","Olivine","Chondrite","Anhydrous","Murchison meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-02-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2011.02.021","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2057913124","name":"Mineralogy of the planets: a voyage in space and time","source":"openalex","abstract":"Summary Pertinentgeneral properties of the planetsare listed. Thecondensation of the solar nebula is set in the context of stellar evolution and meteoriteswith sections onastronomical observations, chemical composition of the solar nebula, physical properties of the solar nebula, andchemical and physical aspects of condensation, accretion, and planetary differentiation. A cool nebula is preferred to allow survival of pre-solar grains with isotopic anomalies. Equilibrium progressive condensation of the solar nebula is regarded as a useful theoretical boundary, but complex processes involving crystal-liquid differentiation in, and collisions between, planetesimals are used to interpret the properties of meteorites and terrestrial planets.Chemical differentiation in the nebulabegins with condensation and aggregation of dust, which can yield oxidized and reduced products depending whether C/O is less or greater than unity. Simple models for direct accretion of condensed materials into planets are reviewed but not adopted.Physical interactions involving small bodiesinclude collisional accretion of dust-covered bodies, and differentiation of silicate and metal from mechanical, magnetic, and electrostatic forces.Physical and chemical differentiation involving large bodiesinvolves head-on and glancing collision of planetesimals, orbital deflection, and disintegration within the Roche limit, and collision with debris rings and moons.Planetary accretion: dynamics, time scale, and heat sourcesinvolves more rapid growth of a larger body than a smaller one with ultimate development of one planet in each feeding zone, which flares out and ultimately overlaps with adjacent zones. Mars is small, and a planet did not develop in the asteroid belt, because of perturbations from Jupiter. The giant planets deflected material into the inner solar system. Melting of early planetesimals is invoked to explain differentiated meteorites.Chemical differentiation inside planet esimals and planetsdescribes the phase equilibria for metal, sulphide, and peridotite, either dry, wet, or containing CO2. A wet body could begin crystal-liquid differentiation near 1250 K with sinking of Fe,S-rich liquid and rising of basaltic melt. The peridotitic residuum might undergo a subsequent differentiation at higher temperature under volatile-free conditions. Mineralogical storage of H2O, CO2, S, Cl, F, and alkalies is discussed.Chemical differentiation in planetary atmospheresbriefly mentions escape of light species. For theEarth, theearly historyis constrained by Archaean rocks dating from −3.8 × 109yr whose properties indicate a non-reducing atmosphere, and a mantle that yielded volcanic rocks mostly similar to recent ones. Theupper mantle (above 200 km depth)contains peridotitic rocks attributable to crystal-liquid differentiation and metamorphism. Volatile elements exist in mica and other minerals, but are sparse. Abundances of siderophile and chalcophile elements are high enough to require late accretion of material rich in these elements, the presence of a barrier between upper mantle and core, and some extraction by sinking sulphide. Themantle (deeper than 200 km) and coreare inaccessible to direct study but interpretation of seismic data coupled with high-pressure laboratory studies requires inversion to dense phases in the mantle (especially perovskite?) and presence of light elements in the core (mainly S?). Thebulk compositionis modelled by cosmochemical analogy constrained by geophysical and geochemical parameters. The early condensate may be augmented by 1.5 ± 0.5? over (Mg+Si), and metal by 1.2±0.1?, while alkalies are probably depleted six-fold. Radial heterogeneity from a reduced interior to an oxidized exterior is suggested. For theMoon, sections coverobservations, petrologic interpretations, andbulk chemical composition. For theorigin of the Earth and Moon, age constraints, chemical constraints, anddynamical and accretional constraintsallowcomparison of","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/minmag.1979.043.325.01","authors":["J. V. Smith"],"tags":["Formation and evolution of the Solar System","Planetesimal","Planet","Physics","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1979-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1180/minmag.1979.043.325.01","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2067461012","name":"Disordered Biopyriboles, Amphibole, and Talc in the Allende Meteorite: Products of Nebular or Parent Body Aqueous Alteration?","source":"openalex","abstract":"Transmission electron microscope observations of the Allende carbonaceous chondrite provided evidence of widespread hydrous phases replacing enstatite in chondrules. Calcic amphibole and talc occur in thin (less than 0.3 micrometer) crosscutting veins and as alteration products of primary chondrule glass in contraction cracks within the enstatite. In addition, talc and disordered biopyriboles were found replacing enstatite grains along cracks and fractures. Although rare hydrous phases have been reported in calcium- and aluminum-rich inclusions in the Allende meteorite, these observations suggest that aqueous fluids played a much more significant role in the mineralogical and geochemical evolution of Allende than has previously been thought.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.276.5315.1103","authors":["A. J. Brearley"],"tags":["Allende meteorite","Enstatite","Chondrule","Talc","Amphibole"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997-05-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.276.5315.1103","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W1986130170","name":"Transmission infrared spectra (2–25μm) of carbonaceous chondrites (CI, CM, CV–CK, CR, C2 ungrouped): Mineralogy, water, and asteroidal processes","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2013.10.019","authors":["Pierre Beck","A. Garenne","É. Quirico","L. Bonal","G. Montes‐Hernandez","Frédéric Moynier","B. Schmitt"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Silicate","Parent body","Olivine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2013.10.019","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2011628842","name":"Relationship of E-type Apollo asteroid 3103 (1982 BB) to the enstatite achondrite meteorites and the Hungaria asteroids","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(92)90021-x","authors":["M. J. Gaffey","K. L. Reed","Michael S. P. Kelley"],"tags":["Achondrite","Asteroid","Meteorite","Enstatite","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1992-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(92)90021-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2735544590","name":"Acapulcoite-lodranite meteorites: Ultramafic asteroidal partial melt residues","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemer.2017.04.004","authors":["Klaus Keil","T. J. McCoy"],"tags":["Partial melting","Troilite","Achondrite","Chondrite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemer.2017.04.004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W3082640398","name":"Piancaldoli meteorite: chemistry and mineralogy","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3082640398","authors":["Marcello Carapezza","P. M. Nuccio","M. Valenza"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Geology","Mineralogy","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1975-12-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2022097003","name":"Thermal metamorphism of primitive meteorites—XL The enstatite meteorites: origin and evolution of a parent body","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(80)90207-0","authors":["S. Biswas","T. M. Walsh","Gerhard Bart","M. E. Lipschutz"],"tags":["Enstatite","Chondrite","Meteorite","Achondrite","Parent body"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1980-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(80)90207-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2023644092","name":"The composition of carbonaceous chondrite matrix","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(77)90110-7","authors":["H. Y. McSween","Steven M. Richardson"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Electron microprobe","Matrix (chemical analysis)","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1977-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(77)90110-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2020838559","name":"Mineralogy of HED Meteorites Using the Modified Gaussian Model","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11038-007-9177-z","authors":["Lina Canas","R. Duffárd","T. M. Seixas"],"tags":["Meteorite","Asteroid","Pyroxene","Parent body","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-11-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11038-007-9177-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W1983329463","name":"Paleoproterozoic Huronian basin: product of a Wilson cycle punctuated by glaciations and a meteorite impact","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0037-0738(01)00076-8","authors":["Grant M. Young","Darrel G.F. Long","Christopher M. Fedo","H.W. Nesbitt"],"tags":["Geology","Geochemistry","Unconformity","Provenance","Rift"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0037-0738(01)00076-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2061957331","name":"THE COMPOSITION OF THE CHASSIGNY METEORITE","source":"openalex","abstract":"Spark source mass spectrometric analysis of the Chassigny meteorite has given the following data (in ppm): Rb 0.4, Sr 7.2, Y 0.64, Zr 1.5, Nb 0.32, Ba 7.1, La 0.39, Ce 1.12, Pr 0.13, Nd 0.54, Sm 0.11, Eu 0.038, Gd 0.11, Tb 0.02, Dy 0.12, Ho 0.03, Er 0.09, Yb 0.10, Pb 1.0, Th 0.057, U 0.021. These data, in conjunction with major element composition and mineralogical and textural features, indicate that this meteorite is an olivinerich cumulate, possibly genetically related to the nakhlites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1976.tb00311.x","authors":["Brian Mason","J.A. Nelon","P. Muir","S. R. Taylor"],"tags":["Meteorite","Composition (language)","Chemical composition","Geology","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1976-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1976.tb00311.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W1566113028","name":"Meteoritic oxide grain from supernova found","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/30377","authors":["L. R. Nittler","C. M. O'd. Alexander","Jianhua Wang","Xia Gao"],"tags":["Supernova","Meteorite","Presolar grains","Ejecta","Isotope"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-05-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/30377","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2019086767","name":"Particle-Gas Dynamics in the Midplane of a Protoplanetary Nebula","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1006/icar.1993.1161","authors":["Jeffrey N. Cuzzi","Anthony R. Dobrovolskis","Joëlle M. Champney"],"tags":["Planetesimal","Physics","Nebula","Protoplanet","Formation and evolution of the Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1993-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1006/icar.1993.1161","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W1641453533","name":"8. Meteorites in Meteorites: Evidence for Mixing among the Asteroids","source":"openalex","abstract":"Inclusions of one type of meteorite enclosed in another have been found in several gas-rich meteorites, unequilihrated chondrites and mesosiderites. The inclusions in all but one case are chondritic; a majority are mineralogically and isotopically similar to carbonaceous chondrites. These meteorite mixtures most probably resulted from collisions among asteroids.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0252921100070330","authors":["L. L. Wilkening"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Astrobiology","Asteroid","Chondrule"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1977-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0252921100070330","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2076611442","name":"An Interplanetary Dust Particle Linked Directly to Type CM Meteorites and an Asteroidal Origin","source":"openalex","abstract":"Tochilinite, an ordered mixed-layer mineral containing Mg, Al, Fe, Ni, S, and O, has been identified in an interplanetary dust particle (IDP). This mineral is found in only one other class of meteoritic materials, type CM carbonaceous chondrites. The presence of tochilinite in an IDP provides a direct petrogenetic link between a member of the layer-silicate subset of IDPs and a specific class of meteorites and thus establishes that some IDPs collected in the stratosphere have an asteroidal origin. The scarcity of this IDP type suggests that materials with CM mineralogy are not abundant among the dust-producing asteroids.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.251.4993.549","authors":["J. P. Bradley","D. E. Brownlee"],"tags":["Meteorite","Interplanetary dust cloud","Astrobiology","Chondrite","Mineral"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1991-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.251.4993.549","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2298360525","name":"Magmatic complexity on early Mars as seen through a combination of orbital, in-situ and meteorite data","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2016.02.023","authors":["V. Sautter","Michael J. Toplis","Pierre Beck","N. Mangold","R. C. Wiens","P. Pinet","A. Cousin","S. Maurice","L. Ledeit","R. H. Hewins","O. Gasnault","C. Quantin","O. Forni","H. E. Newsom","Pierre‐Yves Meslin","J. J. Wray","N. T. Bridges","V. Payré","W. Rapin","Stéphane Le Mouëlic"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Geology","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-03-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2016.02.023","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W3002087032","name":"Alteration on asteroids: Insights from CM/CI meteorite mineralogy and midwave-infrared spectroscopy","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3002087032","authors":["Margaret McAdam","J. M. Sunshine","Michael S. P. Kelley","K. T. Howard","T. J. McCoy"],"tags":["Meteorite","Asteroid","Astrobiology","Spectroscopy","Infrared"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-07-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W1570108001","name":"The formation of IIE iron meteorites investigated by the chondrule‐bearing Mont Dieu meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract A 435 kg piece of the Mont Dieu iron meteorite (MD) contains cm‐sized silicate inclusions. Based on the concentration of Ni, Ga, Ge, and Ir (8.59 ± 0.32 wt%, 25.4 ± 0.9 ppm, 61 ± 2 ppm, 7.1 ± 0.4 ppm, respectively) in the metal host, this piece can be classified as a IIE nonmagmatic iron. The silicate inclusions possess a chondritic mineralogy and relict chondrules occur throughout the inclusions. Major element analysis, oxygen isotopic analysis (Δ17O = 0.71 ± 0.02‰), and mean Fa and Fs molar contents (Fa15.7 ± 0.4 and Fs14.4 ± 0.5) indicate that MD originated as an H chondrite. Because of strong similarities with Netschaëvo IIE, MD can be classified in the most primitive subgroup of the IIE sequence. 40Ar/39Ar ages of 4536 ± 59 Ma and 4494 ± 95 Ma obtained on pyroxene and plagioclase inclusions show that MD belongs to the old (~4.5 Ga) group of IIE iron meteorites and that it has not been perturbed by any subsequent heating event following its formation. The primitive character of MD sheds light on the nature of its formation process, its thermal history, and the evolution of its parent body.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12463","authors":["Nadia Van Roosbroek","Vinciane Debaille","Lidia Pittarello","Steven Goderis","M. Humayun","Lutz Hecht","Fred Jourdan","Michael J. Spicuzza","Frank Vanhaecke","Philippe Claeys"],"tags":["Meteorite","Parent body","Chondrule","Chondrite","Silicate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-06-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12463","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2137716690","name":"SPACE WEATHERING OF ASTEROID SURFACES","source":"openalex","abstract":"▪ Abstract Visible and near-infrared spectra of reflected sunlight from asteroid surfaces exhibit features that hold the promise for identifying surface mineralogy. However, the very surfaces that are observed by remote-sensing are also subject to impingement by micrometeoroids and solar wind particles, which are believed to play the dominant role in space weathering, which is the time-dependent modification of an asteroid's reflectance spectrum. Such space weathering has confused the interpretations of telescopic spectra of asteroids, especially concerning the possible association of common ordinary chondritic meteorites with so-called S-type asteroids. Recent spacecraft studies of asteroids (especially of Eros by NEAR-Shoemaker) have documented aspects of space weathering processes, but we still do not understand the physics of space weathering well enough to confidently assay mineralogy of diverse asteroids by remote-sensing. A review of the intellectual history of this topic reveals the complexity of interdisciplinary research on far-away astronomical bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.earth.32.101802.120453","authors":["C. R. Chapman"],"tags":["Space weathering","Asteroid","Astrobiology","Micrometeoroid","Weathering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-04-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.earth.32.101802.120453","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W1968820934","name":"The petrology and geochemistry of Miller Range 05035: A new lunar gabbroic meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2008.04.032","authors":["K. H. Joy","Ian Crawford","M. Anand","R. C. Greenwood","I. A. Franchi","S. S. Russell"],"tags":["Geology","Basalt","Geochemistry","Pyroxene","Olivine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-05-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2008.04.032","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W1982486756","name":"Grain size of the surface regolith of asteroid 4 Vesta estimated from its reflectance spectrum in comparison with HED meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The grain‐size distribution of the regolith of asteroid 4 Vesta has been estimated by comparing its reflectance spectra (0.3–2.6 μm) with those of HED meteorites. The finest grain‐size separate (<25 μm) of a particular howardite has a reflectance spectrum most similar to Vesta's. In order to better simulate Vesta's surface mineralogy, reflectance spectra of those finest HED meteorite powders were linearly combined, and Vesta's spectrum was scaled for the best fit between them. Both the albedo and the shape of reflectance spectrum of Vesta were well reproduced by regional mixtures of the finest (<25 μm) powders of HED meteorites. The result suggests the heterogeneity of Vesta's surface and provides an estimate of the visible reflectance of Vesta that is close to its IRAS albedo. Thus, this suggests that fine grains can be generated and retained by relatively small bodies (Vesta is approximately 500 km in diameter).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1994.tb00603.x","authors":["T. Hiroi","C. M. Pieters","H. Takeda"],"tags":["Regolith","Meteorite","Asteroid","Albedo (alchemy)","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1994-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1994.tb00603.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2084590963","name":"Preparation of TEM samples by focused ion beam (FIB) techniques: applications to the study of clays and phyllosilicates in meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Transmission electron microscope samples were prepared of ALH 78045 and ALH 88045, two clay-and phyllosilicate-bearing Antarctic meteorites, using argon ion milling and focused ion beam (FIB) techniques. ALH 78045 contains clay- and phyllosilicate-filled veins that have formed by terrestrial weathering of olivine, orthopyroxene and metal. Very narrow (∼10 nm) intragranular clay-filled veins could be observed in the TEM samples prepared by argon ion milling, whereas differential thinning and lack of precision in the location of the electron-transparent areas hindered the study of wider (5 — 15 μm) phyllosilicate-filled intergranular veins. Using the FIB instrument, electron-transparent slices were cut from specific parts of the wider veins and lifted out for TEM study. Results show that these veins are occluded by cronstedtite, a mixed-valence Fe-rich phyllosilicate. This discovery shows that silicates can be both dissolved and precipitated during terrestrial weathering within the Antarctic ice. ALH 88045 is one of a small number of known CM1 carbonaceous chondrites. This meteorite is largely composed of flattened ellipsoidal aggregates of serpentine-group phyllosilicates. To determine the mineralogy and texture of phyllosilicates within specific aggregates, TEM samples were prepared by trenching into the cut edge of a sample using the FIB instrument. Results show that Mg-rich aggregates are composed of lath-shaped serpentine crystals with a ∼0.73 nm basal spacing, which is typical of the products of low temperature aqueous alteration within asteroidal parent bodies. Results of this work demonstrate that the FIB has enormous potential in a number of areas of Earth and planetary science.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/0026461036730119","authors":["Martin Lee","P. A. Bland","G. A. Graham"],"tags":["Meteorite","Transmission electron microscopy","Weathering","Focused ion beam","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1180/0026461036730119","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W1954352293","name":"Martian meteorites and Martian magnetic anomalies: A new perspective from NWA 7034","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We present the magnetic properties of the Noachian Martian breccia NWA 7034. Among the 25 unpaired Martian meteorites studied to date, NWA 7034 has a unique magnetic mineralogy. It contains about 15 wt % of iron oxides as magnetite that has experienced cation substitution and partial alteration to maghemite, with about a quarter of the oxides being pure maghemite. It also contains oxyhydroxides in the form of superparamagnetic goethite. The presence of maghemite and goethite makes NWA 7034 the most oxidized Martian meteorite. The overall magnetic assemblage is partly linked to near‐surface hydrothermal alteration. The high concentration of magnetic phases with high laboratory unblocking temperatures makes NWA 7034 a plausible analogue source lithology for the strong magnetization of the Martian Noachian crust. Near‐surface hydrothermal alteration can enhance the remanence of Martian rocks and account for local, high magnetic anomalies of shallow source.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2014gl060464","authors":["J. Gattacceca","P. Rochette","R. B. Scorzelli","P. Munayco","C. B. Agee","Y. Quesnel","C. Cournède","J. W. Geissman"],"tags":["Noachian","Maghemite","Martian","Meteorite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-07-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2014gl060464","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W1672027725","name":"Mineralogy of Antarctic lunar meteorites and differentiated products of the lunar crust","source":"openalex","abstract":"The mineralogy of clasts containing pyroxenes and glassy matrices of lunar meteorites, Yamato-791197 (Y-791197) and Allan Hills A81005 (ALHA81005) has been studied by an electron microprobe and an analytical transmission electron microscope (ATEM). A rare brown pyroxene-rich clast (HPF) consists of hedenbergite, Ca-poor iron-rich pyroxene, plagioclase, fayalite, silica and ilmenite. This exotic component may be a differentiated product of the lunar crust or an iron-rich portion of a basalt. The evolutionary trend of Y-791197 from spinel troctolite to anorthosite in the An content vs. Mg/(Mg+Fe) diagram is similar to that of ALHA81005 and is located between the Mg-rich suite of rocks and ferroan anorthosite. It is difficult to prove that this trend represents a single differentiation and that the HPF clast is on the extension of this trend, because the data appear to define a trend of extremely steep slope. The glass in the matrix of ALHA81005 is devitrified on the TEM scale.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1672027725","authors":["H. Takeda","Hiroshi Mori","T. Tagai"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Crust","Geology of the Moon","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1986-07-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2045601865","name":"Mineralogy of Asteroids","source":"openalex","abstract":"The past decade has seen a significant expansion both in the interpretive methodologies used to extract mineralogical information from asteroid spectra and other remote-sensing data and in the number of asteroids for which mineralogical characterizations exist. Robust miner-alogical characterizations now exist for more than 40 asteroids, an order a magnitude increase since Asteroids II was published. Such characterizations have allowed significant progress to be made in the identification of meteorite parent bodies. Although considerable progress has been made, most asteroid spectra have still only been analyzed by relatively ambiguous curve-matching techniques. Where appropriate and feasible, such data should be subjected to a quanti-tative analysis based on diagnostic mineralogical spectral features. The present paper reviews the recent advances in interpretive methodologies and outlines procedures for their application. 1.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3636041","authors":["M. J. Gaffey","Eduardo Telles","Renato A. Dupke","D. Lazzaro"],"tags":["Icon","Citation","Computer science","Information retrieval","Download"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3636041","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2106967913","name":"A petrographic history of martian meteorite ALH84001: Two shocks and an ancient age","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— ALH84001 is an igneous meteorite, an orthopyroxenite of martian origin. It contains petrographic evidence of two shock metamorphic events, separated by thermal and chemical events. The evidence for two shock events suggests that ALH84001 is ancient and perhaps a sample of the martian highlands. From petrography and mineral chemistry, the history of ALH84001 must include: crystallization from magma, a first shock (impact) metamorphism, thermal metamorphism, low‐temperature chemical alteration, and a second shock (impact) metamorphism. Originally, ALH84001 was igneous, an orthopyroxene‐chromite cumulate. In the first shock event, the igneous rock was cut by melt‐breccia or cataclastic veinlets, now bands of equigranular fine‐grained pyroxene and other minerals (crush zones). Intact fragments of the cumulate were fractured and strained (now converted to polygonized zones). The subsequent thermal metamorphism (possibly related to the first shock) annealed the melt‐breccia or cataclastic veinlets to their present granoblastic texture and permitted chemical homogenization of all mineral species present. The temperature of metamorphism was at least 875 °C, based on mineral thermometers. Next, Mg‐Fe‐Ca carbonates and pyrite replaced plagioclase in both clasts and granular bands, producing ellipsoidal carbonate globules with sub‐micron scale compositional stratigraphy, repeated identically in all globules. The second shock event produced microfault offsets of carbonate stratigraphy and other mineral contacts, radial fractures around chromite and maskelynite, and strain birefringence in pyroxene. Maskelynite could not have been preserved from the first shock event, because it would have crystallized back to plagioclase. The martian source area for ALH84001 must permit this complex, multiple impact history. Very few craters on young igneous surfaces are on or near earlier impact features. It is more likely that ALH84001 was ejected from an old igneous unit (Hesperian or Noachian age), pocked by numerous impact craters over its long exposure at the martian surface.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1995.tb01127.x","authors":["A. H. Treiman"],"tags":["Geology","Shock metamorphism","Geochemistry","Petrography","Metamorphism"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1995-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1995.tb01127.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2405284122","name":"The meteoritic origin of Tutankhamun's iron dagger blade","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Scholars have long discussed the introduction and spread of iron metallurgy in different civilizations. The sporadic use of iron has been reported in the Eastern Mediterranean area from the late Neolithic period to the Bronze Age. Despite the rare existence of smelted iron, it is generally assumed that early iron objects were produced from meteoritic iron. Nevertheless, the methods of working the metal, its use, and diffusion are contentious issues compromised by lack of detailed analysis. Since its discovery in 1925, the meteoritic origin of the iron dagger blade from the sarcophagus of the ancient Egyptian King Tutankhamun (14th C. BCE ) has been the subject of debate and previous analyses yielded controversial results. We show that the composition of the blade (Fe plus 10.8 wt% Ni and 0.58 wt% Co), accurately determined through portable x‐ray fluorescence spectrometry, strongly supports its meteoritic origin. In agreement with recent results of metallographic analysis of ancient iron artifacts from Gerzeh, our study confirms that ancient Egyptians attributed great value to meteoritic iron for the production of precious objects. Moreover, the high manufacturing quality of Tutankhamun's dagger blade, in comparison with other simple‐shaped meteoritic iron artifacts, suggests a significant mastery of ironworking in Tutankhamun's time.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12664","authors":["Daniela Comelli","Massimo D’Orazio","L. Folco","Mahmud El‐Halwagy","T. Frizzi","R. Alberti","V. Capogrosso","Abdelrazek Elnaggar","Hala Hassan","Austin Nevin","Franco Porcelli","Mohamed Gamal Rashed","Gianluca Valentini"],"tags":["Blade (archaeology)","Smelting","Dagger","Bronze","Ancient history"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-05-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12664","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2013915611","name":"Ferric saponite and serpentine in the nakhlite martian meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Transmission electron microscopy and Fe-K X-ray absorption spectroscopy have been used to determine structure and ferric content of the secondary phase mineral assemblages in the nakhlite martian meteorites, NWA 998, Lafayette, Nakhla, GV, Y 000593, Y 000749, MIL 03346, NWA 817, and NWA 5790. The secondary phases are a rapidly cooled, metastable assemblage that has preserved Mg# and Ca fractionation related to distance from the fluid source, for most of the nakhlites, though one, NWA 5790, appears not to have experienced a fluid pathway. All nine nakhlite samples have also been analysed with scanning electron microscopy, electron probe micro analysis, Bright Field high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and selected area electron diffraction. By measuring the energy position of the Fe-K XANES 1s → 3d pre-edge transition centroid we calculate the ferric content of the minerals within the nakhlite meteorites. The crystalline phyllosilicates and amorphous silicate of the hydrothermal deposits filling the olivine fractures are found to have variable Fe3+/ΣFe values ranging from 0.4 to 0.9. In Lafayette, the central silicate gel parts of the veins are more ferric than the phyllosilicates around it, showing that the fluid became increasingly oxidised. The mesostasis of Lafayette and NWA 817 also have phyllosilicate, which have a higher ferric content than the olivine fracture deposits, with Fe3+/ΣFe values of up to 1.0. Further study, via TEM analyses, reveal the Lafayette and NWA 817 olivine phyllosilicates to have 2:1 T–O–T lattice structure with a the d001-spacing of 0.96 nm, whereas the Lafayette mesostasis phyllosilicates have 1:1 T–O structure with d001-spacings of 0.7 nm. Based on our analyses, the phyllosilicate found within the Lafayette olivine fractures is trioctahedral ferric saponite (Ca0.2K0.1)∑0.3(Mg2.6Fe2+1.3Fe3+1.7Mn0.1)∑5.7[(Si6.7AlIV0.9Fe3+0.4)∑8.0O20](OH)4·nH2O, and that found in the mesostasis fractures is an Fe-serpentine (Ca0.1Mg0.7Fe3+1.0AlVI0.4)∑2.2[Si2O5]OH4, with a ferric gel of similar composition in Lafayette and found as fracture fills throughout the other nakhlites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2014.04.010","authors":["L. J. Hicks","J. C. Bridges","S. J. Gurman"],"tags":["Meteorite","Olivine","Geology","Mineralogy","Analytical Chemistry (journal)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-04-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2014.04.010","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2002783110","name":"The petrophysical classification of meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01613921","authors":["M. Terho","L. J. Pesonen","Ilmo Kukkonen","M. Bukovanská"],"tags":["Meteorite","Petrophysics","Achondrite","Geology","Natural remanent magnetization"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1993-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01613921","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2131666994","name":"THE DUST CLOUD AROUND THE WHITE DWARF G 29-38. II. SPECTRUM FROM 5 TO 40 μm AND MID-INFRARED PHOTOMETRIC VARIABILITY","source":"openalex","abstract":"We model the mineralogy and distribution of dust around the white dwarf G29-39 using the infrared spectrum from 1 to 35 μm. The spectral model for G29-38 dust combines a wide range of materials based on spectral studies of comets and debris disks. In order of their contribution to the mid-infrared emission, the most abundant minerals around G29-38 are amorphous carbon (λ < 8 μm), amorphous and crystalline silicates (5–40 μm), water ice (10–15 and 23–35 μm), and metal sulfides (18–28 μm). The amorphous C can be equivalently replaced by other materials (like metallic Fe) with featureless infrared spectra. The best-fitting crystalline silicate is Fe-rich pyroxene. In order to absorb enough starlight to power the observed emission, the disk must either be much thinner than the stellar radius (so that it can be heated from above and below) or it must have an opening angle wider than 2°. A \"moderately optically thick\" torus model fits well if the dust extends inward to 50 times the white dwarf radius, all grains hotter than 1100 K are vaporized, the optical depth from the star through the disk is τ ∥ = 5, and the radial density profile ∝ r −2.7 ; the total mass of this model disk is 2 × 10 19 g. A physically thin (less than the white dwarf radius) and optically thick disk can contribute to the near-infrared continuum only; such a disk cannot explain the longer-wavelength continuum or strong emission features. The combination of a physically thin, optically thick inner disk and an outer, physically thick and moderately optically thin cloud or disk produces a reasonably good fit to the spectrum and requires only silicates in the outer cloud. We discuss the mineralogical results in comparison to planetary materials. The silicate composition contains minerals found from cometary spectra and meteorites, but Fe-rich pyroxene is more abundant than enstatite (Mg-rich pyroxene) or forsterite (Mg-rich olivine) in G29-38 dust, in contrast to what is found in most comet or meteorite mineralogies. Enstatite meteorites may be the most similar solar system materials to G29-38 dust. Finally, we suggest the surviving core of a \"hot Jupiter\" as an alternative (neither cometary nor asteroidal) origin for the debris, though further theoretical work is needed to determine if this hypothesis is viable.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/693/1/697","authors":["W. T. Reach","C. M. Lisse","Ted von Hippel","Fergal Mullally"],"tags":["Physics","Astrophysics","Infrared","Amorphous solid","Spectral energy distribution"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/693/1/697","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W1994267174","name":"Accretionary rims on inclusions in the Allende meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(85)90227-3","authors":["G. J. MacPherson","Akihiko Hashimoto","Lawrence Grossman"],"tags":["Andradite","Olivine","Allende meteorite","Pyroxene","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1985-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(85)90227-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2001235240","name":"Evaluation of dehydration mechanism during heating of hydrous asteroids based on mineralogical and chemical analysis of naturally and experimentally heated CM chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Based on the evidence derived from spectroscopic observation and meteorite analysis, some hydrous asteroids were heated and dehydrated for a certain period of time after aqueous alteration. In order to reproduce the dehydration processes, we experimentally heated Murchison CM chondrite at 600°C for 1 h (600°C/1 h), 600°C/96 h, 900°C/1 h, and 900°C/96 h under controlled oxygen partial pressures. The experimental products were compared with Belgica (B-)7904 CM chondrite, a meteorite from a dehydrated asteroid in terms of characteristic mineralogical and compositional properties. B-7904 shows properties intermediate between the two experimental products heated at 900°C/1 h and 900°C/96 h. In addition, the presence or the absence of some temperature-sensitive minerals in B-7904 suggests that it experienced heating at a temperature higher than 700°C but lower than 890°C. The duration of heating, based on the diffusion time needed to achieve the Fe-Mg zoning profile in olivine in B-7904, was estimated to be between 10 and 10 3 days at 700°C and between 1 to 10 2 h at 890°C. The obtained durations are much shorter than those expected from the internal heating model which requires prolonged heating over million years. Therefore, it is unlikely that the short-lived radionuclide of 26 Al is a heat source for the dehydration of B-7904. Instead, short-duration local heating, such as that from impacts or solar radiation, is a more promising heat source.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/bf03352837","authors":["Aiko Nakato","Tomoki Nakamura","F. Kitajima","T. Noguchi"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Dehydration","Carbonaceous chondrite","Asteroid"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1186/bf03352837","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2087206188","name":"Post-hydration thermal metamorphism of carbonaceous chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"The presence of abundant phyllosilicates in many carbonaceous chondrites indicates a prevailing activity of low-temperature aqueous alteration in primitive asteroids. However, among the hydrous carbonaceous chondrites known, more than 20 samples show evidence of having been heated at elevated temperatures with corresponding phyllosilicate dehydration. The mineralogical features of dehydration suggest that the heating occurred in situ in meteorites, which demonstrates that there are some hydrated asteroids that have been heated at a certain period after aqueous alteration. Recent studies have uncovered details of heating and dehydration processes in hydrous carbonaceous chondrites: step-by-step changes in mineralogy, trace element chemistry, carbonaceous materials, and reflectance spectra have been clarified. Based on data from synchrotron X-ray diffraction analysis of the matrix, heated hydrous carbonaceous chondrites have been classified as Stages I-IV, with the temperature of heating increasing from I to IV. In spite of recent progress, heat sources are poorly defined, mainly due to a lack of chronological information on the timing of the heating, and therefore more data are needed to fully clarify the thermal metamorphism of hydrous carbonaceous chondrites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2465/jmps.100.260","authors":["Tomoki Nakamura"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Dehydration","Asteroid","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2465/jmps.100.260","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2006683204","name":"Climate and rock weathering: a study of terrestrial age dated ordinary chondritic meteorites from hot desert regions","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0016-7037(98)00199-9","authors":["P. A. Bland","A. S. Sexton","A. J. T. Jull","A. W. R. Bevan","Frank J. Berry","D. M. Thornley","T. R. Astin","D. T. Britt","C. T. Pillinger"],"tags":["Weathering","Meteorite","Geology","Chondrite","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0016-7037(98)00199-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2166477191","name":"I-Xe dating of silicate and troilite from IAB iron meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(79)90223-0","authors":["Sidney Nemeyer"],"tags":["Troilite","Meteorite","Chondrite","Silicate","Iron meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1979-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(79)90223-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2015268776","name":"The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 87, 2003 July","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Meteoritical Bulletin No. 87 lists information for 1898 newly classified meteorites, comprising 1048 from Antarctica, 462 from Africa, 356 from Asia (355 of which are from Oman), 18 from North America, 5 from South America, 5 from Europe, and 3 from Australia. Information is provided for 10 falls (Beni M'hira, Elbert, Gasseltepaoua, Hiroshima, Kilabo, Neuschwanstein, Park Forest, Pê, Pétèlkolé, and Thuathe). Two of these—Kilabo and Thuathe—fell on the same day. Orbital characteristics could be calculated for Neuschwanstein. Noteworthy specimens include 8 Martian meteorites (5 from Sahara, 2 from Oman and 1 from Antarctica), 13 lunar meteorites (all except one from Oman), 3 irons, 3 pallasites, and many carbonaceous chondrites and achondrites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00328.x","authors":["S. S. Russell","J. Zipfel","L. Folco","R. H. Jones","M. M. Grady","T. J. McCoy","J. N. Grossman"],"tags":["Meteorite","Achondrite","Geology","Chondrite","Martian"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00328.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2044020899","name":"Mössbauer, X-rays and SEM analysis of meteorites from the mineralogy museum of the University of Parma (Italy)","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02397485","authors":["A. Bonazzi","Ł. Ortalli","Giuseppe Pedrazzi","Kai Jiang","Xianguo Zhang"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Scanning electron microscope","Mössbauer spectroscopy","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1992-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02397485","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2590275422","name":"Magnetic Mineralogy of Meteoritic Metal: Paleomagnetic Evidence for Dynamo Activity on Differentiated Planetesimals","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316339794.010","authors":["R. J. Harrison","J. F. J. Bryson","Claire Nichols","B. P. Weiss"],"tags":["Planetesimal","Paleomagnetism","Dynamo","Geology","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316339794.010","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2075017670","name":"STUDIES OF BRAZILIAN METEORITES XIII. MINERALOGY, PETROLOGY, AND CHEMISTRY OF THE PUTINGA, RIO GRANDE DO SUL, CHONDRITE","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Putinga, Rio Grande do Sul, chondrite (fall, August 16, 1937), consists of major olivine (Fa24.8), orthopyroxene (Fs21.3), and metallic nickel‐iron (kamacite, taenite, and plessite); minor maskelynite (Ab81.0An12.4Or6.6) and troilite; and accessory chromite (Cm79.0Uv8.2Pc1.8Sp11.0) and whitlockite. Mineral compositions, particularly of olivine and orthorhombic pyroxene, as well as the bulk chemical composition, particularly the ratios of Fe°/Ni° (5.24), Fetotal/SiO2 (0.58), and Fe°/Fetotal (0.27), and the contents of Fetotal (22.42%) and total metallic nickel‐iron (7.25%) classify the meteorite as an L‐group chondrite. The highly recrystallized texture of the stone, with well‐indurated, poorly discernible chondrules; xenomorphic, well‐crystallized groundmass olivine and pyroxene; and the occurrence of poikilitic intergrowth of olivine in orthopyroxene suggest that Putinga belongs to petrologic type 6. Maskelynite of oligoclase composition was formed by solid state shock transformation of previously existing well‐crystallized plagioclase at estimated shock pressures of about 250–350 kbar. Thus, recrystallization (i.e., formation of well‐crystallized oligoclase) must have preceded shock transformation into maskelynite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1978.tb00806.x","authors":["K. Keil","David E. Lange","M.N.C. Ulbrich","Celso B. Gomes","E. Jarosewich","Arí Roisenberg","Marinês Jost e Souza"],"tags":["Troilite","Geology","Olivine","Chondrite","Pyroxene"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1978-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1978.tb00806.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W3021520527","name":"An evolutionary system of mineralogy. Part I: Stellar mineralogy (>13 to 4.6 Ga)","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Abstract Minerals preserve records of the physical, chemical, and biological histories of their origins and subsequent alteration, and thus provide a vivid narrative of the evolution of Earth and other worlds through billions of years of cosmic history. Mineral properties, including trace and minor elements, ratios of isotopes, solid and fluid inclusions, external morphologies, and other idiosyncratic attributes, represent information that points to specific modes of formation and subsequent environmental histories—information essential to understanding the co-evolving geosphere and biosphere. This perspective suggests an opportunity to amplify the existing system of mineral classification, by which minerals are defined solely on idealized end-member chemical compositions and crystal structures. Here we present the first in a series of contributions to explore a complementary evolutionary system of mineralogy—a classification scheme that links mineral species to their paragenetic modes. The earliest stage of mineral evolution commenced with the appearance of the first crystals in the universe at >13 Ga and continues today in the expanding, cooling atmospheres of countless evolved stars, which host the high-temperature (T > 1000 K), low-pressure (P < 10-2 atm) condensation of refractory minerals and amorphous phases. Most stardust is thought to originate in three distinct processes in carbon- and/or oxygen-rich mineral-forming stars: (1) condensation in the cooling, expanding atmospheres of asymptotic giant branch stars; (2) during the catastrophic explosions of supernovae, most commonly core collapse (Type II) supernovae; and (3) classical novae explosions, the consequence of runaway fusion reactions at the surface of a binary white dwarf star. Each stellar environment imparts distinctive isotopic and trace element signatures to the micro- and nanoscale stardust grains that are recovered from meteorites and micrometeorites collected on Earth’s surface, by atmospheric sampling, and from asteroids and comets. Although our understanding of the diverse mineral-forming environments of stars is as yet incomplete, we present a preliminary catalog of 41 distinct natural kinds of stellar minerals, representing 22 official International Mineralogical Association (IMA) mineral species, as well as 2 as yet unapproved crystalline phases and 3 kinds of non-crystalline condensed phases not codified by the IMA.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2020-7173","authors":["Robert M. Hazen","Shaunna M. Morrison"],"tags":["Mineral","Supernova","Stars","Meteorite","Geology"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2020-7173","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"oa:W3100063712","name":"Mineralogy and Pyroxene Cooling Rate of Unique Achondritic Meteorite GRA 06129","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3100063712","authors":["T. Mikouchi","M. Miyamoto"],"tags":["Pyroxene","Meteorite","Geology","Mineralogy","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-03-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2011135993","name":"The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 85, 2001 September","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Meteoritical Bulletin No. 85 lists information for 1376 newly classified meteorites, comprising 658 from Antarctica, 409 from Africa, 265 from Asia (262 of which are from Oman), 31 from North America, 7 from South America, 3 from Australia, and 3 from Europe. Information is provided for 11 falls (Dergaon, Dunbogan, Gujba, Independence, Itqiy, Morávka, Oued el Hadjar, Sayama, Sologne, Valera, and Worden). Noteworthy non‐Antarctic specimens include 5 martian meteorites (Dar al Gani 876, Northwest Africa 480 and 817, and Sayh al Uhaymir 051 and 094); 6 lunar meteorites (Dhofar 081, 280, and 287, and Northwest Africa 479, 482, and 773); an ungrouped enstatite‐rich meteorite (Itqiy); a Bencubbin‐like meteorite (Gujba); 9 iron meteorites; and a wide variety of other interesting stony meteorites, including CH, CK, CM, CO, CR, CV, R, enstatite, and unequilibrated ordinary chondrites, primitive achondrites, HED achondrites, and ureilites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2001.tb01542.x","authors":["J. N. Grossman","J. Zipfel"],"tags":["Meteorite","Achondrite","Enstatite","Geology","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2001.tb01542.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2037072409","name":"Genesis of chondritic meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"The abundances of elements in the major classes of chondrites are discussed, and the major abundance patterns defined. The chemical compositions of type I carbonaceous chondrites are uniquely related to those of other classes of chondrites, the compositions of which can be obtained solely by the removal of appropriate amounts of trace and minor elements from type I carbonaceous chondrites by appropriate chemical and physical processes. The chemical and mineralogical constitution of type I carbonaceous chondrites shows that they have experienced a simpler chemical and thermal history than other classes of chondrites. Their chemical composition agrees well with estimates of primordial elemental abundances based on nucleosynthetic arguments. Furthermore, their composition agrees well with the composition of the solar atmosphere. Previous claims of the existence of a gross discrepancy between the solar and the chondritic iron abundances are shown to be unfounded. The above relationships, when considered in conjunction with the highly oxidized state of type I carbonaceous chondrites and their high content of volatiles, strongly suggest that these chondrites are extremely primitive in nature and may be closely related to the primordial dust of the parental solar nebula. This leads to the hypothesis that other classes of chondrites have been derived from parental material resembling type I carbonaceous chondrites by various complex chemical and physical fractionation mechanisms. Several fractionation mechanisms are discussed. Ordinary and enstatite chondrites may have been formed when primitive material similar in composition to type I carbonaceous chondrites was subjected to autoreduction at high temperatures accompanied by loss of volatiles. Under such conditions, extensive chemical fractionations would be caused by selective volatility, by selective solubility of elements in supercritical fluids of H2O, CO2, H2S, and H2, and by physical fractionation of metal particles from silicates. The mineralogy of the different classes of chondrites is reviewed. Types II and III carbonaceous chondrites represent a physical mixture of high‐temperature minerals with primitive material similar to type I carbonaceous chondrites. The significance of these mineral assemblages is discussed. Compositional relationships between the olivines, pyroxenes, and metal phases of ordinary chondrites indicate a fairly close approach to chemical equilibrium, and they also provide information on the rates and temperatures of crystallization. The ordinary chondrites possess appreciable amounts of both oxidized and metallic iron and are thus intermediate in oxidation state between carbonaceous and enstatite chondrites. The mineralogy of the enstatite chondrites is indicative of an intense degree of reduction at high temperatures. They are rich in metal, which also contains some silicon in solid solution, and they contain no oxidized iron. A detailed review of oxidation‐reduction relationships in chondrites is given, particularly with respect to ‘Prior's rule.’ Chondrites are observed to display a wide range of oxidation states, the degree of oxidation being qualitatively related to the amount of metal present and to the nickel content of the metal. The range in oxidation states is not continuous. There is a hiatus between enstatite chondrites and ordinary chondrites and also between the ordinary H and L chondrites. Furthermore, there has been an additional independent fractionation of metal with respect to silicates both within and between groups. This is most apparent in the ordinary L chondrites which exhibit a metal deficiency of about 5%. The validity of Prior's rule is established, in the sense that it expresses a qualitative relationship among metal contents, metal compositions, and redox states of the coexisting silicates. However, because of metal‐silicate fractionation, Prior's rule cannot be applied quantitatively. The present constitution of ordinary an","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/rg004i002p00113","authors":["A. E. Ringwood"],"tags":["Chondrite","Enstatite","Meteorite","Chemical composition","Chondrule"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1966-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/rg004i002p00113","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W3116176624","name":"Mineralogical studies of lunar mare meteorites EET 87521 and Y 793274.","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3116176624","authors":["H. Takeda","Hiroshi Mori","J. Saito","M. Miyamoto"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Achondrite","Astrobiology","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1992-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2000239029","name":"(Mg,Fe)2SiO4 spinel in a meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9201(70)90048-8","authors":["R. A. Binns"],"tags":["Ringwoodite","Spinel","Meteorite","Chondrite","Olivine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1970-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9201(70)90048-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2118317866","name":"Chelyabinsk meteorite explains unusual spectral properties of Baptistina Asteroid Family","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2014.04.027","authors":["V. Reddy","Juan A. Sanchez","W. F. Bottke","E. A. Cloutis","M. R. M. Izawa","D. P. O’Brien","Paul Mann","M. Cuddy","L. Le Corre","M. J. Gaffey","G. Fujihara"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Asteroid","Parent body","Ordinary chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-04-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2014.04.027","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2019106682","name":"Correlated accretion ages and ε54Cr of meteorite parent bodies and the evolution of the solar nebula","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We look at the relationship between the value of ε54Cr in bulk meteorites and the time (after calcium‐aluminum‐rich inclusion, CAI) when their parent bodies accreted. To obtain accretion ages of chondrite parent bodies, we estimated the maximum temperature reached in the insulated interior of each parent body, and estimated the initial 26Al/27Al for this temperature to be achieved. This initial 26Al/27Al corresponds to the time (after CAI formation) when cold accretion of the parent body would have occurred, assuming 26Al/27Al throughout the solar system began with the canonical value of 5.2 × 10−5. In cases of iron meteorite parent bodies, achondrite parent bodies, and carbonaceous chondrite parent bodies, we use published isotopic ages of events (such as core formation, magma crystallization, and growth of secondary minerals) in each body's history to obtain the probable time of accretion. We find that ε54Cr correlates with accretion age: the oldest accretion ages (1 ± 0.5 Ma) are for iron and certain other differentiated meteorites with ε54Cr of −0.75 ± 0.5, and the youngest ages (3.5 ± 0.5 Ma) are for hydrated carbonaceous chondrites with ε54Cr values of 1.5 ± 0.5. Despite some outliers (notably Northwest Africa [NWA] 011 and Tafassasset), we feel that the correlation is significant and we suggest that it resulted from late, localized injection of dust with extremely high ε54Cr.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12292","authors":["Naoji Sugiura","Wataru Fujiya"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Formation and evolution of the Solar System","Parent body","Accretion (finance)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-04-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12292","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2115220735","name":"Petrology and geochemistry of LaPaz Icefield 02205: A new unique low-Ti mare-basalt meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2005.08.018","authors":["M. Anand","L. A. Taylor","C. Floss","C. R. Neal","Kentaro Terada","Shiho Tanikawa"],"tags":["Basalt","Geology","Pyroxene","Geochemistry","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-11-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2005.08.018","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2626144397","name":"Rubidium isotopic composition of the Earth, meteorites, and the Moon: Evidence for the origin of volatile loss during planetary accretion","source":"openalex","abstract":"Understanding the origin of volatile element variations in the inner Solar System has long been a goal of cosmochemistry, but many early studies searching for the fingerprint of volatile loss using stable isotope systems failed to find any resolvable variations. An improved method for the chemical purification of Rb for high-precision isotope ratio measurements by multi-collector inductively-coupled-plasma mass-spectrometry. This method has been used to measure the Rb isotopic composition for a suite of planetary materials, including carbonaceous, ordinary, and enstatite chondrites, as well as achondrites (eucrite, angrite), terrestrial igneous rocks (basalt, andesite, granite), and Apollo lunar samples (mare basalts, alkali suite). Volatile depleted bodies (e.g. HED parent body, thermally metamorphosed meteorites) are enriched in the heavy isotope of Rb by up to several per mil compared to chondrites, suggesting volatile loss by evaporation at the surface of planetesimals. In addition, the Moon is isotopically distinct from the Moon in Rb. The variations in Rb isotope compositions in the volatile-poor samples are attributed to volatile loss from planetesimals during accretion. This suggests that either the Rb (and other volatile elements) were lost during or following the giant impact or by evaporation earlier during the accretion history of Theia.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2017.05.033","authors":["Emily A. Pringle","Frédéric Moynier"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Geology","Volatiles","Achondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-06-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2017.05.033","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W1534043303","name":"Physical properties of 368 meteorites: Implications for meteorite magnetism and planetary geophysics","source":"openalex","abstract":"Petrophysical studies (susceptibility, intensity of natural remanent magnetisation (NRM) and dry bulk density) of 368 meteorites are reviewed together with magnetic hysteresis data for 50 achondrites and chondrites. The relationships between dry bulk density, metallic FeNi-content and porosity will be discussed in the case of L-chondrites. Using the petrophysical classification scheme the meteorite class and the petrologic group of a sample can be determined in most of the cases providing a rapid means for determining a preliminary classification of a new sample. In addition, the petrophysical database provides a direct source of basic physical properties of the small bodies in the solar system. Paleointensity determinations with Thellier technique will be presented for 16 meteorites representing different chondrite groups. The results yield high paleofield values ranging from 51μT to 728μT for the magnetically hardest meteorites consistent with previous studies. However, these values must be looked with caution, because of possible physico-chemical or mineralogical alterations during heating.","url":"https://doi.org/10.15094/00004624","authors":["L. J. Pesonen","M. Terho","Ilmo Kukkonen"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Magnetism","Geophysics","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1993-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.15094/00004624","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2157236628","name":"Assessment of the interstellar processes leading to deuterium enrichment in meteoritic organics","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The presence of isotopic anomalies is the most unequivocal demonstration that meteoritic material contains circumstellar or interstellar components. In the case of organic compounds in meteorites and interplanetary dust particles (IDPs), the most useful isotopic tracer has been deuterium (D). We discuss four processes that are expected to lead to D enrichment in interstellar materials and describe how their unique characteristics can be used to assess their relative importance for the organics in meteorites. These enrichment processes are low‐temperature gas phase ion‐molecule reactions, low‐temperature gas‐grain reactions, gas phase unimolecular photodissociation, and ultraviolet photolysis in D‐enriched ice mantles. Each of these processes is expected to be associated with distinct regiochemical signatures (D placement on the product molecules, correlation with specific chemical functionalities, etc.), especially in the molecular population of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). We describe these differences and discuss how they may be used to delineate the various interstellar processes that may have contributed to meteoritic D enrichments. We also briefly discuss how these processes may affect the isotopic distributions in C, O, and N in the same compounds.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2001.tb01948.x","authors":["Scott A. Sandford","Max P. Bernstein","Jason P. Dworkin"],"tags":["Meteorite","Photodissociation","Astrobiology","Interstellar ice","Deuterium"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2001.tb01948.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2037867936","name":"A new martian meteorite from the Sahara: The shergottite Dar al Gani 489","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Dar al Gani 489 (DaG 489) is a meteorite fragment of 2146 g found in the Libyan Sahara by a meteorite finder during one of his search campaigns in 1997–98. It is a porphyritic rock with millimetersized olivine crystals (Fo79–59) set in a fine‐grained groundmass (average grain size 0.1 mm) consisting of pigeonite (En75–57 Wo5–15) crystals and interstitial feldspathic glass (An67–56 Or0–1). Minor phases include enstatite (En82–71 Wo2–4), augite (En48–52 Wo29–32), chromite, Ti‐chromite, ilmenite, pyrrhotite, merrillite, and secondary calcite and iron oxides. On the basis of mineralogical, petrographic, bulk chemical, O‐isotopic, and noble gas data, DaG 489 can be classified as a highly shocked martian meteorite (e.g., Fe/Mn(bulk) = 42.1, Ni/Mg(bulk) = 0.002; δ17O = 2.89, δ18O = 4.98, and Δ17O = 0.305), belonging to the basaltic shergottite subgroup. The texture and modal composition of DaG 489 are indeed those of basalts; nonetheless, the bulk chemistry, the abundance of large olivine and chromite crystals, and enstatitic pyroxene suggest some relationship with lherzolitic shergottites. As such, DaG 489 is similar to the hybrid shergottite Elephant Moraine (EET) A79001 lithology A; however, there are some relevant differences including a higher olivine content (20 vol%), the lack of orthopyroxene megacrysts, a higher molar Mg/(Mg + Fe)(molar) = 0.68, and a lower rare earth element content in the bulk sample. Therefore, DaG 489 has the potential of providing us with a further petrogenetic link between the basaltic and lherzolitic shergottites. Noble gases data show that DaG 489 has an ejection age of ∼1.3 Ma. This young age lends support to the requirement of several ejection events to produce the current population of shergottites, nakhlites, and chassignites (SNC) meteorites. In terms of texture, mineral and bulk compositions, shock level, and weathering features, DaG 489 is essentially identical to DaG 476, another basaltic shergottite independently found ∼25 km due northnortheast of DaG 489. Because DaG 489 also has the same exposure history as DaG 476, it is very likely that both meteorites are fragments of the same fall. In addition to the existing hypotheses on the petrogenesis of the similar EETA79001 lithology A and the identical DaG 476, we propose that DaG 489 could have formed through high‐degree partial melting of a lherzolite‐like material.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01466.x","authors":["L. Folco","I. A. Franchi","Massimo D’Orazio","Sergio Rocchi","L. Schultz"],"tags":["Augite","Pigeonite","Chromite","Meteorite","Olivine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01466.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2790598826","name":"Probing the chemical and mineralogical characteristics of the Martian meteorite NWA 7397 through μRaman and μXRF non-destructively","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Martian meteorites have valuable information about past geological processes on Mars. In this particular case, the sample used was the Martian meteorite Northwest Africa (NWA) 7397. The main objective was to conduct preliminary analyses of the sample that was able to provide mineralogical characteristics in a non-destructive way. These meteorite NWA 7397 analyses were performed using two analytical techniques, μRaman and μXRF. Through the techniques used it was possible to suggest the presence of chromite, ilmenite, magnetite and forsterite minerals. These minerals seem to have a correspondence to one another in relation to the process that formed them. Thus, the information generated by these analytical techniques can contribute significantly by providing information on the history of Mars in order to have relevance to the areas of Astrobiology and Planetary Sciences.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550418000022","authors":["Bruno Leonardo do Nascimento‐Dias","Douglas Galante","Davi Ferreira de Oliveira","M.J. Anjos"],"tags":["Meteorite","Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Chromite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-02-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550418000022","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2465856649","name":"End-Cretaceous extinction in Antarctica linked to both Deccan volcanism and meteorite impact via climate change","source":"openalex","abstract":"The cause of the end-Cretaceous (KPg) mass extinction is still debated due to difficulty separating the influences of two closely timed potential causal events: eruption of the Deccan Traps volcanic province and impact of the Chicxulub meteorite. Here we combine published extinction patterns with a new clumped isotope temperature record from a hiatus-free, expanded KPg boundary section from Seymour Island, Antarctica. We document a 7.8±3.3 °C warming synchronous with the onset of Deccan Traps volcanism and a second, smaller warming at the time of meteorite impact. Local warming may have been amplified due to simultaneous disappearance of continental or sea ice. Intra-shell variability indicates a possible reduction in seasonality after Deccan eruptions began, continuing through the meteorite event. Species extinction at Seymour Island occurred in two pulses that coincide with the two observed warming events, directly linking the end-Cretaceous extinction at this site to both volcanic and meteorite events via climate change.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12079","authors":["Sierra Petersen","Andrea Dutton","Kyger C. Lohmann"],"tags":["Extinction event","Meteorite","Volcanism","Geology","Deccan Traps"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-07-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12079","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2126267158","name":"MINERALOGICAL STUDY OF A NEW LUNAR METEORITE YAMATO 981031","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W2126267158","authors":["Tomoko Arai","T. Ishi","Michio Otsuki","Sengen Tsukuba"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Geology","Achondrite","Geology of the Moon"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-03-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W1588395269","name":"Mineralogy and Petrology of Unbrecciated Lunar Basaltic Meteorite LAP 02205","source":"openalex","abstract":"LAP 02205 is a 1.2 kg unbrecciated basalt found in the LaPaz icefield of Antarctica during the 2002-2003 ANSMET season [1]. It has been classified as a lunar basalt on the basis of pyroxene Fe/Mn ratios (approx. 60) and oxygen isotopes [1]; both are within previously defined compositional ranges for the Moon [2]. We have initiated a comprehensive study of the mineralogy, petrology and geochemistry of this new and unique meteorite. The results reported here will allow the comparison of this sample both to the other lunar basaltic meteorites (NWA 032, A881757, Y793169, Dho287A), as well as to lunar basalts in the Apollo and Luna collections.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1588395269","authors":["K. Righter","A. D. Brandon","M. D. Norman"],"tags":["Basalt","Geology","Meteorite","Pyroxene","Geology of the Moon"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W4244556121","name":"Meteorites History, mineralogy, and metallurgy","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1179/030801898789764705","authors":["Fathi Habashi"],"tags":["Meteorite","Metallurgy","Geology","Mineralogy","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1179/030801898789764705","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W3014580212","name":"Mineralogy and structure of the Egvekinot meteorite.","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3014580212","authors":["L. N. Pliashkevich","S. M. Sandomirskaia","N. I. Zaslavskaia"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Mineralogy","Achondrite","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1980-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W1594599976","name":"Perspectives on the Comet-Asteroid-Meteorite Link","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4211-3_26","authors":["K. Lodders","Rose Osborne"],"tags":["Chondrite","Asteroid","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Comet"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4211-3_26","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2504734852","name":"Expected Geochemical and Mineralogical Properties of Meteorites from Mercury: Inferences from Messenger Data","source":"openalex","abstract":"Meteorites from the Moon, Mars, and many types of asteroid bodies have been identified among our global inventory of meteorites, however samples of Mercury and Venus have not been identified. The absence of mercurian and venusian meteorites could be attributed to an inability to recognize them in our collections due to a paucity of geochemical information for Venus and Mercury. In the case of mercurian meteorites, this possibility is further supported by dynamical calculations that suggest mercurian meteorites should be present on Earth at a factor of 2-3 less than meteorites from Mars [1]. In the present study, we focus on the putative mineralogy of mercurian meteorites using data obtained from the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft, which has provided us with our first quantitative constraints on the geochemistry of planet Mercury. We have used the MESSENGER data to compile a list of mineralogical and geochemical characteristics that a meteorite from Mercury is likely to exhibit.","url":"https://openalex.org/W2504734852","authors":["F. M. McCubbin","T. J. McCoy"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Mercury (programming language)","Mars Exploration Program","Planet"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-08-07","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2050922823","name":"A new natural high-pressure (Na,Ca)-hexaluminosilicate [(CaxNa1−x)Al3+xSi3−xO11] in shocked Martian meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0012-821x(03)00695-2","authors":["Pierre Beck","Philippe Gillet","Laurent Gautron","I. M. Daniel","A. El Goresy"],"tags":["Stishovite","Meteorite","Geology","Martian","Shock metamorphism"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-01-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0012-821x(03)00695-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2055938724","name":"Partial melting of the Indarch (EH4) meteorite: A textural, chemical, and phase relations view of melting and melt migration","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— To test whether aubrites can be formed by melting of enstatite chondrites and to understand igneous processes at very low O fugacities, we have conducted partial melting experiments on the Indarch (EH4) chondrite at 1000–1500 °C. Silicate melting begins at 1000 °C, and Indarch is completely melted by 1500 °C. The metal‐sulfide component melts completely at 1000 °C. Substantial melt migration occurs at 1300–1400 °C, and metal migrates out of the silicate charge at 1450 °C and ∼50% silicate partial melting. As a group, our experiments contain three immiscible metallic melts (Si‐, P‐, and C‐rich), two immiscible sulfide melts (Fe‐ and FeMgMnCa‐rich), and silicate melt. Our partial melting experiments on the Indarch (EH4) enstatite chondrite suggest that igneous processes at low f O 2 exhibit several unique features. The complete melting of sulfides at 1000 °C suggests that aubritic sulfides are not relics. Aubritic oldhamite may have crystallized from Ca and S complexed in the silicate melt. Significant metal‐sulfide melt migration might occur at relatively low degrees of silicate partial melting. Substantial elemental exchange occurred between different melts ( e.g. , S between sulfide and silicate, Si between silicate and metal), a feature not observed during experiments at higher f O 2 . This exchange may help explain the formation of aubrites from known enstatite chondrites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1999.tb01386.x","authors":["T. J. McCoy","T. Dickinson","G. E. Lofgren"],"tags":["Enstatite","Silicate","Partial melting","Chondrite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1999.tb01386.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2135868315","name":"THE METEORITIC SHOWER OF PARAMBU, CEARA STATE, BRAZIL: — MINERALOGY AND PETROLOGY","source":"openalex","abstract":"The fall of a meteorite shower in Parambú, Ceará State, Brazil, is described. Parambú is an L‐group chondrite (Urey and Craig, 1953). The mineralogical composition is olivine Fa28. ortho‐ and clinopyroxenes, plagioclase, maskelynite, whitlockite, nickel‐iron, troilite, chromite, and ilmenite. The structure of Parambú is characteristically polymict and shows an advanced brecciation. Interesting features of metamorphism are notable, with good evidence of shock.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1974.tb00057.x","authors":["G. R. Levi‐Donati","G. P. Sighinolfi"],"tags":["Troilite","Whitlockite","Geology","Chromite","Ilmenite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1974-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1974.tb00057.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W3131508782","name":"Mineralogy, petrology, geochemistry, and chronology of the Murrili (H5) meteorite fall: The third recovered fall from the Desert Fireball Network","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Murrili, the third meteorite recovered by the Desert Fireball Network, is analyzed using mineralogy, oxygen isotopes, bulk chemistry, physical properties, noble gases, and cosmogenic radionuclides. The modal mineralogy, bulk chemistry, magnetic susceptibility, physical properties, and oxygen isotopes of Murrili point to it being an H5 ordinary chondrite. It is heterogeneously shocked (S2–S5), depending on the method used to determine it, although Murrili is not obviously brecciated in texture. Cosmogenic radionuclides yield a cosmic ray exposure age of 6–8 Ma, and a pre‐atmospheric meteoroid size of 15–20 cm in radius. Murrili’s fall and subsequent month‐long embedment into the salt lake Kati Thanda significantly altered the whole rock, evident in its Mössbauer spectra, and visual inspection of cut sections. Murrili may have experienced minor, but subsequent, impacts after its formation 4475.3 ± 2.3 Ma, which left it heterogeneously shocked.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13615","authors":["Seamus Anderson","G. K. Benedix","L. V. Forman","Luke Daly","R. C. Greenwood","I. A. Franchi","J. M. Friedrich","R. J. Macke","Sean Wiggins","D. T. Britt","J. M. Cadogan","M. M. M. Meier","C. Maden","H. Busemann","K. C. Welten","Marc W. Caffee","Fred Jourdan","Celia Mayers","T. Kennedy","Bélinda Godel","Lionel Esteban","Kelly Merigot","A. W. R. Bevan","P. A. Bland","Jonathan Paxman","M. C. Towner","Martin Cupák","Eleanor K. Sansom","Robert M. Howie","Hadrien A. R. Devillepoix","T. Jansen‐Sturgeon","David I. Stuart","D. W. Strangway"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Meteoroid","Geochemistry","Breccia"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13615","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2094422510","name":"Major element composition of phyllosilicates in the Orgueil carbonaceous meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-821x(76)90039-x","authors":["J. F. Kerridge"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Geochemistry","Mineralogy","Clay minerals"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1976-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-821x(76)90039-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2033215585","name":"On the chemical evolution and densities of the planets","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(59)90062-6","authors":["A. E. Ringwood"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Silicon","Terrestrial planet","Earth (classical element)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1959-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(59)90062-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W1983413384","name":"Silicate-bearing iron meteorites and their implications for the evolution of asteroidal parent bodies","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemer.2013.10.001","authors":["A. Ruzicka"],"tags":["Silicate","Meteorite","Chondrite","Parent body","Iron meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-01-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemer.2013.10.001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2747623050","name":"Mineralogy of sulfide nodules in some iron meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Forty rrdneral phases occurring in s u l f i d e nodules from t h e Canyon Diablo, Cosby's Creek, Hex River, h g u r a , Toluca, and Trenton i r o n m t e o r i t e s are described.Of these phases, eighteen r e n i n unidentified and are under current study.The c h a r a c t e r i s t i c occurrence of these phases i n a nodule r i m and core s t r u c t u r e is described.C o m n conpatible assenblages of these phases a r e noted, mny of which appear t o be high tenperature asserrblagea.Accessory phases, i n general, have probably exsolved from t h e p r i n c i p a l nodular ndneral, t r o i l i t e .A sindlar association and t e x t u r a l sequence of phases OCCUTIS i n a l l t h e nodules studfcd and i n d i c a t e s sirrdlar conditions of f o r m t i o n .a possible reaction between s u l f i d e and s i l i c a t e phases.The s i l i c a t e phases m y have been nechanically included i n t h e nodules, o r m y have Several s i l i c a t e -t r o i l i t e intergrowths suggest r t s u l t e d from primry c r y s t a l l i z a t i o n .t h a t indicate pre=tarres{ial netamrphiem.Deformation textures were observed Alteration Fe-Ni-S phases , including pentlandite and \"heazlewoodite\" , appear t o represent Ni-metasomatism by diffusion of N i into t h e nodule from adjoining p r i m r y n i c k e l i f e r o u s phases during mtamrphiam.IKPRQDUCTION AND ACKNOWLEDGEKNTS S u l f i d e nodules i n i r o n meteorites have been described by mny authors (e.g.","url":"https://openalex.org/W2747623050","authors":["Frederick B. Henderson"],"tags":["Meteorite","Sulfide minerals","Mineralogy","Sulfide","Iron sulfide"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1965-06-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2064013864","name":"Remote spectroscopic identification of carbonaceous chondrite mineralogies: Applications to Ceres and Pallas","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(79)90168-4","authors":["H. P. Larson","Michael A. Feierberg","Uwe Fink","H. A. Smith"],"tags":["Asteroid","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Chondrite","Carbonaceous chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1979-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(79)90168-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W4233351459","name":"Perspectives on the Comet-Asteroid-Meteorite Link","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1005226921031","authors":["K. Lodders","Rose Osborne"],"tags":["Chondrite","Asteroid","Astrobiology","Meteorite","Meteoroid"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1005226921031","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2076867513","name":"Origin of zoned fine-grained inclusions in the Allende meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(89)90218-4","authors":["Anne V. McGuire","Akihiko Hashimoto"],"tags":["Melilite","Nepheline","Allende meteorite","Geology","Grossular"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1989-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(89)90218-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2141460069","name":"KREEPy lunar meteorite Dhofar 287A: A new lunar mare basalt","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Dhofar 287 (Dho 287) is a new lunar meteorite, found in Oman on January 14, 2001. The main portion of this meteorite (Dho 287A) consists of a mare basalt, while a smaller portion of breccia (Dho 287B) is attached on the side. Dho 287A is only the fourth crystalline mare basalt meteorite found on Earth to date and is the subject of the present study. The basalt consists mainly of phenocrysts of olivine and pyroxene set in a finer‐grained matrix, which is composed of elongated pyroxene and plagioclase crystals radiating from a common nucleii. The majority of olivine and pyroxene grains are zoned, from core to rim, in terms of Fe and Mg. Accessory minerals include ilmenite, chromite, ulvöspinel, troilite, and FeNi metal. Chromite is invariably mantled by ulvöspinel. This rock is unusually rich in late‐stage mesostasis, composed largely of fayalite, Si‐K‐Ba‐rich glass, fluorapatite, and whitlockite. In texture and mineralogy, Dho 287A is a low‐Ti mare basalt, with similarities to Apollo 12 (A‐12) and Apollo 15 (A‐15) basalts. However, all plagioclase is now present as maskelynite, and its composition is atypical for known low‐Ti mare basalts. The Fe to Mn ratios of olivine and pyroxene, the presence of FeNi metal, and the bulk‐rock oxygen isotopic ratios, along with several other petrological features, are evidence for the lunar origin for this meteorite. Whole‐rock composition further confirms the similarity of Dho 287A with A‐12 and A‐15 samples but requires possible KREEP assimilation to account for its rare‐earth‐element (REE) contents. Cooling‐rate estimates, based on Fo zonation in olivine, yield values of 0.2–0.8°C/hr for the lava, typical for the center of a 10–20 m thick flow. The recalculated major‐element concentrations, after removing 10–15% modal olivine, are comparable to typical A‐15 mare basalts. Crystallization modeling of the recalculated Dho 287A bulk‐composition yields a reasonable fit between predicted and observed mineral abundances and compositions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00022.x","authors":["M. Anand","L. A. Taylor","Kula C. Misra","С. И. Демидова","М. А. Назаров"],"tags":["Pyroxene","Geology","Basalt","Geochemistry","Olivine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00022.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1986962329","name":"Asteroid 2002NY40 as a source of meteorite-dropping bolides","source":"openalex","abstract":"The existence of asteroidal meteoroid streams capable of producing meteorite-dropping bolides has long being invoked, but evidence is scarce. Recent modelling of previously reported associations suggests that the time-scales to keep the orbital coherence of these streams producing meteorites are too short. We present an unequivocal association between near earth object (NEO) 2002NY40 and at least one bright fireball detected over Finland in 2006 August. Another two additional fireballs recorded from Spain and Finland seem to be related, together producing a fireball-producing stream (β Aquarids). On the basis of historical data, the 2006 finding suggests the existence of a meteoroid complex capable of producing meteorites. Taking into account present time-scales for orbital decoherence, if 2002NY40 has large meteoroids associated with it, such behaviour would be the consequence of a relatively recent asteroidal fragmentation. Supporting our claim, the heliocentric orbits of two recently discovered NEOs, 2004NL8 and 2002NY40, were found to exhibit a good similarity to each other and also to the orbits of the three bolides. The fireball spectra of the two Finish bolides showed that the chemical abundances of these objects are consistent with the main elements found in chondrites. This result is consistent with the probable Low iron, Low metal (LL) chondritic mineralogy of asteroid 2002NY40. Consequently, this asteroid may be delivering LL chondrites to the Earth. Additional fireball reports found in the literature suggest that the associated β Aquarid complex may have been delivering meteorites to the Earth during, at least, the last millennium.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2007.12503.x","authors":["J. M. Trigo‐Rodríguez","E. Lyytinen","D. C. Jones","J. M. Madiedo","A. J. Castro‐Tirado","I. P. Williams","Jordi Llorca","S. Vítek","M. Jelínek","Blanca Troughton","F. Gálvez"],"tags":["Meteoroid","Meteorite","Asteroid","Chondrite","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-11-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2007.12503.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2736320265","name":"Mineralogy of Meteorites from the North-Eastern India: A Brief Review","source":"openalex","abstract":"We present a brief overview of meteorites from the north-eastern India, with a focus on falls, finds, and research developments. To date, out of a total 150 numbers of meteorites fall/find in India (in Meteoritical Bulletin Database), only six meteorites from north-eastern region have received official international recognition from the Nomenclature Committee of the Meteoritical Society. Among these six meteorites, 2 finds and 4 falls, including one ureilite, two H chondrites and three L chondrites. The first meteorite from north-eastern India (Assam L5, Find) was documented in 1846. After a lack of 153 years, the first fall (Sabrum LL6 chondrite) was documented in 1999. The most recent fall is Kamargaon (L6) chondrite in 2015. Intensively researched meteorites of this region are Goalpara and Dergaon. The reported most massive meteorite of north-eastern India is Mahadevpur (H4/5) chondrite, 70.5 kg of total known weight, and the rest are","url":"https://doi.org/10.4236/gm.2017.73007","authors":["Bhaskar Jyoti Saikia","G. Parthasarathy","Rashmi R. Borah"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Geology","Astrobiology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.4236/gm.2017.73007","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2014528151","name":"The soluble organic compounds of the Bells meteorite: Not a unique or unusual composition","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2011.09.041","authors":["A. A. Monroe","Sandra Pizzarello"],"tags":["Murchison meteorite","Meteorite","Chemistry","Chondrite","Parent body"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2011.09.041","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2096879822","name":"The origin of young mare basalts inferred from lunar meteorites Northwest Africa 4734, 032, and LaPaz Icefield 02205","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Northwest Africa (NWA) 4734 is an unbrecciated basaltic lunar meteorite that is nearly identical in chemical composition to basaltic lunar meteoritesNWA032 and LaPaz Icefield (LAP) 02205. We have conducted a geochemical, petrologic, mineralogic, and Sm‐Nd, Rb‐Sr, and Ar‐Ar isotopic study of these meteorites to constrain their petrologic relationships and the origin of young mare basalts.NWA4734 is a low‐Ti mare basalt with a low Mg* (36.5) and elevated abundances of incompatible trace elements (e.g., 2.00 ppm Th). The Sm‐Nd isotope system datesNWA4734 with an isochron age of 3024 ± 27 Ma, an initial εNdof +0.88 ± 0.20, and a source region147Sm/144Nd of 0.201 ± 0.001. The crystallization age ofNWA4734 is concordant with those ofLAP02205 andNWA032.NWA4734 andLAP02205 have very similar bulk compositions, mineral compositions, textures, and ages. Their source region147Sm/144Nd values indicate that they are derived from similar, but distinct, source materials. They probably do not sample the same lava flow, but rather are similarly sourced, but isotopically distinct, lavas that probably originate from the same volcanic complex. They may have experienced slightly different assimilation histories in route to eruption, but can be source‐crater paired.NWA032 remains enigmatic, as its source region147Sm/144Nd definitively precludes a simple relationship withNWA4734 andLAP02205, despite a similar bulk composition. Their high Ti/Sm, low (La/Yb)N, and Cl‐poor apatite compositions rule out the direct involvement ofKREEP. Rather, they are consistent with low‐degree partial melting of late‐formedLMOcumulates, and indicate that the geochemical characteristics attributed to urKREEPare not unique to that reservoir. These and other basaltic meteorites indicate that the youngest mare basalts originate from multiple sources, and suggest thatKREEPis not a prerequisite for the most recent known melting in the Moon.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12239","authors":["S. M. Elardo","C. K. Shearer","Amy L. Fagan","L. E. Borg","Amy M. Gaffney","P. V. Burger","C. R. Neal","V. A. Fernandes","F. M. McCubbin"],"tags":["Basalt","Meteorite","Geology","Geochemistry","Isochron"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-01-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12239","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W3015105989","name":"Mineralogical and chemical composition of new Antarctica meteorites.","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3015105989","authors":["M. Shima","Mas. Shima"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Geology","Chemical composition","Achondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1973-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W1965409770","name":"Probing the Allende meteorite with a miniature laser-ablation mass analyser for space application","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2014.03.009","authors":["M. B. Neuland","Stefan Meyer","Klaus Mezger","Andreas Riedo","Marek Tulej","P. Wurz"],"tags":["Allende meteorite","Meteorite","Laser ablation","Analyser","Laser"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-03-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2014.03.009","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W1971163836","name":"Microbial diversity on the Tatahouine meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Biological processes can alter the chemistry and mineralogy of meteorites in a very short time, even in cold or hot deserts. It is thus important to assess the diversity of microorganisms that colonize meteorites in order to better understand their physiological capabilities. Microscopy observations of Tatahouine meteorite fragments that were exposed for 70 years in the Sahara desert showed that they were colonized by morphologically diverse biomorphs. A molecular diversity study based on 16S rRNA gene amplification of DNA supported the conclusion that a huge taxonomic diversity of prokaryotes colonized the Tatahouine meteorite in less than 70 years in the Tatahouine sand. Eleven different bacterial divisions were evidenced, among which Cytophaga-Flexibacter-Bacteroides (CFB), Cyanobacteria, and Alpha-Proteobacteria were dominantly represented. Crenarcheota were also detected. Most of the Tatahouine meteorite phylotypes were related to sequences identified in the surrounding Tatahouine more generally to sequences detected in soils. Some of them, in particular many of the archaeal phylotypes, were detected in arid regions in association with desert varnish. The results suggest that the diversity of the clone library generated from the meteorite fraction was reduced compared with that of the Tatahouine sand clone library, which can be explained as the result of partial colonization of the meteorite and/or a specific selection of colonizing bacteria by the substrate. We discuss the possibility that several groups detected in this study may play a prominent role in the various alteration processes detected at the surface of the Tatahouine meteorite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2006.tb00519.x","authors":["Karim Benzerara","Virginie Chapon","David Moreira","Purificación López‐García","François Guyot","Thierry Heulin"],"tags":["Meteorite","Phylotype","Biology","Actinobacteria","Library"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2006.tb00519.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2133153452","name":"Comparative petrology, geochemistry, and petrogenesis of evolved, low-Ti lunar mare basalt meteorites from the LaPaz Icefield, Antarctica","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2005.11.015","authors":["James M.D. Day","L. A. Taylor","C. Floss","A. D. Patchen","D. W. Schnare","D. Graham Pearson"],"tags":["Basalt","Geology","Geochemistry","Olivine","Pyroclastic rock"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-01-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2005.11.015","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2013146527","name":"Silicate Mineralogy of the Dust in the Inner Coma of Comet C/1995 01 (Hale‐Bopp) Pre‐ and Postperihelion","source":"openalex","abstract":"We present 7.5-13.4 μm infrared (IR) spectrophotometry ( R ≃180-360) of the 10 μm silicate emission from dust in the inner coma (i.e., within a diameter of 3'') of comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) at four temporal epochs from 1996 October through 1997 June during Hale-Bopp's approach to, arrival at, and recession from perihelion. Hale-Bopp's silicate feature is the strongest observed from any comet to date: the flux-to-continuum ratio at 10.0 μm is 2.5 at 2.8 AU preperihelion, increases to 3.0 at 0.93 AU, and then decreases to 2.4 at 1.7 AU postperihelion, dropping more rapidly in strength than expected from preperihelion spectra and indicating a diminishment in the relative abundance of submicron sized grains by perihelion passage. The silicate feature also evolves with heliocentric distance. When far from perihelion, at ~2.8 AU, the High Efficiency Faint Object Grating Spectrometer (HIFOGS) 10 μm silicate feature contains a 9.3 μm shoulder attributable to amorphous pyroxene, broad emission from amorphous olivine (9.7 μm), and the 11.2 μm peak associated with crystalline olivine. Concurrent with the HIFOGS spectra at 2.8 AU, the Infrared Space Observatory ( ISO ) Short Wavelength Spectrometer (SWS) spectrum also shows the strong far-IR peaks of crystalline olivine at 18 μm, 23 μm, and 33 μm. When close to perihelion the HIFOGS spectra include a newly discovered 9.3 μm peak, identifiable as Mg-rich crystalline pyroxene. We hypothesize that the crystalline pyroxenes are cooler than the other silicates, too cool to be detected at 9.3 μm at 2.8 AU but warm enough to be detected at 1.2 AU. The best-fit empirical model for the temporal evolution of Hale-Bopp's silicate feature constrains the Mg-rich crystalline pyroxenes to be dominated by ortho-pyroxene rather than clino-pyroxene. The crystalline pyroxenes have a color temperature that is 0.6 times cooler than and an abundance that is about 9 times greater than the other silicates at all epochs, assuming equivalent particle size distributions for all components. Comparing crystalline ortho-pyroxene and crystalline olivine in radiative equilibrium, both with Mg number 0.9, the ortho-pyroxene crystals are cooler because they are less absorbing at visible and near-IR wavelengths. Thus, it is the high Mg content of the crystalline pyroxenes that accounts for their cooler temperature. The dominance of Mg-rich pyroxenes among Hale-Bopp's cometary silicates is consistent with PUMA-1 mass spectrometer measurements of comet P/Halley 1986 III and with cometary interplanetary dust particles. The high Mg content of the pyroxenes in comet Hale-Bopp implies that they are either pristine solar nebula condensates or presolar grains such as the Mg-rich crystals recently discovered by ISO around asymptotic giant branch stars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1086/307206","authors":["D. H. Wooden","D. E. Harker","C. E. Woodward","H. M. Butner","C. Koike","F. C. Witteborn","Craig W. McMurtry"],"tags":["Physics","Olivine","Silicate","Astrophysics","Comet"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1086/307206","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2417355339","name":"Enantiomer excesses of rare and common sugar derivatives in carbonaceous meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Biological polymers such as nucleic acids and proteins are constructed of only one-the d or l-of the two possible nonsuperimposable mirror images (enantiomers) of selected organic compounds. However, before the advent of life, it is generally assumed that chemical reactions produced 50:50 (racemic) mixtures of enantiomers, as evidenced by common abiotic laboratory syntheses. Carbonaceous meteorites contain clues to prebiotic chemistry because they preserve a record of some of the Solar System's earliest (∼4.5 Gy) chemical and physical processes. In multiple carbonaceous meteorites, we show that both rare and common sugar monoacids (aldonic acids) contain significant excesses of the d enantiomer, whereas other (comparable) sugar acids and sugar alcohols are racemic. Although the proposed origins of such excesses are still tentative, the findings imply that meteoritic compounds and/or the processes that operated on meteoritic precursors may have played an ancient role in the enantiomer composition of life's carbohydrate-related biopolymers.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1603030113","authors":["George Cooper","Andro C. Ríos"],"tags":["Meteorite","Enantiomer","Chemistry","Sugar","Abiogenesis"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-05-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1603030113","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2082449549","name":"Shock-induced metallic iron nanoparticles in olivine-rich Martian meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2007.07.002","authors":["B VANDEMOORTELE","Bruno Reynard","P. Rochette","Mike Jackson","Pierre Beck","Philippe Gillet","P. J. McMillan","Catherine McCammon"],"tags":["Meteorite","Achondrite","Martian","Olivine","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-07-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2007.07.002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"oa:W2088605983","name":"Small Main-Belt Asteroid Spectroscopic Survey: Initial Results","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1006/icar.1995.1075","authors":["Shui Xu","Richard P. Binzel","T. H. Burbine","S. J. Bus"],"tags":["Asteroid","Achondrite","Meteorite","Asteroid belt","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1995-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1006/icar.1995.1075","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/9781009656122.004","name":"Meteorite Classification","source":"crossref","abstract":"Meteorites are classified using a hierarchical scheme based on the degree of relatedness of samples. Chondrite groups are typically from a single parent body; clans and classes are clusters of related groups that accreted in similar regions of the solar nebula. Classification of a new meteorite requires visual observation of macroscopic characteristics, microscopic examination of textures, and analyses of minerals. Isotopic or bulk compositional data may also be acquired.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009656122.004","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-24T00:05:39Z","doi":"10.1017/9781009656122.004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.46887/1991-05","name":"Mineralogy and Petrogenesis of the Lake Zone, Thor Lake rare metals deposit, NWT","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.46887/1991-05","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-02-01T17:33:13Z","doi":"10.46887/1991-05","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1127/0935-1221/2011/0023-2119","name":"Mineralogy and archaeometry: fatal attraction","source":"crossref","abstract":"The difficult and fascinating relationship between archaeometry and mineralogy continuously offers challenges and topics for research, though it is often troubled by the sectorial organization of academic structure, at present also severely limited by budgetary cuts. The existing competition between traditional academic disciplines in the field of cultural heritage is often pernicious and poorly effective as far as information and knowledge transmission are concerned. The continuity in the employment of highly trained researchers and the poor strategy in the data publication are issues of great concern. Centralised research facilities could have a leading role in the management of multi-disciplinary research, though they have a limited practical effect in a shrinking budget world. Within this frame, disciplines such as mineralogy and petrology, intrinsically used to deal with complex systems, found new natural areas of applications in cultural heritage materials. Archaeometry-oriented applications raised from the status of exotic studies to widely diffused areas of research within the last decades, partly because of the fascination of the involved problems, and partly because of the limited funding in the traditional fields of research. It is argued that mineralogy as a discipline at the crossroad between the core Earth sciences, crystallography, materials science and geochemistry might be a key area of innovation for cultural heritage studies. A few case studies are discussed to convey a personal view of mineralogical applications within the broader context of cultural heritage investigations. Key issues are: the use of combined and simultaneous techniques for the characterization of complex systems, the optimization of non-invasive techniques, and the appropriate use of databases in archaeometry.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1127/0935-1221/2011/0023-2119","authors":["Gilberto Artioli","Ivana Angelini"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-06-20T18:48:49Z","doi":"10.1127/0935-1221/2011/0023-2119","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17072/chirvinsky.2022.209","name":"Results of studying the mineral composition of the supposed Yablonovy meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"Using a complex of methods (X-ray phase analysis, X-ray fluorescence semi-quantitative chemical analysis, Infrared Fourier spectroscopy, synchronous thermal analysis), the mineral composition of the supposed Yablonovy meteorite from Transbaikalia was studied. It was found that the sample consists of native iron (practically free of nickel impuritie; Ni - 0.18 %), okermanite, melilite (gelenite), magnetite, goethite, calcite, siderite, which does not correspond to the composition of meteorite matter. The found sample is nothing more than a slag with a large amount of a metallic iron alloy of some, not yet established, historical metallurgical production on the territory of Transbaikalia.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17072/chirvinsky.2022.209","authors":["Sergey Sergeevich Potapov","Natalya Vladimirovna Parshina","Vladimir Pavlovich Lyutoev","Roman Andreevich Filenko"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-06-14T02:42:06Z","doi":"10.17072/chirvinsky.2022.209","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9780511997181.022","name":"TABULAR VIEWS OF SYSTEMS OF MINERALOGY","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511997181.022","authors":["Robert Jameson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-02-09T03:00:06Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9780511997181.022","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1130/978-0-8137-2437-9","name":"Special Paper 437: The Sedimentary Record of Meteorite Impacts","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/978-0-8137-2437-9","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-04-15T13:46:14Z","doi":"10.1130/978-0-8137-2437-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1796-3","name":"Meteorite, Allende","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1796-3","authors":["Matthieu Gounelle"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-06-10T09:15:25Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1796-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/rmg.2002.50.10","name":"Mineralogy of Beryllium in Granitic Pegmatites","source":"crossref","abstract":"Research Article| January 01, 2002 Mineralogy of Beryllium in Granitic Pegmatites Petr Černý Petr Černý Department of Geological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3T 2N2, p_cerny@umanitoba.ca Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Petr Černý Department of Geological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3T 2N2, p_cerny@umanitoba.ca Publisher: Mineralogical Society of America First Online: 14 Jul 2017 © The Mineralogical Society Of America Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry (2002) 50 (1): 405–444. https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2002.50.10 Article history First Online: 14 Jul 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Petr Černý; Mineralogy of Beryllium in Granitic Pegmatites. Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry 2002;; 50 (1): 405–444. doi: https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2002.50.10 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyReviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry Search Advanced Search Beryllium is one of the most widespread rare elements in granitic pegmatites. These rocks have been historically the sole industrial source of this metal (e.g., Norton et al. 1958), and they still contribute a significant proportion of the global output of beryllium ores. Hand-cobbed beryl constitutes a substantial proportion of beryllium ore concentrates in Africa, Asia and South America, although non-pegmatitic, rhyolite-related bertrandite ores are virtually the single source in North America (Petkof 1975). The mineralogy of beryllium in granitic pegmatites is strongly diversified, but very “imbalanced” in terms of numbers of species per mineral class on one hand... You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2002.50.10","authors":["P. Cerny"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-04-19T11:46:35Z","doi":"10.2138/rmg.2002.50.10","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.58809/gxxx1297","name":"A Refractory Earth Meteorite: Suggested Distant Impact Ejecta from Chicxulub Impact Crater","source":"crossref","abstract":"In 1992, an unusual piece of vesicular material with a recoverable mass of 3 kg was unearthed from a field near the lawn of Granada. Colorado. The material was analyzed using petrological and geochemical methods, which included: bulk and trace clement geochemistry, electron microprobe analysis, 17 O / 18 isotope analysis, and 40 K /40 Ar radiometric dating. Geochemical analysis of the material revealed an ultra-refractory composition, composed of: 39.36% CaO, 26.15% SiO2, 3.71 % AI2O3, 18.32% Fe2O3, 5.38% MnO, 5.63% MgO, 0.16% Na2O, 0.35% K2O, 0.35% TiO2, and 1.34% P2O5. Analysis of 17 O and 18 O indicates rather high values of 7.20% and 14.10% respectively. Moreover, the results of the electron microprobe analysis yielded 14 mineral phases, the most prominent of which are larnite, merwinite, and sadanagaite amphibole. Other phases include minor amounts of iron metal, magnesiowustite, spinel, quartz, and plagioclase. Geochemical and petrological comparisons were made to several materials, including meteorites, asteroids, and two artificially produced blast furnace slags collected near the area. The material is similar to slag in chemical composition; however, its age is inconsistent with artificially derived anthropogenic materials and it lacks mineral assemblages, which typify slag, such as periclase (lime). The only known material to exactly match the Granada material, which include a larnite-rich ground mass, trace element geochemistry, and 17 O / 18 O isotope values, is the Getafe pseudo-meteorite, which was a documented fall on a highway in southern-Madrid. Spain. The 40 K / 40 Ar age (70.9 +/- 4.3 my) of the Granada material is close to the age of the Chicxulub impact event (65.5 +/- 0.6 my), which occurred at the end of the Cretaceous Period. Comparisons made to drill core samples from the Yax-1 borehole indicate similar bulk and trace element geochemistry. As such, the Chicxulub impact sequence provides the best petrological and geochemical model for the origin of the Granada material. However, this model is the subject of debate, for the stratigraphic displacement, which is inconsistent with Chicxulub, of the Granada material cannot be explained. Other differences, which can be accounted for, arise in elevated concentrations of FeO, MnO, and Cr. Following a Chicxulub model, the elevated amounts of FeO and Cr would suggest an unequilibrated addition of the original carbonaceous chondrite component. Petrogenetic modeling suggest a complex geologic history involving the unequilibrated mixing of at least three components, which include a calc-alkaline basaltic andesite, platform carbonates, and a substantial amount of the original chondritic component.","url":"https://doi.org/10.58809/gxxx1297","authors":["Neil Ray"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-02-10T21:07:22Z","doi":"10.58809/gxxx1297","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_62551","name":"fossil meteorite crater","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_62551","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-08-24T02:42:08Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_62551","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.2006.tb00463.x","name":"Differentiation and evolution of the IVA meteorite parent body: Clues from pyroxene geochemistry in the Steinbach stony-iron meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract— We analyzed the Steinbach IVA stony-iron meteorite using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron microprobe analysis (EMPA), laser ablation inductively-coupled-plasma mass spectroscopy (LA-ICP-MS), and modeling techniques. Different and sometimes adjacent low-Ca pyroxene grains have distinct compositions and evidently crystallized at different stages in a chemically evolving system prior to the solidification of metal and troilite. Early crystallizing pyroxene shows evidence for disequilibrium and formation under conditions of rapid cooling, producing clinobronzite and type 1 pyroxene rich in troilite and other inclusions. Subsequently, type 2 pyroxene crystallized over an extensive fractionation interval. Steinbach probably formed as a cumulate produced by extensive crystal fractionation (˜60–70% fractional crystallization) from a high-temperature (˜1450–1490 °C) silicate-metallic magma. The inferred composition of the precursor magma is best modeled as having formed by ≥30–50% silicate partial melting of a chondritic protolith. If this protolith was similar to an LL chondrite (as implied by O-isotopic data), then olivine must have separated from the partial melt, and a substantial amount (˜53–56%) of FeO must have been reduced in the silicate magma. A model of simultaneous endogenic heating and collisional disruption appears best able to explain the data for Steinbach and other IVA meteorites. Impact disruption occurred while the parent body was substantially molten, causing liquids to separate from solids and oxygen-bearing gas to vent to space, leading to a molten metal-rich body that was smaller than the original parent body and that solidified from the outside in. This model can simultaneously explain the characteristics of both stony-iron and iron IVA meteorites, including the apparent correlation between metal composition and metallographic cooling rate observed for metal.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2006.tb00463.x","authors":["Alex Ruzicka","Melinda HUTSON"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-01-26T14:36:43Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.2006.tb00463.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9783112319888-012","name":"IX. Kometen. Meteore. Meteorite. Zodiakallicht","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9783112319888-012","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-05-27T16:59:05Z","doi":"10.1515/9783112319888-012","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/pt.5.025197","name":"New mineral discovered in meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/pt.5.025197","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-31T11:51:09Z","doi":"10.1063/pt.5.025197","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-540-72816-0_3470","name":"Canyon Diablo meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-72816-0_3470","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-01-05T10:47:58Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-540-72816-0_3470","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/oso/9780190080112.003.0008","name":"Framboid Mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"Framboids are dominantly made of pyrite. The limiting factors for other minerals forming framboids include the requirements of crystal habit, solubility, and natural abundances of the constituent elements for framboid formation. Detailed examination of reports of non-pyritic framboids reveal microcrystalline material within and associated with framboids (e.g., greigite) and sub-spherical crystalline aggregates (e.g., marcasite, chalcocite-digenite, magnetite). Framboids are sometimes observed replaced by other minerals. Pyrite framboids are often formed during the earliest stages of sedimentation or mineralization and therefore are subject to further reactions with later fluids. Minerals such as copper, cobalt, zinc, and lead sulfides often display framboidal forms that have replaced original pyrite framboids. Likewise, oxidation of pyrite under some conditions can produce iron (oxyhydr)oxide and iron sulfate framboids.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190080112.003.0008","authors":["David Rickard"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-17T17:45:57Z","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780190080112.003.0008","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_131470","name":"meteorite fall","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_131470","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-08-24T03:37:49Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_131470","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_1796","name":"Meteorite, Allende","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_1796","authors":["Matthieu Gounelle"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-27T09:05:47Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_1796","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780190647926.013.22","name":"Chelyabinsk Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract The asteroid impact near the Russian city of Chelyabinsk on February 15, 2013, was the largest airburst on Earth since the 1908 Tunguska event, causing a natural disaster in an area with a population exceeding 1 million. On clear morning at 9:20 a.m. local time, an asteroid about 19 m in size entered the Earth atmosphere near southern Ural Mountains (Russia) and, with its bright illumination, attracted the attention of hundreds of thousands of people. Dust trail in the atmosphere after the bolide was tens of kilometers long and was visible for several hours. Thousands of different size meteorites were found in the areas south-southwest of Chelyabinsk. A powerful airburst, which was formed due to meteoroid energy deposition, shattered thousands of windows and doors in Chelyabinsk and wide surroundings, with flying glass injuring many residents. The entrance and destruction of the 500-kt Chelyabinsk asteroid produced a number of observable effects, including light and thermal radiation; acoustic, infrasound, blast, and seismic waves; and release of interplanetary substance. This unexpected and unusual event is the most well-documented bolide airburst, and it attracted worldwide attention. The airburst was observed globally by multiple instruments. Analyses of the observational data allowed determination of the size of the body that caused the superbolide, its velocity, its trajectory, its behavior in the atmosphere, the strength of the blast wave, and other characteristics. The entry of the 19-m-diameter Chelyabinsk asteroid provides a unique opportunity to calibrate the different approaches used to model meteoroid entry and to calculate the damaging effects. The recovered meteorite material was characterized as brecciated LL5 ordinary chondrite, in which three different lithologies can be distinguished (light-colored, dark-colored, and impact-melt). The structure and properties of meteorites demonstrate that before encountering Earth, the Chelyabinsk asteroid had experienced a very complex history involving at least a few impacts with other bodies and thermal metamorphism. The Chelyabinsk airburst of February 15, 2013, was exceptional because of the large kinetic energy of the impacting body and the damaging airburst that was generated. Before the event, decameter-sized objects were considered to be safe. With the Chelyabinsk event, it is possible, for the first time, to link the damage from an impact event to a well-determined impact energy in order to assess the future hazards of asteroids to lives and property.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190647926.013.22","authors":["Olga Popova"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-01-22T00:20:53Z","doi":"10.1093/acrefore/9780190647926.013.22","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1180/emu-notes.2.9","name":"Mineralogy in long-term nuclear waste management","source":"crossref","abstract":"The writing and production of this volume recognize its potential role as a textbook for courses in \"Environmental Mineralogy\", a field that calls on both core mineralogical skills and interdisciplinary understanding across chemical, biological and geological fields. It is an area ideally suited the development of advanced teaching that redefines the boundaries of mineralogy, one of the oldest of the sciences. In that context, this volume fulfils a need defined in the Socrates/Erasmus Programme of the European Union. Sponsorship from the EU in the development of a coordinated European curriculum in mineralogy has been important in bringing this project to fruition, and thus in creating materials for European courses in environmental mineralogy, specifically as an Intensive Programme (lP) which falls at the border between Erasmus CDI and CDA levels.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/emu-notes.2.9","authors":["Charles Curtis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-04-05T16:19:19Z","doi":"10.1180/emu-notes.2.9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.70675/48cd044dz9f26z457ezb570zc1863578c7ca","name":"Meteorite impacts on Mars : seismic observation, source theory and modeling.","source":"crossref","abstract":"Impacts de météorites sur Mars : observations sismiques, théorie de la source et modélisation Les impacts de météorite sont des acteurs majeurs de l'évolution du système solaire et des planètes telluriques. Les expériences de sismologie menées sur la Lune durant les missions Apollo ont permis de découvrir que les impacts sont également une source importante de signal sismique. L'intérêt pour ce type de source s'est accru avec l'atterrissage de la sonde InSight sur Mars en novembre 2018, qui y a placé deux sismomètres large-bande et courtes périodes. Huit impacts de météorites ont été détectés par ces sismomètres durant les quatre ans de la mission. Comme sur la Lune, leurs signaux diffèrent de ceux d'origine tectonique. Aucun modèle ne permet encore d'expliquer leur spectre en fréquence, l'amplitude de leurs ondes P et S, ainsi que le mécanisme de la source sismique. La chute et l'impact des météores produit également des ondes de choc dans l'atmosphère martienne. Sur Mars, elles peuvent être piégée dans un guide d'onde atmosphérique à basse altitude, et se propager ainsi sur de longues distances sous forme d'infrasons. Ces infrasons ont pu être détectés par les sismomètres d'InSight après s'être couplés à la surface. De tels signaux sismo-acoustiques contiennent des informations sur leur milieu de propagation, l'atmosphère martienne, ainsi que sur le milieu de couplage, le sous-sol d'InSight, et peuvent donc permettre d'interroger la structure de Mars. A travers cette thèse, nous proposons d'analyser ces deux types de signaux. Premièrement, nous modélisons la source sismique liée à la formation d'un cratère d'impact. Nous élaborons un modèle analytique de la source d'un impact à l'aide du Théorème de Représentation sismique et de la notion de \"stress glut\". L'impact peut ainsi être vu comme un champ étendu de force équivalentes, ou comme une source ponctuelle, combinant un tenseur de moment sismique et une force vectorielle. Nous développons une méthode numérique pour calculer le stress glut d'un impact à grande vitesse à partir de simulations numériques basées sur la méthode des éléments finis-discrets (FDEM). Ce modèle est testé via un système de couplage logiciel : à une certaine distance du cratère, le signal produit par le modèle de stress glut est comparé au \"vrai\" signal prolongé de la simulation FDEM. Notre modèle parvient ainsi à expliquer le contenu basse-fréquence des signaux d'impacts, mais des termes de source supplémentaires sont nécessaires pour modéliser leur énergie à haute-fréquence. Nous montrons que ce modèle éclaire les différences de mécanisme sismique entre les impacts obliques et verticaux, et reproduit certaines caractéristiques clefs des signaux martiens et lunaires. En parallèle, nous examinons les signaux sismo-acoustiques liés aux impacts martiens. Grâce à un model 1D de la propagation et du couplage des infrasons guidés, nous montrons que la vitesse de groupe de ces signaux dépend du profile de vitesse sonore dans l'atmosphère martienne. De même, le ratio des amplitudes sismiques radiales et verticales dépend principalement du profil de vitesse des ondes S sous InSight. Par une inversion bayésienne, nous dérivons la structure de l'atmosphère et du sous-sol martien à partir de trois des signaux sismo-acoustiques d'impacts. Les profils de vitesse sonore obtenus sont en accord avec ceux prédits par les simulations climatiques du Mars Climate Database. En revanche, la structure souterraine est dépendante des paramètres de l'inversion. Deux modèles sont ainsi possibles, l'un ayant de fortes vitesses sismiques dans les premiers 20 m sous InSight, l'autre ayant une simple interface vers 40 m de profondeur. Ces solutions s'approchent de celles obtenues par de précédentes études. Ainsi, combiner les signaux d'infrasons à d'autres données pourra permettre de trancher entre différents modèles.","url":"https://doi.org/10.70675/48cd044dz9f26z457ezb570zc1863578c7ca","authors":["Marouchka Froment"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-07T18:24:54Z","doi":"10.70675/48cd044dz9f26z457ezb570zc1863578c7ca","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_1032","name":"Meteorite (Murchison)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_1032","authors":["François Robert"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-06-30T00:41:38Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_1032","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5962/bhl.title.3333","name":"The Walters meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"National Museum. During a trip there Dr. Roy had studied the surface features of the main mass and examined the records of the fall. Prior to this, in conjunction with his studies on the Paragould stone (Roy and Wyant, 1955), he had worked on the interior structure and examined the minerals in thin sections of the Walters meteorite from representative specimens in possession of the Chicago Museum.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.3333","authors":["Sharat Kumar Roy","Jewell J. Glass","Edward Porter Henderson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-11-11T21:33:18Z","doi":"10.5962/bhl.title.3333","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.33548/scientia676","name":"From Destruction to Creation: Understanding Meteorite Impact Craters","source":"crossref","abstract":"Ever since the planets first formed, they have been bombarded with space rocks. Asteroid and cometary collisions are so forceful that planetary surfaces fracture and melt beneath them, leaving behind huge craters. These impact events have played an important role in our planet’s history, by shaping the geological landscape, producing valuable minerals, and affecting the evolution of life. Dr Gordon ‘Oz’ Osinski from the University of Western Ontario, Canada, aims to understand this fundamental process on Earth, Mars and the Moon – with important implications for space exploration, mining, and for understanding the origins of life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.33548/scientia676","authors":["Gordon Osinski"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-05-19T15:43:20Z","doi":"10.33548/scientia676","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-820585-3.00003-x","name":"Basic mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-820585-3.00003-x","authors":["S.K. Haldar"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-08-07T06:10:08Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-12-820585-3.00003-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.5258662","name":"Landslide or Meteorite Impact? A Morphological Review of Kabirkuh","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5258662","authors":["Reza Motamed"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-19T18:19:43Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.5258662","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1130/abs/2024am-401532","name":"METEORITE FORENSICS: PETROLOGICAL AND GEOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF LUNAR METEORITE DOMINION (DOM) RANGE 18666","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/abs/2024am-401532","authors":["Claire McLeod","Barry J. Shaulis","Aleksandra Gawronska","Alex Schweitzer","Matthew Loocke"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-29T22:42:11Z","doi":"10.1130/abs/2024am-401532","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-540-72816-0_3462","name":"Cañon Diablo meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-72816-0_3462","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-01-05T10:47:58Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-540-72816-0_3462","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17602/m2/m450461","name":"Chondrite (Meteorite) Fragment Cf 11 [CTImageSeries] [CT]","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.17602/m2/m450461","authors":["Philipp Heck"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-19T20:34:11Z","doi":"10.17602/m2/m450461","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_197413","name":"stony meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_197413","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-03-25T16:35:41Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_197413","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1130/0-8137-2339-6","name":"Special Paper 339: Large meteorite impacts and planetary evolution; II","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/0-8137-2339-6","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-11-19T16:02:30Z","doi":"10.1130/0-8137-2339-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/rmg.2006.61.1","name":"Sulfide Mineralogy and Geochemistry: Introduction and Overview","source":"crossref","abstract":"Research Article| January 01, 2006 Sulfide Mineralogy and Geochemistry: Introduction and Overview David J. Vaughan David J. Vaughan School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences and Williamson Research Centre for Molecular Environmental Science University of Manchester Manchester, United Kingdom, e-mail: david.vaughan@manchester.ac.uk Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information David J. Vaughan School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences and Williamson Research Centre for Molecular Environmental Science University of Manchester Manchester, United Kingdom, e-mail: david.vaughan@manchester.ac.uk Publisher: Mineralogical Society of America First Online: 13 Jul 2017 © The Mineralogical Society Of America Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry (2006) 61 (1): 1–5. https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2006.61.1 Article history First Online: 13 Jul 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation David J. Vaughan; Sulfide Mineralogy and Geochemistry: Introduction and Overview. Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry 2006;; 61 (1): 1–5. doi: https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2006.61.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyReviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry Search Advanced Search The metal sulfides are the raw materials for most of the world supplies of non-ferrous metals and, therefore, can be considered the most important group of ore minerals. Although there are several hundred known sulfide minerals, only a half dozen of them are sufficiently abundant as to be regarded as \"rock-forming minerals\" (pyrite, pyrrhotite, galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite and chalcocite; see Bowles and Vaughan 2006). These mostly occur as accessory minerals in certain major rock types, with pyrite being by far the most important volumetrically. It is also important to note that the synthetic analogs of certain sulfide minerals are... You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2006.61.1","authors":["D. J. Vaughan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-08-08T22:35:18Z","doi":"10.2138/rmg.2006.61.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_44747","name":"dust meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_44747","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-08-24T04:35:28Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_44747","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_197483","name":"stony meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_197483","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-03-25T20:35:41Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_197483","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1796-4","name":"Meteorite, Allende","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1796-4","authors":["Matthieu Gounelle"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-03-15T07:03:02Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1796-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_91722","name":"iron meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_91722","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-08-24T07:46:06Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_91722","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-007-1162-4_5","name":"Optical Mineralogy And Its Uses","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1162-4_5","authors":["Swapna Mukherjee"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-03-05T20:44:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-007-1162-4_5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_976","name":"Meteorite, Orgueil","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_976","authors":["Therese Encrenaz"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-02-25T17:18:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_976","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/news060508-7","name":"Meteorite survivor unearthed","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/news060508-7","authors":["Mark Peplow"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-03-22T14:03:14Z","doi":"10.1038/news060508-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1127/ejm/3/4/0637","name":"Natural zeolites: mineralogy and applications","source":"crossref","abstract":"After a brief description of the crystallochemical peculiarities of zeolites, which enable them to be used in many technological fields, the present and potential applications of natural zeolites are reviewed. The possibility of using Italian chabazite and phillipsite to reduce problems connected with nitrogen pollution is considered","url":"https://doi.org/10.1127/ejm/3/4/0637","authors":["Elio Passaglia","Ermanno Galli"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-05-14T06:55:30Z","doi":"10.1127/ejm/3/4/0637","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_6","name":"Systematik Mineralogie Petrologie Zusammensetzung","source":"crossref","abstract":"Bei der Klassifikation der Meteorite aufgrund ihrer chemischen Zusammensetzung unterscheidet man drei große Hauptgruppen: Stein-, Steineisen- und Eisenmeteorite. Die Steinmeteorite lassen sich weiter gliedern in die undifferenzierten Chondrite, welche seit ihrer Entstehung nicht oder nur wenig metamorph verändert wurden, und in Achondrite, die im Lauf ihrer Geschichte starke Umwandlungen erfuhren. Mesosiderite enthalten etwa gleichviel Silikatanteil wie Nickeleisen. Pallasite bestehen aus Silikaten (Olivin) in einer schwammartigen metallischen Grundmasse.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_6","authors":["Rolf W. Bühler"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-10-08T06:49:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9783112314708-012","name":"IX. Kometen. Meteore. Meteorite. Zodiakallicht","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9783112314708-012","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-09-04T13:24:28Z","doi":"10.1515/9783112314708-012","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9783112314777-013","name":"IX. Kometen. Meteore. Meteorite. Zodiakallicht","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9783112314777-013","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-05-26T20:08:00Z","doi":"10.1515/9783112314777-013","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_1032","name":"Meteorite, Murchison","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_1032","authors":["François Robert"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-02-25T17:18:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_1032","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1127/0935-1221/2007/0019-1766","name":"The mineralogy of cosmic dust: astromineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"Stardust is newly-formed in the ejected shells of gas that surround stars towards the end of their lives. Observations of the thermal emission from this dust, which is at relatively low temperatures ( T = 50–200 K), in the circumstellar shells around these stars indicate that the dust consists of both amorphous and crystalline materials. The observed solid phases include: almost pure crystalline Mg-rich silicates (forsterite and clinoenstatite), amorphous silicates, diopside, spinel, oxides (corundum and Fe 0.9 Mg 0.1 O), and also carbon-rich solids such as: (hydrogenated) amorphous carbons, aromatic hydrocarbons and silicon carbide. Crystalline grains with isotopic signatures that indicate that they formed around evolved stars, and that therefore pre-date the formation of the solar system ( e.g. , the pre-solar silicate, nanodiamond, silicon carbide, graphite, corundum, spinel, hibonite, titanium carbide and silicon nitride grains), have now been extracted from primitive meteorites. Pre-solar forsterite and amorphous silicate grains have also been extracted from interplanetary dust particles. The dust formed around evolved stars is ejected into the surrounding interstellar medium by the relatively benign effects of stellar winds, where it is subject to stochastic and violent processing in fast supernova-generated shock waves. In this medium between the stars all the silicate dust appears to be completely amorphous and it is generally thought that dust processing, via ion irradiation/implantation in shocks and/or by cosmic rays, leads to the amorphisation of the crystalline silicate grains that were formed around the evolved stars. The formation of the dust, in circumstellar environments and subsequently ejected into the interstellar medium, is thus balanced by destructive processes that erode and eventually destroy it. This paper introduces the subject of interstellar, circumstellar and pre-solar dust composition (Astromineralogy), discusses where the dust comes from, how it evolves and what its eventual fate might be.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1127/0935-1221/2007/0019-1766","authors":["Anthony P. Jones"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-10-29T02:26:56Z","doi":"10.1127/0935-1221/2007/0019-1766","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.64628/aa.sc7m75u5h","name":"Finding meteorite impacts in Aboriginal oral tradition","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.64628/aa.sc7m75u5h","authors":["Duane Hamacher"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-26T10:22:37Z","doi":"10.64628/aa.sc7m75u5h","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.1956.tb01384.x","name":"THE LORETO, BAJA CALIFORNIA, METEORITE (CN = 1113,260), AND ITS SIMILARITY TO THE MORITO, CHIHUAHUA, MEXICO, METEORITE*","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract A new 209‐lb. meteorite, a medium octahedrite, from the vicinity of Loreto, Baja California, Mexico, found about 1896, at longitude 111° 20′ W., latitude 26° 00′ N., is described. The similarity between it and the Morito, Chihuahua, Mexico, meteorite, known since 1600, found at longitude 105° 40′ W., latitude 27° 53′ N., is discussed. Some significance is attached to the fractures in the Loreto iron. Loreto and Morito are proposed as possibly “paired” falls.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1956.tb01384.x","authors":["Edward P. Henderson","Stuart H. Perry"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-09-03T12:21:48Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.1956.tb01384.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1127/0028-3649/2004/2004-0357","name":"Antimony sulphides in the Thuathe meteorite of Lesotho","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Thauthe meteorite that fell in July 2002 contains small grains ( < 3 μm) of berthierite and stibnite. These antimony-bearing phases were identified by aid of energy dispersive and wavelength dispersive X-ray spectrometry. This is the first reported occurrence of antimony sulphides in a meteorite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1127/0028-3649/2004/2004-0357","authors":["Hendrik de Bruiyn","Annegret Lombard","Aylva E. Schoch"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-07-28T00:18:37Z","doi":"10.1127/0028-3649/2004/2004-0357","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_1796","name":"Meteorite (Allende)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_1796","authors":["Matthieu Gounelle"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-06-30T00:41:38Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-11274-4_1796","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/0-387-30720-6_60","name":"Invertebrate and plant mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"Chave, K. E., 1954. Aspects of the biogeochemistry of magnesium 1. Calcareous marine organisms, J. Geol., 62, 266–283. Google Scholar Clarke, S. P., 1957. A note on calcite-aragonite equilibrium, Am. Mineralogist, 42, 564–566. Google Scholar Harker, R. I., and Tuttle, O. F., 1955. Studies in the system CaO-MgO-CO 2 . II. Limits of solid solution along the binary join CaCO 3 -MgCO 3 , Am. J. Sci., 253, 274–282. CrossRef Google Scholar Jamieson, J. C., 1953. Phase equilibrium in the system calcite-aragonite, J. Chem. Phy., 21, 1385–1390. CrossRef Google Scholar Lowenstam, H. A., 1954. Factors affecting the aragonite:calcite ratios in carbonate-secreting marine orgarusms, J. Geol., 62, 284–322. CrossRef Google Scholar Lowenstam, H. A., 1962. Goethite in radular teeth of Recent marine gastropods, Science, 137, 279–280. Google Scholar Lowenstam, H. A., 1967. Lepidocrocite, an apatite mineral, and magnetite in teeth of chitons (Polyplacophora), Science, 156, 1373–1375. Google Scholar Lowenstam, H. A., 1968. Weddellite in a marine gastropod and in Antarctic oediments, Science, 162, 1129–1130. Google Scholar Lowenstam, H. A., and Abbott, D. P., 1975. Vaterite; A mineralization product of the hard tissues of a marine organism (Ascidiacea), Science, 188, 363–365. Google Scholar Lowenstam, H. A., and McConnell, D., 1968. Biologic precipitation of fluorite, Science, 162, 1496–1498. Google Scholar McConnell, D., 1963. Inorganic constituents in the shell of the living brachiopod Lingula, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 74, 363–369. Google Scholar Odum, H. T., 1951. Notes on the strontium content of sea water, celestite radiolaria, and strontianite snail shells, Science, 114, 211–213. Google Scholar Watabe, N., 1956. Dahllite identified as a constituent of prodissoconch I of Pinctada martensii , Science, 124, 630–630. Google Scholar Cross-references calcite Group ; Human and Vertebrate Mineralogy ; Opal ; Resin and Amber ; see also mineral glossary. Download references","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-30720-6_60","authors":["Keith E. Chave"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-01-30T11:30:58Z","doi":"10.1007/0-387-30720-6_60","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5772/34161","name":"An Introduction to Mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"Definition of mineralA mineral is a naturally-occurring, homogeneous solid with a definite, but generally not fixed, chemical composition and an ordered atomic arrangement.It is usually formed by inorganic processes.Let's look at the five parts of this definition: 1. \"Naturally occurring\" means that synthetic compounds not known to occur in nature cannot have a mineral name.However, it may occur anywhere, other planets, deep in the earth, as long as there exists a natural sample to describe.www.intechopen.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5772/34161","authors":["Cumhur Aydinalp"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-04-03T12:09:07Z","doi":"10.5772/34161","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5772/intechopen.102346","name":"Normative Mineralogy Especially for Shales, Slates, and Phyllites","source":"crossref","abstract":"First, an insight into normative mineralogy and the most important methods for calculating the standard or norm minerals, such as the CIPW norm, is given. This is followed by a more detailed explanation of “slatenorm” and “slatecalculation” for low and very low metamorphic rocks, such as phyllites, slates, and shales. They are particularly suitable for fine-grained rocks where the mineral content is difficult to determine. They enable the determination of a virtual mineral inventory from full chemical analysis, including the values of carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon (C), and sulfur (S). The determined norm or standard minerals include the minerals—feldspars, carbonates, micas, hydro-micas, chlorites, ore minerals, and quartz. The advantages of slatenorm and slatecalculation compared to other methods for calculating normal minerals of sedimentary rocks are discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.102346","authors":["Hans Wolfgang Wagner"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-28T06:14:43Z","doi":"10.5772/intechopen.102346","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-044450077-9/50009-2","name":"Applied mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-044450077-9/50009-2","authors":["William Petruk"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-09-08T07:17:56Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-044450077-9/50009-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.31356/theses6585","name":"Characterizing The Risk Of Meteorite Ejecta To Future Lunar Surface Operations","source":"crossref","abstract":"In-situ materials provided adequate shielding against the risk of meteorite ejecta for future lunar surface operations. Both regolith simulant and simulant-epoxy mixtures stopped simulated ejecta projectiles with velocities at or near lunar escape velocity. Those depth penetrations for those two in-situ related materials were shallow inside 3 cm and may prove to be influential in future mission planning of lunar surface operations. The lunar surface poses a potential risk from meteoroid ejecta for future lunar surface operations. The safety ramifications of long-term crewed missions for the Artemis program, NASA’s lunar program, are being investigated or reconsidered from the previous Apollo program. Recent studies observed ejecta debris from meteoroid impacts, traversing over greater distances than originally postulated in this current geological epoch. Two end-member ejecta types that are the most hazardous are: (1) iron lithic fragments, and (2) impact feldspar spheres. A series of hypervelocity impact tests using a two-stage light gas gun (2SLGG) was conducted against a set of proposed materials that are likely to be used for lunar surface operations. The results of this study have several implications for developing protective measures against lunar ejecta traveling at hypervelocity speeds in lunar environments. The success of regolith and regolith-epoxy simulants in stopping projectiles highlights their potential for use in shielding structures and spacesuit design. Furthermore, the ability of even a single layer of EVA suit material to degrade or vaporize micrometeoroids suggests that multilayer structures could indeed offer effective protection against such lunar hazards. Conversely, the failure of materials like aluminosilicate glass, aerogel, and space shuttle tiles underscores the need for more robust solutions for larger, higher-energy impacts. Additional research should focus on optimizing material properties with in-situ regolith, designing or incorporating layered structures such a Whipple-shields to enhance impact resistance. These findings can inform the development of more reliable protective measures for lunar landing spacecraft, lunar habitats, and spacesuits, thereby ensuring the safety of future lunar missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.31356/theses6585","authors":["Jacob Yates"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-08T23:36:32Z","doi":"10.31356/theses6585","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.31857/s086956520003281-2","name":"Carbon Isotope Characteristics as Indicator of the External Source of High-Temperature Granitoids in Granulite Complexes","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.31857/s086956520003281-2","authors":["O. Safonov","V. Reutskiy","V. Shcherbakov","M. Golunova","D. Varlamov","V. Yapaskurt","D. van Reenen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-25T07:07:25Z","doi":"10.31857/s086956520003281-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-007-1162-4_19","name":"Concept of Geomedicine and Medicinal Mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1162-4_19","authors":["Swapna Mukherjee"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-03-05T20:44:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-007-1162-4_19","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_72","name":"The Thermal Release of Rare Gases from Separated Minerals of the Mócs Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_72","authors":["J. C. Huneke","L. E. Nyquist","H. Funk","V. Köppel","P. Signer"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-22T04:47:03Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_72","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1036/1097-8542.426200","name":"Mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"AccessScience is an authoritative and dynamic online resource that contains incisively written, high-quality educational material covering all major scientific disciplines. An acclaimed gateway to scientific knowledge, AccessScience is continually expanding the ways it can demonstrate and explain core, trustworthy scientific information that inspires and guides users to deeper knowledge.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.426200","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-07-10T15:46:54Z","doi":"10.1036/1097-8542.426200","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5962/bhl.title.2688","name":"Meteorite studies. I","source":"crossref","abstract":"Long Island meteorite as at present restored.X I- From a photograph.The position from left to right of the page is that probably assumed by the meteorite in falling.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.2688","authors":["Oliver C. Farrington"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-11-11T21:06:15Z","doi":"10.5962/bhl.title.2688","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1130/geol.s.28762277.v1","name":"Supplemental Material: A one-billion-year-old Scottish meteorite impact","source":"crossref","abstract":"&lt;p&gt;Detailed methodologies, supplementary images, and isotopic datasets. &lt;/p&gt;","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/geol.s.28762277.v1","authors":["C.L. Kirkland","et al."],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-09T17:29:16Z","doi":"10.1130/geol.s.28762277.v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5962/bhl.title.3288","name":"Meteorite studies. III","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.3288","authors":["Oliver C. Farrington"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-11-11T21:32:39Z","doi":"10.5962/bhl.title.3288","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.31223/x57n38","name":"Meteorite Classification Using Triple Oxygen Isotopes","source":"crossref","abstract":"For decades, measurements of all three isotopes of oxygen have been made in a handful of specialized laboratories around the world. These measurements either confirm meteorite classifications or prevent misclassification of terrestrial materials. Isotope geochemists making these measurements, in collaboration with meteorite enthusiasts and scientists, frequently receive questions regarding best practices for sample preparation and data interpretation. In this Toolkit, we provide guidance for those interested in soliciting oxygen isotope measurements of suspected meteorite samples with the goal of expanding and diversifying meteorite collections, which enable studies at the frontier of planetary science.","url":"https://doi.org/10.31223/x57n38","authors":["Riley Havel","Daniel Ibarra"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-17T13:43:20Z","doi":"10.31223/x57n38","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.35597/2313-545x-2019-5-2-3-9","name":"Rarе Fedorov groups in structural mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"The crystal order in structure of a solid phase is provided by the symmetry of interatomic interactions. In its turn, the latter causes the symmetry of atomic spatial positions, i.e. the spatial symmetry of the structure. From this viewpoint, the phenomenon of mineral formation can formally be considered as a result of ordering the atoms by the operations of spatial symmetry. This ordering is selective. Most mineral structures are described by minor formally possible spatial symmetry groups. The peculiarities of «structural preferences» of mineral phases during crystallization and re-crystallization are studied. The quantitative estimations for frequencies of Fedorov groups in crystal structures are given.","url":"https://doi.org/10.35597/2313-545x-2019-5-2-3-9","authors":["Ya.О. Shablovsky"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-07-18T09:08:40Z","doi":"10.35597/2313-545x-2019-5-2-3-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9783112314722-017","name":"Neunter Teil: Kometen. Meteore. Meteorite. Zodiakallicht","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9783112314722-017","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-05-26T20:16:03Z","doi":"10.1515/9783112314722-017","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/1.3051044","name":"Meteorite Exchange","source":"crossref","abstract":"The International Atomic Energy Agency is planning to assist the space research of its 81 member states by arranging for the collection and rapid transportation to interested laboratories of newly fallen meteorites. Under the program, selected laboratories in the member states will cooperate in collecting and transmitting “fresh” meteorites to IAEA headquarters in Vienna. Samples will then be shipped by the Agency to laboratories where their radioactivity can be measured. Rapid distribution is required because of the presence in the samples of short-lived radioisotopes, which are useful in determining the nature of radiation in outer space.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3051044","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-01-16T11:33:29Z","doi":"10.1063/1.3051044","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.8306146.9","name":"Late Nineteenth-Century Meteorite Theories","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.8306146.9","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-06T20:23:02Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.8306146.9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_3","name":"Die Meteoritenfunde in der Antarktis","source":"crossref","abstract":"Bis 1970 kannte man auf der ganzen Erde etwa 2300 Meteorite. Seit der Entdeckung der antarktischen Vorkommen in den Blaueisfeldern bestimmter Regionen rund um den Südpol hat sich diese Zahl mit über 9000 Fragmenten, die zwischen 1200 und 2700 Einzelfälle darstellen, praktisch verdoppelt.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_3","authors":["Rolf W. Bühler"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-10-08T06:49:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1032-3","name":"Meteorite, Murchison","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1032-3","authors":["Laurent Remusat","François Robert"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-04-06T14:03:09Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1032-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/science.125.3252.829-b","name":"<i>Arizona's Meteorite Crater</i>\n            . Past, present, future. H. H. Nininger. American Meteorite Museum, Sedona, Ariz., 1956. 232 pp. Illus. $3.75.","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.125.3252.829-b","authors":["John S. Rinehart"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-10-23T13:18:35Z","doi":"10.1126/science.125.3252.829-b","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/pt.5.029907","name":"\"Extinct\" meteorite found in Sweden","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/pt.5.029907","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-31T11:57:27Z","doi":"10.1063/pt.5.029907","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.64628/aa.9j5gg534q","name":"Sparkling meteorite provides a glimpse of Martian history","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.64628/aa.9j5gg534q","authors":["Alexander Nemchin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-26T11:59:07Z","doi":"10.64628/aa.9j5gg534q","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/se-2019-131-rc2","name":"Revision","source":"crossref","abstract":"General comment The paper needs major changes.The English must be reviewed.Besides the recent references, these is a general absence of international citations and the authors are highly advised to adopt it.The goals are not clear.The study area must be in one specific chapter.The figures must be improved together with the inclusion of a schematic log of the sedimentary profiles.In the paper is not clear how is divided the landscape, please demonstrated in the methods.Please, reclassify landscape segments based on real landscape elements (topographical, biogeographical, geomorphological); upper third and lower third are not landscape units.There are no discussion chapter in the manuscript and therefore the results must be divided from the explanation information.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/se-2019-131-rc2","authors":["Anonymous"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-02-18T07:57:12Z","doi":"10.5194/se-2019-131-rc2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/science.125.3252.829.b","name":"<i>Arizona's Meteorite Crater</i>\n            . Past, present, future. H. H. Nininger. American Meteorite Museum, Sedona, Ariz., 1956. 232 pp. Illus. $3.75.","source":"crossref","abstract":"Article MetricsDownloadsCitationsNo data available.01JulAugSepOctNovDec50Total6 Months12 MonthsTotal number of downloads for the most recent 6 whole calendar months.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.125.3252.829.b","authors":["John S. Rinehart"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-10-23T13:18:35Z","doi":"10.1126/science.125.3252.829.b","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2172/4037255","name":"RARE GAS ISOTOPE CONTENTS IN MINERAL FRACTIONS OF THE INDARCH METEORITE","source":"crossref","abstract":"We have measured the rare g~s isotopes in mine~!concentrates of the Indarch meteorite.We obtained samples from C. Fronde!, who crushed some of the meteorite into small particles mainly in the 44 to 88 micron size.He fractionated the minerals into groups according to specific gravity, using ~ heavy liquids and magnetic techniques.The fraction with specific gravity less than 2. 4 is approximate!y 95% t ridymile and represents about 1% of the whole stone.The fraction with specific gravity between 2.4 and 2.8 contains calcium sulfide, calcium phosphate, two unidentified minerals, and tridymite and enstatite impur:i.t1P~.This fraction represents a. few percent of the meteorite.The fraction with specific gravity between 2.8 and 3.3 consists largely of clinoenstatite and represents about 75% of the meteorite.The troilite is concentrated in the fraction with specific gravity greater than 3.3, and kamacite is concentrated in the magnetic fraction.Each represents about 10% of the stone.The magnetic fraction is coarsest.Fronde! plans to publish more detailed descriptions of the mineral fractions.We heated samples of 45 to 182 mg weight in a molybdenum crucible by an R.F. generator.Most of the sample evaporated during the heating process. DISCLAIMERThis report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the","url":"https://doi.org/10.2172/4037255","authors":["E.L. Fireman"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-10-25T06:37:28Z","doi":"10.2172/4037255","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.3045960","name":"The Willamette Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3045960","authors":["David Byron Wagner"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-10-11T15:02:09Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.3045960","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9783112314753-016","name":"Neunter Teil: Kometen. Meteore. Meteorite. Zodiakallicht","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9783112314753-016","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-05-26T20:17:15Z","doi":"10.1515/9783112314753-016","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1036/1097-8542.br0916192","name":"Iron carbide mineral that does not form naturally on Earth found in meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"AccessScience is an authoritative and dynamic online resource that contains incisively written, high-quality educational material covering all major scientific disciplines. An acclaimed gateway to scientific knowledge, AccessScience is continually expanding the ways it can demonstrate and explain core, trustworthy scientific information that inspires and guides users to deeper knowledge.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.br0916192","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-10-01T20:59:36Z","doi":"10.1036/1097-8542.br0916192","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-408133-8.00002-x","name":"Basic Mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-408133-8.00002-x","authors":["S.K. Haldar","Josip Tišljar"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-21T05:33:58Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-12-408133-8.00002-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-64867-4_12","name":"Environmental Mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-64867-4_12","authors":["Jens Götze","Matthias Göbbels"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-08-22T08:04:18Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-64867-4_12","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1130/2007.2421(06)","name":"High-pressure mineralogy of diamond genesis","source":"crossref","abstract":"Diamond genesis can be clarified by estimating the common parental media for diamond and its syngenetic inclusions. Formation of diamond and diamondite in carbonatitic melts with garnets, clinopyroxenes, carbonates, iron-chromium alloys, and other minerals was confirmed in experiments using diamond-bearing Kokchetav (Kazakhstan) and Chagatai (Uzbekistan) carbonatitic rocks as the starting materials. Experiments on melting equilibrium of an eclogitic garnet-pyrrhotite join at 7 GPa revealed the existence of a nearly complete silicate-sulfide liquid immiscibility. Very low solubility of silicate components in the sulfide melt implies that the melt is not so efficient for syngenesis of diamonds and silicate inclusions, whereas carbonatitic (carbonate-silicate) parental melts can provide syngenesis of diamond and their primary inclusions more viably. The major components of the parental media for diamond syngenesis are carbonates and silicates, and the minor components are oxides, sulfides, phosphates, haloids, carbon dioxide, water, etc. These media are partially or completely molten during diamond formation, and they have compositionally variable major and minor component contents. It is obvious that the parental media for diamond is closely related to the genesis of carbonatitic magmas in the Earth's mantle.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/2007.2421(06)","authors":["Yuriy A. Litvin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-11-20T02:03:34Z","doi":"10.1130/2007.2421(06)","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.31600/978-5-907298-26-2.9-10","name":"INTRODUCTION","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.31600/978-5-907298-26-2.9-10","authors":["M.T. Kashuba"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-05-06T10:37:58Z","doi":"10.31600/978-5-907298-26-2.9-10","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/pt.5.028234","name":"Meteorite lands in Nicaragua","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/pt.5.028234","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-31T11:52:05Z","doi":"10.1063/pt.5.028234","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.64628/ab.em7uhy3nc","name":"Secrets revealed of ‘dash-cam’ meteorite that rocked Russia","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.64628/ab.em7uhy3nc","authors":["Simon Redfern"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-26T12:04:30Z","doi":"10.64628/ab.em7uhy3nc","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.35597/2313-545x-2026-12-2-6","name":"Application of LA-ICP-MS method in study of mineralogy of \r\nmicrofacies of massive sulfide deposits","source":"crossref","abstract":"The paper analyzes potential and limitations of laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) during study of mineralogy of sulfide facies and microfacies from massive sulfide deposits. Using point LA-ICP-MS analysis and LA-ICP-MS micromapping for the mineralogical and geochemical zoning of chimneys and mineralized biomorphs, we evaluate the formation conditions of mineral and trace element associations in sulfides for various types of massive sulfide deposits and substantiate hydrothermal-sedimentary models of chemical element differentiation. The analysis of pulse trends makes it possible to identify mineral microinclusions in sulfides. The higher Au and Ag contents of diagenetic pyrite distinguish pyrite-bearing and barren horizons. Using hematite pseudomorphs after sulfides as an example, it is shown that the ratios of element contents in Te-Bi, Bi-Ag, and Ag-Te diagrams in comparison with the stoichiometric compositions of known tellurides allow us to reveal the enrichment of this mineral in micro- and nanotellurides.","url":"https://doi.org/10.35597/2313-545x-2026-12-2-6","authors":["V.V. Maslennikov"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-14T07:01:39Z","doi":"10.35597/2313-545x-2026-12-2-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/springerreference_30112","name":"Mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/springerreference_30112","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-08-03T22:10:47Z","doi":"10.1007/springerreference_30112","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9783112314692-017","name":"Neunter Teil: Kometen. Meteore. Meteorite. Zodiakallicht","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9783112314692-017","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-05-26T20:16:15Z","doi":"10.1515/9783112314692-017","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1029/2021eo161560","name":"Glassy Nodules Pinpoint a Meteorite Impact","source":"crossref","abstract":"Researchers working in Chile’s Atacama Desert have collected thousands of “atacamaites” that suggest a meteorite struck the region roughly 8 million years ago.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2021eo161560","authors":["Katherine Kornei"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-06T07:00:17Z","doi":"10.1029/2021eo161560","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_4","name":"Einschläge auf die Erde","source":"crossref","abstract":"ZusammenfassungDie meisten Meteorite hinterlassen beim Einschlag auf die Erdoberfläche keine oder nur geringe Einschlagsspuren. Meistens sind es kleine Löcher oder flache Gruben. Ist die einfallende Masse größer als etwa 100 Tonnen, kann der Körper in der Atmosphäre nicht wesentlich abgebremst werden. Seine Bewegungsenergie wird beim Aufprall auf die Erde explosionsartig umgesetzt und es entstehen Einschlags- oder Impaktkrater.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_4","authors":["Rolf W. Bühler"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-10-08T06:49:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_197482","name":"stony-iron (meteorite)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_197482","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-03-25T20:35:41Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_197482","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0032-0633(01)00026-5","name":"Meteorite classification and the definition of new chondrite classes as a result of successful meteorite search in hot and cold deserts","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0032-0633(01)00026-5","authors":["Addi Bischoff"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-25T19:29:59Z","doi":"10.1016/s0032-0633(01)00026-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9783112314715-012","name":"Neunter Teil: Kometen. Meteore. Meteorite. Zodiakallicht","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9783112314715-012","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-22T00:36:50Z","doi":"10.1515/9783112314715-012","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9781501520815-007","name":"7 Exoplanet Mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9781501520815-007","authors":["Keith D. Putirka"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-22T14:44:53Z","doi":"10.1515/9781501520815-007","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1127/ejm/7/4/0721","name":"Origins of mineralogy: the age of Agricola","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1127/ejm/7/4/0721","authors":["Cecil J. Schneer"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-07-15T15:00:41Z","doi":"10.1127/ejm/7/4/0721","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5772/intechopen.113106","name":"Introductory Chapter: Mineralogy, Geochemistry and Metallogeny of Granites","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.113106","authors":["Miloš René"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-21T12:40:40Z","doi":"10.5772/intechopen.113106","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1180/emu-notes.13.1","name":"The nature and scope of environmental mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"Chapter 1: Introduction: The nature and scope of environmental mineralogy David J. Vaughan Minerals, as the inorganic solids that comprise the rocks, sediments and soils of the Earth, are an essential part of our environment. So, in a sense, all mineralogy is ‘environmental mineralogy’. However, the term ‘environmental’ has come to be employed (particularly in","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/emu-notes.13.1","authors":["David J. Vaughan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-07-26T13:45:03Z","doi":"10.1180/emu-notes.13.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.24930/1681-9004-2017-1-068-095","name":"The sapphirine-spinel hornblendites of Il’meno-Vishnevogorsky complex","source":"crossref","abstract":"The authors consolidated disparate information about sapphirine-bearing rocks of the Urals. It is shown that they belong to genetically different entities. There are the intrusive rocks (hornblendites, gabbros), bodies of eclogites and eclogite-lyke rocks, high-metamorphizied Paleozoic bauxite (emery rocks). Given the most complete petrographic and mineralogical characteristics the corundum-bearing sapphirine-spinel hornblendites which compose clastolithe blocks in lenses of serpentinite melange among Kyshtim suite gneisses of the Il’meno-Vishnevogorsky complex. For the first time the data of X-ray, Mössbauer and Infrared spectroscopy of sapphirine from the hornblendites, chemical compositions of most minerals in the rocks are given. The conclusion about the magmatic origin of the sapphirine-spinel hornblendites of the Urals is made.","url":"https://doi.org/10.24930/1681-9004-2017-1-068-095","authors":["V. G. Korinevsky","E. V. Korinevsky","V. A. Kotlyarov","S. M. Lebedeva","I. A. Blinov","A. B. Mironov","M. B. Shtenberg"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-05-21T07:42:04Z","doi":"10.24930/1681-9004-2017-1-068-095","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_9","name":"Meteoriten-Sammlungen in Europa","source":"crossref","abstract":"ZusammenfassungFührer durch eine Auswahl der bedeutendsten europäischen Kollektionen, mit einem Anhang über weitere wichtige Sammlungen in der BRD, der Schweiz und in Österreich","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_9","authors":["Rolf W. Bühler"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-10-08T06:49:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.31219/osf.io/qsfmu","name":"Structures of Epithelia Found in Martian Lafayette Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"Structures of epithelia were found in two electron images of the Mars meteorite Lafayette. One image shows structures of pseudostratified columnar epithelium, and the other image shows structures of simple cuboidal epithelium. These structures may not be biotic in origin if they are separately considered on the cellular level. However, inorganic material has not been reported to match these structures when integrated at the tissue level. No terrestrial minerals have been found in this meteorite. It is possible that epithelium structures were found in this meteorite because they were moved into the rock by water on Mars or because the rock originally solidified around the epithelium structures.","url":"https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/qsfmu","authors":["Liangtai Lin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-07-02T07:47:47Z","doi":"10.31219/osf.io/qsfmu","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1130/abs/2016ne-272309","name":"ANALYSIS OF THE CHELYABINSK METEORITE CONSTRAINING THE GEOLOGIC AND DYNAMICAL HISTORY OF THE PARENT BODY OF THE CHELYABINSK METEORITE","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/abs/2016ne-272309","authors":["Marsha K. Allen","Harold C. Connolly","John A. Chamberlain"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-04-08T08:25:17Z","doi":"10.1130/abs/2016ne-272309","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.35597/2313-545x","name":"МИНЕРАЛОГИЯ (MINERALOGY)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.35597/2313-545x","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-07-18T09:08:40Z","doi":"10.35597/2313-545x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_91771","name":"iron-stony meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_91771","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-08-24T03:46:06Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-41714-6_91771","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/epsc2020-726","name":"Modeling Solid-State Convection in Asteroids and Meteorite Parent Bodies","source":"crossref","abstract":"Introduction: Asteroid belt observations, meteorite investigations and models converge on the paradigm of the ubiquity of melting in planetesimals. Partial melting of bodies that surpassed the melting temperature led to the weakening of the rock by the interstitial melt, facilitating solid-state convection due to a decrease of the viscosity. Further melting can produce liquid-like layers with suspended particles, i.e. magma oceans. Models[1] indicate that 26Al-heated bodies experienced differing melting degrees. In fact, transient magma oceans are likely for those that accreted early and massive (Vesta[2]), consistent with the meteorite record[3]. Partially molten layers can occur in the interior of undifferentiated bodies and in silicate mantles of differentiated ones. Attempts to model and to quantify the effects of convection in planetesimals remain rare. They are typically restricted to parametrized approaches in a magma ocean, neglecting convection before a magma ocean develops and after it crystallizes, and in the layers below a shallow magma ocean. However, while convection in a solid planetesimal is less likely, it may set in for little partial melt due to the weakening of solid material by the interstitial melt.Here, the possibility of solid-state convection in planetesimals is investigated and an initial comparison of a 3D convection model with a conductive case for a Vesta-like body is presented. Implications for theoretical studies of meteorite parent bodies are discussed.Planetesimal convection: The convective heat transport can be described with the Nusselt-Rayleigh relation with the Nusselt number Nu, the Frank-Kamenetskii parameter &amp;#920;, the Rayleigh number Ra, and parameters a, c, and &amp;#946;. The strength of the convection increases with Ra that depends strongly on the layer thickness and inversely on the viscosity, while the latter depends exponentially on the inverse temperature via an Arrhenius relation. If partial melting occurs, the viscosity decreases with the melt fraction &amp;#967; according to &amp;#951;(&amp;#967;)~exp(-&amp;#945;&amp;#951;&amp;#967;) (where &amp;#945;&amp;#951; is a constant that depends on the creep regime), e.g. by a factor of 10-4 for &amp;#967;=0.25[4]. Further melting up to the rheologically critical melt fraction &amp;#967;RC of 0.25-0.5 marks a transition to liquid-like behavior, resulting in a magma ocean. The likelihood of convection is estimated with the (internal) Rayleigh number RaQ as a function of the layer thickness for different values of the viscosity (Fig. 1). In general, with decreasing viscosity and increasing layer thickness, Ra increases and convection sets in for RaQ&amp;#8805;Rac&amp;#8776;103. An increased heat transport will result in a temperature and melt evolution that may differ from what is predicted by conventional models and have important consequences: (1) A more efficient cooling of a partially molten planetesimal. (2) Producing high amounts of melt or a magma ocean may be more difficult. (3) Convection in a partially molten mantle may sufficiently cool the core to generate a magnetic field in the absence of a magma ocean.Figure 1. RaQ for different viscosities for a heat production at 2.1 Myr after CAIs suggest that planetesimals as small as some asteroids and H chondrite and Acapulco-Lodran parent bodies[5,6] could convect at small degrees of melting (figure from [4]).Vesta:&amp;#160; A 3D full sphere mantle convection model GAIA[7] was used. It solves a set of differential equations based on the principle laws of conserving mass, momentum, and energy. Here, stagnant-lid regime and a free-slip boundary condition at the surface of a purely internally heated sphere were considered for a Vesta-like body with a radius of 260 km and constant material properties. A purely internal heat production matching an accretion time at three half-lives of 26Al after CAIs guarantees that the melt fraction in the interior remains below &amp;#967;RC. An ","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2020-726","authors":["Wladimir Neumann"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-10-08T11:51:28Z","doi":"10.5194/epsc2020-726","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1130/spe339","name":"Large meteorite impacts and planetary evolution; II","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/spe339","authors":["B.O. Dressler","V.L. Sharpton"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-09-27T02:07:28Z","doi":"10.1130/spe339","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1130/2021.2550(13)","name":"New field, geochemical, and petrographic evidence from the Bon Accord nickel body: Contamination of a komatiite by deep mantle or meteorite source?","source":"crossref","abstract":"ABSTRACT The Bon Accord nickel body has been known since the 1920s to contain rocks with up to 50 wt% NiO. Numerous nickel-rich minerals have been described from this deposit. However, none of these minerals contains significant Cu or S, making the deposit chemically distinct from all other known Ni deposits. The origin of the Bon Accord nickel body is highly contentious, with previous studies suggesting three major possible origins: (1) a hydrothermal origin; (2) an Fe-Ni meteorite that fell into and was altered by an active ultramafic lava flow; or (3) a deep mantle plume that contained a fragment of nickel-rich material. Here, we present new field, petrographic, and geochemical data in an attempt to constrain the origin of this enigmatic body. Based on our fieldwork, there are at least two distinct Ni-rich bodies. Based on the trace-element chemistry, the protolith of the body was a komatiite, likely belonging to the Weltevreden Formation. Because the Ni end member of olivine (liebenbergite) is present in the form of euhedral crystals, this mineral most likely crystallized from a Ni-rich melt. The redistribution of the nickel appears to be due to hydrothermal activity that occurred during the intrusion of the Stentor pluton. Consistent with previous studies, we find that the komatiitic affinity of the host rocks, the stratigraphic controls on the deposit, and the regional distribution of Ni-rich material are inconsistent with a meteorite origin; instead, a komatiite plume sampling a Ni-rich portion of the mantle is currently the best explanation for the origin of the Ni-rich material.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/2021.2550(13)","authors":["Matthew S. Huber*","Frederick Roelofse","Christian Koeberl","Marian Tredoux†"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-06-09T20:13:28Z","doi":"10.1130/2021.2550(13)","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.gca.2007.11.007","name":"Experimental constraints on the parental liquid of the Chassigny meteorite: A possible link between the Chassigny meteorite and a Martian Gusev basalt","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2007.11.007","authors":["J. Filiberto"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-11-27T14:20:11Z","doi":"10.1016/j.gca.2007.11.007","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/3962074","name":"Madagascar's Mysterious Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/3962074","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-11-28T04:59:48Z","doi":"10.2307/3962074","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.64628/ab.yujhprc9h","name":"A brief history of the UK’s Winchcombe meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.64628/ab.yujhprc9h","authors":["Martin Suttle"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-25T11:43:39Z","doi":"10.64628/ab.yujhprc9h","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9781501508509-023","name":"Meteorite Index","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9781501508509-023","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-11-09T04:01:53Z","doi":"10.1515/9781501508509-023","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/news040216-18","name":"Meteorite molecules spin sugars","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/news040216-18","authors":["Mark Peplow"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-03-22T13:03:08Z","doi":"10.1038/news040216-18","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.1953.tb01303.x","name":"RESULTS OF A SYSTEMATIC STUDY OF THE RATIO OF METEORITE TO OXIDITE AT THE BARRINGER METEORITE CRATER OF ARIZONA*","source":"crossref","abstract":"ABSTRACT In a region approximately 60° west of north and about one mile distant from the rim of the Barringer Meteorite Crater of Arizona (CN = + 1110,350), it has been determined, from the results of a systematic survey, that, in an area of 4 square meters, in which there was at least one meteorite, there was, on the average, 1.33 times as much meteorite by weight as oxidite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1953.tb01303.x","authors":["EARL RAYMOND KREINS","Frederick C. Leonard"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-09-03T12:14:54Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.1953.tb01303.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9783112314760-019","name":"Neunter Teil: Kometen. Meteore. Meteorite. Zodiakallicht","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9783112314760-019","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-22T00:36:50Z","doi":"10.1515/9783112314760-019","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/pt.5.023568","name":"Mars rover spots possible meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/pt.5.023568","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-31T11:25:24Z","doi":"10.1063/pt.5.023568","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9781501509193-005","name":"Mineralogy, Geochemistry and the Environment","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9781501509193-005","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-11-09T04:01:53Z","doi":"10.1515/9781501509193-005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/0-387-30720-6_113","name":"Portland cement mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"Portland cement is a nearly universal building material possessing relatively few physical limitations; it can be mixed with aggregate and water and used successfully under extremely adverse...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-30720-6_113","authors":["Michael W. Grutzeck","Della M. Roy"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-01-30T16:32:07Z","doi":"10.1007/0-387-30720-6_113","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.11606/d.3.2021.tde-10092021-103202","name":"Process mineralogy of a lithium enriched pegmatite combining mineral separation  and SEM based automated mineralogy.","source":"crossref","abstract":"Erilio, Adhemar, Alicia, Mariana, Mavinieur cuja simples presença já se traduziu em apoio por diversas vezes.Também agradeço à minha companheira Thereza Yogi, que não mediu esforços para me apoiar, sempre.Agradeço à toda equipe do Laboratório de Caracterização Tecnológica e a todos os funcionários do departamento de Engenharia de Minas da EPUSP que eu tive o prazer de conhecer.À minha família que me possibilitou estar aqui e que não tenho palavras para agradecer e explicitar minha total admiração.Obrigado!Agradeço à Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) pelo apoio na realização do presente trabalho.RESUMO Existem duas fontes principais de lítio, as salmouras -localizadas principalmente no Chile, Argentina e Bolívia -e as pegmatitos que ocorrem disseminadas no mundo e correspondem a mais de 50% da produção de lítio.Com o aumento da demanda global de lítio, os depósitos em pegmatito tornam-se cada vez mais atrativos e viáveis economicamente.A reserva de lítio no Brasil é encontrada exclusivamente em pegmatitos e corresponde a menos de 1% das reservas mundiais lítio, mas um estudo recente aponta para a existência de uma quantidade expressiva de reservas no Brasil, podendo alcançar 8% das reservas mundiais.Este trabalho relata um estudo de caracterização tecnológica realizado em 10 amostras oriundas de um depósito pegmatítico do sudeste de Minas Gerais.Estudos de mineralogia quantitativa baseada em MEV-EDS, aliados a análises químicas (FRX, ICP-OES, LA-ICPMS) e mineralógicas (DRX), mostram que o espodumênio (8,0% em massa de Li2O) é o principal portador de lítio, mas este também ocorre em micas, como muscovita (0.5% em massa de Li2O) e lepidolita (3.1% em massa de Li2O).A caracterização do concentrado de espodumênio (d=3.11)obtido por líquido denso (d=2.95) mostrou duas tendências nas amostras: a) amostras com baixa distribuição de lítio no produto afundado (~44%) com teor de Li2O elevado (~6.5% em massa) e b) amostras com alta distribuição de lítio no produto afundado (58%) e menor teor de Li2O (~4.9% em massa) neste produto.A menor distribuição de lítio no produto afundado foi associada ao maior conteúdo modal de lepidolita, pois esta se reporta ao produto flutuado.A recuperação mais alta de lítio foi associada com menor teor modal de lepidolita e o menor teor de Li2O se deve à presença de minerais portadores de ferro (epídoto e anfibólio) que têm densidade semelhante ao espodumênio e, portanto, reportam ao produto afundado.O grau de liberação do espodumênio é maior que >88% e similar em todas as amostras, portanto não influenciou nos resultados de recuperação mássica do líquido denso.Este trabalho destaca a caracterização tecnológica como suporte ao beneficiamento mineral, especialmente na identificação de diferentes minerais portadores de lítio e sua partição como ferramenta de mineralogia de processo.","url":"https://doi.org/10.11606/d.3.2021.tde-10092021-103202","authors":["Marco Timich"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-09-10T13:46:06Z","doi":"10.11606/d.3.2021.tde-10092021-103202","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9781400887552-fm","name":"Frontmatter","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400887552-fm","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-05T10:01:38Z","doi":"10.1515/9781400887552-fm","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/springerreference_3596","name":"Soil mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/springerreference_3596","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-08-01T08:41:36Z","doi":"10.1007/springerreference_3596","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1127/njma/163/1991/145","name":"Microstructure of minerals in a chondrule from the Allende meteorite I. Olivine","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1127/njma/163/1991/145","authors":["Wolfgang Friedrich Müller"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-06T13:11:46Z","doi":"10.1127/njma/163/1991/145","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.51194/inasan.2021.6.3.001","name":"Fireball stream of the Glanerbrug meteorite. List of the 14 meteorite-producing fireball and meteoroid streams","source":"crossref","abstract":"Яркий болид -12. m 5, произведший метеорит Гланербруг, наблюдался над Нидерландами 7 апреля 1990 г. в 18 h 32 m 38 s UT. Первые определения орбит были очень приблизительными и требовали уточнения. М. Лангброк, проанализировав основные данные, получил новые уточненные элементы орбиты метеорита Гланербруг. Мы применили эту систему элементов в нашем исследовании. Проанализировав каталоги метеорных и болидных роев, мы нашли болидный рой η-Ursa-Majorids. Его орбитальные элементы соответствуют орбитальным элементам метеорита Гланербруг. Болидный рой η-Ursa-Majorids принадлежит 14 метеоритообразующим роям, найденных нами. Выявлена астероидная ассоциация (три астероида), возможно, связанная с метеоритом Гланербруг и его болидным роем η-Ursa-Majorids. Это приводит к возможности существования в астероидно-метеороидной системе малых тел. Значения величины константы Тиссерана, вычисленные для всех пяти объектов данной системы, показывают, что все эти объекты, включая болидный рой с метеоритом Гланербруг, не имеют связи ни с кометами, ни с кометоидами, но могут иметь связь с астероидами. Все пять объектов имеют очень похожие значения константы Тиссерана. Мы также можем сделать предположение, что в прошлом все эти тела имели одну орбиту. The bright fireball of -12. m 5, that produced the Glanerbrug meteorite, was observed over Netherlands on April 7, 1990, at 18 h 32 m 38 s UT. The first orbit determinations were very approximate and naturally required revision. M. Langbroek, having analyzed basic data, obtained new revised orbital elements of the Glanerbrug meteorite. We apply this system of elements in our research. Having analyzed catalogues of fireball and meteoroid streams, we found fireball stream of the η-Ursa-Majorids. Its orbital elements are consistent with those of the Glanerbrug meteorite. The η-Ursa-Majorids fireball stream belongs to the 14 meteorite-producing fireball streams, found by us. The orbital elements of those streams are presented. We revealed asteroid association (three asteroids) possibly related with Glanerbrug meteorite and its fireball stream of η-Ursa-Majorids. This leads to a possible existence of an asteroid-meteoroid system of minor bodies. Value of Tisserand’s constant calculated for all five objects of this system reveals that all these objects including the fireball stream and Glanerbrug meteorite are not related with comets or cometoids but they may be related with asteroids. All five objects have very similar values of Tisserand’s constant. On the base of this Tisserand’s criterion does not contradict to the assumption that in the past all these bodies could have shared the same orbit.","url":"https://doi.org/10.51194/inasan.2021.6.3.001","authors":["А.К. Терентьева","С.И. Барабанов"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-19T10:21:47Z","doi":"10.51194/inasan.2021.6.3.001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.4871291","name":"Methods in Computational Physics of High-Velocity Micro-Meteorite Impact","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4871291","authors":["duoxing yang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-20T09:18:11Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.4871291","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.8306146.8","name":"Nineteenth-Century Foundations of Meteorite Analysis","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.8306146.8","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-06T20:23:02Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.8306146.8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/1841026c0","name":"A Fossil Meteorite (?)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/1841026c0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-05-30T21:44:00Z","doi":"10.1038/1841026c0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/pt.5.027526","name":"Martian meteorite nearly as old as Mars","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/pt.5.027526","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-31T11:51:44Z","doi":"10.1063/pt.5.027526","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1029/2024eo240528","name":"Martian Meteorite Points to Ancient Hydrothermal Activity","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Red Planet had water—in the form of a hydrothermal system—4.45 billion years ago, new analyses of a Martian meteorite suggest.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024eo240528","authors":["Katherine Kornei"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-23T07:00:16Z","doi":"10.1029/2024eo240528","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9783112319901-072","name":"94 Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9783112319901-072","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-10-20T19:04:20Z","doi":"10.1515/9783112319901-072","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/springerreference_77163","name":"Soil Mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/springerreference_77163","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-01-20T13:24:26Z","doi":"10.1007/springerreference_77163","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s004100050454","name":"Erratum: Mineralogy and Petrology, 133: 122-135","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s004100050454","authors":["Not Available Not Available"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-08-25T04:36:27Z","doi":"10.1007/s004100050454","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-319-13948-7_23","name":"Bolshetagninskoe Deposit Microcline–Pyrochlore Ore Process Mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-13948-7_23","authors":["Liudmila Azarnova"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-03-25T05:06:05Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-319-13948-7_23","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-030-22986-3_6","name":"Chebarkul meteorite ice hole","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22986-3_6","authors":["S. G. Zakharov"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-10-23T03:07:27Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-030-22986-3_6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1130/geol.s.28762277","name":"Supplemental Material: A one-billion-year-old Scottish meteorite impact","source":"crossref","abstract":"&lt;p&gt;Detailed methodologies, supplementary images, and isotopic datasets. &lt;/p&gt;","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/geol.s.28762277","authors":["C.L. Kirkland","et al."],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-09T17:29:17Z","doi":"10.1130/geol.s.28762277","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.31600/978-5-907298-26-2","name":"From Meteorite to Iron Bloom","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.31600/978-5-907298-26-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-05-06T10:35:35Z","doi":"10.31600/978-5-907298-26-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/140801a0","name":"Meteorite Craters","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/140801a0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-01-03T01:46:59Z","doi":"10.1038/140801a0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.64628/aa.96dpgqhsm","name":"How to find a meteorite that’s fallen to Earth","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.64628/aa.96dpgqhsm","authors":["Phil Bland"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-26T09:01:24Z","doi":"10.64628/aa.96dpgqhsm","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/450014f","name":"Sale of meteorite meets with stony silence","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/450014f","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-10-30T08:32:10Z","doi":"10.1038/450014f","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0019-1035(81)90032-4","name":"Meteorite craters","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(81)90032-4","authors":["P. Blyth Robertson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-11-11T20:23:53Z","doi":"10.1016/0019-1035(81)90032-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2343/geochemj.36.369","name":"Three-dimensional description of the Kobe meteorite by micro X-ray CT method: Possibility of three-dimensional curation of meteorite samples.","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Kobe meteorite was imaged by a micro X-ray CT scanner to examine the possibility of three-dimensional curation of meteorite samples without destruction. Materials including major minerals in meteorites were also imaged to obtain a quantitative relation between CT value, which is numerical expression of CT contrast, and X-ray linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) of the materials under polychromatic X-ray beams. CT values of the samples are normalized by that of an olivine crystal from San Carlos, U.S.A. (SCO = San Carlos olivine: Fo91.8), which was imaged under the same condition as a standard material (normalized CT value = CT value(sample)/CT value(SCO) × 100 [OU]: OU = olivine unit). The normalized CT values almost equal to similarly normalized LAC values calculated for the samples at <150–250 OU. We can estimate materials by the normalized CT value-LAC relation even if we use polychromatic X-ray beams. Successive 380 CT slice images of apiece of the Kobe meteorite (Kobe C-5-1; 1.144 g and 7–9 mm) were taken to obtain the three-dimensional structure. The pixel size of 31.6 μm × 31.6 μm and the slice width of 25.3 μm determine the spatial resolution for the images of about 60–90 μm. Thin sections were made to compare the CT images with images by an optical microscope, SEM and X-ray fluorescent microscope. In the CT images, we can distinguish plagioclase, ferromagnesian silicates (mainly olivine), magnetite-pentlandite and molybdenite. The CT value for the ferromagnesian silicates is approximately the same as that expected from olivine of FO∼69 in the meteorite. Orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene were not distinguished from olivine due to their small grain sizes and LAC values similar to olivine. Magnetite and pentlandite cannot be distinguished from each other due to their similar LAC values. The CT values of magnetite-pentlandite aggregates are smaller than those expected from their LAC values because the aggregates have inclusions of silicate minerals and Ca phosphates. The CT value of plagioclase is slightly larger than that expected due to small inclusions too. Chondrules with rims with different contrasts can be recognized while chondrules without rims cannot. The two-dimensional shapes of some magnetite-pentlandite aggregates are circular like opaque chondrules under an optical microscope. However, they are not in spherical shape three-dimensionally. Their sub-rounded shapes might be formed by partial melting of these aggregates probably at the same time as a local melting of plagioclase and some olivine. The sample was cut into seven plates for different analysis at different laboratories. Three-dimensional CT images were made for the plates to understand their internal structures. The present results suggest that curation of meteorites is possible by micro X-ray CT.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2343/geochemj.36.369","authors":["Akira Tsuchiyama","Tomoki Nakamura","Tsukasa Nakano","Noboru Nakamura"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-11T04:24:53Z","doi":"10.2343/geochemj.36.369","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.jmicro.a050593","name":"Analytical Transmission Electron Microscopy of the Allende Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"Fine texture and chemical composition of the constituent minerals in the Allende meteorite have been studied by analytical transmission electron microscopy. The spinodal decomposition texture in pyroxene grains in a chondrule implies cooling rate In the order of several to a few tens °C/hr. Clinoenstatite with a diopside lamella was found to be a relict mineral, which must have experienced high temperature for a significant duration before the chondrule formation. Equilibration between the rims of olivine in the chondrule and the fine olivine in the matrix is strongly suggested from their similar Fe-content.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.jmicro.a050593","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-02-03T02:36:43Z","doi":"10.1093/oxfordjournals.jmicro.a050593","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/pt.5.026438","name":"Meteorite may reveal Vesta's magnetic past","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/pt.5.026438","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-31T11:51:31Z","doi":"10.1063/pt.5.026438","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4159/harvard.9780674284975.c2","name":"2. Meteorite Recovery","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4159/harvard.9780674284975.c2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-12-28T20:01:29Z","doi":"10.4159/harvard.9780674284975.c2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/rmg.2024.90.07","name":"Exoplanet Mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"Research Article| July 01, 2024 Exoplanet Mineralogy Keith D. Putirka Keith D. Putirka Dept. Earth & Env. Sciences, California State University, Fresno, California, 93740 U.S.A. kputirka@csufresno.edu Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Keith D. Putirka Dept. Earth & Env. Sciences, California State University, Fresno, California, 93740 U.S.A. kputirka@csufresno.edu Publisher: Mineralogical Society of America First Online: 01 Jul 2024 Copyright © 2024 by the Mineralogical Society of AmericaMineralogical Society of America Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry (2024) 90 (1): 199–257. https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2024.90.07 Article history First Online: 01 Jul 2024 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Keith D. Putirka; Exoplanet Mineralogy. Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry 2024;; 90 (1): 199–257. doi: https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2024.90.07 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyReviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry Search Advanced Search Mineral properties hold dominion over planetary behavior as their physical and thermal properties control mantle circulation, plate tectonics, melting behavior, and crustal deformation, as well as global water and CO2 cycles. Estimating exoplanet mineralogy is thus of paramount importance for understanding planetary origins and evolution. Preliminary studies of exoplanets emphasize individual element abundances (e.g., Ca or K contents) or ratios (Mg/Si or Si/Fe), which are a valuable first step. But inter-planetary differences in, say, Si or Mg, are only relevant insofar they define a planet's mineralogy. As will be shown, nothing definitive can yet be said about exoplanet mineralogy,... You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2024.90.07","authors":["Keith D. Putirka"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-01T05:33:54Z","doi":"10.2138/rmg.2024.90.07","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1180/emu-notes.2.1","name":"Introduction","source":"crossref","abstract":"Minerals, as the inorganic solids that comprise the rocks, sediments and soils of the Earth, are an essential part of our environment. So, in a sense, all mineralogy is environmental mineralogy. However, the term environmental has come to be employed (particularly in combination with terms such as science, issue or problem) to refer to those systems at or near the surface of the Earth where the geosphere comes into contact with the hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere. This is, of course, the “environment” upon which the human race depends for survival, and which can be subject to disruptions due to human activity, particularly activity associated with the exploitation and utilisation of Earth’s resources. This is the sense in which we use the term environmental in this book. Thus, we consider here those systems containing minerals that constitute the most important or key environments: soils, modern sediments, atmospheric aerosols, and the interior or exterior parts of certain micro- and macro-organisms. Both pure systems and those contaminated as a result of human activity are considered. We also focus on certain specific problems that arise from resource exploitation or utilisation and that involve minerals in some way; either, or both, in creating the problem or ameliorating it. These include problems associated with the waste generated by mining, particularly mining of metals, industrial and domestic wastes, and those wastes produced by the nuclear industry. Particular problems can arise from use of minerals and rocks in buildings and monuments and other cultural artefacts. The relationship between minerals and human health constitutes a special case where the environment includes the human body itself.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/emu-notes.2.1","authors":["David J. Vaughan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-04-05T16:19:19Z","doi":"10.1180/emu-notes.2.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1180/emu-notes.2.4","name":"Mineralogy of modern marine sediments","source":"crossref","abstract":"Recently deposited sediments comprise a diverse mixture of detrital minerals and amorphous or poorly crystalline materials, biogenic material, organic matter and pore water. The mixture is inherently unstable and progresses towards equilibrium through a series of diagenetic reactions (Garrels, 1986), ultimately generating the mica–chlorite–quartz (–Fe oxide–organic carbon) mineralogy typical of low grade metamorphic phyllites. Diagenesis begins immediately upon sedimentation, initially involving change of the most reactive components: organic matter, oxyhydroxides, dissolved oxidants such as oxygen and sulfate, and poorly crystalline or amorphous aluminosilicates. Over the past 40 years, the chemistry and mineralogy of recent sediments has been extensively studied. Early mineralogical descriptions have been superseded by combined studies of interstitial water chemistry and mineralogical changes in a wide range of sedimentary settings. These have generated qualitative and increasingly quantitative insights into the nature and rates of early diagenetic reactions and the processes of authigenic mineral formation.Classification of sediment components according to origin generates the framework of this chapter:Detrital material is generated by continental weathering processes and is transported to the sediment by water (and air). Detrital material comprises the vast bulk of lacustrine, estuarine and nearshore sediments and therefore exerts a major control on their physical and, to a lesser extent, their chemical properties. Although any mineral can be supplied to sediments as part of the detrital load, the most common detrital phases are clay minerals and quartz.Biogenic material is produced in the water column and mainly comprises calcareous and siliceous microfossils, plus organic matter.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/emu-notes.2.4","authors":["Andrew C. Aplin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-04-05T16:19:19Z","doi":"10.1180/emu-notes.2.4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/springerreference_76414","name":"Clay Mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/springerreference_76414","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-01-20T08:22:25Z","doi":"10.1007/springerreference_76414","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/bf01164533","name":"Erratum","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01164533","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-02-03T15:34:11Z","doi":"10.1007/bf01164533","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.655Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-044450077-9/50008-0","name":"Applied mineralogy related to gold","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-044450077-9/50008-0","authors":["William Petruk"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-09-08T11:17:56Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-044450077-9/50008-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1130/abs/2020nc-348113","name":"IT IS BETTER TO BE METEORITE THAN METEOR-WRONG:ANALYSIS AND CLASSIFICATION OF POTENTIAL IRON METEORITE SPECIMEN","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/abs/2020nc-348113","authors":["Daniel J. Nolen","Kevin Glenn Thaisen","Kevin Glenn Thaisen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-04-14T15:58:01Z","doi":"10.1130/abs/2020nc-348113","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/springerreference_3531","name":"Lunar mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/springerreference_3531","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-08-01T08:41:36Z","doi":"10.1007/springerreference_3531","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/jj.8306146.14","name":"Contemporary Meteorite Research and Theories","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.8306146.14","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-06T20:23:02Z","doi":"10.2307/jj.8306146.14","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1029/2021eo160754","name":"A Remarkably Constant History of Meteorite Strikes","source":"crossref","abstract":"Researchers dissolve chunks of the ancient seafloor to trace Earth’s impact history and find that colossal clashes between asteroids don’t often trigger an uptick in meteorite strikes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2021eo160754","authors":["Katherine Kornei"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-07-14T07:00:17Z","doi":"10.1029/2021eo160754","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s004100050424","name":"Erratum: Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 132: 34-47","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s004100050424","authors":["Not Available Not Available"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-08-25T08:36:27Z","doi":"10.1007/s004100050424","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9783112651025-010","name":"Meteorite list","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9783112651025-010","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-09-20T06:34:30Z","doi":"10.1515/9783112651025-010","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.35597/2313-545x-2025-11-3-2","name":"Mineralogy of oxidized ores of the Balkanskoe tungsten deposit (South Urals)","source":"crossref","abstract":"A relatively high WO3 content, reaching 0.5 wt. %, is determined in two representative samples of brown iron ore, which were taken from a borehole drilled in the oxidation zone probably developed after skarns of the Balkanskoe deposit (Gumbeyka group, South Urals). Using X-ray diffraction method, it is established that the W-enriched ochre-clayey rocks of the upper part of the supergene profle consist of the smectite group minerals, kaolinite, Fe3+ and Mn oxyhydroxides, quartz and mica. Goethite aggregates with network structure are dominant in the lower part of the profle, whereas clay minerals and quartz, as well as Mn oxyhydroxides, are less common. According to results of local SEM-EDS microanalysis, the maximum WO3 content of Fe3+ and Mn oxyhydroxides are 4.44 and 6.54 wt. %, respectively. The average WO3 content of Fe and Mn minerals in the upper and lower parts of the supergene profle are 0.13 and 1.19 and 1.57 and 2.13 wt. %, respectively. No W minerals are found. According to results of phase chemical analysis, hübnerite is the main mode of occurrence of W in the studied samples, which is inconsistent with results of mineralogical analysis. This is probably explained by the formation of tungstate clusters as a result of recrystallization of primary gel-like Mn and Fe3+ oxyhydroxides. These features of W chemical behavior in poor oxidized ores should be taken into account under evaluation of similar objects.","url":"https://doi.org/10.35597/2313-545x-2025-11-3-2","authors":["E.V. Belogub","V.M. Moseychuk","K.A. Novoselov","G.F. Lonschakova","I.A. Blinov"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-09T08:19:20Z","doi":"10.35597/2313-545x-2025-11-3-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1180/emu-notes.13.9","name":"Mineralogy in long-term nuclear waste management","source":"crossref","abstract":"Globally there is a legacy of radioactive waste associated with more than 50 years of nuclear power generation and weapons production. Typically, this waste is stored at Earth's surface, and nations are beginning to face up to managing these highly radioactive and hazardous materials for the long term. Nuclear-power generation is increasingly considered as a low carbon, politically secure power source and geological disposal is seen as the favoured route for long-term management of the waste materials produced. Thus, timely implementation of geological disposal is a challenge facing nuclear-power generating societies if we are to demonstrate safe management of these waste materials for the future. In this chapter we review the role that environmental mineralogy has in this critical task. We begin with an introduction to the topic, discuss the waste types and strategies for management, and then discuss the environmental mineralogy of spent fuel and high-level vitrified wastes. We then place the discussion in a geological context with coverage of natural analogue sites, of mineral weathering and stability, and of geochemical conditions that will influence mineral stability. Finally, we discuss mineralogy relevant to the engineered disposal facility as well as the natural environment surrounding the facility in terms of retardation of radionuclide mobility and examine the role of geomicrobiology in nuclearwaste management.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/emu-notes.13.9","authors":["Charles Curtis","Katherine Morris"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-07-26T13:45:03Z","doi":"10.1180/emu-notes.13.9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/rmg.2202.50.01","name":"Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry of Beryllium: An Introduction and List of Beryllium Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"Research Article| January 01, 2002 Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry of Beryllium: An Introduction and List of Beryllium Minerals Edward S. Grew Edward S. Grew Department of Geological Sciences, 5790 Bryand Center, University of Maine, Orono, Maine 04469, esgrew@maine.edu Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Edward S. Grew Department of Geological Sciences, 5790 Bryand Center, University of Maine, Orono, Maine 04469, esgrew@maine.edu Publisher: Mineralogical Society of America First Online: 14 Jul 2017 © The Mineralogical Society Of America Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry (2002) 50 (1): 1–76. https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2202.50.01 Article history First Online: 14 Jul 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Edward S. Grew; Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry of Beryllium: An Introduction and List of Beryllium Minerals. Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry 2002;; 50 (1): 1–76. doi: https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2202.50.01 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyReviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry Search Advanced Search In 1996, in collaboration with Lawrence Anovitz, I edited Boron Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry, volume 33 in the Reviews in Mineralogy series, a book that has been reprinted with addenda in 2002 (further addenda and corrections are posted at http://www.minsocam.org, where you may also find corrections to this volume). Many of the same reasons for inviting investigators to contribute to a volume on boron apply equally to a volume on beryllium. Like B, Be poses analytical difficulties, and it has been neglected in many geochemical, mineralogical and petrological studies. However, with the development of instruments to measure cosmogenic... You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2202.50.01","authors":["E. S. Grew"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-04-19T11:46:35Z","doi":"10.2138/rmg.2202.50.01","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-044450077-9/50004-3","name":"Instruments for performing applied mineralogy studies","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-044450077-9/50004-3","authors":["William Petruk"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-09-08T11:17:56Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-044450077-9/50004-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/bf01163249","name":"Notice","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01163249","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-02-03T15:56:37Z","doi":"10.1007/bf01163249","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-009-6060-2_6","name":"Uranium mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-6060-2_6","authors":["Deane K. Smith"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-25T22:07:59Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-009-6060-2_6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/209247e0","name":"The Barwell Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/209247e0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-07-05T22:54:57Z","doi":"10.1038/209247e0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00099.s001","name":"Gamma-Ray-Induced Synthesis of Sugars in Meteorite Parent Bodies","source":"crossref","abstract":"Sugars play an indispensable role for all living organisms. Given that certain sugars have been identified in carbonaceous chondrites, these compounds might have been delivered to the early Earth via meteorites. The genesis of these sugars, however, has been a subject of debate; they are considered to have either originated from UV irradiation of interstellar ice or from hydrothermal reactions within the environments of meteorite parent bodies. The parent bodies of carbonaceous chondrites contained water ice which underwent hydrothermal alteration as a result of the internal warming of these bodies. The most likely source of this heat is believed to be the decay of radioactive nuclides, such as 26Al. In our previous research, we demonstrated that gamma-ray exposure significantly enhances the synthesis of amino acids from aqueous solutions of formaldehyde, ammonia, and methanol. Nonetheless, the impact of radiation on sugar formation has not been investigated. Hence, the current study is conducted with a focus on the formation of aldose sugars through gamma-ray irradiation to such solution mixtures. Our results reveal that gamma-rays indeed promote the formation of sugars, including ribose, without the presence of a catalyst such as glycolaldehyde. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the presence of ammonia enhanced the yield of aldose sugars, although higher concentration of ammonia inhibited sugar production. Our findings suggest that gamma-rays from the decay of 26Al played a significant role in the formation of sugars during low-temperature aqueous alteration inside meteorite parent bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00099.s001","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-15T13:31:59Z","doi":"10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00099.s001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/pt.5.026635","name":"California meteorite provides wealth of information","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/pt.5.026635","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-31T11:51:31Z","doi":"10.1063/pt.5.026635","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1353/aph.1986.0055","name":"Meteorite Crater","source":"crossref","abstract":"Jack's mother asked him how come he wasn't up at the newground. Jack told her that was just exactly where he was started. When Jack got up there, Will and Tom were still a-fightin' over that youngest girl. Jack came on in the house and saw she still had that red ribbon in her hair, and she came over to him, says, \"Oh, Jack!\" So Jack got the youngest and Tom got the next'un, and that throwed Will to take the oldest. And last time I was down there they'd done built 'em three pole cabins and they were all doin' pretty well. Excerpted from the book THE JACK TALES by Richard Chase, published by Houghton Mifflin Company , Boston. Copyright 1943 by Richard Chase, copyright © renewed 1971 by Richard Chase. Reprinted by permission. Meteorite Crater Seven generations Of the Powell family Have farmed that seven-acre bottom For two hundred years. First oxen—then mules—then horses, And finally a '52 Ford 8N tractor Plowed round and round the field, Throwing the furrow to the outside. Top soil gradually disappeared From the center of the field, Leaving an ashy bed of gravel— Good for saw-briars and drainage. Scientists downstream At the university, While travelling in search Of field trip sites, Discovered A seven-acre field With nearly shoulder-high sloping, rounded edges And a slightly sunken ashy center Containing traces of iridium. Conclusive evidence they said That the Powells had In their possession A genuine meteorite crater. —Bill Best 51 ...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1353/aph.1986.0055","authors":["Bill Best"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-01-12T14:03:16Z","doi":"10.1353/aph.1986.0055","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17077/0031-0360.24883","name":"The Mapleton Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"At about eleven o'clock in the forenoon of June 17, 1939, Harvey Meevers, a farmer residing a few miles east of Mapleton, in Monona County, was cultivating corn in the field southeast of his house.It was his birthday and no doubt his thoughts dwelt occasionally upon that anniver sary.Accidentally his cultivator caught behind a heavy object, which seemed so unusual that he stopped his team and dug it out of the ground for closer examination.\"It seemed heavier than any other stone'' he had ever struck, so he put it on the back of his cultivator for a weight.Driving in from his work in the late afternoon he took it along with him.As he lifted it off the plow he came to the conclu sion that \"it was a mass of iron'', and decided to save it, putting it in the barn for safe-keeping.After doing the usual chores he went to the house for supper.Very soon, however, a severe thun der storm came up and he remembered the large","url":"https://doi.org/10.17077/0031-0360.24883","authors":["Enoch Hur Wilson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-22T16:22:20Z","doi":"10.17077/0031-0360.24883","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/news050110-19","name":"Metal meteorite found on Mars","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/news050110-19","authors":["Mark Peplow"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-09-04T15:33:37Z","doi":"10.1038/news050110-19","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/bf01173572","name":"Meetings","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01173572","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-02-07T10:37:16Z","doi":"10.1007/bf01173572","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.35597/2313-545x-2023-9-4-2","name":"Mineralogy of host rocks of the Osinovskoe gold-quartz deposit (Central Urals)","source":"crossref","abstract":"The paper describes the mineralogy of mica shales of the Osinovskoe gold deposit in the Central Urals. Our studies unraveled the role of dynamometamorphism in the transformation of primary rocks and allowed the characterization of their metasomatic alteration. We showed the relationship between plastic and brittle deformations and the formation of gold-bearing mineral assemblage with major pyrite, pyrrhotite and ilmenite and subordinate and rare sphalerite, chalcopyrite, marcasite, rutile, magnetite, molybdenum, galena, altaite, hessite, melonite, petzite, calaverite, volynskite, and sylvanite. The Ag content of native gold varies from 4 to 29 wt. %. Tellurides are associated with pyrite and pyrrhotite and also form monomineral grains and intergrowths in chlorite and mica with inclusions of REE minerals (xenotime-(Y), monazite-(Ce), hydroxylbastnesite-(Ce)), allanite-(Ce)), REE-bearing minerals (epidote, apatite, zircon), Th silicate (torite), and uraninite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.35597/2313-545x-2023-9-4-2","authors":["N. P. Safina","L. Ya. Kabanova","I. A. Blinov"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-27T00:14:31Z","doi":"10.35597/2313-545x-2023-9-4-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/springerreference_3533","name":"Mantle mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/springerreference_3533","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-08-01T08:41:36Z","doi":"10.1007/springerreference_3533","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/bf01164483","name":"Mineralogy and genesis of vermiculite in serpentinites of the Bohemian Massif in Austria","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01164483","authors":["M. A. G�tzinger"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-02-03T13:47:43Z","doi":"10.1007/bf01164483","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/bf01161825","name":"Errata","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01161825","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-02-02T08:19:11Z","doi":"10.1007/bf01161825","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/bf01163117","name":"Meeting","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01163117","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-02-03T15:08:53Z","doi":"10.1007/bf01163117","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s004100050425","name":"Erratum: Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 127: 176-186","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s004100050425","authors":["Not Available Not Available"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-08-25T04:36:27Z","doi":"10.1007/s004100050425","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/bf01164650","name":"Meetings","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01164650","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-02-03T15:34:49Z","doi":"10.1007/bf01164650","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/springerreference_3555","name":"Optical mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/springerreference_3555","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-08-01T08:41:36Z","doi":"10.1007/springerreference_3555","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/se-2019-131-sc1","name":"Article Correction","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/se-2019-131-sc1","authors":["Milton Costa"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-09-28T16:54:41Z","doi":"10.5194/se-2019-131-sc1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-044450077-9/50003-1","name":"General principles of applied mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-044450077-9/50003-1","authors":["William Petruk"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-09-08T07:17:56Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-044450077-9/50003-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-12648-6_2","name":"Composition and Mineralogy of Clay Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-12648-6_2","authors":["B. Velde"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-02-07T02:56:47Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-12648-6_2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_22","name":"Cosmic-Ray Produced Radionuclides and Rare Gases Near the Surface of Saint-Séverin Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_22","authors":["K. Marti","J. P. Shedlovsky","R. M. Lindstrom","J. R. Arnold","N. G. Bhandari"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-22T08:47:03Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_22","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/pt.5.020329","name":"Mars meteorite did not indicate life","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/pt.5.020329","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-31T10:58:56Z","doi":"10.1063/pt.5.020329","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_1032","name":"Meteorite, Murchison","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_1032","authors":["Laurent Remusat","François Robert"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-27T09:05:47Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_1032","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/bf01166967","name":"Erratum","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01166967","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-02-04T02:38:27Z","doi":"10.1007/bf01166967","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-010-9146-6_6","name":"Meteorite craters","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-9146-6_6","authors":["Claude C. Albritton"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-04-17T22:43:24Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-010-9146-6_6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1130/978-0-8137-2465-2","name":"Large Meteorite Impacts and Planetary Evolution IV","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/978-0-8137-2465-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-02-07T19:18:38Z","doi":"10.1130/978-0-8137-2465-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/rmg.2014.78.1","name":"Modern X-ray Diffraction Methods in Mineralogy and Geosciences","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2014.78.1","authors":["B. Lavina","P. Dera","R. T. Downs"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-02-27T11:33:07Z","doi":"10.2138/rmg.2014.78.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/1-4020-4520-4_257","name":"Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"Long before terrestrial spacecraft visited other bodies in the solar system, rocks from many of those bodies were landing on Earth. Ejected in violent impacts on their home bodies, and having...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4520-4_257","authors":["Timothy D. Swindle"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-04-04T13:15:07Z","doi":"10.1007/1-4020-4520-4_257","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-08768-8_17","name":"Die Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-08768-8_17","authors":["Siegfried Matthes"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-05-23T19:16:55Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-08768-8_17","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2113/0530001a","name":"Dedication","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2113/0530001a","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-03-15T14:43:55Z","doi":"10.2113/0530001a","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-26804-9_31","name":"Die Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-26804-9_31","authors":["Siegfried Matthes"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-06-09T06:02:26Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-26804-9_31","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2113/0540001a","name":"Dedication","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2113/0540001a","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-03-15T14:43:55Z","doi":"10.2113/0540001a","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/gsrmg.43.1.iii","name":"DEDICATION","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gsrmg.43.1.iii","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-05-01T19:58:43Z","doi":"10.2138/gsrmg.43.1.iii","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/gsrmg.55.1.1a","name":"Dedication","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gsrmg.55.1.1a","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-05-01T20:00:01Z","doi":"10.2138/gsrmg.55.1.1a","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1201/9780203753651-3","name":"Mineralogy of Gold","source":"crossref","abstract":"Despite the large number of studies on the chemistry of gold, several of its compounds still remain unexplored. Chemists have long paid attention to the linear double-co-ordination compounds of Au(l), neglected the straight co-ordination compounds of Au(lll), almost left aside the compounds of Au(l and III) with much higher co-ordination numbers, and practically ignored the compounds of Au(ll) and Au(V). Thus the mineralogy of gold has been supplemented over the last 20 years with information on many of its new compounds with sulphur, oxygen, selenium, tellurium, bismuth, antimony and arsenic. In many cases new minerals of gold have been encountered as fine reaction fringes around native gold or its tellurides. The purity of gold and the degree of ordering of its alloys with silver depend on several physical and chemical factors: temperatures and their gradients during crystallisation, redox conditions, acidity-basicity of solutions and the ratio of the activities of the constituents.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1201/9780203753651-3","authors":["I.Ya. Nekrasov"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-10-14T20:00:37Z","doi":"10.1201/9780203753651-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.656Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.10518847","name":"Data repository for \"The provenance of Mg-suite rocks in South Pole-Aitken basin: Evidence from the first lunar norite meteorite Arguin 002\"","source":"datacite","abstract":"This is the data repository for paper entitled \"The provenance of Mg-suite rocks in South Pole-Aitken basin: Evidence from the first lunar norite meteorite Arguin 002\". This data repository includes an EXCEL (.xlsx) file, which incorporates the mineral EPMA compositions (Table S1), mineral trace-element compositions (Table S2), bulk chemistry with robustness test (Table S3), SIMS U-Pb results (Table S4), mineral modal abundances and the launch-region identification results (Table S5), and parameter used to estimate the size of launch crater (Table S6) in the comprehensive study of the lunar norite meteorite, Arguin 002. It also includes a MATLAB code (.m) file, which demonstrates the detailed procedure to generate the launch-region identification results in Table S5.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10518847","authors":["Zilong, Wang","Wei, Tian","Wei-(RZ), Wang","Yuqi, Qian","Ping-Ping, Liu","Wenzhe, Fa","Ao, Su"],"tags":["Lunar meteorite","Norite","Mineralogy","Geochemistry","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences","Launch region"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.10518847","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.10518846","name":"Data repository for \"Genesis and timing of KREEP-free lunar Mg-suite magmatism indicated by the first norite meteorite Arguin 002\"","source":"datacite","abstract":"This is the data repository for paper entitled \"Genesis and timing of KREEP-free lunar Mg-suite magmatism indicated by the first norite meteorite Arguin 002\". This data repository includes two EXCEL (.xlsx) files representing the dataset necessary to interpret, replicate and build upon the methods or findings reported in the article. Regarding the EXCEL file named \"Supplementary Data 1\", it incorporates the mineral EPMA compositions (Table S1), mineral trace-element compositions (Table S2), bulk chemistry (Table S3), SIMS U-Pb results (Table S4), and mineral modal abundances and the launch-region identification results (Table S5) in the comprehensive study of the lunar norite meteorite, Arguin 002. Regarding the EXCEL file named \"Supplementary Data 2\", it incorporates analyses of reference materials in EPMA (Table S1), LA-ICP-MS (Table S2), ICP-MS (Table S3), and SIMS (Table S4).","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10518846","authors":["Wang, Zilong","Tian, Wei","Wang, Wei-(RZ)","Prissel, Tabb","Di, Yankun","Qian, Yuqi","Ping-Ping, Liu","Fa, Wenzhe","Su, Ao"],"tags":["Lunar meteorite","Norite","Mineralogy","Geochemistry","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences","Launch region"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.10518846","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/k69bsr9k3j.1","name":"Petrogenesis of the first noritic eucrite Northwest Africa 8326","source":"datacite","abstract":"EPMA compositions of minerals in NWA 8326 and whole-rock major and trace element compositions of NWA 8326 and other eucrite and diogenite meteorites","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/k69bsr9k3j.1","authors":["Zhang, Ai-Cheng"],"tags":["Meteorite Mineralogy","Planetary Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.17632/k69bsr9k3j.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17863/cam.94644","name":"Observational constraints on the process and products of Martian serpentinization","source":"datacite","abstract":"The alteration of olivine-rich rocks to serpentine minerals, (hydr)oxides, and H2(aq) through serpentinization is long thought to have influenced the distribution of habitable environments on early Mars and the evolution of the early Martian hydrosphere and atmosphere. Nevertheless, the planetary importance of Martian serpentinization has remained a matter of debate; H2 production rates and mechanisms are poorly understood for serpentinization of Fe-rich Martian olivines, and orbital surveys suggest that serpentines are rarely present in the Martian crust. To constrain the process and products of Martian serpentinization, we acquired petrographic, geochemical, mineralogical, and synchrotron-based spectroscopic data on serpentinized Fe-rich olivines from the 1.1 Ga Duluth Complex (Minnesota, USA). These data indicate that serpentinized Fe-rich olivine would have been accompanied by a five-fold increase in H2 production relative to serpentinized terrestrial mantle peridotites. In contrast to previous expectations of mineral products, a vacancy-coupled Fe3+ substitution for Mg2+ in the serpentine octahedral site yields hisingerite (with minor magnetite) as the dominant Fe serpentine mineral at comparatively low temperature and pH, consistent with meteorite mineralogy and in-situ rover data. The widespread occurrence of Fe3+-phyllosilicates in highly magnetized regions of the Martian crust supports the hypothesis that serpentinization was more pervasive on early Mars than currently estimated. Our results provide the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover mission with new and specific mineralogical and geochemical signatures of serpentinization and H2 production as it approaches the largest olivine-bearing lithological unit identified on the surface of Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17863/cam.94644","authors":["Tutolo, Benjamin","Tosca, Nicholas"],"tags":["37 Earth Sciences","51 Physical Sciences","5101 Astronomical Sciences","3703 Geochemistry","3705 Geology"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.17863/cam.94644","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/22nv3skfxf.1","name":"Northwest Africa (NWA) 16788: A New Olivine Microgabbroic Shergottite. Insights Into Martian Magmatism From the Largest Individual Meteorite From Mars","source":"datacite","abstract":"The completed experimental and raw data for the characterization of the NWA 16788 meteorite","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/22nv3skfxf.1","authors":["Shehaj, Xhonatan","Pratesi, Giovanni","Carli, Cristian","Avanzinelli, Riccardo","Stephant, Alice","Franza, Annarita","Ammannito, Eleonora"],"tags":["Meteorite Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.17632/22nv3skfxf.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/ystpymjrmm.2","name":"Data for: Grossite-bearing refractory inclusions from reduced CV chondrites: Mineralogical and oxygen isotopic constraints on the parent body alteration history","source":"datacite","abstract":"Data in the manuscript by Han et al. to be published in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta as \"Grossite-bearing refractory inclusions from reduced CV chondrites: Mineralogical and oxygen isotopic constraints on the parent body alteration history\".","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/ystpymjrmm.2","authors":["Han, Jangmi","Nagashima, Kazuhide","Park, Changkun","Krot, Alexander","Keller, Lindsay"],"tags":["Meteoritics","Meteorite Mineralogy","Electron Microscopy","Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry","Cosmochemistry","Oxygen Isotope"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.17632/ystpymjrmm.2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/86n8dm9w9z.3","name":"Benner et al. (2024), Microstructural analysis of P","source":"datacite","abstract":"Supplementary information and model data associated with Benner et al. (2024).","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/86n8dm9w9z.3","authors":["Benner, Maizey"],"tags":["Thermodynamics","Meteorite Mineralogy","Planetary Science"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.17632/86n8dm9w9z.3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/86n8dm9w9z.1","name":"Benner et al. (2024), Microstructural analysis of P","source":"datacite","abstract":"Supplementary information and model data associated with Benner et al. (2024).","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/86n8dm9w9z.1","authors":["Benner, Maizey"],"tags":["Thermodynamics","Meteorite Mineralogy","Planetary Science"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.17632/86n8dm9w9z.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/86n8dm9w9z.2","name":"Benner et al. (2024), Microstructural analysis of P","source":"datacite","abstract":"Supplementary information and model data associated with Benner et al. (2024).","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/86n8dm9w9z.2","authors":["Benner, Maizey"],"tags":["Thermodynamics","Meteorite Mineralogy","Planetary Science"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.17632/86n8dm9w9z.2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.13648494","name":"Studies of Brazilian meteorites of the Museu Nacional – I: Petrography and mineralogy of the Santa Vitória do Palmar, Rio Grande do Sul, L3 chondrite meteorite","source":"datacite","abstract":"(Uploaded by Plazi from the Biodiversity Heritage Library) No abstract provided.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13648494","authors":["Zucolotto, M. Elizabeth","Antonello, Loiva L"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.13648494","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.13648493","name":"Studies of Brazilian meteorites of the Museu Nacional – I: Petrography and mineralogy of the Santa Vitória do Palmar, Rio Grande do Sul, L3 chondrite meteorite","source":"datacite","abstract":"(Uploaded by Plazi from the Biodiversity Heritage Library) No abstract provided.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13648493","authors":["Zucolotto, M. Elizabeth","Antonello, Loiva L"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.13648493","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6634982.v1","name":"The spatial distribution of soluble organic matter and their relationship to minerals in the asteroid (162173) Ryugu","source":"datacite","abstract":"Abstract We performed in-situ analysis on a ~ 1 mm-sized grain A0080 returned by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft from near-Earth asteroid (162173) Ryugu to investigate the relationship of soluble organic matter (SOM) to minerals. Desorption electrospray ionization-high resolution mass spectrometry (DESI-HRMS) imaging mapped more than 200 CHN, CHO, CHO–Na (sodium adducted), and CHNO soluble organic compounds. A heterogeneous spatial distribution was observed for different compound classes of SOM as well as among alkylated homologues on the sample surface. The A0080 sample showed mineralogy more like an Ivuna-type (CI) carbonaceous chondrite than other meteorites. It contained two different lithologies, which are either rich (lithology 1) or poor (lithology 2) in magnetite, pyrrhotite, and dolomite. CHN compounds were more concentrated in lithology 1 than in lithology 2; on the other hand, CHO, CHO–Na, and CHNO compounds were distributed in both lithologies. Such different spatial distribution of SOM is likely the result of interaction of the SOM with minerals, during precipitation of the SOM via fluid activity, or could be due to difference in transportation efficiencies of SOMs in aqueous fluid. Organic-related ions measured by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF–SIMS) did not coincide with the spatial distribution revealed by DESI-HRMS imaging. This result may be because the different ionization mechanism between DESI and SIMS, or indicate that the ToF–SIMS data would be mainly derived from methanol-insoluble organic matter in A0080. In the Orgueil meteorite, such relationship between altered minerals and SOM distributions was not observed by DESI-HRMS analysis and field-emission scanning electron microscopy, which would result from differences of SOM formation processes and sequent alteration process on the parent bodies or even on the Earth. Alkylated homologues of CHN compounds were identified in A0080 by DESI-HRMS imaging as observed in the Murchison meteorite, but not from the Orgueil meteorite. These compounds with a large C number were enriched in Murchison fragments with abundant carbonate grains. In contrast, such relationship was not observed in A0080, implying different formation or growth mechanisms for the alkylated CHN compounds by interaction with fluid and minerals on the Murchison parent body and asteroid Ryugu. Graphical Abstract","url":"https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6634982.v1","authors":["Hashiguchi, Minako","Aoki, Dan","Fukushima, Kazuhiko","Naraoka, Hiroshi","Takano, Yoshinori","Dworkin, Jason P.","Dworkin, Karin E.","Aponte, José C.","Elsila, Jamie E.","Eiler, John M.","Furukawa, Yoshihiro","Furusho, Aogu","Glavin, Daniel P.","Graham, Heather V.","Hamase, Kenji","Hertkorn, Norbert","Isa, Junko","Koga, Toshiki","McLain, Hannah L.","Mita, Hajime","Oba, Yasuhiro","Ogawa, Nanako O.","Ohkouchi, Naohiko","Orthous-Daunay, Francois-Regis","Parker, Eric T.","Ruf, Alexander","Sakai, Saburo","Schmitt-Kopplin, Philippe","Sugahara, Haruna","Thissen, Roland","Vuitton, Véronique","Wolters, Cédric","Yoshimura, Toshihiro","Yurimoto, Hisayoshi","Nakamura, Tomoki","Noguchi, Takaaki","Okazaki, Ryuji","Yabuta, Hikaru","Sakamoto, Kanako","Tachibana, Shogo","Yada, Toru","Nishimura, Masahiro","Nakato, Aiko","Miyazaki, Akiko","Yogata, Kasumi","Abe, Masanao","Usui, Tomohiro","Yoshikawa, Makoto","Saiki, Takanao","Tanaka, Satoshi","Terui, Fuyuto","Nakazawa, Satoru","Watanabe, Sei-ichiro","Tsuda, Yuichi"],"tags":["Geology","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6634982.v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6634982","name":"The spatial distribution of soluble organic matter and their relationship to minerals in the asteroid (162173) Ryugu","source":"datacite","abstract":"Abstract We performed in-situ analysis on a ~ 1 mm-sized grain A0080 returned by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft from near-Earth asteroid (162173) Ryugu to investigate the relationship of soluble organic matter (SOM) to minerals. Desorption electrospray ionization-high resolution mass spectrometry (DESI-HRMS) imaging mapped more than 200 CHN, CHO, CHO–Na (sodium adducted), and CHNO soluble organic compounds. A heterogeneous spatial distribution was observed for different compound classes of SOM as well as among alkylated homologues on the sample surface. The A0080 sample showed mineralogy more like an Ivuna-type (CI) carbonaceous chondrite than other meteorites. It contained two different lithologies, which are either rich (lithology 1) or poor (lithology 2) in magnetite, pyrrhotite, and dolomite. CHN compounds were more concentrated in lithology 1 than in lithology 2; on the other hand, CHO, CHO–Na, and CHNO compounds were distributed in both lithologies. Such different spatial distribution of SOM is likely the result of interaction of the SOM with minerals, during precipitation of the SOM via fluid activity, or could be due to difference in transportation efficiencies of SOMs in aqueous fluid. Organic-related ions measured by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF–SIMS) did not coincide with the spatial distribution revealed by DESI-HRMS imaging. This result may be because the different ionization mechanism between DESI and SIMS, or indicate that the ToF–SIMS data would be mainly derived from methanol-insoluble organic matter in A0080. In the Orgueil meteorite, such relationship between altered minerals and SOM distributions was not observed by DESI-HRMS analysis and field-emission scanning electron microscopy, which would result from differences of SOM formation processes and sequent alteration process on the parent bodies or even on the Earth. Alkylated homologues of CHN compounds were identified in A0080 by DESI-HRMS imaging as observed in the Murchison meteorite, but not from the Orgueil meteorite. These compounds with a large C number were enriched in Murchison fragments with abundant carbonate grains. In contrast, such relationship was not observed in A0080, implying different formation or growth mechanisms for the alkylated CHN compounds by interaction with fluid and minerals on the Murchison parent body and asteroid Ryugu. Graphical Abstract","url":"https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6634982","authors":["Hashiguchi, Minako","Aoki, Dan","Fukushima, Kazuhiko","Naraoka, Hiroshi","Takano, Yoshinori","Dworkin, Jason P.","Dworkin, Karin E.","Aponte, José C.","Elsila, Jamie E.","Eiler, John M.","Furukawa, Yoshihiro","Furusho, Aogu","Glavin, Daniel P.","Graham, Heather V.","Hamase, Kenji","Hertkorn, Norbert","Isa, Junko","Koga, Toshiki","McLain, Hannah L.","Mita, Hajime","Oba, Yasuhiro","Ogawa, Nanako O.","Ohkouchi, Naohiko","Orthous-Daunay, Francois-Regis","Parker, Eric T.","Ruf, Alexander","Sakai, Saburo","Schmitt-Kopplin, Philippe","Sugahara, Haruna","Thissen, Roland","Vuitton, Véronique","Wolters, Cédric","Yoshimura, Toshihiro","Yurimoto, Hisayoshi","Nakamura, Tomoki","Noguchi, Takaaki","Okazaki, Ryuji","Yabuta, Hikaru","Sakamoto, Kanako","Tachibana, Shogo","Yada, Toru","Nishimura, Masahiro","Nakato, Aiko","Miyazaki, Akiko","Yogata, Kasumi","Abe, Masanao","Usui, Tomohiro","Yoshikawa, Makoto","Saiki, Takanao","Tanaka, Satoshi","Terui, Fuyuto","Nakazawa, Satoru","Watanabe, Sei-ichiro","Tsuda, Yuichi"],"tags":["Geology","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6634982","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/ystpymjrmm.1","name":"Data for: Grossite-bearing refractory inclusions from reduced CV chondrites: Mineralogical and oxygen isotopic constraints on the parent body alteration history","source":"datacite","abstract":"Data for all figures and tables in the manuscript by Han et al. to be published in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta as \"Grossite-bearing refractory inclusions from reduced CV chondrites: Mineralogical and oxygen isotopic constraints on the parent body alteration history\".","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/ystpymjrmm.1","authors":["Han, Jangmi"],"tags":["Meteoritics","Meteorite Mineralogy","Electron Microscopy","Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry","Cosmochemistry","Oxygen Isotope"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.17632/ystpymjrmm.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/5ycc5gs9rs.2","name":"CLOs_KOOL_SHIB_in_AMMs_and_IDP_Noguchi","source":"datacite","abstract":"Source data of Figs. 5a, b, 6a, b, c, d, 7a, b, 8, 9, 12a, b, c, d, e, f, 13, 14, S2, S4, S5e, S6a, b, c, d, S7a, b, S8a, b, c, d.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/5ycc5gs9rs.2","authors":["Noguchi, Takaaki"],"tags":["Meteorite Mineralogy","Meteorite Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.17632/5ycc5gs9rs.2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/5ycc5gs9rs.1","name":"CLOs_KOOL_SHIB_in_AMMs_and_IDP_Noguchi","source":"datacite","abstract":"Source data of Figs. 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 7a, 7b, 8, 9, 12e, 13a, 13b, 13c, 13e, 13d, 13f, 14, 15, S2, S4a, S4b, S4c, S5, S6a, S6b, S6c, S7, S8, and S9.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/5ycc5gs9rs.1","authors":["Noguchi, Takaaki"],"tags":["Meteorite Mineralogy","Meteorite Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.17632/5ycc5gs9rs.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.60692/d3s3j-m5197","name":"Cordierite-based ceramics from stevensite clay and coal fly ash","source":"datacite","abstract":"Cordierite-based ceramic is one of the most interesting engineering materials that has attractive and multidisciplinary assets, such as low thermal expansion coefficient, excellent thermal shock resistance, high refractoriness, good mechanical properties, and so on. In this work, cordierite-based ceramics were prepared mainly from stevensite-rich clay or coal fly ash (CFA) and stevensite-rich clay using a solid-state interaction process. The influence of heating temperature, in the range of 800–1250°C, and starting materials on the microstructure-temperature evolutions and mechanical strength were evaluated using TGA-DTA, XRD, FTIR, SEM, and dilatometric analysis. The results revealed, for both formulations heating in the temperature range 800–1100°C, the transformation of stevensite-rich clay into enstatite and its polymorphisms. Further heating induced the formation of the cordierite phase at 1200°C, for the formulation consisted mainly of stevensite-rich clay and CFA, and at 1250°C for that contained mainly stevensite-rich clay. The addition of CFA to stevensite-rich clay enhanced its reactivity and involved the increase in mechanical strength from 5 MPa to 15 MPa at 1200°C.","url":"https://doi.org/10.60692/d3s3j-m5197","authors":["Hanaa Hajjou","Kamal Tabit","Latifa Saâdi","Mohamed Waqif"],"tags":["Utilization of Waste Materials in Construction and Ceramics","Building and Construction","Engineering","Physical Sciences","Geopolymer and Alternative Cementitious Materials","Civil and Structural Engineering","Ceramic Materials and Processing","Ceramics and Composites"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.60692/d3s3j-m5197","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.60692/nyrwb-nga71","name":"Cordierite-based ceramics from stevensite clay and coal fly ash","source":"datacite","abstract":"Cordierite-based ceramic is one of the most interesting engineering materials that has attractive and multidisciplinary assets, such as low thermal expansion coefficient, excellent thermal shock resistance, high refractoriness, good mechanical properties, and so on. In this work, cordierite-based ceramics were prepared mainly from stevensite-rich clay or coal fly ash (CFA) and stevensite-rich clay using a solid-state interaction process. The influence of heating temperature, in the range of 800–1250°C, and starting materials on the microstructure-temperature evolutions and mechanical strength were evaluated using TGA-DTA, XRD, FTIR, SEM, and dilatometric analysis. The results revealed, for both formulations heating in the temperature range 800–1100°C, the transformation of stevensite-rich clay into enstatite and its polymorphisms. Further heating induced the formation of the cordierite phase at 1200°C, for the formulation consisted mainly of stevensite-rich clay and CFA, and at 1250°C for that contained mainly stevensite-rich clay. The addition of CFA to stevensite-rich clay enhanced its reactivity and involved the increase in mechanical strength from 5 MPa to 15 MPa at 1200°C.","url":"https://doi.org/10.60692/nyrwb-nga71","authors":["Hanaa Hajjou","Kamal Tabit","Latifa Saâdi","Mohamed Waqif"],"tags":["Utilization of Waste Materials in Construction and Ceramics","Building and Construction","Engineering","Physical Sciences","Geopolymer and Alternative Cementitious Materials","Civil and Structural Engineering","Ceramic Materials and Processing","Ceramics and Composites"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.60692/nyrwb-nga71","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/9bsywddwzy.1","name":"Leroux-et-al-GCA-2024","source":"datacite","abstract":"Raw data for all figures in the manuscript by Leroux et al, submitted to Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta as \"Submicrometric anhydrous crystalline silicates and their relation to amorphous silicate in the matrix of Acfer 094\".","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/9bsywddwzy.1","authors":["Leroux, Hugues"],"tags":["Geochemistry","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences","Mineralogy","Electron Microscopy","Solar System Formation","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.17632/9bsywddwzy.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.12573101","name":"Probing the evolution of primitive achondrite parent bodies: insights from LA-ICP-MS analysis of silicate minerals","source":"datacite","abstract":"Ureilites and acapulcoite-lodranite clan (ALC) meteorites are attractive targets to study the processes of early planetary differentiation, in which an unsorted mass of primitive meteoritic material evolves into a body with a silicate mantle and metallic core. These achondrites record the earliest stages of planetary differentiation: ALC meteorites are products of thermal metamorphism and low degree melt extraction from a primitive asteroid, and main group ureilites represent ultramafic mantle restites after extraction of metal and basaltic melts. As such, constraining the geochemistry of these ultramafic achondrite meteorites refines our understanding of the first critical stages of the planetary evolution. Here, we present trace and major element contents in the major silicate minerals (olivine, augite, orthopyroxene and plagioclase) of 10 ureilites and 7 ALC meteorites measured in situ using LA-ICP-MS. The Fe/Mg/Mn relations within both meteorite groups confirm the absence of any igneous fractionation processes and Fe loss/gain, while high-Ca pyroxene in ALC suggests that these minerals are affected by low degree partial melting. The Cr distribution between olivine and pigenonite in ureilites, when interpreted as a geothermometer, [1] yields equilibration temperature ranges that are in good agreement with previous results for pyroxene. REE mass fractions of the ALC silicates reflect the complex nature of partial melting and migration of basaltic melts on the parent body scale. The mass fraction of moderately volatile elements, such as Cr, Mn, Zn, Pb, Cu are found to be depleted in silicate minerals compared to the chondritic reservoir, likely as a result of evaporation/condensation processes, either (i) due to incomplete condensation from the nebula, or (ii) due to evaporative losses from the parent body by e.g. catastrophic impacts. At the same time, the distribution of Zn between olivine, pyroxene and plagioclase minerals suggests that Zn can be fractionated during partial melting of the primitive ultramafic lithologies. Combined, major and trace element systematics of silicate minerals in ALC and ureilites enable to reconstruct the meteorite petrogenesis complimentary to the partial melting histories of the parent body, described based on their petrology and mineralogy. Importantly, the element compositions do not correlate with the oxygen isotopic signatures, which are thought to record nebular processes. The ability to measure trace element compositions in separate minerals in situ adds an extra dimension in understanding complex processes during partial melting and cooling of asteroidal parent bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12573101","authors":["Chernonozhkin, Stepan","Goderis, Steven","Van Acker, Thibaut","Vanhaecke, Frank"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.12573101","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.12573102","name":"Probing the evolution of primitive achondrite parent bodies: insights from LA-ICP-MS analysis of silicate minerals","source":"datacite","abstract":"Ureilites and acapulcoite-lodranite clan (ALC) meteorites are attractive targets to study the processes of early planetary differentiation, in which an unsorted mass of primitive meteoritic material evolves into a body with a silicate mantle and metallic core. These achondrites record the earliest stages of planetary differentiation: ALC meteorites are products of thermal metamorphism and low degree melt extraction from a primitive asteroid, and main group ureilites represent ultramafic mantle restites after extraction of metal and basaltic melts. As such, constraining the geochemistry of these ultramafic achondrite meteorites refines our understanding of the first critical stages of the planetary evolution. Here, we present trace and major element contents in the major silicate minerals (olivine, augite, orthopyroxene and plagioclase) of 10 ureilites and 7 ALC meteorites measured in situ using LA-ICP-MS. The Fe/Mg/Mn relations within both meteorite groups confirm the absence of any igneous fractionation processes and Fe loss/gain, while high-Ca pyroxene in ALC suggests that these minerals are affected by low degree partial melting. The Cr distribution between olivine and pigenonite in ureilites, when interpreted as a geothermometer, [1] yields equilibration temperature ranges that are in good agreement with previous results for pyroxene. REE mass fractions of the ALC silicates reflect the complex nature of partial melting and migration of basaltic melts on the parent body scale. The mass fraction of moderately volatile elements, such as Cr, Mn, Zn, Pb, Cu are found to be depleted in silicate minerals compared to the chondritic reservoir, likely as a result of evaporation/condensation processes, either (i) due to incomplete condensation from the nebula, or (ii) due to evaporative losses from the parent body by e.g. catastrophic impacts. At the same time, the distribution of Zn between olivine, pyroxene and plagioclase minerals suggests that Zn can be fractionated during partial melting of the primitive ultramafic lithologies. Combined, major and trace element systematics of silicate minerals in ALC and ureilites enable to reconstruct the meteorite petrogenesis complimentary to the partial melting histories of the parent body, described based on their petrology and mineralogy. Importantly, the element compositions do not correlate with the oxygen isotopic signatures, which are thought to record nebular processes. The ability to measure trace element compositions in separate minerals in situ adds an extra dimension in understanding complex processes during partial melting and cooling of asteroidal parent bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12573102","authors":["Chernonozhkin, Stepan","Goderis, Steven","Van Acker, Thibaut","Vanhaecke, Frank"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.12573102","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1594/pangaea.772040","name":"Results of analyses of unmelted meteoritic debris collected from Eltanin ejecta in three sediment core from POLARSTERN cruise ANT-XII/4","source":"datacite","abstract":"A total of 1.7 g of unmelted meteorite particles have been recovered from FS Polarstern piston cores collected on expedition ANT XII/4 that contain ejecta from the Eltanin impact event. Most of the mass (1.2 g) is a large, single specimen that is a polymict breccia, similar in mineralogy and chemistry to howardites or the silicate fraction of mesosiderites. Most of the remaining mass is in several large individual pieces (20-75mg each) that are polymict breccias, fragments dominated by pyroxene, and an igneous rock fragment. The latter has highly fractionated REE, similar to those reported in mafic clasts from mesosiderites. Other types of specimens identified include fragments dominated by maskelynite or olivine. These pieces of the projectile probably survived impact by being blown off the back surface of the Eltanin asteroid during its impact into the Bellingshausen Sea.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1594/pangaea.772040","authors":["Kyte, Frank T"],"tags":["Piston corer (BGR type)","ANT-XII/4","Polarstern"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002","doi":"10.1594/pangaea.772040","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/k8kv2t8kby.1","name":"Data for: Brachinites and ungrouped achondrites with brachinite-affinity: sampling a single heterogeneous parent body","source":"datacite","abstract":"Raw data that were used for the mineralogical and geochemical analyses throughout the main text and supplementary material. In red, brachinites; in yellow, ungrouped brachinites like achondrites","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/k8kv2t8kby.1","authors":["Pratesi, Giovanni"],"tags":["Geochemistry","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences","Meteorite Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.17632/k8kv2t8kby.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.60692/xqe9x-dqj69","name":"Graphite-Based Geothermometry on Almahata Sitta Ureilitic Meteorites","source":"datacite","abstract":"The thermal history of carbon phases, including graphite and diamond, in the ureilite meteorites has implications for the formation, igneous evolution, and impact disruption of their parent body early in the history of the Solar System. Geothermometry data were obtained by micro-Raman spectroscopy on graphite in Almahata Sitta (AhS) ureilites AhS 72, AhS 209b and AhS A135A from the University of Khartoum collection. In these samples, graphite shows G-band peak centers between 1578 and 1585 cm−1 and the full width at half maximum values correspond to a crystallization temperature of 1266 °C for graphite for AhS 209b, 1242 °C for AhS 72, and 1332 °C for AhS A135A. Recent work on AhS 72 and AhS 209b has shown graphite associated with nanodiamonds and argued that this assemblage formed due to an impact-event. Our samples show disordered graphite with a crystalline domain size ranging between about 70 and 140 nm. The nanometric grain-size of the recrystallized graphite indicates that it records a shock event and thus argues that the temperatures we obtained are related to such an event, rather than the primary igneous processing of the ureilite parent body.","url":"https://doi.org/10.60692/xqe9x-dqj69","authors":["Anna Barbaro","M. C. Domeneghetti","C. A. Goodrich","Moreno Meneghetti","Lucio Litti","A. M. Fioretti","Peter Jenniskens","M. H. Shaddad","Fabrizio Nestola"],"tags":["Mantle Dynamics and Earth's Structure","Geophysics","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences","Earth and Planetary Sciences","Physical Sciences","Formation and Evolution of the Solar System","Astronomy and Astrophysics","Physics and Astronomy"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.60692/xqe9x-dqj69","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.60692/e5hps-sc575","name":"Graphite-Based Geothermometry on Almahata Sitta Ureilitic Meteorites","source":"datacite","abstract":"The thermal history of carbon phases, including graphite and diamond, in the ureilite meteorites has implications for the formation, igneous evolution, and impact disruption of their parent body early in the history of the Solar System. Geothermometry data were obtained by micro-Raman spectroscopy on graphite in Almahata Sitta (AhS) ureilites AhS 72, AhS 209b and AhS A135A from the University of Khartoum collection. In these samples, graphite shows G-band peak centers between 1578 and 1585 cm−1 and the full width at half maximum values correspond to a crystallization temperature of 1266 °C for graphite for AhS 209b, 1242 °C for AhS 72, and 1332 °C for AhS A135A. Recent work on AhS 72 and AhS 209b has shown graphite associated with nanodiamonds and argued that this assemblage formed due to an impact-event. Our samples show disordered graphite with a crystalline domain size ranging between about 70 and 140 nm. The nanometric grain-size of the recrystallized graphite indicates that it records a shock event and thus argues that the temperatures we obtained are related to such an event, rather than the primary igneous processing of the ureilite parent body.","url":"https://doi.org/10.60692/e5hps-sc575","authors":["Anna Barbaro","M. C. Domeneghetti","C. A. Goodrich","Moreno Meneghetti","Lucio Litti","A. M. Fioretti","Peter Jenniskens","M. H. Shaddad","Fabrizio Nestola"],"tags":["Mantle Dynamics and Earth's Structure","Geophysics","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences","Earth and Planetary Sciences","Physical Sciences","Formation and Evolution of the Solar System","Astronomy and Astrophysics","Physics and Astronomy"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.60692/e5hps-sc575","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.60692/ys01b-fjt94","name":"Parauapebas meteorite from Pará, Brazil, a \"hammer\" breccia chondrite","source":"datacite","abstract":"The Parauapebas meteorite, third official meteorite discovered in the Brazilian Amazon region, is a \"hammer meteorite\" which fell on December 9th, 2013, in the city of Parauapebas, Pará State, Brazil. Mineralogy is dominated by forsterite, enstatite, iron, troilite, and tetrataenite. Albite, chromite, diopside, augite, pigeonite, taenite, and merrillite are minor components. Two main clasts are separated by black shock-induced melt veins. One clast exhibits an abundance of chondrules with well-defined margins set on a recrystallized matrix composed mostly of forsterite and enstatite, consistent with petrologic type 4 chondrites. The other clast displays chondrules with outlines blurring into the groundmass as evidence of increasing recrystallization, consistent with petrologic type 5 chondrites. The clasts of petrologic type 4 have a fine-grained texture compared to those of type 5. It is a genomict breccia (indicated by shock melt veins) with the clasts and matrix of the same compositional group, but different petrologic types, H4 and H5. The melted outer crust of the Parauapebas meteorite is comprised of forsterite with interstitial dendritic iron oxide, and is rich in irregular vesicles, which are evidence of the rapid formation of the crust. The type specimen is deposited in the Museum of Geosciences of the University of São Paulo, Brazil.","url":"https://doi.org/10.60692/ys01b-fjt94","authors":["Daniel Atencio","Dorília Cunha","André Luiz Ribeiro Moutinho","M. E. Zucolotto","Amanda Araújo Tosi","Caio Vidaurre Nassif Villaça"],"tags":["Formation and Evolution of the Solar System","Astronomy and Astrophysics","Physics and Astronomy","Physical Sciences","Exploration and Study of Mars","Application of Stable Isotopes in Trophic Ecology","Ecology","FOS: Biological sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.60692/ys01b-fjt94","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.60692/4s5v7-xc848","name":"Parauapebas meteorite from Pará, Brazil, a \"hammer\" breccia chondrite","source":"datacite","abstract":"The Parauapebas meteorite, third official meteorite discovered in the Brazilian Amazon region, is a \"hammer meteorite\" which fell on December 9th, 2013, in the city of Parauapebas, Pará State, Brazil. Mineralogy is dominated by forsterite, enstatite, iron, troilite, and tetrataenite. Albite, chromite, diopside, augite, pigeonite, taenite, and merrillite are minor components. Two main clasts are separated by black shock-induced melt veins. One clast exhibits an abundance of chondrules with well-defined margins set on a recrystallized matrix composed mostly of forsterite and enstatite, consistent with petrologic type 4 chondrites. The other clast displays chondrules with outlines blurring into the groundmass as evidence of increasing recrystallization, consistent with petrologic type 5 chondrites. The clasts of petrologic type 4 have a fine-grained texture compared to those of type 5. It is a genomict breccia (indicated by shock melt veins) with the clasts and matrix of the same compositional group, but different petrologic types, H4 and H5. The melted outer crust of the Parauapebas meteorite is comprised of forsterite with interstitial dendritic iron oxide, and is rich in irregular vesicles, which are evidence of the rapid formation of the crust. The type specimen is deposited in the Museum of Geosciences of the University of São Paulo, Brazil.","url":"https://doi.org/10.60692/4s5v7-xc848","authors":["Daniel Atencio","Dorília Cunha","André Luiz Ribeiro Moutinho","M. E. Zucolotto","Amanda Araújo Tosi","Caio Vidaurre Nassif Villaça"],"tags":["Formation and Evolution of the Solar System","Astronomy and Astrophysics","Physics and Astronomy","Physical Sciences","Exploration and Study of Mars","Application of Stable Isotopes in Trophic Ecology","Ecology","FOS: Biological sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.60692/4s5v7-xc848","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.60692/6frrs-xvy59","name":"Color electron microprobe cathodoluminescence of Bishunpur meteorite compared with the traditional optical microscopy method","source":"datacite","abstract":"Color electron microprobe cathodoluminescence of Bishunpur meteorite compared with the traditional optical microscopy method","url":"https://doi.org/10.60692/6frrs-xvy59","authors":["Amanda Araújo Tosi","M. E. Zucolotto","Júlio Cézar Mendes","Isabel Pereira Ludka","Fernando de Souza Gonçalves Vasques"],"tags":["Formation and Evolution of the Solar System","Astronomy and Astrophysics","Physics and Astronomy","Physical Sciences","Exploration and Study of Mars","Tectonic and Geochronological Evolution of Orogens","Geophysics","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","doi":"10.60692/6frrs-xvy59","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.60692/s2830-nq444","name":"Color electron microprobe cathodoluminescence of Bishunpur meteorite compared with the traditional optical microscopy method","source":"datacite","abstract":"Color electron microprobe cathodoluminescence of Bishunpur meteorite compared with the traditional optical microscopy method","url":"https://doi.org/10.60692/s2830-nq444","authors":["Amanda Araújo Tosi","M. E. Zucolotto","Júlio Cézar Mendes","Isabel Pereira Ludka","Fernando de Souza Gonçalves Vasques"],"tags":["Formation and Evolution of the Solar System","Astronomy and Astrophysics","Physics and Astronomy","Physical Sciences","Exploration and Study of Mars","Tectonic and Geochronological Evolution of Orogens","Geophysics","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","doi":"10.60692/s2830-nq444","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.60692/3b8jy-6xz95","name":"Serra Pelada: the first Amazonian Meteorite fall is a Eucrite (basalt) from Asteroid 4-Vesta","source":"datacite","abstract":"Serra Pelada is the newest Brazilian eucrite and the first recovered fall from Amazonia (State of Pará, Brazil, June 29th 2017). In this paper, we report on its petrography, chemistry, mineralogy and its magnetic properties. Study of four thin sections reveals that the meteorite is brecciated, containing basaltic and gabbroic clasts, as well of recrystallized impact melt, embedded into a fine-medium grained matrix. Chemical analyses suggest that Serra Pelada is a monomict basaltic eucritic breccia, and that the meteorite is a normal member of the HED suite. Our results provide additional geological and compositional information on the lithological diversity of its parent body. The mineralogy of Serra Pelada consists basically of low-Ca pyroxene and high-Ca plagioclase with accessory minerals such as quartz, sulphide (troilite), chromite - ulvöspinel and ilmenite. These data are consistent with the meteorite being an eucrite, a basaltic achondrite and a member of the howardite-eucrite-diogenite (HED) clan of meteorites which most likely are from the crust asteroid 4 Vesta.","url":"https://doi.org/10.60692/3b8jy-6xz95","authors":["M. E. Zucolotto","Amanda Araújo Tosi","Caio Vidaurre Nassif Villaça","André Luiz Ribeiro Moutinho","D.A. Andrade","Fabiano Richard Leite Faulstich","A. M. Gomes","Débora Correia Rios","Marcilio C. Rocha"],"tags":["Formation and Evolution of the Solar System","Astronomy and Astrophysics","Physics and Astronomy","Physical Sciences","Exploration and Study of Mars","Application of Stable Isotopes in Trophic Ecology","Ecology","FOS: Biological sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","doi":"10.60692/3b8jy-6xz95","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.60692/7mx5y-jzb45","name":"Serra Pelada: the first Amazonian Meteorite fall is a Eucrite (basalt) from Asteroid 4-Vesta","source":"datacite","abstract":"Serra Pelada is the newest Brazilian eucrite and the first recovered fall from Amazonia (State of Pará, Brazil, June 29th 2017). In this paper, we report on its petrography, chemistry, mineralogy and its magnetic properties. Study of four thin sections reveals that the meteorite is brecciated, containing basaltic and gabbroic clasts, as well of recrystallized impact melt, embedded into a fine-medium grained matrix. Chemical analyses suggest that Serra Pelada is a monomict basaltic eucritic breccia, and that the meteorite is a normal member of the HED suite. Our results provide additional geological and compositional information on the lithological diversity of its parent body. The mineralogy of Serra Pelada consists basically of low-Ca pyroxene and high-Ca plagioclase with accessory minerals such as quartz, sulphide (troilite), chromite - ulvöspinel and ilmenite. These data are consistent with the meteorite being an eucrite, a basaltic achondrite and a member of the howardite-eucrite-diogenite (HED) clan of meteorites which most likely are from the crust asteroid 4 Vesta.","url":"https://doi.org/10.60692/7mx5y-jzb45","authors":["M. E. Zucolotto","Amanda Araújo Tosi","Caio Vidaurre Nassif Villaça","André Luiz Ribeiro Moutinho","D.A. Andrade","Fabiano Richard Leite Faulstich","A. M. Gomes","Débora Correia Rios","Marcilio C. Rocha"],"tags":["Formation and Evolution of the Solar System","Astronomy and Astrophysics","Physics and Astronomy","Physical Sciences","Exploration and Study of Mars","Application of Stable Isotopes in Trophic Ecology","Ecology","FOS: Biological sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","doi":"10.60692/7mx5y-jzb45","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.60692/0v6q1-gzb36","name":"The K and Th concentration in the Martian crust: insights from multi-scale analyses","source":"datacite","abstract":"The univariate statistics of potassium (K) and thorium (Th) concentrations in the oceanic and continental crust of the Earth has been recently investigated from geochemical databases and airborne radiometric surveys [1].This study demonstrates that the frequency distributions of these elements are scale-dependent.There are right-skewed for small-scale samples (typical volume of rocks analyzed for an individual sample in a dataset) but tend to be more symmetric for large-scale samples.The right-skewed behavior of K and Th is attributed to their incompatible behavior during partial melting or fractional crystallization.The scale-dependence and evolution toward normal distributions are a direct consequence of the central limit theorem applied to K and Th concentrations.The results of the results of this study may be applied to Mars, using the Mars Odyssey global","url":"https://doi.org/10.60692/0v6q1-gzb36","authors":["David Baratoux","F. Makhoudia","Pierre‐Yves Meslin","P. Ndiaye","Lenka Baratoux","Jean‐François Moyen","Mark Jessell","Olivier Vanderhaeghe"],"tags":["Machine Learning for Mineral Prospectivity Mapping","Artificial Intelligence","Computer Science","Physical Sciences","Digital Soil Mapping Techniques","Environmental Engineering","FOS: Environmental engineering","Environmental Science"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.60692/0v6q1-gzb36","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.60692/ba0v8-fdm44","name":"The K and Th concentration in the Martian crust: insights from multi-scale analyses","source":"datacite","abstract":"The univariate statistics of potassium (K) and thorium (Th) concentrations in the oceanic and continental crust of the Earth has been recently investigated from geochemical databases and airborne radiometric surveys [1].This study demonstrates that the frequency distributions of these elements are scale-dependent.There are right-skewed for small-scale samples (typical volume of rocks analyzed for an individual sample in a dataset) but tend to be more symmetric for large-scale samples.The right-skewed behavior of K and Th is attributed to their incompatible behavior during partial melting or fractional crystallization.The scale-dependence and evolution toward normal distributions are a direct consequence of the central limit theorem applied to K and Th concentrations.The results of the results of this study may be applied to Mars, using the Mars Odyssey global","url":"https://doi.org/10.60692/ba0v8-fdm44","authors":["David Baratoux","F. Makhoudia","Pierre‐Yves Meslin","P. Ndiaye","Lenka Baratoux","Jean‐François Moyen","Mark Jessell","Olivier Vanderhaeghe"],"tags":["Machine Learning for Mineral Prospectivity Mapping","Artificial Intelligence","Computer Science","Physical Sciences","Digital Soil Mapping Techniques","Environmental Engineering","FOS: Environmental engineering","Environmental Science"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.60692/ba0v8-fdm44","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2404.15424","name":"Meteorites and Planet Formation","source":"datacite","abstract":"Meteorites are a remarkable resource. They capture the imagination of people worldwide with their spectacular entry through Earth's atmosphere as fireballs, and their exotic character of being pieces of other worlds. Scientifically, they are critical to interpreting the early stages of formation of the Solar System, as well as the geological evolution of asteroids, the Moon, and Mars, and they are vital to understanding planetary formation processes. With the burgeoning exploration of extrasolar planetary systems, knowledge of the fundamental process of planetary growth from protoplanetary disks has taken on a new significance. Meteorites provide essential and detailed insight into the formation of planetary systems, although we must bear in mind that they only represent one reference point (our own Solar System) in what is clearly a wide spectrum of possible chemical and physical parameters governing the diverse realm of extrasolar planets. This chapter summarises the nature of our meteorite collections, and the ways in which meteorites contribute to our understanding of the formation and evolution of our own Solar System, with broader implications for planetary systems in general.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2404.15424","authors":["Jones, Rhian H."],"tags":["Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)","Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR)","Geophysics (physics.geo-ph)","FOS: Physical sciences","FOS: Physical sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.48550/arxiv.2404.15424","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4457087.v1","name":"The layered structure model for winonaite parent asteroid implicated by textural and mineralogical diversity","source":"datacite","abstract":"Abstract The winonaites are primitive achondrites that are associated with IAB iron meteorites. They provide valuable insights into differentiation processes on asteroids in the early Solar System. However, there is still little understanding of the lithological diversity as well as the structure of the winonaite parent asteroid. In this work, we report the petrologic texture and mineralogy of a suite of winonaites (i.e., Northwest Africa (NWA) 725, NWA 6448, NWA 4024, Grove Mountains (GRV) 022890, GRV 021663, and Sahara (SAH) 02029) that exhibit a wide diversity of petrographic textures from primitive chondritic texture to coarse-grained equigranular texture. In particular, we recognized an unusual winonaite (SAH 02029) with a distinctive mineralogy and mineral chemistry (e.g., depleted in troilite, plagioclase contains melt inclusions, high plagioclase An values, and LREE-depleted clinopyroxene). The petrological and mineralogical features of SAH 02029 indicate that this meteorite has undergone silicate partial melting and may represent the residue of ~ 5–10 vol% partial melting. The textural and mineralogical diversity among winonaites suggests that the winonaite-IAB parent asteroid would have formed a four-layered structure during its evolution history: (1) surface layer consisting of precursor chondritic materials; (2) subsurface layer composed of diverse lithologies that experienced limited metamorphism and FeNi–FeS partial melting; (3) deep residues of silicate partial melting; and (4) interior layer consisting of incomplete differentiation metal pools. This conclusion enables us to establish constraints on the evolution history of winonaite-IAB parent body.","url":"https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4457087.v1","authors":["Zeng, Xiaojia","Shang, Yingli","Li, Shijie","Li, Xiongyao","Wang, Shijie","Li, Yang"],"tags":["Biochemistry","Physical Sciences not elsewhere classified","Microbiology","FOS: Biological sciences","Evolutionary Biology","Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified","Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified","Ecology"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","doi":"10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4457087.v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4457087","name":"The layered structure model for winonaite parent asteroid implicated by textural and mineralogical diversity","source":"datacite","abstract":"Abstract The winonaites are primitive achondrites that are associated with IAB iron meteorites. They provide valuable insights into differentiation processes on asteroids in the early Solar System. However, there is still little understanding of the lithological diversity as well as the structure of the winonaite parent asteroid. In this work, we report the petrologic texture and mineralogy of a suite of winonaites (i.e., Northwest Africa (NWA) 725, NWA 6448, NWA 4024, Grove Mountains (GRV) 022890, GRV 021663, and Sahara (SAH) 02029) that exhibit a wide diversity of petrographic textures from primitive chondritic texture to coarse-grained equigranular texture. In particular, we recognized an unusual winonaite (SAH 02029) with a distinctive mineralogy and mineral chemistry (e.g., depleted in troilite, plagioclase contains melt inclusions, high plagioclase An values, and LREE-depleted clinopyroxene). The petrological and mineralogical features of SAH 02029 indicate that this meteorite has undergone silicate partial melting and may represent the residue of ~ 5–10 vol% partial melting. The textural and mineralogical diversity among winonaites suggests that the winonaite-IAB parent asteroid would have formed a four-layered structure during its evolution history: (1) surface layer consisting of precursor chondritic materials; (2) subsurface layer composed of diverse lithologies that experienced limited metamorphism and FeNi–FeS partial melting; (3) deep residues of silicate partial melting; and (4) interior layer consisting of incomplete differentiation metal pools. This conclusion enables us to establish constraints on the evolution history of winonaite-IAB parent body.","url":"https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4457087","authors":["Zeng, Xiaojia","Shang, Yingli","Li, Shijie","Li, Xiongyao","Wang, Shijie","Li, Yang"],"tags":["Biochemistry","Physical Sciences not elsewhere classified","Microbiology","FOS: Biological sciences","Evolutionary Biology","Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified","Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified","Ecology"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","doi":"10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4457087","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/k55z27m3vj.1","name":"STEM-EDS data for zirconolite and metallic Pb in the lunar meteorite NWA 8182","source":"datacite","abstract":"EDS data for zirconolite and metallic Pb in lunar meteorite NWA 8182 obtained with TEM under scanning transmission electron microscope mode.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/k55z27m3vj.1","authors":["Zhang, Ai-Cheng"],"tags":["Meteorite Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.17632/k55z27m3vj.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17863/cam.93653","name":"Observational constraints on the process and products of Martian serpentinization","source":"datacite","abstract":"The alteration of olivine-rich rocks to serpentine minerals, (hydr)oxides, and H2(aq) through serpentinization is long thought to have influenced the distribution of habitable environments on early Mars and the evolution of the early Martian hydrosphere and atmosphere. Nevertheless, the planetary importance of Martian serpentinization has remained a matter of debate; H2 production rates and mechanisms are poorly understood for serpentinization of Fe-rich Martian olivines, and orbital surveys suggest that serpentines are rarely present in the Martian crust. To constrain the process and products of Martian serpentinization, we acquired petrographic, geochemical, mineralogical, and synchrotron-based spectroscopic data on serpentinized Fe-rich olivines from the 1.1 Ga Duluth Complex (Minnesota, USA). These data indicate that serpentinized Fe-rich olivine would have been accompanied by a five-fold increase in H2 production relative to serpentinized terrestrial mantle peridotites. In contrast to previous expectations of mineral products, a vacancy-coupled Fe3+ substitution for Mg2+ in the serpentine octahedral site yields hisingerite (with minor magnetite) as the dominant Fe serpentine mineral at comparatively low temperature and pH, consistent with meteorite mineralogy and in-situ rover data. The widespread occurrence of Fe3+-phyllosilicates in highly magnetized regions of the Martian crust supports the hypothesis that serpentinization was more pervasive on early Mars than currently estimated. Our results provide the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover mission with new and specific mineralogical and geochemical signatures of serpentinization and H2 production as it approaches the largest olivine-bearing lithological unit identified on the surface of Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17863/cam.93653","authors":["Tutolo, Benjamin","Tosca, Nicholas"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.17863/cam.93653","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/b4mg6h6zbv.1","name":"The mineralogy and alteration history of the Yamato-type (CY) carbonaceous chondrites (supporting data)","source":"datacite","abstract":"Supporting data for: The mineralogy and alteration history of the Yamato-type (CY) carbonaceous chondrites Including: Fig. S1. Whole section BSE map of Y-86029. Fig. S2. Whole section BSE map of Y-82162. Fig. S3. Whole section BSE map of B-7904. Fig. S4. Whole section BSE map of Y-86720. Fig. S5. Whole section BSE map of Y-86789. Fig. S6. Whole section BSE map of Dho 1988. Fig. S7. Olivine solid solution chemistry histograms for each meteorite studied. Fig. S8. Chondrule size distribution histograms for each meteorite studied. Fig. S9. Sulphide and metal compositions in each meteorite studied. Fig. S10. Carbonate compositions in the CY chondrites. Fig. S11. Schematic phase diagram for the Fe-O-S system, depicted in in ƒO2–ƒS2 space.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/b4mg6h6zbv.1","authors":["Suttle, Martin"],"tags":["Planetary Science","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.17632/b4mg6h6zbv.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17863/cam.89901","name":"Phosphorus Pathways In Deep Time","source":"datacite","abstract":"Some of the most fundamental questions in natural science ask about the nature of early Earth. The conditions under which Earth formed and life emerged on its surface are especially uncertain. However, we are left with precious little evidence to study: most sufficiently ancient terrestrial rocks have long since been destroyed, and our sampling of the wider Solar System remains largely incomplete. This deficit may be reduced by combining insights from planetary science, geochemistry, and biology. The element phosphorus (P) is limiting for life in many environments on the modern Earth. Changes in global P availability may have played a large role in shaping biogeochemical evolution. Moreover, the baseline availability of P in planetary crusts is determined by processes of accretion, core formation, and late bombardment. Phosphorus is therefore of biological, cosmochemical, and astrophysical interest, providing a focal point from which to explore these diverse yet inter-related topics. Most of the P in our Solar System is stored in the form of minerals. Phosphorus-bearing minerals preserve information on pressures and temperatures experienced both during their initial formation and across the subsequent reaches of geological time. These minerals act as useful tools for probing the geological history of rocky objects, including the collisional processes through which asteroids and planets may be assembled, or indeed destroyed. However, the mechanisms by which P-bearing minerals form and by which they record collisions are uncertain, compromising interpretation of shocked meteorites as a record of Solar System history. The highly shocked Chelyabinsk meteorite exemplifies this point, containing a suite of variably deformed phosphate minerals of uncertain origin that have been used to infer several mutually exclusive scenarios for the collision history of the parental asteroid. Chelyabinsk preserves three lithologies: light (host rock), dark (containing a higher proportion of melted phases), and shock-melt (fully melted and quench crystallised material). Here, a comprehensive analysis of P mineral distribution and associated microtextures in each lithology is presented. I observe continuously strained as well as recrystallized strain-free merrillite populations. Grains with strain-free subdomains are present only in the more intensely shocked dark lithology, indicating that phosphate growth predates the development of primary shock-metamorphic features. Complete melting of portions of the meteorite is recorded by the shock-melt lithology, which contains a population of phosphorus-rich olivine grains. The response of phosphorus-bearing minerals to shock is therefore hugely variable throughout this monomict impact breccia. I propose a paragenetic history for P-bearing phases in Chelyabinsk involving initial phosphate growth via P-rich olivine replacement, followed by phosphate deformation during an early impact event. This event was also responsible for the local development of shock melt that lacks phosphate grains and instead contains P-enriched olivine. I generalise these findings to propose a new classification scheme for Phosphorus-Olivine-Assemblages (Type I-III POAs). I highlight how POAs can be used to trace radiogenic metamorphism and shock metamorphic events that together span the entire geological history of primitive asteroids. Whilst phosphate mineral microtextures help to determine a relative series of geological events in the history of an asteroid, absolute dating methods allow a temporal sequence to be more exactly defined. Such information is crucial for gaining confidence in our understanding of how primitive asteroids may record the long term collisional evolution of the Solar System. For example, at 4.5-4.4 billion years ago, the final orbital architecture of our Solar System was established by the migration of Giant Planets and the Earth-Moon forming giant impact event. An invaluable record of this period may be ","url":"https://doi.org/10.17863/cam.89901","authors":["Walton, Craig"],"tags":["Prebiotic chemistry","Geology","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences","Early Earth","Meteorites","Collisions"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.17863/cam.89901","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.35003/pjh93u","name":"Replication Data for: Accretion of differentiated achondritic and aqueously altered chondritic materials in the early solar system - Significance of an igneous fragment in the CM chondrite NWA 12651","source":"datacite","abstract":"Abstract: One approach to decipher the dynamics of material transport and planetary accretion in the early solar system is to investigate xenolithic fragments in meteorites. In this work, we examined an igneous fragment from the NWA 12651 meteorite—the first igneous fragment found in any CM chondrite—by analyzing its mineralogy, rare earth elements (REEs), and O‐isotopes. The study shows that the exsolution lamellae of the igneous fragment consist of Fe‐rich and Ca‐rich pyroxene. Thus, the fragment was part of a progressive crystallization in a closed system, such as in a depleted magma reservoir or mantle. In this environment, the pyroxene co‐crystallized with plagioclase, resulting in a negative Eu anomaly and enrichment of the heavy REEs compared to the light REEs. The O‐isotopes of the fragment are more 16O‐enriched than the mafic minerals in the matrix or in other bulk CM chondrites; therefore, the fragment was formed in a different region than the NWA 12651 parent body. The iron meteorites Tucson and Deep Springs, the pallasite Milton, and the CB chondrites have similar O‐isotopes as the igneous fragment. However, no direct connection can be drawn and it is questionable if the fragment shares a same parent body with one of these meteorites. The close formation region to the CB chondrites may suggest a formation of the fragment in the carbonaceous chondrite region. Thus, a wide transport through the nebula of the early solar system may not have been necessary to move the fragment to the CM chondrite formation region. TRR 170 no. 76","url":"https://doi.org/10.35003/pjh93u","authors":["Ebert, Samuel","Patzek, Markus","Lentfort, Sarah","Bischoff, Addi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.35003/pjh93u","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/z4y3wcpyrn.1","name":"Metallic Pb in lunar zirconolite","source":"datacite","abstract":"BSE images of zirconolite in the lunar meteorite NWA 8182 and related characterization results","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/z4y3wcpyrn.1","authors":["Zhang, Ai-Cheng"],"tags":["Meteorite Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.17632/z4y3wcpyrn.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.7775798","name":"PEOPLE EXPERIENCED THE PREHISTORIC CHIEMGAU METEORITE IMPACT – GEOARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE FROM SOUTHEASTERN GERMANY: A REVIEW","source":"datacite","abstract":"Archaeological sites undoubtedly destroyed by a meteorite impact had not been identified so far. For such a proof, both a meteorite impact and its definite effects on an archaeological site would have to be evidenced. This review article reports on geoarchaeological investigations, involving mineralogy, petrography, and geophysics, which established evidence that two prehistoric human settlements have been affected by the Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age (ca. 900-600 BC) Chiemgau meteorite impact in southeastern Germany. One site, the Mühlbach area, was affected by the ejecta from the 600 m Ø-Tüttensee crater, one of the largest craters in a crater strewn field measuring about 60 x 30 km. At the other site, Stöttham close to Lake Chiemsee, the catastrophic layer of the impact was found embedded in the archaeological stratigraphy of a settlement, which had been repeatedly occupated from the Neolithic to the Roman era. At both sites, artifacts have become components of impact rocks, establishing a hitherto unknown form of an impact rock, an artifact-in-impactite. The immediate coexistence of rocks, which exhibit impact-diagnostic shock metamorphism, with relicts of metallic artifacts, as encountered in finds from Stöttham, are unprecedented evidence of human experience of a meteorite impact.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7775798","authors":["Rappenglück, B.","Hiltl, M.","Poßekel, J.","Rappenglück, M. A.","Ernstson, K."],"tags":["prehistoric meteorite impact","Holocene meteorite impact","Bronze Age/Iron Age meteorite impact","crater strewn field","airburst","artifact-in-impactite","catastrophe","disaster"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.7775798","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.7775799","name":"PEOPLE EXPERIENCED THE PREHISTORIC CHIEMGAU METEORITE IMPACT – GEOARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE FROM SOUTHEASTERN GERMANY: A REVIEW","source":"datacite","abstract":"Archaeological sites undoubtedly destroyed by a meteorite impact had not been identified so far. For such a proof, both a meteorite impact and its definite effects on an archaeological site would have to be evidenced. This review article reports on geoarchaeological investigations, involving mineralogy, petrography, and geophysics, which established evidence that two prehistoric human settlements have been affected by the Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age (ca. 900-600 BC) Chiemgau meteorite impact in southeastern Germany. One site, the Mühlbach area, was affected by the ejecta from the 600 m Ø-Tüttensee crater, one of the largest craters in a crater strewn field measuring about 60 x 30 km. At the other site, Stöttham close to Lake Chiemsee, the catastrophic layer of the impact was found embedded in the archaeological stratigraphy of a settlement, which had been repeatedly occupated from the Neolithic to the Roman era. At both sites, artifacts have become components of impact rocks, establishing a hitherto unknown form of an impact rock, an artifact-in-impactite. The immediate coexistence of rocks, which exhibit impact-diagnostic shock metamorphism, with relicts of metallic artifacts, as encountered in finds from Stöttham, are unprecedented evidence of human experience of a meteorite impact.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7775799","authors":["Rappenglück, B.","Hiltl, M.","Poßekel, J.","Rappenglück, M. A.","Ernstson, K."],"tags":["prehistoric meteorite impact","Holocene meteorite impact","Bronze Age/Iron Age meteorite impact","crater strewn field","airburst","artifact-in-impactite","catastrophe","disaster"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.7775799","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.35003/r8vftp","name":"Replication Data for: Asteroid 2008 TC3, not a polymict ureilitic but a polymict C1 chondrite parent body? Survey of 249 Almahata Sitta fragments","source":"datacite","abstract":"On October 7, 2008, the asteroid 2008 TC3 exploded as it entered the Earth’s atmosphere, producing significant dust (in the atmosphere) and delivering thousands of stones in a strewn field in Sudan, collectively known as the Almahata Sitta (AhS) stones. About 600 fragments were officially recovered in 2008 and 2009. Further rocks were collected since the fall event by local people. From these stones, 249 were classified at the Institut für Planetologie in Münster (MS) known as MS-xxx or MS-MU-xxx AhS subsamples. Most of these rocks are ureilitic in origin (168; 67%): 87 coarse-grained ureilites, 60 fine-grained ureilites, 15 ureilites with variable texture/mineralogy, four trachyandesites, and two polymict breccias. We identified 81 non-ureilitic fragments, corresponding to 33% of the recovered samples studied in Münster. These included chondrites, namely 65 enstatite chondrites (43 EL; 22 EH), 11 ordinary chondrites (OC), one carbonaceous chondrite, and one unique R-like chondrite. Furthermore, three samples represent a unique type of enstatite achondrite. Since all AhS stones must be regarded as individual specimens independent from each other, the number of fresh ureilite and enstatite chondrite falls in our meteorite collections has been increased by several hundred percent. Overall, the samples weigh between &lt;1 and 250 g and have a mean mass of ~15 g. If we consider—almost 15 years after the fall—the mass calculations, observations during and after the asteroid entered the atmosphere, the mineralogy of the C1 stones AhS 91A and AhS 671, and the experimental work on fitting the asteroid spectrum (e.g., Goodrich et al., 2019; Jenniskens et al., 2010; Shaddad et al., 2010), the main portion of the meteoroid was likely made of the fine-grained (carbonaceous) dust and was mostly lost in the atmosphere. In particular, the fact that C1 materials were found has important implications for interpreting asteroid 2008 TC3's early spectroscopic results. Goodrich et al. (2019) correctly suggested that if scientists had not recovered the “water-free” samples (e.g., ureilites, enstatites, and OC) from the AhS strewn field, 2008 TC3 would have been assumed to be a carbonaceous chondrite meteoroid. Considering that the dominating mass of the exploding meteoroid consisted of carbonaceous materials, asteroid 2008 TC3 cannot be classified as a polymict ureilite; consequently, we state that the asteroid was a polymict carbonaceous chondrite breccia, specifically a polymict C1 object that may have formed by late accretion at least 50–100 Ma after calcium–aluminum-rich inclusions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.35003/r8vftp","authors":["Addi, Bischoff","Lukas, Bannemann","Stephan, Decker","Samuel, Ebert","Siegfried, Haberer","Et Al."],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.35003/r8vftp","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.15151/esrf-es-1108359197","name":"Phasons in natural quasicrystals.","source":"datacite","abstract":"The discovery of the natural quasicrystals icosahedrite (Al63Cu24Fe13) in 2009 opened a new frontier in mineralogy. The quasicrystals were found in a meteorite formed in the earliest moments of the solar system which means these processes were active 4.5 billion years ago. Using the ID28 side station beam line we propose to fully characterise the structural quality of this natural quasicrystal. In particular we will quantify the eventual amount of phason strain and phason fluctuations by precise measurement of Bragg peak position and width, and the presence of eventual diffuse scattering. The results will be compared to measurements on a single grain quasicrystal grown with the same composition in the laboratory.","url":"https://doi.org/10.15151/esrf-es-1108359197","authors":["Bindi, Luca","De Boissieu, Marc","Formisano, Ferdinando","Paolasini, Luigi","Takakura, Hiroyuki","Yamada, Tsunetomo"],"tags":["Hard Condensed Matter Science","HC-5335","ID28"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026","doi":"10.15151/esrf-es-1108359197","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.35003/fy0b6e","name":"Replication Data for: Hydrogen isotopic composition of CI- and CM-like clasts from meteorite breccias – Sampling unknown sources of carbonaceous chondrite materials","source":"datacite","abstract":"Volatile-rich, CI- and CM-like clasts occur in different brecciated achondrite and chondrite groups. The CI-like clasts in HEDs, polymict ureilites, as well as ordinary, CR, and CB chondrites have a similar mineralogy, indicating a similar alteration history. However, when viewed in detail, their mineral chemistry shows some minor differences between the clasts from different meteorite groups. For CM-like clasts found in HED meteorites, the clasts are, based on their mineralogy, clearly fragments of CM chondrites. To be able to decipher whether CI- (or CM-)like clasts from different meteorite groups are related to certain meteorite classes known to contain volatiles, we obtained D/H ratios of several clasts from the meteorite groups mentioned above and compared them with those of CI and CM chondrites as well as to unique carbonaceous chondrites such as Bells, Essebi, and Tagish Lake. Considering the δD-values, CM-like clasts in HEDs span a similar range compared to bulk values of CM chondrites, further indicating that CM-like clasts are fragments of CM chondrites. For CI-like clasts a clear distinction can be made: While CI-like clasts in HEDs and ordinary chondrites show a very similar range in their δD-signatures compared to “common” CI chondrites, meaning that these clasts are likely related to CI chondrites, the CI-like clasts in polymict ureilites are enriched in D up to 3000‰; a similarly high enrichment is found for the CI-like clasts in CR chondrites. Thus, although the CI-like clasts in ureilites and CR chondrites likely experienced similar alteration histories as the CI-like clasts found in the other meteorite types, these clasts probably formed in a different region than the CI chondrites and, thus, are more accurately referred to as C1 clasts. Overall, the existence and isotopic signatures of the C1 clasts in several meteorite groups proves the existence of additional primitive, volatile-rich material in the (early) Solar System besides the matter we study as the CI, CM, and CR chondrites. This material was distributed throughout the Solar System very early and might have played an important role for the volatile inventory of the terrestrial planets.","url":"https://doi.org/10.35003/fy0b6e","authors":["Patzek, Markus","Hoppe, Peter","Bischoff, Addi","Visser, Robbin","John, Timm"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.35003/fy0b6e","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.35003/t9yaqe","name":"Replication Data for: Mineralogy of volatile-rich clasts in brecciated meteorites","source":"datacite","abstract":"Meteoritic breccias are valuable samples as they can contain rare materials from the early solar system as clasts. Volatile-rich, CI- and CM-like clasts may represent parent body lithologies, which cannot be found as individual meteorites in today's meteorite collections. In order to reveal a better knowledge about the presence and chemical characteristics and variability of volatile (water-bearing) materials in the early solar system these clasts play an important role. Such materials may have been available as the volatile component during the accretion of terrestrial planets. To understand the distribution of volatile-rich materials in the solar system, we studied CI- and CM-like clasts in brecciated meteorites including polymict ureilites, HEDs, CR, CB, CH, and ordinary chondrites. CI-like clasts occur throughout all of the mentioned meteorite groups, whereas the CM-like clasts have only been identified in HEDs and ordinary chondrites. The abundance of volatile-rich clasts in general decreases in the order CH &gt; CR &gt; ureilites &gt; HEDs &gt; CB &gt; OC &gt; R. The mineralogy of CI-like clasts is similar to CI chondrites, but their compositions of phyllosilicates differ. The mineralogy of CM-like clasts clearly links them to CM chondrites. They must have been delivered to the HED parent body by low-velocity impacts after differentiation and volcanism, as there is no evidence for high shock and heating processes. Additionally, we propose that CI-like clasts in the CR, CB, and CH chondrites are a primary component of the appropriate parent bodies (accretionary breccias). Conversely, the CI-like clasts in polymict ureilites and HEDs represent an infall as (micro)meteorites or as low-velocity impactors, which happened after the accretion and differentiation of the appropriate parent bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.35003/t9yaqe","authors":["Patzek, Markus","Bischoff, Addi","Visser, Robbin","John, Timm"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.35003/t9yaqe","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.7567295","name":"The Parent Body of a Pallasite Meteorite Based on Relationships among Texture &amp; Mineralogy: Insights into Processes Took Place during Early Stages of the Solar System","source":"datacite","abstract":"Meteorites are the oldest rocks available for study and record processes that took place during the birth and early history of the Solar System. These rocks are derived from asteroids by cratering collisions, eventually crossing Earth′s orbit to land on the Earth’s surface. As a result and unlike terrestrial rocks, the meteorites demonstrate very diverse textures. The orbital relationships between meteorites and asteroids suggest that the interior of the asteroid belt is characterised by parent bodies with an abundance of chondrules. The petrographic study of a meteorite fall was carried out to identify its texture and petrographic sub-type. The meteorite fell in Al-Deyasser village west to Gharyan city, Libya (N: 32o 09 03\" – E: 12 o 59 02\") with total mass of about 100g. A polished thin section of the rock was studied using polarizing light microscope and SEM (scanning electron microscope), it illustrates mixture of chondrules, mm-sized silicate mineral ‘droplets’, olivine surrounded by a bright silver-colored iron-metal matrix, ~62 vol % of metals (~ Fe and Ni). In addition, carbonate and quartz occur as rare and small crystals within isolated pores that formed during aqueous alteration in the parent bodies of meteorite. Using RTB (Rose-Tschermak- Brezina) scheme the meteorite is being to be related to a sub-group of meteorites called the pallasite meteorites that are rare and very complex meteorites. These meteorites represent mixtures of core and mantle materials that lie on the core-mantle boundary in the interior of the Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7567295","authors":["Sofe, Mahmood R.","Alashkham, Emad Y.","Aleisawi, Nuri A."],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.7567295","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.7567296","name":"The Parent Body of a Pallasite Meteorite Based on Relationships among Texture &amp; Mineralogy: Insights into Processes Took Place during Early Stages of the Solar System","source":"datacite","abstract":"Meteorites are the oldest rocks available for study and record processes that took place during the birth and early history of the Solar System. These rocks are derived from asteroids by cratering collisions, eventually crossing Earth′s orbit to land on the Earth’s surface. As a result and unlike terrestrial rocks, the meteorites demonstrate very diverse textures. The orbital relationships between meteorites and asteroids suggest that the interior of the asteroid belt is characterised by parent bodies with an abundance of chondrules. The petrographic study of a meteorite fall was carried out to identify its texture and petrographic sub-type. The meteorite fell in Al-Deyasser village west to Gharyan city, Libya (N: 32o 09 03\" – E: 12 o 59 02\") with total mass of about 100g. A polished thin section of the rock was studied using polarizing light microscope and SEM (scanning electron microscope), it illustrates mixture of chondrules, mm-sized silicate mineral ‘droplets’, olivine surrounded by a bright silver-colored iron-metal matrix, ~62 vol % of metals (~ Fe and Ni). In addition, carbonate and quartz occur as rare and small crystals within isolated pores that formed during aqueous alteration in the parent bodies of meteorite. Using RTB (Rose-Tschermak- Brezina) scheme the meteorite is being to be related to a sub-group of meteorites called the pallasite meteorites that are rare and very complex meteorites. These meteorites represent mixtures of core and mantle materials that lie on the core-mantle boundary in the interior of the Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7567296","authors":["Sofe, Mahmood R.","Alashkham, Emad Y.","Aleisawi, Nuri A."],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.7567296","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17169/refubium-36621","name":"Linking remote sensing, in situ and laboratory spectroscopy for a Ryugu analog meteorite sample","source":"datacite","abstract":"In 2022 JAXA issued an Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for receiving Hayabusa2 samples returned to Earth. We responded to the AO submitting a proposal based on using a multi-prong approach to achieve two main goals. The first goal is to address the subdued contrast of remote-sensing observations compared to measurements performed under laboratory conditions on analog materials. For this we will link the hyperspectral and imaging data collected from the spacecraft and the in-situ observations from the MASCOT lander instruments (MARA and MASCam) with laboratory-based measurements of Hayabusa2 samples using bi-directional reflectance spectroscopy under simulated asteroid surface conditions from UV to MIR/FIR achieved using three Bruker Vertex 80 V spectrometers in the Planetary Spectroscopy Laboratory. The second goal is the investigation of the mineralogy and organic matter of the samples collected by Hayabusa2, to better understanding the evolution of materials characterizing Ryugu and in general of protoplanetary disk and organic matter, investigating the aqueous alteration that took place in the parent body, and comparing the results with data collected from pristine carbonaceous chondrite analog meteorites. Spectral data will be complemented by Raman spectroscopy under simulated asteroid surface conditions, X-ray diffraction, would also allow us to define the bulk mineralogy of the samples as well as investigate the presence and nature of organic matter within the samples. In situ mineralogical and geochemical characterization will involve a pre-characterization of the sample fragments through scanning electron microscopy low voltage electron dispersive X-ray (EDX) maps, and micro IR analyses of the fragments. If allowed, a thin section of one grain will be used for electron microprobe analyses to geochemically characterize its mineralogical composition. To train our data collection and analysis methods on a realistic sample, we selected a piece of the Mukundpura meteorite, as one of the closer analogs to Ryugu’s surface (Ray et al., Planetary and Space Science, 2018, 151, 149–154). The Mukundpura chunk we selected for this study measures 3 mm in its maximum dimension, and we chose it so to have a test sample of the same size as the Hayabusa2 grain we requested in our proposal to JAXA’s AO. The test gave us confidence that we can measure with good SNR measurements in bi-directional reflectance for samples around 3 mm in size (see Figures 3, 4 below). To address our second goal the spectral data was complemented by Raman spectroscopy measured again under simulated asteroid surface conditions in our Raman Mineralogy and Biodetection Laboratory at DLR.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17169/refubium-36621","authors":["Maturilli, Alessandro","Schwinger, Sabrina","Bonato, Enrica","Helbert, Jörn","Baqué, Mickael","Hamm, Maximilian","Alemanno, Giulia","D’Amore, Mario"],"tags":["remote sensing","organics","mineralogy","origins","spectroscopy","calibration","DATA FUSION","500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik::520 Astronomie::520 Astronomie und zugeordnete Wissenschaften"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.17169/refubium-36621","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17169/refubium-36668","name":"Asteroid 2008 TC3, not a polymict ureilitic but a polymict C1 chondrite parent body? Survey of 249 Almahata Sitta fragments","source":"datacite","abstract":"On October 7, 2008, the asteroid 2008 TC3 exploded as it entered the Earth’s atmosphere, producing significant dust (in the atmosphere) and delivering thousands of stones in a strewn field in Sudan, collectively known as the Almahata Sitta (AhS) stones. About 600 fragments were officially recovered in 2008 and 2009. Further rocks were collected since the fall event by local people. From these stones, 249 were classified at the Institut für Planetologie in Münster (MS) known as MS‐xxx or MS‐MU‐xxx AhS subsamples. Most of these rocks are ureilitic in origin (168; 67%): 87 coarse‐grained ureilites, 60 fine‐grained ureilites, 15 ureilites with variable texture/mineralogy, four trachyandesites, and two polymict breccias. We identified 81 non‐ureilitic fragments, corresponding to 33% of the recovered samples studied in Münster. These included chondrites, namely 65 enstatite chondrites (43 EL; 22 EH), 11 ordinary chondrites (OC), one carbonaceous chondrite, and one unique R‐like chondrite. Furthermore, three samples represent a unique type of enstatite achondrite. Since all AhS stones must be regarded as individual specimens independent from each other, the number of fresh ureilite and enstatite chondrite falls in our meteorite collections has been increased by several hundred percent. Overall, the samples weigh between &lt;1 and 250 g and have a mean mass of ~15 g. If we consider—almost 15 years after the fall—the mass calculations, observations during and after the asteroid entered the atmosphere, the mineralogy of the C1 stones AhS 91A and AhS 671, and the experimental work on fitting the asteroid spectrum (e.g., Goodrich et al., 2019; Jenniskens et al., 2010; Shaddad et al., 2010), the main portion of the meteoroid was likely made of the fine‐grained (carbonaceous) dust and was mostly lost in the atmosphere. In particular, the fact that C1 materials were found has important implications for interpreting asteroid 2008 TC3's early spectroscopic results. Goodrich et al. (2019) correctly suggested that if scientists had not recovered the “water‐free” samples (e.g., ureilites, enstatites, and OC) from the AhS strewn field, 2008 TC3 would have been assumed to be a carbonaceous chondrite meteoroid. Considering that the dominating mass of the exploding meteoroid consisted of carbonaceous materials, asteroid 2008 TC3 cannot be classified as a polymict ureilite; consequently, we state that the asteroid was a polymict carbonaceous chondrite breccia, specifically a polymict C1 object that may have formed by late accretion at least 50–100 Ma after calcium–aluminum‐rich inclusions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17169/refubium-36668","authors":["Bischoff, Addi","Bannemann, Lukas","Decker, Stephan","Ebert, Samuel","Haberer, Siegfried","Heitmann, Ursula","Horstmann, Marian","Klemm, Kerstin I.","Kraemer, Ann‐Kathrin","Lentfort, Sarah","Patzek, Markus","Storz, Jakob","Weyrauch, Mona"],"tags":["asteroid 2008 TC3","survey","Almahata Sitta fragments","500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik::520 Astronomie::520 Astronomie und zugeordnete Wissenschaften"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.17169/refubium-36668","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2206.09953","name":"Nanoscale mineralogy and organic structure in Orgueil (CI) and EET 92042 (CR) carbonaceous chondrites studied with AFM-IR spectroscopy","source":"datacite","abstract":"Meteorite matrices from primitive chondrites are an interplay of ingredients at the sub-micron scale, which requires analytical techniques with the nanometer spatial resolution to decipher the composition of individual components in their petrographic context. Infrared spectroscopy is an effective method that enables to probe of vibrations at the molecule-atomic scale of organic and inorganic compounds but is often limited to a few micrometers in spatial resolution. To efficiently distinguish spectral signatures of the different constituents, we apply here nano-IR spectroscopy (AFM-IR), based on the combination of infrared and atomic force microscopy, having a spatial resolution beyond the diffraction limits. Our study aims to characterize two chosen meteorite samples to investigate primitive material in terms of bulk chemistry (the CI chondrite Orgueil) and organic composition (the CR chondrite EET 92042). We confirm that this technique allows unmixing the IR signatures of organics and minerals to assess the variability of organic structure within these samples. We report an investigation of the impact of the widely used chemical HF/HCl (Hydrogen Fluoride/Hydrochloric) extraction on the nature of refractory organics (Insoluble Organic Matter, IOM) and provide insights on the mineralogy of meteorites matrices from these two samples by comparing to reference (extra)terrestrial materials. These findings are discussed with a perspective toward understanding the impact of post-accretional aqueous alteration and thermal metamorphism on the composition of chondrites. Last, we highlight that the heterogeneity of organic matter within meteoritic materials extends down to the nanoscale, and by comparison with IOMs, oxygenated chemical groups are not affected by acid extractions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2206.09953","authors":["Phan, Van T. H.","Rebois, Rolando","Beck, Pierre","Quirico, Eric","Bonal, Lydie","Noguchi, Takaaki"],"tags":["Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)","Geophysics (physics.geo-ph)","FOS: Physical sciences","FOS: Physical sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.48550/arxiv.2206.09953","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.20381/ruor-11826","name":"Magnetic subfabrics of the Whistle Offset dyke and embayment, Sudbury Impact Structure, Sudbury, Ontario","source":"datacite","abstract":"Quartz-diorite Offset dykes from the 1850 Ma Sudbury Impact Structure stem from the Sudbury Igneous Complex (SIC) and extend into the footwall rocks in radial and concentric patterns with respect to the SIC. The dykes formed by emplacement of magma derived from the impact melt body into radial and concentric fractures generated in the country rock by the hypervelocity meteorite impact. The NE-striking Whistle Offset dyke extends from the northeast corner of the SIC, and is connected to the SIC by the Whistle embayment structure. A suite of oriented specimens was collected from 20 sites in the Whistle Offset dyke and the embayment, in order to determine the emplacement flow pattern within the dyke, the embayment, and the hosted massive sulfide deposits. The emplacement flow pattern was studied by using magnetic anisotropy measurements in order to infer the petrofabrics, and the subfabrics, defined by different mineral populations. The magnetic anisotropy methods included the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS), the anisotropy of anhysteretic remanence (AAR) and the anisotropy of partial anhysteretic remanence (ApAR). The complex magnetic mineralogy of the sample suite was examined using measurements of partial anhysteretic remanence (PAR) acquisition, alternating-field demagnetization and thermal demagnetization, in addition to petrographic and scanning electron microscope (SEM) studies. The subfabrics which are interpreted to record the flow pattern in the Whistle Offset dyke, are defined by low coercivity coarse-grained magnetite, interpreted to be of primary igneous origin. The fabrics are suggestive of lateral (horizontal) injection of the magma and subsequent sinking of molten massive sulfide bodies through the still unsolidified dyke. Sinking of the massive sulfides is recorded by moderately plunging to vertical magnetic lineations. Steeply plunging lineations elsewhere in the Offset dykes may also indicate the presence of sunken massive sulfides in the subsurface.","url":"https://doi.org/10.20381/ruor-11826","authors":["Giroux, Laura Allison"],"tags":["Geology."],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005","doi":"10.20381/ruor-11826","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2203.10051","name":"Martian meteorites reflectance and implications for rover missions","source":"datacite","abstract":"In the next decade, two rovers will characterize in situ the mineralogy of rocks on Mars, using for the first time near-infrared reflectance spectrometers: SuperCam onboard the Mars 2020 rover and MicrOmega onboard the ExoMars rover, although this technique is predominantly used in orbit for mineralogical investigations. Until successful completion of sample-return missions from Mars, Martian meteorites are currently the only samples of the red planet available for study in terrestrial laboratories and comparison with in situ data. However, the current spectral database available for these samples does not represent their diversity and consists primarily of spectra acquired on finely crushed samples, albeit grain size is known to greatly affect spectral features. We measured the reflected light of a broad Martian meteorite suite as a means to catalogue and characterize their spectra between 0.4 and 3 microns. These measurements are achieved using a point spectrometer acquiring data comparable to SuperCam, and an imaging spectrometer producing hyperspectral cubes similarly to MicrOmega. Our results indicate that point spectrometry is sufficient to discriminate the different Martian meteorites families, to identify their primary petrology based on band parameters, and to detect their low content in alteration minerals. However, significant spectral mixing occurs in the point measurements, even at spot sizes down to a few millimeters, and imaging spectroscopy is needed to correctly identify the various mineral phases in the meteorites. Bidirectional spectral measurements confirm their non-Lambertian behavior, with backward and suspected forward scattering peaks. With changing observation geometry, the main absorption strengths show variations up to 10-15 percents. All the spectra presented are provided in the supplementary data for further comparison with in situ and orbital measurements.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2203.10051","authors":["Mandon, Lucia","Beck, Pierre","Quantin-Nataf, Cathy","Dehouck, Erwin","Pommerol, Antoine","Yoldi, Zurine","Cerubini, Romain","Pan, Lu","Martinot, Melissa","Sautter, Violaine"],"tags":["Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)","Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics (astro-ph.IM)","Geophysics (physics.geo-ph)","FOS: Physical sciences","FOS: Physical sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.48550/arxiv.2203.10051","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.0810.3276","name":"The Dust cloud around the White Dwarf G 29-38. 2. Spectrum from 5-40 microns and mid-infrared variability","source":"datacite","abstract":"We model the mineralogy and distribution of dust around the white dwarf G29-39 using the infrared spectrum from 1-35 microns and combining a wide range of materials based on spectral studies of comets and debris disks. In order of their contribution to the mid-infrared emission, the most abundant minerals for G29-38 are amorphous carbon, amorphous and crystalline silicates, water ice, and metal sulfides. The amorphous C can be equivalently replaced by other materials (like metallic Fe) with featureless infrared spectra. The best-fitting crystalline silicate is Fe-rich pyroxene. In order to absorb enough starlight to power the observed emission, the disk must either be much thinner than the stellar radius (so that it can be heated from above and below) or it must have an opening angle wider than 2 degrees. A `moderately optically thick' torus model with mass 2x10^19 g fits the spectrum well. A physically thin (less than the white dwarf radius) and optically thick disk can contribute to the near-infrared continuum only; such a disk cannot explain the longer-wavelength continuum or strong silicate features. The silicate composition contains minerals found from cometary spectra and meteorites, but Fe-rich pyroxene is more abundant than enstatite (Mg-rich pyroxene) or forsterite (Mg-rich olivine) in G29-38, in contrast to what is found in most comet or meteorite mineralogies. Enstatite meteorites may be the most similar solar system materials to the G29-38 dust. Finally, we suggest the surviving core of a `hot jupiter' as an alternative (neither cometary nor asteroidal) origin for the debris, though further theoretical work is needed to determine if this hypothesis is viable.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.0810.3276","authors":["Reach, William T.","Lisse, Carey","von Hippel, Ted","Mullally, Fergal"],"tags":["Astrophysics (astro-ph)","FOS: Physical sciences","FOS: Physical sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008","doi":"10.48550/arxiv.0810.3276","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.1007.4016","name":"Neutron-rich chromium isotope anomalies in supernova nanoparticles","source":"datacite","abstract":"Neutron-rich isotopes with masses near that of iron are produced in type Ia and II supernovae. Traces of such nucleosynthesis are found in primitive meteorites in the form of variations in the isotopic abundance of 54Cr, the most neutron-rich stable isotope of chromium. The hosts of these isotopic anomalies must be presolar grains that condensed in the outflows of supernovae, offering the opportunity to study the nucleosynthesis of iron-peak nuclei in ways that complement spectroscopic observations and can inform models of stellar evolution. However, despite almost two decades of extensive search, the carrier of 54Cr anomalies is still unknown, presumably because it is fine-grained and is chemically labile. Here we identify in the primitive meteorite Orgueil the carrier of 54Cr-anomalies as nanoparticles, most likely spinels that show large enrichments in 54Cr relative to solar composition (54Cr/52Cr ratio &gt;3.6xsolar). Such large enrichments in 54Cr can only be produced in supernovae. The mineralogy of the grains supports condensation in the O/Ne-O/C zones of a type II supernova, although a type Ia origin cannot be excluded. We suggest that planetary materials incorporated different amounts of these nanoparticles, possibly due to late injection by a nearby supernova that also delivered 26Al and 60Fe to the solar system. This idea explains why the relative abundance of 54Cr and other neutron-rich isotopes vary between planets and meteorites. We anticipate that future isotopic studies of the grains identified here will shed new light on the birth of the solar system and the conditions insupernovae.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.1007.4016","authors":["Dauphas, Nicolas","Remusat, Laurent","Chen, James","Roskosz, Mathieu","Papanastassiou, Dimitri","Stodolna, Julien","Guan, Yunbin","Ma, Chi","Eiler, John"],"tags":["Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR)","FOS: Physical sciences","FOS: Physical sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010","doi":"10.48550/arxiv.1007.4016","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.1309.6081","name":"Mineralogy, reflectance spectra, and physical properties of the Chelyabinsk LL5 chondrite, insight into shock induced changes in asteroid regoliths","source":"datacite","abstract":"The mineralogy and physical properties of Chelyabinsk meteorites (fall, February 15, 2013) are presented. Three types of meteorite material are present, described as the light-colored, dark-colored, and impact-melt lithologies. All are of LL5 composition with the impact-melt lithology being close to whole-rock melt and the dark-colored lithology being shock-darkened due to partial melting of iron metal and sulfides. This enables us to study the effect of increasing shock on material with identical composition and origin. Based on the magnetic susceptibility, the Chelyabinsk meteorites are richer in metallic iron as compared to other LL chondrites. The measured bulk and grain densities and the porosity closely resemble other LL chondrites. Shock darkening does not have a significant effect on the material physical properties, but causes a decrease of reflectance and decrease in silicate absorption bands in the reflectance spectra. This is similar to the space weathering effects observed on asteroids. However, compared to space weathered materials, there is a negligible to minor slope change observed in impact-melt and shock-darkened meteorite spectra. Thus, it is possible that some dark asteroids with invisible silicate absorption bands may be composed of relatively fresh shock-darkened chondritic material.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.1309.6081","authors":["Kohout, Tomas","Gritsevich, Maria","Grokhovsky, Victor I.","Yakovlev, Grigoriy A.","Haloda, Jakub","Halodova, Patricie","Michallik, Radoslaw M.","Penttilä, Antti","Muinonen, Karri"],"tags":["Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)","FOS: Physical sciences","FOS: Physical sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013","doi":"10.48550/arxiv.1309.6081","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.1404.6666","name":"Chelyabinsk meteorite explains unusual spectral properties of Baptistina Asteroid Family","source":"datacite","abstract":"We investigated the spectral and compositional properties of Chelyabinsk meteorite to identify its possible parent body in the main asteroid belt. Our analysis shows that the meteorite contains two spectrally distinct but compositionally indistinguishable components of LL5 chondrite and shock blackened/impact melt material. Our X-ray diffraction analysis confirms that the two lithologies of the Chelyabinsk meteorite are extremely similar in modal mineralogy. The meteorite is compositionally similar to LL chondrite and its most probable parent asteroid in the main belt is a member of the Flora family. Intimate mixture of LL5 chondrite and shock blackened/impact melt material from Chelyabinsk provides a spectral match with (8) Flora, the largest asteroid in the Flora family. The Baptistina family and Flora family overlap each other in dynamical space. Mineralogical analysis of (298) Baptistina and 9 small family members shows that their surface compositions are similar to LL chondrites, although their absorption bands are subdued and albedos lower when compared to typical S-type asteroids. A range of intimate mixtures of LL5 chondrite and shock blackened/impact melt material from Chelyabinsk provides spectral matches for all these BAF members. We suggest that the presence of a significant shock/impact melt component in the surface regolith of BAF members could be the cause of lower albedo and subdued absorption bands. The parent asteroid of BAF was either a member of the Flora family or had the same basic composition as the Floras (LL Chondrite). The shock pressures produced during the impact event generated enough impact melt or shock blackening to alter the spectral properties of BAF, but keep the BAF composition largely unchanged.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.1404.6666","authors":["Reddy, Vishnu","Sanchez, Juan","Bottke, William","Cloutis, Ed","Izawa, Matt","O'Brien, Dave","Mann, Paul","Cuddy, Matt","Corre, Lucille Le","Gaffey, Michael","Fujihara, Gary"],"tags":["Space Physics (physics.space-ph)","Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)","Geophysics (physics.geo-ph)","FOS: Physical sciences","FOS: Physical sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014","doi":"10.48550/arxiv.1404.6666","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.1502.05008","name":"Mineralogy and Surface Composition of Asteroids","source":"datacite","abstract":"Methods to constrain the surface mineralogy of asteroids have seen considerable development during the last decade with advancement in laboratory spectral calibrations and validation of our interpretive methodologies by spacecraft rendezvous missions. This has enabled the accurate identification of several meteorite parent bodies in the main asteroid belt and helped constrain the mineral chemistries and abundances in ordinary chondrites and basaltic achondrites. With better quantification of spectral effects due to temperature, phase angle, and grain size, systematic discrepancies due to non-compositional factors can now be virtually eliminated for mafic silicate-bearing asteroids. Interpretation of spectrally featureless asteroids remains a challenge. This paper presents a review of all mineralogical interpretive tools currently in use and outlines procedures for their application.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.1502.05008","authors":["Reddy, Vishnu","Dunn, Tasha L.","Thomas, Cristina A.","Moskovitz, Nicholas A.","Burbine, Thomas H."],"tags":["Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)","FOS: Physical sciences","FOS: Physical sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015","doi":"10.48550/arxiv.1502.05008","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.1710.07687","name":"Annama H chondrite - mineralogy, physical properties, cosmic ray exposure, and parent body history","source":"datacite","abstract":"The fall of the Annama meteorite occurred early morning (local time) on April 19, 2014 on the Kola Peninsula (Russia). Based on mineralogy and physical properties, Annama is a typical H chondrite. It has a high Ar-Ar age of 4.4 Ga. Its cosmic ray exposure history is atypical as it is not part of the large group of H chondrites with a prominent 7 - 8 Ma peak in the exposure age histograms. Instead, its exposure age is within uncertainty of a smaller peak at 30 \\pm 4 Ma. The results from short-lived radionuclides are compatible with an atmosperic pre-entry radius of 30 - 40 cm. However, based on noble gas and cosmogenic radionuclide data, Annama must have been part of a larger body (radius &gt;65 cm) for a large part of its cosmic ray exposure history. The 10Be concentration indicates a recent (3 - 5 Ma) breakup which may be responsible for the Annama parent body size reduction to 30 - 35 cm pre-entry radius.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.1710.07687","authors":["Kohout, Tomáš","Haloda, Jakub","Halodová, Patricie","Meier, Matthias M. M.","Maden, Colin","Busemann, Henner","Laubenstein, Matthias","Caffee, Marc. W.","Welten, Kees C.","Hopp, Jens","Trieloff, Mario","Mahajan, Ramakant R.","Naik, Sekhar","Trigo-Rodriguez, Josep M.","Moyano-Cambero, Carles E.","Oshtrakh, Michael I.","Maksimova, Alevtina A.","Chukin, Andrey V.","Semionkin, Vladimir A.","Karabanalov, Maksim S.","Felner, Israel","Petrova, Evgeniya V.","Brusnitsyna, Evgeniia V.","Grokhovsky, Victor I.","Yakovlev, Grigoriy A.","Gritsevich, Maria","Lyytinen, Esko","Moilanen, Jarmo","Kruglikov, Nikolai A.","Ishchenko, Aleksey V."],"tags":["Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)","FOS: Physical sciences","FOS: Physical sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017","doi":"10.48550/arxiv.1710.07687","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.1801.10079","name":"High Abundances of Presolar Grains and $^{15}$N-rich Organic Matter in CO3.0 Chondrite Dominion Range 08006","source":"datacite","abstract":"NanoSIMS C-, N-, and O-isotopic mapping of matrix in CO3.0 chondrite Dominion Range (DOM) 08006 revealed it to have in its matrix the highest abundance of presolar O-rich grains (257 +76 / -96 ppm, 2$σ$) of any meteorite. It also has a matrix abundance of presolar SiC of 35 (+25 / -17, 2$σ$) ppm, similar to that seen across primitive chondrite classes. This provides additional support to bulk isotopic and petrologic evidence that DOM 08006 is the most primitive known CO meteorite. Transmission electron microscopy of five presolar silicate grains revealed one to have a composite mineralogy similar to larger amoeboid olivine aggregates and consistent with equilibrium condensation, two non-stoichiometric amorphous grains and two olivine grains, though one is identified as such solely based on its composition. We also found insoluble organic matter (IOM) to be present primarily as sub-micron inclusions with ranges of C- and N-isotopic anomalies similar to those seen in primitive CR chondrites and interplanetary dust particles. In contrast to other primitive extraterrestrial materials, H isotopic imaging showed normal and homogeneous D/H. Most likely, DOM 08006 and other CO chondrites accreted a similar complement of primitive and isotopically anomalous organic matter to that found in other chondrite classes and IDPs, but the very limited amount of thermal metamorphism experienced by DOM 08006 has caused loss of D-rich organic moieties, while not substantially affecting either the molecular carriers of C and N anomalies or most inorganic phases in the meteorite. One C-rich grain that was highly depleted in $^{13}$C and $^{15}$N was identified; we propose it originated in the Sun's parental molecular cloud.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.1801.10079","authors":["Nittler, Larry R.","Alexander, Conel M. O'D.","Davidson, Jemma","Riebe, My E. I.","Stroud, Rhonda M.","Wang, Jianhua"],"tags":["Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)","FOS: Physical sciences","FOS: Physical sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","doi":"10.48550/arxiv.1801.10079","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.1909.13064","name":"Terrestrial modification of the Ivuna meteorite and a reassessment of the chemical composition of the CI type specimen","source":"datacite","abstract":"The rare CI carbonaceous chondrites are the most aqueously altered and chemically primitive meteorites but due to their porous nature and high abundance of volatile elements are susceptible to terrestrial weathering. The Ivuna meteorite, type specimen for the CI chondrites, is the largest twentieth-century CI fall and least affected by terrestrial alteration. The main mass of Ivuna (BM2008 M1) has been stored in a nitrogen atmosphere at least since 2008 and is the most pristine CI chondrite stone. We report the mineralogy, petrography and bulk elemental composition of BM2008 M1 and a second Ivuna stone (BM1996 M4) stored in air. Both Ivuna stones are breccias consisting of multiple rounded, phyllosilicate-rich clasts formed through aqueous alteration followed by impact processing. A polished thin section of BM2008 M1 analysed immediately after preparation was found to contain sulphate-bearing veins formed when primary sulphides reacted with oxygen and atmospheric water. A section of BM1996 M4 lacked veins but had sulphate grains on the surface recently formed (last 6 years). Differences in the extent of terrestrial alteration recorded by BM2008 M1 and BM1996 M4 probably reflect variations in the post-recovery curation history of the stones before entering the NHM collection, and indicate that where possible pristine samples of hydrated carbonaceous should be kept out of the terrestrial environment in a stable environment to avoid modification. The bulk elemental composition of the two Ivuna stones show some variability due to their heterogeneous nature but in general are similar to previous analyses of CI chondrites. We combine our elemental abundances with literature values to calculate a new average composition for the Ivuna meteorite, which is in good agreement with existing compilations of CI chondrites and the most recent solar photospheric abundances.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.1909.13064","authors":["King, A. J.","Phillips, K. J. H.","Strekopytov, S.","Vita-Finzi, C.","Russell, S. S."],"tags":["Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)","Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR)","FOS: Physical sciences","FOS: Physical sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","doi":"10.48550/arxiv.1909.13064","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2105.01971","name":"Information theory based Electron Paramagnetic Resonance dating","source":"datacite","abstract":"Chronometric dating is becoming increasingly important in areas such as the Origin and evolution of Life on Earth and other planets, Origin and evolution of the Earth and the Solar System... Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) dating is based on exploiting effects of contamination by chemicals or ionizing radiation, on ancient matter through its absorption spectrum and lineshape. Interpreting absorption spectra as probability density functions (pdf), we use the notion of Information Theory (IT) distance allowing us to position the measured lineshape with respect to standard limiting pdf's (Lorentzian and Gaussian). This paves the way to perform dating when several interaction patterns between unpaired spins are present in geologic, planetary, meteorite or asteroid matter namely classical-dipolar (for ancient times) and quantum-exchange-coupled (for recent times). In addition, accurate bounds to age are provided by IT from the evaluation of distances with respect to the Lorentz and Gauss distributions. Dating arbitrary periods of times~\\cite{Anderson} and exploiting IT to introduce rigorous and accurate date values might have interesting far reaching implications not only in Geophysics, Geochronology~\\cite{Bahain}, Planetary Science but also in Mineralogy, Archaeology, Biology, Anthropology~\\cite{Aitken}, Paleoanthropology~\\cite{Taylor,Richter}...","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2105.01971","authors":["Tannous, C.","Gieraltowski, J."],"tags":["Data Analysis, Statistics and Probability (physics.data-an)","FOS: Physical sciences","FOS: Physical sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.48550/arxiv.2105.01971","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2105.01900","name":"Visible-Infrared spectroscopy of ungrouped and rare meteorites brings further constraints on meteorite-asteroid connections","source":"datacite","abstract":"Although spectral surveys and spacecraft missions provide information on small bodies, many important analyses can only be performed in terrestrial laboratories. For now, the total number of parent bodies represented in our meteorites collection is estimated to about 150 parent bodies, of which 50 parent bodies represented by the poorly studied ungrouped chondrites. Linking ungrouped meteorites to their parent bodies is thus crucial to significantly increase our knowledge of asteroids. To this end, the petrography of 25 ungrouped chondrites and rare meteorite groups was studied, allowing grouping into 6 petrographic groups based on texture, mineralogy, and aqueous and thermal parent body processing. Then, we acquired visible-near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy data, in order to compare them to ground-based telescopic observations of asteroids. The reflectance spectra of meteorites were obtained on powdered samples, raw samples and polished sections. Our results showed that sample preparation influences the shape of the spectra, and thus asteroid spectral matching, especially for carbonaceous chondrites. Overall, the petrographic groups defined initially coincide with reflectance spectral groups. We define links between some of the studied ungrouped chondrites and asteroid types that had no meteorite connection proposed before, such as some very primitive type 3.00 ungrouped chondrites to B-type or Cg-type asteroids. We also matched metamorphosed ungrouped carbonaceous chondrites to S-complex asteroids, suggesting that this complex is not only composed of ordinary chondrites or primitive achondrites, as previously established, but may also host carbonaceous chondrites. Conversely, some ungrouped chondrites could not be matched to any known asteroid type, showing that those are potential samples from yet unidentified asteroid types.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2105.01900","authors":["Ruggiu, Lisa Kramër","Beck, Pierre","Gattacceca, Jérôme","Eschrig, Jolantha"],"tags":["Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)","Geophysics (physics.geo-ph)","FOS: Physical sciences","FOS: Physical sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.48550/arxiv.2105.01900","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.48448/nxq9-qn28","name":"[23-4] Characterization of Cavezzo, the anomalous L5 chondrite recovered by PRISMA","source":"datacite","abstract":"Abstract: The Cavezzo meteorite, felt on January 1st 2020, is the first meteorite recovered by the Italian PRISMA fireball network. Two specimens, weighing 3.1 g (F1) and 52.2 g (F2), were collected three days after the bolide was observed. The two specimens have a completely different lithology, geochemistry, and oxygen isotopic composition. Specimen F1 is anomalous both for the textural-structural features, varying from chondritic to achondritic, and a very unusual modal mineralogy. Conversely, F2 characterization is closer to the one of an ordinary L chondrite, given its texture, crystal chemistry and modal mineralogy. The oxygen isotope composition of F1 plots at the boundary between the H and L groups, whereas F2 plots at the boundary of the L and LL fields. These results support the classification of Cavezzo as a L5 anomalous chondrite. Measurements of F2 gamma activity revealed the presence of many cosmogenic isotopes (47Ca, 52Mn, 48V, 51Cr, 7Be, 58Co, 56Co, 46Sc, 57Co, 54Mn, 22Na, 60Co, 44Ti, 26Al) with half-lives down to few days, thus confirming the recent fall of the sample. Short-lived cosmogenic radioisotopes are not often measured, since this is possible only for meteorites recovered just after the fall. Besides information about solar activity on different time scales, the measured concentrations of cosmogenic isotopes will provide constraints on the pre-atmospheric size of the meteoroid and shielding depth of the counted sample, to be compared with results from dynamical mass computed from PRISMA observations. Authors:* Barghini D.*, Pratesi G., Gardiol D., Taricco C., Bizzarri I., Carbognani A., Colombetti P., Di Martino M., Franchi I.A., Greenwood R.C., Hammond S.J., Mancuso S., Moggi Cecchi V. & Rubinetti S.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48448/nxq9-qn28","authors":["Societa Geologica Italiana 2021","Barghini, Dario"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.48448/nxq9-qn28","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.5712027","name":"Machine Learning Mid-Infrared Spectral Models for Predicting Modal Mineralogy of CI/CM Chondritic Asteroids and Bennu","source":"datacite","abstract":"This is supporting data for the paper titled \"Machine Learning Mid-Infrared Spectral Models for Predicting Modal Mineralogy of CI/CM Chondritic Asteroids and Bennu\". Figure S1 compares model performance of nonnegative LSMA and PLS from Pan et al. (2015). Tables S1 through S5 provide XRD data, metadata, MIR spectra using the laboratory conversion, MIR spectra using the OTES conversion and quantitative XRD results for Murchison meteorite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5712027","authors":["Breitenfeld, L. B.","Rogers, A. D.","Glotch, T. D.","Hamilton, V. E.","Christensen, P. R.","Lauretta, D. S.","Gemma, M. E.","Howard, K. T.","Ebel, D. S.","Kim, G.","Kling, A. M.","Nekvasil, H.","DiFrancesco, N. J."],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.5712027","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.5712028","name":"Machine Learning Mid-Infrared Spectral Models for Predicting Modal Mineralogy of CI/CM Chondritic Asteroids and Bennu","source":"datacite","abstract":"This is supporting data for the paper titled \"Machine Learning Mid-Infrared Spectral Models for Predicting Modal Mineralogy of CI/CM Chondritic Asteroids and Bennu\". Figure S1 compares model performance of nonnegative LSMA and PLS from Pan et al. (2015). Tables S1 through S5 provide XRD data, metadata, MIR spectra using the laboratory conversion, MIR spectra using the OTES conversion and quantitative XRD results for Murchison meteorite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5712028","authors":["Breitenfeld, L. B.","Rogers, A. D.","Glotch, T. D.","Hamilton, V. E.","Christensen, P. R.","Lauretta, D. S.","Gemma, M. E.","Howard, K. T.","Ebel, D. S.","Kim, G.","Kling, A. M.","Nekvasil, H.","DiFrancesco, N. J."],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.5712028","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5690646.v1","name":"Meteorites that produce K-feldspar-rich ejecta blankets correspond to mass extinctions","source":"datacite","abstract":"Meteorite impacts load the atmosphere with dust and cover the Earth’s surface with debris. They have long been debated as a trigger of mass extinctions through Earth’s history. Impact winters generally last &lt;10 0 years, whereas ejecta blankets persist for 10 3 –10 5 years. Here we show that only meteorite impacts that emplaced ejecta blankets rich in K-feldspar (Kfs) correlate to Earth -system crises (n=11, p&lt;0.000005). Kfs is a powerful ice-nucleating aerosol yet is normally rare in atmospheric dust mineralogy. Ice nucleation plays an important role in cloud microphysics, which modulates global albedo. A conceptual model is proposed whereby the anomalous prevalence of Kfs is posited to have two key effects on cloud dynamics: 1) reducing the average albedo of mixed-phase cloud, which effected a hotter climate; 2) weakening of the cloud albedo feedback, which increased climate sensitivity. These mechanisms offer an explanation as to why this otherwise benign mineral is correlated so strongly with mass extinction events: every K-feldspar-rich ejecta blanket corresponds to a severe extinction episode over the past 600 Myr. This model may also explain why many kill mechanisms only variably correlate with extinction events through geological time: they coincide with these rare periods of climate destabilization by atmospheric Kfs.","url":"https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5690646.v1","authors":["Pankhurst, M.J.","Stevenson, C.J.","Coldwell, B.C."],"tags":["Geology","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5690646.v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5690646","name":"Meteorites that produce K-feldspar-rich ejecta blankets correspond to mass extinctions","source":"datacite","abstract":"Meteorite impacts load the atmosphere with dust and cover the Earth’s surface with debris. They have long been debated as a trigger of mass extinctions through Earth’s history. Impact winters generally last &lt;10 0 years, whereas ejecta blankets persist for 10 3 –10 5 years. Here we show that only meteorite impacts that emplaced ejecta blankets rich in K-feldspar (Kfs) correlate to Earth -system crises (n=11, p&lt;0.000005). Kfs is a powerful ice-nucleating aerosol yet is normally rare in atmospheric dust mineralogy. Ice nucleation plays an important role in cloud microphysics, which modulates global albedo. A conceptual model is proposed whereby the anomalous prevalence of Kfs is posited to have two key effects on cloud dynamics: 1) reducing the average albedo of mixed-phase cloud, which effected a hotter climate; 2) weakening of the cloud albedo feedback, which increased climate sensitivity. These mechanisms offer an explanation as to why this otherwise benign mineral is correlated so strongly with mass extinction events: every K-feldspar-rich ejecta blanket corresponds to a severe extinction episode over the past 600 Myr. This model may also explain why many kill mechanisms only variably correlate with extinction events through geological time: they coincide with these rare periods of climate destabilization by atmospheric Kfs.","url":"https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5690646","authors":["Pankhurst, M.J.","Stevenson, C.J.","Coldwell, B.C."],"tags":["Geology","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5690646","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.26303/kkw1-6r87","name":"ICE Meteorite and Sample Return Laboratory","source":"datacite","abstract":"At the Institute of Space Sciences (CSIC-IEEC) we work on extraterrestrial materials using a clean room serving as petrographic laboratory for our Meteorites, Minor Bodies and Planetary Sciences group (group leader Prof. Dr. Trigo-Rodríguez). We study and characterize meteorites, and returned samples from space missions (e.g. Stardust and Hayabusa). We host a meteorite collection, and our research institute is an international repository of NASA Antarctic Meteorites arrived from the Johnson Space Center. At the Institute of Space Sciences (CSIC-IEEC) we have state-of-the-art instrumentation to study meteorites and returned samples under clean laboratory conditions. We also cooperate with other researchers in order to apply new research techniques to get insight on these fascinating rocks arrived from distant locations of our Solar System. In particular, we study the bulk chemistry, mineralogy, and other physico-chemical properties of thick and thin sections of the samples arrived to our clean laboratory. A Zeiss Scope petrographic microscope is used to study carefully the thin sections of the samples and perform accurate measurements. As CSIC professional researchers and members of the Meteoritical Society with dilated experience in analytical techniques we are leading experts in meteorite characterization. In fact, we have named the last meteorite falls occurred in Spain (Ardón, Puerto Lápice and Villalbeto de la Peña) plus others meteorites fell recently in South America like e.g. Berduc and Cali, among others also found. We characterize the meteorites using the most modern instrumental techniques that allow us to infer if the studied rock is a meteorite or not, and to classify it accordingly the known meteorite classes and groups. We are experts in chondrites, rocks arrived from asteroids, but also working in achondrites reaching the Earth from planetary bodies. In fact, as demonstrated in our publications in first quartile journals, we have characterized chondrites arrived to Earth from asteroids and achondrites from Mars, the Moon, or Vesta, for example. Our group is also specialized in aqueous alteration in meteorites, so we infer the action of water in the parent bodies of the meteorites, before the rock arrived to Earth. One of our research goals is defining the pathways in which the water was delivered to our planet. RESEARCH TECHNIQUES TO STUDY METEORITES AND RETURNED SAMPLES The incorporation of Dr. Trigo-Rodríguez to the Institute of Space Sciences (CSIC-IEEC) in 2006 after a 3 years postdoc at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) allowed our center to apply many of the research techniques used by the famous IGPP meteorite group lead by Prof. John Wasson (group originally classifying the chondrites), but also explore other techniques with CSIC-UAB-UPC experts in science of materials. Among the instrumental techniques currently used by our group in Barcelona to characterize meteorites and returned samples, and citing just those in which our group has dilated expertise, we cite: - Petrographic and polarization microscopy (thin sections’ integral mapping) - Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive X-ray microscopy - Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). - Raman spectroscopy. - X-ray Diffraction (XRD) of meteorite powders. - Reflectance spectroscopy using Shimadzu UV-3600 spectrometer, and IR ATR spectrometer at UPC - Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND FUNDING SOURCES. This ongoing research on Meteoritica at CSIC-IEEC wants to be example of cooperation with other research groups around the world. Our research publications exemplify the way in which we understand collaborative science, also involving PhD students and early carrier ICE researchers. In particular, we offer to the community the identification and classification of meteorites in Spain because our research has been funded in a continuous way through three","url":"https://doi.org/10.26303/kkw1-6r87","authors":["Josep  Trigo-Rodriguez"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.26303/kkw1-6r87","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21954/ou.ro.00012472","name":"An Isotopic Investigation Of Early Planetesimal Differentiation Processes","source":"datacite","abstract":"The differentiation and early evolution of planetesimals is relatively poorly understood. The Main Group pallasites (PMGs) and IIIAB irons are differentiated meteorite groups from deep planetesimal interiors. They provide a window into the early evolution of rocky planets because of the abundance of samples from these groups and because a common planetary provenance has been proposed. Oxygen isotope analyses are crucial in understanding these relationships. The mineralogy of the PMGs and IIIABs, which seemingly record the magmatic evolution of their parent body, offers a unique opportunity to study early planetary differentiation processes. High-precision oxygen isotope analyses are used in conjunction with petrological characteristics and Cr and W isotope analyses to subdivide these groups and investigate formation processes. Two subgroups are identified in PMGs: PMG-low and PMG-high. The former exhibits an oxygen isotopic disequilibrium between olivine and chromite that is unexplainable through known mass-dependent processes. These minerals therefore either sample multiple isotopic reservoirs mixed during an impact or, less likely, are affected by complex anharmonic or nuclear field shift effects. Further investigation on these effects must be executed to completely discount these latter possibilities. The PMG-high chromite isotope ratios probably record equilibration between these two reservoirs. Chromium and W isotope analyses on PMG samples show no disequilibrium but provide an excellent chronology. High-precision oxygen isotope analyses of IIIABs has identified three previously unknown subgroups with serious implications for the interpretation of the IIIAB suite of samples. These likely originate from different planetesimals and not from complex core evolution. Finally, chromite in PMGs and IIIABs is shown to be resolvable in Δ17O which precludes a common parent planetesimal. The findings of this study suggest that there may have been many more differentiated planetesimals in the early Solar System than previously thought and necessitate care in future studies linking meteorite groups by parent body.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21954/ou.ro.00012472","authors":["Windmill, Richard Joseph"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.21954/ou.ro.00012472","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.7516433.v1","name":"The Buritizal meteorite: classification of a new Brazilian chondrite","source":"datacite","abstract":"Abstract On August 14, 1967, the reporter Saulo Gomes, working at TV Tupi, went to a small city in the State of São Paulo called Buritizal to investigate reports of a meteorite fall and write a newspaper report. He actually recovered three fragments of the meteorite at a small farm. In 2014, he donated one of the fragments to the Museu Nacional of the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (MN/UFRJ). We named this meteorite Buritizal and studied its petrology, geochemistry, magnetic properties and cathodoluminescence with the intent to determine the petrologic classification of the meteorite. In this manner, the Buritizal meteorite is classified as an ordinary chondrite LL 3.2 breccia (as indicated by lithic fragments). The meteorite consists of ~ 2% of metallic Fe,Ni and many well-defined chondrules with ~ 0.8 mm in average diameter. An ultramafic ferromagnesian mineralogy is predominant in the meteorite, represented by olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, Fe-Ni alloy, troilite and glass. The total iron content was calculated as 20.88 wt%. Furthermore, the meteorite was classified as weathering grade W1 and shock stage S3. Buritizal is the 25th observed meteorite fall recovered in Brazil, of 70 meteorites known from Brazil. Thus, the study of the Buritizal meteorite is very important and relevant for the Brazilian scientific community.","url":"https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.7516433.v1","authors":["Salaverry, Rogerio Nogueira","Zucolotto, Maria Elizabeth","Mendes, Julio Cezar","Keil, Klaus","Gattacceca, Jérôme","Vasques, Fernando De Souza Gonçalves"],"tags":["Geology","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences","Mechanical Engineering","FOS: Mechanical engineering","FOS: Mechanical engineering","Mechanics","91207 Metals and Alloy Materials"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","doi":"10.6084/m9.figshare.7516433.v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.7516433","name":"The Buritizal meteorite: classification of a new Brazilian chondrite","source":"datacite","abstract":"Abstract On August 14, 1967, the reporter Saulo Gomes, working at TV Tupi, went to a small city in the State of São Paulo called Buritizal to investigate reports of a meteorite fall and write a newspaper report. He actually recovered three fragments of the meteorite at a small farm. In 2014, he donated one of the fragments to the Museu Nacional of the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (MN/UFRJ). We named this meteorite Buritizal and studied its petrology, geochemistry, magnetic properties and cathodoluminescence with the intent to determine the petrologic classification of the meteorite. In this manner, the Buritizal meteorite is classified as an ordinary chondrite LL 3.2 breccia (as indicated by lithic fragments). The meteorite consists of ~ 2% of metallic Fe,Ni and many well-defined chondrules with ~ 0.8 mm in average diameter. An ultramafic ferromagnesian mineralogy is predominant in the meteorite, represented by olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, Fe-Ni alloy, troilite and glass. The total iron content was calculated as 20.88 wt%. Furthermore, the meteorite was classified as weathering grade W1 and shock stage S3. Buritizal is the 25th observed meteorite fall recovered in Brazil, of 70 meteorites known from Brazil. Thus, the study of the Buritizal meteorite is very important and relevant for the Brazilian scientific community.","url":"https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.7516433","authors":["Salaverry, Rogerio Nogueira","Zucolotto, Maria Elizabeth","Mendes, Julio Cezar","Keil, Klaus","Gattacceca, Jérôme","Vasques, Fernando De Souza Gonçalves"],"tags":["Geology","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences","Mechanical Engineering","FOS: Mechanical engineering","FOS: Mechanical engineering","Mechanics","91207 Metals and Alloy Materials"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","doi":"10.6084/m9.figshare.7516433","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.25911/5d5147caa0d1e","name":"Devolatilization During the Formation of Rocky Planets: Bulk Elemental Composition","source":"datacite","abstract":"As the solar nebula condensed, evaporated and fractionated to form the nascent Earth, the bulk elemental composition of the Earth was established. To first order, the Earth is a devolatilized sample of the solar nebula. Similarly, rocky exoplanets are also likely devolatilized samples of the stellar nebulae out of which they and their host stars formed. If this assumption holds, we can estimate the chemical composition of rocky exoplanets by applying a devolatilization algorithm based on the elemental abundances of their host stars. This thesis is an investigation of this potentially universal devolatilization pattern, from which exoplanetary chemistry and habitability are then derived. To quantify (in broad terms) the chemical relationships between the Earth, the Sun and other bodies in the Solar System, the elemental abundances of the bulk Earth are required. The key to comparing Earth’s composition with those of other objects is to have a determination of the bulk composition with an appropriate estimate of un- certainties. We present concordance estimates (with uncertainties) of the elemental abundances of the bulk Earth, by compiling, combining, and renormalizing a large set of heterogeneous literature values of the primitive mantle and of the core. The weighting factor for the concordance estimates comes from our new estimate of the core mass fraction of the Earth: 32.5±0.3 wt% (weight percent). The uncertainties on our elemental abundances usefully calibrate the unresolved discrepancies between standard Earth models made under various geochemical and geophysical assump- tions. We then extend our assessment of terrestrial abundances to the modeling of pro- tosolar abundances based on the latest estimates of solar photospheric abundances and primitive meteoritic abundances. We compare our new protosolar abundances with our estimates of bulk Earth composition, thereby quantifying the devolatiliza- tion of the solar nebula that led to the formation of the Earth. As a function of elemental 50% condensation temperatures (TC), we fit the Earth-to-Sun abundance ratios f to the linear trend log( f ) = a log(TC ) + b. The best fit coefficients are: a = 3.676 ± 0.142 and b = 11.556 ± 0.436. The quantification of the slope a provides an empirical observation upon which modeling of the devolatilization processes can be based. These coefficients determine a critical devolatilization temperature for the Earth TD(E) = 1391 ± 15 K. The resultant devolatilization pattern allows inferences to be made concerning the depletions of elements in the early solar system and is potentially useful for estimating the chemical composition of rocky exoplanets from their known host stellar abundances. We apply the devolatilization pattern to nearby planetary systems to infer the bulk elemental composition of rocky exoplanets – particularly those within the cir- cumstellar habitable zones – from the known host stellar elemental abundances. The estimated bulk planetary composition (rather than the host stellar abundances) is then used as a principal constraint to model the interior composition and structure of such exoplanets. We apply these constraints to four planet host stars: Kepler-10, Kepler-20, Kepler-21 and Kepler-100, to model the interiors including the mantle and core compositions as well as core mass fraction for potential terrestrial exoplanets orbiting these host stars. With respect to the estimates of the interiors, we conclude that a potential terrestrial exoplanet orbiting Kepler-21 would be the most Earth-like while one orbiting Kepler-10 would be the least.","url":"https://doi.org/10.25911/5d5147caa0d1e","authors":["Wang, Haiyang"],"tags":["devolatilization","devolatilisation","volatility","volatility trend","planet formation","elemental composition","chemical composition","elemental abundance"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","doi":"10.25911/5d5147caa0d1e","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/syjg87h62s.1","name":"Tissintite in lunar meteorites","source":"datacite","abstract":"This file contains backscattered electron images of tissintite in lunar meteorites, structural characterization of high-pressure minerals via Raman spectroscopy, electron backscattering diffraction, selected area electron diffraction, and compositions of tissintite and corundum.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/syjg87h62s.1","authors":["Zhang, Ai-Cheng"],"tags":["Meteorite Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.17632/syjg87h62s.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/mr6mcm2gkv.1","name":"Data for: Post-impact metamorphism of Chelyabinsk meteorite in shock experiment","source":"datacite","abstract":"Images of the shocked sample texture","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/mr6mcm2gkv.1","authors":["Petrova, Evgeniya"],"tags":["Meteorite Mineralogy","Meteorite Impact"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.17632/mr6mcm2gkv.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4253312.v1","name":"Evaluating the influence of meteorite impact events on global potassium feldspar availability to the atmosphere since 600 Ma.","source":"datacite","abstract":"Potassium feldspar present in global mineral aerosol (&lt;5%) plays a disproportionate role in modulating the microphysics of mixed-phase cloud. Via exceptional ice nucleation properties, it is capable of changing cloud properties and behaviour. Here we identify times of substantial and abrupt change in the global availability of potassium feldspar since 600 Ma. Normally, weathering and vegetation cover contribute to low availability, with clay dominating mineral aerosol. Periods of maximum availability are reasoned to follow the emplacement and remobilisation of ejecta blankets from major meteorite impact events, before returning to background on the order of hundreds-thousands of years. We review the 44 largest confirmed craters and evaluate the potassium feldspar content of their target rocks, which range from c . 0 to &gt;30%. By combining crater size and tectonic reconstructions, we are able to provide a quantitative and self-consistent assessment of changes to global potassium feldspar availability. Considerable differences in potassium feldspar availability following meteorite impact events are revealed. Different impact events generated dust containing different amounts of potassium feldspar. Differing levels of influence upon climate is hypothesized, and should now be tested by looking at stratigraphic records of these events to reveal the sensitivity of climate to different dust mineralogy.","url":"https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4253312.v1","authors":["B.C. Coldwell","M.J. Pankhurst"],"tags":["Geology","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","doi":"10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4253312.v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4253312","name":"Evaluating the influence of meteorite impact events on global potassium feldspar availability to the atmosphere since 600 Ma.","source":"datacite","abstract":"Potassium feldspar present in global mineral aerosol (&lt;5%) plays a disproportionate role in modulating the microphysics of mixed-phase cloud. Via exceptional ice nucleation properties, it is capable of changing cloud properties and behaviour. Here we identify times of substantial and abrupt change in the global availability of potassium feldspar since 600 Ma. Normally, weathering and vegetation cover contribute to low availability, with clay dominating mineral aerosol. Periods of maximum availability are reasoned to follow the emplacement and remobilisation of ejecta blankets from major meteorite impact events, before returning to background on the order of hundreds-thousands of years. We review the 44 largest confirmed craters and evaluate the potassium feldspar content of their target rocks, which range from c . 0 to &gt;30%. By combining crater size and tectonic reconstructions, we are able to provide a quantitative and self-consistent assessment of changes to global potassium feldspar availability. Considerable differences in potassium feldspar availability following meteorite impact events are revealed. Different impact events generated dust containing different amounts of potassium feldspar. Differing levels of influence upon climate is hypothesized, and should now be tested by looking at stratigraphic records of these events to reveal the sensitivity of climate to different dust mineralogy.","url":"https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4253312","authors":["B.C. Coldwell","M.J. Pankhurst"],"tags":["Geology","FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","doi":"10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4253312","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.13016/m2d50g00w","name":"WATER IN THE EARLY SOLAR SYSTEM: INFRARED STUDIES OF AQUEOUSLY ALTERED AND MINIMALLY PROCESSED ASTEROIDS","source":"datacite","abstract":"This thesis investigates connections between low albedo asteroids and carbonaceous chondrite meteorites using spectroscopy. Meteorites and asteroids preserve information about the early solar system including accretion processes and parent body processes active on asteroids at these early times. One process of interest is aqueous alteration. This is the chemical reaction between coaccreted water and silicates producing hydrated minerals. Some carbonaceous chondrites have experienced extensive interactions with water through this process. Since these meteorites and their parent bodies formed close to the beginning of the Solar System, these asteroids and meteorites may provide clues to the distribution, abundance and timing of water in the Solar nebula at these times. Chapter 2 of this thesis investigates the relationships between extensively aqueously altered meteorites and their visible, near and mid-infrared spectral features in a coordinated spectral-mineralogical study. Aqueous alteration is a parent body process where initially accreted anhydrous minerals are converted into hydrated minerals in the presence of coaccreted water. Using samples of meteorites with known bulk properties, it is possible to directly connect changes in mineralogy caused by aqueous alteration with spectral features. Spectral features in the mid-infrared are found to change continuously with increasing amount of hydrated minerals or degree of alteration. Building on this result, the degrees of alteration of asteroids are estimated in a survey of new asteroid data obtained from SOFIA and IRTF as well as archived the Spitzer Space Telescope data. 75 observations of 73 asteroids are analyzed and presented in Chapter 4. Asteroids with hydrated minerals are found throughout the main belt indicating that significant ice must have been present in the disk at the time of carbonaceous asteroid accretion. Finally, some carbonaceous chondrite meteorites preserve amorphous iron-bearing materials that formed through disequilibrium condensation in the disk. These materials are readily destroyed in parent body processes so their presence indicates the meteorite/asteroid has undergone minimal parent body processes since the time of accretion. Presented in Chapter 3 is the spectral signature of meteorites that preserve significant amorphous iron-bearing materials and the identification of an asteroid, (93) Minerva, that also appears to preserve these materials.","url":"https://doi.org/10.13016/m2d50g00w","authors":["McAdam, Margaret"],"tags":["Astronomy","Asteroids","Carbonaceous chondrite meteorites","Spectroscopy"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017","doi":"10.13016/m2d50g00w","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21954/ou.ro.0000ef20","name":"Aqueous alteration on early Mars: New insights from the aqueous geochemistry and secondary mineralogy of meteorite ALH 84001","source":"datacite","abstract":"In the wake of the discovery of clay minerals in Gale crater (an ancient martian crater) by NASA's Curiosity rover, and numerous remote and in situ detections of hydrous minerals on the early surfaces of Mars, the absence of clays in the oldest martian meteorite, ALH 84001, remains conspicuous. ALH 84001 is an orthopyroxenite that contains carbonate minerals which were formed on Mars - probably as a result of low temperature, near-surface aqueous alteration of the rock - but it does not contain clays. This body of work comprises a number of studies and different analytical techniques used to understand and constrain the composition of early martian fluids that lead to the alteration of the meteorite when it was emplaced near the surface of Mars ~3.9 Ga ago. Petrological and mineralogical studies; carbon, nitrogen and noble gas stepped-combustion analyses; geochemical modelling under different conditions; and aqueous alteration experiments were all carried out here for this purpose. A young martian meteorite, shergottite NW A 6234, was also investigated in the context of this work to understand whether aqueous alteration persisted in time. Compositional clues described here point to varying degrees of aqueous alteration in ALH 8400 I, and possibly even in a shock melt vein in NW A 6234. The results of the extensive geochemical modelling strongly suggest that the fluid that altered ALH 84001 was near-neutral (pH≈7), low temperature (-20°C), and that the atmospheric CO 2 pressure required to produce the carbonates was under 1 bar. The fluid was probably transient, and evaporated after precipitating the ubiquitous carbonates. A suite of other secondary products are predicted to have formed neighbouring ALH 84001, a few of which have been detected on Mars (such as clays), yet others are more surprising (such as talc and zeolites, and a possible pathway to the abiotic production of methane).","url":"https://doi.org/10.21954/ou.ro.0000ef20","authors":["Melwani Daswani, Mohit"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015","doi":"10.21954/ou.ro.0000ef20","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21954/ou.ro.0000cc17","name":"Physical and Chemical Properties of Matrix in Primitive Chondrites","source":"datacite","abstract":"The origin and formation of our Solar System is an open research question, which the scientific community is trying to address. In this work was specifically investigated the fine grained matrix which is a mixture of fine-grained materials composed largely of amorphous silicate and sub-micrometre crystals forsterite and enstatite. This is thought to be the remnants of the dust and gas of the protoplanetary disk that allows us to better understand chemical and physical properties of this precursor material. Four pristine primitive meteorites were selected: Acfer 094 (C2-ung.), ALHA77307 (CO3), MIL 07687 (C3-ung.) and QUE 99177 (CR2). The ability of a new generation of SEM-EDX detector was tested, in order to acquire high-resolution element maps of fine grained matrix. This allowed the calculation of abundances, and size distribution of discrete grains of different phases (silicate vs. opaque). Data acquired suggest that the four meteorites can be split into two groups, ALHA77307-MIL 07687 and QUE 99177 and Acfer 094, based on differences in relative abundances and sizes of discrete grains in their matrix. Micro X-ray diffraction was also used for mineralogical phase identification of the matrix constituents allowing the estimation of their modal mineralogy. MIL 0768 and Acfer 094 were also investigated using Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscopy (STXM) which revealed predominantly oxidising conditions; some reducing conditions are also displayed by some grains, reflecting the mixed redox conditions of the solar nebula. Measurements of O-isotopic composition of matrix regions were performed, and revealed similarities to values previously reported for IDPs (Starkey et al. 2013,2014 Nakashima et al., 2012, Aleon et al., 2009), rather than those of bulk meteorites (Clayton &amp; Mayeda, 1999). I infer that the observed differences between these matrix components within the meteorite reflect the heterogeneity of the protoplanetary disk. Although these meteorites are pristine, parent body processes have also affected the small matrix grains.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21954/ou.ro.0000cc17","authors":["Vaccaro, Epifanio"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017","doi":"10.21954/ou.ro.0000cc17","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/2g42x8gvp2.4","name":"Tables for high-pressure redox reactions between carbonates and mantle silicate","source":"datacite","abstract":"Tables (.xlsx) for high-pressure redox reactions between carbonates and mantle silicate and Supplementary tables (.xlsx) summarized chemical compositions of majorite garnets from diamond, shocked meteorite in previous studies","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/2g42x8gvp2.4","authors":["Tao, Renbiao"],"tags":["Meteorite Mineralogy","Mineral in Earth's Mantle","Experimental Petrology","Subduction Zone"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.17632/2g42x8gvp2.4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/2g42x8gvp2.3","name":"Tables for high-pressure redox reactions between carbonates and mantle silicate","source":"datacite","abstract":"Tables (.xlsx) for high-pressure redox reactions between carbonates and mantle silicate and Supplementary tables (.xlsx) summarized chemical compositions of majorite garnets from diamond, shocked meteorite in previous studies","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/2g42x8gvp2.3","authors":["Tao, Renbiao"],"tags":["Meteorite Mineralogy","Mineral in Earth's Mantle","Experimental Petrology","Subduction Zone"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.17632/2g42x8gvp2.3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/2g42x8gvp2.2","name":"Tables for high-pressure redox reactions between carbonates and mantle silicate","source":"datacite","abstract":"Tables (.xlsx) for high-pressure redox reactions between carbonates and mantle silicate and Supplementary tables (.xlsx) summarized chemical compositions of majorite garnets from diamond, shocked meteorite in previous studies","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/2g42x8gvp2.2","authors":["Tao, Renbiao"],"tags":["Meteorite Mineralogy","Mineral in Earth's Mantle"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.17632/2g42x8gvp2.2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/2g42x8gvp2.1","name":"Tables for high-pressure redox reaction between carbonates and mantle silicate","source":"datacite","abstract":"Chemical composition of majorite garnets from diamond, shocked meteorite, and synthetic experiments from redox reaction between carbonates and mantle silicate (Tao et al., 2020)","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/2g42x8gvp2.1","authors":["Tao, Renbiao"],"tags":["Meteorite Mineralogy","Mineral in Earth's Mantle"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.17632/2g42x8gvp2.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.13016/9ch4-y6vb","name":"Supplementary Research Data for \"Brachinites record divergent evolutionary pathways\"","source":"datacite","abstract":"The brachinite family of meteorites records divergent trends of differentiation based on O and S fugacities. We find that S and O-rich materials differentiate into distinct igneous products from reduced counterparts.","url":"https://doi.org/10.13016/9ch4-y6vb","authors":["Crossley, Samuel","Ash, Richard","Sunshine, Jessica","Corrigan, Catherine","McCoy, Timothy","Mittlefehldt, David","Puchtel, Igor"],"tags":["EMP","SEM","Modal Mineralogy","Meteorite","Brachinite"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.13016/9ch4-y6vb","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17169/refubium-25782.2","name":"Microbeam characterization of volatile-rich clasts - a tool to constrain early parent body hydrothermal processes","source":"datacite","abstract":"Meteoritic breccias can contain material that is not yet available in current meteorite collections as individual rocks. These materials can significantly contribute to answering questions related to the formation, environment, and evolution history of planetary bodies. Volatile-rich clasts are a great example of material that occurs in brecciated meteorites and can be used to answer questions related to the above mentioned topics. Volatile-rich clasts in general are characterized by abundant volatile-bearing secondary formed minerals and can be subdivided into two main types: 1) The CM-like type, which contains chondrules with accretionary rims, tochilinite-cronstedtite intergrowths (TCI), carbonates, and Fe-Ni sulfides dispersed in a very fine phyllosilicate matrix. 2) The CI-like type clasts that contain a fine-grained phyllosilicate matrix with embedded magnetite, Fe-Ni sulfides, carbonates, accessory minerals, and very rarely chondrules or fragments of them. The mineralogy of the two types of clasts shows a strong association to the well-known CM and CI chondrites, respectively. However, it is unclear whether the volatile-rich clasts are actually similar to the analogue chondrites or whether they represent material that is not yet present in our meteorite collections. The goal of this thesis is to not only characterize the volatile-rich clasts and investigate the differences between the clasts and the chondrites, but also to obtain a better understanding of the associated parent body processes, such as; (i) the source and extent of the thermal histories (ii) the timing and source(s) of hydrothermal alteration (iii) the degree of equilibration and origin of sulphides within the parent bodies. To resolve these processes, we apply a variety of analytical methods. Raman carbon thermometry of organic matter dispersed in the matrix was used to resolve the thermal history in terms of heating source, peak temperatures, extent, and influence of heating on highly volatile element isotope compositions of the volatile-rich clasts and analogue meteorites. Additionally, the formation processes of sulfides were investigated using S isotope compositions of the abundant Fe-Ni sulfides in the CI- and CM-like clasts. Finally, the Mn-Cr ages of dolomite in CI-like clasts and calcite in CM-like clasts were ascertained to constrain the timing of hydrothermal alteration among the clasts and chondrites. The estimated peak temperature of the organic matter indicates that CI-like clasts experienced an average peak temperature of 65 ± 25 °C; very similar to the CM-like clasts with an average of 70 ± 25 °C. The CM and CI carbonaceous chondrites in this study experienced similar temperatures between 50 °C and 75 °C. The peak temperatures were most likely the result of 26Al decay that triggered hydrothermal alteration. No evidence was found, that indicates additional heating by impacts or interaction with the host rock leading to a higher peak temperature than during their formation. Considering the thermal histories and the mineralogy it seems that the clasts and chondrites represent similar material. The S isotope compositions of sulfides, however, show a completely different result. Although the S isotope compositions of Fe-Ni sulfides in CM chondrites and CM clasts are very similar, the S isotope compositions of sulfides in CI-like clasts and those in CI chondrites are considerably different. Moreover, CI-like clasts have negative δ34S values, whereas the CI chondrites have positive δ34S values. The difference between these two materials, although having a similar mineralogy and thermal history, is the first evidence that the parent bodies of the CI-like clasts sampled different (S) isotopic reservoirs. For this reason, CI-like clasts can better be referred to as C1 clasts. The observation of different parent bodies with similar mineral compositions and peak temperatures can be used to constrain a key process in the early solar system; hydrotherma","url":"https://doi.org/10.17169/refubium-25782.2","authors":["Visser, Robbin"],"tags":["meteorite","chondrite","hydrothermal alteration","volatile-rich clasts","characterization","thermal history","parent body formation","500 Natural sciences and mathematics::550 Earth sciences::550 Earth sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","doi":"10.17169/refubium-25782.2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17169/refubium-25782","name":"Microbeam characterization of volatile-rich clasts - a tool to constrain early parent body hydrothermal processes","source":"datacite","abstract":"Meteoritic breccias can contain material that is not yet available in current meteorite collections as individual rocks. These materials can significantly contribute to answering questions related to the formation, environment, and evolution history of planetary bodies. Volatile-rich clasts are a great example of material that occurs in brecciated meteorites and can be used to answer questions related to the above mentioned topics. Volatile-rich clasts in general are characterized by abundant volatile-bearing secondary formed minerals and can be subdivided into two main types: 1) The CM-like type, which contains chondrules with accretionary rims, tochilinite-cronstedtite intergrowths (TCI), carbonates, and Fe-Ni sulfides dispersed in a very fine phyllosilicate matrix. 2) The CI-like type clasts that contain a fine-grained phyllosilicate matrix with embedded magnetite, Fe-Ni sulfides, carbonates, accessory minerals, and very rarely chondrules or fragments of them. The mineralogy of the two types of clasts shows a strong association to the well-known CM and CI chondrites, respectively. However, it is unclear whether the volatile-rich clasts are actually similar to the analogue chondrites or whether they represent material that is not yet present in our meteorite collections. The goal of this thesis is to not only characterize the volatile-rich clasts and investigate the differences between the clasts and the chondrites, but also to obtain a better understanding of the associated parent body processes, such as; (i) the source and extent of the thermal histories (ii) the timing and source(s) of hydrothermal alteration (iii) the degree of equilibration and origin of sulphides within the parent bodies. To resolve these processes, we apply a variety of analytical methods. Raman carbon thermometry of organic matter dispersed in the matrix was used to resolve the thermal history in terms of heating source, peak temperatures, extent, and influence of heating on highly volatile element isotope compositions of the volatile-rich clasts and analogue meteorites. Additionally, the formation processes of sulfides were investigated using S isotope compositions of the abundant Fe-Ni sulfides in the CI- and CM-like clasts. Finally, the Mn-Cr ages of dolomite in CI-like clasts and calcite in CM-like clasts were ascertained to constrain the timing of hydrothermal alteration among the clasts and chondrites. The estimated peak temperature of the organic matter indicates that CI-like clasts experienced an average peak temperature of 65 ± 25 °C; very similar to the CM-like clasts with an average of 70 ± 25 °C. The CM and CI carbonaceous chondrites in this study experienced similar temperatures between 50 °C and 75 °C. The peak temperatures were most likely the result of 26Al decay that triggered hydrothermal alteration. No evidence was found, that indicates additional heating by impacts or interaction with the host rock leading to a higher peak temperature than during their formation. Considering the thermal histories and the mineralogy it seems that the clasts and chondrites represent similar material. The S isotope compositions of sulfides, however, show a completely different result. Although the S isotope compositions of Fe-Ni sulfides in CM chondrites and CM clasts are very similar, the S isotope compositions of sulfides in CI-like clasts and those in CI chondrites are considerably different. Moreover, CI-like clasts have negative δ34S values, whereas the CI chondrites have positive δ34S values. The difference between these two materials, although having a similar mineralogy and thermal history, is the first evidence that the parent bodies of the CI-like clasts sampled different (S) isotopic reservoirs. For this reason, CI-like clasts can better be referred to as C1 clasts. The observation of different parent bodies with similar mineral compositions and peak temperatures can be used to constrain a key process in the early solar system; hydrotherma","url":"https://doi.org/10.17169/refubium-25782","authors":["Visser, Robbin"],"tags":["meteorite","chondrite","hydrothermal alteration","volatile-rich clasts","characterization","thermal history","parent body formation","500 Natural sciences and mathematics::550 Earth sciences::550 Earth sciences"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","doi":"10.17169/refubium-25782","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/9b3b73ny44.1","name":"Original data for Discovery of nanophase iron particles and high pressure clinoenstatite in the heavily shocked ordinary chondrite: implication for the decomposition of pyroxene","source":"datacite","abstract":"The Word document named EPMA and TEM Quantitative EDS is the original data of chemical composition of phases in GRV 022115 measured by EPMA and TEM. Table A1 is major elements analyses of minerals in GRV 022115 by EPMA (in wt%). Table A2 is chemical compositions of various phases in the pyroxene glass of GRV 022115 by TEM-EDS (in at%). The file (in .dm3 format) named HRTEM image of HP-CEn is the original high-resolution TEM image of a [010] zone axis for a sigle HP-CEn nanocrystal. The file (in .dm3 format) named FFT pattern of HP-CEn is the Fast Fourier Transform pattern from the HRTEM image of HP-CEn.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/9b3b73ny44.1","authors":["Guo, Zhuang"],"tags":["Meteorite Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","doi":"10.17632/9b3b73ny44.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/9b3b73ny44.2","name":"Original data for Discovery of nanophase iron particles and high pressure clinoenstatite in a heavily shocked ordinary chondrite: implications for the decomposition of pyroxene","source":"datacite","abstract":"The Word document named EPMA and TEM Quantitative EDS is the original data of chemical composition of phases in GRV 022115 measured by EPMA and TEM. Table A1 is major elements analyses of minerals in GRV 022115 by EPMA (in wt%). Table A2 is chemical compositions of various phases in the pyroxene glass of GRV 022115 by TEM-EDS (in at%). The file (in .dm3 format) named HRTEM image of HP-CEn is the original high-resolution TEM image of a [010] zone axis for a sigle HP-CEn nanocrystal. The file (in .dm3 format) named FFT pattern of HP-CEn is the Fast Fourier Transform pattern from the HRTEM image of HP-CEn.","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/9b3b73ny44.2","authors":["Guo, Zhuang"],"tags":["Meteorite Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","doi":"10.17632/9b3b73ny44.2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.25911/5d4ff647e8a7f","name":"Devolatilization During the Formation of Rocky Planets: Bulk Elemental Composition","source":"datacite","abstract":"As the solar nebula condensed, evaporated and fractionated to form the nascent Earth, the bulk elemental composition of the Earth was established. To first order, the Earth is a devolatilized sample of the solar nebula. Similarly, rocky exoplanets are also likely devolatilized samples of the stellar nebulae out of which they and their host stars formed. If this assumption holds, we can estimate the chemical composition of rocky exoplanets by applying a devolatilization algorithm based on the elemental abundances of their host stars. This thesis is an investigation of this potentially universal devolatilization pattern, from which exoplanetary chemistry and habitability are then derived. To quantify (in broad terms) the chemical relationships between the Earth, the Sun and other bodies in the Solar System, the elemental abundances of the bulk Earth are required. The key to comparing Earth’s composition with those of other objects is to have a determination of the bulk composition with an appropriate estimate of un- certainties. We present concordance estimates (with uncertainties) of the elemental abundances of the bulk Earth, by compiling, combining, and renormalizing a large set of heterogeneous literature values of the primitive mantle and of the core. The weighting factor for the concordance estimates comes from our new estimate of the core mass fraction of the Earth: 32.5±0.3 wt% (weight percent). The uncertainties on our elemental abundances usefully calibrate the unresolved discrepancies between standard Earth models made under various geochemical and geophysical assump- tions. We then extend our assessment of terrestrial abundances to the modeling of pro- tosolar abundances based on the latest estimates of solar photospheric abundances and primitive meteoritic abundances. We compare our new protosolar abundances with our estimates of bulk Earth composition, thereby quantifying the devolatiliza- tion of the solar nebula that led to the formation of the Earth. As a function of elemental 50% condensation temperatures (TC), we fit the Earth-to-Sun abundance ratios f to the linear trend log( f ) = a log(TC ) + b. The best fit coefficients are: a = 3.676 ± 0.142 and b = 11.556 ± 0.436. The quantification of the slope a provides an empirical observation upon which modeling of the devolatilization processes can be based. These coefficients determine a critical devolatilization temperature for the Earth TD(E) = 1391 ± 15 K. The resultant devolatilization pattern allows inferences to be made concerning the depletions of elements in the early solar system and is potentially useful for estimating the chemical composition of rocky exoplanets from their known host stellar abundances. We apply the devolatilization pattern to nearby planetary systems to infer the bulk elemental composition of rocky exoplanets – particularly those within the cir- cumstellar habitable zones – from the known host stellar elemental abundances. The estimated bulk planetary composition (rather than the host stellar abundances) is then used as a principal constraint to model the interior composition and structure of such exoplanets. We apply these constraints to four planet host stars: Kepler-10, Kepler-20, Kepler-21 and Kepler-100, to model the interiors including the mantle and core compositions as well as core mass fraction for potential terrestrial exoplanets orbiting these host stars. With respect to the estimates of the interiors, we conclude that a potential terrestrial exoplanet orbiting Kepler-21 would be the most Earth-like while one orbiting Kepler-10 would be the least.","url":"https://doi.org/10.25911/5d4ff647e8a7f","authors":["Wang, Haiyang"],"tags":["devolatilization","devolatilisation","volatility","volatility trend","planet formation","elemental composition","chemical composition","elemental abundance"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","doi":"10.25911/5d4ff647e8a7f","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.25911/5d4ea4d1ef4c0","name":"Devolatilization During the Formation of Rocky Planets: Bulk Elemental Composition","source":"datacite","abstract":"As the solar nebula condensed, evaporated and fractionated to form the nascent Earth, the bulk elemental composition of the Earth was established. To first order, the Earth is a devolatilized sample of the solar nebula. Similarly, rocky exoplanets are also likely devolatilized samples of the stellar nebulae out of which they and their host stars formed. If this assumption holds, we can estimate the chemical composition of rocky exoplanets by applying a devolatilization algorithm based on the elemental abundances of their host stars. This thesis is an investigation of this potentially universal devolatilization pattern, from which exoplanetary chemistry and habitability are then derived. To quantify (in broad terms) the chemical relationships between the Earth, the Sun and other bodies in the Solar System, the elemental abundances of the bulk Earth are required. The key to comparing Earth’s composition with those of other objects is to have a determination of the bulk composition with an appropriate estimate of un- certainties. We present concordance estimates (with uncertainties) of the elemental abundances of the bulk Earth, by compiling, combining, and renormalizing a large set of heterogeneous literature values of the primitive mantle and of the core. The weighting factor for the concordance estimates comes from our new estimate of the core mass fraction of the Earth: 32.5±0.3 wt% (weight percent). The uncertainties on our elemental abundances usefully calibrate the unresolved discrepancies between standard Earth models made under various geochemical and geophysical assump- tions. We then extend our assessment of terrestrial abundances to the modeling of pro- tosolar abundances based on the latest estimates of solar photospheric abundances and primitive meteoritic abundances. We compare our new protosolar abundances with our estimates of bulk Earth composition, thereby quantifying the devolatiliza- tion of the solar nebula that led to the formation of the Earth. As a function of elemental 50% condensation temperatures (TC), we fit the Earth-to-Sun abundance ratios f to the linear trend log( f ) = a log(TC ) + b. The best fit coefficients are: a = 3.676 ± 0.142 and b = 11.556 ± 0.436. The quantification of the slope a provides an empirical observation upon which modeling of the devolatilization processes can be based. These coefficients determine a critical devolatilization temperature for the Earth TD(E) = 1391 ± 15 K. The resultant devolatilization pattern allows inferences to be made concerning the depletions of elements in the early solar system and is potentially useful for estimating the chemical composition of rocky exoplanets from their known host stellar abundances. We apply the devolatilization pattern to nearby planetary systems to infer the bulk elemental composition of rocky exoplanets – particularly those within the cir- cumstellar habitable zones – from the known host stellar elemental abundances. The estimated bulk planetary composition (rather than the host stellar abundances) is then used as a principal constraint to model the interior composition and structure of such exoplanets. We apply these constraints to four planet host stars: Kepler-10, Kepler-20, Kepler-21 and Kepler-100, to model the interiors including the mantle and core compositions as well as core mass fraction for potential terrestrial exoplanets orbiting these host stars. With respect to the estimates of the interiors, we conclude that a potential terrestrial exoplanet orbiting Kepler-21 would be the most Earth-like while one orbiting Kepler-10 would be the least.","url":"https://doi.org/10.25911/5d4ea4d1ef4c0","authors":["Wang, Haiyang"],"tags":["devolatilization","devolatilisation","volatility","volatility trend","planet formation","elemental composition","chemical composition","elemental abundance"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","doi":"10.25911/5d4ea4d1ef4c0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.25911/5d4d53cd88d96","name":"Devolatilization During the Formation of Rocky Planets: Bulk Elemental Composition","source":"datacite","abstract":"As the solar nebula condensed, evaporated and fractionated to form the nascent Earth, the bulk elemental composition of the Earth was established. To first order, the Earth is a devolatilized sample of the solar nebula. Similarly, rocky exoplanets are also likely devolatilized samples of the stellar nebulae out of which they and their host stars formed. If this assumption holds, we can estimate the chemical composition of rocky exoplanets by applying a devolatilization algorithm based on the elemental abundances of their host stars. This thesis is an investigation of this potentially universal devolatilization pattern, from which exoplanetary chemistry and habitability are then derived. To quantify (in broad terms) the chemical relationships between the Earth, the Sun and other bodies in the Solar System, the elemental abundances of the bulk Earth are required. The key to comparing Earth’s composition with those of other objects is to have a determination of the bulk composition with an appropriate estimate of un- certainties. We present concordance estimates (with uncertainties) of the elemental abundances of the bulk Earth, by compiling, combining, and renormalizing a large set of heterogeneous literature values of the primitive mantle and of the core. The weighting factor for the concordance estimates comes from our new estimate of the core mass fraction of the Earth: 32.5±0.3 wt% (weight percent). The uncertainties on our elemental abundances usefully calibrate the unresolved discrepancies between standard Earth models made under various geochemical and geophysical assump- tions. We then extend our assessment of terrestrial abundances to the modeling of pro- tosolar abundances based on the latest estimates of solar photospheric abundances and primitive meteoritic abundances. We compare our new protosolar abundances with our estimates of bulk Earth composition, thereby quantifying the devolatiliza- tion of the solar nebula that led to the formation of the Earth. As a function of elemental 50% condensation temperatures (TC), we fit the Earth-to-Sun abundance ratios f to the linear trend log( f ) = a log(TC ) + b. The best fit coefficients are: a = 3.676 ± 0.142 and b = 11.556 ± 0.436. The quantification of the slope a provides an empirical observation upon which modeling of the devolatilization processes can be based. These coefficients determine a critical devolatilization temperature for the Earth TD(E) = 1391 ± 15 K. The resultant devolatilization pattern allows inferences to be made concerning the depletions of elements in the early solar system and is potentially useful for estimating the chemical composition of rocky exoplanets from their known host stellar abundances. We apply the devolatilization pattern to nearby planetary systems to infer the bulk elemental composition of rocky exoplanets – particularly those within the cir- cumstellar habitable zones – from the known host stellar elemental abundances. The estimated bulk planetary composition (rather than the host stellar abundances) is then used as a principal constraint to model the interior composition and structure of such exoplanets. We apply these constraints to four planet host stars: Kepler-10, Kepler-20, Kepler-21 and Kepler-100, to model the interiors including the mantle and core compositions as well as core mass fraction for potential terrestrial exoplanets orbiting these host stars. With respect to the estimates of the interiors, we conclude that a potential terrestrial exoplanet orbiting Kepler-21 would be the most Earth-like while one orbiting Kepler-10 would be the least.","url":"https://doi.org/10.25911/5d4d53cd88d96","authors":["Wang, Haiyang"],"tags":["devolatilization","devolatilisation","volatility","volatility trend","planet formation","elemental composition","chemical composition","elemental abundance"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","doi":"10.25911/5d4d53cd88d96","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"doi:10.17632/3dgyytjbp2.1","name":"Rim Paris meteorite","source":"datacite","abstract":"Research Data associated to the publication","url":"https://doi.org/10.17632/3dgyytjbp2.1","authors":["ZANETTA, Pierre-Marie"],"tags":["Mineralogy","Chemical Composition Analysis","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.66,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020","doi":"10.17632/3dgyytjbp2.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:42.657Z"},{"id":"oa:W2017021696","name":"An anthropogenic origin of the “Sirente crater,” Abruzzi, Italy","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— In this paper, we review the recent hypothesis, based mostly on geomorphological features, that a ∼130 m‐wide sag pond, surrounded by a saddle‐shaped rim from the Sirente plain (Abruzzi, Italy), is the first‐discovered meteoritic crater of Italy. Sub‐circular depressions (hosting ponds), with geomorphological features and size very similar to those exhibited by the main Sirente sag, are exposed in other neighboring intermountain karstic plains from Abruzzi. We have sampled present‐day soils from these sag ponds and from the Sirente sags (both the main “crater” and some smaller ones, recently interpreted as a crater field) and various Abruzzi paleosols from excavated trenches with an age range encompassing the estimated age of the “Sirente crater.” For all samples, we measured the magnetic susceptibility and determined the Ni and Cr contents of selected specimens. The results show that the magnetic susceptibility values and the geochemical composition are similar for all samples (from Sirente and other Abruzzi sags) and are both significantly different from the values reported for soils contaminated by meteoritic dust. No solid evidence pointing at an impact origin exists, besides the circular shape and rim of the main sag. The available observations and data suggest that the “Sirente crater,” together with analogous large sags in the Abruzzi intermountain plains, have to be attributed to the historical phenomenon of “transumanza” (seasonal migration of sheep and shepherds), a custom that for centuries characterized the basic social‐economical system of the Abruzzi region. Such sags were excavated to provide water for millions of sheep, which spent summers in the Abruzzi karstic high pasture lands, on carbonatic massifs deprived of natural superficial fresh water. Conversely, the distribution of the smaller sags from the Sirente plain correlates with the local pattern of the calcareous bedrock and, together with the characteristics of their internal structure, are best interpreted as natural dolines. In fact, reported radiocarbon ages for the formation of the main sag pond and of the smaller sags differ (significantly) by more than two millennia, thus excluding that they were all contemporaneously formed by a meteoritic impact.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00926.x","authors":["Fabio Speranza","Leonardo Sagnotti","P. Rochette"],"tags":["Impact crater","Geology","Karst","Crater lake","Paleontology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00926.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W2005703942","name":"The multiple meteorite fall of Neuschwanstein: Circumstances of the event and meteorite search campaigns","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— A large meteorite fall in southern Germany on April 6, 2002 was captured by camera stations of the European Fireball Network (EN) which routinely monitors the night sky over central Europe. From analysis of the images, a prediction on the geographic location of the meteorite strewn field could be made. Following systematic ground searches in difficult high‐mountain terrain, three fragments of a rare EL6 enstatite chondrite were recovered during search campaigns in the summers of 2002 and 2003. “Neuschwanstein” is the fourth meteorite fall in history that has been photographed by fireball networks and the fragments of which have been found subsequently. It is the first time since the beginning of the EN operation in the early sixties that the photographic observations have made a meteorite recovery possible.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00062.x","authors":["J. Oberst","D. Heinlein","Ulrich Köhler","Pavel Spurný","J. OBERST","D. HEINLEIN","U. KÖHLER","P. SPURNÝ"],"tags":["Meteorite","Enstatite","Geology","Chondrite","Terrain"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00062.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1669407674","name":"Protoplanetary dust: Astrophysical and cosmochemical perspectives","source":"openalex","abstract":"Protoplanetary dust: Astrophysical and cosmochemical perspectives , edited by D. Apai and D. S. Lauretta , Cambridge Planetary Science, vol. 12 , Cambridge University Press , 2010 , 377 p . ( ISBN #978-0-521-51772-0 ). Understanding the formation and evolution of planetary systems is equally the province of astronomers, who study the evolution of hundreds of protoplanetary disks on large scales, and of cosmochemists and planetary scientists, who unravel the detailed history of our solar system through the characterization of extraterrestrial materials. However, there has long been a lack of communication between these two communities of scientists that can be traced back to differences in methods, concepts, terminologies, and the scientific forums where results are presented. Dániel Apai, an astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute, and Dante Lauretta, a cosmochemist at the University of Arizona, have attempted to bridge this gap and bring together a collection of scientists from both disciplines to provide a comprehensive overview of the formation of planetary systems. Protoplanetary dust consists of ten chapters that cover protoplanetary disk evolution from the origins of protoplanetary dust and the formation of accretion disks to the accretion of planetesimals and the formation of rocky planets. Each chapter pairs specialists representing different disciplines in order to capitalize on the value of using different approaches to address the same questions. The book begins with an overview chapter, written by the editors, that provides background information and a synthesis of the topics covered in the remaining chapters. This is followed by a chapter on the origins of protoplanetary dust and the formation of accretion disks, covering the cycle of matter from stars to the interstellar medium to protostellar disks. This chapter also includes a review of presolar stardust grains, a small fraction of which survived the formation of our solar system and can be found, on the basis of their anomalous isotopic compositions, in meteorites, interplanetary dust particles, and cometary matter. Chapter 3 discusses the growth of protoplanetary disks, covering general properties, as well as current models of how their gases and solids evolve, with a particular focus on particle and disk dynamics. This is followed by a chapter on the chemical and isotopic evolution of protoplanetary disks and the solar nebula. This chapter covers typical molecular species that are observed astronomically, processes by which they form in disks, and the constraints that they provide for understanding the chemical structures of disks. A detailed discussion is also presented on oxygen isotopes and current (photochemical) models for the formation of the isotopic fractionations observed in the solar nebula. Chapter 5 covers laboratory studies of dust analogs, providing an overview of the techniques for synthesis and characterization that are commonly used, and discussing experimental results with relevance to astrophysical environments. Of particular interest are sections on grain growth, the kinetic formation of silicate and oxide grains, and grain catalysis studies for the formation of hydrocarbons and biomolecules. The composition of protoplanetary dust, as determined from both laboratory analysis of solar system dust and from remote sensing studies of young disk systems, is the subject of Chapter 6. In addition to reviewing the advantages and disadvantages of different observational and experimental techniques, this chapter also provides a summary of the dominant types and compositions of dust observed in solar system materials and in protoplanetary disks. Chapter 7 discusses the growth of dust from submicron grains to centimeter size “pebbles,” synthesizing the complementary information provided by astronomical and meteoritical studies to constrain the earliest stages of planet formation. The following chapter focuses on nebular thermal processing","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01087.x","authors":["C. Floss"],"tags":["Planetesimal","Protoplanetary disk","Planetary science","Astrobiology","Planet"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01087.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W2106423231","name":"Presolar silicate and oxide abundances and compositions in the ungrouped carbonaceous chondrite Adelaide and the K chondrite Kakangari: The effects of secondary processing","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– Although it has been suggested that the ungrouped carbonaceous chondrite Adelaide and the K chondrite Kakangari could be considered highly primitive, our study of their presolar grain abundances shows that both have experienced more secondary processing than other primitive chondrites with high presolar grain abundances. Presolar grains are rare in Kakangari and are present in reduced abundances in Adelaide (approximately 70 ppm for O‐anomalous grains). Thermal annealing has led to widespread crystallization of their fine‐grained matrices, and accounts for the partial to complete destruction of presolar grains. In addition, presolar silicates in Adelaide show elevated Fe abundances and Fe‐rich rims indicative of infiltration of Fe into the grains from the surrounding matrix. This process probably also took place during annealing, most likely in the solar nebula, in a region with an enhanced dust‐to‐gas ratio. The most primitive meteorites, with the highest presolar grain abundances, appear to be those whose matrices contain abundant amorphous material that has escaped any significant thermal or aqueous alteration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2012.01366.x","authors":["C. Floss","F. J. Stadermann"],"tags":["Chondrite","Presolar grains","Meteorite","Carbonaceous chondrite","Silicate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-05-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2012.01366.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W2902640711","name":"Microbial Communities From the World's Largest Lithium Reserve, Salar de Atacama, Chile: Life at High LiCl Concentrations","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Salar de Atacama is one of the largest global reservoirs of natural lithium brines (mean lithium concentration = 1,500 ppm), enabling Chile to be a leading producer of lithium products. This large salar (3,000 km2), located in the Atacama Desert at 2,300 m above sea level, is dominated by microorganisms; however, little is known about the microbes present in the brines associated with this economically important mining process. Here we study lithium as a modulator of microbial richness and diversity in brines representing natural conditions (34.7% salinity) and conditions prior to lithium production with a concentrated brine (55.6% salinity). Brines only supported a single archaeal family (Halobacteriaceae): natural brines included the archaeal genera Halovenus, Natronomonas, Haloarcula, and Halobacterium. Concentrated brines included the archaeal genera Halovenus, Halobacterium, and Halococcus. The most abundant bacterial families in natural brine were Rhodothermaceae and Staphylococcaceae; Xanthomonadaceae dominated the bacterial community in the concentrated brine. A comparison of entire microbial community (Archaea and Bacteria) revealed that only seven operational taxonomic units were shared between samples, all of which were Archaea. Further, our results showed that Bacteria were phylogenetically more diverse and rich in the concentrated brine, while archaeal diversity was maximized in the natural brine. The concentrated lithium brines of the Salar de Atacama represent one of the most saline environments described to date (dominated by LiCl). We suggest that elevated concentrations of lithium could greatly modulate microbial diversity and give insights into the adaptive biology of microorganisms required to cope with extremely high concentrations of salts that extend beyond that of NaCl, a far more commonly studied salt.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2018jg004621","authors":["Carolina F. Cubillos","Pablo Aguilar","Mario Grágeda","Cristina Dorador"],"tags":["Archaea","Halophile","Brine","Salinity","Microbial population biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2018jg004621","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W2113088435","name":"Magnesium isotopic fractionation in chondrules from the Murchison and Murray CM 2 carbonaceous chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We present high‐precision measurements of the Mg isotopic compositions of a suite of types I and II chondrules separated from the Murchison and Murray CM2 carbonaceous chondrites. These chondrules are olivine‐ and pyroxene‐rich and have low 27Al/24Mg ratios (0.012–0.316). The Mg isotopic compositions of Murray chondrules are on average lighter (δ26Mg ranging from −0.95‰ to −0.15‰ relative to the DSM‐3 standard) than those of Murchison (δ26Mg ranging from −1.27‰ to +0.77‰). Taken together, the CM2 chondrules exhibit a narrower range of Mg isotopic compositions than those from CV and CB chondrites studied previously. The least‐altered CM2 chondrules are on average lighter (average δ26Mg = −0.39 ± 0.30‰, 2SE) than the moderately to heavily altered CM2 chondrules (average δ26Mg = −0.11 ± 0.21‰, 2SE). The compositions of CM2 chondrules are consistent with isotopic fractionation toward heavy Mg being associated with the formation of secondary silicate phases on the CM2 parent body, but were also probably affected by volatilization and recondensation processes involved in their original formation. The low‐Al CM2 chondrules analyzed here do not exhibit any mass‐independent variations in 26Mg from the decay of 26Al, with the exception of two chondrules that show only small variations just outside of the analytical error. In the case of the chondrule with the highest Al/Mg ratio (a type IAB chondrule from Murchison), the lack of resolvable 26Mg excess suggests that it either formed >1 Ma after calcium‐aluminum‐rich inclusions, or that its Al‐Mg isotope systematics were reset by secondary alteration processes on the CM2 chondrite parent body after the decay of 26Al.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12059","authors":["Audrey Bouvier","M. Wadhwa","S. B. Simon","Lawrence Grossman"],"tags":["Chondrule","Chondrite","Murchison meteorite","Olivine","Pyroxene"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-02-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12059","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W1816023022","name":"Characterization of a bacterial community from a Northeast Siberian seacoast permafrost sample","source":"openalex","abstract":"A combination of culture-dependent and -independent techniques was used to characterize a bacterial community, examine cold adaptation of isocitrate lyase (icl) genes, and detect genes with important ecological functions in a permafrost sample from the Bykovsky Peninsula on the Laptev Sea coast of northeast Siberia. According to the 16S rRNA gene sequence, 47 of the cultured isolates were members of the phyla Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria, with 85% of the isolates belonging to the genera Arthrobacter and Planococcus. The 16S rRNA gene clone library derived from DNA from the same permafrost sample contained sequences from the same phyla plus a few from Acidobacteria, but favored the Firmicutes at the cost of the Actinobacteria. A partial sequence of the icl gene, a proposed marker for cold adaptation, was determined for 25 isolates that grew at 0 °C. Two Psychrobacter isolates contained two of the four residues shown to be important for low-temperature activity in Colwellia maris or Colwellia psychrerythreaea. The presence in the permafrost DNA of genes with ecosystem functions was determined using geochip 2.0. The highest number of genes identified was from the categories of aromatic and natural polymer degradation genes, perhaps reflecting selection for the use of tundra vegetation-produced carbon.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-6941.2010.00945.x","authors":["Shannon M. Hinsa-Leasure","Laya Bhavaraju","Jorge L. Mazza Rodrigues","Corien Bakermans","D. Gilichinsky","James M. Tiedje"],"tags":["Actinobacteria","Acidobacteria","Biology","Firmicutes","Proteobacteria"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-07-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-6941.2010.00945.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W2724331218","name":"Coordinated mineralogical and isotopic analyses of a cosmic symplectite discovered in a comet 81P/Wild 2 sample","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We have discovered in a Stardust mission terminal particle a unique mineralogical assemblage of symplectically intergrown pentlandite ((Fe,Ni)9S8) and nanocrystalline maghemite (γ‐Fe2O3). Mineralogically similar cosmic symplectites (COS) have only been found in the primitive carbonaceous chondrite Acfer 094 and are believed to have formed by aqueous alteration. The O and S isotopic compositions of the Wild 2 COS are indistinguishable from terrestrial values. The metal and sulfide precursors were thus oxidized by an isotopically equilibrated aqueous reservoir either inside the snow line, in the Wild 2 comet, or in a larger Kuiper Belt object. Close association of the Stardust COS with a Kool mineral assemblage (kosmochloric Ca‐rich pyroxene, FeO‐rich olivine, and albite) that likely originated in the solar nebula suggests the COS precursors also had a nebular origin and were transported from the inner solar system to the comet‐forming region after they were altered.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12905","authors":["A. N. Nguyen","E. L. Berger","K. Nakamura‐Messenger","S. Messenger","L. P. Keller"],"tags":["Parent body","Troilite","Pyroxene","Comet","Olivine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-06-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12905","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W4392353606","name":"LIBS for prospecting and Raman spectroscopy for monitoring: two feasibility studies for supporting in-situ resource utilization","source":"openalex","abstract":"Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and Raman spectroscopy are still rather new techniques for in-situ exploration of extraterrestrial planetary surfaces but have shown their suitability and great potential in several successful robotic missions already. Next to serving primary scientific applications, both methods can also be used in the context of in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) such as scouting for wanted substances and the surveillance of extraction processes. Here, we present two laboratory studies conducted in the context of ISRU with a focus on the chain from prospecting to extracting oxygen from lunar regolith. For LIBS, with optimized data processing and combined with state-of-the-art multivariate data analysis approaches, we show the potential of the technique for identifying samples with increased ilmenite content and for elemental quantification. The measurements were done using lunar regolith simulant and low pressures simulating vacuum on atmosphereless bodies such as the Moon. With Raman spectroscopy, we analyzed lunar regolith simulant samples that underwent electrochemical alteration for oxygen extraction and production of metal alloys demonstrating the potential of Raman spectroscopy for ISRU process monitoring. We also discuss the results in a broader context, evaluating the potential of both methods for other aspects of ISRU support.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frspt.2024.1336548","authors":["Kristin Rammelkamp","Susanne Schröder","Bethany A. Lomax","Elise Clavé","Heinz‐Wilhelm Hübers"],"tags":["Prospecting","In situ","Raman spectroscopy","Resource (disambiguation)","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frspt.2024.1336548","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W1496056374","name":"Meteorite impact craters and possibly impact‐related structures in Estonia","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– Three structures (Neugrund, Kärdla, and Kaali) of proven impact origin make Estonia the most cratered country in the world by area. In addition, several candidate impact structures exist, waiting for future studies to determine their origin. This article is an overview of these proven and possible impact structures, including some breccia layers. It summarizes the information and descriptions of the morphology; geological characteristics; and mineralogical, chemical, and geophysical data available in the literature. The overview was prepared to make information in many earlier publications in local journals (many of which had been published in Estonian or Russian) accessible to the international community. This review summarizes the facts and observations in a historical fashion, summarizing the current state of knowledge with some additional comments, and providing the references.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2012.01422.x","authors":["Jüri Plado"],"tags":["Impact crater","Impact structure","Earth science","Breccia","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2012.01422.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2270461691","name":"Ni/S/Cl systematics and the origin of impact‐melt glasses in Martian meteorite Elephant Moraine 79001","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Martian meteorite Elephant Moraine A79001 (EET 79001) has received considerable attention for the unusual composition of its shock melt glass, particularly its enrichment in sulfur relative to the host shergottite. It has been hypothesized that Martian regolith was incorporated into the melt or, conversely, that the S‐enrichment stems from preferential melting of sulfide minerals in the host rock during shock. We present results from an electron microprobe study of EET 79001 including robust measurements of major and trace elements in the shock melt glass (S, Cl, Ni, Co, V, and Sc) and minerals in the host rock (Ni, Co, and V). We find that both S and major element abundances can be reconciled with previous hypotheses of regolith incorporation and/or excess sulfide melt. However, trace element characteristics of the shock melt glass, particularly Ni and Cl abundances relative to S, cannot be explained either by the incorporation of regolith or sulfide minerals. We therefore propose an alternative hypothesis whereby, prior to shock melting, portions of EET 79001 experienced acid‐sulfate leaching of the mesostasis, possibly groundmass feldspar, and olivine, producing Al‐sulfates that were later incorporated into the shock melt, which then quenched to glass. Such activity in the Martian near‐surface is supported by observations from the Mars Exploration Rovers and laboratory experiments. Our preimpact alteration model, accompanied by the preferential survival of olivine and excess melting of feldspar during impact, explains the measured trace element abundances better than either the regolith incorporation or excess sulfide melting hypothesis does.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12612","authors":["Christian Schrader","B. A. Cohen","John Donovan","Edward P. Vicenzi"],"tags":["Meteorite","Regolith","Martian","Geology","Feldspar"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-02-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12612","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W2125591480","name":"Magnetic characterization of Cretaceous‐Tertiary boundary sediments","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Rock magnetic properties across several K‐T boundary sections have been investigated to reveal any possible magnetic signature associated with the remains of the impact event at the end of the Cretaceous. Studied sections' locations vary in distance to the Chicxulub structure from distal (Agost and Caravaca, Spain), through closer (ODP Hole 1049A, Blake Nose, North Atlantic), to proximal (El Mimbral and La Lajilla, Mexico). A clear magnetic signature is associated with the fireball layer in the most distal sections, consisting of a sharp increase in susceptibility and saturation isothermal remanent magnetization (SIRM), and a decrease in remanence coercivity. Magnetic properties in these sections point to a distinctive ferrimagnetic phase, probably corresponding to the reported Mg‐ and Ni‐rich, highly oxidized spinels of meteoritic origin. At closer and proximal sections magnetic properties are different. Although there is an increase in susceptibility and SIRM associated with a rusty layer placed on top of the siliciclastic deposit in proximal sections, and with a similar limonitic layer on top of the spherule bed that defines the boundary at Blake Nose, the magnetic properties indicate a mixture of iron oxyhydroxides dominated by fine‐grained goethite. Based on previous geochemical studies at Blake Nose and new geochemical and PGE abundance measurements performed in this work at El Mimbral, this goethite‐rich layer can be interpreted as an effect of diagenetic remobilization and precipitation of Fe. There is not enough evidence to assert that this Fe concentration layer at proximal sections is directly related to deposition of fine meteoritic material. Magnetic, geochemical, and iridium data reject it as a primary meteoritic phase.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb00588.x","authors":["Víctor Villasante‐Marcos","Francisca Martı́nez-Ruiz","Marı́a Luisa Osete","J. Urrutia‐Fucugauchi"],"tags":["Remanence","Geology","Diagenesis","Magnetic susceptibility","Cretaceous"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb00588.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W3036867902","name":"X‐ray computed tomography: Morphological and porosity characterization of giant Antarctic micrometeorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Giant micrometeorites (MMs; 400–2000 µm) are exceedingly rare and scientifically valuable. Three‐dimensional nondestructive characterization by X‐ray computed tomography (X‐CT) provides information on the petrography and thus petrogenesis of MMs and serves as a guide to maximize subsequent multi‐analytical studies on such precious planetary materials. Here, we discuss the results obtained by X‐CT on 22 giant MMs and the classification based on their 3‐D density contrast images. Scoriaceous and unmelted MMs have distinct porosity ranges (10–40 vol% versus 0–25 vol%, respectively). We observe a porosity variation inside scoriaceous MMs, which allows their atmospheric entry flight history to be resolved. For the first time, spinning entry is explicitly demonstrated for four partially melted MMs. Furthermore, we are able to resolve the thermal gradient in a single particle, based on porosity variation (seen as a progressive increase in pore abundance and size with higher peak temperatures). Moreover, we explore parent body alteration through the 3‐D analysis of pores distribution, showing that shock fabrics are either absent or weakly developed in our data set. Finally, owing to the detection of pseudomorphic chondrules, we estimate that the intensively aqueously altered C1 or CI‐like material could represent 18% of the MM flux at this size fraction (400–1000 µm).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13533","authors":["Z. Dionnet","Martin D. Suttle","A. Longobardo","A. Rotundi","L. Folco","Vincenzo Della Corte","Andrew King"],"tags":["Porosity","Petrography","Computed tomography","Materials science","Tomography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-06-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13533","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W2809979141","name":"The reaction of carbonates in contact with laser‐generated, superheated silicate melts: Constraining impact metamorphism of carbonate‐bearing target rocks","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We simulated entrainment of carbonates (calcite, dolomite) in silicate impact melts by 1‐bar laser melting of silicate–carbonate composite targets, using sandstone, basalt, calcite marble, limestone, dolomite marble, and iron meteorite as starting materials. We demonstrate that carbonate assimilation by silicate melts of variable composition is extremely fast (seconds to minutes), resulting in contamination of silicate melts with carbonate‐derived CaO and MgO and release of CO2 at the silicate melt–carbonate interface. We identify several processes, i.e., (1) decomposition of carbonates releases CO2 and produces residual oxides (CaO, MgO); (2) incorporation of residual oxides from proximally dissociating carbonates into silicate melts; (3) rapid back‐reactions between residual CaO and CO2 produce idiomorphic calcite crystallites and porous carbonate quench products; (4) high‐temperature reactions between Ca‐contaminated silicate melts and carbonates yield typical skarn minerals and residual oxide melts; (5) mixing and mingling between Ca‐ or Ca,Mg‐contaminated and Ca‐ or Ca,Mg‐normal silicate melts; (6) precipitation of Ca‐ or Ca,Mg‐rich silicates from contaminated silicate melts upon quenching. Our experiments reproduce many textural and compositional features of typical impact melts originating from silicate–carbonate targets. They reinforce hypotheses that thermal decomposition of carbonates, rapid back‐reactions between decomposition products, and incorporation of residual oxides into silicate impact melts are prevailing processes during impact melting of mixed silicate–carbonate targets. However, by comparing our results with previous studies and thermodynamic considerations on the phase diagrams of calcite and quartz, we envisage that carbonate impact melts are readily produced during adiabatic decompression from high shock pressure, but subsequently decompose due to heat influx from coexisting silicate impact melts or hot breccia components. Under certain circumstances, postshock conditions may favor production and conservation of carbonate impact melts. We conclude that the response of mixed carbonate–silicate targets to impact might involve melting and decomposition of carbonates, the dominant response being governed by a complex variety of factors.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13133","authors":["Christopher Hamann","Saskia Bläsing","Lutz Hecht","Sebastian Schäffer","A. Deutsch","J. Osterholz","B. Lexow"],"tags":["Silicate","Carbonate","Calcite","Geology","Carbonate minerals"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-07-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13133","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W2134838643","name":"Determination of the lower edges of magnetized bodies by using geothermal data","source":"openalex","abstract":"The determination of the lower edges of magnetized bodies in the Earth's crust is a complex geophysical problem, although these values can be estimated by using geothermal data. An analysis of the temperature regime and location of the lower edges of magnetized bodies has been carried out for the geosynclinal region of the southern Caucasus and the area joining the ancient platform with the Arabian Shield in Israel. Geothermal calculations for Israel have been performed for three models of the thermal regime for the Earth's crust and upper mantle. The process of ultrabasic rock serpentinization is accompanied by the transformation of iron suboxide to iron oxide. Both these processes run under identical thermodynamic conditions within an average temperature interval of 200°–400°C. The Curie surface controls the position of lower edges only in fault zones where oxidation conditions hold up to great depths.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246x.1997.tb04077.x","authors":["Arkady Pilchin","Lev Eppelbaum"],"tags":["Geology","Geothermal gradient","Crust","Ultramafic rock","Geophysics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246x.1997.tb04077.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W2120838903","name":"Impact ejecta in upper Eocene deposits at Massignano, Italy","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Previous workers have shown that an impact ejecta layer at Massignano, Italy contains a positive Ir anomaly, flattened spheroids (pancake spherules), Ni‐rich spinel crystals, and shocked quartz with multiple sets of planar deformation features. Because of sample sizes and work by different investigators, it was not clear if the shocked quartz is associated with the Ir anomaly and pancake spherules or if it belongs to a separate impact event. To address this problem, we carried out a high‐resolution stratigraphic study of this ejecta layer. The ejecta layer was sampled continuously at 1 cm intervals in two adjacent columns. The carbonate was removed with dilute HCl, and the non‐carbonate fraction was gently sieved. Pancake spherules were recovered from the 250–500 μm size fraction and counted. At the peak abundance, the number of pancake spherules in the 250–500 μm size fraction is about 6–7/g of sample. The pancake spherules removed from the 250–500 μm size fraction are mostly translucent to opaque pale green, but some have a grey color or dark opaque patches due to a coating of Ni‐ and Cr‐rich spinel crystals. Energy‐dispersive X‐ray analysis and X‐ray diffraction data indicate that the green spherules are composed of iron‐rich smectite, probably nontronite. Black opaque spinel stringers (dark spinel‐rich pancake spherules), usually <200 μm across, can be seen in a polished section of a block that includes the ejecta layer. None of the dark spinel‐rich pancake spherules were recovered from the sieved non‐carbonate fraction due to their fragile nature, but we believe that they are from the same impact event as the green pancake spherules. The <250 μm size fractions from both columns were disaggregated using ultrasonics and re‐sieved. The 63–125 μm size fractions were then searched for shocked quartz using a petrographic microscope. At the peak‐abundance level, the number of shocked quartz grains in the 63–125 μm size fraction is about 7/g of sample. Some of the shocked quartz grains have a “toasted” appearance. These grains have a brownish color and contain a patchy distribution of faint, densely spaced planar deformation features (PDFs). Polymineralic fragments containing one or two shocked quartz grains with one or two sets of PDFs were observed. They appear to have an organic matrix and are probably fragments of agglutinated foraminiferal tests. We searched for, but did not find, coesite or shocked zircons. We found that the peak abundance of the shocked quartz is within a centimeter of the peak abundance of the green pancake spherules. We conclude that the pancake spherules are diagenetically altered clinopyroxene‐bearing spherules and that the shocked quartz, green (and presumably the dark spinel‐rich) pancake spherules, and Ir anomaly all belong to the same impact event. This conclusion is consistent with previous suggestions that the cpx spherule layer may be from the 100 km‐diameter Popigai impact crater in northern Siberia.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00921.x","authors":["B. P. Glass","Shaobin Liu","Alessandro Montanari"],"tags":["Ejecta","Spinel","Geology","Quartz","Opacity"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00921.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W2112262545","name":"The petrogenesis of type B1 Ca‐Al‐rich inclusions: The spinel perspective","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Minor element variations in MgAl2O4 spinel from the type B1 calcium‐aluminum‐rich inclusion (CAI) Allende TS‐34 confirm earlier studies in showing correlations between the minor element chemistry of spinels with their location within the inclusion and with the chemistry of host silicate phases. These correlations result from a combination of crystallization of a liquid produced by re‐melting event(s) and local re‐equilibration during subsolidus reheating. The correlation of the Ti and V in spinel inclusions with the Ti and V in the adjacent host clinopyroxene can be qualitatively explained by spinel and clinopyroxene crystallization prior to melilite, following a partial melting event. There are, however, difficulties in quantitative modeling of the observed trends, and it is easier to explain the Ti correlation in terms of complete re‐equilibration. The correlation of V in spinel inclusions with that in the adjacent host clinopyroxene also cannot be quantitatively modeled by fractional crystallization of the liquid produced by re‐melting, but it can be explained by partial re‐equilibration. The distinct V and Ti concentrations in spinel inclusions in melilite from the edge regions of the CAI are best explained as being affected by only a minor degree of re‐equilibration. The center melilites and included spinels formed during crystallization of the liquid produced by re‐melting, while the edge melilites and included spinels are primary. The oxygen isotope compositions of TS‐34 spinels are uniformly 16O‐rich, regardless of the host silicate phase or its location within the inclusion. Similar to other type B1 CAIs, clinopyroxene is 16O‐rich, but melilite is relatively 16O‐poor. These data require that the oxygen isotope exchange in TS‐34 melilite occurred subsequent to the last re‐melting event.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00260.x","authors":["H. C. Connolly","D. S. Burnett","K. D. McKeegan"],"tags":["Petrogenesis","Spinel","Geology","Perspective (graphical)","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00260.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W3126717168","name":"Unified Model of Sediment Transport Threshold and Rate Across Weak and Intense Subaqueous Bedload, Windblown Sand, and Windblown Snow","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Nonsuspended sediment transport (NST) refers to the sediment transport regime in which the flow turbulence is unable to support the weight of transported grains. It occurs in fluvial environments (i.e., driven by a stream of liquid) and in aeolian environments (i.e., wind‐blown) and plays a key role in shaping sedimentary landscapes of planetary bodies. NST is a highly fluctuating physical process because of turbulence, surface inhomogeneities, and variations of grain size and shape and packing geometry. Furthermore, the energy of transported grains varies strongly due to variations of their flow exposure duration since their entrainment from the bed. In spite of such variability, we here propose a deterministic model that represents the entire grain motion, including grains that roll and/or slide along the bed, by a periodic saltation motion with rebound laws that describe an average rebound of a grain after colliding with the bed. The model simultaneously captures laboratory and field measurements and discrete element method (DEM)‐based numerical simulations of the threshold and rate of equilibrium NST within a factor of about 2, unifying weak and intense transport conditions in oil, water, and air (oil only for threshold). The model parameters have not been adjusted to these measurements but determined from independent data sets. Recent DEM‐based numerical simulations (Comola, Gaume, et al., 2019; https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL082195 ) suggest that equilibrium aeolian NST on Earth is insensitive to the strength of cohesive bonds between bed grains. Consistently, the model captures cohesive windblown sand and windblown snow conditions despite not explicitly accounting for cohesion.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2020jf005859","authors":["Thomas Pähtz","Yonghui Liu","Yuezhang Xia","Peng Hu","Zhiguo He","Katharina Tholen"],"tags":["Bed load","Geology","Sediment transport","Fluvial","Turbulence"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-02-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2020jf005859","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W2048225712","name":"Production of krypton and xenon isotopes in thick stony and iron targets isotropically irradiated with 1600 MeV protons","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Two spherical targets made of gabbro with a radius of 25 cm and of steel with a radius of 10 cm were irradiated isotropically with 1600 MeV protons at the SATURNE synchrotron at Laboratoire National Saturne (LNS)/CEN Saclay, in order to simulate the production of nuclides in meteorites induced by galactic cosmic‐ray protons in space. These experiments supply depth‐dependent production rate data for a wide range of radioactive and stable isotopes in up to 28 target elements. In this paper, we report results for 78Kr, 80–86Kr isotopes in Rb, Sr, Y and Zr and for 124Xe, 126Xe, 128–132Xe, 134Xe, 136Xe isotopes in Ba and La. Krypton and xenon concentrations have been measured at different depths in the spheres by using conventional mass spectrometry. Based on Monte‐Carlo techniques, theoretical production rates are calculated by folding depth‐dependent spectra of primary and secondary protons and secondary neutrons with the excitation functions of the relevant nuclear reactions. The comparison of the model calculation results with experimental data in the thick target experiments performed at LNS and previously at CERN have allowed adjustments of the poorly known excitation functions of neutron‐induced reactions. Thus, for the two experiments at SATURNE, excellent agreement is obtained between experimental and calculated production rates for most Kr and Xe isotopes in all investigated target elements. Only Xe production in Ba in the gabbro is underestimated by the calculations by ˜25%. This work validates the approach of the thin‐target model calculations of cosmogenic nuclide production rates in the attempt of modeling the interaction of galactic cosmic‐ray protons with stony and iron meteorites in space as well as with lunar samples.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2002.tb00869.x","authors":["E. Gilabert","B. Lavielle","R. Michel","I. Leya","S. Neumann","U. Herpers"],"tags":["Krypton","Isotope","Xenon","Neutron","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2002.tb00869.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W2015150824","name":"Shock magnetism in fine particle iron","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— All solid solar system bodies have been affected by impact to varying degrees, and, thus, magnetic records in these bodies may have been modified by shock events. Shock events may have overprinted all primordial magnetic records in meteorites. Shock metamorphism stages ranging from very little to extreme, when melting takes place, have been identified in meteorites. We are examining the creation and destruction of magnetic remanence associated with shock. In this paper, we develop a preliminary framework for understanding the magnetic properties of fine‐grained Fe particles (20–110 nm), which carry most of the remanent magnetization in lunar samples and, by extension, the kamacite phase in meteorite samples. Initial experiments on shock effects due to a first‐order shock‐induced crystallographic transformation are described. The first characterization of pre‐ and postshock magnetic properties for sized Fe particles and the first characterization of the transformation remanent magnetization (TMRM) associated with the face‐centered‐cubic (fcc) to body‐centered‐cubic (bcc) transformation in fine particle Fe spheres are described. This is equivalent to the 13 GPa transitions in bcc Fe. We show that the TMRM is in the same direction as the ambient magnetic field present during the shock, but is deflected from the field direction by 30–45° and that the remanence intensity is 1–2 orders of magnitude less than expected for thermoremanent magnetization (TRM) acquired during cooling through the Curie temperature. Isothermal remanence acquisition curves (RA) reveal the increasing magnetic hardness due to shock. Magnetic hysteresis loops are used to characterize the particle size and the shock‐induced magnetic anisotropy. Thermal demagnetization experiments describe the probable presence of particle size effects and the effects associated with recovery‐recrystallization due to the annealing that takes place during the thermomagnetic experiment. These observations have implications for paleofield determinations and the recognition of thermal unblocking. A TMRM mechanism could produce a shock overprint in a meteorite and might impart a significant directional feature in an asteroid magnetic signature.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01974.x","authors":["T. Dickinson","P. J. Wasilewski"],"tags":["Remanence","Magnetization","Thermoremanent magnetization","Shock metamorphism","Magnetism"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01974.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W4387353074","name":"Recurring volcanic winters during the latest Cretaceous: Sulfur and fluorine budgets of Deccan Traps lavas","source":"openalex","abstract":"Two events share the stage as main drivers of the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction-Deccan Traps volcanism, and an asteroid impact recorded by the Chicxulub crater. We contribute to refining knowledge of the volcanic stressor by providing sulfur and fluorine budgets of Deccan lavas from the Western Ghats (India), which straddle the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. Volcanic fluorine budgets were variable (400 to 3000 parts per million) and probably sufficient to affect the environment, albeit only regionally. The highest sulfur budgets (up to 1800 parts per million) are recorded in Deccan lavas emplaced just prior (within 0.1 million years) to the extinction interval, whereas later basalts are generally sulfur-poor (up to 750 parts per million). Independent evidence suggests the Deccan flood basalts erupted in high-flux pulses. Our data suggest that volcanic sulfur degassing from such activity could have caused repeated short-lived global drops in temperature, stressing the ecosystems long before the bolide impact delivered its final blow at the end of the Cretaceous.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adg8284","authors":["Sara Callegaro","Don R. Baker","Paul R. Renne","Leone Melluso","Kalotina Geraki","Martin J. Whitehouse","Ângelo De Min","Andrea Marzoli"],"tags":["Flood basalt","Deccan Traps","Volcano","Geology","Cretaceous"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-10-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adg8284","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W2295088512","name":"Volcanic ash in bare ice south of Sør Rondane Mountains, Antarctica: geochemistry, rock magnetism and nondestructive magnetic detection with SQUID gradiometer","source":"openalex","abstract":"Nondestructive magnetic detection of tephra layers in ice cores will be an important method to identify and correlate stratigraphic horizons of ice bearing volcanic ash particles. Volcanic ash particles were extracted from tephra-bearing ice samples collected from Nansen Ice Field south of the Sør Rondane Mountains, Antarctica. Particles are fresh glassy volcanic ash with diameters of ~50 μm, and chemical composition of the matrix glass belongs to a low-K basaltic andesite group, ranging from SiO 2 60–62 wt% and K 2 O 0.40–0.50 wt%. Considering the grain size of ash particles and chemical composition of volcanic glass, the ash in tephra-bearing ice samples might be originated from the South Sandwich Islands located 2800 km northwest of the sampling sites. Correlations on major element concentrations with tephra layers associated with South Sandwich Islands in EPICA-Dome C, Vostok, and Dome Fuji ice cores show high similarity. Rock magnetic experiments show that the magnetic mineral is pseudo-single-domain titanomagnetite with ulvospinel content of 0.2–0.35 mixed with single-domain to superparamagnetic (titano)magnetite. Small blocks of the tephra-bering ice were measured with a SQUID gradiometer at 1-mm intervals with a spatial resolution of ~3 mm. With DC magnetic field of 25 mT, magnetic signal could be enhanced and detected for all the samples including the one with invisible amount of tephra particles. In order to simulate a thin ash layer in ice core, volcanic ash particles extracted from the tephra-bearing ice were used to fabricate a thin ash layer, which were subsequently magnetized, measured with the gradiometer. The noise level for Z axis gradiometer was about 0.6 pT. Detection limit for a half-cylinder with 29 mm radius and a thickness of 1 mm uniformly magnetized in X axis direction is ~9 × 10 −5 A/m, which could be improved down to ~2 × 10 −6 A/m by reducing the sensor-to-sample distance to 0.5 mm.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40623-016-0415-3","authors":["Hirokuni Oda","Isoji Miyagi","Jun Kawai","Yûsuke Suganuma","M. Funaki","Naoya Imae","T. Mikouchi","Takuya Matsuzaki","Yuhji Yamamoto"],"tags":["Tephra","Geology","Volcanic ash","Ice core","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-03-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40623-016-0415-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W2170283536","name":"Drill core LB‐08A, Bosumtwi impact structure, Ghana: Geochemistry of fallback breccia and basement samples from the central uplift","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The 1.07 Myr old Bosumtwi impact structure in Ghana (West Africa), which measures 10.5 km in diameter and is largely filled by Lake Bosumtwi, is associated with one of four currently known tektite strewn fields. Two boreholes were drilled to acquire hard‐rock samples of the deep crater moat and from the flank of the central uplift (LB‐07A and LB‐08A, respectively) during a recent ICDP‐sponsored drilling project. Here we present results of major and trace element analysis of 112 samples from drill core LB‐08A. This core, which was recovered between 235.6 and 451.33 m depth below lake level, contains polymict lithic breccia intercalated with suevite, which overlies fractured/brecciated metasediment. The basement is dominated by meta‐graywacke (from fine‐grained to gritty), but also includes some phyllite and slate, as well as suevite dikelets and a few units of a distinct light greenish gray, medium‐grained meta‐graywacke. Most of the variations of the major and trace element abundances in the different lithologies result from the initial compositional variations of the various target rock types, as well as from aqueous alteration processes, which have undeniably affected the different rocks. Suevite from core LB‐08A (fallback suevite) and fallout suevite samples (from outside the northern crater rim) display some differences in major (mainly in MgO, CaO, and Na2O contents) and minor (mainly Cr and Ni) element abundances that could be related to the higher degree of alteration of fallback suevites, but also result from differences in the clast populations of the two suevite populations. For example, granite clasts are present in fallout suevite but not in fallback breccia, and calcite clasts are present in fallback breccia and not in fallout suevite. Chondrite‐normalized rare earth element abundance patterns for polymict impact breccia and basement samples are very similar to each other. Siderophile element contents in the impact breccias are not significantly different from those of the metasediments, or compared to target rocks from outside the crater rim. So far, no evidence for a meteoritic component has been detected in polymict impact breccias during this study, in agreement with previous work.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb01068.x","authors":["L. Ferrière","Christian Koeberl","W. U. Reimold","Dieter Mader"],"tags":["Breccia","Geology","Impact crater","Impact structure","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb01068.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W2092336080","name":"Geology and Geochemistry of the Buerkesidai and Kuoerzhenkuola Gold Deposits in the Sawuershan Region, Xinjiang Uigur Autonomous Region, Northwest China","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Sawuershan region, one of the important gold metallogenic belts of Xinjiang, is located in the western part of the Kalatongke island arc zone of north Xinjiang, NW China. There are two gold deposits in mining, namely the Kuoerzhenkuola and the Buerkesidai deposits. Gold ores at the Kuoerzhenkuola deposit occur within Carboniferous andesite and volcanic breccias in the form of gold‐bearing quartz–pyrite veins and veinlet groups containing native gold, electrum, pyrite, pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite. Gold ores at the Buerkesidai deposit occur within Carboniferous tuffaceous siltstones in the form of gold‐bearing quartz veinlet groups and altered rocks, with electrum, pyrite and arsenopyrite as major metallic minerals. Both gold deposits are hosted by structurally controlled faults associated with intense hydrothermal alteration. The typical alteration assemblage is sericite + chlorite + calcite + quartz, with an inner pyrite–sericite zone and an outer chlorite–calcite–epidote zone between orebodies and wall rocks. δ34S values (0.3–1.3‰) of pyrite of ores from Kuoerzhenkuola deposit are similar to those (0.4–2.9‰) of pyrite of ores from Buerkesidai deposit. δ34S values (1.1–2.8‰) of pyrite from altered rocks are similar to δ34S values of magmatic or igneous sulfide sulfur, but higher than those from ores. 206Pb/204Pb, 207Pb/204Pb and 208Pb/204Pb data of sulfide from ores range within 17.72–18.56, 15.34–15.61, and 37.21–38.28, respectively. These sulfur and lead isotope compositions imply that ore‐forming materials might originate from multiple, mainly deep sources. He and Ar isotope study on fluid inclusions of pyrites from ores of Kuoerzhenkuola and Buerkesidai gold deposits produces 40Ar/36Ar and 3He/4He ratios in the range of 282–525 and 0.6–9.4 R/Ra, respectively, indicating a mixed source of deep‐seated magmatic water (mantle fluid) and shallower meteoric water. In terms of tectonic setting, the gold deposits in the Sawuershan region can be interpreted as epithermal. These formations resulted from a combination of protracted volcanic activity, hydrothermal fluid mixing, and a structural setting favoring gold deposition. Fluid mixing was possibly the key factor resulting in Au deposition in the gold deposits in Sawuershan region.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-3928.2007.00025.x","authors":["Qingdong Zeng","Jianming Liu","Tiebing Liu","Yuanchao Shen","Ping Shen","Guangming Li"],"tags":["Pyrite","Geology","Sericite","Geochemistry","Breccia"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-08-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-3928.2007.00025.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W2902927647","name":"Oxygen isotope signatures in bulk chondrules: Implications for the aqueous alteration and thermal metamorphism on the Allende CV3 parent body","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Precise triple oxygen isotope compositions of 32 Allende bulk chondrules (ABCs) are determined using laser‐assisted fluorination mass spectrometry. Various chemically characterized chondrule types show ranges in δ18O that vary from −4.80‰ to +1.10‰ (porphyritic olivine; PO, N = 15), −3.10‰ to +1.50‰ (porphyritic olivine pyroxene; POP, N = 9), −3.40‰ to +2.60‰ (barred olivine; BO, N = 4), and −3.60‰ to +1.30‰ (porphyritic pyroxene; PP, N = 3). Oxygen isotope data of these chondrules yield a regression line referred to as the Allende bulk chondrule line (ABC line, slope = 0.86 ± 0.02). Most of our data fall closer to the primitive chondrule minerals line (PCM line, slope = 0.987 ± 0.013) and the carbonaceous chondrite anhydrous mineral line (CCAM line, slope = 0.94 ± 0.02) than the Allende anhydrous mineral line (AAML, slope = 1.00 ± 0.01) with a maximum δ18O value (+2.60‰) observed in a BO chondrule and a minimum δ18O value (−4.80‰) shown by a PO chondrule. Similarly, these chondrules depict variable ∆17O values that range from −5.65‰ to −3.25‰ (PO), −4.60‰ to −2.80‰ (POP), −4.95‰ to −3.00‰ (BO), −5.30‰ to −3.20‰ (PP), and −4.90‰ (CC). A simple model is proposed for the Allende CV3 chondrite with reference to the AAML and PCM line to illustrate the isotopic variations occurred due to the aqueous alteration processes. The estimated temperature ranging from 10 to 130 °C (mean ~60 °C) implies that the secondary mineralization in Allende happened in a warmer and relatively dry environment compared to Murchison. We further propose that thermal metamorphism could have dehydrated the Allende matrix at temperatures between >150 °C and <600 °C.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13219","authors":["Iffat Jabeen","Minoru Kusakabe","Keisuke Nagao","Arshad Ali"],"tags":["Chondrule","Allende meteorite","Porphyritic","Olivine","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-11-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13219","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W2232346128","name":"Effect of a synchrotron X‐ray microtomography imaging experiment on the amino acid content of a CM chondrite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract X‐ray microcomputed tomography and synchrotron X‐ray microcomputed tomography (μCT) are becoming popular tools for the reconnaissance imaging of chondrites. However, there are occasional concerns that the use of μCT may be detrimental to organic components of a chondrite. Soluble organic compounds represent ~2–10% of the total solvent extractable carbon in CI and CM carbonaceous chondrites and amino acids are among the most abundant compounds in the soluble organic fraction. We irradiated two samples of the Murchison CM2 carbonaceous chondrite under conditions slightly harsher (increased beam exposure time) than those typically used for x‐ray μCT imaging experiments to determine if detectable changes in the amino acid abundance and distribution relative to a nonexposed control sample occurred. After subjecting two meteorite portions to ionizing radiation dosages of 1.1 kiloGray (kGy) and 1.2 kGy with 48.6 and 46.6 keV monochromatic X‐rays, respectively, we analyzed the amino acid content of each sample. Within analytical errors, we found no differences in the amino acid abundances or enantiomeric ratios when comparing the control samples (nonexposed Murchison) and the irradiated samples. We show with calculations that any sample heating due to x‐ray exposure is negligible. We conclude that a monochromatic synchrotron X‐ray μCT experiment at beamline 13‐BM‐D of the Advanced Photon Source, which imparts ~1 kGy doses, has no detectable effect on the amino acid content of a carbonaceous chondrite. These results are important for the initial reconnaissance of returned samples from the OSIRIS‐REx and Hayabusa 2 asteroid sample return missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12595","authors":["J. M. Friedrich","D. P. Glavin","Mark L. Rivers","Jason P. Dworkin"],"tags":["Murchison meteorite","Chondrite","Carbonaceous chondrite","Chemistry","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-01-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12595","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W4211035171","name":"Application of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and chemometrics for rapid identification of fire-retardant/resistant coatings from fire residues","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.126773","authors":["Weiran Song","Shangyong Zhao","Yiming Zhang","Cheng Ruan","Ao Huang","Xiao Hu","Min Zhao","Wen Zhou","Ji Wang","Xuebao Wang","Hui Wang","Zongyu Hou","Zhe Wang"],"tags":["Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy","Chemometrics","Materials science","Principal component analysis","Partial least squares regression"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-02-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.126773","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W2023357854","name":"Preservation and Evolution of Organic Matter During Experimental Fossilisation of the Hyperthermophilic Archaea Methanocaldococcus jannaschii","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11084-012-9318-x","authors":["François Orange","Jean-Robert Disnar","Pascale Gautret","Francès Westall","Nadège Bienvenu","Nathalie Lottier","Daniel Prieur"],"tags":["Archaea","Organic matter","Amino acid","Chemistry","Organic molecules"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11084-012-9318-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W2055421957","name":"Progressive deformation of feldspar recording low‐barometry impact processes, Tenoumer impact structure, Mauritania","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Tenoumer impact structure is a small, well‐preserved crater within Archean to Paleoproterozoic amphibolite, gneiss, and granite of the Reguibat Shield, north‐central Mauritania. The structure is surrounded by a thin ejecta blanket of crystalline blocks (granitic gneiss, granite, and amphibolite) and impact‐melt rocks. Evidence of shock metamorphism of quartz, most notably planar deformation features (PDFs), occurs exclusively in granitic clasts entrained within small bodies of polymict, glass‐rich breccia. Impact‐related deformation features in oligoclase and microcline grains, on the other hand, occur both within clasts in melt‐breccia deposits, where they co‐occur with quartz PDFs, and also within melt‐free crystalline ejecta, in the absence of co‐occurring quartz PDFs. Feldspar deformation features include multiple orientations of PDFs, enhanced optical relief of grain components, selective disordering of alternate twins, inclined lamellae within alternate twins, and combinations of these individual textures. The distribution of shock features in quartz and feldspar suggests that deformation textures within feldspar can record a wide range of average pressures, starting below that required for shock deformation of quartz. We suggest that experimental analysis of feldspar behavior, combined with detailed mapping of shock metamorphism of feldspar in natural systems, may provide critical data to constrain energy dissipation within impact regimes that experienced low average shock pressures.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12310","authors":["S. J. Jaret","Linda C. Kah","R. Scott Harris"],"tags":["Geology","Feldspar","Shock metamorphism","Microcline","Quartz"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12310","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W634329503","name":"A geochemical evaluation of hydrocarbon characteristics as criteria for the abiogenic origin of naturally occurring organic matter","source":"openalex","abstract":"I shall always be thankful for his ability t o see beyond the present and not be daunted by what often seemed to me to be an immeasurable number of administrative and scientific hurdles.His philosophical as well as scientific insight into the underlying problems which this study is directed toward were of particular value at all stages of the work. 1 am equally indebted t o Dr. Konrad B. Krauskopf.As my advisor, he always made an effort to be available for consultation in spite of his many other commitments.I am continuaHBy inapressed not only with his depth of scientific knowledge, but also with the patient effort he takes to impart this knowledge to any interested students.I am also grateful to my husband Rchard, because he recognized before I did the valuable opportunity to broaden the scope of my s~ientific capabilities which study at Stanford has provided.He above all has shown me that positive thinking is a most important factor in any undertaking.In addition, I wish to acknowledge the help of the people in England on the 'Windy Knoll Study.I thank Mr. R. J. King for his help in collecting some of the bitumen samples and preparing them for shipment back t o the United States, and Mr. Peter H a ~s o n for access into Treak Cliff Cavern to collect rock and mineral samples.I also thank Dr. P\" E. Kent of the British Petroleum Company for sending me petrbleum samples.Above all, I thank I Dr. T. D. Ford for the time and effort that he spent in showing me the local g e o l s a as well as providing valuable insight into the mineralization processes in the Castleton area.","url":"https://openalex.org/W634329503","authors":["Katherine L. Pering"],"tags":["Abiogenic petroleum origin","Organic matter","Hydrocarbon","Environmental chemistry","Organic geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1971-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W4383105875","name":"Single Spot Rb‐Sr Isochron Dating of Biotite by LA‐MC‐ICP‐MS / MS","source":"openalex","abstract":"Laser ablation tandem mass spectrometry is a burgeoning field for in situ Rb‐Sr geochronology. Here, we determined simultaneous isotope ratios of 87 Sr/ 86 Sr and 87 Rb/ 86 Sr in metamorphic biotite from western Maine, using an ESL™ imageGEO™193 excimer laser ablation system coupled to a Thermo Scientific™ Neoma™ MC‐ICP‐MS/MS. Measurements were made on Faraday cups with Rb + at mass 87; Sr isotopes were reacted with SF 6 gas and measured as SrF + at masses 103–107. Twenty‐two laser spots in biotite from a single sample yield a \"traditional\" Rb‐Sr isochron date of 289 ± 6 Ma. Time‐resolved signals reveal significant zoning in 87 Sr/ 86 Sr and 87 Rb/ 86 Sr within single spot analyses, which were used to construct single spot isochrons. Individual laser spots contain multiple isochronous subpopulations; some spots contain up to three distinct Rb‐Sr isochrons that are decoupled from variations in Rb/Sr. Thirty‐five isochron dates were determined using this \"sub‐spot\" approach, with 87 Sr/ 86 Sr intercepts that systematically vary with Rb‐Sr date; two‐point isochrons were calculated for individual integrations ( n = 780) based on these variable intercepts. Both methods yield age peaks at 303, 270 and 240 Ma. These data suggest that the Rb‐Sr system has the potential to record multiple heating, cooling or fluid‐alteration events spanning ~ 100 My within small domains in single biotite crystals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ggr.12518","authors":["Alicia Cruz‐Uribe","Grant Craig","Joshua M. Garber","Bence Paul","Cemil Arkula","Claudia Bouman"],"tags":["Isochron","Isochron dating","Biotite","Analytical Chemistry (journal)","Laser ablation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ggr.12518","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W2779415545","name":"The Chelyabinsk meteorite: New insights from a comprehensive electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy study with evidence for graphite in olivine of ordinary chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We present results of petrographic, mineralogical, and chemical investigations of three Chelyabinsk meteorite fragments. Three distinct lithologies were identified: light S3 LL5, dark S4–S5 LL5 material, and opaque fine‐grained former impact melt. Olivine–spinel thermometry revealed an equilibration temperature of 703 ± 23 °C for the light lithology. All plagioclase seems to be secondary, showing neither shock‐induced fractures nor sulfide‐metal veinlets. Feldspathic glass can be observed showing features of extensive melting and, in the dark lithology, as maskelynite, lacking melt features and retaining grain boundaries of former plagioclase. Olivine of the dark lithology shows planar deformation features. Impact melt is dominated by Mg‐rich olivine and resembles whole‐rock melt. Melt veins (<2 mm) are connected to narrower veinlets. Melt vein textures are similar to pegmatite textures showing chilled margins, a zone of inward‐grown elongated crystals and central vugs, suggesting crystallization from supercooled melt. Sulfide‐metal droplets indicate liquid immiscibility of both silicate and sulfide as well as sulfide and metal melts. Impact melting may have been an important factor for differentiation of primitive planetary bodies. Graphite associated with micrometer‐sized melt inclusions in primary olivine was detected by Raman mapping. Carbon isotopic studies of graphite could be applied to test a possible presolar origin.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13027","authors":["David Kaeter","Martin A. Ziemann","Ute Böttger","I. Weber","Lutz Hecht","S. А. Voropaev","A. V. Korochantsev","A. V. Kocherov"],"tags":["Olivine","Geology","Meteorite","Shock metamorphism","Melt inclusions"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-12-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13027","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W3122372102","name":"Tianwen-1 and China's Mars exploration program","source":"openalex","abstract":"About every 26 months, the distance between Earth and Mars reaches a minimum, and that is the best time window for Mars exploration from Earth. In July 2020, three spacecraft started their journey to Mars: the Hope orbiter of the United Arab Emirates, the Tianwen-1 mission of China and the Perseverance rover of the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). If all go well, these spacecraft will reach Martian orbit in February 2021 and start their scientific observations. Tianwen-1 is China's first mission to Mars. It includes an orbiter, a lander and a rover. It carries 13 scientific payloads and will investigate the topography, soil composition, water-ice distribution, internal structure, atmospheric environment and physical fields (electromagnetic and gravitational) of Mars. In this interview, we talked with the mission's Chief Scientist Yongxin Pan () and Scientific Payload Sub-System Director Chi Wang () about this scientific mission and China's future plans for Mars exploration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwab001","authors":["Weijie Zhao"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Orbiter","Exploration of Mars","Payload (computing)","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-01-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwab001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W3115241029","name":"Are Insects Heading Toward Their First Mass Extinction? Distinguishing Turnover From Crises in Their Fossil Record","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Time and again, over hundreds of millions of years, environmental disturbances have caused mass extinctions of animals ranging from reptiles to corals. The anthropogenic loss of species diversity happening now is often discussed as the ‘sixth mass extinction’ in light of the ‘Big Five’ mass extinctions in the fossil record. But insects, whose taxonomic diversity now appears to be threatened by human activity, have a unique extinction history. Prehistoric losses of insect diversity at the levels of order and family appear to have been driven by competition among insect lineages, with biotic replacement ensuring minimal net losses in taxonomic diversity. The end-Permian extinction, the ‘mother of mass extinctions’ in the seas, was more of a faunal turnover than a mass extinction for insects. Insects’ current biotic crisis has been measured in terms of the loss of abundance and biomass (rather than the loss of species, genera, or families) and these are essentially impossible to measure in the fossil record. However, should the ongoing loss of insect abundance and biomass cause the demise of many insect families, the current extinction event may well be the first sudden loss of higher-level insect diversity in our planet’s history. This is not insects’ sixth mass extinction—in fact, it may become their first.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/saaa042","authors":["Sandra R. Schachat","Conrad C. Labandeira"],"tags":["Extinction event","Biology","Ecology","Extinction (optical mineralogy)","Permian–Triassic extinction event"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-10-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/saaa042","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W1863201177","name":"The smallest comet 81P/Wild 2 dust dances around the CI composition","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The bulbous Stardust track #80 (C2092,3,80,0,0) is a huge cavity. Allocations C2092,2,80,46,1 nearest the entry hole and C2092,2,80,47,6 about 0.8 mm beneath the entry hole provide evidence of highly chaotic conditions during capture. They are dominated by nonvesicular low‐Mg silica glass instead of highly vesicular glass found deeper into this track which is consistent with the escape of magnesiosilica vapors generated from the smallest comet grains. The survival of delicate (Mg,Al,Ca)‐bearing silica glass structures is unique to the entry hole. Both allocations show a dearth of surviving comet dust except for a small enstatite, a low‐Ca hypersthene grain, and a Ti‐oxide fragment. Finding scattered TiO2 fragments in the silica glass could support, but not prove, TiO2 grain fragmentation during hypervelocity capture. The here reported dearth in mineral species is in marked contrast to the wealth of surviving silicate and oxide minerals deeper into the bulb. Both allocations show Fe‐Ni‐S nanograins dispersed throughout the low‐Mg silica glass matrix. It is noted that neither comet Halley nor Wild 2 had a CI bulk composition for the smallest grains. Using the analogs of interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) and cluster IDPs it is argued that a CI chondritic composition requires the mixing of nonchondritic components in the appropriate proportions. So far, the fine‐grained Wild 2 dust is biased toward nonchondritic ferromagnesiosilica materials and lacking contributions of nonchondritic components with Mg‐Fe‐Ni‐S[Si‐O] compositions. To be specific, “Where are the GEMS”? The GEMS look‐alike found in this study suggests that evidence of GEMS in comet Wild 2 may still be found in the Stardust glass.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12510","authors":["Frans J. M. Rietmeijer"],"tags":["Comet","Interplanetary dust cloud","Comet dust","Enstatite","Hypervelocity"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-09-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12510","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W1987739744","name":"Raman Spectroscopy-Compatible Inactivation Method for Pathogenic Endospores","source":"openalex","abstract":"Micro-Raman spectroscopy is a fast and sensitive tool for the detection, classification, and identification of biological organisms. The vibrational spectrum inherently serves as a fingerprint of the biochemical composition of each bacterium and thus makes identification at the species level, or even the subspecies level, possible. Therefore, microorganisms in areas susceptible to bacterial contamination, e.g., clinical environments or food-processing technology, can be sensed. Within the scope of point-of-care-testing also, detection of intentionally released biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) agents, such as Bacillus anthracis endospores, or their products is attainable. However, no Raman spectroscopy-compatible inactivation method for the notoriously resistant Bacillus endospores has been elaborated so far. In this work we present an inactivation protocol for endospores that permits, on the one hand, sufficient microbial inactivation and, on the other hand, the recording of Raman spectroscopic signatures of single endospores, making species-specific identification by means of highly sophisticated chemometrical methods possible. Several physical and chemical inactivation methods were assessed, and eventually treatment with 20% formaldehyde proved to be superior to the other methods in terms of sporicidal capacity and information conservation in the Raman spectra. The latter fact has been verified by successfully using self-learning machines (such as support vector machines or artificial neural networks) to identify inactivated B. anthracis-related endospores with adequate accuracies within the range of the limited model database employed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.02481-09","authors":["Stephan Stöckel","Wilm Schumacher","Susann Meisel","Mandy C. Elschner","Petra Rösch","Jürgen Popp"],"tags":["Endospore","Bacillus anthracis","Raman spectroscopy","Bacillus (shape)","Biological system"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-03-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.02481-09","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W2164635084","name":"Microimpact phenomena on Australasian microtektites: Implications for ejecta plume characteristics and lunar surface processes","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Detailed investigations of the microimpact phenomena on Australasian microtektites from four samples from the Central Indian Basin reveal an array of features, such as very low‐velocity captured droplets, welded projectiles, angular fragments and dust, craters generated by projectiles defining an oblique trajectory, high‐velocity “pitless” craters, and the conventional hypervelocity craters with well‐defined central pits and radial and concentric cracks—found commonly on lunar surface materials. The microimpacts are a consequence of interparticle collisions within the ejecta plume (as suggested by their chemistry) subsequent to a major impact and, therefore, reveal processes inherent in an impact‐generated plume. All the impact phenomena observed here have taken place while the targets and projectiles were in flight and are therefore secondary impacts in lunar terms. However, some of the resultant features are analogous to lunar micro‐craters attributed to primary impacts by cosmic dust. Therefore, ballistic sedimentation on the Moon is likely to contain plume collisional debris as well.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01311.x","authors":["M. Shyam Prasad","M. Sudhakar"],"tags":["Ejecta","Hypervelocity","Impact crater","Plume","Projectile"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01311.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W2967642799","name":"Documentation of shock features in impactites from the Dhala impact structure, India","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The fundamental approach for the confirmation of any terrestrial meteorite impact structure is the identification of diagnostic shock metamorphic features, together with the physical and chemical characterization of impactites and target lithologies. However, for many of the approximately 200 confirmed impact structures known on Earth to date, multiple scale‐independent tell‐tale impact signatures have not been recorded. Especially some of the pre‐Paleozoic impact structures reported so far have yielded limited shock diagnostic evidence. The rocks of the Dhala structure in India, a deeply eroded Paleoproterozoic impact structure, exhibit a range of diagnostic shock features, and there is even evidence for traces of the impactor. This study provides a detailed look at shocked samples from the Dhala structure, and the shock metamorphic evidence recorded within them. It also includes a first report of shatter cones that form in the shock pressure range from ~2 to 30 GPa, data on feather features (FFs), crystallographic indexing of planar deformation features, first‐ever electron backscatter diffraction data for ballen quartz, and further analysis of shocked zircon. The discovery of FFs in quartz from a sample of the MCB‐10 drill core (497.50 m depth) provides a comparatively lower estimate of shock pressure (~7–10 GPa), whereas melting of a basement granitoid infers at least 50–60 GPa shock pressure. Thus, the Dhala impactites register a strongly heterogeneous shock pressure distribution between <2 and >60 GPa. The present comprehensive review of impact effects should lay to rest the nonimpact genesis of the Dhala structure proposed by some earlier workers from India.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13369","authors":["Jayanta Kumar Pati","M. H. Poelchau","W. U. Reimold","Norihiro Nakamura","Yutaro Kuriyama","Anuj Kumar Singh"],"tags":["Impact structure","Geology","Shock metamorphism","Shock (circulatory)","Metamorphic rock"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-08-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13369","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W1965553767","name":"Impact glass spherules in the Chicxulub K‐Pg event bed at Beloc, Haiti: Alteration patterns","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We have investigated six impact glass spherules from the K‐Pg event bed at Beloc, Haiti, using optical and electron microscopy, electron microprobe and in situ laser ablation–mass spectrometry ( LA ‐ ICP ‐ MS ; 37 trace elements, spot size 90–35 μm), in order to understand geochemical changes during alteration. The mm‐sized glass spherules are partly or totally altered to smectite, but original textural features are preserved. The average trace‐element composition of glass matches that one of the upper continental crust. Hints for a “meteoritic component” are lacking (Ni/Cr < 1.3; Pt below detection limit). Compared to this fresh glass, smectites are strongly depleted in trace elements, except for Li, Sc, V, Ni, Ga, Ge, and Ba. The chondrite‐normalized REE distribution patterns are flat with subchondritic abundances, related to their very low degree of crystallinity. We observe a positive Eu and a strong negative Ce anomaly; the latter is explained by formation of an organic Ce 4+ ‐complex, soluble under reducing conditions. Zr/Hf of glasses and smectites is chondritic to superchondritic (35–40), whereas Nb/Ta in smectite is subchondritic (5–12) compared to Nb/Ta in the glass (~14–18). The low Nb/Ta is due to the low Nb concentrations in the smectite. Using in situ techniques with high spatial resolution, we have documented for the first time the significant changes in diagnostic elemental ratios during alteration of glass spherules. This has to be taken into account in the interpretation of geochemical data of not only impact materials but also volcanic glass, especially if bulk rock methods are used.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12432","authors":["Xenia Ritter","A. Deutsch","Jasper Berndt","Éric Robin"],"tags":["Electron microprobe","Mineralogy","Geology","Trace element","Analytical Chemistry (journal)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12432","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W1594630861","name":"δ18O and chemical composition of Libyan Desert Glass, country rocks, and sands: New considerations on target material","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– Oxygen isotope and chemical measurements were carried out on 25 samples of Libyan Desert Glass (LDG), 21 samples of sandstone, and 3 of sand from the same area. The δ18O of LDG samples range from 9.0‰ to 11.9‰ (Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water [VSMOW]); some correlations between isotope data and typological features of the LDG samples are pointed out. The initial δ18O of a bulk parent material may be slightly increased by fusion due to the loss of isotopically light pore water with no isotope exchange with oxygen containing minerals. Accordingly, the δ18O of the bulk parent material of LDG may have been about 9.0 ± 1‰ (VSMOW). The measured bulk sandstone and sand samples have δ18O values ranging from 12.6‰ to 19.5‰ and are consequently ruled out as parent materials, matching the results of previous studies. However, separated quartz fractions have δ18O values compatible with the LDG values suggesting that the modern surface sand inherited quartz from the target material. This hypothesis fits previous findings of lechatelierite and baddeleyite in these materials. As the age of the parent material reported in previous studies is Pan‐African, we measured the δ18O values of bulk rock and quartz from intrusives of Pan‐African age and the results obtained were compatible with the LDG values. The main element abundances (Fe, Mg, Ca, K, Na) in our LDG samples conform to previous estimates; Fe, Mg, and K tend to be higher in heterogeneous samples with dark layers. The hypothesis of a low‐altitude airburst involving silica‐rich surface materials deriving from weathered intrusives of Pan‐African age, partially melted and blown over a huge surface by supersonic winds matches the results obtained.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01147.x","authors":["A. Longinelli","Giampaolo Sighinolfi","Vincenzo De Michele","Enricomaria Selmo"],"tags":["Quartz","Isotopes of oxygen","Isotope","Mineralogy","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01147.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W2081731024","name":"Newly identified “Tunnunik” impact structure, Prince Albert Peninsula, northwestern Victoria Island, Arctic Canada","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Regional geological mapping of the glaciated surface of northwestern Victoria Island in the western Canadian Arctic revealed an anomalous structure in otherwise flat‐lying Neoproterozoic and lower Paleozoic carbonate rocks, located south of Richard Collinson Inlet. The feature is roughly circular in plan view, approximately 25 km in diameter, and characterized by quaquaversal dips of approximately 45°, decreasing laterally. The core of the feature also exhibits local vertical dips, low‐angle reverse faults, and drag folds. Although brecciation was not observed, shatter cones are pervasive in all lithologies in the central area, including 723 Ma old dikes that penetrate Neoproterozoic limestones. Their abundance decreases distally, and none was observed in surrounding, horizontally bedded strata. This circular structure is interpreted as a deeply eroded meteorite impact crater of the complex type, and the dipping strata as the remnants of the central uplift. The variation in orientation and shape of shatter cones point to variably oriented stresses with the passage of the shock wave, possibly related to the presence of pore water in the target strata as well as rock type and lithological heterogeneities, especially bed thickness. Timing of impact is poorly constrained. The youngest rocks affected are Late Ordovician (approximately 450 Ma) and the impact structure is mantled by undisturbed postglacial sediments. Regional, hydrothermal dolomitization of the Ordovician limestones, possibly in the Late Devonian (approximately 360 Ma), took place before the impact, and widespread WSW–ENE‐trending normal faults of probable Early Cretaceous age (approximately 130 Ma) apparently cross‐cut the impact structure.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12052","authors":["Keith Dewing","Brian R. Pratt","Thomas Hadlari","Tom Brent","Jean H. Bédard","R H Rainbird"],"tags":["Geology","Ordovician","Impact structure","Devonian","Paleontology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-01-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12052","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W4309609245","name":"Geochemical bio-signatures in Martian analogue basaltic environments using laboratory experiments and thermochemical modelling","source":"openalex","abstract":"The identification of geochemical bio-signatures is important for assessing whether life existed on early Mars. In this paper, experimental microbiology and thermochemical modelling were combined to identify potential inorganic bio-signatures for life detection on early Mars. An analogue mixed microbial community from an analogue terrestrial fluvio-lacustrine environment similar to an ancient lacustrine system at Gale Crater was used to study microbial dissolution of a basalt regolith simulant and the formation of bio-signatures over a short time frame (1°month) at 14°C, 2 bar. Microbial growth influenced element dissolution (Mg, Fe, Mn, Ca and K) and the formation of morphologies and Fe-Si amorphous layers on mineral surfaces. Thermochemical models were performed at 14°C, 2 bar; the results were compared with experimental data to predict bio-signatures that would occur over geological timescales. The pH was varied to simulate abiotic and biotic experimental conditions. Model results suggest that, at water to rock ratios of 100 to 38, a less complex secondary mineral assemblage forms during biotic dissolution compared to abiotic weathering. Carbonates, quartz, pyrite and hydroxyapatite form under biotic conditions, whereas in the abiotic system magnetite and phyllosilicates would also precipitate. These results could be used to distinguish between abiotic and biotic basalt weathering processes, aiding the interpretation of data from Mars exploration missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2022.1062007","authors":["Simone Cogliati","Elliot Wolsey","Nisha K. Ramkissoon","S. P. Schwenzer","V. K. Pearson","Karen Olsson‐Francis"],"tags":["Regolith","Abiotic component","Mars Exploration Program","Weathering","Basalt"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-11-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2022.1062007","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W2004613573","name":"Relationships among the Energy, Emergy, and Money Flows of the United States from 1900 to 2011","source":"openalex","abstract":"Energy Systems Language models of the resource base for the U.S. economy and of economic exchange were used, respectively, (1) to show how energy consumption and emergy use contribute to real and nominal GDP and (2) to propose a model of coupled flows that explains high correlations of these inputs with measures of market-based economic activity. We examined a 3rd power law model of growth supported by excess resources and found evidence that it has governed U.S. economic growth since 1900, i.e., nominal GDP was best explained by a power function of total emergy use with exponent 2.8. We used a weight of evidence approach to identify relationships among emergy, energy, and money flows in the U.S. from 1900 to 2011. All measures of quality adjusted energy consumption had a relationship with nominal GDP that was best described by a hyperbolic function plus a constant and the relationship between all measures of energy consumption and real GDP was best described by a 2nd order polynomial. The fact that energy consumption per unit of real GDP declined after 1996 as real GDP continued to increase indicates that energy conservation or a shift toward less energy intensive industries has resulted in lower fossil fuel use and reduced CO2 emissions, while maintaining growth in real GDP. Since all energy consumption measures vs. real GDP deviated from a power law relationship after 1996; whereas, total emergy use did not, we concluded that total emergy use captured more of the factors responsible for the increase in real GDP than did energy measures alone, and as a result, total emergy use may be the best measure to quantify the biophysical basis for social and economic activity in the information age. The Emergy to Money Ratio measured as solar emjoules per nominal $ followed a decreasing trend from a high of 1.01E+14 semj/$ in 1902 to 1.56E+12 semj/$ in 2011 with fluctuations in its value corresponding to major periods of inflation and deflation over this time.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fenrg.2014.00041","authors":["Daniel E. Campbell","Hongfang Lü","H. A. Walker"],"tags":["Emergy","Real gross domestic product","Economics","Energy consumption","Consumption (sociology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-10-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fenrg.2014.00041","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W1966022378","name":"Petrography and geochemistry of ejecta from the Sudbury impact event","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Ejecta from the Connors Creek site in Michigan (500 km from the Sudbury Igneous Complex [SIC]), the Pine River site in western Ontario (650 km from the SIC), and the Coleraine site in Minnesota (980 km from the SIC) were petrographically and geochemically analyzed. Connors Creek was found to have approximately 2 m of ejecta, including shocked quartz, melt droplets, and accretionary lapilli; Pine River has similar deposits about 1 m in thickness, although with smaller lapilli; Coleraine contains only impact spherules in a 20 cm‐thick layer (impact spherules being similar to microkrystites or microtektites). The ejecta transition from chaotic deposits of massively bedded impactoclastic material with locally derived detritus at Connors Creek to a deposit with apparently very little detrital material that is primarily composed of melt droplets at Pine River to a deposit that is almost entirely composed of melt spherules at Coleraine. The major and trace element compositions of the ejecta confirm the previously observed similarity of the ejecta deposits to the Onaping Formation in the SIC. Platinum‐group element (PGE) concentrations from each of the sites were also measured, revealing significantly elevated PGE contents in the spherule samples compared with background values. PGE abundances in samples from the Pine River site can be reproduced by addition of approximately 0.2 wt% CI chondrite to the background composition of the underlying sediments in the core. PGE interelement ratios indicate that the Sudbury impact event was probably caused by a chondritic impactor.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12352","authors":["Matthew S. Huber","Iain McDonald","Christian Koeberl"],"tags":["Ejecta","Lapilli","Geology","Detritus","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12352","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W3048749238","name":"Characterization of HCN-Derived Thermal Polymer: Implications for Chemical Evolution","source":"openalex","abstract":"Hydrogen cyanide (HCN)-derived polymers have been recognized as sources of relevant organic molecules in prebiotic chemistry and material sciences. However, there are considerable gaps in the knowledge regarding the polymeric nature, the physicochemical properties, and the chemical pathways along polymer synthesis. HCN might have played an important role in prebiotic hydrothermal environments; however, only few experiments use cyanide species considering hydrothermal conditions. In this work, we synthesized an HCN-derived thermal polymer simulating an alkaline hydrothermal environment (i.e., HCN (l) 0.15 M, 50 h, 100 °C, pH approximately 10) and characterized its chemical structure, thermal behavior, and the hydrolysis effect. Elemental analysis and infrared spectroscopy suggest an important oxidation degree. The thermal behavior indicates that the polymer is more stable compared to other HCN-derived polymers. The mass spectrometric thermal analysis showed the gradual release of several volatile compounds along different thermal steps. The results suggest a complicate macrostructure formed by amide and hydroxyl groups, which are joined to the main reticular chain with conjugated bonds (C=O, N=O, –O–C=N). The hydrolysis treatment showed the pH conditions for the releasing of organics. The study of the synthesis of HCN-derived thermal polymers under feasible primitive hydrothermal conditions is relevant for considering hydrothermal vents as niches of chemical evolution on early Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8080968","authors":["Saúl A. Villafañe-Barajas","Marta Ruiz‐Bermejo","Pedro Rayo-Pizarroso","Marìa Colín-García"],"tags":["Polymer","Hydrothermal circulation","Chemistry","Hydrogen cyanide","Infrared spectroscopy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-08-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8080968","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.027Z"},{"id":"oa:W2795226957","name":"The Kumtag 016 L5 strewn field, Xinjiang Province, China","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Kumtag 016 strewn field was found in the eastern part of the Kumtag desert, Xinjiang Province, China. In this study, 24 recovered meteorites have been characterized by a suite of different analytical techniques to investigate their petrography, mineralogy, bulk trace elements, noble gas isotopic composition, density, and porosity. We attribute to the strewn field 22 L5 chondrites with shock stage S4 and weathering grade W2–W3. Two different meteorites, Kumtag 021, an L4 chondrite and Kumtag 032, an L6 chondrite, were recognized within the strewn field area. Moreover, Kumtag 003, an H5 chondrite, was previously found in the same area. We infer that the Kumtag 016 strewn field most likely consists of at least four distinct meteorite falls. The effects of terrestrial weathering on the studied meteorites involve sulfide/metal alteration, chemical changes (Sr, Ba, Pb, and U enrichments and depletion in Cr, Co, Ni, and Cs abundances), and physical modifications (decrease of grain density and porosity). Measurements of the light noble gases indicate that the analyzed Kumtag L5 samples contain solar wind‐implanted noble gases with a 20Ne/22Ne ratio of ~12.345. The cosmic‐ray exposure (CRE) ages of the L5 chondrites are in a narrow range (3.6 ± 1.4 Ma to 5.2 ± 0.4 Ma). For L4 chondrite Kumtag 021 and L6 chondrite Kumtag 032, the CRE ages are 5.9 ± 0.4 Ma and 4.7 ± 0.8 Ma, respectively.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13073","authors":["Xiaojia Zeng","Shijie Li","I. Leya","Shijie Wang","Thomas Smith","Yang Li","Peng Wang"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Ordinary chondrite","Geology","Weathering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-03-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13073","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W4395689054","name":"Presence of non-solar derived krypton and xenon unveiled by Chang'e-5 lunar soils","source":"openalex","abstract":"• Chang'e-5 lunar soil reveals a non-binary mixture. • Cometary and meteoritic component identified, adding to compositional diversity. • 134,136 Xe depletion link to cometary isotopes rather than early atmospheric escape. • Previous models insufficient in explaining Kr and Xe fractionation in lunar soils. • Chang'e-5 contributes to billions of years of solar system history. The extent of volatile elements on the surface and interior of the Moon remains a highly debated topic. Previous studies conducted on bulk lunar soil samples and solar wind samples collected by the Genesis mission indicate a discernible isotope mass- or non-mass-dependent fractionation of krypton and xenon. However, a detailed investigation of these processes is missing, particularly in determining the possible incorporation of cometary volatiles in the lunar regolith. New lunar soil samples returned by the Chang'e-5 mission provide a chance to answer these key questions. In this study, noble gas isotopes of nine subsamples from a Chang'e-5 scooped sample were analysed through stepwise-heating and total fusion laser extraction. The results reveal that a simple binary mixture of solar wind and cosmogenic components did not explain alone the isotopic composition of these samples. The Xe data shows insignificant amounts of atmospheric Xe and presents clear evidence of cometary contributions to the lunar regolith, with a significant depletion of 134,136 Xe compared to that in the solar wind. Additionally, a meteoritic component is identified. Compared to the Apollo results, our findings further validate the theory of Earth's atmospheric escape, substantiate the plausibility of these exogenous admixtures to elucidate the isotopic fractionation mechanisms of Kr and Xe within the lunar regolith, and provide novel insights into long-term constancy in the solar wind composition.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2024.118725","authors":["Xuhang Zhang","Fei Su","Guillaume Avice","Finlay M. Stuart","Yuanyuan Zheng","Ziheng Liu","Wei Guo","Thomas Smith","Runchuan Liu","Chao Lü","Ye He","Jiannan Li","Ranran Liu","Huaiyu He"],"tags":["Xenon","Krypton","Geology","Soil water","Lunar soil"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2024.118725","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W1911955801","name":"The effects of meteorite impacts on the availability of bioessential elements for endolithic organisms","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– Meteorite impacts, one of the most ubiquitous processes in the solar system, have the ability to destroy as well as create habitats for life. The impact process can increase the translucency and porosity of the target substrate, as well as mobilize biologically relevant elements within the substrate. For endolithic organisms, this process has important implications, especially in extreme environments where they are forced to seek refuge in the interior of rocks. Here, we show that unshocked target rocks and rocks that have experienced pressures up to about 80 GPa from the Haughton impact structure, Devon Island, Canada, possess a small, but discernible change in bulk chemistry within the major oxide analysis. However, changes in the distribution of elements did occur with increasing shock level for both the sedimentary and crystalline target. Both the crystalline and sedimentary target rocks contain significant amounts of glasses at higher shock levels (up to about 95% by volume), which would improve the availability of these elements to potential microbial endoliths as glasses are more easily dissolved by organic acids. The implication that impact events do not impoverish their capacity to serve as a “substrate” through volatilization is important with respect to analogous impact structures on Mars. After the deleterious effects of the direct meteorite impact, any microorganisms on Mars would have benefited from the input of heat, the mobilization of a possible frozen groundwater system, as well as increased translucency, porosity, and trace nutrient availability of the target substrate.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12004","authors":["A. Pontefract","G. R. Osinski","P. Lindgren","John Parnell","Charles S. Cockell","Gordon Southam"],"tags":["Meteorite","Impact structure","Sedimentary rock","Substrate (aquarium)","Mars Exploration Program"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1609862382","name":"Fe‐Mg interdiffusion profiles in rimmed forsterite grains in the Allende matrix: Time–temperature constraints for the parent body metamorphism","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Allende matrix is dominated by micron‐sized lath‐shaped fayalitic olivine grains with a narrow compositional range (Fa40–50). Fayalitic olivines also occur as rims around forsterite grains in chondrules and isolated forsterite fragments in the matrix or as veins cross‐cutting the grains. Allende is a type 3 CV carbonaceous chondrite having experienced a moderate thermal metamorphism. There is therefore a strong chemical disequilibrium between the large forsterite grains and the fayalite‐rich fine‐grained matrix. Chemical gradients at interfaces are poorly developed and thus not accessible using conventional techniques. Here, we used analytical transmission electron microscopy to study the microstructure of the fayalite‐rich matrix grains and interfaces with forsterite fragments. We confirm that fayalitic grains in the matrix and fayalitic rims around forsterite fragments have the same properties, suggesting a common origin after the accretion of the parent body of Allende. Composition profiles at the rim/forsterite interfaces exhibit a plateau in the rim (typically Fa45), a compositional jump of 10 Fa% at the interface, and a concentration gradient in the forsterite grain. Whatever the studied forsterite grain or whatever the nature of the interface, the Fe‐Mg profiles in forsterite grains have the same length of about 1.5 μm. This strongly suggests that the composition profiles were formed by solid‐state diffusion during the thermal metamorphism episode. Time–temperature couples associated with the diffusion process during thermal metamorphism are deduced from profile modeling. Considering the uncertainties on the diffusion coefficient value, we found that the peak temperature in Allende is ranging from 425 to 505 °C.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12493","authors":["Priscille Cuvillier","Hugues Leroux","Damien Jacob","Pierre Hirel"],"tags":["Forsterite","Allende meteorite","Chondrule","Fayalite","Olivine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-08-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12493","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W3109174882","name":"UV Resistance of Nucleosides?An Experimental Approach","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The emergence of life on Earth is a highly discussed but still unsolved question. Current research underlines the importance of environments within close proximity to the Earth?s surface as they can solve long-standing problems such as polymerization of nucleotides and phosphorylation of nucleosides. However, near-surface settings, for example, ponds or ice shields, are prone to UV irradiation. We investigated the photosensitivity of uracil, uridine, adenosine, cytidine, and guanosine by using Raman microscopy. The samples were irradiated by a UV source with 150 mW/cm2 for 10 min. Uracil and uridine showed the highest photosensitivity, while adenosine, cytidine, and guanosine remained stable. The change of spectral features and ab initio quantum calculations indicate the formation of uracil?s trans-syn cyclobutane dimer during UV irradiation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.0c00228","authors":["Max Winkler","Barbara M. Giuliano","Paola Caselli"],"tags":["Guanosine","Uracil","Ab initio","Photochemistry","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.0c00228","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W3018717485","name":"Possible molecular and cellular mechanisms at the basis of atmospheric electromagnetic field bioeffects","source":"openalex","abstract":"Mechanisms of how electromagnetic (EM) field acts on biological systems are governed by the same physics regardless of the origin of the EM field (technological, atmospheric...), given that EM parameters are the same. We draw from a large body of literature of bioeffects of a man-made electromagnetic field. In this paper, we performed a focused review on selected possible mechanisms of how atmospheric electromagnetic phenomena can act at the molecular and cellular level. We first briefly review the range of frequencies and field strengths for both electric and magnetic fields in the atmosphere. Then, we focused on a concise description of the current knowledge on weak electric and magnetic field bioeffects with possible molecular mechanisms at the basis of possible EM field bioeffects combined with modeling strategies to estimate reliable outcomes and speculate about the biological effects linked to lightning or pyroelectricity. Indeed, we bring pyroelectricity as a natural source of voltage gradients previously unexplored. While very different from lightning, it can result in similar bioeffects based on similar mechanisms, which can lead to close speculations on the importance of these atmospheric electric fields in the evolution.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-020-01885-1","authors":["Michal Cifra","Francesca Apollonio","Micaela Liberti","Tomás García-Sánchez","Lluis M. Mir"],"tags":["Electromagnetic field","Lightning (connector)","Field (mathematics)","Electric field","Atmospheric electricity"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-04-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-020-01885-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4390985176","name":"Selective trace elements significantly enhanced methane production in coal bed methane systems by stimulating microbial activity","source":"openalex","abstract":"ABSTRACT Trace elements are associated with the microbial degradation of organic matter and methanogenesis, as enzymes in metabolic pathways often employ trace elements as essential cofactors. However, only a few studies investigated the effects of trace elements on the metabolic activity of microbial communities associated with biogenic coalbed methane production. We aimed to determine the effects of strategically selected trace elements on structure and function of active bacterial and methanogenic communities to stimulate methane production in subsurface coalbeds. Microcosms were established with produced water and coal from coalbed methane wells located in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming, USA. In initial pilot experiments with eight different trace elements, individual amendments of Co, Cu, and Mo lead to significantly higher methane production. Transcript levels of mcrA , the key marker gene for methanogenesis, positively correlated with increased methane production. Phylogenetic analysis of the mcrA cDNA library demonstrated compositional shifts of the active methanogenic community and increase of their diversity, particularly of hydrogenotrophic methanogens. High-throughput sequencing of cDNA obtained from 16S rRNA demonstrated active and abundant bacterial groups in response to trace element amendments. Active Acetobacterium members increased in response to Co, Cu, and Mo additions. The findings of this study yield new insights into the importance of essential trace elements on the metabolic activity of microbial communities involved in subsurface coalbed methane and provide a better understanding of how microbial community composition is shaped by trace elements. IMPORTANCE Microbial life in the deep subsurface of coal beds is limited by nutrient replenishment. While coal bed microbial communities are surrounded by carbon sources, we hypothesized that other nutrients such as trace elements needed as cofactors for enzymes are missing. Amendment of selected trace elements resulted in compositional shifts of the active methanogenic and bacterial communities and correlated with higher transcript levels of mcrA . The findings of this study yield new insights to not only identify possible limitations of microbes by replenishment of trace elements within their specific hydrological placement but also into the importance of essential trace elements for the metabolic activity of microbial communities involved in subsurface coalbed methane production and provides a better understanding of how microbial community composition is shaped by trace elements. Furthermore, this finding might help to revive already spent coal bed methane well systems with the ultimate goal to stimulate methane production.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.03508-23","authors":["Kuk‐Jeong Chin","Burcu Ünal","Michael J. Sanderson","Feranmi Aboderin","Klaus Nüsslein"],"tags":["Methane","TRACE (psycholinguistics)","Environmental science","Coal","Environmental chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.03508-23","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W2999695291","name":"Tasting theterroirof wine yeast innovation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Wine is an archetypal traditional fermented beverage with strong territorial and socio-cultural connotations. Its 7000 year history is patterned by a tradition of innovation. Every value-adding innovation - whether in the vineyard, winery, supply chain or marketplace - that led to the invention of a new tradition spurred progress and created a brighter future from past developments. In a way, wine traditions can be defined as remembered innovations from the distant past - inherited knowledge and wisdom that withstood the test of time. Therefore, it should not be assumed a priori that tradition and innovation are polar opposites. The relations between the forces driven by the anchors of tradition and the wings of innovation do not necessarily involve displacement, conflict or exclusiveness. Innovation can strengthen wine tradition, and the reinvention of a tradition-bound practice, approach or concept can foster innovation. In cases where a paradigm-shifting innovation disrupts a tradition, the process of such an innovation transitioning into a radically new tradition can become protracted while proponents of divergent opinions duke it out. Sometimes these conflicting opinions are based on fact, and sometimes not. The imperfections of such a debate between the 'ancients' and the 'moderns' can, from time to time, obscure the line between myth and reality. Therefore, finding the right balance between traditions worth keeping and innovations worth implementing can be complex. The intent here is to harness the creative tension between science fiction and science fact when innovation's first-principles challenge the status quo by re-examining the foundational principles about a core traditional concept, such as terroir. Poignant questions are raised about the importance of the terroir (biogeography) of yeasts and the value of the microbiome of grapes to wine quality. This article imagines a metaphorical terroir free from cognitive biases where diverse perspectives can converge to uncork the effervescent power of territorial yeast populations as well as 'nomadic' yeast starter cultures. At the same time, this paper also engages in mental time-travel. A future scenario is imagined, explored, tested and debated where terroir-less yeast avatars are equipped with designer genomes to safely and consistently produce, individually or in combination with region-specific wild yeasts and or other starter cultures, high-quality wine according to the preferences of consumers in a range of markets. The purpose of this review is to look beyond the horizon and to synthesize a link between what we know now and what could be. This article informs readers where to look without suggesting what they must see as a way forward. In the context of one of the world's oldest fermentation industries - steeped in a rich history of tradition and innovation - the mantra here is: respect the past, lead the present and secure the future of wine.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/femsyr/foz084","authors":["Isak S. Pretorius"],"tags":["Terroir","Value (mathematics)","Arrow","Sociology","Status quo"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-11-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/femsyr/foz084","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W3130879648","name":"Microbial Community Structure Driven by a Volcanic Gradient in Glaciers of the Antarctic Archipelago South Shetland","source":"openalex","abstract":"It has been demonstrated that the englacial ecosystem in volcanic environments is inhabited by active bacteria. To know whether this result could be extrapolated to other Antarctic glaciers and to study the populations of microeukaryotes in addition to those of bacteria, a study was performed using ice samples from eight glaciers in the South Shetland archipelago. The identification of microbial communities of bacteria and microeukaryotes using 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA high throughput sequencing showed a great diversity when compared with microbiomes of other Antarctic glaciers or frozen deserts. Even the composition of the microbial communities identified in the glaciers from the same island was different, which may be due to the isolation of microbial clusters within the ice. A gradient in the abundance and diversity of the microbial communities from the volcano (west to the east) was observed. Additionally, a significant correlation was found between the chemical conditions of the ice samples and the composition of the prokaryotic populations inhabiting them along the volcanic gradient. The bacteria that participate in the sulfur cycle were those that best fit this trend. Furthermore, on the eastern island, a clear influence of human contamination was observed on the glacier microbiome.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9020392","authors":["Eva García‐López","Sandra Serrano","Miguel Angel Moltó Calvo","Sonia Peña Perez","Silvia Sánchez-Casanova","L. García-Descalzo","Cristina Cid"],"tags":["Shetland","Archipelago","Glacier","Volcano","Ecology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-02-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9020392","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W2897909372","name":"Tracking Water‐Rock Interaction at the Atlantis Massif (MAR, 30°N) Using Sulfur Geochemistry","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Hydrothermal alteration and serpentinization of ultramafic rocks at oceanic core complexes involve extensive element exchange between fluid and rock and a wide range of biogeochemical processes. These processes influence the global sulfur cycle due to both biogenic and abiogenic removal of seawater sulfate. Hence, ocean floor serpentinization connects the hydrosphere, biosphere, and lithosphere. This work presents a study of the sulfur geochemistry of highly altered mafic and ultramafic samples from the Atlantis Massif located at 30°N along the Mid‐Atlantic Ridge. The analyzed samples were drilled during International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 357 and collected during Alvin dives in 2000, 2003, and 2005. Multiple sulfur isotope analyses of sulfide and sulfate phases indicate that several processes took place during progressive hydrothermal alteration: (1) incorporation of seawater sulfate, (2) thermochemical sulfate reduction during interaction with high‐temperature (high‐T; 350–400 °C), low‐pH fluids and input of H2S derived from leaching gabbroic intrusions, (3) microbial sulfate reduction, and (4) oxidation of sulfides at high water‐rock ratios. Petrological examinations show that high‐T fluids mostly postdated the bulk serpentinization and that these fluid pulses were relatively localized (<1 dm scale) resulting in a highly heterogeneous mineralogy. Locally, high‐T fluid influx took place subsequent to microbial sulfate reduction and oxidation as indicated by geochemical modeling. Overall, this study documents the complex interplay of magmatic processes, fluid‐rock interaction, and microbial activity that take place during the formation of oceanic core complexes and where mantle rocks are exposed to seawater.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2018gc007813","authors":["Janne Liebmann","Esther M. Schwarzenbach","Gretchen L. Früh‐Green","Chiara Boschi","S. Rouméjon","Harald Strauß","Uwe Wiechert","Timm John"],"tags":["Geology","Geochemistry","Ultramafic rock","Seawater","Sulfate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-10-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2018gc007813","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W2129598762","name":"A Bayesian statistical assessment of representative samples for asteroidal or meteoritical material","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Primitive substances in asteroid and meteorite materials represent a record of early solar system evolution. To allow the study of these materials, they must be collected and transferred to the laboratory. Collection during sample return missions requires an assessment of the size of samples needed. Meteorite falls or finds must be subdivided into appropriate subsamples for analysis by successive generations of scientists. It is essential, therefore, to determine a representative mass or volume at which the collected or allocated sample is representative of the whole. For the first time, we have used a Bayesian statistical approach and a selected meteorite sample, Murchison, to identify a recommended smallest sample mass that can be used without interferences from sampling bias. Enhancing background knowledge to inform sample selection and analysis is an effective means of increasing the probability of obtaining a positive scientific outcome. The influence of the subdivision mechanism when preparing samples for distribution has also been examined. Assuming a similar size distribution of fragments to that of the Murchison meteorite, cubes can be similarly representative as fragments, but at orders of magnitude smaller sizes. We find that: (1) at all defined probabilities (90%, 95%, and 99%), nanometer‐sized particles (where the axes of a three‐dimensional sample are less that a nanometer in length) are never representative of the whole; (2) at the intermediate and highest defined probabilities (95% and 99%), micrometer‐sized particles are never representative of the whole; and (3) for micrometer‐sized samples, the only sample that is representative of the whole is a cube and then only at a 90% probability. The difference between cubes and fragments becomes less important as sample size increases and any >0.5 mm‐sized sample will be representative of the whole with a probability of 99.9%. The results provide guidance for sample return mission planners and curators or advisory boards that must distribute valuable samples for analysis.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12118","authors":["Jonathan N. Carter","Mark A. Sephton"],"tags":["Murchison meteorite","Meteorite","Sample (material)","Sample size determination","Statistics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-05-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12118","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2163870225","name":"Patterns of macroevolution through the P hanerozoic","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Evolution is seen as a future‐blind process driven by ecology. At geological time scales (macroevolution), complex ecosystems (including parasites) have caused periods of relative stasis, while evolutionary change may be fostered by two kinds of exceptional situation: (1) after an extinction event, the availability of open niches gave innovative groups the chance to gain ecologic power; (2) a climatically controlled Golden Age before the event allowed Darwinian optimization to exceed the constructional limits of established bauplans. Increasing specialization, however, automatically raised the vulnerability towards biologically unforeseeable events, because niches become narrower, and conservative (plesiomorphic) features happen to become fatal ‘Achilles’ heels’ under unusual conditions. The interplay between Darwinian diversification and extinctional counter‐evolution results in cascading clade histories that resemble individual life cycles without any teleonomic underpinnings.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/pala.12073","authors":["Adolf Seilacher"],"tags":["Macroevolution","Extinction event","Phanerozoic","Diversification (marketing strategy)","Ecological niche"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-10-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/pala.12073","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4405517006","name":"Terrestrial evidence for volcanogenic sulfate-driven cooling event ~30 kyr before the Cretaceous–Paleogene mass extinction","source":"openalex","abstract":"Alongside the Chicxulub meteorite impact, Deccan volcanism is considered a primary trigger for the Cretaceous–Paleogene (K–Pg) mass extinction. Models suggest that volcanic outgassing of carbon and sulfur—potent environmental stressors—drove global temperature change, but the relative timing, duration, and magnitude of such change remains uncertain. Here, we use the organic paleothermometer MBT′ 5me and the carbon-isotope composition of two K–Pg-spanning lignites from the western Unites States, to test models of volcanogenic air temperature change in the ~100 kyr before the mass extinction. Our records show long-term warming of ~3°C, probably driven by Deccan CO 2 emissions, and reveal a transient (<10 kyr) ~5°C cooling event, coinciding with the peak of the Poladpur “pulse” of Deccan eruption ~30 kyr before the K–Pg boundary. This cooling was likely caused by the aerosolization of volcanogenic sulfur. Temperatures returned to pre-event values before the mass extinction, suggesting that, from the terrestrial perspective, volcanogenic climate change was not the primary cause of K–Pg extinction.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ado5478","authors":["Lauren K. O’Connor","Rhodri Jerrett","Gregory D. Price","Tyler R. Lyson","Sabine K. Lengger","Francien Peterse","Bart E. van Dongen"],"tags":["Extinction event","Geology","Paleogene","Extinction (optical mineralogy)","Volcano"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ado5478","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W2260382364","name":"Determination of volatile concentrations in fluorapatite of Martian shergottite NWA 2975 by combining synchrotron FTIR , Raman spectroscopy, EMPA , and TEM , and inferences on the volatile budget of the apatite host‐magma","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We combined the focused ion beam sample preparation technique with polarized synchrotron‐based FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) spectroscopy, laser‐Raman spectroscopy, electron microprobe analysis (EMPA), and transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis to identify and quantify structurally bound OH, F, Cl, and CO3 groups in fluorapatite from the Northwest Africa 2975 (NWA 2975) shergottite. In this study, the first FTIR spectra of the OH‐stretching region from a Martian apatite are presented that show characteristic OH‐bands of a F‐rich, hydroxyl‐bearing apatite. Depending on the method of apatite‐formula calculation and whether charge balance is assumed or not, the FTIR‐based quantification of the incorporated OH, expressed as wt% H2O, is in variably good agreement with the H2O concentration calculated from electron microprobe data. EMP analyses yielded between 0.35 and 0.54 wt% H2O, and IR data yielded an average H2O content of 0.31 ± 0.03 wt%, consistent with the lower range determined from EMP analyses. The TEM observations implied that the volatiles budget of fluorapatite is magmatic. The water content and the relative volatile ratios calculated for the NWA 2975 magma are similar to those established for other enriched or intermediate shergottites. It is difficult to define the source of enrichment: either Martian wet mantle or crustal assimilation. Comparing the environment of parental magma generation for NWA 2975 with the terrestrial mantle in terms of water content, it displays a composition intermediate between enriched and depleted MORB.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12598","authors":["Ewa Słaby","Monika Koch‐Müller","Hans‐Jürgen Förster","Richard Wirth","Dieter Rhede","Anja Schreiber","U. Schade"],"tags":["EMPA","Fluorapatite","Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy","Apatite","Electron microprobe"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-01-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12598","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W2981969963","name":"Wheat Space Odyssey: “From Seed to Seed”. Kernel Morphology","source":"openalex","abstract":"utilization, and providing one of the most habitual and energetically valuable products: plant food. In this study, we analyzed the results of the space odyssey of wheat and compared the morphological features of parental grains harvested from soil grown wheat plants, the grains obtained from plants grown in a specialized device for plant cultivation-the \"Lada\" space greenhouses during space flight in the ISS, and the grains obtained from plants in the same device on Earth. The seeds obtained under various conditions were studied using scanning electron microscopy. We studied the mutual location of the surface layers of the kernel cover tissues, the structural features of the tube and cross cells of the fruit coat (pericarp), and the birsh hairs of the kernels. It was found that the grains obtained under wheat plants cultivation on board of the ISS in near space had some specific differences from the parental, original grains, and the grains obtained from plants grown in the \"Lada\" greenhouse in ground conditions. These changes were manifested in a shortening of the birsh hairs, and a change in the size and relative arrangement of the cells of the kernel coat. We suggest that such changes are a manifestation of the sensitivity of the cytoskeleton reorganization systems and water exchange to the influence of particular physical conditions of space flight (microgravity, increased doses of radiation, etc.). Thus, the revealed changes did not hinder the wheat grains production \"from seed to seed\", which allows the cultivation of this crop in stable life support systems in near earth orbit.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life9040081","authors":["Ekaterina N. Baranova","Margarita Levinskikh","Alexander A. Gulevich"],"tags":["Greenhouse","Biology","Horticulture","Botany","Agronomy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-10-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life9040081","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W2600027614","name":"Lead and Mg isotopic age constraints on the evolution of the HED parent body","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The large collection of howardite‐eucrite‐diogenite (HED) meteorites allows us to study the initial magmatic differentiation of a planetesimal. We report Pb‐Pb ages of the unequilibrated North West Africa (NWA) 4215 and Dhofar 700 diogenite meteorites and their mass‐independent 26Mg isotope compositions (26Mg*) to better understand the timing of differentiation and crystallization of their source reservoir(s). NWA 4215 defines a Pb‐Pb age of 4484.5 ± 7.9 Myr and has a 26Mg* excess of +2.3 ± 1.6 ppm whereas Dhofar 700 has a Pb‐Pb age of 4546.4 ± 4.7 Myr and a 26Mg* excess of +25.5 ± 1.9 ppm. We interpret the young age of NWA 4215 as a thermal overprint, but the age of Dhofar 700 is interpreted to represent a primary crystallization age. Combining our new data with published Mg isotope and trace element data suggests that approximately half of the diogenites for which such data are available crystallized within the first 1–2 Myr of our solar system, consistent with a short‐lived, early‐formed magma ocean undergoing convective cooling. The other half of the diogenites, including both NWA 4215 and Dhofar 700, are best explained by their crystallization in slowly cooled isolated magma chambers lasting over at least ~20 Myr.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12848","authors":["Martin Schiller","James N. Connelly","Martin Bizzarro"],"tags":["Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-03-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12848","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W2771472105","name":"The Chelyabinsk meteorite: Thermal history and variable shock effects recorded by the 40Ar‐39Ar system","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We studied three lithologies (light and dark chondritic and impact melt rock) differing in shock stage from the LL5 chondrite Chelyabinsk. Using the 40Ar‐39Ar dating technique, we identified low‐ and high‐temperature reservoirs within all samples, ascribed to K‐bearing oligoclase feldspar and shock‐induced jadeite–feldspar glass assemblages in melt veins, respectively. Trapped argon components had variable 40Ar/36Ar ratios even within low‐ and high‐temperature reservoirs of individual samples. Correcting for trapped argon revealed a lithology‐specific response of the K‐Ar system to shock metamorphism, thereby defining two distinct impact events affecting the Chelyabinsk parent asteroid (1) an intense impact event ~1.7 ± 0.1 Ga ago formed the light–dark‐structured and impact‐veined Chelyabinsk breccia. Such a one‐stage breccia formation is consistent with petrological observations and was recorded by the strongly shocked lithologies (dark and impact melt) where a significant fraction of oligoclase feldspar was transformed into jadeite and feldspathic glass; and (2) a young reset event ~30 Ma ago particularly affected the light lithology due to its low argon retentivity, while the more retentive shock‐induced phases were more resistant against thermal reset. Trapped argon with 40Ar/36Ar ratios up to 1900 was likely incorporated during impact‐induced events on the parent body, and mixed with terrestrial atmospheric argon contamination. Had it not been identified via isochrons based on high‐resolution argon extraction, several geochronologically meaningless ages would have been deduced.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13012","authors":["M. Trieloff","E. V. Korochantseva","А. И. Буйкин","J. Hopp","M. A. Ivanova","A. V. Korochantsev"],"tags":["Breccia","Shock metamorphism","Chondrite","Geology","Argon"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-12-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13012","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W4365143948","name":"Volatiles and Intraplate Magmatism: a Variable Role for Carbonated and Altered Oceanic Lithosphere in Ocean Island Basalt Formation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Recycling of material at subduction zones has fundamental implications for melt composition and mantle rheology. Ocean island basalts (OIBs) sample parts of the mantle from variable depths that have been diversely affected by subduction zone processes and materials, including the subducted slab, metasomatising melts and fluids. Resultant geochemical differences are preserved at a variety of scales from melt inclusions to whole rocks, from individual islands to chains of islands. Here we examine a global dataset of ocean island basalt compositions with a view to understanding the connection between silica-saturation, olivine compositions, and halogens in glass and olivine-hosted melt inclusions to reveal information regarding the mantle sources of intraplate magmatism. We find that minor elements incorporated into olivine, although informative, cannot unambiguously discriminate between different source contributions, but indicate that none of the OIB analysed here are derived solely from dry peridotite melting. Nor can differences in lithospheric thickness explain trace element variability in olivine between different ocean islands. We present new halogen (F, Cl, Br/Cl, I/Cl) data along with incompatible trace element data for the global array and encourage measurement of fluorine along with heavier halogens to obtain better insight into halogen cycling. We suggest that Ti-rich silica-undersaturated melts require a contribution from carbonated lithosphere, either peridotite or eclogite and are an important component sampled by ocean island basalts, together with altered oceanic crust. These results provide new insights into our understanding of mantle-scale geochemical cycles, and also lead to the potential for the mantle transition zone as an underestimated source for observed volatile and trace-element enrichment in ocean island basalts.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/petrology/egad022","authors":["Linda A. Kirstein","Kristina Walowski","Rosemary E. Jones","R. Burgess","J. Godfrey Fitton","Jan C.M. De Hoog","Ivan P. Savov","L. M. Kalnins","E I M F"],"tags":["Geology","Mantle (geology)","Basalt","Olivine","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-04-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/petrology/egad022","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W2591868730","name":"40Ar/39Ar and (U‐Th)/He model age signatures of elusive Mercurian and Venusian meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract No meteorites from Mercury and Venus have been conclusively identified so far. In this study, we develop an original approach based on extensive Monte Carlo simulations and diffusion models to explore the radiogenic argon (40Ar*) and helium (4He*) loss behavior and the range of40Ar/39Ar and (U‐Th)/He age signatures expected for a range of crystals if meteorites from these planets were ever to be found. We show that we can accurately date the crystallization age of a meteorite from both Mercury and Venus using the40Ar/39Ar technique on clinopyroxene (± orthopyroxene) and that its40Ar/39Ar age should match the Pb‐Pb age. At the surface of Mercury, phases like albite and anorthite will exhibit a complete range of40Ar* loss ranging from 0% to 100%, whereas merrillite and apatite will show 100%4He* loss. By measuring the crystal size and diffusion parameters of a series of plagioclase crystals, one can inverse the40Ar* loss value to estimate the maximum temperature experienced by a rock, and narrow down the possible pre‐ejection location of the meteorite at the surface of Mercury. At the surface of Venus, plagioclase and phosphate phases will only record the age of ejection. The (U‐Th)/He systematics of merrillite and apatite will be, respectively, moderately and strongly affected by4He* loss during the transit of the meteorite from its host planet to Earth. Finally, meteorites from Mercury or Venus will each have their own40Ar/39Ar and (U‐Th)/He isotopic age and38Arccosmic ray exposure age signatures over a series of different crystal types, allowing to unambiguously recognize a meteorite for any of these two planets using radiogenic and cosmogenic noble gases.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12838","authors":["Fred Jourdan","Ela Eroğlu"],"tags":["Meteorite","Plagioclase","Venus","Chondrite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-02-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12838","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1535920673","name":"Isotope fractionation and concentration measurements of Zn in meteorites determined by the double spike, IDMS‐TIMS techniques","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– The isotope fractionation of Zn in meteorites has been measured for the first time using thermal ionization mass spectrometry and a double spiking technique. The magnitude of δZn ranged from −0.29 to +0.38‰ amu−1 for five stone meteorites whereas the iron meteorite Canyon Diablo displays δZn of 1.11 ± 0.11‰ amu−1. The results for chondrites in this work can be divided into positive and negative δZn, supporting a previous proposal that chondrites are a mixture of materials from two different temperature sources. The Zn isotope fractionation present in meteorites may represent a primordial heterogeneity formed in the early solar system. An anomalous isotopic composition of Zn obtained for the Redfields iron meteorite suggests large‐scale inherited isotope heterogeneity of the protosolar nebula, or the presence of a parent body that has formed within its own isotopically anomalous reservoir. These anomalies are in the same direction but smaller than nuclear field shift effects observed in chemical exchange reactions. The isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS) technique was used to measure Zn concentration, yielding a range from 20.1 μg g−1 to 302 μg g−1 in five stone meteorites and from 0.019 to 26 μg g−1 in seven iron meteorites. The IDMS‐measured abundance of Zn in Orgueil is 302 ± 14 μg g−1 and should be considered for future compilations of the abundance of Zn in the solar system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01196.x","authors":["Osama Ghidan","Robert D. Loss"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Isotope","Chemistry","Fractionation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-05-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01196.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2969832686","name":"Aspartic acid racemization constrains long-term viability and longevity of endospores","source":"openalex","abstract":"Certain microorganisms survive long periods of time as endospores to cope with adverse conditions. Since endospores are metabolically inactive, the extent of aspartic acid (Asp) racemization will increase over time and might kill the spores by preventing their germination. Therefore, understanding the relationship between endospore survivability and Asp racemization is important for constraining the long-term survivability and global dispersion of spore-forming bacteria in nature. Geobacillus stearothermophilus was selected as a model organism to investigate racemization kinetics and survivability of its endospores at 65°C, 75°C and 98°C. This study found that the Asp racemization rates of spores and autoclaved spores were similar at all temperatures. The Asp racemization rate of spores was not significantly different from that of vegetative cells at 65°C. The Asp racemization rate of G. stearothermophilus spores was not significantly different from that of Bacillus subtilis spores at 98°C. The viability of spores and vegetative cells decreased dramatically over time, and the mortality of spores correlated exponentially with the degree of racemization (R2 = 0.9). This latter correlation predicts spore half-lives on the order of hundreds of years for temperatures typical of shallow marine sediments, a result consistent with studies about the survivability of thermophilic spores found in these environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiz132","authors":["Renxing Liang","Maggie C. Y. Lau","Oliver Baars","Frank T. Robb","T. C. Onstott"],"tags":["Spore","Racemization","Endospore","Geobacillus stearothermophilus","Biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-08-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiz132","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4318050462","name":"The hidden microbial ecosystem in the perennial ice from a Pyrenean ice cave","source":"openalex","abstract":"Over the last years, perennial ice deposits located within caves have awakened interest as places to study microbial communities since they represent unique cryospheric archives of climate change. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, the temperature has gradually increased, and it is estimated that by the end of this century the increase in average temperature could be around 4.0°C. In this context of global warming the ice deposits of the Pyrenean caves are undergoing a significant regression. Among this type of caves, that on the Cotiella Massif in the Southern Pyrenees is one of the southernmost studied in Europe. These types of caves house microbial communities which have so far been barely explored, and therefore their study is necessary. In this work, the microbial communities of the Pyrenean ice cave A294 were identified using metabarcoding techniques. In addition, research work was carried out to analyze how the age and composition of the ice affect the composition of the bacterial and microeukaryotic populations. Finally, the in vivo effect of climate change on the cellular machinery that allow microorganisms to live with increasing temperatures has been studied using proteomic techniques.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1110091","authors":["Fátima Ruiz-Blas","Víctor Muñoz-Hisado","Eva García‐López","Ana Moreno","Miguel Bartolomé","María Leunda","Emma Martínez‐Alonso","Alberto Alcázar","Cristina Cid"],"tags":["Cave","Context (archaeology)","Massif","Ecosystem","Climate change"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1110091","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4378903020","name":"Processing of methane and acetylene ices by galactic cosmic rays and implications to the color diversity of Kuiper Belt objects","source":"openalex","abstract":"Kuiper Belt objects exhibit a wider color range than any other solar system population. The origin of this color diversity is unknown, but likely the result of the prolonged irradiation of organic materials by galactic cosmic rays (GCRs). Here, we combine ultrahigh-vacuum irradiation experiments with comprehensive spectroscopic analyses to examine the color evolution during GCR processing methane and acetylene under Kuiper Belt conditions. This study replicates the colors of a population of Kuiper Belt objects such as Makemake, Orcus, and Salacia. Aromatic structural units carrying up to three rings as in phenanthrene (C 14 H 10 ), phenalene (C 9 H 10 ), and acenaphthylene (C 12 H 8 ), of which some carry structural motives of DNA and RNA connected via unsaturated linkers, were found to play a key role in producing the reddish colors. These studies demonstrate the level of molecular complexity synthesized of GCR processing hydrocarbon and hint at the role played by irradiated ice in the early production of biological precursor molecules.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adg6936","authors":["Chaojiang Zhang","Cheng Zhu","Andrew M. Turner","Ivan O. Antonov","Adrien D. Garcia","Cornelia Meinert","L. A. Young","David Jewitt","Ralf I. Kaiser"],"tags":["Phenanthrene","Physics","Astrobiology","Cosmic ray","Methane"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-05-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adg6936","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W1571523998","name":"Computational model of forward and opposed smoldering combustion with improved chemical kinetics","source":"openalex","abstract":"A computational study has been carried out to investigate \\nsmoldering ignition and propagation in polyurethane foam. The onedimensional, \\ntransient, governing equations for smoldering combustion \\nin a porous fuel are solved accounting for improved solid-phase chemical \\nkinetics. A systematic methodology for the determination of solid-phase \\nkinetics suitable for numerical models has been developed and applied to \\nthe simulation of smoldering combustion. This methodology consists in \\nthe correlation of a mathematical representation of a reaction mechanism \\nwith data from previous thermogravimetric experiments. Geneticalgorithm \\nand trail-and-error techniques are used as the optimization \\nprocedures. The corresponding kinetic parameters for two different \\nmechanisms of polyurethane foam smoldering kinetics are quantified: a \\npreviously proposed 3-step mechanism and a new 5-step mechanism. These kinetic mechanisms are used to model one-dimensionalsmoldering combustion, numerically solving for the solid-phase and gasphase \\nconservation equations in microgravity with a forced flow of \\noxidizer gas. The results from previously conducted microgravity \\nexperiments with flexible polyurethane foam are used for calibration and \\ntesting of the model predictive capabilities. Both forward and opposed \\nsmoldering configurations are examined. The model describes well both \\nopposed and forward propagation. Specifically, the model predicts the \\nreaction-front thermal and species structure, the onset of smoldering \\nignition, and the propagation rate. The model results reproduce the most \\nimportant features of the smolder process and represent a significant \\nstep forward in smoldering combustion modeling.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1571523998","authors":["Guillermo Rein"],"tags":["Combustion","Kinetics","Chemistry","Environmental science","Physics","Ignition system","Polyurethane","Chemical kinetics","Representation (politics)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-12-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W2345787398","name":"Mineralogy of iron sulfides in CM 1 and CI 1 lithologies of the Kaidun breccia: Records of extreme to intense hydrothermal alteration","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The polymict Kaidun microbreccia contains lithologies of C‐type chondrites with euhedral iron sulfide crystals of hydrothermal origin. Our FIB‐TEM study reveals that acicular sulfides in a CM1 lithology are composed of Fe‐rich pyrrhotite with nonintegral vacancy superstructures (NC‐pyrrhotite), troilite, and pentlandite, all showing distinct exsolution textures. Based on phase relations in the Fe‐Ni‐S system, we constrain the temperature of formation of the originally homogeneous monosulfide solid solution to the range of 100–300 °C. In some crystals the exsolution of pentlandite and the microtextural equilibration was incomplete, probably due to rapid cooling. We use thermodynamic modeling to constrain the physicochemical conditions of the extreme hydrothermal alteration in this lithology. Unless the CM1 lithology was sourced from a large depth in the parent body (internal pressure >85 bar) or the temperatures were in the lower range of the interval determined, the water was likely present as vapor. Previously described light δ34S compositions of sulfides in Kaidun's CM1 lithology are likely due to the loss of 34S‐enriched H2S during boiling. Platy sulfide crystals in an adjacent, intensely altered CI1 lithology are composed of Fe‐poor, monoclinic 4C‐pyrrhotite and NC‐pyrrhotite and probably formed at lower temperatures and higher fS2 relative to the CM1 lithology. However, a better understanding of the stability of Fe‐poor pyrrhotites at temperatures below 300 °C is required to better constrain these conditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12648","authors":["Dennis Harries","M. E. Zolensky"],"tags":["Pyrrhotite","Lithology","Geology","Hydrothermal circulation","Pentlandite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-05-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12648","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1853232560","name":"3He, 20,21,22Ne, 14C, 10Be, 26Al, and 36Cl in magnetic fractions of cosmic dust from Greenland and Antarctica","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— We report on studies of the concentrations of cosmogenic nuclides in the magnetic fraction of cosmic dust particles recovered from the South Pole Water Well (SPWW) and from Greenland. Our results confirm that cosmic dust material from these locations contains measurable amounts of cosmogenic nuclides. The Antarctic particles (and possibly those from Greenland as well) also contain minor amounts of solar Ne. Concentrations of cosmogenic nuclides are consistent with irradiation of this material as small objects in space, with exposure ages similar to the expected Poynting‐Robertson (P‐R) lifetimes of 50–200 kyr for particles 25–100 μm in size.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb00541.x","authors":["A. J. T. Jull","D. Lal","Susan Taylor","R. Wieler","A. Grimberg","Lionel G. Vacher","L. R. McHargue","Stewart P.H.T. Freeman","C. Maden","C. Schnabel","Sen Xu","Robert C. Finkel","K. J. Kim","K. Marti"],"tags":["Nuclide","Cosmic ray","Cosmogenic nuclide","Isotopes of beryllium","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb00541.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4388553333","name":"The cost of (Un)regulation: Shrinking Earth's orbits and the need for sustainable space governance","source":"openalex","abstract":"Outer space is infinite, useable planetary orbits are not. This makes the Earth's orbit a unique case of an Area Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ) complex to address, difficult to use in a sustainable and equitable way and almost intractable to regulate at an international level. As of 2023, we remain far from attaining a sustainable orbital environment, and future uses of the Earth's orbits for new satellites constellations appear now increasingly at risk. Adopting a probability-based empirical model to project the growth trajectory of objects in space, this article argues that the sector will cross a 'critical density' threshold within the upcoming years unless strong remedial actions to clear up the orbits are implemented and estimates the potential costs of active debris removal measures. Our findings suggest that orbital sustainability is unlikely to come from technology alone, no matter how advanced or ground-breaking. A long-term solution will necessarily require a radical rewriting of the outdated, often conflicting international regulatory framework, which contributed to creating this debris crisis in the first place, shrinking the Earth's orbit to (almost) the point of no return.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119382","authors":["Darrell Martin-Lawson","Stefanía Paladini","Krishnendu Saha","Erez Yerushalmi"],"tags":["Space debris","Geocentric orbit","Sustainability","Orbit (dynamics)","Halo orbit"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119382","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4317564967","name":"What Would Battery Manufacturing Look Like on the Moon and Mars?","source":"openalex","abstract":"ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEPREVEnergy FocusNEXTWhat Would Battery Manufacturing Look Like on the Moon and Mars?Alexis Maurel*Alexis MaurelDepartment of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79968, United StatesDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79968, United States*[email protected]More by Alexis Maurelhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-8245-9621, Ana C. Martinez*Ana C. MartinezDepartment of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79968, United StatesDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79968, United States*[email protected]More by Ana C. Martinez, Donald A. DornbuschDonald A. DornbuschNASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio 44135, United StatesMore by Donald A. Dornbusch, William H. HuddlestonWilliam H. HuddlestonNASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio 44135, United StatesMore by William H. Huddlestonhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-7537-3029, Myeong-Lok SeolMyeong-Lok SeolNASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94043, United StatesMore by Myeong-Lok Seolhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-5724-2244, Christopher R. HenryChristopher R. HenryNASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama 35812, United StatesMore by Christopher R. Henry, Jennifer M. JonesJennifer M. JonesNASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama 35812, United StatesMore by Jennifer M. Jones, Bharat YelamanchiBharat YelamanchiDepartment of Civil, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering, Youngstown State University, Youngstown, Ohio 44555, United StatesMore by Bharat Yelamanchi, Sina Bakhtar ChavariSina Bakhtar ChavariDepartment of Civil, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering, Youngstown State University, Youngstown, Ohio 44555, United StatesMore by Sina Bakhtar Chavari, Jennifer E. EdmunsonJennifer E. EdmunsonNASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama 35812, United StatesMore by Jennifer E. Edmunson, Sreeprasad T. SreenivasanSreeprasad T. SreenivasanDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79968, United StatesMore by Sreeprasad T. Sreenivasanhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-5728-0512, Pedro CortesPedro CortesDepartment of Civil, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering, Youngstown State University, Youngstown, Ohio 44555, United StatesMore by Pedro Cortes, Eric MacDonaldEric MacDonaldDepartment of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79968, United StatesMore by Eric MacDonald, and Cameroun G. Sherrard*Cameroun G. SherrardNASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama 35812, United States*[email protected]More by Cameroun G. SherrardCite this: ACS Energy Lett. 2023, 8, 2, 1042–1049Publication Date (Web):January 20, 2023Publication History Received2 December 2022Accepted4 January 2023Published online20 January 2023Published inissue 10 February 2023https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsenergylett.2c02743https://doi.org/10.1021/acsenergylett.2c02743newsACS PublicationsCopyright © Published 2023 by American Chemical Society. This publication is available under these Terms of Use. Request reuse permissions This publication is free to access through this site. Learn MoreArticle Views5678Altmetric-Citations1LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional detail","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsenergylett.2c02743","authors":["Alexis Maurel","Ana C. Martínez","Donald A. Dornbusch","William Huddleston","Myeong‐Lok Seol","Christopher R. Henry","Jennifer M. Jones","Bharat Yelamanchi","Sina Bakhtar Chavari","Jennifer Edmunson","Sreeprasad T. Sreenivasan","Pedro Cortes","Eric MacDonald","Cameroun G. Sherrard"],"tags":["Library science","Mars Exploration Program","Engineering","Art history","Archaeology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsenergylett.2c02743","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411450544","name":"Overall Material Flow Scheme Design of Controlled Ecological Life Support System for Lunar Base","source":"openalex","abstract":"Recently, the Moon has once again become the focus of the aerospace field. The lunar base is likely to be the next long-term extraterrestrial base for humans after the near-Earth orbit space station. However, the cost of lunar replenishment will substantially increase, and the time required for replenishment will become longer. It is necessary to establish a living system with higher degree of material closure and stronger self-sustainability to provide life support service for residents. The controlled ecological life support system (CELSS) is a feasible way to achieve the circular supply of oxygen, water, and food through biological regeneration. However, there is a practical issue of how to gradually establish a CELSS on the Moon and how to match the bio-regenerative system with the physicochemical system established in the early stage, to reduce the cost of the construction of the lunar life support system. In this paper, based on fully inheriting the physicochemical regeneration technologies of the present near-Earth orbit space station, biological components such as plants, microalgae, and microorganisms were gradually introduced in 4 stages to establish an upgraded CELSS with a total material closure degree of 98%. In addition, the material flux models of C, H, and O elements at different stages of the lunar base were designed and calculated. The results of this paper provide a reference for the construction of future lunar base life support systems in terms of improving the engineering feasibility of CELSS.","url":"https://doi.org/10.34133/space.0236","authors":["Yibing Deng","Liangchang Zhang","Qiang Bian","Weidang Ai","Yongkang Tang","Ruixin Mao","Haonan Fan"],"tags":["Life support system","Scheme (mathematics)","Base (topology)","Flow (mathematics)","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.34133/space.0236","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4322627778","name":"Experimental Characterization of the Pyridine:Acetylene Co-crystal and Implications for Titan’s Surface","source":"openalex","abstract":"High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, has a plethora of organic compounds in the atmosphere and on the surface that interact with each other. Cryominerals such as co-crystals may influence the geologic processes and chemical composition of Titan’s surface, which in turn informs our understanding of how Titan may have evolved, how the surface is continuing to change, and the extent of Titan’s habitability. Previous works have shown that a pyridine:acetylene (1:1) co-crystal forms under specific temperatures and experimental conditions; however, this has not yet been demonstrated under Titan-relevant conditions. Our work here demonstrates that the pyridine:acetylene co-crystal is stable from 90 K, Titan’s average surface temperature, up to 180 K under an atmosphere of N 2 . In particular, the co-crystal forms via liquid–solid interactions within minutes upon mixing of the constituents at 150 K, as evidenced by distinct, new Raman bands and band shifts. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results indicate moderate anisotropic thermal expansion (about 0.5–1.1%) along the three principal axes between 90–150 K. Additionally, the co-crystal is detectable after being exposed to liquid ethane, implying stability in a residual ethane “wetting” scenario on Titan. These results suggest that the pyridine:acetylene co-crystal could form in specific geologic contexts on Titan that allow for warm environments in which liquid pyridine could persist, and as such, this cryomineral may preserve the evidence of impact, cryovolcanism, or subsurface transport in surface materials.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.2c00377","authors":["Ellen C. Czaplinski","Tuan H. Vu","Morgan L. Cable","Mathieu Choukroun","Michael J. Malaska","Robert Hodyss"],"tags":["Titan (rocket family)","Acetylene","Astrobiology","Materials science","Pyridine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-02-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.2c00377","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402066988","name":"Shock melt in the Cold Bokkeveld CM2 carbonaceous chondrite and the response of C‐complex asteroids to hypervelocity impacts","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Many of the CM carbonaceous chondrites are regolith breccias and so should have abundant evidence for collisional processing. The constituent clasts of these fragmental rocks frequently display compactional petrofabrics; yet, olivine microstructures show that most CMs are unshocked. To better understand the reasons for this contradiction, we have sought other evidence for hypervelocity impact processing of CM chondrites using the Cold Bokkeveld meteorite. We find that this regolith breccia contains rare particles of vesicular shock melt that are close in chemical composition to bulk CM chondrite. Transmission electron microscopy of a melt bead shows that it is composed of silicate glass with inclusions of pentlandite, pyrrhotite, and wüstite. Characterization of shards of another bead by atom probe tomography reveals nanoscale clusters of sulfur that represent sulfide inclusions arrested at an early stage of growth. These glass particles are mineralogically comparable to micrometeoroid impact melt described from the Cb‐type asteroid Ryugu and melt that has been experimentally produced by pulsed laser irradiation of CM targets. The glass could have formed by in situ shock‐melting, but petrographic evidence is more consistent with an origin as ballistic ejecta from a distal impact. The scarcity of melt in this meteorite, and CM chondrites more broadly, is consistent with the explosive fragmentation of hydrous asteroids following energetic collisions. Cold Bokkeveld's parent body is likely to be a second‐generation asteroid that was constructed from the debris of one or more earlier bodies, and only a small proportion of the reaccreted material had been highly shocked and melted.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14253","authors":["Martin Lee","Luke Daly","Jennika Greer","Sammy Griffin","Cameron J. Floyd","Levi Tegg","Julie M. Cairney"],"tags":["Hypervelocity","Chondrite","Asteroid","Carbonaceous chondrite","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14253","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W3000117512","name":"Time Resolved in situ X-Ray Tomographic Microscopy Unraveling Dynamic Processes in Geologic Systems","source":"openalex","abstract":"X-ray tomographic microscopy is a well-established analysis technique in different fields of the Earth Sciences to access volumetric information of the internal microstructure of a large variety of opaque materials with high-spatial resolution and in a non-destructive manner. Synchrotron radiation, with its coherence and high flux, is required for pushing the temporal resolution into the second and sub-second regime and beyond, and therefore moving from the investigation of static samples to the study of fast dynamic processes as they happen in 3D. Over the past few years, several hardware and software developments at the TOMCAT beamline at the Swiss Light Source contributed to establishing its highly flexible and user-friendly fast tomography endstation, making a large variety of new dynamic in-situ and operando investigations possible. Here we present an overview of the different devices, including an in-house developed detector, a new highly efficient macroscope and a programmable fast rotation stage. Their tight interplay and synchronization are key for lifting experimental design compromises and follow dynamic processes with high spatial and temporal resolution unfolding over prolonged periods of time, as often required by many applications. We showcase these new capabilities for the Earth sciences community by presenting 3 different geological studies, which make use of different sample environments. With a tri-axial deformation rig, chemo-mechanical-hydraulic feedbacks between gypsum dehydration and halite deformation have been studied, while the spatio-temporal evolution of a solute plume has been investigated for the first time in 3D with a flow cell. A laser-based heating system available at the beamline provides access to the high temperatures required to address bubble growth and collapse as well as bubble-bubble interaction and coalescence in volcanological material. With the integration of a rheometer, information on bubble deformation could also be gained. In the near future, upgrades of most large-scale synchrotron radiation facilities to diffraction-limited storage rings will create new opportunities, for instance through sub-second tomographic imaging capabilities at sub-micron length scales.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2019.00346","authors":["Federica Marone","Christian M. Schlepütz","Sina Marti","Florian Fußeis","Andrés Velásquez‐Parra","Michele Griffa","Joaquín Jiménez‐Martínez","Katherine J. Dobson","Marco Stampanoni"],"tags":["Temporal resolution","Synchrotron radiation","Tomographic reconstruction","Image resolution","Synchrotron"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-01-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2019.00346","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4383213002","name":"I/Pu reveals Earth mainly accreted from volatile-poor differentiated planetesimals","source":"openalex","abstract":"The observation that mid-ocean ridge basalts had ~3× higher iodine/plutonium ratios (inferred from xenon isotopes) compared to ocean island basalts holds critical insights into Earth's accretion. Understanding whether this difference stems from core formation alone or heterogeneous accretion is, however, hindered by the unknown geochemical behavior of plutonium during core formation. Here, we use first-principles molecular dynamics to quantify the metal-silicate partition coefficients of iodine and plutonium during core formation and find that both iodine and plutonium partly partition into metal liquid. Using multistage core formation modeling, we show that core formation alone is unlikely to explain the iodine/plutonium difference between mantle reservoirs. Instead, our results reveal a heterogeneous accretion history, whereby predominant accretion of volatile-poor differentiated planetesimals was followed by a secondary phase of accretion of volatile-rich undifferentiated meteorites. This implies that Earth inherited part of its volatiles, including its water, from late accretion of chondrites, with a notable carbonaceous chondrite contribution.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adg9213","authors":["Weiyi Liu","Yigang Zhang","François Tissot","Guillaume Avice","Zhilin Ye","Qing‐Zhu Yin"],"tags":["Accretion (finance)","Plutonium","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Silicate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adg9213","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4383620072","name":"On the Emplacement of the Impact Melt at the Dhala Impact Structure, India","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We investigate the magnetic fabrics and magnetic mineralogy of the impact melt rock at the Dhala impact structure to understand its emplacement mechanism. Pseudo‐single domains of Ti‐poor magnetite and Ti‐hematite are the prime magnetic carriers in the impact melt rock. The magnetic foliations show a range of dip amounts. The overall trend of the magnetic foliation of the impact melt rock draws a resemblance with the flood basalts or lava flows. A well‐developed magnetic lineation ( K 1 ) indicates the strong alignment of Ti‐poor magnetite grains. Therefore, the magnetic carriers may have crystallized and aligned themselves along the flow direction before the emplacement. It may be possible that after the crystallization of the magnetic carriers, the impact melt moved in a semi‐molten state similar to lava flows with temperatures below c. 1,500°C, which is the melting point of Ti‐magnetite and was emplaced as crater‐fill deposits. Among the three principal magnetic susceptibility axes, K 1 aligns best with the mesoscopic flow indicators. K 1 of individual specimens' trends between NW and SW, while the mean K 1 at all the sites trends westward. Thus, at the studied sites, the impact melt flow was dominantly eastward. In the sites located to the NW and W, the eastward flow could be due to gravity‐driven crater inward flow toward the center. At site IM2, which is located to E, the eastward flow of the impact melt is possibly due to crater outward excavation flow.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je007840","authors":["Gaurav Joshi","Pradyut Phukon","Amar Agarwal","Arun Kumar Ojha"],"tags":["Geology","Impact crater","Lava","Magnetite","Lineation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je007840","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W2345516474","name":"A Late Mesoproterozoic40Ar/39Ar age for a melt breccia from the Keurusselkä impact structure, Finland","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Field investigations in the eroded central uplift of the ≤30 km Keurusselkä impact structure, Finland, revealed a thin, dark melt vein that intersects the autochthonous shatter cone‐bearing target rocks near the homestead of Kirkkoranta, close to the center of the impact structure. The petrographic analysis of quartz in this melt breccia and the wall rock granite indicate weak shock metamorphic overprint not exceeding ~8–10GPa. The mode of occurrence and composition of the melt breccia suggest its formation as some kind of pseudotachylitic breccia.40Ar/39Ar dating of dark and clast‐poor whole‐rock chips yielded five concordant Late Mesoproterozoic miniplateau ages and one plateau age of 1151 ± 10 Ma [± 11 Ma] (2σ;MSWD= 0.11;P = 0.98), considered here as the statistically most robust age for the rock. The new40Ar/39Ar age is incompatible with ~1.88 Ga Svecofennian tectonism and magmatism in south‐central Finland and probably reflects the Keurusselkä impact, followed by impact‐induced hydrothermal chloritization of the crater basement. In keeping with the crosscutting relationships in the outcrop and the possible influence of postimpact alteration, the Late Mesoproterozoic40Ar/39Ar age of ~1150 Ma should be treated as a minimum age for the impact. The new40Ar/39Ar results are consistent with paleomagnetic results that suggested a similar age for Keurusselkä, which is shown to be one of the oldest impact structures currently known in Europe and worldwide.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12594","authors":["M. Schmieder","Fred Jourdan","Jarmo Moilanen","Elmar Buchner","T. Öhman"],"tags":["Breccia","Geology","Impact structure","Geochemistry","Petrography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12594","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W2497983661","name":"Abundance Profiles of Iridium and Other Elements near the Cretaceous/Tertiary Boundary in Hole 516F of Deep Sea Drilling Project Leg 72","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2973/dsdp.proc.72.148.1983","authors":["Helen V. Michel","R.F. Asaro","Walter Álvarez","Luis W. Alvarez","David A. Johnson"],"tags":["Drilling","Cretaceous","Iridium","Geology","Deep sea"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1983-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2973/dsdp.proc.72.148.1983","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W2924499631","name":"Geochemistry of a confirmed Precambrian impact ejecta deposit: The Grænsesø spherule layer, South Greenland","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Samples from a single outcrop of the Graenseso spherule layer, Midternaes, South Greenland, consist of a spherule‐bearing dolomixtite with matrix‐supported intraclasts up to 1 m in size. In addition to field observations, we performed mineralogical and whole rock geochemical analysis, including electron microprobe, neutron activation analysis, X‐ray fluorescence, and mass spectrometry of the horizon and the overlying and underlying strata. We show that the spherules are petrographically similar to those in the Zaonega spherule layer, Karelia, Russia. Our petrographic and chemical results are consistent with the previous suggestion that the Grænsesø layer correlates with the Zaonega layer, and it is possible that both layers are related to the Vredefort impact event. The samples containing spherules, as well as the overlying rocks, have elevated REEs compared to the underlying pre‐impact layer, suggestive of a new continental source of sediment that may be coincident with the impact event. Zircons separated from the lower part of the Grænsesø spherule layer display complex age patterns suggesting that they have genetically different origins based on distinctly different Th/U ratios. Crystallization ages of all groups are ≥ 2.8 Ga, with ~2.8 Ga representing a time of major crustal growth globally. Therefore, we cannot conclusively determine in this study if the zircons are locally derived or if they are transported with the ejecta. The spherule layer was deposited by a high‐energy, subaqueous debris flow, an origin that is consistent with the hypothesis that the layer was deposited by impact‐induced waves and/or currents.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13271","authors":["Matthew S. Huber","Christian Koeberl","F.C. Smith","B. P. Glass","Roland Mundil","Iain McDonald"],"tags":["Ejecta","Geology","Petrography","Precambrian","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-03-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13271","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W2093590956","name":"Investigation of cutting methods for small samples of Hayabusa and future sample return missions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We report the investigation of cutting methods for Hayabusa samples. The purpose of our study is to explore the possibility of applying multiple analyses to a single particle effectively. We investigated the cutting performance of a blade dicing saw, laser, focused ion beam (FIB), and physical breaking by microindenter. Cutting performance was examined by estimating the aspect ratio of the cut slit, i.e., depth over width of the slit. We also investigated the possible contamination and sample damage by cutting. The result of the investigation shows that we can cut the samples from <50 μm to 500 μm using those methods with aspect ratios from 10 to 20, although they would introduce some contamination or damage to the samples. Our investigations also provide an important basis for the analysis of samples obtained by future sample return missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12322","authors":["Masayuki Uesugi","Ryo Noguchi","Tooru Matsumoto","Junya Matsuno","Takashi Nagano","A. Tsuchiyama","Shigenori Harada","Kaori Yokoyama","Yoshiaki Yodo","Noboru Takeda","Toru Yada","S. Yakame","Yuzuru Karouji","Yukihiro Ishibashi","Masanao Abe","Tatsuaki Okada","Akio Fujimura","M. Ebihara","F. Kitajima","Keisuke Nagao","Tomoki Nakamura","Hiroshi Naraoka","T. Noguchi","Ryuji Okazaki","Hisayoshi Yurimoto"],"tags":["Wafer dicing","Sample (material)","Contamination","Laser cutting","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-06-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12322","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W3130871526","name":"When Disasters Hit Civil Wars: Natural Resource Exploitation and Rebel Group Resilience","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Existing literature on the relationship between natural disasters and conflicts provides mixed findings. In this article, we argue that whether natural disasters hurt rebel group resilience depends on their funding source and the mode of resource extraction. Rebel groups that obtain their funding from natural resources are more susceptible to natural disasters because this funding source could be easily disrupted by rapid-onset disasters. How rebel groups exploit natural resource wealth also conditions the effect of natural disasters on rebel group resilience. Rebel groups that depend on extorting resource production, despite having a seemingly stable revenue stream, are more likely to face funding cuts after a severe natural disaster. In contrast, rebel groups that rely on smuggling natural resources, due to a higher level of flexibility and mobility, are more likely to survive natural disasters. We test our arguments using data on armed groups, natural disasters, and rebel contraband, and the results of the logit models with interaction terms support our hypotheses. Our findings bridge the environmental conflict literature and the resource curse literature, and offer important policy implications.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/isq/sqab014","authors":["Yasutaka Tominaga","Chia-yi Lee"],"tags":["Natural disaster","Natural resource","Resilience (materials science)","Resource (disambiguation)","Natural (archaeology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-02-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/isq/sqab014","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4229332526","name":"Earliest Photic Zone Niches Probed by Ancestral Microbial Rhodopsins","source":"openalex","abstract":"For billions of years, life has continuously adapted to dynamic physical conditions near the Earth's surface. Fossils and other preserved biosignatures in the paleontological record are the most direct evidence for reconstructing the broad historical contours of this adaptive interplay. However, biosignatures dating to Earth's earliest history are exceedingly rare. Here, we combine phylogenetic inference of primordial rhodopsin proteins with modeled spectral features of the Precambrian Earth environment to reconstruct the paleobiological history of this essential family of photoactive transmembrane proteins. Our results suggest that ancestral microbial rhodopsins likely acted as light-driven proton pumps and were spectrally tuned toward the absorption of green light, which would have enabled their hosts to occupy depths in a water column or biofilm where UV wavelengths were attenuated. Subsequent diversification of rhodopsin functions and peak absorption frequencies was enabled by the expansion of surface ecological niches induced by the accumulation of atmospheric oxygen. Inferred ancestors retain distinct associations between extant functions and peak absorption frequencies. Our findings suggest that novel information encoded by biomolecules can be used as \"paleosensors\" for conditions of ancient, inhabited niches of host organisms not represented elsewhere in the paleontological record. The coupling of functional diversification and spectral tuning of this taxonomically diverse protein family underscores the utility of rhodopsins as universal testbeds for inferring remotely detectable biosignatures on inhabited planetary bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msac100","authors":["Cathryn D. Sephus","Evrim Fer","Amanda K. Garcia","Zachary R. Adam","Edward W. Schwieterman","Betül Kaçar"],"tags":["Biology","Ecological niche","Rhodopsin","Evolutionary biology","Photic zone"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msac100","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4392967066","name":"Advanced microstructural and compositional analysis of a lunar agglutinate from the Apollo 11 mission","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The microstructural characterization of lunar agglutinate samples serves many essential purposes in lunar science and cosmochemistry, from understanding the formation process of lunar regolith to preparing for human activity on the Moon. In this study, an advanced correlative characterization methodology was employed to examine the microstructure of a lunar agglutinate particle retrieved from the Apollo 11 mission. The multimodal characterization efforts were centered around 3‐D x‐ray computed tomography (XCT) and were complemented by 2‐D techniques, including scanning electron microscopy and energy‐dispersive x‐ray spectroscopy. The nondestructive nature of the XCT allowed us to preserve the lunar dust particles, while its 3‐D nature allowed us to extract meaningful microstructural information inaccessible via traditional 2‐D characterization techniques. The multimodal correlative analysis further allowed us to identify the compositional and microstructural features of the agglutinate. These observations were linked to the formation process of the agglutinate to inform a hypothesis on the dynamic formation sequence of lunar regolith.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14157","authors":["Tai‐Jan Huang","Eshan Ganju","Hamid Torbati‐Sarraf","M. S. Thompson","Nikhilesh Chawla"],"tags":["Apollo","Astrobiology","Geology","Moon landing","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14157","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4210587623","name":"Morphological Phenotypes, Cell Division, and Gene Expression of Escherichia coli under High Concentration of Sodium Sulfate","source":"openalex","abstract":"Sodium and sulfate ions are among the suggested abundant ions on Europa, a moon of Jupiter. In order to investigate the potential habitability of Europa, we study the effects of sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) on a non-halophilic bacterium by subjecting Escherichia coli (E. coli) to a wide range of Na2SO4 concentrations (0–1.0 m). We discover that, as the concentration of sodium sulfate increases, the biomass doubling time increases and the cell growth is completely inhibited at 1.0 m Na2SO4. Furthermore, we find that E. coli exhibits three distinct morphological phenotypes—(i) shortened, (ii) normal, and (iii) elongated/filamented cells at 0.6 m and 0.8 m Na2SO4. We have examined the expression of different genes involved in sodium and sulfate transport (nhaA, nhaB, cysZ, sbp), osmotically driven transport of water (aqpZ), sulfate metabolism (cysN), fatty acid production (fabA), and a global transcriptional regulator (osmZ). Our results suggest that the expression of these genes is not affected significantly at high concentrations of sodium sulfate in the exponential growth phase. Using our experimental data and the existing data in the literature, we show that the osmotic pressure difference may play a major role in determining the growth inhibition of E. coli and B. subtilis at high concentrations of salt.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10020274","authors":["Khanh Nguyen","Pradeep Kumar"],"tags":["Escherichia coli","Sulfate","Sodium","Osmotic pressure","Sodium sulfate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10020274","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391448399","name":"Geochemical biosignature formation in experimental Martian fluvio‐lacustrine and simulated evaporitic settings","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract To assess whether life existed on Mars, it is crucial to identify geochemical biosignatures that are relevant to specific Martian environments. In this paper, thermochemical modeling was used to investigate fluid chemistries and secondary minerals that would have evolved biotically over geological time scales in Martian fluvio‐lacustrine and evaporitic settings, and that could be used as potential inorganic biosignatures for life detection on Mars. Modeling was performed using fluid and rock chemistries relevant to Gale crater aqueous environments. Potential inorganic biosignatures were identified investigating alteration deposits found at the surface of a simulant exposed to short‐term bio‐mediated weathering and comparing experimental and modeling results. In a fluvio‐lacustrine setting (water/rock of 2000–278), models suggest that less complex mineral assemblages form during biotic basalt dissolution and subsequent brine evaporation compared to what would happen in an abiotic system. Mainly nontronite, kaolinite, and quartz form under biotic conditions, whereas celadonite, talc, and goethite would also precipitate abiotically. Quartz, sepiolite, and gypsum would precipitate from the evaporation of fluids evolved biotically, whereas nontronite, talc, zeolite, and gypsum would form in an abiotic evaporitic environment. These results could be used to distinguish products of abiotic and biotic processes, aiding the interpretation of data from Mars exploration missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14141","authors":["Simone Cogliati","Michael C. Macey"],"tags":["Martian","Geology","Astrobiology","Mars Exploration Program","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14141","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4284892910","name":"Harnessing the power of natural science collections: a blueprint for the UK","source":"openalex","abstract":"Between September 2021 and March 2022, a consortium across the twelve major regions of the UK, led by the Natural History Museum, London (NHM), participated in a study to develop the business case and plan to support a national programme of natural science collections digitisation. This work, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) sought to understand the size and diversity of UK natural science collections; establish the readiness of UK institutions to undertake digitisation; and develop training materials to pilot regional digitisation, building on prior investments in digitisation and informatics by the NHM. This report sets out the key findings from this work and is presented as a “blueprint” to scale up digitisation and cooperation through a national infrastructure programme: DiSSCo UK is part of the UK’s contribution to DiSSCo, the Distributed System of Scientific Collections, a partnership of institutions who share a vision to empower science and society, in balance with nature, to make reliable knowledge and evidence about the natural world available to all.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6472239","authors":["Vincent Smith","Helen Hardy","Tara Wainwright","Laurence Livermore","Nicholas C. Fraser","Jana Horák","Jennie Aspinall","Mike Howe"],"tags":["Blueprint","Natural (archaeology)","Natural science","Power (physics)","Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-05-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6472239","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402647355","name":"Martian Impact Fracturing Pervasively Influences Habitability","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract On Mars, the lack of either plate tectonics or a prominent erosional hydrological cycle since the Noachian means geological changes caused by asteroid and comet impact events have been preserved. On Earth, surviving impact‐induced fractures are localized to the relatively few preserved craters on the planet. We estimate that the shell of impact‐fractured rock on Mars (the “impact‐sphere”) could provide between 9,200 times the surface area of a Mars radius sphere and up to 100 times this value, depending on the assumptions made, as potential microbially accessible space. Although >93% of craters we consider are smaller than 10 km in diameter, they contribute only about 5% of the total fracture surface area generated by all craters, making complex craters the dominant process for potential habitat formation. Microbiological data from terrestrial impact craters suggest that these fractures could have significantly enhanced local habitability by providing pathways for fluid flow, and thus nutrients and energy. However, unlike on Earth, the geological history of Mars means that pervasive impact fractures may also have provided pathways for Hesperian and Amazonian brines to infiltrate the subsurface and locally reduce habitability. Combining the fracture data with previous microbiological observations provides testable hypotheses for Martian drilling missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je008116","authors":["Charles S. Cockell","G. S. Collins","S. Basu","Edward Grant","Sean McMahon"],"tags":["Habitability","Martian","Astrobiology","Geology","Mars Exploration Program"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je008116","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W2765341012","name":"A new mineralogical approach for CO 3 chondrite characterization by X‐ray diffraction: Identification of primordial phases and thermal history","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Using the in‐plane rotation of polished thin section, the X‐ray diffraction patterns exhibiting a high degree of randomness similar to powder pattern were obtained for 10 CO3 chondrites, which distinguished 130 reflections of olivine in the chondrules from that in the matrix, and showed systematic differences among subtypes based on the full width at half maximum intensity of two olivine 130 peaks. A lower petrologic subtype is characterized by sharp and strong peaks for forsteritic olivines in type I chondrules and by a weak and broad peak for ferroan matrices, and the higher petrologic subtypes are characterized by sharp and strong peaks for recrystallized matrices and a weakened or absent peak of magnesian olivines. The systematic change in the split peak of olivine 130 was linked with the mean diffusion length of Mg‐Fe in olivine phenocrysts in type I chondrules. Fe‐Ni diffusion in metals was considered to estimate the peak temperature of CO3.0, near the surface on the parent body. The peak metamorphic temperatures were estimated to be ~600–910 K using the onion‐shell model when the cooling time was 106–108 yr on the parent body. A weak peak for ferroan olivine of CO3.0 suggests the amorphous silicate in matrices. The modal abundance of the amorphous Fe‐silicate for subtype 3.0 (15% for Allan Hills [ALH] 77307 and 9% for Yamato [Y]‐81020) was also evaluated from the deviation in trend of the relative peak ratios of the Fe‐rich (≥Fa25) and Mg‐rich ( 25) olivines for subtypes. The existence of martensites was suggested for ALH 77307. Amorphous silicate in matrices is a more resistant primordial component that produced the CO3 chondrites than martensite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12996","authors":["Naoya Imae","Y. Nakamuta"],"tags":["Olivine","Chondrite","Chondrule","Silicate","Parent body"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-10-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12996","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2150548081","name":"A phosphate-bearing pegmatite from Lutomia and its relationships to other pegmatites of the Góry Sowie Block, southwestern Poland","source":"openalex","abstract":"A geochemically primitive, moderately fractionated, LCT pegmatite from Lutomia (Gry Sowie Block, SW Poland) has been characterized in respect of the primary and secondary phosphate assemblages. The pegmatite crystallized from anatectic granitic magmas mobilized by M 2-3 metamorphism at ~370-380 Ma. Three phosphate assemblages had a different origin: (1) the primary, magmatic one [graftonite-(I)-beusite-(I) + triphylite sarcopside], (2) a secondary, metasomatic one [Ca-rich graftonite-(II) -Ca-rich beusite-(II) + wolfeite/triploidite/stankite + hagendorfite/alluaudite + kryzhanovskite a Ca-bearing phosphate close to ferromerrillite + fluorapatite], and (3) a secondary, hydrothermal and weathering one [ferrisicklerite heterosite + phosphoferrite-kryzhanovskite + ludlamite + vivianite hureaulite + earlshannonite-whitmoreite + strunzite-ferrostrunzite + beraunite + dufrnite + jahnsite-(CaMnFe), -(CaMnMn) and -(MnMnMn) + landesite + fairfieldite + Mn 2+ -bearing hydroxyapatite]. The magmatic assemblage resulted from the breakdown of a primary, high-T, Ca-and Li-enriched graftonite-like phase. It was induced by cooling and elevated incompatible Ca, Na, Li and F concentrations. The metasomatic assemblage reflects the destabilization of the magmatic phosphates and their Ca-and Na-metasomatism by a high-T fluid connected with a PO 4 -bearing melt, which previously had evolved along with graftonite-(I)-beusite-(I). The assemblage of secondary, hydrothermal and weathering, phosphates was a result of lower T alteration by hydrothermal fluids and meteoric water by both topotactic Fe and Mn oxidation as well gradual hydration and Fe oxidation. Taken together, the Lutomia pegmatite has been compared to the phosphate-bearing pegmatite at Michakowa and the mixed NYF + LCT, PO 4 -poor pegmatitic system of Piawa Grna.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3190/jgeosci.185","authors":["Adam Włodek","A. Grochowina","Bożena Gołębiowska","Adam Pieczka"],"tags":["Pegmatite","Metasomatism","Geology","Geochemistry","Hydrothermal circulation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-01-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3190/jgeosci.185","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W1966972466","name":"Shock re‐equilibration of fluid inclusions in crystalline basement rocks from the Ries crater, Germany","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract—This study examines the effects of shock metamorphism on fluid inclusions in crystalline basement target rocks from the Ries crater, Germany. The occurrence of two‐phase fluid inclusions decreases from shock stage 0 to shock stage 1, while single‐phase inclusions increase, likely as a result of re‐equilibration. In shock stages 2 and 3, both two‐phase and single‐phase inclusions decrease with increasing shock stage, indicating that fluid inclusion vesicles are destroyed due to plastic deformation and phase changes in the host minerals. However, quartz clasts entrained in shock stage 4 melts contain both single‐phase and two‐phase inclusions, demonstrating the rapid quenching of the melt and the heterogeneous nature of impact deformation. Inclusions in naturally shocked polycrystalline samples survive at higher shock pressures than those in single crystal shock experiments. However, fluid inclusions in both experimental and natural samples follow a similar trend in re‐equilibration at low to moderate shock pressures leading to destruction of inclusion vesicles in higher shock stages. This suggests that shock processing may lead to the destruction of fluid inclusions in many planetary materials and likely contributed to shock devolatilization of early planetesimals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2006.tb00208.x","authors":["M. E. Elwood Madden","D. A. Kring","Robert J. Bodnar"],"tags":["Impact crater","Shock metamorphism","Fluid inclusions","Shock (circulatory)","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2006.tb00208.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402319090","name":"Carbon‐ and Nitrogen‐Based Complexes as Photocatalysts for Prebiotic and Oxygen Chemistry during Earth Evolution","source":"openalex","abstract":"Sunlight has long served as primary energy source on our planet, shaping the behavior of living organisms. Extensive research has been dedicated to unraveling the evolutionary pathways involved. When the formation of Earth atmosphere, it primarily consisted of small gas molecules, which are considered crucial for the emergence of life. Recent demonstrations have shown that these molecules can also be transformed into semiconductors, with the potential to harness solar energy and catalyze chemical reactions as photocatalysts. Building upon this research, this minireview focuses on the potential revolutionary impact of photocatalysis on Earth. Initially, it examines key reactions, such as the formation of prebiotic molecules and the oxygen evolution reaction via water oxidation. Additionally, various C-N complexes in photocatalysts are explored, showcasing their roles in catalyzing chemical reactions. The conclusion and outlook provide a potential pathway for the evolution of Earth, shedding light on the significance of metal-free photocatalysts in development of Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202413768","authors":["Yan Wang","Huan Wang","Sibo Wang","Yuanxing Fang"],"tags":["Earth (classical element)","Astrobiology","Abiogenesis","Early Earth","Prebiotic"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202413768","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W2341857931","name":"Cluster analysis on the bulk elemental compositions of Antarctic stony meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Remote sensing observations by recent successful missions to small bodies have revealed the difficulty in classifying the materials which cover their surfaces into a conventional classification of meteorites. Although reflectance spectroscopy is a powerful tool for this purpose, it is influenced by many factors, such as space weathering, lighting conditions, and surface physical conditions (e.g., particle size and style of mixing). Thus, complementary information, such as elemental compositions, which can be obtained by X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) and gamma‐ray spectrometers (GRS), have been considered very important. However, classifying planetary materials solely based on elemental compositions has not been investigated extensively. In this study, we perform principal component and cluster analyses on 12 major and minor elements of the bulk compositions of 500 meteorites reported in the National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR), Japan database. Our unique approach, which includes using hierarchical cluster analysis, indicates that meteorites can be classified into about 10 groups purely by their bulk elemental compositions. We suggest that Si, Fe, Mg, Ca, and Na are the optimal set of elements, as this set has been used successfully to classify meteorites of the NIPR database with more than 94% accuracy. Principal components analysis indicates that elemental compositions of meteorites form eight clusters in the three‐dimensional space of the components. The three major principal components (PC1, PC2, and PC3) are interpreted as (1) degree of differentiations of the source body (i.e., primitive versus differentiated), (2) degree of thermal effects, and (3) degree of chemical fractionation, respectively.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12634","authors":["Hideaki Miyamoto","Takafumi Niihara","Takeshi Kuritani","Peng K. Hong","J. M. Dohm","Seiji Sugita"],"tags":["Meteorite","Principal component analysis","Elemental analysis","Cluster (spacecraft)","Weathering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-03-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12634","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W4327696231","name":"Development of Laser‐Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy for Application to Space Exploration","source":"openalex","abstract":"Material composition analysis is one of the core tasks in space exploration. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has received increasing interest in the planetary science community. This chapter summarizes the progress of LIBS in the field of space exploration from different aspects. A typical LIBS system is constituted by a laser generator, alight splitting and detection system, an optical path system for laser focusing and collection of light emitted by the plasma. To optimize the LIBS system for application to space exploration in forthcoming space missions, early laboratory work naturally focused on two aspects: instrumental and analytical. In August 2012, the Curiosity rover successfully landed in Gale Crater on Mars. Compared with previous space exploration missions, Curiosity carries some more advanced and complex scientific instruments, which are designed to make a more accurate analysis of the chemical information of the collected samples. The ChemCam based on LIBS is one of them.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119758396.ch43","authors":["Zhenzhen Wang","Han Luo"],"tags":["Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy","Mars Exploration Program","Space exploration","Exploration of Mars","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-03-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119758396.ch43","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4315928128","name":"Polypeptide Chain Growth Mechanisms and Secondary Structure Formation in Glycine Gas-Phase Deposition on Silica Surfaces","source":"openalex","abstract":"Peptide formation by amino acids condensation represents a crucial reaction in the quest of the origins of life as well as in synthetic chemistry. However, it is still poorly understood in terms of efficiency and reaction mechanism. In the present work, peptide formation has been investigated through thermal condensation of gas-phase glycine in fluctuating silica environments as a model of prebiotic environments. In-situ IR spectroscopy measurements under a controlled atmosphere reveal that a humidity fluctuating system subjected to both temperature and water activity variations results in the formation of more abundant peptides compared to a dehydrated system subjected only to temperature fluctuations cycles. A model is proposed in which hydration steps result in the hydrolysis and redistribution of the oligomers formed during previous deposition in dry conditions. This results in the formation of self-assembled aggregates with well-defined secondary structures (especially β-sheets). Upon further monomers feeding, structural elements are conserved in newly growing chains, with indications of templated polymerization. The structural dynamics of peptides were also evaluated. Rigid self-assembled structures with a high resistance to further wetting/drying cycles and inaccessibility to isotopic exchange were present in the humidity fluctuating system compared to more flexible structures in the dehydrated system. The resistance and growth of self-assembled structures were also investigated for an extended duration of Gly deposition using isotope labeling.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c07382","authors":["Ola El Samrout","Gloria Berlier","Jean‐François Lambert","Gianmario Martra"],"tags":["Chemistry","Chemical engineering","Wetting","Humidity","Monomer"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c07382","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4309912572","name":"Shidian meteorite, a new fall analog of near‐Earth asteroid (101955) Bennu","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Shidian is a recent meteorite which fell in Yunnan province, China, on November 27, 2017, and has been classified as a CM2 chondrite. Petrography, mineralogy, oxygen and chromium isotopic composition, reflectance spectrum, and density studies of Shidian are reported in this study. Clasts with different aqueous alteration degree, two type 1 clasts with nontypical CM petrography, and one metamorphic clast are observed in Shidian. Mineralogically, Shidian main body consists of phyllosilicates (∼70 vol%), forsterite (∼13 vol%), fayalitic olivine, carbonates, sulfide, high‐Ca pyroxene, magnetite framboids, and Fe‐Ni metal. The average electron microprobe analysis (EMPA) analytical totals of phyllosilicates are 84.07 ± 1.75 wt%, with average FeO/SiO 2 of tochilinite–cronstedtite intergrowths (TCIs) in different clasts ranging from 1.18 to 3.29. The bulk geochemical composition is characterized by flat rare earth element pattern, and by depletion of highly volatile elements. The whole rock oxygen isotopic composition is −0.51 ± 0.73‰, 5.44 ± 1.01‰, and −3.38 ± 0.20‰ for δ 17 O, δ 18 O, and Δ 17 O, respectively, with bulk chromium isotopic composition as ε 54 Cr = 1.00 ± 0.11. The grain density, bulk density, and porosity are 2.758 ± 0.008 g cm −3 , 2.500 ± 0.004 g cm −3 , and 9.37 ± 0.59%, respectively. The reflectance spectrum shows “blue” (negative) continuum slope across the visible and near‐infrared range, with characteristic absorption features (such as 0.765, 0.923, and 1.160 μm for phyllosilicates). These characteristics indicate that Shidian is an unheated, brecciated CM chondrite and may be an analog of asteroid Bennu.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13925","authors":["Yan Fan","Shijie Li","Shen Liu","Qing‐Zhu Yin","Guangming Song","Rui Xu","Jiang Zhang","Pengfei Zhang","Chengyu Liu","Rong Wang","Thomas Smith"],"tags":["Geology","Meteorite","Petrography","Chondrite","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-11-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13925","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W7167475815","name":"Extraterrestrial Nanoparticle Signatures at the Younger Dryas Boundary (~12,800 years ago) from Wonderkrater, South Africa","source":"openalex","abstract":"Background Previous work identified a platinum anomaly at Wonderkrater, South Africa, within sediments modeled to the onset of the Younger Dryas (~12,800 cal BP). To investigate the nature of this anomaly, we analyzed sedimentary nanoparticles using single-particle inductively coupled plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SP-ICP-TOF-MS). Methods Nanoparticles were extracted from peat sediments spanning the modeled Younger Dryas Boundary (YDB) interval and analyzed for particle number concentrations, elemental compositions, elemental ratios, and multi-element nanoparticle clusters. Results from the YDB interval were compared with sediments above and below the anomaly. Results A pronounced geochemical anomaly is confined to a narrow interval between 357.5 and 362.5 cm depth. Total nanoparticle number concentrations increase by a factor of 4.6 relative to surrounding sediments (p < 0.01), accompanied by reduced average particle mass. The anomalous interval contains two distinct nanoparticle populations: one enriched in platinum-group and siderophile elements, and a second enriched in lithophile and rare earth elements. Eight elemental ratios exhibit elevated values relative to background sediments, including Au/Ir (3.80), Cr/Ni (3.75), and Au/Pt (1.16), each exceeding background values by more than a factor of two. Systematic fractionation among noble and siderophile elements is also evident, with Au, Pt, and Pd exhibiting greater enrichments than Os, Ir, and Ru, consistent with elemental fractionation during high-temperature vaporization, condensation, and atmospheric transport processes. Several multi-element nanoparticle clusters occur predominantly within the YDB interval. Conclusions The YDB layer at Wonderkrater contains a compositionally distinct nanoparticle assemblage characterized by elevated platinum-group elements, siderophile-element enrichments, unique elemental ratios, and changes in terrestrial dust-related signatures. The elemental ratio patterns and nanoparticle populations are consistent with a compositionally heterogeneous, volatile-bearing extraterrestrial component modified by high-temperature processes, together with enhanced terrestrial dust input. These observations are consistent with the introduction of geochemically distinct nanoparticle populations coincident with the onset of the Younger Dryas.","url":"https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.184551.1","authors":["Christopher R. Moore","J.F. Thackeray","Louis Scott","Allen West","Malcolm A. LeCompte","Marc J. Defant","Mahbub Alam","Mohammed Baalousha"],"tags":["Younger Dryas","Geology","Nanoparticle","Fractionation","Lithophile"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.184551.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W2915718769","name":"Highly siderophile element and187Re‐187Os isotopic systematics of ungrouped achondrite Northwest Africa 7325: Evidence for complex planetary processes","source":"openalex","abstract":"Os isotopic systematics were determined for two fragments from ungrouped achondrite NWA 7325. Rhenium-Os systematics are consistent with closed-system behavior since formation or soon after. The abundances of the HSE were therefore largely unaffected by late-stage secondary processes such as shock or terrestrial weathering. As an olivine gabbro cumulate, this meteorite has a bulk composition consistent with derivation from a body that produced a core, mantle and crust. Also consistent with derivation from a body that produced a core, both fragments of NWA 7325 have HSE abundances that are highly depleted compared to bulk chondrites. One fragment has ~0.002 × CI chondrite Ir and relative HSE abundances similar to bulk chondrites. The other fragment has ~0.0002 × CI chondrite Ir, and relative HSE abundances that are fractionated compared to bulk chondrites. The chondritic relative HSE abundances of the fragment characterized by higher HSE abundances most likely reflect the addition of exogenous chondritic material during or after crystallization by surface impacts. The HSE in the other fragment is likely more representative of the parent body crust. One formation model that can broadly account for the HSE abundances in this fragment is multiple episodes of low-pressure metal-silicate equilibration, followed by limited late accretion and mantle homogenization. Given the different HSE compositions of the two adjoining fragments, this meteorite provides an example of the overprint of global processes (differentiation and late accretion) by localized impact contamination.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13261","authors":["G. J. Archer","R. J. Walker","Anthony J. Irving"],"tags":["Achondrite","Systematics","Meteorite","Geology","Isotope"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13261","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W1565794509","name":"Evidence for an asteroid–comet continuum from simulations of carbonaceous microxenolith dynamical evolution","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– Micrometeoroids with 100 and 200 μm size dominate the zodiacal cloud dust. Such samples can be studied as micrometeorites, after their passage through the Earth atmosphere, or as microxenoliths, i.e., submillimetric meteorite inclusions. Microxenoliths are samples of the zodiacal cloud dust present in the asteroid Main Belt hundreds of millions years ago. Carbonaceous microxenoliths represent the majority of observed microxenoliths. They have been studied in detail in howardites and H chondrites. We investigate the role of carbonaceous asteroids and Jupiter‐family comets as carbonaceous microxenolith parent bodies. The probability of low velocity collisions of asteroidal and cometary micrometeoroids with selected asteroids is computed, starting from the micrometeoroid steady‐state orbital distributions obtained by dynamical simulations. We selected possible parent bodies of howardites (Vesta) and H chondrites (Hebe, Flora, Eunomia, Koronis, Maria) as target asteroids. Estimates of the asteroidal and cometary micrometeoroid mass between 2 and 4 AU from the Sun are used to compute the micrometeoroid mass influx on each target. The results show that all the target asteroids (except Koronis) receive the same amount (within the uncertainties) of asteroidal and cometary micrometeoroids. Therefore, both these populations should be observed among howardite and H chondrite carbonaceous microxenoliths. However, this is not the case: carbonaceous microxenoliths show differences similar to those existing among different groups of carbonaceous chondrites (e.g., CI, CM, CR) but two sharply distinct populations are not observed. Our results and the observations can be reconciled assuming the existence of a continuum of mineralogical and chemical properties between carbonaceous asteroids and comets.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01302.x","authors":["G. Briani","Alessandro Morbidelli","M. Gounelle","David Nesvorný"],"tags":["Asteroid","Micrometeoroid","Asteroid belt","Astrobiology","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-11-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01302.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W7154599335","name":"PlanetGSD 1.0: a cross-planetary grain-size distribution dataset from Earth, the Moon, and Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. Comparative studies of surface processes across planetary bodies are hindered by the lack of consistently parameterized, openly accessible soil data, especially the grain-size distribution (GSD) data. Here we present PlanetGSD 1.0, the first standardized and unified cross-planetary GSD database. It comprises 6,527 measurements from Earth (4,419 samples, 20 geomorphic settings), the Moon (379 samples, 8 missions), and Mars (1,729 rover-derived estimates, 4 landing areas), covering seven orders of magnitude in grain size (0.0001 – 600 mm). The traditional textural fractions have been transferred into a unique parameter set (μ, Dc, n) derived from the unified GSD (UGSD) function (median R2 = 0.988), with quality metrics, georeferenced metadata, site-level Weibull statistics, and open-source analysis codes. Technical validation confirms high fitting quality across all samples (97.8 % with R2 > 0.95) and robust inter-operator reproducibility for Martian image-derived measurements (coefficient of variation < 8.3 % for key parameters). The complete dataset is openly available on Figshare (Zhang, 2026) under CC BY 4.0 license. PlanetGSD 1.0 enables robust cross-planetary comparison of regolith properties, benchmarking of simulants, and data-driven landing site assessment, establishing a foundational resource for planetary science.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2026-206","authors":["Jun Zhang","Yong Li"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Regolith","Remote sensing","Martian surface","Martian"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2026-206","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W2765994775","name":"A study of presolar material in hydrated lithic clasts from metal‐rich carbonaceous chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We report on the investigation of presolar grain inventories of hydrated lithic clasts in three metal‐rich carbonaceous chondrites from the CR clan, Acfer 182 (CH3), Isheyevo (CH3/CBb3), and Lewis Cliff (LEW) 85332 (C3‐un), as well as the carbon‐ and nitrogen‐isotopic compositions of the fine‐grained clast material. Eleven presolar silicate grains as well as nine presolar silicon carbide (SiC) grains were identified in the clasts. Presolar silicate abundances range from 4 to 22 parts per million (ppm), significantly lower than in pristine meteorites and interplanetary dust particles (IDP), and comparable to recent findings for CM2s and CR2 interchondrule matrix. SiC concentrations lie between 9 and 23 ppm, and are comparable to the values for CI, CM, and CR chondrites. The results of our investigation suggest similar alteration pathways for the clast material, the interchondrule matrix of the CR2 chondrites, and the fine‐grained fraction of CM2 chondrites. Fine‐grained matter of all three meteorites contains moderate to high 15N‐enrichments (~50‰ ≤ δ15N ≤ ~1600‰) compared to the terrestrial value, indicating the presence of primitive organic material. We observed no correlation between 15N‐enrichments and presolar dust concentrations in the clasts. This is in contrast to the findings from a suite of primitive IDPs, which display in several cases enhanced bulk 15N/14N ratios and high presolar grain abundances of several hundred or even thousand ppm. The bulk 15N/14N ratios of the clasts are comparable to the range for primitive IDPs, suggesting a nitrogen carrier less susceptible to destruction by aqueous alteration than silicate stardust.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12994","authors":["J. Leitner","P. Höppe","J. Zipfel"],"tags":["Chondrite","Presolar grains","Meteorite","Parent body","Clastic rock"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-10-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12994","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W3088580489","name":"Helios spacecraft data revisited: detection of cometary meteoroid trails by following in situ dust impacts","source":"openalex","abstract":"Context. Cometary meteoroid trails exist in the vicinity of comets, forming a fine structure of the interplanetary dust cloud. The trails consist predominantly of the largest cometary particles (with sizes of approximately 0.1 mm–1 cm), which are ejected at low speeds and remain very close to the comet orbit for several revolutions around the Sun. In the 1970s, two Helios spacecraft were launched towards the inner Solar System. The spacecraft were equipped with in situ dust sensors which measured the distribution of interplanetary dust in the inner Solar System for the first time. Recently, when re-analysing the Helios data, a clustering of seven impacts was found, detected by Helios in a very narrow region of space at a true anomaly angle of 135 ± 1°, which the authors considered as potential cometary trail particles. However, at the time, this hypothesis could not be studied further. Aims. We re-analyse these candidate cometary trail particles in the Helios dust data to investigate the possibility that some or all of them indeed originate from cometary trails and we constrain their source comets. Methods. The Interplanetary Meteoroid Environment for eXploration (IMEX) dust streams in space model is a new and recently published universal model for cometary meteoroid streams in the inner Solar System. We use IMEX to study the traverses of cometary trails made by Helios. Results. During ten revolutions around the Sun, the Helios spacecraft intersected 13 cometary trails. For the majority of these traverses the predicted dust fluxes are very low. In the narrow region of space where Helios detected the candidate dust particles, the spacecraft repeatedly traversed the trails of comets 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdušáková and 72P/Denning-Fujikawa with relatively high predicted dust fluxes. The analysis of the detection times and particle impact directions shows that four detected particles are compatible with an origin from these two comets. By combining measurements and simulations we find a dust spatial density in these trails of approximately 10−8–10−7 m−3. Conclusions. The identification of potential cometary trail particles in the Helios data greatly benefited from the clustering of trail traverses in a rather narrow region of space. The in situ detection and analysis of meteoroid trail particles which can be traced back to their source bodies by spacecraft-based dust analysers provides a new opportunity for remote compositional analysis of comets and asteroids without the necessity to fly a spacecraft to or even land on those celestial bodies. This provides new science opportunities for future missions like DESTINY+ (Demonstration and Experiment of Space Technology for INterplanetary voYage with Phaethon fLyby and dUst Science), Europa Clipper, and the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202038935","authors":["Harald Krüger","Peter Strub","Max Sommer","Nicolas Altobelli","Hiroshi Kimura","Ann-Kathrin Lohse","Eberhard Grün","Ralf Srama"],"tags":["Meteoroid","Interplanetary dust cloud","Physics","Comet dust","Comet"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202038935","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4311508184","name":"The Origin of Lattice Rotation during Dendritic Crystallization of Clinopyroxene","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Understanding dendritic crystallization is key to obtaining petrological information about rapid crystallization events. Clinopyroxene dendrites from a basaltic rock fulgurite from Nagpur, India, exhibit curved branches with corresponding lattice rotation that exceeds 180° for some branches. This paper combines crystallographic orientation mapping with microstructural observations and compositional information to determine the dendrites’ 3-D morphology and their bending mechanism. Dendrites exhibit a network of branches in the (010) plane, following either {001}* (normal to {001} planes, strong lattice curvature) or < 10–1 > (weak lattice curvature). Three or more orders of branches are observed in the (010) plane, alternating between {001}* and < 10–1>. Side branches with weak lattice curvature extend sub-perpendicular to the (010) plane, following either {021}* (sprouting from {001}* branches) or < 12–1 > (from <10–1 > branches) and defining curved ‘ribbons’ containing their respective central branch. All branches rotate about [010], with a consistent rotation sense regardless of elongation direction in sample or crystal coordinates. Bending must therefore be caused by local asymmetric thermal and compositional fields in the melt, generated by dendritic growth itself, not by sample-scale compositional, thermal or mechanical gradients. The most likely cause of bending is asymmetric distribution of melt supersaturation around branch tips, related to unequal growth rates perpendicular to different facets. Lattice rotation is inferred to occur via preferential incorporation of high densities of [001] (100) edge dislocations of one sign. High inferred dislocation densities imply that the preservation of bent dendrites requires rapid quenching. Higher inferred degree of undercooling (based on microstructural observations) correlates with greater lattice curvature. Bent dendrites can thus potentially be used to deliver information about spatial variations in degree of undercooling and place limits on the history of a sample after dendritic crystallization. Finally, finding lattice rotation exclusively about [010] is a new criterion to identify cryptic dendritic growth stages in euhedral crystals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/petrology/egac125","authors":["Thomas Griffiths","Gerlinde Habler","Olga Ageeva","Christoph Sutter","L. Ferrière","Rainer Abart"],"tags":["Crystallization","Perpendicular","Lattice (music)","Curvature","Condensed matter physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-12-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/petrology/egac125","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4401134660","name":"Characterization of bulk interior and fusion crust of Calama 009 L6 ordinary chondrite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Fragment of Calama 009 L6 ordinary chondrite recovered in the Atacama Desert was chosen for a complex study of the bulk interior and the fusion crust by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy‐dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), magnetization measurements, and Mössbauer spectroscopy. SEM demonstrated the presence of Fe‐Ni‐Co grains, troilite and chromite inclusions in both the bulk interior and the fusion crust as well as many veins with ferric compound. EDS showed variations in the Ni concentration within the metal grains and within one metal phase in the grain. XRD revealed some differences in the contents of various phases in the bulk interior and in the fusion crust. XRD indicated the presence of magnesioferrite in the fusion crust as well as the formation of goethite nanoparticles with the mean size of 9 nm in both the bulk interior and the fusion crust. Magnetization measurements demonstrated the ferrimagnetic–paramagnetic phase transition in chromite at 44 K and low values of the saturation magnetization moments (6.46 and 3.26 emu g−1 at 100 K) for the bulk interior and the fusion crust, respectively, due to the lack of Fe‐Ni‐Co alloy as a result of weathering. The Mössbauer spectra of the bulk interior and the fusion crust showed some differences in the number and relative areas of spectral components. The revealing of the Mössbauer spectral components related to 57Fe in the M1 and M2 sites in olivine and orthopyroxene as well as determining the Fe2+ occupations of these sites from XRD permitted us to estimate the temperature of equilibrium cation distribution for these silicates which are (i) 662 K (XRD) and 706 K (Mössbauer spectroscopy) for olivine and (ii) 893 K (XRD) and 910 K (Mössbauer spectroscopy) for orthopyroxene.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14249","authors":["E. V. Petrova","А. В. Чукин","G. Varga","Zoltán Dankházi","Gregory Leitus","I. Felner","Э. Кузманн","Z. Homonnay","V. I. Grokhovsky","М. И. Оштрах"],"tags":["Troilite","Ordinary chondrite","Crust","Geology","Ferrimagnetism"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14249","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4408695045","name":"Primitive homochiral polyester formation driven by tartaric acid and calcium availability","source":"openalex","abstract":"α-hydroxy acids (αHAs), simple and prebiotically plausible organic monomers, were likely present in various environments on and off Earth and could have played a role in directing the emergence of the first homochiral living systems. Some αHAs, which could have been of varying chirality, can undergo dehydration polymerization into polyesters, which could assemble into membraneless microdroplets upon rehydration; understanding these processes is critical for unraveling how simple prebiotic molecules transitioned into more complex systems capable of supporting selective chemical reactions, a key step toward the origin of life. Here, we focused on tartaric acid (TA), a prebiotically relevant αHA with multiple chiral forms, to probe plausible mechanisms by which primitive αHA and polyester-based systems could have participated in selective homochiral polymer synthesis. Enantiopure solutions of d -TA or l -TA polymerize efficiently via dehydration, while racemic dl -TA polymerization is inhibited due to stereochemical incompatibility. We found that Ca 2+ ions influence this process in two significant ways: 1) regulating TA monomer availability through selective crystallization, removing equal amounts of both enantiomers in racemic proportion and thereby enriching the enantiomeric excess of the remaining nonracemic TA solution; and 2) modulating polymerization by suppressing enantiopure TA polymerization while enabling dl -TA polymerization. These findings suggest that the differential availability of simple inorganic ions, such as Ca 2+ , could have indirectly mediated the selection of simple organic chiral monomers and the emergence of homochirality in primitive protocell-forming polymers, offering a pathway from nonliving to living matter in early Earth environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2419554122","authors":["Chen Chen","Ruiqin Yi","Motoko Igisu","Rehana Afrin","Mahendran Sithamparam","Kuhan Chandru","Yuichiro Ueno","Linhao Sun","Tommaso Laurenzi","Ivano Eberini","Tommaso P. Fraccia","Anna Wang"],"tags":["Homochirality","Enantiopure drug","Polymerization","Enantiomer","Monomer"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2419554122","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W295137523","name":"Paleological and Ecological Impacts of Virus Silicification","source":"openalex","abstract":"Silicification of organisms in silica-depositing environments can impact both their ecology and their presence in the fossil record. Although microbes have been silicified under laboratory and environmental conditions, viruses had not been, prior to this work. Bacteriophage T4 was successfully silicified under laboratory conditions that closely simulated those found in silica-depositing hot springs. Virus morphology was maintained during the short period of silicification (48 hours), and a clear elemental signature of silicon and phosphorus was detected by energy-dispersive X-ray spectrophotometry (EDX). However, the EDX signature of silicified virus was not sufficiently distinct from that of cell membrane or phosphate minerals for that technique to be used to discover viral remains in hot spring mineral deposits. Having shown that bacteriophage T4 can be silicified, it was then determined that the impact of silica exposure on infectivity varied widely between different viruses. The effect on infectivity did not appear to be related to virus size or morphology. In addition, the impact on infectivity was at least partially reversible, indicating that it was caused, at least in part, by occluding infection-related structures on the virus, rather than destruction or denaturation of the virus. Those viruses which showed a decline in infectivity with silica exposure also showed increased resistance to desiccation after being exposed to silica, which has implication for long-range virus dispersal. The desiccation resistance was proportional to the degree that silicification reduced infectivity in that virus. Desiccation resistance also declined with prolonged exposure to drying, suggesting that the mechanism was due to the silica coating helping to retain water rather than replacing the hydrogen bonding of water. Virus dispersal is critical for both the spread of disease and the diverse roles that viruses play in Earth ecology. However, the mechanisms of host-independent virus dispersal are poorly understood and hotly debated. These experiments showed that, under mild conditions, diverse viruses can be coated in silica and that silica coating provides some, if not most, viruses with remarkable desiccation tolerance. Virus silicification thus provides a potential mechanism for global dispersal of viruses that could not otherwise tolerate the desiccation of wind-borne transportation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.2191","authors":["James R. Laidler"],"tags":["Hot spring","Mineral","Phosphate","Silicon","Bacteriophage"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.2191","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4390976616","name":"Cretaceous large igneous provinces: from volcanic formation to environmental catastrophes and biological crises","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Cretaceous Period was marked by the formation of numerous large igneous provinces (LIPs), several of which were associated with geologically rapid climate, environmental and biosphere perturbations, including the early Aptian and latest Cenomanian oceanic anoxic events (OAEs 1a and 2, respectively). In most cases, magmatic CO 2 emissions are thought to have been the major driver of climate and biosphere degradation. This work summarizes the relationships between Cretaceous LIPs and environmental perturbations, focusing on how volcanism caused climate warming during OAE 1a using osmium-isotope and mercury concentration data. The new results support magmatic CO 2 output from submarine LIP activity as the primary trigger of climate warming and biosphere stress before/during OAE 1a. This submarine volcanic trigger of OAE 1a (and OAE 2), two of the most climatically/biotically severe Cretaceous events, highlights the capacity of oceanic LIPs to impact Earth's environment as profoundly as many continental provinces. Cretaceous magmatism (and likely output of CO 2 and trace-metal micronutrients) was apparently most intense during those OAEs; further studies are needed to better constrain the eruption histories of those oceanic plateaus. Another open question is why the Cretaceous Period overall featured a higher rate of magmatic activity and LIP formation compared with before and afterwards.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1144/sp544-2023-88","authors":["Lawrence Percival","Hironao Matsumoto","Sara Callegaro","Elisabetta Erba","Andrew C. Kerr","Jörg Mutterlose","Katsuhiko Suzuki"],"tags":["Cretaceous","Geology","Large igneous province","Flood basalt","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1144/sp544-2023-88","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W3016191180","name":"Bruce F. Bohor (1932–2019)","source":"openalex","abstract":"Bruce Forbes Bohor, the 2011 Barringer Medalist of the Meteoritical Society (Glass, 2011), passed away at his home in Green Valley, Arizona, on November 17, 2019. Bruce is best known in our community for his discovery of shocked quartz in layers marking the Cretaceous–Tertiary (K-T, now called the Cretaceous–Paleogene, K-Pg) boundary in the central United States in the early 1980s, following the famous paper by Alvarez and co-authors in Science in 1980, in which they report geochemical evidence for an asteroid impact from K-Pg layers in Italy. The so-called asteroid impact hypothesis to explain the mass extinction at the K-Pg boundary had created quite a controversy in the early 1980s, as some researchers (unencumbered by knowledge of planetary processes such as impact cratering or shock effects) had contemplated multiple other explanations for the geochemical signals. Bruce F. Bohor (1937–2019) (photo at the Meteoritical Society meeting in Chicago, 2000, by D. Jalufka). Bruce and Leah Bohor at the Cretaceous–Tertiary boundary in Frontale, Marche Region, Italy, near the Osservatorio Geologico di Coldigioco, and not far from the site in Gubbio where the first evidence for an impact was discovered through geochemical data in 1980, and confirmed by Bruce Bohor by shock metamorphic studies in 1984. Another important publication was a second Science paper, in 1987, demonstrating the global distribution of the shocked minerals, all in the same coeval layer. His work, with colleagues, on the geographic variations in size of shocked quartz grains in K-Pg layers of various locations led to the proposal that the geographic variation in the maximum size of shocked quartz grains and the ratio between shocked and unshocked quartz grains suggested that the source crater is on or close to the North American plate, helping to narrow down possible locations of the source crater (which ultimately resulted in the discovery of the Chicxulub impact structure). In addition, the 1987 paper contained data that indicated that the impact was into continental crust rather than oceanic crust as previously proposed, and they that the geochemical evidence for a basaltic target rock was rather the result of a vaporized mafic chondritic projectile forming a major component of the layer, especially at the more distal sites. In the early 1990s, Bruce and colleagues studied zircons recovered from rocks in the Sudbury impact structure and documented a series of textures that they proposed represent different degrees of shock metamorphism. This sets the stage for using zircon as an impact indicator, and, in addition, they found that the degree of resetting of the U-Pb isotopic system correlates with the degree of shock metamorphism exhibited by the zircons. This helped to tie shocked zircons from all over the world to the Chicxulub structure and provided further evidence that other features, such as the Manson impact structure in Iowa, can be excluded. For his zircon studies, Bruce developed methods for etching zircons to reveal shock textures⁄features that are still used in such investigations. Further work concerned the distinction between the fireball and the fallout layers, or detailed studies of K-Pg boundary impact spherules, and where he was able, with his background in clay mineralogy, to provide a better understanding of the postimpact environment and the alteration of impact glasses. Bruce was born on May 4, 1932 in Chicago, Illinois, to Alexandria and Rudolph Bohor, who both were teachers in the Chicago school system. He received his BS from Beloit College in Wisconsin, his Master's Degree from the University of Indiana, and his PhD from the University of Illinois. As a geologist, he began his career at Conoco in Ponca City, Oklahoma, in the Production Research Division; he then moved to the Illinois State Survey in the Clay Mineral Section and then to the United States Geological Survey in Colorado. For his exceptional achievements in the study of imp","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13468","authors":["Christian Koeberl"],"tags":["Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13468","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4403050217","name":"From Remote Sensing to Artificial Intelligence in Coral Reef Monitoring","source":"openalex","abstract":"This review comprehensively covers the development of viable unmanned underwater vehicles based on their technical capabilities, in particular those designed to conduct research exploration in underwater ecosystems and address environmental issues through analysis of coral reef vulnerability. The most important elements to be obtained are in situ data samples for analysis and characterization, supported by molecular biomarkers and marine ecology indicators. The following aspects are considered in this study: first, the geographic distribution of coral reefs for the study of marine ecology and molecular biological approaches for the detection of biomarkers to evaluate the vulnerability of coral reefs are detailed; then, the technologies currently available for the study of coral reefs are briefly described, ranging from large-scale capture to local-scale capture directly in the study region, taking advantage of remote sensing systems assisted by aerial technologies, marine vehicles, and artificial intelligence for the mapping, monitoring, and management of coral reefs as well as the characterization of their vulnerability; following this, existing marine vehicle technologies are generally explained, including a categorical description and an updated and highlighted list of innovative and robust marine vehicles that have been used in coral reef applications; the technical capabilities of such vehicle throughout the missions they have been subjected to are presented based on bibliographic references; finally, this review promotes multidisciplinary work to integrate the developments in the associated knowledge areas in order to obtain synergies in the face of challenges related to the massive scale of coral reef degradation worldwide.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/machines12100693","authors":["Victor J. Piñeros","Alicia Maria Reveles-Espinoza","Jesús A. Monroy"],"tags":["Coral reef","Artificial reef","Coral","Remote sensing","Reef"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/machines12100693","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W7131358869","name":"METEORICA: Celestial Messengers — A Comprehensive Physico-Chemical Framework for the Classification, Terrestrial Interaction, and Cosmochemical Significance of Extraterrestrial Materials","source":"openalex","abstract":"This paper presents METEORICA, the first integrated multi-parameter physico-chemical framework for the systematic classification and cosmochemical interpretation of extraterrestrial materials. The framework integrates seven analytical parameters into a single Extraterrestrial Material Index (EMI): Mineralogical Classification Coefficient (MCC), Shock Metamorphism Grade (SMG), Terrestrial Weathering Index (TWI), Isotopic Anomaly Fingerprint (IAF), Ablation Thermal Profile (ATP), Parent Body Differentiation Ratio (PBDR), and Cosmogenic Nuclide Exposure Age (CNEA). Validated across 2,847 specimens from 18 global repositories spanning 140 years, METEORICA achieves 94.7% classification accuracy—a 4.9 percentage point improvement over previous automated systems. Key findings include: identification of a previously uncharacterized transition zone in the chondrite–achondrite boundary accounting for 12.3% of legacy database misclassifications; a new ablation thermal model predicting surface temperature to ±180°C across 94 instrumentally recorded fireball events; a statistically significant correlation between Widmanstätten bandwidth and parent body cooling rate (r = +0.941, p &lt; 0.001) enabling parent body size reconstruction to ±180 km precision; and validation of an AI-assisted spectral classification system achieving 91.3% agreement with expert committee decisions while reducing classification time from months to hours. The framework directly addresses the global meteoritics backlog crisis (over 15,000 unclassified Antarctic specimens) and has direct applications to planetary defense assessment and the study of presolar grain populations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.14293/pr2199.003006.v1","authors":["Samir Baladi"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Geology","Meteorite","Weathering","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.14293/pr2199.003006.v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W2730344541","name":"Chemical and oxygen isotopic properties of ordinary chondrites (H5, L6) from Oman: Signs of isotopic equilibrium during thermal metamorphism","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Mean bulk chemical data of recently found H5 and L6 ordinary chondrites from the deserts of Oman generally reflect isochemical features which are consistent with the progressive thermal metamorphism of a common, unequilibrated starting material. Relative differences in abundances range from 0.5–10% in REE (Eu = 14%), 6–13% in siderophile elements (Co = 48%), and >10% in lithophile elements (exceptions are Ba, Sr, Zr, Hf, U = >30%) between H5 and L6 groups. These differences may have accounted for variable temperature conditions during metamorphism on their parent bodies. The CI/Mg‐normalized mean abundances of refractory lithophile elements (Al, Ca, Sm, Yb, Lu, V) show no resolvable differences between H5 and L6 suggesting that both groups have experienced the same fractionation. The REE diagram shows subtle enrichment in LREE with a flat HREE pattern. Furthermore, overall mean REE abundances are ~0.6 × CI with enriched La abundance (~0.9 × CI) in both groups. Precise oxygen isotope compositions demonstrate the attainment of isotopic equilibrium by progressive thermal metamorphism following a mass‐dependent isotope fractionation trend. Both groups show a ~slope‐1/2 line on a three‐isotope plot with subtle negative deviation in ∆17O associated with δ18O enrichment relative to δ17O. These deviations are interpreted as the result of liberation of water from phyllosilicates and evaporation of a fraction of the water during thermal metamorphism. The resultant isotope fractionations caused by the water loss are analogous to those occurring between silicate melt and gas phase during CAI and chondrule formation in chondrites and are controlled by cooling rates and exchange efficiency.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12910","authors":["Arshad Ali","Sobhi Nasir","Iffat Jabeen","Ahmed Al Rawas","Neil R. Banerjee","G. R. Osinski"],"tags":["Chondrite","Metamorphism","Chondrule","Geology","Isotopes of oxygen"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-06-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12910","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W2751191834","name":"The noble gas concentrations of the Martian meteorites GRV 99027 and paired NWA 7906/ NWA 7907","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Here we present the isotopic concentrations of He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe for the three Martian meteorites, namely Grove Mountains 99027 (GRV 99027), Northwest Africa 7906 (NWA 7906), and Northwest Africa 7907 (NWA 7907). The cosmic ray exposure (CRE) age for GRV 99027 of 5.7 ± 0.4 Ma (1σ) is consistent with CRE ages for other poikilitic basaltic shergottites and suggests that all were ejected in a single event ~5.6 Ma ago. After correcting for an estimated variable sodium concentration, the CRE ages for NWA 7906 and NWA 7907 of 5.4 ± 0.4 and 4.9 ± 0.4 Ma (1σ), respectively, are in good agreement with the CRE age of ~5 Ma favored by Cartwright et al. ( ) for NWA 7034. The data, therefore, support the conclusion that all three basaltic regolith breccias are paired. The 40Ar gas retention age for NWA 7907 of ~1.3 Ga is in accord with Cartwright et al. ( ). For NWA 7906, we were unable to determine a 40Ar gas retention age. The 4He gas retention ages for NWA 7906 and 7907 are in the range of 200 Ma and are much shorter than the 40Ar gas retention age of NWA 7907, indicating that about 86–88% of the radiogenic 4He has been lost. The Kr and Xe isotopic concentrations in GRV 99027 are composed almost exclusively of Martian interior (MI) gases, while for NWA 7906 and NWA 7907, they indicate gases from the MI, elementally fractionated air, and possibly Martian atmosphere.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12950","authors":["P. C. Stephenson","Yangting Lin","I. Leya"],"tags":["Meteorite","Martian","Radiogenic nuclide","Atmosphere of Mars","Meteoroid"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12950","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W4393302753","name":"Fundamental Theory of Electromagnetic Spectrum, Dielectric and Magnetic Properties, Molecular Rotation, and the Green Chemistry of Microwave Heating Equipment","source":"openalex","abstract":"This review chapter provides a comprehensive exploration of microwave irradiation, focusing on its fundamental principles and physical underpinnings within the electromagnetic spectrum. It discusses the interplay of dielectric and magnetic properties, molecular rotation, and the physical aspects of microwave heating. The integration of microwave and ultrasonication irradiation in the context of green chemistry is highlighted as an effective strategy for sustainable chemical processes. Emphasizing adherence to green chemistry principles, this approach minimizes hazardous material usage and waste generation while maximizing efficiency. By harnessing molecular rotation induced by microwave irradiation, and understanding dielectric and magnetic properties, researchers can optimize interactions, leading to diverse applications in fields such as materials science and medical chemistry. As this dynamic field evolves, there is potential to revolutionize chemical processes while aligning with sustainability principles becomes increasingly evident. This review chapter aims to elucidate the intricate interconnections between microwave irradiation and its foundational principles, paving the way for enhanced understanding and innovative applications in green chemistry and beyond.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9783527844494.ch2","authors":["Raghvendra Kumar Mishra","Akshita Yadav","Vinayak Mishra","S. N. Mishra","Deepa S. Singh","Dakeshwar Kumar Verma"],"tags":["Microwave","Dielectric","Rotation (mathematics)","Electromagnetic spectrum","Spectrum (functional analysis)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9783527844494.ch2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"oa:W4400325237","name":"Raman spectroscopy of Ryugu particles and their extracted residues: Fluorescence background characteristics and similarities to CI chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We present here an investigation of Ryugu particles recovered by the Hayabusa2 space mission and their extracted carbonaceous acid residues using Raman spectroscopy. Raman parameters of Ryugu intact grains and their acid residues are characterized by broad D (defect induced) and G (graphite) band widths, indicating the presence of polyaromatic carbonaceous matter with low thermal maturity. Raman spectra of Ryugu particles and CI (type 1) chondrites exhibit stronger laser‐induced fluorescence backgrounds compared to Type 2 and Type 3 carbonaceous chondrites. The high fluorescence signatures and wide bandwidths of the D and G bands of Ryugu intact grains are similar to the Raman spectra observed in CI chondrites, reflecting the low structural order of their aromatic carbonaceous matter, and strengthening the link between Ryugu particles and CI chondrites. The high fluorescence background intensity of the Ryugu particles is due to multiple causes, but it is likely that the relative abundance of geometry‐bearing macromolecular organic matter in total organic carbon contents makes a large contribution to the fluorescence intensities. Locally observed high fluorescence in the acid‐extracted residues of Ryugu is due to nitrogen‐bearing outlier phase. The high fluorescence signature is one consequence of the low degree of thermal maturity of the organic matter and supports evidence that the Ryugu particles have escaped significant parent body thermal metamorphism.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14234","authors":["M. Komatsu","Hikaru Yabuta","Yoko Kebukawa","L. Bonal","É. Quirico","T. J. Fagan","George D. Cody","Jens Barosch","Laure Bejach","E. Dartois","Alexandre Dazzi","B. T. De Gregorio"],"tags":["Raman spectroscopy","Chondrite","Organic matter","Analytical Chemistry (journal)","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14234","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W1550052911","name":"Automated classification of interplanetary dust particles: Johnson Space Center Cosmic Dust Catalog Volume 15","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– The “Cosmic Dust Catalog,” published by the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC), describes thousands of interplanetary dust particles subjected to preliminary analysis and with labels indicating their origin. However, only about 80% of the particles are assigned unambiguous labels, the labels of the remaining 20% being uncertain. In addition, the Stardust mission results opened up the possibility that some particles classified as terrestrial contaminants are instead of cosmic (cometary) origin. In this article, we present a methodology for automatic classification of particles on the basis of similarity of their X‐ray energy dispersive spectrometry spectra. The method is applied to the 467 particles constituting Volume 15 of the catalog. A first part of the analysis is to digitize the spectra from their scanned images. The digitized spectra are subjected to agglomerative clustering, which reveals 16 distinct clusters or compositional types of particles. The Sammon’s map is used to visualize the relationship between different clusters; 6 clusters corresponding to cosmic particles and 10 clusters corresponding to terrestrial contaminants are clearly separated on the map indicating overall differences between diverse spectra of cosmic and terrestrial particles. By reconciling labels with the clustering structures, we propose the relabeling of 155 particles including the relabeling of 31 terrestrial contaminants into cosmic particles. The proposed relabeling needs to be confirmed by in‐depth study of these particles. The paucity of particles with firmly determined cometary or asteroidal origin makes it difficult to establish whether the spectra based autoclassification can be utilized to discriminate between cometary and asteroidal particles. The methodology presented here can be used to classify all particles published in the catalog, as well as different samples for which comparable spectra are available.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01059.x","authors":["J. Lasue","T. F. Stepinski","Samuel Bell"],"tags":["Interplanetary dust cloud","Cosmic dust","Cosmic ray","Physics","Particle (ecology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01059.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s00269-026-01350-2","name":"Bulk modulus and electron density distribution of high-pressure polymorphs of Fe-Ti–O minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00269-026-01350-2","authors":["Takamitsu Yamanaka","Takanori Hattori"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-23T11:32:14Z","doi":"10.1007/s00269-026-01350-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.71342/784394491230","name":"Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia, Impact Assessment","source":"crossref","abstract":"Deloitte Access Economics impact assessment released by the Minister for Mines and Petroleum. Between 2018-19 and 2023-24, MRIWA contributed $18.8 million to minerals research across 84 projects","url":"https://doi.org/10.71342/784394491230","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-06T08:20:26Z","doi":"10.71342/784394491230","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2645530","name":"Internet Directory for the Earth Sciences","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mark Mauthner PhotographyPhotographing natural history specimens and collections.mmauthner@gmail.comScovil Photography, Jeff ScovilMineral, jewelry, gem, bead, and fossil photography.www.scovilphot...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2645530","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-07T16:44:04Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2645530","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech6","name":"The Case Against SETI: The Fermi Paradox","source":"crossref","abstract":"A description of the Fermi Paradox and the Mystery of the Great Silence. Begins with a discussion of the origin of the term Fermi Paradox and the basic calculation that likely inspired Fermi's question, followed by a discussion of both Hart and Tipler's formulation of the idea, and counterarguments to their formulations. Also includes a discussion of the related concept of the Mystery of the Great Silence, the role of Cosmic Haystack calculations in addressing it. Concludes with an incomplete catalog and critique of some categories of proffered “solutions.'' Includes exercises for students.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech6","authors":["Jason T Wright"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-19T09:44:23Z","doi":"10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech8","name":"The Case for SETI: The Drake Equation","source":"crossref","abstract":"A discussion of the Drake Equation, including its origins at the Green Bank Workshop in 1961, and its appropriate role in SETI. Includes a discussion of the assumptions and structure of the equation, what N and L properly represent, how to interpret it in terms of expectation values, and both Drake's and modern estimates for many of its terms. Includes exercises for students.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech8","authors":["Jason T Wright"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-19T09:44:23Z","doi":"10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.2026-2529","name":"Rotorcraft Flight on Saturn's Largest Moon Titan: An Integrated Approach for Extraterrestrial Vertical Flight","source":"crossref","abstract":"Rotorcraft Flight on an extraterrestrial body presents unique engineering challenges. The NASA Dragonfly mission features a vertical flight vehicle that will explore the surface of Titan, Saturn’s largest moon. The Dragonfly mission necessitates that the challenges of extraterrestrial vertical flight be understood and addressed. Legacy verification methods for terrestrial rotorcraft systems are relatively uniform and consistent. However, there are inherent limitations when legacy methods are applied to flight on other planetary bodies. The differing environmental conditions between Earth and Titan pose one set of challenges, and there are no practical means of performing verification flight testing on Earth. Furthermore, flight must be fully autonomous due to the vast distances under which communications with the vehicle must span. The NASA Dragonfly mission is employing an integrated, multi-domain approach for system verification to address these challenges.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2026-2529","authors":["Michael R. Robbins","Robin M. Vaughan","Zachary R. Putnam","Timothy G. McGee"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-03T07:51:02Z","doi":"10.2514/6.2026-2529","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16040347","name":"Editorial for Special Issue “From Clay Minerals to Ceramics: Progress and Challenges”","source":"crossref","abstract":"Clay has been used in the manufacture of pottery since ancient times [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16040347","authors":["Maite Garcia-Valles","Pura Alfonso"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-26T13:36:40Z","doi":"10.3390/min16040347","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech9","name":"The Case for SETI: Beyond the Drake Equation","source":"crossref","abstract":"A discussion of the maximal case of SETI. Includes a discussion of some of the limitations of the Drake Equation, especially those that cause it to potentially underestimate the number of technological species in the Galaxy due to the fact that technological life can spread and outlast its native biosphere. Includes a discussion of the relative merits of searches for biosignatures and technosignatures.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech9","authors":["Jason T Wright"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-19T09:44:23Z","doi":"10.1088/2514-3433/adf5aech9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110517","name":"How particle breakage Sustains copper leaching in Run-of-Mine dumps","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110517","authors":["Hector M. Lizama"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-10T20:17:45Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110517","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.jsse.2026.03.002","name":"Toward extraterrestrial librarianship: Designing knowledge systems for human settlements in space","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsse.2026.03.002","authors":["Dattatraya Kalbande"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-22T22:26:12Z","doi":"10.1016/j.jsse.2026.03.002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110183","name":"The mechanism of the dissolution and growth of potassium chloride (Sylvite)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110183","authors":["Frank K. Crundwell"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-27T05:04:38Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110183","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110210","name":"Leaching kinetics of low-grade manganese carbonate minerals in gas-liquid-solid three-phase system","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110210","authors":["Qiu Hu","Feiyu Yuan","Maofeng Yang","Jiangtao Li"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-07T16:46:29Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110210","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s13280-026-02428-5","name":"Protecting earth from extraterrestrial contamination: The case for a lunar biocontainment facility","source":"crossref","abstract":"The advancement of space exploration into an era of sample return missions from Mars, asteroids, and icy moons raises the potential for biological contamination either to or from Earth. We consider the possibility that extraterrestrial organisms introduced to Earth could behave analogously to invasive species by destabilizing ecosystems or interacting unpredictably with their new environment. There are myriad cases of microbial organisms rapidly adapting to novel extreme conditions, undermining the notion that extraterrestrial life (e.g., indigenous to Mars) would be unable to survive on Earth. The plausibility of encountering extraterrestrial life warrants stringent planetary protection measures grounded in biosafety and biosecurity principles. Due to its proximity, natural isolation, and apparent lack of a biosphere, the Moon can serve as a secure site for biocontainment of extraterrestrial samples. Building upon historical lessons from biological invasions, we argue that a lunar quarantine infrastructure should form the cornerstone of modern astrobiological risk mitigation strategies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-026-02428-5","authors":["Frederick I. Moxley","Anthony Ricciardi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-28T14:19:32Z","doi":"10.1007/s13280-026-02428-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2555789","name":"Word to the Wise: Pleochroism","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2555789","authors":["John Rakovan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-21T16:02:41Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2555789","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109922","name":"Prediction of Mg adsorption and surface reactivity on silicate minerals using surface complexation model","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109922","authors":["Xinzhuang Fu","Zhen Niu","Chuanxi Peng","Haisheng Han","Wei Sun","Tong Yue"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-21T22:16:36Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109922","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2581551","name":"French Artist Françoise Besset (b. 1971)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Figure 1. Françoise Besset.Reproduced with permissionFigure 2. Beryl (morganite), Pakistan. Watercolor on 30 × 40-cm paper, 2022.Reproduced with permissionFrançoise Besset is a professional geologi...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2581551","authors":["Mark Mauthner"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-27T13:38:07Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2581551","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.32942/x2q37t","name":"Aliens Are Likely to Be Smart But Not “Intelligent”: What Evolution of Cognition on Earth Tells Us about Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"How likely is it that we will find aliens like the ones in so many science fiction stories–people who possess self-awareness and cognitive ability comparable to ours, but who arose from an independent evolutionary origin? Here I make the argument that if life has evolved on other planets, it may well eventually acquire complexity equivalent to that found on Earth. The resulting lifeforms may be good problem-solvers, including predicting their environment and the behavior of social partners, using tools, learning, and otherwise flexibly and adaptively responding to information: these are all traits common among organisms on Earth. However, on Earth, humanlike intelligence is unique. No other animal appears to have the same level of cognitive complexity, ability to use abstract and endlessly flexible communication, and ability to capitalize on social division of labor as humans do. Surprisingly, we do not know why this is the case: why are we the only ones with this level of intelligence on our own planet? This is not an unsolvable question in principle: we know the answer to many evolutionary “why” questions when it comes to animal intelligence. In the case of humans, however, natural selection to increase individual reproduction seems insufficient as explanation. Perhaps it is: sexual selection, the evolution of an exaggerated trait unnecessary for survival but impressive to potential mates, much like a peacock’s tail or a nightingale’s song, may be the most plausible explanation for the evolution of the human brain. If this is true, then we should expect cognitive ability, i.e. learning, memory, abstraction, and many other elements of intelligence to be commonplace in the galaxy as they are among organisms on Earth; but exaggerated intelligence as in humans may be a rare accident of chance, as rare as a peacock’s tail.","url":"https://doi.org/10.32942/x2q37t","authors":["Anna Dornhaus"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-17T06:36:02Z","doi":"10.32942/x2q37t","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.33063/diva-582226","name":"Ore minerals explained","source":"crossref","abstract":"Table of Contents Chapter 1 Sulphide mineralogy 1 Chapter 2 Oxide mineralogy 14 Chapter 3 Physical properties of ore minerals 23 Chapter 4 Hydrothermal processes of ore formation 38 Chapter 5 Magmatic processes of ore formation 50 Chapter 6 Conditions of ore formation 62","url":"https://doi.org/10.33063/diva-582226","authors":["Abigail Barker"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-25T09:48:49Z","doi":"10.33063/diva-582226","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16020128","name":"Surface Chemistry and Reagents in Flotation","source":"crossref","abstract":"For over a century, froth flotation has been a cornerstone of the global mining industry, responsible for concentrating base-metal sulfide ores and underpinning the production of copper, zinc, lead, nickel, and associated metals worldwide [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16020128","authors":["Shiva Mohammadi-Jam"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-26T08:14:23Z","doi":"10.3390/min16020128","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2614922","name":"Kansas Artist Catherine Rocky (b. 1955)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2614922","authors":["Mark Mauthner"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-21T16:02:41Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2614922","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s42087-026-00644-9","name":"Epistemic Orientations Toward Extraterrestrial Life: A Q-Methodological Study of Turkish University Students","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s42087-026-00644-9","authors":["Volkan Duran"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-16T11:27:32Z","doi":"10.1007/s42087-026-00644-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109930","name":"The grindability distribution concept for materials and its determination","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109930","authors":["Barış Akkaya"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-13T10:20:11Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109930","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1029/2026je009849","name":"Time and Tide From Utopia to Kraken: Stirring Results in Extraterrestrial Oceanography","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Tides influence the orbital and rotational evolution of planetary bodies, and tides in liquid seas may be important astrobiologically. Tides in the paleoseas on Mars have been evaluated (Jolley et al., 2026, https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JE009292 ) and have been found to be weak, contradicting claims of possible tidal rhythmite deposits at the Zhurong rover site. Tides in Titan's methane seas today are important hydrologically, and the tidal evolution of Titan's orbit and interior are an active topic of research.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2026je009849","authors":["Ralph D. Lorenz"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-29T03:26:58Z","doi":"10.1029/2026je009849","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1145/3807246.3807372","name":"Rover Localization on Extraterrestrial Surfaces Based on Aerial-Ground Obstacle Distribution Pattern Matching","source":"crossref","abstract":"Rover localization on extraterrestrial surfaces is a prerequisite for enabling large-scale exploration. Mars 2020 (USA) mission, for the first time, carried an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of acquiring high-resolution images of the Martian surface. This allows for rover localization by matching rover images with UAV images. However, texture-poor surfaces are common on extraterrestrial surfaces, and significant perspective differences exist between UAV images and rover images, making direct matching challenging. Accordingly, this paper proposes a rover localization method based on aerial-ground obstacle distribution pattern matching. Our method establishes correspondences between rock distributions extracted from rover stereo images and UAV nadir images, computing the rover's position via the space resection algorithm. Validation on a realistic simulated lunar terrain demonstrates the feasibility of the proposed approach, achieving fine localization accuracy with a dataset containing diverse rock distributions. This distribution pattern matching strategy circumvents the limitations of traditional pixel-level matching methods and shows promise for supporting future extraterrestrial exploration missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1145/3807246.3807372","authors":["Hongliang Wang","Fuxuan Chen","Xiong Xu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-09T10:50:37Z","doi":"10.1145/3807246.3807372","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2581529","name":"Through the Scope: Thinking about Micromounts","source":"crossref","abstract":"Proustite cluster, field of view 1 mm, Christopher mine, Cobalt, Ontario, Canada; collected 1910. Shelley Bédard photomicrograph.Reproduced with permissionA chance acquisition a few months ago got ...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2581529","authors":["Quintin Wight"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-27T13:38:07Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2581529","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-95-4693-0_6","name":"Additive Manufacturing for Characterization of Critical Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-95-4693-0_6","authors":["Sunil Mehla","Mark I. Pownceby","Suresh K. Bhargava"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-08T22:41:09Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-95-4693-0_6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2643131","name":"Connoisseur’s Choice: Goethite, Part 1: Southern Africa","source":"crossref","abstract":"Goethite is a very common mineral! It is an oxy-hydroxide of ferric iron, ideally Fe3+O(OH), which forms from the oxidative weathering of iron-containing minerals. For many people the name “goethit...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2643131","authors":["Bruce Cairncross"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-07T16:44:04Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2643131","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2615587","name":"In Memoriam: Jack Halpern (1920–2025)","source":"crossref","abstract":"A portrait photograph shows an elderly man wearing glasses and a blue sweater, smiling while seated indoors with shelves and decorative items in the background. Reproduced with permissionRare—just ...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2615587","authors":["Dona Lee Leicht"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-21T16:02:41Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2615587","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2643155","name":"In Memoriam: Scott Alan Kleine (1968–2025)","source":"crossref","abstract":"A man holds gold specimens in his palm, smiling, in a display area filled with mineral collections and jewellery.Reproduced with permissionWell-known and widely beloved mineral dealer Scott Alan Kl...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2643155","authors":["Kevin Dixon"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-07T16:44:04Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2643155","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ae29b6","name":"Microlensing Signatures of Dyson Sphere–like Structures around Primordial Black Holes as Technosignatures of Extraterrestrial Advanced Civilizations","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract We investigate the microlensing detectability of extraterrestrial technosignatures originating from Dyson sphere-like structures, such as Dyson swarms surrounding primordial black holes. These hypothetical swarms consist of stochastically varying, partially opaque structures that could modulate standard microlensing light curves through time-dependent transmission effects. We introduce a probabilistic framework that includes a stochastic transmission model governed by variable optical depth and random gap distributions. We perform a parameter scan and generate heat maps of the optical transit duration. We study the infrared excess radiation and peak emission wavelength as complementary observational signatures. Additionally, we define and analyze the effective optical depth and the anomalous microlensing event rate for these stochastic structures. Our findings provide a new avenue for searching for extraterrestrial advanced civilizations by extending microlensing studies to include artificial, dynamic modulation signatures.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ae29b6","authors":["Shant Baghram"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-16T09:23:14Z","doi":"10.3847/1538-4357/ae29b6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2614928","name":"Isotelus: The Giant Midwest Trilobite","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Ordovician trilobite genus Isotelus was first described nearly two centuries ago (Locke 1838). It occurs widely in the American Midwest and in south-central Canadian provinces. In particular, i...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2614928","authors":["Don Bissett","Jack Kallmeyer"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-21T16:02:41Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2614928","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1140/epja/s10050-026-01794-8","name":"Nuclear astrophysics","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Reactions between atomic nuclei are measured in great detail in terrestrial laboratory experiments; transferring and extrapolating this knowledge to how the same reactions act within cosmic environments presents major challenges. Cross-disciplinary efforts are needed in view of the many nuclear reactions that govern the chemical evolution of the universe, and occur in a broad range of stellar plasma conditions that require astrophysical exploration. The variety of quiescent and explosive astrophysical environments for nuclear processes reaches from Big Bang conditions through stellar interiors to a multitude of explosive processes of and near compact stars. Since the early identification of ’processes’ associated with the buildup of elements or nucleosynthesis, new insights have been obtained on the complexity of nuclear reaction mechanisms. This article will provide an overview in nuclear processing shaped by reactions during near equilibrium conditions, cooling and freeze out times. The emergence of molecular-like nucleon configurations within nuclei incurs important features at the low energies given in stellar interiors. Multiple capture and fusion reactions are key in the overall nucleosynthesis patterns. Here we use $$^{12}$$ 12 C induced capture and fusion processes to illustrate the challenge of low-energy measurements and the challenges of using theoretical methods to extrapolate measurements towards energy regimes within cosmic sources. Slow and rapid neutron captures processes facilitate the gradual buildup of heavy elements. Particle beam experiments at accelerator facilities above and deep underground simulate stellar reactions, and new experimental facilities and methods complement these by providing short-lived isotope-separated beams and high-flux photon and neutron sources in a new generation of laboratories, with laser driven plasma facilities and particle storage rings as the latest tools for the experimenters. This is complemented by improved theoretical tools to calculate the quantum effects of nuclear reactions at the various cosmic conditions. Astronomical signatures of nuclear reactions from within cosmic sources are deduced through a growing range of observational tools. This ranges from the determination of rapidly changing light curves characterizing cosmic explosions from supernova, novae, and kilonovae, through gamma-ray lines and presolar grains to the detection of rare neutrino particles from our Sun to distant cosmic events. High resolution spectroscopy of distant stars has been expanded to objects and transient events measured in the X-ray and the gamma energy range of the electromagnetic spectrum. The analysis of vibrational behavior of stars in astro-seismology provides new tools in probing stellar interiors. The isotopic analysis of meteoritic inclusions provides detailed information about various nucleosynthesis sources, which are important tools for the understanding of complex dynamic convection and mixing processes in the interior of stars. While requiring care in interpreting observational data, to account for various biases and systematics, this variety of tools provides new opportunities and synergies. Chemical-evolution models provide a bridge through stellar-abundance archeology and have recently developed to also describe the complex dynamics during the evolution of galaxies. This article seeks to summarize the efforts to determine experimental and theoretical efforts for a better understanding of the complex mechanisms that lead to the compositional evolution of our universe, supplemented by an overview of the broad range of observational tools that have been developed to test the experimental data and the theoretical interpretation of nuclear processes in the cosmos.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/s10050-026-01794-8","authors":["Roland Diehl","Michael Wiescher"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-09T13:51:36Z","doi":"10.1140/epja/s10050-026-01794-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/epsc2026-132","name":"A new version of the SETI protocols: The “Declaration of principles concerning the conduct of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI): 2026 update\".","source":"crossref","abstract":"We report on the recent update to the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) “Declaration of Principles Concerning the Conduct of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI)”, long known colloquially as the ‘SETI Post-Detection Protocols’. These principles were recently adopted by the IAA Board of Trustees, and represent the culmination of a multi-year proccess of development and approval by the IAA SETI Committee (Garrett et al. 2025; Tennen et al. 2024; Oliver et al. 2023). The IAA SETI Committee has, since the 1980s, developed guiding principles for the scientific community’s conduct in the event of the possible detection of extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI). The original Declaration of Principles Concerning Activities Following the Detection of Extraterrestrial Intelligence, adopted in 1989, established a voluntary framework for best practices in verification, information sharing, public transparency. and international consultation. It received broad recognition from the international scientific community. This document, along with the complementary 1995 Draft Declaration of Principles Concerning the Sending of Communications to Extraterrestrial Intelligence, was also presented to UNCOPUOS in 2000. In 2010, a streamlined update of the 1989 Declaration with a modified title, The Declaration of Principles Concerning the Conduct of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, was adopted by the IAA SETI Committee. Subsequently, the rapid change in the communications landscape, plus significant developments in SETI science – including the diversification of technosignature searches beyond classic radio SETI – meant that further revision was soon needed (Denning et al. 2019).In 2022, the IAA SETI Committee established a Task Group to update the 2010 Declaration, with the aim of preserving the enduring values of earlier documents while making them relevant to the realities of twenty-first century science, media, and public engagement. This process has been informed by historical precedent, evolving scientific practice, and extensive community consultation. The new Declaration of Principles Concerning the Conduct of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) – 2026 Update was approved by the IAA SETI Committee in a vote conducted in Dec 2025 - Jan 2026, with a very high approval rate among voters.This 2026 Declaration of Principles maintains longstanding emphases on verification and transparency, and also includes: a broadened scope to encompass a range of potential technosignatures; an expanded Preamble which anticipates the creation of supplementary Best Practices (including guidance concerning safety for researchers, and best practices in science and risk communication); delineation of the responsibilities of scientists and their institutions; and specific acknowledgement of the need for post-detection-focused research collaboration with interdisciplinary experts in science &amp; risk communication, social science, ethics, and law. Further, no transmissions should be sent in response to a confirmed detection without UN-level international consultations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-132","authors":["Michael Garrett","Kathryn Denning","Les Tennen","Carol Oliver"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-02T16:32:44Z","doi":"10.5194/epsc2026-132","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2669003","name":"Colorado Mineral Artist Brent Rovedo (b. 1970)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Like many mineral collectors, Brent Rovedo’s interest in minerals began as a child. He enjoyed picking up interesting rocks, including fossils, he found in the mountains surrounding the family home...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2669003","authors":["Mark Mauthner"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-18T16:28:11Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2669003","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2643132","name":"Oregon Textile Artist Shane Maxwell (b. 1989)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Figure 1. Shane Maxwell.A young person with braided hair and beaded jewellery gazes thoughtfully upwards, framed by intricate tree branches.Reproduced with permissionFigure 2. Wulfenite with Mimeti...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2643132","authors":["Mark Mauthner"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-07T16:44:04Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2643132","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1364/ao.586759","name":"Choice of optical transformation for photonic circuit wavefront sensors","source":"crossref","abstract":"Coronagraph designs that use photonic integrated circuits have the highest theoretical throughput for off-axis signals, and therefore the highest potential exoplanet yield for future high-contrast direct imaging campaigns. Using the rejected starlight, the photonic integrated circuit may also provide simultaneous wavefront sensing, allowing for the correction of non-common-path aberrations. This work considers how a photonic circuit should be configured to maximize its sensitivity to phase aberrations. Two cases are considered: in the first, the photonic circuit is coupled directly to an electric field in a piecewise manner, while in the second, the circuit is coupled to the field via an optical mode sorter. In either case, this work constructs a unitary matrix, which can be applied by a photonic circuit to produce maximum sensitivity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1364/ao.586759","authors":["Jonathan Lin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-07T14:00:10Z","doi":"10.1364/ao.586759","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109945","name":"Optimal control of infiltration conditions in heap leaching","source":"crossref","abstract":"• Optimal control strategy developed for time-varying heap infiltration conditions. • Processing time reduced by over 40 % compared to constant infiltration profiles. • Outlet acid concentration constraint enforced for solvent extraction compatibility. • Smooth control trajectories enable implementation in industrial operations. In this study, we present a model-based optimal control strategy to determine time-varying infiltration conditions in heap leaching processes that minimize processing time while meeting recovery targets. Using a mathematical model of a copper heap leaching process with sulfuric acid as the solvent, we formulated and solved an optimal control problem without any data-driven model reduction technique, employing control parametrization with a single-shooting approach and a strategy of successive refinement. Compared to optimal constant infiltration strategies, the optimal control profiles reduced the process time by over 40 % while respecting outlet acid concentration constraints critical for the downstream solvent extraction step. The resulting inlet acid concentration trajectories are smooth and practical for real plant operation. These results demonstrate the potential of model-based optimal control to improve productivity and resource efficiency in industrial heap leaching processes, and the approach is adaptable to other hydrometallurgical leaching systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109945","authors":["A. Eppink","H. Briesen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-20T20:25:54Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109945","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110631","name":"A review of recent advances in vibrational signal processing in the minerals industries","source":"crossref","abstract":"Vibrational signal processing is becoming an increasingly important source of information for monitoring, diagnosis, and control in mineral processing circuits. While early applications focused mainly on equipment condition monitoring, recent advances in sensing, signal processing, and artificial intelligence have enabled vibration data to be used more directly for process monitoring, soft sensing, and control supervision. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art in vibrational signal analysis with specific emphasis on mineral processing systems, including comminution circuits, hydrocyclones, industrial screens, and fluidised beds. Beyond a purely data-driven perspective, the review emphasises the interpretation of vibration signals as projections of underlying process dynamics in complex multiphase systems. This perspective is used to relate signal characteristics to physical phenomena such as particle interactions, flow regimes, and equipment–material coupling. Developments in time–frequency analysis, empirical and variational mode decomposition, and deep learning have reshaped feature extraction and modelling strategies for non-stationary vibration signals. Supervised, unsupervised, and self-supervised learning frameworks, including convolutional neural networks, autoencoders, and transformers, are critically examined for their roles in fault diagnosis, anomaly detection, and operational state classification. Importantly, the paper highlights key practical and scientific challenges that limit wider industrial adoption, including domain shift across operating conditions, data limitations, model interpretability, and the integration of vibration-derived information into process control systems. Differences in the maturity of applications across equipment types are also discussed, with comminution systems and hydrocyclones being more extensively studied than industrial screens and fluidised beds, which are identified as important areas for future research. Industrial patents and commercial developments are reviewed to assess progress toward real-time deployment. The paper concludes by outlining a set of open research questions and directions aimed at enabling more robust, interpretable, and control-oriented use of vibration signals in mineral processing.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110631","authors":["Chris Aldrich","Yuzhen Ji"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-21T12:08:52Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110631","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110580","name":"Flotation of rare earth minerals from Italian granite waste: mineralogy, reagent evaluation and process optimization","source":"crossref","abstract":"The recovery of rare earth elements (REEs) from secondary sources is increasingly important for strengthening the European supply chain and reducing the environmental impact of primary mining. This study evaluates the potential of froth flotation to upgrade rare earth minerals (REMs) from Italian granite wastes, besides exploring alternative reagents beyond those traditionally employed for REM flotation. Three feed materials derived from magnetic pre-concentrates and grinding fines were characterised using TIMA-X automated mineralogy, which revealed contrasting liberation and association patterns of the REE bearing phases: monazite and xenotime are fine-grained and well liberated, whereas allanite-bearing particles are coarser, more poorly liberated, and strongly intergrown with biotite and chlorite gangue. Batch flotation tests conducted in a 2 L Outotec GTK cell assessed the influence of reagent selection, pH, temperature, and regrinding. Nouryon’s glycinate-type collector Atrac 922 delivered the best combination of grade and recovery at pH 8 and 9. Controlled regrinding (20 min) significantly enhanced mineral liberation and TREEs grade, although overgrinding (40 min) and excessive ultrafine generation reduced concentrate purity and selectivity due to entrainment, despite yielding TREEs recoveries up to 85 %. Grinding fines exhibited superior flotation performance compared to magnetic concentrates, driven by finer grain sizes and better liberation of monazite and xenotime. Overall, the results demonstrate that flotation can effectively complement magnetic separation for rare earth minerals beneficiation from granite wastes. However, substantial REE losses − likely related to the surface chemistry and behaviour of allanite − highlight the need for tailored reagent strategies, optimised size reduction, and improved understanding of the mineralogical impacts on flotation performance.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110580","authors":["Silvia Gioiello","Duong Huu Hoang","Martin Rudolph","Licia Santoro"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-29T20:26:55Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110580","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109871","name":"LiPowderDeepNet: Deep learning-based particle segmentation for lithium mineral processing optimization","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109871","authors":["Xiangyu Xu","Xueyu Huang","Yulong Guan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-30T19:00:47Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109871","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1088/1742-6596/3240/1/012051","name":"Prototype-enhanced contrastive learning for terrain classifier of extraterrestrial mobile robots","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Terrain classification is critical for autonomous navigation and scientific exploration of extraterrestrial mobile robots. However, the performance of conventional segmentation models degrades when deployed to extraterrestrial environments characterized by monotonous visual textures, low inter-class variation, and extreme illumination conditions. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a Global Prototype-Enhanced Contrastive Segmentation (GPECS) framework. The framework introduces a novel two-stage prototype learning strategy to enhance feature discriminability. During training, the model is optimized via a combined loss that integrates a pixel-wise contrastive loss and a batch-wise prototypical contrastive loss to learn robust feature representations. Subsequently, a set of global prototype vectors is computed for each semantic category using the entire training set, which serve as category priors during the inference stage. The final segmentation is obtained by similarity scores calculated via the global prototype set. Experiments conducted on a multi-mission planetary image dataset comprising data from active rovers demonstrate the effectiveness of GPECS, which confirms our method can provide technical support for future missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/3240/1/012051","authors":["Hongjia Zhang","Yan Xing"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-21T15:59:59Z","doi":"10.1088/1742-6596/3240/1/012051","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109995","name":"Review of froth mobility and its importance in froth phase performance","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109995","authors":["Chitalu Chipili","Clayton Bhondayi","Joshua Gorimbo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-05T05:35:59Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109995","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.10.029","name":"Structures for extraterrestrial habitat: A review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Space exploration has long captured the human imagination, yet humans have spent only a few cumulative days beyond Earth’s surface during the Apollo program. As today’s missions aim to stay longer on the Moon and Mars, the need for reliable, long-lasting habitation structures has become a key design challenge. Extraterrestrial habitats are engineered systems designed to support human life beyond Earth. This paper provides a multidisciplinary and design-oriented analysis of pressurized inflatable habitats for surface applications on the Moon and Mars, with particular focus on the structural and habitability requirements imposed by partial gravity. The article begins with an analysis of lunar and Martian environments and their impact on habitat design and local resource utilization. It then traces the historical development of inflatable habitats from 1952 to the present, shaped by technological and geopolitical factors. A comparative study of materials, morphology, and deployment strategies follows, while current numerical and experimental validation methods are reviewed to provide a framework for future habitat development. • Analysis of how lunar and Martian environments affect extraterrestrial pressurized habitat design. • Comprehensive historical review of pressurized inflatable habitat concepts since 1952. • Comparative assessment of rigid, flexible and in situ derived materials for space habitats. • Impact of morphology and deployment methods on habitat efficiency and load distribution. • Critical numerical and experimental validation methods for pressurized inflatable and deployable habitats.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.10.029","authors":["Alfonso Caiazzo","Alessandro Casaburo","Giuseppe Petrone","Sergio De Rosa","Francesco Franco"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-22T15:17:30Z","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.10.029","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16010113","name":"Editorial for Special Issue “Mineralization Mechanism and Geochemical Characteristics of Coals and Associated Minerals”","source":"crossref","abstract":"Coal and its associated minerals are vital geological resources, holding significant value for both energy security and the supply of strategic materials [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16010113","authors":["Dongdong Wang","Xue Zheng","Jian Shen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-23T09:16:59Z","doi":"10.3390/min16010113","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2614913","name":"Letters","source":"crossref","abstract":"I thoroughly enjoyed the Rocks & Minerals volume 100, May/June 2025, pages 270–280, article “Recognizing Dauphiné Twinning in Quartz” by Drs. Carl Francis and R. Peter Richards. It’s a perfect exam...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2614913","authors":["Johan Maertens","Alan Goldstein","Peter J. Modreski","David London"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-21T16:02:41Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2614913","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1117/12.3121201","name":"Multi-objective optimization modeling and risk-resilient robustness assessment for large-scale extraterrestrial material transfer logistics systems","source":"crossref","abstract":"Addressing the massive interplanetary logistics challenge of transporting 100 million tons of materials for lunar colonization, this study proposes a computational framework integrating deterministic optimization strategies with stochastic risk assessment. The research first focuses on the deep trade-off between transportation efficiency and economic costs. Using a logistic regression model to predict launch frequencies at global bases by 2050, combined with operational cost quantification based on fuel compensation patterns derived from geographical latitude variations, a multi-objective pure integer programming model is constructed. Through algorithmic optimization, the study confirms that under various weighting configurations, the hybrid transport scheme combining space elevators and ground launch bases consistently achieves optimal overall performance. Subsequently, to address potential systemic disturbances in real space engineering, this paper introduces random variables to model extreme scenarios such as space elevator failures, rocket launch failures, and cable oscillations. Using Monte Carlo simulation, the study quantified the disturbance patterns of risk events on total project duration and cost based on tens of thousands of random trials, providing a system performance prediction range at a 95% confidence level. The results reveal the core role of space elevators in cost reduction while quantifying performance degradation caused by accident risks. This research establishes a scientific decision-making paradigm for large-scale planetary logistics missions, significantly enhancing the reliability of future space transportation chains.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3121201","authors":["Changkai Li"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-14T14:55:30Z","doi":"10.1117/12.3121201","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/epsc2026-851","name":"Supercritical Fluid Extraction of organic molecules from extraterrestrial samples: A new one-step protocol proposed","source":"crossref","abstract":"The supercritical fluid state is reached for certain compounds at high pressure and temperature, above their critical point. Under these conditions, such fluids combine the properties of gases (high diffusivity, low viscosity) and liquids (high density, strong solvating power), making them particularly suitable for the extraction of organic molecules from complex matrices, such as extraterrestrial samples. For instance, meteorites, and especially carbonaceous chondrites, can contain up to 4% organic matter1,2. Organic compounds such as amino acids, nucleobases, sugars, and carboxylic acids, considered among the “building blocks of life”, have been reported in meteorite sample3–5. To better understand the role of meteorites in the emergence of life on Earth nearly 4 billion years ago, their molecular characterisation is therefore essential. However, organic matter, already present in low quantities in carbonaceous chondrites, is often strongly bound to the mineral matrix, making its extraction particularly challenging.Supercritical fluids therefore offer a promising approach to overcome this limitation. The widespread use of supercritical CO₂ (scCO₂), due to its relatively low critical point (74 bar and 31 °C), as well as its availability, non-toxicity, non-flammability, and easy removal upon depressurisation, makes supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) a green chemistry technique6. In addition, scCO₂, commonly used for the extraction of non-polar compounds, can be mixed with polar co-solvents such as methanol, ethanol, dichloromethane, acetonitrile, or water to enable the simultaneous extraction of polar compounds. Moreover, recent instrumental developments allow the mixing of co-solvents with scCO₂ upstream of the sample, making it possible to generate co-solvent mixtures, gradients, and extraction sequences without intermediate sample handling, thereby reducing the risk of contamination. These advances over the past decades make SFE a promising alternative to more conventional extraction methods. It often provides comparable or higher recovery yields7–10, while overcoming common drawbacks such as high temperatures and pressures, multistep protocols, the use of toxic or polluting solvents, and contamination risks.In the context of astrobiology, SFE is particularly well suited for complex and valuable samples, as it is a semi-destructive technique that preserves the mineral matrix after extraction of soluble compounds, while providing efficient extraction and a low risk of contamination. Although astrobiology emerged in the late 1950s, this technique has only begun to be explored in this field over the past three decades11–15, especially for sample return or meteoritic samples. In this study, we focus on meteoritic samples by investigating the capabilities of SFE considering recent developments, particularly the possibility of implementing a one-step protocol with successive co-solvent mixtures or gradients within a 2 mL sample cell, a more realistic volume given the limited availability of meteoritic material. To develop our protocol, we first optimise the large number of parameters using a meteoritic analogue. Using methanol as a co-solvent, an initial screening of the system was performed by focusing on the four most influential parameters (pressure, temperature, static extraction time, and methanol/scCO₂ ratio), allowing us to explore the parameter space with only 19 experiments using a full factorial design. Finally, considering that different molecules are extracted under different conditions, we aim to optimise the protocol using co-solvent gradients to develop a single extraction workflow capable of efficiently targeting multiple molecular classes through successive extraction steps. We will present the first results obtained from this optimisation and compare them with classical extraction methods. Botta, O. &amp; Bada, J. L. Extraterrestrial Organic Compounds in Meteorites. Surveys in Geophysics 23, 411–467 (2002).Sco","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-851","authors":["Brieuc Bouhier","Lucas Bourmancé","Fabien Stalport","Hervé Cottin","Clara Azémard"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-02T16:32:44Z","doi":"10.5194/epsc2026-851","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16020138","name":"Definition of Neotype Material for Simonellite, C19H24","source":"crossref","abstract":"Simonellite, C19H24, was first described from the lignite deposit of Fognano, Montepulciano, Siena Province, Tuscany, Italy, in 1919. Its crystal structure was solved and refined in the 1960s on the basis of recrystallized individuals. Notwithstanding several studies on this species, no type material has ever been reported. Following a new finding of simonellite, its crystal structure was re-examined using a natural crystal. Simonellite is orthorhombic, with space group Pnaa and unit-cell parameters a = 9.2220(5), b = 9.1269(5), c = 35.8907(17) Å, V = 3020.9(3) Å3. Its crystal structure was refined to R1 = 0.0513 for 2721 unique reflections with Fo &gt; 4σ(F) and 244 refined parameters. Since no type material for this species is currently known, the studied material is defined as a neotype specimen for simonellite. It is deposited in the mineralogical collection of the Museo di Storia Naturale of the University of Pisa under catalogue number 20079.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16020138","authors":["Daniela Mauro","Cristian Biagioni"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-27T15:41:56Z","doi":"10.3390/min16020138","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2581550","name":"Connoisseur’s Choice: Gypsum Part 2: Mexico","source":"crossref","abstract":"Between being home to the world’s best-known mineral “celebrities”—the giant hydrothermal gypsum crystals of the Cave of the Crystals in the Naica mine in Chihuahua, Mexico, and a host of “lesser” ...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2581550","authors":["Peter K. M. Megaw"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-27T13:38:07Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2581550","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/0950236x.2026.2708660","name":"A poetics of abduction: Ben Lerner’s ‘The Lights’ and extraterrestrial intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"Ben Lerner’s The Hatred of Poetry (2016) identifies the Challenger disaster of 1986, and in particular Ronald Reagan’s rhetorical consolation for the loss, as the catalyst for the young poet’s interest in verse, a story fictionalised in Lerner’s novel 10:04 (2014). In his long poem ‘The Lights’ (2023), he makes an oblique return to this period, working with tropes from the film and television of his childhood regarding benevolent visitation from alien worlds. Lerner busies the heavens of stellar poetry’s traditions by attending to the dead and to drones, to sympathetic signals and to radar ghost tracks, thereby establishing the attempt to read the skies as an ancient urge supplemented rather than marred by increasing signal interference in the US ‘rocket era’ and after. I argue that ‘The Lights’ interpolates the latest debates about Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) and sightings such as ‘Oumuamua (2017), as well as philosophy’s recent contributions to discussion about the plausibility of extraterrestrial intelligence (EI). Crucially, I read Lerner as conflating Allen Grossman’s ‘virtual’ verse with the positing of alien beings, and suggest he figures poetry as not only a space of encounter, or an encounter with outer space, but itself a form of extraterrestrial abduction.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/0950236x.2026.2708660","authors":["Abbie Garrington"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-31T02:51:00Z","doi":"10.1080/0950236x.2026.2708660","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16040383","name":"Particle–Bubble Interactions in the Flotation Process","source":"crossref","abstract":"Froth flotation remains a cornerstone separation technology in the global minerals industry, fundamentally reliant on the selective attachment of hydrophobic particles to air bubbles [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16040383","authors":["Guichao Wang","Xiangning Bu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-06T03:11:28Z","doi":"10.3390/min16040383","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2645528","name":"Quantifying the Elongation of Prismatic Quartz Crystals","source":"crossref","abstract":"Proportion is something we see instantly when we look at people or quartz crystals. The latter are typically hexagonal prisms terminated by rhombohedral faces, and they may be quite variable in the...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2645528","authors":["Carl A. Francis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-07T16:44:04Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2645528","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2635308","name":"In Memoriam: Harris Peter Precht Jr. (1937–2025)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2635308","authors":["Johan Maertens"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-21T16:02:41Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2635308","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2514/6.2026-0073","name":"Advancing Pool Boiling Bubble Growth and Detachment for Extraterrestrial Applications Through Parabolic Flight Testing","source":"crossref","abstract":"To enable sustained human operations on the Moon and Mars, a deeper understanding of two-phase fluid behavior in reduced gravity is essential, particularly bubble dynamics during nucleate boiling. A parabolic flight campaign was conducted to investigate bubble growth and detachment under Lunar (1/6 g) and Martian (1/3 g) gravities. Heated stainless-steel coupons with varied surface treatments—polished, roughened, structured, and coated—were submerged in FLUTEC-PP1 to induce and observe nucleate boiling. High-speed imaging combined with machine learning-based image analysis showed that reduced gravity significantly increased bubble size, with bubbles in Lunar and Martian gravities reaching approximately 2× and 1.5× the size of those in Earth gravity, respectively. Surface morphology was found to influence bubble mobility, bubble detachment diameter, and total gas generation. These findings underscore the importance of surface design optimization, not only in thermal management systems but also in non-thermal technologies, such as electrochemical reactors, where efficient bubble removal and surface wetting is critical to performance.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2026-0073","authors":["Eugene N. Hoffman","Emilio R. Gordon","Seth Nelson","Akbar Whizin","Steven Green","Kevin Supak"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-28T05:59:51Z","doi":"10.2514/6.2026-0073","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110764","name":"Modes of occurrence of associated critical metals in chalcopyrite ore","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110764","authors":["Xu Wang","Sepehr Ghaderi","Yi Wang","Wencai Zhang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-18T16:02:43Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110764","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16050509","name":"Thermal Diffusivity and Thermal Conductivity of Serpentine Minerals vs. Temperature, Pressure, Structure, and Composition: Implications for Subducting Slabs","source":"crossref","abstract":"Heat transport properties of serpentine minerals are important to the thermal state of subduction zones, but available data contain systematic errors from contact losses, radiative gains, deformation with pressure (P), and/or modelling short-comings. Here, laser flash analysis (LFA) provides thermal diffusivity (D) within ±3% as a function of temperature (T) of perpendicularly oriented, nearly pure Mg3Si2O5(OH)4 polymorphs, Al-rich lizardite with minor brucite, three serpentinites, plus chrysotile and lizardite near Ni3Si2O5(OH)4. Visible spectra show that Fe is mostly ferric and Cr3+ occasionally occupies tetrahedral sites. The proposed coupled substitution of Al3+ + OH− replacing Si4+ + O2− accounts for extra OH− peaks in infrared spectra. Rietveld refinements and infrared spectra reveal that serpentine dehydration in LFA runs begins near 800 K. Thermal conductivity (K) vs. T is calculated within ~±5% from D, available heat capacity data, and ambient density. For antigorite, D and K are strongly anisotropic whereas chrysotile has extreme differences, but lizardite is nearly isotropic. A thermodynamic identity provides ∂(lnK)/∂P = 11 ± 1% Gpa−1 for soft serpentine, double that of hard olivine. Lizardite becomes more thermally conductive than olivine near the 1 bar decomposition temperature, which increases with P. Through feedback, and because released H2O vapor carries heat upwards, P,T conditions in serpentinized slabs follow the decomposition phase boundary during subduction.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16050509","authors":["Anne M. Hofmeister"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-19T13:11:31Z","doi":"10.3390/min16050509","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.spacepol.2025.101722","name":"Who speaks for extraterrestrial ecosystems?: Why ET should have standing","source":"crossref","abstract":"Christopher Stone's pioneering 1972 paper “Should Trees Have Standing?” proposed legal rights and standing for the environment under a guardianship model. In the decades since, the growing Rights of Nature movement has demonstrated the prescience of Stone's ideas. As humanity ventures into a new era of growing astrobiological research, and with increasing interest in commercial space development, the time is right to reimagine legal frameworks to acknowledge and safeguard the rights of extraterrestrial ecosystems. Building on Stone's argument, we propose that the legal system should recognise the interests of extraterrestrial life and its environments in line with his guardianship model. Several ways in which current law can be made to accommodate such recognition are suggested, for example through existing doctrines of international environmental law, including the ecosystems approach used in the Convention on Biodiversity. We examine the efficacy of the Rights of Nature movement and its role in promoting legal guardianship models to protect nature's interests, and call for engagement of environmental groups with key space governance bodies such as the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS) or the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR). We conclude that shifting the focus of current law and governance from an anthropocentric to an ecocentric perspective will allow non-human interests to gain voice in decision making, expanding Stone's circle of rights beyond Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spacepol.2025.101722","authors":["Emma Johanna Puranen","John Donovan","Marjan Ajevski"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-22T21:39:27Z","doi":"10.1016/j.spacepol.2025.101722","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109884","name":"Identifying opportunities for the selective flocculation-flotation of fine valuable minerals: A techno-economic analysis","source":"crossref","abstract":"Selective flocculation-flotation represents a potential approach for overcoming some of the challenges associated with fine particle recovery during froth flotation. To identify key opportunities and limitations for the implementation of selective flocculation-flotation, this work presents a techno-economic analysis of its application with the use of three reference plants: the Mt. Keith nickel plant, Los Colorados (Escondida) copper concentrator, and Fresnillo lead mine. Three main scenarios were examined: direct addition of flocculant to the existing flotation circuit; split flotation, where the fines are treated by flocculation-flotation while coarser particles are treated conventionally following size separation; and reprocessing of fine tailings . Since direct addition treats the entire flotation feed, it is usually the least viable option, while other approaches are more suitable for focusing on the challenging fines. Reprocessing of fines tailings provides the highest potential value when there are substantial fines losses, especially if the mill product is deslimed and discarded. Split flotation is the general best option, due to reduced throughput and hence reagent costs, and appeared viable at a modest 1 – 2% improvement in overall recovery. The inclusion of an additional cleaning circuit for the purpose of upgrading the product was considered, and in most viable cases flocculation-flotation remained profitable. Conversely, non-commercial flocculants for improved mineral selectivity should only be considered if the potential improvement is large. Sensitivity analysis showed significant gains with an increase in the proportion of fines, suggesting that selective flocculation-flotation can potentially become more economically favourable as more complex ores are treated in the future.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109884","authors":["Wei Sung Ng","Casey A. Thomas","Elizaveta Forbes","Isabella Verster","George V. Franks"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-01T02:30:37Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109884","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-95-4693-0_4","name":"Uses and Applications of Critical Minerals: Part B","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-95-4693-0_4","authors":["Premkumar Kothavade","Sunil Mehla","Amrit Raj Paul","Suresh K. Bhargava"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-08T22:45:00Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-95-4693-0_4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16070707","name":"Kaolinite-Group Minerals in Cultural Heritage Conservation: From Traditional Poultices to Nanocomposite Consolidants (A Critical Integrative Review)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Kaolinite-group minerals and kaolin rock occupy a distinct position in cultural heritage conservation. They occur both as original constituent materials and as components of conservation treatments. This review critically synthesizes the scattered literature on their use in the conservation of cultural heritage objects. It highlights the structure–property–performance relationships, including composition, particle morphology, pore structure, water retention, sorption properties, moisture transport, and residue formation on heritage substrates. Kaolin-based poultices are useful for desalination and cleaning where pore-size distribution, drying conditions, and application parameters can be controlled. Kaolinite and metakaolinite are mainly used in consolidation, the first acting as mineral filler/scaffold and the second as a reactive pozzolanic component, while halloysite is a potential nanocontainer for controlled release. This review highlights that kaolinite-group minerals should not be treated as generic clays, inert fillers, or automatically sustainable additives and particular attention should be given to issues of reversibility, formulation design, performance testing, long-term durability, and residue assessment, as well as to emerging data on toxicity and environmental impact. Future research should prioritize comparative testing, long-term field monitoring, and predictive modelling, alongside clearer assessment of health, environmental and sustainability impacts, to support evidence-based, sustainable use of kaolinite-group minerals in cultural heritage conservation practice.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16070707","authors":["Panagiota Manti","Eleni Gianni"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-06T14:01:08Z","doi":"10.3390/min16070707","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-95-4693-0_1","name":"The Critical Minerals Landscape: Challenges and Opportunities","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-95-4693-0_1","authors":["Sunil Mehla","Robin Batterham","Stephen Grocott","Andrew Hind","Suresh K. Bhargava"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-08T23:58:29Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-95-4693-0_1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110311","name":"A systematic review of hydrometallurgical processes for lithium extraction from hard rock minerals, with a focus on enhanced utilisation of Delithiated Residues","source":"crossref","abstract":"• A first review integrating lithium extraction routes with solid residue valorisation. • 10 to 15 tonnes of solid waste generated per tonne of lithium carbonate produced. • Sulfate and amorphous phase content govern the pozzolanic reactivity of leach residue. • 10–30% residue in concrete improves durability and long-term strength. • Extraction routes determine residue safety; fluorine and sulfate need strict control. Due to surging global demand for batteries and renewable energy technologies, lithium extraction from hard-rock lithium deposits has become a critical challenge. Conventional extraction processing involves high-temperature roasting, which is energy-intensive and generates large volumes of solid residues and heavy metal mobilisation, indicating the need for alternative efficient techniques. This systematic review paper, using the PRISMA guidelines, covers recent advances in hydrometallurgical lithium extraction processing from common hard-rock lithium ores such as spodumene, lepidolite, petalite, amblygonite, and zinnwaldite. The study investigates a range of processes, including acid and alkaline roasting, sulfation, chlorination, carbonation, fluorination, and emerging solvent leaching techniques, highlighting optimal reaction conditions to achieve higher lithium extraction efficiency. In addition, this work addresses valorisation of valuable by-products as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) in concrete, geopolymers, zeolites, ceramics, and road construction. By linking optimised extraction routes with efficient waste utilisation, this comprehensive review addresses key knowledge gaps and offers a coherent perspective on integrating lithium extraction with circular economy practices. Characterisation of leaching residues is also investigated for a better understanding of viable process adjustments to minimise environmental impacts. This review paper sheds insight into future research directions and supports the development of more sustainable industrial lithium extraction processes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110311","authors":["Maryam Fallahzadeh","Aleksandar N. Nikoloski","Hui Tong Chua","Ali Karrech"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-26T01:55:22Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110311","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2669020","name":"Who’s Who in Mineral Names: Joe Marty (b. 1945)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Specimen photos by Anthony R. KampfFigure 1. Joe Marty (2011).Reproduced with permissionMartyite is a zinc vanadate, Zn3(V2O7)(OH)2·2H2O, discovered in 2006 by Joe Marty at the Blue Cap mine, San J...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2669020","authors":["Al Wilkins"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-18T16:28:11Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2669020","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.028Z"},{"id":"doi:10.18311/c3m/2026/55611","name":"The Major Technological Bottleneck in the Critical Minerals-Based Manufacturing","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.18311/c3m/2026/55611","authors":["Jayanta Bhattacharya"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-31T11:24:52Z","doi":"10.18311/c3m/2026/55611","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16040342","name":"Editorial for Special Issue “Clay Minerals: From Paleoclimatic and Paleoenvironmental Indicators to Industrial Raw Materials”","source":"crossref","abstract":"Clays and clay minerals constitute important mineral resources from both scientific and industrial perspectives [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16040342","authors":["Elisa Laita","Javier García-Rivas","Isabel Abad"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-24T12:58:59Z","doi":"10.3390/min16040342","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2026.110101","name":"Preliminary evidence for possible extraterrestrial material in bottom sediments from periglacial Lake Onega (Karelia, Russia)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2026.110101","authors":["Тatyana Shelekhova","Oleg Lavrov","Grigorii Rodionov"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-29T22:01:33Z","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2026.110101","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110000","name":"Gaussian process regression for modeling computational and experimental mineral processing data","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110000","authors":["Amir Eskanlou","David Zhen Yin","Jef Caers"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-09T23:49:44Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110000","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/9781009322348.006","name":"Extraterrestrial, Running Over Pedestrians","source":"crossref","abstract":"Alien abduction reports often follow a strikingly familiar pattern: lost time, immobilization, floating, bright lights, and invasive procedures. These memories are emotionally intense and vividly detailed—even when the events themselves can’t be verified. This chapter explores how neuroscience might explain why such experiences feel real, even when they may not reflect objective reality. Topics include memory formation and reconsolidation, the vulnerability of memory to suggestion, and the ways cultural narratives can shape the content of extraordinary experiences. It also touches on hypnosis, dissociation, and why some individuals may be more prone to magical thinking or altered states of consciousness. Through this lens, alien encounters are reframed as meaningful phenomena rooted in the brain’s powerful (and sometimes flawed) storytelling machinery—offering insight into how belief systems form around experiences that defy conventional explanation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009322348.006","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-01T00:05:35Z","doi":"10.1017/9781009322348.006","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110704","name":"Advancing coarse particle flotation: how the NovaCell™ overcomes liberation challenges","source":"crossref","abstract":"For the successful recovery of coarse and composite particles by flotation, it is crucial to prevent or limit particle detachment. In conventional flotation machines, the strong hydrodynamic forces essential for bubble-particle collisions and attachment frequently lead to unintended detachment. The likelihood of detachment increases as particle size increases and as fractional surface liberation decreases. The NovaCell™ seeks to overcome this problem by using two distinct recovery zones that target coarse and fine particles separately, the former being achieved using a quiescent fluidized bed. Recent NovaCell™ studies have observed improved recovery efficiency at coarser grind sizes when compared to conventional flotation machines ( Morgan et al., 2024 ). This is thought to result from decreased detachment of valuable particles with low surface liberation within the fluidized bed. Experiments were undertaken on a run-of-mine ore using the NovaCell™ and a mechanical cell. The NovaCell™ achieved greater copper recovery compared to the mechanical cell, especially at particle sizes above 100 µm. To explore this further, mineral liberation analysis was conducted on the NovaCell™ products. The flotation response for each size fraction and liberation class was determined, finding effective copper recovery across all size fractions with fractional surface liberation as low as 10 %.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110704","authors":["Lonn M. Cooper","Graeme J. Jameson","Sherwin Morgan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-04T22:08:07Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110704","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110766","name":"Critical minerals in Australian coal by-products: Rare earth elements (REEs) in fly ash and Sydney-Gunnedah Basin thickener underflows","source":"crossref","abstract":"Coal by-products are emerging as potential sources of critical minerals, yet limited research has characterised such materials in Australia. This study quantified 54 metals in tailings from 10 coal handling and preparation plants (CHPPs) in New South Wales (NSW) by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and synchrotron micro x-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF) were used to identify trace phases. Average REE concentrations are comparable to the upper continental crust (UCC), with a Southern Coalfield sample containing the highest total REE concentration, hosted in monazite, xenotime, and zircon. Several samples were enriched in Ga, Li, Mo, Ni, and Sb, whereas Ge and Mg were consistently depleted. MREE enrichment is more pronounced in samples from the Southern and Western Coalfields relative to those from the Hunter and Newcastle Coalfields, reflecting distinct REE sources across the basin. Coal tailings calcined at 480 °C showed high REE extraction efficiencies for lighter REEs of ∼ 80 %, decreasing progressively to ∼ 30 % for Lu. Although Australian fly ashes contain comparably high total REE concentrations, extraction efficiencies are lower than those for the thickener underflows. This is attributed to the conversion of LREE-bearing phases to more acid-soluble forms during calcination, and the likely association of REEs with refractory aluminosilicate glass phases in fly ash, limiting acid leaching efficiency. Results demonstrate that Australian coal by-products are viable secondary sources of critical minerals, with recoverability governed by host phase and processing pathway.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110766","authors":["Jason Palozzi","Judy Bailey","Juliane Reinhardt","Rohan Stanger"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-18T16:02:43Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110766","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2668999","name":"Letters","source":"crossref","abstract":"The red, white, and blue minerals in the January/February 2026 issue reminded me of a favorite specimen in the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Their specimen CM27368 is a colorful large-cabinet...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2668999","authors":["Woodrow B. Thompson","Bruce Cairncross","Patrick Haynes","Philip Simmons","Jeff Scovil"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-18T16:28:11Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2668999","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109910","name":"Predicting the Semi-Autogenous Grinding (SAG) power index based on rock geochemical composition using machine learning algorithms","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109910","authors":["Esmaeel Ashrafpour"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-08T23:08:51Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109910","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110090","name":"Enhancing gravity separation of low-grade ilmenites by surface flash passivation against ultrafine aluminosilicate coating","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110090","authors":["M. Tang","J. Luo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-20T02:15:05Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110090","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2643133","name":"Who’s Who in Mineral Names: Virgil W. Lueth (b. 1958)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Smiling man with short white hair rests his chin on his hand, wearing a brown and black striped shirt, seated in a dimly lit environment with a dark, blurry background.Reproduced with permissionVir...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2643133","authors":["Ron Gibbs"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-07T16:44:04Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2643133","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16020132","name":"Editorial for Special Issue “Smart Exploration of Critical Minerals: Integrating Multi-Source Data for Enhanced Mineral Prospectivity Mapping”","source":"crossref","abstract":"The accelerating global demand for critical minerals, driven by the energy transition, electrification, and advanced technologies, has intensified the need for more efficient and reliable mineral exploration strategies [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16020132","authors":["Amirabbas Karbalaeiramezanali","Jeff R. Harris"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-27T09:05:27Z","doi":"10.3390/min16020132","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7560/332733-017","name":"14 Accepting the Hatred","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7560/332733-017","authors":["João H. Costa Vargas"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-09T14:12:54Z","doi":"10.7560/332733-017","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/ntls.70079","name":"Geological Revolutions in the Late 20th and Early 21st Centuries: Plate Tectonics, Extraterrestrial Impacts, and Snowball Earth","source":"crossref","abstract":"ABSTRACT During the late 20th and early 21st century three conceptual revolutions reordered our understanding of the history of the Earth: The spread of plate tectonic theory from the 1960s onward which brought geology the first meaningful theory for building mountains and the migration of continents; the rebirth of catastrophism in 1980 with the discovery of an iridium spike coincident with the end‐Cretaceous mass extinction; and recognition of two extraordinary glaciations extending to the equator, known as Snowball Earths, between 717 and 635 million years ago. Each of these challenged long‐held views of geologists and represents intellectual revolutions in our understanding of the dynamics and history of the Earth. Each episode also provided new conceptual apparatuses with pervasive and far‐reaching implications for many aspects of geology. Yet these three episodes differ in the scale of the conceptual changes required of geologists and the extent to which they triggered a reformulation of geological thinking. Moreover, whether these events represent canonical Kuhnian scientific revolutions is uncertain. Numerous historians of geology have discussed plate tectonics in the context of Kuhn's views of scientific revolutions, and some have discussed impact theory, but the Snowball Earth hypothesis has been less widely evaluated. Here I conclude that these episodes require broadening our understanding of conceptual change in the sciences to recognize events at a variety of scales, and that contra Kuhn, some of these changes may represent genuine progress. Key Points Three major conceptual advances occurred in late 20th century Earth sciences; plate tectonics; an impact theory for the end‐Cretaceous mass extinction; and the Snowball Earth hypothesis for late Neoproterozoic glaciations. These examples differ in scale and thus in the extent to which they generated a reorganization of geological thinking. These episodes do not match Kuhn's theory of paradigm shifts but instead suggest that Earth sciences advance by conceptual advances of varying magnitude.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ntls.70079","authors":["Douglas H. Erwin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-15T10:31:03Z","doi":"10.1002/ntls.70079","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1109/aixvr67263.2026.00072","name":"Outer Space Experiences in Virtual Reality: Towards Diffusion Models for Extraterrestrial Terrain Reconstruction","source":"crossref","abstract":"Virtual Reality representations of distant planets, stars, and galaxies are a driving factor for research, scientific dissemination, and public outreach. Immersive environments can be used to train astronauts, plan future missions, or study planetary features. Moreover, the dissemination of these endeavors through exhibits in museums and planetariums makes it possible to effectively communicate the latest research findings to a wider audience. To correctly visualize outer space, in particular the surfaces of celestial bodies, virtual environments must rely on scientifically accurate datasets derived from telescopes and spacecraft, which often present missing or degraded values. The current work analyzes the processing pipeline for extraterrestrial terrain data representation in VR, highlighting the most frequent errors that result in data degradation, along with their negative impacts on visualization and usability. The current work presents an approach for restoring missing terrain data using generative diffusion models. Results show visually consistent 3D reconstructions, suitable for representation in Virtual Reality, also supported by positive preliminary quantitative assessments (39.4495 in PSNR and 0.9660 in SSIM).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/aixvr67263.2026.00072","authors":["Giuseppe Lorenzo Catalano","Agata Marta Soccini"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-26T19:48:34Z","doi":"10.1109/aixvr67263.2026.00072","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.12.052","name":"MEMS X-ray source enables ultra-compact XRF spectrometry for in situ extraterrestrial surface analysis","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.12.052","authors":["Paweł Urbanski","Piotr Szyszka"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-02T07:35:22Z","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.12.052","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16050551","name":"Probabilistic Modeling of Lateritic Nickel Mineral Resources","source":"crossref","abstract":"Lateritic nickel deposits exhibit complex weathering-driven geometries, strong vertical variability, and complex multivariate geochemical relationships. These characteristics challenge conventional deterministic resource modeling. This paper presents a unified probabilistic workflow for lateritic nickel mineral resource modeling that integrates lithology and grade simulation within a consistent geostatistical framework. The methodology combines unfolding, plurigaussian simulation, multivariate imputation of incomplete datasets, projection pursuit multivariate transformation (PPMT) for decorrelation, and conditional simulation using the Turning Bands algorithm. Application to an Indonesian lateritic nickel deposit demonstrates reproduction of lithological proportions, spatial continuity, marginal distributions, and complex multivariate relationships. The proposed workflow enables explicit quantification of geological and grade uncertainty, providing a basis for uncertainty assessment in recoverable resource estimation and supporting downstream applications such as resource classification and drillhole spacing analysis.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16050551","authors":["Roberto Rolo","Jafar Arief","Selvi Yuminti"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-20T09:12:41Z","doi":"10.3390/min16050551","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110636","name":"Clustering methodology for enhancing geometallurgical parameter prediction by integrating improved clustering methodologies based on mineral liberation analysis images","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110636","authors":["Alexandra Roslin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-15T13:59:52Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110636","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2643127","name":"Demantoid Garnet from Val Malenco, Sondrio Province, Lombardy, Italy","source":"crossref","abstract":"Figure 1. Mountainous terrain surrounding the Sferlùn locality (outlined). This is the best known of the major demantoid localities at Val Malenco, and it has produced the finest demantoid specimen...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2643127","authors":["Andrea Morino","Antonio Miglioli"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-07T16:44:04Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2643127","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110444","name":"Technological, economic and environmental assessment of integrated lithium extraction from petalite ores: Ukrainian perspective","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110444","authors":["Dmytro Yelatontsev","Anatolii Mukhachev","Volodymyr Khaustov"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-28T10:41:11Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110444","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16010085","name":"Editorial for the Special Issue of Minerals, “Understanding the Geologic History of Italy: Perspectives from Geochemistry, Geology, and Mineralization”","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Italian Peninsula and Islands are among the most geologically diverse and tectonically dynamic regions in Europe and in the Mediterranean area [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16010085","authors":["Vincenzo Festa","Fabrizio Tursi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-16T09:28:12Z","doi":"10.3390/min16010085","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9798216395959.ch-015","name":"A Comprehensive U.S. Critical Minerals Plan","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9798216395959.ch-015","authors":["Frank Fannon"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-31T11:34:37Z","doi":"10.5040/9798216395959.ch-015","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110086","name":"Gaussian process modelling of an industrial flotation bank","source":"crossref","abstract":"A control-oriented Gaussian process regression (GPR) model of froth flotation is developed and compared to a previously developed parametric model. The model aims to predict the behaviour of froth flotation, taking into consideration which state variables are available from measurements: air recovery, top of froth bubble size, and pulp level. The framework encodes prior knowledge of a published flotation model. Each state is modelled using a separate GP, with a custom covariance function whose form is given by the flotation model. These kernels capture the interaction between the relevant state variables and manipulated variables. The model aims to balance the complexity required to explain such a complex process with the uncertainty of its instrumentation. To evaluate the ability of the GPR model to capture the process dynamics, the GP model is assessed using an industrial data set, demonstrating its capacity to improve the performance of state prediction. The purpose of the GPR model is to enable supervisory and advanced model-based control.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110086","authors":["Johan Lindqvist","Khalid Atta","J. Derik le Roux","Andreas Johansson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-16T17:02:37Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110086","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-032-09540-4_7","name":"AI-Driven Terrain Segmentation and Material Interaction Modeling for Extraterrestrial Landings","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-09540-4_7","authors":["Vaijayanthi Sambath Kumar","Sanket Balani","Deepika Kumar","Amrita Ticku","Vedika Gupta"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-02T00:01:24Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-032-09540-4_7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2614923","name":"Connoisseur' s Choice: Otavite Tsumeb, Namibia","source":"crossref","abstract":"Cadmium is a relatively scarce chemical element, ranking sixty-sixth in terms of abundance in Earth’s crust with an average concentration of just 0.15 ppm (https://periodictable.com/Properties/A/Cr...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2614923","authors":["Malcolm Southwood","Frank Keutsch","Raquel Alonso-Perez"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-21T16:02:41Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2614923","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110333","name":"Efficient cerium ion removal by ion flotation using ionic liquid-functionalized graphene oxide","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110333","authors":["Mahdie Ghoreishee","Fatemeh Sadat Hoseinian","Elaheh Kowsari"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-30T14:24:36Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110333","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16040382","name":"Simplified Data Analysis for Electrical Resistance Tomography: Application to Hydrocyclones","source":"crossref","abstract":"Data acquired from a processing system using industrial-scale electrical resistance tomography (ERT) could provide valuable information on the operational performance of hydrocyclones. Tomography images of hydrocyclones, in general, are used to analyze operational parameters, but their analysis may not be fast enough to capture transient changes or provide clear phase boundaries between the object of interest and the medium. In such cases, one of the alternative approaches is to utilize least-squares modeling of the raw data to interpret transient changes, which is relatively faster and more efficient. In hindsight, this method may not be able to identify the location of the object of interest. In this paper, a new data analysis approach to estimate transient changes in the disturbance and a simplified conductivity matrix to estimate the location of the disturbance are considered. The conductivities measured across a cross-section were used to calculate the size of the disturbance. The disturbance’s position with respect to the cross-section was estimated using a simplified reconstruction of the conductivity matrix. In both cases, the same conductivity matrix was used. Several fundamental ERT experiments with different disturbance sizes were carried out to establish a suitable algorithm that could identify the disturbance. The analysis method presented in this paper can provide a basis to further explore an additional approach to analyze the performance of the hydrocyclone. The estimated radius of the disturbance was overlaid on an actual cross-section to infer the position with respect to the cross-section of the system. An attempt was also made to develop an empirical relationship that can estimate the effective size of the disturbance. The paper also discusses some implementation and practical challenges that need to be addressed for us to gain confidence in the proposed analysis method.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16040382","authors":["Manoj Khanal","Vladimir Jokovic","Travis Cottrill","Paul Revell"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-06T03:11:28Z","doi":"10.3390/min16040382","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2581542","name":"A New Fluorite Locality in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains","source":"crossref","abstract":"Numerous well-known localities in Colorado have produced attractive fluorite specimens. These include pegmatites within the Pikes Peak Batholith, the Sweet Home and Climax mines in the Central Colo...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2581542","authors":["Jasper Bertisen","Robert Stoufer"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-27T13:38:07Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2581542","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110600","name":"Multi-feature fusion recognition based on gloss perception and discriminative level prior correction for intelligent sorting","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110600","authors":["Na Li","Feiyang Cui"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-02T21:05:09Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110600","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2581534","name":"In Memoriam: William Dameron (1942–2025)","source":"crossref","abstract":"William (“Bill” or “Barite Bill”) Dameron, mineral collector, musician, arts patron, scholar, diplomat, and dear friend to many, passed away on 4 August 2025 from an aggressive lung cancer. Despite...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2581534","authors":["Peter K. M. Megaw","Julian C. Gray"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-27T13:38:07Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2581534","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1787/4fcb4f91-en","name":"Determining the Price of Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1787/4fcb4f91-en","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-20T00:23:02Z","doi":"10.1787/4fcb4f91-en","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2581526","name":"Who’s Who in Mineral Names: Michael J. Bainbridge (b. 1974)","source":"crossref","abstract":"A portrait photograph shows a man standing in a studio setting with lighting equipment, positioned in front of a dark background, with a neutral expression. Self-portrait, courtesy Michael J. Bainb...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2581526","authors":["Steven C. Chamberlain"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-21T16:02:41Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2581526","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110593","name":"Advances in the beneficiation of associated silver resource","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110593","authors":["Zhipeng Tang","Hongliang Zhang","Minsheng Fu","Rong Wang","Wei Sun","Chenyang Zhang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-10T10:23:31Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110593","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.10.013","name":"Extraterrestrial infrastructures: Review of in-situ materials, envelope solutions, and energy performance of livable Martian and lunar habitats","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.10.013","authors":["Cosimo Razeto","Rina Visvanathan","Ehsan Kamel"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-09T17:25:11Z","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.10.013","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110048","name":"Few-Shot ball mill load recognition based on multimodal feature mode decomposition and improved MAML","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110048","authors":["Lirong Yang","Hui Yang","Xiaolong Zhu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-22T14:17:34Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110048","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16020159","name":"Advances in Magnetic and Electromagnetic Technique Interpretation","source":"crossref","abstract":"Magnetic and electromagnetic techniques have been applied successfully to mineral exploration discovery. Both techniques rely on inferring the distribution of subsurface physical properties based on ground, airborne or borehole field measurements. Consequently, interpretation methods relating field measurements to underground physical properties are key to geophysical method success. Over the last 15 years, with the evolution of computer processing techniques, interpretation methods have matured and have seen numerous developments, from approximate interpretation to 3D inversion. The recent study of the scientific literature on magnetic and electromagnetic interpretation followed by an analysis of the distribution of the publication of these studies publication (and the citation numbers quoted) outline the research on these topics. The majority of studies are on electromagnetism, with an emphasis on numerical modeling, approximations, superparamagnetism, and induced polarization. In magnetics, the most popular studies were on remanence magnetization inversion and Euler deconvolution. Studies applicable to both methods involved 3D inversion, artificial intelligence, and open-source software. The number of citations reveals a different picture than the number of publications, where the same categories are present but magnetic study citations dominate, indicating in general a time lag of 10 years. The results of this review may help direct future research in these areas.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16020159","authors":["Marc A. Vallée","Mouhamed Moussaoui","Khorram Khan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-30T11:09:22Z","doi":"10.3390/min16020159","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109849","name":"Development and validation of artificial intelligence models to predict standard comminution parameters","source":"crossref","abstract":"Artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing scientific progress in various fields and has even been recognized with a Nobel Prize in Physics. This development is being applied to many areas of the mining sector, including machine learning applied to predict rock strength parameters using geochemical and mineralogical data. The Geopyörä breakage test measures energy and force during rock fracture, with additional metrics obtained through sieving and specific gravity tests, which are later applied to mathematical models. In this work, Deep Neural Networks (DNN) were trained on raw test data to predict comminution parameters, bypassing the need for direct mathematical equations while enhancing accuracy by allowing the model to adapt to observed data patterns. This paper presents the development of machine learning models for predicting comminution parameters and provides a statistical validation of the results, comparing outputs to the industry-standard SMC Drop Weight Index (DWI) and Bond Ball Mill Work Index (BWI) tests.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109849","authors":["Marcos Bueno","Leonardo Lara","Thiago de Almeida","Malcolm Powell"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-31T05:32:21Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109849","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110392","name":"Flash calcination of fine spodumene concentrate in the Calix reactor","source":"crossref","abstract":"A spodumene concentrate containing 6.0% Li2O with a size range of 90% passing 200 μm was calcined in a Calix reactor, a new type of flash calcination reactor, between 1050°C and 1120°C converting up to 88% of the α-spodumene to β-/γ-spodumene. In this reactor, powdered material falls through a heated, vertical shaft. Rapid conversion of α-spodumene to β-/γ-spodumene was achieved using this new furnace, though multiple passes, up to four were needed to achieve good conversion percentages. When two different size fractions, -106 μm and +106 μm were treated under the same conditions (one pass, 1100°C) there was minimal difference in the extent of conversion. Calcination led to an increase in surface area, a decrease in density, and a change in particle size distribution. The unit-cell expansion that occurs during the phase change from α- to β-/γ-spodumene resulted in an increase in the top-size of the particles, but the stresses from uneven expansion caused cracking and fragmentation of the spodumene which increased the amount of fines present. In the intermediate stages of conversion, this resulted in an increase in surface area as the particles become covered in cracks. Acid baking/water leaching of the calcined samples was performed using a standard set of conditions: 180% stoichiometric acid requirement, 250°C for 1 h followed by 2 h of leaching in water at 50°C. Lithium extractions correlated closely with the extent of spodumene conversion of the calcined samples as measured by chemical and XRD methods. Preliminary results showed that separation of α- from β-/γ-spodumene is possible by gravity-separation, which presents an opportunity to further optimise the technology by separating the converted material, though more work is needed to develop this into an effective separation process.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110392","authors":["Rorie Gilligan","Martin Wells","Matthew E. Boot-Hanford","Aleksandar N. Nikoloski"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-20T08:16:49Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110392","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-95-4693-0_10","name":"Critical Minerals as Feedstocks for Additive Manufacturing","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-95-4693-0_10","authors":["Amrit Raj Paul","Sunil Mehla","Premkumar Kothavade","Milan Brandt","Maciej Mazur","Suresh K. Bhargava"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-08T23:09:02Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-95-4693-0_10","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109830","name":"Weathering processes and critical minerals distribution in VMS tailings from Storwartz, Norway","source":"crossref","abstract":"• Storwartz tailings contain up to 10 wt% sulfides in unoxidized zones. • Stratigraphic heterogeneity reflects deposition and hydrological controls. • Critical metals (Cu, Zn, Co) persist in deeper, unweathered tailings layers. • Low volume and poor mineral liberation hinder reprocessing feasibility. Historical mining activities have left behind substantial amount of sulfidic mine tailings that present major environmental and human health risks. These tailings were disposed of using inadequate disposal practices. A thorough understanding of the chemical and mineralogical composition of these tailings is crucial for assessing their environmental impact and devising effective remediation strategies. This knowledge can help transform these tailings from waste into valuable secondary resources. The historical Storwartz mine tailings are located in the prolific Røros mining district, Norway with over 300 years of mining history and are part of a UNESCO heritage site. The tailings result from flotation of volcanic-hosted massive sulfide (VMS) ores from the beginning of the 20th century and were disposed indiscriminately near the processing plant. This has resulted in extensive weathering of the tailings and decades of acid rock drainage seeping into the lake Djupsjøen several kilometers downstream. This study, focusing on the mineralogy, explores the alterations and current composition of the tailings including their content of critical raw materials and models the basic processes impacting the composition as a result of low temperature weathering. Results show that the tailings have a highly variable composition in 1 m intervals of push core samples. Economically important elements such as zinc, copper, and cobalt reach concentrations of up to 2.8 wt%, 0.5 wt%, and 145 ppm respectively. For environmentally concerning elements, lead is present at concentrations of up to 2470 ppm in some samples. Mineralogically, the tailings are predominantly composed of quartz and chamosite (up to 70 wt% of modal mineralogy), with minor amounts of albite, k-feldspar, biotite, garnet and sulfides. Sulfide minerals, including pyrrhotite, pyrite, sphalerite, and chalcopyrite, are restricted to the deeper, unoxidized layers of the tailings, with notable enrichment at the transition zone between oxidized and unoxidized tailings in the cores. This mineralogical zonation reflects progressive sulfide oxidation, carbonate dissolution and silicates consumption driven by fluctuating redox conditions and water table dynamics. While it is unlikely that the Storwartz mine tailings will be reprocessed due to their modest volume (less than 1 Mt) and UNESCO heritage status, the knowledge gained from this study provides valuable insights into the mineralogy and post-production history of tailings worldwide. On a global scale, our study demonstrates the environmental impact and the potential revalorization of unsupervised historical tailing deposits.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109830","authors":["Nikita Malafeevskiy","Eilif Kongssund","Rune B. Larsen","Kurt Aasly"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-15T20:38:50Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109830","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9798216395959.ch-009","name":"An Evaluation of the Minerals Security Partnership","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9798216395959.ch-009","authors":["Jane Nakano"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-31T11:34:37Z","doi":"10.5040/9798216395959.ch-009","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2643134","name":"The Where of Mineral Names: Ovamboite, Tsumeb Mine, Tsumeb, Oshikoto Region, Namibia","source":"crossref","abstract":"Ovamboite, Cu10Fe3WGe3S16, and maikainite, Cu20(Fe,Cu)6Mo2Ge6S32, were collectively described by Spiridonov (2003), and together they form the molybdenum and tungsten end-members of a solid-solutio...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2643134","authors":["Bruce Cairncross"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-07T16:44:04Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2643134","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2645527","name":"Maine’s Finest Topaz Crystals, Lord Hill, Stoneham, Oxford County","source":"crossref","abstract":"Topaz is a mineral well known outside the mineral collecting community because it is the traditional birthstone for November, and topaz is popular within the community for its fine crystals. Chemic...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2645527","authors":["Myles Felch","Carl A. Francis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-07T16:44:04Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2645527","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110804","name":"Geometallurgical zoning of the Sungun copper deposit using K–means clustering to facilitate short-term production planning","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110804","authors":["Ahmad MehranTabar","Amir Khademian"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-27T00:06:48Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110804","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-032-05988-8_300381","name":"Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-05988-8_300381","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-12T14:05:58Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-032-05988-8_300381","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109895","name":"Comments On: Impact assessment and optimization of REFLUX flotation cell (RFC) primary settings on copper sulfide ore flotation (Guner and Kowalczuk, Minerals Engineering, 233, 109653, 2025)","source":"crossref","abstract":"• The Reflux Flotation Cell permits decoupling of gas and liquid fluxes. • The external volume fraction of the froth can be set to a high level of 0.85. • A high bias flux can then be applied to produce a clean concentrate. • Alternatively, the system can be operated as a rougher cell. Recently Galvin wrote a letter to the editor of Minerals Engineering concerning the recent publication titled “Impact assessment and optimization of REFLUX flotation cell (RFC) primary settings on copper sulfide ore flotation”. The authors of the paper, Gunder and Kowalczuk, later responded with their own letter to the editor. Following direct discussion between the parties, it was mutually agreed to communicate a join letter to the editor. Guner and Kowalczuk (2025) reported on a study aimed at optimising the performance of the Reflux Flotation Cell, applying the Design of Experiment (DOE) method. It was noted that the RFC is a novel flotation device designed to recover and concentrate hydrophobic minerals. Galvin contended the DOE optimisation was conducted outside the operating domain in which the RFC achieves its characteristic high-level cleaning, even for a rougher feed. He noted the external volume fraction of the foam leaving the RFC can be controlled and ideally constrained to ϕ e ∼ 0.85. The optimum condition reported by Guner and Kowalczuk, however, corresponded to a much lower value of ϕ e = 0.6, resulting in wetter foam carrying more entrained gangue. Guner and Kowalczuk were aware of the external volume fraction boundary condition but were motivated by the need to optimize the RFC as a rougher flotation, while Galvin is motivated by the need to reduce the complexity of flowsheets by focussing on single stage separators that can deliver simultaneous rougher and cleaner flotation, even with significant feed fluxes. This letter draws an important distinction between these two diverse motivations, offering a clearer perspective for the literature.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109895","authors":["K.P. Galvin","Mustafa Guner","Pshem Kowalczuk"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-30T23:27:46Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109895","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109843","name":"Sulfidation reconstruction methods for improving the floatability of copper oxide minerals: A review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109843","authors":["Xinlei Wei","Yongsheng Sun","Xiaotong Wei","Peng Gao"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-21T20:08:35Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109843","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110554","name":"Research on a novel feedwell based on multi-stage feeding technology","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110554","authors":["Chong Yang","Yihong Yang","Zhengchang Shen","Maoqi He","Fangjia Liu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-23T16:58:59Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110554","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110790","name":"An IDE-PLS based method for dynamic modeling of flotation pH regulation processes","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110790","authors":["Siyuan Wang","Shuxun Fan","Guofan Zhang","Qing Shi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-21T04:14:33Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110790","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16030319","name":"Molecular Modeling of Arsenic Species Adsorption on Clay Minerals and in the Presence of Organic Matter","source":"crossref","abstract":"Arsenic (As) contamination of soils is a critical environmental and geochemical concern, with its mobility and bioavailability largely controlled by molecular-scale interactions with soil minerals. This study investigates the adsorption behavior of arsenate [As(V)] and arsenious acid [As(III)] on major clay minerals to elucidate fundamental controls on As retention in soil and sediment systems. Molecular modeling approaches were employed to investigate these interactions. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed on cluster models of illite, chlorite, montmorillonite, and kaolinite to evaluate adsorption configurations and binding energies of arsenate and arsenious acid. In addition, semiempirical (PM6) and classical force-field (UFF) methods were used to examine the influence of vermicompost-derived organic matter on arsenate-mineral interactions. Multiple adsorption configurations, including atop atom, bridge, three-fold filled, and three-fold hollow sites, were evaluated, and binding energies were calculated with correction for basis set superposition error. The results indicate that three-fold hollow sites are the most favorable, with As(V) binding energies of 60–65 kcal mol−1 on illite, chlorite, and montmorillonite, reaching 75 kcal mol−1 on kaolinite at a surface distance of 2.7 Å. In contrast, As(III) shows weaker and energetically flatter adsorption, with binding energies of 28–54 kcal mol−1 and larger equilibrium distances of 3.2–4.0 Å. Modeling of vermicompost addition suggests a substantial reduction in arsenate binding on most clay minerals, except illite, indicating competitive or disruptive interactions at mineral surfaces. These findings provide quantitative, atomistic insight into mineral- and amendment-specific controls on As stabilization and mobility in soil and sediment systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16030319","authors":["Sudip Sengupta","Kallol Bhattacharyya","Jajati Mandal","Asoke Prasun Chattopadhyay"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-18T17:12:26Z","doi":"10.3390/min16030319","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2643129","name":"Culver Antimony Mine, Antelope Springs Mining District, Pershing County, Nevada","source":"crossref","abstract":"All unattributed photos by Daniel EvanichFigure 1. Looking east toward Granite Mountain in East Range, Pershing County, Nevada, from the top of the ridgeline of the Culver mine outcrop.Reproduced w...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2643129","authors":["Daniel Evanich","Ted Hadley"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-18T16:28:11Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2643129","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/gselements.22.2.136","name":"The Clay Minerals Society","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.22.2.136","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-29T15:21:26Z","doi":"10.2138/gselements.22.2.136","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.71342/642754334956","name":"The effect of water quality on rare earth minerals flotation","source":"crossref","abstract":"The project provided insights into how water quality affects processing efficiency in rare-earth mining in WA. It also suggested alternative water treatment methods to lower costs. This research may encourage companies to explore lower-grade deposits if alternative water sources are available, addressing water scarcity issues.","url":"https://doi.org/10.71342/642754334956","authors":["Bogale Tadesse"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-11T03:16:23Z","doi":"10.71342/642754334956","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16070751","name":"PhotonAssay™: Reporting Code Disclosure and the Route to Technology Adoption","source":"crossref","abstract":"PhotonAssay™ is a rapid, non-destructive gold assay method that analyses large-mass crushed or pulverised samples while reducing turnaround time, hazardous reagent use, and environmental footprint relative to conventional fire assay. Its growing adoption, however, has exposed a persistent misconception, that CRIRSCO-based reporting codes approve certain analytical methods as being “compliant.” This paper clarifies the reporting position for PhotonAssay™ and outlines the key requirements for its use in Exploration Results, Mineral Resource, and Ore/Mineral Reserve reporting, including sampling context, preparation protocol, quality assurance/quality control and method validation. It also frames adoption as a four-stage journey—awareness, consideration, intent, and implementation—in which peer learning, testwork, business-case development, and deployment planning are as important as analytical performance. Particular attention is given to representative sampling and to interpreting differences from fire assay, especially in coarse-gold systems where larger assay charges are likely to yield more representative results. Two test methods are recommended, the transitional feasibility study (bias between assay methods) and heterogeneity study (bias and precision). The PhotonAssay™ adoption journey is a multidisciplinary process, requiring engagement between practitioners and executives, and between geoscientists, mining and minerals engineers, chemists, data scientists and corporate managers.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16070751","authors":["Simon C. Dominy"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-20T10:44:02Z","doi":"10.3390/min16070751","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16020219","name":"Machine Learning-Based Prediction of Boron Desorption in Acidic Tea-Growing Soils","source":"crossref","abstract":"In acidic tea soil, boron (B) adsorption and desorption processes are dominated by the complex relationship between soil acidity, mineralogy, and organic matter. This study investigated B adsorption–desorption behavior in five acidic tea soils (pH 3.8–5.6) collected from the Eastern Black Sea region of Türkiye and evaluated the potential of machine learning (ML) algorithms to predict B desorption. Laboratory batch experiments were conducted using five initial B concentrations, and adsorption data were interpreted using the Langmuir isotherm model. Adsorption experiments indicated that B interacted with Fe/Al-oxide-containing clay minerals, which had low but favorable binding affinity, as indicated by Langmuir maximum adsorption capacities (Qmax) ranging from 46.5 to 181.8 mg kg−1. Desorption experiments revealed a high degree of reversibility, particularly in soils with lower adsorption capacities, ensuring potential B leaching. To capture the governing B desorption, six machine learning (ML) algorithms—Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Regression (SVR), Gaussian Process Regression (GP), Elastic Net Regression (EN), and Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (MARS)—were trained on 75 data points. Among the tested models, Elastic Net showed the highest predictive accuracy (R2 = 0.735). This model does not replace adsorption experiments. It offers a within-assay determination of desorption given measured adsorption, which may reduce the requirement for separate desorption equilibration and analyses. Permutation importance analysis identified B_ads as the dominant predictor of B desorption, with smaller contributions from pH_ads and EC_ads. The results demonstrate that integrating laboratory experiments with machine learning provides an effective framework for predicting B mobility in acidic tea soils, offering a parameterized experimental framework for describing boron desorption behavior in acidic tea soils.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16020219","authors":["Fatih Gökmen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-23T10:00:52Z","doi":"10.3390/min16020219","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16080815","name":"Structure of Natural Hexacelsian","source":"crossref","abstract":"For the first time, the structure of natural hexacelsian, BaAl2Si2O8, a polymorph of celsian and paracelsian, has been refined. Hexacelsian was found in rankinite-bearing paralava near Mount Ye’elim in the northern part of the large Hatrurim Complex pyrometamorphic rock area (Hatrurim Basin) in the Negev Desert, Israel. It associates with Ba-bearing minerals such as barioferrite, walstromite, gurimite and the potentially new mineral BaCa2Mg(SiO4)2, forming small isolated aggregates between the rock-forming minerals. These rock-forming minerals are represented by gehlenite, rankinite, wollastonite and schorlomite. The structure was refined for a hexacelsian grain measuring 0.039 × 0.026 × 0.016 mm with the composition (Ba1.01K0.05Na0.01Ca0.01)Σ1.08(Si1.96Al1.91Fe3+0.11)Σ3.98O8 to R1 = 3%. Natural hexacelsian with P63/mcm symmetry and unit cell parameters of a = 5.2973(4) Å, c = 15.6068(10) Å, γ = 120°, and V = 379.28(6) Å3 is an analogue of synthetic low-temperature α-hexacelsian. The hexacelsian structure (polytype 2H) is formed by double layers of tetrahedra linked by their tops and bases, which are parallel to (001). Each layer is built from hexagonal (ditrigonal) rings of tetrahedra. The tetrahedra in rings with a disordered Al/Si distribution are rotated by approximately 14.5° compared to the position of the tetrahedra in ideal hexagonal rings in the high-temperature γ-hexacelsian. Every second layer in the structure of the studied hexacelsian is rotated through 180°. The hexacelsian crystallised at temperatures above 1100 °C as a disordered, metastable γ-hexacelsian (1H). A decrease in temperature leads to the ordering of O2 sites and the formation of partially ordered α-hexacelsian (2H), which preserves the disordered distribution of Al/Si at the tetrahedra. Some of the γ-hexacelsian grains in paralava were replaced by celsian under high-temperature conditions. Under low-temperature conditions, α-hexacelsian is replaced by cymrite during the zeolitisation of pyrometamorphic rocks of the Hatrurim Complex.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16080815","authors":["Evgeny Galuskin","Irina Galuskina","Maria Książek","Joachim Kusz","Yevgeny Vapnik"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-06T09:46:38Z","doi":"10.3390/min16080815","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110677","name":"Prediction of key flotation indicators using a CEEMDAN-PSO-optimized transformer-BiLSTM model","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110677","authors":["Qing Shi","Shuxun Fan","Siyuan Wang","Guofan Zhang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-27T16:52:51Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110677","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/gselements.22.4.284","name":"The Clay Minerals Society","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.22.4.284","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-11T10:03:57Z","doi":"10.2138/gselements.22.4.284","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.53328/inr25abn002","name":"Critical Minerals, water insecurity, injustice","source":"crossref","abstract":"The accelerating global demand for critical mineral, essential for electric vehicles, AI technologies, and renewable energy systems, is creating new environmental and social injustices, particularly through severe water insecurity in vulnerable regions of the Global South. While these minerals underpin global energy, digital, and sustainability transitions, their extraction often depletes and contaminates scarce water resources, disrupts livelihoods, and produces profound health disparities. These emerging “sacrifice zones” mirror the exploitative patterns of the fossil fuel era, revealing deep governance failures and widening inequalities that undermine the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Although technological advances such as Direct Lithium Extraction offer partial solutions, the core challenge is political. Without urgent reforms, the global transition risks reproducing the very injustices it seeks to resolve.","url":"https://doi.org/10.53328/inr25abn002","authors":["Abraham Nunbogu","Aria Farsi","Mir Matin","Kaveh Madani"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-29T04:03:46Z","doi":"10.53328/inr25abn002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109950","name":"Textural and mineralogical controls on early gangue rejection in low- and high-grade iron ores","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109950","authors":["Fatemeh Kazemi","Ataallah Bahrami","Yousef Ghorbani"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-22T14:28:08Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109950","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110435","name":"The combined effects of CuSO4 and NaSH in pyrite activation","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110435","authors":["Shiqi Guo","Mitchell Lancaster","D.R. Nagaraj","Raymond S. Farinato"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-02T04:09:05Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110435","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.erss.2026.104601","name":"Minerals at the margins and the new geopolitics of critical minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"The new resource geopolitics is not solely a race against China; it is a test of foresight, adaptability, and the ability to invest in futures not yet fully visible across the full spectrum of ‘critical’ resources. While Western powers rush to counter China's dominance in mainstream critical minerals —such as rare earths, lithium, and cobalt—policy, research, and public attention tend to overlook minerals at the margins : materials recognized as critical and with emerging strategic importance that are already mined and refined largely within member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). These minerals, though peripheral today, have the potential to underpin the next generation of disruptive technologies. In this perspective, we outline a new resource geopolitics in which Western and OECD countries mobilize existing strengths to future-proof dependencies. The objective is not to downplay current vulnerabilities but to advance a more holistic understanding of criticality, one that looks beyond today's technological and defense imperatives. Complete decoupling is neither feasible nor desirable, and zero-sum competition offers little value in an era of planetary crisis. What is possible, however, is a rebalancing of dependencies through strategic foresight, diversification, and the cultivation of underrecognized advantages.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2026.104601","authors":["Raphael Deberdt","Jessica DiCarlo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-17T22:13:52Z","doi":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104601","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1596/44690","name":"From Potential to Prosperity: A Roadmap for Malawi’s Energy Transition Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"Malawi’s mining sector has the potential to transform the country’s economy, with projected exports exceeding US$30 billion between 2026 and 2040, more than doubling current export levels. Seven advanced-stage mining projects, including uranium, rutile, and rare earth developments, are ready for investment; however, under business-as-usual conditions, only three are likely to proceed, limiting government revenue to around US$400 million annually by 2040. Coordinated, whole-of-government reforms could unlock additional projects, raising annual revenues to approximately US$600 million. Reliable electricity supply emerges as the most binding constraint, alongside weak transport infrastructure, macroeconomic instability, skills shortages, and governance gaps. Addressing these challenges requires accelerated power generation, regional energy integration, cost-reflective tariffs, improved logistics corridors, predictable foreign exchange regimes, and strengthened regulatory frameworks. Strong environmental and social governance is essential to ensure mining expansion benefits local communities and avoids conflict and degradation. Fiscal systems must prioritize predictable, progressive revenue instruments over state equity participation, while guarding against premature spending based on unrealized revenues. Building domestic skills, adopting realistic local content policies, and fostering value addition through market-aligned approaches are critical for job creation. Implementing this roadmap will require approximately US$5 billion in investment, largely from the private sector, supported by concessional and blended finance, robust coordination, and regional cooperation. Decisive action can position Malawi as a responsible supplier of energy transition minerals and convert mineral wealth into inclusive, sustainable development.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1596/44690","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-23T02:13:44Z","doi":"10.1596/44690","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/gselements.22.1.59","name":"The Clay Minerals Society","source":"crossref","abstract":"As we turn the page to 2026 and reflect on our New Year's resolutions for the Clay Minerals Society (CMS), one of our greatest goals is to grow our membership.CMS was founded to meet the needs of an interdisciplinary community, bringing together diverse perspectives on the same materials.Over the past two decades, clay research and applications have expanded significantly, with new local clay groups forming across countries and regions, and conferences on clays becoming more frequent at both regional and international levels.This growth was highlighted at the 2025 International Clay Conference in Dublin, which featured 35 technical sessions spanning topics from fundamental research to applied innovations.Sessions explored molecular-level structures and disorder in clays, volcanism, weathering, and diagenesis, as well as applications in space exploration, sustainable energy, nuclear waste disposal, greenhouse gas remediation, catalysis, nanoelectronics, nanophotonics, advanced functional clays, and environmental and health-related uses.CMS is the professional home for anyone fascinated by the tiny particles that shape our world.CMS membership offers numerous benefits (see details at https://www.clays.org/join_benefits_of_membership/),but most importantly, it advances our careers by fostering opportunities to teach, learn, and collaborate within the strongest network of scientists, engineers, policymakers, and business leaders who share a common interest in clays.We warmly invite you to join this vibrant society and become part of its growth.Please help us spread the word by encouraging your colleagues and students to join CMS at https://cms.clays.org/membership.html.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.22.1.59","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-07T15:12:26Z","doi":"10.2138/gselements.22.1.59","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110741","name":"Synthesis of model composite mineral particles for flotation studies: A review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Synthetic composites are artificially generated particles with controlled mineral grain type, texture, and liberation characteristics. Initially developed as controls for stereological correction procedures, these engineered particles have since gained attention in flotation research due to their reproducible and controllable composition. By carefully selecting mineral components and controlling their assembly, synthetic composites minimise variability associated with natural ores such as inconsistent grain size distribution and complex locking texture, allowing for more reliable interpretation of flotation results. This work explores the various synthesis methods used to create composite particles for flotation applications, including mechanical blending, polymer encapsulation, and sol–gel processes. By highlighting the advantages and limitations of each method, this study aims at supporting the development of standardized, application-specific, composite particles for various flotation studies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110741","authors":["Daniel Nyarko","Massimiliano Zanin","George Abaka-Wood","William Skinner","Richmond Asamoah"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-07T19:33:13Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110741","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110751","name":"Comparison of standard and proxy comminution test results and their potential implications for equipment sizing and circuit design","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110751","authors":["Walter Valery","Raoni Lage"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-11T16:24:22Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110751","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.029Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4220740799","name":"A review of machine learning in geochemistry and cosmochemistry: Method improvements and applications","source":"openalex","abstract":"The development of analytical and computational techniques and growing scientific funds collectively contribute to the rapid accumulation of geoscience data. The massive amount of existing data, the increasing complexity, and the rapid acquisition rates require novel approaches to efficiently discover scientific stories embedded in the data related to geochemistry and cosmochemistry. Machine learning methods can discover and describe the hidden patterns in intricate geochemical and cosmochemical big data. In recent years, considerable efforts have been devoted to the applications of machine learning methods in geochemistry and cosmochemistry. Here, we review the main applications including rock and sediment identification, digital mapping, water and soil quality prediction, and deep space exploration. Research method improvements, such as spectroscopy interpretation, numerical modeling, and molecular machine learning, are also discussed. Based on the up-to-date machine learning/deep learning techniques, we foresee the vast opportunities of implementing artificial intelligence and developing databases in geochemistry and cosmochemistry studies, as well as communicating geochemists/cosmochemists and data scientists.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2022.105273","authors":["Yuyang He","You Zhou","Tao Wen","Shuang Zhang","Fang Huang","Xinyu Zou","Xiaogang Ma","Yueqin Zhu"],"tags":["Cosmochemistry","Earth science","Geology","Computer science","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2022.105273","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W4403148357","name":"In-situ additive manufacturing with lunar regolith for lunar base construction: A review","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmt.2024.102456","authors":["Chengwei Bao","Yanen Wang","Garth Pearce","Ray Tahir Mushtaq","Minyan Liu","Pan Zhao"],"tags":["Regolith","Astrobiology","In situ","Base (topology)","Aerospace engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmt.2024.102456","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W2104359060","name":"2013 Atomic spectrometry update—A review of advances in environmental analysis","source":"openalex","abstract":"This review demonstrates advances in environmental analysis between September 2012 and July 2013.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1039/c3ja90068a","authors":["Owen T. Butler","Warren R. L. Cairns","Jennifer M. Cook","Christine M. Davidson"],"tags":["Atomic spectroscopy","Environmental chemistry","Mass spectrometry","Particulates","Environmental analysis"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1039/c3ja90068a","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W2090970809","name":"The biogeochemical cycle of iron in the ocean","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo964","authors":["Philip W. Boyd","Michael J. Ellwood"],"tags":["Biogeochemical cycle","Oceanography","Environmental science","Geology","Climatology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-09-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo964","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W1882946098","name":"Halophilic Archaea: Life with Desiccation, Radiation and Oligotrophy over Geological Times","source":"openalex","abstract":"Halophilic archaebacteria (Haloarchaea) can survive extreme desiccation, starvation and radiation, sometimes apparently for millions of years. Several of the strategies that are involved appear specific for Haloarchaea (for example, the formation of halomucin, survival in fluid inclusions of halite), and some are known from other prokaryotes (dwarfing of cells, reduction of ATP). Several newly-discovered haloarchaeal strategies that were inferred to possibly promote long-term survival-halomucin, polyploidy, usage of DNA as a phosphate storage polymer, production of spherical dormant stages-remain to be characterized in detail. More information on potential strategies is desirable, since evidence for the presence of halite on Mars and on several moons in the solar system increased interest in halophiles with respect to the search for extraterrestrial life. This review deals in particular with novel findings and hypotheses on haloarchaeal long-term survival.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life5031487","authors":["Helga Stan‐Lotter","Sergiu Fendrihan"],"tags":["Haloarchaea","Halophile","Halite","Archaea","Desiccation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-07-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life5031487","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W2142421172","name":"Cosmic Carbon Chemistry: From the Interstellar Medium to the Early Earth","source":"openalex","abstract":"Astronomical observations have shown that carbonaceous compounds in the gas and solid state, refractory and icy are ubiquitous in our and distant galaxies. Interstellar molecular clouds and circumstellar envelopes are factories of complex molecular synthesis. A surprisingly large number of molecules that are used in contemporary biochemistry on Earth are found in the interstellar medium, planetary atmospheres and surfaces, comets, asteroids and meteorites, and interplanetary dust particles. In this article we review the current knowledge of abundant organic material in different space environments and investigate the connection between presolar and solar system material, based on observations of interstellar dust and gas, cometary volatiles, simulation experiments, and the analysis of extraterrestrial matter. Current challenges in astrochemistry are discussed and future research directions are proposed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a002097","authors":["P. Ehrenfreund","J. Cami"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Astrochemistry","Interplanetary dust cloud","Cosmic dust","Interstellar medium"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-06-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a002097","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W2585007529","name":"The Isotope Geochemistry of Zinc and Copper","source":"openalex","abstract":"Peer reviewed","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2017.82.13","authors":["Frédéric Moynier","Derek Vance","Toshiyuki Fujii","Paul S. Savage"],"tags":["Globe","Humanities","Library science","Art history","Art"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2017.82.13","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W4381550065","name":"Interfacial interactions controlling adsorption of metal cations on montmorillonite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Montmorillonite (Mt) is a ubiquitous swelling clay mineral and major component of soft rocks, sediments, and soils with an inherent capability to sorb metal cations. This unique feature renders Mt important for the enrichment and mobilization of environmentally important metal cations, retardation of heavy metals and radionuclide ions, the evolution of clay mineral itself, soils and sediments, and other geological processes. Understanding the interfacial interactions of Mt with metal cations at the molecular level is of fundamental importance in all these processes, but still remains elusive, due to the chemical and structural complexity of Mt surfaces and the diverse chemistries of metal cations. In this Review, we aim to provide the reader with a comprehensive overview of the adsorption modes of metal cations on basal and edge surfaces of Mt, local chemical environments of the cation binding sites, the driving forces for metal sorption, and factors influencing the dynamics of cation uptake onto Mt surfaces. Various surface complexation models [i.e., nonelectrostatic model (NEM), constant capacitance model (CCM), diffuse layer model (DLM), and triple-layer model (TLM)], advanced spectroscopic techniques (i.e., NEM, CCM, DLM, and TLM), and atomistic simulation methods (i.e., MD, DFT, and FPMD) have been used in conjunction with macroscopic adsorption experiments to gain detailed insights into the interfacial interactions of metal cations on Mt. Mt adsorbs metal cations via three independent pathways: (1) cation exchange; (2) surface complexation; and (3) nucleation and surface precipitation. The principal driving force for cation exchange is electrostatic interaction, while chemical bonding governs the two other mechanisms that depend on the basal and edge surface properties of Mt. The siloxane cavities on the tetrahedral basal plane exhibit the strongest adsorption sites for cation exchange and are greatly affected by the the degree of Al3+/Si4+ tetrahedral substitutions. At the amphoteric edge surfaces bearing hydroxyl groups, metal cations could form mono/multiden-tate surface complexes on Mt [010] and [110] edges. Ionic strength, pH, the presence of competing cations, temperature, and layer charge have been shown to affect the adsorption mechanisms and quantity of adsorbed cations. The updated information on the interfacial interactions of metal cations with Mt basal and edge surfaces presented in this review provides an improved understanding of the enrichment of metals, formation of metal ores, and natural biogeochemical cycles, as well as may promote technological and engineering applications of this important clay mineral in environmental remediation, geological repository, petroleum exploration and extraction, and extraterrestrial research.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2022-8834","authors":["Ke Jin Li","Alfin Kurniawan","George E. Christidis","Jia He","Chun Hui Zhou"],"tags":["Montmorillonite","Adsorption","Metal","Chemical engineering","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-06-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2022-8834","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W3109049411","name":"Clay Minerals at the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum: Interpretations, Limits, and Perspectives","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) was an “extreme” episode of environmental stress that affected the Earth in the past, and it has numerous affinities concerning the rapid increase in the greenhouse effect. It has left several biological, compositional, and sedimentary facies footprints in sedimentary records. Clay minerals are frequently used to decipher environmental effects because they represent their source areas, essentially in terms of climatic conditions and of transport mechanisms (a more or less fast travel, from the bedrocks to the final site of recovery). Clay mineral variations at the PETM have been studied by several authors in terms of climatic and provenance indicators, but also as tracers of more complicated interplay among different factors requiring integrated interpretation (facies sorting, marine circulation, wind transport, early diagenesis, etc.). Clay minerals were also believed to play a role in the recovery of pre-episode climatic conditions after the PETM exordium, by becoming a sink of atmospheric CO2 that is considered a necessary step to switch off the greenhouse hyperthermal effect. This review aims to consider the use of clay minerals made by different authors to study the effects of the PETM and their possible role as effective (simple) proxy tools for environmental reconstructions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min10121073","authors":["Fabio Tateo"],"tags":["Geology","Diagenesis","Sedimentary rock","Provenance","Facies"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min10121073","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W2762501609","name":"A New Definition of Soil","source":"openalex","abstract":"Over the past years, we have entertained a lively discussion on the definition of soil. Why is this important to SSSA and society as a whole? Well, to succinctly define “soil” delineates what we study, manage, and promote; it defines who we “are” as soil scientists. Also, many official documents and statutes make reference to soil without further clarification, and SSSA's definition, therefore, has important legal implications. As our science and thinking on soil evolved, there was a need to revisit the definition. Several concerns emerged around these definitions over recent years, including: Exclusivity to the planet Earth: This has created discordance with planetary scientists as they use the term “soil” in relation to other celestial bodies (notably Mars in recent years). This also sent an implicit message that soil science (and therefore research funding) would not be relevant outside planet Earth. There was no compelling reason to limit soil to planet Earth and create unnecessary disagreement within the scientific community. Unconsolidated vs. consolidated soils: Although this distinguishes soil from other surficial material (notably hard rock), it was argued that many soils experience some level of consolidation through internal order in forming aggregates. Multi-phase system: Many regard soil as a medium where solid matter provides a skeleton for soil, but liquids, gases, and biota are also integral components. The old definition only referred to the solid phase of the soil. Soil processes: The second definition focuses on soil-forming factors. In recent years, especially with the heightened interest in soil health, the medium is increasingly described in simpler terms related to physical, chemical, and biological processes, which can also include less conventional soils (e.g., urban and disturbed soils). As a result of these concerns, the definition of “soil” was debated over the past two years, with many members contributing to the process. The SSSA Glossary working group reviewed the definition and suggested new wording. During the 2016 Annual Meeting in Phoenix, the definition was further discussed in a town hall meeting and at a session on extraterrestrial soils. A Twitter hashtag (#soildefinition) was established for further exchanges. Several interested members followed up by email and exchanged perspectives and papers. A new definition was then proposed to the SSSAJ Board at its May 2017 retreat, which resulted in further refinements and final approval at the August 2017 Board meeting. The layer(s) of generally loose mineral and/or organic material that are affected by physical, chemical, and/or biological processes at or near the planetary surface and usually hold liquids, gases, and biota and support plants. In summary, the new definition preserves mineral-organic material as the key component (skeleton) of soil but acknowledges that liquids, gases, biota, and plants are usually integral factors. It also links soil to processes at or near the planet surface, which offers a conceptual spatial extent. And, of course, we now acknowledge the existence of soils outside planet Earth. I would like to express gratitude to all who contributed to this process. Changing the definition, not unexpectedly, brought out many viewpoints. Perhaps the definition is not perfect for everyone, but we were able to build consensus on something that is inherently difficult to define.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2134/csa2017.62.1016","authors":["Harold M. van Es"],"tags":["Earth science","Consolidation (business)","Soil functions","Soil science","Soil water"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2134/csa2017.62.1016","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W4200510385","name":"A review of volcanic electrification of the atmosphere and volcanic lightning","source":"openalex","abstract":"The electrification of volcanic ash plumes and the occurrence of volcanic lightning are now known to be common phenomena during explosive volcanic eruptions. This knowledge stems from centuries of anecdotal observations, and in recent decades, from improved instrumentation and media attention. Following a summary of previous reviews, this contribution will detail the most recent findings concerning electrification mechanisms of eruption columns/plumes (triboelectrification, fracto-electrification) and how hydrometeor charging contributes to this electrification depending upon the eruption style and abundance of external H2O. Field measurements to determine the charge structure of volcanic ash and gas plumes reveal wide variability both spatially and temporally, indicating the influence of these different charging mechanisms. The charge structure and resulting lightning characteristics have been provided by a suite of both ground-based and satellite-based lightning detection methods and the various characteristics of each are summarized. As these detection methods have revealed, the electrical properties of ash plumes can provide insight into their physical dynamics throughout the course of an eruption. Lightning may therefore provide a means to track changing eruption conditions and the associated hazards, providing another tool for monitoring efforts. Volcanic lightning also leaves physical evidence in associated ashfall deposits. These lightning-induced textures have been documented and are summarized here, in addition to the different experiments that have reproduced such textures. Lightning simulation experiments provide information on changes to ash grain size, size distribution, chemical, and magnetic properties of ash. Lightning discharge and the lightning-induced changes to ash grains potentially impact not only the hazards induced by ashfall, but also changes in atmospheric chemistry relevant to biologic activity, the fluid dynamics of eruption columns/plumes, and ash dispersion. Additionally, shock-tube experiments provide insight on the microphysical dynamics and environmental variables that influence electrification of dusty gas mixtures. Finally, this review summarizes the challenges to volcanic lightning research and the future efforts that can aid in addressing the unanswered questions regarding this phenomenon.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2021.107449","authors":["Corrado Cimarelli","Kimberly Genareau"],"tags":["Lightning (connector)","Volcano","Geology","Volcanic ash","Electrification"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-12-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2021.107449","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.074Z"},{"id":"oa:W3213403648","name":"A Review of Different Aspects of Off-Earth Drilling","source":"openalex","abstract":"Off-Earth drilling may be assumed as the second phase of space exploration to discover the unrevealed subsurface on the planetary bodies. It accelerates future space objectives such as in-situ propellant production, mineral exploitation, and space tourism. Owing to the rampant progress in modern technology, the new drill tools mounted on the sophisticated robots are capable to drill the planetary regolith dispersed on the celestial objects; however, formidable obstacles such as microgravity, vacuum condition, and temperature fluctuation as well as the weight limitation, lack of real-time drilling analysis, and remote robot-operator communication impose pressing restrictions on the quick development of space drilling tools. In this study, research on the past and present aspects of off-Earth drilling has been implemented to illuminate the horizon of this technology in the near-term future. The context encompasses a detailed description of the limitations, applications and mechanisms of the different drilling techniques adopted for planetary bodies. A particular emphasis is put on the hydraulic power systems which have not been satisfactorily deployed in off-Earth drilling yet. The research strives to glance over the pivotal aspects of off-Earth drilling to contribute to the future drilling programs planned by the national and private space agencies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/en14217351","authors":["Dariusz Knez","Mitra Khalilidermani"],"tags":["Drilling","Drill","Context (archaeology)","Space exploration","Systems engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-11-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/en14217351","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W3162335980","name":"The Younger Dryas impact hypothesis: Review of the impact evidence","source":"openalex","abstract":"Firestone et al., 2007, PNAS 104(41): 16,016–16,021, proposed that a major cosmic impact, circa 10,835 cal. BCE, triggered the Younger Dryas (YD) climate shift along with changes in human cultures and megafaunal extinctions. Fourteen years after this initial work the overwhelming consensus of research undertaken by many independent groups, reviewed here, suggests their claims of a major cosmic impact at this time should be accepted. Evidence is mainly in the form of geochemical signals at what is known as the YD boundary found across at least four continents, especially North America and Greenland, such as excess platinum, quench-melted materials, and nanodiamonds. Their other claims are not yet confirmed, but the scale of the event, including extensive wildfires, and its very close timing with the onset of dramatic YD cooling suggest they are plausible and should be researched further. Notably, arguments by a small cohort of researchers against their claims of a major impact are, in general, poorly constructed, and under close scrutiny most of their evidence can actually be interpreted as supporting the impact hypothesis.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2021.103677","authors":["Martin B. Sweatman"],"tags":["Younger Dryas","Megafauna","Scrutiny","Climate change","Geography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-05-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2021.103677","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2570189725","name":"Resource Recovery from Wastewater by Biological Technologies: Opportunities, Challenges, and Prospects","source":"openalex","abstract":"Limits in resource availability are driving a change in current societal production systems, changing the focus from residues treatment, such as wastewater treatment, toward resource recovery. Biotechnological processes offer an economic and versatile way to concentrate and transform resources from waste/wastewater into valuable products, which is a prerequisite for the technological development of a cradle-to-cradle bio-based economy. This review identifies emerging technologies that enable resource recovery across the wastewater treatment cycle. As such, bioenergy in the form of biohydrogen (by photo and dark fermentation processes) and biogas (during anaerobic digestion processes) have been classic targets, whereby, direct transformation of lipidic biomass into biodiesel also gained attention. This concept is similar to previous biofuel concepts, but more sustainable, as third generation biofuels and other resources can be produced from waste biomass. The production of high value biopolymers (e.g., for bioplastics manufacturing) from organic acids, hydrogen, and methane is another option for carbon recovery. The recovery of carbon and nutrients can be achieved by organic fertilizer production, or single cell protein generation (depending on the source) which may be utilized as feed, feed additives, next generation fertilizers, or even as probiotics. Additionlly, chemical oxidation-reduction and bioelectrochemical systems can recover inorganics or synthesize organic products beyond the natural microbial metabolism. Anticipating the next generation of wastewater treatment plants driven by biological recovery technologies, this review is focused on the generation and re-synthesis of energetic resources and key resources to be recycled as raw materials in a cradle-to-cradle economy concept.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2016.02106","authors":["Daniel Puyol","Damien J. Batstone","Tim Hülsen","Sergi Astals","Miriam Peces","Jens O. Krömer"],"tags":["Biohydrogen","Resource recovery","Biomass (ecology)","Anaerobic digestion","Wastewater"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2016.02106","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2102553184","name":"Aerosol properties over bright-reflecting source regions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Retrieving aerosol properties from satellite remote sensing over a bright surface is a challenging problem in the research of atmospheric and land applications. In this paper we propose a new approach to retrieve aerosol properties over surfaces such as arid, semiarid, and urban areas, where the surface reflectance is usually very bright in the red part of visible spectrum and in the near infrared, but is much darker in the blue spectral region (i.e., wavelength <500 nm). In order to infer atmospheric properties from these data, a global surface reflectance database of 0.1/spl deg/ latitude by 0.1/spl deg/ longitude resolution was constructed over bright surfaces for visible wavelengths using the minimum reflectivity technique (e.g., finding the clearest scene during each season for a given location). The aerosol optical thickness and aerosol type are then determined simultaneously in the algorithm using lookup tables to match the satellite observed spectral radiances. Examples of aerosol optical thickness derived using this algorithm over the Sahara Desert and Arabian Peninsula reveal various dust sources, which are important contributors to airborne dust transported over long distances. Comparisons of the satellite inferred aerosol optical thickness and the values from ground-based Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) sun/sky radiometer measurements indicate good agreement (i.e., within 30%) over the sites in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. This new algorithm, when applied to Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), Sea-viewing Wide Field of view Sensor (SeaWiFS), and Global Imager (GLI) satellite data, will provide high spatial resolution (/spl sim/1 km) global information of aerosol optical thickness over bright surfaces on a daily basis.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/tgrs.2004.824067","authors":["N. C. Hsu","Si‐Chee Tsay","Michael D. King","J. R. Herman"],"tags":["Aerosol","AERONET","Remote sensing","SeaWiFS","Moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1109/tgrs.2004.824067","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W4200069010","name":"Iron Silicides in Fulgurites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Iron silicide minerals (Fe-Si group) are found in terrestrial and solar system samples. These minerals tend to be more common in extraterrestrial rocks such as meteorites, and their existence in terrestrial rocks is limited due to a requirement of extremely reducing conditions to promote their formation. Such extremely reducing conditions can be found in fulgurites, which are glasses formed as cloud-to-ground lightning heats and fuses sand, soil, or rock. The objective of this paper is to review reports of iron silicides in fulgurites, note any similarities between separate fulgurite observations, and to explain the core connection between geological environments wherein these minerals are found. In addition, we also compare iron silicides in fulgurites to those in extraterrestrial samples.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min11121394","authors":["Tian Feng","Josh Abbatiello","Arthur Omran","Christopher Mehta","Matthew A. Pasek"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Geology","Silicide"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-12-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min11121394","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W4389429289","name":"Supraglacial Soils and Soil-Like Bodies: Diversity, Genesis, Functioning (Review)","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— In the 21st century, glaciers are perceived as a distinct biome that has taken on special significance in today’s world of retreating ice. In this paper, we review the results of recent studies of organomineral formations on glaciers, their diversity, genesis, functioning, and the role in the biosphere. The question is raised about the possibility of involving supraglacial organomineral formations in the range of objects of soil science. We review the supraglacial zone as an area of soils and soil-like bodies, the biogeochemical processes in which affect the glacial biome and the surrounding landscapes. Interpretation of supraglacial organomineral formations from a pedological point of view allows us to identify several typical soil processes: accumulation and stabilization of organic matter (OM), its heterotrophic transformation, formation of dark-colored humified OM, accumulation of residual solid-phase products of functioning in situ, fine earth aggregation, and biochemical weathering. Among supraglacial formations, we distinguish pre-soils and soil-like bodies in ice and snow, metastable soil-like bodies on cryoconite, and soils with microprofiles under moss communities on ice, as well as relatively stable soils with macroprofiles on silicate gravelly to fine-earth deposits underlain by moving glacier and dead glacier ice. Labile dissolved OM accumulated and transformed in supraglacial soils and soil-like bodies has a significant impact on the periglacial zone, leading to the reservoir and priming effects. The studies of supraglacial organomineral systems are of fundamental importance for understanding the evolution of ecosystems on Earth, as well as for modeling supraglacial formations of extraterrestrial bodies with a vast cryosphere. Supraglacial soil formation is also a model object for studying common soils under conditions of a continuous external input of organic and mineral components, the contribution of which beyond the glaciers is no less significant, but is masked by the polymineral substrate of soils and parent rocks themselves.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1134/s1064229323602330","authors":["N. S. Mergelov","S. V. Goryachkin","E. P. Zazovskaya","Д. В. Карелин","Д. А. Никитин","Stanislav Kutuzov"],"tags":["Geology","Glacier","Earth science","Soil water","Weathering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1134/s1064229323602330","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W3142628472","name":"A Comprehensive Review of HCN-Derived Polymers","source":"openalex","abstract":"HCN-derived polymers are a heterogeneous group of complex substances synthesized from pure HCN; from its salts; from its oligomers, specifically its trimer and tetramer, amino-nalono-nitrile (AMN) and diamino-maleo-nitrile (DAMN), respectively; or from its hydrolysis products, such as formamide, under a wide range of experimental conditions. The characteristics and properties of HCN-derived polymers depend directly on the synthetic conditions used for their production and, by extension, their potential applications. These puzzling systems have been known mainly in the fields of prebiotic chemistry and in studies on the origins of life and astrobiology since the first prebiotic production of adenine by Oró in the early years of the 1960s. However, the first reference regarding their possible role in prebiotic chemistry was mentioned in the 19th century by Pflüger. Currently, HCN-derived polymers are considered keys in the formation of the first and primeval protometabolic and informational systems, and they may be among the most readily formed organic macromolecules in the solar system. In addition, HCN-derived polymers have attracted a growing interest in materials science due to their potential biomedical applications as coatings and adhesives; they have also been proposed as valuable models for multifunctional materials with emergent properties such as semi-conductivity, ferroelectricity, catalysis and photocatalysis, and heterogeneous organo-synthesis. However, the real structures and the formation pathways of these fascinating substances have not yet been fully elucidated; several models based on either computational approaches or spectroscopic and analytical techniques have endeavored to shed light on their complete nature. In this review, a comprehensive perspective of HCN-derived polymers is presented, taking into account all the aspects indicated above.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9040597","authors":["Marta Ruiz‐Bermejo","José de la Fuente","Cristina Pérez-Fernández","Eva Mateo‐Martí"],"tags":["Polymer","Nitrile","Trimer","Chemistry","Macromolecule"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-03-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9040597","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W4205802301","name":"Underwater Soft Robotics: A Review of Bioinspiration in Design, Actuation, Modeling, and Control","source":"openalex","abstract":"Nature and biological creatures are some of the main sources of inspiration for humans. Engineers have aspired to emulate these natural systems. As rigid systems become increasingly limited in their capabilities to perform complex tasks and adapt to their environment like living creatures, the need for soft systems has become more prominent due to the similar complex, compliant, and flexible characteristics they share with intelligent natural systems. This review provides an overview of the recent developments in the soft robotics field, with a focus on the underwater application frontier.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13010110","authors":["Samuel M. Youssef","MennaAllah Soliman","Mahmood A. Saleh","Mostafa A. Mousa","Mahmoud Elsamanty","Ahmed G. Radwan"],"tags":["Soft robotics","Creatures","Robotics","Underwater","Artificial intelligence"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13010110","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W4383383694","name":"Peculiarities of the Extraterrestrial Basalts of the Solar System with Reference to the Exoplanet Science: a Brief Review","source":"openalex","abstract":"—The formation of basalts is a global stage in the evolution of differentiated cosmic body (planet or asteroid) of the Solar System. The paper presents the main chemical and mineralogical features of basaltic meteorites of the SNC, HED group, angrites and lunar mare basalts based on literature data. Despite the differences in the products of basaltic volcanism on different cosmic bodies and significant compositional variations in major minerals of basaltic rocks, most of them belong to low-alkaline basalts, suggesting the prevalence of this type of rocks at least among small bodies of the Solar System. All of them are characterized by the presence of such rock-forming minerals as pyroxene, olivine, and plagioclase, and their spectral characteristics can be used to search for basalts on exoplanets. The main factors affecting the spectral characteristics of atmosphere-free bodies and larger planets with an atmosphere are shown, and the possibility of searching for products of basalt volcanism on exoplanets during future missions is considered.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1134/s0016702923050038","authors":["С. И. Демидова","D. D. Badyukov"],"tags":["Basalt","Pyroxene","Geology","Astrobiology","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1134/s0016702923050038","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W3024530943","name":"Challenges for a Sustainable Food Production System on Board of the International Space Station: A Technical Review","source":"openalex","abstract":"The possibility of prolonging space missions—and consequently the permanence of humans in space—depends on the possibility of providing them with an adequate supply of fresh foods to meet their nutritional requirements. This would allow space travelers to mitigate health risks associated with exposure to space radiation, microgravity and psychological stress. In this review, we attempt to critically summarize existing studies with the aim of suggesting possible solutions to overcome the challenges to develop a bio-regenerative life support system (BLSS) that can contribute to life support, supplying food and O2, while removing CO2 on the International Space Station (ISS). We describe the physical constraints and energy requirements for ISS farming in relation to space and energy resources, the problems related to lighting systems and criteria for selecting plants suitable for farming in space and microgravity. Clearly, the dimensions of a growth hardware that can be placed on ISS do not allow to produce enough fresh food to supplement the stored, packaged diet of astronauts; however, experimentation on ISS is pivotal for implementing plant growth systems and paves the way for the next long-duration space missions, including those in cis-lunar space and to the lunar surface.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10050687","authors":["Petronia Carillo","Biagio Morrone","Giovanna Marta Fusco","Stefania De Pascale","Youssef Rouphael"],"tags":["International Space Station","Space (punctuation)","Life support system","Agriculture","Space exploration"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-05-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10050687","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W4386546546","name":"Planetary biotechnospheres, biotechnosignatures and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The concept of planetary intelligence as collective intelligence is used to consider possible evolutionary paths of biotechnospheres that emerge on the intersection of the technosphere with the biosphere and support coupling of the technosphere with the biosphere, thus affecting planetary evolution. In mature biotechnospheres, the intelligence of technologies and the intelligence of life forms, including engineered life forms, could act in concert to perform various tasks (e.g. monitoring planetary biospheres and environments; restoring planetary environments and biodiversity; steading planetary environments; providing support for space missions; terraforming cosmic objects). Space exploration can expand biotechnospheres beyond planets and create cosmic ecosystems encompassing planets and other cosmic objects; biotechnospheres, spacecraft and the environments of near-planetary, interplanetary space or interstellar space. Humankind, other civilizations or their intelligent machines may produce biotechnosignatures (i.e. observables and artefacts of biotechnospheres) in the Solar System and beyond. I propose ten possible biotechnosignatures and strategies for the search for these biotechnosignatures in situ and over interstellar distances. For example, if a non-human advanced civilization existed and built biotechnospheres on Earth in the past, its biotechnospheres could use engineered bacteria and the descendants of that bacteria could currently exist on Earth and have properties pertaining to the functions of the ancient bacteria in the biotechnospheres (such properties are proposed and discussed); intelligent technologies created by the ancient civilization could migrate to the Solar System's outer regions (possible scenarios of their migration and their technosignatures and biotechnosignatures are discussed); these two scenarios are described as the Cosmic Descendants hypothesis. Interstellar asteroids, free-floating planets, spacecraft and objects gravitationally bound to flyby stars might carry extraterrestrial biotechnospheres and pass through the Solar System. In connection to the fate of post-main-sequence stars and their Oort clouds, the probability for interstellar asteroids to carry biotechnospheres or to be interstellar spacecraft is estimated as very low.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550423000204","authors":["Irina K. Romanovskaya"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Search for extraterrestrial intelligence","Extraterrestrial life","Solar System","Biosphere"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550423000204","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W4362672554","name":"An assumption of in situ resource utilization for “bio-bricks” in space exploration","source":"openalex","abstract":"Microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) mimics the natural cementation process that occurs in various geological settings by using the bicarbonate minerals resulting from various bacterial metabolic pathways as cementing agents. This bio-technique can be used to manufacture so-called “bio-bricks,” which rival regular bricks in strength and durability. In the last two decades, MICP has been increasingly utilized for the maintenance and repair of infrastructure. More recently, this process has also been shown to have great potential as an energy-saving and cost-effective means of in situ resource utilization (ISUR) to produce construction materials; these can be utilized for extraterrestrial human settlements for space programs such as lunar exploration. We thus review the description of natural cementation, the anaerobic and aerobic bacterial metabolic activities leading to calcium carbonate precipitation, the properties of the lunar regolith, the production of bio-bricks, and potential research needs.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmats.2023.1155643","authors":["Hongyan Zuo","Shuisong Ni","Meiying Xu"],"tags":["Cementation (geology)","Carbonate","Environmental science","Durability","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-04-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmats.2023.1155643","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2106819998","name":"Protection of Bacterial Spores in Space, a Contribution to the Discussion on Panspermia","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1012746130771","authors":["G. Horneck","Petra Rettberg","Günther Reitz","Jörg Wehner","U. Eschweiler","K. Strauch","Corinna Panitz","V. Starke","Christa Baumstark‐Khan"],"tags":["Spore","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Ejecta","Hypervelocity"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1012746130771","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2739874990","name":"Dating very young planetary surfaces from crater statistics: A review of issues and challenges","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Determining the ages of young planetary surfaces relies on using populations of small, often sub‐km diameter impact craters due to the higher frequency at which they form. Smaller craters however can be less reliable for estimating ages as their size‐frequency distribution is more susceptible to alteration with debate as to whether they should be used at all. With the current plethora of meter‐scale resolution images acquired of the lunar and Martian surfaces, small craters have been widely used to derive model ages to establish the temporal relation of recent geologic events. In this review paper, we discuss the many factors that make smaller craters particularly challenging to use and should be taken into consideration when crater counts are confined to small crater diameters. Establishing confidence in a model age ultimately requires an understanding of the geologic context of the surface being dated as reliability can vary considerably and limitations of the dating technique should be considered in applying ages to any geologic interpretation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12924","authors":["J. P. Williams","C. H. van der Bogert","A. V. Pathare","Gregory Michael","M. R. Kirchoff","H. Hiesinger"],"tags":["Impact crater","Geology","Context (archaeology)","Astrobiology","Lunar craters"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12924","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W1972808066","name":"L‐chondrite asteroid breakup tied to Ordovician meteorite shower by multiple isochron 40Ar‐39 Ar dating","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Radiochronometry of L chondritic meteorites yields a rough age estimate for a major collision in the asteroid belt about 500 Myr ago. Fossil meteorites from Sweden indicate a highly increased influx of extraterrestrial matter in the Middle Ordovician ∼480 Myr ago. An association with the L‐chondrite parent body event was suggested, but a definite link is precluded by the lack of more precise radiometric ages. Suggested ages range between 450 ± 30 Myr and 520 ± 60 Myr, and can neither convincingly prove a single breakup event, nor constrain the delivery times of meteorites from the asteroid belt to Earth. Here we report the discovery of multiple 40Ar‐39Ar isochrons in shocked L chondrites, particularly the regolith breccia Ghubara, that allow the separation of radiogenic argon from multiple excess argon components. This approach, applied to several L chondrites, yields an improved age value that indicates a single asteroid breakup event at 470 ± 6 Myr, fully consistent with a refined age estimate of the Middle Ordovician meteorite shower at 467.3 ± 1.6 Myr (according to A Geologic Time Scale 2004). Our results link these fossil meteorites directly to the L‐chondrite asteroid destruction, rapidly transferred from the asteroid belt. The increased terrestrial meteorite influx most likely involved larger projectiles that contributed to an increase in the terrestrial cratering rate, which implies severe environmental stress.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb00221.x","authors":["E. V. Korochantseva","M. Trieloff","C. A. Lorenz","A. I. Buykin","M. A. Ivanova","W. Schwarz","J. Hopp","E. K. Jeßberger"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Isochron","Geology","Parent body"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb00221.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2074984243","name":"Review of magnetism and heavy metal pollution studies of various environments in Argentina","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract In recent years, the number of studies of pollution and magnetic proxies for environmental pollution in developed countries, especially European and North American countries, has gradually increased from the 80’s to date. Despite this trend that shows a positive interest in taking care of the environment and researching into the environmental impact of several human activities, pollution studies in Latin American countries have been reducing in number. Moreover, studies of magnetic proxies for pollution are scarce; in particular, studies of this nature has been carried out in Argentina over the past few years by Chaparro and coworkers. Studies of magnetic enhancement in soils due to the burning mechanism are discussed and the results of burnt soils affected by fires of different nature and natural soils are compared, taking into account their magnetic carriers. Nevertheless, this article deals mainly with the first studies of magnetic proxies for pollution conducted in a province in Argentina. Soils, lagoon and stream sediments from three areas were studied. These areas comprise La Plata, Chascomús, and Tandil districts. The influence of pollution was investigated in Tandil and La Plata, revealing magnetic enhancement and the presence of pollutants only in Tandil soils. On the other hand, stream and lagoon sediments were studied in La Plata and Chascomús. Magnetic carriers and the contents of some heavy metals were identified and investigated in both areas separately. Magnetic parameters show distinctive points and wide areas affected by pollution. Furthermore, this magnetic inference is supported by high contents of heavy metals, especially lead and zinc. Finally, a new statistical study of multiple correlation analysis concerning data from La Plata and Chascomús areas was tried in order to investigate the existence of a linear relation between sets of several magnetic parameters and several chemical variables.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/bf03352637","authors":["Marcos A. E. Chaparro","Marcos A. E. Chaparro","Claudia Gogorza","Mauro A. E. Chaparro","Mauro A. E. Chaparro","María A. Irurzun","Ana M. Sinito"],"tags":["Pollution","Environmental magnetism","Soil water","Environmental science","Pollutant"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1186/bf03352637","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W3169609285","name":"Applications of Mössbauer Spectroscopy in Meteoritical and Planetary Science, Part II: Differentiated Meteorites, Moon, and Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Mössbauer (nuclear γ-resonance) spectroscopy is a powerful technique which is actively used in various fields from physics and chemistry to biology and medicine. Rudolf L. Mössbauer, who observed nuclear γ-resonance and published his results in 1958, got a Nobel Prize in physics in 1961 for this discovery. 57Fe is the most widely used nucleus in Mössbauer spectroscopy. Therefore, a large variety of compounds containing iron can be studied by Mössbauer spectroscopy. It is well known that planetary matter contains various iron-bearing phases and minerals. Therefore, the extraterrestrial material from different meteorites, asteroids, and planets can be studied using 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy as an additional powerful technique. Two parts of this review consider the results of more than 50 years of experience of Mössbauer spectroscopy applied for the studies of various meteorites, soils and rocks from the Moon and a recent investigation of the Martian surface using two rovers equipped with miniaturized Mössbauer spectrometers. Part I considered the results of Mössbauer spectroscopy of undifferentiated meteorites. Part II discusses the results of Mössbauer spectroscopy of differentiated meteorites formed in asteroids and protoplanets due to matter differentiation, as well as Lunar and Martian matter.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min11060614","authors":["A. A. Maksimova","Michael Goryunov","М. И. Оштрах"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Martian","Mössbauer spectroscopy","Spectroscopy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-06-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min11060614","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2785607471","name":"Halogens in Terrestrial and Cosmic Geochemical Systems: Abundances, Geochemical Behaviors, and Analytical Methods","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61667-4_2","authors":["Jacob Hanley","Kenneth T. Koga"],"tags":["COSMIC cancer database","Halogen","Earth science","Environmental chemistry","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61667-4_2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2080833682","name":"A low-power, radiation-resistant, Silicon-Drift-Detector array for extraterrestrial element mapping","source":"openalex","abstract":"We are developing a modular Silicon Drift Detector (SDD) X-Ray Spectrometer (XRS) for measuring the abundances of light surface elements (C to Fe) fluoresced by ambient radiation on remote airless bodies. The value of fluorescence spectrometry for surface element mapping is demonstrated by its inclusion on three recent lunar missions and by exciting new data that have recently been announced from the Messenger Mission to Mercury. The SDD-XRS instrument that we have been developing offers excellent energy resolution and an order of magnitude lower power requirement than conventional CCDs, making much higher sensitivities possible with modest spacecraft resources. In addition, it is significantly more radiation resistant than x-ray CCDs and therefore will not be subject to the degradation that befell recent lunar instruments. In fact, the intrinsic radiation resistance of the SDD makes it applicable even to the harsh environment of the Jovian system where it can be used to map the light surface elements of Europa. In this paper, we first discuss our element-mapping science-measurement goals. We then derive the necessary instrument requirements to meet these goals and discuss our current instrument development status with respect to these requirements.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/7/02/c02013","authors":["Brian D. Ramsey","Jessica A. Gaskin","Ronald F. Elsner","W Chen","G. Carini","Gianluigi De Geronimo","Jeffrey W. Keister","S Li","Z Li","D. P. Siddons","Graham C. Smith"],"tags":["Spectrometer","Silicon","Detector","Radiation","Silicon drift detector"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-02-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/7/02/c02013","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2181495552","name":"Helium and Sulfur Isotopes of Sulfide Minerals from Middle Valley, Northern Juan de Fuca Ridge","source":"openalex","abstract":"The noble gas composition of fluids trapped in sulfides at Ocean Drilling Program Leg 139, Site 856, were measured. Helium in these fluids is significantly enriched relative to deep oceanic waters but is considerably lower than the helium contents of mid-ocean ridge (MOR) vent waters and fluid inclusions in sulfide minerals from 21 N on the East Pacific Rise. Sulfide 3 He/ 4 He ratios, corrected for air using He/Ne ratios, are between 5.8 and 7.1 times the air value (R a ). These ratios are lower than those of typical MOR vent fluids (~8 R a ), and are closer to those of vent waters from the sediment-covered Guaymas Basin because of the dilution of a normal MOR He component by radiogenic He. The radiogenic He may be derived either from sedimentary pore fluids or from aging of the magmatic system beneath the northern Juan de Fuca Ridge. Low He abundances precluded sufficiently accurate 3 He/ 4 He measurements to identify subtle depth variations that could be used to understand temporal evolution of the hydrothermal system. A broad negative 34 S-He^He trend is identified that is consistent with a sedimentary origin for the radiogenic He at Middle Valley. 40 Ar/ 36 Ar and Xe isotope ratios imply an atmospheric origin for the heavy noble gases that probably originate in minor hydrated minerals, which precludes the determination of absolute abundances of He in the fluid inclusions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2973/odp.proc.sr.139.227.1994","authors":["Finlay M. Stuart","Rowena C. Duckworth","G. Turner","P. F. Schofield"],"tags":["Ridge","Sulfur","Sulfide","Geology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1994-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2973/odp.proc.sr.139.227.1994","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2122937809","name":"Hydrothermal Processes and Mineral Systems.: FRANCO PIRAJNO. Pp. 1250. 2009. Springer, Berlin, Germany. ISBN 978-1-4020-8612-0, e-ISBN 978-1-4020-8613-7. Price US$259.00 (hardcover).","source":"openalex","abstract":"This book reviews hydrothermal mineral deposits and related processes, as implied by the title. However, it also includes an introduction to a potpourri of topics, from hydrothermal principles and fluids, hydrothermal alteration, and tectonic settings of mineral deposits, through description of several styles of mineral deposits, to the relationships between hydrothermal systems and the biosphere, as well as information on meteorite impacts and the search for extraterrestrial life, ending with a “brief panoramic on uranium mineral systems.” The discussion of mineral deposits, or “mineral systems,” as is preferred by Pirajno to imply a more extensive and inclusive environment, includes intrusion-related, porphyry and epithermal, skarn, submarine, sedimentary rock-hosted stratiform and strata bound, and orogenic, amagmatic, and deposits of an uncertain origin. These chapters are, in part, updates from a 1992 treatise by Pirajno …","url":"https://doi.org/10.2113/gsecongeo.104.4.597","authors":["Jeffrey W. Hedenquist"],"tags":["Mineral","Geochemistry","Geology","Materials science","Metallurgy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2113/gsecongeo.104.4.597","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2612058326","name":"Shifted Excitation Raman Difference Spectroscopy applied to extraterrestrial particles returned from the asteroid Itokawa","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2017.05.004","authors":["Ute Böttger","Martin Maiwald","Franziska Hanke","Marcel Braune","S. G. Pavlov","Susanne Schröder","I. Weber","H. Busemann","Bernd Sumpf","G. Tränkle","Heinz‐Wilhelm Hübers"],"tags":["Raman spectroscopy","Extraterrestrial life","Materials science","Excitation","Spectroscopy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-05-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2017.05.004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2790588640","name":"Evidence of cyclic climatic changes recorded in clay mineral assemblages from a continental Paleocene-Eocene sequence, northwestern Argentina","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sedgeo.2018.03.007","authors":["Margarita Do Campo","Blanca Bauluz","Cecilia del Papa","Timothy S. White","Alfonso Yuste","María José Mayayo Burillo"],"tags":["Geology","Paleogene","Paleosol","Paleontology","Kaolinite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-03-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sedgeo.2018.03.007","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2097528067","name":"Energy Resources for Human Settlement in the Solar System and Earth’s Future in Space","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract This publcation is a comprehensive and integrated review of energy and mineral resources in the Solar System, including materials that can both sustain future manned expeditions and colonies in space and support Earth's energy and critical material challenges in the 21st century and beyond. All long-range programs for human exploration and settlement of the solar system recognize the vital role that extraterrestrial energy and mineral resources must play in support of human habitation of near Earth Space and the Moon, Mars, and the Asteroids. Produced in colaboration with the AAPG Energy Minerals Division and the AAPG Astrogeology Committee, this Memoir reflects AAPG's vision of advancing the science and technology of energy, minerals, and hydrocarbon resources into the future and supporting exploration and development of the ultimate frontier, beyond Earth's atmosphere.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1306/m1011336","authors":["William A. Ambrose","James F. Reilly","Douglas C. Peters"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Mars Exploration Program","Solar System","Extraterrestrial life","Space exploration"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1306/m1011336","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2058335264","name":"Roles of Bacillus endospores in the environment","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-002-8433-7","authors":["Wayne L. Nicholson"],"tags":["Endospore","Host (biology)","Biology","Bacillus (shape)","Spore"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-002-8433-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2010725533","name":"Noble gases in Grant and Carbo and the influence of S‐ and P‐rich mineral inclusions on the 41K‐40K dating system","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Cosmogenic He, Ne, and Ar were measured in the iron meteorites Grant (IIIAB) and Carbo (IID) to re‐determine their preatmospheric geometries and exposure histories. We also investigated the influence of sulphur‐ and/or phosphorus‐rich inclusions on the production rates of cosmogenic Ne. Depth profiles measured in Grant indicate a preatmospheric center location 117 mm left from the reference line and 9 mm below bar B, which is clearly different (˜10 cm) from earlier results (˜165 mm left from the reference line on bar F). For Carbo the preatmospheric center location was found to be 120 mm right of the reference line and 15 mm above bar J, which is in agreement with literature data. The new measurements indicate a spherical preatmospheric shape for both meteorites and, based on literature 36C1 data, the radii were estimated to be about 32 cm and 70 cm for Grant and Carbo, respectively. We demonstrate that minor elements like S and P have a significant influence on the production rates of cosmogenic Ne. In our samples, containing on average 0.5% S and/or P, about 20% of 21Ne was produced from these minor elements. Using measured 21Ne concentrations and endmember 22Ne/21Ne ratios for Fe + Ni and S + P, respectively, we show that it is possible to correct for 21Ne produced from S and/or P. The thus corrected data are then used to calculate new 41K‐40K exposure ages—using published K data—which results in 564 ± 78 Ma for Grant and 725 ± 100 Ma for Carbo. The correction always lowers the 21Ne concentrations and consequently decreases the 41K‐40K exposure ages. The discrepancies between 36Cl‐36Ar and 41K‐40K ages are accordingly reduced. The existence of a significant long‐term variation of the GCR, which is based on a former 30–50% difference between 41K‐40K and 36Cl‐36Ar ages, may warrant re‐investigation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2008.tb00678.x","authors":["K. Ammon","J. Masarik","I. Leya"],"tags":["Meteorite","Bar (unit)","Analytical Chemistry (journal)","Line (geometry)","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2008.tb00678.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2167513432","name":"Carbon isotope anomaly in the major plant C 1 pool and its global biogeochemical implications","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. We report that the most abundant C1 units of terrestrial plants, the methoxyl groups of pectin and lignin, have a unique carbon isotope signature exceptionally depleted in 13C. Plant-derived C1 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are also anomalously depleted in 13C compared with Cn+1 VOCs. The results confirm that the plant methoxyl pool is the predominant source of biospheric C1 compounds of plant origin such as methanol, chloromethane and bromomethane. Furthermore this pool, comprising ca 2.5% of carbon in plant biomass, could be an important substrate for methanogenesis and thus be envisaged as a possible source of isotopically light methane entering the atmosphere. Our findings have significant implications for the use of carbon isotope ratios in elucidation of global carbon cycling. Moreover methoxyl groups could act as markers for biological activity in organic matter of terrestrial and extraterrestrial origin.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-1-123-2004","authors":["Frank Keppler","Robert M. Kalin","David B. Harper","W. Colin McRoberts","John T. G. Hamilton"],"tags":["Biogeochemical cycle","Methanogenesis","Environmental chemistry","Isotopes of carbon","Terrestrial plant"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-12-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-1-123-2004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2913361982","name":"Subsurface Microbial Hydrogen Cycling: Natural Occurrence and Implications for Industry","source":"openalex","abstract":"Hydrogen is a key energy source for subsurface microbial processes, particularly in subsurface environments with limited alternative electron donors, and environments that are not well connected to the surface. In addition to consumption of hydrogen, microbial processes such as fermentation and nitrogen fixation produce hydrogen. Hydrogen is also produced by a number of abiotic processes including radiolysis, serpentinization, graphitization, and cataclasis of silicate minerals. Both biotic and abiotically generated hydrogen may become available for consumption by microorganisms, but biotic production and consumption are usually tightly coupled. Understanding the microbiology of hydrogen cycling is relevant to subsurface engineered environments where hydrogen-cycling microorganisms are implicated in gas consumption and production and corrosion in a number of industries including carbon capture and storage, energy gas storage, and radioactive waste disposal. The same hydrogen-cycling microorganisms and processes are important in natural sites with elevated hydrogen and can provide insights into early life on Earth and life on other planets. This review draws together what is known about microbiology in natural environments with elevated hydrogen, and highlights where similar microbial populations could be of relevance to subsurface industry.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms7020053","authors":["Simon Gregory","Megan J. Barnett","Lorraine P. Field","A. E. Milodowski"],"tags":["Hydrogen","Hydrogen production","Environmental science","Microorganism","Environmental chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms7020053","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2033752530","name":"Thermal infrared emission spectroscopy of anhydrous carbonates","source":"openalex","abstract":"The objective of this study is to present the thermal emission spectra of various anhydrous, calcite‐ and dolomite‐series carbonate minerals to illustrate the effect of the structural cation (Ca2+, Mg2+, Fe2+, Mn2+, Zn2+) on shifting the positions of the carbonate absorption bands. All of the carbonate mineral emission spectra included in this study exhibit three absorption features related to three specific vibrational modes of the carbonate anion (CO32−). These anion vibrations include the out‐of‐plane bend, the asymmetric stretch, and the in‐plane bend (i.e., the v2, v3, and v4 modes, respectively). The positions of the absorption‐band emissivity minima are unique for each carbonate chemistry and are thus diagnostic of mineralogy. The average v2, v3 and v4 wavenumber positions for the various carbonate minerals are as follows: calcite (CaCO3) 883, 1523, and 712 cm−1; magnesite (MgCO3) 901, 1572, and 748 cm−1; siderite (FeCO3) 876, 1523, and 736 cm−1; rhodochrosite (MnCO3) 877, 1535, and 726 cm−1; smithsonite (ZnCO3) 882, 1509, and 742 cm−1; dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) 894, 1547, and 728 cm−1; and kutnahorite (CaMn(CO3)2) 882, 1526, and 716 cm−1. Carbonates as a general mineral class crystallize in a variety of geological environments; however, each specific carbonate mineralogy typically is limited to a narrow range of geologic settings in which it forms. Thermal infrared emission data to be received from the Mars Global Surveyor thermal emission spectrometer will contain the spectral signature of carbonates if they are present above the detectibility limit on the surface of Mars. This study presents the spectral information necessary to recognize carbonate as a mineral class as well as identify the specific type of carbonate from thermal emissivity data. Knowledge of distinct carbonate mineralogy will be useful for interpreting the environmental conditions that were present on Mars during the carbonate formation. The result of this study is that the major carbonate mineral species (calcite, dolomite, magnesite, siderite, and smithsonite) can be identified from thermal infrared emission data, provided moderate (10 cm−1) spectral sampling. Because of the similarity of absorption band positions between kutnahorite and calcite, high (2 cm−1) spectral sampling is required to distinguish kutnahorite. Moderate spectral sampling data are also sufficient to determine the amount of Mg and Fe in Mg‐Fe solid solution minerals to within 3–5% of the cation abundance.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/97je02046","authors":["M. D. Lane","P. R. Christensen"],"tags":["Carbonate","Dolomite","Magnesite","Rhodochrosite","Calcite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/97je02046","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2090275970","name":"Osmium isotope evidence for a large Late Triassic impact event","source":"openalex","abstract":"Anomalously high platinum group element concentrations have previously been reported for Upper Triassic deep-sea sediments, which are interpreted to be derived from an extraterrestrial impact event. Here we report the osmium (Os) isotope fingerprint of an extraterrestrial impact from Upper Triassic chert successions in Japan. Os isotope data exhibit a marked negative excursion from an initial Os isotope ratio ((187)Os/(188)Osi) of ~0.477 to unradiogenic values of ~0.126 in a platinum group element-enriched claystone layer, indicating the input of meteorite-derived Os into the sediments. The timing of the Os isotope excursion coincides with both elevated Os concentrations and low Re/Os ratios. The magnitude of this negative Os isotope excursion is comparable to those found at Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary sites. These geochemical lines of evidence demonstrate that a large impactor (3.3-7.8 km in diameter) produced a global decrease in seawater (187)Os/(188)Os ratios in the Late Triassic.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms3455","authors":["Honami Sato","Tetsuji Onoue","Tatsuo Nozaki","Katsuhiko Suzuki"],"tags":["Osmium","Geology","Meteorite","Isotope","Excursion"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-09-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms3455","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W4400571053","name":"Spectroscopic techniques for detecting naturally occurring radioactive nuclides in geology and water: A comprehensive review and health implications","source":"openalex","abstract":"Naturally occurring radionuclides can be categorized into two main groups: primordial and cosmogenic, based on their origin. Primordial radionuclides stem from the Earth’s crust, occurring either individually or as part of decay chains. Conversely, cosmogenic radionuclides originate from extraterrestrial sources such as space, the sun, and nuclear reactions involving cosmic radiation and the Earth’s atmosphere. Gamma-ray spectrometry is a widely employed method in Earth sciences for detecting naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM). Its applications vary from environmental radiation monitoring to mining exploration, with a predominant focus on quantifying the content of uranium (U), thorium (Th), and potassium (K) in rocks and soils. These elements also serve as tracers in non-radioactive processes linked to NORM paragenesis. Furthermore, the heat generated by radioactive decay within rocks plays a pivotal role in deciphering the Earth’s thermal history and interpreting data concerning continental heat flux in geophysical investigations. This paper provides a concise overview of current analytical and measuring techniques, with an emphasis on state-of-the-art mass spectrometric procedures and decay measurements. Earth scientists constantly seek information on the chemical composition of rocks, sediments, minerals, and fluids to comprehend the vast array of geological and geochemical processes. The historical precedence of geochemists in pioneering novel analytical techniques, often preceding their commercial availability, underscores the significance of such advancements. Geochemical analysis has long relied on atomic spectrometric techniques, such as X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRFS), renowned for its precision in analyzing solid materials, particularly major and trace elements in geological samples. XRFS proves invaluable in determining the major constituents of silicate and other rock types. This review elucidates the historical development and methodology of these techniques while showcasing their common applications in various geoscience research endeavors. Ultimately, this review aims to furnish readers with a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental concepts and potential applications of XRF, HPGes, and related technologies in geosciences. Lastly, future research directions and challenges confronting these technologies are briefly discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.24294/jgc.v7i2.6909","authors":["Mohamed H. Fathy","Farha Shaban","Thowayba M. Fawzy","Dat Viet Nguyen","Ahmed M. Eldosouky"],"tags":["Radionuclide","Earth science","Geology","Uranium","Radioactive decay"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.24294/jgc.v7i2.6909","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W4285792266","name":"Tridymite in a lacustrine mudstone in Gale Crater, Mars: Evidence for an explosive silicic eruption during the Hesperian","source":"openalex","abstract":"The unexpected detection of ∼16 wt.% monoclinic tridymite, a high-temperature silica polymorph, within an otherwise lacustrine mudstone in Gale crater, Mars raises significant questions about its formation and the extent of magmatic evolution on that planet. The rock sample, analyzed by the X-ray diffractometer onboard the Curiosity rover, also contained feldspar, cristobalite, and opaline silica (±Si-glass). Monoclinic tridymite is extremely rare on Earth, and has only been discovered in silicic volcanic environments, high-temperature impact settings, and extraterrestrial rocks. We review the most common formation pathways of natural tridymite and run thermodynamical models to investigate possible formation mechanisms. We consider the broader context of the sample to propose a formation and transport mechanism based on: (1) the mineralogical assemblage of the mudstone and rocks in the vicinity, (2) the composition of the mudstone layer, and (3) the overall geological context. Based on the large amount of tridymite, the high SiO2 and low Al2O3 concentration of the mudstone, and the low temperature context within distal lacustrine mudstone, we propose that an explosive eruption released Si-rich ashes, which were deposited into Gale crater's watershed as a tridymite-rich ashfall along with cristobalite, feldspar, Ti-oxide, and Si-rich glass, when Gale was still a lake (Hesperian). The dissolution of Si-rich glass and mineral sorting during transport would have concentrated tridymite, caused opaline silica precipitation, and relatively lowered the Al2O3 concentration. This scenario implies that explosive volcanism on Mars occurred during the Hesperian and might not be restricted to basaltic eruptions, revealing the complexity of Mars magmatism.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2022.117694","authors":["V. Payré","K. L. Siebach","M. T. Thorpe","Paula Antoshechkina","E. B. Rampe"],"tags":["Tridymite","Geology","Hesperian","Noachian","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2022.117694","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2158686686","name":"The Origin of Biological Homochirality","source":"openalex","abstract":"The single-handedness of biological molecules has fascinated scientists and laymen alike since Pasteur's first painstaking separation of the enantiomorphic crystals of a tartrate salt more than 150 yr ago. More recently, a number of theoretical and experimental investigations have helped to delineate models for how one enantiomer might have come to dominate over the other from what presumably was a racemic prebiotic world. This article highlights mechanisms for enantioenrichment that include either chemical or physical processes, or a combination of both. The scientific driving force for this work arises from an interest in understanding the origin of life, because the homochirality of biological molecules is a signature of life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a002147","authors":["Donna G. Blackmond"],"tags":["Homochirality","Abiogenesis","Biology","Astrobiology","Biochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-03-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a002147","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W3170310673","name":"Applications of Mössbauer Spectroscopy in Meteoritical and Planetary Science, Part I: Undifferentiated Meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Mössbauer (nuclear γ-resonance) spectroscopy is a powerful technique that is actively used in various fields, from physics and chemistry to biology and medicine. Rudolf L. Mössbauer, who observed nuclear γ-resonance and published his results in 1958, received a Nobel Prize in physics in 1961 for this discovery. The 57Fe is the most widely used nucleus in Mössbauer spectroscopy. Therefore, a large variety of compounds containing iron can be studied by Mössbauer spectroscopy. It is well known that planetary matter contains various iron-bearing phases and minerals. Therefore, the extraterrestrial material from different meteorites, asteroids, and planets can be studied using 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy as additional powerful technique. Two parts of this review consider the results of more than 50 years of experience of Mössbauer spectroscopy applied for the studies of various meteorites, soils and rocks from the Moon and recent investigation of the Mars surface using two rovers equipped with miniaturized Mössbauer spectrometers. Part I will discuss known results on Mössbauer spectroscopy of undifferentiated meteorites, which are the most primitive and formed with the solar system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min11060612","authors":["A. A. Maksimova","М. И. Оштрах"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Mössbauer spectroscopy","Spectroscopy","Planetary science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-06-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min11060612","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2912350446","name":"Limits of Life and the Habitability of Mars: The ESA Space Experiment BIOMEX on the ISS","source":"openalex","abstract":"BIOMEX (BIOlogy and Mars EXperiment) is an ESA/Roscosmos space exposure experiment housed within the exposure facility EXPOSE-R2 outside the Zvezda module on the International Space Station (ISS). The design of the multiuser facility supports-among others-the BIOMEX investigations into the stability and level of degradation of space-exposed biosignatures such as pigments, secondary metabolites, and cell surfaces in contact with a terrestrial and Mars analog mineral environment. In parallel, analysis on the viability of the investigated organisms has provided relevant data for evaluation of the habitability of Mars, for the limits of life, and for the likelihood of an interplanetary transfer of life (theory of lithopanspermia). In this project, lichens, archaea, bacteria, cyanobacteria, snow/permafrost algae, meristematic black fungi, and bryophytes from alpine and polar habitats were embedded, grown, and cultured on a mixture of martian and lunar regolith analogs or other terrestrial minerals. The organisms and regolith analogs and terrestrial mineral mixtures were then exposed to space and to simulated Mars-like conditions by way of the EXPOSE-R2 facility. In this special issue, we present the first set of data obtained in reference to our investigation into the habitability of Mars and limits of life. This project was initiated and implemented by the BIOMEX group, an international and interdisciplinary consortium of 30 institutes in 12 countries on 3 continents. Preflight tests for sample selection, results from ground-based simulation experiments, and the space experiments themselves are presented and include a complete overview of the scientific processes required for this space experiment and postflight analysis. The presented BIOMEX concept could be scaled up to future exposure experiments on the Moon and will serve as a pretest in low Earth orbit.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2018.1897","authors":["Jean‐Pierre de Vera","Mashal Alawi","Theresa Backhaus","Mickaël Baqué","Daniela Billi","Ute Böttger","Thomas Berger","Maria Bohmeier","Charles S. Cockell","René Demets","Rosa de la Torre Noetzel","Howell G. M. Edwards","Andreas Elsaesser","Claudia Fagliarone","Annelie Fiedler","Bernard Foing","Frédéric Foucher","Jörg Fritz","Franziska Hanke","Thomas H. Herzog","G. Horneck","Heinz‐Wilhelm Hübers","Björn Huwe","Jasmin Joshi","Natalia Kozyrovska","Martha Kruchten","Peter Lasch","Natuschka Lee","Stefan Leuko","Thomas Leya","Andreas Lorek","Jesús Martínez‐Frías","Joachim Meeßen","Sophie Moritz","Ralf Moeller","Karen Olsson‐Francis","Silvano Onofri","S. Ott","Claudia Pacelli","Olga Podolich","Elke Rabbow","Günther Reitz","Petra Rettberg","Oleg N. Reva","Lynn J. Rothschild","Leopoldo G. Sancho","Dirk Schulze‐Makuch","Laura Selbmann","Paloma Serrano","Ulrich Szewzyk","Cyprien Verseux","Jennifer Wadsworth","Dirk Wagner","Francès Westall","David Wolter","Laura Zucconi"],"tags":["Habitability","Astrobiology","Mars Exploration Program","Martian","International Space Station"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2018.1897","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2970874294","name":"Polymineralic Inclusions in Megacrysts as Proxies for Kimberlite Melt Evolution—A Review","source":"openalex","abstract":"Polymineralic inclusions in megacrysts have been reported to occur in kimberlites worldwide. The inclusions are likely the products of early kimberlite melt(s) which invaded the pre-existing megacryst minerals at mantle depths (i.e., at pressures ranging from 4 to 6 GPa) and crystallized or quenched upon emplacement of the host kimberlite. The abundance of carbonate minerals (e.g., calcite, dolomite) and hydrous silicate minerals (e.g., phlogopite, serpentine, chlorite) within polymineralic inclusions suggests that the trapped melt was more volatile-rich than the host kimberlite now emplaced in the crust. However, the exact composition of this presumed early kimberlite melt, including the inventory of trace elements and volatiles, remains to be more narrowly constrained. For instance, one major question concerns the role of accessory alkali-halogen-phases in polymineralic inclusions, i.e., whether such phases constitute a common primary feature of kimberlite melt(s), or whether they become enriched in late-stage differentiation processes. Recent studies have shown that polymineralic inclusions react with their host minerals during ascent of the kimberlite, while being largely shielded from processes that affect the host kimberlite, e.g., the assimilation of xenoliths (mantle and crustal), degassing of volatiles, and secondary alteration. Importantly, some polymineralic inclusions within different megacryst minerals were shown to preserve fresh glass. A major conclusion of this review is that the abundance and mineralogy of polymineralic inclusions are directly influenced by the physical and chemical properties of their host minerals. When taking the different interactions with their host minerals into account, polymineralic inclusions in megacrysts can serve as useful proxies for the multi-stage origin and evolution of kimberlite melt/magma, because they can (i) reveal information about primary characteristics of the kimberlite melt, and (ii) trace the evolution of kimberlite magma on its way from the upper mantle to the crust.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min9090530","authors":["Yannick Bussweiler"],"tags":["Kimberlite","Melt inclusions","Geochemistry","Geology","Xenolith"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-08-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min9090530","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2960256939","name":"Searching the Moon for Extrasolar Material and the Building Blocks of Extraterrestrial Life","source":"openalex","abstract":"Due to its absence of an atmosphere and relative geological inertness, the Moon's surface records past impacts of objects from the Solar system and beyond. We examine the prospects for discovering extrasolar material near the lunar surface and predict that its abundance is $\\mathcal{O}(10)$ parts-per-million (ppm). The abundances of extrasolar organic carbon and biomolecular building blocks (e.g., amino acids) are estimated to be on the order of $0.1$ ppm and $< 0.1$ parts-per-billion (ppb), respectively. We describe strategies for identifying extrasolar material and potentially detecting extrasolar biomolecular building blocks as well as molecular biosignatures of extinct extraterrestrial life. Thus, viewed collectively, we argue that \\emph{in situ} lunar exploration can provide vital new clues for astrobiology.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.1907.05427","authors":["Manasvi Lingam","Abraham Loeb"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Exoplanet","Solar System","Abundance (ecology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-07-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.1907.05427","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2921106598","name":"Platinum, Pd, Mo, Au and Re deportment in hyper-enriched black shale Ni-Zn-Mo-PGE mineralization, Peel River, Yukon, Canada","source":"openalex","abstract":"Middle Devonian Ni-Mo-Zn-Pt-Pd-Au-Re hyper-enriched black shales (HEBS) from Peel River in north Yukon have high abundances of platinum group elements (PGE; ca. 500 ppb), Au (40–130 ppb) and Re (8–55 ppm). Mineralization occurs in up to three thin (0.5–10 cm thick) layers that include the regionally extensive HEBS at the Road River Group-Canol Formation stratigraphic contact (e.g., correlative with the Nick Ni-Mo-Zn-PGE-Au-Re prospect, northwestern Yukon); two other previously undocumented HEBS layers stratigraphic layers underlie the upper layer. Although the three different layers have minor textural differences, they display marked mineralogical and geochemical similarities to each other. Millerite is the predominant Ni sulfide, and it postdates several textural varieties of pyrite. A longstanding, unresolved question regarding this mineralization in Yukon is the mineralogical host of PGE, Mo, Au and Re. We analyzed the sulfide mineral assemblages using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). LA-ICP-MS analyses reveal that pyrite within all of the layers is the principal host of PGE, Re, Au and Mo, and that paragenetically late pyrite (spatially associated with millerite) contains the highest abundances, with up to 4 ppm Pd, 8 ppm Pt, 500 ppm Re, 1.5 ppm Au and 7000 ppm Mo. Rare, late pyrite-marcasite veins in the upper HEBS layer cross-cut all previous generations of sulfides and also postdate quartz cement. The late sulfide veins are devoid of Mo-Pd-Re-Pt-Au, indicating that mineralization coincided with early to late diagenesis and predates lithification. The high abundances of these elements in diagenetic varieties of pyrite suggests that hyper-enrichment occurred near the seafloor, and that this suite of elements was likely derived from ambient seawater.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2019.02.030","authors":["M G Gadd","Jan M. Peter","Simon E. Jackson","Zhaoping Yang","Duane C. Petts"],"tags":["Pyrite","Geology","Mineralization (soil science)","Geochemistry","Sulfide"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-03-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2019.02.030","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W1651408797","name":"Hydrogen recovery from extraterrestrial materials using microwave energy","source":"openalex","abstract":"The feasibility of recovering hydrogen from extraterrestrial materials (lunar and Martian soils, asteroids) using microwave energy is presented. Reasons for harvesting and origins and locations of hydrogen are reviewed. Problems of hydrogen recovery are discussed in terms of hydrogen release characteristics and microwave coupling to insulating materials. From results of studies of hydrogen diffusivities (oxides, glasses) and tritium release (oxides) as well as studies of microwave coupling to ilmenite, alkali basalt and ceramic oxides it is concluded that using microwave energy in hydrogen recovery from extraterrestrial materials could be the basis for a workable process.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1651408797","authors":["Dennis S. Tucker","D. T. Vaniman","John L. Anderson","F.W. Clinard","Roy C. Feber","Harold M. Frost","T. T. Meek","Terry C. Wallace"],"tags":["Hydrogen","Ilmenite","Microwave","Astrobiology","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1984-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2969635603","name":"Soils of East Antarctic oasis: interplay of organisms and mineral components at microscale","source":"openalex","abstract":"\"The soils of Antarctic oases - coastal as well as inland ice-free areas limited by ice sheet or ice shelves attract attention as a block of one of the most extreme terrestrial ecosystems of the Earth. The knowledge about early stages of pedogenesis, solumformation and stabilization, interaction between organic and mineral components in these soils is still limited. We performed micromorphological investigation of several thin soil profiles developed under mosses and lichens on the sediments deposited by meltwater in a lake depression of Schirmacher Oasis. Mineral components are dominated by sand particles of primary minerals (mostly quartz, K-Na feldspars and micas) derived from gneiss bedrock. Quartz grains exhibit surface structures indicative of cryogenic fragmentation, whereas biotite has signs of chemical alteration: exfoliation along cleavage planes, deformation of laminae, loss of interference colours and pleochroism. Despite severe environmental conditions, incipient weathering occurs that contribute clay minerals and iron oxides to the fine material. The latter forms discontinuous coatings on the coarse grains providing a chitonic c/f related distribution pattern. Arrangement of the fine components in form of coatings on coarse grains provides their maximal interaction with soil moisture and organic matter and generation of microhabitats for the microorganisms. Common micromorphological features of the studied soils is a complex groundmass which combines well preserved organic tissues of mosses and lichens and mineral particles spread among them. We conclude that the studied soil bodies are synsedimentary: fluvial (and possibly eolian) deposition of mineral material that occurs simultaneously with the growth of primitive plants. The mineral grains are trapped between plant tissues which form a framework of the soil matrix. This interlacing provides also conservation of organic material within the soil layer. Studied soils demonstrate similarities with the biological crusts of other present and past extreme terrestrial environments.\"","url":"https://doi.org/10.18268/bsgm2019v71n1a4","authors":["Sergey Sedov","E. P. Zazovskaya","Dmitriy Fedorov-Davydov","T. V. Alekseeva"],"tags":["Microscale chemistry","Soil water","Mineral","Earth science","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-01-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.18268/bsgm2019v71n1a4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W4220669510","name":"Photosensitized Thermoplastic Nano-Photocatalysts Active in the Visible Light Range for Potential Applications Inside Extraterrestrial Facilities","source":"openalex","abstract":"Among different depollution methods, photocatalysis activated by solar light is promising for terrestrial outdoor applications. However, its use in underground structures and/or microgravity environments (e.g., extraterrestrial structures) is forbidden. In these cases, there are issues related to the energy emitted from the indoor lighting system because it is not high enough to promote the photocatalytic mechanism. Moreover, microgravity does not allow the recovery of the photocatalytic slurry from the depolluted solution. In this work, the synthesis of a filmable nanocomposite based on semiconductor nanoparticles supported by photosensitized copolyacrylates was performed through a bulk in situ radical copolymerization involving a photosensitizer macromonomer. The macromonomer and the nanocomposites were characterized through UV-Vis, fluorescence and NMR spectroscopies, gel permeation chromatography and thermogravimetric analysis. The photocatalytic activity of the sensitized nanocomposites was studied through photodegradation tests of common dyes and recalcitrant xenobiotic pollutants, employing UV-Vis and visible range (λ > 390 nm) light radiations. The sensitized nanocomposite photocatalytic performances increased about two times that of the unsensitized nanocomposite and that of visible range light radiation alone (>390 nm). The experimental data have shown that these new systems, applied as thin films, have the potential for use in indoor deep underground and extraterrestrial structures.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12060996","authors":["Lidia Mezzina","Angelo Nicosia","Fabiana Vento","Guido De Guidi","Placido Mineo"],"tags":["Photocatalysis","Nanocomposite","Materials science","Photodegradation","Thermogravimetric analysis"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12060996","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W34484482","name":"Astrobiological remote sensing with circular polarization","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1636-0_11","authors":["Ludmilla Kolokolova","W. B. Sparks","Daniel W. Mackowski"],"tags":["Homochirality","Circular polarization","Astrobiology","Scattering","Extraterrestrial life"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1636-0_11","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2672308801","name":"Intracontinental rift-related deposits: A review of key models","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2017.06.019","authors":["Eduardo O. Zappettini","Nora A. Rubinstein","Sabrina Crosta","Susana J. Segal"],"tags":["Geology","Geochemistry","Mineralization (soil science)","Fluorite","Rift"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-06-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2017.06.019","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W1904504745","name":"Joint Optimization of Radio and Computational Resources for Multicell Mobile-Edge Computing","source":"openalex","abstract":"Migrating computational intensive tasks from mobile devices to more resourceful cloud servers is a promising technique to increase the computational capacity of mobile devices while saving their battery energy. In this paper, we consider an MIMO multicell system where multiple mobile users (MUs) ask for computation offloading to a common cloud server. We formulate the offloading problem as the joint optimization of the radio resources-the transmit precoding matrices of the MUs-and the computational resources-the CPU cycles/second assigned by the cloud to each MU-in order to minimize the overall users' energy consumption, while meeting latency constraints. The resulting optimization problem is nonconvex (in the objective function and constraints). Nevertheless, in the single-user case, we are able to compute the global optimal solution in closed form. In the more challenging multiuser scenario, we propose an iterative algorithm, based on a novel successive convex approximation technique, converging to a local optimal solution of the original nonconvex problem. We then show that the proposed algorithmic framework naturally leads to a distributed and parallel implementation across the radio access points, requiring only a limited coordination/signaling with the cloud. Numerical results show that the proposed schemes outperform disjoint optimization algorithms.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/tsipn.2015.2448520","authors":["Stefania Sardellitti","Gesualdo Scutari","Sergio Barbarossa"],"tags":["Computer science","Cloud computing","Mobile edge computing","Optimization problem","Server"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1109/tsipn.2015.2448520","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2558836311","name":"Towards human exploration of space: the THESEUS review series on cardiovascular, respiratory, and renal research priorities","source":"openalex","abstract":"The THESEUS project (Towards Human Exploration of Space: a EUropean Strategy) was initiated within the seventh Framework Programme by the European Commission. This project aimed to provide a cross-cutting, life science-based roadmap for Europe’s strategy towards human exploration of space, especially for deep space missions and its relevance to applications on Earth. To address these challenges, relevance of space research on the cardiovascular system, the lungs and kidneys, was discussed in an expert group and its principal conclusions will be presented in this article.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/npjmgrav.2016.31","authors":["André Aubert","Irina V. Larina","Iman Momken","Stéphane Blanc","Olivier White","G. Kim Prisk","Dag Linnarsson"],"tags":["Relevance (law)","Space (punctuation)","Principal (computer security)","European commission","Space exploration"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-11-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/npjmgrav.2016.31","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W1971256751","name":"Review komatiites: from Earth’s geological settings to planetary and astrobiological contexts","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11038-007-9135-9","authors":["Delphine Nna-Mvondo","Jesús Martínez‐Frías"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Geology","Ultramafic rock","Crust","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-02-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11038-007-9135-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W1575391972","name":"Smouldering Combustion Phenomena in Science and Technology","source":"openalex","abstract":"Invited review paper for the first issue of the journal IRECHE - International Review of Chemical Engineering - Rapid Communications.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1575391972","authors":["Guillermo Rein"],"tags":["Combustion","Environmental science","Engineering","Computer science","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2371415902","name":"Pyrite Framboid: Indicator of Environments and Life","source":"openalex","abstract":"Pyrite framboid,the wonderful microcrystalline(0.1-1 μm) mineral aggregate(5-50 μm),has been a study focus in different disciplines since scientists first discovered(1923) and named it(1935).This paper reviews the progresses and existing problems of pyrite framboid's studies during different study stages including the biogenesis' theory stage(1923-1969),abiogenesis' theory stage(1969-2000) and multiple genesis's theory stage(2000-present) in terms of formation mechanism and the relationship with the environments.It also explores the prospects of pyrite framboid' study,pointing out that pyrite framboid has a great potential as the indicator of the surface and deep biospheres,the extraterrestrial environments and life;and finally puts forward the proposal that we should further the study of pyrite framboid by integrating its studies in that of earth science,life science,materials science,chemistry,nanotechnology and condensed matter physics.","url":"https://openalex.org/W2371415902","authors":["Xueying Yang","Yiming Gong"],"tags":["Pyrite","Earth science","Chemistry","Geology","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W1992592820","name":"Earth's Critical Zone and hydropedology: concepts, characteristics, and advances","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. The Critical Zone (CZ) is a holistic framework for integrated studies of water with soil, rock, air, and biotic resources in the near-surface terrestrial environment. This most heterogeneous and complex region of the Earth ranges from the vegetation top to the aquifer bottom, with a highly variable thickness globally and a yet-to-be clearly defined lower boundary of active water cycle. Interfaces among different compartments in the CZ are critical, which provide fertile ground for interdisciplinary research. The reconciliation of coupled geological and biological cycles (vastly different in space and time scales) is essential to understanding the complexity and evolution of the CZ. Irreversible evolution, coupled cycling, interactive layers, and hierarchical heterogeneity are the characteristics of the CZ, suggesting that forcing, coupling, interfacing, and scaling are grand challenges for advancing CZ science. Hydropedology – the science of the behaviour and distribution of soil-water interactions in contact with mineral and biological materials in the CZ – is an important contributor to CZ study. The pedosphere is the foundation of the CZ, which represents a geomembrance across which water and solutes, as well as energy, gases, solids, and organisms are actively exchanged with the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere, thereby creating a life-sustaining environment. Hydropedology emphasizes in situ soils in the landscape setting, where distinct pedogenic features and soil-landscape relationships are essential to understanding interactive pedologic and hydrologic processes. Both CZ science and hydropedology embrace an evolutionary and holistic worldview, which offers stimulating opportunities through steps such as integrated systems approach, evolutionary mapping-monitoring-modeling framework, and fostering a global alliance. Our capability to predict the behaviour and evolution of the CZ in response to changing environment can be significantly improved if cross-site scientific comparisons, evolutionary treatment of organized complex systems, and deeper insights into the CZ can be made.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-25-2010","authors":["H. Lin"],"tags":["Hydrosphere","Earth science","Biosphere","Earth system science","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-01-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-25-2010","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W1771846742","name":"Surface ocean iron fertilization: The role of airborne volcanic ash from subduction zone and hot spot volcanoes and related iron fluxes into the Pacific Ocean","source":"openalex","abstract":"[1] Surface ocean iron (Fe) fertilization can affect the marine primary productivity (MPP), thereby impacting on CO2 exchanges at the atmosphere-ocean interface and eventually on climate. Mineral (aeolian or desert) dust is known to be a major atmospheric source for the surface ocean biogeochemical iron cycle, but the significance of volcanic ash is poorly constrained. We present the results of geochemical experiments aimed at determining the rapid release of Fe upon contact of pristine volcanic ash with seawater, mimicking their dry deposition into the surface ocean. Our data show that volcanic ash from both subduction zone and hot spot volcanoes (n = 44 samples) rapidly mobilized significant amounts of soluble Fe into seawater (35–340 nmol/g ash), with a suggested global mean of 200 ± 50 nmol Fe/g ash. These values are comparable to the range for desert dust in experiments at seawater pH (10–125 nmol Fe/g dust) presented in the literature (Guieu et al., 1996; Spokes et al., 1996). Combining our new Fe release data with the calculated ash flux from a selected major eruption into the ocean as a case study demonstrates that single volcanic eruptions have the potential to significantly increase the surface ocean Fe concentration within an ash fallout area. We also constrain the long-term (millennial-scale) airborne volcanic ash and mineral dust Fe flux into the Pacific Ocean by merging the Fe release data with geological flux estimates. These show that the input of volcanic ash into the Pacific Ocean (128–221 × 1015 g/ka) is within the same order of magnitude as the mineral dust input (39–519 × 1015 g/ka) (Mahowald et al., 2005). From the similarity in both Fe release and particle flux follows that the flux of soluble Fe related to the dry deposition of volcanic ash (3–75 × 109 mol/ka) is comparable to that of mineral dust (1–65 × 109 mol/ka). Our study therefore suggests that airborne volcanic ash is an important but hitherto underestimated atmospheric source for the Pacific surface ocean biogeochemical iron cycle.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2009gb003761","authors":["Nazlı Olgun","Svend Duggen","Peter Croot","Pierre Delmelle","Heiner Dietze","U. Schacht","N. Óskarsson","Claus Siebe","Andreas Auer","Dieter Garbe‐Schönberg"],"tags":["Volcanic ash","Iron fertilization","Volcano","Geology","Seawater"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-08-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2009gb003761","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W1606767976","name":"Enhanced Deep Blue aerosol retrieval algorithm: The second generation","source":"openalex","abstract":"The aerosol products retrieved using the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) collection 5.1 Deep Blue algorithm have provided useful information about aerosol properties over bright‐reflecting land surfaces, such as desert, semiarid, and urban regions. However, many components of the C5.1 retrieval algorithm needed to be improved; for example, the use of a static surface database to estimate surface reflectances. This is particularly important over regions of mixed vegetated and nonvegetated surfaces, which may undergo strong seasonal changes in land cover. In order to address this issue, we develop a hybrid approach, which takes advantage of the combination of precalculated surface reflectance database and normalized difference vegetation index in determining the surface reflectance for aerosol retrievals. As a result, the spatial coverage of aerosol data generated by the enhanced Deep Blue algorithm has been extended from the arid and semiarid regions to the entire land areas. In this paper, the changes made in the enhanced Deep Blue algorithm regarding the surface reflectance estimation, aerosol model selection, and cloud screening schemes for producing the MODIS collection 6 aerosol products are discussed. A similar approach has also been applied to the algorithm that generates the Sea‐viewing Wide Field‐of‐view Sensor (SeaWiFS) Deep Blue products. Based upon our preliminary results of comparing the enhanced Deep Blue aerosol products with the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) measurements, the expected error of the Deep Blue aerosol optical thickness (AOT) is estimated to be better than 0.05 + 20%. Using 10 AERONET sites with long‐term time series, 79% of the best quality Deep Blue AOT values are found to fall within this expected error.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrd.50712","authors":["N. Christina Hsu","Myeong-Jae Jeong","C. Bettenhausen","A. M. Sayer","Richard A. Hansell","C. S. Seftor","Jingfeng Huang","S. Tsay"],"tags":["AERONET","Aerosol","Deep blue","Remote sensing","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-08-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrd.50712","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2117472846","name":"An instrument design for non-contact detection of biomolecules and minerals on Mars using fluorescence","source":"openalex","abstract":"We discuss fluorescence as a method to detect polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and other organic molecules, as well as minerals on the surface of Mars. We present an instrument design that is adapted from the ChemCam instrument which is currently on the Mars Science Lander Rover Curiosity and thus most of the primary components are currently flight qualified for Mars surface operations, significantly reducing development costs. The major change compared to ChemCam is the frequency multipliers of the 1064 nm laser to wavelengths suitable for fluorescence excitation (266 nm, 355 nm, and 532 nm). We present fluorescence spectrum for a variety of organics and minerals relevant to the surface of Mars. Preliminary results show minerals already known on Mars, such as perchlorate, fluoresce strongest when excited by 355 nm. Also we demonstrate that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, such as those present in Martian meteorites, are highly fluorescent at wavelengths in the ultraviolet (266 nm, 355 nm), but not as much in the visible (532 nm). We conclude that fluorescence can be an important method for Mars applications and standoff detection of organics and minerals. The instrument approach described in this paper builds on existing hardware and offers high scientific return for minimal cost for future missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/1754-1611-8-16","authors":["H. D. Smith","Christopher P. McKay","Andrew Duncan","Ronald C. Sims","Anne J. Anderson","Paul R. Grossl"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Fluorescence","Astrobiology","Mars rover","Martian surface"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1186/1754-1611-8-16","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2800015462","name":"Insights into Abiotically-Generated Amino Acid Enantiomeric Excesses Found in Meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Biology exhibits homochirality, in that only one of two possible molecular configurations (called enantiomers) is used in both proteins and nucleic acids. The origin of this phenomenon is currently unknown, as nearly all known abiotic mechanisms for generating these compounds result in equal (racemic) mixtures of both enantiomers. However, analyses of primitive meteorites have revealed that a number of amino acids of extraterrestrial origin are present in enantiomeric excess, suggesting that there was an abiotic route to synthesize amino acids in a non-racemic manner. Here we review the amino acid contents of a range of meteorites, describe mechanisms for amino acid formation and their potential to produce amino acid enantiomeric excesses, and identify processes that could have amplified enantiomeric excesses.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life8020014","authors":["Aaron S. Burton","E. L. Berger"],"tags":["Homochirality","Enantiomer","Amino acid","Meteorite","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-05-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life8020014","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W3094638247","name":"Red risks for a journey to the red planet: The highest priority human health risks for a mission to Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"NASA's plans for space exploration include a return to the Moon to stay-boots back on the lunar surface with an orbital outpost. This station will be a launch point for voyages to destinations further away in our solar system, including journeys to the red planet Mars. To ensure success of these missions, health and performance risks associated with the unique hazards of spaceflight must be adequately controlled. These hazards-space radiation, altered gravity fields, isolation and confinement, closed environments, and distance from Earth-are linked with over 30 human health risks as documented by NASA's Human Research Program. The programmatic goal is to develop the tools and technologies to adequately mitigate, control, or accept these risks. The risks ranked as \"red\" have the highest priority based on both the likelihood of occurrence and the severity of their impact on human health, performance in mission, and long-term quality of life. These include: (1) space radiation health effects of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and cognitive decrements (2) Spaceflight-Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (3) behavioral health and performance decrements, and (4) inadequate food and nutrition. Evaluation of the hazards and risks in terms of the space exposome-the total sum of spaceflight and lifetime exposures and how they relate to genetics and determine the whole-body outcome-will provide a comprehensive picture of risk profiles for individual astronauts. In this review, we provide a primer on these \"red\" risks for the research community. The aim is to inform the development of studies and projects with high potential for generating both new knowledge and technologies to assist with mitigating multisystem risks to crew health during exploratory missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-020-00124-6","authors":["Zarana S. Patel","Tyson Brunstetter","William J. Tarver","Alexandra Whitmire","Sara R. Zwart","Scott M. Smith","Janice L. Huff"],"tags":["Spaceflight","Mars Exploration Program","Aeronautics","Space exploration","Environmental health"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-020-00124-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2475383564","name":"Geology from space","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract This paper reviews the development of geologic remote sensing of the Earth and earth-like bodies from space in the 1946–1984 period. Topics include sounding rocket photography, hand-held photography from Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, and Skylab missions, the Earth Resources Experiments Package carried on Skylab, Landsats 1 through 5, the Heat Capacity Mapping Mission, Seasat, and geologic remote sensing experiments carried on two Shuttle missions. Extraterrestrial bodies discussed include the Moon, Mercury, Mars, Venus, and the outer planets and satellites. Data from earth-orbital experiments have been used in oil, mineral, and ground-water exploration, for research, and for geologic education, the most promising applications being in structural geology. Visual range images from Landsat have been the most widely used, but infrared data have also been used successfully for compositional mapping and as indirect indicators of structure, composition, and ground-water distribution. Orbital radar images have proved valuable for structural studies. Extraterrestrial remote sensing has in effect opened up a new solar system by providing close-range data for 17 extraterrestrial bodies previously accessible only by astronomical techniques. Remote sensing from space has been one of the most valuable and unexpected results of space flight.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/dnag-cent-v1.481","authors":["Paul D. Lowman"],"tags":["Geology","Space (punctuation)","Computer science","Operating system"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1985-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1130/dnag-cent-v1.481","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2061420699","name":"The Sample Analysis at Mars Investigation and Instrument Suite","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) investigation of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) addresses the chemical and isotopic composition of the atmosphere and volatiles extracted from solid samples. The SAM investigation is designed to contribute substantially to the mission goal of quantitatively assessing the habitability of Mars as an essential step in the search for past or present life on Mars. SAM is a 40 kg instrument suite located in the interior of MSL’s Curiosity rover. The SAM instruments are a quadrupole mass spectrometer, a tunable laser spectrometer, and a 6-column gas chromatograph all coupled through solid and gas processing systems to provide complementary information on the same samples. The SAM suite is able to measure a suite of light isotopes and to analyze volatiles directly from the atmosphere or thermally released from solid samples. In addition to measurements of simple inorganic compounds and noble gases SAM will conduct a sensitive search for organic compounds with either thermal or chemical extraction from sieved samples delivered by the sample processing system on the Curiosity rover’s robotic arm.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-012-9879-z","authors":["P. R. Mahaffy","Christopher R. Webster","M. Cabane","P. G. Conrad","Patrice Coll","S. K. Atreya","Robert Arvey","Michael Barciniak","M. Benna","L. V. Bleacher","W. B. Brinckerhoff","J. L. Eigenbrode","Daniel Carignan","Mark Cascia","Robert A. Chalmers","Jason P. Dworkin","Therese Errigo","Paula Everson","H. B. Franz","Rodger Farley","Steven Feng","Gregory Frazier","Caroline Freissinet","D. P. Glavin","Daniel Harpold","Douglas Hawk","Vincent Holmes","Christopher S. Johnson","Andrea Jones","Patrick R. Jordan","James Kellogg","Jesse Lewis","Eric Lyness","C. A. Malespin","David K. Martin","John Maurer","A. C. McAdam","Douglas McLennan","T. Nolan","Marvin Noriega","Alexander A. Pavlov","Benito Prats","E. Raaen","Oren Sheinman","D. Sheppard","James S. Smith","J. C. Stern","Florence Tan","M. G. Trainer","D. W. Ming","R. V. Morris","J. H. Jones","Cindy Gundersen","A. Steele","J. J. Wray","Oliver Botta","L. A. Leshin","Tobias Owen","Steve Battel","B. M. Jakosky","H. L. K. Manning","S. W. Squyres","R. Navarro‐González","Christopher P. McKay","F. Raulin","R. Sternberg","A. Buch","Paul Sorensen","Robert Kline-Schoder","David Coscia","Cyril Szopa","Samuel Teinturier","Curt Baffes","Jason Feldman","Greg Flesch","Siamak Forouhar","Ray Garcia","Didier Keymeulen","Steve Woodward","Bruce Block","Ken Arnett","Ryan Miller","Charles Edmonson","Stephen Gorevan","E. Mumm"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Exploration of Mars","Atmosphere of Mars","Mars landing"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-04-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-012-9879-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W1495374002","name":"The Lipid World","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1006746807104","authors":["Daniel Segrè","Dafna Ben-Eli","David W. Deamer","Doron Lancet"],"tags":["Abiogenesis","Amphiphile","Micelle","Chemistry","Bilayer"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1006746807104","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2790657257","name":"Asteroids Impacts, Crustal Evolution and Related Mineral Systems with Special Reference to Australia","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74545-9","authors":["Andrew Y. Glikson","Franco Pirajno"],"tags":["Asteroid","Astrobiology","Geology","Earth science","Planet"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74545-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2586277026","name":"Secondary minerals from salt caves in the Atacama Desert (Chile): a hyperarid and hypersaline environment with potential analogies to the Martian subsurface","source":"openalex","abstract":"Over the past 15 years several expeditions by French, American and especially Italian cavers have unveiled over 50 caves in the Cordillera de la Sal (Atacama Desert, Northern Chile). Many of these caves contain a variety of speleothems and minerals, some of which have rarely been observed within karst systems. Most of the secondary deposits in these caves are composed of halite, but also other halide, carbonate, sulphate, nitrate, phosphate, and silicate minerals have been found. Among the sixteen cave mineral species recognized, atacamite, darapskite, blödite, leonite, anhydrite, and especially antarcticite are worth mentioning. In one of the samples an unknown Ca-Sr-bearing chloride mineral has also been discovered, but it has not been possible to carry out detailed mineralogical analyses. These often-rare minerals have formed in this region due to the very extreme hyperarid and salt-rich environment. This research reports the mineralogical results and proposes the genetical mechanisms leading to the formation of antarcticite, powdery anhydrite, and the paragenesis of the halite-darapskite-blödite. This study also shows that Atacama caves may be excellent analogues to study weathering processes and subsurface secondary minerals in hyperarid and hypersaline environments on Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806x.46.1.2094","authors":["Jo De Waele","Cristina Carbone","Laura Sanna","Marco Vattano","Ermanno Galli","Francesco Sauro","Paolo Forti"],"tags":["Halite","Cave","Geology","Anhydrite","Paragenesis"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806x.46.1.2094","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W3186350001","name":"Review of molten carbonate-based direct carbon fuel cells","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Direct carbon fuel cell (DCFC) is a promising technology with high energy efficiency and abundant fuel. To date, a variety of DCFC configurations have been investigated, with molten hydroxide, molten carbonate or oxides being used as the electrolyte. Recently, there has been particular interest in DCFC with molten carbonate involved. The molten carbonate is either an electrolyte or a catalyst in different cell structures. In this review, we consider carbonate as the clue to discuss the function of carbonate in DCFCs, and start the paper by outlining the developments in terms of molten carbonate (MC)-based DCFC and its electrochemical oxidation processes. Thereafter, the composite electrolyte merging solid carbonate and mixed ionic–electronic conductors (MIEC) are discussed. Hybrid DCFC (HDCFCs ) combining molten carbonate and solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) are also touched on. The primary function of carbonate (i.e., facilitating ion transfer and expanding the triple-phase boundaries) in these systems, is then discussed in detail. Finally, some issues are identified and a future outlook outlined, including a corrosion attack of cell components, reactions using inorganic salt from fuel ash, and wetting with carbon fuels.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40243-021-00197-7","authors":["Can Cui","Shuangbin Li","Junyi Gong","Keyan Wei","Xiangjun Hou","Cairong Jiang","Yali Yao","Jianjun Ma"],"tags":["Molten carbonate fuel cell","Carbonate","Molten salt","Electrolyte","Oxide"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40243-021-00197-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W3146478180","name":"Histidine Self-assembly and Stability on Mineral Surfaces as a Model of Prebiotic Chemical Evolution: An Experimental and Computational Approach","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11084-021-09606-3","authors":["David Madrigal‐Trejo","P.S. Villanueva-Barragán","R. Ramirez","K. E. Cervantes-de la Cruz","I. Mejía-Luna","E. Chacón","A. Negrón-Mendoza","S. Ramos-Bernal","A. Heredia"],"tags":["Histidine","Chemistry","Aragonite","Differential scanning calorimetry","Context (archaeology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-03-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11084-021-09606-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W3203521461","name":"Large calcium isotope fractionations by zeolite minerals from Iceland","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Zeolites are secondary tectosilicates produced during the hydrothermal alteration of basalt. The minerals serve as major sinks of calcium, which readily exchanges with calcium from surrounding groundwater. However, no studies have specifically investigated the calcium isotope geochemistry (δ44/40Ca) of zeolites. Here, we report δ44/40Ca values for zeolites from East Iceland, where the minerals form during progressive burial of the lava pile. The zeolites show a δ44/40Ca range of 1.4‰, which strongly correlates with average mineral calcium-oxygen bond lengths. As this correlation appears most consistent with equilibrium isotope partitioning, our findings point toward developing a novel geothermometer for studying low-grade basalt metamorphism. The results also have significance for using calcium isotopes to trace basalt weathering, including its role in long-term climate regulation and application in carbon capture and storage, a leading strategy for mitigating anthropogenic climate change.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-021-00274-9","authors":["Claire J. Nelson","Andrew D. Jacobson","Gabriella D. Kitch","Tobias B. Weisenberger"],"tags":["Basalt","Geochemistry","Weathering","Mineral","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-021-00274-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W3206866155","name":"Convolutional Neural Networks as a Tool for Raman Spectral Mineral Classification Under Low Signal, Dusty Mars Conditions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract NASA's Mars 2020 and ESA's ExoMars will collect Raman measurements in dusty field conditions obscuring underlying rocks. This presents a challenge for remote Raman measurements at distances where mechanical or ablative sample cleaning is not straightforward. Historically, probing broad lithostratigraphic suites has been thwarted by the need for pristine targets and high‐quality spectra. We provide a means of identifying Raman spectra of common rock‐forming silicate, carbonate, and sulfate minerals under low signal‐to‐noise‐ratios, Mars‐like conditions using a convolutional neural network (CNN). The CNN was trained on the Machine Learning Raman Open Data set data set with 500,000+ Raman spectra of hand samples/powder mixtures (5,000+ spectra/mineral class). Diversity in sample microtopography, orientation, and crystallinity simulated varying laser focuses and spectral quality, and no traditional spectral preprocessing such as cosmic ray or baseline removal was employed. The CNN identified low‐intensity Raman scatterers (micas and amphiboles), mixed minerals, and distinguished between mineral endmembers with +99% success. We present among the first known implementations of “big data” machine learning using varied, high‐volume Raman spectral datasets. The pattern recognition abilities of CNNs can facilitate scientist Raman spectral interpretation on Earth and autonomous rover decision‐making on planets like Mars; increasing scientific yield, correcting human classification errors, reducing the need for thorough target dust removal during evaluative measurements, and streamlining the data communications pipeline—saving time and resources. This study examines an end‐to‐end development process for creating a deep learning algorithm sensitive to varieties of Raman spectra and provides guidelines for CNN model development at the interface of Raman spectroscopy, deep learning, and planetary science.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2021ea002125","authors":["G. Berlanga","Quentin Williams","Nathan Temiquel"],"tags":["Raman spectroscopy","Mars Exploration Program","Hyperspectral imaging","Artificial intelligence","Convolutional neural network"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-09-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2021ea002125","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W1600572471","name":"Microbial diversity and metabolic networks in acid mine drainage habitats","source":"openalex","abstract":"Acid mine drainage (AMD) emplacements are low-complexity natural systems. Low-pH conditions appear to be the main factor underlying the limited diversity of the microbial populations thriving in these environments, although temperature, ionic composition, total organic carbon, and dissolved oxygen are also considered to significantly influence their microbial life. This natural reduction in diversity driven by extreme conditions was reflected in several studies on the microbial populations inhabiting the various micro-environments present in such ecosystems. Early studies based on the physiology of the autochthonous microbiota and the growing success of omics-based methodologies have enabled a better understanding of microbial ecology and function in low-pH mine outflows; however, complementary omics-derived data should be included to completely describe their microbial ecology. Furthermore, recent updates on the distribution of eukaryotes and archaea recovered through sterile filtering (herein referred to as filterable fraction) in these environments demand their inclusion in the microbial characterization of AMD systems. In this review, we present a complete overview of the bacterial, archaeal (including filterable fraction), and eukaryotic diversity in these ecosystems, and include a thorough depiction of the metabolism and element cycling in AMD habitats. We also review different metabolic network structures at the organismal level, which is necessary to disentangle the role of each member of the AMD communities described thus far.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2015.00475","authors":["Celia Méndez-García","Ana I. Peláez","Victoria Mesa","JesÃos Sánchez","Olga V. Golyshina","Manuel Ferrer"],"tags":["Ecology","Microbial ecology","Archaea","Biology","Ecosystem"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-05-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2015.00475","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2902278517","name":"Insights into geological processes with CO2 remote sensing – A review of technology and applications","source":"openalex","abstract":"Geological CO 2 degassing is a fundamental Earth process but still quite poorly understood, since a thorough quantification with conventional measurement techniques is challenging. Optical remote sensing techniques have the potential to extend conventional measurement capabilities, enabling new insights into processes related to Earth’s CO 2 degassing. This article provides an integrated and pragmatic overview of existing and future remote sensing approaches suitable for geological CO 2 quantification and connects results from instrument research in optical remote sensing with possible applications in the Earth sciences. The paper aims to provide intercomparison by means of key parameters of very different remote sensing approaches. One of these parameters is the minimum detectable CO 2 flux, which is estimated for each remote sensing method herein. This may be used to identify a remote sensing platform for a specific Earth science problem related to CO 2 degassing. Six such prominent Earth science problems are detailed. Remote sensing technology for extraterrestrial CO 2 degassing is briefly examined. With respect to established in situ measurements, the main benefits of remote sensing include a safe measurement distance, spatially inclusive probing and swift measurements, while the main shortcomings include a generally lower measurement precision and the lack of commercially available turnkey solutions. While all six Earth science problems examined in this review will benefit to some extent from CO 2 remote sensing, remote sensing is unlikely to replace conventional in situ probing entirely in the near future, but can be seen as complementary to conventional measurement approaches. Earth science problems that could immediately benefit from CO 2 remote sensing include a comprehensive survey of the significant but highly uncertain CO 2 flux of the East African Rift System, comparing volcanic CO 2 concentrations from satellite borne remote sensing with ground-based remote sensing, and integration of CO 2 remote sensing data into automated volcanic unrest prediction.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2018.11.016","authors":["Manuel Queißer","Mike Burton","Ryunosuke Kazahaya"],"tags":["Remote sensing","Earth observation","Process (computing)","Computer science","Remote sensing application"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-11-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2018.11.016","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W3199240715","name":"Bioactive Ceramic Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering by Powder Bed Selective Laser Processing: A Review","source":"openalex","abstract":"The implementation of a powder bed selective laser processing (PBSLP) technique for bioactive ceramics, including selective laser sintering and melting (SLM/SLS), a laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) approach is far more challenging when compared to its metallic and polymeric counterparts for the fabrication of biomedical materials. Direct PBSLP can offer binder-free fabrication of bioactive scaffolds without involving postprocessing techniques. This review explicitly focuses on the PBSLP technique for bioactive ceramics and encompasses a detailed overview of the PBSLP process and the general requirements and properties of the bioactive scaffolds for bone tissue growth. The bioactive ceramics enclosing calcium phosphate (CaP) and calcium silicates (CS) and their respective composite scaffolds processed through PBSLP are also extensively discussed. This review paper also categorizes the bone regeneration strategies of the bioactive scaffolds processed through PBSLP with the various modes of functionalization through the incorporation of drugs, stem cells, and growth factors to ameliorate critical-sized bone defects based on the fracture site length for personalized medicine.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14185338","authors":["Nikhil Kamboj","Antonia Ressler","Irina Hussainova"],"tags":["Selective laser sintering","Materials science","Selective laser melting","Ceramic","Fabrication"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-09-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14185338","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2921646214","name":"The Astrophysical Formation of Asymmetric Molecules and the Emergence of a Chiral Bias","source":"openalex","abstract":"The biomolecular homochirality in living organisms has been investigated for decades, but its origin remains poorly understood. It has been shown that circular polarized light (CPL) and other energy sources are capable of inducing small enantiomeric excesses (ees) in some primary biomolecules, such as amino acids or sugars. Since the first findings of amino acids in carbonaceous meteorites, a scenario in which essential chiral biomolecules originate in space and are delivered by celestial bodies has arisen. Numerous studies have thus focused on their detection, identification, and enantiomeric excess calculations in extraterrestrial matrices. In this review we summarize the discoveries in amino acids, sugars, and organophosphorus compounds in meteorites, comets, and laboratory-simulated interstellar ices. Based on available analytical data, we also discuss their interactions with CPL in the ultraviolet (UV) and vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) regions, their abiotic chiral or achiral synthesis, and their enantiomeric distribution. Without doubt, further laboratory investigations and upcoming space missions are required to shed more light on our potential extraterrestrial molecular origins.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life9010029","authors":["Adrien D. Garcia","Cornelia Meinert","Haruna Sugahara","Nykola C. Jones","Søren Vrønning Hoffmann","Uwe J. Meierhenrich"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Molecule","Chemistry","Physics","Chemical physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-03-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life9010029","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2791626375","name":"Geophysical Investigations of Habitability in Ice‐Covered Ocean Worlds","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Geophysical measurements can reveal the structures and thermal states of icy ocean worlds. The interior density, temperature, sound speed, and electrical conductivity thus characterize their habitability. We explore the variability and correlation of these parameters using 1‐D internal structure models. We invoke thermodynamic consistency using available thermodynamics of aqueous MgSO 4 , NaCl (as seawater), and NH 3 ; pure water ice phases I, II, III, V, and VI; silicates; and any metallic core that may be present. Model results suggest, for Europa, that combinations of geophysical parameters might be used to distinguish an oxidized ocean dominated by MgSO 4 from a more reduced ocean dominated by NaCl. In contrast with Jupiter's icy ocean moons, Titan and Enceladus have low‐density rocky interiors, with minimal or no metallic core. The low‐density rocky core of Enceladus may comprise hydrated minerals or anhydrous minerals with high porosity. Cassini gravity data for Titan indicate a high tidal potential Love number ( k 2 >0.6), which requires a dense internal ocean ( ρ ocean >1,200 kg m −3 ) and icy lithosphere thinner than 100 km. In that case, Titan may have little or no high‐pressure ice, or a surprisingly deep water‐rock interface more than 500 km below the surface, covered only by ice VI. Ganymede's water‐rock interface is the deepest among known ocean worlds, at around 800 km. Its ocean may contain multiple phases of high‐pressure ice, which will become buoyant if the ocean is sufficiently salty. Callisto's interior structure may be intermediate to those of Titan and Europa, with a water‐rock interface 250 km below the surface covered by ice V but not ice VI.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2017je005341","authors":["Steven D. Vance","Mark P. Panning","Simon Stähler","Fabio Cammarano","Bruce G. Bills","Gabriel Tobie","Shunichi Kamata","Sharon Kedar","Christophe Sotin","William T. Pike","Ralph Lorenz","Hsin‐Hua Huang","Jennifer M. Jackson","Bruce Banerdt"],"tags":["Enceladus","Titan (rocket family)","Geology","Astrobiology","Geophysics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-11-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2017je005341","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W4316664901","name":"Nearly free silanols drive the interaction of crystalline silica polymorphs with membranes: Implications for mineral toxicity","source":"openalex","abstract":"Crystalline silica (CS) is a well-known hazardous material that causes severe diseases including silicosis, lung cancer, and autoimmune diseases. However, the hazard associated to crystalline silica is extremely variable and depends on some specific characteristics, including crystal structure and surface chemistry. The crystalline silica polymorphs share the SiO2 stoichiometry and differentiate for crystal structure. The different crystal lattices in turn expose differently ordered hydroxyl groups at the crystal surface, i.e., the silanols. The nearly free silanols (NFS), a specific population of weakly interacting silanols, have been recently advanced as the key surface feature that governs recognition mechanisms between quartz and cell membrane, initiating toxicity. We showed here that the nearly free silanols occur on the other crystalline silica polymorphs and take part in the molecular interactions with biomembranes. A set of crystalline silica polymorphs, including quartz, cristobalite, tridymite, coesite, and stishovite, was physico-chemically characterized and the membranolytic activity was assessed using red blood cells as model membranes. Infrared spectroscopy in highly controlled conditions was used to profile the surface silanol topochemistry and the occurrence of surface nearly free silanols on crystalline silica polymorphs. All crystalline silica polymorphs, but stishovite were membranolytic. Notably, pristine stishovite did not exhibited surface nearly free silanols. The topochemistry of surface silanols was modulated by thermal treatments, and we showed that the occurrence of nearly free silanols paralleled the membranolytic activity for the crystalline silica polymorphs. These results provide a comprehensive understanding of the structure-activity relationship between nearly free silanols and membranolytic activity of crystalline silica polymorphs, offering a possible clue for interpreting the molecular mechanisms associated with silica hazard and bio-minero-chemical interfacial phenomena, including prebiotic chemistry.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2022.1092221","authors":["Cristina Pavan","Guillermo Escolano‐Casado","Chiara Bellomo","Stefania Cananà","Maura Tomatis","Riccardo Leinardi","Lorenzo Mino","Francesco Turci"],"tags":["Stishovite","Cristobalite","Silanol","Materials science","Coesite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2022.1092221","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2098066738","name":"Exposure of phototrophs to 548 days in low Earth orbit: microbial selection pressures in outer space and on early earth","source":"openalex","abstract":"An epilithic microbial community was launched into low Earth orbit, and exposed to conditions in outer space for 548 days on the European Space Agency EXPOSE-E facility outside the International Space Station. The natural phototroph biofilm was augmented with akinetes of Anabaena cylindrica and vegetative cells of Nostoc commune and Chroococcidiopsis. In space-exposed dark controls, two algae (Chlorella and Rosenvingiella spp.), a cyanobacterium (Gloeocapsa sp.) and two bacteria associated with the natural community survived. Of the augmented organisms, cells of A. cylindrica and Chroococcidiopsis survived, but no cells of N. commune. Only cells of Chroococcidiopsis were cultured from samples exposed to the unattenuated extraterrestrial ultraviolet (UV) spectrum (>110 nm or 200 nm). Raman spectroscopy and bright-field microscopy showed that under these conditions the surface cells were bleached and their carotenoids were destroyed, although cell morphology was preserved. These experiments demonstrate that outer space can act as a selection pressure on the composition of microbial communities. The results obtained from samples exposed to >200 nm UV (simulating the putative worst-case UV exposure on the early Earth) demonstrate the potential for epilithic colonization of land masses during that time, but that UV radiation on anoxic planets can act as a strong selection pressure on surface-dwelling organisms. Finally, these experiments have yielded new phototrophic organisms of potential use in biomass and oxygen production in space exploration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2011.46","authors":["Charles S. Cockell","Petra Rettberg","Elke Rabbow","Karen Olsson‐Francis"],"tags":["Phototroph","Biology","Astrobiology","Biofilm","Microorganism"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-05-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2011.46","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W1974081134","name":"New technologies for small sample stable isotope measurement: static vacuum gas source mass spectrometry, laser probes, ion probes and gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-1176(92)85073-9","authors":["C. T. Pillinger"],"tags":["Chemistry","Mass spectrometry","Ion-mobility spectrometry–mass spectrometry","Analytical Chemistry (journal)","Isotope"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1992-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-1176(92)85073-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W3164364412","name":"The impact of burning on the structure and mineral composition of bat guano","source":"openalex","abstract":"Here we addressed the question of whether burning of guano produces a characteristic suite of morphological changes and/or unique mineralogical products. The changes observed in our experimental burning of guano (both fresh and decayed) included colour change (blackening), grain size and morphological change (grain size generally reduced, morphology rendered generally less distinct), alteration of minerals by dehydration (e.g., gypsum to anhydrite, brushite to whitlockite), and production of new minerals or compounds (e.g., augelite, bayerite, giniite, graphite, oldhamite, strontium apatite, tridymite). The key morphological feature we found that may be diagnostic of burning was severe damage to crystals from rapid dehydration (cracks and striations, leading to eventual fragmentation). The key mineralogical feature we found was production of graphite. The high temperature exotic minerals that were produced (giniite, augelite, tridymite, oldhamite) were all found not to be high temperature obligate. Evidence gleaned from the literature suggests that a great number of the minerals associated with high temperatures can also be synthesized in low temperature settings such as weathering or microbial action (exemplified in the extremely complex biology and biochemistry of decaying guano). While the presence of any one of these minerals is not diagnostic of fire, it could be argued that the suite taken as a whole is moderately strong evidence for burning. In future studies, the chemistry of carbon aromaticity may prove to be the best diagnostic test for pyrolysis. A survey of the conditions under which documented spontaneous ignition occurs leads us to conclude that spontaneous ignition of guano inside a cave is an extremely unlikely event, and any suggestion/assertion to this effect should be rigorously supported.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806x.50.2.2387","authors":["Joyce Lundberg","Donald A. McFarlane"],"tags":["Guano","Authigenic","Mineralogy","Weathering","Tridymite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806x.50.2.2387","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2479936182","name":"Extraterrestrial Components from Deep Sea Sediments of Indian Ocean","source":"openalex","abstract":"Two different types of extraterrestrial particulate matter collections were undertaken during the last few years -by using magnets encased in dredges that were dragged along the seafloor and by sieving massive quantities of deep sea sediments from which cosmic spherules were subsequently isolated. Detailed investigations on close to 1000 sectioned cosmic spherules revealed the presence of Pt-group nuggets in all the three basic types of cosmic spherules -all of whom had carbonaceous chondritic meteorites as precursors, thus in a way unifying them. Further, Fe-Ni beads in all types of the investigated cosmic spherules further confirmed this finding. Oxygen isotopes of relict-grains in silicate cosmic spherules suggested chondrules from carbonaceous chondrites to be major contributors. In addition, relict chromite grains and dusty olivines observed in several cosmic spherules suggested that at least 3% of the cosmic material that rains on the earth is sourced from ordinary chondrites. The Australasian microtektites found in the Indian Ocean retained unique microimpact features generated while they were in flight due to inter-particle collisions in the ejecta. This unique phenomenon outlined the importance of the impact process during estimation of cosmic dust fluxes estimated from lunar materials.","url":"https://doi.org/10.16943/ptinsa/2016/48474","authors":["N. G. Rudraswami","M. Shyam Prasad"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Deep sea","Geology","Oceanography","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.16943/ptinsa/2016/48474","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W4380628064","name":"Detection of phosphates originating from Enceladus’s ocean","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Saturn’s moon Enceladus harbours a global1ice-covered water ocean2,3. The Cassini spacecraft investigated the composition of the ocean by analysis of material ejected into space by the moon’s cryovolcanic plume4–9. The analysis of salt-rich ice grains by Cassini’s Cosmic Dust Analyzer10enabled inference of major solutes in the ocean water (Na+, K+, Cl–, HCO3–, CO32–) and its alkaline pH3,11. Phosphorus, the least abundant of the bio-essential elements12–14, has not yet been detected in an ocean beyond Earth. Earlier geochemical modelling studies suggest that phosphate might be scarce in the ocean of Enceladus and other icy ocean worlds15,16. However, more recent modelling of mineral solubilities in Enceladus’s ocean indicates that phosphate could be relatively abundant17. Here we present Cassini’s Cosmic Dust Analyzer mass spectra of ice grains emitted by Enceladus that show the presence of sodium phosphates. Our observational results, together with laboratory analogue experiments, suggest that phosphorus is readily available in Enceladus’s ocean in the form of orthophosphates, with phosphorus concentrations at least 100-fold higher in the moon’s plume-forming ocean waters than in Earth’s oceans. Furthermore, geochemical experiments and modelling demonstrate that such high phosphate abundances could be achieved in Enceladus and possibly in other icy ocean worlds beyond the primordial CO2snowline, either at the cold seafloor or in hydrothermal environments with moderate temperatures. In both cases the main driver is probably the higher solubility of calcium phosphate minerals compared with calcium carbonate in moderately alkaline solutions rich in carbonate or bicarbonate ions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-05987-9","authors":["Frank Postberg","Yasuhito Sekine","Fabian Klenner","Christopher R. Glein","Zenghui Zou","Bernd Abel","Kento Furuya","Jon K. Hillier","Nozair Khawaja","S. Kempf","Lenz Noelle","Takuya Saito","J. Schmidt","Takazo Shibuya","R. Srama","Shuya Tan"],"tags":["Enceladus","Icy moon","Saturn","Astrobiology","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-06-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-05987-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2134492978","name":"Asymmetric synthesis of amino acid precursors in interstellar complex organics by circularly polarized light","source":"openalex","abstract":"The asymmetric synthesis of amino acid precursors from complex organics have been performed. A gaseous mixture of carbon monoxide, ammonia and water (molecules which are among those identified in the interstellar medium) was irradiated with 3.0 MeV protons to obtain amino acid precursors within high-molecular-weight complex organics of up to 3000 Da. The amino acid precursor products synthesized were then irradiated with right (R-) or left (L-) ultraviolet circularly polarized light (UV–CPL) obtained from a synchrotron radiation (SR) source. Glycine was a predominant product, and number of chiral amino acids including alanine were identified following acid hydrolysis. R-UV–CPL preferentially produced d-alanine, while L-UV–CPL produced more l-alanine. Enantiomeric excesses (% D–% L) of + 0.44% and − 0.65% were obtained by R-UV–CPL and L-UV–CPL, respectively. These results imply that the origins of chirality in meteoritic amino acids could be accounted for by the formation of asymmetric amino acid precursors from extraterrestrial complex organics by CPL in space.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2006.11.030","authors":["Yoshinori Takano","Jun-ichi Takahashi","Takeo Kaneko","Katsumi Marumo","Kensei Kobayashi"],"tags":["Amino acid","Alanine","Glycine","Chirality (physics)","Hydrolysis"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-01-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2006.11.030","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W1579111568","name":"230Th normalization: An essential tool for interpreting sedimentary fluxes during the late Quaternary","source":"openalex","abstract":"There is increasing evidence indicating that syndepositional redistribution of sediment on the seafloor by bottom currents is common and can significantly affect sediment mass accumulation rates. Notwithstanding its common incidence, this process (generally referred to as sediment focusing) is often difficult to recognize. If redistribution is near synchronous to deposition, the stratigraphy of the sediment is not disturbed and sediment focusing can easily be overlooked. Ignoring it, however, can lead to serious misinterpretations of sedimentary fluxes, particularly when past changes in export flux from the overlying water are inferred. In many instances, this problem can be resolved, at least for sediments deposited during the late Quaternary, by normalizing to the flux of 230Th scavenged from seawater, which is nearly constant and equivalent to the known rate of production of 230Th from the decay of dissolved 234U. We review the principle, advantages and limitations of this method. Notwithstanding its limitations, it is clear that 230Th normalization does provide a means of achieving more accurate interpretations of sedimentary fluxes and eliminates the risk of serious misinterpretations of sediment mass accumulation rates.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2003pa000939","authors":["Roger François","Martin Frank","Michiel M Rutgers van der Loeff","Michael P. Bacon"],"tags":["Sedimentary rock","Geology","Sediment","Quaternary","Water mass"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2003pa000939","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2603070289","name":"Robust and Elastic Lunar and Martian Structures from 3D-Printed Regolith Inks","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Here, we present a comprehensive approach for creating robust, elastic, designer Lunar and Martian regolith simulant (LRS and MRS, respectively) architectures using ambient condition, extrusion-based 3D-printing of regolith simulant inks. The LRS and MRS powders are characterized by distinct, highly inhomogeneous morphologies and sizes, where LRS powder particles are highly irregular and jagged and MRS powder particles are rough, but primarily rounded. The inks are synthesized via simple mixing of evaporant, surfactant, and plasticizer solvents, polylactic-co-glycolic acid (30% by solids volume), and regolith simulant powders (70% by solids volume). Both LRS and MRS inks exhibit similar rheological and 3D-printing characteristics, and can be 3D-printed at linear deposition rates of 1–150 mm/s using 300 μm to 1.4 cm-diameter nozzles. The resulting LRS and MRS 3D-printed materials exhibit similar, but distinct internal and external microstructures and material porosity (~20–40%). These microstructures contribute to the rubber-like quasi-static and cyclic mechanical properties of both materials, with young’s moduli ranging from 1.8 to 13.2 MPa and extension to failure exceeding 250% over a range of strain rates (10 –1 −10 2 min −1 ). Finally, we discuss the potential for LRS and MRS ink components to be reclaimed and recycled, as well as be synthesized in resource-limited, extraterrestrial environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/srep44931","authors":["Adam E. Jakus","Katie Koube","Nicholas R. Geisendorfer","Ramille N. Shah"],"tags":["Regolith","Materials science","Porosity","Composite material","Rheology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-03-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/srep44931","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2728131919","name":"The Choiyoi magmatism in south western Gondwana: implications for the end-permian mass extinction - a review","source":"openalex","abstract":"The end of the Permian period is marked by global warming and the biggest known mass extinction on Earth. The crisis is commonly attributed to the formation of large igneous provinces because continental volcanic emissions have the potential to control atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels and climate change. We propose that in southwestern Gondwana the long-term hothouse Permian environmental conditions were associated with the development of the Choiyoi magmatism. This large igneous province was developed between the Cisuralian and the early Triassic. It covers an area estimated at 1,680,000 km2 with an average thickness of 700 m, so that the volume of effusive and consanguineous rocks is estimated at 1,260,000 km3. Towards the western sector of the study region, a major overlap exists between the regional development of the Choiyoi magmatism and the Carboniferous sedimentary basins, which include paralic and continental deposits with intercalations of peat and coal beds. Commonly, these upper Palaeozoic deposits accumulated on a thick substrate composed of Cambro-Ordovician carbonates and Ordovician to Devonian terrigenous sedimentary rocks characterised by a large proportion of dark organic-rich shales and turbidite successions. While extensive volcanism released large masses of carbon dioxide into the Permian atmosphere, the heating of Palaeozoic organic-rich shales, peat and carbonates by ascending magma led to CO2 and CH4 gas generation in sufficient volumes to amplify the major climatic change. The analysis of the almost continuous record of Permian redbeds in the Paganzo basin, where the Choiyoi magmatism is not recorded, allowed us to recognize two main pulses of strong environmental desiccation, one at the Cisuralian and the second around the end-Permian. These two drastic climatic crisis are attributed to peaks of CO2 and CH4 outbursts to the atmosphere and related collateral effects, such as acid rain, impoverishment of soils and increase in forest-fire frequency. We propose that the combination of these multiple mechanisms triggered the decline of biodiversity in southwestern Gondwana and caused the end-Permian extinction of most of the Glossopteridales.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5027/andgeov44n3-a05","authors":["Luís A. Spalletti","Carlos O. Limarino"],"tags":["Geology","Magmatism","Gondwana","Permian","Large igneous province"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-09-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5027/andgeov44n3-a05","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W4362667516","name":"Hydrogen Isotopic Composition of Hydrous Minerals in Asteroid Ryugu","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Rock fragments of the Cb-type asteroid Ryugu returned to Earth by the JAXA Hayabusa2 mission share mineralogical, chemical, and isotopic properties with the Ivuna-type (CI) carbonaceous chondrites. Similar to CI chondrites, these fragments underwent extensive aqueous alteration and consist predominantly of hydrous minerals likely formed in the presence of liquid water on the Ryugu parent asteroid. Here we present an in situ analytical survey performed by secondary ion mass spectrometry from which we have estimated the D/H ratio of Ryugu’s hydrous minerals, D/H Ryugu , to be [165 ± 19] × 10 −6 , which corresponds to δ D Ryugu = +59 ± 121‰ (2 σ ). The hydrous mineral D/H Ryugu ’s values for the two sampling sites on Ryugu are similar; they are also similar to the estimated D/H ratio of hydrous minerals in the CI chondrites Orgueil and Alais. This result reinforces a link between Ryugu and CI chondrites and an inference that Ryugu’s samples, which avoided terrestrial contamination, are our best proxy to estimate the composition of water at the origin of hydrous minerals in CI-like material. Based on this data and recent literature studies, the contribution of CI chondrites to the hydrogen of Earth’s surficial reservoirs is evaluated to be ∼3%. We conclude that the water responsible for the alteration of Ryugu’s rocks was derived from water ice precursors inherited from the interstellar medium; the ice partially re-equilibrated its hydrogen with the nebular H 2 before being accreted on the Ryugu’s parent asteroid.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/acc393","authors":["Laurette Piani","K. Nagashima","Noriyuki Kawasaki","Naoya Sakamoto","Ken‐ichi Bajo","Yoshinari Abe","J. Aléon","C. M. O'd. Alexander","S. Amari","Yuri Amelin","Martin Bizzarro","Audrey Bouvier","Richard W. Carlson","Marc Chaussidon","Byeon‐Gak Choi","Nicolas Dauphas","A. M. Davis","Tommaso Di Rocco","Wataru Fujiya","Ryota Fukai","Ikshu Gautam","Makiko K. Haba","Yuki Hibiya","Hiroshi Hidaka","Hisashi Homma","P. Höppe","G. R. Huss","Kiyohiro Ichida","Tsuyoshi Iizuka","T. R. Ireland","Akira Ishikawa","Shoichi Itoh","N. T. Kita","Kouki Kitajima","T. Kleine","Shintaro Komatani","Alexander N. Krot","Ming‐Chang Liu","Yuki Masuda","K. D. McKeegan","Mayu Morita","Kazuko Motomura","Frédéric Moynier","Izumi Nakai","A. N. Nguyen","L. R. Nittler","Morihiko Onose","Andreas Pack","Changkun Park","Liping Qin","S. S. Russell","Maria Schönbächler","Lauren Tafla","Haolan Tang","Kentaro Terada","Yasuko Terada","Tomohiro Usui","Sohei Wada","M. Wadhwa","R. J. Walker","Katsuyuki Yamashita","Qing‐Zhu Yin","Tetsuya Yokoyama","Shigekazu Yoneda","Edward Young","Hiroharu Yui","Ai‐Cheng Zhang","Tomoki Nakamura","Hiroshi Naraoka","Ryuji Okazaki","Kanako Sakamoto","Hikaru Yabuta","Masanao Abe","Akiko Miyazaki","Aiko Nakato","Masahiro Nishimura","Tatsuaki Okada","Toru Yada","Kasumi Yogata","Satoru Nakazawa","Takanao Saiki","Satoshi Tanaka","Fuyuto Terui","Yuichi Tsuda","Sei‐ichiro Watanabe","Makoto Yoshikawa","Shogo Tachibana","Hisayoshi Yurimoto"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Geochemistry","Geology","Asteroid","Hydrogen"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/acc393","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W4295885020","name":"A Review of Studies on the Seasonal Variation of Indoor Radon-222 Concentration","source":"openalex","abstract":"Due to their electrostatic nature, radon decay products can attach to solid particles and aerosols in the air. Inhalation and ingestion are therefore the two main routes through which people are exposed to radon and its decay products. During the inhalation of these radioactive aerosols, deposition takes place in different regions of the human respiratory tract. The deposited aerosols carrying radon and its progeny undergo a continuous radioactive transformation and expose the lung to ionizing alpha radiation, which can destroy the sensitive cells in the lung, causing a mutation that turns cancerous. Radon which is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless radioactive noble gas is a major health concern and is the second leading cause of lung cancer. To address this, an indoor radon survey was conducted in many countries internationally, with results showing that indoor radon concentration has a seasonal variation. This is due to the fluctuation of environmental parameters and the geological nature of buildings. Its concentration was found to be maximum in the cool (winter) season and a minimum concentration was recorded in the warm (summer) season of the year.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/or.2022.10570","authors":["Guadie Degu Belete","Aragaw Msganaw Shiferaw"],"tags":["Radon","Environmental science","Deposition (geology)","Ionizing radiation","Ingestion"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-09-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/or.2022.10570","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W1636886730","name":"Fine‐grained precursors dominate the micrometeorite flux","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– We optically classified 5682 micrometeorites (MMs) from the 2000 South Pole collection into textural classes, imaged 2458 of these MMs with a scanning electron microscope, and made 200 elemental and eight isotopic measurements on those with unusual textures or relict phases. As textures provide information on both degree of heating and composition of MMs, we developed textural sequences that illustrate how fine‐grained, coarse‐grained, and single mineral MMs change with increased heating. We used this information to determine the percentage of matrix dominated to mineral dominated precursor materials (precursors) that produced the MMs. We find that at least 75% of the MMs in the collection derived from fine‐grained precursors with compositions similar to CI and CM meteorites and consistent with dynamical models that indicate 85% of the mass influx of small particles to Earth comes from Jupiter family comets. A lower limit for ordinary chondrites is estimated at 2–8% based on MMs that contain Na‐bearing plagioclase relicts. Less than 1% of the MMs have achondritic compositions, CAI components, or recognizable chondrules. Single mineral MMs often have magnetite zones around their peripheries. We measured their isotopic compositions to determine if the magnetite zones demarcate the volume affected by atmospheric exchange during entry heating. Because we see little gradient in isotopic composition in the olivines, we conclude that the magnetites are a visual marker that allows us to select and analyze areas not affected by atmospheric exchange. Similar magnetite zones are seen in some olivine and pyroxene relict grains contained within MMs.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01292.x","authors":["Susan Taylor","G. Matrajt","Yunbin Guan"],"tags":["Magnetite","Chondrite","Chondrule","Plagioclase","Pyroxene"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-11-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01292.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2906059272","name":"Measurement of OH* Generation by Pulverized Minerals Using Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy and Implications for the Reactivity of Planetary Regolith","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Mineral analogs to silicate phases common to planetary regolith, including olivine; the pyroxenes augite and diopside; the plagioclase feldspars labradorite, bytownite, and albite; the Johnson Space Center-1A lunar regolith simulant; as well as quartz (used as a reference), were subjected to mechanical pulverization by laboratory milling for times ranging from 5 to 45 min. Pulverized minerals were then incubated in an aqueous solution containing the free radical spin trapping compound 5,5-Dimethyl-1-Pyrroline-N-Oxide for times ranging from 5 to 30 min. These slurries were then analyzed by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance spectroscopy to quantify the amount of hydroxyl radical (the neutral charge form of the hydroxide ion, denoted as OH*) formed in solution. We find that all tested materials generate an Electron Paramagnetic Resonance spectrum indicating the formation of OH* with concentrations ranging between 0.1 and 1.5 μM. We also find that, in general, mineral pulverization time is inversely correlated to OH* generation, while OH* generation is positively correlated to mineral fluid incubation time for phases that have iron in their nominal chemical formulae, suggesting the possible action of Fenton reaction as a cofactor in increasing the reactivity of these phases. Our results add to a body of literature that indicates that the finely comminuted minerals and rocks present in planetary regolith are capable of generating highly reactive and highly oxidizing radical species in solution. The results provide the foundation for further in vitro and in vivo toxicological studies to evaluate the possible health risks that future explorers visiting the surfaces of planetary bodies may face from these reactive regolith materials.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2018gh000175","authors":["Donald Hendrix","S. T. Port","J. A. Hurowitz","Martin A. A. Schoonen"],"tags":["Regolith","Augite","Chemistry","Electron paramagnetic resonance","Albite"],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-12-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2018gh000175","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"oa:W4389264000","name":"A Survey on Extraterrestrial Habitation Structures with a Focus on Energy-Saving 3D Printing Techniques","source":"openalex","abstract":"In the past two decades, various space agencies have shown great enthusiasm for constructing habitable structures on lunar and Martian surfaces. Consequently, several extraterrestrial structures have been proposed by different researchers. Nevertheless, only a small number of those structures are energy-efficient and cost-effective. In this research, a comprehensive review of the proposed extraterrestrial structures has been conducted. The objective is to evaluate different habitat construction techniques from technical, economic, and energy-consumption perspectives. To carry this out, different proposed structures are elaborated, and their advantages and limitations are discussed. The primary focus is on the 3D printing technique, which has demonstrated significant potential in automated manufacturing tasks. From the conducted research, it was found that the combination of 3D-printed components along with an internal breathable inflatable module is the most promising technique for habitat development on the Moon and Mars. Moreover, the microwave sintering method was identified as the most energy-saving and reliable approach for melting the on-site regolith for use in the 3D printing process. This survey has applied a multidisciplinary approach to evaluate the most energy-saving planetary construction techniques that are economically crucial for different private or government-funded space agencies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/app132312913","authors":["Mitra Khalilidermani","Dariusz Knez"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Mars Exploration Program","Multidisciplinary approach","CubeSat","Process (computing)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/app132312913","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2048575782","name":"Space weathered rims found on the surfaces of the Itokawa dust particles","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract On the basis of observations using Cs‐corrected STEM , we identified three types of surface modification probably formed by space weathering on the surfaces of Itokawa particles. They are (1) redeposition rims (2–3 nm), (2) composite rims (30–60 nm), and (3) composite vesicular rims (60–80 nm). These rims are characterized by a combination of three zones. Zone I occupies the outermost part of the surface modification, which contains elements that are not included in the unchanged substrate minerals, suggesting that this zone is composed of sputter deposits and/or impact vapor deposits originating from the surrounding minerals. Redeposition rims are composed only of Zone I and directly attaches to the unchanged minerals (Zone III). Zone I of composite and composite vesicular rims often contains nanophase (Fe,Mg)S. The composite rims and the composite vesicular rims have a two‐layered structure: a combination of Zone I and Zone II, below which Zone III exists. Zone II is the partially amorphized zone. Zone II of ferromagnesian silicates contains abundant nanophase Fe. Radiation‐induced segregation and in situ reduction are the most plausible mechanisms to form nanophase Fe in Zone II. Their lattice fringes indicate that they contain metallic iron, which probably causes the reddening of the reflectance spectra of Itokawa. Zone II of the composite vesicular rims contains vesicles. The vesicles in Zone II were probably formed by segregation of solar wind He implanted in this zone. The textures strongly suggest that solar wind irradiation damage and implantation are the major causes of surface modification and space weathering on Itokawa.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12111","authors":["T. Noguchi","Makoto Kimura","T. Hashimoto","Mitsuru KONNO","Tomoki Nakamura","M. E. Zolensky","Ryuji Okazaki","Masahiko Tanaka","A. Tsuchiyama","Aiko Nakato","Toshinori Ogami","H. Ishida","R. Sagae","S. Tsujimoto","Toru Matsumoto","Junya Matsuno","Akio Fujimura","Masanao Abe","Toru Yada","Toshifumi Mukai","Munetaka Ueno","Tatsuaki Okada","K. Shirai","Yukihiro Ishibashi"],"tags":["Space weathering","Weathering","Composite number","Geology","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-04-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12111","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W1973866003","name":"Detection and formation scenario of citric acid, pyruvic acid, and other possible metabolism precursors in carbonaceous meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Carbonaceous meteorites deliver a variety of organic compounds to Earth that may have played a role in the origin and/or evolution of biochemical pathways. Some apparently ancient and critical metabolic processes require several compounds, some of which are relatively labile such as keto acids. Therefore, a prebiotic setting for any such individual process would have required either a continuous distant source for the entire suite of intact precursor molecules and/or an energetic and compact local synthesis, particularly of the more fragile members. To date, compounds such as pyruvic acid, oxaloacetic acid, citric acid, isocitric acid, and α-ketoglutaric acid (all members of the citric acid cycle) have not been identified in extraterrestrial sources or, as a group, as part of a \"one pot\" suite of compounds synthesized under plausibly prebiotic conditions. We have identified these compounds and others in carbonaceous meteorites and/or as low temperature (laboratory) reaction products of pyruvic acid. In meteorites, we observe many as part of three newly reported classes of compounds: keto acids (pyruvic acid and homologs), hydroxy tricarboxylic acids (citric acid and homologs), and tricarboxylic acids. Laboratory syntheses using (13)C-labeled reactants demonstrate that one compound alone, pyruvic acid, can produce several (nonenzymatic) members of the citric acid cycle including oxaloacetic acid. The isotopic composition of some of the meteoritic keto acids points to interstellar or presolar origins, indicating that such compounds might also exist in other planetary systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1105715108","authors":["George Cooper","Chris Reed","Dang T. Nguyen","Malika Carter","Yi Wang"],"tags":["Citric acid","Pyruvic acid","Chemistry","Citric acid cycle","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-08-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1105715108","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W4403783623","name":"Self-sustaining living habitats in extraterrestrial environments","source":"openalex","abstract":"Standard definitions of habitability assume that life requires the presence of planetary gravity wells to stabilize liquid water and regulate surface temperature. Here the consequences of relaxing this assumption are evaluated. Temperature, pressure, volatile loss, radiation levels and nutrient availability all appear to be surmountable obstacles to the survival of photosynthetic life in space or on celestial bodies with thin atmospheres. Biologically generated barriers capable of transmitting visible radiation, blocking ultraviolet, and sustaining temperature gradients of 25-100 K and pressure differences of 10 kPa against the vacuum of space can allow habitable conditions between 1 and 5 astronomical units in the solar system. Hence ecosystems capable of generating conditions for their own survival are physically plausible, given the known capabilities of biological materials on Earth. Biogenic habitats for photosynthetic life in extraterrestrial environments would have major benefits for human life support and sustainability in space. Because the evolution of life elsewhere may have followed very different pathways from on Earth, living habitats could also exist outside traditional habitable environments around other stars, where they would have unusual but potentially detectable biosignatures.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2409.14477","authors":["Robin Wordsworth","C. Cockell"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology","Habitat","Geography","Ecology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2409.14477","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2899063572","name":"Organic synthesis on Mars by electrochemical reduction of CO 2","source":"openalex","abstract":"to organic molecules. Although documented here in martian samples, a similar process likely occurs wherever igneous rocks containing spinel-group minerals and/or sulfides encounter brines.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aat5118","authors":["A. Steele","Liane G. Benning","Richard Wirth","Sandra Siljeström","M. Fries","E. H. Hauri","P. G. Conrad","K. L. Rogers","J. L. Eigenbrode","Anja Schreiber","A. Needham","Jianhua Wang","F. M. McCubbin","A. L. D. Kilcoyne","Juan Diego Rodriguez‐Blanco"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Electrochemistry","Organic synthesis","Reduction (mathematics)","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-10-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aat5118","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2886016413","name":"Ti-Nb Mineralization of Late Carbonatites and Role of Fluids in Its Formation: Petyayan-Vara Rare-Earth Carbonatites (Vuoriyarvi Massif, Russia)","source":"openalex","abstract":"This article is devoted to the geology of titanium-rich varieties of the Petyayan-Vara rare-earth dolomitic carbonatites in Vuoriyarvi, Northwest Russia. Analogues of these varieties are present in many carbonatite complexes. The aim of this study was to investigate the behavior of high field strength elements during the late stages of carbonatite formation. We conducted a multilateral study of titanium- and niobium-bearing minerals, including a petrographic study, Raman spectroscopy, microprobe determination of chemical composition, and electron backscatter diffraction. Three TiO2-polymorphs (anatase, brookite and rutile) and three pyrochlore group members (hydroxycalcio-, fluorcalcio-, and kenoplumbopyrochlore) were found to coexist in the studied rocks. The formation of these minerals occurred in several stages. First, Nb-poor Ti-oxides were formed in the fluid-permeable zones. The overprinting of this assemblage by residual fluids led to the generation of Nb-rich brookite (the main niobium concentrator in the Petyayan-Vara) and minerals of the pyrochlore group. This process also caused niobium enrichment with of early generations of Ti oxides. Our results indicate abrupt changes in the physicochemical parameters at the late hydro (carbo) thermal stage of the carbonatite formation and high migration capacity of Ti and Nb under these conditions. The metasomatism was accompanied by the separation of these elements.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences8080281","authors":["Е. Н. Козлов","Ekaterina Fomina","Mikhail Sidorov","Vladimir V. Shilovskikh"],"tags":["Carbonatite","Pyrochlore","Geochemistry","Ilmenite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-07-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences8080281","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2961567258","name":"Exploring Mars at the nanoscale: Applications of transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography in planetary exploration","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The upcoming Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission aims to deliver small quantities of Martian rocks to the Earth. Investigating these precious samples requires the development and application of techniques that can extract the greatest amount of high quality data from the minimum sample volume, thereby maximising science return from MSR. Atom probe tomography (APT) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are two complementary techniques that can obtain nanoscale structural, geochemical and, in the case of atom probe, isotopic information from small sample volumes. Here we describe how both techniques operate, as well as review recent developments in sample preparation protocols. We also outline how APT has been successfully applied to extraterrestrial materials in the recent past. Finally, we describe how we have studied Martian meteorites using TEM and APT in close coordination in order to characterise the products of water/rock interactions in t h e cru st of Ma r s – a k ey sc ie n ce goal of MSR. Our results provide new insights into the Martian hydrosphere and the mechanisms of anhydrous-hydrous mineral replacement. In light of the unique results provided by these tools, APT and TEM should form a crucial part at the culmination of a correlative analytical pipeline for MSR mission materials.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899x/891/1/012008","authors":["Luke Daly","Martin Lee","Paul A.J. Bagot","John Halpin","William Smith","S. McFadzean","Áine O’Brien","Sammy Griffin","L. J. Hallis","B. E. Cohen"],"tags":["Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Atom probe","Meteorite","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899x/891/1/012008","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W1992502502","name":"41Ca: Measurement by accelerator mass spectrometry and applications","source":"openalex","abstract":"We describe in detail methods and techniques we have developed to measure 41Ca40Ca ratios to a sensitivity of 6 × 10−16 us our FN tandem accelerator. The major steps involved were (1) adoption of 41CaH3− negative ions to reduce 41K (41K/40Ca ~ 5 10−13); (2) production of typically 5 μA of 40CaH3−ions from calcium hydride in a high-intensity source; (3) refinement of a technique to efficiently convert CaO samples, as small as 15 mg, into CaH2; (4) implementation of a high resolution velocity selector to remove interferring 40Ca and 42Ca ions and (5) use of a multi-anode gas ionization detector to provide excellent discrimination of 41Ca from the remaining background ions. The system performs admirably, enabling measurements with ± 5% reproducibility on extraterrestrial samples, such as meteorites and lunar rocks. In addition, we have also carried out the first measurements, without pre-enrichment, of 41Ca in terrestrial rocks and bones. From these measurements, we conclude that radiocalcium dating of bones will most likely not develop into a viable dating technique. The 41Ca concentrations in modern bones are not only disappointingly low and quite close to our sensitivity limit, but show a marked variability. On the other hand, the study of 41Ca in extraterrestrial samples offers much promise as a means of determining terrestrial ages and pre-atmospheric sizes of meteorites, and of investigating the average solar cosmic ray flux during the past 300 000 years.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-583x(90)90049-z","authors":["David Fink","R. Middleton","J. Klein","Pankaj Sharma"],"tags":["Accelerator mass spectrometry","Meteorite","Ion","Mass spectrometry","Ionization"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1990-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-583x(90)90049-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2738005120","name":"Habitability on Early Mars and the Search for Biosignatures with the ExoMars Rover","source":"openalex","abstract":"The second ExoMars mission will be launched in 2020 to target an ancient location interpreted to have strong potential for past habitability and for preserving physical and chemical biosignatures (as well as abiotic/prebiotic organics). The mission will deliver a lander with instruments for atmospheric and geophysical investigations and a rover tasked with searching for signs of extinct life. The ExoMars rover will be equipped with a drill to collect material from outcrops and at depth down to 2 m. This subsurface sampling capability will provide the best chance yet to gain access to chemical biosignatures. Using the powerful Pasteur payload instruments, the ExoMars science team will conduct a holistic search for traces of life and seek corroborating geological context information. Key Words: Biosignatures—ExoMars—Landing sites—Mars rover—Search for life. Astrobiology 17, 471–510. Table of Contents 1. Article Organization 2. Introduction 2.1. ExoMars origin 2.2. A difficult adolescence 2.3. Joint program 3. Early Mars as an Exobiology Target 3.1. A first window of opportunity for life 3.2. Separate ways 3.2.1. Young Earth 3.2.2. Young Mars 3.2.3. Young Venus 3.3. Lessons for ExoMars: when and where? 4. Biosignatures: Which and How Reliable? 4.1. Morphological biosignatures 4.2. Chemical biosignatures 4.2.1. Isomerism selectivity 4.2.2. Molecular weight fingerprints 4.2.3. Bulk isotopic fractionation 4.3. Importance of geological context for boosting biosignature confidence 4.4. Life's decision points 4.5. Examples using the ExoMars biosignature score 4.5.1. Kitty's Gap, N.W. Australia 4.5.2. Josefsdal Chert, Barberton, South Africa 4.5.3. Martian Meteorite ALH84001 4.5.4. Yellowknife Bay, Mars 5. The Martian Environment and the Need for Subsurface Exploration 5.1. Results from previous missions 5.2. Degradation of organic matter 5.3. Access to molecular biosignatures 6. The ExoMars Rover and Its Pasteur Payload 6.1. From panoramic to molecular scale through nested investigations 6.2. Pasteur payload instruments 6.2.1. Panoramic camera system 6.2.2. IR spectrometer 6.2.3. Shallow ground-penetrating radar 6.2.4. Subsurface neutron detector 6.2.5. Close-up imager 6.2.6. Drill IR spectrometer 6.2.7. Subsurface drill 6.2.8. Sample preparation and distribution system 6.2.9. MicrOmega 6.2.10. Raman laser spectrometer 6.2.11. Mars organic molecule analyzer 6.3. The reference surface mission 7. A Suitable Landing Site 7.1. Scientific constraints 7.2. Engineering constraints 7.3. Planetary protection constraints 7.4. Possible locations for landing 7.4.1. Oxia Planum (18.159°N, 335.666°E; −3 km MOLA) 7.4.2. Mawrth Vallis (22.160°N, 342.050°E; −2 km MOLA) 8. Conclusions Acknowledgments Author Disclosure Statement References Abbreviations Used","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2016.1533","authors":["Jorge L. Vago","Francès Westall","Landing S Pasteur Instrument Teams","A. J. Coates","R. Jaumann","Oleg Korablev","Valérie Ciarletti","И. Г. Митрофанов","Jean‐Luc Josset","M. C. De Sanctis","Jean‐Pierre Bibring","F. Rull","F. Goesmann","H. Steininger","W. Goetz","W. Brinckerhoff","Cyril Szopa","F. Raulin","Francès Westall","Howell G. M. Edwards","Lyle G. Whyte","Alberto González Fairén","Jean‐Pierre Bibring","J. C. Bridges","Ernst Hauber","G. G. Ori","Stéphanie C. Werner","D. Loizeau","R. O. Kuzmin","R. M. E. Williams","J. Flahaut","F. Forget","Jorge L. Vago","D. Rodionov","Oleg Korablev","H. Svedhem","E. Sefton‐Nash","Gerhard Kminek","L. Lorenzoni","Luc Joudrier","В. С. Михайлов","Alexander Zashchirinskiy","S. N. Alexashkin","F. Calantropio","Andrea Merlo","Pantelis Poulakis","Olivier Witasse","Olivier Bayle","Silvia Bayón","Uwe J. Meierhenrich","John Carter","Juan Manuel Garcı́a-Ruiz","P. Baglioni","A. F. C. Haldemann","Andrew Ball","A. Debus","Robert Lindner","Frédéric Haessig","David Monteiro","R. Trautner","Christoph Voland","Pierre Rebeyre","Duncan Goulty","F. Didot","Stephen Durrant","Eric Zekri","D. Koschny","Andrea De Toni","Gianfranco Visentin","Martin Zwick","M. van Winnendael","Martín Azkarate","Christophe Carreau","the ExoMars Project Team"],"tags":["Habitability","Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Mars Exploration Program","Context (archaeology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2016.1533","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W4280561726","name":"Interaction between Life and Mineral, Co-evolution and Surface Environment: Challenge for Geohistorical Mineralogy—Significance in the 200-Year History of Mineralogy from Haüy and Perspective for Future—","source":"openalex","abstract":"One of the most significant developing fields in mineralogy during the last quarter century involves interactions between microbes and minerals in the environment. A mineral evolution has been suggested. The fundamentals of biominerals, interactions between biosphere and minerals, and expanding knowledge of the biosphere are presented. Interactions between minerals and microbes are closely related to the evolution of the Earth's surface environment, and they suggest keys for solving environmental problems on the Earth. They are also related to the search for extraterrestrial life. This review sketches a brief history of mineralogy, referring to TEM methods, concerning regularity, irregularity, and interactions of minerals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5026/jgeography.131.213","authors":["Junji Akai"],"tags":["Biosphere","Mineral","Earth science","Clay minerals","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-04-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5026/jgeography.131.213","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2469851563","name":"Plant’s response to space environment: a comprehensive review including mechanistic modelling for future space gardeners","source":"openalex","abstract":"The study of higher plant growth in space started in the 1950s both on the Russian and the American sides. The first experiments were intended to assess whether plants could grow outside Earth and to determine what differences there were between spaceflight-grown and Earth-grown plants. As plant-growth hardware started to adapt to spaceflight, more opportunities for plant experiments in space became available. Direct microgravity effects started being differentiated from confinement effects and Earth orbit started to become a laboratory where plants could be grown without the influence of Earth gravity. Experiments have shown that, with adapted ventilation, plant growth in space is similar to plant growth on Earth in 1 g, except for some morphological traits. However, only small-scale experiments on plant growth were performed in Earth orbit, which provided insufficient data on crop yield for reduced gravity environments. Challenges remain to grow plants in space, in terms of nutrient delivery, lighting and ventilation, but also on the choice of plant species and traits to favour. Additionally, significant effort must be made on mechanistic modelling of plant growth to reach a more thorough understanding of the intricate and combined physical, biochemical, and morphological phenomena involved, which is necessary to accurately control and predict plant growth in life-support systems. This review intends to list the main spaceflight effects to take into account for plant growth in space, as well as to give an overview of the current state of plant-growth hardware while stressing the challenges associated with their development.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/23818107.2016.1194228","authors":["Lucie Poulet","Jean-Pierre Fontaine","Claude‐Gilles Dussap"],"tags":["Spaceflight","Plant growth","Life support system","Plant life","Space (punctuation)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-07-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1080/23818107.2016.1194228","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W4295941797","name":"Mars Science Laboratory CheMin Data From the Glen Torridon Region and the Significance of Lake‐Groundwater Interactions in Interpreting Mineralogy and Sedimentary History","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Glen Torridon (GT) region in Gale crater, Mars is a region with strong clay mineral signatures inferred from orbital spectroscopy. The CheMin X‐ray diffraction (XRD) instrument onboard the Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity, measured some of the highest clay mineral abundances to date within GT, complementing the orbital detections. GT may also be unique because in the XRD patterns of some samples, CheMin identified new phases, including: (a) Fe‐carbonates, and (b) a phase with a novel peak at 9.2 Å. Fe‐carbonates have been previously suggested from other instruments onboard, but this is the first definitive reporting by CheMin of Fe‐carbonate. This new phase with a 9.2 Å reflection has never been observed in Gale crater and may be a new mineral for Mars, but discrete identification still remains enigmatic because no single phase on Earth is able to account for all of the GT mineralogical, geochemical, and sedimentological constraints. Here, we modeled XRD profiles and propose an interstratified clay mineral, specifically greenalite‐minnesotaite, as a reasonable candidate. The coexistence of Fe‐carbonate and Fe‐rich clay minerals in the GT samples supports a conceptual model of a lacustrine groundwater mixing environment. Groundwater interaction with percolating lake waters in the sediments is common in terrestrial lacustrine settings, and the diffusion of two distinct water bodies within the subsurface can create a geochemical gradient and unique mineral front in the sediments. Ultimately, the proximity to this mixing zone may have controlled the secondary minerals preserved in sedimentary rocks exposed in GT.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2021je007099","authors":["M. T. Thorpe","T. F. Bristow","E. B. Rampe","Nicholas J. Tosca","J. P. Grotzinger","K. A. Bennett","C. N. Achilles","D. F. Blake","S. J. Chipera","G. W. Downs","R. T. Downs","Shaunna M. Morrison","Valerie Tu","N. Castle","Patricia Craig","David J. Des Marais","Robert M. Hazen","D. W. Ming","R. V. Morris","A. H. Treiman","D. T. Vaniman","A. S. Yen","A. R. Vasavada","E. Dehouck","J. C. Bridges","J. A. Berger","A. C. McAdam","T. Peretyazhko","K. L. Siebach","A. B. Bryk","V. K. Fox","Christopher M. Fedo"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Geology","Sedimentary rock","Carbonate minerals","Impact crater"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-09-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2021je007099","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2114694247","name":"Brines at high pressure and temperature: Thermodynamic, petrologic and geochemical effects","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.precamres.2014.06.025","authors":["C. E. Manning","L. Ya. Aranovich"],"tags":["Geology","Mineralogy","Geochemistry","Biotite","Thermodynamics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-07-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.precamres.2014.06.025","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W3037458409","name":"Bacterial Growth at Low Pressure: A Short Review","source":"openalex","abstract":"Biological life-support systems could greatly increase the sustainability of crewed missions to the Moon or Mars. Understanding how bacteria react to hypobaria is critical to their optimization: if enclosed within crewed compartments, microbial modules may be exposed to the lower-than Earth atmospheric pressure considered for future space vehicles and habitats and, if deployed outside, they would best rely on a low pressure to minimize both engineering constraints and risks of leakage. Bacterial behavior at low pressures is of relevance to other fields as well, both within astrobiology (e.g., habitability and planetary protection) and outside of it (e.g., aerobiology and food preservation). Unfortunately, while microbial survival under vacuum has been largely investigated, little work has focused on metabolism at low but growth-permissive pressures. Nonetheless, recent studies brought some insights. Limits were outlined: a few bacterial species can grow just above water’s triple point, more can multiply down to around 25 mbar, and shifting pressure within 100 mbar to 1 bar seems not to largely affect growth of most species when the partial pressures of metabolizable gases are not limiting. Some mediating mechanisms have been proposed: hypobaria can affect bacteria by desiccation, via a reduced availability of specific gases, and through various other physico-chemical effects, interdependent and dependent on other environmental factors. A limited number of studies also gave insights into how bacteria cope with low pressure, and how much they can adapt to it. But, overall, much remains to be discovered on bacterial growth under hypobaric conditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2020.00030","authors":["Cyprien Verseux"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Mars Exploration Program","Desiccation","Environmental science","Limiting"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-06-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2020.00030","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2791510185","name":"Fluorine in the Earth and the solar system, where does it come from and can it be found?","source":"openalex","abstract":"This review (1) presents a summary of the distribution of fluorine in different fluid (surficial, subterranean, metamorphic, and magmatic–hydrothermal–geothermal) and solid (oceanic and continental crust, mantle, and core) domains of the Earth, and various extraterrestrial materials and bodies (meteorites, planets and moons, and the Sun); (2) it provides an estimate of the total fluorine abundance for the Earth and in its dominant reservoirs contributing to the Earth's fluorine endowment; and (3) it discusses key observations that could further improve our understanding of fluorine abundances and geochemical systematics.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crci.2018.02.002","authors":["Kenneth T. Koga","Estelle F. Rose Koga"],"tags":["Humanities","Geology","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Crust"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-03-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crci.2018.02.002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W3216675495","name":"Acoustic monitoring of laser-induced phase transitions in minerals: implication for Mars exploration with SuperCam","source":"openalex","abstract":"The SuperCam instrument suite onboard the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover uses the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technique to determine the elemental composition of rocks and soils of the Mars surface. It is associated with a microphone to retrieve the physical properties of the ablated targets when listening to the laser-induced acoustic signal. In this study, we report the monitoring of laser-induced mineral phase transitions in acoustic data. Sound data recorded during the laser ablation of hematite, goethite and diamond showed a sharp increase of the acoustic signal amplitude over the first laser shots. Analyses of the laser-induced craters with Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy indicate that both hematite and goethite have been transformed into magnetite and that diamond has been transformed into amorphous-like carbon over the first laser shots. It is shown that these transitions are the root cause of the increase in acoustic signal, likely due to a change in target's physical properties as the material is transformed. These results give insights into the influence of the target's optical and thermal properties over the acoustic signal. But most importantly, in the context of the Mars surface exploration with SuperCam, as this behavior occurs only for specific phases, it demonstrates that the microphone data may help discriminating mineral phases whereas LIBS data only have limited capabilities.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-03315-7","authors":["Baptiste Chide","Olivier Beyssac","M. Gauthier","Karim Benzerara","Imène Esteve","Jean-Claude Boulliard","S. Maurice","R. C. Wiens"],"tags":["Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy","Mars Exploration Program","Raman spectroscopy","Context (archaeology)","Laser"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-12-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-03315-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2197875034","name":"The Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary at the Poty section, NE Brazil: foraminiferal record and sequence of events - a review","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Poty Quarry, near Recife, Pernambuco, in northeastern Brazil, is presently the best exposed marine Cretaceous-Paleogene (K/Pg) boundary section known in southern low-latitude regions, spanning the uppermost Maastrichtian, Plummerita hantkeninoides Zone, to Danian, Pα, P1a/P1b and P2 zones. It provides evidence for a possible extraterrestrial bolide impact which occurred in the earliest Danian, corresponding to near or at the boundary between the Pα and P1a foraminiferal zones (c. 100,000 to 200,000 years after the K/Pg transition). The dating of the possible impact-triggered tsunami beds at Poty suggests a secondary K/Pg boundary event, perhaps part of multiple impacts during a few hundred thousand years around the transition.","url":"https://doi.org/10.11137/2006_1_95-107","authors":["Eduardo A. M. Koutsoukos"],"tags":["Paleogene","Paleontology","Cretaceous","Geology","Boundary (topology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.11137/2006_1_95-107","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"oa:W2460460948","name":"Schreibersite on the early Earth: Scenarios for prebiotic phosphorylation","source":"openalex","abstract":"The mineral schreibersite, (Fe,Ni) 3 P, provides a reactive source of phosphorus capable of forming phosphorylated molecules. These molecules may have been an important component of prebiotic chemistry, allowing their build-up and eventual commencement of autopoiesis. Discussed here are potential geochemical routes to providing schreibersite, as a potentially important prebiotic mineral, to the Hadean Earth. Two routes are identified: delivery of phosphides by meteoritic material and the reduction of phosphates to phosphides by high-temperature, low-redox conditions. About 1–10% of all crustal phosphorus is estimated to have been in schreibersite during the Hadean, making the long-term reaction of this mineral with organic-laden water plausible for many years. Ultimately, such conditions would have been conducive to the formation of life as we know it today.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsf.2016.06.008","authors":["Matthew A. Pasek"],"tags":["Hadean","Early Earth","Astrobiology","Abiogenesis","Earth (classical element)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-07-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsf.2016.06.008","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2002.9926684","name":"Media Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2002.9926684","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-09-04T17:40:10Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2002.9926684","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.1994.9926589","name":"Media Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Rocks and Minerals by Joel Arem. Geoscience Press, 12629 N. Tatum Blvd., Suite 201, Phoenix, AZ 85032. 106 pages; 1991; $8.95 excluding postage (paperback) Reviewed by: Dr. Robert Cook Antero Aquamarines by Mark I. Jacobson. L. R. Ream Publishing, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. 126 pages; 1993; $19.95 (softbound), $34.95 (hardbound). Reviewed by: Alexander U. Falster Alaskan Gold: Placer Mining in Interior Alaska, produced by KUAC-TV, University of Alaska Fairbanks. VHS format; 30 minutes; $29.50 postpaid from Robert Fox, 1235 Westfield St., Oshkosh, WI 54901. Reviewed by: Arthur E. Smith","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.1994.9926589","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-09-04T17:26:15Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.1994.9926589","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.1952.11768132","name":"Book Review: Treasure Hunting in Maine—Gems and Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"\"Book Review: Treasure Hunting in Maine—Gems and Minerals.\" Rocks & Minerals, 27(11-12), p. 615","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.1952.11768132","authors":["J. Sinkankas"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-10-08T14:32:16Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.1952.11768132","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.1992.9926516","name":"Media Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Roadside Geology of New Mexico, 2d ed., by Halka Chronic. Mountain Press Publishing Co., Missoula, Mont. 255 pages; 1989; $11.95 (softbound). Reviewed by Robert M. North. Proceedings of the 1991 International Gemological Symposium, Gemological Institute of America (GIA). 192 pages (plus 16 pages of forematter); 1992; $34.95 (softcover), $49.95 (hardcover), plus shipping. Order from the GIA Bookstore, 1660 Stewart St., Santa Monica, CA 90404. Reviewed by Willow Wight.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.1992.9926516","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-09-04T17:25:02Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.1992.9926516","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.1989.11761770","name":"Arkansas Phosphate Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"The abundance and quality of Arkansas phosphate minerals—especially wavellite and variscite—have led collectors to seek them for over one hundred years.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.1989.11761770","authors":["Henry L. Barwood","Henry deLinde"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-09-02T23:18:36Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.1989.11761770","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.1970.11767238","name":"A Book Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"\"A Book Review.\" Rocks & Minerals, 45(3), p. 217","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.1970.11767238","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-09-30T18:34:01Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.1970.11767238","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2022.107463","name":"Silicate minerals - Potential source of potash - A review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2022.107463","authors":["Jayashree Samantray","Amit Anand","Barsha Dash","Malay Kumar Ghosh","Ajaya Kumar Behera"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-02-23T18:54:48Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2022.107463","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.1931.11762458","name":"Our Fifth Anniversary—A Brief Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.1931.11762458","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-09-14T00:53:13Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.1931.11762458","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2012.10.017","name":"A review of the beneficiation of rare earth element bearing minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2012.10.017","authors":["Adam Jordens","Ying Ping Cheng","Kristian E. Waters"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-12-12T08:05:34Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2012.10.017","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/bf02093341","name":"Book review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02093341","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-09-13T19:05:06Z","doi":"10.1007/bf02093341","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2011.618417","name":"Media Review: Terra Mineralia—Highlights from the World of Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"by Gerhard Heide, Christel-Maria Hoppner, Steffen Jahn, Andreas Massanek, and Uwe Richter. TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Rector, 09596 Freiberg, Germany. 184 pages; 2010; €26 (about $37) (softbound). T...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2011.618417","authors":["Robert B. Cook"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-11-07T17:16:24Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2011.618417","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2013.12.001","name":"TOF-SIMS studies of surface chemistry of minerals subjected to flotation separation – A review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2013.12.001","authors":["S. Chehreh Chelgani","B. Hart"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-12-23T10:15:23Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2013.12.001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1525/nr.2009.12.3.114","name":"Review: <i>Alien Worlds: Social and Religious Dimensions of Extraterrestrial Contact</i>, by Diana G. Tumminia","source":"crossref","abstract":"Book Review| February 01 2009 Review: Alien Worlds: Social and Religious Dimensions of Extraterrestrial Contact, by Diana G. Tumminia Alien Worlds: Social and Religious Dimensions of Extraterrestrial Contact. Edited by Diana G. Tumminia. Syracuse University Press, 2007. xlii + 364 pages. $34.95 paper. Benjamin E. Zeller Benjamin E. Zeller Brevard College Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Nova Religio (2009) 12 (3): 114–116. https://doi.org/10.1525/nr.2009.12.3.114 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Benjamin E. Zeller; Review: Alien Worlds: Social and Religious Dimensions of Extraterrestrial Contact, by Diana G. Tumminia. Nova Religio 1 February 2009; 12 (3): 114–116. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/nr.2009.12.3.114 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentNova Religio Search This content is only available via PDF. © 2009 by The Regents of the University of California Article PDF first page preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this content.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1525/nr.2009.12.3.114","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-02-19T18:26:51Z","doi":"10.1525/nr.2009.12.3.114","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2011.568285","name":"Media Review: Pocket Guide—Rocks and Minerals of Southern Africa","source":"crossref","abstract":"by Bruce Cairncross. Random House Struik ( www.randomstruik.co.za ). 160 pages; 2010; R$100 (US$15) (softbound). This interesting book is a condensed version of Cairncross's earlier Field Guide to ...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2011.568285","authors":["Robert B. Cook"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-05-24T05:32:11Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2011.568285","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2021.107133","name":"Review on arsenic removal from sulfide minerals: An emphasis on enargite and arsenopyrite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2021.107133","authors":["Yu Zhao","Hongbo Zhao","Tatiana Abashina","Mikhail Vainshtein"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-21T01:11:43Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2021.107133","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/1864592","name":"Plurality of Worlds: The Origins of the Extraterrestrial Life Debate from Democritus to Kant","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/1864592","authors":["Brian P. Copenhaver","Steven J. Dick"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-04-20T11:21:48Z","doi":"10.2307/1864592","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(03)00168-7","name":"Processing of indium: a review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(03)00168-7","authors":["A.M. Alfantazi","R.R. Moskalyk"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-06-30T17:29:20Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(03)00168-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1353/afa.2023.a920503","name":"In and Out of This World: Material and Extraterrestrial Bodies in the Nation of Islam by Stephen C. Finley (review)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Reviewed by: In and Out of This World: Material and Extraterrestrial Bodies in the Nation of Islam by Stephen C. Finley Leonard C. McKinnis Stephen C. Finley. In and Out of This World: Material and Extraterrestrial Bodies in the Nation of Islam. Durham: Duke UP, 2023. 252 pp. $30.00. In In and Out of This World, Stephen Finley offers a granular look at conceptions of the body in the Nation of Islam (NOI, or “The Nation”), and how these formations provide a portal of analysis for understanding the theological anthropology of the NOI. Finley is concerned with the body as a site of theological analysis. His work is crucial in understanding the sophistication of the body, its centrality to the theology of the NOI, and how the Nation’s theology of the body—specifically, the racialized body— is at the core of many of the Nation’s most consequential beliefs, particularly vis-à-vis the status of Blacks as the chosen and original people. Finley goes at length to demonstrate how ideas about the body in the NOI complicate narratives of science, history, and race while also providing a closer examination of how race and embodiment are both theorized and woven into a set of ideas that constitutes the belief-world of the Nation of Islam. The Nation of Islam remains one of the most misunderstood Black religions in the world. In fact, its classification as a religion remains a contested category. Finley, for his part, prefers a hybridized read of the NOI, one characterized under the category of “religious nationalism.” For him, this designation “challenges existing scholarship that defines it as primarily— if not exclusively—black nationalist” (2). Indeed, the very first academic text on the Nation of Islam, C. Eric Lincoln’s The Black Muslims in America (1961), insisted on a Black nationalist lens as the hermeneutical category for an interpretation of the NOI. While Lincoln’s posture toward the NOI is helpful in terms of understanding the intersection of race, religion, and social resistance, Finley’s In and Out of This World asks readers to position their engagement with the NOI squarely within the realm of religious studies. While Finley is not alone in this regard, his work expands our understanding of the religious cosmology within the NOI and its relationship to the body, to race, and to salvation—all important themes for a rigorous understanding of the NOI. Finley’s text is grounded in a theory that describes Black bodies as being in- and out-of-place. This novel concept of embodiment is derived from the thinking of social anthropologist Mary Douglas, who employs the metaphor of “dirt” to describe cultural notions of purity and contagion. Dirt is out of place and contaminates cultures and environments. For Finley, Black bodies inhabit this conceptual sphere as they are, in one respect, bodies out-of-place in a cultural matrix within which they symbolize a contamination, or bodies that do not “fit” within the context of purity and, at worst, the context of the “human.” Yet, for Finley, these out-of-place bodies also possess the capacity to be in-place when they internalize the fixed normative gaze of Black existence and identity as that which is subservient and reduced to nothingness. It is this paradox of Black embodiment that lies at the center of Finley’s engagement with and interpretation of the NOI. Navigating his way through speeches, film, writings, and belief systems, Finley surgically dissects the ways in which The Nation traverses through [End Page 244] the malaise of Black embodiment as a mode of constructing theological and cosmological narratives about the origin of Black people and, for that matter, white people. For Finley, the NOI’s orientation toward the cosmological is not only significant in that it permits the NOI to make claims about Black exceptionalism, but by turning toward the cosmos and creation, Finley also reads the NOI as rooted in a religious orientation, one that the speaks to the functioning of Black spirituality in religious movements like the NOI. Finley’s thematic analysis of the Nation’s cosmological Myth of Yakub, which details events from God’s self-creation to salvation, is...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1353/afa.2023.a920503","authors":["Leonard C. McKinnis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-28T12:00:05Z","doi":"10.1353/afa.2023.a920503","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min11020130","name":"Low-Temperature Chlorite Geothermometry and Related Recent Analytical Advances: A Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Chlorite, a 2:1:1 phyllosilicate, has all the required attributes to form the basis of a geothermometer: this mineral is ubiquitous in metamorphic, diagenetic, and hydrothermal systems with a broad field of stability and a chemical composition partly dependent on temperature (T) and pressure (P) conditions. These properties led to the development of a multitude of chlorite thermometers, ranging from those based on empirical calibrations (linking T to AlIV content) to thermodynamic or semi-empirical models (linking T to chlorite + quartz + water equilibrium constant). This present study provides an overview of these geothermometers proposed in the literature for low-temperature chlorite (T &lt; 350 °C), specifying the advantages and limitations of each method. Recent analytical developments that allow for circumventing or responding to certain criticisms regarding the low-temperature application of thermometers are also presented. The emphasis is on micrometric and nanometric analysis, highlighting chemical intracrystalline zoning—which can be considered as evidence of a succession of local equilibria justifying a thermometric approach—and mapping ferric iron content. New perspectives in terms of analysis (e.g., Mn redox in Mn-chlorite) and geothermometer (molecular solid-solution model, oxychlorite end-member) are also addressed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min11020130","authors":["Franck Bourdelle"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-01-28T05:23:05Z","doi":"10.3390/min11020130","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2009.04.001","name":"Phytomining: A review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2009.04.001","authors":["V. Sheoran","A.S. Sheoran","P. Poonia"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-05-08T00:03:05Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2009.04.001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2003.11.016","name":"Corrigendum to “Review of copper pyrometallurgical practice: today and tomorrow [Minerals Engineering 16 (2003) 893–919]”","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2003.11.016","authors":["R.R Moskalyk","A.M Alfantazi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-12-17T10:43:35Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2003.11.016","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min8070269","name":"Archaeometric Analyses of European 18th–20th Century White Earthenware—A Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"This study provides an overview of the few archaeometric analyses of European white earthenwares from England, France, Italy, Slovenia, and Switzerland. White earthenwares were an extremely successful mass-product between ca. 1750 and 1900. They became “the porcelain of the poor man” and replaced the older traditional pottery such as faïence. The invention of this new ceramic type took place simultaneously in England and France shortly before 1750. Contemporary recipes can be compared to the analytical results of these products. The ceramic bodies are, according to the chemical (X-ray fluorescence (XRF), scanning electron microscope-energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), particle-induced X-ray emission-proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE-PIGE) and microscopic analyses (scanning electron microscope-back scatter detector (SEM-BSE), artificial mixtures of clay + quartz + flux. Various techniques can be recognized. In England, a blend of a CaO-poor clay (with illite flux) + calcined flint is typical of the so-called creamware, whereas supplementary fluxes (Cornish stone) resulted in the Queen’s ware. In France and Central Europe, CaO-poor clays were mixed with grog (Paris) or with calcined flint/quartz pebbles/sand or with carbonates + Alk-/Pb-frits (Lorraine). Swiss CaO-rich bodies may contain bone ash or dolomite as flux. The products of the individual factories can be differentiated on the basis of their chemical composition. Micromorphological and chemical analyses revealed intensive physico-chemical reactions between the glaze and the body.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min8070269","authors":["Marino Maggetti"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-06-26T10:40:50Z","doi":"10.3390/min8070269","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.56952/arma-2023-0280","name":"A Critical Review of the Engineering Properties of Extraterrestrial Regolith","source":"crossref","abstract":"ABSTRACT Deep space exploration is the frontier of the development of humanity. Investigators worldwide have conducted extensive research on the engineering characteristics and mineralogical composition of surface materials on the Moon, Mars, and asteroids, which have significant implications for future large-scale spacecraft soft landings and the construction of permanent bases. This work analyzes and summarizes a volume of previous findings on the engineering properties of the regolith of the Moon, Mars, and asteroid Ryugu, including the particle size distribution, bulk density, internal friction angle, cohesion, and presence of water ice. The methods used to obtain these properties are critically reviewed. We discuss their advantages and disadvantages and identify the potential new techniques that can be used to better constrain these engineering properties. This study can help researchers to understand the research progress on extraterrestrial regolith in the engineering properties, as well as prospective research directions in deep space exploration. INTRODUCTION Major government space agencies and private companies around the world, such as NASA, CNSA, and SpaceX, have launched ambitious deep space exploration programs to explore the evolution of the solar system and find a potential new habitat for mankind (Wu et al., 2012). Among the extraterrestrial celestial bodies in the solar system, Mars is the focus of the scientific community's attention due to its similarities to Earth (Li et al., 2021). Some key findings concerning Mars have been revealed by a series of probes, especially the landed ones such as InSight and Tianwen-1 (Zou et al., 2021). Due to the remote distance between Mars and Earth, the Moon is considered to be a springboard for Mars exploration (Crawford &amp; Joy, 2014). Lunar exploration is the focus of current deep space exploration programs, including the Artemis program of the United States (Smith et al., 2020), the Chang’e (CE) Project of China (Li et al., 2019), and the Luna program of Russia (Djachkova et al., 2017). In addition, many asteroids have also attracted great interest from researchers, such as Ryugu, Bennu, 2016HO3, etc. (Zhang et al., 2022), and they also have a great chance to contribute to the solution to the evolution of the solar system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.56952/arma-2023-0280","authors":["Yuan Zou","Huanyu Wu","Chi Zhang","Wei Yang","Qi Zhao"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-07T16:59:46Z","doi":"10.56952/arma-2023-0280","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min5010001","name":"Review of Biohydrometallurgical Metals Extraction from Polymetallic Mineral Resources","source":"crossref","abstract":"This review has as its underlying premise the need to become proficient in delivering a suite of element or metal products from polymetallic ores to avoid the predicted exhaustion of key metals in demand in technological societies. Many technologies, proven or still to be developed, will assist in meeting the demands of the next generation for trace and rare metals, potentially including the broader application of biohydrometallurgy for the extraction of multiple metals from low-grade and complex ores. Developed biotechnologies that could be applied are briefly reviewed and some of the difficulties to be overcome highlighted. Examples of the bioleaching of polymetallic mineral resources using different combinations of those technologies are described for polymetallic sulfide concentrates, low-grade sulfide and oxidised ores. Three areas for further research are: (i) the development of sophisticated continuous vat bioreactors with additional controls; (ii) in situ and in stope bioleaching and the need to solve problems associated with microbial activity in that scenario; and (iii) the exploitation of sulfur-oxidising microorganisms that, under specific anaerobic leaching conditions, reduce and solubilise refractory iron(III) or manganese(IV) compounds containing multiple elements. Finally, with the successful applications of stirred tank bioleaching to a polymetallic tailings dump and heap bioleaching to a polymetallic black schist ore, there is no reason why those proven technologies should not be more widely applied.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min5010001","authors":["Helen Watling"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-12-24T11:51:41Z","doi":"10.3390/min5010001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2011.03.015","name":"Particle collision modeling – A review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2011.03.015","authors":["C.J. Meyer","D.A. Deglon"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-04-20T23:57:03Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2011.03.015","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min11080864","name":"A Review of Flotation Physical Froth Flow Modifiers","source":"crossref","abstract":"Over the past few decades, the need to process more minerals while lowering capital costs has led to an increase in the size of flotation cells, e.g., 0.03 m3 to 1000 m3. However, this increase has created new challenges in the operation and design of industrial flotation cells, particularly in terms of froth removal, because the distance the froth must travel increases with an increase in the flotation cell diameter. This has a negative impact on recovery. Physical froth flow modifiers can be used to improve froth removal. Their major functions are to modify and optimise the flow of the froth, improve froth drainage, reduce dead zones, and improve froth flow and removal dynamics. Therefore, physical froth flow modifiers are discussed, evaluated, and compared in this paper. The literature indicates that physical froth flow modifiers such as crowders and launders are used extensively as industrial solutions to enhance froth transport and recovery in large flotation cells. Other modifiers (including froth baffles and froth scrapers) have been found to have a profound effect on local froth phase sub-processes, including drainage and bubble coalescence. However, industrial uptake is either dwindling or limited to small-volume rectangular/U-shaped cells in the case of scrapers, or, there is no uptake at all in the case of froth baffles. Further research on how some of the physical modifiers (e.g., baffles and launders) impact the selectivity of particles is required.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min11080864","authors":["Tawona M. Jera","Clayton Bhondayi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-10T22:40:31Z","doi":"10.3390/min11080864","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(03)00213-9","name":"Processing of vanadium: a review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(03)00213-9","authors":["R.R Moskalyk","A.M Alfantazi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-07-22T22:21:43Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(03)00213-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0892-6875(91)90148-o","name":"Shear flocculation — A review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0892-6875(91)90148-o","authors":["S. Bilgen","B.A. Wills"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-03-15T06:41:30Z","doi":"10.1016/0892-6875(91)90148-o","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/1281860","name":"Adverse Possession: Severance of Minerals and Surface: Adverse Possession as Affecting Title to the Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"The land in question was set aside by the state for school purposes. For some time prior to 1881 one Bailey had been in possession. At that time he and his children, to whom he had deeded parts of the land, conveyed the mineral interests to a grantee from whom plaintiff claims. At the time of the conveyance the evidence was insufficient to show title by adverse possession in Bailey. Bailey and his grantees, from whom defendant claims, remained in possession until this action was brought. The limitation ceased running against the state by an act of the legislature at which time, the evidence shows, the grantees of Bailey had acquired title by adverse possession of the surface. In 1925 the owners of the surface received a patent from the state. Plaintiff had never worked the minerals and there had never been any actual intrusion on the minerals until defendant commenced to mine shortly before the present action was brought. Held, that when there is a conveyance of the minerals, with no physical severance of the minerals by anyone, the grantor and his privies will presumptively continue to hold possession of the minerals for the grantee and his privies so that possession of the surface and minerals for the requisite number of years will ripen title in each as against third parties. Tennessee Coal I. & R. R. v. Brewer, (C. C. A. 5th, 1937) 92 F. (2d) 804.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/1281860","authors":["John M. Ulman"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-05-12T02:46:42Z","doi":"10.2307/1281860","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0892-6875(91)90028-t","name":"Review of the effect of grinding media on flotation of sulphide minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0892-6875(91)90028-t","authors":["C.J. Martin","R.E. McIvor","J.A. Finch","S.R. Rao"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-03-15T01:41:30Z","doi":"10.1016/0892-6875(91)90028-t","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1103/physrevlett.12.269","name":"Magnetospheric Cutoff for 1.5-MeV Extraterrestrial Protons","source":"crossref","abstract":"Received 10 February 1964DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.12.269©1964 American Physical Society","url":"https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.12.269","authors":["C. Y. Fan","J. A. Simpson","Edward C. Stone"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-27T03:47:22Z","doi":"10.1103/physrevlett.12.269","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0892-6875(92)90005-t","name":"Batch cell flotation models — A review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0892-6875(92)90005-t","authors":["M.A. Fichera","M.W. Chudacek"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-03-15T06:41:30Z","doi":"10.1016/0892-6875(92)90005-t","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0892-6875(88)90005-2","name":"South east Missouri lead belt - A review 1987","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0892-6875(88)90005-2","authors":["J.L. Watson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-03-15T06:59:29Z","doi":"10.1016/0892-6875(88)90005-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(00)00172-2","name":"Thiosulfate leaching of gold—A review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(00)00172-2","authors":["M.G Aylmore","D.M Muir"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-25T14:37:42Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(00)00172-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1127/ejm/9/5/0907","name":"Pressure-induced amorphization of minerals: a review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1127/ejm/9/5/0907","authors":["Pascal Richet","Philippe Gillet"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-07-15T13:04:32Z","doi":"10.1127/ejm/9/5/0907","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-009235-5.50018-8","name":"REVIEW OF THE RELATIONSHIPS IN THE MONTMORILLONITE GROUP OF CLAY MINERALS","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-009235-5.50018-8","authors":["CLARENCE S. ROSS"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-19T20:29:28Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-08-009235-5.50018-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2003.9926710","name":"Media Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2003.9926710","authors":["Jeffrey A. Scovil"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-09-04T17:41:41Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2003.9926710","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/essd-2019-228-rc2","name":"Review: A solar optical hyperspectral library of rare earth-bearing minerals, rare earth oxides, copper-bearing minerals and Apliki mine surface samples.","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2019-228-rc2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-02-24T10:25:42Z","doi":"10.5194/essd-2019-228-rc2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.1993.9926555","name":"Media Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"PCXRAY by William B. Simmons, Andre M. Rog, and Karen L. Webber. PC Geological Systems, Dept. of Geology and Geophysics, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA 70148. $199.00 with documentation, excluding postage. Reviewed by Dr. Robert B. Cook.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.1993.9926555","authors":["Robert B. Cook"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-09-04T17:25:14Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.1993.9926555","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/essd-2019-228-rc1","name":"Review: A solar optical hyperspectral library of rare earth-bearing minerals, rare earth oxides, copper-bearing minerals and Apliki mine surface samples.","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2019-228-rc1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-02-19T09:20:34Z","doi":"10.5194/essd-2019-228-rc1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/bf00311981","name":"Book review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00311981","authors":["V. Leute"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-10-10T14:25:26Z","doi":"10.1007/bf00311981","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/14041048209409006","name":"Book Review: Basic reading on minerals, mining and forest products","source":"crossref","abstract":"The first step in researching the structure of any given industry must be the identification of the main actors, ie the companies, institutions and individuals, that are engaged in various stages of production. RMR editors Andreas Tegen and Eva Skult look at some books of value in researching the minerals and forest industries.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14041048209409006","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-09-26T09:47:30Z","doi":"10.1080/14041048209409006","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2013.04.023","name":"Consumption of steel grinding media in mills – A review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2013.04.023","authors":["Chris Aldrich"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-06-05T08:20:40Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2013.04.023","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0892-6875(90)90090-x","name":"Thermally assisted liberation - a review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0892-6875(90)90090-x","authors":["K.E. Fitzgibbon","T.J. Veasey"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-03-15T01:59:29Z","doi":"10.1016/0892-6875(90)90090-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min13010022","name":"Glycine/Glutamate: “Green” Alternatives to Recover Metals from Minerals/Residues—Review of Current Research","source":"crossref","abstract":"Currently, the use of called “green solvents” is a challenge that must be assumed by the industry, since they contribute to a friendly process and where its use has been extended, causing research needs, and recognition of application and analysis of potential new uses. The main objective of this study was to analyze the global scientific production related to the use of glycine or glutamate, amino acids that are used in mineral/waste leaching processes for the recovery of metals of interest, in an environmentally friendly manner. A literature search was performed using the Web of science database. Australia is identified as the country that occupies the first place with 17 (41.4%) published documents. For its part, the Hydrometallurgy journal with 13 (34.2%) documents and the Minerals Engineering journal with 10 (26.6%) documents are the journals with the highest number of documents published. In turn, Curtin University 14 (36.8%) is identified as the institution that presents the greatest leadership with respect to the number of publications. This study offers a first approach to the global efforts aimed at this new area of research, which in the last 5 years (2018–2022) has developed most of its publications and where an effort to increase scientific productivity is necessary.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min13010022","authors":["Ingrid Jamett","Paulina Carrasco","Monique Olmos","Pía Hernández"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-12-23T04:24:53Z","doi":"10.3390/min13010022","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529809603057","name":"Alpine Minerals: A review of the Most Famous Localities of the Central Swiss Alps","source":"crossref","abstract":"Geology has remunerated people in the Central Alps for the lack of useful ore deposits by a remarkable richness in spectacular and rare minerals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529809603057","authors":["Stefan Graeser"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-12-25T12:33:31Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529809603057","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1146/annurev.astro.39.1.511","name":"The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI)","source":"crossref","abstract":"▪ Abstract The search for evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence is placed in the broader astronomical context of the search for extrasolar planets and biomarkers of primitive life elsewhere in the universe. A decision tree of possible search strategies is presented as well as a brief history of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) projects since 1960. The characteristics of 14 SETI projects currently operating on telescopes are discussed and compared using one of many possible figures of merit. Plans for SETI searches in the immediate and more distant future are outlined. Plans for success, the significance of null results, and some opinions on deliberate transmission of signals (as well as listening) are also included. SETI results to date are negative, but in reality, not much searching has yet been done.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.astro.39.1.511","authors":["Jill Tarter"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-27T07:49:00Z","doi":"10.1146/annurev.astro.39.1.511","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min10111037","name":"Mineralogy, Geochemistry and Genesis of Agate—A Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Agate—a spectacular form of SiO2 and a famous gemstone—is commonly characterized as banded chalcedony. In detail, chalcedony layers in agates can be intergrown or intercalated with macrocrystalline quartz, quartzine, opal-A, opal-CT, cristobalite and/or moganite. In addition, agates often contain considerable amounts of mineral inclusions and water as both interstitial molecular H2O and silanol groups. Most agate occurrences worldwide are related to SiO2-rich (rhyolites, rhyodacites) and SiO2-poor (andesites, basalts) volcanic rocks, but can also be formed as hydrothermal vein varieties or as silica accumulation during diagenesis in sedimentary rocks. It is assumed that the supply of silica for agate formation is often associated with late- or post-volcanic alteration of the volcanic host rocks. Evidence can be found in association with typical secondary minerals such as clay minerals, zeolites or iron oxides/hydroxides, frequent pseudomorphs (e.g., after carbonates or sulfates) as well as the chemical composition of the agates. For instance, elements of the volcanic rock matrix (Al, Ca, Fe, Na, K) are enriched, but extraordinary high contents of Ge (&gt;90 ppm), B (&gt;40 ppm) and U (&gt;20 ppm) have also been detected. Calculations based on fluid inclusion and oxygen isotope studies point to a range between 20 and 230 °C for agate formation temperatures. The accumulation and condensation of silicic acid result in the formation of silica sols and proposed amorphous silica as precursors for the development of the typical agate micro-structure. The process of crystallisation often starts with spherulitic growth of chalcedony continuing into chalcedony fibers. High concentrations of lattice defects (oxygen and silicon vacancies, silanol groups) detected by cathodoluminescence (CL) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy indicate a rapid crystallisation via an amorphous silica precursor under non-equilibrium conditions. It is assumed that the formation of the typical agate microstructure is governed by processes of self-organization. The resulting differences in crystallite size, porosity, kind of silica phase and incorporated color pigments finally cause the characteristic agate banding and colors.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min10111037","authors":["Jens Götze","Robert Möckel","Yuanming Pan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-20T09:46:18Z","doi":"10.3390/min10111037","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1127/ejm/2019/0031-2809","name":"Gatelite-supergroup minerals: recommended nomenclature and review","source":"crossref","abstract":"All minerals having a crystal structure and a chemical composition that can be described as a regular combination of modules of epidote-type structure (E) and modules of to ̈rnebohmite-type structure (T) fulfil the criteria of forming a mineral supergroup, named the gatelite supergroup. All members share the same general formula and topology, consisting of edge-sharing octahedral chains, cross-linked to each other by SiO4 and Si2O7 groups, with the remaining large cavities occupied by Ca and REE ± Na. By analogy with the epidote supergroup, three groups are defined to accommodate the existing accepted mineral species: (i) the gatelite group – includes members that can be derived from the mineral gatelite-(Ce) solely by homovalent substitutions, i.e., gatelite-(Ce), perbøeite-(Ce), and ferriperbøeite-(Ce); (ii) the va ̈stmanlandite group – includes members typified by the mineral va ̈stmanlandite-(Ce). This group is derived from gatelite-(Ce) by homovalent substitutions and one coupled heterovalent substitution of the type M1[M3+] + O4[O2] ! M1[M2+] + O4[F]. Va ̈stmanlandite-(Ce) is the unique member of this potential group; and (iii) the alnaperbøeite group – includes members typified by the mineral alnaperbøeite-(Ce). This group is derived from gatelite-(Ce) by homovalent substitutions and one coupled heterovalent substitution of the type A2+A3+A4[A3+3] + M3[M2+] !A2+A3+A4[A3+2.5A+0.5] + M3[M3+]. Alnaperbøeite-(Ce) is the unique known member of this potential group. We recommend that the nomenclature of the gatelite supergroup be based on the criterion of occupancy of key cation sites. In particular, A1 and M3 (and, in principle, M2) determine the root name. If the dominant cations at A1, M3 (and M2) exactly match those of an approved species, the same fixed root name – modified by an appropriate prefix – is given. If the dominant cation is different at any of these sites, a new root name is assigned.The members of the gatelite supergroup are rare minerals, although the number of occurrences is increasing. They have been found in REE-rich assemblages in a variety of geological settings, including granitic NYF pegmatites, carbonatite and associated fenites, alkali-syenites, and hydrothermal-metasomatic skarns. Most frequently, they coexist with to ̈rnebohmite-(Ce), allanite- or dollaseite-group minerals, bastna ̈site-(Ce), cerite-(Ce), or fluorbritholite-(Ce). Analytical data available from the literature show extensive solid solution along the ferriperbøeite-(Ce)–va ̈stmanlandite-(Ce) and the perbøeite-(Ce)–alnaperbøeite-(Ce) joins, whereas there are few or no samples testifying to va ̈stmanlandite-(Ce)–gatelite-(Ce) or perbøeite-(Ce)–ferriperbøeite-(Ce) solid solutions.The present nomenclature recommendations were approved by the International Mineralogical Association Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1127/ejm/2019/0031-2809","authors":["Paola Bonazzi","Dan Holtstam","Luca Bindi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-11-09T01:05:24Z","doi":"10.1127/ejm/2019/0031-2809","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3828/tpr.57.4.f16j440722g40n46","name":"Land restoration after minerals extraction: the role of minerals planning authorities","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.3828/tpr.57.4.f16j440722g40n46","authors":["Elizabeth A. Street"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-06-12T17:04:08Z","doi":"10.3828/tpr.57.4.f16j440722g40n46","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00206814.2018.1520151","name":"The role of halogens in terrestrial and extraterrestrial geochemical processes. Surface, crust and mantle","source":"crossref","abstract":"Easily soluble in aqueous fluids, halogens are rarely found as solid minerals or rocks in the Earth, with the marked exception of evaporites. But they are extremely reactive and play a major role i...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00206814.2018.1520151","authors":["Jacques Touret"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-09-17T14:22:03Z","doi":"10.1080/00206814.2018.1520151","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0892-6875(91)90080-f","name":"The processing of steelmaking flue-dust: A review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0892-6875(91)90080-f","authors":["R.L. Nyirenda"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-03-15T01:41:30Z","doi":"10.1016/0892-6875(91)90080-f","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/aisy.202100063","name":"Making Contact: A Review of Robotic Attachment Mechanisms for Extraterrestrial Applications","source":"crossref","abstract":"The space environment offers unique challenges for robotic grippers and controllable attachment mechanisms. Applications include satellite and orbital debris capture, perching for free‐floating robots inside the International Space Station, climbing rocky surfaces in planetary exploration tasks, and grasping asteroids and other rough substrates for drilling and sample collection operations. Many traditional adhesive technologies, such as pressure‐sensitive adhesives, suction, and electromagnetism, are not tenable in the space environment due to the lack of an atmosphere (e.g., pressure‐sensitive adhesives outgas and suction requires a pressure differential) or suitable substrates (e.g., materials for space applications are rarely ferromagnetic). Instead, a number of other technologies have shown promise for space, including bio‐inspired fibrillar dry adhesives that offer controllable adhesion on both flat and curved smooth surfaces, electrostatic adhesives that work on smooth surfaces but also rougher surfaces and fabrics, and microspines for rocky and rough substrates. Herein, a review of these technologies, focusing on their operation and providing examples of the technologies applied to space and other extraterrestrial missions is presented.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aisy.202100063","authors":["Matthew Spenko"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-07-28T05:51:04Z","doi":"10.1002/aisy.202100063","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2009.02.015","name":"Microwaves in extractive metallurgy: Part 1 – Review of fundamentals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2009.02.015","authors":["C.A. Pickles"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-04-11T08:20:51Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2009.02.015","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3410/f.742067111.793595022","name":"Faculty Opinions recommendation of Identifying the wide diversity of extraterrestrial purine and pyrimidine nucleobases in carbonaceous meteorites.","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.3410/f.742067111.793595022","authors":["Laurent Villard"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-08-31T10:50:06Z","doi":"10.3410/f.742067111.793595022","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/3478559","name":"Mines and Minerals: Construction of Deeds: Whether Conveyance of Surface with Reservation of Minerals Conveys Subsurface Water","source":"crossref","abstract":"Herbert J. Friedman, Mines and Minerals: Construction of Deeds: Whether Conveyance of Surface with Reservation of Minerals Conveys Subsurface Water, California Law Review, Vol. 49, No. 4 (Oct., 1961), pp. 763-767","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/3478559","authors":["Herbert J. Friedman"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-11-15T21:18:55Z","doi":"10.2307/3478559","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2012.05.009","name":"The importance of rheology in mineral flotation: A review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2012.05.009","authors":["Saeed Farrokhpay"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-06-14T17:03:15Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2012.05.009","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3410/f.718540350.793500010","name":"Faculty Opinions recommendation of Multiplication of microbes below 0.690 water activity: implications for terrestrial and extraterrestrial life.","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.3410/f.718540350.793500010","authors":["James Coker"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-09-19T13:24:45Z","doi":"10.3410/f.718540350.793500010","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/1521-3994(200110)322:4<216::aid-asna216>3.0.co;2-c","name":"Book Review: The search for extraterrestrial intelligence: A philosophical inquiry. By David Lamb","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/1521-3994(200110)322:4<216::aid-asna216>3.0.co;2-c","authors":["Karl-Heinz Schmidt"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-12-04T17:31:01Z","doi":"10.1002/1521-3994(200110)322:4<216::aid-asna216>3.0.co;2-c","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.075Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min11020112","name":"Spectroscopic Studies of Synthetic and Natural Saponites: A Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Saponite is a trioctahedral 2:1 smectite with the ideal composition MxMg3AlxSi4−xO10(OH,F)2.nH2O (M = interlayer cation). Both the success of the saponite synthesis and the determination of its applications depends on robust knowledge of the structure and composition of saponite. Among the routine characterization techniques, spectroscopic methods are the most common. This review, thus, provides an overview of various spectroscopic methods to characterize natural and synthetic saponites with focus on the extensive work by one of the authors (JTK). The Infrared (IR) and Raman spectra of natural and synthetic saponites are discussed in detail including the assignment of the observed bands. The crystallization of saponite is discussed based on the changes in the IR and Raman spectra and a possible crystallization model is provided. Infrared emission spectroscopy has been used to study the thermal changes of saponite in situ including the dehydration and (partial) dehydroxylation up to 750 °C. 27Al and 29Si magic-angle-spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is discussed (as well as 11B and 71Ga for B- and Ga-Si substitution) with respect to, in particular, Al(IV)/Al(VI) and Si/Al(IV) ratios. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy provides chemical information as well as some information related to the local environments of the different elements in the saponite structure as reflected by their binding energies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min11020112","authors":["J. Theo Kloprogge","Concepcion P. Ponce"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-01-25T09:59:40Z","doi":"10.3390/min11020112","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1180/claymin.2017.052.2.05","name":"Clay minerals interaction with microorganisms: a review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Interest in mineral–microbe interaction has grown enormously over recent decades, providing information in a puzzle-like manner which points towards an ever increasingly intimate relationship between the two; a relationship that can be truly termed co-evolution. Clay minerals play a very central role in this co-evolving system. Some 20 years ago, clay scientists looked at clay mineral–microbe studies as a peripheral interest only. Now, can clay scientists think that they understand the formation of clay minerals throughout geological history if they do not include life in their models? The answer is probably no, but we do not yet know the relative weight of biological and inorganic factors involved in driving clay-mineral formation and transformation. Similarly, microbiologists are missing out important information if they do not investigate the influence and modifications that minerals, particularly clay minerals, have on microbial activity and evolution. This review attempts to describe the several points relating clay minerals and microorganisms that have been discovered so far. The information obtained is still very incomplete and many opportunities exist for clay scientists to help to write the real history of the biosphere.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/claymin.2017.052.2.05","authors":["Javier Cuadros"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-26T04:21:29Z","doi":"10.1180/claymin.2017.052.2.05","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/1521-3994(200110)322:4<216::aid-asna216>3.3.co;2-3","name":"Book Review: The search for extraterrestrial intelligence: A philosophical inquiry. By David Lamb","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/1521-3994(200110)322:4<216::aid-asna216>3.3.co;2-3","authors":["Karl-Heinz Schmidt"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-08-25T23:16:32Z","doi":"10.1002/1521-3994(200110)322:4<216::aid-asna216>3.3.co;2-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/1863550","name":"The Extraterrestrial Life Debate, 1750-1900: The Idea of a Plurality of Worlds from Kant to Lowell","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/1863550","authors":["Seymour H. Mauskopf","Michael J. Crowe"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-04-20T13:56:23Z","doi":"10.2307/1863550","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2018.06.018","name":"A review on the characterisation and processing of oolitic iron ores","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2018.06.018","authors":["Keith Quast"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-07-04T20:35:15Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2018.06.018","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2009.02.014","name":"Microwaves in extractive metallurgy: Part 2 – A review of applications","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2009.02.014","authors":["C.A. Pickles"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-04-13T08:10:43Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2009.02.014","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/arcm.13087/v1/review1","name":"Review for \"Accessory minerals: a provenancing tool for steatite quarries\"","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/arcm.13087/v1/review1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-03T17:10:36Z","doi":"10.1111/arcm.13087/v1/review1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2006.04.011","name":"Review of rate constants for thiosulphate leaching of gold from ores, concentrates and flat surfaces: Effect of host minerals and pH","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2006.04.011","authors":["Gamini Senanayake"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-07-04T17:10:51Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2006.04.011","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(98)00061-2","name":"Alternative processes for treatment of chalcopyrite —A review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(98)00061-2","authors":["S. Prasad","B.D. Pandey"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-25T22:50:06Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(98)00061-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0892-6875(95)00023-j","name":"Column flotation: A selected review— part IV: Novel flotation devices","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0892-6875(95)00023-j","authors":["J.A Finch"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-26T02:26:33Z","doi":"10.1016/0892-6875(95)00023-j","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.1982.11764531","name":"Chrysoberyl: A U.S. Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.1982.11764531","authors":["Mark I. Jacobson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-10-03T19:55:50Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.1982.11764531","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min9040253","name":"Review on Beneficiation Techniques and Reagents Used for Phosphate Ores","source":"crossref","abstract":"Phosphate ore is an important raw material for manufacturing fertilizers and phosphorous chemical products. While most of the phosphate resources cannot be directly treated as feed stock due to the low grade of P2O5 and high content of impurities. In order to obtain a qualified phosphate concentrate, the beneficiation of the low-grade phosphate ore is, hence, of great necessity. Many beneficiation techniques can be employed to upgrade the P2O5 grade of phosphate ores based on their characteristics in chemical composition and texture. The flotation process is most widely applied to balance the P2O5 recovery ratio and cost. In this review, the dominant techniques for the beneficiation of phosphate ores are introduced. Moreover, the factors that affect the flotation of phosphate ore, including the properties of mineralogy, flotation reagents (depressants and collectors) and flotation medium, were systematically analyzed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min9040253","authors":["Yaoyang Ruan","Dongsheng He","Ruan Chi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-04-25T10:44:06Z","doi":"10.3390/min9040253","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0892-6875(91)90062-z","name":"Review of methods of improving mineral liberation","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0892-6875(91)90062-z","authors":["T.J. Veasey","B.A. Wills"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-03-15T06:41:30Z","doi":"10.1016/0892-6875(91)90062-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0892-6875(94)90128-7","name":"The flotation of gold bearing ores — A review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0892-6875(94)90128-7","authors":["C.T. O'Connor","R.C. Dunne"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-03-15T06:41:30Z","doi":"10.1016/0892-6875(94)90128-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min7110217","name":"C–O Stable Isotope Geochemistry of Carbonate Minerals in the Nonsulfide Zinc Deposits of the Middle East: A Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Zinc nonsulfides are well represented in the Middle East, with occurrences in Turkey, Iran, and Yemen. Their genesis can be constrained by using carbon and oxygen isotope systematics applied to carbonate minerals. The δ13C ratios of smithsonite and hydrozincite in Iran and Turkey are comprised in the typical interval of supergene Zn carbonates (−0.4 and −7.1‰ V-PDB). The oxygen isotope geochemistry is more complex. Oxygen isotope compositions of smithsonite of the Hakkari deposit (Turkey) (δ18O from 24.2 to 25.6‰ V-SMOW) point to precipitation temperatures between ~4 and ~18 °C, corresponding to a normal weathering environment at these latitudes, whereas δ18O of smithsonite from other Middle East deposits (Angouran in Iran, Jabali in Yemen) point to the precipitation from low- to medium-temperature hydrothermal fluids. The C–O isotopic compositions of hydrozincite from the Mehdi Abad, Irankuh, and Chah-Talkh deposits can be only partially compared with those of smithsonite, because the oxygen isotopes fractionation equation for hydrozincite-water is not known. A comparison between the geochemical characteristics of all Zn-nonsulfide ores in the Middle East indicates that, even though several mineral deposits are derived from supergene weathering processes, other ones have been deposited from fluids associated with magmatic activity (Angouran, Iran) or with hydrothermal systems (Jabali, Yemen). This suggests that it is not possible to apply a common interpretative model to the genesis of all nonsulfide deposits in the Middle East.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min7110217","authors":["Nicola Mondillo","Maria Boni","Michael Joachimski","Licia Santoro"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-11-10T11:12:26Z","doi":"10.3390/min7110217","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0892-6875(93)90016-g","name":"Electrical conductivity of dispersions: A review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0892-6875(93)90016-g","authors":["S. Banisi","J.A. Finch","A.R. Laplante"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-03-15T01:41:30Z","doi":"10.1016/0892-6875(93)90016-g","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1086/394124","name":"<i>Life on Other Worlds: The 20th-Century Extraterrestrial Life Debate</i>. Steven J. Dick","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1086/394124","authors":["Gustaf Arrhenius"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-03-02T00:24:00Z","doi":"10.1086/394124","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2020.106522","name":"Starch chemical modification for selective flotation of copper sulphide minerals from carbonaceous material: A critical review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2020.106522","authors":["Wonder Chimonyo","Brenton Fletcher","Yongjun Peng"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-06-22T23:11:01Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2020.106522","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1787/9cdf8f39-en","name":"Critical Minerals Market Review 2023","source":"crossref","abstract":"The inaugural edition of the Critical Minerals Market Review provides a major update on the investment, market, technology and policy trends of the critical minerals sector in 2022 and an initial reading of the emerging picture for 2023. Through in-depth analyses of clean energy and mineral market trends, this report assesses the progress made by countries and businesses in scaling up future supplies, diversifying sources of supply, and improving sustainable and responsible practices. It also examines major trends for individual minerals and discusses key policy implications.The report will be followed by a forthcoming analysis that will feature comprehensive demand and supply projections for key materials and a number of deep-dives on key issues. It also makes available an online tool, the Critical Minerals Data Explorer, which allow users to explore interactively the latest IEA projections.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1787/9cdf8f39-en","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-19T07:33:33Z","doi":"10.1787/9cdf8f39-en","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/bf02086785","name":"Conference Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02086785","authors":["C. G. Down"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-08-14T09:35:14Z","doi":"10.1007/bf02086785","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.1995.9926593","name":"Topaz: A Mineralogical Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Coveted by mineralogists and gemologists alike, November's birthstone has been named the featured mineral at the 1995 Tucson Gem & Mineral Show.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.1995.9926593","authors":["Michael A. Wise"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-09-04T21:27:34Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.1995.9926593","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-9741710/v1","name":"AI-Driven Autonomous Dust Mitigation for Extraterrestrial Solar Panels:  A Closed-Loop Framework Integrating Edge-AI, Reinforcement Learning,  and Electrodynamic Dust Shielding","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Reliable solar power is essential for sustained lunar and Martian surfaceoperations, yet lunar dust poses one of the most severe threats to photovoltaicperformance. Apollo missions recorded up to 16% power loss within one year, whilelaboratory tests show approximately 40% degradation at only 2 mg/cm\\((^{2})\\) dustcoverage. Although the Electrodynamic Dust Shield (EDS) achieved greater than 90%removal efficiency during the Blue Ghost Mission 1 lunar demonstration in March 2025,all current implementations operate in open-loop mode without real-time sensing oradaptive control. This paper presents a fully closed-loop AI-driven framework thataddresses this critical gap. The proposed architecture integrates four modules:(1) an edge-deployed MobileNetV3-Small convolutional neural network for real-timespatial dust density mapping, (2) multi-sensor environmental context aggregation,(3) a Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) reinforcement learning agent that optimizescleaning decisions via a formally defined multi-objective reward function, and(4) zone-selective EDS actuation. We provide the complete Markov Decision Processformulation, including realistic state transition dynamics for dust accumulation, EDScleaning efficiency, and electrode wear. A physics-based simulation environmentimplementing the full MDP was developed, and PPO agents were trained under threereward function configurations---energy-maximizing, balanced, andefficiency-maximizing---to study the effect of reward hyperparameters on learnedcleaning strategies. The balanced PPO agent achieved 299.1 kWh cumulative energy perlunar day, outperforming all fixed-interval and threshold-based baselines, whilereducing cleaning events by 58% relative to the energy-maximizing agent with only0.9% energy loss. This reward function ablation demonstrates that hyperparametertuning steers the RL agent toward Pareto-optimal strategies that jointly optimizeenergy recovery, cleaning frequency, and electrode longevity. A parametric EnergyPayback Ratio (EPR) analysis across three dust accumulation rates confirms robustlyenergy-positive operation (EPR of 5--74 depending on conditions). A two-phasevalidation methodology combining simulation with laboratory testing using lunarregolith simulant is presented. This framework enables sustained high-performancesolar arrays, directly supporting long-duration Artemis lunar missions and futureSpace Solar Power infrastructure.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9741710/v1","authors":["Anas Shahin","Rana Kheder","Zein Moussa"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-19T01:58:08Z","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9741710/v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(00)00119-9","name":"A review of hematite flotation using 12-carbon chain collectors","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(00)00119-9","authors":["K.B. Quast"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-25T20:57:54Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(00)00119-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min10060533","name":"Review of Potential Microbial Effects on Flotation","source":"crossref","abstract":"Microorganisms enter the flotation process mainly from intake water and ore material. The diversity and number of microorganisms can vary significantly from mine to mine. In flotation, the conditions including oxygen levels, temperature, and nutrients from ore, intake water, and reagents are often favorable for the microbial growth. The mining industry aims to close the water loops, which is expected to result in the accumulation of microorganisms in the process waters with potential effects on flotation performance. Bioflotation, bioleaching, and bio-oxidation have been studied for decades as tools for concentrating and dissolving minerals. In contrast, there is limited scientific literature or industrial knowledge about microorganisms that naturally inhabit and prevail in minerals processing applications over a wide pH range. Microorganisms affect minerals when they selectively attach to the surfaces, produce extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and polysaccharides, oxidize or reduce the minerals, change the pH and Eh of the process solution, and degrade organic flotation chemicals. Microorganisms contain different structural components that affect their surface chemistry, charge, and behavior in flotation, but these properties may also change via adaptation and solution conditions. Almost all studies on flotation have focused on chemical and physical parameters, and the role of naturally occurring microorganisms has remained underexplored. Advances in genomics and proteomics offer possibilities to describe not only which microorganisms are present, but also which physiological functions are being exercised. This article reviews the current knowledge of microorganisms in various mineral processes, identifies potential microbe–mineral interactions in flotation, describes the gaps in current knowledge, and concludes with the potential effects of microorganisms on flotation, especially in closed water loops.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min10060533","authors":["Päivi Kinnunen","Hanna Miettinen","Malin Bomberg"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-06-15T03:17:32Z","doi":"10.3390/min10060533","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min12111462","name":"A Review on Froth Washing in Flotation","source":"crossref","abstract":"In the attempt to process lower-grade ores, mineral flotation has taken centre stage as the preferred recovery route. However, in many instances, the froth product does not have a high grade due to the entrainment of gangue minerals. Industry has solved this challenge by introducing froth washing mechanisms. Clean wash water is introduced into or on top of the froth to reduce the amount of entrained gangue in the final concentrate. This article reviews froth-washing systems in detail and highlights the advantages and disadvantages of each wash-water delivery mechanism. Comments on industrial uptake are provided. The indications are that froth washing improves the grade of the concentrate and influences froth stability and mobility. Other researchers have reported an improvement in recovery—especially of coarse particles—with wash water being added, while others have reported a reduction in recovery, especially with composite particles. Froth washing is generally applied in mechanical flotation cells by washing at the lip. In column flotation cells and Jameson cells, wash water is added to the entire froth surface. The literature also indicates that the wash-water rate, wash-water quality, type of wash-water delivery/ distribution mechanism and the area covered by wash water are critical parameters that dictate the efficacy of the washing system. Further research is necessary on the impact of wash-water quality on the froth phase sub-processes including froth rheology.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min12111462","authors":["Tawona Martin Jera","Clayton Bhondayi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-11-21T03:05:11Z","doi":"10.3390/min12111462","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0892-6875(89)90066-6","name":"A review of water re-use in flotation","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0892-6875(89)90066-6","authors":["S.R Rao","J.A Finch"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-03-15T06:59:29Z","doi":"10.1016/0892-6875(89)90066-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2003.08.002","name":"Review of copper pyrometallurgical practice: today and tomorrow","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2003.08.002","authors":["R.R Moskalyk","A.M Alfantazi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-09-22T15:25:53Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2003.08.002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0892-6875(91)90073-5","name":"Column flotation: A selected review, part II","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0892-6875(91)90073-5","authors":["G.S. Dobby","J.A. Finch"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-03-15T06:41:30Z","doi":"10.1016/0892-6875(91)90073-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/14041048709409301","name":"Book Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Metal Men: Marc Rich and the 10-Billion Dollar Scam by Craig Copetas. First Published New York 1985. Published in London by Harrup, 8.95 GB, 223 PP.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14041048709409301","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-04-02T15:02:50Z","doi":"10.1080/14041048709409301","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min9020105","name":"Emerald Deposits: A Review and Enhanced Classification","source":"crossref","abstract":"Although emerald deposits are relatively rare, they can be formed in several different, but specific geologic settings and the classification systems and models currently used to describe emerald precipitation and predict its occurrence are too restrictive, leading to confusion as to the exact mode of formation for some emerald deposits. Generally speaking, emerald is beryl with sufficient concentrations of the chromophores, chromium and vanadium, to result in green and sometimes bluish green or yellowish green crystals. The limiting factor in the formation of emerald is geological conditions resulting in an environment rich in both beryllium and chromium or vanadium. Historically, emerald deposits have been classified into three broad types. The first and most abundant deposit type, in terms of production, is the desilicated pegmatite related type that formed via the interaction of metasomatic fluids with beryllium-rich pegmatites, or similar granitic bodies, that intruded into chromium- or vanadium-rich rocks, such as ultramafic and volcanic rocks, or shales derived from those rocks. A second deposit type, accounting for most of the emerald of gem quality, is the sedimentary type, which generally involves the interaction, along faults and fractures, of upper level crustal brines rich in Be from evaporite interaction with shales and other Cr- and/or V-bearing sedimentary rocks. The third, and comparatively most rare, deposit type is the metamorphic-metasomatic deposit. In this deposit model, deeper crustal fluids circulate along faults or shear zones and interact with metamorphosed shales, carbonates, and ultramafic rocks, and Be and Cr (±V) may either be transported to the deposition site via the fluids or already be present in the host metamorphic rocks intersected by the faults or shear zones. All three emerald deposit models require some level of tectonic activity and often continued tectonic activity can result in the metamorphism of an existing sedimentary or magmatic type deposit. In the extreme, at deeper crustal levels, high-grade metamorphism can result in the partial melting of metamorphic rocks, blurring the distinction between metamorphic and magmatic deposit types. In the present paper, we propose an enhanced classification for emerald deposits based on the geological environment, i.e., magmatic or metamorphic; host-rocks type, i.e., mafic-ultramafic rocks, sedimentary rocks, and granitoids; degree of metamorphism; styles of minerlization, i.e., veins, pods, metasomatites, shear zone; type of fluids and their temperature, pressure, composition. The new classification accounts for multi-stage formation of the deposits and ages of formation, as well as probable remobilization of previous beryllium mineralization, such as pegmatite intrusions in mafic-ultramafic rocks. Such new considerations use the concept of genetic models based on studies employing chemical, geochemical, radiogenic, and stable isotope, and fluid and solid inclusion fingerprints. The emerald occurrences and deposits are classified into two main types: (Type I) Tectonic magmatic-related with sub-types hosted in: (IA) Mafic-ultramafic rocks (Brazil, Zambia, Russia, and others); (IB) Sedimentary rocks (China, Canada, Norway, Kazakhstan, Australia); (IC) Granitic rocks (Nigeria). (Type II) Tectonic metamorphic-related with sub-types hosted in: (IIA) Mafic-ultramafic rocks (Brazil, Austria); (IIB) Sedimentary rocks-black shale (Colombia, Canada, USA); (IIC) Metamorphic rocks (China, Afghanistan, USA); (IID) Metamorphosed and remobilized either type I deposits or hidden granitic intrusion-related (Austria, Egypt, Australia, Pakistan), and some unclassified deposits.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min9020105","authors":["Gaston Giuliani","Lee Groat","Dan Marshall","Anthony Fallick","Yannick Branquet"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-14T03:21:46Z","doi":"10.3390/min9020105","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2011.568283","name":"Media Review: Displays of Nature","source":"crossref","abstract":"History, Minerals & Crystals of Utah's Bingham Canyon Copper Mine by Jerry North. Published by the author ( www.DisplaysofNature.net ). 65 pages; 2010; $15 plus shipping (softbound). This is an exc...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2011.568283","authors":["Robert B. Cook"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-05-24T09:31:54Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2011.568283","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/14041048309408461","name":"Book Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"The aluminium industry and the third world. Multinational corporations and underdevelopment, by Ronald Graham. Zed Press, London 1982, 278 pp. Price 6.95 GBP. Aluminum: Profile of An Industry, published by Metals Week, McGraw Hill, (New York), 1982. Price 87 USD. Aluminium—the international perspective, by Gerry Butcher, Financial Times business information, London 1982. 180 pp. Price 92 GBP. Norman Moss, The Politics of Uranium, Andre Deutsch, London, 1981.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14041048309408461","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-04-02T11:00:26Z","doi":"10.1080/14041048309408461","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2003.10.028","name":"Separation of waste plastics by froth flotation––a review, part I","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2003.10.028","authors":["N. Fraunholcz"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-02-05T05:35:04Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2003.10.028","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(97)00071-x","name":"High capacity gravity separators a review of current status","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(97)00071-x","authors":["R.G. Richards","M.K. Palmer"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-25T18:50:06Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(97)00071-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/14041048509409024","name":"Book Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"The International Uranium Market Thomas L Neff. Ballinger Cambridge, Mass, 1984. 347 pages. “Cut and run: the assault on Canada's forests”. By Jaime Swift, Between the Lines, 427 Bloor Street West, Toronto, Ontario 1983.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14041048509409024","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-04-02T11:01:59Z","doi":"10.1080/14041048509409024","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1117/12.2655517","name":"Spectroscopic techniques and sensors for the exploration of extraterrestrial environments: a review","source":"crossref","abstract":"The exploration of solar system bodies is now for decades a focus of activities of space agencies around the world. The motivation ranges from gaining a better understanding of the geology of e.g. planets and moons to the search for traces of (former) life. The developed spectroscopic sensors reach from passive infrared spectrometers employed e.g. on orbiters to active laser spectroscopies such as NIR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy or Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy employed on robotic missions. Space, weight and power restrictions as well as robustness against harsh environmental conditions are inherent prerequisites for space missions and lead to specific design solutions for these instruments. In this review an overview is given, presenting the application and design of selected spectroscopic sensors and techniques employed in past missions. Thereafter, emerging sensors concepts and technologies are presented which are currently investigated for use in future space missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2655517","authors":["Michael Gensch"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-03-06T20:16:04Z","doi":"10.1117/12.2655517","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2014.10.007","name":"The extraction of uranium from brannerite – A literature review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2014.10.007","authors":["Rorie Gilligan","Aleksandar N. Nikoloski"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-11-27T13:24:06Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2014.10.007","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0021-9169(90)90088-5","name":"A review of extraterrestrial magnetosphere research, 1987–1989","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0021-9169(90)90088-5","authors":["A. Eviatar"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-08-06T20:18:26Z","doi":"10.1016/0021-9169(90)90088-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0892-6875(94)90114-7","name":"Review of gold extraction from ores","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0892-6875(94)90114-7","authors":["S.R. La Brooy","H.G. Linge","G.S. Walker"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-03-15T01:41:30Z","doi":"10.1016/0892-6875(94)90114-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min11030332","name":"Mullite-Based Ceramics from Mining Waste: A Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mullite (3Al2O3·2SiO2) is an aluminosilicate characterized by excellent physical properties, which makes it an important ceramic material. In this way, ceramics based on mullite find applications in different technological fields as refractory material (metallurgy, glass, ceramics, etc.), matrix in composite materials for high temperature applications, substrate in multilayer packaging, protective coatings, components of turbine engines, windows transparent to infrared radiation, etc. However, mullite is scarce in nature so it has to be manufactured through different synthesis methods, such as sintering, melting-crystallization or through a sol-gel route. Commonly, mullite is fabricated from pure technical grade raw materials, making the manufacturing process expensive. An alternative to lowering the cost is the use of mining waste as silica (SiO2) and alumina (Al2O3) feedstock, which are the necessary chemical compounds required to manufacture mullite ceramics. In addition to the economic benefits, the use of mining waste brings out environmental benefits as it prevents the over-exploitation of natural resources and reduces the volume of mining waste that needs to be managed. This article reviews the scientific studies carried out in order to use waste (steriles and tailings) generated in mining activities for the manufacture of clay-based ceramic materials containing mullite as a main crystalline phase.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min11030332","authors":["Maximina Romero","Isabel Padilla","Manuel Contreras","Aurora López-Delgado"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-03-23T14:08:16Z","doi":"10.3390/min11030332","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0892-6875(91)90055-z","name":"Automatic flotation control- a review of 20 years of effort","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0892-6875(91)90055-z","authors":["D.J. McKee"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-03-15T01:41:30Z","doi":"10.1016/0892-6875(91)90055-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1180/claymin.1947.000.01.08","name":"A Review of Clay Mineral Research in the University of Leeds","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/claymin.1947.000.01.08","authors":["A. L. Roberts"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-02-02T18:38:22Z","doi":"10.1180/claymin.1947.000.01.08","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0034-6667(67)90056-5","name":"The possibility of extraterrestrial life: Ultra-microchemical analyses and electro-microscopic studies of microstructures in carbonaceous meteorites","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0034-6667(67)90056-5","authors":["Bartholomew Nagy"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-08-07T11:47:15Z","doi":"10.1016/0034-6667(67)90056-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5840/asrr20189253","name":"Alien Worlds: Social and Religious Dimensions of Extraterrestrial Contact. Edited by Diana G. Tumminia","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5840/asrr20189253","authors":["Carole M. Cusack"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-11-20T16:23:45Z","doi":"10.5840/asrr20189253","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:43.076Z"},{"id":"oa:W1590784013","name":"The Mineralogy of Cometary Dust","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-13259-9_4","authors":["M. S. Hanner","M. E. Zolensky"],"tags":["Enstatite","Interplanetary dust cloud","Formation and evolution of the Solar System","Chondrite","Olivine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-13259-9_4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z"},{"id":"oa:W2113755490","name":"Carbon Mineralogy and Crystal Chemistry","source":"openalex","abstract":"Carbon, element 6, displays remarkable chemical flexibility and thus is unique in the diversity of its mineralogical roles. Carbon has the ability to bond to itself and to more than 80 other elements in a variety of bonding topologies, most commonly in 2-, 3-, and 4-coordination. With oxidation numbers ranging from −4 to +4, carbon is observed to behave as a cation, as an anion, and as a neutral species in phases with an astonishing range of crystal structures, chemical bonding, and physical and chemical properties. This versatile element concentrates in dozens of different Earth repositories, from the atmosphere and oceans to the crust, mantle, and core, including solids, liquids, and gases as both a major and trace element (Holland 1984; Berner 2004; Hazen et al. 2012). Therefore, any comprehensive survey of carbon in Earth must consider the broad range of carbon-bearing phases. / The objective of this chapter is to review the mineralogy and crystal chemistry of carbon, with a focus primarily on phases in which carbon is an essential element: most notably the polymorphs of carbon, the carbides, and the carbonates. The possible role of trace carbon in nominally acarbonaceous silicates and oxides, though potentially a large and undocumented reservoir of the mantle and core (Wood 1993; Jana and Walker 1997; Freund et al. 2001; McDonough 2003; Keppler et al. 2003; Shcheka et al. 2006; Dasgupta 2013; Ni and Keppler 2013; Wood et al. 2013), is not considered here. Non-mineralogical carbon-bearing phases treated elsewhere, including in this volume, include C-O-H-N aqueous fluids (Javoy 1997; Zhang and Duan 2009; Jones et al. 2013; Manning et al. 2013); silicate melts (Dasgupta et al. 2007; Dasgupta 2013; Manning et al. 2013); carbonate melts (Cox 1980; Kramers et al. 1981; Wilson and Head 2007; Walter et al. 2008; Jones et al. 2013); a rich variety of organic molecules, including methane and higher hydrocarbons (McCollom and Simoneit 1999; Kenney et al. 2001; Kutcherov et al. 2002; Sherwood-Lollar et al. 2002; Scott et al. 2004; Helgeson et al. 2009; McCollom 2013; Sephton and Hazen 2013); and subsurface microbial life (Parkes et al. 1993; Gold 1999; Chapelle et al. 2002; D’Hondt et al. 2004; Roussel et al. 2008; Colwell and D’Hondt 2013; Schrenk et al. 2013; Meersman et al. 2013; Anderson et al. 2013). / The International Mineralogical Association (IMA) recognizes more than 380 carbon-bearing minerals (http://rruff.info/ima/), including carbon polymorphs, carbides, carbonates, and a variety of minerals that incorporate organic carbon in the form of molecular crystals, organic anions, or clathrates. This chapter reviews systematically carbon mineralogy and crystal chemistry, with a focus on those phases most likely to play a role in the crust. Additional high-temperature and high-pressure carbon-bearing minerals that may play a role in the mantle and core are considered in the next chapter on deep carbon mineralogy (Oganov et al. 2013).","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2013.75.2","authors":["Robert M. Hazen","R. T. Downs","Adrian Jones","Linda C. Kah","R. M. Hazen","A. P. Jones","L. Kah"],"tags":["Citation","Library science","Download","History","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2013.75.2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W2081957647","name":"Ni, Ga, Ge and Ir in the metal of iron-meteorites-with-silicate-inclusions","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(70)90078-5","authors":["J. T. Wasson"],"tags":["Meteorite","Silicate","Iron meteorite","Parent body","Inclusion (mineral)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1970-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(70)90078-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z"},{"id":"oa:W567830131","name":"Evidence for methane in Martian meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"The putative occurrence of methane in the Martian atmosphere has had a major influence on the exploration of Mars, especially by the implication of active biology. The occurrence has not been borne out by measurements of atmosphere by the MSL rover Curiosity but, as on Earth, methane on Mars is most likely in the subsurface of the crust. Serpentinization of olivine-bearing rocks, to yield hydrogen that may further react with carbon-bearing species, has been widely invoked as a source of methane on Mars, but this possibility has not hitherto been tested. Here we show that some Martian meteorites, representing basic igneous rocks, liberate a methane-rich volatile component on crushing. The occurrence of methane in Martian rock samples adds strong weight to models whereby any life on Mars is/was likely to be resident in a subsurface habitat, where methane could be a source of energy and carbon for microbial activity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms8399","authors":["Nigel Blamey","John Parnell","Sean McMahon","Darren F. Mark","T. Tomkinson","Martin Lee","J. N. Shivak","M. R. M. Izawa","Neil R. Banerjee","R. L. Flemming"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Meteorite","Martian","Methane","Atmosphere of Mars"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-06-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms8399","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z"},{"id":"oa:W2081538356","name":"The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 89, 2005 September","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— This Bulletin lists 1768 meteorites, bringing the total known meteorites to over 30,000 at 30,907. Of these, 1010 are from Antarctica, 569 from Africa, 92 from Asia (83 of which are from Oman), 85 from North America, one from South America and 11 from Europe. The Bulletin reports seven falls (Benguerir, Bukhara, Kasauli, Maigatari-Danduma, Oum Dreyga, Rahimyar Khan, and San Michele). Noteworthy specimens include 20 lunar meteorites, four Martian meteorites, two pallasites, three mesosiderites, and two Bencubbin-like meteorites. Additional information can be found at http:meteoriticalsociety.orgbulletindatabase.html.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00425.x","authors":["S. S. Russell","M. E. Zolensky","K. Righter","L. Folco","R. H. Jones","H. C. Connolly","M. M. Grady","J. N. Grossman"],"tags":["Meteorite","Martian","Astrobiology","Geology","Geography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00425.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z"},{"id":"oa:W2969686773","name":"The Yamato-type (CY) carbonaceous chondrite group: Analogues for the surface of asteroid Ryugu?","source":"openalex","abstract":"We report new mineralogical, petrographic and noble gas analyses of the carbonaceous chondrite meteorites Y-82162 (C1/2 ung ), Y-980115 (CI1), Y-86029 (CI1), Y-86720 (C2 ung ), Y-86789 (C2 ung ), and B-7904 (C2 ung ). Combining our results with literature data we show that these meteorites experienced varying degrees of aqueous alteration followed by short-lived thermal metamorphism at temperatures of >500 °C. These meteorites have similar mineralogy , textures and chemical characteristics suggesting that they are genetically related, and we strongly support the conclusion of Ikeda (1992) that they form a distinct group, the CYs (“Yamato-type”). The CY chondrites have the heaviest oxygen isotopic compositions ( δ 17 O ˜12‰, δ 18 O ˜22‰) of any meteorite group, high abundances of Fe-sulphides (˜10 ‒ 30 vol%) and phosphates, and contain large grains of periclase and unusual objects of secondary minerals not reported in other carbonaceous chondrites. These features cannot be attributed to parent body processes alone, and indicate that the CYs had a different starting mineralogy and/or alteration history to other chondrite groups, perhaps because they formed in a different region of the protoplanetary disk . The short cosmic-ray exposure ages (≤1.3 Ma) of the CY chondrites suggest that they are derived from a near-Earth source, with recent observations by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft highlighting a possible link to the rubble-pile asteroid Ryugu.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemer.2019.08.003","authors":["A. J. King","H. C. Bates","Daniela Krietsch","H. Busemann","P. L. Clay","P. F. Schofield","S. S. Russell"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Parent body","Carbonaceous chondrite","Asteroid"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-08-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemer.2019.08.003","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z"},{"id":"oa:W3146262431","name":"Compositions and mineralogies of unmelted polar micrometeorites: Similarities and differeces with IDPs and meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3146262431","authors":["Flynn","M.A. Sutton","Klock"],"tags":["Meteorite","Polar","Achondrite","Geology","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1993-05-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z"},{"id":"oa:W4234599601","name":"Planetary Materials","source":"openalex","abstract":"Volume 36 of Reviews in Mineralogy presents a comprehensive coverage of the mineralogy and petrology of planetary materials. The book is organized with an introductory chapter that introduces the reader to the nature of the planetary sample suite and provides some insights into the diverse environments from which they come. Chapter 2 on Interplanetary Dust Particles (IDPs) and Chapter 3 on Chondritic Meteorites deal with the most primitive and unevolved materials we have to work with. It is these materials that hold the clues to the nature of the solar nebula and the processes that led to the initial stages of planetary formation. Chapter 4, 5, and 6 consider samples from evolved asteroids, the Moon and Mars respectively. Chapter 7 is a brief summary chapter that compares aspects of melt-derived minerals from differing planetary environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9781501508806","authors":[],"tags":["Astrobiology","Geology","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-12-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9781501508806","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z"},{"id":"oa:W2016911262","name":"The condensation with partial isolation (CWPI) model of condensation in the solar nebula","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— We have developed a nebular condensation model and a computational routine that potentially can account for the unequilibrated mineral assemblages in chondritic meteorites. The model assumes that as condensation proceeds, a specified fraction (called the isolation degree, ξ) of the existing condensate is steadily withdrawn from reactive contact with the residual gas, presumably as a result of the growth and aggregation of condensed mineral grains. The isolated condensates may remain in the condensing system as coarse inert objects; whereas, the mineral grains that are still in reactive contact with residual nebular gases are in the form of fine dust. This paper describes the condensation with partial isolation (CWPI) model of condensation and uses it to study condensation in a nebula of solar composition at a total pressure of 10 −5 bar. The systematic isolation of condensates from residual nebular gases has profound effects on the condensation sequence. At ξ values <0.2%, the condensation sequence is essentially independent of the isolation degree and identical to the classic condensation sequence. At ξ values >2.5%, the condensation sequence is also independent of the isolation degree and closely resembles the “inhomogeneous accretion model” or “chemical disequilibrium model” of condensation. In the intermediate range of ξ values, the character of the condensation sequence is very sensitive to the degree of chemical fractionation caused by condensate isolation. The mineralogy of chondritic meteorites is not consistent with condensation sequences having ξ > 2.5; this is an upper limit on the ξ values that is characteristic of condensation in the solar nebula. The mineralogy and chemistry of carbonaceous and enstatite chondrites can be explained by accretion of isolated condensates formed at ξ values of ≤0.1% and 0.7–1.5%, respectively, providing that segregation of the inert coarse objects and fine reactive dust occurred in the nebula. Segregation of these two categories of condensate may have been responsible for the observed volatility‐based chemical fractionations among chondritic meteorites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01717.x","authors":["M. I. Petaev","John A. Wood"],"tags":["Condensation","Nebula","Chondrite","Formation and evolution of the Solar System","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01717.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z"},{"id":"oa:W2769443609","name":"Halogens in chondritic meteorites and terrestrial accretion","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/nature24625","authors":["P. L. Clay","R. Burgess","H. Busemann","L. Ruzié","Bastian Joachim","James M.D. Day","C. J. Ballentine"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Meteorite","Chondrite","Accretion (finance)","Halogen"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/nature24625","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z"},{"id":"oa:W2074409020","name":"Hydrogen isotope analyses of alteration phases in the nakhlite martian meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2012.08.017","authors":["L. J. Hallis","G. J. Taylor","K. Nagashima","G. R. Huss","A. W. Needham","M. M. Grady","I. A. Franchi"],"tags":["Martian","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Atmosphere of Mars","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-09-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2012.08.017","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z"},{"id":"oa:W2093696017","name":"Presolar dust grains from meteorites and their stellar sources","source":"openalex","abstract":"Primitive meteorites contain small concentrations (ppb to ppm) of presolar dust grains that have survived largely unaltered the processes that led to the formation of the solar system. Minerals identified to date include diamond, silicon carbide (SiC), graphite, silicon nitride (Si3N4), corundum (Al2O3), spinel (MgAl2O4), and possibly titanium oxide (TiO2). These grains exhibit large isotopic anomalies indicative of a stellar origin. Variations in the isotopic ratios of the major elements and of many trace elements contained in the grains range over more than 4 orders of magnitude. The presolar dust grains preserve memories of both nucleosynthesis in the parent stars and galactic chemical evolution. Most of the silicon carbide and corundum grains formed in the winds of red giant and asymptotic giant branch stars. Most graphite grains, some SiC and corundum grains, and all silicon nitride grains originated most likely in supernova ejecta. A few SiC and graphite grains appear to have a nova origin. The origin of the diamonds is still unknown but at least a small fraction apparently comes from supernovae. Diamonds are only 2 nm in size. The other types of presolar grains are larger and range from ≈ 0.2 to 20 μm. These sizes are larger than those inferred for dust in the interstellar medium but are comparable to the sizes of interstellar dust in the heliosphere identified by the Gallileo and Ulysses spacecraft missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/1999ja900194","authors":["P. Höppe","E. Zinner"],"tags":["Presolar grains","Corundum","Meteorite","Cosmic dust","Interplanetary dust cloud"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/1999ja900194","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z"},{"id":"oa:W1900338427","name":"Investigations on a Quantitative Mineralogical Characterization of Meteorites by Modal Analysis","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_55","authors":["Gerhard Dörfler","H. G. Hiesböck"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Electron microprobe","Mineralogy","Characterization (materials science)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1969-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_55","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z"},{"id":"oa:W2168410358","name":"Mineralogical analysis of the Eos family from near-infrared spectra","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2007.12.005","authors":["T. Mothé-Diniz","J. Carvano","S. J. Bus","R. Duffárd","T. H. Burbine"],"tags":["Meteorite","Achondrite","Chondrite","Parent body","Astron"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-01-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2007.12.005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z"},{"id":"oa:W2045621619","name":"Brucite and carbonate assemblages from altered olivine-rich materials on Ceres","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo478","authors":["R. E. Milliken","A. S. Rivkin"],"tags":["Meteorite","Dwarf planet","Olivine","Brucite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-03-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo478","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z"},{"id":"oa:W1992113231","name":"Four lunar mare meteorites: Crystallization trends of pyroxenes and spinels","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— We studied crystallization trends of pyroxene and spinel in four Antarctic meteorites known to be derived from mare regions of the Moon: Y‐793169 and A‐881757 (YA meteorites) are unbrecciated igneous basalts, EET 87521 is a fragmental breccia, and Y‐793274 is a regolith breccia. All have relatively low bulkrock TiO2 content, and the YA meteorites are uncommonly ancient. Our electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) data indicate that the YA meteorites and the dominant mare components of Y‐793274 and EET 87521 conform to a general trend for Ti‐poor (low‐Ti and very low‐Ti) mare basalts. Their pyroxenes show a strong correlation between Fe/(Fe + Mg) (Fe#) and Ti/(Ti + Cr) (Ti#), both ratios typically increasing from core to rim. These trends presumably reflect local crystallization differentiation of interstitial melt. Previous studies (M. J. Drake and coworkers) have suggested that the detailed configurations of such Fe# vs. Ti# trends may reflect the bulk TiO2 contents of the parent magmas (basalts). As a more systematic approach to this problem, we plot bulk‐rock TiO2 as a function of the Fe# = 0.50 intercept of each rock's pyroxene Fe# vs. Ti# trend. We call this intercept the Fe#‐normalized Ti#. Based on our data for EET 87521, the YA meteorites, and Apollo 12 basalts 12031 and 12064, plus literature data for several other Ti‐poor mare basalts, we find a strong correlation between Fe#‐normalized Ti# and the bulk TiO2 content of the parent basalt. This correlation confirms that fragmental breccia EET 87521 is nearly pure very low‐Ti (VLT) basalt and that the YA meteorites, for which bulk‐rock TiO2 results scatter due to unusually coarse grain size (A‐881757) or scarcity of available sample (Y‐793169), are pieces of an uncommonly Ti‐poor, but not quite VLT, variety of low‐Ti mare basalt. Extrapolating from this correlation, the dominant mare component of regolith breccia Y‐793274 is probably of VLT affinity. Besides the normal mare pyroxene trend of strong correlation between Fe# and Ti#, Y‐793274 includes two additional pyroxene compositional trends, both showing a wide range of Ti# despite relatively constant (and low, by mare standards) Fe#. The most magnesian of these trends consists of a single clast with a mode of orthopyroxene + MgO‐rich ilmenite. These two trends are of uncertain origin. Possibly one or both represents the highland component of this regolith breccia, although, unlike most highland pyroxenes, these appear relatively unaltered by impact brecciation and metamorphism. Compositions of spinels in the coarse‐grained A‐881757 show an extraordinary distribution: chromite and ulvöspinel components vary among grains but are nearly constant within grains. Despite its old age and unusually coarse grain sizes, mineralogical evidence (i.e., heterogeneity within both pyroxene and spinel; typical pyroxene exsolution scale very coarse by mare standards but exceeded by the pyroxenes of EET 87521 and Y‐793274) indicates that A‐881757 was cooled only slightly more slowly than typical mare basalts and may have formed near the center of an uncommonly thick lava flow. Both of the VLT basaltic lunar meteorite breccias, EET 87521 and Y‐793274, are composed dominantly of pyroxenes with exsolution coarser than normal for mare basalts. Possibly VLT basalt flows tend to be systematically thicker, and thus more slowly cooled, than more Ti‐rich flows.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1996.tb02121.x","authors":["Tomoko Arai","P. H. Warren","H. Takeda"],"tags":["Basalt","Pyroxene","Meteorite","Electron microprobe","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1996-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1996.tb02121.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z"},{"id":"oa:W2027810418","name":"The mineralogy of late stage lunar volcanism as observed by the Moon Mineralogy Mapper on Chandrayaan-1","source":"openalex","abstract":"[1] The last major phases of lunar volcanism produced spectrally unique high-titanium basalts on the western nearside of the Moon. The Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) on Chandrayaan-1 has provided detailed measurements of these basalts at spatial and spectral resolutions necessary for mineralogical interpretation and mapping of distinct compositional units. The M3 imaging spectrometer acquired data in 85 spectral bands from ∼430 to 3000 nm at 140 to 280 m/pixel in its global mapping mode during the first half of 2009. Reflectance data of several key sites in the western maria were also acquired at higher spatial and spectral resolutions using M3's target mode, prior to the end of the Chandrayaan-1 mission. These new observations confirm that both fresh craters and mare soils within the western high-Ti basalts display strong 1 μm and weak 2 μm absorptions consistent with olivine-rich basaltic compositions. The inferred abundance of olivine is observed to correlate with stratigraphic sequence across different mare regions and absolute ages. The apparent stratigraphic evolution and Fe-rich compositions of these basalts as a whole suggest an origin from evolved residual melts rather than through the assimilation of more primitive olivine-rich sources. Mare deposits with spectral properties similar to these late stage high-Ti basalts appear to be very limited outside the Procellarum-Imbrium region of the Moon and, where present, appear to occur as small areas of late stage regional volcanism. Detailed analyses of these new data and supporting measurements are in progress to provide further constraints on the mineralogy, olivine abundance, and compositions of these final products of lunar volcanism and the nature and evolution of their source regions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2010je003735","authors":["M. Staid","C. M. Pieters","S. Besse","J. Boardman","D. Dhingra","R. Green","J. W. Head","P. Isaacson","R. L. Klima","G. Kramer","J. Mustard","C. Runyon","J. M. Sunshine","L. A. Taylor"],"tags":["Basalt","Geology","Volcanism","Lunar mare","Olivine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-04-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2010je003735","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z"},{"id":"oa:W265053399","name":"Toward an understanding of phyllosilicate mineralogy in the outer main asteroid belt","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2015.04.042","authors":["D. Takir","Joshua P. Emery","H. Y. McSween"],"tags":["Asteroid","Meteorite","Chondrite","Astrobiology","Asteroid belt"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-05-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2015.04.042","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z"},{"id":"oa:W2009390103","name":"Researches on the Chemical and Mineralogical Composition of Meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans the biological, physical, and social sciences.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1.7.429","authors":["George P. Merrill"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chemical composition","Chemistry","Astrobiology","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1915-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1.7.429","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z"},{"id":"oa:W2166557660","name":"Genesis of the IIICD iron meteorites: Evidence from silicate‐bearing inclusions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Our studies of the silicate‐bearing inclusions in the IIICD iron meteorites Maltahöhe, Carlton and Dayton suggest that their mineralogy and mineral compositions are related to the composition of the metal in the host meteorites. An inclusion in the low‐Ni Maltahöhe is similar in mineralogy to those in IAB irons, which contain olivine, pyroxene, plagioclase, graphite and troilite. With increasing Ni concentration of the metal, silicate inclusions become poorer in graphite, richer in phosphates, and the phosphate and silicate assemblages become more complex. Dayton contains pyroxene, plagioclase, SiO2, brianite, panethite and whitlockite, without graphite. In addition, mafic silicates become more FeO‐rich with increasing Ni concentration of the hosts. In contrast, silicates in IAB irons show no such correlation with host Ni concentration, nor do they have the complex mineral assemblages of Dayton. These trends in inclusion composition and mineralogy in IIICD iron meteorites have been established by reactions between the S‐rich metallic magma and the silicates, but the physical setting is uncertain. Of the two processes invoked by other authors to account for groups IAB and IIICD, fractional crystallization of S‐rich cores and impact generation of melt pools, we prefer core crystallization. However, the absence of relationships between silicate inclusion mineralogy and metal compositions among IAB irons analogous to those that we have discovered in IIICD irons suggests that the IAB and IIICD cores/metallic magmas evolved in rather different ways. We suggest that the solidification of the IIICD core may have been very complex, involving fractional crystallization, nucleation effects and, possibly, liquid immiscibility.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1993.tb00278.x","authors":["T. J. McCoy","Klaus Keil","E. R. D. Scott","H. Haack"],"tags":["Meteorite","Silicate","Pyroxene","Geology","Troilite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1993-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1993.tb00278.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.201Z"},{"id":"oa:W1988338432","name":"The nature and origin of type B1 and B2 CaAl-rich inclusions in the Allende meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(82)90379-9","authors":["D. A. Wark","J. F. Lovering"],"tags":["Allende meteorite","Chondrite","Meteorite","Carbonaceous chondrite","Parent body"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1982-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(82)90379-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2033620099","name":"Martian mantle mineralogy investigated by the 176Lu–176Hf and 147Sm–143Nd systematics of shergottites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2008.02.008","authors":["Vinciane Debaille","Qing‐Zhu Yin","A. D. Brandon","Ben Jacobsen"],"tags":["Geology","Martian","Mantle (geology)","Meteorite","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-02-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2008.02.008","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2148191923","name":"Mineralogy and petrography of the Almahata Sitta ureilite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– We performed a battery of analyses on 17 samples of the Almahata Sitta meteorite, identifying three main lithologies and several minor ones present as clasts. The main lithologies are (1) a pyroxene‐dominated, very porous, highly reduced lithology, (2) a pyroxene‐dominated compact lithology, and (3) an olivine‐dominated compact lithology. Although it seems possible that all three lithologies grade smoothly into each other at the kg‐scale, at the g‐scale this is not apparent. The meteorite is a polymict ureilite, with some intriguing features including exceptionally variable porosity and pyroxene composition. Although augite is locally present in Almahata Sitta, it is a minor phase in most (but not all) samples we have observed. Low‐calcium pyroxene (<5 mole% wollastonite) is more abundant than compositionally defined pigeonite; however, we found that even the low‐Ca pyroxene in Almahata Sitta has the monoclinic pigeonite crystal structure, and thus is properly termed pigeonite. As the major pyroxene in Almahata Sitta is pigeonite, and the abundance of pigeonite is generally greater than that of olivine, this meteorite might be called a pigeonite‐olivine ureilite, rather than the conventional olivine‐pigeonite ureilite group. The wide variability of lithologies in Almahata Sitta reveals a complex history, including asteroidal igneous crystallization, impact disruption, reheating and partial vaporization, high‐temperature reduction and carbon burning, and re‐agglomeration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01128.x","authors":["M. E. Zolensky","J. S. Herrin","T. Mikouchi","K. Ohsumi","J. M. Friedrich","A. Steele","D. Rumble","M. Fries","Scott A. Sandford","Stefanie N. Milam","Kenji Hagiya","H. Takeda","Wataru Satake","Taichi Kurihara","Matthew W. Colbert","R. D. Hanna","Jessie Maisano","Richard A. Ketcham","C. A. Goodrich","L. Le","G. A. Robinson","James Martinez","K. Ross","Peter Jenniskens","M. H. Shaddad"],"tags":["Pigeonite","Augite","Pyroxene","Geology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01128.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2131432226","name":"Factors controlling compositions of cosmic spinels: application to atmospheric entry conditions of meteoritic materials","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0016-7037(03)00383-1","authors":["A. Toppani","G. Libourel"],"tags":["Meteorite","Atmosphere (unit)","Chondrite","Astrobiology","Interplanetary dust cloud"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-11-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0016-7037(03)00383-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W1627628754","name":"Meteorites: messengers from space","source":"openalex","abstract":"1 Fall Phenomena.- 1.1 Light Phenomena.- 1.2 Sound Phenomena.- 1.3 The Main Meteorite Groups.- 1.4 Effects on Landing.- 1.5 Meteorite Showers.- 1.6 Hypervelocity Impacts.- 1.6.1 Meteorite Craters.- 1.6.2 Shock Effects.- 1.6.3 The Ries Crater.- 1.6.4 Probable Meteorite Craters.- 1.6.5 Meteoritic Indicator Elements.- 1.6.6 The Tunguska Event.- 1.6.7 Tektites.- 1.6.8 Impacts and the History of the Planets.- 1.6.9 Earth-Approaching Asteroids.- 1.7 Number and Distribution of Meteorite Falls.- 1.7.1 Frequency of Meteorite Falls.- 1.7.2 Geographic Distribution.- 1.7.3 Times of Fall.- 1.7.4 The Dangers of Descending Meteorites.- 1.8 The History of Meteoritics.- 1.9 Observations of Importance for a Meteorite Fall.- 1.10 How Can a Meteorite Be Recognized.- 2 The Meteorites.- 2.1 Cosmic Dust.- 2.2 The Size of Meteorites.- 2.3 The Shape of Meteorites.- 2.4 Surface Characteristics.- 2.5 Mineralogy and Classification of Meteorites.- 2.5.1 Stone Meteorites.- 2.5.1.1 Chondrites.- 2.5.1.1.1 Ordinary Chondrites.- 2.5.1.1.2 Enstatite Chondrites.- 2.5.1.1.3 Carbonaceous Chondrites.- 2.5.1.2 Achondrites.- 2.5.1.2.1 Eucrites, Howardites, and Diogenites.- 2.5.1.2.2 SNC Meteorites.- 2.5.1.2.3 Aubrites.- 2.5.1.2.4 Ureilites.- 2.5.2 Iron Meteorites.- 2.5.3 Stony Iron Meteorites.- 2.5.3.1 Pallasites.- 2.5.3.2 Mesosiderites.- 2.6 The Chemical Significance of Meteorites.- 2.7 The Cosmic Abundance of the Elements.- 2.8 Isotope Anomalies.- 2.9 Organic Compounds.- 3 The Origin and Formation of Meteorites.- 3.1 Meteorite Ages.- 3.1.1 Formation Age.- 3.1.2 Cosmic Ray Exposure Ages.- 3.1.3 Terrestrial Ages.- 3.2 The Origin of Meteorites.- 3.2.1 Asteroids.- 3.2.2 Meteorites from Mars and the Moon.- 3.3 The Formation of Chondrites.- 3.3.1 Iodine-Xenon Ages.- 3.3.2 Condensation and Ca, A1-Rich Inclusions.- 3.3.3 The Origin of Chondrules.- 3.3.4 Matrix.- 3.4 Planetesimals and the Formation of Achondrites.- 3.5 Regolith, Primordial Rare Gases, and the Solar Wind.- 3.6 The Planets.- 3.7 Conclusions.- 4 Appendix.- 4.1 Meteorite Collections and Research.- 4.2 Exchange Value of Meteorites.- 4.3 Etching of Iron Meteorites.- 4.4 Detection of Nickel.- 4.5 Meteorite Falls from 1985 Through 1993.- 4.6 Literature.- 4.7 Composition of Meteorites and the Earth's Crust.- 5 Subject Index.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.33-0908","authors":[],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Space (punctuation)","Computer science","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1995-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.33-0908","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W3038119356","name":"Mineralogical and Chemical Studies of Matrix in the Adelaide Meteorite, a Unique Carbonaceous Chondrite with Affinities to ALH A77307 (CO3)","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3038119356","authors":["A. J. Brearley"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Affinities","Geochemistry","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1991-03-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2055058957","name":"Compositions of large metal nodules in mesosiderites: Links to iron meteorite group IIIAB and the origin of mesosiderite subgroups","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(90)90134-7","authors":["Jamshid Hassanzadeh","Alan E. Rubin","J. T. Wasson"],"tags":["Meteorite","Parent body","Iron meteorite","Olivine","Metal"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1990-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(90)90134-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2061579194","name":"The role of carbon and oxygen in cosmic gases: some applications to the chemistry and mineralogy of enstatite chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(79)90140-6","authors":["J. W. Larimer","Mary Bartholomay"],"tags":["Enstatite","Chondrite","Graphite","Volatiles","Carbon fibers"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1979-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(79)90140-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W1992404754","name":"Comparative Raman microscopy of a Martian meteorite and Antarctic lithic analogues","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0032-0633(98)00127-5","authors":["Howell G. M. Edwards","Dennis W. Farwell","M. M. Grady","D. D. Wynn‐Williams","I. P. Wright"],"tags":["Meteorite","Martian","Impact crater","Astrobiology","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0032-0633(98)00127-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2160830225","name":"Mineralogy of the Nili Fossae region with OMEGA/Mars Express data: 2. Aqueous alteration of the crust","source":"openalex","abstract":"Nili Fossae is a region with fresh exposures of old material. OMEGA spectral data have revealed a strong diversity of minerals in the Nili Fossae region, including mafic minerals and phyllosilicates. Phyllosilicates are found to be primarily Fe‐rich smectites (a type of clay minerals). These phyllosilicates are observed only on the Noachian crust, in four types of locations: Three are without any signatures other than phyllosilicates, on (1) smooth layered deposits, (2) massive exhumed material, and (3) crater ejecta, and one type of location is associated with olivine (4) over an altered mafic unit. This diversity suggests a widespread liquid water activity and a variety of alteration processes. The formation of phyllosilicates underwent considerable reduction, if not cessation, by the time of formation of Syrtis Major lava flows in the Hesperian period. Phyllosilicates are spatially and chronologically disconnected from the fluvial and depositional landforms observed in the Nili Fossae region. Observations suggest that these landforms formed after the extensive formation of phyllosilicates during short periods of time and/or temperatures close to freezing.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2006je002835","authors":["N. Mangold","F. Poulet","John F. Mustard","Jean‐Pierre Bibring","B. Gondet","Y. Langevin","V. Ansan","Ph. Masson","C. I. Fassett","J. W. Head","H. Hoffmann","G. Neukum"],"tags":["Noachian","Geology","Mafic","Hesperian","Impact crater"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2006je002835","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2050995994","name":"Radiative transfer mixing models of meteoritic assemblages","source":"openalex","abstract":"A spectral mixing model for the expected conditions on asteroid surfaces based on Hapke's radiative transfer theory for intimate mixtures is presented. This model calculates the visible/near‐infrared reflectance spectrum of an intimate mixture incorporating the modal mineralogy, the mineral chemistry, the particle size, and the degree of space weathering as factors, and includes an improved treatment for the spectral effects of coarse‐grained Fe,Ni‐metal. This model can reproduce the spectra of geologically plausible mixtures of silicate components and meteorites with known mineral abundances, chemistry, and particle sizes. We compare the model spectral effects of the coarse‐grained Fe,Ni‐metal naturally present on asteroid surfaces to the spectral effects of submicroscopic iron produced by lunar‐style space weathering. The model spectral effects of large asteroid surface concentrations of coarse‐grained Fe,Ni‐metal are similar to the spectral effects of SMFe in some cases. We model the composition of asteroid 4 Vesta and find it to be consistent with a minimally space‐weathered eucritic composition. Finally, we predict the spectral properties of some example of ordinary chondrite parent bodies. When modeled with particle sizes matching the optically dominant particle size of the lunar surface and minimal abundances of SMFe, these model ordinary chondrite parent bodies plot outside the S(IV) asteroid field on a Band area ratio versus Band I center plot. We find that a combination of larger particle sizes and increased SMFe abundances is the most effective way to move these models into the S(IV) field.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2006je002765","authors":["Samuel J. Lawrence","P. G. Lucey"],"tags":["Asteroid","Space weathering","Ordinary chondrite","Meteorite","Radiative transfer"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2006je002765","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2326076268","name":"The use of SEM/EDS method in mineralogical analysis of ordinary chondritic meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) for determination of mineral phases according to their stoichiometry and assessment of mineral composition of ordinary chondritic meteorite. For the purposes of this study, H3 type ordinary chondritic meteorite Abbott was selected. SEM/EDS allows identification and characterisation of mineral phases, whose size is below the resolution of an optical microscope. Mineral phases in chondrules and interstitial matrix were located in backscattered electron (BSE) mode and were assessed from atomic proportions of constituent elements, obtained by the EDS analysis. SEM/EDS analyses of mineral phases showed that Abbott meteorite is characterised by Fe-rich (Fe, Ni)-alloy kamacite, Fe-sulphide troilite or pyrrhotite, chromite, Mg-rich olivine, orthopyroxene bronzite or hypersthene, clinopyroxene Al-diopside, acid plagioclase oligoclase, accessory mineral chlorapatite and secondary minerals Fe-hydroxides (goethite or lepidocrocite). Results of semi-quantitative analyses confirmed that most of analysed mineral phases conform well to stoichiometric minerals with minor deviations of oxygen from stoichiometric proportions. Comparison between mineral phases in chondrules and interstitial matrix was also performed, however it showed no significant differences in elemental composition. Differences in Chemical composition between minerals in interstitial matrix and chondrules are sometimes too small to be discerned by the SEM/EDS, therefore knowledge of SEM/EDS capabilities is important for correct interpretation of chondrite formation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5474/geologija.2009.018","authors":["Miloš Miler","Urša Curk","Breda Mirtič"],"tags":["Troilite","Chondrule","Mineral","Meteorite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-12-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5474/geologija.2009.018","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2995844362","name":"Mineralogical Evidence for Hydration and Oxidation of Fe-Rich Olivine in the Mokoia CV3 Meteorite Matrix","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W2995844362","authors":["K. Tomeoka","Peter R. Buseck"],"tags":["Meteorite","Olivine","Geochemistry","Matrix (chemical analysis)","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1986-12-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2042241892","name":"Forsterite chondrites; the meteorites Kakangari, Mount Morris (Wisconsin), Pontlyfni, and Winona","source":"openalex","abstract":"Summary Pontlyfni and Mount Morris (Wisconsin) are briefly described. Chondrule structure is absent from both, the latter is coarsely crystalline and both are sulphide-rich and contain forsterite and enstatite. Kakangari has well-defined chondrules; its silicate and sulphide minerals are unequilibrated, but similar to those of Pont-lyfni and Mount Morris (Wisconsin). New bulk chemical analyses are presented; Pontlyfni has 33·84 % total Fe and 7·04 % S; Mount Morris (Wisconsin) has 19·88 % total Fe and 4·72 % S; and Kakangari has 22·79 % total Fe and 5·30 % S. These three meteorites, together with Winona, have ordinary chondritic Mg/Si ratios, which result in their having abundant forsterite; this distinguishes them from E-chondrites. The four meteorites have Mg/Si ratios lower than those of C-chondrites, and they are more reduced than C or ordinary chondrites. These four unusual stones, therefore, have some chemical similarities, for example all have Mg/Si (atomic) of about 0·95, mean olivine composition ranging from Fa1 to Fa5, and significant Cr in the sulphide. Cumberland Fails chondritic xenoliths and other exotic fragments in polymict meteorites may be related to the four stones, which may ultimately prove to belong to a distinct chemical group of chondrites related to the irons of Group IAB. These meteorites are described and discussed together because they have similarities in mineralogy, bulk composition, and oxidation state. All have more than 10 % forsterite (i.e. an olivine in the range Fa0·10). In our study we investigated the mineral chemistry of, first, Kakangari (Graham and Hutchison, 1974), and then Mount Morris (Wisconsin), with cursory examination of the previously described Winona (Mason and Jarosewich, 1967) and Cumberland Falls chondritic fraction (Binns, 1969; Jarosewich, 1967). By chance, the British Museum (Natural History) acquired the Pontlyfni stone during the course of this work. Pontlyfni fell in Wales in 1931, but is so far undescribed; it proved to be chemically and mineralogically similar to Kakangari. We thank Mr. J. R. Owen, the original owner, for its timely addition to the Museum's Collection.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/minmag.1977.041.318.07","authors":["A. L. Graham","A.J. Easton","R. Hutchison"],"tags":["Chondrite","Forsterite","Meteorite","Enstatite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1977-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1180/minmag.1977.041.318.07","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2941573200","name":"Olivine‐Carbonate Mineralogy of the Jezero Crater Region","source":"openalex","abstract":"A well-preserved, ancient delta deposit, in combination with ample exposures of carbonate outcrops, makes Jezero Crater in Nili Fossae a compelling astrobiological site. We use Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) observations to characterize the surface mineralogy of the crater and surrounding watershed. Previous studies have documented the occurrence of olivine and carbonates in the Nili Fossae region. We focus on correlations between these two well-studied lithologies in the Jezero crater watershed. We map the position and shape of the olivine 1 μm absorption band and find that carbonates are found in association with olivine which displays a 1 μm band shifted to long wavelengths. We then use Thermal Emission Imaging Spectrometer (THEMIS) coverage of Nili Fossae and perform tests to investigate whether the long wavelength shifted (redshifted) olivine signature is correlated with high thermal inertia outcrops. We find that there is no consistent correlation between thermal inertia and the unique olivine signature. We discuss a range of formation scenarios for the olivine and carbonate associations, including the possibility that these lithologies are products of serpentinization reactions on early Mars. These lithologies provide an opportunity for deepening our understanding of early Mars and, given their antiquity, may provide a framework to study the timing of valley networks and the thermal history of the Martian crust and interior from the early Noachian to today.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2019je006011","authors":["A. J. Brown","C. E. Viviano","T. A. Goudge"],"tags":["Geology","Impact crater","Olivine","Mars Exploration Program","Noachian"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-02-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2019je006011","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2035827379","name":"Mineralogical controls on the oxygen isotopic compositions of UOCs","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0016-7037(98)00317-2","authors":["J. C. Bridges","I. A. Franchi","A. S. Sexton","C. T. Pillinger"],"tags":["Chondrule","Pyroxene","Meteorite","Geology","Feldspar"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0016-7037(98)00317-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2796913329","name":"Identification of meteorite source regions in the Solar System","source":"openalex","abstract":"Over the past decade there has been a large increase in the number of automated camera networks that monitor the sky for fireballs. One of the goals of these networks is to provide the necessary information for linking meteorites to their pre-impact, heliocentric orbits and ultimately to their source regions in the solar system. We re-compute heliocentric orbits for the 25 meteorite falls published to date from original data sources. Using these orbits, we constrain their most likely escape routes from the main asteroid belt and the cometary region by utilizing a state-of-the-art orbit model of the near-Earth-object population, which includes a size-dependence in delivery efficiency. While we find that our general results for escape routes are comparable to previous work, the role of trajectory measurement uncertainty in escape-route identification is explored for the first time. Moreover, our improved size-dependent delivery model substantially changes likely escape routes for several meteorite falls, most notably Tagish Lake which seems unlikely to have originated in the outer main belt as previously suggested. We find that reducing the uncertainty of fireball velocity measurements below ∼ 0.1 km/s does not lead to reduced uncertainties in the identification of their escape routes from the asteroid belt and, further, their ultimate source regions. This analysis suggests that camera networks should be optimized for the largest possible number of meteorite recoveries with measured speed precisions of order 0.1 km/s.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2018.04.012","authors":["Mikael Granvik","Peter Brown"],"tags":["Meteorite","Asteroid","Solar System","Meteoroid","Near-Earth object"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-04-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2018.04.012","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W1667264726","name":"Workshop on Lunar Breccias and Soils and Their Meteoritic analogs","source":"openalex","abstract":"Lunar soils and breccia studies are used in studying the evolution of meteorite parent bodies. These studies are compared to lunar soils and breccias.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1667264726","authors":["G. J. Taylor","L. L. Wilkening"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Breccia","Lunar soil","Meteorite","Soil water"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1981-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2954915676","name":"Simulated asteroid materials based on carbonaceous chondrite mineralogies","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract A set of high‐fidelity simulated asteroid materials, or simulants, was developed based on the mineralogy of carbonaceous chondrite meteorites. Three varieties of simulant were developed based on CI 1 chondrites (typified by Orgueil), CM 2 chondrites (typified by Murchison), and CR 2/3 chondrites (multiple samples). The simulants were designed to replicate the mineralogy and physical properties of the corresponding meteorites and anticipated asteroid surface materials as closely as is reasonably possible for bulk amounts. The simulants can be made in different physical forms ranging from larger cobbles to fine‐grained regolith. We analyzed simulant prototypes using scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray fluorescence, reflectance spectroscopy at ambient conditions and in vacuum, thermal emission spectroscopy in a simulated asteroid environment chamber, and combined thermogravimetry and evolved gas analysis. Most measured properties compare favorably to the reference meteorites and therefore to predicted volatile‐rich asteroid surface materials, including boulders, cobbles, and fine‐grained soils. However, there were also discrepancies, and mistakes were made in the original mineral formulations that will be updated in the future. The asteroid simulants are available to the community from the nonprofit Exolith Lab at UCF , and the mineral recipes are freely published for other groups to reproduce and modify as they see fit.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13345","authors":["D. T. Britt","K. M. Cannon","K. L. Donaldson Hanna","J. V. Hogancamp","Olivier Poch","Pierre Beck","D. J. P. Martin","Jolantha Escrig","L. Bonal","Philip T. Metzger"],"tags":["Chondrite","Asteroid","Regolith","Meteorite","Murchison meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-06-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13345","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2895242372","name":"Spectral properties and mineral compositions of acapulcoite–lodranite clan meteorites: Establishing S‐type asteroid–meteorite connections","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Except for asteroid sample return missions, measurements of the spectral properties of both meteorites and asteroids offer the best possibility of linking meteorite groups with their parent asteroid(s). Visible plus near‐infrared spectra reveal distinguishing absorption features controlled mainly by the Fe2+ contents and modal abundances of olivine and pyroxene. Meteorite samples provide relationships between spectra and mineralogy. These relationships are useful for estimating the olivine and pyroxene mineralogy of stony (S‐type) asteroid surfaces. Using a suite of 10 samples of the acapulcoite–lodranite clan (ALC), we have developed new correlations between spectral parameters and mafic mineral compositions for partially melted asteroids. A well‐defined relationship exists between Band II center and ferrosilite (Fs) content of orthopyroxene. Furthermore, because Fs in orthopyroxene and fayalite (Fa) content in olivine are well correlated in these meteorites, the derived Fs content can be used to estimate Fa of the coexisting olivine. We derive new equations for determining the mafic silicate compositions of partially melted S‐type asteroid parent bodies. Stony meteorite spectra have previously been used to delineate meteorite analog spectral zones in Band I versus band area ratio (BAR) parameter space for the establishment of asteroid–meteorite connections with S‐type asteroids. However, the spectral parameters of the partially melted ALC overlap with those of ordinary (H) chondrites in this parameter space. We find that Band I versus Band II center parameter space reveals a clear distinction between the ALC and the H chondrites. This work allows the distinction of S‐type asteroids as nebular (ordinary chondrites) or geologically processed (primitive achondrites).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13203","authors":["Michael P. Lucas","Joshua P. Emery","T. Hiroi","H. Y. McSween"],"tags":["Meteorite","Asteroid","Olivine","Chondrite","Pyroxene"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-10-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13203","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2009593949","name":"Mineralogy of new Antarctic achondrites with affinity to Lodran and a model of their evolution in an asteroid","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract—We studied five new Antarctic achondrites, MacAlpine Hills (MAC) 88177, Yamato (Y)74357, Y75274, Y791491 and Elephant Moraine (EET)84302 by mineralogical techniques to gain a better understanding of the mineral assemblages of a group of meteorites with an affinity to Lodran (stony‐iron meteorite) and their formation processes. This group is being called lodranites. These meteorites contain major coarse‐grained orthopyroxene (Opx) and olivine as in Lodran and variable amounts of FeNi metal and troilite etc. MAC88177 has more augite and less FeNi than Lodran; Y74357 has more olivine and contains minor augite; Y791491 contains in addition plagioclase. EET84302 has an Acapulco‐like chondritic mineral assembladge and is enriched in FeNi metal and plagioclase, but one part is enriched in Opx and chromite. The EET84302 and MAC88177 Opx crystals have dusty cores as in Acapulco. EET84302 and Y75274 are more Mg‐rich than other members of the lodranite group, and Y74357 is intermediate. Since these meteorites all have coarse‐grained textures, similar major mineral assemblages, variable amounts of augite, plagioclase, FeNi metal, chromite and olivine, we suggest that they are related and are linked to a parent body with modified chondritic compositions. The variability of the abundances of these minerals are in line with a proposed model of the surface mineral assemblages of the S asteroids. The mineral assemblages can best be explained by differing degrees of loss or movements of lower temperature partial melts and recrystallization, and reduction. A portion of EET84302 rich in metal and plagioclase may represent a type of component removed from the lodranite group meteorites. Y791058 and Caddo County, which were studied for comparison, are plagioclase‐rich silicate inclusions in IAB iron meteorites and may have been derived by a similar process but in a different body.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1994.tb01096.x","authors":["H. Takeda","Hiroshi Mori","T. Hiroi","J. Saito"],"tags":["Achondrite","Augite","Troilite","Plagioclase","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1994-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1994.tb01096.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W3042006026","name":"Cathodoluminescence Mineralogy of Meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3042006026","authors":["I. M. Steele"],"tags":["Meteorite","Cathodoluminescence","Mineralogy","Geology","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1989-03-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2015773384","name":"Heterogeneous mineral assemblages in martian meteorite Tissint as a result of a recent small impact event on Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2014.05.023","authors":["E. L. Walton","T. G. Sharp","J. Hu","J. Filiberto"],"tags":["Olivine","Ringwoodite","Geology","Meteorite","Shock metamorphism"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-06-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2014.05.023","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2126889852","name":"Characterization and petrologic interpretation of olivine‐rich basalts at Gusev Crater, Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Rocks on the floor of Gusev crater are basalts of uniform composition and mineralogy. Olivine, the only mineral to have been identified or inferred from data by all instruments on the Spirit rover, is especially abundant in these rocks. These picritic basalts are similar in many respects to certain Martian meteorites (olivine‐phyric shergottites). The olivine megacrysts in both have intermediate compositions, with modal abundances ranging up to 20–30%. Associated minerals in both include low‐calcium and high‐calcium pyroxenes, plagioclase of intermediate composition, iron‐titanium‐chromium oxides, and phosphate. These rocks also share minor element trends, reflected in their nickel‐magnesium and chromium‐magnesium ratios. Gusev basalts and shergottites appear to have formed from primitive magmas produced by melting an undepleted mantle at depth and erupted without significant fractionation. However, apparent differences between Gusev rocks and shergottites in their ages, plagioclase abundances, and volatile contents preclude direct correlation. Orbital determinations of global olivine distribution and compositions by thermal emission spectroscopy suggest that olivine‐rich rocks may be widespread. Because weathering under acidic conditions preferentially attacks olivine and disguises such rocks beneath alteration rinds, picritic basalts formed from primitive magmas may even be a common component of the Martian crust formed during ancient and recent times.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2005je002477","authors":["H. Y. McSween","M. B. Wyatt","R. Gellert","J. F. Bell","R. V. Morris","K. E. Herkenhoff","L. S. Crumpler","K. A. Milam","K. R. Stockstill","L. L. Tornabene","R. E. Arvidson","Peter L. Bartlett","D. L. Blaney","Nathalie A. Cabrol","P. R. Christensen","B. C. Clark","J. A. Crisp","David J. Des Marais","T. Economou","Jack D. Farmer","W. H. Farrand","A. Ghosh","M. P. Golombek","S. Gorevan","R. Greeley","V. E. Hamilton","J. R. Johnson","B. L. Joliff","G. Klingelhöfer","A. T. Knudson","S. M. McLennan","D. W. Ming","J. E. Moersch","R. Rieder","Steven W. Ruff","Christian Schröder","Paulo de Souza","S. W. Squyres","H. Wänke","Alian Wang","A. S. Yen","J. Zipfel"],"tags":["Olivine","Basalt","Geology","Geochemistry","Plagioclase"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-01-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2005je002477","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2091840766","name":"Rare gases and 36Cl in stony-iron meteorites: cosmogenic elemental production rates, exposure ages, diffusion losses and thermal histories","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(76)90213-1","authors":["F. Begemann","H. W. Weber","E. Vilcsek","H. Hintenberger"],"tags":["Meteorite","Meteoroid","Cosmic ray","Chondrite","Silicate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1976-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(76)90213-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2995898652","name":"The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 110","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Meteoritical Bulletin 110 contains the 2802 meteorites approved by the Nomenclature Committee of the Meteoritical Society in 2021. It includes 10 falls (Arpu Kuilpu, Djadjarm, Glendale, Kindberg, Madura Cave, Motopi Pan, Orconuma, Punggur, Tihigrin, Winchcombe), with 2014 ordinary chondrites (including 1 ungrouped ordinary chondrite), 220 carbonaceous chondrites (including 11 ungrouped), 212 HED achondrites, 69 lunar meteorites, 62 ureilites, 43 iron meteorites, 35 Martian meteorites, 31 Rumuruti chondrites, 27 primitive achondrites, 24 mesosiderites, 19 relict meteorites (all iron meteorites), 15 pallasites, 13 enstatite chondrites, 11 ungrouped achondrites, 7 enstatite achondrites. Of the meteorites classified in 2021, 1270 are from Antarctica, 1049 from Africa, 329 from South America, 123 from Asia, 20 from North America, 6 from Europe, 3 from Oceania, and 2 from unknown locations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13918","authors":["J. Gattacceca","F. M. McCubbin","J. N. Grossman","Audrey Bouvier","N. L. Chabot","Massimo D’Orazio","C. A. Goodrich","A. Greshake","Juliane Groß","M. Komatsu","Bingkui Miao","D. L. Schrader"],"tags":["Achondrite","Meteorite","Chondrite","Enstatite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13918","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2092461985","name":"Surface Lithologic Heterogeneity of Asteroid 4 Vesta","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1006/icar.1997.5680","authors":["M. J. Gaffey"],"tags":["Geology","Meteorite","Asteroid","Regolith","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1006/icar.1997.5680","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2122952645","name":"MINERALOGY AND PETROLOGY OF THE YILMIA ENSTATITE CHONDRITE","source":"openalex","abstract":"Yilmia, a new enstatite chondrite contains moderately well defined radiating and granular chondrules. The plagioclase to enstatite ratio is appreciably higher within than outside of the two granular chondrules in our microprobe sections. Osbornite was observed within the granular chondrules, but not in the rayed chondrules or surrounding matrix Major phases include enstatite, plagioclase (Ab80 An16 Or4), silica, silicon‐rich kamacite and titanian troilite. Minor phases are many and varied: sinoite, silicon‐rich taenite, schreibersite, graphite, osbornite, oldhamite, “normal” and zincian daubreelite, ferroan alabandite and a new FeZnMn monosulfide The new mineral (Fe.538 Zn.246 Mn.159 Mg.004 S) closely resembles albandite and could easily have been overlooked in other meteorites unless a microprobe was used. A new form of oldhamite was also found. Indarch oldhamite, analyzed for comparative purposes, consists of two similar but distinct species: Ca.96 Mn.005 Mg.04 Fe.01 S and Ca1.000 Mn.004 Mg.02 Fe.005 S. These have not been reported from other meteorites Based on its mineralogy and texture this is a type II (E6) enstatite chondrite that is transitional toward the intermediate type (E5). It is unique in its mineralogical complexity, abundance of taenite, diversity of zincian minerals and monosulfides, and restriction of osbornite to certain chondrules","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1972.tb00124.x","authors":["Peter R. Buseck","Edward Holdsworth"],"tags":["Chondrule","Enstatite","Chondrite","Troilite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1972-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1972.tb00124.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2129297328","name":"Structure, Bonding, and Mineralogy of Carbon at Extreme Conditions","source":"openalex","abstract":"The nature and extent of Earth’s deep carbon cycle remains uncertain. This chapter considers high-pressure carbon-bearing minerals, including those of Earth’s mantle and core, as well as phases that might be found in the interiors of larger planets outside our solar system. These phases include both experimentally produced and theoretically predicted polymorphs of carbon dioxide, carbonates, carbides, silicate-carbonates, as well as very high-pressure phases of pure carbon. One theme in the search for possible high P-T, deep-Earth phases is the likely shift from sp2 bonding (trigonal coordination) to sp3 bonding (tetrahedral coordination) in carbon-bearing phases of the lower mantle and core, as exemplified by the graphite-to-diamond transition (Bundy et al. 1961; Davies 1984). A similar phenomenon has been documented in the preferred coordination spheres of many elements at high pressure. For example, silicon is ubiquitously found in tetrahedral coordination in crustal and upper mantle minerals, but adopts octahedral coordination in many high-pressure phases. Indeed, the boundary between Earth’s transition zone and lower mantle may be described as a crystal chemical shift from 4-coordinated to 6-coordinated silicon (Hazen and Finger 1978; Finger and Hazen 1991). Similarly, magnesium and calcium commonly occur in octahedral 6-coordination in minerals at ambient conditions, but transform to 8- or greater coordination in high-pressure phases, as exemplified by the calcite-to-aragonite transformation of CaCO3 and the pyroxene-to-perovskite and post-perovskite transformations of MgSiO3 (Murakami et al. 2004; Oganov and Ono 2004). Consequently, a principal focus in any consideration of deep-Earth carbon minerals must include carbon in higher coordination, and even more complex bonding at more extreme conditions that characterize the interiors of larger planets.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2013.75.3","authors":["Artem R. Oganov","R. J. Hemley","Robert M. Hazen","Adrian Jones","A. R. Oganov","R. M. Hazen","A. P. Jones"],"tags":["Library science","Institution","Geology","Archaeology","History"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2013.75.3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2069615857","name":"Acfer 182 and paired samples, an iron-rich carbonaceous chondrite: Similarities with ALH85085 and relationship to CR chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(93)90422-s","authors":["A. Bischoff","H. Palme","L. Schultz","D. Weber","H. W. Weber","B. Spettel"],"tags":["Chondrule","Chondrite","Meteorite","Carbonaceous chondrite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1993-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(93)90422-s","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2049526721","name":"Refractory element fractionation in the Allende meteorite: Implications for solar nebula condensation and the chondritic composition of planetary bodies","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2012.02.006","authors":["Andreas Stracke","H. Palme","M. Gellissen","Carsten Münker","T. Kleine","Karin Birbaum","Detlef Günther","Bernard Bourdon","J. Zipfel"],"tags":["Allende meteorite","Chondrite","Chondrule","Meteorite","Murchison meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-02-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2012.02.006","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2037424886","name":"Spectroscopy of K-complex asteroids: Parent bodies of carbonaceous meteorites?","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2009.02.027","authors":["B. E. Clark","M. Ockert-Bell","E. A. Cloutis","David Nesvorný","T. Mothé-Diniz","S. J. Bus"],"tags":["Asteroid","Meteorite","Chondrite","Astrobiology","Asteroid belt"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-03-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2009.02.027","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2082754633","name":"Fluid Flow in Chondritic Parent Bodies: Deciphering the Compositions of Planetesimals","source":"openalex","abstract":"Alteration of the Allende meteorite caused shifts in oxygen isotope ratios along a single mass fractionation line. If alteration was caused by aqueous fluid, the pattern of oxygen isotope fractionation can be explained only by flow of reactive water down a temperature gradient. Down-temperature flow of aqueous fluid within planetesimals is sufficient to explain the mineralogical and oxygen isotopic diversity among CV, CM, and CI carbonaceous chondrites and displacement of the terrestrial planets from the primordial slope 1. 00 line on the oxygen three-isotope plot.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.286.5443.1331","authors":["Edward Young","R. D. Ash","Philip England","D. Rumble"],"tags":["Planetesimal","Isotopes of oxygen","Chondrite","Fractionation","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-11-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.286.5443.1331","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2092171237","name":"Possible fluid–rock interactions on differentiated asteroids recorded in eucritic meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2011.04.013","authors":["Jean‐Alix Barrat","Akira Yamaguchi","T. E. Bunch","M. Bohn","Claire Bollinger","Georges Ceuleneer"],"tags":["Troilite","Plagioclase","Olivine","Geology","Pyroxene"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-04-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2011.04.013","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2055811213","name":"Bulk density of ordinary chondrite meteorites and implications for asteroidal internal structure","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The bulk densities of 82 samples of 72 ordinary chondrites (OCs) were measured to an accuracy of ∼1% using a modified Archimedian method. We found the average bulk density to be 3.44 ± 0.19 g/cm3 for the H group, 3.40 ± 0.15 g/cm3 for the L group, and 3.29 ± 0.17 g/cm3 for the LL group (± represent 1σ). Bulk density measurements of 11 pieces of one fall, Pultusk (H group), were also found to vary considerably (3.31 to 3.63 g/cm3). To investigate controls on bulk density within the OCs, we compared density with bulk chemical composition (the ratio of Fe metal to total Fe; the ratio of total Fe to SiO2; the ratio of FeO to total Fe and MgO). Within each OC group, bulk chemical composition is nearly invariant whereas bulk density varies from about 3.0 to 3.8 g/cm3. Slight but systematic differences in average density between the H, L, and LL groups presumably relate to differences in metallic Fe abundance. However, considerable overlap between OC groups and the wide range of bulk densities within each group suggest differences in porosity dominantly control variations of density within the OC subgroups.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01509.x","authors":["S. L. Wilkison","M. S. Robinson"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Ordinary chondrite","Chemical composition","Bulk density"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01509.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1996045696","name":"The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 82, 1998 July","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Meteoritical Bulletin No. 82 lists information for 974 new meteorites, including 521 finds from Antarctica, 401 finds from the Sahara, 21 finds from the Nullarbor region of Australia, and 7 falls (Ban Rong Du, Burnwell, Fermo, Jalanash, Juancheng, Monahans (1998), and Silao). Many rare types of meteorites are reported: counting pairing groups as one, these include one CR chondrite, two CK chondrites, two CO chondrites, four CV chondrites, one CH chondrite or Bencubbin‐like, six C2 (unclassified) chondrites, two EH chondrites, two EL chondrites, three R chondrites, thirty unequilibrated ordinary chondrites, one un‐grouped chondrite, three eucrites, six howardites, one diogenite, eleven ureilites, nine iron meteorites, one mesosiderite, two brachinites, one lodranite, one winonaite, and two lunar meteorites (Dar al Gani 400 and EET 96008). All italicized abbreviations refer to addresses tabulated at the end of this document.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01336.x","authors":["J. N. Grossman"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Geology","Parent body"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01336.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W1965912136","name":"Pyroxene mineralogies of near‐Earth vestoids","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— We have calculated pyroxene mineralogies of seven near‐Earth asteroids (NEAs) with reflectance spectra similar to HEDs (howardites, eucrites, and diogenites). Two different sets of formulas (Gaffey et al. 2002; Burbine et al. 2007) are used to calculate the pyroxene mineralogies of the NEAs from their Band I and II centers. The band centers have been adjusted to compensate for the low temperatures on the asteroid surfaces. All of the derived mineralogies from the Gaffey et al. (2002) formulas and the Burbine et al. (2007) formulas overlap. The derived wollastonite (Wo) contents are very similar with differences being only approximately 1 mol%. The derived ferrosilite (Fs) contents differ by only 3 to 8 mol%. The determined pyroxene mineralogies for all seven near‐Earth vestoids are consistent with eucrites or howardites. None of the objects have pyroxene mineralogies consistent with diogenites. The absence of near‐Earth vestoids with pyroxene mineralogies similar to diogenites may indicate that it is difficult to produce sizeable (km‐sized or larger) bodies that are predominantly composed of diogenitic material, suggesting these objects are rubble piles of mixed ejecta.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb01225.x","authors":["T. H. Burbine","P. C. Buchanan","Tenzin Dolkar","Richard P. Binzel"],"tags":["Pyroxene","Geology","Geochemistry","Olivine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb01225.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1656404537","name":"Moessbauer mineralogy of calcined Murchison meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"The three Antarctic meteorites B7904, Y82162, and Y86720 are unusual because they have characteristics in common with both CI and CM groups and because they apparently underwent thermal alteration after hydrous alteration on their parent body. They are also spectrally similar (visible and near-IR) to C, G, B, and F asteroids, which may imply that the surface materials on those asteroids may have undergone thermal alteration. Based on the reflectance spectra of samples of Murchison (CM2 carbonaceous chondrite) that were thermally altered in the laboratory (cryopumped and initial 10(exp -5) atm H2), Hiroi et al. concluded that putative thermal alteration occurred at temperatures of 600 to 1000 C. Similar experiments have been done on Murchison and reported mineralogical changes based on data from transmission electron diffraction microscopy, electron diffraction, and analytical electron microscopy. We report here the Mossbauer mineralogy of the same samples of thermally-altered Murchison. Mossbauer mineralogy gives the molar distribution of Fe among its oxidation states and iron-bearing mineralogies.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1656404537","authors":["R. V. Morris","M. E. Zolensky","T. Hiroi","M. E. Lipschutz"],"tags":["Murchison meteorite","Meteorite","Chondrite","Carbonaceous chondrite","Allende meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1994-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2115377885","name":"Express delivery of fossil meteorites from the inner asteroid belt to Sweden","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2006.11.021","authors":["David Nesvorný","David Vokrouhlický","W. F. Bottke","Brett Gladman","Therese Häggström"],"tags":["Meteorite","Asteroid belt","Meteoroid","Asteroid","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-01-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2006.11.021","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2027588608","name":"Compositions and mineralogies of unmelted polar micrometeorites: Similarities and differeces with IDPs and meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W2027588608","authors":["W. Klöck"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Polar","Geology","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1993-05-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W1993358464","name":"Foreign meteoritic material of howardites and polymict eucrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Howardites and polymict eucrites are fragments of regolith breccias ejected from the surface of a differentiated (eucritic) parent body, perhaps, of the asteroid Vesta. The first data are presented demonstrating that howardites contain, along with foreign fragments of carbonaceous chondrites, also fragments of ordinary chondrites, enstatite meteorites, ureilites, and mesosiderites. The proportions of these types of foreign meteoritic fragments in howardites and polymict eucrites are the same as in the population of cosmic dust particles obtained from Antarctic and Greenland ice. The concentrations of siderophile elements in howardites and polymict eucrites are not correlated with the contents of foreign meteoritic particles. It is reasonable to believe that cosmogenic siderophile elements are concentrated in howardites and polymict eucrites mostly in submicrometer-sized particles that cannot be examined mineralogically. The analysis of the crater population of the asteroid Vesta indicates that the flux of chondritic material to the surface of this asteroid should have been three orders of magnitude higher than the modern meteoritic flux and have been comparable with the flux to the moon’s surface during its intense meteoritic bombardment. This provides support for the earlier idea about a higher meteoritic activity in the solar system as a whole at approximately 4 Ga. The lithification of the regolith (into regolith breccia) of the asteroid Vesta occurred then under the effect of thermal metamorphism in the blanket of crater ejecta. Thus, meteorite fragments included in howardites provide record of the qualitative composition of the ancient meteorite flux, which was analogous to that of the modern flux at the Earth surface.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1134/s0869591107020014","authors":["Kuno Lorenz","М. А. Назаров","G. Kurat","F. Brandstäetter","Th. Ntaflos"],"tags":["Regolith","Meteorite","Achondrite","Chondrite","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-03-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1134/s0869591107020014","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W1985051208","name":"ELEVEN NEW METEORITES FROM ANTARCTICA, 1976–1977","source":"openalex","abstract":"Basic petrographic, mineralogic, and chemical descriptions are given for all eleven meteorites recovered by the U.S.‐Japan team in Antarctica during the austral summer 1976–1977. The meteorites are: Mt. Baldr a (H6), Mt. Baldr b (H6), Allan Hills #1 (L6), Allan Hills #2 (coarsest octahedrite, chemical group IA), Allan Hills #3 (L6), Allan Hills #4 (LL3), Allan Hills #5 (eucrite), Allan Hills #6 (H6), Allan Hills #7 (L6), Allan Hills #8 (H6), and Allan Hills #9 (L6).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1978.tb00811.x","authors":["Edward J. Olsen","A. F. Noonan","K. Fredriksson","E. Jarosewich","G. Moreland"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Allan variance","Petrography","Archaeology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1978-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1978.tb00811.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W1664883205","name":"Weathering of stony meteorites in Antarctica","source":"openalex","abstract":"Weathering produces undesirable physical, chemical, and isotopic changes that might disturb the records of cosmochemical evolution that are sought in meteorites. Meteorites are physically disintegrated by crack propagation phenomena, including ice riving and secondary mineral riving, and are probably abraded by wind that is laden with ice crystals or dust particles. Chemical weathering proceeds by oxidation, hydration, carbonation, and solution and produces a variety of secondary minerals and mineraloids. Differential weathering under freezing conditions is discussed, as well as, the mineralogy of weathering products. Furthermore, the use of Antarctic alteration of meteorites could be used as an excellent analog for weathering on Mars or on cometary bodies.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1664883205","authors":["J. L. Gooding"],"tags":["Weathering","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Geology","Mineral"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1986-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2328136712","name":"Interplanetary dust, micrometeorites, and meteorites - Chemistry, mineralogy and atmospheric interactions of meteors","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.1999-500","authors":["George Flynn"],"tags":["Meteorite","Meteoroid","Interplanetary dust cloud","Astrobiology","Interplanetary spaceflight"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-01-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.1999-500","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2037115675","name":"Petrogenesis of the SNC (shergottites, nakhlites, chassignites) meteorites: Implications for their origin from a large dynamic planet, possibly Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abundances of major, minor, and trace elements were determined in the whole rock and mineral separates of the two distinct lithologies present in the Antarctic achondrite Elephant Moraine A (EETA) 79001 via sequential instrumental (INAA) and radiochemical neutron activation analysis (RNAA). Additional chalcophile, siderophile, and volatile trace elements are reported for the shergottites ALHA 77005, Shergotty, and Zagami. The rare earth element (REE) abundances of each of the lithologies of EETA 79001 (A and B) exhibit chondritic normalized patterns similar to ALHA 77005. The close relationship of the Antarctic shergottites indicates that ALHA 77005 is a residual source produced by incongruent melting of a source similar in bulk composition to EETA 79001A and that EETA 79001B and the interstitial phases in EETA 79001A are the melts produced by such melting episodes. Incorporating previous isotopic studies and our chemical data, we suggest that either fractionation of or contamination by feldspar could account for the different shergottite sources. The large ion lithophile (LIL) trace element abundances of the shergottites require variable but extensive degrees of nonmodal melting of isotopically constrained parent sources. The extreme extent of such melting is hypothesized to be represented by ALHA 77005 as a residual composition. Derivation of a pre‐1.3 AE(109yr) fractionation sequence is suggested in which ol, ol + opx, opx + cpx, and opx + cpx + plag sequentially produce residual liquids capable of accounting for the precursor sources for the SNC meteorites. On the basis of chemical, isotopic, and petrologic considerations we conclude that the SNC sources are consistent with their derivation by extensive fractionation of a primitive magma initially produced from a source having chondritic refractory LIL trace element abundances, Fe′(Fe/Fe+Mg atomic)≲0.3, and a mineralogy primarily of ol and pyx. Our model‐dependent deductions suggest that this magma could be derived without plagioclase or garnet left in the residuum. Petrogenetic and age relationships among SNC meteorites suggest a single complex‐provenance on a dynamic planet not unlike the earth. Considering that each of these meteorites possesses chemical, isotopic, and petrologic features consistent with data presently available from Mars, we conclude that a Martian origin is quite probable.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/jb089is02p0b612","authors":["Matthew R. Smith","J. C. Laul","M B R I D G E U N I V E R S I T Y P R E S","Ted J. Huston","R. Michael Verkouteren","M. E. Lipschutz","R. A. Schmitt"],"tags":["Achondrite","Meteorite","Geology","Radiogenic nuclide","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1984-02-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/jb089is02p0b612","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2014153317","name":"The mineralogical composition and structure of the Assisi meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Summary The principal data about the fall and the distribution of the fragments of the Assisi (Perugia, Italy) meteorite are collected. A fragment of the stone, weighing 146·5 g, preserved in the British Museum (Natural History) (B.M. 63621), is described in some detail. Crust morphology, mineralogical composition, and structure are studied. Optical data are established by microscopical analysis of five thin sections and two polished surfaces. Compared with electron-probe analysis, they are found in good agreement. Assisi is an olivine-bronzite chondrite, H group, with characteristic features of metamorphism.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/minmag.1967.036.280.13","authors":["G. R. Levi‐Donati"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Chondrite","Geochemistry","Ordinary chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1967-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1180/minmag.1967.036.280.13","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2012358147","name":"Aspects of the validation of magnetic remanence in meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Meteorite magnetic records constitute physical evidence of processes acting during early solar system evolution. Consequently, the validation of these records is important in meteorite research. The first step in the validation process should be the REM value. The REM value is the ratio of natural remanence (NRM) to saturation remanent magnetization imparted by a 1 T magnetic field (SIRM). The REM values range over 3 to 4 orders of magnitude for stony meteorites and for chondrules from Allende (C3V‐S1), Bjurböle (L4‐S1), and Chainpur (LL3‐S1) meteorites. The REM values computed from published NRM and SIRM data identify many orders of magnitude range in the REM values including REM values >100 × 10−3. These data suggest a dependence for the NRM intensity on the curatorial location from which the sample was obtained. Any earth rock acquiring thermoremanent magnetization (TRM) in the geomagnetic field has a restricted range in REM mostly between 5 and 50 × 10−3, the exception being the mineral hematite in the multidomain size range. The only terrestrial samples with REM much greater than 100 × 10−3 are those struck by lightning. The REM value provides a physical basis for recognition between valid records and those that “might be contaminated.” The isothermal remanence acquisition (RA) curve is presented as a contamination curve that allows an indication of the level of magnetic field contamination required to give the computed “REM” (RM/SIRM) value. In the case of the Bjurböle and Chainpur chondrules, with REM values >100 × 10−3, the RA curve indicates that unrealistically large contamination magnetic fields would be required to give REM values greater than 100 × 10−3. This would suggest contamination other than by a hand magnet that is normally available to an experimenter. This would require an explanation that would involve large magnetic fields during chondrule formation, or some extraordinary remanence acquisition mechanism that remains to be described. Magnetic contamination experiments, using ∼80 and ∼40 mT magnets, demonstrate that the “REM” values and extent of modification of the magnetic vector record are mineralogy dependent, and this is mostly related to the amount and characteristics of the mineral tetrataenite. The complexity of the meteorite records suggest validation of the record as a first step. The REM value is the first physical statement that can be made in this validation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01434.x","authors":["P. J. Wasilewski","T. Dickinson"],"tags":["Remanence","Meteorite","Geology","Natural remanent magnetization","Earth's magnetic field"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01434.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W1982495539","name":"Mineralogical and Petrographical Study of the Zaisho Meteorite, a Pallasite from Japan","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Zaisho meteorite, a pallasite from Japan, is primarily composed of nickel-iron and olivine, and contains minor amounts of troilite, schreibersite, chromite and farringtonite. The olivine of this meteorite is Fa18.6 in molar composition, and exhibits non-rounded morphology. About 17% of the olivines are kinked crystals. The formational temperature was estimated to be 1220 °C from the Mg-Fe 2+ distribution coefficient in the coexisting olivine-chromite pair.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/zna-1980-0113","authors":["Makoto Shima","Akihiko Okada","H. Yabuki"],"tags":["Troilite","Chromite","Olivine","Meteorite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1980-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1515/zna-1980-0113","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W3131819531","name":"Thermal alteration of CM carbonaceous chondrites: Mineralogical changes and metamorphic temperatures","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2021.02.011","authors":["A. J. King","P. F. Schofield","S. S. Russell"],"tags":["Chondrite","Metamorphic rock","Geology","Geochemistry","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-02-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2021.02.011","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2122190399","name":"Olivine-dominated asteroids: Mineralogy and origin","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2013.10.006","authors":["Juan A. Sanchez","V. Reddy","Michael S. P. Kelley","E. A. Cloutis","W. F. Bottke","David Nesvorný","Michael P. Lucas","P. S. Hardersen","M. J. Gaffey","Paul Abell","L. Le Corre"],"tags":["Olivine","Asteroid","Chondrite","Meteorite","Pyroxene"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-10-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2013.10.006","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2009322780","name":"Fractionation of volatile elements in the early solar system: evidence from heating experiments on primitive meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0032-0633(94)00189-x","authors":["A. V. Wulf","H. Palme","K. P. Jochum"],"tags":["Murchison meteorite","Allende meteorite","Chondrite","Carbonaceous chondrite","Formation and evolution of the Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1995-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0032-0633(94)00189-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2010592970","name":"Discovery of seifertite in a shocked lunar meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms2733","authors":["Masaaki Miyahara","Shohei Kaneko","Eiji Ohtani","Takeshi Sakai","Toshiro Nagase","Masahiro Kayama","Hirotsugu Nishido","Naohisa Hirao"],"tags":["Meteorite","Impact crater","Astrobiology","Martian","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-04-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms2733","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W1967180346","name":"Redox Conditions on Small Bodies, the Moon and Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Research Article| January 01, 2008 Redox Conditions on Small Bodies, the Moon and Mars Meenakshi Wadhwa Meenakshi Wadhwa School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, U.S.A., wadhwa@asu.edu Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry (2008) 68 (1): 493–510. https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2008.68.17 Article history first online: 03 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Meenakshi Wadhwa; Redox Conditions on Small Bodies, the Moon and Mars. Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry 2008;; 68 (1): 493–510. doi: https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2008.68.17 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyReviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry Search Advanced Search Abstract The current state of knowledge regarding redox conditions of rocks from asteroidal bodies (as represented by various classes of meteorites), the Moon and Mars is discussed here. In the case of the differentiated meteorite parent bodies, the redox conditions range over at least six orders of magnitude (from ~5 log units below the Iron-Wüstite buffer to slightly above it) and are determined in large part by the compositions of the undifferentiated precursor materials that accreted to form these parent bodies. Lunar basalts record oxygen fugacities ranging from close to the Iron-Wüstite (IW) buffer to ~2 log units below it. The current best estimate of the oxygen fugacity of the lunar mantle is ~1 log unit below IW. Martian crustal rocks represented by the Shergottite-Nakhlite-Chassignite group of meteorites record a wide range of oxygen fugacities. The basaltic shergottites range from slightly below the IW buffer to ~2 log units above it, whereas the cumulate nakhlites (and chassignites) are relatively oxidized (~3–4 log units above the IW buffer). Following early metal-silicate and crust-mantle differentiation on Mars, the depleted martian mantle is likely to have been reduced (close to the IW buffer or slightly lower). Metasomatism and secondary (hydrous) alteration are likely to have produced silicate reservoirs on Mars that are relatively more oxidized (most likely ≥3 log units above the IW buffer). The redox conditions on the other terrestrial planets (Mercury and Venus) are not well constrained. Based on the limited information from remote spacecraft and telescopic observations of surface rocks on these planets, it is inferred that silicate reservoirs on Mercury are highly reduced; those on Venus are likely to be somewhat more oxidized than on Mercury, possibly similar to the lower mantle of Earth. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2008.68.17","authors":["M. Wadhwa"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Citation","Astrobiology","Geochemistry","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2008.68.17","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2030643108","name":"Plagioclase-rich inclusions in carbonaceous chondrite meteorites: Liquid condensates?","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(87)90234-1","authors":["D. A. Wark"],"tags":["Melilite","Chondrite","Chondrule","Anorthite","Plagioclase"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1987-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(87)90234-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2626224349","name":"Mineralogy of an active eolian sediment from the Namib dune, Gale crater, Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity, is using a comprehensive scientific payload to explore rocks and soils in Gale crater, Mars. Recent investigations of the Bagnold Dune Field provided the first in situ assessment of an active dune on Mars. The Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) X‐ray diffraction instrument on Curiosity performed quantitative mineralogical analyses of the <150 μm size fraction of the Namib dune at a location called Gobabeb. Gobabeb is dominated by basaltic minerals. Plagioclase, Fo56 olivine, and two Ca‐Mg‐Fe pyroxenes account for the majority of crystalline phases along with minor magnetite, quartz, hematite, and anhydrite. In addition to the crystalline phases, a minimum ~42 wt % of the Gobabeb sample is X‐ray amorphous. Mineralogical analysis of the Gobabeb data set provides insights into the origin(s) and geologic history of the dune material and offers an important opportunity for ground truth of orbital observations. CheMin's analysis of the mineralogy and phase chemistry of modern and ancient Gale crater dune fields, together with other measurements by Curiosity's science payload, provides new insights into present and past eolian processes on Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2017je005262","authors":["C. N. Achilles","Robert T. Downs","D. W. Ming","E. B. Rampe","R. V. Morris","A. H. Treiman","Shaunna M. Morrison","D. F. Blake","D. T. Vaniman","R. C. Ewing","S. J. Chipera","A. S. Yen","T. F. Bristow","B. L. Ehlmann","R. Gellert","Robert M. Hazen","Kim V. Fendrich","Patricia Craig","J. P. Grotzinger","David J. Des Marais","Jack D. Farmer","P. Sarrazin","John Michael Morookian"],"tags":["Geology","Mars Exploration Program","Aeolian processes","Impact crater","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-06-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2017je005262","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W1970152440","name":"A Mössbauer spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction study of ordinary chondrites: Quantification of modal mineralogy and implications for redox conditions during metamorphism","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— We present a method that combines Mössbauer spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction to quantify the modal mineralogy of unequilibrated ordinary chondrites (UOCs). Despite being a fundamental tool in the interpretation of geological systems, there are no modal mineralogical data available for these meteorites. This is due to their fine-grained nature, highly heterogeneous silicate mineralogy, and the presence of poorly characterized phases. Consequently, it has not been possible to obtain accurate modal mineralogy by conventional techniques such as point counting. Here we use Mössbauer spectroscopy as a preliminary identification technique and X-ray diffraction provides the quantification for a suite of recent UOC falls. We find the most primitive UOCs to contain a significant amount of phyllosilicate material that was converted during metamorphism to form ferromagnesian silicates. A complete suite of Antarctic samples is analyzed by each method to observe mineralogical trends and these are compared with trends shown by recent falls. The fact that mineralogical relationships shown by finds and falls are in agreement allows us to be confident that we are observing the products of pre-terrestrial alteration. Mössbauer spectroscopy reveals evidence of steadily increasing reduction with metamorphism in the UOCs. Because this technique allows comparisons to be made between UOCs and EOCs, our reduction sequence can be combined with other evidence showing progressive oxidation in the EOCs. This yields an integrated model of changing redox conditions on equilibrating ordinary chondrite parent bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00171.x","authors":["O. N. Menzies","P. A. Bland","Frank J. Berry","G. Cressey"],"tags":["Chondrite","Metamorphism","Meteorite","Shock metamorphism","Silicate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00171.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2009450324","name":"NEUTRON-RICH CHROMIUM ISOTOPE ANOMALIES IN SUPERNOVA NANOPARTICLES","source":"openalex","abstract":"Neutron-rich isotopes with masses near that of iron are produced in Type Ia and II supernovae (SNeIa and SNeII). Traces of such nucleosynthesis are found in primitive meteorites in the form of variations in the isotopic abundance of 54 Cr, the most neutron-rich stable isotope of chromium. The hosts of these isotopic anomalies must be presolar grains that condensed in the outflows of SNe, offering the opportunity to study the nucleosynthesis of iron-peak nuclei in ways that complement spectroscopic observations and can inform models of stellar evolution. However, despite almost two decades of extensive search, the carrier of 54 Cr anomalies is still unknown, presumably because it is fine grained and is chemically labile. Here, we identify in the primitive meteorite Orgueil the carrier of 54 Cr anomalies as nanoparticles (<100 nm), most likely spinels that show large enrichments in 54 Cr relative to solar composition ( 54 Cr/ 52 Cr ratio >3.6 × solar). Such large enrichments in 54 Cr can only be produced in SNe. The mineralogy of the grains supports condensation in the O/Ne–O/C zones of an SNII, although a Type Ia origin cannot be excluded. We suggest that planetary materials incorporated different amounts of these nanoparticles, possibly due to late injection by a nearby SN that also delivered 26 Al and 60 Fe to the solar system. This idea explains why the relative abundance of 54 Cr and other neutron-rich isotopes vary between planets and meteorites. We anticipate that future isotopic studies of the grains identified here will shed new light on the birth of the solar system and the conditions in SNe.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/720/2/1577","authors":["Nicolas Dauphas","Laurent Rémusat","J. H. Chen","Mathieu Roskosz","D. A. Papanastassiou","Julien Stodolna","Yunbin Guan","Chi Ma","John M. Eiler"],"tags":["Physics","Supernova","Isotope","Chromium","Nucleosynthesis"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-08-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/720/2/1577","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2049905979","name":"A petrologic and trace element study of Dar al Gani 476 and Dar al Gani 489: Twin meteorites with affinities to basaltic and lherzolitic shergottites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— We present the results of a combined mineralogic‐petrologic and ion microprobe study of two martian meteorites recently recovered in the Lybian Sahara, Dar al Gani 476 (DaG 476) and Dar al Gani 489 (DaG 489). Having resided in a hot desert environment for an extended time, DaG 476 and DaG 489 were subjected to terrestrial weathering that significantly altered their chemical composition. In particular, analyses of some of the silicates show light rare earth element (LREE)‐enrichment resulting from terrestrial alteration. In situ measurement of trace element abundances in minerals allows us to identify areas unaffected by this contamination and, thereby, to infer the petrogenesis of these meteorites. No significant compositional differences between DaG 476 and DaG 489 were found, supporting the hypothesis that they belong to the same fall. These meteorites have characteristics in common with both basaltic and lherzolitic shergottites, possibly suggesting spatial and petrogenetic associations of these two types of lithologies on Mars. However, the compositions of Fe‐Ti oxides and the size of Eu anomalies in the earliest‐formed pyroxenes indicate that the two Saharan meteorites probably experienced more reducing crystallization conditions than other shergottites (with the exception of Queen Alexandra Range (QUE) 94201). As is the case for other shergottites, trace element microdistributions in minerals of the DaG martian meteorites indicate that closed‐system crystal fractionation from a LREE‐depleted parent magma dominated their crystallization history. Furthermore, rare earth element abundances in the orthopyroxene megacrysts are consistent with their origin as xenocrysts rather than phenocrysts.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2001.tb01864.x","authors":["M. Wadhwa","R. C. F. Lentz","H. Y. McSween","G. Crozaz"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Basalt","Trace element","Petrogenesis"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2001.tb01864.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2997854988","name":"The Sulfide Mineralogy of the Group IAB Iron Meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W2997854988","authors":["S. A. Kissin"],"tags":["Meteorite","Iron group","Sulfide","Group (periodic table)","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1979-12-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W1977287712","name":"Meteorite fusion crust variability","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Two assumptions commonly employed in meteorite interpretation are that fusion crust compositions represent the bulk‐rock chemistry of the interior meteorite and that the vesicles within the fusion crust result from the release of implanted solar wind volatiles. Electron microprobe analyses of thin sections from lunar meteorite Miller Range (MIL) 05035 and eucrite Bates Nunataks (BTN) 00300 were performed to determine if the chemical compositions of the fusion crust varied and/or represented the published bulk rock composition. It was determined that fusion crust compositions are significantly influenced by the incorporation of fragments from the substrate, and by the composition and grain size of those minerals. Because of compositional heterogeneities throughout the meteorite, one cannot assume that fusion crust composition represents the bulk rock composition. If the compositional variability within the fusion crust and mineralogical differences among thin sections goes unnoticed, then the perceived composition and petrogenetic models of formation will be incorrect. The formation of vesicles within these fusion crusts were also compared to current theories attributing vesicles to a solar wind origin. Previous work from the STONE‐5 experiment, where terrestrial rocks were exposed on the exterior of a spacecraft heatshield, produced a vesicular fusion crust without prolonged exposure to solar wind suggesting that the high temperatures experienced by a meteorite during passage through the Earth's atmosphere are sufficient to cause boiling of the melt. Therefore, the assumption that all vesicles found within a fusion crust are due to the release of implanted volatiles of solar wind may not be justified.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb00774.x","authors":["K. G. Thaisen","L. A. Taylor"],"tags":["Meteorite","Crust","Geology","Continental crust","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb00774.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2097132859","name":"Martian meteorites as crustal samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"Times of impact ejection of Martian meteorites occur in clusters and correlate with petrographic classifications. The clustered or unique ejection ages apparently sample as many as seven distinct locations on Mars. All these sites, as yet not identified unambiguously, are dominated by basaltic flows or cumulate rocks formed from basaltic magmas. Except for ALH 84001, a 4.5 Ga sample of the Noachian crust, all SNCs were extracted from Amazonian volcanic terrains. Lithologies identified by landed or orbiting spacecraft are generally different from SNCs, although the distinctive mineralogic characteristics of SNCs (ferroan olivine and pyroxenes, sodic plagioclase) are commonly indicated by remote-sensing data. Aqueous alteration of SNC meteorites is limited, and light stable isotopic fractionations suggest hydrologic cycling. These meteorites reveal many geochemical, mineralogical, and chronological properties of the crust that cannot yet be measured by remote sensing.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511536076.018","authors":["H. Y. McSween"],"tags":["Meteorite","Achondrite","Martian","Geology","Amazonian"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-06-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511536076.018","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2146123655","name":"Establishing Asteroid-Meteorite Links","source":"openalex","abstract":"Research Article| February 01, 2014 Establishing Asteroid–Meteorite Links Edward A. Cloutis; Edward A. Cloutis 1Department of Geography, University of Winnipeg515 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3B 2E9, CanadaE-mail: e.cloutis@uwinnipeg.ca Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Richard P. Binzel; Richard P. Binzel 2Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology54-426, Cambridge, MA 02139, USAE-mail: rpb@mit.edu Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Michael J. Gaffey Michael J. Gaffey 3Department of Space Studies, University of North DakotaBox 9008, Grand Forks, ND 58202-9008, USAE-mail: gaffey@space.edu Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Edward A. Cloutis 1Department of Geography, University of Winnipeg515 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3B 2E9, CanadaE-mail: e.cloutis@uwinnipeg.ca Richard P. Binzel 2Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology54-426, Cambridge, MA 02139, USAE-mail: rpb@mit.edu Michael J. Gaffey 3Department of Space Studies, University of North DakotaBox 9008, Grand Forks, ND 58202-9008, USAE-mail: gaffey@space.edu Publisher: Mineralogical Society of America First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1811-5217 Print ISSN: 1811-5209 © 2014 by the Mineralogical Society of America Elements (2014) 10 (1): 25–30. https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.10.1.25 Article history First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Edward A. Cloutis, Richard P. Binzel, Michael J. Gaffey; Establishing Asteroid–Meteorite Links. Elements 2014;; 10 (1): 25–30. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.10.1.25 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyElements Search Advanced Search Abstract Asteroids are arguably the most accessible remnants of building blocks of the early Solar System and an essential piece of the terrestrial planet–formation puzzle. Determining their compositions and physical properties can provide important and otherwise unobtainable information concerning the origin, structure, and dynamic history of the Solar System, as well as insights into the sources of materials from which the terrestrial planets were constructed. Our understanding of the compositional structure of the asteroid belt and of individual asteroids has advanced significantly since the 1970s. Strong associations between asteroids and meteorites are emerging thanks to multitechnique observations, the synthesis of observations and modeling, in situ measurements, and sample-return missions. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.10.1.25","authors":["E. A. Cloutis","Richard P. Binzel","M. J. Gaffey"],"tags":["Citation","Meteorite","Icon","Space (punctuation)","Library science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.10.1.25","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2810570290","name":"Aqueous alteration of the Martian meteorite Northwest Africa 817: Probing fluid–rock interaction at the nakhlite launch site","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The nakhlite meteorites characteristically contain iddingsite, a hydrous iron–magnesium silicate that formed by aqueous alteration on Mars. Iddingsite is most abundant in Northwest Africa (NWA) 817, and alteration products in this meteorite also have the lowest deuterium/hydrogen ratio of any nakhlite. Taken together, these distinctive properties could be interpreted to show that NWA 817 was altered under different physico‐chemical conditions than the other nakhlites and by liquid water from a separate reservoir. Here this interpretation is tested through a petrographic, mineralogical, chemical, and isotopic study of NWA 817. We find that its iddingsite occurs as olivine‐hosted veins of nanocrystalline smectite and Fe‐oxyhydroxide. Strong similarities in the mineralogy of iddingsite between NWA 817 and other nakhlites suggest that these meteorites were altered under comparable physico‐chemical conditions, with the Fe‐rich composition of NWA 817 olivine grains rendering them especially susceptible to aqueous alteration. Analyses of NWA 817 bulk samples by stepwise pyrolysis confirm that its iddingsite has unusually low deuterium/hydrogen ratios, but owing to terrestrial weathering of this meteorite, the hydrogen isotopic data cannot be used with confidence to infer the origin of Martian aqueous solutions. NWA 817 was most probably altered along with the other nakhlites over a short time period and in a common aqueous system. One interpretation of a correlation between the eruption ages of three of the nakhlites and the chemical composition of their iddingsite is that water originated from close to the surface of Mars and flowed through the nakhlite lava pile under the influence of gravity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13136","authors":["Martin Lee","Luke Daly","B. E. Cohen","L. J. Hallis","Sammy Griffin","Patrick Trimby","Adrian J. Boyce","Darren F. Mark"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Achondrite","Martian","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-06-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13136","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2035723606","name":"The composition of asteroid 2 Pallas and its relation to primitive meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(83)90161-6","authors":["H. P. Larson","Michael A. Feierberg","L. A. Lebofsky"],"tags":["Asteroid","Meteorite","Chondrite","Silicate","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1983-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(83)90161-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2170969579","name":"Mössbauer mineralogy of rock, soil, and dust at Meridiani Planum, Mars: Opportunity's journey across sulfate‐rich outcrop, basaltic sand and dust, and hematite lag deposits","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Mössbauer (MB) spectrometer on Opportunity measured the Fe oxidation state, identified Fe‐bearing phases, and measured relative abundances of Fe among those phases at Meridiani Planum, Mars. Eight Fe‐bearing phases were identified: jarosite (K,Na,H 3 O)(Fe,Al)(OH) 6 (SO 4 ) 2 , hematite, olivine, pyroxene, magnetite, nanophase ferric oxides (npOx), an unassigned ferric phase, and metallic Fe (kamacite). Burns Formation outcrop rocks consist of hematite‐rich spherules dispersed throughout S‐rich rock that has nearly constant proportions of Fe 3+ from jarosite, hematite, and npOx (29%, 36%, and 20% of total Fe). The high oxidation state of the S‐rich rock (Fe 3+ /Fe T ∼ 0.9) implies that S is present as the sulfate anion. Jarosite is mineralogical evidence for aqueous processes under acid‐sulfate conditions because it has structural hydroxide and sulfate and it forms at low pH. Hematite‐rich spherules, eroded from the outcrop, and their fragments are concentrated as hematite‐rich soils (lag deposits) on ripple crests (up to 68% of total Fe from hematite). Olivine, pyroxene, and magnetite are primarily associated with basaltic soils and are present as thin and locally discontinuous cover over outcrop rocks, commonly forming aeolian bedforms. Basaltic soils are more reduced (Fe 3+ /Fe T ∼ 0.2–0.4), with the fine‐grained and bright aeolian deposits being the most oxidized. Average proportions of total Fe from olivine, pyroxene, npOx, magnetite, and hematite are ∼33%, 38%, 18%, 6%, and 4%, respectively. The MB parameters of outcrop npOx and basaltic‐soil npOx are different, but it is not possible to infer mineralogical information beyond octahedrally coordinated Fe 3+ . Basaltic soils at Meridiani Planum and Gusev crater have similar Fe‐mineralogical compositions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2006je002791","authors":["R. V. Morris","G. Klingelhöfer","Christian Schröder","D. Rodionov","A. S. Yen","D. W. Ming","Paulo de Souza","T. J. Wdowiak","I. Fleischer","R. Gellert","B. Bernhardt","U. Bonnes","B. A. Cohen","E. N. Evlanov","J. Foh","Philipp Gütlich","E. Kankeleit","T. J. McCoy","D. W. Mittlefehldt","Franz Renz","M. E. Schmidt","B. V. Zubkov","S. W. Squyres","R. E. Arvidson"],"tags":["Hematite","Geology","Jarosite","Mineralogy","Magnetite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2006je002791","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W1995882275","name":"Structure and evolution of non-carbonaceous chondritic meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-821x(67)90167-7","authors":["R. A. Binns"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Recrystallization (geology)","Geology","Chondrule"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1967-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-821x(67)90167-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2020165597","name":"ON THE EVOLUTION OF DUST MINERALOGY, FROM PROTOPLANETARY DISKS TO PLANETARY SYSTEMS","source":"openalex","abstract":"Mineralogical studies of silicate features emitted by dust grains in protoplanetary disks and solar system bodies can shed light on the progress of planet formation. The significant fraction of crystalline material in comets, chondritic meteorites, and interplanetary dust particles indicates a modification of the almost completely amorphous interstellar medium dust from which they formed. The production of crystalline silicates, thus, must happen in protoplanetary disks, where dust evolves to build planets and planetesimals. Different scenarios have been proposed, but it is still unclear how and when this happens. This paper presents dust grain mineralogy (composition, crystallinity, and grain size distribution) of a complete sample of protoplanetary disks in the young Serpens cluster. These results are compared to those in the young Taurus region and to sources that have retained their protoplanetary disks in the older Upper Scorpius and η Chamaeleontis stellar clusters, using the same analysis technique for all samples. This comparison allows an investigation of the grain mineralogy evolution with time for a total sample of 139 disks. The mean cluster age and disk fraction are used as indicators of the evolutionary stage of the different populations. Our results show that the disks in the different regions have similar distributions of mean grain sizes and crystallinity fractions (∼10%–20%) despite the spread in mean ages. Furthermore, there is no evidence of preferential grain sizes for any given disk geometry nor for the mean cluster crystallinity fraction to increase with mean age in the 1–8 Myr range. The main implication is that a modest level of crystallinity is established in the disk surface early on (⩽1 Myr), reaching an equilibrium that is independent of what may be happening in the disk midplane. These results are discussed in the context of planet formation, in comparison with mineralogical results from small bodies in our own solar system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/734/1/51","authors":["I. Oliveira","J. Olofsson","K. M. Pontoppidan","E. F. van Dishoeck","J.‐C. Augereau","B. Merín"],"tags":["Planetesimal","Serpens","Interplanetary dust cloud","Protoplanetary disk","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-05-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/734/1/51","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2160134417","name":"The nanoscale mineralogy of Fe,Ni sulfides in pristine and metamorphosed CM and CM / CI ‐like chondrites: Tapping a petrogenetic record","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We have sampled sulfide grains from one pristine CM2 chondrite (Yamato [Y‐] 791198), one thermally metamorphosed CM2 chondrite (Y‐793321), and two anomalous, metamorphosed CM/CI‐like chondrites (Y‐86720 and Belgica [B‐] 7904) by the focused ion beam (FIB) technique and studied them by analytical transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Our study aims at exploring the potential of sulfide assemblages and microstructures to decipher processes and conditions of chondrite petrogenesis. Complex exsolution textures of pyrrhotite (crystallographic NC‐type with N ≈ 6), troilite, and pentlandite occur in grains of Y‐791198 and Y‐793321. Additionally, polycrystalline 4C‐pyrrhotite‐pentlandite‐magnetite aggregates occur in Y‐791198, pointing to diverse conditions of gas–solid interactions in the solar nebula. Coarser exsolution textures of Y‐793321 grains indicate higher long‐term average temperatures in the <100 °C range compared to Y‐791198 and other CM chondrites. Sulfide mineralogy of Y‐86720 and B‐7904 is dominated by aggregates of pure troilite and metal, indicating metamorphic equilibration at sulfur fugacities (fS2) of the iron‐troilite buffer. Absence of magnetite in equilibrium with sulfide and metal in Y‐86720 indicates higher peak temperatures compared with B‐7904, in which coexistence of troilite, metal, and magnetite constrains metamorphic temperature to less than 570 °C. NC‐pyrrhotite occurs in both meteorites as nm‐wide rims on troilite grains and, together with frequent anhydrite, indicates a retrograde metamorphic stage at higher fS2 slightly above the fayalite‐magnetite‐quartz‐pyrrhotite buffer. Fine‐grained troilite‐olivine intergrowths in both meteorites suggest the pre‐metamorphic presence of tochilinite‐serpentine interlayer phases, pointing to mineralogical CM affinity. Pseudomorphs after euhedral pyrrhotite crystals in Y‐86720 in turn suggest CI affinity as do previously published O isotopic data of both meteorites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12089","authors":["Dennis Harries","F. Langenhorst"],"tags":["Troilite","Pyrrhotite","Pentlandite","Chondrite","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-03-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12089","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2007640639","name":"In situ compositions of Martian volcanics: Implications for the mantle","source":"openalex","abstract":"The primary objective of this analysis is to determine the mineralogic composition of relatively pristine terrains exposed on the surface of Mars. This analysis is conducted using imaging spectrometer data acquired in 1989 by the Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (ISM) instrument that was onboard the Phobos‐II spacecraft. The ISM instrument acquired some of the highest spectral (64 channels between 0.77 and 3.14 μm) and spatial resolution (≈22 km/pixel) observations to date of Mars, focused on the equatorial region. Relatively unaltered surfaces were identified in these data on the basis of their spectral properties (low albedo, weak spectral slope, absence of ferric absorptions), and were found in volcanic terrains of Syrtis Major, Valles Marineris, Ophir Planum, and Sinus Meridiani/Oxia Palus. Spectra representative of the diversity among terrains were extracted for detailed analysis using the Modified Gaussian Model to determine the primary mafic mineralogy, It was determined that the mafic mineralogy of the regions investigated is dominated by low‐calcium and high‐calcium pyroxene (LCP, HCP), and that there was homogeneity within a given region but some heterogeneity between regions in the relative abundance of LCP to HCP. The two‐pyroxene mineralogy is consistent with the mineralogies of the basaltic SNC meteorites believed to have originated on Mars. Two‐pyroxene volcanic mineralogies are indicative of large degrees of partial melting (e.g., komatiites) or a mantle source depleted in aluminum. Integration of these findings with previous studies of Mars and the SNC meteorites indicates that (1) the SNC mineralogies are representative of large volcanic regions of Mars with surface ages as old as 2–3 Ga, (2) the martian mantle was depleted in aluminum at least as long ago as the oldest terrain analyzed (Ophir Planum), and (3) there has been little evolution in the composition of mantle source regions as the 180 Ma SNC mineralogies are comparable to those of the oldest terrains analyzed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/97je02354","authors":["John F. Mustard","S. L. Murchie","S. Érard","J. M. Sunshine"],"tags":["Pyroxene","Geology","Mafic","Mars Exploration Program","Basalt"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/97je02354","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W3037842049","name":"Mineralogy of Vera Rubin Ridge From the Mars Science Laboratory CheMin Instrument","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Vera Rubin ridge (VRR) is an erosion‐resistant feature on the northwestern slope of Mount Sharp in Gale crater, Mars, and orbital visible/shortwave infrared measurements indicate it contains red hematite. The Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover performed an extensive campaign on VRR to study its mineralogy, geochemistry, and sedimentology to determine the depositional and diagenetic history of the ridge and constrain the processes by which the hematite could have formed. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) data from the CheMin instrument of four samples drilled on and below VRR demonstrate differences in iron, phyllosilicate, and sulfate mineralogy and hematite grain size. Hematite is common across the ridge, and its detection in a gray outcrop suggest localized regions with coarse‐grained hematite, which commonly forms from warm fluids. Broad XRD peaks for hematite in one sample below VRR and the abundance of FeOT in the amorphous component suggest the presence of nanocrystalline hematite and amorphous Fe oxides/oxyhydroxides. Well crystalline akaganeite and jarosite are present in two samples drilled from VRR, indicating at least limited alteration by acid‐saline fluids. Collapsed nontronite is present below VRR, but samples from VRR contain phyllosilicate with d(001) = 9.6 Å, possibly from ferripyrophyllite or an acid‐altered smectite. The most likely cementing agents creating the ridge are hematite and opaline silica. We hypothesize late diagenesis can explain much of the mineralogical variation on the ridge, where multiple fluid episodes with variable pH, salinity, and temperature altered the rocks, causing the precipitation and crystallization of phases that are not otherwise in equilibrium.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2019je006306","authors":["E. B. Rampe","T. F. Bristow","R. V. Morris","Shaunna M. Morrison","C. N. Achilles","D. W. Ming","D. T. Vaniman","D. F. Blake","Valerie Tu","S. J. Chipera","A. S. Yen","T. Peretyazhko","Robert T. Downs","Robert M. Hazen","A. H. Treiman","J. P. Grotzinger","N. Castle","Patricia Craig","David J. Des Marais","M. T. Thorpe","Richard C. Walroth","G. W. Downs","A. A. Fraeman","K. L. Siebach","R. Gellert","B. Lafuente","A. C. McAdam","Pierre‐Yves Meslin","B. Sutter","M. R. Salvatore"],"tags":["Hematite","Geology","Mineralogy","Diagenesis","Illite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-06-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2019je006306","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W1981987779","name":"The microstructure of Semarkona and Bishunpur","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(89)90180-4","authors":["C. M. O'd. Alexander","D. J. Barber","R. Hutchison"],"tags":["Chondrite","Chondrule","Troilite","Meteorite","Ordinary chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1989-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(89)90180-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2157787436","name":"Comparative zircon U–Pb geochronology of impact melt breccias from Apollo 12 and lunar meteorite SaU 169, and implications for the age of the Imbrium impact","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2011.12.014","authors":["Dunyi Liu","Bradley L. Jolliff","R. A. Zeigler","R. L. Korotev","Y. Wan","Hangqiang Xie","Yuhai Zhang","Chunyan Dong","Wei Wang"],"tags":["Zircon","Apollo","Geology","Geochemistry","Geochronology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-01-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2011.12.014","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2143705095","name":"Geochemical zoning and magnetic mineralogy at Fe,Ni‐alloy–troilite interfaces of three iron meteorites from Morasko, Coahuila II , and Mundrabilla","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We combined high‐resolution and space‐resolved elemental distribution with investigations of magnetic minerals across Fe,Ni‐alloy and troilite interfaces for two nonmagmatic (Morasko and Mundrabilla) IAB group iron meteorites and an octahedrite found in 1993 in Coahuila/Mexico (Coahuila II) preliminarily classified on Ir and Au content as IIAB group. The aim of this study was to elucidate the crystallization and thermal history using gradients of the siderophile elements Ni, Co, Ge, and Ga and the chalcophile elements Cr, Cu, and Se with a focus on magnetic minerals. The Morasko and Coahuila II meteorite show a several mm‐thick carbon‐ and phosphorous‐rich transition zone between Fe,Ni‐alloy and troilite, which is characterized by magnetic cohenite and nonmagnetic or magnetic schreibersite. At Morasko, these phases have a characteristic trace element composition with Mo enriched in cohenite. In both Morasko and Coahuila II, Ni is enriched in schreibersite. The minerals have crystallized from immiscible melts, either by fractional crystallization and C‐ and P‐enrichment in the melt, or by partial melting at temperatures slightly above the eutectic point. During crystallization of Mundrabilla, the field of immiscibility was not reached. Independent of meteorite group and cooling history, the magnetic mineralogy (daubreelite, cohenite and/or schreibersite, magnetite) is very similar to the troilite (and transition zone) for all three investigated iron meteorites. If these minerals can be separated from the metal, they might provide important information about the early solar system magnetic field. Magnetite is interpreted as a partial melting or a terrestrial weathering product of the Fe,Ni‐alloy under oxidizing conditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12288","authors":["Werner Luecke","Agnes Kontny","U. Kramar"],"tags":["Troilite","Iron meteorite","Meteorite","Magnetite","Crystallization"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-03-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12288","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2149330943","name":"Mineralogy and petrology of Belgica-7904: A new kind of carbonaceous chondrite from Antarctica","source":"openalex","abstract":"A mineralogical and petrological study of Belgica-7904 (B-7904) shows that it can be classified into the CM group. B-7904 has a variety of chondrules and aggregates, where pyroxenes and mesostasis glass are completely replaced by phyllosilicates, but olivine remains little altered. It has a high abundance of troilite; most occur in submicron to micron grains dispersed in the matrix. Minor taenite occurs, but magnetite is rare and tochilinite is absent. The phyllosilicates have relatively high Na contents and lower (Mg+Fe)/(Si+Al) ratios than serpentine; thus, they may be intergrowths of serpentine and a smectite-like phyllosilicate. Microprobe analyses of the phyllosilicates show high analytical totals relative to ordinary phyllosilicates, being consistent with the idea that they were dehydrated by heating. The fine troilite grains in the matrix may have been transformed from a thermally labile phase such as tochilinite during thermal metamorphism. The opaque mineral assemblage suggests that the thermal metamorphism occurred in a reduced condition. B-7904 and Y-86720 are mineralogically similar, although the former is less affected by aqueous alteration than the latter. They were probably derived from similar precursors and experienced aqueous alteration and thermal metamorphism in a common environment. These meteorites and ordinary CM chondrites apparently experienced distinct alteration histories, suggesting that they came from different regions in a parent body or different parent bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.15094/00004508","authors":["K. Tomeoka"],"tags":["Belgica","Geology","Geochemistry","Astrobiology","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1990-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.15094/00004508","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2077455488","name":"Petrogenesis of the Northwest Africa 4734 basaltic lunar meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2012.06.024","authors":["Ying Wang","Weibiao Hsu","Yunbin Guan","Xian‐Hua Li","Qiuli Li","Yu Liu","Guoqiang Tang"],"tags":["Baddeleyite","Plagioclase","Pyroxene","Meteorite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-07-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2012.06.024","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W3158905015","name":"The IVB Iron Meteorite Parent Body: Inferences Based on Inclusion Mineralogy and Composition","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3158905015","authors":["J. Teshima","J. W. Larimer"],"tags":["Meteorite","Parent body","Geology","Inclusion (mineral)","Composition (language)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1983-12-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W1980251739","name":"The Divnoe meteorite: Petrology, chemistry, oxygen isotopes and origin","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The Divnoe meteorite is an olivine‐rich primitive achondrite with subchondritic chemistry and mineralogy. It has a granoblastic, coarse‐grained, olivine groundmass (CGL: coarse‐grained lithology) with relatively large pyroxene‐plagioclase poikilitic patches (PP) and small fine‐grained domains of an opaque‐rich lithology (ORL). Both PP and ORL are inhomogeneously distributed and display reaction boundaries with the groundmass. Major silicates, olivine (Fa20–28) and orthopyroxene (Fs20–28 Wo0.5–2.5), display systematic differences in composition between CGL and ORL as well as a complicated pattern of variations within CGL. Accessory plagioclase has low K content and displays regular igneous zoning with core compositions An40–45 and rims An32–37. The bulk chemical composition of Divnoe is similar to that of olivine‐rich primitive achondrites, except for a depletion of incompatible elements and minor enrichment of refractory siderophiles. Oxygen isotope compositions for whole‐rock and separated minerals from Divnoe fall in a narrow range, with mean δ18O = +4.91, δ17O = +2.24, and Δ17O = −0.26 ± 0.11. The isotopic composition is not within the range of any previously recognized group but is very close to that of the brachinites. To understand the origin of Divnoe lithologies, partial melting and crystallization were modelled using starting compositions equal to that of Divnoe and some chondritic meteorites. It was found that the Divnoe composition could be derived from a chondritic source region by ∼20 wt% partial melting at T ∼ 1300 °C and log(fO2) = IW‐1.8, followed by ∼60 wt% crystallization of the partial melt formed, and removal of the still‐liquid portion of the partial melt. Removal of the last partial melt resulted in depletion of the Divnoe plagioclase in Na and K. In this scenario, CGL represents the residue of partial melting, and PP is a portion of the partial melt that crystallized in situ. The ORL was formed during the final stages of partial melting by reaction between gaseous sulfur and residual olivine in the source region. A prominent feature of Divnoe is fine μm‐scale chemical variations within olivine grains, related to lamellar structures the olivines display. The origin of these structures is not known.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1994.tb00671.x","authors":["M. I. Petaev","L. D. Barsukova","M. E. Lipschutz","M.‐S. Wang","A. A. Ariskin","R. N. Clayton","T. K. Mayeda"],"tags":["Achondrite","Plagioclase","Olivine","Meteorite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1994-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1994.tb00671.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2066614575","name":"Origin of carbonate‐magnetite‐sulfide assemblages in Martian meteorite ALH84001","source":"openalex","abstract":"A review of the mineralogical, isotopic, and chemical properties of the carbonates and associated submicrometer iron oxides and sulfides in Martian meteorite ALH84001 provides minimal evidence for microbial activity. Some magnetites resemble those formed by magnetotactic microorganisms but cubic crystals <50 nm in size and elongated grains <25 nm long are too small to be single-domain magnets and are probably abiogenic. Magnetites with shapes that are clearly unique to magnetotactic bacteria appear to be absent in ALH84001. Magnetosomes have not been reported in plutonic rocks and are unlikely to have been transported in fluids through fractures and uniformly deposited where abiogenic magnetite was forming epitaxially on carbonate. Submicrometer sulfides and magnetites probably formed during shock heating. Carbonates have correlated variations in Ca, Mg, and 18O/16O, magnetite-rich rims, and they appear to be embedded in pyroxene and plagiociase glass. Carbonates with these features have not been identified in carbonaceous chondrites and terrestrial rocks, suggesting that the ALH84001 carbonates have a unique origin. Carbonates and hydrated minerals in ALH84001, like secondary phases in other Martian meteorites, have O and H isotopic ratios favoring formation from fluids that exchanged with the Martian atmosphere. I propose that carbonates originally formed in ALH84001 from aqueous fluids and were subsequently shock heated and vaporized. The original carbonates were probably dolomite-magnesite-siderite assemblages that formed in pores at interstitial sites with minor sulfate, chloride, and phyllosilicates. These phases, like many other volatile-rich phases in Martian meteorites, may have formed as evaporate deposits from intermittent floods.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/1998je900034","authors":["E. R. D. Scott"],"tags":["Meteorite","Abiogenic petroleum origin","Magnetite","Martian","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/1998je900034","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2000942029","name":"Matrix mineralogy of the Lancé CO3 carbonaceous chondrite: A transmission electron microscope study","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(90)90446-r","authors":["L. P. Keller","Peter R. Buseck"],"tags":["Olivine","Chondrite","Murchison meteorite","Meteorite","Carbonaceous chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1990-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(90)90446-r","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2562860751","name":"The key role of meteorites in the formation of relevant prebiotic molecules in a formamide/water environment","source":"openalex","abstract":"We show that carbonaceous chondrite meteorites actively and selectively catalyze the formation of relevant prebiotic molecules from formamide in aqueous media. Specific catalytic behaviours are observed, depending on the origin and composition of the chondrites and on the type of water present in the system (activity: thermal > seawater > pure). We report the one-pot synthesis of all the natural nucleobases, of aminoacids and of eight carboxylic acids (forming, from pyruvic acid to citric acid, a continuous series encompassing a large part of the extant Krebs cycle). These data shape a general prebiotic scenario consisting of carbonaceous meteorites acting as catalysts and of a volcanic-like environment providing heat, thermal waters and formamide. This scenario also applies to the other solar system locations that experienced rich delivery of carbonaceous materials, and whose physical-chemical conditions could have allowed chemical evolution.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/srep38888","authors":["Luca Rotelli","J. M. Trigo‐Rodríguez","C. E. Moyano-Cambero","Eleonora Carota","Lorenzo Botta","Ernesto Di Mauro","Raffaele Saladino"],"tags":["Formamide","Meteorite","Chondrite","Prebiotic","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-12-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/srep38888","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2022269484","name":"The low-temperature electrical properties of carbonaceous meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-821x(75)90071-0","authors":["Aviva Brecher","Peter L. Briggs","Gene Simmons"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Atmospheric temperature range","Geology","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1975-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-821x(75)90071-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2082195554","name":"Chemical and mineralogical compositions of cosmic and terrestrial spherules from a marine sediment","source":"openalex","abstract":"The mineralogical and chemical compositions and the specific gravities were determined for particles in a collection of large (149–351 μ diameter), dense, magnetic spherules separated from 750 kg of Pacific red clay sediment. These spherules were found to fall into one of two categories: (1) a group of high specific gravity composed of magnetite and, in some cases, wustite and α iron with low manganese; and (2) a group of low specific gravity with high manganese. The concentrations, of iridium and nickel in the spherules of the first group are consistent with an iron meteoritic origin, and these are identified as cosmic spherules. The second group is assumed to be terrestrial in origin. Nondestructive measurements were made on individual particles. The requirement that the results of these measurements correlate with one another constitutes a more definitive criterion than those used in the past for establishing the extraterrestrial origins of individual particles.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/jb075i011p02125","authors":["H.T. Millard","Robert B. Finkelman"],"tags":["Magnetite","Geology","Sediment","Wüstite","Manganese"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1970-04-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/jb075i011p02125","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2041890110","name":"The Violent Collisional History of Asteroid 4 Vesta","source":"openalex","abstract":"A New Dawn Since 17 July 2011, NASA's spacecraft Dawn has been orbiting the asteroid Vesta—the second most massive and the third largest asteroid in the solar system (see the cover). Russell et al. (p. 684 ) use Dawn's observations to confirm that Vesta is a small differentiated planetary body with an inner core, and represents a surviving proto-planet from the earliest epoch of solar system formation; Vesta is also confirmed as the source of the howardite-eucrite-diogenite (HED) meteorites. Jaumann et al. (p. 687 ) report on the asteroid's overall geometry and topography, based on global surface mapping. Vesta's surface is dominated by numerous impact craters and large troughs around the equatorial region. Marchi et al. (p. 690 ) report on Vesta's complex cratering history and constrain the age of some of its major regions based on crater counts. Schenk et al. (p. 694 ) describe two giant impact basins located at the asteroid's south pole. Both basins are young and excavated enough amounts of material to form the Vestoids—a group of asteroids with a composition similar to that of Vesta—and HED meteorites. De Sanctis et al. (p. 697 ) present the mineralogical characterization of Vesta, based on data obtained by Dawn's visual and infrared spectrometer, revealing that this asteroid underwent a complex magmatic evolution that led to a differentiated crust and mantle. The global color variations detailed by Reddy et al. (p. 700 ) are unlike those of any other asteroid observed so far and are also indicative of a preserved, differentiated proto-planet.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1218757","authors":["S. Marchi","H. Y. McSween","D. P. O’Brien","P. Schenk","M. C. De Sanctis","R. W. Gaskell","R. Jaumann","S. Mottola","Frank Preusker","C. A. Raymond","T. Roatsch","C. T. Russell"],"tags":["Asteroid","Astrobiology","Solar System","Asteroid belt","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-05-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1218757","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2044160398","name":"Sulfur on Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Research Article| April 01, 2010 Sulfur on Mars Penelope L. King; Penelope L. King 1Institute of Meteoritics, The University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA E-mail: penking@unm.edu2Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Western Ontario London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Scott M. McLennan Scott M. McLennan 3Department of Geosciences, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794-2100, USA E-mail: scott.mclennan@sunysb.edu Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Penelope L. King 1Institute of Meteoritics, The University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA E-mail: penking@unm.edu2Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Western Ontario London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada Scott M. McLennan 3Department of Geosciences, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794-2100, USA E-mail: scott.mclennan@sunysb.edu Publisher: Mineralogical Society of America First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1811-5217 Print ISSN: 1811-5209 © 2010 by the Mineralogical Society of America Elements (2010) 6 (2): 107–112. https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.6.2.107 Article history First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Penelope L. King, Scott M. McLennan; Sulfur on Mars. Elements 2010;; 6 (2): 107–112. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.6.2.107 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyElements Search Advanced Search Abstract The sulfur cycle is arguably the most important geochemical cycle on Mars because the transfer of sulfur places limits on Mars's differentiation processes, sedimentary, geomorphic and aqueous processes, past climate, and current and past habitability. The presence of sulfur-rich compositions on Mars is suggested by meteorite data, in situ bulk chemical and mineralogical analyses, remote sensing data from dust and surfaces, and geochemical models. The inferred sulfur-rich nature of Mars may have resulted in an Fe–(Ni–)S core that has been liquid throughout Mars's history. On the surface, Mg- and Ca-sulfates are widespread and Fe3+-sulfates are found locally. It is likely that these minerals occur in a variety of hydration states and host much of the mineral-bound hydrogen in the Martian subsurface. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.6.2.107","authors":["P. L. King","S. M. McLennan"],"tags":["Citation","Mars Exploration Program","Library science","Archaeology","History"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.6.2.107","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W3003175703","name":"Mineralogy and Mn-Cr Extinct Radionuclide Dating of a Dolomite from the Pristine Tagish Lake Meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3003175703","authors":["A. Blinova","C. M. O'd. Alexander","J. Wang","C. D. K. Herd"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Geochemistry","Dolomite","Radionuclide"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-03-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2110820517","name":"Revisiting spectral parameters of silicate‐bearing meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Visible and near‐infrared reflectance spectra of a sample of silicate‐bearing meteorites have been used to evaluate the spectral parameters space defined in the pioneering work of Gaffey et al. (1993). The studied sample consisted of 91 ordinary chondrites, 47 basaltic achondrites, and 21 different laboratory mixtures obtained from the RELAB database. Our results indicate that the spectral parameter space, in particular the BAR versus band I center, is not suitable enough to identify the mineralogy of meteorites and asteroids. The grain size of the sample also appears as a very sensitive parameter and can play an important role in locating an object in the spectral parameter space. Finally, the application of our study to the question of a genetic link between V‐type asteroids and HED meteorites shows that these bodies plot in distinct regions in the BAR versus band I center space. This result further confirms that those spectral parameters cannot uniquely define the mineralogy of a sample.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00393.x","authors":["R. Duffárd","D. Lazzaro","J. de León"],"tags":["Meteorite","Achondrite","Silicate","Chondrite","Asteroid"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00393.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W651197543","name":"The Care and conservation of geological material: minerals, rocks, meteorites and lunar finds","source":"openalex","abstract":"Contents include: The stability of minerals Conserving light sensitive minerals and gems Temperature and humidity sensitive mineralogical and petrological specimens Pyrite Meteorites Hazards for the mineral collector, conservator and curator.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.30-3286","authors":[],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Geology","Geochemistry","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1993-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.30-3286","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2064027453","name":"MAC88105—A regolith breccia from the lunar highlands: Mineralogical, petrological, and geochemical studies","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(91)90474-j","authors":["Christian Koeberl","G. Kurat","F. Brandstätter"],"tags":["Breccia","Geology","Geochemistry","Anorthosite","Pigeonite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1991-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(91)90474-j","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2039681241","name":"Sulfide mineralogy and redox conditions in some shergottites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Magmatic sulfide mineralogy has been studied in 2 olivine-phyric shergottites (DaG 476 and SaU 005) and 4 basaltic shergottites (Zagami, Shergotty, Los Angeles, and NWA 480). Modal abundances of magmatic sulfides, as estimated by image analysis on thin section, are high (0.16 to 0.53 area percent) and correlate positively with abundances of Fe-Ti oxides. Sulfides are mesostasis minerals, being mostly interstitial grains or locally enclosed in post-cumulus melt inclusions (e.g., SaU 005) in olivine. Sulfides in shergottites are composed of major pyrrhotite containing pentlandite exsolutions associated with minor amounts of Cu sulfides (chalcopyrite and/or cubanite). Hot desert finds (e.g., DaG 476) show abundant fracture-filling iron (oxy)hydroxides of probable terrestrial origin. Unaltered sulfides show metal-rich hexagonal pyrrhotite compositions with metal/sulfur (M/S) ratio ranging between 0.936 ± 0.005 and 0.962 ± 0.01. This compositional range corresponds to the two-phase structural domain 2C + nC of the Fe-S system; however, the high-temperature disordered hexagonal 1C pyrrhotite structure would be in better agreement with magnetic properties of shergottites. Ni contents in pyrrhotite increase from Los Angeles (<0.05 at%) to Shergotty, Zagami, and NWA 480 (0.2–0.5 at%), and DaG 476 and SaU 005 (up to 3 at%). The higher Ni values of pyrrhotite in olivine-phyric shergottites correlate with the abundance of pentlandite exsolutions, both reflecting more primitive Ni-rich sulfide liquids where abundant olivine crystallized. This result and the strong correlation between sulfide abundances and Fe-Ti oxides argue for a primary magmatic origin of these sulfides. Although they reproduce the trend of magmatic oxygen fugacity conditions determined from Fe-Ti oxide pairs, observed pyrrhotite compositions are systematically more metal-deficient compared to those calculated from the Fe-S-O system. This suggests post-magmatic oxidation during cooling on Mars, followed by terrestrial weathering for hot desert finds.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00187.x","authors":["Jean-Pierre Lorand","V. F. Chevrier","V. Sautter"],"tags":["Pyrrhotite","Pentlandite","Geology","Olivine","Chalcopyrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00187.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2091004617","name":"Vesta’s Shape and Morphology","source":"openalex","abstract":"A New Dawn Since 17 July 2011, NASA's spacecraft Dawn has been orbiting the asteroid Vesta—the second most massive and the third largest asteroid in the solar system (see the cover). Russell et al. (p. 684 ) use Dawn's observations to confirm that Vesta is a small differentiated planetary body with an inner core, and represents a surviving proto-planet from the earliest epoch of solar system formation; Vesta is also confirmed as the source of the howardite-eucrite-diogenite (HED) meteorites. Jaumann et al. (p. 687 ) report on the asteroid's overall geometry and topography, based on global surface mapping. Vesta's surface is dominated by numerous impact craters and large troughs around the equatorial region. Marchi et al. (p. 690 ) report on Vesta's complex cratering history and constrain the age of some of its major regions based on crater counts. Schenk et al. (p. 694 ) describe two giant impact basins located at the asteroid's south pole. Both basins are young and excavated enough amounts of material to form the Vestoids—a group of asteroids with a composition similar to that of Vesta—and HED meteorites. De Sanctis et al. (p. 697 ) present the mineralogical characterization of Vesta, based on data obtained by Dawn's visual and infrared spectrometer, revealing that this asteroid underwent a complex magmatic evolution that led to a differentiated crust and mantle. The global color variations detailed by Reddy et al. (p. 700 ) are unlike those of any other asteroid observed so far and are also indicative of a preserved, differentiated proto-planet.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1219122","authors":["R. Jaumann","D. A. Williams","D. L. Buczkowski","R. A. Yingst","Frank Preusker","H. Hiesinger","N. Schmedemann","T. Kneissl","Jean‐Baptiste Vincent","D. T. Blewett","B. J. Buratti","U. Carsenty","B. W. Denevi","M. C. De Sanctis","W. B. Garry","H. U. Keller","Elke Kersten","Katrin Krohn","Jian‐Yang Li","S. Marchi","Klaus‐Dieter Matz","T. B. McCord","H. Y. McSween","S. C. Mest","David W. Mittlefehldt","S. Mottola","A. Nathues","G. Neukum","D. P. O’Brien","C. M. Pieters","T. H. Prettyman","C. A. Raymond","T. Roatsch","C. T. Russell","P. Schenk","B. E. Schmidt","F. Scholten","K. Stephan","M. V. Sykes","P. Tricarico","Roland Wagner","M. T. Zuber","H. Sierks"],"tags":["Impact crater","Asteroid","Ejecta","Geology","Regolith"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-05-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1219122","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2132263053","name":"Geologic Mapping of Vesta from 1994 Hubble Space Telescope Images","source":"openalex","abstract":"We utilize the 56 images of Asteroid 4 Vesta obtained through four mineralogically diagnostic filters by the Hubble Space Telescope (Zellneret al.1997,Icarus) to construct a geologic map. Vesta's surface is found to be geologically diverse and to be dichotomous at a hemispheric scale. The eastern hemisphere (longitude definition from Thomaset al.1997,Icarus) is dominated by units interpreted to be impact excavated plutonic material composed of magnesium-rich and calcium-poor pyroxene. The mineralogy of this region is most analogous to diogenite meteorites. Several eastern hemisphere units which have the deepest and broadest 1 μm absorption bands may contain a substantial olivine component. The locations of these units are consistent with a previous map based on rotationally resolved groundbased spectroscopy (Gaffey 1997,Icarus). The western hemisphere is dominated by units interpreted to consist of a single component of iron-rich and relatively calcium-rich pyroxene, analogous to surface basalts such as eucrite meteorites. We investigate the spectral properties of 20 representative surface regions and find a correlation between the 1 μm absorption band depth and albedo: the units with lower albedos have shallower band depths. Such a relation could arise from differences in lithologies, differences in surface particle sizes, or from a weathering effect which decreases albedo and band depth over time. Because of Vesta's geologic diversity and hemispheric dichotomy, it is apparent that any major impact events, such as those possibly related to the formation of the Vesta family (Binzel and Xu 1993,Science260,186–191) did not globally resurface the planet. The spectral evidence for remnants of a basaltic crust implies that the oldest units on the surface date back to the time of their emplacement, most likely ∼4.5 byr ago. If a weathering process exists which alters the albedo, then the lowest albedo units, such as the feature with the proposed name “Olbers,” most likely represent remnants of Vesta's ancient basaltic crust.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1006/icar.1997.5734","authors":["Richard P. Binzel","M. J. Gaffey","P. C. Thomas","B. Zellner","A. D. Storrs","E. N. Wells"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Albedo (alchemy)","Asteroid","Regolith"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1006/icar.1997.5734","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2996520389","name":"Brazilian stone meteorites : with a brief, general introduction on the significance, classification, mineralogy, bulk composition, and recognition of stone meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W2996520389","authors":["Celso B. Gomes","Klaus Keil"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Mineralogy","Achondrite","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1980-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2029338746","name":"Elasticity of natural majorite and ringwoodite from the catherwood meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Sound velocities and elastic moduli of natural polycrystalline majorite (Mg0.78Fe0.21Ca0.01)SiO3, and ringwoodite (Mg0.75Fe0.25)2SiO4 from the Catherwood meteorite were measured by Brillouin spectroscopy. These are the first acoustic measurements for such natural high‐pressure phases with Fe contents comparable to that of the Earth's mantle. The adiabatic bulk modulus of majorite is Ks=164(4) GPa, and the shear modulus is μ=87(2) GPa, which are typical values for garnet‐structured silicates. Both the elastic moduli and the sound velocities of natural cubic majorite are slightly lower than values for aluminosilicate garnets with comparable Fe contents. Moreover, the bulk and shear moduli of natural majorite are indistinguishable from those of pure Mg majorite, and the dependence of these moduli on Fe content is small. In contrast, ringwoodite (Ks=193(3), μ=113(2)) exhibits a pronounced change in the aggregate elastic moduli and sound velocities with increasing Fe content. The addition of 10% Fe to γ‐phase changes the velocity by an amount comparable to the velocity change across the β→γ transition in Mg2SiO4. It is therefore necessary to account for the effect of Fe in constructing mineralogical models of the transition zone.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/97gl03217","authors":["Stanislav Sinogeikin","Jay D. Bass","A. Kavner","Raymond Jeanloz"],"tags":["Ringwoodite","Brillouin Spectroscopy","Meteorite","Mineralogy","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997-12-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/97gl03217","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2014066467","name":"On the chondrite—achondrite transition: mineralogy and chemistry of Yamato 74160 (LL7)","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-821x(84)90097-9","authors":["H. Takeda","Ted J. Huston","M. E. Lipschutz"],"tags":["Achondrite","Plagioclase","Chondrite","Geology","Pyroxene"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1984-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-821x(84)90097-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2007931673","name":"The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 101","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Meteoritical Bulletin 101 contains 2639 meteorites accepted by the Nomenclature Committee in 2012, including 1 fall (Battle Mountain), with 2308 ordinary chondrites, 156 carbonaceous chondrites, 63 HED achondrites, 17 relict meteorites, 16 Rumuruti chondrites, 15 enstatite chondrites, 15 ureilites, 10 iron meteorites, 9 lunar meteorites, 9 primitive achondrites, 8 ungrouped achondrites, 7 mesosiderites, 4 Martian meteorites, and 2 Pallasites, and with 1812 from Antarctica, 437 from Asia, 301 from Africa, 43 from South America, 21 from Europe (including Russia), 21 from North America, 3 from Oceania, and 1 from unknown. Information about approved meteorites can be obtained from the Meteoritical Bulletin Database (MBD) available on line at http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meteor/ .","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12490","authors":["A. Ruzicka","J. N. Grossman","Audrey Bouvier","C. D. K. Herd","C. B. Agee"],"tags":["Achondrite","Meteorite","Chondrite","Enstatite","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-08-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12490","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W1591074086","name":"Mineralogy, Petrology and Oxygen Fugacity of the LaPaz Icefield Lunar Basaltic Meteorites and the Origin of Evolved Lunar Basalts","source":"openalex","abstract":"LAP 02205 is a 1.2 kg lunar mare basalt meteorite found in the Lap Paz ice field of Antarctica in 2002 [1]. Four similar meteorites were also found within the same region [1] and all five have a combined mass of 1.9 kg (LAP 02224, LAP 02226, LAP 02436 and LAP 03632, hereafter called the LAP meteorites). The LAP meteorites all contain a similar texture, mineral assemblage, and composition. A lunar origin for these samples comes from O isotopic data for LAP 02205 [1], Fe/Mn ratios of pyroxenes [1-5], and the presence of distinct lunar mineralogy such as Fe metal and baddeleyite. The LAP meteorites may represent an area of the Moon, which has never been sampled by Apollo missions, or by other lunar meteorites. The data from this study will be used to compare the LAP meteorites to Apollo mare basalts and lunar basaltic meteorites, and will ultimately help to constrain their origin.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1591074086","authors":["Stephen Collins","K. Righter","A. D. Brandon"],"tags":["Meteorite","Basalt","Geology","Achondrite","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2090088368","name":"Iron‐sulfur mineralogy of Mars: Magmatic evolution and chemical weathering products","source":"openalex","abstract":"Models for the evolution of sulfide minerals on Mars and reaction pathways to their oxidative weathering products in Martian regolith have been proposed based on petrogenetic associations between komatiitic rock types, Viking geochemical data, SNC meteorites, and terrestrial Fe‐Ni sulfide deposits. To test the weathering model, komatiitic pyrrhotites and olivines were exposed to sulfuric acid solutions, with and without dissolved ferric iron added to simulate deep‐weathering processes, and the reaction products were identified by Mossbauer spectroscopy. Secondary FeS2 (pyrite or marcasite), FeOOH (goethite), and possibly jarosite were formed from pyrrhotite, while olivine was oxidized to nanophase goethite. These results suggest that on Mars, acidic groundwater induced pyrrhotite → FeS2 → FeOOH (+ jarosite) oxidative weathering reactions, particularly in the presence of dissolved Fe3+. Such gossaniferous materials occurring in Martian regolith were derived mainly from Fe‐Ni sulfides associated with komatiitic basalts and not from sulfides occurring in calc‐alkaline porphyry copper deposits, granitic hydrothermal veins, sediment‐hosted PbS‐ZnS ores, etc., which presumably did not evolve on Mars due to the virtual lack of plate tectonic activity there.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/jb095ib09p14415","authors":["Roger G. Burns","Duncan S. Fisher"],"tags":["Geology","Jarosite","Weathering","Goethite","Pyrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1990-08-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/jb095ib09p14415","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W3126231524","name":"Mineralogical characterizations of asteroid surface materials: Evidence for unsampled meteorite types","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3126231524","authors":["R. F. Fudali","R. L. Ford"],"tags":["Meteorite","Asteroid","Geology","Astrobiology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1978-12-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2799934054","name":"Catalogue of the Collection of Meteorites in the Mineralogical Museum of Harvard University","source":"openalex","abstract":"Charles Palache, Catalogue of the Collection of Meteorites in the Mineralogical Museum of Harvard University, Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Vol. 61, No. 6 (May, 1926), pp. 151-159","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/20026150","authors":["Charles Palache"],"tags":["Meteorite","Archaeology","Astrobiology","Art","History"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1926-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2307/20026150","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W616652735","name":"R.O. Chalmers, commemorative papers (mineralogy, meteoritics, geology9","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W616652735","authors":["R Chalmers","Lin Sutherland"],"tags":["Geology","Geochemistry","Archaeology","Mineralogy","History"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1992-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2299365670","name":"STUDIES OF BRAZILIAN METEORITES. II. THE AVANHANDAVA CHONDRITE: MINERALOGY, PETROLOGY AND CHEMISTRY","source":"openalex","abstract":"A description of the Avanhandava, State of São Paulo, Brazil, meteorite, which fell in 1952, is given using optical, microprobe, and bulk chemical data. This H-group or olivine-bronzite chondrite contains olivine (Fa 17.3 ), bronzite (Fs 16.5 ) diopside (Wo 45.3 En 49.0 Fs 5.7 ), oligoclase (Or 5.4 Ab 84.1 An 10.4 ) whitlockite, chlorapatite, kamacite, taenite (plessite), troilite, chromite, native copper, pentlandite, ilmenite, bravoite, mackinawite, and chalcopyrrhotite. On the basis of mineral and bulk compositions as well as its texture, the Avanhandava meteorite is classified as an H4 chondrite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.25249/0375-7536.1976201210","authors":["W H Paar","GOMES C.B.","E. Jarosewich"],"tags":["Troilite","Chondrite","Meteorite","Geology","Kamacite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1976-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.25249/0375-7536.1976201210","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2162560253","name":"Igneous mineralogy at Bradbury Rise: The first ChemCam campaign at Gale crater","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Textural and compositional analyses using Chemistry Camera (ChemCam) remote microimager and laser‐induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) have been performed on five float rocks and coarse gravels along the first 100 m of the Curiosity traverse at Bradbury Rise. ChemCam, the first LIBS instrument sent to another planet, offers the opportunity to assess mineralogic diversity at grain‐size scales (~ 100 µm) and, from this, lithologic diversity. Depth profiling indicates that targets are relatively free of surface coatings. One type of igneous rock is volcanic and includes both aphanitic (Coronation) and porphyritic (Mara) samples. The porphyritic sample shows dark grains that are likely pyroxene megacrysts in a fine‐grained mesostasis containing andesine needles. Both types have magnesium‐poor basaltic compositions and in this respect are similar to the evolved Jake Matijevic rock analyzed further along the Curiosity traverse both with Alpha‐Particle X‐ray Spectrometer and ChemCam instruments. The second rock type encountered is a coarse‐grained intrusive rock (Thor Lake) showing equigranular texture with millimeter size crystals of feldspars and Fe‐Ti oxides. Such a rock is not unique at Gale as the surrounding coarse gravels (such as Beaulieu) and the conglomerate Link are dominated by feldspathic (andesine‐bytownite) clasts. Finally, alkali feldspar compositions associated with a silica polymorph have been analyzed in fractured filling material of Preble rock and in Stark, a putative pumice or an impact melt. These observations document magmatic diversity at Gale and describe the first fragments of feldspar‐rich lithologies (possibly an anorthosite) that may be ancient crust transported from the crater rim and now forming float rocks, coarse gravel, or conglomerate clasts.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2013je004472","authors":["V. Sautter","C. Fabre","O. Forni","Michael J. Toplis","A. Cousin","A. Ollila","Pierre‐Yves Meslin","S. Maurice","R. C. Wiens","David Baratoux","N. Mangold","Stéphane Le Mouëlic","O. Gasnault","Gilles Berger","J. Lasue","Ryan Anderson","É. Lewin","M. E. Schmidt","Darby Dyar","B. L. Ehlmann","J. C. Bridges","B. C. Clark","P. Pinet"],"tags":["Porphyritic","Geology","Geochemistry","Igneous rock","Pyroxene"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-12-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2013je004472","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2065927899","name":"The relative isotopic abundance of K40in terrestrial and meteoritic samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"Fowler, Greenstein, and Hoyle have proposed that the inner solar system was heavily irradiated during its formation. A consequence of this proposal is that sizable differences in meteoritic and terrestrial K41/K40 ratios are possible if the fraction of material which was irradiated was different in the two cases. The isotopic composition of potassium was measured by mass spectrometry for nine stone meteorites, silicate from the Vaca Muerta mesosiderite and the Weekeroo Station iron meteorite, and four terrestrial samples. The measured K41/K40 ratios were corrected by normalizing the measured K39/K41 ratio to the Nier value of 13.47. This normalization procedure approximately cancels out any variations in the isotopic abundance except those due to nuclear processes. Measurements on enriched standards showed that any variations greater than 1% would certainly have been detected, and variations greater than ½% would probably have been detected with replicate analyses. Within these limits, no variations in the K40 abundance between the terrestrial and meteoritic samples could be found which could be ascribed to particle irradiation in the early history of the solar system. Small K40 enrichments were observed in Norton County, Weekeroo Station, and Vaca Muerta; however, these appear to have been produced during cosmic-ray irradiation by the Ca40(n, p)reaction. The present results set relatively strong limitations on possible mechanisms for the formation of the earth and the meteorites if the idea of a large-scale irradiation in the early history of the solar system is to be retained. Independent of the model of Fowler et al., limits have been placed on any differential uniform irradiation. The implications of the present work on the K-Ar ages of stone and iron meteorites are discussed. The possibility that iron meteorites are considerably older than the solar system as a whole appears unlikely.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/jz071i004p01249","authors":["D. S. Burnett","Hans J. Lippolt","G. J. Wasserburg"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Formation and evolution of the Solar System","Astrobiology","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1966-02-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/jz071i004p01249","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W1982934808","name":"Physical properties of meteorites—Applications in space missions to asteroids","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Based on reflectance spectroscopy and chemical/mineralogical remote sensing methods, it is generally assumed that asteroids are parent bodies for most meteorites reaching the Earth. However, more detailed observations indicate that differences exist in composition between asteroids and meteorites resulting in difficulties when searching for meteorite‐asteroid match. We show that among other physical parameters the magnetic susceptibility of an asteroid can be determined remotely from the magnetic induction by solar wind using an orbiting spacecraft or directly using the AC coil on the lander, or it can be measured in samples returned to the laboratory. The shape corrected value of the true magnetic susceptibility of an asteroid can be compared to those of meteorites in the existing database, allowing closer match between asteroids and meteorites. The database of physical properties contains over 700 samples and was recently enlarged with measurements of meteorites in European museums using mobile laboratory facility.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2008.tb00689.x","authors":["T. Kohout","G. Kletetschka","Tiiu Elbra","Tadashi Adachi","Vilem Mikula","L. J. Pesonen","Petr Schnabl","Stanislav Šlechta"],"tags":["Meteorite","Asteroid","Astrobiology","Spacecraft","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2008.tb00689.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W1564971011","name":"Mineralogical and Petrographical Studies of the Yamato Meteorites, Yamato-7301(j), -7305(k), -7308(l) and -7303(m) from Antarctica","source":"openalex","abstract":"In 1973,the 14th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition party collected twelve meteoritic stones in the bare ice field near the Yamato Mountains, Antarctica. Four of the stones were named Yamato-7301,-7305,-7308 and -7303. Yamato-7301,-7305 and -7303 are ordinary chondrites and are classified respectively as H4,L5 and L5 chondrites, while Yamato-7308 is a howardite. Yamato-7301,-7305 and -7303 are composed chiefly of olivine ((Fo)_<75-80>) and orthopyroxene ((En)_<75-83>), with subordinate amounts of clinopyroxene, plagioclase and phosphate minerals. Opaque minerals, nickel-iron, troilite and chromite, are more abundant in Yamato-7301 than in Yamato-7305 and -7303. Yamato-7308 is composed mainly of pyroxene and plagioclase (anorthite), with olivine, silica minerals, opaque minerals and glassy material in minor amounts. The composition of orthopyroxene is variable ranging from (En)_<80> to (En)_<37>, and also clinopyroxene varies considerably in composition. The result suggests that Yamato-7308 originated from the fractional crystallization of the parent magma of the achondrite.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1564971011","authors":["Kenzô Yagi","J. F. Lovering","Makoto Shima","Akihiko Okada"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Geochemistry","Astrobiology","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1978-02-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2075465732","name":"Chondrules: chemical, mineralogical and isotopic constraints on theories of their origin","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Chondritic meteorites have not been involved in planetary melting for the past 4.5 Ga. They contain millimetre-sized subspherical objects, ‘ chondrules ’, dominantly of silicate, but occasionally grading to rare, metal-sulphide chondrules. Some meteorites comprise 70% or more of chondrules by volume. About 30% of chondrules, or less, originated as molten droplets; the remainder formed from solid or plastic rocks. No rock known from the Earth or Moon contains enough glassy spherules to be termed a chondrite, so volcanism and impact on brittle planetary surfaces were not chondrule-forming mechanisms. Chondrites have chemical compositions close to that of the volatile-free Sun, so a nebular origin for chondrules is often favoured. However, the mineralogical and chemical diversity among chondrules indicates that some had planetary origins. Furthermore, chondrules co-existed in space with disrupted fragments of planetary igneous rocks. Some chondrules may be nebular but others are not. Alternatively, all may be planetary. In either case the mechanism (s) of formation is (are) unknown.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.1988.0060","authors":["R. Hutchinson","C. M. O'd. Alexander","D. J. Barber"],"tags":["Chondrule","Chondrite","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1988-07-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.1988.0060","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2012237956","name":"Mineralogical interpretation of reflectance spectra of Eros from NEAR near‐infrared spectrometer low phase flyby","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract—High signal‐to‐noise near‐infrared spectrometer (NIS) spectra acquired during the low phase flyby of the near‐Earth asteroid rendezvous (NEAR) mission to 433 Eros are analyzed to determine mineral chemistry and proportions of mafic silicates across the asteroid's surface at 2.68 × 5.50 km spatial resolution. Spectral band parameters are derived, and compared with those of laboratory samples of known mineral composition, grain size distribution and terrestrial, meteoritic and lunar pyroxene spectral properties. The NIS derived band parameters are consistent with ordinary chondrite meteorites. We invoke the presence of a clinopyroxene component in the spectra, which is consistent with ordinary chondrite mineralogy and/or some degree of partial melting of ordinary chondritic material. Spectra measured across the surface of Eros can reveal small but real spectral variations. Most relative spectra are uniform to within 1–2%. Some areas suggest compositional variations of a few percent. Spectral slope variations of a few percent are seen indicating a non‐uniform distribution of materials affecting the slope parameter but with no resolved absorption bands. We find no correlation of slope with viewing geometry or compositional variation. The band parameter values do not consistently indicate a specific ordinary chondrite class but Eros is definitely undifferentiated with possible compositional variations of no more than 1–2%.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2001.tb01858.x","authors":["L. A. McFadden","D. D. Wellnitz","Matthew Schnaubelt","M. J. Gaffey","J. F. Bell","N. R. Izenberg","S. L. Murchie","C. R. Chapman"],"tags":["Ordinary chondrite","Chondrite","Asteroid","Geology","Pyroxene"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2001.tb01858.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2016327955","name":"Discovery of Abundant In Situ Silicate and Spinel Grains from Red Giant Stars in a Primtive Meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"We report the discovery of 12 in situ presolar silicate and spinel grains, 140-590 nm in size, in the Acfer 094 meteorite. These grains represent a matrix-normalized abundance of presolar O-rich dust of 170 parts per million. Among the 10 silicate grains are three olivines, four pyroxenes, and three grains with glasslike composition. Eleven grains have large excesses in 17 O with 17 O/ 16 O ratios of up to 2.9 times the solar ratio and slightly lower than or close-to-solar 18 O/ 16 O ratios. These grains most likely formed in 1.5-1.65 M ☉ red giant branch (RGB) or asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars with close-to-solar metallicity. One pyroxene grain has close-to-solar 17 O/ 16 O and 18 O/ 16 O of 3.8 times solar. Silicon- and Fe-isotopic ratios of this grain are suggestive of the formation in an RGB or AGB star, probably with higher-than-solar metallicity. 29 Si/ 28 Si and 30 Si/ 28 Si ratios of the silicate grains vary by ~16%, are positively correlated with one another, and fall to the 30 Si-poor side of the Si mainstream line characteristic for presolar SiC from AGB stars. This gives independent confirmation for the view that the Si mainstream line reflects the Galactic chemical evolution of the Si isotopes, except for a small shift due to dredge-up of matter from the He shell in AGB stars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1086/424842","authors":["S. Mostefaoui","P. Höppe"],"tags":["Presolar grains","Physics","Meteorite","Asymptotic giant branch","Astrophysics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-08-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1086/424842","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W425709579","name":"Atlas of Meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"A complete visual reference for meteorite classification, this atlas combines high resolution optical microscope images with detailed descriptions. It provides a systematic account of meteorites and their most important classification parameters, making it an essential resource for meteorite researchers. Each chapter starts with a description of the meteorite class, with a summary of the mineralogical, chemical and isotopic characteristics of the group. The full-color images are taken in plane- and cross-polarized light and reflected light, and arranged to highlight textural variations in meteorites. Specimens are grouped to show the effects of increasing thermal alteration and shock, as well as variations in chondrule size and type. Chapters on iron meteorites, pallasites and mesosiderites are included, photographed as mounts in reflected light, to show the range of textural variations that accompany these meteorites. Images from the book can be downloaded from www.cambridge.org/9780521840354.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781139016308","authors":["M. M. Grady","Giovanni Pratesi","Vanni Moggi Cecchi"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Enstatite","Achondrite","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-03-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781139016308","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2160054556","name":"E‐type asteroid spectroscopy and compositional modeling","source":"openalex","abstract":"We present near‐infrared spectroscopic observations (0.8–2.5 μm) of E‐type asteroids. We combine these observations with visible wavelength spectra obtained by other researchers and perform Hapke theory mixing model simulations of E‐type asteroid spectra in order to constrain possible compositions. Aubrites were originally suggested as the meteorite analog for the E‐type asteroids because of their similar visible wavelength colors and high albedos. The designation “E” was originally linked with the mineral enstatite, common in aubrite meteorites. More recently, the sulfides troilite and oldhamite have been suggested as possible components of E‐type asteroids. We tested the suggested compositional interpretations of aubrite meteorites and/or aubrites enhanced with sulfides. We also tested compositions of aubrites mixed with low‐iron silicate minerals. We find that E types can be separated into three groups on the basis of inferred composition: “Nysa‐like” E types are consistent with silicate mineralogy higher in iron than the mineral enstatite; “Angelina‐like” asteroids are consistent with silicate mineralogy, including a sulfide such as oldhamite; and “Hungaria‐like” E types are not inconsistent with aubrites. Our results indicate that some E‐type asteroids may be composed of materials that are not sampled by meteorites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2003je002200","authors":["B. E. Clark","S. J. Bus","A. S. Rivkin","Timothy McConnochie","Josh Sanders","S. Shah","T. Hiroi","Michael K. Shepard"],"tags":["Asteroid","Meteorite","Enstatite","Silicate","Troilite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2003je002200","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W3108200342","name":"Shergottite Meteorites, i: Mineralogy and Petrography","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3108200342","authors":["H. Y. McSween","Edward M. Stolper"],"tags":["Meteorite","Petrography","Geology","Mineralogy","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1978-03-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2085383657","name":"Aqueous Processes Recorded by Martian Meteorites: Analyzing Martian Water on Earth","source":"openalex","abstract":"Martian meteorites have delivered to Earth water molecules and minerals produced by aqueous processes on Mars. The study of these samples, using powerful analytical instrumentation, provides a basis for understanding aqueous activity on Mars. Although most analyses are at the scale of microns, the conclusions reached have important implications for large-scale aqueous processes. Secondary minerals, such as clays, salts, and carbonates, are present at some level in all Martian meteorite subtypes and are especially important in the nakhlites and ALH84001. Light element stable isotope analyses show evidence for mixing between atmosphere and magmatic fluids into a crustal reservoir, and that this crustal water was not in equilibrium with the host rocks. The mineralogical and isotopic data present a fairly consistent picture of the aqueous history of Mars: low levels of aqueous alteration are generally present but extensive aqueous processes are probably limited in space and time.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.2.3.157","authors":["L. A. Leshin","Edward P. Vicenzi"],"tags":["Martian","Citation","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Library science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.2.3.157","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W1985132352","name":"The Barea, Dyarrl Island, and Emery meteorites, and a review of the mesosiderites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Summary Barea and Emery are typical mesosiderites, whereas Dyarrl Island is unique in having the lowest metal content and the highest FeO/(FeO + MgO) ratio of any meteorite of this class. Average pyroxene compositions have been determined for the individual mesosiderites, and show a sequential increase in FeSiO3 content, ranging from a mean of 21 mole % for Veramin to 45 mole % for Dyarrl Island. Steinbach may possibly be classed as a mesosiderite, since its mineralogy is identical except for the absence of plagioclase. Dalgaranga and Mt. Padbury may be a paired fall. The chemical and mineralogical composition of the silicate material of the mesosiderites is similar to, but not identical with the howardites; the overall range of composition is greater in the mesosiderites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/minmag.1973.039.302.08","authors":["Brian Mason","E. Jarosewich"],"tags":["Meteorite","Plagioclase","Pyroxene","Chemistry","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1973-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1180/minmag.1973.039.302.08","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2788655956","name":"Isotopic Dichotomy among Meteorites and Its Bearing on the Protoplanetary Disk","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Whole rock Δ17O and nucleosynthetic isotopic variations for chromium, titanium, nickel, and molybdenum in meteorites define two isotopically distinct populations: carbonaceous chondrites (CCs) and some achondrites, pallasites, and irons in one and all other chondrites and differentiated meteorites in the other. Since differentiated bodies accreted 1–3 Myr before the chondrites, the isotopic dichotomy cannot be attributed to temporal variations in the disk. Instead, the two populations were most likely separated in space, plausibly by proto-Jupiter. Formation of CCs outside Jupiter could account for their characteristic chemical and isotopic composition. The abundance of refractory inclusions in CCs can be explained if they were ejected by disk winds from near the Sun to the disk periphery where they spiraled inward due to gas drag. Once proto-Jupiter reached 10–20 M ⊕, its external pressure bump could have prevented millimeter- and centimeter-sized particles from reaching the inner disk. This scenario would account for the enrichment in CCs of refractory inclusions, refractory elements, and water. Chondrules in CCs show wide ranges in Δ17O as they formed in the presence of abundant 16O-rich refractory grains and 16O-poor ice particles. Chondrules in other chondrites (ordinary, E, R, and K groups) show relatively uniform, near-zero Δ17O values as refractory inclusions and ice were much less abundant in the inner solar system. The two populations were plausibly mixed together by the Grand Tack when Jupiter and Saturn migrated inward emptying and then repopulating the asteroid belt with roughly equal masses of planetesimals from inside and outside Jupiter’s orbit (S- and C-type asteroids).","url":"https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aaa5a5","authors":["E. R. D. Scott","Alexander N. Krot","I. S. Sanders"],"tags":["Chondrite","Chondrule","Meteorite","Jupiter (rocket family)","Protoplanetary disk"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-02-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aaa5a5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2059120545","name":"AMMONIA IN THE EARLY SOLAR SYSTEM: AN ACCOUNT FROM CARBONACEOUS METEORITES","source":"openalex","abstract":"This study presents a survey of abundance distribution and isotopic composition of the ammonia found incorporated in the kerogen-like insoluble material of selected carbonaceous chondrite meteorites; the ammonia was released upon hydrothermal treatment at 300°C and 100 MPa. With the exception of Allende, a metamorphosed and highly altered stone, all the insoluble organic materials (IOM) of the meteorites analyzed released significant amounts of ammonia, which varied from over 4 μg mg −1 for the Orgueil IOM to 0.5 μg mg −1 for that of Tagish Lake; the IOM of the pristine Antarctica find GRA95229 remains the most rich in freeable ammonia with 10 μg mg −1 . While the amounts of IOM bound ammonia do not appear to vary between meteorites with a recognizable trend, a possible consequence of long terrestrial exposure of some of the stones, we found that the δ 15 N composition of the ammonia-carrying materials is clearly distinctive of meteorite types and may reflect a preservation of the original 15 N distribution of pre- and proto-solar materials.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/749/2/161","authors":["Sandra Pizzarello","Lynda B. Williams"],"tags":["Meteorite","Ammonia","Chondrite","Allende meteorite","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-04-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/749/2/161","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W3170212017","name":"Multiple fall of Příbram meteorites photographed. 2. Morphological and mineralogical composition of the meteoritic stones of Příbram","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3170212017","authors":["K. Tuček"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Composition (language)","Mineralogy","Achondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1961-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2066954242","name":"The geochemistry and mineralogy of the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary at Agost (southeast Spain)","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0009-2541(92)90016-x","authors":["Francisca Martı́nez-Ruiz","M. Ortega‐Huertas","I. Palomo","Maurizio Barbieri"],"tags":["Geology","Diagenesis","Geochemistry","Carbonate","Pyrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1992-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0009-2541(92)90016-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W1975063002","name":"HYDROCARBON MATERIALS OF LIKELY INTERSTELLAR ORIGIN FROM THE PARIS METEORITE","source":"openalex","abstract":"We have examined some grains from the Paris meteorite through infrared and Raman micro-spectroscopy in order to investigate their carbonaceous and mineralogical components. In the mid- as well as far-infrared regions, the raw and global spectra of Paris resemble those of CM meteorites. However, we have obtained rather peculiar infrared spectra for some aromatic-rich micron-sized fragments of Paris displaying a very good match between its organic signatures both in the 3.4 μm and 6 μm regions, and the ones observed from the diffuse interstellar medium infrared sources toward the Galactic center, suggesting that this meteorite may have indeed preserved some organic matter of interstellar origin.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/756/2/154","authors":["S. Merouane","Z. Djouadi","Louis Le Sergeant d’Hendecourt","B. Zanda","J. Borg"],"tags":["Meteorite","Physics","Interstellar medium","Astrobiology","Infrared"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-08-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/756/2/154","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2060069637","name":"The Geologically Recent Giant Impact Basins at Vesta’s South Pole","source":"openalex","abstract":"A New Dawn Since 17 July 2011, NASA's spacecraft Dawn has been orbiting the asteroid Vesta—the second most massive and the third largest asteroid in the solar system (see the cover). Russell et al. (p. 684 ) use Dawn's observations to confirm that Vesta is a small differentiated planetary body with an inner core, and represents a surviving proto-planet from the earliest epoch of solar system formation; Vesta is also confirmed as the source of the howardite-eucrite-diogenite (HED) meteorites. Jaumann et al. (p. 687 ) report on the asteroid's overall geometry and topography, based on global surface mapping. Vesta's surface is dominated by numerous impact craters and large troughs around the equatorial region. Marchi et al. (p. 690 ) report on Vesta's complex cratering history and constrain the age of some of its major regions based on crater counts. Schenk et al. (p. 694 ) describe two giant impact basins located at the asteroid's south pole. Both basins are young and excavated enough amounts of material to form the Vestoids—a group of asteroids with a composition similar to that of Vesta—and HED meteorites. De Sanctis et al. (p. 697 ) present the mineralogical characterization of Vesta, based on data obtained by Dawn's visual and infrared spectrometer, revealing that this asteroid underwent a complex magmatic evolution that led to a differentiated crust and mantle. The global color variations detailed by Reddy et al. (p. 700 ) are unlike those of any other asteroid observed so far and are also indicative of a preserved, differentiated proto-planet.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1223272","authors":["P. Schenk","D. P. O’Brien","S. Marchi","R. W. Gaskell","Frank Preusker","T. Roatsch","R. Jaumann","D. L. Buczkowski","T. B. McCord","H. Y. McSween","D. A. Williams","Aileen Yingst","C. A. Raymond","C. T. Russell"],"tags":["Asteroid","Geology","Impact crater","Meteorite","Asteroid belt"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-05-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1223272","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2061159379","name":"Petrology of eucrites, howardites and mesosiderites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(67)90112-3","authors":["Michael B. Duke","Leon T. Silver"],"tags":["Achondrite","Geochemistry","Geology","Breccia","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1967-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(67)90112-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W1917957407","name":"On the origin of the Almahata Sitta meteorite and 2008 TC3 asteroid","source":"openalex","abstract":"Asteroid 2008TC3 was a Near Earth Asteroid that impacted the Earth on 2008 October 7. Meteorites were produced by the break-up of 2008TC3 in the high atmosphere and at present, about 600 meteorites - called Almahata Sitta - coming from 2008TC3 have been recovered. A mineralogical study of Almahata Sitta fragments shows that the asteroid 2008TC3 was made of meteorites of different types (ureilites, H, L, and E chondrites). Understanding the origin of this body and how it was put together remain a challenge. Here we perform a detailed spectroscopical and dynamical investigation to show that the most likely source region of 2008TC3 is in the inner Main Belt at low inclination (i<8 degrees). We show that asteroids with spectroscopic classes that can be associated with the different meteorite types of Almahata Sitta are present in the region of the Main Belt that includes the Nysa-Polana family and objects of the Background at low inclination. Searching for a possible scenario of formation for 2008TC3, we show that there is little chance that 2008TC3 was formed by low velocity collisions between asteroids of different mineralogies, in the current asteroid belt. It seems more likely that the heterogeneous composition of 2008TC3 was a inherited from a time when the asteroid belt was in a different dynamical state, most likely in the very early Solar System. Because ureilites are fragments of a large, thermally metamorphosed asteroid, this suggests that the phases of collisional erosion (the break-up of the ureilite parent-body) and collisional accretion (the formation of the parent body of 2008TC3) overlapped for some time in the primordial asteroid belt.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.21220.x","authors":["Julie Gayon-Markt","Marco Delbò","Alessandro Morbidelli","S. Marchi"],"tags":["Asteroid","Meteorite","Asteroid belt","Parent body","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-06-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.21220.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2074804179","name":"Aragonite, breunnerite, calcite and dolomite in the CM carbonaceous chondrites: High fidelity recorders of progressive parent body aqueous alteration","source":"openalex","abstract":"Carbonate minerals in CM carbonaceous chondrite meteorites, along with the silicates and sulphides with which they are intergrown, provide a detailed record of the nature and evolution of parent body porosity and permeability, and the chemical composition, temperature and longevity of aqueous solutions. Fourteen meteorites were studied that range in petrologic subtype from mildly aqueously altered CM2.5 to completely hydrated CM2.0. All of them contain calcite, whereas aragonite occurs only in the CM2.5–CM2.2 meteorites and dolomite in the CM2.2–CM2.0. All of the aragonite crystals, and most of the calcite and dolomite grains, formed during early stages of parent body aqueous alteration by cementation of pores produced by the melting of tens of micrometre size particles of H2O-rich ice. Aragonite was the first carbonate to precipitate in the CM2.5 to CM2.2 meteorites, and grew from magnesium-rich solutions. In the least altered of these meteorites the aragonite crystals formed in clusters owing to physical restriction of aqueous fluids within the low permeability matrix. The strong correlation between the petrologic subtype of a meteorite, the abundance of its aragonite crystals and the proportion of them that have preserved crystal faces, is because aragonite was dissolved in the more altered meteorites on account of their higher permeability, and/or greater longevity of the aqueous solutions. Dolomite and breunnerite formed instead of aragonite in some of the CM2.1 and CM2.2 meteorites owing to higher parent body temperatures. The pore spaces that remained after precipitation of aragonite, dolomite and breunnerite cements were occluded by calcite. Following completion of cementation, the carbonates were partially replaced by phyllosilicates and sulphides. Calcite in the CM2.5–CM2.2 meteorites was replaced by Fe-rich serpentine and tochilinite, followed by Mg-rich serpentine. In the CM2.1 and CM2.0 meteorites dolomite, breunnerite and calcite were replaced by Fe-rich serpentine and Fe–Ni sulphide, again followed by Mg-rich serpentine. The difference between meteorites in the mineralogy of their replacive sulphides may again reflect greater temperatures in the parent body regions from where the more highly altered CMs were derived. This transition from Fe-rich to Mg-rich carbonate replacement products mirrors the chemical evolution of parent body solutions in response to consumption of Fe-rich primary minerals followed by the more resistant Mg-rich anhydrous silicates. Almost all of the CMs examined contain a second generation of calcite that formed after the sulphides and phyllosilicates and by replacement of remaining anhydrous silicates and dolomite (dedolomitization). The Ca and CO2 required for this replacive calcite is likely to have been sourced by dissolution of earlier formed carbonates, and ions may have been transported over metre-plus distances through high permeability conduits that were created by impact fracturing.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2014.08.019","authors":["Martin Lee","P. Lindgren","M. R. Sofe"],"tags":["Aragonite","Meteorite","Calcite","Parent body","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-08-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2014.08.019","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2017447046","name":"Carbonates in fractures of Martian meteorite Allan Hills 84001: Petrologic evidence for impact origin","source":"openalex","abstract":"Carbonates in Martian meteorite Allan Hills 84001 occur as grains on pyroxene grain boundaries, in crushed zones, and as disks, veins, and irregularly shaped grains in healed pyroxene fractures. Some carbonate disks have tapered Mg-rich edges and are accompanied by smaller, thinner and relatively homogeneous, magnesite microdisks. Except for the microdisks, all types of carbonate grains show the same unique chemical zoning pattern on MgCO3-FeCO3-CaCO3 plots. This chemical characteristic and the close spatial association of diverse carbonate types show that all carbonates formed by a similar process. The heterogeneous distribution of carbonates in fractures, tapered shapes of some disks, and the localized occurrence of Mg-rich microdisks appear to be incompatible with growth from an externally derived CO2-rich fluid that changed in composition over time. These features suggest instead that the fractures were closed as carbonates grew from an internally derived fluid and that the microdisks formed from a residual Mg-rich fluid that was squeezed along fractures. Carbonate in pyroxene fractures is most abundant near grains of plagioclase glass that are located on pyroxene grain boundaries and commonly contain major or minor amounts of carbonate. We infer that carbonates in fractures formed from grain boundary carbonates associated with plagiociase that were melted by impact and dispersed into the surrounding fractured pyroxene. Carbonates in fractures, which include those studied by McKay et al. (1996), could not have formed at low temperatures and preserved mineralogical evidence for Martian organisms.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01677.x","authors":["E. R. D. Scott","Alexander N. Krot","Akira Yamaguchi"],"tags":["Pyroxene","Plagioclase","Carbonate","Meteorite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01677.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W208649511","name":"Mineralogy and Petrology of Lunar Meteorite NWA 3136: A Glass-welded Mare Regolith Breccia of Mixed Heritage","source":"openalex","abstract":"Introduction: An oriented 95.1g shield-shaped stone with partial thin, pale brown fusion crust was found at an unspecified location in Algeria or Morocco in April 2004. The specimen has a thin, dark weathering varnish, but the interior is a very fresh, black, hard, vitreous-looking rock with small white to yellowish clasts. Minor calcite and barite are presumably a result of desert weathering. Optical and microprobe examinations reveal that it is a well consolidated, polymict breccia consisting of mineral and lithic clasts derived predominantly from mare basalts but with a smaller proportion (~20%) of highlands lithologies. The matrix consists mainly of comminuted minerals and clasts in a very fine grained, mostly crystalline and partly vitreous, material with common metal-dusted agglutinate fragments. Some clasts are of earlier regolith breccias. Oxygen isotope analyses of two whole rock fragments by laser fluorination gave δO = +5.83, +5.96, δO = +3.06, +3.10, ∆O = -0,03, -0.05 per mil, respectively.","url":"https://openalex.org/W208649511","authors":["S. M. Kuehner","A. J. Irving","D. Rumble","A. C. Hupé","G. M. Hupé"],"tags":["Breccia","Geology","Geochemistry","Clastic rock","Regolith"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-03-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W1642131426","name":"Discovery of tazheranite (cubic zirconia) in the Allende meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"During an investigation of the mineralogy of the Allende meteorite, we found Y-rich tazheranite (cubic zirconia) [(Zr,Ti,Ca,Y)O1.75] in a refractory inclusion within an amoeboid olivine aggregate. Synthetic cubic zirconia is well known in the field of materials science. Tazheranite [(Zr,Ti,Ca)O2] is a rare, naturally occurring cubic zirconia, discovered in the Tazheran massif, Russia in 1969 [1]. We report here its first occurrence in a meteorite, as an ultrarefractory mineral likely formed at the beginning stage of our solar system. FE-SEM revealed that tazheranite occurs as subhedral grains (350 nm – 1.2 μm in dia.) along with zirconolite and Fe-Ni and alloys dominant in Os-Ir-Mo-W, occupying the core area in a refractory inclusion with a rim consisting of fassaite (cpx), surrounded by olivine (Fig. 1). The mineral was only found in one polished section, prepared from a 1cm-diameter Allende fragment. The mean chemical composition of the zirconia phase determined by electron microprobe analysis is (wt%) ZrO2 49.76, TiO2 28.45, CaO 9.94, Y2O3 6.15, HfO2 2.23, FeO 2.00, Al2O3 0.96, MgO 0.47, Sc2O3 0.43, sum 100.39, giving an empirical formula: (Zr0.38Ti0.33Ca0.17Y0.05Fe0.03Al0.02Hf0.01Sc0.01Mg0.01)∑1.01O1.75, No other elements with atomic number greater than 4 were detected. In situ electron back-scatter diffraction analysis revealed that the zirconia phase has a fluorite-type Fm3m structure, identical to that of tazheranite [2] and synthetic cubic zirconia, showing a = 5.11 A and Z = 4. This cubic zirconia likley formed by condensation in the solar nebula.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1642131426","authors":["Chi Ma","George R. Rossman"],"tags":["Allende meteorite","Cubic zirconia","Electron microprobe","Materials science","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-07-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2051370928","name":"Petrographic studies of refractory inclusions from the Murchison meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Mineralogical and petrographic data are presented for ten refractory inclusions recovered by freeze‐thaw disaggregation and heavy liquid separation from the Murchison C2 chondrite. One hibonite‐, corundum‐rich and two hibonite‐spinel inclusions are completely unlike any previously described objects. The corundum‐bearing inclusion has a hibonite core that is partially replaced by corundum, which is itself partially replaced by hibonite. It formed either by condensation during varying physico‐chemical conditions or by partial incongruent melting of hibonite at ∼210O°K to form corundum and liquid, followed by distillation of calcium from the melt and reaction of the residual liquid with some of the corundum upon cooling. The melting temperature required in the latter model is far above astrophysical estimates of nebular temperatures, except perhaps at the very center of the nebula. The hibonite‐spinel inclusions are beautiful lacy aggregates of euhedral hibonite plates, some of which were pseudomorphically replaced by spinel. Textures provide compelling evidence of a vapor‐solid condensation origin and clearly show, that spinel formed by direct reaction of hibonite with the solar nebular gas, without the intervention of CaAl4O7 and prior to condensation of melilite, in conflict with equilibrium thermodynamic calculations. Four blue hibonitespinel spherules are described, three of which differ from all previously studied members of this class in being intensely altered to phyllosilicate and calcite. One shows evidence of two stages of alteration to phyllosilicates, possibly one in the solar nebula and the other in the parent body. Two of three pyroxene spinel‐, forsterite‐rich inclusions described herein differ from previously studied members of this group, one in containing a peculiar amoeba‐shaped spinel‐pyroxene core suggestive of a vapor‐solid condensation origin and the other in containing a spheroidal core suggestive of crystallization from a melt. The Murchison parent body sampled materials that formed under a wide range of nebular conditions and contains many objects composed of more refractory phase assemblages than are found in most Allende inclusions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/jb089is01p0c299","authors":["G. J. MacPherson","Lawrence Grossman","Akihiko Hashimoto","Miryam Bar‐Matthews","Tsuyoshi Tanaka"],"tags":["Murchison meteorite","Corundum","Melilite","Chondrite","Carbonaceous chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1984-11-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/jb089is01p0c299","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W3080232199","name":"Unusual Meteorites LEW86010 and ALH85085 and Eleven Chondrites: Characterization from Cosmogenic and Trapped Noble Gases and Mineralogy","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3080232199","authors":["O. Eugster","Samuel Niedermann","D. Wang"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Noble gas","Astrobiology","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1989-03-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2116193315","name":"Experimental hydrothermal alteration of a martian analog basalt: Implications for martian meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract—A number of martian meteorite samples contain secondary alteration minerals such as Ca‐Mg‐Fe carbonates, Fe oxides, and clay minerals. These mineral assemblages hint at hydrothermal processes occurring in the martian crust, but the alteration conditions are poorly constrained. This study presents the results of experiments that examined the alteration of a high‐Fe basalt by CO2‐saturated aqueous fluids at 23 and 75 °C and by mixed H2O‐CO2vapors at 200 and 400 °C and water‐rock ratios of 1:1 and 1:10. Results indicate that observable alteration of the basalt takes place after runs of only seven days. This alteration includes mobilization of silica into phases such as opal‐CT and quartz, as well as the formation of carbonates, oxides, and at some conditions, zeolites and hydrous silicates. The degree of alteration increases with run temperature and, in high‐temperature vapor experiments, with increasing water content of the vapor. The degree of alteration and the mineralogy observed in the martian meteorites suggests that none of these samples were exposed to aqueous fluids for long periods of time. Nakhla and Lafayette probably interacted with water for relatively brief periods of time; if so, silica may have been leached from the parent rocks by the altering fluids. Allan Hills 84001 shows possible evidence for very limited interaction with an aqueous fluid, but the overall slight degree of alteration described for this meteorite strongly suggests that it never interacted extensively or at high temperature with any water‐bearing fluid. Elephant Moraine A79001 may not have been altered by aqueous fluids at all. The results of this study best support models wherein the meteorite parent rocks were wetted intermittently or for brief periods of time rather than models that invoke long‐term reaction with large volumes of water. Our experiments studied alteration of a high‐Fe basalt by dilute, CO2‐saturated, aqueous solutions at 23 and 75 °C and by mixed H2O‐CO2vapors at 200 and 400 °C. The results suggest that alteration of the parent rock takes place even after very short reaction times of seven days. All experiments produced carbonate minerals, including calcite, and in some cases, magnesite, siderite, and ankerite. A free silica phase, either opal, quartz, or hydrated silica, formed in most experiments. More altered experiments also contained minerals such as zeolites and hydrous phyllosilicates. Clay minerals were not observed to form in any experiments. In aqueous fluids, higher temperature corresponded with a higher degree of alteration, whereas changing fluid composition had no observable effect. In high‐temperature vapors, the degree of alteration was controlled by temperature and the proportion of H2O to CO2, with water‐rock ratio also playing a role in transport of silica. Application of these results to martian meteorites that contain secondary alteration minerals suggests that none of the martian rocks underwent extensive interaction with aqueous fluids. Nakhla and Lafayette contain clay minerals, which suggests that they interacted with water to some extent, possibly at elevated temperatures. Although ALH84001 shows possible evidence of very limited interaction with aqueous fluids, EETA79001 does not. These results support models for the alteration of these meteorites that do not invoke long‐term interaction with water or reaction with large volumes of water. Except for some models for alteration of ALH84001, this conclusion agrees with most of the literature on alteration of martian meteorites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01971.x","authors":["Leslie L. Baker","Deborah J. AGENBROAD","Scott A. Wood"],"tags":["Martian","Meteorite","Hydrothermal circulation","Basalt","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01971.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2041723480","name":"Cumberland Falls chondritic inclusions: Mineralogy/petrology of a forsterite chondrite suite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(81)90063-6","authors":["Charles W. Neal","M. E. Lipschutz"],"tags":["Enstatite","Chondrite","Geology","Troilite","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1981-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(81)90063-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W4233347344","name":"Interplanetary Dust and Carbonaceous Meteorites: Constraints on Porosity, Mineralogy and Chemistry of Meteors from Rubble-Pile Planetesimals","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-5075-5_33","authors":["Frans J. M. Rietmeijer"],"tags":["Planetesimal","Meteoroid","Meteorite","Interplanetary dust cloud","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-08-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-5075-5_33","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2020749469","name":"Physical, Chemical, and Mineralogical Properties of Comet 81P/Wild 2 Particles Collected by Stardust","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11038-007-9214-y","authors":["George James Flynn"],"tags":["Meteorite","Comet","Mineralogy","Interplanetary dust cloud","Comet dust"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-12-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11038-007-9214-y","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W1670549421","name":"Lunar meteorites from Oman","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– Sixty named lunar meteorite stones representing about 24 falls have been found in Oman. In an area of 10.7 × 103 km2 in southern Oman, lunar meteorite areal densities average 1 g km−2. All lunar meteorites from Oman are breccias, although two are dominated by large igneous clasts (a mare basalt and a crystalline impact‐melt breccia). Among the meteorites, the range of compositions is large: 9–32% Al2O3, 2.5–21.1% FeO, 0.3–38 μg g−1 Sm, and <1 to 22.5 ng g−1 Ir. The proportion of nonmare lunar meteorites is higher among those from Oman than those from Antarctica or Africa. Omani lunar meteorites extend the compositional range of lunar rocks as known from the Apollo collection and from lunar meteorites from other continents. Some of the feldspathic meteorites are highly magnesian (high MgO/[MgO + FeO]) compared with most similarly feldspathic Apollo rocks. Two have greater concentrations of incompatible trace elements than all but a few Apollo samples. A few have moderately high abundances of siderophile elements from impacts of iron meteorites on the Moon. All lunar meteorites from Oman are contaminated, to various degrees, with terrestrial Na, K, P, Zn, As, Se, Br, Sr, Sb, Ba, U, carbonates, or sulfates. The contamination is not so great, however, that it seriously compromises the scientific usefulness of the meteorites as samples from randomly distributed locations on the Moon.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2012.01393.x","authors":["R. L. Korotev"],"tags":["Meteorite","Breccia","Geology","Astrobiology","Basalt"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-07-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2012.01393.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1986879204","name":"Pyrohydrolysis-IRMS determination of silicate chlorine stable isotope compositions. Application to oceanic crust and meteorite samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2007.03.012","authors":["Magali Bonifacie","N. Jendrzejewski","Pierre Agrinier","Max Coleman","F. Pineau","M. Javoy"],"tags":["Silicate","Meteorite","Chlorine","Chloride","Extraction (chemistry)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-03-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2007.03.012","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W1987973351","name":"AUTOMATED NanoSIMS MEASUREMENTS OF SPINEL STARDUST FROM THE MURRAY METEORITE","source":"openalex","abstract":"We report new O isotopic data on 41 presolar oxide grains, 38 MgAl 2 O 4 (spinel) and 3 Al 2 O 3 from the CM2 meteorite Murray, identified with a recently developed automated measurement system for NanoSIMS.We have also obtained Mg-Al isotopic results on 29 of the same grains (26 spinel and 3 Al 2 O 3 ).The majority of the grains have O isotopic compositions typical of most presolar oxides, fall well into the four previously defined groups, and are most likely condensates from either red giant branch or asymptotic giant branch stars.We have also discovered several grains with more unusual O and Mg compositions suggesting formation in extreme astrophysical environments, such as novae and supernovae (SNe).One of these grains has massive enrichments in 17 O, 25 Mg, and 26 Mg, which are isotopic signatures indicative of condensation from nova ejecta.Two grains of SN origin were also discovered: one has a large 18 O/ 16 O ratio typical of Group 4 presolar oxides; another grain is substantially enriched in 16 O, and also contains radiogenic 44 Ca from the decay of 44 Ti, a likely condensate from material originating in the O-rich inner zones of a Type II SN.In addition, several Group 2 presolar spinel grains also have large 25 Mg and 26 Mg isotopic anomalies that are difficult to explain by standard nucleosynthesis in low-mass stars.Auger elemental spectral analyses were performed on the grains and qualitatively suggest that presolar spinel may not have higher-than-stoichiometric Al/Mg ratios, in contrast to SIMS results obtained here and reported previously.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/717/1/107","authors":["F. Gyngard","E. Zinner","L. R. Nittler","Alain Morgand","F. J. Stadermann","Kathryn Hynes"],"tags":["Presolar grains","Meteorite","Spinel","Nucleosynthesis","Asymptotic giant branch"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-06-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/717/1/107","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2007602037","name":"The composition and thickness of the crust of Mars estimated from rare earth elements and neodymium‐isotopic compositions of Martian meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Isotopic and trace element compositions of Martian meteorites show that early differentiation of Mars produced complementary crustal and mantle reservoirs that were sampled by later magmatic events. This paper describes a mass balance model that estimates the rare earth element (REE) content and thickness of the crust of Mars from the compositions of shergottites. The diverse REE and Nd isotopic compositions of shergottites are most easily explained by variable addition of light rare earth element (LREE)–enriched crust to basaltic magmas derived from LREE‐depleted mantle source regions. Antarctic shergottites EET 79001, ALH 77005, LEW 88516, and QUE 94201 all have strongly LREE‐depleted patterns and positive initial 143Nd isotopic compositions, which is consistent with the generation of these magmas from depleted mantle sources and little or no interaction with enriched crust. In contrast, Shergotty and Zagami have negative initial 143Nd isotopic compositions and less pronounced depletions of the LREE, which have been explained by incorporation of enriched crustal components into mantle‐derived magmas (Jones, 1989; Longhi, 1991; Borg et al., 1997). The mass balance model presented here derives the REE composition of the crustal component in Shergotty by assuming it represents a mixture between a mantle‐derived magma similar in composition to EET 79001A and a LREE‐enriched crustal component. The amount of crust in Shergotty is constrained by mixing relations based on Nd‐isotopic compositions, which allows the REE pattern of the crustal component to be calculated by mass balance. The effectiveness of this model is demonstrated by the successful recovery of important characteristics of the Earth's continental crust from terrestrial Columbia River basalts. Self‐consistent results for Nd‐isotopic compositions and REE abundances are obtained if Shergotty contains ∼10–30% of LREE‐enriched crust with >10 ppm Nd. This crustal component would have moderately enriched LREE (Sm/Nd = 0.25–0.27; 147Sm/144Nd = 0.15–0.17; La/Yb = 2.7–3.8), relatively unfractionated heavy rare earth elements (HREE), and no Eu anomaly. Crust with these characteristics can be produced from a primitive lherzolitic Martian mantle by modest amounts (2–8%) of partial melting, and it would have a globally averaged thickness of <45 km, which is consistent with geophysical estimates. Mars may serve as a laboratory to investigate planetary differentiation by extraction of a primary basaltic crust.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1999.tb01352.x","authors":["M. D. Norman"],"tags":["Geology","Crust","Mantle (geology)","Meteorite","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1999.tb01352.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2043942257","name":"Acfer 094, a uniquely primitive carbonaceous chondrite from the Sahara","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The Saharan meteorite Acfer 094 is a unique type of carbonaceous chondrite. Mineralogical and petrological considerations and O isotopes are unable to distinguish unambiguously between a CO3 vs. CM2 classification. The other important light elements, C and N, have systematics that do not match any previously recognised meteorite group. Particularly important in this respect is the very low C/N ratio and δ13C of the macromolecular C. Acfer 094 has more diamond and SiC, especially X type grains, than any other specimen studied, suggesting minimal thermal or aqueous processing to decrease its very primitive status.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1995.tb01211.x","authors":["Jason Newton","A. Bischoff","J. W. Arden","I. A. Franchi","Till Geiger","A. Greshake","C. T. Pillinger"],"tags":["Meteorite","Carbonaceous chondrite","Chondrite","Parent body","Diamond"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1995-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1995.tb01211.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2206223658","name":"Correlated compositional and mineralogical investigations at the Chang′e-3 landing site","source":"openalex","abstract":"The chemical compositions of relatively young mare lava flows have implications for the late volcanism on the Moon. Here we report the composition of soil along the rim of a 450-m diameter fresh crater at the Chang'e-3 (CE-3) landing site, investigated by the Yutu rover with in situ APXS (Active Particle-induced X-ray Spectrometer) and VNIS (Visible and Near-infrared Imaging Spectrometer) measurements. Results indicate that this region's composition differs from other mare sample-return sites and is a new type of mare basalt not previously sampled, but consistent with remote sensing. The CE-3 regolith derived from olivine-normative basaltic rocks with high FeO/(FeO+MgO). Deconvolution of the VNIS data indicates abundant high-Ca ferropyroxene (augite and pigeonite) plus Fe-rich olivine. We infer from the regolith composition that the basaltic source rocks formed during late-stage magma-ocean differentiation when dense ferropyroxene-ilmenite cumulates sank and mixed with deeper, relatively ferroan olivine and orthopyroxene in a hybridized mantle source.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms9880","authors":["Zongcheng Ling","Bradley L. Jolliff","Alian Wang","Chunlai Li","Jianzhong Liu","Jiang Zhang","Bo Li","Lingzhi Sun","Jian Chen","Long Xiao","Jianjun Liu","Xin Ren","Wen-Xi Peng","Huan‐Yu Wang","Xingzhu Cui","Zhiping He","Jianyu Wang"],"tags":["Basalt","Olivine","Augite","Geology","Regolith"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-12-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms9880","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2253881385","name":"Mineralogy, provenance, and diagenesis of a potassic basaltic sandstone on Mars: CheMin X‐ray diffraction of the Windjana sample (Kimberley area, Gale Crater)","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Windjana drill sample, a sandstone of the Dillinger member (Kimberley formation, Gale Crater, Mars), was analyzed by CheMin X‐ray diffraction (XRD) in the MSL Curiosity rover. From Rietveld refinements of its XRD pattern, Windjana contains the following: sanidine (21% weight, ~Or95); augite (20%); magnetite (12%); pigeonite; olivine; plagioclase; amorphous and smectitic material (~25%); and percent levels of others including ilmenite, fluorapatite, and bassanite. From mass balance on the Alpha Proton X‐ray Spectrometer (APXS) chemical analysis, the amorphous material is Fe rich with nearly no other cations—like ferrihydrite. The Windjana sample shows little alteration and was likely cemented by its magnetite and ferrihydrite. From ChemCam Laser‐Induced Breakdown Spectrometer (LIBS) chemical analyses, Windjana is representative of the Dillinger and Mount Remarkable members of the Kimberley formation. LIBS data suggest that the Kimberley sediments include at least three chemical components. The most K‐rich targets have 5.6% K2O, ~1.8 times that of Windjana, implying a sediment component with >40% sanidine, e.g., a trachyte. A second component is rich in mafic minerals, with little feldspar (like a shergottite). A third component is richer in plagioclase and in Na2O, and is likely to be basaltic. The K‐rich sediment component is consistent with APXS and ChemCam observations of K‐rich rocks elsewhere in Gale Crater. The source of this sediment component was likely volcanic. The presence of sediment from many igneous sources, in concert with Curiosity's identifications of other igneous materials (e.g., mugearite), implies that the northern rim of Gale Crater exposes a diverse igneous complex, at least as diverse as that found in similar‐age terranes on Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2015je004932","authors":["A. H. Treiman","D. L. Bish","D. T. Vaniman","S. J. Chipera","D. F. Blake","Doug Ming","R. V. Morris","T. F. Bristow","Shaunna M. Morrison","Michael B. Baker","E. B. Rampe","Robert T. Downs","J. Filiberto","Allen F. Glazner","R. Gellert","L. M. Thompson","M. E. Schmidt","L. Le Deit","R. C. Wiens","A. C. McAdam","C. N. Achilles","K. S. Edgett","Jack D. Farmer","Kim V. Fendrich","J. P. Grotzinger","Sanjeev Gupta","John Michael Morookian","Megan Newcombe","M. S. Rice","J. G. Spray","Edward M. Stolper","D. Y. Sumner","A. R. Vasavada","A. S. Yen"],"tags":["Geology","Geochemistry","Augite","Ilmenite","Igneous rock"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-12-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2015je004932","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2038142618","name":"5,000 years old Egyptian iron beads made from hammered meteoritic iron","source":"openalex","abstract":"The earliest known iron artefacts are nine small beads securely dated to circa 3200 BC, from two burials in Gerzeh, northern Egypt. We show that these beads were made from meteoritic iron, and shaped by careful hammering the metal into thin sheets before rolling them into tubes. The study demonstrates the ability of neutron and X-ray methods to determine the nature of the material even after complete corrosion of the iron metal. The iron beads were strung into a necklace together with other exotic minerals such as lapis lazuli, gold and carnelian, revealing the status of meteoritic iron as a special material on a par with precious metal and gem stones. The results confirm that already in the fourth millennium BC metalworkers had mastered the smithing of meteoritic iron, an iron–nickel alloy much harder and more brittle than the more commonly worked copper. This is of wider significance as it demonstrates that metalworkers had already nearly two millennia of experience to hot-work meteoritic iron when iron smelting was introduced. This knowledge was essential for the development of iron smelting, which produced metal in a solid state process and hence depended on this ability in order to replace copper and bronze as the main utilitarian metals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2013.06.002","authors":["Thilo Rehren","T. Belgya","Albert Jambon","György Káli","Zsolt Kasztovszky","Zoltán Kis","Imre Kovács","Boglárka Maróti","Marcos Martinón‐Torres","Gianluca Miniaci","Vincent C. Pigott","Miljana Radivojević","L. Rosta","László Szentmiklósi","Zoltán Szõkefalvi‐Nagy"],"tags":["Metallurgy","Smelting","Bronze","Iron Age","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-08-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2013.06.002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W1989020198","name":"Mineralogical and Geochemical Study of Zhaoping, Xifu and Hami Iron Meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chinastron.2008.07.003","authors":["S. J. Lin","Weibiao Hsu"],"tags":["Kamacite","Troilite","Iron meteorite","Meteorite","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chinastron.2008.07.003","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2947065994","name":"Meteorites from the Lut Desert (Iran)","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We present for the first time a detailed report on the discovery of a new meteorite collection region in the Lut Desert, eastern–southeastern Iran, describing its geological, morphological, and climatic setting. Our search campaigns, alongside with the activity of meteorite hunters, yielded >200 meteorite finds. Here, we report on their classification, spatial distribution, and terrestrial weathering. All the collected meteorites are ordinary chondrites ( OC s). The most abundant by far are the highly weathered paired H5 distributed in the northwest of Kalut area (central Lut, Kerman dense collection area). The second are well‐preserved paired L5 also found in Kalut region. A detailed study of the geochemistry and mineralogy of selected meteorites reveals significant effects of terrestrial weathering. Fe,Ni metal (hereafter simply metal) and troilite are transformed into Fe oxyhydroxides. A rather unusual type of troilite weathering to pyrite/marcasite is observed in most of the Lut Desert meteorites. Magnetic measurements and X‐ray diffractometry confirm the occurrence of terrestrial weathering products, with the dominance of maghemite, goethite, and hematite. Mobile elements, such as Li, Sr, Mo, Ba, Tl, Th, and U, are enriched with respect to fresh falls. Meanwhile, a decrease in the V, Cr, Co, Rb (and possibly Fe) due to terrestrial weathering is detectable. The total carbon and Ca CO 3 is higher than in samples from other hot deserts. The weathering effects observed in the Lut Desert OC s can be used as distinctive indicators to distinguish them from meteorites from other regions of the Earth. Measurements of terrestrial age ( 14 C) show a range of 10–30 ka, which is in the range of ages reported for meteorites from other hot deserts except the Atacama Desert (Chile). Considering the high potential of the Lut Desert in meteorite preservation, systematic works should lead to the discovery of more samples giving access to interesting material for future studies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13311","authors":["Hamed Pourkhorsandi","J. Gattacceca","P. Rochette","Massimo D’Orazio","Hojat Kamali","Roberto Ribeiro de Avillez","Sônia Letichevsky","Morteza Djamali","Hassan Mirnejad","Vinciane Debaille","A. J. T. Jull"],"tags":["Meteorite","Troilite","Weathering","Geology","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-05-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13311","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2026026820","name":"The non‐trivial problem of meteorite pairing","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Pairing is the procedure of identifying fragments of a single meteorite fall (that were separated during atmospheric passage or during terrestrial history) by establishing the similarity of two or more meteorite fragments. We argue that pairing is governed by two principles, that only a single mismatch of properties is required to refute a proposed pairing, and that virtually all pairings bear some degree of uncertainty. Using data distributions for modern falls, we take a probability approach to estimate degrees of certainty associated with proposed pairings, emphasizing the importance of unusual features. For new pairing criteria or new analytical additions to old criteria, the degree of variation within individual meteorites must be delineated and the degree of variation within meteorite classes must be quantified. Criteria for pairing can be divided into (1) parent body history indicators, (2) meteoroid space history indicators, and (3) terrestrial history indicators. Included in these categories are 11 specific criteria, including petrographic textures, mineralogy and mineral composition, terrestrial age estimates, cosmic‐ray exposure ages, and natural thermoluminescence (TL) levels. Not all criteria are applicable to all meteorite types. About 2275 pairings suggested in the literature have been subjected to this analysis. Many literature pairings, especially those involving common meteorite types, bear large uncertainties due to lack of data.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01785.x","authors":["P. H. Benoit","D. W. G. Sears","J. Akridge","P. A. Bland","Frank J. Berry","C. T. Pillinger"],"tags":["Meteorite","Pairing","Meteoroid","Degree (music)","Petrography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01785.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2056260882","name":"UV Raman ImagingA Promising Tool for Astrobiology: Comparative Raman Studies with Different Excitation Wavelengths on SNC Martian Meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"The great capabilities of UV Raman imaging have been demonstrated on the three Martian meteorites: Sayh al Uhaymir, Dar al Gani, and Zagami. Raman spectra without disturbing fluorescence and with high signal-to-noise-ratios and full of spectral features were derived. This result is of utmost importance for the development of powerful instruments for space missions. By point scanning the surfaces of the meteorite samples, it was possible for the first time to construct UV-Raman images out of the array of Raman spectra. Deep-UV Raman images are to the best of our knowledge presented for the first time. The images were used for a discussion of the chemical-mineralogical composition and texture of the meteorite surfaces. Comparative Raman studies applying visible and NIR Raman excitation wavelengths demonstrate a much better performance for UV Raman excitation. This comparative study of different Raman excitation wavelengths at the same sample spots was done by constructing a versatile, robust sample holder with a fixed micro-raster. The overall advantages of UV resonance Raman spectroscopy in terms of sensitivity and selectivity are demonstrated and discussed. Finally the application of this new technique for a UV Raman instrument for envisaged astrobiological focused space missions is suggested.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/ac0618977","authors":["Torsten Frosch","N. Tarcea","Michael Schmitt","Hans Thiele","F. Langenhorst","Jürgen Popp"],"tags":["Raman spectroscopy","Meteorite","Martian","Chemistry","Excitation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-01-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/ac0618977","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2061995982","name":"On presolar meteoritic sulphides","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/265427a0","authors":["Donald D. Clayton","S. Ramadurai"],"tags":["Presolar grains","Meteorite","Supernova","Nucleosynthesis","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1977-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/265427a0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2551924069","name":"Mineralogical changes upon heating in the Millbillillie meteorite: Implications for paleointensity determination in Apollo samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"Measuring the intensity of the Moon's ancient magnetic field is an important goal of lunar sample analysis. Paleointensity estimates using thermal methods (Thellier–Thellier) raise the problem of sample alteration, especially for lunar samples carrying sulfides. To address this problem, we made real-time measurements of sample magnetization during heating with a three-axis vibrating sample magnetometer (the Triaxe, LeGoff and Gallet, 2004), in the hope that rapid heating would minimize alteration (Coe et al., 2014). We studied the Millbillillie meteorite, which has a lunar-like mineralogy. We find that after repeated heating phases to ∼600 °C, we form pyrrhotite, magnetite, and magnetic phases with low (200–270 °C) Curie temperatures. These low-temperature phases appear after pyrrhotite has apparently been destroyed by subsequent heating phases, and their mineralogy is unknown. These results have implications for the paleomagnetic study of any extraterrestrial samples with even small amounts of sulfides, and further experiments are required to understand them.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crte.2016.10.001","authors":["C. Cournède","I. Garrick‐Bethell","Robert S. Coe","Maxime Le Goff","Yves Gallet"],"tags":["Geology","Meteorite","Pyrrhotite","Magnetite","Paleomagnetism"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crte.2016.10.001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2049070038","name":"The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 95","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The Meteoritical Bulletin No. 95 reports 1093 (282 non‐Antarctic and 801 Antarctic) newly approved meteorite names and their recovery histories, macroscopic descriptions, petrography, mineral compositions and geochemistry. Meteorites reported include lunar meteorites, eucrites, mesosiderites, angrites, ureilites, an acapulcoite, and H, L, LL, R, CO, CM, CK and CV chondrites. Three new falls, the Bunburra Rockhole (Australia) eucrite and the recent (Nov., 2008) Buzzard Coulee (Canada) H4 chondrite, and Tamdakht (Morocco) H5 chondrite are reported.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb00742.x","authors":["M. K. Weisberg","C. L. Smith","G. K. Benedix","L. Folco","K. Righter","J. Zipfel","Akira Yamaguchi","H. Chennaoui Aoudjehane"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Geology","Geochemistry","Petrography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb00742.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2020701997","name":"Wet-chemical analysis and determination of trace elements by neutron activation in meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02513796","authors":["H. Seitner","W. Kiesl","F. Kluger","F. Hecht"],"tags":["Meteorite","Neutron activation analysis","Neutron activation","TRACE (psycholinguistics)","Trace element"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1971-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02513796","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2993052442","name":"Mineralogy and Petrography of Lunar Mare Regolith Breccia Meteorite MET 01-210","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W2993052442","authors":["A. D. Patchen","L. A. Taylor","James M.D. Day"],"tags":["Breccia","Petrography","Regolith","Geology","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-03-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2075393878","name":"Elephant Moraine 87521: The first lunar meteorite composed of predominantly mare material","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(89)90112-9","authors":["P. H. Warren","G. W. Kallemeyn"],"tags":["Breccia","Basalt","Geology","Geochemistry","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1989-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(89)90112-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2034223761","name":"The matrices of unequilibrated ordinary chondrites: Implications for the origin and history of chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(81)90262-3","authors":["G. R. Huss","Klaus Keil","G. J. Taylor"],"tags":["Chondrule","Chondrite","Metamorphism","Metamorphic rock","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1981-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(81)90262-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2020487870","name":"Studies on Al Kidirate and Kapoeta meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02064569","authors":["A. Gismelseed","F.A. El Khangi","Ather Ibrahim","A. A. Yousif","M. A. Worthing","A. Rais","M. E. Elzain","C. Kent Brooks","H. H. Sutherland"],"tags":["Troilite","Pyroxene","Meteorite","Kamacite","Achondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1994-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02064569","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2058028590","name":"A perovskitic lower mantle inferred from high-pressure, high-temperature sound velocity data","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11004","authors":["Motohiko Murakami","Yasuo Ohishi","Naohisa Hirao","Kei Hirose"],"tags":["Mantle (geology)","Geology","Silicate perovskite","Transition zone","Post-perovskite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2000394384","name":"Geochemistry, petrology and ages of the lunar meteorites Kalahari 008 and 009: New constraints on early lunar evolution","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2008.07.012","authors":["A. K. Sokol","V. A. Fernandes","Toni Schulz","A. Bischoff","R. Burgess","Robert N. Clayton","Carsten Münker","K. Nishiizumi","H. Palme","L. Schultz","G. Weckwerth","Klaus Mezger","M. Horstmann"],"tags":["Basalt","Geology","Geochemistry","Breccia","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-07-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2008.07.012","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2041778525","name":"Sources and physical processes responsible for OH/H2O in the lunar soil as revealed by the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3)","source":"openalex","abstract":"[1] Analysis of two absorption features near 3 μm in the lunar reflectance spectrum, observed by the orbiting M3 spectrometer and interpreted as being due to OH and H2O, is presented, and the results are used to discuss the processes producing these molecules. This analysis focuses on the dependence of the absorptions on lunar physical properties, including composition, illumination, latitude, and temperature. Solar wind proton-induced hydroxylation is proposed as the creation process, and its products could be a source for other reported types of hydrogen-rich material and water. The irregular and damaged fine-grained lunar soil seems especially adapted for trapping solar wind protons and forming OH owing to abundant dangling oxygen bonds. The M3 data reveal that the strengths of the two absorptions are correlated and widespread, and both are correlated with lunar composition but in different ways. Feldspathic material seems richer in OH. These results seem to rule out water from the lunar interior and cometary infall as major sources. There appear to be correlations of apparent band strengths with time of day and lighting conditions. However, thermal emission from the Moon reduces the apparent strengths of the M3 absorptions, and its removal is not yet completely successful. Further, many of the lunar physical properties are themselves intercorrelated, and so separating these dependencies on the absorptions is difficult, due to the incomplete M3 data set. This process should also operate on other airless silicate surfaces, such as Mercury and Vesta, which will be visited by the Dawn spacecraft in mid-2011.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2010je003711","authors":["T. B. McCord","L. A. Taylor","Jean‐Philippe Combe","G. Y. Kramer","C. M. Pieters","J. M. Sunshine","R. N. Clark"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Lunar soil","Solar wind","Silicate","Spacecraft"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-04-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2010je003711","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2005617279","name":"Chemical divides and evaporite assemblages on Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2005.10.021","authors":["Nicholas J. Tosca","S. M. McLennan"],"tags":["Evaporite","Martian","Geology","Mars Exploration Program","Weathering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-11-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2005.10.021","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2026762165","name":"Highly 15N-enriched chondritic clasts in the CB/CH-like meteorite Isheyevo","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2010.08.017","authors":["L. Bonal","G. R. Huss","Alexander N. Krot","K. Nagashima","H. A. Ishii","J. P. Bradley"],"tags":["Chondrule","Chondrite","Clastic rock","Geology","Carbonaceous chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-08-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2010.08.017","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2015560844","name":"The petrography, mineralogy and origins of calcium sulphate within the Cold Bokkeveld CM carbonaceous chondrite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— A detailed scanning and transmission electron microscopy study of Cold Bokkeveld has shown that calcium sulphate is widespread, occluding ∼30 μm wide matrix‐cutting fractures in addition to μm‐sized veins and irregular dissolution pores within calcitized chondrules, matrix calcite grains and Ca‐ and Al‐rich inclusions (CAI). The majority of calcium sulphate crystals have fibrous habits, especially those which have grown within straight‐sided fractures and veins. Mineralogically, the calcium sulphate is composed of a fine‐scale mixture of hemihydrate and anhydrite which have probably formed by the dehydration of primary gypsum during sample preparation. In all contexts, calcium sulphate precipitation was the last identifiable diagenetic event in the pre‐terrestrial history of Cold Bokkeveld and followed pervasive aqueous alteration of the meteorite matrix to phyllosilicates. The fibrous fracture‐ and vein‐filling calcium sulphates are morphologically similar to a terrestrial form of gypsum termed “satinspar” and so may have formed in a similar manner by precipitation from supersaturated aqueous solutions during fracture and vein dilation. The aqueous solutions were most probably generated by melting of water ice due to internal heating and/or post‐accretional impact heating of the parent body. Although impact‐produced fractures and veins may have provided conduits for fluid advection, the dissolution of calcite, alteration of metal sulphides and precipitation of gypsum probably took place when aqueous solutions were more‐or‐less static. Despite their similarity to late‐stage mineralized fractures in CI meteorites, the calcium sulphate‐filled fractures in Cold Bokkeveld probably do not have any significance regarding a shared CM‐CI parent body.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1993.tb00248.x","authors":["Martin Lee"],"tags":["Calcite","Gypsum","Anhydrite","Geology","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1993-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1993.tb00248.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W1558983682","name":"Interplanetary Dust Particles","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b0-08-043751-6/01152-x","authors":["J. P. Bradley"],"tags":["Interplanetary dust cloud","Astrobiology","Astronomy","Physics","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-12-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b0-08-043751-6/01152-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2004408037","name":"Regolith history of lunar meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The regolith evolution of the lunar meteorites Dhofar (Dho) 081, Northwest Africa (NWA) 032, NWA 482, NWA 773, Sayh al Uhaymir (SaU) 169, and Yamato (Y-) 981031 was investigated by measuring the light noble gases He, Ne, and Ar. The presence of trapped solar neon in Dho 081, NWA 773, and Y-981031 indicates an exposure at the lunar surface. A neon three-isotope diagram for lunar meteorites yields an average solar 20Ne/22Ne ratio of 12.48 ± 0.07 representing a mixture of solar energetic particles neon at a ratio of 11.2 and solar wind neon at a ratio of 13.8. Based on the production rate ratio of 21Ne and 38Ar, the shielding depth in the lunar regolith of NWA 032, NWA 482, SaU 169, and Y-981031 was obtained. The shielding depth of these samples was between 10.5 g/cm2 and >500 g/cm2. Based on spallogenic Kr and Xe, the shielding depth of Dho 081 was estimated to be most likely between 120 and 180 g/cm2. Assuming a mean density of the lunar regolith of 1.8 g/cm3, 10.5 g/cm2 corresponds to a depth of 5.8 cm and 500 g/cm2 to 280 cm below the lunar surface. The range of regolith residence time observed in this study is 100 Ma up to 2070 Ma.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00383.x","authors":["Silvio Lorenzetti","H. Busemann","O. Eugster"],"tags":["Regolith","Meteorite","Neon","Astrobiology","Isotopes of neon"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00383.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2606995490","name":"Mineralogical, crystallographic and redox features of the earliest stages of fluid alteration in CM chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2017.04.017","authors":["Isabella Pignatelli","Yves Marrocchi","Enrico Mugnaioli","Franck Bourdelle","M. Gounelle"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Chondrule","Geology","Silicate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-04-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2017.04.017","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2128334696","name":"A propensity for n‐ω‐amino acids in thermally altered Antarctic meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– Asteroids and their fragments have impacted the Earth for the last 4.5 Gyr. Carbonaceous meteorites are known to contain a wealth of indigenous organic molecules, including amino acids, which suggests that these meteorites could have been an important source of prebiotic organic material during the origins of life on Earth and possibly elsewhere. We report the detection of extraterrestrial amino acids in thermally altered type 3 CV and CO carbonaceous chondrites and ureilites recovered from Antarctica. The amino acid concentrations of the thirteen Antarctic meteorites ranged from 300 to 3200 parts‐per‐billion (ppb), generally much less abundant than in amino acid‐rich CI, CM, and CR carbonaceous chondrites that experienced much lower temperature aqueous alteration on their parent bodies. In contrast to low‐temperature aqueously altered meteorites that show complete structural diversity in amino acids formed predominantly by Strecker–cyanohydrin synthesis, the thermally altered meteorites studied here are dominated by small, straight‐chain, amine terminal (n‐ω‐amino) amino acids that are not consistent with Strecker formation. The carbon isotopic ratios of two extraterrestrial n‐ω‐amino acids measured in one of the CV chondrites (δ13C approximately −25‰) are consistent with 13C‐depletions observed previously in hydrocarbons produced by Fischer‐Tropsch type reactions. The predominance of n‐ω‐amino acid isomers in thermally altered meteorites hints at cosmochemical mechanisms for the preferential formation and preservation of a small subset of the possible amino acids.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2012.01341.x","authors":["Aaron S. Burton","Jamie E. Elsila","Michael P. Callahan","Mildred Martin","D. P. Glavin","Natasha M. Johnson","Jason P. Dworkin"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Amino acid","Abiogenesis","Strecker amino acid synthesis"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2012.01341.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2135459686","name":"Raman spectroscopic characterization of a Martian SNC meteorite: Zagami","source":"openalex","abstract":"To demonstrate the ability of Raman spectroscopy to determine the mineralogical character of a rock that originated on Mars, we analyzed a small slab of “normal Zagami” by point analyses and multipoint scans using laboratory spectrometers. Spectra of clinopyroxenes were dominant; their compositions were estimated from a calibration of Raman peak positions with Mg/(Mg+Fe) based on lunar pyroxenes of known composition, and these agree with compositions obtained by electron microprobe. A few spectra of orthopyroxene were observed. The broad spectrum of maskelynite was observed, but not that of plagioclase feldspar. Spectra of minor phosphates, magnetite, and pyrrhotite were obtained, as were spectra of an organic contaminant and of hematite, both apparently introduced during sample handling prior to Raman analysis. The modal analysis based on the multipoint scans agrees well with published values. If the spectra had been obtained on the surface of Mars by Raman spectroscopic analysis as a stand‐alone method and no other information about the sample was available (and by ignoring the spurious hematite and organic material), we could rule out sedimentary and plutonic rock types and conclude that the sample was a pyroxene‐phyric basalt.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/1999je900004","authors":["Alian Wang","Bradley L. Jolliff","L. A. Haskin"],"tags":["Geology","Raman spectroscopy","Pyroxene","Hematite","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/1999je900004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W3049362486","name":"Mineralogical and Chemical Investigation of the Waterville Iron Meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://openalex.org/W3049362486","authors":["H. H. Weinke","W. Kiesl","Roy S. Clarke"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Astrobiology","Geochemistry","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1979-12-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W1584521701","name":"Yamato-791197: A lunar meteorite in the Japanese collection of Antarctic meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Antarctic meteorite Yamato-791197 has been identified and classified as an anorthositic regolith breccia; one of the rare meteorites that originated on the moon surface. The meteorite is remarkably similar to lunar highland regolith breccias in texture, mineralogy and chemical composition, but different from other meteorites, for instance polymict eucrites and howardites, in many respects. The specimen is almost completely covered with a thick dusty-gray fusion crust, and consists of many angular clasts and black to dark brown glassy matrix. The clasts, several mm across, are white, gray and black in color, and show a variety of textures including granulitic, gabbroic, diabasic and basaltic, and vitric (melted lithic). Most clasts have been shocked. The specimen also contains rare small glass spherules. Microprobe analyses show that feldspars range from An_<92.0> to An_<98.2>, pyroxenes : En_<18.0-83.1>Fs_<9.0-58.9>Wo_<1.7-44.1> and olivines : Fo_<13.6-92.1>. The FeO/MnO ratios of both pyroxenes and olivines of Yamato-791197 are lower than those of basaltic achondrites and are similar to those of lunar samples.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1584521701","authors":["Keizô Yanai","Hideyasu Kojima"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Geology","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1984-12-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2888705000","name":"Primitive Meteorites and Asteroids","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/c2016-0-05001-5","authors":["H. Campins","J. de León","J. Licandro","Amanda Hendrix","Juan A. Sanchez","V. Alí-Lagoa"],"tags":["Asteroid","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Asteroid belt","Astronomy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/c2016-0-05001-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"oa:W2098798931","name":"Composition, mineralogy, and porosity of multiple asteroid systems from visible and near-infrared spectral data","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2014.08.040","authors":["Sean S. Lindsay","Franck Marchis","Joshua P. Emery","J. Emilio Enriquez","M. Assafin"],"tags":["Meteorite","Asteroid","Pyroxene","Chondrite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-10-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2014.08.040","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/3961557","name":"Huge Meteorite Crater under Polar Ice?","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/3961557","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-11-27T15:22:42Z","doi":"10.2307/3961557","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/scientificamerican01011876-3dsupp","name":"Iowa County' Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican01011876-3dsupp","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-05-11T20:54:53Z","doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican01011876-3dsupp","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/bf01162479","name":"Dikes from Ortler, Sarntal Alps and Brixen granite: Mineralogy, chemical composition and petrogenesis","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01162479","authors":["F. Purtscheller","A. Mogessie"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-02-02T08:49:43Z","doi":"10.1007/bf01162479","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/bf01162773","name":"Erratum","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01162773","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-02-02T12:09:37Z","doi":"10.1007/bf01162773","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/538293a","name":"Meteorite makes good catalyst","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/538293a","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-10-18T16:08:23Z","doi":"10.1038/538293a","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s004100050417","name":"Erratum: Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 131:289-305","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s004100050417","authors":["Not Available Not Available"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-08-25T04:36:27Z","doi":"10.1007/s004100050417","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.31988/scitrends.3353","name":"How Large Meteorite Impacts Affect Planetary Mantle Convection","source":"crossref","abstract":"Every now and then, car- or house-sized bodies entering Earth's atmosphere from outer space meet a fiery end in a final blaze and remind us that interplanetary space is not quite as empty as it seems. Even larger (and thankfully less numerous) objects are known to have made it to the surface of the Earth,","url":"https://doi.org/10.31988/scitrends.3353","authors":["Thomas Ruedas"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-08-03T22:00:39Z","doi":"10.31988/scitrends.3353","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/science.274.5286.324h","name":"Meteorite Recovery","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.274.5286.324h","authors":["A. Mardon"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-27T09:45:50Z","doi":"10.1126/science.274.5286.324h","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1130/geol.s.12101094","name":"Supplemental Material: The spatial flux of Earth’s meteorite falls found via Antarctic data","source":"crossref","abstract":"Ice flow model, pairing, calculation of total recoverable mass flux, latitudinal model, and fireball statistical analysis&lt;br&gt;","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/geol.s.12101094","authors":["G.W. Evatt"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-05-25T11:13:17Z","doi":"10.1130/geol.s.12101094","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-031-28805-0_9","name":"Mineralogy of Planetary Cores","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-28805-0_9","authors":["C. C. Zurkowski","Y. Fei"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-05-06T07:01:50Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-031-28805-0_9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1142/9789814616980_0012","name":"Meteorite Clues","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1142/9789814616980_0012","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-10-13T08:32:16Z","doi":"10.1142/9789814616980_0012","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/scientificamerican11211857-83d","name":"Supposed Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican11211857-83d","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-06-09T14:46:27Z","doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican11211857-83d","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/nature.2013.12145","name":"Meteorite carries ancient water from Mars","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/nature.2013.12145","authors":["Ron Cowen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-01-03T19:00:56Z","doi":"10.1038/nature.2013.12145","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5006/mp2007_46_3-15","name":"New Jersey Meteorite Subject to Corrosion","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5006/mp2007_46_3-15","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-19T22:38:02Z","doi":"10.5006/mp2007_46_3-15","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0262-4079(19)30135-6","name":"Meteorite hits moon","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0262-4079(19)30135-6","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-01-27T00:22:24Z","doi":"10.1016/s0262-4079(19)30135-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_976","name":"Meteorite, Orgueil","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_976","authors":["Therese Encrenaz","Hervé Cottin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-27T09:05:47Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_976","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4095/226113","name":"The St-Robert meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4095/226113","authors":["R Herd","D Thibault"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-12-20T11:02:27Z","doi":"10.4095/226113","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1127/0935-1221/2009/0021-1847","name":"Gated Raman spectroscopy: potential for fundamental and applied mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"Using calcite as example, we demonstrate how a pulsed UV laser and time-resolved detection methods allow discrimination of Raman signals from strong luminescence background light. It is done in time domain and spectral domain. In time domain experiments, we use the fact that Raman scattering is produced almost instantaneously, whereas for emissions associated with luminescence, a minimum of hundreds of picoseconds elapse between electronic excitation and radiative decay. In the spectral domain, Raman peaks are very close to the UV excitation frequency whereas the luminescence is spectrally separated because of its larger Stokes shift compared to Raman. The UV gated Raman technique is a potential tool for remote sensing and online sorting of minerals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1127/0935-1221/2009/0021-1847","authors":["Michael Gaft","Lev Nagli"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-08-26T03:36:34Z","doi":"10.1127/0935-1221/2009/0021-1847","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-007-1162-4_17","name":"Industrial Mineralogy: Mineral Processing, Beneficiations and Other Related Mineral Usage","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1162-4_17","authors":["Swapna Mukherjee"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-03-05T15:44:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-007-1162-4_17","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9781501508219-009","name":"CHAPTER 5. AMPHIBOLE ASBESTOS MINERALOGY","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9781501508219-009","authors":["Tibor Zoltai"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-11-09T04:01:53Z","doi":"10.1515/9781501508219-009","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2113/0520001a","name":"Dedication","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2113/0520001a","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-03-15T14:43:55Z","doi":"10.2113/0520001a","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/gsrmg.49.1.iii","name":"DEDICATION","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gsrmg.49.1.iii","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-05-01T15:59:09Z","doi":"10.2138/gsrmg.49.1.iii","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/pt.5.022032","name":"How a misbehaving meteorite changed the rules","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/pt.5.022032","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-31T16:22:33Z","doi":"10.1063/pt.5.022032","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.35948/2532-9006/2020.5436","name":"Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"Alcuni lettori ci pongono domande a proposito del termine meteorite: è maschile o femminile? E qual è il suo plurale?","url":"https://doi.org/10.35948/2532-9006/2020.5436","authors":["Claudio Giovanardi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-05-07T09:27:44Z","doi":"10.35948/2532-9006/2020.5436","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/pt.5.025105","name":"Meteorite yields clues to solar system's formation","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/pt.5.025105","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-31T11:51:09Z","doi":"10.1063/pt.5.025105","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5962/bhl.title.3510","name":"Meteorite studies. II","source":"crossref","abstract":"Of the three known stones of this fall, one-half the smallest one, weighing 223 grams, came into the possession of the Museum (Mus.No. Me 570).This individual is of irregular disk-like form, of * X A x i}£ x % inches dimension.A side and front view of it are shown in Plate XXIX.Though its shape indicates that it was a scaling, it was completely encrusted and shows orientation.One of the broad surfaces was plainly the front side, the opposite the rear side.The front side shows lines of flow radiating from an eccentric point.These lines have under the lens the form of ridges of inverted V shape gradually branching and tapering out.These ridges are of shining black glass and rise above a dull-black ground.The interior substance of the meteorite is gray with rusted spots about the metallic grains.It is of sufficiently firm texture to take a good polish.Under the microscope the crust is seen to be relatively thin, .2 - .3 mm.The zones of Tschermak are indicated, but are by no means well marked.Field Columbian Museum -Geology, Vol.III.chondri composed of porphyritic anhedral olivines or of olivine and enstatite also occur.These olivines frequently reach a length of .2 - .3 mm. and have well-defined prismatic outlines.The interstices between the crystals are usually filled with a turbid glass.The outlines of these chondri as a rule are less well-marked than are those composed of olivine and glass.Most of the chondri have spheroidal outlines, though a few fragmental forms occur.Among the constitu- ents of the general mass, lath-shaped crystals of enstatite .3 - .5 mm. in length, with cleavage parallel to the direction of length are the most conspicuous.These and the enstatite chondri are sufficiently numerous to indicate a large proportion of this mineral in the constitution of the mass.Besides enstatite, grains of olivine of various sizes and outlines are to be seen in considerable quantity.Plate XXX, from a photograph made by the writer about six months after the fall, shows the place of fall of the 178 lb.mass.The point was the base of the tree in the foreground.The meteorite in falling grazed the tree at the right, leaving a scar the observation of which by a squirrel hunter led to the discovery of the mass.Erection of a pole connecting the scar and the place of fall of the meteorite seemed to the writer to indicate a nearly vertical direction of fall.Miller,* however, estimated the angle to be 77 with the horizon, or 13 from vertical.The large roots of the tree prevented the stone from going deeply into the soil, and it was found resting on them.Considering the weight of the mass and the distance of its fall it is re- markable that it was not shattered by the impact and that the roots on which it fell were not more deeply bruised.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.3510","authors":["Oliver C. Farrington"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-11-11T21:35:20Z","doi":"10.5962/bhl.title.3510","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/rmg.2006.64.1","name":"The Emergent Field of Medical Mineralogy and Geochemistry","source":"crossref","abstract":"Research Article| January 01, 2006 The Emergent Field of Medical Mineralogy and Geochemistry Nita Sahai; Nita Sahai Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, U.S.A., e-mail: sahai@geology.wisc.edu Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Martin A. A. Schoonen; Martin A. A. Schoonen Department of Geosciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, 11794-2100, U.S.A., e-mail: martin.schoonen@stonybrook.edu Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar H. Catherine W. Skinner H. Catherine W. Skinner Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06520-8109, U.S.A., e-mail: catherine.skinner@yale.edu Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Nita Sahai Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, U.S.A., e-mail: sahai@geology.wisc.edu Martin A. A. Schoonen Department of Geosciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, 11794-2100, U.S.A., e-mail: martin.schoonen@stonybrook.edu H. Catherine W. Skinner Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06520-8109, U.S.A., e-mail: catherine.skinner@yale.edu Publisher: Mineralogical Society of America First Online: 14 Jul 2017 © The Mineralogical Society Of America Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry (2006) 64 (1): 1–4. https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2006.64.1 Article history First Online: 14 Jul 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Nita Sahai, Martin A. A. Schoonen, H. Catherine W. Skinner; The Emergent Field of Medical Mineralogy and Geochemistry. Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry 2006;; 64 (1): 1–4. doi: https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2006.64.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyReviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry Search Advanced Search Medical Mineralogy and Geochemistry is an emergent, highly interdisciplinary field of study. The disciplines of mineralogy and geochemistry are integral components of cross-disciplinary investigations that aim to understand the interactions between geomaterials and humans as well as the normal and pathological formation of inorganic solid precipitates in vivo. Research strategies and methods include but are not limited to: stability and solubility studies of earth materials and biomaterials in biofluids or their proxies (i.e., equilibrium thermodynamic studies), kinetic studies of pertinent reactions under conditions relevant to the human body, molecular modeling studies, and geospatial and statistical studies aimed at evaluating... You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2006.64.1","authors":["N. Sahai","M. A. A. Schoonen","H. C. W. Skinner"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-11-22T00:13:46Z","doi":"10.2138/rmg.2006.64.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_17","name":"The Formation of Chondrules and Chondrites and Some Observations on Chondrules From the Tieschitz Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_17","authors":["G. Kurat"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-22T04:47:03Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-010-3411-1_17","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5772/intechopen.102677","name":"Mineralogy of Peralkaline Silicic Volcanics: Information from Kone Volcano, Ethiopian Rift Valley","source":"crossref","abstract":"The presented paper described in detail the mineralogy of silicic peralkaline eruptives from Kone volcano within the Ethiopian rift system, which is formed predominantly by rhyolite with some small occurrence of trachyte. The majority of eruptive rocks in the Kone volcanic area are phenocryst-poor. The studied rocks contain alkali feldspars (anorthoclase and sanidine), quartz, clinopyroxene (hedenbergite), aenigmatite and olivine (fayalite), accompanied by rare Fe-To oxides (ilmenite) and apatite. All these minerals are described in detail. These data are very interesting for all researchers, who study similar eruptive rocks.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.102677","authors":["Dereje Ayalew","Bekele Abebe"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-12T15:13:46Z","doi":"10.5772/intechopen.102677","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1103/physics.16.s166","name":"“Spin” Leaves Its Mark on Some Meteorite Craters","source":"crossref","abstract":"Numerical simulations reveal that an impact crater's shape can depend on the impactor's spin and its degree of cohesion.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1103/physics.16.s166","authors":["Marric Stephens"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-09T00:20:46Z","doi":"10.1103/physics.16.s166","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/nature.2012.12095","name":"US meteorite was fastest on record","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/nature.2012.12095","authors":["Becky Summers"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-12-19T18:20:32Z","doi":"10.1038/nature.2012.12095","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.18122/b2mt40","name":"Investigating Hydrothermal and Radiation Effects on Nitrogen Heterocycles Relevant to Meteorite Parent Bodies","source":"crossref","abstract":"Organic compounds in meteorites were likely transformed by a variety of processes on the asteroid parent body including aqueous, thermal, and radiolytic alteration. Previous studies have identified a suite of purine nitrogen heterocycles in carbonaceous chondrites (a class of meteorites) and determined that their likely origin was due to cyanide chemistry. The thesis research described here consisted of two parts: investigating thermal effects on aqueous ammonium cyanide reactions and the production/survivability of organics (Chapter 2) and investigating gamma radiation effects on purine nitrogen heterocycles to understand how prolonged radiation exposure influenced the distribution and abundance of nitrogen heterocycles measured in meteorites today (Chapter 3). A temperature study of 1 M ammonium cyanide was conducted from room temperature to 200 °C (temperatures similar to the aqueous alteration of some carbonaceous chondrites) using a high-pressure reaction vessel. The resulting liquid supernatant and water insoluble cyanide (hetero)polymer were isolated and analyzed by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermochemolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry using tetramethylammonium hydroxide or high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection (HPLC-UV). A strong correlation was observed between thermochemolysis products of cyanide polymers and the initial reaction temperature - production of aromatic compounds increases and nitrogen containing compounds decrease with respect to increasing reaction temperature. The data presented in this thesis suggests that the polymer may be a less efficient source of nitrogen heterocycles when produced at high temperatures. HPLC-UV analysis showed that the supernatant of heated NH4CN reactions is a complex mixture containing many unknown UV-absorbing chromophores. In addition, multiple nitrogen heterocycles were tentatively identified in the supernatant of heated NH4CN reactions including the high temperature 200 °C reactions. Finally, HPLC was used to determine decomposition of seven purine nitrogen heterocycles exposed to gamma radiation from a cobalt-60 source in an effort to extrapolate abundances during the early formation of the Solar System. Generally speaking, purine nitrogen heterocycles in the solid state are very stable to high doses of γ-radiation; however, guanine experienced a 53% decomposition over the course of ~1 MGy of radiation dose. The radiolysis study correlates to similar conditions in asteroids after their initial aqueous alteration period (i.e. dry alteration) and suggests that meteorite abundances for some compounds (such as adenine) may have remained relatively unchanged over time, but other compounds (like guanine) may have had “original” abundances greater than those currently observed in carbonaceous chondrites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.18122/b2mt40","authors":["Phillip G. Hammer"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-04-03T23:41:09Z","doi":"10.18122/b2mt40","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/science.328.5976.284-a","name":"Less Old Martian Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.328.5976.284-a","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-04-15T14:30:21Z","doi":"10.1126/science.328.5976.284-a","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/3961981","name":"Meteorite Crater Identified in Alaska","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/3961981","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-11-27T15:37:45Z","doi":"10.2307/3961981","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1201/9781003033776-1","name":"Principles of Mineralogy, Oil and Gas","source":"crossref","abstract":"This chapter is devoted to building up the fundamental mineral quantization theory. It introduces the principle of minerals, rocks, and oil and gas explorations. Additionally, the natural element atomic masses signify a typical mass of the atoms containing that mineral substance and is generally not an entire number as realized on the periodic table, signifying that a mineral occurs in nature with atoms holding diverse numbers of neutrons. Minerals of the tetragonal crystal system are represented by three jointly perpendicular axes. In this regard, the dual horizontal axes are of equivalent length, while the upright axis is of dissimilar length and can perhaps be either shorter or longer than the other two. A geometric system of trigonal or rhombohedral is based on a diagonally-stretched cube. For instance, Rhodochrosite crystallizes in the trigonal system. Minerals such as pyroxene, amphibole, orthoclase, azurite, and malachite, adhere to the monoclinic crystal system and tend to form long prisms.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003033776-1","authors":["Maged Marghany"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-12-23T10:27:44Z","doi":"10.1201/9781003033776-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/3961982","name":"The 2nd Largest U.S. Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/3961982","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-11-27T15:37:45Z","doi":"10.2307/3961982","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.35597/2313-545x-2025-11-3-3","name":"Mineralogy of copper slags from the Petropavlovsky plant (Severouralsk, Sverdlovsk region)","source":"crossref","abstract":"The object of study includes the copper slags of the Petropavlovsk plant, which had been operated since 1760 to 1822 in area of an eponymous settlement, which was further transformed to town of Severouralsk (Sverdlovsk region). The composition of samples was determined using scanning electron microscopy, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and X-ray spectral analysis. The slags are composed of fayalite-hedenbergite aggregates with iscorite, magnetite, glass, metallic copper, bornite, digenite (?), sphalerite and galena. Secondary mineralization includes cuprite, brochantite, barite and atacamite. The slags are a result of smelting of sphalerite-bearing chalcopyrite ores, which were extracted at the nearby Tur’ya mines and other small ore occurrences located in the vicinity of the Petropavlovsk plant.","url":"https://doi.org/10.35597/2313-545x-2025-11-3-3","authors":["Yu.V. Erokhin","M.V. Tsyganko","V.V. Khiller","P.B. Shiryaev","N.N. Farrakhova"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-09T08:19:20Z","doi":"10.35597/2313-545x-2025-11-3-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1029/2024eo240546","name":"Meteorite Sheds Light on the Moon’s Impact History","source":"crossref","abstract":"Analysis has revealed the South Pole–Aitken basin is significantly older than other impact basins on the Moon, a finding that has implications for the evolution of the early solar system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024eo240546","authors":["Katherine Kornei"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-07T07:00:15Z","doi":"10.1029/2024eo240546","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/1811777b0","name":"Arizona Meteorite Crater","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/1811777b0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-05-30T19:15:45Z","doi":"10.1038/1811777b0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/bf01184815","name":"Foreword","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01184815","authors":["Rudolf Saager"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-02-11T08:14:42Z","doi":"10.1007/bf01184815","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-87172-6_4","name":"Herkunft und Entstehung der Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-87172-6_4","authors":["Fritz Heide"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-12-29T21:52:01Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-87172-6_4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0019-1035(88)90051-6","name":"Meteorite craters","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(88)90051-6","authors":["David W. Hughes"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-11-11T14:49:31Z","doi":"10.1016/0019-1035(88)90051-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/1871077d0","name":"The Tungusska Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/1871077d0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-07-04T17:09:04Z","doi":"10.1038/1871077d0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0019-1035(70)90021-7","name":"Meteorite research","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(70)90021-7","authors":["John A. Wood"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-11-11T20:45:22Z","doi":"10.1016/0019-1035(70)90021-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_1","name":"Wie Irrlichter aus irdischen Dünsten","source":"crossref","abstract":"Angstvoll mag der Urmensch vor Jahrtausenden seinen Blick zum Himmel gerichtet haben, wenn aus explodierenden Feuerkugeln Steine und Eisen zur Erde schossen — die Götter zürnten ...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_1","authors":["Rolf W. Bühler"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-10-08T06:49:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/news021118-7","name":"Satellites spy on meteorite explosions","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/news021118-7","authors":["Philip Ball"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-03-22T15:03:35Z","doi":"10.1038/news021118-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9781400887552","name":"Chesapeake Invader","source":"crossref","abstract":"Thirty-five million years ago, a meteorite three miles wide and moving sixty times faster than a bullet slammed into the sea bed near what is now Chesapeake Bay. The impact, more powerful than the combined explosion of every nuclear bomb on Earth, blasted out a crater fifty miles wide and one mile deep. Shock waves radiated through the Earth for thousands of miles, shaking the foundations of the Appalachians, as gigantic waves and winds of white-hot debris transformed the eastern seaboard into a lifeless wasteland. Chesapeake Invader is the story of this cataclysm, told by the man who discovered it happened. Wylie Poag, a senior scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey, explains when and why the catastrophe occurred, what destruction it caused, how scientists unearthed evidence of the impact, and how the meteorite's effects are felt even today. Poag begins by reviewing how scientists in the decades after World War II uncovered a series of seemingly inexplicable geological features along the Virginia coast. As he worked to interpret one of these puzzling findings in the 1980s in his own field of paleontology, Poag began to suspect that the underlying explanation was the impact of a giant meteorite. He guides us along the path that he and dozens of colleagues subsequently followed as--in true scientific tradition--they combined seemingly outrageous hypotheses, painstaking research, and equal parts good and bad luck as they worked toward the discovery of what turned out to be the largest impact crater in the U.S. We join Poag in the lab, on deep-sea drilling ships, on the road for clues in Virginia, and in heated debates about his findings. He introduces us in clear, accessible language to the science behind meteorite impacts, to life and death on Earth thirty-five million years ago, and to the ways in which the meteorite shaped the Chesapeake Bay area by, for example, determining the Bay's very location and creating the notoriously briny groundwater underneath Virginia. This is a compelling work of geological detective work and a paean to the joys and satisfactions of a life in science. Originally published in 1999. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400887552","authors":["C. Wylie Poag"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-05T10:01:38Z","doi":"10.1515/9781400887552","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/pt.5.020526","name":"Radar helps locate meteorite in Kansas","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/pt.5.020526","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-31T10:58:56Z","doi":"10.1063/pt.5.020526","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.01008.x","name":"Kinetics of organic matter degradation in the Murchison meteorite for the evaluation of parent-body temperature history","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract– To evaluate kinetic parameters for thermal degradation of organic matter, in situ heating experiments of insoluble organic matter (IOM) and bulk of Murchison (CM2) meteorite were conducted under Fourier transform infrared micro-spectroscopy combined with a heating stage. Decreases of aliphatic C–H band area under Ar flow were well fitted with Ginstling-Brounshtein three-dimensional diffusion model, and the rate constants for decreases of aliphatic C–H were determined. Activation energies Ea and frequency factors A obtained from these rate constants at different temperatures using the Arrhenius equation were Ea = 109 ± 3 kJ mol−1 and A = 8.7 × 104 s−1 for IOM, and Ea = 61 ± 6 kJ mol−1 and A = 3.8 s−1 for bulk, respectively. Activation energy values of aliphatic C–H decrease are larger for IOM than bulk. Hence, the mineral assemblage of the Murchison meteorite might have catalytic effects for the organic matter degradation. Using obtained kinetic expressions, the time scale for metamorphism can be estimated for a given temperature with aliphatic C–H band area, or the temperature of metamorphism can be estimated for a given time scale. For example, using the obtained kinetic parameters of IOM, aliphatic C–H is lost approximately within 200 years at 100 °C and 100 Myr at 0 °C. Assuming alteration period of 7.5 Myr, alteration temperatures could be calculated to be <15 ± 12 °C. Aliphatic C–H decrease profiles in a parent body can be estimated using time–temperature history model. The kinetic expression obtained by the infrared spectral band of aliphatic C–H could be used as an alternative method to evaluate thermal processes of organic matter in carbonaceous chondrites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.01008.x","authors":["Yoko KEBUKAWA","Satoru NAKASHIMA","Michael E. ZOLENSKY"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-10-13T09:51:00Z","doi":"10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.01008.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/2793980","name":"179. A Bamenda Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/2793980","authors":["M. D. W. Jeffreys"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-06-16T10:29:10Z","doi":"10.2307/2793980","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1029/2016eo045105","name":"Can Meteorite Impacts Disturb a Planet's Magnetic Field?","source":"crossref","abstract":"Such disturbances probably do not occur on our own planet, but evidence for them might still exist elsewhere in the solar system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2016eo045105","authors":["Kate Wheeling"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-02-09T07:00:13Z","doi":"10.1029/2016eo045105","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/pt.5.027326","name":"Sutter’s Mill meteorite contains unique molecular material","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/pt.5.027326","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-31T11:51:44Z","doi":"10.1063/pt.5.027326","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_11","name":"Erratum to: Systematik Mineralogie Petrologie Zusammensetzung","source":"crossref","abstract":"'Erratum to: Systematik Mineralogie Petrologie Zusammensetzung' published in 'Meteorite'","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_11","authors":["Rolf W. Bühler"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-10-08T06:49:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_11","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9781400887552-002","name":"Acknowledgments","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400887552-002","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-05T10:01:38Z","doi":"10.1515/9781400887552-002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/news.2007.372","name":"Mammoth tusks show up meteorite shower","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/news.2007.372","authors":["Rex Dalton"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-01-29T07:53:26Z","doi":"10.1038/news.2007.372","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9781139107518.028","name":"PRELIMINARY NOTE ON THE BINGERA METEORITE","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781139107518.028","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-12-12T16:05:06Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9781139107518.028","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s00710-003-0013-5","name":"Telluride mineralogy of the low-sulfidation epithermal Emperor gold deposit, Vatukoula, Fiji","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00710-003-0013-5","authors":["D. W. Pals","P. G. Spry"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-12-11T00:34:01Z","doi":"10.1007/s00710-003-0013-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/se-2019-131-ac7","name":"Response","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/se-2019-131-ac7","authors":["Elilson Gomes de Brito Filho"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-27T13:22:31Z","doi":"10.5194/se-2019-131-ac7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/gsrmg.49.1.vii","name":"THE AUTHORS","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gsrmg.49.1.vii","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-05-01T19:59:09Z","doi":"10.2138/gsrmg.49.1.vii","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1029/2021eo161880","name":"Ejecta Discovered Near Site of Ancient Meteorite Impact","source":"crossref","abstract":"South Africa’s Vredefort impact structure is the largest on the planet, and researchers have now discovered the first proximal ejecta possibly deriving from the cataclysmic impact.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2021eo161880","authors":["Katherine Kornei"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-08-18T07:00:17Z","doi":"10.1029/2021eo161880","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/3955586","name":"Amino Acids in a Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/3955586","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-11-27T22:51:34Z","doi":"10.2307/3955586","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/pt.5.024248","name":"Oldest Mars meteorite loses 400 million years","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/pt.5.024248","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-31T11:26:00Z","doi":"10.1063/pt.5.024248","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1127/0935-1221/2009/0021-1911","name":"6th European Conference on Mineralogy and Spectroscopy Preface","source":"crossref","abstract":"On 8–11 September 2007, the Swedish Museum of Natural History (NRM) in Stockholm hosted the 6 th European Conference on Mineralogy and Spectroscopy (ECMS6). The conference was organized jointly by staff members at the Department of Earth Sciences at Uppsala University and the Department of Mineralogy at NRM. The meeting attracted 63 participants, representing scientists from Earth Sciences, Physics and Chemistry, from 18 countries on three continents. The conference programme comprised 31 oral presentations, including seven invited talks, and in addition 38 poster presentations. Abstracts of the presented contributions are available at http://www.geo.uu.se/mpt/ecms6. Conference contributions covered a broad range of techniques and applications comprising …","url":"https://doi.org/10.1127/0935-1221/2009/0021-1911","authors":["Ulf Hålenius","Eugen Libowitzky","Manfred Wildner"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-02-18T08:10:09Z","doi":"10.1127/0935-1221/2009/0021-1911","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/bf01160147","name":"Preface","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01160147","authors":["G. Amthauer"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-02-02T07:06:19Z","doi":"10.1007/bf01160147","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/rmg.2010.71.2","name":"The Minnesota Density Functionals and their Applications to Problems in Mineralogy and Geochemistry","source":"crossref","abstract":"Research Article| January 01, 2010 The Minnesota Density Functionals and their Applications to Problems in Mineralogy and Geochemistry Yan Zhao; Yan Zhao Commercial Print Engine Lab, HP Labs, Hewlett-Packard Co., 1501 PageMill Road Palo Alto, California 94304, U.S.A., yan.zhao3@hp.com Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Donald G. Truhlar Donald G. Truhlar Department of Chemistry and Supercomputing Institute University of Minnesota Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, U.S.A., truhlar@umn.edu Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Yan Zhao Commercial Print Engine Lab, HP Labs, Hewlett-Packard Co., 1501 PageMill Road Palo Alto, California 94304, U.S.A., yan.zhao3@hp.com Donald G. Truhlar Department of Chemistry and Supercomputing Institute University of Minnesota Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, U.S.A., truhlar@umn.edu Publisher: Mineralogical Society of America First Online: 09 Mar 2017 © The Mineralogical Society Of America Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry (2010) 71 (1): 19–37. https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2010.71.2 Article history First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Yan Zhao, Donald G. Truhlar; The Minnesota Density Functionals and their Applications to Problems in Mineralogy and Geochemistry. Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry 2010;; 71 (1): 19–37. doi: https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2010.71.2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyReviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry Search Advanced Search Quantum mechanical electronic structure calculations are playing an increasingly useful role in many areas of mineralogy and geochemistry. This review introduces the density functional method for such calculations, gives an overview of the density functionals developed at the University of Minnesota, and summarizes selected applications using these density functionals that are relevant to mineralogy and geochemistry. A key reason for the importance of computational methods in mineralogy is the ability to explore problems that cannot easily be studied in the laboratory. For example, it is very difficult to carry out laboratory studies under the real conditions of the Earth's mantle... You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2010.71.2","authors":["Y. Zhao","D. G. Truhlar"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-04-12T19:03:11Z","doi":"10.2138/rmg.2010.71.2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/se-2019-131-ac5","name":"Response","source":"crossref","abstract":"We, the authors, appreciate the valuable arguments and contributions for the improvement of the article: Soil-landscape relationship in sandstonegneiss topolithosequence in the Amazonas state, Brazil.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/se-2019-131-ac5","authors":["Elilson Gomes de Brito Filho"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-27T13:19:42Z","doi":"10.5194/se-2019-131-ac5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2174/9789815136296123010006","name":"Meteorite Falls in Africa","source":"crossref","abstract":"Collecting meteorites just after their fall is a fundamental element to continue to gather information on the history of our solar system. During the period 1800-2020, 170 observed meteorite falls were recorded in Africa. The mass of fragments collected for any African meteorite range from 1.4 g to 175 kg, with a predominance of cases from 1 to 10 kg. The average rate of observed falls in Africa is low, with only one recovery per 1.29 years (i.e., 0.026 per year and per million km2 ). The African collection of observed falls is dominated by chondrites (84.4%), as in the world collection. The achondrites (10%) include three famous Martian meteorite falls: Nakhla (Egypt), Tissint (Morocco), and Zagami (Nigeria), whereas the observed iron meteorite falls are relatively rare (i.e., 5% of the collection). The rate of documented falls in Africa has been increasing since 1860, with 88% recovered during the period 1910-2020. Most of these falls have been observed and then collected in North-Western Africa, Eastern Africa and Southern Africa, in countries that feature a large area and a large but evenly distributed population. Other factors that are proven to be favorable to the observation and collection of meteorite falls on the African territory are a genuine meteorite education, the semi-arid to arid climate offering clear skies most of the time, cultivated land or sparse grassland and the possible access to the fall location favored by a low percentage of forest cover and a dense road network..","url":"https://doi.org/10.2174/9789815136296123010006","authors":["Fouad Khiri","Abderrahmane Ibhi","Lahcen Ouknine"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-10-14T07:10:10Z","doi":"10.2174/9789815136296123010006","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/hgss-2024-8","name":"The Veramin meteorite – when and where did it fall?","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract. The Veramin meteorite, believed to have fallen in 1880, near Varamin, Tehran province, Iran (then Persia), is one of few witnessed falls of a mesosiderite, a rare type of stony-iron meteorite. However, historical records show inconsistencies regarding the fall, and consequently, the naming of the meteorite. The earliest printed account, by Ferdinand Dietzsch in 1880, reported that the meteorite fell near the village ‘Karand’ east of Tehran, with a thunder-like sound. The Shah had ordered an examination of it. Later, meteoricist Aristides Brezina named it \"Veramin\". Further historical accounts include descriptions by Iranian official Mohamad Hasan Khan Sani’ od-Dowlah and the explorer Sven Hedin. A key document is Persian text on a cardboard, preserved with the main meteorite mass in Tehran’s Golestan Palace. Members of the nomadic Shahsevan-e Baghdadi tribal confederacy, who had winter settlements west of Tehran, are reported as eyewitnesses. The geologist Henry A. Ward provided a detailed description in 1901, confirming the meteorite's composition and securing a larger mass for analysis and distribution to museums. The exact location and date of the fall remain uncertain due to imprecise and conflicting sources. The most likely impact field is the Booghin-Eshtehard area west of Tehran, with the event happening sometime in the period February to April 1880. The original mentioning of “Karand” is a confusion with Zarand(ieh), 70 km to the west of Varamin.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/hgss-2024-8","authors":["Dan Holtstam","Ataollah Hassani"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-27T20:22:37Z","doi":"10.5194/hgss-2024-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00007.s001","name":"Analysis of Monocarboxylic Acids in the Murchison Meteorite by Sequential Extraction","source":"crossref","abstract":"Monocarboxylic acids (MCAs) in meteorites have significant potential to provide insight into the evolution of organic matter in the solar system considering their abundance and ubiquity. Using the Murchison meteorite, we developed a method to analyze the molecular distribution and carbon isotope ratios of MCAs in the various chemical forms in which they are present. The MCAs were divided into four fractions (F1, F2-1, F2-2, and F3) using different extraction techniques and solvents. F1 was obtained by ultrasonic extraction with CH3OH, F2-1 by ultrasonic extraction with H2O, F2-2 by reflux extraction with H2O, and F3 by reflux extraction with KOH/CH3OH. The four fractions contained linear C2–C6 and branched C4–C6MCAs, and the molecular distribution of MCAs was similar for F2-1, F2-2, and F3. The average total abundance of fractions F1, F2-1, F2-2, and F3 was 12.2, 7.06, 3.95, and 0.849 μmol g–1 of meteorite, respectively. The carbon isotope ratios of F1 and F2-1 + F2-2 were measured, and the δ13C values of MCAs in F2-1 + F2-2 appeared slightly 13C-enriched compared with those in F1 for each counterpart. Furthermore, inorganic ions such as Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Cl–, and SO42– were detected by ion chromatography. Analysis of the molecular distribution and isotopic ratios of MCAs in meteorites, based on their chemical form, can provide the relation between MCAs and insoluble organic matter (IOM), the behavior of MCAs during aqueous alteration in the parent body, and the contribution of MCAs to the missing carbon, which is lost during IOM isolation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00007.s001","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-11T15:23:43Z","doi":"10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00007.s001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9780511536137.003","name":"Potential meteorite parent bodies","source":"crossref","abstract":"Asteroids as potential meteorite parent bodies The difficulties Most meteorite researchers are confident that the near-Earth asteroids are the immediate parent bodies of the chondritic meteorites. Asteroid astronomers generally accept that most of the near-Earth asteroids originate in the Main Asteroid Belt, although some, probably around 10% (estimates have ranged as high as 50% in the past) are inert residues of comet nuclei (Wetherill and Chapman, 1988). However, when it comes to more precise links between asteroids and meteorites there are problems. As discussed below, the spectra do not fit; the commonest kinds of meteorites have spectra that match very few asteroids, while the majority of asteroids have spectra that match very few meteorites. Either the asteroids are camoflaging themselves or most of the meteorites are coming from very few sources. Just to compound the mystery, Eros, which has many of the compositional properties of an LL chondrite, has significant differences. We shall return to this below. Before getting into details, it is important to stress the difficulties of linking asteroids, based on astronomical and remote sensing data, with the meteorites we analyze in the laboratory (Bell et al. , 1989; Sears, 1998; Meibom and Clark, 1999). First, we are only looking at the very surface of the asteroids with our photometric and spectroscopic techniques. It is possible that the interior is quite different from the surface where space conditions may have caused alterations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511536137.003","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-12-22T17:36:35Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9780511536137.003","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1029/2022eo220109","name":"Machine Learning Pinpoints Meteorite-Rich Areas in Antarctica","source":"crossref","abstract":"A new algorithm suggests that only a small fraction of meteorites present on the White Continent’s surface have been recovered to date.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2022eo220109","authors":["Katherine Kornei"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-02T07:00:19Z","doi":"10.1029/2022eo220109","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.64628/ab.4cey3uw45","name":"Why did Tutankhamun have a dagger made from a meteorite?","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.64628/ab.4cey3uw45","authors":["Diane Johnson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-26T08:23:27Z","doi":"10.64628/ab.4cey3uw45","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s00710-006-0129-5","name":"Precious metal and telluride mineralogy of large volcanic-hosted massive sulfide deposits in the Urals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00710-006-0129-5","authors":["I. V. Vikentyev"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-06-12T06:47:09Z","doi":"10.1007/s00710-006-0129-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/springerreference_3576","name":"Portland cement mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/springerreference_3576","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-08-01T08:41:36Z","doi":"10.1007/springerreference_3576","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/essd-2020-211-rc1","name":"Mineralogy and geochemistry","source":"crossref","abstract":"Petrophysical rock properties, in particular thermophysical properties, relate to the mineralogy of the distinct rocks. Given the fact that the authors deal with magmatic and metamorphous rocks of the very heterogenous Mid-German Crystalline High, the age (\"stratigraphy\") is actually less important than the mineralogy of the rock types. This information from thin section analyses should be added. The classification should thus follow the mineralogical characteristics. Additionally, bulk rock geochemical analyses are imperative and should be included. Data from outcrops (weathered) and cores are presented -this point needs to be critically assessed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2020-211-rc1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-09-04T08:25:08Z","doi":"10.5194/essd-2020-211-rc1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1036/1097-8542.yb061220","name":"Mineralogy of Mars","source":"crossref","abstract":"AccessScience is an authoritative and dynamic online resource that contains incisively written, high-quality educational material covering all major scientific disciplines. An acclaimed gateway to scientific knowledge, AccessScience is continually expanding the ways it can demonstrate and explain core, trustworthy scientific information that inspires and guides users to deeper knowledge.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.yb061220","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-07-10T19:02:00Z","doi":"10.1036/1097-8542.yb061220","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/se-2019-131-ac6","name":"Response","source":"crossref","abstract":"We, the authors, appreciate the valuable arguments and contributions for the improvement of the article: Soil-landscape relationship in sandstonegneiss topolithosequence in the Amazonas state, Brazil.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/se-2019-131-ac6","authors":["Elilson Gomes de Brito Filho"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-27T13:21:12Z","doi":"10.5194/se-2019-131-ac6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_2","name":"Steine und Eisen aus dem Weltraum","source":"crossref","abstract":"Meteore werden durch staubfeine Partikel erzeugt, die mit hoher Geschwindigkeit aus dem interplanetaren Raum in die Erdatmosphäre eindringen und eine leuchtende Flugbahn erzeugen.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_2","authors":["Rolf W. Bühler"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-10-08T10:49:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-0348-6667-5_2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/1-4020-4520-4_69","name":"Chronology: Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"Anders, E. and Zinner, E. (1993) Interstellar grains in primitive meteorites: diamond, silicon carbide, and graphite. Meteoritics, 28, 490–514. Google Scholar Burnett, D. S. and Wasserburg, G. J. (1967) Evidence for the formation of an iron meteorite at 3.8 × 10 9 years. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 2, 137–47. Google Scholar Chen, J. H. and Wasserburg, G. J. (1981) The isotopic composition of uranium and lead in Allende inclusions and meteorite phosphates. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 52, 1–15. Google Scholar Hutcheon, I. D. and Hutchison, R. (1989) Evidence from the Semarkona ordinary chondrite for 26 Al heating of small planets. Nature, 337 238–41. Google Scholar Lewis, R. 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Google Scholar Cross references Asteroid ; Chondrite ; Differentiation ; Meteorite ; Meteorite parent bodies ; Solar system: origin Download references","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4520-4_69","authors":["Frank A. Podosek"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-04-04T13:21:59Z","doi":"10.1007/1-4020-4520-4_69","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/nmiddleeast.2020.131","name":"Meteorite mineral surprise","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/nmiddleeast.2020.131","authors":["Andrew Scott"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-12-21T16:35:23Z","doi":"10.1038/nmiddleeast.2020.131","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/9781394260720.ch10","name":"Meteorite Impacts","source":"crossref","abstract":"This chapter focuses on three major case studies. The first was a colossal meteorite strike that signaled the end of the age of dinosaurs 65 million years ago and graphically illustrates what happens when a meteorite strikes Earth. The second case examines controversial new evidence that a comet strike in North America may have contributed to the disappearance of the Clovis culture nine thousand years ago. Lastly, eyewitness accounts detail the largest impact event in the twentieth century, located in Tunguska, Siberia (Russia). The chapter includes information on modern meteorite research that hypothesizes about the probability of future extraterrestrial objects colliding with, and possibly destroying, Earth. It provides a discussion of meteor craters on Earth's moon as well as a colossal impact from prehistory that created Earth's moon.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394260720.ch10","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-09T03:52:24Z","doi":"10.1002/9781394260720.ch10","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/204925a0","name":"Woolgorong Stony Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/204925a0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-07-05T21:21:59Z","doi":"10.1038/204925a0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/3963074","name":"Meteorite Is Cold, Clean, Carbonaceous","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/3963074","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-11-28T05:11:19Z","doi":"10.2307/3963074","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/3955058","name":"Meteor/Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/3955058","authors":["Russell M. Harvourd"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-11-27T08:16:39Z","doi":"10.2307/3955058","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1130/spe465","name":"Large Meteorite Impacts and Planetary Evolution IV","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/spe465","authors":["Roger L. Gibson","Wolf Uwe Reimold"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-09-27T02:22:11Z","doi":"10.1130/spe465","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.31857/s086956520003197-9","name":"Meteorite “Severny Kolchim”: New Data on Mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.31857/s086956520003197-9","authors":["Yu. Erokhin","V. Koroteev","V. Khiller","K. Ivanov","D. Kleymenov"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-15T08:15:17Z","doi":"10.31857/s086956520003197-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/rmg.2014.79.ind","name":"Index of Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2014.79.ind","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-10-13T12:48:22Z","doi":"10.2138/rmg.2014.79.ind","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9780511701924.003","name":"A SYLLABUS OF LECTURES ON MINERALOGY","source":"crossref","abstract":"D ivision of Natural History into three branches—subdivision into two—distinction between organized and unorganized bodies—Minerals, simple and compound. Elementary bodies—compound substances. Definition of a simple Mineral—integrant molecule—component (or elementary) molecules. Ex. gr . Sulphuret of Iron—carbonate of Lime. Definition of a compound Mineral— ex. gr . Granite. Distinction between Mineralogy and Geology—mode of pursuing the study of Mineralogy—want of a precise arrangement—number of species inconsiderable. Method of identifying species—characters of Minerals—terms used in Mineralogy—subdivision of Physical and Chemical characters. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER Composition of the integrant molecule—analysis of Minerals—estimation of the essential and accidental ingredients. GEOMETRIC CHARACTERS Crystallization—definition of a crystal—to every Mineral a certain series of crystals— ex. gr . Quartz—some forms common to different species. Secondary crystals artificially constructed by the addition of integrant molecules to a primitive nucleus. Laws of decrement: 1st. On the Edges— ex.gr . Rhomboidal and pentagonal dodecahedrons derived from the Cube. 2d. On the Angles— ex. gr . Regular octohedron derived from the Cube. 3d. Mixed decrements. 4th. Intermediate decrements. Subtractive molecules. Compound secondary crystals— ex. gr . Icosahedron. Regular pentagonal dodecahedion and regular icosahedron incompatible with the laws of crystallization. Number of crystalline forms—laws of decrement limited in nature. Natural mode in which crystals are formed—from solution—from fusion. Progress of crystallography—opinions of Linnæus—Tournefort—Romé de l'Isle—Bergman—Haüy. All crystals of the same species reducible to one form—cleavage— ex. gr . Rhomboid extracted from all crystals of carbonate of lime—some primitive forms common to different species—Structure—Fracture.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511701924.003","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-03-24T09:41:29Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9780511701924.003","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/science.274.5286.329a","name":"Meteorite Recovery","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.274.5286.329a","authors":["A. Mardon"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-10-27T14:30:41Z","doi":"10.1126/science.274.5286.329a","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/163092a0","name":"A Giant Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/163092a0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-01-03T00:21:19Z","doi":"10.1038/163092a0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/science.ns-12.286.39","name":"THE BENDEGO METEORITE","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.ns-12.286.39","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-10-04T19:44:33Z","doi":"10.1126/science.ns-12.286.39","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/se-2019-131-ac3","name":"Response","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/se-2019-131-ac3","authors":["Elilson Gomes de Brito Filho"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-27T13:18:46Z","doi":"10.5194/se-2019-131-ac3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/bf01164364","name":"Editorial","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01164364","authors":["E. F. Stumpfl"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-02-03T15:24:32Z","doi":"10.1007/bf01164364","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9781400887552-001","name":"Preface","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400887552-001","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-05T10:01:38Z","doi":"10.1515/9781400887552-001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1130/spe550","name":"Large Meteorite Impacts and Planetary Evolution VI","source":"crossref","abstract":"This volume represents the proceedings of the homonymous international conference on all aspects of impact cratering and planetary science, which was held in October 2019 in Brasília, Brazil. The volume contains a sizable suite of contributions dealing with regional impact records (Australia, Sweden), impact craters and impactites, early Archean impacts and geophysical characteristics of impact structures, shock metamorphic investigations, post-impact hydrothermalism, and structural geology and morphometry of impact structures—on Earth and Mars. Many contributions report results from state-of-the-art investigations, for example, several that are based on electron backscatter diffraction studies, and deal with new potential chronometers and shock barometers (e.g., apatite). Established impact cratering workers and newcomers to the field will appreciate this multifaceted, multidisciplinary collection of impact cratering studies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/spe550","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-03-19T17:28:36Z","doi":"10.1130/spe550","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.64628/ab.hygtpmgpu","name":"Meteorite impact turns silica into stishovite in a billionth of a second","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.64628/ab.hygtpmgpu","authors":["Simon Redfern"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-26T09:28:41Z","doi":"10.64628/ab.hygtpmgpu","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/pt.5.028601","name":"Ancient meteorite provides hints about Earth's nitrogen","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/pt.5.028601","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-31T11:52:57Z","doi":"10.1063/pt.5.028601","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/scientificamerican11091878-2365bsupp","name":"An Aerial Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican11091878-2365bsupp","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-05-26T12:07:42Z","doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican11091878-2365bsupp","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/science.321.5894.1268k","name":"Explaining Meteorite Oxygen Isotope Composition","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.321.5894.1268k","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-09-07T12:13:59Z","doi":"10.1126/science.321.5894.1268k","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1180/emu-notes.2.2","name":"Analytical, experimental, and computational methods in environmental mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"The writing and production of this volume recognize its potential role as a textbook for courses in \"Environmental Mineralogy\", a field that calls on both core mineralogical skills and interdisciplinary understanding across chemical, biological and geological fields. It is an area ideally suited the development of advanced teaching that redefines the boundaries of mineralogy, one of the oldest of the sciences. In that context, this volume fulfils a need defined in the Socrates/Erasmus Programme of the European Union. Sponsorship from the EU in the development of a coordinated European curriculum in mineralogy has been important in bringing this project to fruition, and thus in creating materials for European courses in environmental mineralogy, specifically as an Intensive Programme (lP) which falls at the border between Erasmus CDI and CDA levels.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/emu-notes.2.2","authors":["Roy A. Wogelius","David J. Vaughan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-04-05T16:19:19Z","doi":"10.1180/emu-notes.2.2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/se-2019-131-ac4","name":"Response","source":"crossref","abstract":"We, the authors, appreciate the valuable arguments and contributions for the improvement of the article: Soil-landscape relationship in sandstonegneiss topolithosequence in the Amazonas state, Brazil.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/se-2019-131-ac4","authors":["Elilson Gomes de Brito Filho"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-27T13:19:42Z","doi":"10.5194/se-2019-131-ac4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/springerreference_3519","name":"Green river mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/springerreference_3519","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-08-01T08:41:36Z","doi":"10.1007/springerreference_3519","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1180/emu-notes.2.5","name":"Microbial controls on the mineralogy of the environment","source":"crossref","abstract":"The purpose of this chapter is to provide some insight into how microorganisms affect the chemistry and physical characteristics of their surroundings. It is not intended to be an exhaustive review. Rather, we will summarise some basic concepts and draw upon some specific examples to illustrate in more detail the intimate connections between biological and mineralogical processes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/emu-notes.2.5","authors":["Jillian F. Banfield","Susan A. Welch"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-04-05T16:19:19Z","doi":"10.1180/emu-notes.2.5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.24852/pa2022.1.39.34.48","name":"The Copper Smelting Furnace at the Novotemirsky Ancient Mine","source":"crossref","abstract":"The paper presents research results of the copper smelting furnace at the turn of the 3rd/2nd millennium BC discovered in the ancient mine Novotemirsky. This is the first evidence of the metals smelting from ores directly at the deposit in the Bronze Age of the Southern Trans- Urals. The technology of smelting metals from ores (the furnace structure, the type of ores and slags, the melting temperature, and the metal composition) was determined using a complex of mineralogical and geochemical research methods (optical and electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence analysis and LA-ICP-MS)., The results demonstrate an original metallurgical technology despite the territorial-chronological localization of the furnace within the Sintashta culture. In particular, sulfide inclusions in the Cr-rich containing olivine slags find analogies in the Abashevo culture from multilayer Bronze Age settlements of the Southern Urals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.24852/pa2022.1.39.34.48","authors":["Polina S. Ankusheva","Maksim N. Ankushev","Irina P. Alaeva","Aleksander V. Fomichev","Ivan A. Blinov","Dmitry A. Artemyev"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-13T06:38:34Z","doi":"10.24852/pa2022.1.39.34.48","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/3975347","name":"Unexpected Images of Meteorite Strikes","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/3975347","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-11-27T20:27:16Z","doi":"10.2307/3975347","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5771/9783835344211-371","name":"Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"Humboldts Mineraliensammlungen bieten einen neuen Blick auf einen der größten deutschen Naturforscher.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5771/9783835344211-371","authors":["Alexander von Humboldt"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-06-03T08:15:26Z","doi":"10.5771/9783835344211-371","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/springerreference_4907","name":"Minerals and mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/springerreference_4907","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-08-01T13:48:37Z","doi":"10.1007/springerreference_4907","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/se-2019-131-ac1","name":"Response","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/se-2019-131-ac1","authors":["Elilson Gomes de Brito Filho"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-27T13:14:37Z","doi":"10.5194/se-2019-131-ac1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9781501508844-011","name":"10. Mineralogy of Beryllium in Granitic Pegmatites","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9781501508844-011","authors":["Petr Černý"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-11-09T04:01:53Z","doi":"10.1515/9781501508844-011","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1130/geol.26213s.12101094","name":"Supplemental Material: The spatial flux of Earth’s meteorite falls found via Antarctic data","source":"crossref","abstract":"Ice flow model, pairing, calculation of total recoverable mass flux, latitudinal model, and fireball statistical analysis&lt;br&gt;","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/geol.26213s.12101094","authors":["G.W. Evatt"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-05-25T12:15:43Z","doi":"10.1130/geol.26213s.12101094","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/pt.5.026658","name":"Recently discovered Martian meteorite has unique properties","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/pt.5.026658","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-31T11:51:44Z","doi":"10.1063/pt.5.026658","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0262-4079(11)60392-8","name":"Meteorite mystery","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0262-4079(11)60392-8","authors":["Frank Sierowski"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-02-19T09:47:46Z","doi":"10.1016/s0262-4079(11)60392-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5962/bhl.title.3476","name":"The Rodeo meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"This meteorite is an iron mass found about 1852 by a goat-herder in an arroya north of the Nazas River, 12 kilometers northwest of the hamlet of Rodeo, State of Durango, Mexico.The location is approximately 25 20' N. lat.and 104 40' W. long.Upon discovery of the iron it was made to do duty as an anvil at a forge for many years.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.3476","authors":["Oliver C. Farrington"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-11-11T16:35:01Z","doi":"10.5962/bhl.title.3476","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/3962160","name":"Meteorite Fall Reported in Madagascar","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/3962160","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-11-28T04:57:51Z","doi":"10.2307/3962160","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/science.305.5684.569c","name":"Lunar Meteorite Phones Home","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.305.5684.569c","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-07-31T00:54:41Z","doi":"10.1126/science.305.5684.569c","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/acsearthspacechem.2c00274.s001","name":"Meteorite Parent Body Aqueous Alteration Simulations of Interstellar Residue Analogs","source":"crossref","abstract":"Some families of carbonaceous chondrites are rich in\\nprebiotic\\norganics that may have contributed to the origin of life on Earth\\nand elsewhere. However, the formation and chemical evolution of complex\\nsoluble organic molecules from interstellar precursors under relevant\\nparent body conditions has not been thoroughly investigated. In this\\nstudy, we approach this topic by simulating meteorite parent body\\naqueous alteration of interstellar residue analogs. The distributions\\nof amines and amino acids are qualitatively and quantitatively investigated\\nand linked to closing the gap between interstellar and meteoritic\\nprebiotic organic abundances. We find that the abundance trend of\\nmethylamine > ethylamine> glycine > serine > alanine >\\nβ-alanine\\ndoes not change from pre- to post-aqueous alteration, suggesting that\\ncertain parental cloud conditions have an influential role on the\\ndistributions of interstellar-inherited meteoritic organics. However,\\nthe abundances for most of the amines and amino acids studied here\\nvaried by about 2-fold when aqueously processed for 7 days at 125\\n°C, and the changes in the α- to β-alanine ratio\\nwere consistent with those of aqueously altered carbonaceous chondrites,\\npointing to an influential role of meteorite parent body processing\\non the distributions of interstellar-inherited meteoritic organics.\\nWe detected higher abundances of α- over β-alanine, which\\nis opposite to what is typically observed in aqueously altered carbonaceous\\nchondrites; these results may be explained by at least the lack of\\nminerals, inorganic species, and insoluble organic matter-relevant\\nmaterials in the experiments. The high abundance of volatile amines\\nin the non-aqueously altered samples suggests that these types of\\ninterstellar volatiles can be efficiently transferred to asteroids\\nand comets, supporting the idea of the presence of interstellar organics\\nin solar system objects.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.2c00274.s001","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-09T07:50:15Z","doi":"10.1021/acsearthspacechem.2c00274.s001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1063/pt.5.027144","name":"Comet or meteorite? A hundred-year-old mystery solved","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/pt.5.027144","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-31T11:51:44Z","doi":"10.1063/pt.5.027144","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/132132b0","name":"A New Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/132132b0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-01-02T22:19:34Z","doi":"10.1038/132132b0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/egusphere-egu24-14995","name":"Advanced Meteorite Identification through YOLO Object Detection Algorithms","source":"crossref","abstract":"This study addresses the challenge of visually identifying meteorites from terrestrial rocks, traditionally a task for experts followed by chemical analysis. We propose a transformative approach using computer vision and machine learning, employing YOLO (You Only Look Once) object detection algorithms (versions 5, 6, 7, and 8), to overcome the bottleneck in expert availability for instantaneous classification. Leveraging a curated selection from the Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences, and Technology (SAASST) unique meteorite collection, we aim to differentiate meteorites from terrestrial rocks based on their surface features and characteristics. The collection comprises a diverse assemblage of approximately 8,000 objects such as iron meteorites, Martian meteorites, tektites, fulgurites, and more. Our methodology includes a comparative analysis of YOLO versions, focusing on precision, recall, and F1 scores to assess each algorithm's adaptability to the unique features of meteoritic material. Preliminary results indicate YOLOv5 as the most efficient compared to its previous versions, achieving a maximum mAP of 0.995 and correctly classifying 93% of test samples. This study aims to determine the optimal YOLO version for enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of meteorite classification. In addition, the selected optimal model will be deployed on a Jetson Nano processor aboard a drone, significantly enhancing onsite meteorite detection capabilities.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-14995","authors":["Aisha Alowais","Munya Alkhalifa","Salma Subhi","Ilias Fernini"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-09T02:09:04Z","doi":"10.5194/egusphere-egu24-14995","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1201/9781003079569-18","name":"A Study of Applied Mineralogy of Ores from Weigang Iron Mine, CHINA","source":"crossref","abstract":"Primary ore and their concentration products from Skarn type Weigang iron mine ore studied by means of Spectral analysis, chemical analysis, opitical microscope and electron probe etc. The primary ores are classified into three categories and eight technological types. Samples of the category one and two are studied for their chemical element association, quantitative mineralogical composition, equilibrium state of iron sulphur element and the state of grain inter-locking, grain size distribution characteristic of exploitable mineral. Twenty-four samples of pyrite have been studied by chemical analysis of single minerals and electron probe, and two of these samples have been studied for their element image of Fe, S and Co. The results suggest that the occurrence form of cobalt in pyrite is regarded as in the form of isomorphism. T Fe value (the total Content of Fe) in the concentrated ore is lower and the T Fe value in the tailings is higher. The lower degree liberation of magnetite is main reason. Additionally the content of the pyrite Can be up to 95% in the concentrated pyrites ores through a simple floatation in laboratory, cobalt content in the concentrates is 0.189%. and It is enough for complex recovery.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003079569-18","authors":["Chen Zhaoxi","Xu Zhenhong"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-07-23T13:10:15Z","doi":"10.1201/9781003079569-18","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/131614b0","name":"The Great Siberian Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/131614b0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-01-02T22:07:04Z","doi":"10.1038/131614b0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1127/ejm/2016/0028-2546","name":"The 8th European Conference on Mineralogy and Spectroscopy","source":"crossref","abstract":"Preface to the special ECMS 2015 Conference held in Rome (Italy)","url":"https://doi.org/10.1127/ejm/2016/0028-2546","authors":["Giovanni Andreozzi","Ferdinando Bosi","Francesco di Benedetto"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-09-13T02:26:23Z","doi":"10.1127/ejm/2016/0028-2546","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9781400887552-023","name":"Index","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400887552-023","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-05T10:01:38Z","doi":"10.1515/9781400887552-023","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/se-2019-131-ac2","name":"Response","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/se-2019-131-ac2","authors":["Elilson Gomes de Brito Filho"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-27T13:17:32Z","doi":"10.5194/se-2019-131-ac2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/3960406","name":"Dogger Turns Rocker with Meteorite Find","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/3960406","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-11-27T15:18:14Z","doi":"10.2307/3960406","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s004100050266","name":"Mineralogy and origin of stichtite in chromite-bearing serpentinites","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s004100050266","authors":["Lewis D. Ashwal","Bruce Cairncross"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-08-25T04:36:27Z","doi":"10.1007/s004100050266","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9781400887552-020","name":"Glossary","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400887552-020","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-05T10:01:38Z","doi":"10.1515/9781400887552-020","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1029/2024eo240243","name":"A Splashy Meteorite Was Forged in Multiple Collisions","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Winchcombe meteorite was recovered, largely from a driveway, just hours after it fell to Earth, preserving evidence that its early relatives could have filled Earth’s oceans.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024eo240243","authors":["Damond Benningfield"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-10T07:00:18Z","doi":"10.1029/2024eo240243","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1029/2019eo126295","name":"Oldest Meteorite Collection Found in World’s Oldest Desert","source":"crossref","abstract":"Rare 2-million-year record reveals the meteorite flux rate.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2019eo126295","authors":["Mary Morton"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-06-15T07:00:17Z","doi":"10.1029/2019eo126295","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/027511a0","name":"The Alfianello Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/027511a0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-01-03T05:02:54Z","doi":"10.1038/027511a0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/scientificamerican02221890-11798bsupp","name":"A Singular Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican02221890-11798bsupp","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-06-10T11:54:43Z","doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican02221890-11798bsupp","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/bf00398637","name":"Antarktische Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00398637","authors":["Ludolf Schultz"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-11-09T04:01:20Z","doi":"10.1007/bf00398637","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.64628/ab.dp57j9hmw","name":"Could a meteorite really have killed a bus driver in India?","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.64628/ab.dp57j9hmw","authors":["Monica Grady"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-26T08:56:04Z","doi":"10.64628/ab.dp57j9hmw","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-030-67183-9_4","name":"Some Aspects of Uranous (U4+) Mineralogy in the Light of Crystallochemical ATEM Data","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67183-9_4","authors":["Olga Alexandrovna Doynikova"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-04-27T16:08:55Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-030-67183-9_4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.35597/2313-545x-2024-10-4-7","name":"Mineralogy and ore formation conditions of the Naily gold deposit (South Urals)","source":"crossref","abstract":"The paper examines mineralogy of noble metals and ore formation conditions at the Naily gold deposit (South Urals), which is hosted in pyrite-bearing talc-carbonate, chlorite-quartz-carbonate and quartz-carbonate metasomatites after serpentinites and rocks of a gabbrodiorite-plagiogranite complex. Based on microscopic and electron microscopic studies of polished sections and heavy concentrates, it is established that native gold and Au tellurides are the major Au minerals of veins, metasomatites after intermediate and felsic intrusive rocks and foliated serpentinites. Native gold occurs as: 1) inclusions in pyrite and rarely in chalcopyrite, 2) free particles associated with non-metallic minerals, which probably fll interstitions, 3) interstitial forms in pyrite aggregates often together with chalcopyrite, galena and sphalerite, and veinlets in hessite, 4) fne inclusions in tetradymite and 5) inclusions in limonite. Tellurides of noble metals include calaverite, petzite, hessite and an unidentifed Ag and Pb sulfotelluride. Silver is also incorporated in acanthite and Hg-Ag-Sb-As, Pb-Bi-Ag and Cu-Ag-Pb-Bi sulfosalts. The Ag content of free native gold is 10–16 wt. % increasing to 20–24 wt. % in native gold in pyrite and in assemblage with hessite. Altaite, coloradoite and Ni and Pd tellurides are found in assemblages similar to noble metal mineralization. The formation temperature of chlorite from ore-bearing metasomatites is 339–392 °C. Fluid inclusions in quartz, calcite and albite are homogenized at a temperature range of 162–377 °C. The eutectic temperature (–23.5 °C) is typical of NaCl-KCl-H2O system. The ice melting temperature varies from –0.5 to –3.7 °C corresponding to salinity of 0.9– 6.0 wt. % NaCl-equiv.","url":"https://doi.org/10.35597/2313-545x-2024-10-4-7","authors":["A.D. Smirnitskaya","E.A. Rozhkova","E.V. Belogub","K.A. Novoselov","M.V. Zabotina","M.A. Rassomakhin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-14T09:05:36Z","doi":"10.35597/2313-545x-2024-10-4-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1180/emu-notes.13.5","name":"Microbial controls on the mineralogy of the environment","source":"crossref","abstract":"Microbes have a dramatic impact on the mineralogy of the environment as a result of their metabolic processes. Microorganisms can control both acidity and redox chemistry as a result of respiration, photosynthesis, chemoautotrophy or anaerobic respiration. The net impact of these biogeochemical reactions can result in formation of minerals that have distinctive 'bulk' and surface chemical characteristics, morphology and trace element or isotopic composition that is distinct from those produced abiotically. This chapter describes several examples of both direct and indirect biomineralization including the role of neutrophilic and acidophilic iron oxidizers on the biogeochemistry of Fe minerals in two mine sites, the role of microbial metabolic processes on mineral weathering and nutrient cycling, and the enhanced mobility and enrichment of economically important trace elements such as zinc, gold and the rare earth elements.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/emu-notes.13.5","authors":["Susan A. Welch","Jillian F. Banfield"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-07-26T13:45:03Z","doi":"10.1180/emu-notes.13.5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s007100070024","name":"Mineralogy and geochemistry of Late Ordovician phosphate-bearing oolitic ironstones from NW Sardinia, Italy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s007100070024","authors":["M. Franceschelli","M. Puxeddu","M. Carta"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-02-12T18:05:56Z","doi":"10.1007/s007100070024","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1127/ejm/2016/0028-2510","name":"Structural Mineralogy - A special issue in honour of Thomas Armbruster","source":"crossref","abstract":"This issue of the European Journal of Mineralogy is a Festschrift to celebrate the exceptional scientific and educational carrier of Professor Thomas Armbruster on the occasion of his retirement from the University of Bern, Switzerland. The issue collects papers written by his friends and colleagues, who wanted to honour Thomas’ achievements and to acknowledge his influence upon them in both scientific and human perspectives . Thomas Armbruster was born in 1950 in Baden-Baden, studied at the University of Mainz and obtained his PhD …","url":"https://doi.org/10.1127/ejm/2016/0028-2510","authors":["Sergey V. Krivovichev"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-03-16T04:35:47Z","doi":"10.1127/ejm/2016/0028-2510","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/140542a0","name":"American Museum Meteorite Collections","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/140542a0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-01-03T02:42:49Z","doi":"10.1038/140542a0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4159/harvard.9780674366534.c9","name":"9. A Meteorite Falls","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4159/harvard.9780674366534.c9","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-03-31T20:14:50Z","doi":"10.4159/harvard.9780674366534.c9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7185/gold2023.18697","name":"Origin of volatiles in rocky bodies – an iron meteorite story","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7185/gold2023.18697","authors":["Damanveer Grewal","Paul Asimow"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-11T11:28:26Z","doi":"10.7185/gold2023.18697","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1201/9781003174868","name":"A Meteorite Killed My Cow","source":"crossref","abstract":"Meteorites are generally considered to be bizarre and exotic space junk that you only ever come across in museums. But the reality is very different. Meteorites are generally harmless, with the exception of a cow in Venezuela and a few dinosaurs. Well, quite a few dinosaurs in fact! They are arriving on Earth every day, everywhere, in the form of fine dust. The result is that meteorites can be collected from the rooftops of houses everywhere. It’s not easy and you need to know what to look for. This book will help. Meteorites are the oldest rocks in our Solar System and contain grains that are even older. These space rocks provide science with the best available evidence concerning the origin and early evolution of the Solar System. This book introduces the reader to the fascinating and sometimes bizarre world of space rocks using a simple, clear layman-friendly style. It explains why they are so special and describes their main characteristics. The non-technical approach used throughout the book make it particularly accessible to the general public and it will be of interest to anyone looking to learn more about these cosmic visitors and the wealth of scientific information they contain. Features: Provides a concise introduction to the world of meteorites in an accessible and non-technical way Demonstrates how meteorites can be found locally and provides practical guidance on how to search for them! Emphasizes the human side of meteorites and how ordinary people can and do encounter meteorites in a wide variety of settings","url":"https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003174868","authors":["Richard Greenwood"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-13T17:57:02Z","doi":"10.1201/9781003174868","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0262-4079(09)60560-1","name":"Fragments of unique meteorite found","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0262-4079(09)60560-1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-02-28T09:55:32Z","doi":"10.1016/s0262-4079(09)60560-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-642-78523-8_31","name":"Technological Mineralogy and Technological Properties of Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-78523-8_31","authors":["O. V. Kononov","W. Petruk"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-12-29T23:45:37Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-642-78523-8_31","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/scientificamerican11011879-3178asupp","name":"A New Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican11011879-3178asupp","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-05-27T14:11:27Z","doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican11011879-3178asupp","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/bf01167103","name":"Mineralogy and geochemistry of reduction spheroids in red beds","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01167103","authors":["B. A. Hofmann"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-02-03T17:34:38Z","doi":"10.1007/bf01167103","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/139540b0","name":"Rusting of a Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/139540b0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-01-02T20:15:04Z","doi":"10.1038/139540b0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/gsrmg.43.1.iv","name":"FOREWORD","source":"crossref","abstract":"Other| January 01, 2001 FOREWORD Paul H. Ribbe Paul H. Ribbe Series Editor for MSA Blacksburg, Virginia, September 14, 2001 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry (2001) 43 (1): iv. https://doi.org/10.2138/gsrmg.43.1.iv Article history first online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Paul H. Ribbe; FOREWORD. Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry 2001;; 43 (1): iv. doi: https://doi.org/10.2138/gsrmg.43.1.iv Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All ContentBy SocietyReviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry Search Advanced Search The scientific editors of this volume, John Valley and David Cole, organized a Short Course on Stable Isotope Geochemistry presented November 2–4 2001 in conjunction with the annual meetings of the Geological Society of America in Boston, Massachusetts. The contributors to this review volume were the instructors. The Mineralogical Society of America (MSA) sponsored the course and is published and distributor of this and other books in the Review in Mineralogy and Geochemistry series. Alex Speer, Executive Director of MSA, and Myrna Byer, of Printing Service Associates, Inc., are acknowledged for their considerable contributions to the success of this volume.... You do not currently have access to this article.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gsrmg.43.1.iv","authors":["P. H. Ribbe"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-05-01T15:58:43Z","doi":"10.2138/gsrmg.43.1.iv","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1515/9781400887552-toc","name":"Contents","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400887552-toc","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-05T10:01:38Z","doi":"10.1515/9781400887552-toc","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1029/2016eo053545","name":"Pharaoh's Iron Dagger Made from a Meteorite, Study Confirms","source":"crossref","abstract":"After examining the metal under bombardment by X-rays, scientists find the composition of King Tutankhamun's knife blade matches \"iron of the sky.\"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2016eo053545","authors":["Elizabeth Deatrick"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-06-02T07:00:23Z","doi":"10.1029/2016eo053545","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1180/emu-notes.13.2","name":"Analytical, experimental and computational methods in environmental mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"The analytical, experimental and computational methods now used in environmental mineralogy are introduced and illustrated with selected examples. Following a note on the importance of the radiation sources used for diffraction and spectroscopic studies, and a brief reminder of the key role still played by routine methods of mineral characterization (optical microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction [XRD], electron microbeam methods), more specialist techniques for the characterization of bulk solids (including nanoparticles) are considered. These include synchrotron-based advanced XRD and X-ray scattering methods, X-ray absorption spectroscopies, X-ray microprobe techniques, and infrared and Raman spectroscopies. Also considered are transmission electron microscopy, nuclear and magnetic spectroscopies, and particle induced X-ray emission. Following this, attention is focused on the characterization of mineral surfaces and interfaces using low-energy electron diffraction, X-ray reflectivity, X-ray absorption and X-ray standing wave methods, X-ray photoelectron and Auger electron spectroscopies, secondary ion mass spectrometry, environmental scanning electron microscopy, scanning tunnelling and atomic force microscopies and laser confocal microscopy. Computer modelling of solids, surfaces and solution species is discussed briefly before experimental approaches to determining reaction kinetics are considered, followed by experimental studies of the phenomena of adsorption, of evolution of the mineral surface during processes such as silicate weathering, and of how combinations of methods can be used to study the geochemical cycling of arsenic, olivine breakdown, or the comparative reactivities of silicate, carbonate, sulfide and oxide minerals.Environmental mineralogy necessarily begins with the characterization of minerals and associated phases in the key environmental systems. Such characterization involves the identification of minerals, and determination of quantities of the phases, together with compositional and textural information. It may extend to more detailed studies of, for example, very small (‘nano-’) particles, microtextures, or mineral surface chemistry. Beyond such studies of the natural materials, whether ‘pristine’ or ‘contaminated’ through some human activity, it is possible to undertake experiments in the laboratory using minerals or synthetic analogues in order to elucidate some processes of environmental importance. In many low-temperature systems, the minerals occur as both important reactants and as reaction products.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/emu-notes.13.2","authors":["Roy A. Wogelius","David J. Vaughan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-07-26T13:45:03Z","doi":"10.1180/emu-notes.13.2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1130/geol.s.12101094.v1","name":"Supplemental Material: The spatial flux of Earth’s meteorite falls found via Antarctic data","source":"crossref","abstract":"Ice flow model, pairing, calculation of total recoverable mass flux, latitudinal model, and fireball statistical analysis&lt;br&gt;","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/geol.s.12101094.v1","authors":["G.W. Evatt"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-05-18T08:15:28Z","doi":"10.1130/geol.s.12101094.v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s00710-005-0119-z","name":"Mineralogy of telluride-bearing epithermal ores in the Kassiteres-Sappes area, western Thrace, Greece","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00710-005-0119-z","authors":["P. Voudouris","M. Tarkian","K. Arikas"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-04-07T12:17:15Z","doi":"10.1007/s00710-005-0119-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/129932b0","name":"Meteorite Craters in Arabia","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/129932b0","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-01-02T21:50:14Z","doi":"10.1038/129932b0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/science.56.1444.249-a","name":"METEORITE HUNTING","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.56.1444.249-a","authors":["A. M. Miller"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-10-05T00:54:58Z","doi":"10.1126/science.56.1444.249-a","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9780511536083.015","name":"Meteorite stranding surfaces and the ice sheet","source":"crossref","abstract":"METEORITES AND BLUE ICE The well known rock cycle describes the ways in which natural processes degrade and disperse geological materials, sorting their components and converting them into the raw materials of new, and often very different, rocks. At the earth's surface, meteorites are further from chemical equilibrium than most terrestrial rocks and therefore are more susceptible to destruction by weathering and dispersal of their components. They are also very rare among the overwhelming background of terrestrial materials. This is not true of the meteorites we find in Antarctica – they resist weathering for long periods of time and are often found in high concentrations on exposed patches of bluish ice at, or above, about 2000 m elevation. If a patch of blue ice contains a concentration of meteorites we call it a meteorite stranding surface . To a meteoriticist, the levels of concentration are almost unbelievable: as of December, 1999, Japanese, US and European field teams had searched only about 3500 km 2 of blue ice and recovered around 17 800 meteorite specimens. Until recently, much emphasis had been put on the “treasure trove” aspect of the meteorite finds and their demonstrated value as scientific specimens, while very little attention had been given to the “treasure chests,” i.e., the sites where they are found. These sites and the meteorites found on them are linked to the history of the ice sheet and to climate change.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511536083.015","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-12-22T17:36:01Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9780511536083.015","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1071/9781486318087","name":"Lucky’s Star","source":"crossref","abstract":"On a quiet spring morning, something strange falls from the sky and lands on a small country town. Lucky watches as 'stars' rain down on the fields and farms, but just what are these unusual objects? And what will Lucky do with her own special find? Lucky’s Star explores the fascinating true story of the Murchison meteorite. The pieces of space rock that were discovered in Murchison, Victoria, provided clues about the origins of life on Earth. Fragments from the meteorite contain the oldest material ever found – stardust! Reading level varies from child to child, but we recommend this book for ages 5 to 9.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1071/9781486318087","authors":["Mark Greenwood","Lucia Masciullo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-27T20:35:16Z","doi":"10.1071/9781486318087","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1130/spe518","name":"Large Meteorite Impacts and Planetary Evolution V","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/spe518","authors":["Gordon R. Osinski","David A. Kring"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-09-05T19:29:11Z","doi":"10.1130/spe518","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5962/bhl.title.3564","name":"Handbook and catalogue of the meteorite collection","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.3564","authors":["Oliver C. Farrington"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-11-11T21:36:08Z","doi":"10.5962/bhl.title.3564","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/rmg.2002.50.0","name":"FOREWORD","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2002.50.0","authors":["P. H. Ribbe"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-04-19T15:46:35Z","doi":"10.2138/rmg.2002.50.0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/bf01168500","name":"Book review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01168500","authors":["G. Amthauer"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-02-03T14:27:44Z","doi":"10.1007/bf01168500","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/science.77.1986.87","name":"NO METEORITE","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.77.1986.87","authors":["R. W. Stone"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-10-05T03:12:34Z","doi":"10.1126/science.77.1986.87","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1127/0935-1221/2012/0024-2248","name":"The 7th European Conference on Mineralogy and Spectroscopy","source":"crossref","abstract":"The rapid advancement in technology offers new methods for performing investigations in the broad field of mineralogy. New spectroscopic techniques open frontiers in both basic science and in applied research. These range from a basic understanding of the mechanisms of structural phase transitions to the compositional effect on thermodynamic and transport properties of crystalline and amorphous natural solids, to the development of protocols for the remote-sensing detection of the presence (even in small amounts) of dangerous contaminants or of precious ores, to the explanation of unusual materials behaviour thus solving century-long debates, or to unravelling the complex history of famous gemstones. All of this incredible technical development is accompanied by more and more effective computational techniques. These are crucial for interpreting complicated experimental results at the microscopic level, and are often the only means to explore minerals and materials behaviour at conditions of the deep Earth, barely accessible or even inaccessible to …","url":"https://doi.org/10.1127/0935-1221/2012/0024-2248","authors":["Monika Koch-Müller","Michael Fechtelkord","Vladimir Khomenko","Sergio Speziale"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-09-12T21:21:12Z","doi":"10.1127/0935-1221/2012/0024-2248","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1180/emu-notes.13.4","name":"Mineralogy of marine sediment systems","source":"crossref","abstract":"Sediments are a major component of the ocean system and the composition of, and chemical processes acting upon, these sediments are controlled by many factors. In this chapter we outline the major types of marine sediment (lithogenous, biogenic, hydrogeneous and authigenic), discuss the sources of these and their chemical and mineral characteristics. The most abundant minerals are (oxyhydr)oxides, clay minerals, sulfides and carbonates, and all of these have been studied extensively, using a range of mineralogical techniques. A major aim of this chapter is to provide a framework by which the mineral transformations that take place upon, or just below, the sea-floor can be understood. There are significant thermodynamic, kinetic and biological controls on these transformations, and the interaction of these plays a major role in element cycling between the oceans and the lithosphere, and trace element-enrichment on the sea-floor and carbon burial and remineralization. Further, we conclude that more research is required on the interactions between minerals and bacteria within marine sediments, and on the role of amorphous oxide minerals delivered from land in early burial reactions and mineral precipitations. Oceans cover ∼70% of the Earthâ∈™s surface so that the processes operating within the marine realm and upon ocean floors play a marked role in element and nutrient cycling, biological productivity, ultimately exerting an important influence on global climate. This chapter will focus on the distribution, composition and mineralogy of sediments that are actively accumulating on the sea floor, both in the shallow marine and deep ocean realms. Further, it will describe the geochemical and mineralogical processes operating in these sediments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/emu-notes.13.4","authors":["Andrew C. Aplin","Kevin G. Taylor"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-07-26T13:45:03Z","doi":"10.1180/emu-notes.13.4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/3958176","name":"Meteorite Material Is Oldest Yet Found","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/3958176","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-11-28T04:00:45Z","doi":"10.2307/3958176","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/scientificamerican03061880-145d","name":"A New Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican03061880-145d","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-06-10T20:48:32Z","doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican03061880-145d","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/bf01173767","name":"IMA '98 Toronto, Canada","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01173767","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-02-08T08:44:08Z","doi":"10.1007/bf01173767","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/rmg.2014.79.cp","name":"Arsenic - Color Plates","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2014.79.cp","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-09-06T04:16:28Z","doi":"10.2138/rmg.2014.79.cp","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/rmg.2005.57.0","name":"PREFACE","source":"crossref","abstract":"Other| January 01, 2005 PREFACE Giovanni Ferraris; Giovanni Ferraris Torino, Italy Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Stefano Merlino Stefano Merlino Pisa, Italy Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry (2005) 57 (1): iii–v. https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2005.57.0 Article history first online: 03 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Giovanni Ferraris, Stefano Merlino; PREFACE. Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry 2005;; 57 (1): iii–v. doi: https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2005.57.0 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All ContentBy SocietyReviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry Search Advanced Search You do not currently have access to this article.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2005.57.0","authors":["G. Ferraris"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-06-13T21:19:06Z","doi":"10.2138/rmg.2005.57.0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/rmg.2006.62.0","name":"PREFACE","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2006.62.0","authors":["H. Keppler"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-09-19T15:34:32Z","doi":"10.2138/rmg.2006.62.0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/springerreference_76402","name":"Carbonate Mineralogy and Geochemistry","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/springerreference_76402","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-01-20T13:22:25Z","doi":"10.1007/springerreference_76402","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2136/sssaspecpub3.c2","name":"Engineering Applications of Soil Mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"Application of soil mineralogy to engineering pertains to the entire size range of soil minerals from small boulders to colloidal clays and simpler oxides and to the use of such minerals and mineral associations (rocks) in the form of visually recognizable components in masonry structures, through more or less anonymous constituents of various types of concretes and mortars to the silt and clay minerals in natural, modified and stabilized soils employed for engineering purposes. Pertinent also are engineering specialty uses of relatively pure clays such as bentonite.The importance of the stability and durability of engineering facilities containing soil mineral constituents places emphasis on chemical mineralogy, i. e. on the actual and potential interactions between these minerals and other companion constituents within the system environment. However, physical - mainly optical - identification methods play an ever increasing role in detecting potentially troublesome minerals.In practically all engineering uses of soil minerals, their actual and potential interaction with the water substance is of special significance. While this interaction varies in degree and type as a function of the extent, molecular composition and structure of the accessible surfaces, there exists a unifying element of great theoretical and practical promise in the fact that practically all soil minerals as well as the water substance are volumetrically essentially oxygen ion structures. Some of the major consequences of this are pointed out in the paper.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaspecpub3.c2","authors":["Hans F. Winterkorn"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-07-16T14:43:03Z","doi":"10.2136/sssaspecpub3.c2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/bf01172488","name":"IMA '98 Toronto, Canada","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01172488","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-02-04T02:13:47Z","doi":"10.1007/bf01172488","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.gca.2013.04.024","name":"Fe-carbide and Fe-sulfide liquid immiscibility in IAB meteorite, Campo del Cielo: Implications for iron meteorite chemistry and planetesimal core compositions","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2013.04.024","authors":["Andrew G. Tomkins","Eleanor R. Mare","Massimo Raveggi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-05-03T07:09:55Z","doi":"10.1016/j.gca.2013.04.024","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/130026d0","name":"Meteorite Craters","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/130026d0","authors":["S. W. SMITH"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-01-03T03:36:08Z","doi":"10.1038/130026d0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/science.67.1724.40","name":"NO METEORITE","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.67.1724.40","authors":["R. W. Stone"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-10-05T02:00:56Z","doi":"10.1126/science.67.1724.40","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.4095/102117","name":"Catalogue of the national meteorite collection of Canada, revised to December 31, 1979","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.4095/102117","authors":["R J Traill"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-02-02T21:19:58Z","doi":"10.4095/102117","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cbo9781139107518.029","name":"METALLIC METEORITE, QUEENSLAND <i>(one Illustration)</i>","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781139107518.029","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-12-12T16:05:06Z","doi":"10.1017/cbo9781139107518.029","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/science.288.5471.1545e","name":"Post-Stishovite in the Shergotty Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.288.5471.1545e","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-27T05:40:50Z","doi":"10.1126/science.288.5471.1545e","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/scientificamerican04121890-11895bsupp","name":"A Swedish Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican04121890-11895bsupp","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-06-10T11:58:04Z","doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican04121890-11895bsupp","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/nhess-2016-359-rc2","name":"REVIEW FOR nhess-2016-359 Numerical modeling of the 2013 meteorite entry in Chebarkul Lake, Russia","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-2016-359-rc2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-10-24T23:32:47Z","doi":"10.5194/nhess-2016-359-rc2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/scientificamerican03201880-177","name":"The New Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican03201880-177","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-06-10T21:54:57Z","doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican03201880-177","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/rmg.2008.68.1","name":"Introduction","source":"crossref","abstract":"Research Article| January 01, 2008 Introduction Glenn J. MacPherson Glenn J. MacPherson Smithsonian Institution, PO Box 37012, MRC 119, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012, U.S.A., macphers@si.edu Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Glenn J. MacPherson Smithsonian Institution, PO Box 37012, MRC 119, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012, U.S.A., macphers@si.edu Publisher: Mineralogical Society of America First Online: 03 Mar 2017 © The Mineralogical Society Of America Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry (2008) 68 (1): 1–3. https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2008.68.1 Article history First Online: 03 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Glenn J. MacPherson; Introduction. Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry 2008;; 68 (1): 1–3. doi: https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2008.68.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyReviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry Search Advanced Search Hydrogen may be the most abundant element in the universe, but in science and in nature oxygen has an importance that is disproportionate to its abundance. Human beings tend to take it for granted because it is all around us and we breathe it, but consider the fact that oxygen is so reactive that in a planetary setting it is largely unstable in its elemental state. Were it not for the constant activity of photosynthetic plants and a minor amount of photo dissociation in the upper atmosphere, we would not have an oxygen-bearing atmosphere and we would not be here.... You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2008.68.1","authors":["G. J. MacPherson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-02-06T22:28:44Z","doi":"10.2138/rmg.2008.68.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/bf01162752","name":"Preface","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01162752","authors":["A. H. Wilson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-02-03T10:10:34Z","doi":"10.1007/bf01162752","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/bf01163256","name":"Editorial","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01163256","authors":["E. F. Stumpfl"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-02-03T10:25:51Z","doi":"10.1007/bf01163256","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.202Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/gsrmg.51.1.iii","name":"FOREWORD","source":"crossref","abstract":"Other| January 01, 2002 FOREWORD Paul H. Ribbe Paul H. Ribbe Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry (2002) 51 (1): iii. https://doi.org/10.2138/gsrmg.51.1.iii Article history first online: 03 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Paul H. Ribbe; FOREWORD. Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry 2002;; 51 (1): iii. doi: https://doi.org/10.2138/gsrmg.51.1.iii Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All ContentBy SocietyReviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry Search Advanced Search You do not currently have access to this article.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gsrmg.51.1.iii","authors":["P. H. Ribbe"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-05-01T15:59:37Z","doi":"10.2138/gsrmg.51.1.iii","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/rmg.2005.59.0","name":"PREFACE","source":"crossref","abstract":"Other| January 01, 2005 PREFACE Jillian F. Banfield; Jillian F. Banfield Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Javiera Cervini-Silva; Javiera Cervini-Silva Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Kenneth H. Nealson Kenneth H. Nealson Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry (2005) 59 (1): v. https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2005.59.0 Article history first online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Jillian F. Banfield, Javiera Cervini-Silva, Kenneth H. Nealson; PREFACE. Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry 2005;; 59 (1): v. doi: https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2005.59.0 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All ContentBy SocietyReviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry Search Advanced Search FROM THE SERIES EDITOR This volume was prepared in advance of a short course entitled “Molecular Geomicrobiology.” The short course, sponsored by the Mineralogical Society of America, the Geochemical Society, the US Department of Energy, and NASA Astrobiology Institute, was held at the University of California, Berkeley, December 3–4, 2005 prior to the fall AGU meeting in San Francisco, California. Errata (if any) can be found at the MSA website www.minsocam.org.Jodi J. Rosso, Series Editor West Richland, Washington October 2005 As geomicrobiologists, we seek to understand how some of nature’s most complex systems work, yet the very complexity... You do not currently have access to this article.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2005.59.0","authors":["J. F. Banfield"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-12-05T17:18:22Z","doi":"10.2138/rmg.2005.59.0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.203Z"},{"id":"oa:W3166944161","name":"Mercury, Moon, Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"The evolution of the interior of stagnant-lid bodies is comparatively easier to model and predict with respect to the Earth's due to the absence of the large uncertainties associated with the physics of plate tectonics, its onset time and efficiency over the planet's history. Yet, the observational record for these bodies is both scarcer and sparser with respect to the Earth's. It is restricted to a limited number of samples and a variety of remote-sensing measurements of billions-of-years-old surfaces whose actual age is difficult to determine precisely. Combining these observations into a coherent picture of the thermal and convective evolution of the planetary interior represents thus a major challenge. In this chapter, we review key processes and (mostly geophysical) observational constraints that can be used to infer the global characteristics of mantle convection and thermal evolution of the interior of Mercury, the Moon, and Mars, the three major terrestrial bodies where a stagnant lid has likely been present throughout most of their history.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119528609.ch17","authors":["Nicola Tosi","Sebastiano Padovan"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Planet","Astrobiology","Mantle convection","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-06-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119528609.ch17","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z"},{"id":"oa:W2604881663","name":"Measuring Nitrous Oxide Emissions from agriculture","source":"openalex","abstract":"Photo by Andrew VanderZaag. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are usually the first thing to come to mind when talking about greenhouse gases, but there is a suite of greenhouse gases of concern. One of these is nitrous oxide (N2O). Nitrous oxide occurs naturally in the atmosphere, but levels are increasing due to human activity. This increase is concerning as N2O has more than 300 times the warming potential of CO2 and can remain in the atmosphere for over 100 years. The greatest sources of N2O from human activity include agriculture and fossil fuel combustion. Agricultural systems contribute N2O through fertilizer application, the breakdown of crop residue, and animal waste. Nitrous oxide is a by-product of soil microbial processes, and the production of N2O depends upon soil characteristics, weather, carbon sources, and other environmental factors. Because these factors can vary from site to site, it is challenging to develop broad strategies to reduce N2O emissions. Recent articles in the Journal of Environmental Quality (JEQ) and Soil Science Society of America Journal (SSSAJ) report on different aspects of N2O emissions. From improving methods to measure N2O flux to evaluating the impact of seasonal cycles, fertilizer inputs, and cover crops on emissions, these articles point out the need to have accurate measures of N2O emissions and an understanding of how management actions and environmental variables can influence N2O flux. The primary pathways for production of N2O in soils are denitrification and nitrifier-denitrification. These biological pathways are influenced by soil properties, including oxygen availability. “When there is nitrogen available as a substrate for microbial metabolism, rates of N2O production from these pathways generally increase as soil oxygen concentrations decrease,” says Jen Owens, a recent Ph.D. graduate of Lincoln University in New Zealand and co-author of the new SSSAJ article, “Nitrous Oxide Fluxes and Soil Oxygen Dynamics of Soil Treated with Cow Urine” (as of this writing, its’ in the First Look section of the SSSAJ site but will be available soon at https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2016.09.0277). Despite N2O being a potent greenhouse gas, there is relatively little data exploring how soil physical properties impact soil oxygen concentration and subsequently influence N2O emissions. Laboratory work has demonstrated that relative soil gas diffusivity explained N2O emissions (see Balaine et al. 2013 at https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2013.04.0141). Owens explains, “Relative soil gas diffusivity is a physical variable that describes the rate of gas diffusion in soil relative to that of free air. It gives an indication of how easily oxygen moves into and through the soil by telling us how much of the pore space is available for diffusion of gas.” Wanting to determine how well soil moisture, soil oxygen content, and soil gas diffusivity explained N2O emissions, Owens and colleagues conducted a field study. The study took place in 2014 in an ungrazed perennial ryegrass pasture at Lincoln University. The experimental site is poorly drained, which Owens points out is an important detail because “soil oxygen concentrations are more prone to decreasing when soil moisture increases in poorly drained soils, which encourages greater rates of N2O production.” The authors compared soil with a simulated urine patch, using urine collected from cows off site, to soil without urine inputs. Soil in the simulated urine patches were reported to have daily fluxes of N2O that were 16 times greater than non-urine soils. In these patches, Owens and colleagues observed an immediate increase in N2O emissions after urine was applied and also measured greater emissions when flooding occurred. This demonstrated how, in a poorly drained site, urine patches provide a source of nitrogen that is readily converted to N2O when soil oxygen concentration drops. The results also support the hypothesis that soil oxygen and soil gas diff","url":"https://doi.org/10.2134/csa2017.62.0413","authors":["Tracy Hmielowski"],"tags":["Nitrous oxide","Greenhouse gas","Environmental science","Denitrification","Agriculture"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2134/csa2017.62.0413","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z"},{"id":"oa:W4225277831","name":"DiSSCo-Flanders WP2 - task 2.1, Detailed inventory of the collections: Report","source":"openalex","abstract":"This report presents the results of DiSSCo-Flanders WP2 task 2.1 ‘Detailed inventory of the collections’.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6511351","authors":["Ann Van Baelen","Nathalie Poot","Lise Beirinckx","Ann Bogaerts","E. Bellefroid","Tim Claerhout","Sofie De Smedt","Chantal Dugardin","Henry Engledow","Frédérik Leliaert","Joke Ossaer","Zjef Pereboom","Patrick Semal","Dieter Slos","L. V. Smirnova","L. Vandepitte","Emily Veltjen","Maarten Trekels"],"tags":["Task (project management)","Computer science","Information retrieval","Engineering","Systems engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-05-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6511351","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z"},{"id":"oa:W4413265871","name":"TanSat-2: a new satellite for mapping solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence at both red and far-red bands with high spatiotemporal resolution","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. Global observations of solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) serve as a robust proxy for monitoring vegetation photosynthetic activity and elucidating the terrestrial carbon cycle. To date, several atmospheric remote sensing satellites have been deployed to generate global SIF products. However, accurate mapping of dual-band (red and far-red) SIF with daily temporal resolution and kilometer-level spatial resolution remains a critical gap, despite its significance for various applications. The Chinese next-generation greenhouse gas monitoring satellite, TanSat-2, is set to succeed the original TanSat satellite, aiming to record the fraction of greenhouse gases, pollutants, and SIF measurements from space. According to current schedules, TanSat-2 is slated for launch in 2026. This satellite will feature a wide swath of 2900 km, a high spatial resolution of 2 km at an orbit altitude of 7000 km, and near-daily global coverage. TanSat-2 is equipped with two spectral channels, 747–777 and 672–702 nm, operating at a spectral resolution of 0.12 nm, thereby offering significant potential for mapping SIF in both the red and the far-red bands. In this study, we explore the prospective capabilities of TanSat-2 for SIF retrieval through simulation experiments. First, we simulated the satellite's radiative transfer processes using the Moderate Resolution Atmospheric Transmission 5 (MODTRAN 5) and Soil Canopy Observation of Photosynthesis and Energy (SCOPE) models. An end-to-end orbit simulation dataset for TanSat-2 was generated by aggregating global bottom-of-atmosphere (BOA) reflectance, meteorological datasets, and the global Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) SIF dataset (GOSIF). We then assessed the theoretical accuracy of TanSat-2 based on this spectral simulation dataset, yielding root mean square error (RMSE) values of 0.24 and 0.19 mW m−2 sr−1 nm−1 for SIF retrievals at 740 and 685 nm, respectively. Finally, we examined the global prospects of TanSat-2 SIF retrievals using the end-to-end orbit simulations. Comparisons between the anticipated TanSat-2 SIF retrievals and GOSIF inputs revealed excellent correlation at both bands, with R2 values of 0.88 and 0.61 and RMSE values of 0.082 and 0.061 mW m−2 sr−1 nm−1, respectively. Thus, TanSat-2 is poised to provide a valuable data resource for reliable SIF retrievals in the red and far-red bands, characterized by high spatiotemporal resolution on a global scale.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3647-2025","authors":["Dianrun Zhao","Shanshan Du","Chu Zou","Longfei Tian","Meng Fan","Yang Du","Liangyun Liu"],"tags":["Remote sensing","Environmental science","Satellite","Spectral bands","Atmospheric radiative transfer codes"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3647-2025","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z"},{"id":"oa:W2128952219","name":"Ernst Zinner, lithic astronomer","source":"openalex","abstract":"It is a rare privilege to be one of the founders of an entirely new field of science, and it is especially remarkable when that new field belongs to the oldest branch of \"natural philosophy.\"The nature of the stars has perplexed and fascinated humanity for millennia.While the sources of their luminosity and their structures and evolution were revealed over the last century, it is thanks to the pioneering efforts of a rare and remarkable man, Ernst Zinner, as well as his colleagues and students (mostly at the University of Chicago and at Washington University in Saint Louis), that in the last two decades it has become possible to literally hold a piece of a star in one's hand.Armed with sophisticated microscopes and mass spectrometers of various sorts, these \"lithic astronomers\" are able to reveal stellar processes in exquisite detail by examining the chemical, mineralogical, and especially the nuclear properties of these microscopic grains of stardust.With this special issue of Meteoritics & Planetary Science, we honor Ernst Zinner (Fig. 1) and his stellar career achievements on the occasion of his completion of 70 orbits.We cannot here do proper justice to also honoring his admirable personal qualities that have inspired a generation of scientists to follow his lead in studying the death of stars and the birth of our own star.Fortunately, many of us had an opportunity to celebrate Ernst the scientist-and Ernst the man-at the SIMS in the Space Sciences: The Zinner Impact Symposium held at Washington University February 3-4, 2007.This wonderful event, organized by Christine Floss along with Sachiko Amari, Randy Korotev, Frank Stadermann, and Brigitte Wopenka, was attended by about 120 scientists, some of whom have also contributed papers to this volume.This article presents a partial scientific biography and a personal view of the \"Zinner impact\" by one who was fortunate enough to be involved in a small way in some of the early adventures.Ernst Zinner was born January 30, 1937, and grew up in a beautiful stone house that was built in 1615 (and still stands) in Saint Peter in der Au, a small town in the Austrian countryside about 100 miles west of Vienna.He is the oldest of five siblings and his father Kunibert was quite a famous sculptor.The history of this setting, their house filled with music, and the mountain hillsides filled with butterflies (which required catching and cataloguing) would all play","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb00560.x","authors":["K. D. McKeegan"],"tags":["Astronomer","Meteorite","Physics","Mars Exploration Program","Art history"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb00560.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z"},{"id":"oa:W3109112692","name":"The fall of the Murchison meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13596","authors":["M. E. Zolensky","S. S. Russell","A. J. Brearley"],"tags":["Murchison meteorite","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Geology","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13596","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2807589830","name":"Mechanisms accounting for variations in the proportions of carbonaceous and ordinary chondrites in different mass ranges","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The number ratio of carbonaceous to ordinary chondrites (the CC/OC ratio) varies with mass. It is very high (≳90) in small mass ranges (10−8 to 10−12 kg) among interplanetary dust particles and micrometeorites; it is moderately high (~5 to 30) for 1 to 10 m size fireball meteoroids (with estimated masses between ~103 and ~106 kg). In the range of most normal‐sized meteorite falls (0.01–20 kg), the ratio is low (0.04–0.05); the ratio increases at greater mass ranges: at ≥200 kg, the ratio is 0.09; at ≥500 kg, the ratio is 0.20. The CC/OC ratio also increases from 0.05 to 0.16 for small meteorite finds (10−3 to 10−4 kg). High CC/OC ratios at low and high mass ranges are due to the predominance of CC material in the outer solar system. Small particles from this region spiral into the inner solar system typically in ≤106 years due to Poynting–Robertson drag. Meter‐sized meteoroids in this region are affected by Yarkovsky forces, pushing them into resonances where they are efficiently transferred to the inner solar system. Normal‐sized meteorites are derived from centimeter‐to‐decimeter‐sized meteoroids that have sluggish drift rates (i.e., they are less affected by the seasonal Yarkovsky effect) compared to larger bodies. Consequently, the centimeter‐to‐decimeter‐sized meteoroids spend more time in interplanetary space (where they are subject to collisions) than larger objects. The greater friability of carbonaceous chondrites relative to ordinary chondrites tends to winnow the carbonaceous chondrites out in this size/mass range during their long interplanetary sojourn, thereby decreasing the CC/OC ratio.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13117","authors":["Alan E. Rubin"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Meteoroid","Interplanetary dust cloud","Mass ratio"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-06-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13117","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z"},{"id":"oa:W3155214488","name":"Why Mars Sample Return is a Mission Campaign of Compelling Importance to Planetary Science and Exploration","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.3847/25c2cfeb.6ef9e427","authors":["Harry McSween","M. M. Grady","K. D. McKeegan","David Beaty","Brandi L. Carrier"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Planetary science","Sample (material)","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-03-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3847/25c2cfeb.6ef9e427","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z"},{"id":"oa:W4210506701","name":"Nitrogenous Altered Volcanic Glasses as Targets for Mars Sample Return: Examples From Antarctica and Iceland","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Mars exploration is focused on seeking evidence of habitable environments and microbial life. Terrestrial glassy basalts may be the closest Mars‐surface weathering analog and observations increasingly indicate their potential to preserve biogeochemical records. The textures, major and trace element geochemistry, and N concentrations and isotopic compositions of subaerial, subglacial and continental lacustrine hyaloclastites from Antarctica, Iceland, and Oregon, respectively, were studied using micro‐imaging and chemical methods, including gas‐source mass spectrometry. Alteration by meteoric‐sourced waters occurred in circum‐neutral, increasingly alkaline low‐temperature conditions of ∼60°C–100°C (Iceland) and ∼60°C–170°C (Antarctica). Incompatible large ion lithophile element (LILE) enrichments compared to mid‐ocean ridge basalt (MORB) are consistent with more advanced alteration in Antarctic breccias consisting of heulandite‐clinoptilolite, calcite, erionite, quartz, and fluorapophyllite. Granular and tubular alteration textures and radial apatite represent possible microbial traces. Most samples contain more N than fresh MORB or ocean island basalt reflecting enrichment beyond concentrations attributable to igneous processes. Antarctic samples contain 52–1,143 ppm N and have δ 15 Ν air values of −20.8‰ to −7.1‰. Iceland‐Oregon basalts contain 1.6–172 ppm N with δ 15 Ν of −6.7‰ to +7.3‰. Correlations between alteration extents, N concentrations, and concentrations of K 2 O, other LILEs, and Li and B, reflect the siting of secondary N likely as NH 4 + replacing K + and potentially as N 2 in phyllosilicates and zeolites. Although much of the N enrichment and isotope fractionation presented here is not definitively biogenic, given several unknown factors, we suggest that a combination of textures, major and trace element alteration and N and other isotope geochemical compositions could constitute a compelling biosignature in samples from Mars' surface/near‐surface.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2021je007052","authors":["M. P. C. Nikitczuk","Gray E. Bebout","Tsutomu Ota","T. Kunihiro","John F. Mustard","R. L. Flemming","Ryoji Tanaka","Sæmundur A. Halldórsson","Eizo Nakamura"],"tags":["Basalt","Geology","Geochemistry","Igneous rock","Lithophile"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2021je007052","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z"},{"id":"oa:W4365517126","name":"Tracing Sediment Melt Activity in the Sub‐Continental Lithosphere: Insights From Zn‐Fe Stable Isotopes","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Recycling of upper crustal sediments through slab subduction contributes to sub‐continental lithospheric refertilization and heterogeneity. However, the nature of recycled upper crustal components is unclear and direct evidence for sediment melt activity in the sub‐continental lithosphere is lacking. Here, we integrate major and trace elements, zircon U‐Pb dating, Sr‐Nd‐Zn‐Fe isotopic compositions of clinopyroxenites (crust‐mantle boundary) and a “glassy” xenolith from the North China Craton to relate their petrogenesis to the potential recycling of upper continental crust and provide direct insight into the sediment melt‐rock interaction. The clinopyroxenites have relatively uniform δ56Fe values (the permil deviation of the 56Fe/54Fe ratio from the IRMM014; −0.05‰–0.07‰, except for one outlier) and are not affected by melt metasomatism. The clinopyroxenites have highly variable whole‐rock δ66Zn values (the permil deviation of the 66Zn/64Zn ratio from the JMC‐Lyon standard) between 0.04‰ and 0.46‰, that closely correlate with Rb/La, K/U, Ba/Th, and Th/Nb ratios, and generate arrays that trend toward a composition similar to the “glassy” xenolith. The “glassy” xenolith has a high δ66Zn value (0.43‰ ± 0.05‰, 2SD) and a significantly low 143Nd/144Nd ratio (0.510991). This evidence implies that the “glassy” xenolith may represent a quenched sediment melt formed by the melting of carbonate‐bearing terrigenous sediments that may also be responsible for the metasomatism of clinopyroxenite xenoliths. The geochemical evidence from the “glassy” and clinopyroxenite xenoliths provides a direct evidence for the activity of sediment melt with upper continental crust components in the sub‐continental lithosphere.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2022jb026083","authors":["Ganglan Zhang","Yongsheng Liu","Rong Xu","Frédéric Moynier","Yangtao Zhu","Huange Ren","Xin Jiang","Ming Li"],"tags":["Metasomatism","Geology","Xenolith","Continental crust","Craton"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2022jb026083","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z"},{"id":"oa:W2304476684","name":"The two Suvasvesi impact structures, Finland: Argon isotopic evidence for a “false” impact crater doublet","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The two neighboring Suvasvesi North and South impact structures in central‐east Finland have been discussed as a possible impact crater doublet produced by the impact of a binary asteroid. This study presents40Ar/39Ar geochronologic data for impact melt rocks recovered from the drilling into the center of the Suvasvesi North impact structure and melt rock from glacially transported boulders linked to Suvasvesi South.40Ar/39Ar step‐heating analysis yielded two essentially flat age spectra indicating a Late Cretaceous age of ~85 Ma for the Suvasvesi North melt rock, whereas the Suvasvesi South melt sample gave a Neoproterozoic minimum (alteration) age of ~710 Ma. Although the statistical likelihood for two independent meteorite strikes in close proximity to each other is rather low, the remarkable difference in40Ar/39Ar ages of >600 Myr for the two Suvasvesi impact melt samples is interpreted as evidence for two temporally separate, but geographically closely spaced, impacts into the Fennoscandian Shield. The Suvasvesi North and South impact structures are, thus, interpreted as a “false” crater doublet, similar to the larger East and West Clearwater Lake impact structures in Québec, Canada, recently shown to be unrelated. Our findings have implications for the reliable recognition of impact crater doublets and the apparent rate of binary asteroid impacts on Earth and other planetary bodies in the inner solar system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12636","authors":["M. Schmieder","W. Schwarz","M. Trieloff","Elmar Buchner","J. Hopp","E. Tohver","L. J. Pesonen","Martti Lehtinen","Jarmo Moilanen","Stéphanie C. Werner","T. Öhman"],"tags":["Impact crater","Impact structure","Geology","Meteorite","Cretaceous"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-03-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12636","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z"},{"id":"oa:W4416977845","name":"Optimizing water purification with Shungite: a metric approach for characterizing its efficiency in removing contaminants","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Shungite is a Precambrian carbon-rich metamorphic rock from the Lake Onega region (Karelia, Russia), consisting of fullerene-like polyhedral carbon within a silicate matrix. Its high carbon content and extended conjugation confer notable sorptive and catalytic behavior. We evaluated its multifunctional potential for water purification targeting organic, inorganic, and microbial contaminants. Two grades (Type I, Type III) were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy combined with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy, and tested under batch conditions within a metric framework combining removal efficiency and distribution coefficient. After 7 days (Type I), removals were: 32.5% for Mercury, 14.9% for Lead, 20.8% for Cadmium, 32.7% for Arsenic, 13.6% for Zinc, and 21.0% for Aluminium. Microbial counts decreased by up to $$0.24 \\log _{10}$$ 0.24 log 10 for total coliforms and 0.18 log $$_{10}$$ 10 for Escherichia coli and Enterococcus . Corresponding distribution coefficient values for Type I ranged from 15 to 1300 L/kg, consistently exceeding Type III for cationic metals (notably Mercury), while Arsenic(V) responses depended on pH/speciation. Organic-load indicators (Chemical Oxygen Demand, Biochemical Oxygen Demand (5 days), Total Organic Carbon) increased by 10–16%, consistent with Chemical Oxygen Demand leaching; mitigation (e.g., pre-washing or hybridization with activated carbon) is discussed. Overall, results support Shungite as a versatile sorbent/reactive medium, particularly for cationic metals and microbial indicators. The proposed metrics enable direct comparison with conventional carbons and mineral adsorbents under similar conditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-025-06837-z","authors":["Diana Di Luccio","Néstor Hernando Campos","A. Lay-Ekuakille","S. Maggi","J. P. Rico Mora","F. Fragnito","M. Palmisano"],"tags":["Chemical oxygen demand","Adsorption","Biochemical oxygen demand","Chemistry","Environmental chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-025-06837-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z"},{"id":"oa:W4390579496","name":"EBSD Analysis of Iron‐Nickel Metal in L Type Ordinary Chondrites: 1. The Microstructural Shock Signatures","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The diverse microstructures of Fe‐Ni metal in 10 L groups ordinary chondrites that experienced progressive shock alteration were investigated using the electron backscattered diffraction technique. Through a combination of metallography and a silicate‐based shock classification scheme, we established the shock metamorphic features of metal phases corresponding to particular impact stages. In weakly shocked chondrites (S1–S2), the interlaced Neumann bands occur in polycrystalline kamacite, resulting from multiple small impact events on its parent body, and the internal crystallographic orientation difference of each kamacite monocrystal exceeds 5°. In moderately shocked samples (S2–S4), partial austenitization of metal occurs, accompanied by the emergence of net plessite. In strongly shocked samples (S4–S6), the metal has undergone complete austenitization and transformed into a homogenous fcc phase. In subsequent different cooling processes, polycrystalline kamacite with consistent internal crystallographic orientation, martensite, pearlitic plessite, duplex plessite, and acicular plessite form and finally appear in L group chondrites. This study demonstrates the significant utility of the microstructure of metal phases as a valuable tool for both the shock classification of L chondrites and the determination of shock metamorphism stages in iron meteorites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je007938","authors":["Y. X. Luo","Hongyi Chen","S. P. Beard","Xiaojia Zeng","Sen Hu","Zhimao Du","Lei Jin","Jiahui Liu","Shaolin Li","Xiaoping Zhang"],"tags":["Kamacite","Chondrite","Meteorite","Electron backscatter diffraction","Shock metamorphism"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je007938","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z"},{"id":"oa:W4220962200","name":"Accretion regions of meteorite parent bodies inferred from a two-endmember isotopic mixing model","source":"openalex","abstract":"ABSTRACT The diverse isotopic anomalies of meteorites demonstrate that the protoplanetary disc was composed of components from different stellar sources, which mixed in the disc and formed the planetary bodies. However, the origin of the accretion materials of different planetary bodies and the cosmochemical relationship between these bodies remain ambiguous. The noncarbonaceous (NC) planetary bodies originate from the inner solar system and have isotopic compositions distinct from those of the carbonaceous (CC) bodies. We combined Ca, Ti, Cr, Fe, Ni, Mo, and Ru isotopic anomalies to develop a quantitative two-endmember mixing model of the NC bodies. Correlations of the isotopic anomalies of different elements with different cosmochemical behaviors originate from the mixing of two common endmembers. Using this mixing model, we calculated the isotopic anomalies of NC bodies for all the considered isotopes, including the isotopic anomalies that are difficult to measure or have been altered by spallation processes. The mixing proportion between the two endmembers in each NC body has been calculated as a cosmochemical parameter, which represents the compositional relationship of the accretion materials between the NC bodies. Using the calculated mixing proportions, the feeding zones of the NC bodies could be estimated. The estimated feeding zones of NC bodies indicate a large population of interlopers in the main asteroid belt and an indigenous origin of Vesta. The feeding zones estimated in different planet formation scenarios indicate that the orbits of Jupiter and Saturn during formation of terrestrial planets were likely to be more circular than their current ones.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stac849","authors":["Kang Shuai","Hejiu Hui","Li-Yong Zhou","Weiqiang Li"],"tags":["Physics","Meteorite","Astrophysics","Mixing (physics)","Accretion (finance)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stac849","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z"},{"id":"oa:W2133184998","name":"What Is Life? What Was Life? What Will Life Be?","source":"openalex","abstract":"Our laboratory is exploring self-assembly processes and polymerization reactions of organic compounds in natural geothermal environments and related laboratory simulations. Although the physical environment that fostered primitive cellular life is still largely unconstrained, we can be reasonably confident that liquid water was required, together with a source of organic compounds and energy to drive polymerization reactions. There must also have been a process by which the compounds were sufficiently concentrated to undergo physical and chemical interactions. In earlier work we observed that macromolecules such as nucleic acids and proteins are readily encapsulated in membranous boundaries during wet-dry cycles such as those that would occur at the edges of geothermal springs or tide pools. The resulting structures are referred to as protocells, in that they exhibit certain properties of living cells and are models of the kinds of encapsulated macromolecular systems that would have led toward the first forms of cellular life. However, the assembly of protocells is markedly inhibited by conditions associated with extreme environments: High temperature, high salt concentrations, and low pH ranges. From a biophysical perspective, it follows that the most plausible planetary environment for the origin of cellular life would be an aqueous phase at moderate temperature ranges and low ionic strength, having a pH value near neutrality and divalent cations at submillimolar concentrations. This suggestion is in marked contrast to the view that life most likely began in a geothermal or marine environment, perhaps even the extreme environment of a hydrothermal vent. A more plausible site for the origin of cellular life would be fresh water pools maintained by rain falling on volcanic land masses resembling present-day Hawaii and Iceland. After the first cellular life was able to establish itself in a relatively benign environment, it would rapidly begin to adapt through Darwinian selection to more rigorous environments, including the extreme temperatures, salt concentrations and pH ranges that we now associate with the limits of life on the Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1143/ptps.173.11","authors":["David W. Deamer"],"tags":["Protocell","Abiogenesis","Chemistry","Polymerization","Macromolecule"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1143/ptps.173.11","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402901623","name":"Supply Chain Sustainability in Outer Space: Lessons to Be Learnt from Remote Sites on Earth","source":"openalex","abstract":"Space exploration, with its enormous distances and extreme environments, is a challenge to technology, human habitation, sustainability, and supply chains. On the flip-side, however, it can provide a new vantage point on how to improve human life and planetary prosperity. This objective requires the development of economic and sustainable supply chains and a governance framework to guarantee fundamental human needs and well-being under the limitations of distant and inhospitable environments. This review describes learnings for human habitation in space from remote communities on Earth that have developed and survived over generations. These include a long history of human survival strategies on Tristan da Cunha, Pitcairn Islands, Nauru, and Easter Island. Their supply chain management solutions and their problems can guide the implementation of logistics systems for the efficient use of resources in space, to satisfy vital needs of human survival but also to ensure social and governance in space, e.g., build-up of thriving communities, mobility, and industrial activities. This review demonstrates that there are significant gaps in recent space supply chain studies with respect to the space environment, social and governance. Analysis of established practices and concepts from remote regions on Earth can readily respond to these deficiencies and thus supplement space exploration. This review recommends extending the assessment of supply-chain assets from the near future to long-term strategic. This implies going far beyond current space supply chain reports to include aspects of social responsibility and governance, such as sustainable health systems, product quality management, and local decision-making.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12102105","authors":["Manuel Varon Hoyos","Volker Hessel","Eduardo Salas","John Culton","Karen Robertson","Andrea Laybourn","Marc Escribà‐Gelonch","Nigel J. Cook","Melissa de Zwart"],"tags":["Outer space","Sustainability","Supply chain","Earth (classical element)","Space (punctuation)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12102105","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z"},{"id":"oa:W2281644927","name":"At the interface of silica glass and compressed silica aerogel in Stardust track 10: Comet Wild 2 is not a goldmine","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract In Stardust tracks C2044,0,38, C2044,0,39, and C2044,0,42 (Brennan et al. ) and Stardust track 10 (this work) gold is present in excess of its cosmochemical abundance. Ultra‐thin sections of allocation FC6,0,10,0,26 (track 10) show a somewhat wavy, compressed silica aerogel/silica glass interface which challenges exact location identification, i.e., silica glass, compressed silica aerogel, or areas of overlap. In addition to domains of pure silica ranging from SiO2 to SiO3 glass, there is MgO‐rich silica glass with a deep metastable composition, MgO = 14 ± 6 wt%, due to assimilation of Wild 2 Mg‐silicate matter in silica melt. This magnesiosilica composition formed when temperatures during hypervelocity capture reached >2000 °C followed by ultrafast quenching of the magnesiosilica melt when it came into contact with compressed aerogel at ~155 °C. The compressed silica aerogel in track 10 has a continuous Au background as result of the melting point depression of gold particles <5 nm that showed liquid‐like behavior. Larger gold particles are scattered found throughout the silica aerogel matrix and in aggregates up to ~50 nm in size. No gold is found in MgO‐rich silica glass. Gold in track 10 is present at the silica aerogel/silica glass interface. In the other tracks gold was likely near‐surface contamination possibly from an autoclave used in processing of these particular aerogel tiles. So far gold contamination is documented in these four different tracks. Whether they are the only tiles with gold present in excess of its cosmochemical abundance or whether more tiles will show excess gold abundances is unknown.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12608","authors":["Frans J. M. Rietmeijer"],"tags":["Aerogel","Materials science","Hypervelocity","Comet","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-02-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12608","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z"},{"id":"oa:W7130503274","name":"Apatite saturation revisited: new model formulations and applications to igneous rocks","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Apatite is the primary phosphate mineral in the Earth’s crust and is present in a range of intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks, typically at minor to trace quantities. Similarly, apatite is a stable phase in many equilibrium crystallization experiments conducted with phosphorus-bearing starting compositions. We leverage this experimental stability to produce a large compilation of apatite-saturated liquid compositions, supplemented by additional apatite trace element and volatile partitioning and explicit apatite solubility experiments, as well as analyses of natural rhyolitic glasses. Using this compilation, we calibrate two new, independent models: for apatite saturation temperature as a function of melt P 2 O 5 and SiO 2 contents and aluminum saturation index (ASI; molar Al/(2Ca + Na + K)); and for melt P 2 O 5 contents at apatite saturation as a function of temperature, melt SiO 2 contents and ASI. The first model reproduces apatite saturation temperatures with an accuracy of ~ 32 °C, significantly outperforming existing apatite saturation models as well as recent zircon saturation thermometers. The second model reproduces melt P 2 O 5 contents at apatite saturation by better than a factor of two across four orders of magnitude. Our new calibrations show that, within uncertainty, apatite stability does not differ regardless of the specific volatile species present (H 2 O, F or Cl) or on the quantity of H 2 O dissolved in the melt. Further, we find that apatite stability is not sensitive to pressures at least in the range of 1 atm to 2 GPa. This model accurately describes the saturation of apatite in a wide range of liquids, including metaluminous liquids, moderately alkaline liquids, and most peraluminous liquids. Experimental and natural peraluminous liquids with unusually high P 2 O 5 contents that are not well described by our model contain CaO:P 2 O 5 ratios below apatite stoichiometry (‘perphosphorous melts’), indicating that apatite saturation in these liquids is at minimum jointly controlled by CaO and P 2 O 5 contents.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-026-02300-5","authors":["Benjamin Klein","Othmar Müntener","Jack Gillespie","Felix Marxer"],"tags":["Igneous rock","Geology","Apatite","Saturation (graph theory)","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-026-02300-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z"},{"id":"oa:W4392236164","name":"Early Thermal Histories of IAB Main Group Irons: Insights From Ca‐Phosphates in Campo del Cielo and Nantan","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Ca‐phosphates in Campo del Cielo (CdC) and Nantan were comprehensively studied to provide insights into the thermal histories of the IAB main group (MG) and related irons. In CdC, apatite grains are characterized by (a) close intergrowth with troilite/graphite in border area between silicate and metal in most cases and (b) near‐flat rare earth elemental patterns (LaN/YbN = 0.6–0.7). This indicates they were formed during a metal‐silicate mixing event at a relatively high temperature. Combining with petrographic textures, we suggest that the replacement of high‐Ca pyroxene by low‐Ca pyroxene at ∼950–1,000°C could release Ca and facilitate the formation of apatite grains. In the Nantan nodule, Ca‐phosphates do not share a similar origin with those in CdC, as indicated by their different mineral chemistries and mineral associations. Ca‐phosphates and associated silicates could crystallize from a P‐C‐S‐rich metallic melt with the oxidation of lithophile elements. Combining all analyses from CdC and Nantan yielded a SIMS Pb‐Pb isochron age of 4,558 ± 56 Ma. Considering that all the IAB‐MG irons experienced a rapid high‐temperature cooling process, the age of 4,558 ± 56 Ma provides another line of evidence that the parent body of IAB‐MG and related irons experienced metal‐silicate mixing in first 50 Myr of solar system. The previously reported Ar‐Ar ages of ≤4.47 Ga could be related to the late reheating process(es). The degrees of late shock heating may vary from specimen to specimen.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je008124","authors":["Ye Li","Aoxin Mei","Weibiao Hsu","Shaolin Li"],"tags":["Troilite","Pyroxene","Silicate","Mineral","Apatite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je008124","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.827Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4382726651","name":"Space-Based Data Centers and Cooling: Feasibility Analysis via Multi-Criteria and Query Search for Water-Bearing Asteroids Showing Novel Underlying Regular and Symmetric Patterns","source":"openalex","abstract":"Space-based data centers (SBDCs) are environment-friendly and do not make use of Earth’s water resources for cooling. The cooling of SBDCs can be realized via using water aboard asteroids. The feasibility of this approach requires further consideration and has not received sufficient research attention. The study being presented investigates the existence of water-bearing asteroids whose water resources can potentially be used for cooling the server payloads aboard the SBDC. This is undertaken by executing multi-criteria search queries on the Asterank asteroid database. Data analysis shows that water can be accessed from asteroids at less than 0.26 AU by privately owned space vehicles designed for Earth-to-Mars missions. In addition, the results of data analysis show that there is a regularity and symmetric pattern among different asteroids. This arises as asteroids with different identities have the same near-Earth distance and upcoming approaches.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/sym15071326","authors":["A. A. Periola","Akintunde Alonge","Kingsley A. Ogudo"],"tags":["Asteroid","Computer science","Mars Exploration Program","Bearing (navigation)","Space (punctuation)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-06-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/sym15071326","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W2887259809","name":"Evaluation of petrologic evidence for high partial pressures of SiO(g) in the solar nebula","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Although they cannot be ruled out, high partial pressures of SiO(g) in the solar nebula are not required to produce various petrologic features of chondrules. These features include the low‐Ca‐pyroxene‐rich margins of type‐IAB chondrules, high concentrations of SiO2 and Na2O in mesostasis near the surface of some chondrules in LL3.0 Semarkona, and silica‐rich igneous rims around many type‐I chondrules in CR chondrites. It is a misconception that low‐Ca pyroxene phenocrysts are restricted mainly to the periphery of type‐IAB chondrules; instead, they are widely distributed in most of these chondrules. Type‐IAB chondrules can be modeled as having formed by remelting of type‐IB chondrules that contained relict olivine grains derived from disrupted type‐IA chondrules. Semarkona chondrule mesostases that show increased concentrations of SiO2 and Na2O from the core to the rim were probably affected by parent‐body aqueous alteration. The silica‐rich igneous rims around many type‐I chondrules in CR chondrites may have formed by melting of pyroxene‐rich dust aggregates that had been previously enriched in Na, K, and Mn derived from volatilized chondrules.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13180","authors":["Alan E. Rubin"],"tags":["Chondrule","Pyroxene","Chondrite","Phenocryst","Olivine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-07-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13180","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W2895915448","name":"Rare, metal micrometeorites from the Indian Ocean","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Metal in various forms is common in almost all meteorites but considerably rare among micrometeorites. We report here the discovery of two metal micrometeorites, i.e., (1) an awaruite grain similar to those found in the metal nodules of CV chondrites and (2) a metal micrometeorite of kamacite composition enclosing inclusions of chromite and merrillite. This micrometeorite appears to be a fragment of H5/L5 chondrite. These metal micrometeorites add to the inventory of solar system materials that are accreted by the Earth in microscopic form. They also strengthen the argument that a large proportion of material accreted by the Earth that survives atmospheric entry is from asteroidal sources.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13206","authors":["M. Shyam Prasad","N. G. Rudraswami","Agnelo Alexandre de Araujo","V. D. Khedekar"],"tags":["Kamacite","Meteorite","Troilite","Chondrite","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-10-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13206","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391004306","name":"Observation of Iron with Eight Coordination in Iron Trifluoride under High Pressure","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The chemistry of hypercoordination has been a subject of fundamental interest, especially for understanding structures that challenge conventional wisdom. The small ionic radii of Fe ions typically result in coordination numbers of 4 or 6 in stable Fe‐bearing ionic compounds. While 8‐coordinated Fe has been observed in highly compressed oxides, the pursuit of hypercoordinated Fe still faces significant challenges due to the complexity of synthesizing the anticipated compound with another suitable anion. Through first‐principles simulation and advanced crystal structure prediction methods, we predict that an orthorhombic phase of FeF 3 with exclusively 8‐coordinated Fe is energetically stable above 18 GPa—a pressure more feasibly achieved compared to oxides. Inspired by this theoretical result, we conducted extensive experiments using a laser‐heated diamond anvil cell technique to investigate the crystal structures of FeF 3 at high‐pressure conditions. We successfully synthesized the predicted orthorhombic phase of FeF 3 at 46 GPa, as confirmed by in situ experimental X‐ray diffraction data. This work establishes a new ionic compound featuring rare 8‐coordinated Fe in a simple binary Fe‐bearing system and paves the way for discovering Fe hypercoordination in similar systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ange.202319320","authors":["Wencheng Lu","Siyu Liu","Mi Zhou","Hongbo Wang","Guangtao Liu","Hanyu Liu","Yanming Ma"],"tags":["Orthorhombic crystal system","Ionic radius","Diamond anvil cell","Ionic bonding","Coordination number"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ange.202319320","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W1976063682","name":"The legacy of Allan Hills 84001","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01661.x","authors":["D. W. G. Sears","E. R. D. Scott","Paul J. Warren"],"tags":["Citation","Art history","History","Classics","Library science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01661.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W3091946402","name":"UNINTERRUPTED CENSORED DARWIN: FROM THE MIDDLE EAST TO THE MALAY‐INDONESIAN WORLD","source":"openalex","abstract":"This essay outlines the significance of understanding the relationship between Islam and science, particularly from the twentieth century onward. It mainly revolves around the viability of Darwin's evolutionary thought in the Muslim world, which is confronted by various groups of Muslim commentators and scholars. This study goes through various original sources, official documents, former unpublished theses, and Qur’ānic commentaries in Islamic languages from north Africa to the Malay‐Indonesian world to display the uninterrupted challenge of Muslims with European science in general and European evolutionary thought in particular; an act which is not going to stop now, nor tomorrow. Finally, this essay aims to inform readers how a philosophical reading of Islam and science would be crucial before approving or rejecting any form of connection between the two, particularly in future.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/zygo.12644","authors":["Majid Daneshgar"],"tags":["Malay","Indonesian","Islam","Darwin (ADL)","Reading (process)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-10-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/zygo.12644","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4378084912","name":"Imaging Interface and Particle Size Effects by In Situ Correlative Microscopy of a Catalytic Reaction","source":"openalex","abstract":"High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide The catalytic behavior of Rh particles supported by three different materials (Rh, Au, and ZrO 2 ) in H 2 oxidation has been studied in situ by correlative photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM) and scanning photoemission electron microscopy (SPEM). Kinetic transitions between the inactive and active steady states were monitored, and self-sustaining oscillations on supported Rh particles were observed. Catalytic performance differed depending on the support and Rh particle size. Oscillations varied from particle size-independent (Rh/Rh) via size-dependent (Rh/ZrO 2 ) to fully inhibited (Rh/Au). For Rh/Au, the formation of a surface alloy induced such effects, whereas for Rh/ZrO 2, the formation of substoichiometric Zr oxides on the Rh surface, enhanced oxygen bonding, Rh-oxidation, and hydrogen spillover onto the ZrO 2 support were held responsible. The experimental observations were complemented by micro-kinetic simulations, based on variations of hydrogen adsorption and oxygen binding. The results demonstrate how correlative in situ surface microscopy enables linking of the local structure, composition, and catalytic performance.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.3c00060","authors":["Philipp Winkler","Maximilian Raab","Johannes Zeininger","Lea M. Rois","Yuri Suchorski","Michael Stöger‐Pollach","Matteo Amati","Rahul Parmar","Luca Gregoratti","Günther Rupprechter"],"tags":["Photoemission electron microscopy","Catalysis","Hydrogen spillover","Particle size","Particle (ecology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-05-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.3c00060","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4407217720","name":"A short history of astropedology","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Astropedology is the study of soils on other planetary bodies and stretches the definition of soil to materials on the surface of a planetary body altered in place by physical, chemical, or biological processes. This new disciplinary name was coined by Roy E. Cameron in 1966 from studies of desert soils and their microbes in Arizona and Antarctica as analogs for Martian soils to be investigated by NASA Viking missions. Astropedology now has documented numerous actual soil profiles exposed in cliff faces, natural cracks, or cores studied by robotic missions to the Moon, Venus, and Mars, with increasingly advanced and precise chemical and other analyses. Specimens are also available for study from Lunar and Martian meteorites, and from sample return from the Moon, also planned from Mars. Life has yet to be found beyond Earth, but Mars has surprisingly Earth‐like soils, which can be identified as Gypsids in US taxonomy. Soil formation by micrometeoroid bombardment on the Moon and by melting and glazing on Venus are truly out of this world.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.70019","authors":["Gregory J. Retallack"],"tags":["Environmental science","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.70019","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7130940756","name":"Binder Jetting of Lunar Regolith: Densification Optimization in Air and Vacuum, and Mechanical Performance Evaluation","source":"openalex","abstract":"ABSTRACT Binder jetting has emerged as a compelling approach for processing lunar regolith, as it is well‐suited for low‐energy environments and requires lower amounts of organic binder, compared to the competitive technologies. This study investigates the feasibility of binder jetting lunar regolith simulants from micrometric particles, focusing on the interplay between sintering conditions, especially atmosphere and temperature, and the resulting microstructural and mechanical properties. Sintering was explored across a range of conditions to elucidate the evolution of porosity and phase composition. Microstructural characterization revealed void morphologies varying due to progressive coalescence, while energy‐dispersive x‐ray (EDX) and x‐ray diffraction (XRD) identified the primary presence of bytownite with other minor oxides, partially subjected to redistribution and reduction as in the case of ilmenite and pyroxene. Mechanical testing revealed the influence of sintering conditions on mechanical properties. While the compression samples, sintered at 1150°C, yielded 228.7 ± 100.9 MPa of strength, the performance of the samples sintered at 1200°C in air degraded down to 180.6 ± 53.7 MPa.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jace.70595","authors":["Marco Mariani","Maxim Isachenkov","Francesco Bertolini","Carmen Galassi","Antonio Mattia Grande","Giuseppe Sala","N. Lecis"],"tags":["Sintering","Materials science","Porosity","Regolith","Composite material"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jace.70595","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4403897241","name":"Ultrastructural Perspectives on the Biology and Taphonomy of Tonian Microfossils From the Draken Formation, Spitsbergen","source":"openalex","abstract":"Silicified peritidal carbonates of the Tonian Draken Formation, Spitsbergen, contain highly diverse and well-preserved microfossil assemblages dominated by filamentous microbial mats, but also including diverse benthic and/or allochthonous (possibly planktonic) microorganisms. Here, we characterize eight morphospecies in focused ion beam (FIB) ultrathin sections using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectromicroscopy. Raman and XANES spectroscopies show the highly aromatic molecular structure of preserved organic matter. Despite this apparently poor molecular preservation, nano-quartz crystallization allowed for the preservation of various ultrastructures distinguished in TEM. In some filamentous microfossils (Siphonophycus) as well as in all cyanobacterial coccoids, extracellular polysaccharide sheaths appear as bands of dispersed organic nanoparticles. Synodophycus microfossils, made up of pluricellular colonies of coccoids, contain organic walls similar to the F-layers of pleurocapsalean cyanobacteria. In some fossils, internal content occurs as particulate organic matter, forming dense networks throughout ghosts of the intracellular space (e.g., in Salome svalbardensis filaments), or scarce granules (in some Chroococcales). In some chroococcalean microfossils (Gloeodiniopsis mikros, and also possibly Polybessurus), we find layered internal contents that are more continuous than nanoparticulate bands defining the sheaths, and with a shape that can be contracted, folded, or invaginated. We interpret these internal layers as the remains of cell envelope substructures and/or photosynthetic membranes thickened by additional cellular material. Some Myxococccoides show a thick (up to ~ 0.9 μm) wall ultrastructure displaying organic pillars that is best reconciled with a eukaryotic affinity. Finally, a large spheroid with ruptured wall, of uncertain affinity, displays a bi-layered envelope. Altogether, our nanoscale investigations provide unprecedented insights into the taphonomy and taxonomy of this well-preserved assemblage, which can help to assess the nature of organic microstructures in older rocks.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/gbi.70000","authors":["Alexandre Fadel","Kévin Lepot","Sylvain Bernard","Ahmed Addad","Armelle Riboulleau","Andrew H. Knoll"],"tags":["Ultrastructure","Reticulate","Benthic zone","Organic matter","Chemosynthesis"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/gbi.70000","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W2623146796","name":"Reconnaissance survey of the Duolun ring structure in Inner Mongolia: Not an impact structure","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Duolun basin, which is located in Inner Mongolia, China, has been proposed to be an impact structure with an apparent rim diameter of about 70, or even 170 km. The designation as an impact structure was based on its nearly circular topography, consisting of an annular moat that surrounds an inner hummocky region, and the widespread occurrences of various igneous rocks, polymict breccias, and deformed crustal rocks. Critical shock metamorphic evidence is not available to support the impact hypothesis. We conducted two independent reconnaissance field surveys to this area and studied the lithology both within and outside of the ring structure. We collected samples from all lithologies that might contain evidence of shock metamorphism as suggested by their locations, especially those sharing similar appearances with impact breccias, suevites, impact melt rocks, and shatter cones. Field investigation, together with thin‐section examination, discovered that the suspected impact melt rocks are actually Early Cretaceous and Late Jurassic lava flows and pyroclastic deposits of rhyolitic to trachytic compositions, and the interpreted impact glass is typical volcanic glass. Petrographic analyses of all the samples reveal no indications for shock metamorphic overprint. All these lines of evidence suggest that the Duolun basin was not formed through impact cratering. The structural deformation and spatial distribution pattern of the igneous rocks suggest that the Duolun basin is most likely a Jurassic–Cretaceous complex rhyolite caldera system that has been partly filled with sediments forming an annular basin, followed by resurgent doming of the central area.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12890","authors":["Xiaoming Xu","T. Kenkmann","Zhiyong Xiao","Sebastian Sturm","Nicolai Metzger","Yang Yu","Daniela Weimer","Hannes Krietsch","Meng‐Hua Zhu"],"tags":["Geology","Igneous rock","Breccia","Lithology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-06-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12890","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7134213091","name":"Sampling, Mobility, and Anchoring in Small‐Body Sampling Robots: A Comprehensive Review","source":"openalex","abstract":"ABSTRACT Small‐body sampling robots are crucial for asteroid and comet exploration as well as in situ resource utilization, yet they face unique challenges of microgravity, irregular terrain, and uncertain surface properties. Although existing studies have advanced sampling, mobility, and anchoring technologies, current reviews often treat these technologies in isolation, failing to reveal their intrinsic coupling relationships and hinder holistic research and development. To address this gap, this review provides a unified review of small‐body sampling robots, focusing on the mechanical aspects of the three core functional modules: sampling, mobility, and anchoring. It surveys state‐of‐the‐art techniques demonstrated in missions, highlights emerging approaches and compares performance trade‐offs in efficiency, adaptability, and technology readiness. The review further highlights critical challenges, including the coupling effects among the three functional modules as well as additional challenges arising from other factors. Finally, this review outlines the prospective development trends of small‐body sampling robots. By consolidating lessons from past missions and emerging innovations, this work aims to serve as both a reference for ongoing research and a road map for the design of next‐generation autonomous sampling robots.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smb2.70032","authors":["Yurui Shen","Yanan Zhu","Mingxia Bao","Ting Zhang","Jun Wu","Jingbin Hao","Dezheng Hua","Xinhua Liu"],"tags":["Sampling (signal processing)","Computer science","Anchoring","Data science","Risk analysis (engineering)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smb2.70032","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7161597863","name":"Direct comparison of the chemical composition of alkylated CHN compounds and mineral composition in the Murchison meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Soluble organic matter (SOM) in carbonaceous chondrites is an important aspect of understanding the origin and evolution of extraterrestrial organic matter. Interactions with minerals and water on planetesimals are essential for the formation and evolution of SOM, yet the detailed processes remain poorly understood. To elucidate these processes, it is necessary to establish relationships between SOM and minerals, particularly secondary minerals. In this study, nitrogen (N)-heterocyclic compounds (CHN compounds) in the methanol extracts of powdered Murchison meteorite fragments were characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC/HRMS). Their abundance patterns and chemical characteristics were examined in direct relation to mineral compositions determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) from the same samples. Five homologous series of CHN compounds (alkylpyridines: CnH2n-4N+ or CnH2n-6N+, alkylpiperidines: CnH2n+2N+, and alkylimidazoles: CnH2n-1N2+ or CnH2n-3N2+, which were identified as positive ions) were identified from all of the samples. XRD analyses revealed inter-sample variability in the abundance of phyllosilicate, anhydrous silicates, sulfides, and carbonates. Several CHN homologous series exhibited systematic relationships with alteration minerals, particularly phyllosilicates and magnetite, whereas correlations with minor phases were generally weak. These relationships are consistent with water–mineral–organic interactions on the Murchison parent body, such as mineral-surface/interlayer interactions, fluid-driven chromatographic effects during aqueous alteration, redox-dependent alteration , and the potential heterogeneity of precursor organic molecules. Although this present approach is not universally applicable to all classes of SOM and requires careful evaluation of potential mineral alteration during extraction, it enables direct comparisons between soluble organics and minerals, thereby providing new insights into water–mineral–organic interactions on planetesimals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2343/geochemj.gj26010","authors":["Narumi Arai","Hiroshi Naraoka","Koichi Mimura","Minako Hashiguchi"],"tags":["Murchison meteorite","Chemistry","Alkylation","Meteorite","Chemical composition"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2343/geochemj.gj26010","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4415523632","name":"Preparation and Properties of Fayalite (Fe2SiO4) Synthetic Copper Slags with Fe/SiO2 Ratios from 1.5 to 2.3","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Industrial fayalite slags have complex chemistry, but understanding the properties of slags representing fundamental FeO x -SiO 2 system is important for advancing slag engineering, developing freeze-lining concepts and next-generation Cr-free refractories, and in slag valorization. In this work, synthetic copper slags with Fe/SiO 2 ratios of 1.5, 2.0 and 2.3 were produced using the method of melting the Fe 2 O 3 +SiO 2 mixture in a graphite crucible at 1280 °C. The produced slags consisted of Fe 2 SiO 4 (82.4–100 pct) and Fe 3 O 4 (13.9–17.6 pct) as confirmed by XRD which well represented industrial slags. SEM/EDS analysis conducted on panoramic images of slags revealed best developed large, columnar fayalite grains with their average size of 366 µ m and highest aspect ratio of 7, without free SiO 2 and Fe 3 O 4 , for slag with Fe/SiO 2 of 2.0. Whereas slag with Fe/SiO 2 ~1.5 and ~2.3 additionally form free silica and free magnetite in slag volume, respectively, which would diminish freeze-lining integrity or cause silica penetration to refractory easier. All slags showed partial fayalite oxidation from SEM images. Increased oxygen activity during slag cooling also produced Fe 3 O 4 layer at slag surfaces, with its thickness increased with higher Fe/SiO 2 in slag. Fe 2+ /Fe 3+ in slags were reduced with higher Fe/SiO 2 of 32.3 (S1.5), 4.3 (S2.0), 3.5 (S2.3). The peak shift in energy scale for Si K edge XAS spectra of SiO 2 in fayalite slags indicated reduced polymerization degree with higher Fe/SiO 2 .","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11663-025-03828-w","authors":["Ilona Jastrzębska"],"tags":["Fayalite","Slag (welding)","Copper slag","Metallurgy","Wüstite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11663-025-03828-w","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4377140542","name":"Petro‐theology: Critical engagement with theologies of energy and extraction","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract This essay serves as a more extended introduction to many of the themes, concerns, and aims of this issue. Along these lines, key terms and discourses like extractivism, energy humanities, and petroculture studies are introduced. The essay elaborates two key claims: energy has been theological (and not just techno‐scientific) and analysis of current energy concerns (including climate change) need to be theorized and addressed in relation to land. These claims call for approaches to an energy‐driven climate crisis that attend to theo‐philosophical assumptions of energy and extraction and point to the significance of energy humanities approaches. Engagement with energy and extractivism humanities leads to a call for further attention to three different areas within Christian energy ethics and Religion & Environmentalism scholarship: (1) an approach to Christian energy ethics that better accounts for the theo‐philosophical gendered, racialized, and colonial implications of energy concepts, (2) closer attention to mineralogies and geologies among ecotheologians and 3) critical assessment of convergences of creation and redemption theologies for extractive aims.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/dial.12805","authors":["Terra Schwerin Rowe"],"tags":["Energy (signal processing)","Scholarship","Sociology","Relation (database)","Environmentalism"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-05-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/dial.12805","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W3204860188","name":"Hydro-climatic and land use/cover changes in Nasia catchment of the White Volta basin in Ghana","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Nasia catchment is the reservoir with significant surface water resources in Northern Ghana and home to numerous subsistence farmers engaged in rainfed and dry season irrigation farming. Yet, there is little understanding of the hydro-climatic and land use/cover conditions of this basin. This study investigated trends, relationships and changes in hydro-climatic variables and land use/cover in addition to implications of the observable changes in the Nasia catchment over a period of 50 years. Parameters used for the study were minimum (Tmin) and maximum temperature (Tmax), wind speed (WS), sunshine duration (S), rainfall (R), relative humidity (RH), discharge (D) and potential evapotranspiration (PET) data, 15 years of remotely sensed normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data and 30 years of land use/cover image data. Results show that Tmin, Tmax, WS and PET have increased significantly ( p < 0.05) over time. RH and S significantly declined. R, D and NDVI have not decreased significantly ( p > 0.05). A significant abrupt change in almost all hydro-climatic variables started in the 1980s, a period that coincides with the occurrence of drought events in the region, except WS in 2001, R in 1968 and D in 1975, respectively. Also, D showed a positive significant correlation with RH, R and PET, but an insignificant positive relationship with S. D also showed a negative insignificant correlation with Tmin, Tmax and WS. Areas covered with shrubland and settlement/bare lands have increased to the disadvantage of cropland, forest, grassland and water bodies. It was concluded that climate change impact is quite noticeable in the basin, indicating water scarcity and possibilities of droughts. The analysis performed herein is a vital foundation for further studies to simulate and predict the effect of climate change on the water resources, agriculture and livelihoods in the Nasia catchment.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-021-03772-0","authors":["Emmanuel Nyadzi","Enoch Bessah","Gordana Kranjac-Berisavljevic","Fulco Ludwig"],"tags":["Evapotranspiration","Environmental science","Normalized Difference Vegetation Index","Hydrology (agriculture)","Land cover"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-021-03772-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4377002291","name":"Melancholy Hues: The Futility of Green Growth and Degrowth, and the Inevitability of Societal Collapse","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4450972","authors":["Wim Naudé"],"tags":["Degrowth","Green growth","Environmental ethics","Keynesian economics","Development economics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4450972","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4381149093","name":"The importance of Phobos simulants: a review on our current knowledge","source":"openalex","abstract":"Phobos, a satellite of Mars, was successfully studied by flyby, orbiter, and landing missions to the Red Planet, but several questions remain about its origin, composition, and relationship to Mars. It is suggested that Phobos is either a captured body from the asteroid belt or the outer Solar System (capture scenario), or a consequence of re-accreted ejecta from Mars (in situ formation/giant impact). So far, Phobos has been characterized by its two spectral units - blue and red - with different compositional restrains. The red unit represents most of the surface, while the blue unit is focused on the Stickney crater and surroundings. In the absence of samples returned from this satellite, simulant regolith must be studied to infer various proprieties, and complement in situ studies. To date, there are three simulants of this satellite: Phobos-1C, Phobos Captured Asteroid-1 (PCA-1), and Phobos Giant Impact-1 (PGI-1). Since Phobos may have a Mars-like composition, terrestrial analogues of Mars should also be analysed. The data retrieved from the various assays performed with these planetary field analogues may be used as a database to complement future space missions to Phobos, but, ultimately, the composition of Phobos will have to be analysed by a sample-return mission.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2023.1130743","authors":["Catarina Runa Miranda","Manish Patel","Mário N. Berberan‐Santos","Tiago Hormigo","A. C. M. Correia","Bruno Pedras","Zita Martins"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Mars Exploration Program","Ejecta","Orbiter","Asteroid"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-06-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2023.1130743","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4381516122","name":"深空探测拉曼光谱技术研究进展","source":"openalex","abstract":"Significance The detection of material composition on the surface of celestial bodies has always been an important content in lunar and deep space exploration.At present, the main detection means of material composition on the surface of celestial bodies is visible-near -infrared spectroscopy.Given the wide variety of material components on the surface of celestial bodies, attention should be paid to their chemical properties and content.The current single payload is difficult to meet these requirements, and it is necessary to develop new scientific payload technologies.Over the past two decades, 特邀综述 第 43 卷 第 8 期/2023 年 4 月/光学学报 consider the priorities of various scientific mission objectives.Fluorescence suppression is still one of the main problems faced by Raman spectroscopy.Infrared/ultraviolet excitation, time gating, frequency -shift excitation, and photobleaching are effective methods for suppressing fluorescence in deep -space Raman spectrometers.Raman spectroscopy technology for deep space exploration requires the support of many key components, and key components such as intensifiers and gratings still need to be developed. Conclusions and ProspectsRaman spectroscopy is a very powerful tool for detecting the composition of astronomical matters and is being applied by increasingly more deep space exploration missions.At present, the development trend of Raman spectroscopy technology for deep space exploration is modularization and miniaturization, multi -technology joint detection, long -range and short -range joint detection, and diversified detection fields.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3788/aos221968","authors":["赵意意 Zhao Yiyi","薛彬 Xue Bin","黄帅东 Huang Shuaidong","谢新梅 Xie Xinmei","杨建峰 Yang Jianfeng"],"tags":["Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3788/aos221968","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406825550","name":"Supply Chain Disruption and Import Strategy: Evidence from the Great East Japan Earthquake","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Global supply chain networks foster collaboration but accelerate cross‐border risk transmission. This study investigates the effect of the 2011 East Japan earthquake on Chinese firms' import strategies. The findings reveal that the disruption led to a shift toward supply chain concentration, with firms reducing the diversification of import sources. There was a slight increase in the number of countries from which firms sourced imports but import shares became more concentrated, reflecting a reliance on fewer, centralized suppliers. Firms affected by the earthquake prioritized long‐term partnerships and sought suppliers in regions with lower natural disaster risks, aiming to mitigate supply chain vulnerabilities and reduce switching costs. The findings also show that state‐owned enterprises, private firms, and research and development‐intensive firms were more inclined to centralize their import sources. This suggests that these firms, leveraging their larger scale, substantial resources, and robust risk management strategies, favored a more concentrated sourcing approach in order to better control their supply chains and ensure stability in the face of global disruptions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cwe.12569","authors":["Fan Lü","Zilong Li","Xinrong Cai"],"tags":["Supply chain","Business","Chain (unit)","International trade","International economics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cwe.12569","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7169574189","name":"Editorial: Microbial interactions with metals/minerals: from environmental aspects to applications","source":"openalex","abstract":"reactions alter geological substrates under diverse environmental conditions. Moving into deep biosphere regimes, Rolfes et al. (2025) show that ancient basaltic tephra (volcanic ash) layers in marine sediments harbor unique microbial communities capable of exploiting specific \"reducible\" Fe(III) oxides, suggesting how life flourishes in carbon-lean sub-seafloor environments. On the surface, the dissolution kinetics of such substrates are further analyzed by Yunda et al. (2026), who show that the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrobaculum islandicum enhances the dissolution of Fe(III)-rich basaltic glass through active Fe(III) reduction.In freshwater systems, seasonal transitions profoundly dictate metal mobility. Hahn et al.(2025) explore how thermal stratification and subsequent anoxia drive prokaryotic community shifts that accelerate manganese (Mn 2+ ) and iron release from reservoir sediments. The physiological mechanisms of these iron-reducing pathways are elegantly tied to environmental detoxification by Takahashi et al. (2026), who reveal that bromate reduction by Shewanella species depends on an interconnected system of endogenous c-type cytochromes and exogenous iron mediators that chemically reduce carcinogenic bromate into harmless bromide. Furthermore, the physical constraints of mineral matrices on microbial enzymes are underscored by Ai et al. (2026), who show how coal matrix structures directly govern the organic desulfurization efficiency of Pseudomonas putida via the 4S metabolic pathway. (2025) contribute a comprehensive review that frames quorum sensing as a key regulatory dial controlling biofilm dynamics, heavy metal resistance, and metabolic optimization during bioremediation.Collectively, the articles within this research topic show that microbial interactions with metals and minerals are not just isolated chemical reactions. Instead, they are highly dynamic and coordinated processes driven by cellular localization, the surrounding environment, nutrient availability, and community signaling. The insights gathered here not only deepen our fundamental knowledge of terrestrial and marine biogeochemistry but also provide us with versatile biotechnological tools to clean up industrial pollution, secure agricultural health, and sustainably harvest critical resources on Earth and beyond. We extend our sincere gratitude to all the authors, reviewers, and editors who contributed their expertise to make this topic a milestone in the field of environmental microbiology.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1908894","authors":["Ji-Hoon Lee","Cuong Tu Ho","Dongfei Han","Zeinah Elhaj Baddar","Roberta Amendola"],"tags":["Microbial metabolism","Chemistry","Biofilm","Environmental chemistry","Dissolution"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1908894","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4366241306","name":"Novel Sources of Biodiversity and Biomolecules from Bacteria Isolated from a High Middle Ages Soil Sample in Palermo (Sicily, Italy)","source":"openalex","abstract":"One of the goals of paleomicrobiology is the characterization of the microbial community present in archaeological sites. These analyses can usually provide valuable information about past events, such as occurrence of human and animal infectious diseases, ancient human activities, and environmental changes. However, in this work, investigations about the composition of the bacterial community of an ancient soil sample (harvested in Palermo, Italy) were carried out aiming to screen ancient culturable strains with biotechnological potential, such as the ability to produce bioactive molecules and secreted hydrolytic enzymes. Besides showing the biotechnological relevance of paleomicrobiology, this work reports a case of germination of putatively ancient bacterial spores recovered from soil rather than extreme environments. Moreover, in the case of spore-forming species, these results raise questions about the accuracy of techniques usually applied to estimate antiquity of DNA, as they could lead to its underestimation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.04374-22","authors":["Alberto Vassallo","Alessandra Modi","Andrea Quagliariello","Giovanni Bacci","Teresa Faddetta","Michele Gallo","Aldesia Provenzano","Andrea La Barbera","Giovanna Lombardo","Valentina Maggini","Fabio Firenzuoli","Marco Zaccaroni","Giuseppe Gallo","David Caramelli","Carla Aleo Nero","Franco Baldi","Renato Fani","Antonio Palumbo Piccionello","Sandra Pucciarelli","Anna Maria Puglia","Luca Sìneo"],"tags":["Actinobacteria","Biodiversity","Biology","Archaeology","Metagenomics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-04-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.04374-22","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W3013617706","name":"Formation of Jarosite Minerals in the Presence of Seed Material","source":"openalex","abstract":"Introduction: There has been a resurgence in interest in jarosite, (K,Na)Fe3(SO4)2(OH)6, and related minerals since their detection on Mars by the MER rover Opportunity [1]. In this context, the presence of jarosite has been recognised as a likely indicator of water at the surface of Mars in the past and it is hoped that study of their formation mechanisms will provide insight into the environmental history of Mars [2]. Jarosites are also of great importance to a range of mineral processing and research applications. For example: they are used in the removal of iron species from smelting processes; they form detrimentally in biometallurgical systems and they are present in acid mine drainage environments. Jarosites are also of considerable theoretical interest as model compounds for spin frustration in Kagomé-Heisenberg antiferromagnetic materials [3]. Knowledge of the formation mechanisms of jarosites is an indispensable prerequisite for understanding their occurrences, stabilities and potential environmental impacts both on Mars and Earth. We are engaged in a program of research to study the nucleation and crystal growth of jarosites under a variety of conditions. Here we report the results of in situ synchrotron powder diffraction experiments designed to follow the crystallisation and growth kinetics of jarosite minerals in the presence of seed materials. Figure 1 shows the structure of jarosite. Layers of blue corner sharing Fe octahedra are connected by yellow sulphate tetrahedra. Cations such as potassium or sodium can also be found in these interstitial layers (red). Jarosite is traditionally reported with rhombohedral symmetry [3]. However, we have synthesised monoclinic jarosite under certain preparative conditions [4].","url":"https://openalex.org/W3013617706","authors":["Helen E. A. Brand","Nicola V. Y. Scarlett","IE Grey"],"tags":["Jarosite","Mineral","Geology","Mineralogy","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-03-17","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4212935278","name":"Nitrogen Oxide Production in Laser‐Induced Breakdown Simulating Impacts on the Hadean Atmosphere","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The high‐energy‐density synthesis of NxOy species is simulated in gas mixtures representing an O2‐free early‐Earth atmosphere by terawatt‐kilojoule‐class laser‐induced dielectric breakdown (LIDB). These experiments differ from previous LIDB experiments due to the 100 times greater energy delivered per pulse and sensitive analysis of products by high‐resolution infrared spectroscopy. The measured yields of NO, N2O, and NO2 are 0.08–8 × 1015, 5 × 1012, and 0.03–7 × 1014 molec J −1. The high N2O yield is above the upper‐limit constraint of previous tabletop LIDB experiments and the expected yield of a thermochemical freeze‐out at any temperature between 2000 and 5000 K, while the NO and NO2 yields are in broad agreement with freeze‐out models. Using a one dimensional chemical model of the Hadean atmosphere and a simple model of late bombardment, we compute the source flux of N2O assuming the same high production yield as measured experimentally and find the steady‐state partial pressure of N2O is insufficient to warm the climate.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2021je006842","authors":["A. N. Heays","Tereza Kaiserová","Paul B. Rimmer","Antonín Knížek","Lukáš Petera","Svatopluk Civiš","L. Juha","R. Dudžák","M. Krůs","Manuel Scherf","H. Lämmer","Robert Pascal","Martin Ferus"],"tags":["Hadean","Atmosphere (unit)","Yield (engineering)","Flux (metallurgy)","Analytical Chemistry (journal)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-02-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2021je006842","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7128158200","name":"A Review of Soil Thermal Conductivity Measurement Techniques, Challenges, and Future Directions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Soil thermal conductivity (λ) plays a critical role in regulating heat dynamics at the land surface. In agricultural soils, it directly affects crop performance and can also influence soil management strategies. Nowadays, understanding the significance of soil λ has become vital for promoting sustainable agricultural practices. This review explores a wide range of measurement techniques for soil λ, including both traditional and advanced methods, and focuses on their applications, benefits, and limitations. Traditional steady-state methods-such as the guarded hot plate, thermal cell, steady-state needle probe, and box probe, are compared with transient techniques, including time-domain reflectometry, laser flash, transient hot wire, transient plane source, heat pulse, and transient line heat source. Although steady-state methods provide high accuracy in controlled laboratory conditions, they usually require extended testing times and are influenced by variations in soil water content and texture. Transient approaches, while more rapid and suitable for field conditions, find difficulties due to soil heterogeneity and environmental variability. Emerging technologies, such as fiber optic sensors and wireless sensor networks, give non-invasive, real-time monitoring with minimal soil disturbances, however, they are limited by higher prices and technological complexity. We evaluated them for their accuracy, efficiency, and adaptability to diverse agricultural conditions. This review underscores the necessity of precise soil λ measurements to enhance soil management strategies, improve resilience to environmental changes, and support sustainable agriculture. Important challenges in methods include calibration, sensitivity to soil characteristics, and practical field usability. It provides a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners, offering insights into integrating soil λ measurements into modern agricultural systems. Finally, future research directions are proposed, focusing on leveraging wireless sensor network technologies and machine learning to deepen our understanding of soil heat dynamics and their implications for sustainable farming practices.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11831-026-10509-7","authors":["Ahmed Abed Gatea Al-Shammary","Layth Saleem Salman Al-Shihmani","Jesús Fernández-Gálvez","Andrés Caballero-Calvo"],"tags":["Environmental science","Transient (computer programming)","Soil thermal properties","Adaptability","Soil science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11831-026-10509-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4378085866","name":"Availability, sustainability and accessibility of agro crop residue production and solar radiation in Egypt for producing highly chemical products through pyrolysis processes","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract This study examines the large amount of agricultural waste produced in Egypt between 2010 and 2019 by analysing data from various departments within the Agriculture Ministry. It also provides a comprehensive database on the biomass available from agricultural waste in Egypt and its potential applications for producing power, heat and chemical products. When biomass-pyrolysis systems powered by solar energy are used, research demonstrates the potential to convert agricultural waste into a variety of chemical compounds. This approach utilizes solar energy, a clean and renewable source, and has wide-ranging industrial and power generation applications. Despite Egypt’s reliance on agriculture, the country currently utilizes little biomass for energy production and has not previously used it as a source for creating chemical products, which could potentially save on the imported oil used in these industries. The findings of the study are graphically presented using histograms, pie charts, etc. The overall production of residues reached the 30-Mt level in 2019. Because it contains the most rice-cultivated land, Dakahlia (Lower Egypt region) produces the highest percentage of the total residue (37.17%). Qena governorate (Upper Egypt region) produces 1.14 metric tons of residues, with sugarcane accounting for 20.3% of the total.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/ce/zkad016","authors":["Saad A. El‐Sayed","Mohamed A Ismail","Mohamed E. Mostafa","Emad H. Noseir","Tarek M. Khass"],"tags":["Renewable energy","Agriculture","Christian ministry","Environmental science","Tonne"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-05-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/ce/zkad016","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W2897070424","name":"GEMS , hydrated chondritic IDP s, CI ‐matrix material: Sources of water in 81P/comet Wild 2","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract So far there is no conclusive evidence for water in the nucleus of 81P/comet Wild 2. Recently magnetite in collected Wild 2 samples was cited as proxy evidence for parent body aqueous alteration in this comet (Hicks et al. ). A potentional source for water of hydration would be layer silicates but unfortunately there is no record, neither texturally nor chemically, for hydrated layer silicates that survived hypervelocity impact in the Wild 2 samples. This paper reports large vesicles in the matrix of allocation C2044,2,41,2,5 from a volatile‐rich type B/C Stardust track. These vesicles were probably caused by boiling water that were generated when hydrated Wild 2 silicates impacted the near‐surface silica aerogel layer. Potential water sources were partially and fully hydrated GEMS (glass with embedded metal and sulfides) and CI carbonaceous chondrite materials among the earliest dusts that experienced hydration and icy‐body formation and long‐range transport and mixing with materials from across the solar system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13201","authors":["Frans J. M. Rietmeijer"],"tags":["Comet","Hypervelocity","Chemistry","Carbonaceous chondrite","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-10-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13201","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7168413078","name":"Nanometric mineral inclusions in fluid-rich diamonds: new opportunities from electron diffractometry","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Fluid inclusions in fluid-rich diamonds (i.e., fibrous, cloudy and coated diamonds) represent the only direct means by which the composition and sources of deep-Earth fluids can be directly studied. At the surface, fluid inclusions typically consist of multiphase mineral inclusions (daughter-phases including carbonates and micas) and residual low-density fluids thought to form from parental high-density fluids upon depressurization. However, the sub-micrometric to nanometric size of such mineral inclusions has made rigorous identification and chemical–structural characterization of discrete phases, particularly those in multiphase inclusions, exceedingly difficult. Consequently, traditional chemical (and/or elastic) thermobarometric methods cannot be applied to nanometric inclusions and thus the P/T – depth conditions of fluid-rich diamond formation, and the mantle environments in which they form, remain poorly understood. In previous studies, authors have attempted to address this problem using TEM coupled with EDS and/or EELS to obtain chemical data from mineral inclusions, and SAED (or CBED) to constrain identification based on general crystallographic information (e.g., d -spacings and symmetry). Despite these advancements, difficult and time-consuming FIB-based preparation of diamond films, and the instability of common inclusions (e.g., carbonates) under the TEM electron beam, has prevented statistically meaningful surveys of inclusions in different types of fluid-rich diamonds. Here, the advantages and limitations of single-crystal micro-electron diffraction (MED) are discussed as a method for obtaining detailed crystallographic information (e.g., crystal structure data and structural formulae) from nanoinclusions enabling rigorous phase identification and follow-up work on the P/T/ f O2 stability of inclusions phase-assemblages. This is exemplified in the first rigorous application of MED to fluid-rich diamonds (Wang et al. 2026). These authors identified unique Sr/Ba-carbonates and several species that have never been observed before as inclusions in diamond, including Sr-rich åkermanite and a Ca-rich strontianite phase, which has no naturally occurring analogue. Wang et al. (2026) also completed an anisotropic crystal structure refinement of one nanometric crystal of åkermanite. By combining such MED results with spectroscopic, chemical and isotopic data, the P/T – depth conditions, and the fluid sources associated with diamond-formation, were constrained testifying to the utility of MED applied to sub-micrometric inclusions in diamond.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-026-01437-6","authors":["Fabrizio Nestola","Maxwell C. Day"],"tags":["Fluid inclusions","Inclusion (mineral)","Diamond","Mineral","Selected area diffraction"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-026-01437-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4387141752","name":"Novel High‐Pressure Potassium Chloride Monohydrate and Its Implications for Water‐Rich Planetary Bodies","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Saline water is a common fluid on the Earth‘s surface and in ice planets. Potassium chloride (KCl) is a common salt and is expected to be a ubiquitous solute in salt water in the Universe; however, few studies investigated the behavior of KCl‐H2O system at high pressures and temperatures. In this study, powder and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction (SC‐XRD), Raman and Brillouin scattering combined with diamond anvil cells were used to investigate the phase relation in the KCl‐H2O system for different KCl concentrations at 0–4 GPa and 298–405 K. The results of powder X‐ray diffraction and Raman scattering demonstrate that a novel KCl hydrate is formed when KCl aqueous solutions transform to solid ice‐VI and ice‐VII at high pressure. Simultaneously, the single‐crystal of KCl hydrate is synthesized from a supersaturated KCl solution at 298 K and 1.8 GPa. The structure is solved by SC‐XRD, indicating a KCl monohydrate with the P21/n space group is formed. We have verified the phase stability of KCl monohydrate by using Raman spectroscopy and density functional theory. Our results indicate that KCl monohydrate is a stable phase under pressure and temperature conditions between 1.6 and 2.4 GPa and 298–359 K. By considering the thermal profile and composition of icy moons, we hypothesize that the formation and decomposition of KCl monohydrate might induce mantle convection in these moons.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2022je007622","authors":["Xinmiao Wei","Qiang Zhou","Fangfei Li","Caizi Zhang","Fuxing Sun","Zihan Zhang","Ruiyu Li","Hongyu Yu","Yalan Yan","Liang Li","Hanns‐Peter Liermann","S. Speziale","Xinyang Li"],"tags":["Raman spectroscopy","Hydrate","Chemistry","Aqueous solution","Potassium"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2022je007622","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W2897004331","name":"Absence of olivine orientation fabric in highly shocked Martian dunite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Shock is often given as the cause for many observations in meteorites due to the assumed previous exposure of most meteorites to at least one impact event that ultimately led to their ejection from their parent body. Here we present electron backscatter diffraction ( EBSD ) results on a substantially shocked dunitic achondrite, chassignite Northwest Africa ( NWA ) 8694, and question the general culpability of shock exposure for the formation of preferred orientation fabrics of meteoritic olivine crystals. Despite the ubiquitous presence of substantial shock indicators, the EBSD results for NWA 8694 reveal an absence of preferred orientation of olivine crystals, displaying instead an overall random fabric. We propose that the passage of shock waves through olivine crystals within a solid, crystalline, dunitic rock does not produce an overall preferred orientation, nor is it likely to actively form a whole‐rock random fabric but instead has likely no bearing on the formation of olivine orientation fabrics.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13204","authors":["B. J. Tkalcec","Frank E. Brenker"],"tags":["Olivine","Meteorite","Electron backscatter diffraction","Geology","Achondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-10-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13204","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4409740587","name":"Structural Insights into the Dehydration and Rehydration of Gypsum","source":"openalex","abstract":"The formation and transformation of phases within the CaSO 4 –H 2 O system are crucial in natural and industrial processes. Despite intensive research, however, the mechanisms of gypsum’s (CaSO 4 ·2H 2 O) thermal dehydration and rehydration remain unclear. Here we investigated the crystallographic and textural relationship between parent and product phases during the dehydration and rehydration of gypsum single crystals using two-dimensional X-ray diffraction (2D-XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), in situ and ex situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). Our findings reveal that the dehydration products, bassanite (CaSO 4 ·0.5H 2 O) or soluble anhydrite (γ-CaSO 4 ), exhibit no clear structural relationship with the parent phase in the case of millimeter-sized gypsum crystals. Conversely, a topotactic replacement reaction is observed for micrometer-sized gypsum crystals. This disparity is due to localized nonoriented crystallization of α-hemihydrate in microhydrothermal cavities within large crystals resulting from local gypsum dehydration, whereas in smaller gypsum crystals unimpeded H 2 O release results in oriented β-hemihydrate via a solid-state mechanism. Rehydration proceeds via a dissolution–precipitation mechanism, without structural continuity between parent and product phases. Importantly, gypsum relicts in partially dehydrated pseudomorphs serve as template for the epitaxial crystallization of gypsum during rehydration. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing hemihydrate production and hydraulic setting, benefiting both construction and biomedical applications.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.cgd.4c01414","authors":["Miguel Burgos‐Ruiz","Kerstin Elert","Alejandro B. Rodríguez‐Navarro","Encarnación Ruíz-Agudo","Carlos Rodríguez‐Navarro"],"tags":["Dehydration","Gypsum","Chemistry","Chemical engineering","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.cgd.4c01414","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W2890086028","name":"The Incorporation of Field Portable Instrumentation Into Human Planetary Surface Exploration","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Field portable instrumentation, such as in situ geochemical analyzers or broader field of view instruments like multispectral imagers or other imaging capabilities, has the potential to dramatically increase the science return of a planetary surface exploration mission. However, more work is needed to determine how emerging portable technologies should be designed and implemented into evolving mission architectures. This work summarizes the efforts of the RIS4E (Remote, In Situ and Synchrotron Studies for Science and Exploration) SSERVI (Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute) team in investigating how field portable instruments should be including into planning for future exploration EVAs (extravehicular activities). EVA crews of geologists and astronauts tested a variety of portable and handheld technologies at both the December 1974 lava flow, Kilauea Volcano, Hawai'i, and Kilbourne Hole, New Mexico, both of which are planetary analog sites. The timeline data gathered during instrument deployment were then mapped onto EVA timelines used in large‐scale NASA planetary surface exploration analog missions. Results and recommendations for future instrument hardware and software development are discussed, as is the operational framework necessary for incorporating in situ analytical capabilities into future planetary surface exploration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2018ea000378","authors":["K. E. Young","J. E. Bleacher","A. D. Rogers","H. H. Schmitt","A. C. McAdam","W. B. Garry","P. Whelley","S. P. Scheidt","G. Ito","C. A. Knudson","T. G. Graff","L. V. Bleacher","N. Whelley","Cynthia A. Evans","J. M. Hurtado","T. D. Glotch"],"tags":["Instrumentation (computer programming)","Timeline","Software deployment","Remote sensing","Planetary exploration"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-09-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2018ea000378","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7153121030","name":"A MULTIMODEL REGRESSION APPROACH TO FORECASTING MINERAL HARDNESS FROM CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL FEATURE","source":"openalex","abstract":"Mineral hardness and density serve as fundamental physical characteristics in fields such as geology, mining, and material science, where they are widely used for mineral identification and classification.Conventionally, hardness was evaluated using the Mohs scale through manual scratch testing, in which minerals were compared against standard reference specimens.This process typically demanded laboratory facilities, domain expertise, and considerable time to achieve reliable results.Moreover, it was often labor-intensive and prone to inconsistencies arising from human error and varying experimental conditions.To overcome these challenges, the proposed work presents a Machine Learning driven multimodel regression framework designed to estimate mineral hardness and specific gravity based on their chemical and physical attributes.The system is developed as a web-based application using the Django framework, enabling an interactive and accessible platform.Multiple regression techniques are employed to enhance predictive accuracy, including CatBoost Regressor (CBR), AdaBoost Regressor (ABR), Random Forest Regressor (RFR), and a hybrid ML and Deep Learning (DL) model as Greedy Tab Transformer (GTT).These models learn the relationships between mineral features and target variables to generate accurate predictions for Mohs hardness and specific gravity.Experimental results indicate that the GTT model achieves superior predictive performance compared to the other approaches.In addition to prediction, the system incorporates functionalities such as model training, comparative analysis of algorithms, and prediction modules for evaluating mineral properties.By combining ML techniques with a web-based interface, the system provides a more efficient, scalable, and reliable alternative to traditional manual testing methods for mineral property prediction.","url":"https://doi.org/10.64771/ijesat.2026.v26.i04.2617","authors":["D Ramireddy","Dussa Gayatri","D Mani Charan Teja","Amruthapalli Nikitha","Velpula Ramesh"],"tags":["Feature (linguistics)","Linear regression","Regression","Regression analysis","Artificial intelligence"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.64771/ijesat.2026.v26.i04.2617","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4410313626","name":"Cretaceous Chert‐Hosted Microfossils Visualized With Synchrotron Ptychographic X‐Ray Computed Tomography (PXCT)","source":"openalex","abstract":"Silicification of microfossils is an important taphonomic process that provides a record of microbial life across a range of environments throughout Earth history. However, questions remain regarding the mechanism(s) by which silica precipitated and preserved delicate organic material and detailed cellular morphologies. Constraining the different mechanisms of silica precipitation and identifying the common factors that allow for microfossil preservation is the key to understanding ancient microbial communities and fossil-preserving mechanisms. Here, we use synchrotron ptychographic X-ray computed tomography (PXCT) as a novel technique to analyze microfossils from the Cretaceous Barra Velha Formation and better characterize their diverse morphologies and preservation styles. Through this technique, we generate 2D and 3D reconstructions that illustrate the microfossils and silica-organic textures at nanometer resolution. At this resolution, we identify previously uncharacterized silica textures and organic-silica relationships that help us relate findings from modern silicifying environments and experimental work to the fossil record. Additionally, we identify primary morphological differences among the microfossils as well as preservational variability that may have been driven by physiological and/or biochemical differences between the different organisms that inhabited the Cretaceous pre-salt basin. These findings help us to better characterize the diversity and complexity of the microbiota in this ancient basin as well as taphonomic processes and biases that may have driven microfossil preservation in this and other silicifying environments throughout Earth history.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/gbi.70019","authors":["Kelsey Moore","Theodore M. Present","Antoine Crémière","Manuel Guizar‐Sicairos","Mirko Holler","Andrew Barnett","Kristin Bergmann","Joachim E. Amthor","J. P. Grotzinger"],"tags":["Taphonomy","Cretaceous","Geology","Paleontology","Geologic record"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/gbi.70019","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4378716605","name":"Thermal Simulations of Drilling of Cryogenic Lunar Soils Containing Water Ice","source":"openalex","abstract":"Water ice is an important water source in lunar polar soil. Drilling and sampling lunar polar soil are important engineering tasks of lunar exploration. In view of the influence of temperature rise on the quality of samples obtained by drilling, the heat transfer and temperature rise in drilled ice-containing lunar soil were investigated. In this study, a thermal simulation model for drilling lunar soil was established based on the discrete element method (DEM). Simulations of the drilling temperature of lunar soil containing ice at 3–5% were performed assuming normal pressure and low temperature. After validating the feasibility and accuracy of the simulation method, the temperatures of the drilling tools and lunar soil were analyzed. Furthermore, drilling in a vacuum was simulated as well, and the results indicated that ice sublimation was negligible for reasonable drilling procedures in the current study.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace10060510","authors":["Jinsheng Cui","Baoxian Chen","Sibo Liu","Deming Zhao","Weiwei Zhang"],"tags":["Drilling","Lunar soil","Regolith","Geology","Sublimation (psychology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-05-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace10060510","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4410823927","name":"Investigation of simulation and mechanical characterization of water-bearing lunar polar regolith","source":"openalex","abstract":"It is of great significance for human to find the direct evidence of water existing on the Moon and understand the Moon better. China plans to launch the Chang?e-7 in 2026 to carry out unmanned sampling and in-situ analysis in the Lunar south pole. In order to ensure the success of the mission, it is necessary to carry out sampling simulation experiments adequately on the ground. However, the simulation of water-bearing lunar regolith is the basis for the experiment. In this paper, the simulation and preparation process of water-bearing lunar regolith are studied in terms of the physical and mechanical properties. The uniformity of water distribu?tion and low temperature water migration characteristics of water-bearing lunar regolith is analyzed. On the basis, the mechanical properties of the water-bearing lunar regolith are tested. The mechanical properties such as compressive strength, tensile strength and shear strength of the water-bearing lunar regolith are obtained, which provide support for the polar sampling tests.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2298/tsci2502325z","authors":["Xingwang Zhang","Qichen Sun","Yong Pang","Chu Wang","Lu-Si Wang","Zeng Zhao","Guoxin Wang","Jin Fang","Haichun Hao","Ting Zeng"],"tags":["Regolith","Astrobiology","Bearing (navigation)","Polar","Characterization (materials science)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2298/tsci2502325z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7161271478","name":"Paragenetic Formation of Aqueous Alteration Minerals: Thermodynamic Modeling of Basalt Weathering on Early Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Key Points:• Basalt preferentially produces Fe(III) nontronite and Fe(II)/Mg saponite-rich assemblages in open and closed system weathering, respectively.• Formation of non-evaporative sulfates and carbonates require geochemically distinct conditions.• Modeled assemblages place constraints on weathering conditions at key alteration deposits (e.g.","url":"https://doi.org/10.22541/essoar.15003403/v1","authors":["Eashan Das","Kaushik Mitra","J. A. Hurowitz","T. D. Glotch","Yatharth Bahl"],"tags":["Weathering","Basalt","Mars Exploration Program","Geology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.22541/essoar.15003403/v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7168610336","name":"Cross-scale estimation method for rock mechanical parameters based on mineral nanoindentation testing","source":"openalex","abstract":"The mechanical properties of rocks are critically important for the design and analysis of rock mass engineering. However, under specific conditions—such as core disking due to high in-situ stress, highly jointed rock masses, and extraterrestrial rock bodies—obtaining standard cylindrical rock specimens that meet conventional testing requirements can be challenging. To address this issue, this study develops an integrated prediction framework for estimating the macroscopic mechanical parameters of rocks based on nanoindentation tests of the constituent minerals. First, nanoindentation is employed to obtain meso-scale mechanical parameters of rock-forming minerals, including hardness, elastic modulus, and mode-I fracture toughness. The generalized means method is then applied to upscale the mineral elastic moduli to the macroscopic elastic modulus of the rock, demonstrating significantly higher prediction accuracy than traditional homogenization approaches. Second, leveraging the physical consistency between indentation hardness and uniaxial compressive strength, a multiple linear regression model incorporating the influence of minerals with varying strength grades is established to predict the uniaxial compressive strength of rocks, revealing the dominant role of low-strength minerals in controlling macroscopic strength. Furthermore, by integrating fracture mechanics theory with an equivalent weighting model, a predictive model for the tensile strength of rocks is formulated based on the mode-I fracture toughness of minerals. This framework provides an effective approach for the rapid estimation of rock mechanical parameters under sampling-constrained conditions and, through the introduction of the Hoek-Brown criterion, establishes a methodological foundation for achieving cross-scale predictions of mechanical parameters from “rock cuttings nanoindentation-rock core-rock mass”.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3724/1000-6915.jrme.2025.0756","authors":["Xiuyang LIU","Dingping XU","Quan JIANG","Shaojun Li"],"tags":["Nanoindentation","Elastic modulus","Rock mechanics","Ultimate tensile strength","Rock mass classification"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3724/1000-6915.jrme.2025.0756","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4312127184","name":"Electric Discharge in Erupting Mud","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Self‐ignition during the explosive eruption of mud volcanoes can create flames that in some cases reach heights that exceed hundreds of meters. To study the controls on electrical discharge in natural mud, we performed laboratory experiments using a shock‐tube apparatus to simulate explosive eruptions of mud. We vary the water content of the mud and proportions of fine particles. We measure electric discharge within a Faraday cage and we use a high‐speed video camera to image the eruption of mud and some of the electric discharge events. We find that (a) decreasing the proportion of fine particles and (b) increasing water content each suppress the number and magnitude of electric discharge events. Experimentally observed mud volcano lightning occurs where particles exit from the vent and within the jet of erupting particles.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2022gl100852","authors":["C. Springsklee","Michael Manga","Bettina Scheu","Corrado Cimarelli","Donald B. Dingwell"],"tags":["Mud volcano","Explosive material","Electric discharge","Geology","Jet (fluid)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-12-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2022gl100852","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W2034766392","name":"SPACE MISSION PLANNING IN PLANETARY ENVIRONMENTS","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1966.tb50985.x","authors":["Robert Duncan Enzmann","Ron Miller"],"tags":["Miller","Annals","Citation","Space (punctuation)","Library science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1966-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1966.tb50985.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4417196699","name":"Aerosol Material Characterization by Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy: Review on Fundamentals to Applications","source":"openalex","abstract":"Aerosols play critical roles in atmospheric chemistry, climate regulation, industrial processes, and public health, necessitating accurate and real-time characterization of their physicochemical properties. This review presents a comprehensive overview of photonics-based diagnostic methods, with a particular emphasis on Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS), for aerosol analysis. We examine the underlying principles of LIBS, including plasma generation, laser–particle interactions, and spectroscopic emission processes, alongside recent developments in single-particle and standoff detection. The integration of LIBS with optical trapping, Raman spectroscopy, and laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) is discussed as a strategy to enhance selectivity, sensitivity, and species identification. Moreover, we explore the role of machine learning and chemometric algorithms in improving data interpretation and automated aerosol classification. Applications spanning environmental monitoring, biomedical diagnostics, industrial emission control, and planetary exploration are highlighted. Finally, we address current limitations such as matrix effects, calibration challenges, and sensitivity constraints, and propose future directions for the development of compact, multi-modal, and AI-enhanced LIBS systems for advanced aerosol diagnostics.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics12121220","authors":["Jong-Hyun Kim","Hae-Woon Choi"],"tags":["Aerosol","Characterization (materials science)","Environmental science","Nanotechnology","Remote sensing"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics12121220","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7171699730","name":"Bioregenerative Mineral Extraction from Lunar Regolith: The EcoMine™ ISRU Platform","source":"openalex","abstract":"As humanity advances toward a sustained presence beyond Earth, in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) will be essential for constructing and maintaining off-world infrastructure. Conventional terrestrial mining and leaching methods, while foundational to modern industry, are energy-intensive, chemically demanding, and environmentally destructive. The EcoMine™ bioregenerative mining facility addresses these challenges by replacing chemical leaching with a biologically driven, closed-loop system that regenerates its own consumables (oxygen, CO2, lixiviants, nutrients, and water) while extracting valuable minerals (Al, Ti, Fe, Si) from regolith. Significant progress has been made in integrating the bioregenerative reactor loop, which consists of a Photobioreactor (PBR), an Aerobic Fermenting Reactor (AFR), and a Waste Treatment Reactor (WTR). Efforts are focused on designing an integrated closed-loop system able to support metabolic stability over operational cycles, enabling the continuous regeneration of key consumables. Development of the WTR has focused on achieving organic compound mineralization and water recovery through regenerative UV+TiO₂ photocatalysis. Demonstrating effective contaminant degradation and long-term stability of the TiO2 photocatalyst is critical for this approach to be compatible with the constraints of lunar operations. Ongoing work in the mineral subsystem targets selective separation and staged precipitation processes for recovering minerals of interest from leached effluents. Early trials emphasize optimizing mineral purity during extraction while minimizing reagent consumption to support sustainable material recovery. The EcoMine Brassboard design and subsystem preliminary results indicate the feasibility of bioregenerative approaches for future ISRU applications. This work is relevant to self sustaining, closed loop resource utilization architectures for lunar and planetary missions, and terrestrial sustainability efforts. The EcoMine™ project is supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under Grant No. 80NSSC24CA217.","url":"https://doi.org/10.32865/2346/108961","authors":["Pamela Flores","Naiara Doherty Garcia","Matthew Beck","Christine Chamberlain","Angel Abbud-Madrid","Jaeheon Lee"],"tags":["Environmental science","Waste management","Tailings","Resource recovery","Leaching (pedology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.32865/2346/108961","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7162933568","name":"Design, Environmental Validation, and Candidate Crop Screening in a Modular Micro-Lunar Greenhouse System under CELSS-Like Conditions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems (CELSS) require reliable in situ crop production for long-duration lunar and planetary habitation. However, existing research infrastructure remains divided between large, expensive facilities and conventional growth chambers that lack the environmental realism needed for standardized crop screening. This study aimed to design, engineer, and experimentally validate a Micro-Lunar Greenhouse System (MLGS) as a mid-scale modular platform for evaluating functionally diverse candidate crops under CELSS-like conditions. The 1.52 m3 MLGS integrated automated control of atmospheric composition, temperature, relative humidity, airflow, hydroponics, and programmable LED lighting across three independent cultivation zones. Mesembryanthemum crystallinum, Anredera cordifolia, and Anoectochilus roxburghii were cultivated for 180 days under species-optimized MLGS conditions and compared with standard laboratory chamber conditions using three biological replicates per treatment. Platform performance and crop responses were assessed through environmental stability, growth, photosynthetic traits, nutritional and bioactive composition, resource-use efficiency, waste-processing capacity, and microbial safety. The MLGS maintained environmental setpoints within ±0.8°C, ±1.5% relative humidity, and 25-35 ppm CO2 of target values for more than 97% of operating time, with low spatial heterogeneity among cultivation zones. Relative to the control, the optimized MLGS treatment increased biomass by 38-62%, enhanced key nutritional or bioactive compounds by 24-46%, and improved water-use efficiency by 25-55%. Nitrogen and phosphorus removal from simulated waste streams reached 58-79% and 47-70%, respectively, and no foodborne pathogens were detected. These results validate the MLGS as a reproducible bridge platform between large CELSS facilities and conventional growth chambers, supporting standardized crop screening for future space agriculture applications.","url":"https://doi.org/10.55151/ijeedu.v8i2.452","authors":["Tao Wei","Olha Bakumenko","Yunfan Zhang"],"tags":["Environmental science","Greenhouse","Biomass (ecology)","Crop","Agricultural engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.55151/ijeedu.v8i2.452","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7165531627","name":"Oxygen isotopes of anhydrous minerals within micrometeorites show connections to volatile-rich parent bodies","source":"openalex","abstract":"Chondritic materials retain isotopic signatures of protoplanetary disk gas and provide insights into disk chemistry and evolution during planet formation. We present mineralogy and oxygen isotope compositions of Antarctic micrometeorites (MMs) from the 1994 Cap Prud'homme collection, analysed by electron probe micro-analysis and nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry. Mineralogical and isotopic data link CP94-050 MMs to the carbonaceous chondrites (CCs), representing water-rich asteroidal and cometary materials. Olivine and pyroxene grains exhibit O isotopes that overlap with silicate inclusions in ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites. A majority of the minerals have values consistent with Type I and Type II chondrules (Δ17O ≈ -5 ‰ to +5 ‰), with the lowest Δ17O value being – 30.5 ‰ (Particle #60), which is consistent with formation in the earliest, 16O-rich disk reservoir. Particle #60 has the strongest affinities to olivine in CR chondrites, while particle #22 with an 16O-rich composition has no definitive link to known chondrite types. Together, these results show that MMs sample a mixture of mostly hydrated outer-disk materials and, less abundant, refractory inner-disk silicates. The MMs in CP94-050 preserve primitive isotopic reservoirs despite post-accretionary alteration and offer critical constraints on the oxygen isotope reservoirs in the protoplanetary disk.","url":"https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.8551235","authors":["R Sims","M. Bose","Y. Guan","M.D. Suttle","M. J. Genge","A. Wittmann","R. Joseph"],"tags":["Chondrule","Chondrite","Isotopes of oxygen","Pyroxene","Olivine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.8551235","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W1999106914","name":"10Be content in clasts from fallout suevitic breccia in drill cores from the Bosumtwi impact crater, Ghana: Clues to preimpact target distribution","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Rocks from drill cores LB‐07A (crater fill) and LB‐08A (central uplift) into the Bosumtwi impact crater, Ghana, were analyzed for the presence of the cosmogenic radionuclide 10Be. The aim of the study was to determine the extent to which target rocks of various depths were mixed during the formation of the crater‐filling breccia, and also to detect meteoric water infiltration within the impactite layer. 10Be abundances above background were found in two (out of 24) samples from the LB‐07A core, and in none of five samples from the LB‐08A core. After excluding other possible explanations for an elevated 10Be signal, we conclude that it is most probably due to a preimpact origin of those clasts from target rocks close to the surface. Our results suggest that in‐crater breccias were well mixed during the impact cratering process. In addition, the lack of a 10Be signal within the rocks located very close to the lake sediment–impactite boundary suggests that infiltration of meteoric water below the postimpact crater floor was limited. This may suggest that the infiltration of the meteoric water within the crater takes place not through the aerial pore‐space, but rather through a localized system of fractures.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12256","authors":["A. Łosiak","Eva Maria Wild","Leonard Michlmayr","Christian Koeberl"],"tags":["Impact crater","Breccia","Geology","Clastic rock","Infiltration (HVAC)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-02-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12256","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7129582857","name":"RU: ГЕОЛОГИКА СИСТЕМ (G-S 2026): Мамонты — реальные события без белых пятен. Голая Логика — Физика. EN: SYSTEMS GEOLOGICS (G-S 2026): Mammoths — Real Events Without Blank Spots. Bare Logic — Physics.","source":"openalex","abstract":"АННОТАЦИЯ / ABSTRACT RU:В данной работе представлена междисциплинарная модель «Геологика систем», объясняющая физические причины и механизмы массовой гибели мамонтовой фауны. Автором предлагается решение ключевых палеонтологических аномалий: от обнаружения непереваренной растительности в желудках до мгновенной криозаморозки мягких тканей. В рамках модели система «Земля — Луна» рассматривается как закрытая термодинамическая система, подвергшаяся воздействию внешнего энергетического триггера. Работа представляет собой физическую верификацию «Летописи Земли», где катастрофические события объясняются не случайными факторами, а фундаментальными законами электродинамики и фазовых переходов. EN:This paper presents the \"Systems Geologics\" interdisciplinary model, which elucidates the physical causes and mechanisms behind the mass extinction of mammoth fauna. The author offers a solution to key paleontological anomalies, ranging from undigested vegetation in stomachs to the instantaneous cryofreezing of soft tissues. Within this framework, the Earth-Moon system is analyzed as a closed thermodynamic system affected by an external energetic trigger. This work serves as a physical verification of the \"Earth's Chronicles,\" where catastrophic events are attributed not to random factors, but to the fundamental laws of electrodynamics and phase transitions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.24108/preprints-3114465","authors":["Вячеслав Бурлаков"],"tags":["Geology","Mammoth","Vegetation (pathology)","Extinction event","Work (physics)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.24108/preprints-3114465","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4416838301","name":"Nakhlite Emplacement as Constrained by X‐Ray Computed Tomography and 3D Quantitative Textural and Petrofabric Analyses","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Nakhlites, clinopyroxene‐rich rocks, are the largest single‐origin suite of samples from Mars. Despite extensive study to discern their petrogenetic histories, nakhlite emplacement mechanisms and environments are not well‐constrained, and it is unknown whether they represent intrusive or extrusive igneous rocks, or a combination. Here, we use X‐ray computed microtomography (XCT) and three‐dimensional (3D) quantitative textural analyses (e.g., 2D–3D modal abundances, crystal size distributions [CSDs], and petrofabrics) to place additional constraints on nakhlite formation and emplacement. Modal abundances between and within the nakhlites are variable on both a 2D and 3D basis, highlighting the significance of XCT and 3D analyses when studying these samples. All nakhlites in our study have similar crystallization conditions and histories based on 3D CSDs. Cumulus phases (=olivine and pyroxene) crystallized from magma(s) with high nucleation densities, likely related to effective undercooling, and subsequently underwent a period of magma storage. The CSD profiles record evidence for magma recharge events. Pyroxene long‐axis orientations in the nakhlites studied here exhibit a magmatic foliation, which likely developed during crystal settling and accumulation in low‐to‐no flow settings, such as magma chambers, shallow intrusions (e.g., sills and dikes), lava lake or pond infills, or thick lava flows. We also show that the pyroxenitic layer of Theo's Flow (Canada) may not be an appropriate terrestrial analog for the nakhlites due to differences in emplacement mechanisms and conditions. Our findings suggest that lava flows may be less prevalent in the martian meteorite collection, while intrusive bodies and rocks may be more common than initially thought.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2025je009220","authors":["Sierra Ramsey","Piper Irvin","Arya Udry","S. A. Eckley","Amanda Ostwald","Richard A. Ketcham"],"tags":["Geology","Lava","Magma","Igneous rock","Silicic"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2025je009220","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7125509300","name":"Direct method for Ra-226 analysis in water samples using ICP-QQQ-MS","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The paper describes a method of determination of Ra-226 in natural water using ICP-QQQ-MS, Agilent 8900, that enables an efficient direct determination of Ra-226 with high sensitivity without using any reaction gas and separation procedures for interference removal. The matrix effect, together with the instability of the sensitivity are controlled by spiking the sample with Ra-226. The method is simple and fast with a detection limit around of 0.1 fg g -1 (3.6 mBq kg -1 ), which is tenfold lower than required by the EU Directive for water consumption (40 mBq kg -1 ) and five times better than results obtained from alternative direct method for routine analysis described in the literature. The method can easily be implemented for routine analysis Ra-226 which was demonstrated by direct determination of Ra-226 in IAEA proficiency test water sample. This is the first time that the accuracy (trueness and precision) of a mass spectrometry method for the direct determination of Ra-226 has been tested and confirmed in an independent proficiency test.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-18775-4","authors":["Ivana Coha","Marko Štrok","Norbert Kávási"],"tags":["Sensitivity (control systems)","Detection limit","Computer science","Chromatography","Matrix (chemical analysis)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-18775-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7167622303","name":"Statistical insights into the role of HCN–mineral interactions in aqueous aerosols during chemical evolution","source":"openalex","abstract":"The polymerization of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) is considered a central route to molecular complexity in prebiotic chemistry, following the seminal synthesis of adenine reported by Oró. Here, we investigate how mineral identity and mineral loading modulate cyanide reactivity in aqueous aerosols using selected geologically relevant silicate, oxide, carbonate, sulfide, and mixed mineral substrates as simplified analogues of early planetary mineral–water interfaces. Using a target-agnostic, systems-level strategy, we combine complementary spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques, such as FTIR spectroscopy, HPLC–FLD and GC–MS, with multivariate statistical analyses (CATPCA and PCA) to interrogate highly complex reaction mixtures from cyanide polymerizations in the presence of aqueous aerosols. This approach reveals statistically robust, mineral-dependent trends in spectroscopic and chromatographic profiles that are strongly dependent on both mineral abundance and analytical methodologies. Our results demonstrate that minerals could act either as inert matrices or as active modulators of cyanide chemistry, while highlighting the power of untargeted statistical frameworks to extract chemically meaningful information from analytically intractable prebiotic systems, as is the case of the organic complex mixtures from cyanide polymerization reactions. The polymerization of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) is considered a central route to molecular complexity in prebiotic chemistry, but the influence of mineral-rich settings in this process remains underexplored. Here, the authors combine spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques with multivariate statistical analyses to study complex reaction mixtures emerging from cyanide polymerization in the presence of aqueous aerosols, showing that minerals can act either as inert matrices or as active modulators of cyanide chemistry.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-026-02109-0","authors":["Antonio López-García","Elena Gónzalez-Toril","Fuencisla Cañadas Blasco","Marta Ruiz‐Bermejo"],"tags":["Aqueous solution","Chemistry","Chemical evolution","Statistical analysis","Chemical reaction kinetics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-026-02109-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7147305595","name":"Platinum-Group Element systematics in the North Atlantic Igneous Province: new insights from Northern Irish and Irish magmatism","source":"openalex","abstract":"The North Atlantic Igneous Province (NAIP) is one of the most prospective regions for Ni-Cu-Platinum-Group Element (PGE) mineralisation in Europe, and recent studies have discovered elevated PGE concentrations within its early lavas and minor intrusions comprising the British and Irish Palaeogene Igneous Province (BIPIP). This study presents an extended digital map of the regional mafic dyke swarms associated with the BIPIP in Northern Ireland and Ireland and a comprehensive new geochemical dataset of these magma conduits, the Antrim Lava Group and associated minor intrusions, including PGE and Au analyses. Digital mapping using aerial electromagnetic data reveals a high density of dyke-related anomalies on the island of Ireland. Dyke density and orientation indicate at least one swarm originating from an onshore Palaeogene igneous centre (Slieve Gullion, Carlingford, possibly Dromore High), whilst others are likely propagating from submarine igneous centres in the North Atlantic. The origins and evolution of dyke swarms provide context for interpreting variations in PGE abundances. Previous authors have highlighted that early NAIP magmatic rocks (e.g., Greenland and Scotland) had high Pt/Pd ratios (~1.9), while younger sequences (e.g., Iceland) trend towards lower ratios (~0.4). Our data reveal that Irish BIPIP centres record a similar transition with an average Pt/Pd ratio of 1.6 ± 0.8, reflecting an evolving geodynamic setting where the magmatic conditions transitioned from intra-plate volcanism through to the inception of continental rifting and ocean opening. A close spatiotemporal association between variable Pt/Pd in BIPIP rocks in Ireland and high Pt/Pd in BIPIP rocks in Scotland suggests that the geodynamic transition occurred within a geologically short time interval (<1 Myr). Results from our samples attest to widespread sulphide saturation, supporting the potential for orthomagmatic Ni-Cu-PGE mineralisation within related central complexes or magmatic feeder networks.","url":"https://doi.org/10.31223/x5kf52","authors":["Anna Morrison","Michael Stock","Mark Cooper","Jens Andersen","Hannah S.R. Hughes","Elliot Carter","Jack Beckwith","Iain McDonald","Andrew Kerr","Paul Mohr"],"tags":["Geology","Igneous rock","Magmatism","Rift","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.31223/x5kf52","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4416374993","name":"Gravity Modeling of Lunar Lava Tubes: Insights From a Terrestrial Analog","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The exploration of lunar lava tubes can address challenges of human habitation on the Moon by identifying natural shelters against radiation, temperature extremes, and micrometeoroid impacts. This study shows the feasibility of detecting lunar lava tubes with gravimetry using Ape Cave in Washington State, USA, as a terrestrial analog. Ape Cave's unique features, including its 3.5 km length, irregular geometry, and minimal surface expression, make it an ideal model for simulating lunar conditions. A high‐resolution 3D model of the cave enabled the creation of forward gravity models, incorporating density and geometric variations of realistic terrestrial and lunar conditions. These models show significant negative gravity anomalies that closely fit field measurements along transects above Ape Cave, validating their use in predicting anomalies from lava tubes with comparable dimensions and complexity. Extending this to the Moon, two forward models simulated lunar lava tubes: one with Ape Cave's dimensions and another scaled to five times larger. Results show that while lunar anomalies are weaker due to lower surface gravity, instruments with resolutions of <25 μ Gal can nevertheless reliably detect tubes even at burial depths reaching >26 m. However, larger and more realistic lunar lava tubes produce detectable signals even with lower reading resolution instrument thresholds. This study underscores the benefit of integrating analog models with advanced gravimetric technologies for lunar exploration and highlights the importance of refining sensor capabilities to optimize the detection of lunar subsurface features. These findings contribute to the development of geophysical exploration strategies for future lunar missions to identify habitable environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2025je009130","authors":["Sarai Montañez Muñoz","Glyn Williams‐Jones","N Hayward","A Calahorrano-Di Patre","Behraad Bahreyni"],"tags":["Lava","Geology","Astrobiology","Remote sensing","Geophysics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2025je009130","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406242726","name":"The impact of high discharge variability on sedimentology and architecture of bar deposits in the meandering Powder River (Montana, USA)","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Point bars are emblematic deposits of meandering rivers. Classical facies models that define their architecture and sedimentology are essentially based on rivers with low to moderate peak discharge variability. However, many global rivers experience high peak discharge variability, which may significantly impact point‐bar sedimentological features. This study investigates how high peak discharge variability affects the sedimentology and architecture of point‐bar deposits along the meandering Powder River in south‐eastern Montana, USA. The analysis integrates detailed sedimentological data from trenches and natural exposures at four point bars where century‐long discharge records and more than four decades of geomorphic surveys are available. Sedimentological data reveals substantial deviations from classical facies models. Coarsening‐upward and blocky vertical grain‐size trends are common, in contrast with the classic fining‐upward model. Upper‐flow regime structures are abundant features that record rapid waning of high‐magnitude floods, whereas lateral accretion surfaces matching the original extent of bar slopes are rare due to frequent bar slope reworking. Chute channels are large, occupying significant portions of the bar area, with complex internal architectures of coarse‐grained upper‐flow regime deposits that further obscure lateral accretion geometries of the hosting bar. Oxidized mud layers suggest prolonged sub‐aerial exposure of most of the bar slope between floods. Results from this study challenge assumptions of classical point‐bar models and provide new criteria for recognizing ancient deposits of meandering rivers with high peak discharge variability, with implications for palaeohydrological reconstructions, understanding pre‐vegetation fluvial dynamics and interpreting deposits on other planetary bodies. This new evidence accounts for hydrological modulation effects on fluvial deposits, enabling more robust facies analysis of alluvial successions across a spectrum of discharge variability regimes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.13258","authors":["Riccardo Maitan","Christopher R. Fielding","John A. Moody","Alvise Finotello","Davide Tognin","Andrea D’Alpaos","Massimiliano Ghinassi"],"tags":["Sedimentology","Geology","Bar (unit)","Hydrology (agriculture)","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.13258","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4408255630","name":"The Photochemistry of Amino Acids Produced on the Polar Cryovolcanic Regions of Titan","source":"openalex","abstract":"The cryovolcanic regions of Titan offer transient opportunities for prebiotic molecules to exist in water-ammonia solutions on the surface of the Saturnian moon. The upcoming NASA's Dragonfly mission will search for high nitrogen concentrations and amino acids on Titan's equatorial terrains. Cryovolcanic features, however, are most common on the polar regions. To mitigate the distance, bubble bursting may encapsulate the prebiotic molecules into aerosols, which Titan's Hadley circulation would subsequently transport to the equator. We investigate whether alanine and glycine survive this meridional journey. Despite the unconstrained meridional wind velocities, our results suggest that the amino acids can survive the transport through the mesosphere. Dragonfly may find cryo-volcanogenic amino acids on Titan's equator. Further, the interaction between the two amino acids increased 10-fold the photodegradation rate of glycine. We justify it based on changes in the environment polarity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00376","authors":["Diogo Gonçalves","Florence Hofmann","Severin Wipf","Riccardo Giovanni Urso","Jana Bocková","Cornelia Meinert","Paul B. Rimmer","Gautam D. Stroscio","Nir Goldman","Andreas Elsaesser","Bruno Pedras","Zita Martins"],"tags":["Titan (rocket family)","Polar","Astrobiology","Chemistry","Amino acid"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00376","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W2158160735","name":"\"One Great Epic Unfolding\": H.G. Wells and the Interwar Debate on the Teaching of History","source":"openalex","abstract":"AbstractThis essay explores H.G. Wells’s attempts to reform the teaching of history between the two World Wars. Holding history teachers largely responsible for creating the mood of bellicose nationalism that made the First World War possible, Wells concluded that only a fundamentally reformed history education would ensure the survival of the human species. He pressed for a global history, to be taught in all the world’s schools, that began with the origins of the universe and ended with the present and a glimpse into the future that transcended national borders, and would be taught appropriately. Wells was widely read and often quoted by teachers but was unable to change the priorities of educational policy-makers. This essay examines his objections to conventional history; explores his alternative model of history education; and explains his eventual failure. Wells made an important contribution to the debate about history teaching in the inter-war years and his educational ideas have been unduly neglected. Résumé Cet article expose les tentatives de l’écrivain H. G. Wells en vue de réformer l’enseignement de l’histoire entre les deux guerres mondiales. Il tenait les professeurs d’histoire responsables du climat de nationalisme belliqueux qui avait rendu possible la guerre de 1914-1918. Wells était arrivé à la conclusion que seule une réforme en profondeur de l’enseignement de l’histoire pouvait assurer la survivance de l’espèce humaine. Il préconisait une histoire universelle, enseignée dans toutes les écoles du monde, qui commencerait avec les origines de l’univers et qui se terminerait avec le présent et un aperçu du futur qui transcenderait les frontières nationales. Cette histoire se devait d’être enseignée adéquatement. Beaucoup lu et souvent cité par des enseignants, néanmoins Wells n’a pas réussi à influencer les orientations des programmes. Cet article examine sa critique de l’enseignement conventionnel de l’histoire, explore son modèle alternatif et explique son échec éventuel. La contribution importante de Wells au débat sur l’enseignement en histoire durant l’entre-deux-guerres et ses idées éducationnelles ont été par trop négligées.","url":"https://doi.org/10.32316/hse/rhe.v26i2.4373","authors":["Ken Osborne"],"tags":["EPIC","Nationalism","World history","Humanities","World War II"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-09-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.32316/hse/rhe.v26i2.4373","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7128434939","name":"The chemical habitability of Earth and rocky planets prescribed by core formation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract A crucial factor governing the habitability of exoplanets is the availability of bioessential elements such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P), which foster prebiotic chemistry and sustain life after its emergence. However, concentrations of P and N in planetary mantles vary, owing to initial availability and oxidation conditions during planet formation, and thus their characterization and availability in planetary environments are challenging. Here we use a core-formation model to show that moderate oxygen fugacity during core formation is the key parameter to the availability of these two elements, with the existence of a narrow ‘chemical Goldilocks zone’ that allows both P and N to be present with the right abundances in the mantle. Earth falls within this zone, whereas planets with more reducing/oxidizing conditions will sequester P/N into the core, hindering their availability for life. Future observations refining estimates of the oxygen fugacity prevalent during exoplanet core formation will be crucial to properly evaluate exoplanetary habitability and correctly interpret possible biosignatures.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-026-02775-z","authors":["Craig R. Walton","Laura K. Rogers","Amy Bonsor","Rob Spaargaren","Oliver Shorttle","Maria Schönbächler"],"tags":["Habitability","Astrobiology","Exoplanet","Planet","Terrestrial planet"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-026-02775-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7108936523","name":"The chemical habitability of Earth and rocky planets prescribed by core formation","source":"openalex","abstract":"A crucial factor governing the habitability of exoplanets is the availability of bioessential elements such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P), which foster prebiotic chemistry and sustain life after its emergence. However, concentrations of P and N in planetary mantles vary due to initial availability and oxidation conditions during planet formation, and thus their characterisation and availability in planetary environment is challenging. Here, we use a core formation model to show that oxygen fugacity during core formation is the key parameter to the availability of these two elements, with the existence of a narrow \"chemical Goldilocks zone\" that allows both P and N to be present with the right abundances in the mantle (around IW-1 to IW-3). Earth falls within this zone, whereas planets with more reducing/oxidising conditions will sequester P/N into the core, hindering their availability for life. Future observations refining estimates of the oxygen fugacity prevalent during exoplanet core formation will be crucial to properly evaluate exoplanetary habitability and correctly interpret possible biosignatures.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-c-000788989","authors":["Walton, Craig Robert"],"tags":["Habitability","Astrobiology","Exoplanet","Planet","Terrestrial planet"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-c-000788989","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7165144643","name":"The Zeolitic Continuum: From Conventional Mineral Resources to Advanced Functional Materials of Bulgarian and Turkish Origin","source":"openalex","abstract":"This review examines the scientific basis and technological development of natural zeolites, focusing particularly on deposits and research from Bulgaria and Turkey. It traces the transformation of zeolites from conventional industrial minerals into advanced, high-performance functional materials. A stepwise methodological framework was employed to conduct a bibliometric assessment of research and review articles published between 2015 and 2025, primarily focusing on contributions from researchers in Bulgaria and Turkey. In parallel, the study evaluates historical industrial data and the foundational literature. Beyond its regional focus, the bibliometric analysis reveals that Turkey ranks among the world's leading contributors to zeolite research after Iran, China, and Indonesia, while Bulgaria maintains significant presence within the global network of active researchers in the field. The findings suggest that zeolite science in the region is expanding rapidly and dynamically, with current research increasingly focused on modifying, functionalizing, and diversifying zeolitic materials for a wide range of scientific and technological applications, including wastewater treatment, environmental remediation, construction materials production, agriculture, animal husbandry, and healthcare enhancement. The growing demand for effective adsorbents, therapeutic agents, and nutritional supplements, coupled with the critical need to reduce manufacturing costs, serves as a primary driver for accelerated zeolite research.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31122142","authors":["Denitsa Kiradzhiyska","Kiril B. Gavazov","V. Bachvarov","Nikolina Milcheva"],"tags":["Bulgarian","Turkish","Bodywork","Zeolite","Engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31122142","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4414377901","name":"Machine Learning-Guided Synthetic Microbial Communities Enable Functional and Sustainable Degradation of Persistent Environmental Pollutants","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Persistent environmental pollutants demand the use of diverse microbial metabolic capabilities for effective degradation. While naturally occurring consortia or single strains often fall short in efficiency, synthetic microbial communities (SynComs) hold greater promise for enhanced degradation. To address this challenge, we developed GENIA (Genomically and Environmentally Networked Intelligent Assemblies), a genome-informed and machine learning–guided framework for the rational design of SynComs capable of multi-pollutant degradation under simulated environmental conditions. Using a microfluidic high-throughput cultivation platform, 2,155 bacterial strains were isolated from xenobiotic-enriched environments and screened for pollutant-specific growth. Whole-genome sequencing and functional annotation of 45 prioritized strains revealed metabolic traits associated with the potential degradation of challenging persistent environmental pollutants as proof of concept, i.e., lignin oxidation, atrazine dechlorination, and PFAS defluorination. These genomic profiles were encoded into spline-based graph representations and integrated within the GENIA pipeline, which combines graph neural networks, pathway complementarity modeling, and functional redundancy minimization to predict optimal community assemblies. The resulting nine-member community—comprising Pantoea dispersa , Atlantibacter hermannii , Pseudomonas fulva , Paenibacillus polymyxa , Bacillus cabrialesii , Micrococcus luteus , Bacillus pseudomycoides , Bacillus licheniformis , and Pseudomonas pergaminensis —was predicted to exhibit broad catabolic capacity and minimal intra-community competition. Kinetic experiments in minimal medium demonstrated simultaneous multi-pollutant degradation: lignin (91.6% removal by day 5), atrazine (91.4% removal by day 3), and PFOS (93.1% removal within seven days), representing a 2-4-fold improvement over existing approaches. GENIA establishes a scalable and generalizable framework that integrates systems-level genomics, phenotypic screening, and predictive modeling to engineer ecologically coherent microbial consortia with application to complex environmental bioremediation. Graphical Abstract","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.6c01112","authors":["Esau De la Vega-Camarillo","Jorge Arreola‐Vargas","Sanjay Antony‐Babu","Saurav Kumar Mathur","Joshua Andrew Santos","Won‐Bo Shim"],"tags":["Biochemical engineering","Computer science","Pollutant","Redundancy (engineering)","Scalability"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.6c01112","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7127401458","name":"Reproductive biomedicine in space: implications for gametogenesis, fertility and ethical considerations in the era of commercial spaceflight","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rbmo.2025.105431","authors":["Giles Palmer","Begüm Aydoğan Mathyk","Jeffrey Jones","Blair T. Stocks","Paul Root Wolpe","Virginia Wotring","Christopher E. Mason","Jacques Cohen","Fathi Karouia"],"tags":["Spaceflight","Human spaceflight","Fertility","Biomedicine","Human reproduction"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rbmo.2025.105431","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4405334666","name":"CREATION OF STARTING MATERIAL FOR SELECTION OF SOFT WHEAT BY MEANS FUNGICIDES","source":"openalex","abstract":"The article examines the concept of \"competitiveness\".Based on the analysis of indicators of disability in the regions of the North, it was determined that disability as a social phenomenon is inherent in all northern regions.The main economic aspect of disability is the termination of work when disability is established at working age, which causes serious economic damage to the state and is a determining factor in the competitiveness of the region.","url":"https://doi.org/10.34660/inf.2021.31.56.010","authors":["E.Y. Beletskaya","L.A. Krotova","С П Чибис"],"tags":["Fungicide","Selection (genetic algorithm)","Computer science","Agricultural engineering","Agronomy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.34660/inf.2021.31.56.010","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4412104191","name":"ALTERED PLANT REMAINS, BYPRODUCTS AND MINERALIZATION OF THE ORIGINAL MATERIAL IN SOME PALEOBASINS","source":"openalex","abstract":"Bulgarian sediment coal-bearing basins were sampled and investigated for their petrography and mineralogy. There are forty five coal basins in Bulgaria as nine of them were sampled and petrographically analyzed for the present study. Almost all types of macerals were found in Bulgarian coal-bearing sediments determined by the Stopes-Heerlen System, which were summarized and visualized in this study.","url":"https://doi.org/10.34660/inf.2025.99.79.026","authors":["A. Sotirov"],"tags":["Mineralization (soil science)","Computer science","Environmental science","Geology","Soil science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.34660/inf.2025.99.79.026","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4412782072","name":"Maximizing Scientific Exploitation of Raman Spectroscopy With A.C.M.E. (Atmospheric Chamber for Measurements in Environment)","source":"openalex","abstract":"ABSTRACT The Atmospheric Chamber for Measurements in Environment (A.C.M.E.) provides a versatile and highly controlled environment for simulating planetary conditions, supporting the testing and calibration of instruments for planetary exploration. In this study, we utilized A.C.M.E. to evaluate the performance of a novel hollow‐core fiber (HCF) Raman gas sensor prototype developed by the ERICA research team. By integrating the HCF sensor with a dedicated spectrometer, we confirmed that Raman spectrometers, such as the Raman Laser Spectrometer (RLS), could be used for atmospheric gas analysis in future planetary missions, expanding their applications beyond mineralogical studies. By using the A.C.M.E. chamber to produce representative gas mixtures, this work analytically demonstrated that, once optimized, the HCF sensor prototype could be potentially used to investigate the atmosphere of both Mars and Venus in future planetary missions. These findings underscore the critical role of atmospheric chambers like A.C.M.E. in advancing technologies for future planetary exploration missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.70030","authors":["Iván Reyes‐Rodríguez","Sofía Julve‐Gonzalez","Marco Veneranda","J. A. Manrique","A. Sanz‐Arranz","M. Mayoral‐Yagüe","S. Jiménez‐Blázquez","L. Asenjo‐Estévez","E. Charro","Jaime Delgado Iglesias","E.A. Lalla","Belen Barrios‐Areinamo","F. Rull","G. López-Reyes"],"tags":["Raman spectroscopy","Analytical Chemistry (journal)","Materials science","Environmental science","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.70030","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7126070376","name":"El espacio exterior como objeto político: ciencia política y estudios sociales del espacio","source":"openalex","abstract":"Este artículo tiende un puente entre la ciencia política y los estudios sociales del espacio exterior al conceptualizar el espacio como objeto político y no sólo como reto científico-tecnológico. Propone dos movimientos: 1) distinguir entre la política acerca del espacio (diseñada desde la Tierra) y la política en el espacio (relaciones de poder bajo condiciones de habitabilidad extraplanetaria), y 2) encadenar niveles mediante un principio de trazabilidad vertical que vincula lo político, polity, politics y policy. A partir de este marco analítico, se ordenan casos y escenarios, y se identifican conflictos de principios, organización y poder. A modo ilustrativo, se abordan tensiones sobre soberanía, propiedad de recursos y dilemas de libertad, control y disenso derivados de bienes vitales como el oxígeno. El argumento central es que la actividad humana en el espacio no es una mera extensión de las disputas terrestres: el entorno extremo reconfigura categorías y principios políticos (soberanía, libertad, igualdad) y exige nuevos diseños institucionales y mecanismos de implementación. Así, la ciencia política aporta un marco para evaluar implicaciones institucionales y normativas, y abrir una agenda complementaria y comparativa con los estudios del espacio exterior.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48102/if.2026.v6.n1.437","authors":["Javier Contreras Alcántara"],"tags":["Humanities","Philosophy","Political science","Context (archaeology)","Politics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48102/if.2026.v6.n1.437","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W3049436349","name":"Evolution of the Scientific Instrumentation for In Situ Mars Exploration","source":"openalex","abstract":"Mars has always been a magnet for the human curiosity. The more we know about the red planet and its past, the more complex are the unanswered questions. In order to answer them, an ambitious long-term plan for the robotic and manned exploration of Mars has been established by the scientific community worldwide. To ensure success in answering the issues to be investigated on each step of the plan, the selection of “on board” payloads at mission level is specifically designed for achieving the best possible results. This selection also has modified the mission operation modes from a set of individual experiments to a cooperative science paradigm where all the instruments in the mission payload contribute jointly to achieve unprecedented scientific results. Collaboration not only between experiments but also between agencies for achieving major goals has been demonstrated as the optimum way forward for Mars exploration. This chapter presents a historical review, with a look into the future, of the human efforts aimed at understanding the red planet, focusing on the technological advances and scientific discoveries achieved that help answer some of the most thrilling and transcendental questions ever raised by humanity: Are we alone in the Universe?","url":"https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93377","authors":["Andoni G. Moral Inza","G. López-Reyes"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Payload (computing)","Plan (archaeology)","Planet","Exploration of Mars"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-08-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93377","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4407397222","name":"Collection of Antarctic micrometeorites stored in the surface snow near the Dome Fuji Station","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Over a period of 16 years, we collected Antarctic micrometeorites (AMMs) preserved in 1‐t snow samples from the surface to a depth of ~10–15 cm near Dome Fuji Station, Antarctica. A total of 1025 AMMs were identified: 843 unmelted AMMs, 51 scoriaceous ones, and 131 cosmic spherules. Their average sizes were 40, 64, and 40 μm, respectively. The accretion rate of AMMs was inferred to be (3.3 ± 1.8) × 10 3 t year −1 , based on the snow accumulation rate near Dome Fuji Station. We compared the Dome Fuji collection (DFC) with our previous Tottuki #5 collection (T5C) recovered from blue ice in 2000. Regardless of the collection methods, the full range size distributions of AMMs were well fitted by lognormal functions. In 2019 and 2020, we applied a freeze‐drying (FD) system to collect AMMs. We identified 21 AMMs from 17 kg of surface snow. Both GEMS (glass with embedded metal and sulfide)‐rich chondritic porous (CP) AMMs and hydrated fine‐grained (H f‐g) AMMs were identified. No detectable mineralogical differences were observed between a CP AMM from the DFC‐FD and one from the DFC, suggesting that ~6 h of exposure to cold water (<8.7°C) did not affect the mineralogy of CP AMMs.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14324","authors":["T. Noguchi","Takahito Tominaga","Minako Takase","Akira Yamaguchi","Naoya Imae"],"tags":["Dome (geology)","Snow","Geology","Astrobiology","Geomorphology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14324","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406870640","name":"Ceres: Organic‐Rich Sites of Exogenic Origin?","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt, is the only potential ocean world in the inner Solar System. Previous studies identified deposits of aliphatic organics in and around the Ernutet crater, and at small locations at Inamahari and Urvara craters. The origin of organics, either endogenic or exogenic, in these fresh exposures is still under debate. This study addresses the origin of the organics by analyzing their global distribution and geologic context. Our first step involved a global search for organic‐rich sites that might have escaped previous detections. We achieved this by using a deep neural network, utilizing spectral redness in the Dawn's Framing Camera multispectral data to identify potential organic‐rich sites. The identified sites were further studied by using IR spectrometer data to infer the compositions of materials showing spectral redness. Of the newly identified red‐sloped sites, only two can be considered certain to be organic‐rich. We also identified sites with spectral redness, but without any signature of organics in their infrared spectra. These sites could be attributed to the aqueous alteration of magnetite into ferric‐iron bearing phases. At Ernutet, Inamahari, and Urvara, the organic‐rich material is confined to the near surface only. Additionally, the absence of tectonic/volcanic features at these sites makes an endogenic origin questionable. The global rarity of detectable organics also supports this assessment. Consequently, we suggest that organics at these sites were originally delivered by low‐velocity, organic‐rich impactor(s) from the main belt and subsequently excavated, rather than originating from endogenous processes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024av001362","authors":["R. Sarkar","A. Nathues","M. Hoffmann","E. A. Cloutis","K. Mengel","Pragya Singh","G. Thangjam","J. Hernández","S. Karunatillake","Maélie Coutelier"],"tags":["Geology","Astrobiology","Geochemistry","Earth science","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024av001362","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4231071030","name":"A: Problems","source":"openalex","abstract":"ProblemsThe problems below are arranged by chapters.Most of them have quantitative answers.A few of them are descriptive.They are selected to be representative of interesting and significant problem types; many of them can be rearranged or broadened in scope to provide a wider range of problem-solving experience.In many of the chapters the last problem is comprehensive and requires the use of a computer program such as Engineering Equation Solver (EES).In all problems time is assumed to be solar time unless otherwise stated.Chapter problems that are identified with a leading letter S require running or constructing some part or all parts of a solar simulation program.These problems can be solved using a high-level programming language such as BASIC, FORTRAN, Pascal, etc. Spreadsheets such as Excel can sometimes be used.However, EES is recommended and is available to academic institutions at a reasonable cost from F-Chart Software, LLC (see fchart.com) or for free from McGraw-Hill if certain textbooks are adopted for use in other courses-see http://www.mhhe.com/engcs/mech/ees/na.html.The EES solar functions library (SETP.LIB) is used whenever convenient.This EES library can be downloaded for free from fchart.comunder EES ''Additional Items.''The S problems associated with the Introduction use the free simulation program CombiSys and are used to illustrate solar system behavior prior to the detailed study of subsequent chapters.10.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118671603.app1","authors":["John A. Duffie","William A. Beckman"],"tags":["Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-04-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118671603.app1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7125389205","name":"Biofilms: from the cradle of life to life support","source":"openalex","abstract":"Biofilms are intricately associated with life on Earth, enabling functions essential to human and plant systems, but their susceptibility to spaceflight stressors and functional disruption in space remains incompletely understood. During spaceflight, biofilms have largely been considered as potential infrastructure, life support or infection risks. This review focuses on the prevailing beneficial roles of biofilms in human and plant health, and examines evidence of biofilm adaptability in space environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41522-025-00875-8","authors":["Katherine J. Baxter","Eszter Sas","Kevin B. Clark","Michaela Walsh","Nikhil Pradeep","Alavia Batool","Charles Naney","Miguel Angel Vargas Cruz","Niamh Kennerdale","Kajari Das","Zhihan Shi","Anish Kelam","Vandana Verma","Marta Filipa Simões","Dirk Neefs","Vinothkannan Ravichandran","Madhan R. Tirumalai","Borja Barbero Barcenilla","Guerrino Macori","Emmanuel Gonzalez","Benjamin A. Sikes","Fathi Karouia","Nicholas J. B. Brereton"],"tags":["Life support system","Adaptability","Human life","Plant life","Spaceflight"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41522-025-00875-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4416184799","name":"HyperScout-H: The Hyperspectral Imager for the ESA Hera Mission","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-025-01237-8","authors":["Marcel Popescu","J. de León","George Pantelimon Prodan","M. Küppers","Gábor Kovács","Balázs Vince Nagy","B. Grieger","Hannah Goldberg","Marco Esposito","Nathan Vercruyssen","Eri Tatsumi","Lisa Krämer Ruggiu","Özgür Karatekin","Steven Goderis","Seiji Sugita","M. Lazzarin","Paul Abell","Jean‐Baptiste Vincent","Iulian Petrişor","Patrick Michel"],"tags":["Hyperspectral imaging","Remote sensing","Asteroid","Physics","Orbital mechanics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-025-01237-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4398253402","name":"Compositional evidence for chondrule origins of low‐Ca pyroxenes in comet Wild 2 and a giant cluster IDP","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract A literature compilation of 1136 low‐Ca pyroxene compositions from chondrules from 12 primitive type 2–3 carbonaceous, ordinary and enstatite chondrite groups define unique regions on an Al2O3 and Cr2O3 diagram when compared to low‐Ca pyroxenes from equilibrated type 4‐6 chondrites. Measured compositions of 100 low‐Ca pyroxenes from comet Wild 2 and a giant cluster IDP of probable cometary origin are similar to each other and fall in the type 2–3 chondrite chondrule region suggesting that most of the pyroxenes likely formed in the solar nebula like conventional chondrules. The data imply that most low Ca‐pyroxenes from comet Wild 2 and the giant cluster IDP formed from igneous crystallization processes and did not experience significant thermal metamorphism, indicating that the low‐Ca pyroxenes were unlikely incorporated into large parent bodies prior to accretion in their respective comet bodies. An intriguing group of nine low‐Ca pyroxenes from comet Wild 2 with low Cr and Al that fall where type 4–6 chondrites are located are interpreted as products of condensation. The compositional data combined with previously measured oxygen isotopes on 17 low‐Ca pyroxenes support earlier conclusions that comet samples have links with carbonaceous, ordinary, and possibly enstatite chondrite groups. Our results provide additional evidence that comets accreted materials from multiple chondrule reservoirs throughout the solar nebula.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14187","authors":["D. J. Joswiak","D. E. Brownlee","A. J. Westphal","Z. Gainsforth","Mingming Zhang","N. T. Kita"],"tags":["Chondrule","Comet","Geology","Astrobiology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14187","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7141478439","name":"From Geology to Robotics: A Review of Next-Generation Autonomous Drilling Technologies for Critical Mineral Exploration","source":"openalex","abstract":"The growing global demand for critical raw materials (CRMs) essential to renewable energy, electromobility, and digital technologies has accelerated the need for advanced exploration methods capable of operating in increasingly challenging geological environments. Traditional drilling systems, designed primarily for shallow mineral and hydrocarbon exploration, face limitations in heterogeneous and consolidated formations where rock heterogeneity, variable mechanical strength, and borehole instability restrict operational efficiency. This review bridges geological science and robotic engineering by analyzing the evolution of next-generation autonomous drilling technologies integrating sensor systems, artificial intelligence (AI), and real-time geotechnical feedback. The current work explores how robotic drilling systems can autonomously adapt to variable lithologies, optimize penetration rates, and ensure borehole stability through intelligent sensing and control. The paper reviews the geological, geomechanical and ore deposit characteristics of CRMs, discusses state-of-the-art drilling optimization strategies, and highlights advances in measurement while drilling (MWD), logging while drilling (LWD), and geochemical analysis techniques. It also suggests a list of sensor techniques for possible future integration in autonomous subsurface robotic systems. It concludes by emphasizing the need for integration between subsurface geological modeling and intelligent drilling robotics as a pathway toward sustainable and efficient CRM exploration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences16040139","authors":["Nikolaos Avrantinis","Panagiotis Koukakis","Pavlos Avramidis"],"tags":["Drilling","Borehole","Geology","Measurement while drilling","Petroleum engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences16040139","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W2290443979","name":"Undergraduate Curriculum: Fewer facts but greater understanding","source":"openalex","abstract":"Plans to reduce the factual content of UK physics degrees have crystallised. The working party set up last November to examine how university and polytechnic physics departments should respond to the increasingly apparent need to re-think their undergraduate courses (Physics World April p6) has now published its final report.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2058-7058/3/9/4","authors":["Sally Croft"],"tags":["Curriculum","Set (abstract data type)","Engineering physics","Mathematics education","Library science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1990-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2058-7058/3/9/4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7161935998","name":"Chlorine (Cl) and hydrogen chloride (HCl) solubility in hydrous silicate melts: implications for volcanic gas composition","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Chlorine is a key volatile in magmatic and volcanic systems, being a major consumer of atmospheric ozone and an important ligand for metal transport. Despite chlorine’s importance however, the combined effects of melt composition and H₂O on Cl solubility and HCl degassing remain poorly constrained, particularly at magmatic pressures. We present high-pressure (0.5–1.63 GPa), 1200 °C experiments on hydrous andesite, dacite and rhyolite (up to ~ 8–9 wt% H₂O) equilibrated with Ag–AgI–AgCl buffers to fix fCl₂, and with graphite-saturated C–O–H fluids to buffer fO₂ near CCO. Chlorine concentrations in the glasses define chloride capacities (C Cl ) that we combine with anhydrous data from earlier work. Using LASSO regression, we obtain a revised chloride-capacity model that improves predictions for evolved, silica- and alkali-rich melts. The explicit HO 0.5 term remains statistically insignificant up to ~ 8–9 wt% H₂O, confirming that H₂O acts primarily as an ideal diluent of network-forming and network-modifying cations rather than exerting a strong, specific control on Cl dissolution. We couple the new C Cl model with H₂–H₂O–HCl equilibria and a C–H–O–S–Cl fluid speciation code to derive a simple expression for HCl fugacity in terms of melt composition, temperature, pressure and fH₂O, without requiring explicit values of fCl₂ or fO₂. Applied to literature experiments and melt inclusions, the model predicts (i) low fCl₂ (~ 10 − 10 –10 − 6 bar) and much higher fHCl (~ 10⁻ 1 –10 2 bar) at near-surface pressures, consistent with HCl-dominated volcanic emissions; (ii) SO₂/HCl ratios for the 2002–2003 Mt. Etna eruption that match plume measurements; and (iii) strong variations in SO₂/HCl and S/Cl during decompression due to contrasting pressure dependences of sulphur and chlorine capacities. Our framework links petrological archives (melt inclusions, matrix glasses) to HCl contents of magmatic gases, providing a tool to interpret excess degassing, magma plumbing and volcanic halogen fluxes to the atmosphere. We also used HSC Chemistry software to calculate the production of reactive chlorine species (ClO) from HCl in volcanic gases upon mixing with air at the vent.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-026-02332-x","authors":["Monika K. Rusiecka","Bernard J. Wood"],"tags":["Chlorine","Solubility","Plume","Hydrogen chloride","Volcano"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-026-02332-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W3202915903","name":"The survival of blown pack spoilage associatedClostridium estertheticumandClostridium gasigenesspores during the ensiling of grass","source":"openalex","abstract":"ABSTRACT Blown pack spoilage (BPS) of vacuum packaged primals, caused by Clostridium estertheticum and Clostridium gasigenes, is a serious issue for the beef industry. There are multiple sources of these bacteria on beef farms, including grass and associated feed preparations. The aim of this study was to investigate the survival of C. estertheticum and C. gasigenes spores during the ensiling of grass and the subsequent opening of the silos. Grass, harvested from fields, with and without cattle slurry amendment, was inoculated with approximately 100 spores/g and ensiled using a laboratory (silo) model system at 20°C in the dark. Adding formic acid or sucrose resulted in six treatment combination as follows: no slurry (NS), no slurry plus formic acid (NSFA), no slurry plus sucrose (NSS), slurry (S), slurry plus formic acid (SFA) and slurry plus sucrose (SS). During the silage fermentation, samples were removed periodically and tested for C. estertheticum, C. gasigenes, total viable, Escherichia coli, Enterobacteriaceae and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) counts. The pH, ethanol, volatile fatty acids (VFA), lactic acid and ammonia concentrations were also monitored throughout the experiment. C. estertheticum did not survive the ensiling process, regardless of treatment. In contrast, C. gasigenes grew in the early stages and was detected during the entirety of the fermentation for all treatments. Based on these observations, it was concluded that the silage fermentation process described would not remove C. gasigenes and contaminated grass may result in contaminated feed for animals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/femsmc/xtab013","authors":["Eden Esteves","Paul Whyte","Tanushree B. Gupta","Declan Bolton"],"tags":["Silage","Slurry","Food spoilage","Formic acid","Lactic acid"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/femsmc/xtab013","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7130514719","name":"Mars Express: Genesis and Infancy","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract This paper describes the flow of events which led ESA to select this Mars Express mission for a launch in 2003, following the failure of the Russian Mars 96 in 1996. The unique genesis of Mars Express is reflected in its system design, the payload selected, and the operation strategy. Although a low cost “F-mission”, Mars Express achieved unprecedented objectives, with in particular coupled analyses of all Mars envelopes, from its exosphere, high and low atmosphere, to the surface and subsurface characterization. For ESA, Mars Express constitutes the first ever Mars mission, on which the Agency, the European space industry and the science community built its level of excellence, opening wide cooperative partnerships.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-026-01278-7","authors":["J.-P. Bibring","J.-L. Bertaux","R. Bonnet","Richard Bonneville","O. Korablev","Y. Langevin","L. Frécon","Vincent Poinsignon","R. Schmidt"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Planetary science","Exploration of Mars","Payload (computing)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-026-01278-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7133805551","name":"Additive Manufacturing in Space: Technologies, Flight Heritage, and Materials","source":"openalex","abstract":"Additive manufacturing (AM) is increasingly recognized as a critical enabler for sustainable space exploration, offering on-demand fabrication, reduced reliance on Earth-based resupply, and enhanced mission autonomy. Over the past decade, in-space AM has progressed from early polymer extrusion experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to the demonstration of multi-material capabilities involving polymers, metals, ceramics, recycling systems, and in situ resource utilization (ISRU) concepts. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of AM technologies developed for space applications, with emphasis on demonstrated flight heritage, process behavior under microgravity and vacuum conditions, and materials validated in orbit. The paper surveys major AM process families relevant to space, including fused filament fabrication, directed energy deposition, ceramic stereolithography, bioprinting, and closed-loop recycling systems. Key ISS-based platforms—such as the Additive Manufacturing Facility, Ceramic Manufacturing Module, and Refabricator—are reviewed to assess technological maturity and system-level integration. Materials performance across polymers, metals, ceramics, and regolith-based feedstocks is discussed, highlighting the influence of microgravity, thermal transport, and environmental exposure. By comparing in-space results with terrestrial and reduced-gravity studies, this review identifies consistent trends, critical limitations, and remaining knowledge gaps, providing a structured perspective on the readiness of in-space additive manufacturing for future orbital and deep-space missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies14030165","authors":["Emilia Georgiana Prisăcariu","Oana Dumitrescu","Raluca Andreea Roșu"],"tags":["Enabling","Technology readiness level","Resource (disambiguation)","Process (computing)","Resource efficiency"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies14030165","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7169837627","name":"Applying bronzite mineral as a novel and effective magnetic catalyst for photo-Fenton reaction: Experimental design and machine learning","source":"openalex","abstract":"This study investigates bronzite, an iron-rich orthopyroxene mineral, as a natural and cost-effective catalyst for the photo-Fenton degradation of amaranth dye in water. Bronzite powder's high Fe content, visible-light absorption (band gap of 2.48 eV), and magnetic recoverability were confirmed by XRD, FTIR, SEM/EDS, BET, DRS, and magnetic analysis. The optimal conditions for attaining 98.3% dye degradation and 64% TOC removal under visible-light irradiation were found to be pH 3, catalyst dosage of 1 g L⁻¹, and 100 µg L⁻¹ H₂O₂ using a central composite rotational design (CCRD). Photogenerated holes (h⁺) are the predominant reactive species, whereas •OH and e⁻ have minor contributions, according to scavenger tests. The degradation profiles under various operating circumstances were accurately represented (R 2 >0.95) by a kinetic model linking adsorption–desorption and surface oxidation. Reaction intermediates were successfully predicted by machine learning (Random Forest), which supported a degradation route that began with azo bond cleavage and progressively oxidized aromatic fragments. Over the course of five reuse cycles, the catalyst remained highly active and showed no discernible ecotoxicity to Artemia salina. These findings show that bronzite is a stable, reusable, and eco-friendly natural catalyst with potential use in the photo-Fenton treatment of wastewater tainted with dyes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cherd.2026.07.048","authors":["Dison S.P. Franco","Vitor Martins Pereira Blois","Matheus Londero da Costa","Wagner Jesus da Silva Garcia","Lucio Strazzabosco Dorneles","Edson Luiz Foletto","Jivago Schumacher de Oliveira"],"tags":["Catalysis","Mineral","Engineering","Machine learning","Magnetic separation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cherd.2026.07.048","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4407165580","name":"Mass Supply from Io to Jupiter’s Magnetosphere","source":"openalex","abstract":"Since the Voyager mission flybys in 1979, we have known the moon Io to be both volcanically active and the main source of plasma in the vast magnetosphere of Jupiter. Material lost from Io forms neutral clouds, the Io plasma torus and ultimately the extended plasma sheet. This material is supplied from Io's upper atmosphere and atmospheric loss is likely driven by plasma-interaction effects with possible contributions from thermal escape and photochemistry-driven escape. Direct volcanic escape is negligible. The supply of material to maintain the plasma torus has been estimated from various methods at roughly one ton per second. Most of the time the magnetospheric plasma environment of Io is stable on timescales from days to months. Similarly, Io's atmosphere was found to have a stable average density on the dayside, although it exhibits lateral (longitudinal and latitudinal) and temporal (both diurnal and seasonal) variations. There is a potential positive feedback in the Io torus supply: collisions of torus plasma with atmospheric neutrals are probably a significant loss process, which increases with torus density. The stability of the torus environment may be maintained by limiting mechanisms of either torus supply from Io or the loss from the torus by centrifugal interchange in the middle magnetosphere. Various observations suggest that occasionally (roughly 1 to 2 detections per decade) the plasma torus undergoes major transient changes over a period of several weeks, apparently overcoming possible stabilizing mechanisms. Such events (as well as more frequent minor changes) are commonly explained by some kind of change in volcanic activity that triggers a chain of reactions which modify the plasma torus state via a net change in supply of new mass. However, it remains unknown what kind of volcanic event (if any) can trigger events in torus and magnetosphere, whether Io's atmosphere undergoes a general change before or during such events, and what processes could enable such a change in the otherwise stable torus. Alternative explanations, which are not invoking volcanic activity, have not been put forward. We review the current knowledge on Io's volcanic activity, atmosphere, and the magnetospheric neutral and plasma environment and their roles in mass transfer from Io to the plasma torus and magnetosphere. We provide an overview of the recorded events of transient changes in the torus, address several contradictions and inconsistencies, and point out gaps in our current understanding. Lastly, we provide a list of relevant terms and their definitions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-025-01137-x","authors":["Lorenz Roth","Aljona Blöcker","Katherine de Kleer","David Goldstein","Emmanuel Lellouch","Joachim Saur","Carl Schmidt","D. F. Strobel","Chihiro Tao","Fuminori Tsuchiya","V. Dols","Hans Huybrighs","A. Mura","J. R. Szalay","S. V. Badman","Imke de Pater","Anne-Cathrine Dott","Masato Kagitani","Lea Klaiber","Ryoichi Koga","A. S. McEwen","Zachariah Milby","K. D. Retherford","Stephan Schlegel","N. Thomas","W. L. Tseng","Audrey Vorburger"],"tags":["Magnetosphere","Torus","Jupiter (rocket family)","Physics","Plasma"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-025-01137-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7135369407","name":"\"Stochastic Origin of Water (Asteroidal/Cometary)\" Hypothesis Nullification and the Establishment of \"Endogenous Tensorial Production (Nodal Hydration)\"","source":"openalex","abstract":"Subject: The Nullification of the \"Stochastic Origin of Water (Asteroidal/Cometary)\" Hypothesis and the Establishment of \"Endogenous Tensorial Production (Nodal Hydration)\" Computational Level: Postdoctoral (Molecular Informational Synthesis) Under the sovereign authority of Seyed Rasoul Hamzah, and in strict accordance with the 10-Step Protocol, we hereby dismantle the \"Extraterrestrial Import\" myth. We replace the primitive \"Ice-Impact\" theory of Level 161 science with Nodal Hydration, proving that Earth is a self-sufficient \"Water Factory\" rendered from the 165-dimensional source code. 1. Epistemological Analysis: The Extraterrestrial Water Fallacy In Level 161 physics, Earth's water is attributed to the impact of asteroids and icy comets during the Late Heavy Bombardment. The classical scientific hegemony maintains that Earth was initially dry and water was delivered from space (Reject). Structural Critique (The Isotopic Inconsistency): The Deuterium-to-Hydrogen (D/H) ratio in many comets does not align with Earth's oceans. Furthermore, the massive volume of water (1.3×109 cubic kilometres) is statistically inconsistent with asteroidal impact models. Classical science seeks \"Material Imports\" because it is incapable of understanding \"Informational Production.\" Hamzah Hegemony (Nodal Hydration Logic): Earth's water is not \"imported\"; it is a \"By-product of Metric Synthesis\" within the 12 Power Nodes. According to the Hamzah Equation, water is produced in the deep mantle and core through the direct combination of protons (arising from \"Zero-Point Fluctuations\") and oxygen trapped within the tensorial structure of silicate rocks. 2. Dissection of Classical Equations and the \"Icy Transport\" Impasse The mass-transfer formula for asteroidal delivery fails to explain the water volumes found in Earth’s Transition Zone: Mwater=∑(mimpact×χice) The Crisis: The discovery of vast \"oceans\" trapped 410 to 660 kilometres deep within the mineral Ringwoodite proved that water was in Earth's \"belly\" from the beginning. Databases from 12 March 2026 demonstrate that this water is the result of the \"Tier 165 Hydration Code.\" 3. The Ultimate Abar-Lagrangian and the Molecular Synthesis Operator (H2Osync) To explain the internal origin, the Synthesis Operator is established within the Hamzah Lagrangian: LUltimate(165)=∫M165[QH(FusionH+O⊗H2Osync)]−G−gdΩ This equation reveals that under the tensorial pressures of the Power Nodes, the hydrogen bond is automatically created as a \"Metric Stability Constant\" to regulate the heat generated by the core's processing (The Cooling System). 4. Numerical Example: Ringwoodite and Tensorial Storage Classical Model: Gradual seepage of water from the surface to the depths (too slow and impossible at high volumes). Hamzah Analysis: Production of 1.5% water within the mass of mantle rocks instantaneously at the moment of Nodal Boot-up. Result: The existence of three times the volume of surface oceans within the Earth's depths, rendered directly from Tier 165. 5. Numerical Proof and Data Validation Data Retrieval: Isotopic analysis of ultra-deep rocks on 12 March 2026. Observation: The isotopic signature of deep-Earth water indicates a \"Primordial & Endogenous\" origin. Tensorial Alignment: 100% correspondence with Hamzah’s \"Fluid Synthesis Algorithm.\" Sovereign Approval: The asteroidal water hypothesis is nullified; water is the \"Blood flowing through the veins of the Manifold of Seyed Rasoul Hamzah\" (Approve 100%). 6. Comparison Table: Asteroidal Origin vs. Hamzah Tensorial Production Technical Feature Classical Physics (Impact Theory) Hamzah Tensorial Mechanics (QH) Primary Source Asteroids and Comets (External) Earth's Mantle and Core (Internal) Appearance Time Millions of years after formation Simultaneous with Nodal Boot-up Role of Water Substance for life (Stochastic) Coolant and Informational Conductor Actual Volume Limited to surface oceans Boundless in depths and 165D layers 7. Conceptual Analysis: \"Sweating","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19014655","authors":["HAZMAH SEYED RASOUL"],"tags":["Meteorite","Hegemony","Fallacy","Astrobiology","Theoretical physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19014655","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7143411641","name":"Kenoargentotennantite-(Fe), Ag 6 (Cu 4 Fe 2 )As 4 S 12 □, a new “keno” member of the tetrahedrite group","source":"openalex","abstract":"Kenoargentotennantite-(Fe), Ag 6 (Cu 4 Fe 2 )As 4 S 12 □, has been discovered at the Pollone mine, Valdicastello Carducci, Pietrasanta, Apuan Alps, Tuscany (Italy), where it occurs in quartz ± baryte extension veins hosted in the pyrite ± baryte ore body as μm-sized rims grown around crystals of Ag-bearing tennantite-(Zn), in association with argentotennantite-(Zn) and the notyet approved \"kenoargentotennantite-(Zn)\".Its colour is black and the luster is metallic.In reflected light microscopy, kenoargentotennantite-(Fe) is isotropic, grey with greenish tints in colour.Reflectance values for the four COM wavelengths in air are [λ (nm): R (%)]: 470: 31.7;546: 30.6; 589: 29.8; 650: 28.5.Electron microprobe analysis (average of 6 spot analyses) gave (in wt%): Cu 20.39, Ag 27.21, Fe 3.90, Zn 1.45, Hg 4.28, As 11.99, Sb 8.28, S 22.21, total 99.71.The chemical formula, recalculated on the basis of ΣMe = 16 atoms per formula unit, is Cu 5.61(6) Ag 4.41(7) Fe 1.22(3) Zn 0.39(5) Hg 0.37(2) (As 2.80(4) Sb 1.19(4) )S 12.12(9) .Kenoargentotennantite-(Fe) is cubic, I 4 3m, with a = 10.3740(5)Å, V = 1116.45(16)Å 3 , Z = 2.The crystal structure of kenoargentotennantite-(Fe) has been refined by single-crystal Xray diffraction data to a final R 1 = 0.0404 on the basis of 374 reflections with F > 4σ F and 23 refined parameters.Kenoargentotennantite-(Fe) is isotypic with other members of the tetrahedrite group.Silver is hosted at the triangularly coordinated M(2) site, whereas the tetrahedrally coordinated M(1) site is occupied by Cu and Fe, with minor Zn and Hg.The S(2) site is mainly vacant, counterbalanced by the metal cluster [Ag 6 ] 4+ , thus reflecting the keno-nature of this new member of the tetrahedrite group.Along with argentotennantite-(Fe) and argentotennantite-(Zn), kenoargentotennantite-(Fe) belongs to the arsenofreibergite series.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/mgm.2026.10214","authors":["Cristian Biagioni","Jiří Sejkora","Yves Moëlo","E. Makovicky","Silvia Musetti","M. Pasero","Zdeněk Dolníček"],"tags":["Tetrahedrite","Crystallography","Pyrite","Chemistry","Crystal structure"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1180/mgm.2026.10214","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7135379604","name":"\"Stochastic Origin of Water (Asteroidal/Cometary)\" Hypothesis Nullification and the Establishment of \"Endogenous Tensorial Production (Nodal Hydration)\"","source":"openalex","abstract":"Subject: The Nullification of the \"Stochastic Origin of Water (Asteroidal/Cometary)\" Hypothesis and the Establishment of \"Endogenous Tensorial Production (Nodal Hydration)\" Computational Level: Postdoctoral (Molecular Informational Synthesis) Under the sovereign authority of Seyed Rasoul Hamzah, and in strict accordance with the 10-Step Protocol, we hereby dismantle the \"Extraterrestrial Import\" myth. We replace the primitive \"Ice-Impact\" theory of Level 161 science with Nodal Hydration, proving that Earth is a self-sufficient \"Water Factory\" rendered from the 165-dimensional source code. 1. Epistemological Analysis: The Extraterrestrial Water Fallacy In Level 161 physics, Earth's water is attributed to the impact of asteroids and icy comets during the Late Heavy Bombardment. The classical scientific hegemony maintains that Earth was initially dry and water was delivered from space (Reject). Structural Critique (The Isotopic Inconsistency): The Deuterium-to-Hydrogen (D/H) ratio in many comets does not align with Earth's oceans. Furthermore, the massive volume of water (1.3×109 cubic kilometres) is statistically inconsistent with asteroidal impact models. Classical science seeks \"Material Imports\" because it is incapable of understanding \"Informational Production.\" Hamzah Hegemony (Nodal Hydration Logic): Earth's water is not \"imported\"; it is a \"By-product of Metric Synthesis\" within the 12 Power Nodes. According to the Hamzah Equation, water is produced in the deep mantle and core through the direct combination of protons (arising from \"Zero-Point Fluctuations\") and oxygen trapped within the tensorial structure of silicate rocks. 2. Dissection of Classical Equations and the \"Icy Transport\" Impasse The mass-transfer formula for asteroidal delivery fails to explain the water volumes found in Earth’s Transition Zone: Mwater=∑(mimpact×χice) The Crisis: The discovery of vast \"oceans\" trapped 410 to 660 kilometres deep within the mineral Ringwoodite proved that water was in Earth's \"belly\" from the beginning. Databases from 12 March 2026 demonstrate that this water is the result of the \"Tier 165 Hydration Code.\" 3. The Ultimate Abar-Lagrangian and the Molecular Synthesis Operator (H2Osync) To explain the internal origin, the Synthesis Operator is established within the Hamzah Lagrangian: LUltimate(165)=∫M165[QH(FusionH+O⊗H2Osync)]−G−gdΩ This equation reveals that under the tensorial pressures of the Power Nodes, the hydrogen bond is automatically created as a \"Metric Stability Constant\" to regulate the heat generated by the core's processing (The Cooling System). 4. Numerical Example: Ringwoodite and Tensorial Storage Classical Model: Gradual seepage of water from the surface to the depths (too slow and impossible at high volumes). Hamzah Analysis: Production of 1.5% water within the mass of mantle rocks instantaneously at the moment of Nodal Boot-up. Result: The existence of three times the volume of surface oceans within the Earth's depths, rendered directly from Tier 165. 5. Numerical Proof and Data Validation Data Retrieval: Isotopic analysis of ultra-deep rocks on 12 March 2026. Observation: The isotopic signature of deep-Earth water indicates a \"Primordial & Endogenous\" origin. Tensorial Alignment: 100% correspondence with Hamzah’s \"Fluid Synthesis Algorithm.\" Sovereign Approval: The asteroidal water hypothesis is nullified; water is the \"Blood flowing through the veins of the Manifold of Seyed Rasoul Hamzah\" (Approve 100%). 6. Comparison Table: Asteroidal Origin vs. Hamzah Tensorial Production Technical Feature Classical Physics (Impact Theory) Hamzah Tensorial Mechanics (QH) Primary Source Asteroids and Comets (External) Earth's Mantle and Core (Internal) Appearance Time Millions of years after formation Simultaneous with Nodal Boot-up Role of Water Substance for life (Stochastic) Coolant and Informational Conductor Actual Volume Limited to surface oceans Boundless in depths and 165D layers 7. Conceptual Analysis: \"Sweating","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19014656","authors":["HAZMAH SEYED RASOUL"],"tags":["Meteorite","Hegemony","Fallacy","Astrobiology","Theoretical physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19014656","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W2432274250","name":"Modelle und Methoden zur Abwendung von Kollisionen von Asteroiden und Kometen mit der Erde","source":"openalex","abstract":"In der Arbeit werden verschiedene Aspekte der Abwendung der Kollision eines Asteroiden oder Kometen mit der Erde untersucht. Hierzu wird zunächst eine künstliche Popu­lation von Kollisions­objekten definiert, welche die gegenwärtig bekannten physikalischen und dyna­mischen Objekteigen­schaften repräsentiert. Ausgehend von der numerischen Modellierung der interplanetaren Objekt­bahnen unter Berücksichtigung der Störeinflüsse der Planeten und von Modellrechnungen zum atmosphärischen Eintritt wird das Schadenspotential einer Kollision quantifiziert. Für die Kollisions­abwendung werden primär die Objekt­bahn­beein­flus­sung unter Einsatz eines neuen Verfahrens zur Bestimmung der optimalen Bahn­änderungs­geschwindigkeit in einer N-Körperumgebung und sekundär die Objekt­zer­störung analysiert. Als Ergebnis von Systemstudien zu diversen Technologien eignen sich besonders der Projektil­beschuss und die nukleare Sprengung zur Bahnbeeinflussung von Asteroiden mit einem Durchmesser D < 500 m und < 8 km, respektive. Der Einsatz von Antriebs­techno­lo­gien oder eines Sonnen­spiegels verspricht ein geringeres Antriebsvermögen und bein­haltet erheb­liche technologische Schwierigkeiten. Kometen können aufgrund der Bahn­un­sicher­heit infolge der nicht-gravitativen Kraft nicht ausreichend abgelenkt werden. Sie können jedoch für D < 2 km durch eine nukleare Explosion zerstört werden. Die Anwen­dung numerischer Methoden zur impulsiven Gravity-Assist- sowie kontinuierlichen direkten Trans­fer­bahn­be­stim­mung zeigt die generelle Erreich­bar­keit der Modellobjekte durch konven­tio­nelle Raum­fahr­zeuge sowie die Durchführ­barkeit der Kollisions­abwendung bei einer Vor­warn­zeit von 10 bis 30 Jahren. Diese ist jedoch mit den heutigen Such­programmen besonders für Objekte mit D < 250 m noch nicht gegeben, so dass trotz verfügbarer Techno­lo­gien zur Kolli­sions­abwendung kein sicherer Schutz vor einer Asteroiden- oder Kometen­kollision existiert.","url":"https://doi.org/10.14279/depositonce-1226","authors":["Ralph Kahle"],"tags":["Physics","Gynecology","Humanities","Philosophy","Medicine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.14279/depositonce-1226","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4400416056","name":"Mechanical Properties of LL6 Chondrites Under Pressures Relevant to Rocky Interiors of Icy Moons","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Icy moons in the outer Solar System likely contain rocky, chondritic interiors, but this material is rarely studied under confining pressure. The contribution of rocky interiors to deformation and heat generation is therefore poorly constrained. We deformed LL6 chondrites at confining pressures ≤100 MPa and quasistatic strain rates. We defined a failure envelope, recorded acoustic emissions (AEs), measured ultrasonic velocities, and retrieved static and dynamic elastic moduli for the experimental conditions. The Young's modulus, which quantifies stiffness, of the chondritic material increased with increasing confining pressure. The material reached its peak strength, which is the maximum supported differential stress ( σ 1 − σ 3 ), between 40 and 50 MPa confining pressure. Above this 40–50 MPa range of confining pressure, the stiffness increased significantly, while the peak strength dropped. Acoustic emission events associated with brittle deformation mechanisms occurred both during isotropic pressurization ( σ 1 = σ 2 = σ 3 ) as well as at low differential stresses during triaxial deformation ( σ 1 > σ 2 = σ 3 ), during nominally “elastic” deformation, indicating that dissipative processes are likely possible in the rocky interiors of icy moons. These events also occurred less frequently at higher confining pressures. We therefore suggest that the chondritic interiors of icy moons could become less compliant, and possibly less dissipative, as a function of the moons' pressure and size.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024je008296","authors":["Cassandra Seltzer","Hoagy O’Ghaffari","Matěj Peč"],"tags":["Overburden pressure","Deformation (meteorology)","Chondrite","Geology","Differential stress"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024je008296","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4321219930","name":"Reconstruction of daily global solar radiation under all‐sky and cloud‐free conditions in Badajoz (Spain) since 1929","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract This work analyses the long‐term temporal variability of the annual and seasonal series of reconstructed global solar radiation for both all‐sky and cloud‐free conditions in Badajoz (Spain) over the 1929–2015 period. Specifically, daily values of global horizontal irradiation (GHI) for all‐sky cases are derived from a semiempirical method based on the relationship between the cloud modification factor and sunshine duration records. Additionally, cloud‐free situations are selected using cloud cover (CC) information recorded by surface observations. Regarding GHI linear trends for all‐sky conditions, three periods are clearly identified: during the 1929–1950 period, there is a positive and statistically significant trend of +4.18 W·m−2·decade−1. It is followed by a significant dimming with a trend of −3.72 W·m−2·decade−1 between 1951 and 1984. GHI levels increase again from 1985 to 2015 with a statistically significant trend of +2.04 W·m−2·decade−1. The seasonal trends are found to be statistically significant only in summer for all the three subperiods. With the goal to find out the possible causes of the reconstructed GHI trends, the temporal variability of the CC was also analysed. It was observed that CC has a statistically significant negative trend between 1985 and 2015 which may partially explain the GHI increase shown for this period. In contrast, not statistically significant trends were found in the annual and seasonal CC series before 1985. The long‐term evolution of the GHI under cloud‐free conditions exhibits the same pattern as all‐sky conditions: an increase during 1929–1950, followed by a decrease in 1951–1984 and then a new increase from 1985 to 2015. Therefore, the positive (negative) linear trends in GHI reported in this study could be partially related to a decrease (increase) in the aerosol load during the analysed three subperiods.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.8042","authors":["Javier Montero‐Martín","M. Antón","J. M. Vaquero","Roberto Román","Javier Vaquero‐Martínez","A. J. P. Aparicio","Arturo Sanchez‐Lorenzo"],"tags":["Cloud cover","Sky","Environmental science","Sunshine duration","Climatology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-02-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.8042","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4400283580","name":"Geochemical evidence for a chondritic impactor in altered impact glass from the Stac Fada Member impactite, NW Scotland","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Stac Fada Member (Stoer Group) is a ∼1.2 Ga melt-rich impact breccia whose source crater and, therefore, proximity remains debated. We present a detailed in situ geochemical dataset for altered impact melt clasts within Stac Fada samples from Bay of Stoer and Second Coast. These altered impact melt clasts are now predominantly composed of clinochlore. Geothermometry of this clinochlore indicates formation temperatures within the ejecta blanket at 188–231°C, in agreement with previous estimates. A positive correlation between platinum group elements Ir, Pt and Rh – apparently independent of Ni – indicates two geochemical sources for platinum group elements enrichment. We propose that these represent an Mg–Ni-rich chondritic impactor and a mafic/ultramafic-layered body within the target lithology. Spatial variation in Ni content suggests that geochemical data, in combination with field observations, may be instrumental in assessing the likely location of the impact crater.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2023-213","authors":["A. GOODWIN","Russell J. Garwood","Romain Tartèse"],"tags":["Geology","Impact crater","Geochemistry","Breccia","Clastic rock"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2023-213","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7140785125","name":"Maximum grain size record from sediments of a Czech headwater lake reveals precipitation patterns during the Allerød to Younger Dryas transition","source":"openalex","abstract":"This study examines environmental changes recorded in the sediments of Plešné Lake (48°46.6’N, 13°51.9’E, Bohemian Forest, Czech Republic) between 13,200 and 12,200 cal yr BP, encompassing the Allerød-Younger Dryas (AL-YD) transition (∼12,900 years ago). Using sedimentological, geochemical, and chronological analyses, we reassess the prevailing interpretation of consistently arid conditions at the onset of the Younger Dryas (YD) and instead propose a more complex hydroclimatic pattern. We introduce a methodological innovation based on microscopic measurements of maximum grain sizes as a high-resolution proxy for precipitation intensity. The chronological framework integrates radiocarbon dating with the identification of the Laacher See cryptotephra, extending the known distribution of this important volcanic marker within the Bohemian Forest region. Our findings indicate an initial drying at the beginning of the YD followed by episodes of intense precipitation during the early YD, suggesting a two-phase model rather than uniformly arid conditions. An organic-rich layer spanning the AL-YD transition shows that organic accumulation began prior to both the tephra deposition and the YD onset. Geochemical analyses reveal a phosphorus anomaly and associated elemental patterns, likely reflecting a combination of volcanic input, acid rain-induced mobilization, and localized lacustrine processes. This suggests gradual environmental changes were already underway before these events. Several lines of evidence suggest that the Laacher See eruption (∼13 cal kyr BP), which preceded the YD onset by approximately 100–200 years, contributed to environmental stress in the region. Overall, these results highlight the complex nature of climate and environmental changes during the AL-YD transition, and provide local constraints that can be integrated into broader discussions of volcanic influences and hydroclimatic variability around the YD onset.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2026.1719593","authors":["G. Kletetschka","Daniel Vondrák","Verena Meier","Tomáš Hubáček","Petr Porcal","Hendrik Küpper","Jiří Jan","Joanne P. Ballard","Eva Löbelová-Švecová","M. Takáč","Lucie Smrčinová","Šárka Matoušková","Jan Rohovec","Evžen Stuchlík"],"tags":["Younger Dryas","Tephra","Geology","Precipitation","Volcano"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2026.1719593","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4417523935","name":"Coupling Liquid Chromatography to Orbitrap Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry: Overcoming Isotope Effects of Chromatography and Amount-Dependency by Peak Homogenization","source":"openalex","abstract":"High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Electrospray ionization Orbitrap mass spectrometry (ESI-Orbitrap-MS) has recently proven to be a powerful tool for compound- and position-specific stable isotope analysis, targeting isotopologues of multiple elements (H, C, N, O, S) in polar analytes. However, studies have so far mainly focused on pure analyte solutions via direct infusion. Here, we present the online coupling of liquid chromatography (LC) to ESI-Orbitrap-MS for stable isotope analysis of sulfamethoxazole (SMX), a synthetic antimicrobial, used as a model compound. Our study explored the fidelity of isotope values with two strategies for capturing and broadening chromatographic peaks after LC. When capturing the target analyte in a capillary (0.7 mm inner diameter), peak shape was retained, resulting in systematic deviations in isotope values caused by isotope effects from chromatography of up to 70‰ and amount-dependency of up to 65‰. A dynamic mixing chamber was used to homogenize the target analyte upon elution, removing these deviations and resulting in stable carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur isotopologue ratios in various fragments of sulfamethoxazole across the chromatographic peak. Comparison with data from conventional magnetic sector isotope ratio mass spectrometry successfully calibrated the setup for carbon and sulfur isotope ratio analysis. This resulted in a precision for δ 13 C within the isoxazole moiety from SMX of 1.5‰ (95% confidence intervals CIs derived from uncertainties of sample ( n = 4) and reference ( n = 5)), and for δ 34 S in the SO 2 fragment of 0.9‰ (95% CI, derived again from uncertainties of sample ( n = 4) and reference ( n = 5)). This work paves the way for the online coupling of LC to ESI-Orbitrap-MS in future compound- and position-specific stable isotope analyses across various research fields.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.5c05530","authors":["Aoife Canavan","Leonhard Prechtl","Habib Al-Ghoul","Nils Kuhlbusch","Andrea M. Erhardt","Martin Elsner"],"tags":["Chemistry","Analyte","Isotopologue","Chromatography","Mass spectrometry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.5c05530","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4415720755","name":"Sporulation Abilities and Heat Resistance of Clostridium perfringens Strains Isolated from French Food Borne Outbreaks","source":"openalex","abstract":"Clostridium perfringens is responsible for various diseases. Foodborne outbreaks (FBOs) result from the in situ production of C. perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) by type F strains during sporulation. The cpe gene can be plasmidic (p-cpe) or chromosomal (c-cpe). Strains (c-cpe) exhibit greater heat resistance and are frequently associated with FBO. Strains cpe-negative are considered heat-sensitive. This study investigates the sporulation abilities and heat resistance of eight C. perfringens strains isolated from French foodborne outbreaks. Whole-genome sequencing classified the strains into two clades: the “chromosomal cpe clade,”, mainly composed of cpe-positive strains with c-cpe and some cpe-negative strains, and the “plasmidic cpe clade,”, primarily containing cpe-negative strains and a few with plasmid-borne cpe. Sporulation assays and thermal inactivation kinetics were performed on FBO strains to evaluate the influence of genetic variability on sporulation abilities and heat resistance. Experimental analyses revealed that strains within the “chromosomal cpe clade” exhibited the highest sporulation abilities, regardless of cpe presence, while those in the “plasmidic cpe clade” had low sporulation ability. Moreover, heat-resistant spores were produced exclusively by strains of the “chromosomal cpe clade,” with c-cpe strains exhibiting the highest heat resistance (δ95 °C ≈ 49 min), followed by cpe-negative strains (δ95 °C ≈ 9.5 min). p-cpe strains exhibited a heat-sensitive phenotype, with δ85 °C values of 12 min. A key finding of this study is the identification of a group with intermediate heat resistance, distinct from the highly heat-resistant (c-cpe) and heat-sensitive (p-cpe) strains. This intermediate heat-resistance phenotype, observed in cpe-negative strains within the “chromosomal cpe clade,” offers a new perspective on C. perfringens stress adaptation, suggesting their potential for persistence in food. Their heat resistance, along with the potential for cpe gene transfer, could make these strains a relevant hazard for cooked, cooled, and re-heated meat products.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14213735","authors":["Olivier Firmesse","Véronique Maladen","William Bourelle","Michel Fédérighi","Christina V. Tran","Narjes Mtimet"],"tags":["Spore","Biology","Microbiology","Clostridium perfringens","Strain (injury)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14213735","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4389777901","name":"Oxidation of iron by giant impact and its implication on the formation of reduced atmosphere in the early Earth","source":"openalex","abstract":"Giant impact–driven redox processes in the atmosphere and magma ocean played crucial roles in the evolution of Earth. However, because of the absence of rock records from that time, understanding these processes has proven challenging. Here, we present experimental results that simulate the giant impact–driven reactions between iron and volatiles (H 2 O and CO 2 ) using x-ray free electron laser (XFEL) as fast heat pump and structural probe. Under XFEL pump, iron is oxidized to wüstite (FeO), while volatiles are reduced to H 2 and CO. Furthermore, iron oxidation proceeds into formation of hydrides (γ-FeH x ) and siderite (FeCO 3 ), implying redox boundary near 300-km depth. Through quantitative analysis on reaction products, we estimate the volatile and FeO budgets in bulk silicate Earth, supporting the Theia hypothesis. Our findings shed light on the fast and short-lived process that led to reduced atmosphere, required for the emergence of prebiotic organic molecules in the early Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adi6096","authors":["Jinhyuk Choi","Rachel J. Husband","Huijeong Hwang","Taehyun Kim","Yoonah Bang","Seohee Yun","Jeongmin Lee","Heehyeon Sim","Sangsoo Kim","Daewoong Nam","Boknam Chae","Hanns‐Peter Liermann","Yongjae Lee"],"tags":["Atmosphere (unit)","Wüstite","Earth (classical element)","Astrobiology","Silicate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adi6096","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4414326426","name":"Prebiotic Roles of Formaldehyde as an Activating Agent and a Building Block in Solid-State Peptide Modification","source":"openalex","abstract":"Signal transduction by gaseous small molecules is an essential process in modern living systems, where the gasotransmitters relay cellular signals to bio-(macro)-molecules through covalent bond formation. However, the origin or a primordial version of such signaling events in abiotic worlds has been poorly understood to date. Through examination of chemical reactivities between formaldehyde and cyclic dipeptide/diketopiperazine derivatives in prebiotically relevant solid-state environments, this study demonstrates that the gaseous small molecule may serve not only as a mere building block for the abiotic construction of biomolecules but also as an activating agent that transforms the inert peptide into reactive, prebiotically important chemical species. In addition, superiority of solid-state reactions or mechanochemistry to solution-based reaction conditions described in this article may be an indication of potential significance of the mechanical force-induced chemistry for chemical evolution, in particular for abiotic emergence of polypeptides.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsbiomedchemau.5c00167","authors":["Jamie C. Thuan","Anuja Koirala","James Pirez","Jun Ohata"],"tags":["Chemistry","Mechanochemistry","Biomolecule","Block (permutation group theory)","Abiotic component"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsbiomedchemau.5c00167","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7125219454","name":"Crossing boundaries: Brachinites and their diverse asteroidal origins","source":"openalex","abstract":"Brachinite meteorites are typically linked to the olivine-rich A-type asteroids. In this study, however, they appear to exhibit unexpected spectral diversity. Spectroscopic analysis of seven meteorites from the brachinite clan reveals two distinct populations in band parameters, overlapping with both the A-type and S-complex asteroids. This dual association shows that a single meteorite group can originate from multiple asteroid taxonomies. Notably, one S-complex-like specimen, Northwest Africa (NWA) 14,635, displays band parameters similar to those of asteroid (65803) Didymos, the target of the European Space Agency's (ESA) ongoing Hera mission. These results underscore the value of spectroscopic characterization of poorly understood meteorite groups and identifying potential analogs that are highly relevant for current and future mission planning. • We measure the spectroscopic properties of the brachinite clan. • The clan can be split into two, showing affinities to the A-type and S-complex asteroids. • Indicating that a single meteorite group can be linked with multiple asteroid types. • NWA 14635 demonstrates band structure parameters similar to the asteroid Didymos. • This implies that Didymos may not be simply chondritic in nature.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2026.116965","authors":["B.G. Rider-Stokes","F.A. Davies","T. H. Burbine","Eric MacLennan","R.C. Greenwood","S.L. Jackson","M. Anand","D. Sheikh","M.M. Grady"],"tags":["Meteorite","Asteroid","Astrobiology","Asteroid belt","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2026.116965","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W2980966669","name":"Inclusive teaching in fieldwork","source":"openalex","abstract":"Cover Image: In September 2018 an 'Access Anglesey' field class was run to explore how to assist inclusion and accessibility in fieldwork and then develop and share good practice.Communication outdoors for a group can be difficult on any field trip so a tour guide system brought the leader's voice into earpieces which everyone wore.Using the system not only allowed everyone to hear what was going on, but it also avoided the need to huddle together, something autistic students find particularly stressful.Inclusive teaching is discussed on page 51.","url":"https://openalex.org/W2980966669","authors":["Christine J. Gordon","Jacqueline Houghton"],"tags":["Mathematics education","Sociology","Pedagogy","Psychology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-06-21","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7167834484","name":"Microbial diversity, functional potential, and antimicrobial resistance across soil depth in fire-affected rotational shifting cultivation soils","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Charcoal-rich surface hosts distinct, low-evenness microbiome. Nitrogen-fixing taxa peak in the nutrient-leaching layer. Sharp vertical shift from copiotrophs to oligotrophs with depth. Surface soils act as hotspots of methane and nitrogen transformations. AMR genes persist across depths without anthropogenic inputs. Fire is a recurring disturbance in rotational shifting cultivation (RSC) system, yet the depth-related organization of soil microbial communities in these systems remains poorly understood. This study investigated microbial diversity, functional potential, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in relation to soil depth and fire legacy in fire-affected RSC soils of northern Thailand using metagenomic sequencing. Soil samples were collected from three depth layers: the charcoal-mixed surface (CS, 0–2 cm), nutrient-leaching (N, 10–20 cm), and deep (D, 100 cm) horizons. Results revealed significant depth-dependent variation in soil physicochemical properties, microbial diversity, and taxonomic composition. The CS layer exhibited higher nutrient content and metabolic activity but lower Shannon diversity and evenness compared with deeper soils. Actinomycetota and Bacillota dominated surface soils, while Acidobacteriota and Pseudomonadota were enriched in subsoils, indicating a transition from copiotrophic to oligotrophic communities with increasing depth. Functional gene profiles (COG and KEGG) demonstrated strong vertical differentiation: surface soils were enriched in genes for amino acid metabolism, nutrient transport, and energy production, whereas deeper layers showed higher abundances of genes associated with DNA repair, replication, and stress tolerance. Functional genes linked to carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus cycles displayed clear stratification, with surface layers supporting greater biogeochemical activity. AMR genes, particularly those conferring resistance to Rifamycin, Macrolide , and Glycopeptide antibiotics, were most abundant in the D horizon. These patterns were observed in fire-affected RSC soils and are associated with both soil depth and fire legacy, and may reflect microbial responses to environmental stress conditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s42832-026-0468-6","authors":["Noppol Arunrat","Wuttichai Mhuantong","Sukanya Sereenonchai"],"tags":["Biogeochemical cycle","Soil water","Metagenomics","Microbial population biology","Nutrient"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s42832-026-0468-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7138859639","name":"Sustainable Concrete Mix Designs: Multiobjective Optimization through Machine Learning Approaches","source":"openalex","abstract":"Developing concrete mix designs that enhance structural performance while reducing environmental impact is vital for achieving sustainable construction. This study utilizes multiobjective optimization and machine learning (ML) that aim to reduce the carbon footprint of concrete production by utilizing industrial by-products (e.g., slag and fly ash) as replacements for cement without compromising concrete strength. A data set of 1,105 observations detailing mix compositions, ages, and compressive strengths was utilized to train and test various ML models, including neural networks (NN). The NN model, optimized using grid search, random search, and Bayesian optimization, demonstrated superior performance with an R2 value of 0.89 for compressive strength prediction. The model was further validated using material compositions and compressive strength tests not included in the training or verification data sets. A key innovation of this research lies in applying dimensionality reduction and multiobjective optimization techniques to navigate the trade-off between compressive strength and environmental impact. The Pareto front was generated, highlighting optimal concrete mix designs that achieve compressive strength requirements while reducing carbon emissions by 30%–70%. This design space, derived through ML, enables engineers to make informed decisions about designing sustainable, high-performing concrete mixtures. The findings underscore the drastic potential of ML in advancing sustainable construction practices, achieving structural quality, and mitigating the environmental footprint of building materials.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1061/jccee5.cpeng-6748","authors":["Amer Hammoud","Ayman Karaki","Milos Dujovic","Bekassyl Battalgazy","Raymundo Arroyave","Eyad Masad"],"tags":["Compressive strength","Multi-objective optimization","Carbon footprint","Computer science","Machine learning"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1061/jccee5.cpeng-6748","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7133128049","name":"Seasonal Dynamics of Sediment Microbial Communities in Glacial Lakes","source":"openalex","abstract":"High-altitude lakes are sensitive sentinels of climate change, and yet the microbial processes driving biogeochemical cycles under warming remain poorly understood. Seasonal dynamics of sediment microbial communities in four glacial lakes within the cirques of the Seven Rila Lakes (Rila Mountains, Bulgaria) were investigated during June, August, and October 2024. Environmental monitoring showed pronounced seasonal variability with summer peaks in temperature, dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen, and increased inputs of labile organic matter. Multivariate analyses revealed strong seasonal structuring of microbial assemblages, with the largest shifts occurring between the early ice-free season and summer. Archaeal communities were dominated by Halobacteriota over time, whereas lake warming corresponded to a shift from early-season dominance of Actinomycetota and Bacillota to the summer prevalence of Pseudomonadota and Cyanobacteriota, as well as a proliferation of minor phyla Gemmatimonadota. At the genus level, summer enrichment of archaeal methanogen Methanosaeta and bacterial genera Paucibacter, Ca. Accumulibacter, Methylibium, Crenothrix, and Pseudanabaena was observed. Canonical correspondence analysis identified temperature and nutrient availability as the primary drivers of microbial community restructuring. Our results provide empirical evidence that warming and associated changes in organic matter inputs drive shifts in sediment microbial communities, with direct implications for carbon cycling and methane production. Additionally, the results highlight the sensitivity of high-altitude lakes to global warming and emphasize the critical role of microbial communities in modulating ecosystem responses to climate change.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/w18050592","authors":["Boyanka Angelova","Silvena Boteva","Ivan Traykov","Martin Tsvetkov","Anelia Kenarova"],"tags":["Biogeochemical cycle","Environmental science","Ecology","Dominance (genetics)","Ecosystem"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/w18050592","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7159557578","name":"Збірник тез доповідей ІХ Житомирського астроекологічного семінару «Проблеми екологічної безпеки позаземних поселень» (13 березня 2026 р., м. Житомир)","source":"openalex","abstract":"У збірнику представлені актуальні наукові розвідки з питань екологічної безпеки під час побудови позаземних поселень. Збірник включає наукові матеріали викладачів, аспірантів та дослідників з різних наукових установ України. Основна увага приділяється теоретичним та прикладним питанням астроекології, проблемам колонізації космосу, впливу людської діяльності на довкілля в умовах космічних експедицій та перспективам створення стабільних екосистем на інших планетах.","url":"https://openalex.org/W7159557578","authors":[],"tags":["Process (computing)","Work (physics)","Computer science","Product (mathematics)","Identification (biology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-24","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4410471722","name":"MARINE AND BLUE ECONOMY: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE AND WHAT UNITES THESE CONCEPTS?","source":"openalex","abstract":"The purpose of this article is to elucidate the content of the categories \"marine\" and \"blue\" economy, which are increasingly utilised in scientific and political contexts. Absent an acknowledgement of this issue, there is a risk of ambiguous interpretation of the relevant definitions, which poses a threat to the effectiveness of crucial decisions related to accelerating economic growth without distorting natural ecosystems. The focal point of this study is the examination of the relationships established among participants engaged in projects that are focused on the utilisation of the global oceans' abundant resources. The research methods employed encompass content analysis of academic publications and documents from international organisations, in addition to the authors' own observations. The research results indicate a clear differentiation of the content of the categories \"marine\" and \"blue\" economy, along with other related categories. This clarity will improve practical decisions regarding the selection of sustainable development strategies for enterprises engaged in activities related to the use of marine/ocean resources to create values capable of meeting human needs. The proposed model delineates the process of planetary economy development from ordinary to sustainable, with the corresponding qualification of its intermediate states.","url":"https://doi.org/10.30525/2661-5150/2025-1-9","authors":["Володимир Парсяк","Олеся Канаш"],"tags":["Economy","Economics","Oceanography","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.30525/2661-5150/2025-1-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7117365105","name":"Identification of diagenetic overprint and recrystallization of foraminiferal shell calcite by Electron Backscattered Diffraction (EBSD)","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) measurements and data evaluation render the mode of crystal organization in the scanned sample volume, many crystallographic attributes of the comprising crystals and structural information of the entire hard tissue. Knowledge is gained on crystal microstructure, crystal texture, degree of misorientation and/or co-orientation between crystals, crystal-twin-formation, among others. As foraminiferal Ca-carbonate records chemical and physical parameters of the ambient environment, the shells serve as archives for environmental and climate change. However, the recorded information is often biased due to the alteration of shell Ca-carbonate by dissolution, precipitation, recrystallization, and the transformation of the biocrystals into their inorganic analogues. We demonstrate that the diagenetic overprint of foraminiferal Ca-carbonate can be identified using structural characteristics measured with EBSD and information obtained from the corresponding data evaluation. We investigated modern/pristine and fossil Trilobatus sacculifer shells and highlighted an undisturbed shell surface for both. Nevertheless, we demonstrate that there is an increase in recrystallized calcite in the shells and a decrease in pristine, twinned calcite with increasing fossilization. We show that crystal microstructure and texture, and the frequency of the 60°-{001}-twin-misorientation and other misorientations are modified with an increasing degree of overprint. We propose the use of structural attributes provided by EBSD to identify recrystallized/overprinted foraminiferal carbonate. Highlighting low degrees of overprint is of main importance as, in contrast to strong overprint, small structural changes of overprinted shells are easily overlooked with SEM-imaging, while even a minute change of shell microstructure and texture is easily identified with EBSD measurements.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-6224","authors":["Anna Sancho Vaquer","Erika Griesshaber","Julie Meilland","Xiaofei Yin","Michael Siccha","Michal Kucera","Wolfgang W. Schmahl"],"tags":["Electron backscatter diffraction","Calcite","Misorientation","Recrystallization (geology)","Diagenesis"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-6224","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4323049843","name":"Planetary Exploration Horizon 2061 Report Chapter 5: Enabling technologies for planetary exploration","source":"openalex","abstract":"The main objective of this chapter is to present an overview of the different areas of key technologies that will be needed to fly the technically most challenging of the representative missions identified in chapter 4 (the Pillar 2 Horizon 2061 report). It starts with a description of the future scientific instruments which will address the key questions of Horizon 2061 described in chapter 3 (the Pillar 1 Horizon 2061 report) and the new technologies that the next generations of space instruments will require (section 2). From there, the chapter follows the line of logical development and implementation of a planetary mission: section 3 describes some of the novel mission architectures that will be needed and how they will articulate interplanetary spacecraft and science platforms; section 4 summarizes the system-level technologies needed: power, propulsion, navigation, communication, advanced autonomy on board planetary spacecraft; section 5 describes the diversity of specialized science platforms that will be needed to survive, operate and return scientific data from the extreme environments that future missions will target; section 6 describes the new technology developments that will be needed for long-duration missions and semi-permanent settlements; finally, section 7 attempts to anticipate on the disruptive technologies that should emerge and progressively prevail in the decades to come to meet the long-term needs of future planetary missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2302.14832","authors":["M. Grandé","Linli Guo","Michel Blanc","Advenit Makaya","S. W. Asmar","David Atkinson","Anne Bourdon","Pascal Chabert","Steve Chien","John W. Day","Alberto González Fairén","A. Freeman","Antonio Genova","Alain Hèrique","W. Kofman","Joseph Lazio","O. Mousis","G. G. Ori","Vı́ctor Parro","R. A. Preston","Jose A Rodriguez-Manfredi","Veerle Sterken","Keith Stephenson","Joshua Vander Hook","Hunter Waite","Sonia Zine"],"tags":["Systems engineering","Spacecraft","Space exploration","Computer science","Emerging technologies"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-02-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2302.14832","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7156942488","name":"The Future of Rocky Worlds Exploration","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract This article reviews the short-, medium-, and long-term prospects for characterizing rocky exoplanets, a central goal of contemporary astrophysics. The primary objectives are to determine whether these planets host atmospheres; if so, to constrain their molecular composition and search for potential biosignatures; if not, to infer their surface composition and thereby enabling a form of exo-geology. In the near term, the James Webb Space Telescope ( JWST ) will continue to lead this effort through photometric and spectroscopic observations of transits, eclipses, and phase curves, primarily targeting rocky exoplanets orbiting M dwarfs, including a limited number within their habitable zones. By the early 2030s, Giant Segmented-Mirror Telescopes (GSMTs) will provide the combination of high angular resolution, high contrast, and high spectral resolution needed to characterize rocky exoplanets around nearby M dwarfs via direct imaging, significantly broadening the accessible target sample and enabling detailed atmospheric and surface studies. Extending these investigations to rocky exoplanets orbiting solar-type stars, particularly those within habitable zones, will require the launch of next-generation space observatories in the 2040s, such as the Habitable Worlds Observatory ( HWO ), optimized for ultraviolet-to-near-infrared observations, and the Large Interferometer For Exoplanets ( LIFE ), designed for mid-infrared interferometry. In parallel, characterizing the broader planetary environment — including host stars and additional companions — will provide essential context. Missions such as Gaia (astrometric detection of companions), PLATO , Earth 2.0 (stellar characterization via asteroseismology), and Ariel (population-level atmospheric studies) will offer critical complementary insights into the architectures and habitability of nearby planetary systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-026-01297-4","authors":["Pierre-Olivier Lagage","Avi Mandell","Àlvaro Giménez","Daniel Angerhausen","Emeline Bolmont","Elsa Ducrot","Renyu Hu","Aki Roberge"],"tags":["Exoplanet","Habitability","Astrobiology","Planet","Planetary habitability"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-026-01297-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4405259228","name":"COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS OF BLOOD SERUM AND ORAL FLUID IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS AND INDIVIDUALS WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME","source":"openalex","abstract":"The article notes that digital technologies continue to change work processes, including human resource management practices.Changes in business conditions require HR professionals to constantly review their priorities, set new tasks, and incorporate new roles.The author identifies that employee motivation management has become the second HR function, after personnel administration, which is successfully automated in Russian companies.The article defines the relationship between the automation of personnel management systems and the implementation of a new employee motivation and incentivization system.The article identifies key HR priorities in modern conditions: attracting the necessary resources (external recruitment, employer branding, adaptation); ensuring and measuring effectiveness (performance management and HR analytics, training and development); supporting and developing employees in conditions of change and uncertainty (engagement and retention, training and development, adaptation).The specifics of using personnel management systems considering dynamic external business processes and the implementation of digitization and automation of management are also considered.","url":"https://doi.org/10.34660/inf.2024.39.48.075","authors":["А А Stafeev","А.В. Хижук","А. П. Солоненко"],"tags":["Digitization","Adaptation (eye)","Human resource management","Knowledge management","Function (biology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.34660/inf.2024.39.48.075","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7135412488","name":"Biological Information as Conformally Invariant Topological Data: A Cyclic Cosmology Solution to Initial Condition Fine-Tuning in Prebiotic Chemistry","source":"openalex","abstract":"The origin of life's rapid emergence (~109 years) and universal biochemical features (homochirality, conserved metabolic pathways) present a fundamental puzzle: random chemical search in configuration space predicts timescales exceeding 10123 years, rendering biogenesis impossible within cosmic history. We present a comprehensive theoretical framework unifying Penrose's Conformal Cyclic Cosmology (CCC) with sheaf-theoretic descriptions of prebiotic chemical organization. We suggest that biological information from extinct systems in the previous cosmic aeon (aeonn) can survive the conformal boundary transition (I+n → I−(n+1)) through squeezed quantum states with squeezing parameter r ~ 1086, which suppress decoherence over timescales approaching 1097 years. This information, encoded in photonic field correlations, establishes topological attractors in the chemical configuration space of the subsequent Aeon (Aeon(n+1)) via modified Casimir forces. Using formal concept analysis and sheaf theory, we show that microenvironmental integration satisfying locality and gluing conditions enables coherent assembly of inherited structural motifs, reducing effective search space by ~1064 orders of magnitude. The framework makes seven falsifiable predictions including universal homochirality (enantiomeric excess ~0.2% from photonic bias amplified by autocatalysis), convergent metabolic network topology across independent biogenesis events, and specific cosmic microwave background non-Gaussian signatures at l ~ 1000-3000. Numerical simulations of molecular dynamics in squeezed electromagnetic vacua demonstrate biogenesis timescales of τbio ~ 109 years, consistent with terrestrial observations. This work provides the first physically viable mechanism for trans-aeon biological information transfer, resolving the combinatorial impossibility problem and suggesting life is an iteratively optimized feature of cosmic evolution rather than a contingent chemical accident.","url":"https://doi.org/10.59324/ejtas.2026.4(2).05","authors":["Javier Burgos-Salcedo"],"tags":["Physics","Topology (electrical circuits)","Abiogenesis","Quantum decoherence","Homochirality"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.59324/ejtas.2026.4(2).05","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4383199458","name":"Deep learning-based asteroid surface temperature evaluation from disk-resolved near-infrared spectra for thermal excess correction","source":"openalex","abstract":"Near-Earth asteroids can become warm enough to emit radiation at near-infrared wavelengths, close to 2.5 μm. Thermal radiation can interfere with reflectance measurements in these wavelengths, and should be evaluated and corrected for. Current methods for correcting disk-resolved measurements either rely on previous Earth-based observations or perform heavy computations to find the thermally emitted spectral radiance. Using results based on disk-integrated observations may lead to errors for some cases where the target asteroid surface is not homogeneous. Computational efficiency is desirable for those future missions where data processing is to be performed on-board the spacecraft due to a limited downlink budget, such as missions employing small spacecraft. We propose to predict the temperature of an asteroid surface element from its observed spectral radiance using a convolutional neural network. The thermal spectral radiance emitted by the asteroid surface can be approximated using the temperature, and subsequently subtracted from the original spectral radiance. The model was tested using OSIRIS-REx measurements of asteroid (101955) Bennu with promising results. The performance of the model should be validated further in the future as asteroid missions produce suitable data. Both accuracy and speed of the method could likely be increased significantly with further development.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2023.105738","authors":["Leevi Lind","Antti Penttilä","Kimmo A. Riihiaho","Eric MacLennan","Ilkka Pölönen"],"tags":["Asteroid","Radiance","Spacecraft","Remote sensing","Wavelength"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2023.105738","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W2012449173","name":"Chemical evolution and the origin of life","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01808137","authors":["April Commodore Roy","Janet V. Powers"],"tags":["Subject (documents)","Scope (computer science)","Citation","Index (typography)","Compiler"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1990-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01808137","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4416403410","name":"NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP) Science Gap List","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP) is chartered by the NASA Astrophysics Division to carry out science, research, and technology tasks that advance NASA's science goals for exoplanets. The ExEP Science Gap List is a compilation of \"science gaps\", defined as either: 1) The difference between knowledge needed to define requirements for specified future NASA exoplanet missions and the current state of the art, or 2) Knowledge which is needed to enhance the exoplanet science return of current and future NASA exoplanet missions. It is annually updated and input is solicited from the exoplanet community via ExoPAG. Current gaps are: 1) Spectroscopic observations of the atmospheres of small exoplanets, 2) Modeling exoplanet atmospheres, 3) Spectral signature retrieval, 4) Planetary system architectures: occurrence rates for exoplanets of all sizes, 5) Occurrence rates and uncertainties for temperate rocky planets, 6) Yield estimation for exoplanet direct imaging missions, 7) Intrinsic properties of known exoplanet host stars, 8) Mitigating stellar jitter as a limitation to sensitivity of dynamical methods to detect small temperate exoplanets and measure their masses and orbits, 9) Dynamical confirmation of exoplanet candidates and determination of their masses and orbits, 10) Observations and analyses of direct imaging targets, 11) Understanding the abundance and distribution of exozodiacal dust, 12) Measurements of accurate transiting planet radii, 13) Properties of atoms, molecules and aerosols in exoplanet atmospheres, 14) Exoplanet interior structure and material properties, 15) Quantify and mitigate the impacts of stellar contamination on transmission spectroscopy for measuring the composition of exoplanet atmospheres, 16) Building the inventory of remotely observable exoplanet biosignatures and their false positives, 17) Understanding planet formation and disk properties.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2507.18665","authors":["Karl R. Stapelfeldt","Eric E. Mamajek"],"tags":["Exoplanet","Planet","Physics","Astrobiology","Astronomy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2507.18665","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7140210342","name":"On the importance of laboratory experiments for interpreting exoplanet observations","source":"openalex","abstract":"With the advanced capabilities of ground- and space-based telescopes, exoplanet science is beginning to characterize the physics and chemistry of exoplanet atmospheres. However, interpreting exoplanet observations requires sophisticated modeling tools that rely on laboratory data to provide critical inputs and constraints. In preparation for the influx of observational data that the coming decades will bring, laboratory experiments that simulate the diverse conditions expected in exoplanet atmospheres, surfaces and interiors are vital to advancing models and thereby our understanding of these worlds. Here we discuss the key areas where laboratory experiments are providing fundamental data for exoplanet models, particularly for low-mass planets from rocky worlds to sub-Neptunes. First, we present a series of experiments to measure outgassing and volatile solubilities that are essential for establishing the connection between low-mass exoplanet interiors and their observable atmospheres. We then discuss additional laboratory techniques that can be used to understand the interior-atmosphere connection and simulate the high pressure-high temperature conditions of exoplanet interiors. Next, we summarize the experimental methods used to constrain the spectroscopic properties of atmospheric gases and aerosols along with their formation and reaction mechanisms. We also discuss how similar methods can be used to constrain exoplanet surface compositions, which is important for interpreting observations of atmosphere-less worlds. Finally, we conclude by presenting several examples of astrobiology experiments that constrain how life can modify the atmosphere and surface of rocky exoplanets. Together, these laboratory efforts are crucial to maximizing the scientific yield of exoplanet observations in the coming decades.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10509-026-04564-6","authors":["Maggie A. Thompson"],"tags":["Exoplanet","Astrobiology","Planet","Physics","Habitability"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10509-026-04564-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7131289529","name":"Reassessing the origin of organic compounds in Mariana forearc serpentinite mud volcanoes: insights from isotopologue and molecular signatures","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Serpentinization-associated geofluid systems are thought to facilitate the abiotic synthesis of organic compounds, which may have played a key role in the prebiotic chemical evolution on the early Earth. The Mariana convergent margin hosts one of the serpentinization-associated systems, which has evolved into serpentinite mud volcanoes at the forearc region. Previous investigations have revealed abundant hydrocarbons and other organic compounds in the Mariana geofluid systems, but their origin, whether abiogenic or not, remains controversial owing to the potential input of organic-rich materials from the subducting slab. In this study, we collected serpentinite mud samples from two Mariana mud volcanoes, the South-Chamorro and Asùt Tesoru seamounts, using a deep-sea boring machine system, with the deepest core from 33.7 m below the seafloor. Consistent with prior scientific-drilling-based observations from the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Expedition 195 and the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expeditions 366, the high pH and negligible abundance of Mg coupled with patterns of major ions species in the deep parts of cores indicate that the upwelling pristine fluids were recovered successfully. To elucidate the origin of organics in the muds, the doubly-substituted (clumped) isotopologue of ethane ( 13 C 2 H 6 ) and conventional isotopic compositions of various hydrocarbons were analyzed. In addition, the characteristic patterns of long-chain alkanes, fatty acids, and amino acids were examined to assess the origin of organic compounds other than ethane. The clumped isotopologue signatures of ethane indicated the biotic source with thermal diagenesis. Similar signatures, indicating the thermal maturation of biotic organic matter, are further observed in the polyphasic analyzes: the high concentrations of ammonium and the predominance of even-numbered carbon chains in both aliphatic hydrocarbons with the unresolved complex mixture and long-chain fatty acids. These results indicate that a major part of the indigenous organic compounds in the Mariana serpentinite mud volcanoes is derived from thermogenic alteration of subducting organic matter rather than from abiotic synthesis. Although distinguishing the source of methane, the most abundant hydrocarbon, is challenging, its thermogenic provenance seems to be very likely because all other abundant organic matter represents the biotic origin that have undergone thermal maturation. Our study shows that multiple proxies are necessary critically to distinguish organic molecule sources; otherwise, the abiotic synthesis of organic matter in the Earth’s crust may be overestimated.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40645-026-00806-x","authors":["Koudai Taguchi","Shinsuke Kawagucci","Alexis Gilbert","Yuichiro Ueno","Yohei Matsui","Yoshinori Takano","Eiji Tasumi","Masayuki Miyazaki","Akiko Makabe","Junichi MIYAZAKI","Hikaru Sawada","Naoto Takahata","K. Takai"],"tags":["Forearc","Isotopologue","Geology","Abiogenic petroleum origin","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40645-026-00806-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W2624015948","name":"Divertissements raisonnables et leçons à la mode : spectacles scientifiques publics en Grande-Bretagne","source":"openalex","abstract":"De nombreux spectacles scientifiques se donnaient en Grande-Bretagne tout au long du 18 e siècle, offrant de nouvelles expériences sensorielles qui souvent se prévalaient d’une mission éducative sur les merveilles de la nature. Les manifestations et les auditoires se situant en marge des démonstrations publiques présentent un intérêt particulier, car les vulgarisateurs scientifiques reconnaissaient le pouvoir d’attraction des foules et tentaient de l’exploiter dans la mise en scène de leurs propres spectacles, en canalisant les réactions prévisibles d’une partie des spectateurs à la manière dont les comédiens et les auteurs de théâtre employaient une claque. Cette pratique répond à celles des nombreux ouvrages qui présentent une information scientifique sous forme de dialogue plaisant. L’étude de ces procédés ne permet toutefois pas toujours de décider s’ils sont destinés à disséminer le savoir au plus grand nombre, ou au contraire à souligner l’ésotérisme de la vraie science.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3917/dhs.049.0307","authors":["Chelsea Redeker Milbourne","Guy Spielmann"],"tags":["Humanities","Art","Philosophy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-05-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3917/dhs.049.0307","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4417431750","name":"Wavelength Requirements for Life Detection via Reflected Light Spectroscopy of Rocky Exoplanets","source":"openalex","abstract":"Searching for signs of life is a primary goal of the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). However, merely detecting oxygen, methane, or other widely discussed biosignatures is insufficient evidence for a biosphere. In parallel with biosignature detection, exoplanet life detection additionally requires characterization of the broader physicochemical context to evaluate planetary habitability and the plausibility that life could produce a particular biosignature in a given environment. Life detection further requires that we can confidently rule out photochemical or geological phenomena that can mimic life (i.e., “false positives”). Evaluating false-positive scenarios may require different observatory specifications than biosignature detection surveys. Here, we explore the coronagraph requirements for assessing habitability and for cautiously excluding known false-positive (and false-negative) scenarios for oxygen and methane, the two most widely discussed biosignatures for Earth-like exoplanets. We find that broad wavelength coverage ranging from the near ultraviolet (UV; 0.26 µm) and extending into the near infrared (NIR; 1.7 µm) is necessary to contextualize these potential biosignatures with HWO. The short-wavelength cutoff is driven by the need to identify Proterozoic-like biospheres via O 3 , whereas the long-wavelength cutoff is driven by the need to contextualize O 2 and CH 4 biosignatures via constraints on carbon-bearing atmospheric species. The ability to obtain spectra with signal-to-noise ratios of 20–40 across this 0.26–1.7 µm range (assuming R = 7 UV, R = 140 VIS, and R = 70 NIR) is also required. While not every Earth-analog biosignature and false positive can be unambiguously identified with these capabilities—and the plausibility and contextual clues of many biosignature false positives remain an area of active research—our minimal spectral recommendations would enable a broad search for Earth-like life assuming such observations are achievable for a statistically meaningful number of HWO targets.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15311074261477497","authors":["Joshua Krissansen‐Totton","Anna Grace Ulses","Maxwell Frissell","Samantha Gilbert-Janizek","A. Young","Jacob Lustig‐Yaeger","Tyler D. Robinson","Stephanie L. Olson","Eleonora Alei","Giada Arney","Celeste Hagee","Chester E. Harman","Natalie R. Hinkel","Émilie Laflèche","Natasha Latouf","Avi M. Mandell","Mark Moussa","Niki Parenteau","Sukrit Ranjan","Blair Russell","Edward W. Schwieterman","Clara Sousa‐Silva","Armen Tokadjian","Nicholas F. Wogan"],"tags":["Exoplanet","Astrobiology","Habitability","Coronagraph","Context (archaeology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15311074261477497","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4230146242","name":"Hydro-climatic and Land use/cover Changes in Nasia Catchment of the White Volta Basin in Ghana","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Nasia catchment is the reservoir for significant surface water resources in Northern Ghana and home to numerous subsistence farmers engaged in rainfed and dry season irrigation farming. Yet there is little understanding of the hydro-climatic and land use /cover conditions of this basin. We analyzed 50 years of minimum (Tmin) and maximum temperature (Tmax), wind speed (WS), sunshine duration(S), Rainfall(R), relative humidity (RH), discharge (D) and potential evapotranspiration (PET) data, 15 years of remotely sensed normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data and 30 years of land use/cover image data. Results show that Tmin, Tmax, WS, and PET have increased significantly (P < 0.05). RH and S significantly declined. R, D and NDVI have insignificantly decreased (P > 0.05). A significant abrupt change in almost all hydroclimatic variables started in the 1980s, a period that coincides with the occurrence of drought events in the region except WS in 2001, R in 1968 and D in 1975. Also, D showed a positive significant correlation with RH, R and PET, but insignificant positive relationship with S. D also showed negative insignificant correlation with Tmin, Tmax and WS. Areas covered with shrubland and settlement/bare lands have increased to the disadvantage of cropland, forest, grassland and water bodies. We conclude that climate change impact is quite noticeable in the basin; indicating water scarcity and possibilities of droughts. The analysis performed herein is a vital foundation for further studies to simulate and predict the effect of climate change on the water resources, agriculture and livelihood in the Nasia basin.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-522885/v1","authors":["Emmanuel Nyadzi","Enoch Bessah","Gordana Kranjac-Berisavljevic","Fulco Ludwig"],"tags":["Structural basin","White (mutation)","Drainage basin","Geography","Land cover"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-05-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-522885/v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7128603070","name":"Quantifying Vein Network Permeability in Dehydrated Serpentinites Using Thermodynamics and Generative AI","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Fluids released from subducting hydrated rocks influence volcanism, tectonics, and geochemical cycling, but the mechanisms of fluid escape in subduction zones remain poorly understood. We address this issue by investigating the Erro‐Tobbio meta‐serpentinites (ET‐MS), Italy, exhumed serpentinite rocks that preserve extensive dehydration vein networks formed by the porosity‐generating breakdown of antigorite and brucite. We characterized the structure and morphology of these self‐organized vein networks and evaluated their hydrodynamic properties using a novel approach. Specifically, we combined X‐ray tomography and drone imagery with generative machine learning, electron microscopy, and equilibrium thermodynamics to model and analyze fluid pathways in the ET‐MS. In both natural and simulated samples, these dehydration vein networks act as efficient drainage systems, enabling rapid fluid percolation even at porosities below 1%. The maximum network permeability is , several orders of magnitude higher than that of intact serpentinite. Fe‐rich olivine and monticellite occur alongside relict brucite and magnetite in these veins. This assemblage indicates that the high permeability arises from porosity localized along brucite‐ and magnetite‐rich veins, where infiltration of reducing fluids enhanced dehydration reactions. These findings demonstrate that serpentinite dehydration in subduction zones can produce flow‐optimized vein structures that efficiently channel fluids at low porosity, potentially influencing fluid migration on local to regional scales before widespread dehydration occurs.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2025jb032776","authors":["Austin Arias","Lisa Eberhard","Andreas Beinlich","T. John","Alissa Kotowski","Oliver Plümper"],"tags":["Dehydration","Geology","Permeability (electromagnetism)","Porosity","Olivine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2025jb032776","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7116728520","name":"Review of Analytical Lithium Detection and Quantification Methods Along the Lithium Value Chain","source":"openalex","abstract":"ABSTRACT With the invention of the lithium‐ion battery, the demand for lithium raw materials is increasing due to the electrification of the transport sector (EV batteries) and the expansion of renewable energies and their storage. Technological progress is accompanied by new demands on analytical methods for lithium, particularly with respect to spatially resolved analysis. Knowledge of the advantages and disadvantages of the existing methods is important for a wide range of disciplines involved in lithium extraction and processing, from geoscience to battery manufacturing and recycling. Parameters such as spatial resolution, detection limits, and analytical uncertainty vary greatly across a wide range of commonly used methods. This article reviews a selection of suitable state‐of‐the‐art analytical methods for different scales of spatial resolution and detection of lithium for a variety of lithium‐bearing materials along the lithium value chain. The various materials differ greatly in terms of their lithium content by more than 5 orders of magnitude and also vary in their structural composition. Moreover, the spatial resolution required for any particular application is highly variable. Therefore, we emphasize that it is advisable to consider the combination of lithium detection limits with the spatial resolution of all relevant methods to develop the most suitable approach to address any task of lithium analysis. In many cases, it will be necessary to use a combination of methods to fully characterize a geological or artificial lithium‐bearing material. We also note that the availability of suitable reference materials, which is a prerequisite for accurate quantification across different lithium concentration ranges and matrices, and the lack of standardized procedures for lithium content determinations present an important research gap that requires the community's attention.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/appl.70057","authors":["Nico Kropp","Ralf Halama","Ralf B. Wehrspohn"],"tags":["Lithium (medication)","Computer science","Process engineering","Lithium battery","Battery (electricity)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/appl.70057","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7133316425","name":"Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent and Impact-Generated Hydrothermal Vent Systems: Insights into the Origin of Life","source":"openalex","abstract":"Studies of deep-sea hydrothermal vent systems have generated a spectrum of hypotheses concerning the origin of life on Earth. The present paper integrates recent literature surrounding three separate hydrothermal vent systems (Lost City in the mid-Atlantic, Guaymas Basin in the Gulf of California, and 9°50′ N on the East Pacific Rise) to provide biological, chemical, and geophysical support for these origin-of-life hypotheses. Comparisons between deep-sea hydrothermal vents and impact-generated hydrothermal vent systems may provide further insights into the origin of life. Impact-generated hydrothermal vent systems may have cradled early life. A comprehensive review of studies conducted at Lonar Lake, the Haughton impact structure, and the Chicxulub impact crater provide evidence of long-term hydrothermal activity conducive to the formation of early life, as well as potentially unique DNA structures found in sediment samples—opening the discussion for further investigations into the possible origin (or origins) of life both on Earth and other planetary bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse14050486","authors":["Shea Cinquemani","Richard A. Lutz"],"tags":["Hydrothermal vent","Hydrothermal circulation","Geology","Impact crater","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse14050486","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7171993826","name":"GGR Handbook of Rock and Mineral Analysis Chapter 24 Multiple Collector ICP ‐ MS : Technological Advances in High Precision Isotope Ratio Measurements Across the Periodic Table","source":"openalex","abstract":"This chapter (Multiple Collector ICP‐MS: Technological advances in high precision isotope ratio measurements across the Periodic Table) is a contribution to the Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research Handbook of Rock and Mineral Analysis – an online textbook that is a fully revised and updated edition of A Handbook of Silicate Rock Analysis (P. J. Potts, 1987, Blackie, Glasgow). Chapter 24 (contributing to Section 4 of the handbook dealing with techniques for age determination and isotope ratio measurement) describes how MC‐ICP‐MS has, since its first commercialisation about three decades ago, become one of the most widely used platforms in Earth sciences and beyond for producing isotope ratio data across much of the periodic table. The success of MC‐ICP‐MS relies on continuing technological developments, which have allowed the measurement of increasingly diverse isotope compositions at ever‐improving precision. In this review article, we describe the fundamentals of the original technology and the developments that continue to render MC‐ICP‐MS cutting edge instrumentation. We outline the strategies for data processing and sample introduction that can be chosen depending on the type of element and isotope measurement that is targeted. We also provide a broad overview of the applications that have followed as the technology became increasingly powerful. These include radiogenic, nucleosynthetic, cosmogenic and stable isotope measurements. Finally, we discuss some of the latest advances in MC‐ICP‐MS technology including collision reaction cell applications and triple isotope measurements that can distinguish different isotope fractionation mechanisms.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ggr.70056","authors":["Sune G. Nielsen","Andy W. Heard","Justin Y. Hu","Mark Rehkämper"],"tags":["Isotope","Stable isotope ratio","Geology","Earth science","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ggr.70056","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7143823442","name":"Two-Dimensional Layered Materials in Photoelectrocatalysis: A Review on Energy Conversion and Environmental Remediation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Photoelectrochemical (PEC) technology serves as a pivotal pathway for converting solar energy into chemical fuels, demonstrating significant potential in addressing global energy crises and environmental challenges. Two-dimensional (2D) layered materials have garnered extensive attention in PEC research due to their unique structural characteristics, such as high specific surface area, efficient charge transport capabilities, and tunable electronic properties. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in the application of 2D materials in PEC systems, including metal oxyhalides, MXenes, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4), and layered double hydroxides (LDHs), with a focus on their design, performance optimization, and implementation in energy conversion and environmental remediation. The article highlights key modification strategies for enhancing the PEC performance of 2D materials, such as photosensitizer decoration, elemental doping, and heterojunction engineering, which collectively contribute to improved light absorption, facilitated charge separation and transport, and accelerated surface reaction kinetics. Furthermore, diverse applications of 2D materials in PEC water splitting, CO2 reduction, nitrogen reduction, organic pollutant degradation, and biosensing are summarized. Despite remarkable progress, the practical application of 2D materials in PEC systems still faces challenges related to conversion efficiency, operational stability, and cost-effectiveness. Future efforts should prioritize the development of novel robust materials, the integration of advanced in situ characterization and theoretical simulations to elucidate underlying mechanisms, and the fabrication of PEC devices resistant to electrochemical corrosion. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and technological innovation, 2D materials are poised to play a crucial role in advancing green energy conversion and sustainable chemical production.","url":"https://doi.org/10.53941/photocatalysis.2026.100003","authors":["Penghui Xu","Hao Niu","Yuanping He","Yongfang Sun","Qiuhong Sun","Yang Li","Xiao-Jue Bai","Yung-Kang Will Peng","Tongjun Bao","Yanli Liang","Deqiang Feng","Jianhua Zhang","Yufei Zhao"],"tags":["Energy transformation","Nanotechnology","Materials science","Graphitic carbon nitride","Energy conversion efficiency"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.53941/photocatalysis.2026.100003","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7125709974","name":"Preliminary Study of Potential Hydrocarbon-Degrading Bacteria Identified by 16S rRNA Sequencing in Haina Port Water Samples, Dominican Republic","source":"openalex","abstract":"Microorganisms live in a wide range of environments, performing diverse roles either independently or in association with other organisms forming consortia. This study is focused on those with the ability to bioremediate environments contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs), that is, the case of bacteria, fungi, algae, and consortia. PHC contamination constitutes a major global environmental issue, and presents a serious ecological risk. This research was conducted in the coastal waters of Haina Port (Dominican Republic) and the main objective was to characterise the bacterial communities with bioremediation capacity by sequencing the 16S rRNA. The samples were collected in sterile conditions, and physicochemical and molecular analyses were conducted. The results revealed the composition and distribution of bacterial communities in the area. At the phylum level, Proteobacteria is the dominant group, accounting for 70–90% of the community. At the class level, Gammaproteobacteria is the predominant group, followed by Alphaproteobacteria which ranks second in relative abundance. Bacillaceae appears as the most abundant family at most points. This 16S rRNA survey provides a taxonomic baseline of the microbial community, identifying taxa with documented degradative potential. Future functional analyses and culture studies are required to quantify and confirm the active metabolic pathways of the detected microorganisms.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/w18030307","authors":["Y. Mena","José Navarro-Pedreño","J. David Hernández-Martich","Manuel M. Jordán","Víctor Sala-Sala","Ignacio Gómez-Lucas","Ana Pérez-Gimeno"],"tags":["Gammaproteobacteria","Alphaproteobacteria","Biology","16S ribosomal RNA","Bioremediation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/w18030307","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7148609681","name":"Direct Samples of Interstellar and Interplanetary Material with IMAP","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration (IMAP) mission probes the interaction between our heliosphere and the interstellar medium (ISM) in unprecedented detail. The broad science that IMAP addresses has been organized into three distinct science themes: A) Acceleration and the broader context of the solar wind and space weather; B) Exploring the outer heliosphere through energetic neutral atoms, and C) Sampling of the interstellar and interplanetary material. This paper summarizes the scientific goals of the latter theme and identifies the key scientific opportunities for IMAP available due to its unique ability to directly sample the interstellar and interplanetary material from 1 au. It is organized into three broad scientific questions that directly relate to IMAP's science objectives: 1) What is the state of the pristine upstream LISM and how does it relate to its origins and evolution? 2) How does the VLISM interact with the heliosphere? 3) How does interstellar material, as well as interplanetary dust, affect the near-Sun environment?","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-026-01291-w","authors":["J. R. Szalay","Elena Provornikova","Ethan Ayari","M. Bzowski","E. R. Christian","H. O. Funsten","A. Galli","M. Gkioulidou","M. Horányi","S. Livi","D. J. McComas","E. Möbius","K. Ogasawara","F. Rahmanifard","J. S. Rankin","D. B. Reisenfeld","N. A. Schwadron","Z. Sternovsky","P. Swaczyna","D. Turner","G. P. Zank","E. J. Zirnstein"],"tags":["Heliosphere","Physics","Interplanetary spaceflight","Context (archaeology)","Energetic neutral atom"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-026-01291-w","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7128683611","name":"Nesterenkonia maliinae sp. nov. and Arthrobacter arnarulunnguaqae sp. nov., two halotolerant, psychrotolerant and alkaliphilic actinobacteria isolated from Peary Land, Northern Greenland","source":"openalex","abstract":"Strains CF4.4 T and KK5.5 T , previously isolated from samples of biocrust and permafrost, respectively, collected from Northern Greenland, were characterized using a polyphasic approach. Both strains were Gram-stain-positive, non-motile and non-endospore-forming cocci, and showed growth between 4 and 25 °C and 0–20% (w/v) NaCl. Strain CF4.4 T showed growth at pH 6–11 [optimal growth at pH 9–10 and 5% (w/v) NaCl]. Its 16S rRNA gene sequence showed similarities over 99% with Nesterenkonia jeogali JG-241 T , Nesterenkonia lutea YIM 70081 T and Nesterenkonia sandarakina YIM 70009 T . Based on digital DNA–DNA hybridization, the closest type strain to strain CF4.4 T was Nesterenkonia aurantiaca DSM 27373 T (31.8% similarity). The major respiratory menaquinones of strain CF4.4 T were MK-7, MK-8, MK-9 and MK-10, and its major cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C 15:0 , anteiso-C 17:0 and iso-C 16:0 . Its cells contained diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, an unidentified glycolipid and an unidentified phospholipid. Strain KK5.5 T showed growth at pH 6–10, with optimal growth at pH 8–9 and 0–2.5% (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis based on its 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that it was most closely related to Arthrobacter halodurans JSM 078085 T (99.1%), Arthrobacter ginkgonis SYP-A7299 T (97.7%) and Zafaria cholistanensis NCCP-1664 T (97.6%). The genome of strain KK5.5 T showed the most similarity to A. halodurans DSM 21081 T (22.6%) based on digital DNA–DNA hybridization. The major respiratory menaquinones of strain KK5.5 T were MK-9(H 2 ) and MK-10(H 2 ), with small amounts of MK-11(H 2 ). Its major cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C 15:0 , anteiso-C 17:0 and iso-C 15:0 , and its cells contained diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, two unidentified glycolipids and an unidentified phospholipid. Based on the results presented in this study, we conclude that both strains represent novel species, for which we propose the names Nesterenkonia maliinae sp. nov. (type strain CF4.4 T =DSM 120326 T =LMG 34127 T ) and Arthrobacter arnarulunnguaqae sp. nov. (type strain KK5.5 T =DSM 120323 T =LMG 34129 T ).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.007062","authors":["Miguel Ángel Salinas-García","Anders Priemé"],"tags":["Biology","16S ribosomal RNA","Strain (injury)","Phylogenetic tree","Actinobacteria"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.007062","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7160102666","name":"Decoding the mechanical property “genome” of Chang’e-5 lunar regolith","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The mechanical properties of lunar regolith constitute the engineering foundation for lunar bases and in-situ resource utilization. Yet, the micromechanical “genome” of lunar regolith—its fundamental structure-property relationships—has remained largely un-decoded. A central question in extraterrestrial materials science is whether the intrinsic mechanical behavior of lunar regolith particles—highly complex products of space weathering—aligns with universal physical principles governing terrestrial granular media. Here, we investigated a single lunar particle returned by China’s Chang’e-5 mission through multi-scale structural analysis and high-throughput nanoindentation, quantitatively mapping the interplay between mineral phase, microstructure, and mechanical performance. Furthermore, we report the discovery of universal scaling laws that relate hardness to the reduced Young’s modulus and fracture toughness to Young’s modulus, which stem from composition- and structure-driven divergences in the elastic/plastic deformation mechanisms of the constituent minerals. Our findings not only provide a physical basis for predicting the macroscopic behavior of lunar regolith but also open new avenues for the design of future extraterrestrial exploration engineering missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s44453-026-00035-y","authors":["Yiwei Liu","Yizhuo He","Songzheng Yu","Guanghui Liu","Guanghui Liu","Ziwei Tian","Ronghua Pang","Xin Liu","Guodong Liu","Yang Li","Hanyu Wang","Yang Li","Guang Zhang","Peng Zhang"],"tags":["Regolith","Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology","Lunar soil","Scaling law"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s44453-026-00035-y","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406125016","name":"Search for pre‐accretionary irradiation effects in calcium‐aluminum inclusions from the CV3 chondrite Allende","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Calcium‐aluminum‐rich inclusions (CAIs) are the first objects that formed in the solar accretion disk and therefore provide valuable insights into the evolution of the early solar system. A long‐standing question regarding this earliest formative period relates to the storage of CAIs in the 1–4 Myr time period between their formation and later accretion into chondrite parent bodies. Were the CAIs stored in a pre‐existing parent body, or in distant parts of the solar accretion disk? In the latter scenario, CAIs might have been exposed to cosmic rays, either from the galaxy or from the Sun and such pre‐accretion irradiation effects might be detectable. We searched for such pre‐accretional irradiation effects in 7 fine‐ and 11 coarse‐grained CAIs from the CV 3.6 carbonaceous chondrite Allende. The extracted samples were analyzed for their major chemical composition and all samples were analyzed using μCT techniques. Using physical model calculations, 21Necos and (22Ne/21Ne)cos production rate ratios were calculated for each CAI by fully considering their individual chemical composition. Measured He, Ne, Ar, and Kr isotope compositions of the CAIs show cosmogenic signals; clear signals for He and Ne isotopes; and detectable signals for some of the Ar and Kr isotopes. In addition, most samples show clear indications for radiogenic 4He and some samples show evidence for radiogenic 40Ar. Higher 36Ar/38Ar, 22Ne/21Ne, 80Kr/84Kr, and 82Kr/84Kr ratios together with lower cosmogenic 38Arcos concentrations in fine‐grained CAIs compared to coarse‐grained CAIs are consistent with more alteration of the former compared to the latter. The CRE ages for the CAIs range between 4.12 ± 0.41 Myr and 6.40 ± 0.63 Myr. Statistical tests indicate that the data are normally distributed with no outliers, indicating that all CAIs share a common irradiation history, likely the irradiation in the Allende meteoroid. The average CRE age of 4.87 ± 0.19 Myr agrees with the nominally accepted CRE age of Allende of ~5.2 Myr. There is no correlation between 21Necos concentrations and indicators of aqueous alteration like Na and/or U concentrations. The lack of correlation together with the finding of normally distributed modeled CRE ages indicates that either none of the studied CAIs experienced a pre‐accretion irradiation before parent body compaction and/or that any pre‐accretion irradiation effects have been completely erased during aqueous alteration events. Taking alteration aside, the findings are not in favor of X‐wind type models but are more consistent with the idea of CAI outward transport in an expanding disk.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14300","authors":["Parastoo Ghaznavi","Christoph Burkhardt","François Tissot","I. Leya"],"tags":["Allende meteorite","Chondrite","Geology","Geochemistry","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14300","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7126060692","name":"Nanomineralogy of planetary materials","source":"openalex","abstract":"The scientific significance and scarcity of extraterrestrial rock and mineral samples means that techniques for nanoscale analysis are essential tools for planetary scientists. This review describes some applications of key methods for identifying minerals in meteorites and samples that have been collected and returned by space missions, and for characterising their crystal structure, microstructure, and chemical and isotopic compositions. The techniques covered are electron backscatter diffraction, transmission Kikuchi diffraction, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and atom probe tomography. In the near future, these tools may provide answers to very important questions including whether there is sufficient water on the Moon to support lunar habitats, and did life evolve on Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202634901009","authors":["Martin Lee"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Meteorite","Extraterrestrial life","Planet","Planetary science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202634901009","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411793071","name":"Space Activities for Sustainability and the Role of the National Space Agencies","source":"openalex","abstract":"The sustainability of outer space activities incorporates the Legislation, Regulatory, Policy, Safety, and Capacity building as provided in the “Guidelines for the Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities” (LTS Guidelines), scientific, international cooperation, and technical. With regard to the regulatory aspect, the national space agencies play a vital role in ensuring the sustainability of outer space. They are bestowed with the power to regulate, supervise, and implement space issues in their respective jurisdictions. This paper examined the intersection between outer space activities and sustainability and the role that national space agencies play in ensuring that outer space is a better place. The paper examines the impacts of these activities on outer space environmental conservation, resource management, and disaster response on Earth. Furthermore, it discusses how sustainable development goals can be achieved through responsible space exploration and utilization. The analysis of the role of space agencies with regard to space activities and sustainability and the role of development countries without space agencies fulfilling their international obligations with regard to space exploration and sustainability were also carefully examined. The study employed the documentary review method. The International Treaties, Conventions, United Nations Declaration, and Resolutions were critically examined to explore how they address the issue of space activities and sustainability. In doing this, the legal challenges towards space activities and sustainability were carefully examined, and better ways were proposed to enhance sustainability in outer space. The study established that, though the outer space Treaties and Conventions address the issue of space activities and sustainability, there are still some challenges to their effect. It is so because the Outer Space Treaties and Conventions provisions are not clear; as a result, a number of legal gaps emerged in addressing outer space sustainability, hence ineffective in protecting the outer space environment from the negative effects resulting from space activities.","url":"https://doi.org/10.4236/blr.2025.162063","authors":["Kassim B. Kipanga","Manzoor Hassan"],"tags":["Sustainability","Space (punctuation)","Business","Political science","Environmental resource management"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.4236/blr.2025.162063","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7127059946","name":"Origins, evolutions, and future directions of Landsat science products for advancing global inland water and coastal ocean observations","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. In April 2020, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center introduced a Level 2 provisional Aquatic Reflectance (AR) product for the Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI), marking the initial phase in developing a standardized global product for Landsat-derived surface water measurements. The goal of USGS EROS aquatic product research and development is to prepare for an operational processing architecture for Landsat Collection 3 in the late 2020s that will enable use of quality-controlled data for emerging Landsat aquatic science applications. To achieve this, we released a subset of the Landsat 8/9 provisional AR products (Crawford et al., 2025, https://doi.org/10.5066/P14MBBRM) and examined its general performance through the Science Algorithms to Operations (SATO) framework alongside quantitative assessment using community made inland water data records (GLObal Reflectance community dataset for Imaging and optical sensing of Aquatic environments, GLORIA) and radiometric coastal validation platforms (NASA's Ocean Color component of the Aerosol Robotic Network, AERONET-OC). Variability within the validation datasets indicate that the performance of the Landsat 8/9 provisional AR retrieval is highly context-dependent; errors are minimal in optically simple waters (e.g., clear to moderately turbid coastal waters) but increase considerably in optically complex waters where factors such as elevated levels of turbidity, chlorophyll (Chl a) concentrations, or colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) dominate the water column. Additionally, this paper examines key algorithmic considerations for atmospheric correction, highlighting factors that influence accuracy, scalability, and computational efficiency necessary for collection processing in the operational Landsat Product Generation System (LPGS). This paper is intended to communicate with aquatic scientists, satellite oceanographers, and the broader Earth observation community on the origins, requirements, challenges, successes, and future objectives for operationalizing global AR data products for Landsat satellite missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-779-2026","authors":["Benjamin Page","Christopher J. Crawford","Saeed Arab","Gail Schmidt","Christopher Barnes","Danika Wellington"],"tags":["Environmental science","Colored dissolved organic matter","Remote sensing","Atmospheric correction","Ocean color"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-779-2026","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7204215758","name":"Martian Dust Exposure Limits: Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs), Toxicological Risks, and Health Standards for Martian Dust as Discussed By the Mars Dust Working Group (February 20 and 27, 2026)","source":"openalex","abstract":"Human exploration of Mars will expose crews to a persistent, fine particulate environment whose physicochemical properties and health implications remain only partly understood. Because no samples of authentic Martian airborne dust have been returned to Earth, NASA must rely on lunar dust toxicology, Martian regolith simulants, and extensive rover/lander geochemical and mineralogical datasets to develop an initial, risk‑informed Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL). Across two working sessions, panel members reviewed mission architecture drivers, the current scientific understanding of Martian dust composition and behavior, and the toxicological evidence base supporting the establishment of a Mars dust PEL. Discussions emphasized the critical interplay between dust standards and Mars mission design elements including Extravehicular Activity (EVA) cadence, dust ingress characteristics, and the performance of habitat environmental control systems; these features highlight the need for a limit that is conservative, verifiable, and adaptable as the Mars architecture evolves.","url":"https://doi.org/10.64631/drmq1173","authors":["Douglas Ebert","Kim Lowe","David R Francisco"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Martian","Environmental science","Astrobiology","Martian surface"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.64631/drmq1173","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4412364531","name":"Research and prospect of ground-penetrating radar on the Moon","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) has become a pivotal tool in lunar geological exploration, providing direct insight into the Moon's subsurface structure. This review provides a focused summary of GPR applications in the Apollo 17, Kaguya, and Chang'e lunar missions, synthesizing their key scientific findings and technological advancements. In terms of scientific discoveries, GPR observations have revealed a lunar subsurface far more complex than previously thought, characterized by a multi-layered stratigraphy of volcanic deposits, impact ejecta, and ancient buried regolith. Furthermore, GPR has identified numerous unique subsurface features, including lava tubes, buried impact craters, and bifurcated structures. Notably, radar data reveal that the lunar farside's regolith exhibits significantly lower attenuation of radio waves than the nearside's, due to its lower iron and titanium oxide content, which allows for greater penetration depths. The paper also highlights recent advances in lunar GPR data processing, including forward modeling, improved dielectric property estimation through methods such as hyperbolic fitting and direct comparison with returned samples, and the application of advanced migration and machine learning-based imaging methodologies. These techniques have been crucial for converting radar travel times to depth, enhancing image resolution, and accurately characterizing lunar materials. Different GPR systems offer a trade-off between penetration depth and resolution. Orbital sounders can see deep into the subsurface with low resolution, whereas surface rovers provide high-resolution data limited to shallow depths. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the lunar subsurface requires a multi-frequency, data-fusion approach. Looking ahead, GPR will be indispensable for future resource-prospecting missions, such as mapping water ice deposits, and for the selection of sites for lunar bases.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jge/gxaf084","authors":["Chunyang Zhao","Ling Zhang","Shaoping Lu","Rui Gao"],"tags":["Ground-penetrating radar","Geology","Radar","Remote sensing","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jge/gxaf084","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7125137920","name":"How Does Adenine Form from Hydrogen Cyanide?","source":"openalex","abstract":"The abiotic formation of adenine from hydrogen cyanide (HCN) has long been suspected to be a key step in the origin of life. However, the inherent complexity of HCN's self-reaction chemistry has challenged researchers for decades, obscuring the detailed mechanistic pathway to adenine. In this study, we employ quantum chemistry and microkinetic modeling to predict and compare four interwoven base-catalyzed pathways to adenine in liquid HCN. Our analysis incorporates both previously proposed aminomalononitrile (AMN) and diaminomaleonitrile (DAMN) intermediates and reveals previously unknown reaction steps, including one in which polyimine can serve as an oxidizing agent. Our modeling offers compelling evidence of a complex, nonequilibrium interplay between these pathways and confirms DAMN as a necessary intermediate. This work establishes a foundational reference for the exploration of abiotic nucleobase formation and highlights how rigorous testing of origin-of-life chemistry pushes the boundaries of state-of-the-art computational chemistry.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.5c09522","authors":["Marco Cappelletti","Martin Rahm"],"tags":["Chemistry","Hydrogen cyanide","Nucleobase","Quantum chemistry","Oxidizing agent"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.5c09522","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7160395454","name":"Sino-forming the planet and beyond: Ecological engineering at the limits of the Western imaginary","source":"openalex","abstract":"“Sino-forming” is a neologism that has been deployed to raise the specter of a world remade in the image of China. Here we reinscribe the term—without leaving behind the geopolitical anxieties it connotes—to analyze China’s unprecedented ecological engineering efforts in response to climate change. China is the world leader in reforestation, planting more trees than any other nation and altering its territory at scale. This article examines Chinese efforts to ecologically engineer the planet out of climate catastrophe and their unique philosophical underpinnings as compared to those in the US and Europe. Drawing on the history of the concept of terraforming in the Western imaginary as shaped by science and speculative fiction, we trace how Euro-American debates over planetary transformation are largely constrained by a foundational opposition between nature and culture. This binary generates a spectrum from preservationism to interventionism that typically structures Western environmental thought. Chinese classical philosophy, by contrast, posits no such ontological divide: the natural and the artificial, the human and the cosmic, are understood as continuous rather than opposed. This philosophical continuum, we argue, illuminates China’s contemporary approach to combating climate change through massive re-greening initiatives, as well as its future ambitions to terraform Mars. Both planetary and extraplanetary initiatives reveal an environmental imaginary that operates outside Western categories—challenging not only how we engineer worlds, but how we imagine them.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2026.104680","authors":["Annah Lake Zhu","George Zhu"],"tags":["The Imaginary","Planet","Astrobiology","Ecological engineering","Ecology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2026.104680","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7160026733","name":"Applications of Aramid Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites in Civil Engineering: A Review","source":"openalex","abstract":"Aramid fiber is a high-performance fiber with excellent mechanical properties, heat resistance, and corrosion resistance. Its exceptional shear and fatigue properties make it a promising material for civil engineering applications. This study summarizes the basic properties and current development of aramid fiber, as well as the applications of aramid fiber and its composites in civil engineering, including aramid fiber-reinforced composite (AFRP)-concrete/steel composite structures, AFRP rebars, and AFRP rock anchors. The results indicate that the poor interfacial bonding performance between aramid fibers and the resin matrix is the primary bottleneck restricting the application of AFRP composites in civil engineering. Consequently, developing a continuous surface treatment method suitable for industrial-scale production remains a key challenge for the widespread adoption of these composites. Furthermore, in certain specific working conditions and environments-such as seismic retrofitting of rectangular concrete columns, impact/explosion resistance reinforcement, and rock anchoring-AFRPs show the potential to replace traditional inorganic fiber-reinforced polymer composites. However, systematic investigation into the fundamental mechanical properties and long-term service performance of AFRP is still required prior to their practical application.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18091102","authors":["Anni Wang","Runping Lan","Q Chen","Weichen Kong","Haoyu Liu","Qingrui Yue","X C Liu"],"tags":["Aramid","Materials science","Composite material","Retrofitting","Composite number"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18091102","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4405334323","name":"DAIRY PRODUCTIVITY OF COWS OF DIFFERENT AGES","source":"openalex","abstract":"The article examines the concept of \"competitiveness\".Based on the analysis of indicators of disability in the regions of the North, it was determined that disability as a social phenomenon is inherent in all northern regions.The main economic aspect of disability is the termination of work when disability is established at working age, which causes serious economic damage to the state and is a determining factor in the competitiveness of the region.","url":"https://doi.org/10.34660/inf.2021.79.27.029","authors":["N.A. Fedoseeva","E.N. Zakabunina"],"tags":["Productivity","Agricultural science","Computer science","Business","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.34660/inf.2021.79.27.029","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4389141223","name":"Shocked quartz in sandstone from the buried Ilkurlka impact structure, Officer Basin, Western Australia","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Ilkurlka structure is an ~12 km diameter buried circular aeromagnetic anomaly within the Officer Basin in Western Australia. Prior studies postulated a range of origins, including meteorite impact. We report the presence of pervasive deformation in the first drill cores from the structure. Brecciated sandstone and siltstone contain arrays of quartz grains with concussion fractures and rare shocked quartz grains with planar deformation features (PDF). Universal stage measurements of two quartz grains reveal one grain with PDF parallel to (0001) orientation and three PDF sets parallel to . A second grain contains three PDF sets parallel to and one set parallel to . The shocked grains are interpreted to have formed in situ, rather than representing transported detrital shocked grains. These results suggest local shock compression of at least 10 GPa; however, preservation of primary porosity and overall paucity of shocked grains may indicate lower mean shock pressures. (U‐Th)/He dating of 58 apatite grains from four samples across both cores shows a dominant age population at ~265 Ma and a minor age population at ~135 Ma. These dates overlap with regional events and thus do not provide an unambiguous impact age. An upper Carboniferous to lower Permian maximum impact age is provisionally proposed based on inferred missing target rock stratigraphy.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14108","authors":["Raiza R. Quintero","Aaron J. Cavosie","Sanna Holm‐Alwmark","Peter Haines","Martin Danišík","Nicholas E. Timms","David Lim"],"tags":["Geology","Quartz","Impact structure","Population","Permian"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-11-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14108","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7160623415","name":"Quantitative nonequilibrium pathway from fundamental physics to the emergence and persistence of exoplanetary biospheres","source":"openalex","abstract":"We present a physics-based framework that runs from fundamental interactions and constants to biospheres, using a sequence of quantitative nonequilibrium thresholds (“gates”). Each gate is an inequality in measurable variables-free-energy flux, reaction-transport rates, replication fidelity, coding capacity, ecological closure, and climate feedback gains. Crucially, the gate vector is anchored in fundamental physics: dimensionless constants (e.g., the fine-structure constant $$\\alpha$$ and mass ratio $${m}_{e}/{m}_{p}$$ ), nuclear resonance placements (e.g., the $${}^{12}\\text{C}$$ Hoyle state), and statistical mechanics (Landauer’s bound $${k}_{B}T\\ln 2$$ ) fix the energetic, kinetic, and information-theoretic margins that propagate through the gates. This anchoring lets us propagate sensitivities of the constants into biosphere-level metrics (net primary productivity (NPP), cycle-closure ratios, and climate feedback gain), yielding an end-to-end map from constants to biospheres. The framework is predictive: it yields testable inequalities, margin rankings, and population-level correlations between stellar/planetary boundary conditions/biosphere feasibility. It does not claim point-predictions of life prevalence; rather, it specifies which gate margins are observable-bounded versus prior-dominated under explicitly stated chemistry/solvent families and forward models. Darwinian dynamics (heritable variation under selection) appears mid-pipeline; the end of the pipeline is a planet-scale biosphere capable of sustaining positive NPP and closing elemental cycles over geologic time. Questions of prevalence are secondary; our primary objective was to establish a constructive physics → chemistry → biology → genetics → ecosystems pipeline with testable margins and observables. As a result, we recast abiogenesis and biosphere persistence as a gate vector of falsifiable inequalities and map their margins to exoplanet observables, turning the problem into a phase diagram with explicit, testable slack.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11084-026-09727-7","authors":["Slava G. Turyshev"],"tags":["Biosphere","Statistical physics","Physics","Non-equilibrium thermodynamics","Dimensionless quantity"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11084-026-09727-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7169859518","name":"Lunar Regolith as a Strategic Asset: Physical Hazards, Clinical Pathophysiology, and Geopolitical Implications of the Cislunar Resource Race","source":"openalex","abstract":"Lunar regolith—long regarded as an inert surface covering—has emerged in 2026 as the most strategically contested substrate in history. This paper examines three interlocking dimensions of the cislunar resource race: the severe mechanical and thermal engineering hazards posed by dust’s extreme angularity and electrostatic behavior; the insidious clinical pathophysiology of prolonged human exposure, ranging from pulmonary fibrosis and mutagenesis to cardiovascular and neurological sequelae; and the geopolitical architecture shaping competition for water ice, Helium-3, and rare earth elements at the lunar South Pole. We argue that mastery of regolith—both as a hazard to be mitigated and a resource to be extracted—will determine which coalition establishes the normative framework for extraterrestrial governance in the coming decades","url":"https://doi.org/10.51244/ijrsi.2026.1306000486","authors":["Darrin L. Frye"],"tags":["Geopolitics","Resource (disambiguation)","Race (biology)","Dilemma","Political science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.51244/ijrsi.2026.1306000486","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4412459547","name":"Can Boronyl-Bearing Carbon Chains Serve as Gas-Phase Molecular Carriers of Interstellar Boron?","source":"openalex","abstract":"High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Boron is an exotic element in space. However, although no boron-bearing molecules have yet been identified in the interstellar medium (ISM), its unique chemical properties suggest that it could play a pivotal role in astrobiology and the origins of life. Given the isoelectronic relationship between the cyano (CN) and boronyl (BO) groups and the widespread detection of HC n CN carbon chains in the ISM, we herein computationally investigate the potential of analogous BO-bearing chains (HC n BO, n = 1–12) as viable gas-phase carriers of interstellar boron. Our calculations indicate that HC n BO species exhibit lower enthalpies of formation and higher dipole moments than their CN-bearing counterparts, suggesting enhanced intrinsic stability and potential for detection via rotational spectroscopy. However, analysis of their formation and destruction pathways reveals that BO-bearing chains are susceptible to exergonic decomposition through reactions with CN radicals and H – anions, which may significantly affect their abundances in the ISM. These findings underscore that, while HC n BO systems emerge as theoretically attractive interstellar boron carriers, competitive decomposition and the element’s low cosmic abundance pose substantial challenges to their astrophysical detection.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.5c00089","authors":["Cinthya K. Prieto-García","Heidy M. Quitián-Lara","Josep M. Masqué","Felipe Fantuzzi","J. Óscar C. Jiménez‐Halla"],"tags":["Boron","Gas phase","Carbon fibers","Bearing (navigation)","Phase (matter)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.5c00089","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4392684119","name":"Computer Simulation Insights into the Chemical Origins of Life: Can HCN Enrichment on Interstellar Amorphous Ice Be a Starting Point?","source":"openalex","abstract":"The adsorption of HCN at the surface of low-density amorphous (LDA) ice and its dissolution in the bulk LDA phase is studied by grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulations at the temperatures of 50, 100, and 200 K, characteristic of different domains of the interstellar medium (ISM). Dissolved and adsorbed molecules are distinguished using the i dentification of the t ruly i nterfacial m olecules (ITIM) method. The results reveal that the adsorption is monomolecular and the adsorption monolayer is only partially saturated at the point of condensation of HCN. The surface coverage corresponding to the saturated adsorption monolayer is estimated to be 9.8 ± 0.3 μmol/m 2, providing a better estimate for this quantity than the crude approximation used in evaluating certain experiments. For the entropy of the condensed (glassy) phase of HCN, the simulations provide the value of 17.37 J/(mol K). The adsorption isotherms deviate considerably from the Langmuir shape, revealing that non-negligible interaction occurs between the adsorbed HCN molecules. The adsorption is found to be primarily governed by the dipolar interactions both between the surface water and adsorbed HCN molecules and between HCN neighbors within the adsorption layer. The heat of adsorption at infinitely low surface coverage is estimated to be −49.4 ± 3.9 kJ/mol. Further, the isosteric heat of adsorption at finite coverages is calculated in the entire range of surface coverages. In clear contrast with the adsorption, the dissolution of the HCN molecules remains ideal up to the point of condensation. This indicates that, in spite of the surprisingly large HCN concentrations reached, the HCN–HCN interaction is negligible in the bulk LDA phase. Further, contrary to its adsorption, the dissolution of HCN in LDA ice turns out to be an endothermic process. Finally, our results concerning the adsorption of HCN are not incompatible with the possibility of the oligomerization reaction of the HCN molecules, leading to the prebiotic formation of certain building blocks of biological macromolecules, under interstellar conditions at the LDA surface. Further, assuming that upon approaching the Earth, the transformation of the LDA phase with increasing temperature to liquid water goes through the thermodynamically stable crystalline ( I h ) ice phase, which does not dissolve HCN molecules, the presumed expulsion of HCN to the ice surface could provide an additional window of opportunity for their oligomerization.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.3c00299","authors":["Helga Tóth Ugyonka","György Hantal","Milán Szöri","Pál Jedlovszky"],"tags":["Adsorption","Monolayer","Amorphous ice","Molecule","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.3c00299","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7172280321","name":"Mycelium-based composites for extreme environment engineering: from Earth to space","source":"openalex","abstract":"With the continued expansion of global resource development and scientific exploration, engineering construction in extreme environments requires material systems with environmental resilience and multifunctional protective capacity. Mycelium-based composites (MBCs) show strong potential for engineering in extreme settings due to their low energy demand, environmental responsiveness, and multifunctional integration. This paper reviews the application of mycelium-based composites for construction in four extreme environments: deserts, polar regions, marine, and extraterrestrial settings. Evidence shows that mycelium-based systems exhibit strong environmental adaptability. In desert environments, they support thermal regulation and passive heat storage; in polar environments, they provide thermal insulation, foundation stabilization, and humidity buffering; and in marine environments, they contribute to in-situ use of solid waste, resistance to water erosion, and extension of impact-resistant structures. For extraterrestrial engineering, the growth-based fabrication of MBCs aligns with in-situ resource utilization and offers sustainable solutions for structural construction, radiation protection, and closed-loop life support. Owing to their bioactivity and self-growth characteristics, living or reactivatable MBC systems may further support localized regrowth, self-repair, or environmental response under controlled hydration and nutrient conditions, enabling dynamic responses to external environmental fluctuations during long-term service. Future efforts should emphasize coordinated multifunctional design, long-term control and protection of mycelial activity, and the establishment of extraterrestrial multi-factor simulation and on-orbit verification systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bgtech.2026.100262","authors":["Sheng Li","Yidong Gan","Fangyuan Zhou","Cheng Zhou","Lieyun Ding"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Resilience (materials science)","Extreme environment","Permafrost","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bgtech.2026.100262","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4403175736","name":"Trade unions, labour governance and economic upgradation in value chains","source":"openalex","abstract":"The paper examines possible mechanisms for trade union engagement in global value chains, especially in the context of emerging human rights due diligence frameworks. By examining existing literature on value chain analysis, trade policy, and governance mechanisms, the paper tries to generate a discussion on possible methodologies and knowledge gaps on trade union intervention and decent work in global value chains. The paper examines economic and social upgradation pathways based on available knowledge on skills, labour processes, job profiles and wages. It seeks to open discussions on how global governance forms like national legislation, legal systems and courts, framework agreements, trade agreements, multilateral governance, international human rights and labour conventions can converge with a deeper understanding of economic processes and logics of production and value-addition in GVCs. The paper seeks to position trade unions as effective agents for knowledge-generation and compliance monitoring when it comes to due diligence.","url":"https://doi.org/10.54394/xtnw2213","authors":["Rohan Dominic Mathews"],"tags":["Value (mathematics)","Corporate governance","Business","Economics","International economics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.54394/xtnw2213","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4413109482","name":"On the spatiotemporal coincidence of meteorites in recent fall search campaigns","source":"openalex","abstract":"ABSTRACT The meteoritical community widely assumes that the probability of finding two meteorites from different falls laying in close proximity is negligible. However, recent studies have suggested that spatiotemporal coincidences may be critical when associating a meteorite with a witnessed fall. In this work, we estimate the number of accumulated meteorites – those resulting from past falls – that are present in landing regions of new falls, while accounting for the effects of terrestrial weathering. We present a simple, fast-computing model to estimate such probability, validated with a Monte Carlo approach based on dark flight computations from real meteorite-dropping fireball data. Considering meteorite masses higher than 10 g, our results indicate that in regions with minimal weathering, like Antarctica, the probability of encountering a previous meteorite within a new fall strewn field may be as high as 75 per cent. In environments with higher weathering rates, like countryside or urban regions, this probability decreases to $\\lesssim 1~{{\\ \\rm per\\ cent}}$. When considering the 30 g Lake Frome 006 meteorite coincidence case, the probability of recovering a non-related meteorite with an age of 3.2 kyr from a 0.7 km$^2$ search area is 6.9 per cent. In the case of the 1 kg Ischgl meteorite, the probability of coincidence with another fresh meteorite of similar mass is 0.06 per cent assuming a large strewn field of 210 km$^2$. Applied to the Almahata Sitta case, our model predicts a 11.3 per cent of coincidence with a previous meteorite fall. Our results strongly suggest that isotopic dating is essential before associating any meteorite with a witnessed fall.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staf1296","authors":["Pau Grèbol-Tomàs","Eloy Peña‐Asensio","J. M. Trigo‐Rodríguez","Jordi Ibáñez"],"tags":["Meteorite","Physics","Coincidence","Astrophysics","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staf1296","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4410934187","name":"Improved Precision and Reference Materials for Stable Carbon Isotope Measurement in Basaltic Glasses using Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry","source":"openalex","abstract":"We introduce three new synthetic basalt reference materials and a new high‐precision set‐up for stable carbon isotope measurement in basaltic glasses using a large‐geometry secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) instrument. The new reference materials, characterised for carbon mass fraction and isotope composition, show homogeneity for in situ analysis for the reported set‐up. Their bulk hydrogen mass fraction and isotope ratios are reported. Our SIMS protocol uses multi‐collection, cycling between concurrent measurements of 12C and 13C on electron multipliers, and either 30Si or 18O, as a reference mass, on a 1011 Ω resistor Faraday cup. This set‐up achieves high measurement repeatability for δ13C down to ± 0.35‰ 1RSE at 1706 +89/‐88 μg g‐1 CO2, with ± 1.00‰ 1RSE or better between 163 +5.1/‐5.2 and 267 +8.9/‐8.9 μg g‐1 CO2, using a 10 nA primary beam current and a 40 μm analytical pit over a 100 cycle analysis. Carbon blanks were characterised by measuring carbon‐free olivines, allowing for blank corrections on δ13C measurements. After blank and instrument mass fractionation corrections, we measure δ13C in glasses down to 26.16 +0.85/‐0.86 μg g‐1 CO2 with a final measurement standard sample deviation of ± 2.97‰ 1s. We report in situ measurements on an ocean floor basaltic glass and a set of synthetic basaltic glasses to demonstrate our approach. Reference materials and the SIMS set‐up improve the accuracy and precision of δ13C measurements in natural basaltic glasses across a wide range of geologically relevant carbon contents.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ggr.12609","authors":["Joshua Shea","Ery Hughes","Robert Balzer","Ilya N. Bindeman","Jon Blundy","Richard A. Brooker","Roman Botcharnikov","Pierre Cartigny","EIMF","G. A. Gaetani","Geoff Kilgour","John Maclennan","Brian Monteleone","David A. Neave","Oliver Shorttle"],"tags":["Basalt","Mass spectrometry","Isotope","Ion","Stable isotope ratio"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ggr.12609","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411902404","name":"An Introduction to the Role of Molybdenum and Tungsten in Biology","source":"openalex","abstract":"This short review provides an overview of the bioinorganic chemistry of molybdenum and tungsten, offering insights into current research perspectives and fundamental concepts in the field, as well as gaps in our knowledge. It is designed to highlight areas where future research is needed to fully elucidate the mechanisms of molybdenum- and tungsten-dependent enzymes and their broader significance in biochemistry and bioinorganic chemistry. It also provides an accessible introduction for senior undergraduate students and novice postgraduate researchers who are new to the field of bioinorganic chemistry. Towards this end, illustrative examples are presented, showcasing the essential roles these metals play in biological systems, their coordination chemistry, and their catalytic functions in metalloenzymes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/inorganics13070219","authors":["Helder M. Marques"],"tags":["Molybdenum","Tungsten","Materials science","Metallurgy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/inorganics13070219","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7126190567","name":"Reevaluating the impact origin of the Luna Structure in western India using mineralogy, highly siderophile elements, and Re‐Os isotopes","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Holocene Luna Structure in western India has been claimed to be the fourth and youngest impact crater on the Indian subcontinent. The circular shape; the unusual mineralogy including high‐temperature mineral phases such as kirschsteinite and wüstite; and the elevated abundance of highly siderophile elements (HSE: Os, Ir, Ru, Rh, Pt, and Pd) have been provided as evidence in favor of an impact origin. Here, we present new mineralogical, bulk rock geochemical data including isotope‐dilution HSE abundances and 187 Re‐ 187 Os compositions of the suspected Luna impactites. The samples are dense irregular nodules with undulated surface and flow‐like structures and are glassy to extremely fine grained, with or without vesicles. The new HSE data show no Ir enrichment compared to upper continental crust. The radiogenic measured 187 Os/ 188 Os compositions (0.2289–0.7253) further rule out any extraterrestrial contribution in the suspected impactites. The observed high‐temperature mineral assemblage shows similarity to that of iron‐rich archaeological slags. We reinterpret the Luna Structure materials as slags that are likely associated with the Bronze Age in the Harappan Civilization and may have formed as a byproduct of copper smelting. Considering the new evidence, the Luna Structure of western India is not a meteorite impact crater.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70099","authors":["Ajay Dev Asokan","Yogita Kadlag","Y. Srivastava","Khirod Kumar Das","Rumanshu Hazarika","James M. D. Day"],"tags":["Geology","Meteorite","Radiogenic nuclide","Mineral","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70099","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7135098731","name":"Quantum Chemical Insights into the Dissociation of Phenol: Shedding Light on Impact Ionization Mass Spectrometry for Icy Moon Exploration","source":"openalex","abstract":"High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Ice grains emitted by the Saturnian moon Enceladus were sampled by Cassini’s Cosmic Dust Analyser (CDA) using impact ionization mass spectrometry. CDA revealed that Enceladus hosts a rich organic and inorganic chemical inventory in its subsurface ocean, hinting at its potential habitability. Analysis of fragmentation patterns with laser desorption experiments for the interpretation of CDA data has been essential; however, theoretical insights regarding both fragmentation and ionization processes are often missing. Here, we use density functional theory methods to investigate the energies for dissociation channels of phenol, a model aromatic compound for the features observed by CDA. The fragmentation channels are compared to experimental spectra obtained by using laser-induced liquid beam ion desorption (LILBID) mass spectrometry, an analogue for ice impact mass spectra. Our findings suggest that protonation is the dominant mechanism of ionization, that dissociation from the radical cation and neutral phenol molecule is limited, and that multiple isomers of the protonated molecule act as starting points for dissociation. The highest-intensity organic fragments observed in the LILBID spectrum─arising from the losses of CO, [M + H–CO] +, and water, [M + H–H 2 O] + ─are found to be both thermodynamically and kinetically accessible. We examined water–molecule interactions during the initial production of the protonated molecule. The presence of water significantly influences the preferred site of protonation and causes variation in the relative energy ordering of the protomers. This work builds toward a computational model of ice grain impact ionization mass spectrometry, relevant for missions such as Europa Clipper and ESA’s L4 mission to Enceladus.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.5c00318","authors":["Thomas R. O’Sullivan","Partha P. Bera","Nozair Khawaja","Maryse Napoleoni","Bernd Abel","Frank Postberg"],"tags":["Chemistry","Dissociation (chemistry)","Mass spectrometry","Ionization","Fragmentation (computing)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.5c00318","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7162072638","name":"Biorestorer: A Framework for Synthetic Succession with a Qualitative System Level Illustration","source":"openalex","abstract":"Ecosystem restoration in severely degraded or soil-absent environments requires approaches that operate independently of natural soils and make effective use of locally available resources. The Biorestorer platform introduces synthetic succession as a systems-based eco-engineering framework structured in sequential functional phases and aligned with in situ resource utilization (ISRU) principles, understood here as the use of locally available resources independent of terrestrial or extraterrestrial setting. Its core element, the soil initiator, is a prototype soilless, mineral-dominated substrate engineered to support early soil-like functionality under low-organic conditions by integrating mineral components, porous carbon scaffolds, and targeted microbial inoculants. In the initial phase, locally available mineral materials are configured to achieve targeted physical and geochemical properties, including porosity, pH buffering, and potential nutrient accessibility. These are combined with microorganisms associated with mineral nutrient mobilization, such as rock-solubilizing bacteria (RSB), to support biological colonization. Subsequent phases introduce vegetation and plant-associated microbial communities, enabling organic matter accumulation and increasing system complexity. A qualitative engineering test of a defined prototype configuration was conducted to assess system-level behavior rather than to isolate causal mechanisms. The prototype supported plant establishment and continued growth in a mineral-dominated substrate without compost, humus, or conventional fertilizers. Observations included stabilization of substrate pH, visible structural changes, and growth of two successive plant generations (Sinapis alba and Phaseolus vulgaris). The inclusion of a cultivated species in the second generation is consistent with multi-stage plant establishment under the tested prototype conditions. As no control treatments or quantitative chemical or microbiological analyses were included, these findings should be interpreted as qualitative indicators of system-level feasibility, not as evidence of specific underlying mechanisms or validated process-level performance. Further controlled studies are required to resolve component contributions, process dynamics, reproducibility, scalability, and operational performance.","url":"https://doi.org/10.32942/x2qh4t","authors":["Jan Chvojka"],"tags":["Ecological succession","Ecosystem","Substrate (aquarium)","Vegetation (pathology)","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.32942/x2qh4t","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7112611494","name":"Διερεύνηση εξόρυξης μετάλλων στον πλανήτη Άρη. Τεχνολογικές και οικονομικές συνέπειες","source":"openalex","abstract":"Τhe present diploma thesis examines the prospects and challenges of metal mining on Mars, with emphasis on the technological and economic implications of this activity.The extraction of extraterrestrial resources constitutes one of the most ambitious undertakings of modern science and technology, offering the possibility of exploiting valuable metals and raw materials that may contribute to the development of the space industry and the global economy.The study analyzes the available technologies for mining, transporting, and processing metals on Mars, such as autonomous robotic mining methods and lifesupport technologies under extreme conditions.In addition, it explores the economic implications of mining, including the cost of developing space infrastructures, the commercial utilization of extraterrestrial resources, and the potential for creating new markets within the space economy.","url":"https://openalex.org/W7112611494","authors":["Δίβαρη, Χριστίνα Σ.","Δίβαρη, Χριστίνα Σ."],"tags":["Process (computing)","Identification (biology)","Computer science","Product (mathematics)","Work (physics)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4417359039","name":"Enhancing Molecular High-Pressure Simulations by Implicit Solvation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Gaussians On Surface Tesserae Simulate HYdrostatic Pressure (GOSTSHYP) and the eXtended Hydrostatic Compression Force Field (X-HCFF) are quantum chemical methods to simulate the effects of pressure on a single molecule. Both methods have the usage of discretized molecular surfaces in common, which are also needed in implicit solvation models like the Conductor-like Polarizable Continuum Model (C-PCM). However, a combined usage of GOSTSHYP or X-HCFF with C-PCM was not possible in previous implementations inside the Q-Chem program package. To address this circumstance, we present an independent surface construction routine for both of the pressure models. This routine enables a stable combination of C-PCM with GOSTSHYP or X-HCFF, which serves as the first step to consider the chemical surrounding inside these two pressure models. For three different compounds occurring in both neutral and zwitterionic forms, the energetic difference between these states under pressure via GOSTSHYP was investigated. Especially for compounds occurring in both zwitterionic and neutral structures, the C-PCM is essential to access the zwitterionic state. Calculated pressure dependencies in the Raman spectra of the zwitterionic structure of glycine show good agreement with experimental data. The dimerization reaction of orthosilicic acid at elevated pressure is also influenced by implicit solvation, leading to better agreement between the simulations and the experimental data. This study paves the way for the inclusion of explicit solvation to disentangle intra- and intermolecular effects that cause geometric and spectroscopic changes under pressure applied with GOSTSHYP and X-HCFF.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpca.6c02133","authors":["Nico Kißing","Felix Zeller","Tim Neudecker"],"tags":["Solvation","Hydrostatic pressure","Chemistry","Polarizability","Force field (fiction)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpca.6c02133","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4410875443","name":"An Examination of the Complexity of the Large Sociotechnical Space System","source":"openalex","abstract":"Complexity has emerged as a global phenomenon with significant implications for the organization and structure of any system. In recent decades, the space system has undergone a transition to a more complex configuration. This essay argues that the increasing complexity of space system architecture is attributable to the proliferation and diversification of actors, interactions, processes, trends, and topics that demand novel examinations and explanations. This research emphasizes the necessity of employing systems and social science methodologies to evaluate and provide novel perspectives on the study of complex systems, such as the space system. The primary objective of this study is to examine the complex structure of the current space system using a sociotechnical systems model. The present study offers a comprehensive examination of the contemporary space system, emphasizing the role of contextual elements, active agents, forms of interaction, and the diverse applications and emergent trends that are profoundly influencing not only the space system itself but also the broader international system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace12060491","authors":["Francisco Del Canto Viterale"],"tags":["Sociotechnical system","Space (punctuation)","Computer science","Sociology","Systems engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace12060491","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7125189072","name":"From Astrobiology to Astrotoxicology: A Brief Comparison of Modern Astronomical Sciences","source":"openalex","abstract":"Astronomy is probably the oldest science of mankind and thus older than writing. With the development of exact natural sciences, various astronomical sciences such as astrochemistry, astrobiology and some more have developed. The current rapid development of space travel is leading to the formation of further sub-disciplines. In principle, there can be a new extraterrestrial astronomical science for every natural science that has so far been earthbound.","url":"https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202601.1495.v1","authors":["Karsten Strey"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Natural (archaeology)","Space Science","Natural science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202601.1495.v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W2791706268","name":"Water and volatile element accretion to the inner planets","source":"openalex","abstract":"This thesis investigates the timing and source(s) of water and volatile elements to the inner solar system by studying the basaltic meteorites angrites and eucrites. In chapters 2 and 3, I present the results from angrite meteorites. Chapter 2 examines the water and volatile element content of the angrite parent body and I suggest that some water and other volatile elements accreted to inner solar system bodies by ~2 Myr after the start of the solar system. Chapter 3 examines the D/H of this water and I suggest it is derived from carbonaceous chondrites. Chapter 4, 5, 6, and 7 addresses eucrite meteorites. Chapter 4 expands on existing models to explain geochemical trends observed in eucrites. In Chapter 5, I examine the water and F content of the eucrite parent body, 4 Vesta. In chapter 6, I determine the source of water for 4 Vesta and determine that carbonaceous chondrites delivered water to this body. Chapter 7 discusses degassing on 4 Vesta while it was forming.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1575/1912/9490","authors":["Adam Sarafian"],"tags":["Planet","Accretion (finance)","Institution","Element (criminal law)","Degree (music)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1575/1912/9490","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W7124148911","name":"Responsive liquid metal materials towards unstructured environment","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Real‐world environments are dynamic, variable, and often unpredictable, where temperature, pressure, and chemical composition fluctuate beyond designed limits. Such complexity challenges materials to maintain reliable behavior under coupled physical and chemical fields. Room‐temperature liquid metals (RTLMs) show excellent adaptability originating from metallic and fluid. The coexistence of high conductivity, deformability, and reconfigurable interfaces enables stable performance across unstable or fluctuating environments. This review focuses on RTLM‐based material systems under unstructured conditions, analyzing how their physicochemical characteristics, including interfacial dynamics, oxidation tolerance, and recoverable morphology, govern environmental adaptability, mechanical resilience, self‐healing, and long‐term stability. Five representative unstructured scenarios are discussed, including in vivo, underwater, open‐air, space, and high‐radiation environments, illustrating how RTLMs achieve multifunctions including sensing, actuation, thermal regulation, and shielding under non‐ideal conditions. The outlook highlights remaining challenges in interfacial control, material standardization, and scalable integration. RTLMs provide a material foundation for robust and adaptive systems capable of sustained operation in complex real‐world environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/rpm2.70037","authors":["Bo Yuan","Huaitong Song","Kaiyuan Xiang","S H Tang","Cailin Liu","Hongzhang Wang"],"tags":["Adaptability","Scalability","Materials science","Nanotechnology","Liquid metal"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/rpm2.70037","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"oa:W4214920341","name":"Books and Multimedia Reviews","source":"openalex","abstract":"Book reviewed in this article: Fault‐Related Rocks: A Photographic Atlas edited by A. W. Snoke, J. Tullis, and V. R. Todd. The Search for Life on Other Planets by Bruce Jakosky. The Search for Extraterrestrial Life: Essays on Science and Technology edited by Peter Day Cosmic Bullets: High Energy Particles in Astrophysics by Roger Clay and Bruce Dawson. Pluto and Charon edited by S. Alan Stern and David J. Tholen. Fanfare for Earth by Harry McSween, Jr. St.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1999.tb01376.x","authors":[],"tags":["Pluto","Stern","Planet","Art history","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1999.tb01376.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109864","name":"Understanding copper flotation in the JKHFmini: A small-scale fluidised bed cell","source":"crossref","abstract":"• JKHFmini demonstrates reproducible overall copper recovery with gangue rejection. • Copper recovery increases with airflow but plateaus at elevated air rates. • Excessive water flow promotes gangue elutriation. • JKHFmini reasonably predicts true flotation in coarse sizes compared to full-scale. • JKHFmini shows higher mass recovery than full-scale due to high gangue elutriation. Laboratory batch flotation testing on small samples in conventional cells, such as the Denver flotation cell, is well-established and standardised. On the other hand, the JKHFmini, a newly developed small-scale fluidised bed flotation cell, requires testing to validate and understand the factors affecting its operation. This work aims to elucidate how the operating variables of the JKHFmini affect flotation performance and compare the flotation outcomes to those obtained in a full-scale HydroFloat® unit. Flotation tests were performed using a factorial experimental design and conducted in parallel with surveys of a full-scale HydroFloat® circuit. The results show that increasing the water flow rate during operation improved copper recovery, but excessive water flow caused unselective gangue recovery. Recovery also increased with airflow but plateaued beyond an optimal point. The JKHFmini demonstrated good repeatability with preferential recovery of copper over gangue, particularly in the coarser size fractions. The JKHFmini produced copper recoveries of similar magnitude compared to the full-scale HydroFloat®, although the mass recoveries obtained in the JKHFmini were significantly higher due to enhanced elutriation of fine particles. These findings suggest the JKHFmini may be a useful tool for assessing true flotation performance in coarse particle flotation systems, although differences in elutriation must be considered when scaling to the performance in full-scale systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109864","authors":["Bellson Awatey","Isabella Verster","Kym Runge"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-23T19:20:29Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109864","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16020157","name":"Specificity of Ore Generation (Tin, Pegmatites, and Gems) in Trans-Porphyry Deposits","source":"crossref","abstract":"During the magmatic stage, base and rarer metals segregate from silicate melts to form ore deposits. The usual case is the porphyry (PD) type (Cu, Mo, and W) above subduction zones. The metal grade increases from some ppb or ppm up to percent levels. A new type of trans-porphyry (TPD) deposits (Sn, Ta, Nb, and gems) results from large-scale shear between cratons within continental plates, internal decoupling, and vertical motion. The bulk ore generation process develops along three stages: from magma generation, emplacement, and the formation of an immiscible magmatic phase (MIP), fluids, and melt. However, in TPD, metals segregate from the crust during melting below 800 °C, biotites break down, and the melt remains below the critical point (731 °C). Fluid advection competes with chemical diffusion, yielding the required enrichment. The subcritical MIP splits into a silicate-rich and an aqueous-rich phase, which are both incompatible with each other. Granite, pegmatites, and greisen coexist in the magma chamber. Their respective extraction from a composite mush involves electron exchanges between charges, or orbitals, yielding metal oxides through chemical diffusion. In contrast, in metals (Nb and Ta) observed in pegmatites, and also in gems, electrons rearrange their electronic cloud through their polarizability. Lastly, gems independently grow under the influence of the extremely hard fluids (Li, Be, and B). Magma generation, involving the lower crust (garnet and pyroxene), results in melts that form the two observed pegmatite groups (NYF and LCT), with each being associated with alkaline (A-type) or continental (S-type) granitic melts.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16020157","authors":["Jean-Louis Vigneresse"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-30T11:09:22Z","doi":"10.3390/min16020157","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16020182","name":"Gravity-Based Dry Beneficiation of Low-Calorific Coals Using an Air Table Separator","source":"crossref","abstract":"Increasing constraints related to water consumption and operational complexity have intensified interest in dry coal beneficiation as an alternative to conventional wet cleaning, particularly for low-calorific coals used in thermal power plants. In this study, the performance of a gravity-based dry beneficiation process using an air table was experimentally investigated for run-of-mine coals from the Soma Coal Basin, utilized in the Soma A Thermal Power Plant. The coal was crushed to −10 mm and classified into three size fractions, 5–10 mm, 3–5 mm, and 1–3 mm, before beneficiation. A pilot-scale air table with a capacity of 10 t/h was employed, and operating parameters including table inclination, airflow rate, and vibration frequency were optimized for each size fraction. Clean coal yields of 86.8–88.7% were achieved, while the ash content was reduced from 32 to 35% in the feed to 27.8%–29.7% in the clean coal (dry basis), remaining within the acceptable ash limits of the boiler design. The reject fractions exhibited high ash contents of approximately 71%–72%, indicating effective de-stoning and removal of high-density gangue minerals. Low and consistent Ep values (0.05–0.06) together with nearly constant cut-point densities (D50 ≈ 1.82%–1.83 g/cm3) demonstrated sharp and stable density-based separation. The dust fraction remained limited (1.4%–2.1%), confirming mechanically stable operation. The removal of approximately 10% of the feed as high-density reject was found to reduce coal milling energy demand and lower the energy consumption of ash handling and disposal systems. Overall, the results show that air table-based dry beneficiation enables water-free and energy-efficient pre-concentration of low-calorific coals, offering strong potential for application in water-scarce regions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16020182","authors":["Uğur Tekir"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-09T09:41:02Z","doi":"10.3390/min16020182","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110242","name":"Enhanced oily bubble flotation of coarse particles using nanobubbles","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110242","authors":["Bolun Zhang","Ming Zhang","Wei Yao"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-25T07:16:40Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110242","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110520","name":"Effect of sampling geometry on grade estimation of molybdenum flotation concentrates using VNIR–SWIR reflectance spectroscopy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110520","authors":["Juanping Qu","Saija Luukkanen","He Wan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-08T22:53:00Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110520","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9798216395959.ch-013","name":"Mining the Deep Sea","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9798216395959.ch-013","authors":["Seaver Wang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-31T11:34:37Z","doi":"10.5040/9798216395959.ch-013","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110451","name":"Filtration mechanism of copper tailings: Influence of initial solids content and flocculation","source":"crossref","abstract":"Cake filtration is increasingly applied in tailings management to achieve high solids contents for backfill preparation, dry stacking, and co-disposal with waste rock; however, the combined effects of initial solids content and flocculant dosage on filtration kinetics and cake development remain insufficiently understood. In this study, laboratory-scale vacuum filtration tests were conducted on copper tailings to systematically investigate the influence of initial solids content (60%–69%) and flocculant dosage (0–30 g/t) on filtration performance. Filtrate mass was continuously measured, and filter cake samples were collected to determine final solids content. The filtration process was classified into two distinct stages based on filtrate removal rate, and the underlying filtration mechanisms were interpreted. The results show that increasing initial solids content significantly reduces the average filtrate removal rate during the rapid-dewatering stage from 0.75 g/s to 0.44 g/s due to increased hydraulic resistance, while higher flocculant dosages enhance filtrate removal rates within each solids content group. Despite pronounced differences in filtration kinetics, the final solids content of the filter cake converges to similar values of approximately 81% within each solids content group, indicating that the final cake state is primarily governed by particle packing. Classical filtration models can describe the general filtration behavior; however, modifications are required to explicitly incorporate the influence of initial solids content.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110451","authors":["Yuan Li","Isaac Bradley Peterson","Anthony Chavez Molina","Travis Bach"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-09T15:16:47Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110451","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110748","name":"Organic acids for sustainable metal recovery: Mechanisms, process optimization, and future perspectives","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110748","authors":["Raba’atun Adawiyah Shamsuddin","Abdul Mukmin Abdul Yakup","M. Devendran Manogaran"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-18T07:28:40Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110748","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110421","name":"A distinct electrochemical mechanism governing chalcopyrite flotation in hematite-rich IOCG ores","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110421","authors":["Wei Che","Richard Lee","Yongjun Peng"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-21T09:54:09Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110421","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110266","name":"Mechanism and flotation performance of a phosphonic acid-based ionic liquid collector in Magnesite–Quartz separation","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110266","authors":["Ruirui Zhang","Wengang Liu","Shuaichao Wang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-09T06:38:52Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110266","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109855","name":"Optimization of tension combinations in flip-flow screen to enhance screening efficiency","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109855","authors":["Yixin Wang","Runhui Geng","Ruile Li","Han Gong","Xinwen Wang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-24T10:19:48Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109855","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110684","name":"Understanding gangue recovery in the JKHFmini: A small-scale fluidised bed flotation cell","source":"crossref","abstract":"The JKHFmini is a semi-batch-operated, small-scale fluidised bed flotation device that overpredicts mass recovery compared to full-scale HydroFloat® units. This study examines the underlying causes by quantifying the influence of operating variables on gangue recovery. Flotation tests were conducted in the JKHFmini using a statistical Design of Experiments (DoE) approach. It was observed that increasing water and air flow rates significantly increased overall mass recovery from 14.8% to 56.0%, while copper recovery increased from 55.2% to 85.2%. This increase in mass recovery was largely attributed to elevated gangue recovery in the elutriation zone, which rose from 1.4% to 49.2% under high fluidisation conditions. Gangue recovery in intermediate size fractions (+75 µm to + 106 µm) was found to be time-dependent, increasing throughout the flotation test. Results showed that approximately 74.0% of the total copper was recovered within the first 4 min, beyond which copper recovery increased marginally (<3%), while gangue recovery continued to increase. The cut size ( d50 c ) of elutriated gangue increased from 92 µm to 163 µm with increasing air and water flow rates and was well described by a regression model. The primary source of mass recovery overprediction in the JKHFmini was elevated gangue recovery in the elutriation zone, driven by near-uniform air and water distribution. These findings have important implications for interpreting JKHFmini results and small-to-full-scale predictions. While the JKHFmini reasonably predicts true flotation behaviour, elutriation effects and their impact on mass recovery must be predicted separately for full-scale applications.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110684","authors":["Bellson Awatey","Isabella Verster","Kym Runge"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-24T04:17:59Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110684","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110377","name":"Data-Driven strategies for predicting metal ion adsorption Behaviour in clay mineral frameworks","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110377","authors":["Qiantao Xie","Alireza Baghban"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-16T07:11:58Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110377","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110371","name":"Assessment of angular grinding media on chalcopyrite ore grinding and flotation","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110371","authors":["Kaveh Asgari","Qingqing Huang","Rick Honaker"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-09T20:03:26Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110371","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1029/2026je009901","name":"Diamond‐Like‐Carbon, Microdiamonds, Titanium Spherules and New UHT Minerals in Impact Debris From the SW Egypt Regolith: Possible Relations to the Extraterrestrial Carbonaceous Pebble “Hypatia” and the Libyan Desert Glass","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract In this paper we report the discovery, in the Gilf Kebir Plateau of southwest Egypt, of the first natural occurrence of Diamond‐Like‐Carbon, of microdiamonds, and new ultra‐high T (≥1300°C) silicates, phosphates in boulders and pebbles of a mullite and magnetite melt rock. We also report, in the regolith of the Libyan Desert Glass (LDG) strewn field, comparable mullite‐magnetite pebbles and, in paleosols, Diamond‐Like‐Carbon, N‐rich amorphous carbon, aliphatic hydrocarbons, moissanite, and metallic spherules and grains of native Ti. These findings point to a ∼350 km, south to north strewnfield of melt rocks and their related disaggregated debris formed by the impact of a carbonaceous meteorite in the Jebel Uweinat, near the Egypt‐Sudan border. At the northern end of their fluvial depository, the reworked debris co‐mingled with the LDG strewnfield, likely originated from a second impact in the Gilf Kebir. The date of the diamonds‐forming mullite impact melt is undetermined but tentatively linked to the 29 Ma event of the LDG, because disordered carbon + aliphatic compounds were found in a glass and in the, extraterrestrial (extrasolar) “Hypatia” from the same areas. The latter is considered as relic of the original, parent impactor.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2026je009901","authors":["Marco A. G. Andreoli","Rudolph Erasmus","Jasper Knight","Vittoria Pischedda","George Belyanin","Chiara Elmi","Hassina Mouri","Simo Huotari","Aki Kallonen","Mpho Lekgoathi","Romano Serra","Roger Gibson","John M. Saul","Mario Di Martino"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-17T10:44:11Z","doi":"10.1029/2026je009901","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-981-95-4693-0_5","name":"AM Supported Sensor Technologies in Critical Minerals Exploration, Sorting, and Gas Sensing","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-95-4693-0_5","authors":["Sunil Mehla","Amrit Raj Paul","Selvakannan Periasamy","Suresh K. Bhargava"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-08T22:57:59Z","doi":"10.1007/978-981-95-4693-0_5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1109/aiei69164.2026.11497211","name":"Comparative Analysis of Deep Learning Models for Visual Classification of Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Rock Image","source":"crossref","abstract":"Automated mineral and extraterrestrial body identification, including asteroids and meteorites, is crucial for geology, planetary science, and resource management developments. The project here provides a deep learning system for the classification of a heterogeneous dataset of more than 5,600 mineral and meteorite RGB images featuring diverse mineral classes and rock types. This work rigorously test a set of up-to-date convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and transformer models, e.g., DenseNet-121, Swin Transformer, MobileNetV3, and BEiT. Standard preprocessing and data splitting are used to train and validate models, and their performance is measured in terms of accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score. DenseNet-121 has the best accuracy of 98.58%, showing excellent performance in fine-grained mineral classification, followed by transformer models like Swin Transformer, which also show competitive performance, especially for intricate textures. These findings emphasize the ability of deep learning to eliminate mineralogical and meteoritic image classification, facilitating rapid analysis in geological exploration, mining operations, and space missions. Future development involves incorporating metadata and applying lightweight models to utilize in-field, real-time analysis.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/aiei69164.2026.11497211","authors":["Parikshith Sivakumar","B U Naveen Raj","Jyotsna Chandrasekharan","Ullas S."],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-05T20:00:49Z","doi":"10.1109/aiei69164.2026.11497211","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.18311/c3m/2026/54469","name":"BRICS Critical Minerals Alliance: Strategic Synergies for a Multipolar Energy Transition","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.18311/c3m/2026/54469","authors":["Utkarsh Akhouri"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-16T06:14:32Z","doi":"10.18311/c3m/2026/54469","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9798216395959.ch-012","name":"A Strategy for Minerals Diplomacy in Emerging Markets","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9798216395959.ch-012","authors":["Gracelin Baskaran"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-31T11:34:37Z","doi":"10.5040/9798216395959.ch-012","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16030239","name":"Adhesive Technology Used for Gold Recovery from Placer Deposits","source":"crossref","abstract":"This paper presents an analysis of the results of the gold enrichment process from a gravel deposit using a technological installation equipped with a separator with an adhesive coating. In the separation process, natural waxy substances (patented by Andrzej Ciechulski—Golden Dust) were used as an adhesive coating. Practically, the SFE (Surface Free Energy) of the adhesive substances is the basis of an environmentally accepted enrichment process. Apart from gold, some critical raw materials (CRM) can also be processed from a gravel-type deposit located in the alluvial deposits of the recent rivers and old glacial valleys, which are usually lost in traditional processing of enrichment and purification of gravel and sand. In this work, a new technological installation is presented, equipped with a separator with an adhesive coating. The gold recovery results for the installation industrial operation test were discussed, during which approximately 17 Mg of raw material was processed, recovering over 3.999 g of fine-grained gold. Recovery based on quantitative bulk chemical analysis was calculated close to 90%–95%. The technology can achieve potential for separation of other valuable metals; however, only gold was verified during the tests. The described method is directed at gravel and gold companies dealing with fine, less than 1 mm gold grains, which usually go into clayey waste.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16030239","authors":["Dariusz Foszcz","Adam Piestrzyński","Andrzej Ciechulski"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-26T13:58:03Z","doi":"10.3390/min16030239","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1109/pn70808.2026.11657748","name":"Terahertz Spectroscopy of Natural Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/pn70808.2026.11657748","authors":["A. Major","A.R. Chakhmouradian"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-25T19:15:06Z","doi":"10.1109/pn70808.2026.11657748","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110644","name":"Spectral identification of metallic minerals during high voltage pulse breakage by plasma emission spectroscopy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110644","authors":["Rui Sun","Neng Wei","Xianqiang Wang","Liang Si","Weiran Zuo"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-11T16:04:27Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110644","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-032-13832-3","name":"Light Metals 2026","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-13832-3","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-22T14:51:28Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-032-13832-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16030337","name":"Earliest Evolved Rocks: A Solar System Perspective","source":"crossref","abstract":"Granitic rocks dominate Earth’s continental crust, yet the Hadean record is severely limited. Extraterrestrial evolved lithologies, crystallized under predominantly anhydrous, plate tectonics-free conditions analogous to those of early Earth, provide valuable analogues. This review synthesizes lunar, asteroidal, Martian, and candidate Venus/Mercury data, revealing that partial melting of mafic protoliths, not fractional crystallization or silicate liquid immiscibility, represents the dominant formation mechanism. Granitic magmatism persisted episodically from merely 1.11 Myr after Solar System formation through at least 3.87 Ga, with estimated abundances of 0.2%–2% representing a conservative lower limit. These findings imply that Hadean Earth possessed the thermal and compositional prerequisites for analogous magmatism, suggesting that substantial felsic material may have been present, though quantitative estimates remain unwarranted given current data limitations. By establishing a comparative planetary framework, this study illuminates pathways for reconstructing Hadean crustal differential processes, highlighting priorities for future exploration missions targeting cryptic silicic reservoirs, particularly deep-crustal exposures in large lunar impact basins and in situ characterization of Venusian highland terrains.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16030337","authors":["Sheng Shang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-23T11:59:36Z","doi":"10.3390/min16030337","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.59425/eabc.1771754400","name":"Critical minerals and the reimagination of globalisation","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.59425/eabc.1771754400","authors":["Rod Eggert"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-21T23:07:14Z","doi":"10.59425/eabc.1771754400","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7551/mitpress/15910.001.0001","name":"Living Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"A sobering investigation of the rush for lithium for electric vehicles, the problematic history of lithium mining, and the consequences for sustainability. Consumers today are buying electric vehicles with lithium-ion batteries motivated by the belief that they are doing good and decarbonizing society. But is sustainable lithium extraction possible? In Living Minerals, Javiera Barandiarán examines the history of lithium mining and uses during the twentieth century, with a specific focus on the two oldest brine-lithium mines: Silver Peak, Nevada, and Salar de Atacama, Chile, where lithium is found as one more element in a liquid mix of salts, minerals, and organisms. For six decades, mining experts have failed to ask about water usage, about waste or brine leakage, and about the ecosystem impacts in delicate deserts. Instead, they have relied on various fictions about the size of reserves, the fate of leaked brine, or the value of waste in facilitating mine development. These fictions, rooted in brine-lithium’s material qualities, could be sustained thanks to powerful mining memories that celebrated resource nationalism. Unique in its historical and multidimensional approach to minerals and mining, based on the novel Rights of Nature paradigm, and using new archival materials from both Chile and the US, the book argues that decarbonizing society requires that we reckon with these realities—or risk deepening our dependency on an unsustainable mining industry.","url":"https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/15910.001.0001","authors":["Javiera Barandiarán"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-14T03:07:42Z","doi":"10.7551/mitpress/15910.001.0001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110640","name":"Valorization of pyrrhotite tailings by chlorination roasting with bischofite: Synthesis and magnetic separation of MgFe2O4 and MgSO4","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110640","authors":["Pablo Orosco","Oriana Barrios","Lucía Barbosa"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-30T07:49:34Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110640","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110602","name":"Dry separation methods for Colemanite: Thermal decrepitation behavior and magnetic susceptibility of Fe-Bearing gangue","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110602","authors":["Ş.Beste Aydın","Esra Baştürkcü","Alim Gül","Emin Çiftçi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-06T13:32:41Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110602","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2581528","name":"The Where of Mineral Names: Grootfonteinite, Kombat Mine, Kombat, Otavi Constituency, Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia","source":"crossref","abstract":"Grootfonteinite, Pb3O(CO3)2, is a colorless lead oxycarbonate with a white streak and adamantine luster (fig. 1). Its Mohs hardness is 2 and its specific gravity is calculated at 6.856. Grootfontei...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2581528","authors":["Bruce Cairncross"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-27T13:38:07Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2581528","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.63929/14432471.2026-240-10","name":"Minerals geophysics","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.63929/14432471.2026-240-10","authors":["Jim Austin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-23T14:01:23Z","doi":"10.63929/14432471.2026-240-10","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.59425/eabc.1773309600","name":"Policies that enable China’s critical minerals edge","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.59425/eabc.1773309600","authors":["David Landry"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-11T23:00:31Z","doi":"10.59425/eabc.1773309600","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2669009","name":"History of the Carnegie Mineralogical Award, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2669009","authors":["Debra l. Wilson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-18T16:28:11Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2669009","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110492","name":"Selective cobalt recovery from sulfate solutions using amine-modified Cyanex 272: influence of diluent and thermodynamic behaviour","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110492","authors":["Lindela Matiti","Godwell Pahla","Nomampondo Magwa"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-06T21:56:52Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110492","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110041","name":"Machine learning–based enhancement of eddy current separation for cylindrical non-ferrous metal particles","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110041","authors":["Abderrahmane Bettache","Salah-Eddine Bendimerad","Wafa Krika","Abdelghani Ayad"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-29T17:01:17Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110041","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2025.2555780","name":"Red, White &amp; Blue Corundum","source":"crossref","abstract":"All photographs by the authorFigure 1. Red, white, and blue corundum. From left: ruby, 4.02 carats; white sapphire, 6.17 carats; blue sapphire, 3.14 carats. Ruby and blue sapphire from Myanmar; col...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2025.2555780","authors":["Mark Mauthner"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-10T17:37:54Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2025.2555780","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.18311/c3m/2026/54293","name":"Beyond Extraction: Central Asia’s Critical Minerals and Competing Models of Industrial Development","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.18311/c3m/2026/54293","authors":["Svetlana Novikova"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-16T06:14:32Z","doi":"10.18311/c3m/2026/54293","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1360/sspma-2026-0018","name":"Stellar Flares and Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"crossref","abstract":"随着深空探测与地外文明搜寻（SETI）进入新阶段，恒星耀发与类地行星宜居性的交叉研究已成为天体物理与天体生物学的前沿课题。恒星耀发是恒星磁活动最为剧烈的爆发性现象，涉及非热粒子加速、磁能释放及多波段辐射，对理解恒星磁发电机制及其演化具有关键价值。然而，$0.1$–$30\\ \\mathrm{MHz}$ 的极低频射电波段长期缺乏系统监测，严重限制了对耀发中非热粒子加速及磁重联早期过程的研究。与此同时，SETI 射电信号搜寻亦受地面电磁干扰和频段覆盖不足的制约，亟需具备长期、洁净观测环境的设施。在此背景下，“鸿蒙计划”旨在填补该极低频射电波段的长期观测空白，计划在月球轨道部署低频射电观测阵列。凭借月球背面的天然电磁屏蔽优势，该计划将联合光学、紫外与 X 射线等多波段数据，对 M、K 型及年轻恒星开展系统耀发监测，构建“磁发电机制–自转–耀发”演化模型，深化对恒星磁活动的理解，并通过低频射电观测约束耀发中的非热粒子过程，辅助评估行星大气逃逸速率，建立 M 型恒星的辐射标定关系。此外，由于其所覆盖频段与地球无线通信频率重合，且在月背可实现全天域低频射电监测并显著抑制地面干扰，“鸿蒙计划”也为探测可能源自地外智慧生命的窄带或调制脉冲信号提供了理想窗口。SETI 作为其重要拓展目标，将通过长期频谱积累实现机遇性发现，为探索地外智慧生命开辟新路径。","url":"https://doi.org/10.1360/sspma-2026-0018","authors":["Xunzhou Chen","Zhenzhao Tao","Yunfan Zhou","Haoran Chen","Bin Yue","Juyong Zhang","Haijun Tian","Xiaofeng Yang","Tongjie Zhang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-02T09:36:07Z","doi":"10.1360/sspma-2026-0018","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16070733","name":"First Insights into Scale-Up Procedures for Reactor–Separator Flotation Cells","source":"crossref","abstract":"Although several laboratory- to semi-pilot-scale reactor–separator flotation units have recently been developed and manufactured by leading companies, substantial gaps remain in the understanding of their scale-up procedures. To this end, the current study identifies the advantages and constraints of the classical retention time-based approach, standard dilution tests, and the McCabe–Thiele diagram. The results revealed that the traditionally used retention-time-based flotation kinetic and/or its modified version scale-up approaches cannot be adapted to reactor–separator flotation cells, mainly due to differences in dispersion regime, conditioning tank, slurry volume, feed flowrate and the role of circulating load. Therefore, the number of passes at laboratory scale is proposed as a more appropriate scale-up parameter than flotation time for pneumatic flotation cells. The analysis suggests that a scale-up factor of 1 may be acceptable only when the conditioning tank, aerator, and separator collectively exhibit a plug-flow dispersion regime. A few uncertainties were discussed in detail in terms of utilizing standard dilution cleaner tests. A new flow diagram was proposed with respect to the integration of pneumatic cells with a particular focus on Imhoflot™ cell technology into existing concentration plants and the path toward test programs for greenfield projects. The presented case study demonstrated an alignment between the laboratory mechanical flotation kinetic test and the onsite lab/semi-pilot V-03 Imhoflot™ cell performance, providing a high degree of confidence in the proposed flowsheet. The selected 4xH Imhoflot™ cell configuration was well-suited to meet the projected industrial mass balance and product specifications.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16070733","authors":["Ahmad Hassanzadeh","Duong Huu Hoang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-14T02:34:44Z","doi":"10.3390/min16070733","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/ece2.70100","name":"Water Electrolysis Technologies for Extraterrestrial Water Resource Conversion","source":"crossref","abstract":"ABSTRACT Extraterrestrial water resources are critical strategic assets for the establishment of off‐earth bases and long‐term deep space exploration. Based on a systematic review of water resource types and characteristics in space stations and lunar and Martian environments, this paper focuses on four water electrolysis technologies for extraterrestrial water conversion: alkaline water electrolysis, proton exchange membrane water electrolysis, solid oxide water electrolysis, and anion exchange membrane water electrolysis. It elaborates on their reaction mechanisms, core components, and system integration approaches. Drawing from engineering practices of water electrolysis systems in space stations, the analysis highlights unique challenges posed by extraterrestrial environments, including key technical bottlenecks such as complex water purification, bubble detachment, gas–liquid two‐phase flow control of the electrolyzer, gas–liquid separation, and system environmental adaptability. Furthermore, discussions are provided on the prospects for large‐scale water electrolysis, high‐pressure water electrolysis, and direct electrolysis of unpurified water, which serve as technical references for the future in situ utilization of lunar, Martian, and other extraterrestrial water resources.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ece2.70100","authors":["Yawen Jiang","Yuan Zhao","Lin Zu","Lili Ling","Yongwei Zhao","Jun Di","Pin Song"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-07T04:55:57Z","doi":"10.1002/ece2.70100","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s00269-026-01360-0","name":"Thermodynamic properties of synthetic kesterite Cu2ZnSnS4","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00269-026-01360-0","authors":["D. A. Chareev","A. V. Tyurin","N. A. Polotnyanko","N. S. Uporova"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-06T12:45:32Z","doi":"10.1007/s00269-026-01360-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109912","name":"Efficient ball mill media shape design using spherical harmonic functions","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109912","authors":["Takao Ueda"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-08T13:26:33Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109912","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110024","name":"Synergistic desilication of phosphogypsum through ultrasonic pretreatment and double reverse flotation","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110024","authors":["Huali Zhang","Yanlin Chen","Lei Yu","Huan Liang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-16T21:00:39Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110024","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16080825","name":"Process Mineralogy of Titanomagnetite Ore in the Damiao Deposit, Chengde","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Damiao titanomagnetite deposit on the northern margin of the North China Craton is a typical Fe-Ti-P polymetallic ore with significant deep resource potential. However, the mineralogical factors controlling its beneficiation remain poorly quantified. This study integrates multi-element analysis, chemical phase analysis, XRD, EPMA, and MLA to systematically characterize the ore’s chemistry, mineralogy, element deportment, grain size, dissemination, and liberation. Results show that Fe (25.81% TFe), Ti (6.50% TiO2), and P (0.95% P2O5) are the main valuables. Fe is mainly in magnetite (59.53%), Ti in ilmenite (48.90%) and rutile (33.89%), and P almost entirely in fluorapatite. Magnetite, ilmenite, apatite, and pyrite are coarse-grained and achieve &gt;80% free + rich intergrowths at 60% passing −0.074 mm, while rutile is fine and poorly liberated, representing the key titanium bottleneck. Silicate-bound iron (28.07% of Fe) causes irreversible loss; Ca-gangue (&gt;20%) and chlorite slimes interfere with flotation. A staged flowsheet—primary grinding, magnetic separation, regrinding of rough concentrate, desulfurization, and sequential flotation—is proposed. This work provides a mineralogical basis for process optimization and offers references for similar deposits.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16080825","authors":["Mingshan Fang","Qinwang Dang","Minyan Wang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-10T10:23:50Z","doi":"10.3390/min16080825","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2614925","name":"Large Stolzite Crystals From the Fat Jack Mine, Yavapai County, Arizona","source":"crossref","abstract":"Stolzite is an attractive lead tungstate mineral that is significantly rarer than its close relative wulfenite, the official Arizona state mineral. Many years ago, unusually large crystals of stolz...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2614925","authors":["Ron Gibbs","Raymond Grant","Dana Slaughter"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-21T16:02:41Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2614925","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110524","name":"Efficient self-magnetization roasting of siderite via CO2 introduction","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110524","authors":["Tingbo Zhou","Yongsheng Sun","Yuexin Han","Yanjun Li"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-13T01:30:46Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110524","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110565","name":"Magnesium extraction and magnesium-derived products from dolomite: Process pathways and sustainability assessment","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110565","authors":["Zouhir Balagh","Yassine Ait-khouia","Mostafa Benzaazoua","Yassine Taha"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-24T04:41:16Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110565","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2614930","name":"The Where of Mineral Names: Kipushite, Kipushi, Kipushi Territory, Haut-Katanga, Democratic Republic of Congo","source":"crossref","abstract":"Kipushite, (Cu,Zn)5Zn(PO4)2(OH)6·H2O, a copper-zinc hydrated phosphate, was described by Piret, Deliens. and Piret-Meunier (1985). It is monoclinic and forms small (less than a few millimeters), tr...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2614930","authors":["Bruce Cairncross"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-21T16:02:41Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2614930","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109812","name":"Wet screen performance prediction using coupled DEM and SPH: separation, wear and comparison to plant measurement","source":"crossref","abstract":"• Large industrial scale wet screen performance is predicted using coupled DEM-SPH. • The screen cloth has around 30,000 apertures which are well resolved in the model. • Predicted slurry draining distance matches plant observations. • Discharge flow rate and oversize distribution agree with plant measurements. • Bed depth, resident screen load and wear patterns are sensitive to feed rate. A fully coupled multiphase DEM-SPH model is used to predict rock and slurry flow to better understand the performance of a very large industrial scale wet fine screen. Dependence on feed rate and the evenness of slurry flow onto the screen are investigated. The single deck banana screen is 8.22 m long and uses a cloth with combinations of rectangular slots and more complex shaped apertures. The model predictions are validated for the lower flow rate by comparing the draining distance for the slurry, the discharge mass flow rate and the screen oversize distribution with plant measurements yielding good agreement. The oversize mass fraction is found to be consistent with long-term site measurements while the predicted overflow size distribution has a very similar form to the measured data. These indicate that the modelling approximations and numerical resolution used in the model construction are suitable for obtaining good solution accuracy. Bed depth, resident load on the screen and wear patterns are found to be sensitive to feed rate but the flow field and general nature of the screen separation behaviour are not greatly influenced. Wear due to abrasion appears to be dominant in the upper half of the screen whereas impact damage is more uniformly distributed over the entire screen. At high feed rates, impact damage in the upper half of the screen becomes more significant.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109812","authors":["Paul W. Cleary","Matthew D. Sinnott"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-08T01:11:35Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109812","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110305","name":"Kinetic analysis of froth flotation for remediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated coastal sands","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110305","authors":["Claudio Leiva","Diego Poblete","José Humire","Claudio Acuña"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-20T13:23:42Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110305","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110588","name":"Effects of thermal treatment on the mineralogical characteristics and optical properties of marmatite for wastewater treatment","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110588","authors":["Meirong Wu","Jiexiang Li","Wei Sun","Yue Yang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-01T07:51:22Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110588","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110705","name":"Quantifying the frother potential of industrial flotation cell process water using dilution curves","source":"crossref","abstract":"Effective frother dosing in flotation circuits is challenging due to varying process water chemistry, frother volatility, and partitioning effects that create unknown background frother potential. This study presents a dilution-curve methodology to quantify frother potential Ψ − a dimensionless indicator of coalescence suppression capacity relative to the critical coalescence concentration (CCC 95 ). The method systematically dilutes process water while measuring bubble size ( d 32 ) under controlled aeration, then aligns the resulting curve to infer Ψ and, with the use of a frother specific reference curve, equivalent concentration C eq . Laboratory validation with MIBC (6–50 ppm) showed agreement between inferred and known concentrations (RMSE = 0.97 ppm, MAPE = 4.5 %). Tests with MIBC in 0.2 M and 0.7 M NaCl demonstrated the method’s ability to quantify Ψ in the presence of background water chemistry, with electrolyte alone achieving Ψ = 1.02 for 0.2 M NaCl and Ψ = 1.62 for 0.7 M NaCl. A plant case study on a copper rougher bank revealed pre-flotation process water frother potential ( Ψ = 0.65) and cellwise profiles ( Ψ = 2.81, 2.14, 2.15, 2.14, 2.24) indicating operation well above CCC 95 with partitioning effects. The method provides actionable frother control metrics, enabling cell-specific dosing adjustments and gas dispersion optimization.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110705","authors":["Mark R. Lepage","Nina Morenon","Jeff Opoku","Kristian E. Waters"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-28T20:42:28Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110705","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110162","name":"Leaching of sphalerite concentrate by Binary deep eutectic solvents based on choline chloride with MD and DFT insights","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110162","authors":["Bahram Behnajady","Saeid Karimi","Hana Hoseinpour"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-19T20:45:39Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110162","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110395","name":"Review of global lithium landscape: deposits, extraction technologies, environmental and economic considerations, and the prospects in Saudi Arabia","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110395","authors":["Khaled Al-Raeeini","Murtada Saleh Aljawad","Abduljamiu Olalekan Amao","Muhammad Zaka Emad","Basem Zoheir"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-25T19:35:41Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110395","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109822","name":"Selection criteria for mine tailings as SCM: A Comprehensive Review of Types, Properties and Performance","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109822","authors":["Gayathri Chandran","Sindhe Ashish","Aswathy Ajayan S","Thirumalini Selvaraj"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-21T07:22:01Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109822","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.jtemin.2025.100271","name":"Evaluating climate-induced drivers of trace metal mobilization in environmental systems","source":"crossref","abstract":"Background : Two major threats to the environment are intensification of anthropogenic activities and ongoing climate change. The anthropogenic activities for economic growth are releasing abundant quantity of trace metals into the environment and it is likely to increase leading to disaster in future. Co-currently frequent natural disasters such as floods, droughts, forest fires and rise in sea level due to climate change are resulting in loss of life and economic burden. Purpose and methodology : The extreme weather events influence the environmental redox conditions promoting the dissolution/mobility of trace metals from the waste dumps associated with urban, industrial and mining activities. Climate change is predicated to intensify in future. The main objective of the present study is to understand the role of environmental consequences caused by climate change in governing the mobility of trace metals. It is important to predicate future risk and consequences caused by trace metals to avoid the natural hazards by implementing the mitigation strategies. A total of 191 research and review articles were selected on the basis of their relevance with the objectives of the study. Observations : The climatic factors such as temperature and precipitation influence the geochemical processes and hydrodynamics governing the trace metal mobility in environmental systems. The increase in temperature significantly influences the microbial activities leading to impact on the geochemical properties of soil and sediment. Additionally, the threat of rising sea level and the growing incidents of forest fires are among the key consequences of climate change. The sea water intrusion into the coastal areas facilitates mineral dissolution and leaching of trace metals into the aquifers. The burning of urban infrastructures and elevated temperature during forest fires significantly contribute to trace metal contamination in affected ecosystems. Conclusions : The environmental consequences caused by trace metals are expected to increase under the influence of future climate change. The new guidelines for the permissible limits for trace metals released from anthropogenic activities is recommended to avoid the natural hazard in future under the influence of climate change.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtemin.2025.100271","authors":["Anita Punia","Saurabh Kumar Singh"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-22T16:19:10Z","doi":"10.1016/j.jtemin.2025.100271","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16050521","name":"Reply to Broughton, P.L. New Insights into a Definitive Zoological Morphogenesis. Comment on “Mustoe, G.E. The Controversial Origin of Ferruginous “Coprolites”. Minerals 2025, 15, 1271”","source":"crossref","abstract":"I would like to begin my reply to the commentary with some positive assessments [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16050521","authors":["George E. Mustoe"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-19T15:17:23Z","doi":"10.3390/min16050521","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16060561","name":"Causal Decomposition of Particle Size-Mediated Effects in Comminution-Derived Particle Systems During Gold Flotation","source":"crossref","abstract":"Particle size distributions produced during comminution are widely correlated with gold flotation performance, yet their interpretation as intrinsic particle characteristics is often confounded by particle generation mechanisms. This study applies a structural causal modelling framework to a controlled legacy flotation dataset (N = 11) generated using Vertical Shaft Impact (VSI) and High-Pressure Grinding Rolls (HPGRs) to distinguish particle size-mediated effects from non-size-mediated comminution effects. Structural decomposition showed that LS-HPGR exhibited a total recovery advantage of +8.60 percentage points relative to VSI, comprising a positive direct effect of +18.98 percentage points partially offset by a negative particle size-mediated effect of −10.37 percentage points. Counterfactual analysis confirmed that crusher-specific flotation responses persisted even under comparable particle size distributions. Crusher-specific effects were further interpreted in the context of measured comminution power and processing-time data. Particle size significantly influenced concentrate grade (p = 0.002) but showed only weak influence on recovery within the tested operating range. These findings demonstrate that particle size distributions function as mediating particle-scale properties rather than purely descriptive metrics, extending flotation process interpretation beyond conventional size–performance correlations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16060561","authors":["Sheila Devasahayam"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-22T12:14:52Z","doi":"10.3390/min16060561","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16060594","name":"Evaluating Inter-Species Interaction in the Differential Settling of Binary Particle Suspensions","source":"crossref","abstract":"This study investigates the differential settling behavior of binary particle suspensions through a combination of theoretical modeling and batch settling experiments. A classical zone-formation differential settling model is adopted, and a comprehensive experimental program is designed to generate data for model evaluation. Batch settling tests conducted using fine copper tailings and coarse silica sands show that distinct settling zones can be identified, and the solids’ concentrations of the particle species are consistent with theoretical predictions. However, the behavior within the sediment region differs from model assumptions, as a range of solids’ concentrations is observed, suggesting the presence of a transition zone rather than a sharp transition from the hindered settling region to a sediment with maximum solids’ concentration. Experimental observations of the sediment boundary also reveal a discrepancy between theoretical predictions and measured propagation velocities. This discrepancy is attributed to inter-species interactions arising from differential settling velocities, which are not accounted for in conventional models. The results highlight the limitations of widely used differential settling models and emphasize the importance of incorporating species–species interactions and transition zone behavior to improve the prediction of settling behavior in multi-species suspensions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16060594","authors":["Yuan Li","Luis Tejada Arata"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-03T02:37:26Z","doi":"10.3390/min16060594","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110272","name":"Electrostatic Charging–Based Dry Separation of Graphite, Nickel oxide, and Lithium oxide","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110272","authors":["Benjamin Hotte","Poupak Mehrani"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-09T01:22:06Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110272","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110548","name":"Enabling grate discharge in large ball mills: Transient blockage and a restriction-based predictive framework","source":"crossref","abstract":"Slurry transport in tumbling mills is rarely resolved at the particle scale, limiting the prediction of discharge performance in large ball mills. In particular, the application of grate discharge in mills of 20–28 ft diameter has been constrained by uncertainty in evacuation capacity and the risk of restriction under high-throughput conditions. This work presents a particle-resolved Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics–Discrete Element Method (SPH–DEM) framework to investigate slurry–particle interactions at the discharge interface. The granular phase is resolved by DEM within a GPU-based Blaze framework, and the slurry phase is advanced by a natively integrated SPH module built on the DualSPHysics formulation. Within this implementation, particles relevant to charge dynamics and discharge interactions are explicitly resolved by DEM, while the sub-resolution fine and ultra-fine fraction is represented by the slurry-phase properties (density, viscosity, solids fraction). This combination enables direct simulation of industrial-scale ball mills, capturing free-surface and multiphase dynamics at the discharge interface without relying on homogenization assumptions (e.g., porous-medium or averaged-mixture representations) for the resolved particulate bed. The results show that discharge is not governed by geometric open area alone, but by a dynamically evolving effective discharge area reduced by transient particle–slot interactions. These finite-duration restriction events are continuously formed and resolved, producing a statistically stable deficit in discharge capacity at the mill scale. This behavior is captured through a dimensionless Withdrawal Restriction Number, which combines particle size, slot geometry, and expansion effects. The effective discharge area follows a bounded relation as a function of this parameter, defining transitions between self-cleaning and restriction-dominated regimes. At the system level, grate discharge suppresses slurry pooling, reduces total power draw in the industrial comparison reported here, and shifts energy utilization toward impact-dominated events, enabling operation at lower grinding media load without measurable product coarsening in the analyzed plant case.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110548","authors":["Wallace Santos Soares","Elisan dos Santos Magalhães","Nicolin Govender"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-24T15:44:48Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110548","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.828Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16010090","name":"Direct Production of Na2WO4-Based Salt by Scheelite Smelting","source":"crossref","abstract":"Tungsten is one of the critical materials with important applications in many areas. Electrolysis of Na2WO4-based salt is a short and green process for the production of tungsten metal and alloys. The conventional process for producing Na2WO4 is expensive and time-consuming. Scheelite (CaWO4) is becoming the most important resource for the extraction of tungsten. Based on thermodynamic calculations and phase equilibrium studies, a novel process is proposed to prepare Na2WO4-based salt directly from scheelite through a high-temperature process. By reacting with silica and sodium oxide, immiscible layers of liquid salt and slag are formed from scheelite between 1200 and 1300 °C. High-density salt containing Na2WO4 is separated from the silicate slag, which is composed of impurities and fluxes. The effects of fluxing agents, smelting temperature, and reaction time on the direct yield of WO3 and purity of sodium tungsten are investigated in combination with thermodynamic calculations and high-temperature experiments. The salt containing up to 99% Na2WO4 is obtained directly in a single process, which can be used for the production of other tungsten chemicals. This study provides a novel research method and detailed information to produce low-cost sodium tungstate directly from scheelite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16010090","authors":["Baojun Zhao"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-20T09:24:34Z","doi":"10.3390/min16010090","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110577","name":"Advancing sustainable flotation through green nanoengineering strategies","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110577","authors":["Zohra Farid","Hajar El Haddaj","Alaâeddine Elhalil","Abdelhafid Essadki","Lev O. Filippov","Inna V. Filippova","M’hamed Sadiq"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-27T21:58:03Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110577","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16070699","name":"Characterization of Hydrodynamics and Mixing Regime of a HydroFloat ® Cell","source":"crossref","abstract":"A study was conducted to characterize the performance of a HydroFloat® coarse particle flotation (CPF) cell using rougher tailings samples from an industrial copper mining operation. The work involved measuring internal hydrodynamic variables under a wide range of operating conditions. The effect of different operational and hydrodynamic conditions on the metallurgical performance of the HydroFloat® cell was also evaluated. Gas dispersion measurements, such as bubble size distribution, superficial gas velocity (Jg), superficial area flux (Sb), and residence time distribution (RTD), were recorded, enabling a detailed analysis of the cell’s operation. Results show that copper recovery is strongly influenced by the superficial gas velocity (Jg) and the superficial liquid velocity (Jl). It was observed that the bubble diameter (d32) remained relatively constant at 0.5 mm across all operating conditions, which is well below typical bubble sizes for conventional flotation cells. This suggests that contrary to what may be expected, in this kind of machine, small bubbles are able to float coarse particles. Bubble image inspection suggests that the HydroFloat® cell creates conditions conducive to bubble–particle aggregates, which would explain how small bubbles can float coarse particles. This study contributes to the understanding of CPF and establishes a framework for optimization in copper concentrators.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16070699","authors":["Constantino Suazo","Willy Kracht","Felipe Valdes"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-02T15:52:24Z","doi":"10.3390/min16070699","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-032-09996-9_6","name":"Assessing Evidence for Extraterrestrial Intelligent Life and Implications for Human Uniqueness","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-09996-9_6","authors":["Bilal Ali Ansari","Ahsan Arozullah"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-13T23:20:08Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-032-09996-9_6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/cmn.2026.10029","name":"Characteristics of natural asbestos minerals and associated health risks in the Karaman region (Türkiye)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Despite extensive research on asbestos mineralogy and health impacts, comprehensive multi-analytical characterization of naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) in ophiolitic mélanges of central Türkiye is still lacking. The present study examines asbestos-form minerals within the ophiolitic mélange northeast of Kıraman village (Karaman, Türkiye), with a focus on chrysotile, tremolite, and talc. These minerals were formed through intensive alteration processes, including serpentinization, talc formation, listwanitization, chloritization, carbonation, and silicification. The main objective was to characterize the mineralogical, morphological, and chemical features of asbestos-form serpentine and amphibole minerals and to evaluate their potential environmental and health implications. Analytical techniques such as optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential thermal analysis–thermogravimetry (DTA–TG), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy, as well as scanning and transmission electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDX, TEM–EDX), were employed. The results confirmed the presence of nearly pure chrysotile, talc, and tremolite. Thermal and vibrational analyses revealed characteristic dehydroxylation reactions and diagnostic spectral bands. The SEM and TEM imaging displayed fibrous and acicular morphologies, while TEM–EDX confirmed typical chemical compositions, including minor Fe content (3–5%). Both chrysotile and tremolite fibers exhibited dimensions within the respirable range and elemental characteristics that are commonly associated with increased toxicity in asbestos minerals. The co-existence of Fe-bearing chrysotile and respirable-size tremolite fibers indicates a potential for asbestos-related health risks under conditions of environmental disturbance or exposure. These findings underscore the need for environmental monitoring and suggest the regional geological formations are a potential public health concern.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/cmn.2026.10029","authors":["Muazzez Çelik Karakaya","Necati Karakaya"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-30T03:52:41Z","doi":"10.1017/cmn.2026.10029","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1145/3806262.3806326","name":"A Review of Artificial Intelligence-Based Health Monitoring Methods for Extraterrestrial Built Habitat Spaces","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1145/3806262.3806326","authors":["Xiangyu Zhang","Guowei Yang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-12T06:27:13Z","doi":"10.1145/3806262.3806326","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9798216395959","name":"Critical Minerals and the Future of the U.S. Economy","source":"crossref","abstract":"Safeguarding the minerals supply chains for advanced technologies in strategic industries is an economic and national security imperative. Yet significant vulnerabilities continue to exist in the supply chain, despite the ongoing efforts by government and businesses to address them. Policymakers now face the immense task of fortifying supplies of everything from lithium and graphite for advanced battery chemistries to tungsten and rare earth elements for the next generation of warfighting technologies. The United States will need to strengthen both its mission clarity and its execution with a comprehensive strategy focused on domestic resource development, advanced processing and recycling technologies, international partnerships, and sustainable practices. This edited volume brings together the analysis and policy recommendations of 15 experts, led by editors Dr. Gracelin Baskaran and Dr. Duncan Wood, to bolster U.S. competitiveness and leadership in these areas. It is intended to be a resource for policymakers in the new U.S. administration and Congress. The volume shows that resilient mineral chains have never been more important for U.S. security than at this critical juncture.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9798216395959","authors":["Gracelin Baskaran","Duncan Wood"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-31T11:34:37Z","doi":"10.5040/9798216395959","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16010104","name":"Editorial for Special Issue “Tectonic Evolution of the Tethys Ocean in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau”","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Tethys Ocean, a geodynamically pivotal transcontinental oceanic system sandwiched between the Laurasian and Gondwanan supercontinents, underwent successive evolutionary phases (Proto-Tethys, Palaeo-Tethys, Neo-Tethys) sculpted by continental drift, convergence, and breakup [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16010104","authors":["Ming Wang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-21T11:11:17Z","doi":"10.3390/min16010104","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2026.06.008","name":"Mars habitat: A holistic approach to design extraterrestrial structures under extreme environments","source":"crossref","abstract":"Martian exploration represents one of the most ambitious goals of the 21st century. What only a few decades ago might have seemed like a futuristic vision has now become a tangible objective, thanks to rapid technological development and the growing interest of scientific programs. This paper fosters the ambitious goal of developing an interdisciplinary study that brings together engineering, material and geology sciences, as well as planetology, to propose a new Martian habitat designed through a rational and scientific approach. A new framework for extraterrestrial habitats design is thus conceived and applied to the case of Mars. Once defined the mission type and the landing site, the main environmental aspects that impact on the structural and architectural design of a structure on Mars are identified. Among them, reduced gravity, seismic activity, radiation, wind and asteroids’ impacts need to be considered. Then, a review on the locally-available construction materials is carried out. This is done by exploring also the construction methods supported by the most recent technological advancements carried by additive manufacturing in extreme environments. Lastly, a proposal for a new habitat module is made, which is constituted by an external 3D printed shell, whose structure has been verified according to the proposed design scenario through finite element (FE) analyses, and inner inflatable-balloon modules. Among the significant outcomes of this research, a special mention has to be made to the in-depth analysis of design aspects on Mars, thus representing fundamental inputs for the structural analysis of the new habitat.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2026.06.008","authors":["Pietro Lapo Moro","Klajdi Toska","Mariano Angelo Zanini","Maurizio Pajola","Flora Faleschini"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-04T06:45:32Z","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2026.06.008","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.14509/32118","name":"Alaska sources of critical minerals (poster): 2026 Alaska Geological Society Technical Conference, Fairbanks, Alaska, April 18, 2026","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.14509/32118","authors":["D.J. Szumigala"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-15T23:59:37Z","doi":"10.14509/32118","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.6265958","name":"Critical Minerals: Global Palladium Supply &amp;amp; Demand","source":"crossref","abstract":"As the world moves toward greener technologies, the demand for strategic commodities is on the rise. One such commodity, palladium, is crucial for automotive catalysts, electronics, and hydrogen fuel cells. With the majority of the world's palladium supply concentrated in South Africa and Russia, geopolitical tensions and supply constraints could significantly impact this essential metal. As a result, policymakers and industries worldwide must be prepared to address the challenges associated with securing reliable and sustainable palladium supply chains. Palladium is a precious metal belonging to the platinum-group metals (PGMs), which includes platinum, rhodium, iridium, osmium, and ruthenium. Palladium is most often extracted as a byproduct of mining for platinum and nickel. Thus, market demand and prices for platinum and/or nickel figure significantly in the economics of palladium production. Characterized by its silvery-white appearance, palladium is valued for its resistance to corrosion, excellent catalytic properties, and ability to absorb hydrogen. Its unique combination of properties makes palladium a sought-after material for various applications, particularly in the automotive and electronics industries.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.6265958","authors":["Arman Sidhu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-09T16:36:45Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.6265958","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16030328","name":"Industrial Mineral-Based Ca-Rich Fly Ash Cement Mortars: 24-Month Durability Under Marine Exposure","source":"crossref","abstract":"This study investigates the long-term durability performance of Portland cement mortars incorporating 5% and 10% Ca-rich fly ash under 24 months of natural marine atmospheric exposure. An integrated experimental methodology was applied, combining gravimetric steel mass loss, half-cell potential monitoring (SCE), water-soluble chloride determination at reinforcement depth, carbonation depth evaluation interpreted through the diffusion-based square-root model (x = k√t), and pore structure characterization by MIP and SEM. After 24 months, cumulative steel mass loss decreased by 26.6% (FA5) and 33.6% (FA10) relative to the reference mortar. The water-soluble chloride concentration at reinforcement depth was reduced from 976 mg/L in CM-REF to 875 mg/L (−10.2%) and 805 mg/L (−17.5%) in CM-FA5 and CM-FA10, respectively. Carbonation depth after 24 months decreased from 5.97 mm in the reference mortar to 4.56 mm (−23.6%) and 2.48 mm (−58.5%) for FA5 and FA10, confirming a transport-controlled mitigation of carbonation progression. Within the investigated replacement range, moderate Ca-rich fly ash incorporation produces measurable reductions in chloride availability, carbonation rate, and cumulative corrosion damage under realistic coastal exposure conditions, demonstrating that limited clinker substitution can yield substantial long-term durability benefits. These findings demonstrate that Ca-rich fly ash incorporation (5%–10%) effectively enhances resistance to chloride ingress, carbonation progression, and reinforcement corrosion under natural marine exposure, supporting its use as a performance-oriented strategy for durable, low-clinker mortar design in coastal infrastructure.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16030328","authors":["Nikolaos Chousidis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-20T09:44:41Z","doi":"10.3390/min16030328","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9798216395959.ch-004","name":"Driving Innovation","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9798216395959.ch-004","authors":["Duncan Wood","Alexandra Helfgott"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-31T11:34:37Z","doi":"10.5040/9798216395959.ch-004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16040386","name":"Waste Valorization: Recycling and Recovery of Critical and Strategic Metals","source":"crossref","abstract":"This Special Issue focuses on innovative approaches and methodologies for valorizing waste, including mineral waste and end-of-life (EoL) products, through the recycling and recovery of critical and strategic metals, including, but not limited to, rare earth elements, cobalt, copper, nickel, lithium, silver, aluminum, titanium, and silicon [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16040386","authors":["Srećko Stopić","Elif Emil-Kaya","Duygu Yilmaz"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-06T08:58:48Z","doi":"10.3390/min16040386","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.34191/pi-109","name":"Critical Minerals - Basic Facts For Utah","source":"crossref","abstract":"Utah has diverse geologic resources that host a wide variety of critical minerals. Utah hosts 50 of the 60 critical minerals on the 2025 list. Ten critical minerals are currently mined and at least partially processed in Utah. Processing refers to chemical or physical steps that transform raw ore into a usable product, such as taking a rock with trace gold and producing a rough gold bar. A further 10 commodities have been mined within the past 5 years in Utah, or there is a significant known resource. Seven commodities have historically been mined in Utah. Utah also has 23 critical mineral commodities that are known to occur at some level of enrichment but most of these are generally considered to have low development potential. Fourteen commodities, known as the Rare Earth Elements (REEs), are processed at the nation’s only uranium mill in southeast Utah, but the raw ore is from out of state. Utah is also home to one of only two active copper smelters in the United States.","url":"https://doi.org/10.34191/pi-109","authors":["Stephanie E. Mills","Andrew Rupke"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-04T21:38:51Z","doi":"10.34191/pi-109","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.6265938","name":"Critical Minerals: Global Aluminum Supply &amp;amp; Demand","source":"crossref","abstract":"Aluminum, a versatile and lightweight metal, is vital for various industries, including aerospace, automotive, construction, and electronics. Its unique properties and increasing demand have made it a strategic commodity, with significant geopolitical and economic implications for producers and consumers alike. As this demand begins to grow worldwide, understanding the dynamics of the global aluminum market is essential for professionals in both policy and industry. Aluminum Properties and Applications Aluminum is the most abundant metal in the Earth's crust and has unique physical and chemical properties. The metal's durability and resistance to corrosion make it an ideal material for numerous applications in manufacturing. The key industries that rely on aluminum include aerospace, where the advantages of weight and strength are essential for constructing aircraft components; automotive, for improving fuel efficiency and reducing emissions; construction, as a structural and decorative material; and electronics, where it is used in casings and heat sinks, among other components. The demand for aluminum is further driven by its energy efficiency and potential for recycling, making it an attractive material for eco-friendly initiatives and green technologies. In the energy sector, aluminum is essential for solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicles, given its lightweight properties and high conductivity. Additionally, aluminum's recyclability makes it an attractive material for a circular economy, reducing the reliance and risks associated with imports.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.6265938","authors":["Arman Sidhu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-09T16:32:39Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.6265938","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21457/kars.2026.3.86.1.469","name":"A Historical Reflection on the Extraterrestrial Intelligent Life Debate","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.21457/kars.2026.3.86.1.469","authors":["Junghyung KIM"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-13T01:37:35Z","doi":"10.21457/kars.2026.3.86.1.469","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110634","name":"Evaluating breakage capacity of DEM slice models for SAG mills based on particle removal method","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110634","authors":["Ming Bao","Wanrong Wu","Yin Shi","Guangtian Tian","Binghui Qiu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-10T22:18:44Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110634","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9798216395959.ch-011","name":"Closing the Midstream Gap in U.S. Critical Minerals Supply Chains","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9798216395959.ch-011","authors":["Adam Johnson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-31T11:34:37Z","doi":"10.5040/9798216395959.ch-011","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16040367","name":"The Mechanism of Dissolution of Sparingly Soluble Salts—Application of a Novel Electrochemical Theory","source":"crossref","abstract":"Although the dissolution of sparingly soluble salts is of interest to many fields, such as material science, dentistry, and geochemistry, the simplicity of these reactions provides its own motivation for study. Three features of these reactions are examined in this paper: (i) the unusual forms of the kinetic expression that have been used to describe their rates of reaction, (ii) the observation that the rate of dissolution is correlated with the potential difference across the solid-solution interface, and (iii) the observation of non-stoichiometric dissolution. Mechanistic descriptions of the kinetics of dissolution in current use do not account for all these factors, while the surface vacancy model does. In this paper, it is shown that linear kinetics arise from a symmetry of the rates of removal and deposition of anions and cations. On the other hand, non-linear kinetics arise from an asymmetry in the rates of removal and deposition of anions and cations. Because the surface vacancy model is an electrochemical model, the influence of potential difference on the rate of reaction is inherent to the model. A transient, or non-stationary state, version of the model is used to explain how non-stoichiometric dissolution arises.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16040367","authors":["Frank K. Crundwell"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-31T16:34:08Z","doi":"10.3390/min16040367","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16020143","name":"A Coarse-Grained Nepheline from Nephton, Canada: Structural Variations to 926 °C","source":"crossref","abstract":"A K-rich nepheline sample from Nephton, Canada, with a composition of (K1.83☐0.17)Na6.08[Al7.98Si8.04O32], was studied using in situ synchrotron high-temperature (T) powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) data and Rietveld structure refinement from 25 to 926 °C on heating and cooling on a fine-temperature (T) scale. The average structure was refined in space group P63. The sample contains satellite reflections indicative of a modulated, incommensurate superstructure. The Al and Si atoms are ordered differently in powdered samples from the same large crystal. The nepheline structure contains domains in which the Al and Si atoms are highly ordered, but the average structure of the domains gives rise to a partially disordered Al-Si distribution. On heating to 926 °C, the Al and Si atoms acquire a fully ordered Al-Si distribution, which is quenched on cooling to room T. The complete Al-Si order is deduced from the average &lt;T-O&gt;{4} distances. Satellite reflections associated with positional disorder of the O1 atom was not observed. A small amount (9%) of vacancies, ☐, occur on the K site. Disorder of K–☐ occurs at 320 °C where some satellite reflections disappear. Some satellite reflections associated with Al-Si order remain to 926 °C. Re-order of K–☐ occurs at 377 °C on cooling, and the associated satellite reflections reappear.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16020143","authors":["Sytle M. Antao"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-28T15:04:46Z","doi":"10.3390/min16020143","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5040/9798216395959.ch-002","name":"Powering Technology","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.5040/9798216395959.ch-002","authors":["Gracelin Baskaran","Meredith Schwartz"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-31T11:34:37Z","doi":"10.5040/9798216395959.ch-002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/b978-0-443-26651-5.00005-8","name":"Aluminosilicate minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-443-26651-5.00005-8","authors":["Arthur Paul Schwab"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-27T09:53:30Z","doi":"10.1016/b978-0-443-26651-5.00005-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110347","name":"Cellulose-derived quaternary ammonium salt depressant: preparation, and clean flotation separation of molybdenite from chalcopyrite","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110347","authors":["Wei Chen","Zhiyuan Liu","Yanyan Tian","Yuhan Long","Jia Yang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-07T01:10:53Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110347","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16060637","name":"An Explainable Deep Learning Framework for Morphology-Aware Coal Surface Characterization and Intelligent Coal Processing","source":"crossref","abstract":"Coal surface morphology plays a pivotal role in advanced coal processing operations, encompassing comminution, beneficiation, flotation kinetics, and intelligent process optimization. However, conventional characterization approaches are inherently labor-intensive and susceptible to inter-operator subjectivity, hindering their integration into autonomous industrial monitoring systems. To surmount these challenges, this study proposes an explainable morphology-aware coal surface characterization framework that synergizes unsupervised pseudo-label generation, targeted data augmentation, and explainable artificial intelligence. Initially, a high-dimensional feature set comprising grayscale intensity statistics, entropy, edge density, and Gray-Level Co-occurrence Matrix descriptors was extracted from 454 coal surface images. Subsequently, Principal Component Analysis and K-means clustering were implemented to identify intrinsic morphology-driven structural patterns, generating robust pseudo-labels without manual annotation. These pseudo-classes were utilized to train and benchmark multiple transfer learning architectures, including EfficientNetB0, VGG16, and MobileNetV3. Experimental results demonstrated that MobileNetV3 achieved superior classification efficacy under a strict leakage-safe evaluation configuration, exceeding 90% across key performance metrics while offering significantly lower computational complexity—ideal for edge-computing deployment. Furthermore, Grad-CAM-based interpretability analysis validated that the models focused on physically significant morphological features, such as fracture boundaries and heterogeneous texture transitions. These findings indicate that the proposed framework provides a robust, computationally efficient, and interpretable decision-support tool for smart beneficiation and intelligent industrial coal processing environments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16060637","authors":["Mustafa Coşar"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-16T09:06:52Z","doi":"10.3390/min16060637","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110508","name":"Enhanced magnetic targeting depressant flotation separation of magnetite and hornblende","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110508","authors":["Haisen Zhang","Zhichao Yang","Qing Teng","Ni Gao"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-10T13:19:58Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110508","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2172/3402331","name":"Enhanced Preparation for Intelligent Cybermanufacturing Systems (EPICS)","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2172/3402331","authors":["Kyle Saleeby","Kate Fu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-10T18:34:32Z","doi":"10.2172/3402331","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110345","name":"Zeta potential as a tool for investigating surface chemistry: implications for mineral flotation","source":"crossref","abstract":"The electrokinetic potential, also known as the zeta potential, refers to the electrical potential at the interface between solid surfaces and the surrounding liquid. Therefore, determining the zeta potential gives an indication of the electrostatic repulsive forces, i.e., helps understand whether these forces are minimised or increased. Establishing these electrostatic repulsive forces assists in establishing reagent interactions at the air–water interface, air–solid interface, and solid-water interface in froth flotation. Understanding these interactions is pivotal in guiding activities such as reagent development and in the development of improved flotation techniques. This study, therefore, presents a review of the application and practical significance of zeta potential measurements in froth flotation. It presents various factors affecting the zeta potential of air bubbles and particles. This review further considers various methodologies used to determine zeta potential. This work concludes with an in-depth study on various experimental techniques that can be used to determine the zeta potential of air bubbles, which is, agreeably, complex and not well explained in both physics and flotation fundamentals literature.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110345","authors":["L.L. October","T.J. Mashamba","M.S. Manono","K.C. Corin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-30T14:24:36Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110345","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110168","name":"Hydrogen fluidization roasting process to treat zinc-bearing dust: kinetics, mineral phase transformation, and magnetism","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110168","authors":["Xinran Zhu","Tong Chen","Lijie Hao","Yanjun Li","Yuexin Han"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-21T14:35:32Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110168","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110757","name":"Fluidized roasting of spodumene ores: geochemical characteristics, phase transformation, and non-isothermal kinetics","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110757","authors":["Xinran Zhu","Kun Fu","Yuchao Qiu","Gaoyun Tan","Tong Chen","Yuexin Han"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-14T13:32:05Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110757","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110555","name":"Toward fully resolved numerical simulations for studies of froth flotation","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110555","authors":["Lei Zeng","Grétar Tryggvason"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-24T11:34:05Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110555","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110258","name":"Comparative study of YOLO-based mineral segmentation models and TIMA automated mineral analysis in petrographic thin sections","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110258","authors":["Qiu-Yun Yuan","Ferdon Hamit","Chang-Jiang Fan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-01T00:48:40Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110258","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-032-08966-3_7","name":"“Look Roger, A Dead Alien”: Extraterrestrial Life and Esotericism in Mike Mignola’s Hellboy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-08966-3_7","authors":["Mauricio Oviedo Salazar"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-02-04T05:59:42Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-032-08966-3_7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2139/ssrn.6265898","name":"Critical Minerals: Global Manganese Supply &amp;amp; Demand","source":"crossref","abstract":"Manganese is a crucial, though often overlooked, metal that contributes significantly to modern industry. Overshadowed by more familiar elements like iron, copper, or nickel, manganese has special properties that are fundamental to the global economy. This article examines this essential commodity, scrutinizing its geopolitical and economic importance.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.6265898","authors":["Arman Sidhu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-09T16:30:37Z","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.6265898","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110560","name":"Electrochemical recovery of critical metals from anthropogenic Ores: A review on technologies and challenges","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110560","authors":["Siqi Jiang","Tanzila Anjum","Aimin Li"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-26T10:18:50Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110560","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109900","name":"Impact of inoculum activity on bioleaching: avoiding the lag phases","source":"crossref","abstract":"• Starting up of bioleaching depended on the iron oxidising activity of the inoculum. • Lag phase on bioleaching can be avoid by controlling inoculum activity. • Bacterial iron oxidising activity was measured by offline OUR. Reliable and standardised procedures are needed to inoculate bioleaching bioreactors effectively. These procedures help avoid unproductive initial stages and support the establishment of bioleaching as a robust and industrially viable metal extraction process. The lag phase typically occurs at the start of bioleaching and has traditionally been linked to bacterial adaptation to new conditions. In this work we propose that the reproducibility and kinetic of the bioleaching starting up of metallic sulphides depend mainly on the bacterial activity of the inoculum. It is postulated that the lag phase in bioleaching can be avoided or significantly reduced by using an inoculum with sufficient activity to prevent Fe(II) accumulation. This is critical for reaching the Oxidation-Reduction Potential (ORP) threshold required to leach target minerals in the ore. To test this hypothesis, we conducted bioleaching experiments with three sulphidic materials of varying composition and pretreatment. The main variable was the microbial activity of the inoculum, quantified using offline Oxygen Uptake Rate (OUR) measurements under non-limiting conditions regarding O 2 or Fe(II). The results demonstrate that, when optimal aeration and fluid dynamic conditions are guaranteed, the microbial activity during the starting process represents a critical variable. As a result, the use of an inoculum with 7.5 times higher activity resulted in a 46.7 % reduction in the lag phase of pyrite bioleaching.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109900","authors":["Blanca Perdigones","Alfonso Mazuelos","Pablo Ramírez"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-04T13:56:45Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109900","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109932","name":"Decoding ionic strength effects on Quartz–Collector Interfaces: Implications for mineral flotation","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109932","authors":["Maira Rievrs Nogueira Alvares","Marisa Bezerra de Mello Monte","Iranildes Daniel dos Santos"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-24T20:40:38Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109932","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.59425/eabc.1773828000","name":"Critical minerals buyers’ clubs test Asia Pacific governance","source":"crossref","abstract":"Listen to this article The idea of critical minerals buyers’ clubs has gained prominence in international policy debates. Faced with growing supply insecurity, export controls and price volatility, policymakers are looking beyond supply diversification towards demand-side coordination. Proposals for anchor markets, standards-based markets or coordinated buyers’ arrangements seek to counter China’s dominance of critical minerals […]","url":"https://doi.org/10.59425/eabc.1773828000","authors":["Kevin Thow"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-17T23:00:43Z","doi":"10.59425/eabc.1773828000","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110571","name":"Unlocking value in marginal grade ores through selective blast-induced fragmentation and screening-based pre-concentration","source":"crossref","abstract":"Near-surface, high-grade deposits of critical and strategic minerals, including copper and zinc, have largely been depleted, shifting future mining towards lower-grade, heterogeneous ore bodies. Concurrently, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) obligations are driving the industry to reduce energy consumption, minimise water use, and limit tailings storage footprints. These pressures demand innovative mining strategies that maintain economic viability while meeting sustainability targets. Ore pre-concentration as a key leverage point of Grade Engineering (GE), offers a pathway to address these challenges by enabling early-stage ore–waste separation. Selective blasting provides a practical mechanism for GE, producing finer fragmentation in ore zones and coarser fragmentation in barren gangue. This approach facilitates downstream separation via conventional bulk screening, reduces comminution energy and water demand, and decreases material reporting to tailings storage facilities. Coarse rejects may also be valorised for in-mine or external applications, supporting circular economy principles. This study investigates the feasibility of exploiting differences in the mechanical properties between ore and waste to achieve selective fragmentation, enhancing ore pre-concentration at the mining face. A hypothetical scenario is analysed in which soft, high-grade ore pockets are randomly distributed within a hard, low-grade matrix. Conventional mining would classify the bench as waste or marginal ore, whereas GE enables targeted fragmentation to recover significant copper value. The analyses demonstrate that pre-concentration via blasting and screening is particularly valuable in heterogeneous, marginal-grade deposits where selective comminution can optimise recovery, reduce downstream energy demand, and improve processing capacity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110571","authors":["Ebrahim F. Salmi"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-27T01:38:34Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110571","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109949","name":"Monitoring and visualization of cake dewatering in vacuum filters by temperature measurements","source":"crossref","abstract":"• Thermal imaging enables real-time monitoring of filter cake dewatering in vacuum filtration processes. • Temperature measurements can be used to estimate cake solids content and detect undesirable leakages and cake cracking. • Cake cooling due to evaporation is a clear indicator of cake desaturation when air displaces pore water. • Local differences in air flow can be observed in the thermal images: coolest points at the edges and in cracks of the cake. • The method opens opportunities for energy-efficient control and optimization of industrial vacuum filter operations. The dewatering of filter cakes in continuously operating vacuum belt filters was simulated on a laboratory scale by using a batch vacuum filter, namely a Büchner filter. During the cake desaturation, the gas flow through the cake increases gradually, causing evaporation of the pore liquid, which cools the cake. In this study, two different slurries obtained from industrial processes were filtered using a laboratory-scale Büchner filter, monitoring the progress of cake dewatering with a modern thermal camera, and data acquisition for mass of filtrate, thickness of cake, air flow rate through the cake, and pressure difference. The results of this study show that thermal imaging is a useful technique for investigating the surface temperature patterns of filter cakes, which can be utilized to monitor the progress of the dewatering (cake saturation), as well as to estimate the cake solids content, and to recognize undesirable leakages caused, e.g., by cake cracking.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109949","authors":["Teemu Kinnarinen","Ville Kauranen","Henri Montonen","Antti Häkkinen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-20T20:25:54Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109949","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110594","name":"A review of gallium and germanium recovery from industrial solid residues","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110594","authors":["Ernest V. Oteng","Marthias Silwamba","Lana Alagha","Alex Luyima"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-06T13:32:41Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110594","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110442","name":"The hidden costs of the clean energy transition: Uncovering the environmental and human health impacts of critical minerals supply chains and strategic pathways to sustainability—a critical review","source":"crossref","abstract":"The transition to clean energy, driven by the urgent need to mitigate climate change and achieve carbon neutrality, has become a major driver of high global demand for critical metals and minerals, including lithium, cobalt, copper, graphite, nickel, and rare earth elements (REEs). These minerals are essential for low-carbon technologies, including electric vehicles, advanced batteries, solar photovoltaic systems, grid storage, and wind turbines. However, this transition often involves overlooked environmental, social, and public health impacts associated with the mining, processing, transportation, and end-of-life management of clean energy systems and associated components containing critical metals and minerals. Evidence from diverse research fields and global case studies, including lithium brine extraction, copper and nickel mining, REE processing, and cobalt production, demonstrates that while critical metals/minerals support low-carbon energy, their production frequently creates serious challenges for public health, local livelihoods, and the environment. In many cases, these challenges are transferred from energy consumers in developed countries to vulnerable communities in resource-rich nations. To address these “hidden costs”, this study proposes integrated strategies to mitigate risks and promote sustainable, resilient, and ethical mineral supply chains. Key measures include robust regulatory frameworks and enforcement, cleaner production technologies, circular economy practices, enhanced transparency and traceability, and strengthened policy and multilateral cooperation. The findings revealed that a truly sustainable energy transition requires more than the adoption of low-carbon technologies, since such a transition does not automatically guarantee low-impact production; instead, it must balance mineral development with environmental protection, public health, and socio-economic resilience.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110442","authors":["Carlos A. Marove","Carlito Baltazar Tabelin","Vysetti Balaram","Sophia Kalantzakos"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-06-03T20:51:50Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110442","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16080790","name":"Comparison of the Sustainable Contributions of Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Methods","source":"crossref","abstract":"Reaching the end of their lifecycle, lithium-ion batteries contain significant amounts of lithium residues as well as valuable metals such as Co, Ni, and Mn, presenting both environmental risks and opportunities for resource recovery. Recent advances in hydrometallurgical, pyrometallurgical, and biotechnological methods enable the recovery of high-purity lithium compounds while also increasing their economic viability. This study analyzes the contribution of lithium recovery methods to sustainability criteria, their annual averages, and total data between 2008 and 2026, considering the number of academic references in the literature. The analysis compares the contributions of recycling methods to lithium and other metal recovery efficiency, process efficiency, energy consumption, environmental impact, economic impact, adaptation to technological developments, and integrated applications. LIB recycling methods showed higher overall and annual average sustainability contributions to the recovery efficiency of other metals and lithium compared to other criteria. Their contributions to process efficiency and the environment were also relatively high. However, their contributions to the economy, adaptation to technological developments, and integration of methods remain low. Furthermore, since the contribution to energy consumption is negative overall, further academic studies are needed to improve contributions, particularly in energy consumption and the other three criteria mentioned above.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16080790","authors":["Taşkın Deniz Yıldız","Tuğba Deniz Tombal-Kara"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-29T17:01:46Z","doi":"10.3390/min16080790","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16010059","name":"Editorial for the Special Issue “Advances in the Theory and Technology of Physical Separation”","source":"crossref","abstract":"With the continuous consumption of mineral resources, ore grades worldwide are declining, and their increasingly fine-grained, low-grade, mineralogically complex, and highly heterogeneous characteristics have led to a marked rise in the energy consumption and processing costs of mineral separation [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16010059","authors":["Dongfang Lu","Mehdi Safari"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-06T13:49:46Z","doi":"10.3390/min16010059","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16040358","name":"Use of Mining Waste Classification in the Context of a Circular Economy—A Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"The beneficial use of mining waste aligns with circular economy thinking: saving primary resources can extend their lifetime and maintain availability, reduce the volume of legacy mining waste and its environmental impacts, and develop a resource beneficiation industry that is less energy and water intensive; mining lower grades at larger scale inevitably requires more beneficial reuse. Existing classifications applicable to different types of mine waste were reviewed. These include factors such as the mode of origin during the mining operation, grain size, chemical composition and stability. The result shows that these factors also largely control their civil engineering applications, suitability for end use sectors and potential hazards. Long-term liabilities related to chemical stability were identified as the most difficult challenge. When developing a reuse project, either by the end users or by the mine operator, it is likely that resource screening covering a comprehensive range of factors will be required, as none of the existing schemes individually cover all of the aspects needed to fully assess suitability for beneficial use. In conclusion, there is a need for a systematic and structured approach to classification of mining waste to facilitate reuse as raw materials, such as that presented in our review.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16040358","authors":["Bruno Lemière","Richard Lord"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-30T12:11:59Z","doi":"10.3390/min16040358","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110047","name":"A hybrid DEM-FRM-PBM model for parameter calibration and extended grinding in ball mills","source":"crossref","abstract":"• A hybrid DEM–FRM–PBM framework was developed for predicting ball mill grinding. • Accuracy of PBM prediction of PSD evolution in mills was improved by dynamically updating DEM energy distribution. • Grinding performance was affected by high-energy collisions and fines-induced buffering. • Variations in the mass fraction of product fines under different particle-ball mass ratios were successfully captured. • The model shows reasonable prediction of the evolution of PSD in a pilot-scale ball mill. Accurately predicting PSD evolution in ball mills is difficult because fully resolved breakage in DEM is computationally intensive, and conventionally calibrated PBMs often lack transferability. This work introduced a hybrid DEM–FRM–PBM approach that integrates short, targeted DEM runs using a fragment replacement method (FRM) with an energy-informed PBM to efficiently, mechanistically forecast grinding over long durations. In this framework, brief DEM–FRM intervals yielded internally consistent calibration of selection and breakage functions under realistic multi-impact energy conditions and continuously update the grinding energy spectra as the PSD evolves. Validation against short DEM–FRM simulations in a lab-scale mill showed the model closely reproduced early (<15 s) and mid-stage (15–30 s) PSD changes in the coarse size range. Neglecting energy-spectrum evolution, however, led to growing deviations at longer grinding times; periodic updating mitigated this drift and reduced mean-squared PSD error. Applying the method across particle–ball mass ratios captured the non–monotonic influence of charge composition on stressing efficiency and on the evolution of mass fraction of product fines. Extension to a pilot-scale mill maintained reasonable predictive accuracy without recalibrating fundamental fracture parameters. Energy analysis revealed a progressive attenuation of high-stress collision frequency as fines accumulated, which explained the deceleration of breakage kinetics.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110047","authors":["Yudong Zou","Qijun Zheng","Runyu Yang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-01T13:49:16Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110047","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16030317","name":"Platinum Group Element Mineralization in Mongolia: Geological Setting, Occurrences, and Exploration Potential","source":"crossref","abstract":"Platinum group elements (PGE) are six rare highly siderophile metals which have similar chemical characteristics and occur together in mineral deposits: platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), rhodium (Rh), ruthenium (Ru), iridium (Ir) and osmium (Os). In nature, they tend to exist in a metallic state or bond with sulfur and arsenic and occur as trace accessory minerals predominantly in mafic and ultramafic rocks. High industrial demand together with their scarcity in crustal rocks has been reflected in their inclusion in 2025 US Government’s List of Critical Minerals, European Union’s List of Critical Raw Materials and Mongolian List of 11 Critical Minerals. Although Mongolia is not currently a producer, it hosts four types of potentially economic PGE deposits: (1) Podiform chromitites associated with ophiolites; (2) Ni-Cu-PGE sulfide mineralization of rift-related mafic–ultramafic intrusions; (3) Alaskan–Uralian type arc related zoned mafic–ultramafic intrusions; and (4) Placers. Particularly promising are Permian Ni-Cu-PGE sulfide bearing mafic–ultramafic intrusions of the Khangai large igneous province which bear resemblance to mineralized Permian intrusions in Russia (e.g., Norilsk-Talnakh) and N.W. China (e.g., Kalatongke; Tarim basin). In addition, sub-economic ophiolite-hosted PGE mineralization can be extracted as a by-product during chromite mining. There is also the potential for PGE recovery as a by-product in existing gold placer operations in areas hosting ophiolitic massifs and Alaskan–Uralian type intrusions. Mongolia is a promising frontier for PGE exploration and mining.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16030317","authors":["Jaroslav Dostal","Ochir Gerel","Turbold Sukhbaatar"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-18T09:10:04Z","doi":"10.3390/min16030317","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110294","name":"Screening, Identification, growth characteristics of Talaromyces pseudofuniculosus and its efficient leaching of calcium-magnesium silicate minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110294","authors":["Chengbing Chang","Jianying Guo","Shengyu Liu","Zhiqin Kang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-18T00:49:16Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110294","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2581524","name":"Signature Specimen: The Floss Campbell Smithsonite, The National Mineral Collection, Geoscience Australia, Canberra","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Signature Specimen column is a relatively recent addition to Rocks & Minerals, and to date, the chosen specimens have been both highly aesthetic and extremely valuable. For example, the famous ...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2581524","authors":["Paul Carr","Malcolm Southwood","Steven Petkovski"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-03-27T13:38:07Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2581524","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109925","name":"DEM modeling of sandstone particle breakage and experimental verification in a semi-autogenous mill","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109925","authors":["Ming Bao","Guoen Peng","Yin Shi","Wanrong Wu","Guangtian Tian","Binghui Qiu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-16T21:01:05Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109925","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110354","name":"Rapid, micron-scale recognition of heavy rare earth minerals using SEM-EDS and Raman spectroscopy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110354","authors":["Jiangyan Yuan","Xiaochun Li","Yunxiang Zhan","Yi Chen","Xiaoguang Li"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-06T17:30:39Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110354","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2026.2614929","name":"Collector’s Note: A Unique Find of Pseudostalactitic Quartz From Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil","source":"crossref","abstract":"Figure 1. Location map; prepared by William Besse.Map of southern Brazil highlighting Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, showing a mine location with pseudostalactites.This detailed map of south...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2026.2614929","authors":["Carl A. Francis","Harvey Siegel"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-21T16:02:41Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2026.2614929","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110586","name":"Metallurgical performance of a next generation coarse particle flotation cell in sulfide ore processing","source":"crossref","abstract":"This study evaluates the performance of a novel coarse particle flotation (CPF) cell that operates using a froth-feeding mechanism, designed to simplify operation relative to fluidized-bed systems and to enhance coarse mineral recovery without requiring feed pre-classification or fluidization. Laboratory tests were conducted on copper–gold ore using two feed size distributions: a non-classified feed (D80 = 437 µm) and a classified feed (D80 = 481 µm). Across all conditions, the froth-feeding CPF cell developed by Metso achieved high Cu and Au recoveries while rejecting a substantial proportion of gangue at particle sizes more than twice those processed in the site’s conventional flotation circuit. Feed classification had limited effect on mass pull and Au recovery, while Cu recovery showed only modest sensitivity to D80, with slightly higher recoveries obtained in the non-classified feed circuit. To investigate recovery mechanisms, High Resolution X-Ray micro computed tomography (XCT) was applied to quantify mineral surface exposure in the concentrate. Most recovered particles exhibited exposed mineral surfaces between 1% and 30%, and fewer than 10% showed no measurable exposure, indicating that entrainment contributed minimally to overall recovery. The ability of the Metso CPF cell to recover particles with as little as ∼ 1% exposed mineral surface area demonstrates effective flotation of partially liberated coarse composites. Overall, the Metso froth-feeding CPF cell shows potential as a lower-complexity alternative to fluidized-bed flotation for coarse particle recovery. Its implementation may support coarser tailings production, increased plant throughput, and more efficient use of energy and water in mineral processing circuits.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110586","authors":["Marly Carvalho","Cagri Emer","Jukka Kuva","Ian Sherrell","Antti Rinne","Saija Luukkanen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-07T23:09:12Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110586","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16060573","name":"A Robust GDF-ML Framework for Dynamic Grade Modeling: Adaptive Resource Estimation in Complex Porphyry Systems","source":"crossref","abstract":"Accurate grade estimation in heterogeneous porphyry copper deposits is frequently constrained by spatial non-stationarity and the excessive smoothing inherent in traditional geostatistical methods. This study introduces the Geological Distance Field-Machine Learning (GDF-ML) framework, which transforms raw spatial coordinates into a geological coordinate system defined by the structural architecture. By mapping grade distribution within this geologically informed space, the framework enables machine learning models to discern non-linear mineralizing patterns that are typically obscured in traditional Euclidean 3D space. Functioning as an expert-constrained regression architecture rather than a purely data-driven interpolator, the framework estimates grade distributions conditional upon established metallogenic controls. In this context, the achieved spatial separation cross-validation R2 of 0.851 quantifies the proportion of grade variance structurally explainable by the geological architecture, highlighting the workflow’s capacity to distinguish continuous structural trends from localized random variability. Industrial reconciliation against high-density production data confirms this performance, demonstrating an average grade bias of only 0.79%, compared to 9.68% achieved by Ordinary Kriging. Furthermore, SHAP analysis verifies that these predictions are systematically driven by the non-linear relationship between structural proximity and mineralization. Consequently, this study suggests that incorporating structural distance metrics into regression workflows offers an alternative approach to evaluate the geometric constraints of geological features alongside the localized variability of porphyry mineralization.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16060573","authors":["Liwei Yan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-27T12:31:56Z","doi":"10.3390/min16060573","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16050480","name":"Linking Induced Polarisation Signatures to Flotation Response","source":"crossref","abstract":"The induced polarisation (IP) technique is a geophysical method used to measure chargeability and resistivity, providing crucial insights into subsurface geological structures. Traditionally, IP measurements have been instrumental in exploring disseminated sulphide deposits, leveraging the strong polarisation response of metallic particles. It provides valuable insights about rock mineralisation, matrix composition, and formation polarizability by analysing electrical parameters. However, their potential to predict metallurgical performance remains largely unexplored. This study evaluates whether IP parameters—chargeability and resistivity—can serve as geometallurgical indicators for copper sulphide ores. The evaluation integrates IP measurements with mineralogical and flotation data. Artificial pyrite–sand mixtures and five real ore samples from Mount Isa were analysed using the sample core IP tester and mineral liberation analysis, followed by collectorless flotation tests. Statistical analysis demonstrated a strong correlation between resistivity and chalcopyrite recovery (R2 = 0.90, p = 0.99), as well as a moderate correlation between chargeability and chalcopyrite selectivity (R2 = 0.72, p = 0.93). These findings demonstrate that IP captures key textural and electrochemical features governing flotation behaviour, including pyrite abundance, mineral liberation, and galvanic interactions. The results highlight IP as a promising rapid-assessment tool for identifying ore variability and forecasting flotation response, with potential integration into geometallurgical models and mine-to-mill optimisation. Further validation across broader ore domains is recommended to refine the predictive capability of IP-based indicators.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16050480","authors":["Unzile Yenial-Arslan","Elizaveta Forbes"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-05-01T09:33:17Z","doi":"10.3390/min16050480","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109959","name":"Collectorless flotation of ultrafine and coarse chalcopyrite particles in an ultrasonic piezoelectric tube","source":"crossref","abstract":"Chalcopyrite (CuFeS 2 ) is a strategically important mineral for supporting the global energy transition, yet its flotation efficiency remains low for ultrafine and coarse size fractions. The present study investigates the potential of ultrasound to enhance chalcopyrite flotation under these challenging conditions. To separate the effect of ultrasound from collector-related effects, the work focuses on collectorless flotation. Experiments were conducted in a laboratory-scale flow tubing system integrated with an ultrasonic piezoelectric tube (operating at 1.08 MHz) and external aeration. Paired flotation tests comparing conditions with and without ultrasound were performed using frother alone, in batch mode, and with tailings recycling. The role of feed particle oxidation in coarse particle flotation was also examined. Results show that the ultrasound can enhance collectorless flotation of chalcopyrite. For ultrafine particles (< 38 µm), the ultrasound increased the final recovery by 10.1 percentage points (from 76.9 % to 87.0 %) and the flotation rate constant by 45 %. For coarse particles (250 – 425 µm) without additional oxidation, the final recoveries exceeded 87 % and were unaffected by the ultrasound. In contrast, for the coarse particles that underwent further oxidation in hot air, the ultrasound improved the final recovery by up to 3.6 percentage points (from 65.8 % to 69.4 %) and the flotation rate constant by 23 %. These findings confirm the potential of ultrasound to optimize copper flotation and enhance resource recovery across challenging particle size fractions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109959","authors":["Anxiang Yang","Zhibin Li","Hangil Park","Liguang Wang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-28T05:12:25Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109959","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16040381","name":"Research on the Application of Neutron Gamma Density in Anomalous Mineral Formations","source":"crossref","abstract":"Neutron gamma density (NGD) plays an increasingly important role in petroleum exploration and development. However, current NGD logging fails to obtain reliable results in anomalous mineral formations (such as anhydrite, halite and coal). To address these issues, the application of NGD logging in anomalous minerals has been studied in this paper. Studies have shown that, compared to the standard formations (dolomite, limestone and sandstone), halite, anhydrite and coal have additional influence on inelastic gamma rays, epithermal neutron distribution, and thermal neutron distribution. This causes additional errors when the gamma and neutron information is used for density calculation. In addition, since the influence mechanisms of different minerals on NGD logging are different, it is necessary to determine the mineral type before conducting NGD correction. Compared to other minerals, halite can be easily distinguished by its very high sigma (thermal neutron capture cross-section) and low apparent density; anhydrite by its high sigma, high density and low neutron porosity; and coal by its very low density and zero neutron porosity. Furthermore, for a given anomalous mineral, the density error of NGD logging has a clear linear relationship with the apparent density, which can be used for density correction. By using the corresponding correction algorithm, the density error of NGD logging can be controlled within 0.025 g/cm3 in anomalous mineral formations. This study can provide guidance for the application of NGD technology in mineral exploration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16040381","authors":["Meng Wang","Yue Zhou","Quanying Zhang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-06T03:11:28Z","doi":"10.3390/min16040381","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16070757","name":"Handheld Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) in the Exploration of Critical Metals: Recent Advancements and Challenges","source":"crossref","abstract":"Handheld Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectrometry (hLIBS) is capable of simultaneous multi-element analysis of a variety of geological materials such as rocks, minerals, ores, soils, sediments, and water. This is a transformative analytical technology that is currently revolutionizing the field of critical mineral exploration studies. By providing real-time, in situ elemental analysis in the field with detection and quantitative determination capabilities for light elements (such as Li, Be, and B), where other handheld techniques like portable XRF struggle, hLIBS empowers geologists to make faster and more informed decisions in the field, significantly accelerating the exploration process from prospecting to target delineation. Several important practical examples of the exploration of critical metals, such as lithium, rare earth elements, copper, cobalt, and titanium, are presented. In particular, the detection capability of indicator minerals and pathfinding elements by hLIBS is extremely valuable for critical mineral exploration studies. Similar instruments have also been successfully used in recent years in challenging environments like space and deep-sea environments. The capability of remotely operated miniature LIBS in hostile environments such as the deep sea, Moon, and Mars is discussed with examples. LIBS has become a key technology for in situ chemical analysis in both space and deep-sea exploration because of its ability to identify elemental composition rapidly and without physical contact.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16070757","authors":["V. Balaram"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-20T16:19:27Z","doi":"10.3390/min16070757","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110040","name":"Leaching mechanism and kinetics investigation of ilmenite leaching assisted by iron powder","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110040","authors":["Tao Long","Long Xiang","Rui Liu","Congxue Tian","Li Li","Jiesong Liu","Wenrong Xiang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-27T17:46:17Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110040","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min16070721","name":"Standardization of Böhme Abrasion Testing: Effects of Abrasive Type and Particle-Size Distribution on Test Repeatability","source":"crossref","abstract":"The Böhme abrasion test (EN 14157) is widely used to evaluate the wear resistance of natural stones; however, the abrasive powder specified by TS 699 requiring 70–80 wt.% crystalline Al2O3 is not commercially available in the Turkish market. Commercially supplied abrasives deviate substantially from both the prescribed chemical composition and the grain-size distribution of TS 699, introducing a recognized but unresolved source of variability in Böhme abrasion measurements. This study evaluates the influence of abrasive type and particle-size distribution on Böhme abrasion performance with the aim of identifying which available abrasive material yields the most reliable and reproducible test results. The emphasis is therefore metrological—on test repeatability and standardization—rather than on ranking the abrasion resistance of the stones. Six natural stones representing contrasting lithologies—four crystalline marbles, one limestone, and one granite—were tested using five abrasive powders: two locally produced natural emery abrasives (Emery-1 and Emery-2), silicon carbide (SiC), white corundum, and brown corundum. Each abrasive was evaluated under both standardized graded conditions prepared in accordance with TS 699 and heterogeneous ungraded conditions reflecting common industrial practice. Chemical analyses confirmed that both emery abrasives deviate markedly from TS 699 specifications, with Al2O3 contents (~57.7 wt.%) well below the required range and Fe2O3 (~24 wt.%) considerably exceeding the standard limit. Sieve analyses further revealed substantial particle-size deviations in several commercial abrasives. One-way ANOVA demonstrated that abrasive type exerts a statistically significant influence on abrasion performance (F = 8.99, p &lt; 0.05, η2 = 0.297). SiC consistently produced the highest abrasion values, followed by corundum-based abrasives, while emery abrasives showed comparatively lower but stable performance. Independent-samples t-tests showed that particle-size grading significantly affected abrasion performance only for brown corundum (p &lt; 0.05), attributable to its markedly elevated coarse particle fraction. Petrographic analysis, XRD, and SEM–EDS characterization of the investigated rocks confirmed that abrasion response is additionally modulated by rock mineralogy and microstructure. Under standardized grading conditions, SiC provided the most consistent and reproducible results across all lithologies, supporting its suitability as the reference abrasive for inter-laboratory Böhme testing. Locally produced emery abrasives, despite their chemical non-compliance with TS 699, yielded stable and reproducible outcomes under controlled grading, supporting their potential as cost-effective alternatives for routine testing.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min16070721","authors":["Metin Bağcı"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-07-09T14:17:51Z","doi":"10.3390/min16070721","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:44.829Z"},{"id":"oa:W4387959973","name":"Astronomical withdrawals: a green criminological examination of extreme energy mining on extraterrestrial objects","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Mining for natural resources on-Earth is commonplace and dates back over a hundred years at an industrial scale. Technological advances in outer space exploration are enabling the mining of extraterrestrial resources to transition from mere science fiction, to a serious possibility. In recent decades, several new start-up companies have arisen with the sole intention of exploiting resources that exist in outer space, such as on Earth’s moon, asteroids, meteorites, planets, and various planetary satellites, such as the moons of Mars - Phobos and Diemos. However, despite the increased investment and interest in space mining, criminologists have remained virtually silent on outer space issues. In this paper we adopt a green criminological approach to explain the emergence of outer space mining, and argue that now is the time to be researching and debating the phenomenon of extraterrestrial mining in order to prevent future social and environmental harm (following the precautionary principle of environmental law). To do this, the paper does three things. Firstly, it examines strategies for conducting space mining (such as its feasibility, probable locations, and innovative mining techniques). Secondly, it analyses the terrestrial and extraterrestrial impacts of space mining, unveiling several avenues for the creation of social and environmental harm. Finally, it uses a green criminological approach to justify the rationale for engaging legal scholars and criminologists with problematic space mining issues. The paper concludes that now is the time to discuss these issues, prior to the industrialisation and exploitation of unique celestial bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10611-023-10123-9","authors":["Jack Lampkin","Bill McClanahan"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Outer space","Harm","Space (punctuation)","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-10-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10611-023-10123-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2921818453","name":"Characterizing Complex Mineral Structures in Thin Sections of Geological Samples with a Scanning Hall Effect Microscope","source":"openalex","abstract":"We improved a magnetic scanning microscope for measuring the magnetic properties of minerals in thin sections of geological samples at submillimeter scales. The microscope is comprised of a 200 µm diameter Hall sensor that is located at a distance of 142 µm from the sample; an electromagnet capable of applying up to 500 mT DC magnetic fields to the sample over a 40 mm diameter region; a second Hall sensor arranged in a gradiometric configuration to cancel the background signal applied by the electromagnet and reduce the overall noise in the system; a custom-designed electronics system to bias the sensors and allow adjustments to the background signal cancelation; and a scanning XY stage with micrometer resolution. Our system achieves a spatial resolution of 200 µm with a noise at 6.0 Hz of 300 nTrms/(Hz)1/2 in an unshielded environment. The magnetic moment sensitivity is 1.3 × 10−11 Am2. We successfully measured the representative magnetization of a geological sample using an alternative model that takes the sample geometry into account and identified different micrometric characteristics in the sample slice.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/s19071636","authors":["Jefferson F.D.F. Araújo","André L. A. Reis","Vanderlei C. Oliveira","Amanda dos Santos","C. Luz‐Lima","Elder Yokoyama","Leonardo A. F. Mendoza","João M. B. Pereira","A. C. Bruno"],"tags":["Microscope","Mineral","Materials science","Scanning electron microscope","Thin film"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-04-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/s19071636","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4384341616","name":"Space Mission Risk, Sustainability and Supply Chain: Review, Multi-Objective Optimization Model and Practical Approach","source":"openalex","abstract":"This paper investigates the convergence of risk, sustainability, and supply chain in space missions, including a review of fundamental concepts, the introduction of a multi-objective conceptual optimization model, and the presentation of a practical approach. Risks associated with space missions include technical, human, launch, space environment, mission design, budgetary, and political risks. Sustainability considerations must be incorporated into mission planning and execution to ensure the long-term viability of space exploration. The study emphasizes the importance of considering environmental sustainability, resource use, ethical concerns, long-term planning, international collaboration, and public outreach in space missions. It emphasizes the significance of reducing negative environmental consequences, increasing resource use efficiency, and making responsible and ethical actions. The paper offers a multi-objective optimization conceptual model that may be used to evaluate and choose sustainable space mission tactics. This approach considers a variety of elements, including environmental effects, resource utilization, mission cost, and advantages for society. It provides a systematic decision-making approach that examines trade-offs between different criteria and identifies optimal conceptual model solutions that balance risk, sustainability, and supply chain objectives. A practical approach is also offered to demonstrate the use of the multi-criteria optimization conceptual model in a space mission scenario. The practical approach demonstrates how the model can aid in the development of mission strategies that minimize risks, maximize resource consumption, and fit with sustainability goals. Overall, this paper delivers a multi-criteria optimization conceptual model and provides a space mission planning practical approach, as well as an overview of the interaction between risk, sustainability, and supply chain in space mission organization, planning, and execution.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/su151411002","authors":["Bartosz Sawik"],"tags":["Sustainability","Risk analysis (engineering)","Management science","Resource (disambiguation)","Supply chain"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/su151411002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2914563220","name":"Interstellar ices: a possible scenario for symmetry breaking of extraterrestrial chiral organic molecules of prebiotic interest","source":"openalex","abstract":"In the laboratory, the photo-and thermochemical evolution of ices, made of simple molecules of astrophysical relevance, always leads to the formation of semi-refractory water-soluble organic residues. Targeted searches for specific molecules do reveal the notable presence of two families of important molecular ''bricks of life'': amino acids, key molecules in metabolism, and sugars, including ribose, the backbone of RNA molecules which support the genetic information in all living entities. Most of these molecules are indeed found in primitive carbonaceous meteorites and their implication in prebiotic chemistry at the surface of the early Earth must be seriously considered. These molecules are, almost all, chiral. In meteorites, some amino acids do show significant enantiomeric excesses, practically exclusively of the L-form. In our experiments, we investigate the role of circularly polarized light obtained from the DESIRS beamline of the synchrotron SOLEIL, a light commonly observed in regions of star formation, in order to generate an initial symmetry breaking in chiral amino acids produced and then indeed detected in our samples. We present first a brief global description of the chemical evolution of the Galaxy. Then, using our laboratory simulations, we suggest the importance of cosmic ices in the build-up of complex organic matter, including enantioenrichment at the surface of telluric planets like the Earth, thus establishing a link between astrochemistry and astrobiology.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.1902.04575","authors":["Louis Le Sergeant d’Hendecourt","P. Modica","Cornelia Meinert","Laurent Nahon","Uwe J. Meierhenrich"],"tags":["Abiogenesis","Astrobiology","Meteorite","Molecule","Astrochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.1902.04575","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W1599651906","name":"Remote Sensing of Particulate Pollution from Space: Have We Reached the Promised Land?","source":"openalex","abstract":"The recent literature on satellite remote sensing of air quality is reviewed. 2009 is the 50th anniversary of the first satellite atmospheric observations. For the first 40 of those years, atmospheric composition measurements, meteorology, and atmospheric structure and dynamics dominated the missions launched. Since 1995, 42 instruments relevant to air quality measurements have been put into orbit. Trace gases such as ozone, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, water, oxygen/tetraoxygen, bromine oxide, sulfur dioxide, formaldehyde, glyoxal, chlorine dioxide, chlorine monoxide, and nitrate radical have been measured in the stratosphere and troposphere in column measurements. Aerosol optical depth (AOD) is a focus of this review and a significant body of literature exists that shows that ground-level fine particulate matter (PM2.5) can be estimated from columnar AOD. Precision of the measurement of AOD is +/-20% and the prediction of PM2.5 from AOD is order +/-30% in the most careful studies. The air quality needs that can use such predictions are examined. Satellite measurements are important to event detection, transport and model prediction, and emission estimation. It is suggested that ground-based measurements, models, and satellite measurements should be viewed as a system, each component of which is necessary to better understand air quality.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3155/1047-3289.59.6.645","authors":["R. M. Hoff","Sundar A. Christopher"],"tags":["Environmental science","Particulates","Nitrogen dioxide","Air quality index","Troposphere"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3155/1047-3289.59.6.645","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2621437326","name":"Linking Genes to Microbial Biogeochemical Cycling: Lessons from Arsenic","source":"openalex","abstract":"The biotransformation of arsenic is highly relevant to the arsenic biogeochemical cycle. Identification of the molecular details of microbial pathways of arsenic biotransformation coupled with analyses of microbial communities by meta-omics can provide insights into detailed aspects of the complexities of this biocycle. Arsenic transformations couple to other biogeochemical cycles, and to the fate of both nutrients and other toxic environmental contaminants. Microbial redox metabolism of iron, carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen affects the redox and bioavailability of arsenic species. In this critical review we illustrate the biogeochemical processes and genes involved in arsenic biotransformations. We discuss how current and future metagenomic-, metatranscriptomic-, metaproteomic-, and metabolomic-based methods will help to decipher individual microbial arsenic transformation processes, and their connections to other biogeochemical cycle. These insights will allow future use of microbial metabolic capabilities for new biotechnological solutions to environmental problems. To understand the complex nature of inorganic and organic arsenic species and the fate of environmental arsenic will require integrating systematic approaches with biogeochemical modeling. Finally, from the lessons learned from these studies of arsenic biogeochemistry, we will be able to predict how the environment changes arsenic, and, in response, how arsenic biotransformations change the environment.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.7b00689","authors":["Yong‐Guan Zhu","Xi-Mei Xue","Andreas Kappler","Barry P. Rosen","Andrew A. Meharg"],"tags":["Biogeochemical cycle","Arsenic","Biogeochemistry","Metagenomics","Biotransformation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-06-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.7b00689","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4313448281","name":"The contribution of living organisms to rock weathering in the critical zone","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Rock weathering is a key process in global elemental cycling. Life participates in this process with tangible consequences observed from the mineral interface to the planetary scale. Multiple lines of evidence show that microorganisms may play a pivotal—yet overlooked—role in weathering. This topic is reviewed here with an emphasis on the following questions that remain unanswered: What is the quantitative contribution of bacteria and fungi to weathering? What are the associated mechanisms and do they leave characteristic imprints on mineral surfaces or in the geological record? Does biogenic weathering fulfill an ecological function, or does it occur as a side effect of unrelated metabolic functions and biological processes? An overview of efforts to integrate the contribution of living organisms into reactive transport models is provided. We also highlight prospective opportunities to harness microbial weathering in order to support sustainable agroforestry practices and mining activities, soil remediation, and carbon sequestration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41529-022-00312-7","authors":["Bastien Wild","Ruben Gerrits","Steeve Bonneville"],"tags":["Weathering","Earth science","Geologic record","Environmental science","Ecology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-12-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41529-022-00312-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W1985564598","name":"Invited Review Article: Recent developments in isotope-ratio mass spectrometry for geochemistry and cosmochemistry","source":"openalex","abstract":"Mass spectrometry is fundamental to measurements of isotope ratios for applications in isotope geochemistry, geochronology, and cosmochemistry. Magnetic-sector mass spectrometers are most common because these provide the best precision in isotope ratio measurements. Where the highest precision is desired, chemical separation followed by mass spectrometric analysis is carried out with gas (noble gas and stable isotope mass spectrometry), liquid (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry), or solid (thermal ionization mass spectrometry) samples. Developments in in situ analysis, including ion microprobes and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, have opened up issues concerning homogeneity according to domain size, and allow ever smaller amounts of material to be analyzed. While mass spectrometry is built solidly on developments in the 20th century, there are new technologies that will push the limits in terms of precision, accuracy, and sample efficiency. Developments of new instruments based on time-of-flight mass spectrometers could open up the ultimate levels of sensitivity per sample atom.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4765055","authors":["T. R. Ireland"],"tags":["Mass spectrometry","Thermal ionization mass spectrometry","Cosmochemistry","Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry","Isotope-ratio mass spectrometry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4765055","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4378227915","name":"Involvement of Bacterial and Fungal Extracellular Products in Transformation of Manganese-Bearing Minerals and Its Environmental Impact","source":"openalex","abstract":"Manganese oxides are considered an essential component of natural geochemical barriers due to their redox and sorptive reactivity towards essential and potentially toxic trace elements. Despite the perception that they are in a relatively stable phase, microorganisms can actively alter the prevailing conditions in their microenvironment and initiate the dissolution of minerals, a process that is governed by various direct (enzymatic) or indirect mechanisms. Microorganisms are also capable of precipitating the bioavailable manganese ions via redox transformations into biogenic minerals, including manganese oxides (e.g., low-crystalline birnessite) or oxalates. Microbially mediated transformation influences the (bio)geochemistry of manganese and also the environmental chemistry of elements intimately associated with its oxides. Therefore, the biodeterioration of manganese-bearing phases and the subsequent biologically induced precipitation of new biogenic minerals may inevitably and severely impact the environment. This review highlights and discusses the role of microbially induced or catalyzed processes that affect the transformation of manganese oxides in the environment as relevant to the function of geochemical barriers.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24119215","authors":["Bence Farkas","Hana Vojtková","Zuzana Farkas","Domenico Pangallo","Peter Kasák","Antonio Lupini","Hyunjung Kim","Martin Urík","Peter Matúš"],"tags":["Manganese","Birnessite","Environmental chemistry","Chemistry","Redox"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-05-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24119215","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4205423059","name":"Polyaromatic Units Set the Albedo of Dark Extraterrestrial Materials","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Primitive extraterrestrial materials are generally dark, a characteristic often associated with the presence of polyaromatic organic material and/or sulfides. We show in this study that the reflectance level measured at 0.55 μm of IDPs and some meteorites is correlated to the degree of graphitization of the polyaromatic organic matter. The reflectance level of the primitive surfaces therefore allows us to obtain information on the polyaromatic organic material present on the surface of solar system small bodies observed by remote sensing or visited by space missions. We discuss our results in view of the sample return missions Hayabusa2 and OSIRIS-REx.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3847/psj/ac424b","authors":["R. Maupin","Z. Djouadi","R. Brunetto","O. Mivumbi","Christophe Sandt","Ferenc Borondics"],"tags":["Albedo (alchemy)","Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Meteorite","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3847/psj/ac424b","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2168807202","name":"Infrared Imaging and Spectroscopy Beyond the Diffraction Limit","source":"openalex","abstract":"Progress in nanotechnology is enabled by and dependent on the availability of measurement methods with spatial resolution commensurate with nanomaterials' length scales. Chemical imaging techniques, such as scattering scanning near-field optical microscopy (s-SNOM) and photothermal-induced resonance (PTIR), have provided scientists with means of extracting rich chemical and structural information with nanoscale resolution. This review presents some basics of infrared spectroscopy and microscopy, followed by detailed descriptions of s-SNOM and PTIR working principles. Nanoscale spectra are compared with far-field macroscale spectra, which are widely used for chemical identification. Selected examples illustrate either technical aspects of the measurements or applications in materials science. Central to this review is the ability to record nanoscale infrared spectra because, although chemical maps enable immediate visualization, the spectra provide information to interpret the images and characterize the sample. The growing breadth of nanomaterials and biological applications suggest rapid growth for this field.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-anchem-071114-040435","authors":["Andrea Centrone"],"tags":["Near-field scanning optical microscope","Chemical imaging","Nanoscopic scale","Microscopy","Infrared microscopy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-05-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-anchem-071114-040435","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4210985482","name":"Clays and the Origin of Life: The Experiments","source":"openalex","abstract":"There are three groups of scientists dominating the search for the origin of life: the organic chemists (the Soup), the molecular biologists (RNA world), and the inorganic chemists (metabolism and transient-state metal ions), all of which have experimental adjuncts. It is time for Clays and the Origin of Life to have its experimental adjunct. The clay data coming from Mars and carbonaceous chondrites have necessitated a review of the role that clays played in the origin of life on Earth. The data from Mars have suggested that Fe-clays such as nontronite, ferrous saponites, and several other clays were formed on early Mars when it had sufficient water. This raised the question of the possible role that these clays may have played in the origin of life on Mars. This has put clays front and center in the studies on the origin of life not only on Mars but also here on Earth. One of the major questions is: What was the catalytic role of Fe-clays in the origin and development of metabolism here on Earth? First, there is the recent finding of a chiral amino acid (isovaline) that formed on the surface of a clay mineral on several carbonaceous chondrites. This points to the formation of amino acids on the surface of clay minerals on carbonaceous chondrites from simpler molecules, e.g., CO2, NH3, and HCN. Additionally, there is the catalytic role of small organic molecules, such as dicarboxylic acids and amino acids found on carbonaceous chondrites, in the formation of Fe-clays themselves. Amino acids and nucleotides adsorb on clay surfaces on Earth and subsequently polymerize. All of these observations and more must be subjected to strict experimental analysis. This review provides an overview of what has happened and is now happening in the experimental clay world related to the origin of life. The emphasis is on smectite-group clay minerals, such as montmorillonite and nontronite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life12020259","authors":["J. Theo Kloprogge","Hyman Hartman"],"tags":["Abiogenesis","Chondrite","Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Carbonaceous chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-02-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life12020259","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2076992660","name":"Survival of lichens and bacteria exposed to outer space conditions – Results of the Lithopanspermia experiments","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2010.03.010","authors":["Rosa de la Torre","Leopoldo G. Sancho","G. Horneck","Asunción de los Rı́os","Jacek Wierzchoś","Karen Olsson‐Francis","Charles S. Cockell","Petra Rettberg","Thomas Berger","Jean‐Pierre de Vera","S. Ott","Jesús Martínez‐Frías","Pablo González‐Melendi","M. Mercedes Lucas","Manuel Reina","Ana Pintado","René Demets"],"tags":["Lichen","Thallus","Astrobiology","Outer space","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-03-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2010.03.010","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2620511747","name":"Abiotic versus biotic iron mineral transformation studied by a miniaturized backscattering Mössbauer spectrometer (MIMOS II), X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2017.05.017","authors":["C. Markovski","James M. Byrne","E.A. Lalla","A.D. Lozano-Gorrı́n","G. Klingelhöfer","F. Rull","Andreas Kappler","Thorsten Hoffmann","Christian Schröder"],"tags":["Ferrihydrite","Goethite","Magnetite","Abiotic component","Context (archaeology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-05-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2017.05.017","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2304702132","name":"Atomic weights of the elements 2013 (IUPAC Technical Report)","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The biennial review of atomic-weight determinations and other cognate data has resulted in changes for the standard atomic weights of 19 elements. The standard atomic weights of four elements have been revised based on recent determinations of isotopic abundances in natural terrestrial materials: cadmium to 112.414(4) from 112.411(8), molybdenum to 95.95(1) from 95.96(2), selenium to 78.971(8) from 78.96(3), and thorium to 232.0377(4) from 232.038 06(2). The Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights (ciaaw.org) also revised the standard atomic weights of fifteen elements based on the 2012 Atomic Mass Evaluation: aluminium (aluminum) to 26.981 5385(7) from 26.981 5386(8), arsenic to 74.921 595(6) from 74.921 60(2), beryllium to 9.012 1831(5) from 9.012 182(3), caesium (cesium) to 132.905 451 96(6) from 132.905 4519(2), cobalt to 58.933 194(4) from 58.933 195(5), fluorine to 18.998 403 163(6) from 18.998 4032(5), gold to 196.966 569(5) from 196.966 569(4), holmium to 164.930 33(2) from 164.930 32(2), manganese to 54.938 044(3) from 54.938 045(5), niobium to 92.906 37(2) from 92.906 38(2), phosphorus to 30.973 761 998(5) from 30.973 762(2), praseodymium to 140.907 66(2) from 140.907 65(2), scandium to 44.955 908(5) from 44.955 912(6), thulium to 168.934 22(2) from 168.934 21(2), and yttrium to 88.905 84(2) from 88.905 85(2). The Commission also recommends the standard value for the natural terrestrial uranium isotope ratio, N ( 238 U)/ N ( 235 U)=137.8(1).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2015-0305","authors":["Juris Meija","Tyler B. Coplen","Michael Berglund","Willi A. Brand","Paul De Bièvre","Manfred Gröning","N.E. Holden","Johanna Irrgeher","Robert D. Loss","Thomas Walczyk","Thomas Prohaska"],"tags":["Chemistry","Scandium","Atomic mass","Radiochemistry","Thorium"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-02-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2015-0305","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4327605575","name":"Resiliency in Space Autonomy: a Review","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Purpose of Review: The article provides an extensive overview on the resilient autonomy advances made across various missions, orbital or deep-space, that captures the current research approaches while investigating the possible future direction of resiliency in space autonomy. Recent Findings: In recent years, the need for several automated operations in space applications has been rising, that ranges from the following: spacecraft proximity operations, navigation and some station keeping applications, entry, decent and landing, planetary surface exploration, etc. Also, with the rise of miniaturization concepts in spacecraft, advanced missions with multiple spacecraft platforms introduce more complex behaviours and interactions within the agents, which drives the need for higher levels of autonomy and accommodating collaborative behaviour coupled with robustness to counter unforeseen uncertainties. This collective behaviour is now referred to as resiliency in autonomy. As space missions are getting more and more complex, for example applications where a platform physically interacts with non-cooperative space objects (debris) or planetary bodies coupled with hostile, unpredictable, and extreme environments, there is a rising need for resilient autonomy solutions. Summary Resilience with its key attributes of robustness, redundancy and resourcefulness will lead toward new and enhanced mission paradigms of space missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s43154-023-00097-w","authors":["Avijit Banerjee","Moumita Mukherjee","Sumeet Gajanan Satpute","George Nikolakopoulos"],"tags":["Spacecraft","Autonomy","Space exploration","Computer science","Robustness (evolution)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-03-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s43154-023-00097-w","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2108259154","name":"Evolution of Montviel alkaline–carbonatite complex by coupled fractional crystallization, fluid mixing and metasomatism — part I: Petrography and geochemistry of metasomatic aegirine–augite and biotite: Implications for REE–Nb mineralization","source":"openalex","abstract":"Magmatic volatiles are critically important in the petrogenesis of igneous rocks but their inherent transience hampers the identification of their role in magmatic and mineralization processes. We present evidence that magmatic volatiles played a critical role in the formation of the 1894 Ma Paleoproterozoic Montviel alkaline–carbonatite complex, Canada, and the related carbonatite-hosted REE–Nb deposit. Field and drill core relationships indicate that lithological units of the complex were emplaced in the following order: clinopyroxenites, melteigites, ijolites, melanosyenites, leucosyenites, granites, lamprophyric silicocarbonatites, rare magnesiocarbonatites, calciocarbonatites, ferrocarbonatites, late mixed carbonatites, kimberlitic silicocarbonatites and polygenic breccias. Magmatic minerals within these units were systematically metasomatized. In undersaturated silicate rocks, augite recrystallized to aegirine–augite and aegirine, plagioclase recrystallized to albite, and nepheline recrystallized with analcime, cancrinite and albite. Primary biotite was replaced by secondary, REE-rich metasomatic biotite, particularly along fractures and alteration pockets. In carbonatites, liquidus phases consisted of calcite and dolomite and were recrystallized to ferroan dolomite, ankerite, siderite, barytocalcite, witherite and strontianite, which are intimately related to the REE-bearing carbonates and fluorocarbonates. Biotite is common to all lithologies, ranges in REE concentrations from 1.5 to 230 ppm and yielded subsolidus crystallization temperatures ranging from 770 °C to 370 °C. Sm–Nd isotope analyses from biotite and aegirine–augite yield a range of εNd values (+ 3.4 to − 3.0) that suggests mixing of fluids from three sources during the crystallization of the Montviel magmas. The clinopyroxenites to melteigite, ijolites and melanosyenites crystallized augite and biotite with initial εNd value ≥ 3.4 and these minerals were metasomatized by a 1st fluid, lowering their εNd to values comprised between 0.8 and 3.4. Silicocarbonatites and carbonatites subsequently crystallized aegirine–augite and biotite with initial εNd value ≥ 2.6 and a 2nd fluid metasomatized the minerals to lower ɛ values. Both the 1st and the 2nd fluids eventually mixed with a 3rd recrystallizing aegirine–augite and biotite and lower their εNd values down to − 3.0. The results presented herein suggest that the mantle magmas evolved through 4 distinct mantle pulses by fractional crystallization, mixing of depleted mantle fluids with crustal fluids, and metasomatism. Some of the silicate rocks also show evidence of assimilation of wall rock as part of their petrogenetic evolution. During the last stages of its evolution in carbonatites, the fluid source transited from the depleted mantle to the crust and we speculate that this resulted in a violent explosive eruption creating the diatreme-shaped, HREE-rich polygenic breccia.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2015.09.022","authors":["Olivier Nadeau","Ross Stevenson","Michel Jébrak"],"tags":["Geology","Geochemistry","Carbonatite","Metasomatism","Augite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-09-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2015.09.022","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4389537460","name":"Hypomagnetic Conditions and Their Biological Action (Review)","source":"openalex","abstract":"The geomagnetic field plays an important role in the existence of life on Earth. The study of the biological effects of (hypomagnetic conditions) HMC is an important task in magnetobiology. The fundamental importance is expanding and clarifying knowledge about the mechanisms of magnetic field interaction with living systems. The applied significance is improving the training of astronauts for long-term space expeditions. This review describes the effects of HMC on animals and plants, manifested at the cellular and organismal levels. General information is given about the probable mechanisms of HMC and geomagnetic field action on living systems. The main experimental approaches are described. We attempted to systematize quantitative data from various studies and identify general dependencies of the magnetobiology effects' value on HMC characteristics (induction, exposure duration) and the biological parameter under study. The most pronounced effects were found at the cellular level compared to the organismal level. Gene expression and protein activity appeared to be the most sensitive to HMC among the molecular cellular processes. The nervous system was found to be the most sensitive in the case of the organism level. The review may be of interest to biologists, physicians, physicists, and specialists in interdisciplinary fields.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12121513","authors":["Ruslan M. Sarimov","Dmitriy A. Serov","Sergey V. Gudkov"],"tags":["Biology","Organism","Earth's magnetic field","Action (physics)","Living systems"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12121513","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4239320531","name":"Phosphorus mineral evolution and prebiotic chemistry: from minerals to microbes","source":"openalex","abstract":"Minerals are known to control the availability of non-volatile and bio-essential elements at Earth’s surface, e.g., phosphorus (P). Therefore, the role of minerals in prebiotic chemistry is a focal point of research into the origins of life. However, the mineralogical diversity of earliest Earth is not definitively known. This uncertainty is owed both to progressive change in the Earth system and an imperfect rock record of Earth history with increasing age. Hence, much is unknown about the planetary conditions under which terrestrial life first developed. Here, we review the plausible diversity of P-bearing phases at Earth’s surface during the emergence of life. We consider phases that were delivered by meteorites (exogenous phases), as well as those that developed solely as a result of Earth system processes (endogenous phases). We take into account the known formation conditions of individual phases, as well as the observed temporal distributions of P-bearing minerals found at Earth’s surface today. Our approach allows us to leverage what is known about changes in the Earth system in order to rule out the prebiotic relevance of many P-bearing phases. Meanwhile, we highlight a small number of phases that are of possible prebiotic relevance; specifically schreibersite, merrillite, apatite, olivine, and glass. Prebiotic mineral-chemical scenarios can be formulated for each phase, with distinct requirements for the environmental and tectonic state of early Earth. We can therefore directly relate the probability of mineral-chemical scenarios to the nature of early Earth, bridging the fields of geoscience and prebiotic chemistry.","url":"https://doi.org/10.31223/x5ng7s","authors":["Craig R. Walton","Oliver Shorttle","Frances E. Jenner","Helen Williams","Joshua J. Golden","Shaunna M. Morrison","Robert T. Downs","Aubrey L. Zerkle","Robert M. Hazen","Matthew A. Pasek"],"tags":["Early Earth","Hadean","Abiogenesis","Astrobiology","Earth (classical element)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-03-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.31223/x5ng7s","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2146652041","name":"Origin of a late Eocene to pre‐Miocene buried crater and breccia lens at Fohn‐1, North Bonaparte Basin, Timor Sea: A probable extraterrestrial connection","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Seismic reflection data and an at least 350 m thick, PGE‐rich carbonate breccia lens intersected by the Fohn‐1 exploration well in the Timor Sea off northern Australia, are interpreted in terms of a buried 4.8 km‐diameter impact crater of late Eocene to pre‐Miocene age. The crater displays the classic elements of impact structures, including a central uplift, ring syncline, and upraised rims. The presence in the breccia of redeposited Campanian and Maastrichtian microfossils suggests rebound of strata from levels deeper than 1250 m below the pre‐Miocene unconformity. Morphometric modelling suggests an original crater at least 1400 m deep, which is consistent with the excavation of Cretaceous strata. Stratigraphic and palaeontological evidence suggests that the impact occurred between 36 and 24.6 Ma. The breccia contains a pseudotachylite component enriched in the inert Pt group elements (PGE) (Ir, Ru) by factors of 5–12 above the values of common sediments. The more mobile PGE (Os, Pt, Pd) show a wide scatter and terrestrial‐type values. Opposite geochemical/stratigraphic trends pertain to different PGE species—the relatively inert Ir‐Ru group shows an overall concentration at the base of the section, whereas the more mobile Os shows peaks at median levels of the section—suggesting upward diagenetic leaching. The near‐chondritic PGE patterns at the base of the breccia pile are accompanied by near‐chondritic Ni/Cr, Co/Cr, Ni/Ir, Ni/Pt, and Cu/Pd ratios. Departure from these values related to alteration at higher levels in the breccia pile is accompanied with high S levels (∼1%).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01784.x","authors":["John D. Gorter","Andrew Y. Glikson"],"tags":["Breccia","Geology","Impact crater","Geochemistry","Unconformity"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01784.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2605622185","name":"Surface vitrification caused by natural fires in Late Pleistocene wetlands of the Atacama Desert","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2017.04.009","authors":["Pierrick Roperch","J. Gattacceca","Millarca Valenzuela","Bertrand Devouard","Jean‐Pierre Lorand","César Arriagada","P. Rochette","Claudio Latorre","Pierre Beck"],"tags":["Pluvial","Geology","Earth science","Volcano","Pleistocene"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-04-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2017.04.009","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4319984641","name":"Detection of organic matter on Mars, results from various Mars missions, challenges, and future strategy: A review","source":"openalex","abstract":"This review paper summarizes the literature on the organic matter detection by various Mars lander/rover missions, in order to understand the progress towards dealing with methodological challenges in the analysis of the Martian regolith and drilled mudstone samples. This paper shows that Martian missions are so far successful in detecting simple and some complex organic molecules, but their origin i.e., whether sourced by cosmic dust, meteoric bombardment, geochemical reduction of inorganic carbon during hydrothermal or igneous activity, or produced biologically in the ancient habitable Martian deposition environment, remains unknown. The preservation of organic matter in the Martian depositional realm has also been found as one of the biggest hurdles in its search. Therefore, upcoming ExoMars mission has been equipped with the instruments that would be able to drill and retrieve 2 m subsurface cores for organic matter analysis, with the assumption that the subsurface samples would have better chances of preserving original organic matter from the disintegration by ultraviolet (UV) radiation, galactic cosmic rays, and solar energetic particles. In addition to the method used for organic matter detection in previous missions [simple pyrolysis-GCMS and the use of combination of thermal combustion and derivatization (thermochemolysis)-GCMS], other alternative organic matter detection methodologies i.e., Raman spectroscopy (laser 523) plus deep resonant Raman and fluorescence spectroscopy are used in Mars 2020 Perseverance rover and will be used in ExoMars mission as well. Learning from the past and upcoming Mars missions will help in developing strategies and tools for the future Martian missions with goal to better understand it is ancient habitability.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2023.1075052","authors":["Arif Ansari"],"tags":["Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Exploration of Mars","Organic matter"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-02-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2023.1075052","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2979697177","name":"Solar Heat for Materials Processing: A Review on Recent Achievements and a Prospect on Future Trends","source":"openalex","abstract":"Considering works published in the literature for more than a decade (period from January 2008 till June 2019), this paper provides an overview of recent applications of the so-called “solar furnaces”, their reactors, process chambers and related devices, aiming specifically at the processing of (solid) materials. Based on the author’s own experience, some prospects on future trends are also presented. The aim of this work is to demonstrate the tremendous potentialities of the usage of solar heat for materials processing, but also to reveal the necessity of further developing solar-driven high-temperature technologies (which are required to displace the use of electricity or natural gas). In particular, it is essential to improve the temperature homogeneity conditions inside reaction chambers for materials processing using solar heat. Moreover, new innovative modular systems, practical and flexible, for capture, concentration, control and conduction of concentrated solar radiation are suggested. Solar thermal technologies for the production of electricity, as well as solar thermochemical processes for production of gases or liquids, are outside the scope of this review.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/chemengineering3040083","authors":["Luı́s Guerra Rosa"],"tags":["Scope (computer science)","Process engineering","Electricity","Materials processing","Modular design"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-10-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/chemengineering3040083","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W3035492104","name":"Microorganisms and Their Metabolic Capabilities in the Context of the Biogeochemical Nitrogen Cycle at Extreme Environments","source":"openalex","abstract":"Extreme microorganisms (extremophile) are organisms that inhabit environments characterized by inhospitable parameters for most live beings (extreme temperatures and pH values, high or low ionic strength, pressure, or scarcity of nutrients). To grow optimally under these conditions, extremophiles have evolved molecular adaptations affecting their physiology, metabolism, cell signaling, etc. Due to their peculiarities in terms of physiology and metabolism, they have become good models for (i) understanding the limits of life on Earth, (ii) exploring the possible existence of extraterrestrial life (Astrobiology), or (iii) to look for potential applications in biotechnology. Recent research has revealed that extremophilic microbes play key roles in all biogeochemical cycles on Earth. Nitrogen cycle (N-cycle) is one of the most important biogeochemical cycles in nature; thanks to it, nitrogen is converted into multiple chemical forms, which circulate among atmospheric, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. This review summarizes recent knowledge on the role of extreme microorganisms in the N-cycle in extremophilic ecosystems, with special emphasis on members of the Archaea domain. Potential implications of these microbes in global warming and nitrogen balance, as well as their biotechnological applications are also discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21124228","authors":["Rosa María Martínez‐Espinosa"],"tags":["Extremophile","Biogeochemical cycle","Archaea","Context (archaeology)","Extreme environment"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-06-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21124228","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2735137573","name":"Evolved gas analyses of sedimentary rocks and eolian sediment in Gale Crater, Mars: Results of the Curiosity rover's sample analysis at Mars instrument from Yellowknife Bay to the Namib Dune","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The sample analysis at Mars instrument evolved gas analyzer (SAM‐EGA) has detected evolved water, H2, SO2, H2S, NO, CO2, CO, O2, and HCl from two eolian sediments and nine sedimentary rocks from Gale Crater, Mars. These evolved gas detections indicate nitrates, organics, oxychlorine phase, and sulfates are widespread with phyllosilicates and carbonates occurring in select Gale Crater materials. Coevolved CO2 (160 ± 248–2373 ± 820 μgC(CO2)/g) and CO (11 ± 3–320 ± 130 μgC(CO)/g) suggest that organic C is present in Gale Crater materials. Five samples evolved CO2 at temperatures consistent with carbonate (0.32 ± 0.05–0.70 ± 0.1 wt % CO3). Evolved NO amounts to 0.002 ± 0.007–0.06 ± 0.03 wt % NO3. Evolution of O2 suggests that oxychlorine phases (chlorate/perchlorate) (0.05 ± 0.025–1.05 ± 0.44 wt % ClO4) are present, while SO2 evolution indicates the presence of crystalline and/or poorly crystalline Fe and Mg sulfate and possibly sulfide. Evolved H2O (0.9 ± 0.3–2.5 ± 1.6 wt % H2O) is consistent with the presence of adsorbed water, hydrated salts, interlayer/structural water from phyllosilicates, and possible inclusion water in mineral/amorphous phases. Evolved H2 and H2S suggest that reduced phases occur despite the presence of oxidized phases (nitrate, oxychlorine, sulfate, and carbonate). SAM results coupled with CheMin mineralogical and Alpha‐Particle X‐ray Spectrometer elemental analyses indicate that Gale Crater sedimentary rocks have experienced a complex authigenetic/diagenetic history involving fluids with varying pH, redox, and salt composition. The inferred geochemical conditions were favorable for microbial habitability and if life ever existed, there was likely sufficient organic C to support a small microbial population.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2016je005225","authors":["B. Sutter","A. C. McAdam","P. R. Mahaffy","D. W. Ming","K. S. Edgett","E. B. Rampe","J. L. Eigenbrode","H. B. Franz","Caroline Freissinet","J. P. Grotzinger","A. Steele","Christopher H. House","P. D. Archer","C. A. Malespin","R. Navarro‐González","J. C. Stern","J. F. Bell","F. J. Calef","R. Gellert","D. P. Glavin","L. M. Thompson","A. S. Yen"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Geology","Sedimentary rock","Impact crater","Carbonate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2016je005225","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4213419300","name":"Ancient and recent collisions revealed by phosphate minerals in the Chelyabinsk meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The collision history of asteroids is an important archive of inner Solar System evolution. Evidence for these collisions is brought to Earth by meteorites. However, as meteorites often preserve numerous impact-reset mineral ages, interpretation of their collision histories is controversial. Here, we combine analysis of phosphate U-Pb ages and microtextures to interpret the collision history of Chelyabinsk—a highly shocked meteorite. We show that phosphate U-Pb ages correlate with phosphate microtextural state. Pristine phosphate domain U-Pb compositions are generally concordant, whereas fracture-damaged domains universally display discordance. Combining both populations best constrains upper (4473 ± 11 Ma) and lower intercept (−9 ± 55 Ma, i.e., within error of present) U-Pb ages. All phosphate U-Pb ages were completely reset during an ancient high energy collision, whilst fracture-damaged domains experienced further Pb-loss during mild and recent collisional re-heating. Targeting textural sub-populations of phosphate grains permits more robust reconstruction of asteroidal collision histories.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-022-00373-1","authors":["Craig R. Walton","Oliver Shorttle","Sen Hu","Auriol S. P. Rae","Jianglong Ji","Ana Černok","Helen M. Williams","Yu Liu","Guoqiang Tang","Qiuli Li","M. Anand"],"tags":["Meteorite","Asteroid","Collision","Astrobiology","Parent body"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-02-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-022-00373-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2120945229","name":"Mass fractionation processes of transition metal isotopes","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0012-821x(02)00615-5","authors":["Xiaosan Zhu","Yuchen Guo","Richard J. Williams","R.K. O’Nions","Alan Matthews","N.S. Belshaw","G.W. Canters","Ellen C. de Waal","Ulrich Weser","Barbara K. Burgess","Benedetto Salvato"],"tags":["Fractionation","Isotope fractionation","Isotope","Mass-independent fractionation","Equilibrium fractionation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0012-821x(02)00615-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W3023265628","name":"Nature of the fossil evidence - Moon and meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"The nature of the fossil evidence to be found in extraterrestrial materials concerning the history of solar activity is reviewed. The various types of lunar rocks and meteorites containing evidence of exposure to solar radiations are distinguished, including igneous rocks, breccias, glassy agglutinates, single mineral crystals, carbonaceous meteorites, and the Antarctic meteorites, some of which fell to earth as much as a million years ago. The characteristic effects of energetic particles from space in materials are then examined, including ion implantation and surface radiation damage to a depth of several hundred A by the solar wind, radioactivity, electron trapping and track production induced by solar flares to depths from millimeters to centimeters, and spallation due to galactic cosmic rays at depths from centimeters to meters. Complications in the interpretation of radiation exposure histories represented by dynamic surface processes, the nonsolar origin of some trapped elements, and difficulties in determining the duration and epoch of surface exposure of individual crystals are also noted.","url":"https://openalex.org/W3023265628","authors":["R. M. Walker"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Geology","Cosmic ray","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1980-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2036384349","name":"Decoding tufa and travertine (fresh water carbonates) in the sedimentary record: The state of the art","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Traditionally, fresh water carbonate research has focused on the sedimentology and palaeontology of ancient lacustrine deposits. Lithofacies in such low‐energy deposits are typically fine‐grained, developed uniformly in a generally concentric distribution (‘bulls‐eye’ pattern) and are predictable even when preserved imperfectly. In contrast, because of their local lithofacies and palaeontological complexities, fluvial carbonates were either delegated to a status of ‘minor geomorphological features’ or barely considered prior to the 1970s. This viewpoint was based on the depositional record of fluvial and spring‐fed fresh water carbonates, which were considered to be restricted generally to localized karstic areas. Such deposits are often preserved as scattered patches of ambient temperature tufa. Occasionally, however, in active tectonic areas, localized travertine deposits are also developed from deeply circulating hydrothermal waters. With a few exceptions (for example, basins with high subsidence rates or in arid climate zones), these fresh water carbonates are prone to erosion from continuing river incision and thus may not be preserved in the geological record. A partial record of fluvial and spring‐deposited carbonates is often preserved in Quaternary deposits, but the record in older deposits is typically fragmentary and often diagenetically modified. Yet once their unique facies architecture (and specialized nomenclature) is understood, these carbonates provide an important record of past sedimentological cycles of great value in palaeoenvironmental landscape modelling. The emphasis of modern research is to acquire information that explains how active systems function. In this respect, tufas reveal much of how carbonate precipitation is a shared product of physico‐chemical and microbiological biomediation processes. Likewise, travertines not only show an intimate interrelation with active tectonism but also hold great potential as monitors of past volcanic carbon dioxide emissions. In addition, both tufas and travertines contain palynological records that can be used as proxy indicators of climate change. Perhaps no other field of sedimentology has witnessed more developments and applications over such a brief period of study.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.12075","authors":["Enrico Capezzuoli","Anna Gandin","Martyn Pedley"],"tags":["Tufa","Geology","Fluvial","Sedimentary depositional environment","Sedimentology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-08-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.12075","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2947746912","name":"Global Observing Needs in the Deep Ocean","source":"openalex","abstract":"The deep ocean below 200 m water depth is the least observed, but largest habitat on our planet by volume and area. Over 150 years of exploration has revealed that this dynamic system provides critical climate regulation, houses a wealth of energy, mineral, and biological resources, and represents a vast repository of biological diversity. A long history of deep-ocean exploration and observation led to the initial concept for the Deep-Ocean Observing Strategy (DOOS), under the auspices of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS). Here we discuss the scientific need for globally integrated deep-ocean observing, its status, and the key scientific questions and societal mandates driving observing requirements over the next decade. We consider the Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs) needed to address deep-ocean challenges within the physical, biogeochemical, and biological/ecosystem sciences according to the Framework for Ocean Observing (FOO), and map these onto scientific questions. Opportunities for new and expanded synergies among deep-ocean stakeholders are discussed, including academic-industry partnerships with the oil and gas, mining, cable and fishing industries, the ocean exploration and mapping community, and biodiversity conservation initiatives. Future deep-ocean observing will benefit from the greater integration across traditional disciplines and sectors, achieved through demonstration projects and facilitated reuse and repurposing of existing deep-sea data efforts. We highlight examples of existing and emerging deep-sea methods and technologies, noting key challenges associated with data volume, preservation, standardization, and accessibility. Emerging technologies relevant to deep-ocean sustainability and the blue economy include novel genomics approaches, imaging technologies, and ultra-deep hydrographic measurements. Capacity building will be necessary to integrate capabilities into programs and projects at a global scale. Progress can be facilitated by Open Science and Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable (FAIR) data principles and converge on agreed to data standards, practices, vocabularies, and registries. We envision expansion of the deep-ocean observing community to embrace the participation of academia, industry, NGOs, national governments, international governmental organizations, and the public at large in order to unlock critical knowledge contained in the deep ocean over coming decades, and to realize the mutual benefits of thoughtful deep-ocean observing for all elements of a sustainable ocean.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00241","authors":["Lisa A. Levin","Brian J. Bett","Andrew R. Gates","Patrick Heimbach","Bruce M. Howe","Felix Janßen","Andrea McCurdy","Henry A. Ruhl","Paul V. R. Snelgrove","Karen Stocks","David M. Bailey","Simone Baumann‐Pickering","Chris Beaverson","Mark C. Benfield","David J. Booth","Marina Carreiro‐Silva","Ana Colaço","M. C. Eblé","Ashley M. Fowler","Kristina M. Gjerde","Daniel O. B. Jones","Katsuro Katsumata","Deborah S. Kelley","Nadine Le Bris","Alan P. Leonardi","Franck Lejzerowicz","Peter I. Macreadie","Dianne McLean","Fred Meitz","Telmo Morato","Amanda N. Netburn","Jan Pawłowski","Craig R. Smith","Song Sun","Hiroshi Uchida","Michael F. Vardaro","R. Venkatesan","Robert A. Weller"],"tags":["Ocean observations","Deep sea","Sustainability","Deep ocean water","Environmental resource management"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-05-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00241","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2037233734","name":"Earth's Phosphides in Levant and insights into the source of Archean prebiotic phosphorus","source":"openalex","abstract":"Natural phosphides--the minerals containing phosphorus in a redox state lower than zero--are common constituents of meteorites but virtually unknown on the Earth. Herein we present the first rich occurrence of iron-nickel phosphides of terrestrial origin. Phosphide-bearing rocks are exposed in three localities in the surroundings of the Dead Sea, Levant: in the northern Negev Desert, Israel and Transjordan Plateau, south of Amman, Jordan. Seven minerals from the ternary Fe-Ni-P system have been identified with five of them, NiP2, Ni5P4, Ni2P, FeP and FeP2, previously unknown in nature. The results of the present study could provide a new insight on the terrestrial origin of natural phosphides--the most likely source of reactive prebiotic phosphorus at the times of the early Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/srep08355","authors":["Sergey N. Britvin","Michail N. Murashko","Yevgeny Vapnik","Yury S. Polekhovsky","Sergey V. Krivovichev"],"tags":["Phosphide","Geology","Geochemistry","Archean","Plateau (mathematics)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-02-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/srep08355","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2130450830","name":"Will Raman meet bacteria on Mars? An overview of the optimal Raman spectroscopic techniques for carotenoid biomarkers detection on mineral backgrounds","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Raman spectroscopy appears to be an ideal technique for the initial detection of biomarkers, molecules that are potentially indicative of life on planetary bodies elsewhere in our solar system. Carotenoids are particularly useful biomarkers as they are used widely across the species, relatively resistant to breakdown and no inorganic source is known. They are used by microorganisms in their cell membranes for protection against UV radiation. In this paper we focus on the detection of carotenoids in microorganisms within a mineral matrix. We compare the Raman signatures of pure compounds with those of laboratory-made mixtures of β-carotene and minerals. Carotenoids covered by 2.5 mm of translucent calcite or 40 mm of transparent halite were detected using a conventional confocal Raman microscope. To improve sensitivity and hence detection levels, Raman measurements were successfully performed under resonant conditions. Raman analysis can be compromised by fluorescence interference. Data are presented to show how the contribution from the fluorescent background in the Raman spectra can be reduced when making use of gated detection in time-resolved Raman spectroscopy. Overall, this study demonstrates some of the potential of Raman spectroscopy as a method for the detection of (past) life signatures during future planetary missions without taking current technical limitations such as instrumental size into account as recent rapid technical developments suggest these limitations will be resolved in time.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/njg.2015.3","authors":["Jan‐Hein Hooijschuur","Mattheus F.C. Verkaaik","G.R. Davies","Freek Ariese"],"tags":["Raman spectroscopy","Mars Exploration Program","Confocal","Fluorescence","Carotenoid"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-02-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/njg.2015.3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W1548507213","name":"Volatization of Extraterrestrial Materials as Determined by Zinc Isotopic Analysis","source":"openalex","abstract":"None","url":"https://doi.org/10.7936/k76q1v8n","authors":["Randal C. Paniello"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Zinc","Astrobiology","Environmental science","Environmental chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.7936/k76q1v8n","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4236423823","name":"In vitro formation of Ca-oxalates and the mineral glushinskite by fungal interaction with carbonate substrates and seawater","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. This study investigates the in vitro formation of Ca-oxalates and glushinskite through fungal interaction with carbonate substrates and seawater. In the first experiment, thin-sections prepared from dolomitic rock samples of Terwagne Formation (Carboniferous, Viséan, northern France) served as substrates. The thin sections placed in Petri dishes were exposed to fungi grown from naturally existing airborne spores. In the second experiment, fungal growth and mineral formation was monitored using only standard seawater (SSW) as substrate. Fungal growth media consisted of a high protein/carbohydrates and sugar diet with demineralised water for irrigation. Fungal growth process reached completion under uncontrolled laboratory conditions. The fungal interaction and attack on the carbonate substrates resulted in the formation of Ca-oxalates (weddellite CaC2O4·2(H2O), whewellite (CaC2O4·(H2O)) and glushinskite MgC2O4·2(H2O) associated with the destruction of the original substrate and its replacement by the new minerals. The seawater substrate resulted also in the formation of glushinskite and Ca-oxalates. Both of Ca and Mg were mobilized from the experimental substrates by fungi. The newly formed minerals and textural changes caused by fungal attack on the carbonate substrate were investigated using light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDX), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. The results document the role of microorganisms in biomineralization, neo-mineral formation and sediment diagenesis. They also reveal the capacity of living fungi to interact with liquid substrates and precipitate new minerals. This work is the first report on the in vitro formation of the mineral glushinskite through fungal-carbonate and sea water substrates interactions processes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/bgd-2-451-2005","authors":["Kamal Kolo","Philippe Claeys"],"tags":["Substrate (aquarium)","Carbonate","Mineral","Calcium carbonate","Biomineralization"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-04-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/bgd-2-451-2005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2324797960","name":"Hayabusa2: Scientific importance of samples returned from C-type near-Earth asteroid (162173) 1999 JU3","source":"openalex","abstract":"Hayabusa2 is an asteroid exploration mission to return surface samples of a near-Earth C-type asteroid (162173) 1999 JU3. Because asteroids are the evolved remnants of planetesimals that were the building blocks of planets, detailed observation by a spacecraft and analysis of the returned samples will provide direct evidence regarding planet formation and the dynamic evolution of the solar system. Moreover, C-type asteroids are expected to preserve the most pristine materials in the solar system, a mixture of minerals, ice, and organic matter that interact with each other. Space missions are the only way to obtain such pristine materials with geologic context and without terrestrial contamination. Hayabusa2 will launch off in 2014, arrive at 1999 JU3 in mid-2018, and fully investigate and sample the asteroid at three different locations during its 18-month stay. The concept and design of the Hayabusa2 sampler are basically the same as that on-board Hayabusa, and impact sampling with a 5-g Ta bullet will be made at three locations of the asteroid. The sample container has three separate chambers inside to store samples obtained at different locations separately. The spacecraft will return to Earth with samples in December 2020. Returned samples will be investigated by state-of-the-art analytical techniques in 2020 to understand the evolutionary history of the solar system from 4.56 Gyr ago to the present by combining results from laboratory examinations of the returned samples with remote-sensing datasets and comparing all results of observations of meteorites, interplanetary dust particles, and future returned samples.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2343/geochemj.2.0350","authors":["Shogo Tachibana","Masanao Abe","Masahiko Arakawa","M. Fujimoto","Y. Iijima","Masateru Ishiguro","K. Kitazato","N. Kobayashi","Noriyuki Namiki","Tatsuaki Okada","Ryuji Okazaki","Hirotaka Sawada","Seiji Sugita","Yoshinori Takano","Satoshi Tanaka","Sei‐ichiro Watanabe","Makoto Yoshikawa","Hitoshi Kuninaka","THE HAYABUSA2 PROJECT TEAM"],"tags":["Asteroid","Astrobiology","Solar System","Context (archaeology)","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2343/geochemj.2.0350","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4206289497","name":"Stibiogoldfieldite, Cu12(Sb2Te2)S13, a new tetrahedrite-group mineral","source":"openalex","abstract":"ABSTRACT Stibiogoldfieldite, Cu12(Sb2Te2)S13, was approved as a new mineral species from the Mohawk mine, Goldfield mining district, Esmeralda County, Nevada, USA. It occurs as metallic anhedral grains, dark grey in colour. It is associated with quartz, pyrite and an Ag–Bi–(S,Se) phase (holotype material) and with quartz, pyrite, calaverite, bismuthinite, bohdanowiczite, and the Ag–Bi–(S,Se) phase (cotype material). In reflected light, stibiogoldfieldite is isotropic, grey in colour, with indistinct brownish shade. Reflectance data in air [R (%)] are: 31.1 at 470 nm, 30.9 at 546 nm, 30.8 at 589 nm and 31.0 at 650 nm. Electron microprobe analysis for holotype material gave (in wt.% – average of 60 spot analyses): Cu 45.03(60), Ag 0.26(7), Fe 0.02(3), Zn 0.13(15), Sn 0.02(4), Pb 0.05(6), Sb 8.02(62), As 2.80(65), Bi 2.77(87), Te 15.15(1.24), S 24.50(32), Se 0.52(11), total 99.27(69). On the basis of (As + Sb + Te + Bi) = 4 atoms per formula unit (apfu), the empirical formula of stibiogoldfieldite is (Cu12.05Ag0.04Zn0.03Fe0.01)Σ12.13(Sb1.12As0.63Bi0.23Te2.02)Σ4.00(S12.99Se0.11)Σ13.10. Chemical data on an additional sample from the same locality (cotype material) gave the following results (in wt.% – average of 181 spot analyses): Cu 43.84(63), Ag 0.21(7), Sb 5.92(78), As 2.63(45), Te 20.07(1.19), S 25.13(53), Se 0.97(35), total 99.47(66). On the basis of (As + Sb + Te + Bi) = 4 apfu, the empirical formula of cotype material is (Cu11.30Ag0.03)Σ11.33(Sb0.80As0.57Bi0.06Te2.57)Σ4.00(S12.83Se0.20)Σ13.03. Stibiogoldfieldite is cubic, I $\\overline 4$ 3m, with unit-cell parameters a = 10.3466(17) Å, V = 1107.6(5) Å3 and Z = 2 (holotype). Unit-cell parameters for the cotype sample are a = 10.3035(2) Å and V = 1093.83(7) Å3. The crystal structure of holotype stibiogoldfieldite was refined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction data to a final R1 = 0.032 on the basis of 285 reflections with Fo > 4σ(Fo) and 20 refined parameters. Stibiogoldfieldite is isotypic with other members of the tetrahedrite group.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/mgm.2021.107","authors":["Cristian Biagioni","Jiří Sejkora","Silvia Musetti","Emil Makovicky","Renato Pagano","Marco Pasero","Zdeněk Dolníček"],"tags":["Tetrahedrite","Mineral","Group (periodic table)","Mineralogy","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1180/mgm.2021.107","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W3194260693","name":"Tennantite-(Hg), Cu6(Cu4Hg2)As4S13, a new tetrahedrite-group mineral from the Lengenbach quarry, Binn, Switzerland","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Tennantite-(Hg), Cu6(Cu4Hg2)As4S13, was approved as a new mineral species (IMA2020-063) from the Lengenbach quarry, Imfeld, Binn Valley, Canton Valais, Switzerland. It was identified as an aggregate of black metallic tetrahedral crystals, less than 0.1 mm in size, intimately associated with sinnerite, and grown on realgar. In reflected light, tennantite-(Hg) is isotropic, grey in colour, with creamy tints. Minimum and maximum reflectance data for COM wavelengths in air are [λ (nm): R (%)]: 470: 29.1; 546: 29.1; 589: 28.5; 650: 27.7. Electron microprobe analysis gave (in wt.% – average of 7 spot analyses): Cu 32.57(42), Ag 6.38(19), Tl 0.29(14), Zn 0.04(5), Hg 17.94(2.27), Pb 0.70(51), As 17.83(61), Sb 0.34(8), S 24.10(41), total 100.19(1.04). The empirical formula of the sample studied, recalculated on the basis of ΣMe = 16 atoms per formula unit, is (Cu4.69Ag1.04Tl0.03)Σ5.76(Cu4.35Hg1.58Pb0.06Zn0.01)Σ6.00(As4.20Sb0.05)Σ4.25S13.26. Tennantite-(Hg) is cubic, I $\\overline 4$ 3m, with a = 10.455(7) Å, V = 1143(2) Å3 and Z = 2. The crystal structure of tennantite-(Hg) has been refined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction data to a final R1 = 0.0897 on the basis of 214 unique reflections with Fo > 4σ(Fo) and 22 refined parameters. Tennantite-(Hg) is isotypic with other members of the tetrahedrite group. Mercury is hosted at the tetrahedrally coordinated M(1) site, in accord with the relatively long M(1)–S(1) distance (2.389 Å), similar to that observed in tetrahedrite-(Hg). Minor Ag is located at the triangularly-coordinated and split M(2) site. Other occurrences of tennantite-(Hg) are briefly reviewed and the Lengenbach finding is described within the framework of previous knowledge about the Hg mineralogy at this locality.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/mgm.2021.59","authors":["Cristian Biagioni","Jiří Sejkora","Thomas Raber","Philippe Roth","Yves Moëlo","Zdeněk Dolníček","Marco Pasero"],"tags":["Tetrahedrite","Chemistry","Pleochroism","Mineralogy","Electron microprobe"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-07-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1180/mgm.2021.59","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2136949385","name":"Astrophysical and astrochemical insights into the origin of life","source":"openalex","abstract":"Stellar nucleosynthesis of heavy elements such as carbon allowed the formation of organic molecules in space, which appear to be widespread in our Galaxy. The physical and chemical conditions—including density, temperature, ultraviolet (UV) radiation and energetic particles—determine reaction pathways and the complexity of organic molecules in different space environments. Dense interstellar clouds are the birth sites of stars of all masses and their planetary systems. During the protostellar collapse, interstellar organic molecules in gaseous and solid phases are integrated into protostellar disks from which planets and smaller solar system bodies form. After the formation of the planets 4.6 billion years ago, our solar system, including the Earth, was subjected to frequent impacts for several hundred million years. Life on Earth may have emerged during or shortly after this heavy bombardment phase, perhaps as early as 3.90–3.85 billion years ago, but the exact timing remains uncertain. A prebiotic reducing atmosphere, if present, predicts that building blocks of biopolymers—such as amino acids, sugars, purines and pyrimidines—would be formed in abundance. Recent modelling of the Earth's early atmosphere suggests, in contrast, more neutral conditions (e.g. H 2 O, N 2 , CO 2 ), thus, precluding the formation of significant concentrations of prebiotic organic compounds. Moreover, even if the Earth's atmosphere were reducing, the presence of UV photons would readily destroy organic compounds unless they were quickly sequestered away in rocks or in the prebiotic ocean. Other possible sources of organic compounds would be high temperature vent chemistry, although the stability of such compounds (bases, amino acids) in these environments remains problematic. Finally, organic compounds may have been delivered to the Earth by asteroids, comets and smaller fragments, such as meteorites and interplanetary dust particles. It is likely that a combination of these sources contributed to the building blocks of life on the early Earth. It may even have taken several starts before life surpassed the less than ideal conditions at the surface. What is certain is that once life emerged, it learned to adapt quickly taking advantage of every available refuge and energy source (e.g. photosynthesis and chemosynthesis), an attribute that eventually led to complex metabolic life and even our own existence. Current experimental research investigating the origin of life is focused on the spontaneous formation of stable polymers out of monomers. However, understanding the spontaneous formation of structure is not enough to understand the formation of life. The introduction and evolution of information and complexity is essential to our definition of life. The formation of complexity and the means to distribute and store information are currently being investigated in a number of theoretical frameworks, such as evolving algorithms, chaos theory and modern evolution theory. In this paper we review the physical and chemical processes that form and process organic matter in space. In particular we discuss the chemical pathways of organic matter in the interstellar medium, its evolution in protoplanetary disks and its integration into solar system material. Furthermore, we investigate the role of impacts and the delivery of organic matter to the prebiotic Earth. Processes that may have assembled prebiotic molecules to produce the first genetic material and ideas about the formation of complexity in chemical networks are also discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1088/0034-4885/65/10/202","authors":["P. Ehrenfreund","William M. Irvine","L. Becker","Jennifer G. Blank","J. R. Brucato","L. Colangelí","Sylvie Derenne","D. Despois","A. Dutrey","Hans Fraaije","Antonio Lazcano","T. Owen","F. Robert","an International Space Science Inst ISSI-Team"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Physics","Abiogenesis","Solar System","Astrochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-08-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1088/0034-4885/65/10/202","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W3185231170","name":"Atom Probe Tomography","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-443-21710-4.00015-x","authors":["Baptiste Gault","Ann N. Chiaramonti","Oana Cojocaru‐Mirédin","Patrick Stender","Renelle Dubosq","Christoph Freysoldt","Surendra Kumar Makineni","Tong Li","Michael P. Moody","Julie M. Cairney"],"tags":["Atom probe","Characterization (materials science)","Electron tomography","Nanotechnology","Tomography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-07-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-443-21710-4.00015-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W3183186862","name":"The Science Case for a Return to Enceladus","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The plume of Enceladus is unique in the solar system in providing direct access to fresh material from an extraterrestrial subsurface ocean. The Cassini Mission, though not specifically designed for it, was able to take advantage of the plume to conduct the best characterization to date of an extraterrestrial ocean. Evidence gathered from multiple instruments points to a global, subsurface liquid water ocean rich in salts and organic compounds, with water-rock interactions occurring presumably in hydrothermal systems at or below the moon’s sea floor. Meeting the criteria of “extended regions of liquid water, conditions favorable for the assembly of complex organic molecules, and energy source(s) to sustain metabolism,” the ocean of Enceladus can therefore be considered habitable. It is also the only confirmed place beyond the Earth where we can easily sample fresh material from a demonstrably habitable environment without the complications of digging or drilling. The next step is to investigate whether Enceladus’ ocean is actually inhabited. Here, we summarize the evidence for Enceladus’ ocean and its habitability, identify constraints and outstanding questions on the detectability of life within its ocean, and recommend a return to Enceladus with a dedicated search-for-life mission (or missions).","url":"https://doi.org/10.3847/psj/abfb7a","authors":["Morgan L. Cable","C. C. Porco","Christopher R. Glein","Christopher R. German","Shannon MacKenzie","Marc Neveu","Tori M. Hoehler","Amy E. Hofmann","Amanda Hendrix","J. L. Eigenbrode","Frank Postberg","L. J. Spilker","A. S. McEwen","Nozair Khawaja","J. H. Waite","P. Wurz","J. Helbert","Ariel D. Anbar","Jean‐Pierre de Vera","Jorge I. Núñez"],"tags":["Enceladus","Astrobiology","Habitability","Icy moon","Extraterrestrial life"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-07-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3847/psj/abfb7a","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4224319749","name":"Earth energy evolution, human development and carbon neutral strategy","source":"openalex","abstract":"Energy is the basis of human development and the impetus of society progress. There are three sources of energy: energy of celestial body outside the Earth, the Earth energy and energy of interaction between the Earth and other celestial bodies. Meanwhile, there are three scales of co-evolution: the evolution of the Sun-Earth-Moon system on an ultra-long time scale has provided energy sources and extra-terrestrial environmental conditions for the formation of the Earth system; the evolution of the Earth system on a long time scale has provided the material preconditions such as energy resources and suitable sphere environment for life birth and the human development; on a short time scale, the development of human civilization makes the human circle break through the Earth system, expanding the extraterrestrial civilization. With the co-evolution, there are three processes in the carbon cycle: inorganic carbon cycle, short-term organic carbon cycle and long-term organic carbon cycle, which records human immoderate utilization of fossil energy and global sphere reforming activities, breaking the natural balance and closed-loop path of the carbon cycle of the Earth, causing the increase of greenhouse gases and global climate change, affecting human happiness and development. The energy transition is inevitable, and carbon neutrality must be realized. Building the green energy community is a fundamental measure to create the new energy system under carbon neutrality target. China is speeding up its energy revolution and developing a powerful energy nation. It is necessary to secure the cornerstone of the supply of fossil energy and forge a strong growing pole for green and sustainable development of new energy. China energy production and consumption structure will make a revolutionary transformation from the type of fossil energy domination to the type of new energy domination, depending on a high-level self-reliance of science and technology and a high-quality green energy system of cleaning, low-carbon, safety, efficiency and independence. Energy development has three major trends: low-carbon fossil energy, large-scale new energy and intelligent energy system, relying on the green innovation, contributing the green energy and constructing the green homeland.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s1876-3804(22)60040-5","authors":["Caineng Zou","Feng Ma","Songqi Pan","Minjie Lin","Guosheng ZHANG","Bo Xiong","Ying Wang","Yingbo LIANG","Zhi Yang"],"tags":["Earth system science","Earth science","Carbon neutrality","Fossil fuel","Energy supply"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s1876-3804(22)60040-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2084712411","name":"Calcium‐aluminum‐rich inclusions and amoeboid olivine aggregates from the CR carbonaceous chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Calcium‐aluminum‐rich refractory inclusions (CAIs) in CR chondrites are rare (<1 vol%), fairly small (<500 μm) and irregularly‐shaped, and most of them are fragmented. Based on the mineralogy and petrography, they can be divided into grossite ± hibonite‐rich, melilite‐rich, and pyroxene‐anorthite‐rich CAIs. Other types of refractory objects include fine‐grained spinel‐melilite‐pyroxene aggregates and amoeboid olivine aggregates (AOAs). Some of the pyroxene‐anorthite‐rich CAIs have igneous textures, and most melilite‐rich CAIs share similarities to both the fluffy and compact type A CAIs found in CV chondrites. One major difference between these CAIs and those in CV, CM, and CO chondrites is that secondary mineral phases are rare. In situ ion microprobe analyses of oxygen‐isotopic compositions of 27 CAIs and AOAs from seven CR chondrites demonstrate that most of the CAIs are 16O‐rich (δ17O of hibonite, melilite, spinel, pyroxene, and anorthite < −22‰) and isotopically homogeneous within 3–4‰. Likewise, forsterite, spinel, anorthite, and pyroxene in AOAs have nearly identical, 16O‐rich compositions (−24‰ < δ17O < −20‰). In contrast, objects which show petrographic evidence for extensive melting are not as 16O‐rich (δ17O less than −18‰). Secondary alteration minerals replacing 16O‐rich melilite in melilite‐rich CAIs plot along the terrestrial fractionation line. Most CR CAIs and AOAs are mineralogically pristine objects that largely escaped thermal metamorphism and secondary alteration processes, which is reflected in their relatively homogeneous 16O‐rich compositions. It is likely that these objects (or their precursors) condensed in an 16O‐rich gaseous reservoir in the solar nebula. In contrast, several igneous CAIs are not very enriched in 16O, probably as a result of their having melted in the presence of a relatively 16O‐poor nebular gas. If the precursors of these CAIs were as 16O‐rich as other CR CAIs, this implies either temporal excursions in the isotopic composition of the gas in the CAI‐forming regions and/or radial transport of some CAI precursors into an 16O‐poor gas. The absence of oxygen isotope heterogeneity in the primary minerals of melilite‐rich CAIs containing alteration products suggests that mineralogical alteration in CR chondrites did not affect oxygen‐isotopic compositions of their CAIs.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2002.tb01160.x","authors":["J. Aléon","Alexander N. Krot","K. D. McKeegan"],"tags":["Melilite","Chondrite","Pyroxene","Anorthite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2002.tb01160.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2754216102","name":"Multidisciplinary research leading to utilization of extraterrestrial resources","source":"openalex","abstract":"Properties of rocks, soils, and minerals in ultrahigh vacuum facility simulating lunar environment, for extraterrestrial resource utilization","url":"https://openalex.org/W2754216102","authors":["D.E. Fogelson"],"tags":["Multidisciplinary approach","Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology","Environmental planning","Engineering ethics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1971-07-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2323636640","name":"Large igneous provinces and silicic large igneous provinces: Progress in our understanding over the last 25 years","source":"openalex","abstract":"Large igneous provinces are exceptional intraplate igneous events throughout Earth's history. Their signifi cance and potential global impact are related to the total volume of magma intruded and released during these geologically brief events (peak eruptions are often within 1-5 m.y. in duration) where millions to tens of millions of cubic kilometers of magma are produced. In some cases, at least 1% of Earth's surface has been directly covered in volcanic rock, being equivalent to the size of small continents with comparable crustal thicknesses. Large igneous provinces thus represent important, albeit episodic, periods of new crust addition. However, most magmatism is basaltic, so that contributions to crustal growth will not always be picked up in zircon geochronology studies, which better trace major episodes of extension-related silicic magmatism and the silicic large igneous provinces. Much headway has been made in our understanding of these anomalous igneous events over the past 25 yr, driving many new ideas and models. ( (2) Their compositional diversity in part refl ects their crustal setting, such as ocean basins and continental interiors and margins, where, in the latter setting, large igneous province magmatism can be dominated by silicic products. (3) Mineral and energy resources, with major platinum group elements (PGEs) and precious metal resources, are hosted in these provinces, as well as magmatism impacting on the hydro carbon potential of volcanic basins and rifted margins through enhancing source-rock maturation, providing fl uid migration pathways, and initiating trap formation. (4) Biospheric, hydro spheric, and atmospheric impacts of large igneous provinces are now widely regarded as key trigger mechanisms for mass extinctions, although the exact kill mechanism(s) are still being resolved. (5) Their role in mantle geodynamics and thermal evolution of Earth as large igneous provinces potentially record the transport of material from the lower mantle or core-mantle boundary to the Earth's surface and are a fundamental component in whole mantle convection models. (6) Recognition of large igneous provinces on the inner planets, with their planetary antiquity and lack of plate tectonics and erosional processes, means that the very earliest record of large igneous province events during planetary evolution may be better preserved there than on Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/b30820.1","authors":["Scott E. Bryan","Luca Ferrari"],"tags":["Igneous rock","Large igneous province","Silicic","Magmatism","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-04-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1130/b30820.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2256505181","name":"The Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) boundary interval, Raton Basin, Colorado and New Mexico, and its content of shock-metamorphosed minerals; implication concerning the K-T boundary impact-extinction theory","source":"openalex","abstract":"At 20 localities in the Raton Basin of Colorado and New Mexico and a few other Western North American Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) boundary sites, a pair of thin claystone layers, an iridium abundance anomaly, and a concentration of shock-metamorphosed minerals mark the paleontologic boundary. The lower unit is informally called the \"K-T boundary claystone,\" and the upper unit is informally called the \"K-T boundary impact layer.\" This stratigraphic couplet is generally overlain by a coal bed, informally called the \"K-T boundary coal bed\" that ranges from 4 to 16 cm in thickness.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr87606","authors":["G. A. Izett"],"tags":["Boundary (topology)","Cretaceous","Extinction (optical mineralogy)","Structural basin","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1987-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr87606","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2119782818","name":"Genetics and cell biology of magnetosome formation in magnetotactic bacteria","source":"openalex","abstract":"The ability of magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) to orient in magnetic fields is based on the synthesis of magnetosomes, which are unique prokaryotic organelles comprising membrane-enveloped, nano-sized crystals of a magnetic iron mineral that are aligned in well-ordered intracellular chains. Magnetosome crystals have species-specific morphologies, sizes, and arrangements. The magnetosome membrane, which originates from the cytoplasmic membrane by invagination, represents a distinct subcellular compartment and has a unique biochemical composition. The roughly 20 magnetosome-specific proteins have functions in vesicle formation, magnetosomal iron transport, and the control of crystallization and intracellular arrangement of magnetite particles. The assembly of magnetosome chains is under genetic control and involves the action of an acidic protein that links magnetosomes to a novel cytoskeletal structure, presumably formed by a specific actin-like protein. A total of 28 conserved genes present in various magnetic bacteria were identified to be specifically associated with the magnetotactic phenotype, most of which are located in the genomic magnetosome island. The unique properties of magnetosomes attracted broad interdisciplinary interest, and MTB have recently emerged as a model to study prokaryotic organelle formation and evolution.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-6976.2008.00116.x","authors":["Dirk Schüler"],"tags":["Magnetosome","Magnetotactic bacteria","Organelle","Biology","Biomineralization"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-06-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-6976.2008.00116.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2761768563","name":"Exploring Fingerprints of the Extreme Thermoacidophile Metallosphaera sedula Grown on Synthetic Martian Regolith Materials as the Sole Energy Sources","source":"openalex","abstract":"The biology of metal transforming microorganisms is of a fundamental and applied importance for our understanding of past and present biogeochemical processes on Earth and in the Universe. The extreme thermoacidophile Metallosphaera sedula is a metal mobilizing archaeon, which thrives in hot acid environments (optimal growth at 74°C and pH 2.0) and utilizes energy from the oxidation of reduced metal inorganic sources. These characteristics of M. sedula make it an ideal organism to further our knowledge of the biogeochemical processes of possible life on extraterrestrial planetary bodies. Exploring the viability and metal extraction capacity of M. sedula living on and interacting with synthetic extraterrestrial minerals, we show that M. sedula utilizes metals trapped in the Martian regolith simulants (JSC Mars 1A; P-MRS; S-MRS; MRS07/52) as the sole energy sources. The obtained set of microbiological and mineralogical data suggests that M. sedula actively colonizes synthetic Martian regolith materials and releases free soluble metals. The surface of bioprocessed Martian regolith simulants is analyzed for specific mineralogical fingerprints left upon M. sedula growth. The obtained results provide insights of biomining of extraterrestrial material as well as of the detection of biosignatures implementing in life search missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2017.01918","authors":["Denise Kölbl","Marc Pignitter","Veronika Somoza","Mario P. Schimak","Oliver Štrbák","Amir Blazevic","Tetyana Milojević"],"tags":["Regolith","Martian","Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Mars Exploration Program"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-10-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2017.01918","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2586176575","name":"A Review of Recent Results on 3D Effects","source":"openalex","abstract":"Three dimensions or three-dimensional or 3D are expressions that characterize the space around us, as perceived by our vision, in terms of width, height and depth. The term \"3D\" is also (and improperly) used to refer to the representation in synthetic (digital) images, the relief of stereoscopic images or other images in relief and sometimes even the simple stereophonic effect, which Can only render 2D (it is therefore only the calculation of the projected projections, the shadows, the renderings of materials). In mathematics, this notion corresponds to Euclidean geometry in space. The space is marked by three orthogonal axes, contrary to the plane composed of two dimensions. Since its origins and long before the appearance of colour, cinema has exploited stereoscopy, mainly through the processes of anaglyphs. During the 1950 s, the Hollywood studios exploited the polarized filter system and then, from the 2000 s onwards, with the adoption of digital formats, the rooms also equipped the electronic principle with alternating shutter (\"active\" glasses). Despite some anaglyphic experiments since the 1930 and 1950 s, the commercial success of 3D television became a reality from the end of the 1990 s to a real industrial development from the year 2000. Two principles and devices for Stereoscopic effects are commercialized: Of the \"active\" type with electronic bezels or of the \"passive\" type with polarized filter goggles. More complex and costly to industrialize in particular with regard to large screens, auto stereoscopy (relief effect without bezel) was introduced with Alioscopy since the late 1990 s, on the lenticular principle. Stereoscopic videoprojection intended for the general public requires electronic \"active\" glasses or a special screen (metallised or offering some refraction of light) associated with \"passive\" glasses with polarized filters. Three-Dimensional (3D) effects close to sharp corners of a hole in a plate with finite thickness are investigated in the present contribution. The results from detailed 3D finite element model are analyzed to investigate the stress intensity of various fracture modes caused by the presence of a finite thickness. The results expressed in terms of stressed are compared with some recent equations. The comparison between numerical and theoretical results shows a sound agreement.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3844/ajeassp.2016.1247.1260","authors":["Filippo Berto","Relly Victoria Petrescu","Florian Ion Tiberiu Petrescu"],"tags":["Stereoscopy","Computer graphics (images)","Filter (signal processing)","Computer science","Representation (politics)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3844/ajeassp.2016.1247.1260","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2078811949","name":"Concise Review: Carbon Nanotechnology: Perspectives in Stem Cell Research","source":"openalex","abstract":"Carbon nanotechnology has developed rapidly during the last decade, and carbon allotropes, especially graphene and carbon nanotubes, have already found a wide variety of applications in industry, high-tech fields, biomedicine, and basic science. Electroconductive nanomaterials have attracted great attention from tissue engineers in the design of remotely controlled cell-substrate interfaces. Carbon nanoconstructs are also under extensive investigation by clinical scientists as potential agents in anticancer therapies. Despite the recent progress in human pluripotent stem cell research, only a few attempts to use carbon nanotechnology in the stem cell field have been reported. However, acquired experience with and knowledge of carbon nanomaterials may be efficiently used in the development of future personalized medicine and in tissue engineering.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5966/sctm.2012-0151","authors":["Marina V. Pryzhkova"],"tags":["Nanotechnology","Carbon nanotube","Biomedicine","Stem cell","Induced pluripotent stem cell"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-04-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5966/sctm.2012-0151","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W3203303130","name":"LithoSpace: An Idea for an Automated System for in situ Petrographic Thin Section Preparation on Mars and Other Extraterrestrial Rocky Bodies","source":"openalex","abstract":"Optical microscopy analyses using thin sections is one of the most standard techniques in geology. It permits identification of most rock-forming minerals and it is essential for micropaleontology since observation in transmitted light is the only way to observe individual, or colonies of, microfossils in their mineralogical and textural context. Thin sections are also used for other techniques such as Raman spectroscopy. In the framework of exploration of the Martian surface and of the search for potential relics of microbial life, the possibility to observe petrographic thin sections in situ would be revolutionary. Nevertheless, although optical microscopes can be readily designed for space exploration, thin section preparation is not easy to do in situ on extraterrestrial rocky bodies due to the generally harsh environmental conditions and to the difficulty to automate a protocol that normally requires several human interventions. The aim of the LithoSpace project, supported by the French Space Agency (CNES) since 2014, is to work on the development of an automated system permitting preparation of petrographic thin sections on extraterrestrial bodies, such as Mars, the Moon or asteroids. In this paper, we describe the approaches used to study rocks in situ during space missions and compare them to those used on Earth. Then, the relevance of making thin sections during space exploration is highlighted from the description of the data that could be collected from the analysis of these specific samples, using new instruments and instruments already sent to Mars. The standard preparation protocol is described as well as previously envisioned or existing in situ sample preparation systems. We then propose a protocol for automation of the preparation. Particular attention is paid to demonstrating the feasibility of making thin sections in the absence of liquid water and with energy consumption compatible with automated space probes. Tests are then carried out to control the quality of the prepared samples. On the basis of the demonstrated feasibility, an automated system is proposed as a conceptual all-in-one system. Finally, a “proof-of-concept” model developed with the help of students at different educational levels is presented.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2021.749494","authors":["Frédéric Foucher","N. Bost","S. Janiec","Aïcha Fonte","Nicole Le Breton","Pascal Perron","Michel Bouquin","Frank Lebas","Michel Viso","Pascale Chazalnoël","F. Courtade","Michel Villenave","Francès Westall"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Petrography","Extraterrestrial life","Thin section","Martian"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-09-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2021.749494","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W3097085457","name":"Donwilhelmsite, [CaAl4Si2O11], a new lunar high-pressure Ca-Al-silicate with relevance for subducted terrestrial sediments","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We report on the occurrence of a new high-pressure Ca-Al-silicate in localized shock melt pockets found in the feldspatic lunar meteorite Oued Awlitis 001 and discuss the implications of our discovery. The new mineral crystallized as tiny, micrometer-sized, acicular grains in shock melt pockets of roughly anorthitic bulk composition. Transmission electron microscopy based three-dimensional electron diffraction (3D ED) reveals that the CaAl4Si2O11 crystals are identical to the calcium aluminum silicate (CAS) phase first reported from static pressure experiments. The new mineral has a hexagonal structure, with a space group of P63/mmc and lattice parameters of a = 5.42(1) Å; c = 12.70(3) Å; V = 323(4) Å3; Z = 2. This is the first time 3D ED was applied to structure determination of an extraterrestrial mineral. The International Mineralogical Association (IMA) has approved this naturally formed CAS phase as the new mineral “donwilhelmsite” [CaAl4Si2O11], honoring the U.S. lunar geologist Don E. Wilhelms. On the Moon, donwilhelmsite can form from the primordial feldspathic crust during impact cratering events. In the feldspatic lunar meteorite Oued Awlitis 001, needles of donwilhelmsite crystallized in ~200 mm sized shock melt pockets of anorthositic-like chemical composition. These melt pockets quenched within milliseconds during declining shock pressures. Shock melt pockets in meteorites serve as natural crucibles mimicking the conditions expected in the Earth's mantle. Donwilhelmsite forms in the Earth's mantle during deep recycling of aluminous crustal materials, and is a key host for Al and Ca of subducted sediments in most of the transition zone and the uppermost lower mantle (460–700 km). Donwilhelmsite bridges the gap between kyanite and the Ca-component of clinopyroxene at low pressures and the Al-rich Ca-ferrite phase and Ca-perovskite at high-pressures. In ascending buoyant mantle plumes, at about 460 km depth, donwilhelmsite is expected to break down into minerals such as garnet, kyanite, and clinopyroxene. This process may trigger minor partial melting, releasing a range of incompatible minor and trace elements and contributing to the enriched mantle (EM1 and EM2) components associated with subducted sedimentary lithologies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2020-7393","authors":["Jörg Fritz","A. Greshake","Mariana Klementová","Richard Wirth","Lukáš Palatinus","Reidar G. Trønnes","V. A. Fernandes","Ute Böttger","L. Ferrière"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Shock metamorphism","Silicate","Mantle (geology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-04-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2020-7393","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W3180485808","name":"Halogens in Eclogite Facies Minerals from the Western Gneiss Region, Norway","source":"openalex","abstract":"Ultra-high-pressure (UHP) eclogites and ultramafites and associated fluid inclusions from the Western Gneiss Region, Norwegian Caledonides, have been analysed for F, Cl, Br and I using electron-probe micro-analysis, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry and neutron-irradiated noble gas mass spectrometry. Textures of multi-phase and fluid inclusions in the cores of silicate grains indicate formation during growth of the host crystal at UHP. Halogens are predominantly hosted by fluid inclusions with a minor component from mineral inclusions such as biotite, phengite, amphibole and apatite. The reconstructed fluid composition contains between 11.3 and 12.1 wt% Cl, 870 and 8900 ppm Br and 6 and 169 ppm I. F/Cl ratios indicate efficient fractionation of F from Cl by hydrous mineral crystallisation. Heavy halogen ratios are higher than modern seawater by up to two orders of magnitude for Br/Cl and up to three orders of magnitude for I/Cl. No correlation exists between Cl and Br or I, while Br and I show good correlation, suggesting that Cl behaved differently to Br and I during subduction. Evolution to higher Br/Cl ratios is similar to trends defined by eclogitic hydration reactions and seawater evaporation, indicating preferential removal of Cl from the fluid during UHP metamorphism. This study, by analogy, offers a field model for an alternative source (continental crust) and mechanism (metasomatism by partial melts or supercritical fluids) by which halogens may be transferred to and stored in the sub-continental lithospheric mantle during transient subduction of a continental margin.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min11070760","authors":["Lewis Hughes","Simon Cuthbert","Alex Quas-Cohen","L. Ruzié","Alison Pawley","G. T. R. Droop","I. C. Lyon","Romain Tartèse","R. Burgess"],"tags":["Geology","Geochemistry","Eclogite","Fluid inclusions","Gneiss"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-07-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min11070760","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4386414129","name":"Mineral surface-catalyzed oxidation of Mn(II) by bromate: Implications for the occurrence of Mn oxides on Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2023.08.028","authors":["Ke Wen","Peng Yang","Mengqiang Zhu"],"tags":["Goethite","Bromate","Hematite","Chemistry","Inorganic chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2023.08.028","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4386228961","name":"Advances in Analysis of the Fe-Ni-Co Alloy and Iron-Bearing Minerals in Meteorites by Mössbauer Spectroscopy with a High Velocity Resolution","source":"openalex","abstract":"Meteorites are the space messengers bringing us the unique information about the Solar System formation and evolution as well as about the effects of various extreme space conditions on meteorites and their parent bodies. The main iron-bearing compounds in meteorites are Fe-Ni-Co alloy, olivine (Fe, Mg)2SiO4, orthopyroxene (Fe, Mg)SiO3, clinopyroxene (Ca, Fe, Mg)SiO3, troilite FeS, chromite FeCr2O4, hercynite FeAl2O4, ilmenite FeTiO3, daubréelite FeCr2S4, schreibersite (Fe, Ni)3P and some other compounds. Therefore, 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy was successfully applied for the analyses of various meteorites for about 60 years of experience. The development of Mössbauer spectrometers with a high velocity resolution, i.e., with a high discretization of the velocity reference signal up to 212, provides much better adjustment to resonance and significantly increases the spectra quality and analytical possibilities of Mössbauer spectroscopy. In fact, this permits us to decompose the complex Mössbauer spectra of meteorites using the larger number of spectral components related to reliable compounds in comparison with the results obtained using conventional Mössbauer spectrometers with discretization of the velocity reference signal up to 29. In the present review we consider the results and advances of various meteorites analyses by means of Mössbauer spectroscopy with a high velocity resolution.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min13091126","authors":["Michael V. Goryunov","A. A. Maksimova","М. И. Оштрах"],"tags":["Meteorite","Mössbauer spectroscopy","Troilite","Analytical Chemistry (journal)","Spectroscopy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-08-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min13091126","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W561165485","name":"A Review of Photography of the Earth from Sounding Rockets and Satellites","source":"openalex","abstract":"This paper reviews the methods and recent results of hyperaltitude photography, o r space photography (pictures taken from space), of the earth, and discusses the potential applications and problems of space photography.Stress is placed on pictures of the earth's surface rather than cloud cover.Numerous pictures have been taken from sounding rockets, chiefly Vikings and Aerobees, launched from White Sands Proving Ground, New Mexico, and Fort Churchill, Manitoba.These photographs include a large number of infrared pictures, taken on 4 x 5 inch film with a 25A filter, which are among the most useful for terrain analysis.In those infrared pictures taken from altitudes of 65 to 158 mi. the average scale ranges from 1:820,000 to 1:1,700,000 and the useful coverage per photograph from 2700 to 43,000 square miles.Several score color pictures have been taken on Mercury flights with 35mm and 70mm cameras.The areas photographed include northern and central Africa, Florida, the Bahamas, the Middle East, and southern Asia.Many a r e of excellent quality and useful for geological and meteorological study.The potential uses of space photography of the earth, based on its uniquely great synoptic areal coverage, include: (1) geologic mapping, (2) topographic mapping, (3) forest cover mapping, (4) icepack and iceberg monitoring, (5) hydrologic studies, (6) supplemental information for meteorological television satellites, (7) oceanographic studies, and (8) supplemental data for conventional aerial photography by the use of long focal length cameras.The potential extraterrestrial uses of space photography lie in the photographic reconnaissance of the moon and planets by fly-by probes and in the interpretation of future and presently available pictures of the planets.The chief problem a r e a s of space photography include: (1) delineation of specific uses, (2) determination of the best operational methods, (3) development of specialized cameras and Jilrpij, Ifa (4) development of interpretation techniques, and (5) clarification of legal problems.","url":"https://openalex.org/W561165485","authors":["Paul D. Lowman"],"tags":["Remote sensing","Earth (classical element)","Photography","Astrobiology","Depth sounding"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1964-12-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2079561904","name":"Solar radiative effects of a Saharan dust plume observed during SAMUM assuming spheroidal model particles","source":"openalex","abstract":"The solar optical properties of Saharan mineral dust observed during the Saharan Mineral Dust Experiment (SAMUM) were explored based on measured size-number distributions and chemical composition. The size-resolved complex refractive index of the dust was derived with real parts of 1.51–1.55 and imaginary parts of 0.0008–0.006 at 550 nm wavelength. At this spectral range a single scattering albedo ωo and an asymmetry parameter g of about 0.8 were derived. These values were largely determined by the presence of coarse particles. Backscatter coefficients and lidar ratios calculated with Mie theory (spherical particles) were not found to be in agreement with independently measured lidar data. Obviously the measured Saharan mineral dust particles were of non-spherical shape. With the help of these lidar and sun photometer measurements the particle shape as well as the spherical equivalence were estimated. It turned out that volume equivalent oblate spheroids with an effective axis ratio of 1:1.6 matched these data best. This aspect ratio was also confirmed by independent single particle analyses using a scanning electron microscope. In order to perform the non-spherical computations, a database of single particle optical properties was assembled for oblate and prolate spheroidal particles. These data were also the basis for simulating the non-sphericity effects on the dust optical properties: ωo is influenced by up to a magnitude of only 1% andg is diminished by up to 4% assuming volume equivalent oblate spheroids with an axis ratio of 1:1.6 instead of spheres. Changes in the extinction optical depth are within 3.5%. Non-spherical particles affect the downwelling radiative transfer close to the bottom of the atmosphere, however, they significantly enhance the backscattering towards the top of the atmosphere: Compared to Mie theory the particle non-sphericity leads to forced cooling of the Earth-atmosphere system in the solar spectral range for both dust over ocean and desert.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0889.2008.00389.x","authors":["Sebastian Otto","Eike Bierwirth","Bernadett Weinzierl","Konrad Kandler","Michael Esselborn","Matthias Tesche","A. Schladitz","Manfred Wendisch","Thomas Trautmann"],"tags":["Sphericity","Single-scattering albedo","Radiative transfer","Lidar","Wavelength"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-12-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0889.2008.00389.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2252617416","name":"An apatite for progress: Inclusions in zircon and titanite constrain petrogenesis and provenance","source":"openalex","abstract":"Apatite has recently gained considerable attention as a mineral with many uses within the Earth and planetary sciences. Apatite chemistry has recently given new insight into a wide range of geological processes and tools, for example, magmatism, metasomatism, planetary geochemistry, and geochronology. We expand the utility of apatite here by presenting a novel way to fingerprint magma chemistry and petrogenesis using apatite inclusions within robust titanite and zircon. We present trace element data from apatite mineral inclusions shielded within magmatic zircon and titanite. Importantly, apatite inclusion and host titanite chemistries detailed in this study allow estimation of the whole-rock Sr and SiO 2 . We show how these data can be used to assess the degree of fractionation of the host magma and to calculate key trace element abundances and ratios. We demonstrate that the inclusions can be linked to discrete periods in the crystallization history of the host phases, thus providing insight into petrogenesis. The results highlight that apatite compositions might discriminate modern granitoids (younger than 2.5 Ga) from Archean-Proterozoic transitional granitoid compositions (sanukitoid signatures). Development of such a petrological tool has important potential for interpretation of provenance and a better understanding of the secular evolution of the continental crust, including that of early Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/g37301.1","authors":["Emilie Bruand","Craig Storey","Mike Fowler"],"tags":["Titanite","Petrogenesis","Zircon","Geology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-01-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1130/g37301.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2883998750","name":"Mineralizations and transition metal mobility driven by organic carbon during low-temperature serpentinization","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2018.07.022","authors":["Bénédicte Ménèz","Valerio Pasini","François Guyot","Karim Benzerara","Sylvain Bernard","Daniele Brunelli"],"tags":["Geology","Hydrothermal circulation","Mantle (geology)","Crust","Total organic carbon"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-07-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2018.07.022","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4288084863","name":"Multi-elemental compound-specific isotope analysis of pesticides for source identification and monitoring of degradation in soil: a review","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-022-01489-8","authors":["Patrick Höhener","Delphine Guers","Laure Malleret","Ouassim Boukaroum","Fabrice Martin‐Laurent","Jérémy Masbou","Sylvain Payraudeau","Gwenaël Imfeld"],"tags":["Pesticide","Environmental chemistry","Isotope analysis","Fractionation","Soil water"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-022-01489-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4213045350","name":"Environmental crises at the Permian–Triassic mass extinction","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-021-00259-4","authors":["Jacopo Dal Corso","Haijun Song","Sara Callegaro","Daoliang Chu","Yadong Sun","Jason Hilton","Stephen E. Grasby","Michael M. Joachimski","Paul B. Wignall"],"tags":["Extinction event","Permian","Permian–Triassic extinction event","Geology","Early Triassic"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-02-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-021-00259-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W1921090866","name":"The discovery of new mineral species and type minerals from Brazil","source":"openalex","abstract":"Minerals were seen merely as sources of chemicals: iron ore, copper ore, etc. However, minerals are not just chemicals associations, since they display crystal structures. These two features together provide properties that can be technologically useful. Even though a mineral occurs in very small amount, which does not allow its extraction, it can serve as a model for obtaining the synthetic analogue on an industrial scale. It is necessary that a new-mineral proposal be submitted for approval by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification (CNMNC) of the International Mineralogical Association (IMA) before publication. Only 65 valid mineral species were first described from Brazil, that is, the type minerals from Brazil. Nineteen of these were published between 1789 and 1959 (0.11 per year). From 1959, when the CNMMN (today CNMNC) - IMA was established, to 2000, 18 approved Brazilian mineral species remain valid (0.43 per year). However, the number of type minerals from Brazil approved in the last 15 years (2000 to 2014) was substantially increased: 28 (1.87 per year). This number is very small considering the wide range of Brazilian geological environments. The two first type species from Brazil, discovered in the 18th century, chrysoberyl and euclase, are important gemological minerals. Two other gem minerals, tourmaline-supergroup members, were published only in the 21st century: uvite and fluor-elbaite. Some type minerals from Brazil are very important technologically speaking. Some examples are menezesite, coutinhoite, lindbergite, pauloabibite, and waimirite-(Y).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1590/23174889201500010011","authors":["Daniel Atencio"],"tags":["Mineral","Tourmaline","Geology","Geochemistry","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1590/23174889201500010011","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2137621063","name":"Cosmic ray tracks in chondritic material with focus on silicate mineral inclusions in chromite","source":"openalex","abstract":"It has been suggested that the cosmic ray flux varies as Earth moves relative to the spiral arms in the galaxy. However, no satisfying record over the cosmic ray flux over long time scales has been presented. This work aims to investigate the possibility to use cosmic ray tracks in silicate mineral inclusions in sediment-dispersed extraterrestrial chromite (SEC) grains as such a record. Chromite is the only common meteoritic mineral that survives on Earth for hundreds of millions of years. SEC grains, interpreted as parts of micrometeorites, have successfully been used as a proxy for the flux of chondritic material to Earth. Chromite is slightly conductive and does not record nuclear tracks. However, two-thirds of chondritic chromite grains contain inclusions of silicate minerals which do register tracks. To test etching techniques and learn more about tracks and their appearance, terrestrial apatite in thin sections of granite were etched for fission tracks, and olivine, pyroxene and merrillite in thin sections of meteorites were etched for cosmic ray tracks. Large (~40 μm) inclusions of pyroxene in chromite from a recent meteorite (Kernouvé, H6) were etched for cosmic ray tracks and such tracks were found in one of the inclusions. Hence, it is here shown that cosmic rays can penetrate chromite and register tracks in inclusions in chromite grains. Inclusions of olivine and plagioclase in four SEC grains from mid-Ordovician (470 Ma) sediments were etched for tracks; however, no tracks were found. It is concluded that it is likely that cosmic ray tracks could be found in inclusions in fossil SEC grains, but that several factors have to work together for such tracks to be found. The track studies in mineral grains in recent meteorites and inclusions of pyroxene in chromite from recent meteorites showed that inclusions have to be large (preferably ≥ 30 μm) and largely unaffected by other defects if cosmic ray tracks are to be found. Crucial is also that the inclusions have been subjected to cosmic rays for enough time to make track recording probable and that tracks were not annealed during atmospheric entry or later during their history on Earth.","url":"https://openalex.org/W2137621063","authors":["M. E. I. Riebe"],"tags":["Chromite","Meteorite","Geology","Cosmic ray","Olivine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W1873950513","name":"Origins of halophilic microorganisms in ancient salt deposits","source":"openalex","abstract":"The past decade has seen a rekindling of interest in microorganisms isolated from ancient evaporites. From a practical point of view, there is concern that viable microbial communities in salt deposits could lead to biodeterioration of containers holding toxic and nuclear waste. Additionally, many studies have focused on understanding the origins of halophilic microorganisms from rock salt, in particular the haloarchaea. A most intriguing question is whether these halophiles are the descendants of populations that became trapped in salt when the evaporites formed millions of years ago. If this was the case, then we need to explain how they have been surviving or even thriving in their salty subterranean world. The discovery of life in evaporites has, in turn, resulted in similar environments on Mars and Europa being considered as targets in which to seek extraterrestrial life. In this review, we consider the evidence for and against long-term survival of halophilic microorganisms in ancient salt deposits. Although NaCl is the main salt in nearly all hypersaline waters, the ionic composition of inland saline lakes can vary considerably depending largely on the surrounding geology. For example, the Dead Sea is enriched in Mg2+ and Ca2+, which in turn influences the microbial flora ( Oren, 1988). The salinity of sea water varies slightly across the globe (e.g. 34–36 g l−1 in the Pacific), and its composition appears to have been stable over 2 billion years, although this is still a matter of debate ( Schreiber, 1986). Most hypersaline environments are derived from the evaporation of sea water, encouraged by restricted flow, high temperatures, low rainfall, low humidity and high wind speed. It takes ≈ 1000 m depth of sea water (35 g l−1) to produce 14 m of evaporites, most of which would be halite ( Schreiber, 1986). Given that some halite beds are several hundred metres thick and that about one-quarter of the land mass is underlain by evaporites ( Blatt et al., 1980 ), it is clear that hypersaline environments have been significant reservoirs for the long-term evolution of specifically adapted microorganisms. During certain geological periods, such as the Permian, extremely saline seas were much more extensive than today ( Javor, 1989). Organisms from the three domains of life have adapted to grow in high-salt environments but, as the concentration of salt increases, the overall diversity of physiological groups decreases ( Oren, 1999). Some physiological groups, such as nitrifiers, appear to be absent at salt concentrations above 15% (w/v), probably because their dissimilatory metabolism results in only a small amount of energy, and the extra energetic costs imposed by having to produce compatible solutes makes the process unfavourable ( Oren, 1999). This, however, does not mean that hypersaline environments are nutrient poor. In most cases, quite the opposite is true – evaporation results in the concentration of nutrients as well as salts. Sonnenfeld (1984) cites many examples of increased organic carbon, productivity and heterotrophic activity in hypersaline lagoons. The haloarchaea (order Halobacteriales, also called halobacteria) have typical archaeal characteristics such as ether-linked lipids. They have an obligate requirement for high salt concentrations and are generally unable to grow in less than 10% (w/v) salt. The osmotic pressure of surrounding brines is balanced by the accumulation of K+ ions inside their cells. As a consequence, the biochemistry of haloarchaea is specifically adapted and reliant on high salt concentrations ( Oren, 1999). To date, there are 14 genera of haloarchaea ( Fig. 1), reflecting their considerable ecophysiological diversity. For example, some species require high pHs for growth, whereas others need high concentrations of magnesium, largely reflecting adaptation to the environment in which they live ( Oren, 1994). Phylogeny of haloarchaea isolated from salt deposits (bold) based on 16S rRNA ","url":"https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1462-2920.2000.00105.x","authors":["Terry J. McGenity","Renia T. Gemmell","William D. Grant","Helga Stan‐Lotter"],"tags":["Biology","Halophile","Microorganism","Salt (chemistry)","Salt lake"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1462-2920.2000.00105.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W3123226753","name":"Catalytic/Protective Properties of Martian Minerals and Implications for Possible Origin of Life on Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Minerals might have played critical roles for the origin and evolution of possible life forms on Mars. The study of the interactions between “building blocks of life” and minerals relevant to Mars mineralogy under conditions mimicking the harsh Martian environment may provide key insight into possible prebiotic processes. Therefore, this contribution aims at reviewing the most important investigations carried out so far about the catalytic/protective properties of Martian minerals toward molecular biosignatures under Martian-like conditions. Overall, it turns out that the fate of molecular biosignatures on Mars depends on a delicate balance between multiple preservation and degradation mechanisms often regulated by minerals, which may take place simultaneously. Such a complexity requires more efforts in simulating realistically the Martian environment in order to better inspect plausible prebiotic pathways and shed light on the nature of the organic compounds detected both in meteorites and on the surface of Mars through in situ analysis.","url":"https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints201810.0183.v1","authors":["Teresa Fornaro","A. Steele","J. R. Brucato"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Life on Mars","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-10-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints201810.0183.v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2791030491","name":"d -Amino acids in molecular evolution in space – Absolute asymmetric photolysis and synthesis of amino acids by circularly polarized light","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbapap.2018.01.004","authors":["Haruna Sugahara","Cornelia Meinert","Laurent Nahon","Nykola C. Jones","Søren Vrønning Hoffmann","Kenji Hamase","Yoshinori Takano","Uwe J. Meierhenrich"],"tags":["Photodissociation","Amino acid","Space (punctuation)","Absolute (philosophy)","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-01-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbapap.2018.01.004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2135035123","name":"Race and IQ: A Theory-Based Review of the Research in Richard Nisbett - s Intelligence and How to Get It","source":"openalex","abstract":"We provide a detailed review of data from psychology, genetics, and neuroscience in a point-counterpoint format to enable readers to identify the merits and demerits of each side of the debate over whether the culture-only (0% genetic- 100% environmental) or nature + nurture model (50% genetic-50% environmental) best explains mean ethnic group differences in intelligence test scores: Jewish (mean IQ = 113), East Asian (106), White (100), Hispanic (90), South Asian (87), African American (85), and sub-Saharan African (70). We juxtapose Richard Nisbett ’ s position, expressed in his book Intelligence and How to Get It , with our own, to examine his thesis that cultural factors alone are sufficient to explain the differences and that the nature + nurture model we have presented over the last 40 years is unnecessary. We review the evidence in 14 topics of contention: (1) data to be explained; (2) malleability of IQ test scores; (3) cultureloaded versus g-loaded tests; (4) stereotype threat, caste, and “X” factors; (5) reaction-time measures; (6) within-race heritability; (7) between-race heritability; (8) sub-Saharan African IQ scores; (9) race differences in brain size; (10) sex differences in brain size; (11) trans-racial adoption studies; (12) racial admixture studies; (13) regression to the mean effects; and (14) human origins research and life-history traits. We conclude that the preponderance of evidence demonstrates that in intelligence, brain size, and other life history traits, East Asians average higher than do Europeans who average higher do South Asians, African Americans, or sub-Saharan Africans. The group differences are between 50 and 80% heritable.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2174/1874350101003010009","authors":["J. Philippe Rushton","Arthur R. Jensen"],"tags":["Nature versus nurture","Psychology","Galton's problem","Intelligence quotient","Ethnic group"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-01-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2174/1874350101003010009","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4220848528","name":"Tennantite-(Cu), Cu12As4S13, from Layo, Arequipa Department, Peru: a new addition to the tetrahedrite-group minerals","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Tennantite-(Cu), Cu12As4S13, was approved as a new mineral species from the Layo epithermal deposit, Castilla Province, Arequipa Department, Peru, where it occurs as black metallic anhedral grains, up to 0.1 mm across, replacing enargite and associated with chalcopyrite and vinciennite. In reflected light, tennantite-(Cu) is isotropic, grey with a bluish shade. Reflectance data for the four COM wavelengths in air are [λ (nm): R (%)]: 470: 29.1; 546: 28.4; 589: 27.4; and 650: 25.0. Electron microprobe analysis for holotype material gave (in wt.% – average of 10 spot analyses): Cu 49.32(27), Fe 2.20(12), Zn 0.09(2), Sn 0.03(5), As 19.45(43), Sb 1.94(10), Te 0.02(5), S 27.75(43), total 100.80(20). On the basis of (As + Sb + Te) = 4 atoms per formula unit (apfu), the empirical formula of tennantite-(Cu) is (Cu11.27Fe0.57Zn0.02)Σ11.86(As3.77Sb0.23)Σ4.00S12.57. Tennantite-(Cu) is cubic, I $\\overline 4$ 3m, with unit-cell parameters a = 10.1710(10) Å, V = 1052.2(2) Å3 and Z = 2. Its crystal structure was refined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction data to a final R1 = 0.0178 on the basis of 263 unique reflections with Fo > 4σ(Fo) and 24 refined parameters. Tennantite-(Cu) is isotypic with other tetrahedrite-group minerals. Previous findings of tennantite-(Cu) are reported and some nomenclature issues, related to the Fe and Cu oxidation states, are discussed. At the Layo epithermal deposit, tennantite-(Cu) is the result of the replacement of enargite under decreasing $f_{{\\rm S}_ 2}$ conditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1180/mgm.2022.26","authors":["Cristian Biagioni","Jiří Sejkora","Yves Moëlo","Éric Marcoux","Daniela Mauro","Zdeněk Dolníček"],"tags":["Tetrahedrite","Chemistry","Chalcopyrite","Crystallography","Pleochroism"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1180/mgm.2022.26","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W3125295120","name":"Extraterrestrial Amino Acids in the Almahata Sitta Meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Amino acid analysis of a meteorite fragment of asteroid 2008 TC(sub 3) called Almahata Sitta was carried out using reverse-phase high-perfo rmance liquid chromatography coupled with UV fluorescence detection a nd time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-FD/ToF-MS) as part of a sam ple analysis consortium. HPLC analyses of hot-water extracts from the meteorite revealed a complex distribution of two- to six-carbon aliph atic amino acids and one- to three carbon amines with abundances rang ing from 0.5 to 149 parts-per-billion (ppb). The enantiomeric ratios of the amino acids alanine, Beta-amino-n-butyric acid (Beta-ABA), 2-amino-2- methylbutanoic acid (isovaline), and 2-aminopentanoic acid (no rvaline) in the meteorite were racemic (D/L approximately 1), indicat ing that these amino acids are indigenous to the meteorite and not te rrestrial contaminants. Several other non-protein amino acids were also identified in the meteorite above background levels including alpha -aminoisobutyric acid (alpha-AIB), 4-amino-2- methybutanoic acid, 4-a mino-3-methylbutanoic acid, and 3-, 4-, and 5-aminopentanoic acid. Th e total abundances of isovaline and AlB in Almahata Sitta are approximately 1000 times lower than the abundances of these amino acids found in the CM carbonaceous meteorite Murchison. The extremely love abund ances and unusual distribution of five carbon amino acids in Almahata Sitta compared to Cl, CM, and CR carbonaceous meteorites and may be due to extensive thermal alteration of amino acids on the parent aster oid by partial melting during formation or impact shock heating.","url":"https://openalex.org/W3125295120","authors":["D. P. Glavin","A. D. Aubrey","Michael P. Callahan","Jason P. Dworkin","Jamie E. Elsila","Eric T. Parker","J. L. Bada"],"tags":["Meteorite","Extraterrestrial life","Astrobiology","Biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-03-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2346801628","name":"Lithification Mechanisms for Planetary Regoliths: The Glue that Binds","source":"openalex","abstract":"It is understood how rocks are made on Earth. However, on the Moon, Mercury, and, to a lesser extent, Mars and Venus, there are distinct rock-forming processes that we do not fully comprehend. The surfaces and crusts of the inner planetary bodies may retain a history of disruption by hypervelocity impact resulting in the generation of disaggregated materials to several kilometers depth. The uppermost component of this is called regolith (typically <20 m thick on the Moon), which is part of a more extensive megaregolith that is up to tens of kilometers thick, and which in places may pervade the entire crust of a planetary body. It is from these pulverized materials that new rocks are reaggregated to form so-called breccias. This work reviews regolith and megaregolith structure for the inner planetary bodies and investigates how extraterrestrial breccias are produced. Three principal formation mechanisms are explored: thermal sintering, shock sintering, and the dynamic interaction of impact-generated melt with fragmental material.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-earth-060115-012203","authors":["J. G. Spray"],"tags":["Regolith","Astrobiology","Geology","Lithification","Mars Exploration Program"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-05-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-earth-060115-012203","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2550432794","name":"Melting and differentiation of early-formed asteroids: The perspective from high precision oxygen isotope studies","source":"openalex","abstract":"A number of distinct methodologies are available for determining the oxygen isotope composition of minerals and rocks, these include laser-assisted fluorination, secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and UV laser ablation. In this review we focus on laser-assisted fluorination, which currently achieves the highest levels of precision available for oxygen isotope analysis. In particular, we examine how results using this method have furthered our understanding of early-formed differentiated meteorites. Due to its rapid reaction times and low blank levels, laser-assisted fluorination has now largely superseded the conventional externally-heated Ni “bomb” technique for bulk analysis. Unlike UV laser ablation and SIMS analysis, laser-assisted fluorination is not capable of focused spot analysis. While laser fluorination is now a mature technology, further analytical improvements are possible via refinements to the construction of sample chambers, clean-up lines and the use of ultra-high resolution mass spectrometers. High-precision oxygen isotope analysis has proved to be a particularly powerful technique for investigating the formation and evolution of early-formed differentiated asteroids and has provided unique insights into the interrelationships between various groups of achondrites. A clear example of this is seen in samples that lie close to the terrestrial fractionation line (TFL). Based on the data from conventional oxygen isotope analysis, it was suggested that the main-group pallasites, the howardite eucrite diogenite suite (HEDs) and mesosiderites could all be derived from a single common parent body. However, high precision analysis demonstrates that main-group pallasites have a Δ 17 O composition that is fully resolvable from that of the HEDs and mesosiderites, indicating the involvement of at least two parent bodies. The range of Δ 17 O values exhibited by an achondrite group provides a useful means of assessing the extent to which their parent body underwent melting and isotopic homogenization. Oxygen isotope analysis can also highlight relationships between ungrouped achondrites and the more well-populated groups. A clear example of this is the proposed link between the evolved GRA 06128/9 meteorites and the brachinites. The evidence from oxygen isotopes, in conjunction with that from other techniques, indicates that we have samples from approximately 110 asteroidal parent bodies (∼60 irons, ∼35 achondrites and stony-iron, and ∼15 chondrites) in our global meteorite collection. However, compared to the likely size of the original protoplanetary asteroid population, this is an extremely low value. In addition, almost all of the differentiated samples (achondrites, stony-iron and irons) are derived from parent bodies that were highly disrupted early in their evolution. High-precision oxygen isotope analysis of achondrites provides some important insights into the origin of mass-independent variation in the early Solar System. In particular, the evidence from various primitive achondrite groups indicates that both the slope 1 (Y&R) and CCAM lines are of primordial significance. Δ 17 O differences between water ice and silicate-rich solids were probably the initial source of the slope 1 anomaly. These phases most likely acquired their isotopic composition as a result of UV photo-dissociation of CO that took place either in the early solar nebula or precursor giant molecular cloud. Such small-scale isotopic heterogeneities were propagated into larger-sized bodies, such as asteroids and planets, as a result of early Solar System processes, including dehydration, aqueous alteration, melting and collisional interactions. There is increasing evidence that chondritic parent bodies accreted relatively late compared to achondritic asteroids. This may account for the fact that apart from a few notable exceptions’ such as the aubrite-enstatite chondrite association, known chondrite groups could not have been the parents to the","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemer.2016.09.005","authors":["R. C. Greenwood","T. H. Burbine","Martin F. Miller","I. A. Franchi"],"tags":["Meteorite","Laser ablation","Isotope analysis","Chemistry","Mass spectrometry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-11-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemer.2016.09.005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4200563559","name":"Preliminary analysis of the Hayabusa2 samples returned from C-type asteroid Ryugu","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract C-type asteroids 1 are considered to be primitive small Solar System bodies enriched in water and organics, providing clues to the origin and evolution of the Solar System and the building blocks of life. C-type asteroid 162173 Ryugu has been characterized by remote sensing 2–7 and on-asteroid measurements 8,9 with Hayabusa2 (ref. 10 ). However, the ground truth provided by laboratory analysis of returned samples is invaluable to determine the fine properties of asteroids and other planetary bodies. We report preliminary results of analyses on returned samples from Ryugu of the particle size distribution, density and porosity, spectral properties and textural properties, and the results of a search for Ca–Al-rich inclusions (CAIs) and chondrules. The bulk sample mainly consists of rugged and smooth particles of millimetre to submillimetre size, confirming that the physical and chemical properties were not altered during the return from the asteroid. The power index of its size distribution is shallower than that of the surface boulder observed on Ryugu 11 , indicating differences in the returned Ryugu samples. The average of the estimated bulk densities of Ryugu sample particles is 1,282 ± 231 kg m −3 , which is lower than that of meteorites 12 , suggesting a high microporosity down to the millimetre scale, extending centimetre-scale estimates from thermal measurements 5,9 . The extremely dark optical to near-infrared reflectance and spectral profile with weak absorptions at 2.7 and 3.4 μm imply a carbonaceous composition with indigenous aqueous alteration, matching the global average of Ryugu 3,4 and confirming that the sample is representative of the asteroid. Together with the absence of submillimetre CAIs and chondrules, these features indicate that Ryugu is most similar to CI chondrites but has lower albedo, higher porosity and more fragile characteristics.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-021-01550-6","authors":["Toru Yada","Masanao Abe","Tatsuaki Okada","Aiko Nakato","Kasumi Yogata","Akiko Miyazaki","Kentaro Hatakeda","Kazuya Kumagai","Masahiro Nishimura","Yuya Hitomi","Hiromichi Soejima","Miwa Yoshitake","Ayako Iwamae","Shizuho Furuya","Masayuki Uesugi","Yuzuru Karouji","Tomohiro Usui","Tasuku Hayashi","Daiki Yamamoto","Ryota Fukai","Seiji Sugita","Yuichiro Cho","Koki Yumoto","Yuna Yabe","Jean‐Pierre Bibring","C. Pilorget","Vincent Hamm","R. Brunetto","Lucie Riu","Lionel Lourit","D. Loizeau","Guillaume Lequertier","Aurélie Moussi‐Soffys","Shogo Tachibana","Hirotaka Sawada","Ryuji Okazaki","Yoshinori Takano","Kanako Sakamoto","Yayoi N. Miura","Hajime Yano","T. R. Ireland","Tetsuya Yamada","M. Fujimoto","K. Kitazato","Noriyuki Namiki","Masahiko Arakawa","Naru Hirata","Hisayoshi Yurimoto","Tomoki Nakamura","T. Noguchi","Hikaru Yabuta","Hiroshi Naraoka","Motoo Ito","Eizo Nakamura","Kentaro Uesugi","K. Kobayashi","Tatsuhiro Michikami","Hiroshi Kikuchi","Naoyuki Hirata","Yoshiaki Ishihara","Koji Matsumoto","Hirotomo Noda","Rina Noguchi","Yuri Shimaki","K. Shirai","Kazunori Ogawa","Koji Wada","Hiroki Senshu","Yukio Yamamoto","Tomokatsu Morota","Rie Honda","Chikatoshi Honda","Y. Yokota","M. Matsuoka","Naoya Sakatani","Eri Tatsumi","Akira Miura","Manabu Yamada","Atsushi Fujii","Chikako Hirose","S Hosoda","Hitoshi Ikeda","Takahiro Iwata","Shota Kikuchi","Yuya Mimasu","Osamu Mori","Naoko Ogawa","Go Ono","Takanobu Shimada","Stefania Soldini","T. Takahashi","Yuto Takei","Hiroshi Takeuchi","Ryudo Tsukizaki","Kent Yoshikawa","Fuyuto Terui","Satoru Nakazawa","Satoshi Tanaka","Takanao Saiki","Makoto Yoshikawa"],"tags":["Asteroid","Meteorite","Solar System","Porosity","Spectral index"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-12-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-021-01550-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4220826434","name":"Protocells: Milestones and Recent Advances","source":"openalex","abstract":"The origin of life is still one of humankind's great mysteries. At the transition between nonliving and living matter, protocells, initially featureless aggregates of abiotic matter, gain the structure and functions necessary to fulfill the criteria of life. Research addressing protocells as a central element in this transition is diverse and increasingly interdisciplinary. The authors review current protocell concepts and research directions, address milestones, challenges and existing hypotheses in the context of conditions on the early Earth, and provide a concise overview of current protocell research methods.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202106624","authors":["İrep Gözen","Elif Senem Köksal","Inga Põldsalu","Lin Xue","Karolína Spustová","Esteban Pedrueza‐Villalmanzo","Ruslan Ryskulov","Fanda Meng","Aldo Jesorka"],"tags":["Protocell","Nanotechnology","Astrobiology","Computer science","Systems engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202106624","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4296799572","name":"Formation and evolution of carbonaceous asteroid Ryugu: Direct evidence from returned samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"Samples of the carbonaceous asteroid Ryugu were brought to Earth by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft. We analyzed 17 Ryugu samples measuring 1 to 8 millimeters. Carbon dioxide-bearing water inclusions are present within a pyrrhotite crystal, indicating that Ryugu's parent asteroid formed in the outer Solar System. The samples contain low abundances of materials that formed at high temperatures, such as chondrules and calcium- and aluminum-rich inclusions. The samples are rich in phyllosilicates and carbonates, which formed through aqueous alteration reactions at low temperature, high pH, and water/rock ratios of <1 (by mass). Less altered fragments contain olivine, pyroxene, amorphous silicates, calcite, and phosphide. Numerical simulations, based on the mineralogical and physical properties of the samples, indicate that Ryugu's parent body formed ~2 million years after the beginning of Solar System formation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abn8671","authors":["Tomoki Nakamura","Megumi Matsumoto","Kana Amano","Yuma Enokido","M. E. Zolensky","T. Mikouchi","Hidenori Genda","Satoshi Tanaka","M. Yu. Zolotov","Kosuke Kurosawa","Shigeru Wakita","Ryuki Hyodo","Hosei Nagano","D. Nakashima","Yoshio Takahashi","Yuri Fujioka","Mizuha Kikuiri","Eiichi Kagawa","M. Matsuoka","A. J. Brearley","A. Tsuchiyama","Masayuki Uesugi","Junya Matsuno","Yuki Kimura","Masahiko Sato","R. E. Milliken","Eri Tatsumi","Seiji Sugita","T. Hiroi","K. Kitazato","D. E. Brownlee","D. J. Joswiak","Masaki Takahashi","Kazuhiko Ninomiya","Tadayuki Takahashi","Takahito Osawa","Kentaro Terada","Frank E. Brenker","B. J. Tkalcec","László Vincze","R. Brunetto","Alice Aléon‐Toppani","Q. H. S. Chan","Mathieu Roskosz","Jean‐Christophe Viennet","Pierre Beck","E. E. Alp","Tatsuhiro Michikami","Yuuya Nagaashi","Takeshi Tsuji","Yuta Ino","J. Martinez","J. Han","Andrei Dolocan","Robert J. Bodnar","M. Tanaka","Hideto Yoshida","K. Sugiyama","A. J. King","Keisuke Fukushi","Hiroki Suga","Shohei Yamashita","T. Kawai","Kumiko Inoue","Aiko Nakato","T. Noguchi","F. Vilas","Amanda Hendrix","Camilo Jaramillo","D. L. Domingue","G. Domínguez","Z. Gainsforth","C. Engrand","J. Duprat","S. S. Russell","Enrica Bonato","Chi Ma","Tatsuhiko Kawamoto","Takehiko Wada","Sei‐ichiro Watanabe","Rie Endo","Satomi Enju","Lucie Riu","Stefano Rubino","Pieter Tack","Soshi Takeshita","Yasuo Takeichi","Akihisa Takeuchi","Aki Takigawa","D. Takir","Toshiaki Tanigaki","Atsushi Taniguchi","Katsuo Tsukamoto","Takashi Yagi","S. Yamada","Kazuo Yamamoto","Yuichiro Yamashita","Masahiro Yasutake","Kentaro Uesugi","Izumi Umegaki"],"tags":["Calcite","Asteroid","Pyroxene","Parent body","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-09-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abn8671","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W3083529435","name":"Correction of Secondary Fluorescence Across Phase Boundaries in Electron Probe Microanalysis of Mineral Inclusions","source":"openalex","abstract":"One of the limiting factors for the analysis of minor elements in multiphase materials by electron probe microanalysis is the effect of secondary fluorescence (SF), which is not accounted for by matrix corrections. Although the apparent concentration due to SF can be calculated numerically or measured experimentally, detailed investigations of this effect for fine-grained materials are scarce. In this work, we use the Monte Carlo simulation program PENEPMA to examine and correct the effect of SF affecting micron-sized mineral inclusions hosted by other minerals. A concentration profile across an olivine [(Mg,Fe)2SiO4] inclusion in chromite (Fe2+Cr2O4) is measured and used to assess the reliability of calculations, where different boundary geometries are examined. Three application examples are presented, which include the determination of Cr in olivine and serpentine [Mg3Si2O5(OH)4] inclusions hosted by chromite and of Fe in quartz (SiO2) inclusions hosted by almandine garnet (Fe3Al2Si3O12). Our results show that neglecting SF leads to concentrations that are overestimated by ~0.1–0.8 wt%, depending on inclusion size. In addition, assuming a straight boundary yields to an underestimation of SF effects by a factor of ~2–4. Because its long-range nature, SF severely compromises trace element analyses even for phases as large as 1 mm in size.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1431927620024393","authors":["Xavier Llovet","Joaquín A. Proenza","Núria Pujol-Solà","Júlia Farré-de-Pablo","Marc Campeny"],"tags":["Electron probe microanalysis","Microanalysis","Mineral","Analytical Chemistry (journal)","Phase (matter)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-09-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1431927620024393","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2753688702","name":"Intermineral oxygen three‐isotope systematics of silicate minerals in equilibrated ordinary chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract High‐precision oxygen three‐isotope ratios were measured for four mineral phases (olivine, low‐Ca and high‐Ca pyroxene, and plagioclase) in equilibrated ordinary chondrites (EOCs) using a secondary ion mass spectrometer. Eleven EOCs were studied that cover all groups (H, L, LL) and petrologic types (4, 5, 6), including S1–S4 shock stages, as well as unbrecciated and brecciated meteorites. SIMS analyses of multiple minerals were made in close proximity (mostly <100 μm) from several areas in each meteorite thin section, to evaluate isotope exchange among minerals. Oxygen isotope ratios in each mineral become more homogenized as petrologic type increases with the notable exception of brecciated samples. In type 4 chondrites, oxygen isotope ratios of olivine and low‐Ca pyroxene are heterogeneous in both δ18O and Δ17O, showing similar systematics to those in type 3 chondrites. In type 5 and 6 chondrites, oxygen isotope ratios of the four mineral phases plot along mass‐dependent fractionation lines that are consistent with the bulk average Δ17O of each chondrite group. The δ18O of three minerals, low‐Ca and high‐Ca pyroxene and plagioclase, are consistent with equilibrium fractionation at temperatures of 700–1000 °C. In most cases the δ18O values of olivine are higher than those expected from pyroxene and plagioclase, suggesting partial retention of premetamorphic values due to slower oxygen isotope diffusion in olivine than pyroxene during thermal metamorphism in ordinary chondrite parent bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12932","authors":["David S. McDougal","D. Nakashima","T. J. Tenner","N. T. Kita","John W. Valley","T. Noguchi"],"tags":["Chondrite","Isotopes of oxygen","Silicate","Systematics","Silicate minerals"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12932","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4321749650","name":"Macromolecular organic matter in samples of the asteroid (162173) Ryugu","source":"openalex","abstract":"Samples of the carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu were collected and brought to Earth by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft. We investigated the macromolecular organic matter in Ryugu samples and found that it contains aromatic and aliphatic carbon, ketone, and carboxyl functional groups. The spectroscopic features of the organic matter are consistent with those in chemically primitive carbonaceous chondrite meteorites that experienced parent-body aqueous alteration (reactions with liquid water). The morphology of the organic carbon includes nanoglobules and diffuse carbon associated with phyllosilicate and carbonate minerals. Deuterium and/or nitrogen-15 enrichments indicate that the organic matter formed in a cold molecular cloud or the presolar nebula. The diversity of the organic matter indicates variable levels of aqueous alteration on Ryugu's parent body.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abn9057","authors":["Hikaru Yabuta","George D. Cody","C. Engrand","Yoko Kebukawa","B. T. De Gregorio","L. Bonal","Laurent Rémusat","R. M. Stroud","É. Quirico","L. R. Nittler","Minako Hashiguchi","M. Komatsu","Taiga Okumura","Jérémie Mathurin","E. Dartois","J. Duprat","Yoshio Takahashi","Yasuo Takeichi","A. L. D. Kilcoyne","Shohei Yamashita","Alexandre Dazzi","Ariane Deniset‐Besseau","Scott A. Sandford","Zita Martins","Y. Tamenori","Takuji Ohigashi","Hiroki Suga","Daisuke Wakabayashi","Maximilien Verdier‐Paoletti","S. Mostefaoui","Gilles Montagnac","Jens Barosch","Kanami Kamide","Miho Shigenaka","Laure Bejach","Megumi Matsumoto","Yuma Enokido","T. Noguchi","Hisayoshi Yurimoto","Tomoki Nakamura","Ryuji Okazaki","Hiroshi Naraoka","Kanako Sakamoto","H. C. Connolly","D. S. Lauretta","Masanao Abe","Tatsuaki Okada","Toru Yada","Masahiro Nishimura","Kasumi Yogata","Aiko Nakato","Miwa Yoshitake","Ayako Iwamae","Shizuho Furuya","Kentaro Hatakeda","Akiko Miyazaki","Hiromichi Soejima","Yuya Hitomi","Kazuya Kumagai","Tomohiro Usui","Tasuku Hayashi","Daiki Yamamoto","Ryota Fukai","Seiji Sugita","K. Kitazato","Naru Hirata","Rie Honda","Tomokatsu Morota","Eri Tatsumi","Naoya Sakatani","Noriyuki Namiki","Koji Matsumoto","Rina Noguchi","Koji Wada","Hiroki Senshu","Kazunori Ogawa","Y. Yokota","Yoshiaki Ishihara","Yuri Shimaki","Manabu Yamada","Chikatoshi Honda","Tatsuhiro Michikami","M. Matsuoka","Naoyuki Hirata","Masahiko Arakawa","Chisato Okamoto","Masateru Ishiguro","R. Jaumann","Jean‐Pierre Bibring","Matthias Grott","Stefan Schröder","Katharina A. Otto","C. Pilorget","Nicole Schmitz","Jens Biele","Tra‐Mi Ho","Aurélie Moussi‐Soffys","Akira Miura","Hirotomo Noda","Tetsuya Yamada"],"tags":["Organic matter","Meteorite","Parent body","Astrobiology","Carbon fibers"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-02-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abn9057","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2066699723","name":"Cometary Isotopic Measurements","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-015-0156-9","authors":["D. Bockelée–Morvan","Ursina Calmonte","Steven B. Charnley","J. Duprat","C. Engrand","A. Gicquel","M. Hässig","Emmanuël Jehin","Hideyo Kawakita","Bernard Marty","Stefanie N. Milam","Andrew Morse","P. Rousselot","S. Sheridan","E. S. Wirström"],"tags":["Formation and evolution of the Solar System","Astrobiology","Physics","Solar System","Observatory"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-05-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-015-0156-9","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2884433058","name":"Detection of organic compounds in impact glasses formed by the collision of an extraterrestrial material with the Libyan Desert (Africa) and Tasmania (Australia)","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-018-1266-5","authors":["Leticia Gómez‐Nubla","Julene Aramendia","Silvia Fdez‐Ortiz de Vallejuelo","Kepa Castro","Juan Manuel Madariaga"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Organic matter","Raman spectroscopy","Spectroscopy","Earth (classical element)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-07-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-018-1266-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W3116121560","name":"Hydration and Dehydration in Earth's Interior","source":"openalex","abstract":"Hydrogen and deuterium isotopic evidence indicates that the source of terrestrial water was mostly meteorites, with additional influx from nebula gas during accretion. There are two Earth models, with large (7–12 ocean masses) and small (1–4 ocean masses) water budgets that can explain the geochemical, cosmochemical, and geological observations. Geophysical and mineral physics data indicate that the upper and lower mantles are generally dry, whereas the mantle transition zone is wetter, with heterogeneous water distribution. Subducting slabs are a source of water influx, and there are three major sites of deep dehydration: the base of the upper mantle, and the top and bottom of the lower mantle in addition to slabs in the shallow upper mantle. Hydrated regions surround these dehydration sites. The core may be a hidden reservoir of hydrogen under the large water budget model. ▪ Earth is a water planet. Where and when was water delivered, and how much? How does water circulate in Earth? This review looks at the current answers to these fundamental questions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-earth-080320-062509","authors":["Eiji Ohtani"],"tags":["Geology","Mantle (geology)","Meteorite","Liquid water","Geophysics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-12-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-earth-080320-062509","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4223467411","name":"Tracing the Primordial Chemical Life of Glycine: A Review from Quantum Chemical Simulations","source":"openalex","abstract":"COOH, is the simplest amino acid. Although it has not been directly detected in the interstellar gas-phase medium, it has been identified in comets and meteorites, and its synthesis in these environments has been simulated in terrestrial laboratory experiments. Likewise, condensation of Gly to form peptides in scenarios resembling those present in a primordial Earth has been demonstrated experimentally. Thus, Gly is a paradigmatic system for biomolecular building blocks to investigate how they can be synthesized in astrophysical environments, transported and delivered by fragments of asteroids (meteorites, once they land on Earth) and comets (interplanetary dust particles that land on Earth) to the primitive Earth, and there react to form biopolymers as a step towards the emergence of life. Quantum chemical investigations addressing these Gly-related events have been performed, providing fundamental atomic-scale information and quantitative energetic data. However, they are spread in the literature and difficult to harmonize in a consistent way due to different computational chemistry methodologies and model systems. This review aims to collect the work done so far to characterize, at a quantum mechanical level, the chemical life of Gly, i.e., from its synthesis in the interstellar medium up to its polymerization on Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23084252","authors":["Albert Rimola","Nadia Balucani","C. Ceccarelli","Piero Ugliengo"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Abiogenesis","Meteorite","Earth (classical element)","Asteroid"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-04-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23084252","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W1812041023","name":"Existential risks: analyzing human extinction scenarios and related hazards","source":"openalex","abstract":"Because of accelerating technological progress, humankind may be rapidly approaching a critical phase in its career. In addition to well-known threats such as nuclear holocaust, the propects of radically transforming technologies like nanotech systems and machine intelligence present us with unprecedented opportunities and risks. Our future, and whether we will have a future at all, may well be determined by how we deal with these challenges. In the case of radically transforming technologies, a better understanding of the transition dynamics from a human to a \"posthuman\" society is needed. Of particular importance is to know where the pitfalls are: the ways in which things could go terminally wrong. While we have had long exposure to various personal, local, and endurable global hazards, this paper analyzes a recently emerging category: that of existential risks. These are threats that could case our extinction or destroy the potential of Earth - originating intelligent life. Some of these threats are relatively well known while others, including some of the gravest, have gone almost unrecognized. Existential risks have a cluster of features that make ordinary risk management ineffective. A final section of this paper discusses several ethical and policy implications. A clearer understanding of the threat picture will enable us to formulate better strategies.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1812041023","authors":["Nick Bostrom"],"tags":["Existentialism","Posthuman","Human enhancement","Environmental ethics","Risk analysis (engineering)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4382584219","name":"Organic–Mineral Interactions under Natural Conditions: A Computational Study of Flavone Adsorption on Smectite Clay","source":"openalex","abstract":"High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Interactions between organic species and natural minerals are fundamental to the processes around us. In this work, with the aid of molecular dynamics simulations, we investigate interactions of apigenin flavonoid with montmorillonite clay mineral under a range of environmental conditions. The adsorption mechanisms are found to be sensitive to both the acidity and ionic composition of the surrounding brines. In particular, the mechanism of adsorption changes from cocrystallization in acidic-to-neutral solutions to ion-bridging in mild-alkaline. The ionic species play a significant role in alkaline environments: the deprotonated apigenin species chelate metals, which, in turn, leads to the formation of a stable organic–metal–mineral complex and stronger adsorption in the presence of divalent cations. Smectite clays buffer the solution to mildly alkaline; hence, the type of exchangeable cations in the clay will be critical in determining the adsorption mechanism and organic retention capacity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.3c00174","authors":["Omar Nuruzade","Elshan Abdullayev","Valentina Erastova"],"tags":["Clay minerals","Adsorption","Mineral","Natural (archaeology)","Natural mineral"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-06-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.3c00174","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W3152279131","name":"Microbially-Enhanced Vanadium Mining and Bioremediation Under Micro- and Mars Gravity on the International Space Station","source":"openalex","abstract":"As humans explore and settle in space, they will need to mine elements to support industries such as manufacturing and construction. In preparation for the establishment of permanent human settlements across the Solar System, we conducted the ESA BioRock experiment on board the International Space Station to investigate whether biological mining could be accomplished under extraterrestrial gravity conditions. We tested the hypothesis that the gravity ( g ) level influenced the efficacy with which biomining could be achieved from basalt, an abundant material on the Moon and Mars, by quantifying bioleaching by three different microorganisms under microgravity, simulated Mars and Earth gravitational conditions. One element of interest in mining is vanadium (V), which is added to steel to fabricate high strength, corrosion-resistant structural materials for buildings, transportation, tools and other applications. The results showed that Sphingomonas desiccabilis and Bacillus subtilis enhanced the leaching of vanadium under the three gravity conditions compared to sterile controls by 184.92 to 283.22%, respectively. Gravity did not have a significant effect on mean leaching, thus showing the potential for biomining on Solar System objects with diverse gravitational conditions. Our results demonstrate the potential to use microorganisms to conduct elemental mining and other bioindustrial processes in space locations with non-1 × g gravity. These same principles apply to extraterrestrial bioremediation and elemental recycling beyond Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2021.641387","authors":["Charles S. Cockell","Rosa Santomartino","Kai Finster","Annemiek C. Waajen","Natasha Nicholson","Claire-Marie Loudon","Lorna J. Eades","Ralf Moeller","Petra Rettberg","Felix M. Fuchs","Rob Van Houdt","Natalie Leys","Ilse Coninx","Jason Hatton","Luca Parmitano","Jutta Krause","Andrea Koehler","Nicol Caplin","Lobke Zuijderduijn","Alessandro Mariani","Stefano S. Pellari","Fabrizio Carubia","Giacomo Luciani","Michele Balsamo","Valfredo Zolesi","Jon Ochoa","Pia Sen","James A. J. Watt","Jeannine Doswald-Winkler","Magdalena Herová","Bernd Rattenbacher","Jennifer Wadsworth","R. Craig Everroad","René Demets"],"tags":["Bioremediation","Mars Exploration Program","Vanadium","Environmental science","Space (punctuation)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2021.641387","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2144682212","name":"Earth's Earliest Atmospheres","source":"openalex","abstract":"Earth is the one known example of an inhabited planet and to current knowledge the likeliest site of the one known origin of life. Here we discuss the origin of Earth's atmosphere and ocean and some of the environmental conditions of the early Earth as they may relate to the origin of life. A key punctuating event in the narrative is the Moon-forming impact, partly because it made Earth for a short time absolutely uninhabitable, and partly because it sets the boundary conditions for Earth's subsequent evolution. If life began on Earth, as opposed to having migrated here, it would have done so after the Moon-forming impact. What took place before the Moon formed determined the bulk properties of the Earth and probably determined the overall compositions and sizes of its atmospheres and oceans. What took place afterward animated these materials. One interesting consequence of the Moon-forming impact is that the mantle is devolatized, so that the volatiles subsequently fell out in a kind of condensation sequence. This ensures that the volatiles were concentrated toward the surface so that, for example, the oceans were likely salty from the start. We also point out that an atmosphere generated by impact degassing would tend to have a composition reflective of the impacting bodies (rather than the mantle), and these are almost without exception strongly reducing and volatile-rich. A consequence is that, although CO- or methane-rich atmospheres are not necessarily stable as steady states, they are quite likely to have existed as long-lived transients, many times. With CO comes abundant chemical energy in a metastable package, and with methane comes hydrogen cyanide and ammonia as important albeit less abundant gases.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a004895","authors":["K. Zahnle","Laura Schaefer","Bruce Fegley"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Earth (classical element)","Atmosphere (unit)","Planet","Mantle (geology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-06-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a004895","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W3128929221","name":"What’s down there? The structures, materials and environment of deep-seated slow slip and tremor","source":"openalex","abstract":"Deep-seated slow slip and tremor (SST), including slow slip events, episodic tremor and slip, and low-frequency earthquakes, occur downdip of the seismogenic zone of numerous subduction megathrusts and plate boundary strike-slip faults. These events represent a fascinating and perplexing mode of fault failure that has greatly broadened our view of earthquake dynamics. In this contribution, we review constraints on SST deformation processes from both geophysical observations of active subduction zones and geological observations of exhumed field analogues. We first provide an overview of what has been learned about the environment, kinematics and dynamics of SST from geodetic and seismologic data. We then describe the materials, deformation mechanisms, and metamorphic and fluid pressure conditions that characterize exhumed rocks from SST source depths. Both the geophysical and geological records strongly suggest the importance of a fluid-rich and high fluid pressure habitat for the SST source region. Additionally, transient deformation features preserved in the rock record, involving combined frictional-viscous shear in regions of mixed lithology and near-lithostatic fluid pressures, may scale with the tremor component of SST. While several open questions remain, it is clear that improved constraints on the materials, environment, structure, and conditions of the plate interface from geophysical imaging and geologic observations will enhance model representations of the boundary conditions and geometry of the SST deformation process. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Understanding earthquakes using the geological record'.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2020.0218","authors":["Whitney Behr","Roland Bürgmann"],"tags":["Geology","Subduction","Slip (aerodynamics)","Episodic tremor and slip","Seismology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2020.0218","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W1515034626","name":"The extinction of the dinosaurs","source":"openalex","abstract":"Non-avian dinosaurs went extinct 66 million years ago, geologically coincident with the impact of a large bolide (comet or asteroid) during an interval of massive volcanic eruptions and changes in temperature and sea level. There has long been fervent debate about how these events affected dinosaurs. We review a wealth of new data accumulated over the past two decades, provide updated and novel analyses of long-term dinosaur diversity trends during the latest Cretaceous, and discuss an emerging consensus on the extinction's tempo and causes. Little support exists for a global, long-term decline across non-avian dinosaur diversity prior to their extinction at the end of the Cretaceous. However, restructuring of latest Cretaceous dinosaur faunas in North America led to reduced diversity of large-bodied herbivores, perhaps making communities more susceptible to cascading extinctions. The abruptness of the dinosaur extinction suggests a key role for the bolide impact, although the coarseness of the fossil record makes testing the effects of Deccan volcanism difficult.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12128","authors":["Stephen L. Brusatte","Richard J. Butler","Paul M. Barrett","Matthew T. Carrano","David C. Evans","Graeme T. Lloyd","Philip D. Mannion","Mark A. Norell","Daniel J. Peppe","Paul Upchurch","Thomas E. Williamson"],"tags":["Extinction (optical mineralogy)","Geology","Paleontology","Geography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-07-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12128","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2805787529","name":"The Ladder of Life Detection","source":"openalex","abstract":"We describe the history and features of the Ladder of Life Detection, a tool intended to guide the design of investigations to detect microbial life within the practical constraints of robotic space missions. To build the Ladder, we have drawn from lessons learned from previous attempts at detecting life and derived criteria for a measurement (or suite of measurements) to constitute convincing evidence for indigenous life. We summarize features of life as we know it, how specific they are to life, and how they can be measured, and sort these features in a general sense based on their likelihood of indicating life. Because indigenous life is the hypothesis of last resort in interpreting life-detection measurements, we propose a small but expandable set of decision rules determining whether the abiotic hypothesis is disproved. In light of these rules, we evaluate past and upcoming attempts at life detection. The Ladder of Life Detection is not intended to endorse specific biosignatures or instruments for life-detection measurements, and is by no means a definitive, final product. It is intended as a starting point to stimulate discussion, debate, and further research on the characteristics of life, what constitutes a biosignature, and the means to measure them.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2017.1773","authors":["Marc Neveu","L. E. Hays","Mary A. Voytek","Michael H. New","M. Schulte"],"tags":["Indigenous","Set (abstract data type)","Computer science","sort","Suite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-06-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2017.1773","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2542277555","name":"Extraterrestrial Metallic Iron in the Lacustrine, Epicontinental and Oceanic Sediments: A Review of Thermomagnetic and Microprobe Analyzes Data","source":"openalex","abstract":"The article represents an overview and generalization of the microprobe and thermomagnetic data on the distribution, content and composition of metallic iron in Pleistocene lacustrine sediments of the Darhad Basin, northern Mongolia, in the Upper Miocene sediments of Lake Baikal, epicontinental sediments of Miocene-Late Jurassic, and Early Cambrian ages in different regions of North Eurasia and in Miocene-Late Jurassic oceanic sediments of North- Western Atlantic. Iron particles percentage varies from ~10-5 to 0.05%, their distribution is bimodal with the distinct zero mode, and the accumulation of iron particles is inversely linked with the rate of sedimentation. Pyrite and pyrrhotite are widespread in the studied sediments, and the distribution of metallic iron does not depend on the presence of pyrite (i.e., on redox conditions). The variations in the Curie temperature of iron from 700°C up to 780°C. The nickel admixture in native iron forms three groups, 1) pure iron (main part of particles), 2) iron with mode 5-6% Ni (kamacite), and 3) Fe-Ni alloy with mode 50% Ni (rare), were found in all studied sections. The global pattern of the distribution and composition of the iron particles clearly indicates that their origin is associated with interplanetary cosmic dust. At the same time, the particles of Fe-Ni alloy are very rare, and their concentration does not correlate with the content of other iron particles. Most likely, the particles of Fe-Ni alloy are mainly due to impact events. Correlation between the concentrations of iron particles and terrestrial minerals (magnetite) is absent as a rule. Such correlation (r=0.3-0.7) testifies the redeposition of iron particles.","url":"https://doi.org/10.4172/2381-8719.1000260","authors":["Pechersky DM","Kuzina DM"],"tags":["Geology","Thermomagnetic convection","Microprobe","Extraterrestrial life","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.4172/2381-8719.1000260","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4380685375","name":"Mineral Crushing Methods for Noble Gas Analyses of Fluid Inclusions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Noble gases are frequently probed for investigating fluid inclusions in minerals to unravel rock-forming processes through time. Over the last decades, heating and crushing have been the two main methods applied for noble gas extraction from fluid inclusions in ultrahigh vacuum (about 10-9 mBar). The heating of minerals or pieces of bulk rock causes the release of noble gases from both fluid inclusions and the mineral or rock matrix, the latter due to temperature-dependent mineral dehydration. Crushing of minerals only affects fluid inclusions and allows a release of noble gases at room temperature with minor contributions from the mineral matrix. This review describes different ultravacuum crushing techniques for noble gas analysis from fluid inclusions. It examines the technical details and operational conditions of each crushing system as well as methods to prepare samples prior to crushing. Crushing systems were found to have unique designs across the different laboratories reviewed; they include single or multiple sample loadings and manual, magnetic, or hydraulic operation of the crushing pistons. Due to the small amounts of noble gases released, the technology requires several mg to a few grams of rock material to achieve a measurement of all stable noble gas isotopes in a single fluid inclusion. While theoretically all stable noble gas isotopes are of interest, the elements and isotopes reported in different studies vary widely and reference materials as well as laboratory intercomparisons are lacking. The review includes applications on the origins of magmatic rocks and geochemical processes in the Earth’s mantle, the origin and chemical composition of deep crustal fluids and how these contribute to the formation of minerals of economic interest, and paleoclimate studies based on speleothems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/8040253","authors":["Cornelia Wilske","Axel Suckow","Christoph Gerber","Alec Deslandes","Peter R. Crane","Dirk Mallants"],"tags":["Noble gas","Fluid inclusions","Geology","Inclusion (mineral)","Mineral"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-06-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/8040253","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W3105060756","name":"Gas Phase TiO2 Photosensitized Mineralization of some VOCs: Mechanistic Suggestions Through a Langmuir-Hinshelwood Kinetic Approach","source":"openalex","abstract":"A jointed experimental and theoretical investigation pointing out new insights about the microscopic mechanism of the VOCs (volatile organic compounds) photocatalytic elimination by TiO2 has been done. Methane, hexane, isooctane, acetone and methanol have been photomineralized in a batch reactor. Values of K (adsorption constant on TiO2) and k (mineralization rate constant) of the five VOCs (treating the kinetic data through a Langmuir- Hinshelwood approach) have been determined. Recorded K and k values and performed theoretical calculations allowed us to suggest the involvement of an electron transfer step between the VOC and the hole, TiO2(h+), as the rate determining one.","url":"https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202011.0517.v1","authors":["Marta Bettoni","Stefano Falcinelli","Cesare Rol","Marzio Rosi","Giovanni V. Sebastiani"],"tags":["Chemistry","Mineralization (soil science)","Methanol","Acetone","Reaction rate constant"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202011.0517.v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2062775626","name":"A terrestrial origin for sulfate veins in CI1 chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— White sulfate veins are a very well‐known petrological feature of the chemically primitive CI1 carbonaceous chondrites. Sulfate veins were first described in the Orgueil meteorite in 1961, almost one century after its fall. However, we have observed such veins to form easily during typical sample storage. We suggest that all CI1 sulfate veins formed during the terrestrial residence of these heavily brecciated, porous stones. Reacting with atmospheric water, sulfates originally present in the meteorites dissolved and remobilized, and/or sulfides oxidised, filling the many open spaces offered to them by the very porous rock. Sulfate veins in CI1 chondrites can no longer be used as evidence of a late‐stage oxidation event in the CI1 parent body, or of centimeter‐scale fluid transport on the parent asteroid.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2001.tb01827.x","authors":["M. Gounelle","M. E. Zolensky"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Sulfate","Geochemistry","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2001.tb01827.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2804163365","name":"Sporulation environment influences spore properties in Bacillus: evidence and insights on underlying molecular and physiological mechanisms","source":"openalex","abstract":"Bacterial spores are resistant to physical and chemical insults, which makes them a major concern for public health and industry. Spores help bacteria to survive extreme environmental conditions that vegetative cells cannot tolerate. Spore resistance and dormancy are important properties for applications in medicine, veterinary health, food safety, crop protection and other domains. The resistance of bacterial spores results from a protective multilayered structure and from the unique composition of the spore core. The mechanisms of sporulation and germination, the first stage after breaking of dormancy, and organization of spore structure have been extensively studied in Bacillus species. This review aims to illustrate how far the structure, composition and properties of spores are shaped by the environmental conditions in which spores form. We look at the physiological and molecular mechanisms underpinning how sporulation media and environment deeply affect spore yield, spore properties like resistance to wet heat and physical and chemical agents, germination and further growth. For example, spore core water content decreases as sporulation temperature increases, and resistance to wet heat increases. Controlling the fate of Bacillus spores is pivotal to controlling bacterial risks and process efficiencies in, for example, the food industry, and better control hinges on better understanding how sporulation conditions influence spore properties.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/femsre/fuy021","authors":["Christelle Bressuire-Isoard","Véronique Broussolle","Frédéric Carlin"],"tags":["Spore","Biology","Endospore","Bacterial spore","Dormancy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-05-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/femsre/fuy021","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2915414273","name":"U-Pb constraints on pulsed eruption of the Deccan Traps across the end-Cretaceous mass extinction","source":"openalex","abstract":"Temporal correlation between some continental flood basalt eruptions and mass extinctions has been proposed to indicate causality, with eruptive volatile release driving environmental degradation and extinction. We tested this model for the Deccan Traps flood basalt province, which, along with the Chicxulub bolide impact, is implicated in the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) extinction approximately 66 million years ago. We estimated Deccan eruption rates with uranium-lead (U-Pb) zircon geochronology and resolved four high-volume eruptive periods. According to this model, maximum eruption rates occurred before and after the K-Pg extinction, with one such pulse initiating tens of thousands of years prior to both the bolide impact and extinction. These findings support extinction models that incorporate both catastrophic events as drivers of environmental deterioration associated with the K-Pg extinction and its aftermath.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aau2422","authors":["Blair Schoene","Michael P. Eddy","Kyle M. Samperton","C. Brenhin Keller","Gerta Keller","Thierry Adatte","S. Khadri"],"tags":["Flood basalt","Deccan Traps","Extinction event","Lava","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aau2422","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2024634786","name":"High-spatial resolution U-Pb dating of phosphate minerals in Martian meteorite Allan Hills 84001","source":"openalex","abstract":"Phosphate minerals, which are ubiquitous in terrestrial and extra-terrestrial rocks, are important carriers of trace elements, including U and Th, which provide chronological information because of their radioactive decay. Abundance and grain sizes of the phosphates are limited in extra-terrestrial materials. Therefore, high resolution and minimally or non-destructive analytical methods must be used for age determination. For this study, we conducted U-Pb dating using a NanoSIMS for three phosphate grains from an old Martian meteorite: ALH 84001. The 238U-206Pb and 207Pb-206Pb isochron ages were found to be 3850 ± 170 Ma and 4002 ± 52 Ma, respectively, suggesting a concordant signature at approx. 4.0 Ga. A total Pb/U isochron age of 3990 ± 160 Ma is consistent with a previous SHRIMP U-Pb age of 4018 ± 81 Ma (Terada et al., 2003). Moreover, heterogeneous distributions of U are observed in these grains, which might have been preserved since igneous crystallization of the phosphates because the diffusion of U in the mineral is considerably slow.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2343/geochemj.2.0319","authors":["Mizuho Koike","Yoshihiro Ota","Yuji Sano","Naoto Takahata","Naoji Sugiura"],"tags":["Meteorite","Isochron","Geology","Radiogenic nuclide","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-09-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2343/geochemj.2.0319","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2600354859","name":"Accretion of extraterrestrial matter recorded in the Triassic and Jurassic bedded chert sequence, southwest Japan","source":"openalex","abstract":"層状チャートは堆積速度が非常に遅く，陸源性の粗粒砕屑物を含まないため，地球外物質の混入をみつけやすいという特徴がある．本研究では，西南日本のジュラ紀付加体である美濃帯および秩父帯の三畳系・ジュラ系層状チャートに残された地球外物質付加の記録についてレビューした．これまでの研究では，コズミックスフェルールとよばれる大気圏突入時に溶融した宇宙塵が，美濃-丹波帯および秩父帯の三畳紀・ジュラ紀層状チャートから発見されている．これらのコズミックスフェルールは，鉄質タイプと珪質タイプに分類され，鉱物組成や全岩化学組成から地球外物質であることが明らかにされている．また層状チャートの白金族元素やオスミウム同位体比の分析から，三畳紀後期の層状チャートには，隕石衝突の証拠が残されていることが明らかになった．","url":"https://doi.org/10.5575/geosoc.2014.0019","authors":["Tetsuji Onoue","Honami Sato"],"tags":["Geology","Paleontology","Accretion (finance)","Sequence (biology)","Astrophysics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-03-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5575/geosoc.2014.0019","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2750857236","name":"Shock metamorphism of planetary silicate rocks and sediments: Proposal for an updated classification system","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We reevaluate the systematics and geologic setting of terrestrial, lunar, Martian, and asteroidal “impactites” resulting from single or multiple impacts. For impactites derived from silicate rocks and sediments, we propose a unified and updated system of progressive shock metamorphism. “Shock‐metamorphosed rocks” occur as lithic clasts or melt particles in proximal impactites at impact craters, and rarely in distal impactites. They represent a wide range of metamorphism, typically ranging from unshocked to shock melted. As the degree of shock metamorphism, at a given shock pressure, depends primarily on the mineralogical composition and the porosity of a rock or sediment sample, different shock classification systems are required for different types of planetary rocks and sediments. We define shock classification systems for eight rock and sediment classes which are assigned to three major groups of rocks and sediments (1) crystalline rocks with classes F, M, A, and U; (2) chondritic rocks (class C); and (3) sedimentary rocks and sediments with classes SR , SE , and RE . The abbreviations stand for felsic (F), mafic (M), anorthositic (A), ultramafic (U), sedimentary rocks ( SR ), unconsolidated sediments ( SE ), and regoliths ( RE ). In each class, the progressive stages of shock metamorphism are denominated S1 to Sx. These progressive shock stages are introduced as: S1–S7 for F , S1–S7 for M, S1–S6 for A , S1–S7 for U , S1–S7 for C , S1–S7 for SR , S1–S5 for SE , and S1–S6 for RE . S1 stands for “unshocked” and Sx (variable between S5 and S7) stands for “whole rock melting.” We propose a sequence of symbols characterizing the degree of shock metamorphism of a sample, i.e., F‐S1 to F‐S7 with the option to add the tabulated pressure ranges (in GP a) in parentheses.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12912","authors":["D. Stöffler","Christopher Hamann","K. Metzler"],"tags":["Geology","Metamorphism","Geochemistry","Shock metamorphism","Ultramafic rock"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-08-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12912","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W4287842892","name":"Metagenome-Assembled Genomes of Komagataeibacter from Kombucha Exposed to Mars-Like Conditions Reveal the Secrets in Tolerating Extraterrestrial Stresses","source":"openalex","abstract":"Imchang Lee, Olga Podolich, Bertram Brenig, Sandeep Tiwari, Vasco Azevedo, Daniel Santana de Carvalho, Ana Paula Trovatti Uetanabaro, Aristóteles Góes-Neto, Khalid J. Alzahrani, Oleg Reva, Natalia Kozyrovska, Jean-Pierre de Vera, Debmalya Barh, and Bong-Soo Kim. J. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 2022;32:967-75. https://doi.org/10.4014/jmb.2204.04009","url":"https://doi.org/10.4014/jmb.2204.04009","authors":["Imchang Lee","Olga Podolich","Bertram Brenig","Sandeep Tiwari","Vasco Azevedo","Daniel Santana de Carvalho","Ana Paula Trovatti Uetanabaro","Aristóteles Goés‐Neto","Khalid J. Alzahrani","Oleg N. Reva","Natalia Kozyrovska","Jean‐Pierre de Vera","Debmalya Barh","Bong Soo Kim"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Metagenomics","Astrobiology","Art","Philosophy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.4014/jmb.2204.04009","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.090Z"},{"id":"oa:W2969236565","name":"Terrestrial Hot Spring Systems: Introduction","source":"openalex","abstract":"This report reviews how terrestrial hot spring systems can sustain diverse and abundant microbial communities and preserve their fossil records. Hot springs are dependable water sources, even in arid environments. They deliver reduced chemical species and other solutes to more oxidized surface environments, thereby providing redox energy and nutrients. Spring waters have diverse chemical compositions, and their outflows create thermal gradients and chemical precipitates that sustain diverse microbial communities and entomb their remnants. These environments probably were important habitats for ancient benthic microbial ecosystems, and it has even been postulated that life arose in hydrothermal systems. Thermal spring communities are fossilized in deposits of travertine, siliceous sinter, and iron minerals (among others) that are found throughout the geological record back to the oldest known well-preserved rocks at 3.48 Ga. Very few are known before the Cenozoic, but it is likely that there are many more to be found. They preserve fossils ranging from microbes to trees and macroscopic animals. Features on Mars whose morphological and spectroscopic attributes resemble spring deposits on Earth have been detected in regions where geologic context is consistent with the presence of thermal springs. Such features represent targets in the search for evidence of past life on that planet.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2018.1976","authors":["David J. Des Marais","Malcolm R. Walter"],"tags":["Spring (device)","Hot spring","Context (archaeology)","Earth science","Geologic record"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-08-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2018.1976","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W2609095816","name":"Exceptionally preserved fossil assemblages through geologic time and space","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2017.04.020","authors":["A.D. Muscente","James D. Schiffbauer","Jesse S. Broce","Marc Laflamme","Kenneth H. O'Donnell","Thomas H. Boag","Michael Meyer","Andrew D. Hawkins","John Warren Huntley","Maria E. McNamara","Lindsay Ann MacKenzie","George D. Stanley","Nancy W. Hinman","Michaël Hofmann","Shuhai Xiao"],"tags":["Geology","Sedimentary depositional environment","Paleontology","Taphonomy","Lagerstätte"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-04-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2017.04.020","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W3026193896","name":"Secular change and the onset of plate tectonics on Earth","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Earth as a planetary system has experienced significant change since its formation c. 4.54 Gyr ago. Some of these changes have been gradual, such as secular cooling of the mantle, and some have been abrupt, such as the rapid increase in free oxygen in the atmosphere at the Archean–Proterozoic transition. Many of these changes have directly affected tectonic processes on Earth and are manifest by temporal trends within the sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rock record. Indeed, the timing of global onset of mobile-lid (subduction-driven) plate tectonics on our planet remains one of the fundamental points of debate within the geosciences today, and constraining the age and cause of this transition has profound implications for understanding our own planet's long-term evolution, and that for other rocky bodies in our solar system. Interpretations based on various sources of evidence have led different authors to propose a very wide range of ages for the onset of subduction-driven tectonics, which span almost all of Earth history from the Hadean to the Neoproterozoic, with this uncertainty stemming from the varying reliability of different proxies. Here, we review evidence for paleo-subduction preserved within the geological record, with a focus on metamorphic rocks and the geodynamic information that can be derived from them. First, we describe the different types of tectonic/geodynamic regimes that may occur on Earth or any other silicate body, and then review different models for the thermal evolution of the Earth and the geodynamic conditions necessary for plate tectonics to stabilize on a rocky planet. The community's current understanding of the petrology and structure of Archean and Proterozoic oceanic and continental crust is then discussed in comparison with modern-day equivalents, including how and why they differ. We then summarize evidence for the operation of subduction through time, including petrological (metamorphic), tectonic, and geochemical/isotopic data, and the results of petrological and geodynamical modeling. The styles of metamorphism in the Archean are then examined and we discuss how the secular distribution of metamorphic rock types can inform the type of geodynamic regime that operated at any point in time. In conclusion, we argue that most independent observations from the geological record and results of lithospheric-scale geodynamic modeling support a global-scale initiation of plate tectonics no later than c. 3 Ga, just preceding the Archean–Proterozoic transition. Evidence for subduction in Early Archean terranes is likely accounted for by localized occurrences of plume-induced subduction initiation, although these did not develop into a stable, globally connected network of plate boundaries until later in Earth history. Finally, we provide a discussion of major unresolved questions related to this review's theme and provide suggested directions for future research.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2020.103172","authors":["Richard M. Palin","M. Santosh","Wentao Cao","Shan-Shan Li","David Hernández‐Uribe","Andrew J. Parsons"],"tags":["Geology","Plate tectonics","Hadean","Proterozoic","Subduction"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-05-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2020.103172","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W1567217882","name":"Filamentous Trichomic Prokaryotes in Carbonaceous Meteorites: Indigenous Microfossils, Minerals, or Modern Bio-Contaminants?","source":"openalex","abstract":"Large complex filaments have been detected in freshly fractured interior surfaces of a variety of carbonaceous meteorites. Many exhibit the detailed morphological and morphometric characteristics of known filamentous trichomic prokaryotic microorganisms. In this paper we review prior studies of filamentous microstructures encountered in the meteorites along with the elemental compositions and characteristics of the, fibrous evaporite minerals and filamentous cyanobacteria and homologous trichomic sulfur bacteria. The meteorite images and elemental compositions will compared with data obtained with the same instruments for abiotic microstructures and living and fossil microorganisms in order to evaluate the relative merits of the alternate hypotheses that have been advanced to explain the nature and characteristics of the meteorite filaments. The possibiility that the filaments found in the meteorites may be comprise modern bio-contaminants will be evaluated in light of their observed elemental compositions and data by other researchers on the detection of indigenous complex organic biosignatures, and extraterrestrial amino acids and nucleobases found in the Murchison CM2 and the Orgueil CI1 carbonaceous meteorites.","url":"https://openalex.org/W1567217882","authors":["Richard B. Hoover","A. Yu. Rozanov"],"tags":["Meteorite","Murchison meteorite","Astrobiology","Cyanobacteria","Carbonaceous chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-08-21","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W2003922460","name":"The comparative behavior of apatite‐zircon U‐Pb systems in Apollo 14 breccias: Implications for the thermal history of the Fra Mauro Formation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— We report secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) U‐Pb analyses of zircon and apatite from four breccia samples from the Apollo 14 landing site. The zircon and apatite grains occur as cogenetic minerals in lithic clasts in two of the breccias and as unrelated mineral clasts in the matrices of the other two. SIMS U‐Pb analyses show that the ages of zircon grains range from 4023 ± 24 Ma to 4342 ± 5 Ma, whereas all apatite grains define an isochron corresponding to an age of 3926 ± 3 Ma. The disparity in the ages of cogenetic apatite and zircon demonstrates that the apatite U‐Pb systems have been completely reset at 3926 ± 3 Ma, whereas the U‐Pb system of zircon has not been noticeably disturbed at this time. The apatite U‐Pb age is slightly older than the ages determined by other methods on Apollo 14 materials highlighting need to reconcile decay constants used for the U‐Pb, Ar‐Ar and Rb‐Sr systems. We interpret the apatite age as a time of formation of the Fra Mauro Formation. If the interpretation of this Formation as an Imbrium ejecta is correct, apatite also determines the timing of Imbrium impact. The contrast in the Pb loss behavior of apatite and zircon places constraints on the temperature history of the Apollo 14 breccias and we estimate, from the experimentally determined Pb diffusion constants and an approximation of the original depth of the excavated samples in the Fra Mauro Formation, that the breccias experienced an initial temperature of about 1300–1100 °C, but cooled within the first five to ten years.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb01202.x","authors":["A. A. Nemchin","R. T. Pidgeon","David Healy","M. L. Grange","Martin J. Whitehouse","Jamila G. Vaughan"],"tags":["Zircon","Breccia","Apatite","Geology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb01202.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W2046427671","name":"Minerogenetic mechanisms occurring in the cave environment: an overview","source":"openalex","abstract":"Perhaps man’s first motivation to explore caves, beyond using them as shelter, was the search for substances that were not available elsewhere: most of them were minerals. However, for a long time it was believed that the cave environment was not very interesting from the mineralogical point of view. This was due to the fact that most cave deposits are normally composed of a single compound: calcium carbonate. Therefore, the systematic study of cave mineralogy is of only recent origin. However, although only a limited number of natural cavities have been investigated in detail, about 350 cave minerals have already been observed, some of which are new to science. The presence of such unexpected richness is a direct consequence of the variety of rocks traversed by water or other fluids before entering a cave and the sediments therein. Different cave environments allow the development of various minerogenetic mechanisms, the most important of which are double exchange reactions, evaporation, oxidation, hydration-dehydration, sublimation, deposition from aerosols and vapors, and segregation. The cave temperature and pH/Eh strictly control most of them, although some are driven by microorganisms. The cave environment, due to its long-term stability, can sometimes allow for the development of huge euhedral crystals, such as those found in the Naica caves (Mexico), but the presence of extremely small yet complex aggregates of different minerals is far more common. Future development in the field of cave mineralogy will likely be focused mainly on hydrothermal and sulfuric-acid caves and on the role played by micro-organisms in controlling some of the most important minerogenetic processes in caves.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806x.40.2.1","authors":["Bogdan P. Onac","Paolo Forti"],"tags":["Cave","Geology","Karst","Geochemistry","Carbonate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-04-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806x.40.2.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W4286494080","name":"Mechanochemistry: New Tools to Navigate the Uncharted Territory of “Impossible” Reactions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Mechanochemical transformations have made chemists enter unknown territories, forcing a different chemistry perspective. While questioning or revisiting familiar concepts belonging to solution chemistry, mechanochemistry has broken new ground, especially in the panorama of organic synthesis. Not only does it foster new \"thinking outside the box\", but it also has opened new reaction paths, allowing to overcome the weaknesses of traditional chemistry exactly where the use of well-established solution-based methodologies rules out progress. In this Review, the reader is introduced to an intriguing research subject not yet fully explored and waiting for improved understanding. Indeed, the study is mainly focused on organic transformations that, although impossible in solution, become possible under mechanochemical processing conditions, simultaneously entailing innovation and expanding the chemical space.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.202200362","authors":["Federico Cuccu","Lidia De Luca","Francesco Delogu","Evelina Colacino","Niclas Solin","Rita Mocci","Andrea Porcheddu"],"tags":["Mechanochemistry","Nanotechnology","Chemistry","Computer science","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.202200362","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W2337393115","name":"Orbital evidence for more widespread carbonate‐bearing rocks on Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Carbonates are key minerals for understanding ancient Martian environments because they are indicators of potentially habitable, neutral‐to‐alkaline water and may be an important reservoir for paleoatmospheric CO2. Previous remote sensing studies have identified mostly Mg‐rich carbonates, both in Martian dust and in a Late Noachian rock unit circumferential to the Isidis basin. Here we report evidence for older Fe‐ and/or Ca‐rich carbonates exposed from the subsurface by impact craters and troughs. These carbonates are found in and around the Huygens basin northwest of Hellas, in western Noachis Terra between the Argyre basin and Valles Marineris, and in other isolated locations spread widely across the planet. In all cases they cooccur with or near phyllosilicates, and in Huygens basin specifically they occupy layered rocks exhumed from up to ~5 km depth. We discuss factors that might explain their observed regional distribution, arguments for why carbonates may be even more widespread in Noachian materials than presently appreciated and what could be gained by targeting these carbonates for further study with future orbital or landed missions to Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2015je004972","authors":["J. J. Wray","S. L. Murchie","J. L. Bishop","B. L. Ehlmann","R. E. Milliken","Mary Beth Wilhelm","K. D. Seelos","M. Chojnacki"],"tags":["Noachian","Mars Exploration Program","Martian","Geology","Impact crater"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2015je004972","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W1882010185","name":"The Meaning of Life","source":"openalex","abstract":"Biology is unique among the sciences in being perhaps the only field in which there is no general agreement on the object of its study. As beginning biology students quickly learn, adding the suffix “-logy” to most words instantly creates an area of study. However, although most biologists come to appreciate the difference between ichthyology, parasitology, embryology, paleontology, and even malacology, many have difficulties when challenged with defining biology. Biology is the study of life, but what is life? Some people enumerate metabolism, reproduction, homeostasis, genetics, and other characteristics often listed in introductory textbooks, but such checklists only understate the difficulty of defining life. Just walk the halls of any biology department and ask whether viruses are alive. Attempting to define life evokes a sense of frustration in many biologists. Why define the obvious? Why complicate the simple? In this respect, defining life reminds one of Justice Potter Stewart's struggle to define pornography in Jacobellis v. Ohio, 378 US 184, 197 (1964). Like pornography, life may not present any easy shorthand definition, but most people feel that “they know it when they see it.” Such feelings are not imagined. Consider, for example, taking a group of students to an archeological excavation and asking them to identify human artifacts among the rock debris. Most would be able to recover some artifacts without much training. Based on past experience, they will have formed a mental reference of potential human artifacts. Comparisons to this reference clue the students and provide them with intuition as to what is an artifact. Of all of the possible random shapes that rock debris can achieve, the probability is simply too small that one could be shaped like an arrowhead. Thus, if it looks like an arrowhead, it is likely to be an arrowhead. In this case, it is not life that they discover, but manifestations of the human form of life. Nonetheless, the process could be the same if they were looking for life. The use of a reference, and the assumption that random forces are highly unlikely to have generated objects that are so similar, is the basis of the first modern definition of life—that of Erwin Schrodinger, who proposed in a 1943 series of lectures that life is negative entropy. Schrodinger later published these ideas as the book What Is Life? (Schrodinger 1967). Interpreted more broadly to include other characteristics of life, such as morphology, and not just entropy changes in chemical reactions, Schrodinger's definition implies that the characteristic feature of life is its ability to exist in improbable states (Lederberg 1965). Thus, the reference or baseline above which life rises is randomness. Such a definition is useful. It allows for the identification of human artifacts or dinosaur footprints. The similarity between ancient rock striations and modern mineral accretions by cyanobacteria led to the conclusion that stromatolites and life existed 3.5 billion years ago (Schopf 1992). Because microscopic structures on a Martian meteorite resemble terrestrial microbes, it was suggested that microbial life existed on Mars (McKay et al. 1996). In an earlier proposal to identify Martian life, consideration was given to looking for l- and d-amino acids on Mars (Lederberg 1965). Because terrestrial life uses only l-amino acids, the conjecture was that Martian life should also be biased toward one enantiomer or the other, although not necessarily to the l form. However, although negative entropy is useful as a broad definition of life, this definition is not secure (Lederberg 1965). It can always be challenged because an abiotic process could have produced the presumed sign of life. A case in point is the 1976 Viking mission to find life on Mars. One of the studies completed on Mars by the mission was the Labeled Release experiment (Levin and Straat 1977). A small drop of solution containing 14C-labeled nutrients was app","url":"https://doi.org/10.1641/0006-3568(2000)050[0245:tmol]2.3.co;2","authors":["Lin Chao"],"tags":["Meaning (existential)","Meaning of life","Philosophy","Epistemology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1641/0006-3568(2000)050[0245:tmol]2.3.co;2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W4324133571","name":"Ultramafic-Hosted Ni-Cu-Co-(As) Mineralization from an Ancient Oceanic Transform Fault Zone in the Troodos Ophiolite, Cyprus: An Analogue for Ultramafic Sea-Floor Massive Sulfide Mineralization?","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Accumulations of sulfide minerals that are enriched in Ni-Cu-Co-(As) occur as sea-floor massive sulfide (SMS) deposits associated with ultramafic rock types on the sea floor and in ophiolite terranes as Outokumpu-type mineralization. In this study we focus on similar mineralization at Lakxia tou Mavrou in the Limassol Forest Complex of Cyprus, which represents the on-land exposure of an oceanic transform fault zone preserved within the Troodos ophiolite. Mineralization here consists of massive lenses of pyrrhotite associated with veins of isocubanite, chalcopyrite, Co pentlandite, and chrome spinel hosted in serpentinized mantle peridotite. We reexamine the field context of mineral occurrences and use in situ mineral chemistry, element mapping, and sulfur isotope ratios (δ34S) to constrain metal sources and provide an updated paragenetic model for Lakxia tou Mavrou. Highly variable S/Se ratios (304–108,571), a depletion in platinum group elements relative to mantle values, and an average δ34S value of –3.7 ± 2.4‰ (1σ, n = 17) in sulfide minerals support a hybrid hydrothermal and magmatic origin for the mineralization. Metals at Lakxia tou Mavrou were sourced from both the serpentinization of peridotites and from crosscutting intrusions, with later intrusions into the already serpentinized mantle lithosphere host providing a heat source to drive prolonged hydrothermal circulation. The reexamination of the field context of mineralization shows that the Ni-Cu-Co-(As) mineralization at Lakxia tou Mavrou originally formed because of the fault-guided intrusion of hot primitive magma bodies into serpentinized shallow mantle lithosphere in the active domain of an ocean-floor transform fault zone. The mineralization was subsequently partially disrupted by structures related to emplacement of the Troodos ophiolite. We show that the relationship between serpentinization, magmatism, and hydrothermal circulation at Lakxia tou Mavrou can be used to understand the formation of ultramafic-hosted SMS deposits in transform fault and other ultramaficdominated slow- and ultraslow-spreading mid-ocean ridge settings.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5382/econgeo.4996","authors":["Andrew J. Martin","C. J. MacLeod","Katie McFall","Iain McDonald","John W. Jamieson","Sophie Cox"],"tags":["Ultramafic rock","Ophiolite","Geology","Geochemistry","Peridotite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-03-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5382/econgeo.4996","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W2012647043","name":"Nitrogen biomarkers and their fate in soil","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract More than 90 % of the nitrogen (N) in soils can be organically bound, but the mechanisms and rates by which it is cycled have eluded researchers. The objective of this research was to contribute to a better understanding of the origin and transformation of soil organic N (SON) by using amino sugars and the enantiomers of amino acids as markers for microbial residues and/or aging processes. Studied samples presented here comprised (1) soil transects across different climates, (2) arable soils with different duration of cropping, and (3) radiocarbon‐dated soil profiles. The results suggested that increased microbial alteration of SON temporarily results in a sequestration of N in microbial residues, which are mineralized at later stages of SON decomposition. Microorganisms increasingly sequestered N within intact cell wall residues as frost periods shortened. At a mean annual temperature above 12–15 °C, these residues were mineralized, probably due to limitations in additional substrates. Breaking the grassland for cropping caused rapid SON losses. Microbial residues were decomposed in preference to total N, this effect being enhanced at higher temperatures. Hence, climate and cultivation interactively affected SON dynamics. Nevertheless, not all SON was available to soil microorganisms. In soil profiles, L‐aspartic acid and L‐lysine slowly converted into their D‐form, for lysine even at a similar rate in soils of different microbial activity. Formation of D‐aspartate with time was, therefore, induced by microorganisms while that of D‐lysine was not. The racemization of the two amino acids indicates that SON not available to microorganisms ages biotically and abiotically. In native soils, the latter is conserved for centuries, despite N deficiency frequently occurring in living terrestrial environments. Climate was not found to affect the fate of old protein constituents in surface soil. When native grassland was broken for cropping, however, old SON constituents had become available to microorganisms and were degraded.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.200321274","authors":["Wulf Amelung"],"tags":["Microorganism","Chemistry","Soil water","Nitrogen cycle","Environmental chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.200321274","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W2609827387","name":"Cataclysm No More: New Views on the Timing and Delivery of Lunar Impactors","source":"openalex","abstract":"If properly interpreted, the impact record of the Moon, Earth's nearest neighbour, can be used to gain insights into how the Earth has been influenced by impacting events since its formation ~4.5 billion years (Ga) ago. However, the nature and timing of the lunar impactors - and indeed the lunar impact record itself - are not well understood. Of particular interest are the ages of lunar impact basins and what they tell us about the proposed \"lunar cataclysm\" and/or the late heavy bombardment (LHB), and how this impact episode may have affected early life on Earth or other planets. Investigations of the lunar impactor population over time have been undertaken and include analyses of orbital data and images; lunar, terrestrial, and other planetary sample data; and dynamical modelling. Here, the existing information regarding the nature of the lunar impact record is reviewed and new interpretations are presented. Importantly, it is demonstrated that most evidence supports a prolonged lunar (and thus, terrestrial) bombardment from ~4.2 to 3.4 Ga and not a cataclysmic spike at ~3.9 Ga. Implications for the conditions required for the origin of life are addressed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11084-017-9536-3","authors":["N. E. B. Zellner"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Planet","New moon","Earth (classical element)","Population"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-05-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11084-017-9536-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W2561057077","name":"Notes on Mineral Evolution","source":"openalex","abstract":"Mineral evolution (ME) is a geologic paradigm postulating that Earth's minerals formed sequentially and have interacted with life forms for billions of years. The evolution of Earth and its minerals is therefore entangled with the evolution of life. This \"Provocation\" ponders the implications of ME for the environmental humanities in general and for Anthropocene narratives in particular. ME relies on non-Darwinian evolutionary principles. In common with other branches of Earth system science, it also destabilizes prevailing ontological categories. Life becomes more material, matter more alive. This essay suggests that the development of sentience in the Phanerozoic eon exerted an emergent, autonomous influence on the interaction of minerals and life. Conscious human agency and its effects on planetary transformation are therefore the culmination of a very long process. However, the control that our conscious agency can exercise upon planetary transformation is very limited even over human time scales, let alone geologic ones.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1215/22011919-3664324","authors":["Paul Gillen"],"tags":["Anthropocene","Agency (philosophy)","Earth (classical element)","Astrobiology","Narrative"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1215/22011919-3664324","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W2974418385","name":"Principles and techniques of the quantum diamond microscope","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We provide an overview of the experimental techniques, measurement modalities, and diverse applications of the quantum diamond microscope (QDM). The QDM employs a dense layer of fluorescent nitrogen‐vacancy (NV) color centers near the surface of a transparent diamond chip on which a sample of interest is placed. NV electronic spins are coherently probed with microwaves and optically initialized and read out to provide spatially resolved maps of local magnetic fields. NV fluorescence is measured simultaneously across the diamond surface, resulting in a wide‐field, two‐dimensional magnetic field image with adjustable spatial pixel size set by the parameters of the imaging system. NV measurement protocols are tailored for imaging of broadband and narrowband fields, from DC to GHz frequencies. Here we summarize the physical principles common to diverse implementations of the QDM and review example applications of the technology in geoscience, biology, and materials science.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1515/nanoph-2019-0209","authors":["Edlyn V. Levine","Matthew Turner","Pauli Kehayias","Connor Hart","Nicholas Langellier","Raisa Trubko","David R. Glenn","Roger Fu","Ronald L. Walsworth"],"tags":["Diamond","Narrowband","Spins","Microscope","Magnetic field"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1515/nanoph-2019-0209","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W2581733122","name":"The weathering of micrometeorites from the Transantarctic Mountains","source":"openalex","abstract":"Micrometeorites are cosmic dust particles recovered from the Earth’s surface that dominate the influx of extraterrestrial material accreting to our planet. This paper provides the first in-depth study of the weathering of micrometeorites within the Antarctic environment that will allow primary and secondary features to be distinguished. It is based on the analysis of 366 particles from Larkman Nunatak and 25 from the Transantarctic Mountain collection. Several important morphological categories of weathering effects were identified: (1) irregular and faceted cavities, (2) surface etch pits, (3) infilled cavities, (4) replaced silicate phases, and (5) hydrated and replaced metal. These features indicate that congruent dissolution of silicate phases, in particular olivine, is important in generating new pore space within particles. Comparison of the preservation of glass and olivine also indicates preferential dissolution of olivine by acidic solutions during low temperature aqueous alteration. Precipitation of new hydrous phases within cavities, in particular ferrihydrite and jarosite, results in pseudomorph textures within heavily altered particles. Glass, in contrast, is altered to palagonite gels and shows a sequential replacement indicative of varying water to rock ratios. Metal is variably replaced by Fe-oxyhydroxides and results in decreases in Ni/Fe ratio. In contrast, sulphides within metal are largely preserved. Magnetite, an essential component of micrometeorites formed during atmospheric entry, is least altered by interaction with the terrestrial environment. The extent of weathering in the studied micrometeorites is sensitive to differences in their primary mineralogy and varies significantly with particle type. Despite these differences, we propose a weathering scale for micrometeorites based on both their degree of terrestrial alteration and the level of encrustation by secondary phases. The compositions and textures of weathering products, however, suggest open system behaviour and variable water to rock ratios that imply climatic variation over the lifetime of the micrometeorite deposits.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2015.11.045","authors":["Matthias Van Ginneken","M. J. Genge","L. Folco","R. P. Harvey"],"tags":["Weathering","Geology","Astrobiology","Earth science","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-02-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2015.11.045","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W2897105805","name":"Editorial for Special Issue “Mineralogy of Quartz and Silica Minerals”","source":"openalex","abstract":"Quartz and other silica minerals make up 12. [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min8100467","authors":["Jens Götze"],"tags":["Quartz","Geology","Mineralogy","Geochemistry","Mineral"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-10-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min8100467","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W2948757146","name":"An evolutionary system of mineralogy: Proposal for a classification of planetary materials based on natural kind clustering","source":"openalex","abstract":"Minerals reveal the nature of the co-evolving geosphere and biosphere through billions of years of Earth history. Mineral classification systems have the potential to elucidate this rich evolutionary story; however, the present mineral taxonomy, based as it is on idealized major element chemistry and crystal structure, lacks a temporal aspect, and thus cannot reflect planetary evolution. A complementary evolutionary system of mineralogy based on the quantitative recognition of “natural kind clustering” for a wide range of condensed planetary materials with different paragenetic origins has the potential to amplify, though not supersede, the present classification system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2019-6709ccbyncnd","authors":["Robert M. Hazen"],"tags":["Biosphere","Mineral","Natural (archaeology)","Cluster analysis","Taxonomy (biology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-11-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2019-6709ccbyncnd","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W3037610145","name":"Additive manufacturing: Technology, applications, markets, and opportunities for the built environment","source":"openalex","abstract":"Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies (also known as 3D printing - 3DP) have been rapidly advancing into various industrial sectors, including aerospace, automotive, medical, architecture, arts and design, food, and construction. Transitioning from the visualization and prototyping stages into functional and actual part replacement opens further design possibilities. Among the diverse applications of AM, construction applications have not yet seen a commercially available and widely used product in the market. Nevertheless, it has been a subject of interest to researchers in recent decades. There are evident challenges and risks for the integration of AM towards large-scale construction. Therefore, progress in their commercialization seems to proceed at a slow pace, as only a few 3DP trials for large-scale construction can be found in the literature. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive and evidence-based baseline along with progresses in relevant disciplines related to 3DP in construction, which will provide an opportunity to experts in all domains to understand the multi-dimensional constraints and to specify the future research directions in these sectors. The distinct merit of this article is that it provides, for the first time, a diverse review on literature in the field of construction 3D printing. It offers up-to-date and in-depth information of hindrances (from processes, materials, structural design and standards) which add up towards low pace of automation in construction sector, identify deficiencies in the current research and provides future research trends for researchers. The findings from intensive literature review will guide engineers, designers and investors from construction sector to grab research gaps and business opportunities. First of all, the development of different 3DP processes in built environment are presented to highlight the process constraints along with the commercial applications of these processes for industrialists and investors to identify the business opportunities. Secondly, process parameters and difficulties in optimization of material mixtures are presented as a guide to civil engineers following the discussion on materials urging the need for development of eco-efficient and environment friendly materials. Conclusions drawn from discussion in individual sections along with issues/constraints and challenges involved are explained separately.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2020.103268","authors":["Ans Al Rashid","Shoukat Alim Khan","Sami G. Al‐Ghamdi","Muammer Koç‬"],"tags":["Pace","Commercialization","Aerospace","Engineering","Automotive industry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-06-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2020.103268","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W3185244682","name":"Organic Matter and Associated Minerals on the Dwarf Planet Ceres","source":"openalex","abstract":"Ceres is the largest object in the main belt and it is also the most water-rich body in the inner solar system besides the Earth. The discoveries made by the Dawn Mission revealed that the composition of Ceres includes organic material, with a component of carbon globally present and also a high quantity of localized aliphatic organics in specific areas. The inferred mineralogy of Ceres indicates the long-term activity of a large body of liquid water that produced the alteration minerals discovered on its surface, including ammonia-bearing minerals. To explain the presence of ammonium in the phyllosilicates, Ceres must have accreted organic matter, ammonia, water and carbon present in the protoplanetary formation region. It is conceivable that Ceres may have also processed and transformed its own original organic matter that could have been modified by the pervasive hydrothermal alteration. The coexistence of phyllosilicates, magnetite, carbonates, salts, organics and a high carbon content point to rock–water alteration playing an important role in promoting widespread carbon occurrence.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min11080799","authors":["M. C. De Sanctis","E. Ammannito"],"tags":["Organic matter","Dwarf planet","Astrobiology","Carbon fibers","Total organic carbon"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-07-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min11080799","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W2128181396","name":"The perils of partition: Difficulties in retrieving magma compositions from chemically equilibrated basaltic meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(95)00393-2","authors":["A. H. Treiman"],"tags":["Geology","Plagioclase","Basalt","Geochemistry","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1996-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(95)00393-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W4312085815","name":"How Mössbauer spectroscopy can be of value to industry to select extraterrestrial objects for natural resources","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Space agencies are working on the project of capturing asteroids which contain natural resources valuable for industry. Based on studies of meteorites samples it was determined that the most useful source of raw materials for this purpose could be parent bodies of ordinary chondrites of type H. The identification of the type of ordinary chondrites with the use of a classical method (determination of the Fa/Fs ratio (fayalite versus ferrosilite) by electron microprobe measurements) cannot be performed on the surface of asteroids due to technical reasons. It may, however, be done based on Mössbauer measurements followed by the application of the 4M method. The name of the method – 4M, comes from four words: Meteorites, Mössbauer spectroscopy, Multidimensional discriminant analysis and Mahalanobis distance. Following the success of Mössbauer spectroscopy in the mission on Mars, there are suggestions to use the same method for the investigation of the surface of asteroids. In our experimental study, in which five Mössbauer laboratories took part, we assessed the effectiveness and reliability of the 4M method by comparison of the results obtained by Mössbauer studies of ordinary chondrites of type H, L and LL. Details of the study and problems related to the effectiveness of the 4M method are discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10751-022-01808-z","authors":["J. Gała̧zka‐Friedman","Martyna Jakubowska","Patrycja Bogusz","K. Brzózka","A. Grabias","R. Idczak","Robert Konieczny","T. Szumiata","Marek Woźniak","M. Mašláň","Łukasz Karwowski"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Ordinary chondrite","Mössbauer spectroscopy","Asteroid"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10751-022-01808-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W1967410137","name":"An appraisal of the ages of terrestrial impact structures","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2009.07.009","authors":["Fred Jourdan","Paul R. Renne","W. U. Reimold"],"tags":["Ejecta","Geology","Impact crater","Sedimentary rock","Impact structure"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-07-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2009.07.009","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W2257205696","name":"Statistical classification of soft solder alloys by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy: review of methods","source":"openalex","abstract":"This paper reviews machine-learning methods that are nowadays the most frequently used for the supervised classification of spectral signals in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). We analyze and compare various statistical classification methods, such as linear discriminant analysis (LDA), quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA), partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA), support vector machine (SVM), naive Bayes method, probabilistic neural networks (PNN), and K-nearest neighbor (KNN) method. The theoretical considerations are supported with experiments conducted for real soft-solder-alloy spectra obtained using LIBS. We consider two decision problems: binary and multiclass classification. The former is used to distinguish overheated soft solders from their normal versions. The latter aims to assign a testing sample to a given group of materials. The measurements are obtained for several laser-energy values, projection masks, and numbers of laser shots. Using cross-validation, we evaluate the above classification methods in terms of their usefulness in solving both classification problems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2971/jeos.2016.16006i","authors":["Rafał Zdunek","Maciej Nowak","Edward F. Pliński"],"tags":["Linear discriminant analysis","Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy","Artificial intelligence","Pattern recognition (psychology)","Support vector machine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2971/jeos.2016.16006i","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W2235766033","name":"Subglacial Lake Whillans microbial biogeochemistry: a synthesis of current knowledge","source":"openalex","abstract":"Liquid water occurs below glaciers and ice sheets globally, enabling the existence of an array of aquatic microbial ecosystems. In Antarctica, large subglacial lakes are present beneath hundreds to thousands of metres of ice, and scientific interest in exploring these environments has escalated over the past decade. After years of planning, the first team of scientists and engineers cleanly accessed and retrieved pristine samples from a West Antarctic subglacial lake ecosystem in January 2013. This paper reviews the findings to date on Subglacial Lake Whillans and presents new supporting data on the carbon and energy metabolism of resident microbes. The analysis of water and sediments from the lake revealed a diverse microbial community composed of bacteria and archaea that are close relatives of species known to use reduced N, S or Fe and CH4 as energy sources. The water chemistry of Subglacial Lake Whillans was dominated by weathering products from silicate minerals with a minor influence from seawater. Contributions to water chemistry from microbial sulfide oxidation and carbonation reactions were supported by genomic data. Collectively, these results provide unequivocal evidence that subglacial environments in this region of West Antarctica host active microbial ecosystems that participate in subglacial biogeochemical cycling.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2014.0290","authors":["Jill A. Mikucki","PA Lee","Debasish Ghosh","Alicia M. Purcell","Andrew C. Mitchell","Kenneth D. Mankoff","A. T. Fisher","Sławek Tulaczyk","S. Carter","Matthew R. Siegfried","H. A. Fricker","Timothy Hodson","Jason J. Coenen","Ross D. Powell","Reed P. Scherer","Trista J. Vick‐Majors","Amanda M. Achberger","Brent C. Christner","Martyn Tranter","the WISSARD Science Team"],"tags":["Biogeochemistry","Current (fluid)","Oceanography","Geology","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-12-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2014.0290","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W3137476464","name":"Lithifying and Non-Lithifying Microbial Ecosystems in the Wetlands and Salt Flats of the Central Andes","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-021-01725-8","authors":["Federico A. Vignale","Agustina I. Lencina","Tatiana M. Stepanenko","Mariana Soria","Luis A. Saona","Daniel Kurth","Daniel Guzmán","Jamie S. Foster","Daniel G. Poiré","Patricio Guillermo Villafañe","Virginia Helena Albarracín","Manuel Contreras","Marı́a Eugenia Farı́as"],"tags":["Wetland","Ecosystem","Biogeochemistry","Ecology","Microbial ecology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-03-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-021-01725-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W4385769551","name":"A Review on Hypothesized Metabolic Pathways on Europa and Enceladus: Space-Flight Detection Considerations","source":"openalex","abstract":"Enceladus and Europa, icy moons of Saturn and Jupiter, respectively, are believed to be habitable with liquid water oceans and therefore are of interest for future life detection missions and mission concepts. With the limited data from missions to these moons, many studies have sought to better constrain these conditions. With these constraints, researchers have, based on modeling and experimental studies, hypothesized a number of possible metabolisms that could exist on Europa and Enceladus if these worlds host life. The most often hypothesized metabolisms are methanogenesis for Enceladus and methane oxidation/sulfate reduction on Europa. Here, we outline, review, and compare the best estimated conditions of each moon's ocean. We then discuss the hypothetical metabolisms that have been suggested to be present on these moons, based on laboratory studies and Earth analogs. We also detail different detection methods that could be used to detect these hypothetical metabolic reactions and make recommendations for future research and considerations for future missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life13081726","authors":["Jessica M. Weber","Theresa C. Marlin","Medha Prakash","Bronwyn L. Teece","Katherine Dzurilla","Laura M. Barge"],"tags":["Enceladus","Astrobiology","Icy moon","Saturn","Jupiter (rocket family)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-08-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life13081726","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W2087231744","name":"Combined element (H and C) stable isotope ratios of methane in carbonaceous chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"We have performed the first ever combined-element stable isotopic measurements of extraterrestrial molecules. Methane from two carbonaceous chondrites, Murchison and Cold Bokkeveld, was measured for its hydrogen and carbon isotopic compositions. The combined isotopic composition of meteoritic methane reveals information about the indigenous nature of volatile aliphatic organic matter in meteorites and its probable extraterrestrial source environment. Deuterium enrichments relative to the solar nebula 4.6 Gyr ago reflect a contribution from low-temperature chemical reactions in interstellar space. Similar carbon but different hydrogen isotopic compositions for methane in the two meteorite samples probably represent comparable primary origins but varying levels of secondary processing and exchange with isotopically light hydrogen. Our high precision laboratory-obtained measurements provide valuable reference points for observational spectroscopists undertaking astronomical investigations of the stable isotopic composition of extraterrestrial methane.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2004.07251.x","authors":["A. L. Butterworth","Olivier Aballain","J. Chappellaz","Mark A. Sephton"],"tags":["Murchison meteorite","Meteorite","Chondrite","Astrobiology","Carbonaceous chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-01-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2004.07251.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W3120218141","name":"Definition and use of functional analogues in planetary exploration","source":"openalex","abstract":"The practical limitations inherent to human and robotic planetary exploration necessitate the development of specific protocols and methods. This non-standard approach requires testing and validation phases in order to optimise instrumental setups and improve data interpretation; this can occur prior to, during, or even after a mission. Flight instruments, and/or their spare models, may be evaluated using relevant terrestrial materials and/or locations. These materials are called analogues: “analogue sites” for large-scale locations, and “analogue samples” for smaller-scale materials. Depending on the scientific domain, the word “analogue” may carry different meanings but is invariably used to denote objects having compositions and/or physical properties similar to specific extraterrestrial objects. However, due to the variability in composition and properties of natural materials, there are always – inevitably – some differences between the analogue and the object(s) to which it refers. In analogue studies, it is, thus, important to focus on the specific properties that need to be imitated and to consider analogue properties rather than analogue sites or samples alone. Here, we introduce the concept of “functional analogues”. We first make an overview of the different types of analogues and sort them according to their utility. We then describe how different types of functional analogues can be used throughout the timeline of space missions, from the evaluation of different methods in the definition of a mission to understanding the results acquired by probes exploring extraterrestrial bodies. Finally, logical pathways are outlined that facilitate the selection of the best-suited functional analogue(s) according to their intended use and taking into account practical limitations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2021.105162","authors":["Frédéric Foucher","Keyron Hickman‐Lewis","Aurore Hützler","K. H. Joy","L. Folco","J. C. Bridges","P. J. Wozniakiewicz","Jesús Martínez‐Frías","Vinciane Debaille","M. E. Zolensky","Hajime Yano","N. Bost","L. Ferrière","Martin Lee","J. R. Michalski","H. Schroeven-Deceuninck","Gerhard Kminek","Michel Viso","S. S. Russell","C. L. Smith","J. Zipfel","Francès Westall"],"tags":["Computer science","Timeline","Scale (ratio)","Spare part","Property (philosophy)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-01-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2021.105162","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W2583323498","name":"Late Eocene 3He and Ir anomalies associated with ordinary chondritic spinels","source":"openalex","abstract":"During the late Eocene there was an enigmatic enhancement in the flux of extraterrestrial material to Earth. Evidence comes from sedimentary 3 He records indicating an increased flux of interplanetary dust during ca. 2 Myr, as well as two very large impact structures, Popigai (100 km diameter) and Chesapeake Bay (40–85 km), that formed within 10–20 kyr at the peak of the 3 He delivery. The Massignano section in Italy has one of the best sedimentary records of these events, including a well-defined 3 He record, an Ir-rich ejecta bed related to the Popigai impact event, and two smaller Ir anomalies. Recently we showed that the Popigai ejecta is associated with a significant enrichment of chromite grains (>63 μm) with an H-chondritic elemental composition (17 grains in 100 kg of rock). Most likely these grains are unmelted fragments from the impactor. Slightly higher up (ca. 20 cm) in the section, where a small Ir anomaly possibly related to the Chesapeake Bay impact has been measured, we found a weak enrichment in L-chondritic grains (8 grains in 208 kg of rock). Here we report an extended data set increasing the total amount of sediment dissolved in acid and searched for extraterrestrial chromite grains from 658 to 1168 kg. In altogether 760 kg of background sediment from 17 levels over 14 m of strata outside the interval corresponding to the Popigai and Chesapeake Bay impacts, we only found 2 extraterrestrial chromite grains. Both grains have L-chondritic compositions and were found in a 100 kg sample from the ca. 10.25 m level in the section where the second of the smaller Ir anomalies has been reported. A correlation appears to exist between Ir, 3 He and chromite from ordinary chondrites. We also report oxygen three-isotope measurements of the extraterrestrial chromite grains associated with the Popigai ejecta and confirm an H-chondritic composition. The new results strengthen our scenario that the upper Eocene 3 He and Ir enrichments originate from the asteroid belt rather than the Oort cloud as originally proposed when the 3 He anomaly was discovered. The generally low background concentrations of extraterrestrial chromite through the section speak against any major single asteroid breakup event such as in the mid-Ordovician after the break-up of the L-chondrite parent body. Instead the data reconcile with a small, possibly a factor of 2–3, increase in the flux of extraterrestrial material to Earth, but of both H- and L-chondritic composition. We also report the composition of all the 2310 terrestrial chrome spinel grains recovered, and show that their chemical composition indicates a dominantly regional ophiolitic source. Four anomalous chrome spinel grains with high Ti and V concentrations were found in the Popigai ejecta. These grains originate from Siberian Traps basalts in the Popigai crater at the time of impact.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2017.01.028","authors":["Samuele Boschi","Birger Schmitz","P. R. Heck","Anders Cronholm","C. Defouilloy","N. T. Kita","Simonetta Monechi","Alessandro Montanari","S. S. Rout","Fredrik Terfelt"],"tags":["Chromite","Geology","Ejecta","Sediment","Sedimentary rock"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-02-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2017.01.028","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W2059742271","name":"Meteorite-catalyzed syntheses of nucleosides and of other prebiotic compounds from formamide under proton irradiation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Liquid formamide has been irradiated by high-energy proton beams in the presence of powdered meteorites, and the products of the catalyzed resulting syntheses were analyzed by mass spectrometry. Relative to the controls (no radiation, or no formamide, or no catalyst), an extremely rich, variegate, and prebiotically relevant panel of compounds was observed. The meteorites tested were representative of the four major classes: iron, stony iron, chondrites, and achondrites. The products obtained were amino acids, carboxylic acids, nucleobases, sugars, and, most notably, four nucleosides: cytidine, uridine, adenosine, and thymidine. In accordance with theoretical studies, the detection of HCN oligomers suggests the occurrence of mechanisms based on the generation of radical cyanide species (CN·) for the synthesis of nucleobases. Given that many of the compounds obtained are key components of extant organisms, these observations contribute to outline plausible exogenous high-energy-based prebiotic scenarios and their possible boundary conditions, as discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1422225112","authors":["Raffaele Saladino","Eleonora Carota","Giorgia Botta","M. I. Kapralov","Г. Н. Тимошенко","A. Yu. Rozanov","Eugene Krasavin","Ernesto Di Mauro"],"tags":["Formamide","Abiogenesis","Prebiotic","Astrobiology","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-04-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1422225112","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W4384942420","name":"Review on the Progress of Solar Water Heaters and Their Future Perspectives","source":"openalex","abstract":"A solar water heater (SWH) converts solar radiation into thermal energy for various purposes, and its technology has experienced numerous developments. Many studies have focused on developing, optimizing, and analyzing the technological configurations of SWH to improve its thermal efficiency, but they rarely achieve 80% efficiency. This review aims to provide a broad overview of SWH, including the energetic and exergetic approaches and analyses, technological development, and examines advantages, disadvantages, and further developments. Various collectors of the SWH and related studies are also highlighted, and the results identify the technical and policy challenges of the implementation. Suggested potential solutions to these challenges are presented with further directions. Furthermore, this study also discusses the limitations of the current SWH technology by presenting the specifications and characteristics. It also presents the mathematical equation model often used, the technology potential, and the results of the latest studies and developments regarding SWH technology. The prospects for further development of the most promising SWH should be analyzed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ente.202300191","authors":["Iksan Riva Nanda","Nugroho Agung Pambudi","Muhammad Aziz"],"tags":["Systems engineering","Renewable energy","Technology development","Solar energy","Solar water heating"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ente.202300191","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W2015617015","name":"Isotopic fractionation of zinc in tektites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2008.11.020","authors":["Frédéric Moynier","Pierre Beck","Fred Jourdan","Qing‐Zhu Yin","Uwe Reimold","Christian Koeberl"],"tags":["Geology","Continental crust","Crust","Geochemistry","Isotope fractionation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-12-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2008.11.020","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W4387115291","name":"A Comparative Study of Methods for Detecting Extraterrestrial Life in Exploration Missions to Mars and the Solar System II: Targeted Characteristics, Detection Techniques, and Their Combination for Survey, Detection, and Analysis","source":"openalex","abstract":"We present a comparative study of the methods used in the search for extraterrestrial microorganism life, including a summary table where different life-detection techniques can be easily compared as an aid to mission and instrument design aimed at life detection. This is an extension of previous study, where detection techniques for a series of target characteristics and molecules that could constitute a positive life detection were evaluated. This comparison has been extended with a particular consideration to sources of false positives, the causes of negative detection, the results of detection techniques when presented regarding terrestrial life, and additional science objectives that could be achieved outside the primary aim of detecting life. These additions address both the scientific and programmatic side of exploration mission design, where a successful proposal must demonstrate probable outcomes and be able to return valuable results even if no life is found. The applicability of the life detection techniques is considered for Earth life, Earth-independent life (life emerging independently from that on Earth,) and Earth-kin life (sharing a common ancestor with life on Earth), and techniques effective in detecting Earth life should also be useful in the detection of Earth-kin life. However, their applicability is not guaranteed for Earth-independent life. As found in our previous study, there exists no realistic single detection method that can conclusively determine the discovery of extraterrestrial life, and no method is superior to all others. In this study, we further consider combinations of detection techniques and identify imaging as a valuable addition to molecule detection methods, even in cases where there is insufficient resolution to observe the detailed morphology of a microbial cell. The search for extraterrestrial life is further divided into a survey-and-detection and analysis-and-conclusion step. These steps benefit from different detection techniques, but imaging is necessary for both parts.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2022.0148","authors":["Keigo Enya","Akihiko Yamagishi","Kensei Kobayashi","Yoshitaka Yoshimura","Elizabeth J. Tasker"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Search for extraterrestrial intelligence","Life on Mars","False positive paradox","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-09-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2022.0148","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W1933814294","name":"Approximate chemical analysis of volcanic glasses using Raman spectroscopy","source":"openalex","abstract":"The effect of chemical composition on the Raman spectra of a series of natural calcalkaline silicate glasses has been quantified by performing electron microprobe analyses and obtaining Raman spectra on glassy filaments (~450 µm) derived from a magma mingling experiment. The results provide a robust compositionally‐dependent database for the Raman spectra of natural silicate glasses along the calcalkaline series. An empirical model based on both the acquired Raman spectra and an ideal mixing equation between calcalkaline basaltic and rhyolitic end‐members is constructed enabling the estimation of the chemical composition and degree of polymerization of silicate glasses using Raman spectra. The model is relatively insensitive to acquisition conditions and has been validated using the MPI‐DING geochemical standard glasses as well as further samples. The methods and model developed here offer several advantages compared with other analytical and spectroscopic methods such as infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray fluorescence spectroscopy, electron and ion microprobe analyses, inasmuch as Raman spectroscopy can be performed with a high spatial resolution (1 µm2) without the need for any sample preparation as a nondestructive technique. This study represents an advance in efforts to provide the first database of Raman spectra for natural silicate glasses and yields a new approach for the treatment of Raman spectra, which allows us to extract approximate information about the chemical composition of natural silicate glasses using Raman spectroscopy. We anticipate its application in handheld in situ terrestrial field studies of silicate glasses under extreme conditions (e.g. extraterrestrial and submarine environments). © 2015 The Authors Journal of Raman Spectroscopy Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.4751","authors":["Danilo Di Genova","Daniele Morgavi","Kai‐Uwe Hess","Daniel R. Neuville","N. V. Borovkov","Diego Perugini","Donald B. Dingwell"],"tags":["Raman spectroscopy","Microprobe","Electron microprobe","Silicate","Analytical Chemistry (journal)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-07-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.4751","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W2054710431","name":"Isotopic compositions of asteroidal liquid water trapped in fluid inclusions of chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Determination of isotopic composition of extraterrestrial liquid water provides important information regarding the origin of water on Earth and the terrestrial planets. Fluid inclusions in halite of ordinary chondrites are the only direct samples of extraterrestrial liquid water available for laboratory measurements. We determined H and O isotopic compositions of this water by secondary ion mass spectrometry equipped with a cryogenic apparatus for sample cooling. Isotopic compositions of the fluid inclusion fluids (brines) were highly variable among individual inclusions, -400 < δD < +1300‰; -20 < Δ17O < +30‰, indicating that these aqueous fluids were in isotopic disequilibrium before trapping in halite on asteroids. The isotopic variation of fluids shows that various degrees of water-rock interaction had been underway on the asteroids before trapping between D-rich-16O-poor aqueous fluid, D-poor-16O-rich aqueous fluid, and asteroidal rock by delivery of cometary water onto hydrous asteroids. This may be a fundamental mechanism in the evolution of modern planetary water.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2343/geochemj.2.0335","authors":["Hisayoshi Yurimoto","Shoichi Itoh","M. E. Zolensky","Minoru Kusakabe","Akiya Karen","Robert J. Bodnar"],"tags":["Halite","Chondrite","Parent body","Meteorite","Asteroid"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2343/geochemj.2.0335","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_8","name":"A Review of the Scientific Rationale and Methods Used in the Search for Other Planetary Systems","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_8","authors":["David C. Black"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-04T04:10:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0892-6875(93)90008-b","name":"Cake filtration rate equations: a review of classical and modern approaches","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0892-6875(93)90008-b","authors":["Ç. Hoşten"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-03-15T06:41:30Z","doi":"10.1016/0892-6875(93)90008-b","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5772/intechopen.87260","name":"A Review of the Role of Natural Clay Minerals as Effective Adsorbents and an Alternative Source of Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"The minerals with unique properties such as natural clay minerals (NCMs) have promising approach in environmental and industrial sphere. In fact, under some specific conditions the NCMs could be used either as effective adsorbent material or alternative source of minerals. This chapter presents an outline of a general review of factors that affect the application ability of NCMs and a descriptive analysis of NH4+ and REE adsorption behavior and extraction of rare earth elements (REE) by an ion-exchange with NH4+ ions onto NCMs. Clays and NCMs both effectively remove various contaminants from aqueous solution and serve as alternative sources of minerals, as extensively discussed in this chapter. This review compiles thorough literature of current research and highlights the key findings of adsorption (NH4+ and REE) that use different NCMs as adsorbents or alternative sources of minerals (i.e., REE). The review confirmed that NCMs excellently remove different cations pollutants and have significant potential as alternative source of REE. However, modification and further development of NCMs applications for getting the best adsorption and the best extraction of REE onto NCMs, which would enhance pollution control and leaching system is still needed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.87260","authors":["Aref Alshameri","Xinghu Wei","Hailong Wang","Yang Fuguo","Xin Chen","Hongping He","Chunjie Yan","Feng Xu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-07-26T09:01:43Z","doi":"10.5772/intechopen.87260","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1023/a:1006574110907","name":"Extraterrestrial Organic Matter: A review","source":"crossref","abstract":"We review the nature of the widespread organic material present in the Milky Way Galaxy and in the Solar System. Attention is given to the links between these environments and between primitive Solar System objects and the early Earth, indicating the preservation of organic material as an interstellar cloud collapsed to form the Solar System and as the Earth accreted such material from asteroids, comets and interplanetary dust particles. In the interstellar medium of the Milky Way Galaxy more than 100 molecular species, the bulk of them organic, have been securely identified, primarily through spectroscopy at the highest radio frequencies. There is considerable evidence for significantly heavier organic molecules, particularly polycyclic aromatics, although precise identification of individual species has not yet been obtained. The so-called diffuse interstellar bands are probably important in this context. The low temperature kinetics in interstellar clouds leads to very large isotopic fractionation, particularly for hydrogen, and this signature is present in organic components preserved in carbonaceous chondritic meteorites. Outer belt asteroids are the probable parent bodies of the carbonaceous chondrites, which may contain as much as 5% organic material, including a rich variety of amino acids, purines, pyrimidines, and other species of potential prebiotic interest. Richer in volatiles and hence less thermally processed are the comets, whose organic matter is abundant and poorly characterized. Cometary volatiles, observed after sublimation into the coma, include many species also present in the interstellar medium. There is evidence that most of the Earth's volatiles may have been supplied by a 'late' bombardment of comets and carbonaceous meteorites, scattered into the inner Solar System following the formation of the giant planets. How much in the way of intact organic molecules of potential prebiotic interest survived delivery to the Earth has become an increasingly debated topic over the last several years. The principal source for such intact organics was probably accretion of interplanetary dust particles of cometary origin.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1006574110907","authors":["William M. Irvine"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-12-22T02:18:38Z","doi":"10.1023/a:1006574110907","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1346/ccmn.1962.0110113","name":"Diagenesis in Clay Minerals—A Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Diagenesis refers to the process, and the changes (usually excluding cation exchange) that take place in sediments after deposition, but definitions of the process vary widely over which changes, and what part (or all) of the time between the transportation of the sediment and the time that the sediment(ary rock) is studied, should be included in diagenesis. Furthermore, Weaver, Griffin, and others, have favored alternative explanations to account for many clay mineral distributions that previously have been interpreted as representing changes in clay minerals in both recent and ancient sediments, and which were referred to diagenesis. Although agreeing that such alternative explanations account best for many distributions of clay minerals, additional evidence that presumably is convincing of diagenesis is presented herein to account for the formation of certain other occurrences of glauconitic mica, glauconite, illite, corrensite, kaolinite, and vanadiferous micaceous clay. A two-stage mechanism is proposed for a possible process by which illite and probably corrensite are formed: (1) cation sorption driven by energy (activities) of the ions in solution, and binding energy of the clay minerals, and (2) subsequent rearrangement of ions in the clay mineral to produce illite. It is finally proposed that diagenesis of clay minerals is characterized by the addition to and incorporation into them of Me ions, such as Mg, K, Ca, Na, Al, Fe, V, SiO 2 , and others, driven mainly by chemical energy and aided by mechanical and thermal energy, but as the latter two become more effective the process is designated metamorphism (anamorphism). Long-time, diagenetic reactions after burial of sediments are probably less important, volume-wise, than provenance and terrestrial weathering in determining the mineralogy of argillaceous sedimentary rocks in the geologic column.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1346/ccmn.1962.0110113","authors":["W. D. Keller"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-08-29T03:30:11Z","doi":"10.1346/ccmn.1962.0110113","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/aff2.70067/v2/review1","name":"Review for \"Importance of Minerals and Their Bioavailability in Boosting Aquaculture: A Systematic Review\"","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aff2.70067/v2/review1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-05T17:06:51Z","doi":"10.1002/aff2.70067/v2/review1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/aff2.70067/v1/review2","name":"Review for \"Importance of Minerals and Their Bioavailability in Boosting Aquaculture: A Systematic Review\"","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aff2.70067/v1/review2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-05T17:06:51Z","doi":"10.1002/aff2.70067/v1/review2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1039/d5ra01088h/v1/review1","name":"Review for \"Instantaneous formation of interstellar minerals and mineral quantum dots\"","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5ra01088h/v1/review1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-20T06:03:56Z","doi":"10.1039/d5ra01088h/v1/review1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/14041048609409292","name":"Book Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Mats Hammarström, Securing Resources by Force – The Need for Raw Materials and Military Intervention by Major Powers in Less Developed Countries, Report No 27 Department of Peace and Conflict Research, Uppsala University, Uppsala Sweden 1986.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14041048609409292","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-04-02T11:02:55Z","doi":"10.1080/14041048609409292","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min11090962","name":"Induced Polarization as a Tool to Assess Alteration in Geothermal Systems: A Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"The mineral alteration patterns in high- to low-temperature geothermal fields affect the induced polarization (electrical conductivity and chargeability) properties of volcanic rocks. Indeed, these properties are sensitive to the cation exchange capacity and the porosity of the rock, which are both dependent on the alteration path, temperature, and depth of burial. Therefore induced polarization tomography appears as a powerful non-intrusive geophysical method to investigate alteration patterns in geothermal fields. Among clay minerals, the production of smectite through prograde reactions occurs progressively in volcanic rocks up to 220 °C. The presence of smectite dominates the induced polarization response of the volcanic rocks because of its very large cation exchange capacity. It follows that induced polarization can be used as a non-intrusive temperature proxy up to 220 °C for both active and inactive geothermal fields, recording the highest temperatures reached in the past. The influence of magnetite and pyrite, two semi-conductors, also has a strong influence regarding the induced polarization properties of volcanic rocks. Various field examples are discussed to show how induced polarization can be used to image volcanic conduits and smectite-rich clay caps in volcanic areas for both stratovolcanoes and shield volcanoes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min11090962","authors":["Andre Revil","Marceau Gresse"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-09-02T23:05:12Z","doi":"10.3390/min11090962","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2022.107519","name":"Flotation behaviour in reflux flotation cell – A critical review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2022.107519","authors":["Jiarui Chen","Wonder Chimonyo","Yongjun Peng"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-03-28T15:58:56Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2022.107519","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min10070597","name":"Ruby Deposits: A Review and Geological Classification","source":"crossref","abstract":"Corundum is not uncommon on Earth but the gem varieties of ruby and sapphire are relatively rare. Gem corundum deposits are classified as primary and secondary deposits. Primary deposits contain corundum either in the rocks where it crystallized or as xenocrysts and xenoliths carried by magmas to the Earth’s surface. Classification systems for corundum deposits are based on different mineralogical and geological features. An up-to-date classification scheme for ruby deposits is described in the present paper. Ruby forms in mafic or felsic geological environments, or in metamorphosed carbonate platforms but it is always associated with rocks depleted in silica and enriched in alumina. Two major geological environments are favorable for the presence of ruby: (1) amphibolite to medium pressure granulite facies metamorphic belts and (2) alkaline basaltic volcanism in continental rifting environments. Primary ruby deposits formed from the Archean (2.71 Ga) in Greenland to the Pliocene (5 Ma) in Nepal. Secondary ruby deposits have formed at various times from the erosion of metamorphic belts (since the Precambrian) and alkali basalts (from the Cenozoic to the Quaternary). Primary ruby deposits are subdivided into two types based on their geological environment of formation: (Type I) magmatic-related and (Type II) metamorphic-related. Type I is characterized by two sub-types, specifically Type IA where xenocrysts or xenoliths of gem ruby of metamorphic (sometimes magmatic) origin are hosted by alkali basalts (Madagascar and others), and Type IB corresponding to xenocrysts of ruby in kimberlite (Democratic Republic of Congo). Type II also has two sub-types; metamorphic deposits sensu stricto (Type IIA) that formed in amphibolite to granulite facies environments, and metamorphic-metasomatic deposits (Type IIB) formed via high fluid–rock interaction and metasomatism. Secondary ruby deposits, i.e., placers are termed sedimentary-related (Type III). These placers are hosted in sedimentary rocks (soil, rudite, arenite, and silt) that formed via erosion, gravity effect, mechanical transport, and sedimentation along slopes or basins related to neotectonic motions and deformation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min10070597","authors":["Gaston Giuliani","Lee Groat","Anthony Fallick","Isabella Pignatelli","Vincent Pardieu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-06-30T09:04:59Z","doi":"10.3390/min10070597","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1039/d5ra01088h/v1/review2","name":"Review for \"Instantaneous formation of interstellar minerals and mineral quantum dots\"","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5ra01088h/v1/review2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-20T06:03:56Z","doi":"10.1039/d5ra01088h/v1/review2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1039/d5ra01088h/v2/review1","name":"Review for \"Instantaneous formation of interstellar minerals and mineral quantum dots\"","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5ra01088h/v2/review1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-20T06:03:56Z","doi":"10.1039/d5ra01088h/v2/review1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1002/aff2.70067/v1/review1","name":"Review for \"Importance of Minerals and Their Bioavailability in Boosting Aquaculture: A Systematic Review\"","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aff2.70067/v1/review1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-05T17:06:51Z","doi":"10.1002/aff2.70067/v1/review1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/14041040510033888","name":"Book review","source":"crossref","abstract":"\"Book review.\" Minerals & Energy - Raw Materials Report, 20(1), pp. 46–47","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14041040510033888","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-09-15T06:03:44Z","doi":"10.1080/14041040510033888","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/14041048909409936","name":"Book Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Anaconda - Berichte aus der Rohstoffwelt, by Carl -Wolfgang Sames, Wirt-schaftsverlag, Langen-Müller-Herbig, München 1986.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14041048909409936","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-04-02T15:05:02Z","doi":"10.1080/14041048909409936","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(98)00117-4","name":"On the synthesis of inorganic chemical and metallurgical processes, review and extension","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(98)00117-4","authors":["L.A. Cisternas"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-25T22:50:06Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(98)00117-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.1975.11762849","name":"A Brief Review of Display Case Showmanship","source":"crossref","abstract":"\"A Brief Review of Display Case Showmanship.\" Rocks & Minerals, 50(5), pp. 335–336","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.1975.11762849","authors":["Norm Elliott"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-09-29T15:49:56Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.1975.11762849","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(99)00015-1","name":"Use of organic polymers in the flotation of polymetallic ores: A review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(99)00015-1","authors":["S.M. Bulatovic"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-25T19:57:07Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(99)00015-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min5020276","name":"Testing of Ore Comminution Behavior in the Geometallurgical Context—A Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Comminution tests are an important element in the proper design of ore beneficiation plants. In the past, test work has been conducted for particular representative reference samples. Within geometallurgy the entire ore body is explored in order to further identify the variation within the resource and to establish spatial geometallurgical domains that show the differential response to mineral processing. Setting up a geometallurgical program for an ore deposit requires extensive test work. Methods for testing the comminution behavior must therefore be more efficient in terms of time and cost but also with respect to sample requirements. The integration of the test method into the geometallurgical modeling framework is also important. This paper provides an overview of standard comminution test methods used for the investigation of ore comminution behavior and evaluates their applicability and potential in the geometallurgical context.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min5020276","authors":["Abdul Mwanga","Jan Rosenkranz","Pertti Lamberg"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-05-19T10:35:57Z","doi":"10.3390/min5020276","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1353/sais.1987.0036","name":"Energy, Minerals, and Western Security (review)","source":"crossref","abstract":"BOOK REVIEWS 237 individuals can specialize.\" Then he explains how technological changes have made the division of labor increasingly more sophisticated, and he lists the advantages and disadvantages of the division of labor. Second, he extends his theory to the international division of labor. Fundamental to the international division of labor is the ability of intermediate products to be traded economically. After having explained how intermediate product trade within firms can arise, Casson analyzes why and when this trade is preferred over arm's length trade between firms. Here he uses the concept of vertical integration, describing two theories— profit maximization and bargaining theory— in an attempt to synthesize these theories into a global approach. The findings from the first part of the book are applied to a variety of industry case studies in the second part: motors, bearings, synthetic fibers, tin, copper, bananas, and shipping. Each of these studies is written by an expert in the field. The arguments in Multinationals and World Trade are a significant step towards more comprehensive theories of the international division of labor and vertical integration. Thus it is a useful guide for future research. A second contribution is the use of industry studies as touchstones for the theory developed in the first part of the book. All too often in comparable publications the separation between theory and case studies appears unbridgeable. This is certainly not true of Casson's work: the industry studies are a big help in distinguishing what is important. However, a few questions remain unresolved. The role of wage differentials in the division of labor is one example. In at least three industry studies this was a major reason for multinationals to locate parts of their production process abroad (see, for instance, the motor, fiber, and banana industries case studies). In the theory section of the book, the division of labor is primarily explained through divisibility of products, while low labor costs, union membership , and other variables relating to labor costs are only casually mentioned. It is even suggested that high productivity, rather than low wages, explains the trend toward location in newly industrializing countries. But apart from a few minor contradictions between case studies and theories, such as the one just mentioned, the book offers a useful synthesis of theory and reality, making it worthwhile reading. Energy, Minerals, and Western Security. By Hanns W. Maull. Baltimore, Md.: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1984. 413 pp. $35.00/cloth. Reviewed by M. K. Hermes, M.A. candidate, SAIS. In Energy, Minerals, and Western Security Hanns W. Maull provides an economic analysis of the effects of energy and hard minerals imports on Western security. He considers economic security to be threatened if (1) there is a risk of disruption to supplies, (2) the disturbance would demand major adjustments for the importer, or, (3) the adjustment process would be costly for Western societies. He uses these three factors as the framework for his analysis, which encompasses fuel minerals, including uranium, coal, oil, and natural gas; and 238 SAIS REVIEW nonfuel minerals, including hard minerals, as well as softer ores used in the manufacture of fertilizer. In each case he assesses the likelihood that dependence on foreign supplies of the resource might become a security risk for the West. Then he provides possible policy responses to the security risks. According to Maull, the resources that currently present security risks for the West include oil, natural gas, platinum group metals, phosphates, and a few steel alloys, particularly chromium, cobalt, manganese, and vanadium. The concentration of the supplies of these minerals makes two areas of the world very important to the consumer nations: the Persian Gulf and southern Africa. Their unique endowments makes maintaining resource flows from these areas a critical issue. These resources also present risks because of their relatively inelastic demand and the lack of significant, developed, and economically feasible supplies in stable pro-Western regions. Maull feels that economic risks will persist and will also tend to increase as resources in the stable pro-Western regions are depleted. In contrast, decreasing demand due to economic changes will have a dampening effect on the economic risk. The future net change in risk, therefore...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1353/sais.1987.0036","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-07-15T22:41:10Z","doi":"10.1353/sais.1987.0036","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529809603081","name":"Pseudomorphs from Bolivia: A Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529809603081","authors":["Jaroslav Hyrsl","Alfred Petrov"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-12-25T08:19:23Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529809603081","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2012.12.005","name":"Adaptation of minerals processing operations for lithium-ion (LiBs) and nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries recycling: Critical review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2012.12.005","authors":["S. Al-Thyabat","T. Nakamura","E. Shibata","A. Iizuka"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-02-26T23:48:33Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2012.12.005","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min13111373","name":"A Review of the Grinding Media in Ball Mills for Mineral Processing","source":"crossref","abstract":"The ball mill is a rotating cylindrical vessel with grinding media inside, which is responsible for breaking the ore particles. Grinding media play an important role in the comminution of mineral ores in these mills. This work reviews the application of balls in mineral processing as a function of the materials used to manufacture them and the mass loss, as influenced by three basic wear mechanisms: impact, abrasion, and corrosion. The effect of grinding media geometries and density on the mill performance was also reviewed to determine what the research has recommended as the most suitable grinding media for different grinding applications. Although considerable work has been carried out in that area, the influence of grinding media shape on the liberation of minerals, as well as the effect of various mill conditions on the performance of mixed grinding media shapes, are still poorly understood. Thus, the review opens up opportunities for further research to improve the grinding processes, especially considering that even a slight improvement in the process efficiency significantly reduces the production costs.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min13111373","authors":["Nyasha Matsanga","Willie Nheta","Ngonidzashe Chimwani"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-10-27T09:42:52Z","doi":"10.3390/min13111373","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/14041040701286567","name":"Literature review","source":"crossref","abstract":"by Steve Sorrell, Eoin O'Malley, Joachim Schleich and Sue Scott (2002) Edward Elgar Publishing Limited. ISBN ‐1 84064 889 9 This book uses detailed empirical research to examine energy management p...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14041040701286567","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-07-26T13:32:34Z","doi":"10.1080/14041040701286567","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1127/0935-1221/2009/0021-1925","name":"Elasticity measurements on minerals: a review","source":"crossref","abstract":"The elasticity of minerals is central to our understanding of the structure and properties of the Earth, and other planets. In the last half-century, and in particular within the last 15 years, there have been many new developments in the experimental methods used to determine the elastic properties of minerals. Not only have new techniques become available, but the pressure and temperature ranges over which they can be applied have been greatly extended and the precision and accuracy of the results have been significantly improved. Given these rapid advances in measurement techniques we provide a brief guide to the theory of the elasticity of minerals, and we review and compare the physical principles and the capabilities of the experimental techniques now available.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1127/0935-1221/2009/0021-1925","authors":["Ross J. Angel","Jennifer M. Jackson","Hans J. Reichmann","Sergio Speziale"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-04-22T00:57:42Z","doi":"10.1127/0935-1221/2009/0021-1925","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/978-3-540-92179-0_1","name":"General Review of Electrochemistry of Flotation of Sulphide Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-92179-0_1","authors":["Yuehua Hu","Wei Sun","Dianzuo Wang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-06-30T08:18:35Z","doi":"10.1007/978-3-540-92179-0_1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2020.106718","name":"Modelling for froth flotation control: A review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2020.106718","authors":["Paulina Quintanilla","Stephen J. Neethling","Pablo R. Brito-Parada"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-12-29T08:19:36Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2020.106718","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min12101316","name":"Phosphatic Biomineralization in Scyphozoa (Cnidaria): A Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Phosphatic biomineralization is unknown in modern species of Scyphozoa (Cnidaria). However, some extinct groups of Scyphozoa, such as conulariids and Sphenothallus, were capable of secreting phosphatic exoskeletons. Both conulariids and Sphenothallus used apatite to improve the mechanical properties of their skeletons, which offered better protection than the non-biomineralized periderms. The skeletons of conulariids and Sphenothallus have a lamellar microstructure. The shell lamellae of conulariids are often pierced by tiny pores. Several apatitic mineral structures have been described in conulariids and Sphenothallus, including plywood-like structures. Different lattice parameters of the apatite indicate that the biomineralization mechanisms of the phosphatic cnidarians Sphenothallus and conulariids differed from each other.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min12101316","authors":["Olev Vinn"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-10-19T00:58:51Z","doi":"10.3390/min12101316","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2010.517141","name":"Review of Exotic Gems Volume 1","source":"crossref","abstract":"by Renée Newman. International Jewelry Publications, PO Box 13384, Los Angeles, CA 90013. 153 pages; 2010; $19.95 plus shipping and handling (softbound). This is the eighth informative book on gems...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2010.517141","authors":["Robert B. Cook"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-09-20T20:32:57Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2010.517141","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/14041040600551665","name":"Book review","source":"crossref","abstract":"\"Book review.\" Minerals & Energy - Raw Materials Report, 20(3-4), p. 72","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14041040600551665","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-03-15T15:18:44Z","doi":"10.1080/14041040600551665","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/14041040600551657","name":"Book review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Martin Lynch, Reaktion Books, London 2003. www.reaktionbooks.co.uk Cedric E. Gregory, A.A. Balkema Publishers, Lisse 2001. www.balkema.nl Minerals and mining have increasingly come under critical f...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14041040600551657","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-03-15T20:18:44Z","doi":"10.1080/14041040600551657","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0892-6875(89)90063-0","name":"The theory of electrostatic separations: A review Part I. Fundamentals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0892-6875(89)90063-0","authors":["E.G. Kelly","D.J. Spottiswood"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-03-15T06:59:29Z","doi":"10.1016/0892-6875(89)90063-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2022.107632","name":"A systematic review on leaching of rare earth metals from primary and secondary sources","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2022.107632","authors":["Aiman Shahbaz"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-05-20T01:11:59Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2022.107632","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/14041040701207027","name":"Literature Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"edited by Colin Robinson (2006). Edward Elgar Publishing Limited. ISBN ‐13 978 1 84542 711 5 This book is part of a series of books covering the 2004 share of the annual lectures in the Beesley ser...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14041040701207027","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-07-26T09:32:35Z","doi":"10.1080/14041040701207027","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2013.05.008","name":"Comment on: A review of copper–arsenic mineral removal from copper Concentrates: Graham Long, Yongjun Peng and Dee Bradshaw, Minerals Engineering, Vol. 36–38, pp. 179–186, 2012","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2013.05.008","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-08-14T06:18:08Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2013.05.008","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.1965.11765877","name":"Book Review: Precious Stones and other Crystals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.1965.11765877","authors":["Neal Yedlin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-10-14T22:50:23Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.1965.11765877","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min11111280","name":"A Review of the Milestones Reached by the Attainable Region Optimisation Technique in Particle Size Reduction","source":"crossref","abstract":"The attainable region (AR) is an optimization method adopted for use in comminution to achieve different objective functions, which all converge to optimising the production of the desired particle size distributions for downstream processes. The technique has so far mostly been used to optimise the breakage of particles in tumbling mills. It achieved the desired purpose by unveiling all possible outcomes derived from a combination of operational parameters that are bound by trajectories showing the limitations of a system. The technique has given the scientific community lenses to see the behaviour of different parameters in ball mills otherwise known as the black boxes due to their concealing nature. Since its inception, the AR technique has been applied to data obtained from the laboratory tests and simulated industrial mills and the results sometimes contradict or confirm the conventional milling practices in the industry. This makes the already conservative mining industry sceptical about its adoption. This review thus assesses the milestone covered as far as the AR development in comminution is concerned. It also helps to clarify the sources of the discrepancies between the AR results and the conventional knowledge concerning the optimisation of ball mill operational parameters.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min11111280","authors":["Ngonidzashe Chimwani"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-11-19T02:43:09Z","doi":"10.3390/min11111280","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0892-6875(94)90149-x","name":"A review of lead and zinc electrodeposition control by polarization techniques","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0892-6875(94)90149-x","authors":["J.A. González-Domínguez"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-03-15T06:41:30Z","doi":"10.1016/0892-6875(94)90149-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(01)00103-0","name":"A review of the flotation of native gold and electrum","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(01)00103-0","authors":["G.C. Allan","J.T. Woodcock"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-25T08:53:29Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(01)00103-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1021/j100244a631","name":"Discussion of Papers Presented at the Symposlum: Extraterrestrial Ice. A Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEPREVArticleNEXTDiscussion of Papers Presented at the Symposlum: Extraterrestrial Ice. A ReviewJ KlingerCite this: J. Phys. Chem. 1983, 87, 21, 4336Publication Date (Print):October 1, 1983Publication History Published online8 January 2004Published inissue 1 October 1983https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/j100244a631https://doi.org/10.1021/j100244a631research-articleACS PublicationsRequest reuse permissionsArticle Views20Altmetric-Citations-LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated. Share Add toView InAdd Full Text with ReferenceAdd Description ExportRISCitationCitation and abstractCitation and referencesMore Options Share onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InRedditEmail Other access options Get e-Alerts","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/j100244a631","authors":["J Klinger"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-03-14T22:15:25Z","doi":"10.1021/j100244a631","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min10050472","name":"Coexisting Rubies and Blue Sapphires from Major World Deposits: A Brief Review of Their Mineralogical Properties","source":"crossref","abstract":"Gem corundum deposits are typically divided into blue sapphire and ruby deposits. However, this classification often overlooks the fact that the precious stones produced are the same mineral with only an overall slight difference in their trace element profiles. It can take only a couple thousand ppm chromium to create the rich, red color expected of a ruby. This contribution deals specifically with economically important gem corundum mining regions that produce both blue sapphires and rubies either in comparable quantities (Mogok, Myanmar, and the basalt-related gem fields on the border between Thailand and Cambodia at Chanthaburi, Thailand, and Pailin, Cambodia) or predominantly blue sapphires with rare rubies (secondary Montana sapphire deposits and Yogo Gulch in Montana as well as the gem fields of Sri Lanka). Comparison of the trace element profiles and inclusions in the blue sapphire/ruby assemblages in these deposits shows that there are both monogenetic and polygenetic assemblages in which the blue sapphires and rubies have the same geological origin (monogenetic) or distinct geological origins (polygenetic). In the monogenetic assemblages, the rubies and blue sapphires have essentially indistinguishable inclusions and trace element chemistry profiles (with the exception of Cr contents). On the other hand, polygenetic assemblages are composed of rubies and blue sapphires with distinct inclusions and trace element chemistry profiles. Notably, in the monogenetic assemblages, chromium seems to vary independently from other trace elements. In these assemblages, Cr can vary by nearly four orders of magnitude with essentially no consistent relationship to other trace elements. The observations described herein are an attempt to address the question of what the geochemical and geological constraints are that turn gem corundum into a spectacular ruby.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min10050472","authors":["Aaron C. Palke"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-05-22T10:18:18Z","doi":"10.3390/min10050472","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2012.635920","name":"Media Review: Geology Underfoot in Northern Arizona","source":"crossref","abstract":"Lon Abbott and Terri Cook. Mountain Press Publishing, PO Box 2399, Missoula, MT 59806 (www.mountainpress.com). 321 pages; 2007; $18 (plus shipping and handling; softbound). Those who have visited n...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2012.635920","authors":["Robert B. Cook"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-01-19T16:59:37Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2012.635920","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2013.07.011","name":"A review of the effect of water quality on flotation","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2013.07.011","authors":["Wenying Liu","C.J. Moran","Sue Vink"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-08-09T17:29:50Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2013.07.011","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/14041040310002441a","name":"Book Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14041040310002441a","authors":["Magnus Ericsson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-08-01T10:52:03Z","doi":"10.1080/14041040310002441a","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min11121409","name":"Roméite-Group Minerals Review: New Crystal Chemical and Raman Data of Fluorcalcioroméite and Hydroxycalcioroméite","source":"crossref","abstract":"The roméite-group is part of the pyrochlore-supergroup and comprises cubic oxides of A2B2X6Y formula in which Sb5+ predominates in the B-site. The A and Y main occupants determine different minerals in the group and are important for the discovery of new mineral species. Two different roméite-group mineral samples were analysed by electron microprobe analysis (EMPA), Raman spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD). The first sample is from Prabornaz Mine (locality of the original roméite), Saint Marcel, Valle d’Aosta, Italy, whereas the other one occurs in Kalugeri Hill, Babuna Valley, Jakupica Mountains, Nezilovo, Veles, Macedonia. Sample 1 was identified as fluorcalcioroméite, and sample 2 as hydroxycalcioroméite. Both samples belong to the cubic crystal system, space group Fd3¯m, Z = 8, where a = 10.2881(13) Å, V = 1088.9(4) Å3 for sample 1, and a = 10.2970(13) Å, V = 1091.8(4) Å3 for sample 2. The crystal structure refinements converged to (1) R1 = 0.016, wR2 = 0.042; and (2) R1 = 0.023, wR2 = 0.049. Bond-valence calculations validated the crystal structure refinements determining the correct valences at each crystallographic site. Discrepancies observed in the Sb5+ bond-valence calculations were solved with the use of the proper bond valence parameters. The resulting structural formulas are (Ca1.29Na0.55□0.11Pb0.05)Σ=2.00(Sb1.71Ti0.29)Σ=2.00[O5.73(OH)0.27]Σ=6.00[F0.77O0.21(OH)0.02]Σ=1.00 for sample 1, and (Ca1.30Ce0.51□0.19)Σ=2.00(Sb1.08Ti0.92)Σ=2.00O6.00[(OH)0.61O0.21F0.18]Σ=1.00 for sample 2. The Raman spectra of the samples exhibited the characteristic bands of roméite-group minerals, the most evident corresponding to the Sb-O stretching at around 510 cm−1.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min11121409","authors":["Gerson Lopes","Daniel Atencio","Javier Ellena","Marcelo Andrade"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-12-14T01:22:05Z","doi":"10.3390/min11121409","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2018.03.027","name":"A review of temperature-responsive polymers as novel reagents for solid-liquid separation and froth flotation of minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2018.03.027","authors":["Wei Sung Ng","Luke A. Connal","Elizaveta Forbes","George V. Franks"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-04-12T04:27:52Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2018.03.027","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min9100644","name":"A Review of Boron-Bearing Minerals (Excluding Tourmaline) in the Adirondack Region of New York State","source":"crossref","abstract":"Boron is a biologically important element, but its distribution in the natural environment and its behavior during many geological processes is not fully understood. In most metamorphic and igneous environments, boron is incorporated into minerals of the tourmaline supergroup. In high-grade metamorphic terranes like that of the Adirondack region of northern New York State, uncommon rock compositions combined with unusual and variable geologic conditions resulted in the formation of many additional boron-bearing minerals. This paper reviews the occurrences and geological settings of twelve relatively uncommon boron-bearing minerals in the southern Grenville Province of upstate New York and provides new chemical and Raman spectral data for seven of these minerals. The boron minerals range from relatively simple metal borates (e.g., vonsenite), to chemically complex borosilicates (e.g., prismatine), to a relatively rare borosilicate-carbonate (e.g., harkerite). Some are of primary igneous origin, while others are formed by a variety of prograde and retrograde metamorphic processes or by metasomatic/hydrothermal processes. Most of the boron minerals are formed within, or adjacent to, metasedimentary lithologies that surround the anorthositic massifs of the central Adirondacks. The metasedimentary rocks are thought to be the source of most of the boron, although additional boron isotope studies are needed to confirm this and to constrain the mechanisms of the formation of these unusual minerals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min9100644","authors":["David G. Bailey","Marian V. Lupulescu","Robert S. Darling","Jared W. Singer","Steven C. Chamberlain"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-10-23T11:46:59Z","doi":"10.3390/min9100644","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1346/ccmn.1963.0120115","name":"The Origin of High-Alumina Clay Minerals—A Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract High-alumina minerals refer, in this paper, to Al-rich, normal sedimentary phases, including gibbsite, boehmite, diaspore, possibly “proto-diaspore” and “proto-alunite”, “Al-chlorite”, and corundum, in association with kaolin minerals. They may be derived from any common Al-containing rock. Processes of origin include direct bauxitization of non-clay silicate minerals and rocks, and the desilication of any of the common clay minerals, particularly of the kaolin group. Apparently aluminous gels were formed within certain marshy basins, and/or were transported into basins, giving rise to concretionary masses of high-alumina minerals. Concretionary deposits were formed by dissolution of Al and reprecipitation. Alumina is probably more soluble, inherently, than is interpreted from geologic occurrences. Even after Al is dissolved under appropriate pH, or complexing reactions, its solubility is obscured by Al-immobilization through fixation within 3-layer clay minerals, or absorbed by other phases. A 14Å phase, probably aluminous, is not uncommon in certain soils, and in flint and boehmite-diaspore-containing clays. Subtraction of silica by plants, is accompanied by concentration of alumina.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1346/ccmn.1963.0120115","authors":["W. D. Keller"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-08-29T03:30:12Z","doi":"10.1346/ccmn.1963.0120115","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0892-6875(03)00131-6","name":"Reagents used in the flotation of phosphate ores: a critical review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-6875(03)00131-6","authors":["H. Sis","S. Chander"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-06-02T19:25:49Z","doi":"10.1016/s0892-6875(03)00131-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min13010091","name":"A Review of Particle Shape Effects on Material Properties for Various Engineering Applications: From Macro to Nanoscale","source":"crossref","abstract":"It is well known that most particle technology studies attempting to predict secondary properties based on primary properties such as size and shape begin with particle characterization, which means the process of determining the primary properties of particles in a wide spectrum from macro to nanoscale. It is a fact that the actual shape of engineering particles used in many industrial applications or processes is neglected, as they are assumed to be “homogeneous spheres” with easily understood behavior in any application or process. In addition, it is vital to control the granular materials used in various industries or to prepare them in desired shapes, to develop better processes or final products, and to make the processes practical and economical. Therefore, this review not only covers basic shape definitions, shape characterization methods, and the effect of particle shape on industrial material properties, but also provides insight into the development of the most suitably shaped materials for specific applications or processes (from nanomaterials used in pharmaceuticals to proppant particles used in hydrocarbon production) by understanding the behavior of particles.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min13010091","authors":["Ugur Ulusoy"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-09T07:28:10Z","doi":"10.3390/min13010091","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2018.11.023","name":"The beneficiation of lithium minerals from hard rock ores: A review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2018.11.023","authors":["Bogale Tadesse","Fidele Makuei","Boris Albijanic","Laurence Dyer"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-11-19T06:18:39Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2018.11.023","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108076","name":"Environmental evaluation of metals and minerals production based on a life cycle assessment approach: A systematic review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108076","authors":["Safa RACHID","Yassine TAHA","Mostafa BENZAAZOUA"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-04-20T02:07:20Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108076","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min9090514","name":"CO2 Adsorption of Materials Synthesized from Clay Minerals: A Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"The aim of this work is to make a brief review of the adsorption of CO2 on modified clay minerals. Previous researchers have used different clay modifications, either by making changes in the structure by a reaction with another product or by the addition of a catalyst to improve their CO2 adsorption capacity. In order to obtain high values of CO2 uptake, some researchers have been incorporated amines-speices such as (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES), tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA) and a branched polyethylenimine (PEI) by grafting or impregnation. The synthesis of an adsorbent from mineral clays can generate an increase in its porosity and in its textural properties. These investigations differ in a number of factors such as the kind of clay, the operating conditions, y and the nature of the impregnated compound. The role of these factors in the CO2 adsorption capacity will be considered in detail in this review.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min9090514","authors":["Nesrine Chouikhi","Juan Antonio Cecilia","Enrique Vilarrasa-García","Sabrine Besghaier","Mohamed Chlendi","Francisco Ignacio Franco Duro","Enrique Rodriguez Castellon","Mohamed Bagane"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-08-26T10:54:53Z","doi":"10.3390/min9090514","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14020169","name":"Calcium Orthophosphate–Clay Composites—Preparation, Characterisation, and Applications: A Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Calcium orthophosphates and clays and their composites are one of the most important groups in the field of new, modern, and technologically advanced materials that are accessible, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly. This review provides a summary of recent research on calcium orthophosphate–clay composites, their preparation, characterisation, and use in various applications. An introduction to the subject is followed by a detailed description of the chemical and physical properties of calcium orthophosphates, clays, and clay minerals. This is followed by a general summary of preparation methods for calcium orthophosphate–clay composites. Particular attention is paid to the description of individual applications, i.e., environmental applications, biomaterials science (tissue engineering, pharmacology), and other emerging applications. Finally, future perspectives are summarised and discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14020169","authors":["Monika Šupová"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-05T03:28:29Z","doi":"10.3390/min14020169","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.31857/s0016752523050035","name":"Peculiarities of the Extraterrestrial Basalts of the Solar System with Reference to the Exoplanet Science: a Brief Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"The formation of basalts is a global stage in the evolution of differentiated cosmic body (planet or asteroid) of the Solar System. The paper presents the main chemical and mineralogical features of basaltic meteorites of the SNC, HED group, angrites and lunar mare basalts based on literature data. Despite the differences in the products of basaltic volcanism on different cosmic bodies and significant compositional variations in major minerals of basaltic rocks, most of them belong to low-alkaline basalts, suggesting the prevalence of this type of rocks at least among small bodies of the Solar System. All of them are characterized by the presence of such rock-forming minerals as pyroxene, olivine, and plagioclase, and their spectral characteristics can be used to search for basalts on exoplanets. The main factors affecting the spectral characteristics of atmosphere-free bodies and larger planets with an atmosphere are shown, and the possibility of searching for products of basalt volcanism on exoplanets during future missions is considered.","url":"https://doi.org/10.31857/s0016752523050035","authors":["S. I. Demidova","D. D. Badyukov"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-13T10:35:36Z","doi":"10.31857/s0016752523050035","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1558/ecotheology.v8i1.1651","name":"Review of 'Many Worlds: The New Universe, Extraterrestrial Life and the Theological Implications' edited by Steven Dick","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1558/ecotheology.v8i1.1651","authors":["Jonathan Clatworthy"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-03-19T11:03:09Z","doi":"10.1558/ecotheology.v8i1.1651","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min11111197","name":"Leaching Chalcocite in Chloride Media—A Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Chalcocite is the most abundant secondary copper sulfide globally, with the highest copper content, and is easily treated by conventional hydrometallurgical processes, making it a very profitable mineral for extraction. Among the various leaching processes to treat chalcocite, chloride media show better results and have a greater industrial boom. Chalcocite dissolution is a two-stage process, the second being much slower than the first. During the second stage, in the first instance, it is possible to oxidize the covellite in a wide range of chloride concentrations or redox potentials (up to 75% extraction of Cu). Subsequently, CuS2 is formed, which is to be oxidized. It is necessary to work at high concentrations of chloride (&gt;2.5 mol/L) and/or increase the temperature to reach a redox potential of over 650 mV, which in turn decreases the thickness of the elemental sulfur layer on the mineral surface, facilitating chloride ions to generate a better porosity of this. Finally, it is concluded that the most optimal way to extract copper from chalcocite is, during the first stage, to work with high concentrations of chloride (50–100 g/L) and low concentrations of sulfuric acid (0.5 mol/L) at a temperature environment, as other variables become irrelevant during this stage if the concentration of chloride ions in the system is high. While in the second stage, it is necessary to increase the temperature of the system (moderate temperatures) or incorporate a high concentration of some oxidizing agent to avoid the passivation of the mineral.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min11111197","authors":["Norman Toro","Carlos Moraga","David Torres","Manuel Saldaña","Kevin Pérez","Edelmira Gálvez"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-10-28T23:51:36Z","doi":"10.3390/min11111197","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/14041040209362580","name":"Book review","source":"crossref","abstract":"The regulation of mineral enterprises The World Bank (1999). Non‐Payment in the Electricity Sector in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union Technical Paper No. 423, The World Bank, Washington DC, pp. 122 + vii, USD 22, ISSN 0253–7494.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14041040209362580","authors":["Antero Hakapää"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-11-21T11:22:38Z","doi":"10.1080/14041040209362580","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/14041040009362565","name":"Book review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Do we live in a Greenhouse? Gerholm, Tor Ragnar (ed.) (1999). Climate Policy after Kyoto Multi‐Science Publishing Co. Ltd., 5 Wates Way, Brentwood CM15 9TB, United Kingdom, 170 pp. ISBN 0–906522–16–1.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14041040009362565","authors":["Sven Laufeld"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-11-21T16:22:24Z","doi":"10.1080/14041040009362565","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/14041040009362550","name":"Book review","source":"crossref","abstract":"“The tragedy of the commons”; and global environmental problems Barkin, J. Samuel and George E. Shamaugh (eds.) (1999), Anarchy and the Environment Albany, New York, State University of New York Press, USD 17.95. 200 pp. ISBN 0–7914–4183–0 (hardback) and 0–7914–4184–9 (paperback).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14041040009362550","authors":["Lars Carlsson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-11-21T16:22:07Z","doi":"10.1080/14041040009362550","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min11101118","name":"AI4R2R (AI for Rock to Revenue): A Review of the Applications of AI in Mineral Processing","source":"crossref","abstract":"In the last few years, jargon, such as machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI), have been ubiquitous in both popular science media as well as the academic literature. Many industries have tried the current suite of ML and AI algorithms with various degrees of success. Mineral processing, as an industry, is looking at AI for two reasons. First of all, as with other industries, it is pertinent to know if AI algorithms can be used to enhance productivity. The second reason is specific to the mining industry. Of late, the grade of ores is reducing, and the demand for ethical mining (with as little effect on ecology as possible) is increasing. Thus, mineral processing industries also want to explore the possible use of AI in solving these challenges. In this review paper, first, the challenges in mineral processing that can potentially be solved by AI are presented. Then, some of the most pertinent developments in the domain of ML and AI (applied in the domain of mineral processing) are discussed. Lastly, a top-level modus operandi is presented for a mineral processing industry that might want to explore the possibilities of using AI in its processes. Following are some of the new paradigms added by this review. This review presents a holistic view of the domain of mineral processing with an AI lens. It is also one of the first reviews in this domain to thoroughly discuss the use of AI in ethical, green, and sustainable mineral processing. The AI process proposed in this paper is a comprehensive one. To ensure the relevance to industry, the flow was made agile with the spiral system engineering flow. This is expected to drive rapid and agile investigation of the potential of applying ML and AI in different mineral processing industries.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min11101118","authors":["Amit Kumar Mishra"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-10-13T06:38:41Z","doi":"10.3390/min11101118","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/14041040009362572","name":"Book review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Commodities, Energy and Transport Markets The Reuters Financial Training Series (2000). An Introduction to the Commodities, Energy & Transport Markets Wiley, New York, 315 pp.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14041040009362572","authors":["Marian Radetzki"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-11-21T11:22:34Z","doi":"10.1080/14041040009362572","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/14041049909362522","name":"Book review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Natural hazards in high mountains Kalvoda, J. and C.L. Rosenfeld (Eds.) (1998), Geomorphological Hazards in High Mountain Areas Dordrecht, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 314 p. ISBN 079234961X.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14041049909362522","authors":["Sven Laufeld"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-11-21T16:21:23Z","doi":"10.1080/14041049909362522","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/14041040310002441","name":"Book Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14041040310002441","authors":["Magnus Ericsson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-01-19T10:21:35Z","doi":"10.1080/14041040310002441","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0892-6875(89)90040-x","name":"The theory of electrostatic separations: A review part II. Particle charging","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0892-6875(89)90040-x","authors":["E.G. Kelly","D.J. Spottiwood"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-03-15T01:59:29Z","doi":"10.1016/0892-6875(89)90040-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/14041049909362537","name":"Book review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Development policies in natural resource economies Mayer, Jorg., Brian Chambers and Ayisha Farooq (Eds.) (1999). Development Policies in Natural Resource Economies Edward Elgar in association with UNCTAD, Cheltenham, United Kingdom. £49.95. 240 pp. ISBN 1–84064–009‐X.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14041049909362537","authors":["Phillip Crowson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-11-21T16:21:46Z","doi":"10.1080/14041049909362537","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2006.10.011","name":"Biological treatment of precious metal refinery wastewater: A review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2006.10.011","authors":["Rylan S. Dobson","Joanna E. Burgess"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-11-29T21:34:12Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2006.10.011","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min13070962","name":"Abundance and Genetic Significance of Lithium in Karst-Type Bauxite Deposits: A Comparative Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Palaeo weathering during the Cretaceous–Eocene interval is most favorable for bauxitization, i.e., transport and deposition in traps on the karstified surfaces of the Mediterranean karst bauxite belt, including the Parnassos–Ghiona bauxite deposit. Resources of lithium (Li), a critical metal of strategic significance in karst-type bauxite deposits, have attracted significant attention in recent years. Due to the discovery of the Li enrichment in certain karstic bauxite deposits in Europe and particularly in China, this review study is focused on the unexplored Li content in the Parnassos–Ghiona (Greece) bauxite deposit, aiming to improve the understanding of the major controlling factors for their origin and enrichment of critical metals. The presence of thin (up to 50 cm) pyrite-bearing coal seams and carbonaceous facies on top of the Parnassos–Ghiona bauxite deposit, at the transition between B3 (the youngest) bauxite horizon and the occurrence of multicolor bauxite ores reflecting a multistage evolution and changes in the mineralogy and geochemistry, is a common feature with other bauxite deposits in Europe and elsewhere. The organic matter, such as microorganisms in coal layers and carbonaceous layers (derived from plants and algae growing in paleo-mires after a regression of the sea), contains Li, which is derived from seawater, as suggested by a positive correlation with B (a seawater component as well). The available geological, mineralogical, and geochemical data highlight the particular significance of coal layers and carbonaceous layers overlying bauxite bodies as a driving force for redox reactions and as a source of Li in the exploration of karst-type bauxite deposits.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min13070962","authors":["Maria Economou-Eliopoulos","Christos Kanellopoulos"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-19T21:22:58Z","doi":"10.3390/min13070962","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/14041049309408507","name":"Book Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"South Pacific experience Michael C Howard, Mining, Politics and Development in the South Pacific, Westview Press 1991.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14041049309408507","authors":["Thomas Jordan"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-04-02T15:06:55Z","doi":"10.1080/14041049309408507","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min12050571","name":"Induced Polarization as a Tool to Assess Mineral Deposits: A Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Disseminated ores in porous or fractured media can be polarized under the application of an external low-frequency electrical field. This polarization is characterized by a dimensionless property that is called the “chargeability”. Induced polarization is a nonintrusive geophysical sensing technique that be used in the field to image both the electrical conductivity and the chargeability of porous rocks together with a characteristic relaxation time. A petrophysical model of the induced polarization of metallic ores immersed in a porous conductive and polarizable material is reviewed, and its predictions are compared to a large dataset of experimental data. The model shows that the chargeability of the material is linearly dependent on the volume fraction of the ore and the chargeability of the background material, which can, in turn, be related to the conductivity of the pore water and the cation exchange capacity of the clay fraction. The relaxation time depends on the grain sizes of the ores and on the conductivity of the background material, which is close to the conductivity of the porous rock itself. Five applications of the induced-polarization method to ore and metallic bodies are discussed in order to show the usefulness of this technique. These applications include: (i) A sandbox experiment, in which cubes of pyrite are located in a specific area of the tank; (ii) The tomography of an iron slag at an archeological site in France; (iii) A study of partially frozen graphitic schists in the French Alps; (iv) The detection of a metallic tank through the tomography of the relaxation times; and (v) The detection and localization of a deep ore body that is associated with a tectonic fault. We also discuss the possibility of combining self-potential and induced-polarization tomography to better characterize ore bodies below the seafloor.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min12050571","authors":["André Revil","Pierre Vaudelet","Zhaoyang Su","Rujun Chen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-05-01T06:23:08Z","doi":"10.3390/min12050571","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/14041049309408514","name":"Book Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Gold exploration Brian W Mackenzie and Michael D Dogget, Worldwide Trends in Gold Exploration, Centre for Resource Studies, Working Paper No 49, 1993.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14041049309408514","authors":["Robert Lilljequist"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-04-02T15:07:13Z","doi":"10.1080/14041049309408514","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/14041040310017914","name":"Book review","source":"crossref","abstract":"\"Book review.\" Minerals & Energy - Raw Materials Report, 19(2), p. 39","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14041040310017914","authors":["Magnus Ericsson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-06-16T19:46:34Z","doi":"10.1080/14041040310017914","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2019.105922","name":"Lime use and functionality in sulphide mineral flotation: A review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Lime (calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide) is arguably the most common reagent used in the extractive minerals processing industry. As an effective and economic pH modifier, lime is widely used in the process of selective flotation of the major sulphide minerals. This paper reviews: lime preparation factors that influence the reagent performance properties; mechanisms of lime interaction with collector chemicals and mineral surfaces; its role in promoting selective separation between different sulphide minerals; and the effect on pulp and froth properties. The practical aspects of lime dose locations and the most common sulphide flotation process applications are also discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2019.105922","authors":["M. Zanin","H. Lambert","C.A. du Plessis"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-09-04T23:37:44Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2019.105922","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.1967.11765419","name":"National Gem and Mineral Show a Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"\"National Gem and Mineral Show a Review.\" Rocks & Minerals, 42(9), pp. 692–693","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.1967.11765419","authors":["Charles J. Kelly"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-10-14T18:52:45Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.1967.11765419","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2979/amerreli.5.1.23","name":"In &amp; Out of This World: Material and Extraterrestrial Bodies in the Nation of Islam by Stephen C. Finley (review)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Reviewed by: In & Out of This World: Material and Extraterrestrial Bodies in the Nation of Islam by Stephen C. Finley Joseph Stuart Stephen C. Finley, In & Out of This World: Material and Extraterrestrial Bodies in the Nation of Islam. (Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2022.) Stephen C. Finley's In and Out of This World: Material and Extraterrestrial Bodies in the Nation of Islam is a welcome addition to scholarship on the Nation of Islam (NOI), religion and politics, and embodiment in the United States. Importantly, Finley frames the NOI as a religious nationalist group rather than as a solely politically nationalist group. This distinction emphasizes how the NOI creates order and exacts discipline from its members according to a consistent religious logic of embodiment. Finley accomplishes his framing of the NOI by describing how the organization has policed whether bodies are \"in\" or \"out-of-place\" in several contexts during the leadership of four prominent leaders: Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm X, Warith Deen Mohammed, and Louis Farrakhan. For instance, a Black person may be \"in place\" when abiding by Jim Crow social settings but \"out of place\" according to NOI theology (which rejects Black subservience to white systems). Further, a Black person may be \"in place\" by asserting dignity and self-respect but be \"out of place\" by practicing Christianity, which the NOI teaches is a demonic religion that is unnatural for Black individuals or communities and has \"whitenized\" Black people against their own interests (4–6, 44–45). The meaning of [End Page 203] place within the NOI is both \"symbolic\" and \"social,\" depending on a person or community's \"place.\" Place, in Finley's book and in NOI thought, extends beyond the earth into outer space, including the existence of extraterrestrials and UFOs. The author situates Elijah Muhammad's teachings on the eschaton-inducing \"Mother Plane\" or \"Mother Wheel\" that would come from an otherworldly spacecraft to destroy whiteness and white people. Finley then compares the cultural meaning of the Mother Plane to Malcolm X's \"social\" interpretation of the Nation of Islam's teachings that required immediate political action. Finley argues that Muhammad's focus on racial redemption through events outside Muslim control and Malcolm's concentration on immediate political organizing reveals the nature of their relationship's fracture. When Muhammad \"reimagined\" racism's end as a cataclysmic event from \"outside\" the earth, he declined to galvanize the NOI's membership against white supremacy through traditional protest methods in the mid-twentieth century Black freedom movement (9). Finley argues that the Mother Plane's deliverance represents a symbolic representation of bodies \"in place\": a promise of spiritual deliverance at an unknown date as a symbol of Allah's promised deliverance rather than organizing bodies to participate in formal demonstrations against inequality. Conversely, Malcolm viewed racial liberation as \"social,\" an immediate necessity, and, inspired by the Nation of Islam's pro-Black theologies, he viewed the NOI's mission as consistent with decolonization movements across the globe (4–6, 74–75). He argued that for the NOI to put Black bodies in the right spaces, they must participate in their liberation in the present. This discussion demonstrates how the NOI's leadership asserts the privilege of determining the place of bodies and setting forth the boundaries for whether ideas are in or out of place. As the organization's prophet, Muhammad had the final say on how the NOI officially applied its theology. Although Malcolm's vision aligned with NOI teachings, Muhammad rejected it as \"out of place.\" By situating Warith Deen Mohammed and Louis Farrakhan within a longer historical study of the Nation of Islam, Finley breaks from many other scholars who either minimize their intellectual debts to earlier NOI leaders or draw too-neat lines connecting Elijah Muhammad's teachings to their own. Finley shows how Mohammed endeavored to create an Islamic vision that reconciled aspects of his father's symbolic teachings on racial cataclysm as well as Malcolm X's social teachings on the immediate need for racial revolution, and in doing so, ended up leading a very different organization than his father. Finley's work on Farrakhan grants considerable attention to his encounter with...","url":"https://doi.org/10.2979/amerreli.5.1.23","authors":["Joseph Stuart"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-25T19:45:57Z","doi":"10.2979/amerreli.5.1.23","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2172/964090","name":"Review of Distribution Coefficients for Radionuclides in Carbonate Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"An understanding of the transport of radionuclides in carbonate minerals is necessary to be able to predict the fate of (and potentially remediate) radionuclides in the environment. In some environments, carbonate minerals such as calciate, aragonite, dolomite and limestone are present and an understanding of the sorption of radionuclides in these carbonate minerals is therefore advantageous. A list of the radionuclides of interest is given in Table 1. The distribution coefficient, K{sub d} is defined as the ratio of the contaminant concentration bound on the solid phase to the contaminant concentration remaining in the liquid phase at equilibrium. Some authors report distribution coefficients and other report partition coefficients, the data presented in this work assumes equality between these two terms, and data are presented and summarized in this work as logarithmic distribution coefficient (log K{sub D}). Published literature was searched using two methods. Firstly, the JNC Sorption Database, namely Shubutani et al (1999), and Suyama and Sasamoto (2004) was used to select elements of interest and a number of carbonate minerals. Secondly, on-line literature search tools were used to locate relevant published articles from 1900 to 2009. Over 300 data points covering 16 elements (hydrogen, carbon, calcium, nickel, strontium, technetium, palladium, iodine, cesium, samarium, europium, holmium, uranium, neptunium, plutonium and americium) were used to calculate an average and range of log K{sub d} values for each element. Unfortunately, no data could be found for chlorine, argon, krypton, zirconium, niobium, tin, thorium and curium. A description of the data is given below, together with the average, standard deviation, minimum, maximum and number of inputs for radionuclide K{sub d} values for calcite, aragonate, limestone, dolomite and unidentified carbonate rocks in Table 2. Finally, the data are condensed into one group (carbonate minerals) of data for each element of interest in Table 3.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2172/964090","authors":["M Sutton"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-09-18T06:26:46Z","doi":"10.2172/964090","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/14041040009362557","name":"Book review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Coal Use and Electricity Deregulation Rousaki, K., A. Bushell and A. McConville (1999), Liberalisation of Electricity Markets and Coal Use CCC/21, IEA Coal Research, London, United Kingdom, 47 pp. ISBN 92–9029–331–4.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14041040009362557","authors":["Patrik Söderholm"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-11-21T11:22:12Z","doi":"10.1080/14041040009362557","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2020.106713","name":"Stibnite froth flotation: A critical review","source":"crossref","abstract":"Antimony has a long and diverse history of applications, and concerns about its future supply have emerged in recent years. Stibnite-bearing ores continue to be the main source of this critical element, although its sourcing from secondary resources (e.g. mine tailings) is becoming increasingly relevant yet technically challenging. In this sense, froth flotation plays a key role in the recovery of stibnite from both sources. In view of this, a comprehensive review of technical and environmental aspects related to the flotation of stibnite across scales (microflotation, bench-scale and industrial-scale) has been carried out. One of the major topics reviewed is stibnite flotation reagents; while the overall practice has been mostly conservative, relying on the use of xanthate collectors and lead nitrate as an activator, less common (bio)reagents for the flotation of stibnite ores of varying complexity have been shown to be a promising alternative. Other challenges identified from the literature are discussed, highlighting areas of opportunities for further research to enhance stibnite flotation, minimise antimony losses throughout the mine life cycle and thus make antimony more available for future generations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2020.106713","authors":["Juliana Segura-Salazar","Pablo R. Brito-Parada"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-01-24T10:59:32Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2020.106713","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2021.107187","name":"Rare earth elements from coal and coal discard – A review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2021.107187","authors":["Orevaoghene Eterigho-Ikelegbe","Hamza Harrar","Samson Bada"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-09-09T19:09:42Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2021.107187","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/14041040310016942","name":"Book Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14041040310016942","authors":["Mats Nilsson"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-01-25T08:16:50Z","doi":"10.1080/14041040310016942","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0892-6875(94)90038-8","name":"Mathematical models of the column flotation process a review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0892-6875(94)90038-8","authors":["R.K. Tuteja","D.J. Spottiswood","V.N. Misra"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-03-15T06:41:30Z","doi":"10.1016/0892-6875(94)90038-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/0892-6875(89)90088-5","name":"Current processing technology for antimony-bearing ores a review, part 2","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/0892-6875(89)90088-5","authors":["T. Lager","K.S.E. Forssberg"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-03-15T06:59:29Z","doi":"10.1016/0892-6875(89)90088-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2014.09.022","name":"Contemporary advanced control techniques for flotation plants with mechanical flotation cells – A review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2014.09.022","authors":["Ivana Jovanović","Igor Miljanović"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-10-27T07:31:14Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2014.09.022","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2018.06.001","name":"Beneficiation studies of tungsten ores – A review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2018.06.001","authors":["Xiaosheng Yang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-06-07T13:23:09Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2018.06.001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1346/ccmn.1958.0070114","name":"Review of the Relationships in the Montmorillonite Group of Clay Minerals","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Since the publication of the paper on the minerals of the montmorillonite group by Ross and Hendricks (1945) some species have been added to the group, and minor changes in the acceptable species have become advisable. No radical changes are proposed, but a review of the members and their grouping will be presented. The acceptable dioctahedral members of the group appear to be montmorillonite, nontronite and volchonskoite. Beidellite should be discontinued. The acceptable trioetahedral members of the group appear to include saponite, hectorite, sauconite, stevensite and medmontite. Griffithite is probably a useful term for an iron-rich saponite. Representative chemical analyses and formulas have been assembled to illustrate relationships.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1346/ccmn.1958.0070114","authors":["Clarence S. Ross"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-08-29T03:28:54Z","doi":"10.1346/ccmn.1958.0070114","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108409","name":"Hydrometallurgical Processing of Sulfide Minerals from the Perspective of Semiconductor Electrochemistry: A Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108409","authors":["Ailton Guilherme Rissoni Toledo","Denise Bevilaqua","Sandeep Panda","Ata Akcil"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-10-05T08:20:48Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2023.108409","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1111/arcm.13087/v1/review2","name":"Review for \"Accessory minerals: a provenancing tool for steatite quarries\"","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/arcm.13087/v1/review2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-03T17:10:36Z","doi":"10.1111/arcm.13087/v1/review2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2020.106745","name":"Phosphatic waste clay: Origin, composition, physicochemical properties, challenges, values and possible remedies – A review","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2020.106745","authors":["Amir Eskanlou","Qingqing Huang"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-01-08T09:55:40Z","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2020.106745","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min11121428","name":"Special Issue “Advanced Techniques and Efficiency Assessment of Mechanical Processing”—Editorial Note and Critical Review of the Problems","source":"crossref","abstract":"The value chain of metal production consists of a number of processing steps that result in obtaining the final metal product from the given raw material [...]","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min11121428","authors":["Daniel Saramak"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-12-20T02:50:18Z","doi":"10.3390/min11121428","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2010.517144","name":"Review of Ammonites—Treasures from a Lost World","source":"crossref","abstract":"by Neal L. Larson. Ammonite Laboratory, Japan; www.amolite.co.jp/. 256 pages; 2009; $39.99 (softbound). This interesting and colorful book is a departure from the norm. It is written by the co-owne...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2010.517144","authors":["Robert B. Cook"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-09-20T16:32:57Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2010.517144","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1080/00357529.2010.492315","name":"Media Reviews: Historic Photos of Colorado Mining Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"by Ed Raines. Turner Publishing Company, Nashville, Tenn.; www.turnerpublishing.com. 216 pages; 2009; $40 (hardbound). This well-done book is a photographic essay of Colorado mining from its infanc...","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00357529.2010.492315","authors":["Robert B. Cook"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-09-01T03:50:12Z","doi":"10.1080/00357529.2010.492315","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3390/min14070638","name":"Technological Advancement in Solar Photovoltaic Recycling: A Review","source":"crossref","abstract":"This review examines the technological surveillance of photovoltaic panel recycling through a bibliometric study of articles and patents. The analysis considered the number of articles and patents published per year, per country, and, in the case of patents, per applicant. This analysis revealed that panel recycling is an increasingly prominent research area. However, the number of patents filed annually has varied in recent years, averaging fewer than 200 per year. The state-of-the-art review identified three main types of treatment for photovoltaic panel recycling: mechanical, chemical, and thermal. Among these, mechanical treatment serves as a preliminary stage before the recovery of valuable elements, which is achieved through chemical or thermal processes. The articles reviewed cover a range of processes, including hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical methods, and explore various classification processes, solvents, and oxidizing agents. In contrast, patents predominantly focus on pyrometallurgical processes. This analysis is supplemented by a survey of market-ready technologies, many of which include stages such as size reduction or delamination followed by pyrometallurgical processes. Additionally, the review highlights the collection processes implemented by some companies, noting that the volume of panels considered waste is currently insufficient to maintain a continuous and year-round operational process. This study identifies key challenges such as (i) reducing solar panel size due to the EVA polymer complicating conventional machinery use, (ii) high process costs from the need for high temperatures and costly additives, (iii) the environmental impact of thermal treatments with high energy consumption and air pollution, and (iv) the necessity for environmentally friendly solvents in hydrometallurgical treatments to reduce contamination during recycling. Future directions include developing specific machinery for panel size reduction, either creating or modifying a polymer to replace EVA for easier treatment, adopting hydrometallurgical treatments with green solvents proven effective in recycling minerals and electronic waste, and addressing the lack of detailed information on industrial processes to make more precise recommendations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min14070638","authors":["Monserrat Martínez","Yahaira Barrueto","Yecid P. Jimenez","Dennis Vega-Garcia","Ingrid Jamett"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-24T08:42:03Z","doi":"10.3390/min14070638","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2307/1112084","name":"Public Lands. Minerals. Cancellation of Patent","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2307/1112084","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-04-25T22:06:49Z","doi":"10.2307/1112084","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"doi:10.66774/etc_8103_360","name":"TANYA CHUTKAN, LETITIA JAMES, AND FANI WILLIS MATERIALIZE AS EXTRATERRESTRIAL CLONES WHO MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract One of the last things you'd expect with stuffy politicians facing off in the first Republican Presidential Primary Debate is a discussion on the controversial subject of UFOs…but that's exactly what happened last night [August 23, 2023]. The awkward moment in the debate…came when moderator Martha MacCallum took aim at former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to ask his opinion about a president's responsibility to provide the American public with the truth about the UFO topic. “I get the UFO question?” Christie responded with a smile.…“The job of the president of the United States is to stand for truth,” Christie replied. “Especially coming from a woman from New Jersey, I think it's horrible that just because I'm from New Jersey, you asked me about unidentified flying objects and Martians. We're different but we're not that different.” This New Jersey connection is about Orson Welles's infamous Mercury Theatre radio broadcast of H.G. Wells's War of the Worlds back on October 30, 1938, when a panicking public believed that hostile Martian tripod machines were rampaging around the countryside near Grovers Mill, New Jersey.- Jeffrey Spry, “‘I get the UFO question?’ New Jersey's Chris Christie promises honesty on aliens in 1st Republican presidential debate,” Space.com , August 24, 2023, https://www.space.com/chris-christie-ufos-honesty-presidential-debate As the prosecutions of Mr. Trump have accelerated, so too have threats against law enforcement officials [and] judges…The threats, in turn, are prompting protective measures…. Mr. Trump's language has often been, at a minimum, aggressive and confrontational toward his perceived foes, and sometimes has at least bordered on incitement.…Mr. Trump baselessly suggested in a social media post that Gen. Mark A. Milley…might have engaged in treason, “an act so egregious that, in times gone by, the penalty would have been DEATH.”… The day before a threatening call last month to Judge Tanya S. Chutkan's chambers [made by a Texas woman]…Mr. Trump posted on his social media site: “IF YOU GO AFTER ME I'M COMING FOR YOU!”-Michael S. Schmidt, Adam Goldman, Maggie Haberman, and Glen Thrush, “Heated Language Around Trump Raises Worries of Deadly Dissent,” The New York Times, September 26, 2023, A1, A14.","url":"https://doi.org/10.66774/etc_8103_360","authors":["Marleen S. Barr"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-08-18T18:38:31Z","doi":"10.66774/etc_8103_360","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:45.091Z"},{"id":"oa:W2191950900","name":"Accretion timescale and impact history of Mars deduced from the isotopic systematics of martian meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2015.12.002","authors":["L. E. Borg","G. A. Brennecka","S. J. K. Symes"],"tags":["Meteorite","Mars Exploration Program","Geology","Isochron dating","Isochron"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-12-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2015.12.002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2008943075","name":"Tissintite, (Ca, Na, □)AlSi2O6, a highly-defective, shock-induced, high-pressure clinopyroxene in the Tissint martian meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2015.03.057","authors":["Chi Ma","Oliver Tschauner","J. R. Beckett","Yang Liu","George R. Rossman","K. K. Zhuravlev","Vitali B. Prakapenka","Przemysław Dera","L. A. Taylor"],"tags":["Plagioclase","Meteorite","Geology","Martian","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-04-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2015.03.057","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W1963843295","name":"Constraints on the structure of the martian interior determined from the chemical and isotopic systematics of SNC meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The crystallization ages of martian (SNC) meteorites give evidence that martian volcanism has continued until recent times‐perhaps until the present. These meteorites also indicate that the mantle source regions of this volcanism are modestly to extremely depleted by terrestrial standards. These 2 observations produce a conundrum. How is it that such depleted source regions have produced basaltic magma for such a long time? This contribution attempts to quantify the radiogenic heat production in 2 distinct martian mantle source regions: those of the shergottites and nakhlites. Compared to the depleted upper mantle of the Earth (MORB), the nakhlite source region is depleted by about a factor of 2, and the shergottite source region is depleted by a factor of 6. According to current geophysical models, the nakhlite source contains the minimum amount of radioactive heat production to sustain whole‐mantle convection and basalt generation over geologic time. A corollary of this conclusion is that the shergottite source contains much too little radioactivity to produce recent (<200 Ma) basalts. A model martian interior with a deep nakhlite mantle that is insulated by a shallow shergottite mantle may allow basalt production from both source regions if the divide between the nakhlite‐shergottite mantles acts as a thermal boundary layer. Similarities between lunar and martian isotopic reservoirs indicate that the Moon and Mars may have experienced similar styles of differentiation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00016.x","authors":["J. H. Jones"],"tags":["Martian","Meteorite","Geology","Basalt","Mantle (geology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00016.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2532983883","name":"Regolith breccia Northwest Africa 7533: Mineralogy and petrology with implications for early Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Northwest Africa 7533, a polymict Martian breccia, consists of fine‐grained clast‐laden melt particles and microcrystalline matrix. While both melt and matrix contain medium‐grained noritic‐monzonitic material and crystal clasts, the matrix also contains lithic clasts with zoned pigeonite and augite plus two feldspars, microbasaltic clasts, vitrophyric and microcrystalline spherules, and shards. The clast‐laden melt rocks contain clump‐like aggregates of orthopyroxene surrounded by aureoles of plagioclase. Some shards of vesicular melt rocks resemble the pyroxene‐plagioclase clump‐aureole structures. Submicron size matrix grains show some triple junctions, but most are irregular with high intergranular porosity. The noritic‐monzonitic rocks contain exsolved pyroxenes and perthitic intergrowths, and cooled more slowly than rocks with zoned‐pyroxene or fine grain size. Noritic material contains orthopyroxene or inverted pigeonite, augite, calcic to intermediate plagioclase, and chromite to Cr‐bearing magnetite; monzonitic clasts contain augite, sodic plagioclase, K feldspar, Ti‐bearing magnetite, ilmenite, chlorapatite, and zircon. These feldspathic rocks show similarities to some rocks at Gale Crater like Black Trout, Mara, and Jake M. The most magnesian orthopyroxene clasts are close to ALH 84001 orthopyroxene in composition. All these materials are enriched in siderophile elements, indicating impact melting and incorporation of a projectile component, except for Ni‐poor pyroxene clasts which are from pristine rocks. Clast‐laden melt rocks, spherules, shards, and siderophile element contents indicate formation of NWA 7533 as a regolith breccia. The zircons, mainly derived from monzonitic (melt) rocks, crystallized at 4.43 ± 0.03 Ga (Humayun et al. ) and a 147Sm‐143Nd isochron for NWA 7034 yielding 4.42 ± 0.07 Ga (Nyquist et al. ) defines the crystallization age of all its igneous portions. The zircon from the monzonitic rocks has a higher Δ17O than other Martian meteorites explained in part by assimilation of regolith materials enriched during surface alteration (Nemchin et al. ). This record of protolith interaction with atmosphere‐hydrosphere during regolith formation before melting demonstrates a thin atmosphere, a wet early surface environment on Mars, and an evolved crust likely to have contaminated younger extrusive rocks. The latest events recorded when the breccia was on Mars are resetting of apatite, much feldspar and some zircons at 1.35–1.4 Ga (Bellucci et al. ), and formation of Ni‐bearing pyrite veins during or shortly after this disturbance (Lorand et al. ).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12740","authors":["R. H. Hewins","B. Zanda","M. Humayun","A. A. Nemchin","Jean‐Pierre Lorand","Sylvain Pont","Damien Deldicque","Jeremy J. Bellucci","Pierre Beck","Hugues Leroux","Maya Marinova","Laurent Rémusat","C. Göpel","Éric Lewin","M. L. Grange","Allen Kennedy","Martin J. Whitehouse"],"tags":["Geology","Augite","Geochemistry","Pyroxene","Pigeonite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-10-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12740","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2347150996","name":"The chlorine isotopic composition of Martian meteorites 1: Chlorine isotope composition of Martian mantle and crustal reservoirs and their interactions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Martian meteorites record a wide diversity of environments, processes, and ages. Much work has been done to decipher potential mantle sources for Martian magmas and their interactions with crustal and surface environments. Chlorine isotopes provide a unique opportunity to assess interactions between Martian mantle‐derived magmas and the crust. We have measured the Cl‐isotopic composition of 17 samples that span the range of known ages, Martian environments, and mantle reservoirs. The 37Cl of the Martian mantle, as represented by the olivine‐phyric shergottites, NWA 2737 (chassignite), and Shergotty (basaltic shergottite), has a low value of approximately −3.8‰. This value is lower than that of all other planetary bodies measured thus far. The Martian crust, as represented by regolith breccia NWA 7034, is variably enriched in the heavy isotope of Cl. This enrichment is reflective of preferential loss of 35Cl to space. Most basaltic shergottites (less Shergotty), nakhlites, Chassigny, and Allan Hills 84001 lie on a continuum between the Martian mantle and crust. This intermediate range is explained by mechanical mixing through impact, fluid interaction, and assimilation‐fractional crystallization.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12647","authors":["Jeffrey T. Williams","C. K. Shearer","Z. D. Sharp","P. V. Burger","F. M. McCubbin","A. R. Santos","C. B. Agee","K. D. McKeegan"],"tags":["Martian","Meteorite","Geology","Mantle (geology)","Crust"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-05-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12647","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2018644518","name":"The fall, recovery, and classification of the Park Forest meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— On the night of March 26, 2003, a large meteorite broke up and fell upon the south suburbs of Chicago. The name Park Forest, for the village that is at the center of the strewnfield, has been approved by the nomenclature committee of the Meteoritical Society. Satellite data indicate that the bolide traveled from the southwest toward the northeast. The strewnfield has a southeast‐northwest trend; however, this is probably due to the effects of strong westerly winds at high altitudes. Its very low 56Co and very high 60Co activities indicate that Park Forest had a preatmospheric mass that was at least ∼900 kg and could have been as large as ∼7 times 103 kg, of which only ∼30 kg have been recovered. The average compositions of olivine and low‐Ca pyroxene, Fa24.7 ± 1.1 and Fs20.8 ± 0.7, respectively, and its bulk oxygen isotopic composition, δ18O = +4.68%o, δ17O = +3.44%o, show that Park Forest is an L chondrite. The ferromagnesian minerals are well equilibrated, chondrules are easily recognized, and maskelynite is mostly ≤50 μm across. Based on these observations, we classify Park Forest as type 5. The meteorite has been strongly shocked, and based on the presence of maskelynite, mosaicism and planar deformation features in olivine, undulatory extinction in pyroxene, and glassy veins, the shock stage is S5. The meteorite is a monomict breccia, consisting of light‐colored, angular to rounded clasts in a very dark host. The light and dark lithologies have essentially identical mineral and oxygen isotopic compositions. Their striking difference in appearance is due to the presence of a fine, pervasive network of sulfide veins in the dark lithology, resulting in very short optical path lengths. The dark lithology probably formed from the light lithology in an impact that formed a sulfide‐rich melt and injected it into cracks.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00925.x","authors":["S. B. Simon","L. Grossman","Robert N. Clayton","T. K. Mayeda","J. R. Schwade","P. P. Sipiera","J. F. Wacker","M. Wadhwa"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Pyroxene","Breccia","Olivine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00925.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2017527423","name":"New insights into lunar petrology: Distribution and composition of prominent low-Ca pyroxene exposures as observed by the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M 3 )","source":"openalex","abstract":"[1] Lunar geochemical groups such as Mg suite, ferroan anorthosite, and alkali suite rocks are difficult to distinguish from orbit because they are defined by both modal mineralogy and elemental composition of their constituent minerals. While modal mineralogy can be modeled, only specific minerals or elements can be directly detected. At near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths, pyroxenes are among the most spectrally distinctive minerals, and their absorption bands are sensitive to structure and composition. Pyroxenes thus provide important clues to distinguish these geochemical groups and to understand lunar crustal evolution. Using Moon Mineralogy Mapper data, we search for lithologies dominated by strong low-calcium pyroxene (LCP) signatures. We compare the NIR absorptions of 20 LCPs to a suite of synthetic pyroxenes to determine which lunar pyroxenes appear magnesian enough to be candidate Mg suite norites. We detail three prominent regions of LCP (1) in South Pole–Aitken Basin (SPA), (2) south of Mare Frigoris, and (3) north of Mare Frigoris. The absorption band positions suggest that the LCPs north of Mare Frigoris and those in SPA are compositionally similar to one another and of ∼Mg50–75, implying that the mafic material excavated by the SPA impact was relatively iron-rich. Modified Gaussian modeling results suggest that the Apollo basin may have tapped different composition material than is exposed in much of SPA. The LCPs located in the highlands south of Mare Frigoris exhibit absorption bands at short wavelengths consistent with Mg > ∼80. The coincidence of these Mg-rich LCPs with the thorium measured by Lunar Prospector make them good candidates for KREEP-related Mg suite pyroxenes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2010je003719","authors":["R. L. Klima","C. M. Pieters","Joseph W. Boardman","Robert O. Green","J. W. Head","P. Isaacson","John F. Mustard","Jeff Nettles","N. E. Petro","Matthew I. Staid","J. M. Sunshine","L. A. Taylor","S. Tompkins"],"tags":["Pyroxene","Anorthosite","Geology","Mafic","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-04-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2010je003719","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2885627863","name":"An empirical thermal correction model for Moon Mineralogy Mapper data constrained by laboratory spectra and Diviner temperatures","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Radiance measured by the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) at wavelengths beyond ~2 µm commonly includes both solar reflected and thermally emitted contributions from the lunar surface. Insufficient correction (removal) of the thermal contribution can modify and even mask absorptions at these wavelengths in derived surface reflectance spectra, an effect that precludes accurate identification and analysis of OH and/or H2O absorptions. This study characterized thermal effects in M3 data by evaluating surface temperatures measured independently by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Diviner radiometer, and results confirm that M3 data (Level 2) currently available in the Planetary Data System often contain significant thermal contributions. It is impractical to use independent Diviner measurements to correct all M3 images for the Moon because not every M3 pixel has a corresponding Diviner measurement acquired at the same local time of lunar day. Therefore, a new empirical model, constrained by Diviner data, has been developed based on the correlation of reflectance at 1.55 µm and at 2.54 µm observed in laboratory reflectance spectra of Apollo and Luna soil and glass‐rich samples. Reflectance values at these wavelengths follow a clear power law, , for a wide range of lunar sample compositions and maturity. A nearly identical power law is observed in M3 reflectance data that have been independently corrected by using Diviner‐based temperatures, confirming that this is a general reflectance property of materials that typify the lunar surface. These results demonstrate that reflectance at a thermally affected wavelength (2.54 µm) can be predicted within 2% (absolute) based on reflectance values at shorter wavelengths where thermal contributions are negligible and reflectance is dominant. Radiance at 2.54 µm that is in excess of the expected amount is assumed to be due to thermal emission and is removed during conversion of at‐sensor radiance to reflectance or I/F. Removal of this thermal contribution by using this empirically based model provides a more accurate view of surface reflectance properties at wavelengths >2 µm, with the benefit that it does not require independent measurements or modeling of surface temperatures at the same local time as M3 data were acquired. It is demonstrated that this model is appropriate for common lunar surface compositions (e.g., mare and highlands soils and pyroclastic deposits), but surface compositions with reflectance properties that deviate strongly from these cases (e.g., pyroxene‐, olivine‐, or spinel‐rich locations with minimal space weathering) may require the use of more sophisticated thermal correction models or overlapping Diviner temperature estimates.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2016je005035","authors":["Shuai Li","R. E. Milliken"],"tags":["Radiance","Remote sensing","Lunar mare","Regolith","Wavelength"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-09-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2016je005035","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2530495108","name":"Experimental petrology of the Tissint meteorite: Redox estimates, crystallization curves, and evaluation of petrogenetic models","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Tissint is an olivine‐phyric shergottite from an incompatible element depleted Martian mantle source. Oxythermobarometry applied to Tissint mineral phases demonstrates that the Tissint magma underwent an increase in oxygen fugacity, from ~3.5 log units below the quarz‐fayalite‐magnetite (QFM) buffer during the early stages of crystallization, to QFM−1.4 during the latter stages. This is the first time that such an oxidation event has been observed in a depleted shergottite. The reason for the oxidation event is unclear; however, calculations using the MELTS thermodynamic model suggest that auto‐oxidation is insufficient to cause more than ~1 log unit of oxidation, and therefore an external oxidation mechanism—such as oxidation by degassing—is required. If volatiles are responsible for the oxidation, then it indicates that volatiles are not exclusively tied to the enriched Martian mantle reservoir. A series of experiments using the Tissint parental magma were carried out under fixed (isothermal) or variable (cooling rate) temperature control, and at either reducing (QFM−3.2) or oxidizing (QFM−1) redox conditions. The observed liquid line of descent supports a potential genetic relationship between basaltic shergottites and olivine‐phyric shergottites. A peritectic relation where olivine is resorbed to form pyroxene is favored by increased oxygen fugacity; if oxidation during crystallization is more common than presently believed, it may explain why olivine is typically anhedral in olivine‐phyric shergottites. Results from a cooling‐rate experiment in which the oxygen fugacity was changed during the latter stages of crystallization resulted in olivine with a Cr compositional profile consistent with oxidized isothermal experiments, despite forming primarily under reducing conditions. A similar profile is observed in Tissint olivines, consistent with its redox history. Our results provide insights into the potential influence of oxidation events on the compositional zoning of minor or trace elements in olivine in olivine‐phyric basalts.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12739","authors":["N. Castle","C. D. K. Herd"],"tags":["Mineral redox buffer","Olivine","Meteorite","Geology","Pigeonite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-10-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12739","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2796618592","name":"Experimental investigation into the effects of oxidation during petrogenesis of the Tissint meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We report on the results of an experimental study based on the petrology of the Tissint meteorite, an olivine‐phyric shergottite that preserves evidence of an oxidation event during its petrogenesis. We find that oxidation occurring after olivine saturation modifies the Cr zoning profiles in experimental run products, and note that similar Cr‐depleted olivine profiles occur in the natural sample. We consider processes that could operate to modify Cr zoning profiles in experimentally produced olivine, and find that diffusion operates too slowly; furthermore, peritectic resorption of olivine, which occurs during oxidation, does not adequately shorten the diffusion length to account for the depletion. Fine‐grained (<10 μm) spinel grains are observed within olivine crystals exclusively in cooling rate experiments involving an oxidation step, suggesting that the mechanism causing modification of Cr zoning profiles in olivine is the oxidation‐induced exsolution of Cr‐spinel, consistent with observations of natural samples. A replicate experiment with V included in the composition shows that V is similarly affected. Known partitioning behavior suggests that Ni and Co should be similarly affected due to preferential partitioning into spinel. We consider implications of our observations for the interpretation of the petrogenetic histories of other olivine‐phyric shergottites, and provide a new petrographic tool for recognizing oxidation events in olivine‐phyric shergottites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13083","authors":["N. Castle","C. D. K. Herd"],"tags":["Olivine","Petrogenesis","Meteorite","Spinel","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-04-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13083","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W3100839450","name":"Constraints on Martian Chronology from Meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Martian meteorites provide the only direct constraints on the timing of Martian accretion, core formation, magmatic differentiation, and ongoing volcanism. While many radiogenic isotope chronometers have been applied to a wide variety of Martian samples, few, if any, techniques are immune to secondary effects from alteration and terrestrial weathering. This short review focuses on the most robust geochronometers that have been used to date Martian meteorites and geochemically model the differentiation of the planet, including 147Sm/143Nd, 146Sm/142Nd, 176Lu/176Hf, 182Hf/182W, and U-Th-Pb systematics.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences10110455","authors":["Z. Váci","C. B. Agee"],"tags":["Martian","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Geology","Planetary differentiation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-11-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences10110455","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411097629","name":"The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 113","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Meteoritical Bulletin 113 contains the 3646 meteorites approved by the Nomenclature Committee of the Meteoritical Society in 2024. It includes 17 falls, 2964 ordinary chondrites, 218 HED, 158 carbonaceous chondrites (including 7 ungrouped), 59 lunar meteorites, 38 iron meteorites (9 ungrouped), 30 ureilites, 31 primitive achondrites (3 ungrouped), 28 mesosiderites, 24 enstatite chondrites, 21 martian meteorites, 24 ungrouped stony achondrites, 20 Rumuruti chondrites, 17 pallasites, 8 angrites, 5 enstatite achondrites (one ungrouped), and 1 ungrouped chondrite. Of the meteorites approved in 2024, 1250 were collected in Antarctica, 1102 in Africa, 689 in Asia, 575 in South America, 17 in North America, 11 in Europe, and 2 in Oceania.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14374","authors":["J. Gattacceca","F. M. McCubbin","J. N. Grossman","D. L. Schrader","Camille Cartier","Guy Consolmagno","C. A. Goodrich","A. Greshake","Juliane Groß","K. H. Joy","Bingkui Miao","Bidong Zhang"],"tags":["Achondrite","Meteorite","Enstatite","Chondrite","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14374","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2039223788","name":"The onset of metamorphism in ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites of the lowest petrologic types were surveyed by X‐ray mapping techniques. A variety of metamorphic effects were noted and subjected to detailed analysis using electron microprobe, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and cathodoluminescence (CL) methods. The distribution of Cr in FeO‐rich olivine systematically changes as metamorphism increases between type 3.0 and type 3.2. Igneous zoning patterns are replaced by complex ones and Cr‐rich coatings develop on all grains. Cr distributions in olivine are controlled by the exsolution of a Cr‐rich phase, probably chromite. Cr in olivine may have been partly present as tetrahedrally coordinated Cr3+. Separation of chromite is nearly complete by petrologic type 3.2. The abundance of chondrules showing an inhomogeneous distribution of alkalis in mesostasis also increases with petrologic type. TEM shows this to be the result of crystallization of albite. Residual glass compositions systematically change during metamorphism, becoming increasingly rich in K. Glass in type I chondrules also gains alkalis during metamorphism. Both types of chondrules were open to an exchange of alkalis with opaque matrix and other chondrules. The matrix in the least metamorphosed chondrites is rich in S and Na. The S is lost from the matrix at the earliest stages of metamorphism due to coalescence of minute grains. Progressive heating also results in the loss of sulfides from chondrule rims and increases sulfide abundances in coarse matrix assemblages as well as inside chondrules. Alkalis initially leave the matrix and enter chondrules during early metamorphism. Feldspar subsequently nucleates in the matrix and Na re‐enters from chondrules. These metamorphic trends can be used to refine classification schemes for chondrites. Cr distributions in olivine are a highly effective tool for assigning petrologic types to the most primitive meteorites and can be used to subdivide types 3.0 and 3.1 into types 3.00 through 3.15. On this basis, the most primitive ordinary chondrite known is Semarkona, although even this meteorite has experienced a small amount of metamorphism. Allan Hills (ALH) A77307 is the least metamorphosed CO chondrite and shares many properties with the ungrouped carbonaceous chondrite Acfer 094. Analytical problems are significant for glasses in type II chondrules, as Na is easily lost during microprobe analysis. As a result, existing schemes for chondrule classification that are based on the alkali content of glasses need to be revised.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00366.x","authors":["J. N. Grossman","A. J. Brearley"],"tags":["Chondrule","Chondrite","Metamorphism","Olivine","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00366.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2230844674","name":"Complexities in pyroxene compositions derived from absorption band centers: Examples from Apollo samples, HED meteorites, synthetic pure pyroxenes, and remote sensing data","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We reexamine the relationship between pyroxene composition and near‐infrared absorption bands, integrating measurements of diverse natural and synthetic samples. We test an algorithm (PLC) involving a two‐part linear continuum removal and parabolic fits to the 1 and 2 μm bands—a computationally simple approach which can easily be automated and applied to remote sensing data. Employing a suite of synthetic pure pyroxenes, the PLC technique is shown to derive similar band centers to the modified Gaussian model. PLC analyses are extended to natural pyroxene‐bearing materials, including (1) bulk lunar basalts and pyroxene separates, (2) diverse lunar soils, and (3) HED meteorites. For natural pyroxenes, the relationship between composition and absorption band center differs from that of synthetic pyroxenes. These differences arise from complexities inherent in natural materials such as exsolution, zoning, mixing, and space weathering. For these reasons, band center measurements of natural pyroxene‐bearing materials are compositionally nonunique and could represent three distinct scenarios (1) pyroxene with a narrow compositional range, (2) complexly zoned pyroxene grains, or (3) a mixture of multiple pyroxene (or nonpyroxene) components. Therefore, a universal quantitative relationship between band centers and pyroxene composition cannot be uniquely derived for natural pyroxene‐bearing materials without additional geologic context. Nevertheless, useful relative relationships between composition and band center persist in most cases. These relationships are used to interpret M3 data from the Humboldtianum Basin. Four distinct compositional units are identified (1) Mare Humboldtianum basalts, (2) distinct outer basalts, (3) low‐Ca pyroxene‐bearing materials, and (4) feldspathic materials.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12588","authors":["D. P. Moriarty","C. M. Pieters"],"tags":["Pyroxene","Meteorite","Basalt","Geology","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-01-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12588","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2110420837","name":"Thermal and crustal evolution of Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"We present a coupled thermal‐magmatic model for the evolution of Mars' mantle and crust that may be consistent with estimates of the average crustal thickness and crustal growth rate. By coupling a simple parameterized model of mantle convection to a batch‐melting model for peridotite, we can investigate potential conditions and evolutionary paths of the crust and mantle in a coupled thermal‐magmatic system. On the basis of recent geophysical and geochemical studies, we constrain our models to have average crustal thicknesses between 50 and 100 km that were mostly formed by 4 Ga. Our nominal model is an attempt to satisfy these constraints with a relatively simple set of conditions. Key elements of this model are the inclusion of the energetics of melting, a wet (weak) mantle rheology, self‐consistent fractionation of heat‐producing elements to the crust, and a near‐chondritic abundance of those elements. The latent heat of melting mantle material is a small (percent level) contributor to the total planetary energy budget over 4.5 Gyr but is crucial for constraining the thermal and magmatic history of Mars. Our nominal model predicts an average crustal thickness of ∼62 km that was 73% emplaced by 4 Ga. However, if Mars had a primary crust enriched in heat‐producing elements, consistent with SNC meteorite geochemistry, then our models predict a considerably diminished amount of post 4 Ga crustal emplacement relative to the nominal model. The importance of a wet mantle in satisfying the basic constraints of Mars' thermal and crustal evolution suggests (independently from traditional geomorphology or meteorite geochemistry arguments) that early Mars had a wet environment. Extraction of water from the mantle of a one‐plate planet such as Mars is found to be extremely inefficient, such that 90–95% of all water present in the mantle after the initial degassing event should still reside there currently. Yet extraction of even 5% of a modestly wet mantle (∼36 ppm water) would result in a significant amount (6.4 m equivalent global layer) of water available to influence the early surface and climate evolution of the planet.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2001je001801","authors":["S. A. Hauck","R. J. Phillips"],"tags":["Geology","Mantle (geology)","Crust","Crustal recycling","Mars Exploration Program"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2001je001801","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2340538821","name":"Exsolution and shock microstructures of igneous pyroxene clasts in the Northwest Africa 7533 Martian meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Northwest Africa (NWA) 7533 is a Martian regolith breccia. This meteorite (and its pairings) offers a good opportunity to study (near‐) surface processes that occurred on early Mars. Here, we have conducted a transmission electron microscope study of medium‐ and coarse‐grained (a few tens to hundreds of micrometers) Ca‐rich pyroxene clasts in order to define their thermal and shock histories. The pyroxene grains have a high‐temperature (magmatic) origin as revealed by the well‐developed pigeonite–augite exsolution microstructure. Exsolution lamella characteristics (composition, thickness, and spacing) indicate a moderately slow cooling. Some of the pyroxene clasts display evidence for local decomposition into magnetite and silica at the submicron scale. This phase decomposition may have occurred at high temperature and occurred at high oxygen fugacity at least 2–3 log units above the QFM buffer, after the formation of the exsolution lamellae. This corresponds to oxidizing conditions well above typical Martian magmatic conditions. These oxidizing conditions seem to have prevailed early and throughout most of the history of NWA 7533. The shock microstructure consists of (100) mechanical twins which have accommodated plastic deformation. Other pyroxene shock indicators are absent. Compared with SNC meteorites that all suffered significant shock metamorphism, NWA 7533 appears only mildly shocked. The twin microstructure is similar from one clast to another, suggesting that the impact which generated the (100) twins involved the compacted breccia and that the pyroxene clasts were unshocked when they were incorporated into the NWA 7533 breccia.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12637","authors":["Hugues Leroux","Damien Jacob","Maya Marinova","R. H. Hewins","B. Zanda","Sylvain Pont","Jean‐Pierre Lorand","M. Humayun"],"tags":["Pyroxene","Geology","Pigeonite","Meteorite","Breccia"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-04-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12637","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2105330624","name":"Magma ocean fractional crystallization and cumulate overturn in terrestrial planets: Implications for Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Crystallization of a magma ocean on a large terrestrial planet that is significantly melted by the energy of accretion may lead to an unstable cumulate density stratification, which may overturn to a stable configuration. Overturn of the initially unstable stratification may produce an early basaltic crust and differentiated mantle reservoirs. Such a stable compositional stratification can have important implications for the planet's subsequent evolution by delaying or suppressing thermal convection and by influencing the distribution of radiogenic heat sources. We use simple models for fractional crystallization of a martian magma ocean, and calculate the densities of the resulting cumulates. While the simple models presented do not include all relevant physical processes, they are able to describe to first order a number of aspects of martian evolution. The models describe the creation of magma source regions that differentiated early in the history of Mars, and present the possibility of an early, brief magnetic field initiated by cold overturned cumulates falling to the coremantle boundary. In a model that includes the density inversion at about 7.5 GPa, where olivine and pyroxene float in the remaining magma ocean liquids while garnet sinks, cumulate overturn sequesters alumina in the deep martian interior. The ages and compositions of source regions are consistent with SNC meteorite data.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00013.x","authors":["L. T. Elkins‐Tanton","E. M. Parmentier","P. C. Hess"],"tags":["Geology","Martian","Fractional crystallization (geology)","Mars Exploration Program","Mantle (geology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00013.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2916828450","name":"Detailed mineralogy and petrology of highly shocked poikilitic shergottite Northwest Africa 6342","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Northwest Africa (NWA) 6342 is an intermediate, poikilitic shergottite, found in Algeria in 2010. It is comprised of two distinct petrographic areas; poikilitic domains with rounded Mg‐rich olivine chadacrysts enclosed by large low‐Ca pyroxene oikocrysts, and a nonpoikilitic domain mainly comprised of subhedral olivine and vesicular recrystallized plagioclase. Oxygen fugacity conditions become more oxidizing during crystallization from the poikilitic to the nonpoikilitic domain (QFM−3.0 to QFM−2.2). As such, it is likely that NWA 6342 experienced a two‐stage (polybaric) crystallization history similar to that of the enriched poikilitic shergottites. NWA 6342 also experienced relatively high levels of shock metamorphism in comparison to most other poikilitic shergottites as evidenced by the fine‐grained recrystallization texture in olivine, as well as melting and subsequent crystallization of plagioclase. The recrystallization of plagioclase requires an extended period of postshock thermal metamorphism for NWA 6342 and similarly shocked intermediate poikilitic shergottites NWA 4797 and Grove Mountains 99027 most likely due to launch from Mars. The similarities in petrology, chemistry, and shock features between these three meteorites indicate that they have similar crystallization and shock histories; possibly originating from the same source area on Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13255","authors":["T. V. Kizovski","K. T. Tait","V. E. Di Cecco","L. F. White","D. E. Moser"],"tags":["Geology","Recrystallization (geology)","Plagioclase","Geochemistry","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13255","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4200442220","name":"Mineralogy, geochemistry and occurrences of fougerite in a modern hydrothermal system and its implications for the origin of life","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2021.103910","authors":["Fabienne Trolard","Simon Duval","Wolfgang Nitschke","Bénédicte Ménèz","Céline Pisapia","Jihaine Ben Nacib","M. Andréani","Guilhem Bourrié"],"tags":["Hydrothermal circulation","Brucite","Ferrihydrite","Redox","Hydrothermal vent"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-12-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2021.103910","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2046821152","name":"Lithium isotopes as indicators of meteorite parent body alteration","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Hydrothermal processing on planetesimals in the early solar system produced new mineral phases, including those generated by the transformation of anhydrous silicates into their hydrated counterparts. Carbonaceous chondrites represent tangible remnants of such alteration products. Lithium isotopes are known to be responsive to aqueous alteration, yet previously recognized variability within whole rock samples from the same meteorite appears to complicate the use of these isotopes as indicators of processing by water. We demonstrate a new way to use lithium isotopes that reflects aqueous alteration in carbonaceous chondrites. Temperature appears to exert a control on the production of acetic acid‐soluble phases, such as carbonates and poorly crystalline Fe‐oxyhydroxides. Temperature and degree of water‐rock interaction determines the amount of lithium isotope fractionation expressed as the difference between whole rock and acetic acid‐leachable fractions. Using these features, the type 1 chondrite Orgueil (δ7Li(whole rock) = 4.3‰; Δ7Li(acetic‐whole) = 1.2‰) can be distinguished from the type 2 chondrites Murchison (δ7Li(whole rock) = 3.8; Δ7Li(acetic‐whole) = 8.8‰) and carbonate‐poor Tagish Lake (δ7Li(whole rock) = 4.3; Δ7Li(acetic‐whole) = 9.4‰). This initial study suggests that lithium isotopes have the potential to reveal the role of liquid water in the early solar system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12094","authors":["Mark A. Sephton","Rachael H. James","Manuela A. Fehr","P. A. Bland","M. Gounelle"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Murchison meteorite","Parent body","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-03-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12094","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W3166765148","name":"Meteorites recovered from Australia","source":"openalex","abstract":"(Uploaded by Plazi from the Biodiversity Heritage Library) No abstract provided.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16058231","authors":["A. W. R. Bevan"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geography","Astrobiology","Biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1996-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16058231","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2027175556","name":"Possible formation of ancient crust on Mars through magma ocean processes","source":"openalex","abstract":"Models for Martian magma oceans of varying depths predict that decompression mantle melting, perhaps forming Mars' earliest crust, could occur during gravitationally driven solid‐state overturn of cumulates following magma ocean solidification. When hot cumulates rise from depth during solid‐state overturn, some regions melt adiabatically, producing basaltic to andesitic magmas. The resulting crust would be formed at between 30 and 50 Myr after planetary accretion, when magma ocean solidification and subsequent overturn are complete. Models of magma oceans deeper than ∼1550 km consistently produce two separate magmatic source regions during overturn that create compositionally distinct magmas, consistent with both major and trace element data for SNC meteorites and the Martian crust. In a partial magma ocean between ∼1550 and ∼1250 km (∼15 GPa) the only early magma produced is from a shallow pyroxene + olivine source; but if the magma ocean were less than ∼1150 km (∼14 GPa) deep, the underlying (undifferentiated or minimally differentiated) mantle rises sufficiently during overturn that it melts adiabatically and produces an early magma. Magma ocean models therefore produce specific predictions for the volumes and compositions of the most ancient crust produced by a range of initial magma ocean depths. The predicted crustal compositions and volumes for a whole mantle magma ocean are consistent with observations of Mars today.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2005je002480","authors":["L. T. Elkins‐Tanton","P. C. Hess","E. M. Parmentier"],"tags":["Geology","Crust","Mantle (geology)","Magma","Basalt"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-10-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2005je002480","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2159827469","name":"Detection of crystalline hematite mineralization on Mars by the Thermal Emission Spectrometer: Evidence for near‐surface water","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) instrument on the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) mission has discovered a remarkable accumulation of crystalline hematite (α‐Fe2O3) that covers an area with very sharp boundaries approximately 350 by 350–750 km in size centered near 2°S latitude between 0° and 5°W longitude (Sinus Meridiani). Crystalline hematite is uniquely identified by the presence of fundamental vibrational absorption features centered near 300, 450, and >525 cm−1and by the absence of silicate fundamentals in the 1000 cm−1region. Spectral features resulting from atmospheric CO2, dust, and water ice were removed using a radiative transfer model. The spectral properties unique to Sinus Meridiani were emphasized by removing the average spectrum of the surrounding region. The depth and shape of the hematite fundamental bands show that the hematite is crystalline and relatively coarse grained (>5–10 μm). Diameters up to and greater than hundreds of micrometers are permitted within the instrumental noise and natural variability of hematite spectra. Hematite particles <5–10 μm in diameter (as either unpacked or hard‐packed powders) fail to match the TES spectra. The spectrally derived areal abundance of hematite varies with particle size from ∼10% (>30 μm diameter) to 40–60% (10 μm diameter). The hematite in Sinus Meridiani is thus distinct from the fine‐grained (diameter <5–10 μm), red, crystalline hematite considered, on the basis of visible, near‐IR data, to be a minor spectral component in Martian bright regions like Olympus‐Amazonis. Sinus Meridiani hematite is closely associated with a smooth, layered, friable surface that is interpreted to be sedimentary in origin. This material may be the uppermost surface in the region, indicating that it might be a late stage sedimentary unit or a layered portion of the heavily cratered plains units. We consider five possible mechanisms for the formation of coarse‐grained, crystalline hematite. These processes fall into two classes depending on whether they require a significant amount of near‐surface water: the first is chemical precipitation that includes origin by (1) precipitation from standing, oxygenated, Fe‐rich water (oxide iron formations), (2) precipitation from Fe‐rich hydrothermal fluids, (3) low‐temperature dissolution and precipitation through mobile ground water leaching, and (4) formation of surface coatings, and the second is thermal oxidation of magnetite‐rich lavas. Weathering and alteration processes, which produce nanophase and red hematite, are not consistent with the coarse, crystalline hematite observed in Sinus Meridiani. We prefer chemical precipitation models and favor precipitation from Fe‐rich water on the basis of the probable association with sedimentary materials, large geographic size, distance from a regional heat source, and lack of evidence for extensive groundwater processes elsewhere on Mars. The TES results thus provide mineralogic evidence for probable large‐scale water interactions. The Sinus Meridiani region may be an ideal candidate for future landed missions searching for biotic and prebiotic environments, and the physical characteristics of this site satisfy all of the engineering requirements for the missions currently planned.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/1999je001093","authors":["P. R. Christensen","J. L. Bandfield","R. N. Clark","K. S. Edgett","V. E. Hamilton","Todd M. Hoefen","H. H. Kieffer","R. O. Kuzmin","M. D. Lane","M. C. Malin","R. V. Morris","J. C. Pearl","Robert L. Pearson","T. L. Roush","S. W. Ruff","M. D. Smith"],"tags":["Hematite","Mineralogy","Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Atmosphere of Mars"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/1999je001093","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4390954307","name":"Nucleosynthetic isotope variations in chondritic meteorites and their relationship to bulk chemistry","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The relationship of mass‐independent stable isotope anomalies with the chemistry of chondritic meteorites provides constraints on mixing and fractionation processes in the early solar nebula. The present study emphasizes the strong correlation of nucleosynthetic isotope variations among ordinary chondrites (OC), enstatite chondrites (EC), Earth, CI‐chondrites, and Ca, Al‐rich inclusions (CAI) in ε50Ti versus ε54Cr space. This correlation indicates variable contamination of chondritic reservoirs with material from a single source providing neutron‐rich nuclei such as 50Ti, 54Cr, and 62Ni. The well‐defined linear relationship of ε50Ti versus ε54Cr indicates that all reservoirs on the correlation line (“chondrite reference line”) started with a CI‐chondritic (solar) Cr/Ti ratio, irrespective of the present Cr/Ti ratio of the samples falling on the chondrite reference line. The isotope compositions of carbonaceous chondrites (CC) do not fit the chondrite reference line. Their isotope composition is consistent with a mixture of chondritic meteorites originally falling on the chondrite reference line and volatile element depleted CAIs. However, CC cannot result from addition of CAIs to OC or EC. Neither can OC and EC be produced by loss of refractory components from CI‐meteorites. Also, stable isotopes are inconsistent with OC being derived from EC, and vice versa, by a chemical fractionation process. The enrichment of the Earth in refractory lithophile elements is not the result of addition of a refractory component to a chondritic reservoir. It is rather the result of internal fractionation of a chondritic reservoir.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14127","authors":["H. Palme","Klaus Mezger"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Enstatite","Carbonaceous chondrite","Refractory (planetary science)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14127","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W3013132780","name":"A refractory inclusion with solar oxygen isotopes and the rarity of such objects in the meteorite record","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract NASA's Genesis mission revealed that the Sun is enriched in 16O compared to the Earth and Mars (the Sun's Δ17O, defined as δ17O–0.52×δ18O, is –28.4 ± 3.6‰; McKeegan et al. 2011). Materials as 16O‐rich as the Sun are extremely rare in the meteorite record. Here, we describe a Ca‐Al‐rich inclusion (CAI) from a CM chondrite that is as 16O‐enriched as the Sun (Δ17O = –29.1 ± 0.7‰). This CAI also has large nucleosynthetic anomalies in 48Ca and 50Ti (δ‐values are –8.1 ± 3.3 and –11.7 ± 2.4‰, respectively) and shows no clear evidence for incorporation of live 26Al; (26Al/27Al)0 = (0.03 ± 0.11) × 10–5. Due to their anomalous isotopic characteristics, the rare CAIs consistent with the Genesis value could be among the first materials that formed in the solar system. In contrast to the CAI studied here, the majority of CAIs formed in or interacted with a reservoir characterized by a Δ17O value near –23.5‰. Combined with 26Al‐26Mg systematics, the oxygen isotopic compositions of FUN (fractionation and unidentified nuclear effects), UN, and normal CAIs suggest that nebular conditions were favorable for solids to inherit this value for an extended period of time. Many later‐formed materials, such as chondrules, planetesimals, and terrestrial planets, formed in reservoirs with Δ17O near 0‰. The distribution could be easier to explain if the common CAI value of –23.5‰, which is consistent with the Genesis value within 3σ, represented the average composition of the protoplanetary disk.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13434","authors":["L. Kööp","K. Nagashima","A. M. Davis","Alexander N. Krot"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Refractory (planetary science)","Isotopes of oxygen","Inclusion (mineral)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13434","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W1993509523","name":"Altered granitic rocks, Nusab El Balgum Area, Southwestern Desert, Egypt: Mineralogical and geochemical aspects of REEs","source":"openalex","abstract":"Gabel Nusab El Balgum is located in the northern part of Bir Safsaf Area Southwestern Desert, Egypt (about 600 km southwest of Aswan City) and covers an area of about 40 km2. A few workers have investigated the Nusab El Balgum Area from the mineralogical and geochemical point of view. The area consists mainly of Devonian sandstone, Permo–Triassic volcanic rocks, altered granitic rocks and post-granitic dykes. The altered granitic rocks (silicified and kaolinized) have undergone several hydrothermal alteration processes and were subjected to different types of alteration (hematitization, carbonatization, kaolinization, sericitization and silicification) and are characterized by extreme enrichment in rare metals (such as Zr, Nb, Y and REEs). Bastnaesite, parisite, fergusonite, columbite, hydrothermal zircon, monazite and xenotime are common in the silicified and kaolinized granites. The silicified granite commonly contains more rare metals than the kaolinized granite. The REEs in Nusab El Balgum granites were introduced by hydrothermal fluids during alteration and occur in carbonate minerals such as bastnaesite (LREE) (CO3) F and parisite Ca (LREE) 2(CO3)3F2. The REE chondrite-normalized patterns of altered granites show an M-type tetrad effect and indicate higher LREEs, negative Ce anomaly (due to alteration by hydrothermal fluids) and negative Eu anomaly.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2015.04.016","authors":["Mohamed El-Ahmady Ibrahim","Baher Abd El Hamed El-Kalioby","Gehan Mohamed Aly","Amera Mohamed El-Tohamy","Koichiro Watanabe"],"tags":["Geology","Geochemistry","Zircon","Columbite","Monazite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-04-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2015.04.016","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4412199650","name":"A Cross-Disciplinary Review of Rare Earth Elements: Deposit Types, Mineralogy, Machine Learning, Environmental Impact, and Recycling","source":"openalex","abstract":"Rare-earth elements (REEs), including lanthanides, scandium, and yttrium, are important for advanced technologies such as renewable energy systems, electronics, medical diagnostics, and precision agriculture. Despite their relative crustal abundance, REE extraction is impeded by complex geochemical behavior, dispersed distribution, and environmental challenges. This review presents a comprehensive overview of REE geochemistry, mineralogy, and major deposit types including carbonatites, alkaline igneous rocks, laterites, placer deposits, coal byproducts, and marine sediments. It also highlights the global distribution and economic potential of key REE projects. The integration of machine learning has further enhanced exploration by enabling deposit classification and geochemical modeling, especially in data-limited regions. Environmental and health challenges associated with REE mining, processing, and electronic waste (e-waste) recycling are studied, along with the expanding use of REEs in agriculture and medicine. Some recycling efforts offer promise for supply diversification, but significant technological and economic barriers remain. Ensuring a secure and sustainable REE supply will require integrated approaches combining advanced analytics, machine learning, responsible extraction, and coordinated policy efforts. The present review offers a general overview that can be useful for informing future studies and resource-related discussions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15070720","authors":["M R Rezaei","Gabriela Sanchez-Lecuona","Omid Abdolazimi"],"tags":["Rare earth","Cross disciplinary","Mineralogy","Earth science","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15070720","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4407813079","name":"Evidence for pre-Noachian granitic rocks on Mars from quartz in meteorite NWA 7533","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-025-01653-z","authors":["Virgile Malarewicz","Olivier Beyssac","B. Zanda","Johanna Marin‐Carbonne","Hugues Leroux","Daniela Rubatto","Anne‐Sophie Bouvier","Damien Deldicque","Sylvain Pont","Sylvain Bernard","Elias Bloch","Sylvain Bouley","M. Humayun","R. H. Hewins"],"tags":["Noachian","Meteorite","Hesperian","Mars Exploration Program","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-025-01653-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2000069243","name":"The OSIRIS‐REx target asteroid (101955) Bennu: Constraints on its physical, geological, and dynamical nature from astronomical observations","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We review the results of an extensive campaign to determine the physical, geological, and dynamical properties of asteroid (101955) Bennu. This investigation provides information on the orbit, shape, mass, rotation state, radar response, photometric, spectroscopic, thermal, regolith, and environmental properties of Bennu. We combine these data with cosmochemical and dynamical models to develop a hypothetical timeline for Bennu's formation and evolution. We infer that Bennu is an ancient object that has witnessed over 4.5 Gyr of solar system history. Its chemistry and mineralogy were established within the first 10 Myr of the solar system. It likely originated as a discrete asteroid in the inner Main Belt approximately 0.7–2 Gyr ago as a fragment from the catastrophic disruption of a large (approximately 100‐km), carbonaceous asteroid. It was delivered to near‐Earth space via a combination of Yarkovsky‐induced drift and interaction with giant‐planet resonances. During its journey, YORP processes and planetary close encounters modified Bennu's spin state, potentially reshaping and resurfacing the asteroid. We also review work on Bennu's future dynamical evolution and constrain its ultimate fate. It is one of the most Potentially Hazardous Asteroids with an approximately 1‐in‐2700 chance of impacting the Earth in the late 22nd century. It will most likely end its dynamical life by falling into the Sun. The highest probability for a planetary impact is with Venus, followed by the Earth. There is a chance that Bennu will be ejected from the inner solar system after a close encounter with Jupiter. OSIRIS‐REx will return samples from the surface of this intriguing asteroid in September 2023.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12353","authors":["D. S. Lauretta","A. Bartels","Maria Antonella Barucci","E. B. Bierhaus","Richard P. Binzel","W. F. Bottke","H. Campins","Steven R. Chesley","B. C. Clark","B. E. Clark","E. A. Cloutis","H. C. Connolly","M. K. Crombie","Marco Delbò","Jason P. Dworkin","J. P. Emery","D. P. Glavin","V. E. Hamilton","C. W. Hergenrother","C. L. Johnson","L. P. Keller","Patrick Michel","M. C. Nolan","Scott A. Sandford","Daniel J. Scheeres","Amy Simon","B. Sutter","D. Vokrouhlický","K. J. Walsh"],"tags":["Asteroid","Astrobiology","Solar System","Planet","Astronomy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-11-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12353","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2104138264","name":"Petrography, mineral chemistry, and crystallization history of olivine‐phyric shergottite NWA 6234: A new melt composition","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Knowledge of Martian igneous and mantle compositions is crucial for understanding Mars' mantle evolution, including early differentiation, mantle convection, and the chemical alteration at the surface. Primitive magmas provide the most direct information about their mantle source regions, but most Martian meteorites either contain cumulate olivine or crystallized from fractionated melts. The new Martian meteorite Northwest Africa (NWA) 6234 is an olivine‐phyric shergottite. Its most magnesian olivine cores (Fo78) are in Mg‐Fe equilibrium with a magma of the bulk rock composition, suggesting that it represents a melt composition. Thermochemical calculations show that NWA 6234 not only represents a melt composition but is a primitive melt derived from an approximately Fo80 mantle. Thus, NWA 6234 is similar to NWA 5789 and Y 980459 in the sense that all three are olivine‐phyric shergottites and represent primitive magma compositions. However, NWA 6234 is of special significance because it represents the first olivine‐phyric shergottite from a primitive ferroan magma. On the basis of Al/Ti ratio of pyroxenes in NWA 6234, the minor components in olivine and merrillite, and phosphorus zoning of olivine, we infer that the rock crystallized completely at pressures consistent with conditions in Mars' upper crust. The textural intergrowths of the two phosphates (merrillite and apatite) indicate that at a very last stage of crystallization, merrillite reacted with an OH‐Cl‐F‐rich melt to form apatite. As this meteorite crystallized completely at depth and never erupted, it is likely that its apatite compositions represent snapshots of the volatile ratios of the source region without being affected by degassing processes, which contain high OH‐F content.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12092","authors":["Juliane Groß","J. Filiberto","C. D. K. Herd","Mohit Melwani Daswani","S. P. Schwenzer","A. H. Treiman"],"tags":["Olivine","Meteorite","Geology","Geochemistry","Mantle (geology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-03-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12092","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2047387593","name":"Numerous unpaired meteorites exposed on a deflating playa lake at Lucerne Valley, California","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Out of 16 well‐characterized 1 to 37 g meteorite specimens recovered from Lucerne Dry Lake (an approximately 3 × 7 km playa in the southern Mojave Desert of California), there are 9 separate ordinary chondrite finds. The ratio of independent meteorites to total number of specimens (∼0.6) is among the highest in the world. This is due to lack of initial deep burial of the small meteorites, significant deflation of the lake exposing falls of individual stones (or small numbers of paired meteorites), and the absence of a large meteorite shower in the region. Playas appear to be excellent candidates for high‐yield meteorite‐collecting areas.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01793.x","authors":["Alan E. Rubin","R. S. Verish","C. B. Moore","Ronald A. Oriti"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Allende meteorite","Astrobiology","Ordinary chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01793.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2136161435","name":"Constraints on the composition and petrogenesis of the Martian crust","source":"openalex","abstract":"Spectral interpretation that silicic rocks are widespread on Mars implies that Earth's differentiated crust is not unique. Evaluation of observations bearing on the composition of the Martian crust (Martian meteorite petrology and a possible crustal assimilant, analysis of Mars Pathfinder rocks, composition of Martian fines, interpretation of spacecraft thermal emission spectra, and inferred crustal densities) indicates that the crust can be either basalt plus andesite or basalt plus weathering products. New calculated chemical compositions for Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) global surface units indicate that surface type 1 has basaltic andesite composition and surface type 2 has the composition of andesite. If these materials represent volcanic rocks, their calc‐alkaline compositions on a FeO*/MgO versus silica diagram suggest formation by hydrous melting and fractional crystallization. On Earth, this petrogenesis requires subduction, and it may suggest an early period of plate tectonics on Mars. However, anorogenic production of andesite might have been possible if the primitive Martian mantle was wet. Alternatively, chemical weathering diagrams suggest that surface type 2 materials could have formed by partial weathering of surface type 1 rocks, leading to depletion in soluble cations and mobility of silica. A weathered crust model is consistent with the occurrence of surface type 2 materials as sediments in a depocenter and with the alpha proton X‐ray spectrometer (APXS) analysis of excess oxygen suggesting weathering rinds on Pathfinder rocks. If surface type 1 materials are also weathered or mixed with weathered materials, this might eliminate the need for hydrous melting, consistent with a relatively dry Martian mantle without tectonics.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2003je002175","authors":["H. Y. McSween","T. L. Grove","M. B. Wyatt"],"tags":["Geology","Petrogenesis","Geochemistry","Basalt","Andesite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2003je002175","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2012566794","name":"Core Formation and Mantle Differentiation on Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-012-9935-8","authors":["Klaus Mezger","Vinciane Debaille","T. Kleine"],"tags":["Meteorite","Mars Exploration Program","Planetary differentiation","Mantle (geology)","Martian"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-10-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-012-9935-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4404197377","name":"Analyzing the Mineralogy and Space Weathering Characteristics of the Finest Fraction in Apollo Core Sample 73002","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Apollo 17 core sample 73001/2 was recently made available to researchers for analysis using state‐of‐the‐art techniques in the framework of a modern understanding of lunar surface processes. In this work, we employ transmission electron microscopic analysis to observe the mineralogy, microstructural, and chemical characteristics of space weathering and solar energetic particle (SEP) track distribution in soil grains in the <20 μm size fraction in core sample 73002. The modal mineralogy and stratigraphic space weathered grain abundance suggests that a geologically recent mixing event affected the top 3 cm of 73002. Surface exposure age distributions derived from SEP tracks demonstrate that individual regolith grains rarely reside on the surface for longer than ∼4 million years. The abundance of surface exposed monomineralic fragments with respect to depth correlates well with bulk measurements of space weathered soils using other techniques, such as ferromagnetic resonance. Exposure age distributions suggest the presence of two unique in situ reworking zones spanning the top 8 cm of the core and median exposure ages decrease with increasing depth for both reworking zones, albeit at different rates. These rates were compared to reworking models and suggest a relationship between median exposure age and reworking rate with respect to depth. Applications of modern transmission electron microscopy to core sample 73001/2 have proven useful in understanding lunar regolith evolution both within the context of the Apollo 17 field site and more broadly via in situ reworking.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024je008528","authors":["J. A. McFadden","M. S. Thompson","L. P. Keller","R. Christoffersen","R. V. Morris","C. K. Shearer","The ANGSA Science Team"],"tags":["Weathering","Apollo","Fraction (chemistry)","Sample (material)","Core (optical fiber)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024je008528","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4400092712","name":"Mantle Mineralogy of Reduced Sub‐Earths Exoplanets and Exo‐Mercuries","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The mineralogy of planetary mantles formed under reducing conditions, as documented in the inner regions of the solar system, is not well constrained. We present thermodynamic models of mineral assemblages that would constitute the mantles of exo‐Mercuries. We investigated reduced materials such as enstatite chondrites, CH, and CB chondrites, and aubrites, as precursor bulk compositions in phase equilibrium modeling. The resulting isochemical phase diagram sections indicate that dominant phases in these reduced mantles would be pyroxenes rather than olivine, contrasting with the olivine‐rich mantles found within Earth, Mars, and Venus. The pyroxene abundances in the modeled mantles assemblages depend on the silica content shown by precursor materials. The silica abundance in the mantle is closely related to Si abundance in the core, particularly in reduced environments. In addition, we propose that pyroxene‐rich mantles exhibit more vigorous convective and tectonic activity than olivine‐rich mantles, given that pyroxene‐rich mantles would have lower viscosity and a lower solidus temperature ( Ts ).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je008234","authors":["Camilla Cioria","Giuseppe Mitri","J. A. D. Connolly","Jean‐Philippe Perrillat","Fabrizio Saracino"],"tags":["Enstatite","Pyroxene","Olivine","Chondrite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je008234","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411983586","name":"Impact-induced sublimation drives volatile depletion in carbonaceous meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Carbonaceous chondrites are amongst the most chemically primitive solid materials in the Solar System, yet many are depleted in moderately volatile elements. Here, we report enrichments in heavier zinc isotopes in heated carbonaceous chondrites compared to the typical ranges for chondritic meteorites. Our results indicate that impact-driven thermal metamorphism under low-pressure conditions led to partial sublimation of zinc. First-principles calculations support that zinc escapes from solids in the absence of melting, consistent with shock heating and rapid outgassing. The resulting solid residue is strongly enriched in heavier Zn isotopes with minimal recondensation. These findings link extreme isotopic signatures to collisional processing, revealing that asteroid-scale impacts can drive volatile loss from undifferentiated asteroids. These carbonaceous chondrites provide the first unequivocal evidence for purely kinetic Zn isotope fractionation during volatilization. Impact-induced volatilization drives volatile depletion in asteroidal parent bodies, with implications for the delivery and distribution of volatiles in early planetary systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61115-3","authors":["Zheng-Yu Long","Frédéric Moynier","Tim Bögels","Linru Fang","Razvan Caracas","Marine Paquet","Fred Jourdan","Tu-Han Luu","Dimitri Rigoussen","Kun‐Feng Qiu","Jun Deng","James M.D. Day"],"tags":["Meteorite","Sublimation (psychology)","Astrobiology","Materials science","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61115-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2555111822","name":"The variability of ruthenium in chromite from chassignite and olivine‐phyric shergottite meteorites: New insights into the behavior of PGE and sulfur in Martian magmatic systems","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Martian meteorites comprise mantle‐derived mafic to ultramafic rocks that formed in shallow intrusions and/or lava flows. This study reports the first in situ platinum‐group element data on chromite and ulvöspinel from a series of dunitic chassignites and olivine‐phyric shergottites, determined using laser‐ablation ICP‐MS. As recent studies have shown that Ru has strongly contrasting affinities for coexisting sulfide and spinel phases, the precise in situ analysis of this element in spinel can provide important insights into the sulfide saturation history of Martian mantle‐derived melts. The new data reveal distinctive differences between the two meteorite groups. Chromite from the chassignites Northwest Africa 2737 (NWA 2737) and Chassigny contained detectable concentrations of Ru (up to ~160 ppb Ru) in solid solution, whereas chromite and ulvöspinel from the olivine‐phyric shergottites Yamato‐980459 (Y‐980459), Tissint, and Dhofar 019 displayed Ru concentrations consistently below detection limit (<42 ppb). The relatively elevated Ru signatures of chromite from the chassignites suggest a Ru‐rich (~1–4 ppb) parental melt for this meteorite group, which presumably did not experience segregation of immiscible sulfide liquids over the interval of mantle melting, melt ascent, and chromite crystallization. The relatively Ru‐depleted signature of chromite and ulvöspinel from the olivine‐phyric shergottites may be the consequence of relatively lower Ru contents (<1 ppb) in the parental melts, and/or the presence of sulfides during the crystallization of the spinel phases. The results of this study illustrate the significance of platinum‐group element in situ analysis on spinel phases to decipher the sulfide saturation history of magmatic systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12795","authors":["Raphael J. Baumgartner","Marco L. Fiorentini","David Baratoux","L. Ferrière","Marek Locmelis","Andrew G. Tomkins","Kerim Sener"],"tags":["Chromite","Meteorite","Platinum group","Geology","Olivine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-11-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12795","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4378806467","name":"The Oxidation State of Sulfur in Apatite of Martian Meteorite—Shergotty","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Apatite can incorporate sulfur in its reduced form (S2−) when apatite equilibrates with a silicate melt under reducing conditions. Incorporation of sulfate (S6+) has been observed in terrestrial apatite under oxidizing conditions. Thus, it has been suggested that the proportions of S6+/S2− in apatite may record the oxygen fugacity (fO2) during the formation and/or equilibration of apatite grains with a silicate melt in a wide variety of igneous and metamorphic rocks, including from Earth, Mars, the Moon, and in materials from the asteroid belt. Martian rocks, which record fO2 values intermediate between those recorded by rocks from the Moon and Earth, may have apatite that contains only S2− or mixtures of S6+ and S2−. Here, we present new measurements of the oxidation state of sulfur in apatite grains in the basaltic shergottite, Shergotty, which exhibits spectral features consistent with the presence of sulfide (S2−) structurally bound in apatite, and no evidence for the presence of sulfite (S4+) or sulfate (S6+). The presence of sulfide‐only apatite in Shergotty is consistent with other mineralogical records of fO2 in this meteorite, which are calculated from other late‐stage crystallizing phases like Fe‐Ti oxides as well as from early crystallizing phases like clinopyroxene (DEuCpx/melt) of ΔIW + 1.9 to ΔIW + 3.5. At these fO2 values, S is present in silicate melts as only S2−, and this suggests that the oxidation state of sulfur records and preserves the fO2 during the igneous crystallization of apatite reinforcing the idea that sulfur in apatite can be used as an igneous oxybarometer.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2022je007634","authors":["Proteek Chowdhury","Maryjo Brounce","J. W. Boyce","F. M. McCubbin"],"tags":["Apatite","Geology","Geochemistry","Silicate","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-05-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2022je007634","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2411786744","name":"On the iron isotope composition of Mars and volatile depletion in the terrestrial planets","source":"openalex","abstract":"Iron is the most abundant multivalent element in planetary reservoirs, meaning its isotope composition (expressed as δ57Fe) may record signatures of processes that occurred during the formation and subsequent differentiation of the terrestrial planets. Chondritic meteorites, putative constituents of the planets and remnants of undifferentiated inner solar system bodies, have δFe57≈0‰; an isotopic signature shared with the Martian Shergottite–Nakhlite–Chassignite (SNC) suite of meteorites. The silicate Earth and Moon, as represented by basaltic rocks, are distinctly heavier, δFe57≈+0.1‰. However, some authors have recently argued, on the basis of iron isotope measurements of abyssal peridotites, that the composition of the Earth's mantle is δFe57=+0.04±0.04‰, indistinguishable from the mean Martian value. To provide a more robust estimate for Mars, we present new high-precision iron isotope data on 17 SNC meteorites and 5 mineral separates. We find that the iron isotope compositions of Martian meteorites reflect igneous processes, with nakhlites and evolved shergottites displaying heavier δFe57(+0.05±0.03‰), whereas MgO-rich rocks are lighter (δFe57≈−0.01±0.02‰). These systematics are controlled by the fractionation of olivine and pyroxene, attested to by the lighter isotope composition of pyroxene compared to whole rock nakhlites. Extrapolation of the δFe57 SNC liquid line of descent to a putative Martian mantle yields a δ57Fe value lighter than its terrestrial counterpart, but indistinguishable from chondrites. Iron isotopes in planetary basalts of the inner solar system correlate positively with Fe/Mn and silicon isotopes. While Mars and IV-Vesta are undepleted in iron and accordingly have chondritic δ57Fe, the Earth experienced volatile depletion at low (1300 K) temperatures, likely at an early stage in the solar nebula, whereas additional post-nebular Fe loss is possible for the Moon and angrites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2016.05.030","authors":["Paolo A. Sossi","Oliver Nebel","M. Anand","Franck Poitrasson"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Achondrite","Planetary differentiation","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-06-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2016.05.030","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W3091866800","name":"40Ar/39Ar Geochronology and New Mineralogical and Geochemical Data from Lamprophyres of Chompolo Field (South Yakutia, Russia)","source":"openalex","abstract":"The alkaline igneous rocks of the Chompolo field (Aldan shield, Siberian craton), previously defined as kimberlites or lamproites, are more correctly classified as low-Ti lamprophyres. The emplacement age of the Ogonek pipe (137.8 ± 1.2 Ma) and the Aldanskaya dike (157.0 ± 1.6 Ma) was obtained using 40Ar/39Ar K-richterite dating. The Chompolo rocks contain abundant xenocrysts of mantle minerals (chromium-rich pyropic garnets, Cr-diopsides, spinels, etc.). The composition of the mantle xenocrysts indicates the predominance of spinel and garnet–spinel lherzolites, while the presence of garnet lherzolites, dunites, harzburgites, and eclogites is minor. The Chompolo rocks are characterized by large-ion lithophile element (LILE) and Light Rare Earth Element (LREE) enrichments, and high field strength element (HFSE) depletions. The rocks of the Ogonek pipe have radiogenic Sr (87Sr/86Sr (t) = 0.70775 and 0.70954), and highly unradiogenic εNd(t) (−20.03 and −20.44) isotopic composition. The trace element and isotopic characteristics of the Chompolo rocks are indicative of the involvement of subducted materials in their ancient enriched lithospheric mantle source. The Chompolo rocks were formed at the stage when the Mesozoic igneous activity was triggered by global tectonic events. The Chompolo field of alkaline magmatism is one of the few available geological objects, which provides the opportunity to investigate the subcontinental lithospheric mantle beneath the south part of the Siberian craton.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min10100886","authors":["Е. И. Николенко","Konstantin V. Lobov","A. M. Agashev","N. S. Tychkov","М. V. Chervyakovskaya","Igor S. Sharygin","Anna Nikolenko"],"tags":["Geology","Geochemistry","Lithophile","Kimberlite","Igneous rock"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-10-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min10100886","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W1980563584","name":"Sodium‐metasomatism in chondrules in CO3 chondrites: Relationship to parent body thermal metamorphism","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— We have studied the mineralogy and petrology of mesostases of 783 type I chondrules in seven CO3 chondrites that range in petrologic subtype from 3.0 to 3.7. Chondrule mesostases in the CO chondrite of subtype 3.0 consist mainly of primary glass and plagioclase, while chondrule mesostases in the CO chondrites of higher subtypes (3.2–3.7) contain various amounts of nepheline in addition to glass and plagioclase. Nepheline has replaced glass and plagioclase, forming finegrained aggregates and thin parallel lamellar intergrowths with plagioclase. The nephelinization has proceeded preferentially from the outer margins of chondrules toward the inside. Although the degree of nephelinization differs widely among chondrules in each of the metamorphosed chondrites, our modal analyses and bulk chemical analyses of individual mesostases indicate that the amounts of nepheline in chondrules systematically increase with the increasing petrologic subtype of the host chondrites. Nepheline also has a tendency to increase in grain size with increasing petrologic subtype. We conclude that nepheline in chondrules in the CO3 chondrites has formed largely as a result of effects related to heating on the meteorite parent body. We suggest that nepheline initially formed as hydrous nepheline under the presence of aqueous fluids and subsequently was dehydrated after exhaustion of aqueous fluids. The degree of hydrothermal activity must have increased with increasing degree of heating, and thus, chondrules in more thermally metamorphosed chondrites produced larger amounts of nepheline. The results imply that CO3 chondrites have gone through low‐grade aqueous alteration and subsequent dehydration at the early stage of heating on the meteorite parent body.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00951.x","authors":["K. Tomeoka","Daisuke Itoh"],"tags":["Chondrule","Chondrite","Nepheline","Plagioclase","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00951.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4408225559","name":"The mineralogical composition of Jezero Crater Western Fan: Multigaussian modeling of Perseverance/SuperCam near-infrared observations and overview of major units","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2025.116538","authors":["Clément Royer","F. Poulet","R. C. Wiens","Franck Montmessin","Pierre Beck","O. Beyssac","Elise Clavé","E. Dehouck","Thierry Fouchet","J. R. Johnson","Lucia Mandon","S. A. Bernard","Gwénaël Caravaca","Stéphane Le Mouëlic","C. Pilorget","C. Quantin-Nataf","S. Maurice","A. Cousin"],"tags":["Impact crater","Astrobiology","Ejecta","Infrared","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2025.116538","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4413134389","name":"Feasibility of in situ K‐Ar isochron dating on Mars: Assessment using the mineralogy of Martian meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Dating rocks with a 2σ precision of 200 Ma is required to understand the history of Martian habitability and volcanic activity since ~4000 Ma. In situ K‐Ar dating using a spot‐by‐spot laser ablation technique has been developed for isochron dating on Mars. The precision of isochron ages is determined mainly by the relationship between the laser spot diameter and the grain size of the sample. However, the achievable precision of age estimates using a realistic mineralogy of Martian rocks has yet to be investigated. We simulated isochrons under various conditions, including different laser spot sizes, K and Ar measurement errors, and numbers of analyses based on the mineral abundances of representative Martian meteorites (NWA 817, Zagami, and NWA 1068) analyzed using an electron probe microanalyzer. We found that attaining a precision of 200 Ma necessitates an isochron data range, defined as the ratio of the maximum to minimum K concentrations, of >6, a laser spot diameter of 250 μm, and measurement errors of <10% for both K and Ar. Reducing the laser spot size and selecting a sample with a large grain size are effective in obtaining a large K range. Furthermore, minimizing the variance in measurement errors between K and Ar is essential to increase the accuracy of the age estimates. We demonstrate that the precision required for in situ dating on Mars is achievable with realistic instrument settings, thus demonstrating the feasibility of establishing an in situ K‐Ar geochronology for Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70022","authors":["Hikaru Hyuga","Yuichiro Cho","Yayoi N. Miura","T. Mikouchi","Seiji Sugita"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Isochron","Meteorite","Martian","Isochron dating"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70022","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W3182952202","name":"Melt inclusions in chassignite NWA 2737: A link between processes recorded in Martian meteorites and rocks at Gale crater","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Northwest Africa (NWA) 2737, one of the only three discovered Martian chassignites, provides critical constraints on the evolution of the Martian mantle and crust. Because of chassignites’ cumulative nature, they contain abundant melt inclusions (MI). MI are small droplets of melts trapped by crystals during the cooling of magma. They are critical to the study of pre‐eruptive parental magma compositions, and thus, provide snapshots of the composition and evolution of Martian magmatic systems. Here, we present fractional crystallization models using parental magma composition calculated from NWA 2737 melt inclusions as starting compositions. We used the thermodynamic modeling software MELTS to model fractional crystallization of NWA 2737 parental magma compositions with a wide range of parameters (pressure, water content, oxygen fugacity). Our models show that the felsic compositions recently analyzed at the Martian surface in Gale crater, especially Sparkle and Angmaat, the two rocks thought to be analogous to the earliest continental crust on Earth, can be obtained by fractional crystallization of chassignite‐like parental melts. Our results suggest a link between the processes that resulted in chassignites and the rocks analyzed in situ at Gale crater. To assess the possible scenarios for Martian magma migration and storage processes, we compared chassignites to terrestrial analogs formed via various mechanisms and proposed two mechanisms that may explain the intrusive and effusive rocks found in situ at Gale crater: (1) emplacement and fractionation in a closed‐system crustal reservoir and (2) eruption of mafic to intermediate lavas of a relatively open system subject to constant replenishment.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13700","authors":["Peiyu Wu","Esteban Gazel","Arya Udry","Jacob Setera","Amanda Ostwald"],"tags":["Martian","Geology","Fractional crystallization (geology)","Impact crater","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13700","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2592000844","name":"The nitrate/(per)chlorate relationship on Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Nitrate was recently detected in Gale Crater sediments on Mars at abundances up to ~600 mg/kg, confirming predictions of its presence at abundances consistent with models based on impact‐generated nitrate and other sources of fixed nitrogen. Terrestrial Mars analogs, Mars meteorites, and other solar system materials help establish a context for interpreting in situ nitrate measurements on Mars, particularly in relation to other cooccuring salts. We compare the relative abundance of nitrates to oxychlorine (chlorate and/or perchlorate, hereafter (per)chlorate) salts on Mars and Earth. The nitrate/(per)chlorate ratio on Mars is < 1, significantly lower than on Earth (nitrate/(per)chlorate > 10 3 ), suggesting not only the absence of biological activity but also different (per)chlorate formation mechanisms on Mars than on Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2016gl072199","authors":["J. C. Stern","B. Sutter","W. Andrew Jackson","R. Navarro‐González","Christopher P. McKay","D. W. Ming","P. D. Archer","P. R. Mahaffy"],"tags":["Chlorate","Mars Exploration Program","Nitrate","Perchlorate","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-02-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2016gl072199","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406270848","name":"Systematic meteorite collection in the Catalina Dense Collection area (Chile): Description and statistics","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We present the outcome of search campaigns conducted in the Catalina Dense Collection area (DCA) located in the central depression of the Atacama Desert, Chile. The “Catalina Systematic Collection” (CSC) was assembled through systematic on‐foot searches, resulting in a total of 1599 meteorites, before pairing, collected over a surface of 6.80 km 2 . This yielded a recovery density of 235 meteorites per km 2 (67 meteorites >20 g per km 2 ), making it the densest among hot deserts, even higher than the neighboring El Médano DCA collection. This confirms that the central depression of the Atacama Desert holds the highest meteorite density among hot deserts. We classified 457 meteorites weighing more than 20 g. After correcting for various recovery biases, we estimated a true meteorite density on the ground of 131 meteorites per km 2 for meteorites >20 g before pairing. Using a probabilistic approach, we calculated an average pairing likelihood, yielding 71 meteorites >20 g per km 2 after pairing. This high density is likely linked to an old age of the CSC, which would also explain the absence of carbonaceous chondrites, as they are more prone to alteration by abrasion. This long meteorite accumulation period is related to the long‐term hyper‐aridity and surface stability of the Atacama Desert, which have persisted for several million years. Meteorites from the CSC show less chemical weathering on average than in other hot deserts, despite the long accumulation period. The H/L ratio in the CSC is higher than in meteorites from other hot deserts, Antarctica, and falls, but similar to the El Médano collection, potentially reflecting variations in the composition of the meteorite flux over the past Myr.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14307","authors":["Carine Sadaka","J. Gattacceca","M. Gounelle","M. Roskosz","Anthony Lagain","Romain Tartèse","L. Bonal","Clara Maurel","Rodrigo Martínez","Millarca Valenzuela"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Chondrite","Geology","Pairing"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14307","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2158464258","name":"Oral Histories in Meteoritics and Planetary Science—XIX: Klaus Keil","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– Klaus Keil ( Fig. 1 ) grew up in Jena and became interested in meteorites as a student of Fritz Heide. His research for his Dr. rer. nat. became known to Hans Suess who––with some difficulty––arranged for him to move to La Jolla, via Mainz, 6 months before the borders of East Germany were closed. In La Jolla, Klaus became familiar with the electron microprobe, which has remained a central tool in his research and, with Kurt Fredriksson, he confirmed the existence of Urey and Craig’s chemical H and L chondrite groups, and added a third group, the LL chondrites. Klaus then moved to NASA Ames where he established a microprobe laboratory, published his definitive paper on enstatite chondrites, and led in the development of the Si(Li) detector and the EDS method of analysis. After 5 years at Ames, Klaus became director of the Institute of Meteoritics at the University of New Mexico where he built up one of the leading meteorite research groups while working on a wide variety of projects, including chondrite groups, chondrules, differentiated meteorites, lunar samples, and Hawai’ian basalts. The basalt studies led to a love of Hawai’i and a move to the University of Hawai’i in 1990, where he has continued a wide variety of meteorite projects, notably the role of volcanism on asteroids. Klaus Keil has received honorary doctorates from Friedrich‐Schiller University, Jena, and the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. He was President of the Meteoritical Society in 1969–1970 and was awarded the Leonard Medal in 1988. Klaus Keil at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa, 2007. image","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2012.01416.x","authors":["D. W. G. Sears"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Enstatite","Geology","Art history"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-09-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2012.01416.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406930363","name":"The Interplay of Surface Composition, Mineralogy, and Physical Conditions That Affect the Surface Release Processes and Particle Environment of Mercury","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Mercury has a very tenuous atmosphere starting at the surface, which is referred to as a surface-bound exosphere, where there are no collisions between exospheric particles. Having a surface-bound exosphere means that the particles in the exosphere have their origin on Mercury’s surface; thus, the composition of the exosphere is connected to the composition of the surface. In situ composition measurements of the exosphere can contribute to the study of the composition of the surface, together with a range of remote sensing techniques (ultraviolet, visible, infrared, X-ray, gamma-ray, and neutron spectroscopy). The external drivers for the particle release from the surface are solar photons, solar wind plasma, and micrometeoroid impacts. These drivers also cause space weathering of the surface, resulting in significant physical and chemical alterations in the regolith, ranging from the very surface to depths up to one meter. Modifications of the surface by space weathering must be considered when interpreting the composition measurements of the exosphere as well as the composition measurements of the surface by the established remote sensing techniques, because their information comes from the space-weathered volume of the surface. Therefore, the particle populations in the exosphere, space weathering, and the composition of the surface are intimately connected and must be studied together. In the following, we will review the connections between the surface and the exosphere of Mercury.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3847/psj/ad95fa","authors":["P. Wurz","Noah Jäggi","André Galli","Audrey Vorburger","Deborah Domingue","Paul Stefan Szabo","J. Benkhoff","Océane Barraud","D. W. Savin"],"tags":["Mercury (programming language)","Environmental chemistry","Materials science","Mineralogy","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3847/psj/ad95fa","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4412629141","name":"Silicate mineralogy and bulk composition of exoplanetary material in polluted white dwarfs","source":"openalex","abstract":"ABSTRACT White dwarf planetary systems uniquely link the bulk elemental composition of exoplanetary material to the mineralogy as photospheric abundances can be compared to circumstellar dust mineralogy. This study re-examines Spitzer/IRS spectra of eight white dwarfs with both circumstellar dust and photospheric metals. All systems show 10 $\\mu$m silicate emission features consistent with a mixture of olivine and pyroxene silicates, with varying dominance. New Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet spectroscopic observations of two of these systems, GD56 and WD 1150–153, reveal that both are accreting dry, rocky material. WD 1150–153 is accreting material consistent with Bulk Earth, while GD56 is accreting core-rich material with an inferred core mass fraction of 0.59$^{+0.08}_{-0.09}$ (0.37$^{+0.08}_{-0.08}$ by mole). A comparison between the bulk elemental composition of the accreted planetary material and the dust mineralogy of the eight systems reveals a tentative correlation between the dominant silicate mineralogy and the Mg/Si ratio, indicating that the circumstellar and photospheric material are compositionally similar. This suggests that rapid and well-mixed accretion is occurring with minimal compositional alteration. Furthermore, new ggchem equilibrium chemistry models confirm that Mg-rich planetary material preferentially forms olivine-rich dust, highlighting the importance of equilibrium in planetary chemistry and that a host star or rock’s Mg/Si can be used to predict whether its silicate mineralogy is olivine- or pyroxene-dominated, influencing its capacity to structurally store water, recycle key nutrients, and possibly habitability.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staf1221","authors":["Laura K. Rogers","Amy Bonsor","Érika Le Bourdais","Siyi Xu","K. Y. L. Su","Benjamin Richards","Andrew M. Buchan","Nicholas P. Ballering","Marc G. Brouwers","P. Dufour","M. Kissler‐Patig","Carl Melis","B. Zuckerman"],"tags":["White dwarf","Physics","Silicate","Astrobiology","Astronomy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staf1221","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4409417365","name":"Rubidium and potassium isotope compositions of enstatite meteorites: implications for the evolution of their parent body(ies)","source":"openalex","abstract":"Enstatite meteorites, including enstatite chondrites and enstatite achondrites (e.g., aubrites), formed under highly reducing conditions in the solar system. Enstatite chondrites underwent progressive thermal metamorphism from petrologic type 3 to type 6, potentially leading to vaporization and redistribution of volatile elements. Coupled Rb and K isotopic analyses of enstatite meteorites could provide complementary insights into the inherent isotopic variability and volatile depletion processes. In this study, we present Rb and K isotopic compositions for a suite of enstatite meteorites, including sixteen enstatite chondrites spanning metamorphic grades from 3 to 6, as well as four aubrites. Type 3 enstatite chondrites exhibit isotopic compositions similar to those of Earth for both Rb and K, which further underscores the isotopic resemblance between Earth and enstatite chondrites. From type 3–4 to type 5–6, the examined enstatite chondrites generally show a trend towards heavier Rb and K isotopic compositions, indicating volatilization and redistribution of Rb and K during open system thermal metamorphism of the parent body(ies). One EH5 (St. Marks) and two EL6 (Pillistfer and Atlanta) samples deviate from this trend with light K isotope compositions, which may result from an interplay of evaporation, vapor transport and recondensation. On the other hand, the Rb and K isotopic variations in aubrites—which originated from the melting and fractional crystallization of enstatite chondrite-like parent body(ies)—likely reflect more complex processes, possibly involving a combination of plagioclase-bearing melt extraction, magmatic differentiation, core segregation, and the back-condensation of volatiles after impact volatilization.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2025.04.007","authors":["Baoliang Wang","Frédéric Moynier","Yan Hu"],"tags":["Enstatite","Meteorite","Rubidium","Potassium","Isotope"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2025.04.007","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4412178423","name":"Characterising the Composition of Olivine and Iron Oxides in a Sample of the Sericho Meteorite by Raman Spectroscopy Using Principal Component Analysis","source":"openalex","abstract":"ABSTRACT Raman spectroscopy is a key technique for planetary exploration, providing mineralogical insights under strict constraints on power, mass and data transmission. This study applies principal component analysis (PCA) to Raman imaging data from the Sericho pallasite meteorite, composed mainly of Mg‐rich olivine and Fe‐Ni alloy. PCA efficiently reduced the complex dataset to only five principal components, retaining most of the molecular information. Using PCA scores, averaged Raman spectra were calculated to significantly simplify spectral interpretation, highlighting olivine as the dominant mineral and goethite, disordered hematite as well as disordered carbon as minor phases in the sample. In addition, PCA scores associated with the x‐y coordinate of the Raman image enable identification of distinct mineralogical domains, revealing the spatial distribution of iron oxyhydroxides primarily at interfaces and fractures of the olivine inclusions. Additionally, PCA‐filtered spectra enabled spatially resolved quantification of olivine composition, showing a 5%–10% magnesium enrichment in olivine cores compared to interfaces with iron oxyhydroxides, suggesting weathering origins of the Fe‐Ni alloy. These results demonstrate the strong potential of PCA for data reduction, visualization and interpretation of complex Raman datasets, making it a powerful tool for in situ mineralogical analysis during future robotic or human planetary missions where fast real‐time data processing is key for informed decision‐making.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.70019","authors":["Cédric Malherbe","Ian B. Hutchinson","Hannah Lerman","Melissa McHugh","Gauthier Eppe"],"tags":["Raman spectroscopy","Meteorite","Olivine","Principal component analysis","Spectroscopy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.70019","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2052018491","name":"Geological and geochemical legacy of a cold early Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"We consider the hypothesis that Mars never experienced an early warm, wet period and the implications of a continuously cold Martian climate for the hydrology and geochemistry of the planet. Geomorphic evidence previously interpreted to indicate a more temperate early climate can be explained by cold climate processes and the transient flow of liquid water at the surface rather than a terrestrial‐like hydrological cycle. In this scenario, freezing and confinement of crustal aquifers lead to the eruption of water or brines to the surface: Hesperian events formed massive ice sheets, and triggered floods that carved the outflow channels, while smaller, present‐day aqueous eruptions are responsible for the seepage and gully‐like landforms identified in high‐resolution imaging. This process may have fluxed a significant volume of groundwater to the surface and the polar caps. A primordial source of groundwater reconciles the present D/H isotopic ratio of the atmosphere with fractionating atmospheric escape and a primordial Martian D/H inferred from hydrous phases of SNC meteorites. A cold early climate and a thin CO2 atmosphere are consistent with the ubiquity of primary igneous minerals and the apparent absence of secondary minerals and copious carbonates on the surface. Aqueous eruptions introduced soluble chloride and sulfate salts into Martian soils, leaving clays and carbonates within the crust. If the Martian crust hosts a “deep biosphere,” aqueous eruptions can bring organisms or their chemical signature to the surface. The biotic component of any recent eruptions may be preserved in transient ice in cold traps on the surface.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2002je002000","authors":["Eric Gaidos","G. M. Marion"],"tags":["Geology","Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Hesperian","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2002je002000","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4401777286","name":"Recent Advances in the Compositional and Mapping Analysis of Iron Meteorites Using a Handheld Laser‐Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Instrument","source":"openalex","abstract":"Analytical techniques are essential in investigating the unique features of extra‐terrestrial geomaterials, and the use of in situ analytical tools is becoming increasingly common, as it facilitates a quick initial bulk chemical analysis, identification and classification. In this work, a handheld laser‐induced breakdown spectroscopy (hLIBS) instrument has been used to identify the qualitative and quantitative composition, and generate compositional micro‐maps, of a suite of iron meteorite samples representative of the different chemical and structural classes by analysing the spectra released from the plasma formed by the laser impact. Furthermore, the analytical performance of hLIBS was compared with that of portable X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry (pXRF). The analytical precision and accuracy of the calibration curves previously built in the laboratory for a set of certified reference metal alloys was assessed, so that the same protocol could be used to measure those of the investigated iron meteorites. A good agreement was achieved between hLIBS and reference data in the quantitative estimate of the elements Fe, Ni, Co and Cu. An attempt to quantify Ga by LIBS in two classified iron meteorites was also successful.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ggr.12581","authors":["N. Senesi","O. De Pascale","Sara Mattiello","Vanni Moggi Cecchi","Abderrahmane Ibhi","Lahcen Ouknine","Hassan Nachit"],"tags":["Meteorite","Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy","Spectroscopy","Materials science","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ggr.12581","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W2584358489","name":"Pre-activation of aerosol particles by ice preserved in pores","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. Pre-activation denotes the capability of particles or materials to nucleate ice at lower relative humidities or higher temperatures compared to their intrinsic ice nucleation efficiency after having experienced an ice nucleation event or low temperature before. This review presumes that ice preserved in pores is responsible for pre-activation and analyses pre-activation under this presumption. Idealized trajectories of air parcels are used to discuss the pore characteristics needed for ice to persist in pores and to induce macroscopic ice growth out of the pores. The pore width needed to keep pores filled with water decreases with decreasing relative humidity as described by the inverse Kelvin equation. Thus, narrow pores remain filled with ice well below ice saturation. However, the smaller the pore width, the larger the melting and freezing point depressions within the pores. Therefore, pre-activation due to pore ice is constrained by the melting of ice in narrow pores and the sublimation of ice from wide pores imposing restrictions on the temperature and relative humidity range of pre-activation for cylindrical pores. Ice is better protected in ink-bottle-shaped pores with a narrow opening leading to a large cavity. However, whether pre-activation is efficient also depends on the capability of ice to grow macroscopically, i.e. out of the pore. A strong effect of pre-activation is expected for swelling pores, because at low relative humidity (RH) their openings narrow and protect the ice within them against sublimation. At high relative humidities, they open up and the ice can grow to macroscopic size and form an ice crystal. Similarly, ice protected in pockets is perfectly sheltered against sublimation but needs the dissolution of the surrounding matrix to be effective. Pores partially filled with condensable material may also show pre-activation. In this case, complete filling occurs at lower RH than for empty pores and freezing shifts to lower temperatures.Pre-activation experiments confirm that materials susceptible to pre-activation are indeed porous. Pre-activation was observed for clay minerals like illite, kaolinite, and montmorillonite with inherent porosity. The largest effect was observed for the swelling clay mineral montmorillonite. Some materials may acquire porosity, depending on the formation and processing conditions. Particles of CaCO3, meteoritic material, and volcanic ash showed pre-activation for some samples or in some studies but not in other ones. Quartz and silver iodide were not susceptible to pre-activation.Atmospheric relevance of pre-activation by ice preserved in pores may not be generally given but depend on the atmospheric scenario. Lower-level cloud seeding by pre-activated particles released from high-level clouds crucially depends on the ability of pores to retain ice at the relative humidities and temperatures of the air masses they pass through. Porous particles that are recycled in wave clouds may show pre-activation with subsequent ice growth as soon as ice saturation is exceeded after having passed a first cloud event. Volcanic ash particles and meteoritic material likely influence ice cloud formation by pre-activation. Therefore, the possibility of pre-activation should be considered when ice crystal number densities in clouds exceed the number of ice-nucleating particles measured at the cloud forming temperature.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-1595-2017","authors":["Claudia Marcolli"],"tags":["Sublimation (psychology)","Kelvin equation","Ice nucleus","Relative humidity","Ice crystals"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-02-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-1595-2017","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4410127668","name":"A complete inventory of institutional and public meteorite collections in Switzerland","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Museums and universities are important for collecting, maintaining, and curating meteorites. To make specimens known and available for research, inventorying and optimal curation are important. However, not all meteorite collections are well curated, especially in smaller institutions. During a 12‐month project supported by the Swiss Confederacy under the “SwissCollNet” framework, we viewed, photographed, and inventoried all public and institutional meteorite collections in Switzerland. In total, the 27 collections contain 7616 specimens, derived from 3469 different meteorites. New, switched, and missing specimens were found in many collections. More than half of the collections contained specimens without inventory numbers and unknown or unofficial specimens, several of which could be assigned to a known meteorite fall or find during this project. The identification of switched or unknown samples was done using handheld X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry and magnetic susceptibility measurements. In total, 201 specimens were attributed a preliminary classification. We demonstrate the importance of smaller collections, which often hold fragments of rare meteorite types. We underline how large‐scale projects like the one presented here allow for unique data, for example, finding specimens missing from one collection in another. By tracking the origin of specimens using historic labels, we show that the history of meteoritics is reflected in the composition of the Swiss collections. During the inventorying process, several prehistoric and modern artifacts made of meteoritic material were found, underlining the potential of analyzing non‐geological specimens in museums.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14361","authors":["J. Eschrig","M. M. M. Meier","Beda A. Hofmann"],"tags":["Meteorite","Political science","Library science","Geography","Computer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14361","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4405579175","name":"“Ground truth” occurrence of Pink Spinel Anorthosite ( PSA ) as clasts in lunar meteorite Northwest Africa ( NWA ) 15500: Chemical evidence for a genetic relationship with lunar highlands Mg‐suite and formation by magma–wallrock interactions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Pink spinel anorthosite (PSA), a distinctive plagioclase and spinel‐rich lithology (spinel >20%) observed on the lunar surface by the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) imaging spectrometer, has sparked considerable interest in understanding magmatic processes on the Moon that cannot be explained by the well‐established lunar magma ocean paradigm. Competing ideas on the PSA‐forming mechanisms have invoked either (1) impact melting of troctolitic source rocks on the lunar surface or (2) magma–wallrock interactions between anorthositic crust and Mg‐suite parental melts, but have been difficult to evaluate given the lack of ground truth samples. Here, we investigate the textures and mineral compositions of seven PSA clasts in lunar meteorite Northwest Africa (NWA) 15500, and the bulk trace element compositions of a PSA clast separate and NWA 15500 host lithologies A and B. Our findings suggest derivation of PSA from an incompatible‐element‐poor source and are consistent with PSA representing an Mg‐suite lithology genetically related to pink spinel troctolites that reflects increased degrees of crustal assimilation during magma–wallrock interactions, and a sourcing of PSA far from the Procellarum KREEP Terrane. Excavation of PSA material was followed by multiple, subsequent localized impact events, resulting in the formation of Lithologies A and B.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14298","authors":["Daniel Sheikh","A. Ruzicka","M. L. Hutson"],"tags":["Anorthosite","Geology","Plagioclase","Geochemistry","Lithology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14298","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W2150877658","name":"Nomad Rover Field Experiment, Atacama Desert, Chile: 1. Science results overview","source":"openalex","abstract":"Nomad was deployed for a 45 day traverse in the Atacama Desert, Chile, during the summer of 1997. During this traverse, 1 week was devoted to science experiments. The goal of the science experiments was to test different planetary surface exploration strategies that included (1) a Mars mission simulation, (2) a science on the fly experiment, where the rover was kept moving 75% of the operation time. (The goal of this operation was to determine whether or not successful interpretation of the environment is related to the time spent on a target. The role of mobility in helping the interpretation was also assessed.) (3) a meteorite search using visual and instrumental methods to remotely identify meteorites in extreme environments, and (4) a time‐delay experiment with and without using the panospheric camera. The results were as follow: the remote science team positively identified the main characteristics of the test site geological environment. The science on the fly experiment showed that the selection of appropriate targets might be even more critical than the time spent on a study area to reconstruct the history of a site. During the same operation the science team members identified and sampled a rock from a Jurassic outcrop that they proposed to be a fossil. The presence of paleolife indicators in this rock was confirmed later by laboratory analysis. Both visual and instrumental modes demonstrated the feasibility, in at least some conditions, of carrying out a field search for meteorites by using remote‐controlled vehicles. Finally, metrics collected from the observation of the science team operations, and the use team members made of mission data, provided critical information on what operation sequences could be automated on board rovers in future planetary surface explorations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/1999je001166","authors":["Nathalie A. Cabrol","G. Chong‐Díaz","C. Stoker","V. C. Gulick","R. Landheim","P. Lee","T. L. Roush","A. P. Zent","Christian Herrera","A. Jensen Iglesia","M. Pereira Arrerondo","J. M. Dohm","R. Keaten","David Wettergreen","Michael H. Sims","K. Schwher","Maria Bualat","Hans Thomas","Eric Zbinden","Daniel G. Christian","Lasse Heje Pedersen","A. Bettis","Geb Thomas","Brian J. Witzke"],"tags":["Traverse","Meteorite","Mars Exploration Program","Desert (philosophy)","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/1999je001166","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4414946304","name":"The Noritic mineralogy of V- and S-type objects and the links with asteroid (4) Vesta","source":"openalex","abstract":"Ungrouped achondrites with affinities to Howardite-Eucrite-Diogenite (HED) meteorites offer critical insights into the diversity of differentiated bodies in the inner Solar System. They can help address the longstanding discrepancy between V-type asteroids related to the asteroid (4) Vesta and those that show similar characteristics but lack a dynamical relationship. In this study, we present new spectral, mineralogical, and oxygen isotopic analyses of two ungrouped achondritic meteorites. Al Bir Lahlou 001 exhibits strong compositional and spectral similarities to typical V-type asteroids, while Wan Zawatin 001 shows unexpected affinities to S-type asteroids. These findings suggest a more complex evolutionary history for differentiated asteroids than previously recognized and support the existence of multiple asteroidal bodies with HED-like characteristics. Our results highlight the importance of continued investigation into ungrouped achondrites to better understand the formation, distribution, and evolution of differentiated material beyond the Vesta family. • We measure the spectroscopic properties of two plagioclase-rich ungrouped achondrites. • The samples show close mineralogical and isotopic similarities to the HEDs. • However, spectrally, one of the samples classifies as a S-type. • This is due to the high proportion of plagioclase subduing the pyroxene bands. • Indicating that HED-like material can be represented by multiple asteroid complexes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2025.116844","authors":["Ben Rider-Stokes","A. Y. Wong","T. H. Burbine","Eric MacLennan","R. C. Greenwood","Samuel L. Jackson","M. Anand","L. F. White","M.M. Grady"],"tags":["Achondrite","Asteroid","Meteorite","Geology","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2025.116844","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2046944925","name":"Evaluating the role of sulfide-weathering in the formation of sulfates or carbonates on Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2012.04.057","authors":["E. Dehouck","V. F. Chevrier","A. Gaudin","N. Mangold","Pierre-Étienne Mathé","P. Rochette"],"tags":["Noachian","Weathering","Geochemistry","Hesperian","Carbonate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-05-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2012.04.057","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2124346987","name":"Importance of space weathering simulation products in compositional modeling of asteroids: 349 Dembowska and 446 Aeternitas as examples","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Based on recent progress in simulating space weathering on asteroids using pulse‐laser irradiation onto olivine and orthopyroxene samples, detailed analyses of two of the A and R type asteroid reflectance spectra have been performed using reflectance spectra of laser‐treated samples. The visible‐near‐infrared spectrum of olivine is more altered than that of pyroxene at the same pulse‐laser energy, suggesting that olivine weathers more rapidly than orthopyroxene in space. The same trend can be detected from reflectance spectra of the asteroids, where the more olivine an asteroid has, the redder its 1 μm band continuum can become. Comparison of the 1 μm band continuum slope and the 2/1 μm band area ratio between the asteroids and olivine and pyroxene samples (including the laser‐treated ones) suggests that asteroids may be limited in the degree of space weathering they can exhibit, possibly due to the short life of their surface regolith. Their pyroxenes may also have a limited chemical composition range. Fitting the visible continuum shape and other parts of the spectra (especially the 2μm part) has been impossible with any combination of common rock‐forming minerals such as silicates and metallic irons. However, this study shows, for the first time, excellent fits of reflectance spectra of an A asteroid (Aeternitas) and an R asteroid (Dembowska), including their visible spectral curves, band depths and shapes, and overall continuum shapes. Our results provide estimates that Aeternitas consists of 2% fresh olivine, 93% space‐weathered olivine, 1% space‐weathered orthopyroxene, and 4% chromite, and that Dembowska consists of 1% fresh olivine, 55% space‐weathered olivine, and 44% space‐weathered orthopyroxene. These results suggest that space weathering effects maybe important to the interpretation of asteroid reflectance spectra, even those with deep silicate absorption bands. Modified Gaussian model deconvolutions of the laser‐irradiated olivine samples show that their identity as olivine remained. The most recent submicroscopic mineralogical analyses have revealed that the laser‐irradiated olivine samples contain nanophase iron particles similar to those in space‐weathered lunar samples.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2001.tb01850.x","authors":["T. Hiroi","S. Sasaki"],"tags":["Space weathering","Asteroid","Olivine","Pyroxene","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2001.tb01850.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2311804088","name":"Magmatic evolution of the Moon","source":"openalex","abstract":"Although incomplete because of the imperfect and somewhat random sampling of rock types by the Apollo and Luna missions (1969-1976), the history of lunar magmatism has been reconstructed by numerous researchers over the past three decades. These reconstructions have illustrated the continous nature of lunar magmatism (from 4.6 to ~2.0 Ga) and the large influence of early differentia­tion and catastrophic bombardment on lunar mantle dynamics, magmatism, and eruptive style. In this review, we group magmatism into multiple stages of activity based on sampled rock types and evaluate the models for each stage. Stage I is early lunar differentiation and associated magmatism. Partial melting of the Moon soon after accretion was responsible for producing an anorthositic crust and a differentiated lunar interior. The extent of lunar melting and mantle processing depends strongly on the mechanisms that induced melting. Estimates for the tune over which melting and crystallization occurred range from tens to hundreds of millions of years. Stage 2 is the disruption of lunar magma ocean cumulates. Soon after the crystallization of most of the lunar magma ocean, the cumulate pile experienced gravitational overturn. This resulted in transport of late-forming cumulates into the deep lunar mantle and mixing of magma ocean cumulates on a variety of scales. Stage 3 is the post-magma ocean highland magmatism. Whereas the ferroan anorthositic crust was probably produced during the crystallization of a magma ocean, the slightly younger Mg suite and alkali suite plutonie rocks may have been generated by decompressional melting of early magma ocean cumulates during cumulate pile over­turn. A KREEP and crustal signature was incorporated into these primitive basaltic magmas through assimilation near the base of the lunar crust or through melting of a hybridized mantle. The alkali suite could represent either the differentiation products of Mg suite parental magmas or a separate, but contemporaneous episode of basaltic magmatism. Stage 4 is pre-basin voleanism. Sample analysis and remote sensing data indicate that early lunar voleanism (KREEP basalts and high-alumina basalts) was contemporaneous with periods of liiglilands plutonism and catastrophic bombardment of the hmar surface. The relationship between early stages of lunar voleanism and the contemporane­ous plutonism is not clear. The KREEP basalts may be volcanic equivalents to both the Mg suite and alkali suite. Stage 5 is the late remelting of magma ocean cumulates and eruption of mare basalts. Basin-associated eruption of mare basalts occurred during and following the late stages of catastrophic bombardment. This volcanic activity was possibly an extension of the thermal event that initiated pre-basin voleanism. Mare basalts exhibit a wide range of composition resulting from near­surface fractionation of chemically distinct primary basaltic magmas. Most likely, mare basalts were produced by small to moderate degrees of partial melting of hybrid cumulate sources in the deep lunar mantle. Alternatively, the mixed chemical signatures observed in many mare basalts may be interpreted as indicating assimilation of late-stage, evolved cumulates by melts produced deep in the cumulate pile. The wide range of compositions exhibited by the mare basalts compared with earlier episodes of basaltic magmatism may reflect the thermal regime in the lunar mantle that limited the extent of partial melting and melt-source homogenization.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-1999-1001","authors":["C. K. Shearer","J. J. Papike"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Geology","Geochemistry","Earth science","Biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-1999-1001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2981931777","name":"Accretion of differentiated achondritic and aqueously altered chondritic materials in the early solar system—Significance of an igneous fragment in the CM chondrite NWA 12651","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract One approach to decipher the dynamics of material transport and planetary accretion in the early solar system is to investigate xenolithic fragments in meteorites. In this work, we examined an igneous fragment from the NWA 12651 meteorite—the first igneous fragment found in any CM chondrite—by analyzing its mineralogy, rare earth elements (REEs), and O‐isotopes. The study shows that the exsolution lamellae of the igneous fragment consist of Fe‐rich and Ca‐rich pyroxene. Thus, the fragment was part of a progressive crystallization in a closed system, such as in a depleted magma reservoir or mantle. In this environment, the pyroxene co‐crystallized with plagioclase, resulting in a negative Eu anomaly and enrichment of the heavy REEs compared to the light REEs. The O‐isotopes of the fragment are more 16O‐enriched than the mafic minerals in the matrix or in other bulk CM chondrites; therefore, the fragment was formed in a different region than the NWA 12651 parent body. The iron meteorites Tucson and Deep Springs, the pallasite Milton, and the CB chondrites have similar O‐isotopes as the igneous fragment. However, no direct connection can be drawn and it is questionable if the fragment shares a same parent body with one of these meteorites. The close formation region to the CB chondrites may suggest a formation of the fragment in the carbonaceous chondrite region. Thus, a wide transport through the nebula of the early solar system may not have been necessary to move the fragment to the CM chondrite formation region.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13407","authors":["S. Ebert","Markus Patzek","Sarah Lentfort","A. Bischoff"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Igneous rock","Pyroxene","Chondrule"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-10-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13407","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W1976369042","name":"Restriction of parent body heating by metal‐troilite melting: Thermal models for the ordinary chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Ordinary chondrite meteorites contain silicates, Fe,Ni‐metal grains, and troilite (FeS). Conjoined metal‐troilite grains would be the first phase to melt during radiogenic heating in the parent body, if temperatures reached over approximately 910–960 °C (the Fe,Ni‐FeS eutectic). On the basis of two‐pyroxene thermometry of 13 ordinary chondrites, we argue that peak temperatures in some type 6 chondrites exceeded the Fe,Ni‐FeS eutectic and thus conjoined metal‐troilite grains would have begun to melt. Melting reactions consume energy, so thermal models were constructed to investigate the effect of melting on the thermal history of the H, L, and LL parent asteroids. We constrained the models by finding the proportions of conjoined metal‐troilite grains in ordinary chondrites using high‐resolution X‐ray computed tomography. The models show that metal‐troilite melting causes thermal buffering and inhibits the onset of silicate melting. Compared with models that ignore the effect of melting, our models predict longer cooling histories for the asteroids and accretion times that are earlier by 61, 124, or 113 kyr for the H, L, and LL asteroids, respectively. Because the Ni/Fe ratio of the metal and the bulk troilite/metal ratio is higher in L and LL chondrites than H chondrites, thermal buffering has the greatest effect in models for the L and LL chondrite parent bodies, and least effect for the H chondrite parent. Metal‐troilite melting is also relevant to models of primitive achondrite parent bodies, particularly those that underwent only low degrees of silicate partial melting. Thermal models can predict proportions of petrologic types formed within an asteroid, but are systematically different from the statistics of meteorite collections. A sampling bias is interpreted to explain these differences.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12280","authors":["Eleanor R. Mare","Andrew G. Tomkins","Bélinda Godel"],"tags":["Troilite","Chondrite","Parent body","Meteorite","Ordinary chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-03-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12280","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4413121966","name":"Mineralogical and Geochemical Characterization of the Benavila (Portugal) Bentonites","source":"openalex","abstract":"This work aims to perform a detailed mineralogical, crystal-chemical, and geochemical characterization of bentonites from the Benavila outcrop, the largest known deposit of bentonites in continental Portugal. Bulk samples and different size fractions were characterized through X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). Structural formulae of the smectites were fitted from point analyses acquired by analytical electron microscopy (AEM) with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Smectites are the major component with variable amounts of calcite and minor amounts of quartz, feldspar, illite, and chlorite. Occasionally, amphiboles and dolomite have also been identified. The high content of carbonates in different parts of the sampling area is related to the circulation of carbonate-rich fluids. The smectites present high-layer charge, are intermediate terms of the montmorillonite–beidellite series, and also show an intermediate cisvacant–transvacant configuration. Major and trace elements concentrations were determined by ICP-MS. The geochemical analysis of the samples indicates an enrichment in SiO2 and Al2O3 and a depletion of the more clayey materials in REE, HFSE, and Y, among others. The calculation of the PIA and CIA alteration indices, along with other parameters observed, shows the possible alteration pathways of the Benavila deposit. Research to evaluate the ability of these bentonites to be used as engineering barrier systems (EBS) and sealing materials for radioactive waste repositories is ongoing.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15080836","authors":["Javier García-Rivas","María Isabel Dias","de Paiva","P. Fernandes","Rosa Marques","Emilia García Romero","Mercedes Suárez"],"tags":["Geology","Geochemistry","Characterization (materials science)","Mineralogy","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min15080836","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4416994831","name":"Mössbauer Study of Weathering Products in Meteorites from the Atacama Desert","source":"openalex","abstract":"During their stay at the surface of the Earth, meteorites undergo terrestrial weathering. In particular, the iron-nickel alloys and iron sulfides that are abundant in many types of meteorites transform into oxides and oxihydroxides (magnetite, maghemite, akaganeite, etc.). Mössbauer spectroscopy is a powerful tool to identify these weathering products. However, distinguishing signals from different phases summed up in the Fe3+ paramagnetic doublets in the central part of the spectrum remains challenging. This study focuses on a detailed investigation of meteorite weathering products to separate signals from different secondary minerals formed on Earth in a series of weathered meteorites. We carried out a room-temperature Mössbauer spectroscopy study on seventy ordinary chondrites collected in the Atacama Desert, Chile, in order to make a comparative qualitative analysis of the mineralogy of their terrestrial weathering products. Based on these results, three samples showing a variety of weathering products (Catalina 146, Catalina 535, and El Médano 070) were selected for a detailed study and two of them for low-temperature Mössbauer study. We found that, above 200 K, most meteorites exhibit superparamagnetic magnetization dynamics attributable to strong dispersed maghemite–magnetite phase formed as a weathering product. On the other hand, other iron-bearing weathering products (goethite, akaganeite, hematite) demonstrate line shapes of the corresponding partial components that are close to the shapes of the bulk samples. Only two of the 70 measured meteorites showed no superparamagnetic behavior at room temperature.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/magnetochemistry11120107","authors":["А. V. Pyataev","D. M. Kuzina","J. Gattacceca","Carine Sadaka","Р. Ф. Муфтахетдинова"],"tags":["Weathering","Meteorite","Chondrite","Geology","Earth (classical element)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/magnetochemistry11120107","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W1568723416","name":"Petrogenesis of basaltic shergottite Northwest Africa 5298: Closed‐system crystallization of an oxidized mafic melt","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– Northwest Africa (NWA) 5298 is an evolved basaltic shergottite that has bulk characteristics and mineral compositions consistent with derivation from an oxidized reservoir in Mars. Chemically zoned clinopyroxene (64.5%, augite and pigeonite), with interstitial lath‐shaped plagioclase (29.4%, An40 to An55), constitutes the bulk of this meteorite. The plagioclase has been converted by shock to both isotropic maskelynite and spherulitic, birefringent feldspar representing a quenched vesicular melt. The remainder of the rock consists of minor amounts of Fe‐Ti oxides (ilmenite and titanomagnetite), phosphates (merrillite and apatite), silica polymorph, fayalite, pyrrhotite, baddeleyite, and minor hot desert weathering products (calcite and barite). Oxygen fugacity derived from Fe‐Ti oxide thermobarometry is close to the quartz‐fayalite‐magnetite (QFM) buffer indicating that the late stage evolution of this magma occurred under more oxidizing condition than those recorded in most other shergottites. Merrillite contains the largest abundances of rare earth elements (REE) of all phases, thereby controlling the REE budget in NWA 5298. The calculated bulk rock REE pattern normalized to CI chondrite is relatively flat. The evolution of the normalized REE patterns of the bulk rock, clinopyroxene, plagioclase, and phosphate in NWA 5298 is consistent with closed‐system chemical behavior with no evidence of crustal contamination or postcrystallization disturbance of the REE contents of these phases.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01231.x","authors":["Hejiu Hui","A. H. Peslier","T. J. Lapen","J. T. Shafer","A. D. Brandon","Anthony J. Irving"],"tags":["Geology","Pigeonite","Plagioclase","Geochemistry","Baddeleyite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01231.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2570900340","name":"Effects of shock and Martian alteration on Tissint hydrogen isotope ratios and water content","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Tissint meteorite, a picritic shergottite, fell to Earth in Morocco on the 18th of July 2011, and is only the fifth Martian meteorite witnessed to fall. Hydrogen isotope ratios and water contents are variable within different minerals in Tissint. Ringwoodite and shock melt pockets contain elevated D/H ratios relative to terrestrial values (δD = 761–4224‰). These high ratios in recrystallized phases indicate significant implantation of hydrogen from the D-rich Martian atmosphere during shock. In contrast, although olivine has detectable water abundances (230–485 ppm), it exhibits much lower D/H ratios (δD = +88 to −150‰), suggesting this water was not implanted from the Martian atmosphere. The minimal terrestrial weathering experienced by Tissint gives confidence that the olivine-hosted water has a Martian origin, but its high concentration indicates direct inheritance from the parental melt is improbable, especially given the low pressure of olivine crystallisation. Incorporation of a low δD crustal fluid, or deuteric alteration during crystallisation, could explain the relatively high water contents and low D/H ratios in Tissint olivine.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2016.12.035","authors":["L. J. Hallis","G. R. Huss","K. Nagashima","G. J. Taylor","D. Stöffler","C. L. Smith","Martin Lee"],"tags":["Martian","Olivine","Meteorite","Ringwoodite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2016.12.035","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2303568235","name":"The chemical composition of REE-Y-Th-U-rich accessory minerals in peraluminous granites of the Erzgebirge-Fichtelgebirge region, Germany; Part I, The monazite-(Ce)-brabantite solid solution series","source":"openalex","abstract":"Peraluminous granites of the Erzgebirge-Fichtelgebirge, Germany, are hosts of various members of the monazite group of minerals that display an unprecedented compositional diversity. The Eibenstock S-type granite constitutes the third reported occurrence worldwide of brabantite and the first occurrence of this mineral in a granite. Many new occurrences of cheralite-(Ce), as well as a monazite-group mineral intermediate between monazite-( Ce) and huttonite for which the term huttonitic monazite is proposed, were discovered. Even ‘‘common’’ monazite-(Ce) may show extreme ranges of actinide and lanthanide element concentrations. The granites that host brabantite and cheralite-(Ce) are highly differentiated, strongly peraluminous, low-temperature residual melts of S-type affinity, which are rich in fluorine and other volatile constituents but depleted in thorium and the light rare-earth elements. Such highly evolved, volatile-rich compositions resemble rare-element pegmatites and appear favorable for the precipitation of cheralite-(Ce) and brabantite, but not of monazite with large amounts of huttonitic substitution. Instead, these minerals occur preferentially in F-poor biotite and F-rich Li-mica granites of A-type affinity. Irrespective of the level of uranium in silicate melts, which may exceed that of thorium, the substitution of uranium in monazite remains limited. The compositional data reported here are consistent with complete miscibility in the monazite-(Ce)-brabantite solid solution series under magmatic conditions. These granites contain monazites that span almost the entire compositional range reported for monazitegroup minerals worldwide, and therefore granites appear to be ideal rocks in which to study the crystal chemistry of this mineral group in general.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-1998-3-409","authors":["Hans-Juergen Foerster"],"tags":["Monazite","Geology","Geochemistry","Series (stratigraphy)","Composition (language)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-1998-3-409","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2770973395","name":"Petrogenesis of basaltic shergottite Northwest Africa 8657: Implications for fO 2 correlations and element redistribution during shock melting in shergottites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Northwest Africa (NWA) 8657 is an incompatible trace element‐enriched, low‐Al basaltic shergottite, similar in texture and chemistry to Shergotty, Zagami, and NWA 5298. It is composed of zoned pyroxene, maskelynite, merrillite, and Ti‐oxide minerals with minor apatite, silica, and pyrrhotite. Pyroxene grains are characterized by patchy zoning, with pigeonite or augite cores zoned to Fe‐rich pigeonite mantles. The cores have rounded morphologies and irregular margins. Combined with the low Ti/Al of the cores, the morphology and chemistry of the pyroxene grains are consistent with initial crystallization at depth (30–70 km) followed by partial resorption en route to the surface. Enriched rare earth element (REE) equilibrium melt compositions and calculated oxygen fugacities (fO2) conditions for pigeonite cores indicate that the original parent melts were enriched shergottite magmas that staged in chambers at depth within the Martian crust. NWA 8657 does not represent a liquid but rather entrained a proportion of pyroxene crystals from magma chambers where fractional crystallization was occurring at depth. Variation between fO2 and bulk‐rock (La/Yb)N of the enriched and intermediate shergottites suggests that oxidation conditions and degree of incompatible element enrichment in the source may not be correlated, as thought previously. Shock melt pockets are characterized by an absence of phosphates and oxide minerals. It is likely that these phases were melted during shock. REEs were redistributed during this process into maskelynite and to a lesser extent the shock melt; however, the overall normalized REE profile of the shock melt is like that of the bulk‐rock, but at lower absolute concentrations. Overall, shock melting has had a significant effect on the mineralogy of NWA 8657, especially the distribution of phosphates, which may be significant for geochronological applications of this meteorite and other Martian meteorites with extensive shock melt.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12999","authors":["Geoffrey H. Howarth","Arya Udry","James M.D. Day"],"tags":["Pigeonite","Pyroxene","Geology","Augite","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-11-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12999","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2145752137","name":"Cooling rates of diogenites: A study of Fe2+‐Mg ordering in orthopyroxene by single‐crystal x‐ray diffraction","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The iron‐magnesium exchange between M1 and M2 sites in orthopyroxene is a reversible reaction that records the latest event in the thermal evolution of the host rock. A kinetic analysis of this process has been applied to 16 orthopyroxene single crystals from 7 different diogenites to constrain the cooling history of their parent body. The Fe2+‐Mg ordering degrees have been determined by single‐crystal x‐ray diffraction. The Fe2+‐Mg ordering closure temperatures were very homogeneous within each sample and ranged, for all diogenites studied, between 311 ± 29 °C and 408 ± 10 °C. Cooling rates at these closure temperatures were calculated using a numerical method developed by Ganguly (1982). These ranged between ∼5 °C/104 year in Johnstown and ∼0.8 °C/year in Roda. A comparison with other achondrites studied with the same method showed that increasing closure temperatures correspond to increasing cooling rates and that meteorites from a same parent body exhibit similar closure temperature and cooling rate values. The cooling rates obtained for these diogenites, at their low closure temperatures, should probably be ascribed to a complex thermal history of their parent body, thus confirming Miyamoto and Takeda's theory (1994a) of excavation of deep crustal material due to impact events. The differences on cooling rate values for different diogenites could be due to different burial depths in the fragment ejected from the parent body.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1997.tb01575.x","authors":["Michele Zema","M. C. Domeneghetti","Gianmariο Molin","Vittorio Tazzoli"],"tags":["Closure temperature","Parent body","Crystal (programming language)","Materials science","Diffraction"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1997.tb01575.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W4413335441","name":"Chemical and Structural Evidence for Melt-Induced Amorphization of Alkali Feldspar in Lunar Meteorite DEW 12007: Insight into Shock Amorphization Mechanisms","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Feldspar minerals, including alkali feldspar and plagioclase, commonly undergo shock-induced amorphization, making them key indicators for reconstructing the impact history and thermal evolution of planetary materials. This study focuses on alkali feldspar in the lunar meteorite DEW 12007 to elucidate the mechanisms of amorphization using Raman spectroscopy and electron probe microanalysis. Our findings reveal a strong correlation between crystallinity and chemical composition, with Na enrichment and K depletion observed in amorphous regions compared to the crystalline counterparts. These compositional shifts can be explained by the chemical behavior of sanidine–albite system, supporting impact melt-induced partial amorphization as the dominant mechanism. The crystalline counterparts near amorphous boundaries exhibit increased K content, reflecting the compositional redistribution during partial melting and quenching. To assess the utility of these findings, feldspar from the well-documented L6 ordinary chondrites were analyzed. Feldspars from the ordinary chondrites showed opposite trends, exhibiting the amorphous phases enriched in K and depleted in Na relative to the crystalline counterparts. These differences are consistent with the chemical behavior of sanidine–albite system. This ability has a potential to differentiate whether maskelynite was formed via solid-state transformation or melt-quenching processes, providing critical insights into the impact history and thermal evolution of the rocky crusts of the Moon and other solar system bodies. Extending this framework to other meteorites, returned samples, and planetary bodies enhances our understanding of impact processes, offering a robust approach for unraveling the complex interplay between shock metamorphism and planetary evolution.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/petrology/egaf074","authors":["Hyeong-Gyu Kim","Hyeong-Gyu Kim","Changkun Park","Eun Jeong Kim","Sun Young Park","Hyun Na Kim","Hwayoung Kim","Hyun Na Kim","Hyun Na Kim"],"tags":["Meteorite","Feldspar","Alkali feldspar","Geology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/petrology/egaf074","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.106Z"},{"id":"oa:W2536235407","name":"Assessing the Oxidative History of Miller Range Martian Meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Miller Range (MIL) Martian meteorites are oxidized nakhlites. Early studies attribute their oxidation to reduction-oxidation reactions involving assimilated sulfate. I utilize the sulfur isotope and major element composition of the MIL pairs to assess their oxidative history. MIL sulfides display an average sulfur isotope composition that is different from Nakhla sulfate and sulfide. The sulfur isotope differences produce a mixing array between juvenile sulfur and mass-independent sulfur signatures, indicating assimilation of anomalous sulfur into the melt. I estimate an fO2 of QFM (+3.5 ± 0.4) and a sulfur content of 360 ppm ± 12 – 1300 ppm ± 50. With these results, I test the hypothesis of sulfate assimilation through models of charge balance, isotope mixing, and degassing of sulfur bearing compounds. I conclude that sulfate assimilation was significant in the oxidation of the MIL pairs but, additional oxidants were assimilated.","url":"https://doi.org/10.13016/m2mb8q","authors":["Dottin"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Martian","Miller","Mars Exploration Program"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.13016/m2mb8q","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4413942479","name":"Magnetic Mineralogy in Lunar Mare Basalts and Implications for Paleointensity Retrieval","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Lunar paleomagnetic studies have identified multidomain metallic Fe–Ni alloys as the dominant magnetic contributors in mare basalts. Here, we explore the low‐temperature magnetic behavior of standard samples for a suite of opaque minerals that occur within mare basalts (single‐domain and multidomain Fe, wüstite, ulvöspinel, iron chromite, ilmenite, and troilite). We compare the observed low‐temperature behaviors to those of several Apollo mare basalt samples (10003, 10044, 10020, 10069, 10071, 12009, 12022, 15597). Notable magnetic transitions were detected at 30 K (ilmenite), 60–80 K (chromite, troilite), and 100–125 K (ulvöspinel, chromite). We also investigated the effects of low‐temperature cycling on mare basalt remanence and observed that only grains with coercivities 20–40 mT were cleaned. This suggests a minimal impact of diurnal temperature cycling at the lunar surface on the retrieved lunar paleointensity values. Using comprehensive electron microscopy techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), wavelength dispersive spectroscopy (WDS), x‐ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we further examined magnetic phases within four Apollo 11 mare basalt samples. Our findings revealed the presence of Fe grains (one to 10 μm in diameter) associated with troilite contain sub‐grains ranging in size from tens to hundreds of nanometers in some samples. These grains, which fall within the single‐domain to multi‐domain range as observed in their first‐order reversal curves, might have the potential to retain high coercivity components and thereby effectively record an ancient dynamo field.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2025je009030","authors":["Ji‐In Jung","Sonia M. Tikoo-Schantz","Z. Váci","M. J. Krawczynski","Peat Solheid","Dale Burns","Artūras Vailionis"],"tags":["Basalt","Geology","Geochemistry","Mineralogy","Petrology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2025je009030","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2969148488","name":"New simulants for martian regolith: Controlling iron variability","source":"openalex","abstract":"Existing martian simulants are predominantly based on the chemistry of the average ‘global’ martian regolith as defined by data on chemical and mineralogical variability detected by orbiting spacecraft, surface rovers and landers. We have therefore developed new martian simulants based on the known composition of regolith from four different martian surface environments: an early basaltic terrain, a sulfur-rich regolith, a haematite-rich regolith and a contemporary Mars regolith. Simulants have been developed so that the Fe 2+ /Fe 3+ ratios can be adjusted, if necessary, leading to the development of four standard simulants and four Fe-modified simulants. Characterisation of the simulants confirm that all but two (both sulfur-rich) are within 5 wt% of the martian chemistries that they were based on and, unlike previous simulants, they have Fe 2+ /Fe 3+ ratios comparable to those found on Mars. Here we outline the design, production and characterisation of these new martian regolith simulants. These are to be used initially in experiments to study the potential habitability of martian environments in which Fe may be a key energy source.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2019.104722","authors":["Nisha K. Ramkissoon","V. K. Pearson","S. P. Schwenzer","Christian Schröder","Thomas Kirnbauer","D. Amsbury C. A. Wood","Robert Seidel","Michael A. Miller","Karen Olsson‐Francis"],"tags":["Regolith","Martian","Astrobiology","Mars Exploration Program","Martian soil"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-08-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2019.104722","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4401091295","name":"Climatic and Environmental Impacts on the Sedimentation of the SW Taiwan Margin Since the Last Deglaciation: Geochemical and Mineralogical Investigations","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Many scientific studies have been conducted to constrain present and past source‐to‐sink processes and their controlling factors. The role of typhoon and monsoon rainfall on chemical weathering and soils erosion in east Asia is still not well established. Clay minerals and major elements, combined with Nd and Sr isotopic compositions were analyzed on sediments from Core MD18‐3569 located on the Taiwan margin in the northeastern South China Sea. The aim was to reconstruct the weathering history of small river basins of southwest Taiwan and to establish the impact of East Asian summer monsoon and typhoon rainfall on source to sink processes since the last glacial period. 87Sr/86Sr and ɛNd values and predominant illite‐chlorite indicate that the rivers of southwest Taiwan is the sole source of sediments to Core MD18‐3569 since last deglaciation. Variations in clay mineral assemblages and major elements allowed us to evaluate the intensity of past weathering in the rivers of southwest Taiwan. We demonstrated that long‐term changes of chemical weathering intensity record from Taiwan are driven by changes in the summer monsoon rainfall. The deglaciation is characterized by a progressive increase in the intensity of chemical weathering, which peaked at the beginning of the Holocene. The chemical weathering degree of sediments from Taiwan decreases during the Holocene concurrently with a weakening of the summer monsoon, increase in typhoon activity, and changes in the vegetation cover. All these processes induce soil erosion, regressive pedogenesis, due to shorter residence time of minerals in the soils of southwest Taiwan.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023pa004745","authors":["Joffrey Bertaz","Zhifei Liu","Christophe Colin","Arnaud Dapoigny","Andrew Tien‐Shun Lin","Yanli Li","Zhimin Jian"],"tags":["Weathering","Deglaciation","Geology","Monsoon","Loess"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023pa004745","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2084528821","name":"Geochemical diversity of shergottite basalts: Mixing and fractionation, and their relation to Mars surface basalts","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The chemical compositions of shergottite meteorites, basaltic rocks from Mars, provide a broad view of the origins and differentiation of these Martian magmas. The shergottite basalts are subdivided based on their Al contents: high‐Al basalts (Al > 5% wt) are distinct from low‐Al basalts and olivine‐phyric basalts (both with Al < 4.5% wt). Abundance ratios of highly incompatible elements (e.g., Th, La) are comparable in all the shergottites. Abundances of less incompatible elements (e.g., Ti, Lu, Hf) in olivine‐phyric and low‐Al basalts correlate well with each other, but the element abundance ratios are not constant; this suggests mixing between components, both depleted and enriched. High‐Al shergottites deviate from these trends consistent with silicate mineral fractionation. The “depleted” component is similar to the Yamato‐980459 magma; approximately, 67% crystal fractionation of this magma would yield a melt with trace element abundances like QUE 94201. The “enriched” component is like the parent magma for NWA 1068; approximately, 30% crystal fractionation from it would yield a melt with trace element abundances like the Los Angeles shergottite. This component mixing is consistent with radiogenic isotope and oxygen fugacity data. These mixing relations are consistent with the compositions of many of the Gusev crater basalts analyzed on Mars by the Spirit rover (although with only a few elements to compare). Other Mars basalts fall off the mixing relations (e.g., Wishstone at Gusev, Gale crater rocks). Their compositions imply that basalt source areas in Mars include significant complexities that are not present in the source areas for the shergottite basalts.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12363","authors":["A. H. Treiman","J. Filiberto"],"tags":["Basalt","Geology","Meteorite","Geochemistry","Olivine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-10-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12363","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W3015212958","name":"Mineralogy and petrology of dark clasts in the Allan Hills 76005 polymict eucrite pairing group","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Allan Hills 76005 polymict eucrite pairing group consists of 15 paired masses recovered during six different field seasons in the Transantarctic Mountains. Although this group has been well studied in general, most of the meteorites contain a significant portion of dark clasts that have not been well characterized. The Dawn mission to Vesta discovered dark materials that provide insight into its evolution. The ALH dark clasts are thus of great interest to understanding the evolution of Vesta. Here, 45 different dark clasts from 15 different thin sections from the pairing group are characterized in detail to better understand their nature and origin. Five different textural types of dark clasts are recognized among this group—skeletal, vitrophyric, pilotaxitic, fan spherulitic, and troilite‐silica‐plagioclase‐rich clasts with aphyric or blobby textures. Mineralogy of the clasts is dominated by plagioclase and pyroxene, with minor troilite, silica, ilmenite, chromite, and rare Fe‐Ni metal. All of the textures can be produced by rapid cooling rates on the order of 60–2500°C h−1. Bulk compositions of the clasts are demonstrably eucritic, and not chondritic, howarditic, or diogenitic. The combination of mineralogy, composition, and textures strongly suggests that the dark clasts are eucritic impact melts. Several craters on Vesta have associated orange deposits that have been proposed as impact melt breccias. The ALH pairing group may thus represent material that originated near Oppia or Octavia craters.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13465","authors":["K. Righter","Alexander P. Holmwood"],"tags":["Geology","Clastic rock","Troilite","Parent body","Breccia"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13465","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4415439169","name":"Most nakhlite martian meteorites were magmas, not crystal cumulates","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The nakhlite martian meteorites, basaltic rocks with abundant crystals of augite pyroxene, have been interpreted as cumulates, having formed as crystals of augite (and olivine) settled through basalt magma to accumulate at its bottom. Here, I show that the chemical compositions of most nakhlites are best explained if they represent magmas, and not crystal accumulates. The nakhlites Nakhla, Lafayette, and Y000593 are identified as cumulates; the rest are magmas. Among the magma nakhlites, abundances of all igneous incompatible elements are strongly correlated; abundances of highly incompatible elements are linearly correlated with the La/Yb ratio, with R2 values from 0.7 to 0.95. These close correlations are not consistent with the group being cumulates, where the proportion of cumulus augite should be mostly independent of magma composition. Instead, the correlations are consistent with the nakhlites representing magmas, with the range of compositions reflecting processes including: variable enrichment in incompatible elements (i.e., metasomatism) in the source mantle; variable degrees of partial melting of the source mantle; and mixing among such magmas. Significant crustal assimilation (for the tested elements) is excluded by the correlation of Al with La/Yb. The most Al-rich nakhlite would require assimilation of 25% mass crust into the Al-poorest, which is inconsistent with thermochemical constraints. Recognition of such augite-rich, pyroxenitic magmas requires that their mantle source be similarly pyroxenitic, which implies that the martian mantle is more heterogeneous than previously appreciated.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2025-9919","authors":["A. H. Treiman"],"tags":["Augite","Basalt","Geology","Meteorite","Mantle (geology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2025-9919","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4388081678","name":"OSIRIS-APEX: An OSIRIS-REx Extended Mission to Asteroid Apophis","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security–Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft mission characterized and collected a sample from asteroid (101955) Bennu. After the OSIRIS-REx Sample Return Capsule released to Earth’s surface in 2023 September, the spacecraft diverted into a new orbit that encounters asteroid (99942) Apophis in 2029, enabling a second mission with the same unique capabilities: OSIRIS–Apophis Explorer (APEX). On 2029 April 13, the 340 m diameter Apophis will draw within ∼32,000 km of Earth’s surface, less than 1/10 the lunar distance. Apophis will be the largest object to approach Earth this closely in recorded history. This rare planetary encounter will alter Apophis’s orbit, will subject it to tidal forces that change its spin state, and may seismically disturb its surface. APEX will distantly observe Apophis during the Earth encounter and capture its evolution in real time, revealing the consequences of an asteroid undergoing tidal disturbance by a major planet. Beginning in 2029 July, the spacecraft’s instrument suite will begin providing high-resolution data of this “stony” asteroid—advancing knowledge of these objects and their connection to meteorites. Near the mission’s end, APEX will use its thrusters to excavate regolith, a technique demonstrated at Bennu. Observations before, during, and after excavation will provide insight into the subsurface and material properties of stony asteroids. Furthermore, Apophis’s material and structure have critical implications for planetary defense.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3847/psj/acf75e","authors":["D. N. DellaGiustina","M. C. Nolan","Anjani T. Polit","Michael C. Moreau","D. R. Golish","Amy Simon","Coralie D. Adam","Peter G. Antreasian","Ronald‐Louis Ballouz","O. S. Barnouin","K. J. Becker","C. A. Bennett","Richard P. Binzel","Brent J. Bos","Richard Dean Burns","Nayessda Castro","Steven R. Chesley","P. R. Christensen","M. K. Crombie","M. G. Daly","R. T. Daly","H. Enos","Davide Farnocchia","Sandra Freund Kasper","Rose Garcia","Kenneth M. Getzandanner","Scott D. Guzewich","C. W. Haberle","T. Haltigin","V. E. Hamilton","K. Harshman","Noble Hatten","Kyle Hughes","E. R. Jawin","H. H. Kaplan","D. S. Lauretta","Jason M. Leonard","Andrew H. Levine","Andrew J. Liounis","Christian May","L. C. Mayorga","L. Nguyen","L. C. Quick","Dennis C. Reuter","E. G. Rivera‐Valentín","B. Rizk","H. L. Roper","A. J. Ryan","Brian Sutter","M. M. Westermann","Daniel R. Wibben","B. G. Williams","Kenneth E. Williams","C. W. V. Wolner"],"tags":["Asteroid","Astrobiology","Regolith","Meteorite","Impact crater"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3847/psj/acf75e","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2521221752","name":"The sustainability of habitability on terrestrial planets: Insights, questions, and needed measurements from Mars for understanding the evolution of Earth‐like worlds","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract What allows a planet to be both within a potentially habitable zone and sustain habitability over long geologic time? With the advent of exoplanetary astronomy and the ongoing discovery of terrestrial‐type planets around other stars, our own solar system becomes a key testing ground for ideas about what factors control planetary evolution. Mars provides the solar system's longest record of the interplay of the physical and chemical processes relevant to habitability on an accessible rocky planet with an atmosphere and hydrosphere. Here we review current understanding and update the timeline of key processes in early Mars history. We then draw on knowledge of exoplanets and the other solar system terrestrial planets to identify six broad questions of high importance to the development and sustaining of habitability (unprioritized): (1) Is small planetary size fatal? (2) How do magnetic fields influence atmospheric evolution? (3) To what extent does starting composition dictate subsequent evolution, including redox processes and the availability of water and organics? (4) Does early impact bombardment have a net deleterious or beneficial influence? (5) How do planetary climates respond to stellar evolution, e.g., sustaining early liquid water in spite of a faint young Sun? (6) How important are the timescales of climate forcing and their dynamical drivers? Finally, we suggest crucial types of Mars measurements (unprioritized) to address these questions: (1) in situ petrology at multiple units/sites; (2) continued quantification of volatile reservoirs and new isotopic measurements of H, C, N, O, S, Cl, and noble gases in rocks that sample multiple stratigraphic sections; (3) radiometric age dating of units in stratigraphic sections and from key volcanic and impact units; (4) higher‐resolution measurements of heat flux, subsurface structure, and magnetic field anomalies coupled with absolute age dating. Understanding the evolution of early Mars will feed forward to understanding the factors driving the divergent evolutionary paths of the Earth, Venus, and thousands of small rocky extrasolar planets yet to be discovered.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2016je005134","authors":["B. L. Ehlmann","F. S. Anderson","J. C. Andrews‐Hanna","David C. Catling","P. R. Christensen","B. A. Cohen","Courtney D. Dressing","Christopher S. Edwards","L. T. Elkins‐Tanton","Kenneth A. Farley","C. I. Fassett","Woodward W. Fischer","A. A. Fraeman","M. P. Golombek","V. E. Hamilton","Alexander G. Hayes","C. D. K. Herd","B. Horgan","Renyu Hu","B. M. Jakosky","J. R. Johnson","James F. Kasting","L. Kerber","K. M. Kinch","Edwin S. Kite","Heather A. Knutson","J. I. Lunine","P. R. Mahaffy","N. Mangold","F. M. McCubbin","John F. Mustard","P. B. Niles","Cathy Quantin‐Nataf","M. S. Rice","K. M. Stack","D. J. Stevenson","Sarah T. Stewart","Michael J. Toplis","Tomohiro Usui","B. P. Weiss","Stéphanie C. Werner","Robin Wordsworth","J. J. Wray","R. A. Yingst","Yuk L. Yung","Kevin Zahnle"],"tags":["Habitability","Astrobiology","Mars Exploration Program","Solar System","Exoplanet"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-09-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2016je005134","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2289022194","name":"Nickeliferous pyrite tracks pervasive hydrothermal alteration in Martian regolith breccia: A study in NWA 7533","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Martian regolith breccia NWA 7533 (and the seven paired samples) is unique among Martian meteorites in showing accessory pyrite (up to 1% by weight). Pyrite is a late mineral, crystallized after the final assembly of the breccia. It is present in all of the lithologies, i.e., the fine‐grained matrix ( ICM ), clast‐laden impact melt rocks ( CLIMR ), melt spherules, microbasalts, lithic clasts, and mineral clasts, all lacking magmatic sulfides due to degassing. Pyrite crystals show combinations of cubes, truncated cubes, and octahedra. Polycrystalline clusters can reach 200 μm in maximum dimensions. Regardless of their shape, pyrite crystals display evidence of very weak shock metamorphism such as planar features, fracture networks, and disruption into subgrains. The late fracture systems acted as preferential pathways for partial replacement of pyrite by iron oxyhydroxides interpreted as resulting from hot desert terrestrial alteration. The distribution and shape of pyrite crystals argue for growth at moderate to low growth rate from just‐saturated near neutral (6 < pH <10), H 2 S‐ HS ‐rich fluids at minimum log f O 2 of > FMQ + 2 log units. It is inferred from the maximum Ni contents (4.5 wt%) that pyrite started crystallizing at 400–500 °C, during or shortly after a short‐duration, relatively low temperature, thermal event that lithified and sintered the regolith breccias, 1.4 Ga ago as deduced from disturbance in several isotope systematics.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12565","authors":["Jean‐Pierre Lorand","Roger H. Hewins","Laurent Rémusat","B. Zanda","Sylvain Pont","Hugues Leroux","Maya Marinova","Damien Jacob","M. Humayun","A. A. Nemchin","M. L. Grange","Allen Kennedy","C. Göpel"],"tags":["Pyrite","Breccia","Geology","Regolith","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-11-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12565","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4410726812","name":"Subtype analysis of the SAN JUAN 126, 127, 128 meteorites.","source":"openalex","abstract":"The classification of ordinary chondrites has been a profound field of research that is allowing us to know the most primitive secrets of the origins of our solar system. This is due to the advancement of scientific research. This research reveals that chondritic asteroids, precursors of the rest of the bodies in the solar system, have undergone throughout their geological history, a series of changes or metamorphisms caused, on the one hand, by the increase of heat in the parent bodies, or by aqueous alteration that occurred in their materials. This allows us to divide chondritic materials into petrographic types, depending on the temperature range those materials have experienced. In this paper we analyze the data we obtained from the Chilean meteorites SAN JUAN 126, 127 and 128 that we classified in our laboratory, to discuss their estimated subtypes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.33774/coe-2025-d67lh","authors":["José Ángel García"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Geology","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.33774/coe-2025-d67lh","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4413040071","name":"Cosmic ray exposure ages and pre‐atmospheric shielding of Omani meteorites: Implications for 14C and 14C / 10Be terrestrial ages of meteorites from hot and cold deserts","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We present isotope concentrations of the light noble gases He and Ne for samples from five well‐documented strewnfields and two individual meteorites from the Omani desert. Cosmogenic (22Ne/21Ne)cos for the strewnfield samples are low, as expected considering the total known masses. A (22Ne/21Ne)cos of 1.210 for the LL6 chondrite RaS 267 from Oman indicates a small pre‐atmospheric size of less than 10 cm. The CRE ages for the Omani meteorites calculated using 21Necos range from 1 to 20 Ma. Using the (22Ne/21Ne)cos and previously established correlations, new shielding‐corrected 14C and 14C‐10Be terrestrial ages are calculated. For the strewnfield samples, the new ages are similar to the earlier ages but are more consistent. The new terrestrial age for RaS 267 is more than 20% lower than the previous age. Motivated by this success, we reinvestigated meteorites from other hot deserts (Acfer, Adrar, and Nullarbor regions) and Antarctica using literature data for 14C and (22Ne/21Ne)cos, along with the newly established correlations between 14C production rates and (22Ne/21Ne)cos. For these meteorites, the new terrestrial ages are systematically younger than the ages calculated earlier using a shielding‐independent approach. Using shielding‐corrected 14C terrestrial ages, the long‐term puzzling problem that there is a lack of meteorites with short terrestrial ages disappears. The new histogram, though with only a limited number of data, shows the expected decrease in the number of meteorites with increasing terrestrial age. Therefore, the unexpected shape in the terrestrial age histogram was most likely due to a bias in the 14C dating system, that is, ages of small meteorites are overestimated.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70029","authors":["Mohammad Tauseef","I. Leya","Beda A. Hofmann"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Cosmic ray","Electromagnetic shielding","Noble gas"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70029","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402964871","name":"The Arpu Kuilpu meteorite: In‐depth characterization of an H5 chondrite delivered from a Jupiter Family Comet orbit","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Over the Nullarbor Plain in South Australia, the Desert Fireball Network detected a fireball on the night of June 1, 2019 (7:30 pm local time), and 6 weeks later recovered a single meteorite (42 g) named Arpu Kuilpu. This meteorite was then distributed to a consortium of collaborating institutions to be measured and analyzed by a number of methodologies including SEM‐EDS, EPMA, ICP‐MS, gamma‐ray spectrometry, ideal gas pycnometry, magnetic susceptibility measurement, μCT, optical microscopy, and accelerator and noble gas mass spectrometry techniques. These analyses revealed that Arpu Kuilpu is an unbrecciated H5 ordinary chondrite, with minimal weathering (W0‐1) and minimal shock (S2). The olivine and pyroxene mineral compositions (in mole%) are Fa: 19.2 ± 0.2 and Fs: 16.8 ± 0.2, further supporting the H5 type and class. The measured oxygen isotopes are also consistent with an H chondrite (δ17O‰ = 2.904 ± 0.177; δ18O‰ = 4.163 ± 0.336; Δ17O‰ = 0.740 ± 0.002). Ideal gas pycnometry measured bulk and grain densities of 3.66 ± 0.02 and 3.77 ± 0.02 g cm−3, respectively, yielding a porosity of 3.0% ± 0.7. The magnetic susceptibility of this meteorite is log χ = 5.16 ± 0.08. The most recent impact‐related heating event experienced by Arpu Kuilpu was measured by 40Ar/39Ar chronology to be 4467 ± 16 Ma, while the cosmic ray exposure age is estimated to be between 6 and 8 Ma. The noble gas isotopes, radionuclides, and fireball observations all indicate that Arpu Kuilpu's meteoroid was quite small (maximum radius of 10 cm, though more likely between 1 and 5 cm). Although this meteorite is a rather ordinary ordinary chondrite, its prior orbit resembled that of a Jupiter Family Comet (JFC) further lending support to the assertion that many cm‐ to m‐sized objects on JFC orbits are asteroidal rather than cometary in origin.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14268","authors":["Seamus Anderson","G. K. Benedix","Bélinda Godel","Romain M. L. Alosius","Daniela Krietsch","H. Busemann","C. Maden","J. M. Friedrich","Lara R. McMonigal","K. C. Welten","Marc W. Caffee","R. J. Macke","Seán Cadogan","D. H. Ryan","Fred Jourdan","Celia Mayers","M. Laubenstein","R. C. Greenwood","Malcom P. Roberts","Hadrien A. R. Devillepoix","Eleanor K. Sansom","M. C. Towner","Martin Cupák","P. A. Bland","L. V. Forman","John H. Fairweather","Ashley F. Rogers","Nicholas E. Timms"],"tags":["Comet","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Jupiter (rocket family)","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14268","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W1986059197","name":"Spinels and oxygen fugacity in olivine‐phyric and lherzolitic shergottites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— We examine the occurrences, textures, and compositional patterns of spinels in the olivine‐phyric shergottites Sayh al Uhaymir (SaU) 005, lithology A of Elephant Moraine A79001 (EET‐A), Dhofar 019, and Northwest Africa (NWA) 1110, as well as the Iherzolitic shergottite Allan Hills (ALH) A77005, in order to identify spinel‐olivine‐pyroxene assemblages for the determination of oxygen fugacity (using the oxybarometer of Wood [1991]) at several stages of crystallization. In all of these basaltic martian rocks, chromite was the earliest phase and crystallized along a trend of strict Cr‐Al variation. Spinel (chromite) crystallization was terminated by the appearance of pyroxene but resumed later with the appearance of ulvöspinel. Ulvöspinel formed overgrowths on early chromites (except those shielded as inclusions in olivine or pyroxene), retaining the evidence of the spinel stability gap in the form of a sharp core/rim boundary (except in ALH A77005, where subsolidus reequilibration diffused this boundary). Secondary effects seen in chromites include reaction with melt before ulvöspinel overgrowth, reaction with melt inclusions, reaction with olivine hosts (in ALH A77005), and exsolution of ulvöspinel or ilmenite. All chromites experienced subsolidus Fe/Mg reequilibration. Spinel‐olivine‐pyroxene assemblages representing the earliest stages of crystallization in each rock essentially consist of the highest‐Cr#, lowest‐fe# chromites not showing secondary effects plus the most magnesian olivine and equilibrium low‐Ca pyroxene. Assemblages representing the onset of ulvöspinel crystallization consist of the lowest‐Ti ulvöspinel, the most magnesian olivine in which ulvöspinel occurs as inclusions, and equilibrium low‐Ca pyroxene. The results show that, for early crystallization conditions, oxygen fugacity (fO2) increases from SaU 005 and Dhofar 019 (˜QFM ‐3.8), to EET‐A (QFM ‐2.8) and ALH A77005 (QFM ‐2.6), to NWA 1110 (QFM ‐1.7). Estimates for later conditions indicate that in SaU 005 and Dhofar 019 oxidation state did not change during crystallization. In EET‐A, there was an increase in fO2 that may have been due to mixing of reduced material with a more oxidized magma. In NWA 1110, there was a dramatic increase, indicating a non‐buffered system, possibly related to its high oxidation state. Differences in fO2 among shergottites are not primarily due to igneous fractionation but, rather, to derivation from (and possibly mixing of) different reservoirs.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00014.x","authors":["C. A. Goodrich","C. D. K. Herd","L. A. Taylor"],"tags":["Olivine","Spinel","Pyroxene","Mineral redox buffer","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00014.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2136114961","name":"Mercury’s Weather-Beaten Surface: Understanding Mercury in the Context of Lunar and Asteroidal Space Weathering Studies","source":"openalex","abstract":"Mercury’s regolith, derived from the crustal bedrock, has been altered by a set of space weathering processes. Before we can interpret crustal composition, it is necessary to understand the nature of these surface alterations. The processes that space weather the surface are the same as those that form Mercury’s exosphere (micrometeoroid flux and solar wind interactions) and are moderated by the local space environment and the presence of a global magnetic field. To comprehend how space weathering acts on Mercury’s regolith, an understanding is needed of how contributing processes act as an interactive system. As no direct information (e.g., from returned samples) is available about how the system of space weathering affects Mercury’s regolith, we use as a basis for comparison the current understanding of these same processes on lunar and asteroidal regoliths as well as laboratory simulations. These comparisons suggest that Mercury’s regolith is overturned more frequently (though the characteristic surface time for a grain is unknown even relative to the lunar case), more than an order of magnitude more melt and vapor per unit time and unit area is produced by impact processes than on the Moon (creating a higher glass content via grain coatings and agglutinates), the degree of surface irradiation is comparable to or greater than that on the Moon, and photon irradiation is up to an order of magnitude greater (creating amorphous grain rims, chemically reducing the upper layers of grains to produce nanometer-scale particles of metallic iron, and depleting surface grains in volatile elements and alkali metals). The processes that chemically reduce the surface and produce nanometer-scale particles on Mercury are suggested to be more effective than similar processes on the Moon. Estimated abundances of nanometer-scale particles can account for Mercury’s dark surface relative to that of the Moon without requiring macroscopic grains of opaque minerals. The presence of nanometer-scale particles may also account for Mercury’s relatively featureless visible–near-infrared reflectance spectra. Characteristics of material returned from asteroid 25143 Itokawa demonstrate that this nanometer-scale material need not be pure iron, raising the possibility that the nanometer-scale material on Mercury may have a composition different from iron metal [such as (Fe,Mg)S]. The expected depletion of volatiles and particularly alkali metals from solar-wind interaction processes are inconsistent with the detection of sodium, potassium, and sulfur within the regolith. One plausible explanation invokes a larger fine fraction (grain size <45 μm) and more radiation-damaged grains than in the lunar surface material to create a regolith that is a more efficient reservoir for these volatiles. By this view the volatile elements detected are present not only within the grain structures, but also as adsorbates within the regolith and deposits on the surfaces of the regolith grains. The comparisons with findings from the Moon and asteroids provide a basis for predicting how compositional modifications induced by space weathering have affected Mercury’s surface composition.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-014-0039-5","authors":["D. L. Domingue","C. R. Chapman","R. M. Killen","T. H. Zurbuchen","Jason A. Gilbert","M. Sarantos","M. Benna","J. A. Slavin","D. Schriver","P. Trávnı́ček","Thomas M. Orlando","Ann L. Sprague","D. T. Blewett","J. J. Gillis‐Davis","W. C. Feldman","D. J. Lawrence","G. C. Ho","D. S. Ebel","L. R. Nittler","F. Vilas","C. M. Pieters","Sean C. Solomon","C. L. Johnson","R. M. Winslow","J. Helbert","P. N. Peplowski","S. Z. Weider","N. Mouawad","N. R. Izenberg","W. E. McClintock"],"tags":["Regolith","Space weathering","Astrobiology","Mercury (programming language)","Micrometeoroid"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-04-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-014-0039-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2040861963","name":"Thermal modeling for a parent body of Itokawa","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We modeled the possible parent bodies of Itokawa, which was heated within by the decay energy of26Al. Based on mineralogic studies of dust particles derived from Itokawa by the Hayabusa spacecraft, it appeared that they were thermally metamorphosed at a peak temperature of 800 °C, and kept at 700 °C or higher at 7.6 Myr afterCAIformation. Our numerical results show that the parent bodies of Itokawa would have been larger than 20 km in radius and accreted at a period between 1.9 and 2.2 Myr afterCAIformation, to satisfy mineralogic and isotopic evidence from dust particles.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12174","authors":["Shigeru Wakita","Tomoki Nakamura","Takeshi Ikeda","Hisayoshi Yurimoto"],"tags":["RADIUS","Spacecraft","Astrobiology","Physics","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-08-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12174","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4226288437","name":"Martian moons exploration MMX: sample return mission to Phobos elucidating formation processes of habitable planets","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Martian moons exploration, MMX, is the new sample return mission planned by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) targeting the two Martian moons with the scheduled launch in 2024 and return to the Earth in 2029. The major scientific objectives of this mission are to determine the origin of Phobos and Deimos, to elucidate the early Solar System evolution in terms of volatile delivery across the snow line to the terrestrial planets having habitable surface environments, and to explore the evolutionary processes of both moons and Mars surface environment. To achieve these objectives, during a stay in circum-Martian space over about 3 years MMX will collect samples from Phobos along with close-up observations of this inner moon and carry out multiple flybys of Deimos to make comparative observations of this outer moon. Simultaneously, successive observations of the Martian atmosphere will also be made by utilizing the advantage of quasi-equatorial spacecraft orbits along the moons’ orbits. Graphical Abstract","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40623-021-01545-7","authors":["Kiyoshi Kuramoto","Yasuhiro Kawakatsu","M. Fujimoto","A. Araya","M. A. Barucci","Hidenori Genda","Naru Hirata","Hitoshi Ikeda","Takeshi Imamura","J. Helbert","Shingo Kameda","Masanori Kobayashi","Hiroki Kusano","D. J. Lawrence","Koji Matsumoto","Patrick Michel","Hideaki Miyamoto","Tomokatsu Morota","Hiromu Nakagawa","Tomoki Nakamura","Kazunori Ogawa","Hisashi Otake","Masanobu Ozaki","S. S. Russell","Sho Sasaki","Hirotaka Sawada","Hiroki Senshu","Shogo Tachibana","Naoki Terada","Stephan Ulamec","Tomohiro Usui","Koji Wada","Sei‐ichiro Watanabe","Shoichiro Yokota"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Exploration of Mars","Martian surface"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-01-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40623-021-01545-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2094774002","name":"Application of X-ray computed tomography to soil science: A literature review","source":"openalex","abstract":"The study of the spatial configuration of soil, in its complexity, requires an understanding of the interrelations and interactions between the diverse soil constituents, at various levels of organization. Investigations of the spatial arrangement of the mineral and organic components of soil have benefited from the development of techniques for structural analysis. X-ray computed tomography (CT) is a non-destructive and non-invasive technique that has been successfully used for three-dimensional (3D) examination of soil. Valuable information has been obtained by the application of CT for the description and quantitative measurements of soil structure elements, especially of soil pores and pore network features. In many studies, X-ray CT has been used to investigate the hydro-physical characteristics of the soil, in a functional and temporal manner. A dynamic approach has also been utilized in the evaluation of the biotic factor influence on soil. The analysis of soil solid phases, by X-ray CT, has been challenging due to the similar X-ray attenuation of different solid constituents. However, the use of multiple X-ray energy levels has facilitated the discrimination of minerals in soil. The aim of this review and synthesis is to offer a perspective on the major issues related to application of the technique, general attempted solutions and possible directions in the utilization of X-ray CT in soil research. Relevant scanning parameters, procedures for CT image reconstruction, algorithms for the quantification of soil characteristics and results are presented for each type of application. Key words: X-ray computed tomography, energy level, spatial resolution, segmentation, soil mineral and organic constituents, soil physical and hydro-physical properties, soil biota","url":"https://doi.org/10.4141/cjss06027","authors":["Ioana A. Taina","Richard J. Heck","Trevor Elliot"],"tags":["Soil science","Tomography","Computed tomography","Environmental science","Soil test"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2008-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.4141/cjss06027","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W1898068654","name":"The Canyon Diablo impact event: 2. Projectile fate and target melting upon impact","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– Despite its centennial exploration history, there are still unresolved questions about Meteor Crater, the first recognized impact crater on Earth. This theoretical study addresses some of these questions by comparing model results with field and laboratory studies of Meteor Crater. Our results indicate that Meteor Crater was formed by a high‐velocity impact of a fragmented projectile, ruling out a highly dispersed swarm as well as a very low impact velocity. Projectile fragmentation caused many fragments to fall separately from the main body of the impactor, making up the bulk of the Canyon Diablo meteorites; most of these fragments were engulfed in the expansion plume as they approached the surface without suffering high shock compression, and were redistributed randomly around the crater. Thus, the distribution of Canyon Diablo meteorites is not representative of projectile trajectory, as is usual for impactor fragments in smaller strewn fields. At least 50% of the main impactor was ejected from the crater during crater excavation and was dispersed mostly downrange of the crater as molten particles (spheroids) and highly shocked solid fragments (shrapnel). When compared with the known distribution, model results suggest an impactor from the SW. Overall, every model case produced much higher amounts of pure projectile material than observed. The projectile‐target mixing was not considered in the models; however, this process could be the main sink of projectile melt, as all analyzed melt particles have high concentrations of projectile material. The fate of the solid projectile fragments is still not completely resolved. Model results suggest that the depth of melting in the target can reach the Coconino sandstone formation. However, most of the ejected melt originates from 30–40 m depth and, thus, is limited to Moenkopi and upper Kaibab material. Some melt remains in the target; based on the estimated volume of the breccia lens at Meteor Crater, our models suggest at most a 2% content of melt in the breccia. Finally, a high water table at the time of impact could have aided strong dispersion of target and projectile melt.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01195.x","authors":["N. A. Artemieva","E. Pierazzo"],"tags":["Impact crater","Projectile","Geology","Meteorite","Hypervelocity"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-05-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01195.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2035303715","name":"Weathering of ordinary chondrites from the Atacama Desert, Chile, by Mössbauer spectroscopy and synchrotron radiation X‐ray diffraction","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Some terrestrial areas have climatic and geomorphologic features that favor the preservation, and therefore, accumulation of meteorites. The Atacama Desert in Chile is among the most important of such areas, known as DCA. This desert is the driest on Earth, one of the most arid, uninhabitable localities with semiarid, arid, and hyper‐arid conditions. The meteorites studied here were collected from within the DCA of San Juan and Pampa de Mejillones, located, respectively, in the Central Depression and the Coastal Range of the Atacama Desert. 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy was used for quantitative analysis of the degree of weathering of the meteorites, through the determination of the proportions of the various Fe‐bearing phases and in particular the amount of oxidized iron in terrestrial alteration products. The abundance of ferric ions in weathered chondrites can be related to specific precursor compositions and to the level of terrestrial weathering. The aim of the study was the identification, quantification, and differentiation of the weathering products in the ordinary chondrites found in the San Juan and the Pampa de Mejillones areas of the Atacama Desert. The 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy study was complemented by synchrotron radiation X‐ray diffraction and magnetic susceptibility measurements. The results allow a clear differentiation of the rate of weathering in meteorite samples collected from the San Juan versus the Pampa de Mejillones areas of the Atacama Desert.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12067","authors":["P. Munayco","J. Munayco","Roberto Ribeiro de Avillez","Millarca Valenzuela","P. Rochette","J. Gattacceca","Rosa B. Scorzelli"],"tags":["Chondrite","Weathering","Meteorite","Geology","Arid"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12067","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4413402657","name":"The sub‐μm petrography of the observed meteorite fall Winchcombe—A complex array of pristine and altered chondrite components","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Samples of observed meteorite falls provide important constraints on alteration histories of Solar System materials. Due to its rapid collection, terrestrial alteration in the observed Mighei‐type (CM) carbonaceous chondrite fall Winchcombe was minimal. In this work, the petrography and mineralogy of three Winchcombe lamellae, two from the matrix and one from a lithological clast, were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. Our results demonstrate that the matrix of Winchcombe is dominated by Mg‐Fe‐rich serpentine‐type phyllosilicates and tochilinite‐cronstedtite intergrowth (TCI)‐like phases with variable, but generally high (petrologic type 2.0–2.3) alteration degrees that agree with petrologic types acquired on TCIs on larger scales in other work. However, we also located pristine areas in investigated lamellae such as homogeneous amorphous silicates and glassy particles with sulfide and metal inclusions that resemble altered cometary GEMS (glass with embedded metal and sulfides). One distinct GEMS‐like domain shows Fe‐rich metal and sulfide grains with oxygen‐enriched rims in a Mg‐rich amorphous groundmass embedded in organic matter, which likely shielded it from more severe alteration. Fe‐Ni‐sulfides are mainly pentlandite and concentrated in matrix lamellae. In addition to the sub‐μm scale brecciated texture, the three lamellae show different alteration extents, further demonstrating the complex alteration nature of this CM2 meteorite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70027","authors":["Johannes Lier","Christian Vollmer","Linus Risthaus","Demie Kepaptsoglou","Quentin M. Ramasse","Aleksander B. Mosberg","A. J. King","Charlotte L. Bays","P. F. Schofield"],"tags":["Petrography","Meteorite","Chondrite","Astrobiology","Carbonaceous chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70027","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2174690900","name":"Petrography and geochemistry of the enriched basaltic shergottite Northwest Africa 2975","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We present a study of the petrology and geochemistry of basaltic shergottite Northwest Africa 2975 (NWA 2975). NWA 2975 is a medium‐grained basalt with subophitic to granular texture. Electron microprobe (EMP) analyses show two distinct pyroxene compositional trends and patchy compositional zoning patterns distinct from those observed in other meteorites such as Shergotty or QUE 94201. As no bulk sample was available to us for whole rock measurements, we characterized the fusion crust and its variability by secondary ion mass spectrometer (SIMS) measurements and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy (LA‐ICP‐MS) analyses as a best‐available proxy for the bulk rock composition. The fusion crust major element composition is comparable to the bulk composition of other enriched basaltic shergottites, placing NWA 2975 within that sample group. The CI‐normalized REE (rare earth element) patterns are flat and also parallel to those of other enriched basaltic shergottites. Merrillite is the major REE carrier and has a flat REE pattern with slight depletion of Eu, parallel to REE patterns of merrillites from other basaltic shergottites. The oxidation state of NWA 2975 calculated from Fe‐Ti oxide pairs is NNO‐1.86, close to the QFM buffer. NWA 2975 represents a sample from the oxidized and enriched shergottite group, and our measurements and constraints on its origin are consistent with the hypothesis of two distinct Martian mantle reservoirs: a reduced, LREE‐depleted reservoir and an oxidized, LREE‐enriched reservoir. Stishovite, possibly seifertite, and dense SiO2 glass were also identified in the meteorite, allowing us to infer that NWA 2975 experienced a realistic shock pressure of ~30 GPa.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12571","authors":["Qi He","Long Xiao","J. B. Balta","Ioannis Baziotis","Weibiao Hsu","Yunbin Guan"],"tags":["Basalt","Meteorite","Geology","Geochemistry","Plagioclase"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-11-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12571","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4414935907","name":"Petrogenesis of Néma 001, an alkali-rich meteorite from the acapulcoite-lodranite parent body","source":"openalex","abstract":"Primitive achondrites are meteorites characterised by granoblastic textures evidencing high-temperature metamorphism and low degrees of partial melting. These include the acapulcoite and lodranite meteorites, which originated from a common parent body. Acapulcoites experienced low degrees of partial melting (ca. <1 to 5%) and lodranites experienced higher degrees of partial melting (∼5-20%). Meteorite collections also include a sample of their chondritic precursor, Grove Mountains 020043, as well as limited examples of partial melting products, such as the mm-sized gabbroic clasts in the Lewis Cliff 86220 transitional acapulcoite-lodranite and the 4.86 g pyroxene-plagioclase coarse-grained Frontier Mountain 93001 meteorite. This suite of samples, thus, provides us with a crucial snapshot into the transition from chondritic material to differentiated planetesimals. Here we propose that the 75.8 g alkali-rich Néma 001 meteorite, a coarse-grained igneous meteorite composed primarily of ortho- and clinopyroxene, plagioclase, and olivine, also originated from the acapulcoite-lodranite parent body. This is supported by a bulk oxygen isotope composition that is undistinguishable from that of the acapulcoites-lodranites and similar ferromagnesian mineral Fe/Mn ratios. Petrological modelling suggests that Néma 001 represents silicate melts formed by ∼15% melting of a chondritic precursor similar to Grove Mountains 020043. With the addition of Néma 001, we now have a comprehensive suite of samples from the acapulcoite-lodranite parent body, including chondritic precursor material, residues from ∼1-20% partial melting, and variably differentiated igneous rocks. This unique suite of samples is key to further investigate melting and differentiation processes of asteroids, and supports the existence of partially differentiated planetesimals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.33063/agc.v1i2.776","authors":["Romain Tartèse","J. Gattacceca","Guillaume Avice","Pierre Beck","Bertrand Devouard","Vinciane Debaille","Lydia Fawcett","Geneviève Hublet","K. H. Joy","Corinne Sonzogni","Johan Villeneuve"],"tags":["Partial melting","Achondrite","Meteorite","Geochemistry","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.33063/agc.v1i2.776","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2047614438","name":"Chemical information content of lunar thermal and epithermal neutrons","source":"openalex","abstract":"Simulations of equilibrium thermal and epithermal neutron flux spectra for the Moon have been studied to determine their chemical information content. Most of this information resides in a single parameter, the ratio of macroscopic absorption to energy‐loss cross sections. Although this parameter cannot specify the chemistry of lunar soils uniquely, it provides an index that can be used to quantitatively separate anorthositic from mafic chemistries. Hydrogen abundances can best be derived from measurements of the epithermal neutron flux, which is strongly related to its macroscopic energy‐loss cross section. The ratio of thermal to epithermal neutron flux measured by Lunar Prospector is shown to agree quantitatively with simulations. This agreement is used to show that the highlands terrane on the farside of the Moon is anorthositic, containing high percentages of plagioclase and possibly a range of Mg‐suite minerals with a high Mg/(Mg + Fe) atomic ratio. Our best estimate of the abundance of FeO is 2%, with an upper limit of 5%.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/1999je001183","authors":["W. C. Feldman","D. J. Lawrence","R. C. Elphic","D. T. Vaniman","D. R. Thomsen","B. L. Barraclough","S. Maurice","A. B. Binder"],"tags":["Plagioclase","Neutron temperature","Flux (metallurgy)","Neutron","Neutron capture"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/1999je001183","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2733578522","name":"DISCOVERY OF AMINO ACIDS FROM DIDWANA-RAJOD METEORITE AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON ORIGIN OF LIFE","source":"openalex","abstract":"The greatest mystery in science is the origin of life and the greatest discovery in science will be the discovery of life beyond earth, if at all extt-aterrestriaF life would ever be discovered.ft is in this context that I read with interest the research communication by Vinod C. Tewari et al. on the discovery of amino acids in the Didwana-Rajod meteorite.However, there is little description of the meteorite, as to when did it fall, its repository, etc., as these aspects are very important while studying the amino acids in the meteorite.Interestingly, all the three amino acids reported by the authors fall in the group of protein-building a amino acids present in all terrestrial life.Many amino acids other than those quoted by Oro et al. (1971) are now known from Murchison meteorite (for instance: Engel and Macko, 2001).And there are both protein-forming and non-protein-forming amino acids in Murchison meteorite, although the abundance of the former are very low or sometimes even below detection limits, But then, unless these amino acids are unequivocally shown to be the product of biogenic activity they have no relevance to the origin of life.There are two biosignatures that characterize amino acids in the terrestrial biosphere: one is that they exhibit chirality (asymmetry) and are optically active by virtue of being non-racemic (they contain unequal mixtures of die Land D-enantiomers) and the second is that all of them are enriched in the light stable isotopes, particularly of C, N, and S (the enrichment is to the extent of 20 %O to 30 %O in the case of C and much more in the case of N,) as a result of biosynthetic processes.Recent studies on the stereochemistry and stable isotope geochemistry of amino acids from Murchison meteorite by Engel and Macko (2001) show that both of their enantiomers","url":"https://doi.org/10.17491/jgsi/2002/600515","authors":["P. V. Sukumar","V. C. Tewari","Abhayanand Singh Maurya"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Mars Exploration Program","Asteroid","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.17491/jgsi/2002/600515","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4410602745","name":"Selective sampling of asteroids, the Moon, and Mars: Factors affecting the numerical abundances of members of meteorite groups","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Meteorite collection inventories show that many related meteorite groups have very different numerical abundances (e.g., lunar versus Martian meteorites; Eagle Station pallasites versus main‐group pallasites; eucrites versus diogenites; ungrouped Antarctic irons versus ungrouped non‐Antarctic irons; carbonaceous chondrite‐related (CC) iron meteorites versus noncarbonaceous chondrite‐related (NC) iron meteorites). The number of members of individual meteorite groups reflects the entire history of these rocks from excavation on their parent bodies to recovery on Earth. These numbers are functions of six main selection factors: (1) volume of the parent‐body source region, (2) depth of this source region, (3) time spent in interplanetary space, (4) friability of meteoroids in space and during transit through the Earth's atmosphere, (5) susceptibility of meteorite finds to terrestrial weathering, and (6) post‐fall biases resulting from geography, demography, and preferences by meteorite collectors and analysts. The numerical ratio of lunar/Martian meteorites (~1.8) results from several factors including the Moon's proximity, the short transit time of lunar meteoroids through interplanetary space, the lower crustal depth from which lunar meteorites were excavated, the lower energy required to launch samples off the Moon than off Mars, and the lower porosity and higher mechanical strength of lunar meteorites. The dunite shortage among asteroidal meteorites may have resulted from the deeply buried olivine‐rich meteoroids being ejected hundreds of millions of years ago at the same time as pallasites and irons; however, the dunitic meteoroids (with their lower mechanical strength) would have eroded in interplanetary space on much shorter time scales than their metal‐rich fellow travelers.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14367","authors":["Alan E. Rubin"],"tags":["Meteorite","Meteoroid","Astrobiology","Geology","Achondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14367","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2801403201","name":"Volatile elements in Martian apatite: Insights from new meteorites NWA 7034 and NWA 8159","source":"openalex","abstract":"Measurements of volatile abundances at the martian surface (e.g. H2O, Cl, CO2, CH4) are a priority for the latest generation of martian rovers (Curiosity and ExoMars) due to the astrobiological importance of these compounds. Mars is a prime candidate to find water as recent Mars orbiter and lander missions have revealed evidence for the presence of liquid water early in Mars’s history (e.g., Nochian ~3.9 to 4.5 Ga). Geomorphological features (e.g., fluvial valleys), water rich sediments and minerals (e.g. clays) and evaporates (e.g. gypsum) all indicate hydrological activity has occurred on Mars. However, rovers are limited to surface exploration and therefore are unable to provide insight to the volatile content of the martian interior. Martian meteorites identified on Earth consist largely of volcanic basaltic material. Therefore, the volatile contents of primary igneous minerals within these martian basalts can indicate the volatile content of the source regions at depth in the martian interior. The discovery of Northwest Africa (NWA) 7034 (and pairings) and NWA 8159 has expanded the diversity of the martian meteorites from the common Shergottite, Nakhlite, Chassignite (SNC) types observed. NWA 7034 is a polymict basaltic breccia, whereas NWA 8159 is an augite basalt. This study investigates the apatite volatile content of these two unique martian meteorites. The apatite volatile content in NWA 8159 relates to the volatile abundances of the parental melt, hence providing insight into a previously unstudied martian volcanic province. This study showed these apatites are F-rich, indicating an unusually F-rich parental melt for martian meteorites, which typically have Cl-rich apatite compositions. Results from this study confirm the presence of more Mars typical Cl-rich apatites within NWA 7034 and reveal a significant OH component within individual apatite grains. The volatile content of NWA 7034 is in fact uncharacteristically uniform for a polymict breccia (i.e., no groupings of apatite can be seen in terms of their volatile abundances (Cl: F: OH)), indicating post-crystallisation processes- possibly a thermal event have overprinted the original Cl, F and OH contents of these apatite grains. Three distinct groupings of apatites can be noted on the basis of hydrogen isotope composition, water content and texture of NWA 7034 apatite. This implies that there are at least two different apatite histories that have been recorded. Group 1 is characterised by high δD values paired with low water contents, and inferred to be the result of devolatilisation during shock and/or thermal heating. Group 2 consists of intermediate δD values and high water contents, which could be controlled by hydrothermal alteration. Group 3 is characterised by low δD values and high water contents, probably caused by terrestrial contamination, but possibly representative of a martian mantle signature.","url":"https://openalex.org/W2801403201","authors":["Aimee Smith"],"tags":["Martian","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Geochemistry","Mars Exploration Program"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4416570976","name":"Kindberg, the fifth meteorite fall in Austria: A weakly shocked L6 chondrite breccia with high‐pressure phases","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract A bright fireball was seen at 4:46 a.m. CET on November 19, 2020, over Austria, and also eye witnessed in Italy and Germany. The resulting Kindberg meteorite was the fifth well‐approved meteorite fall in Austria, and all rocks represent ordinary chondrites. One specimen of Kindberg, measuring 233.08 g, was recovered on July 4, 2021, largely covered by a dark brownish fusion crust. The meteorite is an L6 ordinary chondrite (OC) breccia; Kindberg's highly equilibrated type 6 character is also supported by the large‐sized plagioclase grains (An 9‐12 ; with grains >100 μm) and the homogeneous compositions of olivine (Fa 24.4±0.4 ) and low‐Ca pyroxene (Fs 20.6±0.3 ). The meteorite shows remarkable shock effects in the form of easily visible dark shock veins cross‐cutting the bulk rock. The olivine in Kindberg is dominated by grains with undulous extinction or planar fractures, indicating a weakly shocked (S3 [C‐S3]) chondritic rock. Close to the shock veins, olivine can also show mosaicism. In addition, wadsleyite, a high‐pressure polymorph of olivine, was identified by Raman and IR spectroscopy. Wadsleyite, sometimes in paragenesis with maskelynite and locally part of an intergrowth with majorite and perhaps ringwoodite, was found within and close to the veins. The occurrence of high‐pressure phases of olivine and maskelynite in a weakly shocked bulk rock clearly indicates their formation at relatively low equilibrium shock pressures of <20 GPa (S3/S4 transition). Equilibrium shock pressures consistent with those experienced by bulk rocks shocked to S5 (>30–35 GPa) and S6 (>45 GPa; S5/S6 transition) are not required to form high‐pressure polymorphs of olivine. The L‐chondrite classification is confirmed by O isotope data. The bulk chemical composition also supports L‐group membership.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70072","authors":["A. Bischoff","Maximilian P. Reitze","J. Roszjar","Markus Patzek","Jean‐Alix Barrat","Jasper Berndt","Tommaso Di Rocco","Andreas Pack","I. Weber"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Olivine","Geology","Breccia"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70072","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W3175388408","name":"Hydrogen reduction of lunar samples in a static system for a water production demonstration on the Moon","source":"openalex","abstract":"In situ resource utilisation (ISRU) refers to the extraction and use of local materials, and numerous ISRU techniques have been proposed for use on the Moon. Hydrogen reduction of iron oxide-bearing minerals in the lunar regolith, such as ilmenite, has long been suggested as a potential method for producing water on the Moon to support exploration. Generally, reduction of lunar regolith has been proposed and tested in gas-flowing systems which utilise pumps to re-circulate gases (herein described as dynamic systems), and have been trialled in terrestrial laboratory and simulated environments. However, such technologies have yet to be validated on the lunar surface. An alternative to the dynamic reactor is a static system which utilises a cold finger to condense water from the vapour phase, negating the need for a more complex system where gases are continuously pumped away. The PROSPECT Sample Processing and Analysis (ProSPA) instrument is one such static system that is to be used to measure volatiles in the lunar regolith as a payload onboard the Luna-27 lander. Previous work using a breadboard model of ProSPA led to the development and optimisation of a procedure for extracting water from ilmenite. The present work describes the application of these procedures to the reduction of a lunar simulant (NU-LHT-2M), a lunar meteorite (NWA 12592), and two Apollo soils (10084 and 60500). Three 45 ​mg samples of each material type were reacted in a furnace at 1000 ​°C for 4 ​h in the presence of approximately 420 ​mbar of hydrogen. All samples reduced to some extent, with the Apollo mare soil (10084) producing the highest average yield of 0.94 ​wt % O2; this compares favourably to the yields of ~3–4 ​wt % O2 by other more optimised demonstrations of O2 extraction from Apollo soils. Samples with higher ilmenite content produced higher yields, however, pyroxene and olivine within the samples also showed some minor reduction. The results demonstrate that a static system such as ProSPA is capable of reducing lunar regolith of various compositions and producing measurable yields of water. The technique is therefore appropriate for performing in situ resource utilisation experiments at the lunar surface. The simple and small scale technique is also appropriate for use in evaluating the grade of potential feedstock for the production of water by hydrogen reduction on the lunar surface.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2021.105287","authors":["Hannah Sargeant","S. J. Barber","M. Anand","F. A. J. Abernethy","S. Sheridan","I. P. Wright","A. D. Morse"],"tags":["Regolith","Astrobiology","Ilmenite","Hydrogen","Lunar soil"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-06-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2021.105287","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2030588073","name":"Global spectral classification of Martian low‐albedo regions with Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer (MGS‐TES) data","source":"openalex","abstract":"Martian low‐albedo surfaces (defined here as surfaces with Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer (MGS‐TES) albedo values ≤0.15) were reexamined for regional variations in spectral response. Low‐albedo regions exhibit spatially coherent variations in spectral character, which in this work are grouped into 11 representative spectral shapes. The use of these spectral shapes in modeling global surface emissivity results in refined distributions of previously determined global spectral unit types (Surface Types 1 and 2). Pure Type 2 surfaces are less extensive than previously thought, and are mostly confined to the northern lowlands. Regional‐scale spectral variations are present within areas previously mapped as Surface Type 1 or as a mixture of the two surface types, suggesting variations in mineral abundance among basaltic units. For example, Syrtis Major, which was the Surface Type 1 type locality, is spectrally distinct from terrains that were also previously mapped as Type 1. A spectral difference also exists between southern and northern Acidalia Planitia, which may be due in part to a small amount of dust cover in southern Acidalia. Groups of these spectral shapes can be averaged to produce spectra that are similar to Surface Types 1 and 2, indicating that the originally derived surface types are representative of the average of all low‐albedo regions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2006je002726","authors":["A. D. Rogers","J. L. Bandfield","P. R. Christensen"],"tags":["Martian surface","Albedo (alchemy)","Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2006je002726","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2148289691","name":"Geophysical evidence for melt in the deep lunar interior and implications for lunar evolution","source":"openalex","abstract":"Analysis of lunar laser ranging and seismic data has yielded evidence that has been interpreted to indicate a molten zone in the lowermost mantle overlying a fluid core. Such a zone provides strong constraints on models of lunar thermal evolution. Here we determine thermochemical and physical structure of the deep Moon by inverting lunar geophysical data (mean mass and moment of inertia, tidal Love number, and electromagnetic sounding data) in combination with phase-equilibrium computations. Specifically, we assess whether a molten layer is required by the geophysical data. The main conclusion drawn from this study is that a region with high dissipation located deep within the Moon is required to explain the geophysical data. This region is located within the mantle where the solidus is crossed at a depth of ∼1200 km (≥1600°C). Inverted compositions for the partially molten layer (150–200 km thick) are enriched in FeO and TiO2 relative to the surrounding mantle. The melt phase is neutrally buoyant at pressures of ∼4.5–4.6 GPa but contains less TiO2 (<15 wt %) than the Ti-rich (∼16 wt %) melts that produced a set of high-density primitive lunar magmas (density of 3.4 g/cm3). Melt densities computed here range from 3.25 to 3.45 g/cm3 bracketing the density of lunar magmas with moderate-to-high TiO2 contents. Our results are consistent with a model of lunar evolution in which the cumulate pile formed from crystallization of the magma ocean as it overturned, trapping heat-producing elements in the lower mantle.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2014je004661","authors":["A. Khan","J. A. D. Connolly","Anne Pommier","Jérõme Noir"],"tags":["Geology","Mantle (geology)","Geophysics","Solidus","Petrology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-09-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2014je004661","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2092943224","name":"Applications of LA-ICP-MS in the elemental analyses of geological samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), which is a rapidly developing analytical technique for the analyses of trace elements and isotopes, plays an important role in advancing the study of Earth science, especially with respect to micro-geochemistry. This article reviews the application of LA-ICP-MS in the elemental analysis of solid geological samples. Although LA-ICP-MS has been widely used in the spatial resolution analysis of element compositions and rapid bulk analysis of whole-rock and soil samples, the analysis accuracy is restricted by numerous factors, including the instrumental conditions, the elemental fractionation and matrix effects, the lack of sufficient matrix-matched reference materials, and the strategies for quantitative calibration and sensitivity drift correction. According to the type of samples and the analyte elements, the analysis accuracy can be improved through the optimization of instrument conditions and the adoption of suitable correction strategies and reference materials.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-013-5901-4","authors":["Yongsheng Liu","Zhao Chu Hu","Ming Li","Shan Gao"],"tags":["Elemental analysis","Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry","Analyte","Mass spectrometry","Matrix (chemical analysis)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-06-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-013-5901-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4414915509","name":"A petrological, geochemical, and geochronological study of Ramlat Fasad 532: An Omani addition to the Antarctic ‘YAMM’ lunar meteorite group","source":"openalex","abstract":"Ramlat Fasad (RF) 532 is a lunar meteorite recovered from the desert plains of Oman in 2018 during systematic searching. Our study shows that RF 532 is a monomict gabbro breccia, dominantly composed of anorthitic plagioclase and augitic to pigeonitic pyroxene. In situ Pb isotope analyses of feldspars, pyroxene, symplectite, apatite, zircon, and zirconolite reveal a minimum crystallisation age of 3858.9 ± 3.2 Ma (2σ uncertainty), and Pb isotope evolution modelling indicates that it was derived from a source with a 238U/204Pb ratio of ~71–81 (typically referred to as the µ-value). With a monomict brecciated texture, partly maskelynitised plagioclase, and melt pockets and veins, it was likely subject to shock pressures of ~20–25 GPa. In terms of petrology, geochemistry, and geochronology, RF 532 is indistinguishable from the ‘YAMM’ meteorites—Yamato 793169, Asuka 881757, Miller Range 05035, and Meteorite Hills 01210, which are basaltic/gabbroic lunar meteorites recovered from various Antarctic icefields—indicating that all the stones are grouped. Together, they sample a basaltic lava flow and overlying regolith that has been subject to at least one impact event. They were likely ejected from the Moon at the same time, but differences in terrestrial residence ages and recovery locations suggest they did not fall to Earth in the same event. Thus, RF 532 and the YAMM group become the first lunar launch group where all members were recovered during systematic searches, with precise recovery coordinates for all meteorites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.33063/agc.v1i2.772","authors":["Bre H. Oliveira","J. F. Snape","Romain Tartèse","Heejin Jeon","Martin J. Whitehouse","K. H. Joy"],"tags":["Meteorite","Geology","Basalt","Geochemistry","Lava"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.33063/agc.v1i2.772","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2964568281","name":"The timing of basaltic volcanism at the Apollo landing sites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Precise crystallisation ages have been determined for a range of Apollo basalts from Pb-Pb isochrons generated using Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) analyses of multiple accessory phases including K-feldspar, K-rich glass and phosphates. The samples analysed in this study include five Apollo 11 high-Ti basalts, one Apollo 14 high-Al basalt, seven Apollo 15 low-Ti basalts, and five Apollo 17 high-Ti basalts. Together with the samples analysed in two previous similar studies, Pb-Pb isochron ages have been determined for all of the major basaltic suites sampled during the Apollo missions. The accuracy of these ages has been assessed as part of a thorough review of existing age determinations for Apollo basalts, which reveals a good agreement with previous studies of the same samples, as well as with average ages that have been calculated for the emplacement of the different basaltic suites at the Apollo landing sites. Furthermore, the precision of the new age determinations helps to resolve distinctions between the ages of different basaltic suites in more detail than was previously possible. The proposed ages for the basaltic surface flows at the Apollo landing sites have been reviewed in light of these new sample ages. Finally, the data presented here have also been used to constrain the initial Pb isotopic compositions of the mare basalts, which indicate a significant degree of heterogeneity in the lunar mantle source regions, even among the basalts collected at individual landing sites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2019.07.042","authors":["J. F. Snape","A. A. Nemchin","Martin J. Whitehouse","Renaud Merle","Thomas Hopkinson","M. Anand"],"tags":["Basalt","Geology","Apollo","Geochemistry","Isochron"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-07-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2019.07.042","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2550937470","name":"Olivine dissolution in molten silicates: An experimental study with application to chondrule formation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Mg‐rich olivine is a ubiquitous phase in type I porphyritic chondrules in various classes of chondritic meteorites. The anhedral shape of olivine grains, their size distribution, as well as their poikilitic textures within low‐Ca pyroxene suggest that olivines suffer dissolution during chondrule formation. Owing to a set of high‐temperature experiments (1450–1540 °C) we determined the kinetics of resorption of forsterite in molten silicates, using for the first time X‐ray microtomography. Results indicate that forsterite dissolution in chondrule‐like melts is a very fast process with rates that range from ~5 μm min−1 to ~22 μm min−1. Forsterite dissolution strongly depends on the melt composition, with rates decreasing with increasing the magnesium and/or the silica content of the melt. An empirical model based on forsterite saturation and viscosity of the starting melt composition successfully reproduces the forsteritic olivine dissolution rates as a function of temperature and composition for both our experiments and those of the literature. Application of our results to chondrules could explain the textures of zoned type I chondrules during their formation by gas‐melt interaction. We show that the olivine/liquid ratio on one hand and the silica entrance from the gas phase (SiOg) into the chondrule melt on the other hand, have counteracting effects on the Mg‐rich olivine dissolution behavior. Silica entrance would favor dissolution by maintaining disequilibrium between olivine and melt. Hence, this would explain the preferential dissolution of olivine as well as the preferential abundances of pyroxene at the margins of chondrules. Incipient dissolution would also occur in the silica‐poorer melt of chondrule core but should be followed by crystallization of new olivine (overgrowth and/or newly grown crystals). While explaining textures and grain size distributions of olivines, as well as the centripetal distribution of low‐Ca pyroxene in porphyritic chondrules, this scenario could also be consistent with the diverse chemical, isotopic, and thermal conditions recorded by olivines in a given chondrule.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12792","authors":["Camille Soulié","G. Libourel","Laurent Tissandier"],"tags":["Olivine","Forsterite","Chondrule","Dissolution","Pyroxene"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-11-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12792","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4411453885","name":"Mineralogical Mapping of Pyroxene and Anorthosite in Dryden Crater Using M3 Hyperspectral Data","source":"openalex","abstract":"This study investigates the mineral composition of the lunar Dryden Crater using Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) data. A RGB false-color composite reveals distinct pyroxene, anorthosite, and possibly spinel distribution patterns. Orthopyroxenes, excavated from deep crustal layers, dominate steep slopes, while plagioclase-rich materials align with magma ocean models of lunar crustal formation. Minor clinopyroxenes indicate impact melt origins. While space weathering and shock metamorphism pose analytical challenges, integrating spectral data with geological context elucidates the crater’s complex history. The resulting mineral distribution map supports targeted exploration during upcoming lunar missions, resource prospecting and resource utilization initiatives within this geologically complex region.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/engproc2025094003","authors":["Iskren Ivanov","Lachezar Filchev"],"tags":["Anorthosite","Pyroxene","Hyperspectral imaging","Impact crater","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-06-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/engproc2025094003","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W3215008914","name":"Past, present and future global influence and technological applications of iron-bearing metastable nanominerals","source":"openalex","abstract":"Iron-bearing nanominerals such as ferrihydrite, schwertmannite, and green rust behave as metastable precursors leading to the formation of more thermodynamically stable iron mineral phases (e.g., jarosite, goethite, hematite, and magnetite). However, this transformation may last from days to tens or even hundreds of years, making them the most predominant iron-bearing minerals at environmental conditions and at the human time scale. The present review characterizes ferrihydrite, schwertmannite, and green rust nanominerals according to their main physical and chemical properties, and at both nano- and meso-scales. It also presents a comprehensive review of the multiple past and present Earth environments where these nanominerals have played, and still play, a pivotal role in the geochemistry, mineralogy and environmental nanogeosciences of these environments. Finally, the present and future technological applications of these nanominerals as well as their role in the generation of a more sustainable human-Earth relationship is discussed, with a special emphasis on their use in new circular economies and green based technologies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2021.11.009","authors":["Manuel A. Caraballo","María P. Asta","Jeffrey Paulo H. Perez","Michael F. Hochella"],"tags":["Schwertmannite","Goethite","Ferrihydrite","Hematite","Magnetite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2021.11.009","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W3017901510","name":"A magma ocean origin to divergent redox evolutions of rocky planetary bodies and early atmospheres","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Magma oceans were once ubiquitous in the early solar system, setting up the initial conditions for different evolutionary paths of planetary bodies. In particular, the redox conditions of magma oceans may have profound influence on the redox state of subsequently formed mantles and the overlying atmospheres. The relevant redox buffering reactions, however, remain poorly constrained. Using first-principles simulations combined with thermodynamic modeling, we show that magma oceans of Earth, Mars, and the Moon are likely characterized with a vertical gradient in oxygen fugacity with deeper magma oceans invoking more oxidizing surface conditions. This redox zonation may be the major cause for the Earth’s upper mantle being more oxidized than Mars’ and the Moon’s. These contrasting redox profiles also suggest that Earth’s early atmosphere was dominated by CO2 and H2O, in contrast to those enriched in H2O and H2 for Mars, and H2 and CO for the Moon.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15757-0","authors":["Jie Deng","Zhixue Du","Bijaya B. Karki","Dipta B. Ghosh","Kanani K. M. Lee"],"tags":["Mineral redox buffer","Early Earth","Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Redox"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-04-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15757-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406805948","name":"VIS ‐to‐ MIR reflectance and Raman spectroscopy of the CM2 NWA 12184 carbonaceous chondrite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The spectral analysis of CM meteorites can help to constrain the mineralogical composition of their parent body, the C‐type asteroids. The CM2 NWA 12184 was spectrally examined employing seven complementary techniques at different spatial resolutions, including VIS‐to‐MIR reflectance and Raman spectroscopy. Furthermore, the effects of space weathering on asteroids can be investigated by performing laboratory simulations on meteorites samples; thus, the meteorite was processed with He+ ions at 200 keV (maximum fluence of 1.0 × 1017 ions cm−2) to simulate the solar wind irradiation on C‐type asteroids. We discriminated the mineralogical composition of the NWA 12184 at the millimeter scale and at the micrometer scale, investigating both matrix and chondrules. The ion experiment produced spectral darkening, reddening, shifting of the hydration band, and weakening of the absorption band ascribed to olivine in the VIS‐NIR range, as well as the reduction in the olivine's peak in MIR range, clue of the sample's amorphization. The study identified the native mineralogy of the meteorite, the products of terrestrial weathering, and the aqueous and thermal alteration experienced by the parent body of the sample.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14315","authors":["A. Galiano","Fabrizio Dirri","Marco Ferrari","Cristian Carli","Enrico Bruschini","G. Filacchione","G. Piccioni","E. Palomba","Stefania Stefani","A. Raponi","M. Ciarniello","M. E. Palumbo","Carlotta Scire Scappuzzo","G. A. Baratta","Riccardo Giovanni Urso","Laura Inno"],"tags":["Raman spectroscopy","Chondrite","Chemistry","Physics","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14315","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4319840119","name":"Assessing the spatial variability of the ~3 μm OH / H 2 O absorption feature in CM2 carbonaceous chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract H2O and OH are readily detected in hydrated minerals in CM chondrites via reflectance spectroscopy due to their characteristic vibration absorptions at infrared wavelengths. Previous spectroscopic work on bulk powdered CM chondrites has shown that spectral parameters, like the wavelength position of the “3 μm absorption feature,” vary systematically with the extent to which the samples have been aqueously altered. However, it is yet unclear how these spectral features may vary across an intact meteorite chip when measured at spatial scales smaller than that of the individual components of the meteorite. Here, we explore the spatial variability of this spectral feature and others on intact CM2 chips which, unlike powders, retain their petrologic and textural characteristics. We also model the modal mineralogy of the bulk meteorite powders and correlate this with key spectral features, demonstrating that microscope Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic mapping provides a powerful, rapid, and non‐destructive technique for assessing compositional diversity and variations in water–rock interactions in chondritic planetary materials. In all CM2 chondrites studied here, we find that variations in the position, shape, and strength of the 3 μm absorption feature reveal a single chondrite can exhibit as much spectral variation as the entire suite of CM2 chondrites. The observed variations in the position and shape of the 3 μm feature within individual CM2 chondrite chips suggest a range of alteration products (e.g., Mg‐rich to Fe‐rich phyllosilicates) are present and record sub‐mm scale variations in the amount and/or chemistry of the altering fluids. The samples having experienced the most progressive aqueous alteration show the least amount of variability in features like the 3 μm absorption band minimum position, whereas the least altered samples exhibit the most variability. We also find that the bulk spectral signatures in the least altered samples appear to be biased toward the spectral signatures of clasts versus matrix. By extension, asteroid reflectance spectra exhibiting 3 μm absorption features consistent with those measured here may be interpreted in a similar framework in which the spectrum of what may appear to be the least altered asteroids represents an average that belies the true diversity of mineralogy and chemistry of the body.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13946","authors":["Cody Schultz","B. A. Anzures","R. E. Milliken","Taki Hiroi","Kevin M. Robertson"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Absorption (acoustics)","Carbonaceous chondrite","Spectroscopy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13946","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4407796962","name":"Mineralogy of terminal grains recovered from the Tanpopo capture panel onboard the International Space Station","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Tanpopo experiment is Japan's first astrobiology mission aboard the Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility on the International Space Station. The Tanpopo‐1 mission exposed silica aerogel panels to low Earth orbit from 2015 to 2016 to capture micrometeoroids. We identified an impact track measuring approximately 8 mm long, which contained terminal grains in the silica aerogel panel oriented toward space. The impact track exhibited a bulbous cavity with two thin, straight tracks branching from it, each preserving a terminal grain at their ends. The terminal grains were extracted from the silica aerogel and analyzed using scanning transmission electron microscopy and scanning transmission X‐ray microscopy to investigate their X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure (STXM‐XANES). Both grains are Fe‐bearing and relatively homogeneous orthopyroxene crystals (En 88.4±0.4 and En 88.2±1.8 ). The recovery of Fe‐bearing low‐Ca pyroxene aligns with previous studies of micrometeoroids captured in LEO. Micrometeoroids containing Fe‐bearing olivine and low‐Ca pyroxene are likely abundant in LEO.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14327","authors":["T. Noguchi","Akira Miyake","Hikaru Yabuta","Yoko Kebukawa","Hiroki Suga","M. Tabata","Kyoko Okudaira","Akihiko Yamagishi","Hajime Yano"],"tags":["Terminal (telecommunication)","International Space Station","Space (punctuation)","Mineralogy","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14327","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2029638231","name":"Petrography and shock‐related remagnetization of pyrrhotite in drill cores from the Bosumtwi Impact Crater Drilling Project, Ghana","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Rock magnetic and magnetic mineralogy data are presented from the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) drill cores LB‐07A and LB‐08A of the Bosumtwi impact structure in order to understand the magnetic behavior of impact and target lithologies and their impact‐related remagnetization mechanism. Basic data for the interpretation of the magnetic anomaly patterns and the magnetic borehole measurements as well as for new magnetic modeling are provided. Magnetic susceptibility (150–500 × 10−6 SI) and natural remanent magnetization (10−3−10−1 A/m) are generally weak, but locally higher values up to 10.6 × 10−3 SI and 43 A/m occur. Sixty‐three percent of the investigated rock specimens show Q values above 1 indicating that remanence clearly dominates over induced magnetization, which is a typical feature of impact structures. Ferrimagnetic pyrrhotite is the main magnetite phase, which occurs besides minor magnetite and a magnetic phase with a Curie temperature between 330 and 350 °C, interpreted as anomalous pyrrhotite. Coercive forces are between 20 and 40 mT. Brecciation and fracturing of pyrrhotite is a common feature confirming its pre‐impact origin. Grain sizes of pyrrhotite show a large variation but the numerous stress‐induced nanostructures observable by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are assumed to behave as single‐domain grains. We suggest that the drilled rocks lost their pre‐shock remanence memory during the shock event and acquired a new, stable remanence during shock‐induced grain size reduction. The observed brittle microstructures indicate temperatures not higher than 250 °C, which is below the Curie temperature of ferrimagnetic pyrrhotite (310 °C).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb01077.x","authors":["Agnes Kontny","Tiiu Elbra","Jana Just","L. J. Pesonen","Anja M. Schleicher","Jochen ZOLK"],"tags":["Remanence","Geology","Pyrrhotite","Petrography","Magnetite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb01077.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4404079013","name":"Estimating Primary Magmas From Mars With PRIMARSMELT: Implications for the Petrogenesis of Some Martian Rocks and the Thermal Evolution of Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Primary magmas form by partial melting in the mantle of a terrestrial planet and represent the starting material for building its crust. The compositions of primary magmas are critical for understanding the thermal history of planetary interiors, as they can be used to estimate mantle potential temperatures ( T P ) and track changes in the conditions of mantle partial melting over time. Here, we introduce PRIMARSMELT, a new member of the PRIMELT software family, calibrated to estimate the composition of Martian primary magmas and their formation conditions. We applied PRIMARSMELT to a comprehensive database of basaltic compositions from Mars. Our results are consistent with their petrology, requiring olivine addition to restore fractionated compositions to their primary parents and olivine subtraction from cumulate rocks. Individual primary magma solutions provide insights into the petrogenesis of specific Martian meteorites, with implications for the near‐primary nature of some primitive meteorites and the relationship between lithologies A and B in meteorite EETA 79001. Taken together, our results suggest nearly constant or potentially increasing mantle potential temperatures throughout the geological history of Mars. The average T P for young shergottite meteorites is ∼1,442 ± 40°C, similar to ambient mantle temperatures inferred from geophysical models. In contrast, older basaltic rocks record potential temperatures as low as ∼1,320 ± 48°C for igneous clasts in meteorites NWA 7034/7533. We suggest that, rather than plume‐related magmatism, shergottite meteorites record ambient mantle temperatures, with the thermal evolution trend possibly resulting from inefficient heat loss, as expected for a planet in stagnant‐lid mode.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024je008508","authors":["Juan David Hernández‐Montenegro","Paul D. Asimow","Claude Herzberg"],"tags":["Petrogenesis","Mars Exploration Program","Martian","Astrobiology","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024je008508","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2783150718","name":"15. Physical Study of Comets, Minor Planets and Meteorites (L’Étude Physique des Comètes, Petites Planètes et des Météorites)","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0251107x00001930","authors":["A. H. Delsemme","N. Richter","J. Rahe","E. Anders","C. Arpigny","L. Biermann","O. V. Dobrovol'Skij","B. Donn","T. Gehrels","Elizabeth Roemer","V. Vanýsek","Fred L. Whipple"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Meteorite","Asteroid","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1976-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0251107x00001930","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W7155405568","name":"Kryzaite, Na4(MgCr)(PO4)3 – a new mineral from the Morasko IAB-MG iron meteorite (Poland) and the first natural NASICON compound","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Kryzaite, a new mineral with the ideal formula Na4(MgCr)(PO4)3 and the empirical formula Na3.93(Mg0.94Fe2+0.07Mn2+0.03 Cr3+1.02)Σ2.06P2.99O12 is the third new phosphate to be discovered in the graphite-troilite nodules of the iron meteorite Morasko, which belongs to the IAB-MG meteorite group. The other two minerals are moraskoite, Na2Mg(PO4)F, and czochralskiite, Na4Ca3Mg(PO4)4. The kryzaite structure was refined based on a single-crystal X-ray diffraction study of a 0.02 × 0.012 × 0.01 mm grain. It is a trigonal, space group R-3c, a = 8.8509(6)Å, c = 21.2564(18)Å, V = 1442.1(2) Å3, Z = 6. A synthetic analogue, belonging to the NASICON (Na Super Ionic Conductor) compound type, is known and has a potential application in the production of Na-ion batteries. The kryzaite structural framework is formed by [(Mg/Cr)O6] octahedra and (PO4) tetrahedra jointed at the vertices and contains channels with Na-occupied sites. The high rate of low-temperature Na diffusion determines the high ionic conductivity and high chemical reactivity of kryzaite type compounds. Kryzaite preservation is defined by the rapid formation of a stable rim that preserves and protects the mineral from later alteration. Kryzaite forms transparent green grains with a vitreous lustre measuring up to 30 μm in size in the central part of aggregates. The rim of these aggregates is formed by a transparent brown phase with a vitreous lustre and the empirical formula Na1.50(Mg0.98Mn2+0.07)(Fe3+0.77Cr3+1.01)(PO4)3. The calculated density of kryzaite is 3.14 g·cm-3, based on structural data and the empirical formula. The following bands are observed in the Raman spectrum of kryzaite (cm-1): 1116, 1111, 1066 ν3(PO4)3-; 1022 ν3(PO4)3-/ν1(PO4)3-; 979 ν1(PO4)3; 597 ν4(PO4)3; 459, 437 ν2(PO4)3-; 341 ν(CrO6)9-; 266, 231, 163 νT(PO4)3-, νR(PO4)3-, νNa-O. Kryzaite in the Morasko meteorite most likely crystallized from a phosphate melt at a temperature of about 950-1000°C, as well as the primary Na-containing phosphates - brianite, moraskoite, czochralskiite and merrillite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2025-10138","authors":["Evgeny V. Galuskin","Andrzej Muszyński","Taras L. Panikorovskii","Joachim Kusz","Maria Książek","Irina O. Galuskina","Grzegorz Zieliński","Krystian Prusik"],"tags":["Meteorite","Fast ion conductor","Raman spectroscopy","Orthosilicate","Mineral"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-04-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2025-10138","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2049705713","name":"Controls on the REE tetrad effect in granites: Evidence from the Qianlishan and Baerzhe Granites, China.","source":"openalex","abstract":"REE contents in whole-rock samples and constituent minerals of the Qianlishan and Baerzhe granites from China were determined using three analytical methods (ICP-AES, ICP-MS, and ID-TIMS). The REE abundance patterns of the granites show the M-type tetrad effect and strong Eu depletion in both whole-rock samples and in individual minerals samples. Fluid-melt interaction in the late stage of fractional crystallization is suggested to be the most important factor controlling the formation of REE tetrad effects in the granites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2343/geochemj.36.527","authors":["Zhao Zhenhua","Xiong Xiaolin","Han Xiaodong","Wang Yixian","Qiang Wang","Zhiwei Bao","Bor‐ming Jahn"],"tags":["Tetrad","Geochemistry","Fractional crystallization (geology)","Geology","Crystallization"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2343/geochemj.36.527","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4417280906","name":"Mineralogical-Petrographic characteristics of garnet porphyroblasts (Ekinözü-Kahramanmaraş), determination of metamorphism conditions and gemstone potential","source":"openalex","abstract":"The studied garnet porphyroblasts occur within metamorphic rocks consisting of schists with variable mineralogical compositions in the Ekinözü (Kahramanmaraş) region. The porphyroblasts crystallized in pentagonal dodecahedron forms, ranging in size from 0.5 to 4 cm and exhibit dark red to reddish-black colors with vitreous luster. Microscopic observations reveal that the garnet porphyroblasts display a highly fractured and cracked texture, containing inclusions of quartz, chlorite and opaque minerals such as ilmenite-magnetite. Confocal Raman spectroscopy analyses indicate that the garnet porphyroblasts are of almandine composition. Their chemical structural formulas were determined as Alm0.80-0.88Prp0.07-0.13Grs0.01-0.07Sps0.00-0.05. Garnet-biotite geothermometry calculations suggest that the garnets crystallized under average pressure conditions of ~4.5 kbar at temperatures of 465.4±41.6 °C. Multi-element variation diagrams normalized to the lower and upper continental crust indicate depletion in LIL elements (Sr, K, Rb and Ba), whereas enrichment is observed in HFS elements (Ta, P, Zr, Hf and Y). Chondrite-normalized multi-element diagrams show up to 100-fold enrichment in Rare Earth Elements (REE) (∑REE: 162.1-284.9; (La/Sm)N = 1.65-3.62; (Sm/Yb)N = 0.43-0.67). Enrichment Factor (EF) calculations from chemical analyses highlight the role of Co, Fe, U and Mn elements in color development. These findings are further supported by EPMA data and optical absorption spectroscopy, both of which confirm the predominant presence of Fe+2 ions. Mineralogical, geochemical and gemological investigations indicate that the Ekinözü garnet porphyroblasts formed under greenschist facies metamorphic conditions. Their euhedral crystal morphology, together with their dark red coloration and vitreous luster, suggests that these garnets have potential for use as gemstones in jewelry.","url":"https://doi.org/10.65206/pajes.02817","authors":["Ufuk Ören","Tamer Koralay"],"tags":["Metamorphism","Geology","Metamorphic rock","Chlorite","Almandine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.65206/pajes.02817","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W1973177093","name":"Chemical compositions of martian basalts (shergottites): Some inferences on b; formation, mantle metasomatism, and differentiation in Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Bulk chemical compositions of the shergottite basalts provide important constraints on magma genesis and mantle processes in Mars. Abundances of many major and trace elements in the shergottites covary in 2 distinct groups: Group 1 (Gl) includes mostly highly incompatible elements (e.g., La, Th), and Group 2 (G2) includes mostly moderately incompatible elements (e.g., Ti, Lu, Al, Hf). Covariations of G2 elements (not necessarily linear) are consistent with partitioning between basalt magma and orthopyroxene + olivine. This fractionation represents partial melting to form the shergottites and their crystallization; the restite minerals cannot include aluminous phase(s), phosphate, ilmenite, zircon, or sulfides. Overall, abundances of Gl elements are decoupled from those of G2. In graphing abundances of a Gl element against those of a G2 element, G1/G2 abundance ratios do not appear to be random but are restricted to 4 values. Shergottites with a given G1/G2 value need not have the same crystallization age and need not fall on a single fractionation trajectory involving compatible elements (e.g., Ti versus Fe*). These observations imply that the G1/G2 families were established before basalt formation and suggest metasomatic enrichment of their source region (major carrier of G2 elements) by a component rich in Gl elements. Group 1 elements were efficiently separated from G2 elements very early in Mars' history. Such efficient fractionation is not consistent with simple petrogenesis; it requires multiple fractionations, “complex” petrogenetic processes, or minerals with unusual geochemistry. The behavior of phosphorus in this early fractionation event is inexplicable by normal petrogenetic processes and minerals. Several explanations are possible, including significant compatibility of P in majoritic garnet and the presence of P‐bearing iron metal (or a phosphide phase) in the residual solid assemblage (carrier of G2 elements). If the latter, Mars' mantle is more oxidized now than during the ancient fractionation event.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00019.x","authors":["A. H. Treiman"],"tags":["Basalt","Fractional crystallization (geology)","Metasomatism","Geology","Petrogenesis"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00019.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2079577584","name":"Elasticity of Majorite and a Majorite‐Pyrope solid solution to high pressure: Implications for the Transition Zone","source":"openalex","abstract":"High seismic velocity gradients in the transition zone have been attributed to large pressure derivatives of the elastic moduli of transition zone minerals, such as majorite‐garnet. Here we present Brillouin scattering measurements of the elasticity of polycrystalline Mg‐majorite (Mj100, Mg4Si4O12) and a Mj50Py50 majorite ‐ pyrope solid solution to pressures similar to those at the top of the transition zone (15.1(1) GPa and 12.8(1) GPa, respectively). The pressure derivatives of the adiabatic bulk (KS) and shear (μ) moduli of both Mj50Py50 and Mj100 are 4.2(3) and 1.4(2), respectively, and are equal to those of pyrope within the experimental uncertainties. We conclude that neither the adiabatic compression of majorite‐garnet nor any other likely transition zone phase is able to produce the high velocity gradients observed seismically. High velocity gradients are consistent with gradual transformations between minerals with very different elastic properties. The transformation of ∼25% or more of clinopyroxene into majorite above 520 km, and the formation of Ca silicate perovskite below 520 km could produce the observed seismic gradients.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2001gl013937","authors":["Stanislav Sinogeikin","Jay D. Bass"],"tags":["Pyrope","Transition zone","Silicate perovskite","Elasticity (physics)","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2001gl013937","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W2515031041","name":"Assessing the geologic evolution of Greater Thaumasia, Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Greater Thaumasia region consists of three chemical provinces that include Syria, Solis, and Thaumasia Planae, the Corprates Rise, part of the Thaumasia Highlands, and the transition zone northwest of the Argyre basin. Chemical signatures obtained from the Mars Odyssey Gamma Ray Spectrometer suggest low abundances of K and Th to the west, with low H abundances and high Si abundances to the east, relative to the bulk Martian crust at midlatitudes. These observations are confirmed and quantified with a modified box and whisker analysis that simultaneously captures the degree of deviation and significance of the regionally anomalous chemistry. Motivated by regionally unique chemistry, as well as its diverse geological history, we characterize Greater Thaumasia in terms of chemistry, mineralogy, and mapped geology to determine how such complementary data record the evolution of this region. Our observations are inconsistent with a proposed salt‐lubricated landslide origin, particularly given the lack of chemical or mineralogical signatures to support near‐surface salt deposits that should arise over geological timescales. Our observations instead support magmatic processes, such as mantle evolution over geological time, which may impart the Si‐enriched signature of the eastern portion of Greater Thaumasia as well as the K and Th depletion of the southeastern flank of Syria Planum. While the observed trend of decreasing K and Th from Noachian to Hesperian lavas is inconsistent with previous models of Martian mantle evolution, we see an increase in Ca content at the Noachian‐Hesperian boundary, consistent with predictions from thermodynamic modeling.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2016je005046","authors":["D. R. Hood","Taylor Judice","S. Karunatillake","A. D. Rogers","J. M. Dohm","D. Susko","Lorraine K. Carnes"],"tags":["Noachian","Hesperian","Geology","Mars Exploration Program","Martian"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2016je005046","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W1995574637","name":"A TEM study of four particles extracted from the Stardust track 80","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Four particles extracted from track 80 at different penetration depths have been studied by analytical transmission electron microscopy (ATEM). Regardless of their positions within the track, the samples present a comparable microstructure made of a silica rich glassy matrix embedding a large number of small Fe‐Ni‐S inclusions and vesicles. This microstructure is typical of strongly thermally modified particles that were heated and melted during the hypervelocity impact into the aerogel. X‐ray intensity maps show that the particles were made of Mg‐rich silicates (typically 200 nm in diameter) cemented by a fine‐grained matrix enriched in iron sulfide. Bulk compositions of the four particles suggest that the captured dust particle was an aggregate of grains with various iron sulfide fraction and that no extending chemical mixing in the bulb occurred during the deceleration. The bulk S/Fe ratios of the four samples are close to CI and far from the chondritic meteorites from the asteroidal belt, suggesting that the studied particles are compatible with chondritic‐porous interplanetary dust particles or with material coming from a large heliocentric distance for escaping the S depletion.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb01189.x","authors":["Julien Stodolna","Damien Jacob","Hugues Leroux"],"tags":["Interplanetary dust cloud","Hypervelocity","Meteorite","Transmission electron microscopy","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb01189.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W1981400546","name":"Thermoluminescence dating of the Kamil impact crater (Egypt)","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Thermoluminescence (TL) dating has been used to determine the age of the meteorite impact crater at Gebel Kamil (Egyptian Sahara). Previous studies suggested that the 45 m diameter structure was produced by a fall in recent times (less than 5000 years ago) of an iron meteorite impactor into quartz‐arenites and siltstones belonging to the Lower Cretaceous Gilf Kebir Formation. The impact caused the complete fragmentation of the impactor, and the formation of a variety of impactites (e.g., partially vitrified dark and light materials) present as ejecta within the crater and in the surrounding area. After a series of tests to evaluate theTLproperties of different materials including shocked intra‐crater target rocks and different types of ejecta, we selected a suite of light‐colored ejecta that showed evidence of strong thermal shock effects (e.g., partial vitrification and the presence of high‐temperature and ‐pressure silica phases). The abundance of quartz in the target rocks, including the vitrified impactites, allowedTLdating to be undertaken. The variability of radioactivity of the intracrateric target rocks and the lack of direct in situ dosimetric evaluations prevented precise dating; it was, however, possible to constrain the impact in the 2000BC–500ADrange. If, as we believe, the radioactivity measured in the fallback deposits is a reliable estimate of the mean radioactivity of the site, the narrower range 1600–400BC(at the 2σ confidence level) can be realistically proposed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12417","authors":["G. P. Sighinolfi","Emanuela Sibilia","Gabriele Contini","M. Martini"],"tags":["Impact crater","Ejecta","Geology","Impact structure","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-01-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12417","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4413377939","name":"Mineralogy and geochemical study of sulfide mineralization, in Kadikhel Valley, Western Kohistan Island Arc, North Pakistan","source":"openalex","abstract":"This study reports sulfide mineralization in Kadikhel Valley, Upper Dir region, for the first time, located in the western Kohistan Island Arc, north Pakistan. The area is poorly explored for exploration, mineral identification, ore characterization, and processes of ore genesis. This study aims to investigate the mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of sulfide mineralization and its origination within the quartz veins and associated host rocks (amphibolites), which is a new discovery in this region. Detailed field investigation, mineralogical, petrochemical, and O-S isotopic studies were conducted by analyzing the representative samples collected during the field using advanced instrumental techniques such as AAS, ICP-MS, XRD, and SEM-EDX. Results of the samples from the study area indicated three types of copper mineralization, including copper mineralization along Quartz veins, copper mineralization in amphibolites, and supergene enrichment of copper mineralization. The economically significant concentration of copper in the altered amphibolites ranges from 2.4 % to 5.78 %, while in mineralized quartz veins, it is from 5.2 % to 16.4 %. Trace elements (ppm) such as Pb (121-647), Zn (112-458), W (110-2069), Ni (15-491), Cr (115-538), Co (101-421), and Ag (5.1- 5.7) are found in relatively smaller amounts. The gain and loss analysis shows that the hydrothermal fluids were enriched in MnO, FeO, Cu, Pb, Zn, W, Ni, Cr, Co, Au, and Ag. The enriched elements formed an important part of the mineralizing hydrothermal fluids. The major ore minerals identified in the study area are chalcopyrite, bornite, chalcocite, pyrite, malachite, azurite, hematite, and magnetite, with minor concentrations of sphalerite and galena. The associated gangue minerals include quartz, biotite, muscovite, amphibole, plagioclase, epidote, and chlorite. Different ore phases and mineral textures were determined using ore microscopy, SEM-EDS, and XRD studies. Metallic mineralization is formed in two stages (i.e. hydrothermal and replacement stages). The average isotope values of sulfur (δ34S) 2.17 %, and oxygen (δ18O) 7.8 %, suggest that a magmatic-hydrothermal fluid derived from a magmatic source is responsible for the precipitation of sulfide mineralization in the mineralized quartz veins and adjacent mineralized/altered amphibolites. We suggest that the episodic intrusions of diorite/granodiorites of the Kohistan batholith are the main sources of metal-rich hydrothermal fluid responsible for the precipitation of the sulfide mineralization in the study area.","url":"https://doi.org/10.13168/agg.2025.0018","authors":["Israr Ud Din","Mohammad Tahir Shah","Liaqat Ali","Asghar Ali","Fahad Alshehri","Sattam Almadani","Muhammad Shahab"],"tags":["Geology","Mineralization (soil science)","Geochemistry","Sulfide","Chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.13168/agg.2025.0018","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4401506433","name":"Liquid water in the Martian mid-crust","source":"openalex","abstract":"Large volumes of liquid water transiently existed on the surface of Mars more than 3 billion years ago. Much of this water is hypothesized to have been sequestered in the subsurface or lost to space. We use rock physics models and Bayesian inversion to identify combinations of lithology, liquid water saturation, porosity, and pore shape consistent with the constrained mid-crust (∼11.5 to 20 km depths) seismic velocities and gravity near the InSight lander. A mid-crust composed of fractured igneous rocks saturated with liquid water best explains the existing data. Our results have implications for understanding Mars' water cycle, determining the fates of past surface water, searching for past or extant life, and assessing in situ resource utilization for future missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2409983121","authors":["Vashan Wright","Matthias Morzfeld","Michael Manga"],"tags":["Martian","Crust","Geology","Liquid water","Mars Exploration Program"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2409983121","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W1971106244","name":"Mesoproterozoic rifting and Pan-African continental collision in SE India: evidence from the Khariar alkaline complex","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-006-0069-4","authors":["Dewashish Upadhyay","M. Raith","Klaus Mezger","A. Bhattacharya","Peter D. Kinny"],"tags":["Geology","Geochemistry","Rift","Craton","Granulite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-02-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-006-0069-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4410158012","name":"Space weathering on the lunar nearside and farside constrained from Si isotopes","source":"openalex","abstract":"Over long timescales, space weathering processes can modify the compositions of surface materials on the Moon. To assess the effects of space weathering of lunar soils, we study Si isotopes of Chang’E-5 (CE-5) and Chang’E-6 (CE-6) returned samples, and lunar meteorites. Here we show that both bulk soils from CE-5 and CE-6 exhibit heavier Si isotopic compositions than the basalt clasts within the soils and lunar meteorites, indicating that the space weathering obviously increase δ30Si of lunar soils. Furthermore, the CE-6 soil from the lunar farside has heavier Si isotopic values than the average of CE-5 soils from the nearside, suggesting that the CE-6 soil has experienced a higher space weathering degree than the CE-5 soils. This increased weathering degree could be attributed to either a longer weathering period or stronger micrometeorite impacts on CE-6 soil from farside compared to CE-5 soils from nearside. Chang’E-5 and Chang’E-6 lunar soils show higher δ30Si than lunar basalts, with CE-6 having the highest value, suggesting space weathering produced by micrometeorite impacts alters Si isotopes of lunar soils, with stronger effects on the farside.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59577-6","authors":["Hui-Yan Zhang","Huimin Yu","Haolan Tang","Yu-Chao Lin","Zicong Xiao","Lin Yang","Jinting Kang","Ji Shen","Liping Qin","Fang Huang"],"tags":["Weathering","Isotope","Space (punctuation)","Astrobiology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-05-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59577-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4415689563","name":"Effects of Mineralogy and UV Radiation on the Detectability of Amino Acids Within the Martian Regolith: The Case for a Combined Chromatographical and Spectroscopical Approach","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Amino acids are an extremely heterogeneous group of biomolecules essential for life on Earth. Their biosignatures are expected to be easily degraded on the Martian surface as the absence of a thick atmosphere and a magnetosphere leads to most of the solar radiation directly reaching its surface. To determine the preservation of amino acids in the Martian regolith, and their detectability, we exposed protein‐sourced and free amino acids to UV‐B radiation. This was done while in contact with different particle size ranges of two Martian regolith simulants. Bulk analysis through High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) showed that UV‐B radiation led to little damage across all samples, mainly targeting sensitive amino acids like tyrosine, histidine, tryptophan and methionine. The two Martian simulants were divided into five particle size ranges. Smaller particles (<0.045 mm) led to higher recoveries than bigger ones (>0.500 mm), likely through their high specific surface area. Raman spectroscopy offered localized surface information, which HPLC was unable to. One of the simulants (MMS‐2) is rich in iron oxides like hematite, which likely prevented any detection by absorbing the excitation wavelength of the laser. Irradiation also led to widespread loss of signal of all amino acids. Overall, the limitations of both techniques were compensated by each another, which allowed for the precise characterization of the chemical alterations suffered by amino acids in these conditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2025je009070","authors":["Miguel Arribas Tiemblo","Pedro Rayo-Pizarroso","M. P. Martín‐Redondo","Felipe Gómez"],"tags":["Amino acid","Martian surface","Chemistry","Martian","Biomolecule"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2025je009070","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4210943213","name":"Uniform initial 10Be/9Be inferred from refractory inclusions in CV3, CO3, CR2, and CH/CB chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Short-lived radionuclides (SLRs) once present in the solar nebula can be used as probes of the formation environment of our Solar System within the Milky Way Galaxy. The first-formed solids in the Solar System, calcium-, aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) in meteorites, record the one-time existence of SLRs such as 10Be and 26Al in the solar nebula. We measured the 10Be–10B isotope systematics in 29 CAIs from several CV3, CO3, CR2, and CH/CB chondrites and show that all except for a FUN CAI record a homogeneous initial 10Be/9Be with a single probability density peak at 10Be/9Be = 7.4 × 10–4. Integrating these data with those of previous studies, we find that most CAIs (81%) for which 10Be–10B isotope systematics have been determined, record a homogeneous initial 10Be/9Be ratio in the early Solar System with a weighted mean 10Be/9Be = (7.1 ± 0.2) × 10–4. This uniform distribution provides evidence that 10Be was predominantly formed in the parent molecular cloud and inherited by the solar nebula. Possible explanations for why unusual CAIs (FUNs, PLACs, those from CH/CBs, and those irradiated on the parent body) recorded a 10Be/9Be ratio outside of 7.1 × 10−4 include the following: 1) They incorporated a component of 10Be that was produced in the nebula by irradiation; 2) they formed after normal CAIs; and 3) they were processed (post-formation) in a way that affected their original 10Be signatures. Given the rarity of these examples, the overall uniformity of initial 10Be/9Be suggests that Solar System 10Be was predominantly inherited from the molecular cloud.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2022.02.002","authors":["Emilie T. Dunham","M. Wadhwa","S. J. Desch","Ming‐Chang Liu","Kohei Fukuda","N. T. Kita","A. T. Hertwig","R. L. Hervig","C. Defouilloy","S. B. Simon","J. Davidson","D. L. Schrader","Yusuke Fujimoto"],"tags":["Formation and evolution of the Solar System","Chondrite","Meteorite","Nebula","Homogeneous"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-02-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2022.02.002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W1981473007","name":"Viscous flow behavior of tholeiitic and alkaline Fe-rich martian basalts","source":"openalex","abstract":"The chemical compositions of martian basalts are enriched in iron with respect to terrestrial basalts. Their rheology is poorly known and liquids of this chemical composition have not been experimentally investigated. Here, we determine the viscosity of five synthetic silicate liquids having compositions representative of the diversity of martian volcanic rocks including primary martian mantle melts and alkali basalts. The concentric cylinder method has been employed between 1500 °C and the respective liquidus temperatures of these liquids. The viscosity near the glass transition has been derived from calorimetric measurements of the glass transition. Although some glass heterogeneity limits the accuracy of the data near the glass transition, it was nevertheless possible to determine the parameters of the non-Arrhenian temperature-dependence of viscosity over a wide temperature range (1500 °C to the glass transition temperature). At superliquidus conditions, the martian basalt viscosities are as low as those of the Fe–Ti-rich lunar basalts, similar to the lowest viscosities recorded for terrestrial ferrobasalts, and 0.5 to 1 order of magnitude lower than terrestrial tholeiitic basalts. Comparison with empirical models reveals that Giordano et al. (2008) offers the best approximation, whereas the model proposed by Hui and Zhang (2007) is inappropriate for the compositions considered. The slightly lower viscosities exhibited by the melts produced by low degree of mantle partial melting versus melts produced at high degree of mantle partial melting (likely corresponding to the early history of Mars), is not deemed sufficient to lead to viscosity variations large enough to produce an overall shift of martian lava flow morphologies over time. Rather, the details of the crystallization sequence (and in particular the ability of some of these magmas to form spinifex texture) is proposed to be a dominant effect on the viscosity during martian lava flow emplacement and may explain the lower range of viscosities (102–104 Pa s) inferred from lava flow morphology. Further, the differences between the rheological behaviors of tholeiitic vs. trachy-basalts are significant enough to affect their emplacement as intrusive bodies or as effusive lava flows. The upper range of viscosities (106–108 Pa s) suggested from lava flow morphology is found consistent with the occurrence of alkali basalt documented from in situ analyses and does not necessarily imply the occurrence of basaltic-andesite or andesitic rocks.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2013.08.026","authors":["Magdalena Oryaëlle Chevrel","David Baratoux","Kai‐Uwe Hess","Donald B. Dingwell"],"tags":["Basalt","Martian","Mantle (geology)","Silicate","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-09-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2013.08.026","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4309757304","name":"Thermochemical evolution of the acapulcoite–lodranite parent body: Evidence for fragmentation‐disrupted partial differentiation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Primitive achondrites of the acapulcoite–lodranite clan (ALC) are residues of partial melting that displays a continuum of thermal metamorphism and partial melting most likely set by burial depth within an internally heated, primordial acapulcoite–lodranite parent body (ALPB). New major and trace element data from eight ALC meteorites and the application of several thermometric methods suggest that the ALPB was affected by partial differentiation disrupted by rapid cooling from peak, magmatic temperatures. Application of rare earth element‐in‐two‐pyroxene thermometry recovers temperatures of 1125–1250 °C for lodranites, while two‐pyroxene solvus and Ca‐in‐olivine thermometry recover lower temperatures for ALC meteorites (941–1114 °C and 686–850 °C, respectively). Major and trace element disequilibrium in acapulcoite and transitional groups provides evidence for cryptic melt infiltration and melt rock reaction within these layers of the ALPB. From lodranites, we determined rapid cooling rates of ~1 to ~26 °C yr−1from peak temperatures, consistent with collisional fragmentation of the parent body during differentiation. After this initial period of rapid cooling, cooling rates decreased by two to four orders of magnitude through Ca‐in‐olivine closure temperatures (~750 °C). We hypothesize that the primordial ALPB possessed an onion shell‐type layered structure that was disrupted by collisional breakup during partial differentiation. Thermal modeling suggests that ALC samples originate from ~300 m to ~10 km radius collisional fragments that cooled rapidly over time scales of several to ~20,000 yr, then reaccreted to form a slower cooling, second‐generation rubble‐pile asteroid. The source of ALC meteorites is a second‐generation (or later) rubble‐pile body of S‐type spectral class located near the Jupiter 3:1 mean motion resonance in the Main Belt of asteroids.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13930","authors":["Michael P. Lucas","Nick Dygert","Jialong Ren","Marc A. Hesse","Nathan Miller","H. Y. McSween"],"tags":["Partial melting","Parent body","Meteorite","Pyroxene","Trace element"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-11-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13930","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"oa:W4383853392","name":"Characterizing basalt-atmosphere interactions on Venus: A review of thermodynamic and experimental results","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The surface of Venus is in contact with a hot (~470 °C), high pressure (92 bars), and caustic (CO2 with S, but little H2O) atmosphere, which should cause progressive alteration of the crust in the form of sulfate and iron-oxide coatings; however, the exact rate of alteration and mineral species are not well constrained. Different experimental approaches, each with its own limitations, are currently being used to constrain mineralogy and alteration rates. One note is that no experimental approach has been able to fully replicate the necessary conditions and sustain them for a significant length of time. Furthermore, geochemical modeling studies can also constrain surface alteration mineralogy, again with different assumptions and limitations. Here, we review recent geochemical modeling and experimental studies to constrain the state of the art for alteration mineralogy, rate of alteration, open questions about the surface mineralogy of Venus, and what can be constrained before the fleet of missions arrives later this decade. Combining the new results confirms that basalt on the surface of Venus should react quickly and form coatings of sulfates and iron-oxides; however, the mineralogy and rate of alteration are dependent on physical properties of the protolith (including bulk composition, mineralogy, and crystallinity), as well as atmospheric composition, and surface temperature. Importantly, the geochemical modeling results show that the mineralogy is largely controlled by atmospheric oxygen fugacity, which is not well constrained for the near-surface environment on Venus. Therefore, alteration experiments run over a range of oxygen and sulfur fugacities are needed across a wide range of Venus analog materials with varying mineralogy and crystallinity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2023-9015","authors":["J. Filiberto","M. C. McCanta"],"tags":["Venus","Basalt","Protolith","Atmosphere (unit)","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-07-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2023-9015","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.107Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/scientificamerican112025-40ausc2mznz2vrzl0zhrw2","name":"Meteorite Heist","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican112025-40ausc2mznz2vrzl0zhrw2","authors":["Dan Vergano"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-14T10:00:25Z","doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican112025-40ausc2mznz2vrzl0zhrw2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2118/pw0323","name":"Estimating permeability considering mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.2118/pw0323","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-28T18:15:41Z","doi":"10.2118/pw0323","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7185/gold2025.30823","name":"Petrology and Geochronology of Anorthositic Lunar Meteorite Ghadduwah 001","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7185/gold2025.30823","authors":["Katherine Joy","Romain Tartèse","Joshua Snape"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-24T12:31:10Z","doi":"10.7185/gold2025.30823","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7868/s3034495625090023","name":"PHOSPHATES IN THE IMPACT ASSOCIATIONS OF THE CHELYABINSK METEORITE","source":"crossref","abstract":"Na-Fe- and Na-Ca-Mg-Fe-phosphates were found in the impact melt associations of the Chelyabinsk meteorite (Chebarkul fragment). They drastically differ in composition from phosphates of the initial chondrite (chlorapatite, merrillite). Chladniite NaCaMgFeMn(PO) and merrillite-like phase NaCaMgFeMn(PO) were observed in silicate part in quenched interstitial groundmass between olivine grains; merrillite and chlorapatite are rare here. The spongy metal-sulfide aggregate from large voids and metal-sulfide blebs in silicate part contain Na-Fe-phosphate globules. They consist of sarcopside and graftonite (Fe, Mn)(PO), galileiite Na(Fe, Mn)(PO), xenophyllite Na(Fe, Mn)(PO) and unidentified Na-Fe-phosphate Na(Fe, Mn)(PO), sometimes chromite-2. Dendritic-skeletal growth of crystals, evidencing about very rapid quenching, is clearly fixed in all associations of the impact melt (silicate part, vugs, metal-sulfide aggregate, metal-sulfide blebs, and phosphate globules). The following crystallization sequence is revealed in the Na-Fe-phosphate globules: chromite-2 → sarcopside/ graftonite → galileiite → xenophyllite. It is suggested that their formation was due to separation of Na-Fe-phosphate liquid from homogenous Na-P-Cr-O-dopped Fe-Ni-metal-sulfide melt. Crystallization of Na-Ca-Mg-Fe-phosphates occurred without participation of any liquation processes; and directly from silicate melt. The paper provides data on chemical composition and Raman spectroscopy for all studied phosphates, as well as for the key minerals of the impact melt associations of the Chelyabinsk meteorite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.7868/s3034495625090023","authors":["V.V. Sharygin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-27T16:16:56Z","doi":"10.7868/s3034495625090023","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/s0262-4079(25)00498-1","name":"Weird meteorite may be relic of lost planet","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/s0262-4079(25)00498-1","authors":["Alex Wilkins"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-30T00:52:41Z","doi":"10.1016/s0262-4079(25)00498-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/epsc-dps2025-177","name":"Measurements of Earth's magnetic field anomalies caused by meteorite impacts","source":"crossref","abstract":"Meteorites that have impacted the Earth's surface in the past have created impact craters. Most of these craters have not been preserved in a form that allows for their contemporary identification, but some, especially in Central and Northern Europe, have been described and classified as geological structures formed by meteorite impacts. When a celestial body strikes the Earth's surface, it causes a temporary increase in temperature to several hundred degrees Celsius, sometimes exceeding the Curie temperature for ferromagnetic rocks and minerals that make up the near-surface layer. Magnetization is relatively stable from a geological time perspective. The magnetic record in magnetite is usually stable and is quite difficult to remagnetize (Fassbinder, 2015). The impact leads to a change in the direction of magnetization in the minerals, which sometimes persists after the impact. This phenomenon is known as Thermoremanent Magnetization (TRM). It is characteristic of meteorite impact sites. This property is attributed to minerals cooled from high temperatures resulting from plutonic/volcanic processes or meteorite impacts. It is one of several types of remanent magnetization, but only this type will be present in impact structures (Fassbinder, 2015). The project aims to conduct research in the field of applied geophysics and the magnetic properties of rock and mineral samples in the area of craters formed by meteorite impacts in the context of thermomagnetic anomalies. As part of this project, proton magnetometer measurements have been conducted in the areas of the Morasko craters in Poland, the Dobele crater in Latvia, the Vepriai crater in Lithuania, and several craters in Estonia (Ilumestsa, Simuna, Tsõõrikmäe, Kärdla, Kaali). Samples from the Estonian craters have been collected for paleomagnetic studies and analyzed using a rotational magnetometer and a magnetic susceptibility instrument. The results of the magnetometric measurements are very promising and exhibit characteristic patterns of magnetic field anomalies typical of impact craters. The project is funded under the 'Pearls of Science' program by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Poland.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc-dps2025-177","authors":["Mikołaj Zawadzki","Natalia Godlewska","Szymon Oryński"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-09T15:12:38Z","doi":"10.5194/epsc-dps2025-177","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/d41586-025-03439-0","name":"Surprise meteorite debris uncovered on Moon’s far side","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-03439-0","authors":["Jenna Ahart"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-22T16:13:33Z","doi":"10.1038/d41586-025-03439-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/egusphere-egu25-2898","name":"Measurements of Earth's magnetic field anomalies caused by meteorite impacts","source":"crossref","abstract":"Meteorites that have impacted the Earth's surface in the past have created impact craters. Most of these craters have not been preserved in a form that allows for their contemporary identification, but some, especially in Central and Northern Europe, have been described and classified as geological structures formed by meteorite impacts. When a celestial body strikes the Earth's surface, it causes a temporary increase in temperature to several hundred degrees Celsius, sometimes exceeding the Curie temperature for ferromagnetic rocks and minerals that make up the near-surface layer. Magnetization is relatively stable from a geological time perspective. The magnetic record in magnetite is usually stable and is quite difficult to remagnetize (Fassbinder, 2015).The impact leads to a change in the direction of magnetization in the minerals, which sometimes persists after the impact. This phenomenon is known as Thermoremanent Magnetization (TRM). It is characteristic of meteorite impact sites. This property is attributed to minerals cooled from high temperatures resulting from plutonic/volcanic processes or meteorite impacts. It is one of several types of remanent magnetization, but only this type will be present in impact structures (Fassbinder, 2015).The project aims to conduct research in the field of applied geophysics and the magnetic properties of rock and mineral samples in the area of craters formed by meteorite impacts in the context of thermomagnetic anomalies.As part of this project, proton magnetometer measurements have been conducted in the areas of the Morasko craters in Poland, the Dobele crater in Latvia, the Vepriai crater in Lithuania, and several craters in Estonia. Samples from the Estonian craters have been collected for paleomagnetic studies, which will soon be analyzed using a rotational magnetometer and a magnetic susceptibility instrument. The results of the magnetometric measurements are very promising and exhibit characteristic patterns of magnetic field anomalies typical of impact craters.The project is funded under the 'Pearls of Science' program by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Poland.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-2898","authors":["Mikołaj Zawadzki","Natalia Godlewska","Szymon Oryński"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-14T17:20:51Z","doi":"10.5194/egusphere-egu25-2898","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2118/229579-ms","name":"Unleashing Cacheuta's Potential: From Mineralogy To Fractureability","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract The Cuyana basin is a Triassic continental rift located in western Argentina. Formed by the deposit of thick sequences of dark shales, rich in organic matter, associated with mainly lacustrine deposits. The objective is the compositional characterization of the Cacheuta Formation, one of the three source rocks of this basin, through X-ray diffraction analysis to determine and quantify the main mineral species and evaluate the fracturability and its potential use as an unconventional shale reservoir. Procedures, Process: To contribute to the evaluation of the Cacheuta Formation as an unconventional reservoir, fieldwork was carried out, where a geological survey and sampling of outcropping sections was carried out in classical locations of the Cuyana basin such as: Cerro Cacheuta, Cerro Cocodrilo and Divisadero Largo. The samples were described macroscopically and microscopically to understand the degree of heterogeneity (vertical and horizontal) and determine their mineralogy from direct tests such as x-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Outcrop samples from three areas: Divisadero Largo, Cerro Cocodrilo, and Cerro Bayo, were surveyed. Seventeen samples were collected, and 12 underwent detailed XRD analysis. Based on these studies, a preliminary QFM-Clay-Calcium ternary diagram was constructed to determine the clay content of the Cacheuta Formation and hence its fractureability. A QFM-Calcium-Clay ternary diagram indicated higher brittleness for samples from Cerro Cocodrilo and Cerro Bayo due to clay contents below 40%. Conversely, Divisadero Largo samples exhibited higher ductility due to higher clay content. The Cacheuta Formation's brittleness correlates with lower clay content (&amp;lt;40%), which enhances fracturability. Samples from Cerro Cocodrilo and Cerro Bayo show greater potential for hydraulic fracturing compared to Divisadero Largo. The Cacheuta Formation exhibits mineralogical characteristics suitable for hydraulic fracturing in areas with lower clay content. The identified mineralogical properties suggest brittleness and potential as an unconventional reservoir. Further geomechanical analyses are recommended to pinpoint optimal levels for stimulation. This study provides the first mineralogical characterization of the Cacheuta Formation using XRD analysis, contributing to the understanding of its potential for hydraulic fracturing. By linking mineralogy to fracturability, this research offers a foundation for future exploration of unconventional reservoirs in the Cuyana Basin.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2118/229579-ms","authors":["M.L. Guinazu"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-06T01:18:57Z","doi":"10.2118/229579-ms","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/epsc-dps2025-1734","name":"Non destructive methodology to study GRO 95517  antarctic meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"INTRODUCTIONReturning sample missions have gainedincreasing attention in the last decades sincethe only way to know the planetary surface'scomposition and reconstruct the historyof geological processes is to analysesamples using Earth-ground laboratorybasedtechniques.The employment of a non-or minimally destructiveprotocol of analyses to carry out acomprehensive characterisation is crucialto preserving very precious extraterrestrialsamples.On the other hand, non-destructive analyseson samples of meteorites and micrometeoriteswere yet successfully applied on Al-Haggounia 001[1] and the micrometeoritefound on Mt. Gariglione, southern Italy[2].With this aim, we are studying a fragmentof an antarctic meteorite named GRO95517, a EH3 chondrite, found in 1995 inGrosvenor Mountains (Antarctica – NZ).The purpose of this investigation is thestudy of mineralogical composition withparticular attention to the rare phases, mineraldistribution and association, texture andmicrostructures in order to provide furtherinformation on the origin and evolution ofthis meteorite.METHODSThe fragment was studied by ScanningElectron Microscope (SEM) and microcomputedtomography (μ-CT).The correlation between SEM-EDS data,chemical mapping and 3D reconstruction byμ-CT allows to obtain us a volumetric reconstructionof the fragment in nondestructiveway.RESULTSOptical analysesGRO 95517 consists of chondrulesformed by pyroxene (enstatite) immersed ina matrix composed by mesostases of plagioclasein which nickel-iron alloys, sulfides(daubréelite, oldhamite and troilite) andphosphides (schreibersite) are disseminated.The presence of oxidised phases such asjarosite and oxides testify an heavily weathering.The sample also exhibits several fractures.Optical observations on thin sectionshow two families of enstatite chondrules(EC): radial-pyroxene chondrules consistingof fan-like arrays of enstatite and porphyriticchondrules containing mainly enstatite.Other mineralogical phases forming bothchondrules and mesostasis are mainly sulfidesand plagioclases.In one enstatite chondrule we can appreciatea “faulting” structure.Sometimes, plagioclase and quartz aggregatesare observed.SEM analysisThe S.E.M. analysis confirmed the presenceof pyroxene (enstatite), which is themain constituent of chondrules. Furthermore, a significant distributionof sulfides was detected, relativelyhomogeneously dispersed throughout thethin section. Through SEM analysis, thesesulfides are oldhamite, daubréelite, andtroilite.Significant is also the presence of ironnickelalloys (kamacite), which stand outdue to their bright white appearance in BSEimages.Secondary mineralogical phases relatedto terrestrial weathering alteration are limonite(yellowish-brown in color) and jarosite.Microcomputed Tomography (μ-CT)This non-invasive technique was crucialto obtain bulk information about the outerand inner parts of the sample, thanks to theability to provide 3D reconstruction of meteoriticfragments. GRO95517 is characterizedby a high presence of pores that, inmost cases, are filled by secondary phases. In the cross section mineralswith different attenuation coefficientsand chondrules can be observed.CONCLUSIONThe Antarctic meteorite GRO 95517 ischaracterized by primary phases such asenstatite, kamacite and troilite surroundedby a glassy mesostasis. Few secondaryphases were recognized, that indicate a highdegree of weathering (limonite and jarosite).The integration of SEM-EDS data,chemical maps and 3D μ-CT reconstructionallows to obtain a volumetric reconstructionof the fragment, providing valuable informationon its internal structure withoutcompromising its integrity.REFERENCES:[1] Manzari, P., Mele, D., Tempesta, G. &amp;Agrosì, G. (2023) – New insights on theporosity and grain features of Al Haggounia001, an impact-melt meteorite, 1-10.[2] Agrosì, G., Manzari, P., Mele, D., Tempesta,G., Rizzo, F., Catelani, T., Cheng, G.,Yao, N., Villenueve, J. &amp; Bindi, L. (2025) –Unique (Al, Cu)-alloys discovered in a m","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc-dps2025-1734","authors":["Giovanni Fanelli","Giovanna Agrosì","Daniela Mele","Paola Manzari"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-09T15:45:11Z","doi":"10.5194/epsc-dps2025-1734","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/epsc-dps2025-594","name":"Effect of climate change on meteorite dropping fireballs","source":"crossref","abstract":"Climate change, driven by increased greenhouse gas concentrations, not only warming the troposphere (∼0–10 km) but also cooling and contracting the atmosphere above, including the stratosphere (∼10–50 km), mesosphere (∼50–85 km), and thermosphere (∼85–500+ km) [1–3]. This contraction is measurable and has been confirmed by multiple independent datasets and models over the past two decades. In particular, meteor radars, which routinely detect the ablation of small impact micrometeoroids at altitudes between 80 and 100 km, have shown that the peak ablation altitude is decreasing at rates ranging from ~200 to 800 m per decade [4–8]. This observed lowering is consistent with expectations from cooling-induced density changes at fixed altitudes. Although the implications of these changes for satellite drag and orbital debris lifetimes are starting to be explored in detail [9,10], little attention has been paid to their possible influence on larger meteoroids that penetrate deeper into the atmosphere and survive as meteorites.In this study, we investigate whether ongoing climate-driven changes in atmospheric density can significantly affect the atmospheric trajectory and survivability of meteorite dropping fireballs, focusing on the century-scale timescale. To do this, we simulate the atmospheric entry of the Winchcombe meteorite fall, one of the best documented carbonaceous chondrite falls to date, under both atmospheric conditions of 2021 and those projected for the year 2100, using the output of the climate model from the WACCM-X (Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model - Extended) [11]. The model assumes a moderate emissions scenario (SSP2-4.5) [12], and the density trends are extracted from simulations accounting for solar and geomagnetic activity variations [13].Winchcombe represents an ideal test case. It was a slow low-altitude fireball (entry velocity: 13.9 km/s) with minimal atmospheric deceleration below 40 km, and produced a carbonaceous CM2 chondrite [14]. Its low strength (onset of fragmentation at ~0.07 MPa) and unusually low peak dynamic pressure (~0.6 MPa) make it highly sensitive to changes in atmospheric density. We modeled its entry using a semi-empirical fragmentation and erosion model [15–17], informed by manual identification of fragmentation points and limited by deceleration and photometry data. The simulations were repeated under a projected 2100 atmospheric density profile, obtained by applying regression-derived trends from WACCM-X output to the location and season of the Winchcombe fall. See Figure 1.The comparison between the 2021 and 2100 simulations shows only modest differences in trajectory, light curve, and survivability. The luminous trajectory begins 3 km lower in the 2100 case for a typical +3 magnitude detection threshold. The first fragmentation occurs 820 m lower and the catastrophic fragmentation that produces most of the surviving fragments occurs 300 m lower. However, the final luminous point is actually 190 m higher in 2100 because of slightly faster deceleration in the denser lower stratosphere. The peak brightness remains virtually unchanged, although the fireball is ~0.5 mag fainter at altitudes above 120 km, due to lower densities and reduced drag in the mesosphere. The final surviving mass is reduced by just 0.13 g, or 0.037%, from an initial ~13 kg meteoroid. These variations are small compared to daily and seasonal variations in density [18], and are far below the uncertainties in most meteorite recovery campaigns.Figure 1. Dynamic pressure vs. altitude for the Winchcombe fireball (blue) and its 2100 climate change simulation (red), with eleven fragmentation points marked (crosses). The right panel shows their pressure differences (black).AcknowledgementsEP-A acknowledges financial support from the LUMIO project funded by the Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (2024-6-HH.0). DV was supported in part by the NASA Meteoroid Environment Office under cooperative agreement 80NSSC24M0060. IC was s","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc-dps2025-594","authors":["Eloy Peña-Asensio","Denis Vida","Ingrid Cnossen","Esteban Ferrer"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-07-09T15:12:38Z","doi":"10.5194/epsc-dps2025-594","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/gselements.21.6.455","name":"Ore Mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"Ore microscopy and ore mineralogy have a long-standing tradition and played a foundational role in studying ore deposits before the implementation of advanced analytical techniques.Even with modern technological developments, ore microscopy remains essential for understanding ore deposits.However, contemporary textbooks on these subjects are scarce.The book Ore Mineralogy by Juraj Majzlan and Martin Chovan is, therefore, a highly valuable addition, as it not only introduces the fundamentals of ore microscopy but also integrates crucial aspects of ore textures, crystal chemistry of simple and complex ore minerals, as well as modern chemical and spectroscopic methods for ore analysis.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.21.6.455","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-12-05T16:32:53Z","doi":"10.2138/gselements.21.6.455","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7185/gold2025.28773","name":"Meteorite impact event recorded in 3.2 Ga banded iron formations of Moodies Group, S. Africa","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7185/gold2025.28773","authors":["Takeshi Kakegawa"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-24T12:31:10Z","doi":"10.7185/gold2025.28773","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-6185543/v1","name":"Microscopic Characterization and Dynamic Visualization of Novel Structured Entities in Meteorite Cultures.","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract The discovery of Novel Structured Entities (NSE) in meteorite-derived cultures provides an opportunity to investigate structured formations with unique physicochemical properties and their potential role in the stabilization of genetic elements. This study employs Live Optical LED microscopy to characterize and dynamically visualize the structural properties and organizational stages of NSE under controlled conditions. Meteorite fragments from diverse locations and compositions were cultured in Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s Medium or sterile distilled water, enabling the observation of NSE morphologies, including motile vesicular structures (Free Forms), protective biofilms (Biofilm Forms), and highly mineralized laminated fibers (Resistant Forms). Staining with MTG revealed fluorescence across all observed NSE stages, suggesting an interaction with specific structural components rather than direct metabolic activity. Our findings indicate that these structured formations emerge in meteorite-derived cultures and exhibit properties suggesting resilience under extreme environmental conditions. While their organized morphology and co-occurrence with ssDNA sequences are intriguing, further research is required to determine whether this association holds any functional significance or results from unrelated culture dynamics. These results provide a structural framework for a parallel genomic study, which detected previously uncharacterized single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) sequences within the same cultures, warranting further investigation into potential associations. While the origins and nature of these structured formations remain to be fully elucidated, these findings underscore the importance of integrating molecular, structural, and functional analyses to explore the persistence of genetic elements in extreme environments and their potential implications for prebiotic evolution.","url":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6185543/v1","authors":["Carlos López Ramón y Cajal"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-03-12T08:28:13Z","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6185543/v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1017/9781108935630.004","name":"Fundamentals of Mineralogy","source":"crossref","abstract":"The magnetic properties of minerals are tied intrinsically to their crystallographic and electronic structures. Most books that discuss mineral magnetism tend to treat magnetic minerals from a physics perspective. While this is valuable, magnetic properties are linked inextricably to their host minerals, and it is important to understand key aspects of mineralogy and crystallography as they relate to magnetic structures and the recording of magnetic information. While the treatment of mineralogy and crystallography in this chapter will be elementary for mineralogists, the aim is to provide an essential and foundational introduction for readers with minimal background in these subjects to aid understanding of critical concepts in magnetic mineralogy. We start by discussing the atomic structure of matter, followed by chemical bonding and the arrangement of atoms in crystals. Fundamentals of crystallography are discussed, including the ways that we describe crystal symmetry. Processes by which magnetic minerals form and are altered in igneous rocks are discussed, along with the most common types of crystal structures found in magnetic minerals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108935630.004","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2026-01-07T00:06:23Z","doi":"10.1017/9781108935630.004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7185/gold2025.26331","name":"Discovery and Characterization of the S02 Meteorite from the Jonnagiri Area, Andhra Pradesh, India.","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.7185/gold2025.26331","authors":["Raju Pvs","Koushik Sen"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-24T12:31:10Z","doi":"10.7185/gold2025.26331","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.5194/egusphere-egu24-17685","name":"A tale of a meteorite who was too magnetic - using comics to simplify complex ideas","source":"crossref","abstract":"Somewhere in the vast landscape of the Sahara desert, a man stumbles upon an unusual kind of rock. After being passed around from dealers to collectors, the rock finds itself in a research laboratory. The rock is confused and does not remember where it comes from. The researcher invites the rock to a space journey, leading it back to its origins, the planet Mars. This is the story of an unusual friendship between a scientist and a meteorite, brought alive in the pages of a comic book. The book itself was born through the friendship between two planetary scientists who share a passion for planetary magnetic fields and a desire to communicate their passion to the public and inspire the next generation of planetary scientists.Meteors and meteorites have always fascinated people, but a particular aspect of these space rocks remains enigmatic to the general public: their magnetic records. This comic book aims at communicating complex scientific concepts and laboratory protocols through illustrations infused with a touch of humor. Intended for teenagers and adults, the comic explores how planetary magnetic fields are generated, how rocks record them and how the magnetic record of rocks helps scientists decipher how planets form and evolve over time. Importantly, the comic also aims at spreading the following message: meteorites should not be exposed to magnets. Doing so comes at the risk of erasing billion years old of geological history.&amp;#160;Though initially conceived for the web, the next stage of this project is to have the comic book printed and distributed at scientific outreach events, schools, and comics festivals. Ultimately, we hope that this comic book will find its place at the bookshelves of public libraries and teenage bedrooms.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-17685","authors":["Sabrina Sanchez","Foteini Vervelidou"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-11T10:07:27Z","doi":"10.5194/egusphere-egu24-17685","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41550-025-02527-5","name":"Solar heating and atmospheric filtering bias the meteorite record","source":"crossref","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02527-5","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-04-14T09:03:33Z","doi":"10.1038/s41550-025-02527-5","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3749/2500001","name":"Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Aluminum Phosphates from the Montebras Pegmatite, Massif Central, France","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract The Montebras pegmatitic cupola, Massif Central, France, hosts large pods of aluminum phosphates mainly composed of primary amblygonite–montebrasite. These phosphate masses are considerably altered by post-magmatic processes, leading to the formation of a number of secondary metasomatic hydrothermal phosphates (lacroixite, wardite, morinite, viitaniemiite, fluorapatite, triplite, eosphorite) and low-temperature phosphates (fluorapatite, crandallite, goyazite, gorceixite, variscite, turquoise, wavellite). A Mn-rich viitaniemiite-like phase, as well as an unknown Na-Al-P fluoride, were also identified. These phosphate assemblages were first observed with a classical polarizing microscope, but we demonstrated that cathodoluminescence microscopy was a powerful tool to decipher the complex petrography of these phases. Electron-microprobe analyses, as well as laser ablation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy, were used to characterize the trace- and major-elemental composition of those phosphates. These results allowed the determination of genetic sequences, explaining the crystallization of aluminum phosphates at different stages of the Montebras pegmatite evolution.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3749/2500001","authors":["Cassian Pirard","Martin Depret","Frederic Hatert"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-25T23:08:28Z","doi":"10.3749/2500001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.14293/apmc13-2025-0371","name":"The Future of Automated Mineralogy in 2D &amp; 3D","source":"crossref","abstract":"The phrase “automated mineralogy” has been synonymous with electron microscopy in the geosciences for decades. The use of energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) to rapidly map samples and identify phases of interest has gradually seen a shift out of its original industry applications and into the academic research environment. A major issue for academics wishing to take advantage of this powerful tool is the original platforms are rigid in terms of their industry designed outputs, and there has been a lack of development in both the software and hardware capable of providing automated outputs. However, rather than just looking backwards at what automated mineralogy was originally designed for, there is a more forward looking and important conversation as geoscience projects increase in scope. To think about geoscience in the context of topics such as big data, statistical relevance, and the use of increasingly prevalent machine learning techniques, we need to think about how we collect and store data. This naturally requires a greater integration of the problems geoscientists are trying to address with the solutions that microscopy and microanalysis equipment suppliers provide. Greater access to the data acquired on scientific equipment not only provides greater research flexibility but opens much smarter routes towards a future of correlated datasets with minimal user input. Using quantitative chemistry as the basis for automated mineralogy provides unique capabilities for large area analysis such as thin sections. Quantitative textural information can be extracted from the sample such as grain sizes, shapes, and mineral associations, alongside quantitative geochemical data providing mineral classification, including mineral and whole rock/sample compositions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.14293/apmc13-2025-0371","authors":["Bernd Schulz","Feng Lin Ng","Richard Taylor"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-06T14:53:18Z","doi":"10.14293/apmc13-2025-0371","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1101/2025.01.20.633545","name":"Discovery of single-stranded DNA in meteorite-derived cultures: evidence of novel genetic elements","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract This study presents the first evidence of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) sequences identified through shotgun metagenomic analysis of meteorite-derived cultures. These ssDNA sequences, predominantly isolated from the \"no-hits\" zone with no significant matches in existing genomic databases, exhibit conserved motifs, distinct secondary structural features, and a unique AT-rich composition. These characteristics suggest potential roles in autoreplication, molecular stabilization, and resilience under extreme conditions, consistent with extremophilic adaptations. Notably, this discovery aligns with observations of a provisionally termed New Biological Structure (NBS) detected in diverse contexts, including meteorites and biogenic materials, though its characterization lies beyond the scope of this study. The sequences were detected using a rigorous methodology that included stringent contamination controls, advanced metagenomic assembly techniques, and exhaustive taxonomic filtering to ensure robustness and minimize false positives. Their consistent detection across meteorites of varying types and geographic origins further underscores the reliability of the findings. Repeat analyses revealed specific motifs associated with potential regulatory or structural roles, while secondary structure predictions suggested configurations that could support autoreplication and stability under extreme conditions. This groundbreaking discovery highlights the potential of meteorites to harbor previously uncharacterized genomic elements, offering profound insights into molecular diversity, prebiotic chemistry, and molecular evolution. By situating these findings within the broader context of extremophilic biology and astrobiological exploration, this study establishes a foundation for investigating the structural, functional, and evolutionary implications of these sequences. Future research will also explore their relevance as biosignatures in the search for life under extreme and extraterrestrial conditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.01.20.633545","authors":["Carlos López Ramón y Cajal"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-22T19:05:20Z","doi":"10.1101/2025.01.20.633545","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3749/2100066","name":"A Detailed Study of the Mineralogy and Petrology of the Kipawa Rare Earth Elements Deposit (Canada)","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract The Kipawa Syenite Complex is composed of peralkaline leucosyenites, mesosyenites, mafic syenites, amphibole syenites, fenites, peralkaline granite, and monzonite, with intercalated lenses of marble and skarn. The main REE-HFSE (rare earth element-high field strength element) bearing mineralogy reflects an agpaitic character and the following assemblages are observed: (1) vlasovite + gittinsite ± eudialyte ± fluorapatite ± armstrongite, (2) eudialyte + rinkite group minerals + britholite group minerals ± fluorapatite ± vlasovite ± miserite, (3) eudialyte ± Th-, Ti-, and Nb-bearing minerals, (4) rinkite group minerals + britholite group minerals ± Th-, Ti-, and Nb-bearing minerals, (5) britholite group minerals ± parisite-(Ce) ± bastnäsite-(Ce) ± monazite-(Ce) ± Nb-bearing minerals, (6) britholite group minerals + chevkinite group minerals ± bastnäsite-(Ce), and (7) xenotime-(Y) + monazite-(Ce). The occurrence of zircon, baddeleyite, and zirconolite locally in both agpaitic britholite-bearing marble and skarn may indicate a transition to a miaskitic character. Two miaskitic assemblages are observed: (1) zircon + titanite + Th-bearing minerals + Nb-bearing minerals ± baddeleyite and (2) allanite + zircon + REE-bearing/Nb-bearing minerals ± Th-bearing minerals. The crystallization of REE-bearing minerals after allanite and zircon also supports the transition. Thirty-one mineral species were analyzed, including 26 REE- and HFSE-bearing species: eudialyte, fluorapatite, britholite-(Ce), britholite-(Y), fluorbritholite-(Ce), fluorbritholite-(Y), fluorcalciobritholite, rinkite-(Ce), rinkite-(Y), mosandrite-(Ce), “mosandrite-(Y)”, vlasovite, gittinsite, zircon, miserite, armstrongite, parisite-(Ce), bastnäsite-(Ce), parisite-(Ce), xenotime-(Y), monazite-(Ce), zirconolite, and baddeleyite. Amphibole, pyroxene, and feldspar crystallized early to form syenitoid and granitoid lithologies. In the skarn and marble, the paragenetic sequence is calcite, pyroxene, micas, and amphibole. The crystallization order varies in the fenites. Vlasovite and chevkinite-(Ce) are late-magmatic or metamorphic phases. The majority of eudialyte is post-magmatic, but some euhedral crystals in syenite are magmatic to late-magmatic in origin. Eudialyte is paragenetically followed by rinkite and miserite, then mosandrite and REE-bearing carbonates, REE-bearing phosphates, britholite group minerals, Nb-, Th-, and U-bearing minerals, zirconolite, baddeleyite, pectolite, and fluorapatite. Vlasovite is partially replaced by gittinsite + armstrongite + zircon, and chevkinite-(Ce) crystals have rims composed of perrierite-(Ce), bastnäsite-(Ce), and other unidentified REE-bearing minerals. The final stage of formation involved development of fenites, which were produced by fluid-induced metasomatism and metamorphism of syenitoids and marbles. The REE and HFSE mineralization resulted from the modification of host syenites by the infiltration of an aqueous fluid rich in CO2, S, P, F, and Cl. During the tectonic juxtaposition of marble with syenitic rocks this fluid remobilized REE, HFSE, Na, Ca, Al, Mn, and Fe from magmatic rocks and mixed with Ca and CO2 from marble. The high F content favored the precipitation of F-bearing species (eudialyte, rinkite, fluorbritholite) and Ce-bearing species, followed by Y-bearing species and H2O-bearing species (e.g., mosandrite).","url":"https://doi.org/10.3749/2100066","authors":["Simon Matte","Marc Constantin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-03T00:01:48Z","doi":"10.3749/2100066","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1134/s0016702925600476","name":"Phosphates in the Impact Associations of the Chelyabinsk Meteorite","source":"crossref","abstract":"Abstract Na–Fe and Na–Ca–Mg–Fe phosphates were found in the impact melt associations of the Chelyabinsk meteorite (Chebarkul fragment). They drastically differ in composition from phosphates of the initial chondrite (chlorapatite and merrillite). Chladniite Na2.25Ca2.14Mg6.47Fe3.76Mn0.17(PO4)9 and a merrillite-like phase Na1.32Ca6.80Mg2.07Fe0.98Mn0.04(PO4)7 were found in the silicate part in quenched interstitial groundmass between olivine grains; merrillite and chlorapatite are rare in it. The spongy metal–sulfide aggregate in the large vugs and metal–sulfide blebs in the silicate part contain Na–Fe phosphate globules. They consist of sarcopside and graftonite (Fe2+,Mn2+)3(PO4)2, galileiite Na(Fe2+,Mn2+)4(PO4)3, xenophyllite Na4(Fe2+,Mn2+)7(PO4)6, an unidentified Na–Fe phosphate Na2(Fe2+,Mn2+)17(PO4)12, and sometimes chromite-2. Dendritic–skeletal growth of crystals (providing evidence of very rapid quenching) is found in all associations of the impact melt (silicate part, vugs, metal–sulfide aggregate, metal–sulfide blebs, and phosphate globules). The following crystallization sequence is revealed in the Na–Fe phosphate globules: chromite-2 → sarcоpside/graftonite → galileiite → xenophyllite. They are thought to have formed due to the separation of Na–Fe phosphate liquid from homogenous Fe–Ni metal–sulfide melt enriched in Na, P, Cr, and O. The Na–Ca–Mg–Fe phosphates crystallized without involvement of any processes of liquid immiscibility, directly from silicate melt. The paper provides data on the chemical composition and Raman spectroscopy of all studied phosphates and the major minerals of the impact melt associations of the Chelyabinsk meteorite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1134/s0016702925600476","authors":["V. V. Sharygin"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-09-23T17:34:10Z","doi":"10.1134/s0016702925600476","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.35597/2313-545x-2025-11-3-4","name":"Mineralogy of oxidation zone of the Vorovskaya Yama ancient copper mine (South Transurals)","source":"crossref","abstract":"The article considers the geological setting and mineralogy of oxidation zone of the Vorovskaya Yama copper occurrence (South Transurals), which was exploited in 17th–16th centuries BC by miners of the Alakul culture. The ore occurrence is confned to the contact of serpentinites and Devonian basalts; mineralization is associated with small intrusive bodies of syenites and belongs to skarn type. Andradite and clinopyroxene are major minerals of skarns. The oxidation zone contains subordinate (plagioclase, amphibole, epidote, chlorite, quartz, zoisite, muscovite, and malachite), accessory (Cr-rich spinel, magnetite, barite, chalcopyrite, covellite, pyrrhotite, cubanite, and native gold) and supergene (smectites, Fe oxyhydroxides, opal, native copper, and iodargyrite) minerals. The upper horizons of the oxidation zone with weathered skarns and malachite were exploited in the Bronze Age. Copper ore of the Vorovskaya Yama type in the South Urals Bronze Age settlements can be identifed by the presence of garnet, as well as the presence of Zn, Ag and Se in oxidized ore.","url":"https://doi.org/10.35597/2313-545x-2025-11-3-4","authors":["A.M. Yuminov","Sh.Kh. Kuldashev","I.A. Blinov","P.V. Khvorov","K.A. Filippova","M.N. Ankushev","P.S. Ankusheva"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-10-09T08:19:20Z","doi":"10.35597/2313-545x-2025-11-3-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.7868/s3034495625090066","name":"CARBONACEOUS CHONDRITE CLAST CAPTURED IN COLLISION EVENT BY THE ELGA IRON METEORITE (GROUP IIE)","source":"crossref","abstract":"A melt pocket (MP) found in only one of the silicate inclusions in the Elga iron meteorite was studied using TEM, SEM, EMPA, and Raman spectroscopy methods. The MP demonstrates the liquid immiscibility of the FeCO-Fe(PO)-SiO-(Fe, Ni)P melts, the mineralogical and bulk chemical composition of which is inconsistent with that of the silicate inclusions in the Elga meteorite. Key differences include: (1) The high content of Fe oxide in the MP is inconsistent with the low FeO content (=3 wt. %) in the SiO glass of silicate inclusions; (2) Ca and Mg, the main phase–forming cations of silicate inclusions, are absent in the MP; (3) Siderite and sarcopside, the main oxygen–bearing phases in the MP, were not found in other silicate inclusions of Elga; (4) carbon compounds (aromatized sp-carbon, phenols) identified in the MP were not found in the host silicate substance. These contradictions lead to the conclusion that the melt pocket is a melted fragment of carbonaceous chondrite captured by Elga&amp;apos;s parent body during a collision with carbonaceous asteroid.","url":"https://doi.org/10.7868/s3034495625090066","authors":["N.R. Khisina"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-27T16:16:56Z","doi":"10.7868/s3034495625090066","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.14293/pr2199.002274.v1","name":"MINERALOGY OF NAHUTA CLAY KURRA SHEET 189 NE","source":"crossref","abstract":"The present study investigates the mineralogical composition of Nahuta clay,which forms part of the Ropp Complex located in Barkin Ladi Local GovernmentArea of Plateau State, Nigeria. Detailed geological mapping and laboratoryanalysis were conducted to determine the clay’s mineralogical characteristics usingX-ray diffraction (XRD). The results revealed that the Nahuta clay consistspredominantly of kaolinite, with minor quantities of smectite, montmorillonite,microcline, muscovite, and quartz. Kaolinite occurs in higher proportions relativeto other clay minerals, indicating that the deposit is dominantly kaolinitic. Fieldobservations also identified weathered basalt and granite as the principal associatedrock types within the study area. These findings suggest that the Nahuta claydeposit has undergone significant weathering processes typical of tropicalenvironments.Keywords: Mineralogy, Nahuta clay, Kaolinite, Ropp Complex, Barkin Ladi, Xray diffraction (XRD), Plataeu State, Weathering process, Basalts and Graniteassociation, Mineralogical composition.","url":"https://doi.org/10.14293/pr2199.002274.v1","authors":["Ezekiel Serumun Terrumun"],"tags":[],"confidence":0.7,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-11-12T14:15:15Z","doi":"10.14293/pr2199.002274.v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-025-61357-1","name":"Abundant microchondrules in 162173 Ryugu suggest a turbulent origin for primitive asteroids.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Chondrules are a characteristic feature of primitive Solar System materials and are common in all primitive meteorites except the CI-chondrites. They are thought to form owing to melting of solid dust aggregates by energetic processing within the solar nebula and thus record fundamental processes within protoplanetary disks. We report the discovery of abundant altered microchondrules (>350 ppm) with modal sizes of 6-8 µm within sample A0180 from C-type asteroid Ryugu. These microchondrules have similar log-normal size and shape distributions to normal-sized chondrules, implying evolution by similar size-sorting. We suggest here formation of microchondrules in an outer Solar System chondrule factory, located in the Jovian pressure-bump, followed by turbulent diffusion and concentration relative to chondrules by intense turbulence. Meridional flows could have also separated microchondrules from chondrules and deliver them sunwards of the pressure bump via Lindblad torque flows. Contrary to conventional wisdom we thus propose that the concentration of fine-grained, unprocessed grains could mean the most primitive asteroids did not have to form at the largest heliocentric distances.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61357-1","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1038/s41467-025-61357-1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-025-56220-2","name":"The structure and stability of Fe<sub>4+x</sub>S<sub>3</sub> and its potential to form a Martian inner core.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Seismic, geodetic and cosmochemical evidence point to Mars having a sulfur-rich liquid core. Due to the similarity between estimates of the core's sulfur content and the iron-iron sulfide eutectic composition at core conditions, it has been concluded that temperatures are too high for Mars to have an inner core. Recent low density estimates for the core, however, appear consistent with sulfur contents that are higher than the eutectic composition, leading to the possibility that an inner core could form from a high-pressure iron sulfide phase. Here we report the crystal structure of a phase with the formula Fe 4+x S 3 , the iron content of which increases with temperature, approaching the stoichiometry Fe 5 S 3 under Martian inner core conditions. We show that Fe 4+x S 3 has a higher density than the liquid Martian core and that a Fe 4+x S 3 inner core would crystalize if temperatures fall below 1960 (±105) K at the center of Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56220-2","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1038/s41467-025-56220-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-025-92636-y","name":"Statistical analysis of EBSD data confirms pronounced classical and non-classical pervasive crystallographic twinning in rotaliid foraminiferal calcite.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"We describe a quantitative statistical and geometric analysis of classical and non-classical modes of twinning in the calcite produced by biomineralization in the shell of the rotaliid foraminifer species Amphistegina lessonii. Foraminifera are responsible for about a quarter of the marine production of CaCO 3 and thus play a major role in the natural CO 2 sequestration into marine carbonate sediments. The shell calcite of rotaliid foraminifera is nano-twinned and thus quite distinct from inorganic calcite and from biogenic calcite produced by other groups of organisms. Previous work showed that foraminiferal calcite contains a high spatial density of twin walls of the classical 60°| = m.{001} twin, but there was another peak in the range between 75° and 80° in the misorientation statistics of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) maps of the same specimen. We checked the significance of all maxima in misorientation by in-depth statistical analysis, thus confirmed the 60°| penetration twinning and found that the 75°-80° maxima are related to new, non-classical, but systematically reoccurring oriented associations of calcite crystals with orientation relationships 78.2°| and 76.6°| . If the nano-twinning provides an evolutionary advantage, it may increase the strength and toughness of the feeble mineralized chamber walls of the organisms.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-92636-y","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1038/s41598-025-92636-y","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41467-025-57691-z","name":"Pervasive impact modification of pristine lunar clasts.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Lunar rock fragments, particularly those deemed pristine, have long been considered vital records of the Moon's formation and magmatic evolution. These fragments were thought to have largely escaped the Moon's intense impact history, offering a window into the early lunar crust. However, the concept of \"pristine\" is increasingly debated, as traditional criteria for identifying pristine samples-based on texture, mineral content, and siderophile element abundances-may overlook the extensive effects of impact reworking. In this study, we apply a novel high-resolution geochemical and experimental approach, linking zircon Al content to parent melt composition, to critically assess lunar samples. Our findings reveal that clast zircons, assumed to preserve magmatic history, and matrix zircons, considered the last igneous remnants in brecciated samples, are not in chemical equilibrium with their surrounding glass. This disequilibrium, coupled with heterogeneous zircon ages, provides compelling evidence for pervasive impact reworking, challenging the assumption that these samples represent primary igneous lithologies. These results underscore the need for a serious re-evaluation of lunar materials. New analytical tools, tailored to each critical lunar lithology, will be essential for this reassessment-such as the Al-in-zircon method employed here for zircon-bearing samples.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57691-z","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1038/s41467-025-57691-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s11214-025-01218-x","name":"Psyche Mission Description and Design Rationale.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Psyche spacecraft launched on October 13, 2023 to journey to the asteroid of the same name. Psyche is the largest M-class asteroid and possibly the remanent core of an early differentiated planetesimal that was disrupted by collisions. The Psyche mission will test that hypothesis as the 14th mission in NASA's Discovery Program. An alternative hypothesis is that the asteroid is unmelted primordial material. We describe the proposal competition process leading to selection of the mission and its context with other small body missions. This paper will briefly introduce the three science instruments, gravity science investigation, and Deep Space Optical Communications technology demonstration, leading into a detailed explanation of the science mission architecture. The orbital science phase is divided into a series of circular mapping orbits at four distinct altitudes, each selected to address specific science objectives. The requirements and objectives for each orbit are accompanied by an assessment of the effectiveness of each phase. We discuss the structure of the Psyche team during the operations phase along with the roles and responsibilities of the science and flight operations teams. Key elements of mission operations that are unique to the Psyche mission are provided. The Science Data Center manages and archives the Psyche mission data. The contents of the archive data sets for each instrument are outlined as well as the interfaces between the Science Data Center, the instrument teams, and the Planetary Data System.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-025-01218-x","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025","doi":"10.1007/s11214-025-01218-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.2138/am-2018-6505","name":"Adrianite, Ca&lt;sub&gt;12&lt;/sub&gt;(Al&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt;Mg&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;Si&lt;sub&gt;7&lt;/sub&gt;)O&lt;sub&gt;32&lt;/sub&gt;Cl&lt;sub&gt;6&lt;/sub&gt;, a new Cl-rich silicate mineral from the Allende meteorite: An alteration phase in a Ca-Al-rich inclusion.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Adrianite (IMA 2014-028), Ca 12 (Al 4 Mg 3 Si 7 )O 32 Cl 6 , is a new Cl-rich silicate mineral and the Si,Mg analog of wadalite. It occurs with monticellite, grossular, wadalite, and hutcheonite in altered areas along some veins between primary melilite, spinel, and Ti,Al-diopside in a Type B1 FUN (Fractionation and Unidentified Nuclear effects) Ca-Al-rich inclusion (CAI), Egg -3, from the Allende CV3 carbonaceous chondrite. The mean chemical composition of type adrianite by electron probe microanalysis is (wt%) CaO 41.5, SiO 2 27.5, Al 2 O 3 12.4, MgO 7.3, Na 2 O 0.41, Cl 13.0, O=Cl -2.94, total 99.2, giving rise to an empirical formula of (Ca11.69Na 0.21 )(Al 3.85 Mg 2.88 Si 7.23 )O 32 Cl 5.80 . The end-member formula is Ca 12 (Mg 5 Si 9 )O 32 Cl 6 . Adrianite has the I4¯3d wadalite structure with a = 11.981 Å, V = 1719.8 Å 3 , and Z = 2, as revealed by electron backscatter diffraction. The calculated density using the measured composition is 3.03 g/cm 3 . Adrianite is a new secondary mineral in Allende, apparently formed by alkali-halogen metasomatic alteration of primary CAI minerals such as melilite, anorthite, perovskite, and Ti,Al-diopside on the CV chondrite parent asteroid. Formation of secondary Cl-rich minerals sodalite, adrianite, and wadalite during metasomatic alteration of the Allende CAIs suggests that the metasomatic fluids had Cl-rich compositions. The mineral name is in honor of Adrian J. Brearley, mineralogist at the University of New Mexico, U.S.A., in recognition of his many contributions to the understanding of secondary mineralization in chondritic meteorites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2018-6505","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","doi":"10.2138/am-2018-6505","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.abl3929","name":"Imprint of chondrule formation on the K and Rb isotopic compositions of carbonaceous meteorites.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Chondrites display isotopic variations for moderately volatile elements, the origin of which is uncertain and could have involved evaporation/condensation processes in the protoplanetary disk, incomplete mixing of the products of stellar nucleosynthesis, or aqueous alteration on parent bodies. Here, we report high-precision K and Rb isotopic data of carbonaceous chondrites, providing new insights into the cause of these isotopic variations. We find that the K and Rb isotopic compositions of carbonaceous chondrites correlate with their abundance depletions, the fractions of matrix material, and previously measured Te and Zn isotopic compositions. These correlations are best explained by the variable contribution of chondrules that experienced incomplete condensation from a supersaturated medium. From the data, we calculate an average chondrule cooling rate of ~560 ± 180 K/hour, which agrees with values constrained from chondrule textures and could be produced in shocks induced by nebular gravitational instability or motion of large planetesimals through the nebula.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abl3929","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.abl3929","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.chemer.2019.125543","name":"Origin of &lt;sup&gt;16&lt;/sup&gt;O-rich fine-grained Ca-Al-rich inclusions of different mineralogy and texture.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"A coordinated mineralogical and oxygen isotopic study of four fine-grained calcium-, aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) from the ALHA77307 CO3.0 carbonaceous chondrite was conducted. Three of the inclusions studied, 05, 1-65, and 2-119, all have nodular structures that represent three major groups, melilite-rich, spinel-rich, and hibonite-rich, based on their primary core mineral assemblages. A condensation origin was inferred for these CAIs. However, the difference in their primary core mineralogy reflects unique nebular environments in which multiple gas-solid reactions occurred under disequilibrium conditions to form hibonite, spinel, and melilite with minor perovskite and Al,Ti-rich diopside. A common occurrence of a diopside rim on the CAIs records a widespread event that marks the end of their condensation as a result of isolation from a nebular gas. An exception is a rare inclusion 2-112 that contains euhedral spinel crystals embedded in melilite, suggesting this CAI had been re-melted. All of the fine-grained CAIs analyzed in ALHA77307 are uniformly 16 O-rich with an average Δ 17 O value of ~-22 ± 5‰ (2σ), indicating no apparent correlation between their textures and oxygen isotopic compositions. We therefore conclude that a prevalent 16 O-rich gas reservoir existed in a region of the solar nebula where CO3 fine-grained CAIs formed, initially by condensation and then later, some of them were reprocessed by melting event(s).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemer.2019.125543","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","doi":"10.1016/j.chemer.2019.125543","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.isci.2023.107160","name":"Igneous processes in the small bodies of the Solar System I. Asteroids and comets.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Igneous processes were quite widespread in the small bodies of the Solar System (SBSS) and were initially fueled by short-lived radioisotopes, the proto-Sun, impact heating, and differentiation heating. Once they finished, long-lived radioisotopes continued to warm the active bodies of the Earth, (possibly) Venus, and the cryovolcanism of Enceladus. The widespread presence of olivine and pyroxenes in planets and also in SBSS suggests that they were not necessarily the product of igneous processes and they might have been recycled from previous nebular processes or entrained in comets from interstellar space. The difference in temperature between the inner and the outer Solar System has clearly favored thermal annealing of the olivine close to the proto-Sun. Transport of olivine within the Solar System probably occurred also due to protostellar jets and winds but the entrainment in SBSS from interstellar space would overcome the requirement of initial turbulent regime in the protoplanetary nebula.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2023.107160","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023","doi":"10.1016/j.isci.2023.107160","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0218750","name":"Multiwall and bamboo-like carbon nanotubes from the Allende chondrite: A probable source of asymmetry.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This study presents multiwall and bamboo-like carbon nanotubes found in samples from the Allende carbonaceous chondrite using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). A highly disordered lattice observed in this material suggests the presence of chiral domains in it. Our results also show amorphous and poorly-graphitized carbon, nanodiamonds, and onion-like fullerenes. The presence of multiwall and bamboo-like carbon nanotubes have important implications for hypotheses that explain how a probable source of asymmetry in carbonaceous chondrites might have contributed to the enantiomeric excess in soluble organics under extraterrestrial scenarios. This is the first study proving the existence of carbon nanotubes in carbonaceous chondrites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0218750","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","doi":"10.1371/journal.pone.0218750","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.gca.2018.11.029","name":"Condensate refractory inclusions from the CO3.00 chondrite Dominion Range 08006: Petrography, mineral chemistry, and isotopic compositions.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"We have found two refractory inclusions in the CO3.00 carbonaceous chondrite Dominion Range (DOM) 08006 that appear to be primary condensates from the early solar nebula. One, inclusion 56-1, contains the first four phases predicted to form by equilibrium gas-solid condensation: corundum; hibonite; grossite; and perovskite. The other, 31-2, contains nine predicted condensate phases: hibonite; grossite; perovskite; melilite; spinel; FeNi metal; diopside; forsterite; and enstatite. Except for melilite/spinel, the phases occur in the predicted sequence from core to rim of the inclusion, which has an irregular shape inconsistent with a molten stage. This inclusion preserves the most complete record of condensation in the early solar nebula that has yet been found. The physical evidence reported here supports equilibrium condensation calculations that predict the observed sequence as well as the assumptions upon which they are based, such as total pressure (~10 -3 atm), bulk system composition (solar), and C-O-H proportions. All phases in both inclusions and the associated ferromagnesian silicates are 16O-rich, with ∆ 17 O between -25 and -20‰, implying that this is the original composition of the vast majority of primary condensates and that 16 O-poor compositions observed in many isotopically heterogeneous inclusions are largely due to subsequent isotopic exchange. While the nebula was well-mixed with respect to oxygen isotopic composition, clearly resolved anomalies in Ca and Ti isotopic compositions indicate that some isotopic heterogeneity existed early and was preserved during condensation. Inclusion 31-2 did not incorporate live 26 Al and has nucleosynthetic anomalies in the heavy Ca and Ti isotopes (i.e., δ 48 Ca = 4.3 ± 1.9‰; δ 50 Ti = 8.8 ± 2.0‰). In contrast, inclusion 56-1 has radiogenic 26 Mg excesses yielding a ( 26 Al/ 27 Al) 0 ratio of (1.0 ± 0.1) × 10 -5 and negative nucleosynthetic isotopic anomalies in Ca (δ 48 Ca = -10.3 ± 4.2‰) and Ti (δ 50 Ti = -4.3 ± 2.9‰). Thus, it represents a deviation from the mutual exclusivity relationship between 26 Al incorporation and large nucleosynthetic anomalies. The reservoirs in which these inclusions formed had similar O-isotopic and different Al-, Ca- and Ti-isotopic compositions, suggesting that while the CAI-forming region was well-mixed with respect to oxygen isotopic composition, clearly resolved anomalies in Ca and Ti isotopic compositions indicate that some isotopic heterogeneity existed and was preserved during condensation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2018.11.029","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","doi":"10.1016/j.gca.2018.11.029","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fmicb.2024.1397437","name":"Microbial colonization of gypsum: from the fossil record to the present day.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Microorganisms inhabiting gypsum have been observed in environments that differ greatly in water availability. Gypsum colonized by microorganisms, including cyanobacteria, eukaryotic algae, and diverse heterotrophic communities, occurs in hot, arid or even hyperarid environments, in cold environments of the Antarctic and Arctic zones, and in saline and hypersaline lakes and ponds where gypsum precipitates. Fossilized microbial remnants preserved in gypsum were also reported. Gypsum protects the endolithic microbial communities against excessive insolation and ultraviolet radiation, while allowing photosynthetically active radiation to penetrate through the mineral substrate. We here review the worldwide occurrences of microbially colonized gypsum and the specific properties of gypsum related to its function as a substrate and habitat for microbial life on Earth and possibly beyond. Methods for detecting and characterizing endolithic communities and their biomarkers in gypsum are discussed, including microscopic, spectroscopic, chemical, and molecular biological techniques. The modes of adaptation of different microorganisms to life within gypsum crystals under different environmental conditions are described. Finally, we discuss gypsum deposits as possible targets for the search for microbial life or its remnants beyond Earth, especially on Mars, where sulfate-rich deposits occur, and propose strategies to detect them during space exploration missions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1397437","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024","doi":"10.3389/fmicb.2024.1397437","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1107/s1600576721008554","name":"Laboratory exploration of mineral precipitates from Europa's subsurface ocean.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The precipitation of hydrated phases from a chondrite-like Na-Mg-Ca-SO 4 -Cl solution is studied using in situ synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction, under rapid- (360 K h -1 , T = 250-80 K, t = 3 h) and ultra-slow-freezing (0.3 K day -1 , T = 273-245 K, t = 242 days) conditions. The precipitation sequence under slow cooling initially follows the predictions of equilibrium thermodynamics models. However, after ∼50 days at 245 K, the formation of the highly hydrated sulfate phase Na 2 Mg(SO 4 ) 2 ·16H 2 O, a relatively recent discovery in the Na 2 Mg(SO 4 ) 2 -H 2 O system, was observed. Rapid freezing, on the other hand, produced an assemblage of multiple phases which formed within a very short timescale (≤4 min, Δ T = 2 K) and, although remaining present throughout, varied in their relative proportions with decreasing temperature. Mirabilite and meridianiite were the major phases, with pentahydrite, epsomite, hydrohalite, gypsum, blödite, konyaite and loweite also observed. Na 2 Mg(SO 4 ) 2 ·16H 2 O was again found to be present and increased in proportion relative to other phases as the temperature decreased. The results are discussed in relation to possible implications for life on Europa and application to other icy ocean worlds.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1107/s1600576721008554","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.1107/s1600576721008554","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.aaw3350","name":"Aluminum-26 chronology of dust coagulation and early solar system evolution.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Dust condensation and coagulation in the early solar system are the first steps toward forming the terrestrial planets, but the time scales of these processes remain poorly constrained. Through isotopic analysis of small Ca-Al-rich inclusions (CAIs) (30 to 100 μm in size) found in one of the most pristine chondrites, Allan Hills A77307 (CO3.0), for the short-lived 26 Al- 26 Mg [ t 1/2 = 0.72 million years (Ma)] system, we have identified two main populations of samples characterized by well-defined 26 Al/ 27 Al = 5.40 (±0.13) × 10 -5 and 4.89 (±0.10) × 10 -5 . The result of the first population suggests a 50,000-year time scale between the condensation of micrometer-sized dust and formation of inclusions tens of micrometers in size. The 100,000-year time gap calculated from the above two 26 Al/ 27 Al ratios could also represent the duration for the Sun being a class I source.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aaw3350","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.aaw3350","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.3389/fmicb.2019.02358","name":"Evaluating Biogenicity on the Geological Record With Synchrotron-Based Techniques.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The biogenicity problem of geological materials is one of the most challenging ones in the field of paleo and astrobiology. As one goes deeper in time, the traces of life become feeble and ambiguous, blending with the surrounding geology. Well-preserved metasedimentary rocks from the Archaean are relatively rare, and in very few cases contain structures resembling biological traces or fossils. These putative biosignatures have been studied for decades and many biogenicity criteria have been developed, but there is still no consensus for many of the proposed structures. Synchrotron-based techniques, especially on new generation sources, have the potential for contributing to this field of research, providing high sensitivity and resolution that can be advantageous for different scientific problems. Exploring the X-ray and matter interactions on a range of geological materials can provide insights on morphology, elemental composition, oxidation states, crystalline structure, magnetic properties, and others, which can measurably contribute to the investigation of biogenicity of putative biosignatures. Here, we provide an overview of selected synchrotron-based techniques that have the potential to be applied in different types of questions on the study of biosignatures preserved in the geological record. The development of 3rd and recently 4th generation synchrotron sources will favor a deeper understanding of the earliest records of life on Earth and also bring up potential analytical approaches to be applied for the search of biosignatures in meteorites and samples returned from Mars in the near future.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2019.02358","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","doi":"10.3389/fmicb.2019.02358","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1029/2019je005966","name":"Geochronology of an Apollo 16 Clast Provides Evidence for a Basin-Forming Impact 4.3 Billion Years Ago.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"We examined lithic breccias from the Apollo sample collection in order to identify ferroan anorthosite samples suitable for geochronology, and better define the age relationships between rocks of the lunar highlands. Clast 3A is a previously unstudied noritic anorthosite from Apollo 16 lithic breccia 60016 with textural evidence of slow subsolidus recrystallization. We estimate a cooling rate of ~10 °C/Myr and calculate a pyroxene solvus temperature of 1,100-1,000 °C. Pyroxene exsolution lamellae (1-3 μm) indicate that the last stage of cooling was rapid at ~0.2 °C/year, typical of rates observed in thick ejecta blankets. We calculate concordant ages from the 147 Sm- 143 Nd, 146 Sm- 142 Nd, Rb-Sr, and Ar-Ar isotopic systems of 4,302 ± 28, 4,296 + 39/-53, 4,275 ± 38, and 4,311 ± 31 Ma, respectively, with a weighted average of 4,304 ± 12 Ma. The closure temperature of the Sm-Nd system is ~855 ± 14 °C, whereas the closure temperature of the Ar-Ar system is 275 ± 25 °C. Cooling from 855 to 275 °C at 10 °C/Myr should result in an age difference between the two isotopic systems of ~60 Myr. The concordant Sm-Nd, Rb-Sr, and Ar-Ar ages imply that they record the time the rock was excavated by a large impact from the midcrust. The ages clearly predate various late accretion scenarios in which an uptick in impacts at 3.8 Ga is preceded by a period of relative quiescence between 4.4 and ~4.1 Ga, and instead are consistent with decreasing accretion rates following the formation of the Moon.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2019je005966","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","doi":"10.1029/2019je005966","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1038/s41598-018-25505-6","name":"Depletion of potassium and sodium in mantles of Mars, Moon and Vesta by core formation.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The depletions of potassium (K) and sodium (Na) in samples from planetary interiors have long been considered as primary evidence for their volatile behavior during planetary formation processes. Here, we use high-pressure experiments combined with laser ablation analyses to measure the sulfide-silicate and metal-silicate partitioning of K and Na at high pressure (P) - temperature (T) and find that their partitioning into metal strongly increases with temperature. Results indicate that the observed Vestan and Martian mantle K and Na depletions can reflect sequestration into their sulfur-rich cores in addition to their volatility during formation of Mars and Vesta. This suggests that alkali depletions are not affected solely by incomplete condensation or partial volatilization during planetary formation and differentiation, but additionally or even primarily reflect the thermal and chemical conditions during core formation. Core sequestration is also significant for the Moon, but lunar mantle depletions of K and Na cannot be reconciled by core formation only. This supports the hypothesis that measured isotopic fractionations of K in lunar samples represent incomplete condensation or extensive volatile loss during the Moon-forming giant impact.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-25505-6","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","doi":"10.1038/s41598-018-25505-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2018.1819","name":"Recovery of Fatty Acids from Mineralogic Mars Analogs by TMAH Thermochemolysis for the Sample Analysis at Mars Wet Chemistry Experiment on the Curiosity Rover.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Mars Curiosity rover carries a diverse instrument payload to characterize habitable environments in the sedimentary layers of Aeolis Mons. One of these instruments is Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM), which contains a mass spectrometer that is capable of detecting organic compounds via pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry (py-GC-MS). To identify polar organic molecules, the SAM instrument carries the thermochemolysis reagent tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) in methanol (hereafter referred to as TMAH). TMAH can liberate fatty acids bound in macromolecules or chemically bound monomers associated with mineral phases and make these organics detectable via gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) by methylation. Fatty acids, a type of carboxylic acid that contains a carboxyl functional group, are of particular interest given their presence in both biotic and abiotic materials. This work represents the first analyses of a suite of Mars-analog samples using the TMAH experiment under select SAM-like conditions. Samples analyzed include iron oxyhydroxides and iron oxyhydroxysulfates, a mixture of iron oxides/oxyhydroxides and clays, iron sulfide, siliceous sinter, carbonates, and shale. The TMAH experiments produced detectable signals under SAM-like pyrolysis conditions when organics were present either at high concentrations or in geologically modern systems. Although only a few analog samples exhibited a high abundance and variety of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), FAMEs were detected in the majority of analog samples tested. When utilized, the TMAH thermochemolysis experiment on SAM could be an opportunity to detect organic molecules bound in macromolecules on Mars. The detection of a FAME profile is of great astrobiological interest, as it could provide information regarding the source of martian organic material detected by SAM.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2018.1819","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","doi":"10.1089/ast.2018.1819","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s11214-017-0439-4","name":"OSIRIS-REx Contamination Control Strategy and Implementation.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"OSIRIS-REx will return pristine samples of carbonaceous asteroid Bennu. This article describes how pristine was defined based on expectations of Bennu and on a realistic understanding of what is achievable with a constrained schedule and budget, and how that definition flowed to requirements and implementation. To return a pristine sample, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft sampling hardware was maintained at level 100 A/2 and 2 of amino acids and hydrazine on the sampler head through precision cleaning, control of materials, and vigilance. Contamination is further characterized via witness material exposed to the spacecraft assembly and testing environment as well as in space. This characterization provided knowledge of the expected background and will be used in conjunction with archived spacecraft components for comparison with the samples when they are delivered to Earth for analysis. Most of all, the cleanliness of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft was achieved through communication among scientists, engineers, managers, and technicians.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-017-0439-4","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","doi":"10.1007/s11214-017-0439-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1103/physrevc.93.044614","name":"New evidence for chemical fractionation of radioactive xenon precursors in fission chains.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Mass-spectrometric analyses of Xe released from acid-treated U ore reveal that apparent Xe fission yields significantly deviate from the normal values. The anomalous Xe structure is attributed to chemically fractionated fission (CFF), previously observed only in materials experienced neutron bursts. The least retentive CFF-Xe isotopes, 136 Xe and 134 Xe, typically escape in 2:1 proportion. Xe retained in the sample is complimentarily depleted in these isotopes. This nucleochemical process allows understanding of unexplained Xe isotopic structures in several geophysical environments, which include well gasses, ancient anorthosite, some mantle rocks, as well as terrestrial atmosphere. CFF is likely responsible for the isotopic difference in Xe in the Earth's and Martian atmospheres and it is capable of explaining the relationship between two major solar system Xe carriers: the Sun and phase-Q, found in meteorites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevc.93.044614","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016","doi":"10.1103/physrevc.93.044614","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1126/sciadv.abe3647","name":"Globally distributed iridium layer preserved within the Chicxulub impact structure.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction is marked globally by elevated concentrations of iridium, emplaced by a hypervelocity impact event 66 million years ago. Here, we report new data from four independent laboratories that reveal a positive iridium anomaly within the peak-ring sequence of the Chicxulub impact structure, in drill core recovered by IODP-ICDP Expedition 364. The highest concentration of ultrafine meteoritic matter occurs in the post-impact sediments that cover the crater peak ring, just below the lowermost Danian pelagic limestone. Within years to decades after the impact event, this part of the Chicxulub impact basin returned to a relatively low-energy depositional environment, recording in unprecedented detail the recovery of life during the succeeding millennia. The iridium layer provides a key temporal horizon precisely linking Chicxulub to K-Pg boundary sections worldwide.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abe3647","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.1126/sciadv.abe3647","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s11214-020-00787-3","name":"SERENA: Particle Instrument Suite for Determining the Sun-Mercury Interaction from BepiColombo.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The ESA-JAXA BepiColombo mission to Mercury will provide simultaneous measurements from two spacecraft, offering an unprecedented opportunity to investigate magnetospheric and exospheric particle dynamics at Mercury as well as their interactions with solar wind, solar radiation, and interplanetary dust. The particle instrument suite SERENA (Search for Exospheric Refilling and Emitted Natural Abundances) is flying in space on-board the BepiColombo Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and is the only instrument for ion and neutral particle detection aboard the MPO. It comprises four independent sensors: ELENA for neutral particle flow detection, Strofio for neutral gas detection, PICAM for planetary ions observations, and MIPA, mostly for solar wind ion measurements. SERENA is managed by a System Control Unit located inside the ELENA box. In the present paper the scientific goals of this suite are described, and then the four units are detailed, as well as their major features and calibration results. Finally, the SERENA operational activities are shown during the orbital path around Mercury, with also some reference to the activities planned during the long cruise phase.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-020-00787-3","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021","doi":"10.1007/s11214-020-00787-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2021.0144","name":"Chemical, Thermal, and Radiation Resistance of an Iron Porphyrin: A Model Study of Biosignature Stability.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"Metal complexes of porphyrins and porphyrin-type compounds are ubiquitous in all three domains of life, with hemes and chlorophylls being the best-known examples. Their diagenetic transformation products are found as geoporphyrins, in which the characteristic porphyrin core structure is retained and which can be up to 1.1 billion years old. Because of this, and their relative ease of detection, metalloporphyrins appear attractive as chemical biosignatures in the search for extraterrestrial life. In this study, we investigated the stability of solid chlorido(2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaethylporphyrinato)iron(III) [FeCl(oep)], which served as a model for heme-like molecules and iron geoporphyrins. [FeCl(oep)] was exposed to a variety of astrobiologically relevant extreme conditions, namely: aqueous acids and bases, oxidants, heat, and radiation. Key results are: (1) the [Fe(oep)] + core is stable over the pH range 0.0-13.5 even at 80°C; (2) the oxidizing power follows the order ClO - > H 2 O 2 > ClO 3 - > HNO 3 > ClO 4 - ; (3) in an inert atmosphere, the iron porphyrin is thermally stable to near 250°C; (4) at high temperatures, carbon dioxide gas is not inert but acts as an oxidant, forming carbon monoxide; (5) a decomposition layer is formed on ultraviolet irradiation and protects the [FeCl(oep)] underneath; (6) an NaCl/NaHCO 3 salt mixture has a protective effect against X-rays; and (7) no such effect is observed when [FeCl(oep)] is exposed to iron ion particle radiation. The relevance to potential iron porphyrin biosignatures on Mars, Europa, and Enceladus is discussed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2021.0144","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022","doi":"10.1089/ast.2021.0144","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s11214-018-0574-6","name":"SEIS: Insight's Seismic Experiment for Internal Structure of Mars.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"By the end of 2018, 42 years after the landing of the two Viking seismometers on Mars, InSight will deploy onto Mars' surface the SEIS ( S eismic E xperiment for I nternal S tructure) instrument; a six-axes seismometer equipped with both a long-period three-axes Very Broad Band (VBB) instrument and a three-axes short-period (SP) instrument. These six sensors will cover a broad range of the seismic bandwidth, from 0.01 Hz to 50 Hz, with possible extension to longer periods. Data will be transmitted in the form of three continuous VBB components at 2 sample per second (sps), an estimation of the short period energy content from the SP at 1 sps and a continuous compound VBB/SP vertical axis at 10 sps. The continuous streams will be augmented by requested event data with sample rates from 20 to 100 sps. SEIS will improve upon the existing resolution of Viking's Mars seismic monitoring by a factor of ∼ 2500 at 1 Hz and ∼ 200 000 at 0.1 Hz. An additional major improvement is that, contrary to Viking, the seismometers will be deployed via a robotic arm directly onto Mars' surface and will be protected against temperature and wind by highly efficient thermal and wind shielding. Based on existing knowledge of Mars, it is reasonable to infer a moment magnitude detection threshold of M w ∼ 3 at 40 ∘ epicentral distance and a potential to detect several tens of quakes and about five impacts per year. In this paper, we first describe the science goals of the experiment and the rationale used to define its requirements. We then provide a detailed description of the hardware, from the sensors to the deployment system and associated performance, including transfer functions of the seismic sensors and temperature sensors. We conclude by describing the experiment ground segment, including data processing services, outreach and education networks and provide a description of the format to be used for future data distribution. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s11214-018-0574-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-018-0574-6","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019","doi":"10.1007/s11214-018-0574-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1007/s11084-009-9164-7","name":"Abstracts of the 2008 ISSOL Meeting. August 24-29, 2008. Florence, Italy.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"This issue of Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres contains the abstracts of the scientific contributions presented at the 2008 ISSOL Meeting, which was held in Florence (Italy) on 24-29 August, 2008.The Symposium's main objectives were to bring together scientists working in different areas of the study of the origin and early evolution of life, to stimulate discussion on this fundamental process and to have an appraisal of the most recent advances in this multidisciplinary field that combines research from space sciences and astrophysics, to chemistry, geology, paleontology, genomics, molecular biology, history and philosophy of science, among others.The meeting was attended by about 350 scientists from all over the world, and more than 310 presentations were given, including 260 posters.This volume collects almost all the contributions, which are an up-to-date account of the state of the knowledge on this exciting area of scientific and educational pursuits.It is with great pleasure that I acknowledge the contributions of different authors in assuring the prompt publication of the OLEB Special Issue.I would also like to express my thanks to the Editor of OLEB, Alan W.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11084-009-9164-7","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009","doi":"10.1007/s11084-009-9164-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1073/pnas.96.7.3432","name":"Nuclear waste forms for actinides.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The disposition of actinides, most recently 239Pu from dismantled nuclear weapons, requires effective containment of waste generated by the nuclear fuel cycle. Because actinides (e.g., 239Pu and 237Np) are long-lived, they have a major impact on risk assessments of geologic repositories. Thus, demonstrable, long-term chemical and mechanical durability are essential properties of waste forms for the immobilization of actinides. Mineralogic and geologic studies provide excellent candidate phases for immobilization and a unique database that cannot be duplicated by a purely materials science approach. The \"mineralogic approach\" is illustrated by a discussion of zircon as a phase for the immobilization of excess weapons plutonium.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.96.7.3432","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999","doi":"10.1073/pnas.96.7.3432","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2018.29027.mars","name":"iMARS Phase 2<sub>A Draft Mission Architecture and Science Management Plan for the Return of Samples from Mars Phase 2 Report of the International Mars Architecture for the Return of Samples (iMARS) Working Group</sub>.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The two linear depressions in this image form part of the Elysium Fossae complex, a group of troughs located in the Elysium quadrangle of Mars.These troughs are tectonic features, likely formed by the stretching, tearing and subsequent collapse of the crust resulting from the rise of the nearby Elysium volcanic province.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2018.29027.mars","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018","doi":"10.1089/ast.2018.29027.mars","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1089/ast.2015.1441","name":"AstRoMap European Astrobiology Roadmap.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"The European AstRoMap project (supported by the European Commission Seventh Framework Programme) surveyed the state of the art of astrobiology in Europe and beyond and produced the first European roadmap for astrobiology research. In the context of this roadmap, astrobiology is understood as the study of the origin, evolution, and distribution of life in the context of cosmic evolution; this includes habitability in the Solar System and beyond. The AstRoMap Roadmap identifies five research topics, specifies several key scientific objectives for each topic, and suggests ways to achieve all the objectives. The five AstRoMap Research Topics are • Research Topic 1: Origin and Evolution of Planetary Systems • Research Topic 2: Origins of Organic Compounds in Space • Research Topic 3: Rock-Water-Carbon Interactions, Organic Synthesis on Earth, and Steps to Life • Research Topic 4: Life and Habitability • Research Topic 5: Biosignatures as Facilitating Life Detection It is strongly recommended that steps be taken towards the definition and implementation of a European Astrobiology Platform (or Institute) to streamline and optimize the scientific return by using a coordinated infrastructure and funding system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2015.1441","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016","doi":"10.1089/ast.2015.1441","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"doi:10.1177/003591572401701701","name":"Assyrian Medical Texts.","source":"europepmc","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/003591572401701701","authors":[],"tags":[],"confidence":0.8,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1924","doi":"10.1177/003591572401701701","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.108Z"},{"id":"oa:W2064840320","name":"Mineralogy and petrology of amoeboid olivine inclusions in CO3 chondrites: Relationship to parent‐body aqueous alteration","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Petrographic and mineralogic studies of amoeboid olivine inclusions (AOIs) in CO3 carbonaceous chondrites reveal that they are sensitive indicators of parent‐body aqueous and thermal alteration. As the petrologic subtype increases from 3.0 to 3.8, forsteritic olivine (Fa0–1) is systematically converted into ferroan olivine (Fa60–75). We infer that the Fe, Si and O entered the assemblage along grain boundaries, forming ferroan olivine that filled fractures and voids. As temperatures increased, Fe+2 from the new olivine exchanged with Mg+2 from the original AOI to form diffusive haloes around low‐FeO cores. Cations of Mn+2, Ca+2 and Cr+3 were also mobilized. The systematic changes in AOI textures and olivine compositional distributions can be used to refine the classification of CO3 chondrites into subtypes. In subtype 3.0, olivine occurs as small forsterite grains (Fa0–1), free of ferroan olivine. In petrologic subtype 3.2, narrow veins of FeO‐rich olivine have formed at forsterite grain boundaries. With increasing alteration, these veins thicken to form zones of ferroan olivine at the outside AOI margin and within the AOI interior. By subtype 3.7, there is a fairly broad olivine compositional distribution in the range Fa63–70, and by subtype 3.8, no forsterite remains and the high‐Fa peak has narrowed, Fa64–67. Even at this stage, there is incomplete equilibration in the chondrite as a whole (e.g., data for coarse olivine grains in Isna (CO3.8) chondrules and lithic clasts show a peak at Fa39). We infer that the mineral changes in AOI identified in the low petrologic types required aqueous or hydrothermal fluids whereas those in subtypes ?3.3 largely reflect diffusive exchange within and between mineral grains without the aid of fluids.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2002.tb01163.x","authors":["L. J. Chizmadia","Alan E. Rubin","J. T. Wasson"],"tags":["Olivine","Chondrite","Forsterite","Geology","Petrography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2002.tb01163.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1990857719","name":"40Ar‐39Ar chronology of lunar meteorites Northwest Africa 032 and 773","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The 40Ar‐39Ar dating technique has been applied to the lunar meteorites Northwest Africa 032 (NWA 032), an unbrecciated mare basalt, and Northwest Africa 773 (NWA 773), (composed of cumulate and breccia lithologies), to determine the crystallization age and timing of shock events these meteorites may have experienced. Stepped heating analyses of several different samples of NWA 032 gave complex age spectra but indistinguishable total ages with a mean of 2.779 ± 0.014 Gyr. Possible causes of the complex age spectra obtained from NWA 032 include recoil of 39Ar, or the presence of pre‐shock 40Ar incorporated into shock‐melt veins. The effects of shock veins were investigated by laser fusion of 20 small samples expected to contain varying proportions of the shock veins. The laser ages show a narrow age distribution between 2.61–2.86 Gyr and a mean of 2.73 ± 0.03 Gyr, identical to the total age of ˜2.80 Gyr obtained for the bulk sample. Diffusion calculations based on the stepped heating data indicate that Ar release can be reconciled by release from feldspar (and possibly shock veins) at low temperatures followed by pyroxene at higher temperatures. The exposure age of NWA 032 is 212 ± 11 Myr, and it contains low trapped solar Ar. Stepped heating of cumulate and breccia portions of NWA 773 also give a relatively young age of 2.91 Gyr. The presence of trapped Ar in the breccia makes the age determination of this component less precise, but release of Ar appears to be from the same mineral phase, assumed to be plagioclase, in both lithologies. A marked difference in exposure age between the 2 lithologies also exists, with the breccia having spent 81 Myr longer at the lunar surface; this finding is consistent with the higher trapped Ar content of this lithology. Assuming that 2.80 Gyr and 2.91 Gyr are the crystallization ages of NWA 032 and NWA 773 respectively, these two meteorites are the youngest lunar mare basalts available for study.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00026.x","authors":["V. A. Fernandes","R. Burgess","G. Turner"],"tags":["Meteorite","Breccia","Pyroxene","Geology","Parent body"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00026.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1997360422","name":"Water soluble ions in the Nakhla martian meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract—Water‐soluble ion concentrations from the martian achondrite Nakhla and three asteroidal achon drites are reported. The Nakhla sample contains significant concentrations of chloride, sulfate, Mg, Na, Ca, and K ions. The results are interpreted to indicate that this rock has been in contact with a seawater‐like brine on the martian surface.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01458.x","authors":["Douglas J. Sawyer","Michael D. McGehee","J.A. Canepa","C. B. Moore"],"tags":["Martian","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Achondrite","Brine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01458.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1997176611","name":"The crystalline lunar spherules: Their formation and implications for the origin of meteoritic chondrules","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Crystalline lunar spherules (CLS) from three thin sections of Apollo 14 regolith breccias (14318,6; 14318,48 and 14315,20) have been examined. The objects have been classified and their abundances, size distributions, bulk compositions, and (where possible) plagioclase compositions determined. By number, 64% consist predominantly of very fine‐grained equant plagioclase grains but can also contain larger (∼50 μm) feldspar crystals (type X), while 22% contain plagioclase lathes in a fine‐grained mafic mesostasis (type Y). Plagioclase in both spherule types displays bright yellow cathodoluminescence that is conspicuous among the blue CL of the normal feldspar of the breccias. Type Z spherules (5%) contain feldspar with blue CL and minor amounts of olivine and pyroxene. Type Q spherules (4%) contain feldspar with yellow CL but in a luminescent mesostasis (of quartz or feldspar?). A few spherules are mixtures of type Y and type X textures. Most type X spherules, and a few type Y spherules, have fine‐grained opaque rims. Compound objects were also found and consist of two or more CLS that appear to have collided while still plastic or molten. The CLS are thought to be impact spherules that crystallized in free flight, their coarse textures suggesting fairly slow cooling rates (∼ <1 °C/s). The abundance of the CLS resembles that of chondrules in the CM chondrite Murchison, and their cumulative size‐frequency distributions are very similar to those of the chondrules in several meteorite classes. The bulk compositions of the CLS do not resemble regoliths at any of the Apollo sites, including Apollo 14, or any of the common impact glasses, but they do resemble the bulk compositions of several lunar meteorites and the impact glasses they contain. The Apollo 14 site is located on a region containing Imbrium ejecta, and we suggest that the CLS derive from the Imbrium impact. Ballistic calculations indicate that only impact events of this size on the Moon are capable of producing melt spherules with the required free flight times and slow cooling rates. Smaller impacts produce glassy spherules and agglutinates. As has been pointed out many times, the CLS have many properties in common with meteoritic chondrules. While much remains unclear, difficulties with a nebular origin and new developments in chondrule chronology, studies of asteroid surfaces and impact ejecta behavior, and the present observations indicate that meteoritic chondrules could have formed by impact.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01604.x","authors":["S. J. K. Symes","D. W. G. Sears","D. G. Akridge","Shaoxiong Huang","P. H. Benoit"],"tags":["Plagioclase","Feldspar","Chondrule","Geology","Breccia"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01604.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2015380168","name":"Petrographic and mineralogical study of new EH melt rocks and a new enstatite chondrite grouplet","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Enstatite chondrites are classified into EH and EL groups, and some of them were melted once. In this paper, we report petrography and mineral chemistry of five new Antarctic enstatite chondrites. Yamato 793225 is characterized by intermediate properties between the EH and EL groups and probably represents a new grouplet of enstatite chondrites. The three paired meteorites (Y‐8404, Y‐8414 and Y‐86004) may have cooled rapidly near the surface of the parent body as impact EH melt rocks. Yamato 82189 is also classified as EH melt rock, but it experienced slow cooling as did Y‐793225. Yamato 82189 contains the first occurrence of phlogopite in enstatite meteorites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01654.x","authors":["Yangting Lin","Makoto Kimura"],"tags":["Enstatite","Chondrite","Petrography","Geology","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01654.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1999769392","name":"Chemical analyses of meteorites at the Smithsonian Institution: An update","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Thirteen new meteorites and three meteorite inclusions have been analyzed. Their results have been incorporated into earlier published data for a comprehensive reference to all analyzed meteorites at the Smithsonian Institution. The six tables facilitate a convenient overlook of meteorite data. Table 1 presents an alphabetical list of analyzed meteorites, Table 2 chemical analyses of stony meteorites, Table 3 chemical analyses of iron meteorites, Table 4 elemental composition of stony meteorites, Table 5 average composition of carbonaceous chondrites and achondrites (falls and finds), and Table 6 presents average composition of H, L, LL, and Antarctic chondrites (falls and finds). The tables are available online at the journal's Web site http:meteoritics.org.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2006.tb00528.x","authors":["E. Jarosewich"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Achondrite","Table (database)","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2006.tb00528.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2028700051","name":"Estimated optical constants of the Tagish Lake meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The visible, near‐infrared, and mid‐infrared (0.3–25 μm) real and imaginary indices of refraction are derived from reflectance measurements of the Tagish Lake meteorite. These are compared to some real and imaginary indices of refraction of the individual minerals composing the Tagish Lake meteorite. From this comparison, it is clear that the imaginary indices of several individual minerals contribute to the estimated imaginary index of this meteorite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00277.x","authors":["T. L. Roush"],"tags":["Meteorite","The Imaginary","Chondrite","Infrared","Refraction"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00277.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2329231104","name":"Multiple precursors of secondary mineralogical assemblages in CM chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We report a petrographic and mineralogical survey of tochilinite/cronstedtite intergrowths (TCIs) in Paris, a new CM chondrite considered to be the least altered CM identified to date. Our results indicate that type‐I TCIs consist of compact tochilinite/cronstedtite rims surrounding Fe‐Ni metal beads, thus confirming kamacite as the precursor of type‐I TCIs. In contrast, type‐II TCIs are characterized by complex compositional zoning composed of three different Fe‐bearing secondary minerals: from the outside inwards, tochilinite, cronstedtite, and amakinite. Type‐II TCIs present well‐developed faces that allow a detailed morphological analysis to be performed in order to identify the precursors. The results demonstrate that type‐II TCIs formed by pseudomorphism of the anhydrous silicates, olivine, and pyroxene. Hence, there is no apparent genetic relationship between type‐I and type‐II TCIs. In addition, the complex chemical zoning observed within type‐II TCIs suggests that the alteration conditions evolved dramatically over time. At least three stages of alteration can be proposed, characterized by alteration fluids with varying compositions (1) Fe‐ and S‐rich fluids; (2) S‐poor and Fe‐ and Si‐rich fluids; and (3) S‐ and Si‐poor, Fe‐rich fluids. The presence of unaltered silicates in close association with euhedral type‐II TCIs suggests the existence of microenvironments during the first alteration stages of CM chondrites. In addition, the absence of Mg‐bearing secondary minerals in Paris TCIs suggests that the Mg content increases during the course of alteration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12625","authors":["Isabella Pignatelli","Yves Marrocchi","Lionel G. Vacher","Rémi Delon","M. Gounelle"],"tags":["Chondrite","Petrography","Geology","Kamacite","Pyroxene"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-03-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12625","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1543957236","name":"The Northwest Africa 1500 meteorite: Not a ureilite, maybe a brachinite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– The Northwest Africa (NWA) 1500 meteorite is an olivine-rich achondrite containing approximately 2–3 vol% augite, 1–2 vol% plagioclase, 1 vol% chromite, and minor orthopyroxene, Cl-apatite, metal and sulfide. It was originally classified as a ureilite, but is currently ungrouped. We re-examined the oxygen three-isotope composition of NWA 1500. Results of ultra-high precision (∼0.03‰ for Δ17O) laser fluorination analyses of two bulk chips, and high precision (∼0.3‰) secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) analyses of olivine and plagioclase in a thin section, show that the oxygen isotope composition of NWA 1500 (Δ17O = −0.22‰ from bulk samples and −0.18 ± 0.06‰ from 16 mineral analyses) is within the range of brachinites. We compare petrologic and geochemical characteristics of NWA 1500 with those of brachinites and other olivine-rich primitive achondrites, including new petrographic, mineral compositional and bulk compositional data for brachinites Hughes 026, Reid 013, NWA 5191, NWA 595, and Brachina. Modal mineral abundances, texture, olivine and pyroxene major and minor element compositions, plagioclase major element compositions, rare earth element abundances, and siderophile element abundances of NWA 1500 are within the range of those in brachinites and, in most cases, well distinguished from those of winonaites/IAB silicates, acapulcoites/lodranites, ureilites, and Divnoe. NWA 1500 shows evidence of internal reduction, in the form of reversely zoned olivine (Fo ∼65–73 core to rim) and fine-grained intergrowths of orthopyroxene + metal along olivine grain margins. The latter also occur in Reid 013, Hughes 026, NWA 5191, and NWA 595. We argue that reduction (olivine→enstatite + Fe0 + O2) is the best hypothesis for their origin in these samples as well. We suggest that NWA 1500 should be classified as a brachinite, which has implications for the petrogenesis of brachinites. Fe-Mn-Mg compositions of brachinite olivine provide evidence of redox processes among bulk samples. NWA 1500 provides evidence for redox processes on a smaller scale as well, which supports the interpretation that these processes occurred in a parent body setting. SIMS data for 26Al-26Mg isotopes in plagioclase in NWA 1500 show no 26Mg excesses beyond analytical uncertainties (1–2‰). The calculated upper limit for the initial 26Al/27Al ratio of the plagioclase corresponds to an age younger than 7 Ma after CAI. Compared to 53Mn-53Cr data for Brachina (Wadhwa et al. 1998b), this implies either a much younger formation age or a more protracted cooling history. However, Brachina is atypical and this comparison may not extend to other brachinites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01130.x","authors":["C. A. Goodrich","N. T. Kita","Michael J. Spicuzza","John W. Valley","J. Zipfel","T. Mikouchi","M. Miyamoto"],"tags":["Achondrite","Olivine","Geology","Plagioclase","Pyroxene"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01130.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2006173872","name":"Ultraviolet photolysis of anthracene in H2O interstellar ice analogs: Potential connection to meteoritic organics","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) anthracene was oxidized by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation in H2O ice under simulated astrophysical conditions, forming several anthracene ketones (9‐anthrone, 1,4‐anthraquinone, and 9,10‐anthraquinone) and alcohols (1‐anthrol and 2‐anthrol). Two of the ketones produced have been detected in the Murchison meteorite but, to our knowledge, there has been no search for the alcohols or other oxidized anthracenes in meteorites. These results seem consistent with the possibility that interstellar ice photochemistry could have influenced the inventory of aromatics in meteorites. Since quinones are also fundamental to biochemistry, their formation in space and delivery to planets is relevant to studies relating to the habitability of planets and the evolution of life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb01005.x","authors":["S. F. M. Ashbourn","Jamie E. Elsila","Jason P. Dworkin","Max P. Bernstein","Scott A. Sandford","L. J. Allamandola"],"tags":["Anthracene","Meteorite","Murchison meteorite","Astrobiology","Anthraquinone"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb01005.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2047734985","name":"Meteorites from meteor showers: A case study of the Taurids","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We propose that the Taurid meteor shower may contain bodies able to survive and be recovered as meteorites. We review the expected properties of meteorite‐producing fireballs, and suggest that end heights below 35 km and terminal speeds below 10 km s−1 are necessary conditions for fireballs expected to produce meteorites. Applying the meteoroid strength index (PE criteria) of Ceplecha and McCrosky (1976) to a suite of 33 photographically recorded Taurid fireballs, we find a large spread in the apparent meteoroid strengths within the stream, including some very strong meteoroids. We also examine in detail the flight behavior of a Taurid fireball (SOMN 101031) and show that it has the potential to be a (small) meteorite‐producing event. Similarly, photographic observations of a bright, potential Taurid fireball recorded in November of 1995 in Spain show that it also had meteorite‐producing characteristics, despite a very high entry velocity (33 km s−1). Finally, we note that the recent Maribo meteorite fall may have had a very high entry velocity (28 km s−1), further suggesting that survival of meteorites at Taurid‐like velocities is possible. Application of a numerical entry model also shows plausible survival of meteorites at Taurid‐like velocities, provided the initial meteoroids are fairly strong and large, both of which are characteristics found in the Taurid stream.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12055","authors":["Peter Brown","Valerie Marchenko","Danielle E. Moser","R. Weryk","William J. Cooke"],"tags":["Meteorite","Meteoroid","Meteor (satellite)","Meteor shower","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-01-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12055","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1867532406","name":"Basaltic fragments in lunar feldspathic meteorites: Connecting sample analyses to orbital remote sensing","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– The feldspathic lunar meteorites contain rare fragments of crystalline basalts. We analyzed 16 basalt fragments from four feldspathic lunar meteorites (Allan Hills [ALHA] 81005, MacAlpine Hills [MAC] 88104/88105, Queen Alexandra Range [QUE] 93069, Miller Range [MIL] 07006) and utilized literature data for another (Dhofar [Dho] 1180). We compositionally classify basalt fragments according to their magma’s estimated TiO2 contents, which we derive for crystalline basalts from pyroxene TiO2 and the mineral‐melt Ti distribution coefficient. Overall, most of the basalt fragments are low‐Ti basalts (1–6% TiO2), with a significant proportion of very‐low‐Ti basalts (<1% TiO2). Only a few basalt clasts were high‐Ti or intermediate Ti types (>10% TiO2 and 6–10% TiO2, respectively). This distribution of basalt TiO2 abundances is nearly identical to that obtained from orbital remote sensing of the moon (both UV‐Vis from Clementine, and gamma ray from Lunar Prospector). However, the distribution of TiO2 abundances is unlike those of the Apollo and Luna returned samples: we observe a paucity of high‐Ti basalts. The compositional types of basalt differs from meteorite to meteorite, which implies that all basalt subtypes are not randomly distributed on the Moon, i.e., the basalt fragments in each meteorite probably represent basalts in the neighborhood of the meteorite launch site. These differences in basalt chemistry and classifications may be useful in identifying the source regions of some feldspathic meteorites. Some of the basalt fragments probably originate from ancient cryptomaria, and so may hold clues to the petrogenesis of the Moon’s oldest volcanism.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2012.01344.x","authors":["K. L. Robinson","A. H. Treiman","K. H. Joy"],"tags":["Basalt","Meteorite","Geology","Olivine","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2012.01344.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2131172705","name":"Mineralogical characterization of primitive, type‐3 lithologies in Rumuruti chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Rumuruti (R) chondrites constitute a new, well‐established chondrite group different from the carbonaceous, ordinary, and enstatite chondrites. Many of these samples are gas‐rich regolith breccias showing the typical light‐dark structure and consist of abundant fragments of various parent‐body lithologies embedded in a fine‐grained olivine‐rich matrix. Unequilibrated type‐3 lithologies among these fragments have frequently been mentioned in various publications. In this study, detailed mineralogical data on seven primitive fragments from the R‐chondrites Dar al Gani 013 and Hughes 030 are presented. The fragments range from ∼300 μ in size up to several millimeters. Generally, the main characteristics can be summarized as follows: (1) Unequilibrated type‐3 fragments have a well‐preserved chondritic texture with a chondrule‐to‐matrix ratio of ∼1:1. Chondrules and chondrule fragments are embedded in a fine‐grained olivine‐rich matrix. Thus, the texture is quite similar to that of type‐3 carbonaceous chondrites. (2) In all cases, matrix olivines in type‐3 fragments have a significantly higher Fa content (44–57 mol%) than olivines in other (equilibrated) lithologies (38–40 mol% Fa). (3) Olivines and pyroxenes occurring within chondrules or as fragments are highly variable in composition (Fa0–65 and Fs0–33, respectively) and, generally, more magnesian than those found in equilibrated R chondrites. Agglomerated material of the R‐chondrite parent body (or bodies) was highly unequilibrated. It is suggested that the material that accreted to form the parent body consisted of chondrules and chondrule fragments, mainly having Mg‐rich silicate constituents, and Fe‐rich highly oxidized fine‐grained materials. The dominating phase of this fine‐grained material may have been Fa‐rich olivine from the beginning. The brecciated whole rocks, the R‐chondrite regolith breccias, were not significantly reheated subsequent to brecciation or during lithification, as indicated by negligible degree of equilibration between matrix components and Mg‐rich olivines and pyroxenes in primitive type‐3 fragments.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01453.x","authors":["A. Bischoff"],"tags":["Chondrule","Chondrite","Parent body","Enstatite","Olivine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01453.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2166406131","name":"An investigation of the behavior of Cu and Cr during iron meteorite crystallization","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The measured Cu and Cr contents in magmatic iron meteorites appear to contradict the behavior predicted by experimental fractional crystallization studies currently available. To investigate the origin of Cu and Cr concentrations observed in these meteorites, a thorough set of solid metal/liquid metal experiments were conducted in the Fe‐Ni‐S system. In addition to Cu and Cr, partitioning values were also determined for As, Au, Bi, Co, Mo, Ni, Pb, Rh, Ru, Sb, Sn, V, and Zn from the experiments. Experimental results for Cu and Cr showed similar chalcophile partitioning behavior, whereas these elements have differently sloped trends within magmatic iron meteorite groups. Thus, fractional crystallization alone cannot control both the Cu and Cr concentrations in these iron meteorite groups. A simple fractional crystallization model based on our experimental Cu partitioning results was able to match the Cu versus Au trend observed in the S‐poor IVB iron meteorite group but not the decreasing Cu versus Au trends in the IIAB and IIIAB groups or the unique S‐shaped Cu versus Au trend in the IVA group. However, the crystallization model calculations were found to be very sensitive to the specific choice for the mathematical expression of D(Cu), suggesting that any future refinement of the parameterization of D(Cu) should include a reassessment of the Cu fractional crystallization trends. The Cr versus Au trends in magmatic iron meteorite groups are steeper than those of Cu and not explained by fractional crystallization. Other influences, such as the removal of chromite from the crystallizing system or sampling biases during iron meteorite compositional analyses, are likely responsible for the Cr trends in magmatic iron meteorite groups.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb00747.x","authors":["N. L. Chabot","Sarah A. Saslow","W. F. McDonough","J. H. Jones"],"tags":["Crystallization","Meteorite","Fractional crystallization (geology)","Iron group","Chromite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb00747.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2066855402","name":"Transmission electron microscopy of minerals in the martian meteorite Allan Hills 84001","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— We have studied carbonate and associated oxides and glasses in a demountable section of Allan Hills 84001 (ALH 84001) using optical, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to elucidate their origins and the shock history of the rock. Massive, fracture‐zone, and fracture‐filling carbonates in typical locations were characterized by TEM, X‐ray microanalysis, and electron diffraction in a comprehensive study that preserved textural and spatial relationships. Orthopyroxene is highly deformed, fractured, partially comminuted, and essentially unrecovered. Lamellae of diaplectic glass and other features indicate shock pressures >30 GPa. Bridging acicular crystals and foamy glass at contacts of orthopyroxene fragments indicate localized melting and vaporization of orthopyroxene. Carbonate crystals are >5 mm in size, untwinned, and very largely exhibit the R3c calcite structure. Evidence of plastic deformation is generally found mildly only in fracture‐zone and fracture‐filling carbonates, even adjacent to highly deformed orthopyroxene, and appears to have been caused by low‐stress effects including differential shrinkage. High dislocation densities like those observed in moderately shocked calcite are absent. Carbonate contains impactderived glasses of plagioclase, silica, and orthopyroxene composition indicating brief localized impact heating. Stringers and lenses of orthopyroxene glass in fracture‐filling carbonate imply flow of carbonates and crystallization during an impact. Periclase (MgO) occurs in magnesite as 30–50 nm crystals adjacent to voids and negative crystals and as ˜1 μm patches of 3 nm crystals showing weak preferred orientation consistent with (111) MgO //(0001) carb , as observed in the thermal decomposition of CaCO 3 to CaO. Magnetite crystals that are epitaxially oriented at voids, negative crystals, and microfractures clearly formed in situ. Fully embedded, faceted magnetites are topotactically oriented, in general with (111) mag //(0001) carb , so that their oxygen layers are aligned. In optically opaque rims, magnetites are more irregularly shaped and, except for the smallest crystals, poorly aligned. All magnetite and periclase crystals probably formed by exsolution from slightly non‐stoichiometric, CO 2 ‐poor carbonate following impact‐induced thermal decomposition. Any magnetites that existed in the rock before shock heating could not have preserved evidence for biogenic activity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00282.x","authors":["D. J. Barber","E. R. D. Scott"],"tags":["Calcite","Meteorite","Geology","Mineralogy","Carbonate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00282.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2123507553","name":"Anomalous Mössbauer parameters in the second generation regolith Ghubara meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— We conducted Mössbauer spectroscopic studies on the Ghubara meteorite which had been described as at least two‐generation regolith breccia on the macro scale. The isomer shift and quadrupole splitting of the Fe‐Ni part are quite different from those obtained in ordinary chondrites, reflecting shock effects. We observed a large amount of magnetite that may have come from weathering of, primarily, the silicate fraction. We found very similar iron mineralogy in the Densmore meteorite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00071.x","authors":["H. C. Verma","R. P. Tripathi"],"tags":["Meteorite","Regolith","Chondrite","Breccia","Magnetite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00071.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2004335917","name":"Studies and characterizations of the Al Zarnkh meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— A newly fallen Sudanese meteorite named Al Zarnkh was investigated using room and liquid nitrogen temperature Mössbauer measurements, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) in conjunction with energy dispersive X-ray microscopy. The Mössbauer spectra exhibited strong paramagnetic doublets with magnetic sextets. The doublets are assigned to olivine and pyroxene, while the magnetic sextets are assigned to troilite and kamacite. Based on microprobe analyses and textural studies, olivine is the most abundant phase and occurs as fine to medium grained laths both in the groundmass and in barred olivine chondrules. Both orthopyroxenes and clinopyroxenes are present and these tend to be granular. Plagioclase is an abundant interstitial groundmass phase. Chromites were detected in some groundmass olivine and are highly chromiumand iron-rich with no Fe3+ detected. The kamacite contains small amounts of Co. The mole fraction of the Fe end-member of olivine (fayalite) and orthopyroxene (ferrosilite) are found to be about 28% and 23%, respectively. These values are compared with that obtained from two chondritic meteorites. Based on these results, the studied meteorite is classified as an ordinary LL5 chondrite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00379.x","authors":["A. Gismelseed","Sara N. Bashir","M. A. Worthing","A. A. Yousif","M. E. Elzain","A. Rawas","H. M. Widatallah"],"tags":["Troilite","Olivine","Kamacite","Meteorite","Electron microprobe"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00379.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1994332455","name":"Pyroxene microstructure in the Northwest Africa 856 martian meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Transmission electron microscopy was used to examine pyroxene microstructure in the Northwest Africa (NWA) 856 martian meteorite to construct its cooling and shock histories. All pyroxenes contain strained coherent pigeonite/augite exsolution lamellae on (001). The average width and periodicity of lamellae are 80 and 400 nm, respectively, indicating a cooling rate below 0.1 °C/hr for the parent rock. Pigeonite and augite are topotactic, with strained coherent interfaces parallel to (001). The closure temperature for Ca‐Fe, Mg interdiffusion, estimated from the composition at the augite pigeonite interface, is about 700 °C. Tweed texture in augite reveals that a spinodal decomposition occurred. Locally, tweed evolved toward secondary pigeonite exsolutions on (001). Due to the decreasing diffusion rate with decreasing temperature, “M‐shaped” concentration profiles developed in augite lamellae. Pigeonite contains antiphase boundaries resulting from the C2/c to P21/c space group transition that occurred during cooling. The reconstructive phase transition from P21/c clinopyroxene to orthopyroxene did not occur. The deformation (shock) history of the meteorites is revealed by the presence of dislocations and mechanical twins. Dislocations are found in glide configuration, with the [001](100) glide system preferentially activated. They exhibit strong interaction with the strained augite/pigeonite interfaces and did not propagate over large distances. Twins are found to be almost all parallel to (100) and show moderate interaction with the augite/pigeonite interfaces. These twins are responsible for the plastic deformation of the pyroxene grains. Comparison with microstructure of shocked clinopyroxene (experimentally or naturally shocked) suggests that NWA 856 pyroxenes are not strongly shocked.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00114.x","authors":["Hugues Leroux","Bertrand Devouard","Patrick Cordier","François Guyot"],"tags":["Pigeonite","Augite","Pyroxene","Meteorite","Spinodal decomposition"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00114.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2128528449","name":"Thermal and impact histories of reheated group IVA, IVB, and ungrouped iron meteorites and their parent asteroids","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– The microstructures of six reheated iron meteorites—two IVA irons, Maria Elena (1935), Fuzzy Creek; one IVB iron, Ternera; and three ungrouped irons, Hammond, Babb’s Mill (Blake’s Iron), and Babb’s Mill (Troost’s Iron)—were characterized using scanning and transmission electron microscopy, electron‐probe microanalysis, and electron backscatter diffraction techniques to determine their thermal and shock history and that of their parent asteroids. Maria Elena and Hammond were heated below approximately 700–750 °C, so that kamacite was recrystallized and taenite was exsolved in kamacite and was spheroidized in plessite. Both meteorites retained a record of the original Widmanstätten pattern. The other four, which show no trace of their original microstructure, were heated above 600–700 °C and recrystallized to form 10–20 μm wide homogeneous taenite grains. On cooling, kamacite formed on taenite grain boundaries with their close‐packed planes aligned. Formation of homogeneous 20 μm wide taenite grains with diverse orientations would have required as long as approximately 800 yr at 600 °C or approximately 1 h at 1300 °C. All six irons contain approximately 5–10 μm wide taenite grains with internal microprecipitates of kamacite and nanometer‐scale M‐shaped Ni profiles that reach approximately 40% Ni indicating cooling over 100–10,000 yr. Un‐decomposed high‐Ni martensite (α2) in taenite—the first occurrence in irons—appears to be a characteristic of strongly reheated irons. From our studies and published work, we identified four progressive stages of shock and reheating in IVA irons using these criteria: cloudy taenite, M‐shaped Ni profiles in taenite, Neumann twin lamellae, martensite, shock‐hatched kamacite, recrystallization, microprecipitates of taenite, and shock‐melted troilite. Maria Elena and Fuzzy Creek represent stages 3 and 4, respectively. Although not all reheated irons contain evidence for shock, it was probably the main cause of reheating. Cooling over years rather than hours precludes shock during the impacts that exposed the irons to cosmic rays. If the reheated irons that we studied are representative, the IVA irons may have been shocked soon after they cooled below 200 °C at 4.5 Gyr in an impact that created a rubblepile asteroid with fragments from diverse depths. The primary cooling rates of the IVA irons and the proposed early history are remarkably consistent with the Pb‐Pb ages of troilite inclusions in two IVA irons including the oldest known differentiated meteorite ( Blichert‐Toft et al. 2010 ).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01210.x","authors":["Jijin Yang","Joseph I. Goldstein","E. R. D. Scott","Joseph R. Michael","Paul G. Kotula","Tien G. Pham","T. J. McCoy"],"tags":["Kamacite","Meteorite","Iron meteorite","Geology","Homogeneous"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01210.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W3025324502","name":"Mineralogy of the deep lower mantle in the presence of H2O","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Understanding the mineralogy of the Earth's interior is a prerequisite for unravelling the evolution and dynamics of our planet. Here, we conducted high pressure-temperature experiments mimicking the conditions of the deep lower mantle (DLM, 1800–2890 km in depth) and observed surprising mineralogical transformations in the presence of water. Ferropericlase, (Mg, Fe)O, which is the most abundant oxide mineral in Earth, reacts with H2O to form a previously unknown (Mg, Fe)O2Hx (x ≤ 1) phase. The (Mg, Fe)O2Hx has a pyrite structure and it coexists with the dominant silicate phases, bridgmanite and post-perovskite. Depending on Mg content and geotherm temperatures, the transformation may occur at 1800 km for (Mg0.6Fe0.4)O or beyond 2300 km for (Mg0.7Fe0.3)O. The (Mg, Fe)O2Hx is an oxygen excess phase that stores an excessive amount of oxygen beyond the charge balance of maximum cation valences (Mg2+, Fe3+ and H+). This important phase has a number of far-reaching implications including extreme redox inhomogeneity, deep-oxygen reservoirs in the DLM and an internal source for modulating oxygen in the atmosphere.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwaa098","authors":["Qingyang Hu","Jin Liu","Jiuhua Chen","Bingmin Yan","Yue Meng","Vitali B. Prakapenka","Wendy L. Mao","Ho‐kwang Mao"],"tags":["Geology","Mantle (geology)","Geochemistry","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-05-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwaa098","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2082412431","name":"Solid-state13C NMR characterization of insoluble organic matter from Antarctic CM2 chondrites: Evaluation of the meteoritic alteration level","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Chemical structures of the insoluble organic matter (IOM) from the Antarctic CM2 chondrites (Yamato [Y-] 791198, 793321; Belgica [B-] 7904; Asuka [A-] 881280, 881334) and the Murchison meteorite were analyzed by solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Different types of carbons were characterized, such as aliphatic carbon (Ali-C), aliphatic carbon linked to hetero atom (Hetero-Ali-C), aromatic carbon (Aro-C), carboxyls (COOR), and carbonyls (C=O). The spectra of the IOM from Murchison and Y-791198 showed two major peaks: Ali-C and Aro-C, while the spectra from the other meteorites showed only one major peak of Aro-C. Carbon distribution was determined both by manual integration and deconvolution. For most IOM, the Aro-C was the most abundant (49.8–67.8%) of all carbon types. When the ratios of Ali-C to Aro-C (Ali/Aro) were plotted with the atomic hydrogen to carbon ratio (H/C), a correlation was observed. If we use the H/C as a parameter for the thermal alteration event on the meteorite parent body, this result shows a different extent of thermal alteration. In addition, IOM with a lower Ali/Aro showed a lower ratio of Ali-C to COOR plus C=O (Ali / (COOR + C=O)). This result suggests that the ratio of CO moieties to aliphatic carbon in IOM might reflect chemical oxidation that was involved in hydrothermal alteration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00979.x","authors":["Hikaru Yabuta","Hiroshi Naraoka","Kinya Sakanishi","Hiroyuki Kawashima"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Murchison meteorite","Chemistry","Parent body"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00979.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2799279046","name":"Ceres's global and localized mineralogical composition determined by Dawn's Visible and Infrared Spectrometer ( VIR )","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Visible and Infrared Spectrometer ( VIR ) instrument on the Dawn mission observed Ceres’s surface at different spatial resolutions, revealing a nearly uniform global distribution of surface mineralogy. Clearly, Ceres experienced extensive water‐related processes and chemical differentiation. The surface is mainly composed of a dark component (carbon, magnetite?), Mg‐phyllosilicates, ammoniated clays, carbonates, and salts. The observed species suggest endogenous, global‐scale aqueous alteration. While mostly uniform at regional scale, Ceres’s surface shows small localized areas with different species and/or variations in abundances. Few local exposures of water ice are seen, especially at higher latitudes. Sodium carbonates have been identified in several areas on the surface, notably in Occator bright faculae. Organic matter has also been discovered in several places, most conspicuously in a large area close to the Ernutet crater. The observed mineralogies, with the presence of ammoniated species and sodium salts, have a strong resemblance to materials found on other bodies of the outer solar system, such as Enceladus. This poses some questions about the original material from which Ceres accreted, suggesting a colder environment for such material with respect to Ceres’s present position.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13104","authors":["M. C. De Sanctis","E. Ammannito","F. G. Carrozzo","M. Ciarniello","M. Giardino","A. Frigeri","S. Fonte","H. Y. McSween","A. Raponi","F. Tosi","F. Zambon","C. A. Raymond","C. T. Russell"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Impact crater","Solar System","Infrared","Chemical composition"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-05-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13104","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2559921597","name":"Natural variations in the rhenium isotopic composition of meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Rhenium is an important element with which to test hypotheses of isotope variation. Historically, it has been difficult to precisely correct the instrumental mass bias in thermal ionization mass spectrometry. We used W as an internal standard to correct mass bias on the MC‐ICP‐MS, and obtained the first precise δ187Re values (~±0.02‰, 2SE) for iron meteorites and chondritic metal. Relative to metal from H chondrites, IVB irons are systematically higher in δ187Re by ~0.14 ‰. δ187Re for other irons are similar to H chondritic metal, although some individual samples show significant isotope fractionation. Since 185Re has a high neutron capture cross section, the effect of galactic cosmic‐ray (GCR) irradiation on δ187Re was examined using correlations with Pt isotopes. The pre‐GCR irradiation δ187Re for IVB irons is lower, but the difference in δ187Re between IVB irons and other meteoritic metal remains. Nuclear volume‐dependent fractionation for Re is about the right magnitude near the melting point of iron, but because of the refractory and compatible character of Re, a compelling explanation in terms of mass‐dependent fractionation is elusive. The magnitude of a nucleosynthetic s‐process deficit for Re estimated from Mo and Ru isotopes is essentially unresolvable. Since thermal processing reduced nucleosynthetic effects in Pd, it is conceivable that Re isotopic variations larger than those in Mo and Ru may be present in IVBs since Re is more refractory than Mo and Ru. Thus, the Re isotopic difference between IVBs and other irons or chondritic metal remains unexplained.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12803","authors":["R. Liu","Lihai Hu","M. Humayun"],"tags":["Chondrite","Rhenium","Meteorite","Isotope","Fractionation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-12-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12803","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2033438763","name":"Chemistry of the Calcalong Creek lunar meteorite and its relationship to lunar terranes","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The Calcalong Creek lunar meteorite is a polymict breccia that contains clasts of both highlands and mare affinity. Reported here is a compilation of major, minor, and trace element data for bulk, clast, and matrix samples determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Petrographic information and results of electron microprobe analyses are included. The relationship of Calcalong Creek to lunar terranes, especially the Procellarum KREEP Terrane and Feldspathic Highlands Terrane, is established by the abundance of thorium, incompatible elements and their KREEP‐like CI chondrite normalized pattern, FeO, and TiO2. The highlands component is associated with Apollo 15 KREEP basalt but represents a variant of the KREEP‐derived material widely found on the moon. Sources of Calcalong Creek's mare basalt components may be related to low‐titanium (LT) and very low‐titanium (VLT) basalts seen in other lunar meteorites but do not sample the same source. The content of some components of Calcalong Creek are found to display similarities to the composition of the South Pole‐Aitken Terrane. What appear to be VLT relationships could represent new high aluminum, low titanium basalt types.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00029.x","authors":["D. H. Hill","W. V. Boynton"],"tags":["Terrane","Breccia","Geology","Basalt","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00029.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1691650356","name":"Density, porosity, and magnetic susceptibility of carbonaceous chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– We report physical properties (bulk and grain density, magnetic susceptibility, and porosity) measured using nondestructive and noncontaminating methods for 195 stones from 63 carbonaceous chondrites. Grain densities over the whole population average 3.44 g cm −3 , ranging from 2.42 g cm −3 (CI1 Orgueil) to 5.66 g cm −3 (CB Bencubbin). Magnetic susceptibilities (in log units of 10 −9 m 3 kg −1 ) averaged log χ = 4.22, ranging from 3.23 (CV3 Axtell) to 5.79 (CB Bencubbin). Porosities averaged 17%, ranging from 0 (for a number of meteorites) to 41% (for one stone of the CO Ornans). Notably, we found significant differences in porosity between the oxidized and reduced CV subgroups, with the porosities of CV o averaging approximately 20% and CV r porosities approximately 4%. Overall, porosities of carbonaceous chondrite falls trend with petrographic type, from type 1 (CI) near 35%, type 2 (CM, CR) averaging 23%, type 3 (CV, CO) 21%, to type 4 (CK and some CO) averaging 15%. There is also a significant decrease in porosity between meteorites of shock stage S1 and those of S2, indicative of shock compression.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01298.x","authors":["R. J. Macke","G. J. Consolmagno","D. T. Britt"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Porosity","Petrography","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-11-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01298.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1590243570","name":"Bidirectional visible‐NIR and biconical FT‐IR reflectance spectra of Almahata Sitta meteorite samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract–Bidirectional visible and near‐infrared and off‐axis biconical Fourier transform infrared reflectance spectra of Almahata Sitta meteorite stone samples, fragments of asteroid 2008 TC3, have been measured. These meteorites represent the first freshly fallen polymict ureilites available for such studies. Although the chip samples show varying degrees of terrestrial weathering depending on their environment on Earth, many of them are much fresher than other ureilites known to date. The majority of the Almahata Sitta chips studied here show only a weak near‐UV absorption, a flat spectrum at visible and near‐IR wavelengths, and varying depths of the 1 and 2 μm pyroxene and olivine bands. The astronomical reflectance observations of the asteroid 2008 TC3over the range 0.55–1.0 μm provide a constraint on what a combination of the measured spectra can represent in the surface reflectance of the asteroid over the 0.32–2.55 μm range measured in this study. Most of the recovered samples of Almahata Sitta have textures and albedos similar to stones #27 (largest recovered fragment), #4, and #47. Results of linear least‐square fits of the asteroid 2008 TC3spectrum with two sets of the meteorite spectra suggest that the asteroid had 10–12% albedo and no fine regolith on its surface. We note that other lithologies may be at the surface of other fragments of the asteroid family from which 2008 TC3originated. In that case, reflectance spectra could vary significantly among family members.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01097.x","authors":["T. Hiroi","Peter Jenniskens","J. L. Bishop","Tahani M. Shatir","A. M. Kudoda","M. H. Shaddad"],"tags":["Asteroid","Meteorite","Regolith","Space weathering","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01097.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2890591049","name":"Textural and Mineralogical Record of Low Pressure Melt Extraction and Silicic Cumulate Formation in the late Miocene Risco Bayo-Huemul Plutonic Complex, Southern Andes","source":"openalex","abstract":"One model for rhyolite generation in the upper crust is via extraction of interstitial melt from crystal-rich magma reservoirs. Although silicic magma reservoirs may grow incrementally over c. 104–105 yr timescales, they can be remobilized prior to eruption much more rapidly (c. 101–103 yr). This process implies the formation of cumulate residues with a composition complementary to the extracted melt, but the predicted cumulates have so far eluded widespread identification. The 7·2–6·2 Ma Risco Bayo–Huemul plutonic complex comprises ∼150 km3 that is subdivided into at least seven gabbroic to granitic domains emplaced at <7 km depth. Distinct Ti, Zr, Nb, and rare earth element variations in amphibole document pulsed emplacement of the gabbroic to granodioritic Risco Bayo pluton ∼800 kyr prior to the adjacent quartz monzonite to high-silica granite of the Huemul pluton. The quartz monzonite is inferred to be a silicic cumulate on the basis of whole-rock mass balance and enrichments in Ba and Zr concentrations. Here, we combine fine-scale textural analysis using energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS) phase mapping with in situ mineral compositions to explore the silicic cumulate hypothesis. Quartz monzonite textures are porphyritic and comprise ∼58–64 modal % of partially interlocking, 2–5 mm long euhedral plagioclase, together with euhedral biotite, orthoclase, and amphibole. The finer-grained interstitial matrix is composed of anhedral orthoclase, plagioclase, and quartz. Calculations using the compositions of the interstitial phases suggest that the matrix represents a highly evolved melt similar in major and trace element chemistry to coeval, high-silica granite inferred to be extracted and frozen rhyolite. The high-silica granites are equigranular and contain dense concentrations of miarolitic cavities implying, together with Al-in-Hbl barometry for the quartz monzonite, emplacement and volatile saturation within the upper crust at the granite minimum. Plagioclase, orthoclase, and biotite in high-silica granite are depleted in Ba, Sr, and Eu, similar to their bulk-rock compositions, and support an origin as highly fractionated products of melt extraction. Miarolitic cavities within the high-silica granite overlying the granite domain suggest that volatiles played an important role in the upward percolation of melt. Our observations indicating transport of volatiles and melt through an underlying crystal mush, including accumulation of vapor bubbles at the roof of the magma reservoir, are consistent with recent numerical simulations of multi-phase fluid dynamics within compositionally zoned silicic reservoirs that feed large explosive eruptions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/petrology/egy087","authors":["Allen Schaen","Brad S. Singer","John M. Cottle","Nicolás Garibaldi","Blair Schoene","Aaron M. Satkoski","John Fournelle"],"tags":["Geology","Silicic","Geochemistry","Pluton","Plagioclase"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/petrology/egy087","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2004947472","name":"Shock and thermal history of Martian meteorite Allan Hills 84001 from transmission electron microscopy","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Microstructures in the Allan Hills 84001 meteorite were studied using optical and electron microscopy, putting emphasis on shock effects, which are widespread. Some orthopyroxene exhibits only (100) slip, but more typical grains suffered extensive slip, microfracturing, and frequently contain (100) clino‐inversion lamellae. In fracture zones, shock deformation of orthopyroxene has produced all three effects in profusion, together with intergranular pockets of orthopyroxene glass and intragranular glass lamellae, which were apparently created by shearing on low index planes, usually (100) or {110}. Both types of plane are loci that pseudo‐planar fractures tend to follow. Thus, the glass lamellae, which have not been observed in other meteorites, probably formed by frictional heating during the sliding of microscale corrugated surfaces, one over another, leading to local melting. We infer that the orthopyroxene glass and the fracture zones both formed from shear stresses created by strong shock. Ubiquitous undeformed micrometer and submicrometer euhedral chromites in orthopyroxene and plagioclase glasses and carbonate probably crystallized after shock heating and fracture zone formation. Nanocrystals of eskolaite (Cr2O3) coating silica glass grains are probably also a result of shock‐induced thermal decomposition of chromite. Iron sulfides (pyrite and pyrrhotite were identified) tended to be associated with plagioclase glass. A carbonate disk showing no evidence for shock deformation had a substructure of elongated, slightly misoriented subcells in the exterior; interior regions had more eqiaxed subcells. Both microstructures probably formed during growth, but the conditions are undetermined. Chemical composition varied on a micron scale, but the rim of the disk was more ferroan; oxide precipitates and voids were widely distributed as in fracture‐filling carbonates. If the fracture zones and opx glass are the result of strong shock, as we deduce, it is very unlikely that pores could have filled by carbonate long after the fracture zones formed. We infer that the carbonate, like the phosphate, olivine, pyrrhotite, eskolaite, and many euhedral, submicrometer chromites, crystallized during the final stages of the impact that created the fracture zones and glasses with compositions of plagioclase, silica, and orthopyroxene.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2006.tb00487.x","authors":["D. J. Barber","E. R. D. Scott"],"tags":["Meteorite","Martian","Geology","Astrobiology","Shock (circulatory)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2006.tb00487.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2734379603","name":"Petrography, classification, oxygen isotopes, noble gases, and cosmogenic records of Kamargaon (L6) meteorite: The latest fall in India","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract A single piece of meteorite fell on Kamargaon village in the state of Assam in India on November 13, 2015. Based on mineralogical, chemical, and oxygen isotope data, Kamargaon is classified as an L‐chondrite. Homogeneous olivine (Fa: 25 ± 0.7) and low‐Ca pyroxene (Fs: 21 ± 0.4) compositions with percent mean deviation of <2, further suggest that Kamargaon is a coarsely equilibrated, petrologic type 6 chondrite. Kamargaon is thermally metamorphosed with an estimated peak metamorphic temperature of ~800 °C as determined by two‐pyroxene thermometry. Shock metamorphism studies suggest that this meteorite include portions of different shock stages, e.g., S3 and S4 (Stöffler et al. ); however, local presence of quenched metal‐sulfide melt within shock veins/pockets suggest disequilibrium melting and relatively higher shock stage of up to S5 (Bennett and McSween ). Based on noble gas isotopes, the cosmic‐ray exposure age is estimated as 7.03 ± 1.60 Ma and nitrogen isotope composition (δ15N = 18‰) also correspond well with the L‐chondrite group. The He‐U, Th, and K‐Ar yield younger ages (170 ± 25 Ma 684 ± 93, respectively) and are discordant. A loss of He during the resetting event is implied by the lower He‐U and Th age. Elemental ratios of trapped Ar, Kr, and Xe can be explained through the presence of a normal Q noble gas component. Relatively low activity of 26Al (39 dpm/kg) and the absence of 60Co activity suggest a likely low shielding depth and envisage a small preatmospheric size of the meteoroid (<10 cm in radius). The Kr isotopic ratios (82Kr/84Kr) further argue that the meteorite was derived from a shallow depth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12875","authors":["Dwijesh Ray","R. R. Mahajan","A. D. Shukla","Tapos Kumar Goswami","Subrata Chakraborty"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Pyroxene","Geology","Parent body"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12875","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2080300778","name":"Noble gases and chemical composition of Shergotty mineral fractions, Chassigny, and Yamato 793605: The trapped argon‐40/argon‐36 ratio and ejection times of Martian meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— We report the elemental and isotopic composition of the noble gases as well as the chemical abundances in pyroxene, maskelynite/mesostasis glass, and bulk material of Shergotty and of bulk samples from Chassigny and Yamato 793605. The 40K‐40Ar isochron for the Shergotty minerals yields a gas retention age of 196 Ma, which is, within errors, in agreement with previously determined Rb‐Sr internal isochron ages. Argon that was trapped at this time has a 40Ar/36Ar ratio of 1100. For Chassigny and Y‐793605, we obtain trapped 40Ar/36Ar ratios of 1380 and 950, respectively. Using these results and literature data, we show that the three shergottites, Shergotty, Zagami, and QUE 94001; the lherzolites ALH 77005, LEW 88516, and Y‐793605; as well as Chassigny and ALH 84001 contain a mixture of Martian mantle and atmospheric Ar; whereas, the trapped 40Ar/36Ar ratio of the nakhlites, Nakhla, Lafayette, and Governador Valadares cannot be determined with the present data. We show that Martian atmospheric trapped Ar in Martian meteorites is correlated with the shock pressure that they experienced. Hence, we conclude that the Martian atmospheric gases were introduced by shock into the meteoritic material. For the Shergotty minerals, we obtain 3He‐, 21Ne‐, and 38Ar‐based cosmic‐ray exposure ages of 3.0 Ma, and for the lherzolite Y‐793605, 4.0 Ma, which confirms our earlier conclusion that the lherzolites were ejected from Mars ∼1 Ma before the shergottites. Chassigny yields the previously known ejection age of 11.6 Ma.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01673.x","authors":["D. Terribilini","O. Eugster","Mario Burger","ALFRED JAKOB","U. Krähenbühl"],"tags":["Meteorite","Achondrite","Martian","Isochron","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01673.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2032799505","name":"Quantifying noble gas contamination during terrestrial alteration in Martian meteorites from Antarctica","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We investigated exterior and interior subsamples from the Martian shergottite meteorites Allan Hills (ALH) A77005 and Roberts Massif (RBT) 04261 for secondary minerals, oxygen isotopes, Ar‐Ar, and noble gas signatures. Electron microprobe investigations revealed that RBT 04261 does not contain any visible alteration even in its most exterior fractures, whereas fracture fillings in ALHA77005 penetrate into the meteorite up to 300 μm, beyond which the fractures are devoid of secondary minerals. Light noble gases seem to be almost unaffected by terrestrially induced alteration in both meteorites. Thus, a shock metamorphic overprint of 30–35 GPa can be deduced from the helium measurements in RBT 04261. Oxygen isotopes also seem unaffected by terrestrially weathering and variations can easily be reconciled with the differences in modal mineralogy of the exterior and interior subsamples. The measurements on irradiated samples (Ar‐Ar) showed a clear Martian atmospheric contribution in ALHA77005, but this is less apparent in our sample of RBT 04261. Exterior and interior subsamples show slight differences in apparent ages, but the overall results are very similar between the two. In contrast, krypton and xenon are severely affected by terrestrial contamination, demonstrating the ubiquitous presence of elementally fractionated air in RBT 04261. Although seemingly contradictory, our results indicate that RBT 04261 was more affected by contamination than ALHA77005. We conclude that irrespective of on which planet the alteration occurred, exposure of Martian rocks to atmosphere (or brine) introduces noble gases with signatures elementally fractionated relative to the respective atmospheric composition into the rock, and relationships of that process with oxygen isotopes or mineralogical observations are not straightforward.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12110","authors":["S. P. Schwenzer","R. C. Greenwood","S. P. Kelley","U. Ott","A. G. Tindle","R. Haubold","S. Herrmann","J. M. Gibson","M. Anand","Samantha J. Hammond","I. A. Franchi"],"tags":["Meteorite","Martian","Noble gas","Astrobiology","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-04-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12110","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2150353794","name":"Cosmic ray exposure and pre‐atmospheric size of the Gebel Kamil iron meteorite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Cosmogenic He, Ne, and Ar as well as the radionuclides 10Be, 26Al, 36Cl, 41Ca, 53Mn, and 60Fe have been determined on samples from the Gebel Kamil ungrouped Ni‐rich iron meteorite by noble gas mass spectrometry and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), respectively. The meteorite is associated with the Kamil crater in southern Egypt, which is about 45 m in diameter. Samples originate from an individual large fragment (“Individual”) as well as from shrapnel. Concentrations of all cosmogenic nuclides—stable and radioactive—are lower by a factor 3–4 in the shrapnel samples than in the Individual. Assuming negligible 36Cl decay during terrestrial residence (indicated by the young crater age <5000 years; Folco et al. ), data are consistent with a simple exposure history and a 36Cl‐36Ar cosmic ray exposure age (CRE) of approximately (366 ± 18) Ma (systematic errors not included). Both noble gases and radionuclides point to a pre‐atmospheric radius >85 cm, i.e., a pre‐atmospheric mass >20 tons, with a preferred radius of 115–120 cm (50–60 tons). The analyzed samples came from a depth of approximately 20 cm (Individual) and approximately 50–80 cm (shrapnel). The size of the Gebel Kamil meteoroid determined in this work is close to estimates based on impact cratering models combined with expectations for ablation during passage through the atmosphere (Folco et al. , ).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12334","authors":["U. Ott","Silke Merchel","S. Herrmann","Stefan Pavetich","Georg Rugel","T. Faestermann","L. Fimiani","J.M. Gómez-Guzmán","Karin Hain","G. Korschinek","P. Ludwig","Massimo D’Orazio","L. Folco"],"tags":["Meteorite","Impact crater","Meteoroid","Accelerator mass spectrometry","Radionuclide"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12334","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2605024308","name":"Update (2012–2017) on lunar meteorites from Oman","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract This report presents bulk composition data for 10 lunar meteorite stones from Oman for which the names have been approved since June, 2012. On the basis of composition and reported find location, four new meteorites are represented among this group of stones. Data from neutron activation analysis of 371 subsamples of all lunar meteorites from Oman and Saudi Arabia analyzed in this laboratory are presented.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12869","authors":["R. L. Korotev"],"tags":["Meteorite","Neutron activation analysis","Geology","Astrobiology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-04-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12869","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2024886696","name":"Refractory inclusions and aluminum‐rich chondrules in Sayh al Uhaymir 290 CH chondrite: Petrography and mineralogy","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Here we report the petrography, mineralogy, and bulk compositions of Ca,Al‐rich inclusions (CAIs), amoeboid olivine aggregate (AOA), and Al‐rich chondrules (ARCs) in Sayh al Uhaymir (SaU) 290 CH chondrite. Eighty‐two CAIs (0.1% of the section surface area) were found. They are hibonite‐rich (9%), grossite‐rich (18%), melilite ± spinel‐rich (48%), fassaite ± spinel‐rich (15%), and fassaite‐anorthite‐rich (10%) refractory inclusions. Most CAIs are rounded in shape and small in size (average = 40 μm). They are more refractory than those of other groups of chondrites. CAIs in SaU 290 might have experienced higher peak heating temperatures, which could be due to the formation region closer to the center of protoplanetary disk or have formed earlier than those of other groups of chondrites. In SaU 290, refractory inclusions with a layered texture could have formed by gas‐solid condensation from the solar nebula and those with an igneous texture could have crystallized from melt droplets or experienced subsequent melting of pre‐existing condensates from the solar nebula. One refractory inclusion represents an evaporation product of pre‐existing refractory solid on the basis of its layered texture and melting temperature of constituting minerals. Only one AOA is observed (75 μm across). It consists of olivine, Al‐diopside, anorthite, and minor spinel with a layered texture. CAIs and AOA show no significant low‐temperature aqueous alteration. ARCs in SaU 290 consist of diopside, forsterite, anorthite, Al‐enstatite, spinel, and mesostasis or glass. They can be divided into diopside‐rich, Al‐enstatite‐rich, glass‐rich, and anorthite‐rich chondrules. Bulk compositions of most ARCs are consistent with a mixture origin of CAIs and ferromagnesian chondrules. Anorthite and Al‐enstatite do not coexist in a given ARC, implying a kinetic effect on their formation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb00769.x","authors":["Ai‐Cheng Zhang","Weibiao Hsu"],"tags":["Chondrule","Melilite","Enstatite","Chondrite","Anorthite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb00769.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2944168786","name":"Comparison of FT‐IR spectra of bulk and acid insoluble organic matter in chondritic meteorites: An implication for missing carbon during demineralization","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Past studies of the various separable carbonaceous fractions have been unable to account for all of C in primitive chondrites. In particular, up to 20–50% of the C is lost during acid leaching of bulk samples even after the C in carbonates and soluble organic matter is accounted for. To try to better characterize the nature of this “missing C,” we have compared the bulk infrared (IR) absorption spectra of a number of primitive chondrites with those of their previously reported insoluble organic matter (IOM). The aliphatic C–H stretching bands, in particular, allow us to compare the molecular structures of bulk C with that of IOM. The spectral differences between bulk C and IOM reflect “missing C” phases that were lost during acid leaching, although we cannot completely exclude the possibility that the OM was modified after demineralization. Comparing IR spectra of bulk meteorite powder and IOM suggests that the missing C varies in its molecular structure, and that mildly thermally metamorphosed type 3 chondrites tend to be richer in an aliphatic fraction with lower CH2/CH3 ratios, relative to IOM, compared to aqueously altered carbonaceous chondrites (CI/CM/CR). The missing C is most likely released from acid‐labile functional groups, such as esters, acetals, and amides, during demineralization, although it cannot be ruled out that some fraction of the missing C is in small grains that are difficult to recover from suspension, or in water‐soluble compounds trapped in phyllosilicates.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13302","authors":["Yoko Kebukawa","C. M. O'd. Alexander","George D. Cody"],"tags":["Chondrite","Chemistry","Demineralization","Meteorite","Organic matter"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-05-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13302","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2058144835","name":"REE abundances in the matrix of the Allende (CV) meteorite: Implications for matrix origin","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The trace element distributions in the matrix of primitive chondrites were examined using four least‐contaminated matrix specimens from the polished sections of the Allende (CV) meteorite. Analysis of rare earth element (REE), Ba, Sr, Rb, and K abundances by isotope dilution mass spectrometry revealed that the elemental abundances of lithophile elements except for alkali metals (K, Rb) in the specimens of the Allende matrix studied here are nearly CI (carbonaceous Orgueil) chondritic (∼1 × CI). Compared to refractory elements, all the matrix samples exhibited systematic depletion of the moderately volatile elements K and Rb (0.1–0.5 × CI). We suggest that the matrix precursor material did not carry significant amounts of alkali metals or that the alkalis were removed from the matrix precursor material during the parent body process and/or before matrix formation and accretion. The matrix specimens displayed slightly fractionated REE abundance patterns with positive Ce anomalies (CI‐normalized La/Yb ratio = 1.32–1.65; Ce/Ce* = 1.16–1.28; Eu/Eu* = 0.98–1.10). The REE features of the Allende matrix do not indicate a direct relationship with chondrules or calcium‐aluminum‐rich inclusions (CAIs), which in turn suggests that the matrix was not formed from materials produced by the breakage and disaggregation of the chondrules or CAIs. Therefore, we infer that the Allende matrix retains the REE features acquired during the condensation process in the nebula gas.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00922.x","authors":["Mutsuo Inoue","Makoto Kimura","Noboru Nakamura"],"tags":["Allende meteorite","Chondrite","Chondrule","Matrix (chemical analysis)","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00922.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1488474916","name":"Meteorites at Meridiani Planum provide evidence for significant amounts of surface and near‐surface water on early Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– Six large iron meteorites have been discovered in the Meridiani Planum region of Mars by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity in a nearly 25 km‐long traverse. Herein, we review and synthesize the available data to propose that the discovery and characteristics of the six meteorites could be explained as the result of their impact into a soft and wet surface, sometime during the Noachian or the Hesperian, subsequently to be exposed at the Martian surface through differential erosion. As recorded by its sediments and chemical deposits, Meridiani has been interpreted to have undergone a watery past, including a shallow sea, a playa, an environment of fluctuating ground water, and/or an icy landscape. Meteorites could have been encased upon impact and/or subsequently buried, and kept underground for a long time, shielded from the atmosphere. The meteorites apparently underwent significant chemical weathering due to aqueous alteration, as indicated by cavernous features that suggest differential acidic corrosion removing less resistant material and softer inclusions. During the Amazonian, the almost complete disappearance of surface water and desiccation of the landscape, followed by induration of the sediments and subsequent differential erosion and degradation of Meridiani sediments, including at least 10–80 m of deflation in the last 3–3.5 Gy, would have exposed the buried meteorites. We conclude that the iron meteorites support the hypothesis that Mars once had a denser atmosphere and considerable amounts of water and/or water ice at and/or near the surface.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01297.x","authors":["Alberto González Fairén","J. M. Dohm","Victor R. Baker","S. D. Thompson","William C. Mahaney","K. E. Herkenhoff","J. A. P. Rodriguez","Alfonso F. Dávila","Dirk Schulze‐Makuch","M. Ramy EL MAARRY","Esther R. Uceda","Ricardo Amils","Hirdy MIYAMOTO","Kyeong Ja Kim","Robert C. Anderson","Christopher P. McKay"],"tags":["Noachian","Meteorite","Hesperian","Astrobiology","Mars Exploration Program"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-11-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01297.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1994274642","name":"Lunar meteorite, Dhofar 1428: Feldspathic breccia containing KREEP and meteoritic components","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We have studied the feldspathic lunar meteorite Dhofar 1428 chemically and petrologically to better understand the evolution of the lunar surface. Dhofar 1428 is a feldspathic regolith breccia derived from the lunar highland. Bulk chemical and mineral compositions of Dhofar 1428 are similar to those of other feldspathic lunar meteorites. We found a few clasts of evolved lithologies, such as K‐rich plagioclases and quartz monzogabbro. Dhofar 1428 contains approximately 1 wt% of chondritic materials like CM chondrite on the basis of abundances of platinum group elements (Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, and Pt).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12290","authors":["Y. Hidaka","Akira Yamaguchi","M. Ebihara"],"tags":["Breccia","Meteorite","Regolith","Geochemistry","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-04-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12290","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1575352197","name":"Comparison of four meteorite penetration funnels in the Campo del Cielo crater field, Argentina","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– More craters may be discovered in the future, but as it is currently known, the Campo del Cielo crater field is 18 km long by 4 km at its widest point. Such a distribution of craters suggests that the parent meteoroid entered and traversed the atmosphere at a very low angle relative to horizontal. The crater field contains at least 20 small craters produced by the larger fragments of the parent meteoroid. Four of these are explosion analog craters and the rest are penetration funnels. During four field seasons, we have constructed topographic and magnetic maps of four of the penetration funnels as found, and then dug trenches across them to learn their original structures and recover meteorites preserved within them. Structures of these penetration funnels indicate very low angles of impact, i.e., 9–16° relative to horizontal. This supports the idea that the parent meteoroid traversed the atmosphere at a low angle. Data given here for the four penetration funnels include projectile masses, lengths, widths, depths, and estimates of impact angles and azimuths. One of the penetration funnels described here (No. 6) can almost be classified as an explosion analog crater.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01202.x","authors":["M. A. Vesconi","S. P. Wright","M. G. Spagnuolo","Robert W. Jacob","Carlos CERRUTTI","Luciana García","Evangelina FERNANDEZ","William A. Cassidy"],"tags":["Impact crater","Meteoroid","Meteorite","Penetration (warfare)","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-05-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01202.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2343531317","name":"Highly siderophile and chalcogen element constraints on the origin of components of the Allende and Murchison meteorites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract 187Re‐187Os systematics, abundances of highly siderophile elements (HSE: Re, PGE, and Au), chalcogen elements (Te, Se, and S), and some major and minor elements were determined in physically separated components of the Allende (CV3) and Murchison (CM2) carbonaceous chondrites. Substantial differences exist in the absolute and relative abundances of elements in the components, but the similarity of calculated and literature bulk rock abundances of HSE and chalcogens indicate that chemical complementarity exists among the components, with CI chondrite‐like ratios for many elements. Despite subsequent alteration and oxidation, the overall cosmochemical behavior of most moderately to highly siderophile elements during high‐temperature processing has been preserved in components of Allende at the sampling scale of the present study. The 187Re‐187Os systematics and element variations of Allende are less disturbed compared with Murchison, which reflects different degrees of oxidation and alteration of these meteorites. The HSE systematics (with the exception of Au) is controlled by two types of materials: Pd‐depleted condensates and CI chondrite‐like material. Enrichment and heterogeneous distribution of Au among the components is likely the result of hydrothermal alteration. Chalcogen elements are depleted compared with HSE in all components, presumably due to their higher volatility. Small systematic variations of S, Se, and Te in components bear the signature of fractional condensation/partial evaporation and metal–sulfide–silicate partitioning.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12653","authors":["Yogita Kadlag","Harry Becker"],"tags":["Allende meteorite","Murchison meteorite","Chondrite","Meteorite","Chalcogen"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-04-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12653","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2770572852","name":"Petrogenesis of D'Orbigny‐like angrite meteorites and the role of spinel in the angrite source","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Angrite meteorites are samples of early planetesimal magmatic rocks, distinguished from more typical “basaltic eucrites” by compositions that are silica undersaturated, relatively oxidized, and with high CaO/Al 2 O 3 . The latter is not expected from nebular, chondritic materials that might form a primitive mantle, such as a source enriched in refractory inclusions with fixed CaO/Al 2 O 3 (e.g., CV chondrite). Here we present results of “reversal” crystallization experiments for two possible parental angrite compositions (approximating the D'Orbigny meteorite) to investigate the role of spinel as a sink for Al 2 O 3 . This mineral has previously been produced with angritic melts during “forward” melting of CV chondrite and may be abundant in the angrite source. At oxidizing conditions, we confirm that spinel is a liquidus phase and that angritic magmas form near the olivine‐anorthite‐spinel‐liquid peritectic. A stability gap separates Al‐rich liquidus spinels and lower temperature spinels, the latter of which are similar to those in basaltic eucrites. Al‐rich spinel is likely more abundant in the angritic source than other Fe‐rich core‐forming components such as metal or sulfide, and a CV chondrite‐like composition generates most features of angrite magmas by fractionation of observed olivine and liquidus spinel. Direct CaO excess, via carbonate addition, is therefore limited. In this model, discrepancies remain for Li, Sc, Cr(‐Al), and Ba, which may record local accretion conditions or early processing. The possible role of spinel as a sink for 26 Al may have strong influence on the thermal evolution of the angrite parent body.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13004","authors":["Seann McKibbin","Hugh O’Neill"],"tags":["Spinel","Chondrite","Meteorite","Geology","Liquidus"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-11-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13004","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2753160840","name":"Mineralogical study of brown olivine in Northwest Africa 1950 shergottite and implications for the formation mechanism of iron nanoparticles","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Martian meteorites, in particular shergottites, contain darkened olivine (so‐called “brown olivine”) whose color is induced by iron nanoparticles formed in olivine during a shock event. The formation process and conditions of brown olivine have been discussed in the Northwest Africa 2737 (NWA 2737) chassignite. However, formation conditions of brown olivine in NWA 2737 cannot be applied to shergottites because NWA 2737 has a different shock history from that of shergottites. Therefore, this study observed brown olivine in the NWA 1950 shergottite and discusses the general formation process and conditions of brown olivine in shergottites. Our observation of NWA 1950 revealed that olivine is heterogeneously darkened between and within grains different from brown olivine in NWA 2737. XANES analysis showed that brown olivine contains small amounts of Fe3+ and TEM/STEM observation revealed that there is no SiO‐rich phase around iron metal nanoparticles. These observations indicate that iron nanoparticles were formed by a disproportionation reaction of olivine (3Fe2+olivine → Fe0metal + 2Fe3+olivine + Volivine, where Volivine means a vacancy in olivine). Some parts of brown olivine show lamellar textures in SEM observation and Raman peaks in addition to those expected for olivine, implying that brown olivine experienced a phase transition (to e.g., ringwoodite). In order to induce heterogeneous darkening, heterogeneous high temperature of about 1500–1700 K and shock duration of at least ~90 ms are required. This heterogeneous high temperature resulted in high postshock temperature (>900 K) inducing back‐transformation of most high‐pressure phases. Therefore, in spite of lack of high‐pressure phases, NWA 1950 (= Martian meteorites with brown olivine) experienced higher pressure and temperature compared to other highly shocked meteorite groups.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12949","authors":["A. Takenouchi","T. Mikouchi","Toshihiro Kogure"],"tags":["Olivine","Meteorite","Ringwoodite","Geology","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-08-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12949","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2081665206","name":"Cathodoluminescence microscopy and spectroscopy of forsterite from Kaba meteorite: An application to the study of hydrothermal alteration of parent body","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Highly forsteritic olivine (Fo: 99.2–99.7) in the Kaba meteorite emits bright cathodoluminescence (CL). CL spectra of red luminescent forsterite grains have two broad emission bands at approximately 630 nm (impurity center of divalent Mn ions) in the red region and above 700 nm (trivalent Cr ions) in the red–IR region. The cores of the grains show CL blue luminescence giving a characteristic broad band emission at 400 nm, also associated with minor red emissions related to Mn and Cr ions. CL color variation of Kaba forsterite is attributed to structural defects. Electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA) analysis shows concentrations of Ca, Al, and Ti in the center of the forsterite grain. The migration of diffusible ions of Mn, Cr, and Fe to the rim of the Kaba meteoritic forsterite was controlled by the hydrothermal alteration at relatively low temperature (estimated at about 250 °C), while Ca and Al ions might still lie in the core. A very unusual phase of FeO (wüstite) was also observed, which may be a terrestrial alteration product of FeNi‐metal.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12238","authors":["A. Gucsik","Taro Endo","Hirotsugu Nishido","K. Ninagawa","Masahiro Kayama","Szaniszló Bérczi","Szabolcs Nagy","P. Ábrahám","Yuki Kimura","Hitoshi Miura","I. Gyollai","Irakli Simonia","P. Rózsa","József Posta","Dániel Apai","Krisztián Mihályi","Mihály Nagy","U. Ott"],"tags":["Forsterite","Cathodoluminescence","Electron microprobe","Analytical Chemistry (journal)","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12238","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2592624944","name":"Petrology, mineralogy, porosity, and cosmic‐ray exposure history of Huaxi ordinary chondrite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract A meteorite fall was heard and collected on July 13, 2010 at about 18:00 (local time) in the Shibanjing village of the Huaxi district of Guiyang, Guizhou province, China. The total mass of the fall is estimated to be at least 1.6 kg; some fragments are missing. The meteorite consists mainly of olivine, low‐Ca pyroxene, high‐Ca pyroxene, plagioclase, kamacite, taenite, and troilite. Minor phases include chromite and apatite. Various textural types of chondrules exist in this meteorite: most chondrule textures can be easily defined. The grain sizes of secondary plagioclase in this meteorite range from 2 to 50 μm. The chemical composition of olivine and low‐Ca pyroxene are uniform; Fa in olivine and Fs in low‐Ca pyroxene are, respectively, 19.6 ± 0.2 and 17.0 ± 0.3 (mole%). Huaxi has been classified as an H5 ordinary chondrite, with a shock grade S2, and weathering W0. The weak shock features, rare fractures, and the high porosity (17.6%) indicates that Huaxi is a less compacted meteorite. The preatmospheric radius of Huaxi is ~11 cm, corresponding to ~21 kg. The meteorite experienced a relatively short cosmic‐ray exposure of about 1.6 ± 0.1 Ma. The4He and40Ar retention ages are older than 4.6 Ga implying that Huaxi did not degas after thermal metamorphism on its parent body.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12842","authors":["Shijie Li","Shijie Wang","I. Leya","Yang Li","Xiongyao Li","Thomas Smith"],"tags":["Troilite","Meteorite","Pyroxene","Ordinary chondrite","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-02-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12842","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1971915901","name":"Mineralogy and 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy of opaque phases in the Neuschwanstein EL6 chondrite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— This study presents compositional data and 57Fe Mössbauer spectra, taken at 295 K and 85 K, of two fragments of the enstatite (EL6) chondrite Neuschwanstein that fell near the famous Neuschwanstein castle (Bavaria, southern Germany) on April 6, 2002. Main silicate minerals are enstatite (Fs 2) and plagioclase (An 20), the main opaque minerals are kamacite and troilite. Small amounts of oldhamite, daubreelite, and schreibersite have been found. The presented Mössbauer data are the first data gathered for an EL6 chondrite. The dominant parts of each Mössbauer spectrum consist of two six‐line patterns due to the presence of ferromagnetic phases kamacite and troilite. In contrast to other chondrites, peaks of other iron species in the central parts of the spectra are missing due to an extremely low content of Fe‐bearing paramagnetic components. The hyperfine interaction parameters for kamacite are internal magnetic hyperfine field Hhf = 333.2 kOe, isomer shift (relative to a metallic Fe foil) IS = 0.01 mm/s, quadrupole splitting QS = 0 mm/s, line width W = 0.41 mm/s. The data for troilite are Hhf = 305.5 kOe, IS = 0.75 mm/s, QS = −0.85 mm/s, W = 0.34 mm/s.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00063.x","authors":["Rupert Hochleitner","K. T. Fehr","G. Simon","J. Pohl","E. Schmidbauer"],"tags":["Troilite","Kamacite","Chondrite","Enstatite","Chondrule"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2004-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2004.tb00063.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2059287619","name":"The meteorite collection of the Civico Planetario and the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale in Milan, Italy","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The historical meteorite collection of Milan's Civico Planetario and Museo di Storia Naturale is presented in this catalogue. Started in 1838, the collection contains to date (March 2002) 231 samples of 77 individual falls, representing 118.935 kg (i.e., the total weight is 118 kg and 935 g) of extraterrestrial material, including 5 carbonaceous chondrites, 38 ordinary chondrites, 3 achondrites, 7 stony‐iron meteorites and 24 iron meteorites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2002.tb00908.x","authors":["L. Folco","Fabio Peri","Federicο Pezzotta"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Achondrite","Astrobiology","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2002.tb00908.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W3206928476","name":"Characteristics of the lunar samples returned by the Chang’E-5 mission","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Forty-five years after the Apollo and Luna missions returned lunar samples, China's Chang’E-5 (CE-5) mission collected new samples from the mid-latitude region in the northeastern Oceanus Procellarum of the Moon. Our study shows that 95% of CE-5 lunar soil sizes are found to be within the range of 1.40–9.35 μm, while 95% of the soils by mass are within the size range of 4.84–432.27 μm. The bulk density, true density and specific surface area of CE-5 soils are 1.2387 g/cm3, 3.1952 g/cm3 and 0.56 m2/g, respectively. Fragments from the CE-5 regolith are classified into igneous clasts (mostly basalt), agglutinate and glass. A few breccias were also found. The minerals and compositions of CE-5 soils are consistent with mare basalts and can be classified as low-Ti/low-Al/low-K type with lower rare-earth-element contents than materials rich in potassium, rare earth element and phosphorus. CE-5 soils have high FeO and low Mg index, which could represent a new class of basalt.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwab188","authors":["Chunlai Li","Hao Hu","Mengfei Yang","Zhaoyu Pei","Qin Zhou","Xin Ren","Bin Liu","Dawei Liu","Xingguo Zeng","Guangliang Zhang","Hongbo Zhang","Jianjun Liu","Q. Wang","Xiangjin Deng","Caijin Xiao","Yonggang Yao","Dingshuai Xue","Wei Zuo","Yan Su","Weibin Wen","Ziyuan Ouyang"],"tags":["Basalt","Regolith","Lunar soil","Lunar mare","Geology of the Moon"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-10-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwab188","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2737182702","name":"The cosmic‐ray exposure history of the Twannberg iron meteorite ( IIG )","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Twannberg iron meteorite is one out of only six members of the group IIG. The combined noble gas and radionuclide data obtained in this new systematic study indicate that Twannberg with its ~570 recently recovered specimens was a large object with a preatmospheric radius in the range of ~2 m, which corresponds to ~250 × 103 kg. The cosmic‐ray exposure age for Twannberg is 182 ± 45 Ma. The most surprising result is the long terrestrial age of Tterr = ka, which is unexpected considering the humid conditions in Switzerland. However, this age is in accord with glaciation events, indicating that the less shielded samples from Mt. Sujet were found close to the position of the original strewn field, whereas the samples from Gruebmatt and Twannbach, which are from more shielded positions, were glacially transported to the east–northeast during the second last ice age (185–130 ka ago) from an original position west of Mt. Sujet.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12928","authors":["Thomas Smith","Beda A. Hofmann","I. Leya","Silke Merchel","Stefan Pavetich","Georg Rugel","Andreas Scharf"],"tags":["Meteorite","Cosmic ray","Geology","Iron meteorite","RADIUS"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-07-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12928","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W3169758642","name":"What Can Meteorites Tell Us About the Formation of Jupiter?","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Gas giants like Jupiter are a fundamental component of planetary systems, but how they formed has been uncertain. Here we discuss how paleomagnetic records in meteorites of the solar nebula may tell us about Jupiter's final growth stage. We suggest that under certain testable assumptions, the meteorite data indicate that proto‐Jupiter grew from a mass of ∼50 Earth masses (M⨁) at >3.46 million years (Ma) after solar system formation to its final mass of 318 M⊕ over just <0.5 Ma. This rapid acceleration is consistent with a key prediction of the core accretion model for giant planet formation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2020av000376","authors":["B. P. Weiss","W. F. Bottke"],"tags":["Jupiter (rocket family)","Meteorite","Formation and evolution of the Solar System","Astrobiology","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2020av000376","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2170336108","name":"Diamond xenolith and matrix organic matter in the Sutter's Mill meteorite measured by C‐ XANES","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Sutter's Mill (SM) meteorite fell in El Dorado County, California, on April 22, 2012. This meteorite is a regolith breccia composed of CM chondrite material and at least one xenolithic phase: oldhamite. The meteorite studied here, SM2 (subsample 5), was one of three meteorites collected before it rained extensively on the debris site, thus preserving the original asteroid regolith mineralogy. Two relatively large (10 μm sized) possible diamond grains were observed in SM2‐5 surrounded by fine‐grained matrix. In the present work, we analyzed a focused ion beam (FIB) milled thin section that transected a region containing these two potential diamond grains as well as the surrounding fine‐grained matrix employing carbon and nitrogen X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure (C‐XANES and N‐XANES) spectroscopy using a scanning transmission X‐ray microscope (STXM) (Beamline 5.3.2 at the Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory). The STXM analysis revealed that the matrix of SM2‐5 contains C‐rich grains, possibly organic nanoglobules. A single carbonate grain was also detected. The C‐XANES spectrum of the matrix is similar to that of insoluble organic matter (IOM) found in other CM chondrites. However, no significant nitrogen‐bearing functional groups were observed with N‐XANES. One of the possible diamond grains contains a Ca‐bearing inclusion that is not carbonate. C‐XANES features of the diamond‐edges suggest that the diamond might have formed by the CVD process, or in a high‐temperature and ‐pressure environment in the interior of a much larger parent body.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12312","authors":["Yoko Kebukawa","M. E. Zolensky","A. L. D. Kilcoyne","Z. Rahman","Peter Jenniskens","George D. Cody"],"tags":["XANES","Meteorite","Diamond","Chondrite","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2014-10-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12312","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2058450559","name":"The pyroxene pallasites, Vermillion and Yamato 8451: Not quite a couple","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Two pallasites, Vermillion and Yamato (Y)‐8451, have been studied to obtain petrologic, trace element, and O‐isotopic data. Both meteorites contain low‐Ca and high‐Ca pyroxenes (<2% by volume) and have been dubbed “pyroxene pallasites.” Pyroxene occurs as large individual grains, as inclusions in olivine and in other pyroxene, and as grains along the edges of olivine. Symplectic overgrowths, sometimes found in Main Group and Eagle Station pallasites, are not seen in the pyroxene pallasites. Olivine compositions are Fa10–12, similar to those of Main Group pallasites. Siderophile trace element data show that metal in the two meteorites have significantly differing compositions that are, for many elements, outside the range of the Main Group and Eagle Station pallasites. These compositions also differ from those of IAB and IIIAB iron meteorites. Rare earth element (REE) patterns in merrillite are similar to those seen in other pallasites, indicating formation by subsolidus reaction between metal and silicate, with the merrillite inheriting its pattern from the surrounding silicates. The O‐isotopic compositions of Vermillion and Y‐8451 are similar but differ from Main Group or Eagle Station pallasites, as well as other achondrite and primitive achondrite groups. Although Vermillion and Y‐8451 have similar mineralogy, pyroxene compositions, REE patterns, and O‐isotopic compositions, there is sufficient evidence to resist formally grouping these two meteorites. This evidence includes the texture of Vermillion, siderophile trace element data, and the presence of cohenite in Vermillion.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01460.x","authors":["J. S. Boesenberg","A. M. Davis","M. Prinz","M. K. Weisberg","Robert N. Clayton","T. K. Mayeda"],"tags":["Pyroxene","Meteorite","Achondrite","Geology","Parent body"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01460.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2083642840","name":"Cr spinel and chromite as petrogenetic indicators in ordinary chondrites: Equilibration temperatures of petrologic types 3.7 to 6","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Many Equilibrated Ordinary Chondrites Contain (Besides Chromites Of Constant Composition) Cr Spinel With A Large Spread In Cr/(Cr + Al) Ratios. They Occur Mainly As Large Grains In Chondrules Rich In Mesostasis, Preventing Complete Equilibration In Cr/Al But Not In Fe/Mg. This Partially Equilibrated Cr Spinel Turned Out To Be Particularly Useful For The Selection Of An Appropriate Olivine/Spinel Thermometer And For The Determination Of Equilibration Temperatures. The Main Results Are: 1) The H3.7 To 3.8 And The L3.7 To 3.8 Chondrites Analyzed Show Temperatures Of 625 To 680 °C; 2) Equilibrated Chondrites Show A Range Of Olivine/Cr-Spinel Temperatures Between 700 And 820 °C, And The Same Average Temperatures For Type 4 To 6 (Number Of Analyzed Meteorites In Brackets): H4 (9) 766 °C, H5 (7) 774 °C, H6 (3) 775 °C, L4 (5) 752 °C, L5 (4) 754 °C, L6 (1) 754 °C. These Temperatures Are Interpreted As Equilibration Temperatures. One Indication Is That The Measured Isotherms Are Straight Lines Down To Low Cr/(Cr + Al) Ratios, Which Have A Higher Fe/Mg Interdiffusion Coefficient Than Grains With High Ratios. And There Is No Correlation Of Measured Temperature With Grain Size Of Cr Spinel. 3) Chromites Sensu Stricto Show Temperatures About 50 To 100 °C Lower Than Cr Spinel, And A Correlation With Grain Size. This Is A Closure Temperature Established During Cooling And In Situ Crystallization. These Results Can Best Be Interpreted By A “Rubble Pile” Model Of Parent Body Evolution. This Model Cannot Explain, However, The Absence Of Type 4 To 6 Chondrites With Temperatures As Low As For Type 3.7 To 3.8.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00138.x","authors":["F. Wlotzka"],"tags":["Spinel","Chondrite","Chromite","Chondrule","Olivine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00138.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1976309067","name":"Siderophile and chalcophile element abundances in shergottites: Implications for Martian core formation","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Elemental abundances for volatile siderophile and chalcophile elements for Mars inform us about processes of accretion and core formation. Such data are few for Martian meteorites, and are often lacking in the growing number of desert finds. In this study, we employed laser ablation inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS) to analyze polished slabs of 15 Martian meteorites for the abundances of about 70 elements. This technique has high sensitivity, excellent precision, and is generally accurate as determined by comparisons of elements for which literature abundances are known. However, in some meteorites, the analyzed surface is not representative of the bulk composition due to the over‐ or underrepresentation of a key host mineral, e.g., phosphate for rare earth elements (REE). For other meteorites, the range of variation in bulk rastered analyses of REE is within the range of variation reported among bulk REE analyses in the literature. An unexpected benefit has been the determination of the abundances of Ir and Os with a precision and accuracy comparable to the isotope dilution technique. Overall, the speed and small sample consumption afforded by this technique makes it an important tool widely applicable to small or rare meteorites for which a polished sample was prepared. The new volatile siderophile and chalcophile element abundances have been employed to determine Ge and Sb abundances, and revise Zn, As, and Bi abundances for the Martian mantle. The new estimates of Martian mantle composition support core formation at intermediate pressures (14 ± 3 GPa) in a magma ocean on Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12384","authors":["Shuying Yang","M. Humayun","K. Righter","G. Jefferson","Dana Fields","Anthony J. Irving"],"tags":["Meteorite","Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Chondrite","Mantle (geology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-01-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12384","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1591805516","name":"Moderately and slightly siderophile element constraints on the depth and extent of melting in early Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– The thermal history of Mars during accretion and differentiation is important for understanding some fundamental aspects of its evolution such as crust formation, mantle geochemistry, chronology, volatile loss and interior degassing, and atmospheric development. In light of data from new Martian meteorites and exploration rovers, we have made a new estimate of Martian mantle siderophile element depletions. New high pressure and temperature metal–silicate experimental partitioning data and expressions are also available. Using these new constraints, we consider the conditions under which the Martian mantle may have equilibrated with metallic liquid. The resulting conditions that best satisfy six siderophile elements—Ni, Co, W, Mo, P, and Ga—and are consistent with the solidus and liquidus of the Martian mantle phase diagram are a pressure of 14 ± 3 GPa and temperature of 2100 ± 200 K. The Martian mantle depletions of Cr and V are also consistent with metal–silicate equilibration in this pressure and temperature range if deep mantle silicate phases are also taken into account. The results are not consistent with either metal–silicate equilibrium at the surface or at the current‐day Martian core–mantle boundary. Recent measurements and modeling have concluded that deep (∼17 GPa or 1350 km) mantle melting is required to explain isotopic data for Martian meteorites and the nature of differentiation into core, mantle, and crust. This is in general agreement with our estimates of the conditions of Martian core formation based on siderophile elements that result in an intermediate depth magma ocean scenario for metal–silicate equilibrium.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01140.x","authors":["K. Righter","N. L. Chabot"],"tags":["Martian","Mantle (geology)","Planetary differentiation","Geology","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01140.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2547600822","name":"Thermophysical properties of Almahata Sitta meteorites (asteroid 2008 TC 3) for high‐fidelity entry modeling","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Asteroid 2008 TC3 was characterized in a unique manner prior to impacting Earth's atmosphere, making its October 7, 2008, impact a suitable field test for or validating the application of high‐fidelity re‐entry modeling to asteroid entry. The accurate modeling of the behavior of 2008 TC3 during its entry in Earth's atmosphere requires detailed information about the thermophysical properties of the asteroid's meteoritic materials at temperatures ranging from room temperature up to the point of ablation (T ~ 1400 K). Here, we present measurements of the thermophysical properties up to these temperatures (in a 1 atm. pressure of argon) for two samples of the Almahata Sitta meteorites from asteroid 2008 TC3: a thick flat‐faced ureilite suitably shaped for emissivity measurements and a thin flat‐faced EL6 enstatite chondrite suitable for diffusivity measurements. Heat capacity was determined from the elemental composition and density from a 3‐D laser scan of the sample. We find that the thermal conductivity of the enstatite chondrite material decreases more gradually as a function of temperature than expected, while the emissivity of the ureilitic material decreases at a rate of 9.5 × 10−5 K−1 above 770 K. The entry scenario is the result of the actual flight path being the boundary to the load the meteorite will be affected with when entering. An accurate heat load prediction depends on the thermophysical properties. Finally, based on these data, the breakup can be calculated accurately leading to a risk assessment for ground damage.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12788","authors":["Stefan Loehle","Peter Jenniskens","Hannah Böhrk","Thomas Bauer","Henning Elsäβer","D. W. G. Sears","M. E. Zolensky","M. H. Shaddad"],"tags":["Asteroid","Enstatite","Meteorite","Chondrite","Emissivity"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-11-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12788","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W4309692320","name":"Geology, Mineralogy, and Age of Li-Bearing Pegmatites: Case Study of Tochka Deposit (East Kazakhstan)","source":"openalex","abstract":"New geological, mineralogical, geochemical, and geochronological data have been obtained for Li-bearing pegmatites from the Tochka deposit located within the Karagoin–Saryozek zone in East Kazakhstan. Earlier, the exploration works in this zone were carried out to detect only Ta and Sn mineralization, but other ores (including Li) were not considered. The estimation of lithium resources in pegmatites from the area was methodologically imperfect. Previously, it was believed that the formation of rare-metal pegmatite veins was associated with Late Carboniferous Na-granites. The obtained geological observation confirms that the ore-bearing rare-metal pegmatites at the Tochka deposits cut the Late Carboniferous Na-granites and do not cut the Early Permian Kalba granites. The associations of the accessory minerals in host hornfels, Na-granites, and rare-metal pegmatites are different and the accessory minerals in pegmatites are similar to the accessory minerals in the Kalba granites. Geochemical data show that the behavior of rare elements (Ba, Th, HFSE, and REE) and the levels of accumulation of rare metals prove that pegmatites are similar to the product of the differentiation of the granitic magmas of the Kalba complex. The 40Ar/39Ar muscovite age of the Tochka pegmatites (~292 Ma) fits the age range of the Kalba granite complex. Based on the main principles of the generation of rare-metal pegmatites, the Tochka pegmatites formed during the fluid–magmatic fractionation of magma in large granitic reservoirs of the Kalba complex. The Karagoin–Saryozek zone—located between several large granite massifs of the Kalba complex where host rocks play a role as a roof—may be very promising for rare-metal pegmatite mineralization.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min12121478","authors":["Natalya A. Zimanovskaya","Т. А. Ойцева","С. В. Хромых","А. В. Травин","Ainel Y. Bissatova","I. Yu. Annikova","Saltanat S. Aitbayeva"],"tags":["Pegmatite","Geology","Geochemistry","Muscovite","Massif"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-11-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min12121478","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1995710772","name":"Thermally metamorphosed carbonaceous chondrites from data for thermally mobile trace elements","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract—We report radiochemical neutron activation analysis (RNAA) data for U, Co, Au, Sb, Ga, Rb, Cs, Se, Ag, Te, Zn, In, Bi, Tl, and Cd (ordered by increasing ease of vaporization and loss from the Murchison CM2 chondrite during open‐system heating) in nine Antarctic C2 and C3 chondrites. These meteorites exhibit properties (obtained by reflectance spectroscopy, O isotopic mass spectrometry and/or mineralogy‐petrology) suggesting thermal metamorphism in their parent bodies. Five of these meteorites (Asuka (A) 881655, Yamato (Y) 793495, Y‐790992, Pecora Escarpment (PCA) 91008, and Y‐86789—paired with Y‐86720) exhibit significant depletion of the most thermally mobile 1–5 trace elements, which is consistent with open‐system loss during extended parent‐body heating (under conditions duplicated by week‐long heating of the Murchison C2 chondrite, heated at 500–700 °C in a low‐pressure (initially 10−5atm) H2atmosphere). From earlier data, three other C3 chondrites—Allan Hills (ALH) 81003, ALH 85003, and Lewis Cliffs (LEW) 85332—show significant Cd depletion. Nine additional C2 and C3 chondrites show no evidence of mobile trace element depletion—including Y‐793321, which by all other criteria was mildly metamorphosed thermally. Either metamorphism of these nine meteorites occurred under closed conditions and/or alteration took place under such mild conditions that even Cd could not be lost. The RNAA data suggest that 10 of the 46 Antarctic carbonaceous chondrites (including 4 of 37 from Victoria Land and 6 of 9 from Queen Maud Land) exhibit open‐system loss of at least some thermally mobile trace elements by heating in their parent bodies, whereas none of the 25 non‐Antarctic falls experienced this. These results are consistent with the idea that the Antarctic sampling of near‐Earth material differs from that being sampled today.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01313.x","authors":["M.-S. Wang","M. E. Lipschutz"],"tags":["Chondrite","Meteorite","Chondrule","Geology","Parent body"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01313.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2136859750","name":"Oral histories in meteoritics and planetary science: IX. Heinrich Wänke","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— In this interview, Heinrich Wänke, a nuclear physicist, describes how he first encountered meteorite studies in 1953 when, after finishing his Ph.D. thesis in Vienna, he joined the research group of Professor Friedrich Paneth at the University of Durham, England. There, he worked on problems relating to uranium‐helium ages of iron meteorites. A year later, Wänke moved with Paneth to the Max‐Planck‐Institut für Chemie at Mainz in Germany. He continued meteorite research but also conducted experiments to measure noble gases in the stratosphere, a project that brought him to America in 1956 where he first met Professor Harold C. Urey, with whom he formed a lasting friendship. After Paneth's early death in 1958, Wänke remained at the Institute in Mainz and pursued research on topics such as the isotopic compositions of cosmogenic noble gases in iron meteorites and the abundances of primordial rare gases implanted by solar wind particles in brecciated stony meteorites. In 1969, Wänke was appointed to fill Paneth's position as a director of the Max‐Planck‐Institut für Chemie just in time for him to lead a wide spectrum of research projects on the lunar rocks and soils. From the geochemical evidence these studies provided, he theorized on the formation of the Moon by the giant impact hypothesis, and proposed a two‐component model for the cosmic composition of the Earth's mantle. His group also investigated the isotopic chemistry of martian meteorites and its bearing on the origin and evolution of Mars, which he viewed as a cored planet that underwent early differentiation without subsequent convective homogenization. In 1980, the Meteoritical Society awarded the Leonard Medal to Heinrich Wänke for his numerous contributions of fundamental importance to meteoritics and planetary science.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2002.tb00906.x","authors":["Ursula B. Marvin"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Physics","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2002.tb00906.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1998134705","name":"Oral histories in meteoritics and planetary science: V. Brian Mason","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— In this interview, Brian Mason describes the sudden awakening of his interest in meteorites during his student days at Canterbury College in New Zealand when he read a paper on the cosmic abundances of the elements by Victor M. Goldschmidt. Subsequently, he won a scholarship for graduate study abroad and wrote to Goldschmidt asking if he could do a thesis with him in Norway. Shortly after he began his research in Oslo, he fled the city, ahead of the German invasion of Norway, and completed his doctorate in Stockholm with a thesis on the iron‐manganese minerals of the Långban Mine. After the war he taught for 3 years at Canterbury College where he gave courses on mineralogy and geology (into which he inserted lectures on geochemistry) and led students in extensive field studies. In 1947, Mason accepted a professorship of mineralogy at Indiana University. While there, he wrote the landmark book, Principles of Geochemistry, which appeared in 1952. The following year he moved to New York City where he served as the Curator of Minerals at the American Museum of Natural History and an adjunct professor at Columbia University. He became fascinated with the museum's meteorite collection and discussed meteorites in his lectures, which inspired some of his outstanding students to enter the field. During a sabbatical year he spent as a Fulbright Professor in Japan, he gave an advanced level seminar on meteorites and based his book, Meteorites, on his lecture notes. Mason developed a rapid method of optically classifying chondritic meteorites that he applied to major collections in many countries, thus enabling curators to replace uninformative labels such as “stone” or “chondrite” with species names, and to recognize which of their meteorites were rare types demanding serious study. In 1965 he moved to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. where he remained for the rest of his career. Early in 1968, he collected specimens from the spectacular fall of the Allende meteorite in Mexico, which proved to be a carbonaceous chondrite containing rare types of inclusions enriched in calcium and aluminum. His analyses showed how these inclusions could be divided into groups on the basis of their differing rare earth element patterns. Mason's studies of Allende continued while he investigated lunar samples returned by the Apollo missions and coauthored a book on them. Beginning in the latter 1970s, he applied his rapid classification of stony meteorites to the large numbers of specimens collected each year by U.S. teams on the Antarctic ice sheet. In 1992 he capped his career with a biography of Victor M. Goldschmidt. In recognition of his many fundamental contributions, The Meteoritical Society honored Brian Mason with its Leonard Medal at its meeting in 1972 at the University of Chicago.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2002.tb00902.x","authors":["Ursula B. Marvin"],"tags":["Meteorite","Scholarship","German","Art history","History"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2002-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2002.tb00902.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2057283308","name":"Fine‐grained dust rims in the Tagish Lake carbonaceous chondrite: Evidence for parent body alteration","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The Tagish Lake carbonaceous chondrite consists of heavily aqueously altered chondrules, CAIs, and larger mineral fragments in a fine‐grained, phyllosilicate‐dominated matrix. The vast majority of the coarse‐grained components in this meteorite are surrounded by continuous, 1.5 to >200 μm wide, fine‐grained, accretionary rims, which are well known from meteorites belonging to petrological types 2 and 3 and whose origin and modification is still a matter of debate. Texturally, the fine‐grained rims in Tagish Lake are very similar throughout the entire meteorite and independent of the nature of the enclosed object. They typically display sharp boundaries to the core object and more gradational contacts to the meteorite matrix. Compared to the matrix, the rims are much more finegrained and characterized by a significantly lower porosity. The rims consist of an unequilibrated assemblage of phyllosilicates, Fe,Ni sulfides, magnetites, low‐Ca pyroxenes, and forsteritic olivines, and are, except for a much lower abundance of carbonates, very similar to the Tagish Lake matrix. Electron microprobe and synchrotron X‐ray microprobe analyses show that matrix and rims are also very similar in composition and that the rims differ significantly from matrix and bulk meteorite only by being depleted in Ca. X‐ray elemental mapping and mineralogical observations indicate that Ca was lost during aqueous alteration from the enclosed objects and preferentially crystallized as carbonates in the porous matrix. The analyses also show that Ca is strongly fractionated from Al in the rims, whereas there is no fractionation of the Ti/Al‐ratios. Our data suggest that the fine‐grained rims in Tagish Lake initially formed by accretion in the solar nebula and were subsequently modified by in situ alteration on the parent body. This pervasive alteration removed any potential evidence for pre‐accretionary alteration but did not change the overall texture of the Tagish Lake meteorite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00410.x","authors":["A. Greshake","Alexander N. Krot","G. J. Flynn","Klaus Keil"],"tags":["Meteorite","Chondrite","Chondrule","Parent body","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00410.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2005846238","name":"Impact origin of the Vesta family","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The compelling petrographic link (Consolmagno and Drake, 1977; Gaffey, 1983) between basaltic achondrite meteorites and the ∼530 km diameter asteroid 4 Vesta has been tempered by a perceived difficulty in launching rocks from this asteroid's surface at speeds sufficient to bring them to Earth (Wasson and Wetherill, 1979) without obliterating Vesta's signature crust. I address this impasse in response to recent imaging (Zellner et al, 1996; Dumas and Hainaut, 1996) of a ∼450 km impact basin across Vesta's southern hemisphere (Thomas et al., 1997) and model the basin‐forming collision using a detailed two‐dimensional hydrocode with brittle fracture including self‐gravitational compression (cf., Asphaug and Melosh, 1993). A ∼42 km diameter asteroid striking Vesta's basaltic crust (atop a denser mantle and iron core) at 5.4 km/s launches multikilometer fragments up to ∼600 m/s without inverting distal stratigraphy, according to the code. This modeling, together with collisional, dynamical, rheological and exposure‐age timescales (Marzari et al., 1996; Welten et al., 1996), and observations of V‐type asteroids (Binzel and Xu, 1993) suggests a recent (<∼1 Ga) impact origin for the Vesta family and a possible Vesta origin for Earth‐approaching V‐type asteroids (Cruik‐shank et al., 1991).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1997.tb01584.x","authors":["Erik Asphaug"],"tags":["Asteroid","Geology","Crust","Meteorite","Basalt"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1997.tb01584.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2985336884","name":"A detailed mineralogical, petrographic, and geochemical study of the highly reduced chondrite, Acfer 370","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Among the many ungrouped meteorites, Acfer 370, NWA 7135, and El Médano 301—probably along with the chondritic inclusion in Cumberland Falls and ALHA 78113—represent a homogeneous grouplet of strongly reduced forsterite‐rich chondrites characterized by common textural, chemical, mineralogical, and isotopic features. All of these meteorites are much more reduced than OCs, with a low iron content in olivine and low‐Ca pyroxene. In particular, Acfer 370 is a type 4 chondrite that has olivine and low‐Ca pyroxene compositional ranges of Fa 5.2–5.8 and Fs 9.4–33.4, respectively. The dominant phase is low‐Ca pyroxene (36.3 vol%), followed by Fe‐Ni metal (16.3 vol%) and olivine (15.5 vol%); nevertheless, considering the Fe‐oxyhydroxide (due to terrestrial weathering), the original metal content was around 29.6 vol%. Finally, the mean oxygen isotopic composition Δ17O = +0.68‰ along with the occurrence of a silica phase, troilite, Ni‐rich phosphides, chromite, and oldhamite confirms that these ungrouped meteorites have been affected by strong reduction and are different from any other group recognized so far.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13409","authors":["Giovanni Pratesi","Stefano Caporali","R. C. Greenwood","Vanni Moggi Cecchi","I. A. Franchi"],"tags":["Troilite","Chondrite","Pyroxene","Olivine","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-11-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13409","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2063207929","name":"Investigation of the Rhabdite/Kamacite Law of Intergrowth in iron meteorites with the aid of the Kossel technique","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— X‐ray microdiffraction measurements based on the Kossel effect have been used for orientation determinations of rhabdite (i.e., small prismatic schreibersite crystals) with respect to the kamacite matrix. For that purpose, polished specimens of the Toluca meteorite have been analyzed after surface etching. Kossel patterns of kamacite and rhabdite have been recorded and simulated. As the law of intergrowth for idiomorphic rhabdite crystals, we confirmed the relations: In comparison with typical line widths, the Kossel lines of kamacite are distinctly broadened. This is found for the meteorite Toluca and a for a second sample, the meteorite Morasko. This behaviour is probably connected with a high dislocation density, as shown by transmission electron microscope investigations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1999.tb01732.x","authors":["Christoph Hennig","V. Geist","G. Heide"],"tags":["Kamacite","Meteorite","Materials science","Dislocation","Transmission electron microscopy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1999-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1999.tb01732.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2008842925","name":"Defining the mechanisms that disturb the Sm-Nd isotopic systematics of the Martian meteorites: Examples from Dar al Gani 476 and Allan Hills 77005","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Microbeam studies of Martian meteorites Dar al Gani (DaG) 476 and Allan Hills (ALH) 77005 have been conducted to identify potential causes of disequilibrium exhibited in their Sm-Nd isotopic systematics. Olivine and maskelynite mineral fractions on the DaG 476 isochron are displaced relative to their positions as dictated by measured mineral compositions. The olivine mineral fractions from ALH 77005 not only have a relatively low Sm/Nd ratio, but appear to contain an unradiogenic component that shifts the olivine mineral fraction off the isochron defined by the pyroxene and maskelynite mineral fractions. Trace components such as melt inclusions, impact melt, high-Si mesostasis, and altered olivine were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, quantitative electron microscopy, and secondary ion mass spectrometry to determine their potential for disturbing the isotopic systematics of the mineral fractions, assuming that the mineral fractions were not completely pure. Mixing models indicate that the presence of melt inclusions in the DaG 476 olivine mineral fraction lowered its Sm/Nd ratio. The maskelynite mineral fraction contains a related but more evolved mesostasis component that raised the Sm/Nd ratio of the fraction. The position of two olivine mineral fractions below the ALH 77005 isochron is interpreted to reflect small additions of impact melt with a light rare earth element enriched pattern and a non-indigenous, unradiogenic Nd component. Furthermore, the presence of rare earth elements in olivine and maskelynite from both igneous and non-igneous components such as melt inclusions, mesostasis, and impact melt is observed on a fine (<30 μm) scale. Despite the addition of this material, the Sm-Nd ages are not affected. This study demonstrates that detailed mineral separation procedures as employed by modern geochronology laboratories permit reliable ages to be derived from shocked and altered samples.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00181.x","authors":["Jennifer Edmunson","L. E. Borg","C. K. Shearer","J. J. Papike"],"tags":["Olivine","Geology","Pyroxene","Isochron","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00181.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2912904941","name":"Addendum to “Stöffler, D., Hamann, C., and Metzler, K., Shock metamorphism of planetary silicate rocks and sediments: Proposal for an updated classification system. Meteoritics & Planetary Science 53, 5–49, 2018”","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract With this addendum we provide some correction and additional information regarding the above cited publication. It addresses the following two topics. (1) Clarification for a correct application of the criteria for certain shock stages of chondrites, in particular stage C‐S6. (2) Correction of a printing error in the table that contains the shock classification system of chondrites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13246","authors":["D. Stöffler","Christopher Hamann","K. Metzler"],"tags":["Addendum","Silicate","Chondrite","Shock metamorphism","Shock (circulatory)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13246","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1965595381","name":"A cornucopia of presolar and early solar system materials at the micrometer size range in primitive chondrite matrix","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— We have used a variety of complementary microanalytical techniques to constrain the mineralogy, trace‐element distributions, and oxygen‐isotopic compositions in a 50 × 50 μm area of Acfer 094 matrix. The results reveal the exceptional mineralogical and compositional heterogeneity of this material at the sub‐μm level. We observe μm‐scale and sub‐μm grains with elemental associations suggesting feldspar, metal with widely varying Ni contents, and a Cr‐Fe alloy (in addition to forsterite, pyroxene, sulfide, ferrihydrite, and amorphous groundmass previously described). A new class of μm‐scale CAI (μCAI) is also observed, which show sub‐μm compositional zoning, and a range of oxygen isotopic compositions. Unlike the larger CAIs in Acfer 094, which are uniformly 16O‐enriched, two of the three μCAIs we analyzed are isotopically normal. We also observed a Li‐rich hotspot that detailed analysis by ToF‐SIMS suggests may be a LiCr‐oxide grain. Within the resolution of the NanoSIMS, this grain has isotopically normal Li. Finally, in our 50 × 50 μm area, we positively identified a presolar grain that is the most 18O‐rich silicate found so far in meteorites. The grain may originate from an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star, or more likely, a supernova. In line with previous TEM studies (Greshake 1997), we find no evidence for clastic material (e.g., fragmental chondrules) in the matrix of Acfer 094: although the matrix is volatile‐depleted, this depletion does not appear to result from dilution of a primordial starting material with (depleted) chondrule fragments. Assuming that matrix experienced the depletion event, our data on the detailed mineralogy of Acfer 094 are currently equivocal in constraining the nature of that event. We observe carrier phases for several elements consistent with conditions approaching equilibrium condensation; however, the presence of an amorphous groundmass is suggestive of more rapid cooling.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb00582.x","authors":["P. A. Bland","F. J. Stadermann","C. Floss","Detlef H. Rost","Edward P. Vicenzi","A. T. Kearsley","G. K. Benedix"],"tags":["Chondrule","Chondrite","Pyroxene","Meteorite","Presolar grains"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-08-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb00582.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W4400862267","name":"Variable Iron Mineralogy and Redox Conditions Recorded in Ancient Rocks Measured by In Situ Visible/Near‐Infrared Spectroscopy at Jezero Crater, Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Using relative reflectance measurements from the Mastcam‐Z and SuperCam instruments on the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, we assess the variability of Fe mineralogy in Noachian/Hesperian‐aged rocks at Jezero crater. The results reveal diverse Fe 3+ and Fe 2+ minerals. The igneous crater floor, where small amounts of Fe 3+ ‐phyllosilicates and poorly crystalline Fe 3+ ‐oxyhydroxides have been reported, is spectrally similar to most oxidized basalts observed at Gusev crater. At the base of the western Jezero sedimentary fan, new spectral type points to an Fe‐bearing mineral assemblage likely dominated by Fe 2+ . By contrast, most strata exposed at the fan front show signatures of Fe 3+ ‐oxides (mostly fine‐grained crystalline hematite), Fe 3+ ‐sulfates (potentially copiapites), strong signatures of hydration, and among the strongest signatures of red hematite observed in situ, consistent with materials having experienced vigorous water‐rock interactions and/or higher degrees of diagenesis under oxidizing conditions. The fan top strata show hydration but little to no signs of Fe oxidation likely implying that some periods of fan construction occurred either during a reduced atmosphere era or during short‐lived aqueous activity of liquid water in contact with an oxidized atmosphere. We also report the discovery of alternating cm‐scale bands of red and gray layers correlated with hydration and oxide variability, which has not yet been observed elsewhere on Mars. This could result from syn‐depositional fluid chemistry variations, possibly as seasonal processes, or diagenetic overprint of oxidized fluids percolating through strata having variable permeability.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je008254","authors":["Lucia Mandon","B. L. Ehlmann","R. C. Wiens","Bradley Garczynski","B. Horgan","Thierry Fouchet","Mattéo Loche","E. Dehouck","P. J. Gasda","J. R. Johnson","Adrian Broz","Jorge I. Núñez","M. S. Rice","Alicia Vaughan","Clément Royer","Felipe Gómez","Andrew M. Annex","Olivier Beyssac","O. Forni","A. J. Brown","J. F. Bell","S. Maurice"],"tags":["Noachian","Hematite","Diagenesis","Geology","Hesperian"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je008254","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2915169813","name":"Reclassification of four aubrites as enstatite chondrite impact melts: Potential geochemical analogs for Mercury","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We present petrologic and isotopic data on Northwest Africa (NWA) 4799,NWA7809,NWA7214, andNWA11071 meteorites, which were previously classified as aubrites. These four meteorites contain between 31 and 56 vol% of equigranular, nearly endmember enstatite, Fe,Ni metal, plagioclase, terrestrial alteration products, and sulfides, such as troilite, niningerite, daubréelite, oldhamite, and caswellsilverite. The equigranular texture of the enstatite and the presence of the metal surrounding enstatite indicate that these rocks were not formed through igneous processes like the aubrites, but rather by impact processes. In addition, the presence of pre‐terrestrially weathered metal (7.1–14 vol%), undifferentiated modal abundances compared to enstatite chondrites, presence of graphite, absence of diopside and forsterite, low Ti in troilite, and high Si in Fe,Ni metals suggest that these rocks formed through impact melting on chondritic and not aubritic parent bodies. Formation of these meteorites on a parent body with similar properties to theEHa enstatite chondrite parent body is suggested by their mineralogy. These parent bodies have undergone impact events from at least 4.5 Ga (NWA 11071) until at least 4.2 Ga (NWA 4799) according to39Ar‐40Ar ages, indicating that this region of the solar system was heavily bombarded early in its history. By comparingNWAenstatite chondrite impact melts to Mercury, we infer that they represent imperfect petrological analogs to this planet given their high metal abundances, but they could represent important geochemical analogs for the behavior and geochemical affinities of elements on Mercury. Furthermore, the enstatite chondrite impact melts represent an important petrological analog for understanding high‐temperature processes and impact processes on Mercury, due to their similar mineralogies, Fe‐metal‐rich and FeO‐poor silicate abundances, and low oxygen fugacity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13252","authors":["Arya Udry","Z. E. Wilbur","Rachel R. Rahib","F. M. McCubbin","K. E. Vander Kaaden","T. J. McCoy","K. Ziegler","Juliane Groß","C. DeFelice","Logan M. Combs","B. D. Turrin"],"tags":["Enstatite","Chondrite","Troilite","Geology","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-02-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13252","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1971007711","name":"Peak metamorphic temperatures in type 6 ordinary chondrites: An evaluation of pyroxene and plagioclase geothermometry","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Quantifying the peak temperatures achieved during metamorphism is critical for understanding the thermal histories of ordinary chondrite parent bodies. Various geothermometers have been used to estimate equilibration temperatures for chondrites of the highest metamorphic grade (type 6), but results are inconsistent and span hundreds of degrees. Because different geothermometers and calibration models were used with different meteorites, it is unclear whether variations in peak temperatures represent actual ranges of metamorphic conditions within type 6 chondrites or differences in model calibrations. We addressed this problem by performing twopyroxene geothermometry, using QUILF95, on the same type 6 chondrites for which peak temperatures were estimated using the plagioclase geothermometer (Nakamuta and Motomura 1999). We also calculated temperatures for published pyroxene analyses from other type 6 H, L, and LL chondrites to determine the most representative peak metamorphic temperatures for ordinary chondrites. Pyroxenes record a narrow, overlapping range of temperatures in H6 (865–926 °C), L6 (812–934 °C), and LL6 (874–945 °C) chondrites. Plagioclase temperature estimates are 96–179 °C lower than pyroxenes in the same type 6 meteorites. Plagioclase estimates may not reflect peak metamorphic temperatures because chondrule glass probably recrystallized to plagioclase prior to reaching the metamorphic peak. The average temperature for H, L, and LL chondrites (∼900 °C), which agrees with previously published oxygen isotope geothermometry, is at least 50 °C lower than the peak temperatures used in current asteroid thermal evolution models. This difference may require minor adjustments to thermal model calculations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00977.x","authors":["Valerie SLATER-REYNOLDS","H. Y. McSween"],"tags":["Chondrite","Pyroxene","Plagioclase","Chondrule","Metamorphic rock"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00977.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2630345912","name":"Cosmic‐ray exposure histories of the lunar meteorites AaU 012 and Shişr 166","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We measured the concentrations and isotopic compositions of the stable isotopes of He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe in the two lunar impact‐melt breccias Abar al’ Uj (AaU) 012 and Shişr 166 to obtain information on their cosmic‐ray exposure histories and possible launch pairing; the latter was suggested because of their similar chemical composition. AaU 012 has higher gas concentrations than Shişr 166 and clearly contains implanted solar wind gases, indicating a shallow to moderate shielding for this meteorite in the lunar regolith. The maximum shielding depth of AaU 012 was most likely ≤310 g cm−2 and its lunar regolith residence time was ≥420 ± 70 Ma. Our results indicate that in Shişr 166 the trapped component is a mixture of air and solar wind. The low concentration of cosmogenic and solar wind gases indicate substantial diffusive gas loss and a shielding depth of <700 g cm−2 on the Moon for Shişr 166. All differences seen in the concentrations and isotopic compositions of the noble gases suggest that AaU 012 and Shişr 166 are most likely not launch pairs, although a different exposure history on the Moon does not exclude the possibility that the two meteorites were ejected by a single, large impact event.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12904","authors":["Marianna Mészáros","I. Leya","Beda A. Hofmann"],"tags":["Regolith","Meteorite","Astrobiology","Cosmic ray","Noble gas"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-06-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12904","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2122092024","name":"Near‐infrared spectra of clinopyroxenes: Effects of calcium content and crystal structure","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– Pyroxenes are among the most common minerals in the solar system and are ideally suited for remote geochemical analysis because of the sensitivity of their distinctive spectra to mineral composition. Fe 2+ is responsible for the dominant pyroxene absorptions in the visible and near‐infrared, but substitutions of other cations such as Ca 2+ change the crystal structure and site geometries and thus the crystal field splitting energies of the Fe cations. To define spectral systematics resulting from major pyroxene cations (Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , and Fe 2+ ), we focus on a suite of pyroxenes synthesized with only Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , and Fe 2+ in the two octahedral sites, specifically examining the effect of Ca 2+ on pyroxene absorption bands. The modified Gaussian model is used to deconvolve pyroxene spectra into component bands that can then be linked directly to crystal field absorptions. In orthopyroxenes and low‐Ca clinopyroxenes, Ca 2+ ‐content has a strong and predictable effect on the positions of the absorption bands. At a threshold of Wo 30 , the crystal field environment stagnates and the M2 bands cease to change significantly as more Ca 2+ is added. At Wo 50 , when most of the M2 sites are filled by Ca 2+ , band positions do not change drastically, although the presence and strengths of the 1 and 2 μm bands are affected by even trace amounts of Fe 2+ in the M2 site. It is thus apparent that next‐nearest neighbors and the distortions they impose on the pyroxene lattice affect the electronic states around the Fe 2+ cations and control absorption band properties.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01158.x","authors":["R. L. Klima","M. D. Dyar","C. M. Pieters"],"tags":["Pyroxene","Crystal (programming language)","Octahedron","Infrared","Analytical Chemistry (journal)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01158.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2128382506","name":"Propagation of impact‐induced shock waves in porous sandstone using mesoscale modeling","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– Generation and propagation of shock waves by meteorite impact is significantly affected by material properties such as porosity, water content, and strength. The objective of this work was to quantify processes related to the shock‐induced compaction of pore space by numerical modeling, and compare the results with data obtained in the framework of the Multidisciplinary Experimental and Modeling Impact Research Network (MEMIN) impact experiments. We use mesoscale models resolving the collapse of individual pores to validate macroscopic (homogenized) approaches describing the bulk behavior of porous and water‐saturated materials in large‐scale models of crater formation, and to quantify localized shock amplification as a result of pore space crushing. We carried out a suite of numerical models of planar shock wave propagation through a well‐defined area (the “sample”) of porous and/or water‐saturated material. The porous sample is either represented by a homogeneous unit where porosity is treated as a state variable (macroscale model) and water content by an equation of state for mixed material (ANEOS) or by a defined number of individually resolved pores (mesoscale model). We varied porosity and water content and measured thermodynamic parameters such as shock wave velocity and particle velocity on meso‐ and macroscales in separate simulations. The mesoscale models provide additional data on the heterogeneous distribution of peak shock pressures as a consequence of the complex superposition of reflecting rarefaction waves and shock waves originating from the crushing of pores. We quantify the bulk effect of porosity, the reduction in shock pressure, in terms of Hugoniot data as a function of porosity, water content, and strength of a quartzite matrix. We find a good agreement between meso‐, macroscale models and Hugoniot data from shock experiments. We also propose a combination of a porosity compaction model (ε–α model) that was previously only used for porous materials and the ANEOS for water‐saturated quartzite (all pore space is filled with water) to describe the behavior of partially water‐saturated material during shock compression. Localized amplification of shock pressures results from pore collapse and can reach as much as four times the average shock pressure in the porous sample. This may explain the often observed localized high shock pressure phases next to more or less unshocked grains in impactites and meteorites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2012.01430.x","authors":["N. Güldemeister","K. Wünnemann","Nathanaël Durr","Stefan Hiermaier"],"tags":["Mesoscale meteorology","Porosity","Shock wave","Mechanics","Impact crater"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2012-12-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2012.01430.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1650203563","name":"Petrology and Raman spectroscopy of high pressure phases in the Gujba CB chondrite and the shock history of the CB parent body","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– High pressure phases majorite, possibly majorite‐pyropess, wadsleyite, and coesite are present in the matrix and in barred olivine fragments in the Gujba CB chondrite. Grossular‐pyrope was also observed in some small inclusions. The CB chondrites are metal‐rich meteorites with characteristics that sharply distinguish them from other chondrite groups. All of the CB chondrites contain impact melt regions interstitial to their chondrules, fragments and metal and a major impact event (or events), on the CB chondrite parent body is clearly a significant stage in its history. We studied three areas interstitial to chondrules and metal in the Gujba CBa chondrite. From Raman spectra, the barred olivine fragments and matrix in these regions have various combinations of olivine and low‐Ca pyroxene, as well as majorite garnet (Mg4Si4O12), a phase that forms by high‐pressure transformation of low‐Ca pyroxene and wadsleyite, a high pressure product of olivine. Compositions of the majorite suggest both majorite and majorite‐pyrope solid solution may be present. The mineral assemblage of majorite and wadsleyite suggest minimum shock pressures and temperatures of ∼19 GPa and ∼2000 °C, respectively. The occurrences of high pressure phases are variable from one area to another, on the scale of millimeters or less, suggesting heterogeneous distribution of shock and/or back transformation to low pressure polymorphs throughout the meteorite. The high pressure phases record a high temperature–pressure impact event that is superimposed onto, and thus postdates formation of, the chondrules and other components in the CB chondrites. The barred chondrules and metal in the CB chondrites are primary materials formed prior to the impact event either generated in an earlier planetesimal scale impact event or in the nebula.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01058.x","authors":["M. K. Weisberg","Makoto Kimura"],"tags":["Chondrite","Olivine","Parent body","Chondrule","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01058.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2795303510","name":"A Critical Appraisal of the “Day” Diagram","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The “Day” diagram (Day et al., 1977, https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9201(77)90108-X ) is used widely to make inferences about the domain state of magnetic mineral assemblages. Based on theoretical and empirical arguments, the Day diagram is demarcated into stable “single domain” (SD), “pseudo single domain” (“PSD”), and “multidomain” (MD) zones. It is straightforward to make the necessary measurements for a sample and to plot results within the “domain state” framework based on the boundaries defined by Day et al. (1977, https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9201(77)90108-X ). We discuss 10 issues that limit Day diagram interpretation, including (1) magnetic mineralogy, (2) the associated magnetocrystalline anisotropy type, (3) mineral stoichiometry, (4) stress state, (5) surface oxidation, (6) magnetostatic interactions, (7) particle shape, (8) thermal relaxation, (9) magnetic particle mixtures, and (10) definitional/measurement issues. In most studies, these variables are unknowns and cannot be controlled for, so that hysteresis parameters for single bulk samples are nonunique and any data point in a Day diagram could result from infinite combinations of relevant variables. From this critical appraisal, we argue that the Day diagram is fundamentally ambiguous for domain state diagnosis. Widespread use of the Day diagram has also contributed significantly to prevalent but questionable views, including underrecognition of the importance of stable SD particles in the geological record and reinforcement of the unhelpful PSD concept and of its geological importance. Adoption of approaches that enable correct domain state diagnosis should be an urgent priority for component‐specific understanding of magnetic mineral assemblages and for quantitative rock magnetic interpretation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2017jb015247","authors":["Andrew P. Roberts","Lisa Tauxe","David Heslop","Xiang Zhao","Zhaoxia Jiang"],"tags":["Domain (mathematical analysis)","Diagram","Magnetocrystalline anisotropy","Anisotropy","Condensed matter physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-03-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/2017jb015247","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2791168426","name":"Fundamental drivers for endolithic microbial community assemblies in the hyperarid Atacama Desert","source":"openalex","abstract":"In hyperarid deserts, endolithic microbial communities colonize the rocks' interior as a survival strategy. Yet, the composition of these communities and the drivers promoting their assembly are still poorly understood. We analysed the diversity and community composition of endoliths from four different lithic substrates - calcite, gypsum, ignimbrite and granite - collected in the hyperarid zone of the Atacama Desert, Chile. By combining microscopy, mineralogy, spectroscopy and high throughput sequencing, we found these communities to be highly specific to their lithic substrate, although they were all dominated by the same four main phyla, Cyanobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi and Proteobacteria. Our finding indicates a fine scale diversification of the microbial reservoir driven by substrate properties. The data suggest that the overall rock chemistry and the light transmission properties of the substrates are not essential drivers of community structure and composition. Instead, we propose that the architecture of the rock, i.e., the space available for colonization and its physical structure, linked to water retention capabilities, is ultimately the driver of community diversity and composition at the dry limit of life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.14106","authors":["Victoria Meslier","María Cristina Casero","Micah Dailey","Jacek Wierzchoś","Carmen Ascaso","Octavio Artieda","P. R. McCullough","Jocelyne DiRuggiero"],"tags":["Actinobacteria","Chloroflexi (class)","Microbial population biology","Proteobacteria","Biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2018-03-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.14106","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W3157477965","name":"To be or not to be, that is the question: The Marsala meteorite (Italy, 1834) and the role of the doubtful meteorites in the history of meteoritics","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract This work focuses on the historical and scientific investigation of a presumed meteorite fall that occurred in the Sicilian township of Marsala in 1834. Preliminary studies have classified this phenomenon as a “doubtful meteorite.” This term describes, according to the Nomenclature Committee of the Meteoritical Society, an object for which there was significant uncertainty over whether it was a real meteorite or, in some cases, whether it ever existed. Thanks to the analysis of untapped sources, the first objective of this work is to clarify the nature of the event. Subsequently, the results of the minero‐chemical analyses that were performed, in 1835, on two fragments recovered after the event are discussed for the first time. This work then shows the collecting history of one of the presumed meteorite specimens. Based on the results presented here, this work highlights the role of doubtful meteorites as a fundamental resource for the history of meteoritics and meteorite collecting as well as for studying the processes that have led to the scientific study of meteorites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13654","authors":["Annarita Franza","Marco Morelli","Daniela Faggi","Giovanni Pratesi"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Event (particle physics)","History","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13654","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1991801079","name":"Highly siderophile element ( HSE ) abundances in the mantle of Mars are due to core formation at high pressure and temperature","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Highly siderophile elements (HSEs) can be used to understand accretion and core formation in differentiated bodies, due to their strong affinity for FeNi metal and sulfides. Coupling experimental studies of metal–silicate partitioning with analyses of HSE contents of Martian meteorites can thus offer important constraints on the early history of Mars. Here, we report new metal–silicate partitioning data for the PGEs and Au and Re across a wide range of pressure and temperature space, with three series designed to complement existing experimental data sets for HSE. The first series examines temperature effects for D(HSE) in two metallic liquid compositions—C‐bearing and C‐free. The second series examines temperature effects for D(Re) in FeO‐bearing silicate melts and FeNi‐rich alloys. The third series presents the first systematic study of high pressure and temperature effects for D(Au). We then combine our data with previously published partitioning data to derive predictive expressions for metal–silicate partitioning of the HSE, which are subsequently used to calculate HSE concentrations of the Martian mantle during continuous accretion of Mars. Our results show that at midmantle depths in an early magma ocean (equivalent to approximately 14 GPa, 2100 °C), the HSE contents of the silicate fraction are similar to those observed in the Martian meteorite suite. This is in concert with previous studies on moderately siderophile elements. We then consider model calculations that examine the role of melting, fractional crystallization, and sulfide saturation/undersaturation in establishing the range of HSE contents in Martian meteorites derived from melting of the postcore formation mantle. The core formation modeling indicates that the HSE contents can be established by metal–silicate equilibrium early in the history of Mars, thus obviating the need for a late veneer for HSE, and by extension volatile siderophile elements, or volatiles in general.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12393","authors":["K. Righter","L. R. Danielson","K. Pando","Jeffrey T. Williams","M. Humayun","R. L. Hervig","T. G. Sharp"],"tags":["Martian","Silicate","Meteorite","Mars Exploration Program","Mantle (geology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-01-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12393","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2010885519","name":"Formation of mesosiderites by fragmentation and reaccretion of a large differentiated asteroid","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract—We propose that mesosiderites formed when a 200–400 km diameter asteroid with a molten core was disrupted by a 50–150 km diameter projectile. To test whether impacts can excavate core iron and mix it with crustal material, we used a low‐resolution, smoothed‐particle hydrodynamics computer simulation. For 50–300 km diameter differentiated targets, we found that significant proportions of scrambled core material (and hence potential mesosiderite metal material) could be generated. For near‐catastrophic impacts that reduce the target to 80% of its original diameter and about half of its original mass, the proportion of scrambled core material would be about 5 vol%, equivalent to ∼10 vol% of mesosiderite‐like material. The paucity of olivine in mesosiderites and the lack of metal‐poor or troilite‐rich meteorites from the mesosiderite body probably reflect biased sampling. Mesosiderites may be olivine‐poor because mantle material was preferentially excluded from the metal‐rich regions of the reaccreted body. Molten metal globules probably crystallized around small, cool fragments of crust hindering migration of metal to the core. If mantle fragments were much hotter and larger than crustal fragments, little metal would have crystallized around the mantle fragments allowing olivine and molten metal to separate gravitationally. The rapid cooling rates of mesosiderites above 850 °C can be attributed to local thermal equilibration between hot and cold ejecta. Very slow cooling below 400 °C probably reflects the large size of the body and the excellent thermal insulation provided by the reaccreted debris. We infer that our model is more plausible than an earlier model that invoked an impact at ∼1 km/s to mix projectile metal with target silicates. If large impacts cannot effectively strip mantles from asteroidal cores, as we infer, we should expect few large eroded asteroids to have surfaces composed purely of mantle or core material. This may help to explain why relatively few olivine‐rich (A‐type) and metal‐rich asteroids (M‐type) are known. Some S‐type asteroids may be scrambled differentiated bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2001.tb01927.x","authors":["E. R. D. Scott","H. Haack","Stanley G. Love"],"tags":["Mantle (geology)","Troilite","Olivine","Meteorite","Parent body"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2001-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2001.tb01927.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1494998476","name":"Encyclopedia of Geochemistry","source":"openalex","abstract":"Acid Deposition. Acids and Bases. Actinium. Activation Energy, Activation Enthalpy, Activation Volume. Activity and Activity Coefficients. Aluminum. Americium. Analysis: field methods. Analytical Geochemistry. Analytical Techniques. Antimony: Element and Geochemistry. Aqueous Solutions. Argon. Argon-40 - Argon-39 Dating Method. Arsenic. Astatine. Atomic Absorption. Atomic Mass Unit, Avogadro constant and mole. Atomic Number. Authigenesis. Barium. Berkelium. Beryllium. Biogenic methane and gas hydrates. Biogeochemistry. Biomarker: aliphatic. Biomarker: aromatic. Biomarker: assessment of thermal maturity. Biomarker: coals. Biomarker: higher plant. Biopolymers and macromolecules. Bismuth: Element and Geochemistry. Black shales and sapropels. Boron. Bromine. Cadmium. Calcium. Calcium Carbonate and the Carbonic Acid Systems. Californium. Calorimetry. Carbon. Carbon-14 Dating and other applications. Carbon Cycle. Carbon Isotopes. Carbonate Compensation Depth. Carbonate Sediments. Cerium. Cesium. Chelation. Chemical Kinetics. Chlorine. Chromium. Clapeyron's Equation. Clay Membranes. Clay Minerals - Ion Exchange. Coal: Organic petrography. Coal: origin and diagenesis. Coal: Types and characteristics. Coal: Vitrinite reflectance and maturity assessment. Cobalt. Colloids. Complexes. Compound-specific isotope GC-MS. Copper. Cosmic Elemental Abundances. Cosmogenic Nuclides. Counters. Critical Points. Crystal Chemistry. Crystal Field Theory. Crystal Growth. Curium. Dating Methods. Debye-Huckel Equation. Diagenesis. Differential Thermal Analysis and Scanning Calorimetry. Diffusion. Dolomite and Dolomitization. Dysprosium. Earth's Atmosphere. Earth's Continental Crust. Earth's Core Geochemistry. Earth's Formation and Geochemical Evolution. Earth's Mantle Geochemistry. Earth's Ocean Geochemistry. Earth's Oceanic Crust. Eh-pH Relations. Einsteinium. Electrolyte Theory. Electron Capture. Electron Microprobe. Electronegativity. Elementary Particles. Elements: Actinide Series. Elements: Alkali and Alkaline Earth. Elements: Chalcophile. Elements: Distribution. Elements: Halogens. Elements: Heat Producing. Elements: High Field Strength. Elements: Incompatible. Elements: Lanthanide Series, Rare Earths. Elements: Large Ion Lithophile. Elements: Lithophile. Elements: Metalloids. Elements: Noble Gases. Elements: Platinum Group. Elements: Radioactive. Elements: Siderophile. Elements: Trace. Elements: Transitional. Enthalpy. Entropy. Epigenesis. Equilibrium. Equilibrium Constant. Erbium. Europium. Experimental Mineralogy and Petrology. Exsolution. Fermium. Fick's Laws. Fission Track Analysis. Fluid rock interactions. Fluids in Volcanic and Plutonic Environments: Evidence from Fluid Inclusions. Fluorine. Francium. Free energy. Fugacity. Gadolinium. Gallium: Element and Geochemistry. Gas chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Gas source mass spectrometry. Geoavailability. Geochemical Classification of the Elements. Geochemical Exploration. Geochemical reference materials. Geochemical Tectonics. Geochemical Thermodynamics. Geochemistry. Geochemistry: Low Temperature. Geochemistry of Sediments. Geochronology and Radio Isotopes. Geologic Time Scale. Geothermal Systems. Geothermometers. Geothermometry and Geobarometry. Germanium: Element and Geochemistry. Gibbs-Duhem Equation. Gold. Hafnium. Helium. Helium isotopes. Henry's Law. History of Geochemistry. Holmium. Hydrocarbons. Hydrogen. Hydrogen Isotopes. Hydrologic Cycle. Hydrothermal Alteration. Hydrothermal Solutions. Hypogene. Indium: Element and Geochemistry. Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Iodine. Ion Exchange Chromatography. Ion Microprobe. Ionic Radii. Iridium. Iron. Isotope Dilution. Isotope Fractionation. Krypton. Laboratory Simulations of Oil and Natural Gas Formation. Lanthanum. Laser ablation inductively coupled mass spectrometry ICPMS. Lawrencium. Lead. Lead: Stable isotopes. Lipid biomarker. Lipids (Eubacteria and Archaebacteria). Lithium: Element and Geochemistry. Lumin","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.15.2.137a","authors":[],"tags":["Chemistry","Geology","Carbonate minerals","Kerogen","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-04-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.15.2.137a","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1965743328","name":"Brachinites: Igneous rocks from a differentiated asteroid","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— We have done petrologic studies of brachinites Allan Hills (ALH) 84025, Elephant Moraine (EET) 99402, and EET 99407; bulk geochemical studies of EET 99402 and EET 99407; Ar‐Ar studies of Brachina and EET 99402; and a Xe isotopic study of Brachina. Textural, mineral compositional, and bulk compositional evidence show that EET 99402 and EET 99407 are paired. ALH 84025, EET 99402, and EET 99407 have igneous textures. Petrofabric analyses of ALH 84025 and EET 99407 demonstrate the presence of lineations and probable foliations of olivine grains that support formation as igneous cumulates. Mineral minor element chemistry and bulk rock incompatible lithophile element contents of the brachinites are distinct from those of acapulcoitelodranite clan meteorites, a suite of high‐grade metamorphic rocks and anatectic residues. The differences demonstrate a higher blocking temperature of equilibration for the brachinites and that cumulus plagioclase is present in EET 99402, EET 99407, and probably ALH 84025, thus indicating an igneous origin. Brachinites are differentiated, ultramafic achondrites, and are not part of a suite of primitive achondrites. We infer that their parent asteroid is a differentiated body. Brachina has an excess of 129Xe correlated with reactor‐produced 128Xe, demonstrating that short‐lived 129I was present at the time of formation. This, plus literature data, attests to early formation of the brachinites, within a few Ma of the formation of chondrites. Ar‐Ar age data show that Brachina and EET 99407 were degassed about 4.13 Ga ago, possibly by a common impact event. EET 99402 and EET 99407 show petrographic evidence for shock, including possible conversion of plagioclase to maskelynite followed by devitrification. Brachina is unshocked, making a direct association between the Ar‐Ar age and textures ambiguous.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00004.x","authors":["David W. Mittlefehldt","D. D. Bogard","J. L. Berkley","D. H. Garrison"],"tags":["Achondrite","Igneous rock","Geology","Geochemistry","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00004.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1990196706","name":"The Burnwell, Kentucky, low iron oxide chondrite fall: Description, classification and origin","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The Burnwell, Kentucky, meteorite fell as a single stone on 1990 September 4. The Burnwell meteorite has lower Fa in olivine (15.8 mol%), Fs in orthopyroxene (13.4 mol%), Co in kamacite (0.36 wt%), FeO from bulk chemical analysis (9.43 wt%), and Δ17O (0.51 ± 0.02%), and higher Fe, Ni, Co metal (19.75 wt% from bulk wet chemical analysis) than observed in H chondrites. The Burnwell meteorite plots on extensions of H‐L‐LL chondrite trends for each of these properties towards more reducing compositions than in H chondrites. Extensions of this trend have been previously suggested in the case of other low‐FeO chondrites or silicate inclusions in the HE iron Netschaëvo, but interpretation of the evidence in these meteorites is complicated by terrestrial weathering, chemical disequilibrium or reduction. In contrast, the Burn‐well meteorite is an equilibrated fall that exhibits no evidence for reduction. As such, it provides the first definitive evidence for extension of the H‐L‐LL ordinary chondrite trend beyond typical H values towards more reducing compositions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01691.x","authors":["S. S. Russell","T. J. McCoy","E. Jarosewich","R. D. Ash"],"tags":["Chondrite","Kamacite","Meteorite","Ordinary chondrite","Olivine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01691.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W1506011695","name":"An American on Paris: Extent of aqueous alteration of a CM chondrite and the petrography of its refractory and amoeboid olivine inclusions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Paris is the least aqueously altered CM chondrite identified to date, classified as subtype 2.7; however, literature data indicate that some regions of this apparently brecciated meteorite may be subtype 2.9. The suite of CAIs in Paris includes 19% spinel–pyroxene inclusions, 19% spinel inclusions, 8% spinel–pyroxene–olivine inclusions, 43% pyroxene inclusions, 8% pyroxene–olivine inclusions, and 3% hibonite‐bearing inclusions. Both simple and complex inclusions are present; some have nodular, banded, or distended structures. No melilite was identified in any of the inclusions in the present suite, but other recent studies have found a few rare occurrences of melilite in Paris CAIs. Because melilite is highly susceptible to aqueous alteration, it is likely that it was mostly destroyed during early‐stage parent‐body alteration. Two of the CAIs in this study are part of compound CAI–chondrule objects. Their presence suggests that there were transient heating events (probably associated with chondrule formation) in the nebula after chondrules and CAIs were admixed. Also present in Paris are a few amoeboid olivine inclusions (AOI) consisting of relatively coarse forsterite rims surrounding fine‐grained, porous zones containing diopside and anorthite. The interior regions of the AOIs may represent fine‐grained rimless CAIs that were incorporated into highly porous forsterite‐rich dustballs. These assemblages were heated by an energy pulse that collapsed and coarsened their rims, but failed to melt their interiors.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12482","authors":["Alan E. Rubin"],"tags":["Melilite","Chondrule","Olivine","Geology","Pyroxene"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2015-07-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12482","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2089140382","name":"Kosmochloric Ca‐rich pyroxenes and FeO‐rich olivines (Kool grains) and associated phases in Stardust tracks and chondritic porous interplanetary dust particles: Possible precursors to FeO‐rich type II chondrules in ordinary chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Terminal particles and mineral fragments from comet 81P/Wild 2 were studied in 16 aerogel tracks by transmission and secondary electron microscopy. In eight tracks clinopyroxenes with correlated Na2O and Cr2O3 contents as high as 6.0 wt% and 13.0 wt%, respectively, were found. Kosmochloric (Ko) clinopyroxenes were also observed in 4 chondritic interplanetary dust particles (IDPs). The Ko‐clinopyroxenes were often associated with FeO‐rich olivine ± Cr‐rich spinel ± aluminosilicate glass or albitic feldspar, assemblages referred to as Kool grains (Ko = kosmochloric Ca‐rich pyroxene, ol = olivine). Fine‐grained (submicron) Kool fragments have textures suggestive of crystallization from melts while coarse‐grained (>1 μm) Kool fragments are often glass‐free and may have formed by thermal metamorphism in the nebula. Average major and minor element distributions between clinopyroxenes and coexisting FeO‐rich olivines are consistent with these phases forming at or near equilibrium. In glass‐bearing fine‐grained Kool fragments, high concentrations of Na in the clinopyroxenes are inconsistent with existing experimentally determined partition coefficients at equilibrium. We speculate that the availability of Cr in the melt increased the clinopyroxene Na partition coefficient via a coupled substitution thereby enhancing this phase with the kosmochlor component. The high temperature minerals, fine‐grain sizes, bulk compositions and common occurrence in the SD tracks and IDPs support the idea that Kool grains could have been precursors to type II chondrules in ordinary chondrites. These grains, however, have not been observed in these meteorites suggesting that they were destroyed during chondrule formation and recycling or were not present in the nebula at the time and location where meteoritic chondrules formed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb01192.x","authors":["D. J. Joswiak","D. E. Brownlee","G. Matrajt","A. J. Westphal","C. J. Snead"],"tags":["Chondrule","Pyroxene","Chondrite","Interplanetary dust cloud","Olivine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb01192.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.302Z"},{"id":"oa:W2089056381","name":"Geochemical identification of projectiles in impact rocks","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract—The three major geochemical methods for impactor identification are evaluated with respect to their potential and limitations with regards to the precise detection and identification of meteoritic material in impactites. The identification of a projectile component in impactites can be achieved by determining certain isotopic and elemental ratios in contaminated impactites. The isotopic methods are based on Os and Cr isotopic ratios. Osmium isotopes are highly sensitive for the detection of minute amounts of extraterrestrial components of even <<0.05 wt% in impactites. However, this only holds true for target lithologies with almost no chemical signature of mantle material or young mantle‐derived mafic rocks. Furthermore, this method is not currently suitable for the precise identification of the projectile type. The Cr‐isotopic method requires the relatively highest projectile contamination (several wt%) in order to detect an extraterrestrial component, but may allow the identification of three different groups of extraterrestrial materials, ordinary chondrites, an enstatite chondrites, and differentiated achondrites. A significant advantage of this method is its independence of the target lithology and post‐impact alteration. The use of elemental ratios, including platinum group elements (PGE: Os, Ir, Ru, Pt, Rh, Pd), in combination with Ni and Cr represents a very powerful method for the detection and identification of projectiles in terrestrial and lunar impactites. For most projectile types, this method is almost independent of the target composition, especially if PGE ratios are considered. This holds true even in cases of terrestrial target lithologies with a high component of upper mantle material. The identification of the projectile is achieved by comparison of the “projectile elemental ratio” derived from the slope of the mixing line (target‐projectile) with the elemental ratio in the different types of possible projectiles (e.g., chondrites). However, this requires a set of impactite samples of various degree of projectile contamination.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2006.tb00448.x","authors":["Roald Tagle","Lutz Hecht"],"tags":["Geology","Enstatite","Achondrite","Geochemistry","Isotopic signature"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2006.tb00448.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W3123011710","name":"The discovery of meteorites near the Yamato Mountains: How the 1969 discoveries changed planetary science","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13624","authors":["Akira Yamaguchi","Kazuyuki Shiraishi","R. P. Harvey"],"tags":["Meteorite","Astrobiology","Geology","Earth science","Planetary science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13624","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W2525552032","name":"Shock‐induced thermal history of an EH 3 chondrite, Asuka 10164","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Shock‐induced features are abundantly observed in meteorites. Especially, shock veins, including high‐pressure minerals, characterize many kinds of heavily shocked meteorite. On the other hand, no high‐pressure phases have been yet reported from enstatite chondrites. We studied a heavily shocked EH3 chondrite, Asuka 10164, containing a vein, which comprises fragments of fine‐grained silicate and opaque minerals, and chondrules. In this vein, we found a silica polymorph, coesite. This is the first discovery of a high‐pressure phase in enstatite chondrites. Other high‐pressure polymorphs were not observed in the vein. The assemblages and chemical compositions of minerals, and the occurrence of coesite indicate that the vein was subjected to the high‐pressure and temperature condition at about 3–10 GPa and 1000 °C. The host also experienced heating for a short time under lower temperature conditions, from ~700 to ~1000 °C, based on the opaque minerals typical of EH chondrites and textural features. Although the pressure condition of the vein in this chondrite is much lower than those in the other meteorites, our results suggest that all major meteorite groups contain high‐pressure polymorphs. Heavy shock events commonly took place in the solar system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12738","authors":["Makoto Kimura","Akira Yamaguchi","Masaaki Miyahara"],"tags":["Chondrite","Enstatite","Meteorite","Chondrule","Parent body"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-09-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12738","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W2022091100","name":"What price meteorite collections? Some responses","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1997.tb01274.x","authors":["D. W. G. Sears"],"tags":["Meteorite","Citation","Computer science","Library science","Information retrieval"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1997-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1997.tb01274.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W2064287250","name":"Gain and loss of uranium by meteorites and rocks, and implications for the redistribution of uranium on Mars","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Terrestrial alteration of meteorites results in the redistribution, gain, or loss of uranium and other elements. We have measured the maximum U adsorption capacity of a meteorite and two geochemical reference materials under conditions resembling terrestrial ones (pH 5.8). The basaltic eucrite Sioux County adsorbs 7 ppm of U. The result for the terrestrial granite AC‐E is similar (5 ppm), while the basalt BE‐N adsorbs 34 ppm of U. We have also investigated U adsorption in the presence of phosphate (0.01 M or less) in imitation of conditions that probably occurred in the earlier history of Mars. Such a process would have alterated Martian surface material and would be noticeable in Martian meteorites from the affected surface. The experiments demonstrated the counteracting effects of phosphate, which increases U adsorption, but decreases the quantity of dissolved U that is available for adsorption. U adsorption by AC‐E increases to 7 ppm. The lowered value for BE‐N of 8 ppm results from the low quantity of dissolved U in the volume of solution used. The results from the adsorption experiments and from leaching the Martian meteorite Zagami and a terrestrial basalt imply that the aqueous redistribution of U on Mars was moderate. Acidic liquids mobilized uranium and other metals, but present phosphate impeded the dissolution of U compounds. Some mobilized U may have reached the global sinks, while most of it probably was transported in the form of suspended particles over a limited distance and then settled.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb01143.x","authors":["G. Dreibus","R. Haubold","W. Huisl","B. Spettel"],"tags":["Meteorite","Uranium","Martian","Mars Exploration Program","Basalt"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb01143.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W1537853947","name":"The oxygen isotope composition of Almahata Sitta","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– Eleven fragments of the meteorite Almahata Sitta (AHS) have been analyzed for oxygen isotopes. The fragments were separately collected as individual stones from the meteorite’s linear strewn field in the Nubian Desert. Each of the fragments represents a sample of a different and distinct portion of asteroid 2008 TC3. Ten of the fragments span the same range of values of δ18O, δ17O, and Δ17O, and follow the same trend along the carbonaceous chondrite anhydrous minerals (CCAM) line as monomict and polymict members of the ureilite family of meteorites. The oxygen isotope composition of fragment #25 is consistent with its resemblance petrographically to an H5 ordinary chondrite. Our results demonstrate that a single small asteroidal parent body, asteroid 2008 TC3, only 4 m in length, encompassed the entire range of variation in oxygen isotope compositions measured for monomict and polymict ureilites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01099.x","authors":["D. Rumble","M. E. Zolensky","J. M. Friedrich","Peter Jenniskens","M. H. Shaddad"],"tags":["Meteorite","Isotopes of oxygen","Parent body","Chondrite","Ordinary chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01099.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W4225126459","name":"Geological, Mineralogical and Geochemical Study of the Aquamarine-Bearing Yamrang Pegmatite, Eastern Nepal with Implications for Exploration Targeting","source":"openalex","abstract":"The Yamrang Pegmatite in the Ikhabu Pegmatite Field, Eastern Nepal is Nepal’s primary source of aquamarine. This paper reports detailed mineralogy and whole rock granite and pegmatite geochemistry, and major and trace element data for alkali feldspar and muscovite in order to classify the aquamarine-bearing Yamrang Pegmatite, elucidate beryl-saturation processes and evaluate potential geochemical exploration tools for beryl-pegmatites. Five internal mineralogical/textural zones were identified in the Yamrang Pegmatite; zone 1 (saccharoidal albite); zone 2 (blocky perthitic microcline); zone 3 (muscovite–microcline–quartz); zone 4 (beryl-quartz), and zone 5 (miarolitic cavities). Zones 1–4 represent the magmatic stage, while zone 5 formed during the hydrothermal stage of pegmatite genesis. Spectacular aquamarines are recovered from miarolitic zone 5, while beryl saturation is found in zones 3, 4, and 5. Based on beryllium (Be) content, Be partition among co-existing minerals at the magmatic stage is beryl > muscovite > tourmaline > alkali feldspar > quartz. In contrast, the sequence at the hydrothermal stage is beryl > muscovite > albite > tourmaline > quartz. The Be content in rock-forming minerals decreases from pegmatite margin to core, and tourmaline could have played a significant role in Be enrichment processes in the marginal pegmatite zone. High temperature, a low degree of fractionation, and the dominance of Be-compatible mineral phases such as muscovite, calcium-rich alkali feldspar and tourmaline resulted in beryl undersaturation in marginal zones. However, low temperature, high fractional crystallization, and low abundance of Be-compatible mineral phases resulted in beryl saturation in inner zones. The strongly peraluminous nature, low total REE content (<500 ppm), mineral assemblage of beryl, tourmaline, spessartine, columbite-tantalite, depletion of Ba, Nb, and enrichment of Pb, Rb, Cs in the primitive mantle normalized multi-element plots suggest that the beryl-bearing Yamrang Pegmatite corresponds to the LCT pegmatite family. Alkali feldspar with K/Rb values of 30–150, Rb ~3000 ppm, Cs >100 ppm, and muscovite, with K/Rb ranging 18–50, Rb ~6000 ppm, Cs > 500 ppm, and Ta > 65 ppm in inner zones (3–5), indicate that the Yamrang Pegmatite is an intermediate-fractionated, beryl-type rare-element (REL) pegmatite. It is probable that whole rock Be content of >10 ppm could be considered an exploration guide to beryl mineralization in the region.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min12050564","authors":["Sushmita Bhandari","Kezhang Qin","Qifeng Zhou","Noreen J. Evans"],"tags":["Pegmatite","Tourmaline","Muscovite","Geology","Albite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-04-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/min12050564","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W2582633720","name":"Origin of mass‐independent oxygen isotope variation among ureilites: Clues from chondrites and primitive achondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Ureilite meteorites are abundant, carbon‐rich, primitive achondrites made of coarse‐grained, equilibrated olivine and pyroxene (usually pigeonite). They probably sample the baked, heterogeneous, melt‐depleted mantle of a large, once‐chondritic parent body that was broken up catastrophically while still young and hot. Heterogeneity in the parent body is inferred from a considerable “slope‐1” variation from one meteorite to another in oxygen isotopes (−2.5‰ < Δ 17 O < −0.2‰), which correlates with both molar FeO/MgO (range 0.03–0.35) and molar FeO/MnO (range 3–57), i.e., Δ 17 O correlates with the redox state. No consensus has yet emerged on the cause of these correlated trends. One view favors their inheritance via silicates from hot nebular (preaccretion) processes. Another invokes smelting (reduction of FeO by C in the hot parent body). Here, guided mainly by similar trends among equilibrated ordinary and R chondrites, studies of their unequilibrated counterparts, and work on other primitive achondrites, we propose a new model for ureilites in which the parent body accreted nebular ice with high‐∆ 17 O, Mg‐rich silicates with low ∆ 17 O, and varying amounts of metallic iron. Water from the thawing ice then oxidized the metal yielding secondary FeO‐bearing minerals with high ∆ 17 O that, with metamorphism, became incorporated into the ureilite silicates. FeO/MgO, FeO/MnO, and ∆ 17 O correlate because they rose in unison by amounts that varied spatially, depending on the local amount of metal that was oxidized. We suggest that the parent body was so large (radius ≫ 100 km) that smelting was inhibited and that carbon played a passive role in ureilite evolution. Although ureilites are regarded as complicated meteorites, we believe our analysis explains their mass‐independent oxygen isotope trend and related FeO variation through well‐understood processes and enlightens our understanding of the evolution of early planetesimals from cold, wet bodies to hot, dry ones.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12820","authors":["I. S. Sanders","E. R. D. Scott","J. S. Delaney"],"tags":["Achondrite","Parent body","Chondrite","Meteorite","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-01-27","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12820","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W2122134486","name":"Heterogeneous distributions of amino acids provide evidence of multiple sources within the Almahata Sitta parent body, asteroid 2008 TC3","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– Two new fragments of the Almahata Sitta meteorite and a sample of sand from the related strewn field in the Nubian Desert, Sudan, were analyzed for two to six carbon aliphatic primary amino acids by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography with UV‐fluorescence detection and time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (LC‐FT/ToF‐MS). The distribution of amino acids in fragment #25, an H5 ordinary chondrite, and fragment #27, a polymict ureilite, were compared with results from the previously analyzed fragment #4, also a polymict ureilite. All three meteorite fragments contain 180–270 parts‐per‐billion (ppb) of amino acids, roughly 1000‐fold lower than the total amino acid abundance of the Murchison carbonaceous chondrite. All of the Almahata Sitta fragments analyzed have amino acid distributions that differ from the Nubian Desert sand, which primarily contains l‐α‐amino acids. In addition, the meteorites contain several amino acids that were not detected in the sand, indicating that many of the amino acids are extraterrestrial in origin. Despite their petrological differences, meteorite fragments #25 and #27 contain similar amino acid compositions; however, the distribution of amino acids in fragment #27 was distinct from those in fragment #4, even though both are polymict ureilites from the same parent body. Unlike in CM2 and CR2/3 meteorites, there are low relative abundances of α‐amino acids in the Almahata Sitta meteorite fragments, which suggest that Strecker‐type chemistry was not a significant amino acid formation mechanism. Given the high temperatures that asteroid 2008 TC3 appears to have experienced and lack of evidence for aqueous alteration on the asteroid, it is possible that the extraterrestrial amino acids detected in Almahata Sitta were formed by Fischer‐Tropsch/Haber‐Bosch type gas‐grain reactions at elevated temperatures.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01257.x","authors":["Aaron S. Burton","D. P. Glavin","Michael P. Callahan","Jason P. Dworkin","Peter Jenniskens","M. H. Shaddad"],"tags":["Meteorite","Murchison meteorite","Parent body","Chondrite","Amino acid"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2011-10-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01257.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W2070810804","name":"Noble gases in mineral separates from three shergottites: Shergotty, Zagami, and EETA79001","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— This study provides a complete data set of all five noble gases for bulk samples and mineral separates from three Martian shergottites: Shergotty (bulk, pyroxene, maskelynite), Zagami (bulk, pyroxene, maskelynite), and Elephant Moraine (EET) A79001, lithology A (bulk, pyroxene). We also give a compilation of all noble gas and nitrogen studies performed on these meteorites. Our mean values for cosmic‐ray exposure ages from 3He, 21Ne, and 38Ar are 2.48 Myr for Shergotty, 2.73 Myr for Zagami, and 0.65 Myr for EETA79001 lith. A. Serious loss of radiogenic 4He due to shock is observed. Cosmogenic neon results for bulk samples from 13 Martian meteorites (new data and literature data) are used in addition to the mineral separates of this study in a new approach to explore evidence of solar cosmic‐ray effects. While a contribution of this low‐energy irradiation is strongly indicated for all of the shergottites, spallation Ne in Chassigny, Allan Hills (ALH) 84001, and the nakhlites is fully explained by galactic cosmic‐ray spallation. Implanted Martian atmospheric gases are present in all mineral separates and the thermal release indicates a near‐surface siting. We derive an estimate for the 40Ar/36Ar ratio of the Martian interior component by subtracting from measured Ar in the (K‐poor) pyroxenes the (small) radiogenic component as well as the implanted atmospheric component as indicated from 129Xe, * excesses. Unless compromised by the presence of additional components, a high ratio of ∼2000 is indicated for Martian interior argon, similar to that in the Martian atmosphere. Since much lower ratios have been inferred for Chassigny and ALH 84001, the result may indicate spatial and/or temporal variations of 40Ar/36Ar in the Martian mantle.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb00241.x","authors":["S. P. Schwenzer","S. Herrmann","R. K. Mohapatra","U. Ott"],"tags":["Meteorite","Martian","Pyroxene","Geology","Achondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2007-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2007.tb00241.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W2781025386","name":"Introduction to the special issue of Meteoritics & Planetary Science on “Shock metamorphism and high pressure phases in meteorites and terrestrial impactites”","source":"openalex","abstract":"Interplanetary collisions of planetary bodies represent a fundamental process that affected all planets and moons of the solar system since its formation. They occur on an extremely wide scale of projectile and target sizes, and with a large range of impact velocities. Hypervelocity collisions result in the propagation of shock waves in the colliding bodies and as a consequence in “shock metamorphism” of the impacted regions. Shock metamorphism of solid rocks and sediments has been identified on all terrestrial planets and moons from which samples are available so far, i.e., Earth, Moon, Mars, and asteroids. Shock waves with an intensity exceeding the Hugoniot elastic limit lead to distinct changes in the constituent minerals of rocks ranging from mechanical deformation to phase transitions such as isotropization and formation of high-pressure phases, and to melting. With increasing pressure, whole rock melting and finally vaporization occurs. This special issue is devoted to the observation and interpretation of these effects on the basis of the current state of research. It covers both natural shock metamorphism and shock wave experiments as well as numerical modeling of shock metamorphism and shock wave physics in general. The last decade has seen important changes in this field: novel techniques in submicrometer-scale structural and chemical analysis, marked improvements in established techniques such as FIB-TEM and EPMA and synchrotron radiation analyses, and an increasing supply of meteorite material have largely increased the number of identified high-pressure minerals that form upon shock metamorphism. In fact, over the past 10 years more such minerals were discovered than in the previous four decades. Novel, ultrafast probes of structural and chemical states during shock experiments promise to reveal some of the fundamental mechanisms that occur during the initial states of shock compression. Efforts in three-dimensional modeling of dynamic stress evolution in polycrystalline aggregates suggest far more complex stress–temperature distribution patterns than conventional hydrocode simulations. This special issue is based on a workshop entitled “Shock metamorphism and high pressure phases in meteorites and terrestrial impactites” which was held on August 6 and 7, 2016, in conjunction with the 79th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society in Berlin, Germany. The conveners were O. Tschauner, T. G. Sharp, and D. Stöffler. Since the date of acceptance of some of the contributions to this Special Issue, further articles about the topic of the Special Issue have been published. In addition, several new high-pressure phases in meteorites and in the Ries impact crater have been accepted by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification (CNMNC) of the International Mineralogical Association (IMA). The relevant references are the following: Bindi L. and Xie X. 2017. Shenzhuangite, IMA 2017-018. CNMNC Newsletter No. 38. Mineralogical Magazine 81:1033–1038. Ma C. and Tschauner O. 2017. Zagamiite, IMA 2015-022a. CNMNC Newsletter No. 36. Mineralogical Magazine 81:403–409. Ma C. and Tschauner O. 2017. Chenmingite, IMA 2017-036. CNMNC Newsletter No. 38. Mineralogical Magazine 81:1033–1038. Ma C., Tschauner O., Beckett J. R., Rossman G. R., Prescher C., Prakapenka V. B., Bechtel H. A., and MacDowell A. 2017. Liebermannite, KAlSi3O8, a new shock-metamorphic, high-pressure mineral from the Zagami Martian meteorite. Meteoritics & Planetary Science https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13000. Tomioka N. and Miyahara M. 2017. High-pressure minerals in shocked meteorites. Meteoritics & Planetary Science 52:2017–2039. Tschauner O., Ma C., Lanzirotti A., and Newville M. 2017. Riesite, a new high pressure polymorph of TiO2 that forms upon shock-release comparison to (Zr,Ti)O2 in pseudotachylites, Goldschmidt Conference 2017, Abstract. Tschauner O. and Ma C. 2017. Stöfflerite, IMA 2017-062. CNMNC Newsletter No. 39. Mineralogical Magazine","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13023","authors":["Oliver Tschauner","T. G. Sharp","D. Stöffler"],"tags":["Shock metamorphism","Geology","Meteorite","Metamorphism","Terrestrial planet"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-12-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13023","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W2138320916","name":"Reclassification of Villalbeto de la Peña—Occurrence of a winonaite‐related fragment in a hydrothermally metamorphosed polymict L‐chondritic breccia","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Villalbeto de la Peña meteorite that fell in 2004 in Spain was originally classified as a moderately shocked L6 ordinary chondrite. The recognition of fragments within the Villalbeto de la Peña meteorite clearly bears consequences for the previous classification of the rock. The oxygen isotope data clearly show that an exotic eye‐catching, black, and plagioclase‐(maskelynite)‐rich clast is not of L chondrite heritage. Villalbeto de la Peña is, consequently, reclassified as a polymict chondritic breccia. The oxygen isotope data of the clast are more closely related to data for the winonaite Tierra Blanca and the anomalous silicate‐bearing iron meteorite LEW 86211 than to the ordinary chondrite groups. The REE ‐pattern of the bulk inclusion indicates genetic similarities to those of differentiated rocks and their minerals (e.g., lunar anorthosites, eucritic, and winonaitic plagioclases) and points to an igneous origin. The An‐content of the plagioclase within the inclusion is increasing from the fragment/host meteorite boundary (approximately An 10 ) toward the interior of the clast (approximately An 52 ). This is accompanied by a successive compositionally controlled transformation of plagioclase into maskelynite by shock. As found for plagioclase, compositions of individual spinels enclosed in plagioclase (maskelynite) also vary from the border toward the interior of the inclusion. In addition, huge variations in oxygen isotope composition were found correlating with distance into the object. The chemical and isotopical profiles observed in the fragment indicate postaccretionary metamorphism under the presence of a volatile phase.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12076","authors":["A. Bischoff","K. A. Dyl","M. Horstmann","K. Ziegler","K. Wimmer","Edward Young"],"tags":["Plagioclase","Breccia","Geology","Geochemistry","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-02-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12076","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W1526384328","name":"Spectral reflectance properties of ureilites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract– The 0.35–2.6 μm reflectance spectra of 18 ureilites have been examined in order to improve our understanding of the spectral reflectance properties of this meteorite class. Across this spectral range, ureilite spectra are characterized by a steep rise in reflectance over the 0.3 to approximately 0.7 μm range, low overall reflectance (<25%) and weak mafic iron silicate absorption bands in the 1 and 2 μm region. The weakness of these bands and the low reflectance are attributed to the presence of dispersed graphite and related carbonaceous phases, metal, and possibly shock. Wavelength positions of the mafic silicate absorption bands span a range of values, but are consistent with the presence of pyroxene and olivine. Ureilite spectra generally exhibit blue slopes across the 0.7–2.6 μm interval and exhibit many overall similarities to some carbonaceous chondrites. The weak features and spectral diversity of ureilites make reflectance spectroscopy‐based identification of a ureilite parent body challenging. As terrestrial alteration of ureilites is prevalent, spectral studies of falls are most useful for determining the spectral properties of likely parent bodies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01065.x","authors":["E. A. Cloutis","Pierre Hudon","Christopher S. Romanek","J. L. Bishop","V. Reddy","M. J. Gaffey","P. S. Hardersen"],"tags":["Mafic","Meteorite","Parent body","Pyroxene","Chondrite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2010-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01065.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W2079053835","name":"Experimental study and TEM characterization of dusty olivines in chondrites: Evidence for formation by in situ reduction","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— An analytical transmission electron microscopy (ATEM) study was undertaken in order to better understand the formation conditions of dusty olivines (i.e., olivines containing abundant tiny inclusions of Fe‐Ni metal) in primitive meteorites. Dusty olivines from type I chondrules in the Bishunpur chondrite (LL3.1) and from synthetic samples obtained by reduction of San Carlos olivines were examined. In both natural and experimental samples, micron size metal blebs observed in the dusty region often show preferential alignments along crystallographic directions of the olivine grains, have low Ni contents (typically <2 wt%), and are frequently surrounded by a silica‐rich glass layer. These features suggest that dusty olivines are formed by a sub‐solidus reduction of initially fayalitic olivines according to the following reaction: Some volatilization of SiOgas may account for the apparent excess of metal relative to silica‐rich glass observed in both experimental and natural samples. Comparison with experimentally produced dusty olivines suggests that time scales of the order of minutes usually inferred for chondrule formation are also adequate for the formation of dusty olivines. These observations are in agreement with the hypothesis that at least part of the metal phase in chondrites originated from reduction during chondrule formation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb01047.x","authors":["Hugues Leroux","G. Libourel","Laurence Lemelle","François Guyot"],"tags":["Chondrule","Chondrite","Olivine","Meteorite","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb01047.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402218055","name":"Clues on the Australasian impact crater site inferred from detailed mineralogical study of a monazite inclusion in a Muong Nong tektite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Tektites are terrestrial impact-generated glasses distributed over regions of Earth's surface with ejection distances up to 10,000 km. The Australasian tektite strewn field is the largest and the youngest discovered so far (788 ka). However, the location of the source crater remains unsolved. The present work is the first to investigate the only monazite ever found as an inclusion in a Muong Nong tektite (MNT) from Indochina. In-depth observations down to the nanoscale revealed that the monazite experienced very high temperature, with silicate melt injection sometimes trapped within porosity at the grain boundaries, followed by a recovery mechanism responsible for dislocation migration and subgrain formation. The absence of radiation damage confirms that this recovery episode occurred recently, in line with the age of the tektite. The preservation of a primary zonation (Th component) and the absence of detectable diffusion profiles indicate that the monazite did not reach the melting point (∼2050 °C) before initial rapid cooling (∼1000 °C/s). The U-Th–total Pb dates of the monazite thus remained unchanged during the impact: 73 ± 6 Ma in a Th-rich domain and 156 ± 15 Ma in a Th-poor domain. This allows the source of the MNT to be constrained. Comparison with a detailed database of monazite ages and Th/U ratios in SE Asia indicates that the Australasian crater should be sought for in the triangle made up of the Philippines, coastal south China, and northern Vietnam, though the latter appears less probable.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1130/g52522.1","authors":["Anne‐Magali Seydoux‐Guillaume","P. Rochette","Emmanuel Gardès","Pierre-Marie Zanetta","Sergio Sao‐Joao","Ph. de Parseval","B. P. Glass"],"tags":["Monazite","Geology","Impact crater","Geochemistry","Inclusion (mineral)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-04","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1130/g52522.1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W2995762195","name":"Occurrence and implications of secondary olivine veinlets in lunar highland breccia Northwest Africa 11273","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Lunar breccias preserve the records of geologic processes on the Moon. In this study, we report the occurrence, petrography, mineralogy, and geologic significance of the observed secondary olivine veinlets in lunar feldspathic breccia meteorite Northwest Africa (NWA) 11273. Bulk‐rock composition measurements show that this meteorite is geochemically similar to other lunar highland meteorites. In NWA 11273, five clasts are observed to host veinlets that are dominated by interconnecting olivine mineral grains. The host clasts are mainly composed of mafic minerals (i.e., pyroxene and olivine) and probably sourced from a basaltic lithology. The studied olivine veinlets (~5 to 30 μm in width) are distributed within the mafic mineral host, but do not extend into the adjacent plagioclase. Chemically, these olivine veinlets are Fe‐richer (Fo41.4–51.9), compared with other olivine grains (Fo54.3–83.1) in lithic clasts and matrix of NWA 11273. By analogy with the secondary olivine veinlets observed in meteorites from asteroid Vesta (howardite–eucrite–diogenite group samples) and lunar mare samples, our study suggests that the newly observed olivine veinlets in NWA 11273 are likely formed by secondary deposition from a lunar fluid, rather than by crystallization from a high‐temperature silicate melt. Such fluid could be sulfur‐ and phosphorous‐poor and likely had an endogenic origin on the Moon. The new occurrence of secondary olivine veinlets in breccia NWA 11273 reveals that the fluid mobility and deposition could be a previously underappreciated geological process on the Moon.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13421","authors":["Xiaojia Zeng","Shijie Li","K. H. Joy","Xiongyao Li","Jianzhong Liu","Yang Li","Rui Li","Shijie Wang"],"tags":["Olivine","Breccia","Geology","Geochemistry","Pyroxene"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-12-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13421","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402556013","name":"Mid-infrared Measurements of Ion-irradiated Carbonaceous Meteorites: How to Better Detect Space Weathering Effects","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Remote sensing study of asteroids will soon enter a new era with an increasing amount of data available thanks to the JWST, especially in the mid-infrared (MIR) range that allows identification of mineral species. It will then be possible to establish a taxonomy, as is currently available in the visible–near-infrared range, based on MIR spectral parameters. It had been previously shown that the MIR range is very sensitive to space weathering (SpWe) effects. Thus, it is crucial to determine which spectral changes are involved to disentangle initial composition from surface aging and provide tools to interpret future remote sensing data of asteroids. We present here MIR measurements of a wide variety of ion-irradiated carbonaceous chondrites as a simulation of the solar wind SpWe component. We evaluate several parameters (the Christiansen feature and Reststrahlen band positions, the width of the main Si–O band) and test different measurement conditions (ion energy and geometry of observation). We highlight a dependency of the spectral changes with the initial composition, as hydrated samples are more affected than anhydrous ones. We confirm the role of the geometry in the detection of SpWe effects as already shown in the near-infrared, with a competition effect between the depth probed by photons and the implantation depth of ions (function of the energy used). We will discuss the results in the framework of future observations and Ryugu’s and Bennu’s samples studied in the laboratory.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3847/psj/ad5d6f","authors":["C. Lantz","T. Nakamura","D. Baklouti","R. Brunetto","Elsa Hénault","S. Kobayashi","O. Mivumbi","Z. Djouadi","É. Quirico","M. E. Zolensky","T. Hiroi"],"tags":["Weathering","Meteorite","Infrared","Space weathering","Irradiation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3847/psj/ad5d6f","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W2047737409","name":"Noble gases, bulk chemistry, and petrography of olivine‐rich achondrites Eagles Nest and Lewis Cliff 88763: Comparison to brachinites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Eagles Nest and Lewis Cliff (LEW) 88763 are olivine‐rich achondrites that have been suggested to be related to Brachina and ALH 84025. Both are ultramafic, although LEW 88763 has ∼10% plagioclase, which Eagles Nest lacks. Olivine in Eagles Nest (Fo68) is virtually identical in composition to that in Brachina (Fo68–70), and that in LEW 88763 is only slightly different (Fo63–64). The meteorites' cosmic‐ray exposure ages differ from each other and from Brachina and ALH 84025. Like Brachina, Eagles Nest has a substantial amount of radiogenic 129Xe and an apparent K‐Ar age of <4.5 Ga. Lewis Cliff 88763, on the other hand, has no detectable radiogenic 129Xe, an apparent K‐Ar age of ∼4.5 Ga, and a substantial amount of trapped Xe. The chemical composition of LEW 88763 is within a factor of two of chondritic for virtually every element analyzed, including siderophiles, which suggests that it was melted (or at least heated and recrystallized) in a closed system. Analyses of the chemical composition of Eagles Nest are hampered by extensive terrestrial weathering; but it appears to be broadly chondritic also, although it, like Brachina, is depleted in siderophiles. Our data suggest that Eagles Nest is genetically related to Brachina but that LEW 88763 is not, which is a conclusion that is consistent with the O isotopic data of Clayton and Mayeda (1996).","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01605.x","authors":["T. D. Swindle","D. A. Kring","M. K. Burkland","D. H. Hill","W. V. Boynton"],"tags":["Radiogenic nuclide","Achondrite","Cliff","Olivine","Plagioclase"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"1998-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01605.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W2958529351","name":"A vacancy‐rich, partially inverted spinelloid silicate, (Mg,Fe,Si)2(Si,□)O4, as a major matrix phase in shock melt veins of the Tenham and Suizhou L6 chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract A new high‐pressure silicate, (Mg,Fe,Si)2(Si,□)O4 with a tetragonal spinelloid structure, was discovered within shock melt veins in the Tenham and Suizhou meteorites, two highly shocked L6 ordinary chondrites. Relative to ringwoodite, this phase exhibits an inversion of Si coupled with intrinsic vacancies and a consequent reduction of symmetry. Most notably, the spinelloid makes up about 30–40 vol% of the matrix of shock veins with the remainder composed of a vitrified (Mg,Fe)SiO3 phase (in Tenham) or (Mg,Fe)SiO3‐rich clinopyroxene (in Suizhou); these phase assemblages constitute the bulk of the matrix in the shock veins. Previous assessments of the melt matrices concluded that majorite and akimotoite were the major phases. Our contrasting result requires revision of inferred conditions during shock melt cooling of the Tenham and Suizhou meteorites, revealing in particular a much higher quench rate (at least 5 × 103 K s−1) for veins of 100–500 μm diameter, thus overriding formation of the stable phase assemblage majoritic garnet plus periclase.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13349","authors":["Chi Ma","Oliver Tschauner","Luca Bindi","J. R. Beckett","Xiande Xie"],"tags":["Ringwoodite","Periclase","Silicate","Tetragonal crystal system","Meteorite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-07-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13349","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W2079686657","name":"Yamato 86029: Aqueously altered and thermally metamorphosed CI‐like chondrite with unusual textures","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— We describe the petrologic and trace element characteristics of the Yamato 86029 (Y‐86029) meteorite. Y‐86029 is a breccia consisting of a variety of clasts, and abundant secondary minerals including coarse‐ and fine‐grained phyllosilicates, Fe‐Ni sulfides, carbonates, and magnetite. There are no chondrules, but a few anhydrous olivine‐rich grains are present within a very fine‐grained phyllosilicate‐rich matrix. Analyses of 14 thermally mobile trace elements suggest that Y‐86029 experienced moderate, open‐system thermal metamorphism. Comparison with data for other heated carbonaceous chondrites suggests metamorphic temperatures of 500–600°C for Y‐86029. This is apparent petrographically, in partial dehydration of phyllosilicates to incompletely re‐crystallized olivine. This transformation appears to proceed through ‘intermediate’ highly‐disordered ‘poorly crystalline’ phases consisting of newly formed olivine and residual desiccated phyllosilicate and their mixtures. Periclase is also present as a possible heating product of Mg‐rich carbonate precursors. Y‐86029 shows unusual textures rarely encountered in carbonaceous chondrites. The periclase occurs as unusually large Fe‐rich clasts (300–500 μm). Fine‐grained carbonates with uniform texture are also present as small (10–15 μm in diameter), rounded to sub‐rounded ‘shells’ of ankerite/siderite enclosing magnetite. These carbonates appear to have formed by low temperature aqueous alteration at specific thermal decomposition temperatures consistent with thermodynamic models of carbonate formation. The fine and uniform texture suggests crystallization from a fluid circulating in interconnected spaces throughout entire growth. One isolated aggregate in Y‐86029 also consists of a mosaic of polycrystalline olivine aggregates and sulfide blebs typical of shock‐induced melt re‐crystallization. Except for these unusual textures, the isotopic, petrologic and chemical characteristics of Y‐86029 are quite similar to those of Y‐82162, the only other heated CI‐like chondrite known. They were probably derived from similar asteroids rather than one asteroid, and hence may not necessarily be paired.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00264.x","authors":["E. Tonui","M. E. Zolensky","M. E. Lipschutz","M.‐S. Wang","Tomoki Nakamura"],"tags":["Chondrite","Olivine","Chondrule","Geology","Ankerite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2003-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2003.tb00264.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W2041129335","name":"Constraints on Vesta's elemental composition: Fast neutron measurements by Dawn's gamma ray and neutron detector","source":"openalex","abstract":"Surface composition information from Vesta is reported using fast neutron data collected by the gamma ray and neutron detector on the Dawn spacecraft. After correcting for variations due to hydrogen, fast neutrons show a compositional dynamic range and spatial variability that is consistent with variations in average atomic mass from howardite, eucrite, and diogenite (HED) meteorites. These data provide additional compositional evidence that Vesta is the parent body to HED meteorites. A subset of fast neutron data having lower statistical precision show spatial variations that are consistent with a 400 ppm variability in hydrogen concentrations across Vesta and supports the idea that Vesta's hydrogen is due to long-term delivery of carbonaceous chondrite material.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12187","authors":["D. J. Lawrence","P. N. Peplowski","T. H. Prettyman","W. C. Feldman","David Bazell","David W. Mittlefehldt","R. C. Reedy","N. Yamashita"],"tags":["Meteorite","Neutron","Astrobiology","Isotope","Detector"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12187","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W2293319117","name":"Characterization of Mason Gully (H5): The second recovered fall from the Desert Fireball Network","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Mason Gully, the second meteorite recovered using the Desert Fireball Network ( DFN ), is characterized using petrography, mineralogy, oxygen isotopes, bulk chemistry, and physical properties. Geochemical data are consistent with its classification as an H5 ordinary chondrite. Several properties distinguish it from most other H chondrites. Its 10.7% porosity is predominantly macroscopic, present as intergranular void spaces rather than microscopic cracks. Modal mineralogy (determined via PS ‐ XRD , element mapping via energy dispersive spectroscopy [ EDS ], and X‐ray tomography [for sulfide, metal, and porosity volume fractions]) consistently gives an unusually low olivine/orthopyroxene ratio (0.67−0.76 for Mason Gully versus ~1.3 for typical H5 ordinary chondrites). Widespread “silicate darkening” is observed. In addition, it contains a bright green crystalline object at the surface of the recovered stone (diameter ≈ 1.5 mm), which has a tridymite core with minor α‐quartz and a rim of both low‐ and high‐Ca pyroxene. The mineralogy allows the calculation of the temperatures and ƒ(O 2 ) characterizing thermal metamorphism on the parent body using both the two‐pyroxene and the olivine‐chromite geo‐oxybarometers. These indicate that MG experienced a peak metamorphic temperature of ~900 °C and had a similar ƒ(O 2 ) to Kernouvé (H6) that was buffered by the reaction between olivine, metal, and pyroxene. There is no evidence for shock, consistent with the observed porosity structure. Thus, while Mason Gully has some unique properties, its geochemistry indicates a similar thermal evolution to other H chondrites. The presence of tridymite, while rare, is seen in other OC s and likely exogenous; however, the green object itself may result from metamorphism.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12605","authors":["K. A. Dyl","G. K. Benedix","P. A. Bland","J. M. Friedrich","Pavel Spurný","M. C. Towner","Mary Claire O'Keefe","K. T. Howard","R. C. Greenwood","R. J. Macke","D. T. Britt","Angela Halfpenny","James O. Thostenson","Rebecca A. Rudolph","Mark L. Rivers","A. W. R. Bevan"],"tags":["Chondrite","Pyroxene","Olivine","Geology","Troilite"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-02-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12605","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W2983455780","name":"Olivine-norite rock detected by the lunar rover Yutu-2 likely crystallized from the SPA-impact melt pool","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Chang’E-4 landed in the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin, providing a unique chance to probe the composition of the lunar interior. Its landing site is located on ejecta strips in Von Kármán crater that possibly originate from the neighboring Finsen crater. A surface rock and the lunar regolith at 10 sites along the rover Yutu-2 track were measured by the onboard Visible and Near-Infrared Imaging Spectrometer in the first three lunar days of mission operations. In situ spectra of the regolith have peak band positions at 1 and 2 μm, similar to the spectral data of Finsen ejecta from the Moon Mineralogy Mapper, which confirms that the regolith's composition of the landing area is mostly similar to that of Finsen ejecta. The rock spectrum shows similar band peak positions, but stronger absorptions, suggesting relatively fresh exposure. The rock may consist of 38.1 ± 5.4% low-Ca pyroxene, 13.9 ± 5.1% olivine and 48.0 ± 3.1% plagioclase, referred to as olivine-norite. The plagioclase-abundant and olivine-poor modal composition of the rock is inconsistent with the origin of the mantle, but representative of the lunar lower crust. Alternatively, the rock crystallized from the impact-derived melt pool formed by the SPA-impact event via mixing the lunar crust and mantle materials. This scenario is consistent with fast-cooling thermal conditions of a shallow melt pool, indicated by the fine to medium-sized texture (<3 mm) of the rock and the SPA-impact melting model [Icarus 2012; 220: 730–43].","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwz183","authors":["Honglei Lin","Zhiping He","Wei Yang","Yangting Lin","Rui Xu","Chi Zhang","Meng‐Hua Zhu","Rui Chang","Jinhai Zhang","Chunlai Li","Hongyu Lin","Yang Liu","Sheng Gou","Yong Wei","Sen Hu","Changbin Xue","Jianfeng Yang","Jie Zhong","Xiaohui Fu","Weixing Wan","Yongliao Zou"],"tags":["Norite","Olivine","Geology","Astrobiology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-11-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwz183","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W4392351805","name":"Search and study for meteorites analogous to Didymos","source":"openalex","abstract":"ABSTRACT The Hera mission will arrive at the Didymos system to study the efficiency of momentum transfer and to further investigate the binary system in great detail after the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission impact. We took advantage of two online data bases of meteorites spectra and of recent Didymos spectra taken before and after the DART impact. We performed the first selection based on the comparison of the band centre values of the silicate absorption bands (localized at 1 and 2 μm) between Didymos and the meteorites. The second selection was made defining a four-dimensional space parameter whose dimensions were the band depth and the slope of the two bands, normalized to Didymos values. We introduced a distance measure to find the closest meteorites to Didymos in this space. Finally, we made the last selection based on other criteria, such as the presence of different spectra of the same meteorite, the presence of different spectra from different data bases, and the comparison with the literature. The result of this work is a list of six meteorites that are the most analogous to Didymos system. We also found out that Didymos is most probably mainly composed of L/LL ordinary chondrites, with a preference for the LL sub-type. From our list of meteorites, we were able to estimate the normalized abundance of olivine and pyroxene of Didymos. Finally, a match between Didymos and OC meteorites was also found in the Mid-InfraRed (MIR) range.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stae635","authors":["Giuseppe Massa","E. Palomba","A. Longobardo","Fabrizio Dirri","Massimo Angrisani","Chiara Gisellu","David Polishook","A. S. Rivkin","Cristina A. Thomas"],"tags":["Meteorite","Physics","Spectral line","Astrophysics","Asteroid"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stae635","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W2110560536","name":"UV photolysis of quinoline in interstellar ice analogs","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— The polycyclic aromatic nitrogen heterocycle (PANH) quinoline (C9H7N) was frozen at 20 K in interstellar ice analogs containing either pure water or water mixed with methanol or methane and exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Upon warming, the photolysis products were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography and nanoscale liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. A suite of hydroxyquinolines, which were formed by the addition of oxygen atoms to quinoline, was observed as the primary product in all the ices. Quinoline N oxide was not formed, but five hydroxyquinoline isomers were produced with no clear dominance of one isomer. Reduction products, formed by hydrogen atom addition, were also created. Ices created at 20 K with H2O: quinoline ratios of 10:1 to 100:1 showed similar product distributions to those at 122 K, with no apparent temperature or concentration dependence. Increasing the UV dose led to a decrease in overall yield, indicating that quinoline and its products may be photo-destroyed. Methylquinolines were formed upon photolysis of the methanol- and methane-containing ices. In addition, possible methoxyquinolines or quinoline methylene alcohols were formed in the methanol-containing ice, while methylhydroxyquinolines were created in the methane-containing ice. This work indicates that oxidation of PANHs could occur in icy extraterrestrial environments and suggests that a search for such compounds in carbonaceous meteorites could illuminate the possible link between interstellar ice chemistry and meteoritic organics. Given the importance of oxidized and alkylated PANHs to biochemistry, the formation and delivery of such molecules to the early Earth may have played a role in the origin and evolution of life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2006.tb00992.x","authors":["Jamie E. Elsila","Matthew R. Hammond","Max P. Bernstein","Scott A. Sandford","Richard N. Zare"],"tags":["Quinoline","Chemistry","Methanol","Photochemistry","Methane"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2006-05-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2006.tb00992.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W1969433238","name":"A petrographic, chemical, and isotopic study of calcium‐aluminum‐rich inclusions and aluminum‐rich chondrules from the Axtell (CV3) chondrite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Petrographic, compositional, and isotopic characteristics were studied for three calcium‐aluminum‐rich inclusions (CAIs) and four plagioclase‐bearing chondrules (three of them Al‐rich) from the Axtell (CV3) chondrite. All seven objects have analogues in Allende (CV3) and other primitive chondrites, yet Axtell, like most other chondrites, contains a distinctive suite of CAIs and chondrules. In common with Allende CAIs, CAIs in Axtell exhibit initial 26Al/27Al ratios ((26Al/27Al)0) ranging from ∼5 × 10−5 to <1.1 × 10−5, and plagioclase‐bearing chondrules have (26Al/27Al)0 ratios of ∼3 × 10−6 and lower. One type‐A CAI has the characteristics of a FUN inclusion. The Al‐Mg data imply that the plagioclase‐bearing chondrules began to form >2 Ma after the first CAIs. As in other CV3 chondrites, some objects in Axtell show evidence of isotopic disturbance. Axtell has experienced only mild thermal metamorphism (<600 °C), probably not enough to disturb the Al‐Mg systematics. Its CAIs and chondrules have suffered extensive metasomatism, probably prior to final accretion. These data indicate that CAIs and chondrules in Axtell (and other meteorites) had an extended history of several million years before their incorporation into the Axtell parent body. These long time periods appear to require a mechanism in the early solar system to prevent CAIs and chondrules from falling into the Sun via gas drag for several million years before final accretion. We also examined the compositional relationships among the four plagioclase‐bearing chondrules (two with large anorthite laths and two barred‐olivine chondrules) and between the chondrules and CAIs. Three processes were examined: (1) igneous differentiation, (2) assimilation of a CAI by average nebular material, and (3) evaporation of volatile elements from average nebular material. We find no evidence that igneous differentiation played a role in producing the chondrule compositions, although the barred olivine compositions can be related by addition or subtraction of olivine. Methods (2) and (3) could have produced the composition of one chondrule, AXCH‐1471, but neither process explains the other compositions. Our study indicates that plagioclase‐bearing objects originated through a variety of processes.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01520.x","authors":["G. Srinivasan","G. R. Huss","G. J. Wasserburg"],"tags":["Chondrule","Chondrite","Allende meteorite","Geochemistry","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2000-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01520.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W2132010223","name":"Presolar Graphite from AGB Stars: Microstructure ands‐Process Enrichment","source":"openalex","abstract":"Correlated transmission electron microscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry with submicron spatial resolution (NanoSIMS) investigations of the same presolar graphites spherules from the Murchison meteorite were conducted, to link the isotopic anomalies with the mineralogy and chemical composition of the graphite and its internal grains.Refractory carbide grains (especially titanium carbide) are commonly found within the graphite spherules, and most have significant concentrations of Zr, Mo, and Ru in solid solution, elements primarily produced by s-process nucleosynthesis.The effect of chemical fractionation on the Mo/Ti ratio in these carbides is limited, and therefore from this ratio one can infer the degree of s-process enrichment in the gas from which the graphite condensed.The resulting s-process enrichments within carbides are large ($200 times solar on average), showing that most of the carbide-containing graphites formed in the mass outflows of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars.NanoSIMS measurements of these graphites also show isotopically light carbon (mostly in the 100 < 12 C/ 13 C < 400 range).The enrichment of these presolar graphites in both s-process elements and 12 C considerably exceeds that astronomically observed around carbon stars.However, a natural correlation exists between 12 C and s-process elements, as both form in the He intershell region of thermally pulsing AGB stars and are dredged up together to the surface.Their observation together suggests that these graphites may have formed in chemically and isotopically inhomogeneous regions around AGB stars, such as high-density knots or jets.As shown in the companion paper, a gas density exceeding that expected for smooth mass outflows is required for graphite of the observed size to condense at all in circumstellar environments, and the spatially inhomogeneous, high-density regions from which they condense may also be incompletely mixed with the surrounding gas.We have greatly expanded the available data set of presolar graphites (N ¼ 847) and characterized them by their morphology (onion type and cauliflower type).This effort has also revealed two new, rare presolar phases (iron carbide and metallic osmium).Due to the peculiar gas composition needed to form these rare presolar grain types, the graphites containing them are more likely to originate in supernova outflows.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1086/432598","authors":["T. K. Croat","F. J. Stadermann","T. J. Bernatowicz"],"tags":["Physics","Stars","Asymptotic giant branch","Nucleosynthesis","s-process"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2005-09-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1086/432598","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W2605657816","name":"Park Forest (L5) and the asteroidal source of shocked L chondrites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Park Forest (L5) meteorite fell in a suburb of Chicago, Illinois (USA) on March 26, 2003. It is one of the currently 25 meteorites for which photographic documentation of the fireball enabled the reconstruction of the meteoroid orbit. The combination of orbits with pre‐atmospheric sizes, cosmic‐ray exposure (CRE), and radiogenic gas retention ages (“cosmic histories”) is significant because they can be used to constrain the meteoroid's “birth region,” and test models of meteoroid delivery. Using He, Ne, Ar, 10Be, and 26Al, as well as a dynamical model, we show that the Park Forest meteoroid had a pre‐atmospheric size close to 180 g cm−2, 0–40% porosity, and a pre‐atmospheric mass range of ~2–6 tons. It has a CRE age of 14 ± 2 Ma, and (U, Th)‐He and K‐Ar ages of 430 ± 90 and 490 ± 70 Ma, respectively. Of the meteorites with photographic orbits, Park Forest is the second (after Novato) that was shocked during the L chondrite parent body (LCPB) break‐up event approximately 470 Ma ago. The suggested association of this event with the formation of the Gefion family of asteroids has recently been challenged and we suggest the Ino family as a potential alternative source for the shocked L chondrites. The location of the LCPB break‐up event close to the 5:2 resonance also allows us to put some constraints on the possible orbital migration paths of the Park Forest meteoroid.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12874","authors":["M. M. M. Meier","K. C. Welten","M. E. I. Riebe","Marc W. Caffee","Maria Gritsevich","C. Maden","H. Busemann"],"tags":["Meteoroid","Meteorite","Chondrite","Asteroid","Parent body"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2017-04-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12874","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W2410470416","name":"Petrogenesis of rare-metal pegmatites in high-grade metamorphic terranes: A case study from the Lewisian Gneiss Complex of north-west Scotland","source":"openalex","abstract":"Many rare metals used today are derived from granitic pegmatites, but debate continues about the origin of these rocks. It is clear that some pegmatites represent the most highly fractionated products of a parental granite body, whilst others have formed by anatexis of local crust. However, the importance of these two processes in the formation of rare-metal pegmatites is not always evident. The Lewisian Gneiss Complex of NW Scotland comprises Archaean meta-igneous gneisses which were highly reworked during accretional and collisional events in the Palaeoproterozoic (Laxfordian orogeny). Crustal thickening and subsequent decompression led to melting and the formation of abundant granitic and pegmatitic sheets in many parts of the Lewisian Gneiss Complex. This paper presents new petrological, geochemical and age data for those pegmatites and shows that, whilst the majority are barren biotite–magnetite granitic pegmatites, a few muscovite–garnet (rare-metal) pegmatites are present. These are mainly intruded into a belt of Palaeoproterozoic metasedimentary and meta-igneous rocks known as the Harris Granulite Belt. The rare-metal pegmatites are distinct in their mineralogy, containing garnet and muscovite, with local tourmaline and a range of accessory minerals including columbite and tantalite. In contrast, the biotite–magnetite pegmatites have biotite and magnetite as their main mafic components. The rare-metal pegmatites are also distinguished by their bulk-rock and mineral chemistry, including a more peraluminous character and enrichments in Rb, Li, Cs, Be, Nb and Ta. New U–Pb ages (c. 1690–1710 Ma) suggest that these rare-metal pegmatites are within the age range of nearby biotite–magnetite pegmatites, indicating that similar genetic processes could have been responsible for their formation. The peraluminous nature of the rare-metal pegmatites strongly points towards a metasedimentary source. Notably, within the Lewisian Gneiss Complex, such pegmatites are only found in areas where a metasedimentary source is available. The evidence thus points towards all the Laxfordian pegmatites being formed by a process of crustal anatexis, with the formation of rare-metal pegmatites being largely controlled by source composition rather than solely by genetic process. This is in keeping with previous studies that have also challenged the widely accepted model that all rare-metal pegmatites are formed by fractionation from a parental granite, and raises questions about the origin of other mineralised pegmatites worldwide.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.precamres.2016.06.008","authors":["R.A. Shaw","Kathryn Goodenough","Nick M.W. Roberts","Matthew Horstwood","Simon Chenery","Andrew Gunn"],"tags":["Pegmatite","Geology","Geochemistry","Gneiss","Anatexis"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-06-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.precamres.2016.06.008","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W2156469408","name":"The Puerto Lápice eucrite","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract— Puerto Lápice is a new eucrite fall (Castilla‐La Mancha, Spain, 10 May 2007). In this paper, we report its detailed petrography, magnetic characterization, mineral and bulk chemistry, oxygen and noble gas isotope systematics, and radionuclide data. Study of four thin sections from two different specimens reveal that the meteorite is brecciated in nature, and it contains basaltic and granulitic clasts, as well as recrystallized impact melt and breccia fragments. Shock veins are ubiquitous and show evidence of at least three different shock events. Bulk chemical analyses suggest that Puerto Lápice belongs to the main group of basaltic eucrites, although it has a significantly higher Cr content. Oxygen isotopes also confirm that the meteorite is a normal member of the HED suite. Noble gas abundances show typical patterns, with dominant cosmogenic and radiogenic contributions, and indicate an average exposure age of 19 ± 2 Ma, and a Pu‐fission Xe age well within typical eucrite values. Cosmogenic radionuclides suggest a preatmospheric size of about 20–30 cm in diameter.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb00725.x","authors":["Jordi Llorca","I. Casanova","J. M. Trigo‐Rodríguez","J. M. Madiedo","J. Roszjar","A. Bischoff","U. Ott","I. A. Franchi","R. C. Greenwood","M. Laubenstein"],"tags":["Meteorite","Basalt","Geochemistry","Breccia","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2009-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb00725.x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W3034001920","name":"Rationale for BepiColombo Studies of Mercury’s Surface and Composition","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract BepiColombo has a larger and in many ways more capable suite of instruments relevant for determination of the topographic, physical, chemical and mineralogical properties of Mercury’s surface than the suite carried by NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft. Moreover, BepiColombo’s data rate is substantially higher. This equips it to confirm, elaborate upon, and go beyond many of MESSENGER’s remarkable achievements. Furthermore, the geometry of BepiColombo’s orbital science campaign, beginning in 2026, will enable it to make uniformly resolved observations of both northern and southern hemispheres. This will offer more detailed and complete imaging and topographic mapping, element mapping with better sensitivity and improved spatial resolution, and totally new mineralogical mapping. We discuss MESSENGER data in the context of preparing for BepiColombo, and describe the contributions that we expect BepiColombo to make towards increased knowledge and understanding of Mercury’s surface and its composition. Much current work, including analysis of analogue materials, is directed towards better preparing ourselves to understand what BepiColombo might reveal. Some of MESSENGER’s more remarkable observations were obtained under unique or extreme conditions. BepiColombo should be able to confirm the validity of these observations and reveal the extent to which they are representative of the planet as a whole. It will also make new observations to clarify geological processes governing and reflecting crustal origin and evolution. We anticipate that the insights gained into Mercury’s geological history and its current space weathering environment will enable us to better understand the relationships of surface chemistry, morphologies and structures with the composition of crustal types, including the nature and mobility of volatile species. This will enable estimation of the composition of the mantle from which the crust was derived, and lead to tighter constraints on models for Mercury’s origin including the nature and original heliocentric distance of the material from which it formed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-020-00694-7","authors":["David A. Rothery","Matteo Massironi","Giulia Alemanno","Océane Barraud","S. Besse","Nicolas Bott","R. Brunetto","E. J. Bunce","P. K. Byrne","F. Capaccioni","M. T. Capria","Cristian Carli","Bernard Charlier","Thomas Cornet","G. Cremonese","Mario D’Amore","M. C. De Sanctis","A. Doressoundiram","Luigi Ferranti","G. Filacchione","Valentina Galluzzi","Lorenza Giacomini","M. Grandé","L. Guzzetta","J. Helbert","Daniel Heyner","H. Hiesinger","Hauke Hußmann","R. H. Hyodo","T. Kohout","Alexander Kozyrev","M. L. Litvak","Alice Lucchetti","A. Malakhov","Christopher C. Malliband","Paolo Mancinelli","Julia Martikainen","A. Martindale","Alessandro Maturilli","Anna Milillo","И. Г. Митрофанов","Maxim Mokrousov","A. Morlok","K. Muinonen","Olivier Namur","Alan Owens","L. R. Nittler","Joana S. Oliveira","P. Palumbo","M. Pajola","David L. Pegg","Antti Penttilä","R. Politi","F. Quarati","Cristina Re","А. Б. Санин","R. Schulz","Claudia Stangarone","Aleksandra N. Stojic","Vladislav Tretiyakov","Timo Väisänen","Indhu Varatharajan","I. Weber","Jack Wright","P. Wurz","F. Zambon"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Spacecraft","Planet","Planetary science","Orbiter"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2020-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-020-00694-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W4401370637","name":"Petrographic and geochemical analysis of lunar meteorite NWA 11788: Parallels with Luna 20 and the Apollo magnesian granulites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The first in‐depth geochemical and petrological analyses of new lunar meteorite Northwest Africa (NWA) 11788 were conducted with the aim of better understanding the diversity of lunar rock types. Petrography, microcomputed tomography, electron probe microanalysis, and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry were employed to analyze mineralogic/elemental makeup, petrologic profile, melt history, and inferred composition of the lunar mantle from which the crystals in this sample originated from. Geochemical maps of the lunar surface were generated to constrain potential lunar launch locations for NWA 11788. Potential launch locations are concentrated in the outer rims of impact basins on the lunar Eastern nearside limb (e.g., Crisium, Fecunditatis, Marginis, Smythii) and around the South Pole–Aitken Basin. Similarities in the major, minor, and trace element chemistry of NWA 11788 along with its potential launch locations suggest a petrogenetic relationship with regolith samples returned from the Luna 20 mission and the Apollo 16 and 17 magnesian granulites. Additionally, the results of this study add to the growing body of evidence that KREEP (potassium, rare earth elements, phosphorous)‐poor, Mg‐suite‐“like” lithologies are common in non‐Apollo‐type locales, that KREEP may not be required to generate lithologies like the Mg‐suite, and that KREEP is not globally distributed at present.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14248","authors":["Craig R. Hulsey","K. M. O'Sullivan"],"tags":["Geology","Geochemistry","Petrography","Meteorite","Geology of the Moon"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14248","addedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T06:30:47.303Z"},{"id":"oa:W4401961089","name":"Conceptualizing space environmental sustainability","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Recent advancements have significantly enhanced the capabilities for in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM), to develop infrastructure in orbit and on the surface of celestial bodies. This progress is a departure from the traditional sustainability paradigm focused solely on Earth, highlighting the urgent need to define and operationalize the concept of “space sustainability” along with the development of an evaluation framework. The expansion of human activity into space, particularly in low-earth orbit, cis-lunar space, and beyond, underscores the critical importance of considering sustainability implications. Leveraging space resources offers economic growth and sustainable development opportunities, while reducing pressure on Earth’s ecosystems. This paradigm shift requires responsible and ethical utilization of space resources. A space sustainability assessment framework is essential for guiding ISAM capabilities, operations, missions, standards, and policies. This paper introduces an initial framework encompassing (1) pollution, (2) resource depletion, (3) landscape alteration, and (4) space environmental justice, with potential metrics (resources use and emissions, midpoint, and endpoint indicators) to measure impacts in the four domains.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s44334-024-00002-z","authors":["Weiwei Mo","Brad L. Kinsey","John Vickers","Henry Helvajian","Ioana Cozmuta","Marissa Herron","Ajay P. Malshe"],"tags":["Sustainability","Space (punctuation)","Environmental resource management","Environmental planning","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s44334-024-00002-z","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W4400722591","name":"Influences of Bacillus pumilus SA388 as an environmentally friendly antibiotic alternative on growth performance, blood biochemistry, immunology, cecal microbiota, and meat quality in broiler chickens","source":"openalex","abstract":"The widespread use of antibiotics causes the development of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, which have a severe impact on poultry productivity and human health. As a result, research is continuing to develop safe natural antibiotic alternatives. In the current study, Bacillus pumilus SA388 was isolated from the chicken feces and confirmed to be a probiotic. The selected strain was tested for its antimutagenic and antioxidant capabilities before being employed as a probiotic food supplement and antibiotic alternative. The effect of B. pumilus SA388 impact on broiler chickens' growth performance, gut microbiome, blood biochemical markers, immunological response, and meat quality was also studied. B. pumilus SA388 showed significant bactericidal activity against Streptococcus pyogenes, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, and Klebsiella pneumonia. A total of 200 chickens were used in the present study, divided equally among four experimental groups (ten birds per group with 5 replicates): group 1 (control, G1) received a basal diet without B. pumilus SA388, group 2 (G2) received a basal diet supplemented with 0.4 mg/kg of B. pumilus SA388, group 3 (G3) received a basal diet supplemented with 0.8 mg/kg of B. pumilus SA388, and group 4 (G4) received a basal diet supplemented with 1.6 mg/kg of B. pumilus SA388. Over 35 d, the B. pumilus SA388-supplemented groups outperformed the G1 in terms of body weight gain, performance index, and feed conversion ratio, with a preference for the G4 treatment. The levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and total cholesterol decreased significantly (P < 0.05) with increasing B. pumilus SA388 dosages compared to the control G1 group. Dietary supplementation of B. pumilus SA388 at 1.6 mg/kg (G4) significantly (P < 0.05) resulted in improved lipid profile, immunological response, thyroid function, and gut microbiota compared to the control group (G1). Compared to the broilers in the control treatment (G1), the addition of B. pumilus SA388 to broilers in G4 significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced juiciness, tenderness, aroma, and taste. Adding B. pumilus SA388 to chicken feed at different doses significantly (P < 0.05) decreased average feed intake while increasing economic and relative efficiency measures. In conclusion, B. pumilus SA388 has been proven to be an effective antibiotic and nutritional supplement.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2024.104115","authors":["Eman A. Beyari","Naheda M. Alshammari","Soha A. Alamoudi","Alaa S. Mohamed","Lamaia R. Altarjami","Roua S. Baty","Nada Alqadri","Ashwaq M. Al-Nazawi","Ahmed M. Saad","Taha F. Taha","Mohamed T. El‐Saadony","Khaled A. El‐Tarabily","Nadeen G. Mostafa"],"tags":["Bacillus pumilus","Broiler","Biology","Probiotic","Antibiotics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-17","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2024.104115","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W4390736761","name":"Gamma-Ray-Induced Amino Acid Formation during Aqueous Alteration in Small Bodies: The Effects of Compositions of Starting Solutions","source":"openalex","abstract":"Organic compounds, such as amino acids, are essential for the origin of life, and they may have been delivered to the prebiotic Earth from extra-terrestrial sources, such as carbonaceous chondrites. In the parent bodies of carbonaceous chondrites, the radioactive decays of short-lived radionuclides, such as 26Al, cause the melting of ice, and aqueous alteration occurs in the early stages of solar system formation. Many experimental studies have shown that complex organic matter, including amino acids and high-molecular-weight organic compounds, is produced by such hydrothermal processes. On the other hand, radiation, particularly gamma rays from radionuclides, can contribute to the formation of amino acids from simple molecules such as formaldehyde and ammonia. In this study, we investigated the details of gamma-ray-induced amino acid formation, focusing on the effects of different starting materials on aqueous solutions of formaldehyde, ammonia, methanol, and glycolaldehyde with various compositions, as well as hexamethylenetetramine. Alanine and glycine were the most abundantly formed amino acids after acid hydrolysis of gamma-ray-irradiated products. Amino acid formation increased with increasing gamma-ray irradiation doses. Lower amounts of ammonia relative to formaldehyde produced more amino acids. Glycolaldehyde significantly increased amino acid yields. Our results indicated that glycolaldehyde formation from formaldehyde enhanced by gamma rays is key for the subsequent production of amino acids.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life14010103","authors":["Akari Ishikawa","Yoko Kebukawa","Kensei Kobayashi","Isao Yoda"],"tags":["Glycolaldehyde","Amino acid","Chemistry","Aqueous solution","Formaldehyde"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life14010103","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W4401596684","name":"Design, development, and operation of an ISO class 5 cleanroom for planetary instrumentation and planetary protection protocols","source":"openalex","abstract":"Cleanrooms are controlled environments where the number of airborne particles is reduced to a level defined by an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard. These facilities have applications in different fields, such as the electronic, pharmaceutical, and healthcare sectors, and are also necessary for the assembly, testing and handling of space hardware. Cleanrooms are expensive to build and maintain and require the permanent designation of infrastructures and dedicated spaces within a building. Once built, clean rooms cannot be used for any other purpose, as contamination is a significant risk. The restricted access to these facilities limits the process of designing, testing, and calibrating instruments developed by academic institutions, small companies, and space startups. Here we present a Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) procedure for building and maintaining a highly controlled ISO class 5 cleanroom, according to ISO14644 standards. We provide a detailed explanation of how to design, develop and operate a portable, modular, and cost-effective ISO class 5 cleanroom that can be used for the usual workflow of development, integration, test procedures and planetary protection associated with the design of instrumentation for planetary exploration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e36276","authors":["Thasshwin Mathanlal","María‐Paz Zorzano","Javier Martín‐Torres"],"tags":["Cleanroom","Systems engineering","Standardization","Workflow","Modular design"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-14","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e36276","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W4404054720","name":"Potential health risks of hypomagnetic field for manned deep-space explorations","source":"openalex","abstract":"Manned deep-space exploration and colonization on extraterrestrial bodies, such as the Moon and Mars, are great dreams of mankind. However, as these activities are far from the surface environment of home planet Earth, challenges faced to astronauts have been identified, including harmful radiation, isolation and confinement, distance from home, microgravity, and closed or hostile environments [1]. The weakening and/or absence of the magnetic field has been identified as another environmental challenge that may jeopardise the astronauts’ health. Unlike Earth, an extremely weak magnetic field exists on the Moon, Mars, interstellar space, and some other bodies. This indicates that astronauts will have to experience a hypomagnetic field (HMF, <5 μT) during deep-space flight and sojourn durations. To assess the possible health risks that HMF may pose to astronauts, which are largely unknown or overlooked, relevant research is certainly desired. Here, we attempt to assess the potential health risks to astronauts associated with HMF exposure during long-duration human spaceflight and provide some suggestions for future studies. The geomagnetic field (GMF), a global dipole magnetic field (present day field ∼25–65 μT), is a uniquely beneficial environmental factor of our home planet, not only protecting life on the Earth’s surface from harmful radiation, but also providing reliable cues for animal orientation and navigation [2]. Life on Earth originated and co-evolved with GMF and its variations over billions of years [3]. This means that humans have become accustomed to and dependent on GMF. Recent investigations have increasingly highlighted the multiple effects of HMF on organ systems in animals, including the reproductive, central nervous system (CNS), cardiovascular system and musculoskeletal systems, and related behaviours [4,5], as shown in Table 1. Although direct data on the effects of HMF on humans are limited, our efforts are to forewarn potential health risks faced by astronauts. The potential health risks of human exposure to HMF based on experimental findings. Note: CRY1, cryptochrome 1; CRY2, cryptochrome 2; EEG, electroencephalogram; ROS, reactive oxygen species. The health risks of HMF associated with reproductive ability and embryonic development in some animals, such as rabbits, mice, newts, frogs, insects, and birds, are evident (Table 1). For example, Fesenko et al. found that pregnant mice exposed to HMF for 3–12 days lost the ability to bear offspring probably because HMF decreased the proliferative activity of embryonic cells and impaired the interaction between the trophoblast and the endometrium [6]. Mo et al. reported that HMF exposure for 2–4 days interfered with the early cleavage stage development of Xenopus embryos by altering the orientation of the mitotic spindle apparatus [7]. These results suggest that HMF exposure might have negative influences on animal reproductive function and early development of offspring. More attention should be paid to the impact of HMF on the reproductive and early development of non-human primate species to provide more evidence for assessing human reproductive health. Circadian rhythm disruption is one of the health risks faced by astronauts during long-duration space travel. Circadian rhythms are 24-hour physiological or behavioural oscillations regulated by the internal biological clock and environmental factors. They are closely linked to many health problems such as sleep disorders, aging, neurodegenerative diseases, and gastrointestinal function. Studies indicate that HMF may affect physiological rhythms and related behaviours in animals (Table 1), particularly the rhythmic activity of the cardiovascular system in humans [8]. In addition, HMF exposure has been shown to decrease norepinephrine levels in the brainstem of golden hamsters [9], which may regulate the transcription of circadian clock genes. The CRY protein is now considered to be a magnetoreceptor and a re","url":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwae395","authors":["Lanxiang Tian","Jie Ren","Yukai Luo","Yinghui Li","Weixiang Guo","Bingfang Zhang","Yongxin Pan"],"tags":["Space (punctuation)","Field (mathematics)","Aeronautics","Environmental science","Aerospace engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwae395","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W4404457608","name":"Signal Strength-Based Alien Drone Detection and Containment in Indoor UAV Swarm Simulations","source":"openalex","abstract":"A Novel simulation framework using self-governing drones is used to locate and reduce unauthorized drones in interior environments. The recommended method uses Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) to identify an alien agent drone, which has different signal characteristics than the approved swarm of UAVs. Real-time threat detection is possible with this technology. After detecting the drone, the swarm organizes itself to encircle and besiege it for 10 seconds, making it inert, before the swarm returns to its original formation. This unique solution uses RSSI to quickly identify and mitigate enclosed area concerns. It provides a reliable and effective indoor drone security solution. The simulation results show that the approach works in critical environments such as warehouses, laboratories, and other secure indoor facilities. This study advances unmanned aerial system (UAS) autonomous swarm intelligence and security procedures.","url":"https://doi.org/10.62762/tis.2024.807714","authors":["Ghulam E Mustafa Abro","Zain Anwar Ali","Ayman M. Abdallah"],"tags":["Drone","Alien","Swarm behaviour","Signal strength","SIGNAL (programming language)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.62762/tis.2024.807714","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W4393187120","name":"Brief and intensive volcanic emissions from Ontong Java Nui heralded Oceanic Anoxic Event 1a","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The volcanic episode that formed Ontong Java Nui (OJN) in the western Pacific ~ 120 million-year-ago is thought to have triggered Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE) 1a, yet the cause-effect relationship remains insufficiently understood. Here, we present a Pb-Os-C isotope dataset for tracking OJN volcanism across a sedimentary sequence containing OAE1a record in the central Pacific. Lead isotopic evidence strongly supports the deposition of OJN-sourced volcanic ash layers at this site after a paired seawater δ13Ccarb–187Os/188Os shift and before the onset of OAE1a. The δ13Ccarb–187Os/188Os shift is attributable to the signature of the initial submarine OJN eruption. The subsequent unradiogenic Pb isotope shifts could represent ash fallout from the brief, explosive subaerial/shallow-marine eruption phase accompanied by intensive volcanic degassing and emissions. The apparent time lag between explosive OJN volcanism and OAE1a is intriguing, which can be accounted for by the delayed increase in the productivity after gas emissions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01310-0","authors":["Hironao Matsumoto","Kosuke T. Goto","Gen Shimoda","Yasuto Watanabe","Kotaro Shirai","Maria Luisa Garcia Tejada","Akira Ishikawa","Atsushi Ando","Takashi Sano","Junichiro Kuroda","Katsuhiko Suzuki"],"tags":["Java","Anoxic waters","Volcano","Event (particle physics)","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01310-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W4407684818","name":"Fast firing technique for Martian regolith simulant: Advancing ISRU capabilities","source":"openalex","abstract":"In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) approaches hold significant importance in plans for space colonization. This work explores a different ISRU concept applying fast-firing, a robust and well-known industrial process, to Mars regolith simulant (MGS-1). The fast-fired specimens were compared to the ones obtained by conventional sintered under low heating rates. When the holding time at the firing temperature is longer than 15 min, fast-fired specimens exhibited higher density and flexural strength (> 35 MPa) than conventional sintering. For both processes, the bulk density values and the mechanical properties of the regolith compacts were enhanced with increasing dwell time. This was attributed to higher heating rates changing the densification/crystallization kinetics involving the basalt glass in the regolith composition. Specifically, high heating rate promotes sintering over crystallization. On these bases, fast firing can be considered a potential candidate for ISRU on Mars. • Fast firing was used to consolidate the Martian regolith simulant. • The produced samples were usually denser compared to the conventional ones. • Higher heating rates may alter the densification/crystallization kinetics. • Fast-fired specimens showed bending strength exceeding 35 MPa.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2025.116521","authors":["Levent Karacasulu","Alessandro Tomasini","Cekdar Vakifahmetoglu","Mattia Biesuz"],"tags":["Regolith","Astrobiology","Martian","Environmental science","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-19","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2025.116521","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W4404718764","name":"Naturally Occurring Microbiota-Accessible Borates: A Focused Minireview","source":"openalex","abstract":"Recently, we discovered and proved the essentiality of organic boron species (OBS), such as borate–pectic polysaccharides and borate–phenolic esters, for healthy symbiosis (HS) between microbiota and human/animal (H/A) host. The essentiality of OBS will provide new options for B supplementation in H/A nutrition for a healthy and long life. New knowledge on the essentiality of naturally occurring microbiota-accessible borate species for HS between microbiota and H/A host will allow the use of natural B-based dietary supplements to target the H/A microbiome (the gut, skin, oral, scalp, and vaginal microbiome). In the literature, there is evidence that certain bacteria need B (autoinducer-2 borate) for communication and our preliminary data show that HS takes place when the colonic mucus gel layer contains B. Subsequently, OBS become novel prebiotic candidates and target the colon as novel colonic foods.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/inorganics12120308","authors":["Andrei Biţă","Ion Romulus Scorei","George Dan Mogoşanu","Ludovic Everard Bejenaru","Cristina Elena Biță","Venera Cristina Dinescu","Gabriela Rău","Maria Viorica Ciocîlteu","Cornelia Bejenaru","Octavian Croitoru"],"tags":["Biology","Computational biology","Nanotechnology","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/inorganics12120308","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W4313641507","name":"Mitigation and use of biofilms in space for the benefit of human space exploration","source":"openalex","abstract":"Biofilms are self-organized communities of microorganisms that are encased in an extracellular polymeric matrix and often found attached to surfaces. Biofilms are widely present on Earth, often found in diverse and sometimes extreme environments. These microbial communities have been described as recalcitrant or protective when facing adversity and environmental exposures. On the International Space Station, biofilms were found in human-inhabited environments on a multitude of hardware surfaces. Moreover, studies have identified phenotypic and genetic changes in the microorganisms under microgravity conditions including changes in microbe surface colonization and pathogenicity traits. Lack of consistent research in microgravity-grown biofilms can lead to deficient understanding of altered microbial behavior in space. This could subsequently create problems in engineered systems or negatively impact human health on crewed spaceflights. It is especially relevant to long-term and remote space missions that will lack resupply and service. Conversely, biofilms are also known to benefit plant growth and are essential for human health (i.e., gut microbiome). Eventually, biofilms may be used to supply metabolic pathways that produce organic and inorganic components useful to sustaining life on celestial bodies beyond Earth. This article will explore what is currently known about biofilms in space and will identify gaps in the aerospace industry's knowledge that should be filled in order to mitigate or to leverage biofilms to the advantage of spaceflight.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioflm.2022.100102","authors":["Yo-Ann Vélez Justiniano","Darla M. Goeres","Elizabeth L. Sandvik","Birthe V. Kjellerup","Tatyana A. Sysoeva","Jacob S. Harris","Stephan Warnat","Matthew McGlennen","Christine M. Foreman","Jiseon Yang","Wenyan Li","Chelsi D. Cassilly","Katelyn Lott","Lauren E. HerrNeckar"],"tags":["Biofilm","Human health","Extracellular polymeric substance","Leverage (statistics)","Space exploration"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-01-06","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioflm.2022.100102","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W4400195964","name":"Lessons Learned in Designing a Proposed Ultraviolet Sterilization System for Space","source":"openalex","abstract":"This paper presents a number of lessons learned while designing a proposed sterilization system for Mars Sample Return. This sterilization system is needed to inactivate any potentially hazardous Mars material on the exterior surface of the vessel containing sealed sample tubes filled with Mars rock cores, regolith and atmosphere. These returned samples would provide information on the geologic history of Mars, the evolution of its climate and the potential for ancient life. Mars Sample Return is categorized at Planetary Protection Category V Restricted Earth Return, so it is required to protect the Earth–Moon system from the biological impact of returning samples from Mars to Earth. This article reviews lessons learned in the development of a particular engineering implementation to support the protection of the Earth–Moon biosphere: the use of in situ ultraviolet LED illumination. The details of the biological efficacy of this approach or the policy-related impacts are outside of the scope of this manuscript. The lessons learned presented here include establishing design requirements for the system, the selection of a light source, optical design options, contamination control and approaches to thermal and power management.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace11070538","authors":["David W. Hughes","Giuseppe Cataldo","Fernando Pellerano","Terra C. Hardwick","Frankie Micalizzi","Victor J. Chambers","Brian R. Bean","Berton J. Braley","William B. Cook","Ratna Day","Thomas J. Emmett","Clark Hovis","Ioana Stefan","Dillon E. Johnstone","Amandeep Kaur","Wendy M. Morgenstern","Nicholas M. Nicolaeff","Lawrence Ong","Lenward Seals","R. Schnurr","Laurie L. Seide","George Shaw","Kevin A. Smith","Oscar Ta","William J. Thomes","Honam Yum"],"tags":["Sterilization (economics)","Ultraviolet","Computer science","Materials science","Business"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace11070538","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W4404074097","name":"Exploring the versatile applications of Spirulina: A comprehensive research review","source":"openalex","abstract":"Spirulina, a type of blue-green algae, has garnered significant attention due to its rich nutritional profile and bioactive compounds that contribute to numerous health benefits. This review provides an extensive analysis of the various applications of Spirulina, covering its roles in nutrition, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, agriculture, and environmental sustainability. With its high protein content, essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, Spirulina is an exceptional dietary supplement and functional food ingredient. In the pharmaceutical industry, it is explored for its potential in immune enhancement, cholesterol reduction, and cancer prevention. Spirulina’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties make it a valuable component in cosmetics, aiding in skin care and anti-ageing formulations. In agriculture, Spirulina is used as a biofertilizer and livestock feed supplement, contributing to sustainable practices by enhancing soil quality and improving livestock health. Furthermore, its ability to absorb heavy metals and pollutants enables its use in environmental applications, such as water purification and waste management. However, large-scale production faces challenges, including quality control, standardisation, and regulatory requirements, which must be addressed to ensure safe and effective use.","url":"https://doi.org/10.33545/26174693.2024.v8.i11sb.2799","authors":["Hafeef Roshan"],"tags":["Spirulina (dietary supplement)","Nanotechnology","Data science","Computer science","Computational biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.33545/26174693.2024.v8.i11sb.2799","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W4416296157","name":"Astrophysics: the James Webb Space Telescope - From First Light to New World Views","source":"openalex","abstract":"described with a focus on how the mission and its capabilities were shaped.","url":"https://doi.org/10.65398/iuuu6176","authors":[],"tags":["James Webb Space Telescope","Wonder","Space (punctuation)","Telescope","Sky"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.65398/iuuu6176","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W4414512454","name":"Hydric characteristics and agro-industrial quality of sugarcane under application of correctives and fertilizer in Alagoas, Brazil","source":"openalex","abstract":"The objective of this research was to evaluate meteorological variables, water balance and agro-industrial quality of sugarcane under isolated and combined application of pH correctives and organic and mineral fertilization in planting furrows, in rainfed conditions. The statistical design used was in randomized blocks, with five replications and 8 treatments: T1 = limestone, T2 ­= agricultural gypsum; T3 = poultry litter; T4 = T1 + T2; T5 = T1 + T3; T6 = T2 + T3; T7 = T1 + T2 + T3 and T8 = conventional mineral fertilizer. The cultivar used was RB92579 and the agro-industrial quality variables studied were: brix of broth, sugarcane broth apparent sucrose, broth purity, reducing sugars, total recoverable sugars and fiber. The air temperature was not a limiting factor for the growth of sugarcane. The crop evapotranspiration, in 16 months of cultivation, was 2,054 mm. In general, the application of agricultural gypsum in the planting furrow generates higher agro-industrial quality of the sugarcane in comparison with the application of poultry litter. The agro-industrial quality of sugarcane fields cultivated with agricultural limestone and conventional fertilization does not differ significantly from the areas where agricultural gypsum is applied or the areas where poultry litter is used.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5965/223811712412025021","authors":["Ricardo Barros Silva","Antônio Lucrécio dos Santos Neto","Iêdo Teodoro","Allan Cunha Barros","Valdevan Rosendo dos Santos","Ademária Aparecida de Souza","Gleica Maria Correia Martins","Wellington Manoel dos Santos","Bruno Richardson dos Santos Costa","José Wilker Germano de Souza","José Augusto Rodrigues dos Santos","Dayane Mércia Ribeiro Silva"],"tags":["Poultry litter","Agronomy","Sowing","Fertilizer","Crop"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-08-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5965/223811712412025021","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W4386417067","name":"SPECULATIVE POSSIBILITIES AND IMPORTANCE OF EXISTENCE OF EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE ON ASTRONOMICAL BODIES: AN ASTROBIOLOGY REVIEW","source":"openalex","abstract":"Indian Journal of Scientific Research(IJSR):Calls for Unique, Unpublished research papers in Botany, Zoology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Medical Sciences, Agricultural Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Natural Sciences Technological Sciences and any other branch of related sciences","url":"https://doi.org/10.32606/ijsr.v14.i1.00015","authors":["RASHID RASOOL RABBANI ISMAILI","OWAIS MAQBOOL RABBANI ISMAILI","SUGRA ANAM","TAANLOUMI","AMEEN LAQSAM","SAMEERA GHAZAL","SAADUZ ZAFAR ALI"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Search for extraterrestrial intelligence","Biology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-08-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.32606/ijsr.v14.i1.00015","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W4309990775","name":"Analytical performances of the LAb-CosmOrbitrap mass spectrometer for astrobiology","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2022.105607","authors":["Laura Selliez","Christelle Briois","Nathalie Carrasco","L. Thirkell","Bertrand Gaubicher","J. P. Lebreton","Fabrice Colin"],"tags":["Orbitrap","Mass spectrometry","Calibration","Mass spectrum","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-11-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2022.105607","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W4403899415","name":"Potential Chronological Disturbance of the D’Orbigny Angrite Inferred from Discordant 26Al Ages","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Angrites originate from the early-formed differentiated angrite parent body. The pristine volcanic angrite D’Orbigny is devoid of brecciation, shock effects, or any evidence of secondary processes and is thus key for studying the early stages of planetary accretion and differentiation. However, chronometers used to establish the formation chronology of angrites (including D’Orbigny) yield discordant ages, either (i) suggesting that secondary processes could have disturbed the apparent formation ages or (ii) being taken as evidence of heterogeneous distribution of 26Al in the early solar system. Yet spinel is minimally susceptible to secondary parent body processes and therefore a reliable target for establishing precise 26Al–26Mg ages. Here, we present the first in situ 26Al–26Mg analyses of spinel and plagioclase in D’Orbigny. Individual mineral assemblages provide distinct ages: olivine–spinel shows a well-defined isochron with an initial Al ratio ([26Al/27Al]i) of (5.39 ± 0.85) × 10−6, indicating formation at 2.35 + 0.25 − 0.22 Myr after the formation of calcium–aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs), whereas plagioclase–olivine defines an isochron with [26Al/27Al]i = (7.46 ± 1.87) × 10−7, implying formation at 4.40 + 0.44 − 0.38 Myr after CAIs, consistent with previous MC-ICP-MS studies. This temporal gap can be attributed to secondary processes such as metamorphic or impact-generated diffusion. Thus, D’Orbigny and other angrites do not represent an immaculate anchor for chronometric comparison. This complexity should be considered in future studies, especially when using D’Orbigny as an anchor to discuss the chronology of the early solar system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ad8654","authors":["Cécile Deligny","Maxime Piralla","Johan Villeneuve","Evelyn Füri","Yves Marrocchi"],"tags":["Plagioclase","Isochron","Olivine","Geology","Spinel"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ad8654","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.001Z"},{"id":"oa:W4392243267","name":"Discovery of late Quaternary giant magnetofossils in the Bay of Bengal","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Unusually large and enigmatic giant magnetofossils are well-documented in sediments deposited during and surrounding climatic events such as the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (~56 Ma) and Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (~40 Ma). However, the absence of giant magnetofossil modern analogues raises intriguing questions about their origin and formation mechanism. In this study, we report the discovery of giant magnetofossils within late Quaternary sediments retrieved from the Bay of Bengal (BoB), the youngest giant magnetofossils yet reported. First-order reversal curve diagrams of BoB sediments display a central ridge feature, a characteristic magnetic signature of non-interacting single domain magnetofossils. Scanning electron microscopy examinations reveal giant magnetofossils with needle, spindle, bullet, and spearhead shapes. We use high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, with electron diffraction and energy dispersive spectrometry, to confirm their distinctive morphologies and magnetite crystal structure. Our environmental magnetic and geochemical data suggest that an influx of fluvially derived reactive iron and organic carbon, combined with persistent suboxic conditions, supported the proliferation of giant magnetofossil-producing organisms. The discovery of a modern analogue to ancient giant magnetofossils expands our understanding of their temporal distribution within the geological record and is a promising step toward elucidating the nature of the organisms responsible for their formation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01259-0","authors":["Nitin Kadam","Firoz Badesab","Ioan Lascu","Courtney L. Wagner","Virsen Gaikwad","Abhishek Saha","S. J. Sangode","M. Venkateshwarlu"],"tags":["Geology","Bay","Paleontology","Magnetite","Quaternary"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01259-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4389778013","name":"Simple Molecules under High‐Pressure and High‐Temperature Conditions: Synthesis and Characterization of α‐ and β‐C(NH)2 with Fully sp3‐Hybridized Carbon","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The elements hydrogen, carbon, and nitrogen are among the most abundant in the solar system. Still, little is known about the ternary compounds these elements can form under the high‐pressure and high‐temperature conditions found in the outer planets’ interiors. These materials are also of significant research interest since they are predicted to feature many desirable properties such as high thermal conductivity and hardness due to strong covalent bonding networks. In this study, the high‐pressure high‐temperature reaction behavior of malononitrile H2C(CN)2, dicyandiamide (H2N)2C=NCN, and melamine (C3N3)(NH2)3 was investigated in laser‐heated diamond anvil cells. Two previously unknown compounds, namely α‐C(NH)2 and β‐C(NH)2, have been synthesized and found to have fully sp3‐hybridized carbon atoms. α‐C(NH)2 crystallizes in a distorted β‐cristobalite structure, while β‐C(NH)2 is built from previously unknown imide‐bridged 2,4,6,8,9,10‐hexaazaadamantane units, which form two independent interpenetrating diamond‐like networks. Their stability domains and compressibility were studied, for which supporting density functional theory calculations were performed.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202318214","authors":["Thaddäus J. Koller","Siyu Jin","Viktoria Krol","Sebastian J. Ambach","Umbertoluca Ranieri","Saiana Khandarkhaeva","James Spender","R. S. McWilliams","Florian Trybel","Nico Giordano","Tomasz Porȩba","Mohamed Mézouar","Xiao‐Yu Kuang","Cheng Lü","Leonid Dubrovinsky","Natalia Dubrovinskaia","Andreas Hermann","Wolfgang Schnick","Dominique Laniel"],"tags":["Characterization (materials science)","Simple (philosophy)","Molecule","Carbon fibers","Analytical Chemistry (journal)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202318214","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4401324481","name":"Raman spectra of oxidized sulfur species in hydrothermal fluids","source":"openalex","abstract":"Raman spectroscopic determination of sulfur species molalities in hydrothermal fluids requires correct assignment and knowledge of the scattering efficiencies of Raman bands. Therefore, we studied the Raman spectra of NaHSO4 and H2SO4 solutions experimentally to 700 °C, and of Na2SO4, NaHSO4, H2SO4, and H2SO3 solutions by ab initio molecular dynamics simulation at 727 °C. The results indicate that the scattering efficiencies of the νs(SO3), νas(SO3), and ν(S–OH) Raman bands of HSO4−(aq) depend on the H+ activity. The asymmetric shape of the νs(SO3) Raman band of HSO4−(aq) becomes more symmetric with increasing temperature, which correlates with decreasing hydrogen bonding in the molecular environment. Proton activity and ion pairing do not have a large effect on the change in the band asymmetry with temperature, and a resonance effect on the band shape is not observed. Therefore, we attribute the asymmetric shape of the νs(SO3) Raman band of HSO4−(aq) mostly to hydrogen bonding of the proton in the H–OSO3− molecule with water in its environment. The AIMD simulations clarify assignments of Raman bands of H2SO40, specifically to νs(SO2) and νas(SO2) at ∼1140 cm−1 and ∼1370 cm−1, to νs(SO4) and νas(SO4) at ∼970 cm−1 and ∼1220 cm−1, and to νs(S–(OH)2) and νas(S–(OH)2) at ∼750 cm−1 and ∼840 cm−1. In addition, the experiments showed that diamond is not inert to H2SO4 at high temperatures as reduction of S(VI) to S(IV) produces SO20 and oxidation of diamond generates CO20.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2024.108146","authors":["Christian Schmidt","Sandro Jahn"],"tags":["Raman spectroscopy","Hydrothermal circulation","Raman scattering","Hydrogen bond","Molecule"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-05","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2024.108146","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391004068","name":"Systems theory, thermodynamics and life: Integrated thinking across ecology, organization and biological evolution.","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystems.2024.105123","authors":["Keith R. Skene"],"tags":["Living systems","Multicellular organism","Ecology","Second law of thermodynamics","Entropy (arrow of time)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystems.2024.105123","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4403308596","name":"Globally synchronous meteorite rain during the Middle Ordovician","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2024.112550","authors":["Shengchao Yang","Junxuan Fan","Christian M. Ø. Rasmussen","Xiao‐Lei Wang","Zongyuan Sun","Yiying Deng"],"tags":["Geology","Ordovician","Meteorite","Paleontology","Astrobiology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2024.112550","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4393190312","name":"Shear Wave Velocity Applications in Geomechanics with Focus on Risk Assessment in Carbon Capture and Storage Projects","source":"openalex","abstract":"Shear wave velocity (Vs) has significant applications in geoengineering investigations. With the ongoing rise in carbon capture and storage (CCS) initiatives, the role of Vs in monitoring the CO2 sequestration sites is escalating. Although many studies have been conducted to assess CCS-induced risks, no inclusive research has been conducted integrating those investigations. This study strives to collate and integrate the applications of Vs in geoscience with an emphasis on CCS risk assessment. Based on this research, major CCS-induced risks were detected: induced seismicity, caprock failure, groundwater contamination, fault reactivation, and reservoir deformation. These risks were inclusively described, and the mathematical formulations incorporating the Vs parameter in risk analysis were elaborated. It was concluded that Vs applications can be further extended in monitoring CO2 plume migration, optimizing CO2 injection pressures, preventing shallow water contamination, and predicting CCS-induced seismic events. All these applications require fully coupled hydromechanical analysis based on poroelasticity theory. Hence, various factors including pore pressure, in situ stresses, faults distribution, and poroelastic parameters must be carefully determined before the CO2 injection phase. The mathematical formulations presented in the present study are quite applicable for granting the safety and long-term success of subsurface carbon sequestration.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/en17071578","authors":["Mitra Khalilidermani","Dariusz Knez"],"tags":["Geomechanics","Caprock","Carbon sequestration","Plume","Induced seismicity"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-26","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/en17071578","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4310128755","name":"Hot Vents Beneath an Icy Ocean: The Aurora Vent Field, Gakkel Ridge, Revealed","source":"openalex","abstract":"Evidence of hydrothermal venting on the ultra-slow spreading Gakkel Ridge in the Central Arctic Ocean has been available since 2001, with first visual evidence of black smokers on the Aurora Vent Field obtained in 2014. But it was not until 2021 that the first ever remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dives to hydrothermal vents under permanent ice cover in the Arctic were conducted, enabling the collection of vent fluids, rocks, microbes, and fauna. In this paper, we present the methods employed for deep-sea ROV operations under drifting ice. We also provide the first description of the Aurora Vent Field, which includes three actively venting black smokers and diffuse flow on the Aurora mound at ~3,888 m depth on the southern part of the Gakkel Ridge (82.5°N). The biological communities are dominated by a new species of cocculinid limpet, two small gastropods, and a melitid amphipod. The ongoing analyses of Aurora Vent Field samples will contribute to positioning the Gakkel Ridge hydrothermal vents in the global biogeographic puzzle of hydrothermal vents.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2023.103","authors":["Eva Ramírez-Llodra","Claudio Argentino","Maria Baker","Antje Boëtius","Carolina Costa","Håkon Dahle","Emily Olesin Denny","Pierre-Antoine Dessandier","Mari Heggernes Eilertsen","Bénédicte Ferré","Christopher R. German","K. P. Hand","Ana Hilário","Lawrence Hislop","John W. Jamieson","Dimitri Kalnitchenko","Achim Mall","Giuliana Panieri","Autun Purser","Sofia P. Ramalho","Eoghan P. Reeves","Leighton Rolley","Samuel Pereira","Pedro A. Ribeiro","Muhammed Fatih Sert","Ida Helene Steen","Marie Stetzler","Runar Stokke","Lissette Victorero","Francesca Vulcano","Stig Vågenes","Kate Alyse Waghorn","Stefan Büenz"],"tags":["Hydrothermal vent","Ridge","Oceanography","Geology","Arctic"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-11-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2023.103","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4398146675","name":"Hazardous element inertisation in vitrified silicate ceramics: Effect of different matrices","source":"openalex","abstract":"The ceramic industry is a production sector that can efficiently recycle its own processing residues, achieving a reuse index of almost 100%. Recently, the range of waste from other industrial sectors that can be used as secondary raw materials in ceramic bodies has expanded. However, such an expansion potentially introduces hazardous components. This study aimed to quantitatively assess the efficiency of inertising hazardous elements (HEs) through ceramisation. The ceramics were characterised through XRPD, SEM-EDS and leaching tests to determine their leaching behaviour and the mechanisms of element immobilisation in neoformation phases during the ceramisation process. The results indicate high immobilisation efficiency for Ba, Co, Cr, Cu, Pb, Sb, Sn and Zn. However, Mo is the main element of concern owing to its poor retention in ceramic bodies. This is likely due to the formation of oxyanionic complexes that are difficult to immobilise in silicate matrices. In addition, the ceramic bodies exhibit substantial differences that appear to be associated with variations in pseudo-structural components and the degree of polymerisation of their vitreous phase. The study of the ceramisation process is crucial for assessing the immobilisation of HEs, particularly in the ceramic industry, which is increasingly adopting recycling practices according to circular economy principles. The work provides a quantitative analysis of the process, evaluating the effectiveness of incorporating secondary raw materials (containing hazardous constituents) into vitrified and highly vitrified silicate ceramic bodies. Valuable insights are provided on how to mitigate environmental risks associated with the introduction of potentially harmful elements. This comprehension is essential for improving waste recycling in the ceramic industry and promoting sustainable practices in accordance with the goals of circular economy.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134657","authors":["Sonia Conte","Chiara Molinari","Matteo Ardit","Luciana Mantovani","M. Tribaudino","Giuseppe Cruciani","Michele Dondi","Chiara Zanelli"],"tags":["Silicate","Ceramic","Hazardous waste","Element (criminal law)","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134657","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402937502","name":"Decoding organic compounds in lava tube sulfates to understand potential biomarkers in the Martian subsurface","source":"openalex","abstract":"Lipid biomarkers present in sulfate speleothems on lava tubes from Lanzarote, Canary Islands, support microbial activity in these settings and may work as analogs for lipid biomarkers in Martian volcanic environments, according to molecular, geochemical, and mineralogical characterizations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01673-4","authors":["Vera Palma","José M. de la Rosa Arranz","Bogdan P. Onac","Francesco Sauro","Jesús Martínez‐Frías","Ana Teresa Caldeira","José Antonío González‐Pérez","N. T. Jiménez Morillo","Ana Z. Miller"],"tags":["Martian","Lava","Astrobiology","Decoding methods","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-28","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01673-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4399982965","name":"Cultivation and nutritional characteristics of Chlorella vulgaris cultivated using Martian regolith and synthetic urine","source":"openalex","abstract":"Long-term spatial missions will require sustainable methods for biomass production using locally available resources. This study investigates the feasibility of cultivating Chlorella vulgaris, a high value microalgal specie, using a leachate of Martian regolith and synthetic human urine as nutrient sources. The microalga was grown in a standard medium (BBM) mixed with 0, 20, 40, 60, or 100 % Martian medium (MM). MM did not significantly affect final biomass concentrations. Total carbohydrate and protein contents decreased with increasing MM fractions between 0 % and 60 %, but biomass in the 100% MM showed the highest levels of carbohydrates and proteins (25.2 ± 0.9 % and 37.1 ± 1.4 % of the dry weight, respectively, against 19.0 ± 1.7 % and 32.0 ± 2.7 % in the absence of MM). In all MM-containing media, the fraction of the biomass represented by total lipids was lower (by 3.2 to 4.5%) when compared to BBM. Conversely, total carotenoids increased, with the highest value (97.3 ± 1.5 mg/100 g) measured with 20% MM. In a three-dimensional principal component analysis of triacylglycerols, samples clustered according to growth media; a strong impact of growth media on triacylglycerol profiles was observed. Overall, our findings suggest that microalgal biomass produced using regolith and urine can be used as a valuable component of astronauts' diet during missions to Mars.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lssr.2024.06.003","authors":["Mattia Casula","Giacomo Fais","Cristina Manis","Paola Scano","Cyprien Verseux","Alessandro Concas","Giacomo Cao","Pierluigi Caboni"],"tags":["Regolith","Chlorella vulgaris","Martian","Astrobiology","Urine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-24","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lssr.2024.06.003","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4399547721","name":"High‐resolution cathodoluminescence of calcites from the Cold Bokkeveld chondrite: New insights on carbonatation processes in CM parent bodies","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Carbonates, as secondary minerals found in CM chondrites, have been widely employed for reconstructing the composition of the fluids from which they precipitated. They also offer valuable insights into the hydrothermal evolution of their parent bodies. In this study, we demonstrate that high‐resolution cathodoluminescence (HR‐CL) analyses of calcites derived from the brecciated Cold Bokkeveld CM2 chondrite can effectively reveal subtle compositional features and intricate zoning patterns. We have identified two distinct types of cathodoluminescence (CL) centers: a blue emission band (approximately 375–425 nm), associated with intrinsic structural defects, and a lower energy orange extrinsic emission (around 620 ± 10 nm), indicating the presence of Mn cations. These compositional variations enable discrimination between the calcite grain types previously designated as T1 and T2 in studies of CM chondrites. T1 calcites exhibit variable CL and peripheral Mn enrichments, consistently surrounded by a rim composed of Fe‐S‐rich serpentine–tochilinite assemblage. Conversely, T2 calcites display homogeneous CL and more abundant lattice defects. These polycrystalline aggregates of calcite grains, devoid of serpentine, contain Fe‐Ni sulfide inclusions and directly interface with the matrix. We propose that changes in the Mn content of calcite (indicated by the intensity of orange CL emission) are influenced by variations in redox potential (Eh) and pH of the fluid phase. This proposed hydrothermal evolution establishes a parallel between terrestrial serpentinization followed by carbonation processes and the aqueous alteration of CM chondrites, warranting further exploration and investigation of this intriguing similarity.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14225","authors":["Vincent Guigoz","Anthony Seret","Marc Portail","L. Ferrière","G. Libourel","H. C. Connolly","D. S. Lauretta"],"tags":["Chondrite","Calcite","Cathodoluminescence","Geology","Mineralogy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14225","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4400660735","name":"Protocell Effects on RNA Folding, Function, and Evolution","source":"openalex","abstract":"Creating a living system from nonliving matter is a great challenge in chemistry and biophysics. The early history of life can provide inspiration from the idea of the prebiotic \"RNA World\" established by ribozymes, in which all genetic and catalytic activities were executed by RNA. Such a system could be much simpler than the interdependent central dogma characterizing life today. At the same time, cooperative systems require a mechanism such as cellular compartmentalization in order to survive and evolve. Minimal cells might therefore consist of simple vesicles enclosing a prebiotic RNA metabolism. The internal volume of a vesicle is a distinctive environment due to its closed boundary, which alters diffusion and available volume for macromolecules and changes effective molecular concentrations, among other considerations. These physical effects are mechanistically distinct from chemical interactions, such as electrostatic repulsion, that might also occur between the membrane boundary and encapsulated contents. Both indirect and direct interactions between the membrane and RNA can give rise to nonintuitive, \"emergent\" behaviors in the model protocell system. We have been examining how encapsulation inside membrane vesicles would affect the folding and activity of entrapped RNA. Using biophysical techniques such as FRET, we characterized ribozyme folding and activity inside vesicles. Encapsulation inside model protocells generally promoted RNA folding, consistent with an excluded volume effect, independently of chemical interactions. This energetic stabilization translated into increased ribozyme activity in two different systems that were studied (hairpin ribozyme and self-aminoacylating RNAs). A particularly intriguing finding was that encapsulation could rescue the activity of mutant ribozymes, suggesting that encapsulation could affect not only folding and activity but also evolution. To study this further, we developed a high-throughput sequencing assay to measure the aminoacylation kinetics of many thousands of ribozyme variants in parallel. The results revealed an unexpected tendency for encapsulation to improve the better ribozyme variants more than worse variants. During evolution, this effect would create a tilted playing field, so to speak, that would give additional fitness gains to already-high-activity variants. According to Fisher's Fundamental Theorem of Natural Selection, the increased variance in fitness should manifest as faster evolutionary adaptation. This prediction was borne out experimentally during in vitro evolution, where we observed that the initially diverse ribozyme population converged more quickly to the most active sequences when they were encapsulated inside vesicles. The studies in this Account have expanded our understanding of emergent protocell behavior, by showing how simply entrapping an RNA inside a vesicle, which could occur spontaneously during vesicle formation, might profoundly affect the evolutionary landscape of the RNA. Because of the exponential dynamics of replication and selection, even small changes to activity and function could lead to major evolutionary consequences. By closely studying the details of minimal yet surprisingly complex protocells, we might one day trace a pathway from encapsulated RNA to a living system.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.accounts.4c00174","authors":["Ranajay Saha","J. Choi","Irene A. Chen"],"tags":["Protocell","Ribozyme","RNA","Vesicle","Ligase ribozyme"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.accounts.4c00174","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W3216298946","name":"The Human Factor in the Settlement of the Moon: An Interdisciplinary Approach","source":"openalex","abstract":"Approaching the settlement of our Moon from a practical perspective, this book is well suited for space program planners. It addresses a variety of human factor topics involved in colonizing Earth's Moon, including: history, philosophy, science, engineering, agriculture, medicine, politics & policy, sociology, and anthropology. Each chapter identifies the complex, interdisciplinary issues of the human factor that arise in the early phases of settlement on the Moon. Besides practical issues, there is some emphasis placed on preserving, protecting, and experiencing the lunar environment across a broad range of occupations, from scientists to soldiers and engineers to construction workers. The book identifies utilitarian and visionary factors that shape human lives on the Moon. It offers recommendations for program planners in the government and commercial sectors and serves as a helpful resource for academic researchers. Together, the coauthors ask and attempt to answer: “How will lunar society be different?”","url":"https://openalex.org/W3216298946","authors":["Margaret Boone Rappaport","Konrad Szocik"],"tags":["Settlement (finance)","Factor (programming language)","Astrobiology","Geography","Archaeology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-01-01","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391143070","name":"Withdrawn: Potential Lithium Sedimentary Deposits of the Land and Deep Oceans","source":"openalex","abstract":"Lithium is a critical metal required for several green technology applications such as electric and hybrid vehicles, energy storage systems, lubricants, polymers, pharmaceuticals, and the preparation of a lot of other industrial chemicals, and its demand is rapidly increasing worldwide. The three most important resources of lithium are pegmatite deposits, salt brine deposits, and sedimentary deposits, and a minor component of unconventional lithium deposits such as geothermal waste, lithium in borate deposits, lithium-enriched coal deposits, lithium-rich industrial wastes such as red mud, acid mine drainage, and recycling. Several studies indicated that marine mineral deposits such as ferromanganese nodules and ferromanganese crusts also contain significant lithium concentrations, and can provide a new solution to the demand for lithium. Currently, sedimentary deposits both on the land and deep oceans are receiving increasing attention, due to their large size and their potential for future lithium resources. While land sedimentary deposits showed a high value of lithium up to 7250 μg/g, the marine sedimentary deposits recorded a high of 781 µg/g. Here, an attempt is made to provide a summary of global lithium sedimentary deposits and their potential for large-scale and long-term production of lithium. In addition to the descriptions of the importance of mineral deposits of lithium, a brief outline of different types of lithium deposits such as brine deposits including continental and geothermal, petroleum brine, pegmatites, and related magmatic deposits are also presented. Similarly, exploration studies based on geological, geophysical, mineralogical, geochemical, and remote sensing techniques in sedimentary basins are also briefly discussed. This cumulative information on sedimentary lithium deposits can trigger many future studies in unexplored and underexplored terrains around the world.","url":"https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202312.0073.v2","authors":["V. Balaram","John S. Armstrong‐Altrin","R.M.K. Khan","B. Srinivasa Rao"],"tags":["Sedimentary rock","Geology","Lithium (medication)","Geochemistry","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202312.0073.v2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4389520504","name":"Diffuse neutrino background from past core collapse supernovae","source":"openalex","abstract":"Core collapse supernovae are among the most powerful explosions in the Universe, which emit thermal neutrinos that carry away most of the gravitational binding energy released. These neutrinos produce a diffuse supernova neutrino background (DSNB), which is one of the largest energy budgets among all radiation backgrounds. Detecting the DSNB is an important goal of modern high-energy astrophysics and particle physics, which provides valuable insights into core collapse modeling, neutrino physics, and cosmic supernova rate history. In this review, the key ingredients of DSNB calculation and what can be learned from future detections, including black hole formation and non-standard neutrino interactions are discussed. Moreover, an overview of the latest updates in neutrino experiments, which could lead to the detection of the DSNB in the next decade, is provided. With the promise of this breakthrough discovery on the horizon, the study of DSNB has great potential to further our understanding of the Universe.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2183/pjab.99.026","authors":["Shin’ichiro Ando","Nick Ekanger","Shunsaku Horiuchi","Y. Koshio"],"tags":["Neutrino","Supernova","Neutrino detector","Physics","COSMIC cancer database"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2183/pjab.99.026","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W3155093546","name":"A cosmic dust detection suite for the deep space Gateway","source":"openalex","abstract":"The decade of the 2020s promises to be when humanity returns to space beyond Earth orbit, with several nations trying to place astronauts on the Moon, before going further into deep space. As part of such a programme, NASA and partner organisations, propose to build a Deep Space Gateway in lunar orbit by the mid-2020s. This would be visited regularly and offer a platform for science as well as for human activity. Payloads that can be mounted externally on the Gateway offer the chance to, amongst other scientific goals, monitor and observe the dust flux in the vicinity of the Moon. This paper looks at relevant technologies to measure dust which will impact the exposed surface at high speed. Flux estimates and a model payload of detectors are described. It is predicted that the flux is sufficient to permit studies of cometary vs. asteroidal dust and their composition, and to sample interstellar dust streams. This may also be the last opportunity to measure the natural dust flux near the Moon before the current, relatively pristine environment, is contaminated by debris, as humanity’s interest in the Moon generates increased activity in that vicinity in coming decades.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2021.04.002","authors":["P. J. Wozniakiewicz","John Bridges","M. J. Burchell","William Carey","James Carpenter","Vincenzo Della Corte","Aishling Dignam","M. J. Genge","L. J. Hicks","M. Hilchenbach","Jon K. Hillier","A. T. Kearsley","Harald Krüger","S. Merouane","E. Palomba","Frank Postberg","J. Schmidt","R. Srama","M. Trieloff","M. van-Ginneken","Veerle Sterken"],"tags":["Payload (computing)","Gateway (web page)","Astrobiology","Cosmic dust","Flux (metallurgy)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-04-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2021.04.002","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4405836129","name":"Industrial Disasters and Hazards: From Causes to Consequences — a Holistic Approach to Resilience","source":"openalex","abstract":"Starting from accelerated industrial development, industrial disasters (chemical spills, explosions, nuclear accidents, etc.), which fall under man-made (technological) disasters, increasingly threaten human lives, the environment, and property.Their complexity and far-reaching consequences, both at the local and global levels, require effective management of industrial risks and the disasters themselves (preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery).For these reasons, the review paper aims to provide a holistic description of the diverse causes, dynamics, and multidimensional consequences of disasters.Additionally, it highlights and explains the key factors that directly or indirectly contribute to their occurrence.Furthermore, it could be said that the paper analyzes existing strategies for managing risks from industrial disasters and systematizes recommendations for improving preventive and reactive measures in high-risk industries.On the other side, the paper utilizes a comprehensive literature review, which involves the systematic identification, review, analysis, and critical evaluation of existing scientific papers, studies, reports, and regulatory documents on industrial disasters.Besides that, it also includes a detailed analysis of well-known industrial disaster cases such as Seveso (Italy, 1976), Bhopal (India, 1984), Chernobyl (Ukraine, then USSR, 1986), and Fukushima (Japan, 2011).The paper emphasizes that industrial disasters are often the result of the combined influence and interaction of technical failures, human errors, and inadequately developed safety procedures.Moreover, it can be highlighted that the design and implementation of preventive measures, such as regular maintenance of technical systems and systematic training and education of employees, are crucial for reducing the likelihood of such catastrophic events.The implications of this review paper are multifaceted and point to the following: the need to reassess current safety practices in industries; reconsider the potential for introducing innovations in preventive technical-technological solutions; examine the thorough implementation of innovative early warning systems, safety procedures, and modern equipment in facilities; improve cooperation between engineers, safety managers, and regulatory workers; reassess the need for additional updates and tightening of regulations regarding the storage, transport, and use of hazardous materials in industry; and improve the management of risks from industrial disasters.","url":"https://doi.org/10.18485/ijdrm.2024.6.2.10","authors":["Vladimir M. Cvetković","Renate Renner","Vladimir Jakovljević"],"tags":["Resilience (materials science)","Environmental planning","Environmental resource management","Risk analysis (engineering)","Forensic engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.18485/ijdrm.2024.6.2.10","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4396618309","name":"Experimental modelling of the growth of tubular ice brinicles from brine flows under sea ice","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract. We present laboratory experiments on the growth of a tubular ice structure surrounding a plume of cold brine that descends under gravity into water with a higher freezing point. Brinicles are geological analogues of these structures found under sea ice in the polar regions on Earth. Brinicles are hypothesized to exist in the oceans of other celestial bodies, and being environments rich in minerals, serve a potentially analogous role as an ecosystem on icy-ocean worlds to that of submarine hydrothermal vents on Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2195-2024","authors":["Sergio Testón-Martínez","Laura M. Barge","Jan Eichler","C. Ignacio Sainz‐Díaz","Julyan H. E. Cartwright"],"tags":["Brine","Sea ice","Geology","Sea ice growth processes","Oceanography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2195-2024","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4393006708","name":"Experimental Study on Geopolymerization of Lunar Soil Simulant under Dry Curing and Sealed Curing","source":"openalex","abstract":"The construction of lunar surface roads is conducive to improving the efficiency of lunar space transportation. The use of lunar in situ resources is the key to the construction of lunar bases. In order to explore the strength development of a simulated lunar soil geopolymer at lunar temperature, geopolymers with different sodium hydroxide (NaOH) contents were prepared by using simulated lunar regolith materials. The temperature of the high-temperature section of the moon was simulated as the curing condition, and the difference in compressive strength between dry curing and sealed curing was studied. The results show that the high-temperature range of lunar temperature from 52.7 °C to 76.3 °C was the suitable curing period for the geopolymers, and the maximum strength of 72 h was 6.31 MPa when the NaOH content was 8% in the sealed-curing mode. The 72 h strength had a maximum value of 6.87 MPa when the NaOH content was 12% under dry curing. Choosing a suitable solution can reduce the consumption of activators required for geopolymers to obtain unit strength, effectively reduce the quality of materials transported from the Earth for lunar infrastructure construction, and save transportation costs. The microscopic results show that the simulated lunar soil generated gel substances and needle-like crystals under the alkali excitation of NaOH, forming a cluster and network structure to improve the compressive strength of the geopolymer.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17061413","authors":["Jinhui Gu","Qinyong Ma"],"tags":["Curing (chemistry)","Geopolymer","Materials science","Compressive strength","Composite material"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17061413","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4319868618","name":"A Hansel & Gretel breadcrumb-style dynamically deployed communication network paradigm using mesh topology for planetary subsurface exploration","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2023.02.012","authors":["Wolfgang Fink","Connor Fuhrman","Andres Nuncio Zuniga","Mark A. Tarbell"],"tags":["Lava","Computer science","Astrobiology","Mars Exploration Program","Testbed"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-02-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2023.02.012","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4390974253","name":"Deciding Technosignature Search Strategies: Multi-Criteria Fuzzy Logic to Find Extraterrestrial Intelligence","source":"openalex","abstract":"This study presents the implementation of Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) methodologies, particularly the fuzzy technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS), in prioritizing technosignatures (TSs) for the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). By incorporating expert opinions and weighted criteria based on the established Axes of Merit, our analysis offers insights into the relative importance of various TSs. Notably, radio and optical communications are emphasized, in contrast to dark side illumination and starshades in transit. We introduce a new axis, Scale Sensitivity, designed to assess the variability of TS metrics. A sensitivity analysis confirms the robustness of our approach. Our findings, especially the highlighted significance of artifacts orbiting Earth, the Moon, or the Sun, indicate a need to broaden evaluative criteria within SETI research. This suggests an enhancement of the Axes of Merit, with a focus on addressing the plausibility of TSs. As the quest to resolve the profound question of our solitude in the cosmos continues, SETI efforts would benefit from exploring innovative prioritization methodologies that effectively quantify TS search strategies.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace11010088","authors":["Juan Miguel Sánchez-Lozano","Eloy Peña‐Asensio","H. Socas‐Navarro"],"tags":["Search for extraterrestrial intelligence","Multiple-criteria decision analysis","Computer science","Robustness (evolution)","Fuzzy logic"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace11010088","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4394853292","name":"Bioprospecting of extremophilic perchlorate-reducing bacteria: report of promising Bacillus spp. isolated from sediments of the bay of Cartagena, Colombia","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Three extremophile bacterial strains (BBCOL-009, BBCOL-014 and BBCOL-015), capable of degrading high concentrations of perchlorate at a range of pH (6.5 to 10.0), were isolated from Colombian Caribbean Coast sediments. Morphological features included Gram negative strain bacilli with sizes averaged of 1.75 × 0.95, 2.32 × 0.65 and 3.08 × 0.70 μm, respectively. The reported strains tolerate a wide range of pH (6.5 to 10.0); concentrations of NaCl (3.5 to 7.5% w/v) and KClO4− (250 to 10000 mg/L), reduction of KClO4− from 10 to 25%. LB broth with NaCl (3.5–30% w/v) and KClO4ˉ (250-10000 mg/L) were used in independent trials to evaluate susceptibility to salinity and perchlorate, respectively. Isolates increased their biomass at 7.5 % (w/v) NaCl with optimal development at 3.5 % NaCl. Subsequently, ClO4ˉ reduction was assessed using LB medium with 3.5% NaCl and 10000 mg/L ClO4ˉ. BBCOL-009, BBCOL-014 and BBCOL-015 achieved 10%, 17%, and 25% reduction of ClO4ˉ, respectively. The 16 S rRNA gene sequence grouped them as Bacillus flexus T6186-2, Bacillus marisflavi TF-11 (T), and Bacillus vietnamensis 15 − 1 (T) respectively, with < 97.5% homology. In addition, antimicrobial resistance to ertapenem, vancomycine, amoxicillin clavulanate, penicillin, and erythromycin was present in all the isolates, indicating their high adaptability to stressful environments. The isolated strains from marine sediments in Cartagena Bay, Colombia are suitable candidates to reduce perchlorate contamination in different environments. Although the primary focus of the study of perchlorate-reducing and resistant bacteria is in the ecological and agricultural realms, from an astrobiological perspective, perchlorate-resistant bacteria serve as models for astrobiological investigations.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10532-024-10079-0","authors":["Rosa Acevedo‐Barrios","Irina Tirado-Ballestas","Angela Bertel-Sevilla","Leonor Cervantes-Ceballos","Jorge L. Gallego","María Angélica Leal","David Tovar","Jesús Olivero‐Verbel"],"tags":["Microbiology","Bacteria","16S ribosomal RNA","Biology","Perchlorate"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10532-024-10079-0","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4393405220","name":"Extending carbon chemistry at high-pressure by synthesis of CaC2 and Ca3C7 with deprotonated polyacene- and para-poly(indenoindene)-like nanoribbons","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Metal carbides are known to contain small carbon units similar to those found in the molecules of methane, acetylene, and allene. However, for numerous binary systems ab initio calculations predict the formation of unusual metal carbides with exotic polycarbon units, [C 6 ] rings, and graphitic carbon sheets at high pressure (HP). Here we report the synthesis and structural characterization of a HP-CaC 2 polymorph and a Ca 3 C 7 compound featuring deprotonated polyacene-like and para -poly(indenoindene)-like nanoribbons, respectively. We also demonstrate that carbides with infinite chains of fused [C 6 ] rings can exist even at conditions of deep planetary interiors ( ~ 140 GPa and ~3300 K). Hydrolysis of high-pressure carbides may provide a possible abiotic route to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Universe.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-47138-2","authors":["Saiana Khandarkhaeva","Timofey Fedotenko","Alena Aslandukovа","Fariia Iasmin Akbar","Maxim Bykov","Dominique Laniel","Andrey Aslandukov","Uwe Ruschewitz","Christian Tobeck","Björn Winkler","Stella Chariton","Vitali B. Prakapenka","Konstantin Glazyrin","Carlotta Giacobbe","Eleanor Lawrence Bright","M. P. Belov","Natalia Dubrovinskaia","Leonid Dubrovinsky"],"tags":["Carbide","Deprotonation","Acetylene","Carbon fibers","Allene"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-47138-2","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4404396118","name":"Multi-step thermal design of microwave vacuum heating to basaltic regolith simulant towards lunar base construction","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Humanned exploration and extended stay on the Moon are the hottest challenges today. We report highly robust materials by microwave heating under high-vacuum conditions (10− 3 Pa) from a basaltic regolith simulant (FJS-1) to ensure the feasibility of lunar infrastructure construction. The violent degassing dynamics were revealed by monitoring vacuum pressure during heating and analyzing the compounds evolved from basaltic silicate compounds: thermal pyrolysis of silicate compounds became more pronounced above 1000 oC, leading to a catastrophic deformation accompanied by forming countless pores of several hundred µm sizes. The preferential formation of the magnetite phase in vacuum heating dominantly caused the radical change in microwave absorption capacity compared with conventional heating routes using an electrical furnace in atmospheric conditions. Besides, the in-situ measurement of dielectric properties during microwave vacuum heating clarified the increase in one order of magnitude from 100 to 1000 oC. Based on the presumed phenomena during microwave-vacuum heating for basaltic regolith, we propose a new thermal design concept to overcome the practical limitations of microwave technology. The multi-step temperature profile successfully fabricated a highly robust product that demonstrated world-class mechanical performance, equivalent to the compressive strength of 65 MPa without any vigorous hydrostatic cold press as a pre-treatment.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-79504-x","authors":["Kunihiko Kato","Takashi Shirai"],"tags":["Regolith","Basalt","Microwave","Materials science","Thermal"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-11-15","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-79504-x","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391960952","name":"What Is life? Rethinking Biology in Light of Fundamental Parameters","source":"openalex","abstract":"Defining life is an arduous task that has puzzled philosophers and scientists for centuries. Yet biology suffers from a lack of clear definition, putting biologists in a paradoxical situation where one can describe at the atomic level complex objects that remain globally poorly defined. One could assume that such descriptions make it possible to perfectly characterize living systems. However, many cases of misinterpretation put this assumption into perspective. In this article, we focus on critical parameters such as time, water, entropy, space, quantum properties, and electrostatic potential to redefine the nature of living matter, with special emphasis on biological coding. Where does the DNA double helix come from, why cannot the reproduction of living organisms occur without mutations, what are the limitations of the genetic code, and why do not all proteins have a stable three-dimensional structure? There are so many questions that cannot be resolved without considering the aforementioned parameters. Indeed, (i) time and space constrain many biological mechanisms and impose drastic solutions on living beings (enzymes, transporters); (ii) water controls the fidelity of DNA replication and the structure/disorder balance of proteins; (iii) entropy is the driving force of many enzymatic reactions and molecular interactions; (iv) quantum mechanisms explain why a molecule as simple as hydrocyanic acid (HCN) foreshadows the helical structure of DNA, how DNA is stabilized, why mutations occur, and how the Earth magnetic field can influence the migration of birds; (v) electrostatic potential controls epigenetic mechanisms, lipid raft functions, and virus infections. We consider that raising awareness of these basic parameters is critical for better understanding what life is, and how it handles order and chaos through a combination of genetic and epigenetic mechanisms. Thus, we propose to incorporate these parameters into the definition of life.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life14030280","authors":["Jacques Fantini","Mélanie Matveeva","Marine Lefebvre","Henri Chahinian"],"tags":["Genetic code","Biology","Living systems","Evolutionary biology","DNA"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life14030280","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4401814404","name":"Phosphoric acid salts of amino acids as a source of oligopeptides on the early Earth","source":"openalex","abstract":"Because of their unique proton-conductivity, chains of phosphoric acid molecules are excellent proton-transfer catalysts. Here we demonstrate that this property could have been exploited for the prebiotic synthesis of the first oligopeptide sequences on our planet. Our results suggest that drying highly diluted solutions containing amino acids (like glycine, histidine and arginine) and phosphates in comparable concentrations at elevated temperatures (ca. 80 °C) in an acidic environment could lead to the accumulation of amino acid:phosphoric acid crystalline salts. Subsequent heating of these materials at 100 °C for 1–3 days results in the formation of oligoglycines consisting of up to 24 monomeric units, while arginine and histidine form shorter oligomers (up to trimers) only. Overall, our results suggest that combining the catalytic effect of phosphate chains with the crystalline order present in amino acid:phosphoric acid salts represents a viable solution that could be utilized to generate the first oligopeptide sequences in a mild acidic hydrothermal field scenario. Further, we propose that crystallization could help overcoming cyclic oligomer formation that is a generally known bottleneck of prebiotic polymerization processes preventing further chain growth. Phosphates are fundamental building blocks of ribonucleic acids and excellent catalysts for proton transfer reactions. Here, the authors report that the combination of the catalytic effect of phosphates with the entropic effect of crystallization can be exploited to facilitate formation of oligopeptides from the crystalline salts of phosphoric acid with amino acids under mild conditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-024-01264-6","authors":["Judit E. Šponer","Judit E. Šponer","Rémi Coulon","Michal Otyepka","Jiří Šponer","Jiří Šponer","Alexander F. Siegle","Oliver Trapp","Katarzyna Ślepokura","Zbyněk Zdráhal","Ondřej Šedo"],"tags":["Amino acid","Phosphoric acid","Chemistry","Phosphate","Histidine"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-024-01264-6","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4406199843","name":"Divergent Paradigms of Porphyry Cu Deposits in Subduction and Collision Zones","source":"openalex","abstract":"The prevailing view suggests that the formation of porphyry Cu deposits involves differentiation of water-rich, metal-bearing juvenile magmas, with subduction of oceanic slabs supplying the necessary volatiles. However, the occurrence of significant porphyry Cu deposits in continental collision zones, where such volatile sources are absent, challenges this paradigm. We analyze a global dataset of whole-rock platinum-group elements and apatite compositions of ore-forming magmas in both subduction and collision zones, combined with Monte Carlo simulations. The results reveal that ore-forming magmas in collision zones exhibit significantly higher degassing efficiencies compared to those in subduction zones. To explain this, we integrate whole-rock geochemistry, mineral thermobarometry, and thermodynamic modeling, proposing that lower water contents of collision zone ore-forming magmas lead to shallower magma storage depths, significantly enhancing degassing efficiency. In contrast, higher water contents of subduction zone ore-forming magmas result in greater emplacements, limiting degassing efficiency. Despite this limitation, higher magma fluxes in subduction zones compensate for lower degassing efficiencies. These findings highlight distinct frameworks of water content, storage depth, and magma flux between subduction and collision zone porphyry Cu deposits. The synergistic interplay of these factors, rather than simply water-rich magmas, is fundamental to porphyry Cu formation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.31223/x53b0s","authors":["Zixuan Wang","Yuanchuan Zheng","Massimo Chiaradia","Bo Xu","Hongda Hao","Zengqian Hou"],"tags":["Subduction","Geology","Collision","Geochemistry","Porphyry copper deposit"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-09","doi":"https://doi.org/10.31223/x53b0s","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4399917756","name":"Constraining Plio‐Pleistocene Shifts in Northwest African Hydroclimate, Ecosystem Distributions, and Marine Productivity: New Paleo‐Records Across the Mid‐Pleistocene Transition","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Northwest Africa transitioned from a wet/vegetated landscape toward drier/sparser conditions sometime between the late‐Pliocene and the late‐Pleistocene. However, our understanding of the precise timing and nature of this transition is hampered by a paucity of paleo‐records which bridge these two intervals. Here we report new plant‐wax isotope as well as dust and opal flux records from the relatively brief interval ∼1.1–1.0 million years ago (Ma) to evaluate the astronomical timescale controls of Northwest African hydroclimate and vegetation during the Mid‐Pleistocene Transition (MPT) and, in context with published records, the drivers of long‐term climate and ecological trends over the Plio‐Pleistocene. The tempo and amplitude of the Northwest African monsoon rainfall swings closely track low latitude insolation forcings over the last 5 Ma. However, we demonstrate that a pronounced mean state decline in monsoon strength likely occurred following the MPT most likely instigated by increasing Atlantic meridional sea surface temperature gradients or declines in the strength of the meridional overturning circulation. The northward extent of vegetation does not track changes in monsoon strength over the Plio‐Pleistocene and thus may be more strongly influenced by changes in monsoon rainfall extent or ecosystem disturbances. Progressively diminished dust fluxes following a decline in monsoon strength after 1.0 Ma is consistent with reduced production and subsequent depletion of fine‐grained sediments in the Sahara. Synchroneity between dust and opal fluxes across timescales suggests nutrient delivery to the surface ocean via dust plays a key role in marine primary productivity off the coast of Northwest Africa.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023pa004777","authors":["N. A. O'Mara","Charlotte Skonieczny","David McGee","Gisela Winckler","Aloys Bory","Louisa I Bradtmiller","Bruno Malaizé","P. J. Polissar"],"tags":["Plio-Pleistocene","Pleistocene","Productivity","Ecosystem","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023pa004777","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W3178742753","name":"Systems Astrochemistry: A New Doctrine for Experimental Studies","source":"openalex","abstract":"Laboratory experiments play a key role in deciphering the chemistry of the interstellar medium (ISM) and the formation of complex organic molecules (COMs) relevant to life. To date, however, most studies in experimental astrochemistry have made use of a reductionist approach to experimental design in which chemical responses to variations in a single parameter are investigated while all other parameters are held constant. Although such work does afford insight into the chemistry of the ISM, it is likely that several important points (e.g., the possible influence of experimental parameter interaction) remain ambiguous. In light of this, we propose the adoption of a new “systems astrochemistry” approach for experimental studies and present the basic tenants and advantages of this approach in this perspective article. Such an approach has already been used for some time now and to great effect in the field of prebiotic chemistry, and so we anticipate that its application to experimental astrochemistry will uncover new data hitherto unknown which could aid in better linking laboratory work to observations and models.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2021.739046","authors":["N. J. Mason","Perry A. Hailey","Duncan V. Mifsud","J. S. Urquhart"],"tags":["Astrochemistry","Physics","Astrobiology","Reductionism","Interstellar medium"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-12-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2021.739046","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4399582171","name":"Synchronous Fluorescence as a Sensor of Trace Amounts of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons","source":"openalex","abstract":"Synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy (SFS) is a technique that involves the simultaneous detection of fluorescence excitation and emission at a constant wavelength difference. The spectrum yields bands that are narrower and less complex than the original excitation and emission bands. The SFS bands correspond uniquely to the fluorescing molecule. Our investigation focuses on evaluating the sensitivity of the SFS technique for the detection and quantitation of PAHs relevant to astrochemistry. Results are presented for naphthalene, anthracene, and pyrene in three different solvents: n-hexane, water, and ethanol. SF bands are obtained with a constant wavelength difference between the peak excitation and emission wavelength (Δλ = λex − λem) at a concentration ranging from 10−4 to 10−10 M. Limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) calculations are based on integrated SF band areas at different concentrations. Spectra of 23 pg/g of anthracene, 16 pg/g, and 2.6 pg/g of pyrene are recorded using ethanol as the solvent. The PAHs exhibit detection limits in the fractions of parts-per-billion (ng/g) range. Through comparison with similar prior studies employing fluorescence emission, our findings reveal a better detectability limit, demonstrating the effectiveness and applicability of the SFS technique.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/s24123800","authors":["Suresh Sunuwar","Andrew Haddad","Ashlyn Acheson","Carlos E. Manzanares"],"tags":["Anthracene","Detection limit","Pyrene","Fluorescence","Analytical Chemistry (journal)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/s24123800","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4405968308","name":"Comprehensive Review of Binder Matrices in 3D Printing Construction: Rheological Perspectives","source":"openalex","abstract":"Three-dimensional printing technology is transforming the construction industry, which is increasingly turning to advanced materials and techniques to meet environmental and economic challenges. This comprehensive literature review evaluated various binder materials, including cement, geopolymers, earthen materials, supplementary cementitious materials, polymers, and biopolymers, with a focus on their environmental impacts and rheological properties. The study revealed an increasing interest in cementitious binders, which deliver essential structural strength and exhibit a wide range of yield stress values (15 to 6500 Pa), influenced by binder type and supplementary materials such as nanoclay. However, the significant CO2 emissions associated with cement pose major sustainability challenges. As a sustainable alternative, geopolymers demonstrate lower yield stress values (800 to 3000 Pa) while ensuring adequate buildability for vertical printing and reducing environmental impact. These findings underscore the need to adopt sustainable binder matrices to align 3D printing construction practices with global sustainability goals.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15010075","authors":["Yeşim Tarhan","İsmail Hakkı Tarhan","Remzi Şahin"],"tags":["3D printing","Rheology","Materials science","Composite material","Polymer science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15010075","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W2985889728","name":"Trace analysis of radioisotopes by laser spectroscopy and mass spectrometry","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Trace analysis (at fg -level) of radioisotopes requires a considerable push in analytical technology. Among most sensitive are a Time-Resolved Laser-Induced Fluorescence (TRLIF) and Chemiluminescence (TRLIC) methods for detection of elemental compositions and valence states and a Resonance Ionisation Spectroscopy (RIS) in combination with mass spectrometry for isotope composition determination. The radioisotopes of interest in environmental radiochemistry and planetary science and their analysis using TRLIF/TRLIC/RIS are discussed. The aspects of the development of the new technology implementing these methods are also described.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-019-06899-7","authors":["Ilya Strashnov","Ruchika Fernando","I. N. Izosimov"],"tags":["Mass spectrometry","Chemistry","Spectroscopy","Elemental analysis","Isotope"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2019-11-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-019-06899-7","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402133582","name":"Pioneering role of RNA in the early evolution of life","source":"openalex","abstract":"The catalytic, regulatory and structural properties of RNA, combined with their extraordinary ubiquity in cellular processes, are consistent with the proposal that this molecule played a much more conspicuous role in heredity and metabolism during the early stages of biological evolution. This review explores the pivotal role of RNA in the earliest life forms and its relevance in modern biological systems. It examines current models that study the early evolution of life, providing insights into the primordial RNA world and its legacy in contemporary biology.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2024-0028","authors":["Israel Muñoz‐Velasco","Adrián Cruz-González","Ricardo Hernández-Morales","José Alberto Campillo-Balderas","Wolfgang Cottom-Salas","Rodrigo Jácome","Alberto Vázquez-Salazar"],"tags":["Biology","RNA","Computational biology","Evolutionary biology","Cognitive science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2024-0028","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4405234681","name":"A Fistful of Mars Exploring the Role of Martian Meteorites in Cultural Heritage and Scientific Inquiry","source":"openalex","abstract":"Meteorites have intrigued humanity for centuries, representing our enduring pursuit of knowledge and exploration of the cosmos’ enigmas. These celestial objects have not only influenced artistic expression and the formation of myths but have also fostered scientific inquiry. In this regard, meteorites are crucial to space research, offering valuable information about the early solar system, the formation of planets, and the development of organic compounds. Their analysis aids in deciphering cosmic processes and identifying resources that may support future space missions, making them essential for advancing planetary sciences. Meteorites are also cultural heritage items, with most known samples preserved in natural history museums. This paper deals with the Martian meteorites collected to date, focusing on NWA 16788, the largest individual Martian meteorite recovered so far.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage7120323","authors":["Annarita Franza","Xhonatan Shehaj","Giovanni Pratesi"],"tags":["Meteorite","Martian","Astrobiology","Mars Exploration Program","Extraterrestrial life"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-10","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage7120323","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402562313","name":"How salts affect mud mobility at low pressures: implications for Mars and other extraterrestrial bodies","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4795332/v1","authors":["Ondřej Krýza","Petr Brož","Mark Fox‐Powell","Věra Pěnkavová","Susan J. Conway","Adriano Mazzini","Ernst Hauber","Matthew Sylvest","Manish Patel"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Mars Exploration Program","Astrobiology","Affect (linguistics)","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4795332/v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4403606248","name":"AMPHIBOLE-PHLOGOPITE XENOLITHS FROM KIMBERLITES AS EVIDENCE OF METASOMATIC PROCESSES IN THE LITHOSPHERIC MANTLE BENEATH KUOIKA FIELD","source":"openalex","abstract":"This paper devoted to the mantle xenoliths with evidence of modal metasomatic alteration from the Obnazhennaya kimberlite pipe (Kuoika kimberlite field). The first data presents for trace elements content in minerals from such rocks, and they are compared with xenoliths from this pipe having no evidence of modal metasomatism. Based on the trace elements content in clinopyroxene and amphibole, as well as 40Ar/39Ar dating of phlogopite, it was concluded that enriched in Nb+Ta and REE melt-fluids were formed beneath the Kuoika field in the Lower Proterozoic, which lead to the phlogopite-amphibole formation from pyroxene.","url":"https://doi.org/10.5800/gt-2024-15-5-0779","authors":["Tatiana Kalashnikova","S. I. Kostrovitsky","А. M. Dymshits"],"tags":["Phlogopite","Kimberlite","Metasomatism","Amphibole","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5800/gt-2024-15-5-0779","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4407516937","name":"Crystal Morphology of Antarctic Micrometeorites Based on Melting–Cooling Processes During Atmospheric Entry","source":"openalex","abstract":"Micrometeorites (MMs), which are cosmic dust grains ranging from 10 microns to 2 mm in size, can reach the Earth’s surface through collisions with asteroids or by fragmentation of comets in space. When MMs enter the atmosphere, they are heated to varying degrees depending on their size, mass, speed, and angle of entry. As a result of friction during atmospheric entry, MMs undergo partial melting and subsequently recrystallize during undercooling. In this study, we focused on molten micrometeorites and identified four main types: silicate, glassy, ferruginous, and intermediate forms. The mineralogical compositions of MMs were determined using Raman spectroscopy, while their chemical compositions and phase changes were analyzed using SEM-EDX and LA-ICP-MS methods. The primary silicate phases include olivine, pyroxene, and plagioclase, whereas the opaque mineral phases comprise magnetite, troilite, and kamacite (Fe-Ni alloys). Olivine exhibits Fo values ranging from 41 to 96 mol%, and the pyroxenes consist of enstatite and pigeonite compositions (Wo3–8En79–97Fs2–19). Olivine and magnetite display dendritic and skeletal crystal morphologies due to melting and undercooling during atmospheric entry.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst15020179","authors":["Taki Sönmez","Namık Aysal"],"tags":["Morphology (biology)","Slow cooling","Atmospheric entry","Astrobiology","Crystal (programming language)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-02-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst15020179","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4405680131","name":"Magnesium isotope composition of volcanic rocks from cold and warm subduction zones: Implications for the recycling of subducted serpentinites and carbonates","source":"openalex","abstract":"Magnesium (Mg) isotopes are regarded as a sensitive tracer to the contribution from subducted serpentinites and carbonates. However, the source, distribution, and controlling factors of the Mg isotope composition of arc magmas remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the intra-arc and inter-arc variations in Mg isotope compositions of volcanic rocks from two typical cold subduction zones [NE Japan (NEJ) and Izu arcs] and a typical hot subduction zone [SW Japan (SWJ) arc] to address the question. The volcanic rocks from the frontal-arc regions of NEJ and Izu have isotopically heavy Mg (δ 26 Mg = –0.20 to –0.08 ‰) compared to the mantle-like δ 26 Mg values of most of volcanic rocks from SWJ and the rear regions of NEJ and Izu arcs (–0.28 to –0.17 ‰). It is also worth noting that NEJ arc includes samples with δ 26 Mg values (–0.61 to –0.39 ‰) significantly lower than the mantle, but similar to the < 110 Ma intra-continental basalts from eastern China, which is the first observation in modern arc rocks. No obvious effects of post-eruptive alteration, fractional crystallization , partial melting, or the addition of silicate-rich sediment and oceanic crust components could be identified in the Mg isotope compositions of these volcanic rocks. By contrast, the correlations between the δ 26 Mg values and the proxy for serpentinite component (i.e., 11 B/ 10 B and Nb/B ratios) indicate that the component exerts a strong control on the Mg-isotopic signature of these arc rocks. Considering metamorphic reactions in subduction lithologies under P - T conditions postulated for these arcs, the variations in δ 26 Mg values of these arc magmas are unlikely to have been controlled by dehydration of serpentinites in subducted oceanic lithosphere (slab serpentinite). Instead, the high-δ 26 Mg values of frontal-arc rocks are delivered by the fluids from serpentinite formed in the lowermost part of the sub-arc mantle (mantle wedge serpentinite) in channelized flow. Comparatively, such a high-δ 26 Mg signature is invisible in volcanic rocks from rear-arc regions of NEJ and Izu, and the entire SWJ, suggesting that the major Mg carriers in subducted serpentinites (e.g., talc, chlorite, and serpentine) were broken down completely before subducted slabs reached the depth beneath these volcanoes. Moreover, the volcanic rocks with low δ 26 Mg values from the rear arc of NEJ are characterized by high La/Yb and U/Nb ratios as well as low Ti/Eu, Ti/Ti*, and Hf/Hf* ratios, suggesting the involvements of carbonates in their magma sources. The quantitative modeling suggests that < 20 % of sedimentary carbonate (dolomite) was recycled into their mantle source , revealing that Mg-rich carbonate could be incorporated into a deep mantle wedge at rear-arc depths of 150–400 km in subduction zones.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2024.12.024","authors":["Wei Zhang","Hiroshi Kitagawa","Fang Huang"],"tags":["Subduction","Geology","Geochemistry","Volcanic rock","Volcano"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-22","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2024.12.024","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4395064189","name":"Technology as Capital: Challenging the Illusion of the Green Machine","source":"openalex","abstract":"Debates on technologies for harnessing renewable energies tend to generate a polarized arena in which critical voices are automatically denounced as defenders of fossil energy.This has created a difficult situation for activists and scholars voicing concerns about the comparatively low power density, low net energy, and environmental justice concerns of such technologies.In this paper, we highlight the contradictions and ambivalences underlying Promethean arguments for solar power, which are currently dividing the political left.Through a critical reading of three proponents of classical Marxism, we address the structural coherence and paradoxes of the discourses within which the faith in such \"green\" technology is mobilized.We illustrate how Promethean visions of solar power tend to suffer from a pervasive ontological separation of human ingenuity and global social metabolism.This raises important questions about the ambiguous and theoretically underdeveloped role of technology in historical materialism, and about how capital, once converted into the material form of technology, becomes exempt from political critique.Rather than accepting such an immaterial and ultimately depoliticized position on technology, we argue that Marxist scholarship should concede that Promethean approaches must be abandoned if we are to effectively address climate change and other challenges of the Anthropocene.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10455752.2024.2332218","authors":["Andreas Roos","Alf Hornborg"],"tags":["Illusion","Computer science","Artificial intelligence","Business","Cognitive psychology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-20","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10455752.2024.2332218","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W2410633866","name":"The Cretaceous/Paleogene (K‐Pg) boundary at the J Anomaly Ridge, Newfoundland ( IODP Expedition 342, Hole U1403B)","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract We present results of an in‐situ geochemical study using laser‐ablation inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS) analyses along a ~4.3 cm long section across the K‐Pg event bed, drilled during IODP Expedition 342 at J Anomaly Ridge south of St. John's, Newfoundland. This section comprises the Maastrichtian with a sharp boundary to the graded, between 1.5 and 1.8 cm thick ejecta layer with totally altered impact glass spherules, which in turn is topped by Danian sediments. The porous and clayey material required elaborate preparation in order to yield reliable data. The ejecta bed shows a highly variable depletion in rare earth elements that even results in strongly subchondritic concentrations. The Ce/Ce* varies strongly (0.81–34), Ni/Cr ranges from 0.38 to 2.79. The maximum platinum group elements (PGE) concentrations are located in one LA‐spot exactly at the basis of the ejecta layer; they amount (in μg g−1) to 0.35 (Rh), 1.64 (Pd), 2.79 (Pt), and 0.86 (Au). The Nb/Ta ratio increases in the Ma from ~10 to 35.9 toward the ejecta horizon, which itself has higher Nb, Ta, Zr, and Hf concentrations than the background sedimentation, combined with low Nb/Ta (~5–10), and low Zr/Hf (~20–30). The overall result is that alteration processes changed totally the original geochemical characteristics of this K‐Pg spherule bed. To explain the exorbitant element mobility at distances of hundreds of μm, we discuss a combination of mostly reducing redox processes and interaction with organic compounds. This study demonstrates the high potential of in‐situ analyses with high spatial resolution at complex geological materials. Moreover, our results indicate that some caution is necessary in determining the projectile type in impactites via PGE ratios.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12667","authors":["Dominik Loroch","A. Deutsch","Jasper Berndt","André Bornemann"],"tags":["Ejecta","Geology","Paleogene","Rare-earth element","Cretaceous"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-06-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12667","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4392658717","name":"Thermal Stability of F‐Rich Phlogopite and K‐Richterite During Partial Melting of Metasomatized Mantle Peridotite With Implications for Deep Earth Volatile Cycles","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Phlogopite and K‐richterite constitute important carrier phases for H and F in Earth's lithosphere and mantle. The relative importance depends on their stabilities at high pressure and temperature, which in turn depends on bulk composition. Most previous experimental studies focused on the thermal stability of phlogopite and K‐richterite were conducted using simplified chemical compositions. Here, partial melting experiments on metasomatized and carbonated, OH ± F‐bearing near‐natural peridotite were performed at high pressures (2 and 5 GPa) and temperatures (1,100–1,350°C) to assess the thermal stability of F‐free versus F‐bearing phlogopite and K‐richterite. Experimental results demonstrate that the thermal stability of F‐bearing phlogopite is increased by >55°C/wt.% F, relative to F‐free phlogopite, whereas K‐richterite is absent in all experiments with significant degrees of melting (>2%). The thermal stability of phlogopite containing several wt.% F exceeds continental and oceanic geotherms within the upper 150 km. Fluorine‐rich phlogopite would therefore be stable in virtually all of the continental lithosphere, only to be decomposed during large, regional melting events such as continental break‐up, thereby acting as a major long‐term sink for F and/or H. This could even be the case for the oceanic asthenosphere, depending on the oceanic geotherm of the area of interest.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023jb028202","authors":["E. S. Steenstra","Martijn Klaver","Jasper Berndt","Stamatis Flemetakis","Arno Rohrbach","Stephan Klemme"],"tags":["Phlogopite","Peridotite","Geology","Partial melting","Mantle (geology)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023jb028202","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W2461761899","name":"Challenges in Solid Earth Sciences","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sesci.2016.06.001","authors":["Weidong Sun"],"tags":["Solid earth","Geology","Astrobiology","Earth (classical element)","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2016-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sesci.2016.06.001","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4404911043","name":"Formation of amino acid precursors in early aqueous alteration in small bodies: Synergetic effects of gamma rays and hydrothermal processing","source":"openalex","abstract":"Organic compounds such as amino acids may have been delivered to the early Earth via carbonaceous chondrites and interplanetary dust particles. Mineralogical and petrological evidence has shown that liquid water was formed from water ice in the early stages of the formation of the parent bodies of carbonaceous chondrites, due to the heat from the radioactive decay of short-lived radionuclides such as 26Al. In previous research, amino acid precursors were produced from aqueous solutions containing formaldehyde and ammonia by hydrothermal experiments and gamma-ray irradiation experiments to evaluate organic formation during aqueous alteration processes in meteorite parent bodies. However, the differences in the effects and reactions of gamma rays and heating, as well as the synergetic effects, are not well understood. In this study, both heating and gamma irradiation were applied to aqueous solutions containing formaldehyde, methanol, and ammonia to investigate the synergistic effects of heating and gamma rays on amino acid formation. The results showed that gamma irradiation followed by heating was more efficient in producing amino acid precursors compared to heating followed by gamma irradiation. The characteristic features of UV-visible and fluorescence spectra of the experimental products were consistent with Maillard-type reactions, suggesting that Maillard-type reactions led to the formation of amino acid precursors.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2343/geochemj.gj24025","authors":["Naoki Imai","Yoko Kebukawa","Kensei Kobayashi","Isao Yoda"],"tags":["Hydrothermal circulation","Aqueous solution","Gamma ray","Chemistry","Chemical engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2343/geochemj.gj24025","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4407545768","name":"The potential of Deception Island, Antarctica, as a multifunctional Martian analogue of astrobiological interest","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The establishment of the possible presence of life on Mars (past or present) is based on the study of planetary analogues, which allow in situ analysis of the environments in which living organisms adapt to often extreme conditions. Although Mars has been a candidate for hosting life, based on observations made decades ago, it is thanks to the characteristics identified in environments, mainly volcanic, that it has been possible to calibrate instruments and detail the features of the red planet. In this paper, we present a review of the main characteristics of different planetary analogues, particularly deepening the study of Antarctica, to later expose the factors studied in Deception Island that have contributed to considering it as an analogue of Mars from different perspectives. Although geological and geomorphological studies on the analogies of the island already exist, detailed analyses that present the approach of astrobiological analogues are required, thus allowing further research.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550425000023","authors":["María Angélica Leal Leal","David Tovar","M. A. de Pablo","María Argenis Bonilla","Giovanni Leone","Nadejda Tchegliakova Nikolaevna","Jimena Sánchez Nieves","A. Molina","José Tomás San Martín Lobos"],"tags":["Astrobiology","Martian","Deception","Mars Exploration Program","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2025-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550425000023","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4405740622","name":"Szmikit z Chvaletic u Přelouče (Česká republika)","source":"openalex","abstract":"A very rare mineral szmikite, Mn(SO4)·H2O, was determined at historical samples from the western part of upper level of the Chvaletice quarry (10 km W from Přelouč, eastern Bohemia, Czech Republic). This is the first occurrence of this mineral in the Czech Republic. Szmikite occurs there as soft distinctly porous crusts up to 10 cm in size formed by tiny (1 - 5 μm) transparent, imperfectly developed crystals. It is white, sometimes with a weak pink or yellow tints. Szmikite is monoclinic, space group C2/c, the unit-cell parameters refined from X-ray powder diffraction data are: a 7.063(3), b 7.6418(18), c 7.836(3) Å, β 118.14(2)o and V 372.9(4) Å3. The result of ICP OES analysis corresponds to following cation composition of studied szmikite: 0.649 apfu Mn, 0.339 apfu Mg, 0.009 apfu Fe and 0.004 apfu Ca. Vibrational (Raman and infrared) spectroscopy documents the presence of molecular water and sulphate units in the crystal structure of szmikite.","url":"https://doi.org/10.46861/bmp.32.193","authors":["Petr Pauliš","Jiří Sejkora","Ondřej Pour"],"tags":["Political science","Theology","Philosophy"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.46861/bmp.32.193","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391401172","name":"Exploring Chemical Space Using Ab Initio Hyperreactor Dynamics","source":"openalex","abstract":"High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide In recent years, first-principles exploration of chemical reaction space has provided valuable insights into intricate reaction networks. Here, we introduce ab initio hyperreactor dynamics, which enables rapid screening of the accessible chemical space from a given set of initial molecular species, predicting new synthetic routes that can potentially guide subsequent experimental studies. For this purpose, different hyperdynamics derived bias potentials are applied along with pressure-inducing spherical confinement of the molecular system in ab initio molecular dynamics simulations to efficiently enhance reactivity under mild conditions. To showcase the advantages and flexibility of the hyperreactor approach, we present a systematic study of the method’s parameters on a HCN toy model and apply it to a recently introduced experimental model for the prebiotic formation of glycinal and acetamide in interstellar ices, which yields results in line with experimental findings. In addition, we show how the developed framework enables the study of complicated transitions like the first step of a nonenzymatic DNA nucleoside synthesis in an aqueous environment, where the molecular fragmentation problem of earlier nanoreactor approaches is avoided.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acscentsci.3c01403","authors":["Alexandra Stan","Liubov Glinkina","Andreas Hulm","Christian Ochsenfeld"],"tags":["Ab initio","Molecular dynamics","Chemical space","Configuration space","Computational chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-31","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acscentsci.3c01403","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4398165596","name":"Cellular structure of dinosaur scales reveals retention of reptile-type skin during the evolutionary transition to feathers","source":"openalex","abstract":"Fossil feathers have transformed our understanding of integumentary evolution in vertebrates. The evolution of feathers is associated with novel skin ultrastructures, but the fossil record of these changes is poor and thus the critical transition from scaled to feathered skin is poorly understood. Here we shed light on this issue using preserved skin in the non-avian feathered dinosaur Psittacosaurus. Skin in the non-feathered, scaled torso is three-dimensionally replicated in silica and preserves epidermal layers, corneocytes and melanosomes. The morphology of the preserved stratum corneum is consistent with an original composition rich in corneous beta proteins, rather than (alpha-) keratins as in the feathered skin of birds. The stratum corneum is relatively thin in the ventral torso compared to extant quadrupedal reptiles, reflecting a reduced demand for mechanical protection in an elevated bipedal stance. The distribution of the melanosomes in the fossil skin is consistent with melanin-based colouration in extant crocodilians. Collectively, the fossil evidence supports partitioning of skin development in Psittacosaurus: a reptile-type condition in non-feathered regions and an avian-like condition in feathered regions. Retention of reptile-type skin in non-feathered regions would have ensured essential skin functions during the early, experimental stages of feather evolution.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-48400-3","authors":["Zixiao Yang","Baoyu Jiang","Jiaxin Xu","Maria E. McNamara"],"tags":["Integumentary system","Feather","Stratum corneum","Corneocyte","Extant taxon"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-21","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-48400-3","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4390662490","name":"In situ investigation of an organic micro‐globule and its mineralogical context within a Ryugu “sand” grain","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract The Hayabusa2 mission from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) returned to the Earth samples of carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu. This mission offers a unique opportunity to investigate in the laboratory samples from a C‐type asteroid, without physical or chemical alteration by the terrestrial atmosphere. Here, we report on an investigation of the mineralogy and the organo‐chemistry of Hayabusa2 samples using a combination of micro‐ and nano‐infrared spectroscopy. Particles investigated with conventional FTIR spectroscopy have spectra dominated by phyllosilicate‐related absorption, as observed for samples of CI‐chondrites, selected ungrouped carbonaceous chondrites, and selected hydrated micrometeorites. Ryugu samples show smaller sulfate‐related absorption than CI‐chondrites. Our samples that were only briefly exposed to the Earth atmosphere show absorptions related to molecular water, revealing fast terrestrial contamination of the spectral signature at 3 μm. Overall, our FTIR data are in agreement with other work done on Ryugu samples, revealing a low degree of mineralogical variability across Ryugu samples. AFM‐IR mapping of the grains shows the presence of a micrometer‐sized organic globule in one of our analyzed grains. The AFM‐IR spectra obtained on this globule are similar to IR spectra obtained on IOM suggesting that it is constituted of refractory organic matter. This globule may host silicate in its interior, with a different mineralogy than bulk Ryugu phyllosilicate. The shape, presence of peculiar silicate, and the nature of organic constituting the globule point toward a pre‐accretionary origin of this globule and that at least part of Ryugu organics were inherited from the protosolar nebulae or the interstellar media. Altogether, our results show the similarities between Ryugu samples and CI chondrites.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14122","authors":["Van T. H. Phan","Pierre Beck","Rolando Rebois","É. Quirico","T. Noguchi","Toru Matsumoto","Akira Miyake","Yohei Igami","Mitsutaka Haruta","Hikaru Saito","Satoshi Hata","Yusuke Seto","Masaaki Miyahara","Naotaka Tomioka","H. A. Ishii","J. P. Bradley","Kenta K. Ohtaki","E. Dobrică","Hugues Leroux","Corentin Le Guillou","Damien Jacob","Francisco de la Peña","Sylvain Laforet","Maya Marinova","F. Langenhorst","Dennis Harries","N. M. Abreu","Jennifer L. Gray","T. J. Zega","Pierre-Marie Zanetta","M. S. Thompson","R. M. Stroud","Jérémie Mathurin","Alexandre Dazzi","E. Dartois","C. Engrand","Kate Burgess","Brittany A. Cymes","J. C. Bridges","L. J. Hicks","Martin Lee","Luke Daly","P. A. Bland","M. E. Zolensky","D. Frank","James Martinez","A. Tsuchiyama","Masahiro Yasutake","Junya Matsuno","Shota Okumura","Itaru Mitsukawa","Kentaro Uesugi","Masayuki Uesugi","Akihisa Takeuchi","Mingqi Sun","Satomi Enju","Aki Takigawa","Tatsuhiro Michikami","Tomoki Nakamura","Megumi Matsumoto","Yusuke Nakauchi","Masanao Abe","Satoru Nakazawa","Tatsuaki Okada","Takanao Saiki","Satoshi Tanaka","Fuyuto Terui","Makoto Yoshikawa","Akiko Miyazaki","Aiko Nakato","Masahiro Nishimura","Tomohiro Usui","Toru Yada","Hisayoshi Yurimoto","K. Nagashima","Noriyuki Kawasaki","Naoya Sakamotoa","P. Höppe","Ryuji Okazaki","Hikaru Yabuta","Hiroshi Naraoka","Kanako Sakamoto","Shogo Tachibana","Sei‐ichiro Watanabe","Yuichi Tsuda"],"tags":["Chondrite","Silicate","Context (archaeology)","Mineralogy","Silicate minerals"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14122","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4402783723","name":"Discharge plasma for prebiotic chemistry: Pathways to life’s building blocks","source":"openalex","abstract":"Discharge plasmas, recognized as unique platforms for investigating the origins of chemical life, have garnered extensive interest for their potential to simulate prebiotic conditions. This paper embarks on a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in the plasma-enabled synthesis of life’s building blocks, charting the complex environmental parameters believed to have surrounded life’s inception. This discussion elaborates on the fundamental mechanisms of discharge plasmas and their likely role in fostering conditions necessary for the origin of life on early Earth. We consider a variety of chemical reactions facilitated by plasma, specifically the synthesis of vital organic molecules — amino acids, nucleobases, sugars, and lipids. Further, we delve into the impact of plasmas on prebiotic chemical evolution. We expect this review to open new horizons for future investigations in plasma-related prebiotic chemistry that could offer valuable insights for unraveling the mysteries of life's origin.","url":"https://doi.org/10.26464/epp2024066","authors":["Dingwei Gan","LongFei Hong","Tianyu Li","TianQi Zhang","XiangYu Wang","JiePing Fan","Rusen Zhou","D.P. Liu","Jianxi Ying","Patrick J. Cullen","Yufen Zhao","RenWu Zhou"],"tags":["Prebiotic","Chemistry","Abiogenesis","Plasma chemistry","Plasma"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.26464/epp2024066","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391784086","name":"Biological functions at high pressure: transcriptome response of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 to hydrostatic pressure relevant to Titan and other icy ocean worlds","source":"openalex","abstract":"High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) is a key driver of life's evolution and diversification on Earth. Icy moons such as Titan, Europa, and Enceladus harbor potentially habitable high-pressure environments within their subsurface oceans. Titan, in particular, is modeled to have subsurface ocean pressures ≥ 150 MPa, which are above the highest pressures known to support life on Earth in natural ecosystems. Piezophiles are organisms that grow optimally at pressures higher than atmospheric (0.1 MPa) pressure and have specialized adaptations to the physical constraints of high-pressure environments – up to ~110 MPa at Challenger Deep, the highest pressure deep-sea habitat explored. While non-piezophilic microorganisms have been shown to survive short exposures at Titan relevant pressures, the mechanisms of their survival under such conditions remain largely unelucidated. To better understand these mechanisms, we have conducted a study of gene expression for Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 using a high-pressure experimental culturing system. MR-1 was subjected to short-term (15 min) and long-term (2 h) HHP of 158 MPa, a value consistent with pressures expected near the top of Titan's subsurface ocean. We show that MR-1 is metabolically active in situ at HHP and is capable of viable growth following 2 h exposure to 158 MPa, with minimal pressure training beforehand. We further find that MR-1 regulates 264 genes in response to short-term HHP, the majority of which are upregulated. Adaptations include upregulation of the genes argA, argB, argC, and argF involved in arginine biosynthesis and regulation of genes involved in membrane reconfiguration. MR-1 also utilizes stress response adaptations common to other environmental extremes such as genes encoding for the cold-shock protein CspG and antioxidant defense related genes. This study suggests Titan's ocean pressures may not limit life, as microorganisms could employ adaptations akin to those demonstrated by terrestrial organisms.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1293928","authors":["Judy Malas","Daniel C. Russo","O. Bollengier","Michael J. Malaska","R. M. C. Lopes","Fabien Kenig","D. R. Meyer‐Dombard"],"tags":["Shewanella oneidensis","Hydrostatic pressure","Titan (rocket family)","Astrobiology","Biofilm"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-13","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1293928","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4405442070","name":"Thermal metamorphism and volatile evolution in unequilibrated ordinary chondrites: Implications for the delivery of hydrogen to terrestrial planets","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2024.12.016","authors":["Lionel G. Vacher","J. Eschrig","L. Bonal","Wataru Fujiya","L. Flandinet","Pierre Beck"],"tags":["Chondrite","Chondrule","Terrestrial planet","Astrobiology","Metamorphism"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-16","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2024.12.016","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4400465218","name":"Variable and Large Losses of Diagnostic Biomarkers After Simulated Cosmic Radiation Exposure in Clay- and Carbonate-Rich Mars Analog Samples","source":"openalex","abstract":"Mars has been exposed to ionizing radiation for several billion years, and as part of the search for life on the Red Planet, it is crucial to understand the impact of radiation on biosignature preservation. Several NASA and ESA missions are looking for evidence of ancient life in samples collected at depths shallow enough that they have been impacted by galactic cosmic rays (GCRs). In this study, we exposed a diverse set of Mars analog samples to 0.9 Megagray (MGy) of gamma radiation to mimic 15 million years of exposure on the Martian surface. We measured no significant impact of GCRs on the total organic carbon (TOC) and bulk stable C isotopes in samples with initial TOC concentration > 0.1 wt. %; however, diagnostic molecular biosignatures presented a wide range of degradation that didn't correlate to factors like mineralogy, TOC, water content, and surface area. Exposure dating suggests that the surface of Gale crater has been irradiated at more than five times our dose, yet using this relatively low dose and \"best-case scenario\" geologically recalcitrant biomarkers, large and variable losses were nevertheless evident. Our results empasize the importance of selecting sampling sites at depth or recently exposed at the Martian surface.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2023.0123","authors":["Anaïs Roussel","A. C. McAdam","Alexander A. Pavlov","C. A. Knudson","C. N. Achilles","Dionysis I. Foustoukos","Jason P. Dworkin","Slávka Andrejkovičová","D. M. Bower","S. S. Johnson"],"tags":["Mars Exploration Program","Carbonate","Astrobiology","COSMIC cancer database","Cosmic ray"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2023.0123","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391885946","name":"Characterization of Regolith And Trace Economic Resources (CRATER): An Orbitrap‐based laser desorption mass spectrometry instrument for in situ exploration of the Moon","source":"openalex","abstract":"RATIONALE: Characterization of Regolith And Trace Economic Resources (CRATER), an Orbitrap™-based laser desorption mass spectrometry instrument designed to conduct high-precision, spatially resolved analyses of planetary materials, is capable of answering outstanding science questions about the Moon's formation and the subsequent processes that have modified its (sub)surface. METHODS: volume, <10 kg mass, and <60 W peak power. The analytical capabilities and performance metrics of a prototype that meets the full functionality of the flight model are demonstrated. RESULTS: The instrument comprises a high-power, solid-state, pulsed ultraviolet (213 nm) laser source to ablate the surface of the lunar sample, a custom ion optical interface to accelerate and collimate the ions produced at the ablation site, and an Orbitrap mass analyzer capable of discriminating competing isobars via ultrahigh mass resolution and high mass accuracy. The CRATER instrument can measure elemental and isotopic abundances and characterize the organic content of lunar surface samples, as well as identify economically valuable resources for future exploration. CONCLUSION: An engineering test unit of the flight model is currently in development to serve as a pathfinder for near-term mission opportunities.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.9657","authors":["S. Ray","Ricardo Arévalo","Adrian Southard","Lori Willhite","A. Bardyn","Ziqin Ni","Ryan M. Danell","Andrej Grubisic","Cynthia Gundersen","Julie Llano","Anthony W. Yu","Molly Fahey","Emanuel Hernandez","J. Graham","Jane Lee","Akif Ersahin","Christelle Briois","L. Thirkell","Fabrice Colin","Alexander Makarov"],"tags":["Orbitrap","Impact crater","Regolith","Mass spectrometry","Characterization (materials science)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-11","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1002/rcm.9657","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4390758154","name":"2024 Thematic Preview","source":"openalex","abstract":"Extraterrestrial organic matter is found in various extraterrestrial environments and in various forms. It forms in a variety of locations through different mechanisms in space. As such, its nature, distribution, formation mechanisms and loca tions are of particular interest. Some organic mol ecules are even considered as key players for the emergence of life on Earth and possibly beyond. Therefore, their detection and characterization can contribute to the understanding of the early solar system evolution as well as the origin of life. Despite decades of work and research, there are still many questions and unknowns on this topic. The aim of this issue of Elements is to offer an overview of the concept of extraterrestrial organic matter as well as the latest scientific findings.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.19.6.338","authors":[],"tags":["Thematic map","Computer graphics (images)","Computer science","Geology","Geography"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2023-12-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.19.6.338","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4392366498","name":"The rheological response of magma to nanolitisation","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2024.108039","authors":["Luiz Pereira","Yannick Linard","Fabian B. Wadsworth","Jérémie Vasseur","Kai‐Uwe Hess","Roberto Moretti","Donald B. Dingwell","Daniel R. Neuville"],"tags":["Viscosity","Rheology","Silicate","Mineralogy","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2024.108039","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4403236232","name":"Experimental constraints on serpentinite carbonation in the presence of a H2O–CO2–NaCl fluid","source":"openalex","abstract":"Serpentinite carbonation contributes to the deep carbon (C) cycle. Recently, geophysical and numerical studies have inferred considerable hydrothermal alteration in plate bending faults, opening the possibility of significant C storage in the slab mantle. However, there is a lack of quantitative determination of C uptake in serpentinized mantle rocks. Here, we experimentally constrain serpentinite carbonation in H2O–CO2–NaCl fluids to estimate C uptake in hydrated mantle rocks. We find that serpentinite carbonation results in the formation of talc and magnesite along the serpentinite surface. The presence of porous reaction zones (49.2% porosity) promotes the progress of carbonation reactions through a continuous supply of CO2-bearing fluids to the reaction front. Added NaCl effectively decreases the serpentinite carbonation efficiency, particularly at low salinities (< 5.0 wt%), which is likely attributed to the reduction in fluid pH and the transport rate of reactants, and the increase in magnesite solubility. Based on previous and our experiments, we fit an empirical equation for the reaction rate of serpentinite carbonation. Extrapolation of this equation to depths of plate bending fault systems suggests that serpentinite carbonation may contribute to an influx of up to 7.3–28.5 Mt C/yr in subduction zones. Our results provide new insights into serpentinite carbonation in environments with high fluid salinities and potentially contribute to the understanding of the C cycle in subduction zones.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-024-02175-4","authors":["Yongsheng Huang","Satoshi Okumura","Kazuhisa Matsumoto","N. Takahashi","Hong Tang","Guoji Wu","Tatsuki Tsujimori","Michihiko Nakamura","Atsushi Okamoto","Yuan Li"],"tags":["Carbonation","Geology","Mineral resource classification","Geochemistry","Petroleum engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-08","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-024-02175-4","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4400238687","name":"Deficit Irrigation of Forage Cactus (Opuntia stricta) with Brackish Water: Impacts on Growth, Productivity, and Economic Viability under Evapotranspiration-Based Management","source":"openalex","abstract":"Climate change significantly impacts agriculture and forage production, requiring the implementation of strategies toward increased water and energy use efficiency. So, this study investigated the yield of forage cactus (Opuntia stricta (Haw.) Haw) under different irrigation depths using brackish groundwater (1.7 dS m−1), whose management was based on reference evapotranspiration (ETo) estimated by the Hargreave–Samani (HS) and Penman–Monteith (PM) equations. The research was conducted in Independência, Ceará, Brazil, under the tropical semi-arid climate. A randomized block design in a 2 × 5 factorial scheme was employed, varying the ET0 estimation equations (HS and PM) and irrigation levels (0; 20; 40; 70; and 100% of total required irrigation—TRI). Growth, productivity, and water use efficiency variables were evaluated at 6, 12, and 18 months after treatment initiation. The economic analysis focused on added value, farmer income, and social reproduction level. The results showed no isolated effect of the equations or their interaction with irrigation depths on the analyzed variables, suggesting that irrigation management can be effectively performed using the simpler HS equation. Furthermore, there was no statistical difference between the means of 100% and 70% TRI as well as between 70% and 40% TRI for most variables. This indicates satisfactory crop yield under deficit irrigation. Dry matter productivity and farmer income at 12 months resulting from complementary irrigation with depths between 40% and 70% of TRI were significantly higher than under rainfed conditions. The 70% depth resulted in yields equivalent to those at 100% TRI, with the social reproduction level being achieved on 0.65 hectares in the second year.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14071445","authors":["Francisco Mardones Sérvulo Bezerra","Claudivan Feitosa de Lacerda","Aelton Biasi Giroldo","Eduardo Santos Cavalcante","Nicola Michelon","Giuseppina Pennisi","Jonnathan Richeds da Silva Sales","Carla Ingryd Nojosa Lessa","Sílvio Carlos Ribeiro Vieira Lima","Fernando Bezerra Lopes","Giorgio Gianquinto","Francesco Orsini"],"tags":["Irrigation","Evapotranspiration","Forage","Brackish water","Randomized block design"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-02","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14071445","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4399286140","name":"From Zero to Hero: The Cyanide-Free Formation of Amino Acids and Amides from Acetylene, Ammonia and Carbon Monoxide in Aqueous Environments in a Simulated Hadean Scenario","source":"openalex","abstract":"Amino acids are one of the most important building blocks of life. During the biochemical process of translation, cells sequentially connect amino acids via amide bonds to synthesize proteins, using the genetic information in messenger RNA (mRNA) as a template. From a prebiotic perspective (i.e., without enzymatic catalysis), joining amino acids to peptides via amide bonds is difficult due to the highly endergonic nature of the condensation reaction. We show here that amides can be formed in reactions catalyzed by the transition metal sulfides from acetylene, carbon monoxide and ammonia under aqueous conditions. Some α- and β-amino acids were also formed under the same conditions, demonstrating an alternative cyanide-free path for the formation of amino acids in prebiotic environments. Experiments performed with stable isotope labeled precursors, like 15NH4Cl and 13C-acetylene, enabled the accurate mass spectroscopic identification of the products formed from the starting materials and their composition. Reactions catalyzed using the transition metal sulfides seem to offer a promising alternative pathway for the formation of amides and amino acids in prebiotic environments, bypassing the challenges posed by the highly endergonic condensation reaction. These findings shed light on the potential mechanisms by which the building blocks of life could have originated on early Earth.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life14060719","authors":["Christian Seitz","Thomas Geisberger","Alexander Richard West","Jessica Fertl","Wolfgang Eisenreich","Claudia Huber"],"tags":["Amino acid","Chemistry","Abiogenesis","Carbon monoxide","Aqueous solution"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/life14060719","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391173753","name":"Effect of TiO2 on the Microstructure and Flexural Strength of Lunar Regolith Simulant","source":"openalex","abstract":"Lunar regolith is the preferred material for lunar base construction using in situ resource utilization technology. The TiO2 variations in lunar regolith collected from different locations significantly impact its suitability as a construction material. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate the effects of TiO2 on the properties of lunar regolith. This study aims to evaluate the influence of TiO2 content and sintering temperature on phase transformation, microstructure, and macroscopic properties (e.g., the shrinkage rate, mechanical properties, and relative density) of lunar regolith simulant samples (CUG-1A). The flexural strength and relative density of the sample with a TiO2 content of 6 wt% sintered at 1100 °C reached 136.66 ± 4.92 MPa and 91.06%, which were 65% and 12.28% higher than those of the sample not doped with TiO2, respectively. The experiment demonstrated that the doped TiO2 not only reacted with Fe to form pseudobrookite (Fe2TiO5) but also effectively reduced the viscosity of the glass phase during heat treatment. As the sintering temperature increased, the particles underwent a gradual melting process, leading to a higher proportion of the liquid phase. The higher liquid-phase content had a positive impact on the diffusion of mass transfer, causing the voids and gaps between particles to shrink. This shrinkage resulted in greater density and, ultimately, improved the mechanical properties of the material.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst14020110","authors":["Junhao Chen","Haoming Chen","Zhe Zhao","Xiao Zong"],"tags":["Regolith","Microstructure","Astrobiology","Flexural strength","Materials science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst14020110","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4396691708","name":"Base-pairing of uracil and 2,6-diaminopurine: from cocrystals to photoreactivity","source":"openalex","abstract":"We show that the non-canonical nucleobase 2,6-diaminopurine (D) spontaneously base pairs with uracil (U) in water and the solid state without the need to be attached to the ribose-phosphate backbone. Depending on the reaction conditions, D and U assemble in thermodynamically stable hydrated and anhydrated D-U base-paired cocrystals. Under UV irradiation, an aqueous solution of D-U base-pair undergoes photochemical degradation, while a pure aqueous solution of U does not. Our simulations suggest that D may trigger the U photodimerization and show that complementary base-pairing modifies the photochemical properties of nucleobases, which might have implications for prebiotic chemistry.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2024.109894","authors":["Tomislav Stolar","Ben K. D. Pearce","Martin Etter","Khai‐Nghi Truong","Tea Ostojić","Andraž Krajnc","Gregor Mali","Barbara Rossi","Krešimir Molčanov","Ivor Lončarić","Ernest Meštrović","Krunoslav Užarević","Luca Grisanti"],"tags":["Uracil","Pairing","Chemistry","Base (topology)","Combinatorial chemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-07","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2024.109894","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4403112988","name":"The Global Biogeochemical Cycle of Rhenium","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract This paper is the first comprehensive synthesis of what is currently known about the different natural and anthropogenic fluxes of rhenium (Re) on Earth's surface. We highlight the significant role of anthropogenic mobilization of Re, which is an important consideration in utilizing Re in the context of a biogeochemical tracer or proxy. The largest natural flux of Re derives from chemical weathering and riverine transport to the ocean (dissolved = 62 × 106 g yr−1 and particulate = 5 × 106 g yr−1). This review reports a new global average [Re] of 16 ± 2 pmol L−1, or 10 ± 1 pmol L−1 for the inferred pre‐anthropogenic concentration without human impact, for rivers draining to the ocean. Human activity via mining (including secondary mobilization), coal combustion, and petroleum combustion mobilize approximately 560 × 106 g yr−1 Re, which is more than any natural flux of Re. There are several poorly constrained fluxes of Re that merit further research, including: submarine groundwater discharge, precipitation (terrestrial and oceanic), magma degassing, and hydrothermal activity. The mechanisms and the main host phases responsible for releasing (sources) or sequestrating (sinks) these fluxes remain poorly understood. This study also highlights the use of dissolved [Re] concentrations as a tracer of oxidation of petrogenic organic carbon, and stable Re isotopes as proxies for changes in global redox conditions.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024gb008254","authors":["Layla Ghazi","K. E. Grant","Anthony Chappaz","Mohammed Danish","Bernhard Peucker‐Ehrenbrink","J. Pett-Ridge"],"tags":["Biogeochemical cycle","Context (archaeology)","Geochemical cycle","Environmental science","Earth science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024gb008254","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4311156427","name":"Mars Space Exploration and Astronautical Religion in Human Research History: Psychological Countermeasures of Long-Term Astronauts","source":"openalex","abstract":"As the development of science and technology has reached the point where the desire to travel to Mars has become a tangible reality, the physical limits of human movement are also part of the systematic research based on the space environment. The critical issues of radiation, altered gravity, hostile environment, isolation or confinement, and distance from Earth (travel time) are the five major hazards for astronauts during spaceflight. The prepared technology of space medicine is significant for physical health. However, how would the lone space exploration (2.5 to three years) affect the mental conditions of the astronauts? How can the space community keep astronauts safe from psychological obstacles, such as depression, conflict, resentment, bipolar disorder, obsession, and addiction? This paper explores the environmental factors of a healthy lifestyle (well-being) of the spacecraft. It presumes that a successful mission often relies on positive interactions between crew members and between the crew and ground personnel. The paper considers the mental sustainability from stress, emotions, and perceptions to improve human tonicity or vitality and argues a new mental strategy in space exploration policy that the role of an astronautical religion beyond human intelligence and artificial intelligence (AI) could be a psychiatric anchor (in a moral, ethical, and self-sacrificial context) of each astronaut and leadership of the space team as a psychoanalytical countermeasure, along with physical exercise, hobbies, pets, and virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) entertainment, especially in the case of unexpected crises where science and technology fail its general function.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace9120814","authors":["David W. Kim"],"tags":["Space exploration","Context (archaeology)","Crew","Psychology","Spaceflight"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-12-12","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace9120814","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4297011237","name":"Future in-situ chemical analysis on Europa and Enceladus: impact of salts on the detection of organic compounds in samples from hypersaline Tirez lake (La Mancha, Spain) with GC-MS.","source":"openalex","abstract":"Introduction: Europa and Enceladus, two ocean worlds in our solar system, are targets of high interest for astrobiology in the decades to come. Past space missions (Cassini-Huygens and Galileo) and recent observations with the Hubble Space telescope have revealed the presence of salts (sulfate and/or chloride) in the plumes of Enceladus and in the components of Europa’s surface (1-4). These salts could interfere in the in-situ chemical analyses of organic molecules present in the collected samples, thus limiting the chance to detect potential biosignatures in these worlds. In order to study this potential analytical interference, terrestrial analog samples to the ocean of Europa and Enceladus were characterized with gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and the associated pretreatment techniques (pyrolysis, derivatization and thermochemolysis) currently used for in-situ analyses of extraterrestrial environments. Analog samples: Tirez lacustrine system is located in La Mancha, Spain. The samples studied in this work were collected from seven salty lakes in 2019. They are in liquid state and characterized by a high concentration of Mg, Na, SO4 and Cl. These samples are of particular interest for oceans worlds because of spectra obtained from Fourier transform infrared technique were similar to the Galileo spectral data for Europa (5). In addition, micro-organisms from the three domains (bacteria, archaea, eukaryotes) were identified in Tirez lake materials (6). Among the numerous samples collected during the field trip, this work focused on ten of them for time of investigations. Results: Thanks to the pretreatment techniques associated to GC-MS, numerous molecules were identified. For instance, with derivatization (dimethylformamide dimethyl acetal) all the components from triglycerides were detected such as fatty acids (Figure) and glycerol. For some sample among the ten selected, phytol coming from the degradation of chlorophyll present in cyanobacteria was also detected. In addition, pyrolysis at different temperatures revealed the presence of furan derivatives, as well as phenol derivatives and naphthalene ones. For the two first, these come from the thermal degradation of carbonates and peptides respectively. In spite of the presence of salts, these few results show that we can identify molecules coming from the living with the usual analytical techniques used for space exploration. Figure: Chromatogram of a derivatized sample (from Lillo Lake) with DMF-DMA after evaporation of the water. I.S.: internal standard. Perspectives: Numerous compounds from micro-organisms were not detected such as amino acids or nitrogenous bases. In the near future, we want to try to desalinate these samples in order to identified more organic biosignatures. In addition, specific extraction will be made, particularly for amino acids, in order to characterize their content and confirm or deny that the salts prevent their detection. References: (1) T. B. McCord, Hydrated salt minerals on Europa's surface from the Galileo near-infrared mapping spectrometer investigation. Journal of Geophysical Research 104, (1999). (2) Waite, Cassini Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer Enceladus Plume composition and Structure. Science 311, (2006). (3) S. K. Trumbo, M. E. Brown, K. P. Hand, Sodium chloride on the surface of Europa. Science Advances 5, eaaw7123 (2019). (4) S. K. Trumbo, et al., A New UV Spectral Feature on Europa: Confirmation of NaCl in Leading-hemisphere Chaos Terrain. (2022). (5) O. Prieto-Ballesteros, Tírez Lake as a Terrestrial Analog of Europa. (2003). (6) L. Montoya et al., Microbial community composition of Tirez lagoon (Spain), a highly sulfated athalassohaline environment. Aquatic Biosystems 9, 19 (2013).","url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2022-794","authors":["Valentin Moulay","Caroline Freissinet","A. Buch","Felipe Gómez","Cyril Szopa"],"tags":["Enceladus","Astrobiology","Extraterrestrial life","Environmental science","Solar System"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-09-23","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2022-794","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4403103173","name":"A Novel Polymerized Sulfur Concrete for Underground Hydrogen Storage in Lined Rock Caverns","source":"openalex","abstract":"Hydrogen is increasingly recognized as a viable solution to meet the growing global energy demand, making large-scale hydrogen storage essential for successfully realizing a full-scale hydrogen economy. Geological formations, such as depleted oil and gas reservoirs, salt caverns, and aquifers, have been identified as potential storage options. Additionally, unconventional methods like manufactured lined rock caverns and abandoned coal mines are gaining interest. This study introduces polymerized sulfur concrete (PSC) as a promising alternative to replace the current construction systems, which rely on Portland cement concrete and lining materials like stainless steel or polypropylene plastic liners. The paper presents the formulation of PSC, optimization of its compositional design, and evaluation of its physico-mechanical-chemical properties. The results demonstrate that PSC offers excellent mechanical strength, chemical resistance, and low permeability, making it highly suitable for underground hydrogen storage in lined rock caverns. The results showed that the manufactured PSC exhibits excellent physicochemical properties in terms of compressive strength (35–58 MPa), density (2.277–2.488 g/cm3), setting time (30–60 min), curing time (24 h), air content (4–8%), moisture absorption potential (0.17–0.3%), maximum volumetric shrinkage (1.69–2.0%), and maximum service temperature (85–90 °C). Moreover, the PSC is nonconductive and classified with zero flame spread classification and fuel contribution. In addition, the SPC was found to be durable in harsh environmental conditions involving pressure, humidity, and pH variations. It is also capable of resisting corrosive environments. In addition, the statistical modeling indicates that an overall mixture proportion of 32.5 wt.% polymerized sulfur, 32.5 wt.% dune sands, 17.5 wt. % LFS, and 17.5 wt.% GGBFS appear optimal for density values ranging from 2.43 to 2.44 g/cm3 and compressive strength ranging from 52.0 to 53.2 MPa, indicating that the PSC can sustain formation pressure up to about 5.3 km below the ground surface. Therefore, by addressing the critical limitations of traditional materials, PSC proves to be a durable, environmentally sustainable solution for lined rock caverns, reducing the risk of hydrogen leakage and ensuring the integrity of storage systems.","url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/su16198595","authors":["Abdel‐Mohsen O. Mohamed","Maisa El Gamal"],"tags":["Sulfur","Materials science","Polymerization","Waste management","Geotechnical engineering"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-03","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/su16198595","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W1952418711","name":"2013 Leonard Medal for Ahmed El Goresy","source":"openalex","abstract":"Ladies and gentlemen, we have the great honor and pleasure to introduce to you Ahmed El Goresy as the awardee of the Leonard Medal of the year 2013. Ahmed El Goresy has had an amazing long career dedicated to meteoritics and planetary sciences. He conducted pluridisciplinary research on extraterrestrial materials demonstrating that mineralogy, petrology, experimental petrology, and isotope geochemistry are complementary essentials. His success and exceptional productivity covering a broad area of scientific issues emerges from his unique gift for careful petrographic observations that are the prerequisite of all his studies. His thorough knowledge of scientific literature in mineralogy and phase equilibria allows him to make scientific predictions with a strong aspiration to challenge new paradigms—his studies on refractory inclusions and opaque minerals led to a better understanding of the complexity of processes that affected primitive bodies in the early solar system. He dedicated an immense part of his career to the study of high-pressure mineral assemblages in shocked planetary materials. Ahmed El Goresy considers himself a descendent of the grand Echnaton, also called Akhenaten, his great favorite pharaonic ancestor; perhaps, because he appreciates his unique style of high quality of picturial arts and outstanding pharaonic poetry. Ahmed is indeed a distinguished and erudite person, a connoisseur of arts and culture, and keenly interested in history and archeology. He devoted a lot of scientific research for 15 years to the old archeological pigments, archeometry, and anthropology studies in Egypt using innovating analytical techniques to decipher the history of past civilizations. However, it is perhaps also from ongoing interest in the religion this monotheistic pharaoh attempted to establish giving the Solar deity a status above mere stony gods. At the age of 4, young Ahmed was already selected in an elite kindergarten under the patronage of the queen of Egypt for his keen perception for music and natural dance skills! He used to spend vacation every year the whole month of August with his parents, sisters, and brothers at the Cleopatra beach in Alexandria while Europe was on fire during World War II. After receiving his B.Sc. degree in 1955, in Cairo, he moved to Germany and he received his PhD at the University of Heidelberg on ore minerals of basic igneous rocks and ore microscopy in 1961 under the supervision of Paul Ramdohr (his last and best student!), the pioneer and “Pope” of ore microscopy, his sun! And very soon after escaping the dictatorship of Nasser, he emigrated from Egypt in November 1963 back to Heidelberg, his beloved medieval city and directly climbed the beautiful wooden hills above the castle. There, he took a position at the Max-Planck Institut für Kernphysik. The Cosmochemistry Department provided a truly interdisciplinary research environment. It was equipped with the most modern analytical machinery—at that time, rarely to be found in geoscience laboratories in Europe. In 1967, he spent some months as guest scientist at Harvard University working with John Wood, and then 2 years at the Carnegie Institution of Washington as a postdoctoral fellow with Gunnar Kullerud. Ahmed's petrologic acumen has always been guided by the invaluable experience doing experimental petrology of sulfide systems. Back at Heidelberg, he followed Ramdohr's work with deeper understanding in phase equilibria and developed his exceptional skills as a microscopist aspiring to move beyond the state-of-the-art. In 1969, he became senior scientist, the star mineralogical cosmochemist. Luckily, the German federal minister of scientific research wanted to boost German scientists accepted by NASA to work on Apollo 11 samples. Later, in 1977, he was selected by NASA as Investigator on the Apollo Lunar sample analyses program. His request to get funds to purchase an electron microprobe was agreed only after 2 weeks. He got his ha","url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12199","authors":["Catherine Caillet","Audrey Bouvier"],"tags":["Medal","Art","Art history"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2013-09-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12199","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4407016505","name":"Binder Jetting of Lunar Regolith: 3D Printing and Densification","source":"openalex","abstract":"The establishment of a human presence on the Moon necessitates the development of sustainable technologies for in-situ resource utilization, enabling the conversion of lunar resources into functional raw materials.Binder jetting is promising for employing regolith, the material found on the lunar surface, as a feedstock for additive manufacturing.This approach offers several advantages, such as the layer-by-layer creation of complex and customized structures catering to specific needs and functionalities, the potential for automation (minimizing the need for human intervention), and the simple processing of components without the need for high-energy sources as laser or electron beams.However, implementing binder jetting on the Moon presents unique challenges.The lunar regolith, with its extremely fine, jagged particles necessitates the optimization of the printing process and the understanding of densification mechanisms from a loosely packed green body to achieve the desired mechanical properties.In this study, an analysis of the printing parameters, such as layer thickness (50-100 µm), binder saturation (70-90%), and drying conditions, on the semi-finished and final components was performed to obtain a consistent and reliable fabrication of parts in terms of packing density and geometrical accuracy.The effect of feedstock granulometry and composition was considered to determine whether it affects the consolidation of parts.Regarding sintering, holding time and temperature were varied to assess the evolution of residual porosity and chemical composition according to the thermal treatment performed.Optical and scanning electron microscopies were employed to determine the distribution of voids, which were revealed to be correlated to the initial layerwise buildup of specimens.Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy combined with x-ray diffraction identified the formation and distribution of Al-, Si-, Fe-, and Ti-based oxides.Finally, preliminary mechanical testing was conducted to determine the strength of the densified components and anisotropic response owing to internal microstructural features.","url":"https://doi.org/10.52202/078369-0078","authors":["Marco Mariani","Francesco Bertolini","Maxim Isachenkov","Carmen Galassi","N. Lecis","Antonio Mattia Grande","Giuseppe Sala"],"tags":["Regolith","Astrobiology","3D printing","Moon landing","Geology"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.52202/078369-0078","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4400013652","name":"An automatic peak deconvolution code for Raman spectra of carbonaceous material and a revised geothermometer for intermediate- to moderately high-grade metamorphism","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Carbonaceous material (CM) undergoes progressive changes that reflect its thermal history. These changes are in general irreversible and provide valuable information for understanding diagenetic and metamorphic processes of crustal rocks. Among various approaches to quantify these changes, the R2 ratio, area ratio of specific peaks in CM Raman spectra, is widely used to estimate the maximum temperature of intermediate- to moderately high-grade metamorphism. The calculation of the R2 ratio requires peak deconvolution of the original spectrum, and the results depend on the details of how this is carried out. However, a clear protocol for selecting appropriate initial conditions has not been established and obtaining a reliable temperature estimate depends at least in part on the experience and skill of the operator. In this study, we developed a Python code that automatically calculates the R2 ratio from CM Raman spectra. Our code produces R2 ratios that are generally in good agreement with those of Aoya et al. (J Metamorph Geol 28:895–914, 2010, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1314.2010.00896.x ) for the same Raman data, with much less time and effort than was the case in the previous studies. We have confirmed that the code is also applicable to other previous datasets from both contact and regional metamorphic regions. The overall trend of the recalculated data indicates that samples with R2 greater than ~ 0.7 are not sensitive to the changes in CM maturity and thus should not be used for the calibration of an R2-based geothermometer. We propose a modified geothermometer for contact metamorphism that is strictly applicable to samples with R2 from 0.023 to 0.516, with the proviso that a laser with a wavelength of 532 nm should be used. A slight extrapolation of the newly proposed geothermometer up to R2 of 0.57 provides a temperature estimate that is consistent with the geothermometer of Kaneki and Kouketsu (Island Arc 31:e12467, 2022; https://doi.org/10.1111/iar.12467 ); the boundary between the two geothermometers corresponds to a temperature of 391 °C.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40645-024-00637-8","authors":["Shunya Kaneki","Yui Kouketsu","Mutsuki Aoya","Yoshihiro Nakamura","Simon Wallis","Yusuke Shimura","Ken Yamaoka"],"tags":["Metamorphism","Raman spectroscopy","Deconvolution","Metamorphic rock","Python (programming language)"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-25","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40645-024-00637-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W3155391132","name":"Terrestrial Recovery of Extraterrestrial Materials: Providing Continued, Long-Term Sample Analysis Opportunities for Research and Mission Support","source":"openalex","abstract":"Whitepaper #062 submitted to the Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey 2023-2032. Topics: laboratory studies; other: Terrestrial Recovery of Extraterrestrial Materials, a Curati[...]; other planetary bodies: meteoritic samples of planets, moons, asteroids and comets","url":"https://doi.org/10.3847/25c2cfeb.d9e4fc9a","authors":["H. A. Ishii","C. M. Corrigan","Maitrayee Bose","J. Davidson","M. Fries","Juliane Groß","James M. Karner","L. R. Nittler","D. L. Schrader","R. M. Stroud","Susan Taylor"],"tags":["Extraterrestrial life","Term (time)","Astrobiology","Sample (material)","Environmental science"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2021-03-18","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3847/25c2cfeb.d9e4fc9a","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.002Z"},{"id":"oa:W4393048448","name":"Quantifying Uncertainty in Sustainable Biomass and Production of Biotic Carbon in Enceladus' Notional Methanogenic Biosphere","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Beneath Enceladus' ice crust lies an ocean which might host habitable conditions. Here, the scale and productivity of a notional Enceladean methanogenic biosphere are computed as a function of the core‐to‐ocean flux of hydrogen and the ratio between abiotic and biotic methane in Enceladus' space plume. Habitats with an ocean‐top pH range of 8–9 have up to 40%–60% probability of being energy‐limited. Those at pH > 9 are increasingly uninhabitable, and those <8.5 are increasingly likely to host exponential growth, possibly leading to compositional inconsistencies between the ocean and Cassini gas observations. In those cases, energy‐based habitability models cannot infer an inhabited Enceladus consistent with both Earth life and Cassini measurements without including additional microbial growth limiters such as nutrient limitation, toxicity, or spatial constraints. If methanogens are isolated to a 350 K seafloor habitat and consume 10 mol s−1 of H2, the most probable biomass is 103, 103.7 kg C with ocean‐top pH 8,9, respectively. Biomass production consistent with space plume fluxes is 104–106 kgC yr−1—milligrams of cellular carbon per kilogram of H2O ejected—but requires that >50% of the space plume methane is biotic. Alternative scenarios are presented, and biomass is generally lower when habitat temperature is higher. Ocean biomass density cannot yet be reliably estimated owing to uncertainties in the scale and physicochemical properties of Enceladus' putative habitats. Evaluating abiotic to biotic ratios in plume methane and organic material could help identify false negative results from life detection missions and constrain the scale of an underlying biosphere.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je008166","authors":["Peter M. Higgins","Weibin Chen","Christopher R. Glein","Charles S. Cockell","Barbara Sherwood Lollar"],"tags":["Biosphere","Notional amount","Biomass (ecology)","Environmental science","Carbon fibers"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023je008166","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"oa:W4404493766","name":"Raman spectroscopy to evaluate precision of oxygen isotope ratio in calcite","source":"openalex","abstract":"We measured Raman spectra of calcite at various exposure times using a spectrometer with two gratings (1800 and 1200 grooves/mm) to evaluate the precision of the relative ratio of Raman peaks (12C16O16O18O/12C16O3), which is attributed to 18O/16O. Preliminary calculations showed that the uncertainty in the Raman peak ratio is a function of the Raman peak intensity and the pixel resolution. The relation between the Raman peak ratio and the exposure time obtained with two gratings showed that the precisions of both the intensity and area ratio of the Raman peaks improved with increasing exposure time for both gratings, which is consistent with the calculations. However, for exposure time greater than approximately 90 s, the rate of improvement in precision with increasing exposure time decreased for both gratings. Continuous monitoring of the Raman peak ratio for more than 60 hr revealed that the decrease in precision improvement can be attributed to external factors such as room temperature fluctuation. Nevertheless, we obtained the best precision values of 2.69 ± 0.84‰ and 3.26 ± 0.74‰, respectively, for the 12C16O16O18O/12C16O3 intensity and area ratio when measuring using a 1200 grooves/mm grating and 900 s exposure time. Those findings are 70 times better than the best precision achieved to date. They might be applicable to studies using natural calcites with large oxygen isotopic variation.","url":"https://doi.org/10.2343/geochemj.gj24023","authors":["Yuki Inoue","Shōta Kakisako","Junji Yamamoto"],"tags":["Calcite","Raman spectroscopy","Isotopes of oxygen","Oxygen isotope ratio cycle","Isotope"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-01-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.2343/geochemj.gj24023","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"oa:W4391886784","name":"Chondritic chlorine isotope composition of acapulcoites and lodranites","source":"openalex","abstract":"Bulk rock chondrites and Earth's reservoirs share a common chlorine isotopic value, while more differentiated bodies such as the Moon or Vesta record significant chlorine isotopic fractionation in their Ca phosphates. As such, an important but scarcely studied parameter is the effect of melting and differentiation processes on chlorine concentration and isotopic composition of a planetesimal. Here we report chlorine abundances and isotopic compositions for apatite in a range of primitive achondrites, acapulcoites and lodranites. These meteorites originated from a parent body that experienced some partial melting, allowing an assessment of chlorine behaviour during the early stages of planetary evolution in the inner Solar System. Overall, while bulk rock estimates of F and Cl abundances are indicative of degassing during the early stages of partial melting, no chlorine isotopic fractionation is recorded in apatite. Consequently, acapulcoites and lodranites retain their chondritic precursor isotopic signature for chlorine.","url":"https://doi.org/10.7185/geochemlet.2406","authors":["A. Stephant","M. Anand","Cristian Carli","Xiaolei Zhao","J. Davidson","Tiberio Cuppone","Giovanni Pratesi","I. A. Franchi"],"tags":["Composition (language)","Isotope","Chlorine","Astrobiology","Geochemistry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-02-01","doi":"https://doi.org/10.7185/geochemlet.2406","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"oa:W4403004338","name":"Human bioaccumulation of micro- and nanoplastics is primarily determined by the organs' vascular volume","source":"openalex","abstract":"","url":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5160825/v1","authors":["Alfonso M. Gañán‐Calvo"],"tags":["Bioaccumulation","Volume (thermodynamics)","Chemistry","Environmental chemistry","Physics"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-30","doi":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5160825/v1","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"oa:W4405872266","name":"Deep terrestrial indigenous microbial community dominated by Candidatus Frackibacter","source":"openalex","abstract":"Abstract Characterizing deep subsurface microbial communities informs our understanding of Earth’s biogeochemistry as well as the search for life beyond the Earth. Here we characterized microbial communities within the Kidd Creek Observatory subsurface fracture water system with mean residence times of hundreds of millions to over one billion years. 16S rRNA analysis revealed that biosamplers well isolated from the mine environment were dominated by a putatively anaerobic and halophilic bacterial species from the Halobacteroidaceae family, Candidatus Frackibacter. Contrastingly, biosamplers and biofilms exposed to the mine environment contained aerobic Sphingomonas taxa. δ 13 C values of phospholipid fatty acids and putative functional predictions derived from 16S rRNA gene profiles, imply Candidatus Frackibacter may use carbon derived from ancient carbon-rich layers common in these systems. These results indicate that Candidatus Frackibacter is not unique to hydraulically fracked sedimentary basins but rather may be indigenous to a wide range of deep, saline groundwaters hosted in carbon-rich rocks.","url":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01966-8","authors":["Sian E. Ford","G. F. Slater","Katja Engel","Oliver Warr","Garnet S. Lollar","Allyson L. Brady","Josh D. Neufeld","Barbara Sherwood Lollar"],"tags":["Indigenous","Candidatus","Terrestrial ecosystem","Astrobiology","Agroforestry"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01966-8","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"oa:W4289445737","name":"Estimating the potential of ionizing radiation-induced radiolysis for microbial metabolism on terrestrial planets and satellites with rarefied atmospheres","source":"openalex","abstract":"Ionizing radiation is known to have a destructive effect on biology by causing damage to the DNA, cells, and production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), among other things. While direct exposure to high radiation dose is indeed not favorable for biological activity, ionizing radiation can, and in some cases is known to produce a number of biologically useful products. One such mechanism is the production of biologically useful products via charged particle-induced radiolysis. Some of the byproducts are impossible to produce with lower-energy radiation (such as sunlight), opening up new avenues for life to utilize them. The main objective of the manuscript is to explore the concept of a Radiolytic Habitable Zone (RHZ), where the chemistry of GCR-induced radiolysis can be potentially utilized for metabolic activity. We first calculate the energy deposition and the electron production rate using the GEANT4 numerical model, then estimate the current production and possible chemical pathways which could be useful for supporting biological activity on Mars, Europa and Enceladus. The concept of RHZ provides a novel framework for understanding the potential for life in high-radiation environments. By combining energy deposition calculations with the energy requirements of microbial cells, we have defined the RHZ for Mars, Europa, and Enceladus. These zones represent the regions where radiolysis-driven energy production is sufficient to sustain microbial metabolism. We find that bacterial cell density is highest in Enceladus, followed by Mars and Europa. We discuss the implications of these mechanisms for the habitability of such objects in the Solar system and beyond.","url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2207.14675","authors":["Dimitra Atri","Margaret Kamenetskiy","Michael May","Archit Kalra","Aida Castelblanco","Antony Quiñones-Camacho"],"tags":["Ionizing radiation","Astrobiology","Radiolysis","Chemistry","Radiation"],"confidence":0.72,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2022-07-29","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2207.14675","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2408.16221v3","name":"SSDM: Scalable Speech Dysfluency Modeling","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Speech dysfluency modeling is the core module for spoken language learning, and speech therapy. However, there are three challenges. First, current state-of-the-art solutions\\cite{lian2023unconstrained-udm, lian-anumanchipalli-2024-towards-hudm} suffer from poor scalability. Second, there is a lack of a large-scale dysfluency corpus. Third, there is not an effective learning framework. In this paper, we propose \\textit{SSDM: Scalable Speech Dysfluency Modeling}, which (1) adopts articulatory gestures as scalable forced alignment; (2) introduces connectionist subsequence aligner (CSA) to achieve dysfluency alignment; (3) introduces a large-scale simulated dysfluency corpus called Libri-Dys; and (4) develops an end-to-end system by leveraging the power of large language models (LLMs). We expect SSDM to serve as a standard in the area of dysfluency modeling. Demo is available at \\url{https://berkeley-speech-group.github.io/SSDM/}.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.16221v3","authors":["Jiachen Lian","Xuanru Zhou","Zoe Ezzes","Jet Vonk","Brittany Morin","David Baquirin","Zachary Mille","Maria Luisa Gorno Tempini","Gopala Krishna Anumanchipalli"],"tags":["eess.AS","cs.AI","cs.CL","cs.SD"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-08-29T02:35:53Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2409.09094v1","name":"Nonexistence of closed timelike geodesics in Kerr spacetimes","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The Kerr-star spacetime is the extension over the horizons and in the negative radial region of the Kerr spacetime. Despite the presence of closed timelike curves below the inner horizon, we prove that the timelike geodesics cannot be closed in the Kerr-star spacetime. Since the existence of closed null geodesics was ruled out by the author in Sanzeni [arXiv:2308.09631v3 (2024)], this result shows the absence of closed causal geodesics in the Kerr-star spacetime.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.09094v1","authors":["Giulio Sanzeni"],"tags":["gr-qc","math.DG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-09-12T13:26:08Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.15974v1","name":"Large Language Models for Cross-lingual Emotion Detection","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This paper presents a detailed system description of our entry for the WASSA 2024 Task 2, focused on cross-lingual emotion detection. We utilized a combination of large language models (LLMs) and their ensembles to effectively understand and categorize emotions across different languages. Our approach not only outperformed other submissions with a large margin, but also demonstrated the strength of integrating multiple models to enhance performance. Additionally, We conducted a thorough comparison of the benefits and limitations of each model used. An error analysis is included along with suggested areas for future improvement. This paper aims to offer a clear and comprehensive understanding of advanced techniques in emotion detection, making it accessible even to those new to the field.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.15974v1","authors":["Ram Mohan Rao Kadiyala"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-21T13:00:09Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2406.00500v1","name":"2nd Place Solution for PVUW Challenge 2024: Video Panoptic Segmentation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Video Panoptic Segmentation (VPS) is a challenging task that is extends from image panoptic segmentation.VPS aims to simultaneously classify, track, segment all objects in a video, including both things and stuff. Due to its wide application in many downstream tasks such as video understanding, video editing, and autonomous driving. In order to deal with the task of video panoptic segmentation in the wild, we propose a robust integrated video panoptic segmentation solution. We use DVIS++ framework as our baseline to generate the initial masks. Then,we add an additional image semantic segmentation model to further improve the performance of semantic classes.Finally, our method achieves state-of-the-art performance with a VPQ score of 56.36 and 57.12 in the development and test phases, respectively, and ultimately ranked 2nd in the VPS track of the PVUW Challenge at CVPR2024.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.00500v1","authors":["Biao Wu","Diankai Zhang","Si Gao","Chengjian Zheng","Shaoli Liu","Ning Wang"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-06-01T17:03:16Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.17679v1","name":"Recent Increments in Incremental View Maintenance","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We overview recent progress on the longstanding problem of incremental view maintenance (IVM), with a focus on the fine-grained complexity and optimality of IVM for classes of conjunctive queries. This theoretical progress guided the development of IVM engines that reported practical benefits in academic papers and industrial settings. When taken in isolation, each of the reported advancements is but a small increment. Yet when taken together, they may well pave the way to a deeper understanding of the IVM problem. This paper accompanies the invited Gems of PODS 2024 talk with the same title. Some of the works highlighted in this paper are based on prior or on-going collaborations with: Ahmet Kara, Milos Nikolic, and Haozhe Zhang in the F-IVM project; and Mahmoud Abo Khamis, Niko Göbel, Hung Ngo, and Dan Suciu at RelationalAI.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.17679v1","authors":["Dan Olteanu"],"tags":["cs.DB","cs.DS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-26T19:54:52Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.00763v1","name":"The catalogue of $δ$ Sct pulsators in binary systems in 2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The updated catalogue of $δ$ Sct stars in binary systems as well as their statistical properties are presented. Thanks to the Kepler, K2 and TESS space missions, this version of the catalogue contains more than 1000 $δ$ Sct pulsators in binaries. The sample is divided according to the Roche Geometry of the binary systems in order to check for any systematic differences in the pulsators' evolution due to the proximity of the companion star. Statistics, demographics, and distributions of these pulsating stars within the H-R and mass-radius diagrams are provided. We notice that the absolute parameters have been accurately determined for only approximately 10% of the whole sample. Additionally, updated correlations between pulsation and orbital periods and evolutionary status are presented. This work aims to motivate the researchers for systematic analyses of such objects in order to increase the sample of systems with well known physical properties.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.00763v1","authors":["Alexios Liakos"],"tags":["astro-ph.SR"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-01T15:00:29Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.18879v3","name":"CapsoNet: A CNN-Transformer Ensemble for Multi-Class Abnormality Detection in Video Capsule Endoscopy","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We present CapsoNet, a deep learning framework developed for the Capsule Vision 2024 Challenge, designed to perform multi-class abnormality classification in video capsule endoscopy (VCE) frames. CapsoNet leverages an ensemble of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and transformer-based architectures to capture both local and global visual features. The model was trained and evaluated on a dataset of over 50,000 annotated frames spanning ten abnormality classes, sourced from three public and one private dataset. To address the challenge of class imbalance, we employed focal loss, weighted random sampling, and extensive data augmentation strategies. All models were fully fine-tuned to maximize performance within the ensemble. CapsoNet achieved a balanced accuracy of 86.34 percent and a mean AUC-ROC of 0.9908 on the official validation set, securing Team Seq2Cure 5th place in the competition. Our implementation is available at http://github.com/arnavs04/capsule-vision-2024","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.18879v3","authors":["Arnav Samal","Ranya Batsyas"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-24T16:13:06Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2407.04355v1","name":"Data-Driven Tissue- and Subject-Specific Elastic Regularization for Medical Image Registration","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Physics-inspired regularization is desired for intra-patient image registration since it can effectively capture the biomechanical characteristics of anatomical structures. However, a major challenge lies in the reliance on physical parameters: Parameter estimations vary widely across the literature, and the physical properties themselves are inherently subject-specific. In this work, we introduce a novel data-driven method that leverages hypernetworks to learn the tissue-dependent elasticity parameters of an elastic regularizer. Notably, our approach facilitates the estimation of patient-specific parameters without the need to retrain the network. We evaluate our method on three publicly available 2D and 3D lung CT and cardiac MR datasets. We find that with our proposed subject-specific tissue-dependent regularization, a higher registration quality is achieved across all datasets compared to using a global regularizer. The code is available at https://github.com/compai-lab/2024-miccai-reithmeir.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.04355v1","authors":["Anna Reithmeir","Lina Felsner","Rickmer Braren","Julia A. Schnabel","Veronika A. Zimmer"],"tags":["cs.CV"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-07-05T08:50:55Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.15488v1","name":"IryoNLP at MEDIQA-CORR 2024: Tackling the Medical Error Detection &amp; Correction Task On the Shoulders of Medical Agents","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In natural language processing applied to the clinical domain, utilizing large language models has emerged as a promising avenue for error detection and correction on clinical notes, a knowledge-intensive task for which annotated data is scarce. This paper presents MedReAct'N'MedReFlex, which leverages a suite of four LLM-based medical agents. The MedReAct agent initiates the process by observing, analyzing, and taking action, generating trajectories to guide the search to target a potential error in the clinical notes. Subsequently, the MedEval agent employs five evaluators to assess the targeted error and the proposed correction. In cases where MedReAct's actions prove insufficient, the MedReFlex agent intervenes, engaging in reflective analysis and proposing alternative strategies. Finally, the MedFinalParser agent formats the final output, preserving the original style while ensuring the integrity of the error correction process. One core component of our method is our RAG pipeline based on our ClinicalCorp corpora. Among other well-known sources containing clinical guidelines and information, we preprocess and release the open-source MedWiki dataset for clinical RAG application. Our results demonstrate the central role of our RAG approach with ClinicalCorp leveraged through the MedReAct'N'MedReFlex framework. It achieved the ninth rank on the MEDIQA-CORR 2024 final leaderboard.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.15488v1","authors":["Jean-Philippe Corbeil"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.MA"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-23T20:00:37Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.15998v1","name":"1024m at SMM4H 2024: Tasks 3, 5 &amp; 6 -- Ensembles of Transformers and Large Language Models for Medical Text Classification","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Social media is a great source of data for users reporting information and regarding their health and how various things have had an effect on them. This paper presents various approaches using Transformers and Large Language Models and their ensembles, their performance along with advantages and drawbacks for various tasks of SMM4H'24 - Classifying texts on impact of nature and outdoor spaces on the author's mental health (Task 3), Binary classification of tweets reporting their children's health disorders like Asthma, Autism, ADHD and Speech disorder (task 5), Binary classification of users self-reporting their age (task 6).","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.15998v1","authors":["Ram Mohan Rao Kadiyala","M. V. P. Chandra Sekhara Rao"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.AI","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-21T13:29:08Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2403.19713v2","name":"NJUST-KMG at TRAC-2024 Tasks 1 and 2: Offline Harm Potential Identification","source":"arxiv","abstract":"This report provide a detailed description of the method that we proposed in the TRAC-2024 Offline Harm Potential dentification which encloses two sub-tasks. The investigation utilized a rich dataset comprised of social media comments in several Indian languages, annotated with precision by expert judges to capture the nuanced implications for offline context harm. The objective assigned to the participants was to design algorithms capable of accurately assessing the likelihood of harm in given situations and identifying the most likely target(s) of offline harm. Our approach ranked second in two separate tracks, with F1 values of 0.73 and 0.96 respectively. Our method principally involved selecting pretrained models for finetuning, incorporating contrastive learning techniques, and culminating in an ensemble approach for the test set.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.19713v2","authors":["Jingyuan Wang","Shengdong Xu","Yang Yang"],"tags":["cs.CL","cs.LG"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-03-26T14:09:49Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2410.03145v2","name":"Margin Matching Preference Optimization: Enhanced Model Alignment with Granular Feedback","source":"arxiv","abstract":"Large language models (LLMs) fine-tuned with alignment techniques, such as reinforcement learning from human feedback, have been instrumental in developing some of the most capable AI systems to date. Despite their success, existing methods typically rely on simple binary labels, such as those indicating preferred outputs in pairwise preferences, which fail to capture the subtle differences in relative quality between pairs. To address this limitation, we introduce an approach called Margin Matching Preference Optimization (MMPO), which incorporates relative quality margins into optimization, leading to improved LLM policies and reward models. Specifically, given quality margins in pairwise preferences, we design soft target probabilities based on the Bradley-Terry model, which are then used to train models with the standard cross-entropy objective. Experiments with both human and AI feedback data demonstrate that MMPO consistently outperforms baseline methods, often by a substantial margin, on popular benchmarks including MT-bench and RewardBench. Notably, the 7B model trained with MMPO achieves state-of-the-art performance on RewardBench as of June 2024, outperforming other models of the same scale. Our analysis also shows that MMPO is more robust to overfitting, leading to better-calibrated models.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.03145v2","authors":["Kyuyoung Kim","Ah Jeong Seo","Hao Liu","Jinwoo Shin","Kimin Lee"],"tags":["cs.CL"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-10-04T04:56:11Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2404.11116v1","name":"Music Enhancement with Deep Filters: A Technical Report for The ICASSP 2024 Cadenza Challenge","source":"arxiv","abstract":"In this challenge, we disentangle the deep filters from the original DeepfilterNet and incorporate them into our Spec-UNet-based network to further improve a hybrid Demucs (hdemucs) based remixing pipeline. The motivation behind the use of the deep filter component lies at its potential in better handling temporal fine structures. We demonstrate an incremental improvement in both the Signal-to-Distortion Ratio (SDR) and the Hearing Aid Audio Quality Index (HAAQI) metrics when comparing the performance of hdemucs against different versions of our model.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.11116v1","authors":["Keren Shao","Ke Chen","Shlomo Dubnov"],"tags":["cs.SD","cs.AI","cs.LG","cs.MM","eess.AS"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-04-17T07:01:29Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.06605v1","name":"New developments in the Whizard event generator","source":"arxiv","abstract":"We give a status report on new developments within the Whizard event generator. Important new features comprise NLO electroweak automation (incl. extension to BSM processes like SMEFT), loop-induced processes and new developments in the UFO interface. We highlight work in progress and further plans, such as the implementation of electroweak PDFs, photon radiation, the exclusive top threshold and features for exotic new physics searches.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.06605v1","authors":["Jürgen Reuter","Pia Bredt","Marius Höfer","Wolfgang Kilian","Nils Kreher","Maximilian Löschner","Krzysztof Mękała","Thorsten Ohl","Tobias Striegl","Aleksander Filip Żarnecki"],"tags":["hep-ph","hep-ex"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-09T15:54:01Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2405.04695v1","name":"Relationship of temperature changes in the mesopause region with the climate changes at the surface from observations in 1960-2024","source":"arxiv","abstract":"The results of an analysis of temperature variations in the mesopause region based on long-term measurements of hydroxyl airglow at the Zvenigorod Scientific Station of the A.M. Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics RAS (ZSS IAP RAS) in 1960-2024 in comparison with variations of surface temperature characterizing global-scale climate changes are presented. Along with temperature variations in the mesopause region, two versions of temperature variations in the mesopause region, normalized to the same level of solar activity, were analyzed. Quantitative estimates of a strong decrease in temperature in the mesopause region over the past decades in winter against the background of a global increase in surface temperature have been obtained. It was noted that significant coherence of long-term variations for temperature in the mesopause region with the surface temperature in the Northern Hemisphere with the use of cross-wavelet analysis, what was not previously evident in data for a shorter time interval. The possibility of such coherence was predicted in (Mokhov et al., 2017) under the continuation of global warming based on the results of model simulations for the 20-21 centuries, taking into account anthropogenic forcing. It was not previously manifested from observational data for a shorter time interval. Along with long-term trends, features of a sharp decrease in temperature in the mesopause region in the 1970s with its synchronicity with the known shift in surface climate regimes associated with El Niño events were analyzed. The results of cross-wavelet analysis using data obtained at the ZSS IAP RAS for the time interval 1960-2024 indicate a more significant connection between temperature variations in the mesopause region and El Nino indices in recent decades.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.04695v1","authors":["I. I. Mokhov","I. A. Fomina","V. I. Perminov"],"tags":["physics.ao-ph"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-05-07T22:15:58Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"},{"id":"arxiv:2412.01020v1","name":"AI Benchmarks and Datasets for LLM Evaluation","source":"arxiv","abstract":"LLMs demand significant computational resources for both pre-training and fine-tuning, requiring distributed computing capabilities due to their large model sizes \\cite{sastry2024computing}. Their complex architecture poses challenges throughout the entire AI lifecycle, from data collection to deployment and monitoring \\cite{OECD_AIlifecycle}. Addressing critical AI system challenges, such as explainability, corrigibility, interpretability, and hallucination, necessitates a systematic methodology and rigorous benchmarking \\cite{guldimann2024complai}. To effectively improve AI systems, we must precisely identify systemic vulnerabilities through quantitative evaluation, bolstering system trustworthiness. The enactment of the EU AI Act \\cite{EUAIAct} by the European Parliament on March 13, 2024, establishing the first comprehensive EU-wide requirements for the development, deployment, and use of AI systems, further underscores the importance of tools and methodologies such as Z-Inspection. It highlights the need to enrich this methodology with practical benchmarks to effectively address the technical challenges posed by AI systems. To this end, we have launched a project that is part of the AI Safety Bulgaria initiatives \\cite{AI_Safety_Bulgaria}, aimed at collecting and categorizing AI benchmarks. This will enable practitioners to identify and utilize these benchmarks throughout the AI system lifecycle.","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.01020v1","authors":["Todor Ivanov","Valeri Penchev"],"tags":["cs.DC","cs.AI"],"confidence":0.78,"sites":["alien-minerals"],"publishedDate":"2024-12-02T00:38:57Z","doi":"","addedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:43:56.003Z"}]